Skinny Vegetarian Jalapeño Poppers (Sponsored)

July 6, 2015 Amanda Plott

This post was brought to you by Collective Bias, Inc. and it's advertiser. I received compensation to write this post … but, all opinions expressed are my own. #GrillWithATwist #CollectiveBias

My dad is the grill master of the family and has been for many years now. One thing that has become a staple item anytime my family gets together to grill (no matter the occasion) is jalapeño poppers!

My family has always done poppers a little differently. Originally, we tried to stuff the jalapeños with a cream cheese and cheddar mixture and then wrapped them with bacon, but... the bacon never cooked through evenly. So, one day we got smart, chopped cooked bacon up and mixed it in with the cream cheese mixture to stuff in the jalapeños that way. We've never breaded our poppers in anyway. My dad always felt that the breading was unneeded, and I must say that I agree. It's just wasted calories.

These jalapeño poppers are our standard way of making poppers, but with one grilling twist this time around, making them perfectly vegetarian! Because after all, meatless can still be delicious....

Healthified Jarlsberger

June 30, 2015 Amanda Plott

What's a Jarlsberger? It's basically an all American burger that's covered with a delicious melted slice of Jarlsberg® cheese! I've take this traditional burger and made it more my own by adding in some sneaky vegetables and some seasoning to the lean meat; making it all the more guilt free for your grill and you this summer.

Trust me, you won't even know the vegetables are there, and neither will anyone else for that matter! Adding veggies to my burger meat has been something that I've been doing for all of my cooking-life. It's one of my secret weapons for making a good moist burger, even when using poultry or a lean meat!

As an added bonus to a good juicy burger, you get the keen knowledge that you just got some wholesome vegetables into your friends and family...

Skinny Cherry Cheesecake Dip

June 8, 2015 Amanda Plott

So this weekend a pretty amazing thing happened, American Pharoah won the Triple Crown. He was the first horse to do so in 37 years and also the first to do so the entire time I've been alive! (And I'm turning 30 this year!) My family has been watching the derbies together for the past several years now, a tradition that I believe started sometime when I was fresh out of college. I've been dreaming of the day since then that I would get to see a horse take the triple crown. And man... was it worth it.

A few horses have come close, winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness... but, falling short of winning the final of the three at the long track of Belmont. For whatever reason, this year was different. There wasn't nervous tension in the air, but more of an excitement. Everyone just wanted American Pharoah to get it done. Let's see it already. Let's do it!...

Skinny Avocado Deviled Eggs

March 19, 2015 Amanda Plott

Ah, spring is in the air at long last. One thing that's always been a tradition in our house around Easter is deviled eggs. And man, oh man... I love me some deviled eggs. However, outside of my mother, I'm really the only one in the family that eats them. So, I guess you could say that deviled eggs aren't really a family tradition, but a mother-daughter tradition instead.

Another thing that both my mother and I love endlessly is avocado. I seriously feel as if avocado makes just about everything better. I wish that I could go back to my childhood and collect all the avocado and guacamole that I turned my nose up to then. Erf. What was I thinking?!...

Quick Lemon Blackberry Rosemary Spritzer

March 15, 2015 Amanda Plott

This post was brought to you by Collective Bias, Inc. and it's advertiser. I received compensation to write this post … but, all opinions expressed are my own. #KeepSpringBubbly #CollectiveBias

Spring is here! I'm not sure if it's because this past week was spent 'springing forward' or if it's a change in the weather lately, but I can see Spring quickly taking over! There's nothing that welcomes spring in more than a nice effervescent beverage that's full of the good stuff.

What good stuff? Fresh fruit, berries, and herbs straight from the garden! I'm really lucky to have fresh herbs and a lemon tree at my disposal. Two of my favorite spring fruits are lemons and blackberries. This is a classic flavor combination that always adds a little happy to my day, and trust me, I need some happy lately.

Blackberries have always been a favorite of mine. I remember when I was little and we lived on the coast of Oregon for a few years. Once the sun started to sprout through the coastal clouds, I knew it was the time of year when blackberries ran rampant. I could literally walk out into my backyard and pick a basket of perfectly ripe blackberries. Yum. ...Oh, how I miss those days!...

Crock Pot Irish Beef Stew & Cheddar Herb Dumplings

March 11, 2015 Amanda Plott

I'm an Irish girl, what can I say? If I can find an excuse to cook with bourbon and beer, I'll find it! The idea for this dish actually came from my love of St. Patrick's Day and also my love of these Healthified Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings, which I made a bit over a year ago and many many times since then.

I basically took the same structure of the Chicken & Dumpling recipe and made it into a hearty Irish inspired Beef & Dumpling recipe instead. This stew is packed full of bold flavor and lots and lots of chunky beef and vegetables. I promise, you won't feel like you're eating anything healthified, but you are. It's definitely a meal in a bowl.

Who knew that Beef & Dumplings would just as awesome as Chicken & Dumplings?

I wasn't sure this would work out, but in the end I'm extremely happy that I tempted the fates with this one...