Melissa's Cuisine

Strawberries Romanoff

2012-02-01T07:40:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe on Olive Garden's website. Since their breadsticks are about the best food I've ever made, I thought trying one of their dessert recipes would be a big hit as well. My dessert looks nothing like the picture of the dessert on Olive Garden's site, but it still tasted delicious. It's not a heavy dessert and the triple sec and orange juice adds a wonderful citrusy background flavor. I enjoyed this dessert and it's simple enough to make with just a few minutes notice.

Strawberries Romanoff

Serves 4

You will need:
2 cups sour cream (I used low-fat)
1/3 cup brown sugar
juice of one orange (or 1/4 cup orange juice)
1 Tablespoon triple sec (can be left out to make this kid-friendly)
2 quarts strawberries, washed and quartered
Whipped cream

1. Combine sour cream, brown sugar, orange juice, and triple sec in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.

2. Add strawberries and fold in until evenly coated.

3. Place coated strawberries in serving dishes and top with whipped cream.

4. Chill until you're ready to serve.

Source: Olive Garden

Bolognese Sauce

2012-01-30T09:24:00.001-05:00

Mike and I are big fans of recipes that can be made in the crock-pot and require minimal work when we get home from work. This is a new recipe that we tried earlier this month and we both really enjoyed it. Neither of us have ever had a bolognese sauce before, so we really didn't know what to expect from it. The flavor reminded us of a pot roast, probably due to the vegetables. This recipe made a large crock-pot full, so I was able to freeze most of it for a future meal. I served this on top of my homemade whole wheat noodles, but Mike thinks it would also taste great eaten like chili. I think this would also taste great over brown rice or even a baked potato!

Bolognese Sauce

Serves 8

You will need:
1 Tablespoon butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 pounds lean ground beef
salt and pepper
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup whole milk
1 cup white wine
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add onion, celery, and carrot to saucepan. Stir and cook until vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.

3. Add beef to saucepan and cook on high until it is no longer pink. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

4. Pour in milk and wine and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until liquid is reduced, about 15 minutes.

5. Transfer mixture to your crock-pot and stir in tomatoes. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

6. Remove cover, stir and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 30 more minutes.

Serve over your choice of pasta, rice, or potato.

Nutritional stats per serving: 313 calories, 14 grams fat, 82 milligrams cholesterol, 4 grams fiber, 27 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrates, 822 milligrams sodium.

Source: All You Magazine, October 2011

Healthier Banana Bread

2012-01-25T08:22:00.000-05:00

I've always loved banana bread. It's one of my favorite recipes that my mom makes and I love her recipe. I haven't posted her recipe yet, but I will someday. It's too good not to share! Right now though, I'm focusing on eating healthier, and while banana bread isn't necessarily a health food, this recipe does contain some very healthy ingredients.

Mike and I both eat a banana daily, so they're something we always have in the house. On the rare occasion that the bananas start to turn brown before we can eat them, I peel them and stick them in my "banana bag" in the freezer. It's perfect for making smoothies or recipes that call for bananas. I used my freezer bananas in this recipe and I love how it turned out!

Healthier Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf, approximately 12 servings

You will need:
1-1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1-1/2 cups mashed bananas (approximately 3 large bananas)
4 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
1/4 cup lowfat plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Whisk flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a large bowl.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, butter, eggs, yogurt and vanilla.

3. Gently fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just combined. Pour batter into a greased 8-1/2" by 4-1/2" loaf pan.

4. Bake at 325 for 55-60 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

5. Cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into the bread.

Source: America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

BLT Pasta Salad

2012-01-23T08:17:00.000-05:00

Bacon. Lettuce. Tomatoes. It's the making of the perfect sandwich--but with a twist. How about a BLT pasta salad? Sound good? Yeah, I thought so too!

I made this salad for my work's Christmas party. It made a huge bowl of salad, and since it was a potluck, we had plenty of salad left over. It really worked out in Mike's and my favor because we got to enjoy this salad for a few more days. This fresh salad "feels like summer", so I loved making it for a party in the winter...nothing like adding a taste of summer to a cold day!

BLT Pasta Salad

Serves 10-12

You will need:

1 pound corkscrew shaped pasta

1/2 cup milk
1 pound bacon (I used turkey bacon)
3 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
salt
pepper
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons chopped chives
1/2 head of lettuce, chopped

1. Cook the pasta as directed on the box.

2. Drain the pasta and toss it with the milk in the pan you cooked your pasta in. Set aside.

3. Fry the bacon in a frying pan until it's crispy. Drain on paper towels.

4. Discard all but 3 Tablespoons of the bacon drippings from the pan. (If you use turkey bacon, you won't have much, so keep any drippings you do have.)

5. Add the tomatoes, thyme, and garlic to the pan with the bacon drippings. Cook over low heat until tomatoes are warm. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Crumble the bacon into small pieces.

7. Stir the tomato mixture and bacon into the pasta.

8. Mix the mayonaise, sour cream, and chives in a small bowl until well combined. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

9. Mix the dressing with the pasta until the pasta is evenly coated.

10. Stir lettuce into pasta until evenly distributed. I layered my lettuce and pasta in the serving bowl instead of mixing it through the pasta.

Serve pasta salad at room temperature and refrigerate any leftovers.

Source: A Bird and a Bean

Pecan Snowballs

2012-01-20T08:30:00.000-05:00

After a unseasonably warm December, it seems like we are finally experiencing a true Michigan winter. We had almost a foot of snow during one storm a week or so ago and the snow just keeps on coming.

I shared this recipe as a guest post on Tina's site last month, but now that it fits in with the season (snowballs for snow, of course!), I thought I'd better post it here so you can have the recipe. This is one of my favorite cookie recipes and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do!

Pecan Snowballs

Makes 2 dozen cookies

You will need:

1 cup shortening

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons milk

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1-3/4 cup flour

1 cup oats

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 teaspoon salt

powdered sugar for coating

1. In a large bowl, beat shortening, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until fluffy.

2. Add in flour, oats, chopped pecan, and salt. Beat until combined.

3. Form dough into 1 inch balls and place on a greased cookie sheet.

4. Bake at 325 for 15-18 minutes.

5. Roll in baked cookies in powdered sugar while they're still warm.

Store cookies in an airtight container.

Baked Spinach Cups

2012-01-18T08:13:00.003-05:00

Superbowl is just a few weeks away, and if you're anything like me, you're probably already brainstorming your menu plan! Because we all know Superbowl isn't about football, it's about the food! Right?

When planning my Superbowl menu, I like to come up with a good mix of savory and sweet foods. Like the jalapenos I shared last week, these are great appetizer sized foods--perfect for the big game!

These spinach cups were a huge hit at Mike's family potluck. All the cousins love spinach dip, so I had a feeling this would go over well. You can serve these warm from the oven, or at room temperature. I even had some cold the next day and they were great cold as well.

*As a side note, if you look to the left of this post, you'll see a poll I created for you. I'd love to get some feedback from you about what kind of recipes you'd like me to post more of. Please vote for as many as you'd like--I appreciate your input!

Baked Spinach Cups

Makes 24 cups

You will need:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup water, plus a little more
1 batch of Spinach Dip

1. Sift flour into a large bowl and make a well in the center.

2. Whisk together egg, salt and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl. Pour into flour well. Mix together, adding additional water until the mixture will stay together in a ball.

3. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and pliable. Let the dough rest for 30-60 minutes.

4. Divide dough in half. Keep one half covered while you roll out the other one on a surface lightly coated with cornstarch. Roll dough into approximately a 21"x7" rectangle.

5. Cut into 3-1/2" squares. You should be able to get approximately 12 wonton wrappers out of each half.

6. Press each wrapper into the bottom of a greased mini muffin tin to form a cup.

7. Scoop spinach dip into each wonton cup.

8. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, until wonton wrappers are golden brown and spinach dip is warm.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

*If you would rather not make your own wonton wrappers, you can substitute store-bought in this recipe.

Meat Stuffed Jalapenos

2012-01-13T08:57:00.004-05:00

I created this recipe in an attempt to recreate the jalapeno poppers that we had at a party...Mike loved them at the party and asked me to make him some. My first jalapeno poppers were nothing like what he wanted, but I knew that when I made them. This attempt however, was pretty much spot on!

This is a great recipe for a party. I made these for a fiesta that Mike and I hosted last year. (Yeah, I have a ton of recipes waiting to be posted!) I think these would also be perfect for a Superbowl party. Mike and I are planning to host a game watching party again this year, so I'm starting to pick out the menu for that.

Meat Stuffed Jalapenos

Makes 30

You will need:

15 jalapeno peppers

1/2 pound ground beef

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 onion, minced

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

2 Tablespoons cream cheese

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded + more for topping

1. Cut jalapeno peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and white membranes. (That's where the heat is, you may leave the seeds and membrane if you want a hot pepper). Be sure to wear gloves so you don't burn your hands.

2. In a skillet, brown ground beef, garlic and onion. Drain grease from pan.

3. Stir in chili powder, cream cheese and cheddar cheese until well combined.

4. Scoop meat mixture into jalapeno halves and place on a greased cookie sheet.

5. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until heated through.

6. Remove from oven and sprinkle with additional cheddar cheese if desired. Serve warm or room temperature.

S'mores Thumbprints with Marshmallow Frosting

2012-01-11T08:36:00.003-05:00

In December, my mom's friend hosted a Cookie Exchange. She invited my Mom, Grandma, Mother-in-law, Sister-in-law, and myself to join in the fun. We were each asked to bring 3 dozen cookies to share. I spent a long time choosing out the "perfect" recipe for the evening, but I definitely picked a hit! We enjoyed an evening of delicious appetizers, fun games, good company, and yummy cookies! Everyone had a great night, and I have a feeling this could become a yearly tradition.

My MIL has repeatedly asked "when are you going to post your S'mores cookies on your blog?", so here they are! They are fun to make and taste delicious. I hope you'll enjoy these cookies as much as we did.

S'mores Thumbprints

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

You will need:
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 batch marshmallow frosting (recipe below)
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together butter and sugars until fluffy (about 3-4 minutes).

3. Add in the egg yolk and vanilla and beat for another 1-2 minutes, until combined.

4. Stir in the flour mixture and mix until the dough comes together. Stir in chocolate chips.

5. Roll cookie dough into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Press your thumb into the center of each dough ball to create an indentation.

6. Bake cookies at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Remove and cool cookies completely.

7. Scoop frosting into an icing bag fitted with a large tip and fill in the indentation of the cookie with frosting. (If you don't have an icing bag, you can snip an end off a Ziploc bag to create one, or just use a spoon to scoop the frosting into the cookies.)

8. Top cookies with a sprinkling of graham cracker crumbs. Store in an airtight container.

Source: How Sweet Eats

I loved this marshmallow frosting. It took a few attempts to get it "just right". The first recipe I tried tasted like I was eating straight butter so I had to compensate by increasing the amount of marshmallow fluff. I think I've perfected the recipe now though, and I know it will be appearing in more recipes in the future. I added in a few tablespoons of Toasted Marshmallow syrup to increase the marshmallow flavor, but if you don't have any available, the frosting tastes great without it. I purchased mine at our favorite coffee shop.

Marshmallow Frosting

You will need:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups marshmallow fluff
2 Tablespoons toasted marshmallow syrup (optional)
3 cups powdered sugar

1. Beat butter in the bowl of your stand mixer until creamy.

2. Add in marshmallow fluff and beat for 2 minutes.

3. Add in vanilla extract and marshmallow syrup and mix until incorporated.

4. Add in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until fully incorporated. Then beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

Whole Wheat Buns

2012-01-09T07:46:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned the other day, Mike and I are trying to incorporate more whole real foods into our menu. A few months ago our youth group sold sub sandwiches. They were real simple: a sub bun, 2 kinds of cheese, and 3 kinds of meat. We only bought 4 and Mike was quite disappointed when they were gone. I told him there was a simple solution, I'd just make them myself.

I decided that I'd prefer to have him eat whole wheat buns instead of white, and I found a delicious looking recipe to try. I made these one afternoon and used them for hamburger buns that night. As you can see, I made a few hamburger sized buns as well as sub style buns. They were quite large, and that was good for the subs, but I'd probably make the hamburger buns slightly smaller next time. They were quite filling! We both enjoyed them and they have become a staple in our house.

Whole Wheat Buns

Makes 8 large buns

You will need: 1-1/2 Tablespoons yeast

1 cup + 1 Tablespoon water at 110 degrees

1/3 cup oil

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons gound flax seed

3 cups whole wheat flour

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, dissolve the yeast into the water. Let it sit about 5 minutes, until the mixture is foamy.

2. Add in the oil, sugar, and salt and mix until combined.

3. Add in the flax seed and the flour, 1 cup at a time, until well combined.

4. Knead the dough for 3 minutes, until it is easy to work with.

5. Divide the dough into 8 equal balls and shape into buns. (I made 2 round hamburger buns and 6 sub shaped buns.)

6. Place the buns on a lightly greased cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap.

7. Set in a warm place and let the dough rise for 20 minutes.

8. Bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned.

Adapted from: Finding Joy in My Kitchen

Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Noodles

2012-01-07T12:00:00.054-05:00

When I think of comfort food, one of the first things I think of is homemade chicken noodle soup. It's the perfect food to enjoy during a cold winter day.

This month's Crazy Cooking Challenge was to find the Ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup recipe. I think I've hit the jackpot with this one! This is a really basic soup, just chicken, noodles, carrots, and broth. I served it with some French bread, and it made for a delicious dinner.

