Incredibly Easy Homemade Dip

Behold the power of the magic bullet!!

I'm a huge fan of dips in general but find that they're always made with super fatty ingredients.

I wanted to make a quick dip that I could eat with veggies and pretzels and not feel like a tank after said consumption.

Enter the homemade bean dip. So good & easy it's not funny!

You'll need:

1 can pinto beans -- (15 ounce) drained
4 bottled jalapeno slices (nacho slices)
1 tablespoon juice from bottled jalapeno slices
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

Gracefullly put everything in your magic bullet or food processor, blend, enjoy!

It really is that simple. 

Banana Bread To Die For

Enough said.

I swear I only buy bananas so I can bake with them!
Example 1 and 2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 3/4 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
  
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray one 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray coating.
2. Blend together the eggs, buttermilk, oil and bananas.
3. Sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. Add to banana mixture and stir in pecans. Mix well.
4. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.I like to set the timer for 1 hour and then reevaluate!
   

sweet treat

in the summer i'm all about fruit & sweets.

Normally I'd like to eat every ice cream out there, but I realize that my clothes don't appreciate this and in return like to tighten up around my hips....

so I try to eat a ton of fruit to get my sweet kick. here is quite possibly the easiest fruit dip to make. It's sweet, you can pick your favorite yogurt to flavor it up, and it's low fat. works for me!

so grab some cool whip and a yogurt and get mixing.

see? i told you it was ridiculously simple!

Do you have any summer dessert recipes?

Easy Tilapia

When I think of Summer grub I think of all things fresh and light. Fish is a definite part of my summer diet because it's filling without weighing you down.



This tilapia recipe is so easy it can't be called a recipe. Seriously.




I took 4 ounces of tilapia...shook some lemon & herb seasoning on the fish...squeezed some fresh lemon on top and wa-lah. Done.



You can grill, bake or pan fry the tilapia.



What's your go-to grub in the Summer?

Fiesta Rice

I'm a sucker for Mexican food. I literally think I could eat it every day.

This dish is so easy to make it takes little time and minimal effort-My kind of meal!



You'll need:
-Rice
-Black Beans
-Corn
-Tomatoes
-Lime
-Cilantro
-Salt

(you can always add avocados, jalapenos, anything!)

Boil the rice and heat up the corn and black beans.



Dice the tomatoes, chop the cilantro, and cut the lime in half for juicing.

Mix everything together! Add salt if you'd like.



Enjoy!



I added some grilled shrimp which was incredibly tasty. Plus the Skinnygirl Margarita was the perfect touch.

adapted from skinnytaste.com

Orzo Salads

Once the weather warms up I find myself instantly drawn to all things salads. Salad greens, fruit salads, pasta salads. You name it, I'm on it.

I'm a big fan of making a larger batch of a salad and munching on it all week. This week was no exception.



Orzo is a great foundation for any salad. My favorites include:

tomatoes, cucumbers, onions & feta.

tomatoes, green peppers and olives.

Or tomatoes, goat cheese and onions.

See? The possibilities are endless!

This time around I threw in cucumbers, green onions, salt, pepper, and mixed it up with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and juice from 1/2 a lemon.




1/2 of a box of Orzo was enough for 4 sides and definitely 2-3 lunches. It's a pasta that really goes the distance!

Hummingbird Cake

I had this once at Table 52 (which is so good, please go!) and since then I've had dreams about it.

I originally stumbled upon the recipe last year in the Food Network magazine so when I was put in charge of bringing a dessert to Easter, this was first pick.

It is a wee bit labor intensive, but not horrible. And the outcome is WELL worth it!!
I took most of the pictures on my phone bc my hands were waaay to sticky for my camera.

Chopped pineapple, bananas & roasted pecans.

Mix together & add to flour mixture

Bake (keep an eye on the time, mine were ready almost 10 mins earlier than 50-55 minute guideline.

Delicious & Easy Cream Cheese Frosting with Lemon Zest

Ta-Da! Hummingbird Cake!

It safely made it's way to my cousin's table for Easter!

I really enjoyed this cake and am thinking about making another batch for the Royal Wedding Party I'm going to Thursday night!

Oats. Bananas. Chocolate. Perfection

Everyone needs a good cookie recipe. For me, that includes the priceless recipe box previously owned by my Grandma H. She used her typewriter to make recipe cards and some she wrote by hand. If there was a fire in my house, I would definitely run towards this box.

