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Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Smoothie, Dessert……Recipes

Easy and creative recipes
Think outside of the box

Are you searching for dinner ideas? Maybe a healthy smoothie recipe or meal replacement? If you are anything like me, you might be craving cupcakes and desserts. Here you will find a listing of my personal recipes, both healthy and decadent. Maybe even a keto recipe here and there. The sky is the limit; it’s just a matter of what mood strikes me when I enter the kitchen. Or how to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Drinks & Smoothies
April 12, 2020Drinks & Smoothies / SmoothieKeto Breakfast Smoothie with Coffee This chocolate-coffee smoothie was just what I was looking for in a breakfast shake. Not only is this smoothie tasty and provided me with a nice coffee flavor, it comes in under 3 net carbs. I was thrilled with the rich chocolate flavor, and was even happier that I was fueling my body with real foods vs. my typical cereal. I am still trying to find my groove with better eating and time management. These upcoming breakfast smoothie recipes were actually made in one day, placed in a plastic freezer bag, labeled, and frozen. I would then take three homemade smoothies out of the freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator. Then, I would pour one thawed smoothie into a glass and enjoy while doing my morning computer work. If you are preparing your chocolate, avocado, and coffee smoothie from scratch, start with chunked and frozen avocado and frozen coffee cubes. This will lend to a thicker and smoother smoothie. Health Benefits of Avocado Avocados are packed full of vitamins and minerals such as B-6, C, E, K, magnesium, potassium, riboflavin, and folate acid. Avocados also provide a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and healthy fats. Eating healthy fats supports healthy skin and boosts the immune system. Best Cocoa Powder for Smoothies It’s all about the chocolate in my life. I purchased Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder for this chocolate smoothie. This cocoa powder offered a deep, rich flavor. It was not light in chocolate flavor, it was amazing! I’ve been using this for other fun recipes (more coming soon). I ended up adding Organic BetterStevia® Extract Powder to sweeten up the smoothie. This tends to be my go-to brand because the only ingredient is certified organic stevia leaf extract. That’s not the case with a lot of other stevia brands. It’s another reminder of why reading the ingredient panel vs. the front of a package is so important. Print Pin Avocado, Chocolate, and Coffee Breakfast Smoothie This chocolate-coffee smoothie was just what I was looking for in a breakfast shake. Prep Time 5 minutes minutes Servings 1 Calories 132kcal Ingredients1 Cup Brewed Coffee Cold or room temperature .5 Cup Avocodo Diced1 Tbsp Honey.5 Tbsp Cocoa Powder Unsweetened .25 tsp Cinnamon.25 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract InstructionsBlend all ingredients together until smooth. Do you enjoy breakfast smoothies? Tell me in the comments. Are you looking for even more ways to stay up to date with Life with Tonya? Sign up for the newsletter for more tips and promotions. Don’t forget to be social and Like, Follow and Subscribe. Comments below are always welcome. Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Instagram  YouTube [...]
Sides
April 21, 2020SidesMaking Biscuits From Scratch My stepdad was making a Sunday chili. I thought it would be the perfect time to try my hand at making an easy homemade biscuit recipe. I’m very much a cooking and baking novice. Besides watching a lot of cooking shows on TV, I scroll through Pinterest for recipes. Until this year, that’s been about the extent of my own cooking and baking knowledge. Even though we had a refrigerated biscuit container ready to go, after reading the ingredient panel, I knew I would not be able to eat them. You see, I easily get migraines when I eat foods that have nasty preservatives, and most biscuits from a can contain a long list of no-no ingredients. So, scratch biscuits to the rescue! This easy biscuit recipe isn’t technically a buttermilk biscuit recipe because it does not contain buttermilk. It does, however, contain milk and butter. The biscuits did come out nicely and definitely are in the repeat category. I do not need to modify the recipe, for simple biscuits, but I might try adding various flavors such as garlic and other herbs for a more savory biscuit. Homemade Biscuit Recipe Print Pin Homemade Biscuits Easy Homemade Biscuit Recipe Course Side Dish Keyword biscuits, buttermilk biscuits, easy biscuit recipe, homemade biscuits Prep Time 10 minutes minutes Servings 9 Calories 165kcal Ingredients2 Cups All Purpose Flour Sifted.33 Cups Milk I used 1%.33 Cups Butter I used salted InstructionsPreheat oven to 425° F.Combine the sifted all-purpose flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in the diced, cold butter with a fork. Cutting means to leave little bits of butter throughout the flour. This will make the biscuits flaky. Slowly add the milk and mix with a fork until dough is just slightly sticky. I refrigerated my mix, just because I prepped ahead of time. This step is not needed.Remove the dough from bowl and foldover 10 times on a floured surface. You don't want to over-mix the flour or your biscuits will turn out tough. Flatten the dough using your hands until about 1/2” thick. Cut biscuits using a biscuit cutter or a glass. Tip-Alwayscut straight down and never twist or they won't rise. Mine were 2 3/4” circles. Place biscuits on an ungreased baking pan. I like using ceramic trays as they prevent sticking. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. What’s your favorite way to eat biscuits? Tell me in the comments. Are you looking for even more ways to stay up to date with Life with Tonya? Sign up for the newsletter for more tips and promotions. Don’t forget to be social and Like, Follow and Subscribe. Comments below are always welcome. Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Instagram  YouTube [...]
