Cinco de Mayo Recipe Ideas
Apr 29, 2013 | Cinco de Mayo, Dinner | Tags: Cinco de Mayo, Dinner
Happy Monday to you! Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner which means one thing….lots and lots of Mexican Food, Yay! We love Mexican in our house, so celebrating Cinco de Mayo comes so natural to us.
Just got back from the best weekend at the Big Traveling Potluck, so stay tuned this week for a updated chit chat page about our trip.
Enjoy a round up of some of my favorite “Mexican Style” Picky Palate favorites. Don’t forget the chips and salsa 
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Bacon, Avocado and Corn Salad
Apr 24, 2013 | Appetizers/Sides | Tags: avocado, bacon, corn, giveaway, lime, side, side dish
I am thrilled to share a new cookbook with you today called Absolutely Avocados by my friend Gaby Dalkin of What’s Gaby Cooking!
Gaby is definitely the queen of all things avocado and her book is “absolutely” perfect! Matt Armendariz and Adam Pearson photographed and styled the book so you can expect mouthwatering delicious photos throughout.
I chose to make Gaby’s “Bacon, Avocado and Corn Salad.” Can I just say it is a salad packed with all of my favorite things. It’s got corn, bacon, avocados, cilantro, lime and cheese! I could eat this every day and be so very happy.
I just know you will love this salad, Enjoy!
Congrats to Gaby … Continue Reading »
Dinner Menu Planning Made Easy
Apr 22, 2013 | Dinner | Tags: dinner planning, menu, tips
Does the thought of menu planning for the week make you a little stressed? Well, I know it does for me if I’m not organized. I tend to get stressed out thinking out too far ahead. I have decided it’s time to make meal planning low stress and easy to manage.
I like to sit down Sunday evening and look over recipes, figure out what sounds good for the week and decide what I am going to realistically have time for. Let’s get real and admit that we might not make a homemade dinner Monday-Friday. I am the last person that will judge. Some nights we break open a … Continue Reading »
Reeses Pieces Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Apr 19, 2013 | Cookies, Desserts | Tags: candy, chocolate, chocolate chunk, Cookies, reeses pieces
I love a good cookie, that’s pretty obvious if you follow Picky Palate. My Reese’s Pieces Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies are ones that will be made again and again in the Flake house. Chocolatey delicious packed with chocolate chunks and mini Reese’s Pieces…win win!
Grab the kids, and let’s make some cookies.
How To Make Homemade Box Mix Style Brownies
Apr 15, 2013 | Brownies and Bars, Desserts | Tags: bars, box mix brownies, brownies, chocolate, dessert, homemade
I don’t know about you guys, but it’s hard for me to LOVE homemade brownies when box mix brownies are so good and….so easy. I’ve been playing around in the kitchen and have developed a recipe that is pretty darn close to that beloved box mix brownie. I tested them at room temperature and chilled. Both….amazing. They are dense but not too much and thick but not too thick. Just how I like them!
Hope you enjoy!
Chili Tortellini
Apr 10, 2013 | Beef, Dinner | Tags: beef, black beans, chili, Dinner, one pot, onions, quick and easy, tortellini
Kind of random, but last Sunday I was deciding what to make the boys and husband for dinner and just when I was going to make a pot of chili, I saw a package of tortellini in my pantry. I thought, I do chili mac all the time so why not add tortellini to my chili?! The rest is history and we loved this speedy to make dinner.
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Skinny Chicken Vegetable Enchiladas
Apr 8, 2013 | Chicken, Dinner, Skinny Palate | Tags: chicken, Dinner, healthy, homemade, mexican, skinny palate
Are you ready for some skinny chicken vegetable enchiladas? You are going to love this “lower” fat version I have developed for you. I’m not completely crazy, so I still add cheese to the top of my enchiladas, low fat or not. Some things you just can’t get rid of in my opinion, but as always, you can certainly leave out the cheese….but don’t. Lol!
You’ll also find that I have a homemade enchilada sauce for you. If you haven’t made your own enchilada sauce, you are going to love it. I swear, no matter if the label says mild or not, most enchilada sauces at the grocery store are so spicy for my kids. I finally took matters into my own hands and developed my own. This one is similar to the one that is in my cookbook, but I use some greek yogurt to make it a little creamy. Yum!
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Bacon, Ranch and Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
Apr 5, 2013 | Appetizers/Sides | Tags: bacon, cheddar cheese, mashed potatoes, milk, potatoes, Ranch dressing, side
I’ve come to the realization that I have a slight obsession with Bacon, Ranch and Cheddar recipes which is why you see them so much on Picky Palate. My mashed potatoes today are absolutely sinful. Packed with my favorite potato flavors, it’s hard to resist them!
Let’s have a mashed potato night shall we?!
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How To Make Perfect M and M Cookies
Apr 3, 2013 | Cookies, Desserts | Tags: candy, chocolate chip cookies, Cookies, dessert, m and m, perfect cookie, pudding cookies
I’ve been teasing you with my Perfect M and M cookies for over a week now on Instagram. I had to re-test them to make sure they were just perfect for you! …..well they are, so I’m hoping it’ll be worth the wait.
