Stephanie's Cooking

Coconut Almond Granola

2012-01-26T11:43:00.000-08:00

I have a hard time with snack foods. I don't want crackers, I want a steak or some leftover chicken noodle soup or pasta. Usually I reach for something a little more hearty than a handful of granola, but this is special granola. It has coconut and almonds, two of my favorite things. Add in some cinnamon (which you do!) and you've got yourself a yummy treat!

This recipe called for chia seeds, which I was all for using, but chia seeds are expensive! The brand is Bob's Red Mill and you can find them in the whole foods aisle. I didn't know if I would like the recipe, since I've never made granola before, so I didn't buy the seeds. A single batch of granola only calls for 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, which means a bag would last a long time. I might go buy the seeds for next time, since I'm sure I'll be making this recipe again and again. It's delicious, especially on Greek yogurt or even ice cream!

Coconut Almond Granola
*Adapted from The Vintage Mixer

3 1/2 cups coconut flakes, sweetened or unsweetened, depending on your taste
2/3 cup oats
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
2 tablespoons chia seeds (I left these out this time)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup coconut oil (mine was in solid form, so I heated it in the microwave until it liquified)
Dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350º. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and spread the mixture evenly onto a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes and then turn everything with a spatula. Spread it back out and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until just golden.

Cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. This is good over ice cream, Greek yogurt, apple sauce, with milk, or just straight out of the jar!

Enjoy!

Sourdough, Apple, and Shallot Stuffing-The BEST Stuffing Ever!

2012-01-13T14:05:00.000-08:00

Hubby and I are very particular about our stuffing. We like lots of flavor and a bit of crispiness in our bread. For us, stuffing should be a wonderful side dish that can stand up to the rest of a holiday meal and be memorable in and of itself. This stuffing took me a while to perfect, but once I did, it became our favorite part of Thanksgiving. I make this dish all the time so that we get to enjoy it more than once a year because it's too good to eat just once. You can't go wrong with apples, shallots, herbs, and the delicious taste of sourdough bread!

Sorry for the picture; I never got a final one. But it's good and beautiful, I promise!

Sourdough, Apple, and Shallot Stuffing

2 large loaves sourdough bread (we use 2 large boules)
1 stick butter
1 or 2 shallots, diced
2 or 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2-3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt, to taste

Chop the bread into 1-inch cubes and set on cookie sheets to dry overnight or toast in a 350º oven for 3-45 minutes or until slightly crispy, but not browned.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When it's melted, add the shallot and apple and cook until the shallot is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 4 1/2 cups chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add in the herbs and stir to combine.

Place dried breadcrumbs in a large bowl and gently mix. Add in the broth mixture a ladleful at a time and gently toss to coat. Taste as you to adjust seasonings. Add in salt to taste. If the breadcrumbs are still a little dry once you've added all the broth mixture, add more broth and toss again.

Pour stuffing into a large baking dish and bake in a 350º oven for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Enjoy!

Pumpkin and Apple Soup

2012-01-13T13:45:00.000-08:00

Fall is my favorite season and I have a hard time giving up the flavors that go along with it. This soup is the perfect way to capture fall in a bowl and I loved the way it made the house smell. The best thing about this soup was that it tasted even better the next day. The hubby loved it too! It was also filling and easy to make, which makes this a great soup. This one is in our permanent file, especially considering the fact that I have most of these ingredients on hand all the time too!

Pumpkin and Apple Soup
*Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, diced
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup no sugar added applesauce
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 15-ounce cans pumpkin
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cream
Fresh ground black pepper for serving

Heat a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the diced shallot, apples, and salt. Sauté until shallot is translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the chicken stock, applesauce, white pepper, sage, thyme, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil and until apples are very tender, about 5 more minutes.

Add the pumpkin and brown sugar and cook for 10-15 minutes over medium heat. Use an immersion blender to blend soup until it's smooth or use a blender to blend the soup in batches. Add the cream to the soup and heat through over very low heat. Add more cream or water if necessary to thin it out. Remove from heat and serve with fresh ground pepper as desired.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Cinnamon Applesauce

2012-01-13T13:36:00.000-08:00

I love a recipe that makes the entire house smell like warmth and yumminess. I can achieve that with a great roast or baked dessert, but the best smell comes from any dish that includes cinnamon. This recipe for applesauce really sent the aroma of cinnamon wafting through our house. I was so excited to try this applesauce and it didn't disappoint!

This might be one of those recipes that I shouldn't mess with because it really was yummy as is, but I have a few changes I'm going to try next time. The first is switching out the white sugar for brown sugar. I'm also going to add nutmeg, cloves, and maybe a little bit of vanilla extract. I love that I have a great basic recipe though. I only wish it had made more! Once you mash it, the amount reduces by about half. Something to keep in mind for next time.

Emma helped Momma make applesauce! (Please ignore the clutter and mess in my kitchen. Having a baby and holiday time combine to make it impossible to keep my house clean!)

Slow Cooker Cinnamon Applesauce

*Slightly adapted from What Megan's Making

3 pounds of apples (6-9), peeled, cored, and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks

1 cup apple cider or apple juice, plus more as needed

2 tablespoons sugar, plus more as needed

Pinch salt

2 cinnamon sticks (optional)

1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine apples, cider or juice, sugar, salt, and cinnamon sticks in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until apples are very soft and beginning to disintegrate, between 3-4 hours on low. Remove cinnamon sticks if using. Mash with a potato masher or immersion blender to desired consistency. Season with cinnamon and additional sugar to taste and adjust consistency with additional hot apple juice or cider as needed.

*Recommended apples: Jonagold, Pink Lady, Jonathon, Golden Delicious, Rome, Mcintosh, Empire

*Not Recommended: Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Braeburn, Cortland, Baldwin, Honeycrisp, Norther Spy

Cinnamon Roll Cake with Cinnabon Frosting

2012-01-13T13:34:00.000-08:00

I made cinnamon rolls for Christmas this year from the Pioneer Woman's recipe, which I love. I do them in my bread machine, which makes it insanely easy. The only work comes from rolling and filling them, but that is a lot of work and it is messy. Once Christmas was over and all the rolls had been eaten, which didn't take long (boo!), I still had a lot of frosting left over. What to do, what to do? I felt too guilty just eating it with a spoon (which I could have easily done), so I made this cake as a vehicle for the amazing frosting.

If you're looking for a quick fix to curb a cinnamon roll craving, this is the way to go. The cake is delicious and easy, but the frosting. Oh the frosting. This IS the Cinnabon frosting. It. Is. So. Good. Make it and eat it with a spoon. Go ahead, I won't tell anyone!

Cinnamon Roll Cake with Cinnabon Frosting
*From Life as a Lofthouse
*Frosting from CDKitchen

Cake:
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Topping:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) margarine, room temperature
1 package cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cake:
Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a 9x13 glass baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. In an stand mixer, add the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once well combined, slowly stir in the melted butter. Pour into the prepared baking pan.

For the topping:
In a large bowl, mix the 2 sticks of butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together until well combined and creamy (I used an electric hand mixer). Drop evenly over the batter by tablespoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl it through the cake.

Bake at 350º for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out nearly clean.

For the frosting:
Beat cream cheese and margarine together in a large bowl with a mixer. Slowly add in all powdered sugar. Once all of the sugar is in the bowl, mix for AT LEAST an additional 12 minutes until light and fluffy. With about a minute left on mix time, add in the lemon juice and vanilla.

Frost the cake when warm or cool or serve the frosting on the side to be used on warmed cake.

Enjoy!

Eggnog Pancakes

2011-12-21T13:47:00.000-08:00

Trying to get back into the kitchen has been difficult with a new baby, to say the least. I've been cooking a lot of recipes that we are familiar with, so there hasn't been much to post on the blog. However, this morning I got the itch to cook something new, so I decided to try this recipe for eggnog pancakes. I'm not a fan of eggnog myself, but the hubby loves it and we found some pumpkin eggnog that I actually really like, so I used it in this recipe. The pancakes turned out really yummy, but are very thick and cake-like. Next time I will thin the batter with a little bit of plain milk, but Hubby loved the cakey, fluffy texture. These would be a great Christmas breakfast if you are going for something simple and quick!

Eggnog Pancakes
*Adapted from Taste of Home

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups eggnog (I used pumpkin eggnog)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Milk, for thinning

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

Whisk the eggs, eggnog, and butter in a small bowl.

Stir wet ingredients into dry and mix until just moistened. Add milk to thin if necessary. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top and cook until second side is browned. If the batter is thick, bubbles will not form, so watch the pancakes closely while cooking.

Enjoy!

Nana's Chili

2011-11-12T18:36:00.000-08:00

Our good news: Hubby and I welcomed our little bundle of joy on October 14th at 7:39am. Her name is Emma Naomi after her great great grandma Emma and great grandma Naomi and we are ridiculously head over heels in love with her! Having a baby is the most amazing experience ever and, although I haven't forgotten the misery, I can't wait to do it again in a year or two. For now, we are just loving Emma and enjoying every second with her.

Now for the food! About a week after Em was born, I was really craving comfort food and this recipe wouldn't leave my mind. This is my Nana's (better known as Naomi!) recipe, so it was fitting that I make it to celebrate Emma's arrival. Nana may not have been here to welcome Em, but I know she was watching. Just eating her chili made it feel like she was close. And this is good chili. It's just spicy enough and full of goodness with lots of beans and delicious spices and flavor. I'm writing the recipe as we make it, which means that we don't dice the onion or green bell pepper and we don't sauté it with the ground beef. My dad hates onion and green pepper, but the flavor is necessary, so the onion goes in whole and the pepper is quartered. This is how I've always eaten it, so this is how I chose to make it. And it didn't disappoint. Comfort food in a bowl!

Nana's Chili
*From Naomi

1 pound ground beef
1 large onion
1 green bell pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon basil
1 1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flake
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 cans tomato sauce
2-4 cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I use 4 because the beans are my favorite part!)
1 large can tomato juice

Brown the ground beef and season with garlic powder and onion powder. Drain the fat and add two tablespoons brown sugar. Stir.

Add the ground beef and then the other ingredients, except the onion and green pepper, to a large pot and stir.

Quarter the green bell pepper and remove the ribs and seeds. Peel the onion and add the whole onion and pieces of pepper to the chili and stir.

Cook on low heat for 3-5 hours (or all day in a slow cooker), stirring occasionally. Remove the onion and bell pepper before serving. Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken, Black Bean, and Corn Taco Filling

2011-10-06T11:53:00.000-07:00

I need spice in my life, apparently. Lately it seems like the spicier it is, the happier I am. Until the heartburn kicks in, that is! With my due date just 3 days away, you'd think I would learn to give up the spicy to save my stomach and throat, but I'm not that strong.

This filling is incredibly easy, as it cooks in the crock pot for 4-5 hours. I love the versatility of it too, as you could use it in traditional tacos or enchiladas or you could make taquitos out of it, which is what I did. Either way, this was a flavorful and slightly spicy delicious way to enjoy some Mexican food.

Creamy Chicken, Black Bean, and Corn Taco Filling

3-5 chicken breasts, frozen
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen corn
1 15-ounce jar salsa (I blend mine to remove the chunks)
1 8-ounce block of cream cheese, softened
Taco seasoning, cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder, to taste
Squeeze of lime juice

Place your chicken in a greased crock pot and season with taco seasoning, cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder.

Add the frozen corn.

Add the black beans.

Pour on your salsa (or Ro-Tel if that's what you have on hand)

Cook on high for 4-5 hours or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and shred with two forks, then stir the chicken back into the taco mixture. Add cream cheese.

Cover and let it sit for a 1/2 hour. Stir to completely combine the cream cheese and add a squeeze of lime juice.

Now your filling is done! Enjoy on tacos, enchiladas, or a salad. Or you can use the filling for taquitos. Here's what we did: (Adapted from my baked chicken taquitos)

Preheat oven to 425º. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Place about 1/4 cup of filling in warmed corn tortilla shells. Top with monterey jack cheese and fresh cilantro.

