Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

The seasons are changing, fall is in the air and while this isn't my favorite time of year (I'm a summertime girl) it's my second fav!

I love the flavor of pumpkin, which is why I really look forward to this time of year! Pumpkin is everywhere!

So...this morning I went in search of a pumpkin muffin recipe. I found a couple that were decent recipes, but none that I fell in love with. I wanted this to be healthy for a breakfast option this week so I set to making my own recipe and I have to say they turned out deeeelish!!

 

Ingredients

 

4oz. unsweetened applesauce

1 cup sweetener of choice (I'll discuss this more below)

2 eggs

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup plain, fat free Greek yogurt

1/2 cup pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves (optional)

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

 

 

Directions

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Combine applesauce and sweetener of choice in a medium sized mixing bowl with an electric mixer. As you can see in the photo above, I opted to use Splenda Essentials. Lately, I've been trying to go the all natural route and stay away from artificial sweeteners, but I'm not one to throw something away and I had this sitting in my cupboard so I opted to use it. Honestly, you could use white or brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, stevia or whatever you'd like to sweeten it with. If you're going to use honey, maple syrup or agave I would suggest lowering the amount to 3/4 cup or maybe even 1/2 as it may come out way too sweet with a full cup. Do you have a go-to all natural sweetener that you use? If so, please share with me! I'm not a fan of stevia at all - I don't like the bitter aftertaste it leaves.

 

Add eggs into the sugar and applesauce mixture, beating until combined. Add bananas, Greek yogurt, pumpkin and vanilla, beat until smooth. (There will still be some lumps from the banana and that's okay.)

 

 

 

Into the same bowl, add the flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves. Use a large spoon to mix batter just until combined. (If you have an aversion to all purpose flour, you can most definitely use 2 cups of whole wheat or a combination of whole wheat and coconut flour or spelt flour. It's up to you, but if you omit the all purpose flour make sure to spray your muffin liners with non-stick cooking spray. I've found that coconut flour and spelt flour like to stick to everything. Whole wheat is a pain sometimes as well. That being said, if you mix any of these flours with all purpose flour then you shouldn't need the non-stick cooking spray.)

 

 

 

Line 24 regular sized muffin tins with paper liners. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Muffins are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

 

If you make these, let me know how they turn out! Did you change anything? Add anything? Take anything away?

 

You'll have some pumpkin left in your can...take it and put it into an airtight container and throw it in the freezer. I'll be back on Tuesday with another pumpkin recipe using that bit of leftover frozen pumpkin!!

 

Ciao for now, bellas! XOXO

 

 

 

Click the Magic button for Nutritional Information & Weight Watchers Points!

Zucchini Ribbons with Homemade Tomato Sauce

So...I've been MIA for the entire summer! I know - I'm so incredibly sorry! The summer months were hectic and went by entirely too fast! I found myself constantly thinking, 'I need to blog about this', or 'I bet my blog followers would love this'! I had the greatest intentions, but my follow-through was shameful!

Anyway, school is back in session and the routine has been established again. Things are starting to calm down a bit and I feel like I can finally breathe again. Phew!

So, today I have a great, healthy, meatless recipe to share! I was really surprised by how delicious this dish was! The entire family asked for seconds - that's never a bad sign.

Zucchini Ribbons with Homemade Tomato Sauce

My garden has exploded with tomatoes lately and I really didn't feel like canning them, so I decided to make this simple tomato sauce. I also had two zucchini and green peppers from the garden that needed to be used up. Let's get to the recipe!

Ingredients

For the Sauce

-6 medium sized tomatoes of your choice (I used some heirloom and some roma), chopped (as fine or as chunky as you'd like)

-1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

-1 small (or 1/2 large) sweet onion, chopped

-2 small (or 1 large) green pepper, chopped

-3 cloves garlic, chopped (or less depending on your preference)

-salt & pepper to taste

-1 teaspoon dried oregano

-1 teaspoon dried basil

-1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

For the Zucchini Ribbons

-1 large (or 2 small) zucchini

-salt & pepper to taste

-fresh grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Add the tomatoes, olive oil, onion, green pepper, garlic and seasonings to a heavy sauce pan and stir to combine. Turn heat on medium-low and bring to a boil. Once bubbling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for at least one hour. After one hour, remove from heat and let sit for at least ten to twenty minutes with the lid still in place. 

