Fluffy, Greek Yogurt Pancakes

I mean… can we take a second to admire this beautiful stack? šŸ„ž šŸ˜‹

What is so yummy when youā€™re sick? Pancakes.
What about for dinner? Pancakes.
What is delicious on the weekend? Pancakes.

I mean, I could go on and on…but instead I will just share the recipe.
These beauties are out of this world delicious. Iā€™ve definitely eaten healthier breakfasts but once and a while a girl needs some pancakes. What I do love about this recipe is you secretly get a good dose of protein w/ the yogurt.

The beautiful thing about pancakes… they are a blank canvas and you can get as creative as you want! You can make plain pancakes and smear some cinnamon butter on top. You could sprinkle in some chocolate chips or my fav, blueberries! You can drizzle some warm peanut butter over the top. Okay, I am seriously drooling over here.

I love that these pancakes are easy to make & you pretty much have all the ingredients at home already. They are fluffy & I topped mine w/ some mixed berry pancake syrup. YES!

So, here they are folks:

Fluffy Greek Yogurt Pancakes

INGREDIENTS
1Ā½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup almond milk (you can use whatever milk you have, I just always buy almond milk.)
Ā½ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons grass fed butter, melted (use can use whatever butter you have or any non- flavored oil.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Ā¼ teaspoon salt
sprinkle of cinnamon (or you can flavor it how you like: nutmeg, citrus zest, pumpkin pie spice, etc)

DIRECTIONS
1. Whisk together the egg, sugar, milk, Greek yogurt, butter and vanilla extract.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in an separate bowl.
3. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and whisk together until no large clumps remain. Sprinkle in the cinnamon. Let the batter sit for 15 minutes. You can even refrigerate it overnight and cook the next morning.
4. Heat a nonstick pan on medium/low heat. Spray with oil or melt a dab of butter in the pan. Add the batter and cook. Flip your pancake when it pulls from the pan and its bubbly.
5. Serve immediately. Garnish with fresh fruit or just a simple drizzle of sticky maple syrup or make some berry syrup (see below).

Easy peasy berry syrup:
-Frozen Mixed Berry Blend
-Maple syrup
-Dab of butter
^Put all those ingredients in a pot on the stove over medium heat. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat to low and then drizzle over your pancakes! SO YUMMY!

I think its say to say, these pancakes were delish!

I hope you enjoy these pancakes! Comment below if you try them, Iā€™d love to know what you think!

Thanks for reading & many blessings!

Follow me on Instagram @cassie.agirlandhergoats

Date Night Recipe: Chicken Tacos

Who doesnā€™t love a good taco?! and a date night!?

I was really craving some tacos, which is how this recipe got created (these were my late husbands fav!) These make the perfect dinner for a date night in. ā¤ļøšŸ˜‹

These tacos were SUPER easy to make & yummy! The tacos were so savory and flavorful, so much flavor going on with the chicken, lime, creamy guacamole & fresh tomatoes. These babes are a staple in my recipe book!

Flavorful Chicken Street Tacos

Ingredients:
1 Package ā€œstreet tacoā€ soft taco shells
6 thin sliced chicken breasts (I sliced 3 large chicken breasts in half so they are thin and cook faster)
Toppings: Shredded Cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, finely diced onion, fresh cliantro & homemadeĀ guacamole.

Marinade:
4 tbsp organic orange juice (or fresh squeezed oranges)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or whatever vinegar you have!)
1/2 lime zest & juice
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic & herb (salt free) spice (I used mrs. dash!)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
pinch of cinnamon
salt & pepper, to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp salt)

Direction:

In a food storage bag, add your marinade ingredients & mix around until well combined in bag. Add in your chicken breast and allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes. (I did this before I left in the early afternoon, so mine got to marinade for about 6 hours). I then put the food storage bag inside a bowl and put inside fridge (just in case it leaks- it makes such a mess!)

Then, after it marinades, fire up that grill & start grilling the chicken breasts. I like to grill on top of foil to save some mess and keeps the grill a lot cleaner. Once the chicken is cooked and not releasing anymore juices, I will throw it on the grill real quick for some grill marks! 

Take the chicken off the grill and put on clean plate to bring inside to the kitchen.
Look at this chickenā€¦ šŸ¤¤

I let the chicken rest. If someone is helping you grill, you could do this while they grill: get your toppings shredded and all ready to build tacos. I also chopped up the chicken into diced, bite size cubes and squeeze the other half of the lime over top the diced chicken!

Line everything up & have fun building your own tacos! Its always fun to build your own and interact with your food. It makes the night feel a little more special!

