Dark Chocolate & Ginger Avocado Mousse

I am partnering with the Hass Avocado Board today to bring you all this simple recipe for a creamy Dark Chocolate & Ginger Avocado Mousse that only tastes like a decadent splurge.  All opinions expressed below are my own.

I have been a long time fan of the avocado.  I scoop them straight out of the skin with a little Kosher salt.  I toss sliced avocado in salads. I dice them and add them to omelets and tacos.  And of course, I make the ever popular guacamole with them.  But what I most like to do with avocados is to make creamy, decadent desserts with them and not tell my husband. ;) Shhhhhh...

The creamy texture and mild flavor of avocado just lends itself to desserts, especially ones with stronger flavors like the dark chocolate and ginger in this easy to make mousse.  Those of you that have been frequenting the blog recently may have already noticed this, but I have been on a quest lately to create healthier sweet treats that only taste like a decadent splurge. My goal is to create a few healthier alternatives to have handy before the full-on holiday sweets season arrives.  Not that I am giving up my frosted sugar cookies and gingerbread, folks. ;) But I am trying to strike a better balance this coming holiday season.  And using healthy, nutrient dense Hass avocados in more of my cooking and baking is a tasty way to accomplish that goal...

Game Time Pizza Dip Trio

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

Football always means pizza in this house. One of our favorite frozen take home & bake pizzas are the DiGiorno Rising Crust pizzas.  They are better than delivery & faster too! These pizzas bake in around 20 minutes- the delivery guy usually takes at least 30 minutes, usually more on game day. Am I right? ;) Plus, you really can't get any fresher than hot from the oven!

When I heard that Walmart had our favorite frozen pizzas on rollback for just $4.50, I headed right over and picked up a couple of pizzas for the big games this past weekend...

Tropical Green Goddess Smoothie

This delicious & dairy-free Tropical Green Goddess Smoothie gets its rich creaminess from a surprise secret ingredient- avocado!

Post updated 1/30/18- This creamy Tropical Green Goddess Smoothie deserved some updated photos. I did leave one of the originals down below just so you all can see for yourself why this recipe so desperately needed a little face lift. ;)

I am bringing you all a different kind of green smoothie today. The green in this Tropical Green Goddess Smoothie not only comes from the leafy greens this time. The green in this creamy, tangy, & sweet healthy smoothie also comes from a little mashed avocado! 

Yep, folks.  Avocado.

Avocados are already so creamy and have such a mild taste that they work perfectly into fruit smoothies. And because the avocado makes this smoothie so darn creamy, I left out the yogurt when making this one resulting in a delicious dairy-free option for Green Smoothie Week on the blog. :)

(P.S. You can make any of the green smoothie recipes I am sharing this week dairy free by subbing soy or coconut milk yogurt for the low fat or Greek yogurt.)

Fudgy Secret Ingredient Cherry Brownies

These thick, chocolaty and rich brownies are packed with tart dried cherries & have a secret healthy ingredient that you won't believe...

So here is the thing, you all... I am keeping a BIG secret from my husband.

Like HUGE.

If he finds out the secret ingredient in these Fudgy Secret Ingredient Cherry Brownies, he may not talk to me for a couple of hours.

Why?

Because he pretty much hates avocados.  Like a lot.

And after I whipped up this batch of thick, fudgy & moist brownies, I let him lick the batter bowl clean.

Which normally he would LOVE me for, but you see there was an entire mashed avocado in that brownie batter. ;)

I sort of held my breath as he started to scrape the bowl clean with a wooden spoon sure that he would know.

But he didn't.  He had no clue.

And I still haven't told him to this day. 

Shhhhhhhhhh...

Slow Cooker Jalapeno & Beer Cheddarwurst Sandwiches

Break out your slow cooker for your next summer get-together and make these easy & flavorful Slow Cooker Jalapeno & Beer Cheddarwurst Sandwiches...

This post is sponsored by Tyson, Unilever, & Bimbo. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

I don't know about you all, but we are finally enjoying some warmer weather & sunshine here in my neck of the woods. And warmer weather means that summer is just around the corner. And the arrival of summertime means hosting lots of BBQ's & outdoor get-togethers for our family & friends! 

Inviting friends & family over for a little cookout in the backyard is probably one of my favorite things about summertime. 

My husband usually grills some hot dogs or smokes a couple of racks of ribs while I have a second tasty main dish simmering away in my slow cooker. We'll throw down a few friendly games of corn hole, and then we'll light the fire pit for s'mores making once the stars come out.

