3 Ingredient Berry Cobbler

Hey Everyone! I have missed you so much but I have been incredibly busy lately. I missed all your smiling faces :).

Today, I wanted to post something that a women I go to church with gave me the recipe for. This dessert is SO GOOD and SO EASY... my favorite combination! My husband requests this dessert on a regular basis and I frequently make it for parties we attend. This is the perfect quick dessert for any holiday parties you are attending! I brought this to work as a Thanksgiving treat a couple weeks ago and it was demolished. Trust me, you won't be disappointed! :)

This is also supposedly healthy. I'm not sure if that is true or not but I'm going with it so I can eat more of it. :)

Ingredients:
-1 large bag of frozen mixed berries (I like to get the bags without strawberries because they get all funky when you cook the cobbler.... I have found Target or Kroger to be the best place for these)
-1 can Sprite Zero (or Diet Sprite)
-1 box white cake mix WITHOUT pudding

To make this dessert, preheat your oven to 325. Next, place your frozen berries in a 13 x 9 pan.

Next, pour your cake mix over the top of the berries. The important step here is to NOT mix the cake mix and berries, you want it in layers. In true cobbler form, you want fruit on bottom, bread on top. Here is what it should look like at this point.

Now, pour your can of Sprite over the top of your cake mix slowly and try to cover as much of the cake mix as possible. You won't be able to completely wet the cake mix but as long as you get it mostly wet you are fine. Also, don't be alarmed when your sprite fizzes on top of the cake mix, it's normal. If you look closely at the picture below you can see the fizzing.

Now pop your cobbler in the oven for 45 minutes-1 hour. It's really hard to over cook this cobbler so just check every 5 minutes or so after the 45 minute mark. Your cobbler is done when it is light brown on top.

Yum! Pop that sucker into individual serving bowls and go to town. You will have a hard time containing yourself... its like crack cobbler. Everyone say thank you to Sara for sharing this recipe!

ENJOY!

Roasted Okra

Hello everyone! It's been awhile since I have given you a quick and easy side recipe to make. I love this recipe because it doesn't have very many ingredients, is easy to make, and can really go with almost any meal.

Did I mention how good roasted okra is? Before trying this I had only ever had fried okra. We southerners love our fried food so I didn't think this would be very good. Let me tell you... fried okra totally pales in comparison with roasted okra. It's so good! If you like okra, you won't be disappointed and even if you don't give it a try! It kind of tasted like a french fry (the crunchy & salty part)!

When making this I usually buy a whole box of okra and we eat the whole thing in 1 night. YUM.

Ingredients:
-fresh okra (as much or as little as you want)
-olive oil
-sea salt (you can use regular salt but it tastes SO MUCH BETTER with sea salt)
-pepper

To make this preheat your oven to 425. I like to cut my okra into bite sized pieces but it can be made whole if you would like. I would definitely cut the tops off to make it easier to eat.

Next, lay your okra out on a foil lined pan and drizzle with olive oil. I always take a cooking brush and rub the olive oil on evenly but if you don't have one you can just move the okra around the pan until it's all coated. Finally sprinkle your okra with sea salt and pepper to your taste preferences. I never measure here, I just sprinkle it on like I would normally sprinkle salt and pepper on food. Here is what it should look like:

Bake your okra for 10-15 minutes. Here is what the finished product looks like:

YUM! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as a do! Leave your feedback in the comments below!

This recipe has been adapted from The Key Ingredient.

"Spaghetti" Noodles

So let me start out by saying this idea is not original by any means. I totally copied it from Pinterest... just not sure where. I tried to look for the original post but couldn't ever find it so if you are out there, I'm crediting you!

I decided to do this post because despite the overwhelming impact that Pinterest has had on cooking, a lot of people still don't know about this little trick. What is this trick you ask? Using squash in place of pasta noodles! Don't go running just yet, hear me out.

