Black Bean Brownies

    I love cooking. But, baking is where my heart is. Since I'm on a low carb diet right now, my friends and loved ones are subject to my healthier alternatives as well! I wanted something chocolate on Wednesday and brownies sounded fantastic to me. I decided to try and trick the kids at youth group with this recipe. I didn't tell them that they weren't regular brownies, I just told them that I made them brownies! One of the middle school children stopped mid-chewing when I proudly announced to them that they were eating brownies that were made of beans! We had a nice laugh because she continued eating and told me they were delicious!

Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients:

- 1 (15.5 ounce) can of black beans

- 3 tablespoons of canola oil

- 3 eggs

- 3/4 cup of sugar

- 1/2 cup of cocoa powder

- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

- 1/4 teaspoon of salt

- 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips, divided

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8x8 baking dish with non-stick spray. In a food processor, blend the black beans until smooth. Add in the oil, eggs, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Blend well until combined. Mix in 1/4 cup of the mini chocolate chips. Pour the mixture into prepared baking dish and top with remaining chocolate chips. Bake for about 30 minutes, until you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean. 

Garlic Hummus

    So, generally hummus is made with chick peas and tahini. I decided to leave out the tahini this go around. I'm crazy about hummus! My brother introduced me to it years ago and it's been a go-to snack ever since! It's a part of my meal prep mission. Since it's so ridiculously easy to make, I've decided I'm going to double this recipe and portion it out for snacks. I'm pretty impressed with this stuff. I love to eat hummus with cucumbers but, I'm positive that it would be great with some pita chips or carrots as well.

Garlic Hummus

Ingredients:

- 1 (15 ounce) can of garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained

- 1 tablespoon of minced garlic

- 3 tablespoons of water

- 1 and 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil

- 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice

- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin

- a pinch of salt

- paprika to sprinkle on top

    In a food processor, combine the chick peas, garlic, water, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, and salt. Pulse and blend the mixture until it is smooth and creamy. Serve chilled with a sprinkle of paprika on top. 

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Energy Bites

    I was looking for a snack that I can take to work every day. I think I've pulled my resources and created something pretty healthy and dangerously easy on the taste buds. Flaxseed is full of fiber and is believed to reduce the risks of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes! Chia seeds are also packed full of fiber and protein! The word chia actually derives from the Mayan "chiabaan", which means "strengthening"! Besides the super healthy stuff, I've thrown in some coconut and chocolate chips to mix it up a bit. Yummy!

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Energy Bites

Ingredients:

- 1 and 1/2 cup of quick oats

- 1/2 cup of toasted coconut flakes

- 1/2 cup of milled flaxseed

- 1/4 cup of chia seeds

- 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips

- 1/2 cup of peanut butter

- 1/3 cup of honey

    In a medium sized bowl, spoon mix together the oats, coconut, flaxseed, chia seeds, and mini chocolate chips. Once combined, add the peanut butter and honey. Mix well and roll into bite sized balls. One or two of these little bites are probably a serving size, so repress the want to eat the whole batch lol. 

Low Carb Stuffed Bell Peppers

    So, I have a big wedding to attend at the end of the summer. My cousin is getting hitched and my family will be making the trip to Massachusetts! I'm super excited! Not only for my vacation, but for myself, I'd like to start eating a little better and shed some of this weight that I've been carrying around lately. This recipe is my first in my meal prep mission!

Low Carb Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients:

- 3 medium sized bell peppers, I prefer green but, you could easily used red or yellow

- about 1/2 of a pound of lean roast beef, sliced and cut into small pieces 

- 6 slices of provolone cheese

- 1 small onion, diced

- 1/4 cup of shredded parmesan cheese

- olive oil

- freshly ground black pepper

    In a large pot, bring about 6 cups of water to a boil. Cut each bell pepper in half and remove the stems and seeds. Blanch the halved peppers in the boiling water for about 5 minutes. Remove them from the water and set them aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, saute the onion and roast beef for a few minutes with some freshly ground black pepper. Place one slice of provolone cheese inside each half of pepper and place them on a baking sheet. Divide the onion and roast beef mixture into each pepper half and top with a bit of parmesan cheese. Place them into the oven for about 10 minutes. 

