Category: FOOD + DRINK

Gluten and Dairy-Free Spicy Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Dressing

by Madison

I am soooooo excited to write about this recipe. My family has been making this caesar salad recipe for as long as I can remember. We would make it every Friday night with either pizza or hot dogs or hamburgers and I would look forward to having this dressing all week. We had this recipe on our book stand on our kitchen counter for my entire childhood. ANYWAYS, all of that to say that this recipe has withstood the test of time and is the best caesar dressing you will ever have — and it’s SO easy. So let’s get to it.

Caesar Dressing Grocery List:
1 Tablespoon + 1/2 a cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic or 2 teaspoons of minced garlic (add more of either if you love garlic)
1 egg
3 Tablespoons of lemon juice
2 teaspoons of dijon mustard
Half of a 12oz can of anchovy fillets, drained
A few sprinkles of pepper
Head of romaine or container of baby spring mix
Optional: Dairy-free or regular shaved parmesan
Optional: Gluten-free or regular seasoned croutons

Spicy Grilled Chicken Grocery List:
1lb chicken breast (or prepackaged grilled chicken strips from Costco or your favorite grocery store); cut into bite-sized pieces if you don’t prefer strips
1 bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wing Sauce

Let’s cook:
1. Marinate your chicken in buffalo sauce. I marinate mine for 2 hours-ish. You can marinate longer or shorter. I am all about the flavor and the longer the marinade, the better, IMO.
2. Place all of the ingredients from the caesar dressing grocery list above into a food processer. This Ninja food processor works perfectly to mix all of these yummy flavors together.
3. Cook your chicken. You can grill your marinated chicken breasts on your outdoor grill. You can also place your marinated chicken on a hot pan; cover. Flip and cook to your liking. You can also bake your chicken! However you prefer to cook your chicken, go for it.
4. Prepare your spring mix and romaine (or whatever lettuce you choose) and pour a generous amount of dressing atop the lettuce. Toss in the dressing.
5. Place your marinated (or simply grilled chicken, it’s great either way!) right on top.
6. Enjoy!

If it’s not easy, I don’t want it. This dressing is full of flavor and lasts so long in the fridge for a full week of delicious salad. Also, the chicken marinated in the pre-made buffalo sauce is a no brainer. We enjoyed this meal with seasoned fries but you can add veggies or any other side to complement the salad. You can also make this salad as a side! I just love it so much I eat it as my entree. This recipe highlights an incredible GF/DF caesar dressing that is a staple in my personal recipe book. I would LOVE to hear and see you guys make this recipe so make sure to tag me on Instagram @MadisonCrowley. You can also keep up there to see more day-to-day recipes before they hit the blog.

I hope you guys enjoy this recipe as much as I and my family do!!!

Gluten and Dairy-Free Buffalo Cauliflower Bites Recipe

by Madison

I would live in Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wing Sauce if I could. I could drink that stuff like coffee. I mean, my stomach couldn’t physically handle that. But if I could, I would.

That means I would eat buffalo wings (gluten-free boneless or bone in, whichever) all day long. And I mean, we shouldn’t just sit around eating chicken wings all day if we are striving to be our healthiest selves. I have seen this recipe going around during quarantine and decided it was finally time to try it out for myself!!!

For those of you who have been reading my blog from the beginning, welcome back and welcome to a new era of V&L. Where I spend my money has changed, where I spend my time has changed, and where I spend the majority of my efforts for work/passion projects have changed. Instead of buying incessant amounts of clothes, I am buying food and making new recipes that I can share and help people who can’t eat dairy or gluten add some new meals to their repertoire.

With that being said, let’s dive into this yummy recipe.

Grocery List:
¾ cup gluten-free flour (I used brown rice flour)
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¾ cup oat milk (or whatever milk you prefer)
1 head cauliflower
Buffalo sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wing Sauce)

Let’s cook:
1. Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, add the gluten-free flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and oat milk, and stir until well-combined.
3. Cut the head of cauliflower into small florets. You want them bite-sized so that you can evenly coat them with the mixture. You want every side covered!! Add the cauliflower florets to the batter.
4. Arrange the coated cauliflower on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, flip, bake for another 10 minutes.
5. Brush buffalo sauce evenly on all sides of the florets. I like a heavy dose, as stated at the beginning of this post, so feel free to douse those suckers. Bake for 10 minutes, flip, bake for another 10 minutes.