March 16, 2020SidesEasy Homemade Pineapple Pico De Gallo Salsa Recipe My cilantro-lime slow cooker chicken recipe wouldn’t be complete without a fresh salsa. I will be the first to admit my taste buds are pretty simple, and I prefer sweet to savory and definitely not spicy. Fresh pineapple pico de gallo it is! Honestly, for my first time making homemade salsa, this recipe was both easy and, I have to admit, the best salsa I’ve ever eaten. That’s no lie. I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as my family. Print Homemade Pineapple Pico De Gallo Recipe | Fresh Tomato and Pineapple Salsa My cilantro-lime slow cooker chicken recipe wouldn't be complete without a fresh salsa. Course Side Dish Cuisine Mexican Keyword easy salsa, pico de gallo, pineapple salsa, salsa, tomato salsa Prep Time 10 minutes minutes Calories 40kcal Ingredients1 cup Pineapple Chunks1 cup Tomato Chunks.5 cup Onion Sweet, Red, Chopped.33 cup Cilantro Chopped2 whole Limes Just the juice, 1/2 cup InstructionsMix and serve. Yes, it's that easy. Do you love fresh salsa? Tell me in the comments. Are you looking for even more ways to stay up to date with Life with Tonya? Sign up for the newsletter for more tips and promotions. Don’t forget to be social and Like, Follow and Subscribe. Comments below are always welcome. Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Instagram  YouTube [...]
Main Dish
April 16, 2020Main DishLow Carbohydrate Lasagna Recipe Making a low carb lasagna recipe wasn’t as hard as I had expected. As a matter of fact, my new home cooking routine isn’t half bad. It’s a great feeling to know I have control over the ingredients in my dinners. When I shop for a frozen lasagna, I have to be very careful about reading the ingredient panels because a lot of frozen meals contain preservatives that are not only unhealthy, but, for me, trigger headaches and migraines. Low-Carb and Keto-Friendly Lasagna Recipe This healthy lasagna recipe isn’t a no-carb lasagna, but it’s pretty low-carb lasagna! An added bonus is that it tastes great. No complaints from my family, and some of us even splurged for a second helping. I took an easy way out and used a canned organic spaghetti sauce, but in the future I may try my hand at a homemade tomato sauce. You can use a canned sauce or use a tried-and-true spaghetti sauce recipe from your recipe box. This homemade zucchini lasagna makes approximately eight servings. After we all had our share, I portioned the remaining lasagna up into single-serving portions and froze them for leftovers. It warms up nicely in the oven or even microwave if you want to go that route. Don’t forget to check out my dog lasagna recipe! Print Zucchini Lasagna Recipe | Low Carb Lasagna Recipe This healthy lasagna recipe isn't a no-carb lasagna, but it's pretty low-carb lasagna! 13 net carbs per serving. Course Main Course Cuisine Italian Keyword carb free lasagne, making zucchini lasagna noodles, zucchini lasagna Prep Time 30 minutes minutes Cook Time 1 hour hour Servings 8 Servings Calories 562kcal Ingredients2 lbs Hamburger Ground, Lean24 oz Spaghetti Sauce3 cup Mozzarella Shredded1 cup Parmesan Cheese Shredded6 whole Zucchini 2 whole Tomatoes Roma, suggested InstructionsHeat a large skillet over medium-high heat.Once your pan is heated, add the olive oil.Add the ground hamburger to the pan. As it's cooking, stir and break up the meat with a large wooden spoon. Cook the beef until it's no longer pink. Approximately five minutes.Once your meat is cooked, drain and dispose of the grease.Place your ground hamburger back into your skillet and add your spaghetti sauce and diced tomatoes. Continue to stir the mixture over medium-high heat until it begins to simmer. Once your mixture is simmering, reduce the heat to keep a low simmer, stirring frequently for ten minutes.Remove meat mixture from the stove and set aside.