Loaded Vegetable Honey Whole Wheat Flatbread

See, I have this problem.

Every year I am so ready to start up my New Year's Resolutions just like every other basic betch. I want to get in shape, I want to eat healthier, I want to feel good.

But then I remember how much I love pizza and BAM! New year, same me.

This year I resolve that loving pizza and sticking to a healthier diet doesn't have to be mutually exclusive. Enter: Loaded Vegetable Honey Whole Wheat Flatbread.

We are taking all of the vegetables and a fresh, homemade tomato sauce, piling them high on a honey whole wheat quick pizza crust and topping it all with melted, gooey part-skim mozzarella cheese. Sure, this isn't totally guilt free, but when those insatiable pizza cravings hit and you start to reach for the take-out menu, let this delicious pizza be the new norm.

The really great thing about this pizza is that you can customize it to your liking. My vegetables pictured here include kale, asparagus, zucchini and mushrooms, but feel free to dig through your crisper drawer and find what veggies work for you! In fact, you may notice only half of my pizza has mushrooms. That's because a certain fiance who shall not be named, for some crazy reason, does not like mushrooms. We don't judge. We accommodate the picky eaters in our lives.

For the sauce, instead of using store bought pizza sauce that's loaded with unwanted sugars and salts and who knows what else, I simply added a can of no salt added diced tomatoes to a food processor with garlic and a salt-free Italian seasoning. Cook it down a bit until it's thickened and there you have it. It's great knowing exactly what you're putting into your body.

When it comes to this flatbread, I know I am eating whole, fresh ingredients that make my taste buds do the happy dance.

P.S. Over New Years Resolutions? Here are some outrageous pizzas from Gas Stove Girl, previously.

Chicken, Spinach and Artichoke Pizza
Sausage and Broccoli Pizza
Chicken Pot Pie Pizza with Parmesan Ranch Cream Sauce

Avocado Breakfast Toasts

It seems silly calling this a recipe. Maybe I should call this "a glimpse into my weekend breakfast." No matter what we call it, just know that these cute little toasts are a perfectly simple and wonderfully tasty breakfast.

I totally love avocados--me and guacamole have a special love language. We get each other. Avocados are tasty whether you enjoy them with breakfast, lunch or dinner. They are smooth and creamy and, let's face it, soooo dreamy. Their soft texture make them the perfect replacement for butter, jelly, or whatever condiment you usually put on your morning toast.

This breakfast doesn't feel like "just toast" though. Oh no. We are upping the toast ante. It starts with a toasty piece of whole wheat or multi-grain bread. This is a no-fuss toasting process...I just popped the bread in my toaster. I happened to have a clove of garlic on hand, so I cut it in half and rubbed the warm toast with the garlic. This is something we should do always. Flavor Nation.

On to our garlicky toast goes a ripe and mashed avocado. Avocado begs for flavor, and we will answer these wishes with a bit of salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. A little spice in the morning will awaken our taste buds and get our day started on the right foot. I love tomatoes with avocado...must be a guacamole thing...so I place a few slices right on top of our 'cado mash. To finish off the breakfast thing, a sliced hard boiled egg seemed all too appropriate. For step by step instructions for perfect hard-boiled eggs, see this post.

I may be dwelling on this silly easy breakfast treat, but there are so many great things happening here. This breakfast is fulfilling and packed with flavor, and perhaps even better than that it is healthy for you! Forget the pancakes and the waffles and the cheesy omelettes. These Avocado Breakfast Toasts are your new "not-so-guilty" breakfast pleasure.

Whole Wheat Cheddar Chive Biscuits

I made this biscuits in an effort to feel less guilty about eating biscuits. I wanted it to be OK for me to have a second biscuit. My life is so difficult.

I had a snow day on Wednesday and knew that the universe was telling me to make healthier but super delicious biscuit. Yes, the universe talks to me often--generally it wants to talk about biscuits.

Cheddar cheese and chives are a match made in heaven. Luckily I had both of those in my fridge along with some Greek yogurt, and there was a fresh bag of whole wheat flour in my pantry.

