Sweet Potato Casserole

It's Thanksgiving! We are so excited to be enjoying this lovely meal with our sweet little girl. :) We are in charge of making the sweet potato casserole and a banana cream pie. Since we are combining recipes I thought I would post it here!

Sweet Potato Casserole
Resources: http://www.theslowroasteditalian.com/2013/11/sweet-potato-casserole-boston-market-copycat-recipe.html
http://www.jamhands.net/2013/12/sweet-potato-casserole-with-marshmallow.html
Makes: 8-12 people

Sweet Potatoes

3 ½ - 4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the topping:
2 cups of marshmallows
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/3 cup flour
3 Tbsp. butter, melted

1. Fill a large pot with sweet potato pieces and water.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Cook until fork tender.  Drain potatoes and place back into pot.  Mash potatoes with a potato masher or blend with an electric mixer, until mostly smooth.  Add remaining ingredients (except topping ingredients).  Mix until combined.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease an 8”x10” casserole dish (8x8 or 9x9 works too).  
3. Spoon sweet potatoes into casserole dish and smooth out.  Sprinkle top of sweet potatoes with marshmallows.
4.  In a separate bowl, add 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 1/3 cup flour and 3 Tbsp. melted butter. Use a fork to mix thoroughly.
5.  Spread the sweet potato mixture into a lightly sprayed medium baking dish. Add marshmallow fluff, then sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until streusel is crisp and marshmallows are golden brown.

Meringue Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

David grew up loving meringue cookies with just a few chocolate chips in them, but we have a ton of extra pecans so we thought this recipe would be perfect. And it was. We did try a first attempt with chocolate chips and pecans and they were delicious, but too big so they didn't set up perfectly. The second attempt we made them with white chocolate chips and made them a little smaller and they worked out perfectly! (Also... layering the cookie sheets in the oven doesn't work very well either)

For us we decided cutting the recipe by 3/4ths was perfect for one cookie sheet in the oven. In the picture below you can see 3 of the white chocolate cookies (they are more brown) and one of the chocolate chip cookies (the white one).

Meringue Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
Source: http://dessertsbyjuliette.com/2013/06/19/chocolate-chip-pecan-meringue-cookies/
Makes: 24 cookies

4 egg whites, room temperature
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup granulated sugar
12 ounces chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
1 cup pecans, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a mixer on medium-low speed, beat the egg whites with the whisk attachment until frothy, approximately 2 minutes. Add salt and increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks. Reduce the speed to medium and add the vanilla and sugar one tablespoon at a time. Whip to glossy peaks, about 2 minutes.
3. Fold in the pecans and chocolate chips. Spoon the dough onto the cookie sheet (1 tablespoon each). Bake for 45 minutes. Turn oven off and leave the cookies in the oven for at least 4 hours

Cream Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

mmmm.. I made this in the winter, but it sure sounds good even now in august.. :) I just wish I had more pictures of these meals. :) Oh well, I remember this was divine though.

Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup
Source: http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2011/10/creamy-chicken-rice-soup-725-recipe-091.html
Serves: 8

• 1 Tbsp olive oil $0.11
• 1 medium yellow onion $0.56
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic $0.24
• ½ lb. carrots, sliced $0.39
• ½ bunch celery, sliced $0.79
• 1 lb. chicken $1.99
• 1 whole bay leaf $0.15
• 1 tsp dried oregano $0.05
• 1 tsp dried thyme $0.05
• to taste cracked pepper $0.05
• 1-2 tsp (to taste) salt $0.05
• 1 cup wild rice mix $1.37
• 6 cups water $0.00
• ⅓ bunch fresh parsley $0.26
• 2 Tbsp butter $0.10
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour $0.02
• 2 cups whole milk $1.07

