recipe

Healthier Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

May 15, 2013 · by Becca Heflin · 1 Comment

Cashew Carrot Cake w Cream Cheese Frosting from ItsYummi.com #HealthyDesserts #LowCarb

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It's quite possible that I witnessed an honest-to-goodness miracle this week. I didn't think it could be done, but the big God that I keep failing to trust has helped me to live through 7 days of exercise. SEVEN!! Not the "lift fork to mouth" exercise, either. REAL workouts. At the gym! With a trainer! I know...It's kind of freaky, isn't it?
I'm not sure what happened to me, either.

Good gravy, my bones and muscles hurt, but I'm convinced that after I've gone through a few dozen trays of ice and a couple of bottles of Ibuprofen, I'll be grateful that I'm treating my body better.

I'm not about to don a swimsuit and start training for a triathlon or anything, but I'm steadily working towards my #FitBy50 goal. That's 50 pounds less of me by the end of January, when I'll turn 50 years old. I BELIEVE it can be done! I'm exercising at least 3 times a week, adding more protein and veggies to my diet, and indulging in low-carb desserts like THIS ONE instead of my usual carb-infested goodies. Trust me when I say that with desserts like this one, I'm not feeling a bit deprived.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

May 2, 2013 · by Becca Heflin · 8 Comments

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You may be shocked by what I'm about to say. Are you sitting down? You really should sit. This isn't really standing up kind of news. OK... all comfy?

I baked you something awesome...and I used 100% UNHEALTHY ingredients! You're in shock, aren't you? I knew you would be. You can't say you weren't warned.

No low-carb flour, REAL sugar, and pure Wisconsin butter. This from the girl who swears that she'll be "fit by 50"?

See, it's like this. I AM changing my life for the better. I'm trying to get into God's word more. To pray more. I'm eating better, I'm (Lord, help me) trying to exercise for the first time in 14 years, and I'm dumping my life of toxic relationships and negative attitudes. I'm working daily to become a better me. It's a day-by-day, baby steps to progress activity, but along that road, and even when I'm happy with some of the changes that I've made, I'll deserve a pure indulgent treat now and then. That's when pure, simple ingredients like lemons, butter, sugar, and eggs will come together and sing in harmony as they're blended with flour and leavening agents to become a light, tangy, moist, and dare I say, delightful dessert! Like THIS quick bread.

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Filed Under: BAKING, bread, recipes · Tagged: bread, cake, cupcakes, desserts, lemon, lemon poppy seed, recipe

Saturday Spotlight – Baking Cheese and Sausage Biscuits in a Brownie Pan

April 27, 2013 · by Becca Heflin · 1 Comment

Cheese n Sausage Biscuits from ItsYummi.com #breakfast

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Happy weekend, my lovelies! I hope this post finds you sitting in your happy place doing something you absolutely love to be doing. If you're not there yet, get comfy and start. Life's too short to be doing anything less than that!

Hey, did you catch the "Saturday Spotlight" in the title of this post? I've decided to start a new weekend trend of highlighting some of my favorite food products (edible and otherwise). One week I might profess my love for a certain brand of creamy peanut butter and the next I could be highlighting my favorite stand mixer, or telling you all about how awesome the customer service team is at Festival Foods (and it IS fantastic!) If you've got favorite foods and/or cooking equipment that you think I should take a gander at, fire off an EMAIL in my direction and I'll see if I locate it for review purposes. I think it's fun experimenting with new brands, and who knows, you might have something awesome in your kitchen that should be sitting in MINE too! Please bear in mind that NONE of these posts will be sponsored. In other words, I'm not getting paid to say anything good, bad, or indifferent about them. I just think they're products that you might enjoy as much as I do. Comprende? OK then...'nuff said!

THIS week, I'm gonna highlight my very favorite baking pan. Take a look at what it helped me to create!

YUMMILICIOUS, right?! Aside from the fact that they've got ooey gooey cheese and crumbled pork sausage on the top, there's a light buttery biscuit holding that combo together. Fat grams and calories? Well... YES, there are plenty to go around in these little heaven-sent biscuits. However, I made these for Brian to take to his co-workers for their Friday breakfast pig out. What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't make something fully loaded with artery choking ingredients? What's that? I'd be REASONABLE? Umm... hello. Do I know you? Rather, do you know me at ALL? OK, let's move on.

