Good food doesn't need to be so complicated!
Welcome to the June Recipe Round-Up! This months round-up brings you recipes in honor of our dads….because Father’s Day is coming soon! Our bloggers are sharing their favorite recipes that remind them of their dads or recipes their dads love, from breakfast to dinner to dessert. Come check out what we are bringing you this month! Plus we have another amazing GIVEAWAY that you don’t want to miss!!…
This post was sponsored by Dave’s Killer Bread as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
I’ll admit, I’m a bread snob. It’s not only because I’m an avid baker. The majority of sliced bagged bread that you find in the store is equivalent to cardboard. Seriously.
I’ll share a funny (actually not so funny) story with you. A friend’s son did a science fair project a few years back. He was studying molds on breads. He wanted to see how it long it took various types of breads to grow mold. Various samples included homemade white bread, homemade wheat, store bought sliced white and wheat.
The homemade breads, as you would expect, grew mold within a weeks time.
The store bought white and wheat NEVER grew mold. In 6 weeks time – the breads never grew mold. Eeeeek!!!!
I will NEVER forget that when I shop for bread.
Back to my bread snob status. I would love to bake every loaf of bread my family eats – but it doesn’t happen. I’m shooting about 70/30 – in favor of store bought. That’s life. So when I buy sliced bread, which is a main part of many of our meals, I make sure it’s not just an empty filler lacking nutrition. Oh, and I prefer to skip the mystery preservatives of those cardboard immortal type breads.
So I’d like to introduce you to a bread that is SUPER nutritious & delicious. The bread that I buy – the bread that I feed my family. I LOVE it! Say hello to Dave’s Killer Bread. I’ve been a fan of this bread, and the bagels, for quite some time.
Dave’s Killer Bread is the #1 selling organic bread brand in the country. Still not familiar with it?
Every loaf of Dave’s Killer Bread is USDA organic and Non-GMO project verified. My personal favorite – Dave’s Killer Bread’s 21 Whole Grains and Seeds – is loaded with 5 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, 250 mg of Omega-3, and 22 grains whole grains. Oh, and that’s just the nutritional stats for one slice!
Seriously, that makes a slice of bread one killer breakfast. That ho-hum cold cut sandwich at lunch – it’s now seriously nutritious. Dinner…the possibilities are an endless powerhouse.
Not only is Dave’s Killer Bread’s 21 Whole Grains and Seeds good for you – it’s absolutely delicious! It’s hearty, filling and has just a touch of that homemade sweetness.
This bread isn’t something you’ll have to hunt down at a health food store. You’ll find a full selection of Dave’s Killer Bread’s while your shopping at your local Walmart.
I know there’s a million different sandwiches I could make with this bread…but today I’ll share one.
The “Rachel”. It’s the Reuben’s lighter sister – perfect for warm weather eats. Sliced turkey, a fresh & simple coleslaw, Swiss cheese, thousand island dressing – oh, and maybe a slice of avocado or some bacon if you’re feeling extra adventurous.
Happy Eats!
-Amanda-
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cooked Perfect® Fresh Meatballs for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
The weather is slowly starting to warm up. The winter hibernation is just about over and the hustle & bustle of warm and sunny days will begin.
Each year it seems like I’m everywhere but in the house during warm weather. So much work to do outside. So many places to go, be and see.
Less time in the house means less time in the kitchen. Preparing meals from scratch can be timely, but I still try to get it done as much as possible.
Some days though – it’s just not happening. I try my best to stay away from fast foods and heavily processed prepared foods.
I keep my kitchen stocked with ingredients to keep myself from falling into unhealthy mealtime scenarios. Ingredients that can be easily tossed together for last minute, quick cooking meals.
I recently discovered Cooked Perfect Fresh Meatballs. They are fresh and homemade without being homemade by you!
