Life Update!

Hey Happy Tummies!

It has been waaay too long!

Just wanted to give a quick little life update.

No, I have not fallen off the face of the planet, contrary to popular belief! :D

I've been super busy filming and working and enjoying the summer!

I feel a little silly posting acting updates, but you guys are like family and we've been on this journey back to health together, and you all have been so supportive as I'm out here going after it, so I wanted to share my latest work with you guys: I played the love interest in Derek Crider's new country hit, "Girl Walks a Country Mile." I know I'm biased, but I absolutely LOVE the song!

You can watch it below, and catch a glimpse of Yours Truly in action :)





The song follows a couple that is falling in love during the summer time.

Here's another behind the scenes shot!

Derek was such a cool guy. If you live in Philly, you should try to catch one of his live shows!

Next, I just finished shooting the pilot episode of Heroes of the Street, where's I'll be playing Autry Colbert!

We shot in Philly and it was so incredibly fun! It was a jam packed week with filming at several locations, and dodging a major thunderstorm that produced a tornado! It was crazy!

I loved all my co-stars, and by the end of the week we were a little H.O.T.S. family:)

I'll keep you all updated on it as the project moves forward, but for now, here's a link to our FaceBook page.


And finally, the summer would not be complete without our annual trip to the lake home in Wisconsin over the Fourth of July! Good laughs were had, beers were consumed (vodka for me), family time on the water was enjoyed -- just what I needed.

And the very last thing is that I just booked another film! It's a short horror film, but it films at the end of July. Looks like this is officially the #BestSummerEver. 

I hope you all have been enjoying the summer so far! I can't begin to express how much I've missed blogging, and how much I've missed interacting with all of YOU! I have every intent on getting better at posting. I have a delicious recipe that I'm going to post this week -- probably Wednesday night. So check back for that:)

Love and hugs to all my Happy Tummies!

Caralyn

Roasted Beet & Fennel Pesto Pizza! GF, SCD, BED & Paleo w/ Vegan opt'n!

What up Happy Tummiesss?!!

How was everyone's weekend? Did you watch the World Cup finals? I watched it with my friends in Harlem. What a fun day.

A double rainbow on the way to the airport in Wisconsin.

So yep, I'm back from Wisconsin, and boy do I miss my fam. It was so great to be with them, especially my little niece, Baby A. She turns one on Thursday. Such. A. Cutie. :D My mom loves being a gma:)

It is definitely a different kind of summer here in NYC. It is seriously muggy and humid here on the East Coast, but that was NOT the case in Wisconsin! It was so cold in the Northwoods that on a couple days, that I had to wear a ski suit when we went boating!! And at the lake home, we have all our old clothes up there -- as the "cottage wardrobe." So let's just say I looked pretty sweet in my mom's 80's ski outfit! haha

Yep, it was a high of 63 degrees some days, so lets just say it was f-f-f-freezing on the water! Quite the change from NYC :D

One night in Wisconsin, I decided to make one of my favorite meals: a Cauliflower Flatbread Pizza!

Flatbreads are a standby for me. They're so delicious, filling, easy to make, and seriously good eats!

And you did read that right: it's made out of Cauliflower! Cauliflower and almond flour to be exact:D

This particular flatbread was a Roasted Beet and Fennel Pesto Flatbread! And it's Gluten and Grain Free, Specific Carb Diet and Body Ecology Diet Friendly, Paleo, and has a Vegan option!

Here's what you need: (Serves one)

1/3 cup almond flour
2 egg whites (Vegan option: 1 flax/chia egg)
1 cup cauliflower florets (riced in a food processor)
3 pinches salt

1 beet, cut into 1/4 inch rounds (BED sub red pepper)
1 bulb of fennel, half cut into wedges, and half shaved on the mandolin

Pesto Sauce:
1 cup, packed fresh basil
1/4 cup pine nuts
juice 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
3/4 cup green peas, microwaved for 2 minutes
1-2 Tbsp EVOO

Garnish:
fresh basil, chopped
sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 400 degree. Rice your cauliflower in the food processor. Then, place your riced cauliflower in either paper towels, cheesecloth, or a clean kitchen towel, and wring out all the excess liquid. (This is a really important step!)

