Reduced Guilt Key Lime Pie

Five years ago, I dedicated an entire month to pies on my blog.
I made so many pies that month it's amazing I didn't gain tons of weight.
Please remember that all posts are from 2011, but here are five of my favorites:
Lemon Meringue Pie
Mini Pumpkin Pies
Dutch Apple Pie
Chocolate Cherry Pie
Turkey Pot Pie

With all the pies I made, it's amazing I never made a Key Lime Pie.
I changed that recently though and made one,
but decided to try to make it just a tad healthier!

The Goods:

Graham Crackers

Brown Sugar

Salt

White Chocolate Chips

Butter

Reduced Fat Greek Yogurt

Key Limes

Eggs

Fat-Free Sweetened Condensed Milk

Whipped Cream

Crush your graham crackers in a gallon bag using a rolling pin.

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup graham cracker crumbs,

1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1 ounce chopped white chocolate.

Add 2 tablespoons melted butter and toss until evenly moistened.

Press crumb mixture into greased pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Cool completely on a wire rack.

While crust is cooling, in another medium bowl combine 1/2 greek yogurt, 

1/2 cup fresh key lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon key lime zest, 

3 large egg yolks and (1) 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk.

Pour mixture into crust and bake at 350 degrees for about 14 minutes.

Cool pie completely on wire rack. 

Chill at least 2 hours before cutting. 

And of course, serve with whipped cream!

Reduced Guilt Key Lime Pie

Adapted from Cooking Light

For the Crust:

1 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

1/8 Teaspoon Salt

1 Ounce White Chocolate Chips

2 Tablespoons Butter

For the Filling:

1/2 Cup Reduced Fat Greek Yogurt

1/2 Cyo Key Limes

3 Large Egg Yolks

1 (14 Ounce) Fat-Free Sweetened Condensed Milk

1. Crush your graham crackers in a gallon bag using a rolling pin.
2. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1 ounce chopped white chocolate. Add 2 tablespoons melted butter and toss until evenly moistened.
3. Press crumb mixture into greased pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.
4. While crust is cooling, in another medium bowl combine 1/2 greek yogurt, 1/2 cup fresh key lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon key lime zest, 3 large egg yolks and (1) 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk.
5. Pour mixture into crust and bake at 350 degrees for about 14 minutes. Cool pie completely on wire rack. Chill at least 2 hours before cutting. 

Whiskey Wednesday: Apple Old Fashion

Happy Wednesday guys!!!

In 2015, I started a fun new blog series - 

Whiskey Wednesday!!!

If you missed them, here are past posts:
Irish Mule
 Mint Julep
Bourbon & Sparkling Lemonade
Irish Redhead
Old Fashion
Jameson Coke Floats
Bourbon Cherry Coke
Bourbon Spiked Apple Cider
Hot Toddy
Whiskey Sour
Sage Brown Derby

Strawberry Whiskey Smash
Gold Rush
Blackberry Whiskey Punch
Kickin' Blood Orange Spritzer
Cherry Lime Whiskey Fizz
Peach Mint Julep

Last month I mentioned that I've started adding different twists
 to cocktails I've already featured.
And today I'm adding my own spin on Kumi and Jeff's Old Fashioned
simply by adding a little bit of Fall - Apple Juice!

Let me show you how to make this yummy cocktail.

The Goods:

Apple Juice

Angostura Bitters

Brown Sugar

Bourbon

Orange

Apple

In cocktail glass, combine 2 ounces apple juice, dash of bitters and 1 teaspoon sugar.

Stir to dissolve the sugar and combine mixture.

Add ice cubes and 2 ounces bourbon to glass.

Garnish with orange peel, apple slice and maraschino cherry.

Take a sip and enjoy this festive fall cocktail!

How To: Homemade Balsamic Glaze

I love Balsamic Glaze, but I hadn't made my own until recently.

You can easily buy it in the store, but it's so easy to make your own too.

And because I like to know exactly what's in what I'm eating,

I tend to stick to making things myself whenever I can.

About halfway through making the glaze the first time,

I realized - Hey I should blog about this too!

So not too long after making the first batch, 

I made another to show you guys how easy it really is!

WARNING - while making this you're kitchen,

or entire apartment in my case will have a strong vinegar smell.

It's worth it though, I promise! 

The Goods:

Balsamic Vinegar

Brown Sugar

Add 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar and 

2 Cups Balsamic Vinegar to a saucepan.

Turn heat to medium.

