Sweet Vanilla Cashew Cream

This is healthy, yummy, dairy free and sugar free!  Almost doesn't seem real?! But it totally is! This is so yummy on fresh berries, in Choffy (if you don't know what this is, click here!) or any drink you want to be creamy and sweet! Or just eat it by the spoonful (I obviously DON'T do this). You should totally try this!

Sweet Vanilla Cashew Cream

makes about two cups

1 cup raw, unsalted cashews

1/2 cup almond milk

2-4 T pure Maple Syrup (depending on sweet you want it)

1 t vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Let them soak for at least two hours.

Drain the water and place the cashews in a blender. Add the almond milk, syrup, vanilla and salt and blend on high for 30 to a minute or until smooth.  Refrigerate to thicken. Will keep in the fridge for unto 5 days or freeze.

Texas Caviar

I am such a huge fan of Mexican food!  It is my go to for dinner, snacks and just about anytime!  I came across this recipe and couldn't get enough! I found the recipe here. And no, it doesn't have fish eggs in it!

Texas Caviar

1 (15 oz) can black eyed peas for black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz) can corn

1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced

1/2 cup diced red onion

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced

1 jalapeño (2 if you want it spicer)stemmed, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 1/2 T fresh squeezed lime juice

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1/2 t salt

1/4 t paprika

1/8 t pepper or cayenne if you like the heat

Whisk together oil, lime juice, paprika, salt and pepper.

Toss all the other ingredients together in a bowl.  

Pour the dressing on top and toss until mixed together.

Serve with tortilla chips!

Brioche French Toast

You can make French Toast with any kind of bread, but you really haven't lived until you make it Brioche!  Trader Joe's has heavenly thick sliced Brioche that is so perfect it makes me want to cry! But if you don't have a Trader Joe's close, any thick sliced bread will do!

Brioche French Toast
(about 10 thick slices)

5 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 t cinnamon
2 t vanilla
thick sliced Brioche (or any kind of bread)

Heat griddle over medium heat.  In a shallow bowl, whisk together the first four ingredients. Dip bread slices in egg mixture letting each slice absurd the mixture on both sides. Place on hot, buttered griddle.  Cook for about 1 minutes per side or until they are golden brown and spring back to the touch.  Repeat until all the slices are cooked. Serve hot with your favorite toppings.

Perfect Biscuits

I haven't posted in Forever! But I just HAD to post these most amazing biscuits!  They are so quick and EASY! No buttermilk? No Problem! Don't have time to make perfect layers? No problem! I wanted to cry when these came out of the oven looking and tasting so perfect! And on the first try! So go on already and make some biscuits! I found the recipe here! (I could kiss this girl, I am so happy!)

Perfect Biscuits
makes about 12

3 cups flour
3 T sugar
1/2 t salt
4 t baking powder
1/2 t cream of tartar
3/4 cup COLD butter
1 egg
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450.  Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Cut the butter into small pieces and place them in the freezer just while you mix the dry ingredients. Mix together the dry ingredients. Cut the butter in using a pastry cutter.  Mix together the milk and egg and add it to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined (mine still had some four at the bottom and wasn't completely together). Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead about 10 times adding flour if it gets too sticky until you have a nice ball. Roll or pat the dough on a floured surface until it is about 1 inch thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter or a cup.  Place on a cookie sheet so the edges are almost touching. Bake for 10-15 minutes until they are older brown.  Brush the tops with a little melted butter. Prepare to be amazed!!

Blender Pancakes (of the guilt-free variety)

I love a sweet breakfast! But when you are trying to eat better, there aren't that many sweet options.  When I came across this recipe, I was totally skeptical!  But thought I might as well give it a try!  So glad I did!  My kids even liked them! I am excited to have a healthy, sweet, breakfast without the guilt or added inches to my hips! I got the recipe here.