Party Margaritas!

    I've been on a margarita kick lately! I'm not usually a huge fan of tequila. I've decided that I prefer the white over the gold variety. This recipe is an ideal idea for parties! I wasn't sure about it because it calls for sprite and there isn't usually sprite in margaritas. But, let me put your worries to rest because it definitely tastes like a perfectly mixed margarita! Next time, I'm going to replace the lemonade concentrate with frozen strawberry daiquiri concentrate and make some strawberry margaritas!

Party Margaritas!

Ingredients:

- 1 (12 ounce) can of lemonade concentrate, thawed

- 1 (12 ounce) can of limeade concentrate, thawed

- 1 cup of confectioners sugar

- the juice of one lime

- 3 cups water

- 1 (2 liter) of sprite or your favorite lemon lime soda

- sliced limes for garnish

- tequila (I prefer Silver)

    In a bowl, wisk together the concentrates, sugar, lime juice, and water. If you're making this ahead of time like I did, put this mixture into a gallon Ziplock bag and let freeze for several hours. When you're ready to serve it, take the Ziplock out of the freezer and crush it until it looks like a slushy. Pour it into a large serving container, add the sprite, and desired amount of tequila. Top with the sliced limes and you're good to go. I used a 3 gallon beverage server and it filled it up a little over halfway. So, it's safe to say that it makes about a gallon and a half of margarita. 

Bacon Wrapped Chicken and Pineapple Skewers

    This is another awesome recipe from my brother's going away party. This chicken came out perfect! I was running around like a crazy person so, my cousin helped by grilling these up for us and she did such an awesome job on them. Thank you Mindy!!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken and Pineapple Skewers

Ingredients: 

  For the brine:

- 7 cups of cold water
- 1 and 1/2 cup of soy sauce
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of salt
  For the chicken:
- 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 pound of halved bacon slices
- 1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
- teriyaki sauce
- wooden skewers, soaked in water for at least an hour
    Mix together all of the ingredients for the brine in a large bowl, Place the whole chicken breasts in the brine, cover, and refrigerate for 45 minutes to an hour. Remove from the brine, cut the chicken breasts into chunks. Wrap the chicken pieces in bacon and skewer them with the chunks of pineapple. On a prepared barbecue grill, place the skewers and brush them with teriyaki sauce. Grill until the chicken has cooked all the way through. 

Strawberry Goat Cheese Bruschetta

    What do I do when I can't sleep at night? Well, last night I whipped up a balsamic vinegar reduction and drizzled it over some fresh strawberries and thyme. It definitely made me feel a tiny bit better about my insomnia.

Strawberry Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar

- 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves

- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

- 1 pound of fresh strawberries, diced

- 1 (4 ounce)package of goat cheese

- 1 small loaf of french bread, sliced and toasted

    In a small sauce pan, bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil and reduce to about half. For about 8- 10 minutes. Let cool. In a bowl, combine the strawberries, thyme, and cooled balsamic reduction. Spread the goat cheese on pieces of toasted bread, top with strawberry mixture, and top with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Basil Pesto Grilled Shrimp

    So, yesterday was the day. I prepped food for most of the day. We were surrounded by friends and family all evening. My brother, Stephen, leaves this weekend for deployment. It was a bittersweet celebration. It was also a Friday during Lent and my family is big on barbecue! I wanted to have an alternative to the pulled pork and ribs! Shrimp seemed like a great idea. Fresh basil and roasted pine nuts make this dish a must for special dinners!

Basil Pesto Grilled Shrimp

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup of fresh basil, packed

- 1 tablespoon of toasted pine nuts

- 2 tablespoons of olive oil

- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic

- 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated

- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

- 1 pound of shrimp, cleaned and deviened

    In a food processor, pulse together everything except for the shrimp to create the pesto. Cover the shrimp in the pesto mixture and let sit for several hours, up to overnight. Place the shrimp on skewers and grill them. 