I found this recipe on Laura's blog, Heavenly Homemakers. She has so many recipes on her site that are both good for you and delicious. I really encourage you to stop by and visit her! In her original recipe, she suggests making your own chicken broth, but because I was using chicken breasts, not a whole chicken, I used store-bought broth. I used the whole wheat noodle recipe that I shared yesterday and Mike and I both loved this recipe.

Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Noodles

Serves 8

You will need:

8 cups chicken broth (homemade or store bought)

3 carrots

1 recipe whole wheat homemade noodles

2 cups cooked chicken, diced

sea salt

1. Peel and chop carrots into bite-sized pieces.

2. Pour broth and carrots into a large pot. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.

3. Add in chicken and noodles. Salt as needed.

4. Simmer soup for 15-20 minutes, until noodles are fat and tender.

***Don't forget, you can vote for your favorite recipe by clicking "like" under the picture. I'm #15 and I'd love your vote :)

Homemade Whole Wheat Noodles

2012-01-06T07:20:00.002-05:00

It's the beginning of a new year and for many people that means it's time to make resolutions. I'm not big on making resolutions, I can't imagine giving up sweets or something like that, so I don't typically make them. I have decided that even though Mike and I do eat mostly healthy, there are things I can do to make our menus even healthier. For example, I have been using whole wheat flour in place of all-purpose flour in some recipes. There are plenty of health benefits to using whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour contains more fiber and protein than all-purpose flour, which translates into needing a smaller portion to keep you satisfied. It's a simple switch to make and I'm looking forward to experimenting with making some of our favorite recipes healthier.

Homemade Whole Wheat Noodles

Serves 4 (when made into long noodles, more in soup)

You will need:

2-1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 beaten eggs
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon olive oil

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt together and make a small well in the middle.

2. Beat your eggs in a small bowl and pour them into the well of the flour mixture.

3. Add the water and olive oil and stir until the ingredients are combined.

4. Dump the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it to get the ingredients combined well. (My dough started out extremely dry, so I added a small amount of water to get it pliable.)

5. If necessary, add more flour to your surface to ensure that your noodles won't stick. Flour your rolling pin, and roll dough until it's 1/8" thick.

6. Use a pizza cutter to cut your dough into long strips. Here's where you decide what you're going to do with your noodles. If you plan to use them for soup, you'll probably want to cut them into 2" pieces. If you want to use them in a past dish like spaghetti, you can just keep them long.

7. Allow your noodles to dry on the counter top before storing. It will take a few hours, or a day, and you might need to turn the noodles over after a few hours to dry the other side.

8. When the noodles are dry, store them in an airtight container. You can keep them in your pantry for up to a month or in your freezer for about 3 months.

To cook your noodles for a pasta dish: Bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Salt generously. Stir in the noodles and simmer for 20 minutes, until noodles are fat and tender. Drain before serving.

To cook your noodles for soup: Bring 8 cups of broth to a boil. Stir in noodles and simmer for 20 minutes, until noodles are fat and tender.

Source: Heavenly Homemakers

Be sure to come back tomorrow for a recipe to use your noodles in!

Caramel and Pretzel Bark

2012-01-04T08:43:00.002-05:00

If your New Year's Resolution had something to do with eating healthier or losing weight, I apologize--you might just want to skip this post. Oh wait, you already saw the picture though...I suppose this will be a test of your willpower.

I made so many delicious treats for Christmas and New Year's and all the parties involved, and there just hasn't been enough time to post them all. Please bear with me, I'll try to limit the sweets so you're not incredibly tempted, but these recipes are just too good not to share!

My friend made this recipe for a bake sale and I was lucky enough to snag a plate. When I was making my Melting Snowmen Cookie Balls, I had some melted Almond Bark left over. I decided it was the perfect opportunity to throw together a small batch of this Caramel and Pretzel Bark. The one great thing about this recipe is that you really don't need to follow the amounts--you can make as much (or as little) as you want!

Caramel and Pretzel Bark

You will need:
6 blocks Almond Bark
1/2 cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup Pretzels, broken into bite-sized pieces
20 Soft Caramels (unwrapped)

1. Place almond bark in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave another 30 seconds. Repeat as needed until bark is melted and can be stirred smooth.

2. Spread melted almond bark on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper.

3. Sprinkle pretzel pieces over almond bark.

4. Place caramels in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave another 30 seconds. Repeat as needed until caramels are melted and can be stirred smooth.

5. Drizzle caramel over pretzel pieces on the almond bark.

6. Melt chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl. I follow the same method as step 1 (above).

7. Drizzle melting chocolate over the almond bark.

8. Allow the bark to completely set before breaking it into pieces. Store in an air-tight container.

Source: Jennifer

Cider Wassail

2012-01-02T08:07:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year! I hope you had an enjoyable and safe Holiday weekend! We spent some time with family and friends, enjoying each others company, and of course, great food!

Today we are in the midst of our first winter storm here in West Michigan. As I look out the window, the wind is gusting and blowing the snow all over. It actually looks like we're in a snow globe. It's days like this that I'm really thankful for my warm house, a thick blanket, and a nice hot drink! I love the comforting feeling of a hot cup of Cider Wassail in my hands, warming me both outside and in.

Cider Wassail
Serves 8-10 people

You will need:
8 cups apple cider
1-1/2 cups orange juice
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
3 cinnamon sticks

Combine ingredients in your Crock-pot and heat on low for 2-3 hours, or until hot. Discard cinnamon sticks and serve hot.

*This can also be made on the stove. Just combine ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Discard cinnamon sticks and serve hot.

Top 11 of 2011

2011-12-31T08:03:00.002-05:00

As 2011 draws to a close, I thought it would be fun to look back on some of the top recipes I posted in the past year. I put a lot of time, effort, and love into each recipe that I make, so it's difficult for me to choose my favorite recipes...I like them all!

If you look at the right side of the page, you can see the top 10 recipes on my blog, ranked by the amount of page hits each recipe gets. I decided to post my top 11 recipes (11 for 2011, of course!), chosen by the number of comments on each recipe. I hope you'll enjoy this recap of this past year's top recipes!

#1--Mess-less S'mores

#2--Strawberry Cream Cheese Bread

#3--Speculoos

#4--Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls

#5--Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge

#6--Funfetti Cinnamon Rolls

#7--Blueberry Muffins

#8--Pizza Rolls

#9--Banana Muffins

#10--Breadsticks

#11--Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

And just for fun, 11 of my favorite recipes from this past year, some of which didn't get the attention they deserve! I really want to encourage you to take a look back at the previous postings from your favorite blogs...as I was working on this, I found some recipes I'd completely forgotten about!

Chocolate Covered Seafoam

Chicken, Apple, and Caramelized Walnut Salad

S'mores Popcorn

Grilled BLT Pizza

Strawberry Cheesecake

Cheesy Potato Soup

Stroopwafels

Fried Dill Pickles

Melting Snowman Cookie Balls

Chocolate Topped Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Grilled Flatbread

Here's to a delicious 2011 and a fabulous 2012!

Quick and Fluffy Dinner Rolls

2011-12-28T07:27:00.002-05:00

Are you in charge of bringing bread to Christmas dinner this year? If so, this is a great recipe for you to make! It's really quick and delicious.

I was intrigued by the steps of this recipe, I've never let rolls rise in the oven and then leave them in the oven to bake before. To be honest, I really didn't know how it would turn out. I thought I'd give it a try and see what happened, and to my amazement, it worked perfectly! In less than an hour, I had fresh baked yeast rolls on the dinner table. I served these with a piping hot bowl of Zuppa Toscana. This is definitely a recipe that's fast enough for a weeknight dinner, and I think it will quickly become a favorite.

Quick and Fluffy Dinner Rolls

Makes 12 large rolls

You will need:

3/4 cup milk

4 Tablespoons butter

3/4 cup hot water, 110 degrees

4 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 to 4-1/2 cups flour

1 Tablespoon yeast

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

1. In a microwave safe bowl, combine milk and butter. Microwave on high for 1-1/2 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 170 degrees while you make the rest of the dough.

3. Pour your warmed milk mixture into the bowl of your mixer. Add the sugar, salt, and 2 cups of flour. Mix for 1 minute.

4. Add in the yeast and remaining flour 1 cup at a time, mixing as you add flour. You have enough flour when the dough comes away from the edges of the bowl and forms a ball.

5. Mix on medium speed for 5 minutes.

6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 5 minutes.

7. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and gently round them into balls.

8. Place dough balls in a greased 9x13 pan.

9. Put the pan in your preheated oven and let them rise for about 20 minutes, or until doubled.

10. Leaving the pan in the oven, increase oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 15 minutes.

11. Brush the top of the rolls with melted butter right after removing them from the oven.

Source: Mommy's Kitchen

Zuppa Toscana

2011-12-26T08:33:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things to make during the cold winter months is soup. I love to make a big pot of it, so that we have enough for our meal, plus leftovers for Mike to take to work during the week. Plus, there's something so comforting about a bowl of hot soup on a cold wintery day!

I've mentioned before my love of Olive Garden. Every once in a while, they'll run a special for unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks. It makes for a delicious lunch and it's so filling. A couple weeks ago, one of my friends posted this recipe on Facebook. He had just made it for dinner and it sounded delicious. After asking him a few questions about how to make it, I picked up some of the ingredients at the store and set to work. The result was a delicious pot of soup! It's quite filling, especially if served with my Olive Garden Breadsticks! Mike and I both enjoyed this soup, and it tasted even better the next day.

Zuppa Toscana

Serves 4

You will need:

3 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced.

8 cups water

5 Tablespoons chicken bullion

1 pound Italian sausage, browned

handful of fresh kale, washed

1/2 pint heavy cream

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1. In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups of water to a boil.

2. Add in sliced potatoes and boil for 5 minutes.

3. Add in chicken bullion, browned sausage, and kale and boil for another 5 minutes.

4. Stir in heavy cream, garlic, and Italian seasoning and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Top individual servings with fresh Parmesan cheese before serving.

Recipe from Dave, inspired by Olive Garden

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T10:48:00.000-05:00

From our family to yours,

We wish you a very Merry Christmas as we celebrate

the birth of our Savior!

Merry Christmas and blessings for the New Year!

Melissa, Mike, and Champ ;)

Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake

2011-12-23T07:42:00.040-05:00

One of my absolute favorite things to have for breakfast is cinnamon rolls. Fresh from the oven, hot, and gooey. In my book, it doesn't get much better than that! When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it. It combines 2 of my favorite things, cinnamon rolls and french toast, into one quick and easy breakfast casserole. It reminds me of the French Monkey Bread I made last year.

I think this would be the perfect breakfast for Christmas morning. It comes together quickly and you can pop it in the oven while you're opening Christmas gifts. I served it with Brown Sugar Baked Bacon.

Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake

Makes 1 9x13" pan, about 12 servings

You will need:
1/4 cup margarine, melted
2 cans of cinnamon rolls with icing
4 eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Pour melted margarine into the bottom of a 9x13" pan.

2. Open both cans of cinnamon rolls and set the icing aside. Cut each cinnamon roll into 4 pieces.

3. Place cinnamon roll pieces on top of margarine in the pan.

4. In a small bowl, beat the eggs.

5. Mix in the whipping cream, vanilla, and cinnamon.

6. Pour egg mixture over the cinnamon roll pieces.

7. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

8. Spread icing on top of the cinnamon rolls. Serve warm.

Adapted from: Mom's Crazy Cooking

Guest Post

2011-12-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

I'm doing a guest post over at Mom's Crazy Cooking today! Please hop on over to Tina's blog to see the recipe for one of my favorite Christmas cookies--pecan snowballs!

Hot Chocolate Snowballs

2011-12-21T07:46:00.004-05:00

Last week I shared a recipe for Hot Chocolate Mix, and today I thought I'd share a recipe for the perfect cookie to enjoy with a cup of Hot Chocolate! As a bonus, it also uses some of the Hot Chocolate Mix! If you made it already, you're ahead of the game. If not, go ahead and click on over to check it out...I'll still be here :)

When I saw this recipe on Alli-n-son, I knew I would love it. As you'll find out tomorrow (when I do a guest post at Mom's Crazy Cooking), one of my favorite cookies is Pecan Snowballs. This is a fun twist on snowballs and for someone who loves chocolate (me!), it's the perfect combination. This cookie was my choice for the baking day I had with my Mother-in-law and Sister-in-law earlier this month. I'm glad I chose it!

Hot Chocolate Snowballs

Makes 36 cookies

You will need:

2/3 cup butter, softened

3 ounces Neufchatel cheese, softened (can also use cream cheese)

2/3 cup hot chocolate mix

1/3 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for rolling

2 teaspoons vanilla

1-3/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, Neufchatel cheese, hot chocolate mix, powdered sugar, and vanilla.

2. Add in flour and salt and mix until well blended.

3. Cover and chill for 1 hour, or until dough can easily be handled.

4. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place 1 inch apart on a greased cookie sheet.

5. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes, or until firm.

6. Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes before rolling in powdered sugar.

7. Let them cool completely on a wire rack.

Source: Alli-n-Son

Brown Sugar Baked Bacon

2011-12-19T07:00:00.042-05:00

I just can't believe that we have just 12 days left in 2011...where has this year gone? And now, once again, it's the 3rd Monday of the month. By now, I'm sure you know what that means! It's reveal date for Group C of the Secret Recipe Club. You also know how much fun I have browsing though my assigned blog each month to find a delicious looking recipe to try out.

This month was no different. I was assigned to Kimberly's blog, Rhubarb and Honey. Kimberly loves to share healthy and delicous food, and prefers to buy food produced locally and in a sustainable manner. I can totally relate to that! After reading through her many recipes, I decide on her Brown Sugar Baked Bacon . Simple, and delicous!