I love finding new recipes too. The internet is great for that. It's also a hot mess because people always say "oh well I added 1/8th more of cinnamon and reduced the butter by 2 TBs and then baked for an extra 2 minutes"

No one needs to read that, do they? We're looking for a recipe here not a tryout for Top Chef.

Yesterday I whipped up a batch of these banana & chocolate cookies with oats.

They are chewy.

They are all different shapes and sizes.

And most importantly.... they are DELICIOUS.



Add this to your must try list and you will not be disappointed!

New Twist on An Old Classic

I adore pizza. And Chicago pizza IS the best. No debate. But pizza doesn't always have to be red sauce and mozzarella. You can make it completely your own.

Here are two funky pizzas I've made recently.

The Post St. Patty's Pie:
-Corned Beef
-Sauerkraut
-Swiss Cheese
-Thousand Island




Put a small amount (or however much you'd like) of 1,000 Island on the crust. Then the 'kraut. Followed by corned beef. Slice the swiss cheese and cover the entire pizza. Then bake it at 425 for 12-15 minutes.




Fiesta Pizza
-Black Beans
-Chorizo
-Diced Chilies
-Shredded Cheese
-Tomatoes

Layer the chorizo, black beans, chilis, tomatoes and cheese on the crust. Bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes. Delicious! I added sliced avocado after baking and it was the perfect topper!

Gosh, now I want pizza again...

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Gina from Skinny Taste sure knows how to take comfort food and make it lighter while remaining flavorful.

Last week I tried her recipe for Chicken Pot Pie Soup and it was heavenly, I tweaked it by adding more spices. I was afraid it would be too bland.

make sure to keep an eye on it, i looked away and it was boiling crazy, hence the look of the pot!

Hearty soup + warm biscuits = delicious

Enjoy!

T.G.I.F.

I really want to say how happy I am that it's finally Friday. This week completely drained me and I couldn't be more happy to have two days off.

I plan to spend the weekend reading, cooking, and recharging.

via

Have a great weekend!

Winter Comfort Food

When the weather gets colder it's time to turn up the heat in the kitchen. I'm talking stews, soups, casseroles, etc. The only problem with a lot of these dishes is that they're loaded with calories.

Here's a fool proof and low-cal way to get a tasty and warm pasta dish!

What you'll need:

-Whole Grain Penne
-2 small heads of Broccoli
-Artichoke Hearts (I used 1 can of artichoke hearts)
-Chicken
-6-8 cloves of Garlic
-3 T. Olive Oil
-Salt
-Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Chop the broccoli, place in pan and add 2 T. of olive oil and 6 cloves of garlic (+/- depending on your love for garlic)





3. Chop the artichoke hearts, place in dish and add 1 T. of olive oil and 2 cloves of garlic



4. Roast the broccoli and artichoke hearts for 20 minutes. After 10 minutes flip them around in the dish.



5. While the B&A are cooking, boil water for the pasta.
6. Cook pasta as directed.
7. Save 1-2 cups of the boiled water for the pasta before draining.
8. Chop up chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken so I didn't have to prepare my own)
9. Mix the pasta, broccoli, artichoke hearts, and chicken together.
10. Add at least 1 cup of the reserved water to the pasta. Add more if you'd like.
11. Top with fresh Parmesan cheese

You can add more olive oil to the pasta but the broccoli and artichoke will be full of flavor!!

Enjoy!!

I'm going Christmas shopping with my mom tonight and we're grabbing dinner at the famous Walnut Room! Don't worry, I'll blog all about it!

Brunch Drinks

I love a good brunch. And more importantly the drinks!

First. The Ultimate. The Mimosa.




via

You really can't mess this one up. Buy some champagne. No need for Cristal, just a nice bubbly. Or sparkling wine.

Pour the champagne in first. Top with the same amount of chilled orange juice. Enjoy!

I like to use white wine glasses for a bigger mimosa ;) Also, if you don't like OJ just have a glass of bubbles and drop frozen raspberries or strawberries in the bottom of the glass. Yum.

Secondly. The Meal in a Glass. The Bloody Mary.






So tasty. So filling. Endless possibilities!

