Kickin It in the Kitch

Another Blog

2009-12-01T19:44:00.004-05:00

I haven't posted much on my food blog lately and had started another blog a long time ago as an attempt to track my 101 things to do in 1001 days. However, I haven't posted much on that blog either. So, I have decided to combine the 2 and changed the domain name and title of my other blog. I will post recipes, decorating ideas, and other random things as they come to me over there. Please add the following to update your Reader or Following list: http://stefscoffeebreak.blogspot.com. Thanks!

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

2009-09-13T18:01:00.005-04:00

Sometimes I'm a procrastinator, like when it comes to updating this blog. I have recipes that I have made & taken pictures of, but have not posted them either because a) I'm too lazy, b) I'm too busy, or c) I just don't really like the pictures. However, I made these cookies today and I do not want you to procrastinate making them. They are like a little bite (or two) of fall in your mouth. The icing turned out more like a glaze, but still tastes delicious. Please make these soon. You and your friends will thank you for it. Yes, you will thank yourself. I meant that to sound that way! Oh, and I only made half the recipe but am posting the original. I got 21 cookies by halving it and my first batch of ones were pretty small.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Source: Cooking This and That, who adapted it from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

Cookies:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream
1/2 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then spread icing over top.

To Make Icing: Combine all ingredients and beat with elextric mixer. Add milk as needed, to achieve spreading consistency.

Peach Sorbet

2009-08-30T21:58:00.003-04:00

Today feels like a fantastic fall day here in Ohio. I'm not a huge fan of summer, even though I love summer produce. I just can't handle the heat & humidity. This cooler weather feels like a breath of fresh air. I made this sorbet a few weeks ago...so I figured I better blog about it before I put it off any longer and it really does turn into full-fledged fall. This recipe is refreshing and tastes like fresh peaches. In fact, I wanted to make it again but the rest of my basket of peaches went bad before I could. Grab up some fresh peaches and make this before apples become the main fruit ingredient!

Peach Sorbet
Source: Annie's Eats, who adapted it from Dinner and Dessert

Ingredients:
4 cups fresh chopped peaches
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Chill mixture in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Once chilled, freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

Another Fresh Salsa

2009-08-26T21:10:00.004-04:00

My mom gave me some tomatoes and peppers from her garden. After ripening on the windowsill, I realized that they needed to be used quickly. I did not have any meals coming up that needed tomatoes so I decided to whip up a quick salsa. I even got to use some of my herbs (that are now dying). Now I did make this a couple of weeks ago so hopefully I can remember everything I put in it!

Multi-colored Tomato Salsa
Source: Original Stef recipe

Ingredients:
2 large tomatoes (I used 1 yellow & 1 red)
2 small peppers (I used 1 jalepeno & 1 garden salsa)
1 teaspoon olive oil
Small handful each of parsley and basil
1 clove of garlic (I didn't have any fresh so I used jarred)

Directions:
Chop tomatoes, peppers and herbs. Mix all ingredients together. Serve with tortilla chips!

Oven Fried Honey Chicken Nuggets

2009-08-25T22:05:00.005-04:00

I am a terrible blogger. I get on kicks with updating my blog, and then...crickets. I wish I had a good excuse but I really don't. I started classes again yesterday, but that doesn't account for my major lack of posts (i.e. none at all) last week. Life is going to be pretty hectic until the beginning of December, but I am hoping to at least make some quick week-night meals and keep my blog going at the same time.

Anyways, here is a recipe for you. These chicken nuggets are perfectly sweet and go well with a saltier side dish. I served them with some homemade macaroni & cheese. Sometimes I don't tell Jon what is in some of the food I make because I know he will turn his nose up at it. Instead, I ask him if he liked the food after he eats it. Most of the time his answer is yes and then I reveal the "secret ingredient he hates" that is in it. In the case of the chicken nuggets the ingredient is balsamic vinegar. If you hate this vinegar, please don't be put off by it in this meal! It is perfectly complemented with the honey and breading. Try it...tonight. Or tomorrow. :)

Oven-fried Honey Chicken Nuggets
Source: Macaroni and Cheesecake, who got it from Sweet Tea in Texas

Ingredients:
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs
Olive oil cooking spray
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray foil-lined baking pan large enough to hold all chicken pieces in one layer.

In shallow bowl, whisk together honey and vinegar. Set aside.

Place bread crumbs in a small saute pan and toast lightly over low heat for about 3-4 minutes until lightly golden brown. Pour bread crumbs a little at a time into separated bowl.

Roll chicken pieces in honey mixture, then in bread crumbs; place in pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly.

Crock Pot Applesauce

2009-08-16T20:16:00.005-04:00

I had an unfortunate incident happen over the weekend. Our refrigerator door was accidentally left open while we were gone over the weekend, resulting in temperatures below 40 degrees. Food is not safe if it rises above 40 degrees for over 2 hours. See the Food & Drug Administration website for further information. Therefore, I had to throw out all of our perishable food, even though I had just gone grocery shopping on Friday (which was really irritating). However, it also gave me a good chance to throw away leftovers and other things that had already spoiled. Speaking of leftovers, I had some apples leftover from a kids program I helped run. I also suddenly had a craving for applesauce. Now, I know it is not fall-time yet, but this applesauce was delicious and will definitely be made again during the appropriate season!

Crock Pot Applesauce
Source: A Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients:
4 large apples, peeled and cut into slices (I used granny smith)
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 T brown sugar
1/4 cup H20

Directions:
Skin, core, and cut your apples into quarters and put them in the crock pot. Add the lemon juice, water, vanilla, cinnamon and brown sugar.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. (Mine only took 3 hours so check every so often!) When the apples are super tender, mash with a potato masher or fork. (I used a fork & it worked perfectly). I also added a little bit of brown sugar to each individual dish.

Shrimp, tomato & basil orzo

2009-08-10T20:58:00.004-04:00

For as much as I love pasta, I've never made orzo before. I don't know what I was waiting for - it's a great type of pasta. I still have half a box left and multiple orzo recipes bookmarked so I'm excited to try the next one! I really don't have much more to say tonight. A storm is rolling in so I think I'll just leave you with the recipe in case I lose power. Enjoy!

Shrimp, Tomato & Basil Orzo
Source: Cooking This & That, who got it from Erica's Kitchen Adventures

Ingredients:
8 ounces orzo pasta

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, chopped (Omitted)

2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and basil (or garlic and onion), undrained

20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped or 4 teaspoons dried

kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper, to taste

crushed red pepper, to taste

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

Parmesan cheese, to taste

Directions:
Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic, saute for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes more.

Add the diced tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper, red pepper, and tomato paste. Reduce heat to medium and cover skillet. Simmer for about 5 minutes until mixture is hot.

Add orzo and Parmesan cheese to skillet, mix thoroughly to combine.

Menu for the week

2009-08-09T12:26:00.003-04:00

It is going to be over 90 degrees today. NINETY. I don't do this ridiculously hot weather. I know that I should be thankful that we've had a fairly mild summer so far, but I still get cranky when the temperature rises too high. Last week I said that I didn't want to miss out on summer - this is something I definitely want to miss out on. Hopefully the heat won't last long. My menu this week consists of things that I needed to use up & other things that I saw and just really wanted to try. None of it screams warm weather food though. Hm, guess I should have checked the forecast before making the menu and going grocery shopping.

Today: Chicken enchiladas with red chile sauce & a salad

Monday: Spaghetti with turkey meatballs & 3-cheese sauce & a salad

Tuesday: Chicken salad sandwiches & homemade fries

Wednesday: Szuchuan shrimp, rice & stir-fried veggies

Thursday: Fish (that Jon caught in Minnesota!), mashed potatoes & roasted broccoli

Friday: Not sure yet, but thinking bean burritos or something super easy

Saturday: Leftovers/fend for yourself/out somewhere

Peach Streusel Coffee Cake

2009-08-09T11:36:00.006-04:00

Be prepared for some peach recipes! I bought a huge crate of them & they were ripening quickly so I ended up making 3 recipes in a week, although one of them I forgot to take a picture of since we had Jon's parents over for dinner. It was Ina's blueberry & peach crumble...you can check it out at Tide and Thyme (dot) com although I know many more people posted about it too.

I don't have time to make breakfasts during the week, unless you count throwing some granola & fruit over yogurt and running out the door. So I guess I should say that I don't have time to make fresh muffins, scones, and other breakfast foods during the week. That's why weekends were created, right? I was so excited to make this coffee cake that I started it immediately after getting out of bed. I usually sit around for awhile after waking up on the weekends if I have nothing to get ready for. I'm pretty lazy actually. So you know this recipe is worth making. After tasting this cake, it is definitely worth it. So make this recipe before peach season is over!

Peach Streusel Coffee Cake
Source: Annie's Eats, who adapted it from Williams Sonoma

Ingredients:

For the streusel:

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

6 tbsp. (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the cake:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 egg

4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

½ cup milk

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract

2-3 firm, ripe peaches, 1 lb. total, peeled and sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9-inch round springform pan.

To make the streusel, in a bowl, stir together the flour, brown and granulated sugars and cinnamon. Add the butter and, using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut or rub in the butter until coarse crumbs form. Set aside.

To make the cake, in a bowl, stir together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed or a wire whisk, beat the egg, melted butter, milk, vanilla and almond extract until creamy, about 1 minute. Add to the flour mixture and beat just until evenly moistened. There should be no lumps or dry spots. Do not overmix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Arrange the peach slices in concentric circles from the pan sides to the center. Gently press the slices into the batter. Sprinkle evenly with the streusel.

Bake until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes.

Remove the sides of the springform pan. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.

Salmon with lime & honey sauce

2009-08-08T13:26:00.005-04:00

Finally. I have had this dish on the menu for 3 weeks in a row, and every time I was supposed to make it we either ate something else or went out somewhere. This tends to happen every time I have salmon on the menu...weird. I liked the sauce for the salmon and it was definitely flavorful, but I would have preferred a glaze instead. For some reason I like when my salmon is coated with some type of topping or glaze. However, this did taste light and was great for a weeknight summer meal. I served this with baked risotto (recipe coming later) and a side salad.

Salmon with lime & honey sauce
Adapted from Loves to Eat

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter (I used light margarine)
4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets (I only used 2 but made the same amount of sauce)
2 limes, juice of
1 teaspoon lime zest (Omitted)
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
Heat butter in 12 inch skillet.

Add salmon; cook on med for about 12 minutes, turning occasionally.

In small bowl mix remaining ingredients.

Place salmon on plates.

Pour sauce into skillet; heat through.

Drizzle on salmon.

Taco Pasta

2009-08-06T20:21:00.004-04:00

I really enjoy Mexican flavors. I'm already craving a Mexican restaurant that I've never even eaten at before. We plan to go there next month when we visit Indiana to attend the first Notre Dame game. Jon has talked this restaurant up so I hope I am not disappointed! This meal definitely incorporates some Mexican flavors (without being truly Mexican of course) and cooked up quickly, which is perfect for a busy weeknight. I think it can also be adapted to suit your tastes and what you have on hand.

Taco Pasta
Adapted from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground meat
Spices - chili powder, cumin, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, a touch of salt
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
8 oz canned chopped tomatoes
6 oz canned black beans, rinsed
6 oz chicken broth
Handful of Mexican blend shredded cheese
6 oz. rotini pasta
Sour cream for serving

Directions:

Heat a large saute pan. Add meat and cook until just about done. Season with the spices.

Add the onions and peppers, cook 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and beans, cook another 2 minutes.

Add the broth and bring to a simmer while your pasta is cooking.

Add pasta to the meat mixture, and toss with the cheese.

Plate, top with some more cheese and sour cream.

Fresh Salsa

2009-08-05T20:35:00.004-04:00

I'm kind of addicted to salsa and tortilla chips. However, I usually just pick up a jar at the store and call it a day. The new Pace pineapple mango chipotle salsa is amazing by the way. I need to figure out how to recreate that. But - if you are looking for a light, fresh-tasting salsa then look no further. Even though this salsa incorporates a can of tomatoes with fresh tomatoes and other vegetables and herbs, it still tastes really fresh. I won't even tell you how many bags of tortilla chips I have bought in the past week. It's a little bit embarrassing. Now, on to the recipe!

Fresh Salsa
Source: Annie's Eats, who adapted it from her friend's recipe

Ingredients:
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and very coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, halved
2 large vine-ripened tomatoes
1 (28 0z.) can diced tomatoes (drained or not, depending on how much liquid you want in your salsa)
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. cumin
1/2 sweet yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
juice of one lime

Directions:
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the jalapenos and garlic. Process until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add all other ingredients to the food processor. Pulse in very brief pulses until the vegetables have reached the size you desire (it does not take many pulses so don’t overdo it). Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

Peach Crumble

2009-08-03T21:52:00.003-04:00

There's a local produce stand that's just a little ways beyond the main road. I've never been there before...at least not for produce. They have a pumpkin patch in the fall that Jon and I have gone to for the past 4 years. If you choose, you can sit on hay bales in a big wagon and a horse will trot you into the field. We did that for the first 2 years, but since the wagon is mostly filled with small children and their families, we now opt to walk out into the field to find the biggest pumpkins we can. We then bring them back home & carve them with friends....a nice fall tradition! Anyways, I digress. Our town only has 2 farmers' markets - one is held on Saturdays for 2 hours in the morning and the other is held on Wednesdays for 2 hours in the evening. This stand is open every day except Monday making it much more convenient. I know they are closed on Monday because the one other time I tried to go was on a Monday. I must have missed the huge sign on the main road that stated their hours. Oops. I'm glad I finally got to go there because I found some wonderful peaches at a great price.

In the food blogging world there have been a lot of crumbles, crisps and cobblers lately. It is that time of the year after all. I have already made a blueberry cobbler earlier this summer and intend to make a peach and blueberry crumble tomorrow. Here is just one more crumble to add to the arsenal. I thought about not adding it to the blog, especially since I was making a different crumble tomorrow, but thought maybe someone out there would appreciate this recipe. This peach crumble was good - the peaches were tender, the topping was nice & buttery, and the whipped cream added that extra something.

Martha's Peach Crumble
Source: Mad About Martha

Ingredients:
8 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced (I only used 3 because they were huge & I used a slightly smaller casserole dish)
Juice of 1 lemon
Large pinch of ground cinnamon
Large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into thin pieces
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
Heavy cream (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375F.

Arrange the peach slices in a buttered shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with the lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a small bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar. With your fingers, blend the butter into the flour-sugar mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in the oats and sprinkle the mixture on top of the sliced peaches. Bake until the peaches are soft and the topping is brown, about 25 minutes.

Serve warm with fresh or whipped cream, if desired.

Strawberry and Blueberry Cream Pie

2009-08-02T20:58:00.003-04:00

What do you do when you have strawberries and blueberries in the fridge that need to be used and a random frozen pie crust in the freezer? Make this pie of course! This pie certainly does not disappoint, even if the chocolate looks a little funky. I highly recommend this for a summer dessert. I think I might try to sneak in another before summer's end. Unless Jon seriously bans me from making desserts.

Strawberry and Blueberry Cream Pie
Adapted from The Way the Cookie Crumbles, who adapted it from Pillsbury's Complete Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 cup cold heavy cream, divided
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
¼ to ½ teaspoon almond extract (I used vanilla)
1 pie crust for a 1-crust pie, completely baked and cooled (I used a frozen one)
2 pints fresh whole strawberries, hulled (I used just under 1 pint & supplemented the rest with about half cup of blueberries)
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl (or the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), beat 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon of the cream on medium speed. When the cream is frothy, increase the speed to high and whip until the cream holds firm peaks.

2. In a separate large bowl (or the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat the cream cheese on medium speed until it’s soft and creamy. Add the sugar and extract and continue beating until combined.

3. Fold about 1/3 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese to lighten the mixture, then add the remaining cream and continue folding until it’s incorporated. Evenly spread the cream mixture in the pie crust. Arrange the strawberries, pointed side up, over the filling.