Growing up, I remember my brother always dipping his bacon into syrup when we had bacon with pancakes or waffles. I figured this was a similar concept, sweet bacon. I thought this was a fun way to make bacon a little differently, and I think it could also be used in baked goods, similar to how people use chocolate covered bacon. One note though, as you can see, some of the edges of my bacon got rather dark (I think the sugar started to burn), while the middle stayed a bit wobbly. (Probably because I used regular bacon, not thick cut.) Just keep an eye on the bacon and you should be fine!

Brown Sugar Baked Bacon

1 pound thick cut bacon (I used regular bacon)
1/2 cup brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place the bacon on the cookie sheet side by side.

3. Sprinkle brown sugar over the bacon and rub it in a bit.

4. Place the pan on the top rack of the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until browned and crispy.

Serve hot.

Melting Snowmen Cookie Balls

2011-12-16T07:51:00.000-05:00

Have you ever made something that's way to cute to eat? I think these little melting snowmen certainly fit that description! This was my mother-in-law's pick for our 2nd annual Christmas baking day last weekend. These little snowman are really quite simple to put together, they just require a little time and patience, and the outcome is both cute and delicious! I think this would be the perfect activity for kids to do over Christmas break. I'm still a kid at heart, and I had so much fun making these!

Melting Snowmen Cookie Balls

Makes 48

You will need:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
24 Nutter Butter cookies (just less than 1 package), crushed
4 blocks almond bark, melted
1/4 cup peanut butter*
48 mini Oreo cookies
food coloring

1. In a medium mixing bowl, mix cream cheese and crushed Nutter Butter cookies until well combined. (We used our hands.)

2. Roll into 48 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze for 10 minutes or until they are firm.

3. Dip cookie balls into melted chocolate (with or without peanut butter, see note below).

4. Place dipped balls on a wax paper lined tray. Allow the excess chocolate to pool below the snowmen.

5. Place a mini Oreo on top of the cookie ball while the chocolate is still wet.

6. When all the balls have been dipped and topped with an Oreo, let them sit until the chocolate has hardened.

7. Divide remaining melted chocolate into 3 small bowls and color each bowl either blue, orange, or red with the food coloring. (I used 4 drops of blue, 4 drops of red, and 1 drop of red with 3 drops of yellow for the orange.)

8. Scoop each color of chocolate into small ziploc bags and snip a tiny piece off the corner to make a piping bag. Decorate each snowman with eyes, a nose, and a mouth. (If you have decorating icing, you could use that to create the faces instead of coloring the chocolate.)

*The original recipe from Kraft Food & Family magazine called for 1/4 cup of peanut butter to be added to the melted chocolate. We did that and ended up with tan snowmen instead of white. Kraft has since edited the recipe to take out the peanut butter. You can leave it in or omit it.

Slightly adapted from: Kraft

Hot Chocolate Mix

2011-12-13T17:54:00.001-05:00

*I originally planned to share this recipe tomorrow, but since today is National Cocoa Day, I thought I better post today instead!

It's December in Michigan, so of course that means cold weather. Nothing warms me up on a cold winter day like a cup of hot chocolate! The only thing better than a cup of hot chocolate is a cup of hot chocolate topped with homemade marshmallows...mmm!

This mix is so easy to put together and it would make a great gift for your friends! I bought a bunch of adorable little Christmas containers (like the green one above) at Christmas-time last year, not knowing what I would do with them. Then I recently bought some mini dehydrated marshmallows and these little containers are perfect for them. Package the hot chocolate mix in a pretty jar, add a little container of marshmallows and you have a great gift. Now if I could just remember to actually give them to my friends...

Hot Chocolate Mix

You will need:

3 cups powdered milk
1-1/2 cups sugar (if you have vanilla sugar, use that!)
2/3 cup cocoa
1 (3.9 ounce) package chocolate pudding mix

1. In your food processor or blender (I used my bullet), grind the powdered milk to a fine powder. (If you don't have a food processor or blender, you can skip this step. I just do it to achieve a finer consistency.)

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered milk, sugar, cocoa, and pudding mix.

3. Store in an airtight container.

To serve, stir 1/3 cup hot chocolate mix into 8 ounces of hot water.

Strawberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies

2011-12-12T07:19:00.024-05:00

I absolutely love Christmas time! There's such a feeling of excitement and anticipation in the air. It truly is the "most wonderful time of the year".

Of course, with Christmas comes Christmas cookies! Every year my mom and I would bake dozens of Christmas cookies. We'd eat some and give some away to friends. Nothing says Merry Christmas quite like a plate of fresh baked cookies!

I was talking with a friend one day and she told me about the "easiest, most delicious cookies ever"! So simple that they only require 7 cookies, and that's if you count the water! Well, easy and delicious are two of my favorite words when it comes to describing foods, so of course I had to get the recipe from her. Mike and I both love these cookies, so I make them frequently. With a little bit of green icing, you can decorate these cookies to make fabulous Christmas goodies!

When I heard about the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, I immediately signed up to join in the fun. The swap was so exciting--I made 3 dozen of these cookies and shipped them off to 3 other bloggers. In return, I received 3 dozen different cookies from 3 other bloggers. So fun! I knew exactly what cookie I would be making! This is a dense enough cookie that it traveled well and from what I've heard from the recipients, this was a great choice.

Strawberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Makes 2 dozen cookies

You will need:
1 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup strawberry jam (use what is needed)

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 Tablespoon water

1. In a medium bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add in flour and almond extract and mix well. The mixture will be very crumbly and just barely come together.

3. Form 1 inch balls from the dough.

4. Place each dough ball on a greased cookie sheet and gently press your thumb into the center of each ball.

5. Put as much jam as possible into the thumb indentation.

6. Bake at 350 for 14-18 minutes. I aim for 14 minutes as you don't want the cookies to brown.

7. Remove cookies from the cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack.

8. While cookies are cooling, mix together powdered sugar, almond extract, and water to form a thin icing. You can also add in food coloring if you'd like.

9. Drizzle icing over cookies. Allow the icing to set before storing the cookies in an airtight container.

Adapted from: Tasty Kitchen

As part of the cookie swap, I received a dozen cookies from 3 other fabulous bloggers! Be sure to check out their posts today for their delicious recipes.

White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies from Becoming Bianca

Chocolate and Raisin Rugelach from OrlndoFoodie

Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies from Created by Diane

Thank you ladies, and have a very Merry Christmas!

Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes

2011-12-09T08:05:00.006-05:00

One of Mike's absolulte favorite potato dishes is cheesy potatoes. Every time we have a family gathering, he asks who is bringing the cheesy potatoes! He was thrilled on the day after Thanksgiving when someone unexpectedly brought cheesy potatoes to the family potluck.

When I received an offer to try Simply Potatoes potato products through the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program, I knew I would have to create a version of cheesy potatoes for my husband. I added in some ranch flavor to kick it up and notch, along with one of his favorite foods--bacon. We both really enjoyed this recipe. It was simple to put together and made enough for us to enjoy at two meals.

Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes

Serves 4-6

You will need:

1 bag Simply Potatoes Hash Browns

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 (1 ounce) packet ranch dressing mix

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus some for topping

1/4 cup bacon pieces

1. In a medium bowl combine hash browns, heavy cream, dressing mix, cheddar cheese, and bacon pieces.

2. Place in a greased 8x8" pan.

3. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese.

4. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, until bubbly.

I received coupons to try Simply Potatoes Products as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge

2011-12-07T12:00:00.021-05:00

It comes in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. I'd bet nearly every person you know has their favorite kind. It's fudge! There's chocolate fudge, vanilla fudge, peanut butter fudge, chocolate caramel fudge, mudslide fudge, and we can't forget chocolate chip cookie dough fudge! Yes, you heard right...chocolate chip cookie dough fudge. Sounds pretty irresistible, doesn't it?

This month's Crazy Cooking Challenge, hosted by Tina at Mom's Crazy Cooking was to scour the web for the best fudge recipe. I tell you, I think I struck gold! I saw this recipe on Bridget's blog, Bake at 350, and I immediately knew this was my recipe. It was everything you ask for in a fudge, creamy, sweet, melt-in-you-mouth, delicious! It tasted just like a scoop of fresh cookie dough.

Fudge makes a perfect Christmas gift, so what are you waiting for? Wipe the drool from your chin and get baking!

Don't forget that you can vote for your favorite recipe by clicking "like" under each picture. My recipe is #9 and I'd love to have your vote :)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge

Makes 64 1" pieces

oil for the pan
1-3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 c. cream
1/4 c. milk
1 Tablespoon corn syrup
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Lightly oil a 8x8" pan.

2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, brown sugar, cream, milk, corn syrup, and salt. Stir occasionally with a heat proof spatula.

3. Boil to 242 degrees, stirring frequently.

4. Remove from heat and stir in the butter, vanilla, and flour.

5. Pour the syrup into a 9x13" pan and let it sit for 20 minutes, or until it cools down to 110 degrees.

6. Scrape the syrup into the bowl of your stand mixer.

7. Using your paddle attachment, beat the syrup on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until fudge thickens and holds its shape.

8. Scrape into prepared pan and spread evenly.

9. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and press them lightly into the fudge.

Let the fudge set and cool for at least 2 hours before cutting into. Store in an airtight container.

Source: Bake at 350

Baked Brie

2011-12-05T08:08:00.002-05:00

Mike took me out for dinner to a fancier restaurant for Valentine's Day this past year. Typically we don't order appetizers, but since it was a special occasion, we decided to order the baked brie. While Mike wasn't a huge fan, I thought it was delicious! I couldn't wait to try making it on my own.

I finally got the chance to make baked brie for Thanksgiving. I offered to bring an appetizer, already knowing what I was going to bring. I would say this baked brie was a huge hit. I topped the brie with some mango and papaya preserves, but I think just about any fruit flavor would be delicious!

Baked Brie

Serves 10 (as an appetizer)

You will need:

1 sheet of puff pastry (thawed)

1 8oz round of brie

3 Tablespoons fruit preserves

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

1. Unfold thawed puff pastry sheet onto a greased cookie sheet.

2. Place brie in the center of the puff pastry.

3. Spread fruit preserves on top of the brie.

4. Fold up puff pastry to enclose brie. Pinch edges so the cheese can't leak out.

5. Brush puff pastry with melted butter.

6. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, until puff pastry is golden brown. Let the baked brie sit for at least 10 minutes before serving, or the cheese will run out.

Serve with sliced apples and crackers.

Chocolate Meringues

2011-12-02T07:52:00.000-05:00

I have always loved meringues. I love the crispy outer shell and the airy melt-in-your-melt interior. Whenever I make ice-cream or a recipe that calls for just egg yolks, I'll set aside the egg whites to make meringues with. I've had a few batches start to fail, but for some reason my Dad has that special touch and he'd always be able to get the egg whites to whip up just right.

I'd never made chocolate meringues before, but when I saw these on Bakerella's site, they called my name! These were everything I look for in a meringue and I'll be making them again and again.

Chocolate Meringues

Makes about 3 dozen (depends on the size of your meringues)

You will need:
1 cup of egg whites (about 7)
2 cups sugar
5 Tablespoons natural cocoa powder
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1. In a clean, dry, heatproof bowl, whisk together sugar and egg whites.

2. Set over (not touching) a simmering pan of water. (I would assume you could use a double boiler if you have one.)

3. Whisk mixture constantly until sugar is dissolved and then remove from heat.

4. Beat the egg mixture with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff and glossy.

5. Sift cocoa over meringue and sprinkle with chopped chocolate.

6. Gently fold together with a spatula until well combined.

7. Use a scoop to drop batter about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

8. Bake at 350 for 8-9 minutes. Then rotate baking sheets and bake another 8-9 minutes until cookies are full of cracks.

9. Cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Source: Bakerella (who adapted it from Home Baked Comfort)

Fanned Garlic Potatoes

2011-11-30T11:20:00.001-05:00

For some reason, potatoes seem to get a bad rap. It's probably because of their high carbohydrate content, but as a runner, that's a great thing for me! Potatoes also contain a good amount of fiber, protein, iron and vitamin C. You can check out more of their stats here.

While I already admitted I'm not a huge fan of mashed potatoes, I do love baked potatoes. And I love to prepare them this way, the presentation is just so fun! Mike had never seen fanned potatoes before, so it was a fun surprise for him. We both loved the flavor that the garlic infused into each bite of the potato. I think I'll be skipping the traditional baked potato and preparing them this way more often!

Fanned Garlic Potatoes

You will need:

1 medium potato for each person you're serving

2 garlic cloves per potato (more or less depending on your garlic preference!)

olive oil

1. Be sure to thoroughly scrub your potatoes to remove all dirt from the skin.

2. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice the potato into thin slices, being careful not to slice all the way through.

3. Slice each garlic clove into thin slices.

4. Place a slice of garlic in between each slice of potato.

5. Drizzle potato with olive oil.

6. Place in a shallow baking dish and bake at 350 for 1 hour, until potatoes are tender.

Serve plain or garnish with cheese if desired.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Dippers

2011-11-28T08:26:00.001-05:00

I'm always on the look out for easy snacks for Mike and myself. The other day I was looking through one of Mike's mom's Food and Family magazines and oohing & ahhing over all the ideas I found. I ended up borrowing some of her magazines and photocopying half the recipes so I can try them out. I don't (currently) subscribe to this magazine (yet) but it's one of my favorites because the recipes are so family friendly and something the every-day person can easily make!