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Cut and discard the ends off of the zucchini. Stand the zucchini vertically and slice along the length into 1/8-1/4” thick strips. They will not all be the same size, and that's okay.Arrange 1/3 of your slices of zucchini along the bottom of your baking dish, slightly overlapping each other. Evenly spread half of your meat mixture on top of your first row of zucchini. Evenly spread 1/3 of your cheese over the meat. Continue this process until all your ingredients are in the dish. Give the dish a nice shake and bump on the counter to help settle your ingredients.Bake your lasagna uncovered until golden brown on top, approximately 45-60 minutes. Allow your lasagna to rest for 15 minutes, slice, and serve. Have you tried a low-carb lasagna recipe? Tell me in the comments. Are you looking for even more ways to stay up to date with Life with Tonya? Sign up for the newsletter for more tips and promotions. Don’t forget to be social and Like, Follow and Subscribe. Comments below are always welcome. Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Instagram  YouTube [...]
February 11, 2020Chicken / Main Dish / Slow CookerEasy Chicken Dinners I love chicken recipes. Okay, I love to eat chicken. Over the years, whenever I attempt to make an easy chicken recipe, I always head for the chicken breast. This recipe is no different. I would say the biggest difference is this easy slow-cooker chicken recipe was a hit with my entire family. It’s definitely a repeat recipe in my book. Cooking for myself has always been a challenge. But 2020 is going to be my year. For real, this time. This healthy chicken recipe yields 9, 4-ounce servings. I had plenty of leftover cilantro-lime chicken to pop in the freezer for easy dinner or lunch dishes. You can eat this Crockpot chicken anyway you would like. A few ideas that come to mind: serving on lime tortilla chips, stuffed burritos, chicken tacos, over brown rice, or even by the forkful. For extra fun, check out my fresh pineapple pico de gallo recipe. Another big hit in our home. Print Pin Cilantro-Lime Chicken Breast Slow Cooker Recipe Easy Cilantro-Lime Chicken Breast Slow Cooker (Crockpot) Recipe. This healthy, low-carb chicken breast recipe will have your family asking for seconds. Course Main Course Cuisine Mexican Keyword chicken, lime Cook Time 4 hours hours Servings 9 Calories 320kcal EquipmentSlow Cooker Ingredients2 lbs Chicken Breast Boneless, Skinless.5 cup Chicken Broth.25 cup Lime Juice Juice of one lime.25 cup Olive Oil4 cloves Garlic Peeled, Smashed, Diced.5 whole Jalapeno Remove Seeds, Diced2 tsp Cumin Powder2 tsp Sea Salt1 tsp Paprika.5 tsp Black Pepper.5 cup Cilantro Chopped, Save for End InstructionsPlace the olive oil, lime juice, crushed garlic cloves, jalapeno slices, sea salt, ground cumin, paprika, and black pepper into your favorite blender and blend until smooth.Place the boneless, skinless chicken breasts into the slow cooker.Pour your sauce mixture over the chicken.Cover and cook on high for approximately 3 hours or low for 6. Your chicken is done when you can easily pull it apart with a fork.Shred the chicken with two forks then stir in your chopped cilantro. Viola! Are you a chicken fan? Tell me in the comments. Are you looking for even more ways to stay up to date with Life with Tonya? Sign up for the newsletter for more tips and promotions. Don’t forget to be social and Like, Follow and Subscribe. Comments below are always welcome. Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Instagram  YouTube [...]
