Kale & Apple Quinoa Salad

January 16, 2017 Amanda Plott

So, this salad today is actually somewhat inspired by my dad who is having some health issues at the moment. We're not entirely sure what's going on, but he's been told to eat better for the time being until his next round of testing. One thing he was told to do was to 'stay away from white stuff', which clearly isn't something I stuck to here because I have to have cheese in my life. I literally think I might explode if I didn't have at least a bit of cheese every day.

What can I say? I've got to be honest here! I'm one that believes strongly in that you can enjoy everything as part of a healthy diet as long as it's in moderation. (Except of course if it's something you've been warned of by a professional.)

A few days back now, my dad and aunt were chatting at me on Facebook about how my dad is now eating more healthy and that he had tried quinoa. He wasn't a huge fan. So, I gave him some suggestions and got to thinking that some quinoa sounded really good actually. And here we are with this lovely Kale & Apple Quinoa Salad!...

Roasted Beets

January 11, 2017 Amanda Plott

I got some fresh local beets this past week, and while beets are definitely one of my favorite salad toppings, I hardly ever buy them at the store for myself. I'm not entirely sure why I don't either. I've used them to make some pretty awesome things in the past couple of years, like this Beet Pesto. Or with being added to another salad that I paired with my Skinny Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette.

These oven roasted beets have to be one of the most simple, easy to do, and flavorful things you can make. They take just an hour to roast and just two ingredients to make. Plus, the prep work is minimal. Giving you an hour to go about your business doing whatever else you need or want. What better is that these roasted beets can be made ahead of time as part of a weekly meal prep...

Broccoli & Butternut Squash Omelettata

January 6, 2017 Amanda Plott

Brrrr! It's freezing here in Austin today. No, like... literally it is. I needed an excuse to turn the oven on since that always helps warm the house up and I sure enough found that excuse when trying to figure out what I was going to do with myself for breakfast. I remembered that I had gotten these wonderful farm fresh eggs and local produce yesterday and just knew they would fit the bill.

So, I kicked on my oven and got to work.

I've made an omelettata before, but it's been a while. Almost a year to the day actually! It's pretty funny how things work out sometimes...

Detox 'Spa' Water

December 26, 2016 Amanda Plott

I've got to be honest, I feel rather toxic after the last month of constant illness and being on and off an array of medications and antibiotics. My body needs a little bit of rest and recuperation, so I'm going to give it all the help that I can get!

I should start off by saying that I am not a fan of cucumbers. I love pickles, and hate hate hate cucumbers. The taste, smell, texture... everything. But, like I said... I'm determined to give my aching body some much needed love.

I was rather surprised and delighted to find that after the lemon and mint, I didn't really taste the cucumber much... if at all!...

Healthified Crock Pot Turkey Taco Soup

December 1, 2016 Amanda Plott

So, one of my most popular recipes has to be my Healthified Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup, which also happens to be a family favorite and has been for many years now. With that being said, I decided to make something similar, but more with the flavors of another favorite; tacos! This Healthified Crock Pot Turkey Taco Soup is going to knock your socks off with it's amazing flavors, even if it wasn't really what I had planned on making today.

Yep! Even I have fails in the kitchen still. My original recipe for today turned out to be a flop. Literally. It flopped straight over into the trash. I don't know what's wrong with me lately! My brain just can't seem to get things going quite as well as it usually does. It feels like I'm on auto pilot. I could blame that on the craziness of the holidays or... that it's a particularly hard time of the year for me, as I think it is for a lot of other people too...

Breakfast Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

November 22, 2016 Amanda Plott

It's just a couple of days before Thanksgiving and I'm running around like a mad woman to get things done. This year we're doing things a bit different... getting the family the heck outta here for some untraditional turkey day glamping (that's camping in a glamorous manner.) I'll be the first to admit that God didn't build me in a manner that would suffice actual 'camping'. I enjoy hot showers, beds, central air, and food far too much to be the outdoorsy type.

Glamping though? Sign. Me. Up!

I got a small cabin in the woods rented out for a couple of days and I am all about this fancy-pants version of camping. Awe-SOME. While I'm getting myself in order and ready to head out on the road, I can't neglect breakfast this week. So, I'm hot on the tails of these AMAZING Breakfast Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms! Seriously. This is one of the best breakfasts I've concocted in a good while...