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Meanwhile, dice the onion (and mince the garlic if using fresh rather than pre-minced). Add the onion and garlic to the hot oil and saute until tender (5 min).
2. If using fresh carrots and celery, clean and slice them while the onions are sauteing. Add them to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes more.
3. Add the chicken breast (whole), bay leaf, oregano, thyme, cracked pepper, dry rice, and 6 cups of water to the pot. Do not add salt yet. Bring the pot up to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for one hour.
4. Near the end of the hour, begin to make the creamy milk mixture. In a small pot, melt 2 Tbsp of butter over medium heat. When it is fully melted, whisk in 2 Tbsp of all-purpose flour. Cook and stir the butter and flour mixture for two minutes. Whisk in the milk and allow it to come up to a simmer, whisking occasionally to keep it from scorching on the bottom. Once it reaches a simmer, it will have thickened slightly.
5. Carefully remove the chicken pieces from the soup and shred or dice with a knife and fork. Rinse and chop the parsley. Add the parsley and the thickened milk mixture to the soup. Season with salt to taste. I used about 2 tsp of salt, but start with a little and add more as needed. I also added a touch more pepper at this point. Serve hot!

Triple-cheese Spinach Strata with Sundried Tomatoes and Peppers

So this is absolutely delicious. What led me to make this was the fact that you could make it early and then let it sit in the fridge (you are actually supposed to) and then i could come home and quickly cook it in about 40 minutes.

It was a little time consuming mostly because I didn't quite know what I was doing for the first bit. But then as I started to run out of time, it all came together pretty quickly.

I was surprised at how filling this was as well. I was able to feed about 10 people with a 13x9 and a 9x9 pan full. It was amazing.


Triple-Cheese Spinach Strata with Sundried Tomatoes and Peppers

Yield: Serves 4, but easily doubled in a 9 by 13-inch casserole.
Source: http://onecaketwocake.com/2011/03/21/triple-cheese-spinach-strata/

1/4 cup chopped dry-packed sundried tomatoes
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
6 ounces frozen spinach, thawed
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
5 cups cubed French or Italian bread, crusts removed (about 1/2 pound)
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Pinch freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup ricotta
1 cup gruyère, grated
1/2 cup parmesan, finely grated

Cover sundried tomatoes with boiling water and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain off water. Squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much water as possible, and then chop.
Over medium-low heat, heat butter until no longer bubbling. Saute onion until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, stir until golden, about 30 seconds. Stir in spinach, peppers, sundried tomatoes and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir until mixture is dry, about 1 minute, then remove from heat.
In a buttered 8-inch square casserole, layer half of bread cubes. Spread over half of spinach mixture, then spoonfuls of half of ricotta. Scatter over half of gruyère and parmesan. Repeat layering.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture evenly over casserole. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, remove casserole from the fridge and let sit while preheating oven to 350°F. Bake casserole until browned and cooked through, about 45-50 minutes.

Herb Rubbed Pork Loin and Herb Spaetzle

What to make for dinner?! Today the thought came to me that I want flavor... so I looked to herbs. Its always so hard trying to keep things somewhat healthy but still having enough food and having it taste good.

Though I am super excited. I haven't made spaetlze since I was in high school for my german class and before that I was in Germany eating it! So hopefully this will be a positive experience. I have heard that it is better to use a colander with 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch holes. I will probably use one that has much smaller holes.. but we will see what it turns out like.

Herb Rubbed Pork Loin
Source: http://www.thehandmadekitchen.com/2011/10/10/herb-rubbed-pork-tenderloin-and-slow-cooked-tomato-confit/

2 tbs. mustard
1 tbs. honey
1/4 tsp Rosemary
1/4 tsp Basil
1/4 tsp Garlic
1/4 tsp Tarragon
1/8 tsp Celery Salt
pinch Salt and  (1/4 tsp) Pepper
We rubbed this all over the meat, then seared in a very hot pan to brown the outside. Once all sides are browned, which should only take you about 10 minutes, place in a very hot oven, about 450 degrees, and let it complete cooking. When the internal temperature of the meat hits 145 degrees, take it out. Let it rest for about 10 minutes on a cutting board. Then, slice and serve immediately.
Recently, the guideline for internal temperature of cooked pork has been lowered to 145 degrees, down from the 160 of the past. (See this article.) Personally, I like rare meat and just over 145 is great for my taste. You can, naturally, cook your pork to a higher temperature than that, but I would strongly recommend you stop cooking the meat when the internal temperature hits between 145-155 degrees. Remember, your meat’s temperature will rise a bit while resting. Also, you will end up with a nice juicy piece of meat with a great texture when you cook it to a slightly lower temperature. I find 160 yields dry, tougher meat.

to get to 160 degrees its about 50 minutes cooking in the oven at 350. 