If you give this recipe a try, I would love to hear what you thought about it! It always a total hit!

Its even better if you have leftovers for lunch the next day!

Cheers & Thanks for reading!

cranberry, goat cheese & pecan scones

Doesnā€™t the name of this recipe just make you drool?! I have always wanted to make scones, because they are fancy.  They are basically like a fancy biscuit, and who doesnā€™t love biscuits or baked goods!!? 

I really love cranberry and goat cheese together, and then I decided to add in pecans that I had as I was experimenting with recipes, and I loved the added crunch it gave. You could totally swap any ingredients you like: apricots & blue cheese, cheddar & apples, cherries and blue cheese, etc. You could also do walnuts or almonds too! Thats the really fun thing with cooking and baking, experimenting and being creative in the kitchen. I truly LOVE being in my kitchen.

I hope you give these scones a try, they would be lovely for a holiday, special occasion or for breakfast on the weekend! Y-U-M.Ā Ā & If you do make these, I would LOVE to hear about it!

Cranberry, Goat Cheese & Pecan Scones

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled very cold or frozen
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries (you can use sweetened or unsweetened)
  • 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
  • Ā¾ cup heavy cream plus 2 tablespoons
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (any milk will work)
  • salt, to finish on top of scone

Directions

Dice the butter into small cubes, or grate on a box grater and put in freezer
Preheat oven to 400ā„‰ . Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.

Pull the butter out of the freezer, and gently toss to evenly distribute butter in flour mixture.

Add Italian seasoning, dried cranberries, goat cheese and pecans into the flour mixture.

Add Ā¾ cup of heavy cream, 1/4 cup almond milk and stir with a rubber spatula until ingredients are just moistened and come together. You can also use your hands to help combine everything together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into an 8-inch round. The dough may be a little crumbly, and rustic- that is okay! If your dough truly isnā€™t coming together (it takes time), you can go ahead and add in a little extra liquid. They are going to be so flaky and yummy! Cut into 8 equal wedges (like a pizza!) and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Brush the top of each scone with remaining 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until the scones are golden brown. (Every oven is different, so keep an eye on them)

I mean, how delish- am I right!?Ā 

We made this over the weekend and they were all gone within two days so beware, they are so yummy. šŸ˜‹

Thanks for reading & leave me a comment of what your favorite scone is or if you give these a try!!

Follow me on Instagram @ Cassie.agirlandhergoats

Full Recipe:

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled very cold or frozen
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries (you can use sweetened or unsweetened)
  • 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
  • Ā¾ cup heavy cream plus 2 tablespoons
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (any milk will work)
  • salt, to finish on top of scone

Directions 

  1. Dice the butter into small cubes, or grate on a box grater and put in freezer
  2. Preheat oven to 400ā„‰ . Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Pull the butter out of the freezer, and gently toss to evenly distribute butter in flour mixture. Add Italian seasoning, dried cranberries, goat cheese and pecans into the flour mixture.
  4. Add Ā¾ cup of heavy cream, 1/4 cup almond milk and stir with a rubber spatula until ingredients are just moistened and come together. You can also use your hands to help combine everything together.
  5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into an 8-inch round. The dough may be a little crumbly, and rustic- that is okay! They are going to be so flaky and yummy! Cut into 8 equal wedges and place on the prepared baking sheet.
  6. Brush the top of each scone with remaining 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until the scones are golden brown. (Every oven is different, so keep an eye on them)

After we said Goodbye…

I don’t think I will ever forget this day. July 9, 2019- the day I heard the words I never imagined I would “Your husband has been announced brain dead.” My world collapsed. Every single emotion merged together and my brain was having flashes of so many memories. One of the first memories that came to my head was Anthony and I spinning in the tea cups at Disney World. Then I thought about his laugh and the twinkle he had in his eyes when he talked about something he loved. Or all the times be bought me flowers, or how excited I would be when he would come home from work. The love I have for that man was endless- he was a dream come true and I thought about that everyday… “How did I get so lucky?”