Combine the riced cauliflower with the egg, almond flour and salt in a medium sized bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (NOT wax paper!) Place your "dough" in the center of the parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment on top, and "smoosh" out the dough to about an 8 inch circle. Leave the top paper on, and bake as a "parchment sandwich" for about 30-35 minutes, until the edges turn golden brown.

Next, scrub and dry your beet, and slice it into 1/4 inch rounds. Place them in a single layer on a tin-foil-lined, olive-oil-sprayed baking sheet. Spritz with olive oil. Set aside.

Take your fennel bulb and remove the two outer layers. With half, cut into wedges, keeping the button intact, so the wedges stay together. Place these wedges in a single layer on the baking sheet with the beets. Spritz with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, take the fennel off the baking sheet and set aside. Flip the beets, and return the baking sheet to the oven for another 10 minutes.

With the remaining 1/2 fennel bulb, carefully shave it on the mandolin into paper-thin slices. These will be scattered raw on the pizza.

Meanwhile, make your pesto by combining all the pesto ingredients in the food processor and blitz until smooth. You'll need to scrape the sides several times.

To assemble, place a thin layer of the pesto sauce on the crust. Top with slices of the beets, the roasted fennel, and raw fennel, and garnish with basil and sunflower seeds.

Oh my goodness this pizza was SO GOOD! Holy cow, what a treat. For those of you who are skeptical of a crust made out of cauliflower, I assure you, you do NOT taste the cauliflower at all. No kidding. I passed it around the table for my family to try, and they all couldn't believe that there was cauliflower in it. Even my dad --- and that's saying something!

The textures were so great. The crust was chewy and bready, and a little crispy/crunchy on the edges. The creamy pesto, chewy beets and roasted fennel went perfectly with the crunchy sunflower seeds and raw fennel.

And the flavors were fabulous! The pesto was so bright and fresh, and the beets had a wonderful earthy sweetness to them that paired perfectly with the sweet and licorice-y fennel. There's something magical about fennel when you roast it in the oven -- its inherent sweetness comes out and caramelizes. SO good! And the sunflower seeds gave a nice nutty and salty *pop* to it.

Finally, it was a stunning dish with the bright green and deep purple. Just beautiful.

Alright, I'm off to watch the Bachelorette! More great recipes coming later this week! Be sure to check back!

OMG Slaw! GF, V, SCD, BED & Paleo!

Hey everyone!

How was your Fourth of July!?

Mine is going great! I'm up in Wisconsin at my family's lake home with my entire family. I'm having so much fun! My little niece, Baby A, is here, and she is just the gosh darn cutest thing in the entire world.

It's so much fun to see things through her eyes and watch her discover things for the first time.

So for Independence Day, we had a traditional BBQ cook out. My dad made beer boiled brats and hamburgers on the grill, and I made a delicious dish to share.

Since I was feeding a big number, (10!!), I decided to make a dish that goes a long way, and is a crowd pleaser.

Let me tell you this was a HIT! Everyone LOVED it and gobbled it up.

I've decided to call it my "OMG Slaw," since that's what everyone said when they ate it..."Oh my gosh this is AMAZING!"

And this colorful dish is Gluten Free, Vegan, Specific Carb Diet and Body Ecology Diet friendly, and Paleo!

Here's what you need: (Serves 10)

1/2 head purple cabbage, sliced thin
3 large carrots, sliced into matchsticks
1 red pepper, diced
8 radishes, sliced thin on a mandolin
24-30 sugar snap peas, sliced thin
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
3 pinches salt

Dressing
1/3-1/2 cup almond butter
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
3 Tbsp Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
Juice of one lime
8 drops pure liquid stevia (SCD use 1/2 tsp honey)
2-3 Tbsp water

First, prep all your veggies. Cut them as thin as possible by either carefully using a mandolin (use the hand guard!) or with a sharp knife. In the largest bowl you have, combine the veggies. Add your pinches of salt, seeds and cilantro, and toss to mix.

