Cooking with Cristine

Pink Lemonade Bundt Cake

2012-02-09T03:30:00.000-07:00

My daughter had a half day at school yesterday and asked if she could bake something since she had a free afternoon. Considering what a bake-a-holic I am there was NO way I was going to tell her no. Both kiddos love helping me in the kitchen and I am happy to pass on my love of all things culinary to my children.

My daughter chose a pink lemonade bundt cake that I pinned on Pinterest (which, by the way, she also LOVES Pinterest. She is definitely my kid!). Both kids climbed on the counter and we set to work making this delicious cake.

This cake is perfect for tiny bakers because it starts with a cake mix. You really can't get any easier than that. It is sweet and tart and yummy!

Enjoy!

Pink Lemonade Bundt Cake
Recipe from Sugar Baby Aprons

1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix
1 (3 ounce) package instant lemon pudding mix
4 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup pink lemonade concentrate
4 drops pink or red food color, optional

Glaze:
1 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/2 cup white sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour one 10-inch tube pan or
bundt pan.

Combine the cake mix, lemon pudding mix, eggs, vegetable oil, 1/2
cup lemon concentrate and the milk. Mix until smooth. Pour the batter
into the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove from oven and prick cake all over with a fork. Immediately
pour lemonade glaze over top of cake.

Let cake stand in pan until almost cool.

LEMONADE GLAZE:

Combine the remaining thawed frozen lemonade and the white sugar. Mix
thoroughly and pour over still warm cake.

Jalepeno Popper Crescent Rolls

2012-02-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

We LOVE jalepeno poppers. Usually Nathan makes them while he is grilling but we were craving them on Sunday and didn't want to fire up the grill. I came across this idea on Pinterest (LOVE Pinterest!) and they were a great substitute. The only thing I would do differently is to chop up the bacon and jalepenos and beat it into the cream cheese then spread it on the dough. That way there would be a more even balance of cream cheese, jalepeno, and bacon... just like on the grilled version we love!

Enjoy!

Jalepeno Popper Crescent Rolls

Recipe from From the Aisle to Aloha

1 can crescent dough

Cream Cheese

1-2 fresh jalapeños

Bacon, cooked

Preheat oven to 350.

Chop the jalapeños into small pieces. Clean out the seeds.

Cut bacon into small pieces.

Roll out your dough.

Layer a small dollop of cream cheese, a piece or two of jalapeño, and bacon.

Bring the corners of the dough together and twist them together at the top. Press the edges of the dough together so the insides don't gush out.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden.

TWD: Baking with Julia - White Loaves

2012-02-07T04:56:00.002-07:00

Tuesdays with Dorie is back!!!! I baked along for 3 1/2 years when we were working through "Baking:From My Home to Yours" and am excited to be back as we begin our journey through "Baking with Julia". I am really excited for this book because of the wide variety of recipes. It's going to be a fun ride!

The first recipe chosen were the White Loaves. There is something so wonderful about bread straight from the oven and these loaves didn't disappoint. They were gone quickly! We ate the slices with butter & honey and even used some for sandwiches. SO good!

Thanks to Laurie of Slush and Jules of Someone's in the Kitchen for leading this project and hosting this week. The recipe can be found at their blogs, or better yet, go buy the book! :)

Pizza Pretzel Bites

2012-02-06T05:52:00.001-07:00

Whenever I'd go to the pretzel stand in Germany I'd almost always get a pizza pretzel. I mean, the concept was genius.... a pizza on top of yummy pretzel dough! I was planning on making pizza for dinner last night but had forgotten to make my dough on Saturday (the recipe I use sits overnight). I still wanted pizza and then it hit me... make pizza pretzels!

These were AMAZING!!!!! I served them with pizza sauce for dipping but they were great alone. They are even delicious cold from the fridge a few hours later. They didn't take much time to make, either. I think MAYBE 15-20 minutes active time. Totally worth the effort!

Enjoy!

Pizza Pretzel Bites
Recipe from Sweet Pea's Kitchen

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 package active dry yeast

3 ounces unsalted butter, melted

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

Canola oil

Pepperoni slices, cut into small pieces

Shredded mozzarella cheese

5 quarts water

3/4 cup baking soda

1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water

Coarse sea salt

Pizza sauce-for dipping

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix together the water, sugar, yeast, and butter. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the salt and flour to the yeast mixture. Knead dough at medium speed until a smooth and elastic ball forms, 3 to 4 minutes. If dough is sticky, add 1 tablespoons of flour at a time until dough comes together.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large bowl and turn the dough to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 21 inch rope. Cut the dough into 3-inch pieces to make the pretzel bites. Roll each bite flat with a rolling pin and stuff with pepperoni and cheese. Fold over the dough and pinch the ends. Place on a baking sheet and continue until all pretzel bites are stuffed.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add the baking soda and lower heat to a simmer. Carefully boil pretzels in batches. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon. Place pretzel bites on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve warm with pizza sauce for dipping.

World Nutella Day - Chocolate Nutella Pancakes

2012-02-05T08:19:00.001-07:00

Every Sunday is pancake morning at our house. A little over a week ago my friend, Rebecca, posted a recipe for Chocolate Nutella Pancakes and I immediately bookmarked the recipe. I set it aside to make this morning without even knowing that today was World Nutella Day. While I was checking Google Reader this morning I saw a few Nutella posts and discovered it was World Nutella Day. I thought it was perfect timing considering I was planning on making these pancakes!

The pancakes were AMAZING! I mean, let's be honest... can you really go wrong with a pancake filled with Nutella and topped with strawberries and whipped cream? No, you can't! This isn't an everyday breakfast but it's fun to indulge sometimes!

Happy World Nutella Day! Look HERE for prior Nutella recipes that I've made. Hope you'll break out a jar of Nutella and bake something yummy today!

Chocolate Nutella Pancakes
Recipe from Delectable Delights with Rebecca

2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
2 eggs
3 1/2 TBSP melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup sugar
nutella

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder in a small bowl. Whisk together sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla and milk. Add dry to wet and whisk until combined. Preheat griddle, and ladle pancake onto hot griddle. Take a spoonful of nutella and place it in the center. Cover it with a little more batter. When pancake bubbles, flip and cook until cooked on the other side is done. Serve with whipped cream and strawberries.

Zucchini, Black Bean, and Rice Skillet

2012-02-03T06:11:00.003-07:00

This dinner was so easy (less than 10 minutes minus cooking the rice), so healthy, and SO delicious! My family inhaled it and there wasn't anything leftover. I really wish there was, though, because it was so good!

The only change I made was on the rice. The recipe calls for instant rice but I never have that on hand. Instead I cooked 1 cup of rice and then mixed it into the skillet. This is a meatless meal and I promise you won't miss the meat. If you want extra protein you could substitute quinoa for the rice.

Enjoy!

Zucchini, Black Bean, and Rice Skillet
Recipe from Ready, Set, Eat

1 tablespoon Pure Wesson® Canola Oil
1-1/2 cups quartered lengthwise, sliced zucchini
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 can (15 oz each) Rosarita® Premium Whole Black Beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt's® Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Garlic, undrained
3/4 cup water
1 cup instant white rice
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and bell pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans, undrained tomatoes and water. Increase heat and bring to a boil.

Add rice; stir well. Cover; remove from heat and let stand 7 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with cheese.

Baked Chocolate Donuts

2012-02-02T05:33:00.004-07:00

I love traditional fried donuts as much as the next guy but sometimes it is nice to get that donut taste without all the extra work that comes from fying. These were a delicious breakfast treat and we will be making them again!

Baked Chocolate Donuts
Recipe from Sea Salt with Food

Baked Chocolate Cake Doughnuts

Ingredients

130 g (About 1 cup) All Purpose Flour 
2 Tbsp Natural Cocoa Powder 
1 tsp Baking Powder
 ¼ tsp Baking Soda 
75 g Sugar 
½ tsp Freshly Ground Nutmeg 
½ tsp Sea Salt 
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter  
¼ Cup Buttermilk 
¼ Cup Yogurt 
1 tsp Vanilla Extract 
1 Large Egg

Method

Lightly grease a doughnut (or muffin) tin and preheat the oven to 350˚F.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda, and then whisk in the sugar, nutmeg and salt.

Add the butter, and using your fingers, rub it into the dry ingredients until it becomes coarse crumbs.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, yogurt, vanilla and egg. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix, or your doughnuts may be a bit rubbery.

Fill each cup 1/2 to 3/4 full with a piping bag. It’s important not to overfill, or as the doughnuts rise, you’ll lose the hole.

Bake for 6 to 10 minutes (depending on the size of your doughnut pan), until the doughnuts spring back when touched. Let cool slightly on a wire rack before glazing. If coating in powdered sugar, let them cool even a bit more.

Makes about 15 mini doughnuts.

Chocolate Glaze/Dip (Recipe adapted from Baked Explorations)
4 oz Good Quality Dark Chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ Cup Heavy Cream
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
Sprinkles to decorate

Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the cream until it is just about to boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and wait 1 minute. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the butter. Keep mixture warm.

Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken

2012-01-30T06:48:00.003-07:00

The other night I was wanting something different than the basic baked chicken and I'm glad I decided on this chicken. The lemon and brown sugar created a nice sweet/tangy sauce and it was AMAZING! It reminded me a little of sweet and sour chicken. It was gone quickly and my whole family loved it. We will definitely be making it again!

Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken
Recipe from Espresso and Cream

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Juice of one large lemon

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Using a meat mallet pound the chicken breasts thin. Set aside.

Combine the flour, paprika and salt in a large shallow bowl and stir to combine. Dip the chicken breasts into the flour mixture to evenly coat.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken breasts, cooking two minutes per side. You are just browning the outsides, not cooking completely through. Remove from pan and set aside.

Pour the lemon juice into the pan and stir to de-glaze the pan. Put chicken breast in a casserole dish and pour lemon juice mixture on top. Sprinkle with brown sugar and lemon zest. Bake for 30 minutes or until temperature reaches 165°F.

Spicy Chili with Cornbread Waffles

2012-01-27T10:16:00.004-07:00

This was a fun take on chili and cornbread! Instead of traditional cornbread on the side the chili is served on top of a cornbread waffle. It was yummy! The chili was a tad spicy (I cut the chili powder in half) so keep that in mind. My kids ate it fine and didn't complain about it being spicy and I have a low tolerence for heat but I thought I should mention that in case you don't do spicy food! :)

Enjoy!

Cornbread Waffles with Spicy Chili
Recipe from Paula Deen

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cup milk
3 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 large eggs
Spicy Chili, recipe follows
shredded cheddar, for garnish
sour cream, for garnish
chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Spicy Chili:
1 pound lean ground chuck
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
2 (15-ounce) cans ranch-style beans
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can niblet corn, drained
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles

Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add milk, oil, and eggs; stirring until smooth. Pour batter onto hot waffle iron and bake in batches. Set aside and keep warm.
Serve with Spicy Chili. Garnish with shredded Cheddar, sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro.

Spicy Chili: In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown ground chuck, until beef is crumbly. Stir in onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir in beans, tomato sauce, corn, diced tomatoes, and green chiles. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.

Lemon Lemon Loaf

2012-01-23T11:25:00.001-07:00

Last week I was craving lemon and this bread hit the spot. I divided the batter in half and left one half plain and added poppy seeds to the other half. Both loaves were gone in a matter of days. Definitely a great lemon bread!

Lemon Lemon Loaf
Recipe from BAKED

Loaves1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups sugar
8 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup lemon zest (from about 4 lemons)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Lemon Syrup
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar

Lemon Glaze
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray two 9x5-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.