Pan-Browned Spaetzle with Shallots and Herbs
Source: http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/03/spaetzle/
Serves: 4

Simplest Homemade Spaetzle
Recipe from The Balthazar Cookbook, technique from trial and error
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
7 large eggs
1/4 cup (59 ml) milk
Combine the flour, eggs and milk in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight.*
Prepare an ice bath. Bring a large pot of well salted water to boil. If you’ve got a spaetzle maker, use it. Otherwise, do not fret! Set a large colander with holes anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2-inch wide over the pot. Put on two potholders because you probably already know that steam is hot; I apparently did not. Pour 1/4 of the batter into the colander and press it through the holes with a flexible spatula. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes then use a slotted spoon to fish spaetzle out and drop it in the ice bath. Continue with remaining batter in 3 batches. I found it was important to use only a little batter at a time (and even less if your pot is smaller) because if you push too much batter in at a time, it becomes one freakish megaspaetzle as opposed to hundreds of tiny twisty ones.
When you’re done with the batter, drain the spaetzle well and toss it with a small amount of olive oil to keep it from sticking. You can use it right away, or keep it in the fridge for a day until needed.
* The other spaetzle recipe I auditioned did not call for the resting time and worked just fine. I didn’t test this version without resting it in the fridge first for an hour, but suspect that you could get away with it if you were pinched for time. That said, the batter was really lovely — smoother, stretchier — after an hour, so if you can use that hour to prepare a salad or other parts of your meal, you should.
Pan-Browned Spaetzle with Shallots and Herbs
Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Heat 1 tablespoon unsalted butter. Once it is fully melted and beginning to turn golden add a couple cups of drained, cooled spaetzle and let it heat for a minute in the pan before starting to saute it about. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and continue to cook it until each piece has a couple toasty brown edges. Add 1 tablespoon minced shallot and cook for one minute more. Adjust seasonings to taste and, off the heat, toss with 1 tablespoon minced herbs (I used parsley and dill but others, like tarragon or chives, would work well.) Eat immediately.
 

Roasted Butternut Squash Orzo

Yesterday was SO fun. For FHE we decided to celebrate Johnny Appleseed Day by playing baseball with apples! I was amazed at how they just got smashed. But it was fun to see them disintegrate. I wish I had taken a picture. It is always fun to see how groups get together and mesh. I feel that our FHE group is meshing well though. I am excited to see it blossom. :)

I was looking again at foodgawker and found this recipe.. now.. don't look too closely at the source... it may use some unfortunate language.. but I have to give credit where it is due... And this recipe just sounded so yummy! And I have to say it was 100% worth it. It was delicious! The butternut squash was intensely difficult to cut though. It probably took me about an hour.... I bet next time it wouldn't take as long though. I did look at this website for instructions on how to cut the butternut squash: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_peel_and_cut_a_butternut_squash/. One of my favorite things about this dish was how colorful it was. I ended up not adding the extra olive oil in at the end or any pepper. but I bet it would taste good if you did. I just forgot.

Roasted Butternut Squash Orzo
Source: http://abitchinkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/09/roasted-butternut-squash-orzo.html
Makes:

• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup orzo pasta
• 1 cup (packed) baby spinach, chopped
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl, toss squash, onion, and garlic with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Spread out in a single layer on the baking sheet, and roast for 40-50 minutes, or until the squash is tender. Give the vegetables a good stir a couple times while they're roasting.

While the squash is roasting, cook the orzo pasta according to directions on the box. Drain and set aside.

After the veggies are done, chop the roasted garlic. Add the squash, onions, garlic, spinach, and cranberries to the orzo. Toss with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.




Crunchy Garlic Chicken
Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/crunchy-garlic-chicken/fab48856-6d00-4b01-99d2-7b2536f85619
Makes: 6 servings

• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups Whole Grain Total® cereal, crushed (1 cup)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 3/4 lb)

1 Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In shallow dish, mix 2 tablespoons of the butter, the milk, chives, salt and garlic powder.
2 In another shallow dish, mix crushed cereal, parsley and paprika. Dip chicken into milk mixture, then coat lightly and evenly with cereal mixture. Place in pan. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons butter.

3 Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F).

