Rob and I are pretty bad about throwing away perfectly good leftovers and spending even more money on junk, so we're trying this thing called Eat Everything In The Fridge Before Going Out For Food, and let's face it, it's kind of the worst sometimes. But, to keep at it, I've been focusing on really simple recipes using stuff I already  have in my kitchen. Some of these things are often hot sauce, mayo, butter, and cauliflower.

Now I'm not someone who makes meatless dishes and says "It's just as good as the real thing!" (mostly because I'm a carnivore), but yeah--roasted cauliflower does have a really nice, meaty texture that could easily pass as a decent chicken wing substitute, especially when paired with some homemade Buffalo sauce. But chances are you'll find me eating these as a snack while our dinner is cooking on the grill. Either way, I hope you enjoy this simple, healthy, cheap, and delicious dish.

Ingredients:

For the Buffalo Cauliflower

• 3 tablespoons grass-fed butter
• 1/3 cup Frank's hot sauce
• 1 head of cauliflower
• A couple tablespoons of olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

For the Paleo Ranch

• 3 tablespoons mayo
• 1 tablespoon coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon each:
  • dill
  • celery seed
  • onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic
• pinch of salt
• fresh ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut and wash the head of cauliflower. Season lightly with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Place the cauliflower on a baking sheet and bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes, depending on how crispy you like it.
4. While the cauliflower bakes, melt the butter in a large bowl and stir in the hot sauce.
5. Once the cauliflower is done, transfer it to the bowl with the sauce and toss well to cover every piece.
6. Serve with Paleo Ranch dressing:
   1. Mix the mayo and coconut milk together in a bowl.
   2. Add dill, celery seed, onion powder, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir well and taste. 
   3. Add more herbs or salt/pepper as needed.

I've been a little obsessed with lavender simple syrup for a while now--two summers ago I made it for the first time while trying out a new cocktail recipe, but it wasn't until I had it at my favorite coffee shop in Minneapolis that I really fell for the flavor. Lavender and coffee, especially when iced, is such a fantastic combination and when the weather gets warmer, I can't help but make a big batch of both to fancy up my mornings.

Here's how I do both:

Lavender Simple Syrup

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Four or five sprigs of fresh lavender

Instructions: 

1. In a saucepan, heat water and lavender to a simmer. Allow the lavender to steep in the water like tea for a few minutes, until fragrant.
2. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
3. Store in a jar and add it to your iced coffee--I like mine with lots of ice and a splash of coconut creamer.

Cold-Brew Coffee

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup of ground coffee
• 3 cups of water

Instructions: 

1. In a large jar or other glass container, combine coffee and water. Stir well with a wooden spoon.
2. Cover and let stand overnight, or for at least eight hours. Strain with a coffee filter (a paper towel works in a pinch, too) and store in the refrigerator.

I took a couple photos of some purple flowers in our courtyard and hopped on my HP Sprout to make a few labels for my jars. I think fancy simple syrup in cute jars with custom labels would make great gifts for Mother's Day or even a sweet bridal shower (I wish I had this computer last year when I was making body scrub for my bachelorette party friends)!

This post is brought to you in partnership with HP. As always, I thank you for your support as I work with sponsors.

Photos by Joshua Vasko for Freckled Italian.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by ConAgra PAM via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of the sponsor.

I haven't made cookies in a while, and with this warmer weather, I was in the mood to try something new. I ordered some matcha powder online (although I'm sure you can find it at any specialty grocery store) and got to baking!

I thought toasted almonds and some chocolate chips would be delicious with the grassy, almost-savory flavor that matcha provides--and I was right. You could totally omit the nuts if that's not your thing, though. And I used PAM Coconut Oil spray to keep the cookies from sticking, which always works like a dream. 

This batter ended up spreading in the oven and the result was almost a cookie cake, so I cut out circles using a glass. I couldn't resist making a few mini heart cookies, since I just bought a little cookie cutter last weekend. You could stick to circles or make any shape you want!

Ingredients:

• PAM Coconut Oil
• 1 + 1/4 cups almond flour
• 1 tablespoon matcha powder
• a pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 (or 2) handfuls of chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup toasted almond slivers
• 1 egg
• 5 tablespoons of grass-fed butter
• 3 tbsp raw organic honey

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. If they aren't already toasted, heat almonds in a dry pan over medium heat for a few minutes, or until fragrant and slightly browned. Keep an eye on them!
3. In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients together (almond flour, matcha powder, salt, baking soda, then chocolate chips and almonds).
4. In a smaller bowl, mix the egg, butter, and honey. 
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.
6. Pour the batter onto a cookie sheet that's been sprayed with PAM Coconut Oil. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges start to get crispy.
7. Remove from oven, let cool, and cut out your cookies!

PAM Coconut Oil: PAM® Coconut Oil It's a gluten-free alternative to traditional coconut oil that you can feel good about. PAM Coconut Oil Spray has zero calories and zero grams of fat per serving.

Leaving up to *99% less residue, PAM is your ally in the kitchen and allows you to save time during prep and clean up. 

* vs. leading cooking sprays (except olive oil), after spraying on glass bake ware, baking at 400°F for 30 min, cooling, and then washing in standard home dishwasher with detergent and repeating 4 times.