Lightened Up Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

November 24, 2021 Amanda Plott

This Lightened Up Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie has been a family favorite for many years now, we're thinking maybe 10 years at least. The original is what we made this year for Christmas, mostly because I don't have my 'skinny' pantry on hand with my usual bag-of-tricks. But, the usual way that I make it is just as delicious and lightened up by at least half the calories and sugar too!

This pie is great for almost any holiday, Thanksgiving through New Years and back again. I honestly haven't come across anyone that didn't like it yet and it's more often than not, a recipe with legs. That is to say that the recipe is often requested by friends and family after they enjoy it!

Since this is such a rich flavored pie, I usually like to cut it into smaller slices. A little bit can go a long way, especially if you use a traditional bourbon!…

Breakfast Stuffed Pumpkin

November 7, 2021 Amanda Plott

Even though Halloween is over, pumpkin season is still upon us. And I love to find creative and fun uses for pumpkins in the kitchen all the way through Thanksgiving. This Breakfast Stuffed Pumpkin would be a super fun and easy way to feed the family around the Holidays, or even as breakfast on Thanksgiving morning!

My local grocery place had pumpkins on sale for just one dollar and fifty cents, so I grabbed up one of the smaller pie pumpkins. They’re small, sweet, and meant to be used for cooking and eating unlike some of their larger cousins…

Pumpkin & Sausage Queso

September 12, 2021 Amanda Plott

Not all queso is created equal. Although, I don’t think that I could ever turn a queso away. This Pumpkin & Sausage Queso is PERFECT for Fall. It’s loaded with a little bit of pumpkin flavor and a lot of warm spices and a real kick-in-the pants! Naturally, while it’s hatch chile season in Texas, I served mine with some green chile hatch tortilla chips and YUM.

This queso is a bit more on the extra spicy side, what with the added chipotle, spicy sausage, and of course peppers as far as the eye can see…

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pie Spice Waffles

September 3, 2021 Amanda Plott

I'm so ready to get below 90 degrees F. for the first time this season. It's time for the end of summer now as as I’m concerned. One of my favorite things about fall has to be pumpkin. Pumpkin this, pumpkin that, pumpkin everything!

Today I'm hoping to entice the start of fall with these lovely whole wheat pumpkin pie spice waffles, and man... they are truly something worth waking up for. They are full of pumpkin flavor and the added warm spices that go along with a traditional pumpkin pie. These aren't your average waffles either, they are huge, fluffy, soft on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside; pumpkin perfection…

Gingerbread Cobbler

December 5, 2020 Amanda Plott

Sometimes you just have to shake dessert up. This holiday season would be the great time to start a new tradition. Instead of the usual pies and cookies, why not try out this Gingerbread Cobbler! This Gingerbread Cobbler is very similar to my Whole Wheat Pumpkin Cobbler, but more in line with Christmas or New Years than Thanksgiving!

Cobbler just seems like the perfect winter dessert. It’s warm, gooey, and filling too. My mom seems to think that this cobbler is like those old fashioned pudding cakes where you layer the batter on the bottom of the pan and pour hot liquid on top to bake. While baking, the cake bubbles up to the top and the gooey pudding cobbler goodness is on the bottom…

Easy 'Baked' Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

November 19, 2020 Amanda Plott

Oh, what? You didn’t know that you could ‘bake’ your sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot? Well, you totally can! It’s quick. It’s easy. And it frees up valuable oven space around the holidays! These Easy 'Baked' Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes can be done, perfectly soft and ready to go, in just 12 minutes. Really? Really!

I was able to cook more than 4 lbs. of sweet potatoes in no time at all, days ahead of when I needed them! This means that I can make my Yummy Yam Casserole on my own schedule and in my own time. (Don’t worry, we’ll get to the Yam Casserole another day.)…