It's entirely possible to make these a little bit more heart smart. Just use turkey sausage and some low-fat or low-carb biscuits and some low-fat cheese. In this particular case, I said NO to the LOW and I'm not ashamed. They're perfectly portioned...as long as you can stop at one or two. Now let's talk about the adorable square shape of these biscuits. This was made possible only because of my Pampered Chef Brownie Pan. I'm not really sure why they call it a brownie pan, because in all honesty, I think I've only made 2 batches of brownies in it. I use this pan for EVERYTHING! Mini lasagnas, blueberry cream cheese streusel cakes, mini meatloaves (which are the PERFECT size for making meatloaf sandwiches, by the way), and now these biscuits. It's made out of aluminized steel and it's got a non-stick coating that's nothing short of amazing. It doesn't matter what I bake in this pan, everything falls out effortlessly, leaving behind a SUPER easy clean up. Regarding care and use: This pan is safe in conventional and convection ovens up to 450°F (230°C). It is NOT broiler-, freezer- or microwave-safe, so stay clear. It IS dishwasher safe, though. OK, wanna see an action shot?!

There's really not much to complain about where this pan is concerned. Except maybe for the fact that the 12 wells could be just a LITTLE bit deeper. They're not as deep as a cupcake well...they're about three-fourths of the depth of a standard size cupcake.

I've used it for layered recipes without a problem, but it makes for a tight squeeze when you're trying to stuff Snickers bars between layers of cookie dough. Oh, I didn't mention that recipe, did I? It's coming! Make this recipe first and let me know what you think. It doesn't get much easier peasier than 3 ingredients and 12 minutes in the oven! Get your pan from your favorite Pampered Chef consultant and start baking! If you don't have a PC consultant, shoot me a message and I can give you recommendations, or you can go to the Pampered Chef website and use the consultant locator.

Have an awesome weekend!

Cheese and Sausage Biscuits

Created By:

Chef Becca Heflin

Recipe Category: Breakfast

Serves: 6

Prep time: 7 mins

Cook time: 12 mins

Total time: 19 mins

light flaky biscuits topped with crumbled pork sausage and real Wisconsin cheddar cheese!

WHAT'S NEEDED

1 can of refrigerated biscuit dough (I used Pillsbury Grands), or you can make your own biscuit dough
1/2 pound ground Italian pork sausage
1 cup cheddar (or your favorite variety) cheese, shredded

HOW TO MAKE IT

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. (325 if using a Pampered Chef baking pan or a convection oven)
If using a Pampered Chef Brownie Pan, NO preparation is needed. If using a standard sized muffin tin, place a paper liner into the bottom of each well, or lightly spray wells with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium sized frying pan over medium high heat, cook the pork sausage until it has browned and no pink remains; Drain grease and set pork aside to cool.
Using kitchen shears or a knife, cut each piece of biscuit dough in half. Use your fingers to press a piece of dough evenly across the bottom of each well of the pan.
Place pan into oven and bake for 5 minutes. Remove pan from oven and use your fingers to press the dough bake down into the pan; USE CAUTION! The dough will be hot!
Sprinkle cooked sausage evenly over the top of each biscuit; Repeat with shredded cheese; Place pan back into oven and cook for 7-9 minutes, or until cheese has melted and biscuits are lightly browned.
Remove pan from oven and allow biscuits to cool in pan for 1-2 minutes before carefully removing them. Serve while still warm.

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Filed Under: 5 ingredient dishes, BAKING, bread, recipes · Tagged: biscuits, cheese, Pampered Chef, Pampered Chef brownie pan, pork sausage, recipe

Low-Carb Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

April 22, 2013 · by Becca Heflin · 3 Comments

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This past weekend, I volunteered to make dinner for a single mom who attends my church, and her 12-year-old son. Mom had surgery last week and needs some help with meals while she's on the mend. I love being able to help out others, so I was more than happy to sign up. I did find it strange, however, that there just one request in regards to the meal I was preparing. It was to be absent of cheese. Wait....what?! This is Wisconsin... America's Dairyland! Cheese is what we do! Nevertheless, I overlooked her apparent lack of food judgement and cooked them up some individual BBQ turkey patties, some smashed potatoes with onion and bacon, and some fresh green beans.

