🩷 “‘Just a little homesick’, Alice answered. It was the truth, she thought. She just wasn’t sure she had yet been to the place she was homesick for.” ― Jojo Moyes, The Giver of Stars

💛 “Books are the mile markers of my life. Some people have family photos or home movies to record their past. I’ve got books. Characters. For as long as I can remember, books have been my safe place.” ― Kristin Hannah, The Great Alone

DIRECTIONS: Combine almond milk, frozen strawberries, and pineapple chunks in a blender. Blend on high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add vanilla protein powder, collagen peptides, vanilla extract, and lemon juice to the blender. Pulse a few times until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Pour the smoothie into two glasses and serve immediately. 

NUTRITION INFO: Calories: 156kcal (8%) Carbohydrates: 34g (11%) Protein: 3g (6%) Fat: 2g (3%) Saturated Fat: 0.1g (1%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 1mg Sodium: 154mg (7%) Potassium: 413mg (12%) Fiber: 6g (25%) Sugar: 24g (27%) Vitamin A: 113IU (2%) Vitamin C: 166mg (201%) Calcium: 184mg (18%) Iron: 1mg (6%)

(Recipe and photo courtesy of Food Faith Fitness)

For the sauce: 

For the chicken: 

For the cauliflower rice: 

For garnish: 

DIRECTIONS: In a medium pot over medium heat, melt 1 1/2 tsps of the coconut oil for the sauce. Add in the ginger, garlic and habanero pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add in the remaining coconut oil, juice and coconut aminos. Raise the temperature to high heat and bring to a boil. Additionally, place the tapioca flour in a small bowl. Once the liquid comes to a boil, add 2 tsps of it to the bowl with the tapioca flour and whisk until smooth. While stirring constantly, pour the tapioca mixture into the sauce and boil for 2 minutes. After the sauce as boiled, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce reduces by about 1/4 and becomes shiny, about 6-7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to let it cool and thicken while you make the chicken. Place the tapioca flour into a large Ziploc bag and season the cubed chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken into the bag and shake around until evenly coated in the flour. In a medium pan, heat 1 Tbsp of the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Place half of the chicken into the pan, being careful not to crowd it, and cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and repeat. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate and blot off an excess oil. Repeat with the remaining chicken. If the chicken starts cooking too fast, turn the heat down a little bit. While the chicken cooks, place the cauliflower into a large food processor and process until broken down and “rice-like” heat the 2 tsps of coconut oil up in a large pan over medium-high heat and add the cauliflower and coconut flakes. Cook until lightly golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 2-4 minutes. Transfer the chicken and mango cubes into the bowl with the sauce and toss until evenly coated. Divide the chicken and cauliflower between two plates and garnish with cilantro, green onion and sesame seeds. 

NUTRITION INFO: Serving: 441g Calories: 591kcal (30%) Carbohydrates: 43.2g (14%) Protein: 36.5g (73%) Fat: 31.9g (49%) Saturated Fat: 24.2g (151%) Cholesterol: 85mg (28%) Sodium: 165mg (7%) Fiber: 6.2g (26%) Sugar: 20g (22%)

(Recipe and photo courtesy of Food Faith Fitness) 

I decided to go with ten of my favorite books with flowers on the cover. Do you spot any of your favorites?