Gingerbread cookies

These were so delicious! Soft, flavorful and had a great time making them :) We left out the pepper and the orange zest, but I think it would be interesting to try it with it another time which is why I left them on. But we rolled them out to about 1/4 inch thick and cooked them for 8 minutes, they were delicious. :)

Gingerbread Cookies

Source: http://www.alaskafromscratch.com/2012/12/14/spiced-gingerbread-cut-out-cookies/
Makes: 24-36 cookies

3-1/2c flour
1t baking soda
1-1/2t cinnamon
1-1/2t ground ginger
1t allspice
1/2t ground cloves
1/2t ground black pepper
1/2t salt
1/2c butter
1/4c shortening
2/3c brown sugar
2/3c molasses
1 egg
1/4t fresh orange zest

Instructions

1. Into a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, soda, spices, and salt. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, shortening, and brown sugar until fluffy and well-combined. Add the molasses, followed by the egg and orange zest, beating until smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again until combined. With the mixer on low, gradually add in the flour/spice mixture until it all comes together. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll the dough out to 1/8-1/4 inch thickness (thinner for crisp cookies, thicker for soft, chewy cookies). Using your favorite cookie cutters, cut the dough into shapes and place on the prepared baking sheets. Roll, cut, and repeat with the remaining dough. Bake in the preheated oven 7-9 minutes or until just cooked through but still soft (mine were perfect at 8 minutes). Carefully remove cookies to a cooling rack. 

Royal Icing
Source: http://www.ironwhisk.com/2012/12/gingerbread/ (this is a great tutorial for gingerbread)
Makes: enough for maybe 42 - 50 cookies

2 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
~ 2-3 cups powdered sugar

Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Add in icing sugar and beat until the icing is thick. Pipe onto cookies as desired.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

Camille had her pumpkin party last night and it was so fun! There was pumpkin macaroni and cheese, pumpkin ginger snap dip (coolwhip, small can of pumpkin, small box of vanilla pudding, pumpkin pie spice = SO GOOD), pumpkin cheese cake, pumpkin bars and cookies, pumpkin soup, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin egg nog and I made this pumpkin pie cake.  It turned out great. I changed it a little from the original but mostly I just added some extra spices.

Pumpkin Pie Cake 

Adapted from: http://www.whatscookingwithruthie.com/2012/09/21/pumpkin-pie-cake/
Makes : 13x 9 in pan

1 (18 oz) yellow cake mix
1 egg
1/2 C butter, melted
1 (29 oz) canned mashed pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 C white sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2/3 C evaporated milk
1/4 C butter
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C pecan pieces, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cooking spray and flour a 9×13 baking pan.  Reserve 1 C of cake mix from package. In a mixing bowl combine remaining cake mix, melted butter, and 1 egg.  Press mixture in the bottom of pan and up the sides to form a crust.  In a large mixing bowl combine pumpkin, eggs, white sugar, cinnamon, and evaporated milk.  Mix well.  Pour over crust. Combine brown sugar and remaining cake mix.  Cut in butter using two knives or a pastry blender until crumbly. Sprinkle over the filling.  Top with pecans if desired.  Bake 50 minutes. (I had to cook an extra 15 minutes...)  Cool on a rack.  Refrigerate until serving.

Apple Chips

There was an apple party so I decided to google apple recipes. I found one for apple chips on food gawker and they just look so good I couldn't help myself! Not to mention they seem somewhat healthy. I am super excited to try this new snack! Apples are one of my favorite snacks. I eat it for breakfast with a slice of cinnamon and sugar toast, I have it for lunch with a peanut butter and honey sandwich or just for a snack. So who wouldn't love dried apples! They were even a big hit at the party, I used granny smith so they had a nice tart flavor, slight crisp and chewy texture.

Apple Chips
Source: http://umaskitchenexperiments.blogspot.com/2011/09/apple-chips.html

Apples - 2 nos, gala, granny smith or any firm variety
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 teaspoon

1) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
2) Wash and slice the apples perpendicular to the core in small slices. (as this as you can)
3) Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and Bake for 2-3 hours
4) Allow to cool (will become more crispy) and then sprinkle with cinnamon.

Chicken Fajita Pizza

In a fix for something quick? This day I was... and this turned out delicious and fast!