Anthony left for a 2 week work trip to Poland on June 16, 2019. I remember taking him to the airport and I was hating every minute of it because we have never been apart that long and I hated that he was going alone. I had a pit in the stomach the whole time he was there- we talked every night and made the best out of the situation. He loved his job and just kept reminding me that it was a good opportunity for him and work. We would always support each other through everything together and individual too..We were counting down the last days and hours before he would be coming home via text and during our FaceTime conversations. He was saying how he hopes he never has to travel this long and do this again because he missed me, the house and our fur babies so much, and of course- I hated every minute of him being gone. I could hardly sleep that night because I was so excited to hug and kiss him, and have him in my arms. I was visioning it the whole week. That night before going to bed, I was waiting for a text from him because it was morning when it was night time here and he had an early flight… I texted him “good morning” and didn’t hear anything back… then I texted again because I thought maybe he was oversleeping, and I didn’t want him to miss his flight. Then I messaged again, saying “please answer me” because I was worried and something just didn’t feel right. 45 minutes later, I received a call that took my breath away… “Anthony was found unconscious and was taken to the hospital”.. that was all the information I had. That was it. I could hardly breath, I was laying on the ground, shaking, and experiencing an anxiety attack, the worst one I ever had. Thankfully, my dad was there with me staying the night. He was giving me cool towels for my forehead and all I could do was try to be patient while I waited for more information and how I could get to Poland. IT WAS THE LONGEST WAIT EVER. All I was thinking was “this has to be a dream” and “this can’t be happening”… that is my guy. He’s supposed to be flying home right now, not alone in another country and in the hospital.

After what felt like days, we, my mother in law & I got flights to fly out that afternoon to arrive in Poland first thing in the morning. That was the longest, most anxious flight of my life. I didn’t know what to expect but all I knew was I was going to be flying back home with my guy after he is better-I didn’t care how long, how hard it was going to be, I just wanted my Anthony. I had it set in my mind that he was going to be okay, and that I will be flying next to him, the next time I am on a flight. After we arrived in Poland, we went straight to the hospital.. I had no idea what anything in the hospital in Poland said, all I knew was he was in ICU, which is never a good thing to hear. I remember walking down the hallway in the hospital- my heart racing harder than it ever has and walking into one of the ICU rooms where my husband was- and I broke down. He was attached to so many different monitors and wrapped up, and he was in a medically induced coma to allow his brain to heal- and I couldn’t do anything to help him or save him. I have just to believe that he knows I was there everyday, by his side. As a nurturing wife, that was hard to do… to not be able to touch his hand, talk to him or again, rescue him.

The time in Poland, from June 29th-July 11th, was a roller coaster ride. I will never forget how horrible I felt- it was like non-stop anxiety and stomach knots. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep- I just wanted answers and I wanted Anthony. I felt alone, broken, scared and confused. I flew in with my mother in law (Saturday), and by Monday, my dad got to fly out to be with me and the next day, my father in law, brother in law and sister in law. So, I wasn’t alone at all, which I am so thankful for- but in my heart and soul, I was completely alone. My person, the man I choose to spend my life with, my best friend, the man I picture being my children daddy, my handy man, my guy that makes any dream I have happen- is hurting and fighting for his life. I prayed and kept my faith with every fiber of my being.The first week there, things were looking promising, and then declining and then worst, and then better “considering” and then very bad, very fast, like overnight fast. We left the hospital thinking things were not changing very fast, but he’s stable.. and we arrived that next day, and received horrible news I never thought I would ever hear, ever. Words, NO ONE should ever have to hear.

“You’re husband is in a very bad state, and there is nothing more we can do for him.” Again, my heart continued to break even more. Tears began to flood my eyes, and it seemed like I would never stop crying. He turned for the worst, so fast. Next thing I knew, I am talking about his death arrangements while they are doing testing to confirm his is 100 percent brain dead, after we got second options. At this point, I was allow to talk to him, hold his hand and give him all the love and kisses I could. All I could do was pour out my heart, something I never knew I could do more of. I just had to let him know I am honored that he chose me, I am honored I got the best 10 years with him, I am thankful for all the memories and conversations we had, I am honored I got to grow into the woman I am with him, I am proud of him and so beyond thankful. I sang a part of our wedding song, I played all the country love songs he would text to me and I read our wedding vows, one more time.

The next day arriving to the hospital is a day I will never forget. I was numb. I was angry. I was devastated. I NEVER imagined that this would happen to him, to me, to us. They ran through testing three times, and had to bring in three outside doctors to review the results- and the final result, Anthony was announced brain dead. In that moment, my chest got heavy and I was just broken. July 9th 2019, the worst day of my life. I had hit of wall and I had to accept that there was nothing I could do for my best friend, my husband and man of my dreams.