After making this recipe from a different one, I changed some things up to achieve peak buffalo bite perfection. We didn’t lather the buffalo sauce enough or make sure to evenly coat the batter on all sides. Flipping is important so that all of the sides of the florets are as crispy as possible.

Tbh, they taste freaking delicious. They aren’t chicken wings, but they are crispy at first bite and the perfect texture inside once you start chewing. They are a great alternative for chowing down on heavily battered and fried chicken wings or strips and also a great way for kids (or adults who don’t like veggies – ME) to get some nutrients in. I am not sure if this would work for other veggies but who knows! It just might. We put potato salad and pineapple with these and I got the Follow Your Heart vegan ranch to dip mine in.

Make sure to follow along at @MadisonCrowley for more in-the-moment recipes and photos! Feel free to share if you used this recipe and loved it!!

Gluten-Free + Dairy-Free Trader Joe’s Grocery List

by Madison

Hi! What’s up! Welcome back to Vogue and a Latte.

Today I am sharing my simple, weekly Trader Joe’s grocery list with you guys! Being gluten and dairy-free has its struggles, that’s for dang sure. But I have found some incredible replacements for items that I wouldn’t want to live without and have also created new meals and recipes while expanding my palette. I have gotten a little bit healthier since cutting out gluten and dairy, I wish I could say that was my choosing LOL. So my meals are healthy-ish, some by choice and some not. I always like to add in those comfort food cravings ( like my faaaave GF/DF ranch and fries ) when I can. At the bottom, I will outline a couple of meals that I throw together with these items! Honestly, it changes weekly depending on my mood and what I want to eat, but a lot of these items are staples and things that I eat each and every day.

Some meals I throw together:

☆ Hot dogs + carrots + sauerkraut + arugula
☆ Eggs + bagels + arugula + bacon + tomato
☆ Sliced bread + avocado + EVOO + pepper flakes + eggs
☆ Waffles + peanut butte + agave + chia seeds
☆ Sliced bread + turkey + mayo + tomato
☆ Chicken nuggets + ranch + lettuce combo
☆ Canned chicken + mayo + hot sauce + tortilla chips
☆ Lettuce combo + shrimp + spices + EVOO + peppers + tomato
☆ Rice + grilled chicken + spices + beans + avocado
☆ Roasted arugula/kale + grilled chicken + bacon + veggies + ranch

You can see that I am horrible at adding fruits and veggies, I am a work in process. Each time I go to the grocery store I try to add one new veggie and one new fruit to see how much I actually eat them. I HATE wasting produce but I also need to be eating so many more greens and fruits. For example, I got some bananas last night at Target to try and see if I will eat them with some peanut butter or grab out the door. If I don’t, I will grab some grapes next time or an orange and see if I reach for those more than others. I just wanna be healthy but I wanna enjoy it, ya know?

If y’all are into this, I think I am going to do a GF/DF charcuterie board post next! I am so into finding ways to enjoy the things that I love while also not killing my stomach. This digestion journey has been a TREK but it’s all about the mental game in my opinion.

Do you have any items you can’t leave Trader Joe’s without? Try any of these items on the list and love them? Leave a comment or shoot me a DM!

You can always follow along with my daily life on Instagram at @MadisonCrowley. It’s pretty real over there, not super glam at all times, but I am always sharing tips, tricks, and what’s really happening in my life.

Hope you loved this post! Have a fantastic and blessed day! xx

February Spending Freeze: Budgeting, Saving, and Spending.

by Madison

Thoughtless spending. I do it all of the time. Grabbing a coffee on my way to work when I have a perfectly good Keurig at home AND at work. Getting groceries (that I actually need) at Target and adding on a pair of jeans and a cute mug. Stopping for food on the way home from spin class when I have a refrigerator at home filled with healthy, yummy food. Watching a YouTube video and buying some beauty gadget that I REALLY don’t need from Amazon just because it is the latest and greatest.

Any of this ring a bell? Just me?

I have decided to put a hold on my spending for the month of February. I have recently noticed myself being extra caught up in the more, more, more atmosphere that can come from social media, our culture, and being inundated with ads and products all day long.
Never being satisfied.
Always needing something NEW.

