Mermaid Noodle Salad

July 5, 2017 Amanda Plott

So, I've decided that this week on the blog is going to be all about... drumroll please... Mermaids! Ta-da! That's right. It's going to be a week full of mermaid inspired dishes; eats and treats alike. This Mermaid Noodle Salad is an old family favorite that originated in one of my daughter's cook books, but has been tweaked and adjusted so much that it's a whole new recipe by now.

After carefully transcribing all of my notes on it in the cookbook, I finally settled on the perfect end result. One thing that I love most about this noodle salad is that you can serve it hot or cold. Being as it's the middle of summer here in Texas though... I'm naturally opting for a cold noodle dish myself. However, if you still feel like being a mermaid in the winter months, feel free to enjoy it warm! Just serve it right away instead of giving it an hour+ of chill time...

Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

May 11, 2017 Amanda Plott

It never fails. Whenever it starts to get warmer out, I start to think of pasta salad. I guess that's because it's the perfect sort of weather for picnics and backyard BBQs. Today is no different. The weather here in Austin Texas has been absolutely beautiful for the past couple of weeks. It's nice and cool in the mornings and evenings and the middle of the day is pleasantly warm.

When I got some fresh local corn, mayonnaise, queso fresco, and cilantro this past week, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it; Mexican Street Corn. Not just that though, I wanted to turn it into a pasta salad that could be hearty enough for a meal and light enough still to also be used as a side dish...

Healthy Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

November 27, 2016 Amanda Plott

A little chicken noodle soup for the soul, anyone? 2016 has been a year that will go down in infamy. I don't think this year hasn't touched everyone in a particularly strange (and I'll even dare to say negative) way. I for one, couldn't be more happy to see it in it's last several days. I know that 2016 will go out kicking and screaming the entire way, but I can't wait to see what next year brings.

Only good things, I hope.

My Christmas tree bit the dust last year, and I guess that should have been a sure sign of the things to come. So, I decided to add some extra Christmas tree to my life this year by including it in this soup as early as November. MOVE OVER DECEMBER. We're getting this year done and over with...

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...

Cheesy Chicken & Vegetable Casserole

October 4, 2016 Amanda Plott

All ideas, recipes, & opinions are entirely my own. Tommy's Superfoods Samples were provided to me for this recipe and review.

I'm not sure why, but I've sort of been in pasta mode lately. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I have so much stocked up in my pantry by now that I feel I need to dwindle down the boxes. When I got a beautiful fresh summer squash and two ears of local corn in this past week, I knew that I wanted to do something fun with pasta for an end-of-summer sort of casserole. With everything taking on a rather yellow color, I wanted to throw in some chopped spinach as well to give another hue. It's all about eating the rainbow.

I had actually done a test run of this recipe a couple weeks ago, and was pretty pleased with the results. Of course, I did make a few tweaks here and there to fine-tune. The whole idea of this dish was to be something quick and easy for a weeknight dinner while also giving a creamy-dreamy sort of 'mac-n-cheese' inspired bite, though maybe on a more adult level...

Gluten-Free One Skillet Ratatouille

September 22, 2016 Amanda Plott

As a Degutabox affiliate, all ideas, recipes, & opinions are entirely my own. A Degustabox was provided to me for this recipe and review.

It's the first day of fall, y'all! I couldn't be happier. Here in Texas, we're finally getting a 'cold front' in this week that will get us into the 70's at least. Phew. It's been a hot few weeks, so I'm ready for the cooler weather. I'm also loving that I'm starting to see winter vegetables coming in.

I happened to get my hands on a local acorn squash and thought it would make a great addition to a fall style ratatouille; in place of eggplant since I am not a huge fan of eggplant unless it's entirely hidden in whatever it is I'm eating. Hey! No one ever said that ratatouille had to have eggplant in it, right?...