If you haven't noticed from my past posts, I love chocolate cake of most every kind. Growing up I LOVED choolate marshmallow ice cream (and still do) so when I saw a cake version, I knew I had to try it out. I've changed it a few times but I think this version is the … Continue reading Chocolate Marshmallow cake
Pork Carnitas
Here's a version that I threw together based on a couple of recipes I had been seeing. I also used the pressure cook function on my Insta Pot for the first time. I was not impressed as a slow cooker, but man this was done in 30 minutes in that thing! Call me a believer, … Continue reading Pork Carnitas
Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake
Right? Take a look at this YUMMY cake....one of the best new things I've made in quite a while. I don't bake much, mostly because I like to improvise in the kitchen, and baking does not lend itself to making stuff up as you go. That being said, I can't believe I've never made one … Continue reading Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake
Raspberry Almond White cake
Baking is something I don't do a ton of. I find it time consuming, and you have to concentrate the whole time you are doing it. Baking is also not very forgiving... if you don't get things precise you can end up with a disaster coming out of the oven. Cooking, however, you can make … Continue reading Raspberry Almond White cake
Braised Beef Shanks
I love these kinds of winter dinners....put things together early in the day, and mostly forget about it. There's not much to do to finish it up and get it on the table either. The ingredients are things I usually have hanging around, so nothing too out of the ordinary you have to go track … Continue reading Braised Beef Shanks
Lasagna Stuffed Peppers
I'm back with another no wheat meal - Lasagna stuffed peppers. I am not usually a fan of the traditional sutffed peppers, the ones with rice and ground beef. They seem kind of boring and bland to me. I saw a version of these on Rao's social media (products from their famous New York restaurant). … Continue reading Lasagna Stuffed Peppers
Chicken Pizza with Beet Salad
What's a girl to do when she wants PIZZA, but is trying to avoid carbs and wheat? Chicken pizza of course! This is a great way to get all the flavors you love from your favorite pizza toppings without a lot of extra heaviness from the dough. It's not really even a recipe...it's more a … Continue reading Chicken Pizza with Beet Salad
Bourbon Slush
Over the holiday break, we spent some time making new bourbon drinks. For some reason, I love bourbon during the cooler months, summer not so much. This was by far everyone's favorite of the 5 or 6 we tried. Even my mom (who does not drink much) liked it, though we had to tone it … Continue reading Bourbon Slush
Chicken Poblano Soup
Soup season is upon us, and I'm pretty happy about that. During the fall and winter months I usually make a pot of chili or soup at least once a week. It makes me feel good to have something nice and hot around to have for lunch or dinner. This creamy chicken and poblano soup … Continue reading Chicken Poblano Soup
Cheese potatoes
I find I find it difficult sometimes to make a casserole type dish for just a few people, and something like cheese potatoes is especially hard for me to do. I created this recipe for when I had my whole family here, and they love these things. It's usually a 13x9 dish, but I set … Continue reading Cheese potatoes
Product review – InstaPot
Yeah, I know I'm behind on trying this one. Truth is I've never been a fan of a pressure cooker. I remember my mom and grandma canning green beans in one. The noise and the heat was such a turn off that I think I just tried to ignore this new contraption. Sure, some of … Continue reading Product review – InstaPot
Seafood Boil
A seafood boil is a great summertime party food that's as much fun to make as it is to eat. All the prep is done in advance and then all that's left is the cooking. My family - especially my dad - absolutely loves this meal. Here's a good base, but it's easy to change … Continue reading Seafood Boil
Cheesecake with Mixed Berry Sauce
Cool and creamy cheesecake is one of my all time favorite summer desserts. If you want to make it for a get-together, this dessert is for you since you really need to make it a day ahead of time. You can dress it up with sauces or whipped cream (or both like I do), or … Continue reading Cheesecake with Mixed Berry Sauce
Eggs Benedict
Eggs Benedict is really nothing more than an English muffin topped with some Canadian bacon, a poached egg and creamy hollandaise sauce. This is one of my absolute favorite breakfast foods, and I am being serous this time. I just started eating this as an adult, out at some random brunch one morning. I was … Continue reading Eggs Benedict
Weeknight Chicken Enchiladas
During the week when I am busy working, this is a short cut way for us to have a comforting dish without a lot of prep or work on my part. If you want to get a rotisserie chicken and just use a good quality can of peppers it gets even easier. I do make … Continue reading Weeknight Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken and Mushroom Crepes
Last week my husband asked me for a meal that I hadn't made in a quite a while. This dish was originally made with canned cream of mushroom soup - which I try to avoid due to the sodium content - but with the uncertainty of what is going to be available at the grocery … Continue reading Chicken and Mushroom Crepes
Croissant French Toast – yes please!