Blender Pancakes (of the guilt-free variety)

(makes about 10 pancakes)

6 egg whites

1 cup rolled oats, dry

1 cup cottage cheese

2 t sugar

1 t vanilla

1 t cinnamon

Place all ingredients into a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Cook on a heated griddle or pan sprayed with cooking spray or greased with a little butter and serve as desired.

Glazed Donut Hole Mini Muffins

Love these mini muffin donut holes!  They are so delish! Here is where I found the recipe.  Talk about easy and fast! I did change the recipe a little, here is what I did…

Glazed Donut Hole Mini Muffins
(makes 24 mini muffins)

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 t baking powder
1 cup flour

Maple Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 T real maple syrup (I didn't have any so I used 2 t maple flavoring)
1-2 T milk

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 24 mini muffin cups. Mix together the melted butter and sugar. Stir in the milk, then add the baking powder and flour and stir until just combined.  Fill the prepared muffin cups equally.  Bake for 15-20 or until the tops a lightly golden.  Cool and drizzle with maple glaze.

Glaze:
Whisk together the 3 ingredients for the glaze until smooth and desired consistency is reached.

Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Meatballs

In the never ending quest to make something new for dinner, I occasionally come across a recipe that everyone in my family likes.  Ok, lets be honest, it rarely happens that EVERYONE in my family likes what I make for dinner but when it does happen it definitely becomes blog worthy!  So here you go, a recipe EVERYONE in my family likes!  Hooray for me! Here is where I found the recipe, I changed it a bit.

Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Meatballs
(makes about 20 meatballs)

1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 T butter, melted
1 egg
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T dried oregano
2 t dried basil
salt and pepper
20 small mozzarella cubes (I cut string cheese into 4 or 5 chunks)

Preheat oven to 400.  In a small bowl, combine panko, butter and 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese.  Mix until evenly coated with the butter and set aside.

In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg.  Add the chicken, red bell pepper, onion, garlic, oregano, basil, the other half of the parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper.  Mix well with your hands.  Lightly coat a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.  Place a couple of Tablespoons of chicken mixture into each well.  Place a chunk of mozzarella into the center of each and press down slightly and then cover with the chicken mixture.  Sprinkle the top of each chicken mound with the panko/parmesan mixture lightly pressing it into the meat.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until the panko is lightly browned and the chicken is cooked through.  Let it rest for 5 minutes after taking out of the oven.  Serve with noodles and your favorite marinara sauce.

*These would be great served with just marinara as an appetizer

Oreo Rice Krispie Treats

We like to have "snuggle nights" with our boys.  They get to stay up late and watch something fun or play games as a family.  It is a HUGE deal in our house and they will do almost anything to not miss out on these special nights!  Of course there are treats involved! It is usually some sort of milk shake, but when there is no ice cream in the freezer, you have to think quick!  I knew I had the stuff for Rice Krispie Treats but was in the mood for something a little more.  So, I added Oreos! Such a fun twist to an already quick and easy treat! They were a big hit with the "snuggle night" boys!

Oreo Rice Krispie Treats

4 T butter
5 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
5 cups Rice Krispie cereal
20 oreos, crushed
1 t vanilla

Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside. In a large bowl, combine Rice Krispies and crushed Oreos (I just smashed them in a large baggie). Set aside. Melt the butter and marshmallows in a large pan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the marshmallows are melted and the mixture is smooth, add vanilla and stir to combine.  Add the Rice Krispies and crushed Oreos to the melted marshmallow mixture.  Stir until evenly combined.  Press into prepared pan and let them cool and set.

Orange Dream Machine (Our Version)

Our boys wake up almost every Saturday and ask to go to Jamba Juice. Their preferred flavor choice?  Orange Dream Machine. Everytime!! SO I finally decided I could probably make it cheaper and maybe even healthier.  Here is what I came up with and it has passed the taste test by every boy, including my husband!

