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…

Fairy Garden Salad

June 14, 2019 Amanda Plott

We’re coming to the close of our ‘fantasy’ themed week of summer in my house. And since the initial recipe that I made was geared more towards the kiddos, I figured for this go-round I’d create something for the ADULTS. This fairy garden salad is loaded up with greens, sprouts, berries, and of course… edible flowers!

The way I see it? If I were a fairy, I would totally be eating flowers. That just seems like the fairy thing to do. Right? Right. That pretty light pink dressing there is definitely one of my new favorites. It’s got just enough tang and zip to make this salad really stand out. And of course… you can’t go wrong with PINK dressing…

Three Bean Salad

May 30, 2019 Amanda Plott

This dish is a great substitute for any of it's less healthy BBQ friendly counterparts such as pasta, chips, or dip. It’s an older recipe, one of the first I ever made. So, it needed a little bit of an update and some of the dust to be blown off of it.

Why not impress your tastebuds and save the calories for a beer or glass of wine at your next cookout instead? Now that's what I call BBQ friendly! This salad here is served COLD and loaded up with cannelloni beans, garbanzo beans, and baby lima beans. Tossed with a simple dressing and a few other veggies for added crunch!…