As I was packing everything up for delivery, it occurred to me that I had forgotten to include a dessert! Lack of common sense on my part this time. Since joining Weight Watchers 3 weeks ago, I've been trying to keep the kitchen clear of my "trigger foods", which is a nice way of saying, I threw away all of my sugar. I can't be trusted with it. So, I looked in my pantry and came up with this cookie recipe. Not carb-free, but definitely on the healthier end of the dessert spectrum. They're chewy like a good cookie should be, they've got my favorite Bob's Red Mill low-carb baking mix instead of white flour, and I used my new favorite sugar substitute, Tagatose, to sweeten them with. There's a touch of real sugar in the chocolate chips and I didn't skimp on the fat, which I admit was not the best idea for the weight watcher in me, but I was confident that the real butter and eggs would keep these cookies tasting pretty darned close to a full fat & sugar cookie.

Low-Carb Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies from ItsYummi.com

Turkey Chili Con Frijoles – and a GIVEAWAY!

April 18, 2013 · by Becca Heflin · 11 Comments

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Yep. I'm still riding the healthy eating train! One taste of this delicious turkey chili may cause you to doubt it's healthiness though. It's packed full of flavor, it's hearty, satisfying, and downright yummilicious!

I love being able to amp up the flavor of my dishes with lots of spices and herbs. Some of my favorite flavors are the smoky, deep, Earthy ones. Like chipotle peppers, cinnamon, and cardamom. Which makes this chili perfect, because it contains all three of those spices. Yay! Lucky me.... and lucky you, once you've made the recipe! I'll share the recipe with you in just a bit. First, I wanna share some great information and a giveaway with you!

Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Carribean Rice Salad

April 14, 2013 · by Becca Heflin · 2 Comments

Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Carribean Rice from ItsYummi.com

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Horrible photography disclaimer: My apologies for the drab photos on this post. I had an issue with my camera this week that prevented me from using it, so I took these photos with my phone. The fact that bright sunshine hasn't shown it's glorious self around this part of Wisconsin since late last October certainly didn't help matters, either. Trust me when I tell you that this dish looks MUCH more yummilicious in person! Make it and find out for yourself

HAPPY SUNDAY!

I just returned from my 2nd Weight Watchers meeting. Based on my reaction at the weekly weigh in, I've decided that I need to cut back on my viewing of The Biggest Loser and suck up to the fact that there's no way in high Heaven that I'm gonna lose 6-12 pounds a week, no matter HOW hard I try. I lost just over a pound and a half, and judging by the crocodile tears streaming down my face, you'd think I had just been introduced to a bed of nails. I was NOT a happy camper with that weight loss. I worked my butt off and felt like I deserved a bigger loss than that, but I'm going to be grateful that I had a loss and leave it at that.

For as far back as I can remember, eating has been an emotional adventure for me. Happy, sad, angry, elated...my mood didn't matter. I ate. That's the kind of trouble that has helped me gain the 50 excess pounds on my body in the past 9 months. Losing this weight is going to take a lot more than adjusting my eating plan. I'm gonna need a brain adjustment, too.

I need to teach myself to eat when I'm HUNGRY, and for no other reason. Easier said than done sometimes...especially when I'm constantly baking up goodies for this blog.

SO, I'm not going to cut the sweets out entirely, but you WILL be seeing some healthier options. At least this way, I can eat my creations and not get all crazy high on the sugar train.
This spicy shrimp salad can't rival my Snickers Cheesecake Bars, but it was definitely a tasty food choice for lunch this past week!

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Filed Under: recipes, salad, seafood · Tagged: Carribean, kiwi, mango, recipe, rice, salad, seafood salad, shrimp

Healthier Oatmeal Chocolate Covered Pomegranate Cookies

April 13, 2013 · by Becca Heflin · 4 Comments

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Happy Saturday!

