{roasted parmesan brussel sprouts}

I have a quick, delicious recipe for you today. It only takes 3 ingredients! So simple.

1. brussel sprouts
2. parmesan
3. Garlic Expressions vinaigrette

#3 is key for this recipe, so don't skip it! Garlic Expressions is technically a salad dressing, but I (& my parents) really just use it as a marinade. Shrimp, grilled chicken, vegetables...it's the best.

Set the oven to 400°F.

^^what you need

 ^^after rinsing, just cut of the ends & split the sprouts in half

^^pour some of the dressing into the bag, add the brussels, & shake

^^spread out on a tin-lined pan

^^cook for 20-25 minutes, flipping them half-way through so both sides get some heat action

^^grate some fresh parm immediately & enjoy!

I don't have any other photos of the finished product because that bowl was empty almost immediately.

This is such an easy side dish or appetizer. I made it twice last week as an after-work snack. Healthy & delish. Try it!

{chicago, part II}

Saturday was filled with work & shopping. No photos.

Sunday was filled with food, food, & more food.

Greta & I woke up early, met up with her sister, & raced downtown. At my request we stopped at Dunkin Donuts, because I miss that place like crazy. {SF needs to get on board.} I ordered my usual drink & then we made our way to Do-Rite Donuts. I restrained myself from ordering a dozen & just got a measly two. Chocolate glazed & cinnamon sugar.

I wish I could fully explain how amazing they were? Maybe this picture will help.

Or this one.

I was pretty darn happy. So happy that you can't even tell how annoyed I was over the fact that Dunkin Donuts got my coffee order totally wrong.

So worth the trip though.

After dessert breakfast we headed back to Greta's apartment & worked out, mainly because I'd been eating so indulgently all weekend. But it was sort of pointless, because then we met up with another friend for pizza at Stella Barra.  I couldn't go to Chicago & not eat pizza. Even if it wasn't deep dish.

The back patio was gorge. Best kept secret in Chicago.

^^margherita & the special: arugula pesto with shaved artichoke hearts...so good!

^^greta & I

Right before I headed to the airport we made one last stop: Lickity Split. They make the best concretes & chocolates in the city.

I pretty much rolled myself on the plane, but all was okay. It was the best weekend. I feel like I packed a lot in & am so glad I stayed the extra day. Hopefully I'll be back soon with Dylan!

{nopalito}

Nopalito! How did I not know about you?

This restaurant is a ten minute walk from my apartment, has divine Mexican food, & the menu is almost completely gluten free. Three wins in my book.

Let's start with the drinks---their cocktail menu looked really fun. And that's coming from a girl who doesn't drink! My friend took a chance on the Mexcal Paloma {a smokey, grapefruit drink} & the girls sitting next to us were raving about the Margaritas. I, on the other hand, was very satisfied with my strawberry lemonade. It tasted so fresh I could've been sipping a straw sticking out of a strawberry.

For our appetizer, we ordered the Totopos con Chile. If you go, you MUST order these. They taste like upscale Doritos. I am not kidding.

^^Totopos con Chile...look at all the cheese!

My roommate got the Enchiladas for her entrée, which were great! A little too chocolatey than what I usually like, but honestly, that shredded chicken could turn any dish from okay to fab.

^^Enchiladas de Mole con Pollo

I went a little outside what I would normally order & got the Tamal de Birria con Pollo. I didn't know what I was in for...especially when it arrived in a corn husk! But once I dug in, I was so happy with my choice. It's the most tender, perfectly-seasoned shredded chicken wrapped in corn dough. It had a kick to it too, & for $6.50, you just can't beat it. 

^^Tamal de Birria con Pollo...amazing!

^^Bi-Rite Creamery was on the way home :)

If you're in SF, go to Nopalita! They have two locations & I guarantee you'll have a great meal. Check out the rest of their menu here.

{five years of celiac disease}

the iceburg metaphor, more medical
than my boyfriend one

Five years.

FIVE!!

That is so crazy to me!

I can remember the diagnosis like it was yesterday. I won't go through the saga again, because I've done that enough {& it's outlined in the "Why So Lively" page above}, but gosh. I'm so glad that one doctor finally figured it out.