Orange Dream Machine (Our Version)
(about 6 cups)

2 cups Orange Juice
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (I used Honey flavored, if using plain you will need to add more sweetener)
1 scoop (2 oz) vanilla protein powder
1/2 t vanilla extract
2 T agave, or more to desired sweetness
3 cups of ice, or until desired consistency
2 Calamondin oranges (optional, I happen to have a tree.  They are really small about the size of a large grape) You could add 1/2 of a mandarin or a couple slices of a regular orange.

Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Adjust ice for consistency and agave for sweetness.

Breakfast Scramble for One

Some mornings {ok, most!} I struggle to just get my kids to school. Forget the fact that I have to feed them, pack lunches, make sure their crazy bedhead won't embarrass me as a mother, etc… BUT, then, after I drop them off, its just me and my little {big} guy at home.  So, once I have started my washing machine and sometimes my dishwasher, I finally get to think about me.  This can be VERY short lived! But eating a good breakfast seems to make my day less daunting.  This breakfast scramble has been my go to, the last couple of days.  Inspired by these beautiful, fresh eggs my sweet neighbor brought me!  Don't they look all Easter-y?!  They just called to me to make a light healthy breakfast out of them.  So I went to work, and sat down {ALONE} at my table, grabbed my Kindle, and just savored my minute alone! Hope you enjoy this with a little quiet time of your own! HAPPY SPRING!

Breakfast Scramble for One

2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 T diced onion
diced ham or bacon
2 T diced tomato
a small handful of fresh spinach
shredded cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a pan over medium heat.  Add onion and ham.  Cook until onion is soft and ham just starts to brown on the edges.  Add eggs and stir until eggs are cooked.  Add tomato and spinach and continue stirring until the spinach is wilted.  Salt and pepper to taste. Top with shredded cheese.

Caprese Grilled Cheese

I have always loved caprese salad.  The fresh flavors are just amazing.  And grilled cheese is one of my favorite things to have for lunch, so I decided to combine the two.  I used provolone cheese instead of the typical fresh mozzarella but this sandwich is so delish, I have had it a few times this week and thought I would share the love! 

Caprese Grilled Cheese

2 slices sourdough bread

2 slices provolone cheese

4 leaves fresh basil, sliced thin

4 slices fresh Roma tomatoes

Balsamic vinegar and olive oil - for dipping

Assemble sandwich with cheese, tomato, and basil.  Butter the outside of the bread and grill on a hot griddle until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden.  ( Placing a lid over the sandwich as it cooks helps the cheese to melt without burning the bread). Mix balsamic vinegar and oil together to dip the grilled cheese in!

P.S. I found a living basil plant in my grocery store and all you need is a jar or cup and some water to keep it going!  I have had this plant for about a month and it is growing strong!  I LOVE having fresh basil at my finger tips during these winter months! And it makes my kitchen so bring and spring-y!

Cinnamon Quick Bread

This bread is Yum!  And made my house smell incredible!  It is similar to Friendship Bread.  Not quite the same but hey, you don't have to wait 10 days for this! Gotta love instant gratification!  I found the recipe here.

Cinnamon Quick Bread

Batter:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
4 cups flour
2 t baking soda

Cinnamon/sugar mixture:
2/3 cup sugar
2 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease 2 loaf pans and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, 2 cups sugar, and eggs.  Add the buttermilk, flour, and baking soda and mix until combined.  Pour 1/4 of the batter into each loaf pan.  Now sprinkle about 1/4 of the cinnamon/sugar mixture on each loaf.  Divide the rest of the batter evenly into the two loaf pans and then do the same with the cinnamon/sugar mixture.  Swirl each loaf with a knife.  Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool for a few minutes in the pan before removing to a cooling rack.

Puffy Pancakes with Berries

These have been a favorite of my husband's since high school.  So, when I came across this version with berries in it, I was excited!  They have become the new favorite in our house and are requested daily!  They are quick and easy and you can make them with or without berries! We like ours with powdered sugar and syrup.

