Menu Plan Monday

I am finding I need to plan my meals and snacks better in order to stick to this diet...I also need to find some more ideas because eggs, yogurt, and beans are getting boring! So you will start to see a list of snacks as well as meals listed!

Breakfast:
-Sausage and Egg Cups
-Eggs and ham
-Hard Boiled Eggs
-Greek Yogurt and Fruit, granola


Snacks:
-Hummus with red peppers
-Cookie Dough Hummus with an attempt to make it sugar free, but it will have mini chocolate chips.
-Homemade Lara Bars-Peanut Butter and Jelly
-Protein Shake...will need to get another chocolate one! 
-Black Bean Brownies

Lunch/Dinner:
-Taco Salad(with turkey and black beans)
-Cheesy Ranch Chicken Chili(will use Greek Yogurt for sour cream)
-Baked Fish with Parmesan Cream Sauce
-black bean and sweet potato burgers
-Steak, Broccoli, Summer/Zucchini Squash
-Lime Salsa chicken wrap

Apple, Pear, Cranberry Crisp

 I had some cranberry's that needed to be used it and thought this sounded like a perfect fall dessert!

Apple, Cranberry, Pear, Crisp-adapted from Ina Garten
2 lbs pears, peeled, chopped
2 lbs apples(I used honey crisp), peeled, chopped
1 lb fresh cranberries
zest of one lemon
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Topping:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 stick butter, cold, cut up

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place fruit into a large bowl, combine with sugar, flour, lemon juice/zest, and sugar. Spread into a 9x13 pan.


Mix together dry ingredients for toppings, cut butter into mixture until it looks like large crumbles. Place topping on top of fruit and bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown.


**I did cut back on the sugar and butter oringally called for in this recipe, but it still tasted excellent. I really liked the kick of the lemon zest and it wasn't overly sweet!

Creamy Chicken Marsala

 I LOVE ordering chicken marsala out...it's one of my favorite Italian dishes despite not like mushrooms. So yes I did make this dish and yes I did NOT eat the mushrooms, but it was pretty darn near perfect of a marsala recipe that I've made.

Creamy Chicken Marsala
1 lb chicken breast, cut into cubes
10-12 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup marsala cooking wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 lb pasta(I used penne)
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese

Melt 1 tbsp butter in pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper, cook until lightly browned. Remove to a plate.

Cook pasta according to directions.

Melt 1 tbsp butter in pan, add in garlic, mushrooms, and onion. Cook for about 5-6 minutes. Add chicken back in. Combine marsala, cream, and chicken broth and add it to the pan, bring to a boil. Simmer until slightly thickened.

Drain pasta and reserve 1/2 cup cooking water. Add pasta to sauce and stir to combine. Cook until sauce has been  absorbed a bit by pasta. Add cooking water in needed. Sprinkle with paremsan cheese and season with salt and pepper if desired.

**I almost doubled the sauce mixture...but I figured it was the first time I made it so I wanted to keep it the way it was written until I knew what to change next time. I do think next time I'll double the sauce...I think it also needed to be thicker, but the flavor was SPOT on and delicious!! YUM! Even my boys liked it, which surprised me!

Tasty Tuesday

Maple Glazed Turkey Meatballs-Chasing Tomatoes
Pepperoni Pizza Waffles-Ali'n'son
Garlic Balsamic Crusted chicken with Pepper and wild rice salad-Finding Joy in My Kitchen
Ground Beef Stroganoff Soup- Cooking During Stolen Moments
Slow Cooker Korean Beef Tacos-A Year of Slow Cooking
Sassy sausage and Hash Brown Breakfast Bake- Willow Bird Baking
No Calorie No oodles and peanut Sauce-thin recipes
Baked Penne with Bacon, Red Pepper, and Spinach-Recipe Girl

Menu Plan Monday

I've been struggling big time with my weight...I've met with a nutritionist and have eaten what she told me to eat and yet I've still managed to GAIN weight...instead of loose it.