To make the cakes: In a medium bowl, whisk both flours, the baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Add the sugar, eggs, lemon zest and lemon juice to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until well combined. With the machine running, slowly pour the butter through the feed tube until incorporated. Add the sour cream and vanilla and pulse until combined. Transfer the batter to a large bowl. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, folding gently to incorporate after each addition. Mix only until just combined.

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pans and reduce the oven temperature to 325 F. Continue baking for an additional 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the loaves cool for 15 minutes.

To make the lemon syrup: While the loaves are cooling, combine the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan. Set over medium heat and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved, then continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Turn the loaves out of the pans and set on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Using a toothpick, poke holes in the tops and sides of the loaves. Brush the loaves all over with the lemon syrup. Let it soak in, then brush again until you've used all of the syrup. Cool the loaves completely. (You can wrap the loaves and freeze them (for up to 6 weeks) at this point.)

To make the lemon glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl, until smooth and pourable. Pour the glaze over the top of each loaf, allowing it to drip down the sides. Let the glaze set for about 15 minutes before serving.

Store the loaves at room temperature wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.

Freezer Breakfast Burritos

2012-01-18T08:56:00.001-07:00

There are many mornings when my husband has to be out the door by 5am and he needs a good breakfast before running out the door. These burritos are perfect because they are full of protien, delicious, and are ready after 2 minutes in the microwave. We love these burritos! The recipe makes 24 good sized burritos and they hang out in the freezer until we need them. It doesn't get easier than that!

Enjoy!

Freezer Breakfast Burritos
Recipe from Mom On Timeout

lb breakfast sausage
1 lb bacon
1 cup chopped ham
2 pound of red potatoes, cubed into bite size pieces
16 oz cheese (any kind you like)
24 flour tortillas
12 eggs, extra large
1/2 c milk
1/3 c olive oil
1 tsp each: Emeril's Seasoning, Seasoning Salt or any seasoning you prefer
salt and pepper

Meats:

1. Cook bacon and crumble.
2. Brown the sausage.
3. Fry up the ham.

Roasted Red Potatoes:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Dry cubed potatoes with a towel to eliminate any extra water.
3. Toss the potatoes with 1/3 c olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Use additional seasoning (such as Emeril's or Seasoning Salt) if desired.
4. Roast for 30 minutes until golden brown. Start checking at 20 minutes.

Scramble eggs and assemble burritos. Roll up tightly and place seam side down on a baking sheet. Freeze.

Once frozen, wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in a ziploc bag.

To cook, remove plastic wrap, wrap in paper towel, and microwave for 2 1/2-3 minutes.

Lemon Crinkles

2012-01-17T08:43:00.003-07:00

The other day I was craving lemon and was planning on making these Lemon Sugar Cookies that I love. But then I saw this recipe on Pinterest and since I have a problem with turning down new recipes I decided to not make my favorite lemon cookies and try something new.

Boy am I glad I did! With the first bite I thought they were delicious but there wasn't anything super amazing about them. But by the time I realized I was on my 3rd cookie (they were small, okay? hahaha) I had decided they must be fantastic! They are addictive, easy to make, lemony delicious, and so good! I can't decide if I prefer them over my other lemon cookies so maybe soon I'll have to do a bake-off between them. :)

Lemon Crinkles
Recipe from LDS Living

½ cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoons baking soda
1-½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Double Chocolate Brownies

2012-01-16T07:07:00.001-07:00

Brownies and chocolate chip cookies are two desserts that I will always try a new recipe for even though I have tried and true recipes that I use regularly. There is just something about CCCs and brownies... usually there isn't a bad one in the bunch!

These brownies are AMAZING! So chocolately and gooey and fudgy. Eat them warm, room temperature, or cold. Either way they are fantastic!

Double Chocolate Brownies
Recipe from Buns in my Oven

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

2 1/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cups cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 baking dish.

In small saucepan over low heat, melt butter completely. Stir in sugar and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not allow sugar mixture to boil.

Pour butter mixture into a large bowl or stand mixer, beat in cocoa powder, eggs, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.

Stir in the flour and chocolate chips until well combined.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, until a tester comes out mostly clean. The edges should be set and the center should still look slightly moist, but not uncooked. Cool on a wire rack.

Apple Cream Cheese Bread

2012-01-08T13:41:00.003-07:00

I mixed up this bread this morning so that the kids could have it for afternoon snack today. It was SO delicious and the kids ate it up! I added oats to the top for a little texture and loved the addition.

Apple Cream Cheese Bread
Recipe from My Retro Kitchen

2 apples
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg

6 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grate the apples (skin and all) into a large mixing bowl. Add the oil, cup of sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix well to combine. Without mixing, add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Carefully fold the dry ingredients into the wet, and pour into the prepared loaf pan.

Combine the cream cheese, sugar and egg with a fork. Pour over the top of the batter, and use a knife to swirl the two layers together.

Bake loosely covered with foil for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and continue to bake an additional 20-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean with a few crumbs attached. Allow to cool fully before slicing.

Five Chip Scones

2012-01-04T09:10:00.001-07:00

Today was the first day back to school for my daughter so I let her pick what she wanted for a special breakfast. Usually she picks either beignets or scones (what can I say, she is TOTALLY my kid!). Last night she told me she wanted scones. I wanted something new so I decided to create my own scone recipe.

Earlier in the week I made these 5 chip cookies to send to my best friend. It is one of my favorite cookie recipes and I thought it would make a great scone. So I took all my favorite things from the cookie (the oats and five different chips) and turned it into a delicious scone.

They were FANTASTIC and a new family favorite. I know I sent my baby girl off to school with full belly and a smile on her face!

Five Chip Scones

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
11 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup peanut butter chips
1/3 cup butterscotch chips
1/3 cup milk chocolate chips
1/3 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Mix flour, pats, baking powder, salt, sugar and brown sugar, until well incoporated. Cut the butter into tiny pieces and mix into the flour mixture. Mix in chips. Add the milk and vanilla extract, and mix to form a dough.

Cut dough in two and shape into 2 rounds, 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges. Seperate slightly to help cook. Cook for 15 - 17 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through in the middle.

Taco Mac

2012-01-03T09:39:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I'm a little embarrassed to admit just how much I liked this meal. Let's be honest, there is nothing fancy about it (not that all food has to be fancy!). It really is a "take what I had in the pantry/fridge and create something edible" kind of meal. What I thought would just be "edible" turned out to be so amazing. I ate way too much of it and don't regret it at all. Man, this was good and super easy, too. Guess you can't ask for more from a meal!

Taco Mac

16 oz medium shell pasta
1 lb ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can ( 4 oz) diced green chilies
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
Sour Cream

Boil pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Brown ground beef. Add taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and green chilies. Mix in cheddar and cream cheese; heat until melted. Stir in noodles.

Top with sour cream if desired.

Best of 2011

2011-12-30T07:15:00.004-07:00

Wow... 2011 is coming to an end! Crazy!!! I can't believe it is the end of the year already. 2011 has been a good year and I am looking forward to seeing what 2012 brings.

As far as my blog goes, this has been my lowest posting year. Life has gotten busier and I haven't had as much time for new recipes and blogging. But, I still somehow managed 136 posts and there are great recipes in that bunch! I thought I would share some of my favorites to mark the end of the year!

Thanks for stopping by and reading... hope your 2012 is filled with joy, happiness, and LOTS of great food! :)

Banana Roll with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling

Cuban Sandwiches

Beignets with Chocolate Sauce

Anya's Apple Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Bacon Fried Rice

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Homemade Beef Ravioli with Basil Cream Sauce

Cherry Breakfast Cake

Chicken with Rice and Beans

Chicken Stuffed with Sun Dried Tomatoes

THE LAST TWD: Kids' Thumbprints

2011-12-27T06:48:00.002-07:00

Well, we all knew this day would come... the very last recipe from Baking: From My Home to Yours. I can't believe that after 3 1/2 years of baking with this group that we have finished. That's it. No more Dorie recipes on Tuesdays. I am going to miss this group. I have learned so much and have discovered SO many recipes that I have fallen in love with. Here are some of my faves:

Golden Brioche Loaves (Which I turned into the most AMAZING french toast!)

Quick Classic Berry Tart (My recipe pick when I hosted!)

Banana Cream Pie (SO good!)

Tall & Creamy Cheesecake (I made an eggnog version that was TO DIE FOR!)

Quintuple Chocolate Brownies (5 types of chocolate... need I say more?)

The Most Extraordinary Lemon Cream Tart (The name says it all!)

The very last recipe was chosen by the amazing Dorie Greenspan... kids' thumbprints. They are tiny and filled with goodness. The recipe calls for chunky peanut butter and to roll the dough in nuts. I used smooth peanut butter and rolled the cookies in turbinado sugar. I filled half the cookies with Hershey's kisses and the other half with blueberry jam. They were delicious little cookies!

Dorie Greenspan, thank you for writing such an amazing book that has taught me so much. Thanks for being so involved in our group. Also a huge thank you to Laurie who started the group and to all the others who have helped it along the way. Finally, thanks to all the bakers of the group! Everyone has been so helpful and encouraging along the way. This has been a great ride!!!!

Happy Blogiversary, Shelby!

2011-12-26T22:15:00.001-07:00

Today is one of my favorite blogger's blogiversary... Shelby of The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch! She is celebrating 4 awesome years of blogging! Shelby was one of the first friends I made through my blog and she has always been an inspiration to me. There have been many times over the last few years where I wished I lived closer to her... I just know we would have so much fun together!

In honor of her blogiversary I am sharing my recipe for chocolate covered cheesecake bites. They are teeny, amazing, and oh so delicious! I hope you'll make them and enjoy them!

Make sure to stop by Shelby's blog to wish her a happy blogiversary! Also, check out the links for those who have also posted in honor of her blogiversary!

Finally, Shelby is hosting a giveaway. Go to her post HERE to find out how to win a $50 gift card!

Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Bites

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:
16 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

Coating:
24 oz semisweet chocolate
3 TBSP shortening

Line 8" square pan with foil; spray with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine all crust ingredients; mix well. Press into bottom of prepared pan.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour filling over crust.

Bake at 300 for 40-45 minutes or until edges are set. Center will be soft. Refrigerate 1 1/2 hours; then freeze for 2 hours. Cut into 48 pieces.

Melt chocolate and shortening. Cool for 2-3 minutes. Dip cheesecake bites; set on wax paper. Let stand for 20 minutes.

Store in refrigerator.

*Note: I find it easier to pull only a couple bites out of the freezer at a time while dipping. It makes dipping easier if they are still frozen.

30 by 30: Homemade Vanilla Extract

2011-12-21T06:32:00.001-07:00

It's been 3 months since I've turned 29 and I have been SLACKING in the 30 by 30 department. In my defense we have moved since then so for about a month I was without my full kitchen. Time to get busy knocking things off my list.

Making my own vanilla extract is something I've always wanted to do but never got around to doing. Not sure why considering it is probably the easiest thing I've ever done. You buy a bottle of vodka, slice a couple vanilla beans open, and put them in the bottle. Seal the bottle, wait a while (some people say as short as 1 month... I waited 3). Then you have a nice large amount of vanilla... perfect for all that holiday baking!

TWD: Rewind.... Split Level Pudding

2011-12-20T06:20:00.000-07:00

This week was a rewind recipe and I debated for a while about whether to make something I have already made and loved or to try a recipe I skipped. I finally decided to make something I skipped and started flipping through the book to find one that jumped out at me. This pudding won for two reasons. 1- I love pudding and homemade pudding is amazing. 2- I had all the ingredients I needed.

