Garden Vegetable Soup

June 15, 2018 Amanda Plott

Last week it was 'ocean' week here in my house, and this week we're going with the theme of plants! In doing so, I decided to throw a LOT more veggies and vegetarian dishes into the mix this week. We always have a couple of vegetarian dishes every week, for health reasons, cutting the cost of food, and also because it just makes me feel better all around.

I could easily be a vegetarian. In fact, my daughter was basically a vegetarian of her own accord up until she was about 5 years old. Meat just wasn't something she was a fan of. And I can't say that I was far off from that myself with I was a little girl too.

Ready for a true side story about myself? My parents used to have to tell me that meat came from a meat tree when I was little to get me to eat it!…

Seashell Pasta Salad

June 5, 2018 Amanda Plott

We're a few days into our week long theme of the ocean over here and we're really having a fun time of it! Since we're not big on seafood in this house, coming up with clever non-fishy ocean themed recipes has proved to be... well... a little challenging. It's also been so very worth it too though!

The inspiration behind this pasta salad actually came from one of my daughter's cook books. I had to do a lot of tweaking to the original though to suit our tastes. So much so, that by the time I was done with it... it's basically a whole new recipe…

Shakshuka (Eggs in Purgatory)

April 25, 2018 Amanda Plott

I've heard a lot over the past year or two about 'Eggs in Purgatory' or 'Shakshuka'. In fact, I've had several variations of Shashuka recipe ideas saved for a good long while now. I think I finally decided it was time to take a swing at it when I saw it featured once again on one of my favorite foodie shows - Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain.

There was something magical about watching Nigella Lawson making Eggs in Purgatory for Anthony Bourdain, and not just because I'm in love with both of them. But, more so because it just looked !@#$ing amazing. What can I say? I'm a Texas girl who loves spice and eggs…

Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Egg White Bites

April 9, 2018 Amanda Plott

After a long long long and super fun birthday weekend for my daughter, I'm honest in saying that we all are still pretty exhausted today. Before we took off though, I had my fridge well prepared for our return; full well knowing the chaos and tired state of mind that we would be returning to. And with 'sous vide' egg bites still being on trend and easy to make, I thought what better breakfast to have ready!

The last 'sous vide' egg bites that I made were standard and very traditional in a bacon and cheddar flavor, so today I decided to kick it up a notch. These were made with only the egg whites, cheese (of course), sun-dried tomatoes and fresh baby spinach. What goes better with any of those things other than a good helping of feta cheese?...

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

March 5, 2018 Amanda Plott

With the schedule around my house changing up a bit recently, I've had to make some adjustments to when and how I cook. So, I've been cooking a lot less and mostly just for myself since my little one is still a rather picky eater and lately dinner time is our mommy-daughter time.

That being said, dinner time for me has included quicker, easier dishes that are either meal prepped or a one and done toss together sort of salad. Most recently I've had a stockpile of leftover feta in my fridge that needed to be used up, which for me always means it's time for a Greek/Mediterranean style salad!...

Zucchini Noodle Spaghetti

February 17, 2018 Amanda Plott

This post was sponsored by Green Giant as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Many years ago I started making my own spaghetti sauce. Don't get me wrong, jarred spaghetti sauce has it's place and time in my life too. But, when given the option, I will always prefer making my own. I've made several types and kind. Some in the crockpot, others with meatballs, this one though is easy, simple and full of tomato flavor.

This Zucchini Noodle Spaghetti is a perfect weeknight dinner to make when you're looking for something quick and easy that is also guilt-free and a more wholesome option. The sauce here is loaded up with big hearty chunks of tomato, onion, garlic, and fresh basil (the secret weapon.)...