Slow Cooker Tequila Lime Beef Barbacoa {Spiked!}

In case you missed the announcement a couple of weeks ago, this month's Spiked! Recipe Challenge ingredient is Tequila!  And it was just in time for Cinco de Mayo! ;)

Tequila is not a liquor that I partake of often.  In fact, I had to head to the liquor store to pick up a bottle because I did not currently have one in our liquor cabinet.  There was a time (a LONG time ago during my college days) when I could kick back shots of Cuervo with a little salt and lime and call it night, but those days are far behind me.   Now I like to enjoy a nice margarita (frozen & flavored, please) every once in a while, but save the shots. 

For Cinco de Mayo this year, I decided to make a little beef barbacoa in the Crock Pot.  And hey, why not add some tequila and lime in there?

What you will need:

1 1/2 to 2 lbs of stew beef

1 chipotle pepper (seeded & chopped), plus a tbsp of adobo sauce from a can of chiles in adobo

1/2 onion, chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp salt

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup tequila

1 cup of beef broth

1 tbsp brown sugar

In a small bowl, whisk together the chipotle and adobo, the onion, garlic, cloves, salt, lime juice, the tequila, brown sugar, and beef broth.  

Place the stew meat in the Crock Pot, and then pour the chipotle/tequila mixture over top of the meat.  Toss in the bay leaf.

Cook on High for 2-3 hours, and then on Low for 2-3 hours.  

Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the Crock Pot and place onto a cutting board.  (Also be sure to fish out that bay leaf and toss it in the trash!) Cut into bite size pieces, trimming any excess fat.  Place the trimmed barbacoa back into the Crock Pot, stir, and leave on Warm until ready to serve.

I served our beef barbacoa rolled into warm flour tortillas.  You can top yours with your favorite taco toppings- shredded cheese, avocado, salsa, sour cream...   I ate my simply with just slices of avocado on top.

I had a little of this beef leftover the next day, so I made a delicious breakfast burrito with it- I just scrambled some eggs with a little cheese, added the warmed leftover barbacoa, and rolled them into a flour tortilla.

Are you a fan of tequila?  Do you cook with it or do you prefer it in beverage form? ;)

If you happened to miss the sign-ups for this month's Spiked! Recipe Challenge, never fear!  We will be back in July with a whole new boozy challenge- Stay tuned! :)

Slow Cooker Tequila Lime Beef Barbacoa

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 4--6 hours

6047424

Ingredients (4-6 servings)

• 1 1/2 to 2 lbs of stew beef
• 1 chipotle pepper (seeded & chopped), plus a tbsp of adobo sauce from a can of chiles in adobo
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp salt
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup tequila
• 1 cup of beef broth
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the chipotle and adobo, the onion, garlic, cloves, salt, lime juice, the tequila, brown sugar, and beef broth.

Place the stew meat in the Crock Pot, and then pour the chipotle/tequila mixture over top of the meat. Toss in the bay leaf.

Cook on High for 2-3 hours, and then on Low for 2-3 hours.

Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the Crock Pot and place onto a cutting board. (Also be sure to fish out that bay leaf and toss it in the trash!) Cut into bite size pieces, trimming any excess fat. Place the trimmed barbacoa back into the Crock Pot, stir, and leave on Warm until ready to serve.

I served our beef barbacoa rolled into warm flour tortillas. You can top yours with your favorite taco toppings- shredded cheese, avocado, salsa, sour cream... I ate my simply with just slices of avocado on top.

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Spicy Tuna Roll Quinoa Salad

Inspired by one of my favorite sushi rolls, this Spicy Tuna Roll Quinoa Salad makes the perfect quick & easy lunch idea...

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of StarKist Selects E.V.O.O.®.  

With my youngest back at school 5 days a week now & the busiest time of the year for most of us food bloggers just around the corner, I am ready to get re-focused on some of my own personal goals that I want to accomplish before the end of the year. One of my biggest goals for this past year has been to work towards getting myself to a better & more healthier place physically. 

I have come a long way in the past few months- making my gym time & yoga practice a priority and making better choices when it comes to my daily diet- but I don't want to lose any of that progress as we head into the upcoming holiday season.

In addition to having a vitamin-packed green smoothie for breakfast most mornings of the week, I have also been focusing on creating healthier quick & easy lunch ideas. One of my go-to's for lunch at home or on the go is a filling quinoa salad. 

I usually make a big batch of quinoa at the beginning of each week so I can conveniently have it hand in the refrigerator. Sometimes I toss it with tuna, sliced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, & a light dressing, and sometimes I saute veggies to add to it & serve it warm.