So, what defines a perfect cookie to you? It’s quite different for everyone I imagine. For me, the cookie has to be soft but crispy around the edges with just the right texture. Also, they must not be flat. This cookie that I’ve developed has all of those things which is why this post is called How To Make Perfect M and M Cookies
Wanna know … Continue Reading »
Grilled Taco and Lime Chicken for Tacos
Apr 1, 2013 | Chicken, Dinner | Tags: chicken, grilled, homemade taco seasoning, lime, salsa, stovetop grill pan, summer, tacos
Happy April 1st! No tricks today, April Fools totally snuck up on me this year!
I don’t know about you guys, but we seem to have tacos on a regular basis in our home. They are easy and the kids (and husband) love them. I have created a simple homemade taco seasoned and lime grilled chicken that is thinly sliced and mouthwatering inside tacos. You can either marinate the chicken or grill it immediately, whatever you’ve got the time for.
I use an inside stove top grill pan so I can grill all year round. Do you have one? I use mine all the time especially since I don’t have an outdoor grill at the moment. They are great for grilling chicken and I even throw burgers on it. The one I use is HERE. Check your local TJ Maxx Home Goods, I have seen them there on a number of occasions for much less expensive.
Let’s take a look at how simple you can make your own restaurant style grilled chicken for tacos.
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Honey, Wheat and Flaxseed Pancakes {Healthy}
Mar 29, 2013 | Breakfast/Brunch, Skinny Palate | Tags: breakfast, flaxseed, healthy, honey, skinny palate, wheat
Another edition to “Skinny Palate” for you today! As much as I love my favorite pancakes from my Cookbook, page 21 to be exact, I also like to prepare a healthy version of them that I am sharing today.
I used Gold Medal Flour’s White Wheat Flour, ground flaxseed and no sugar. I use honey as the sweetener and no oil. I am not kidding when I tell you that my 7 year old can NOT tell the difference between these and my original pancakes from my cookbook.
If you’d like a healthier option for a pancake, I highly recommend my recipe. You literally add all the ingredients to one mixing bowl and you are ready to go. Easy and fabulous!
Enjoy friends!
Cheesy Grown Up SpaghettiOs
Mar 27, 2013 | Chicken, Dinner, Favorites | Tags: butter, cheese, chicken, Dinner, homemade spaghettios, pasta, quick and easy, tomato sauce
Remember eating spaghettios as a kid? I do! I have to say I don’t love them now as an adult, but I do love my “Cheesy Grown Up SpaghettiOs I’ve made for you today.
Growing up, I remember and my dad making a bowl of pasta, then adding butter and tomato sauce (with lots of black pepper) for lunch on a number of occasions. It is the simplest of ingredients and for some reason is so good!
I re-created that lunch I remember him making so many times as a kid with a few little additions of my own. The family will go nuts over this recipe. My kids even polished off all of the leftovers throughout the week.
Hope you enjoy!
Peanut Butter Do-si-do Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mar 25, 2013 | Cookies, Desserts
So, you know my obsession with Girl Scout Cookies? I’ve used them again to create another cookie that’s going to knock your socks off. I call them my Peanut Butter Do-si-do chocolate Chip Cookies.
If you are a peanut butter cookie fan, then you are in for quite a treat with this recipe with crushed Do-si-dos and mini chocolate chips throughout.
Simple, irresistible and perfect for gift giving.
Enjoy friends!
Pear Me Up Smoothie
Mar 22, 2013 | Drinks, Skinny Palate | Tags: apple, avocado, banana, drinks, healthy, kale, pear, protein powder, skinny palate, smoothie
Another addition to “Skinny Palate” today.
Hi, Cullen here, Picky Palate’s husband. This is my debut recipe on Picky Palate. I’ve been hounding Jenny for months to add juicing or blending to the website. The hounding took it’s toll and she agrees that we should implement juicing and blending. The first Juice recipe was posted in January 2012 HERE, and we’re pleased to post this blend recipe with a hope of many more to come.
We all know that eating fruits and vegetables are vital for our health. How many servings are we supposed to get each day? 10, … Continue Reading »
Quinoa and Brown Rice Black Bean Fiesta Bowl
Mar 20, 2013 | Dinner, Skinny Palate | Tags: avocado, black beans, brown rice, cabbage, cucumber, gluten free, greek yogurt, healthy, quinoa, salad, salsa, skinny, spicy brown mustard, tomatoes
I am so excited to start a new page on Picky Palate called “Skinny Palate.” You know how swimsuit season is right around the corner, eeek!! This will be a page where I post health conscious recipes that my husband and I are loving right now. The kids, well we are working on them, even if it’s one bite at a time. It’s a work in process
A few weeks ago we went to a little cafe in Laguna Beach called Active Culture, you can see a collage I posted on Instagram HERE. They serve all sorts of wonderful healthy foods, yogurt and smoothies. I ordered what they call their whole bowl and I could not get enough of it. I went home and created my own version of their super healthy fabulous bowl. It’s not exact, but I enjoyed mine just as much.
Hope you enjoy friends! ….and no worries for those of you not into this, I have a killer cookie recipe coming up soon! It’s all about moderation right?!
