Once again, I find myself needing to explain the title of my blog. Evidently my brain works very differently from the majority of the world.
Life of an Amateur Everything -
If this is confusing to you, just think of it this way:
There are amateur cooks, amateur artists, etc. So I'm basically saying I am an amateur at everything. I am an amateur everything. Just remove the "at"... Does that make any sense? It did in my head... so just go with it. Thanks.
For those of you who have suffered through reading that, here are a few of my favorite go-to recipes.
* Just to note, just because these are made with whole, healthy ingredients, does not mean these are the healthiest things to eat, especially in large quantities. Portion control is key *
For Breakfast -
fill me up blueberry pancakes from Clean Eating Chelsey (Her photo)
Favorite. I 4x the recipe just so I can freeze some to toast for the next few days. *I am not worried about gluten, as of now, so I just use whole wheat flour. I also just use whatever milk I happen to have on hand - usually skim. Oh, and I use frozen organic blueberries.... I have found that it helps keep them from bursting, and they have more flavor somehow? Yeah, it confuses me too. I also like to add some unsweetened shredded coconut and use coconut oil to grease my pan/griddle. And lastly, once I did not have the applesauce on hand and used mashed banana instead... if you're desperate it works, but you can definitely tell a difference!
For Bread -
Best bread ever. I'm obsessed. We probably make at least 2 loaves a week. * I add the 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds every time. I have also made this in a mixer and doubled the recipe - for those that do not have a bread machine. I didn't change any of the amounts, just followed my KitchenAid's instructions on how to do bread in there...
For Dinner -
Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken from Let's Dish (their photo as well)
This is a great recipe. The spice combination is perfect! So easy too. As you can tell, it's important to me that a meal is easy to prepare. :) *I use coconut oil instead of oils or butter in this recipe. Serve with some brown rice and fresh steamed green beans = complete meal. We eat this quite a bit.
For Dessert -
Okay, so I have a couple recipes for this section...
Lime and Salt Popcorn from A Teaspoon and A Pinch (their photo)
Okay, this one isn't really too healthy either - a lot of coconut oil, but it too is a nice treat. Alternatively, I sometimes just stove-top pop 1/8 cup (2 TBS) of popcorn kernels in some coconut oil then add a little lemon pepper, or a drizzle of fresh lime juice.
Clean Eating Coconut Lime Freezer Cookies (No Bake) from The Gracious Pantry (her photo)
This is one of those, healthy ingredients, eat in moderation recipes... BUT THEY'RE ADDICTING. That's all I have to say.
Does it show that I'm kind of obsessed with lime and coconut? I might have a problem...
Until next time.
This is making me HUNGRY!
Made the blueberry pancakes and the children liked them better than regular pancakes. I made it with spelt flour and next time I'll try a different kind. Livia