My Epicurean Adventures

A food blog about cooking quick & easy, healthy(ish) meals that my family loves + fun lunchbox ideas for kids with nut allergies and more!

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Cranberry Pear Bread with Blueberries

I had a sweet friend who used to gift us the most delicious pear bread over the holidays. The top had the most amazing crispiness and crunch while the inside was perfectly moist. It was SO good and I looked forward to it every year. Sadly, we lost touch over the years but I think of her from time to time and hope she's doing well. I never did ask her for the recipe, since it was her special gift to others, but I have since started gifting my own type of pear bread. While I have yet to figure out ...

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The Best Black Bean Burger

Best Black Bean Burger

My husband and I went to India for a friend's wedding over 20 years ago. I'll never forget the amazing time we had celebrating the start of a beautiful marriage, enjoying time with friends while making new ones, the incredible sights we saw and so much more. I didn't even mention the food part! We tried and enjoy so much delicious food. But, the one that really stuck with me was the McAloo Tikki Burger from McDonald's. It sounds ridiculous, I know, but it was AMAZING and I still long for it over ...

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Easy Acai Bowl Recipe

Easy Acai Bowl Recipe

Hello all, it's been a while since my last post! Hope this finds you all well!! Now that my girls are 20 and 17, they go out and experience things on their own, without me, which is so cool but sad at the same time. An example of one of those things are Acai Bowls. I'd never even tasted one when they declared their LOVE for them! They aren't cheap, though, so Big Sis asked me one day if I could try making some at home. Of course I jumped at the chance! This Easy Acai Bowl Recipe is not only ...

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Snickerdoodles Made Healthier

Snickerdoodles have always been a family favorite ever since I discovered Doctor Yum and her healthier versions of food. These snickerdoodles made healthier are just as delicious as any other kind you'll run across! They're deliciously chewy with just the right amount of crispiness when you bite into one. So tasty! Doctor Yum's recipe is no longer available, so I'm adding to my recipe "file" for future reference. I'd hate to lose track of such a wonderful thing! It's so easy to sneak in the ...

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Best Big Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

When my girls were little, they always pined for those giant chocolate chip cookies we'd see at bakeries and restaurants but could never have because of their nut allergies. I tried so many times to make them myself but they always turned out big and super flat. Sad face emoji. But I was determined to make them the best big chewy chocolate chip cookies one way or another! Then, I ran across a great recipe for big cookies from Allrecipes and we were all SO excited! FINALLY, giant bakery-style ...

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Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta

Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta

While shopping at Trader Joe's the other day, I happened upon some very reasonably priced pre-cut butternut squash and couldn't resist its charms. Butternut squash is so tasty but so hard to cut when bought whole. And if you're suffering from tennis elbow like I am, forget about it! I was looking forward to making SOMETHING with it but had no idea what. Then it occurred to me... Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta (ravioli, to be exact)! I don't even remember the last time I made it, but the ...

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Easy Cake Pops Using Box Mix

Cake Pops Using Box Mix

Little Sis REALLY wanted to make cake pops over the weekend but I wasn't as thrilled. I've never been crazy about thought of traditional cake pops. Mushing a perfectly fine cake up with frosting using your hands?! Eeeeek. Instead, I just made them like regular cake using my cake pop pans. "But that's just not the right way" according to Little Sis. So I indulged her and we made them just the way she wanted. Easy cake pops using box mix! Easy Cake Pops Using Cake Mix Little Sis picked out ...

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Chicken Alfredo Veggie Lasagna

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna

My sister-in-law Kris made this delicious lasagna for us a couple years ago and my girls just loved it. While she couldn't give me an exact recipe, I was able to come up with my own that was pretty close. This Chicken Alfredo Veggie Lasagna has the girls' seal of approval so it's a winner in my book. Plus, I've been asked for the recipe by a friend AND her daughter, which is also a pretty good sign. And now add a 2nd request for it, so here it finally is! What I love about this recipe is ...

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Easy Pan Fried Sweet Potatoes

I have always enjoyed a nice sweet potato as a healthier alternative to baked potatoes. Never mind that it involved lots of butter, sugar and cinnamon. My family, not so much. But slowly, one by one, I've won them over to the sweeter, healthier side. Especially with these Easy Pan Fried Sweet Potatoes! First was the hubby, who is just a ball of will power and can make himself eat just about anything for the sake of being healthy. He actually REALLY likes them now which is so funny considering ...

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