yum.

Gingersnap Cupcakes

2011-10-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

Gingersnaps remind me of my Daddy. From as far back as I can remember, we always had a stash of gingersnap cookies in the cupboard. I remember those cute little cookies in the brown paper bag. They were Dad's cookies. Luckily, we had the kind of Daddy who often shared his cookies! This recipe actually uses ground gingersnaps in the batter. We loved these cupcakes (with the exception of my husband who is not a gingersnap fan, boo!). They taste like fall. I made these for a "Girl's night in"/birthday party. I'm planning on making these again for my Daddy at Thanksgiving!

Gingersnap Cupcakes
Source: Picky Palate

1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 T. molasses

1/2 c. gingersnaps, finely ground
1 t. cinnamon
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 c. flour
1/2 t. salt

1/2 c.
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare muffin pan. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs an molasses. Beat until combined. Set aside. Combine dry ingredients and whisk together. Combine milk and vanilla in cup together.

Alternate adding and stirring 1/2 of the dry ingredients into butter mixture, then half of the wet ingredients. Repeat.
Bake for 18-22 minutes or until center of cupcake springs back when gently pressed. Frost cooled cupcakes.

Frosting:
1/2 c. softened butter
1/4 c. milk *I used caramel coffee creamer
2 1/2c. confectioner's sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 t. cinnamon

Combine frosting ingredients in bowl and beat until fluffy. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

Flourless Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-10-05T17:00:00.000-07:00

I am in love with these little cookies! They are a cross between a meringue, a brownie and a cookie! They have no flour, but they also have no butter! But, don't kid yourself. These are decadent and amazing.

*yes, I desperately need new cookie sheets :)

Flourless Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Chocolate and Carrots

3 c. powdered sugar
2/3 c. cocoa powder
1/8 t. salt
2-4 egg whites
1 T. vanilla
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheets with non stick spray. Combine dry ingredients and whisk together. Start by mixing in 2 egg whites, you may need to add up to 2 more. When dough is the consistency of a thick, fudgey brownie batter, add vanilla and chocolate chips. The dough will be gooey, not like traditional cookie dough. Drop by tablespoons onto cookie sheet and bake for 12-14 min. or until tops are shiny and cracked. Cool completely before removing from the pan (or it will be more difficult).

Almond Yardstick

2011-10-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

Words could never express how delicious this recipe is! I got this recipe from my VERY talented friend, Dorene. She has a fabulous cooking blog called, KrausnicKitchen. Make sure to check it out. She has impeccable taste and I've never had food prepared by her that was less than amazing!
I'm not sure why this recipe is called a yardstick. It is kind of long and thin, but who knows. In any event, it is soooo good. Try it!

Almond Yardstick

Yardstick Ingredients:
4 ½ c flour
1 package dry active yeast
½ c warm H2O

1 1/2 c. margarine softened
2 eggs beaten

Filling Ingredients:

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. margarine

1 T. almond extract

1 T. water

White Butter Frosting Ingredients:
1/8 c. margarine

2 ½ c powdered sugar
1 T milk

1 t vanilla

Directions:
Mix flour and margarine (use pastry cutter). Dissolve yeast in warm water. Beat 2 eggs in a small bowl and add the yeast mixture. Next, add yeast/egg mixture to flour mixture, mix well. Divide dough into four equal parts. Set aside. Mix Filling: mix sugar, margarine, almond extract, and water. Mix well. Mix Frosting – combine ingredients until right consistency.

Grease cookie sheets. A jelly roll pan with 1" sides works well for this. Section dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each part out in a rectangular/oval. Roll the length of the cookie sheet and about 6" wide. Fold over the edges all the way around, about 1/2" to create a crust. Spread each with 1/4 of the filling. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Cool, cut into 1" strips and frost.

Sunflower Pesto

2011-08-03T17:02:00.000-07:00

I love pesto! So does Joe! So do the kids! It is so versatile. You can use it in place of marinara on a pizza. You can toss pasta in it. You can stuff chicken breasts with pesto and cheese. You can make little fancy appetizers with a baguette, cheese and cherry tomatoes. Catch my drift? It's just good to have around. The recipe itself is also versatile. The traditional recipe calls for pine nuts, but walnuts and even sunflower seeds (like this recipe) work well. The original recipe also calls for Parmesan. You could certainly substitute Romano, or for you health conscious folks, skip the cheese altogether. For you dorky, yet health conscious people, you can use nutritional yeast in place of the cheese. This not only makes your pesto vegan, but adds protein, vitamins and a delightfully cheesy taste.
I love to make the pesto and freeze it in an ice cube tray. Which, really brought back some memories from my baby food making days! This way, you have the pesto frozen into small quantities that are ready to use. I usually add a little fresh lemon juice to my pesto once it has defrosted to freshen it up.

Pesto

2/3 c. sunflower seeds (pine nuts or walnuts)
5 c. loosely packed basil leaves
1 1/4 c. Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. nutritional yeast (parmesan or romano)
8 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
Pulse nuts or seeds in blender or food processor. Add remaining ingredients and pulse. Store in fridge or freezer...or use right away! Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice before using.

Curried Carrot Soup

2011-07-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

This soup doesn't make sense. I don't know why it is so good! It's basically just carrots and broth pureed together, but something about this particular combination is magic. This soup is delicious and very healthy! Tip: Don't go crazy trying to chop your onions and carrots uniformly as they will just get pureed in the end.

Curried Carrot Soup
Source: Every Day Food's Great Food Fast
2 T. butter
1 c. chopped onion
1 t. curry powder
2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 cans (or 29 oz total) chicken broth (or vegetable)
2 lbs. carrots, peeled and chopped into 1" chunks
1-2 T. fresh lemon juice
optional garnish- chopped cilantro (I used a little basmati rice)

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, curry powder, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add broth, carrots and 3 c. water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat , cover and simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.
Puree soup in batches in blender. *Only fill blender about half full since you are working with hot liquid. Allow heat to escape by opening the hole in the lid and covering it with a towel. This will prevent hot liquid from splattering. Stir in lemon juice and garnish.

Greta and Miles rating; Miles wasn't a huge fan, but when Greta tasted it she said she was going to eat the whole pot full of soup!

Barley-Mushroom Risotto

2011-07-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

We are true risotto lovers. What if I told you that you could make risotto with barley in the place of the starch-laden arborio and it would taste ~~just as good~~ even better than the original? My entire family adores this recipe. I'm not sure that you would be able to sub barley for arborio in every recipe, but the earthiness of the barley really works with the natural flavor of the mushrooms. If you are a risotto fan, I challenge you to try this!

Barley-Mushroom Risotto
Source: Brown Eyed Baker
2 T. olive oil
1 c. onion, chopped
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 t. dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. barley
6 c. broth (veggie, chicken or beef)
1 T. butter
1/2 c. Parmesan, shredded

Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and sautee until beginning to brown. Add mushrooms and cook until juices are released (about 5 minutes). If mushrooms are sticking to pot, you may add 1-3 T. of water. Add thyme, garlic and barley. Stir well and cook for about an minute. Add 4 c. of broth and turn bring to boiling over high heat. Boil until liquid is almost completely gone. Turn heat down to medium and add 1/2 c. of broth at a time stirring until liquid is mostly absorbed each time. When barley is tender (you will probably use all of the liquid), remove from heat and add butter and Parmesan. Serve!

Greta and Miles rating: Like I said, this is a family favorite. They have no idea that it is barley!

Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans

2011-06-09T21:01:00.000-07:00

I love eatingwell.com. Every recipe I've made from this website has been not only healthy, but fantastic! When I received some Swiss chard in our CSA box this week, I knew I would be trying a new recipe. At first, I wasn't sure that I would like the taste of gnocchi and beans together. Somehow, in this dish the beans take on a more buttery, almost cheesy taste and it just works! This was a snap to throw together and was my first time using pre-made gnocchi.

Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans
Source: Eatingwell

1 T. plus 1 t. Olive oil
1 (16 oz.) pkg. shelf stable gnocchi
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. water
6 c. chopped chard leaves
1 (15 oz. can) white beans, rinsed
1 (15 oz. can) diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan
1/2 c. shredded Mozzarella

Heat 1 T. oil over medium heat in non-stick skillet. Cook gnocchi, stirring until plumped and beginning to brown. About 5-7 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Add remaining 1 t. oil and onion. Cook, stirring for about 2 minutes. Add water and garlic. Cover and cook until onion is soft, 4-6 minutes. Add chard and cook, stirring until greens begin to wilt. Add rinsed beans, pepper and tomatoes. Stir. Bring to simmer and stir in gnocchi. Top with cheeses and cover. Cook until cheese is melted and sauce begins to bubble. About 3 minutes.

Greta and Miles rating: They really liked the gnocchi. Greta liked the chard and Miles liked the tomatoes. Overall, a success!

Asparagus & Goat Cheese Risotto

2011-06-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

Have you ever made risotto? I used to be so intimidated by risotto. Eventually, my love for this dish won out and I tried a recipe. What I didn't anticipate was how much my children would love it. Really, what's not to love about rice and cheese? Since I've conquered making risotto, we have tried mushroom risotto, roasted red pepper risotto, and just plain old Parmesan risotto. I've made risotto so much this past year, that I now feel comfortable creating my own recipe. Here is the result! It was so creamy and turned out just perfectly.

Asparagus & Goat Cheese Risotto
1/4 c. onion, chopped
4 T. butter
12 oz. Arborio rice
1 qt. chicken broth
2 c. water
1 c. chopped fresh asparagus
2 oz. goat cheese
Chop asparagus and place in microwavable bowl. Cover with saran wrap and set aside. Chop onion. Heat butter in medium sized pot over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent. Meanwhile, combine chicken broth and water in separate pot and warm over medium-low heat. Add Arborio and stir well, coating with melted butter. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add 1/2 c. broth and stir well. Continue to cook, stirring, until broth is mostly absorbed. Repeat in 1/2 c. increments until rice is done, but al dente. You will not use all of the liquid. This should take about 2 1/2 c. - 3 1/2 c. total. When rice is almost done, microwave asparagus for 45 seconds to 1 minute, until just beginning to soften. Remove risotto from heat and stir in asparagus, cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Greta and Miles rating: The kids LOVE their risotto. Greta loves asparagus, but this was a great way to get Miles to eat asparagus as the pieces are small.

Deb's Jello Cake

2011-06-09T19:50:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Joe's Birthday yesterday. When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday meal, he said, "Steak and Mom's Strawberry Cake". I do a lot of baking, I mean a lot of baking! This is the 2nd time in the last few years that Joe has requested this cake. The recipe itself is very simple, but it's great! My Mother-in-law has an amazing ability to make low fat and fat free meals and desserts that are AMAZING! This is known by many as a Jello Poke Cake. It is simple, moist and as far as cakes go, not too horrible for you.

Deb's Jello Cake
1 white cake mix, prepared as directed on box and cooled
1 (4 serving) box Strawberry or Raspberry jello
1 c. boiling water
1/2 c. cold water
1 tube fat-free cool whip
Raspberries or Strawberries to garnish
Prepare white cake mix as directed on box. Cool completely. Poke holes using fork all over surface of cake. Boil 1 c. water and add gelatin. Stir and add 1/2 c. cold water. Pour jello mixture over prepared and cooled cake. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Top with cool whip and fresh berries. Enjoy!

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream

2011-06-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

I make most things from scratch. However, I'm not too proud to admit that a cake mix usually tastes much better than any cake I've made from scratch. When someone asks for a good chocolate cake recipe, I always point them to this one. It is your traditional, rich, moist chocolate cake. Tonight, I paired it with a Salted Caramel Buttercream and took my stand-by cake recipe to a new level! What a divine combination!

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake (cupcakes)
Source: Hershey's Cocoa container

2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa powder
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1/2 c. oil
2 t. vanilla
1 c. boiling water

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl and whisk. Add wet ingredients and stir. Add the boiling water and stir well. Batter will be runny. Pour into pans or cupcake cups. Bake cupcakes about 20 minutes or until center of cake springs back when gently pressed. If using 2) 9" pans, bake 30-35 minutes.

Salted Caramel Buttercream
Source: gimmesomeoven

1/4 c. sugar
2 T. water
1/4 c. heavy cream
1 t. vanilla
3/4 c. salted butter, softened
2 c. powdered sugar

Briefly stir sugar and water in saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil without stirring. Continue to boil (do not stir) for 6-7 minutes or until dark amber in color. Remove from heat and slowly add cream stirring with wooden spoon. Add vanilla and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool for at least 20 minutes. In mixer bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Pour cooled caramel mixture into butter and sugar and beat for an additional 2 minutes or until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes.

Baked French Toast

2011-06-05T19:46:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite recipes are those that you can make ahead, leave in the fridge overnight and then not worry about until lunch time. It was so great to come home from church to the smell of baked french toast. My husband put the topping on and threw it in the oven. This is the perfect breakfast to serve overnight guests! It is delicious, fancy and requires no preparation the day you make it!

