Black Rasperry Oatmeal Jam Bars

I am always looking out for a weekday breakfast that is hearty enough to satisfy 6 growing bodies, yummy enough to make those little bodies want to eat it and healthy enough that I feel good serving it to them.  Oh, and if it can be made ahead or is fast, all the better.  This recipe really fits the bill when it comes to that criteria.  I made mine the night before and it was waiting on the counter, ready to go when breakfast time rolled around.  What a treat on a busy morning!

Oatmeal Jam Bars

Recipe adapted from Real Simple

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a 9X13 pan.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter cut in cubes

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1 1/2 cups black raspberry jam

Process flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and butter in a food processor and pulse until the ingredients are combined and a crumbly dough is formed. Add the oats and pulse quickly to combine.

Press 2/3 of the dough firmly into pan. Spread the jam evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining dough over the jam, gently pressing down

Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool completely and cut into bars. Store in airtight containers or can be frozen for use later.

 

I usually serve about half of the pan while they're fresh and then I pop them in the freezer in an airtight bag or container for a morning later on that I don't have time to cook and nothing is ready to go.  Keeping these types of things in the freezer and on hand gives my family better nutrition because it's already there.  I try to do this with as much as I can to avoid take out and eating junk foods.

 

White Pizza with a Twist

It was a rare Friday night.  Both kids were home and eating dinner with us, so it had to be something special but ordinary all at the same time.  My kids aren't big fans of some of my more complicated endeavors, so I tried to keep it low key.  I had planned on making two simple pizzas - pepperoni and white - but then I stopped in at the grocery store.  Pancetta was on sale. Hmmm...do I dare disturb their version of what a white pizza should be?  Yep.  So I bought it, as well as a few other things and headed out toward home.

I decided that the White pizza should have spinach and pancetta on it as well as the usual white pizza toppings, so first I pan fried the pancetta until crispy and set it aside.  I spread out my pizza crust (that had just finished up in the bread maker - love that yeasty smell!) fairly thin on the pizza sheet and then spread minced garlic over the crust and spread ricotta cheese over the whole crust..  After that, I grated fresh Parmesan over the garlic, and then added a layer of mozzarella.  I used frozen chopped spinach (that I had thawed in the microwave) and sprinkled it over the cheeses.  Then I topped it all off with some pancetta.  It all smelled heavenly!  I put it in a preheated oven at 375 for about 12 minutes.  It came out bubbly and golden and we couldn't wait to grab a slice!

The pepperoni and mushroom pizza was also pretty good, but the white pizza went really, really quickly.  I think we could have eaten another one.  It is definitely a make again pizza.  But to top the whole meal off, I included a dessert of Panna Cotta made with Almond milk. I have been really wanting to try it and finally just had to give it a go.  Worst that could happen was it would fail, right?  And I made a homemade caramel sauce to go with it.  I was excited because my daughter didn't get a chance to try the panna cotta last time I made it so it was her first try.  She said it tasted like ice cream - and I guess it does.  It has about the same components of ice cream so that makes sense.  So the almond milk was not an epic fail as I'd feared.  It was not as creamy as using milk and cream but it had the same basic taste, but not as heavy.  It was a nice everyday dessert, but not the special, once in a blue moon dessert I'd previously made.  Looks pretty yummy though, right?

All in all, it was a great Friday night pizzafest.  And hubby and I needed the carb load before we headed out to run our long run of 16+ miles the next day, so it was a win-win for all.  I love having meals with my kids.  Makes my world complete, even if just for a few minutes.  :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

I come from an area of Pennsylvania that has whoopie pies.  My hubby comes from an area of Pennsylvania that has gobs.  Are they the same thing?  If not, then how are they different?  These are very important questions if you are attending my hubby's annual family reunion.  So far, all I can really see is that a gob is flatter and the filling seems more oily.  Whoopie pies are fluffier and have a creamier filling.  I did some internet research and actually found that the whoopie pie is at the center of another controversy.  This time, it seems that the state of Maine is claiming to be the birthplace of the whoopie pie.  Who knew that such an innocent looking little cake treat would be such a troublemaker?  Well, if you've ever had whoopie pies, or gobs for the sake of my marriage, lying around the house tempting you to eat them, you knew.  So, it was with much trepidation that I took on the task of making these tasty treats.  After all, I know they're trouble.  But what yummy trouble they are...