Using a vegetable peeler, start peeling strips of the zucchini lengthwise until you can't peel anymore then set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with salt and pepper. Once boiling, add zucchini and stir for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and drain, then blot with clean paper towels to absorb some extra moisture. 

To serve, place zucchini ribbons on plate then spoon tomato sauce over top. Garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese and that's it! 

This sauce recipe is incredible versatile and can be adjusted to make a larger or smaller batch - it all depends upon your preference. It freezes really well, so if you make a large batch, you can most definitely freeze the leftovers for a later date. 

If you decide to give this recipe a shot, let me know how you like it! I had intended on trying some quinoa meatballs with this dish as well, but I ran out of time! So...be on the lookout for a quinoa meatball recipe soon! 

See you soon! Ciao, bellas!

More Summer Lovin'

Ahhhhhh.....spring! Can you smell it? I know parts of the country are getting bombed with snow right now, but here in the North, we are actually having some decent temperatures! Of course, as I type this right now it's pouring rain and the temperature has dropped a good ten degrees, but that's okay! It's not snowing and that's exciting!

I had great plans of getting v1.6 on the bus this morning and then getting some fun shots of the spring flowers that are popping up, but the rain moved in and I wasn't really looking to use the warranty on my camera anytime soon - so I think I'll stay inside and keep dry! :)

I promised everyone a recipe to accompany the BBQ chicken bites that I posted the other day - you can see that recipe here. I don't have a picture of this recipe for you, but I'll be making it again in the next couple of weeks so I'll post a picture the next time I make it.

I went in search of a 'salad' recipe after I was sick of the mayo based pasta salad and potato salad. I found a version of this and decided to try it and it's been so long now I can't remember where I found the original recipe. I've changed a few things up through the years though.

Ranch Potato Salad

Ingredients

1 - 5lb. bag of red potatoes

1/4 - 1/2 cup low fat ranch dressing

1 package real bacon bits

2 cups low fat sharp cheddar cheese

1 tsp black pepper

1 - 2 tsp garlic powder (or minced garlic)

Directions

Bring a large stock pot filled with water to a rolling boil. Chop potatoes into small pieces. You do not have to peel them unless you want. Add chopped potatoes to boiling water and cook until tender. This can take about 10-15 minutes depending upon how big your chunks are. Drain potatoes and set aside for an hour or more to cool. You can speed this process by putting them in the refrigerator. 

To a large serving bowl add ranch dressing, garlic, pepper, bacon bits and 1 cup cheese. Add potatoes and stir until combined. At this point you may need to add more ranch dressing if you prefer. Once everything is combined add the rest of the cheese and stir again. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. 

And that's it! I have made this salad so many times and I get compliments every time I bring it to a party! 

What's your go-to dish that you bring to parties or potlucks? Let me know in the comments below or email me! 

I'm hoping to have a new post in a couple of days about Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette! Have you tried it yet? Are you new to Urban Decay? I'm brand new to UB, but let me tell you - I am in love with their products! 

I hope it's spring-like wherever you are! Ciao for now, bellas! ;)

Summer Lovin'

Well life has been so hectic lately! Spring seems like it's always just out of reach here in the Northeast, but we've had a taste here and there! Not so much today - it's pouring rain and there is ice gathering on the trees! YUCK! I'm ready for summer sunshine and pool time!

Thinking about summer gets me thinking about recipes that I want to revive! This is not the most healthy recipe, but it's delicious as a meal or an appetizer! Plus you can pair it with a delicious potato salad! I'll post the recipe for later!

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bag BBQ potato chips of your choice (the 9.5oz bags work best, but you could get away with a smaller bag)
1 egg
2 Tbsp water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and set aside. In a large cereal bowl whisk egg with water until combined and frothy. Dump BBQ potato chips into reseal-able plastic bag and crush into small pieces.