It's been almost 2 weeks since I joined Weight Watchers, and I have to say that it's going MUCH better than I thought it would! The new 360 program focuses more on a balanced eating "all things in moderation" philosophy and less on obsessing about counting each and every calorie. It's so much easier for me to follow programs where I don't have to deprive myself of things that I love. Like cookies. If I really want to eat a sleeve of Thin Mints or Double Stuffed Oreos, I certainly can, but at 4-6 points per cookie, my daily 26 points would be tanked pretty quickly. Besides, I don't need junk filled cookies when I've got treats like these cuties.

The last time I went shopping at Sam's Club, I spied a bag of chocolate covered pomegranate arils. I'd never eaten pomegranate before (I know, apparently, I've been hiding under a rock) so I bought a bag. I fell HARD for those little gems. Crunchy, tart pomegranate covered with sorta good for you dark chocolate...what's not to love? SO good!

When I decided to create a couple of low point treats last week, I knew I wanted to find a way to include the chocolate covered poms, and placing them into cookies turned out to be a magical decision. Rather than make a traditional cookie out of them, I used my mini-muffin pan. It prevented the cookies from spreading and it kept them really chewy, something that's a must-have in my opinion.

Low-Carb Banana Bread Bites

April 7, 2013 · by Becca Heflin · 11 Comments

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Hey there! Thanks for stopping by to see me! I hope your weekends been a great one. Mine was pretty danged awesome. The weather is FINALLY starting to warm up and the last bits of snow are trying like crazy to melt, so my winter blues are packing up their bags and heading out of town. I can't wait for the lilacs to bloom. THEN I'll believe it's spring in Wisconsin.

Earlier last week, I mentioned on my Facebook page how out of control my excess weight has become. I started gaining weight shortly after my hysterectomy last August, and once the cold weather kicked in, the pounds just packed themselves onto my bod. I'm not a winter sports lover, so the extent of my exercise has been lifting my leg to get over snow drifts and raising my arm to get my coffee mug to my lips. Things are SO crazy bad now that none of my clothes from last spring fit me. UGH. My obsession with carbs and sugars is wicked! Instead of bitching about it (ok, I guess that WAS a bitching of sorts), I decided to take some action to fix the problem. I joined Weight Watchers last Tuesday and I've got several friends across the U.S. and Canada who are also on the program, so we'll be great accountability for one another. I decided that Sunday mornings will be my primary weekly meeting, so even though I've only been on the program for 5 days, I went to the meeting this morning to weigh in. I did a little happy dance when I learned that I've already lost 3 pounds. OK, so it's not a lot in the realm of things, but it's a great start for me. I feel pumped up and ready to start the week off on a great foot!

I acknowledge my love of simple carbs and sugars, and I can honestly say that I have no desire to give them up completely. I'll feel WAY too deprived if I let them go completely from my eating plan. SO, I decided to create some healthier options to indulge my sweet tooth and my bread obsession. Thanks to the help of this low-carb baking mix from Bob's Red Mill, it may not be quite as tough as I initially thought.

I absolutely love quick breads like pumpkin loaf, blueberry muffins, and banana bread, but they're typically loaded with so many grams of carbohydrates and sugar that it could cost me half a day's worth of Weight Watcher points to indulge in one. Now I don't need to freak out every time I'm craving them. There's a recipe on the back of the bag for a basic, low-carb muffin, so I started there and added things to create one of the best guiltless baked goods that I've tasted in quite some time. I am SO grateful that I found this basic baking mix because frankly, buying 5 different types of healthy flour just didn't sound like something I could afford to do. Almond flour alone is almost $9 a pound! CRAZY! This baking mix isn't cheap, mind you, but at $5 for a one pound bag, it's definitely workable with my grocery budget. I couldn't find any at my local grocery stores, so I bought it on Amazon and was able to get free shipping.

I used the Recipe Builder on the Weight Watchers website. It's one of the e-tools that I have available to use as part of my monthly pass membership. I know that there are other websites available for creating recipes with nutritional information, but I can't be sure where they get their nutritional information from, so I was a little bit leery of using them.