Roll your taquitos and place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Spray liberally with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until ends start to crisp and brown. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Chip Oatmeal Cookies

2011-09-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

I have an obsession with all things cinnamon. There, I said it. Cinnamon is good on everything and in liberal amounts. This is not some crazy pregnant lady thing, this is a fact. What is a crazy pregnant lady thing is that I have been having dreams about good oatmeal cookies for a few weeks now. I needed them. The baby needed them! That definitely sounds crazy (and like I'm trying to justify the 2 cookies I had after my cereal this morning), but when I've eaten these cookies, she gets very active and kicks the poo out of my rib cage. I think she's a fan too.

About the cookies: oh yum. Oh heaven. Oh deliciousness! Where have you been all my life? Soft, chewy, full of cinnamon, and amazing. This was an easy, simple recipe, and the addition of cinnamon chips (JOY!) takes them over the top. Hubby's co-worker stole the bag I sent to work with him. Good thing, or I'd be eating my body weight in cinnamon chip oatmeal cookies today. There is no moderation in the land of nine months pregnant!

Cinnamon Chip Oatmeal Cookies
*Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick oats
1 cup cinnamon chips

Heat oven to 350º. Beat together butter and both sugars until creamy.

Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the batter and mix until just combined.

With a spoon, stir in the oats.

Add cinnamon chips and stir to combine.

*Side note: Cinnamon chips taste like the filling of a cinnamon roll. Heaven.

Drop rounded teaspoons of batter onto a Silpat or ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes until golden. While waiting between batches, it's helpful to pop the batter into the fridge to keep it chilled. Cool about 1 minute on the cookie sheet before transferring to the cooling racks.

Enjoy!

Aunt Kathy's Chicken Tetrazzini

2011-09-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

Now that I am nearing the end of my pregnancy (37 weeks on Monday!), my complete aversion to all things chicken has subsided somewhat. I'm not saying that if you put a medium rare filet mignon and a piece of chicken in front of me, I'm not going to choose the succulent piece of beef, but at least the thought of chicken doesn't make me gag anymore.

This recipe definitely doesn't make me gag. In fact, I ate most of the leftovers, which says a lot in this house! My mom started making this only a few years ago and I've always loved it, so when I got the recipe from her a few weeks ago, I couldn't wait to make it. It came from my amazing Aunt Kathy, so you know it's good. It's also very simple. The recipe requires a few pans, so you will make a bit of a mess (or, if you're like me, a huge mess), but it is so worth it. This makes a lot, so you can easily feed a crowd or freeze the leftovers. That was my plan, you know getting ready for baby and all, but I ended up eating the leftovers. Oh well. It was worth it!

Aunt Kathy's Chicken Tetrazzini
*From my Aunt Kathy

1 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
3/4 cup flour
1 cup hot milk
1 cup hot chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup sherry
3/4 cup heavy cream or milk
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced or 2 cans drained (I omitted because I didn't have any)
2-3 cups diced cooked chicken (3 breasts)
1/2 cup parmesan or Romano cheese, grated
1/4-1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 400º. Cook spaghetti until just al dente. Meanwhile, melt 1/2 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour. Cook for a minute or two and then stir in hot milk and chicken broth. Cook and stir until thick. Add more milk or broth if the mixture becomes too thick.

Blend in salt, pepper, nutmeg, sherry, and heavy cream or milk and remove from heat. Again, add more liquid if the sauce is too thick. I ended up adding an additional cup of milk to thin it out a bit.

Mix the sauce, noodles, and chicken together.

Pour into a large greased baking dish.

Top with parmesan or Romano cheese and breadcrumbs.

Bake for 30-45 minutes or until bubbly and enjoy!

Mom's Apple Crisp

2011-09-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

Well, Hubby and I have officially begun the countdown. Baby girl is due in about 4 weeks and we're hoping (praying, begging) that she is a little early because the end of this pregnancy has been far more difficult than the beginning. Of course, the sweltering heat this week doesn't make the swollen ankles and discomfort any better, but the end is in sight. I just have to keep telling myself that!

I made this recipe a long time ago and the photos have been sitting on my computer waiting to be put into a post. I confess that I haven't been all that inspired to write or do much of anything lately, but I have to share this one before fall is really upon us because this apple crisp begs to be made in the cool weather I know is just around the corner. This recipe is my mom's, but it's also in one of my Nana's old cookbooks, which is probably where Mom got it in the first place. Regardless, Mom's apple crisp is guaranteed to make you happy and make your house smell like heaven. It's very, very easy too and always a crowd pleaser. So, once you feel that bite in the air that signals fall, make this apple crisp! Your friends and family will thank you, I promise!

Mom's Apple Crisp
*From my mom

6 cups peeled, pared, and sliced apples (8-10 apples-use Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, or Cameos; we use all Granny Smith because I love the flavor contrast between tart and sweet)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
2/3 cup margarine or butter, softened

Heat oven to 375º. Grease 9x13 pan. Place apples slices in the pan.

Mix remaining ingredients thoroughly and sprinkle over the apples.

Bake 30-45 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown.

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream and cinnamon. Enjoy!

Lapin Rôti (Roasted Rabbit)

2011-07-16T20:12:00.000-07:00

While Hubby and I were in France last year, we got a chance to try a lot of different kinds of food, from horse to escargot to fresh chevre to fois gras. One of the meals that stood out the most to us (and the one we thought we had the most success of recreating) was my dish of roasted rabbit at Le Florentin in Bayeux, Normandy. This was our dinner after spending the day at the D-Day beaches and we were emotionally and physically drained. And starving. My beautiful rabbit thigh came out perfectly roasted, moist, and delicious. We decided we had to try making this dish at home.

And today, we finally did it! We picked up a rabbit at our local butcher shop, which came whole without the head and feet. Hubby found a video online that showed how to butcher it (see link further down) and we browned, then roasted the delectable little morsel. And it was SO good! This is a simple recipe with simple flavors, and it really allows the flavor of the rabbit to shine. If you're wondering what rabbit tastes like, well try the recipe!

(If you're still wondering, it's a cross between the dark meat of chicken and turkey. It's incredibly lean, which means it's good for you too!)

Lapin Rôti (Roasted Rabbit)
*Adapted from Cooks Recipes

3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 rabbit (look for a young rabbit, between 1 1/2-3 pounds)
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup white wine
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (we didn't use any)
Salt and pepper

First, butcher your rabbit. Here's a helpful video: How to Cut Up a Rabbit.

Add cut pieces to a bowl of salt water.

Heat oven to 350º. In a large, heavy skillet heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Pat dry rabbit and season with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and brown on both sides for 4-5 minutes or until golden. Prepare your other ingredients and have them ready to go (mis en place).

Place rabbit in a shallow baking dish. Add your chopped onion to the remaining oil in the skillet and stir. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly, or until onions have softened. (Ugh, check out the oil mess on my stove. Splatter screen Stephanie! Go put it on your grocery list! Geez.)

Add crushed garlic and stir. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add wine and rosemary, stirring well.

Pour the sauce over the rabbit and season again with salt and pepper.

Bake for 45 minutes. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork

2011-06-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

We have big news: We are having a little girl! Hubby is terrified and we're both excited. We have a couple of names picked out, but we won't be naming her until she is here. Now we're just preparing the nursery and making lists of all the baby stuff we need to buy-and there is a lot of it!

On to the recipe! I'm no longer meat-averse, but I am HATING all things chicken. Give me a steak or a roast any day, and I even ate a cheeseburger! I haven't had a cheeseburger in many, many years. This recipe, while not beef, was absolutely delicious. And it couldn't be easier. We started with a thawed roast, but next time I'll use a frozen one and cook it for longer. I really believe that low and slow theory is right on.

Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork

2+ pound pork roast (you can use tenderloin, butt, shoulder, etc.)
1 can or bottle of root beer (we used A&W, but you could also use Dr. Pepper or another brand)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder (or half an onion, thinly sliced)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic, finely minced)
Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

Place your roast, frozen or thawed, into your slow cooker. Rub onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper into the roast.

Pour your root beer all over the roast.

Cook on low 5-6 hours, or until the meat shreds easily with a fork. Remove the roast to shred it and pour the root beer mixture into a separate bowl. Return the dry shredded pork to the slow cooker.

Pour on your BBQ sauce and mix. We used a Memphis style, because that's what we had on hand, but we prefer Carolina style (more vinegary), so we added a little apple cider vinegar.

Test your pulled pork and add a little bit of the root beer mixture to taste. This will sweeten it up and thin it out a little bit. Serve it up on toasted hamburger buns with corn on the cob and enjoy!

Roasted Chicken

2011-05-09T18:06:00.000-07:00

I am still experiencing a meat aversion, which, according to my doctor, is normal for pregnant women. I just hit 18 weeks and we find out the baby's gender on May 18th. Add that to my ever-growing stomach, and this whole thing is becoming more real by the day! Hubby and I keep asking each other what we got ourselves into, but we're very excited (along with terrified).

Anyway, back to the food. I have been feeling so guilty about only cooking vegetarian meals for Hubby and me, so today I decided to roast a whole chicken. My first one. Probably best to go for something a little less daunting when trying to get back into cooking, but hey, go big or go home, right? And I'm glad I chose this particular venture because the results were absolutely delicious! I have often gotten a whole roasted chicken from Fred Meyer or Costco and been pleased, but it is SO much better when you do it yourself at home. Not only does it taste better, but it also makes your house smell like heaven.

Now, with my meat aversion, Hubby ended up doing most of the prep work, but I supervised. When asked if he thought the extra work was worth it, he couldn't say because his mouth was full of chicken. He picked at the carcass for quite a while too, so I know it was good. This is a basic roasted chicken recipe, but it can certainly be jazzed up with additional herbs, onions, potatoes, lemons, etc. We liked the simplicity of it and the way the flavor of the chicken wasn't masked by seasonings, but to each his own, right?

Roasted Chicken
*From me!

1 whole chicken, about 4-6 pounds
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper

Preheat the oven to 425º. Remove the chicken from the bag and pull out the giblets. Use tongs if the thought of sticking your hand up a chicken's rear isn't appealing to you. Rinse the chicken completely, inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels. Drying the bird will ensure that the skin is crispy.

Sprinkle on a generous amount of kosher salt.

Add freshly ground pepper to taste. This means LOTS for us!

Drizzle on a little bit of olive oil.

Beg your hubby to rub it in for you if you're pregnant and feeling nauseous when you think about touching the raw chicken. Or do it yourself if you're superwoman. (I am not, FYI).

Add more pepper, if so inclined. Or other herbs. This is also the point at which you might want to stuff a lemon up the chicken or add cut up onions or potatoes to the pan. Up to you. However you're going to do it, the chicken bakes for 85-90 minutes, depending on weight. Check the temperature of the bird with a meat thermometer when you think it's done, making sure to insert it away from any bones to get a true reading. You should also cut one of the legs to make sure the juices are running clear.

Once the chicken is done, carve and enjoy! We had ours with kale chips and sweet potato casserole.

It was delicious! Hubby has fallen in love with me all over again. He even called himself a meat whore. I didn't comment on the inappropriateness of the statement, but smiled indulgently and asked if he'd like more chicken. He screamed yes.

Kale Chips

2011-05-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

There are so many recipes out there that I want to try (eventually . . . ), but this one has been floating around the blogosphere for a while and I've been so curious about it. So today I decided to try making kale chips. And oh my goodness, am I glad I did! These were delicious! They were crispy, salty, peppery, and yummy. I liked the chips more than Hubby, but I think this had something to do with him being tired of all things non-meat. According to the mommy blogs out there, children enjoy these chips as well. Score one for the mommies! Plus, the health benefits of kale are phenomenal, so why not try it and see how the little ones like it?

As a side note, these are best right out of the oven. Don't reheat them or they get chewy and make sure you spread the chips out in a single row on the baking sheet so they can get crispy.

Kale Chips
*From many blogs!