French toast is a one of my favorite Sunday breakfast items ever. It's easier than pancakes, fluffy like a waffle without having to break out the waffle iron and goes great with bacon or sausage. What's not to like? This is an easy version that's a little elevated from regular sandwich bread - which I … Continue reading Croissant French Toast – yes please!
Basic Fresh Salsa
I am a salsa junkie, I am happy to admit it. I love a good fresh salsa, but I'm not really a fan of many of them in a jar. I'm not sure if it's the vinegar that's sometimes added, or the fact that some of them are cooked and it changes the fresh taste? … Continue reading Basic Fresh Salsa
Product review – Silicone pans with pineapple upside down cake
I bought these nonstick silicone cups a while back to make chocolate lava cakes - which are totally yummy but that's for another post. I've been looking for another cute and fun way to use them. I considered breakfast omelet, but those aren't as fun as a cake, right? I saw pineapple upside down cakes … Continue reading Product review – Silicone pans with pineapple upside down cake
Sunday Bolognese
I love to find a dish to make for dinner on Sunday nights that take me a while to put together. This homemade Bolognese sauce with tagliatelle pasta fits that bill perfectly. It's relaxing to me. I take my time prepping and cooking, usually with a nice glass of red wine within reach. This dish … Continue reading Sunday Bolognese
Cheddar and Jalapeno Cornbread
This is a quick and very tasty corn bread that you can whip up to go with soups or stews in no time at all. It's got pretty regular ingredients that you probably have hanging around in your pantry and fridge. This is based on a recipe from Ina Garten, but my hubby doesn't care … Continue reading Cheddar and Jalapeno Cornbread
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Emeril Lagasse turned me on to gumbo when I first saw him on TV years ago. I have since spent some time in Louisiana for work and some vacations and I am sorry that I didn't find this dish sooner in life. New Orleans is one of the best food cities that I have ever … Continue reading Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Vegetable Beef Soup – the old fashioned version
I call this "old fashioned" because it's a recipe that started with my grandma, who we called "Nana". She used to make this for us and some of the things I remember about it is that she would meticulously cut the carrots into matchsticks, and the pot she made it in was enormous. When I've … Continue reading Vegetable Beef Soup – the old fashioned version
Spicy shrimp tacos
Sometimes I feel like I'm on a never ending quest with this low wheat lifestyle I'm trying to embrace. Tonight I wanted something easy and spicy and thought some spicy shrimp tacos would do the trick. I had some corn tortillas laying around so I thought I'd use those up. I saw a couple of … Continue reading Spicy shrimp tacos
Fish fillets in tomato butter sauce
In keeping with my efforts to eat healthier, I am trying to make friends with fish fillets. I am all for a good lobster tail or some shrimp cocktail. I am totally up of a real crab cake, but fillets of fish and I haven't always gotten along. I need a sauce and some good … Continue reading Fish fillets in tomato butter sauce
Chicken Parmesan
I LOVE a good piece of chicken parmesan, and it's so easy to make at home. This is not the traditional stacked, baked, and (sometimes overly) sauced version I have had out at restaurants. While that's not always terrible, I like my chicken parm to be more crispy and cheesy, so I came up with … Continue reading Chicken Parmesan
Potato Skin Tacos
I'm still trying to avoid wheat, so I've been trying some new ways to fix some of my favorite things, like tacos! This isn't exactly low fat or carb, but there's no wheat in site so I thought I would go for it. I lightened up the taco meat filling by using half beef and … Continue reading Potato Skin Tacos
Spicy Pimento cheese – great for game day!
