Healthified 7 Layer Dip

January 18, 2014 Amanda Plott

You know... the term '7 layer dip' always confused me as... I've never actually seen a 7 layer dip with exactly 7 layers. Seriously. Think about it...

Mind boggling, I know.

In any case, this is my healthified take in the traditional party staple dip.

Oh! And don't let the ingredient list scare you away. Most of the items between the tomato layer and the guacamole layer are the same, so there really isn't that much (it just looks intimidating at first.) This is a super easy recipe anyway!...

BLT Lettuce Wraps

January 16, 2014 Amanda Plott

When I first had the thought to do BLT Lettuce wraps, I was scared that they wouldn't be filling enough or hefty enough to satisfy as a meal. So when I went to work putting these together, I made sure to use some nice big romaine leaves and lots of chunks of tomato as filler.

These were super amazing and oh-so-filling! I even had trouble in getting all three down but they were just so delicious and guilt-free that I felt I owed it to myself and the rest of the world to bully through the last one.

I think the next time that I make these, I'll do two per serving instead and serve along side a bowl of Skinny Tomato Basil Soup!...

Lighter Egg-in-a-Basket

January 14, 2014 Amanda Plott

I'm taking a little break from my 'game day' inspired recipes today and enjoying a nice little light breakfast.

I've got to admit, breakfast is the hardest meal of the day for me. Somewhere between getting myself up and going and getting my little girl up and going... I more often than not either skip it all together or end up scarfing down the remains of whatever I made her that day.

One of my go to items when I'm rushing around is toast. It's quick. It's easy. And it's portable.

No fuss. No muss...

Crispy Kale Chips

January 4, 2014 Amanda Plott

I'll readily admit that I am generally not a fan of kale. I don't like it in my soup, especially.

Zuppa Toscana and Olive Garden? Please, no.

It's not the flavor of kale that I don't find pleasant... it's the... way it holds it's form and something about the texture of the 'curly' ends.

I much prefer my spinach. I love my spinach. Raw. Cooked. Sauted. In soup. As a salad. It doesn't matter.

I keep hearing and seeing things about kale chips. Supposedly you could do the same thing with spinach. Perfect! Well... not so perfect. Unfortunately, when I tried 'spinach chips' a few months back... it didn't fair too well. As we all know, spinach is good at wilting under heat. And while it tasted good, it was not something that you could readily snack on. It just... flakes into nothingness. Sad Face....

Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo

January 2, 2014 Amanda Plott

Every year when I was growing up, my mother force fed us black-eyed peas on New Year's Day. What can I say? We're southern and it's a tradition thing. It's supposed to bring you good luck for the upcoming year. But, what eating 'dirt peas' has anything to do with a new year or good luck... escapes me entirely.

The peas were often straight from a can and without any seasoning of any kind. Usually served on the side of some sort of ham. While my mother enjoyed the out dated and rather odd tradition... the rest of us could barely stomach the one spoonful a year which we struggled down just to put a smile on my mom's pretty face. Love you, mom!

Crock Pot Red Curry Chicken

December 31, 2013 Amanda Plott

A few weeks back I went to a restaurant here in Austin called 'Thai Spice' with my family and instantly knew what to order; Curry! And Red Curry at that!

It's one of those things that is so spicy that it's almost hard to eat, but tastes so amazing that you can't help but indulge...