Once I calculated the recipe and realized that one of these muffins only costs me 2 Weight Watcher Points Plus, I could hardly believe it. I am SO excited to share this recipe with you! Whether you're monitoring your food intake or not, these muffins are a tasty, healthy treat that are perfect for a breakfast on the run or a mid-afternoon snack.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Low-Carb Banana Bread Bites

Created By:

Chef Becca Heflin

Recipe Category: Snack

Cuisine: Quick Bread / Muffin

Serves: 24

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 22 mins

Total time: 27 mins

These banana muffins are low in carbohydrates and simple sugars, making them a perfect for breakfast on the run or a great snacking option any time of day.

WHAT'S NEEDED

3 Cups Bob's Red Mill Low Carb Baking Mix
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups (12 oz.) water
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 medium bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup (4 oz) no sugar added applesauce
6 packets Nectresse Calorie-Free Sweetener

HOW TO MAKE IT

Preheat oven to 350 F; Line 24 standard sized muffin cups with papers or spray lightly with nonstick spray.
In large mixing bowl, whisk together baking mix, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder. Make a well in center of ingredients and set aside.
In medium bowl, combine egg, oil, water, applesauce, mashed banana, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined; Pour wet contents into bowl with dry ingredients and stir with wooden spoon until all baking mix has been incorporated.
Place 3 Tablespoons batter into each cup and bake for 22-24 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean. - Remove pan from oven and allow muffins to cool in pan for 3 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely

IMPORTANT STUFF

• These muffins were baked in Brownie Pans from The Pampered Chef line of kitchen products.Contact Becca Heflin for ordering information. • This recipe was created using the Recipe Builder on the Weight Watcher’s website. NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Per the Recipe Builder at WeightWatchers.com, each muffin is worth 2 Weight Watchers Plus Points on the Weight Watchers 360 program.

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Filed Under: BAKING, Healthy Foods, low carb, muffins, recipes · Tagged: banana bread, healthy snacks, low carb, muffins, recipe, Weight Watchers

Cookie Butter Banana Nut Muffins

March 14, 2013 · by Becca Heflin · 2 Comments

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Did you know that today is National Potato Chip Day? Me neither, hence the reason for today's post having absolutely nothing to do with potato chips. Or potatoes. Or chips, for that matter. IMHO, I don't think potato chips deserve their own national holiday anyway. Why take an every day treat and put it up on pedestal for the nation to rotate around for 24 hours? Savor those holidays for special things...like bacon. Oh, and Dairy Queen Dilly Bars. And COOKIE BUTTER!

Seriously! Have you seen this wonder spread? Forget sight... have you TASTED this stuff?! Aye carumba, Speculoos! What the heck is Speculoos, anyway? Oh, who the heck cares. It tastes like creamy gingerbread and butter all smoothed up fancy and delicious. Since the flavor of gingerbread tends to create moaning noises from my mouth, you can trust me when I say that this stuff is WAY WAY better than peanut butter, and I might even dare say that it's better than Nutella!! *gasp*

I'm relatively certain that there's yet another pair of stretchy pants with my name on them if I continue eating this stuff, but until I get the "all good things in moderation" routine down, I'll risk snapping my elastic for these muffins.

I've always been a fan of banana bread and I love the comforting, warm flavors of gingerbread, so combining the two seemed like the perfect pairing to me. What's that? You love me? Aww, thanks. I love you right back.

I was going to make this recipe in the traditional loaf form, but I'd been itching for a recipe to try out in my new Individual Serving stoneware from The Pampered Chef. Good gravy, I adore their products! The stoneware pieces in particular. They work very much like cast iron. The more you use them, the more seasoned and non-stick they become. I don't even have to tell you how simple they are to clean up. Hot water and dish rag, meet my stoneware. Rub, rinse, done. If you think I'm kidding, I'm totally not. I've got information galore on the products and a link to order them over on my Facebook page.

If I have a regret at all ab0ut using the stoneware for this recipe, it's that there are only 6 wells. 6 LARGE wells, though! These are some jumbo muffins, Lovely. Easily share-able...if you're willing to part with some of this yummiliciousness.