Then, in a Pyrex measuring cup or a separate bowl, make your dressing. Using a microplane or grater, grate your ginger directly into the Pyrex, then whisk to combine the other ingredients. You'll need to add about 1-2 Tbsp water to thin out the sauce into a "drizzly" consistency.

Coat all the veggies with the dressing, and serve garnished with more seeds.

Refrigerate before serving. It will keep (and keep getting better) for three days in the refrigerator.

Oh my goodness this slaw was so freaking awesome. I can't even begin to describe the bright, fresh flavor of this slaw. There's nothing like spending the day on the lake, and enjoying a cold, crisp salad for dinner. It was so refreshing.

I'm serious, everyone flipped out over this salad. There were NO LEFTOVERS! People were licking their plates, the dressing was so good.

First of all, it is a beautiful dish. You eat with your eyes first, and this definitely jumped off the plate. There was purple and pink, green, red and orange! So beautiful.

And the texture was so satisfying. The cabbage was so incredibly crunchy, and the avocado was nice and creamy. Finally, the seeds gave a chewy, salty pop that really hit the spot.

Finally, that dressing. It was nutty and bright from the lime juice and apple cider vinegar. It was a little sweet, and wonderfully fresh from the cilantro. Cilantro and lime are a match made in heaven:)

What a treat. Seriously so good. This week is going so well. We're celebrating my niece's first birthday, and my graduation while we're here. I made a gorgeous gluten free cake with coconut oil frosting for Baby A's birthday celebration. I'll post about that soon. It was a hit!

Question for all my lovely readers: There's a new trend with food production called aquaponics, which is a sustainable food growing system circulating water between fish and plants. It's herbicide/pesticide free and uses less water than traditional farming. How do you feel about it? Would you buy produce grown using aquaponics?

OK, see you soon!

Coconut Mango Vodka Slushy! GF, V, SCD!

Hey hey everyone!

I'm still riding cloud nine from the Fourth of July.

Independence Day in the Northwoods of Wisconsin is so fun. Everyone decorates their boats in patriotic gear. It's one big party!

So my mom has a super high powered Ninja blender that makes amazing blended drinks. She and the gals in my family enjoyed what's called a rum chatta collata. Well, it contains lots of dairy, sugar, and rum....so it is definitely NOT SCD friendly! (It's rum chatta spirit (dairy based), pineapple juice, rum, coconut cream, and nutmeg.)

But I'm not one to miss out on a "fru-fru" vacation drink! So I concocted one that I could drink!!

It's completely SCD legal!! I wanted to find a flavored vodka, but all the ones I could find have LOTS of added sugar and artificial ingredients. BUT I finally found a winner!! Skinnygirl Coconut Vodka! It's just made with vodka and coconut water! No added sugar!! Wooo!!

SOOOO I blended: (makes 3 drinks)
4 cups ice
1 cup coconut vodka
juice of 1/2 lemon & 1/2 lime
8 drops of pure liquid stevia (SCD omit)
1 cup raw organic mango juice

Blend on high for about 30 seconds until it resembles a slushy.

Holy cow you guys this is SO INCREDIBLE!! I may or may not have had the entire thing by myself that day:) Oops!!

It's like an adult slushy. And the best part is that it didn't hurt my tummy! The ice really waters down the juice so it's not overly sweet. It's very light and refreshing! It tastes like you're on vacation!

And the color is just gorgeous. That tangerine orange -- so sunny and bright!

My sister-in-law tried both and said that she actually preferred my Coconut Mango Slushy over the Rum Chatta Collata because it was lighter and more refreshing for a hot day.

Adios for now!


Want more GFHT?  You can now get my e-cookbook, The Best of GlutenFreeHappyTummy for only $2.99 on Amazon!

Beet & Mushroom Cauli-Flatbread! GF, SCD & Paleo w/ Vegan Option

Hey guys!

So I’m in Wisconsin! Yay!! Don’t get me wrong, I love NYC, but every now and then it’s good to just get away, see nature, and spend time with family. So bring on the lake!