And then, adding in the peanut butter filling just seals the deal.  Trouble from the moment you first dip your finger into that icing bowl.  Now, my son did mention as I was making these that we've had a lot of the chocolate peanut butter combo around here lately, and for anyone who is not totally and completely in love with peanut butter as I am.  I'm sorry.  Really, I am.  But we LOVE peanut butter and any chance to pair it with chocolate is a chance I'll take!  And he still ate one, so it must not be all that bad.



So, if you're feeling lucky and ready to tackle the Whoopie Pie of Maine Pennsylvania, here you go..

Whoopie Pie

Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 1/4 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 t vanilla

1 stick butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350.  Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in medium bowl.  Mix buttermilk and vanilla in separate bowl.  Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream sugar and butter together until well mixed.  Add egg and mix again.  Add flour and buttermilk mixtures gradually to the mix and mix well.  When mixture is smooth, spoon 1/4 c of mix onto parchment paper or greased cookie sheets.  Bake in top and bottom of oven and switch placement of pans halfway through baking.  Bake until the cake springs back, about 14-16 minutes.  Cool on rack when done.

While cakes are cooling, make the Peanut Butter filling:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1/2 cup milk, more or less may be needed.

Blend peanut butter and confectioners sugar with hand mixer, adding milk gradually as needed to get spreadable consistency.

Once cakes are cooled, spread the icing on the bottom of one cake and put another cake on top.

 

So, there you have it.  Whether in Johnstown and you're eating a gob, or in Lancaster eating a whoopie pie 0r even, as my research yielded, somewhere in the south eating a moon pie, make sure you're ready for it.  You never know when a cake could start a fight.  But they are still pretty yummy...I think I'll throw caution to the wind and take my chances.

 

Spicy Applesauce Cookies with the Daycare Kids

So, we decided yesterday to take a break from our theme of dinosaurs and just enjoy a day of painting, baking and playing.  We all need Mondays like that, don't we?  Just a break from the usual and switch to something more comforting and just spend the day enjoying each other's company?  So after some prolonged arts and crafts time, we headed into the kitchen.  I had decided a drop cookie was the best route to take, but I didn't want to oversugar the kids and ruin the good mood flowing...so, I picked an applesauce cookie recipe out of my Betty Crocker cookie book and started adjusting.  I made several batches of homemade appleasauce this year and thought that my spiced applesauce would be perfect for these cookies.  So if you're making them, you may need to adjust the spices because we left almost all spice except a few shakes of cinnamon out of the mix.

Spicy Applesauce Cookies

adapted from/inspired by Betty Crocker Cookie Book

3/4 c packed brown sugar

1/4 c butter, softened

1/4 c applesauce, mine was home canned and spiced with ginger, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg and slightly sweetened

1 egg

2 1/4 c all purpose flour

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

Heat oven to 375.  Beat brown sugar, butter, applesauce and egg in large bowl with electric mixer.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Drop my teaspoonful onto parchment paper or greased cookie sheets.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until no longer soft and slightly browned.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Store in airtight container because they will get hard otherwise.

These were some pretty yummy cookies!  They could be iced as called for in the original recipe, but again, in the interests of sugar limiting, I left them as is. No complaints from the kiddos or my own family!  It would be a great fall treat too.  I might even suggest the addition of caramel or toffee bits.  That would be a great combo!

 

 

Weekly Menu 1/23-1/29

I do try and get to my menu planning on the Friday before the week starts, but more often than not, I'm working on getting it together as the week starts.  Luckily, I have a pretty well stocked freezer and did lots of canning over the summer, so only the freshest ingredients need purchased and that happens throughout the week anyway.  So, I am getting my menu finally completed this afternoon and it looks like a pretty yummy week!

When I plan my menu, I take into account how much time I will have over naptime to throw the meat into a marinade, or ingredients into a crockpot and I think every home has it's own rhythm for that sort of thing. I've been asked how I prepare such great meals for the kids and still have time (and money!) left over to feed my own family healthy, whole meals in the evening.  It really comes down to planning.  I stock up on freezer goods on sale, and waste nothing.  I am a big fan of the freezer because it is so versatile.  I include the kids in our plans and in the kitchen for prep or helping to mix ingredients.  My passion spills over to them and they enjoy their time in the kitchen a lot.  I also am flexible.  If something just is too expensive when I get to the store, I will swap it for another ingredient or another meal if need be.  I buy almost all of our fruits and vegetables organic and local and am getting there on our meat.  It's more difficult to plan for I've found because good supply is hard to rely on.  All in all, our grocery bill for my husband and me, our 16 year old son and our 20 year old daughter, who may or may not eat at home each evening, as well as the six daycare children is less than $125 a week.

