Tomato Cobbler

April 13, 2015 Amanda Plott

I know what you're thinking. Tomato Cobbler?

Yes, and yes.

Lately, I've seen a lot of savory takes on treats that most would consider desserts or sweets. So, this is my savory take on a cobbler. I mean... a tomato is technically a fruit anyway. Right? Right!

"Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it into a fruit salad."

Well, at least I'm not putting the tomatoes into a fruit salad.

Tomatoes are one of my favorite things. I'm pretty sure there are not many circumstances to which I would turn one down. Pie, soup, ketchup, baked, raw, stuffed... I think I've had tomatoes in just about every manner in which you could eat possibly eat them...

Skinny Fairy Bites

April 1, 2015 Amanda Plott

I'm about to head off for a few days of vacation for my little girl's 5th birthday and for Easter! We're only going about 2 hours away, but... with an overly excited almost 5 year old in the car, that's like an eternity. Since we're going on a small road trip, and the birthday is going to be 'fairy' themed, I decided we need a tasty treat to take with us to snack on!

My tinker fairy is absolutely in love with sprinkles, and I happened to come across this great idea for short bread fairy bites a while back. Of course, I had to put my little spin on the cute little magic treats.

Faith, trust, and little bit of pixie dust!...

Skinny Turkey Kofta

March 25, 2015 Amanda Plott

I think the first time that I learned of a Kofta was about a year or two ago amidst one of the many reality cooking TV shows that I frequently watch; which is one of the sources that I get so much of my inspiration from. I thought it sounded pretty great! A seasoned meatloaf or meatball on a stick? Perfect!

Still don't know what a Kofta is? Well, it's basically a mixture of meat, bread crumbs or rice, and spices to form into meatballs or skewered patties. There are a lot of variations out there, but today I'm going with a healthier play on a turkey Kofta with a sort of Greek or Lebanese twist. I added in chopped onions, egg, and some traditional spices to the meat, and served it with a lemon tahini sauce on the side.

I would have served it with some tzatziki, but I am not a fan at all of cucumbers. Sorry all!...

Frozen Yogurt Cake Batter Bites

March 16, 2015 Amanda Plott

This post was brought to you by Collective Bias, Inc. and it's advertiser. I received compensation to write this post … but, all opinions expressed are my own. #CrispyComeback #CollectiveBias

Yes, that's right... M&M's® Crispy are Back! They're so good that the brand brought them back because we asked for it! Now you can finally taste what you've been missing - whether it's because you've never tried them, or remember them from years back.

I've had them before and trust me, they are every bit as delicious as they once were! How can you go wrong with delicious milk chocolate with a crispy rice center? Easy, you can't!

My daughter's 5th birthday is just around the corner and she is just in LOVE with cake batter or 'funfetti' inspired things. I really think this girl lives off rainbows of one kind or another. So, I decided to make use of M&M's® Crispy in a fun and colorful way. A couple of years ago, I came across the wonderfully sinful cake batter chocolate bark that I've definitely eaten my weight in since then. With M&M's® Crispy being just 180 calories per serving, I thought this would be a great opportunity to make a slightly less indulgent version of that lovely cake batter bark in the form of bites...

Quick Lemon Blackberry Rosemary Spritzer

March 15, 2015 Amanda Plott

This post was brought to you by Collective Bias, Inc. and it's advertiser. I received compensation to write this post … but, all opinions expressed are my own. #KeepSpringBubbly #CollectiveBias

Spring is here! I'm not sure if it's because this past week was spent 'springing forward' or if it's a change in the weather lately, but I can see Spring quickly taking over! There's nothing that welcomes spring in more than a nice effervescent beverage that's full of the good stuff.

What good stuff? Fresh fruit, berries, and herbs straight from the garden! I'm really lucky to have fresh herbs and a lemon tree at my disposal. Two of my favorite spring fruits are lemons and blackberries. This is a classic flavor combination that always adds a little happy to my day, and trust me, I need some happy lately.

Blackberries have always been a favorite of mine. I remember when I was little and we lived on the coast of Oregon for a few years. Once the sun started to sprout through the coastal clouds, I knew it was the time of year when blackberries ran rampant. I could literally walk out into my backyard and pick a basket of perfectly ripe blackberries. Yum. ...Oh, how I miss those days!...

Vanilla Bean Yogurt Panna Cotta

March 9, 2015 Amanda Plott

This post was brought to you by Collective Bias, Inc. and it's advertiser. I received compensation to write this post … but, all opinions expressed are my own. #MullerMoment #CollectiveBias

It has been a really exhausting few weeks for me full of nothing but bad news, and of course with any stressful time in life it's always very important to make some time out for yourself, and to really focus on YOU. My stress relief often comes in the form of creating wonderful treats and eats in my kitchen. So, I decided to make a really easy and delicious vanilla bean yogurt panna cotta to indulge in this week without any judgement!

To make this panna cotta I used the new Müller® Ice Cream Inspired Yogurt, which happens to come in three great tasting flavors; Raspberry Chocolate Chip, Mint Chocolate Chip and Vanilla Bean. Not only is this ice cream inspired yogurt great for recipes, it's also an ideal on-the-go snack or breakfast option!

These yogurts fit perfectly into my 'better-for-you' lifestyle with 6% milk fat yogurt, 7 grams of protein, less sugar than other yogurts, and only 190-210 calories in a serving...