4. Melt the chocolate with the remaining 1 tablespoon cream over very low heat, stirring constantly, or in the microwave on medium power, or in a double boiler. Drizzle the chocolate over the strawberries. Refrigerate the pie until set, about 1 hour.

Sorry for the crappy photo!

Low Fat Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

2009-08-02T20:44:00.003-04:00

Muffins are a great breakfast food, and even better when they are made a little healthier. I've been on a yogurt & granola kick lately, so I thought I'd switch it up a bit and make some muffins. Plus, they are easy to freeze for a quick grab-and-go breakfast. I definitely don't feel guilty eating these for breakfast!

Low Fat Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins
Adapted from Recipe Zaar

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (I used nutmeg)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fat-free buttermilk (I used light vanilla yogurt)
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce (I used another 2 tablespoons of canola oil)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Lightly spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, applesauce and egg. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry mixture, stirring until it is just combined (do not over mix). Lightly stir in the blueberries.

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Bake until the tops are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool slightly. Then transfer the muffins to cooling rack. Serve warm.

*If you want to freeze your muffins --> Freeze on baking sheet, then transfer to freezer bag. Reheat in microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

August already?? Menu for the week.

2009-08-01T12:40:00.002-04:00

Today is the first day of August. Did the summer seriously go by this fast? I haven't even went swimming. Not once. I don't know if I will actually get the chance to now. I have only gone to the farmer's market once. Luckily it runs through October, but I am quickly missing out on all of the summer produce. If you know me well, then you know my favorite season is certainly not summer. However, I don't want to miss out on the rest of what summer has to offer. I feel like I need to start packing in as much as I can, because starting August 24th my free time will be next to nothing. And now, the menu for August 1-8:

Today: Pro Football Hall of Fame festivities where we will most likely gorge ourselves on fatty & fried food. Thank God we don't make this a habit.

Sunday: Taco pasta with a side salad

Monday: Shrimp, tomato & basil orzo

Tuesday: Turkey parmesan burgers, potato bundles & some type of veggie

Wednesday: Sun-dried tomato pesto pizza with chicken

Thursday: Salmon with lime & honey glaze, baked risotto & some type of veggie (this is the 3rd week in a row that this has been on the menu - let's see if we actually make it!)

Friday: Spinach & tomato frittata with bacon

Saturday: Leftovers/fend for yourself/maybe out somewhere

Cranberry Vanilla Granola

2009-08-01T00:08:00.002-04:00

I'm a huge fan of granola on top of my yogurt for breakfast. However, I am disgusted at how much granola costs at the store. That's why I have decided to make my own granola. It doesn't cost much at all, uses ingredients I usually have on hand, and makes enough to last for at least a week of breakfasts, sometimes more. It is also very versatile - you can add or subtract ingredients as you see fit! This is the second granola I have made & so far this one tops the *very* short list.

Cranberry Vanilla Granola
Adapted from We Are Not Marth a

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick cook oats)
1/2 cup wheat germ (Omitted since I don't have any)
1/2 C almonds
1/2 C coconut flakes
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs dark brown sugar (I used light brown)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C chopped dried cherries (I used dried cranberries)

Directions:
Heat oven to 275 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

In a large bowl, mix together oats, wheat germ, almonds (if you’re using them), and coconut.

Microwave butter and brown sugar until the butter has melted. Add the maple syrup and vanilla and stir, making sure everything is mixed together well. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix until well combined and the granola starts to clump together.

Spread mixture evenly over parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

Open oven, stir granola, making sure to break up any large clumps of granola, and then evenly distribute cherries on baking sheet.

Return to the oven for another 15 minutes or until the granola is nice and golden brown.

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Pasta with Chicken

2009-07-29T19:48:00.003-04:00

I've been sitting here for about 5 minutes trying to think of what to write to introduce this dish and my mind is a complete blank. So I guess I will just tell you that this is a simple and quick weeknight dish that tasted pretty darn good!

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Pasta with Chicken
Source: Me

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 pound of linguine
1/3 jar of sun-dried tomato pesto
Fresh mozzarella, cut into chunks

Cook chicken breast chunks in large saucepan over medium-high heat until cooked through.

Meanwhile, cook linguine according to package directions and drain.

Combine linguine, pesto and chicken in pan and mix until thoroughly combined. Add chopped mozzarella and serve.

Hot and Sweet Chicken Drumsticks

2009-07-28T18:02:00.003-04:00

The Pioneer Woman made this dish this past week and I immediately bookmarked it to make this week. Now, I bookmark a lot of recipes but usually do not get to them right away since I have so many and it just depends on what food we have in the house or what's on sale at the store. However, the only thing I had to buy for this meal were the chicken drumsticks and they are pretty inexpensive. This recipe comes from Pioneer Woman's new recipe website, Tasty Kitchen, and it was submitted by member Terri. These were really good. Of course, I'm a huge fan of any type of protein with some type of fruit preserves. You could even use regular chicken breasts if you didn't want to get drumsticks. It's pretty versatile! I also halved this recipe and used a package of 7 drumsticks. I served the chicken with mashed potatoes, side salad and honey yeast rolls.

Hot and Sweet Chicken Drumsticks
Source: Tasty Kitchen member Terri, originally seen on The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
1 Cup Apricot Preserves
1/2 Cup Ketchup
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Minced Garlic
2 teaspoons Hot Pepper Sauce
3 Lbs. Drumsticks (about 12)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*. In a small saucepan, combine preserves, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic and hot pepper sauce. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until preserves are melted.

Arrange drumsticks in a single layer on a 13 x 9″ baking pan. Pour sauce over drumsticks, turning to coat. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until chicken is done, spooning sauce over drumsticks while baking. Serves 6.

My 100th post!

2009-07-26T15:20:00.003-04:00

I just realized that this post is my 100th post. It wasn't going to be anything special. I just wanted to post my menu for the week. However, I do have some goals for this little recipe blog of mine so now is as good a time as any to share those with my lovely readers.

* Post more frequently. My goal right now is 3 times a week.

* Start trying out some of the recipes I have starred in my Google Reader, ripped out of magazines, or mentally noted in my cookbooks. This will help me with goal #1 as well.

* Take better photographs. I have really been working on this one (and struggling!), but I am determined to make my food look GOOD.

* Start making "Kickin It In The Kitch" look a little more professional. My brother-in-law is going to help me with this since he is a computer/website guy.

* Be featured on Clashmore Mike this fall for tasty and easy football appetizers/tail gating food. Ok, this may be a shameless plug for my husband's (and brother-in-law's) Notre Dame site, but they have mentioned featuring a new recipe a week during football season and I want to make sure that I do this up right.

Now, as mentioned previously, is my menu for the week:

Sunday: hot and sweet chicken drumsticks, mashed potatoes, and salad
Monday: baked corn dogs, fried corn, and pasta salad
Tuesday: BLTs and a side dish to be determined (I'm thinking some spinach dip & tortilla chips since I've been craving it)
Wednesday: sun-dried tomato pesto chicken pasta and biscuits
Thursday: salmon with lime and honey sauce, baked risotto and mixed veggies
Friday: most likely leftovers or whatever can be scrounged up in the fridge
Saturday: hall of fame festivities!

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

2009-07-26T12:08:00.004-04:00

Now that I've realized how easy pizza dough is to make, I have a slight obsession with making pizzas. We probably have pizza in some form at least twice a month. It's just so easy & quick! I had half of a leftover jar of alfredo sauce and instead of just dumping it over some pasta, I decided to make this pizza instead since I already had some frozen dough in the freezer. We've had a similar pizza from Papa John's and really liked it so of course I wanted to recreate it at home (with a few additional toppings!). Now I know pizza is pretty basic, but I am always looking for new topping ideas, so that is why I am sharing this "recipe" with you today.

Chicken Alfredo Pizza
Source: me! Pizza dough source: Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
Pizza dough (you could use homemade or store-bought)
Half jar of alfredo sauce
Chicken, cubed & cooked (I just saute some in a pan until they are just done since they will get baked in the oven too and I HATE dry chicken!)
Bacon, cooked and crumbled (I use the already cooked kind that you just have to heat up in the microwave)
Frozen spinach (I cook up the spinach and then blot out all of the excess water)
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Olive oil, parsley and oregano mixed together (I use this to brush on the crust)

Directions:
Roll out pizza dough to desired size on pizza stone. Spread alfredo sauce on crust and add the rest of the toppings. Brush the olive oil mixture on the crust. Bake at 500 degrees for 12 minutes or until crust is golden. (My cheese got a little browned, but it still tasted good!)

Garden-Special Primavera

2009-07-21T17:42:00.004-04:00

Who doesn't love a good meal with a ton of veggies during the summer? One of my favorite summer activities is to go to the farmer's market on the weekends. I've only been once this summer due to my schedule, but I was able to pick up some fresh beans, zucchini and garlic before the rain started really coming down last Saturday. I impulsively picked up the new Mixing Bowl magazine that Better Homes & Gardens has created and started marking a ton of recipes that I wanted to make. I think I marked more recipes in this magazine than any other that I have gotten - which is quite a feat! So with the combination of these 2 things, I bring you - Garden-Special Primavera! I'm including the original recipe (a little bit adapted), but I did cut the recipe in half and had enough for 3 servings.

Garden-Special Primavera
Adapted from Mixing Bowl Magazine by member Debra

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1.5 cups fresh asparagus, trimmed & cut into 2-inch pieces (Omitted since the asparagus didn't look that great - I'm assuming since the season is almost over!)
1 cup broccoli flowerets
12 ounces fettuccine, linguine, vermicelli or spaghetti
1 small red pepper, cut into julienne strips
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise & sliced
1 small onion, cut into thin wedges
2 gloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup prosciutto or cooked ham (I actually just sliced up some deli meat ham and it worked great)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh or dried basil

Directions:
In a large saucepan, cook beans and carrots in a small amount of boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Add asparagus and broccoli. Return to boiling; reduce heat. cover and cook 5 minutes more or till vegetables are crisp-tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions. Add sweet pepper and zucchini to pasta in boiling water for the last 3 minutes of cooking. Vegetables should be crisp-tender. Drain and return mixture to the saucepan. Add the bean mixture to the saucepan and keep it warm while preparing the sauce.

For sauce: In a medium saucepan, cook onion and garlic in hot butter over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes or until tender but not brown. Stir in chicken broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat.

In a small bowl, stir together whipping cream and flour. Add cream mixture to saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, cooked ham, green onion and basil. Cook and stire for 1 minute more. Pour sauce over pasta and vegetables. Toss gently to coat.

Banana Chocolate Crumb Muffins

2009-07-20T20:02:00.005-04:00

I don't buy bananas too often because they tend to go bad quickly and then those crazy fruit flies start flying everywhere and I can't handle it. (And has anyone ever heard of one of the ways to get rid of them with the oven method? Disgusting! Google it if you have no clue what I'm talking about) But now that I've been baking more I know that I don't have to worry about bananas going bad anymore. These muffins were excellent, although I think they would be even better with chocolate chips throughout the entire muffin instead of just on the top. This is a great muffin to whip up for breakfast this weekend!

Banana Chocolate Crumb Muffins
Source: Delish

Ingredients:
3-4 bananas, mashed
1/4 c melted butter
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/3 c granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Crumb Topping:
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 c mini chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease or line muffin tin with liners. In a large mixing bowl using a wooden spoon, mix butter and mashed bananas. Mix in granulated sugar, egg & vanilla. Sprinkle baking soda, baking powder and salt over the mixture. Add the flour, mix until just incorporated. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar & 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in mini chocolate chips. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

Bake in preheated oven 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Sesame Chicken with Broccoli

2009-07-09T18:29:00.003-04:00

I'm a big fan of Chinese food, but I don't always know what goes in it when I order it from the local Chinese restaurant. I figured I would try some homemade Chinese food at home instead. I did change up this recipe a bit because I wanted to make it a little healthier so my changes are reflected below in italics. Oh, and for some reason I could not get a good picture of this dish!

Sesame Chicken
Adapted from Taste & See

Ingredients:
3 whole boneless chicken breasts (I only used 2, but didn't cut down on the sauce because I didn't feel like figuring out the measurements)

Marinade
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon cooking wine or dry sherry
3 drops sesame oil
2 tablespoons flour (Omitted)
2 tablespoons cornstarch (Omitted)
2 tablespoons water (Omitted)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder (Omitted)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (Omitted)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil (Omitted)
Sprinkle of sugar (my addition)

Sauce
1/2 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili paste (or more)
1 garlic clove, minced

Frying
peanut oil (4 cups) (Omitted because I decided to bake mine in the oven)

2 tablespoons sesame seeds (Omitted because I couldn't find them in my local grocery store!)

Directions:
Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Mix the marinade ingredients (the first 9 ingredients listed) and marinate the chicken for 20 minutes. (I only used the first 3 ingredients & the sugar addition since I decided to bake the chicken instead)

To prepare the sauce:
Mix together all of the sauce ingredients (the LAST 9 ingredients beginning with water). Pour them into a small pot and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Turn the heat down to low and keep warm while you are deep-frying the chicken.

To deep-fry the chicken:
Add the marinated chicken pieces a few at a time, and deep-fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and then place chicken in warm oven (130 degrees) while you continue frying. Repeat with the remainder of the chicken. Just before you are finished deep-frying, bring the sauce back up to a boil. OR you can bake the chicken. I just dredged the chicken in flour after marinating the pieces and baked them at 375 for about 20 minutes.

Place the chicken on a large platter and pour the sauce over. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve the Sesame Chicken with rice. (and I also added some steamed broccoli to get some vegetables in)

Blueberry Cobbler

2009-07-08T17:54:00.004-04:00

I don't remember ever eating cobbler. Sure, I've had crisps and crumbles, but cobbler? Maybe it's because I grew up in Ohio and cobbler is typically a Southern treat...or maybe I've just been sheltered. Anyhow, I got a craving for a cobbler this week so I decided to go ahead and make it. I knew I would like it - who wouldn't like fruit, sugar and a biscuity topping with whipped cream on top? I did like this cobbler, but the almond extract was a little bit too much. I would definitely cut down on it, or just sub in vanilla extract instead.

Blueberry Cobbler
Source: Honey and Jam

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 cups blueberries (I used frozen - yes, I KNOW it's berry season but they weren't on sale the day I bought them!)
2 tablespoons almond extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
topping:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 egg, beaten

Directions:
Heat oven to 375.

Mix sugar and 2 tablespoons flour in large bowl. Add fruit and toss gently to coat. Add extract and lemon juice. Spoon mixture into 9 x 9 baking dish.

Topping:

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.

Beat whipping cream and egg in small bowl. Add mixture to the flour mixture and stir until a soft, sticky dough forms.

Drop dough over the fruit along the edges of pan, leaving the center open.

Bake 35-40 minutes or until topping is golden brown and juices are bubbling.

Fudge Brownies

2009-07-07T22:42:00.005-04:00

Our friends (and neighbors!) invited us over for dinner last Thursday and asked me to bring a dessert. I didn't have too much time to throw one together after work and also didn't want to make a trip to the store so I decided to go with this recipe since I had all of the ingredients in the house...and really, who doesn't love a good brownie dessert? I don't know if I did something wrong when I made these, but they definitely did not look like these. However, they still tasted pretty darn good and they got great reviews all around. Oh, I also halved this recipe and baked in an 8x8 pan, but I included the original recipe for you.

Fudge Brownies
Adapted from Sing for Your Supper, who got it from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa (regular cocoa is fine too)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional (I omitted)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 cups chocolate chips (I used a combo of choc chips & butterscotch chips)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan

In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just until it's hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

While the sugar heats a second time, crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla till smooth. Add the hot butter/sugar mixture, stirring until smooth.

Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. Note: If you want the chips to remain intact in the baked brownies, rather than melting in, let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips.

Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan. Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.

Raspberry Lemonade

2009-07-04T16:26:00.004-04:00

I love a good homemade lemonade. It reminds me of going to festivals as a child. When I saw this recipe, I knew I would not be disappointed. This is a great lemonade to serve in the summer at a cookout or party...or to keep all for yourself!

