"Pin It" Button

Okay, the "Pin It" button is by no means a new sensation, but I am not tech savvy, and messing with html scares me, so I'm very proud of myself for finally adding it to the bottom of all my blog posts!

What does this mean?! If you're a pinterest addict like me, and you like one of my recipes, at the bottom of all of my posts, there is a "Pin It" button for y'all to save my recipe on one of your pinterest boards AND share with your followers! I love doing this, because it keeps the recipes I like from all the blogs I follow organized, and is easy to access later. So if you like a recipe, I hope you will utilize this new feature (for me), and do the same!! Stay fresh!

Farmer's Market Pizza

My favorite veggies, cheese, and healthy carbs... yup, I could not be happier! This pizza combines a wonderful mixture of summer's bounty over fresh mozzarella and my Whole Wheat Pizza Crust. It's about as nutritious as a pizza can get, without compromising any flavor whatsoever! In fact, it's really delicious. So delicious that you may even feel kind of guilty eating it -- just continue to remind yourself of all the nutritious vegetables, and hey, a little cheese every now and then never hurt anyone. In fact, just typing this is making me hungry... read on; I'm off to eat the leftovers! :)

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Get ready for an up and coming pizza recipe!! (Pictured above.) But before we get to that, I wanted to share the pizza crust recipe (also pictured above!). If you're in a pinch, you can always use a pre-made frozen pizza crust, but I wanted to share a homemade pizza crust recipe that I like to use! While you do have to plan in advance because the dough has to rise two times before it's ready, the preparation is a cinch. Also, this dough is made with half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour, for a healthier preparation. You can substitute all whole wheat flour if you're trying to be super healthy, but I personally like the combination. The result is a great chewy, and slightly crunchy crust, that you can top with whatever you like! Or, stick around, and see what I made! 

Sauteed Chicken w/ Roasted Blueberry-Basil Salsa

  A perfectly cooked chicken breast topped with a sweet, tangy, & spicy salsa... now THAT is my kind of summertime meal. It's intriguing, refreshing, and fills you up without weighing you down. As you can see (and will taste), the stars of the show are the bright, fragrant blueberries and basil. Also, the blueberries are roasted!! You know how I love roasting my fruit and veggies. :) By roasting the blueberries, it sweetens and deepens their flavor. The sweetness is then contrasted with the heat and salt of the salsa, and altogether it is perfectly balanced with the savoriness of the chicken. If you are pressed for time or want a less sweet salsa, just forego roasting the blueberries. Either way, you are going to LOVE this! Hope you give it a go -- it's a quick and scrumptious meal that you will feel great about eating and sharing!

How To: Perfectly Cooked Chicken Breast

 Everyone loves a perfectly cooked chicken breast, and everyone hates a tough, dry chicken breast. But, how to ensure you get a succulent, juicy bite every time? My favorite method is searing the chicken breast on high heat, and then turning the temp down low and covering the chicken until it's finished cooking. You end up with a nice sear and a perfectly moist center. Here's how!

Zucchini-Oat & Raisin Bread

And my last bread (for now), I promise! I like to think of this bread as a compromise between the last two. Not quite as healthy as my Zucchini-Flax Bread, but with a lot more nutritional value than my Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. It's still really yummy -- if you like a super dense, slightly sweet bread, then this is definitely for you! For a filling breakfast, a mid-afternoon snack, or even for "dessert," you can easily make this the night before and share, or eat on it yourself for a couple days and freeze the rest. Time for some more carbs... Oh yes...

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Onto the next bread! And for some contrast, here is the most decadent of the three. :)

My last day at the firm I was working for the second half of the summer, I knew I needed to make something. When you have a food blog, people expect these things. Now, don't get me wrong, I love doing it, but there's always the worry of keeping the people happy. I decided that two types of bread would be a nice treat, so I made this bread, and also another -- my next bread post. This one was a big hit, because well, there are chocolate chips in it. And peanut butter. So, yeah, it's really yummy, but without being as sweet and heavy as something like a cake. Yes, there is some sugar, but, there is also some whole wheat flour and bananas... so, let's call it a compromise.

Also, I realized I haven't been including a printable recipe in my last few posts. I made sure to do so this time, just click on "Printable Recipe." In the next few days I'll update my previous posts with one as well. Now, onto the good stuff...