What came out of my oven later that morning are these Whole Wheat Cheddar Chive Biscuits. They are flavorful and nutty, a bit sturdy but certainly flaky like a traditional biscuit. The cheddar is sharp and the chives provide just the right amount of onion flavor. I kicked it up a notch by adding a generous amount of cracked black pepper.

These biscuits were the first things I baked using whole wheat flour, and I would definitely consider them a success. The Greek yogurt is tangy and acts very much like buttermilk in this recipe. I used a low fat yogurt, but I would imagine a non-fat yogurt would have the same result (please report back if anyone tests this out!)

Enjoy these biscuits for breakfast alongside scrambled eggs or as a tasty little sandwich vessel at lunch. You may also consider serving them alongside a big pot of chili, like my Mom's Beef Chili!

Cheddar, Apple, Bacon Grilled Cheese

Has everyone gone apple picking this year? We went a couple of weekends ago and we are STILL working on our peck of Macintosh and Cortland apples.

I've literally been eating an apple a day. Last week, I had two in one day. So many apples.

I made a cinnamon sugar apple cake that was just BANANAS good (or...apples good?) and I thought "Oh, apple cake? This is going to use up a whole bunch of apples and we won't have to worry about any of them going bad!"

Want to know how many apples that took? Two. Two medium apples. Not even the biggest in our peck. Ugh, ok. Time to get creative.

When I was younger, I always remember my dad putting a slice of cheese on his apple pie and shielding my eyes from the terror. It always struck me as the weirdest thing in the world, because obviously apple pie should be eaten with ICE CREAM, not cheese. Wrong dairy, pops.

Turns out my dad may have been onto something. Salty and sweet is a flavor combination that makes my knees go weak.

Here's an incredible lunch idea that is going to use up some of those extra apples and also make your taste buds sing. Cheddar, Apple, and Bacon Grilled Cheese is everything that is right in this world. Ooey, gooey white cheddar, crunchy bacon, crispy apples all sandwiched between two beautifully golden brown pieces of bread. It's your childhood lunchbox, elevated to the next level.

I recommend an apple that has some tart notes to its flavor but is still softly sweet. Nice and crisp, but with a tender skin. I mentioned how we have MacIntosh and Cortland apples -- these are great, and honey crisp apples would also work beautifully. Surely a Granny Smith apple would be OK, but I almost think it's TOO tart for this sammy.

I also slather some Sweet Potato Mustard onto these outrageously delicious sandwiches. This is a shameless plug for my friends over at Green Mountain Mustard who make delicious gourmet mustards out of Vermont. The sweet potato mustard is out of this world--I put it on everything! You can order online, but if you don't have this mustard, a good dijon will do the trick!

I have a feeling I will be buying more apples at the store once we have made it through our first bundle JUST so I can have more of these amazing grilled cheese sandwiches! Recipe below will make 2 sandwiches.

Lightened up -- BBQ Chicken Nachos

Fall has officially arrived and that means football season is in full swing!

I haven't had a lot of time to fully enjoy the first few weeks of the season, which means I haven't had much time to whip up a really fun game day appetizer.

Well, it's time for that to change and it is time for you guys to make these amazing BBQ Chicken Nachos on game day!

There are very few things in the world better than a big plate of nachos, a cold beer, and a whole Sunday full of football games. But we've all had the usual -- chips with melted cheddar cheese, jalapenos, taco meat, salsa, sour cream, the works. I think it's time we jazz up our nacho game and make it BBQ inspired instead! Added bonus - I'm lightening up this plate of nachos with a few key changes that won't compromise flavor but will make you feel less guilty when you add a second or third handful to your plate!

These nachos start with whole wheat tortilla chips (I'm a fan of Tostitos whole wheat scoops, but any tasty tortilla chip will do!) and shredded grilled chicken breasts. To stay true to the barbeque theme, Monteray Jack cheese is melted on top of the chips and chicken. Oh boy, it's getting real.

After the nachos come out of the oven, a few additional toppings are added in order to take our nachos to the next level: cole slaw, prepared with a homemade chipotle mayonnaise, low sodium BBQ sauce, and green onions. Crispy, smokey, cheesy BBQ nachos. I mean, how could this get any better?