1 bunch kale
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper (or just use salt if you don't want that peppery kick)

Preheat oven to 350º. Hold the thick stem of the kale in one hand and, with the other hand, pinch the stem and run your hand up to remove the leaves. Place leaves in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Pat the kale dry with a paper towel, if necessary. Drizzle on a little bit of olive oil.

Add salt.

Then pepper, if desired.

Toss with clean hands.

Bake for 12-16 minutes, or until the kale is crispy. Enjoy!

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

2011-05-03T12:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I am still having a bit of a tough time with cooking during this pregnancy. I've been living on cereal, fruit, and salads with no meat. Chicken=yuck! My poor, poor husband has been living a vegetarian life at home, which is why we've been eating out a lot. (The waitress comes to our table and Hubby practically screams, "Steak or a burger! Steak or a burger, for the love of God!")

He's been a good sport about it all and doesn't complain too much at home, especially since pregnancy is a lot harder for me than it is for him. I've been feeling okay, but have been having a really hard time sleeping at night. I'm a stomach sleeper, so I constantly wake up when I'm on my side. Exhaustion is all par for the course in pregnancy and babies though, right?

Fortunately, yesterday I had enough energy to attempt this recipe. Although 20 minutes from prep to table isn't exactly time-consuming or difficult, it was a far cry from the black bean burritos and grilled cheese sandwiches I had been serving for dinner. Nick was even okay with the fact that there was no meat in this dish, which turned out to be absolutely delicious. The asparagus was perfectly roasted, the penne was al dente, and the balsamic butter sauce was heavenly. It was also a great dish for Hubby to take to work since it could be eaten hot or cold. It's not always easy to get to a microwave when you're out arresting bad guys, after all!

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter
*From Food and Wine

1 pound asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons salt, divided (I only used 1 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 pound penne
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), cut in pieces
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Heat the oven to 400º. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard. Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Place asparagus on a foil-lined baking sheet and toss with olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Roast for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Turn off the oven, leaving the asparagus in to keep it warm.

Meanwhile, put the vinegar into a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 tablespoons remains. Stir in the brown sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper and remove from heat.

Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta and toss with butter, vinegar, asparagus, parmesan, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle additional parmesan on top and serve. Enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Muffins

2011-03-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

First off, some wonderful news: Hubby and I are pregnant! Our little peanut is due October 9th and we are over the moon about it. Unfortunately, pregnancy equals an aversion to all things cooking, especially the poultry we typically live on. Hubby's been in charge of his own meals lately and I've been existing on cereal and yogurt with the occasional granola bar, salad, and bowl of fruit mixed in. I don't mind going out to eat, as long as I don't think about the cooking process (isn't it weird that my nausea is tied to all things food and all things cooking?), so we've been eating out a lot lately.

Then came the day that I was reading my food blogs and doing an exceptional job of staving off the nausea and I found this recipe on the Tasty Kitchen blog. I had to make it. Hubby was off doing daytime assault rifle training (ah, to be a cop and smell like gunpowder for days . . . yuck), so I decided to bake these to surprise him. He's been feeling very neglected lately and is especially thankful for the way I used to cook because now it's soup and grilled cheese living all over again. I think he feels like he's back in college. And he can't even complain because it's his fault I'm knocked up, haha!

Anyway, back to the recipe. It's amazing. The muffins are light as air and the cinnamon and sugar covering the entire thing makes it taste just like a snickerdoodle cookie. And snickerdoodles are Hubby's favorite cookie. He was so happy when he came home from the outdoor range, soaked through and bruised all over from drills to find warm, cinnamony muffins waiting for him. I think he almost cried.

Snickerdoodle Muffins
*From Tasty Kitchen

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks unsalted)
1 cup sugar
2 whole eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup buttermilk

For the topping:
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350º. Prepare 2 muffin tins with liners. The muffins are too delicate to just spray the pans, so definitely use the liners. In a mixer, combine the butter and sugar and cream until fluffy.

Add the eggs and vanilla and combine.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

Add half the dry ingredients to the batter and mix to combine.

Add the buttermilk and sour cream and mix again.

Finally, add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until you have a smooth batter.

In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar for the topping.

Using a scooper (or your hands), scoop a ball of the dough into the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Gently roll the ball around (this is a bit of sticky mess, but it's worth it and it gets easier as you get the hang of it). Place the ball into the muffin liner.

When you have completed all the muffins, sprinkle the remaining cinnamon and sugar on the tops of the muffins. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden on top and toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Mom's Famous Beer Roast

2011-02-23T17:52:00.000-08:00

This roast is one that my mom makes at least a couple times a month. It is a favorite of the entire family and we always have it for family get-togethers. The best part about this dish is the smell that wafts through the house as it cooks all day. By the time the roast is done, we're all standing around the stove salivating and counting the seconds. Well today, I finally attempted to make my mom's famous beer roast. It was Hubby's and my 4-year anniversary of the day we met, so it was a special day. It has also been snowing on and off here all day, so a warm, comforting meal sounded perfect to us. My one change from my mom's recipe was that I used a thawed roast. She always makes this with a frozen roast and cooks it all day. I wanted to make cookies, so I used a thawed roast and cooked it for less time. Unfortunately, more time equals more tender, so next time I'll use a frozen roast and cook it for a lot longer. The flavor of ours was perfect and my first attempt at homemade gravy was an unequivocal success (yay me!), so I definitely count this as a win. I wasn't sure if I should post this recipe, since it feels like a sacred family dish, but it's too good not to share!

Mom's Famous Beer Roast
*From Mom!

1 beef roast (any size works), frozen is best
2 bottles of beer (we used Session, Hubby's favorite)
1 packet beefy onion soup mix
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon beef bouillon
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Lots of pepper (not really a measurement, but lots to me meant probably close to a tablespoon)

Preheat oven to 250º. Place the roast in a Dutch oven. Add onion powder, beef bouillon, and pepper.

Pour on the beefy onion soup mix and the Worcestershire sauce.

Add the beer.

Cover and cook for about 8 hours. The meat will fall apart when it's done.

For the gravy:
Remove the meat from the cooking liquids and wrap in foil. Place in a warm oven while you're making the gravy. Place the Dutch oven with the liquids on the stove over medium heat. In a small cup, add 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch and enough water to cover. Mix well and whisk into the cooking liquids. Heat to bubbly until the gravy thickens. You might need to do the cornstarch slurry more than once to thicken it enough.

Serve the gravy over mashed potatoes or rice and make sure to cover your meat with it too. Enjoy this wonderful family dish!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-02-23T17:30:00.000-08:00

I have been searching for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe and this one might be it. The flavor is perfect and it's the right amount of chocolate chips, which means yum! My only problem was that the cookies spread, so I read up on how to prevent that from happening. Next time I'll use a cooled cookie sheet (a hot one makes them spread faster) or I'll shape the dough balls on the cookie sheet and refrigerate it for 10 minutes or so before putting it in the oven. Regardless of the thinness of the cookie, these were wonderful; the perfect combination of chewy and crispy. I sent them with Hubby to work since it's snowing and the boys will probably stay in the office for the most part tonight. Cops love cookies!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
*From Sing For Your Supper

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), melted and slightly cooled
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325º. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.

Cream together the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy.

Blend in vanilla extract, egg, and egg yolk until fully incorporated. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just mixed.

Stir in chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Roll teaspoon-sized balls out onto the baking sheet. (At this point, a quick 10 minutes in the fridge should stop the cookies from spreading). Bake for 10 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

Baked Mac and Cheese

2011-02-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

I've been on a mission to organize my cooking magazines lately. I clip out the recipes and ideas I like and then file them in a binder with an index. The stack of magazines has been dramatically reduced and I feel like I've really accomplished something. Plus, it's been really fun to come up with new ideas and recipes from these sources. This recipe is from Taste of Home and it was really yummy. I, unfortunately, changed the Velveeta cheese to a mix of colby and jack cheeses. I have come to realize that Velveeta, while a processed cheese, is the key to making re-heatable mac and cheese. It makes the cheese stick so that the leftovers aren't bland and uninteresting. Next time I will definitely break out the Velveeta!

Baked Mac and Cheese
*Slightly adapted from Taste of Home

4 cups uncooked pasta (I used radiatori)
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup flour
4 cups 2% milk
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash ground nutmeg
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup cubed Velveeta (I used a colby and jack mix, but next time I'll stick with the Velveeta!)

Cook pasta according to package directions to just al dente. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk and stir in the salt, pepper, ground mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes until thickened. Stir in cheeses until melted.

Drain pasta and stir in the cheese sauce. Transfer to an ungreased 2-quart baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350º for 20-25 minutes until bubbly. Enjoy!

Chicken, Leek, and Shallot Pot Pie

2011-02-15T18:50:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been intimidated by a certain fruit or veggie in the produce section of your grocery store? Well, that's how I felt about leeks until we had them in what felt like every dish while in France. Leeks are a staple there, so every time I eat them, I can close my eyes and pretend that we're back in a café eating quiche full of this mild onion-flavored veggie.

For Hubby and I, France means happiness, so I thought a dish with some French flavors would be perfect for our Valentine's Day dinner. We loved this turkey pot pie, so I adapted it using chicken, shallots, and leeks to make this delicious, filling, and slightly fancy main dish. It was a definite hit!

And it really did make us think of France, which made for a very romantic dinner. And then he went to work . . . Eh, the life of a cop's wife.

Anyway, bottom line: This dish is yummy! And it's a really lovely presentation, so it would make a great dish for a dinner party too!

Chicken, Leek, and Shallot Pot Pie
*By me!

3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 refrigerated pie crusts, thawed (let them sit on the counter while you make the filling)
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pinch of salt
Pinch of nutmeg
1 1/2 cups Southern style cubed potatoes, thawed and warmed in the microwave
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

Heat oven to 425º. Slice leeks and mince shallot.

Melt a little bit of butter in a skillet and add leeks and shallots. Sauté for about 5 minutes on medium heat, until tender. Add in minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute longer, then remove from heat and set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt butter and whisk in flour to make a roux. Cook for 3 minutes, whisking frequently. Gradually add in milk and chicken broth, whisking to combine.

Stir in seasonings and cook until bubbly and thickened.

Add in chicken, warmed potatoes, leeks, shallots, and garlic. Stir to combine.

Roll out one pie crust into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Press into the bottom of the dish and spoon the filling onto the crust.

Top with the second crust, pinch and flute the edges. You can use any excess crust to decorate the top of the pie. Cut several slits in the top of the crust. Separate the yolk from one egg and discard. Brush the top of the crust with the egg white.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. During the last 15-20 minutes cooking, cover the edges of the crust with foil to prevent excess browning. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

2011-02-09T13:32:00.000-08:00

I've been a little under the weather lately, so cooking has taken a bit of a backseat. I made so much food for our SuperBowl party that Hubby was set for a few days, which was nice for me. However, a few nights ago, I had a major craving for creamy tomato-y pasta. Enter Pioneer Woman! Cravings for cream and pasta means that of course I would turn to her. And she didn't disappoint (although that is no surprise). We ate this recipe for days. Hubby said it was something you would happily order and devour in any nice restaurant. The flavors are deep, layered, and absolutely delicious. This is my number one pasta dish ever. And it's so simple to make! So what are you waiting for? Go make this now!

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce
*From Pioneer Woman

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 whole medium onion, finely diced (I used a shallot, my favorite)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
Dash of sugar, to taste
1 cup heavy cream
Grated parmesan cheese, to taste (I used about 1/2 cup)
Fresh basil, chopped
1 1/2 pounds fettuccine (I only had 1 pound, which worked just fine)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, and reserve 1 cup of pasta water.

Heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and sauté for about a minute. Pour in tomato sauce and add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. I used just a pinch of salt, about 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and stir in cream. Add cheese to taste, then check seasonings. Thin with pasta water if necessary. I used about 1/2 cup of the water to thin mine. Stir in cooked pasta and chopped basil and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Cookie Dip

2011-02-09T13:16:00.000-08:00

Hubby is a huge fan of snickerdoodles, as I mentioned in the pumpkin snickerdoodle post. When I started making out the menu for our SuperBowl party, I asked him if he'd like me to try making this dip. His answer: an emphatic YES! We tasted it before we added the cinnamon and it really did taste just like cookie dough (think chocolate chip cookie dough without the chocolate chips). However, I think 2 tablespoons of cinnamon was too much, so next time I'll start with 1 tablespoon and work my way up if necessary. I had a gut feeling about the amount of cinnamon, but I'm still working on actually listening to my gut when cooking! Is tummy grumbling the same as a gut feeling?