I think we all can agree that replacing breads and pastas with a vegetable is a good idea (even better for your waste line) but the problem is making it taste good. A ton of people don't like vegetables, ESPECIALLY squash. Spaghetti squash is a type of squash that looks exactly like spaghetti noodles (hints the name) and is loaded with a bunch of nutrients such as folic acid, potassium, vitamin A, and beta carotene. Now that's all great but what about the taste? To me, it honestly didn't have much different of a taste than pasta. Besides, when you make spaghetti or alfredo sauce, your noodles are covered anyways. Even if you detest the taste it will be masked by your lovely Pasta Sauce or Alfredo Sauce. The only "drawback" I have found is the texture. The texture of spaghetti squash is more like hash browns than pasta. It's a little different the first couple bites you take but after that, I didn't even notice it anymore.

Most of this recipe is waiting time, it requires very little actual preparation! The "noodles" also keep very well so if you are wanting something quick that for dinner when you get home from work, make the noodles in advance during the weekend when you have more time.

Ingredients:
-Spaghetti Squash (below is a picture to help you find it at the grocery store)

-Olive Oil

-Seasonings of your choice (I usually go for some basil, parsley, minced onions, garlic, & cilantro)

To begin, preheat your oven to 375. Next, cut your spaghetti squash in half and take out the middle seeds. This process is very similar to what you do when cutting up a cantaloupe.

Next, brush olive oil onto your spaghetti squash and sprinkle it with the seasonings you chose. Then pop it in the oven for an hour.

Before cooking:

After cooking:

Now take a fork and start pulling at the flesh of the squash with it. The squash should easily come apart in little strings that look exactly like spaghetti.

Once you have gotten all the squash strings out, put it on a plate and cover it with sauce. It's that simple!

YUM! We made ours with ground turkey breast and the pasta sauce recipe I posted a while back. An even healthier way to enjoy this would be to use the cauliflower alfredo recipe I posted as your sauce.

Good luck on your healthy eating endeavors!

Cream Cheese Appetizer

Hey Everyone! I have missed you lately (hopefully you have missed me!). I started my master's internship so things around my house have been CRAY-CRAY (I learned this word from a women I started working -with.... I think she might be "cray-cray"). I'm still relatively busy adjusting to my new schedule so today's post will be quick! Even though its quick, anyone who has had this appetizer/dessert/party food/deliciousness knows its not lacking anything in flavor. You can hardly call it a recipe because it takes about 60 seconds to "make" but you will be glad you did.

Don't be dismayed by the directions. It sounds a little weird but I promise you that you will be in love. My hubby gave me weird looks about trying it because he thought it "sounded weird" but then he kept coming back for more. I don't know why he still doubts me!

Ingredients:
8 oz. block or cream cheese (or neufchatel cheese)
1 jar jalapeno berry jelly (pick any variety you like! You can find it at any store, you may just have to ask where!)
box of wheat thins

To make this, put your cream cheese on a plate and cover it in the jelly. Next arrange your wheat thins around the block to make it look pretty (please make it prettier than mine... I was in a hurry).

That's it! Use your wheat thins to scrape up a little jelly and some cream cheese and ENJOY... unless you aren't ready for this jelly (I don't think you're ready for this jelly!).... sorry I had to. :) If you don't get that reference then never mind, just go eat your food.

My Favorite 4th of July Pinterest Posts

Hey Everyone!

I hope you are preparing for an awesome 4th of July tomorrow! The hubby and I are extremely excited because we have the day off work. We are planning on spending the day relaxing, we can't wait!

Today I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite 4th of July posts from Pinterest. Anytime I'm looking for an idea, Pinterest is my first stop and it didn't disappoint with the 4th of July posts! I have included a few here on the blog but there are TONS more on my 4th of July board on my Pinterest page. Please check it out!

1. Patriotic Punch from Sweet Cs Designs

I LOVE this stuff. It is so pretty and would go perfectly with any 4th of July party! Plus, you could always crank it up into an adult beverage if you wanted! :)

2. Red, White, & Blue Popsicles from The Little Kitchen

Living in Texas, we NEED something to cool us down, especially in July. These popsicles are perfect for that! They are perfect for kids (or adults!) to enjoy at any 4th of July party.