So starting tomorrow I'm trying something new...last week was a bit of a bust with our entire area loosing power from a big Halloween Nor'easter. Plus trick or treating got cancelled so I ended up with 400+pieces of candy, don't worry I didn't eat ALL of them! Starting afresh tomorrow...with cutting out processed/added sugars and cutting back on carbs(which I've already been doing) I'll give it two weeks and see how it goes, if it goes well, Christmas baking season might be interesting but something needs to be done!

I will gladly take any and all low carb recipes or ideas and no sugar ideas. Fruit WILL stay...and I have stevia to use to combat my sweet tooth. By the way, I discovered this delicious tea the other day, it's called Candy Cane Lane Green Tea by Celestrial Seasonings, even my husband liked it and said he'd drink it over coffee...he's nuts I say, it's good, but I also love my coffee. For now my coffee with stay, but I did find some homemade coffee creamer recipes that I want to try so I can stop drinking the store stuff...it's not that healthy for you anyway!

So here's the menu:
No baking..unless we get bored and the boys ask but I'll have to unload the treats to someone!
I do actually have to make some smore bars for the spaghetti dinner fund raiser we are going to on saturday!

Dinner:
-Lime Chicken Tacos
-Garlic Chicken Tacos, Steamed Summer and Zuchini Squash, French Fries for the boys
-Mongolian Beef, Steamed Broccoli

I have lots of veggies, hummus, and beans also to play around with different meal ideas as well!

Creamy Quinoa Primavera

 I had never had Quinoa before, but I hear that it's delicious and I finally found a decent price on it! It is a complete protein, so it's very filling!

Creamy Quinoa Primavera-Let's Dish
1.5 cups uncooked Quinoa
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 oz cream cheese
1 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups thinly sliced or bite size pieces of vegtables(I used thawed broccoli)
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
*milk

Rinse quinoa throughly and drain. Cook quinoa in broth according the the package directions. **I actually did use my pampered chef microwave rice cooker and it worked out wonderfully!

Melt butter in small sauce pan. Cook garlic in butter until golden, add in veggies and cook just until crisp tender. Stir in cream cheese, basil, and quinoa. Sprinkle with cheese. *I found it to be a bit dry, so I stirred in some milk until it was the way I wanted it to be.

**I did end up doubling this recipe, but used some brown rice as I didn't have enough quinoa. I was being quite brave to try something new on people, but it was a HIT!! Everyone raved about it and loved it! It was even tasty as leftovers! I can't wait to try another recipe with it!

Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil Review

Coconut oil has recently become VERY popular especially in the whole food blogging world! It has many beneficial health benefits and is a "healthier" fat to consume. Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil from Tropical Tradtions is the brand that I started with. I know there are many brands and kinds out there, but this seems to be one of the best, it's smooth and tastes great!

I first started using this actually on my son's diaper rash instead of traditional diaper creams as he was wearing cloth diapers at the time and this is safe for use on them. It cleared up beautifully...

I knew I could also cook or bake with it. But I'll be honest it took me a while to actually take that first step and try it out! But I'm learning still and finding all kinds of new things to make with it!

One night I decided to "fry" our homemade tater tots in it...it did have a slightly coconut taste to them, which did work, but not sure I will fry with it again unless it's for a sweet dish vs. a savory one.

I recently tried an AMAZING granola recipe...which called for canola oil. I instead decided to melt coconut oil and use that instead. It was the best granola we have ever had tasted. Much better than store bought. The coconut oil added that slight hint of coconut flavor and it wasn't over powering. This is the only granola recipe I make...and I only use coconut oil in it!

This past week, I decided to try it in baking. I have yet to be brave enough to try it, and I also wanted to make sure I was feeding it to people who liked coconut. I used my brownie recipe and used half coconut oil and half butter. No one could tell that I had used coconut oil in it, although I could. They knew something was different about it, but couldn't pin point it. The flavor was very subtle. The next day, I found the coconut flavor to be a bit more prominent, but the brownies still tasted delicious. I didn't mind the chocolate coconut flavor, but I know some people don't. The battle was still perfect and they baked up beautifully!