Raspberry Lemonade
Source: Joy the Baker, who adapted it from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar, for a less sweet lemonade, take the sugar down to 3/4 cup
1 cup water to make the simple syrup
1 cup fresh lemon juice
4 cups cold water
2 Tablespoons to 1/4 cup raspberry sauce, depending on how much raspberry you like

Directions:
Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely.

While the sugar is dissolving, use a juicer to extract the juice from 4 to 6 lemons, enough for one cup of juice. (I don't have a juicer so I just squeezed the lemons and ended up using 7 lemons to get enough juice - I heated them up in the microwave and then rolled them on the counter before cutting and squeezing to release more of the juice)

Add the juice and the sugar water to a pitcher. Add 4 cups of cold water, more or less to the desired strength. Add the prepared raspberry sauce and stir to combine. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes. If the lemonade is a little sweet for your taste, add a little more straight lemon juice to it.

Serve over ice.

Easy Raspberry Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 of a 12-ounce bag frozen raspberries, thawed (I used a pint of fresh raspberries)
1 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons water

Directions:
Place the thawed raspberries in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Add sugar and water and mix until the raspberries form a smooth puree. Transfer raspberry puree to a fine mesh strainer fit over a bowl. Press the puree through the strainer, until only the raspberry seeds and a bit of pulp remain the the strainer, and a beautiful raspberry sauce is all that’s in the bowl.

Fresh Rhubarb Pie

2009-07-03T16:28:00.004-04:00

We used to have a rhubarb plant in our yard when I was growing up. I remember my mom digging it up one year since it basically started to overtake the yard. It came back the next year. My mom dug it up again...and it finally went away. Fast forward 5-7 years later and I started dating my now husband. He loves rhubarb - especially in pies. I wish my parents still had that rhubarb plant.

Anyways, as a belated birthday gift I made this pie for Jon not really knowing what to expect. I have had strawberry & rhubarb pie before, but never strictly rhubarb. Oh, and did I mention that I've never even made a homemade pie crust before? So I was diving into a few unknowns with this project, but I think it turned out pretty fabulous if I do say so myself. The only thing that went wrong was the size of the crusts when I rolled them out. They weren't quite large enough so I couldn't flute the crusts together that great, but there was still a slight crust around the pie.

Classic Crisco Pie Crust
Source: Crisco.com

Ingredients:
2 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup well-chilled Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening
4 to 8 tablespoons ice cold water (I only needed 4)

Directions:

BLEND flour and salt in medium mixing bowl.

SPRINKLE half the maximum recommended amount of ice cold water over the flour mixture. Using a fork, stir and draw flour from bottom of bowl to the top, distributing moisture evenly into flour. Press chunks down to bottom of bowl with fork. Add more water by the tablespoon, until dough is moist enough to hold together when pressed together.

TIP: Test dough for proper moistness by squeezing a marble-sized ball of dough in your hand. If it holds together firmly, do not add any additional water. If the dough crumbles, add more water by the tablespoonful, until dough is moist enough to form a smooth ball when pressed together.

SHAPE dough into a ball for single pie crust. Divide dough in two for double crust or double deep dish crust, one ball slightly larger than the other. Flatten ball(s) into 1/2-inch thick round disk(s).Chill for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

ROLL dough (larger ball of dough for double crust pie) from center outward with steady pressure on a lightly floured work surface (or between two sheets of wax or pa rchment paper) into a circle 2-inches wider than pie plate for the bottom crust. Transfer dough to pie plate by loosely rolling around rolling pin. Center the rolling pin over the pie plate, and then unroll, easing dough into pie plate.

For a DOUBLE pie crust, roll larger disk for bottom crust, trimming edges of dough even with outer edge of pie plate. Fill unbaked pie crust according to recipe directions. Roll out smaller dough disk. Transfer dough carefully onto filled pie. Trim edges of dough leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Fold top edge under bottom crust. Press edges together to seal and flute as desired. Cut slits in top crust or prick with fork to vent steam. Bake according to specific recipe directions.

Fresh Rhubarb Pie
Source: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
4 cups chopped rhubarb
1 1/3 cups white sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

Directions:

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

Combine sugar and flour. Sprinkle 1/4 of it over pastry in pie plate. Heap rhubarb over this mixture. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and flour. Dot with small pieces of butter. Cover with top crust.

Place pie on lowest rack in oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

My Mom's Potato Salad

2009-07-03T01:00:00.000-04:00

My mom makes great potato salad. She usually makes it for me when I come over in the summer since she's such a great mom. :) I decided to try to replicate her potato salad tonight, but of course it didn't taste the same! I don't normally have regular mayo in the house so I used Miracle Whip instead and I put in pickle juice (I thought my mom used pickle juice in hers but she uses it in macaroni salad, not potato). I thought my version still tasted good though. I would like to get my mom's version down someday!

Potato Salad (sorta kinda my Mom's version)
Inspired by my mother!

Ingredients:
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped (I used red-skinned but really you can use any kind)
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
The following ingredients are all estimates since I go by taste:
1/2 - 3/4 cup Miracle Whip
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon pickle juice
1 teaspoon sugar

Directions:
Boil potatoes for 12-15 minutes until fork tender. Drain water and put potatoes in a mixing bowl. Add hard-boiled eggs to potatoes. Mix together the Miracle Whip, mustard, pickle juice and sugar together. Adjust ingredients to your taste. Add mixture to the potatoes and eggs. Refrigerate.

Chipotle Rice & Black Bean Burritos

2009-07-02T08:30:00.002-04:00

These burritos had a ton of flavor, but I do think that they would taste even better with some sour cream! (I realized I had some after I ate them - oops)

Chipotle Rice & Black Bean Burritos Adapted from Cook Like a Champion, who adapted it from Elly Says Opa!

Ingredients:
1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle in adobo, minced
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup uncooked rice (I used Uncle Ben's brown rice - the 90 second kind - because I have terrible luck making rice!)
2/3 cup water or broth (Omitted since I used instant rice)
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 tsp. oregano
Salt and pepper
Cooked chicken, shredded (my addition)

Directions:
-Heat the oil in a shallow pot/saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid.
-Add the onion and cook until tender.
-Stir in the garlic, chipotle, and bay leaf, sauteing an additional minute.
-Stir in the rice, and toast it until just a little golden.
-Add the water (or broth), black beans, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.
-Bring to a boil, cover, and then turn the heat down to low.
-Simmer for about 15 minutes.
-Remove from heat (but keep the lid on) and let sit for about 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Chili Gravy
Source: Cook Like a Champion, who adapted it from Homesick Texan

Ingredients:
1/4 cup lard (or vegetable oil)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 cups chicken broth (or water)

Directions:
-Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
-Stir in the flour and continue stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it makes a light brown roux.
-Add all the dry ingredients and continue to cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring and blending ingredients.
-Add chicken broth or water, mixing and stirring until the sauce thickens.
-Turn heat to low and let sauce simmer for 15 minutes.
-Add water to adjust the thickness.

Makes 2 cups.

To assemble the enchiladas:
-Preheat oven to 400°.
-Cover the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish with 1/2 cup chili gravy.
-Heat tortillas (corn or flour) over stovetop or in microwave.
-Fill each tortilla with chipotle rice and beans (how much will depend on the size of your tortilla).
-Place in baking dish seam side down and cover with remaining chili gravy.
-Top with shredded cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted.

Stromboli

2009-07-01T09:00:00.001-04:00

I make pizza a lot since you can use a variety of combinations and it's a quick and easy meal (once the dough is finished). I decided to try a new dough recipe, which made 2 balls of dough. I ended up using the second ball of dough the following week for more stromboli. I can't believe how good this was - I highly recommend it! Oh, sorry for the weird picture but the stromboli didn't fit on the pan so I had to curve it so it just looks weird all around.

Stromboli
Adapted from Smells Like Home
Pizza Dough Source: Annie's Eats, who got it from Baking Illustrated

Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

½ cup warm water (about 110°)

1 envelope (2 ¼ tsp.) instant yeast

1 ¼ cups water, at room temperature

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

4 cups (22 oz.) bread flour, plus more for dusting

1 ½ tsp. salt

olive oil or non-stick cooking spray for greasing the bowl

Directions:

Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add the room temperature water and oil and stir to combine.

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Briefly combine the dry ingredients at low speed. Slowly add the liquid ingredients and continue to mix at low speed until a cohesive mass forms. Stop the mixer and replace the paddle with the dough hook. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Press the dough to deflate it.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Form both pieces of dough into smooth, round balls and cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.

Use both halves of the dough or wrap one half tightly in plastic wrap and place in plastic zipper bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.

Stromboli

Ingredients:
4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
2-4 oz sliced provolone cheese (I used an Italian cheese blend)
1/2 cup sliced pepperoni (I used turkey pepperoni)
Deli ham (my addition)
Parmesan cheese
Oregano
1 tbsp butter, melted
Pizza seasoning
1/2 of the above dough recipe or store bought pizza dough

Directions:
Preheat a pizza stone in a 500 degrees F oven for 20-30 minutes.

Dust a clean work surface with flour. Roll out dough into a long oblong shape, about 12-14 inches long and about 8 inches wide.

Visually divide the dough into thirds long-ways. Down the center third of the dough sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese, place half of the provolone, sprinkle with oregano and Parmesan cheese and layer half of the pepperoni. Fold one side of the exposed dough over the stuffed center. Repeat a layer with the remaining cheeses, oregano, and pepperoni on top of the dough half that covered the first layer. Fold the remaining 1/3 of the dough over the stuffed area and wrap it under the log. Wrap the ends under the log as well.

With a sharp knife, make 4- 5 slits on the diagonal into the top of the dough to allow the bread to vent while it cooks. Using a pastry brush, brush melted butter over the top of the bread and down the sides. Sprinkle with pizza seasoning.

When the stone has heated, carefully remove it from the oven and sprinkle it with cornmeal. Place bread on the cornmealed stone and bake for 12-14 minutes until nicely browned. Remove the stone from the oven and allow the bread to cool on the stone for 5 minutes. Cut into pieces using a pizza cutter. (I dipped the stromboli into jarred pizza sauce)

A Happy Birthday & Baked Onion Rings

2009-06-30T11:14:00.001-04:00

First of all, I want to wish my husband a happy birthday! I am going to attempt to make a rhubarb pie (his favorite) for him so hopefully it will turn out & I can blog about it.

I love onion rings so much that I often substitute them for fries at a restaurant even though I know they are fried in oil and not healthy at all. The next best thing? Baked onion rings! I thought these tasted great and have made them a couple of times as side dishes to a meal. Dipping them in barbecue sauce makes them even better! (does anyone else use this condiment for onion rings?)

*I would also like to let everyone know that I have been reading up on photography so I'm hoping that I will have some better pictures on my site! These next few posts will still be pictures I took awhile ago since I have fallen behind on posting.

Baked Onion Rings
Adapted from Delicious Melicious, who adapted it from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
3 TBSP flour
1 TBSP sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground allspice (omitted)
1/3 c. milk
2 Large Vidalia or sweet onions, cut into (1/4-inch-thick) slices (use the large outer rings)
1 1/2 cups dry breadcrumbs
Cooking spray

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Combine everything except the breadcrumbs & onions in a large bowl. Dredge the onion rings in flour/milk mixture. Then coat with the breadcrumbs in a separate bowl.

3. Place the onion rings in a single layer on a baking sheets (with a few small sprays of cooking spray). Lightly spray the onion rings with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes.

Granola

2009-06-30T00:10:00.005-04:00

I haven't been eating great breakfasts lately. Too many donuts and muffins thanks to my lovely coworkers! I need to get back to the healthy breakfasts I love. I bought some light vanilla yogurt today so I thought some granola mixed in would be a great add-in. I may have cooked mine a little too long, but it still tastes great! I am excited to try some of this in my yogurt tomorrow morning.

Nutty Granola
Source: Elly Says Opa!, who adapted it from Ellie Krieger

Ingredients:

1.5 cups oats
1/4 cup unsalted almonds, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup unsalted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
3 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. honey
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup raisins

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 and spray a large baking sheet with cooking oil.

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients, mixing well to be sure everything is coated with the syrup and honey. Spread the mixture onto the prepared sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Let cool completely before storing.

Nutritional Information per 1/4 cup: Calories: 140 / Fat: 7.5g / Saturated Fat: <1>

Posts coming...

2009-06-14T12:51:00.003-04:00

I have neglected my little food blog for far too long. I have at least 3 posts coming. We are in the process of getting ready to move so I haven't gotten around to uploading the pics and writings posts! I will hopefully get to them this week!

Apple Coleslaw

2009-05-07T13:38:00.003-04:00

This is the second time I've made this, but this time I added dried cranberries since Jon did last time and thought it added something. I like this coleslaw recipe because it's quick & doesn't involve any vinegar for a lighter/different tasting coleslaw.

Apple Coleslaw
Adapted from Kraft Foods

Ingredients:

3/4 cup MIRACLE WHIP Light Dressing

1 Tbsp. honey

1 bag (16 oz.) coleslaw blend

2 medium apples (preferably 1 red and 1 green), chopped
Dried cranberries (our addition)

Directions:

MIX dressing and honey in large bowl.

ADD remaining ingredients; mix lightly.

REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour.

Chicken Pesto Pizza

2009-05-07T13:26:00.003-04:00

I saw this recipe on Annie's blog and immediately added it to the menu for the week. This pizza is fabulous. It was a different spin on pizza that I haven't made before and refreshing to taste something new!

Chicken Pesto Pizza
Adapted from Annie's Eats and Money Saving Mom (for dough)

Ingredients:

For the pesto:
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 medium garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
7 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
**I just used jarred pesto from the store** (of course, once my basil starts growing, I can make my own!)

For the pizza:
1/2 batch perfect pizza crust dough (enough for 1 pizza), at room temperature **I used a different recipe since I didn't have enough time to wait for dough to rise - it can be found at Money Saving Mom)**
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Grilled chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 1/2 of one chicken breast)
Cherry tomatoes, sliced into thirds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

To make the pesto, toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat until just golden and fragrant, 4-5 minutes. Set aside. Add the garlic to the empty skillet and toast, shaking occasionally, until the cloves are fragrant and their color deepens slightly, about 7 minutes. Transfer the cloves to a cutting board; cool, peel and chop. Place the basil in a heavy-duty gallon-sized plastic bag. Pound the bag with a rolling pin until all the leaves are bruised. Combine the pine nuts, garlic, basil, olive oil and 1/2 tsp. salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, stir in the Parmesan cheese, and adjust the salt to taste. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (Or just use store bought, like I did)

To make the pizza, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, then press onto the pizza stone. Spread a thin layer of pesto on the pizza crust using the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese. Top with grilled chicken pieces and sliced cherry tomatoes. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste. Place in the oven and bake until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 12-15 minutes. Slice and serve immediately.

Penne with Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

2009-05-05T21:33:00.004-04:00

I've been determined not to waste food lately. Maybe it is because I just cleaned out the fridge and realized how much I had to throw away. So this meal came together from food that I needed to use up in the fridge...and it tasted pretty good too!

Penne with Chicken & Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Source: Stef's Kitchen!

Ingredients:
Half pound of penne
1 large chicken breast, cubed and cooked
3/4 jar roasted red peppers
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Italian seasoning
1/4 cup half-and-half (approximately)
Spinach

Directions:
Cook penne as directed on package. During the last minute or so of cooking time, add in the spinach until wilted. Meanwhile, prepare the roasted red pepper sauce. Using a food processor, puree the roasted red peppers, garlic, and Italian seasoning together. Warm up on the stove and once warm, stir in the half-and-half. Serve penne topped with chicken and sauce.

Cookie Bites

2009-04-23T21:24:00.005-04:00

Wow, I can't believe it's been about 3 weeks since I've posted. Things have been crazy lately - I am finishing up my student teaching & working at the same time so my time has been very limited. When I do get a little bit of time to myself at night, I just crash on the couch and don't feel like doing much of anything. We have been relying on standby recipes for the most part. I did have a couple of recipe failures and we've grabbed food out a few nights this month. However, I fully expect to get back into cooking here soon! I just starred these cookie bites in my Google Reader and immediately had to make them. I'm so glad I did - these definitely hit the spot. Try them soon!

