Simple Dark Chocolate Bark (Lower Carb)

One of my personal goals has been to eat less sugar, lower carb (notice that says LOWER not LOW or NON...Haha), and still enjoy life on occasion. Mostly fueled by my desire to feel better health wise. But, let's be honest...this girl still needs a good dose of chocolate. Enter lower carb treats. Until recently, I didn't realized that there was a thing such as low sugar (and sugar free) dark chocolate chips that actually taste good. Scratch that. They taste BETTER. Not kidding!

Anyway, this super easy lower carb Dark Chocolate Bark whips up in minutes and can be ready to devour in half an hour.

Easy Low(er) Carb Dark Chocolate Chip Bark

1 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips (Low Sugar or Sugar Free --Enjoy Life or Lily's works great for this)
1 teaspoon peanut butter (optional)
1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
1/4 Cup Slivered almonds
Sea Salt (to taste)

In a large microwaveable mug, melt chocolate chips and coconut oil in 30 second intervals. Stir between each interval until chips are melted Immediately add peanut butter. Mix well. Spread mix onto wax paper (I lined a square casserole dish with wax paper). Sprinkle almonds and sea salt. Freeze for 30 minutes.

You will want to set the bark out for a few minutes, then break apart and store in the fridge. Mine stored well for three days.

Happy chocolate-ing!!

Simple Garlic Butter Shrimp

Originally published 2017

I really love shrimp. And butter.

It just says classic spring meal to me...made even more perfect when served out on the back patio!

Garlic Butter Shrimp

1lb. Shrimp
1/4 cup Butter, cubed
1 Tablespoon crushed garlic
1/2 teaspoon steakhouse seasoning (I used Colton's All Purpose)
Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper (to taste)

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and mix well. Let simmer for a few minutes to meld flavors.

Next, pour garlic butter over shrimp. Make sure to evenly coat each piece. Then bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 350.

Broil for an additional 5-10 minutes. Watch closely.

Serve with a little cracked pepper, seasoning of choice and voila!

So easy. So good!

Blueberry Maple Scones

I love easy recipes that uses simple, yet fresh ingredients, and these scones were the perfect example of that.

We had a little tea party with a few friends last week, which prompted me to make a batch of scones served with real whipped cream. I've tried many scone recipes over the years, and I always prefer the more rustic variations. Slightly brown on the edges, soft and bursting with berries! I confess, this recipe uses both maple syrup and sugar...yet it doesn't taste overly sweet. The trick here is to make sure you cover them foil while baking so they don't get too brown. Maple syrup tends to do that in baked goods. 

Care for the recipe? Pour a cup of tea, a pot of cream, and enjoy!

Blueberry Maple Scones

3 Cups All-Purpose Flour

3/4 Cup Maple Syrup

3/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1/2 Cup Cold Butter

1 Cup Fresh Berries

2 Large Eggs

2 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla

1/2 Cup Sour Cream

1 - 2 Tablespoons Milk

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients and butter. Cut the butter up and mix with dry ingredients until mixture becomes crumbly.

In a separate bowl, mix eggs, vanilla, maple syrup and sour cream. Pour into dry ingredients and mix well. Add 1 - 2 Tablespoons of Milk or until mixture becomes moist and sticky. Very gently add blueberries. 

Using a large ice scream scooper (or 1/4 cup scoop) gently plop onto baking pan.

Brush with a bit of milk and sprinkle course sugar on top.

Bake at 325 for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Be sure to pin the recipe!

Christmas M&M Cookies!

Our church hosted a Festival of Nativity night, and it was so much fun! A first for us, actually. They also had a chili and dessert dinner. I took one of my favorite cookies--pudding cookies--and added Christmas M&M's...because red and green M&M's makes everything taste better, right?

Christmas M&M Cookies (a.k.a Pudding Cookies)

1 Cup Butter, softened
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Eggs
1 3.4 oz Pkg. Instant Vanilla Pudding
1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt
2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 1/2 Cups M&M's

In a bowl, beat together butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs until creamy. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until the dough becomes soft and well incorporated.

Roll into balls by the tablespoon. Be sure to spray your pan with Pam! Then bake for 10-11 minutes at 375. Let them stand for at least one minute before moving onto a plate or cookie sheet.

Enjoy!

Easy Sprinkle Cookies

I *love* sprinkle cookies. I can't remember where I had them for the first time, but they've become a staple at our birthday parties and small get together's with friends. I like them soft and with lots of sprinkles!!! So, I thought I'd share my favorite recipe (so far) of this yummy treat!

Easy Sprinkle Cookies

1 Box of Cake Mix (The kind with sprinkles in the mix)
2 Tablespoons Flour
1/2 Cup Sprinkles
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Eggs

Topping:
1/4 Cup Sprinkles

Pre-Heat Oven to 350. Mix ingredients together until a soft dough forms. Roll into balls using a teaspoon and *very* lightly flatten. Add additional sprinkles to the top. Bake for 9 minutes, then pull them out and let them sit in the pan for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the cookies have set. Transfer to cookie holder.

