Healthified 'Lofthouse' Soft Sugar Cookies

December 13, 2020 Amanda Plott

I've basically taken that original tried-and-true recipe and trimmed it down as best I could without losing the amazingness of that cookie.

The first thing I did was swapped out some of the regular flour for some whole wheat white flour. If you're going to be bad, you may as well get some good in there too! At least you can say you had some whole wheat, right?

I also substituted in some sweetener for about 1/3 of the sugar originally called for. Why? Well, if you can get away with less sugar, then why not? For the cookie dough, I used a light butter rather than full fat. Again, if you can get away with it... do it!

I made a few other minor changes as well, and still ended up with a perfectly light and decedent cookie that has over 50 calories less per serving than it's store bought counter part. Plus, I know exactly what in these cookies since well... I'm one that put it all there!

I'm telling you, they taste almost exactly like the original…

Healthy & Easy Kid-Friendly Spaghetti Sauce

November 30, 2020 Amanda Plott

I'm calling this kid friendly spaghetti sauce because, I generally like to put actual onions and garlic into my spaghetti sauce. However, my little one would turn her nose up at that in a heartbeat, and seeing as how she specifically requests spaghetti every week, I figured that I ought to oblige her with something that would suite her desires!

Besides, who doesn't enjoy eating like a kid again? In my mind, that's one of the perks of being a parent; reliving all the things that you loved when you were growing up!

Though my mom was more of a Hamburger Helper sort of spaghetti maker.

She swears by Hamburger Helper 'Spaghetti' to this very day. Ugh…

Pumpkin Gnocchi

November 13, 2020 Amanda Plott

Ever had the pleasure of trying gnocchi?

If you aren't familiar, these are sort of the italian equivalent to dumplings.

Gnocchi are traditionally made with semolina, flour, egg, potato, breadcrumbs, cheese, or other similar ingredients. These soft little pillows of pumpkin heaven are the perfect replacement for usual gnocchi, making any dish even more fall-friendly!…

Cranberry Jalapeño Cream Cheese Spread

November 6, 2020 Amanda Plott

This Cranberry Jalapeño Cream Cheese Spread has been in my family for years. The base of cream cheese and green onions is topped off with a homemade cranberry sauce that’s kicked up a bit with the warmth of jalapeño and bright citrus notes from orange and lime.

You can serve this dip warm or cold and pair it with bread, crackers, or fresh veggies for the perfect snacky appetizer to have on hand for the holidays. One of my favorite parts of this spread is that you can make it ahead of time and have it ready to go to serve as needed or wanted!…

Vegetarian Sushi

July 10, 2020 Amanda Plott

So… I don’t like sea food. That is why you will never see any sea food recipes around here. No, I’m not allergic to it, I just don’t like it. It’s not a taste thing or a texture thing. It is flat out just that I don’t like sea food. BUT. I do like sushi. I love vegetarian sushi.

Sushi can be a little pricy. Especially consider what it is. Seaweed, rice, and an assortment of veggies, meats, and sauces. Seems simple enough, right? While there is a certain art to making sushi traditionally, I’m a modern girl and a simple girl. So, let's make some damn sushi…

French Bread

June 15, 2020 Amanda Plott

I’ve been doing a lot of baking lately. Especially now that I got ALL NEW appliances in my kitchen finally! I’ve been waiting to do it for years and years now and I finally was able to do so. Between that, limiting trips to the store, and having my hands on a handy-dandy bread maker, I’ve been a bread making fool!

This French Bread is simple. It’s as standard as bread comes and is made with just a handful of pantry staple ingredients. Flour, oil, salt, sugar, yeast, that’s pretty much all there is to it. I have to say, even if you don’t have a bread machine, this bread is still pretty easy to make and will easily rival any fresh bakery bread…