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...

White Bean Avocado Dip

September 28, 2016 Amanda Plott

Thank you to Graze for kindly sponsoring this post. All opinions are 100% honest & completely my own.

I'm a little bit of an avocado fiend. Okay, so... a lot of an avocado fiend. I could easily go through a whole avocado every day and completely all on my own. So when I was trying to decide what I wanted to do with these Super Beet Chips, I figured it just had to be something with avocado and it needed to be a dip.

This White Bean Avocado Dip is super easy to make, full of flavor, and is the perfect dipper companion. It's somewhere between a guacamole (with it's Mexican inspired flavors of lime and cilantro) and a hummus (with garbanzo beans being my bean of choice.) The best of both worlds, if you ask me...

Gluten-Free Banana Nut Pancakes

September 21, 2016 Amanda Plott

All ideas, recipes, & opinions are entirely my own however, this is a sponsored post on behalf of wholesome brands, Vans Simply Delicious® & Wallaby® Organic.

My mom lives out by one of the lakes here near Austin, and she keeps talking about this restaurant by her that serves some giant banana nut pancakes. And after a few too many (dozen) mentions of them, I guess the thought sort of stuck with me as inspiration. Banana nut anything is okay by me.

There's something about the smell and the taste that takes me back to my childhood. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that my mom makes some of the best banana bread around.

With the idea already locked in my mind, I decided to go ahead and try my hand at making some banana nut pancakes for myself. But, in a more wholesome way that won't leave me feeling guilty or sprinting to the gym right after indulging...

Southwest Egg Bake (For One)

September 19, 2016 Amanda Plott

This post was sponsored by Eat Smart as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. I received product samples to facilitate my review.

I'm always looking for ways to get more fresh vegetables into my life and this Southwest Egg Bake is no exception. This small sort of 'crustless quiche for one' is a perfect little breakfast that's packed with flavor and also happens to be a powerhouse of super foods and nutrition.

I'm a huge believer that living well starts with eating well, and Eat Smart Gourmet Vegetable Salad Kits make it so easy to do just that. They're not only convenient, but they're delicious and a completely versatile way to eat healthy every day. These Eat Smart Gourmet Vegetable Salad Kits are so flexible that they can be turned into almost anything from appetizers, to side dishes, and yes... even breakfast!...

Healthified Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

September 15, 2016 Amanda Plott

I'm not entirely sure why, but I just haven't been able to focus well lately. Everything has turned out really tasty, but my photography skills have just not been up to par. That means that I have to work twice as hard and it all becomes some vicious circle. Needless to say, this is now the third attempt at a decent and cohesive recipe post this week.

To say that I've exhausted myself, would be an understatement.

Even with all of that being said, I finally had success. Huge success. And all with this amazing Healthified Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Banana Bread! Look, fall is my favorite time of year, and I'll be the first to admit that I am one of those. I'm an outright pumpkin fanatic. I live for pumpkin spice anything...

Zucchini Noodle & Mozzarella Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

September 8, 2016 Amanda Plott

After a couple of weeks of visiting family, busy schedules, and meat heavy meals, my brother and I decided to call it. Together we're going mostly vegetarian this week with just one chicken meal planned and one 'wild card' night in the mix. While I generally have kept most of my vegetarian recipes rather hearty, sometimes... less is more.

This light and simple zucchini noodle salad is completely bursting with bright flavors, and with such few ingredients and low effort too! It makes for a perfect little lunch or even a decently sized side dish for a dinner. I'm thinking along side some baked Italian chicken breast. Yum!...

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