There are lots of ways and recipes to use coconut oil and there are lots of ideas found on Tropical Traditions website!

To read more about the great benefits of using and cooking with coconut oil be sure to check out Tropical Tradtions website as they have TONS of information on it! From how it is made and where it comes from!

**Disclaimer:I was contacted by Tropical Traditions and received a jar of their virgin coconut oil to review

Grilled Chicken Tzatziki

 I'm always looking for new way to make chicken and this sounded tasty and it combined yogurt with chicken for protein packed dinner!


Grilled Chicken Tzatziki-shared from Style At Home
Marinade:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp fresh lemon juice+2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp hot sauce
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
pinch of salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

Place all ingredients except chicken in a zip top bag. Mix together until well combined. Add in chicken and cover completely with mixture. Squeeze air out, seal, and allow to marinate for up to 4 hours.

You can then go on to grill the chicken until no longer pink. I cooked it in a 350 degree oven for about 20-25 mins and then turned the broiler on for 5 mins to get the charcoal look!

Let chicken rest for about 5 mins and then slice. Serve as is. OR I took a pita, and spread on some hummus, topped it with some lettuce, and then the chicken and wrapped it up.


**This chicken was SO moist and flavorful! It was the best chicken I've had in a long time. I loved the kick the hot sauce added and the citrus tang. Definitely will be made again! YUM! Even the leftovers were still moist and flavorful!

Caramel Apple Cake with Apple Cider Frosting

 We had a few friends and family over this weekend for lunch. One of the guy's birthday was the following day so I told him I'd make a cake. I thought this sounded like the perfect fall birthday cake!

Caramel Apple Cake with Apple Cider Frosting-shared from A Hint Of Honey
Cake:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour(used white whole wheat)
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup caramel sauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 8 or 9 inch round cake pans.

Whisk dry ingredients together except sugar. In another large mixing bowl combine sugar, oil, applesauce, caramel, and vanilla, beat until well combined.Add eggs in one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with buttermilk, and continue to mix until well combined.

Pour batter into cake pans and bake until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes and then gently remove cake from pan. Let cool completely.

Apple Cider Frosting:
about 6 cups powdered sugar*
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup apple cider
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of salt

*the original recipe called for 7 1/2-8 cups sugar, but I found at 6 it was plenty sweet enough

Place all ingredients in mixer and beat until light and fluffy.

Place cake on cake plate and trim if needed. Place about 1 cup of sugar on top and spread out. Lay second layer on top and frost cake with remaining frosting. Allow frosting to set before serving!


**This cake was PHENOMENAL!! It was moist and not to sweet. The frosting had a nice cinnamon taste to it and added a nice touch to the cake. Everyone loved it!

Menu Plan...on Wednesday

I know it's a few days late...but here is this week's menu!

I don't really have anything planned as far as baking or breakfast this week. Nothing new anyway..but I'd love some high protein breakfast ideas as I'm getting into a slump...I usually have eggs or greek yogurt and well I need some more variety!

Dinner:
-Creamy Chicken Marsala Pasta
-Black Bean Taquitos
-Sloppy Johnnies
-Thai Beef with Chilis and Coconut Rice
-Peanut Satay Pork Chops

Tasty Tuesday

Cranberry Orange Ginger Bread-Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Crock Pot Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili-GIna's Skinny Recipes
THick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies-Teacher Turned Mommy
Cake Filled Peanut Butter Cups-Vanilla Sugar
Mexican Beer Slow Cooker Chicken-Creatively Domestic
Biscoff Cookie Dough Dip-Mo'Betta
Asiago Garlic Rolls-Frugal Antics of a Harried Housewife
Breakfast Meatballs-Budget Gourmet Mom
Sausage and Spinach Gnocci Toss-apples to zucchini

Cake Batter Waffles

 I think this will definitely be a new tradition in our house for birthdays!! I meant to get a vanilla cake mix because K doesn't like chocolate in the morning...but then I remembered it was MY birthday and not his, and I LOVE chocolate cake! This is quite simple to make and delicious!

