Pink Princess Cinnamon Rolls

February 10, 2020 Amanda Plott

I’ve been playing around a lot lately with my new replacement bread machine. I didn’t realize how much I missed having one until I got a new one. One of my favorite things to make in a bread machine is homemade cinnamon rolls. I love that the machine does most of the work for me when it comes to the dough.

These pink princess cinnamon rolls were made with a specific purpose and reason. For my little princess. Okay… she’s not so little anymore. But, a few years back she ended up getting sick on cinnamon rolls and has since turned her nose up at them. And being as they used to be one of her weekly staples… I thought I’d try to make these beauties to try and suede her back over to the cinnamon roll loving side of things…

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

February 8, 2020 Amanda Plott

Being as I’m a Irish girl, leading into the month of March is one of my favorite times of year. The weather usually starts warming up and I get to play around a lot more with Irish staples! Shepherd’s Pie is a staple Irish meal and I’ve made it a few different times in a few different ways. I’ve got to say though… I think this vegetarian one is now probably my favorite version.

That is no lie. This Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie is loaded with flavor and plenty of fresh vegetables. I even used fresh peas! No canned or frozen veggies here. Not today…

Savory Cheddar & Rosemary Thumbprints

February 6, 2020 Amanda Plott

I’ve been toying with the idea of savory twists on classic sweets for a while now. And these Savory Cheddar & Rosemary Thumbprints just seemed to fit the bill this time around. I managed to get my hand on some local made roasted tomato jam and well… just couldn’t help myself.

To make these savory thumbprints, I used a mix of whole wheat white flour and semolina flour. I’ve never used semolina flour before, but it reminds me a whole hell of a lot of cornmeal. Maybe a little finer of a grain than cornmeal is all…

Whole Wheat English Muffins

February 4, 2020 Amanda Plott

Several years ago I had a bread machine. It was big and bulky and took up a LOT of my kitchen space… which let me just tell you, its REALLY limited as it is. After it’s fair share of use, the bread machine started to act up and, long story short, I ended up getting rid of it.

Over the last year or so, I’ve had the desire to get another bread machine. There’s just something truly satisfying about making your own bread and being able to take charge of what’s in it and how it’s flavored. So, I bit the bullet and got a new one! It’s a lot more quiet and significantly smaller than the old one. The first thing on my list to make? Homemade whole wheat english muffins, of course!…

Strawberry Champagne Vinaigrette

February 1, 2020 Amanda Plott

With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, I thought it would be fun (and delicious) to make a pink salad dressing. Not just any dressing though, something lightened up and perfect as we come into the end of the cold winter months. Maybe using spring inspired flavors will inspire the warmer weather!

So what makes the dressing pink? Strawberries of course! Strawberries are the base of this vinaigrette, and to be honest, they’re the secret to this dressing as well. The large amount of strawberries used here is what keeps this vinaigrette lightened up and low in calories…

Healthified 'Swamp' Soup

January 30, 2020 Amanda Plott

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away... whoops! Wrong story. Ahem. A long time ago, I made this heavenly soup for my family in the midst of winter and it was an instant hit! And it still is to this day. But, the post here needed some updating so here you go!

I've made the soup a few times over the years and each time seem to make it more and more my own. While the base of the soup remains the same, I've definitely built my own little swamp here.

This soup is pretty hearty and rather filling for being loaded with basically nothing but vegetables. And no, that isn't a complaint in the least. I love my vegetables almost any which way, cooked, raw, steamed, grilled, etc…