It took all of 10 minutes to put this treat together. I brought Mike one to try and he said "I hope you made more of those!" Luckily for him, I had, but they're so easy I can make them whenever the craving strikes. These little dippers combine two of my favorite things, peanut butter and chocolate, so they're a hit in my book too!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Dippers

Makes 6 (but can easily be doubled or tripled to make more!)

You will need:

12 Nilla wafers

2 Tablespoons peanut butter

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Spread 6 of the Nilla wafers with about 1 teaspoon of peanut butter each.

2. Top with another wafer to make little cookie sandwhiches.

3. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips for 30 seconds or until melted.

4. Dip each cookie sandwhich halfway into the melted chocolate.

5. Place on wax paper and allow it to set. Refrigerate if needed.

Source: Kraft Food & Family

Spaghetti Squash

2011-11-25T07:43:00.000-05:00

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving Day! We really have so much to be thankful for!

Are you still stuffed from the holiday goodies you consumed yesterday? Or, did you burn off all those extra calories out shopping this morning? Either way, I thought a healthy recipe would be ideal for today!

Until recently, I had never had spaghetti squash. I'm not a fan of squash in general, so I assumed that I wouldn't care for spaghetti squash. My dad prepared some for Sunday dinner and I took a small spoonful to try it. It was completely different from what I expected, and Mike liked it as well! I couldn't get it out of my head so I ventured out to my local farmer's market to see if they still had an spaghetti squash, and they did! I picked up a medium squash and brought it home to prepare for Mike and myself. It was so easy and delicious, not to mention super healthy!

I served the spaghetti squash topped with spaghetti sauce and Parmesan as a side with pork and potatoes for dinner, but I took just the spaghetti squash and sauce for lunch to work the next day. You can serve it either way--a side or as the main course.

Spaghetti Squash

Servings depend on the size of your squash and how you serve it. One medium squash made 4 side-sized servings.

You will need:

1 spaghetti squash

1 Tablespoon butter

salt

Pasta sauce, optional

Parmesan cheese, optional

1. Using a sharp knife, cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and discard.

2. Place both halves of the squash on a cookie sheet. Put 1/2 Tablespoon of butter in the center of each piece of squash.

3. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, until squash is softened.

4. Using a fork, scrape the inside of the squash to form strands and place in a bowl. Salt to taste.

Serve as is, or if desired, with pasta sauce and parmesan cheese.

Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

2011-11-23T08:15:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year that sweets treats and goodies are being offered at every turn. As delicious as they are, I sometimes find myself craving something savory and healthier to make up for the sugar overload! This is a delicious way to incorporate some healthy grains, vegetables, and meat into your diet.

Mike actually helped me prepare this dish! I left some instructions on the counter for him and the meal was halfway finished by time I got home from work. If Mike can make this meal, anyone can!

Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

Serves 4

You will need:
6 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 shallot, halved and sliced thin
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper
1 pound lean ground turkey, browned
12 ounces whole-wheat penne
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil

1. In a bowl, toss tomatoes with the shallot, oil, vinegar, garlic, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

2. Spread the tomatoes out on a baking sheet and roast at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until the tomatoes skins have shriveled slightly.

3. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and let them cool for 5-10 minutes.

4. While tomatoes are roasting, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add the penne and 1 Tablespoon salt and cook until al dente, stirring often.

5. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water and then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

6. Add the tomatoes and ground turkey into the pot with the pasta.

7. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and basil and toss gently to combine.

8. Before serving, add the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. (I didn't have fresh Parmesan so I used Asiago instead)

Adapted from: The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Speculoos

2011-11-21T07:00:00.051-05:00

It's the third Monday in November, and by now I'm sure you know what that means! It's reveal day for the Secret Recipe Club! This is my fifth month participating now and each month I have so much fun browsing through a new (to me) blog and making a list of delicious looking recipes to try.

This month, my "short-list" of recipes ideas consisted of 10 fabulous looking recipes from Chris' blog, The Café Sucré Farine. Be sure to visit her blog to read the story behind her blog name, get a quote for your weekly inspiration, take in the beauty of her husband's food photography, and of course drool over her delicious recipes!

I grew up eating what we always referred to as "Windmill cookies", so when I saw Chris had a recipe on her site, I knew I'd have to make it. These were always one of my Mom's favorites and, being from a Dutch family, I remember many tea times that we enjoyed the "Windmill cookies". Mike also loves "Windmill cookies" and quite often packs them in his lunch.

I grew up with the Dutch version of these "Windmill cookies", actually called Speculaas. But when I saw on Chris' blog that they are Belgian and called Speculoos, I was intrigued at the difference. I decided to dig a little deeper and found that most recipes for both Speculaas and Speculoos are quite similar and in fact, they are the same cookie, just with a different name from each country! So whether you want to eat Speculaas or Speculoos, this is a cookie any one will enjoy!

Speculoos

Makes 2 dozen cookies

You will need:
2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar (I used regular brown sugar since it's what I had on hand)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
sugar, for sprinkling

1. In a medium bowl combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking powder, and salt.

2. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar and butter with an electric mixer until light. Add egg and beat until fluffy.

3. Gradually add in dry ingredients and beat until just combined.

4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

5. Divide the dough in half and roll it out on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thick.

6. Use a cookie cutter of your choice to cut as many shapes as possible and place cut cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

7. Repeat with the other half of the dough, gathering scraps and cutting out as many cookies as possible.

8. Lightly sprinkle cookies with sugar.

9. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes.

Enjoy the Dutch way--with a cup of hot tea, or my way--with hot chocolate!

Baked Pumpkin Donuts

2011-11-18T07:52:00.004-05:00

Two donut recipes in the same week? What can I say? I told you I like donuts :)

The original recipe made these baked donuts as donut holes. Since I'm having so much fun with my new mini donut pan, I decided to make some mini donuts as well.

These were a huge hit in our house! Mike wanted to eat them all before I had a chance to even snap a picture of them. I think they lasted about a day and a half and then they were all gone. I can't wait to make these again!

Baked Pumpkin Donuts

Makes about 24 donuts

For donuts:
1-3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup milk

For coating:
1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin, and milk.

3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just combined.

4. Scoop batter into greased tins. I used both mini muffin tins and my mini donut pan.

5. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

6. While donuts are baking, melt margarine in a small bowl.

7. Combine sugar and cinnamon in another small bowl.

8. Allow donuts to cool for 2 minutes. Then dip each donut first in the margarine and then roll in the cinnamon sugar.

Source: The Craving Chronicles

Apple Crumble Pie

2011-11-16T07:49:00.005-05:00

As you know, one of Mike's favorite desserts is his Ma's Apple Crisp. He would probably say that his next favorite dessert is Apple Pie. He's all-American I tell ya! When I ask him what he would like for dessert, 9 times out of 10 he would request some kind of pie. He's not a cake person (bummer...because I am!), or much of a brownie lover either. But give him a big slice of pie with a scoop of ice-cream and he's happy!

When we went apple picking this fall, one of the two things Mike requested was an apple pie, of course! I was more than happy to oblige, but I had to admit, I can probably count the amount of pies I've ever made on 1 hand. We, of course, decided it was time to change that! I used my go-to pie crust recipe and a basic crumble topping to create this pie. Though I wish I had use at least one more apple in the filling (mine cooked down quite a bit), we were thrilled with how the pie turned out, and I'm sure I'll be making many more.

I waited to post this pie recipe, because I knew of a very exciting party being hosted by Cheryl, of Tidy Mom. Come join Love the Pie with TidyMom sponsored by Cherokee USA, Le Creuset, Wilton, Bags by Bloom and Harvard Common Press!!!

Apple Crumble Pie

Serves 8

You will need:

1-1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shortening

4 to 5 Tablespoons cold water

4 large apples, peeled and sliced

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

Topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cold butter

1. Combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water and stir until a ball forms.

2. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes, until it's easy to handle.

3. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to fit your 9 or 10 inch pie plate. Transfer pie to plate and trim pastry. Flute edge as desired.

4. Toss apples with cinnamon and sugar until coated. Place apples in pie crust.

5. In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, and butter until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of apples.

6. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

Baked Buttermilk Donuts

2011-11-14T08:08:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago I volunteered to pick up donuts and bring them to work for Mike and his co-workers. I couldn't resist picking up a donut for myself while I was at the bakery. That one donut struck a craving that I just couldn't kick!

Luckily for me, I had just won a gift certificate to Michael's so one of the things I picked up was a donut pan. As soon as I got home I pulled out the ingredients and got to work making some baked donuts.

Of course, you just can't compare baked donuts with a fried donut. Sure, they're both delicous in their own way, but each really does have it's own flavor and texture. And, if you're anything like me, you can justify eating a baked donut for both breakfast and a mid-morning snack because it's practically a muffin...right?

I made both "regular" sized donuts (the size from the Wilton pan) and "mini" donuts (from my Avon pan). 1 regular sized donut was equivalent to about 3 or 4 mini donuts (really, they are mini!), so of course I could justify eating 3 or 4 mini donuts at a time because it's basically like eating 1 regular one...right?

I know, my logic might be flawed...but indulge me! :)

Baked Buttermilk Donuts

Makes 24 "regular" sized donuts

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 Tablespoon melted margarine

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1-2 Tablespoons water (adjust amount as needed to make a thick glaze)

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

2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and melted margarine.

3. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

4. Fill donut pan 3/4 of the way full (or follow the instructions for your donut pan). These donuts do rise, so don't fill the pan to the top.

5. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, until donuts spring back when touched.

6. While donuts are baking, mix together ingredients for the glaze. Allow the donuts to cool before dipping the the glaze and top with sprinkles if desired.

Slightly adapted from Wilton

Chocolate Covered Seafoam

2011-11-10T07:20:00.002-05:00

Last year for Christmas, Mike's mom handed me a Ziploc container. Inside was possibly one of the best gifts I've ever received (well...food-wise that is!) A bunch of my favorite "specialty store" candy--chocolate covered seafoam! I love the sweet creamy chocolate coating followed by the crisp seafoam.

Then I remembered that my mom used to make seafoam for a friend of hers. I remember it being quite a tricky recipe and causing a few kitchen disasters. (Maybe the reason she rarely made it!) I finally remembered to ask her for the recipe and after my own kitchen disaster (burning my first batch), I succeeded in making a delicious treat!

Don't be afraid to try this--the trickiest part is not burning the candy, so I've shared my trick in the instructions. The good part is that the recipe is all sugar, so if you do burn a batch, just fill your pan with water and it will dissolve! Then try again...it's worth it!

Chocolate Covered Seafoam

You will need:
1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
4 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Generously grease 3 cake pans and set aside.

2. In a large saucepan, bring sugar and syrup to a boil over medium heat. Stir constantly until sugar is dissolved.

3. Bring sugar mixture up to 305 degrees, stirring occasionally. (I've found that in order to not burn the candy, it's easiest to remove the pan from the heat when the sugar mixture reaches 300 degrees. The candy temperature will continue to rise for a few seconds and leaving it on the heat brings the temperature up too quickly, resulting in burned candy. Not fun...trust me!)

4. Pour baking soda into syrup all at once. Sugar mixture will foam up quickly--be careful!

5. Mix thoroughly and quickly. Pour into greased pans.

6. Allow the candy to cool for a couple hours before breaking into pieces.

7. Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.

8. Dip seafoam into chocolate and set on waxed paper to harden. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe from my mom

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2011-11-07T12:00:00.015-05:00

I have a confession to make. I'm not a fan of mashed potatoes. I'm strange, I know...I like baked potatoes, fried potatoes, diced potatoes, or smashed potatoes, but there's just something about the mushy texture of mashed potatoes that does me in! When it was revealed that November's Crazy Cooking Challenge was mashed potatoes, I decided I needed to find a mashed potato recipe that I enjoyed.

After browsing though a few of my favorite blogs, I came across a recipe on Gina's Skinny Recipes for Skinny Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Do you remember the Strawberry Cheesecake that was a huge hit with my family? I found that recipe on Gina's blog, so I knew the chances were pretty good that I'd like her mashed potatoes as well!

This recipe includes three delicious flavors, garlic, chicken (from the broth), and sour cream. Combined with the potato, the flavors work very well together. I'm pleased to tell you I was successful in my goal, and I'm proud to present to you, my favorite mashed potato recipe!

Oh, and don't forget, you can vote for your favorite mashed potato recipe by clicking "like" under the picture of the recipe! (I'm #21!)

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Serves 4

You will need:
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup fat-free chicken broth
2 Tablespoons skim milk
1 Tablespoon light butter
1/4 cup fresh herbs of choice: parsley, thyme, tarragon (*I used dried parsley, thyme, and some chives for garnish)
kosher salt to taste
dash of fresh ground pepper

1. Put potatoes and garlic in a large pot with salt and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.

2. Drain and return potatoes and garlic to pan.

3. Add sour cream, chicken broth, milk, butter, and herbs to potatoes.

4. Using a masher, mash until smooth.

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Source: Gina's Skinny Recipes

Chocolate Topped Peanut Butter Granola Bars

2011-11-04T07:50:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite snacks is granola bars. I really like the new Nature Valley Granola Thins. Mike's grandma gave us some and I've been hooked ever since. I never really liked the crunchy granola bars, but these have converted me!

I've been making my own granola bars for years, remember the Chewies I told you about? I used to make them back in middle school! I really liked the idea of topping granola bars with chocolate or peanut butter, so I thought I would try that out with my new favorite granola bar recipe. I feel like this is a pretty healthy recipe, it is low fat, uses whole wheat flour, and honey instead of corn syrup. You could up the health factor by using dark chocolate instead of semi-sweet chocolate for the topping, but I'm not a huge fan.