The pudding has chocolate ganache on the bottom and a creamy, delicious vanilla pudding on top. LOVED it!

One more week of TWD.... Crazy to think it is coming to an end!!!!!

Egg Nog Meltaways & White Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

2011-12-15T10:24:00.001-07:00

These are two new cookies I made this year. I made them for a few teachers at my daughter's school. They are amazingly delicious and will be on all future cookie trays!

Enjoy!

Egg Nog Meltaways
Recipe from SugarCrafter

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 Tbsp rum (or 1/2 TBSP vanilla extract)
1/4 cup eggnog
1 cup powdered sugar, for rolling

In a medium bow, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the rum and eggnog.

Add in the flour mixture gradually until well-combined. Cover and refrigerate the dough an hour or until firm.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough into 1″ balls and place on the baking sheets about 1″ apart.

Bake 12-14 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool about 5 minutes before rolling the cookies in the sugar. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

White Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
Recipe from Culinary Concoctions

3 cups flour
2 tsp. Ginger, Ground
1 tsp. Cinnamon, Ground
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg, Ground (I used fresh)
1/4 tap salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 cup white chocolate chips

Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl.
Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add molasses, egg and vanilla; beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Immediately press about 5-6 white chocolate chips into center of each cookie. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

TWD: Unbelievably Good Chocolate Blueberry Ice Cream

2011-12-13T08:42:00.000-07:00

The name of this recipe says it all... this is UNBELIEVABLY good chocolate blueberry ice cream! It starts with a basic chocolate ice cream and then blueberry jam is swirled in. It was FANATASTIC! I will definitely be making this again next summer! :)

Thanks to Laurie of Slush for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at her blog.

TWD: Earl Grey Madelines

2011-12-06T10:12:00.001-07:00

Earl Grey is my husband's favorite tea so when this recipe came up on the rotation I knew I would be making them! I love the subtle taste of the Earl Grey and the lemon zest... so good! I think the 12 minute baking time was a little long, though... should've taken them out around 10 minutes. They still tasted fantastic!!! They will be gone quickly!

Thanks to Nicole of Bakeologie for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at her blog.

TWD: Sour Cream Pumpkin Pie

2011-11-29T06:38:00.001-07:00

Another winner from Dorie Greenspan... this pumpkin pie might become my go-to recipe! I loved the addition of sour cream. It was a very creamy pie and oh so delicious!!!

Thanks to Judy of Judy's Gross Eats for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at her blog.

Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping

2011-11-25T07:56:00.001-07:00

This is one of the best pumpkin breads I have ever tasted! The streusel really puts it over the top. My family went through 2 large loaves in less than 3 days... it was SO good! I think I may have to make it again before my pumpkin is gone!

Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping
Recipe adapted from Bakingdom

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
2/3 cup water

FOR THE STREUSEL
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray 6 mini loaf pans or 2 regular loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves; set aside.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the oil and apple sauce. Stir in the sugars until combined, then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Stir in the pumpkin until thoroughly combined. Stir in the water. Sprinkle about half of the flour mixture over the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture, and mix just until no streaks of flour remain. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and set aside while you mix the streusel topping.

To make the streusel:

In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, flour, and cinnamon together, whisking until thoroughly combined. Stir in nuts. Drizzle the melted butter over the mixture and stir with a spoon until you have a mixture that resembles lumpy wet sand. Do not break up the clumps too much.
Divide the streusel evenly between the pans, sprinkling it over the top of the bread batter to cover it completely.

Bake mini loaves, three at a time on a rimmed baking sheet, for 20 minutes. Rotate the pans, front to back, and bake for another 20 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If making large loaves, bake 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

TWD: Bittersweet Brownies

2011-11-16T05:49:00.001-07:00

I realize it is Wednesday and that I was supposed to post these yesterday but with all the unpacking I kinda lost track of the days! :)

I made these brownies a few weeks ago for my daughter's teacher. We saved a couple at home to try and they were delicious! They were super fudgy... just the way I like my brownies!

Thanks to Leslie of Lethally Delicious for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at her blog.

Cheesy Rotel Chicken

2011-11-10T09:30:00.001-07:00

This is one of the meals I made when I was trying to empty my freezer and pantry prior to moving. It was really super easy and incredibly delicious! It was a great way to use up the food I had and I will be making it again!

Enjoy!

Cheesy Rotel Chicken

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt, pepper, cumin - to taste
1 can Rotel
Colby Jack cheese, shredded

Season chicken. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until cooked through. Top with Rotel and cheese; return to oven until tomatoes are heated through and cheese is melted.

Pesto Parmesan Chicken

2011-11-09T13:04:00.001-07:00

I first had this recipe over the summer when I was visiting my best friend in Georgia. She made this for dinner one night and it was DELICIOUS! I knew that I had to make it myself when I got home. Unfortunately it took me a while to get it on the menu but it was worth the wait. This chicken is incredibly easy to make and incredibly delicious!

Enjoy!

Pesto Parmesan Chicken
Recipe from Cassie Craves

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pounds)
3 tablespoons basil pesto
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray. Between pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper, place each chicken breast smooth side down; gently pound with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/2-inch thick.

2. In shallow dish, mix together pesto and mayonnaise. In another shallow dish mix together bread crumbs and cheese. Dip chicken into pesto mixture then dip in panko mixture. Place on baking sheet.

3. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut and coating is golden brown.

Hawaiian Dinner Rolls

2011-11-07T11:33:00.001-07:00

I love the Hawaiian rolls that you buy at the store and was thrilled to find this copycat recipe. These were so delicious and I will definitely be making them again!

Hawaiian Rolls

Recipe from A Homemade Kitchen

1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup melted butter, plus more for brushing
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 tablespoons sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour

Combine water, pineapple juice, and melted butter in a large bowl. Sprinkle in yeast. Add salt, egg, vanilla, and sugar, stir to combine. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the flour 1 cup at a time. Use your hands to mix if the dough becomes too stiff. The dough will be very soft and slightly shaggy. Cover loosely and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

If baking later, place the covered and risen dough in the fridge overnight before shaping into rolls and baking.

On baking day, spray two 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray. Shape the dough into 16 evenly sized balls. If you have a digital scale, use it to size each ball at 1 1/2 ounces. Place 8 balls of dough in each cake pan, cover with a towel, and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the rolls with melted butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on rack.

Broccoli and White Cheddar Mac & Cheese

2011-11-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

This is another meal I made while trying to clean out my pantry/fridge before the move. It was a delicious mac & cheese and my family really loved it!

Enjoy!

Broccoli and White Cheddar Mac & Cheese
Recipe adapted from Craving Chronicles

3 cups fresh broccoli
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/3 cups milk
4 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
2 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated
salt to taste

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add elbow macaroni and broccoli. Cook until noodles are done.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk to form a paste (roux). Cook 1-2 minutes to eliminate raw flour taste. Slowly pour in milk, whisking briskly to remove lumps. Continue cooking over medium heat, whisking constantly, until milk mixture thickens. Remove from heat and whisk in shredded cheese. Add salt to taste.

Add drained macaroni and broccoli back to pot. Pour cheese sauce over macaroni and stir to combine.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

2011-11-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

That title is a mouthful but oh my goodness is this pie delicious!!!!!! A combination of pumpkin pie and chocolate chip cookies. SO GOOD!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
Recipe from How Sweet It Is

2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1/3 cup pureed pumpkin
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup chocolate chips
1 unbaked pie shell
whipped cream or ice cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs until foamy. Beat in flour, sugar and brown sugar until well blended. Add in vanilla extract, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice and mix until combined.. Blend in melted butter. Toss chocolate chips with a sprinkling of flour and fold into batter. Pour into an unbaked 9-inch pie shell. Bake for 55 minutes, or until center is no longer jiggly.

Serve warm with ice cream of whipped cream.

TWD: Honey Nut Scones

2011-11-01T18:06:00.001-07:00

Oh my goodness... It has been 10 days since my last blog post! I really didn't realize it had been that long. Time kinda slipped away from me. The past 10 days have been crazy. My hard drive on my laptop broke and I had to take it in to get repaired and I was without internet access for 4 days (TORTURE!). Then we cleared out of our rental house and moved to a hotel. We are buying a house and won't close on it until next week so for the time being I am without a kitchen. :( But, I have still have some things to post so hopefully I can keep blogging from the hotel. :)

These scones I made before I completely packed up my kitchen and we loved them. Then again, what isn't to love? Honey and walnuts wrapped up in a scone! YUM!

Thanks to Jeanette of Whimsical Cupcake for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at her blog.

Carrot Cake Waffles

2011-10-21T05:59:00.001-06:00

I absolutely love carrot cake! I love any baked goods with carrots, too. So it goes without saying that I LOVED these waffles, too! All the yumminess of carrot cake, including a delicious cream cheese "frosting". YUM!

Carrot Cake Waffles
Recipe from Willow Bird Baking

Waffle Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1 3/4 cups buttermilk* or 1 1/2 cups sour cream or plain yogurt thinned with 1/4 cup milk
2 eggs, separated
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick butter)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 1/2 cup finely grated carrots
Cooking spray for waffle iron

Maple Nut Cream Cheese Spread Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3-4 tablespoons maple syrup
1/8 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Bloom the spices in butter**: Heat 4 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium heat until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly, until butter is light brown and has faint nutty aroma, 2 to 4 minutes. Add spices and continue to cook, stirring constantly, 15 seconds. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

2. Combine the flour, salt, sugar, baking soda.

3. Mix together the buttermilk (or buttermilk substitute) and the egg yolks. Stir in the spiced butter and vanilla. Spray the waffle iron well and preheat it. Stir the wet into the dry ingredients.

4. Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl with a whisk or electric mixer (make sure bowl and mixer are spotlessly clean) until they hold soft peaks. Stir them gently into the batter. Add carrots, walnuts, and raisins. Stir gently to combine.

5. Spread a ladleful or so of batter onto the waffle iron and bake until the waffle is done, usually 3 to 5 minutes, depending on your iron. Spray iron with cooking spray between waffles as needed.

6. To make Maple Cream Cheese spread, simply combine nuts, syrup, and cream cheese and mix well. Serve waffles immediately with a schmear of Maple Cream Cheese spread (which will get lovely and melty), or keep them warm for a few minutes in a low oven.***

Notes:
* The buttermilk can be substituted with 1 1/4 cups of milk at room temperature, mixed with two tablespoons white vinegar, left to clabber for 10 minutes.
**If you prefer a quicker breakfast, you can melt and cool the butter plain instead of browning it and blooming the spices in it — but doing so does add flavor. If you do skip the spice blooming, simply add the spices to the dry ingredients in step 2. Add your plain melted, cooled butter instead of the spiced butter in step 3.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

2011-10-20T10:14:00.003-06:00

Pumpkin, cream cheese, muffins... What's not to like? Enjoy!!!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

Recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Muffins:

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups ugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Cheesecake:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl mix eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil. Add dry ingredients and mix until smooth.

In mixer bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and egg until combined.

Place paper liners in a muffin tin. Fill halfway with pumpkin batter, add a spoonful of cheesecake, then fill to the top with pumpkin. Add a dollop of cheesecake on top and swirl with a knife.

Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Penne with Gruyere and Bacon

2011-10-19T18:45:00.001-06:00

We are moving in two weeks and I am trying to use up the food we have on hand so we have less to take with us. I came up with this meal to use up what I had in the fridge and pantry. The best part is that it was DELICIOUS! You can think of it as grown up mac & cheese if you want but the kids will gobble it up, too!

