Crabby Beach Sandwich

July 8, 2019 Amanda Plott

Alright, well this isn’t -exactly a recipe, but more of a ‘how-to’ sort of thing. So, feel free to create your sandwich with whatever meats and cheeses your kids enjoy. Mine? She’s all about turkey, ham, and on occasion now, cheese too! Since we’re sort of in the midst of a ‘under the sea’ sort of themed week of summer, and we’re not seafood eaters, I thought I’d create a cute little sandwich.

Crab-free.

As it turns out, this sweet little guy would be great for any ocean, sea, or water themed party too. Thinking back, he probably would have fit right into my daughter’s ‘pirates and mermaid’ birthday a few years back now…

Baked Strawberry Amish Oatmeal

July 6, 2019 Amanda Plott

It’s summer and strawberries are back in season. Well, all the berries pretty much are. When I got my hot little hands on a local limited edition ‘strawberry’ almond milk, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. And that was to make some more Amish style oatmeal.

I’ve made Amish oatmeal before, and it’s always been one of my favorites. It’s great to have on hand and ready to bake first thing in the morning. I’d almost venture to say that Amish oatmeal would be the grandparent to the new fangled raw overnight oats. This time around though, I piled in the strawberries along with the strawberry almond milk and…

Sparkler Dogs

July 1, 2019 Amanda Plott

The 4th of July is already a pretty big holiday. But, it’s also right there in close to my mom’s birthday and is yet another one’s favorite holiday in the family. So, for us? It’s go big or go bigger. There isn’t much room in between for anything else. I’m not sure when or where, but I saw the idea for these ‘sparkler dogs’ a while back now and have been meaning to make my riff on them for at least a year or two.

Originally, they were pretty plain, plain, plain. So I decided to up the ante a little bit with throwing some 'Everything’ seasoning at them and using some of my other favorites to make them a little more health conscious…

Lightened-Up S'more Chocolate Chip Cookies

June 27, 2019 Amanda Plott

The other day we had some sort of freak cold front roll through here in June and let me just tell you that the 69 degree weather that day had me inspired to turn my oven on for one of the FEW times during the summer. I ended up making chili and these absolutely delicious Lightened-Up S'more Chocolate Chip Cookies.

What’s a s’more cookie? Well, it’s everything that you love about a s’more… put into a cookie! Not just any cookie though. The base chocolate chip cookie here is pretty damn good all on it’s own. But, add on the graham, chocolate chunks, and marshmallows and you’ve got one heavenly cookie…

Grilled Summer Vegetable Pizza (Sponsored)

June 21, 2019 Amanda Plott

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MarinadesWithMazola #MakeItWithHeart #CollectiveBias

It’s pretty much officially grilling season and I am all for it. Why? It means that I can pretty easily refuse to use my stove and oven and instead let the cooking happen outdoors. I say that now, but watch me change my tune in a couple of months when it’s 100+ degrees out! Either way. Summer is the best time for certain fruits and vegetables. A few of my favorites? Zucchini and summer squash!

While we’re using the grill, I thought now is the perfect time to make some quick, easy, and delicious grilled pizzas. Not just any pizzas, though. I wanted them to be summer-inspired and better-for-you. I’ve made a few easy-peasy swaps that will leave everyone satisfied. The first swap I made was to use Mazola® Corn Oil in a quick and easy marinade for the veggies. If you haven’t yet heard, a clinical study showed Mazola Corn Oil reduces cholesterol 2x more than extra virgin olive oil. To learn more about this claim, see Mazola.com…

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

June 17, 2019 Amanda Plott

In the past, I’ve not been a huge fan of drinking my meals. But… over the past year or two it’s become a go-to in a lot of cases. Life continues to get more crazy and busy, and it’s just easier and quicker to down a meal in a few glugs rather than sit and focus and eat. Although the latter is still my preferred method of eating, it’s just not always doable.

Enter this Strawberry Banana Smoothie.

If I’m going to drink my meal, I want it to be made with things I love and taste amazing. So? That’s where the strawberries and banana come in…