Snickerdoodle Cookie Dip
*From How Sweet It Is (my new FAVORITE blog!)

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 8-ounce block cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cinnamon (again, next time I'll start with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and work my way up because 2 was too much)

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Add brown sugar and whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture starts to bubble. Set aside to cool and whisk in vanilla extract.

Cream together cream cheese and powdered sugar for 60 seconds.

With mixer on low speed, add in brown sugar and butter mixture. Mix until combined.

Add in your cinnamon.

Mix until combined.

Serve with fruit, Nilla wafers, or even pretzels. Enjoy!

Lemon Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

2011-01-27T16:02:00.001-08:00

What do you do when you're craving cookies and something tart at the same time? You make these lemon cookies with white chocolate chips from Jamie Cooks It Up! Then you feel thankful that the world has lemons and white chocolate chips in it.

I love this recipe even more because it uses boxed lemon cake mix as the base, which makes it incredibly easy and quick, not to mention delicious. It also makes a lot of cookies, so I'll be sending a big plateful of these to work with Hubby. I hope cops like lemon cookies as much as they like coffee! (And they LOVE their coffee; I think we've actually spent enough money at Starbucks to buy one of their locations, and Hubby's only been a cop for about three years . . . )
Update: We decided that the white chocolate chips made these cookies a little too sweet, so we cut them out and added the zest from 2 lemons. The updated cookies were delicious. I think I will add a lemony glaze next time, but Hubby swears they are perfect as is. Either way: yum!

Lemon Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

*From Jamie Cooks It Up!

2 boxes lemon cake mix

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 eggs

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (or 1 1/2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice)

1 12-ounce package white chocolate chips, divided

Powdered sugar and white melting chocolate, optional

Preheat oven to 350º. Add melted butter to the cake mixes and stir. Batter will still be dry.

Add eggs one at a time and mix.

Squeeze fresh lemon juice and add it to the batter. (Or use 1 1/2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice.) Mix until combined.

Add all but 1/2 cup of the white chocolate chips and mix to incorporate evenly.

Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls, place on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-11 minutes (mine took 11 minutes). Be careful not to over bake.

Take the cookies out of the oven when they have cracked on the top and allow them to finish cooking for 2 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Optional topping: Melt remaining 1/2 cup white chocolate chips and drizzle on top of the cookies. Dust with powdered sugar. (We opted not to do this, as we found the cookies to be sweet enough without the topping.) Topping or not, enjoy these pretty little cookies!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

2011-01-27T11:36:00.000-08:00

This is my new favorite soup of all time. We ate this for dinner and then I had some for a snack later and a small bowl for breakfast this morning. I don't even feel guilty either. Although Hubby isn't going to be happy when he wakes up and finds out there is only a tiny bit left . . .

I found this soup recipe on Pennies on a Platter and I'm so glad I did. In case you couldn't tell, I found this to be delicious. It isn't the healthiest soup, but that just means you shouldn't make it too often. Then when you do, it's a great treat! Unfortunately, I started cooking late (hence the dark photos-darn winter!) and didn't have time to let the potatoes cook through before Hubby had to eat before work, so they were a little crunchy. My second and third helpings were perfect, however, so I recommend boiling your peeled and chopped potatoes first.

This will also be my second entry into Branny Boils Over's Charity Souper Bowl. This one is also dedicated to my two boys, Gus and Joey! Here they are when they were both little. Gus (the golden) is now 1 year and 3 months and Joey (the springer) is 7 months. They definitely keep us busy!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

*From Pennies on a Platter

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup flour

7 cups of milk

4 large or 6 medium baking potatoes, peeled, cubed, and cooked through (bake, boil, or microwave)

4 green onions, sliced and more for garnish

12 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (we mince ours in a blender)

1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

In a Dutch oven, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk to create a roux.

Add milk, one cup at a time, whisking as you go. Stir until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Add the potatoes.

Stir in the onions.

Add salt, pepper, and garlic salt and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add in bacon.

Add cheese and sour cream and stir until the cheese is melted.

Adjust seasonings as needed and enjoy!

Breakfast Egg "Muffins"

2011-01-27T11:14:00.000-08:00

Do you ever have one of those "ah-ha" moments that leaves you feeling excited and smart? I had one of those when I thought these up a few days ago. I'm sure someone else has already done them, but still. These were good. And I thought of them! Not that this recipe is anything spectacular, but making eggs yummy is something I pride myself on, especially since Hubby loves eggs. He actually got out of bed before noon (he works nights-he's not just lazy) to eat these (granted, once he was finished, he went right back to bed, but still!) and I enjoyed them myself. I especially like the variety of ways these can be changed. A few days later we made them non-scrambled:

You could also add in mushrooms, ham, bacon, broccoli, different cheese, any leftovers, etc.

Breakfast Egg "Muffins"

1 slice of bread for 2 muffin tins

Eggs (if scrambling, use 1 less than the number of muffins you're making: so if you're making 6 muffins, use 5 eggs)

Butter spray

Salt and pepper

Shredded cheese

Sliced green onions

Any other toppings of your choice

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray. Cut a circle out of a slice of bread (I used a 1/2 cup measuring cup . . . and hmm, water spots much?) and press it into the bottom of a muffin cup.

Tear out the rest of the soft part of the slice of bread and press it into the bottom of a second muffin cup. Repeat for as many muffin as you'd like to make.

Scramble your eggs with a small pinch of salt and a generous sprinkle of pepper (we're big pepper fans, so add to your taste). Spoon egg into the muffin cups until about 3/4 of the way full.

Add your toppings.

Bake at 350º for 20 minutes or until the muffins puff up and the egg is cooked through.

Enjoy!

Jalapeño Popper Dip

2011-01-23T13:38:00.000-08:00

It's all about football in our house on this overcast Sunday. Hubby got up early to watch the Packers and Bears play, but he will miss the Steelers and Jets game later because he has to go to work. He's a huge Steelers fan, so Hubby isn't happy he has to go to work and miss his team play. Frankly, I couldn't care less about the Packers/Bears game, but after watching the Dennis Byrd clip on Sportscenter this morning, I'm rooting for the Jets. Hubby isn't happy about this, so I made him jalapeño popper dip to appease him a little bit. I think he's forgotten all his anger, as right now he's got a bit of dip on his chin . . . Happy football day!

Jalapeño Popper Dip

*From Tasty Kitchen

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies, drained

5 jalapeños, seeded and diced (or sub two 4-ounce cans of diced jalapeños, drained)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 400º. Stir together sour cream, cream cheese, and mayo in a large bowl until combined.

Finely chop jalapeños.

Add green chilies and jalapeños to cream cheese mixture and stir.

Add Panko and parmesan cheese in a small bowl and mix to combine.

Pour cream cheese mixture into an oven safe dish.

Sprinkle Panko mixture on top.

Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes, then put it under the broiler for 1-3 minutes to brown the top.

Serve with chips, pita chips, crackers, veggies, and bread. Enjoy!

Black Bean Mac & Cheese

2011-01-23T13:28:00.001-08:00

I love macaroni and cheese. I prefer to make it myself or I ramp up the blue box stuff by adding sharp cheddar, black pepper, and ground mustard and topping it with breadcrumbs before sticking it under the broiler. It's a quick fix for my constant cheese cravings, but I usually feel guilty after I eat it. There's not much in the way of health benefits to gooey cheese and pasta. But when you add black beans, well, the guilt factor definitely goes down! I was terrified as I was adding the black beans to this. I kept thinking I was messing up my yummy mac & cheese. But it ended up being really yummy! I won't always make my mac this way, but I will occasionally add some hot sauce, black beans, and cilantro to my blue box mac.

Black Bean Mac & Cheese

1 box of mac and cheese (or make your own)

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon of hot sauce (or to taste)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Chopped cilantro for topping

Make the mac according to the package directions. Turn the burner to low, stir in shredded cheddar and allow to melt. Meanwhile, heat your drained and rinsed black beans in the microwave until warmed through (a minute and a half should do it). Add hot sauce to the mac. Gently stir in black beans. Serve with chopped cilantro sprinkled on top. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Swirl Cake

2011-01-20T13:54:00.001-08:00

I love all things cinnamon. For me, the sweetness of sugar isn't necessarily a craveable thing, but the bite of cinnamon is something I physically need. Seriously. And go figure, I would desperately crave cinnamon when the hubby is sick, so I spent most of second half of the day baking this cake while he was in bed moaning and groaning about his tummy. (I say that like he's being a big baby because I like to tease him, but really Hubby is a trooper when he's sick.) Anyway, back to the food. This cake is rich, completely unhealthy, and very yummy. I think my only change would be to the basic cinnamon frosting I made for it. Next time, I will use a cream cheese glaze so that the frosting doesn't overpower the cake.

Oh, I used my Nana's bundt pan to make this recipe.

I had an overwhelming sense of her being tickled to see me use it, just like I feel whenever I use one of her old pans. She would be so happy to see me cooking like I am! And she would have loved some of these recipes. I miss her so much.

Cinnamon Swirl Cake

Cake:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

Swirl:

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 cup brown sugar

Cinnamon frosting:

2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 325º. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Combine cinnamon and brown sugar for the swirl and set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition.

Stir in vanilla.

Add in sour cream and flour mixture, a little at a time. Mix just enough to fully incorporate the flour.

Spread half the batter into into the prepared bundt pan.

Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture into the pan, leaving only a small amount for the top.

*Next time I will sprinkle a small amount of the cinnamon mixture into the bottom of the bundt pan first and then add the rest to the middle, as the bottom of the bundt pan is actually the top of the cake.

Add the rest of the batter.

Top with any remaining cinnamon mixture. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a knife inserted in the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before inverting the pan.

For the frosting: Cream together butter, sifted confectioner's sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla.

Add in milk, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. Beat until fluffy. Top the warm cake with frosting and serve.

This is also delicious heated up with your morning coffee! Enjoy!

Creamy Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

2011-01-18T22:31:00.000-08:00

Whenever my mom makes enchiladas, she makes my brother do the "enchilada dance." Imagine a 6'3", 120 pound special needs kid dancing around in his rather spastic way and giggle a little because he can be so stinking funny and he'll do just about anything for enchiladas. Now, I'm sure my mom's enchiladas are delicious, but I don't eat them because they have ground beef in them, and I have been participating in a ground beef boycott for many years. Not that I have a political issue with ground beef, but it's yucky, so we don't get along. NO ground beef! But when someone does the enchilada dance, you have to make the enchiladas, so what do you do when you refuse to eat the ground up moos? (Moos are cows, in case you didn't spend your childhood hanging out with little Nick.) You find a recipe for creamy green chili chicken enchiladas from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. Oh yum. This is my new favorite enchilada recipe! Chicken, green chilies, black beans, and a creamy green chili sauce? Oh yum. Again. You should make this now, because it's amazing. Trust me. And thanks Mel's Kitchen Cafe!

Creamy Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

*From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Filling:

3 cups cooked, chopped chicken

2 4-ounce cans green chilies, lightly drained

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cubed

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion (I subbed 2 teaspoons onion powder)

2 tablespoons flour

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 7-ounce cans green enchilada sauce

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

8-10 soft taco size flour tortillas

Fresh chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 375º. In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and green chilies. Mix well.

Add the chicken and black beans. Mix to combine and set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion powder and stir, then add flour and cook for about a minute. Slowly whisk in chicken broth and milk. Cook until the mixture has thickened, about 2-3 minutes.

Remove the skillet from heat and stir in sour cream and enchilada sauce. Spray a 4-quart (or 15x10 inch) baking dish with Pam. Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Fill each tortilla with about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture.