Cooked Perfect Fresh Meatballs are fully cooked and ready to heat. Seriously. They’re perfectly packed in a Microwave Steam in Pouch. About two minutes in the microwave and you have a flame broiled meatball, LOADED with flavor, ready to add to your quick culinary creations.
Cooked Perfect Fresh Meatballs are all natural, with no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Something you can feel good about feeding your family.
You’ll find Cooked Perfect Fresh Meatballs in 6 mouthwatering flavors in the refrigerated meat & poultry section at your local grocery store. There’s something for everyone – for every meal idea and flavor combination.
I’ll admit – I grabbed all the available flavors at my store. I tried them all – and they tasted fantastic as a stand alone. My favorite was Sundried Tomato & Roasted Garlic Chicken.
Cooked Perfect Fresh Meatballs make it simple to make a quick and complete meal. I cooked some pasta, dumped in some tomato sauce and added sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers and a bag of shredded cheese. I threw the meatballs in the microwave and tossed them into the pot of pasta. That’s it! Served with a salad & bread – dinner is complete.
Here’s to keeping junk food off your dinner table!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Amanda ♥
Welcome to the May Recipe Round-Up! This months round-up brings you recipes in honor of our moms….because Mother’s Day is coming soon! Our bloggers are sharing their favorite recipes that remind them of their moms or favorite recipes of their moms, from breakfast to dinner to dessert. Come check out what we are bringing you this month! Plus another GIVEAWAY!!…
This post was sponsored by Thyme & Table. All thoughts & opinions are always my own. #WhatAGoodThyme
Hello Spring ♥
I’m in gear to get all things springtime going, but I think we’re officially in our 3rd winter here in Pennsylvania. *Sigh*…it’s snowing again. Fingers crossed for warm sunny days & soon!
I usually bake nonstop during the winter months – this year I took a bit of a break from it. I was definitely feeling soups, stews and hearty comfort foods during these colder months.
We had a few warm days and all of a sudden I’m craving fruits, berries and baked goods. I’m ready to bake!
Plus I’ve been staring at all these bright, fun & too cool utensils from Thyme & Table. I want to chop, whisk, mix, scrape – I want to get busy in the kitchen with all these pretty utensils!
Thyme & Table is a new line of fun, colorful & affordable kitchen utensils available at Walmart. All the pieces are so funky, fun yet functional! I love the pop of color these utensils have added to my kitchen and know everyone else will as well. I’m thinking Mother’s Day, gift baskets, housewarming presents – I’ve got gift ideas covered for awhile!!!
I’ll admit, some of my kitchen utensils are a bit beat up and overdue to be replaced. My daughter tells me all my kitchen stuff is so “old fashioned” – so this fun & fresh change was needed!
Back to baking! Craving fruit, I found a decent selection of berries at a local grocery store and grabbed one of everything they had. I happily left with strawberries, blueberries & blackberries.
I knew I wanted to bake a galette. I love, love, LOVE galettes! They’re beautiful, rustic and so perfectly simple.
I made my own pastry dough here. It’s simple, so when you have the time – definitely go for it. When you don’t have the time, grab some of that premade pastry dough. It will turn out delicious either way.
I try to keep the sugar to a minimum when working with fresh fruits & berries. Unfortunately, none of these berries were particularly ripe, sweet or juicy – so I added a bit more sugar than I might normally.
Please know that galettes are so forgiving – so eager to please! They really beg to be every bakers best friend! I sloppily rolled out the dough – egdes all messy & uneven. Guess what – it adds more character. I had a bit of berry lava oozing out one corner while baking. Easy fix – I just spooned that sweet lava over the galette while it was cooling.
Warm sunny days and springtime baking – I’m ready for you ♥
Thanks so much for stopping by!
-Amanda-
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Food Lion for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
I really do want to be an organized & prepared shopper. Each week I have the best intentions to cut coupons, make shopping lists, take a look at store sales, plan, be a smart shopper – you know, save money.
It just never works out that way.