Enjoy!!!

Penne with Gruyere and Bacon

1 (16 oz) box penne
1 lb bacon
2 TBSP bacon grease
2 TBSP flour
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups Gruyere, shredded
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 TBSP butter, melted

Cook penne according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Cook bacon until crisp; crumble and set aside. Drain all but 2 TBSP of grease.

Add flour to grease and whisk to combine. Add salt, pepper, and milk. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened. Stir in cheese and mix until melted. Pour cheese mixture over penne and mix well.

Pour noodles into greased 9x13 dish. Mix panko and butter; sprinkle over noodles.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2011-10-18T06:31:00.002-06:00

I love making my own take-out. It is so easy and so delicious! This meal was no different. My family gobbled it up pretty quickly. YUM!

Sweet and Sour Chicken
Recipe from Live Love Pasta

Chicken
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Sauce
1 ½ cup sugar
8 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup cider vinegar
2 Tablespoon soy sauce
2 Tablespoons garlic powder

Vegetables
broccoli
carrots
pea-pods
water chestnuts
baby corn
canola oil

Note:
You can use any combination of vegetables you would like. You will want about 6 cups of vegetables.

Directions
Cut boneless chicken breasts into bite sized pieces; season with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in egg and then in cornstarch. Fry in a little oil until brown. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Mix sauce ingredients together and pour ½ over chicken. Bake for about 45 minutes at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes so it is evenly coated with the sauce. While the chicken is cooking begin sautéing the vegetables with a little oil. Depending on what kind of vegetables you use it will take about 10 minutes. Bring the remaining sauce to a simmer in a small pot and let thicken about 8 minutes. Pour the sauce over the vegetables. You can then mix the vegetables with the chicken or serve them separately.

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

2011-10-17T06:27:00.003-06:00

I originally saw this recipe on Pinterest (which I am addicted to, BTW! hahaha). The orignal recipe calls for the cookie dough to be wrapped around a caramel. Now, don't get me wrong, that sounds FABULOUS. But that requires chilling time and a lot of prep to get the cookies ready for the oven. If I had planned ahead, that would've been doable. But I didn't start these cookies until about a half hour before dinner and needed to get them done quickly. What is a girl to do? Well, I got creative. Instead of the caramel cubes I used two bags of Kraft caramel bits and mixed them straight into the dough like you would chocolate chips.

It produced a delicious, caramely cookie that I would definitely make again! Below is the recipe as I made it. You can find the original recipe here.

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

1 cup softened butter

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 box (7.4 oz) Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink mix -not sugar free- all 10 packets

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups all purpose flour
2 bags Kraft Caramel Bits (11 oz each)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line cookie sheets with parchment.

In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.

Cream together butter, sugar, salt and all 10 packages of apple cider drink mix powder, until light and fluffy.Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well.

Gradually add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture. Mix until just combined.Fold in caramel bits.

Scoop cookie dough onto prepared sheet and bake 12 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. Remove from oven and let sit on cookie sheet until set. Move to cooling rack and cool completely.

Pumpkin Baked With Apples & Cranberries

2011-10-14T06:46:00.004-06:00

This was such a quick dessert to throw together. You just cut up the apples, mix with fresh cranberries, brown sugar, and cinnamon, throw it all in a pumpkin and bake. It doesn't get much easier than that! I love fresh baked pumpkin and the addition of sweet brown sugar and tart cranberries was amazing! I served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it was delicious! It doesn't get much more Fall than this!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Baked with Apples & Cranberries
Recipe from Eat at Home

1 pie pumpkin

2 small apples, peeled and diced

1/4 cup dried cranberries or 1 cup whole, fresh cranberries

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 Tbs. butter

Cut the top off the pumpkin. Once the top is off, scrape out the seeds and stringy stuff.

Stir the apples, cranberries, brown sugar and cinnamon together. Fill the pumpkin with this delicious-smelling mixture. Dot with butter.

Bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for an hour to 1 1/2 hours, until the pumpkin inside is tender when you poke it with a fork.

Pumpkin Spice Kiss Cookies

2011-10-13T04:00:00.000-06:00

When I made the Pumpkin Kiss Blossoms a week or so ago I had a friend ask me if I thought they would ship well to Afghanistan (where her husband is currently deployed). They are such a soft cookie that I knew they wouldn't hold up well. She thought her husband would really enjoy them so I told her that I would create a cookie recipe that used the pumpkin kisses that she could ship. This is what I came up with and we love them! I hope they find their way to Afghanistan! :)

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Kiss Cookies

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup pumpkin spice kisses

Preheat oven to 325. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice; set aside. Cream butter and sugars; beat in vanilla and eggs. Mix in dry ingredients. Stir in pumpkin kisses. Drop by 1/4 cups on parchment lined cookie sheet at least 3" apart. Bake 15-17 minutes or until edges are lightly toasted.

Bloomin' Pizza Bread

2011-10-12T06:34:00.001-06:00

This is a quick, easy dinner for those busy weeknights that we all have. Pepperoni and cheese are stuffed inside a loaf of sourdough and baked until melty and delicious. So good and so simple!!!

Bloomin' Pizza Bread
Recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything

1 unsliced round loaf sourdough bread 12-16 ounces mozzarella or Provolone cheese, thinly sliced
1 (3.5 ounce) package pepperoni, halved
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
pizza/marinara sauce for dipping

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the bread lengthwise and widthwise without cutting through the bottom crust. This can be a little tricky going the second way but the bread is very forgiving.

Place bread on a foil-lined baking sheet and insert cheese slices and pepperoni between cuts. Combine butter, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings. Drizzle or brush over bread with a pastry brush. Sprinkle bread with Parmesan cheese.

Wrap bread completely in foil and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Unwrap the bread and bake 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted and pepperoni is a little crispy.

TWD: Buttermilk Biscuits

2011-10-11T06:32:00.004-06:00

You can't go wrong with a fluffy buttermilk biscuit and these didn't disappoint! Super fluffy and super delicious!

Thanks to Jennifer of Cooking for Comfort for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at her blog.

Nutella Pretzel Bars

2011-10-10T05:27:00.000-06:00

My favorite way to eat Nutella is to grab a jar, a bag of pretzels, and just dip away! :) That's why when I saw this recipe from Nutella Pretzel Bars I knew it was a no-brainer... I would definitely be making these! They were so yummy!!!!

Nutella Pretzel Bars
Recipe from Dula Notes

8 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1/4 C. granulated sugar
1/2 C. Nutella (or other hazelnut spread)
1 large egg
1/2 t. vanilla
1 c. flour (spooned and leveled)
1 t. kosher salt
1 C. crushed pretzels (break into smallish pieces, but not too small)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush an 8×8 baking pan with butter, line with a sheet of parchment leaving a 2″ overhang on both edges. Butter parchment.

2. In a large bowl, whisk butter, sugars and Nutella until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Fold in 1/2 C. of crushed pretzels. Transfer batter to prepared pan and spread in an even layer with a spatula. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 C. of crushed pretzels.

3. Bake until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20-30 min. Set pan on a wire rack and let cool completely. Using parchment overhang, lift bars from pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Pumpkin Donuts with Buttermilk Glaze

2011-10-09T13:55:00.000-06:00

These definitely aren't an every day breakfast and they are in no way good for you. I will say they are worth every little guilty thought though! These are old fashioned fried donuts and are AMAZING! I've made baked donuts before and they are great, too, but go all out for these. You will not be disappointed!!!!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Donuts with Buttermilk Glaze
Recipe from Babble

Donuts

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup pumpkin puree
Canola oil for frying

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, spice and sugar. Whisk together all of the remaining ingredients (except for the canola oil) in a second, medium bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir them around the bowl until the mixture is well combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, rolling the donut dough to approximately1/4-1/2″ thick. (I know this will seem quite thin, but the donuts puff up immensley while frying). Cut with a donut cutter.

Heat 2 inches of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, gently slide the donuts into the oil, frying on the first side until the edges of the donut are lightly browned, flip carefully and allow to cook on the other side until lightly browned. Remove and dunk immediately into buttermilk glaze. Allow to air dry on a cooling rack before serving.

Buttermilk Glaze

3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Whisk together in a small bowl until smooth.

Pumpkin Chili & Pumpkin Cornbread

2011-10-07T04:00:00.000-06:00

While I prefer to use pumpkin in sweet recipes, savory pumpkin dishes are also fantastic! I made this pumpkin chili and pumpkin cornbread the other night and it was an amazing dinner! The chili was easy since I cooked it in the crockpot and while the pumpkin was subtle the overall flavor was yummy! The cornbread was sweet and pumpkiny and SOOOOOO good! It was a great fall meal!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chili
Recipe from In Erika's Kitchen

3 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
3 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
4 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground chipotle powder (optional)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp salt, or to taste

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef until no pink remains, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Add the onion and bell peppers and saute another 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir briefly.

Put the beef mixture into the slow cooker along with the pumpkin puree, tomato paste, beans, spices and salt; stir to combine. Cook on low 8 hours or on high 4 hours.

Pumpkin Cornbread
Recipe from Sugar Cooking

1 cup flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup cornmeal
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin purée
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp honey

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease an 8×8″ baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, spices, brown sugar, and cornmeal.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs, and then stir in the pumpkin, oil, milk and honey.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined, and then pour the batter into the pan, smoothing out the top as much as possible.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Snack Cake

2011-10-06T04:00:00.000-06:00

The original title for this recipe was Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies but a lot of comments said it was more cake-like than brownie-like. So, I decided to bake them in a smaller pan to make the bar a little thicker and what I ended up with was a delicous pumpkin snack cake. YUM!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Snack Cake
Recipe adapted (size & baking time) from Pennies on a Platter

1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease an 8x8 pan.

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, eggs and oil until smooth. Set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, spices, salt and brown sugar. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until passes toothpick test. Cool completely before cutting.

Pumpkin Kiss Blossoms

2011-10-05T06:14:00.002-06:00

I have never had the pumpkin kisses before but they are now one of my favorites!!!! Just the kiss alone tastes like pumpkin pie but then added on top of a delicious pumpkin cookie puts it over the edge. This is a cookie I will make again and again. Good thing I bought 4 bags of the kisses! :)

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Kiss Blossoms
Recipe from Life is a Banquet

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Turbinado sugar
Bag of Hershey pumpkin spice kisses

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks and stick a pumpkin kiss in the middle.

TWD: Apple Muffin Cake

2011-10-04T07:23:00.000-06:00

This is the perfect fall breakfast cake. Made with apple cider, chopped apples, raisins... it is fantastic! We served it for breakfast but it could also be served as dessert. My good friend, Michelle, of Flourchild, served hers with caramel sauce and ice cream. :) YUM! No matter what time of day you serve this cake it is sure to be a winner!

Thanks to Katrina of Baking and Boys for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at her blog!

Pumpkin Bran Muffins

2011-10-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

I love a good bran muffin. In fact, bran muffins are probably one of my favorite muffins... as long as it is baked right. Nothing is worse than a dry bran muffin! :) These bran muffins have the wonderful addition of pumpkin, craisins, and mini chocolate chips. They were moist and so delicious!

Pumpkin Bran Muffins
Recipe from All Day I Dream About Food

1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 cup unprocessed wheat bran
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
4 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
2 tbsp light molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 375F and generously grease 24 mini-muffin tins and 6 regular muffin tins. Or use just the 12 larger muffin tins.