Top with a small handful of cheese. Save about 1/2 cup of cheese for the top of the enchiladas. Roll the tortilla up and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Continue filling the enchiladas until the dish is full. You might have some leftover filling, which is good with tortilla chips! Pour the white sauce over the top of the enchiladas.

Top with remaining cheese and bake for 20-30 minutes until bubbling and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve. Enjoy!

Chicken Breasts Diable

2011-01-07T20:26:00.001-08:00

Hubby chose this recipe from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan and when I saw the title, I expected it to be spicy. This is delicious, but it's definitely not spicy. According to Dorie, diable, which means "devil" in French, means there will be mustard in the dish, and dijon is about as spicy as it gets in French cuisine. The lack of spice didn't mean a lack of flavor, however. This was very good and so easy. From skillet to plate it took less than 30 minutes and Hubby loved the dish. We will be making this one again and again!

Chicken Breasts Diable

*From Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan

4 chicken breasts, pounded lightly, at room temperature

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 medium shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1/3 cup dry white wine

*(I used chicken stock because we drank all the wine the night before . . . )

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons dijon mustard

1-2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 200º. Pack the chicken breasts dry. Put a large skillet over medium-high heat and add butter and olive oil. When the butter is melted, add chicken to the pan. Cook until well browned, about 4 minutes each side. Add a small amount of oil to the pan if it dries out. Cut a breast to make sure it's fully cooked, transfer to a baking dish or rimmed plate, season with salt and pepper, cover with a foil tent, and keep it warm in the oven while you prepare the sauce.

Lower the heat to medium, toss the shallot and garlic into the pan and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Cook, stirring, until just softened, about 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and stir it around to pick up the yummy bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for a few seconds.

Pour in the heavy cream. As soon as it reaches a boil, stir in the mustard and worcestershire sauce. Taste and add more pepper, mustard, or worcestershire sauce, depending on taste.

Remove chicken from oven. Pour any juices on the plate into the sauce and stir again. Serve the chicken with the sauce and enjoy!

French Bread Baguettes

2011-01-07T20:11:00.001-08:00

After our trip to France, Nick and I have been obsessed with finding bread that is similar to what we had while there. Every meal in France includes a basket of bread for the table. It's amazing. And impossible to replicate. I haven't given up yet, but I don't have high hopes for finding a recipe and technique that measures up to a real French baguette. I don't want to sell this recipe short, because it was very good. The flavor was great and the texture was great, but it wasn't a French baguette. It didn't have the crusty crust or the air-pocketed interior we came to expect in our bread. As a first try, it wasn't bad and I will definitely make it again, but without the hope that it will match up to the multitude of bread we consumed in France.

French Bread Baguettes

*Bread machine recipe

1 1/8 cups water, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

3 cups bread flour

2 tablespoons wheat germ (this can be found in the cereal aisle)

1 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Cornmeal for dusting

Place all ingredients, except cornmeal, in the order listed in your bread machine fitted with a paddle attachment. Select the dough program and push start, which will mix, knead, and allow the dough to rise.

When cycle is completed, remove the dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Punch to deflate and let rest for 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a long narrow baguette and place on a baking sheet that has been dusted with cornmeal. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise 30 to 40 minutes in a warm place. While the baguettes rise, place a pan of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 425º.

Dust dough gently with additional flour. Using a serrated knife, make 4 diagonal slashes in each loaf, about 1/4-inch deep. Bake bread in a preheated oven 25 to 30 minutes until browned and hollow sounding when tapped. Cool on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely, slice, and enjoy!

Leek and Potato Soup and an ASPCA Donation

2011-01-03T14:55:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, my wonderful hubby bought me Dorie Greenspan's cookbook, Around My French Table. I think I've paged through it about 10 times since Christmas, and I want to make every single recipe in the book. Today I decided it was time to try one out, so I chose a simple soup recipe. According to Dorie, "Soups don't get simpler or more French than leek and potato." Amen. The best part about this one is that, while it's amazing as is, it's also a great base to add other ingredients, such as fennel (which I'm going to try next time), spinach, watercress, corn, or chicken. All I needed was a baguette and some good French wine and I could have closed my eyes and imagined we were back in Paris at a café watching the beautiful people strolling along the Rue Cler. Ah, l'amour.

Another reason I chose to make a soup recipe is to support Branny Boils Over in her Charity Souper Bowl in the month of January. Every link to a soup recipe made by a participant means she will donate $1 to the ASPCA. I'll be making a few soup recipes this month and I will also be donating to the ASPCA to help in the contribution. So, in the spirit of the Charity Souper Bowl, here is the leek and potato soup recipe, which I am dedicating to our fur babies, Gus and Joey.

Leek and Potato Soup

*From Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Salt and white pepper (I had black and it worked just fine)

3 leeks, white and light green parts only, split lengthwise, washed, and thinly sliced

(I only had 2 leeks, so I added 3 extra potatoes)

1 large russet potato, peeled and cubed

6 thyme sprigs

2 fresh sage leaves (optional)

4 cups chicken broth

3 cups whole milk

Melt the butter in a dutch oven or soup pot over low heat. Add the onion and garlic and stir until they glisten with butter, then season with salt and pepper.

Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until the onion is soft but not colored. Add in potatoes and leeks.

Pour in milk and chicken broth.

Add thyme, sage, and a little more salt.

Increase the heat and bring the soup to a boil. As soon as the soup bubbles, reduce heat to low. Cover the pot, cracking the lid a little bit and simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes, or until all the vegetables are soft. Taste and season generously with salt and pepper.

At this point, you have a few choices: you can ladle the soup into bowls as is, or you can mash the vegetables, which is what I chose to do with an immersion blender.

Garnish with parsley and enjoy!

Oatmeal Cookies

2011-01-02T11:00:00.000-08:00

What do you do when you have a craving for pumpkin oatmeal cookies at 9pm? You make them, of course! However, although you thought you bought a million cans of pumpkin purée, it turns out that you are fresh out of that rather important ingredient. So now what do you do? Because you are incredibly stubborn and one-minded about food cravings, you make regular oatmeal cookies and hope for the best. And these were pretty close to the best. Full of cinnamon, chewy and a little crispy, these little cookies are delicious! I opted not to put any nuts or raisins (we all know how I feel about those yucky little things) in the cookies, so they truly are a pure and simple oatmeal cookie. And that's what I love about them!

Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (or do 3/4 cup all-purpose and 1/2 cup bread flour so the cookies don't flatten out as much)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (I used 2 1/2 teaspoons because I love cinnamon!)

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

*I put a few chocolate chips on one batch of cookies and didn't like the outcome. Chocolate and cinnamon weren't a good match here.

Preheat the oven to 325º. In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Gradually add this to the butter mixture. Mix in the oats and nuts (if using) until just blended. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased or Silpat-lined cookie sheet. Cookies should be about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Mmm, breakfast!

Mom's Red Beans and Rice

2010-12-29T16:40:00.000-08:00

Some recipes are best labeled as family traditions and this is definitely one of them. My mom always makes this after we have ham because it's the best and most delicious way to use up those leftovers. The original recipe for this dish came from a plate my Nana had and we haven't changed it in all the years it's been made, with one exception: Mom and I add red pepper flakes. It just isn't red beans and rice if it isn't spicy, right? So, my suggestion to you if you have leftover ham from Christmas: make this. Make it now! And serve it with cornbread. You'll love it, I promise!

Mom's Red Beans and Rice

*From Nana and Mom

1 pound red beans

1 quart water (32 ounces)

1/4 cup celery leaves (just cut off the tops of a bunch of celery and chop)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce (a couple of shakes)

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1 onion (or sub 1/2-1 tablespoon onion powder)

2 cups chopped or shredded ham

Place beans in water and soak overnight or until the beans have expanded. Remove all unexpanded beans and place the rest in a large pot or dutch oven. Pour in the water and add onion or onion powder.

Add tabasco sauce.

Then add red pepper flakes.

Stir in salt and add the chopped celery tops.

Finally, add in the ham.

Stir well and simmer on low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until beans are softened.

With a potato masher, mash the beans until the mixture is thickened. If it seems too thick, add in a little more water.

Cook on low heat for another 1/2 hour or until you're ready to eat, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn. Serve over white rice with cornbread and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Casserole

2010-12-27T15:59:00.000-08:00

My mom makes such amazing sweet potatoes, so when I decided to make my own sweet potatoes, I opted to try a different recipe. You just can't match Mom's recipe, so why try? This one is from the Pioneer Woman and it's wonderful. Shocking, I know. I've already made it 3 times and it's always a hit. A big bonus is that it's incredibly easy to make. My one change is the amount of sugar, which I've cut down to 3/4 of a cup because, let's face it, sweet potatoes are sweet-it's all in the name!

Sweet Potato Casserole

*From the Pioneer Woman

4 medium or 3 large sweet potatoes (I always use 3)

3/4 cup sugar (the recipe calls for 1 cup, but I add a little less)

1 cup milk

2 whole eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup pecans, finely chopped

1/2 cup flour

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) butter, cold

Wash sweet potatoes and bake in a 400º oven for 40-50 minutes, or until fork tender.

When they are finished cooking, slice in half and scoop out the flesh into a large bowl or baking dish.

Add sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt.

Mash with a potato masher until smooth, or to the desired consistency.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add brown sugar, pecans, flour, and cold butter. With a pastry cutter or fork, mash ingredients together until combined.

Spread sweet potatoes in a baking dish and top with brown sugar and pecan mixture.

Bake in a 400º oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Aunt Elaine's Meatballs

2010-12-27T15:41:00.000-08:00

I am so lucky to have married into such a great family. My husband's relatives are all so wonderful and funny and sweet. I've felt welcomed since day one, which is a nice change from the drama I have in my extended family. Hubby's family understands that family is family and you love one another regardless of their shortcomings or eccentricities (not that Hubby's family has any of those-they are perfect in every way! Hi in-laws!). I particularly love getting together with them over the holidays. They do a girls only gift exchange between the 11 of us in the area, the conversation is always fun and lively, and the food is great. This recipe is Hubby's Aunt Elaine's meatballs. These were delicious and she was so great to give me the recipe, which I made for our smaller family get-together. Thanks Elaine!

Aunt Elaine's Meatballs

*From Aunt Elaine!

1 package Aidell's Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs (from Costco)

1 jar chili sauce

1 can jellied cranberry sauce

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

A couple shakes of horseradish, to taste

Pinch of salt

Add meatballs to the CrockPot and turn it on high. In a medium bowl, add chili sauce, cranberry sauce, brown sugar, chili powder, and horseradish.

Stir well to combine.

Add sauce to the meatballs.

Stir to coat.

Cover and cook on high until the meatballs are heated through. Serve and enjoy!

Honeyed Curry Chicken

2010-12-27T15:23:00.001-08:00

All this holiday eating has me craving lighter, healthier fare. This dish was the perfect one to satisfy that craving and a huge bonus was the aroma of the curry. It made for a wonderful break from the sugary smell of baking. We served this delicious dish with edamame, which was also yummy. The original recipe was from Fix-It and Forget-It, a slow cooker cookbook, but I adapted it for the oven. This one will definitely be a permanent fixture in our menus!

Update: We tried this with chicken tenders and it was so yummy! More delicious glaze equals even more delicious chicken in my tummy.

Honeyed Curry Chicken

*Adapted from Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon curry powder

3-4 chicken breasts

Add honey, mustard, salt, and curry powder in a medium bowl and mix well.

Melt butter in a saucepan and add honey mixture, stirring to combine.

Place chicken in a lightly greased baking dish. Spoon liquid over each piece of chicken.

Cook at 350º for 30-40 minutes, basting the chicken every 10 minutes with the sauce mixture in the baking dish. To caramelize, place chicken under the broiler for a few minutes at the end of the cooking time. Make sure you watch it carefully. Enjoy with edamame!

*To make in the CrockPot, add chicken to the slow cooker and top with the sauce. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is just tender.

