Butternut Squash Alfredo

January 30, 2018 Amanda Plott

I love pasta every bit as the next girl. But, there's always something about it that leaves me feeling a wee bit guilty. Maybe it's something to do with the fact that most pasta dishes are loaded with carbs and not usually the most veggie-forward meal option.

Now, I've made a skinny alfredo before that was loaded up with hidden veggies but I got my hands on a local butternut squash that needed some attention. That's when I decided to go ahead and make another version of 'alfredo' using my winter squash. And let's be honest. Today I'm using the term 'aflredo' pretty lightly...

Beet Tartare Stacker Salad

January 23, 2018 Amanda Plott

Okay, but for real... I had no idea what to call this. Beets have been a big part of my meal plans lately, and that's mostly because I've gotten them for a few weeks in a row now in my local farm-to-table box. And let me just say, I am a huge beet fan. My mom, however? She thought she only liked pickled beets. (Because that's the only way she's ever had them.)

So while she's been hanging around my place I've now managed to convert her by way of a beet pesto pizza and also that Winter Citrus Power Breakfast from earlier this week. One of these days she'll learn to trust me and my food! One of these days...

Winter Citrus & Honey Power Breakfast

January 21, 2018 Amanda Plott

I guess you could say that this is one bee-utiful breakfast. Ba-dum-psshh! Okay. Seriously though? Let's talk about this power breakfast right here. It's winter right now and there's a plethora of fresh winter citrus going around. Right now is one of the few times of year that you'll find blood oranges out and about.

Don't be scared either. They're called blood oranges because of their usual deep red splotched on their peel and their rich ruby red color of fruit inside. If you've seen or had blood orange juice before, you know what I mean. Along with blood oranges, the grapefruits are HUGE right now too. Just the way I like 'em. Big and juicy...

Homemade Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

January 19, 2018 Amanda Plott

I'm a carrot cake freak. I love me a good carrot cake. I have a favorite 'naughty' version of a carrot cake that I make for my dad's birthday since it's one of his favorites too. Being as I'm trying to cut down some of my carb intake lately when I can though, makes the cake (especially one of this general level) a no-go.

So I started looking. Researching. Googling my fancy little fingers off until I pieced together this beauty. The original base of the cake needed some upgrades to be anything near what my sinful bliss guilty indulgence one is. But, it was a starting point. I knew that I'd be adding in carbs with my adjustments, so I decided since it's not 'low carb' but 'lower carb' that I'd stick with it being gluten-free at the very least...

Asiago Roasted Garlic & Purple Cauliflower Soup

January 8, 2018 Amanda Plott

Colorful foods are where it's at and I've had my eye on colored cauliflower for a couple of years now. A lot of people think that colored cauliflower is made using food coloring, but they couldn't be more wrong! These rainbow cauliflowers are natural to nature and have been hanging around farmer's markets for a long time now.

And well... it finally happened. I got my hands on not only 1 color of cauliflower, but on 3 different colors; lime/green, orange/cheddar, and you guessed it - purple! The colored cauliflower doesn't really taste any different than a traditional head. The only real difference that I could find is that they're so freakin' gorgeous!...

Vanilla Blueberry Coconut Nut & Seed Granola

January 6, 2018 Amanda Plott

So since even just before New Year's, I've been trying to eat a whole lot more nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. With my last 'Nut & Seed' grain-free granola getting eaten up readily, I decided that it was time to make a new version of it.

One thing that I didn't get to use last time in my granola, that I really wanted to be sure about using this time is coconut chips. While I'm not a coconut fan by any means, coconut chips are definitely one of my favorite additions to salad and/or granola. Without wanting to go too tropical with the coconut, I decided on vanilla and blueberries!...