In a large bowl, stir buttermilk and bran together and let sit for 5-10 minutes. If you are using buttermilk powder, simply add 5 tbsp to the bran and then stir in 1 1/4 cups of water. Whisk in pumpkin, raisins, chocolate chips, brown sugar, egg, melted butter, molasses and vanilla.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Gently fold flour mixture into the bran mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined.

Spoon batter into prepared tins, to just the top of each tin. Bake until tops are set and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 14-18 minutes for mini-muffins, and 20-24 minutes for larger muffins.

Pumpkin-Gingerbread Waffles

2011-10-02T08:27:00.001-06:00

We are getting ready to head out to the pumpkin patch this morning and this was a perfect pre-patch breakfast! I have used the pumpkin-gingerbread combo a few times before (HERE and HERE) and LOVE the flavor combination. These waffles were no exception. They were amazing! And the buttermilk syrup???? TO DIE FOR! I was skeptical about it when I started making it because the buttermilk threw me off. There was no need for worry... it was amazing!

I served the waffles with a dollop of cinnamon-sugar butter, whipped cream, and the buttermilk syrup. Holy smokes... it's Fall on a plate!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin-Gingerbread Waffles
Recipe from The Farm Girl

Waffles:

2 c. flour

¼ c. sugar
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
¾ t. salt
1½ t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
¼ t. grated nutmeg
¼ t. ground cloves
4 large eggs
6 T. butter, melted and cooled
1 c. milk
½ c. sour cream
3 T. unsulfured molasses
1/2 c. pureed pumpkin

Buttermilk Syrup:

1/2 c. butter
1 c. buttermilk
2 c. sugar
2 T. corn syrup
2 t. baking soda
2 t. vanilla

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Whisk to blend. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, butter, milk, sour cream, molasses, and pumpkin and whisk to blend well. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk to combine until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.

2. Preheat a waffle iron. Fill waffle wells and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Cook until crisp and golden. Serve immediately with buttermilk syrup and whipping cream.

3. While waffles are cooking, make buttermilk syrup. In LARGE (very important) saucepan combine butter, buttermilk, sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla and baking soda. Stir as fast as you can--it will foam A LOT. Pour over pancakes and enjoy

Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Crescent Braid

2011-09-30T04:00:00.000-06:00

This meal is so ridiculously easy. Nothing fancy, no frills. Just easy, fast, and delicious!

Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Crescent Braid
Recipe slightly adapted from 3 Kids and Us

2 cans crescent rolls

2 cups chicken chunks, cooked

2 cups cheddar cheese

2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped small

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F On a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, spread both cans of crescents length wise to form a long rectangle. Press each of the seams to form a single layer of dough.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, cheese, broccoli and mayonnaise

Spread mixture over the center of the croissant dough evenly to create a log. Using a sharp knife, cut horizontal strips 1 inch apart down each side of the crescent dough. Fold the dough strips over the top of the chicken mixture, alternating left and right to create a braid.

Bake for 28 – 30 minutes until golden brown.

Apple Crisp Ice Cream

2011-09-29T04:00:00.000-06:00

I am learning to love "fall" in the desert. Sure, I miss cooler temperatures and changing leaves and an actual new season. But, one thing El Paso fall has that Germany didn't is 90 degree weather. :) That means I can still break out the ice cream machine and make a fall inspired treat for my family.

This ice cream is AMAZING! My husband said it is one of the best, if not THE BEST, ice cream I have ever made. I combined my favorite vanilla ice cream with cooked apples and a delicious crisp. Wow... just delicious!

So, if you are still having warm temps, make some ice cream. And if you are cold already, well, still make some ice cream. You won't be disappointed!

Apple Crisp Ice Cream

Ice Cream:
Use your favorite vanilla recipe! Need about 2 pints.

Apples:
2 granny smith apples, peeled and chopped
2 TBSP butter
1/4 tsp apple pie spice
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 tsp lemon juice

Crisp:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
6 TBSP butter
1/2 cup old fashioned oats

For Apples: Melt butter in skillet. Add apples through brown sugar and saute until apples are soft. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice. Let cool.

For Crisp: Mix all ingredients until crumbly. Pour onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until crisp. Let cool and break into pieces.

Mix apples and crisp into ice cream. Freeze.

Honey Chicken

2011-09-28T06:21:00.003-06:00

This chicken is SO delicious! Way better than take-out and disappeared quickly! YUM YUM YUM!

Chinese Honey Chicken
Recipe from BlogChef

1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” chunks)
Oil (for deep frying)

Batter-
4 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup water
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 egg white
Sauce-1 ½ tablespoons oil
2 teaspoon ginger (minced)
3 tablespoons garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
½ cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch (mixed with 1 teaspoon water)
Sesame seeds (for garnish)

In a large bowl mix all batter ingredients together until smooth. Cover and allow the batter to site for at least 30 minutes. Add the chicken to the batter tossing to coat.

Heat a deep fryer to 350 degrees. Fry chicken bits in patches for 2 minutes or until batter becomes firm. Drain on paper towels.

To make the sauce. Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of oil in your wok. Add garlic and ginger and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add salt, honey, vinegar, and water. Mix well. Combine 1 teaspoon of water with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Add to the sauce and Simmer for 2 minutes.

Coat chicken with the sauce and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve with white rice.

TWD: Flip-Over Plum Cake

2011-09-27T04:00:00.000-06:00

Holy wow is this DELICIOUS!!!!!! I made it right after the September recipes were posted and my family gobbled it right up. The plums are tossed with sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and coriander. The plums are placed on top of a delicious batter and then the batter bakes up around them. And the way it smells while cooking.... HEAVENLY!

Thanks to Becky of Project Domestication for hosting this week. The recipe (which you MUST get) can be found at her blog or on page 42 of Baking: From My Home To Yours.

Rice Krispie Trio

2011-09-26T06:46:00.000-06:00

I had a few Rice Krispie Treat recipes bookmarked so I decided it would be fun to cut each recipe in half and make all three at once. Rice Krispies are one of those treats that you can do just about anything with. I made Nutella Krispies, Peanut Butter Cup Krispies, and Pumpkin Pie Spice Krispies. There wasn't a bad one in the bunch! YUM!

Nutella Krispies
Recipe from Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 package (10 oz.) regular marshmallows or 4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup Nutella
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in Nutella until melted.

Add cereal. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until well coated. It helps to spray a little nonstick cooking spray on the spoon to keep it from sticking.

Using a sheet of wax paper, evenly press mixture into a 13 x 9-inch pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cool and cut into 2-inch squares.

Peanut Butter Cup Krispies
Recipe from Cookies and Cups

8 cups puffed rice cereal (Rice Krispies)

1 (10.5 oz) bag mini marshmallows

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

21 peanut butter cups unwrapped

1 cup peanut butter chips (melted)

Line a 9×9 pan with foil, and spray lightly with cooking spray.

Place your unwrapped peanut butter cups face down in your prepared pan. (You might need to cut some in half to make them fit nicely.)

Over low heat melt your butter. Add your marshmallows to the melted butter and stir until marshmallows are melted.

Remove from heat and stir in your peanut butter. When the peanut butter is incorporated stir in your krispies.

When combined dump the krispie mixture on top of the peanut butter cups and press evenly in to pan. Let sit for at least 15 minutes to cool and then flip the pan upside down releasing the krispie treats.

Peel foil back off krispies. Drizzle your melted peanut butter chips on top of the krispie treats and let set before cutting into squares.

Pumpkin Spice Krispies
Recipe from Cookies and Cups

1/4 cup salted butter

1 (10.5) oz bag mini marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispie cereal
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Spray 9x9 pan with non-stick spray. Over med-low heat melt your butter. Once your butter is melted, continue to cook until butter starts to brown.
It will turn a golden brown color and develop a nutty aroma. Be careful not to burn. Once the butter begins to brown it can burn quickly. Stir up any brown bits. Add the marshmallows and pumpkin pie spice. Stir until marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat and stir in rice krispies.

When mixed spread the krispie mixture in your prepared pan. Spray a sheet of wax paper or parchment with non-stick spray and gently press the krispies down evenly. Let cool for 30 minutes and then cut into squares.

Hearty Tuna Casserole

2011-09-23T06:48:00.000-06:00

I am surprised by how many recipes are in my old cookbook that I have never posted on the blog before. I wouldn't say they are regulars for us but that is mostly because I try so many new recipes that we don't have time to make the old ones. I was nice pouring through my old recipes and re-discovering the meals that we used to make all the time.

Hearty Tuna Casserole

3 cups cooked egg noodles
12 oz tuna, drained
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup zucchini, chopped
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tsp mustard
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup monterey jack, shredded
1 tomato, diced

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients (minus cheese and tomato). Spoon into greased 2 qt casserole dish. Top with cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped tomato.

Stromboli Supreme

2011-09-22T04:00:00.000-06:00

Here is another recipe from my old files that I have been making for years. It is so yummy and definitely a family favorite!

Stomboli Supreme

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed and risen

2 eggs, seperated

1 TBSP parmesan

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

2 TBSP olive oil

Pepperoni

Mozzarella

Mushrooms

Onions

Bell Pepper

Italian Sausage, cooked and crumbled

Garlic salt and parmesan for topping

Marinara or Pizza Sauce, for dipping

Press dough into rectangle. Combine egg yolks through olive oil and spread on dough. Layer toppings and roll up. Beat egg whites with a little water and brush top of dough with it. Sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until browned.

Taco Stuffed Shells

2011-09-21T04:00:00.000-06:00

About 6 years ago I made a cookbook for family as a Christmas gift. It included recipes collected from members of the family and also a lot of recipes from me. Most of the recipes I included were favorites and regulars on our weekly menu. This was all before I started collecting recipes like they were gold so we often repeated meals throughout the month. These days we rarely eat the same thing twice in a month because I am constantly trying new things.

Last week I pulled out the old cookbook and started looking through it. I realized that there were quite a few old recipes that I have never posted on the blog. I decided to make my favorites and finally get them posted.

This recipe is one of those favorites. It isn't your ordinary stuffed shell recipe but man is it delicious. The meat is mixed with cream cheese, stuffed inside the shell, and topped with taco sauce and cheese. SOOOOO good!

Enjoy and be on the lookout for more "old" recipes! :)

Taco Stuffed Shells

1 lb ground beef
8 oz cream cheese
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
18 jumbo shells, cooked
2 TBSP butter, melted
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup monterey jack cheese

Brown beef in skillet. Add cream cheese, salt, and chili powder; simmer 5 minutes.

Toss cooked shells in butter and fill with beef mixture. Arrange shells in pan. Pour taco sauce over shells; cover with foil.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Uncover, top with cheeses. Bake 15 minutes longer or until bubbly.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Biscotti

2011-09-20T04:00:00.000-06:00

My husband's favorite cookie is White Chocolate Macadamia Nut so when I saw this biscotti recipe I knew I would be making it soon. It was a great biscotti recipe and we all loved it!

Enjoy!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Biscotti
Recipe from Surly Kitchen

½ c sugar
4 Tbl butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 ¼ c flour
2/3 c quick oats
½ tsp baking powder
generous pinch salt
¼ c white chocolate chips
1.5 oz (generous ¼ c) chopped macadamia nuts

In a bowl, stir together flour, oats, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add sugar, melted butter, and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk in the eggs. Add the dry ingredients, along with the chips and nuts, and stir with a rubber spatula (or wooden spoon) until just combined. Cover dough and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes minimum.

When ready to bake, remove dough from fridge and preheat oven to 350F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. With wet hands, take the dough and form it into a rectangular loaf. Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove.

Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut loaf into desired portion size. Bake the pieces for about 6 minutes on each side, until golden and toasted.

If desired, drizzle melted chocolate over pieces. Allow to cool completely, before storing in an airtight container.

Beefy Tomato Soup

2011-09-19T04:00:00.000-06:00

My husband says this soup reminds him of a stuffed bell pepper. Easy, hearty, and delicious! :)

Beefy Tomato Soup

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt (more or less depending on taste)

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

3 cans tomato soup

2 cups water

2 cups gemilli, cooked (could use rotini, small shells, or elbow)
Parmesan for serving

Cook the beef through oregano in a large soup pot until beef is cooked through. Mix in soup, water,

and gemelli. Cook until hot and bubbling. Ladle into bowls and top with parmesan.

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

2011-09-18T08:32:00.002-06:00

I know there are a ton of pumpkin pancake recipes out there but I am throwing one more into the mix. Instead of trying to pick from all the recipes, I created my own and I have to say they are fantastic!

I have made these two weekends in a row and my family gobbles them up. My husband, who isn't a big pancake eater, has had seconds both times and has requested that I make these often this fall. They are amazingly delicious and taste so much like pumpkin pie.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp oil
3/4 cup pumpkin
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Mix flour through brown sugar in a large bowl. In a medium bowl mix oil through vanilla. Mix wet into dry and whisk to combine. Cook on griddle until done. Serve with maple syrup or whipped cream... or both!

Minny's Caramel Cake

2011-09-17T05:00:00.000-06:00

The entire time I was reading "The Help" all I could think of was Minny's Caramel Cake. I LOVE caramel and was excited to try a cake with caramel. I ended up making this for my birthday and it was fantastic!!!

I used the caramel frosting recipe for the filling and a caramel cream cheese frosting for the outside. It was such a fantastic cake!!!

Enjoy!

Minny's Caramel Cake
Recipe found at Scrumpdillyicious

Minny's Caramel Cake

Makes one 9" 2-layer cake

1 cup finely chopped pecans, plus extra for garnish
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups unsifted cake flour
1/8 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed for about 20 minutes or until mixture is light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix until blended. Combine flour, baking powder, pecans and salt in another bowl. Slowly alternate adding buttermilk and flour mixture to butter mixture, Begin and end with flour mixture and make sure to scrape down sides of bowl frequently until all is combined. Mix batter until well blended and smooth.

Prepare 2 9-inch pans by lining the bottoms with parchment paper, buttering the side then dusting with flour. Divide the batter evenly among the 2 pans. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until cake is lightly browned and springs back and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove cakes from pans after cooling for 10 minutes and then cool completely on wire racks.

Caramel Frosting:

2 1/2 cups sugar
1 large egg, slightly beaten
8 tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla

Melt 1/2 cup of sugar in iron skillet slowly, until brown and runny. Mix egg, butter, remaining sugar, and milk in a saucepan and cook over a low flame until butter melts. Turn the heat up to medium and add the browned sugar. Cook until it reaches the soft ball stage or until mixture leaves sides of pan. This takes about 10 minutes. Remove from fire, let cool slightly, and add vanilla. Beat until right consistency to spread. If it gets too thick add a little cream.

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/4 cup light brown sugar
10 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup whipping cream
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Dash of salt
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

Melt brown sugar and 4 tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil over medium heat; remove from heat. Whisk in cream; blend well. Transfer to a heat-resistant bowl. Cool at room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Place remaining 6 tbsp butter and cream cheese in a large bowl; beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla and salt. With mixer running, slowly pour in cooled brown sugar mixture; beat until smooth. Add powdered sugar gradually, beating well after each addition until completely smooth. Chill slightly for a firmer texture, stirring occasionally.

To finish:

Sandwich layers with caramel frosting. Frost outside with cream cheese frosting.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-09-16T14:32:00.001-06:00

My weakness? Peanut butter and chocolate. Seriously, hand me anything with those two ingredients mixed and I am a happy camper. I saw these cookies in my September King Arthur Flour catalog and knew I would make them ASAP. I made them today for my daughter's teacher and kept a couple here at the house for the kids. I used the Reese's mini cups... they are even tinier than the normal minis. If you don't want to go buy them, you could always cut up the larger ones.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe from KA Flour

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

2 tablespoons water

1 1/2 cups mini peanut butter cups

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

In another bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and water, then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well. Stir in the mini peanut butter cups.

Scoop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they're set and you can smell chocolate. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

2011-09-16T09:06:00.002-06:00

It may not quite be Fall here in El Paso (still in the 80s-90s) but that isn't going to stop me from breaking out the pumpkin! The time between my birthday and Christmas is my favorite time of year. Lots of great holidays and lots of great opportunities to make good food. Plus, pumpkin is plentiful and we all know just how much I LOVE pumpkin!!!

This is one of my favorite pumpkin muffin recipes and I'm not quite sure why it isn't on the blog. I have been making it for 6 years or so... it is definitely a keeper! I love the addition of the apple and it keeps the muffins so moist! YUM!!!

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

1 1/4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

2 TBSP vegetable oil

1 cup apple, finely chopped

Topping:

1 TBSP flour

3 TBSP sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 TBSP butter

Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine wet ingredients. Stir dry into wet just until combined. Fold in apples. Spoon into muffin tin.

Combine streusel ingredients until crumbly and sprinkle over muffins.

Bake for 20 minutes or until done.

30 by 30

2011-09-15T04:00:00.000-06:00

Today is my 29th birthday! I wanted to do something special to mark the last year in my 20's and a bucket list was the way to go! I have seen a couple of bloggers make 30 by 30 lists and I thought it would be perfect. It is a way to push me to make some things that I have been putting off or just have never gotten around to.

It was fun putting the list together and it took A LOT of thinking. If I see something I want to make or there is a technique I want to try, I usually just jump right on it. It took some time to come up with a good list of 30 things that would be fun!

The list is definitely full of variety! Some things are difficult and I chose them in order to work on a special skill. Some things are easy and just something I want to try. Some are things that have been on my to-do list for quite a while and this was the push I needed to finally get them done.

This is going to be a fun year filled with lots of good food! I hope you'll stick around and watch me chip away at this list!

1. Vanilla Extract
2. Sourdough Bread (Starter must be homemade)
3. Pita Bread
4. Popovers
5. English Muffins
6. Souffle (Can be either sweet or savory)
7. Paella
8. Pierogies
9. Cassoulet
10. Tamales
11. Coq au Vin
12. Beef Wellington
13. Grill a complete meal (My husband is the grill master... thought it was time I learned!)
14. Homemade Tortellini
15. Noodles (I've made homemade lasagna noodles and ravioli but want to make fettuccine/spaghetti)
16. Risotto
17. Pineapple Upside Down Cake
18. Opera Cake
19. Boston Cream Pie
20. Baklava
21. Napoleon
22. Baked Alaska
23. Petit Fours
24. Funnel Cake
25. Cake Pops (I've made cake balls a million times but never cute pops)
26. Macarons (I've attempted before but never got the "feet". Time to master this skill!!!)
27. Bananas Foster
28. Lattice Topped Pie
29. Homemade Oreos
30. Salt Water Taffy

Blueberry Jam

2011-09-14T09:24:00.001-06:00

I wanted to get this posted before you all run out of blueberries! This is a great way to use blueberries and it is super easy. Homemade jam on a toasted english muffin makes for a yummy breakfast!

Enjoy!

Blueberry Jam
Recipe from Fine Dining Lovers

2 pounds fresh blueberries
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
Pinch salt
5 Tablespoons honey

Wash and rinse blueberries. Place them in a stock pot with a cup of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and lower the heat. Let the mixture simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the spices, salt, and honey.

Simmer, uncovered, on low heat, until the fruit has cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir periodically and taste towards the end of cooking. Add more honey if desired.

Cool and store in refrigerator.

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

2011-09-14T04:00:00.000-06:00

My family loved this dish! It was delicous and easy to make. We will definitely be enjoying it again soon!

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina
Recipe from Food Network

1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta - I used Ditalini)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)

1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

TWD: Classic Brownies

2011-09-13T04:00:00.000-06:00

For me, you can't go wrong with a brownie. Okay, so I don't really care for cake-like brownies but that doesn't mean I'd turn one down! I added in chocolate chips to the recipe and loved the little bits of melted chocolate. YUM!

Thanks to Anne of Anne Strawberry for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at her blog.

Cream Cheese Hershey Bar Cookies

2011-09-12T04:39:00.000-06:00

So soft, so chocolatey, SO DELICIOUS!

Cream Cheese Hershey Bar Cookies
Recipe adapted from Cupookies

3 oz cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cup flour
4 Hershey's Bars, chopped

Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Mix in flour and baking powder just until combined. Stir in chopped chocolate.

Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375. Scoop out dough onto lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.

French Bread Rolls

2011-09-10T11:28:00.000-06:00

Nothing finishes off a meal better than a fresh, hot dinner roll! These are so good and I have to stop myself from eating the whole batch! :)

Enjoy!

French Bread Rolls

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 TBSP yeast
2 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
4 cups bread flour

In a large bowl mix together water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand 10 minutes.

Add oil, salt, and 1/2 of the flour. Stir in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from sides of bowl.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl; place dough inside turning to coat.

Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Deflate dough and divide into 16 round balls. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart. Cover rolls and let rise until doubled.

Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Brat Sliders

2011-09-09T04:09:00.000-06:00

My husband absolutely loves bratwurst so as soon as I saw this I knew I would be making it for him. My husband said it was a "beer brat explosion" and was incredibly delicious and creamy. I know he will be requesting this again!

Brat Sliders
Recipe from Taste of Home

1/2 lb bacon, chopped
1 lb bratwurst, casings removed
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, cubed
1 cup dark beer
1 TBSP dijon mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
Rolls

Cook bacon until crispy; drain on paper towels. Cook bratwurst and onion in bacon drippings until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute more. Drain.

Stir in cream cheese, beer, mustard, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in bacon.

Serve on rolls.

Chicken Chimichangas

2011-09-08T04:20:00.000-06:00

Oh my goodness were these good!!! They required a little more work (I think about 4 pans and about 45 minutes total) but they were so worth it! My husband has requested that they go on our normal meal rotation so you know they must be good!

I did want to mention that the recipe calls for 6 tortillas but I had enough filling for at least 10-12 (saved the leftover filling in the fridge). :)

Chicken Chimichangas
Recipe from BlogChef

1 ½ cups chicken broth
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
½ cup red enchilada sauce
1 onion, diced
6 (12 inch) flour tortillas
4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 pound Monterey jack cheese (shredded)
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives
4 cups refried beans
¼ cup vegetable oil

In a medium saucepan combine chicken broth, rice, enchilada sauce, and diced onion. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the rice is tender. Stir in shredded cooked chicken and mix well.

Heat refried beans in a saucepan over low heat until they stir easily. Heat tortillas so that they fold easily.

Spoon equal amounts of refried beans onto each tortillas followed by equal amounts of the chicken/rice mixture, Monterey jack cheese, and black olives. Roll up the tortillas¸while tucking in the sides.

Heat oil in a large skillet and fry the filled tortillas, turning once, until browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Anya's Apple Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-09-07T04:10:00.000-06:00

I made this cake with my 6 year old for a special treat. She requested an apple cake and she wanted one with frosting. Most apple cakes have a thin frosting or a glaze but I know my girl... she needed A LOT of frosting.