Wisconsin is so amazing. I love being on the lake and just having the stress melt away. Up here, life is slow. The day revolves around when you’re going out on the boat, what beers to bring in the boat cooler, and which supper club to go to for dinner. The local Friday Night Fish Fry is an institution, and being a Packers fan is the religion around here. Cheeseheads for the world!

I’ve really missed cooking. Cooking in the city is pretty difficult. Food is SO expensive. ($6.00 for a red pepper!!) That, and my days are so busy that it’s hard to make time to cook/blog. So as a result, I’ve been only cooking one special “blog meal” per week. But up here, I can really let loose "culinarily" and have fun!! SO let the culinary adventure begin!

Last night I made an AMAZING meal! We’re talking a 10/10! Delicious, filling, healthy, and beautiful to boot. What was it?

Beet, Mushroom and Basil Cauli-Flatbread!

Talk about a fabulous treat! And it’s gluten/grain free, Specific Carb Diet friendly, paleo, and has a vegan option!

Here’s what you need: (serves 1)

Crust:
¼ cup almond flour
1 cup cauliflower
2 egg whites (Vegan option: 2 flax/chia eggs)
salt and pepper

1 beet, scrubbed and diced
2 Tbsp onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper

4 mushrooms, sliced
5 sugar snap peas, sliced into bite-sized pieces
basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub and dry your beet. Then, cut it into ½ inch cubes. Place them on a tin foil-lined, olive oil-sprayed baking sheet in an even layer. Spritz with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

While that’s baking, prepare your crust. Steam or microwave your cauliflower. Then, place the florets into the food processor and process until it resembles rice. Place your riced cauliflower in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and wring out as much water as you can. This step is really important!! Mix your dried cauliflower rice with your egg of choice, almond flour, salt and pepper. Set aside. Cut 2 pieces of parchment paper and place one on a baking sheet. Put the dough in the center of the sheet. Place the other sheet on top and “smoosh” out the dough to form a circle. Don’t make it too thin, but spread until you get a nice sized crust. Bake crust for 35 minutes at 400 degrees. This is what the underside of the crust looks like when it’s finished: see how golden and crispy it is?!

Meanwhile, sauté your mushrooms and sugar snap peas in 1 tsp of olive oil, salt and pepper for just a minute: until the mushrooms brown and the peas become a vibrant green. Transfer to a plate and set aside. In the same pan, add another tsp EVOO and sauté your onions and garlic with salt and pepper. Allow the onions to brown a bit, and then transfer them to the food processor.

When your beets come out of the oven, place them in the food processor with the onions and garlic. Add some salt and pepper, and blend until creamy.

To assemble: Place your crust on your plate.

Top with the beet mixture.

Top with your mushrooms and sugar snap peas.

Garnish with fresh basil and DIG IN!

I cannot even begin to describe how delicious this flatbread was! First, the crust was chewy and a little crispy. You could not taste the cauliflower AT ALL! It had a subtle nuttiness to it from the almond flour.

And the entire thing was just bursting with flavor. There was an earthy sweetness to the dish. The beets had an underlying sweetness that was complimented by the sweet sugar snap peas. The mushrooms really highlighted the earthiness of the beets. And the basil gave the dish a wonderful freshness that tied it all together!

Finally, it was a truly beautiful dish. The white mushrooms and green peas just popped off of the deep crimson beets. It looked like a work of art. Almost too pretty to eat. Almost. :)

And one last thing! I found an AWESOME new product! It’s called Reallygoods! It’s a regional organic, vegan/glutenfree/raw snack bar/“cookie.” - It's literally called a "raw fruit and nut thing" haha See? 

I enjoyed them on the boat for lunch yesterday.

Check out the ingredients: macadamia nuts, pecans, raisins, coconut….SO INCREDIBLE! And I loved them because they didn’t have any dates in them like Larabars. (Dates don’t really agree with my stomach. I think the sugar is too concentrated in them.) So yeah, keep an eye out for them!

They were super chewy and just the right amount of sweetness! I mean, check out that texture!

More fun to come in the kitchen tonight! See ya soon!

Want more GFHT?  You can now get my e-cookbook, The Best of GlutenFreeHappyTummy for only $2.99 on Amazon!