Skinny Strawberry Banana Poke Cake

August 29, 2018 Amanda Plott

It's been a really long time since I made any sort of a cake, especially a poke cake. And with the end of summer on our heels, I thought I might throw a few more good strawberry recipes into the mix before they are too far out of season. This Skinny Strawberry Banana Poke Cake starts off with a lightened up strawberry cake that's made with a simple boxed mix that we're upgrading just a bit.

So, what's a poke cake? It's basically exactly what it sounds like. A baked cake that you poke holes in. This time around though, we're filling those holes with some banana pudding and then topping everything off with some coolwhip. This style of cake makes for one delicious treat that's perfectly decadent…

Quarter Pounder Burger Salad (Sponsored)

August 27, 2018 Amanda Plott

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

I tell you, summer is not going to go down without a fight this year. It's been well over 100 degrees here in Austin, Texas and so far we're still hovering in the upper 90's and often with a heat index of 106+ - yikes! It's hot, but nothing is quite as hot as this Quarter Pounder Burger Salad.

Let's face it, we all know what a 'quarter pounder' is. We don't even need to add the 'burger' part to that phrase and we'll all understand what's being spoken about. A quarter pound patty that's got lettuce, tomato, pickles, maybe some onion, and of course special sauce!

While it's unimaginably hot outside and football season is officially kicked off, I decided the best thing to do was to cool off with a nice hearty salad ahead of any big game tailgating (or homegating.)…

Cornbread & Chicken Nugget Cupcakes with Mashed Potato Frosting

July 29, 2018 Amanda Plott

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tyson Foods, Inc. All opinions are entirely my own.

Back-to-school is on the horizon, and being the mom of an ever growing little, I've found that there's a few tricks to getting kids to eat their dinner sometimes! One of the best ways is to make it fun. Yes, food can be fun and these Cornbread & Chicken Nugget Cupcakes are just that! Fun. It's a savory twist on a cupcake; letting the kids eat with their eyes first.

The base of the cupcake is made with a quick and easy cornbread muffin that's made by mixing together a self-rising cornmeal, cheese, and a creamed corn. This easy cornbread trick is one that I've been using for a couple of years now. And so far, it hasn't let me down yet! From there, the 'cupcakes' are topped with a potato and cauliflower mash 'frosting' which is also made with just a few ingredients…

Probiotic Chicken Salad

July 16, 2018 Amanda Plott

“This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Mariani Packing Company, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #MarianiSuperPrunes http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”

I'm not sure about the rest, but I know that here in Texas, chicken salad is basically a staple. No, no, no. I'm not talking about a salad with chicken on it. I'm talking about shredded chicken that's blended together with mayo, herbs, veggies, and maybe even some dried fruit to create a salad of chicken.

I've made a handful of lightened-up and healthier chicken salads in the past. But, today I wanted to do something just a little bit different. Usually in a chicken salad, you'll find dried cranberries, raisins, or maybe even cherries. So, when I heard of Mariani Probiotic Pitted Prunes, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them…

Cranberry Apple Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

July 13, 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.

It's hot. It's hot. It's really really hot here in Texas right now and all I want to do is avoid using my stove or oven! So, today for lunch, I decided to go with a super quick and easy cold and crunchy salad. And when I say easy, I mean almost ridiculously easy. It's so easy that it only takes a whopping 5-10 minutes from start to finish with preparing it.

The best part? There is absolutely NO cooking or heating required! How do you do that? Well, cranberries! Cranberries are a favorite of mine and I love finding clever ways to use them up all year round. They are so versatile that they can be used in just about any meal or in any type of drink. Trust me, I've got a lot of tricks up my sleeve when it comes to these tart bright red little gems. Never mind all their health benefits…

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…