Chicken Fajita Pizza
Makes: 1 pizza
Source: http://saramcgee.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/chicken-fajita-pizza/

Ingredients
1 pre-made pizza roll (found near the crescent rolls in my grocery store)
3/4 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 of a onion, chopped
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup of salsa
1 bag of Mexican shredded cheese

Directions
Roll out pizza dough on a greased pan. Layer on salsa- smooth out with a spoon. Grill or pan fry chicken- let it cool- and chop up into bite size pieces. Saute peppers and onions with butter or oil in a pan. Sprinkle with salt to ensure that they come together. Layer chicken, peppers and onions onto the salsa dough. Cover with cheese. Follow directions on pizza dough container about how to cook- but keep an eye out to prevent burning!

Cake Mix Fudge Crinkles

I went to make cookies on a Sunday and sadly I didn't have flour! Being Sunday I wasn't able to run to the store so I was in a panick. Then I remembered that I could use a cake mix to make cookies. As I searched nothing really interested me until I ran into these delicious Fudge Crinkles.

I was amazed at how moist they were, reminded me a lot of a brownie. Even when the outside felt a little tough the inside was moist and soft and a rich chocolate flavor.

Cake Mix Fudge Crinkles
Makes: about 30 cookies
Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/fudge-crinkles-a-great-4-ingredient-cake-mix-cookie-32614

1 (18 1/4 ounce) box devil's food cake mix (Betty Crocker Super Moist suggested)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 350
Stir dry cake mix, oil and eggs together till combined. 
Roll into walnut sized balls then roll in powdered sugar. Don't dust off the powdered sugar (otherwise the powdered sugar will all dissolve in the oven.) Place on a greased cookie sheet. 
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes (or until just set) 
Take them off the pan and let them cool.

White Bean Chili

This morning I woke up and my face was frozen! Remember all those wonderful times of camping and you wake up and half your face thats sticking out of the sleeping bag is so cold but everything else is warm and toasty. Well, that is how it felt this morning, only I was inside. So as we can imagine the weather is like on this beautiful January day, all I felt like was warm yummy food.

I decided to make chili and cornbread and found this delicious recipe. At first I was very skeptical at the refried beans in the sauce but it was a great thickener! Who would have thought! I used my buttermilk cornbread recipe only I used white flour instead of wheat and added a little less milk. And sadly I didn't have enough great northern beans so I ended up doing 1 can of black to replace and it was delicious. Part of me likes having more variety in my beans anyway. 

White Bean Chili

Source: http://burnmenot.blogspot.com/2011/01/white-bean-chili.html
Makes: 8 servings (feeds about 5?)

1 (12 oz) package reduced fat sausage
1 lb ground turkey
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning mix (1 used half original and half mild - not too spicy)
2 (15.8 oz) cans great northern beans (undrained) 
1 (14 oz) can low sodium chicken broth
1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles
1 (16 oz) can green chile and lime refried beans

Preheat large saucepan on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add sausage and ground turkey. Let cook a little and drain some of the fat with a spoon. Then add onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook total of 10-12 minutes or until meat is browned and no pink remains; stir frequently and break meat up as it cooks. Stir in taco seasoning; cover and cook for 1 minute.

In a large stock pot, combine beans (including liquids), chicken broth, green chiles, and refried beans over medium-high heat. Stir in meat mixture; cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Serve.

Peanut Butter Cookies

So I came home today and decided I wanted cookies after a long day of work. Though really, I think its an after thought from yesterday. I was going non-stop yesterday! I woke up went to work, taught for two periods then went and did a cycling class then ran to the temple then did genealogy for an hour or so then went and tutored for two hours and then showered went to dinner, had a book club meeting then came home to prepare a test for the next day then went to sleep and woke up and went to work, then did some genealogy, then came home and made cookies. Wow... what a past two days. But I feel like right now is such a nice time to just sit and eat a delicious peanut butter cookie.

Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Source: http://www.everydayhomecook.com/2011/08/soft-chewy-peanut-butter-cookies/
Makes: 4 to 4 1/2 dozen

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Beat together butter and peanut butter until well combined.  
3. Add sugar and brown sugar, beat until fluffy.  
4. Mix in egg, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.  
5. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix just until blended.  
6. Roll balls of dough about the size of walnuts then roll in white sugar before placing on a baking sheet.  
7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes.  Do not over bake.  Cookies will be puffy, soft and slightly brown on the edges. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 3 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely (here is where they will continue cooking).  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Mashed Potatoes

 Here is the recipe of mashed potatoes I used to go along with the sugar snap peas. They were delicious. Simple but good.