PW's Cinnamon Rolls

2010-12-27T14:51:00.000-08:00

Cinnamon rolls are the traditional Christmas morning breakfast in our family, but the maker of the cinnamon rolls (one of my aunts), moved out of state. We were left cinnamon roll-less, so I decided to make Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls. And I'm in love! I cut the recipe in half, which made 4 pans of rolls. Hubby took one to work and his fellow deputies scarfed these instead of the stereotypical donuts. In fact, one of them, a self-proclaimed cinnamon roll connoisseur, raved about these rolls and requested another pan, just for himself, for his birthday next month. I love feeding those guys-they are so easy to please! Pioneer Woman warns her readers that declarations of love have occurred when people make these rolls, so it's a good thing I'm already married!

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls

*From Pioneer Woman

**This is the original recipe, which I cut in half.

1 quart whole milk

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

2 packages active dry yeast

8 cups (plus 1 extra cup, separated) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon (heaping) baking powder

1 teaspoon (scant) baking soda

1 tablespoon (heaping) salt

Plenty of melted butter (*next time I will just use softened butter because melted=mess)

2 cups sugar

Generous sprinkling of cinnamon

Maple frosting:

1 bag powdered sugar

2 teaspoons maple flavoring

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 cup brewed coffee

1/8 teaspoon salt

Mix the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat to just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and allow to cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but not hot, sprinkle in both packages of active dry yeast. Let this sit for a minute, then add 8 cups of flour. Stir mixture together, cover and let rise for at least an hour.

*You could also use a bread machine for this part. Just add wet ingredients, dry ingredients, and yeast in that order and use the dough setting.

After rising for at least an hour, add one more cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir mixture together. (At this point you could cover and refrigerate the dough until you need it-overnight or a day or two. Just watch it to make sure it doesn't overflow the pan. If it starts to, just punch it back down.)

When you're ready to prepare the rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rectangle. Roll the dough thin, while maintaining a general rectangle shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter then sprinkle 1 cup of sugar and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon over the dough.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough toward you in a neat line. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seam it.

Spread 1 tablespoon melted butter in a 7-inch round foil cake or pie pan. Begin cutting the rolls 3/4 to 1 inch thick and arrange in the butter pans.

Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20-30 minutes, then bake at 375º for 15-18 minutes.

For the frosting, mix together all frosting ingredients and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Enjoy!

*If you want to store some of the pans, cool and cover tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with foil and freeze.

Oreo Truffles

2010-12-16T18:15:00.000-08:00

When Hubby and I got married last September, a few of my aunts came up early to help us with last-minute wedding details. My Aunt Kris (who is one of my heroes-there is nothing she can't do!) made us Oreo truffles the first night of her visit and I think Hubby seriously considered leaving me for her.

Not really since she's married, but that was probably the only thing stopping him! Oreo truffles are the most addictive treat I've ever had and have occupied my sugary dreams since Aunt Kris made them for us. I tried making them for Mother's Day, but the chocolate coating was a bit of a flop. Now that I'm more confident in the kitchen, I thought I would try them again. Success! Do I have any cookie bits in my teeth?

Oreo Truffles

*From Aunt Kris!

1 package Oreo cookies (you could mix this recipe up and use mint Oreos-yum!)

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

10 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate (I used Baker's, Aunt Kris used Ghirardelli's)

Crush Oreos in a food processor.

The crumbs should be this consistency:

Reserve 1-2 tablespoons of crumbs for topping the truffles. Mix in cream cheese. You can either do this in a bowl with a spoon, or use the food processor, which is what I did. One less bowl to wash!

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll cookie mixture into 1-inch balls and place on the baking sheet. Refrigerate until the balls become slightly firm, about 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate according to package directions in a medium-sized bowl.

Roll Oreo balls into the chocolate using two forks to coat.

As you lift it out of the chocolate, allow much of it to drip off while moving the ball from fork to fork. This will stop excess chocolate from pooling under the truffle. Place the truffle back on the baking sheet and sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs while still soft.

Reheat chocolate as needed while doing this step to keep it nice and melted. Refrigerate completed Oreo truffles for 20 minutes to allow the chocolate to set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Enjoy! (And thanks Aunt Kris!)

Salsa Verde Chicken with Herbed Cornmeal Dumplings

2010-12-16T17:53:00.000-08:00

Hubby and I love chicken and dumplings. It's such an easy dish in the CrockPot, which allows me to just dump in the ingredients and go. This dish is a Mexican spin on chicken and dumplings. It's warm and comforting, spicy and delicious. One of the best things about this meal: it's essentially a one pot dish. So, if you have some cooked chicken on hand and a desire for a hearty and yummy meal, try this one!

*Sorry about the picture quality. Winter means running out of natural light a lot faster!

Salsa Verde Chicken with Herbed Cornmeal Dumplings

*From Savory Sweet Life

Stew:

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup flour

1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth

1 jar (15 ounces) salsa verde

1 can evaporated milk

5-6 cups shredded cooked chicken

Dumplings:

1 cup whole milk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat butter over medium-high heat in an ovenproof skillet or 5-6 quart Dutch oven. Whisk in flour to make a paste.

In a large bowl, mix evaporated milk, broth, and salsa verde. Whisk mixture into the roux.

Whisk quickly to combine and then simmer until it reaches sauce consistency, whisking frequently. Stir in chicken and heat through, cover and keep warm.

Heat oven to 400º and adjust oven rack to lower middle position.

For the dumplings:

Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan until butter is melted and the mixture is steamy. Mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, green onions, and cilantro together in a medium bowl with a fork.

Stir in milk mixture to form a smooth, firm dough.

Pinch off ping-pong-ball-sized pieces of dough and drop into the chicken mixture.

Return chicken to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and transfer to the oven and bake until dumplings are heated through, about 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Milk Chocolate Fudge

2010-12-16T17:32:00.000-08:00

I have a story about fudge that I just have to share. My Nana, who was an amazing woman, by the way, loved to make "goodies" for the grandkids. She wasn't one to always follow the recipe, especially if she could "substitute" something in place of an ingredient she didn't have on hand. She also liked to try new and different recipes, something I seem to have inherited from her. However, I would have never had the guts to try Velveeta fudge. Yep, chocolate fudge made with Velveeta cheese. It was not good. You could definitely taste the cheese, but we smiled and tried it and told her it was interesting. (You didn't say you liked it or she would make 5 pans of it just for you because she loved you so much-a lesson I learned when I told her how much I liked her cherry cheesecake.) Nana was the very best grandma ever and I miss her all the time, but I always smile when I think of her fudge mishap.

My own history with making fudge has also been a little rocky. I seem to do an okay job with flavor, but I've had a hard time getting it to set up and then forget about getting it out of the pan. When I saw that this recipe didn't require me to use a candy thermometer, I was really excited to try it. And it didn't disappoint! The milk chocolate flavor is great and the wax paper trick made it easy to get out of the pan. Next time I will probably try it with bittersweet chocolate because I prefer that flavor to the more sugary milk chocolate, but regardless of my personal preference, this is great fudge!

Milk Chocolate Fudge

*From Jamie Cooks It Up!

4 cups sugar

1 can evaporated milk

1 cup salted butter (2 sticks)

2 4.4-ounce Hershey's chocolate bars

1 11.5-ounce package milk chocolate chips

1 7-ounce jar marshmellow creme

Pour the sugar, evaporated milk, and butter into a large saucepan. Stir it all together over medium-high heat.

Bring it to a boil while you continue stirring. Once the mixture has reached a hard boil (this means it keeps boiling while you are stirring), continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove the pan from heat. Stir in chocolate bars, chocolate chips, and marshmellow creme. Mix well to ensure that all ingredients are completely combined.

Pour the fudge into a buttered 9x13 baking dish (or a baking dish lined with wax paper). Let the fudge set and cool for one hour.

Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you are ready to cut it. Remember to keep it store in a tightly covered container so it doesn't dry out. Enjoy!

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-12-13T12:25:00.000-08:00

I had a bad start to my relationship with Nutella. When I was a freshman in college, my RA was this really annoying hippie chick who didn't do a good job of keeping the peace in any way. I hate to see someone in charge who is ineffective, which is the reason I didn't care for her (it wasn't the hippie chick stuff, in other words). She would invite the girls in my hall to her room for Nutella and pretzels, which I refused to eat (I'm the passive-aggressive type, I guess-No, I will NOT eat your stupid hazelnut spread! I'm just going to sit here and pout and assume you know that I dislike you because of it! Yep, glad I grew out of that behavior.). So, to make a long story short, I hated Nutella because it always made me think of that girl. Fast forward to our trip to France. Nutella on everything! Crepes, croissants, a spoon . . . Yep, it's really good! So here's a cookie recipe that uses Nutella. The Nutella gives it a delicious flavor with a bit of a saltiness that goes perfectly with the sweetness of the batter and the chocolate chips. This one is a YUM!

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

*From Lovin' From the Oven

1 1/3 cups flour

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temperature

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

2/3 cup Nutella

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Sift together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. (See my sifter? It was my Nana's!)

Cream together butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.

Mix in Nutella and vanilla extract. Mix in the egg.

Add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Add chocolate chips. Cover and chill for at least one hour.

Drop tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart on a parchment or silicone baking mat lined baking sheet. Bake at 350º for 11 minutes, or until the edges look set. Cool on the baking sheet for 4-5 minutes.

Then carefully transfer to cooling racks.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

2010-12-13T12:04:00.000-08:00

I love oatmeal cookies, but too many people put in those horrid little blackish things-the evil raisin. NO! Just say NO to raisins! I'm sorry, I get really worked up on this topic . . . If you like raisins, dump some in. I wouldn't, but you go ahead. Instead, I add pumpkin to my oatmeal cookies. Yep, it's pretty amazing, as is a little bit of pumpkin in just about every recipe. This cookie is a new favorite of mine. They stay moist and chewy and they aren't too sweet, which is perfect for me. I think I might just go make another batch right now . . .

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

*From The Way the Cookie Crumbles

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats (next time I might make it 1 1/2 or 2 cups for more oatiness)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup pumpkin purée

Preheat oven to 350º. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (I LOVE my Silpat-great idea for a Christmas gift!). In a medium bowl, mix flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixture fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars until fluffy, about one minute.

Add the egg, beating until incorporated, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin.

With the mixture on the lowest speed, add the flour mixture.

Mix until just incorporated.

Drop heaping teaspoons of dough onto the prepared baking pans.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Let the cookies cool slightly on the pans before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Maple Chicken Breasts with Caramelized Apples

2010-12-01T16:32:00.000-08:00

I cook a lot of chicken, so I know how difficult it is to make chicken taste interesting. Bland and boring describe a lot of chicken recipes, but not this one! I took a pork tenderloin recipe from Dinner with Julie and made it with chicken, which I prefer. The flavors reminded me of dishes we had while in Normandy. It was savory and sweet with a tartness from the apple, and the mustard gives it a great, but subtle, undertone of flavor. My favorite part of this dish, however, was the maple syrup. How can you ever go wrong with a dish made with real maple syrup? The answer: you can't!

Maple Chicken Breasts with Caramelized Apples

*Adapted from Dinner with Julie

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon butter

3-4 chicken breasts

Black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

1 tart apple, cored and sliced

1-2 teaspoons grainy mustard

2-3 tablespoons real maple syrup

1/2 half and half

In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken generously with pepper and thyme.

Cook chicken for about 5 minutes each side, or until no longer pink in the middle. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Sauté the apples in the pan for a few minutes, until they start to soften and turn a little golden. They will pick up some bits of chicken from the pan, which adds to the flavor.

Add the mustard and maple syrup to a bowl.

Mix in the half and half.

Add the mixture to the apples and stir. Simmer and let it thicken.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve. Enjoy!

Turkey Pot Pie

2010-11-16T18:53:00.000-08:00

At the end of our faux-Thanksgiving dinner party, we had an entire turkey breast left over. All of the turkey tips I read said to have about a pound of turkey per guest and we had 6 guests (our 7th couldn't make it), so I made 2 5-pound turkey breasts. I was really happy to see how much we had leftover though, since it meant I got to make turkey pot pie. I'm not sure where this recipe came from, but it is SO GOOD. Like lick-your-lips-like-crazy good. There are two pieces left in the fridge and they are calling my name . . .

