Inspired by Cooking

Avocado Egg Cups

2012-01-26T07:55:00.000-08:00

Avocado egg cups = win! I saw this idea on Pinterest, but couldn’t find a bake time, so I took it upon myself to experiment and see what worked. It’s pretty darn easy, delicious, and pretty to look at. Dribble on a little hot sauce and voila, total yum! I’m not a fan of spicy but the richness of the egg and avocado cut through the heat to allow me the zing I love without the burn. I used basic seasoning this time, but up next I'll through in some cumin, paprika, and chili powder for some southwestern flare.

Super Easy Avocado Egg Cups

1 Avocado
2 Eggs
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Hot Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Split open the avocado and remove the giant seed. Season the inside of the avocado with a little pepper, garlic and salt (very minimal). Crack open eggs and drop into holes where the seed use to be in the avocado. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic to your desired taste. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until eggs reach your level of desired doneness. I prefer a little bit runny yolk, while my husband wants his eggs cooked without a bit of dribble. Top with hot sauce or whatever you prefer and ENJOY!

This was super easy and the avocado melted in my mouth. I served it with a side of sausage and this is an excellent breakfast or dinner meal!

"Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires...courage."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Simple and Sweet

2012-01-13T06:23:00.000-08:00

Chocolate, nut butter, and bananas are a match made in the clouds! Pure simple flavors that create an explosion of flavor. This little sweet treat was made to cater more toward a gluten free or paleo diet, but one could sub whatever kind of chocolate and nut butter that is most desired for his or her taste. I chose almond butter and "Enjoy Life" semi-sweet chocolate chips, which are gluten, soy, and dairy free. I like those chips better than Hershey's or Nestle, I absolutely love those little morsels of goodness!

Resist the Urge to Lick Your Screen

Ingredients

1/2 C chocolate chips
1/2 C almond butter
2-3 bananas, sliced into large round chunks
Shredded coconut (I prefer "Let's Do Organic" shredded and unsweetened)

Melt the chocolate chips and almond butter over a double broiler. Once melted, drop in banana slices and coat completely, before placing on baking sheet lined with wax paper. Sprinkle coconut on top of banana chunks. Once all the bananas have taken their chocolate bath, place them in the freezer on the cookie sheet for a couple hours. They are delightful, so please enjoy!

Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

2011-11-21T09:51:00.000-08:00

The title says it all - what's not to love! My BFF in NC sent me this recipe link and I made it that night because it looked so amazing and I wanted to do a test run before Thanksgiving. Again with the cell phone pictures because I'm too lazy to break out the camera and take a nice shot, so I'm forgoing a picture of the food and posting one of me and my momma from years ago! Please do me one favor and MAKE YOUR CRUST! The pre-made graham cracker crust tastes like sawdust and a yummy homemade one is easy to whip up! Now to get off the food topic for a minute.

This is the first Thanksgiving without my mom (December 1st will be the six month anniversary of her death) and it's proving to be a difficult time for me. The festivities do not hold the same magic they have in the past and I know my momma would not want it that way. However, it's hard...plain and simple. Gatlinburg, TN was my momma's favorite place on earth and a turn of events has landed us there for Thanksgiving weekend. I really felt God's hand in this situation because he gave me faith that I will see true joy again. For the first time in a long time, I felt that twinge of joy that had always been a part of me when I found out we'd be in Gatlinburg.....it's like I'll be with my momma in spirit because I know that's where her spirit is every day. My wish is that everyone holds the ones they love a little bit closer and takes the opportunity to get to know who their family really is. We all grow with age and those relatives who were a pain in the ass when we were young, aren't necessarily that way anymore. Get to know the family members in your life as they are today and truly embrace your relationship with them. I hope we all love a little more, forgive a little more, and appreciate what we have a little more staring right now while we have the opportunity.

Recipe Adapted from Taste of Home found HERE

Ingredients

2 C graham cracker crumbs
1/3 C sugar
1/2 C butter, melted
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups chopped pecans
1 jar (12-1/4 ounces) caramel ice cream topping
Additional caramel ice cream topping, optional

Directions

Melt the butter in a bowl, and then stir in the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Press graham cracker mix into a pie pine and up the sides as evenly as possible. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, 1 egg and vanilla until smooth. Spread into pastry shell; sprinkle with pecans.
In a small bowl, whisk remaining eggs; gradually whisk in caramel topping until blended. Pour slowly over pecans.

Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before slicing. If desired, garnish with additional caramel ice cream topping.

Butternut Squash Lasagna Goodness

2011-10-11T06:58:00.000-07:00

Mmmmmmm, mmmmm, great! I've made this meal at least half a dozen times in the past three months and love it. My husband, well he's not a convert yet from traditional lasagna noodles to other, healthier, options. I really don't miss the noodles and actually prefer the squash to regular noodles. I've made eggplant lasagna in the past and loved it, but this is even better than that! I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as I do.

If this was the only meal I could ever eat again, I'd be okay with that! It has amazing flavor with the sweetness of the butternut and the tang of the tomatoes. I've made this with pizza pork sausage, Italian sausage, and chicken sausage - none of them have disappointed me. I recommend doubling the meat and sauce if your prefer a more meaty lasagna, but I like it just the way it is as I think the butternut squash and sausage balance each other very nicely.

Deliciousness right here, folks!!

Paleo Butternut Squash from Health-Bent

1 lb hot Italian sausage, casing removed
1/2 red onion
3 cloves garlic
16 oz jar pizza sauce (I prefer Mid's)
1 roasted red peppers
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 C couples leaves of fresh basil
1 small butternut squash

Preheat your oven to 400ºF.

Roast your red pepper by placing it on a cookie sheet and turning it until all sides are black and it's sort of collapsed into itself. Then put in a bowl and cover with plastic which will allow for easier removal of the red pepper skin. After about 15 minutes, remove plastic wrap and take the skin off of your peppers and pull out the seeds (if a few get left behind, no worries, they get processed)!

In a saute pan crumble the sausage and brown it, along with the onions & garlic. While that’s going, cut the top and ends of the squash off and peel it. Split it into 1/4′s. What I mean by that is, right where the squash starts to turn bulbous, cut it in 1/2, width-wise. Split those two halves in half, lengthwise. This will make it much easier to cut into planks. Pull out the seeds. Don’t be anal about getting out all the strings, as you won’t even notice those when they’re cooked. Slice the squash into the aforementioned planks.

Make the sauce by pureeing the pizza sauce, red peppers, olive oil and basil.

Using a 9×9 oven safe baking dish, put down enough sauce to lightly cover the bottom of the dish. (This keeps the squash from sticking to the pan.) Next add the squash, trying not to overlap the pieces, then spoon on the sausage mixture, followed by the sauce. Repeat until all your ingredients are used up…trying to reserve enough sauce to cover the top of the lasagna.

Bake for 45 minutes. You’re looking for a bubbly pan with a crispy, browned top. Stick a fork into it to check your squash to make sure they are fork tender.