Cookie Bites
Source: Stephanie Cooks, who got it from "Sweet Food" by Kay Scarlett

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (I used salted and they were fine)
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon of milk
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease a mini muffin tin.

Cream the butter and sugar together in an electric mixer. Mix in the vanilla and gradually mix in the egg, beating well.

Stir in the milk. Sift the flour and baking powder, folding into the butter mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spoon into the mini muffin tins until the cookie is almost touching the top of the cup. Bake 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

Allow to cool in the pan until firm enough to remove. Remove and complete cooling on a wire cooling rack.

A perfect bite! (Yes, I KNOW I'm cheesy) Enjoy!

South of the Border Casserole

2009-04-09T16:14:00.002-04:00

My husband has music blaring in the apartment & keeps coming into the living room where I am to give me running commentary about the music and is dancing like a fool as well...so I can't think enough to write about this dish. I do know one thing - it's good. Try it soon.

South of the Border Casserole
Originally seen on Delicious Melicious, who got it from Cooking This and That, who got it from A Taste of Home Cooking, who got it from Garnish with Prozac (whew, I think that's it!)

Ingredients:
1 pound of lean ground beef
1 mild jalapeno, chopped (Omitted)
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
28 oz can tomatoes
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons of cumin
2 cups fat free sour cream (I only used 1 cup)
8 oz penne, ziti or any small pasta
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used colby jack)
1/4 cup cilantro, minced (Omitted)

Directions:
In a deep skillet, brown the ground beef, drain fat, if necessary. Add the peppers, onions and garlic, and cook on medium-high heat. Saute until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin.

Add the can of tomatoes, breaking up the whole tomatoes with a spoon, but still leaving big chunks. Add sour cream, stir until mixed. Add pasta. Cover and cook until pasta is al dente, about 25 minutes. This took me about 20 minutes over med-high heat. Make sure to stir frequently so the pasta doesn't get stuck to the bottom.Serve with the cheddar cheese and cilantro sprinkled on top. Serve immediately.

Honey Ginger Shrimp

2009-04-05T22:16:00.004-04:00

Shrimp was on sale (peeled, deveined & tails-off!) so I grabbed a bag since it was a reasonable price and it had been awhile since we've had shrimp. I had bookmarked this recipe in my Google Reader awhile ago and had most of the other ingredients on hand so this one got added to the menu last week. This was really good! I did double the sauce since I like a lot of sauce, but I included the original recipe. I also added a bag of stir-fry vegetables to make the meal more complete.

Honey Ginger Shrimp
Adapted from Woman with a Whisk, who adapted it from myrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1.5 lb. peeled and deveined large shrimp (I think mine was a 1 lb. bag)
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
4 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
4 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger (I used ground ginger)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 c. chopped green onions (Omitted)

Directions:
Place shrimp in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch; toss well to coat. Set aside.

Combine soy sauce, honey, and vinegar in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger, garlic, and green onions to pan; stir-fry for 15 seconds or until fragrant.

Add shrimp mixture; stir-fry for 3 minutes. (This is also when I added the bag of stir-fry veggies.)

Add soy sauce mixture; cook 2 minutes or until sauce thickens and shrimp are done, stirring frequently. Serve immediately with rice.

Weeknight Lasagna Toss

2009-04-05T11:12:00.003-04:00

I've had about 4 leftover lasagna noodles waiting to be used up for awhile now. I found this in the newest edition of Food & Family magazine and decided this would be the best way to use them up. Since I only had 4 noodles, I used up some rigatoni noodles to replace the rest of the lasagna noodles and it worked out perfectly. It does look very similar to the Tomato and Sausage Rigatoni I made recently, but there are a few flavor differences between the two.

Weeknight Lasagna Toss
Adapted from kraftfoods.com

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef

2 green peppers, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1-2/3 cups water

1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing

12 oven-ready lasagna noodles, broken into quarters

1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:
Brown meat in large saucepan; drain.

Add peppers, garlic, spaghetti sauce, water and dressing; bring to boil. Stir in noodles; cover.

Cook on medium-low heat 10 to 15 min. or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

*Substitute 12 regular lasagna noodles, broken into small pieces, for the oven-ready noodles. Increase water to 2 cups and cook 30 min., stirring occasionally.

Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake

2009-03-24T20:06:00.000-04:00

I love cheesecake...probably a little too much. I even wanted cheesecake at my wedding, but it was a little out of our budget! So I asked for a springform pan for Christmas to feed my cheesecake obsession myself. I JUST now got around to using it though! I have been bookmarking cheesecake recipes for awhile, so I definitely had a lot to choose from. However, I kept coming back to this recipe. Even though it has a ton of steps, don't be afraid of it! This was my first time making a cheesecake (besides one that I made in a 9x13 pan once) and I thought it came out great. This is definitely a RICH cheesecake...and that's coming from someone who looooves sweets. I couldn't even finish a whole piece! I think I will be freezing part of the cheesecake to have later - there's no way Jon and I will be able to finish it before it goes bad...and we won't be having anyone over in the next couple of days to help us!

Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake
Source: Brown-Eyed Baker, who adapted it from Smitten Kitchen

Part One: Brownies

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
1¾ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 13×9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Grease foil.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix well. Spread into prepared pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minute or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool in pan on wire rack. Remove brownies from pan, using foil handles.

Cool brownies, then cut them into 3/4- to 1-inch squares for use in the cheesecake (I used a pizza cutter, per Deb’s recommendation). You will have more than the two cups of cubes, loosely measured, than you will need, and I’m sorry, you’re just going to have to decide for yourself what to do with the extra. Add cubes to cake batter as directed below.

Part Two: Crumb Crust

1½ cups or 5 ounces (3 cups or 10 ounces to double) finely ground Oreos, or other chocolate cookie
5 tablespoons (10 tablespoons to double) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup (2/3 cup to double) granulated sugar
1/8 teaspooon (¼ teaspoon to double) salt

Stir together ingredients and press into bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 10″ springform pan. Fill right away or chill for up to 2 hours. (I used a 9" springform pan and it worked just fine!)

Part Three: Cheesecake

3 (8-oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Make crumb crust as directed above for 10-inch cheesecake. (Again, I used a 9") Preheat oven to 350°F.

Beat together cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions.

Fold brownie cubes in very gently and pour mixture into prepared pan. Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour filling into crust and bake in baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until cake is set 3 inches from edge but center is still slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken.

When completely cool, top with following glaze.

Part Four: Ganache Glaze

3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Place finely chopped chocolate in a medium size mixing bowl. Scald the butter and cream together in a saucepan (or in the microwave on HIGH for 1 minute). Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in vanilla and then whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. Spread over cheesecake while ganache is still warm. Chill until ready to serve.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

2009-03-24T20:03:00.000-04:00

I apparently was in a baking mood this weekend because as I was waiting for my cheesecake to cool, I decided to bake some bread. I've had a bread machine for almost 3 years now...and have not used it once. I have just carted it from apartment to apartment with me, but didn't want to get rid of it. I am so glad that I kept it and finally decided to use it! This bread was SO good. I forgot how good homemade bread is. Now I want to make some every single day. I hope to try out some other recipes too, but I know that I will probably make this one again and again. I am posting the original recipe, but I changed some things around based on others' reviews which are reflected in italics.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 1/8 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons honey (I used 1/4 cup)
1/3 teaspoon salt (I used 1 tsp.)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I used 2 cups)
1 1/2 cups bread flour (I used 1 cup)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used 2 unsalted butter)
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions:
Add ingredients according to the manufacturer's directions to your bread machine. Use the wheat bread cycle and light color setting.

Spinach Pasta Toss

2009-03-24T20:01:00.001-04:00

After baking all day I wanted a low-key dinner. I chose this one from my newest issue of Food & Family from Kraft. I was worried that it would be too bland, but it wasn't at all. The chiles in the tomatoes definitely spiced it up. In fact, I will probably keep this on rotation for nights when I don't have much time to cook! It's also a great vegetarian meal, but still filling. You could always add chicken or some type of beans if you wanted some protein though.

Spinach Pasta Toss
Adapted from Food & Family

Ingredients:

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained (I used a can of diced tomatoes & chiles I already had on hand)

2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked (I used whole wheat)

1 cup water

1 pkg. (9 oz.) baby spinach leaves (7 cups)

1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Italian* Three Cheese Blend

Directions:

BRING tomatoes, pasta and water to boil in large saucepan; stir. Cover; simmer on medium-low heat 10 min. or just until pasta is tender.

ADD 1/2 of spinach; simmer, covered, 2 min. or until wilted. Stir. Repeat with remaining spinach.

SERVE topped with cheese.

Sausage & Pepperoni Pizza

2009-03-23T17:54:00.003-04:00

I really like making pizza for a quick weeknight meal. This one isn't the healthiest to make, but it tastes good! I also didn't have any shredded mozzarella so I ended up using a fiesta blend instead, which ended up being just fine.

Sausage & Pepperoni Pizza
Source: Stef's Kitchen

Ingredients:
Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
Pepperoni slices
Tomato sauce
Italian seasonings
Fiesta blend shredded cheese
Refrigerated pizza dough (I used Pillsbury)

Directions:
Roll out pizza dough onto pizza stone. Spread tomato sauce over dough and grind Italian seasonings over it. Sprinkle the Italian sausage and pepperoni over pizza, and top with cheese. Bake according to dough instructions.

Cold pea salad

2009-03-21T15:14:00.002-04:00

I had half a bag of frozen peas that I wanted to use up, but I didn't want to just have plain peas on the side with my burger. I decided to make a cold pea salad instead. It was good, but unfortunately, as you can see in the picture, I had too much dressing on it. I had already added the mayo and the dressing accidentally poured out when I was adding it. So to try to compensate, I added more mayo. I will make this again, but will definitely make sure I watch what I'm doing next time!

Cold Pea Salad
Recipe: Stef's Kitchen

Ingredients:
Half bag of frozen peas, thawed
Half of tomato, diced
2 strips of pre-cooked bacon, cooked & crumbled
Shredded cheddar cheese
Miracle whip light, to taste
Sun-dried tomato & feta salad dressing, to taste
Croutons

Directions:
Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until cold.

Sausage & Tomato Rigatoni

2009-03-20T21:12:00.002-04:00

I used to rely on Kraft for most of my recipes when I first started to get into cooking. I still get the Kraft magazine in the mail and occasionally look at the site if I want to use up some ingredients. Anyways, I made this dish a long time ago and I remember Jon really liking it. He mentioned it a couple times in the past few weeks so I decided it was time to make it again - especially since my mom gave me some sausage the last time I visited! This is a really easy and great tasting meal. It could easily be made with another type of meat or without meat if you want too.

Sausage & Tomato Rigatoni
Adapted from kraftfoods.com

Ingredients:

4 cups rigatoni pasta (8 oz.), uncooked

1 lb. Italian sausage, cut into chunks

1 red onion, sliced (Omitted)

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/4 cup KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing(I used a sun-dried tomato and feta cheese dressing - yum!)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (Omitted)

1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

COOK pasta as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, brown sausage in large nonstick skillet; drain. Stir in onions and tomato paste; cover. Cook 15 min. or until onions are tender and sausage is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing.

TOSS sausage mixture with pasta. Sprinkle with parsley and cheese.

Sweet and Spicy Orange Salmon

2009-03-11T18:37:00.003-04:00

I cannot find the food blog where I got this recipe, so if it yours please let me know and I will give you credit!

My mom gave us a care package when I went to visit my family over the weekend. She included 2 salmon fillets which I never buy anymore, so we ate these only 2 days later! I thought this salmon was wonderful...just the perfect blend of spices.

Sweet and Spicy Orange Salmon
Source: unknown :(

Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets
2 T. brown sugar
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. orange zest
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. paprika
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1/4 cup orange juice

Directions:
Preheat broiler to high. Coat broiler pan with cooking spray.

Combine ingredients (except orange juice) and rub both sides of salmon. Broil 8-10 minutes. Drizzle with orange juice. (I didn't use the orange juice and it still tasted great!)

Cajun Chicken Fettuccine

2009-03-11T18:29:00.002-04:00

I love mixing tomato and alfredo sauces. I also love cajun spices. Put it all together and you have one great meal! It even tastes good heated up for lunch the next day. Put this on your menu for a quick weeknight meal and you will not be disappointed!

Cajun Chicken Fettuccine
Adapted from Taste of Home Simple and Delicious

Ingredients:
8 oz. uncooked fettuccine
1 large sweet onion, halved and sliced
1 medium green pepper, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into 1/4 inch strips (For the onion and peppers I just used half a bag of frozen pepper stir fry that I wanted to use up)
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
4 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 jar alfredo sauce
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce (I used tomato sauce that I needed to use up)
2 cups shredded park-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onion and peppers in oil under tender. Add the chicken, Cajun seasoning and garlic; heat through. Transfer to a large bowl. Drain fettuccine; add to chicken mixture. Stir in Alfredo and spaghetti sauces.

Transfer to a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with cheeses. Cover and bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until golden brown.

Tomato Basil Soup & Grilled Turkey and Ham Sandwiches

2009-03-11T18:18:00.003-04:00

I've always wanted to make my own tomato soup to see how it measures up against the condensed kind so once I saw this recipe pop up on my Google Reader, I knew I would someday be making it! I finally got the chance to do that this past week. This tomato soup is really good, although I cannot find fresh basil anywhere so I had to use dried. I really think the fresh would flavor the soup MUCH better. However, I still thought it was pretty good and Jon ate two bowls so I'm assuming he liked it too! He added some shredded cheese and croutons to his second bowl to flavor it up even more. As for this sandwiches - I LOVED them. I used Miracle Whip Light and I just think it added that little extra zip!

Tomato Basil Soup
Source: Savory Spicy Sweet, who adapted it from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
14 ounces chicken or vegetable broth
18 fresh basil leaves, minced (I used minced but strongly recommend fresh if you can find it!)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup whole milk, half and half, or whipping cream (I used half & half)
3 to 8 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper, to taste
grated or shredded Parmesan, for garnish

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring the tomatoes and broth to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add basil and sugar. Reduce heat to low; stir in cream (or milk) and butter. Cook until butter is melted.

Grilled Turkey & Ham Sandwiches
Source: Cooking Light - go to website to get recipe! :)

Revised Potato Skins

2009-03-01T14:40:00.004-05:00

I think I've mentioned before how much I love potatoes. I was going to actually make dinner one night, but the pork ended up going bad before we could eat it so I made it a "fend for yourself" night. I ended up eating these potatoes and a salad. Not the most balanced meal, but it was definitely good. I didn't know what to call these so I just call them revised potato skins. They have all the flavors of a potato skin, but are cut into small rounds. I've seen variations of this recipe in the food blogging world so I have no idea if there is an actual recipe for it, but I just did my own thing to come up with this. I only used 1 potato to make for myself, but you can use however many you want depending on how many you need to feed.