Mashed Potatoes
Source: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/traditional-mashed-potatoes/Detail.aspx
Serves: 6

6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup warm milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. 
2. Cover and bring to a boil; cook for 20-25 minutes or until very tender. 
3. Drain well. 
4. Add milk, butter, salt and pepper; mash until light and fluffy. 

Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas

So this is a recipe I actually made a little while ago for dinner group - but it is delicious. I looked at a website that my mom suggested to me a while ago, www.eatingwell.com, and I found this recipe. Mmm... I wish I had written more about it right after I finished making it though because my memory is not that great. But I do remember that the sauce was delicious.. the chicken was moist. It tasted great with mashed potatoes. I didn't use the sprouted beans just lots of sugar snap peas and chives for my fresh herb. Very simple but oh so very yummy. (so as a little side note - since I don't remember a lot of the specifics of this meal, I left a lot of the instructions the same as they are originally - so I give all credit of writing this to eatingwell.com :) )

Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas

Source: Eatingwell.com (http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chicken_with_sugar_snap_peas_spring_herbs.html) 

Serves: 4

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon flour, divided
1 pound thin-sliced chicken breast cutlets
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces sugar snap peas, cut in half (2 cups)
1 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, rinsed
1/4 cup sprouted beans, (see Note), optional
3 tablespoons minced fresh herbs, such as chives, tarragon or dill
2 teaspoons champagne vinegar, or white-wine vinegar

1. Whisk broth, mustard, salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons flour in a small bowl until smooth.
2. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in two batches, adjusting heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate; cover with foil to keep warm.
3. Stir the broth mixture and add to the pan along with snap peas, artichoke hearts and sprouted beans (if using). Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the snap peas are tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it into the vegetables, and simmer until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in herbs and vinegar.

• Note: Sprouted beans, not to be confused with bean sprouts, are beans that have just barely sprouted—they look like a bean with a tiny fiber attached (rather than the more fleshy-looking sprouts commonly used in Asian cooking). Eat raw in salads or add to cooked dishes; they're an excellent source of fiber and protein. Look for them in the produce section near other sprouts.

Nutrition

Per serving: 248 calories; 6 g fat ( 1 g sat , 4 g mono ); 63 mg cholesterol; 19 g carbohydrates; 29 g protein; 7 g fiber; 605 mg sodium; 603 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (35% daily value), Magnesium (20% dv), Potassium (17% dv), Iron (15% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 1
Exchanges: 4 very lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1 fat

Guacamole and Chips

Mmmm.. avocados... after church today I decided to make guacamole! So I decided to try Alton brown's recipe.. it was amazing!

Guacamole
Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/guacamole-recipe/index.html

3 avocados halved, seeded and peeled
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced

1. In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. (I used much less lime juice then they asked, but I thought it was good and I didn't need to drain it or add it later - I just used a few drops.)
2. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. 
3. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. 
4. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. 
5. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. 
6. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve. (I ate it right away - it was delicious)

So I talked with my roommies about this lovely dish and one said that they thought it was a 9.9/10 out of the guacamole's she's tried. It was really good. We were critiquing it and decided it was delicious because of the slight chunkiness of the avocado with the creaminess, the cool freshness of the tomatoes, the spices added really good flavor - it was a little spicy but not too much.

But I should warn you that I did cut this recipe by a third. So it was hard to get a 1/6 of a teaspoon.. so my measurements may have been a little less than it was asked for.

not only did I make guacamole but I also made chips! Only.. the tortillas I had were thick.. so when I cooked them they were a little hard. But they were pleasant. The ones I cooked longer were better because they were more crispy they were a hard first crunch but they weren't chewy at the same time.

Corn Tortilla Chips
Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/baked-tortilla-chips-recipe/index.html

Corn tortillas
Olive oil
salt

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Brush both sides of the tortillas with oil
3. Stack the tortillas and cut them into 1/6s or 1/4s.
4. Place on cookie sheet in one layer, sprinkle with salt and bake for 15-18 minutes till golden brown and crispy. 

