I know summer is winding to a close, with a kiss of fall greeting us each morning. But I love how fresh and summery coleslaw always seems.


I recently had a Saturday off, a treat during the summer months, so we spent the day doing everything and absolutely nothing. We did end it by slow-smoking a flat iron from the local butcher shop and cooking a little dinner together. To top it off, we recently (and finally) acquired a fire-pit, I fell in love with this one, and decided to break it in.


Neither of us are big fans of mayonnaise, texture, mouth-feel and with not being able to do eggs, I decided to get creative. I also love a high-acid dressing, so I put a little concoction together and perfected it with the second batch.

Backyard Coleslaw

Dairy-free/Gluten-free/Egg-free 
Serves 4

1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp lime juice
shy 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Equal parts salt & pepper to taste - I used 1 Tbsp each
1 Tbsp honey

Blend dressing with a fork or small whisk, pour over prepared cabbage mixture. Let sit 5 mins. Enjoy!



To top it off, here is a little Monday whiteboard workout. Feel free to sub the kettlebell swings with push ups and the good mornings with another round of lunges for good, strong hamstrings!

I've been away for a bit, we've have a rather busy last few weeks, but we have big news we couldn't be happier to share! We are expecting Baby Wheeler #2 in the spring!


Between crazy work schedules,  a couple home DIY project (more on that to come) and a little hiccup with my desktop and iPad version of the blog, it's been madness, but I'll be sure to get you up to speed soon. I have all sorts of recipes, workouts and baby & toddler favorites coming up.

I have been bursting at the seems waiting to share the news that Aria will be a big sister. As soon as we found out I started scouting out cute newborn things, planning Aria's big girl room.. I just can't help myself.

Baby #2 bump, accented by cute little fingerprints on the mirror ;)

This whole nesting thing has kicked in early too, I found myself painting the living and dining room.. FINALLY saying goodbye to that dreadful wood panelled wall. It's getting there wall by wall.. finding time to paint in the evenings while doing dinner, playing with Aria and getting her to bed on time pull me away, And who really wants to paint for more than an hour or two at a time? I'll have pics of the progress soon.


Fall is finally in the air, we found lots of pumpkins at the nearby farms today. Aria was about as obsessed as I am over the white ones. Cue the marshmallow pumpkin candles and apple cider!

*Note, image thumbnails open with post, please click post title. 

The first year that Seth and I were married, we lived on pasta. Cheap, easy and you can add almost anything to it and it's a meal. Little did I know at the time that that very thing was contributing to feeling constantly ill.

Fast forward 6 years, I sometimes can't believe what I ate. My habits have changed immensely. Once I found out that gluten was causing all my problems and then learned how to identify it, I never looked back (actually, sometimes I peek).  Short version, I never eat pasta, and I don't really crave it much either. But what I do miss are some of the sauces, the cheese, the comfort of a creamy fettuccine Alfredo or gourmet raviolis will make my mouth water. I feel the recent change to cooler, drizzly weather has made me crave a little comfort food. What's one to do? - make it paleo style.


This version includes dairy, but all you have to do to change that is eliminate the cheese,  you'll still have a creamy, hearty and very savory dish. The rest of the recipe is made with dairy alternatives.

What's also fun is you can change up your 'noodles'. Cook up some spaghetti squash or peel you zucchini in whatever style suits you best. I might be the last person around that doesn't have a spiralizer, but I love my peelers, and the basic peeler (green shown below) offers wide, fettuccine-like noodles.

