Skinny Crock Pot Guinness Beer Chili

February 24, 2015 Amanda Plott

This post was brought to you by Stubb's Bar-B-Q. I received compensation to write this post … but, all opinions expressed are my own.

Chili in my family is a pretty big deal. I mean... we're Texans, so everything is a big deal. We've tried chili with many different meats, and made it in many different ways. But, we always tend to go back to my mom's original Chili Con Carne for one reason or another.

With March fast approaching and one of my favorite holidays of the year creeping up along with it, I decided that I wanted to attempt to make a healthier low carb take on an Irish style chili. And by Irish, I really just mean to use beer in it instead of any other form of liquid.

Another big deal in my family is Bar-B-Q, and one of my most favorite brands for spices, sauces, and rubs is Stubb's Bar-B-Q. So, when I got my hands on some of Stubb's new Chili Fixins Cookin' Sauce, I knew I wanted to use it in my St. Patrick's Day inspired chili...

Skinny Guinness & Irish Cheddar Crustless Quiche

February 18, 2015 Amanda Plott

When I was growing up, quiche was basically a staple in our house. My dad would usually go through the fridge and use up any leftover meats, cheeses and vegetables to make a hearty quiche which was typically served with soup or a salad of some sort.

Quiche is definitely a good way to use up leftovers.

I've always loved quiche. It's sort of like having breakfast or brunch for dinner in my opinion and generally when you think of quiche, you don't think healthy or low calorie by any means.

The quiche of my childhood always had the usual pie crust at the bottom, so when I started off cooking I tended to follow suit. A few years ago though, I stumbled upon the idea of a crustless quiche. ...Why not? The crust to me always just seemed like wasted calories anyway...

Cranberry & Walnut Brussel Sprouts

December 9, 2014 Amanda Plott

Can you believe that I've never cooked brussel sprouts before?! Honestly, I'd never even eaten a brussel sprout until about a year ago when I was downtown at this fun little restaurant called The Lucky Robot. They have these crispy pan seared (or fried) brussel sprouts that are served with some sort of kicked up soy dipping sauce. A-ma-zing!

I've been looking for an excuse (as if I needed one) to make brussel sprouts ever since.

With another major foodie-holiday rolling up on us all quickly, I thought that a side of some brussel sprouts with cranberries, walnuts, and blue cheese would make a great tasty side dish for any holiday meal!...

Healthified Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

December 5, 2014 Amanda Plott

The first time I made these chocolate chip pudding cookies, I was in love. I'm not sure what it is about adding in a packet of vanilla pudding mix to the dough that completely transforms the texture and flavor of the cookie into perfection. But, it does. And it's brilliant.

These cookies turn out sweet, but not too sweet... with a crunchy edge and an ooey-gooey warm and soft center. Just the way that a chocolate chip cookie is supposed to be!

Seriously, my dad will fight you over his belief that a proper chocolate chip cookie is suppose to have a soft and chewy center. Never hard and/or crunchy...

Skinny Holiday Confetti Cake Mix Cookies

December 3, 2014 Amanda Plott

Now that Thanksgiving has passed, I'm getting into the holiday spirit with some festive, fun, and healthier takes on some of our favorite Christmas treats. Since we had a birthday this week, I thought it would be fitting to bake up some confetti cake mix cookies, but with holiday colors, of course!

And by birthday... I mean for my kitty-fur-baby-boy, Orion.

My four year old was pretty adamant on doing something for our kitty's first birthday. So, confetti cookies for all! Well, except for the cat, obviously. He got some new toys to play with while my daughter and I baked these cookies up...

Holiday Cheer White Sangria

November 28, 2014 Amanda Plott

This past weekend we had a little pre-holiday family get together with my dad's side of the family. After our recent loss of my grandfather to liver cancer a couple months ago, my mother and I thought it would be a great idea to get all of my cousins and our children together for a fun family sleep over to try and keep my families' spirits up this season.

While there, and amidst all the chaos of screaming kids, one of my aunts pulled me aside and gave me an unexpected gift; these wonderful wine-friendly drink coasters! What can I say? She knows me well! I was told that they better be seen being used in some of my photographs, so here you go Aunt Donna!...