Eggplant Parmesan Sorta

2011-07-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

This super easy weeknight meal rocked! It was way better than I had imagined and much lighter than a traditional eggplant parmesan. I wanted eggplant parmesan, but I didn’t want the breaded fried goodness that comes with it, so I had a dilemma. Not really, but it makes this recipe sound way cooler. I am in love with Mezetta pasta sauce because it’s gluten free and free of some other junk that our bodies do not need on a regular basis. I love making my own pasta sauce, but some nights you need something bottled and quick. This dish reheated well for the next couple nights of dinner too!

Roasted Eggplant

1 Eggplant
Garlic Power
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Olive Oil

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Trim the ends of your eggplant off and stand it on one flat end to make it easy to cut the skin off. Slice the eggplant lengthwise and lay flat on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with garlic powder and black pepper. Pop in the oven for about 10-15 minutes and flip. The edges will start to turn a little brown and the eggplant will be tender.

Sausage Marinara Topper

1 lb. ground pork sausage (beef, chicken, or turkey could be subbed)

1 Jar Mezetta Pasta Sauce (or your favorite, or a nice homemade sauce)
(Click HERE for a great semi-homemade sauce)

Brown the sausage until cooked through, then add the marinara. Cook until heated through. Serve over roasted eggplant and let it melt in your mouth.

Here's a picture of the pasta sauce I used from the companies website

Skillet Eggs with Squash

2011-07-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is enjoying a long holiday weekend as we celebrate America's birthday and our freedom! I love the 4th of July for many reasons. One, I love what it represents, two it was my grandmother's birthday (my momma's mom may she rest in peace, and lastly because we usually have a big ole' cookout. This year we are foregoing the cookout, which bums me out but there has been way too much going on for us personally to do it this year. I was hoping to get my dad over for marinated steaks on the 3rd (which are AWESOME), but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. There's some strangeness going on since my momma's passing. I suppose we are all forming a new normal, but I feel I need my dad more now than ever. So, tomorrow won't be as I want it to be, but it'll still be a great day. I hope you all have a wonderful celebration of the USA!!

This recipe is courtesy of Food Network Magazine, July/August 2011. It was absolutely delicious and I ate it all week long with it reheating very nicely. I undercooked the eggs just slightly (except for the one egg I broke when placing it in the skillet), so when I reheated it the eggs wouldn't turn to rubber. It worked out absolutely perfectly and some avocado smashed up was the perfect companion to this recipe. Next time I will add some pancetta to it because it would add an excellent depth to the dish. However, if I didn't have any pancetta on hand, I would not hesitate to make it as posted again. The best thing was that I only used my cast iron skillet...who doesn't love having less dishes!

Skillet Eggs with Squash

6 medium zucchini

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I used 1.5 T of dried parsley)

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter (I did not use the butter as the original recipe did)

6 large eggs

1/2 cup grated pepper jack or sharp white cheddar cheese (I did not use the cheese)

Grate the squash into a colander using the large holes of a box grater (or use a food processor fitted with the shredding attachment). Toss with 1 tablespoon salt, then let drain in the sink, 30 to 40 minutes. Squeeze the squash to remove as much liquid as possible.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Set aside 3 tablespoons of scallion greens. Add the remaining scallions (white and green parts), the jalapeno, and salt to taste and cook until the scallions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the shredded squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in the parsley, nutmeg, and pepper to taste. Cook until the mixture is slightly dry, about 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and let cool, 5 minutes.

Spread the squash evenly in the skillet. Make six 2 1/2-inch-wide indentations in the mixture with the back of a spoon; put 1/2 teaspoon of butter in each one. One at a time, crack each egg into a small bowl and pour into an indentation. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the cheese.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the egg whites are set and the yolks are cooked to desired doneness, 10 to 12 minutes. Scatter the reserved scallion greens on top.

"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others." ~ Pericles

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Scones

2011-06-28T05:01:00.000-07:00

This delicious recipe comes from "The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook" by Elana Amsterdam, who also has a wonderful blog. My husband loves pastries and could eat one every single morning for breakfast. However, they aren't the best thing for you, so I found these tasty little gems that offer a great alternative. Plus, if you eat a paleo lifestyle, this is a great treat!

This is a basic recipe, but could be dressed up with some dried cherries, orange zest, raspberries, etc. If you do not use agave, honey would be a great substitute!

Chocolate Chip Scones

.5 cups almond flour
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/3 C grapeseed oil
1/4 C agave nectar
2 large eggs
1 C chocolate Chips (I usually add more and I use Enjoy Life chips)

Preheat your oven to 350 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine almond flour, baking soda, & salt in small bowl. In another medium bowl, beat together grapeseed oil, agave nectar, & eggs. Stir dry ingredients into wet and combine. Fold in chocolate chips.

Let the dough rest for about 20 minutes before you drop them on the baking sheet. It allows them to thicken up, so they do not spread as much when baking them. They will puff up more then. Drop by 1/4 C onto lined baking sheets & bake for 15 minutes or so, depending on your oven. You can also roll into a ball then shape into a scone! Enjoy!

I have to stop taking pictures w/my cell phone!! This picture does not do the scones justice. They were much more scrumptious looking!

Sausage and Peppers

2011-06-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

It has been some time since I posted and a lot has happened, but life is back on the upswing now. My mom got unexpectedly ill and passed away 31 days after she went to the hospital the first time, from cancer. Days are and will continue to be hard, but I have faith God will pull us all through this. It's just my dad and me now. Of course, the rest of our family, friends, and my husband too, but you all know what I mean. :) Words cannot explain the loss of a parent that you were very close too, but I feel blessed that we were so close. Thankfully I'm just as close to my dad and we are able to share stories and memories. He's doing pretty good, but I know it has to be more painful to go home to the house they shared without her there.

So, on to happiness! I had some ingredients around the house and threw a delicious dinner together. I didn't time myself or measure very closely, so feel free to adjust as you see fit.

Sausage & Peppers
1 lb. pork sausage
1 each red, green, & yellow pepper
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
black pepper
splash red wine
olive oil

Clean your peppers and slice into fairly large pieces and quarter your onion seperating the layers. Chop your garlic cloves into small pieces. When cutting your peppers, slice the top off and pull out the stem. Save the pepper around the stem b/c it's still good!!

Heat 1T olive oil in a pan and brown your sausage on all sides. Remove the browned sausage from the pan and set aside. Deglaze the pan with a splash of red wine (a dry white would work too). Add the peppers, onions, and garlic to the pan and drizzle 2T olive oil over the veggie mixture, add more if needed. Cook down until soft and starting to become translucent around the edges, which should be about 20 minutes or so, depending on how thick your pepper slices are. While your peppers are cooking, slice your sausages on a diagonal or regular...the diagonal slice makes me feel like I'm eating at a restaurant.

