Skinny Banana Pudding Poke Cake

March 20, 2017 Amanda Plott

What can I say? I needed some more dessert in my life, y'all! It's been a really hard week. I went into Spring break with my little one thinking that it was going to be smooth sailing. That I was going to get to sleep in, relax, and catch up on life. Hah! Boy, was I ever wrong.

My elderly cat (who is 13 years old now) had to get a few teeth (almost all of them) extracted. Nearly as an emergency too. He's a big boy - 18 lbs. at his heaviest as a mainecoon. Unfortunately one of their only bad qualities is their teeth. Despite my best efforts these past few years to get them cleaned regularly, it just wasn't enough and 5 of his teeth had to be pulled. Given his age and other health concerns it's been a week full of medication and even a trip to the emergency vet yesterday. Mid-recipe too!

Yep. Right after pulling this cake out of the oven I was hot-tailing it to the emergency vet. Bleh. While my poor old man is on the mend, I still am in desperate need for some dessert. Dessert, my mommy, and maybe some wine. I can't adult today...

Healthified Meatloaf Cupcakes & Cauliflower Mash

February 25, 2017 Amanda Plott

It's been a super long time since I made these Meatloaf Cupcakes. As in... years. A lot has changed since then, especially my tastes and cooking style. The very first time that I made these, they were in the traditional manner. Plain old ground beef and mashed potatoes. Nothing fancy. Nothing 'healthified'.

Today though, I've lightened these up and made them a little more wholesome by adding in some veggies like carrots, and zucchini too! I also used an extra lean ground beef which I kept moist and full of flavor by adding in an egg and reduced sugar ketchup. The vegges also help to keep the lean meat from drying out. Of course, I also used a cauliflower mash instead of straight up mashed potatoes to get even more vegetable goodness in there.

These are packed. PACKED. Loaded up entirely with vegetables, and the best part is that you would never guess it!...

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread & Pink Grapefruit Glaze

February 23, 2017 Amanda Plott

Alright, alright... so not every recipe goes as planned. Sometimes I feel like I live in a test kitchen over here. Some things work out perfectly and amazing the first time, but other times... not so much. Baking is hard y'all. It's true what they say, that baking is both a science and an art. Trust me. I have kitchen woes just like anyone else, and this recipe right here is evidence of that if nothing else.

I've had it in my little head for a few weeks now that I wanted to make a lemon poppy seed cake/bread. However, my first attempt was a complete flop. And what's worse? I thought even up until I took it out of the oven that it was going to be great. The batter tasted great. It rose perfectly in the oven, doing everything it was supposed to do before POOF it collapsed into a dense mess of super sad lemon bread. Sigh...

Skinny Cherry Pie Monkey Bread

February 20, 2017 Amanda Plott

It's Monday, my daughter is out of school today, and we were up half of the night listening to the tornado warnings, rain, and heavy winds billowing around my house. To say that I needed some cheering up this morning would be nothing short of an understatement. So, after my morning cup of coffee and some Sudafed to unclog my head I was gearing up with this cheery cherry surprise!

Pie is one of my many achilles heels. And if it's cherry pie? I'm even more of a sucker! There's little to me that's more comforting to me (food wise) other than a nice slice of homemade cherry pie. However, since we were in the early morning hours, I thought I might not want to dive straight into an actual pie. Instead I opted for something a little more breakfast/brunch style...

Blueberry Bagel French Toast

February 8, 2017 Amanda Plott

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

Who's busy on the weekday mornings? I am! I am! Morning time is no joke, y'all! I'm the only morning person in the house, so rallying my 6 year old in the morning is exhausting all on it's own. She has literally hid from me to avoid the inevitable morning routine to get her up, out of the house, and off to school.

One way I can manage to soften the blow of the early morning hours is to come up with fun and easy breakfasts that I can lure my daughter (and myself) downstairs with. Cereal? Pancakes? French Toast! This isn't your average french toast thought. How about french toast made out of bagels? Everything is better on a bagel or made with a bagel, even french toast!...

Healthified Cheeseburger Pizza (Sponsored)

February 7, 2017 Amanda Plott

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

We're almost to the middle of the week, and if you're anything like me the craziness is only just starting to settle in! I know that it can sometimes be a struggle to make the right decisions for a more wholesome dinner option when in the chaos of the week. That's why I like to plan ahead with my weekly menu planner and shopping list. Another thing I do is keep my pantry and fridge stocked with staples that I know, love, and trust.

With the big game still on my mind from this past weekend, my mind has been stuck in fun mode. That's always a good thing when feeding the family! Especially the little ones. One thing that my daughter loves the most (eating it anywhere from 1-3 times a week) has to be pizza. And one of my favorite things? Burgers! So, I decided to merge the two together today into one perfectly awesome and tasty fusion dinner...