Want to see the recipe? Cool beans. Put on your apron and I'll meet you in the kitchen. Let's hook you up!

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Filed Under: BAKING, muffins, recipes · Tagged: banana bread, bananas, cookie butter, muffins, recipe, Trader Joes

Farro Salad with Citrus Basil Vinaigrette #recipesfromtheheart

March 5, 2013 · by Becca Heflin · 39 Comments

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I've noticed that during the really rough times in my life, having a supportive group of friends to lean on always helped to make the tough times pass a little more quickly. Not that the pain went away altogether, but the people who cared about me did a great job of keeping my brain and body occupied so that I didn't feel so alone with my troubles. Praying for God's help was always first on my list, but the friends who stood by with a shoulder to cry on or jokes to make me laugh to the point of hurling were often times God's greatest blessing to me. Those friends are my "rough riders"

One of my very favorite "rough riders" is Kim, from Cravings of a Lunatic. I'm not sure if she realizes this, but the very first time I read Kim's blog was just two days after my my mom passed away of complications of Parkinsons Disease. On August 28, 2011, my sweet momma went home to Heaven, after a 5 year battle with a horrible disease. The next day, I was a hot mess. I was feeling MIGHTY depressed and sorry for myself, too...after all, I was now an ORPHAN! My dad had died many years before from heart disease, when he was just 48, and I was only 15. The next day, August 30th, through a strange twist of fate, I decided to browse the Internet for some good recipes to cheer me up. That's when I came across Kim's post for mint chocolate chip ice cream. It was at that moment that the stars aligned and a little orphan girl in Wisconsin was linked up with a little lunatic orphan girl from Canada. Kim's post made me smile for many reasons, and it didn't take me long to learn just how much we have in common. Well, besides our obsessions with bacon and caramel.

You see, Kim lost her Mom to heart disease when her mother was 47, and Kim was 15. Each year on the anniversary of the day her Mom passed, she shares stories and photos of her Mom. This year she joined forces with Jen of Juanita's Cocina, whose life was also touched by heart disease when her stepfather had a heart attack. Jen's stepfather is alive and well more than a decade later, and for that, Jen is thankful every day.

The ladies reached out to other bloggers (myself included) and we're all sharing stories about how heart disease has touched our lives. So today, in memory and honor of "Momzie" (Kim's mom), we share stories and recipes from our hearts to yours. We all hope that you'll share your stories with us today as well.

Since heart disease is hereditary, and it's also a rising epidemic and one of the leading causes of death, I think it's become more important than ever for me to find ways to incorporate heart healthy foods into my diet. This farro salad is one of them.

Often used as a substitute for pasta or rice, farro is a gluten-free grain with a nutty flavor similar to brown rice. It's rich in fiber, magnesium and vitamins A, B, C, and E. In this particular salad, I paired it up with some dried cranberries and some crunchy Granny Smith apple pieces, added a few walnuts for some healthy fat, and tossed it with a citrus & honey basil vinaigrette dressing. I can't even begin to tell you how yummilicious this salad is! I could have easily added a protein like cooked chicken or turkey to it, or even some shaved Parmesan cheese would have been a perfect topping.
I felt like it needed a little more pop of color, so next time, I may serve it over some baby spinach or with some Spring greens.
As simple as it was, I ate a 1 cup portion for lunch and felt INCREDIBLY full and satisfied!

Blueberry Cream Cheese Streusel Mini Cakes

February 25, 2013 · by Becca Heflin · 1 Comment

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Before I start today's post, a big Yummilicious congrats goes to Carrie Gregory, the winner of my Land O Lakes giveaway. Have fun with your new cooking tools, Carrie!