Starting with 4-5 pieces of chicken, dunk into egg mixture until coated then drop into reseal-able bag and use hands to press crushed chips into chicken. Place on baking sheet or baking stone then repeat with remaining chicken until all pieces are coated. You will have some crushed chips remaining in the bag. Sprinkle over chicken before baking.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in centers. Serve with BBQ sauce or Ranch dressing for dipping.

Here's a photo of the uncooked chicken bites on my well used baking stone! The chicken isn't completely coated with the chips, but that's okay. They bake up nice and crisp and the chicken is so juicy! 

I'm not sure why, but this recipe just makes me think of summer! The potato salad that goes with it is divine as well! I'll get that posted in a couple of days! 

What's your favorite summertime recipe? Leave it in the comments or email me! Also, you can click the 'Magic' button at the bottom of this post to take you to a printable version of this recipe along with nutrition information as well! 

Ciao for now, bellas! 

Some like it...hot!

Well, life has been a little hectic around here lately! Before I can say 'boo' a week has flown by! Now, Easter is upon us, and it seems that spring is right around the corner! (I hope!!)

As much as I'd love to ramble with excuses as to why this post is so late, I'm going to spare you the details! I do have a new recipe for you though! YAY!

Do you enjoy spicy foods? Have you heard of Frank's Red Hot sauce? If you enjoy spicy foods, and you have never tried Frank's, stop reading now and run to the nearest grocery store and purchase some, STAT! Or you can finish reading this post first and get the recipe before you go all the way to the store and then have to just turn around and go back to purchase the rest of the ingredients! :) Really, the ingredients are very simple and I can promise if you love spicy foods and/or nachos, you'll love this recipe! If you don't like spicy foods, never fear - this recipe is highly adaptable!

BBQ Chicken Nachos

This is basically chicken, cheese and hot sauce on a plate. No, it's definitely not the most healthy dish, but it's delicious enough to splurge and I've changed the ingredients so many times through the years to adapt to my healthier lifestyle - it's not nearly as unhealthy now as it was!

The main ingredients you'll need are: chicken, tortilla chips, olive oil, onion, red pepper, BBQ sauce, hot sauce (seriously - try Frank's!) (no, they aren't paying me to say that!) salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and cheese.

You can view the entire recipe at My Recipe Magic - this gives you a printable option and nutrition information as well. The only thing I don't like is that it defaulted the servings to 4, but really this will feed up to 6 people - so the calorie count and fat grams would be lower.

BBQ Chicken Nachos are great as an appetizer or a meal! We eat them at least once a month! Hubs and v1.6 love them! Of course, I top mine with a dollop of Greek Yogurt rather than sour cream. Hubs piles on the salsa and v1.6 just likes it with cheese! Anyway you eat them, they're delish!!

Let me know if you try them and if you made any changes! I love hearing about it and trying a new spin on a recipe! Email me here!

As always, I have to leave you with something I found funny!

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Click the magic button to view my recipe on My Recipe Magic



Ciao for now, bellas!

Healthy Strawberry - Blueberry Muffins

If you've read any of my other posts – you know my love for Greek Yogurt already! Well today, after sorting through mountains of laundry I was rooting around the refrigerator looking for snack options for the kiddo for this afternoon. An innocent container of strawberries and a lonely container of blueberries were staring me in the face. They were right next to the giant container of Greek Yogurt.

I rooted through the cupboards next and pulled out some ingredients to make muffins. What I came up with turned out amazing!

Healthy Strawberry – Blueberry muffins

Here's the batter - before baking

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 – Muffin tins (regular sized)

1 medium sized mixing bowl

1 - 4 cup glass measuring cup

Spatula

Ingredients:

2 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plain, fat free Greek Yogurt

1 Tablespoon ground Flax Seed

3/4 cup egg substitute

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup diced, fresh strawberries

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sized mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir until combined.

In a 4 cup glass measuring cup combine Greek Yogurt, Flax Seed, egg substitute, water, and honey. Mix until combined and smooth.

Add liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. The batter will be lumpy. Add in the strawberries and blueberries and stir gently.

