Coconut Almond Crunch Breakfast Bars (Sponsored)

February 8, 2018 Amanda Plott

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

Mornings. Am I right? Even though I consider myself a morning person, they are still taxing on everyone. Even me. As I was sipping on my coffee this morning while waiting for my daughter to finish getting her shoes, she asked me if I was going to eat breakfast. She couldn't understand why I hadn't eaten already and how I wasn't hungry.

Such is the way of a mom. Of course, I was hungry! But there's just no time until after I get her off to school. Once the mad dash getting her off to class is over, that's when I get to finally eat. And even then, I'll escape breakfast some days. That's why I make myself meal prep breakfast. If it's already 'ready' then I have no excuses to skip out on the most important meal of the day. This is the start of something great...

Skinny Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

February 7, 2018 Amanda Plott

When I think of Valentine's Day, I think of red velvet cake. I think that's because it's so perfectly bright and red and just looks like it's full of love. And this one right here? It's made with love too.

As far as cooking goes, baking has always been one of my favorite things to do. Even though it can be one of the most difficult, especially when it comes to adjusting and altering recipes to be better-for-you. Let's face it, baking is a science and requires it's fair share of accuracy. There's very little wiggle room for error, which makes me a nervous mess. Trial and error are the name of the game...

Skinny 'Quick & Easy' Red Velvet Pancakes

February 1, 2018 Amanda Plott

Red Velvet is where it's at right now as we get closer and closer to Valentine's Day! And since it's been a while since I made a proper red velvet recipe, I thought there would be no better time than now. Being as I'm a busy momma in the morning, I figured these quick and easy red velvet pancakes would be perfect for anyone in the same boat as me.

Usually, I'm a big advocate of making things from scratch, but I know that's not always possible. I mean... there's a time and place for everything. And today, I thought I'd use one of my favorite boxed mixes to whip up these red beauties...

Homemade Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

January 19, 2018 Amanda Plott

I'm a carrot cake freak. I love me a good carrot cake. I have a favorite 'naughty' version of a carrot cake that I make for my dad's birthday since it's one of his favorites too. Being as I'm trying to cut down some of my carb intake lately when I can though, makes the cake (especially one of this general level) a no-go.

So I started looking. Researching. Googling my fancy little fingers off until I pieced together this beauty. The original base of the cake needed some upgrades to be anything near what my sinful bliss guilty indulgence one is. But, it was a starting point. I knew that I'd be adding in carbs with my adjustments, so I decided since it's not 'low carb' but 'lower carb' that I'd stick with it being gluten-free at the very least...

Chunky Monkey Trail Mix

January 12, 2018 Amanda Plott

I've been on a bit of a nut kick lately. I blame the granola that's been made and the fact that I'm trying to get a lot more healthy fats in my life right now. This. This right here? This is some magical stuff, I tell you. And a total nod to my childhood as well.

As a child (ahem and adult) I've loved ice cream. I mean... who doesn't? Two of my families favorites were Chubby Hubby and Chunky Monkey. The Chunky Monkey flavor is a banana ice cream base with pieces of chocolate and walnuts all through it. So, being as I'm so nutty right now... I figured I'd take those flavors that I loved and turn them into a snack trail mix!...

Vanilla Blueberry Coconut Nut & Seed Granola

January 6, 2018 Amanda Plott

So since even just before New Year's, I've been trying to eat a whole lot more nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. With my last 'Nut & Seed' grain-free granola getting eaten up readily, I decided that it was time to make a new version of it.

One thing that I didn't get to use last time in my granola, that I really wanted to be sure about using this time is coconut chips. While I'm not a coconut fan by any means, coconut chips are definitely one of my favorite additions to salad and/or granola. Without wanting to go too tropical with the coconut, I decided on vanilla and blueberries!...