5 Ingredient Thai Butternut Squash Soup (Crock Pot)

March 25, 2016 Amanda Plott

So about a week ago I got my hands on the biggest butternut squash that I've ever seen in my life. The best part about it was that it was from a local Texas farm, which you know I'm all about. I had already used the squash in two previous meals this week and was racking my brain to come up with a third and final use so that I could get it all eaten up before the weekend. Because, you know, there is a lot of Easter happenings and I couldn't let this beauty go to waste.

This smooth and creamy thai butternut squash was the perfect was to use up my mammoth of a squash. And what's better is that it is super simple to make since there is little prep work with only 5 ingredients, and the crock pot will do all of the cooking for you...

Skinny Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

March 8, 2016 Amanda Plott

I'm not sure about anywhere else, since Texas is the only place that I've lived in my adult life, but here... we go through an awful lot of cilantro. It's all that amazing Tex-Mex we have here, so you won't find me complaining. Cilantro and I definitely have a love-hate relationship though.

I've come to the realization that I don't tend to like it much in it's raw form. That is... it needs to be added to something; guacamole, fajita meat, etc. I do, however, love cilantro when it's done right by being used as an ingredient to brighten up a dish. And what better way to do that than with a nice fresh spring produce salad?...

Cauliflower 'Fried Rice'

March 3, 2016 Amanda Plott

This week I've decided I'm going to start eating a more plant based diet. It's something that my subconscious has been slowly seeming to lead up to for the past months, and honestly I hadn't really noticed until I sat down to write out my weekly meal plan for myself last week.

I think what really got my wheels spinning on 'plant based' meals was a quote that I heard a long time ago.

"Eat food. Not a lot. And mostly plants." - Michael Pollan

It's sort of been my mantra ever since I first came across it, though sometimes I stick to it more than others. I'm not saying I'm going vegan or vegetarian by any means, just that this is what I'm trying to do more actively at home and on a more regular basis. And one of the first things to come to mind with my veggie-forward thinking was this Cauliflower 'Fried Rice'...

Skinny 5 Ingredient Chocolate Cherry Crisp

March 1, 2016 Amanda Plott

This post was sponsored by Honey Bunches of Oats Chocolate as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review.

Sometimes we all just need a little chocolate in our lives, and in my opinion not much goes better with chocolate other than cherries. You really can't go wrong with the combination. Of course, coming off of an extremely busy weekend, I wanted to be sure to do something simple with few ingredients and lots of flavor.

What can I say? I needed something to curb my sweet cravings.

I've seen it done before where Honey Bunches of Oats have been used as a quick fix 'crisp' style topping for desserts, so I decided to take that idea and run with it. But, I didn't want anything plain-jane so I had to put my own chocolate lover's better-for-you spin on it....

Quick Raspberry Sweet Rolls with Mocha Drizzle (Sponsored)

February 23, 2016 Amanda Plott

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

I love my coffee. I seriously couldn't imagine a morning going by without a cup of my favorite joe to pick me up and get me moving through my day. This morning I was feeling even more indulgent and decided to take my morning coffee to the next level by pairing it with some delicious and decadent quick Raspberry Sweet Rolls.

These aren't your ordinary plain-jane sweet rolls either. Not only are they super easy to whip up with a handy-dandy little trick with crescent rolls, but I also amped them up by adding a cream cheese mocha drizzle over the top as the hero of the show.

Trust me, these aren't nearly as much of guilty indulgence as you might think either - just a perfectly awesome mocha filled sort of indulgence...

Vegetable & Stars Soup

February 1, 2016 Amanda Plott

So, last week I was in the midst of what had to have been one of the worst colds of my life. I kid you not. This cold was fierce. It came with aches, the worst sinus pressure I've had, and was just all around bad news. Thankfully this week, I'm finally on the mend after the two week long fiasco. Unfortunately, it seems that my little princess has taken over where I left off.

Even so, while I was in the midst of my head-cold from my nightmares my girl and I were busy in the kitchen. One thing that I knew we just had to make was soup. And lots of it! Since my Healthified 'Swamp' Soup isn't really her jam, she decided on a soup that she would eat. When it comes to her simple food (and usually meatless food) is always the route she takes...