Baked French Toast
Adapted from: Paula Deen

12-18 slices french bread
8 eggs
2 c. half and half (I used fat free)
1 c. milk
2 T. sugar
1/4 t. cinnamon
dash of salt

Topping:
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. butter, cut into chunks
1 c. walnuts (or pecans)
1/2 t. cinnamon

Grease a 9x13 pan. Arrange bread slices in 2 overlapping layers in pan. In large bowl, whisk eggs, half and half, milk, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pour milk mixture over bread slices, spooning some of the mixture over the tops of the slices. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Combine topping ingredients in medium bowl and combine with pastry blender. Store in ziplock in refrigerator over night.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crumble topping over bread and bake for 30-40 minutes or until puffed up and golden brown.

Baby Bella Pizza

2011-06-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love recipes that are happy accidents? A few weeks ago, I gathered all the ingredients to make this recipe for Shaved Asparagus Pizza. When I went to make it, I realized that there were some nasty mold spots on my asparagus. Insert plan B--- We had some leftover baby bella mushrooms from my daughter's most requested meal, Mushroom Risotto. I substituted mushrooms for the asparagus and the result was fantastic! This is an easy, quick meal that is delicious and has mass appeal.

Baby Bella Pizza
Adapted from: Annie's Eats

1 homemade (or good quality) pizza crust
Olive oil for brushing
Salt and Pepper
5 oz. Boursin Garlic and Herb spreadable cheese
5 oz. Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
2/3 c. Parmesan, shredded

Roll pizza crust out and brush with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Using a fork, crumble Boursin Cheese over top of crust (like you would with feta). Top with sliced mushrooms and Parmesan. Season again with fresh black pepper. Bake at 450 for 10-13 minutes.

Sauteed Radishes

2011-06-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

CSA season is officially here, and this means it is a season of healthier eating in our home. Last CSA season in the spring we received a lot of radishes. Last year, I'm sad to say that I either gave them away or wasted them. This year, I found a great recipe for sauteed radishes. Cooking them really tames the bitterness. This is a great side dish if you have an abundance of radishes!

Sauteed Radishes
source: Epicurious

2lbs. radishes, coarsely chopped
2 T. butter
1 t. salt
1 T. minced garlic
3 T. chopped chives

Heat 1 1/2 T. butter in skillet over medium-high heat. When melted, saute radishes in salt, stirring until crisp tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer to plate and keep warm. Saute garlic in remaining 1 T. of butter for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add cooked radishes and chives.

Stove Top Mac & Cheese

2011-05-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

No, this is not the most exciting recipe, but I have made it about six times since I discovered it. I think that says enough. This is an easy, crowd pleaser. Personally, I am a fan of Mac and Cheese with a bubbly crusty top, but this smooth and creamy version also has a place in my heart. Don't be intimidated by the raw eggs. They cook up with the heat from the pasta and make all the difference in the world. My favorite part of this recipe is not that everyone loves it or that I always have the ingredients on hand, but that you make it in one pot!

Stove Top Mac & Cheese
adapted from: The Food Network

2 c. whole wheat macaroni
4 T. butter or margarine
6 oz. skim milk
2 eggs
1/2 t. hot sauce (Frank's or Tabasco)
1 t. salt
3/4 t. dry mustard powder
freshly ground black pepper
10 oz. shredded sharp cheddar

Cook pasta as directed on package. Whisk milk, eggs, hot sauce, salt, pepper and mustard together. Set aside. Toss drained pasta in butter and return to pot. Pour Milk mixture over hot pasta and stir well. Mix in cheese and stir, cooking over medium heat until cheese is completely melted.

Greta and Miles rating: What could be bettter???

Asian Coleslaw

2011-05-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe that my sister made for us in Switzerland. As soon as I took a bite, I knew that my husband would LOVE it! Joe is a huge peanut butter sauce fan. I really do not care for traditional coleslaw, but this is fantastic. My hubby said that sunflower seeds would have been a great addition, and you know what- he is right! I will add them next time for sure. My sister served this side dish with some delicious spicy chicken burgers. I served it over a maple-soy marinated steak.

Asian Coleslaw
dressing:
3 T. rice wine vinegar
3 T. vegetable oil
3 T. creamy peanut butter
1 T. plus 1 1/2 t. soy sauce
1 T. fresh ginger, minced
1 T. minced garlic
splash of fish sauce

slaw:
3 c. coleslaw mix
1 c. shredded carrots
1 c. shredded purple cabbage
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
3 green onions, chopped
*1/4 c. chopped cilantro (optional, I didn't use- my husband is allergic)

Combine dressing ingredients and whisk. Combine slaw ingredients. Toss in dressing right before serving.

Bang Bang Shrimp

2011-04-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the post where I talk about Hooter's! Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined blogging about Hooter's, but here we go...My parents recently took us out to dinner for my Father's birthday (NOT at Hooter's). We all raved about this appetizer! This recipe is the combination of a few copycat recipes that I've found online, mainly this one.
I was amazed at how simple this recipe was, and I actually already had all of the ingredients on hand, with the exception of the Hooter's breading mix. I had no idea that the whole Hooter's chain was even still in existence. Thankfully, I only had to make a trip to the grocery store to get my mix :) This was absolutely delicious!! Serves 4.

Bang Bang Shrimp
1 lb. raw shrimp, deveined and peeled
3/4 c. Hooter's Brand breading mix (a lot of the recipes simply use cornstarch)
vegetable oil for frying

1/2 c. mayo
1/3 c. sweet chili sauce
2 t. siracha sauce

2 heads of romaine, roughly chopped
scallions for garnish

Mix mayo and chili sauces to make dressing. Set aside.

Peel and devein shrimp. Heat oil 350-375 degrees in large skillet (I used my electric skillet). Use enough oil to cover shrimp completely. Bread shrimp in mix and fry until golden brown. Transfer fried shrimp to plate with thick layer of paper towels to absorb the oil.
Toss shrimp in dressing and serve over romaine. Garnish with scallions.

Crock Pot Enchiladas

2011-04-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

I love enchiladas- my husband, not so much. So, over the years I have made a lot of enchilada recipes in search of "the one" that the hubby would really like. This is it! I use home made enchilada sauce from this recipe. I really think the homemade sauce is the key. This is a versatile recipe that can be used to make traditional enchiladas, or as a casserole type dish in the crock pot. You can also use ground beef, shredded chicken, or ground turkey like we do.

Crock Pot Enchiladas
Source: Passionate Homemaking

1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1lb. ground turkey
29 oz. enchilada sauce (I use a little less than 29 oz.)
2 c. black beans, drained and rinsed
1 c. greek yogurt (or sour cream)
8 whole wheat tortillas
shredded cheddar (about 2 1/2 c.)

Heat small amount of oil in large skillet. Saute onion and garlic until lightly browned. Add meat and brown. Stir in enchilada sauce, beans and greek yogurt. Spread thin layer of sauce in bottom of crock pot. Then layer tortilla, sauce and cheese repeating until sauce is gone and ending with cheese. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.

Greta and Miles rating: They both love this recipe. It is a little spicy, but they just drink a lot of milk with it!

Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-04-28T18:44:00.000-07:00

This is a great healthy-ish muffin recipe.While it does have chocolate chips and sugar, it doesn't have oil, and has some whole wheat flour...not bad considering the end result. I really think the coconut milk adds a little more moisture than cow's milk would. If you haven't tried coconut milk yet, go for it! My kids love it and it is the only milk that I drink.

Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 c. Flour
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
3 T. cocoa powder
1 1/2 chocolate chips, separated

1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 c. coconut milk (or cows milk, soy milk, or almond milk)
1 egg
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375. Combine dry ingredients and 1 c. of chocolate chips. In separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Stir dry and wet ingredients until just combined. Pour batter into 12 muffin cups and sprinkle each with additional 1/2 c. of chocolate chips. Bake approximately 15 minutes or until muffin springs back when gently pressed.

Chicken in Mustard-Cream Sauce

2011-04-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

Ok. This is a really, really good recipe. I would be very pleased to be served this dish in a restaurant. I can not believe how simple it is. This would be the perfect dinner to serve to last minute dinner guests. It is elegant and packed with flavor, but extremely simple to make. Oh, and did I mention that I don't even like mustard?? :)

Chicken in Mustard-Cream Sauce
Source: Fresh Food Fast

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T. Olive oil
1/4 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. heavy cream
2 T. Dijon mustard
1 t. dried tarragon

Season each chicken breast liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.Add chicken and saute until cooked completely- 10-12 minutes, turning once. Transfer to plate and keep warm.

Pour the wine into hot skillet and cook stirring until reduced (about 1 minute). Whisk in cream, mustard and tarragon. Cook, whisking about 2 minutes, or until thickened. Right before serving drizzle sauce over chicken.

Greta and Miles rating: (5 year old and 3 year old) They could not eat this fast enough!

Easy Meringues

2011-04-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have not been baking as much as I usually do. In an effort to lighten things up a bit- I made this recipe for meringues. I made a few vanilla and a few chocolate. They are light, delicious and everyone loves them. At around 35 calories a piece, they are hard to beat! With only a few ingredients, they are a snap to throw together. They do however require a little extra time to just sit and dry out.

Easy Meringues
Adapted from: All Recipes
2 egg whites
1/2 c.sugar
AND one of the following:
1 t. vanilla-to make vanilla meringues
1 1/2 T. cocoa powder- to make chocolate meringues
OR
2 t. instant coffee granules- to make espresso meringues

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Gradually add in sugar and beat until mixture is no longer gritty when tested between fingers. Fold in desired flavoring. Spoon into pastry bag or ziplock (with small hole cut in one of the corners). Squeeze mixture in mounds onto cookie sheet lined with parchment. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn oven off, but leave meringues in oven for about 2 hours to dry out.

Asparagus & Gruyere Tart

2011-04-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

This recipe is simple and impressive. It is elegant, yet easy enough to throw in the oven at a moment's notice. Nothing says spring like asparagus and our family could not get enough of this dish. While this may not be the most healthy thing you'll eat all week, I guarantee it will be one of the best!

Asparagus & Gruyere Tart
Source: Martha Stewart

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 1/2 lb. asparagus, cleaned and rough edges trimmed
11/2 c. Gruyere, shredded
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll pastry dough into a 16x10" rectangle. With sharp knife, score dough 1" in from outside and using a fork prick the dough every 1/2".

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden and remove from oven. Sprinkle with cheese, top with asparagus, alternating end and tip. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until asparagus is tender.
Greta and Miles rating: They loved this and we actually ran out. I think they would have ate an additional 2 pieces. Best way I've found to get Miles to eat asparagus.

Skillet Lasagna

2011-04-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

The fabulous Joelen strikes again! My lasagna hating husband loves this lasagna. I just love how little effort this dish requires. It's also a little more interesting than your run of the mill lasagna. I have made a few changes to the original. This is how we like lasagna at our house...

Skillet Lasagna
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 t. salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 t. red pepper flakes
1 lb. ground turkey
10 whole wheat lasagna noodles (dry and broken into 2" pieces)
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 c. mozzarella, shredded
1/2 c. Parmesan, shredded- plus additional for garnish
1 c. ricotta cheese
3 T. chopped basil

Pour undrained diced tomatoes into 1-qt. liquid measuring cup. Add water until mixture measures 1 qt.. Set aside.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and 1/2 t. salt. Cook until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ground turkey (beef or sausage would work as well) and cook, breaking apart meat, until no longer pink.

Scatter pasta over meat but do not stir. Pour diced tomatoes with juices and tomato sauce over pasta. Cover and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low.Simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, about 20-22 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in cheeses. Season with additional salt and pepper. Dot with heaping tablespoons ricotta, cover, and let stand off heat for 5 minutes. Garnish with basil and additional Parmesan.

Greta and Miles rating: OK, so my kids really do not care for red sauces. They did OK with this one.

Macaroni Grill Bread

2011-04-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

I used to love the Macaroni Grill. I haven't been there to eat in years, but I remember going there to eat after working on wedding flowers and eating insane amounts of their bread. We would dip it in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Parmesan cheese and a little freshly cracked pepper. Sometimes, we would go and just order a Caesar salad so we could have an excuse to pig out on bread. This recipe is not identical, but is pretty darn close. The original recipe is a bread maker recipe, but I have successfully made this in the oven as well. I make this recipe exactly like the original, but when it is freshly baked I rub the crust with olive oil and give a little sprinkle of sea salt. Yum!

Macaroni Grill Bread
1 c. warm water
1 1/2 t. yeast
1 1/2 t. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
3 T. olive oil
1/4 t. Italian seasoning
1 T. rosemary
1/4 t. pepper
2 1/2 c. flour

Add all ingredients as directed in bread maker instructions. Bake on white bread cycle.

Roasted Shrimp with Feta

2011-04-01T20:39:00.000-07:00

Another hit from Annie's Eats! I even botched this recipe by accidentally opening and dumping in a can of tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes. My little glitch didn't matter though because the flavors in this dish are divine. I served this over cous cous, but it would have been wonderful over pasta as well!

Roasted Shrimp with Feta
3 T. Olive Oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 c. dry white wine
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce (original calls for diced tomatoes, plus 2 t. tomato paste)
1 1 /2 t. dried oregano
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 c. bread crumbs (I used panko)
1 t. lemon zest
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
5 oz. crumbled feta
juice of lemon
lemon wedges for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute onion in 2 T. of oil over medium heat for 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant or about 1 minute. Add wine and cook until liquid has reduced by half.

Add tomato sauce, salt, pepper and oregano. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes.
Combine lemon zest, bread crumbs and remaining 1 T. of oil.

