Raise your hand if you are a cheesy bread addict? ::Raises hand as high as possible:: Yes, that’s me. Who doesn’t love cheesy bread? What’s not to love? Cheese and carbs? Count me in. Actually though, I’m not even sure the last time I had cheesy bread as I know how little self-control I would have around it. I’ve recently tested some cauliflower crust recipes and thought I’d try my hand at using one of my most favorite veggies in all the land, zucchini! I love using zucchini in baked goods, but I’ve never tried making something more savory with it.
If you have ever made cauliflower pizza crust or cheesy bread, this recipe is really very similar. The only thing I will say about this zucchini version is that zucchini has a much higher water content compared to cauliflower. So, that means you have to be really sure to squuuuuueeeze as much of that water out as you can before baking. You really want to get out as much as possible to avoid sogginess. Just in case, I like to add a little bit of almond flour as it helps soak up additional moisture. If you don’t care about the low-carb aspect of this recipe, you can also use just regular all-purpose or whole wheat flour. I’ve made this with and without the almond flour and I do think the almond flour helps make it a little more stable!
Maddie and I were feeling seriously cooped up a couple of weeks ago while we were all sick. Maddie was the least sick of all of us and she was going completely nuts one morning, taking every single toy she has (which is A LOT) out and it was making me want to pull out all of my hair. I dragged her into the kitchen to bake and made up these peanut butter banana chip cookies and I am seriously in love!
These cookies have a somewhat muffin-like texture to them which means you can eat them pretty much any time of day! I’ve been adding a touch of cornstarch to a lot of my cookie recipes lately because it makes them extra soft and chewy!
I don’t know why, but the thought of making chicken wings used to totally intimidate me. The very first time I bought them many years ago, I accidentally bought some that were not broken down. I seriously spent a good hour trying to break them apart before giving up and vowing to never again attempt to make them myself. I think I talked to my mom on the phone about it and she was just like, “What the heck did you buy? They come separated!”
Whatever. I still decided to just forget them for years until she finally made them with me and I was like, okay, wow, I’m an idiot. Seriously, making your own wings at home is SO SO easy. Of course, as long as you buy the the wings already broken down ;)
So now that I’ve gotten over my fear of making my own wings, I’ve been whipping them up all the time because they are my husband’s favorite game day snack and they are perfection for pizza nights at home! I made these honey chipotle wings last weekend and they were gone in minutes!
To make these, I simply just bake the wings onto a baking sheet tossed with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. The sauce just requires you to throw everything in the food processor and then brush it on the wings at the end! Bam, you are done! I love the spicy/sweet combo in this sauce. They have a little kick, but it’s not too much and you can always adjust it by adding more or less of the chipotle peppers or honey. I love these for game day because they are really simple and a definite crowd-pleaser!
It’s almost time for that big game where there is a football and a bunch of dudes. You know, that one day where most of us are more excited about the food instead of the actual game, right? Yeah, that’s me.
Who doesn’t love a bunch of delicious eats loaded with cheese, chips, and all other kinds of indulgences? I know I certainly do, but who says everything in your game day spread has to be really heavy? I like to have a mix of things for guests and this Avocado Ranch Dip is my new favorite dip to serve!
This dip is good alternative to guacamole. You got your creamy avocado going on, but this dip also has the awesome kick of ranch seasoning mixed in! I also mixed in nonfat Greek yogurt which helps lend to the creamy texture of the dip and adds some tang that pairs perfectly with the ranch flavors!
The other great thing about this dip is it really couldn’t be easier to make because you literally just toss everything into a food processor until smooth and then transfer it to a bowl to serve! You can double it or triple it if needed. This dip is perfect for a veggie tray, but is also really yummy with pita chips!
It has been a couple of REALLY bad weeks in my house. The cold from hell is still around and I can’t believe how long this thing is lasting. We’ve been cooped up in the house and are really starting to go a little nuts, especially the girls. We’ve made a few trips out of the house, but not for very long and I’ve missed so much work.
You’ve probably already heard the flu shot this year was only 10% effective and there are a record number of sick people this winter. I’ve been making these Immunity smoothies on repeat over the past week because I need ALL of the Vitamin C I can get!
This immunity-boosting smoothie is packed with oranges and believe it or not, even some carrots! Both of these are super high in Vitamin C! I also tossed in a frozen banana which gives the smoothie a dreamy ice cream-like texture, some strawberries, and some Greek yogurt for some protein. I actually didn’t feel the need to add any sweetener, but of course you can add honey, agave, or whatever your sweetener of choice would be!
One quick note about the carrots, I added raw grated baby carrots. The raw carrots do add a pulp-like texture to the smoothie. If you don’t want that, you can steam your carrots first before adding them to the blender and that should help them blend up more smoothly. It’s totally up to you though! I also added about a cup of liquid to the smoothie to thin it. I used a splash of apple juice and milk. You can use water, any kind of milk, or fruit juice for this and just add more until the smoothie reaches your desired thickness!
You may have noticed that I haven’t been posting much since the new year. That is because my family and I have been battling what can only be described as the cold from hell for two weeks now. It’s been so awful and exhausting with all of us being sick, especially the baby, she’s up so much lately in the night and is so uncomfortable.
I honestly haven’t been doing much cooking, but I did manage to make this soup last weekend and I was pretty happy with how it turned out so I snapped a few photos so I could share it. This Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup is perfect for when you want a soup that’s a little more exciting than plain chicken noodle, but still has all of the comforts of the traditional version!
I used a lot of shortcuts for this recipe by using premade broth and rotisserie chicken. If you want something more homemade, feel free to use your own broth and your own roasted chicken. I call this soup creamy, but it is really not that thick at all. With us being sick, I didn’t want something too heavy and this soup is a great in-between soup I’d say. It has slightly more thickness than a regular broth-based soup and then I stirred in some fat free half and half at the end which gives it it’s creaminess. Again, you can be flexible here and use fat-free half and half, full fat half and half, heavy cream, or any kind of milk. Obviously, more fat will make the soup creamier so it’s up to you!
To finish it off, I squeezed some fresh lemon juice in my bowl which I highly recommend doing! It’s a nice twist and cuts some of the creaminess. And like the Italian girl I am, I always sprinkle some Parm on my chicken noodle soup!
Welcome to Eat. Drink. Love.! My name is Stephanie. Here you will find healthy and easy recipes with a few indulgences thrown in for good measure! Why the name Eat. Drink. Love.? Well, I think this is what life is all about!
