snow weekend & biscuits

well, the minute my boss closed the office, i threw clothes in a bag and drove the semi-treacherous roads to murfreesboro. glad i left when i did, as we got the most snow i think i have ever seen in my twenty-three years and of course, we southerners freaked. if i hadn't have gone home, i would have been going stir crazy by myself all weekend. southerners don't really do snow. at least this girl doesn't. (well, we like how it looks, some of us just don't drive well in it.)

i spent the weekend snow-birnating with the family, zoo and all. and i couldn't have been happier. it was the perfect "get-away, detox" weekend. not sure why i felt like i needed a 40 minute trip down the road, but i needed some home-home time. and that i got. cabin fever much? we played tapple (harder than you think), watched a few movies (don't waste your time with sleeping with other people), did at-home facials, and cooked to our hearts content. and of course, some snow time was in order with the 5+ inches blanketing everything. stella couldn't get enough of it.

sunday morning brought a good ole southern breakfast, complete with mama's homemade biscuits. i've had a lot of biscuits in my lifetime, and i must say that my mama's hold their own against some of the best. the key she says? "white lily flour. its the lightest, fluffiest and best." and the recipe? just the tried and true one on the back of the white lily bag. it may be nothing out of the ordinary and a southern staple, but when my mom makes it, there's nothing better and it's something special that i treat myself to.

mama's homemade biscuits

2 c White Lily self-rising flour

1/4 c shortening

2/3 - 3/4 c buttermilk

1. preheat oven to 450 degrees. 
2. place flour and shortening in mixing bowl. cut shortening into flour until well incorporated. 
3. stir in just enough buttermilk until dough leaves the sides of the bowl.
4. turn dough out onto a floured surface. gently knead two or three times. roll dough out until it is about 1/2 inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter. 
5. place biscuits onto prepared sheet and bake 15-20 minutes until golden on top.

i think sometimes you need to be "trapped" (though i don't think that's the right word) with your family. it reminded me of times long gone, when we were little and school was out and all we wanted to do was have snowball fights and make snow cream. there were little cares because there was nothing you could do if you wanted.

it was snow much fun. but now that i've had my white snow fix, i'm ready for my toes to be in some white sand.

xoxo,
clp

almond butter banana muffins

today, in my quest to do anything but study, i whipped up some muffins! i had some bananas that had turned quite quickly so i wanted to use them in something rather than just freeze them! i came across a few recipes until finally settling on this easy, quick and healthy one! they are grain-free and oil-free as well as having no butter! i plan on topping mine with some truwhip or cream cheese frosting tonight for dessert, but these are certainly healthy enough for breakfast or a snack!

almond butter banana muffins

1/4 cup almond butter (or nut butter of choice)

2 ripe bananas

1 egg

1 tbsp honey

3/4 cup oats

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray six muffin cups with cooking spray.
2. combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. 
3. pour batter into muffin tins, evenly distributing between all six.
4. bake for 12 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. 
5. allow to cool before removing from pan, store in airtight container for up to one week or freeze. 

(recipe adapted from running with spoons)

bake and enjoy! 

xoxo,

clp

pumpkin granola for fall

homemade granola is one of my go-to's for breakfast, yogurt toppings or dessert toppings. i have posted recipes for both good, ole, simple granola and for peanut butter granola previously, but today i am putting a fall twist on my classic granola recipe: pumpkin! many people don't think they like pumpkin, but they just haven't given it the chance! it is a most delicious fall flavor, and has nutritional benefits to boot! this morning for breakfast, i had some of this pumpkin granola with kefir, a banana and blueberries (of course, i sprinkled some more pumpkin spice and cinnamon on top). it was so good, perfect for this cool, fall morning! also, it kept me quite full through my barre3 workout and chores around my house!

pumpkin granola

2 cups oats

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp splenda brown sugar blend

1 t vanilla 

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted (or vegetable oil)

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice seasoning

1/2 tbsp cinnamon 

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

1. preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. mix together all dry ingredients then mix in wet ingredients. toss to coat everything evenly. 
3. spread the granola on a cookie sheet (make sure you have sprayed it with non-stick pray!)
4. bake for 30-40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes or so, until granola is crisp. 
5. allow to cool and store in an airtight container. 

(slightly adapted from joyful healthy eats)

nuts and dried craisins would also be excellent additions to this recipe! enjoy it over yogurt, with kefir or atop a warm apple for dessert! 

last night, i hosted a lovely (if i do say so myself) wine and cheese party for my pledge class! we all really enjoy our time together when we actually get together and last night was just perfect. entitles "bring your own bottle," everyone brought their poison of choice and i supplied the munchies! the menu included a bacon cheddar cheese, asiago with rosemary and olive oil cheese, brie as well as white cheddar cheese, an olive tapenade, spicy mustard, turkey summer sausage, apples, grapes, carrots, celery, crackers, baguette slices, trader joe's no-guilt kale and spinach artichoke dip and some brownie bites to top everything off! i really enjoyed everyone coming over to my apartment and getting to host! i'm thinking there may be fondue night, beer and pizza night, margs and mexican night in pledge class '11's future! 