But perhaps one of my new favorite ways to enjoy a quick & flavorful quinoa salad for lunch is with this super easy recipe I am sharing with you all today for my Spicy Tuna Roll Quinoa Salad...

Pumpkin Spice Coconut Smoothie Bowl

Your favorite summer and fall flavors meld perfectly in this creamy & healthy Pumpkin Spice Coconut Smoothie Bowl...

Did anyone else get hit by that sinus cold/infection thing that has been going around lately? I was down with it for most of last week, and I am so not good at being sick. Or doing that resting thing, but this crud kicked my booty. I found myself napping or lying down whenever I could and heading to bed early almost every night for at least five nights last week. 

And when this mama is down for the count, cooking meals at home comes to an abrupt and grinding halt. My husband doesn't really cook often, so I found myself texting him to pick up pizza or fast food before he came home from work last week more times than I would like to admit to you all. 

Add in the fact that I was in no shape to head to the gym at all for the duration of that yuckiness, and I was feeling pretty sluggish and unhealthy by the time this thing finally ran its course near the beginning of this week. I have eased back into my gym routine, but I am craving healthy foods after all the greasy fast food I consumed last week. 

Wanting to get back to some healthier eating, I decided to finally take the leap and made my first ever smoothie bowl. If you are not familiar with a smoothie bowl, you whip it up in a blender the same as you would a smoothie. But a smoothie bowl is thicker making it perfectly spoonable- like a healthy, cold "soup" that is perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Since I am craving fall flavors, but still clinging a little to summer I decided to meld one of my favorite summer flavors (coconut) with one of my favorite fall flavors (pumpkin) in this creamy Pumpkin Spice Coconut Smoothie Bowl... :)

Foodie on a Budget: Five Spiced Adobo Crock Pot Chicken Thighs

My husband and I discovered how amazing the combination of Chinese Five Spice powder and chiles in adobo sauce is at a tapas bar we used to frequent when we lived in Pennsylvania.  From the first time their Chinese Five Spice pork tenderloin with a Chipotle Buerre Blanc sauce was ordered, we were hooked.  And my husband ordered it every single time we visited that restaurant.  Seeing as how I had some chiles in adobo frozen and just waiting to be used (click here for my post on how to freeze leftover chiles in adobo sauce), I decided to come up with a tasty Crock Pot recipe combining chicken thighs and my husband's favorite flavor combination. Chicken thighs are one of my favorite meats to cook in the Crock Pot.  They just seem suited to slow roasting, not to mention it is one of the cheapest cuts of chicken you can buy. ;)

*Please note, I did have some awesome step-by-step photos for this recipe, but I somehow managed to erase almost all of them from my memory card before I had downloaded them to my laptop.  Yeah, BIG fail. :P *

What you will need:

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 15oz can of tomato sauce

1 cube of chiles in adobo sauce, thawed (or 1 chile & 2 tbsp of sauce from the can, blended)

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1 1/2 tsp of Chinese Five Spice Powder

2 tbsp of brown sugar

4 chicken thighs

salt & pepper, to taste

This recipe is ridiculously easy.  First, remove the thick skins from the chicken thighs.  This is easiest to do if they are just still slightly frozen.  Just grab up underneath the skin and pull.  It should come off in one large piece.  Place the thighs (even if they are slightly frozen still) into the slow cooker.

Next?  Just dump everything else in- the onion, garlic, tomato sauce, chiles in adobo, cider vinegar, Chinese Five Spice, and brown sugar.  Mix well, making sure the chicken thighs are well coated.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours.  During the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, taste the sauce and season accordingly with salt and pepper. 

The result is a spicy, sweet, & smoky chicken thigh with meat that just falls off the bone.  I simply served the chicken and sauce over rice with a dollop of sour cream on the side to tame some of the heat.  You could also serve it with some yummy slices of avocado.  
This recipe serves 4.

Five Spiced Adobo Crock Pot Chicken Thighs

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5-6 hours

6045037

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 15oz can of tomato sauce
• 1 cube of chiles in adobo sauce, thawed (or 1 chile & 2 tbsp of sauce from the can, blended)
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp of Chinese Five Spice Powder
• 2 tbsp of brown sugar
• 4 chicken thighs
• salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

First, remove the thick skins from the chicken thighs. This is easiest to do if they are just still slightly frozen. Just grab up underneath the skin and pull. It should come off in one large piece. Place the thighs (even if they are slightly frozen still) into the slow cooker.