Pour tomato sauce into baking dish and place shrimp, tail side up, in tomato sauce. Top with feta and then bread crumb mixture.

Bake 10-15 minutes or until shrimp is done and topping is browned. Squeeze lemon juice of dish and serve with additional lemon wedges.

Greta and Miles rating: Greta loved this, and Miles loved the flavor of the sauce, but is not a fan of shrimp that has not been breaded :)

Best French Dip

2011-03-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

The best French dip I've ever had! I found this recipe a few weeks ago on Joelen's blog. I've since made this recipe THREE times! Throw everything into a crock pot and when the meat is ready, just grill up some buns. FABULOUS.

Best French Dip
4 lb. Chuck Roast
1 c. soy sauce
6 c. water
1 T. dried rosemary
1 T. minced garlic
3 bay leaves

Cook all ingredients in a crock pot set to low setting. Cook at least 4 hours (or until meat is done) but the longer, the better! Serve on grilled buns with au jus. Serves 10.

Greta and Miles rating: They are normally not big fans of red meat and they adored this!

Hint of Hazelnut Pound Cake

2011-03-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

This is one of those recipes that turned out so well, that I couldn't believe I made it! I found the recipe on a message board, but the original calls for heavy whipping cream. Boy, am I glad I used the coffee creamer. This turned out absolutely perfect! The texture is just like you'd imagine the perfect pound cake to be. It is dense, moist, soft and the hint of hazelnut- pure perfection! This cake would be fantastic with a layer of chocolate ganache on top, or a homemade strawberry sauce, or better yet- both!

Hint of Hazelnut Pound Cake
1 c. butter
3 c. sugar
6 eggs
3 c. flour
2 c. hazelnut flavored coffee creamer (liquid)
1 T. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in flour and creamer alternately. Mix in vanilla. Bake in 10" tube pan or 2 loaf pans for about an hour and a half or until top of loaf springs back when pressed gently.

Banana Muffins

2011-03-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

I've been in sort of a rut with snacks for the kids. It is so easy (and healthy) to just give them a piece of fruit and call it good. But, lately, I've been wanting to spice things up a bit. I found this simple, healthy recipe and the kids loved it. I loved that it doesn't have any butter or oil and only 1/4 c. of sugar. The original recipe was for mini-muffins. Since I don't have a mini-muffin pan, I made full size- which was a good thing because my kids each ate 3 full sized muffins!

Banana Muffins

2-3 bananas, smashed
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 egg

1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/8 t. salt
1 c. flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine first 4 ingredients and mix well. Stir in dry ingredients, just until combined and spoon into muffin tins. Bake for about 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2011-03-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

I adore recipes like this! You know, recipes that have simple ingredients, but some how it comes together to make something divine! I heard raves about this recipe from some friends and when I read the ingredient list, I thought, "hmmm...can't be that good, can it?" Oh, yes it can! The best part is that this recipe is super quick. The original recipe is from Kraft foods website. I've made a few changes as noted below. Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

6 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts- cut into bite sized pieces
1 t. oil
1 T. taco seasoning

4 C. low sodium chicken broth
1 C. salsa
1 C. frozen corn
*1 C. beans (I used black beans and pintos) optional
1 C. shredded cheddar

Cut tortillas into strips. Toss in a little oil and salt well. Bake at 400 degrees until crispy. Stirring every 3 minutes or so. Remove from oven and set aside.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken in taco seasoning until completely cooked. Combine remaining ingredients (except cheese) in soup pot and cook until hot. Serve with cheese, greek yogurt (or sour cream), avocado slices, or scallions. Top each bowl with tortilla strips.

Greta and Miles rating: They LOVE this. As with all soups, they are not crazy about the broth, so I just strain most of the broth from their bowls.

Brothy Chinese Noodles

2011-03-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

I was recently fortunate enough to get to visit my sister in Switzerland! She is a fabulous cook! I promise to share some of the wonderful meals she made for us. This is a recipe she prepared for us that came from the EatingWell website. If you have not visited this site, it is a must! It is one of the few websites with healthy food that are actually tastes good! My sister substituted ground chicken for the ground turkey. I've made it both ways and the chicken is the best! Thanks, Jill for this recipe :)

Brothy Chinese Noodles
2 T. sesame oil
1 lb. ground chicken
1/2 C. chopped onion (or scallions)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. ginger, minced
8 oz. dried Chinese noodles
4 C. chicken broth
3/4 C. water
4 C. thinly sliced bok choy
3 T. soy sauce (I used Bragg's Aminos)
1 T. rice vinegar

Heat 1 T. oil over medium heat. Add chicken, onions, garlic and ginger. Cook until no longer pink and transfer to plate. Add noodles, broth, water, bok choy, soy sauce, vinegar and 1 T. of oil to pot. Cook, stirring until noodles are tender. Approximately 5 minutes. Return chicken mixture to pot and serve.

Greta and Miles rating: The whole family loved this comfort dish!

Roasted Red Pepper & Parmesan Risotto

2011-02-08T19:30:00.000-08:00

The only thing you need to know about this recipe is that I made it twice in one week! The only change I made from the original was to used roasted red peppers that were in a jar vs. roasting my own. We are on quite the risotto kick here, and this one was wonderful!

Roasted Red Pepper & Parmesan Risotto
4 c. vegetable (or chicken) broth
2 t. olive oil
1 large shallot (or 1/4 c. onion) finely diced
1 c. arborio rice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large red bell pepper roasted, or 1 canned roasted red pepper
1/2 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan
1 T. butter
salt and pepper to taste

Heat broth over low heat. Meanwhile, chop pepper, onion and garlic. Set each aside separately. Heat olive oil in medium pan. Saute shallots (or onion) until translucent. Add rice and garlic and saute for an additional minute. Add wine and chopped pepper. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add 1/2 c. broth and cook until almost absorbed. Repeat until rice has cooked for about 25 minutes or is al dente. You will not use all of the broth. Remove from heat and add butter, cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Greta and Miles rating: They adored this!!

Cheddar Chipotle Scones

2011-02-08T17:52:00.000-08:00

Seriously, what is better than a warm scone on a winter's day? These scones were fabulous! I can't believe they only have 3 tablespoons of butter! Next time I make these, I will use even more chipotle. The flavor was great, but I personally would have liked it even stronger. That being said, the kids loved these and they were not even close to being too spicy for them. This recipe is from Serious Eats. I could not believe how flaky these were, and I even subbed Greek yogurt for the sour cream! Try these, they would be fantastic with some spicy Italian sausage added.

Cheddar Chipotle Scones
2 c. AP Flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3 T. butter, cold and cut into small pieces

3/4 c. sour cream (I used Greek yogurt)
1/2 c. sharp shredded cheddar
1 minced chipotle pepper in adobo
1 T. water
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350.Combine dry ingredients and cut in butter using pastry blender or 2 forks, until resembles coarse crumbs. Combine sour cream, cheese, pepper, water and egg and mix well. Fold into dry ingredients mixing just until combined. Knead into 8" round slab and cut into 8 wedges. Bake for 15-25 minutes until golden.

Mushroom and Parmesan Risotto

2011-01-25T19:07:00.000-08:00

Don't you love getting a new cookbook? I very rarely buy cookbooks, so I usually only receive them as gifts. For Christmas this year, I received the cookbook, Fresh Flavor Fast. I recently borrowed this book from the library and immediately added it to my Amazon wishlist! Needless to say, I was very pleased to receive this book. This next recipe was an absolute hit. I will be adding it to our family's favorites for sure. I made a few changes to the original recipe and the recipe below is how I prepared it at home.

Mushroom and Parmesan Risotto
29 oz. chicken broth
2 c. water
3 T. butter
10 oz. mixed fresh mushrooms (I used baby bellas and white buttons)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 c. Arborio rice
1/2 c. sherry
1/2 c. grated Parmesan

In medium saucepan heat chicken broth. Meanwhile, in large saucepan, heat 1 T. butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to plate. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 1 T. butter and onion to large saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add rice and stir. Cook 1 minute.Add wine; cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute.
Ladle 2 c. of hot broth into saucepan with rice. Stir occasionally and cook until almost completely absorbed, about 5 minutes. Repeat, adding 1 c. of broth at a time and cooking until liquid is almost absorbed before adding next cup. Cook until rice is al dente and creamy (about 25 minutes). You may not use all of the broth.
Remove from heat and add Parmesan, 1 T. butter, and half of mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with remaining mushrooms and additional grated cheese.

Greta and Miles rating: They both LOVED this. Greta even asked if she could have it for snack a couple of hours after dinner!

Top Recipes of 2010

2010-12-31T07:57:00.000-08:00

Here they are! Our family's Top Ten favorite recipes from the past year. Happy New Year!
1. Mushroom & Pecorino Tarts

2. Tom Kha Kai Soup

3. Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

4. Walnut & Honey Pizza

5. African Peanut Soup

6. Mom's Clam Chowder

7. Sweet Corn and Cheddar Pancakes

8. Kale Chips

9. Sugar Cookie Bars

10. Butternut Squash Lasagna

Root Vegetable Cobbler

2010-12-21T10:00:00.001-08:00

Comfort food. Mmmmmmm. I was recently very blessed to receive a lot of free produce and a bunch of other goodies! Few things are more exciting to me than free food!! One of the things I received was a few bags of winter vegetables; turnips, parsnips and rutabagas. My search for the perfect recipe began. I found several that sounded good, but ended up coming up with my own concoction. This meal is perfect for a winter's day. You could really use any combination of root or winter vegetables- butternut squash, potatoes, carrots or any combination would be lovely. This is a new favorite!

Root Vegetable Cobbler
6 c. cubed root vegetables (enough to cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan) I used carrots, parsnips, rutabagas and turnips
1 small onion, diced
1 t. olive oil
1 1/4 c. vegetable broth
2 T. flour
2/3 c. milk
1 t. dried rosemary
For the topping:
2 C. flour
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
6 T. butter
2 eggs
1/2 c. sharp cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Steam vegetables and place in 9x 13 baking dish. In saucepan over medium heat, saute onions in oil. When onions are tender, add broth and milk (reserve a small amount of milk to mix 2 T. flour in, then add to saucepan as well). Simmer until thickened and pour over vegetables.
To make the topping, combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut butter into pats and combine with flour mixture using pastry blender. When mixture resembles coarse meal, add eggs, milk and cheese. Stir gently just until combined. Shape into small biscuits and cover vegetables. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

Greta and Miles rating: They both adored the biscuit topping. Greta enjoyed the veggies and Miles had a few.

Hello Kitty Cake Pops

2010-12-20T08:06:00.000-08:00

Our little girl decided that she would like a Hello Kitty birthday party this year. Upon researching Hello Kitty cakes online, I stumbled upon some Hello Kitty cake pops. I love Bakerella and have oogled over her cake pops in the past, but have never made them. The best thing about this recipe is that you can use any flavor of cake and any flavor of frosting! And the recipe is so simple and the possibilities for decoration are endless. My Hello Kitty cake pops may have looked like a kindergartner made them compared to Bakerella's, but everyone at the party thought they were great, especially my 5 year old, which is all that counts!

Hello Kitty Cake Pops
1 boxed cake mix
3/4c.- 1c. packaged frosting
white chocolate chips
white candy melts
lollipop sticks
styrofoam block
pink heart shaped sprinkles
red and yellow round sprinkles
black frosting gel

Prepare cake as directed on box and cool completely. When cooled, crumble cake and add frosting. Stir well with wooden spoon. Shape into 1" balls and chill in refrigerator. Melt small amount of candy. Dip lollipop sticks in a little of the melted candy and insert 1/2 way into cake balls. Once they have set, insert lollipop sticks into stryofoam. Dab a little melted candy onto the balls where you would like the ears to be. Quickly place a white chocolate chip on melted candy for ears. Allow to set. Once they are set, Melt the remaining candy melts and dip heads into melted candy to cover completely. I found using a small spoon to cover the heads and spinning gently helped to coat the balls without them falling off the lollipop stick. Place back in styrofoam to set.
To decorate faces, I used the melted candy as glue to adhere the bow and eyes, melting more candy as needed. Use frosting gel for eyes and whiskers. Store tightly covered in a cool dry place for up to 1 week. Do not refrigerate.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

2010-12-20T07:29:00.000-08:00

I made these little babies to pack in our teacher's gifts for Christmas presents this year. I added white chocolate chips and chocolate chips to some of them. I think I made about 4 batches of these total! This is a fabulous recipe. I am always looking for great cookie recipes that do not require chocolate chips. The recipe is from Williams-Sonoma. Enjoy!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 t. vanilla
1 2/3 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat. Add dry ingredients and stir. Roll dough into 1-2" balls and coat in confectioner's sugar. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Mom's Clam Chowder

2010-11-03T09:01:00.001-07:00

My Mother is a fabulous cook! One of my favorite things that she makes is Clam Chowder soup. She makes it every year for Christmas. I usually only get to eat it once a year. I got the recipe from her last year and decided to make it at home. When the weather got colder this fall, I knew what I must do...make Mom's Clam Chowder!!! This is the recipe that she emailed me. I have kept it in her words because her descriptions make me smile :) If you are a Clam Chowder fan, you have to try this!

