Skinny Banana and Chocolate Chip Muffins: My Diary of Us

Let's be honest here. If you saw my Instagram feed from the weekend, you know I could really use a skinny muffin in my life. I made cookies, my brother came over and cooked delicious ribs, I made ice cream sandwiches, and then topped it off with a decadent French toast casserole yesterday morning. Let's not count the calories, let's just get back on track this week. Monday's allow for fresh starts and I'm on board with that when they include yummy, skinny banana dark chocolate chip muffins.

These muffins actually aren't my recipe, they are from Ambitious Kitchen. I saw them last week and decided to give them a go. I am sharing them with you because I think you deserve to know that there is this delicious and healthy muffin waiting to be made to start your day off right! And you know what? They would be fantastic as a healthy afternoon pick me up...

PostedSeptember 15, 2014

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesBreakfast

Tagsbreakfast, healthy breakfast recipe, healthy breakfast muffins, muffin recipes, homemade, healthy recipes, clean eating, Baking

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Crock Pot Pulled Pork with Garlic, Cumin, and Lime Slaw: My Diary of Us

It's football time guys, and while you might be really excited about your big game tomorrow, I am all about what we are eating for the big game. I grew up in a football house, and I can't really remember a weekend that football wasn't always on TV or we were at a game. Still to this day I love nothing more than to hear the crowd roar as background noise throughout the house. It's a comfort thing for me, but what I love more is the food thing that happens during football season. Burgers, wings, dips, and things like my crock pot pulled pork sandwiches with garlic, cumin, and lime slaw.

My teams are Tennessee and LSU (which happened after I moved to Louisiana and kind of had to adopt it as my second team since Canean graduated from LSU) unless they play each other in which case I will most certainly pull for Tennessee. Good thing that only happens once every four years or something like that...

These days I could care less to sit and watch the whole football game, I really like to be in the kitchen cooking or have people over and just peep at the score ever so often instead. It's the whole experience that I love more so than having to sit and watch the game.

PostedSeptember 12, 2014

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesGameday Food

TagsCrock Pot Recipes, Pulled Pork, Pulled Pork Recipes, BBQ Pork Sandwich, Homemade Slaw, Slaw Recipes, Healthyish, Gameday food, Football Food Recipes, Entertaining Recipes

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Blackberry Whiskey and Sage Cocktail: My Diary of Us

I want to love whiskey. Canean's drink of choice is almost always a whiskey or bourbon drink and it would be a lot more fun if I liked to drink it too, but I'll just lay it out for you...I do not have a taste for whiskey. Or haven't...until now. Have you ever had blackberry whiskey? Well if are a whiskey scaredy cat like me, this is your transition into the hello whiskey world. And if you already love whiskey, well you are in shock right now that I just told you that usually you will find me far away from whiskey. My blackberry whiskey and sage cocktail is the crossover cocktail that is going to convert all of us non-whiskey drinkers with the first sip!

With fall nipping at our heels, whiskey seemed appropriate for this week's Thirsty Thursday concoction. Now if the weather would just cooperate and I don't know...go below 100 degrees sometime soon, I would be one happy girl. I keep hearing of people saying there is a nip in the air where they live and I couldn't be more jealous. I converted my closet to fall, I'm mentally ready and the weather is really throwing a wrench in my boot wearing plans.

PostedSeptember 11, 2014

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesCocktails

TagsBlackberry Whiskey Cocktail, Thirsty Thursday, Blackberry cocktails, Sage Cocktails, Gluten Free, Cheers, Cocktail Recipes

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Baked Crab Cakes with Spicy Garlic Dipping Sauce: My Diary of Us

When I was a little girl, my grandfather would make me my favorite meal every time that we visited. While most kids might have preferred mac and cheese or something along those lines, I loved crab legs. He would do a huge boil and I would end up eating more than any adult at the table and this was all while I was only 5 or 6 years old. The tradition continued throughout my whole life and my love for crabs has never wavered. Luckily for me I married a Cajun with a father who can boil the best crabs probably anywhere and I'd be willing to bet on that. Since I don't ever boil crabs myself (because after tasting my father-in-law's, there will never be any competition), crab cakes are my go-to recipe when I have a craving. My baked crab cakes and spicy garlic dipping sauce hit the spot every time.

PostedSeptember 9, 2014

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesDinner

TagsLouisiana seafood, local seafood, baked crab cake recipe, crab cakes, eat local, fresh seafood, crab recipes, appetizers, Lighter dinners, healthy, homemade, appetizer

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I'm a dreamer by nature, I have been ever since I was a little girl. And I am a firm believer that if you can dream it, it can happen. I see it time and time again in my own life and in other's lives. If you put it out there in the universe, more times than not, if you really believe it and are determined to make it happen, the dream comes true.

I was recently asked to share my dreams and goals from a company called Kabbage, who specialize in helping people achieve their small business or personal goals. I decided to partner with Kabbage on their Dream Venture Campaign to share my dreams and my hopes with you.

For me, it was somewhat easy to answer the question. I think about it everyday, it's the reason I do what I do and continue to write this blog.

PostedSeptember 8, 2014

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesLife

TagsDreams, Kabbage, Dream Venture Campaign, Blogger

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In high school, I became addicted to the Food Network. I watched it ALL the time, specifically I loved Rachael Ray and her 30-minute meals and even her sayings that might get on your nerves...I soaked it in. I grew up cooking with my mom, but I think it was Rachael Ray who taught me to properly chop and got me out of the box as far as cooking and wanting to try new food goes. There was something about being able to prepare an entire meal from scratch in 30 minutes that kept me watching. And no wonder, everybody needs a couple of quick meals in their back pocket for nights when you just need to get the food on the table. My 20-minute gnocchi skillet with smoked sausage and veggies has become my new go-to, fast and delicious meal.

A meal, that I think Ms. Ray herself would be proud of.

Gnocchi are potato dumplings and have the best pillowy texture, and I am a texture person through and through. I love the fact that like pasta, you can flavor it however you want to and with whatever ingredients are in the fridge. You boil it for 2-3 minutes and throw it in with the rest of the skillet and voila, dinner is ready.

PostedSeptember 5, 2014

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesDinner

TagsGnocchi Recipes, Gluten Free, Gnocchi Skillet Recipes, Skillet Meals, 20 Minute Meal Recipes, 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray, Farm Fresh, Eat Local, Weeknight meals

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