I’m busy. I get sidetracked. I’m scatterbrained. I always have a million different things to do – I’m like a whirlwind going in a million different directions all day. This is life.
My grocery trips usually end up to be last minute. Like we just ran out of milk, bread and whatever my toddler decides she’s currently willing to eat. Oh, and since I’m at the store – let me do some grocery shopping for the the week.
No list. No coupons. Not much direction. Just trying to grab what I need, or guess I might need, and get out.
Luckily, Food Lion’s Shop & Earn Program and app do all that smart shopper stuff for me. I log in, and EVERYTHING is right there for me on my phone – even the card itself. Coupons I can load to my card, the stores weekly flyer, special sales, my earned rewards, recipes, my shopping history and even….get this…a shopping list I can create!
What’s great about the Food Lion’s Shop & Earn program is that it’s customized for me and rewards me for what I buy. I get reward dollars for things I buy in certain categories – not specific products or brands.
That’s really why many store rewards programs don’t work for me. Most programs are designed to push you to buy certain brands or products. With Food Lion’s Shop & Earn program I have the freedom to shop the way I want, and get rewarded for buying the things I want to buy.
For example. You earn dollar rewards for purchasing certain amounts in “Cleaning, Paper and Laundry”, “Meat and Seafood Department”, “Deli/Bakery Department”, “Dairy Department”, “Produce Department”, “Frozen Foods” & “Candy/Gum”. So you’re earning dollar rewards for your regular shopping!
During my last Food Lion shopping trip I stopped in to grab a few things for a quick dinner.
Food Lion has an awesome meat department and I was happy to find New York Strip Steaks on sale! Dinner was decided that easily.
I headed to the organic section and found a selection of all kinds of goodies – plus some stuff I needed for a quick marinade.
I hit up the produce department and grabbed some veggies to go along with our steaks – potatoes and asparagus are my go to sides for a steak.
Oh, and the bakery. I can’t leave without a fresh loaf of bread.
Onto our dinner. I do pretty much all the cooking in our home. Except steaks – my husband is the steak guy. Be it grilled or broiled – he makes the perfect steak – every single time.
He makes the simplest marinade with basic, on hand ingredients. He pours the ingredients into ziploc bags, shakes it up, and tosses the steaks in. After an hour or two, occasionally flipping the bags around, the steaks are ready to grill. I personally prefer to use as least plastic as possible, so I marinade in bowls or glass baking pans, flipping the steaks a few times.
Dinner made simple, delicious and at a great price!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Amanda ♥
This post was sponsored by Mahon-Menorca Cheese. As always, all thoughts & opinions are my own. #MahonCheese
Cheese – making & tasting – is one of the most delicious forms of art.
The more you search, the more you explore, the more you find. It’s a taste exploration I will never tire of!
I had the recent pleasure of tasting a new cheese – one I was completely unfamiliar with. This is always so exciting to me!
Introducing Mahon-Menorca Cheese. This cheese is ONLY made on the Island of Menorca, the Baleric Islands, Spain. Mahon-Menorca Cheese is a product with Protected Designation of Origin (P.D.O). To qualify for a P.D.O, the product must have qualities and characteristics which are essentially due to it’s geographical area of production. It must also be produced, processed and prepared exclusively within that area.
The history of cheese on Menorca dates back to prehistoric times. The process of making Mahon-Menorca Cheese has remained very much unchanged the past thousand years. Fresh milk is used from livestock grazing freely within the landscape of Menorcan countryside. After that the Menorcan wind, humidity and sunlight – together with the human element – give the cheese it’s unmistakable flavor.
There are 3 varieties of Mahon-Menorca Cheese:
Tender : Soft. Yellowish-white in color, with very little developed crust. Soft & creamy. It’s flavor is milky with a slight reminiscence of butter and an acidulous touch.