3. Flag Tank tops from Look What Erin Made

These little tank tops are the curtest and would be the perfect attire for a 4th of July party. The post is for kids but adults could rock them too!

4. Red, White, & Blue Cheesecake from Recipe Girl

This is BY FAR one of my favorite Pinterest finds! It's so cute and will have your guests thinking you are a professional! The directions are easy to follow and make an awesome product!

5. Red, White, & Blue Spaghetti from Created by Diane

Trying to be patriotic and maintain your healthy lifestyle? This is a wonderful post to help you do that. These colored noodles are so cute and the sauce is similar to the Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce I posted a few weeks ago. Very cool!

And last but not least....

6.4th of July Fruit Pizza by Hungry Happenings

I LOVE THIS! Fruit pizza is one of my favorites and this is one of the cutest fruit pizzas I have ever seen. This would be a great addition to any 4th of July party.

There ya have it! Don't forget to head on over to my 4th of July Pinterest board and check out some more awesome 4th of July finds!

Have a happy 4th of July!

7 Breakfast Recipes

 

Hey everyone! Sorry I have been MIA lately, the hubby & I moved so most of my cooking and craft stuff has been packed away in boxes. Don't worry, the new house has given me lots of ideas for new projects! I haven't had time to cook anything lately so today I thought I'd share my 7 favorite breakfast items with you. These are all delish and are perfect for a brunch or just everyday at home.

LET'S GET READY FOR SOME BREAKFASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSST!

Sorry, that football theme song popped in my head and it seemed to fit. Come on, you know what I'm talkin' 'bout! Ok, back to it. Here are my 7 favorites!

1. Breakfast Ring

This is one of the most requested breakfast items by the official taste tester. He LOVES it. AND it's great because there are so many possibilities for combinations!


2. Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Um, can you say yum? These muffins will not disappoint! Plus, these things are made with healthy-ish ingredients! :) I like to make them very un-healthy by spreading some butter on them.


3. Cinnamon Sugar Grapefruit

Say whaaaat? Cinnamon & Sugar on grapefruits? Yes, this is true. I don't know about you guys but the tart-ness (is that even a word? tart-ness?) of grapefruits makes them hard for me to eat. They are especially distasteful with your morning cup of coffee. This recipe solves those problems and gives them a hint of sweetness that is perfect!


4. Kolaches/Pigs in the Blanket

Who can forget an all time favorite/classic in their breakfast menu? Not me that's for sure. Now what these things are called depends on where you live. Up in my mom's home town (Dallas/Fort Worth area) these are called pigs in the blanket and here is the Houston area, these are called Kolaches. Don't you Houstonians know a kolache is a Czechoslovakian fruit pastry? Duuuuuuuh. No amount of blabbering by me has convinced anyone of this so if you live anywhere else in the world, please weigh in below in the comments.


5. Breakfast Quesadilla

This item is one of my personal favs. My mom always made this for my sisters and me when I was younger and having it always brings back good memories. This is also great because like the Breakfast Ring above, it has many options for combinations!


6. Sausage Balls

Unless you are a vegetarian, you CANNOT tell me you don't like sausage balls. They are SO GOOD. I love these at breakfast time but I, of course, could eat them at any time of the day. These are great to make the night before and then just heat up in the a.m. when you are in a hurry.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

7. Migas

I love Mexican food and can eat it at anytime, even the morning. Daniel complains because anytime we go out to eat I want Mexican. If you have not ever had Migas, you should try them. They are easy to make and taste great! Not to mention, these also have quite a few possibilities for combinations!

And there ya have it! These are some of my favorite breakfast items! Who would drive through Sonic for a breakfast burrito when they have these possibilities? Not me that's for sure! I hope you guys enjoyed!

Blog Love

Hey Everyone!