On another note, did you notice that my blog has gotten a makeover? (If you're reading this through Google Reader, click over to visit my blog and check it out!) I'm still working on creating a recipe index for you as well as working on some other pages, but the overall look of my blog is completely different. I'd like to give a huge thank you to Elena from Three Little Birdies Designs! If you're thinking about a new look for your blog, I'd highly recommend Elena!

Chocolate Topped Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Makes 18 bars

You will need:

2-1/2 cups oats

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup peanut butter (I use natural)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. In a bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

2. Stir in honey, peanut butter, and vanilla. At this point, I find the mixture to be too thick to mix with a spoon, so I just use my hands!

3. Press granola into a greased 9x13 pan. It will look crumbly but it will bake together.

4. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes, until the edges of the bars are browned.

5. Sprinkle hot granola bars with chocolate chips, let them melt, and then spread over the bars.

6. Cut into 1-1/2 inch bars. I cut the bars width-wise first, and then I make one cut down the center of the pan length-wise. Use a pizza cutter to cut bars--it makes it so much easier!

Store in an airtight container.

Baked Caramel Apples

2011-11-01T07:51:00.003-04:00

These apples were so delicious! I made a batch the other day and served it with pork chops. Growing up, we always had applesauce with our pork chops, so the pair seem so natural to me. Apples are in great abundance here in Western Michigan, and I love to cook with apples.

I eat at least an apple a day--it's good for you, you know the saying don't you? Typically, I cut up an apple for my lunch, but I like to slice them up in my morning oatmeal, or a salad, or make a pie (recipe coming soon!), or a crisp, or spiced apples... Can you tell I like apples? I know that if you are an apple lover, you'll love this simple and delicious recipe!

Baked Caramel Apples

Serves 6

You will need:

8 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into thick slices (I used a combination of Gala, Granny Smith, and Jonathan)

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup water

2 Tablespoons margarine

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, water, margarine, salt, flour, and cinnamon. Bring it to a boil and stir occasionally until it thickens.

2. Place apples in a baking dish and cover with caramel sauce. Stir to coat.

3. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour, stirring after 30 minutes. Let the baked apples sit for a few minutes after you remove them from the oven so the caramel will thicken.

Serve alongside pork, on top of ice-cream, or plain!

Adapted from: Becoming a Strong Woman of God

Strawberry Fluff

2011-10-30T07:14:00.005-04:00

Over the past few years, it has become a tradition for Mike's mom, sister, and I to visit various craft shows in our area around Christmas time. Some of my favorite booths are the ones that sell foods--go figure! Last year, I discovered a new (to me) product, fruit flavored dips! You could buy a little packet of powder and then mix it with Cool-Whip and cream cheese for a delicious dip. I served the strawberry dip I bought at our Superbowl party, and it went over really well. I decide that if other people could make a dip mix, I'm sure I could too; I had an idea for what I thought would work well, and it did! Now I don't have to wait for craft fairs to make this dip!

I'm sharing this pink dip as part of a blog hop, Project Pink, which is dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness. While I have been blessed to not have any family members affected by breast cancer, I do know some people (both fellow bloggers and "real-life" acquaintances) who have been affected by breast cancer. The people who I know are survivors, they fought hard, and they won the battle. This recipe is in honor of them, a recipe you might serve at a celebration, because it's a celebration of life!

Strawberry Fluff

Serves 8-10

You will need:
1 box sugar free strawberry Jell-O
1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip
8 oz Neufchatel cheese (you can use regular cream cheese too!)

In a mixing bowl, combine the Jell-O powder, Cool Whip, and Neufchatel cheese until smooth and fluffy. Refrigerate until you're ready to serve.

This dip is great with animal cracker, graham crackers, and sliced apples.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

2011-10-28T07:58:00.005-04:00

I hope you're not completely sick of apple and pumpkin recipes! I'm having so much fun coming up with fall-inspired recipes, and I can't wait to continue sharing them with you. I'm going to try to space them out with some non-apple or pumpkin recipes though, so that you don't get tired of the fall recipes before I share them all. Today though, I want to share these chocolate chip pumpkin muffins...

I brought a plate of these muffins to work, to my in-laws, and to my parents. They got rave reviews. I love the added sweetness from the chocolate chips and the slightly crunchy streusel topping puts these over the top...literally!

Before we get to the recipe, I have a little announcement. Since I didn't celebrate my blogiversary this year, or a significant post number, I have decided to celebrate my followers. You all are what makes blogging so much fun--I love the feedback I get from posts and the new friends I've made through blogging. That being said, I am so close to hitting 200 followers, so when I do hit that milestone, I have a giveaway planned for you! I think we can hit 200 by the end of the year, so stay tuned!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

Makes 16 muffins

You will need:
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Streusel topping:
2 Tablespoons margarine, cold
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons flour

1. Combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in large bowl; set aside.

2. Combine pumpkin, 1/2 cup melted butter and eggs in small bowl; stir until well mixed.

3. Stir pumpkin mixture into flour mixture just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

4. Spoon batter into greased muffin tins (or use cupcake liners). Fill each tin about 3/4 of the way full.

5. In a small bowl, cut the flour and brown sugar into the margarine until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle on top of the muffins.

6. Bake at 400 degrres for 22 to 23 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Adapted from: A Well Seasoned Life

Chicken, Apple, and Caramelized Walnut Salad

2011-10-26T08:13:00.002-04:00

I think I nearly drove Mike insane last week. Every day I would text him to see if a package had arrived for me. Each time the UPS man drove by, I'd look out the window to see if he was bringing me a package. What was I so excited about? This, my friends...

6 incredibly delicious products from Newman's Own through the Foodbuzz Tastemakers program. Along with these products came a challenge: create a family-friendly recipe that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. Since the day I received the list of products headed my way, I knew what I wanted to make!

I love salads and I'm constantly on the look-out for ways to incorporate more vegetables into our daily diets. I also love fruity dressings; in fact, I've been known to thing out jam with water so I can use it for a salad dressing. (Don't knock it til you've tried it!) And of course, I have a plethora of apples around the house from apple picking last month. I used so many things I love in this salad, so it's no surprise that this is definitely a new favorite for me!

The most time consuming part of this recipe is caramelizing the walnuts. I like to make a big batch of walnuts (or peanuts) and store them until I need to use them. If you don't have time, just skip the caramelizing and toss on plain walnuts...it will still taste good, just without the sweetness from the caramel coating. I made a video of me caramelizing the walnuts with my new Flip Video Camera (thanks Newman's Own!), and I posted it below. It's about 10 minutes, but I wanted to show you the entire process!

This salad was delicious paired with a crispy slice of Newman's Own uncured pepperoni pizza. I took the other half for lunch the next day and it was fantastic!

Chicken, Apple, and Caramelized Walnut Salad

Serves 2

You will need:
4 cups spinach
1 sweet apple (I used a Gala apple)
1 chicken breast, cooked
1/4 cup caramelized walnuts (recipe below)
4 Tablespoons Newman's Own Light Raspberry & Walnut dressing

1. Divide the spinach between 2 plates.

2. Core apple and cut into thin wedges. Place on top of spinach.

3. Top with sliced chicken breast and sprinkle with caramelized walnuts.

4. Drizzle with Newman's Own Light Raspberry & Walnut dressing just before serving.

Caramelized Walnuts

Makes 1-1/2 cups

1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 Tablespoons water
1-1/2 cups walnuts

1. In a small skillet, combine water and sugar.

2. Stir frequently over medium heat until sugar begins to turn brown.

3. Add in the walnuts, continuing to stir. At this point, the sugar will turn white and begin to clump together...don't worry, that's normal.

4. Continue to stir as the sugar begins to brown again.

5. When the walnuts are completely covered in the caramel topping, remove from heat and cool. Store in an airtight container.

As I mentioned before, here is an instructional video so you'll know what the sugar looks like at each point in the caramelization process.

I received products to feature as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemakers program, with Newman's Own. All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

Pizza Rolls

2011-10-24T07:00:00.062-04:00

Can you believe October is 3/4 of the way over? It's like I blinked and the month just flew by! It's the third Monday in October, and that means it's time for this month's Secret Recipe Club reveal.

I love participating in the Secret Recipe Club. It's fun to be introduced to a new blog that I might not have otherwise known about, and then search their blog for "that" recipe!

This month, I was assigned to From Apples To Zucchini. Pam has an abundance of delicious looking recipes and you can be sure you'll be seeing more recipes from her blog around here! One thing I really loved about Pam's blog is that she focuses on recipes that are as nutritious as possible. I bookmarked several of her recipes to make before I narrowed it down to just one.

It was difficult to choose one recipe to highlight today, but Pam's recipe for Pizza Rolls caught my attention. (Does that surprise anyone?!) You see, Mike loves pizza rolls. I think he'd eat them every day if I'd let him! However, store-bought pizza rolls are not very healthy and full of empty calories. When I saw Pam's recipe makeover, I knew this was the perfect way to provide Mike with a healthier version of one of his favorite foods!

Mike and I both thought these were delicious. I made ours with a blend of Italian cheeses and pepperoni. This recipe made enough for both of us to enjoy for dinner, as well as 2 lunches for Mike to take to work! I loved having a healthier alternative to pack for his lunch.

I should add that you're getting lucky today--not only is this a recipe for pizza rolls, but for the wonton wrappers as well! I don't think I'll ever buy wonton wrappers from the store again!

Pizza Rolls (and Wonton Wrappers)

Makes 24 rolls

For the Wonton Wrappers:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup water, plus a little more

Sift flour into a large bowl and make a well in the center. Whisk together egg, salt and 1/4 cup water. Pour into flour well. Mix together, adding additional water until the mixture will stay together in a ball. (Keep in mind that you do not want it to be sticky.)

Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and pliable.

Let rest for 30-60 min. (The longer it sits the easier it will be to roll out)

Divide dough in half. Keep one half covered while you roll out the other one on a surface lightly coated with cornstarch (if you use flour it may toughen it up). Roll out as thin as you possibly can. (Melissa's note: I rolled my dough out to 21 inches by 7 inches.)

Cut into 3.5 inch squares (You should be able to get approx. 12 wonton wrappers out of each half).

For the Pizza Rolls:
1/2 cup prepared pizza sauce
48 slices of pepperoni
1/2 -3/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheese
wonton wrappers (recipe above)

Place approximately a teaspoon of pizza sauce, 2 slices of pepperoni and a pinch of cheese in the center of each wrapper and fold over, sealing the edge by pressing them together with the tines of a fork.

Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and spray the tops with canola cooking spray

Bake at 400 for 12-17 minutes, or until browned.

Belgian Waffles with Spiced Apples

2011-10-21T08:05:00.002-04:00

As you know, I love having breakfast for dinner. It's so quick and always delicious! This meal combines the flavors of fall with one of my favorite breakfast items--Belgian Waffles.

One of the tops things on my "want" list when we registered for wedding gifts was a Belgian Waffle maker. I was thrilled when I received it at a shower! Our waffle maker has been used many times. The waffle recipe I use makes 10 waffles, so I typically make a whole batch and freeze what Mike and I don't eat. It makes for a simple and delicious breakfast on busy mornings!

Since it's fall and I have an abundance of apples, I thought I would make some spiced apples to top our waffles. These spiced apples tasted so similar to the ones you can get at Cracker Barrel. My apples were sliced thinly so they would cook quickly, but you can slice yours thicker. The flavors went so well together and I think I have a new favorite breakfast!

And...you're getting lucky today, 2 recipes in 1 post!

Belgian Waffles (*Note: the waffle batter needs to stand for an hour before being used)

Makes 10 waffles

You will need:
1-1/2 cups water
2-1/4 teaspoons yeast (1 packet)
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, separated
1 egg white
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups milk
8 Tablespoons margarine, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup lukewarm (105-110 degrees) water, yeast and a pinch of sugar. Let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until the yeast begins to foam.

2. Add the egg yolks, 1 egg white, and the sugar to the yeast mixture. Stir until combined.

3. Mix in the remaining 3/4 cup water, milk, melted margarine, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Stir until the mixture is smooth.

4. Add flour and salt to liquid mixture and stir until smooth.

5. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the flour batter.

6. Let the batter stand for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

7. Preheat your waffle maker to the desired heat setting. (I have a Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Maker and I've found setting #4 is best).

8. Pour batter onto preheated waffle iron. (Follow any other instructions your waffle iron might have.)

9. Bake waffle until done, remove from waffle iron, and repeat until all the batter is used.

Serve with whipped cream, syrup, jam, powdered sugar, or fruit (see recipe below!)

Source: Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Maker Recipe Guide

Spiced Apples

You will need:

2 cups apple cider, divided
5 apples, peeled and sliced
2 Tablespoons margarine
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon apple pie spice**

1. Pour 1-1/2 cups of apple cider in a skillet.

2. Add apple slices and cook until tender.

3. Add margarine and heat until melted.

4. Mix remaining 1/2 cup of apple cider, cornstarch, sugar, and apple pie spice in a small bowl.

5. Pour into skillet and stir until thick.

6. Remove from heat and serve warm.

Tastes great served over waffles or pancakes!

Source: Add A Pinch

**If you don't have apple pie spice, you can make your own. Just combine: 1/4 cup cinnamon, 2 teaspoons nutmeg, 1 teaspoon allspice, and 1 teaspoon ginger. Store what you don't use in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Carrot Cake Bread

2011-10-19T07:26:00.002-04:00

Let's take a break from apple recipes for a day and focus on pumpkin instead! When I saw this recipe, I was imediately intrigued. I was surprised because I am not typically a fan of pumpkin. However, this recipe just seemed so perfect for fall and now that it's finally feeling like fall up here in Michigan, I thought pumpkin would be perfect!