So, here's my menu for this week:  enjoy and please ask questions if you need more info.

Family Menu Table

Neopolitan Bundt Cake

I wanted to do something different for dessert so I kept thinking throughout the day about what I could make and finally it came to me.  Cake.  I love cake so this is not shocking news that cake popped into my head.  But, how to make it different?  Unique?  I have seen neopolitan cakes before while searching recipes, so I decided to try one of my own.  Now, I would love to say that I made my own cake batter...I had the recipe picked out, ready to go and then completely ran out of enough time to gather all of my ingredients and still be done in time to get the daycare kiddos up from nap, etc, etc.  And there was this last, lonely box of cake mix downstairs in the pantry.  Which happened to be a white mix.  SOOOOO...yeah, I cheated that step.   I'm sorry.  I really am. If it helps at all, the cake turned out beautifully but didn't have that "homemade" cake taste.  I was mad at myself for not taking the extra steps for such a pretty dessert, but I do feel better that I've confessed and will do better the next time!

I did divide the prepared batter into thirds - one was left as prepared, and to one I added about 1/4 cup of strawberry preserves, and to the last one I added about 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips and 2 T of cocoa powder.   I layered the batters in a greased bundt pan and baked at 350 for about 45 minutes.

I wanted to add a special topping, so instead of a sugar glaze, I decided on a chocolate glaze with more mini chips added.  I used about 1/2 c of powdered sugar, 1 T cocoa powder and 2-3T of milk.  I mixed it until smooth and added the chips.  I drizzled it over the cake and then scattered a few more chips on top.  It was hard to resist dipping a finger into the glaze as it set.

Dinner didn't happen as planned because of a slight medical emergency (we're all fine and it wasn't a traumatic emergency, just required urgent care) so I was glad that I did at least have dessert made.  The Neopolitan cake made a nice dessert with the take out pizza that ended up replacing our planned Shrimp Fried Rice.  But we were all together enjoying it, and that's what mattered most!!

Simplicity

I am feeling very settled in lately. Do you know what I mean?  It seems like I'm always writing about thankfulness, love, family and all of that good stuff.  :)  It's a great problem to have - this whole being comfortable in my own skin thing.  Monday nights are scheduled rest days in the marathon plan, so no running, no biking, nothing even remotely related to fitness happened at my house.  What did happen?  Loaded Baked Potato Soup with French Bread for dinner and Peanut Butter Pudding Pie for dessert.  Say it with me...aaahhhh.  Comfort food at it's finest - in a word - Simplicity. 

It was a bit chilly outside, so being able to relax on the couch with the hubby, enjoying some conversation and soup and each others company was so relaxing.  It was better than any date at the finest restaurant.  (You hear that dear?  Now you know!)  The soup was perfect - creamy but with a little tanginess from the Greek yogurt and cheddar cheese and the bread was perfect for cleaning up the leftovers in the bowl.

And dessert?  Oh my gosh, do not get me started....  Well, okay, you twisted my arm.  It was like a Reese's cup in a pie!  I have never made my own from scratch chocolate pudding before, so I was a little concerned but with no good reason because it was perfect!  I used a peanut butter cookie dough for the crust and then spooned the pudding, still warm, on top and then popped it in the fridge.  The pudding soaked in just enough that it lent a creaminess to the crust and it was better than I would have imagined.  It's all I can do to not get a slice out of the fridge RIGHT NOW. 

Sometimes, it really is the most simple things that can bring us the greatest rewards in life.  Case in point....my lunch today.  Leftover bread topped with double creme brie and dried cherries and popped it the oven at 400 until the brie just started to run.  I end all my ramblings with a picture of the most perfect bite on a dreary day...

Oh, you want recipes?  Well, okay...

