Italian Turkey Meatballs & Sauce (Crock Pot or Instant Pot)

July 25, 2018 Amanda Plott

An old recipe, but a good one that I just recently updated with some new photos and also a quicker way to cook these meatballs in an Instant Pot too!

This has been a favorite of mine for a long time now. Ridiculously easy? Yep.

This recipe that's a healthy take on an old classic. Flavorful turkey meatballs simmering in thick hearty tomato sauce all day long to cook. Who needs the pre-made bottles off the shelf? Not this girl.

Everything's bigger in Texas, right? I kept the size of these meatballs rather large since I have some fun plans for the leftovers. And the sauce? Oh, yes. The. Sauce. This is amazing stuff right here…

Summer Squash & Ricotta Pasta

July 6, 2018 Amanda Plott

Oyi, oyi, oyi! We are in the THICK of summer right now. It is H. O. T. - HOT! But, one thing I'm not mad about is the plethora of summer veggies and fruits that comes along with the heat. The summer squash and tomatoes are in season here right now and I am eating it up. Pun totally intended.

Summer squash is one of my favorite veggies, that's because they are so versatile. And while there's a lot of things that you can do with them, I've been craving pasta - so that's where they went today. Not just any pasta though. Whole wheat pasta that's kept light and yet creamy still with some ricotta cheese…

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…

Portobello Pizzas

April 4, 2018 Amanda Plott

We are a houseful of pizza fiends, y'all. I'm pretty sure that we collectively eat pizza in some form or another at least once a week. My almost 8 year old nearly demands it. Pizza has always and will always be a part of our regular rotation here. So, sometimes I have to get pretty creative when it comes to my pizza.

What can I say? I just don't need all those carbs at this point in my life. My body is craving veggies. All the veggies too. This time around, I decided to try my hand at a portobello crusted pizza. And I must say... I was not at all disappointed!...

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.)...

Butternut Squash Alfredo

January 30, 2018 Amanda Plott

I love pasta every bit as the next girl. But, there's always something about it that leaves me feeling a wee bit guilty. Maybe it's something to do with the fact that most pasta dishes are loaded with carbs and not usually the most veggie-forward meal option.

Now, I've made a skinny alfredo before that was loaded up with hidden veggies but I got my hands on a local butternut squash that needed some attention. That's when I decided to go ahead and make another version of 'alfredo' using my winter squash. And let's be honest. Today I'm using the term 'aflredo' pretty lightly...