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Clean Living

Slow Saturday: How to Cook from Your Pantry without a Recipe

  • April 4, 2020April 4, 2020

Welcome to Slow Saturday! While I’d kill to run a couple errands today, I’m grateful that there are no practices or games or birthday parties to run off to. I reflect all the time on simplicity and what it looks like to slow down. When we are in “normal” mode (what will THAT even look like in a few months???), it requires an incredibly concerted effort, and quite frankly, pushing against norms to live simply. But, now, we are forced to. It’s our “new normal” and one thing I will be intentional about holding onto when we can go back out into the world.

Read more “Slow Saturday: How to Cook from Your Pantry without a Recipe” →
Clean Living

Week 1 Life on the Inside: How a Skier Writes about Quarantine

  • March 18, 2020March 18, 2020

It’s like we woke up one day and the world was different. Our family went from getting excited for spring break to canceling our plans. I went from preparing my template to write an article about our time at Jackson Hole and Big Sky to wondering what kind of content makes sense for Snow Happy in this world of quarantine. We are in a new reality and we have a choice how we want to react to it. Either way, here we are! Now what???

Read more “Week 1 Life on the Inside: How a Skier Writes about Quarantine” →
Family Travel

Love Where you Live: How to take a Staycation

  • February 25, 2020February 25, 2020

I don’t know about you, but when there is the opportunity to take a long weekend away, I am all for it. We steal away to the mountains for a day or two or sometimes even catch a cheap flight somewhere new. But, it can feel hectic and even like you need a break from your break when you get back. Am I right? And you know us around here: We love a good adventure! But, sometimes, it’s nice to get out and explore what’s right in your own backyard.

Read more “Love Where you Live: How to take a Staycation” →
Clean Living

Creamy Greens and Sausage Soup with Gnocchi

  • January 13, 2020January 13, 2020

Well, who knew??? It’s National Gluten Free Day today!! Anything can be a thing. In honor of this day, developing a path to cleaner living and healthier eating, I wanted to share this delicious, decadent and hearty soup recipe with you all. This non-dairy, gluten and grain free soup is loaded with greens and will disappear before you know if so double up for leftovers! It is a family favorite here in the Snow Happy house and will leave you feeling all warm and cozy. 

Let’s take a quick minutes to talk ingredients:

I always buy organic greens (lettuce, kale, spinach, you name it) because heavy pesticides are used when growing this type of produce. Typically, farmers use a lot of pesticides to grow anything not super disease resistant or produce that bugs love. I highly recommend checking out the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists as a great place to start when evaluating what’s most important to buy organic.

Gnocchi is a really fun way to involve the kids in cooking if you have the time. But, when you don’t, and you need grain and gluten-free pastas, I highly recommend Cappello’s. The gnocchi is an amazing stand-in for the real deal and their almond flour based pasta is fresh and takes like homemade egg noodles. Need I say more?

When buying coconut milk, be sure to read the label (well, really, read the label on anything that didn’t come directly from a tree, bush or the dirt) to make sure the ingredients include coconut cream and coconut water. Many brands add fillers and gums for consistency and to keep it from separating, but I prefer it as nature intended!! Separation? No problem. Stir well if you need a small amount and if you don’t just dump the whole thing in!!

And finally, beware the ingredient list on any store bought stock. Look out for words like “natural” and “flavoring” and sugar. I know, don’t even get me started on why there is sugar in the stock. The organic stocks are typically okay, but give that box a read nonetheless. I try to keep homemade on hand, but you know, sometimes you just need things to be easy!


Just a note on gluten-free eating…it’s not for everyone for sure. We definitely practice eating in moderation around here and love a crusty loaf of sourdough and pasta, but we are working on gut-healing and for now, avoiding gluten is part of our plan. You can most certainly modify this recipe with ingredients that suits your family’s dietary needs and tastes (sub high-quality organic milk for coconut milk and/or pasta for the gnocci or almond noodles). I love soups because they are flexible and forgiving!!
Hope you enjoy!!! 