Taco Pizza Roll

    This is such a quick and easy dinner idea for a very busy family! You could serve it with some quick spanish rice and some veggies! Maybe cut up some lettuce and tomatoes to put on top? Sounds good to me!

Taco Pizza Roll

Ingredients:

- 1 pound of ground beef

- taco seasoning mix packet

- 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

- 2 rolled packages of Pillsbury pizza dough

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brown the ground beef and prepare taco meat as the directions call for on the package of seasoning. Spread the pizza dough on a clean surface. I did one at a time. Layer half of the taco meat and 1 cup of cheese on each roll of dough. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray,  Roll each rectangle of dough into a loaf, place on the baking sheets and bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Slice and serve!

Stuffed Cinnamon Raisin French Toast

    Many years ago, while I was in college, I had the most amazing friend and roommate named Tina. Our first apartment was blocks away from the IHOP on 13th street. Tina landed a job there and we soon found that the serving industry could be quite profitable if you know what you're doing. By year two, she had gotten me a job there as well and we gained another awesome roommate who worked with us as well, Val! The point being, when I think of stuffed french toast, I think of IHOP! Their stuffed french toast is more of a stuffed cinnamon doughnut. I think I have the filling down though. You could definitely change it up and use different bread, or add some fresh berries into the cream filling. There's nothing better than layers of cinnamon french toast and cool cream cheese filling though! Sometimes, I miss our IHOP days and I definitely miss my ladies that made those day some pretty memorable ones!

Stuffed Cinnamon Raisin French Toast

Ingredients:

  Filling:

- 4 ounces of softened cream cheese

- 1 tablespoon of confectioners sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

- 1/2 cup of cool whip

  French toast:

- 8 slices of your favorite cinnamon raisin bread

- 2 eggs

- 1 and 1/2 tablespoon of milk

- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

    Start with the filling. In a small mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Add the vanilla and cool whip. Set in the fridge and start the french toast. Whip together the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Spray with non-stick spray. Lightly dip the bread in the egg mixture and cook in the skillet until golden brown. Repeat with all pieces of bread. Once finished, layer french toast and filling. It may not even need syrup! 

Easy Strawberry Brownies

    I'm crazy about all things strawberry! This is a super simple semi-homemade recipe. If you're looking for something easy and quick to make for dessert, look no further! I still like to call them brownies, even though they aren't brown. The sugar glaze on top just makes it.

Easy Strawberry Brownies

Ingredients:

- 1 box of Strawberry cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)

- 2 eggs

- 1/3 cup of vegetable oil

- 1 cup of confectioners sugar

- 2 tablespoons of water or milk

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with non-stick spray. Mix together the cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil. Spread into prepared baking dish and bake for about 25-20 minutes. Next, mix together the confectioners sugar and water (or milk). Once the brownies have cooled a bit spread the sugar glaze on top. Let set, cut into bars, and serve.

Creamy Chicken Soup

    I must say, I was quite impressed with my kitchen skills yesterday afternoon. First, I googled how to effectively cook juicy chicken breasts. I probably learned one of the most important things I will ever need to know in the kitchen. I passed on the technique HERE. A few days ago, I found a recipe for Chicken Pot Pie Soup. It sounded pretty good! I changed a few things, I wouldn't say it's like chicken pot pie now. It's really, really good though. In fact, I'm probably going to make it for our soup and salad luncheon at church on Sunday! It's between this and my ham and swiss sweet rolls. I don't know yet! But seriously, try this soup and you'll love it! I whipped up some Garlic Parmesan drop biscuits to go with mine!

