Garlicky Parmesan & Rosemary Roasted Chickpeas

July 21, 2014 Amanda Plott

I was turned on to roasting chickpeas several years back when seeking out healthier snack alternatives. Roasted garbanzo beans are seriously so easy to do that my four year old could almost pull it off all on her own. Well, almost. Plus, they taste absolutely amazing!

If you are a fan of hummus or chickpeas in general, then you will love toasted garbazo beans. I've been on a bit of a chickpea kick lately, if you hadn't noticed already. So... I thought what better time than now to roast some up for a grazing snack to have on hand...

Crock Pot Blueberry & Banana Irish Oatmeal

July 16, 2014 Amanda Plott

A big heaping bowl of irish oatmeal for breakfast almost always hits the spot for me, but I haven't had any for quite a while now. I guess I have it in my mind that oatmeal isn't exactly a summer sort of breakfast, so I tend to brush it aside for these grueling few months of 100 degree weather.

However, oatmeal was a specific request on the part of my grandmother, and since it's getting down to her last few weeks here... I thought I would finally oblige!

I didn't want to make the same irish oatmeal that she had before when she was here last summer to visit. No, no. I wanted to try something a little different.

Blueberries and bananas anyone?...

Mexican Summer Tomato Salad

July 14, 2014 Amanda Plott

If you're looking for a super easy and fresh Mexican inspired side dish for the summer, this is it! This salad takes all of 5 minutes to prepare and toss together while tasting absolutely amazing with it's bright and bold flavors.

This dish actually reminds a bit of a greek antipasto salad, except that it's meatless and hints towards Mexican roots. There's queso fresco instead of feta, jalapeño in place of peperoncinni and the proud zing of some lime and cilantro added in there...

Baking Bacon

July 12, 2014 Amanda Plott

Baking bacon is a handy trick that I picked up a few years ago and quickly fell in love with the idea.

So, why bake your bacon?

Baking your bacon will save you the usual mess in the kitchen (or your microwave.) Plus, it cooks evenly and crisps up nicely while a vast majority of the grease is discarded! Another bonus? You can make a rather large batch of baked bacon rather effortlessly as compared to pan frying. Baking your bacon also tends to keep it from curling up, leaving your bacon straight and perfect!...

Crock Pot Red Curry Lentils

July 10, 2014 Amanda Plott

I have a confession to make... I've never cooked with lentils before!

Okay, well... I have. I did cook with them when I was attempting to make this same meal a few weeks ago and somehow managed to do something wrong and ruined the entire crock pot of curry. Ugh. Live and learn!

I guess what I should say is that I've never successfully cooked with lentils before. I have eaten them before, but it's always been in soups and never as the 'star of the show'. I knew from the soups that I'd had, that I did like lentils and have been looking for an excuse for a while now to use them...

Skinny Purple Monster Smoothie

July 8, 2014 Amanda Plott

I needed a bit of a lift today after the exceptionally long weekend of festivities. Not only was it the 4th of July, where I was busy BBQing and roasting in the Texas heat... but, it was also my mother's birthday. Happy Birthday Mom!

Now, I feel as if I should start off by saying that I am generally not a smoothie fan. I would much rather indulge in eating my calories rather than drinking them (unless they are in the form of wine, of course - hah!) Plus, the task of actually making a smoothie always seems incredibly daunting to me... That is until I got my new handy emersion blender for my birthday!...