I came up with this combination and I must say that my little girl was VERY pleased. It was a fantastic cake and it will be made again and again. I hope you'll give it a try... it is delicious!

Anya's Apple Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Gourmet.com

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2cupsunsweetened applesauce
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.

Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in apples.

Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes.

Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

Beat cream cheese and butter until combined. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.

Butterfinger-Banana Milkshake

2011-09-06T06:41:00.002-06:00

On a hot summer day (even though fall is supposed to be coming soon!) nothing beats a delicious milkshake! This one is full of Butterfingers and bananas and is so yummy!

Butterfinger-Banana Milkshake

1 cup milk
3 cups vanilla ice cream
4 bananas
8 miniature Butterfingers

Place all ingredients into blender; process until smooth. Pour into glasses and top with crushed Butterfingers.

Zucchini-Cheddar Biscuits

2011-09-05T17:33:00.004-06:00

Zucchini and cheddar in a biscuit? All I can say is A-MAZ-ING!!!!!

Zucchini-Cheddar Biscuits
Recipe from A Cozy Kitchen

3/4 cup zucchini, shredded (about 1 small zucchini)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 cup grated cheddar
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 stick butter, cold and cubed
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Shred the zucchini. Using a cheese cloth, add the zucchini to the center and squeeze all of the excess water out. Transfer to a small bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon salt and a dash of flour. Mix and let stand for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Working quickly, add the cubed butter and break up with your hands until they’re the size of small peas.

Add the milk, zucchini and cheddar until moistened. Drop batter, using two tablespoons, on a baking sheet lined with parchment.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Serve warm with pat of butter.

Taco Braid and Homemade Guacamole

2011-09-02T03:06:00.000-06:00

This meal was so easy and so delicious! My husband said it was like a fluffy chimichanga. I was scatterbrained when I made it and I closed it up without the cheddar. No worries, though... we just threw the cheese on top!

And the guacamole... well, let's just say there isn't any left! YUM!

Taco Braid

Recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything

1 recipe bread dough (can be homemade or frozen dough from the store)

Filling:

4 oz of Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup Salsa
1/2 lb ground beef seasoned with taco seasoning

1 can (15oz) of black beans (drained)

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
olive oil
garlic salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll dough into a 15-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Place on a greased cookie sheet. It's very important to place the dough on the cookie sheet before you fill it because once you fill it, it will be too heavy to move onto the cookie sheet. Mix salsa and cream cheese in a small bowl. Spread cream cheese mixture lengthwise down center third of rectangle, salsa, then seasoned meat and black beans. Sprinkle with cheese.

On each long side, cut 1 inch wide strips about 2-1/2-inches into center. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling.

Pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Cover and let rise for 20 minutes.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Guacamole

4 ripe avocados

1/2 cup red onion, diced finely

2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced finely

1/4 - 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped finely

1 lime, juiced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Cut avocados in half and remove pit. Scoop out flesh of avocado and coarsely chop it. Place in a large bowl and slightly mash with a fork. I like mine on the chunky side. Add the diced onion, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic and toss together with the avocados. Add the lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

Lemon Zucchini Bread

2011-09-01T03:20:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure why I haven't posted this bread before. I made it for the first time at least 4 years ago and LOVE it! The lemon and zucchini go so well together and it is such a moist bread. Definitely a winner! Plus, it makes 2 loaves, so keep one for yourself and give one to a friend. :)

Lemon Zucchini Bread

4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant lemon pudding mix
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup vegetable oil
3 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp lemon extract
2 cups shredded zucchini
2 tsp lemon zest

In a large bowl combine flour through salt. In a medium bowl combine eggs through lemon extract. Mix wet into dry and stir just until combined. Fold in zucchini and lemon zest.

Divide between two greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Blueberry Muffins... with Jam!

2011-08-31T04:54:00.000-06:00

I love muffins and blueberry muffins are probably one of my favorites. This recipe has an extra step but it makes the muffins SO good! Half of the blueberries are cooked down into a jam and then swirled on top of the muffins. Definitely a keeper!!!

Blueberry Muffins
Recipe from Cooks Illustrated (Found at Tracey's Culinary Adventures)

Lemon-Sugar Topping
1/3 cup sugar (2 1/3 oz)
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (about 1 lemon)

Muffins
2 cups (about 10 oz) fresh blueberries
1 1/8 cups sugar (8 oz) plus 1 teaspoon
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 oz) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

To make the topping: Combine the lemon zest and sugar in a small bowl and rub together with your fingertips until fragrant.

Preheat the oven to 425 F with a rack in the upper third. Spray your muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine 1 cup of the blueberries along with 1 teaspoon of sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, mashing the berries with a spoon and stirring frequently. Continue cooking until the berries break down and the mixture has a thick jam-like consistency; the volume should be reduced to about 1/4 cup. Transfer to a small bowl and cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. In another large bowl, whisk the remaining 1 1/8 cups of sugar and the eggs together until pale yellow and thick. Whisk in the butter and oil until combined. Add the buttermilk and vanilla and whisk to incorporate fully. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture along with the remaining 1 cup of blueberries. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold until the dry ingredients are just moistened - the batter will be lumpy, that's fine. Don't overmix.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared wells of the muffin pan - each well should be completely full. Add one teaspoon of the blueberry jam to the center of each well of batter. Use a skewer to gently swirl the jam into the batter. Sprinkle the muffins with the lemon sugar.

Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins are golden and they spring back when gently pressed. Transfer the muffin pan to a wire rack and let the muffins cool for 5 minutes before removing them to cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins

TWD: Cornmeal and Apple Muffins

2011-08-30T03:52:00.000-06:00

This was supposed to be a loaf but I turned it into muffins to make it easier to grab on the go. I chose to use apples to fill them and they are SO good! I love the addition of cornmeal, too. Definitely a great muffin!

Thanks to Caitlin of Engineer Baker for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at her blog.

Twice Baked Potatoes

2011-08-29T04:51:00.000-06:00

You can't go wrong with a twice baked potato! Filled with butter, sour cream, bacon, green onions, and cheese.... so delicious!!!

Twice Baked Potatoes
Recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything

4 large baking potatoes
8 slices bacon, crumbled and divided
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
8 green onions, sliced, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.

When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh so the potato maintains it's shape; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese, 1/2 the green onions,1/2 the bacon, and milk; mix well.

Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.

Bake for another 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Bacon Fried Rice

2011-08-26T03:50:00.000-06:00

This fried rice is absolutely AMAZING!!!! I served it with lettuce wraps but everyone kept going back for more rice. I think the bacon sends it over the edge. I think I need to go make more now!

Bacon Fried Rice

Recipe slightly adapted from Taste of Home

1 tsp canola oil

1 egg, beaten

1 lb bacon, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

8 green onions, sliced

3 cups cooked rice

1 cup bean sprouts

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/4 cup soy sauce

Heat oil in a wok. Pour egg into wok. As egg sets, lift edges letting uncooked portion flow underneath. When egg is done, move to plate and set aside.

In same wok, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towels. Reserve 2 TBSP drippings.

Saute mushrooms and onions in bacon drippings. Stir in rice, bean sprouts, peas, soy sauce, and bacon. Chop egg into small pieces; stir into wok and heat through.

Pineapple-Coconut Dip

2011-08-25T04:43:00.000-06:00

This is a delicious after-school snack for the kiddos... and grown-ups, too!

Pineapple-Coconut Dip

32 oz vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup coconut

20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 cup brown sugar

Fruit, cookies, graham crackers - for dipping

Mix yogurt, 1/4 cup coconut, pineapple, and brown sugar. Toast remaining 1/4 cup coconut; sprinkle on top. Dip with favorite fruit or cookies.

Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls

2011-08-24T06:10:00.002-06:00

My daughter started school on Monday and requested these cinnamon rolls for her special breakfast. They were absolutely delicous. Lemon and blueberries always work so well together and it was a great combination for these rolls. We'll definitely be making them again!

Enjoy!

Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe from Annie Eats

For the cinnamon rolls:
6½ tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
5½ tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. lemon zest
3½ cups bread flour
2 tsp. instant (rapid rise) yeast
1 cup plus 2-4 tbsp. whole milk or buttermilk, at room temperature

For the filling:
3 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
1½ cups fresh blueberries

For the glaze:
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
6-7 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. lemon zest

Directions:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the sugar, salt and butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Mix in the egg and lemon zest until incorporated. Mix in the flour, yeast and milk until a dough forms. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed, about 8 minutes until the dough is silky and supple, tacky but not sticky. (You may need to add a little extra flour or liquid to achieve this texture.) Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Mist a work surface with spray oil. Roll it out into a rectangle with a rolling pin, lightly dusting the dough with flour if needed to keep it from sticking (about 12 x 14 inches for larger rolls or 9 x 18 inches for smaller rolls). Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix to blend. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle the berries over the top evenly of the dough. Starting with the wide edge, roll up the dough into a cigar-shaped log, creating a cinnamon sugar spiral as you roll. Pinch the seam shut, and with the seam side down, slice the log into your desired number of rolls. Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, placing the rolls about ½-1 inch apart.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 75-90 minutes, until the rolls have grown into each other and have nearly doubled in size. At this point, the rolls can also be covered and retarded in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Pull the pan out of the refrigerator 3-4 hours before baking to let the dough proof.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool in the baking about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Whisk together the glaze ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth and then swirl over the top of the cinnamon rolls. Let cool at least 15-20 minutes before serving.

TWD: Golden Brioche Loaves

2011-08-23T11:58:00.005-06:00

Brioche is an amazingly delicious, super soft buttery bread. If you've never had brioche, you need to either go buy a loaf or make some yourself! Not only is the bread delicious but the dough has got to be the silkiest dough I have ever worked with. LOVE LOVE LOVE brioche!

We ate the brioche plain, toasted with jam, and as French Toast. Dorie had a playing around idea for sugar crusted french toast and we decided to make it. HOLY MOLY!!! Hands down the best french toast EVER!

Head over to Tea and Scones for the recipe. You won't be sorry!!!

Delicious Chicken Wraps

2011-08-22T05:57:00.003-06:00

My six year old named these wraps. :) She said I should call them Delicious Chicken Wraps because then people would know that they should make them. hahaha But they are delicous and super easy. With school starting and extra-curricular activities, sometimes a quick dinner is neccessary. These wraps fit that bill!

Enjoy!

Delicious Chicken Wraps
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/2 red onion diced
1 package cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup cilantro
1 cup feta
2 avocados, diced
Juice of 1 lemon

Tortillas

Dressing:
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Sprinkle avocados with lemon juice.

Combine chicken through avocados in large bowl.

Mix dressing ingredients; pour over chicken mixture.

Spoon into tortillas, wrap up, and enjoy!

Marbled Nutella Banana Bread

2011-08-19T06:07:00.001-06:00

As promised yesterday, here is another banana bread recipe. But this is not just any banana bread. This is Marbled Nutella Banana Bread! YUM! We all know Nutella makes everything better and this bread is delicious! Kinda reminds me of chocolate covered bananas!

Enjoy!

Marbled Nutella Banana Bread
Recipe from Sugar Plum

2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup Nutella

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together banana, butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until creamy and well combined - about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs until well combined - about 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour mixture until just combined. Divide 1/2 of of the batter into a medium bowl; stir in Nutella until combined.

Alternate spoonfuls of batter into loaf pan until all of the batter is used up. Swirl batter gently with a knife (not too much!). Bake 1 hour or until well risen, deep golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into bread comes out with moist crumbs attached.