Revised Potato Skins
My own recipe

Ingredients:
1 potato, washed and scrubbed
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Barbecue sauce
Bacon bits (the real ones)
Shredded cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut the potato into 1/4 inch rounds. Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread potatoes out on a baking sheet (I always line mine with foil to cut down on the mess). Bake for 15-20 minutes, then brush bbq sauce over each potato. Top with bacon bits and cheese (use the amounts according to your preference), then bake until the cheese melts. I always dip mine in sour cream while eating.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2009-03-01T14:29:00.003-05:00

I've seen a lot of pizza recipes floating around lately - something must be in the air! I love to make pizza because you can put anything on it and it doesn't take long to make at all (if you use refrigerated pizza crust). I have yet to make my own pizza crust. Not because I don't think I can, but I haven't been in the mood to wait for the dough to do its thing! With my schedule lately all I have time to do is roll out some refrigerated dough, slap some toppings on it, and bake. I actually made this pizza a long time ago, but I'm just now getting around to blogging about it. The pictures don't do this pizza justice. It makes it look like the dough is really light and not done, but that was not the case at all. This is a super easy recipe - enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Pizza
My own "recipe"

Ingredients:
Refrigerated pizza dough crust
BBQ sauce (I used hickory)
2 chicken breasts, cubed and cooked
Can of diced pineapple
Shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Roll out pizza crust onto a baking stone or sheet. Spread bbq sauce over pizza - use however much or little you like. Spread chicken and pineapple over pizza and then sprinkle the amount of cheese you want on top. Bake according to pizza crust instructions. (I made this so long ago I don't remember the temp or time)

Chocolate and Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

2009-02-16T19:14:00.004-05:00

Don't hate me -- but I don't have a picture. I really was going to take a picture of this, but hunger got the best of me and I totally forgot. I made these on Sunday as a post-Valentine's day brunch with Jon, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. I had seen them on Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger and again immediately wanted to make them. Her show has shown some fantastic recipes for me lately! Anyways, this recipe uses ricotta cheese (which I used), but I think it would taste even better with cream cheese. I didn't use it because Jon doesn't like warm cream cheese. However, I may make them for myself sometime soon with cream cheese instead! It still turned out to be a great recipe and a hit with my family.

Chocolate and Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
Source: The Food Network

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups nonfat milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
8 slices of whole-wheat sandwich bread, crusts removed (I used an entire loaf of bread for the 4 of us and got 9 total french toasts)
1 (8-ounce) container strawberries, hulled and sliced
4 teaspoons bittersweet chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla. Set aside.

Place 1 tablespoon of ricotta in the center of 4 of the pieces of bread and spread around slightly. Top with about 6 slices of strawberries and a teaspoon of chocolate chips. Cover each with another piece of bread to make a "sandwich".

Spray a large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and preheat. Carefully dip each of the "sandwiches" into the egg mixture until completely moistened. Then place on the skillet and cook over a medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the outside is golden brown and the center is warm and chocolate is melted.

Transfer to serving places. Top with remaining strawberries and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

I feel so flattered!

2009-02-07T13:10:00.000-05:00

My blog got nominated for the Lemonade Award from Run Play Cook and Get in My Belly! Thank you to both of you lovely ladies! I feel so honored. I never thought this would happen...seriously.

The RULES:
- Add the logo in your blog.
- Add a link to the person who gave you the award.
- Nominate 10 other (refreshing…like lemonade) blogs of your choice.
- Don’t forget to add links to those blogs in yours.
- Also leave a message for your nominees in their blogs, informing them about the award.

My NOMINEES: (and I know that some of you have gotten this award already, but I wanted to recognize you too!)
1. Muffins are Just Ugly Cupcakes (my wonderful cousin's blog!)
2. Stephanie Cooks
3. Macaroni and Cheesecake
4. ...and a cookie for dessert
5. Annie's Eats
6. Cooking This and That
7. Delicious Melicious
8. Loves to Eat
9. Made by Melissa
10. Milk and Honey

Beer and Cheddar Risotto

2009-02-07T12:12:00.004-05:00

I love risotto, but have never made it myself. I ended up buying arborio rice for $6 at Meijer, so I thought that it better be good! I think I should have chosen a different recipe for my first time. I did not like the beer flavor in this, and I like beer! Jon thought that I didn't cook the rice long enough, but he did heat it up later. I will try risotto again, but I personally did not care for this recipe. If you like beer flavors in your food, this recipe may be for you though! FYI - I cut this recipe in half, but I will post the original.

Beer and Cheddar Risotto
Source: FayeD on the message board I frequent, as seen on Cooking This and That

It also looks a little like mush!

Ingredients:
1/2 small onion, diced (omitted)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
2+ tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Arborio rice
12 oz. bottle of beer (preferably not light beer)
49.5 ounce can of chicken broth
5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (omitted)

Directions:
Pour chicken broth into medium saucepan. Keep warm over low heat.

Heat large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Heat just until butter is melted. Add onion and saute for 3-5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Turn heat to medium-high and add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant.

Add rice and saute for 2 minutes, stirring constantly until opaque, adding more olive oil as necessary to coat the rice.

Pour in beer, turn heat up to high until it starts to simmer.

Turn heat back to medium-low and add the chicken broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until liquid dissolves. You may not need to use all of the chicken broth - risotto should be creamy and just slightly al dente. This should take 30 minutes or more.

Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses and cayenne pepper.

Tuscan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

2009-02-07T12:06:00.003-05:00

I have been in the mood for summer foods lately - most likely due to this bitter winter we've been having! After eating Ellie Krieger's salad, I decided to look through her recipes for something else and found this dish. I really enjoyed it, however Jon only ate the chicken and tomatoes. He thought the fennel was onions and he's allergic to zucchini. Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables too! Anyways, this was a nice healthy meal!

Tuscan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
Source: The Food Network

Ingredients:
6 Roma tomatoes (about 1 pound) (I used 4)
3 medium zucchini (about 1/2 pound each) (I used 2)
1 bulb fennel
3 tablespoons oil, divided
3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 chicken breast halves skinless, bone-in (about 2 1/2 pounds) (I used 2)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut the tomatoes lengthwise into quarters and remove the seeds. Trim the zucchini and cut it in half crosswise and then cut each piece in half lengthwise once if the piece is thin and twice if it is thicker, so that the pieces are relatively uniform.

Remove the outermost layer of the fennel bulb and discard. Cut the bulb in half so that each half retains part of the stem end. Cut each half into 8 thin wedges so each wedge is held together by a little piece of stem.

Put the vegetables into a large baking pan. Toss them with 2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Arrange the chicken pieces in the pan with the vegetables.

In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon of oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice. Rub the mixture into the chicken in the pan. Season with a few turns of pepper.

Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, then give the vegetables a stir and add the rosemary. Cook for about 20 to 30 minutes more until the chicken is done and the vegetable are tender and beginning to brown.

Strawberry and Mozzarella Salad

2009-02-07T12:00:00.003-05:00

I watched a lot of Food Network while I was in between work and student teaching. I saw this recipe and immediately had to make it. I ended up going to the store the next day to get all of the ingredients. This salad is SO good. I felt just a little bit of summer while eating it!

Strawberry Mozzarella Salad
Adapted from Ellie Krieger on the Food Network

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 heart romaine lettuce, torn or cut into bite-sized pieces (3 cups lightly packed) (I just used leaf lettuce because it was cheaper)
1 8-ounce container of strawberries, hulled and sliced
3 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, diced (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons (omitted - I can't find basil in the store anywhere!)

Directions:

In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar salt and pepper. Place the lettuce in a large bowl and toss with half the dressing. (I just drizzled the lettuce with all of these things instead of mixing separately)

Toss the strawberries with the remaining dressing and place 1/4 of the berries on top of each mound of lettuce. Top each with cheese and sprinkle with the basil.

Chocolate peanut butter ice cream

2009-02-07T11:53:00.002-05:00

My lovely cousin has requested that I update my food blog, so here are a few entries! I have just not been motivated lately. Also, I think I have had a few food failures lately that has brought me down.

Even though it's been an extremely cold winter, I still love to eat ice cream. I just bundle under a blanket and crank up the heat! This recipe is extremely good. I usually coat my ice cream with chocolate syrup and whatever else I can find, but I find that this is good just on its own. Jon took these pictures for me.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Source: The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, Ten Speed Press, 2007 as seen on Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

2 cups half-and-half

¼ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

½ cup sugar

pinch of salt

½ cup creamy peanut butter

Directions:

Whisk together the half-and-half, cocoa powder, sugar and salt in a large saucepan. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil (it will start to foam up). Remove from the heat and whisk in the peanut butter, stirring until thoroughly blended.

Pot Roast & Vegetables

2009-01-24T21:28:00.005-05:00

Can you believe I've never made a pot roast? Personally, I've never been a huge fan but I also haven't had it in a really long time. I have also grown to like beef more than I did when I was younger. So I decided to make it for 3 reasons: 1) I got the chuck roast on sale, 2) It's super easy to make and 3) I wanted to give Jon a nice manly meal!

Pot Roast with Vegetables
Source: Stef's Kitchen!

Ingredients:
1 pound chuck roast, sprinkled with salt & pepper
2 medium potatoes & 2 small potatoes, cut into chunks
3 carrots, cut into chunks
1 large onion, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups beef broth

Put vegetables into the bottom of a crock pot. Place roast on top of vegetables. Pour beef broth into the crock pot and dot the tomato paste around the roast. Cook on low heat for 6 hours (but check to make sure you don't overcook the roast!).

Chicken Pot Pie

2009-01-24T21:22:00.003-05:00

I got the Hungry Girl cookbook for Christmas which features recipes made lighter. This is the first recipe that I have tried from it, and will definitely be trying more. Sorry about the picture, but what casserole is actually photographed well? I also forgot to take a picture of my own dish - apparently I was a little too hungry that day!

Chicken Pot Pie
Adapted from Hungry Girl

Ingredients:

8 oz. raw boneless skinless chicken breast; cut into bite-sized pieces

3 cups C&W Ultimate Petite Mixed Vegetables (or any other frozen mixed vegetables)

1 can (10.75 oz.) Campbell's Condensed Soup, 98% Fat Free Cream of Celery (I used Cream of Chicken)

3 servings Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls (unprepared)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute chicken pieces for several minutes in a pan spritzed with nonstick cooking spray, until chicken is light brown/cooked but still tender; set aside. Heat frozen veggies in microwave according to package. Mix chicken, vegetables and soup together and put in a 9" round baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. (I also added some dried rosemary and dried thyme) Place dish in oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly (stir about halfway through). While dish is cooking, unroll 3 crescent rolls. Combine pieces together with hands to make one large ball of dough. With a rolling pin, roll dough out into a circle to cover top of dish. Add dough to the top of the dish and cook for an additional 15 - 20 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serves 4.

Cranberry Oatmeal Bars

2009-01-24T21:15:00.004-05:00

I saw these in my last issue of Cooking Light and thought they sounded great. I love oats and cranberries so it seemed like a good combination to me! I really enjoyed these bars and definitely recommend them if you are looking for a lighter dessert. In fact, the oats make them seem like an okay substitute for breakfast! Well, at least that is what I am telling myself. You can find the recipe here at the Cooking Light website. The only thing I did differently is make them in an 8x8 pan, which I recommend. I definitely would not have been able to cover the bottom of an 11x7 pan which the recipe calls for.

Black Bean & Pumpkin Chili

2009-01-16T21:20:00.004-05:00

Last night was the perfect night to make some chili due to the extreme cold front that we had pass through Ohio. It's still passing through might I add! I have always wanted to try the black bean and pumpkin combination, but never got the chance during the fall when I usually use pumpkin flavors. Both Jon and I liked this chili, but he admitted that there needed to be meat in it. I made it vegetarian (the recipe calls for turkey) and I think it could have used some ground turkey or beef. I was afraid that it would taste too "pumpkiny" after tasting it when I put all of the ingredients in, but the pumpkin then melded very well with the rest of the flavors after it simmered for awhile.

Black Bean and Pumpkin Chili
Adapted from Taste of Home (Oct/Nov 2008 issue)

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped (I used half an onion that I had leftover from a previous night's dinner)
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped (Omitted because I refuse to pay almost $2 just for one pepper)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chicken broth (I used about 3.5 cups because the soup was a little too thick)
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2-1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey (Omitted)
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
In a large skillet, saute the onion, yellow pepper and garlic in oil until tender. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; stir in the remaining ingredients. (I sauteed the onion & garlic in a soup pot and then added the rest of the ingredients to the pot.)
Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through. (I simmered the soup in the soup pot for about half an hour)

Cinnamon Rolls

2009-01-11T15:17:00.003-05:00

I've been wanting to make homemade cinnamon rolls for awhile and I finally found the time to do it yesterday. I refrigerated them overnight and then baked them this morning (afternoon!) when we woke up. They came out really well despite the problems I had with the dough. The recipe says that the dough will be really sticky, but I had to add a lot more flour to the dough after it rose on the counter so that I could work with it (I even added flour when I was mixing it). Next time I will just add even more flour to the bowl so I don't have to deal with sticky dough all over the counter! I also omitted the cranberries and made the glaze a little differently.

Cinnamon Rolls
Adapted from Good Things Catered (who got the recipe from the Gourmet cookbook) - I omitted the cranberry steps and glaze that were originally in the recipe

Ingredients:

For dough:
1/2 cup warm water (105–115°F)
2 (1/4-oz) packages active dry yeast (5 teaspoons)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup warm milk
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

For filling:
2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoon cinnamon

Glaze (is my own combination):
2 cups powdered sugar
Approximately 8 teaspoons milk (add more if glaze is too thick)
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:
-In bowl of large stand mixer, stir together warm water, yeast, and a pinch of the sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5-10 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over.)
-Meanwhile, in large mixing bowl, combine 5 cups flour, salt, and remaining sugar and whisk to combine; set aside
-In small bowl, combine milk and eggs.
-With mixer and dough hook on low speed, add milk and egg mixture then slowly add flour mixture, stirring to combine.
-Beat at medium speed until a very soft dough forms, about 2 minutes.
-Add butter and continue beating at medium speed until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic (adding more milk or flour to achieve good consistency if needed), about 4 minutes (it will be quite sticky).
-Add dough to large oiled bowl and tightly with plastic wrap.
-Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
-Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and dust with flour, then roll out into a 16-inch square.
-Stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, and 2/3 c. granulated sugar and sprinkle evenly over dough.
-Beginning with side nearest you, roll up dough, firmly but not tightly, into a log, then pinch seam to seal.
-Trim 1 inch off each end with a large knife and discard, then cut log crosswise into 12 slices.
-Arrange slices, cut sides up, into prepared 9x13 pan, spacing evenly as they will bulk up.
-Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge overnight to rise (you can also just let rise at room temp until doubled in bulk about 1 -1 1/2 hours).
-In morning, remove rolls from fridge and preheat oven to 350 degrees while they comes to room temperature.
-Bake rolls in lower third of oven until puffed and golden, 30 to 35 minutes, then cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes.
-Meanwhile, stir together powdered sugar, vanilla and milk with a fork until smooth.
-Drizzle over buns while still relatively hot.
-Serve buns warm or at room temperature.

Lemon Spaghetti with Chicken and Broccoli

2009-01-10T22:46:00.005-05:00

I adapted the lemon spaghetti recipe that I made before for the pasta and then added some different toppings. And it's made with ingredients that I usually have on hand so this is a great recipe to use when I haven't had time to get to the store.

Lemon Spaghetti with Chicken and Broccoli
Adapted from a previous recipe

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 small bag of frozen broccoli florets
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest
1 lb. whole wheat angel hair spaghetti
2/3 cup lemon juice (1 juiced lemon and bottled lemon juice for the rest)
2/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, cook cubed chicken breast in olive oil in a large skillet. Add broccoli florets, minced garlic & grated lemon zest when chicken is almost done.

Whisk lemon juice, olive oil and dried basil together. Combine pasta and chicken mixture, then pour lemon sauce over the mixture and stir to combine. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese over the top of each serving.

Peanut Sauce

2009-01-10T22:40:00.003-05:00

I finally decided to eat some of the Asian dumplings (potstickers) that I had frozen a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to make peanut sauce to go with them, just like I had at Ruby Tuesday's! I found this recipe and it tasted excellent with the potstickers.

Peanut Sauce
Source: Cooking with Amy

Ingredients:
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup lite coconut milk
1/4 cup water
Red chili flake to taste
1 clove crushed garlic
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until sauce begins to bubble and thicken.

I then refrigerated the sauce and heated it up when I made the potstickers. I'm currently looking for another recipe to use this for too.

No Bake Cookies

2009-01-07T20:35:00.003-05:00

My friend and co-worker's birthday is today and she LOVES no bake cookies so I decided to make some for her...what a nice friend I am. :) I know that this is a popular recipe and a lot of people make them, but I still wanted to post the recipe! These are good. Really good.

