Ricotta Stuffed Sweet Peppers

New year, new goals!  For my first post of 2016 I decided to go with something that was on the healthier side (this recipe is a 21 day fix recipe) but packed full of flavor to help those out there with new year resolutions like ‘eating healthier’ or ‘losing weight.’   For me those are definitely on my list as well as getting my butt back in gear in the gym.  Usually the more I cook at home vs. grabbing Chipotle on the way home is a bit friendlier on my waist, so cheers to more posts and toning up!

Rosemary and Sea Salt Sweet Potato Chips

This week’s recipe was inspired by the fact that I had one sweet potato in the fridge and I needed to use it before it went bad.  Additionally I didn’t really have much else in ways of ingredients, so I had to be crafty.  Thankfully I stumbled across this recipe that turned out pretty awesome!  Such a great way to satisfy a craving. Enjoy!

Whipped Feta

This weekend was a pretty darn good one!  One of my closest friends was in Chicago this weekend, I played host at home for the first time at home, and I made some great appetizers, one of which I am sharing today.  I am not sure about you, but I LOVE all kinds of cheese, anything from cheese wiz all the way to the fancy cheeses.  As I was trying to find some appetizer inspiration, I stumbled across a blog with an entry titled “whipped feta” – I was hooked.  This is one of the easiest things you can do and packs a lot of flavor.  I spread the whipped feta on some toasted garlic bread, roasted some Campari tomatoes with olive oil, 3 garlic cloves and topped it off with a little fresh basil…yummy!  

Elote

I love when inspiration hits!  After a Cubs game outing last week I joined some friends at Moe’s Cantina for a drink and dinner.  We ordered a bunch of food to share and one of the dishes was called Elote.  Oh, my, goodness, it was DELICIOUS!  We couldn’t get enough…corn in a cheesy, creamy, spicy Mexican dish.  So, I set out to find a recipe to try and found this one.  I am definitely making this again and bring it to an upcoming air & water show party – it is sure to be a crowd pleaser!  Summer is still here and it is prime corn season, so I would strike while the iron is hot! 

Tzatziki Sauce

I have been rather uninspired recently with recipes (so please email me some good ones!).  But, inspiration finally hit me when I was looking through some old pictures of one of my favorite trips…Greece!   I remembered falling in love with tzatziki and eating massive amounts of it.  Being that it is summer and is hot (well some of the time it’s hot), I thought this would be a great recipe to share.  It is SUPER simple, very fresh and good for you!

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

It’s been a whirl wind of a week.  It started off with another polar vortex and a two day off-site at the “Marketing The PepsiCo Way” training (not a fun time getting over to McCormick Place in -12 degree weather and even worse wind chills).  On the flip side though, if I ever visit Antarctica, I have learned the art of dressing in layers:  tights, winter running leggings, wool knee socks (thanks mom), wool dress, turtleneck, sweater, two scarves, fleece headband, two pairs of gloves, Uggs, long puffy jacket with hood – takes me a while to de-robe once I get to work. 

Corn & Black Bean Salsa

Finally! Warm (well somewhat warm) weather in Chicago that lasts more than a day!  It has been fun to see Chicagoans emerge from their winter hibernation.  Everyone is looking forward to summer barbecues and spending time outdoors.  In celebration of that and the fact that Cinco de Mayo is one week away, I thought I would share my ‘famous’ corn and black bean salsa recipe.  Okay, okay, maybe it isn’t famous, but it is AMAZING, and I plan on entering it in our Quaker Cinco de Mayo salsa competition this week (fingers crossed!).  This one is definitely a keeper and a crowd pleaser.  Don’t be shy with the lime juice and salt…it makes the difference.

Quinoa Buffalo Chicken Bites

As many people know, I love buffalo chicken…I love buffalo wings, I love buffalo chicken sandwiches, I love buffalo chicken dip, and now I have found a new love…buffalo chicken bites made with quinoa.  I stumbled across a blog while looking up new recipes called ‘So Very Blessed’ and found some great recipes using quinoa all in bite sized pieces.  As I am writing this it is bringing up great memories of grabbing dinner with my friend Susan in college at First Run…they had great buffalo chicken sandwiches!  Anyways, quinoa is a great grain (along with oats – what what) and has been coming back in vogue the past few years because of its nutritional benefits.