Nice Krispies Treats

February 28, 2019 Amanda Plott

So… I’m trying my damndest to be a well balanced mom. Right? I mean… aren’t we all? I think my daughter was maybe 6 years old before she ever had her first bite of McDonalds. She still hasn’t ever tried anything from Chef Boyardee. And Vienna Sausages? NEVER. And these are all things that I grew up on. Another classic childhood favorite? Rice Krispies Treats!

I’ve been wanting to make a better-for-you version of the staple treats for YEAAAARS now. Crispy rice treats are easy to make. Quick to set up. And almost every kid loves them. So when I got my hands on some house-made marshmallows this week, I knew THIS had to happen…

Magical Color Changing Unicorn Noodles

June 26, 2018 Amanda Plott

I feel as though I should explain here that my daughter and I are pretty much obsessed with mermaids, unicorns, rainbows and glitter. So when 'science' week started, I just knew that we were going to have to make ourselves some magical color changing noodles!

Unlike most 'colored' noodles out there, we're coloring these naturally by way of a purple cabbage. This gives those rice noodles a beautiful all natural light purple color.

I should also explain here that this is a simple recipe. It's not 'gourmet' by any means. I mean... let's face it, they're basically garlic buttered noodles, but the magic of the color changing and the fun with these noodles are what make them stand out!…

Mongolian Beef & Broccoli 'Rice' Bowl

October 19, 2017 Amanda Plott

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Conagra Brands. All opinions are mine alone. P.F. Chang's and P.F. Chang’s Home Menu® are registered trademarks owned by P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Inc. and are used with permission. #AuthenticMadeEasy #CollectiveBias

So, with life being crazier than usual (or maybe it's really just the same amount of crazy), I decided to have a more simple sort of dinner today. Simple in a lot of ways. Simple to make. Simple to eat. Simple to enjoy.

I started out with some sirloin steaks and a head of broccoli and ended up with a pretty fabulous take-out fake-out meal that was quick, easy, and delicious. With keeping this simple, I thought that instead of having rice, I would rice my broccoli. Why not? I've made cauliflower rice before, and broccoli is pretty similar texturally. Plus, it goes so well with beef!...

Healthified Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken Bowls

April 29, 2016 Amanda Plott

There are a handful of recipes that I have been developing off and on through the years for one reason or another. Some of them don't turn out the first run or two, others I burn myself out in, and some take a specific amount of tweaking to get it just right. This happens to be one of those recipes.

When I was younger, I ate a lot more fast food just as almost any young American. My mom was not nearly as excited about food and cooking as I am, and that is completely fine. Everyone has their own passion. So, my dad ended up doing the most of the cooking on the nights that he could, but sometimes he would come home way too exhausted to manage; this was around the time when I was in high school...

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'...

Cheesy Ranch Chex™ Mix

November 19, 2015 Amanda Plott

Holidays are full of tradition, and one of the traditions that I lacked as a child but have picked up on my adult years is homemade Chex™ Mix! A couple of years back now my mom came over and made up GIANT batch of Chex Mix for us all to enjoy. She made as many flavor combinations as we could think up on.

It's become our tradition to have mix with us almost everywhere we go during the holiday season. My mom takes it to every party, event, and get together. It's always a huge hit, not matter what flavor combination it is, it's always a winner!

I'm not sure exactly what sparked up my mother's sudden desire to start the Chex Mix tradition, but I sure am glad that it happened. I love it when my mom loves food as much as I do...