Dessert is My Favorite Meal

So, I know, dessert is not *really* a meal.  But I love it as if it was.  I made some mini cheesecakes the other night and they were one of my most, most favorite things of all that I've created in awhile.  I think I say that a lot but I mean each and every time.  I promise I do.



Doesn't it look delicious??  And it was super easy.

Mini Apple Spice Cheesecake (makes 4 souffle cup sized)

First, be sure to soften your cream cheese.  I use the organic variety but you can use any kind you prefer.

Preheat the oven to 350

Ingredients for crust and topping:

• 1 cup ap flour


• 1/2 c sugar


• 3/4 tsp five spice powder


• 1/2 c quick oats


• 1/4 c butter

Ingredients for filling:

• 1 apple; cored, peeled and diced (microwave once diced for a minute to soften)


• 8 oz softened cream cheese


• 1/2 c sugar


• 1 egg


• 1/2 t vanilla

Directions

1. Mix all dry ingredients for filling/crust and cut butter into mixture either with a pastry blender or with food processor


2. Press half into 4 cups and set aside


3. Mix sugar and cream cheese until fluffy.


4. Add egg and vanilla and mix well.


5. Divide filling between the 4 cups and top with cooked apples.


6. Divide remaining crust mixture on top of the apples and filling and gently press down.


7. Bake at 350 for about 18-20 minutes

These really did hit the spot on a very chilly evening.  I am enjoying finding all kinds of new small serving dessert recipes since it's usually me and the hubby at home in the evening.  If I make a whole cake, I'll eat a whole cake within a few days.  Not a good move.

The day I made these cheesecakes, I also got some exciting news.  I am going to be a grandmother for the first time.  My daughter and her fiancee are expecting a little one this fall.  I am over the moon with excitement.  I was already scoping out Grandma & Grandpa themed gifts...this is going to be one SPOILED grandbaby!  I'm secretly hoping for a girl, but I will love him or her no matter what.  I still can't believe that my baby girl is having a baby.  So, forgive me in advance if I just go on and on about baby stuff.  It's a little on the brain.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  It's calling for some not so nice weather (glad I'm not doing my 50K) and the hubby and are trying to figure out what we're going to do all weekend.  I'm sure we'll find somewhere to run or hike...

Have a great day!

 

A Contented Sigh

I had one of those days today that all other days just strive to live up to.  It was a GREAT day.  Beautiful sunshine, started the day running with my friend, Rachel, got most of my to-do list done and enjoyed a healthy and delicious dinner with the hubby.  Seriously, how could life get better?  These are the days when at the end of the day, I can put my head down to sleep and sigh one of those deep, contented sighs that comes from a life well-lived and appreciated.  I wish that for all of you.  :)

But, in the meantime, I did mention dinner...

I have been craving something with marsala in it ever since watching the Barefoot Contessa show on Food Network and she mentioned it.  Chicken Marsala used to be one of my most favorite dishes, but since going veggie completely, I've not had it over two years.  But, then, inspiration hit me.  Mushrooms.  Marsala.  Kale. Perfection.

And this was created...



Again, a contented sigh.  Because it was such a comforting type of dish that it deserves a sigh.

Hmmm...so about the recipe....I don't really have one.  I just sort of winged it.  I sauteed some mushrooms in a pan with butter, some Chef Tess all purpose seasoning, and salt.  Then I used the pan drippings to mix with a bit of flour to thicken it and then deglazed the pan with the marsala wine.  Then I put some chopped tuscan or dinosaur kale in the bottom of the strainer and strained my cooked fettuccine noodles over it to wilt it.  Then I tossed the kale with the mushroom and wine mixture and served it over the cooked pasta.

I love kale because it has a meatier texture and has so much healthy stuff going for it.  We are watching the quantities of it because of cutting back a bit on Vitamin A overload for the hubby's eye condition but knowing what foods go best with the Vitamin A seems to be another big piece of the puzzle.  I feel like I am forever researching...but if it helps him even a little to slow the deterioration, it's worth my time.  :)

And, since I've been all about the single serving desserts lately, I decided to make single serving bread pudding tonight!  Yummmmmmm!!

This was the perfect end to the meal.  Sadly, I again barely have a recipe for you.  But this is so easy, you can do it!  I had some leftover baguette to use up that I cubed.  It was about 1/3 of a baguette.  I mixed one egg, a splash of vanilla, about 1/4 cup of milk and a dash of salt together in a small bowl.  I added the bread cubes until all of the liquid was pretty much spoken for.  Make sure to really push the bread into the egg mixture to absorb it or you'll be eating egg coated bread crumbs.  Not the desired outcome.

