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Easy Monkey Bread
I’ve been told quite often, ‘I wish I could make cinnamon rolls, but I am too intimidated to try.’ The answer to that anxiety is monkey bread. If you have never heard of monkey bread, then let me tell you all about this tasty goodness. Monkey bread does not have bananas, or any other type of foods monkeys typically consume. It is called monkey bread because to eat it you pull it apart and it is so easy even a monkey could do it. It has all of the flavors of cinnamon rolls with a fraction of the prep or time. This is also a recipe that has only 5…
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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…
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Mango Salsa
With the weather warming up and seasons growing close to change; it is fun to pull out old recipes that excite my tastebuds. While I usually do not discriminate against any type of salsa; sweet/spicy salsas tend to be my favorite. It gives Mexican foods a nice contrast to the usually salty flavors. Pineapple salsa and mango salsa are some of my most favorites. I’ve also made kiwi salsa, which is a fun variation to the typical yellow tropical fruit salsas. Another reason I like this salsa recipe is there are no added oils. Other than a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and granulated sugar, there are no added condiments to…
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Meatless Tex-Mex Bowls
While I am a carnivore at heart, I do love a good meatless meal. The American Heart Association’s recommendations with meat, poultry, and, eggs are 8-9 servings a week. If you are eating 3 square meals daily, then you have to go without meat or animal proteins for more than half of your meals to have a well-balanced diet. If you consume a breakfast burrito one morning that has both eggs and sausage, that is 2 servings of animal protein and you’ve already eaten 1/4 of your weekly recommended animal protein intake. The science behind this is that animal proteins tend to be higher in saturated fats, which is one…
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Chocolate Avocado Mousse
Avocados in chocolate mousse sound extremely odd to the typical individual. The thing with avocados is that their natural flavor is rather bland. They can morph into almost any flavor you add to them. Their texture is perfect for pudding or mousse. Avocados are very much a food that either you hate or you love. I have a close friend who loathes avocados and she ended up loving this chocolate mousse. Another friend said that this recipe tastes exactly like the chocolate mousse that is served at the Bellagio on The Strip. Either way, this chocolate mousse recipe has been a huge hit with every person I have had try…
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Copy Cat Noodles & Co. Wisconsin Mac’n’Cheese
The first time I tried Noodles & Co.’s Wisconsin Mac’n’Cheese, I was living in Colorado Springs. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Unfortunately, Noodles & Co. is not yet a restaurant that is found nationwide. So, like many other foods I have fallen in love with and then moving away from, I had to figure out how to make this. AND…since my children have inherited the love of cheese and noodles, of course, I had to recreate this recipe for myself. ALSO…did you know that I have family from Wisconsin? And my Great Uncle had a cattle farm in northern Illinois that would occasionally send milk and…
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Conversation Hearts
At one point, when I was VERY young, conversation hearts were the best thing in the world…next to candy necklaces. Come to think of it, both conversation hearts and candy necklaces are very similar in taste and texture. Conversation hearts got their start way back in the mid-1800s with a pharmacist named Oliver Chase. He invented the machine that rolled the candy type dough and cut it into pieces. At the time these candy pieces were actually throat lozenges. After a while though, Oliver abandoned his pharmacy and opened a candy company that later supplied the world with those NECCO wafers. Eventually, the NECCO wafers dough was made into tiny…
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Buckeyes
Several years ago, my kid brother Mikey, made Buckeyes for the first time. When I tasted them, my mouth totally had a party! I’ve always been a sucker for peanut butter and chocolate together. Peanut butter blossom cookies are some of my favorites. These tasty chocolate peanut butter truffles, dare I say, are even better than Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. Apparently Buckeyes originated in Ohio. They are named for the resemblance to the nuts on the Buckeye tree. Have you made Buckeyes before? What are some of your family’s holiday baking traditions? Do you generally bake during the Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah season? Or are you an every holiday baker? I…
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Breakfast Hash & Fried Eggs
Breakfast for dinner is a staple in this household. We have breakfast for dinner at least once or twice a week. Half of the family loves sweet and doughy breakfasts like waffles and pancakes, while the other half goes for savory meals. I’m smack dab in the middle. Sometimes I am feeling Belgium waffles and other times I want a really flavorful breakfast hash. Breakfast hash is actually super quick and easy to make. It is something I live off of whenever Matthew is gone with work. I’ll eat breakfast hash for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Plus you can make a Mexican spin on it (which is my favorite) or…
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Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
I’m currently taking a chemistry food class for my Dietetic degree and lemme tell you, I have learned A LOT. I recently completed a lab involving baking muffins and learning all about the proper leavening agent ratio to acidity ratio. I thought I made decent muffins in the past, but I’ve totally upped my game. This recipe is my first recipe with my newly learned techniques, and the muffins turned out beautifully. Tips for Perfect Muffins: The wet and dry ingredients MUST be mixed separately in bowls before they are combined. It is extremely tempting to combine it all in one bowl, but this is a HUGE no-no. If the…
