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…

Lightened-Up Peach Cobbler

July 9, 2018 Amanda Plott

Everyone likes a good cobbler. Okay... well, except for my little brother who doesn't like any sort of 'hot fruit', but he is a strange and unusual creature. Most of us though, we enjoy it. In fact, most of us in my family enjoy it so much that I think we may end up going against the grain and swap out cobbler in the future for birthdays. Rather than the usual cake that either doesn't get eaten, or isn't eaten until the next day.

When I got a handful of local Texas grown peaches this week, I just knew that I had to make a peach cobbler with them. This cobbler right here is pretty special. I might even go so far as to call it magical…

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…

Firecracker Cookies (With Popping Candies!)

July 4, 2018 Amanda Plott

Happy 4th of July everyone! Today I have something very special to share. Many many years ago, before The Skinny Fork was even a shadow of a thought, I had stumbled upon this recipe for July 4th Pop Rocks cookies and they were a HUGE hit with the family. They are bright, colorful, fun, and they pop in your mouth!

It's been a while since I've made those cookies, so I decided it was high time for me not only to make them, but to make a healthified version of them to share. These cookies are a lightly flavored sugar cookie base that's made with some popping candy in the dough. They are then topped off with a lightened up cream cheese frosting and then a bunch more popping candies and festive sprinkles too…