Print Recipe

Creamy Sausage and Greens Soup with Gnocchi

Simple to prepare hearty delicious gluten, grain and dairy free soup
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Course: Soup
Keyword: Gluten-free, grain-free, dairy free
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp extra olive oil or ghee
  • 1 small diced onion
  • 1 lb italian turkey sausage Ground turkey works well, too. Just add a couple teaspoons of italian seasoning to taste.
  • 4 cloves minced garlic
  • 4 cups chicken broth or stock
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning blend
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 2 bunches kale, chard or spinach chopped or torn Any greens will work. Frozen is great, too! If using fresh kale or chard, remove from stem before chopping
  • 2 cups coconut milk (1 can)
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard Or 1 tsp mustard powder
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 12-15 oz gnocci or pasta

Instructions

  • Heat oil or ghee in a large stockpot and saute onion until translucent. Then add sausage and cook until browned.
  • Once meat is browned, add garlic and saute a few minutes (you will start to smell it). Add stock, remaining seasonings and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer.
  • Add greens and stir in coconut milk, mustard and vinegar. Bring back to a simmer.
  • In the last few minutes of cooking, add gnocchi or pasta. Simmer until cooked through (the fresh pastas will only take a minute or so; dried longer). If planning leftovers, some prefer prepare gnocchi or pasta separately and add to each bowl so it doesn't break down too much when storing).
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste!
Clean Living

Energize Your Day and Boost your Immune System: Our Favorite Green Smoothie Recipe

  • December 11, 2019December 11, 2019

I don’t know about you guys, but the colds and other mysterious viruses are hitting hard around here. How do you stay ahead of it? How do you get over it? The struggle is really, especially with kids in school. About a year ago, we jumped on the green smoothie train. We had been spinning up smoothies for years, never had they been so green!! But, loaded with nutrients, we find they help boost our immune systems and are an amazing energy boost to start the day. We just plain feel better! Our kids love them, too!

Read more “Energize Your Day and Boost your Immune System: Our Favorite Green Smoothie Recipe” →
Favorite Things

Small Business Saturday: Sew-It-All and Brenda’s Cookie Creations

  • December 7, 2019December 7, 2019

One thing that makes me snow happy is promoting other small businesses we use here in the Denver area and love! I’m excited to launch small-business Saturdays by introducing you to not one, but two women-owned businesses in Southwest Denver.

Read more “Small Business Saturday: Sew-It-All and Brenda’s Cookie Creations” →
Clean Living

Cleaning Eating: Delicious Grain-Free Stuffing Recipe

  • December 5, 2019December 5, 2019

Grain-free and stuffing just don’t seem like two words that even make sense in the same sentence, let alone the same recipe! But, let me tell you, this recipe is the bees knees and hits all the amazingness that is stuffing. I mean stuffing IS the reason I show up for Thanksgiving dinner. It is what keeps me munching on leftovers long after the plates have been cleared and the last crumb of pie licked clean.

Read more “Cleaning Eating: Delicious Grain-Free Stuffing Recipe” →
Family Ski Trips

Resort Review: Live from Colorado’s Winter Park Resort!

  • November 22, 2019November 22, 2019

If I look back on where it all started for us…this crazy love of skiing and winter, this is where. Let me tell you about a couple of Midwestern kids that went to college in Colorado and hardly ever skied. When they moved to DC to build their lives together, they voyaged west for annual friend ski trips. A decade later, they returned to Colorado for good, bought a Rocky Mountain Super Pass, took Bob’s Bump Camp at Winter Park/Mary Jane and the rest is history!

Read more “Resort Review: Live from Colorado’s Winter Park Resort!” →
Family Travel

Appreciating the Seasons: Fall Family Getaway to Steamboat Springs

  • October 7, 2019January 16, 2020

The temperatures are finally dipping after the long hot summer days. As I sat and sipped my steaming hot coffee this morning while I watched the sun come up, I felt those first feelings of cozying up for winter. It made me start thinking on the transition and change of seasons and how each prepares us for the next. I think this is why the changes in season feel so delicious, why we love spring and fall.

Read more “Appreciating the Seasons: Fall Family Getaway to Steamboat Springs” →
Family Travel

What Makes us Snow Happy in Summer

  • August 20, 2019September 15, 2019

First, hello!!! We have had a summer-fun filled summer – an old school throw back mostly schedule-free summer with a dose of travel for good measure. And, I will be the first to admit, while I am ready for a break from my Snow Happy kids, I am sad to see summer slip away with the return to school and schedules and lunches, and well, you know the rest.

Read more “What Makes us Snow Happy in Summer” →

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Welcome to Snow Happy! I am Mercedes Barrs, Founder of Snow Happy. I am a writer, mama, wife, skier, tennis player, avid reader, beach bum, health fanatic, love cooking, tequila and a good home improvement project. I'm grateful to call the Colorado mountain home and priviledged to enjoy them with my husband, son, daughter and dog. Read More

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