Then, I lightly greased 3 small souffle cups, and poured the mixture into each one.  At this point, I set them aside and made my caramel sauce...a few tablespoons of brown sugar, melted into two tablespoons or so of butter and then a splash of milk added in and brought to a low boil, stirred constantly and then set aside.

I chose to cook my bread pudding in the microwave for time savings, but it could be baked - maybe 350 for about 20 minutes...You'd just have to watch them and judge time.  Microwaving was about 45 seconds each.  Topped off with the caramel sauce and it was just the right size and flavor.  I know if I'd have had more, I'd have eaten more.  Built in portion control is always a good thing!  So, one more contented sigh for the evening.

I live a blessed life.  That's for sure.  I hope I am always as thankful as I should be for it because it's a good one.  :)

Sheri

 

 

Quick Peanut Butter Mousse

I think we've all figured out by now that the hubby likes dessert.  And peanut butter.  And we're usually running here and there and don't have tons of time for a full out dessert.  Add to that the fact that I'm a sweets addict and I am not to be trusted with a whole cake of any kind.  :)  So, yesterday, the hubby asked about dessert and I suggested mug cakes which have been our go-to lately.  I then went looking for a recipe.  I am not even sure where I found it but the mug cake itself was not good.  Ugh.  I HATE wasting high quality ingredients on something that I won't eat.  Does anyone else feel like that?  But I couldn't do it. Into the trash the cake went.  However....there was a silver lining to the cloud.  I made a quick peanut butter mousse to go on top of it and it was amazing!!!



At least the cake looked for it's photo shoot.  :)

Seriously though, that mousse was enough dessert all by itself.  So much so that it was dessert today again after our run and veggie quesadillas.

How to make it?  I used an 8 oz block of softened organic cream cheese, about 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup of organic peanut butter, a splash of vanilla and some almond milk.  I used my mixer on high for about 1 minute and it was done.  That is seriously an easy dessert that tastes heavenly!

I went for some great runs this week too!  I tried out my new trail shoes (Altra Lone Peaks) for a 7 mile run on some of my favorite trails yesterday while doing the Virtual Run for Sherry.  I was so glad to be a part of something that makes people aware of the dangers that can lie out there for us runners, and just people in general.  Keep awareness up while showing that it won't stop us is one way to we can strike back.  Living in fear is no way to live.  I was proud to #run for Sherry yesterday and I want to thank Beth from Shut Up and Run for being open about her loss and organizing all of us to make something positive come from her cousin Sherry's death.



When I am doing something I love, I tend to get lost in it.  Whether it's cooking, running or cleaning (yes, I really do love to clean) I am at peace, and have found my joy.  Not every moment is like that but I really strive for it.  And I'm learning that surrounding myself with people who care about me and who I care about is all the joy I need, because being a part of their lives is something I love as much as cooking and running.  Life is imperfect and every day is not promised to us.  Living life "fearlessly but aware" is the best I can do.  So, my run for Sherry has reminded me of that.  I will cherish and love my family and friends, take each day as the gift it is, and keep moving forward even when things aren't as good as they can be.  There just is no other way to live.  Lately I've been struggling with some things and I needed to remember all of that so badly.

I'll end today with some of my most favorite thoughts/quotes for how I want to live my life and what I hope people see when they see me...

1. She stood in the storm and when the wind did not blow her way, she adjusted her sails. - Elizabeth Edwards

2. There is always, always, always something to be thankful for.

3. Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. - C.S. Lewis

4. When you choose to forgive those that hurt you, you take away their power over you.

5. For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others.  For beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness.  And for poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.  Audrey Hepburn

I could go on and on, but I think you've heard me babble on enough!

Sheri

 

My Sweet Tooth

Have I ever mentioned that I am a sweetsaholic?  Is that a word?  If not, it should be.  Hello, my name is Sheri, and I am a sweetsaholic.  I wish I knew a way to break free...but I do take solace in the fact that my current obsessions look like this Chocolate Cake Batter smoothie I found over at Oh She Glows.  This is definitely the way to start a morning!

And I tend toward making healthier versions of desserts - particularly nice if they are one serving desserts.  Like this Strawberry Cobbler I made for the hubby last night...guess I'm not the only one with a sweet tooth around here!



I did use a recipe from Domestic Fits, but I added in some organic quick oats and a little extra milk.  It tasted pretty amazing!  And was one of the easiest things I'd made in awhile.  I love the one serving recipes especially because we can make different things to match our mood.  So, he had cobbler and I had one of my favorite things...granola mixed with vanilla yogurt.  Heaven!  I eat that a lot for breakfast during the week when it's just me.  We go through ALOT of granola in this house!!

I'm glad to be able to find healthy ways to soothe my sweets obsessions.  I can't keep candy and that sort of thing in the house because I just won't leave it be, and it's never me that buys it anyway.  I am so self controlled in some things but sweets aren't one of them.