Watermelon Sorbet

One day I was craving a watermelon like nobody's business - so I bought one. It was huge, like twenty pounds and the next thing I new I'd eaten a quarter of it! But sadly even though I'd eaten that much our fridge was too full and I wouldn't be able to store all of it. What a dilemma. Then I realized our freezer wasn't that packed.. so I googled frozen watermelon treats and found this delicious recipe. 

Watermelon Sorbet
Source:  http://www.williammillerhouse.com/blog/2011/07/lactose-intolerant-try-this-watermelon-treat-to-beat-the-heat/
Serves: estimated 10-12 half cup servings

5 cups of cubed and seeded watermelon
1 cup sugar

2 envelope unflavored gelatin
2/3 cup fruit juice

1. Place watermelon cubes in a food processor, or a blender. Cover, process or blend until smooth. You should end up with about 5 cups of pureed watermelon.
2. Stir in sugar.
3. Combine the gelatin and juice in a small saucepan.  Let it stand for 5 minutes. Stir  the cranberry juice and gelatin mixture over low heat until the gelatin is dissolved.
4. Pour dissolved gelatin into the pureed melon and stir.  Then, pour entire mixture into an 9x13-inch baking pan. Cover and freeze two hours until firm.
5. After two hours, break up frozen mixture and place in a chilled mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer on medium to high speed until it is fluffy. Return it to the pan. Cover and freeze about 6 more hours until firm.
6. To serve, let stand at room temperature for 5 - 10 minutes. Its a little nicer to eat when its a little softer. 
 

It was so delicious! I loved just nibbling at it. Not to mention it was so light but had such a yummy sweet flavor. One of my favorite things about making this was probably working with the unflavored gelatin. I had never done that before and it created such an interesting texture before you warmed it up. I would definitely make this again. (Only next time I would get a seedless watermelon, it took a while to pick out all the seeds)

S'mores

First.. I know, its been forever. Basically summer and blogging just didn't work out this year. But hopefully now that I'm on a better schedule I'll do a little more. 

Anyway, today I checked the mail and found this cute Halloween Pillsbury Cookbook (Copyright 2011, p.3). As I glanced through it the only thing that really caught my eye was their fun s'more ideas. I didn't want to keep the whole book just for that, so I thought I'd just record them here :) 

S'more Makeovers: 

Midnight Ginger = Gingersnaps + Marshmallows + dark chocolate

Caramel Apple = Cinnamon graham crackers + Marshmallows + caramels + apple slices

Chocolate Mint = Chocolate graham crackers + Marshmallows + chocolate covered mints (like Andes) 

Peanut Butter Banana = Graham Crackers + Marshmallows + sliced bananas + peanut butter

Since i haven't actually tried this one, if you do make sure that you comment! One that sounds absolutely delicious to be is the Midnight ginger and the chocolate mint. I bet this would be super fun to just bring a whole bunch of innards and make all sorts of different kinds of s'mores. Let the imagination run wild! 
 

Strawberry Avocado Smoothie

On a random note, I was perusing through foodgawker, one of my favorite sights and saw a picture of oatmeal and blueberries. One of my favorite memories of my mom making me a special yet healthy breakfast. I had to click on it and it was this description of why breakfast is so important to eat (http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/02/14/breakfast-club-join-in/). I think I've forgotten that. I wake up with barely enough time to brush my teeth and run out the door. I think it is time for a change. I need to get to bed earlier so I can wake up and actually eat something better than a few cheep breakfast bars. I would love it if I could spend time and eat a yummy avocado smoothie, or fruit oatmeal, or toast and yogurt.

So I decided to try an avocado/green smoothie. As I looked around at tons of recipes there were lots that looked really good. One that I liked was Enzo's Green Smoothie (http://www.kitchencorners.com/2011/02/green-smoothie-because-enzo-thought-it.html) because it didn't have dairy in it (because even though you may not have guessed I am lactose intolerant). So this one was my inspiration though its not really a lot like it. I also have watched my roommates make them a bit. There's typically didn't have avocado in them, or I don't think they did. But I remember trying it and being surprised at how tasty they were! Now, I did go through and look at some of the nutritional values for this lovely drink. I went onto nutritiondata.self.com and looked up each ingredient. I found that this drink is probably about 560 calories! So, this is something to eat on its own and is its own meal. I ate it after I got home from doing a cycling class and it felt great. I think the good thing with this is all the vitamins. If you use water instead of orange juice and cut back on some of the honey it would help also. But I was mostly going for for flavor and seeing what happened with an avocado smoothie.