TURNER FISHERIES RESTAURANT'S CLAM CHOWDER

--- Made famous by Mom

16 cherrystone clams, preferably fresh (I use around 4 cans of diced or minced clams)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup clarified butter - I clarify the butter somewhat

1 large clove garlic, minced - I use 2 cloves

2 ribs celery, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1/4 tsp thyme - I use my lemon thyme if I have it - and probably more of it

Optional: white pepper

Optional: 1 bay leaf -- I use one

Approximately 32 oz. clam juice, including that reserved from steamed clams ----& chic broth if you need to

1 large potato, diced - I like 2 potatoes

1 pt whipping cream

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Wash clams thoroughly. Place them in a heavy-bottomed pot with water. Cover tightly and steam until clams open, approx three - five minutes. Remove clams from shells; chop coarsely and reserve, along with broth in a separate container. I have never done this but it sounds like fun - fresh clams in Nebraska - kind of scary

In the same pot, gently heat clarified butter and add garlic; saute two to three minutes. Add onion, celery, thyme and optional spices. Saute until onions are translucent.

Add flour to make a roux, stirring constantly to avoid lumps and cooking one to two minutes. Be careful that mixture does not brown or burn.

Slowly add clam juice, stirring to avoid lumps. Simmer one minute. Add potatoes and cook until tender. Stir well to avoid clumping. Add cream and clams; return to a quick boil and season to taste with pepper. Makes 8-10 servings.

-------------------------------------------- My version:

I start by draining the 4 cans of clams and saving all the liquid - you need 32 oz of liquid, I usually use a combination of liquid from the cans, bottled clam juice and/or chicken broth. It is best to get at least one bottle of clam juice, but if you can't find it, just use chicken broth to get the liquid up to 32 oz. Just set this all aside.

Next melt in your soup pot - 1/2 cup butter - I usually clarify it a bit, but I quickly get tired of doing that, so I don't do it completely or properly -- add 2 cloves of garlic minced and saute just a couple of minutes, Add chopped onion, chopped celery, lemon thyme, and optional spices -- saute until onions are translucent.

Add 1/2 cup flour in little bits at a time, to make a roux, stirring constantly, and cooking 1-2 minutes - don't brown it- or you have to start all over

Slowly add the 32 oz of liquids, stirring to avoid lumps. Simmer one minute, stirring constantly. Add potatoes and cook until tender. Stir well to avoid clumping. Add the cream and clams; return to a quick boil and season with pepper & salt to taste.
Greta and Miles rating: Greta loved this so much. Miles ate his crusty bread soaked in the soup, but wouldn't eat the soup with a spoon. Interesting kids.

Cuban Sandwiches

2010-11-01T07:47:00.000-07:00

Mmmmmm! Here is another recipe I created to copy something from a restaurant. We'll just call this particular restaurant...um...Rock Town. :)
I love this sandwich. It has a bunch of things that I don't usually care for individually; pork, ham, and mustard. But, put them all together and something magical happens! This is definitely not an authentic Cuban sandwich, but I'd venture to say that it is an authentic copy of "Rock Town's" version.
Cuban Sandwiches
3 lb. pork sirloin roast
juice of one lime
1/3 c. sherry
3 T. Olive Oil
2 t. salt
1/4 t. crushed black pepper
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 t. oregano
Combine marinade ingredients and pour over roast in crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours, or until meat is done.
6 slices deli ham
6 slices provolone cheese
6 ciabatta rolls
Prepared mustard (use your favorite, I used Grey Poupon, yes that name still makes me giggle :))
sliced dill pickles
Garlic Aioli:
1/3 c. mayo
3 garlic cloves, pressed
juice of 1/2 lemon
Cook pork in crock pot. Remove from heat. Mix ingredients to make aioli.
When pork is warm, slice into 1/2" thick slices. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice and toast ciabatta rolls. Spread top slice with mustard and bottom slice with aioli. To assemble sandwiches: top the bottom slice of ciabatta with a layer of pickles, pork, ham, then provolone. Place on cookie sheet. Leave top slice of ciabbatta (with mustard) off of sandwich, place mustard side up on cookie sheet. Bake open faced sandwiches and sandwich tops for about 10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Place top slice of ciabatta on sandwich and serve.
Greta and Miles rating: Miles at his entire sandwich! Greta just kind of nibbled.

Mushroom and Pecorino Tarts

2010-10-31T11:41:00.000-07:00

Here is another hit recipe from the cookbook Fresh Flavor Fast. Puff Pastry and I don't have the best history. What I mean to say is that I absolutely LOVE the taste of puff pastry, but my previous attempts working with it have not been the most successful or attractive feats. This meal was quick and incredibly delicious. These would be great made into miniatures for an appetizer as well. The only change I made from the original recipe is the amount of mushrooms used. The original calls for 1 1/4 lbs. of mushrooms, and I used an 8 oz. package and even had extra.

Mushroom and Pecorino Tarts
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (mine took about 45 minutes)
1 T. olive oil
8 oz. fresh mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, button) thinly sliced
3/4 c. grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 T. fresh chives, chopped

Preheat oven to 400. Roll puff pastry out and cut into 4 equal squares. Score each square, leaving a 1" border and pierce the dough inside the border using a fork. (see example below). Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Bake until golden, turning sheet halfway through. About 10-12 minutes.
Meanwhile in medium-high skillet heat oil. Add mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender 6-8 minutes.

Sprinkle 1/2 c. of the cheese evenly over the center of the 4 squares. Top with mushrooms and remaining cheese. Return to oven until lightly browned. Sprinkle with chives to serve.

Greta and Miles rating: They both loved this and ate every last bite! Greta even ate some of my extra sauteed mushrooms.

Chicken Salad with Curry

2010-10-25T15:52:00.001-07:00

On our vacation to Wyoming, we ate at a lovely cafe called "Lollipops". It was so good that we actually ended up eating there on three different occasions. And on each of those three occasions, Joe and I both ordered the Chicken Salad with Curry. It was that good! Naturally, I had to come up with my own copy cat recipe. Here it is~
Chicken Salad with Curry
3 c. chicken, cooked and cubed
1/3 c. walnuts, chopped
1/2 c. celery, diced
1/3 c. onion, finely diced
1/2 t. onion salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
3/4 c. mayo (I like the olive oil mayo)
Curry powder for sprinkling
4 large croissants
4 romaine leaves
Combine chicken, nuts, celery, onion, onion salt, garlic powder and mayo in bowl. Mix well. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. To serve, generously fill croissants with chicken mixture, sprinkle with curry powder and top with one romaine leaf.

Sea Scallop Gratin

2010-10-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

The Joy of Cooking is a classic cookbook. Even people who don't cook have heard of The Joy of Cooking. Of course it is a classic for a reason. It covers everything. It has the very best pumpkin bread recipe. And this recipe, my friends is exquisite! This is the perfect "someone special is coming for dinner" recipe. It is quick, easy and so luxurious and delicious. It can be served as an appetizer or entree. I like to serve it over linguine. Try it, you will not regret it! I have made a few minor changes to the original.

Sea Scallop Gratin
2 T. butter, melted
3/4 c. breadcrumbs (I use panko)
6 T. grated Parmesan
1 t. dried thyme
1/4 t. salt
ground pepper, to taste

1 T. butter
2 shallots, minced (I've used 1/4 c. white onion as well)
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
1 t. salt

1/4 c. dry white wine
1 c. heavy cream
12 oz. sea medium scallops cut horizontally in half (or small scallops whole)
1 t. lemon juice

Combine 2 T. melted butter with breadcrumbs, cheese, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix well using hands.
Melt 1 T. butter in skillet and add shallots and garlic. Cook until softened and add mushrooms and 1 t. salt. Cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add 1/4 c. wine and simmer 3-5 minutes. Add cream. Boil until thickened, about 5 minutes. Preheat broiler. Add scallops to sauce and cook until no longer translucent. 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Pour mixture into baking dish and top with Parmesan/breadcrumb mixture. Broil until brown and bubbly. ENJOY!

Greta and Miles rating: The kids LOVE this! This is a special occasion meal at our house :)

Coconut & Beef Curry with Noodles

2010-10-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

I won't bore you with a little story, but let me just say...this was the best dinner we've had in a long time and I will make this often. The recipe is from the cookbook, Fresh Flavor Fast.

Coconut And Beef Curry with Noodles
Salt and pepper
8 oz. vermicelli or angel-hair
2 T. vegetable oil
1 lb. beef sirloin, cut into strips
1 red onion, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 red bell peppers, ribs and seeds removed, and sliced
1/4 c. water
1 T. Thai red curry paste
1 can coconut milk
1 c. basil leaves, packed
1 T. lime juice (I used lemon)

Prepare pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile in skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper. Add half of the beef to the skillet. Cook on one side, do not stir, until browned, 1-2 minutes. Transfer beef to plate and repeat with remaining Tablespoon of oil and remaining beef. Add onion, peppers and water to skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook until crisp, but tender 3-4 minutes. Add curry paste, cook while stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Return beef to skillet. Add coconut milk and simmer until thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil and lime (or lemon) juice. Season with salt and pepper and serve over pasta.

Greta and Miles rating: They really liked this! Greta was crazy about the red peppers and the pasta. Miles loved the beef and the pasta.

Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze

2010-10-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite food blogs has to be Brown Eyed Baker. Her recipes are always top notch. What is better than pumpkin scones on a fall evening? I made these for the ladies Bible study group I am in. I replaced all of the cream from the original recipe with almond milk with fabulous results!

Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze
2 c. Flour
7 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. cloves
1/4 t. ginger
6 T. cold butter, cubed
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1 egg
3 T. almond milk

Combine dry ingredients and whisk. Cut butter into dry ingredients using pastry blender or forks until butter chunks are non longer visible. In separate bowl combine pumpkin, egg and milk and stir. Fold into dry ingredients. Shape into rectangle. Cut into three equal pieces. Cut and 'x' into each of the 3 pieces, making a total of 12 triangular pieces. Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes.

When cooled. Drizzle with Icing. Then drizzle with 2nd (spiced) icing.

Sugar Icing
1 c. powdered sugar
2 T. almond milk
Combine and whisk. Drizzle over scones.

Spiced Icing
1 c. powdered sugar
2 T. (or slightly less) almond milk
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. nutmeg
pinch of ginger
pinch of cloves
Combine dry ingredients. Add milk slowly and whisk until desired consistency. Drizzle over iced scones.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

2010-10-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

This recipe is a winner! The thing I love best about this recipe is the fact that since pumpkin puree is used, there is no need for oil! This recipe is from Baking Bites and is one the whole family enjoys.

Pumpkin Spice Granola
2 c. puffed brown rice cereal (or rice krispies)
4 c. oats
2 t. pumpkin pie spice
pinch of cardamom
3/4 t. salt
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1/4 c. pure maple syrup
1/4 c. applesauce
1 t. vanilla
3/4 c. chopped almonds
1 c. raisins

Combine all ingredients except almonds and raisins and combine well. Bake at 325 on cookie sheets for 25 minutes. Stir well. Sprinkle almonds and return to over for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. After granola has cooled, add raisins and store in airtight container.

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

2010-10-12T15:46:00.000-07:00

I don't like meatloaf. I don't like meatloaf. I don't like meatloaf. I've never liked meatloaf...not the singer and definitely not the food. But this meatloaf I do like! I found the recipe on Running Mama Cooks. The only change I made was to use turkey in the place of beef and of course extra cheese! This recipe will not disappoint!

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
1/2 onion, chopped
2 T. olive oil

1 lb. ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 t. dried thyme
2/3 c. french's fried onions, plus more for topping
3/4 c. provolone, cubed
1 pkg. french onion soup mix
1/2 c. ketchup, divided

Saute onion over medium heat in olive oil until carmelized, about 5-7 minutes. Mix onion, turkey, egg, thyme, french's onions, onion soup mix, cheese and 1/4 c. ketchup and spoon into greased muffin tins. Top with remaining 1/4 c. ketchup and sprinkle with more french's onions. Bake covered at 400 degrees for 30 minutes and uncovered for the remaining 5 minutes.

Crock Pot Turkey Meatball Subs

2010-10-06T11:53:00.000-07:00

I found this great recipe for Crock Pot Turkey Meatballs on the website, healthyeatingsimplified.com. Since my children really despise spaghetti, I thought we'd try making meatball subs. I love this recipe because it has tons of veggies added and the best part is that it is for the crock pot!
Crock Pot Turkey Meat balls
sauce:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c. mushrooms, chopped
1/2 c. bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1t. dried basil
1/2 t. Italian seasoning
1 T. red wine vinegar
salt to taste

meatballs:
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 c. whole wheat bread crumbs
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/8 t. black pepper
2 egg whites

Hoagie rolls and Mozzarella for serving

Combine sauce ingredients in crock pot on low setting. Using hands mix meatball mixture. Shape into 1" balls and fry in 2 t. oil, browning on all sides. Once meat balls are browned, transfer to crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Serve in hoagie rolls topped with mozzarella cheese.
Greta and Miles rating: They ate it, but weren't crazy about it.

Romesco Sauce

2010-09-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

This is a bittersweet post; sweet because this is one awesome recipe. This recipe is so great that I made an extra large batch and froze small portions for use later. This post is bitter because the very next day our fridge stopped working and I ended up throwing all of my precious romesco sauce in the trash :(. At least we had one night with the sauce! I have made this recipe with almonds and with cashews. I think the cashews taste the best, but both are fabulous. This sauce is great with chicken, fish or beef and it freezes very well. I like to serve this sauce with a pan seared chicken breast seasoned with basil, paprika, garlic and onion salt.