The second I decided to really monitor and diminish thoughtless spending, I realized how many parts of my day were consumed by thoughtless spending, that I wasn’t even aware of. The worst part of it all is that I already have so much STUFF. Stuff that I don’t use. Clothes that I fold up and forget about. Beauty products that I push to the back of my shelves underneath my counter. And I still want more.

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DELICIOUS, easy, gluten-free + dairy-free pizza recipe

by Madison

Thanks for stopping by my sliver of the internet. For daily happenings in my life, follow along on Instagram! @MadisonCrowley

I have recently added gluten-free to the already present dairy-free in my life and things have CHANGED y’all. It’s hard out there for us food intolerant folks. Thankfully we are living in a time when healthy options are much more free-flowing (thank you TJ’s, Whole Foods, and LA!!!) so it isn’t as daunting as trying to eat this way years and years ago.

I am a foodie and I love beer. I love trying new foods and new places. So this is hard for me. But I figured if it would help my digestion, then it’s worth giving it a try. So far, SO GOOD. Which is bittersweet bc beer. While I love trying new foods, my daily go-to foods are pretty basic and honestly not as healthy as I once hoped that they would be. But I have gotten to the point where I no longer want to solely enjoy what I am eating, I want to not feel like crap afterward as well. Prioritizing quality of life, ya know?

So here is this recipe that is everything I wanted it to be and more. I honestly wasn’t even thinking about blogging this at all, but after I made it and tried it and LOVED it, I realized that there are ways to work around this food intolerance thing that I actually enjoy. Finding dairy-free cheese that actually tastes good AND melts is hard… until now. I knew I had to share with you guys. Welcome to my new fave, easy pizza recipe! Totally up to you to add more or fewer toppings, I just did what I knew I liked. I will probably try with different toppings next time, just to keep things new and interesting.

Delicious Gluten + Dairy Free Pizza 
UDI’s gluten-free pizza crust (1)
SO Delicious Mozzarella dairy-free shreds
Large pepperoni
Olives
Basil leaves
Tomato paste
Oregano
Garlic Salt
Oil

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Good Morning! I’m Faith. – Morning Routine Series

by Madison

Happy Friday, babes!
We are continuing this Morning Routine series for a couple more weeks because there are so many awesome bloggers out there that I want to be able to share with you. This week’s is no exception! Today I am chatting with Faith from the blog Articles of Faith.  Her blog has such a clean, pretty design. Her Instagram is always so beautiful and, you guessed it, REAL. I love following Faith because I get so many style ideas from her outfits and she shares so many fun parts of living in Atlanta.
Fun fact: Faith used to design wedding gowns! How cool, right?! She understands all of the sides of the fashion world which is super helpful as a blogger. Make sure you check out her blog to find out so much more about who she is and why I love following her!
Let’s get to the good stuff:
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Bedroom scene: I like white bedding and keep my room fairly organized. I can’t stand to wake up looking at a mess. My nightstand usually contains books I’m reading, nail polish, a water bottle, my phone, iPad, and a candle. I sleep in a tee and some soft shorts or leggings depending on the season. My 3 year old likes to climb in to bed with me in the middle of the night so I usually wake up to his foot in my face. Ha!
7:00 am: Alarm goes off. I wake up hungry so first thing I do is grab some breakfast. I like the kitchen to be clean in the mornings too, so the counters are usually clear and sink is emptied of dishes. It’s just so refreshing to have everything CLEAN in the morning! Some mornings are quick and I’ll do toast and banana or an RX Bar (chocolate coconut and chocolate sea salt are ALWAYS stocked in my pantry!) if I need to get out the door quick. If I’m working from home for the day, then I’ll make eggs, smoothie, oatmeal, or cereal. My toddler likes banana pancakes or toast with Nutella. I get bored and switch it up. I pair breakfast with a cup of coffee or iced chai latte that I make from a mix. It’s so yummy! I usually empty the dishwasher at this time too. I try to start my day with some quiet time and just setting my mind up for the craziness of the day. It doesn’t always happen but if I try to make it a priority.
7:30 am: I finish my coffee/tea while I get ready. First thing I do is wash my face. My bathroom is somewhat small and I keep everything stored away in a cabinet. My hair dryer and curling iron rest on a stand next to the sink. I do a more in depth skincare routine at night so mornings are just a quick cleanse. Again, I switch it up but right now I cleanse with Shea Moisture Sensitive Skin Facial Cleansing Oil, pat my face dry, apply Pixi Glow Tonic with a cotton pad, and finish with Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel. I try to remember to apply a tad bit of eye cream but most of the time I forget. After my face is cleansed, I brush my teeth (and my 3 year old’s) and put my contacts in.
7:45 am: Time for makeup! I don’t like a heavy face so I try to stay minimal on my makeup unless I’m going in to work. Most of the time I’m home and stick to concealer (Elf), CC cream (IT Cosmetics), bronzer (varies – currently using Tarte), blush (Tarte), and mascara (varies – currently using L’Oreal). I have a hard time getting makeup to stay, so I always, always, always use a finishing spray (Elf – Clear).
8:00 am: If I’m going to be home for much of the day, I usually put a hat on or throw my hair up. If I’ll be working somewhere else or have other things to do, I’ll curl my hair next.
8:15 am: Get my toddler and myself dressed and either get to work at home or head out the door for the day.
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What a morning routine! Make sure to let her know if you loved this post by giving her some love on Instagram ( @ArticlesofFaith ) and on her blog.
I have loved getting to chat with so many bloggers and get to know them through this series! It has been a blast and I am excited to continue for a few more weeks.
Follow along with my weekend plans on my Instagram at @MadisonCrowley! 
‘Til next time,

