Mini Shortbread Christmas Cookie Bites

December 21, 2020 Amanda Plott

These tiny Mini Shortbread Christmas Cookie Bites are really one of the best things I’ve put in my mouth this week. They’re light, crisp, buttery and full of festive holiday sprinkles. Of course, I didn’t go with traditional ‘red and green’ sprinkles. I found some awesome colorful ‘gingerbread’ holiday sprinkles that really made these tiny bites pop!

The very same ones that I used in my Healthified 'Lofthouse' Soft Sugar Cookies! The sprinkles here DO make a difference, so be sure to use your favorites. Jimmies and ‘confetti’ style sprinkles work best because they don’t bleed out color into the batter as easily as some others…

Instant Pot Cheesecake Bites

December 10, 2020 Amanda Plott

Most recently I found a fun way to make tamales in the instant pot, and being as I’ve also made a cheesecake in the instant pot too, I thought… is it possible to make mini cheesecakes? As it turns out, it is! These Instant Pot Cheesecake Bites are fun and easy to make. Plus, they’re lightened up just enough to be guilt free while still tasting great.

As it turns out, the instant pot is a great way to make cheesecakes, and these mini ones are made directly in my handy-dandy egg bite mold! I lightened them up by using sweetener instead of most of the sugar, and also used a reduced fat cream cheese…

Healthy & Easy Kid-Friendly Spaghetti Sauce

November 30, 2020 Amanda Plott

I'm calling this kid friendly spaghetti sauce because, I generally like to put actual onions and garlic into my spaghetti sauce. However, my little one would turn her nose up at that in a heartbeat, and seeing as how she specifically requests spaghetti every week, I figured that I ought to oblige her with something that would suite her desires!

Besides, who doesn't enjoy eating like a kid again? In my mind, that's one of the perks of being a parent; reliving all the things that you loved when you were growing up!

Though my mom was more of a Hamburger Helper sort of spaghetti maker.

She swears by Hamburger Helper 'Spaghetti' to this very day. Ugh…

Instant Pot Cornbread

November 28, 2020 Amanda Plott

I’ve done a LOT of things in my pressure cooker, but I have yet to bake anything in it. Oh, you didn’t know that baking in the Instant Pot is totally a thing? Yeah, I didn’t really either. Now, I’ve gone as far as cheesecake before, which in my mind makes at least a little sense considering when you make a cheesecake in the oven you usually use a water bath to keep the cheesecake moist. Bread though?

As it turns out, making cornbread in the pressure cooker works out REALLY well. In fact, I may never make cornbread any other way again. Yep, that’s how easy and tasty it was. Plus, cooking it this way means you get to lighten it up!…

Cranberry-Orange Muffins

November 24, 2020 Amanda Plott

Just in time for the holidays! These Cranberry-Orange Muffins are a delicious way to start off any morning with a bright and colorful Holiday inspired breakfast bite. Cranberry and orange are one of my all time favorite flavor combinations. The tartness and sweet playing off one another is always tasty. I’ve used the dynamic duo in bread, cookies, and now muffins!

If the Holidays could baked and served for breakfast, I’m pretty confident that they would taste just like these muffins right here. A little sweet. A little tart. And a whole lot of yum. Plus, this is about as simple as you can get with a muffin recipe…

Goat Cheese & Pomegranate Tartlets

November 21, 2020 Amanda Plott

With the Holidays on our heels, we could all use a good, easy, simple recipe to have on hand as an appetizer. Let’s face it, sometimes the family gets hungry before the main meal is done, and these Goat Cheese & Pomegranate Tartlets are just that.

Small bite sized mini tarts that are filled with goat cheese and honey before being baked and topped off with crushed rosemary and fresh pomegranate seeds. They’re a little sweet, a little savory, and lots of good flavor. The richness of the goat cheese is cut with the bright pop of pomegranate for a seasonal treat everyone is sure to enjoy…