So many of you know that I started my own business in December. In home cooking lessons are TONS of fun, but so are the online/Facebook parties. Such a neat experience to bring friends, family, and co-workers together for a fun evening. I had a party last week where we talked about recreating our favorite childhood treats. Of course, I mentioned how I had recreated the amazing apple cinnamon crumb cake that my dad used to pick up for us at Meuer's Bakery. One of the guests at the party said that she had memories of her grandma's sour cream pound cake (YUM!) and another mentioned that she is smitten with blueberry desserts. Pie, cobbler, cake, cookies... she told me that if it's blue, she'll eat it! I made her promise not to eat a Smurf, and then assured her that I'm just as smitten with those plump, juicy berries. So much so, in fact, that when my friend Christine made a pan of strawberry cream cheese stuffed streusel cakes, I knew that I'd have to recreate them using blueberries... so I did!

Before you try cleaning or adjusting your monitor, display, or your bifocals, please know that the photo above IS blurry. It's not supposed to be, mind you, but it is. I got a new camera lens and I'm still practicing. I also accidentally deleted the GOOD photos and kept the bad ones. Sometimes, I really disappoint myself. *sigh* At least you've got a blurry visual of the goodness that awaits you!

I can tell you with all certainty this recipe makes an ahhhh-mazing cake, so despite the bad photos, it tastes tremendous! Light & fluffy cake packed with juicy blueberries and topped with streusel. Seriously...what's NOT to love?! :)

Before I give you the recipe, I have to say that the Pampered Chef brownie pan is like a cook's dream! I use mine for everything from baked goods to individual lasagnas & meatloaves, and even quiche and mac & cheese cups. It's got a non-stick finish, but it's NOT Teflon, and I've never had to use cooking spray or oil on the pan before using it. Everything just slides right out. Best $19 I ever spent on a baking pan!

I hope you have a fabulous week... Thanks SO much for stopping by to allow me to feed your spirit AND your stomach!

hugs & blessings!

BY THE WAY, if you haven't done your taxes yet, I highly recommend this software. It walked me through every step of the process and made sure that I received all eligible credits, etc. First time in several years that I had a decent return! :)

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Filed Under: BAKING, Cakes, muffins, recipes · Tagged: blueberries, crumb cake, muffins, Pampered Chef brownie pan, recipe

Simple Saturday – Blessings & Banana Bread Waffles

February 23, 2013 · by Becca Heflin · 2 Comments

banana bread waffles from ItsYummi.com #breakfast #waffles #recipe

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What a whirlwind week this was! My days were full of missing my "Hasome" as he traveled on business to Allentown, Pennsylvania for a week, but at the same time, my new Pampered Chef business kept me so busy, I felt like there simply weren't enough hours in my day to accomplish everything!

BLESSING #1 - A man in my life who still makes my heart flutter every time I see him...even after 5 years together. P.S. I don't think I'd mind hanging out with my best friend forever <3

BLESSING #2 - A job that allows me to work from home when the weather outside looks like THIS.

Aaack! I realize that living in northeastern Wisconsin makes weather like this a certainty, but even after a lifetime of living in it, I still don't dig it a whole bunch. I'd much rather have color changes in the Fall or gorgeous lilacs in the Spring!

Oh, speaking of gorgeous flowers, I LOVE the colors and simplicity of this bouquet

I found that photo on the Better Homes & Gardens Pinterest board this week. LOVE it! <3
Umm....speaking of Pinterest, I definitely need to work on my time management skills. Or maybe I need to step away from gawking at my Pinterest boards 417 times a day. It's an obsession and a time suck... but a wonderful one, indeed! Take a look at my favorite Pins from this week and I don't think you'll blame me!

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Filed Under: recipes · Tagged: banana bread waffles, blessings, breakfast, pinterest, recipe

SITE SEARCH

Healthier Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Saturday Spotlight – Baking Cheese and Sausage Biscuits in a Brownie Pan

Low-Carb Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Turkey Chili Con Frijoles – and a GIVEAWAY!

Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Carribean Rice Salad

Healthier Oatmeal Chocolate Covered Pomegranate Cookies

Low-Carb Banana Bread Bites

Farro Salad with Citrus Basil Vinaigrette #recipesfromtheheart

Blueberry Cream Cheese Streusel Mini Cakes

Before I start today's post, a big Yummilicious congrats goes to Carrie Gregory, the winner of my Land O Lakes giveaway. Have fun with your new cooking tools, Carrie!

hugs & blessings!

Simple Saturday – Blessings & Banana Bread Waffles

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