Crock Pot Creamy Spaghetti

Do you ever feel like you have bad picture days? No matter what angle you stand at, no matter how you smile, no matter what clothes you wear, no matter how you wear your hair...you just look like poop. Well if I could imagine what this Crock Pot Creamy Spaghetti feels like, I would say that it is having a bad picture day.

Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

I knew this would happen. It happens every year, usually earlier than January. But it eventually got me: the dreaded head cold. Yep...the cold I've been fighting off, and I thought beating, for the past couple of days decided to hit me like a ton of bricks this morning when I got up for work. I called my boss to explain how I felt and he told me to go straight to bed. As you can imagine, I didn't argue with him.

Healthy Chicken 'n' Dumplings

All of this snow and cold weather is making me miss the south. While "home" is only a four hour drive from DC, I feel like the weather is usually significantly different better. The sun always seems to shine, the temperature is always a good five or six degrees warmer, and there is hardly ever any snow or ice. DC...you should take lessons from the South. Work on this please.

Banana Chocolate Chip Holes

You ready for another skinny sweet? Great, because I'm ready to share one with you!

Quinoa Veggie Stir Fry

Sometimes I get in a rut. I'm definitely a creature of habit. When I find something that works, I stick with it. For example, I may or may not have packed the same lunch every day from kindergarten to eighth grade. And the only reason I had to switch things up was because I got braces (and sandwiches are not braces friendly). While finding a recipe that works is great, I constantly have to remind myself to switch things up a bit and try something new.

Skinny Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Anyone have any fun getaway plans coming up, like jetting off to a tropical island or a relaxing on a long cruise? Around this time each year I find myself missing summer and craving warm sunshine, sand between my toes, and the sound of waves crashing. Not only do I find myself missing the beach but I also find myself wishing that I could turn into a bear, hibernate, and wake up when it's warm again. If you need to know something about me, it's that I love heat and will do anything to avoid cold weather. Until I can get powers to make myself turn into a bear half of the year, I settle by taking a trip each year to someplace warm. A few years ago it was the Bahamas, then Aruba, and this year is Costa Rica. I couldn't be more excited to visit Costa Rica for the first time and escape the cold, dreary weather in D.C.

Healthy Recipe Roundup

With everyone talking about losing a few pounds, toning up, and eating healthier, I thought I'd share some of my favorite good-for-you recipes. These are ten of my go-to breakfast, snack, dinner, and dessert recipes that help me feel satisfied without packing on the pounds. Here's to hoping these recipes can help you stick to your weight loss and overall being healthier goals!

Skinny Triple Chocolate Cookies

{So rich and delicious that it will be hard to stop at just one! Good thing they only have 100 calories per cookie.}

Oatmeal Cream Pies

Growing up, Little Debbie's Oatmeal Creme Pies were one of my favorite treats. My parents rarely bought a lot of sweets from the grocery store because they wanted to feed me healthy and nutritious foods. When I was younger, I thought I was being deprived of what all children should be allowed to eat-there isn't anything wrong with Lucky Charms, Twinkies, and gallons of soda! Now I thank my parents as often as I can for instilling good eating habits in me. However, when I was younger I just pouted. But on the days that I opened my Barbie lunch box decorated with tons of stickers to find a Little Debbie's Oatmeal Creme Pie, my little first grader heart would be filled with happiness. Then I would proceed to gobble it up in 2.5 seconds. It's the little things.

Roasted Curry Ginger Cauliflower

Let's talk about cauliflower. I think it's safe to say that cauliflower is not high on anyone's list of favorite vegetables. It's white, bland, and has zero pizazz. I have to admit that I never grab a cauliflower floret from a veggie tray-the carrots and broccoli are just so much prettier. And, after all, we eat with our eyes, so colors are a pretty big deal in the food world. Sorry boring, white cauliflower; sometimes the truth hurts.

Skinny Pumpkin and Cream Muffins

Most of you are probably still sick of pumpkin from the overload of recipes that you saw and made for Thanksgiving. I, on the other hand, am still craving the stuff. When I find something I like, I stick with it. Notice that about my oatmeal obsession? Yes, I am a creature of habit.

Crock Pot Curry Chicken

One of the great things about Cooking to Perfection is that it has opened my eyes to many different ingredients, preparation methods, recipes, and dishes that I might not have ever come across. By meeting other bloggers, reading recipes posted on other websites and blogs, and asking friends and family about ideas of what they'd like to see on Cooking to Perfection, I've learned so much more than I ever would have without this blog. Growing up in a household that always made and ate homemade meals together and had the Food Network on all day long, I thought I knew a thing or two about cooking, baking, and all things related to food. While I feel like I am fairly knowledgeable, there are a lot recipes and ideas that I'm still discovering and am anxious to try.

Skinny Triple Chocolate Cookies

With the new year upon us, I know many people have made new years resolutions to eat better, work out more, tone up, and improve their overall health. These are goals that I aim for year-round, but the start of a new year seems like a great reminder to get my diet and workout routine back in line. The few pounds gained from all of the holiday treats consumed are another pesky reminder to get back into the gym.

Lemon Trifle

There are many great things about the month of December, and one of those are the wonderful treats that surround you everywhere you go. With all of the peppermint, chocolate, fudge, truffles, brownies, candy, and cookies I was consuming throughout the entire month of December, I was craving something lighter in flavor and richness for my family's Christmas day dessert. This is where the idea to make a Lemon Trifle came about.