Today I wanted to do a short post for you introducing you to one of my friends! I have known my friend Sarah since elementary school. She is currently working on a master's degree from Texas Women's University  in Nutrition and has been doing some wonderful things!

Sarah started a blog that is full of recipes and great tips for a healthy lifestyle. I love following along and know you will too! You can check out her blog here and you can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

I hope you enjoy!

Healthy Cauliflower Alfredo

Hey everyone! I hope you are having an awesome Friday! I have been asked about the recipe I'm sharing today by quite a few different people... they can't believe that I made anything out of cauliflower that was even remotely edible. I guess my friends don't like cauliflower very much! Keep the faith and read on!

I posted a regular Alfredo Recipe about 8 months ago that I LOVED but the calories in it kill me. Seriously, that recipe probably has about 3500 calories or more in it.... yikes! This recipe has about 1000 in the whole dish (mostly from the pasta) so I can eat it guilt free! Not to mention, cauliflower is packed full of vitamins and minerals so it's really good for you!

This recipe is awesome, but it may take some convincing to get your guests to eat it. When I told the official taste tester what we were having for dinner he gave me a weird look and said, "Can I have a cheeseburger instead?" What a man of little faith! It's probably because of the time I told him we were having hamburgers and instead of meat I used a portabella mushroom. He was really grossed out and I think we ended up having Taco Bell that night. Whoops!

I can't take credit for this recipe, I got it from a blog called Pinch of Yum. The girl that runs this blog is a SAINT and her and her husband are working at an orphanage in the Philippines. Let's all try to be a little more altruistic in her honor shall we? I tweaked the recipe slightly because some of the ingredients in the Philippines are a little different than the ones here. I hope you enjoy (don't worry, you will)!

Ingredients:
-1 head of cauliflower
-6 cups vegetable broth
-minced garlic (I LOVE garlic so I used A LOT... original recipe calls for 6 cloves)
-1 Tbsp. Butter
-1 tsp. Salt (or you can eyeball it like I did)
-pinch of nutmeg
-pinch of black powder
-1 Tbsp. Olive oil
-1/4 cup heavy cream
-1 cup of starchy water from the water you use to boil your pasta
-package of linguine noodles (or your favorite kind!)

To start this recipe, cut your cauliflower up into pieces and boil in the vegetable broth for 20 minutes. The size of the cauliflower doesn't really matter to much, I just made my pieces the size of the cauliflower you see on veggie trays.

Next, put your boiled cauliflower in your blender with about 3 cups of the broth you boiled it in. The rest you can throw away (or give it to your dogs like I did). Blend your cauliflower and broth until the cauliflower is creamy just like Alfredo sauce. This took me about a minute because we have a really nice blender (Thanks Will & Kaci for the awesome wedding gift!), but it could take up to 5 minutes. When in doubt, blend a little longer because you don't want your sauce to be chunky.

Also, let me warn you, blended cauliflower smells ODD.... and by odd I mean bad. This further caused my hubby to turn up his nose, but trust me, once you move to the next step, the smell mostly goes away!

I forgot to take a picture of the cauliflower in the blender, but you can see a picture of it in the pan in a bit. It looks exactly the same.

After your cauliflower is blended, get your pasta boiling so it will be ready when you are done. While that's going, get a medium-large sauce pan, melt your butter, and saute your minced garlic for 3-4 minutes. Once your garlic is done, scrape it into your blender (keep your pan, you will be using it in a sec!) and add in your salt, nutmeg, black pepper, and olive oil. Blend it a little more to make sure everything is mixed.

Once smooth, add your cauliflower mixture back into the pan you used for your butter/garlic and cook over low heat (it still should be hot from boiling it). Add in your heavy cream and your starchy water from your pasta and cook over low heat until hot enough to serve.

 

This sauce may be a little darker than regular Alfredo, but it tastes just as good! Here are some pictures of the final product:

 

 

YUMMY! But now for the real test.... did the hubby like it?