Romesco Sauce
3/4 c. cashews or almonds
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 slice white bread, torn into small pieces
1 (14 oz) can whole tomatoes, squeezed and drained
1/4 c. jarred pimentos, drained
1 T. paprika
2 T. red wine vinegar
3 T. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Cook nuts garlic and bread in skillet over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes. Transfer to food processor and pulse until fine. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until well combined. Serve over chicken.
Greta and Miles rating: Every one LOVED this!

African Peanut Soup

2010-09-07T19:37:00.000-07:00

Oh. Dear. This soup is our new favorite! It is quick and easy to prepare, has amazing flavor and is very filling. We had this with some crusty bread and it was even better the next day. Thanks, Emeril! The original recipe calls for ground turkey, but we skipped the meat and I made a few other minor changes. This was FABULOUS. Ooooh, just typing about this makes me want to eat it again!

African Peanut Soup
2 T. peanut oil
4 c. sliced onions
1 T. curry powder
2 t. minced garlic
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
2 c. chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes, drained and quartered
1/4 t. cayenne
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. good quality creamy peanut butter
1 c. coconut milk

Heat oil in dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat. Add curry powder. Cook for 1 minute. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
Add potatoes, broth and tomatoes, bring to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes.(I usually puree about half of the soup because I like the texture better) Enjoy!

Greta and Miles rating: Ok, so this was not a hit with the kids. Greta ate some and Miles would NOT touch it, but this is SOOOO good that we will just keep on making it until they like it :)

Oatmeal Cream Pies

2010-09-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

Little Debbie and I have a history. I used to eat oatmeal pies before basketball games in high school. Awesome, I know. Little Debbie doesn't have much of a place in my "make almost everything from scratch" grown-up life. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it...for old time's sake. Unfortunately, after I ate one, I did not play in a basketball game, but spent the evening watching Hulu :) Oh, well. They are great, and the frosting was fantastic!

Oatmeal Cream Pies
*start with your favorite Oatmeal cookie recipe or try this one*

1 c.butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 T honey
1 1/2 c.all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 c. old fashioned oats

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs, vanilla and honey. Mix well. Add dry ingredients. Fold in oats. Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool and fill with Marshmallow frosting.

Marshmallow Frosting
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a double boiler combine egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar and heat over simmering water. Whisk almost constantly, heating to 160 degrees. Transfer mix to mixing bowl and beat on high speed (with whisk attachment if you are using a stand mixer) until egg whites hold stiff peaks. Fold in vanilla until incorporated. Spread onto cookie 1/4" from the edge and top with another cookie. Store in an airtight container.

Ham & Cheddar Scones

2010-08-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

Yum! These are easy to make and a big hit with adults and kids alike. They are great for breakfast, a quick lunch, or as a fancy accompaniment to a dinner. I found the recipe in either Family Circle magazine or Better Homes and Gardens. Ooops! I can't remember. I've already made these twice and will be making them again soon. I may add about a 1/2 t. of salt next time.

Ham & Cheddar Scones
1 3/4 c. AP flour
1/4. c Whole wheat flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. baking soda
1/8 t. salt
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. cheddar
1/4 c. diced ham
1 t. dried dill
3/4 c. sour cream
1 egg
1 T. dijon

Combine dry ingredients and blend in butter with pastry blender. Stir in cheese, ham and dill. Combine egg, sour cream and dijon. Fold in until just combined. Roll dough onto floured surface and cut out. Or just form into biscuit shapes by hand :) Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes.

Greta and Miles rating: YUMYUMYUMYUM.

Mexican Flat bread Pizza

2010-08-10T07:39:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, we have a new family favorite. This meal is quick and easy and we LOVE it! If you are in a real hurry, you can prepare and refrigerate the beans and meat. I have made a few changes from the original recipe. These are great served with salsa and sour cream.

Mexican Flat bread Pizza
1 lb. ground turkey
1 pkg. taco seasoning (I use homemade)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 c. salsa

8 oz. Colby-jack cheese, shredded
1 pkg. Grands biscuits

Salsa and sour cream for serving

Preheat oven to 375. Brown turkey in skillet, and add taco seasoning as directed on package. Meanwhile combine beans and salsa in blender or food processor and blend. Roll biscuits on floured surface until they are about 1/4" in thickness. Bake for about 5 minutes until just turning golden. Remove from oven. Spread each with bean mixture, sprinkle with meat and cheese. Return to oven for about 3 minutes. Serve!
Greta and Miles rating: They both love this and usually eat an entire pizza each!

Adapted from This recipe.

Pumpkin Mac 'N Cheese

2010-07-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

It's no secret. My family loves pasta and the cheesier the better. This quick delicious dish (SNL anyone?) is a keeper. I found it on Pioneer Woman's website Tasty Kitchen. The original recipe calls for butternut squash, but pumpkin was on sale. The pumpkin was fabulous, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the squash would be even better!

Pumpkin Mac 'N Cheese
2 c. small pasta
1 T. butter
1 T. flour
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar
2 T. cream cheese
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1/8 t. paprika

While pasta is cooking, Melt butter in medium sauce pan. Whisk in flour. Whisk for 2 minutes. Slowly add milk while whisking lumps.
Add remaining ingredients. Stir. Add sauce to pasta and serve.

Greta and Miles rating: what pumpkin??? they loved it!

Crock Pot Steel Cut Oats

2010-07-15T21:33:00.001-07:00

One day I posted that I had made steel cut oats as my facebook status. I got all sorts of comments like "how the heck do you cook those, anyway?". Well, I like to make a big 'ol batch in the crock pot and then portion it out into containers for reheating during the week. That way I can just reheat a single serving when I'm ready. These are great topped with fresh fruit, with a swirl of yogurt, with dried fruit or nuts. Here is a page with some of the health benefits of eating steel cut oats.

Steel Cut Oats

7 c. water

1 c. steel cut oats

1 T. cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 T. coconut oil (or butter)

1 T. honey

Combine all ingredients into crock pot and cook on low or high until desired consistency. Since I cook mine to reheat, I turn the crock pot off when they are still a little runny. I usually end up cooking them on high for about 4 hours. Yields about 8 servings.

All portioned out and ready to go!

Sweet Corn Cheddar Pancakes

2010-07-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

I have been wanted the cook book From Asparagus to Zucchini for years now. I finally purchased it last month from our CSA office. This is the first recipe from the book that I have tried. It was delicious and I can not wait to try more!

Sweet Corn and Cheddar Pancakes
2/3 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 1/4 c. buttermilk (I used skim with 1 T. vinegar)
1 T. oil
1/2 c. shredded cheddar
4 T. finely chopped green onion
1/2 c. cooked corn kernels

Salsa, sour cream and chives for garnish.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. In separate bowl, mix egg, oil, buttermilk. Stir in cheese, onions and corn. Add wet ingredients to dry and fold together. Mixture can set at room temperature for up to 1 hour.Cook over medium heat in heavy skillet that has been brushed with cooking oil. Serve with sour cream, salsa and chives for garnish.

Greta and Miles rating : they both enjoyed this...minus the salsa and sour cream :)

Walnut & Honey Pizza

2010-07-12T07:00:00.001-07:00

I admit, I am a recipe stealer. I purposely try to make "knock-off" recipes from restaurants that I love.

Do I feel bad about this? Not one iota! This recipe is based off of a dish at a local restaurant. They use blue cheese, I used goat cheese; either is divine!

Walnut & Honey Pizza

-Premade Pizza crust (either homemade or from a bakery...a good one)

-Handful of walnuts

-1/3 c.(more or less) goat cheese (or blue cheese)

-Honey

-*Balsamic reduction

-Olive Oil

-Salt and Pepper

*To make a balsamic reduction, pour 1 1/2 c. balsamic vinegar in sauce pan and a pinch of sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook until enough liquid evaporates and the vinegar has the consistency of syrup. Set aside.

Preheat oven per pizza crust's instructions. While oven is preheating, brush crust(s) with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle crust with cheese and walnuts. Bake until crust is done and cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven and drizzle with balsamic reduction and honey (be generous with the honey) Sprinkle once more with salt and pepper.

Greta and Miles rating: They LOVED this. Miles had three pieces!!

Mom's Picante Chicken

2010-06-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

This recipe tastes like 1987. My Mom used to make this one growing up. I remember requesting this meal for my Birthday meal on more than one occasion. It is simple, kid friendly and cheap! Tastes pretty darn good too.

Mom's Picante Chicken
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
1/2 c. flour
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1 T. olive oil
1 c. mild salsa or Picante sauce
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 c. cooked white rice

While large skillet heats up to medium heat, combine flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder in shallow dish. Dredge chicken strips in flour mixture. Add oil to skillet. Fry strips in oil until golden brown and crispy. Remove from skillet. Remove any excess oil from pan. Place rice, salsa, and cheddar in skillet and combine. Fold chicken strips in and serve!

Greta and Miles Rating: They gobbled this up and asked for seconds!

Sugar Cookie Bars

2010-06-28T06:44:00.000-07:00

I have a small list of blogs that I just love. It is like having a few friends you can count on to only give you terrific recipes. One of those blogs is Annie's Eats. Annie's Eats is where I found this recipe. Every recipe I've ever tried on her blog has been fantastic! Head on over and check it out.
This is a great recipe for cook outs and get togethers. It makes a TON of bars. I added almond extract to both the bars and the frosting. The whole family loved these babies!

Sugar Cookie Bars

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 c. sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. almond extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda

For the frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. almond extract
Pinch of salt
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
5 tbsp. milk
Food coloring (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Grease a 13 x 18″ rimmed baking sheet (I used 15x10 and another small 5" pan). Combine the butter and sugar. Beat until light and smooth, about 2 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Blend in the extracts. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Whisk to blend. Add the dry ingredients and beat just until incorporated.

Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared baking sheet and press evenly. Bake 10-15 minutes, until light golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in the extract, salt, and confectioners’ sugar until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Mix in the milk. Tint as desired with food coloring. Spread over the cookie in the pan, cut into bars and serve.

Rice Cooker Mac N' Cheese

2010-06-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

I love my rice cooker! I use it at least once a week. It is the fastest, easiest, and best way to prepare rice, couscous and even homemade mac n' cheese! For the milk, can use heavy cream if you are feeling luxurious, skim milk or even soy milk. I've tried all three. The cheeses are versatile as well. We've used cheddar only, cheddar and goat cheese, cheddar and mozzarella...anything goes! The original (but altered) recipe was found at RecipeZaar.

Rice Cooker Mac N' Cheese

2 C. whole wheat penne pasta (or pasta of your choice)

1 1/4 C. milk

1 C. water or broth

1 C. shredded cheddar

1/2 C. shredded mozzarella

2 T. butter or margarine

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

pinch of cayenne (optional)

Dump pasta and water (or broth) and milk (or cream) into rice cooker. Cook. When finished cooking add remaining ingredients. Stir well. You may need to add additional water or milk. Serve to happy little kids. Serves 2 hungry adults or 1 adult and 3-4 little bumpkins.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

2010-06-23T10:44:00.000-07:00

I love tilapia. It is cheap. It is good for you. And it is delicious! We make this recipe often. This is definitely a "melt in your mouth" good recipe. The amazing thing is that one serving is only 203 calories! I found the recipe on Allrecipes.com. I usually serve this with rice or couscous and last time I served it with roasted sugar snap peas. Yum!

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 T. mayo
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 t. dried basil
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1/8 t. onion powder
1/8 t. sea salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

Preheat broiler. In small bowl, combine all ingredients for the topping. Broil fish 2-3 min. on one side, flip. Broil another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and brush topping on the filets. Broil another 2-3 minutes or until topping is bubbly and golden.

Greta and Miles rating: Both my 2 year old and 4 year old LOVE this dish.

Rosemary & Garlic Crackers

2010-06-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

Who knew that home made crackers could be so easy and so good? The whole family loved these simple crackers. I found the recipe here, and below is my version. These could so easily be changed up! You can use any type or combination of flours as well as herbs or spices.

Rosemary & Garlic Crackers

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (or combination of grains –I used whole wheat and oat flours)
1/4-1/2 c. butter, melted
1 cup water and 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 t. dried rosemary, crushed

1 t. garlic powder

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

The flours can be soaked for 12-24 hours, but the crackers will be great even if you skip this step.

Combine flour(s) with water and vinegar. Soak (or not) for 12-24 hours.

After soaking (or not) add the melted butter, salt and baking powder. Knead ingredients together until well combined. Divide dough into two portions. Roll each portion into a large rectangle (about 1/16 inch thick). Cut into desired squares and place on a cookie sheet. Pierce each cookie with a fork 2-3 times. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly brown. Enjoy!

Browned Butter Banana Bread

2010-06-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

My Mother-in-law makes a mean banana bread. Seriously, it is the BEST. I have the recipe, and it uses a cake mix in the ingredients. Call me lazy, but I just never buy or use cake mixes. Well, maybe that is the opposite of lazy? I have tried my best to find a banana bread recipe that is even close to as good as hers. I have made probably about 5 versions. This one is very, very good! I found the recipe at Sing for Your Supper. I love her blog! Her recipes never disappoint. This bread was even better the 2nd day!