Next? Just dump everything else in- the onion, garlic, tomato sauce, chiles in adobo, cider vinegar, Chinese Five Spice, and brown sugar. Mix well, making sure the chicken thighs are well coated.

Cook on low for 5-6 hours. During the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, taste the sauce and season accordingly with salt and pepper.

I simply served the chicken and sauce over rice with a dollop of sour cream on the side to tame some of the heat. You could also serve it with some yummy slices of avocado.

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For Nutritional Info on this recipe, please CLICK HERE.

Bacon Guaca-Hummus

How can you make your three favorite chip dips even better? Combine them together and then throw some bacon in there, like in this Bacon Guaca-Hummus...

Okay, folks. Football season is just about here.  Soon everyone will be hosting or attending game day parties and tailgates.  

Finger foods and dips will be a-plenty.

But the dip that YOU bring will stand out and above the rest when you bring this simple & flavorful Bacon Guaca-Hummus!

Did I mention that it requires just 5 easy ingredients and can be ready to go in under 30 minutes? ;)

Seriously, all. There was no way that I could go wrong with this one.

How could I when combining the tasty flavors of guacamole with spicy salsa, creamy hummus, and crispy, smoky bacon? 

Green Smoothie Week {Win a Smoothie Blender For You & One For a Friend!}

If you happen to follow me on Instagram, you have to be well aware by now of my obsession with concocting and making new green smoothie recipes.  I am pretty sure I post at least two photos of tasty frozen smoothies on there every week.  And I have had several requests for the recipes.  ;)

Well, guess what??  I am going to share them all with my readers this week during my Green Smoothie Week on the blog!  And not only will I be sharing FIVE new green smoothie recipes with you, but myself and a few of my blogger friends are giving you all the chance to win two of my favorite blender for smoothies- one for you and one to give to a friend! :) I really do love this blender! The blender cups are the perfect smoothie portion so you can just unscrew the cap off, pop a straw in, and enjoy.  And it is a powerful blender- no worries about little pieces of spinach or kale showing up in your green smoothies. 

10 Delicious Blender Recipes {& A Blendtec Blender Giveaway!}

Let's celebrate the New Year with some tasty recipes & a giveaway for one fabulous blender...

Happy 2015, friends! I am joining forces with some of my favorite blogging friends to bring you some amazing blender recipes for batters, smoothies, dressings, and more, but one of YOU will also win a Blendtec 725 blender, Twister jar, and a $115 Paypal cash! That is about $885 value! 
And after you have won that shiny new Blendtec blender, you are going to need some new recipes to make with it. We got you all covered with these 10 Delicious Blender Recipes... ;)

5 Tips to Getting Back on Track & Achieving a Balanced Lifestyle

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for #CollectiveBias and its advertiser. #WowThatsGood

Finding balance hasn't always been my strong suit.  Occasionally I nail the whole balance thing, but then find myself straying back to one extreme or the other.  (Usually towards the "I will eat whatever & work out when I feel like it" extreme.  Yeah, not the balanced lifestyle I was aiming for... )

And being a food blogger- especially during the holiday season- definitely doesn't make it easy to keep a healthy balance.  Hello... my job is to create amazing holiday perfect treats & sweets for the masses. ;)  By the time January 1st rolled around, I wasn't feeling very good about what I had been putting into my body lately, how very little I had been making it to the gym, and how snug my once perfectly fitted jeans had started to feel. 

I determined it was time for me to find balance...

And when I say balance, I am not just talking about the foods I eat and how many times a week I practice my yoga.  

My $15 Seven Day Grocery Budget Challenge: Taking Inventory

So, first things first.  If I am going to successfully complete my challenge this week, I have to take stock of what I already have on hand and utilize as many of those things as I can in the next seven days.  Fortunately, it seems like my pantry is pretty well stocked...

Then I took a peek in the freezer to see what I have stashed in there...

After doing a quick inventory, this is the menu that I planned for the week.  (Please note, we will be eating a lot of chicken next week. ;) )

Friday- Crock Pot Chicken Mole with rice and avocado slices (This was actually a meal I had planned for last week, but maybe wasn't made because we just may have had an impromptu carry out pizza night. ;) )

Saturday- Homemade Meat Sauce & Pasta with toasted garlic bread (A recipe for my easy homemade (and cheap!) pasta sauce will be forthcoming.)