After the pepper mix is cooked, add one can of fire roasted tomatoes and the sliced sausage. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the sauce thickens and the sausage finishes cooking. This was a tasty and easy weeknight meal! Enjoy!

Note: You will probably notice that I did not add any salt. I felt like the tomatoes and sausage contained enough salt that the cooking process didn't require anymore.

Here's a pic of the tomatoes:

My thought for the day is for my momma and anyone who has lost someone they love.

<><> <><>

“You can shed tears that she is gone,
or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back,
or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her,
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her only that she is gone,
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back.
Or you can do what she'd want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.”

David Harkins quotes

Peanut Butter Dump Your Boyfriend Chocolate Cupcakes

2011-03-10T19:40:00.000-08:00

These cupcakes are AMAZING!! If you have any sorrows to drown or any celebrations, these are your cupcakes.

My husband and I love going to Barnes & Nobles and browsing cookbooks and magazines. Sometimes we take pictures of the recipes with our cell phones....GASP...instead of buying the book. That is where this delectable little recipe came from! So, we did not get a picture of the book cover and I am unable to share the source at this time. That definitely does not take away from the party in your mouth when you take a bite!!

I was very excited that I got the chance to display these cupcakes on the cupcake stand I made! The project was super easy and turned out very cute.

Cake:

2 C all purpose flour
2 C sugar
½ C cocoa
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
½ t salt
1 C oil
1 C milk (please do not use skim; use at least 2%)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 t vanilla extract
1 C hot water

Frosting:

½ C butter, softened
1 C creamy peanut butter
3 T hot water
2 C confectioners’ sugar
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Line your cupcake tins; makes around 22 cupcakes.

In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients.

Add oil, milk, vanilla, beaten eggs; blend well. Stir in hot water; mix well.
Fill lined cupcake tins using 1/3 cup measuring cup. Bake 22-25 minutes. Let cool.

For the frosting: blend the butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar and hot water (alternating) until desired texture is achieved.

Frost cupcakes and enjoy!

Cheesecake and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

2011-01-31T15:01:00.000-08:00

A picture is worth a thousand words and in some cases a thousand calories. Cheesecake and chocolate chip cookie dough is a combination made in heaven! The simplest recipes can be so delicious and that's the case with this recipe. I have a confession to make - I used Pillsbury cookie dough and Ghirardelli chips! I think there was a time when Nestle didn't melt the way I would have liked it and I've always found it to be "waxy" compared to Hershey's or other higher chocolate chips.

Toll House Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients

1 pkg. (16.5 oz.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or your favorite recipe
2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 oz unsweetened bakers chocolate, melted
2 containers (8 oz. each) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/2 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels, melted

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375º F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.

SLICE dough into 16 pieces. Cover bottom of prepared pan with pieces. Allow to soften for 5 to 10 minutes. Using fingertips, pat dough gently to cover bottom.

BAKE for 15 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

COMBINE cream cheese, sugar and melted chocolate in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Add whipped topping; stir until just blended. Spoon over cookie crust; smooth top. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Cover; refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or overnight. Remove sides of pan.

Grab a fork and dive in! This one is worth every single calorie - it's so tasty there is no guilt involved.

Check out the following sites for some more sweet features:

Allie' n Son - Sweet Tooth Friday

Sweet as Sugar Cookies - Sweets for Saturday #3

Green Chile Pork Stew

2011-01-17T18:07:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this delectable recipe and knew I had to make it!! Every bite was savory and comforting, which is perfect for these cold winter days. This was one of those dishes that make you sad when the last bit is all gone. The picture is a little yellow - we need to find a way to improve the lighting when we aren't taking pictures during the day in natural light!

Green Chile Pork Stew
Adapted from Fete and Feast
Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz. fresh chorizo

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

1 carrot, chopped
1 shallot, minced
2 lb. pork cutlets, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
½ tsp. pepper
1 c. chopped green chilies or 4 oz. can
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. ground cumin
3 c. chicken broth
2 Tbsp. yellow corn meal
4 Tbsp. water

Garnishes (optional)

Shredded cheese like Monterrey Jack, manchego, or Queso Asadero

Sliced green onions
Sliced jalapenos
Sour cream

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until until hot. Add the chopped fresh chorizo and saute until crispy. Remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon and add the onions, carrots, and shallots to the oil in the pan. Saute about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.

Add the pork and saute for five minutes or until pork is no longer pink on the outside. Add the chilies, oregano, and cumin to the pot; stir to combine. Add the chorizo back in and the chicken broth; stir well. Raise the heat to medium and bring the stew to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for one hour, or until the pork is tender.

Mix the corn meal and water together in a small bowl. Add to the pot and stir to combine. Raise the heat to medium and bring the stew back to a boil. Cook for five minutes until it begins to thicken slightly.

Serve with garnishes and warm tortillas.

I was waiting for an opporunity to use the individual crocks I found at Crate and Barrel, so I spooned some stew into them and covered them with cheese. I broiled them for a few minutes until the cheese was melted!

Heavenly Brussels Sprouts Lardons

2010-10-31T17:19:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite holiday side dishes is Ina Gartten's (Barefoot Contessa) Brussels Sprouts Lardons! They are incredible and a huge hit at every family gathering. Really, how could they not be with salty pancetta mixed with sweet raisins! Get high quality pancetta because the reward will be more than worth it.

I drool just thinking about taking a delicious bite of this little bit of heaven on a fork. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I encourage you to try something new for your gathering and I promise it will be LOVED! My husband who was not a brussels sprouts lover now eats them all the time. This is his favorite way, but on weeknights we mostly just roast them as this is a special occasion dish.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons good olive oil
6 ounces Italian pancetta or bacon, 1/4-inch dice
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts (2 containers), trimmed and cut in 1/2
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup golden raisins
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan and add the pancetta. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is golden brown and crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the pancetta to a plate lined with a paper towel.

Add the Brussels sprouts, salt, and pepper to the fat in the pan and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the raisins and chicken stock. Lower the heat and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. If the skillet becomes too dry, add a little chicken stock or water. Return the pancetta to the pan, heat through, season to taste, and serve.

"Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Scarlet Threads and Scentsy

2010-09-08T18:07:00.000-07:00

Hey there fellow foodies! This is a post about food without a recipe. I was turned on to an amazing company, Scarlet Threads and am hosting a party! There is some infomration following on them and I thought you all might be interested because you can wear their products while cooking! The other, Scentsy, well it gives you the smell of deliciousness on days you don't want to fire up the oven! I'm thinking of having my first give away....help welcome on how to do this!

Let’s have a party to celebrate the empowerment of women half a world away. Scarlet Threads is a fairtrade organization that is dedicated to providing rural Chinese women a pathway out of poverty through
dignified employment. Work. Dignity. Beauty.