And mix until sugar is dissolved.

Bring mixture to a boil.

Then reduced heat to low and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Until mixture has reduced by half and has slightly thickened.

It should coat the spoon when dipped into the pan.

Pour into a jar and let cool completely.

Cover and store in the fridge for up to two weeks!

Baked Donut Monday: Churro Donuts!

I'm back again for another Baked Donut Monday post

and today I'm going to tell you about some super tasty

BAKED CHURRO DONUTS!!!

Since I'm now making baked donuts on a monthly basis,
I'm always on the lookout for a new yummy baked donut recipe.
So you better believe I was stoked when I found this one!

And wow guys. Just WOW!
If you like churros, and if you like donuts,
You're probably going to LOVE these!

The Goods:

Butter

Flour

Sugar

Baking Powder

Baking Soda

Salt

Cinnamon

Eggs

Homemade Almond Buttermilk

Vanilla

Brown Sugar

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Set bowl aside because it's time to make some yummy browned butter!

Melt your butter in a small saucepan over medium heat while stirring occasionally.

It will start to foam a little as it's browns, 

but once it's a light brown color and smells nutty it's ready!

Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat,

and transfer brown butter to a room temperature container.

Add eggs, almond buttermilk and vanilla extract to a large bowl.

Whisk until they're well combined.

Add 4 tablespoons of browned butter and whisk again.

Finally, add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and combine.

Transfer donut batter to a large zipper bag.

Cut off the end of the zipper bag 

and fill your donut pan until 1/2 to 3/4 full.

Bake donuts at 350 degrees for 9 to 12 minutes depending on your oven.

While the donuts are baking, make the churro topping.

Combine sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon in a wide, shallow bowl. 

Once baked, cool donuts in the pan a minute or two.

Then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.

See those ones that are a little extra golden?

Confession - I forgot about them for a minute.

But have no fear, they still tasted AMAZING!

Working in small batches, brush both sides with melted butter...

Then immediately dip/roll/cover them with the churro topping.

And that's it!!!

Now it's time to devour these babies!

Or if you're like me and can't stop at one,

remove all temptation by giving them away!

 Not sure who to give them to?
I've found my local fire house LOVES baked goods!
And I bet your local one would too.

Looking for past baked donut posts?
They can be found here, here, here, here and here!!

Churro Donuts
Adapted from Shared Appetite.

For the donuts:
6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Large Eggs
1 Cup + 4 Tablespoons Almond Buttermilk*

For the Churro topping:
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. Melt your butter in a small saucepan over medium heat while stirring occasionally. It will start to foam a little as it's browns, but once it's a light brown color and smells nutty it's ready! 
3. Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer brown butter to a room temperature container.
4. In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, almond buttermilk and vanilla extract.
5. Add 4 Tablespoons of the browned butter and whisk again.
6. Combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing until just incoporated. Do not over mix!
7. Transfer donut batter into large zipper bag and fill donut pan until 1/2 to 3/4 full. 
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 to 12 minutes depending on your oven.
9. While the donuts are baking, make the churro topping by cocombining the sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon in a wide, shallow bowl. 
10. Once baked, cool donuts in the pan a minute or two, then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.
11. Working in small batches, brush both sides with melted butter and then immediately dip/roll/cover them with the churro topping, until fully coated.

*Homemade Almond Buttermilk is a mixture of Almond Milk and Vinegar. Find more info here!

Homemade BBQ Sauce & Spice Rub

I recently made ribs for a couple girlfriends.
When planning, I went to this post where I made ribs with Elina.

While it looks good, it isn't entirely helpful.
Yes, it has some useful information,
but not measurements or anything for the rub and sauce.
I apologize. Really - I do.

Because I wasn't 100% happy with the other ribs post,
I decided I needed to share the sauce and rub recipe that I recently used.
I've made the sauce twice and don't think I'll ever made any other sauce again!!!
It's THAT good!

Now - let me share the delicious sauce and rub I recently made for ribs.

For the sauce, I used this recipe and made little changes to make it my own!

The Goods:
1 1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Tobasco sauce
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 sprigs fresh oregano

Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer 5 to 10 minutes.

That's IT!

Super easy and super tasty.

When making the sauce - it smelled so much like McDonald's BBQ Sauce.

AND it tasted a little like it too, but with a kick!

I don't know about you, but that's for sure a winner in my book!!!