Our vows say, “til death do you part”, and I took my wedding vows very serious and I was going to stand by your side as long as I could, no matter how hard it was going to be. That afternoon, in the ICU room, I was at the foot of your bed and watched you take your last breath and see your chest rise and fall, and see you lose all your color in your face and cheeks. I felt that loss in the deepest part of my heart. I remember leaving that room, completely crushed, and all I could think was that I was never going to kiss you again, hug you again, hear you laugh again, ride shotgun with you, hold on to your waist while you ride too fast on the dirt bike or four wheeler, dance for you, travel with you, work with you, argue with you, celebrate with you, dream with you. I was never going to get ‘birdy” kisses from you, you were never going to smack my booty like you did daily, I will never see you walk in the back door again, I will never get to cook for you again, I will never get to shop with you again, while your complain the whole time again, I will never get to see you be a dad, I will never get to see you grow in your career and I will never get to say ” happy 50th anniversary, babe”. Walking down that hospital hallway, knowing that you had passed away was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Anger, loneliness and hopelessness came over me.

The next couple days were heavy and I was exhausted. I just wanted to get home. But, I had to wait, and make decisions and get arrangements to get back home. Being that this was international, it made the process even more complicated and challenging than it already is. I knew the hard work will begin as soon as I got home- I didn’t even know where to begin. I just wanted to crawl into my bed and hideaway. But, I couldn’t and thankfully, I had so many loving people waiting for me to arrive home. I had so much help from Anthonys company, and I had so much help from my family and friends as I had to make tough decisions. Anthony’s funeral was beautiful- it was filled with pictures that celebrated him and us. The funeral home was PACKED and I don’t think I ever stopped crying. I was sad, but I was also so thankful for Anthony, and all the people that came to his funeral and shared stories with me. Anthony made an impact on so many people and no surprise, everyone talked about his kindness, intelligence and how he always had your back- that is Anthony to a T. Three qualities (along with so many others), of why I HAD to marry him. July 9th, changed my life and I will never understand any of this but I do know, I will continue to honor Anthony for all of the days of my life as he played a big part in who I am today. While I can’t physically have him here, like I wish everyday, I know he is my angel and cheering me on everyday. Anthony, you are so missed, everyday. XO

Thank you for reading, and I hope something in this share inspired you to maybe be a little more kind, or remember how precious and short life is, or to love without end. Be thankful and count your blessings everyday. XO

Follow me on Instagram: Cassie.agirlandhergoats
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Email: crhealthyfit@gmail.com

Everyday Guacamole

Why is this called ā€œEveryday Guacamoleā€, you ask?
Because you will want to make it everyday! šŸ˜‹ šŸ˜‚

^Dont say I didnā€™t warn you.Ā šŸ˜‹

Anyways- who doesnā€™t loooooooove a good guacamole?! This girl is always game for some chips & dip!Ā Ā 
I would love to know, what is your favorite snack??

First, A little story about the bowlā€¦ My mom, who I lost to cancer in April 2017, had a favorite saying: ā€œits 5ā€™o clock somewhereā€¦ā€, so when I saw this bowl I had to get it! Every time I use it or see it, I smile.Ā ā¤ļø Miss ya, Mom! XO

If you are going to make this recipe, but donā€™t have a specific ingredient, chances are- you can substitute it with something else. (I will share as we go into the recipeā€¦)
AND remember- make it yours, taste it. What tastes good to me, might need something else in your opinion.Ā šŸ’ƒ

Okay, enough chatting- lets make some guacamole!Ā 

Everyday Guacamole
Serving is for 4 people (or 2 people if you are normal šŸ˜‚Ā )

Ingredients:
2 Avocados
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp garlic powder
slice of lemon/lime/orange/grapefruit (you want about 1-2tbsp of citrus juice)
2 campari tomatoes (about 1/4 cup diced tomatoes)

Directions:
Start by cutting your avocados in half, and taking the pit out. Then scoop out the avocado into a bowl.

Then I add in the salt, to create a ā€œgritā€ texture to help mash the avocados.
Mash until it is at a texture that you like! 

Ā I like mine a little chunky still but smooth too.Ā 

Then add in your diced red onion and stir to incorporate.

Then I like to add in my spices & acid. In this case, I used a little slice of grapefruit because thats what I had and I really like it w/ guacamole. (You can use lime, lemon or even vinegar in a pinch!)

Mix & then go ahead and add in your tomatoes! If you like more tomatoes, you can add more or if you like fresh jalapeno (I like the heat from red pepper flakes)- make this your own & have fun with it. I have even added in some diced mango in the summer time!

DIVE IN! šŸ˜‹

Thank you for reading & I hope you give this recipe a try!
Its sooooo good! Leave me a comment w/ your favorite guacamole mix-in! I would love to hear from you!

Many Blessings (& guacamole!)

Instagram @cassie.agirlandhergoats