No Bake Cookies
Source: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
2 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup milk
1 pinch salt
3 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a saucepan bring sugar, cocoa, margarine, milk, and salt to a rapid boil for 1 minute. (I took the advice of others that commented on this recipe to boil for 2 minutes instead because the cookies set better)

Add quick cooking oats, peanut butter, and vanilla; mix well.

Working quickly, drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper, and let cool.

Green Onion Biscuits

2009-01-07T20:27:00.006-05:00

I asked the cooking board that I frequent if they had any recipes for leftover buttermilk and one of the girls sent me to her blog. I also had some green onions to use up so it was nice not to have to waste any ingredients. Although I do still have some buttermilk left. I've read that you can freeze it so I think I might try that. I served these with beef stew made in the crock pot. (see tag under stew for recipe)

Green Onion Biscuits
Adapted from Light and Tasty, as seen on Savory Spicy Sweet

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
softened butter (just a few tablespoons)
1/4-1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar (optional)

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Combine the buttermilk, onions and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Lightly spread a small amount of softened butter on the top of each biscuit Sprinkle with a little cheddar cheese. Bake at 400° for 14-18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Pineapple Sorbet

2009-01-07T20:14:00.004-05:00

This is the second treat I've made with my KA ice cream attachment. I wanted to do something a little lighter so I'm not always making full-fat ice cream! Although, I really want to make some chocolate peanut butter ice cream this weekend. This sorbet turned out great! I used up some leftover pineapple that I used for a fruit salad for Christmas brunch...just in time before it went bad!

Pineapple Sorbet
Source: KitchenAid ice cream maker instruction booklet

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped pineapple
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon lime juice
1 1/4 cups simple syrup (recipe below)

Directions:
Combine pineapple and lime juice in bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade. Process until very smooth; pour through fine mesh strainer, pressing down lightly on solids trapped in strainer to extract as much liquid as possible without forcing solids through strainer. Discard solids. (I skipped the mesh strainer part because I don't have one but it still came out fine) Pour liquid into airtight container and refrigerate until thouroughly chilled, at least 8 hours.

Assemble and engage freeze bowl, dasher, and drive assembly as directed in attachment instructions. Turn to Stir. Combine chilled pineapple juice and chilled simple syrup. Using a container with a spout, pour mixture into freeze bowl. Continue on stir for 7 to 12 minutes or until desired consistency. Immediately transfer sorbet into airtight container and freeze at least 2 hours before serving.

Simple syrup

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
2 cups water

Directions:
Combine sugar and water in saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook and stir until sugar dissolves completely, about 10 minutes. Transfer to ice bath, stirring until well chilled. Refrigerate until ready to use. Yield: 3 cups.

Thyme-coated Pork Tenderloin

2009-01-07T19:58:00.004-05:00

I found a great deal on a pack of two pork tenderloins at a grocery store that I don't normally go to. I have cooked a tenderloin a couple of times before, but I wanted to do it differently this time. The pork was pretty good, but came out a little pink. I'm kind of a fanatic about meat and Jon insisted that it was done and that pork is allowed to be a little pink. However, I ate the end pieces that were a little more done. The only meat I like pink is my beef!

Thyme-coated Pork Tenderloin
Adapted from Cooking Light and inspiration from Julie's Foodie

I remembered to take the picture after I ate so it was quick before I started to clean up!

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon instant onion flakes (Julie's Foodie suggested using a Lipton onion soup packet, which I just happened to have in my pantry from my mom so I used that instead)
1 slice day-old hearty white bread (such as Pepperidge Farm), torn (Instead of making breadcrumbs, I just used some I already had and mixed it with the thyme & onion packet)
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten (I was too lazy to just use whites, so I used all of the egg even though it isn't as healthy)
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°.

Place thyme, onion, and bread in a food processor; pulse until fine breadcrumbs measure 1/3 cup. (See my note above!) Place breadcrumb mixture in a shallow dish. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Dip pork in egg whites; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place pork on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. (I used a glass baking pan) Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155°. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

I served this meal with roasted potatoes tossed in olive oil, dried thyme & dried rosemary.

White Chicken Chili

2009-01-05T20:31:00.002-05:00

I've always wanted to make white chicken chili so I finally put it on the menu. I was going to make green onion biscuits with it, but I completely forgot. I decided to make them on Wednesday instead! I did modify this recipe a little bit. Instead of using the crock pot I made it on the stove top so I put the chicken, onions, peppers and garlic in a soup pot and cooked until the chicken was cooked through and the vegetables were tender. I then added the beans, chicken broth and spices and simmered for 30-45 minutes. This recipe also did not make the chili "white" so I added some sour cream and half and half. Since I ate on my own tonight, Jon will be eating when he gets home from work, and I will take the leftovers for lunch tomorrow I added in a little bit of sour cream and half and half to my individual bowl of chili instead of adding it to the whole pot.

White Chicken Chili
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens cookbook

Ingredients:
3 15- to 15-1/2 ounce cans Great Northern, pinto, or cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed and drained (I used 1 large can of pinto beans and 1 can of Great Northern)
2 -1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken (Since I'm cutting down on meat in dishes to save money, I used one large chicken breast from the bag and it was plenty)
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1-1/2 cups chopped red, green, and/or yellow sweet pepper (2 medium)
2 fresh jalapeño chile peppers, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
3-1/2 cups chicken broth (I used 4 cups and I think it needed it)
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
Broken tortilla chips (optional)
Half and half (added into individual bowl)
Light sour cream (added into individual bowl)

Directions:

In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker stir together the drained beans, chicken, onion, sweet pepper, jalapeño pepper, garlic, cumin, salt, and oregano. Stir in chicken broth.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. If desired, top each serving with shredded cheese and broken tortilla chips. Makes 6 servings.

Chili Rubbed Steak Tacos

2009-01-04T22:28:00.004-05:00

I've been looking for a group that posts recipes and then you have the month to make them and try them out. I found Dinner Divas, which posts recipes but doesn't require you to make all of them and you can change it according to your tastes. I had some sirloin steak in my freezer and most of the other ingredients so I decided to make one of the January recipes. I did not make the salsa that is posted on this recipe and used jarred salsa instead to save some money. This is an Ellie Krieger recipe so it is healthy - something we are all looking for after the holiday season!

Chili Rubbed Steak Tacos
Adapted from The Food Network, as seen on Dinner Divas

Of course I totally forgot to put on the red cabbage before taking this picture! I also added light sour cream.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
A pinch cayenne pepper
1 1/4 pound top sirloin steaks cut 1-inch thick
12 small corn tortillas (5 to 6 inches in diameter) (I used whole wheat tortillas because I need to use them for another recipe later this week)
3 cups shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 lime, cut into wedges
2 cups Avocado Lime Salsa, recipe follows
Shredded cheese (added)

Directions:

In a small bowl stir together chili powder, garlic, cinnamon, salt and cayenne pepper. Rub spice mixture on both sides of steaks.

Grill or broil steaks for 5 to 6 minutes on each side for medium rare, turning once. Remove from grill and let meat sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Carve into thin slices. (I used my George Foreman and grilled for 5 minutes although I wish I would have only grilled them for 4 because they came out a little too done for us)

Warm tortillas by placing them on the grill, for about 30 seconds, turning once. Or place 6 tortillas at a time between 2 moist paper towels and microwave for 45 seconds. Wrap in cloth napkin or place in a tortilla warmer to keep warm. Place the carved steak, warm tortillas, cabbage, cilantro, lime and Avocado Lime Salsa in serving dishes and let diners make their own tacos at the table.

Avocado Lime Salsa:
1 large cucumber peeled, seeded and cut into chunks (about 2 cups)
2 avocados, cut into chunks
1/2 red onion, diced
2 limes, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
Salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 jalapeno chiles, chopped, plus more to taste
Place cucumber, avocado and onion in a large bowl and add lime juice and salt. Add cilantro and chiles and toss gently.

Cranberry Muffins

2009-01-04T22:16:00.004-05:00

I've had cranberries in my fridge for awhile and really wanted to use them to make muffins so I went searching for a recipe. The original recipe I was going to make was for cranberry orange muffins, but then I realized that I hardly had any orange juice left. I searched until I came to a recipe where I actually had all of the ingredients. I actually have not tried these muffins yet since I made them to freeze for breakfast for the next week or so, but they look really good!

Cranberry Muffins
Source: Taste of Home

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh cranberries, quartered (I just chopped them up in my food processor)
8 tablespoons sugar, divided
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel, optional
Cinnamon-sugar

Directions:
Sprinkle cranberries with 2 tablespoons sugar; set aside. Sift remaining sugar, flour, baking powder and salt into large mixing bowl.

In another bowl, beat egg, milk and oil. Make a hole in center of dry ingredients; pour in liquid ingredients. Stir just until moistened. Add berries and lemon peel. Fill greased standard or extra-large muffin cups. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.

Bake at 400° for 18 minutes for standard-size muffins or for 22 minutes for jumbo muffins. Yield: 12 standard-size or 6 jumbo muffins. (Mine only yielded 11 standard muffins)

Napa cabbage salad with buttermilk dressing

2009-01-04T22:08:00.003-05:00

I still had some Napa cabbage left over from the dumplings and have also been trying to find ways to use up the rest of the buttermilk from sugar cookies I made for Christmas and found this recipe. I didn't have everything for it and I think if I did then the salad would have turned out more flavorful. I liked the dressing, but the salad itself was pretty bland. Oh well, at least I got rid of some ingredients and had a healthy lunch! It also takes no time at all to throw together. I halved this recipe since I was only making lunch for myself, but the recipe posted is the original.

Napa cabbage salad with buttermilk dressing
Adapted from Gourmet, as seen on Smitten Kitchen

This salad needs some color!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip Light)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallot (Omitted)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives (Omitted)
1 pound Napa cabbage, cored and thinly sliced crosswise (4 cups)
6 radishes, diced (Omitted)
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced diagonally

Directions:

Whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar, shallot, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl until sugar has dissolved, then whisk in chives.

Toss cabbage, radishes, and celery with dressing.

Spinach-Stuffed Pasta Shells

2009-01-04T00:53:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I love a really easy dinner...and this was perfect! It doesn't take much hands-on time to prepare at all. It has to bake for 40 minutes, but it gave me a chance to get some things done around the house. It's also a meatless meal, which I have been trying to do at least once a week to save money. However, I did use meat spaghetti sauce that my mom made for us but you can whatever kind of sauce you want. It's a fairly inexpensive meal as well!

Spinach-Stuffed Pasta Shells
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook

Ingredients:
12 dried jumbo shell macaroni
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 eggs
1 8-ounce package shredded Italian cheese blend (2 cups)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 26- to 32-ounce jar pasta sauce

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Meanwhile, drain thawed spinach well, pressing out excess liquid.

For filling, in a medium bowl beat eggs. Stir in spinach, 1-1/2 cups of the Italian cheese blend, and the ricotta cheese. Spoon 2 rounded tablespoons of the filling into each jumbo shell. Place shells in 2-quart square baking dish. Pour pasta sauce over shells.

Cover and bake in a 350 degree F oven about 40 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Italian cheese blend before serving.

Napa cabbage salad

2009-01-02T15:09:00.006-05:00

I had a ton of Napa cabbage left over from the Asian dumplings I made earlier this week. So I went searching for a recipe to use up some of it. I still have a ton left so I think I might make a different salad tomorrow with it. I just really hate to waste food. The verdict: this salad was really good. I honestly didn't know how it would turn out, but I was pleasantly surprised. It would go along really well with an Asian dish, but I ate it on its own. Oh, and I used the serving size calculator and only made 1 serving since I knew Jon wouldn't eat it!

Napa Cabbage Salad
Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 head napa cabbage
1 bunch minced green onions
1/3 cup butter
1 (3 ounce) package ramen noodles, broken
2 tablespoons sesame seeds (Omitted since I didn't have any)
1 cup slivered almonds (I just chopped up some regular almonds with my Pampered Chef chopper)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

Finely shred the head of cabbage; do not chop. Combine the green onions and cabbage in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Make the crunchies: Melt the butter in a pot. Mix the ramen noodles, sesame seeds and almonds into the pot with the melted butter. Spoon the mixture onto a baking sheet and bake the crunchies in the preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven, turning often to make sure they do not burn. When they are browned remove them from the oven.

Make the dressing: In a small saucepan, heat vinegar, oil, sugar, and soy sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, let boil for 1 minute. Remove the pan from heat and let cool.

Combine dressing, crunchies, and cabbage immediately before serving. Serve right away or the crunchies will get soggy.

Kitchen Set-up

2008-12-31T18:56:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago or maybe it's been a month or so by now some girls on the message board I frequent asked how people organize their counter space. I have been blessed with wonderful counter space and have set my kitchen up into "stations." Here a few pics of my kitchen and maybe it will help you when you are trying to find room on the counter for everything!

A snapshot of the entire kitchen.

My favorite part of the kitchen! On the left is my "coffee station" with the coffee pot, toaster, and the cabinets above hold all of the coffee, tea and mugs. Obviously the middle is the stove. On the right is my "baking station" with my canisters and my KitchenAid (which is in the corner and you can see it in the picture above).

Sink and "prep station" with the knives and spices.

This area is kind of a "miscellaneous station" with the microwave, cookbooks, bread, etc. I do a lot of prepping of meals here too. Also notice the empty wine rack - I think I need to remedy that!

So there you have my kitchen. Maybe it will help you to organize yours a little bit more. Maybe not. But at least I tried!

Chili-Pasta Skillet

2008-12-31T01:01:00.005-05:00

After making the dumplings earlier today I needed a no-brainer dinner and was glad that this was the next thing up on the menu! It was definite comfort food and super easy to make!

Chili-Pasta Skillet
Adapted from Better Homes & Garden Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef (I only used 1/2 a pound)
3/4 cup chopped onion (Omitted since Jon is now calling the ham and bean soup I made earlier this week "onion soup" - I will start using onions again soon though!)
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, black beans, or red beans, rinsed and drained (I used red kidney beans)
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained (I used a can of diced tomatoes with chiles)
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 4-ounce can diced green chile peppers, drained (See above)
1/2 cup dried elbow macaroni
2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a large skillet cook meat and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Stir in beans, undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, chile peppers, macaroni, chili powder, and garlic salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender, stirring often. (I had to simmer for awhile longer - I also added some water to the pan in order for the macaroni to plump up) Remove from heat; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and let stand about 2 minutes or until cheese melts.

Peanut Butter Fudge

2008-12-31T00:55:00.003-05:00

Holy crap, this is some of the best fudge I have ever tasted. It reminds me of my Grandma's fudge that she used to make! It was a huge hit at Christmas.

Killer Crack Peanut Butter Fudge
Source: Cookie Baker Lynn

Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup JIF peanut butter
1- 7 oz jar marshmallow creme
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Combine sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in a heavy 2-1/2 quart saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat. Add the peanut butter, stirring until melted.. Add marshmallow creme and vanilla; beat until well blended.

Spread in a buttered 9 x 13 x 2 - inch pan. Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate. Cut into squares when firm.

Asian dumplings

2008-12-30T18:41:00.004-05:00

We ate at Ruby Tuesday last week and I got their Asian dumplings with peanut sauce. They were amazing! I then thought it would be a great idea to make some of my own at home. I'm on vacation this week so it was the perfect time to try something new. Oh.my.gosh. These were such a pain to make! Some people make them with wonton wrappers, which I will probably try next time (if there is one), but I made my own dumpling dough that the recipe called for. First of all, I had to add a lot more flour to the dough to make it less sticky so I could actually work with it. Secondly, I had to make the pieces a lot bigger than what the recipe said, otherwise the dough would get too thin. So, instead of the 48 dumplings I was supposed to get out of this mixture, I only got 31. I was okay with that. I was so ready to be done making them! I did fry up a few this afternoon just to make sure they came out okay. The pan got so hot that my stove thought it was on fire and started beeping at me. Wonderful. They tasted great, although I am excited to make them with peanut sauce. I made the sauce the recipe called for (a mixture of soy sauce and sesame oil) and didn't like it with these dumplings. I ended up using sweet and sour sauce instead. However, I think the peanut sauce will be fabulous with these. I froze the rest of the dumplings to have at a later time! If you want to freeze them, just place them on a baking sheet until frozen, then transfer to a freezer bag.