So, this particular one tastes like strawberries. Its delicious! It does have a healthy flavor to it, in that its not overly sweet, but especially for breakfast this would be wonderful.

Strawberry Avocado Smoothie

Serves: 1

1/2 avocado

1 c frozen strawberries

1/2 c spinach (mine was frozen but I don't think it needs to be) 

4 baby carrots (or equivalent)

3 tbsp honey

1/2 c orange juice

      1) Blend all the ingredients together in a blender. 

      2) Add more orange juice till desired consistency. Then drink! 

Nutritional Facts: Calories about 560, Fat: all from avocado - 10.5 g, click on the links for all the vitamins and such. Cuz there are lots!
Avocado: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1844/2
Strawberries: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/2066/2
Carrots: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/3026/2
Spinach: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2626/2
Honey: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5568/2
Orange Juice: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1973/2

Focaccia bread

I remember my sophomore year in college when one of my roommates, Lydia, would make focaccia bread. I have been craving it for about a week or so. So for dinner group I decided it was time. I googled and looked around for a good recipe and found one on allrecipes.com (i love that website) and read through the reviews to make sure that I wouldn't end up with something nasty.  I added some veggies on top, added in a little wheat flour (cuz basically I'm obsessed) and it was delicious!

It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to serve with it. I thought pasta, but then I thought that is too many bread like food. So I started thinking Chicken and decided to do a breaded chicken of some sort. At first I wanted to coat the chicken and then dip it in some shake n' bake like recipe. When I went into my kitchen, I found that I had italian bread crumbs so I just decided to use those. But I think that if there was a little more salt or something in them it would have been better. So, I did all this research to see which moistener/adhesive would be best - olive oil (http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fats-and-oils/509/2), mayonnaise (http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fats-and-oils/7520/2), or egg white (http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/112/2). Typically recipes I've seen use one of these. So, in the end it seems as though egg white is the healthiest (ha ha.. surprise surprise.. but I wanted fact not just my thoughts). But whats funny, is that I ended up just using water! I had thawed the chicken in a bowl of hot running water and it was moist and so I just dipped it in the bread crumbs and put them on the pan. Sprinkled some Parmesan on them Baked 'em for like 20 minutes. Delicious. Then I also served it with an apple salad with lemon dressing.

Veggie Focaccia Bread

Source: Adapted from Terri McCarell at allrecipes.com (http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/focaccia-bread/Detail.aspx)

Makes: 1 cookie sheet sized foccacia

1 cup water

1 tsp white sugar

1 tbsp active dry yeast

1 tbsp salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (2 cups white flour, 3/4 cups wheat flour)

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried basil

1 pinch ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 Roma tomato, thinly sliced

1/3 small zucchini, thinly sliced

2 tbsp onion, thinly sliced

1/4 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

1. Take about a cup of warm water from the tap (roughly 110 F) and put it into the bowl, mix in the sugar, then add the yeast. Let it sit for about 10 minutes or till its all foamy. 
2. Add in the 1 tbsp olive oil and salt. Stir and then add the dry ingredients - flour, oregano, thyme, basil, pepper. (I combined the dry ingredients first to make sure they were evenly mixed throughout the flour).
3. Kneed dough till smooth and elastic on a floured surface. If it is dry you can add a little more water, I think I added about an extra 1/4 c. warm water at this point.
4. Place in a bowl, turn to coat with a little oil. Then cover and let rise for about 20 minutes in a warm location. 
5. While the bread is rising, make sure all the vegetables are prepared and ready to be put on the bread. 
6. Preheat oven to 450 F. Put parchment paper down on the cookie sheet (this helps SO much with preventing the bread from sticking)
7. Punch down the dough. Spread it on the parchment paper on the cookie sheet. Brush on about 2 tbsp of olive oil. Spread the garlic, tomatoes, bell pepper, zucchini and onions on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese
8. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

slicing the veggies!