Browned Butter Banana Bread
1/2 c. butter
2 c. flour
3/4 c.brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 bananas, mashed
1/2 c. chopped pecans (I omitted)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease an 8" loaf pan.

In a medium saucepan over high melt the butter. Once it is melted lower the heat to medium and swirl the butter around the pan. Continue to swirl the butter occasionally. After about 5 minutes the butter will literally turn brown. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool while getting everything else ready.

In a large bowl sift the dry ingredients.
In another bowl whisk the eggs then add the mashed bananas, vanilla and the semi-cooled butter.
Add the liquid to the dry mixture. Mix just until incorporated, don’t over mix. Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan.

Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes, until it is browned on top and a fork inserted comes out clean. Cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan before cutting and serving.

Kale Chips

2010-06-01T18:46:00.001-07:00

We got our 2nd CSA box for the summer today. In our box was some beautiful kale and I was sooooo excited. I’ve seen recipes online for kale chips and have been dying to try them. Well- the verdict is in——–DE-LIC-IOUS! Everyone in the family loved the chips. They just melt in your mouth. What a cool way to get your leafy greens! I combined a few recipes and came up with my own. Give it a try!

Kale Chips

2 bunches (or 1 large bunch) kale, washed and cut into small pieces (think smaller than tortilla chips)

1 1/2 T. rice wine vinegar (balsamic or even apple cider vinegar would work)

3 T. Olive oil

1 t. sea salt

1/3 c. grated Parmesan *optional

Whisk together oil, vinegar and salt. Using hands, toss kale with oil mixture. Spread onto 2 cookie sheets. Sprinkle with cheese (or not). Bake at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Use a spatula about half way through to loosen the chips. Enjoy!

Blue Mac 'N Cheese

2010-05-24T19:10:00.000-07:00

There is a great local vegetarian restaurant that serves fantastic soups. They also have some of the best macaroni and cheese I've ever had. My favorite is their "Blue". I am a huge blue cheese fan, and lucky for me, my two little children are too! I found a great recipe online that is close, but still lacking a little of the magic. I lightened the recipe up a tad, but it was still great comfort food!

Blue Mac 'N Cheese
1 lb. penne pasta
2 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1/4 c. flour
2 1/2 c. skim milk
1 1/2 c. blue cheese
3 c. cheddar cheese
Salt, black pepper, cayenne to taste
3 T. minced fresh chives

Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta as directed, drain and set aside. Melt the butter with the oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Make a roux with the flour. Cook for about a minute and slowly whisk in the milk. Once sauce begins to thicken, add the cheddar and 1 c. of the blue cheese. Add salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. Toss pasta in cheese sauce and pour into 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle remaining blue cheese over top and bake 15-20 minutes until bubbly. Sprinkle with chives and serve.
Greta and Miles rating: Greta had 3 helpings and Miles ate every last drop of his!

Cheeseburger Bread

2010-05-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

I think this could be more accurately described as a Cheeseburger Calzone, but either way- this is an easy delicious dish! The original recipe calls for premade pizza dough, but I made mine from scratch. This is a fun recipe that would be great to serve to dinner guests that might be a little less adventurous :) I used ground turkey, and it was fabulous!

Cheeseburger Bread
1 lb. ball of pizza dough
1 lb. ground turkey
Worcestershire sauce
salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste
1 c. shredded cheddar
1 kosher dill pickle, chopped into small pieces
ketchup and mustard, to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Brown ground turkey with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Drain. Stir in cheese and pickles; stir until well mixed.

Roll dough ball into a big rectangle. Spread the dough with ketchup and mustard (I skipped mustard). Put meat mixture in the middle of dough. Roll to make a loaf pinching edges to make a seam. Bake for 15-20 or until dough starts to brown.

Greta and Miles rating: They thought this was awesome!

Light Oat Bread

2010-05-16T16:44:00.000-07:00

This is a fabulous bread recipe!! I have made it with all AP flour and also with 2 c. AP, 1 c. Whole Wheat. The loaves were delicious both times. This is our favorite homemade bread to use for making grilled cheese sandwiches. I usually double this recipe...I figure if I'm going to go to the trouble to make fresh bread, I want at least two loaves from the deal! Here is the original, which is for a breadmachine, but I prefer the taste and shape of the loaves when cooked in the oven.
Light Oat Bread
1 1/4 c. warm water
2 T. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. yeast
2 T. butter
3 C. Flour (whatever combination floats your boat)
1/2 c. Oats
1 t. salt

In small bowl, combine the water, sugar, yeast and melted (and cooled) butter. Set aside for about 10 minutes. In large bowl combine dry ingredients. Whisk together. Pour water/yeast mixture into dry ingredients and stir with spatula until combined. Then knead for 10-15 minutes. Cover and let rise until doubled. Punch down and transfer to bread pan. Cover and let rise until the dough is the same height as the pan. Bake at 350 for approx. 30 minutes.

Crispy BBQ Tofu Slices

2010-05-15T19:17:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying that I don't like Barbecue. I think it might have something to do with the fact that I am not crazy about meat. And meat attached to a bone is just plain scary to me! My husband and kids love barbecue sauce...and meat. I found this recipe on Allrecipes, I was excited! I love crispy tofu, but until now, my family has not had the same opinion. This recipe was such a hit that I had to double it to feed our family of 4. The little ones were fighting Daddy for the leftovers! This recipe was terrific and a new addition to our "regulars". I wouldn't recommend this recipe for the beginner cook as there are many steps. In the end- this is definitely worth all of the preparations.

Crispy BBQ Tofu Slices
1 (16 oz) pkg. extra firm tofu
3 T. EVOO
1 egg white
1 T. bbq sauce
1 c. AP flour
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 c. bbq sauce

Drain tofu, and slice into strips. Place in a plastic bag , and freeze overnight. This gives the tofu a meatier texture. Thaw tofu strips, and blot with paper towels to dry. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over med. heat. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white and 1 tablespoon of barbecue sauce (I had to double this).

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl. Dip the tofu slices into the egg mixture, then into the flour mixture, Fry in the hot oil for about 1 minute on each side, until golden brown. You will have to do this in batches. Remove from the oil to paper towels to drain and cool.Preheat the oven's broiler. Brush tofu slices with additional barbecue sauce, and allow to marinate while the broiler heats up. Arrange them on a broiler pan. Broil for 5 minutes on each side, or until browned and crisp, watch closely so as not to burn them. Serve warm with the remaining barbecue sauce for dipping.

Greta and Miles rating: They absolutely LOVED this!!!

Tom Kha Kai Soup

2010-05-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

The photo, not so interesting...the flavor of this soup, WOW! You must try this! The original recipe calls for 1 c. cooked chicken and mushrooms- I substituted these for a bag of frozen stir fry veggies. There are so many amazing flavors going on in this soup. I've used both lemon and lime juice successfully. Try this--you will not regret it!

Thai Coconut Soup

3 c. chicken broth
1 can coconut milk
1/2 t. ground ginger
1 pkg. frozen stir fry vegetables
1 1/2 T. lime (or lemon) juice
1 T. fish sauce
2 T. Thai chili paste
3 T. brown sugar

Combine chicken broth, coconut milk and ginger in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir for 1 minute. Add veggies, lemon juice, sugar, fish sauce and chile paste and stir until veggies are cooked through. Serve.
Greta and Miles rating: This was too spicy for the kiddos. Next time I will try halving the chili paste and let them try it.

Brown Sugar-Sunflower Seed Cookies

2010-04-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

Once upon a Monday, I was at the local grocery store and purchased a little green bag of sunflower seed cookies. This was unusual as I usually make my own, but these were on sale and had all natural ingredients…even the packaging was delightful! I brought the cookies home and everyone in the family was in love. They were adorable little petite cookies. They were crunchy, buttery and had a divine brown sugar flavor. We went through the green bag quickly. Since I love to bake, I couldn’t justify buying them again…but I really wanted them! I didn’t have any recipes that were even close to similar, so I went back to the store a few weeks later and purchased one more bag with the intent of making my own copy-cat recipe. We “sampled” them and I formulated a recipe. They weren’t quite right. They needed to be a little smaller, a little more crunchy, and have a few less sunflower seeds. A few months later (last night) I tried again. So, here it is! If you have had those cookies in that cute little green bag…these are pretty close!

Enjoy!

Brown Sugar-Sunflower Seed Cookies

1/2 c. butter

1 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

1 1/4 c. flour

3/4 c. oat flour (grind your own from oats in the blender or food processor)

1/2 t. soda

1/4 t. salt

1/3 c. sunflower seeds (I use raw, unsalted)

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1/4 c. brown sugar

Cream butter and 1 c. brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat. Stir in flours, soda and salt. Fold in sunflower seeds.In a small bowl, mix 1/4 c. sugar with 1/4 c. brown sugar. Roll dough into small balls (remember these are petite cookies). Roll each ball in sugar mixture and press down slightly after placed on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for approximately 8 minutes or until golden brown.

Carrot- Oat Cakes

2010-04-26T19:58:00.000-07:00

We got this recipe at my son's physical therapist's office. They were handing these little cakes out for Easter treats. The kids loved them! What a great snack. Especially for on the go!

Carrot-Oat Cakes

1 c. rolled oats

1 c. chopped walnuts (we used cashews)

1 c. whole wheat flour

2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. ground ginger

1/2 t. salt

2 c. grated carrots

1 c. maple syrup (buy 100% pure, it is a million times better)

1 c. raisins or dried currants (we used craisins and dates)

1/2 c. unsweetened finely shredded coconut

1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325. Spray 9″ square pan with cooking spray.

Pulse oats and nuts in food processor until coarsely ground. Transfer to large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Mix well. In a second large bowl, combine carrots, syrup, dried fruit, coconut and vanilla. Add carrot mixture to flour mixture and stir until completely combined. Transfer to prepared pan and bake until cooked through and deep golden brown, about 55 minutes (mine took 40). Cool, cut into squares and serve.

Oh, did I mention how much my husband loves these??

Vegan Peanutbutter Vanilla Balls

2010-03-01T15:28:00.000-08:00

Oh, my dear Lord!!! These are delicious! Especially once you find out what is in them! I found them here. You really, really need to make these :) You don't have to bake them and they are so quick!

Vegan Peanutbutter Vanilla Balls
1/2 c. medjool dates
1/4 c. peanuts
1 t. vanilla
2 T. peanut butter
2 T. brown sugar (or other sweetener)

In food processor, grind peanuts. Add dates, grind. Add vanilla, peanutbutter, and sugar and grind. Shape into balls and store in refrigerator or freezer. Keeps for weeks.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

2010-02-24T12:02:00.000-08:00

I have yet to try a recipe by Giada DeLaurentiis that I do not like. This recipe is delicious even my hubby, who doesn't like lasagna, enjoyed it. I found this recipe on the foodnetwork website while looking for ways to use up my butternut squash. I would definitely make this again!

Butternut Squash Lasagna

1 T. olive oil

1 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c. water

3 amaretti cookies, crumbled (I omitted)

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. flour

3 1/2 c. whole milk

Pinch nutmeg

3/4 c. (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves

12 no-boil lasagna noodles

2 1/2 c. shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese

1/3 c. grated Parmesan (I used more)

Directions

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high. Add the squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour water into skillet and then cover and simmer over medium heat until squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly, then transfer the squash to a food processor. Add the cookies and blend until smooth. Season the squash puree, to taste, with more salt and pepper.

Melt butter in medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the nutmeg. Cool slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender. Make sure to vent the top of the blender to prevent and explosion! Add the basil and blend until smooth. Return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange a layer of lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 c. of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 c. of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna. Continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Greta and Miles rating: eh...so, so. Miles liked it better than Greta did, but then again, Greta and squash don't have the best track record.

Chicken Divan

2010-02-24T10:06:00.001-08:00

Mmmmmm! I love this recipe! The hubby is not too fond of cooked broccoli, so I make this whenever he has to work overtime :) I usually try not to cook with "cream of" soups because they aren't the greatest for you, but some recipes are just too good! This recipe is based off of a recipe from my foodie friend Lisa, not to be confused with my foodie friend Leisa :)

Chicken Divan

4 slices whole wheat bread (any bread will work)

2 T. olive oil

2 T. balsamic vinegar

1/2 t. garlic salt

Black pepper

1 can Cream of chicken soup (98% fat free)

1 t. curry powder

1/2 c. mayo (I use olive oil mayo)

1 head broccoli, chopped

2 c. cooked, cubed chicken

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Cut the bread into cubes the size of croutons. Toss bread in oil, vinegar, garlic salt and pepper. Toast at 425 stirring every 5 minutes until toasted on the outside, but still tender on the inside. Set aside.

Mix soup, mayo and curry powder. In 9x13 pan, add broccoli, chicken and 1 c. of cheese. Stir. Spoon soup mixture over chicken and broccoli mixture. Stir well to coat evenly. Sprinkle with croutons and then with remaining 1 c. cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Greta and Miles Rating: The kids Loooooove this! Best way I've found to get them to eat broccoli :)

Iced Eggnog Cookies

2009-11-14T19:28:00.000-08:00

I looooove eggnog! My husband is not a fan and I don't usually let the little ones have a lot of sugar, so to buy an entire quart of eggnog means that I would probably end up drinking the WHOLE thing. So, I decided to buy a quart and use some in recipes. I found this great cookie recipe on Picky Palate. This recipe is fantastic and the cookies actually do taste just like a glass of eggnog (plus some butter!). Tomorrow I will be making our weekly Sunday morning sweet potato pancakes with eggnog instead of milk! 'Tis the season...ok, maybe it's a little early.