I found pimento cheese while we were living down south and let me tell you, I'm now an official fan for life. I mean, who can't find some way to eat this versatile cheese spread? Crackers - check! Celery - check! Pimento cheese sandwich on some soft white bread - check! Taco chips - check! … Continue reading Spicy Pimento cheese – great for game day!
Seafood Risotto
My sister has asked me to make her some seafood risotto for her (very belated) birthday dinner. When she asked, I could not remember if I had ever made a seafood risotto, although I was sure I'd made other types of risotto. So I decided to do a little practice just to make sure I … Continue reading Seafood Risotto
Antipasto salad…no bread needed!
I am all about a good antipasto dish, usually with a nice (big) bottle of red wine hanging around too. I love cheese, salami, some pickled veggies and olives, maybe some good fruit chutney and a lot of bread to go along with that. We are still trying to avoid carbs and wheat, so I … Continue reading Antipasto salad…no bread needed!
Spaghetti squash…I finally tried it…..
I may be behind the curve a little bit here, but I made spaghetti squash for the first time today for lunch. I think I was put off by how to start preparing it, so I never really messed with it. I mean, it's (usually) a big, hard, odd shaped lump that I had no … Continue reading Spaghetti squash…I finally tried it…..
(Lower Carb) Baked Potato Soup
In keeping with our effort to avoid wheat and reduce our carbohydrate intake, I have been rereading a lot of my cookbooks. I found a recipe for baked potato soup in Skinnytaste that looked promising. Basically it was a swap out of cauliflower for some of the potatoes, and low fat milk and stock for … Continue reading (Lower Carb) Baked Potato Soup
Minced Beef and Noodles
A while back I made a huge pan of this for some friends as part of a care package. Since then I've been asked for the recipe, so here it is. I make this version in my crock pot, but you can bake this off in the oven, about 3 hours at 350 degrees if … Continue reading Minced Beef and Noodles
Christmas Cocktails
It's the holiday season and that means pretty cocktails, and lots of them! Here are three easy and tasty drinks you can make up for yourself, or a group of friends that you really like. We were out for a relaxing Friday night when my husband Dave asked our bartender for a peppermint martini. Well, … Continue reading Christmas Cocktails
Pizza Rollups
Whenever I need an easy tailgate or football party food I go for these handy roll ups. They are easy, versatile and you can eat them room temperature which are all good party food qualities. There's not really a recipe for these, it's more like a list of ingredients to assemble. First off, grab some … Continue reading Pizza Rollups
Beef Strogonoff
Lets face it....I love anything with a pot roast vibe to it. Gravy and meat...what could be better during the fall and winter? Bonus - I make most of these in my crock pot too, so having this kind of dish on a week night is pretty easy to get done. This is another old … Continue reading Beef Strogonoff
Blueberry Cake with Lemon Glaze
Behold!!!! A moist and delicious breakfast coffee cake! Plus it looks pretty with my PW coffee cup. Lol! I have a bunch of Michigan blueberries in my freezer that I need to use up, so I went to my breakfast tab on Pinterest to see what I had out there. This delicious blueberry cake is … Continue reading Blueberry Cake with Lemon Glaze
Thanksgiving week planning: The struggle is real people!
Table set ahead of time - check!! Call me a freak, but I enjoy making the Thanksgiving meal. I love this holiday because it's all the fabulous food and none of the pressure of presents of Christmas. You just make a great lunch/dinner and that's it, nap time and a sandwich later. Plus there's football … Continue reading Thanksgiving week planning: The struggle is real people!