tonight the vols are squaring off against oklahoma and i have a crockpot full of chili ready and cornbread ready to go in the oven just before kickoff! go big orange (stella is ready for the game too)!

xoxo,

clp 

single-serving tortilla quiche recipe

who doesn't love breakfast for dinner?! i could eat breakfast every meal of the day and sometimes i actually do! this recipe turned out delicious! i wanted something healthy and light and this was just the ticket. next time, i plan to top it with some sliced avocado. you could even add in crumbled bacon, black beans, or chorizo if desired. 

single serving tortilla quiche

1/2 sweet potato, shredded

1 jalepeno, chopped

handful kale

1/4 onion, chopped

1 large egg

3 tbsp egg whites

3 tbsp non-fat plan greek yogurt

cilantro, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, cumin, etc., to taste

1 large low-carb whole-wheat tortilla (i used la tortilla factory)

shredded cheese of choice, for topping

salsa, for topping

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees. spray medium-sized casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and press into dish, lining the dish. set aside. 
2. using a non-stick skillet, sauté seasoned as desired sweet potato, jalepeno, kale and onion until soft. when cooked, spread mixture evenly onto the tortilla "bowl". 
3. in a small mixing bowl, mix together egg, egg white, and greek yogurt. pour evenly over vegetable mixture. top with cheese.
4. bake for 15-20 minutes, until egg is set, cheese is melted, and edges of tortilla "crust" are crisp.
5. allow to set for ~5 minutes, then serve, topped with salsa!

(slighted adapted from immaeatthat) 

xoxo,
clp

simple overnight oats recipe

breakfast can be a struggle, especially for people my age. most people don't take the time to fix something to eat, much less something healthy, before leaving the house in the morning. me, i can't survive without breakfast! its my favorite meal of the day... sometimes i even have breakfast for lunch or dinner! the recipe below is great for those of you who don't want to have to add in extra time for breakfast in the morning. prepare it the night before, put it in the fridge and grab and go in the morning!

simple overnight oats

1/2 cup oats

3/4 unsweeteneed vanilla almond milk

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 tsp vanilla

cinnamon, to taste, optional

fruit, nuts, dried fruits, nut butters, honey, etc., of choice for topping

1. mix all ingredients together in sealable container (you can either add your toppings now or in the morning). cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. enjoy cold or warmed in the microwave! 

(serves one)

the other morning, i topped mine with more cinnamon (i love it), a fresh peach and a banana! it kept me full through my classes until lunchtime! 

xoxo,

clp

productive saturday & 2 recipes

it is only 3:00 and i am worn out! i have had quite the productive saturday so far! it started relatively low-key, with my morning coffee, one of my new favorite breakfasts of mueslix cereal with almond milk, sliced banana and dried apricots sprinkled with cinnamon, OJ and the today show. i then went to sweat it out at real hot yoga! i hadn't been in a while and it was quite the workout! i swear i was even sweating from my kneecaps... (TMI i know). after hot yoga, i came home and made a cornbread salad (complete with spinach, corn, green peas, onion, tomato and buttermilk and ground pepper) and also sliced up a pear with some cranberry cheese for lunch.

after lunch, i set my sights on the kitchen. i have a pretty busy week ahead of me starting tomorrow afternoon so i wanted to go ahead and make some things for my lunches and breakfasts this week. i made up a batch of my go-to granola, which will be yummy with kefir and fresh fruit. i also hard-boiled a few eggs (just put in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes and voila!) for sandwiches or wraps. this warm weather has me wanting not only pimento cheese but also chicken salad so i decided to make both this week since the pimento cheese keeps well! these are all classic recipes, but lightened up (no mayo!) and modified a bit!

lightened-up jalepeno pimento cheese

1 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt

1 4 oz. jar diced pimentos

1/2 small can diced jalepenos, plus 1 tbsp of juice from can

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

 1 8 oz. block Cabot jalepeno light cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 8 oz. block Cabot sharp extra light cheddar cheese, shredded 

1. combine all ingredients together and stir well. serve as sandwich, as a dip with cut vegetables or wheat crackers, on sliced tomatoes, or melted in an omelette! 

(slightly adapted from Southern Living)

greek yogurt chicken salad

6 oz. shredded white chicken (i used canned)

1/2 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt

1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/8 cup chopped pecans or almonds

1 tsp honey

pepper, to taste 

1. combine all ingredients together and stir well. use a pastry blended to chop ingredients more. serve as sandwich, as a dip with cut vegetables or wheat crackers or on sliced tomatoes.