This bread is very dense--probably more dense than you would expect from a fruit bread. The slightly sticky and dense texture reminded me of some meal replacement or protein bars I've had in the past. I think some diced apples or chocolate chips, or maybe even cinnamon chips, would be an excellent addition to this bread!

Pumpkin Carrot Cake Bread

Makes 1 loaf, about 10 slices

You will need:
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 15oz can pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons applesauce (I substituted applesauce for oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup mix-ins: chocolate chips, diced apples, walnuts, raisins etc.

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.

2. In a separate bowl, combine egg, pumpkin, sugar, applesauce, and vanilla.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined.

4. Fold in grated carrots and any other mix-ins.

5. Pour into a greased bread pan.

6. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Source: Faith, Fitness, Fun

Ma's Apple Crisp

2011-10-17T07:57:00.006-04:00

Have you ever had it that a recipe is requested and when you make the requested recipe, it's not what the person requesting it really wanted? Apple Crisp was that recipe for Mike and I! For me, an apple crisp has oatmeal in the topping, so I made him an apple crisp the way I knew how. He didn't want to eat it because it had oatmeal--that's not apple crisp he said! Now I was confused--what's apple crisp without the oatmeal? It all comes down to different families having different names for foods...in my family, we'd call this an Apple Crumble. But whatever you call it, Crisp or Crumble, it's good!

This is my mother-in-law's recipe. It's one of my husband's favorites. When we were picking apples, he requested that I make him "Ma's Apple Crisp" and an apple pie. I haven't gotten to the apple pie yet, but the apple crisp was right on top of my list of things to make! I hope you will enjoy it as much as Mike and I do!

Ma's Apple Crisp

Serves 12 (makes 1 9x13" pan)

You will need:
1- 3/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon tapioca
3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
10 medium apples (I only needed 4, since my apples were HUGE!)
1/2 cup margarine
2 cups Bisquick

1. Preheat oven to 400 and grease a 9x13" pan.

2. Peel apples and cut into thin slices.

3. In the greased 9x13 pan, combine apple slices, 3/4 cup sugar (more or less depending on the sweetness of your apples), tapioca, and cinnamon.

4. In a medium bowl, combine margarine, 1 cup sugar, and Bisquick. It will be really crumbly--don't worry, it's supposed to be that way!

5. Sprinkle Bisquick mixture over apple slices.

6. Bake for 30 minutes, until topping is golden brown.

Applesauce

2011-10-15T07:45:00.005-04:00

Mike and I went apple picking with some friends for the first time this fall. We came home with nearly 20 pounds of apples and plenty of ideas for how to use them! We picked Pioneer McIntosh apples to make into applesauce. This is a slightly firmer apple than a regular McIntosh, and it was recommended for applesauce.

I prefer my applesauce to be a little bit chunky, while Mike prefers his to be completely smooth. You can easily modify this recipe to meet your preference, just puree the cooked apples in a food processor after cooking to make them smooth.

This is the easiest recipe ever--seriously, just 1 ingredient! Can it get any more simple? Please note that I just shared the number of apples I used to give you an idea of how much applesauce it made. I really don't even consider this a recipe as you can use any amount of apples to make yours. Yesterday, I used 40 small McIntosh apples, and it made 22 cups of applesauce. This recipe is just meant as a guide!

The apples we picked were huge!

Applesauce

Makes 2 quarts

15 large apples (I used Pioneer McIntosh, you can use any combination of baking apples)

1. Peel and core apples.

2. Cut into bite size pieces and place into a large saucepan.

15 apples filled up my saucepan

3. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until apples are soft.

The apples cook down quite a bit though

4. Using a potato masher, mash apples down to your desired chunkiness. (If you prefer a smooth applesauce, let apples cool and then puree in a food processor or blender.)

5. Allow applesauce to cool before placing in storage containers. I used an old glass applesauce jar to store my applesauce in the fridge and then I put the rest into freezer containers. Applesauce keeps well in the freezer up to a year, just thaw in the fridge before serving.

Churros

2011-10-13T07:51:00.002-04:00

When I was in high school, every fall our youth group would go on a mission trip to Chicago. One of our traditions was to visit a Mexican store so we could enjoy foods we typically couldn't get up here. One of the foods I fell in love with is churros. If you've never enjoyed a churro before, you're certainly missing out!

A churro is basically a crispy fried donut, sprinkled with sugar. Some people dip theirs in a thick hot chocolate, while others fill their churros with chocolate, caramel, or fruit fillings. Me? I prefer to leave them plain and enjoy them in their fried deliciousness.

This is one of the recipes I made for our Fiesta party. They were a huge hit! In fact, I contributed the recipe to a recipe box for one of my friends who is getting married in May. Give them a try--I know you'll love them too!

As a side note--I'm working on making my blog more user-friendly...in the next few weeks look for an easier to navigate label area, better recipe categories, and a whole new blog look! If anything isn't working, or you have any suggestions, please let me know!

Churros

Makes 25

You will need:

1 cup water

2-1/2 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons canola oil

1 cup flour

Canola oil for frying

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. In a small saucepan, combine water, sugar, salt, and 2 T. oil. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

2. Stir in flour until the mixture forms a ball.

3. Remove dough from pan and allow it to cool so you can comfortably handle it.

4. Heat oil for frying in a deep fryer or deep skillet to 375 degrees.

5. Roll dough into 2 inch strips about 1/2 inch thick. Fry until golden brown, mine took about 4-5 minutes.*

6. Set on paper towels to drain.

7. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll drained churros in cinnamon sugar mixture.

*I worked in batches for steps 5-7. While a batch of churros was frying, I would roll the previously fried batch in the cinnamon sugar mixture. I find that it sticks better when the churros are still warm.

Chocolate Banana Bites

2011-10-11T08:00:00.003-04:00

These delicious and healthy-ish treats just couldn't be easier! Did you know that when you freeze bananas they take on a creamy texture? It's quite similar to ice-cream...In fact, one treat I enjoy is to freeze a banana and then put it in my blender to make a tasty soft-serve style treat! These treats also have that creamy texture, but with a crunch coating of chocolate and peanuts on the outside. They are a delicious bite-sized snack that satisfies my chocolate cravings while eating some fruit!

Chocolate Banana Bites

Makes 8 bites (recipe can easily be multiplied to create more!)

You will need:
1 banana
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (you could also try dark chocolate for added health benefits)
1 Tablespoon peanuts, chopped

1. Peel banana and cut into 8 pieces (more or less depending on the size of your banana).

2. Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and freeze until frozen through, about 1 hour.

3. Melt chocolate chips in a small bowl in your microwave. It took me about 1-1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.

4. Dip banana pieces into melted chocolate. Place on wax paper.

5. Sprinkle chocolate coated bites with chopped peanuts.

6. Return to freezer until chocolate is set. Store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-10-07T12:00:00.027-04:00

The search is on for the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe! Hosted by Tina at Mom's Crazy Cooking, bloggers from all over the country will be revealing their chosen chocolate chip cookie recipes today! I had a few recipes bookmarked that I knew I could use for this Crazy Cooking Challenge, but when Erin's recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies came through my Google Reader, I knew this was the one! (Be sure to check out Erin's Food Files, the recipes there will leave your mouth watering!)

One thing I forgot to mention about the Crazy Cooking Challenge last month, is that you can vote for your favorite recipe! It's simple, just click "like" under the picture of the post you like and in a week or so, the winner of the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie round will be announced! I'd love it if you voted for me *wink*!

Making these cookies was quite the adventure! I made the recipe two times. The first time I was ready to add the eggs and realized I only had one egg. I decided to just keep going and make the recipe anyway. The cookies were somewhat flat but had a delicious taste and were so chewy!

Flat, yet delicious cookies!

The second time I made the recipe, I had decided to make half a batch since I still had so many cookies from my first try. I mixed everything together and wondered why my dough was so crumbly. I re-read the instructions and I had done everything right...so I thought! I kept looking at my 1/2 cup measuring cup and my 1/3 cup measuring cup and wondering why the 1/3 cup was larger than the 1/2 cup. Upon closer inspection, I realized I had been using a 2/3 cup measuring cup so I had put in twice as much flour as necessary! It was easy enough to fix, I just added in more of the other ingredients to make a full batch, but I sure got a good laugh out of it! I suppose that's what I get for trying to make cookies in a hurry!

These cookies were absolutely delicious! I will be making them over and over again. I followed Erin's tip and froze half the dough in little balls for when a chocolate chip cookie craving strikes! Just note that these cookies require 24 hours of refrigeration before baking, but be patient...it's worth it!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 3-1/2 dozen cookies

You will need:
2-2/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.

2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, cream the butter until fluffy and pale yellow.

3. Add the sugar and brown sugar and continue beating until the mixture smooth and sugar is mostly dissolved.

4. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on low speed until blended.

5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed just until blended.

6. Add the chocolate chips and mix until blended.

7. Press plastic wrap onto the dough, and refrigerate 24 hours.

8. Once 24 hours have passed, using a cookie scoop, or greased hands, shape the dough into 1-inch balls, and place on ungreased cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.

9. Bake the cookies at 350 until golden brown around the edges, about 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool briefly on the pans on wire racks before transferring them to the racks to cool completely.

Coke Brownies

2011-10-05T07:27:00.003-04:00

These are, by far, the easiest brownies I have ever made! They require just 2 ingredients...that's right 2! And no, one of those ingredients is not black beans! (I'm too weirded out by that idea right now, though I do plan to try that in the future). The recipe is just a boxed brownie mix and a can of diet Coke!

It's simple to make these brownies and they end up very moist and cake-like. I'll admit, I ate the entire pan by myself since Mike doesn't care for cake! (The pan did last just over a week though!) The flavor of these brownies is a little different that making traditional brownies, I attributed it to the aftertaste of the diet Coke. I'd like to make these again with regular coke and see if that makes a difference. However, these were delicious and low calorie/fat enough that I didn't feel guilty go back for another piece...and another...and another!

Coke Brownies

Makes 1 9x13" pan, about 18 servings (depending on how you cut them)

You will need:

1 boxed brownie mix

1 can Diet Coke

1. In a medium bowl, combine the brownie mix and diet Coke.

2. Pour into a greased 9x13" pan.

3. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes, until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. My brownies took longer than the box said, so adjust the time as needed.

With the box of brownie mix that I used, these brownies had just 110 calories per serving!

Jalapeno Poppers

2011-10-03T07:48:00.004-04:00

When my friend mentioned that she had an abundance of jalapeno peppers in her garden that she'd love to share, I jumped at the opportunity. A couple years ago at a work party, we had some delicious jalapeno poppers. They were so good that Mike still talks about them! Unfortunately for Mike, these weren't the same type of poppers he was thinking about (his were meat filled...don't worry, he still got them!). However, we both thought these were delicious!

Jalapeno Poppers

Makes 24

You will need:
12 jalapeno peppers
1/2 cup Savory Garlic Cooking Cream (you can also use plain cream cheese)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
12 slices of bacon
Barbecue sauce

1. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and cheddar cheese until smooth. Set aside.

2. Put on a pair of rubber gloves and cut jalapeno peppers in half length-wise. Use a spoon (I used a grapefruit spoon) to scrape out the white membrane and seeds. Discard membrane and seeds. Note: The heat from the jalapenos comes from the white membrane and seeds, the more you leave in, the hotter your poppers will be.

3. Spoon cheese mixture into the cavity of each jalapeno half.

4. Cut each slice of bacon in half, and wrap securely around each jalapeno half securing with a toothpick. Place on a greased baking sheet.

5. Brush each popper with a bit of barbecue sauce.

6. Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes, until bacon is crispy.

One Bag Event

2011-09-30T08:00:00.039-04:00

We did it! We hosted a fiesta for our couples' group from church and generated less than half a bag of trash!

As I prepared for the party, I kept in mind that the goal was to create a minimal amount of trash. With that in mind, I planned a menu with fresh items that could be composted and other items bought in bulk. Here's what we ate:

Tacos with fresh toppings, stuffed jalapenos, tortilla chips and salsa, churros, and un-fried fried ice-cream (not pictured)!

And you can't go Mexican without imported Mexican beer (in recyclable bottles) and Margaritas (in reusable glasses)! We also used real dishes and silverware.

Side note: I do apologize for the quality of the pictures, I was in a hurry as our guests were arriving! I didn't think to take pictures of us enjoying the food either, I was too busy eating!

I was able to compost the seeds and some stems from the jalapeno peppers, the stems from the tomatoes, and the unedible parts of the lettuce. I recycled the box from the ice-cream and bag from the flour. The only things I had to throw away were the styrofoam containers from the ground beef and a few other small items.

Of course you can't have a fiesta without a pinata! Don't worry, the pinata was made out of cardboard so I was able to recycle it as well!

I would say our party was a huge success!

We've learned a lot from this past month's adventure. How have you put what you've learned the past few weeks into practice with your family?

As part of the Glad Brand Ambassador Program through Foodbuzz, I received Glad products, a trash can/recycling bin, a composting bin, and a stipend to cover my expenses. Even though I was compensated for these posts, the opinions contained in the post are all my own.

S'mores Popcorn

2011-09-28T07:23:00.005-04:00

One of my absolute snacks is s'mores. There's something so irresistible about the golden brown marshmallow melting a piece of chocolate on a graham cracker. However, I'm not always around a campfire to roast marshmallows, so I have to turn to other ways to enjoy s'mores.