Creamy Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

- 1 and 1/2 pounds of cooked chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

- 6 tablespoons of butter

- 1 cup of onion, chopped (1 small onion)

- 1 cup of celery, diced (about three stalks)

- 1 cup of carrots, chopped (I used baby carrots)

- 1 (14.5 ounce) can of organic chicken broth

- 2 cups of russet potatoes, cut into chunks

- 1/2 teaspoon of parsley

- 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme

- 1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary

- 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic 

- 2 small bay leaves or one large

- salt and freshly ground black pepper

- 1 can of whole kernel corn

- 2 and 1/2 cups of milk

- 6 tablespoons of all purpose flour

- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

- 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice

    In a large pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions, celery, and carrots. Saute for 3 minutes. Add in the chicken broth, potatoes, parsley, thyme, rosemary, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Cover and let simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally and make sure to push down the vegetables into the broth. Cook until the potatoes are tender. Then, add the chicken and corn.  Next, in a medium sauce pan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Create a roux by mixing the flour into the melted butter. Let cook and stir constantly for a minute or two. Whisk in the milk slowly. Whisk until there are no lumps. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat while stirring constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in the whipping cream. Pour the milk mixture into the broth mixture and add the lemon juice. Stir until combined and enjoy! 

Perfectly Cooked Chicken Breasts

    I've always had trouble cooking boneless chicken breasts. They don't always cook all the way through or they come out dry and chewy. Not anymore! I feel like I leveled up my cooking game today!  This is the perfect technique for juicy, tender chicken breasts!

Perfectly Cooked Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

- 1 to 4 chicken breasts

- salt and pepper to season

- 1 tablespoon of olive oil

    Make sure to flatten the chicken breasts. Make them all the same thickness. I used a meat tenderizer. In a large saute pan with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium high heat until it is quite hot. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to medium, place chicken in the pan and let cook for one minute (not actually browning or searing them). Flip the chicken and cover the pan. Turn the heat to low. Let the covered chicken cook for exactly 10 minutes. DO NOT OPEN the lid. No peaking! Once the ten minutes has elapsed, turn the heat off and let sit for another 10 minutes. Do not open the lid. After the chicken has rested for 10 minutes, uncover and make sure the chicken has cooked through. 

Bacon Brie and Pear Grilled Cheese Sandwich

    So, today is my 27th birthday! I invited my good friend Katrina over for lunch with my mom and I. While I was finishing up my Chickpea Cucumber Salad, my little brother showed up and surprised me! I made us all grilled cheese sandwiches full of bacon, brie cheese, onions, and pear! I will most definitely be making these again!

Bacon Brie and Pear Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

- 1/2 of a ripe pear, thinly sliced

- 1/4 of a medium onion, sliced

- 1 tablespoon of butter, divided

- 4 large slices of brie cheese

- 3 large slices of cooked bacon

- 2 large slices of your favorite bread

    In a skillet, heat half of the butter and add the onion. Then, add the pear slices just to soften them a bit. Remove onion and pear from the pan. Spread butter on one side of both slices of bread. On medium heat, place one slice of bread, butter side down. Layer the onions, pear, cheese, and bacon. Place other slice on top, butter side up. Flip the sandwich when the bottom side is golden brown. When the top has browned and the cheese has melted it's finished. 

Chickpea Cucumber Salad

    There's this little bakery/cafe/store in downtown Ocala named Stella's. I had lunch there last week with my fabulous friend Ayla! When you order a sandwich, they give you the option of chips or chickpea salad. I always get the chickpea salad! They inspired me! This is a bit different than theirs but it's still really good. I'm experimenting with recipes right now for my brother's deployment party next week. I totally picked a winner today. He came over for lunch and he helped himself to seconds of my chickpea salad. Score!! You could make it a day or two ahead of time and I bet everyone will love it.

Chickpea Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup of olive oil

- 2 (15.5 ounce) cans of Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) , drained

- 1 (14.5 ounce) can of diced tomatoes, drained

- 1/2 of an onion, diced

- 1 whole cucumber, chopped. I like to scrape out the seeds too.

- 1 rib of celery, diced

- 2 tablespoons of fresh dill, chopped

- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic

- 3 teaspoons of red wine vinegar

- 2 teaspoons of lemon juice

- 2 teaspoons of lime juice

- 1/2 teaspoon of salt

- cracked black pepper to taste

- 1 (4 ounce) package of crumpled feta cheese

    In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil. Stir in the chikpeas, cover and remove from heat. Combine all of the other ingredients well and then stir in the chickpeas. Let the salad chill in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.