Semi Cured : Characteristic and unmistakable. The rind is an orange color or brownish-grey if it is a farmhouse cheese. It has a firm texture and is easily sliced and it is a yellowish/ivory colour. It has a variable number of small holes, distributed irregularly. It’s milky taste & flavors are more developed, with slight buttery reminiscences of toasted nuts & dried fruit. It presents a moderately persistent aftertaste.
Cured : A delicacy for cheese lovers. It’s texture is firm and hard, less creamy and in an advanced curing state it breaks & flakes upon being cut. The taste and aroma are very developed, complex and intense with a long persistent aftertaste. Has hints of old wood, tanned leather or a wine cellar.
When tasting new cheeses – I always opt for simplicity first. Cheese with an appropriate wine pairing. I found Spanish Tempranillo and Rioja wines to be a lovely match for all three cheeses.
I found the tender cheese to be a lovely light bite to eat drizzled with local raw honey and paired with wine.
I was inspired by a recipe from Mahon-Menorca Cheese. This tasty little tapa was simple to put together – semi cured cheese, cherry tomatoes and a quick olive tapenade.
As for the Cured Mahon-Menorca Cheese, I enjoyed each glorious nibble of it with a glass of wine. I loved all varieties of Mahon-Menorca Cheese – but the cured was definitely my favorite!
Here’s to all things cheeeeese!
Buen provecho!
Amanda ♥
You can find Mahon-Menorca in the USA at Fairway, West Side Market, Gourmet Garage, Saveway, Wholefoods, Kroger, Costco, Central Markets, Central and Town & Country Markets or your local cheesemonger.
This month is all about family favorite recipes from our bloggers. And we have also added three new bloggers to our group, as well as increased the number of recipes our bloggers are linking up, to give you even more recipes each month. Oh…and there’s also a fabulous giveaway too. Scroll to the bottom to enter, after you check out the recipes we are sharing this month!…
I’ve shared a few low carb & diabetes-friendly recipes so far and have received a tremendous response. I’ve been making an effort to get more posted – I promise!
When I make protein bars like this, I like to focus on meal replacement instead of snacks. Having a diabetic in the household, I understand how important it is to eat each meal. We also live in reality over here, where there may not always be time to make a wholesome breakfast or lunch gets skipped. Having a ready to go, healthy protein bar that is filling & not loaded with sugar and carbs is vital.
You can easily cut these bars in half or quarters for snack size, I just calculate numbers for what I feel would make a suitable meal replacement.
I’ve shared a similar protein bar using coconut flour and I’ve gotten a lot of constructive feedback on the recipe. ( I love you all – and I love the feedback ♥ )
Some readers have shared with me that they routinely see a spike in their blood sugar after eating coconut flour. Also, some folks love the texture of raw coconut flour, others – not so much.
Although I love using coconut flour, I skipped it on this bar. Cream cheese and almond flour give this bar a creamier, almost dessert like texture. Like a healthy peanut butter cheesecake ♥
I’ll mention this each time – the protein powder you use here is key. The protein powder I use contains 4 grams carbs & 26 grams protein per scoop / 36 grams. You’ll find protein powders with lower carbs & much higher carb counts. Paying attention and reading labels are always a must!
Another reminder – sugar is sugar. I’ve talked about this before when it comes to fad diets, “healthy eating” and such – but again – sugar is sugar. Be it granulated sugar, turbinado sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup, honey, agave, applesauce, molasses – whatever – it all translates to sugar when consumed.
The small amount of artificial sweetener really goes unnoticed in this recipe. It adds just a touch of sweetness. If you don’t do artificial sweeteners, feel free to use your preferred sweetener. Or skip the sweetener all together.
I always get a lot of questions in regards to subbing coconut oil in recipes and I understand people have reservations with it. Butter should swap out fine in this recipe.
This recipe takes just a few minutes to mix up. Throw a few ingredients in a bowl, microwave, and mix everything else in. Easy peasy. No food processor required – I love an easy clean up.
Here’s to a quick, simple, delicious and low carb protein bar that will fill you up! Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by ♥
-Amanda-