Before trying it:

After trying it:

Isn't that face cute? I don't know why (eventhough I kinda do) he even doubted me! He actually said that he wouldn't have been able to tell the difference if he hadn't already known AND that he likes this recipe better than the other alfredo recipe I have. TAKE THAT TO THE BANK!

I hope you enjoy this awesome and healthy recipe!



Banana Ice Cream

Hey Everyone! Over here in my world it's finals week which means I am going CRAZY. :) I can't believe I have survived my 5th semester of graduate school... time flys when you are being tortured having fun.

How do you deal when you feel like your life is going 50 miles an hour? I personally love sweets. There is something about candy and ice cream that just makes me a little less stressed. :)

A reader suggested this recipe after she read my Honey Bananas recipe so I thought I'd try it out during this "trying" time in my life. It's really easy (1 ingredient!) and healthy so you don't end up being stressed and depressed over consuming a whole tub of Blue Bell. Thanks Shawnna for the suggestion!

Ingredients:
-Frozen bananas

TIP: Here are some possible suggested ingredients you can add in as you see fit:
-Honey
-Any other favorite frozen fruit
-peanut butter
-coco powder

To make this ice cream, freeze your bananas. You can use however many bananas you have since there is only one ingredient! I had four so I stuck them in the freezer. They will get a little brown but that's ok. Mine also got a little freezer burn but whatev, it still tasted good!

To make your ice cream, put your frozen bananas in the blender and blend until smooth. This took about 3 minutes and I had to stop a few time to scrape off the edges. After the bananas are smooth you can add in any other ingredients you want. Really the possibilities are endless here. I really liked just the plain banana ice cream, but I'm also excited to try other varieties. Next time I think I'll throw some strawberries in for a strawberry banana ice cream!

 

Here is a picture in my ice cream dish!

 

YUM! I hope you enjoy this healthy delicious treat!

 

Healthy Honey Banana Treat

Hey Everyone! For this weeks recipe, I thought I'd share something that is EASY and somewhat healthy.

For anyone that even remotely know me, you know I love sweets. Before Daniel and I got together and I was on my own, my dinners mostly consisted of candy. What can I say, I can't resist the sweets! SO, this obviously means I need some type of dessert with every meal. Since eating cupcakes and candy every night isn't pleasant on your waistline, I needed to find something healthier.

Also, once I have spent an hour making dinner, I don't exactly want to spend any more time making more food that is just going to make me fatter, SO I knew this recipe needed to be easy. This is also a great recipe to use if you have some bananas that are about to go bad (Thank you No Doubt for teaching me how to spell bananas....now your're singing that song in your head.... admit it!).

Last but not least, I don't like bananas. The texture makes me gag. I'm not sure if it's the honey in this recipe or if cooking the bananas changes the texture but I couldn't get enough of this tasty treat!

Ingredients:
2-3 bananas
Honey
Optional: Cinnamon

To make this, you pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Next, cut up your bananas into bite sized pieces and place them on a piece of foil large enough to fold over and create a little pouch. Next, sprinkle your pieces with honey. I didn't measure out the honey because it doesn't have to be exact. Just sprinkle honey on the banana pieces like you would on a piece of toast. The sweeter you want it, the more honey you use. You can also put some cinnamon on them. I originally planned on it, but then I couldn't find my cinnamon and realized we were out (OH THE HORROR!). I wasn't about to go to the store so I just left it off ad they turned out just fine.

Fold your foil over to make a little pouch and place the foil packet into a pan to catch any spare liquid that might escape. You can fold the pouch however you want but the method I found that worked the best was bringing the pieces in the middle together and then folding them together. Then I folded up the sides the same way.

Cook your bananas for 10-15 minutes, or until they are at the consistency you enjoy. You can't really go wrong here. Here is a picture of the final product:

YUM! Jeez, while I'm writing this post I'm getting hungry at my desk!

Happy Cooking!!

This post will be part of the Make Bake Create link up party over at some of my favorite blogs! Go check it out!!