Another one of my favorite snacks is popcorn. When I was growing up, Friday nights were always popcorn nights at our house. My dad would pop a huge bowl of popcorn, pour melted butter over it, and sprinkle it with salt. Then we'd settle down to watch a movie and munch on popcorn.

I decided to combine two of my favorite snacks into one: S'mores Popcorn. I found it absolutely delicious and irresistible and I hope you will too!

S'mores Popcorn

Makes 10-12 servings

You will need:

6 quarts popped popcorn (3/4 cup kernels)
3 cups brown sugar
1 cup water
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup margarine
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons vanilla
12 graham crackers
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup chocolate chips

1. In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, water, corn syrup, margarine, and salt. Stir constantly until brown sugar dissolves.

2. Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature, and boil the sugar mixture until it reaches 270 degrees. Stir occasionally.

3. While sugar mixture is boiling, break 12 graham crackers into bite-sized pieces. Put in a large bowl with the popcorn and marshmallows.

4. When sugar mixture has reached 270 degrees, stir in vanilla.

5. Pour over popcorn, graham crackers, and marshmallows. Stir until everything is coated in the caramel.

6. Pour caramel covered popcorn mixture onto cookie sheets lined with wax paper. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

7. Allow caramel to harden and then break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Bread

2011-09-26T07:00:00.012-04:00

There's nothing better than a thick slice of fresh bread, still warm from the oven. Pair it with a cup of hot chocolate or tea, and you have the makings of a delicious snack!

It's time again to reveal our posts for September's Secret Recipe Club. This month, I was assigned to Wendy's blog, The Weekend Gourmet. As I browsed through her collection of delicious looking recipes, I made a list of all the ones that looked good to me. Then came the tough part--choosing one of those recipes to make and feature this month. Since strawberries are one of my favorites fruits, I was drawn to her recipe for Strawberry Cream Cheese Quick Bread.

What a scrumptious loaf of bread! I loved the added layer of strawberry cream cheese, that's really what put this loaf of bread over the top. I chose not to make the Strawberry Whipped Butter as I prefer my bread without butter (this goes for all bread--I know, I'm strange!) I'm sure the butter would make this bread delicious too. I think this bread would be delicious with other berries as well--maybe I'll try blueberries next?

Strawberry Cream Cheese Quick Bread

Makes 1 loaf, about 12 servings

You will need:
For the Cream Cheese Layer:
6 ounces cream cheese
2 Tablespoons strawberry jam
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar

For the bread:
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped strawberries

1. Make the cream cheese layer by mixing the cream cheese, strawberry jam, egg and sugar in a medium bowl. Put the mixture in the fridge while you make the bread batter.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, eggs, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla.

3. Add milk, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to the wet mixture and mix well.

4. Carefully fold in the chopped strawberries.

5. Pour half the batter into a greased 9x5 loaf pan.

6. Pour the cream cheese mixture down the center. (My mixture ended up quite runny and when I did this step, it looked like a mess. It still turned out great!)

7. Top with remaining batter and smooth if necessary.

8. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

9. Remove bread from oven and let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a wire rack to continue cooling. Be patient--the bread will crumble apart if you cut into it too soon!

Source: The Weekend Gourmet

Dumpster Diving

2011-09-24T14:22:00.000-04:00

Let's continue our discussion about reducing waste! Have you started to apply anything you've learned to your own life?

Egg Muffins

2011-09-22T07:34:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite breakfasts (or dinners) is omelets. I love the combination of eggs, cheese, bacon or ham, and sometimes vegetables. Omelets are great because they're so versatile, you really can fill them with whatever your heart desires. Plus, it's a perfect protein-packed meal.

I decided to make "mini-omelets"...actually more like egg muffins, as I decided to call them. These are the perfect size for a quick snack or breakfast, or grab a few for a satisfying dinner. I made a dozen one night and froze them for quick breakfasts. I did make some with just egg whites, and some with the whole egg--either way, they're delicious!

Egg Muffins

Makes 12

6 eggs
3 Tablespoons milk
3 large potatoes
4 slices bacon
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus extra for topping

1. Beat eggs and milk together in a medium bowl.

2. Shred potatoes into the bowl with the eggs.

3. Fry bacon until crisp and then crumble into egg mixture.

4. Stir in cheese.

5. Pour into greased muffin tins.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until eggs are set.

7. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Serve warm.

Carrot Bran Muffins

2011-09-19T07:55:00.004-04:00

I think bran muffins get a bad rap. They're considered healthy, bland, tasteless, and dry. Let me tell you, the only one of those adjectives that describes this bran muffin is healthy. My mother-in-law makes delicious bran muffins, they're enormous and super-moist. I asked her for her recipe and then tweaked it a bit to reduce the amount of fat and add in some extras, like the carrots and raisins. I was very pleased with the result, a delicious and moist bran muffin, full of good things. These muffins make a satisfying breakfast or healthy snack.

Carrot Bran Muffins

Makes 36 muffins. (I like to freeze mine and thaw them in the microwave when I want a quick breakfast.)

3 cups bran flakes, crushed
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (you can use sweetened, just decrease the amount of sugar)
1 cup boiling water
2 eggs
2-1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
2 carrots, grated
1 cup raisins

1. Mix together crushed bran flakes, shortening, applesauce, and water. (Be sure to crush your flakes, I learned this the hard way once and ended up with inedible muffins!) Let it sit for about 10 minutes to allow bran flakes to get soggy.

2. Stir in sugar and eggs.

3. Mix in flour soda, salt, and buttermilk.

4. Carefully stir in grated carrots and raisins, being careful not to over mix your muffins. If muffins are over-mixed, you'll end up with peaks...I grew up with muffins like this, we called them mountains and thought they were the greatest things! So, if you want to, go ahead and over-mix! :)

5. Scoop muffin batter into greased muffin tins, filling each cup 2/3 full.

6. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until done.

Homemade Vanilla

2011-09-16T11:47:00.006-04:00

Are you looking for a fun homemade Christmas present? Or maybe you're just looking to save some money in the kitchen. I have a fun solution for you--homemade vanilla! As a baker, I would be thrilled to receive a bottle of homemade vanilla from a friend. It would be even more special knowing that they made something for me! Plus, making your own vanilla can add up to significant savings. Take a look at these numbers:

One 8oz bottle of good quality pure vanilla extract costs about $14.99!!

Whereas,

One 1.75L (about 60 ounces) of Vodka cost me $11.97 and 40 Vanilla Beans cost me $9.99. I spent a grand total of $21.96 to make 60 ounces of homemade vanilla. The cost for 8 ounces works out to be about $2.93! So very much cheaper than buying it!

If you start soon, you'll have just enough time to whip up a fabulous homemade Christmas gift. Vanilla takes about 3 months to reach it's full strength (some people give a shorter period of time, some longer). Just follow my easy step-by-step directions and you'll be on your way to homemade vanilla in no time!

1. Gather your ingredients. One 1.75L bottle of vodka, 40 vanilla beans, and a glass jar big enough to fit it all (I used an empty pickle jar). You don't want to use the cheapest vodka, nor the most expensive. Go somewhere in the middle. I used Madagascar Vanilla Beans.

2. Cut your vanilla beans in half down the middle. I cut mine almost all the way apart, leaving about 1 inch at the top of the bean still intact.

See those beautiful seeds? That's where the amazing flavor comes from!

3. Put the sliced vanilla beans into a large glass jar.

4. Pour vodka over vanilla beans.

5. Seal the jar and give it a good shake. Put it in a cool dark place (I put mine in the back of my pantry) and shake it every few days. I noticed after 2 days that the vodka had already taken on a dark brown color and there were millions of tiny vanilla seeds floating around.

After 3 months, you'll end up with your own homemade vanilla extract.

6. Remove the vanilla beans from the jar. You can choose to drain the extract, using a coffee filter or paper towel, to strain out the seeds, or you can leave the seeds in the extract. Pour the vanilla into small jars and store or distribute to your friends.

See, I told you it was easy! I'm looking forward to giving this gift to my friends and family at Christmas. I think I'll buy some small amber bottles and make my own labels.

The 3 R's

2011-09-15T13:35:00.003-04:00

We all learned them in elementary school...Reading, wRiting, and 'Rithmetic, right? Well how about the other 3 very important R's? Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Today we'll talk about those 3. When I was in school, we focused on the latter group of 3 R's around Earth Day, in March. However, that was only one day a year, and unfortunately the lessons weren't always put into action.

Do you know how easy it really is to Reduce the waste you make, Reuse products (to reduce waste), and Recycle? It won't add a lot of work into your busy schedule and there are so many products out there to make it easy for us to help our environment. For instance, check out this trash can I received from the Foodbuzz Tastemakers program! From the outside, it may look like a regular trash can, but on the inside, it's so much more.

Outside

Inside

This trash can is split down the middle, one half is for recyclable items and the other half is for waste products. It makes it so simple to put things in the recycle bin rather than taking the easy way out and throwing it away! Plus, this bin is super neat because it has a motion sensor so I can throw things away without making a mess.

Another way I reduce the waste we generate is to reuse products like Cool Whip and Margarine containers. Instead of recycling them (or worse...throwing them away!), I wash the empty containers out and use them for other foods. They are great for packing food in Mike's lunch, storing leftovers, and freezing items. I also reuse plastic Ziploc bags, they typically don't get ruined after one use so we'll wash them out, let them dry, and use them again.

Something new to me is composting. Growing up, my grandparents always had a compost bin. They had two containers under the sink, one for trash and the other for compost. They had a compost bin behind their house that they used for their garden. Now that I have my own garden, I'm trying to keep it organic, and using compost is a great way to achieve that. I got a great compost bin from Foodbuzz, and I keep it under my sink. It's actually sold by Gaiam and I love it because it has a filter to prevent the items from making my kitchen stink.

I put all my peels, leftovers from fresh fruits and veggies, and crushed egg shells in my bin. Basically, you can compost anything that comes from the ground, but no meats or anything covered in fat. Then I take it outside and add it to my large compost bin. I learned that it's important to add some "brown" material to the "green" matter. That is, you should mix in some leaves or grass clippings (browns) with the fresh items (greens) that you are adding to your compost. I'll mix it up once a week or so and come next spring, I'll have a great fertilizer for my garden!

What about you? What ways do you reduce your amount of waste? What do you reuse? Do you compost?

Peach Buckle

2011-09-14T07:40:00.003-04:00

I think some of the neatest things that can be passed on from generation to generation are recipes. When Mike's grandpa passed away a couple years ago, we helped to clean out his condo. His parents allowed us to take some things that we wanted. Mike chose a few items that had sentimental meaning to him, and I chose some cookbooks. I was recently looking for a recipe using peaches and I decided to look in a cookbook from his grandpa.

This cookbook was printed in 1963 and belongs to Mike's grandmother. As I flipped through the pages, several handwritten recipe cards fell out. I tucked them away to make someday, knowing they were special recipes.

The pages of the cookbook are yellowed and worn. Some pages have food stains and tears on them--a sign of a well used cookbook! I can just picture Mike's grandma flipping through the pages as she decided what to make for her husband after a day of working on the farm. What about you? Do you have any cookbooks or recipes that have been passed down through your family?

Peach Buckle

Serves 9

6 peaches, peeled and diced
3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup margarine
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Sprinkle peaches with 1/4 cup sugar (use more or less depending on how sweet your peaches are). Let them sit for about an hour until a sugary syrup forms. Drain and reserve syrup.

2. Cream together margarine and 1/2 cup sugar.

3. Mix in eggs.

4. Stir in baking powder, salt, and 1 cup flour. Mix until just combined.

5. Spread batter in a greased 9x9 pan.

6. Top batter with peaches.

7. Combine 2 Tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and reserved syrup. Pour over peaches.

8. Sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

9. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

Chicken Parmesan

2011-09-12T08:09:00.003-04:00

I remember the first time I had chicken parmesan; I was at a restaurant and ordered it, thinking it was something completely different. So when my meal came, I was expecting something completely different that what was placed in front of me. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I had a delicious meal! I loved the crispy coating of the chicken and the tangy tomato sauce. When I saw this recipe in my new cookbook, I knew I would be making it. I'm glad I did, it was just as good (okay--maybe better!) than the restaurant version!

Chicken Parmesan

Serves 3

1-1/2 cups panko
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup flour
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 egg whites
1 Tablespoon water
6 boneless skinless chicken tenders (or 3 chicken breasts)
salt and pepper
2 cups tomato sauce, warmed
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1. Combine panko and oil in a small skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring often, until golden (about 10-12 minutes).

2. Transfer crumbs to a shallow dish and let cool. Stir in Parmesan.

3. In a second shallow dish, combine flour and garlic powder.

4. In a third shallow dish, whisk the egg whites and water together.

5. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

6. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, first dredge in flour and shake to remove any excess flour.

7. Coat the floured chicken with egg white and let the excess drip back into the dish. I used tongs so my hands wouldn't get sticky.

8. Finally, coat the chicken with the toasted bread crumbs, pressing firmly on the bread crumbs to make sure they stick to the chicken.

9. Lay the chicken on a baking sheet and repeat coating steps until all the chicken is prepared.

10. Bake at 475 degrees 10-12 minutes, until chicken registers 150-160 degrees on a meat thermometer.

11. Top each piece of chicken with tomato sauce and shredded mozzarella. Return to oven and continue to bake until cheese has melted and the chicken reaches 160-165 degrees (about 3-5 more minutes).