Frosted Eggnog Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup SALTED butter, room temp
1/2 cup eggnog (I used reduced fat)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon nutmeg (optional)

Preheat oven to 300F.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well with a whisk and set aside. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks and beat until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Chill dough for at least 15 minutes.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg or skip this step and sprinkle on the nutmeg after you ice the cookies. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown.

Transfer to cool, flat surface immediately with spatula.

Eggnog Icing
3 C. confectioners sugar
1/4 C. softened butter or margarine
1/3 C. eggnog (use as much as you need)

In small mixer bowl, beat confectioners’ sugar and butter or margarine until well blended. Gradually beat in eggnog until icing is smooth. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Garnish with a sprinkle of eggnog after icing.

Taco Hummus

2009-10-23T11:29:00.000-07:00

We love hummus. Taco hummus is hummus on an entirely different level. This recipe is GREAT! And I didn't even have all of the ingredients on hand. As I was eating some of this, I was thinking that it would even be a great replacement for meat in tacos! The kids really liked this too. The original recipe is from Savory, Spicy, Sweet, I have altered it a bit because I was out of tahini, paprika and onion powder---but I didn't miss those things. I did have to add a little more olive oil and some water to get to the right consistency.

Taco Hummus

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups drained well-cooked or canned chickpeas, liquid reserved
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus oil for drizzling
Juice of 1 lemon, plus more as needed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
water (as needed to get the right consistency)

Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until creamy. Serve with pita chips, veggies, corn chips or even on toasted bread.

Cottage Cheese Cookies

2009-10-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Self, Please refrain from putting strange things in your cookie dough. First the chickpeas, now cottage cheese? Really? Oh, wait...they were both delicious. Carry On. Sincerely, Self.

Cottage Cheese Cookies
1 c. butter
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 t. almond extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1c. cottage cheese
3/4 c. chopped pecans
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and white sugar, until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the almond extract. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa; gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Stir in the cottage cheese and pecans. Cover dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls then roll the balls in the confectioners' sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing.

Potato Leek Soup

2009-10-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

I went to see Julie & Julia with my Mom, sister and very best foodie friend. We all thoroughly enjoyed the movie and my dear Mother recently made Julia Child's Potato Leek soup(Potage Parmentier) and insisted that I do so as well. This was delicious and very inexpensive! I served this soup with the Blackberry Glazed Salmon below, but it would have also been awesome served with some crusty bread.

Potato Leek Soup

1 lb potatoes, peeled & diced

1 lb leeks , chopped and rinsed

4 TBS unsalted butter

Salt & Pepper

4-6 TBS Heavy Cream

2-4 TBS minced chives

1. Simmer the potatoes and leeks in salted water (water should be about 2 inches above potatoes and leeks) for 40-50 minutes, until soft.

2. Puree the veggies (in water) with an immersion blender - I had to used a regular blender, but now an immersion blender is on my list. Add the butter in bits; then add salt & pepper to taste. Stir in cream.

3. Pour into soup bowls and sprinkle on chives
138 calories, 3 g protein.

Blackberry Glazed Salmon

2009-10-12T19:57:00.000-07:00

fast. easy. healthy.
Here is a recipe for an elegant dinner that is ready from start to finish in literally 15 minutes.

Blackberry Glazed Salmon
4- Salmon steaks
2 T. blackberry jam (I like habenero blackberry jam!)
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
Preheat broiler. Mix jam, soy sauce, olive oil and garlic in bowl. Spoon glaze over salmon and broil for approximately 10 minutes (depending on thickness of steaks) until the meat flakes and is no longer translucent. Voila!

French Onion Pasta

2009-10-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

Wow. This is truly excellent. The whole family loved this recipe from Stephanie at Stephanie Cooks. This one is going onto our list of regulars! The best thing is that it is so delicious and so cheap!
Next time, I will double the recipe so we have enough for leftovers:)

French Onion Pasta

2 c. of uncooked rotini pasta
1 c. chicken stock
1 packet of Lipton's Onion Soup mix
1 scallion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/2 cup of Marsala wine (I just used Sherry)
4 tablespoons of light cream
1 tablespoon of flour
1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon of EVOO

Directions-
Cook pasta and keep warm. In a saucepan, heat the EVOO. Add the scallions and garlic, stir continually until soft and fragrant. Add the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any pieces of onion. Add the stock and soup mix packets, allow to cook on low for about 20 minutes.
Whisk in flour, whisking continually until well incorporated and thickened. Add the light cream, mix well. Add the pasta to the sauce, stir well. Pour into an oven safe dish. Top with the mozzarella cheese. Set it under the broiler until the cheese is golden.

Chocolate Chip-Chick pea Cookies!

2009-10-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

Jessica Seinfeld is a genius! I have been wanting to try this recipe for months, but kept chickening out! Her cookbook Deceptively Delicious is definitely a keeper. I have had much success with this cookbook. This recipe might just be the best yet! I did make one minor change---instead of 2 cups of chocolate chips, I did 1 cup mini-chocolate chips and 1 cup butterscotch chips. The butterscotch and chocolate flavors work perfectly with the nutty quality of the chick-peas. You must try this!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies (with chick-peas)
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. margarine
2 large egg whites
2 t. vanilla
1 can chick-peas, drained and rinsed
2 c. chocolate chips (I highly recommend 1 c. mini-choc. chips, and 1. c. butterscotch chips)
2 c. flour
1/2 c. oats
1 t. soda
1/4 t. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Cream sugar and margarine. Beat in egg whites and vanilla. Add chick-peas and chips. Stir well. Add remaining dry ingredients and stir well. Drop dough onto pan and flatten slightly with spoon or fork. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until golden.

Pear-Pecan Blue cheese Salad

2009-10-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

Attention. This is the best salad ever. What’s that you say? You don’t like blue cheese? You do now. Eat it.

Pear-Pecan-Blue cheese Salad

Mixed greens

toppings:

blue cheese (gorgonzola is my favorite)

candied pecans (store bought or homemade)

2 pears, chopped

1/2 c. maple syrup

Sweet, light salad dressing: A maple vinaigrette would be ideal–I just make my own!

Warm 1/2 c. maple syrup in small pot. When syrup is hot, dump pears in and stir occasionally, until pears begin to soften. Remove from heat and drain. Serve salad topped with pecans, drained pears, blue cheese and vinaigrette. Pass out from deliciousness.

Zucchini-Roasted Red Pepper Pizza

2009-09-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

Seriously delicious! I will most definitely make this again. Next time I think I will skip the red pepper flakes so the kids can enjoy it as well. The flavors in this recipe were amazing, but a little too spicy for young children. The recipe is from Rachael Ray's book, 30 Minute Meals 2.

Zucchini-Roasted Red Pepper Pizza
1 (14 oz) jar roasted red peppers
1/2 lb. refrigerated pizza dough
1 T. corn meal
1 1/2 c. smoked gouda, shredded
1//2 medium zucchini, very thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. olive oil
1 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1 t. dried Italian seasoning
coarse salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Drain peppers and grind into a paste using a food processor. Dust pizza dough with corn meal and spread onto pizza pan. Spread pepper paste onto dough. Top with shredded cheese.
Place thinly sliced zucchini in small bowl and combine with remaining ingredients. Toss well and evenly coat.
Arrange zucchini on pizza, but do not overlap. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Stone Fruit Bars

2009-09-27T18:01:00.000-07:00

These are delicious! Fabulous right out of the oven and even better when cooled down. The recipe is from Brown Eyed Baker. She originally made the recipe with peaches only, but I had peaches and plums on hand. This worked out great, the peaches were slightly more tart than the plums. Mmmmmm! Fall is here!

Stone Fruit Bars

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
1 c. unsalted butter, cold
1 egg, lightly beaten

5 cups diced or sliced peaches and/or plums (about 7 peaches)
2 T. lemon juice
½ c. all-purpose flour
1 c. sugar
¼ t. salt
½ t. ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (I omitted)

Preheat the oven to 375 . Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.

For the dough- In a medium bowl whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter, and then the egg. The dough will be crumbly. Press half of the dough into the pan. Place the pan and the remainder of the dough in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

For the filling- Place peaches and/or plums in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour over the fruit and mix gently.

Spread the fruit mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble the remaining dough over the fruit layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Fajita Burgers

2009-09-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

My Rachael Ray marathon continues. This recipe was a hit! The recipe is from Rachael Ray's 30 minute Get Real Meals.

Beef Fajita Burgers:

1 1/3 pounds ground sirloin

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

2-3 tablespoons fresh picked thyme leaves, several sprigs

Several drops hot sauce

1 tablespoon grill seasoning (such as Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Combine ingredients in bowl and mix well using hands. Divide into 4 patties and drizzle with oil before grilling or broiling. Cook to desired doneness. Serve withseared pepper and onions on a tortilla.

Seared Peppers and Onions:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 red or green bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced lengthwise

1 medium yellow skinned onion, thinly sliced lengthwise

1 jalapeno or serrano, seeded and chopped (I omitted)

2 cups tomatillo, green chili salsa or chipotle-tomato salsa, your choice (I used garlic-lime salsa as my husband is allergic to cilantro)

Heat skillet to medium heat and warm oil. Add peppers and onions and cook about 5 minutes. Add salsa and stir well. Cook an additional minute and serve with burgers.

Greta and Miles rating: They both loved this. They ate the meat really fast and wanted more!

Cauliflower-Pumpkin Pasta

2009-09-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

Mmmmmmm! I thought I hated cauliflower...this was really, really delicious-not too bad for you and very easy to whip up! The recipe is another one from Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Get Real Meals.
Cauliflower-Pumpkin Pasta

2 T. olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large head cauliflower, chopped into florets
1 c. chicken stock or broth
salt
1/2 pound pasta (I used whole wheat penne)
1 c. pumpkin puree (*not pumpkin pie filling)
1/4 c. cream or half and half
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
3 T. chopped fresh sage leaves (I used 1 t. dried)

Preheat large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add cauliflower and stir to coat with oil and garlic. Add stock and bring to a boil. Place lid on pan and simmer for 15 minutes, or until tender.

Boil water for pasta. Add pasta and cook to al dente.

Once pasta is cooked and cauliflower is tender, add pumpkin and cream to cauliflower. Heat through. Drain pasta and add to cauliflower and pumpkin. Add cheese, salt, pepper and sage. Toss with pasta and serve with extra Parmesan to top.

Greta and Miles rating: Miles loved this----Greta, not so much.

Macadamia-Crusted Chicken with Gorgonzola Sauce

2009-09-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

I make a trip to the library at least once a month. Each trip, I borrow several cook books. This month, I was on a Rachael Ray kick. The recipe is from Rachael Ray's book 30 Minute Get Real Meals. This recipe originally calls for hazelnuts, but I subbed the macadamia nuts and it worked out really, really well. I used more Gorgonzola than the original also because we looooove Gorgonzola. This will definitely be one we make again! I served this with cous cous which worked out well because it allowed us to eat more of the heavenly sauce.

Macadamia-Crusted Chicken with Gorgonzola Sauce
2 T. flour
1 t. poultry seasoning
1 t. garlic powder
2 egg whites
1 c. chopped macadamia nuts (or hazelnuts)
4 chicken breasts
salt and pepper
2 T. olive oil
1 c. whole milk
3/4 c. Gorgonzola cheese (original calls for 1/2 c.)
2 t. chopped fresh sage or 1 t. dried

Preheat oven to 325.

Mix flour, poultry seasoning, and garlic powder in shallow dish. Beat egg whites in shallow dish. Place chopped nuts in 3rd shallow dish.

Preheat skillet over medium-high heat. Season breasts with salt and pepper. Turn in flour to dust breasts, next turn in egg whites and finally press into nuts on both sides. Add oil to pan and add chicken. Brown chicken 2 minutes each side until nuts are golden. Transfer to baking dish and cook in oven until chicken is cooked. 10-15 minutes.

Just before serving, warm milk over medium heat in small pot. Add cheese and melt into milk. If using dried sage, stir into sauce. Simmer 5 minutes.

To serve, place chicken on plate and pour a couple spoons of sauce over the center of each piece. Garnish with fresh sage (optional)

Greta and Miles rating: They both (3 years and 1 1 /2 years old) loved this! I'm glad they are fans of good cheese!

Sweet Potato Pancakes

2009-08-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

We make these every Sunday morning and they taste like pumpkin pie for breakfast! I also really like to make my own pancake mix to have on hand- a great combo!

SWEET POTATO PANCAKES

1/2 c. pureed sweet potato (or pure pumpkin)

1/2-1 t. cinnamon

1 c. pancake mix, prepared as directed on box

OR make your OWN pancake mix from scratch!

HOMEMADE PANCAKE MIX

3 1/2 c. Whole wheat flour (you can use any combination of flours totaling 6 cups)

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2/3 c. sugar

2 T. baking powder

1 T. baking soda

Combine ingredients with whisk and store in airtight container. When ready to use combine 1 c. mix with 3/4 c. milk and 1 egg.