Cream Cheese Banana Bread

2011-08-18T11:40:00.002-06:00

What is it about banana bread that makes you try recipe after recipe even though you already have a tried and true recipe? I don't know but I do know that I LOVE trying out new recipes of banana bread. Case in point - I have over 10 recipes of either banana bread or banana muffins on my blog. Not counting this one. Or the one I am posting tomorrow! hahaha

The cream cheese in this bread makes it SO moist! It was fantastic and one of my favorites!

Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Banana Bread
Recipe from FakeGinger

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup mashed bananas (about 2 medium)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg beating just until blended. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in banana, walnuts, and vanilla. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 8- x 4-inch loafpans.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and sides pull away from pan, shielding with aluminum foil last 15 minutes to prevent browning, if necessary. Cool bread in pan on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool 30 minutes on wire racks before slicing.

TWD: Carrot Spice Muffins

2011-08-09T06:32:00.002-06:00

I love baking with vegetables, especially carrots! These muffins are filled with carrots, raisins, coconut, and yummy spices. We loved them and will definitely make them again!

Thanks to Nancy of The Dogs Eat the Crumbs for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at her blog.

Cherry Limeade Pound Cake

2011-08-07T07:01:00.004-06:00

This is one of the best cakes I have ever had! It is so moist and extremely delicious! All my family could say while eating it was "Mmmmmmmmmm"! You MUST make this cake ASAP!!!

Cherry Limeade Pound Cake
Recipe from RecipeGirl

CAKE:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups granulated white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lime zest
5 large eggs
3/4 cup Cherry 7-Up (*see tips below)
2 cups pitted and quartered fresh sweet cherries

GLAZE:
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tablespoons Cherry 7-Up
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lime zest

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt cake or tube pan.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt

3. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together butter and sugar. Add lime zest. Beat in eggs one at a time, until each is well incorporated. Mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture at a time, alternating with the 7-Up. Stir in cherries.

4. Scoop batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan on the counter several times to rid the batter of any air bubbles. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until sharp, thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes, then place a serving plate over the top and gently flip over. Give the bottom of the pan a few taps if you need to loosen the cake from the pan. Let cake cool completely on the serving platter before topping with the glaze.

5. Prepare glaze: in a medium bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

Tips:

*If you only have regular 7-Up, Sprite, or even generic lemon-lime soda on hand, go ahead and use that- but add in a splash of maraschino cherry juice to make it a cherry flavored soda- and make sure it still comes out to 3/4 cup. For the glaze, use 1 1/2 Tablespoons of soda + 1/2 Tablespoon juice.

BLT Pasta Salad

2011-08-03T04:01:00.000-06:00

This wonderful pasta salad can be a quick main dish, a delicious side dish, or a great potluck/BBQ dish. We loved it!

BLT Pasta Salad

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

1 (12 oz) box shell pasta, cooked and drained
1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 bunch green onions, diced
3 large tomatoes, chopped
4 celery stalks, diced
1 1/2 cups mayo
1 TBSP vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix everything together in a large bowl; refrigerate until needed.

TWD: Cocoa Almond Meringues

2011-08-02T05:24:00.000-06:00

Chocolatey, chewy, delicious!

Thanks to Mike of Ugly Food for an Ugly Dude for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at his blog.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

2011-08-01T06:57:00.002-06:00

Chocolate chip cookie dough on top of a brownie.... is there anything better?

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

For the Brownie:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

For the Cookie Dough:
¾ cup unsalted butter
¾ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups mini chocolate chips

1. Prepare the Brownies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil, with enough to hang over all four sides. Butter the foil. In a medium glass bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract, scraping the bowl as needed. Mix in the melted chocolate until combined. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour and mix just until combined (don’t over-mix). Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

2. Prepare the Cookie Dough: In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to combine the butter and both sugars. Add the milk and vanilla and mix until combined. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the flour just until combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.

3. Spread the cookie dough over the cooled brownies. Refrigerate until the dough is firm, about an hour. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter (my favorite way to slice brownies!) to cut the brownies. Store the brownies in an airtight container at cool room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Celebrating my Blogiversary with Cheesecake Cakes!

2011-07-31T06:20:00.005-06:00

3 years and 669 posts... Happy 3rd Blogiversary to me! :)

I can't believe that I have been blogging for 3 years! My blog has had ups and downs... sometimes I am posting daily, other times a week or two go by between posts. Regardless of how often I post I gotta say that I LOVE having this outlet. I still love trying new recipes and creating my own. I love cooking for my family and friends and I am happy to have this blog to share those recipes.

I decided to make these cheesecake cakes to celebrate. I had bookmarked THIS CAKE over a year ago and never made it. Then I bookmarked THIS CAKE back in March. Then, as if that wasn't enough, my best friend sent me the link to the chocolate/PB cake a few weeks ago. That sealed the deal... I was going to try my hand at a cheesecake cake!

There were two problems, though. I didn't want to make a huge cake and my husband and I couldn't agree on which one to make. My husband wanted the PB & Chocolate cake and I wanted to adapt a Lemon Blueberry Cake that I bookmarked into a cheesecake cake. The solution? Make minis and make both!

I am glad I made minis because I was able to make two different flavors. The lemon blueberry was AMAZING! I think that flavor combination works really well with the tanginess of the cheesecake. I put a thin layer of lemon curd in between the layers and loved the extra lemon flavor. The PB version was also great but I think the PB overshadowed the cheesecake. I think this one is definitely a cake that needs to be made full sized so there is a higher cheesecake to cake ratio. I am looking forward to trying it again one day!

Thanks for sticking around for 3 years and here's to another year of great recipes!!!

Inside of the lemon blueberry (this one wasn't frosted yet)

Inside of the PB/Chocolate

Recipe for the PB & Chocolate Cheesecake Cake can be found HERE.
Recipe for the Lemon Blueberry Cake can be found HERE. To adapt this cake into a cheesecake cake, omit the middle vanilla layer and subsitute the cheesecake from the PB cake. :)

Lemon Curd Poppy Seed Muffins

2011-07-30T17:39:00.004-06:00

What happens when you are craving muffins and have lemon curd that you want to use? Well, if you are me, then you create a delicious muffin that uses the lemon curd! These are fantastic, lemony, and oh so delicious!

Lemon Curd Poppy Seed Muffins
Makes 6 jumbo muffins or 12 regular

2 cups flour
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup lemon curd
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla (or could do half vanilla/half lemon extract for added lemon flavor)
2 TBSP poppy seeds

Topping:
1/4 cup sugar
Zest of 1 lemon

Mix flour through brown sugar in a large bowl; set aside. In a small bowl, combine eggs through poppy seeds. Mix wet into dry and stir to combine. Fill muffin tins.

Using your fingers, mix lemon zest into sugar. Sprinkle on top of muffins.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Lemon Curd

2011-07-28T18:57:00.000-06:00

If you've never had lemon curd, you are missing out. It is so fantastically lemony and delicious! Homemade lemon curd is so easy to make and it will keep in the fridge for 2 months so there is really no reason not to make it! I make it every so often and every time I do I am reminded why I love it so much! It is great with scones and biscuits, delicious in baked goods, makes a great filling for cake, and when mixed with whipped cream it makes an AMAZING fruit dip!

Lemon Curd

Recipe from Baking:From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan

1 1/4 cups sugar
6 TBSP unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1 large egg
6 large egg yolks
Freshly squeezed juice from 4 lemons

Put all ingredients in saucepan and stir to moisten sugar. Put pan over medium heat and stir without stopping until butter is melted and mixture thickens like custard (about 4-6 minutes). It is cooked enough when you can run your finger along the spatula and the curd doesn't run back into the track you created.

Remove from pan and put in heatproof bowl or jar. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface and cool to room temperature before refrigerating.

Peanut Buter Cup Brownies

2011-07-28T18:07:00.001-06:00

Peanut butter and chocolate are always a good combination and these brownies were no exception. I threw them together when my hubby asked for brownies and I was out of my chocolate for my regular brownies. These didn't disappoint ad I will be making them again!

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

2 sticks butter, melted
1 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flour
2 cups chopped peanut butter cups

Heat oven to 350.

Melt butter in saucepan; mix in cocoa. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, and stir until thoroughly mixed. Add vanilla and salt. Mix in flour. Fold in PB cups.

Pour into greased 9x13 pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Banana "Ice Cream"

2011-07-28T09:45:00.002-06:00

So this isn't really a recipe and isn't even ice cream. But, it is a great way to use up bananas without having to turn on your oven.

I had 4 bananas staring at me in the fruit basket that I needed to use soon. As much as I love banana bread, I just didn't feel like turning on the oven. So I just peeled the bananas, put them in a Ziploc bag, and threw them in the freezer until I could decide what I wanted to do with them.

Then it hit me... why not just blend up the frozen bananas? I do it all the time for smoothies and I figured it would be thick enough and creamy enough to be an ice cream-like dessert. And you know what? It totally was! Creamy, cold, and delicious! You could even mix in chocolate chips, nuts, fruit, whatever makes you happy!

I enjoyed it, the kids enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoy it too!

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Chicken

2011-07-28T05:10:00.000-06:00

This is one of the BEST grilled chicken recipes that I have ever had! Seriously... fire up the grill and make this tonight!!!!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Adapted from Serious Barbecue

Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil

2 TBSP oregano

2 TBSP black pepper

2 TBSP garlic salt

2 TBSP paprika

20 garlic cloves, minced

Juice of 4 lemons

4 chicken breasts

1 lb bacon

Glaze:

1/2 cup brown sugar

Juice of 2 lemons

Combine marinade ingredients in ziploc bag. Add chicken and marinate for at least 2 hours or up to 24.

Remove chicken from marinade and wrap in bacon. Wrap each bacon wrapped chicken breast tightly in saran wrap. Place chicken breasts in 9x13 pan and fill pan with 1/2"water. Bake chicken at 250 for 50 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and unwrap.

Place chicken over direct heat on grill for 5 minutes on each side. Remove to indirect heat, baste with glaze, and continue cooking until chicken is done.

Honey Lime Chicken Wings and Margherita Pizza

2011-07-27T16:00:00.000-06:00

An easy and delicious pizza & wings dinner!

Honey Lime Chicken Wings

Recipe from What's Cookin' Chicago?

Chicken:
3 pounds chicken wings/chicken drummettes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper3 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce:
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

To prepare the wings in the oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the wings in a bowl with salt, pepper, minced garlic and olive oil. Arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer. Cook until just cooked through, about 30 minutes.

To prepare the wings on the grill: Preheat a grill to high. Grill the wings until marked, 10 to 15 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer the marinade to a saucepan and cook until slightly thick, about 8 minutes (you can do this on the grill as well). Drizzle the wings with the sauce and top with cilantro, if desired.

If you don't have a grill, you can use a grill pan indoors, bake them in the oven or saute in a little butter in a skillet until warmed through.

Make the sauce: Combine the lime zest and juice, honey, cumin, adobo sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 tablespoon pepper in a bowl. Pour over the warm wings and let marinate at least 30 minutes.

Margherita Pizza

Recipe from Taste of Home

Pizza Dough (or pitas, english muffins, etc)

2 tsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups shredded mozzarella

3 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Thinly sliced fresh basil

Brush pizza dough with olive oil. Top with garlic, 1 cup cheese, tomatoes, and garlic powder. Top with remaining cheese and Italian seasoning.

Bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with basil.

TWD: Chocolate Sorbet

2011-07-26T05:49:00.001-06:00

4 ingredients... Milk, sugar, water, and chocolate. 1 result... FANTASTIC!!!!! I will definitely be making it again!

Thanks to Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at her blog.