What does Scarlet Threads make? You guessed it, aprons! As well as bags, children’s dresses, and traditional Chinese crafts. We all love an excuse to have fun, dress up, shop and eat well. What if, this time, it is for a good cause? Come over, we’ll try on aprons, which will protect us from some incredible Hors d'oeuvres while we thoroughly enjoy ourselves.

Maybe you’ll fall in love with an apron, or with the mission, or both!

It's a great time to start Christmas shopping and support the empowerment of women! Naturally there will be yummy food and tasty drinks!

Check out their website for more information and to preview the products: www.ScarletThreads.org

In conjunction, there will also be plenty of Scentsy availabe! Talk about Christmas shopping all in once place, whether for you or someone else!

Scentsy has some amazing seasonal scents and wamers in addition to their normal amazingness!

Preview Scentsy here: https://scentsy21128.scentsy.us/Home

I'm so excited and cannot wait to see you all at the party! If you cannot make it there are online shopping opportunities that you can attach to my party. Please contact me with any questions!

The party is on Saturday, September 18th! ;)

Heavenly Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2010-08-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

This is easily the best chocolate cake I have ever indulged in! Thanks to Lisa over at The Cutting Edge of Ordinary for sharing this addictive bit of goodness. I followed the recipe to a T and used applesauce like she recommended. There was a tiny applesauce incident the second time I made this cake. Not really sure how it happened, but the applesauce jar fell from the counter and busted all over the floor. I cleaned up the mess and knelt down to wipe up the sticky applesauce residue - well, all the glass was not cleaned up. My knee found it and I lost a lot of blood, but survived. I'm sitting here debating on getting in the shower because we all know how bad that burn is - especially with a cut this bad. I won't go into too much detail, but there is some "floppage." With that being said, mmmmmmm - enjoy the best chocolate zucchini cake ever. This is the kind of recipe that makes you toss out the old standbys because it is so wonderful!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Courtesy of The Cutting Edge of Ordinary courtesy of Bon Appetit, November 1995

2 ¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup vegetable oil (I used 1/2 cup applesauce instead)
2 large eggs
1 teasoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini (about 2 ½ medium)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾ cup chopped walnuts (optional, I left them out)

Preheat oven to 325.

Butter and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan, or a bundt pan. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda & salt into a medium bowl. Beat the sugar, butter and oil in a large bowl until well blended. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract. Mix in the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk in 3 additions. Mix in grated zucchini. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts. Bake 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake completely in pan.

Herb Crab Salad Stuffed Avocado Goodness

2010-07-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

We love avocados and we love crab meat. When we saw this tasty combo in the August 2010 issue of Everday with Rachel Ray, it was a no brainer that we had to try it. It's a great light and healthy summer meal. Healthy is such a relative term - according to our lifestyle it's healthy. Good fats and nice lean meat, plus low carbs. Well, to my dear husband low carb is sinful, but I like to eat lower processed carb meals.

This is something that can be mixed up with various herbs. We grow fresh sage and basil, so that is what we used.

Herb Crab Salad Stuffed Avocados
Adapted from August 2010 Everyday with Rachel Ray

2 T chopped fresh herbs (I used basil and sage)
1/3 C Mayonnaise
1 t Red Wine Vinegar
Pinch Pepper
2 Cloves Garlic
Salt
1/3 C chopped celery
8 oz. Lump Crabmeat
4 Pitted Avocados, Halved

Chop garlic cloves and sprinkle a little bit of salt on them. Work chopped cloves with the side of the knife blade smashing the garlic against the cutting board until the garlic is pastelike.

In a small bowl combine the fresh herbs, mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, smashed garlic, pepper, and celery; mix well. Add in the lump crabmeat and spoon into the avocado halves. Enjoy because these are delicious!

Aggie's Kitchen Roasted Veggie Pesto Pizza

2010-07-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

I've been gone for a couple months; mostly busy with school and homework. Downloading the pictures for this pizza made me realize how many recipes I have to post. It has been so long that I had forgotten about some of the things I made.

This is by far one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten in my life. It's a veggie lover's dream, and meat could also be added if desired. I made a few modifications to the recipe posted below. I made a basic pesto, which follows the pizza recipe. I also bought a fresh cooked italian herb pizza crust from our local Farmer's Market. That part is really up to one's taste and could be adjusted. I hope you love it as much as we did!

Roasted Vegetable Pesto Pizza
Courtesy of Aggie's Kitchen

store bought or homemade pizza dough
1-2 red bell peppers, chopped (I used 2)
1-2 zucchinis, chopped (I used 2)
2 yellow squash, chopped
red onion, chopped (I used 1/2 of a large)
4-5 garlic cloves, crushed
store bought or homemade pesto
pine nuts
mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper

In a large bowl, toss veggies, olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread evenly on large baking sheet and place in a preheated 425 degree oven. Roast vegetables for approximately 20-25 minutes, tossing about halfway through.

Spread pizza dough out on flat surface. Work dough out, pulling and stretching gently until reaching desired size. I use a pizza stone and try to get the dough just slightly larger than the stone since it does tend to shrink back slightly.

Spread pesto evenly over pizza dough. Spread roasted vegetables over pesto. Top with pine nuts and mozzarella. Bake in 425 degree oven for approximately 15-20 minutes or until dough is golden brown and cheese is melted. Be sure to lift pizza up and check that the bottom is browning as well. If it is not, place on lower rack for a few more minutes.

Basic Basil Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (use the REAL stuff - it'll make all the difference)
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 garlic cloves (more or less depending on size of cloves)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a food processor, combine the basil and pine nuts; pulse several times. Add the garlic and pulse a few more times until the garlic and pine nuts are tiny pieces. Slowly drizzle in the EVOO while the food processor is still running. Scrape down the sides and add the grated parm cheese and pulse until well blended. Add salt and pepper, adjusting to your preferred taste.

If the basil or garlic are overpowring, add some more cheese, nuts and EVOO. Approximately 1 C.

Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries

2010-03-26T20:23:00.000-07:00

I've been obsessed with oven baked sweet potato fries for at least 10 years now. They are so delicious and one can flavor them with a plethora of spice combinations. Mexican sweet potato fries fit into my most recent meal. They turned out excellent and they always disappear too fast.

Ingredients
2 Sweet Potatoes
2 T Olive Oil
1/2 T Cinnamon
1/2 T Cumin
sea salt

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. I was too lazy to get a teaspoon out, so I just used 1/2 tablespoon for the cumin and cinnamon. I also added a sprinkle of sea salt w/out measuring it.

I halve my sweet potatoes first, then cut the half in half, then cut that into fries. There might be an easier way, but this works for me, and I keep all my fingers. :)

In a bowl, toss the uncooked fries w/the olive oil, then add in the seasonings. Spread the fries out on a baking sheet and place them in the oven. They usually take anywhere from 20-30 minutes, and be sure to flip the fries half way through baking so they do not get burned on one side.

Super simple, super tasty, and super healthy!

Getting ready to go in the oven

Delicious!!!

