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...

Lightened Up Coffee Cake

February 3, 2017 Amanda Plott

So once again I have a confession to make. This past Christmas my mom came over with this coffee cake that she had received as a gift from her boss at work. He got everyone in her office, plus all of their clients one of these coffee cakes. Now... generally I'm not the hugest fan of coffee cake. it's too crumbly and dry for me. However, this coffee cake... holy moly! It was decadent, buttery, and just the perfect amount of sweet. Yum!

I had that cafe from breakfast and dessert for a couple of days. You know, I'm all about plotting yourself those occasional treats. The coffee cake was made by a local Texas bakery which I intend to visit one day since it's only about an hour away. Though I might have to be dragged out by my hair kicking and screaming along the way. Haha...

Skinny Juicy Lucy Meatballs

February 1, 2017 Amanda Plott

Remember when I made those fantastically cheesy Healthified Juicy Lucy Burgers? Yeah, well they now come in meatball form! And just in time for gameday too. For these meatballs, I took my favorite cocktail meatballs and those Juicy Lucy Burgers and fused them together to make one epic appetizer. They're easy to make, full of flavor, and what could be better than a gooey cheesy stuffed meatball?

Not a lot.

So just to be clear, these are not your average Italian style meatball. Oh, no. These are an americanized modge-podge if ever there was one. I do have a more traditional stuffed meatball if that's more of what you're looking for (also made in the crock pot along with a sauce.)...

Roasted Beets

January 11, 2017 Amanda Plott

I got some fresh local beets this past week, and while beets are definitely one of my favorite salad toppings, I hardly ever buy them at the store for myself. I'm not entirely sure why I don't either. I've used them to make some pretty awesome things in the past couple of years, like this Beet Pesto. Or with being added to another salad that I paired with my Skinny Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette.

These oven roasted beets have to be one of the most simple, easy to do, and flavorful things you can make. They take just an hour to roast and just two ingredients to make. Plus, the prep work is minimal. Giving you an hour to go about your business doing whatever else you need or want. What better is that these roasted beets can be made ahead of time as part of a weekly meal prep...

Skinny Chipotle Pepperoni Pinwheels & Creamy Jalapeño Dip

January 3, 2017 Amanda Plott

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

The big football game of the year is coming up and being a native Texan, I couldn't be more excited for it. Every year, as you know, I'm always busy with nosh worthy big game style tailgating and home gating bites. This year won't be any different! In fact, it may only be amped up if my favorite team ends up playing.

These Skinny Chipotle Pepperoni Pinwheels are two of my most favorite things fused together to make one amazing finger food mash-up that's perfectly dipable and dunkable as a party appetizer or big game spread. Oh, and that Creamy Jalapeño Dip? Let's just say that's the stuff dreams are made of, my friend. I've made a similar dip before, but this one has a few minor changes to make it more of a thicker dip rather than a thinner dressing...