Turkey Pot Pie

2 refrigerated pie crusts, thawed (let them sit on the counter while you are making the filling)

1/3 cup butter or margarine

1/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Pinch of nutmeg

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup milk

2 1/2 cups shredded turkey (or chicken)

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1 egg

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour to make a roux. Cook for 3 minutes, whisking frequently. Gradually add in milk and chicken broth, whisking to combine.

Stir in seasonings.

Continue cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened. Stir in chicken and mixed vegetables.

Roll out one crust into a 9-inch glass pie dish. Press into the bottom of the dish. Spoon chicken and vegetable mixture onto the crust.

Top with a second crust, seal and flute the edges. Cut several slits in the top of the crust. Separate the yolk from one egg and discard. Brush the top of the crust with the egg white.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes until the crust is golden brown. During the last 15-20 minutes of cooking cover the edges of the crust with foil to prevent excessive browning.

Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

2010-11-16T18:36:00.000-08:00

For our wedding, Nick and I decided that a regular wedding cake wasn't what we wanted. Cakes are dry and boring and didn't fit with our Thanksgiving themed dinner. So we had pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. And it was amazing! This cheesecake was also yummy, although a little difficult to get out of the pan. A lot of the crust stayed in the pan, in fact, but it was still delicious. I can't wait to make it again!

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

38 ginger snaps

1/4 cup pecans

1/4 butter, melted

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

2 cups pumpkin purée

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 eggs

1 cup whipped cream

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor, crush ginger snaps and pecans. Mix with melted butter and press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

Beat cream cheese and sugar with a mixer until blended. Add pumpkin, spice, and vanilla and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each one just until blended. Pour into crust.

Bake 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until center is almost set. Loosen cake from the rim of the pan. Cool completely before removing the sides of the pan. Refrigerate 4 hours.

Top with cool whip and a dusting of nutmeg. Enjoy!

Sourdough and Cornbread Stuffing

2010-11-16T18:22:00.001-08:00

Our Thanksgiving meal always consists of the slightly soggy and sometimes gluey standard stuffing. It tastes fine, but it is no one's favorite. I set out to change that when I found this recipe from the Pioneer Woman. I changed it a little bit to fit our tastes and came up with a delicious final result. Hello new stuffing recipe!

Sourdough and Cornbread Stuffing

*Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

1 pan of cornbread (I used an 8x8 pan of homemade cornbread)

1 loaf crusty sourdough bread

1 stick butter

1 shallot, diced

2 Granny Smith apples; peeled, cored, and diced

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon dried basil (I used 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil)

1/2 teaspoon thyme

2-3 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

Salt, to taste

Chop up the cornbread and sourdough bread into 1-inch cubes. Toast in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until slightly crispy, but not browned.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When it's melted, add the shallot and apple and cook until the shallot is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 4 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Add in the herbs and stir to combine.

Place dried breadcrumbs in a large bowl and gently mix. Add in broth mixture a ladleful at a time and gently toss to coat. Taste as you go to adjust seasonings. Salt carefully! You don't want to over salt your stuffing. If the breadcrumbs are still a little dry once you've added all the broth mixture, add more broth and stir.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Enjoy!

Herb Roasted Turkey

2010-11-16T18:07:00.000-08:00

So this year I still feel like I'm not quite ready to host a huge Thanksgiving dinner at our house, but I really wanted to try some Thanksgiving-style recipes, so Nick and I had a dinner party for some friends instead. It was a LOT of work, but it was a lot of fun and we had a ton of leftovers, which is always a bonus when those leftovers are delicious!

For my first Thanksgiving recipe post, I decided on herb roasted turkey since, let's face it, what's Thanksgiving without turkey?

Herb Roasted Turkey

*From Stacy Snacks

5 pound turkey breast (I made two)

Handful of chopped fresh parsley

Handful of chopped fresh sage

Handful of chopped fresh basil

Handful of chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 onion, finely chopped (we used a whole shallot-better flavor in our opinion)

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Kosher salt and pepper

Olive oil

Chicken or vegetable stock

Combine parsley, sage, basil, rosemary, shallot, and garlic together in a bowl. You should have about 1 cup of the mixture. Lay your turkey in a roasted pan and rub the herb mixture under the skin and in the pocket fold of the breast. Rub the remaining mixture on the skin. Season with salt and pepper and rub with olive oil.

Pour about 1 cup of stock around the breast and roast in a 375 degree oven for 1 1/2-2 hours or until a meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees.

Let the meat rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

For gravy: Whisk a tablespoon of flour into the drippings in the roasting pan and simmer on the stove. Continue whisking the gravy until it reaches the desired consistency and pour over the turkey. Enjoy!

Hungry Man Dip

2010-11-16T17:54:00.000-08:00

This is a dip that my mom makes all the time for casual gatherings. It's always a hit and disappears quickly. I wish I had more right now . . .

Hungry Man Dip

*From Mom!

1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained

1 loaf of Velveeta cheese

1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes, hot (you can use original too, but hot is better!)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

3-4 shakes worcestershire sauce

Turn a 1.5 to 2 quart CrockPot on high. Brown and drain the beef. Cut up the Velveeta into 1-inch cubes and toss in the CrockPot.

Add in a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes and peppers. (Don't drain it!) Then add in the spices and worcestershire sauce.

Finally, add in the browned ground beef. Stir carefully. Put the lid on and let it all melt (this should take at least a half hour).

Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Lamb Chops with Balsamic Reduction

2010-11-10T19:24:00.000-08:00

While we were in France, we had a lot of lamb. Nick has always been a fan, but I'd never tried lamb before. I didn't know what I was missing! Lamb is delicious and melts in your mouth, if it's cooked right. I really wanted to try it once we got home, and when I found this recipe, I knew it was a good step into the world of lamb. I'm so glad I chose it because it was delicious! This one will go into my permanent recipe file. I really want to try a rack of lamb, but I'm still a little intimidated. Maybe I will just go buy a rack and then I'll have to use it. I love lamb!

Lamb Chops with Balsamic Reduction

*From AllRecipes.com

3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

Salt and pepper to taste

4 lamb chops (3/4 inch thick)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup minced shallots

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon butter

In a small bowl, mix together rosemary, thyme, basil, salt, and pepper. Rub this mixture into the lamb chops on both sides. Place them on a plate, cover and set aside for 15 minutes so the lamb can absorb the flavors.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place lamb chops in the skillet and cook for 3 1/2 minutes, uncovered, per side for medium rare or cook longer to desired doneness.

Remove lamb chops from skillet and place on a foil lined baking sheet in the oven to keep warm.

Meanwhile, add the shallots to the skillet and cook for a few minutes, until just browned.

Stir in vinegar, scraping up any bits of lamb from the bottom of the skillet, then add in the chicken broth. Continue to cook and and stir over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes until the sauce has reduced by half.

Remove from heat and stir in butter. Pour over the lamb chops and serve. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Butter

2010-11-03T17:30:00.000-07:00

Fall is my favorite time of the year: the brisk chilly air, the holidays and family time, the warm blankets and sweaters, and the food. From the warm, comforting nature of soups and hot chocolate to the spicy smell of baked goods filled with cinnamon and nutmeg, fall food is the best. And this pumpkin bread with cinnamon butter is no exception. It was easy to put together and it made the house smell like heaven. Spread on a little bit of this wonderful cinnamon butter and you have yourself a perfect day. The best part about this bread, besides the smell, was the cakey, moist texture. I had some for breakfast and didn't feel even a little guilty because it's full of pumpkin. Pumpkin overrules the cake guilt every time. It's bread! Pumpkin bread with cinnamon butter!

Pumpkin Bread
*From In Good Taste

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
2 cups (16 ounces) pure pumpkin purée
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional-I left this out)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans, line the bottoms with wax paper or parchment paper, then grease the paper. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat the sugar and oil together in a large bowl until blended.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Then add the pumpkin.

Mix.

Add the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Don't stir too much or it will become tough.

Fold in the nuts, if using. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.

Bake for 70 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the loaves comes out clean. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Remove from pans and allow to cool completely before serving. Remove wax paper before slicing. Enjoy with cinnamon butter!

Cinnamon Butter

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together and then beat with an electric mixer.

Store in a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Enjoy with pumpkin bread!

Pulled Braised Beef and Onions

2010-11-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying wow! This was so delicious! And that means a lot coming from me, because I don't like onions. I know, that's weird. Blame it on my dad, who ate an entire jar of pearl onions as a child and then promptly threw them back up, effectively beginning his hatred of onions. We didn't have them in our house and my mom worked very hard to adapt recipes that included the pungent little things. So I think I'm biased. However, I would eat these sandwiches anytime. The cooking beef and onions made our house smell wonderful. It was such an inviting aroma that one of the trick-or-treaters asked if he could come eat dinner with us! Kids are so cute! Anyway, if you have a beefeater (and not the British kind) in your house, make these now! The recipe is beyond easy and so flavorful.

Pulled Braised Beef and Onions
*From Dinner with Julie

Olive oil for cooking
1 eye of round or top round beef roast
2 onions, halved and thinly sliced (I only used one-plenty for me!)
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce (we used a vinegary Carolina style, but any one will do)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons grainy mustard (we used dijon)
a few cloves of garlic, crushed

In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat and brown the roast on all sides. (Use a splatter screen to prevent a huge oily mess in your kitchen-lesson learned!) Meanwhile, combine all other ingredients except the onions in a slow cooker or ovenproof casserole dish.

Add in the onions.

Top with the browned meat. (Mine isn't too browned because of the oil mess-I gave up!)

Cover and cook on low (if using a slow cooker) for 6-8 hours, or cover and bake at 275-300 degrees for about 6 hours.

Using 2 forks, pull the meat apart in the sauce. Continue cooking, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally to thicken the sauce. Serve on soft buns. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

2010-10-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

Hubby loves snickerdoodles. I think snickerdoodles are his favorite cookie. He also loves all things pumpkin, so when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it. That was confirmed when I showed it to Nick and he drooled all over my new computer. Then I had to kick him out of my kitchen. Anyway, back to the cookies. I have only tried a handful of other cookie recipes, as they intimidate me a little bit. It seems like a lot of work to make cookies if they aren't going to turn out delicious. These were a little bit of work, nothing overwhelming though, and they turned out to be very yummy. Technical term there: yummy. Meaning I had 4 for a breakfast appetizer this morning. The best part about baking cinnamon-y cookies: the way the house smells! Oh fall, how I love thee!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
*From Just Cook Already

Cookies:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups pure pumpkin purée
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I added a couple extra shakes too!)

Rolling sugar:
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice

In a large bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and pumpkin purée and beat well. Mix in egg and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl to incorporate all of the ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Beat flour into liquid mixture a little at a time until fully incorporated. Cover dough with plastic and chill for at least an hour, or until the dough becomes slightly firm. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and mix rolling sugar ingredients in a small bowl.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray (I used my Silpat-I love that thing!). Using a medium cookie scoop, or a large spoon, scoop out the dough and roll it into small balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon and sugar mixture, making sure they are well coated. Place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

Use a flat-bottomed glass to dip in sugar and flatten the balls. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until the cookies are slightly firm to the touch. If you would like them to stay a little more crisp, allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for an additional 5 minutes. If you like them soft, like I do, transfer immediately to cooling racks. This step also prevents the bottoms of the cookies from burning. Then eat with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and enjoy!

Stuffed Zucchini

2010-10-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to make stuffed zucchini for a long time, and I'm so glad I finally did. This was SO good. Now, maybe you have to be a crazy zucchini lover like I am to enjoy this as much as I did, but maybe not. The mushrooms, garlic, parmesan, and breadcrumb stuffing may just be enough to make anyone a believer. Yum! I think I might go make one of these for lunch today too . . .