Zucchini "Fettuccine" with Garlic Shrimp

Ingredients: 

3 medium zucchini, peeled
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled, de-veined
2 tbsp ghee
3 tbsp gluten-free flour
1 cup canned coconut milk
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese*
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 bunch basil, chiffonade

Steps: 
1. In a large pan, heat water to rolling boil.
2. Peel zucchini in desired fashion into medium bowl.
3. Once water is boiling, add zucchini, blanche for 1-2 mins until soft, strain and set aside in a large bowl.
4. In the same large pot, add ghee and melt over med-high heat. Stir in gluten-free flour to make a roux. Add the coconut milk slowly, stirring until well combined.
5. Reduce heat to low. Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and sauce starts to thicken. Add the garlic powder, salt & pepper. Simmer over low for 5-8 mins until sauce reaches desired consistency.
6. While sauce simmers, cook the shrimp:  In a medium saucepan, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat, add the minced garlic, cook 1 minute until fragrant. Add the shrimp (season with salt & pepper if desired). Cook 3-5 mins on each side, until pink and starting to brown.
7. Remove sauce and shrimp from heat, add to strained zucchini noodles. Top with basil and enjoy!



*For dairy-free omit the parmesan cheese, all other ingredients are dairy free. You'll still have a very savory and creamy sauce. 

If you end up making this recipe (or any others for that matter) be sure to come back and leave a comment or share a photo of social media and tag me (@mwheeler711 on Instagram). Or feel free to #barbellinthekitchen so that I see it. I love seeing and sharing your creations. It makes my day. <3

Easy, flavorful, filling and gluten free. Right up my alley. These stuffed sweet potatoes are our new go-to dinner around here.

1. Melt the ghee in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the arrowroot powder and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add the remaining spices stir for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
3. Add the tomato paste and chicken stock, and whisk until smooth. Simmer for 5 minutes to thicken.
4. Use immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Note: I followed this and went with grassfed beef, you could also sub in shredded chicken or ground turkey.

Oh my goodness, I've been away for a bit. It's been a whirlwind around here lately and we just returned from our California roadtrip. Note to self: Sprout more arms and do some yoga before traveling with a toddler & two dogs.

It was a great trip and lots of fun, I was able to check off seeing the Redwoods from my bucket list as we cruised through the Avenue of the Giants and took the Skytrail gondola ride through the forest. We then headed down to Sonoma Valley wine country for a little tasting excursion and some relaxation. The trip came to a close after a few days in Piedmont-Oakland area visiting my brother-in-law. A night in a cute cabin creek-side in Ashland was the last stop on our way back home. Whew!

First.. traveling with a toddler was a bit of a reality check. We realized that was sleep-trained Aria to sleep in her crib a little too well. There was no sleep to be had by anyone the first two days, but we got into a groove and it got better. Snacks all around and lots of pit-stops for fresh air were the ticket.


Second, I love Airbnb. We used them to book 3 of the houses/cabins to stay in during our trip and each one was fabulous. Highly recommended for your next trip! Here's a link for $25 credit. :)

The first part of the trip was amazing, yes, I was amazed by trees, but really.. they are huge and very humbling. As I mentioned the Skytrail was great, Aria especially loved waving to people in the other gondolas as they passed by. We even picked up a couple tiny Redwood trees to try to not kill here at home.


Part two in Sonoma was super fun. We loved the little town of Forestville where we stayed. It was cute, quiet and friendly. The roads into and out of town were lined by vineyards close to harvest. I'm pretty sure you could live there your whole life and still not visit all the vineyards and wineries. Lots of great wine, way too many to choose from, I may have brought more than a few back home to hoard.

The house we stayed in had a 5 min walk to what they call "Mom's Beach" a open span of soft gravel beach along a slow-moving and shallow portion of the Russian River. A hit with everyone during the hot afternoons.


The third portion of the trip took us down to the Oakland/Piedmont area to see Seth's brother. Aria loves her uncle and had lots of fun, she even learned how to climb stairs. The Bay Area has so so many great places to eat, we were hardly disappointed. And a trip to the park with the pups after my first afternoon Ikea excursion kept us sane.

Our trip home was met with a sigh in which we were bummed to already have to return home to real life, but relief to finally get home too. So many great memories were made. This ended up a long post even with the short and sweet summary. So happy to finally share it with you.