Low-Carb 'Armadillo Eggs' (Sponsored)

January 15, 2018 Amanda Plott

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DeansDreamBig #CollectiveBias

Just because the holidays are over doesn't mean that the entertaining has stopped. At least, that's how it is around my place. I like to think of my house as the central hub. The neutral territory. THE place to be. At least once a week there is something going on and I've got a house full of people.

My daughter and I are usually outnumbered by the boys too. Even when my mom comes to visit, if you're counting the animals, we're still outnumbered by at least 2 to 1. So more often than not, when there are people over, I like to stick to food that I know the menfolk will enjoy while also trying to keep my womanly figure. That's where these Armadillo Eggs come in...

Crock Pot Beef Stew

December 31, 2017 Amanda Plott

The New Year is on the horizon and I couldn't be more excited! I've got my brother and my nephew in town visiting and one thing that my brother requested I make for dinner one night while he's here is Beef Stew! Now, I've made my fair share of beef stews in the past but since we're out and about this weekend I figured I would make a simple crock pot version.

Beef stew is pretty traditional. Beef. Veggies. Broth. And an extended cook time. Using the crock pot or instant pot is a great alternative to standing over the stove and having to worry over the stew all day. Instead, let the crock pot do all the work for you!...

Mongolian Beef & Broccoli 'Rice' Bowl

October 19, 2017 Amanda Plott

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Conagra Brands. All opinions are mine alone. P.F. Chang's and P.F. Chang’s Home Menu® are registered trademarks owned by P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Inc. and are used with permission. #AuthenticMadeEasy #CollectiveBias

So, with life being crazier than usual (or maybe it's really just the same amount of crazy), I decided to have a more simple sort of dinner today. Simple in a lot of ways. Simple to make. Simple to eat. Simple to enjoy.

I started out with some sirloin steaks and a head of broccoli and ended up with a pretty fabulous take-out fake-out meal that was quick, easy, and delicious. With keeping this simple, I thought that instead of having rice, I would rice my broccoli. Why not? I've made cauliflower rice before, and broccoli is pretty similar texturally. Plus, it goes so well with beef!...

Naked Summer Burger Bowls

June 5, 2017 Amanda Plott

This post was sponsored by Eat Smart as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Y'all! It's been so busy around here ever since my daughter got out for summer. I mean... yikes! The day after my little one got out of school, we took a quick overnight trip a couple of hours away to see my mom and hang out at the drive in movie theater there near her place. It was so much fun and a great way to kick off summer vacation! Today though? It's back to reality and the real world.

I don't know about you, but when I think of summer, I think of burgers and grilling! However, a lot of us are also working on maintaining (or achieving) our best summer bodies. And what does that mean? It's naked burger time! I haven't done a naked burger in a long time, so I thought it would be super fun to infuse one with all the flavors of summer and make it into one fun power bowl...

Healthified Meatloaf Cupcakes & Cauliflower Mash

February 25, 2017 Amanda Plott

It's been a super long time since I made these Meatloaf Cupcakes. As in... years. A lot has changed since then, especially my tastes and cooking style. The very first time that I made these, they were in the traditional manner. Plain old ground beef and mashed potatoes. Nothing fancy. Nothing 'healthified'.

Today though, I've lightened these up and made them a little more wholesome by adding in some veggies like carrots, and zucchini too! I also used an extra lean ground beef which I kept moist and full of flavor by adding in an egg and reduced sugar ketchup. The vegges also help to keep the lean meat from drying out. Of course, I also used a cauliflower mash instead of straight up mashed potatoes to get even more vegetable goodness in there.

These are packed. PACKED. Loaded up entirely with vegetables, and the best part is that you would never guess it!...

Crock Pot Corned Beef & Cabbage

January 29, 2017 Amanda Plott

I love corned beef and cabbage. I really don't know why I don't make it more often. This year, I decided to get a little ahead of the St. Patrick's Day celebrations to update the photos here from the recipe that I originally posted here back in 2013. I've had a lot of fun lately as I've started to go back and edit some of my older favorites; cleaning them up and reorganizing it all.

I'm an Irish girl (my dad's a full on red-head), so it's probably no surprise that I love corned beef. That being said, I think the first time I ever had it was sometime during my high school or college years. It's a really great meal to make anytime, but especially in March as we get closer to St. Patricks' Day!...