Cake Batter Waffles-found on pinterest
cake mix
extra ingredients needed found on cake mix box(i did use applesauce instead of oil)
Toppings: homemade whipped cream, ice cream, sprinkles(we had whipped cream)

Preheat waffle maker. Make cake mix as directed on package.  Laddle onto hot griddle and cook according to waffle maker's directions.

Serve waffles with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream and sprinkled with some festive sprinkles!

**These were delicious and I loved how easy they were! They also made for a fun birthday breakfast! Next time I may try a homemade batter, I was just trying to keep it low key!

Menu Plan Monday

Over the weekend was my birthday and to celebrate I made some cake batter waffles...delicious and easy! We also went out for Thai with my aunt also tasty!

Breakfast:
-Cake Batter Waffles
-Greek Yogurt and Granola
-Egg McMuffins


Dinner:
-Balsamic Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin, veggies
-Zuppa Toscana Soup
-Chicken Tzitaki Wraps with homemade flat bread
-Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

I am hosting a lunch on Sunday but I'm having a hard time deciding what to serve with ham...we have a family coming who is vegetarian, so what do you suggest I serve with it?I need something with protein in it, I plan to do a creamy quinoa dish, along with mashed potatoes, and some veggies, perhaps a salad, but want a hot dish as well!

Nutmeg Ginger Apple Snaps

 (picture courtesy of Vancouver Observer)

I was looking for unique cookies to send to the church bake sale and also needed a way to use up some apples!

Nutmeg Ginger Apple Snaps-shared from Vancouver Observer
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp molasses
5 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch ground cloves
1 tsp grated nutmeg
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
4 cups flour(I used white whole wheat)
2 tsp cornstarch
pinch of salt
4 apples
1/2 cup coarse

Preheat oven to 325.

Cream butter until it's light colored and easily forms peaks. Add the molasses, sugars, spices, grated ginger, and vanilla, whip until fully blended.

Sift the flour, cornstarch, and salt together. Add to the butter mixture in 3 batches, on low speed until fully blended.

Roll dough into 2-3 tbsp size ball and flatten them on parchment lined cookie sheets.(I used a small glass, dipped in sugar) Slice apple thinly and place on top of the cookie, sprinkle with coarse sugar to cover apple. Bake for 12-15 mins until golden brown.

**The cookies were nice and crispy and flavorful. The ginger was almost to potent for me, but it was very ginger snap like. The dough was very dry and I'm thinking it was because I used white whole wheat flour, but the dryness did work with the cookie, they just were not easy to roll. The boys liked them...just not the apple part on top, but they were eating the apple chips I made!

Cottage Cheese Waffles

 I recently met with a health coach to help tweak my diet in hopes that it will help me to loose weight. Her answer to me was that I needed to eat more protein! While I eat pretty healthy I wasn't eating enough protein so she uped it...a lot! Something I'm really struggling with but I'm still working on it! I of course LOVE waffles and pancakes and still want to enjoy these with my family for Saturday morning breakfast. I went looking for high protein recipes and found this one...of course it was originally for pancakes, so after talking to my friend Hallee she helped me convert it for waffles.

Thanks for the new waffle maker by the way mom!

Cottage Cheese Waffles-Whole Foods
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp oil
4 eggs
1 cup cottage cheese(I used the whipped kind)
1/2 cup milk
vanilla extract(I think I used 1-2 tsp)

Preheat waffler. Spray with oil if needed.
Whisk together wet ingredients. Stir together dry ingredients and fold them into the wet ones. Scoop batter onto waffle plates and cook according to waffle maker directions.

**These are a VERY moist waffle so after the first one came out I cooked them a bit longer. This allowed them to be crispy on the outside and moist and fluffy on the inside. The boys ate them and love them. They had NO clue there was "cheese" in them. We liked the flavor as well and I was glad I added in some vanilla otherwise they'd be very plain tasting.