Loaded Baked Potato soup (Made in Crockpot)

6 largish white potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic, minced,  or 2 t minced garlic
1 medium white onion chopped fine
2-4 strips of chopped, cooked turkey bacon (real bacon will work too but add it at the end not as cooking)
2 T chives, dried or fresh chopped
1/4 cup butter
2 T salt
1 cup skim milk
1 cup light cream
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, with about 1 cup more for adding to top of each bowl

Put the first 8 ingredients in the crockpot and put on medium for 6-7 hours.  When done smash potatoes (you can keep in the crock pot) and add the remainder of the ingredients.  Let heat through about 20 minutes before serving.  Add cheese and additional chives and bacon if desired before serving.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie

Peanut Butter Cookie Crust ( adapted from cooks.com)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

Cream butter, peanut butter and sugars thoroughly. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Press mixture into a 9 inch pie plate and bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes.  Watch the sides because they will brown quicker than the center, but you want the center to be just slightly underdone.  When it comes out, it will be puffy in the center but it should deflate on its own.  You can use a spatula to gently "help it along" if you like.

While it's cooling you can make the pudding that will set so nicely down into that well.

Chocolate Pudding ( adapted from Smitten Kitten)


1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups skim milk
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 t vanilla

Smitten Kitten's recipe is almost identical except I used a lesser quality chocolate chips because it's what I had on hand, and I used skim milk and it was rich enough for us.  I never have whole milk in the house or I may have tried a half and half approach.  I also didn't use a double boiler.  Instead...

I mixed the first 4 ingredients in a large saucepan and brought to a semi boil, whisking pretty much the entire time.  It took about 10 minutes to get thick, and when it did, I removed it from the heat and added the chips and vanilla.  I spooned enough into the pie well to bring it up the crust and then refrigerated the whole pie together (my crust was almost completely cooled before adding the pudding)

And I even had enough pudding leftover to spoon into 3 little dishes.  It was super creamy and smooth.  I loved it, and was so happy that I never again need those little boxes of pudding!!  Give it a try, it was easy and fast and I know what every ingredient is.  :)

Carne Asada Cheese Tacos with Chayote Stirfry

Watching Food Network together is something that the hubby and I both enjoy.  It gives us new ideas for the menu and I enjoy seeing what types of new foods I can incorporate into our household.  This morning, we were watching Mexican Made Easy and she made the most amazing creation - tacos out of cheese.  No tortilla, no shell of any kind - just fried, folded over cheese.  Oh my gosh.  Seriously, I did not know that possible.  But it looked like something we would love.  And we loved the idea so much that I scrapped the Cuban Paninis off of the dinner menu and made these instead. 

I'm sure that fried cheese with strips of marinated beef at the core is not super healthy, so I did decide to boil some chayote squash, slice them thin and stirfry them with some peppers, onions, and fajita seasonings.  They could have also replaced the beef on the taco for a vegetarian entree.  As a side dish, they were the perfect balance for the heaviness of the taco. 

The recipe I followed is from Food Network and I really didn't change anything.  I did use a different cut of meat but I don't think that affected the outcome.  Frying the cheese was the most intimidating part but how can this be wrong?

 

Also, on the same episode, she made a Chia Limeade.  Just for fun, we decided to make that as well to go with our dinner...very refreshing! 

It was a fun meal to prepare and was pretty easy too.  We were so glad we tuned into the show this morning because it made for a pretty tasty dinner!

Birdseed Muffins

Getting ready to Run!

For some reason, when this recipe came to me, I instantly thought of birdseed so the name stuck.  I am always on the search for something to use while running or biking that gives me energy, but isn't processed at all.  I've not been blessed with a digestive system that allows for energy gels, supplements, etc so it all comes down to real food.  Which is a blessing and a curse - I'm not fond of the chemicals in those things anyway but I need more than the occasional almond or Larabar sometimes. When I saw a lonely bag of sunflower seeds in the pantry, bought on a whim from the bulk foods section, I knew I was on to something!

Ingredients:
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups ap flour
2 packets instant oatmeal, I used Better Oats maple and brown sugar flavor
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup roasted and hulled sunflower seeds
1 scoop milled chia seeds
1 T flax seeds
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt

Extra roasted sunflower seeds for top of muffin if desired

Heat oven to 400.

Combine wet ingredients in bowl and mix well.  Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl and blend well.  Combine dry and wet mixtures and mix just until moistened.

Spoon batter into greased or paper lined muffin tin.  Sprinkle tops with reserved sunflower seeds if desired.  Bake for 15-17 minutes or until tops are brown.

Much better than an energy gel!

I was a little nervous about how they'd come out - I guess I was worried they'd be too dry or too overwhelmed by the seeds and grains.  But my fears were unfounded.  They were a perfect texture - not too dry to tuck away into my pack for a hike or too health food like to have as a Saturday morning breakfast.  So, it was a win-win - packed with protein in a tasty morsel.  I think it would be a fun recipe with kids too - they'd love the idea of cooking with "birdseed!"

