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Healthier No-Bake Cookies
A few months ago, I went to my monthly book club get together and a friend had brought some no-bake cookies. As a general rule, I am not a huge fan of no-bake cookies. If I am going to consume a cookie with chocolate and oatmeal, I want a traditional oatmeal cookie with chocolate chips. BUT…these cookies my friend made changed my mind. Then when she informed me that they were a healthier version I was blown away. Of course, I asked for the recipe…and then I promptly changed it. This recipe is not only healthier, but it is high in protein and good fats. It is keto friendly, heart…
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Instapot Philly Cheesesteak
Have I mentioned how much I love Instapot recipes? All of the ease of the crockpot, but in a fraction of the time. I’ve made Philly Cheesesteaks in the crockpot before, but I knew I wanted to shorten the time significantly and try it in my Instapot. Additionally, I like to braise the beef, peppers, and onions for a few minutes before I placed them in the crockpot. With the Instapot having a sautéing feature, I also cut down on dishes. If you love Cheesesteak sandwiches, then you have to try this recipe. You could totally swap out the beef for thinly sliced chicken breast, or use red, yellow, or…
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Meatless Monday: Mushroom Stroganoff
I’ve really been on a roll with making meatless meals. I decided to take a stab at mushroom stroganoff and see what the boys thought. Even Matthew decided it was just as tasty as beef stroganoff. Stroganoff is typically made with large pasta, like egg noodles. I prefer pappardelle pasta. They are still egg noodles, but on steriods. It makes for more fun eating the meal. An added benefit with this meal is that it is cheap to create. Cutting out the beef causes the price per serving to be below $1.25. Using the beef consommé instead of beef stock also gives it the beefy flavor without the meat. Plus…
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Copy Cat: Pei Wei Chicken Wraps
I don’t eat at Pei Wei’s often, but when I do, I always have to have their chicken wraps. They are SO tasty, but since I don’t get to go to Pei Wei’s as much as I’d like, I decided I needed to figure out how to recreate them at home. I’ve also been on a kick lately of tricking my family into trying new things. I had some left over cremini mushrooms in the fridge and decided to add them into this recipe instead of only having ground chicken. If you are most decidedly not a fan of mushrooms, just exchange the mushrooms for another pound of ground chicken.…
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Meatless Meal: Veggie Lo Mein
I’ve been on a no meat meal kick as of late. While I know this is a rather unpopular statement, some might even say controversial…I LOVE MUSHROOMS. And…of course, I married a man who loathes them, or at least the texture of them. Mushrooms are very much a hated vegetable. Typically it is a texture thing because most mushrooms take on the flavor of whatever you add them to. So I have made it my mission to sneak mushrooms in as many meals as I can and see which of my boys’ notices. When I am adding mushrooms to something, I prefer cremini or the white button mushrooms as opposed…
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Loaded Mexican Cornbread
Cornbread wasn’t something I knew about until my teens. In the Midwest, or at least Nebraska, cornbread wasn’t typically consumed with chili. I know…Cornhuskers…cornbread…it should be a given. But I grew up consuming cinnamon rolls with chili. Now I know what you are thinking, cinnamon rolls with chili…GROSS! Don’t knock it til you try it, it is actually really tasty. That being said, I didn’t know the goodness of cornbread until my teenage years. Since then, I have tried cornbread in many different ways, and a whole host of variety of types and brands. Personally, I think cornbread should be on the sweeter side and have more of a cake-like…
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15-Minute Meal: Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo
Sometimes meals are planned and food is prepped…other times winging it is the key. I always have certain ingredients in my kitchen, at least one jar of roasted red peppers is definitely one of those ingredients. One of my favorite ways to use roasted red peppers is pureed in sauces. This particular recipe is a not only a family favorite, it takes 15 minutes to make…start to finish. The sauce is another one of my quick sauces made in the blender. I like to make it when the pasta is cooking. When the most time consuming step in a recipe is waiting for the water to boil and then cook…
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Maple Roasted Beets and Carrots
Contains affiliate links My dad loves beets. I mean he LOVES beets. We always dreaded the dinners where beets were a side dish. It didn’t matter if they were canned, boiled, baked…I always thought they tasted like dirt. After a while, my parents gave up forcing their children to like beets. I hadn’t consumed beets since then, but I always wanted to try my hand a roasting them. Visiting my parents this last week, I knew I would find several pounds of fresh beets sitting in the refrigerator waiting to be consumed. Remember when I said my dad LOVES beets? He eats them as a snack if they are available.…
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Southwest Spaghetti Squash Casserole
My children have all gone through picky eater stages. Some lasted longer than others, but inevitably, I’ve pretty much forced them out of the pickiness. I decided a long, LONG time ago I would not be a tall-order chef (unless I had a child who had food intolerances or some sort of chronic illness that required a special diet). Believe me, my twins were SO terrible with trying new foods they would throw up just looking at a new food they thought they wouldn’t like. I KNOW the picky factor. In fact my twins ended up going through occupational therapy to help them overcome their food aversion. Keegs gag reflex…
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Almond Joy Chia Pudding
If my husband could replace me with an Almond Joy candy bar, I’m fairly certain he would. The combination of chocolate, coconut, and almond is just his jam. When I created the PB Chocolate Chia Pudding a while ago I knew I would have to figure out an Almond Joy version. I know the PB Chocolate version was a huge hit and tastes WAY more decadent than it actually is. So is this one, it ticks all of the tasty boxes and also is low in fat, carbs, and sugar. This is definitely a healthier, just as tasty alternative to the candy bar. Do you have a go-to chia pudding…
