Rustica Salad

October 30, 2018 Amanda Plott

Well, I guess I spoke too soon about the weather cooling off. It’s been cooler, yes… but we’ve still gotten well up into the 80’s for a couple of days this week. It’s been nice for the most part, crips mornings, warm days, and cool evenings to follow. And while I’m completely set on Fall and Winter meals now, I still needed to toss in a light salad into the mix this week.

I’m calling this the ‘rustica salad’ because that’s the name of the salad that I got the idea for this one from. Of course, I had to put my own spin on it with a homemade dressing and plenty of toppings. The homemade Skinny Balsamic Vinaigrette is one of my favorites. I make a double or triple batch of it up at a time and keep it on hand in the fridge quite often…

Farmers' Market Cornbread

October 20, 2018 Amanda Plott

While it’s chilly here in Texas, you better believe that I’m taking FULL advantage of it. Which is why tonight I’m making a special sort of soup tonight and this awesome Farmers’ Market Cornbread to go along with it!

I based this cornbread off of my Baked Hush Puppies, which made use of a very clever and quick hack for making cornbread things. It’s basically mixing a self-rising cornmeal, creamed corn, and just few other things together to make a one bowl easy-peasy cornbread…

Roasted Tomato Soup

October 15, 2018 Amanda Plott

There is one thing for sure, no one is ever too old to enjoy tomato soup! One of my best memories growing up, had to have been the simple and easy dinner my mom would make on cold Fall or winter days… and that was a grilled cheese and tomato soup. Of course, even though you won’t grow out of tomato soup, your tastes do change. So today, I’ve elevated the classic and my favorite.

I’ve made plenty of tomato soup in the past, but I saw a rather ingenious hack not so long ago about making it by easily and with fresh tomatoes! No other cooking is involved other than that! Roasting the tomatoes also gives a smoky depth of flavor, that you otherwise wouldn’t have too…

Healthified Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

September 17, 2018 Amanda Plott

It’s no secret that Halloween my favorite holiday and I always like to do something a little special for it. My little girl is quite a pancake fiend. I would venture guess that she eats pancakes for breakfast just about every other morning. Except for Saturday; that is 'donut' day around here.

At any rate, with all the great pumpkin flavors going around this time of year, I thought it would be a great time to make a healthier pumpkin pancake!

No matter your age or pancake preference, these whole wheat pumpkin pancakes are a great way to start off any Fall morning! They are really easy to mix up and cook. Plus, they taste amazing with just a subtle hint of pumpkin and spice in there…

Crock Pot Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal (Instant Pot too!)

September 13, 2018 Amanda Plott

Originally when I made this oatmeal, I had pretty recently posted a Skinny Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal, but these two oatmeals are pretty far apart in the realms of texture and preparation. Plus, I’ve added in new instructions so this oatmeal can be made in an instant pot (pressure cooker) in under thirty minutes!

As usual, I've been running around like a crazy woman and I really needed a pick-me-up this morning to help boost me through the day. Back when I first made this recipe in 2013, my dear little girl had been sick for well over a week and only the day before was diagnosed with both a sinus infection and bacterial pneumonia. That was a tough time!…

Southwest Couscous Salad

September 7, 2018 Amanda Plott

I love couscous. I love it in traditional form and I love it Israeli style too. What's the difference though? Traditional couscous is smaller grained and the Israeli one is more of a 'pearl' couscous. Small little beads of 'pasta' that are extremely versatile and can be amazingly delicious!

The lunchtime struggle is real, and I know it is. I've found that if I don't have something prepared ahead of time for lunch, that I'll often go without or end up eating a less than stellar choice. With couscous being one of my favorite things, and pasta salad on the mind, I thought it would be a great time to make a couscous 'pasta' salad!…