This post has been added to Foodie Friends Friday...go check it out!



And please check out Walking on Sunshine...my gateway to Foodie Friends!  :)

Ooey Gooey Squares of Yumminess

 

Ha!  Top that doozy of a name.  Seriously, though, these were about as easy as anything to make and pretty tasty.    I was still in a panna cotta coma, not really wanting to accept any other dessert but hubby really wasn't up to more milk.  :( 
So, I scrounged through the cupboard and came up with this.  Not too bad for about 5 minutes of work and 20 minutes of waiting, 30 if you actually save your tongue from 3rd degree burns and allow the caramel to cool out of the oven. 


Ingredients:
1 cup of brown sugar, divided in half
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups of ap flour
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.

Blend flour and 1/2 cup of brown sugar in large bowl.  Add the peanut butter and once it is well incorporated into the dry mix, add the egg.  Press this mixture into a 8' X 8' pan. 

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and add brown sugar.  Bring to a full boil and boil for one minute.  Remove from heat, add pecans and vanilla and spread over flour mixture. 

Bake for 20 minutes, and remove from oven.  Sprinkle chips over hot mixture while cooling. Wait 10 minutes before cutting.  (You may have to hide the pan at this point!  But be careful, the caramel is HOT!)

Enjoy!   We certainly did and they are officially on the "make again" list!!

First attempt at Panna Cotta and I'm hooked.

Oh my goodness.  I really had no idea what I was in for when I decided that I, once and for all, had to try to make Panna Cotta.  I've never eaten it, never made it, and never seen it outside pictures on other blogs but it just had to be done.  And, I am so glad I did.  The texture was so creamy, so custard-like that it was unlike anything else I've ever made.  Heavenly is the best word I have to describe it. 

I found a recipe on Allrecipes last night, and even though it was my first time, I changed it.  I'm reckless like that.  It just seemed like an extraordinary amount of cream for one recipe.  So, I read the comments and decided to chance it and cut the cream in half with milk.  Guess what?  Perfectly fine.  No complaints here! 

So, here's my recipe:

1/3 cup skim milk
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 t vanilla extract

Mix gelatin and 1/3 cup of skim milk together and set aside in separate bowl.  Bring cream, sugar and milk to a full boil over medium high heat.  Stir often and supervise well because it will boil high quickly.  Once boiling, add gelatin and milk mixture and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. 

Remove from heat, add the vanilla and put into small bowls or ramekins. It should make 6 dishes.  Cool uncovered, and then put plastic wrap over them to prevent skin from forming on the top and refrigerate until set.  This should take 4-6 hours, or overnight is best. 

I served mine with fresh blackberries and blackberry sauce but I imagine there are endless possibilities to consider.  I am ready to start really experimenting with flavor combinations...but first, maybe I'll just have another Panna Cotta.  I'm just glad the recipe makes 6 and there's only 4 of us in the family.  Someone has to be the taste tester after all.

Hot Chocolate Muffins in a Mug

I have been dreaming of these for several days...just wondering how to get them just as I'd imagined.  And I think I did it.  Even though it's January, the weather here in Pennsylvania has been unseasonably warm.  So, hot chocolate lovers like my family take every cooler evening that comes along as a chance to indulge.  So, I thought how great it would be to have a treat the gave the flavors of hot chocolate but didn't require the cold weather.

I started with a fairly basic recipe:

2 cups flour
1 T baking powder
1/4 t salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter or canola (or some other flavorless) oil

Preheat oven to 350 F

Once all of that was blended, but not overmixed, I separated the batters.  One batter had 2 T of unsweetened cocoa and 1 cup of miniature marshmallows added to it, and the other batter had 1/2 cup of miniature chocolate chips added.  I greased 6 medium sized mugs and layered the batters in each mug to about 2/3 of the way full.  I put them on baking sheet and cooked for about 20 minutes.  Watch to be sure they don't overcook because of the marshmallows which could burn easily.

Once out of the oven, I set them aside to cool.  I popped one out of the mug just to show the layered effect and how delicious the muffin hidden inside each mug really looks!

