Caramel Cinnamon Whiskey

Last fall I went to a bar that made their own caramel-infused bourbon and fell in love! I never knew it could be so easy to make this myself! All of my friends that have tried my infused whiskey are obsessed. My favorite way to drink this is shaken over ice then strained into a shot glass. However, you could also enjoy it on the rocks, in apple cider, or in any cocktail of your choosing. Cheers!

Caramel Cinnamon Whiskey

Ingredients:

1 bottle Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey

1 package soft caramel candies

Directions:

1. Place entire package of unwrapped caramels in large bottle or carafe. 

2. Pour whiskey over candies, covering completely. Make sure there is a few inches of empty bottle at the top. 

3. Cover and shake vigorously for about 1 min. 

4. Let mixture sit overnight and shake again until all solid candies are dissolved. Enjoy!

Skinny Chicken Pot Pie

As the weather gets colder, I always find myself starting to crave more comfort food. Most of the typical comfort food we crave during the colder months is packed with unnecessary fat and calories. Here's my take on a popular classic. My version is packed with flavor, without all the calories. I hope you guys like it!

Skinny Chicken Pot Pie 

Ingredients:

1 tsp. olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 lb. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed 

1 cup russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped 

3/4 cup frozen peas

3/4 cup frozen corn

1/2 container (2 cups) chicken broth

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 package puff pastry shells

Directions:

1. In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and chicken. Cook on medium heat until chicken has browned on all sides, stirring frequently. 

2. Add veggies, broth, and garlic and stir until well combined. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until veggies are tender, stirring every few minutes. 

3. While filling is cooking, bake puff pastry shells according to directions. Remove from oven and set aside. 

4. When veggies are tender, gradually add flour to filling mixture until desired consistency is obtained. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

5. Remove tops of puff pastry shells and transfer to bowls or plates. Spoon 1/4 of filling mixture over each puff pastry shell and enjoy! 

Homemade Garlic Herb Pizza Crust

Pizza! My ultimate guilty pleasure! I could eat pizza every day for the rest of my life and be completely happy. However, delivery can get really expensive. With this simple recipe, you can make your own pizza and cheesy bread right at home! Yummy!

Garlic Herb Pizza Crust

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water

1 packet (2 1/4 tsp.) dry active yeast

1 tbsp. honey

1 tsp. fancy garlic salt

2 tbsp. garlic herb infused olive oil

3 cups all purpose flour

Directions:

1. In large mixing bowl, combine water, yeast, and honey. Stir until well combined. Let set 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form. 

2. Add salt, oil and half of the flour. Stir until well combined. Continue to stir in additional flour gradually until the dough reaches ideal consistency: slightly tacky, but not sticky. 

3. Knead dough for 5 minutes to form glutens. (This makes a soft, chewy crust.) 

4. Lightly grease the bowl and dough, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature 1-2 hours. 

5. For best results, let chill in refrigerator for at least 30 min before rolling crust out. 

6. Put pizza stone in cold oven and turn oven on to 500 degrees. Let oven and stone fully heat up. 

7. Roll out crust on wax paper (makes transferring to stone easier). Add desired toppings. 

8. Transfer pizza to stone. Bake at 500 for 9-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden brown. 

PB-Coco-Cacao Banana Bread

If you're familiar with my blog, you know I'm a sucker for banana bread. I also love chocolate and coconut together. When I was at the spice market the other day, I picked up some roasted cacao and figured that I would try it in a new banana bread recipe. And OMG is this a good one! I seriously ate half the loaf in a day. And I didn't even feel bad about it because this recipe is sugar and grain free! Yummy! 

PB-Coco-Cacao Banana Bread

Ingredients:

4 very ripe bananas, mashed

4 eggs

1/2 cup creamy coconut peanut butter

4 tbsp. coconut oil, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup coconut flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 oz. roasted cacao 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9 x 5 loaf pan. 

2. In large bowl, combine bananas, eggs, oil, butter, and vanilla. Stir until well combined. 

3. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to wet ingredients and mix well. 

4. Pour batter into greased pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle evenly with cacao.

5. Bake 50-60 minutes or until golden brown and inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

6. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before cutting in to slices and enjoying. Bonus points if you top bread with additional nut butter!

DIY Infused Olive Oil

DIY Infused Olive Oil

I have a slight obsession with olive oil. I use it in a lot of my cooking and frying. I think it gives a great flavor to food, without being overpowering. This infused version kicks any recipe one notch. One of my favorite things in the world is good bread dipped in olive oil. Most grocery stores sell infused or flavored oil, but I prefer to make it myself. It is cheaper, and I get to customize the exact flavor I want. I love this super garlicky flavor with a kick of basil, but feel free to experiment with your spices! It's all in the fun! This is also a great home made gift that everyone will love! That is, if it doesn't get gobbled up immediately!

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic 

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp. sea salt

2 cups extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

In airtight container, add all herbs and seasonings. Pour in olive oil. Put lid on container and shake until well combined. Let oil sit at room temperature least 24 hours before consuming. Oil is good for up to two weeks, and will develop more flavor with time. Feel free to customize ingredients to your liking!

5-Minute Pesto

5-Minute Pesto

My garden is in crazy mode! Everything is doing so well this year. With my basil plant going absolutely bizerk, I figured it was a good time to make home made pesto with fresh basil right off the plant. This recipe is super quick and easy. And it turned out delicious! Enjoy this pesto on pasta, pizza, sandwiches, bread and more!

Ingredients:

2 cups basil

1 cup spinach

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

1/3 cup olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt to taste

Fresh cracked pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for up to a week. 

Baked Chili Cheese Frito Chicken Tenders

Baked Chili Cheese Frito Chicken Tenders

After my trip home to Michigan for a friends wedding I was reminded of some of the recipes I grew up eating. This was my mother's go-to for family picnics. This chicken is moist, crispy and oh-so-flavorful. This recipe is loved by everyone and even got the "Those were SOOO good!" stamp of approval from my boyfriend. This recipe makes 4 servings, and even with it's chip coating each serving is only 315 calories! Delicious and low-cal, what could be better?!?

Ingredients:

Non-stick spray and/or aluminum foil

1/2 large bag Chili Cheese Fritos

2 eggs

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloins, sliced into strips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Coat baking dish with non-stick spray. (Lining the pan with aluminum foil also helps with quick clean-up.)

2. Add Fritos to food processor. Pulse until Fritos form a corse crumbly texture. (If you don't have a food processor simply crush chips in bag with hammer until they form a corse crumbly texture.) Transfer crumbs to large bowl or pan. 

3. In separate bowl, crack eggs and beat with fork until frothy. 

4. One strip at a time, dunk chicken in egg mixture, then coat in crumbs, covering the chicken completely. Evenly place strips on pre-greased pan. 

5. Cook at 425 for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked and coating is crispy and slightly browned. Enjoy with my jalapeño ranch for an extra kick!