Southwest 'Fried' Pickles

May 5, 2016 Amanda Plott

Recently, I had the honor to speak with Brooke Griffin, creator of SkinnyMom.com! I've been part of the SkinnyMom community for a while now, and it was truly a pleasure to get my hands on and review the new SkinnySuppers Cookbook that Brooke just released. It's full of 125 lightened healthier meals for your family.

She has some super yummy looking recipes, plenty of tips, tricks, and advice for the kitchen and surviving dinner time! It's a great read with plenty of home style and southern flavors. One of the first recipes that stood out to me was her Southwest 'Fried' Pickles. After all, who doesn't love a good fried pickle?...

Healthified Burgerdogs

April 23, 2016 Amanda Plott

Happy 23rd birthday to my little brother!

Tis the season around here for birthdays, so things are pretty crazy. Not like that's anything out of the ordinary. One thing that is out of the ordinary though are these perfectly amazing burgerdogs! It's a cross between a burger and a hotdog. All of the burger flavor in the form of a hotdog.

What makes this little diddy even more appealing is the fact that it is filled with ooey gooey melted cheese. Mhm, yes... I will admittedly eat almost anything that is stuffed with cheese. As I've said before, cheese is my weakness...

Skinny Lemon Thumbprint Cookies (Gluten Free)

March 16, 2016 Amanda Plott

Thank you Bob's Red Mill for sponsoring this post! Check out more delicious baking recipes at BobsRedMill.com.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again... Spring is most definitely one of my favorite times of year. There's just something to be said of the change in light, the fresh air, and everything coming back to life in the garden.

I don't know about you, but when I think about Spring and Easter, I think about the brightness of lemons. Maybe that's because it's about this time of year when my lemon tree starts to produce for me; giving me plenty of fresh beautiful lemons to use at my leisure.

To celebrate the arrival of Easter and Spring, I decided it would be the perfect time to bake up some tender, sweet and tart lemon thumbprint cookies - perfect for any basket; Easter or otherwise!...

Matcha Waffles (Gluten Free)

March 5, 2016 Amanda Plott

So, this is what I've been up to pretty much each morning this week. I've made these waffles three times now, adjusting the recipe and tweaking it to get it to where I wanted it to be. The first time I made them as a test run, they turned out beautifully. But, the second time I made them - they were a huge flop.

Yes, even I make mistakes in the kitchen!

That could have been mostly my fault though. Honestly, my heart wasn't in it that morning and my mind was elsewhere and focused on other things going on in my life. I'm pretty sure in looking back that I left something out at some point and ended up with a waffle iron full of raw inedible goop. Whoops!

This was my third attempt with these waffles after a few final changes and a more careful eye for my measuring and accounting for each ingredient...

Skinny Monte Cristo Sandwich

February 19, 2016 Amanda Plott

Thank you Oscar Mayer for sponsoring this post. With Oscar Mayer Selects Natural, you don't need to give up the good stuff to enjoy the quality cold cuts your family deserves.

With the warmer and more sunny days upon us here in Texas, my mind often starts to go towards brunch items as Spring nears. It's truly one of my most favorite times of the year too. Though, a lot of that could have to do with the fact that my little girl's birthday is during Spring. She's truly the best thing to ever happen to me, and honestly as hard as being a parent can be at times, it's the most rewarding job in the world. Sometimes it feels too good to be true when she hugs onto me tightly and gives me sweet kisses randomly.

Since brunch has been on my mind lately, I thought it was the perfect time to get my Monte Cristo on. Not familiar with a Monte Cristo? It's generally a swiss cheese sandwich that's battered and fried and served with a side of preserves for dipping. Not exactly my jam. Pun intended. Bah-dum-pish.

However, I've come up with a pretty clever way to make this otherwise guilty dish into something that's more wholesome!...

Skinny Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake

February 10, 2016 Amanda Plott

A few weeks back, my brother was showing me this awesome breakfast/dessert that he had come across. He must think it's fun to tag me in some of the most 'un-skinny' recipe ideas that he comes across. Hey, if he didn't razz me I would think he didn't care!

Anyway, the thing he showed me was an amazing cinnamon roll french toast bake that truly had nothing good in it. To be a little bit of a smarty myself, I decided I was going to take that amazing looking bake and turn it into something that was still drool worthy but, also wouldn't have me bolting out the door to the gym after indulging.

That being said, this is still a sweet treat. Everything in moderation, people!...