All that was really left to do was eat one.  Hard work, but I guess if I have to, I will just to be able to share my muffin with all of you.  What a treat it was.  I had to make a cup of coffee to really enjoy my midmorning treat.  The kiddos loved them, I mean, really, who wouldn't??  Really, it was a super easy muffin to make, and I bet it would make a great treat around Christmas time in a pretty mug with the recipe attached and tied with a bow.  Hmmm...gotta keep that idea around for next year.

Happy Monday everybody!

Carrot Rice Soup with Turkey Breast on Wheat with Red Pepper Aioli

My husband is in love with a panini.  Smoked Turkey Panini with Red Pepper Aioli.  It is the only thing he orders from Moonlight Cafe, our favorite local eatery and that is due in no small part to the Aioli.  He loves it that much.  I've tried before to replicate it with so-so results, but I soldiered on and got much closer this evening!

Red Pepper Aioli recipe:

7 oz roasted red peppers
1/2 cup mayo
1 T crushed red pepper
3 t minced garlic, or 3 cloves

Puree everything in the food processor.  Easy as can be.  Except it wasn't just like Moonlight's.  But he liked it.  I think I will add some cayenne next time because the crushed red pepper gave hints of heat but I think he's looking for a more all over heat.  And I will finally give making my own mayo a try and maybe the pink color of the sauce will be a bit more red.  Calling it an aioli without making the mayo is a teensy bit like cheating to me.

So, then I made a wonderful Carrot Rice soup.  I loved it so much that I am glad there are leftovers.  I know what I'm having for lunch tomorrow!!!  Super easy soup.

Carrot Rice Soup recipe

2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup brown rice, cooked according to package directions
Pinch of cloves
Pinch black pepper


Boil chopped carrots and onions with spices in stock  - I used vegetable but chicken would work also. Once carrots have boiled soft, puree mixture in food processor or with immersion blender.  Be careful using large quantities of hot liquids in the food processor and divide into smaller quantities to process if needed.

After pureeing, add rice to carrot mixture and serve.

This was a velvety textured soup but we felt like it was lacking something.  I think the next time I make it I will add some brown sugar, and possibly some nutmeg.  I think it would add an extra layer of flavor.  Also, adding a bit more pepper might round it out nicely.

It was a hearty meal after a busy day spent outdoors.  I roasted the turkey the night before and used homemade whole wheat bread for the sandwiches and they looked as good as they tasted.  A lot of Sunday dinners for us rely on grazing on leftovers or pb&j; but this was an easy and healthy meal and we'll definitely have it again!

Herbed Goat Cheese Burger on a Homemade Bun

Over the summer, I met one of my best friends, Lisa, at a wonderful little restaurant called Soup'R Natural.  We live a distance from each other, and it's always  a challenge to find somewhere in the middle.  It was a fantastic meal...and we both ordered the same thing, a turkey burger slider accented with goat cheese and basil.  It was completely amazing!  So, this was how the inspiration for this meal began.  How funny is it that when I mentioned this was on the menu for dinner on my Facebook page, Lisa was the one to ask for the recipe.  We're too alike!

Looks good enough to eat as is :)

First, I put about 8 oz of goat cheese into a small bowl and crumbled it up a bit with a fork.  I added about 1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley leaves,  about a tablespoon each of chives, thyme, mint and then just a taste of chopped garlic.  I didn't want that to be the star but I wanted to have that rich flavor hinted at.  So I tossed all of that together, salted with a few pinches of sea salt and then started to form little patties.  I wanted to create the center for the burger and then freeze it so it would thaw as the burger cooked and not just melt and ooze completely out.  Voila!

Lots of lovely goat cheese patties..I'll admit it, I sampled one!

I popped the tray in the freezer and gave them a few hours to harden up before making dinner.  Once frozen, I formed a 1/4 lb turkey burger around each one and put on the grill.  I salted and peppered each burger but that was all the seasoning I added besides the goat cheese.  Freezing the goat cheese patty worked so well!  The burgers were moist and juicy, but not cheese drenched and that mouthful of the herbed goat cheese was amazing!  It could only have been better if Lisa had been there to sample them with me.

Yum!

And just so you can see the inside of the burger...

I also made a burger bun to showcase these cheesy beauties...and my Z did not disappoint when it came to making the dough! I took this recipe right from the manual.

Ingredients list:

7/8 cup of water

1 large egg, beaten

3 1/4 cup bread flour

4 T sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 t active dry yeast

Only change made to the recipe was that I omitted 3 T dry milk.  I never use that in my breads and I think they're great.

