Pizza Bite Eyeballs

October 28, 2016 Amanda Plott

Muahahaha! I love Halloween. It's my favorite holiday and it has been for almost all of my life. I think I enjoy it so much because there's a lot of excitement in the air. Especially when you have little ones! It's the start of the holiday season and everyone is ripe with anticipation for now. Plus, Halloween is generally the beginning of our cooler weather here in Texas. We're already down into the 80's on most days! Whohoo.

I've been working on some fun Halloween inspired bites this week and I think these Pizza Bite Eyeballs are a big winner! They are so easy to do and fun. Not scary. I even managed to get my 6 year old on board with them. After my 'scary' black Halloween spaghetti from last year, I thought I'd lost her on Trick-or-Treat eats, but these managed to get the seal of approval...

Crock Pot Pasta e Fagioli

October 26, 2016 Amanda Plott

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Barilla® and Johnsonville®. The opinions and texts are all mine.

It's no secret that one of my most favorite soups at almost any Italian restaurant is Pasta e Fagioli. That's generally because it's got some of everything in it without being too heavy, and that's exactly where I am with fall right now. It's nice and cool and crisp in the mornings, but still rather hot here during the day. So, I find myself craving more hearty dishes on a lighter side.

This soup isn't only lighter on the scale (being that it's made from home), it's also lighter on the wallet since it's made from simple ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your fridge and pantry! Let's face it, almost any soup is a great economical option for an all inclusive meal in a bowl, and when you involve a slow cooker you're almost always insured an easy-fix meal as well...

Skinny Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Crepes

October 24, 2016 Amanda Plott

Last weekend my dad was here to visit for a few days, and that always means that I get spoiled on crepes. The man is basically famous for his crepe making skills, and naturally I'm always pushing him outside the box with interesting flavor ideas. We've done everything from red velvet to a more savory chive and cheese crepe. His go to combination is and has always been a plain crepe with a strawberry cream cheese filling, and trust me when I say that those are absolutely out of this world.

But... it's pumpkin season and I'm going to take full advantage of it. So, we ended up making these pumpkin spice crepes filled with a lightly sweetened cream cheese mixture. Yum! One of my wonderful cousins is a pumpkin spice fanatic just like I am, so I know she's going to have to talk my dad into making these sometime for her too! Sick'em Sam!...

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

October 20, 2016 Amanda Plott

As we get into the holidays, I'm all about speed and ease in which I make my meals. But, that doesn't mean that I have to sacrifice taste or the more wholesome options for myself or my family. This roasted red pepper dip is super tasty, easy to make, guilt-free, and is so versatile that you could eat it with any meal; breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Plus, it's not spicy at all, so the kiddos can enjoy it too!

This is definitely one of those things that you will find yourself putting on anything and everything. And, that's perfectly okay because that's what it's for! There's nothing but the good stuff loaded up into this red pepper dip. Roasted red peppers, onion, garlic, and plenty of course plenty of flavor...

Everything Bagel Bowl

October 18, 2016 Amanda Plott

Everything bagels. ...Amirite? They are the stuff that dreams are made of. Seriously, I'm pretty sure that I dream about food. Everybody loves everything bagels. They're called 'everything' bagels because they are usually topped with, you guessed it, everything! Garlic, onion, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and more.

I decided it was about time to turn the everything bagel into something that is, hm... more guilt free. Not to say that I would shy away from a bagel all the time, but most of the time I like to stick to something that's loaded up with a lot more fresh vegetables! That's why I created this ultimate everything bagel power bowl!...

Healthified Crock Pot French Dip

October 15, 2016 Amanda Plott

I remember the first time I ever had a french dip sandwich. It was at this cute little diner in New Port, Oregon... I think it was called 'Big Guy's Diner', I must have been about 10 years old at the time. I thought it was so strange to have a sandwich served with broth. Why in the world would anyone want to dip their sandwich and have wet bread? My grandma talked me into trying it anyway. I did. And I've been hooked ever since...