Strawberries & Cream Monkey Bread

September 3, 2018 Amanda Plott

What a weekend! It was a mix of fun, excitement, and even some drama - to say the least. While my house was a little more than full, It was FULL of people that I love and adore. And when I love and adore you, I feed you. That's why I decided to press on with making this Strawberries & Cream Monkey Bread for breakfast one morning.

I based this monkey bread off of one that I had made before, with just a few simple adjustments to use up the last bits of fresh strawberries in the season. To say that this sweet treat is delicious, would be a sad understatement! It's loaded with strawberries and sweet ooey-gooey goodness among every nook and cranny…

'Nut & Seed' Grain-Free Pumpkin Spice Granola

August 31, 2018 Amanda Plott

It's been a hot minute since I made up a batch of homemade granola, mostly because it's just been way too hot here to even think about turning the oven on. But, sometimes... it's just worth it. And this morning? It was just that - totally worth it! With pumpkin spice season on the horizon, I thought there was no better time than now to tempt the cooler weather in with another pumpkin inspired treat!

I based this grain-free granola off of one that I made a while back. The main differences would be the spice used in it and the seeds that I chose to include. Since we're going with the Fall theme, I decided to use pumpkin seeds. Two kinds of pumpkin seeds, that is. I picked up a raw one to roast with the granola, and a lightly salted roasted seed called 'snow white' pumpkin seeds to add in at the end…

Skinny Strawberry Banana Poke Cake

August 29, 2018 Amanda Plott

It's been a really long time since I made any sort of a cake, especially a poke cake. And with the end of summer on our heels, I thought I might throw a few more good strawberry recipes into the mix before they are too far out of season. This Skinny Strawberry Banana Poke Cake starts off with a lightened up strawberry cake that's made with a simple boxed mix that we're upgrading just a bit.

So, what's a poke cake? It's basically exactly what it sounds like. A baked cake that you poke holes in. This time around though, we're filling those holes with some banana pudding and then topping everything off with some coolwhip. This style of cake makes for one delicious treat that's perfectly decadent…

Tater Tot Breakfast Bake

August 23, 2018 Amanda Plott

Breakfast does not have to be a chore. This Tater Tot Breakfast Bake is quick to toss together and pretty much does it's own thing while baking in the oven. Giving you plenty of time to do other important things. You know... like settling into your back-to-school routine. One of the best parts about this breakfast casserole though, is that it can be made ahead and popped in the oven any time.

Being as it makes a rather decent sized pan of it, you could probably enjoy this all week long with a quick reheat in the morning to enjoy it again. This is a pretty hearty and filling breakfast too. There's layers of sausage, egg, cheese, potatoes and yes... even some bacon!…

Healthified Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings

August 21, 2018 Amanda Plott

This is my healthier take on an old classic comfort food. I think the very first time that I had chicken and dumplings was at my grandmother's house with my dad when I was pretty young... elementary school still, I'm sure.

She cooked the soup up on the stove for a few hours and then tossed the raw dough into the pot. I thought she was crazy at the time, but after my first bite... I was in love.

Years later when I first started cooking, I dabbled with the infamous chicken and dumplings in the crock pot using canned condensed soups and biscuit dough. I'll be the first to admit that it was delicious, but a huuuge guilty pleasure! Full of preservatives and nothing good for you. Bleh!...

Whole Wheat Fresh Cherry Cobbler

August 5, 2018 Amanda Plott

It's the end of summer (break) and cherries are still in season over here. And since I haven't really done anything with them yet this season, I thought it was high time to do so! To create this lovely cobbler, I started with the base of the one that I made about a month ago. I have used the same recipe a few times now, trying out different fruits.

Up until today, the blackberry seemed to be the favorite.

The only real difference between this version of the cobbler recipe, and the one from before, is that this one I decided to use the cherries and also subbed in some whole wheat white flour instead of the all-purpose…