christi flaherty, Author at Healthy Happy Real

Salmon and Black Bean Tostadas

Being a born-and-bred Texan, Tex-Mex food was life to me, but a chance encounter with kitchen employees at an all-inclusive in Mexico changed that forever. As most know, Tex-Mex cuisine is about as close as we Texans could ever come to claiming a “native” cuisine. I grew up LOVING it and can still eat it…

Five Fantastic Thanksgiving Sides Without Cans

I grew up eating everything out of boxes or cans. As a private chef and food writer, when I tell people this, inevitably their response is “You’re Lying!”. But it’s true. Spaghetti kit with canned meat sauce? Check. Every fruit and vegetable I consumed. Check. Fish sticks from a frozen box. Check. Blue box Mac…

Meatless Monday: Five Great Veggie Dinners

YOU MAY NOT WANT TO READ THIS…unless you want a delicious way to introduce more vegetables into your life. Meatless Monday began as a way for carnivores to give a nod to animal rights and saving the planet by eating vegetarian for one day a week. It actually happens to be a great way to…

Real Food Peanut Butter Cups

Many people balk at the thought of letting their kids create things in the kitchen. Yes, it’s a potential disaster area, but occasionally, it’s the bomb! These Real Food Peanut Butter Cups were the latest in my kids’ creations and they happen to fit my Healthy Happy Real food philosophy perfectly. They are very low…

Gluten Free Comfort Food: Chicken Pot Pie & More

Since moving back to Texas from the Napa Valley, California area, we have had several days of ice, but no REAL snow. Today is that day and comfort food is definitely on the menu. But what to do when you didn’t quite make it to the store in time? I’m going to give you…

The Best Ways to Deal with Leftovers

At some point during every week, my refrigerator looks like this. It’s not pretty. There are stacks of bowls with prepped veggies and bits of this or that and still a couple of days before I “go to town” (I live in the country) to get groceries. At this point, I always begin to look…

10 Ways to Eat Kale | Recipe Roundup

When I was younger and didn’t know about Kale or any greens other than canned spinach for that matter, I would have never imagined that I would be craving something intensely green and leafy. But after living with a veggie box as my primary source of produce for 6 years where greens filled out the…