Autumn in November

Good Morning! I’m Madison. ⏤ Morning Routine Series

by Madison

Hiiii babes! Thanks for jumping onto Vogue and a Latte. So glad you ended up here. 🙂

Today is the launch of a series. A series I am ECSTATIC about. I have a vision / goal  / dream / whatever of community and collaboration. It’s my favorite. There are so many bloggers that I follow who inspire me and always encourage me to think bigger and reach for my dreams. I think that bloggers coming together to help each other is KEY. We all want to be badass babes together so let’s just do it, ya know?

I was trying to figure out how to incorporate my desire for a series that highlights my favorite boss babes and shows their personalities: who they are and what they love, and how to make it easy for them to share. I want to shout out babes that I love following on Instagram and reading about on their blogs. I am also obbbssseessedddd with morning routines. I have no idea why. I love reading how empowering people start their mornings and get motivated. I also love hearing about new products and new ways of doing things. Like a full glass of H2O to start the day or a piping hot cup of joe? What’s your preference? I want to know.

So each week I will be highlighting a different one of my fave blog babes and their morning routines! Stay tuned and keep your eyes peeled because there are some exciting names coming up. BUT to start off the series, I am going to share my own morning routine.

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Okay, let’s set the scene. This is my IDEAL morning. I am lucky enough to often have ideal days even on weekdays, not just weekends. Life is good, y’all.

I am normally suuuuper cozy in my bed with tons of pillows, blankets, and my pup. I love slow mornings. If that means I have to set my alarm extra early, that’s what I’ll do. I am all about being up early in the AM and heading to bed at a reasonable hour. On the weekends I love to grab drinks with friends and hang out, but if I am getting up for spin class, as I would on an ideal day, I will be in bed by 10!

6:40 – Alarm goes off and is immediately snoozed. The alarm goes off again in about 8 minutes and by then Boston is licking my face and begging me to get up and start the day. I grab my glasses and leave my phone on my nightstand to take him outside.

7:00 – Boston’s morning walk has been completed and I fix him his breakfast. While he eats, I pop a K-cup into the Keurig and drink a glass of water with a drop of lemon oil in it. I use his morning walk and breakfast time to just chill, clear my mind, and get ready for the day. I love peaceful mornings where I can be in the moment, enjoy my pup, and being without my phone or laptop for 30 minutes. After I have downed my large glass of water, I grab my coffee with dairy-free creamer in it and head upstairs to get ready.

7:30 – By now I am all decked out in workout gear and have grabbed my phone to begin engaging with and checking up on everything going on in my phone. Instagram DMs, Facebook message replies, posts, comments, all in a mornings work when your work is all from your fingertips! All of that being said, before I open up my social apps I always make sure to head on over to my Bible app, read and sit in the verse of the day, and chat with Jesus before I head into engagement.