12. Sprinkle with the basil and serve.

Per serving (1 chicken breast): 330 calories, 10g fat (3g saturated), 80mg cholesterol, 20 g carbohydrates, 38g protein, 2g fiber, 750mg sodium

Source: The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Preparing for a Party

2011-09-09T15:29:00.077-04:00

As a member of the Foodbuzz Tastemakers community, I have been chosen to take part in The GLAD Products Company's challenge to reduce landfill waste. Each week through-out September, I'll be sharing with you what I've learned as I take part in this challenge. Along the way we'll talk about what I've learned after speaking with a Waste Management Expert, how the goal of creating less waste affected how I prepared for a party, how to incorporate my learnings into your everyday life, and how successful my one bag party was.

One of the goals of this challenge is to host a One Bag party and only create one bag of landfill-bound waste. I'll be sharing my preparations with you and I really hope that you can use some of what you learn to reduce the waste your family generates.

Earlier this week I had an opportunity to speak with Keiko, a Waste Management Expert. She offered a lot of insight into how to plan a party while reducing waste and then how to incorporate that into everyday living. A lot of what we talked about really makes sense, some of it was basic common sense while other topics were newer to me. Here are some ways you can prepare for a party while keeping the amount of waste created minimal. You can incorporate these ideas into your everyday life too, not just party planning!

*As you prepare for a party, you probably send out invitations. Typically these are in some form of postcard or a cute little card sent in the mail. However, this also creates mail waste. After receiving their invitation, people often throw both the postcard, or card and envelope in the trash. (Though hopefully they do choose to recycle instead!) One way to reduce waste before your party even starts is to send e-invites. There are many websites that allow you to send e-cards, you can send a quick email, or even create a Facebook event (which I did).

Source

*Remember to ask for RSVPs from your guests. This will also help decrease waste as you won't prepare for 50 people at your party and only have 30 show up.

*When you go shopping to buy items for your event, keep in mind that you want to reduce waste:

-Look for items that have minimal packaging. How much of the package can be recycled instead of thrown away? Avoid products that have excessive packaging such as a styrofoam interior wrapped in a plastic bag and then in a box.

-Buy produce. This is especially good if you can purchase from your farmer's market! Produce=no waste!

Source

-Buy items in bulk. You create less waste with one large bag of potato chips versus three smaller ones.

-Avoid individual servings. Try a punch bowl or even 2 Liters of pop instead of juice pouches or pop cans.

-Use real dishes and silverware instead of paper plates and plastic utensils. If you don't have enough place settings, look into renting (it's relatively cheap and some places will even wash the dishes for you!), borrowing, or buying items at a thrift shop.

Source

*Try not to buy decorations. Instead, re-use items you already have, borrow from a friend, or make something from items you already have on hand. If you do buy something, try to find decorations you can reuse.

I'm looking forward to incorporating these ideas into my One Bag party as well as future parties I host. Do you have any more suggestions for how to reduce waste at a party?

Grape Salad

2011-09-09T07:16:00.003-04:00

This recipe is a family favorite. I requested that we have it at my high school graduation open house and it was a huge hit. I recently made it for a cookout with some friends and I was told it was a "very good choice"! This salad is really simple to put together and tastes delicious. I love that it makes so much, so this is a great dish for your next potluck or cookout!

Grape Salad

Serves 10-12

4 pounds red grapes, washed
8 ounces sour cream*
8 ounces cream cheese*
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar, plus extra for topping
1 cup crushed pecans (optional)

1. In a mixing bowl, mix together sour cream, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and brown sugar until well blended.

2. Pour over grapes and stir until grapes are completely covered.

3. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans (if desired) before serving.

*I often substitute low/no-fat sour cream or Neufchatel cheese.

Beer and Bacon Mac and Cheese

2011-09-07T15:00:00.020-04:00

I recently got an email from Tina, from Mom's Crazy Cooking, inviting me to join her in a new cooking challenge. Each month a group of bloggers will scour Blog Land for a specific food item and then blog about it on the same day. We get to expand our recipe collection, feature a blogger, and possibly find our new favorite blog and have fun doing it! September's challenge sent us in search of the Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese.

More often than not, when I ask Mike what he wants for dinner, he'll reply "Mac and Cheese". Simple enough, but I tire quickly of that lovely blue boxed meal he seems to love so much.

I knew exactly which recipe I was going to make! Jessica, the beautiful genius behind How Sweet It Is, featured a mouthwatering recipe for Beer Mac and Cheese in August. When I saw it, I bookmarked it, knowing I'd have to make it soon. So it worked perfectly that this month's challenge was to feature a Macaroni and Cheese recipe. While Jessica's original recipe didn't include bacon, she did suggest that the only thing that would make this recipe better was bacon. That was the only hint I needed to add bacon! The beer flavor really shined through this recipe (great for beer lovers), so this recipe got 2 thumbs up from Mike and our brother-in-law!

Beer and Bacon Mac and Cheese

Serves 4-6

You will need:
2 1/2 cups uncooked whole wheat elbow noodles
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
8 ounces milk
8 ounces beer
8 ounces freshly grated cheddar cheese
4 ounces freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
pinch of black pepper
pinch of nutmeg
8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
10 large basil leaves, chopped for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare water for pasta and boil according to directions, shaving 1-2 minutes off of cooking time since pasta will continue to cook in the oven.

Heat a saucepan over medium high heat and add butter. Once melted and sizzling, whisk in flour to create a roux and cook until bubbly and golden in color, about 2 minutes.

Add milk and beer into saucepan whisking constantly, then add cheeses and stir until melted. Turn heat down to medium and continue to stir, cooking for 5-6 minutes while mixture thickens. It will most likely NOT thicken like regular mac and cheese because of the beer, but you want it to thicken a little bit.

Stir in pepper, paprika and nutmeg.

Add noodles (once cooked and drained) to a casserole dish, then pour cheese over top and add in bacon, mixing gently to combine. Top with panko bread crumbs and an additional sprinkle of cheese if desired. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then top with fresh basil.

Source: How Sweet It Is

Cucumber Tomato Salad with Italian Dressing

2011-09-05T07:29:00.010-04:00

Happy Labor Day! I hope you are enjoying a day off and spending time with your loved ones! If you're looking for an easy side dish to bring to a cookout today, this fresh salad certainly fits the bill!

I've had the opportunity to go to Romania 4 times for summer mission trips. Each time I went, I was served a delicious cucumber and tomato salad. The idea is so simple and tasty, yet I had never had it at home! When I got home I started making this salad and it soon became a staple at our summer meals. Typically I use a store-bought Italian dressing and drizzle it over the cucumbers and tomatoes but since I'm working with olive oil for these recipes, I decided to make a homemade Italian dressing to top this fresh summer salad.

Cucumber Tomato Salad with Italian Dressing

Serves 6, with some Italian Dressing left over

You will need:

1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon water
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon parsley
1/2 Tablespoon salt
1 cucumber, diced
4 tomatoes, diced

1. In a pint mason jar, combine vinegar, EVOO, water and spices. Shake vigorously until well combined.

2. Pour Italian dressing over diced cucumbers and tomatoes and refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

Refrigerate any remaining dressing.

Mixing the Italian dressing in a canning jar provides easy storage for any leftovers!

Disclosure – As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received Crisco Olive Oils to try with my family and write about it. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Grilled Flatbread

2011-09-02T07:21:00.008-04:00

On Wednesday I posted a recipe for Herbed Dipping Oil and I promised that I would be sharing a recipe for the flatbread I made to dip in the oil. I used my basic pizza dough to make the flatbreads. Then I drizzled them with olive oil and sprinkled garlic salt on top. I think I could live off of the flatbread--there are so many possibilities for it. You can cut it up and dip it in Herbed Dipping Oil like I did, cut it in half and make a sandwich out of it, or roll it up and make a wrap. Any way you eat it, it's guaranteed to be delicious!

Grilled Flatbread

Makes 4 large flatbreads

2-1/4 teaspoons yeast
1-3/8 cups water, 110 degrees
4 Tablespoons light olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups flour
2 Tablespoons garlic salt

1. Sprinkle yeast into a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) and pour water over it. Allow it to sit for at least 5 minutes, until yeast begins to bubble.

2. Stir in 3 Tablespoons light olive oil, salt, and flour and mix until a dough forms.

3. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes by hand. You can also use your stand mixer, it will take about 6 minutes.

4. Form the dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled, about 1.5 to 2 hours.*

5. Deflate dough by punching down and knead for about 5 minutes. Allow the dough to rest before dividing it into 4 pieces.

6. Place the dough on a floured surface and form the flatbread. Remember that you're grilling the flatbread, so you don't wait it to be so thin it will burn right away or so large that you can't easily move it.

7. Drizzle light olive oil over each flatbread and sprinkle with garlic salt.

8. Place on heated grill (about 350 degrees), greased with Pure Olive Oil, and grill for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Detailed instructions can be found here. If you prefer not to grill, you could also bake the flatbread in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

9. Remove from grill and cut into bite-sized pieces with a pizza cutter. Serve warm, with Herbed Dipping Oil.

*I would like to note here that after the dough has risen I'll often put it in a ziploc bag and store it in the fridge for a few days (up to a month) before using it. Mike and I both think the flavor is much better after the dough sits for a while.

Crisco Olive Oil--Herbed Dipping Oil

2011-08-31T07:35:00.010-04:00

EVOO--that's how Rachel Ray refers to Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Ever since I became a fan of her show that's how I think of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. People who don't know Rachel Ray might look at you like you're crazy when you talk about EVOO, but that's okay we're all crazy in our own way, right?

I've had a couple posts from the Foodbuzz Tastemakers program lately and I hope you're enjoying them. One thing I really like about this program is it offers me a chance to try a new product or showcase a more common one in order to share the products with you! The products I have tried are all high-quality and ones I feel good about sharing. The Crisco Olive Oils I received were no exception.

I received 3 bottles of Crisco Olive Oil: Extra Virgin, Pure, and Light.

I was asked to come up with recipes that incorporate the three types of Olive Oils. So over the next few days I'll be sharing the recipes that I made:

Flatbread, with Herbed Dipping Oil:

Cucumber Tomato Salad with Italian Dressing:

And, pizza dough (recipe here, I just used Crisco Light Olive Oil):

Today, let's talk about this dipping oil. When I was in Romania, crusty bread and dipping oil were one of the main meal starters for a Sunday dinner. I loved the flavors infused in the oil and how it enhanced the bread!

Herbed Dipping Oil

Serves 6

You will need:
1/2 cup Crisco Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
Parmesan cheese
Crusty bread or flatbread for dipping (I'll be posting my flatbread recipe next!)

1. In small frying pan over medium heat, saute minced garlic in EVOO until the garlic is soft but not brown. It took me about 3 minutes.

2. Allow oil to cool and pour into a pint sized jar (use a funnel if needed).

3. Add vinegar, salt, black pepper, and rosemary to oil.

4. Shake vigorously to mix the ingredients.

5. To serve, pour the oil into a shallow bowl or plate and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Dip crusty bread or flatbread into oil and enjoy!

Blueberry Muffins--SRC Reveal

2011-08-29T07:00:00.016-04:00

It's time again to reveal my assigned blog for the Secret Recipe Club. This month, I was assigned to Chelsy's blog, Mangia. Let me tell you, this girl can cook! She comes from an Italian food-loving family and her passion for food is definitely apparent in her blog.

I had a hard time choosing which recipe to make, in fact I have a few bookmarked to make at some point. When I saw these delicious looking blueberry muffins, I knew this was the recipe for me. I love blueberries and July and August are prime time for blueberries in West Michigan. I had the opportunity to pick berries this year so I was excited to use blueberries that I hand-picked!

Do you notice a trend here? I love muffins so much that I choose a muffin recipe last month and again today!

Blueberry Muffins

Makes 24 muffins (or 12 muffins and 1 loaf of bread, or 2 loaves of bread)

You will need:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup olive oil
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 cups blueberries

For the topping:
1/3 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 Tablespoons butter

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, place the flour, brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and mix until just incorporated.

2. In a large bowl, beat together the vanilla, olive oil, egg, buttermilk, and yogurt using a whisk.

3. Add the wet mixture into the dry mixture, and combine until fully incorporated.

4. Fold in the blueberries.

5. Pour the blueberry batter into a greased muffin pan.

6. In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the crumble topping using a fork.

7. Top each of the muffins with the crumble mixture.

8. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean.

*I made 12 muffins and 1 loaf of bread. I baked the bread at 400 for 45 minutes.

Birds Eye Viola!

2011-08-27T07:57:00.012-04:00

In my last post, I told you about a new Birds Eye product that makes it quick and easy to put veggies on the table. Today, I'd like to share a new product with you that puts an entire meal on the table in a matter of minutes.

Birds Eye Viola! really lives up to its name. Everything you need for a delicious and filling meal, all in one bag.

Just follow the simple directions: heat the contents of the bag with some water and Viola! Dinner is served!

I was really impressed with this meal! It literally took less than 10 minutes from freezer to plate. The bag says it contains about 3 servings, and I think that was pretty accurate. The vegetables tasted fresh from the garden and the chicken was juicy and well sized. The noodles cooked up perfectly (I'm always hesitant about mushy noodles) and the sauce was perfect. This is definitely a meal I feel good about serving!

And now you can too! Birds Eye has generously provided me with coupons for buy one get one free Viola! (My local grocery store sells bags of Viola! for $4-$5 a bag, and BOGO makes this a great deal!) If you're interested in trying this new product, please leave me a comment with your email address so I can contact you for your mailing address and get you your coupon!

Disclosure – As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received Birds Eye Viola! to try with my family and write about it. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.