I put all of that in the bread maker on dough cycle.  When it finished, I separated it into 18 portions and rolled each into a ball, flattening them a bit, and covering with plastic wrap and a towel to rise the the second rise.

I added sesame seeds to 1/2 of the batch for a hamburger bun feel.

Then I baked them at 325 for about 20 minutes, watching for overbrowning.  Once they were out, I brushed the tops with melted butter and the hubby and I had to split one while they were warm just to taste test them.  :)  They passed the test.  We could hardly wait til dinner time.

I did use store bought onion rings in our meal.  Alexia onion rings are the best we've found without deep frying them ourselves.  But I did make the dipping sauce, and even taught the girl how!  Super easy...about 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/8 cup mayo, 1/8 cup horseradish and then a few shakes of Hot Shot black and red pepper blend, about a tablespoon of italian seasoning and then some paprika.  Easy and a great onion ring dip!

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Chocolate Cherry Bread - with a guest appearance by Nutella :)

I have been wanting to make this bread so badly since I saw it at Wegman's.  I found a recipe to try out with the new bread machine and, while it doesn't look as nice as the one I saw, I think it came out pretty well.

It was a fairly basic recipe, I actually adapted the one from the Z's cookbook/manual that came with it.

1 1/4 cup milk
1 beaten egg
4 T sugar
2 T cocoa
2 t instant yeast
1 1/2 t salt
2 T butter, softened
1/2 cup of dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup of dried cherries, chopped

I put everything except the chocolate and cherries in the bread machine and put it on dough cycle.  I added the chocolate and cherries in once the first rise was completed and the bread machine did it's second rise.

Preheated the oven to 350, and then formed the dough into a round on a cookie sheet to bake for about 35 minutes. Before the bread even cooled, I had to have a slice...

 

And then, I thought about it, and what goes better with Cherry Chocolate Bread than Nutella...?

Italian Winter Soup

I made up the name.  I'm so bad at naming my creations.  I apologize for those of you subjected to my awful naming skills.  But this soup was not awful.  It was so wonderful, especially since the temps had dipped to a balmy 13 the day I made it.  Sure was a welcome dinner after a cold, windy day.

My crock pot is a favorite cold weather cooking appliance.  I'm not sure why I don't use it as much in the warm weather but I just don't seem to.  But the versatility of it really can't be beat.  At my house, we are big fans of Olive Garden soups.  Chicken Gnocchi, Zuppa Di Toscana.  Love them!!  So, this soup was inspired by those soups.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey, browned and seasoned with sea salt and Italian seasoning blend (I used Tastefully Simple)
4 cups of vegetable broth
6 cups of chopped kale & chard blend
1 can Cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
5 large potatoes cut into small cubes
1 clove of minced garlic

Directions, Combine all ingredients in the crock pot and cook until potatoes are tender and greens are wilted.

The greens will fill the crockpot at first but they cook down quickly.

I don't tend to season the broth because I really heavily season the meat and allow it to seep the flavor into the rest of the soup.  It's a personal preference so feel free to adjust.

Soups ready!

Key West Penne with Blackberry Pear Salad

I was a bit skeptical when the hubby read this recipe to me, but he seemed so excited I thought we could at least give it a try.  We wanted to make something special for New Year's but we don't go out so I wanted to really go all out with something different and that we'd really like.  I am a big time seafood fan so this really hit the spot!  I added the Blackberry Pear Salad to really brighten up the meal and it did just that.  It was like a taste of summer on a winter holiday! 

If you want to read the original recipe, it can be found here.  I did make a few changes, nothing earth shattering but just attempts to limit some calories and fat.  Don't worry, plenty of both still remain! It really was one of the easiest recipes ever, and I would make it again. 

Ingredients:

1 pound box of penne pasta, or any similar type would do
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound scallops
1 8 oz jar of sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, slightly drained then chopped or julienned
1 12 oz jar of  marinated artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 pint half and half
1 cup grated romano/parmesan blend

Boil pasta according to directions.  Cook to al dente, drain.

While pasta is cooking, bring a large skillet to medium high heat and add shrimp, scallops, tomatoes and artichoke hearts.  Cook until shrimp turns pink, reduce heat and then add half and half and cheese.  Cook through and then toss with pasta. 

It's really that simple.  I was pretty surprised how easy of a recipe it was, and also was a bit surprised at how wonderful it tasted.  Like I said, I was pretty skeptical of the sweetness of the seafood and cream sauce being tossed in with the tomatoes and artichokes.  But it worked really well together and was very balanced.  Hubby said this had to be added to the "I'll make it again" list so I know he liked it. 