Celiac & I have had a complicated relationship in the past five years. He's like a high school boyfriend who knocked the wind out of me when we first met, then turned out to be a jerk right after, but by our 5-year reunion finally got his shit together & turned out to be an okay guy.

Except I had to be married to him the entire time. And forever.

You know? ;)

I'm still completely at peace with it, even if I do still mourn over Dunkin Donuts & Entenmann's crumb cake & the idea of never having a croissant again {it's apparently scientifically impossible to make one without gluten}. It's also still a huge pain while traveling--airports & planes still haven't caught up yet.

BUT...it's been fascinating to watch the world adapt to this disease. It was virtually unheard of five years ago, but now it's talked about all the time. Not always correctly, but the awareness is higher than ever.

I'm so thankful Dylan & I have had to go through this together. I mean...it's so much easier to have a gluten-free buddy at gluten-filled dinner parties. The fact that we both have this genetic disorder proves that we are, in fact, identical twins---something we did NOT know in the 17 years before our diagnosis. So wild.

We're pros at it now. I don't cheat, don't really feel the urge to cheat anymore. I feel SO healthy---I can't stress that enough. When it comes down to it, that's really the main point. I felt so sick for so long. This healthy thing is really addicting; I'd be stupid to mess with it.

This blog was named Lively Liv because of my diagnosis. It wasn't until I eliminated gluten did I finally feel alive---or, lively---again. I'm determined to keep it that way.

So...Happy 5 Year Celiac Anniversary to Dylan & I!

What a great excuse to bake a cake :)

**Celiac isn't the main focus of this blog anymore, because it's so minuscule compared to the rest of my life, but if any of my readers have questions about it, or a gluten-free diet, please reach out.  I'm always here to offer support & tips.

{5 california gluten-free recommendations}

1. Casey's Cupcakes

I found this gem of a bakery while visiting my Grandad. It's in Fashion Island down in Newport Beach, which is one of the BEST malls I've ever been too. {It's also home to the best pet store ever. The puppies there are always the cutest.}  Casey's is pink, girly, fabulous, & has a gluten-free red velvet cupcake! It was moist, sweet & delicious. Also, it was kept in a separate case than the regular, gluten-filled cupcakes. Bonus points.

2. San Francisco Airport, Gate B

One of the WORST parts about having Celiac is traveling. Airports & airplanes never have any gluten-free snacks, so I always have to pack an extra bag of food. {You'd think I was traveling with a kid.} But when I was in the SFO Airport a few weeks ago, I saw this sign:

What?!  Not only did they have a place with homemade gluten-free pizza....but it also had cupcakes & snacks. I was stunned! Check out LiveFire Pizza next time you're in Gate B.

I got the classic margherita. So good. 

Also, don't judge that I got this all for myself. 

Blame Dylan for flying a different airline & not being my pizza-sharer.

3. Fōnuts

I've been craving a good donut for a few years months now. But the only gluten-free donuts I've been able to find are in the frozen aisle. {Which is ridiculous. A donut should be warm & freshly made. Am I right?}  Dylan made some kick-ass ones in December, but since she's all the way in Chicago & the donut pan is at my mom's house, I needed another option. Enter....Fōnuts!

They are baked, not fried, so they're way healthier than any Dunkin one :) {Not hating on DD, btw. I miss their coffee.} The whole bakery isn't gluten-free, but they're careful with the cross-contamination. In addition to chocolate frosted {what I got...so good!}, they have gluten-free apple cinnamon, banana, pumpkin, vanilla latte, coconut passion fruit & more!  

4. The Misfit

The Misfit is right off the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. I've been here twice for lunch & loved it each time. Not only is the atmosphere super cool, but the food is delish. I went nuts when I saw "gluten-free macaroni" on the menu. Gluten-free pasta is the ONLY option. That never happens! It was amazing.

love this design: the fixtures! the curtains! the books! the macaroni!

sorry for the bad pictures. didn't have my nice camera.

5. Papalote Mexican Grill

During my weekend to San Francisco, I ate here two days in a row. For reals. They honestly had the best guacamole & salsa I've ever tasted. & the homemade corn chips were amazing. I would fly back to SF just to eat here again.  