Line 20 muffin cups with liners and fill each 3/4's full with batter. Use the 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar and sprinkle over batter in each cup.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove from muffin tin and let cool on wire rack.  Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

Please let me know what you think if you try these! I’m waiting for the kiddo to get home from school so I can test them out on him. Then husband will be a guinea pig when he gets home tonight! I ate one after lunch and thought they were delish! Hope you enjoy!

I also have to give some props to Pampered Chef and their awesome straining/measuring cup! I used it for the berries and it is the most amazing thing! Check it out below! It has slots so the water will drain after you rinse your fruit or veggies! 

I have plans to do an organizing project this weekend! Hopefully I’ll be able to post about that next week sometime if all goes as planned!

Don't forget to connect with me on Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook!

I'm not sure what the deal is with the baby hedgehogs all over the internet lately, but I have to admit they are cute! So I had to leave you with this! 

Ciao for now bellas!

(Click on the 'Magic' button below for a printable version!)

Blueberry Stuffed French Toast & Bacon Egg Cups

Let me apologize for the lateness of this post! I had some technical difficulties over the weekend, but everything seems to be in working order now!

Did you see this picture on Facebook?

That’s what I made for dinner last week and boy was it delicious! I found the bacon egg cup recipe on Pinterest, but the stuffed French toast I came up with all on my own! I’ll start off with the bacon egg cups.

You’ll need:

~Muffin Tin (regular size with 12 cups)

~Mixing bowl and spoon

Ingredients:

1 package turkey bacon

2 cups egg substitute

½ cup low fat shredded cheese (your choice)

1 tsp ground black pepper

Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line each muffin cup with bacon making a circle around the outer edge of the cup. You may want to count how many pieces of bacon you have in your package and double up the strips for some of the cups. Give the bottom of each muffin cup a spritz of non-stick cooking spray. Set muffin tin aside.

Pour the egg substitute into a mixing bowl or large, glass measuring cup. Add the cheese and pepper then stir to combine. Pour a few tablespoons of egg mixture into each cup. It doesn’t have to be exact, but 2 cups of egg mixture should be plenty for 12 muffin cups.

Back for 30-35 minutes then remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

This is what they look like when they're done.

Now onto the blueberry stuffed French toast!

You’ll need:

~Non-stick griddle or frying pan

~Mixing bowl

~4 cup glass measuring cup (or another mixing bowl)

~Spoons

Ingredients:

8 slices whole wheat or whole grain bread

½ cup egg substitute

½ cup Plain low fat Greek Yogurt

¼ cup fresh blueberries

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Drizzle or two of honey (optional)

Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

In a mixing bowl combine ½ cup egg substitute with ½ teaspoon cinnamon and set aside.

In glass measuring cup combine ½ cup yogurt with ¼ cup blueberries and remaining ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. You can also add a drizzle of honey to this if you’d like.

Set your griddle or frying pan on the stove and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Dunk one side of the bread into the egg mixture (don’t let it go all the way through) and then place on the griddle or frying pan, egg dipped side down. Continue with 3 more pieces of bread until you have 4 slices of bread on the griddle. Top each slice with the yogurt and blueberries. I did not measure with this step – I just kept piling the mixture on until it was all gone.

Turn your burner on your stove to medium low. Then start coating the next 4 pieces of bread with the egg mixture and place the non-dipped side over the yogurt and blueberries. So the egg dipped side will be facing out. It’s almost like you’re making grilled blueberry and yogurt sandwiches.

After about 5 minutes, use a spatula to lift a corner of one sandwich. If the bread has browned then go ahead and flip them. If not, wait another 2-5 minutes. Depending on your stove this could take up to 15 minutes total to cook both sides. When the bread is crisp on the outside it’s done.

I cut ours in half and we ate them like sandwiches. You could, however, serve them as traditional French toast with syrup and/or powdered sugar. I found that the mixture inside was sweet enough that we didn’t need syrup.

I hope you enjoyed these recipes! Do you have a great tried and true recipe? Send them to me! I love trying new dishes!!

And I'll leave you with this funny - I feel like this sometimes!

 Ciao for now bellas!