You'll need:
-Good Vodka
-Bloody Mary Mix (I use Mrs. T's or you can make your own)
-Celery
-Limes
-Pepperjack Cheese
-Cheddar Cheese
-Sausage
-Skewers

-Rinse, clean & chop celery
-Wedge Limes. Cut lime in the middle on the "flesh" so it can sit on the rim of the glass.
-Cut cheeses & sausage into small cubes.
-Skewer cheeses & sausage, alternating flavors.

THE BLOODY DETAILS.
-ICE, ICE, ICE FIRST! KEY!
-Vodka over the ice. (I don't use shot glasses, I count)
-Top with Bloody mix.
-Squirt in lime.
-Stir with celery.
-Place skewer in drink. Makes for a tasty treat!

You might want to have Tabasco, Worcestershire Sauce, and pepper on hand for those who like it spicy! You can put anything in a bloody. I swear. Bacon. Okra. Pickles. Olives. Whatever!

Refreshing. Simple. Cucumber Water.



This water is not only refreshing, it's pretty to look at too!

What you'll need:
-Bottled water/Filtered water/good water/whatever you want
-Cucumber

-Thinly slice cucumbers
-Drop in bottle (use a pitcher, carafe, an old reused bottle)
-Put cold water on top of cucumbers.

The cucumber will give the water a light, refreshing flavor. Enjoy :)

Do you have any favorite Brunch drinks?!

Windy City. Literally.

So the news amped up our recent storm as possibly the worst we've seen in 70 years....the rain wasn't as bad as I thought it was, but the wind!! Wow, that was another story. I'm talking 40-55mph gusts. It was craaaazay.

People always think Chicago is called the Windy City because of our wind, however, that's not it at all. It's actually because Chicago's politicians were full of hot air.

A wrap dress might disagree with you on a gusty day. Ohh let me tell you. Sometimes when you're walking downtown and the wind is just right, well, your skirt will fly. And sometimes it gets blown up so high you're mooning the street. Sometimes. And this is why I swear by slips. No more booty action downtown!

So the wind came and went and that was really it. For now, I guess. I did love the fall temps though :)

I spent the morning at the gym because, like I blogged, I've got a swimsuit and a deadline. Not pretty. I'm currently re-reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and decided to be a huge nerd and bring it with me while I rode the bike. Multitasking people! I was a bit embarrassed, but oh well.



I wore my new Ann Taylor Loft tunic sweater today and I'm in love. Incredibly comfortable but not bulky. I paired it with my tomboy AG jeans and navy Chuck Taylors. Nice and Simple.



I love the cuff and it's a great dark rinse

Close detailing of the sweatshirt, Maya Brenner sideways 'E' necklace. LOVE this.

I decided to make Valerie's Chicken Tortilla Soup and it was a hit!! So tasty and filling!

I'll definitely be making this again. Only thing I changed with the recipe was the tortilla strips. I sprayed 4 tortillas with olive oil cooking spray instead of deep frying them. Then I sprinkled some chili seasoning and sea salt on top and baked them at 425 for 10-15 minutes until they were crispy. Then I cut them up and threw them on top of the soup. YUM!

2 days until my return to the good ol' college days in Iowa City!

Healthy & Gooey Cupcakes

Who doesn't like a good cupcake?

Here's a fool-proof recipe to get you a gooey and calorie conscious cupcake! And a quick disclaimer, the recipe sounds crazy. But it's not. I promise.

What you'll need:
-Devil's Food Cake
-2 Egg Whites
-12 oz of Diet Cherry Pepsi/Diet Cherry Coke (I told you it sounds crazy...)

Cupcakes:
1. Mix the cake, egg whites, and pop. I call it pop. You might call it soda. Or Coke. Just mix it!! :)

Looks weird, huh?

It ends up 100% normal!

2. Place in cupcake holder.

When using silicone cupcake holders, spray them first and use your fingers to cover the entire silicone cup.

3. Bake according to box. Usually 20-24 minutes.

Frosting:
-1 container of light cool whip.
-1 container of light cream cheese, softened.

1. Blend the cool whip and cream cheese together. Frost.
I forgot to take pictures of the frosting and finished project...sorry!

If you follow Weight Watchers the cupcakes run 2 points a piece and the frosting is 1 point. Quite the tasty treat without sabotaging your waistline!

Enjoy!