Chinese Dumplings - Potstickers
Source: chinesefood.about.com

Ingredients:

Dumpling Dough*
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup boiling water
Filling:
8 ounces celery cabbage (Napa cabbage)
3 tsp salt, divided
1 pound lean ground pork
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions, with tops
1 TB white wine
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp sesame oil
Dash white pepper
Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
Other:
2 - 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
Cut the cabbage across into thin strips. Mix with 2 teaspoons salt and set aside for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess moisture.

In a large bowl, mix the celery cabbage, pork, green onions, wine, cornstarch, the remaining 1 teaaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and the white pepper.

In a bowl, mix the flour and 1 cup boiling water until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly flour surface about 5 minutes, or until smooth.

Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a roll 12 inches long and cut each roll into 1/2-inch slices.

Roll 1 slice of dough into a 3-inch circle and place 1 tablespoon pork mixture in the center of the circle. Lift up the edges of the circle and pinch 5 pleats up to create a pouch to encase the mixture. Pinch the top together. Repeat with the remaining slices of dough and filling.

Heat a wok or nonstick skillet until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, tilting the wok to coat the sides. If using a nonstick skillet, add 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil. Place 12 dumplings in a single layer in the wok and fry 2 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown.

Add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook 6 to 7 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.

To make a dipping sauce, in a small bowl, mix the soy sauce with 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Serve with the dumplings.

Reprinted with permission from Everyday Chinese Cooking: Quick and Delicious Recipes from the Leann Chin Restaurants.

Grocery Shopping Savings

2008-12-29T22:40:00.004-05:00

I know a lot of people are cutting back on their spending right now so I thought I would write up a list of how I save money on groceries. I have implemented these tips for myself within the past couple of months and have seen a tremendous difference in our grocery bills.

1. Shop with a LIST and a MENU in mind. Before, I would walk down each aisle and just throw in whatever food looked good, but I would get home with an odd assortment of groceries and then would have to find ways to use it to make dinner. Now, I sit down one night a week and plan my menu for that week. If you want you can plan for more than a week, but I find it easier to shop once a week, especially when it comes to buying fresh produce.

2. Plan meals around store savings. Check out the sales that your local grocery store is having for the week and use those ingredients in your menu. This tip is something that I have not implemented as much, but I do stock up on meat during my grocery store's meat sale. I buy 5 packs of meat for $19.95 and get a 6th one for free with my advantage card. I then plan my meals around the types of meat I have. The packs usually go towards 2 different meals as well.

3. Shop at discount stores, such as Aldi and Save-A-Lot. I have done some comparison pricing and have found that some products are a lot cheaper at these discount stores. The following are foods that I now buy at discount stores (and they taste just as good!): canned foods, shredded cheese, cream cheese, butter, milk, and baking supplies.

4. Cut down on meat consumption. If a recipe calls for 1 pound of meat, I will often only use 1/2 a pound and save the other half for a future meal. I also serve one meatless meal a week and may change that to two a week a couple of times a month.

5. Eat leftovers! I was never a big leftover fan growing up, but have found that I now hate to waste food. Most recipes make at least 4 servings, so I will take leftovers for lunch the next day. This also cuts down on the amount of food I need to buy for lunches during the week.

6. Use leftover ingredients. Sometimes when I make something the recipe does not call for the entire can of tomato sauce, chicken broth, etc. I save the rest and then include another recipe on my menu for the week to use up the rest of the ingredient. Again, not wasting any leftovers!

7. Use coupons. This may be an obvious choice, but I also add caution to this tip as well. Do not use a coupon to buy an item that you would not normally buy just because you have a coupon. Only use coupons for items you normally buy! You can find online coupons you can print at coolsavings.com, bettycrocker.com, womansday.com, among others.

8. Buy generic or store brand items. This tip is probably the first I have implemented after living on my own. Oftentimes the generic or store brand item tastes just as good as the name-brand item for a third or half of the name-brand price. I also like to let people know that many times a generic brand is manufactured at the same factory as name-brand items.

9. Buy in-season produce. For items that are not in-season, you are paying for the transportation costs of bringing that item to you!

10. Use your freezer. If you know that you are not going to use the rest of an ingredient or something is about to expire, many items can be frozen and used later. Here is a list that I found in Good Housekeeping that I use as a guide. I have saved many ingredients from expiring this way!

11. Use what you have. Some nights I make it a point to use what we already have in our pantry and freezer, especially if I'm too busy to get to the store right away. We all have certain foods we always keep on hand, such as pasta, eggs, meats, etc. so it should be fairly easy to throw something together...and you save money by not buying additional ingredients!

12. Limit eating at restaurants or getting fast food or takeout. I will be the first to admit, I love going out to eat with Jon or with friends to relax and hang out. However, a meal for two can easily rack up $20+ depending on where you eat. I can buy an entire week's worth of groceries some weeks for that amount of money! I now try to only go out to eat or get fast food for lunch once a week, and hoping to drop that number even more in 2009. Additionally, it is a lot healthier to eat at home and know what is going into your food!

I may add to this list if I think of other ways I save on groceries, but hopefully this one that I have started will help you with your savings!

Chocolate Chip Cookies that aren't flat!

2008-12-29T21:40:00.003-05:00

I have never made chocolate chip cookies that have turned out well. I don't know what it is about these cookies, but they have always turned out flat for me, no matter what I have tried. Tonight, I made them and they came out perfectly!! So this post is mainly for my mom, who has witnessed the countless times I have failed at these cookies, so she can see that her daughter has finally gotten it right. So Mom, are you proud of me??

Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Very Best Baking

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts (Omitted - I hate nuts in my cookies!)

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. (My oven cooks really fast so I only cooked for about 7 minutes)

A nice Sunday meal

2008-12-28T19:30:00.005-05:00

I think I've overcooked boneless pork chops every single time I've made them except once. I don't know why this is, but tonight I was determined to cook them right! They actually came out really well...maybe I need to pan-fry them every time I make them. This sauce is a perfect complement to the pork and would probably taste really well with chicken too. I made some twice-baked potatoes & a broccoli/corn mix on the side as well. I got a KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment from my in-laws for Christmas and tried it out for the first time today. I was impressed with the results! I am excited to make some other types of ice cream and even some sorbets for a lighter treat.

Apricot Pork Chops
Adapted from Cooking Light, as seen on Just 2 Good

Ingredients:
4 boneless pork chops (I only used 2)
1/4 Cup chopped onion (Omitted - Jon doesn't like onions and I made soup last night with a ton of them in them so I decided to be nice tonight)
1/4 Cup apricot preserves
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 green onion, sliced (Omitted)

Directions:
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add the pork to the pan; cook on each side approximately 6 minutes, or until done. Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Add the diced onion to the pan and saute until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in preserves, soy sauce, garlic, and salt. Cook 3 minutes or until thickened. Add pork to the pan, turning to coat. Sprinkle with green onions.

Twice-baked Potatoes
My own recipe, although I'm sure a ton of people have made them like this & twice-baked potatoes is a popular recipe anyway!

Ingredients:
2 potatoes
Shredded cheddar cheese
Light Ranch dressing
Real bacon bits

Directions:
Pierce the potatoes with a fork and microwave them for 10 minutes, turning half-way through. Scoop out the insides and mix with the cheese, ranch dressing and bacon bits. Fill each potato skin with the insides. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream
Adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, 10 Speed Press, 2007

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (I only had a 1/2 cup left of heavy cream so I made my own from this recipe) - Melt 1/3 cup butter, pour in 3/4 cup of milk and stir. I used low-fat milk so add in 1 tablespoon of flour to thicken it up. - Note: it will not thicken as much as heavy cream, but it still did the trick, especially when mixed with the 1/2 cup I already had!
5 tbsp. unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen (I used frozen strawberries)

Directions:
Whisk together the cream, cocoa powder, and sugar in a large saucepan. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil (it will start to foam up). Remove from the heat and add the strawberries. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.

Puree the mixture in a food processor or blender.

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Easy Ham & Bean Soup

2008-12-27T18:46:00.004-05:00

Time to start food blogging again! I took a hiatus during the holiday season since so much was going on, and I even made a ton of foods that I could have blogged about. Oh well. My parents gave us a huge chunk of ham to take home after Christmas. I decided to make ham and bean soup, cut off a few slices for sandwiches for lunch and freeze the rest for future use. I got a Better Homes & Garden cookbook for Christmas so I decided to put it to good use. I picked out this recipe and a few others for dinners this week. Oh, and I got a new camera for Christmas so I hope that my pictures comes out better!

Easy Ham & Bean Soup
Adapted from Better Homes & Garden cookbook

Ingredients:
2 cans navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cubed cooked ham
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1.5 cups sliced celery (3 stalks)
1.5 cups chopped onion (3 medium) I used 2 medium and it was still too many onions...next time I will cut it down to 1 onion
3.4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1.4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf

Directions:
Cook celery and onion in hot butter. Add 4 cups chicken brother, 1 cup cubed cooked ham, and two 15-ounce cans navy beans, rinsed and drained, along with thyme, black pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through.

Orange Roast Pork

2008-12-15T19:09:00.004-05:00

Our grocery store always has a periodic sale on meat - buy 5 for $19.95 and get a 6th package free with your advantage card. I usually only buy meat during this sale and try to extend it until the next meat sale! I've gotten pretty good at this by cutting down on meat in some of our dishes or only using part of the package and freezing the rest. Chicken is the only thing I buy whenever there is a good deal on a bag of it since we go through more of it. I bought a pork shoulder roast at the last meat sale and wanted to do something with it in the crock pot when I found this recipe. The verdict - I will definitely make this again! The gravy was so good, especially if you like citrus flavors.

Orange Roast Pork
Source: About.com

Ugh, sorry about the blurriness!

Ingredients:
1 (3-1/2 lb.) pork shoulder roast
1 onion, chopped
6-oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. cold water

Directions:
Trim roast of visible fat. Place onions in bottom of 3-4 quart crockpot. Sprinkle salt and pepper over roast and place in crockpot on top of onions. In small bowl, mix together thawed orange juice concentrate and brown sugar, and salt and pepper, and pour over roast. Cover crockpot and cook on high for 3 hours, then reduce heat to low and cook for another 3 hours.

Remove roast and onions from crockpot, cover, and set in low oven to keep warm. Skim fat from juices in crockpot. Then pour into large heavy pan. Blend flour and cold water in small bowl and add to juices in pan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring frequently with wire whisk, until thickened. Serve gravy with roast and onions.

*I served this with some mashed potatoes!

Christmas Party!

2008-12-14T14:22:00.004-05:00

Here are a few things I made for our annual Christmas party with our friends. I was also going to make chocolate covered pretzels, but decided not to after making the cheesecake bites. They are originally called "pops," but I found that the sticks would not stay in them so I took them out and therefore they became bites! I couldn't find the wooden sticks anywhere so I used plastic coffee stirrers instead and they definitely didn't work! I really don't know if the wooden sticks would have been any better though. I forgot to get a picture of the bruschetta, but I will still post the recipe!

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Cheesecake "Bites"
Adapted from The Food Network

Before I took the sticks out.

Ingredients:

Cheesecake:
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar (I used light because that's what I had)
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature (I used neufchatel)
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups creamy peanut butter

Chocolate:
5 tablespoons vegetable shortening
12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions:

For the cheesecake: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line a 8 by 8-inch baking pan with foil letting long flaps overlap on each side. Spray foil with nonstick spray.

Break up the brown sugar to remove all lumps. In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until very smooth. Add the cream and beat slowly; then add the yolks and vanilla mixing until just combined. Gently stir in peanut butter. Take care not to over beat the mixture; this incorporates too much air and causes the cheesecake to crack.

Pour and evenly spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Open the oven to release some heat, then lower the temperature to 200 degrees F. Continue to bake the cheesecake until the outside is set but the center is still loose, for about 45 minutes. Turn off the oven, and cool cheesecake in the oven for 45 more minutes. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Lift cheesecake from the pan by lifting up the foil. Transfer to a cutting board. Cut into

1 1/2-inch cubes. Stick a wooden pop stick halfway into each bar and freeze for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, put the shortening and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. (Alternatively, put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue to heat until completely melted, about 1 minute more.) (I would probably use more chocolate because I didn't have enough for all of the pops and I didn't even coat them all the way like the Food Network picture shows.)

Dip the pops into the chocolate mixture, and stand on waxed paper to set, about 5 minutes. Serve cold (straight from the fridge), or freeze up to 2 weeks. Frozen pops make a cool summer treat, or can be allowed to temper for 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Upgrade: Coat the pops with chopped nuts or candies for a really decadent finish. To do this let the dipped pops drip over a bowl for 15 seconds before rolling them.

These were really good and tasted a lot like peanut butter fudge!

Parmesan Rosemary Pinwheels
Adapted from Pampered Chef, Season's Best, Fall/Winter 2003 as seen on Amber's Delectable Delights and herb seasoning courtesy of Joelen

Ingredients
1 can (8 ounces) Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations
1/2 cup regular cream cheese spread
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese (I just used the stuff that comes in a can!)
1 teaspoon Pampered Chef pantry rosemary herb seasoning mix or 4 teaspoons snipped fresh rosemary (I used a seasoning that Joelen came up with which is the following: 2 tbsp. dried rosemary, 1/4 tsp. dried grated lemon peel, 1 tsp. dried leaf oregano crushed, 1 tsp. celery salt, 2 tbsp. onion powder,2 tbsp. garlic powder, 1/8 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 tsp. salt)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Roll out the crescent recipe creations dough.
3. Place cream cheese in small bowl. Add rosemary and Parmesan cheese to bowl and mix well.
4. Spread the entire sheet of dough with the cream cheese mixture, leaving a 1/4 inch border all the way around.
5. Roll up the sheet of dough from one of the long edges; pinch edges to seal.
6. Using a serrated knife cut the rolled up dough into ~22 slices.
7. Place slices, cut side down, on stone or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and press down lightly to even the tops of each pinwheel out.
8. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Bruschetta with Goat Cheese
Adapted from Better Homes & Garden

Ingredients:
1 8-oz. loaf baguette-style French bread
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 oz. soft chevre (goat cheese), crumbled (I used feta cheese)
2 oz. light cream cheese (Neufchatel)
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. snipped fresh sage or 1/4 tsp. ground sage (Omitted)
1 7-oz. jar roasted red sweet peppers, drained and cut into strips (I used my food processor to make them into smaller pieces)
1-1/4 cups coarsely chopped pitted Italian or ripe olives (I used black olives and used my food processor to chop them)
1/2 tsp. olive oil
Finely shredded fresh sage (Omitted)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut bread into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Lightly brush both sides of each slice with the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake about 10 minutes or until crisp and light brown, turning once. If desired, transfer the cooled toasts to a storage container. Cover and store the toasts at room temperature for up to 24 hours.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl stir together goat cheese, light cream cheese, lemon juice, and snipped sage or oregano. (I used oregano) Cut red pepper into strips. Toss chopped olives in the 1/2 teaspoon olive oil.

3. To assemble, spread each slice of toast with cheese mixture. Top with red pepper strips, chopped olives, and sage leaves, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature. To heat, return slices to the ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a 425 degree F oven about 3 minutes or until the toppings are heated through. Makes about 24 servings. (I didn't assemble them - I just put the bruschetta on a large platter and had 3 smaller dishes with the warmed up cheese, chopped red peppers, and chopped olives so people could assemble them on their own according to their preferences!)

Cranberry Orange Cookies

2008-12-10T22:27:00.004-05:00

I was SO excited to make these cookies. I have really been into cranberries lately and loved the idea of combining cranberry and orange. Anyways, I made these last night and my cookies ended up coming out SUPER flat. They still taste good though so I'm glad I didn't really waste any ingredients although the texture is certainly different than I expected! I think my problem is that I softened the butter too much. I can be so impatient. I may try to make these again and not soften the butter so much to see if they turn out better. I hope so!
*I just realized that the recipe calls for the juice of HALF an orange...and I added juice from an entire orange so that may have been why the cookies came out flat too because of too much liquid.

