Dairy-Free Grapefruit & Banana Breakfast Bowl

March 22, 2016 Amanda Plott

Today I wanted to keep things rather simple for breakfast. Simple, but tasty and dairy-free! Like I've said, I'm trying to be a little more plant based lately. I decided that a breakfast bowl was the way to go, so I grabbed one of my leftover grapefruits from the fridge and knew exactly what I wanted to do.

I used the juices of the grapefruit along with some local honey to make a sort of faux fruit cocktail to go atop one into my breakfast bowl. A 'not quite ripe' banana will work best here.

If it's an overly ripe fruit you might just end up with a bowl of mashed banana instead and nobody wants that!

Of course, I had to have a little bit of a crunch factor on top with some local low fat granola to top it all off and pull everything together. One of the best parts though, is what was under all the fruity goodness...

Skinny Lemon Thumbprint Cookies (Gluten Free)

March 16, 2016 Amanda Plott

Thank you Bob's Red Mill for sponsoring this post! Check out more delicious baking recipes at BobsRedMill.com.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again... Spring is most definitely one of my favorite times of year. There's just something to be said of the change in light, the fresh air, and everything coming back to life in the garden.

I don't know about you, but when I think about Spring and Easter, I think about the brightness of lemons. Maybe that's because it's about this time of year when my lemon tree starts to produce for me; giving me plenty of fresh beautiful lemons to use at my leisure.

To celebrate the arrival of Easter and Spring, I decided it would be the perfect time to bake up some tender, sweet and tart lemon thumbprint cookies - perfect for any basket; Easter or otherwise!...

Matcha Waffles (Gluten Free)

March 5, 2016 Amanda Plott

So, this is what I've been up to pretty much each morning this week. I've made these waffles three times now, adjusting the recipe and tweaking it to get it to where I wanted it to be. The first time I made them as a test run, they turned out beautifully. But, the second time I made them - they were a huge flop.

Yes, even I make mistakes in the kitchen!

That could have been mostly my fault though. Honestly, my heart wasn't in it that morning and my mind was elsewhere and focused on other things going on in my life. I'm pretty sure in looking back that I left something out at some point and ended up with a waffle iron full of raw inedible goop. Whoops!

This was my third attempt with these waffles after a few final changes and a more careful eye for my measuring and accounting for each ingredient...

Chicken Bacon Ranch Macaroni & Cheese Casserole

April 20, 2015 Amanda Plott

My little one is a macaroni and cheese fiend... and also one of the most strangely picky eaters that I've ever known. For most of her five years go life, my little girl has been a vegetarian for the most part. Of course, it's not been a conscious decision on her part or for any other reason than the mere texture of meat. Apparently it's a pretty common trend among toddlers and preschoolers.

I can't say that I was much different when I was about her age. I drank water instead of any soda or juice, and had to be told that meat came from a meat tree and not from an animal. I also required that all meals be cooked by my mother. Yeah, I've always been a bit special about food.

Over the past few months, my little girl has made some great strides in adding more and more to her list of acceptable foods. I'd like to think that it has a lot to do with the fact that I encourage her to spend time with me in the kitchen. I also do my best to encourage her to simply try new things. No pressure though!...

Blueberry & Coconut Breakfast Quinoa

April 15, 2015 Amanda Plott

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

That is something that I think anyone of my generation grew up learning, and to this day I still find it to be true. Starting your morning off right can be essential. Especially when you're trying to eat better and become healthier.

This powerhouse breakfast bowl is not only one of my favorite breakfasts, it's also a great way to control your hunger and power you on through your day. It's full of the good-for-you stuff such as protein, fiber, calcium, and plenty of vitamins, and minerals. And yes, even antioxidants!

I would say that this could be comparable to a bowl of warm oatmeal or a breakfast rice cereal as far as flavor and texture. So if you're a fan of either, then you're sure to enjoy quinoa for breakfast.

Oh, and did I mention that this breakfast is entirely gluten-free and vegan? Yep!

I know, there's a fierce debate about whether honey is vegan or not... but, for the sake of this breakfast I'll say that it is. If you're a staunch vegan, you can always swap the honey out for agave...

Skinny Tutti-Fruity Breakfast Muffins

January 21, 2015 Amanda Plott

So as many of you may know, I've been attempting to have less gluten in my life for a few months now. Of course, I'm not entirely gluten free (mostly because I don't personally need to be), but I do have family members that are gluten intolerant and/or diabetic and have the need to eat less gluten for one reason or another.

Gluten seems to be one of those things that most of us have in our everyday diet, but isn't something that the body necessarily needs. There are no nutrients in gluten, however gluten can be found in most of the whole grain items out there that are good for you. So long story short, you don't want to start a fully gluten free lifestyle until you've spoken to a medical doctor about it and learned the ins and outs of what all it entails.

A long while back I made these wonderful muffins that happened to be gluten free; which wasn't exactly what I was trying to accomplish, just a happy accident! So, when I decided to make some fruity breakfast muffins this week for my little one, I knew exactly where to start...