Sweet Potato Fries

2009-08-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite side dishes. I don't even like French fries, but sweet potato fries are another story! This is a Giada De Laurentiis recipe. The dipping sauce goes very well with the fries and also works perfectly on my open faced salmon sandwiches!

SWEET POTATO FRIES
3-5 Sweet potatoes, cut into 1x5" fries
3 T. olive oil
2 T. chopped fresh basil
2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper

GARLIC MAYO DIPPING SAUCE
3/4 mayonnaise
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400.
Place the sweet potato fries on a foil-lined baking sheet and toss with the olive oil. I like to place the fries on a cooling rack on the baking sheet to keep the fries from sticking to the sheet. Bake until golden, about 30-45 minutes.
Meanwhile combine the basil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. In another small bowl combine the mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice, and stir to combine.
When the sweet potato fries come out of the oven, sprinkle with the basil salt. Serve with the garlic mayonnaise alongside for dipping.

Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins

2009-07-30T11:41:00.000-07:00

OK, this is a recipe AND a cook book review! This recipe is from Jessica Seinfeld's cook book, Deceptively Delicious. Her cook book is fabulous and features recipes with pureed fruits and veggies hidden cleverly in delicious meals and goodies! I have made a lot of the recipes in the cook book and will discuss those later. But, back to this recipe- I have tried this both with the pureed cauliflower and with the pureed carrot. Both version are fabulous, but my family likes the carrot recipe the best. I highly recommend this cookbook to anyone with or without children.

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA MUFFINS
(with carrot or cauliflower)
Non-stick cooking spray
1 c. brown sugar (divided 2) 1/2 c. portions)
1/2 c. natural peanut butter
1/2 c. carrot or cauliflower puree
1/2 c. banana puree
1 large egg white
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin pan with nonstick spray. Combine 1/2 c. sugar, peanut butter, vegetable puree, banana and egg white. Mix well. Add dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Add 2nd 1/2 c. of brown sugar and stir only once or twice. Divide batter into muffin cups and bake until tops are golden and toothpick come out clean. About 15-20 minutes.

Here are the other recipes I have tried from this wonderful book-
Banana bread- Great!
Sweet Potato Pancakes- Fabulous, our new Sunday morning tradition
Aloha Chicken Kebabs- Great flavor, but had trouble keeping the breading on
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (with squash puree)-Even better than the original
Sloppy Joes- Excellent

White Wedding Cake

2009-07-29T21:04:00.001-07:00

My sister requested white wedding cake for her bridal shower. I must admit that white wedding cake is my personal favorite as well. I have made many cakes from scratch, but have found that they are most often not as moist as a cake mix. Even so, I do not usually buy cake mixes. For this occasion, I wanted to make sure that it was moist and delicious with a hint of almond- just like wedding cake should bed. I found this recipe and I will never use another!

White Wedding Cake
1 box white cake mix
3 egg whites
1 1/2 t. almond extract
1/4 c. all purpose flour
1/4 c. oil
1 1/3 c. water

Combine all ingredients in mixer and mix well. Pour into greased and floured pans. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. *To frost, I used plain white frosting in the container with 1 t. almond extract mixed in.

Cheesecake Won Ton Cups

2009-07-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

I love short cuts. Especially when you can NOT tell that a short cut has been made! This is a recipe from my friend Stefanie. I have had these on several occasions and each time, everyone RAVES about them! This is one of the recipes that I made for my sister's bridal shower last weekend. Enjoy!

Cheesecake Won ton Cups

1 pkg. won ton wrappers
1 container Philadelphia cheesecake filling (premade, and at your grocery store by the cream cheese)
1 jar lemon curd (fancy jam or pie filling would even work)
whipped cream (the kind in a can works best)

fresh raspberries (blackberries would be terrific, too)
Using a mini-cupcake pan, press wonton wrappers into pan. Spray lightly with PAM (I used olive oil spray). Sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.
Bake at 350 for approximately 5 minutes, or until golden. Cool.
Fill cooled shells with about 1 t. of cheesecake filling, 1 t. lemon curd. Top with whipped cream and place one single raspberry on top. Garnish by sifting confectioner's sugar over just before serving.

Harvest Lamb Stew

2009-07-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

This meal was delicious, but not the best for a hot summer night! In any event, this is a keeper. Simple and flavorful and could easily be made in the crock pot. For those of you who make your own baby food- this would be a great recipe to use!

Harvest Lamb Stew

1 lb. Lamb stew meat

1 T. Olive oil

1/4 red onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 c. butternut squash, cut into chunks (I used frozen!)

1/2 c. pearl barley

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs thyme

3 c. tomato juice

Heat medium skillet on HIGH. Salt and pepper the lamb chunks. Brown lamb about 1 minute, turning once. Remove to roast pan or dutch oven (center should be red). Turn heat down to medium and add oil, onion, garlic, squash, bay leaf and thyme. Cook about 5-8 minutes and add barley. Cook, stirring, an additional 2 minutes and add to pan with the lamb. At this point it should look like this:

Pour tomato juice over mixture and bake at 325 for about 2 hours (or place in crock pot for 3-4 hours on low) Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh thyme.

Granola

2009-07-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

This is my stand-by granola recipe. We always have a jar (or 2) of this stuff around. Some of my favorite combinations are dried tart cherries and almonds, and blueberries and almond or pecans. This is absoutely delicious mixed into a bowl with plain fat-free yogurt and a little honey or agave nectar. My hubby also likes this on top of a salad with vinaigrette.

GRANOLA

3 c. oats

1 c. raw sunflower seeds (or nuts)

1 c. shredded, unsweetened coconut

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. pure maple syrup

1/4 c. vegetable oil

3/4 t. salt

1 c. dried fruit (I used blueberries this time)

Combine sugar, syrup, oil and salt. Combine oats, seeds and coconut, stir. Add oil mixture to oats. Spread over 2 cookie sheets and bake at 250 degrees, stirring every 15 minutes until done to your liking (I did 30 minutes). Cool and add dried fruit. Store in airtight container. Makes approximately 6 cups.

Breakfast Bars

2009-07-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

Looking for a quick, healthy breakfast? We have our freezer stocked with these at all times. I found the recipe here. Joe takes one of these and a banana with him to work for breakfast every morning. The bars are filling and really stick with you! They also contain spirulina. You can find spirulina in most health food stores. A container should cost about $20, but I have always gotten it in the bulk spice section so I didn’t have to buy quite so much at once (and it is a fraction of the cost).

BREAKFAST BARS

2 1/2 c. oats

1/2 c. flax seed

1/4 c. cocoa powder

1/2 c. natural peanutbutter

1/2 c. honey

1/2 t. spirulina (I use closer to 1 t., but start here until you get used to the taste)

1/2- 1 c. hot water

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Mix well and form into patties. Wrap in saran wrap and store in refrigerator or freezer. Makes 8-12 bars.

Spinach-Feta Pizza

2009-05-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

Yum! I loved this recipe. When I saw Rachael Ray whipping this up on her talk show, I knew I would be making it soon! I made a few changes- I used whole wheat tortillas for crusts instead of pizza crust. This saves on calories and we really like thin, crispy crust anyway. I also used grape tomatoes and baked them with the pizza instead of adding them at the end.

Spinach-Feta Pizza
3 T. olive oil
1 whole wheat pizza crust (I used 3 whole wheat tortillas)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bunches spinach
salt and pepper to taste
nutmeg to taste
1 c. feta
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella
1 pint cherry tomatoes

Brush crust with olive oil and bake until light brown (skip this step if using tortillas). In large skillet saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. After about 3-4 minutes, add spinach and cook until wilted. Spoon spinach over crust. Top with feta, tomato halves and mozzarella. Bake at 450 until cheese is bubbly.

Peanutbutter-Coconut-Chocolate Chip cookies

2009-05-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

I wonder how many different cookie recipes I’ve made through the years?!?!?!?! I got my first cook book in 1st grade and have been baking and cooking since! In grade school I won a purple (or was it blue?) ribbon for my chocolate mint cookies. In 5th grade my science experiment was “Butter vs. Margarine”. We made chocolate chip cookies for our scientific taste test.

Well today I sought out to create my own cookie recipe. When cooking, it is very easy to create a new recipe successfully. When baking, it is a little more difficult. You have to have the correct ratio of ingredients or the cookies will be too flat, too cakey or worst of all…taste bad! Baking is a lot like a science experiment. I am very pleased to say that the cookies turned out AMAZING!

Peanut Butter*Coconut*Chocolate chip cookies

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

1/2 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

3/4 c. unsweetened, shredded coconut

1 1/4 c. flour

1 c. chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 325. Combine butters and cream. Add sugars, cream. Add egg and vanilla, combine. Add dry ingredients and mix. Add chocolate chips and fold in.

Bake for 8-12 minutes until golden brown.

I make cookies a lot. BUT-when I do make them I usually only bake one batch. This way I can roll the remaining dough into balls and freeze them for the next time we have unexpected guests

White Bean Dip with Pita chips

2009-05-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

Another great recipe from the Everyday Italian book! The chips were especially good.

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips
4 pita breads, split horizontally in half (I used whole wheat)
2 T. plus 1/3 c. olive oil
1 t. dried oregano
1 1/2 t. salt
1 1/4 t. pepper
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 c. loosely packed, fresh flat-leaf parsley (I used 1 T. dried)
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove

Preheat oven to 400. Cut or tear pita into wedges and arrange over baking sheet. Brush with 2 T. oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano. Bake 8 minutes turn over and then bake an additional 8 minutes or until crispy and golden.
Meanwhile combine beans, parsley, lemon juice, garlic 1/2 t. salt, 1/4 t. pepper in bowl of food processor aand pulse. Gradually add remaining oil. Pulse and serve with chips.

White Bean and Tuna Salad

2009-05-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

I am working my way through the cook book, Everyday Italian, by Giada DeLaureniis. This recipe was great because it was all ingredients most people will have on hand. This would be great alone, on salad greens or even in a wrap or sandwich.

White Bean and Tuna Salad
2 (6 oz.) cans tuna packed in olive oil
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium red onion, sliced
6 T. red wine vinegar
*optional-grape tomatoes and fresh basil leaves

Combine ingredients in bowl and serve!

Greta and Miles rating: They both really liked this.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars

2009-04-29T11:55:00.000-07:00

For the past 2 years my Mother has done an awesome job in selecting cook books as Christmas presents. This year it was Ania Catalano's Baking with Agave Nectar. I am having so much fun working through this book! This latest recipe was very, very good. I highly recommend these bars, and if you haven't yet used agave nectar as a sweetener, give it a try. You will be pleasantly surprised!

Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars
CRUST:
1/2 c. unsalted butter or non-hydrogenated butter substitute (I used coconut oil)
1 1/3 c. whole wheat pastry flour
pinch of sea salt
FILLING:
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 c. light agave nectar
2 t. vanilla extract
2 T. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 t. sea salt
3 ripe bananas, mashed (I used 2 very large)
3/4 c. walnuts (I omitted)
1 c. grain sweetened chocolate chips or carob chips
1 c. dried, unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To make crust use electric mixer or pastry blender to cream butter flour and salt. Press lightly into 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes.
To make filling add filling ingredients together and pour over crust. Bake an additional 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool , then cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

2009-04-29T11:41:00.001-07:00

I searched everywhere for ideas for spring rolls. I pretty much came to the conclusion that you can fill them with whatever you like! These were delicious. The dipping sauce must be what people eat in heaven!! Enjoy, but keep in mind you can easily change these up with different veggies to suit your own taste.

Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

For the rolls:
cellophane noodles
6-8 sheets of rice paper
3/4 cup carrots, thinly sliced
3/4 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
splash of lemon juice
splash of soy sauce
fresh spinach

Prepare noodles as directed on packaging. Combine carrots and cucumbers in a bowl and toss with a little lemon and soy sauce. Soak rice paper in shallow dish of water for about 10-15 seconds or just until starting to soften. Only soak and fill one at a time. Place desired amount of spinach leaves on paper. Top with about 3 T. of carrot/cucumber mixture. Roll tightly like a burrito. Chill slightly in fridge. Slice in half to serve.

Peanut sauce

4 T. creamy peanut butter
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T. water
2 T. Olive oil
3 T. Soy sauce
1/8 t. fresh ginger, finely grated
1 T. plus 1 t. honey

Whisk all ingredients together and serve along side spring rolls in ramekins.

Cinnamon Cheesecake Squares

2009-04-22T08:49:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on the blog The Obsessive Cook. Tracey gave this recipe rave reviews and I knew I had to try it! She was right- these are delicious and everyone that tried these agreed. I will be making this again for sure! The coolest part of this recipe is that I know Tracey in real life. Go check out her blog :)

Cinnamon Cheesecake Squares
2 pkg. crescent rolls (I used reduced fat)
2 pkg. cream cheese (I used reduced fat)
1 T. vanilla
1 c. plus 1/2 c. sugar
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 c. butter, melted

Cover bottom of greased 9x13 pan with 1 pkg. crescent rolls. Combine cream cheese with vanilla and 1 c. of sugar. Spread over rolls. Cover cream cheese mixture with second pkg. of crescent rolls. Drizzle melted butter on top. Combine 1/2 c. sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle over butter. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Cool and chill to serve.