Dairy-Free Grapefruit & Banana Breakfast Bowl

March 22, 2016 Amanda Plott

Today I wanted to keep things rather simple for breakfast. Simple, but tasty and dairy-free! Like I've said, I'm trying to be a little more plant based lately. I decided that a breakfast bowl was the way to go, so I grabbed one of my leftover grapefruits from the fridge and knew exactly what I wanted to do.

I used the juices of the grapefruit along with some local honey to make a sort of faux fruit cocktail to go atop one into my breakfast bowl. A 'not quite ripe' banana will work best here.

If it's an overly ripe fruit you might just end up with a bowl of mashed banana instead and nobody wants that!

Of course, I had to have a little bit of a crunch factor on top with some local low fat granola to top it all off and pull everything together. One of the best parts though, is what was under all the fruity goodness...

Blueberry, Banana & Coconut Parfait

August 4, 2015 Amanda Plott

Introducing #TopItTuesday – Tuesday is the perfect day of the week that could use a little bit more love. For my de{light}ful #TopItTuesday, I decided to make a parfait. Not just any parfait either, but one of my most favorite parfaits!

Blueberry, banana and toasted coconut chips - oh my! That's how I add a little flavor to my life. This parfait is a perfect little treat to enjoy fro breakfast, lunch, or even as dessert to stave off that insistent sweet tooth after dinner.

What's better is that this tasty treat is gluten-free and vegan! Plus, with under 350 calories in a rather nicely sized portion there's nothing to feel guilty about - other than not having made it before. The tartness of the blueberries, the sweetness of the banana and yogurt, and the bit of a crunch with the toppings makes this a perfect bite...

Skinny Summer Breakfast Parfait

June 16, 2015 Amanda Plott

I love a good parfait, especially for breakfast! Parfaits are the perfect summer time breakfast. Why? Because you don't have to heat up or cook anything, which is a pretty big deal here in the southern states when we start pushing 100 degrees. Every little thing will set off that expensive air conditioner bill. Yikes! Let's not do that...

This beautiful little breakfast is the perfect way to start off your day; keeping you full, satisfied, and so happy! I mean just look at all those fun bright colors. How could you not get a smile on your face with eating that rainbow?...

Skinny Turkey Kofta

March 25, 2015 Amanda Plott

I think the first time that I learned of a Kofta was about a year or two ago amidst one of the many reality cooking TV shows that I frequently watch; which is one of the sources that I get so much of my inspiration from. I thought it sounded pretty great! A seasoned meatloaf or meatball on a stick? Perfect!

Still don't know what a Kofta is? Well, it's basically a mixture of meat, bread crumbs or rice, and spices to form into meatballs or skewered patties. There are a lot of variations out there, but today I'm going with a healthier play on a turkey Kofta with a sort of Greek or Lebanese twist. I added in chopped onions, egg, and some traditional spices to the meat, and served it with a lemon tahini sauce on the side.

I would have served it with some tzatziki, but I am not a fan at all of cucumbers. Sorry all!...

Frozen Yogurt Cake Batter Bites

March 16, 2015 Amanda Plott

This post was brought to you by Collective Bias, Inc. and it's advertiser. I received compensation to write this post … but, all opinions expressed are my own. #CrispyComeback #CollectiveBias

Yes, that's right... M&M's® Crispy are Back! They're so good that the brand brought them back because we asked for it! Now you can finally taste what you've been missing - whether it's because you've never tried them, or remember them from years back.

I've had them before and trust me, they are every bit as delicious as they once were! How can you go wrong with delicious milk chocolate with a crispy rice center? Easy, you can't!

My daughter's 5th birthday is just around the corner and she is just in LOVE with cake batter or 'funfetti' inspired things. I really think this girl lives off rainbows of one kind or another. So, I decided to make use of M&M's® Crispy in a fun and colorful way. A couple of years ago, I came across the wonderfully sinful cake batter chocolate bark that I've definitely eaten my weight in since then. With M&M's® Crispy being just 180 calories per serving, I thought this would be a great opportunity to make a slightly less indulgent version of that lovely cake batter bark in the form of bites...

Vanilla Bean Yogurt Panna Cotta

March 9, 2015 Amanda Plott

This post was brought to you by Collective Bias, Inc. and it's advertiser. I received compensation to write this post … but, all opinions expressed are my own. #MullerMoment #CollectiveBias

It has been a really exhausting few weeks for me full of nothing but bad news, and of course with any stressful time in life it's always very important to make some time out for yourself, and to really focus on YOU. My stress relief often comes in the form of creating wonderful treats and eats in my kitchen. So, I decided to make a really easy and delicious vanilla bean yogurt panna cotta to indulge in this week without any judgement!

To make this panna cotta I used the new Müller® Ice Cream Inspired Yogurt, which happens to come in three great tasting flavors; Raspberry Chocolate Chip, Mint Chocolate Chip and Vanilla Bean. Not only is this ice cream inspired yogurt great for recipes, it's also an ideal on-the-go snack or breakfast option!

These yogurts fit perfectly into my 'better-for-you' lifestyle with 6% milk fat yogurt, 7 grams of protein, less sugar than other yogurts, and only 190-210 calories in a serving...