Cranberry BBQ Chicken Bites (Instant Pot)

June 30, 2018 Amanda Plott

Product was provided to me on behalf of Cape Cod Cranberries to review, use, and write about. As always, all opinions are entirely my own.

Summers are for BBQs! The only thing is... it's really hot out right now in Texas. I mean... really hot. We're hovering just outside of the three digit thermometer reads, but let me just say that it doesn't feel like it. Since it's so hot out, I'm opting to stay inside where it's nice and cool. And while normally my oven is in shut-down mode for a couple more months, these BBQ chicken bites were worth it to cook inside today!

Being a native Texan, I can tell you that BBQ is big business here. It's serious business. So you know when I say that BBQ is good, that you can take my word for it. I'm not shy when it comes to playing around with the flavors of BBQ sauce, and this Cranberry BBQ sauce is no different. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's a new family favorite…

Magical Color Changing Unicorn Noodles

June 26, 2018 Amanda Plott

I feel as though I should explain here that my daughter and I are pretty much obsessed with mermaids, unicorns, rainbows and glitter. So when 'science' week started, I just knew that we were going to have to make ourselves some magical color changing noodles!

Unlike most 'colored' noodles out there, we're coloring these naturally by way of a purple cabbage. This gives those rice noodles a beautiful all natural light purple color.

I should also explain here that this is a simple recipe. It's not 'gourmet' by any means. I mean... let's face it, they're basically garlic buttered noodles, but the magic of the color changing and the fun with these noodles are what make them stand out!…

Low-Carb Copycat 'Chili's Queso'

June 21, 2018 Amanda Plott

Oooooh, yes I did.

I've said it before... and I'll say it a million more times. Cheese and/or queso are my biggest weak points. I will legit do almost anything for a good cheese or queso. And one of my all time favorite guilty-pleasure quesos? Yep. The one at Chili's.

Now, their queso isn't like a traditional tex-mex queso. It's more of a chili cheese dip actually. Which, obviously I'm totally down with since it's one of my faves. Again... it's cheese. So, yes. Please, get in my mouth hole. The one thing in which you may notice about their queso is that it's clearly made using their house chili, sans beans. After a bit of plugging around a few copycat recipes, I've finally put my more 'healthy' spin on a proper knock-off…

Sunny Summer Strawberry Lemonade

June 17, 2018 Amanda Plott

Summer time means lemonade. And lemonade for me means MUST BE FRESH. Fresh lemonade is some of the best lemonade, because obviously... it's made fresh and not all garbaged up with a bunch of junk that no one needs.

Now... it used to be when I was younger that my grandmother and my mom were in the habit of making a little something called 'sun tea'. Which is basically just like it sounds. A tea, that's made in the sun. The bad thing about it is that I can't drink tea anymore due to migraine issues. SNARF. So what's the next best thing to make in the sun? Lemonade!…

Low-Carb Farmer's Market Queso

June 13, 2018 Amanda Plott

Dear queso... Let me count the ways that I love thee...

Queso has been my Achilles' heel for years now. Melted cheesy goodness. I mean... who can pass it up? Well, not this girl! I'm always looking for ways to make my queso feel a little less guilty though. And maybe not just feel less guilty, but to actually be less guilty.

While this queso, and any proper queso, isn't exactly light. I can say that this queso is low-carb and absolutely loaded with veggies. Which, you know, makes anyone feel a bit better about what they're eating. Right? Right!…

Mermaid Treasure Bagel Crisps

June 9, 2018 Amanda Plott

Ocean week is coming to a close over here, and you know that I couldn't go out without a mermaid inspired treat. Since my daughter currently has an obsession with mini bagels, I thought it would be fun to make a sweet kid-friendly version of bagel crisps. Being as we're going for the mermaid look, I decided to swap a traditional cinnamon sugar topping with a more colorful option.

As you can see, the end result is pretty cute and surprisingly good too! I've never made my own bagel crisps before, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. But, they turned out perfectly crisp; just the right amount of crunch and chew together…