Stuffed Zucchini

3 medium-sized zucchini
8 ounce package mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper

Slice the zucchini in half. Using a spoon, scoop out the interior of the zucchini, leaving enough flesh to keep it substantial. It should look like a little boat. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Meanwhile, sauté mushrooms and the flesh of the zucchini in a skillet over medium heat until most of the moisture has absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. Add in minced garlic and cook about 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and add to a large mixing bowl. Mix in breadcrumbs, egg, and parmesan cheese. If it looks too dry, add in another egg or even a couple of splashes of chicken stock. Stuff each zucchini boat with a generous amount of stuffing and arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. Enjoy!

Layered Pasta Bake

2010-10-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

I was craving lasagna a few days ago, but I didn't want to mess with lasagna noodles, so I decided to make lasagna with penne. I'm calling it a layered pasta bake because it wasn't really lasagna, however, it tasted just like it! This one is simple to put together, tasted delicious, and reheated really well. The only thing I would have changed would be to add in some cooked spinach to the ricotta mixture, which I got from my spinach and ricotta stuffed shells recipe.

Layered Pasta Bake

3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 1/2 jars pasta sauce of your choice (I always blend mine with a pinch of sugar and extra garlic and basil)
1 pound box penne pasta, cooked and drained
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cupped shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Mix pasta sauce and chicken together in a saucepan and heat through. In a large mixing bowl, add ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Add chicken and sauce mixture to cooked penne. In a greased casserole dish, spread 1/3 of the pasta mixture. Top with about 1/2 of the ricotta mixture. Repeat the layers, ending with pasta and sauce mixture. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 20 minutes longer. To crisp the cheese, place under the broiler for 5 minutes, watching carefully. Enjoy!

Bacon and Egg Taquitos

2010-10-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

I had an inspiration for these delicious little guys right before we left for Europe, so Nick wrote bacon and egg taquitos on a receipt in the truck. I found that the day we got home, and although jet-lagged, exhausted, and sick from American food, I decided to make them. And boy, were they good. Easy, yummy, and quick (especially if you used pre-cooked bacon), these will also freeze well and then you'll have your very own breakfast on the go without the preservatives and yuck from packaged foods. Score!

Bacon and Egg Taquitos

4 eggs
1 package of bacon
Cheese to taste
Salt and Pepper
Flour tortillas

First, cook your bacon. I do mine in the oven on cooling racks in a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil (easy clean-up). This will produce crispy, non-greasy bacon. Let it cool for a little bit and then crumble, or, if you're lazy like me, put it through a bullet blender. Violá! Bacon bits! Next comes the eggs. Scramble those with salt and pepper. Now we assemble. Sprinkle cheese on one side of a flour tortilla. Add eggs and bacon.

Roll up and place seam-side down on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Be careful not to overstuff your tortillas. Spray the tops with butter-flavored cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges brown. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Muffins with Crumble Topping

2010-09-21T19:49:00.001-07:00

Nick and I are going to France for 2 weeks on the 26th to celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary. We're so excited and SO ready for a vacation. I will take lots of pictures and hopefully I'll also get some new food inspiration while we are over there. But back to the post-pumpkin muffins. I had to use up some canned pumpkin before we leave, so when I saw this recipe in my mom's Taste of Home magazine, I knew I had a winner. And I was right! These are delicious and are guaranteed to make your house smell amazing. It's like fall in a cute little cupcake liner!

Pumpkin Muffins with Crumble Topping
*From Taste of Home magazine

1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup canola oil
3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping:
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup shortening

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.

In another bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla.

Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just moistened.

Coat muffin cups with cooking spray or use paper liners; fill 3/4 full with batter.

For the topping, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, pie spice, and cinnamon. Cut in shortening until crumbly.

Sprinkle over batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Enjoy!

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

2010-09-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

I am a huge fan of a meal I can get on the table in a half hour or less. Not including cooking the chicken, which took about 50 minutes, this one was in the saucepan and then the stove and out in about 30 minutes. No cream of chicken soup here (although I do very much appreciate the ease and convenience of the cream of soups). This one is all homemade and the roux with the garlic and butter is delicious. The chicken mixture itself is full of yummy flavor and the stuffing on top with sage, parsley, and thyme is the perfect accompaniment. This one is a permanent file recipe. Next time I hope I have enough time to make mashed potatoes to go with it!

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
*From Telly's Tasty Tidbits

1 pound shredded cooked chicken (3-4 chicken breasts)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup warm chicken broth
1/2 cup warm milk
8 ounces sour cream
1-2 cups frozen vegetables of your choice, thawed
1/2 cup shredded cheese (Swiss or cheddar work well)
2 cups stale breadcrumbs (I used seasoned stuffing breadcrumbs)
2 teaspoons desired herbs, such as parsley, sage, and thyme

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in flour and cook until slightly golden brown.

Slowly whisk in warm milk and 1/2 cup of warm broth. Simmer until it reaches a light boil and begins to thicken a bit.

Stir in sour cream, chicken, vegetables, and cheese. Add mixture to prepared casserole dish.

In a separate bowl, add breadcrumbs, remaining 1/2 cup broth, and herbs.

Pour breadcrumb mixture over casserole mixture.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly. Enjoy!

Garlic Balsamic Steak and Roasted Red Potatoes

2010-09-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

We eat a lot of chicken around here, so I try to give Nick a break and feed him some manly red meat every once in a while. This recipe is one that I've made and posted about previously, but I'm updating it (and the crockpot chicken and dumplings recipe) because those recipes didn't include any photos. It's interesting how my knowledge of cooking has changed just in the last few months! It makes me so proud! Anyway, back to the recipe. The garlic is earthy and the balsamic is a little sweet, which makes a perfectly cooked steak taste delicious. Serve with the red potatoes recipe I included and have a wonderful day. You're welcome!

Roasted Red Potatoes

1/2 pound red potatoes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Seasonings to taste:
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Rosemary
Basil
Oregano

Cut up potatoes to a uniform thickness. Add to a ziploc bag with olive oil and seasonings. Let potatoes marinate in the bag on the counter for at least an hour. Cook on a foil-lined pan in a 350 degree oven until tender (when a fork goes in with little give).

Place under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp them up and serve with garlic balsamic steak.

Garlic Balsamic Steak

1 flat iron chuck steak
2 tablespoons of oil (we used extra virgin olive oil)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Season the steak on both sides with salt and pepper and then add to the hot pan.

Sear 2-3 minutes on each side and then transfer to an oven-safe dish.

Add the garlic to the pan with the oil. Stir to remove the bits of steak from the bottom of the pan. Let the garlic cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add in the balsamic vinegar. Let it bubble up and cook for a few minutes to reduce.

Pour the mixture on top of the steak. Add extra balsamic to the dish if it looks dry. Finish cooking it in the oven until the internal temperature of the steak is between 135-140 degrees (between 5-10 minutes). Let it rest for no less than 5 minutes and cut it on a bias to serve.

Enjoy with roasted red potatoes!

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

2010-09-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

This was so easy and so, so good! I seasoned the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika, but any combination of seasonings would be good, depending on your taste. This is a great recipe to play around with and it's easy to fit it into an 8-hour work day, since it can be cooked on low for 7-8 hours, especially if you used frozen chicken breasts. At the end of the day your house will smell amazing and your hubby will be grinning like crazy. This was the first meal I cooked in days because of my little bout with the flu, so I felt like it was the best thing I had ever tasted after days of soup and juice. Overall, this is a great slow cooker meal!

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

3 or 4 thawed or frozen chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 to 2 cups frozen mixed veggies (I used a corn, pea, green bean, and carrot mix with extra corn thrown in)
1 16-oz. tube refrigerated biscuits

Place the chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.

Pour both cans of cream of chicken on top and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Pour in enough water to cover (about a cup and a half or so).

Add in your frozen veggies and cook on high for 4 hours.

Remove and shred the chicken with two forks. Put the shredded chicken back in the slow cooker while working with the biscuits.

Meanwhile, tear each biscuit into 6 pieces and add to the slow cooker. Stir and cook for another 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve alone or over rice or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Almond

2010-09-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

I will eat just about anything with almonds in it. Seriously. And when I buy rocky road ice cream and the evil people have put walnuts in it, I just about have a fit. That's just wrong. But I digress. This chicken, while covered in almonds, just didn't do it for me. It tasted fine, it just didn't quite taste the way I expected it to. Maybe I was thinking about the almond chicken at the Chinese restaurant in Pullman (although this recipe is about as far from Chinese as you can get), which was a weekly staple for me while I was at WSU. Maybe it was just that the almonds didn't add as much flavor as I wanted, but whatever it was, this dish was just okay for me. Hubby liked it a lot more, but he's less critical than I am! Overall, it was solid but not great.

Baked Chicken Almond
*Adapted from the 6 Ingredients or Less cookbook

4 chicken breasts
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
3/4 cup chicken broth (or white wine-I used broth)
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine soups, cheese, and broth until blended.

Arrange chicken in large baking dish. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour soup mixture over chicken. Make sure the chicken is coated on all sides with the soup mixture.

Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and sprinkle the almonds on top of the chicken.

Bake 30 minutes longer. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Scones

2010-09-06T23:35:00.000-07:00

I love pumpkin anything. Seriously. You could put pumpkin in just about anything and I will eat it. Maybe I should try putting pumpkin into my peas . . . But I digress (and, yeah right, peas are still going to be gross). These pumpkin scones were from Tasty Kitchen and they did not disappoint. I've never made scones before, so I was really pleased with how easy it was and how delicious my first attempt turned out to be. These little guys had great pumpkin flavor and were warm with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. It was like Thanksgiving and Christmas in a scone. Plus, it goes really well with a pumpkin spice latté from Starbucks. Can't go wrong there!

Pumpkin Spice Scones
*From Tasty Kitchen

2 cups flour
1/3 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest, optional
1 stick unsalted butter, frozen
1/2 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 cup heavy cream

For the icing (optional)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons real maple syrup (or corn syrup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Heavy cream (enough to let icing reach consistency of honey)
1/2 cups toasted chopped walnuts, optional

Mix the first 8 ingredients with a fork.

Add frozen butter by grating it over the flour mixture with a cheese grater. Work quickly and hold the butter in its wrapper and a paper towel to keep it from melting. Mix butter curls into the flour with a fork.

In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup heavy cream and pumpkin.

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour and butter mixture. Fold with a wooden spoon until the mixture is just moistened then turn it out on a floured surface and gently knead over a couple of times.

Pat the batter into a circle about 1 inch thick.

Cut the circle into 8 pie-shaped pieces and place them on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Place scones in freezer for 30 minutes or make ahead and refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes until just firm and golden around the edges. Let them cool completely.

Icing:
Mix the first five icing ingredients together in a small bowl.

Add heavy cream in small amounts, stirring frequently, until the icing reaches the consistency of honey.

Spoon the icing over the cooled scones.

Let the icing for a little while and then enjoy!

Chicken Italiano with Asparagus Cream Sauce

2010-09-06T23:21:00.000-07:00

I love to cook and I love the feeling of inspiration that I get when I see a recipe I want to make. It's fun to get excited and then successfully create a recipe out of a bunch of ingredients. However, part of being a stay-at-home wife (at least in my rule book) is cooking a hot meal for my husband every day that he works. Having a daily epiphany about dinner just doesn't happen, so I will often give Nick a list of recipes and he has to choose which one he wants. This works out well for us. So the other night I gave him a list from a slow cooker cookbook and he chose this one. I didn't have a can of cream of chicken, so I used cream of asparagus and it turned out to be amazing! We served the chicken over fettuccine noodles with lots of cream sauce. Yum! Another keeper!

Chicken Italiano with Asparagus Cream Sauce
*Adapted from Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook

4 chicken breasts
1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing mix
1/4 cup water
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of asparagus soup
1 pound fettuccine noodles

Place chicken in a slow cooker. Combine salad dressing mix and water. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low 3 hours.

Combine cheese and soup until blended.

Pour over chicken and cover again. Cook on low 1 hour or until chicken juices run clear. Serve over fettuccine noodles and enjoy!