Sunday- Buffalo Chicken Strips & fried potatoes

Monday- Leftover Night (pending that there are enough leftovers from Saturday and Sunday)

Tuesday- Breakfast for Dinner, Pancakes

Wednesday- Honey-Dijon Barbecued Chicken with broccoli & cheese

Thursday- Chicken and Dumplings

Friday- Made To Order Omelets, with any cheese & veggies that we have in the fridge & toast

The above menu is tentative.  I may have to move leftover night to another evening if I don't have an ample amount of leftovers by Monday.  I usually pack leftovers from the previous evening's dinner for my husband to take to work for lunch.  I am also planning on "roasting" two large split chicken breasts I have in the freezer some time midweek to use for the Chicken and Dumplings and for chicken sandwiches for the week for lunch (Click here for My recipe for "roasted" chicken in the Crock Pot).

Every couple of days I will update my blog with links to the recipes I made, what items I already had on hand and which ones I had to buy for each dinner.  

Tomorrow is grocery shopping day.  The day of truth.  Will I come out of the store with a grocery receipt under $15?  Stay tuned. ;)

Chipotle Jack Foil Packet Chicken Tacos

With just 5 simple ingredients, these Chipotle Jack Foil Packet Chicken Tacos can be ready over a campfire or grill in 15 minutes...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Johnsonville. The opinions and text are all mine.

This past summer, my family and I have been making an attempt to get out there and camp more and actually like it. Wait... Strike that. My husband and my kiddos already love to go camping. It is me that hasn't quite got on board with the whole camping thing just yet. 

I love the idea of unplugging, getting back to nature, and the smell of a campfire burning, but the other less glorious aspects of camping are making me a tad hesitant. Like the lack of showering... And all the strange noises at night right outside our tent (I happen to be a very light sleeper)... And the food while camping isn't always all that impressive. Ramen noodles and canned cocktail sausages and packets of dried oatmeal just don't do much for me. 

So, yes- I am light sleeping foodie who likes to shower every day, and I am desperately trying to learn to embrace camping multiple nights in a row for the sake of my outdoors/camping loving family. ;)

While I may not be able to do much about the showering situation or the things (animals?) that go bump in the night, I can put my food blogger skills to good use and make sure that my family & I are at least eating well, right? 

When Johnsonville approached me about creating a tasty recipe perfect for camping using their fully cooked and smoked sausages, I thought here is my chance! Here is my opportunity to whip up a delicious recipe perfect for our upcoming fall camping adventures. :) These Chipotle Jack Foil Packet Chicken Tacos require only 5 ingredients to make (only one of which needs to be kept cold) and can be ready over a campfire or grill in just 15 minutes...

20+ Tasty Green Smoothie Recipes

I have gathered up over 20 of the best, most delicious, healthiest green smoothie recipes from some of my favorite food bloggers for you all...

  

Personally, I am a huge fan of green smoothies. I love that I can get in most of daily servings of fruits & veggies in just one creamy smoothie. 

I do have just one tip to share with you all for blending one up minus the chunks of leafy greens- tear the leaves of your greens & place them the blender with the liquid for your smoothie first. Puree that on high until it looks like you have a green juice in your blender. 

Then add in your additional ingredients. Want a little extra boost of nutritional goodness? Add in a tablespoon or two of chia seeds.  

So, I have to know... After this week's Green Smoothie Week on the blog, are you all sold on green smoothies yet?

Have you tried any of the green smoothie recipes I have shared this week?  

And most importantly, are you hooked on the green smoothie craze now?

If so, then you are hitting the green frozen goodness mother load today, folks! :)

Because I have gathered up over 20 of the best, most delicious, healthiest green smoothie recipes from some of my favorite food bloggers for you all...

10 Gorgeous Salads for Your Holiday Dinner

Brimming with seasonal fruits & veggies, these 10 Gorgeous Salads for Your Holiday Dinner will be a bright & fresh addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table... 

I just love a big traditional holiday dinner with all the fixings- ham, mashed potatoes, homemade rolls, the works. But I also like to change things up a bit and add a fresh & bright salad to my holiday dinner table. 

I know that salad might not be the first dish that comes to mind for most when you think of Thanksgiving, winter time, and Christmas, but there are so many seasonal fruits and veggies that are at their peak this time of the year. 

I perused some of my favorite food blogs & gathered up 10 gorgeous winter salads chock full of kale, persimmon, pomegranate, spinach, oranges, whole grains, pears, squash, beets, and so much more. :)

Not only are each of these salads packed with in-season ingredients that you shouldn't have any trouble finding at your local grocery store right now, but they are all full of gorgeous colors and bright flavors. A feast for the eyes and the stomach!

Brimming with seasonal fruits & veggies, these 10 Gorgeous Salads for Your Holiday Dinner will be be a bright & fresh addition to your holiday dinner table...