Cranberry Orange Cookies
Adapted from Good Things Catered

So flat!!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1 c. granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp grated orange zest
juice of 1/2 orange
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. chopped fresh cranberries (I used a food processor and pulsed about 8-10 times)

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment.
-In medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, and whisk; set aside.
-In bowl of stand mixer, combine butter and sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
-Add yolk and beat until fully incorporated.
-Add orange juice, then zest and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated.
-Turn mixer to low speed, add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.
-Remove bowl from mixer, stir in cranberries, and place 1 Tbsp rounds of dough onto cookie sheets.
-Place cookies in the oven and bake, switching baking sheet positions half way through baking time, for 12-14 minutes (they should not brown)
-Remove from oven and let cool on pans completely, about 10-15 minutes.

I tried to hold up a cookie to show how flat it is...came out a little blurry but you can kind of see!

Creamy Chicken Pockets

2008-12-10T22:19:00.005-05:00

Chicken and bread..you can't go wrong! These were really good, but I would definitely add some more vegetables next time. I'm thinking maybe a broccoli and corn mix. Also, one of these pockets is HUGE! I just ate half and saved the rest for lunch later this week. I also cut the recipe in half because it was more economical and we really didn't need 4 of these! However, I am posting the original recipe - just note that my measurements were half of each ingredient.

Creamy Chicken Pockets
Adapted from Rediscovering the Joy of Cooking

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
4 small chicken breasts, diced
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced (I forgot to add...oops!)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt (Omitted)
2 tablespoons milk
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Brown chicken with onions and garlic.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine until smooth. Add the chicken, kosher salt, breadcrumbs, pepper, and milk. Mix well.

Separate crescent dough into eight rectangles, firmly pressing perforations of two triangles to seal into rectangle. Spoon 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture onto the center of four rectangles. Top with remaining rectangles and seal edges.

Place pockets on an ungreased cookie sheet or baking stone. Brush tops of pockets with melted butter; sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

A look at the inside

Salmon Cakes

2008-12-05T18:47:00.006-05:00

I was in one of those moods tonight where I had no idea what I wanted for dinner, but knew that I wanted something "light." Maybe it was due to the fact that the only things I've had all day were 3 chocolate chip cookies & a peppermint mocha. Yeah, probably not the best things to have eaten all day, but I think we all have days like that. I've had a packet of salmon for what seems like forever...I originally bought it to put over salad for lunch. I knew I could find a better use for it so I went searching for recipes. I ended up on the Chicken of the Sea website...which is the brand of the salmon I had...and thought that salmon cakes sounded pretty good. I roughly used the following recipe, but didn't measure anything and adapted it to what I had on hand and to the 3 ounce package of salmon I had rather than the 7.1 ounce the recipe calls for. Overall, these turned out pretty well and was exactly what I was looking for!

Salmon Cakes with Lemon-Herb Sauce
Adapted from Chicken of the Sea

Ingredients

7.1 oz. Chicken of the Sea® Premium Skinless & Boneless Pink Salmon Pouch (I used the 3 ounce pouch)
1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper (Omitted)
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion (Omitted)
The following ingredients I did not measure so these reflect the original recipe...I used what looked like the appropriate amount:
1/4 cup mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip Light)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
Cayenne (red) pepper, to taste
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup dry bread crumbs
3 Tablespoons butter

Lemon-Herb Sauce
3/4 cup mayonnaise or low-fat mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip light)
1 Tablespoon each: fresh lemon juice and prepared horseradish (Omitted horseradish)
2 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme OR 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste (Omitted because of the seasoned salt in the cakes)

In small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients; blend well. Makes about 1 cup sauce.

Directions
In bowl, combine bell pepper, green onions, mayonnaise, lemon juice, seasoned salt and cayenne pepper; flake in Chicken of the Sea® Salmon. Add egg and 1/4-cup of the breadcrumbs; mix until well blended. Divide and form mixture into 8 balls (about 1/4-cup each). Roll salmon balls in remaining breadcrumbs; flatten into cakes about 1/2-inch thick. In large skillet, over medium heat, melted butter. Fry salmon cakes in for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown. Serve with Lemon-Herb Sauce. Makes 4 to 8 servings.

I made one of the cakes pretty big so it ended up falling apart, but still tasted good!

Pasta e Fagioli

2008-12-03T20:11:00.003-05:00

I don't know why I didn't make this sooner! I think I may have been a little intimidated by the name of the dish and never even looked at the ingredients or what it actually is. Sounds kinda stupid now that I think about it. Anyways, I made it and it's really good. The girl I got the recipe from said that it made a lot and she is RIGHT! This made so much that I decided not to make dinner tonight to make sure that we don't waste any leftovers. If you want to make this and freeze it, don't add the pasta to the soup itself. Make it on its own and add it each time you want to eat it. I realized that after I made all of it, but that's ok...we can deal with some leftovers!

Pasta e Fagioli (copy cat Olive Garden)
Adapted from ...and a cookie for dessert

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, diced (I omitted because I didn't realize my onions had gone bad!)
1/2 of a small 1 lb. bag of baby carrots, chopped
5 stalks of celery, diced (I omitted)
2 (14.5 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (32 oz.) carton + 1 (14.5 oz.) can of beef broth
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/4 tsp pepper
2 1/2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped (I used dry)
3/4 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 jar (1 lb. 10 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 cup dry small pasta (such as ditalini or elbow macaroni) (I used rotini because I had about this much left over)
salt to taste

Directions:
Brown ground beef in oil. Drain if necessary.
Add onion, carrot, celery and diced tomatoes. Simmer 10 minutes.
Add beans, beef broth, oregano, pepper, parsley, Tabasco sauce and spaghetti sauce.
Simmer soup on low for about 30-45 minutes until carrots are almost tender.
Add pasta to pot and simmer on low for about 15-30 minutes until pasta is just shy of al dente. As the soup cools, the pasta will absorb the broth. You can cook the pasta separate and add it to the soup after the soup has cooled.

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cheese

2008-12-02T18:22:00.005-05:00

After having to go back to work after a nice 4-day Thanksgiving weekend, I needed some comfort food for dinner. This is definite comfort food, but then again, what pasta dish isn't?? It also heated up really well for leftovers the next day.

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cheese
Adapted from Cooking Light as seen on Cooking This and That

I apologize for the picture - I REALLY need a light box in the winter! Also, I really wanted to eat!

from Cooking Light

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:
1 (1-pound) package uncooked ziti (short tube-shaped pasta)
1 pound hot turkey Italian sausage links (I used pork sausage because it was on sale)
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I used dried since I couldn't find fresh at the store)
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese (I just used the stuff in the bag :) )
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese (I used canned Parmesan cheese)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain the pasta, and set aside.

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble.

Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, and basil. Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. (I just used a 9x13 pan and it worked fine) Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layers.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Apple Cider Beef Stew

2008-12-02T18:17:00.003-05:00

When I first saw this recipe, I thought it sounded great. Then I tasted it. I hated it. I couldn't even eat a whole bowl of it. I basically took a few bites and that was it. Then I got angry that I wasted all of those ingredients. Until Jon tried it. He loved it. He ate a huge bowl and then ate the leftovers a couple of days later. So, I guess you can try it and see if you like it like my husband, or hate it like I did!

Apple Cider Beef Stew
Adapted from Crock-Pot.com

Ingredients:

1 lb beef stew meat

8 carrots, sliced

6 potatoes, sliced

2 apples, diced

2 tsp salt

½ tsp thyme

2 Tbs onion, minced

3 c. apple cider

1 c. celery (I omitted)

2 Tbs cider vinegar

Directions:
Place all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover; cook on Low 10-12 hours or High 5-6 hours.

Honey Yeast Rolls

2008-12-02T18:10:00.004-05:00

I have always wanted to make something with yeast...but have never gotten up the courage to actually do it. I've had my KA mixer now for over a year, so I figured it was about time to use that dough hook! So, here is my first attempt at making homemade dinner rolls. First, I did not have a round pan to bake them in, so I used an 8x8 pan instead so they are not round. Secondly, they came out way doughier than I expected. If you know why that is, please feel free to let me know! Lastly, I had to cook them WAY longer than I was supposed to since they were so thick, but they still came out well and were done in the middle (just a little crunchy on top but not too much). By the way, these were good and I will definitely make them again! You can't go wrong with bread and honey.

Honey Yeast Rolls
Adapted from ...A cookie a day as seen on Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
2 ¼ tsp. instant yeast (this is a whole packet...which I figured out after I measured it. I still managed to measure it wrong so I did not have all of the yeast...the rolls still rose but maybe that is why they were a little thicker!)
1 cup warm water (105°-115° F)
¼ cup honey
3 tbsp. canola oil
1 ¼ tsp. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 cups bread flour
vegetable cooking spray
1 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tbsp honey

Directions:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the yeast and warm water. Add the honey, oil, salt, and egg and mix well. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until the dough comes together in a sticky mass. With the mixer on low speed, add the remaining 1 cup flour and mix until it is incorporated into the dough. Switch to the dough hook, and continue kneading on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in bulk, about 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 30 seconds. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Punch the dough down and divide into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and place into a round, lightly greased baking dish, spacing evenly. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 20 minutes. Mix together the melted butter and honey, and brush lightly over the tops of the rolls. Bake at 400° for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pumpkin Pie Bars

2008-11-25T17:37:00.005-05:00

I love pumpkin pie and I always crave pumpkin around this time of the year. I also had some pumpkin to use up in the fridge so in honor of the coming holiday, I decided to make these bars. They are fantastic! I also made homemade whipped cream to go on top of them...so good.

Pumpkin Pie Bars
Adapted from Kraft.com as seen on Delicious Melicious

Ingredients:
1-1/3 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) cold butter or margarine
1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I don't like nuts in my baked goods so I omitted)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons bourbon (optional) (I didn't use)
a handful of butterscotch or chocolate chips for sprinkling on top (optional)

Directions:
HEAT oven to 350°F. Line 13×9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; grease foil. Mix flour, 1/4 granulated sugar and brown sugar in medium bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in oats and nuts.

RESERVE 1 cup oat mixture; press remaining onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min. Beat cream cheese, remaining sugar, eggs, vanilla, bourbon, pumpkin and spice with mixer until well blended. Pour over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture and a handful of butterscotch or chocolate chips (if desired).

BAKE 25 min.; cool 10 min. Use foil to transfer dessert from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

Whipped Cream
Adapted from my memory

Ingredients:
Heavy whipping cream (I used half a small container)
Tablespoon of sugar (Jon said more could have been added though)
Dash of vanilla

Directions:
Pour whipping cream into mixer and mix until soft peaks form. Start mixing slowly and then increase speed as it becomes thicker. Add in the sugar and vanilla just as the soft peaks are forming.

Creamy Potato Soup

2008-11-25T17:27:00.002-05:00

I LOVE potato soup. It definitely is a comfort food for me. I've also never made it by pureeing it first...I usually just have potato chunks in mine. I'm actually not sure which kind I prefer now - I loved the creaminess of this recipe though.

Creamy Potato Soup with Chives
Adapted from Loves to Eat (from Cook's Illustrated)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, or the same amount of vegetable or olive oil
1 medium onion, 3 medium shallots, or 1 medium leek (white and light green parts only), chopped
2 tablespoons dry sherry or white wine
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or low-fat vegetable broth
1 teaspoon table salt
ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups milk
2 teaspoons minced fresh chives (I omitted because I didn't have any)

Directions:
Heat butter or oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add sherry and potato; stir-cook until sherry evaporates, about 30 seconds.
Add stock, salt and pepper to taste to saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Ladle potato mixture into blender. Add 1 cup milk; blend until very smooth. Return soup to saucepan; cook over low heat until warmed through. If soup is too thick, stir in additional milk to thin consistency. Adjust seasonings. (Soup can be refrigerated for 3 days and reheated just before serving.)
Ladle soup into individual bowls. Garnish with minced chives and serve immediately.

Snowy Days

2008-11-17T22:50:00.006-05:00

In honor of our first real snow fall of the year, I took some pictures. This is what I woke up to on Sunday morning.

Our pumpkins were looking bad to begin with, but then they got filled with snow. Jon discarded them soon after this picture was taken.

This is the view from our deck. If you squint you can see the snow falling!

Some snow topped roofs of the condos around us...and a snow-covered railing.

I think we need to take our summer furniture in!

Meat Goulash

2008-11-17T22:35:00.004-05:00

Does anyone else find the process of cooking relaxing? I used to get really frustrated in the kitchen, especially if things weren't going the way I wanted them to. I have definitely gotten more comfortable in the kitchen since then, and now I look forward to moments in the kitchen. I think I am turning more into my mother everyday! Anyway, Mondays are always a busy day for me and I usually don't get to cook dinner until after 9pm. Yeah, I know...but this is the way my schedule must be at least until I am done with school. Fortunately, my husband works at night so dinner is always done before he gets home! :) Even though I didn't start dinner until 9:45pm I still felt relaxed and liked the fact that I was making dinner instead of grabbing fast food. I got the idea for this meal from one of the girls on the message board...you can read her blog here. I liked this meal because it's definite comfort food and after some snow flurries today it was needed! I think if I make this again I will add some kind of vegetable - like some canned tomatoes because it needed some veggies!

Meat Goulash
Adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
Salt
1 pound short pasta, such as macaroni, ziti rigate or gemelli (I used elbow macaroni)
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 slices lean bacon, chopped (I used turkey bacon)
1 pound ground meat (a mixture of beef, pork and veal) (I did NOT use this because frankly, it sounds pretty gross to me - I used ground turkey instead)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used jarred garlic)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika (I don't have this so I used a combination of paprika and cumin to get the smoky flavor)
Freshly ground pepper
3 large jarred roasted red peppers, drained (The jarred peppers I had were in pieces and not whole so I used about 3/4 of a jar)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup sour cream
A generous handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped (I used dried parsley)
A generous handful of fresh dill, chopped (I used dried dill)

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside.

While the pasta cooks, heat the EVOO, half a turn of the pan, in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 3 minutes, then move the bacon to the side of the pan and add the ground meat, crumbling it. Brown the meat for 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and onion; season with the paprika and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

In a food processor, puree the peppers until smooth and stir into the meat. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the beef broth and simmer for a couple of minutes. Stir in the sour cream and cooked pasta. Top with the parsley and dill.

It kinda looks like slop, but I promise it's good!

Pumpkin White Chocolate Blondies

2008-11-16T20:09:00.005-05:00

The fall season is coming to a quick close this year, so I figured I would get a few more pumpkin recipes in before switching over to "Christmasy" foods. These are excellent - they taste more like a cake than a bar type of blondie.

Pumpkin White Chocolate Blondies
Adapted from Fresh From Cate's Kitchen, originally from Martha Stewart

Sorry for the picture - I was trying to get a quick one so I could update the blog!

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (I used light margarine because that's all I had and they came out fine)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 package (12 ounces) white chocolate chips (I only had half a bag left)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled).

Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.

Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into squares.

Pepperoni Rolls

2008-11-16T20:01:00.004-05:00

My mom always makes pepperoni rolls & I love them! Recently I saw her make them this way so I figured I would give it a try. So technically, I did not come up with the "recipe" on my own so thank you to my mom who inspired these!

Pepperoni Rolls
Inspired by my mother, Debby

A little cheese escaped on this one!

Ingredients:
Dinner roll dough
Pepperoni
Mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Prepare dough according to package directions. (For mine, I greased a muffin pan and allowed the dough to rise for at least 3 hours with a greased piece of plastic wrap over it.) Once the dough has risen, pull it apart a little bit and put pieces of pepperoni (I used 3 pieces each) and a small handful of mozzarella cheese in the dough. Then pull the dough back around the filling and pinch it together. Bake according to package directions.