Skinny Chunky Monkey Cookies

January 13, 2020 Amanda Plott

If you’re a fan of ice cream then obviously you’ll understand the name of this cookie. I based these sweet little bites off of one of my most favorite ice cream flavors. Chunky Monkey! Just like the name states, these cookies banana based cookies are… well… chunky! How? They’re loaded up with dark chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.

The best part? These cookies are guilt-free enough that they could even work as a breakfast cookie. Seriously. Pair one with some fruit and you have a fun and tasty cookie for breakfast! Even better, they’re vegetarian and egg-free. ..

Chunky Monkey Amish Oatmeal

May 10, 2019 Amanda Plott

After banana nut on my mind, and a pantry full of leftover oatmeal, I pretty much knew immediately what I was going to be making this week for breakfast. Some sort of… banana nut oatmeal. But! Not just any banana nut oatmeal. I wanted it to be chunky monkey style. What’s chunky monkey? Well, one of my most favorite flavors of ice cream that’s made with bananas, chocolate chunks, and walnuts.

There you have it, chunky monkey oatmeal. Of course, one of my favorite ways to make oatmeal is for it to be baked and ‘Amish’ style. This breakfast oatmeal also happens to be gluten-free (so long as you mind your brand of oats.)…

Banana Nut Granola

April 19, 2019 Amanda Plott

Banana nut bread has to be one of my most favorite things in the world to eat for breakfast. I honestly don’t make it enough, and haven’t made it in a good long while. So, needless to say, I’ve been craving it lately. I thought this time around though, that I would put a little twist on it and turn it into a granola instead!

Cereal has been the name of the breakfast game in my house for a good solid week now. We’re busy eating up a few boxes that were used in that Camp Out Trail Mix last week. Waste not, want not. Right? As we got to the end of the boxes, I knew it was time to make this Banana Nut Granola…

Lightened Up Carrot Cake

March 27, 2019 Amanda Plott

I’ve made a good lot of carrot cakes in my time. Anywhere from traditional to gluten-free, and a few others along the way. There’s a few things I’ve learned in my carrot cake making journey. One is that you always ALWAYS need a good simple cream cheese frosting with it. And two is that it needs to be chunky.

I like my carrot cake loaded up with plenty of the good stuff. Carrots, raisins, pineapple, coconut, and yes… even nuts!

I based this ultimate carrot cake off of the one that I made for my daughter’s 2nd birthday. It’s an ingredient heavy cake, just like most carrots cakes are, but I promise you that the cake itself is rather easy to make. No overly complicated instructions…

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…

Homemade Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

January 19, 2018 Amanda Plott

I'm a carrot cake freak. I love me a good carrot cake. I have a favorite 'naughty' version of a carrot cake that I make for my dad's birthday since it's one of his favorites too. Being as I'm trying to cut down some of my carb intake lately when I can though, makes the cake (especially one of this general level) a no-go.

So I started looking. Researching. Googling my fancy little fingers off until I pieced together this beauty. The original base of the cake needed some upgrades to be anything near what my sinful bliss guilty indulgence one is. But, it was a starting point. I knew that I'd be adding in carbs with my adjustments, so I decided since it's not 'low carb' but 'lower carb' that I'd stick with it being gluten-free at the very least...