Puffy Pancakes with Berries

(4 servings)

3 T butter

3/4 cup flour

1/4 t salt

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1 t vanilla

1 cup berries (fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries or blackberries or a combination)

Preheat oven to 450.  Once it is hot, place better in a cast iron pan (or just an oven safe glass pan) and place it in the oven to heat up and melt the butter.  

Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk together.  In a separate bowl combine the eggs, milk and vanilla and whisk until smooth.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until smooth.

Remove the hot pan from the over (the butter should be bubbly, but not burned).  Pour the batter into the hot pan and then add the berries.  Return the pan to the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes until nicely browned and puffy around the edges. 

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Cut into pieces and serve with syrup.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

So Yummy!  I didn't have any buttermilk to make my usual banana muffins so I went on a search for a recipe that didn't use buttermilk.  I found this recipe on the King Arthur Flour website.  They have never led me astray and this recipe just boosted my confidence in them!  You can really put whatever chips or nuts you want in them or leave them all out but I have to say the combo of semi-sweet chocolate and cinnamon chips was divine!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
(12 muffins)

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup mashed, ripe bananas (I used 2 medium)
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1/4 t coconut flavor (optional, but so good)
1/3 c milk
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 cups flour (you can use half white and half whole wheat)
3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)
3/4 cup cinnamon chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a muffin pan.

In a medium bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy.  Beat in the banana, egg, vanilla, coconut flavor, and milk. Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour and stir until smooth.  Add the chips (if using) and then divide evenly into the prepared muffin pan.  Bake the muffins at 350 for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

I really like biscuits.  The buttermilk kind. The light and fluffy melt in your mouth kind.  But sometimes I just feel like biscuits can be a bit of work. So as my soup was simmering this afternoon and making my house smell delicious, I went in search of an easy buttermilk drop biscuit and boy, oh boy did I find one! They are easy, super light and fluffy and so stinkin' good!  I found them on this website.

Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

(8 big ones)

2 cups flour
1 T baking powder
2 t sugar
1/2 t cream of tarter
1/4 t salt
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 cup butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1 1/4 c buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450.  Lightly butter one large or two small cast iron pans or cookie sheet. Whisk together the dry ingredients, breaking up any clumps.  Add the chilled butter and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add the buttermilk and stir with a fork just until everything is blended and a soft, sticky, blobbish dough forms.

Drop blobs of dough into the prepared pan leaving one to two inches apart. Bake at 450 for about 20 minutes or until the the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through.  I brushed the tops with melted butter as soon as they came out of the oven.

Chicken Florentine Pasta

It is about time, right?!!! I have been SOOO off the grid lately.  Call it moving across the country, call it summer vacation, call it laziness, call it whatever you want but I think it is high time I get a new post on here. If for no other reason than to NOT have to look at the cinnamon sticks any more!

I have been so NOT in the mood to cook lately, so I am forcing myself to come back slow and easy.  And that is exactly what this recipe is, well the easy part anyway!  I found it over at Picky Palate. My whole family loved it and the leftovers were great too!  I may have changed the recipe slightly...

Chicken Florentine Pasta
(8 servings)

2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove of garlic minced
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breasts
1/4 t freshly ground pepper
salt to taste
2 cups Philadelphia Cooking Creme (found in the cream cheese section at the grocery store)  I used reduced fat Italian flavored, yum!
1 pound pasta, I used bowtie pasta, cooked al dente
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 in pan with cooking spray.   Place the oil in a large pot and when it has heated up add onion and cook until soft.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in the spinach leaves and stir until wilted.  Add the cooked and shredded chicken and pepper and cook until heated through.  Add the cooking creme and mix well. Lastly, add the cooked pasta until combined. Salt to taste,  I didn't add any.  Transfer this mixture to the baking dish and top with shredded cheese.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted.  Serve with salad and breadsticks.