The PERFECT Chocolate Chip Cookies (To-Date)

2010-03-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

I rarely follow a recipe exactly as stated. I often times adjust it before I even try it, and sometimes combine 3 or 4 recipes that offer different things I like. Well, as odd as this chocolate chip cookie recipe seemed to me, I decided to follow it (did not even include my usual cinnamon that I put in almost all baked goods). It paid off, this cookie is amazing! I even weighed the ingredients down to the ounce. It was actually much easier then I had ever anticipated; I had lots of time while the butter was browning and Matt was stirring it for me. I left out the nuts b/c I do not like nuts in really any of my baked goods, and I made the cookies a little bit smaller than suggested so we would have more to eat and share. These cookies disappeared fast, I'm sure only to reappear on my rear!

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies courtesy of Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
3/4 cup chopped pecan or walnuts, toasted (optional)

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.

3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.

4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)

5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Chocolate Chip Cookies are so yummy to look at!

Guacamole Taco Burgers

2010-03-12T05:40:00.000-08:00

Here's a super easy recipe that ended up amazing! We used Laura's Ground Beef for the burgers, hit them with the homemade taco seasoning (recipe here), topped them with homemade guacamole (recipe here), colby jack cheese, and some amazing carmelized onions. We finished it off with a EVOO'd whole grain bun grilled outside with the burgers. The taco seasoning mixed with the ground beef made for some really tasty burgers. Grilling outdoors feels great and we've gotten a few nice days here in the Midwest lately. Try this one, you won't regret it! Just look at those carmelized onions, beautiful green guac, and melting colby jack!

I caramelize onions by sautéing them in olive oil and butter seasoned with salt and pepper. When the onions start to get a light brown color, I add a little bit of sugar, and mix it in well. Then I reduce the heat, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. I prefer caramelized onions to sautéed. I never measure the butter and oil, but I’d say, depending on how much onion one has, about 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil. I also use approx 1T of sugar.

Spanikopita (sorta) Meatballs and Fresh Tzatziki

2010-03-09T16:52:00.000-08:00

Matt and I LOVE Greek food. It has a very special place in our life and hearts, so when I saw these on a fellow bloggers website, I knew they were in our near future. You can find the original recipe here, along with a lot of other tasty dishes. I only altered 1 or two things; I left out the grill seasoning b/c we did not have any. Tzatziki is an amazing Greek cucumber yogurt condiment; but we've been told by our Greek friends that us wimpy Americans must have our Tzatziki with sour cream. Well, I wouldn't have any of that b/c I want the real deal! And this is the real deal and it was AMAZING! The first night we ate our meatballs and tzatziki in an Ezekial pita, but ate them without the pita the following night. They were delicious both ways.

Spanikopita Meatballs

1 T olive oil
1/2 onion, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 box frozen spinach, defrosted (used Green Giant)
1 C crumbled feta (we used fat free)
1 lb. ground chicken
2 t oregano
2 t onion powder
2 t garlic powder
Sea salt and cracked black pepper season to taste
juice of one lemon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Using a kitchen towel or cheesecloth, squeeze all the liquid out of the spinach. Place the spinach in a large mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients, and mix with your hands until well incorporated. Roll the mixture into meatballs (I made about 30 of them, they were on the smaller side) and place on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with a little bit more olive oil and place in the oven and bake for about 12 minutes, turn over and bake another 10-14 minutes or until the meatballs are golden brown and cooked.

Tzatziki

2 C Greek yogurt (used Oikos brand)
1 large english cucumber, peeled, shredded, and drained (make certain it is dried well)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 T mint, chopped
1 T, dill chopped
1 ounce lemon juice (about one lemon)
salt and pepper to taste

To prepare the yogurt, line a strainer with a cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Put the yogurt in the strainer, loosely covered, and let it drain overnight in the refrigerator. Discard the liquid and use the strained yogurt as directed.

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate overnight before serving.

This is totally worth the work, I think. It was so tasty and I love the traditional flavors over the Americanized version.

Italian Sausage Soup

2010-03-07T10:30:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, we made a big pot of Italian Sausage Soup. Cold weather and winter has a way of pushing us towards making warm, comfortable, tasty dinners that will last for a few days. This soup was very, very good and really helped warm us up in the middle of an endless winter! We have no pictures at all of this one, but it's definitely an appetizing looking soup with the array of colors and flavors.

Enjoy it as much as we did. It's very easy to put together and makes enough for 3 or 4 meals easy.

Italian Sausage Soup courtesy of Allrecipes.com:

1 lb sweet or hot italian sausage (we buy the sweet italian turkey sausages in the casing and remove the casing)
1 clove garlic, minced
28 oz reduced sodium beef broth
1 can italian stewed tomatoes
1 can Great Northern or cannelini beans, drained
2 small zucchini, cubed
2 cups frozen chopped spinach
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Brown sausage with garlic in dutch oven. Stir in broth and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.

Stir in beans and zucchini. Cover and simmer another 15 minutes or until zucchini is tender.

Add spinach and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with garlic toast croutons or eat it right out of the pot, it's amazing either way!

Taco Night Amped Up and Healthy (yes it still tastes good)

2010-03-02T17:18:00.000-08:00

We had the most amazing taco night ever!!! Matt made me homemade guacamole and some bean and corn concotion that was out of this world. We made homemade taco meat seasoning and used grass fed ground beef. MMmm, I could eat this every night. I did not get a good picture of the guacamole, but you can see it's very fresh - plastic wrap lines and all. It is such a gorgeous color and whispers come hither to me from the fridge.

Matt and I love being in the kitchen together and this dinner was no different. I think a lot of our meals taste so delicious because we create them together and share the love of cooking and eating. I was super excited for Matt to try grass fed ground beef and the taste difference in flavor. I'm really big into organic and whole foods, but he loves preservatives, haha.

Coming soon....chicken spanikopita meatballs and fresh authentic tzatziki!

Taco Seasoning

2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1.5 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
dash of cayenne pepper or more to suit your taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large skillet I browned the beef with a chopped onion and then drained the very little fat that was in the beef. Place the beef and onion back in the skillet and add the taco seasoning and a 1/4 c water.

Guacamole from Tyler Florence
4 ripe avocados
3 limes, juiced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 serrano chiles (Matt left these out)
1 big handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 to 1 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Halve and pit the avocados. Scoop out the flesh with a tablespoon into a mixing bowl. Mash the avocados with a fork, leaving them somewhat chunky. Add the remaining ingredients, and fold everything together to gently mix. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the guacamole so it doesn't brown and refrigerate overnight before serving.

BEST GUACAMOLE I've EVER eaten!!! I could eat this until my belly hurt it was so good. He only used 2 limes because one of them provided LOTS of juice.

Matt's Bean and Corn Concotion
1 can black beans
1 can mexi-corn
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 lime, juiced
Olive Oil

In a skillet, heat olive oil and saute the chopped onion and garlic until the onion is translucent. Add beans, corn, and lime juice; heat through and serve.