Asian Pork over Citrus Slaw

I was so excited when I got a box in the mail from Kikkoman containing Kara-Age Soy-Ginger Seasoned Coating Mix!  I love trying new things and it is different from anything else I've made lately, so I started thinking of when to use it.  And, then, I had a brilliant thought...New Year's Day.  I don't know about you, but around here, we're big on the whole pork n' sauerkraut New Year's tradition.  Gotta have it.  But pork is pork and cabbage is cabbage...right?  Of course, first thing the hubby says..."so, no hot dogs?"  Nope.  Not a one.  Yay me for not having to buy them!

So, I got my list ready and planned it out.  I had originally planned to make these as a rolled up in lettuce leave sort of dish but that didn't work out nearly as well as I'd hoped.  Oh well, there were great with just the pork and slaw.  I think when made again, I might try wrapping them like a spring roll in a rice paper wrapper, or as is.  It was a yummy dish.  The sour and sweet of the slaw really balanced the heavier fried texture of the pork well. 

Ingredients:

1 pound of pork tenderloin cut into small cubes, about 1"
Kikkoman Kara-Age Soy-Ginger Seasoned Coating Mix
2 medium sized oranges, seedless would be easiest to deal with
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 large carrot shredded
1 head of chinese cabbage, shredded
1 tablespoon of honey
Canola oil for frying the pork

First, I made the slaw and set it aside.  Combine the shredded cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Peel and section one orange and toss the orange, cabbage and carrot together.  Into a separate bowl, juice the remaining orange, and add the oil, vinegar and honey.  Whisk those ingredients together until really emulsified and then add to the vegetable/fruit mixture. Really toss the slaw with the dressing well and then set aside. 

Heat a pan on medium to high heat with about 3/4 to 1" of oil covering the bottom of the pan.  Moisten the pork cubes with water, then toss with the coating mix in a large plastic bag.  Add the pork to the heated oil and let cook through, turning to get both sides golden brown.  Once cooked, remove and let drain on a paper towel.

Place the pork on top of the slaw and enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed our experience of trying out Kikkoman's Kara-Age Soy-Ginger Seasoned Coating Mix!  As you can see from the above picture, this was part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program. 

Blueberry Layered Stuffed French Toast

I do love baked french toast.  It is so nice to wake up, pop the casserole in the oven and have something so delicious ready with no morning effort on my part.  I decided to try something a bit different after seeing some fresh from the oven baguettes at the the store yesterday.  I likened this recipe to a baked french toast lasagna and it was so good this morning! 

The recipe:

Ingredients:
1-2 French Baguettes (I used one and half but I love fresh bread too much to not eat any of it!)
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup of milk (I used skim but it's all your preference)
8 oz softened cream cheese (I used low fat but again, your preference)
1/4 cup granulated sugar.



After slicing the baguettes into rounds, I put them in a large bowl.  I mixed together all of the wet ingredients and whisked until they were full incorporated.  I poured the mixture over the rounds and used my hands to really mix them up.  You could use a spoon but you want to really, really be sure that every piece gets soaked in the egg mixture. 

Really, really soak it in!!

Once that is ready, set it aside and mix the cream cheese and sugar together.  Set aside to use as the middle layer for the french toast lasagna.

Then, put two layers of baguettes soaked in the egg mixture on the bottom of a greased casserole dish.  I then put about 3/4 cup of blueberries scattered over them, another layer of baguettes spread with the softened cream cheese mixture and another 1/2 cup of blueberries.  One more layer of baguettes completed the layering. 

Put the lid on it, cover it with foil, or whatever else you'd like to use and pop it in the fridge to rest overnight. 

In the morning, preheat the oven to 375 and set the casserole out to warm up a bit.  Put in the oven for about 45-55 minutes, covering with foil or a lid for the first 30 minutes to not overbrown or dry it out. 

Once it's done, let it set for about 5-10 minutes before cutting it. 

I love the color of the egg coming through, and you can see it's a wonderful blend of cream cheese, blueberries and the wonderful chewiness of the bread. 

And, just if you need further proof of how awesome this truly is, I'll leave this final picture for you.  A fantastic, super easy, make ahead breakfast.  I make this for company that stays over because it lets me enjoy the morning as much as they do.