Enjoy!

Simple Crustless Quiche

I have developed a bad habit over the year: skipping breakfast or worse...eating junk food.

I know, I know. It has been one of my goals this year to start my day off with a healthy, filling breakfast. I've been doing good now that I learned an easy trick: Bulk Cooking! The idea is to make meals that you can eat off throughout the week. For me personally, this only works for breakfast.

One day, I decided to try Crustless Quiche and I fell in love. I tweaked the recipe so that it would be a) clean eating, and b) THM friendly. While I don't follow Trim Healthy Mama to a T, I do follow some of their basic guidelines.

This meal is perfect because it is packed full of protein AND it's such a simple way to get a good dose of greens every morning. You can also tweak the recipe yourself to make it even more enjoyable to your own taste buds. It takes only a few minutes to prepare, and BAM: You've got breakfast for the week ahead.

Simple Crustless Quiche

8 Eggs
1/4 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheese (I like a mixed cheese blend)
1 Cup Fresh Spinach
Seasoned Salt (to taste)
Optional: Add cubed ham or crumbled, cooked sausage

Mix ingredients together and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Just until it starts to golden on top. Serve with sour cream or extra cheese!

Favorite Dinners: Ultimate Black Bean Nachos

A few weeks ago, I was talking with someone and they asked me what some of my "go to" dinners were. When one of my responses was Black Bean Nachos, they gave me a funny look. "Black Beans?" 

Yep!!! We make these at least once a week, sometimes even twice a week. They are super yummy, can be customized to your tastebuds, and seriously, it is SO easy to make. Here's my recipe:

Ultimate Black Bean Nachos

2 Cans Black Beans (drained)

1 Can Rotel 

1 Packet Taco Seasoning

Tortilla Chips

Bring first three ingredients to a low boil, then simmer for 5-10 minutes. Immediately serve on a bed of tortilla chips, then top with your favorite items. We love cheese, salsa, cilantro, sour cream, and guacamole! 

Lemon Balsamic Asparagus

It's spring. Which means lots and lots of fresh spring colors all over the place...which goes for our food as well! ;) I'm a fan of asparagus, and love trying new recipes with it. I made a lemon balsamic asparagus the other night and really enjoyed it. And the recipe was SUPER simple!

Lemon Balsamic Asparagus

1 cluster of asparagus, trimmed
1 teaspoon onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper (to taste)
1/2 Lemon (to taste)

In small saucepan, cook asparagus in water over high heat for 2-3 minutes to soften. Drain. In a medium saucepan, add vinegar, onions, and garlic. Add asparagus, and squeeze lemon juice over asparagus. Saute for 5-10 minutes until desired tenderness. Season with sea salt & cracked pepper. I'll be honest...we really like ours a bit on the salty side. Hence the reason, I recommend "to taste".  ;)

Enjoy!

Pasta Primavera!

One of my favorite things about spring is that the weather is often suitable for outdoor dining. Even more so now that we finally have a table on our back patio! Josh's mom graciously offered us one, and we couldn't resist!

I had made pasta primavera last year, and I fell in love with it. It felt like the perfect meal for our dinner last night. So I got out a few different recipes, and combined the ingredients that I knew both Josh and I would love. Then again, my Italian husband loves just about any pasta. *wink*

The thing about this recipe is that the ingredients are healthy! Lots of veggies, herbs, olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt! The herbs are really the backbone of this meal which offsets the missing unhealthy ingredients often found in pasta. And since I eat a very limited amount of wheat, I substituted with a Quinoa blend penne shell that worked well.

But, I digress. Here's the yummy recipe!

Pasta Primavera

8 ounces of penne noodles (cooked according to directions)
1 half bell pepper, diced
1 half tomato, diced
1 cup of fresh spinach
1/2 teaspoon dry Italian seasoning
1/2 cup mixed cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon parsley
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon onion, diced
Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper, to taste

While cooking your pasta, add 2 T. of olive oil to skillet on meidum heat. Add onions & garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add bell peppers, tomatoes, and spinach. Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes or until the pepper is tender. Add dry seasonings. Drain pasta, and return to heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Add sheese, salt, and pepper.

Garnish with additional cheese, and enjoy! Sharing at Delicious Dish, today. :)

Blueberry & Cream Muffins

We love muffins around here, espeically super moist muffins. Add some blueberries and call us happy. ;-) I made these last weekend, and we both loved them. The catch? They are a thousand times better the next day. I'm not sure what letting them sit overnight does, but it works magic on the muffins! I promise.

Blueberry & Cream Muffins

1 1/2 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 Cup Butter, melted
3/4 Cup Sour Cream
1/4 Cup Milk
1 Egg
1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
1 Cup Blueberries (frozen)

Mix dry ingreients until well incorporated. Add wet ingredients. Mix until batter is slightly sticky. Add blueberries. Use an ice cream scoop to drop into muffins cups (you'll want to fill the cups about 3/4 of the way). Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Let the muffins cool completely, then place in fridge overnight. Serve warm or cold with your favorite cup of coffee. So good!

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