Chocolate Coconut Protein Shake

As much as I WANTED to walk to Dunkin' Donuts today for another pumpkin spice iced coffee.....I didn't. Instead I made this, I'm sure my health coach will like this choice MUCH better than the coffee!

Chocolate Coconut Protein Shake-
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 tbsp special dark cocoa powder
1 frozen banana
1 packet stevia(more to taste)
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut
1 cup milk
ice(maybe 1/2 cup?)

Place all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

**This was pretty thick and delicious! My boys LOVED it. The coconut didn't get quite as small or blended as I would have liked but my coconut pieces started out bigger.

Tasty Tuesday

Smores Whoopie Pies- Sweet Pea's Kitchen
Peanut Pretzel Granola Bars-How Sweet It Is
Cranberry Chicken Crescents-$5 Dinners
Oreo Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookies-Making Memories
Raspberry Cream Muffins-Let's Dish

Menu Plan Monday

Breakfast:
-Granola...yes, I still need to make more!
-Sausage Egg McMuffins
-eggs, fruit
*sorry breakfast is quite boring here lately....

Baking:
-Cookies....just need to decide what kind!

Dinner:
-Curried Beef, Mixed Veggies, Mashed potatoes
-Salisbury Steak, cauliflower
-Crispy Honey Lime Tilapia
-Crispy CHicken Rice Burritos
-Maple Pork Tenderloin

It's also my birthday on Saturday so chances are I'll make myself a cake! Plus I get to have yummy thai food with my aunt as well! YUM!

Apple Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

 I was looking for something to make with my 20 lbs of apples we picked a couple weeks ago. I also needed something for a bake sale at church so I went with these.

Apple Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes-
Dough:
2 cups milk
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
6 1/2 cups flour(I used white whole wheat)
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter, room temperature

FIlling:
1/4  cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 cups finely chopped apples

Heat milk to 110 degrees. Add yeast and sugar to a bowl and pour in the milk stir to dissolve. Add salt and two cups of flour and beat for two minutes. Beat in eggs and butter. Stir in the remaining flour half a cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Switch to the dough hook and knead for 2 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a towel. Place in a warm place and allow to rise for 40 mins or until dough is doubled. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.

Once dough has risen, roll out into 1/4 inch thick. Spread dough with melted butter. Mix filling ingredients together and spread over the top of the dough. Starting with the long end first, roll up dough jelly roll style.  Cut into 1 inch strips.  Take strip and fold in half to form the letter c and place into the cupcake pan.(This recipe makes about 24 cupcakes, I made 12 and put the extras in another pan like traditional cinnamon rolls), cover and allow to rise for another 40 mins. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook rolls for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp milk

Once rolls have cooled, mix glaze together and drizzle over rolls. Eat and enjoy!

**These were really tasty and a fun twist on the traditional cinnamon roll. They were also really cute in the cupcake tin. Next time I might use less sugar in the filling and make sure you mix the filling RIGHT before you are ready to put it on the dough, otherwise it makes a big mess!

Menu Plan

I have this problem...I don't seem to EVER plan out weekend meals. So then the weekend comes and I get stuck like I did tonight with NOTHING to make despite my fridge and freezer being full!

I also was having a debacle with my cake pops for 3 days...first the cake didn't cook right so I had to make a new one, then 3 bags of chocolate seized on me...sigh they finally got done but they were NOT fun to get there! I blame it on the weather! So this in turn...we ended up with some delicious pumpkin waffles for dinner...not on the plan but they worked and they were delicious as well!

Breakfast/baking:
-eggs
-oatmeal
-greek yogurt, fruit, granola(which I need to make more of)
-pumpkin (walnut) waffles

Dinner:
-Chicken Burgers on flax roll up, apple cranberry barley
-Chicken and Dumplings
-Stuffed Peppers
-Sweet Potato and Chick Pea Burgers 
-Pot Roast, Carrots, Mashed Potatoes
-Baked Potato Soup
-Chicken Pot Pie(if I get my pastry cutter back from a friend!)