Cinnamon Twists with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I woke up this morning wanting a cinnamon roll so bad!  But they take way longer to make than I was willing to wait.  So as I sat dreaming, I remembered a pizza place in Provo, UT that used to make cinnamon twists called Tricky Sticks.  They came like bread sticks with frosting to dip them in.  And then I remembered a couple of weeks ago I made these bread sticks.  Well, the wheels started turning and I morphed the two ideas and came up with these! Quick and easy and oh so good!

Cinnamon Twists
(15-20 sticks)

1 1/2 cups warm water
3 T sugar
1 T yeast

Mix this together and let it stand for 5 minutes. Then add:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 t salt

For the middle:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 t cinnamon

Mix the dough until smooth and let it rise for 10 minutes.  Roll the dough, on a floured surface, into a big square.  Brush the softened butter over the lower half of the dough and sprinkle it with the sugar and cinnamon.  Fold the top half down and cut the dough into 15-20 sticks.  Twist each stick and place it on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Let the twists rise for 15-20 minutes while the oven preheats to 400.  Bake the twists for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

2 T butter, softened
2 T cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 t cinnamon
1/2 t vanilla
3 T milk

Beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth.  Add the rest of the ingredients and beat until smooth.  Drizzle over warm twists and save the rest for dipping!

Honey-Lime Chicken Skewers

I found this recipe at Kitchen Meets Girl.  I LOVE that these are grilled but still a little Mexican.  I made THIS rice to go with it but added black beans and corn.  So yummy, my whole family loved it!

Honey-Lime Chicken Skewers


3 T soy sauce
2 T honey
1 T vegetable oil
juice of one lime
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t Siracha (hot sauce)
2 T cilantro, chopped
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 3-4 breasts)

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients, except chicken, and mix thoroughly. Cut the chicken into cubes and add it to the marinade, mix to coat.  Let this marinate for at least 1 hour.  Skewer the chicken and grill on medium high heat for 6-8 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through.  Serve with Mexican rice.

*If you are using wooden skewers, do not forget to soak them in water for 30 minutes before using.

Kale Chips

I have seen these all over the internet lately and since we LOVE kale in our house (we even grow it in our garden), I just had to give them a try.  They have been given the stamp of approval, even by my 4 year old! They are quick and easy and super tasty!

Kale Chips


1 bunch of kale, washed and dried
1-2 T olive oil
kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350. Once the kale has been washed and dried, remove the big stems and tear the kale into large pieces (the size you want your chips to be).  Toss the kale with the olive oil until it is coated.  Place the kale in a single layer on a cookie a sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt, be careful not over salt it, a little goes a long way!  Bake the kale at 350 for 15-20 minutes until the kale is crunchy.  Serve warm or cold, be careful the kale is super delicate.

Pizza Factory Breadsticks

When my husband and I lived in Provo, UT we LOVED going to the Pizza Factory, we went for the breadsticks mainly, but their food was good too!  They make their breadsticks all twisted on tall dowels and serve them in a big vase.  So fun!  So, when I spotted this recipe over at Six Sisters Stuff, I just couldn't resist!  I have made them a couple of times now and my husband has declared them his new favorite!  They are super yummy and also super fast, bonus! Here is my take on them...

Pizza Factory Breadsticks

(15-20, depending on how fat you make them)

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 T sugar

1 T yeast

Let that sit for 5 minutes. Then add:

3 1/2 cups flour

1 t salt

To brush on top:

1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup), melted

garlic salt

Mix until smooth and then let rise for 10 minutes.  Roll the dough into a large square on a floured surface. Mix together the melted butter and garlic salt and brush half of it onto the dough.  Fold the dough in half and cut into 15-20 strips (about 1 inch each).  Twist each strip and place on an UNGREASED cookie sheet.  Let the twists sit for 15 -20 minutes to rise (I just let them rise while the oven is preheating).  Bake the breadsticks at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  As soon as they come out, brush the tops with the remaining garlic butter.