Warm weather is finally here, and I’ve been dreaming about hot summer weather, weeknight barbecues, and holiday celebrations. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with ice cream sandwiches! What I can do without, though, is the headache and congestion from the sugar and dairy-filled treats. Luckily, you can make these delicious sandwiches in under 10 minutes with only 3 ingredients! Print Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches Prep Time 10 minutes Servings 6 servings Ingredients 4 Bananas, frozen 3 Tbsp milk of choice 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 6 dates, pitted 1 cup roasted, sa ..read more

Between writing the guest list, booking vendors, and searching for “the dress;” using green-friendly practices were on the top of my to-do list. With a little creative thinking, it is not overly difficult to throw an eco-friendly bash. I’m sharing a few of my favorite tips to help keep your carbon footprint down. Use real dinnerware and glassware or buy compostable. Using real plates, napkins, silverware, and glassware were very important to us while we were shopping for caterers. Not only does it look nice, but it cuts down on the amount of plastic headed to the landfill. If this isn’t pos ..read more

Like most girls, I get excited about the prospects of new makeup. The colors, the textures, the chemicals…wait, what?!  Check the label of your beauty products-do you recognize any of the ingredients on the list? Most of these products are comprised of harmful chemicals and substances that are considered neurotoxins. There are over 13,000 chemicals in beauty products, of which only 10% have been evaluated for safety. Laws don’t require beauty companies to disclose their ingredient information to the FDA either, so most products end up being unregulated. The average US woman uses 12 person ..read more

It’s that time of year again! Time to celebrate all things allergy-friendly and gluten-free. Last year I attended the Gluten-Free, Allergy-Friendly Expo in Schaumburg and had a blast learning and sampling hundreds of gluten-free foods. Doesn’t this look like fun? Come join me April 7th and 8th at the Schaumburg Convention Center. Use these codes to get early bird discount tickets HERE: 30% off  w/ code EARLYBIRD (thru 3/6) 20% off w/ code ADVANCE (thru 4/6) In the meantime, cook up some yummy gluten-free goodies to celebrate like these favorite recipes on my site: Coconut Flour Vanilla ..read more

I love painting my nails. Do you know what I don’t love? Chemicals!  Traditional nail polishes contain some of the most toxic ingredients like formaldehyde, camphor, pthalate, and toluene: Toluene, which is made from petroleum or coal tar. Chronic exposure linked to anemia, lowered blood cell count, liver or kidney damage, and may affect a developing fetus. In nail polish, toluene is used to give the polish a smooth finish. Formaldehyde, a skin, eye, and respiratory irritant, and a known carcinogen (formaldehyde exposure has been associated with leukemia specifically). Formaldehyde is us ..read more

I spend a lot of time talking about digestive health on Spoonful of Sugar Free because it is such an extremely important organ in the body. However, did you know that the largest organ in the body is actually our skin? Not only is it extremely important that we are conscious of what we put inside our bodies, but we also must be conscious of what we put on our bodies because our skin absorbs 64-100%* of what we put on it! Think of all the skincare product, nail polish, hair product, makeup, perfume, and lotion you use-at least 64% of that product is being absorbed through your pores and in ..read more

I am in love with beets lately! The dark red color gives it so many enriching health properties, so I made a quick salad that makes it easy to get an extra serving of beets. Print Beet Superfood Salad Prep Time: 5 minutes Yield: 1 serving Gluten-free, paleo, vegan, dairy-free, grain-free, nut-free, egg-free, and sugar-free. Ingredients Salad: 1 large cooked beet 1 small orange 1/4 avocado 1/3 cup cooked quinoa 1/2 green onion 1 cup chopped kale Dressing: 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons olive oil 1/4 teaspoon dill salt and pepper to taste Instructions Chop beet ..read more

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and instead of buying expensive flowers and chocolates try some of these fun recipes! There’s also a free downloadable Valentine’s Day “foodie” card at the end of this post using my new logo (yay!). My favorite Valentine’s Day recipes: For breakfast in bed: Bitter Chocolate Waffles For a non-alcohol alternative to wine: Strawberry Lemonade Sparkler For all chocolate lovers: Flourless Chocolate Cake Paleo Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cake for One (or Two!) Healthy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Check out this cute downloadable Valentine’s Day card! Perfect f ..read more

This is my very first recipe video that I am so excited to share on my site with special thanks to my collaborators for making this possible! Collaborators: Kelsie Abolt, Tracy Dennis, Erin Sutherland Music: Casey Dennis This is also my all-time favorite smoothie recipe! It has tons of superfoods to give you nutrients all day long. I’m so obsessed with it that I’ve had it for breakfast every morning for the past two weeks. Obsessive? Maybe, but it’s just that good! Sometimes I’ll mix it up and swap out the almond milk for coconut water or add a scoop of protein powder if I’m in the mood ..read more

Warm weather is finally here, and I’ve been dreaming about hot summer weather, weeknight barbecues, and holiday celebrations. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with ice cream sandwiches! What I can do without, though, is the headache and congestion from the sugar and dairy-filled treats. Luckily, you can make these delicious sandwiches in under 10 minutes with only 3 ingredients! Print Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches Prep Time 10 minutes Servings 6 servings Ingredients 4 Bananas, frozen 3 Tbsp milk of choice 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 6 dates, pitted 1 cup roasted, sa ..read more