This was very good and we ate it in our tacos. It would also be good as a dip for tortilla chips!

Mmmm, the finished product getting ready to go into my belly!!!!

Trail Mix Granola Bars

2010-02-24T15:39:00.000-08:00

Fay goes to school full time while she also works full time. She's always on the go and looking for a healthy, filling snack to keep her brain working at the speed of her body! I make these bars occasionally and pack a container in her car for her to eat at will while she's on the go. These bars are absolutely phenomenal and you can make them in about a million different ways.

These bars are adapted from a Smucker's recipe. I've changed it considerably to suit our needs.

3 cups Rice Krispies
3 cups Cheerios
1 cup raisins (we prefer the golden raisins)
3/4 cup sunflower seed and pepita mix
1 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
1-16oz jar Smucker's Chunky Natural Peanut Butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine cereals, raisins, and sunflower/pepita mix in large bowl.

Combine honey and sugar in medium saucepan; heat over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for one minute.

Add peanut butter and vanilla; stir until peanut butter is melted. Pour over cereal mixture and mix well.

Spray a 13 X 9 pan with non stick cooking spray. Press mixture into pan. Cool and cut into squares.

My Favorite Soup Recreated

2010-02-22T18:17:00.000-08:00

Stuffed green pepper soup has always been my favorite soup. It's so warm, yummy, fresh, and filling. It's like a party in your mouth. PK has always had my favorite, but now I can make it and never have to wait until the 3rd Thursday of every month before I get my favorite tasty soup. I hope you try it, and love it as much as I do. It makes a huge pot, which is even better because I LOVE leftovers.

I have four green peppers pictured, but only ended up using three.

Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

1 lb. ground beef (I used venison)

3 green peppers, diced into bite sized pieces

2 small onions, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and Pepper

32 oz. can reduced sodium beef broth

1 beef boullion cube (optional)

28 oz. can diced tomatoes

26 oz. can Cambell's tomato soup

1-6 oz. can tomato paste

1.5 to 2 cups cooked Quinoa (you could sub rice; cook the Quinoa according to the package directions, but 1 cup dry should be around 2 cups cooked.)

On a stove-top over medium-high heat, brown meat in stock pot with onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Add green peppers and cook until slightly tender (about 10 minutes). Then add the remaining ingredients, except the Quinoa. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 45 minutes, then add the quinoa and serve.

I used venison, which is very lean and did not need to drain my meat. This turned out better than I could have dreamed!!!

Neely's Cookies and Cream Cake

2010-01-26T12:24:00.000-08:00

Mmmmm, this was so delicious! The recipe was adapted from the Neely's recipe. I changed the order in which the ingredients were mixed because the original directions were really odd. I love Oreos and they did wonders for an otherwise simple chocolate cake. I know I've expressed that I do not love chocolate in the past, but we sure make lots of chocolate desserts. I make it because Matt loves chocolate so much and it makes him happy. Plus, it's easy for me to resist it; unless the chocolate comes in the form of the flourless chocolate cookies. I hope ya'll enjoy this cake as much as we did! I used all my Oreo crumbs, but sprinkling some on top would make this cake even more beautiful!

On a serious note, please support Haiti and check out the cookbook that 27 foodie bloggers created as a fundraiser...how cool! You can go to the website by clicking here and can purchase a soft or hardbound cookbook!

Neely's Cookies and Cream Cake

Ingredients

Cooking spray
2 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C unsweetened cocoa
2 C granulated sugar
1.5 t baking powder
.5 t baking soda
1 t salt
3 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
1 C unsalted butter, melted
1 C buttermilk
1.5 C finely chopped Oreos

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Coat your cake pans w/shortening. Cut out a piece of wax or parchment paper large enough to cover the bottom of your cake pan, and press down; it will stick to the shortening. I usually trace the bottom of the cake pan onto my wax paper and then cut it out. No fear of your cake sticking anymore!!
In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolk, and butter milk; mix until the eggs are blended. In a small bowl combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Alternate between adding the dry ingredients and the melted butter to the egg and buttermilk mixture. Beat until smoth, about 3 minutes. Add the crumbled cookies and beat until incorporated.
Pour the batter evenly into the cake pans and bake approximately 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool, on a rack, in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a rack and let cool completely. When cooled, frost with the cookies and cream cheese frosting!
Cookies and Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick butter, softened
2 (8 oz.) pacakges cream cheese, softened
1 pinch salt
1 t vanilla extract
3 3/4 C confectioners' sugar
1.5 C finely crumbed Oreos

Directions
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend the butter and cream cheese until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the salt and vanilla; blend. Add the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 C at a time, until smooth. Beat in the crumbled cookies. Frost the cookie cake and enjoy!

Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops

2010-01-25T14:13:00.001-08:00

Well, here I am again with one of the recipes I mentioned in the Snicker Cupcake entry. These are called Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops and they're the best flour-in chocolate cookies I've ever had. These were so chocolately and delicious! You'll see in the recipe where it calls for malted milk powder. I used chocolate malted milk powder, which gave the cookies a super chocolately flavor but cut down on the malted flavor. You choose how you want to make them....

This recipe is courtesy of Dorie Greenspan's Baking cookbook.

1-3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 cup malted milk powder (here's where I killed the malt flavor but boosted the chocolate flavor)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

11 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temp

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp good vanilla extract

1/4 cup whole milk

2 cups Whoppers, coarsely chopped

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I use Ghirardelli bars)

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Sift together the flour, malted milk powder, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until very smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and don't be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients, mixing just until they disappear into the batter. Mix in the milk, then the remaining dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. Mix in the malted milk balls and chopped chocolate with a spatula.

Drop the dough by rounded Tbspoonfuls onto the sheets with about 2 inches between each spoonful. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at 6 minutes. When done the cookies will be puffed and set but slightly soft to the touch. Let the cookies rest for 2 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2010-01-19T16:54:00.000-08:00

This is my absolute favorite dip...mmmm good! It's spicy with a great blend of cheeses and oh so creamy. Unfortunately I do not have any ooey gooey good pictures because our camera decided this would be an excellent time for the battery to die. Of course our back-up battery was also dead. Trust me when I say this is an amazing dip even though the pictures we have do it no justice.

In case I have not mentioned this little tidbit before, I do not like spicy food. I love the taste, but I'm a huge wimp and cannot handle the heat. However, I can handle this dip and I calm it down by eating my dip with celery as my delivery vessel. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Buffalo Chicken Dip
2 C shredded chicken (I use rotisserie chicken which makes this super simple)
2 - 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese*
1 C GOOD ranch*
1 C buffalo wing sauce (I prefer Texas Pete)
1- 1/2 C shredded sharp cheddar

* I used light cream cheese and light ranch, and it turned out just as wonderful as the full-fat version!

Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in the cream cheese and ranch dressing; cook, stirring until well blended and warm.
Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer mixture to a 2 qt. Crock pot. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese over the top, cover, and cook on low until bubbly!
Serve with celery, tortilla chips, corn chips, or whatever your preferred dipper is.

In the crockpot waiting to get all bubbly warm and ready for dippers!

“Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom.”- Earl Shoaf

Snickers Cupcakes

2010-01-17T17:05:00.000-08:00

So, I'm not really sure why, but I got bit by the bug this weekend and ended up baking and cooking a whole bunch of things. Oh yeah, this is Matt by the way. I started with Snickers Cupcakes, courtesy of Food Network Magazine, continued with some tasty Chocolate Malt Cookies, and just finished the weekend with some homemade Carolina BBQ sauce. So, here is the deal for the Snickers Cupcakes. I have to say that parts of them are phenomenal, but with a couple tweaks, they'll be perfect. So, let's go....

For the cupcakes:

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
2-1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
10 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole milk
2 cups chopped salted roasted peanuts (we'll talk about this later.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Separately, beat the eggs and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the melted butter and vanilla. With the mixer on low, add half the dry ingredients, then the milk, then the remaining dry ingredients. Fold in the peanuts, but do not overmix.

Divide the batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups, filling each about halfway. Bake 20 to 22* minutes (I disagree) until a toothpick comes out clean.

*Salted nuts tend to dry out a batter drastically, which causes the cupcakes to end up a lot drier than I like. I would start checking the cakes at about 17 to 18 minutes to ensure they do not get dry. If you would prefer, you can omit the nuts and bake them as directed, but the nuts really
added a yummy texture to the cakes.

For the frosting:

6 ounces chopped milk chocolate
4 ounces chopped semi sweet chocolate
2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

Put both chocolates in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on 50% power for 1 minute. Stir and continue to microwave until melted. Add the sugar, milk, butter, vanilla, and salt and beat until smooth and creamy.

*This frosting really is the star of this recipe. It is chocolately, smooth, and delicious with the whole milk. Use good quality chocolate for this one. I used bars of Ghirardelli, which is really my favorite baking chocolate.

For the nougat:

2-13 ounce jars marshmallow creme
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
Pinch of salt

*The nougat is very good too! The leftover frosting and nougat are in our fridge being eaten on the end of a spoon whenever we need a sugary pick me up!

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

2010-01-15T18:32:00.000-08:00

I am not a chocolate fan...I mean it's okay, but not my favorite. I'd prefer a fruit pie or a vanilla cupcake with white frosting....or a deep fried pickle. However, Matt loves chocolate, so I'm always trying to satsify his "chocolate" tooth. I came upon this recipe in an amazing chocolate cookbook by Francois Payard called Chocolate Epiphany. I have made these cookies several times and fall in love with each new bite. They melt in your mouth and you want to eat them until your tummy hurts. If these were the only cookies I'd ever get to eat again for the rest of my life, I would be content. These cookies have turned a corner for me...a chocolate corner. I hope you love them as much as I do.

1/2 C plus 3 T (68g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder

3 C (350g) confectioners' sugar

Pinch of salt

2 - 3/4 C pecans (the original recipe called for walnuts...go the pecan route and you won't be disappointed), *toasted and coarsely chopped

4 large egg whites, at room temperature

1 T (15g) pure vanilla extract

Place a rack in the upper and bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Combine the cocoa powder, confectioners' sugar, salt, and pecans in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 minute. With the mixer running, slowly add the egg whites and vanilla. Mix on medium speed for 3 minutes, until the mixture has slightly thickened. Do not overmix it, or the egg whites will thicken too much. (pay very close attention...I did this once).

With a 2-ounce cookie, ice-cream scoop or a generous tablespoon, scoop the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, to make cookies that are 4 inches in diameter. Scoop 5 cookies on each pan, about 3 inches apart so that they don't stick when they spread.

**Put the cookies in the oven, and immediately lower the temperature to 320 degrees F. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until small cracks appear on the surface of the cookies. Switch pans halfway through baking.

Pull the parchment paper with the cookies onto a wire cooling rack, and let cool completely before removing cookies from the papter. Store in an airtight container for up to two days.

*To toast the pecans spread on a cookie sheet in a single layer; place on the middle rack in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Watch carefully and shake during baking several times. Nuts burn easily and you can smell when they are toasted perfectly. Let the nuts cool and coarsely chop - I use a knife b/c the toasting softens the nuts and my knife easily runs through them.

**I have never followed these steps and my cookies have turned out wonderful; except that one time I overmixed the batter.

This batter was so very yummy when I licked the spoon! Mmmmm!!!

The cookies turn out very beautiful. They'd be great wrapped up in some clear cell0phane with a cute ribbon and given as a gift.

This picture is a little blurry, but I love it. It really makes me wish I had a cookie in my hand right now!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2010-01-11T18:08:00.000-08:00

This is one of my most requested recipes, and is very adaptable with the "heat"! I love to serve this with Frito scoops, but Matt loves to use the bagel chips. Is the delivery aparatus really as important as what is being delivered? I think not. I do not have an excellent picture of this, and plan on taking a better one next time I make it. I have over a dozen recipes I need to post...I need to get better at keeping this updated. ;)

2 - 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese at room temp
1 C Helman's Mayo
1 1/2 C shredded cheddar (I prefer sharp)
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
1 - 7 oz. can chopped green chiles
2 - 4 oz. cans sliced jalapenos (for mild use two mild, medium use one mild and one hot, for hot use two hot cans)

Topping:
1 C panko bread crumbs (you can also use regular bread crumbs, but I've never tried that way)
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
1/2 stick butter, melted

In a food processor combine the cream cheese and mayo until smooth. Add in the chopped green chiles and jalapenos and pulse until the little bits of green are distributed throughout. Then add in the cheddar and parmesan cheese. Pour into a 2 quart greased cassrole dish. In a seperate bowl mix the panko crumbs, grated parm, and melted butter; sprinkle over cream cheese mixture. Bake in oven at 375 degrees until the top is brown and the edges are bubbly! ENJOY!

Reflection for the Day:

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they are right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."

Food, Love, and Travel

2009-12-04T15:50:00.000-08:00

OK, well, it's Matt again. There is no food prepared in this post, but there's definitely food to talk about. On our Thanksgiving trip to Georgia, we made another stop at a Diner from the Food Network show Diner's, Drive-Ins, and Dives. I just wanted to recap the tasty places we've been and urge everyone reading this to hit the road and find a place you love!

To recap our food travels, we've been to 5 places from Guy's Triple D show between the two of us. Rosie's Diner in Grand Rapids, MI, Four Kegs in Las Vegas, NV, Marietta Diner in Marietta, GA, South Side Soda Shop in Goshen, IN, and Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger in Ann Arbor, MI. In addition, we've been to 4 other places featured on Food Network. Mad Greek in Solon, OH, The Lady and Sons in Savannah, GA, Lynn's Paradise Cafe in Louisville, KY, and Bubba's Oyster House in Savannah, GA. You may recognize The Lady and Sons and we even got to meet Paula and Jamie Deen! The food at all these places was phenomenal and there's a reason they are all on television shows.