{ps. Their salsa is continuously named "one of the best"...by people like Bobby Flay! I'd have to agree. You can buy it online for a hefty price, but honestly? it may be worth it.}

Have any other recommendations? Tell me so I can check them out!

For the readers who haven't taken my blog survey: would you please? You have no idea how valuable your answers are to me! A post with some of the results is coming soon...

Happy weekend!

{buttercelli bakeshop}

Was it a coincidence that this bakery was down the street from where I got my haircut?

Yes it was. I swear.

Regardless, I needed to go inside. Because the word organic stuck out...& because had a feeling it had some gluten-free options.

Oh, was I right.

I wish I could say this little cupcake was the only thing I got. But it wasn't, thankfully :) Everything I bought was mouth-wateringly good. {Is that a word? Who cares. It works.} Especially the raspberry crumb bar. Ohmygoodness.

I need to find an excuse to go back this week. Because the girl would surely recognize me ;)

If you are in the LA area, & want some amazing gluten-free goodies, visit Buttercelli's.

See their menu & location here.

*Celiac disclaimer: The kitchen is shared, therefore it is not completely gluten-free dedicated. However, some appliances are washed before baking any gluten-free item. Just giving a heads up!

**This was not a sponsored post.

{in honor of this sweet day...}

Thank you, Buzzfeed, for this delicious article. I can't wait to try some!

ps. Happy Valentine's Day!

{homemade gluten-free chocolate-covered pretzels}

SO simple, I shouldn't even blog about it. But I'm in a blogging groove, so I'm going to :)

You need TWO things. Easy peasy.

1) Pretzels
2) Chocolate chips {dark, milk, white or a mix? whatever floats your boat}

Put some chips in a bowl & heat in the microwave for ONE minute.

It'll look like the chips aren't melted, but just mix it around wih a spoon. The heat will melt all of the chips {like below}. Keep stirring until everything is smooth.

I tried to do this as neatly as possible & make them look store-bought, but after the third pretzel I gave up. I ended up taking a spoon & just pouring chocolate on the tops of each.  It's a bit messy, so I suggest using parchment paper.

chocolate meet pretzel.

 Then I put them in the freezer overnight.

I made about 40 pretzels. I can't stop eating them...it's becoming a real problem :) I want to make some with dark chocolate & sprinkles!

Go make some! :)

{a gluten-free cinnamon bun!}

A few weeks ago, I walked passed a Cinnabon & my knees went weak. There are few smells as tantalizing as the aroma of freshly baked cinnamon buns. Am I right?  Ever since then they've been on my mind. So I was soooo happy to find gluten-free cinnamon buns tucked away in the frozen aisle of Pam MacD's.

They are made by Rising Hearts Bakery & come four to a package. {& I about DIED when I googled the company. There is an actual Rising Hearts Bakery very close to me in LA. If I go missing, look there.}

Before I get to the good stuff, there's two downsides to this product. The biggest? The fact that it's frozen. Now...I'm totally down with frozen foods. That's not the issue. {& the fact that it's frozen dough just makes the bun taste even better when you make it.} The problem?  I woke up the other morning so excited to have a bun for breakfast & almost cried when I read the directions. You have to let it rise to room temperature for 90 minutes, before baking it for 30 minutes. Say what?! 

Here's what it looks like after it's risen:

& here is the glorious cinnamon bun after it's baked:

It bakes perfectly every time. It's kinda crazy. Tip: Mine were done after 15 minutes of baking, not the suggested 30. Check the oven! 

I also went out & bought some cream-cheese icing to top it off. I may have put too much on. You can never have too much icing.

How AMAZING?

Apologies for the less-than-photogenic messy plate. I kinda went to town.

OMG were they delicious. It was actually a good thing that the entire process of baking one took 2 hours because I would've made another one right after I finished the first. 

The second downside is so not a big deal, but here it is: I'm not a fan of raisins, & these buns have 'em. But they aren't baked in--just placed--so it's super easy to pick them out :)

Who wants a cinnamon bun now? Did I tease you enough?

If you live in CA, look for these in your grocery store! & if you don't & really want them, Rising Hearts can ship to you. {But there's a pretty hefty price.}  OR...visit me! We'll eat some together.

**I was not compensated for this review. Just sharing the love.