- Category: Tailgating Must-Haves -

Holiday Eats, Recipe Box, Sides, Snacking, Tailgating Must-Haves

Fresh Balsamic Peach Salsa [With a Kick!]

The middle of summer is good for a lot of things. Pools, BBQs, beach vacays, longer days... I could go on and on; summer, I am definitely a fan of you! One thing that I love in the summer time is fresh peaches. Sure, I can eat a peach in the winter and be content, but there is something just so magical about a peach in the summer. They're in season, for one, and you can wash the juice off your face by jumping in a pool! Last night, I was craving shrimp. [surprise surprise, right ;) ?] When looking through my past farmers market haul, I saw that I still had 4 ripe peaches I needed to use up. I decided on Grilled Teriyaki Shrimp & Peach Kabobs (recipe coming soon) topped with…

Holiday Eats, Recipe Box, Sides, Tailgating Must-Haves

Top 10 Quick Bites to Bring to Your July 4th Party

Can you believe it's already July?? Where is the time going! When heading to a neighbor's house, BBQ, beach, or even a simple get together with friends, I always love to bring something along to share. At times, especially when it comes to holiday weekends when you could be traveling, the last thing on your list is a crazy, many steps required recipe. Below I have my Top 10 Favorite Simple Sharable Delectables to bring with you to your 4th of July rendezvous! 1. Healthy (3 ingredient!) Protein-Packed French Onion Dip 2. Mayo-less Skinny Deviled Eggs [half with spiced pecans!] 3. Hydrating Spa Water [tip-- add some citrus vodka for 21+ get togethers!] 4. Light & Creamy Roasted Garlic Hummus   5. Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Muffins [who says pumpkin is only for the…

Recipe Box, Sides, Snacking, Tailgating Must-Haves

Light & Creamy Roasted Garlic Hummus

I have a pretty large obsession with hummus. In snack form? Perfect. For a light lunch? Yum. Incorporated into a dinner? Even better. This past weekend, we went to our friend's going away party and I needed something to whip up quickly and bring with me. After rummaging through my cabinet, hummus came to mind, and who doesn't like hummus? (If you don't like it, tell me howww!) This recipe is the most delicious yet minimalistic in ingredients- which I am a huge fan of. You'll Need: 1 can of chick peas 1-2 tablespoons of minced garlic* (I sauteed it quickly to get that roasted taste) 3 tablespoons of EVOO 3 tablespoons of Tahini *If you're not a fan of garlic, you can leave it out! You can also sub it with other flavors,…

Dressings & Marinades, Recipe Box, Tailgating Must-Haves

Protein Packed, Low-Fat Ranch Dressing

Homemade Healthy Ranch Dressing

Guys. Guys. GUYS! Protein packed, low fat, low cal, and dare I say it, *healthy* ranch dressing was made this weekend! Okay, confession time. I am a total ranch lover. Although, restaurant/homemade ranch definitely steals my heart. One time, my friend Tyler sent me a picture of a gigantic ranch dispenser at the zoo because it reminded him of me. So, yes, you can say I'm in a pretty serious relationship with this condiment. I've been on a salad & homemade dressing kick these past few months, but this little Mason jar of goodness takes the cake. So, let's break this down real quick: Hidden Valley Ranch, America's number one boo packs 140 calories in 2 tablespoons. My homemade ranch? 24 calories in 2 tablespoons. So yes, come and join me on my ranch…

Dinner, Lunch, Recipe Box, Snacking, Tailgating Must-Haves

Fruit & Nutty Skinny Chicken Salad

Chicken salad has always been one of my all time favorite foods. It was my go-to order at Panera in high school and even followed me along to typical order in college. The one thing I don’t like about it is how secretly high calorie packed it is. I always though, meh, how bad can it be? It is mostly chicken, after all. Unfortunately, after realizing just how much mayo is involved, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages of this simple comfort food. However, (there is a light to the end of this somber fact!), this recipe counters ALL of that! It is my absolute favorite, boyfriend [highly] approved, and hopefully after trying it, you’ll feel the same! This recipe made 8 servings. 4 grilled (or baked) chicken breasts 1 cup sliced grapes (green, red,…

Holiday Eats, Recipe Box, Snacking, Sweet Tooth, Tailgating Must-Haves

Chocolate Banana Blueberry Cupcakes with Lite Whipped Peanut Butter Icing || Skinny & Nutrient Packed !

Chocolate Banana Blueberry Cupcakes with Lite Whipped Peanut Butter Icing

I’ve talked many times about how big of a sweet tooth I have. The love I have for chocolate is crazy! If I could, I would eat extra chocolate chip, gooey cookies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. (I just caught myself daydreaming there…) HOWEVER, when it comes to sweets, I’m all about modifications, not about limitations. If I tell myself I can’t have something, it’s all I will crave. So, to bypass that, I’ll find recipes that sub in some healthy ingredients for a less-guilt treat! And thus- these magical, yummy cupcakes were brought into my life. When I saw this post on Taralynn’s blog a few months ago, I pinned it to my “must try” recipe list. However, as most pins go, I forgot about it.. Until now :). With a few simple modifications…

Recipe Box, Snacking, Tailgating Must-Haves

Buffalo Chicken Dip- a tailgating must have!

Homemade Buffalo Chicken Dip

It’s almost time for the Super Bowl! Woooo! Even though I don’t care for either team, and my (poor, awful) Redskins didn’t make it in, I’m still excited for it. Every year, I make a ton of food and have a bunch of people over. Super Bowl’s are a staple social event, so preparing what recipes you’ll be making beforehand is definitely necessary! If you’ve been following for awhile, you know that I lived in West Virginia for the past 5 years until moving down to Florida last February. One thing you will find at any party, tailgating, or just general event in WV is buffalo chicken dip. Seriously, I had it at a wedding once. While buffalo chicken dip isn’t the healthiest, it is definitely the tastiest. It’s a crowd favorite and I’ve…

Breakfast, Lunch, Recipe Box, Sides, Snacking, Sweet Tooth, Tailgating Must-Haves

Curbing Sweets Cravings- Banana Bowls

The other night was one that I just couldn’t seem to fix my sweet tooth. I needed something sweet, but filling so that I wouldn’t convince myself to grab “jut one” cookie later. ;) This simple, 3 ingredient bowl was the perfect solution. All you need: -1 cut up banana -1 tablespoon unsalted raw almond butter -½ tablespoon any kind of jam/jelly/honey that you want. I would recommend using my Healthy 3 Ingredient Strawberry Jam because it’s so simple & good for you, but I cheated a little and used orange marmalade. It’s my favoritttte. Below are some other of my favorite ‘sweets cheats’ recipes. Just click on the name of the recipe and it will take you directly to the post. :) Baked Chocolate Peanut Butter Cinnamon Bananas Game Day Tri-Apple “Nachos” Strawberry Honey Greek…