Pear Almond Bread

I had some pears I needed to use up...and I've also been meeting with a health coach and she told me to eat more protein so this had greek yogurt and almonds in it so that helps bump up the health factors!

Pear Almond Bread-Will Cook for Smiles
2 pears grated, and lightly squeezed
1 cup almonds, chopped
1 1/4 cup flour(I used white whole wheat)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease loaf pan.

In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients including the almonds. In another bowl, whisk eggs and add in the melted butter(make sure it's not hot!) Whisk in yogurt and vanilla. Add in pear. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ones.  Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake for 50-55 mins until a toothpick comes out clean.

**This bread is very moist and flavorful. The almonds added a nice crunch to it as well. I tried to get a picture of this...but we ate it all before I had a chance to!

Tasty Tuesday-9/27

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Muffins-Taste and Tell
Cheddar Chili Cornbread Pasta Bake-How Sweet It Is
Homemade White Chocolate Chips-Heavenly Homemakers
Cheesy Stuffed Meatball Sliders-How Sweet It Is
Rosemary Olive Oil Potato Bread-What Megan's Making
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna-Gina's Skinny Dish
Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers-Sweet Luvin in the Kitchen

Menu Plan Monday

Here's the menu for the week...I do have a church bake sale this weekend but I'm having a hard time deciding what to make. I think I'm going to at least make some pumpkin or apple cake pops, IF I can borrow the church's freezer as mine is STUFFED full!


Breakfast/Baking:
-Cottage Cheese Waffles
-Protein Bars
-Egg McMuffins
-Cake Pops(not sure if I'll do red velvet or a yellow/funfetti cake yet)

Dinner:
-Mini BBQ Cheesy  Meatloaf, cheesy chive potatoes, mixed veggies
- Almond Chicken, Barley with Apples and Raisins, Green bean almondine
-Steak Fajita Salad, Garlic Bread
-Beer Battered Pizza
-Chili and corn muffins

Crispy Honey Lime Tilapia

 We are trying to get more fish into our diet and we recently discovered Tilapia...we also like cod. This sounded delicious when I found the recipe and couldn't wait to try it!

Crispy Honey Lime Tilapia-How Sweet It Is
1 lb tilapia filets, patted dry
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp lime zest
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
1/3 cup flour
2 tbsp olive oil
honey and lime zest for garnish

Place 2 tbsp oil, honey, lime juice, zest, and garlic into resealable bag. Place fish inside and marinate for one hour.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in pan until hot. Season fish with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Once oil is hot add fish and fry until golden brown. Flip and continue to cook on other side. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. Drizzle with additional honey and lime zest.


*This was BY FAR THE BEST FISH I've ever had! I can't wait to have it again. It was flavorful and crispy on the outside! YUM-O

Nutella Dip

I was looking for a new kind of fruit dip and I found this one night so I knew we had to try it! I made it for my pampered chef party over the weekend and it was a HIT! It was also very easy to make.

Nutella Dip-The Family Kitchen
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup nutella


Mix together and chill until ready to use! I served it with strawberries, raspberries, pineapple, pretzels, and graham crackers.

**Everyone LOVED this dip! I was so glad to see there was some leftover! This will be made again at least the nutella had nice healthy dose of protein with the yogurt!

Apple Cider Punch

(Picture courtesy of Eat Drink Pretty)

Roaming around on Pinterest I discovered this recipe for a punch. I liked that it didn't have "fake" or sugary juice in it. I'm always looking for delcious punch recipes for something different to serve at get togethers and this fit the bill!

Apple Cider Punch-Eat Drink Pretty 
6 cups apple cider
2 cups orange juice,cranberry raspberry juice, orange mango juice(I used mango/peach/orange)
1 bottle sparlking white grape juice(or sparkling wine)
1/2 cup lemon juice(omitted)

Start with cold ingredients. Add to serving container and stir. Enjoy!

**When I first tasted this I thought it was too sweet/strong so I added in some club soda. It worked perfectly and it was delicious! It was a hit with the adults and kids alike.