Basic Midwest Chili
My mom has been making this basic chili for as long as I can remember. When the cold weather starts moving in here and I start craving chili, this is what I want. Not to be confused with Cincinnati Chili because that's a whole different yet equally delicious thing. Beef, onions, several types of tomato … Continue reading Basic Midwest Chili
Road trip! Pawhuska, OK – Land of The Pioneer Woman
Last week my mom, sister and I went on a road trip to check out Pawhuska, OK where Ree Drummond - aka The Pioneer Woman - lives, works and cooks up some really great food! On busy weekends in the summer the size of the town can double due to all the visitors. The locals … Continue reading Road trip! Pawhuska, OK – Land of The Pioneer Woman
Homemade ricotta cheese
I never knew how easy it would be to make cheese until I tried homemade ricotta. I didn't used to been a fan of ricotta until I started making it myself. Don't get me wrong, I still use premade ricotta in some things when I need a lot, like in my lasagna. I'd rather use … Continue reading Homemade ricotta cheese
Acorn Squash
This pretty little acorn squash just looks like fall to me. I am trying to incorporate some new seasonal veggies while I'm trying to avoid all my favorite carbs, so I thought I'd give a new squash a try. Acorn squash you are up! My husband is pretty good about accepting my tour off the … Continue reading Acorn Squash
Coconut Cupcakes
I have a binder that is just a copy of recipes from my maternal grandmother (aka Nana) that I browse through quite a bit. It's typed from an old typewriter, and we think these are recipes she got from getting books from the library and copying them down for her to make later. I'm pretty … Continue reading Coconut Cupcakes
Crock Pot Liners – are they worth it??
I make a ton of stuff in my crockpot, especially this time of year. Pot roast, minced beef and noodles, all kinds of pork dishes, and beef stroganoff all will see my crockpot multiple times this fall and winter. In the last 6 months or so I have started using those crock pot liners and … Continue reading Crock Pot Liners – are they worth it??
Strawberry stuffed donuts…why not?!?!
Yes, these are REALLY good!!! I'm beginning to think maybe I need to find some new shows to watch. This little creation was a result of me seeing a version of it on one of the "Best Thing I Ever..." shows. I do not have the time or the motivation to run to California where … Continue reading Strawberry stuffed donuts…why not?!?!
Farmer’s market finds… Peppers
I LOVE a good farmer's market! And by "farmer's market", I mean the markets that are run by the family that owns and works the land the products are from, and you can usually hear chickens in the background. I'm not really into these suburban craft and pre-made products markets, although they do have some … Continue reading Farmer’s market finds… Peppers
Pumpkin Cheesecake
What you are seeing in the pictures above, is my expeiment on pumpkin cheesecake. A freind asked for it for her birthday, so I thought I'd take a run at it. I researched several different recipes, and then I put what I liked about them in and went for it. This has all the flavors … Continue reading Pumpkin Cheesecake
Roasted Tomato Soup
What's better than tomato soup on a cold and rainy day? The problem is that the tomatoes are best in the summer when I am not interested in eating hot soup. I've developed a great recipe that allows you to make a bunch in the summer when tomatoes are at their best, and keep it … Continue reading Roasted Tomato Soup
Individual BBQ Meatloaves
Yes, this is a thing....and it's delicious. I've seen a couple of versions all over food TV so I thought I'd make one up myself. It's something different from your everyday meatloaf, so give it a try. Plus anything is good with mac and cheese. Feel free to use your favorite BBQ sauce and mix … Continue reading Individual BBQ Meatloaves
Italian Cheese Board
One of my good friends had a wine tasting last weekend. I made this board for us to have some snacks during (and after!) the presentation. I really just chose things I knew most of us liked and tried to make them look interesting (and yummy) on the board. I like putting things that have … Continue reading Italian Cheese Board
Amy’s Kitchen 