My favorite foodie memory of all time though involved a tiny cafe on St. Thomas during our honeymoon last December. We ate great food while the local island lady who owned the cafe sang Christmas carols from behind the bar in a way only a Caribbean islander can.

I post this to encourage everyone reading this to blaze a foodie path. Find a small cafe or diner that serves great food and make some great memories.

Food is love and we love to build memories around food and travel......

Happy Holidays to all!

2009-11-26T14:04:00.000-08:00

No food post today, but lots of food in store for today and tomorrow!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Matt and I traveled to GA to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, and are having a fantastic time. The weather is beautiful and we went on an 18 mile bike ride with my father-in-law, and I'll be making lasagna for dinner (post coming soon). I wanted to take this time to say why I am thankful. I am thankful for an amazing husband, parents, grandparents, in-laws, friends, and for God blessing my life so richly.

Super Easy Italian Beef

2009-10-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

No picture for this post, and I have about seven other recipes to add. School started and my life has been consumed by it. It is not crock-pot season, so we have been using it, and enjoying it. Here is a quick easy italian beef recipe that is delicious.

Super Easy Italian Beef
3lb. Sirloin Tip Roast
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1 Bottle Kraft Light House Italian Dressing

Spray your crock-pot with nonstick spray. Put your roast in, and pour the brown sugar on top of it. Shake your dressing bottle, and empty the contents into the crock-pot over the roast. Set the crock-pot on the low setting for 8-10 hours. After that time has elapsed, pull the meat out, and with two forks shred it. Put the beef back in the crock-pot, and serve between your favorite roll, hoagie, bread, etc. I also enjoy eating it by itself. YUM!!

For a good side dish - Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Wash and prepare brussel sprouts. Cut them in half, and place on a baking pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and a little bit of maple syrup (optional). Bake in the oven for 20 minutes and enjoy!! The possibilities are endless with this dish because the seasoning combinations are all up to your imagination!! Experiment!

Hot Almond Chicken Salad

2009-08-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

It's the husband here, I love to cook and bake too, so here we go with my inaugural post on Fay's foodie blog. This is one of our absolute favorites when we are tired and looking for a quick, comfy dinner! Here's the recipe, enjoy!

1-1/4 cup Helman's Light Mayo
18 oz diced chicken breast meat (if you really want to save time, this is 3 packages of the Tyson pre-cooked, diced chicken in the pouches)
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup of fresh grated parmagiano reggiano
1 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese
4 stalks of diced celery
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Salt and pepper to taste (if you use real parmagiano, you won't need to add salt)
About 10 buttery crackers

Mix everything but the crackers in a large mixing bowl. Spread evenly in a sprayed 13 X 9 pan. Crumble buttery crackers over the top. Bake at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes. That's it!!

Here it is after baking, hot, bubbly, and delicious!!

Tunnel of Fudge Cake

2009-08-23T15:41:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Pilsbury Best of the Bake-Off Cookbook

Cake
1-3/4 C granulated sugar
1-3/4 C butter, softened
6 eggs
2 C powdered sugar
2-1/4 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C unsweetened cocoa
2 C chopped walnuts

Glaze
3/4 C powdered sugar
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa
4 to 6 t milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12 C fluted bundt pan; lightly flour. In a large bowl, beat the granulated sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, gradually add in 2 C of powdered sugar until well blended. With spoon, stir in flour, cocoa and nuts until well blended. Spoon batter into the pan and spread evenly.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until top is set and edge begins to pull away from the pan. (since the cake has a soft filling, you cannot do the usual toothpick test). Cool upright in pan on cooling rack 1 hour and 30 minutes. Turn cake upside down onto serving platter and cool at least 2 hours.

In a small bowl, mix glaze ingredients, adding enough milk for desired consistency. Spoon over cake, allowing some to run down sides. Store cake tightly covered!

This batter was like velvet after I added the powdered sugar!!

The center was so fudgy and moist!! Will make this one again!!

Quote of the day:

"Life has a bright side and a dark side, for the world of relativity is composed of light and shadows. If you permit your thoughts to dwell on evil, you yourself will become ugly. Look only for the good in everything so you absorb the quality of beauty."

~ Paramahansa Yogananda

Pesto Ravioli Dinner

2009-08-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

Made a yummy dinner with organic ravioli and fresh pesto!

This brand was very tasty and cooked up quickly!

We grow our own basil and it's super easy! Just plant in a pot like you would any flower and water as needed. When it flowers, be sure to pick the flowers off to keep it growing and fresh. It had just rained so the leaves aren't looking as fresh as usual.

Used good parm. cheese and grated it fresh. I find this truly enhances the flavor.

Whips up fast in the food processor and smells so amazing!

Pesto Sauce
2/3 C fresh basil leaves
1/3 C good grated parmesan
1/3 C good olive oil
2 T pine nuts
1/8 t pepper
1 garlic clove, peeled
Add to taste up to 1/2 t salt

Toss all in food processor and blend! Wait to add the salt b/c if you are using good parm it will be saltier and you might not need any. Stays good for up to 1 week or 3 months in the freezer. If you freeze, top with olive oil to keep from turning brown.

Test Signature

2009-07-27T12:35:00.001-07:00

Raspberry Ganache Pie - Mmmm!

2009-07-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

This is my first official post of my new food blog, inspired by my husband! He encouraged me to share my successes and failures in the kitchen with the world. Food is love and this pie is full of it!

The recipe called for a store bought oreo crust, but I prefer to make my own! It allows me to eat a few oreos during the process!

I don't always measure, but I will try to get better at that to post the most accurate information possible. I often change recipes I come across before I every try them as written and it is usually a success.....and sometimes not!

This recipe is from Kraft Foods and I love finding these simple quick fixes!

Raspberry Ganache Pie from Kraft Foods

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup whipping cream
6 Tbsp. seedless raspberry jam, divided
1 OREO Pie Crust (6 oz.) or see below for your own crust
2 cups fresh raspberries
1 Tbsp. water

Directions:

MICROWAVE chocolate and cream in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after each minute. Beat with whisk until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Stir in 2 Tbsp. jam.
POUR into crust. Refrigerate 4 hours.
ARRANGE berries on top of pie. Microwave remaining jam and water in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 30 sec.; stir until well blended. Brush onto berries. Keep refrigerated.

Oreo Crust:
1.5 rows oreos
4 T butter, melted

Crush the oreos in a food processor; then add to the melted butter and stir well. Press into pie pan and it's ready to go!

Quote of the day:
"Our achievements of today are but the sum total of our thoughts of yesterday. You are today where the thoughts of yesterday have brought you and you will be tomorrow where the thoughts of today take you." ~ Blaise Pascal