Sweets
April 20, 2020SweetChocolate Berry Cupcakes I did it! I made my very first chocolate cupcakes from scratch. I have to admit, I’m pretty proud of myself. Not only did I tackle homemade chocolate cupcakes, I also made an easy from-scratch berry frosting. If that wasn’t good enough, I’m baking during the COVID-19 epidemic, and the original ingredients I intended to use were not available. Will all of that, these blackberry dark-chocolate cupcakes were truly decadent. Once again, I dove into my Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder for this truly rich chocolate cupcake. I love the way this cocoa powder offers a deep, rich flavor. Check out my avocado, chocolate, and coffee breakfast smoothie. To add to the richness of these chocolate berry cupcakes, I added brewed coffee to the batter. Cooled, of course. Coffee enhances the chocolate flavor, and desserts can never have too much chocolate. Whipped Cream Frosting Recipe The real challenge for my homemade cupcakes was the homemade frosting. Until this moment, I didn’t realize I could make buttercream frosting with regular sugar vs. powdered sugar (which I didn’t have). I also didn’t know I could pulse regular sugar and turn it into powdered sugar! In reality, I’m glad I didn’t know those facts. I ended up with a very tasty and unique blackberry whipped frosting that I’m proud of. I even dove into my Chopped viewing experiences and strained the blackberry seeds! Hahahaha The cupcake recipe yields 12 cupcakes, and the homemade blackberry icing lightly covered all the cupcakes. Perfect for me, but if you are like my mom, you would want more frosting on each cupcake. It that case, multiply the whipped berry icing by 1.5. This will allow you to ice the cupcakes with more goodness. Dark Chocolate, Berry and Coffee Cupcake Recipe Print Pin Homemade Chocolate, Coffee, and Blackberry Cupcakes To add to the richness of these chocolate berry cupcakes, I added brewed coffee to the batter. Course Dessert Cuisine American Keyword blackberry cupcakes, chocolate berry cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes, coffee cupcakes Prep Time 20 minutes minutes Servings 12 Cupcakes Calories 250kcal Ingredients2 Cups All Purpose Flour Sifted1.25 Cups Sugar1 Cup Blackberries.5 Cup Brewed Coffee Cooled.5 Cup Coconut Oil Melted.5 Cup Cocoa Powder Unsweetened 1.5 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract1.5 tsp Baking Soda.75 tsp Salt InstructionsPreheat oven to 350º.Line cupcake pan with oiled liners. I used coconut oil. Whisk all the dry ingredients in a bowl.Puree blackberries.Add all the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well.Scoop batter with a standard ice-cream scoop and place into oiled cupcake cups. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes. The cupcakes should be springy to the touch.Remove from pan and set on a cooling rack to completely cool before icing. Homemade Blackberry Whipped Frosting Print Pin Blackberry Whipped Frosting Recipe Perfectly delicious homemade frosting that's not too sweet. Course Dessert Cuisine American Keyword berry frosting, blackberry frosting, frosting without powdered sugar, homemade frosting Prep Time 15 minutes minutes Cook Time 5 minutes minutes Servings 12 Cupcakes Calories 149kcal Ingredients1 Cup Blackberries.75 Cup Sugar.5 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream.5 Cup Butter I used salted2 TBSP All Purpose Flour1.5 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract.25 tsp Salt InstructionsIn a mixing bowl, mix the sugar, butter, and vanilla. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk heavy whipping cream, flour, salt and berries.Continually whisk until the sauce thickens and the berries break down. Approximately 5 minutes. Pour through a mesh strainer, over the butter mixture and strain, leaving the seeds in the strainer. Discard seeds. Mix the butter mixture with the berry mixture until fully incorporated. Place the homemade berry frosting into a piping bag.Once your chocolate cupcakes are cool, pipe the frosting, starting with the outer edge and working your way around the cupcake until you reach the center. Enjoy! Try not to eat them all in one day. 🙂 Are you a chocolate lover like me? Tell me in the comments. Are you looking for even more ways to stay up to date with Life with Tonya? Sign up for the newsletter for more tips and promotions. Don’t forget to be social and Like, Follow and Subscribe. Comments below are always welcome. Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Instagram  YouTube [...]