(slightly adapted from The Yummy Life)

needless to say, i am very much looking forward to my lunches this week! this week really starts the push towards the end of the semester. i am working the vanderbilt vs. UT baseball game tomorrow afternoon and then my week consists of classes, meetings, projects and tests. friday i will be working the sea-ray relays meet and also participating in relay for life. a week from today is the orange and white game, which mama, daddy and phillip are coming up for so i am looking forward to that as well as my chapter's senior recognition banquet next sunday. hopefully i will be able to come up for air at some point, but if not, i'll be back on here as soon as i can! 

xoxo,

clp 

p.s. last night i saw divergent. it was so much better than i expected and i definitely recommend it! i was a hypocrite and saw the movie before reading the book but it is waiting for me to read on my kindle tonight! 

what i ate wednesday & recipes

breakfast: the best meal of the day in my opinion! it is certainly my favorite meal and it should be yours too! if you eat breakfast, you are less likely to be overweight and less likely to overeat later in the day. eating a balanced breakfast, with a protein, carb and fruit/vegetable, is proven to lead to healthier choices later in the day and correct portion sizes. eat within an hour of waking up to get your metabolism up and running for the day!

i could eat breakfast foods for every meal of the day, which i actually did today. breakfast consisted of my favorite cereal from trader joe's, bran flakes, almond milk, cinnamon and banana and blueberries. it was perfect to to get me through my workout! for lunch i tried out a recipe i have seen multiple times floating around on pinterest and it was delicious and filling. try this for either breakfast or lunch and i promise you will stay full for hours (since i had it for lunch, i also had a sliced apple and some peanut butter)

egg white steel cut oats

3/4 cup liquid of choice (i used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)

1/3 cup williams-sonoma steel cut oats

1/4 cup egg whites

1 tbsp cinnamon 

1 tsp vanilla

1 banana, sliced

1 tbsp crushed pecans

1 tsp chia seeds

1. bring liquid to boil in small pot. add in steel cut oats and egg whites and reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer for 3 minutes. 
2. remove from heat and allow to sit for 2 minutes. stir in remaining ingredients and serve warm! 

*this recipe can easily be modified for whatever oats you have on hand. just cook one serving size according to package directions and follow recipe above. 

for supper tonight, pancakes just sounded like music to my ears. nothing else i had in my pantry floated my boat so i decided to whip this single serving pancake recipe, serving with it sliced fruit and 2 slices of canadian turkey bacon for protein. i have been pinning many pancake recipes on my breakfast, lunch and dinner board and this one was calling my name since i had cored pineapple in my fridge! 

single-serving pineapple-upside-down pancakes

1/3 cup whole wheat pastry or whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp Splenda granulated sugar

1/3 cup milk of choice (i used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

2 pineapple rings

1. in a mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients to form a batter. 
2. spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. 
3. when the skillet is hot, reduce heat to medium-low and drop 1/4 cup of batter onto skillet. spread lightly then place one pineapple round in the middle, pushing down just a little into the batter. repeat with remaining batter and pineapple.  
4. flip pancakes with edges become brown and are able to flip without breaking. continue cooking until desired done-ness is reached. (makes 2 thick pancakes) 
5. serve with blueberry syrup (make by heating frozen blueberries over meadium-high heat and mashing with wooden spoon) and greek yogurt cream cheese spread! 

(recipe courtesy of Chocolate Covered Katie)

even though i have only been in knoxville for a little over a week, i am heading back home tomorrow! since i don't have classes on fridays and monday is a holiday, i have a four day weekend ahead of me! i am looking forward to seeing my parents and brother, and even my cat, and just spending some time at home! 

xoxo,

clp 

halloween throwback thursday & a recipe

happy fall y'all! i think fall has finally arrived here in tennessee! fall could possibly be my favorite season of the year (even though i say that every time the season changes). what is better than vests, corduroys, l.l. bean boots and scarves? with fall comes football, bonfires, and corn mazes as well as fall foods such as squash, apples and pumpkin. so, in the spirit of halloween and it being throwback thursday, i am sharing some halloween and fall pictures from years past. i find most of them to be quite funny and its obvious that being a witch was my go-to costume (maybe that should be telling me something?)! the "campbell court gang" always trick-or-treated together every year and there was always quite the assortment of costumes. halloween is one of my favorite memories from my childhood and i loved looking through these pictures!

on a different subject, my thursday was made today when this popped up on my phone:

its safe to say i almost had a heart attack. i was quite excited! i mean, everyone that follows Lilly Pulitzer on Twitter saw my tweet. my tweet! it may not be headlining news, but for me it made my day! one of those little things! and Lilly's reusable bags really do make grocery shopping even more fun (i love going to the store - gives me ideas for meals)! i get compliments on them almost every time i go to the store!

and to round off this post, i thought i would include a breakfast recipe! i had this this morning and it was so good! it could even be a healthy dessert!

breakfast banana pudding for one

"cookie layer"

1/3 cup oat flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp better 'n' peanut butter

1/2 large banana, mashed

1 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk 

1 tsp vanilla

"pudding layer"

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

1/2 large banana, sliced

strawberries, blueberries, pecans, walnuts, cinnamon, honey, etc. for topping

1. in a bowl or container with lid (i usually use a round Ziploc container with a screw-on lid), combine "cookie layer" ingredients and mix well until a "dough" is formed. spread evenly on bottom of container. 
2. spread the "pudding" greek yogurt over the dough layer. then layer sliced bananas. 
3. top with additional cinnamon and toppings of choice. 
4. serve immediately or refrigerate overnight.  

enjoy!

xoxo,

clp