8:00 – Time for morning products! I brush my teeth with toothpaste and a drop of orange oil for teeth whitening. I have been using the same face wash for years and I love it; it’s the Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser. It’s only $7 and it’s honestly a holy grail product for me. It gets all of my makeup off of my face in one wash. As I am learning more about the toxicity of skincare products, I am slowly switching all of my products out for non-toxic, clean products but this will be one that is hard to replace! After my morning face wash, I moisturize with my morning facial oil! I combine valor ( confidence, courage; a real boss babe oil ), frankincense, tea tree, and fractionated coconut oil. It’s light, refreshing, and makes me super glowy. I used to use a bazillion different products and now my morning facial routine is literally two steps – oils are magic.

8:30 – Spin class time! I go to Full Psycle and it is my FAVORITE. High energy, great instructors, and super convenient location. If you’re in OC or in TX, hit up a Full Psycle. I always spritz myself with my post-spin refresher that is peppermint oil mixed with water for a cooling effect and also so to help with the whole drenched in sweat situation.

9:20 – Grab a coffee or a smoothie from a shop near spin class. Grabbing breakfast / coffee after spin class is one of my favorite things. I’m not sure why… but I love it. Sometimes I will take it to go, other times I will bring my laptop and set up shop amongst the other creatives filling up the tables.

10:00 – By this time I am normally deep into my laptop and inbox. I am brainstorming blog ideas, checking out new oils that I need to add to my collection, creating content for my social media job, and outreaching to brands for Caitlyn! Often I am listening to a podcast while I work, multitasking at its finest. I would consider myself a workaholic but in the BEST way. I love what I do, every single second of it, and none of it feels like work. Truly living the dream over here.

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Well, I hope you loved diving into my morning! Every person has a different morning routine which makes me so intrigued. I love learning how people start their day because how you start your day really sets the tone and your mindset for the rest of your awake time!

Keep your eyes peeled for next weeks blogger morning routine! STOKED to share with yall. Make sure you follow along on socials to keep up with my daily life! –> @MadisonCrowley

I’m Willingly Setting My Alarm for 5:30 AM…?!?! | Motivation + Exercising Tips & Tricks

by Madison

FaF Workout Tips

Hello and welcome back to Forge A Frenzy!!!

*If you’re here for motivational tips & tricks from myself and my besties, scroll to the bottom. I typed out a fourth of my life story before getting to the good stuff.*

If you know me, you know that I am not, and have never been, a “morning person”. I like slow mornings. I set 2-5 alarms and they go off for about an hour. Seriously… I hit snooze more than anyone should. Sorry to my future husband. I was a tried and true night owl and did my best work in the wee hours of the night. During the first 2 years of high school, I rode the bus to school. The bus that picked me up at my house at 6:20 AM!!!!! I mean, looking back, I don’t really know how I did that y’all. I struggled making it to my 9 AM’s in college and genuinely couldn’t fathom scheduling myself willingly to be somewhere by 8 AM.

While I could write a whole post about my snooze issue, this post is about what the deciding factor was in my life that made me start setting my alarm (willingly) for 5:30 AM and what is keeping me going.

Two Words: Spin Class.

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Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats

by Madison

I am all about eating healthy and I am all about eating healthy EASILY. If it is too much work and I am not in the mood, I will chose unhealthy snacks/meals over the healthy ones. And that is not the right move! I am currently trying to eliminate dairy completely from my diet, which is horrible considering pizza is a main food group in my book. My go-to breakfast and snack currently is overnight oats! They are healthy, filling, and EASY. I have many different recipes that I rotate but the one I have chosen to showcase today is an apply cinnamon situation.

Early morning meeting?  Needing a quick meal before pilates? This is the perfect option.
It is easy to make multiple different recipes the night before and have your choice of flavor waiting for you the next day.

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Weekend Getaway: San Francisco + Napa Valley

by Madison

Welcome back to FaF annnnnnd to your next weekend getaway: Napa Valley, and a little bit of San Francisco + LA. This was the perfect girls weekend filled with the yummiest food and wine.

Here’s a detailed look at all of our eats and drinks as well as fun stops and shops throughout the weekend.
*** There is a food + drink roundup at the bottom of the post to sum up our delicious finds ***

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