Now that the sauce is made, let's talk about the rib rub.

I used this recipe (rub only, not sauce) as a starting point, 

and again made little changes to make it my own.

The Goods:

1/4 cup coarse sea salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cayenne peper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix everything together and store in an airtight container until ready to use.

The above recipe will make enough for  between 2 and 3 racks of ribs.

Now go, go make yourself some delicious ribs!
I followed the cooking instructions from my previous rib post.
I'm sure the sauce and rub would be great on grilled or smoked ribs as well.

Caramelized Sweet Potato Rounds

Sorry for the lack of post recently folks.
I've been quite busy with work,
but I've also been busy working on new posts about some super tasty food!
And I hope to have a decoration post up soon too.
Maybe even a garden one too, but don't hold your breath...

Anyway, now that I've said my sorries, below you can read all about a super easy and amazingly tasty way to make Sweet Potatoes.

On Thanksgiving, someone showed me a recipe for Caramelized Sweet Potato Rounds and my mouth was watering at just the thought of them! I knew immediately that I had to attempt to make these sucker because I love sweet potatoes and they sounded simply amazing! 

The recipe I was shown called for baking the potatoes whole, slicing them and then baking as rounds. 

I didn't really like that idea and thought that baking them as rounds from the beginning would be easier AND faster in the long run. 

Take a look below at how easy these little things are to make:

The Goods:

Sweet Potatoes

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Butter

Brown Sugar

Baking Sheet(s)

Slice potatoes, brush on olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, flip and bake about 10 minutes more - until fork tender.

Spread butter on sweet potatoes and sprinkle with brown sugar.

Bake fore 5 to 10 minutes, flip, add more butter and brown sugar and bake about 5 more minutes.

Remove from pan with spatula.

I was right, it was both easier and faster! And they were just as delicious as I thought they'd be! 

Go make them - you won't be disappointed!!! 

Sunday Night Dinner: Take 35

I'm back with a real quick Sunday Night Dinner post! 

It's been awhile since I've done one of these posts, 

but I'm here now to tell you about this dinner that includes an amazing recipe reminding me of my childhood!

Growing up, I remember having meatloaf on a pretty regular occasion. 

I loved it. I ate it without complaining! That is until I gave up eating beef! 

I don't think I've eaten a bite of meatloaf since then...until today!!!

I made mini turkey meatloaves with a slice of bacon on top. 

I wasn't originally planning on adding the bacon, but I'm real glad I did! 

The meatloaves were super moist and delicious. Very similar to how I remember mom's tasting!

With the meatloaf, I made some carmalized sweet potato rounds. 

They were SO GOOD and I will be blogging about them very soon.

Finally, I finished the meal with a green vegetable - frozen peas. 

Yes folks, I said frozen peas! I actually really like them and think they went with the meal quite well.

All in all, I think tonight's meal was a great Sunday Night Dinner!!!

Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream

I love pretty much anything made with pumpkin. It's SO good and I cannot get enough of it this time of year. I hadn't made ice cream in awhile, but last week I decided I wanted to try to make some Pumpkin Ice Cream with some of my Homemade Pumpkin Puree!

After a little searching online for a recipe without eggs, I decided to just kind of make my own and hope for the best! I've made many different kinds of ice cream before, so I wasn't too worried. Turns out...I had NOTHING to worry about! The Pumpkin Ice Cream turned out great and everyone who's tried it has loved it!

Take a look at how I made this amazing treat and then go make some for yourself! You could even add a little whipped cream for more of a pumpkin pie taste!!

The Goods:

Cream

Skim Milk

Pumpkin Puree

Brown Sugar

Ground Ginger

Ground Cinnamon

Ground Cloves

Vanilla Extract

Salt

Combine Cream, Milk, Puree and Brown Sugar. 

Stir until combined and sugar is disolved. 

Add the remaining ingredients.

And stir/whisk until mixture is combined.

Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and churn until creamy. 

After being frozen awhile! 

Robyn's Pumpkin Ice Cream Recipe:

1 Cup Cream

1 Cup Skim Milk

1 1/2 Cups Pumpkin Puree

1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger

1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cloves

1. In a large bowl, combine Cream, Milk, Puree and Brown Sugar. Stir until combined and sugar is disolved. 

2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir/whisk until mixture is combined.

3. Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and churn until creamy. It will be more of a soft serve like texture right out of the ice cream maker. Freeze it for a few hours before serving for best results.