So, I'm wondering how often I can manage to work that Chocolate Cake Batter smoothie into our daily routine before the hubby calls me out on it?  Good thing I like to run, huh?

Sheri

 

I'm So Thankful...Part 2

Today is just one of those days that I love.  I went grocery shopping early, did some daycare paperwork, and then went for a 6 mile run with my neighbor, leaving me all kinds of afternoon nap time with the hubby.   Lazy Saturday afternoons are just the best.  Sunday gets all the credit for lazy afternoons but I'm usually a whirlwind on Sundays, getting ready for the next week.  Not much resting going on.  And me napping?  Doesn't happen often, but it is a glorious feeling when it does. Top the day off with a dinner of veggie quesadillas and these awesome Chocolate Mousse cupcakes from Post Punk Kitchen and that is a pretty freakin' amazing day.



 

I'm feeling so relaxed and thankful that these last 15 thankful things on my list should be a breeze to write!

So, here we go...

16. My grandmother's love.  Even though she is gone now, her never ending support and the way she made me feel like I was capable of anything still remain.  There are moments when I still forget and want to just see her, hear her and be with her, but then I remember she's not here any longer.  I'm sad for a moment but then I remember, she's always with me deep inside.  I close my eyes, listen to her voice and am thankful that I have a lifetime of memories of her.

17. For my puppies.  I get frustrated that traveling is almost impossible, at the messes in my house, at the dog stuff everywhere but, in reality, I love my dogs.  My girls that are no longer with us - Cleo and Sierra - were the epitome of love and devotion and Troop, Junie and Cally make our lives as interesting as they make it crazy.  I don't know what I'd do with a quiet house.

18.  My OCD tendencies.  Yes, I realize that this is not something to be thankful for because it also makes me crazy and stressed but at the same time, it drives me.  I de-stress by cleaning and organizing and seeing the result of my actions is fulfilling to me.  I am thankful to also have friends (you know who you are!) who know that a sink MUST be clean at all times. :)

19. That God has never deserted me in my life.  He has been there for it all.  Whether I deserve it or not, he's unfailing.  I'm not perfect and I'm so thankful I don't have to be.  He takes care of me and whether things are going right or wrong, He's there, waiting patiently.  I know that without God, I would be lost, and I'm beyond thankful for the blessings he has poured onto my life and for guiding me out of the storms I've gone through.

20. Coffee.  It really is my favorite thing to drink besides water.  And since hubby works at Sbux, I'm thankful that lots of other people like it as much as I do!!  I am working on cutting back though and picked up a box of Mate Chocolatte tea bags today.  Tasty but I don't know that it will be able to topple coffee from my daily routine.

21. My home.  I am not always as thankful as I should be for the roof over my head since we'd like to be able to move someday and we bought at exactly the wrong time and WAY overpaid but still.  I know it's a blessing in my life to have a home that accomodates our life.  Plenty of room for the child care, and a great basement space for our work out space.  And I do love my master bedroom.  So, all in all, I'm thankful for the space in this world that I get to call home.

22. Running partners who rock!  This is my first year of running with anyone except the hubby on a regular basis and I love it!!  Our Wednesday night trail group is amazing, even if we're about 3 weeks MIA.  I used to stress about being too slow, too fast, wrong pace, too many miles, too few miles but not too much anymore.  I'll run with just about anyone.  And it's awesome.  I've become a much better runner because of all of them.  So a huge thank you to them.

23.  Massages and my foam roller.  Okay, so these might deserve their own thank you individually but since they work together I'll thank them as one.  I would not be able to run as much as I do without injury if I didn't get my monthly massages or use my foam roller religiously after running and before bed.  It has been another one of those keystones to becoming a better runner.  The massages aren't always pain free but I'm always looser and less stressed afterward.

24. My camera.  I love photography.  It's a hobby that really lets me get creative and into the moment.  I was thinking of launching a business with it this year but decided to hold off a bit until things are a little more settled at home.  And I enjoy it as a hobby so why try and turn it into something else too soon?  For now, I'll keep taking pictures of my food and sharing them with all of you.

25. I was running out of things to be thankful for so I asked the hubby to help get me started again and what he said kinda brought me back to reality.  His response?  "Did you say you were thankful for your eyesight?" Wow.  Reality check.  So, I will remember to be thankful for all of the things I take for granted each day because someone out there is wishing they had it.  And, thankful as I am that I do have my eyesight, I'd give it to him in a heartbeat without one second thought.

26.  Another one from the hubby...I think we're meshing lists at this point.  Thankful for NCAA sanctions that are keeping Ohio State out of a bowl game so that this awesome season of theirs doesn't end in an embarrassing bowl game like usual.  O-H?

27. P90X.  Am I really thankful for that?  Well, my body's not always thanking me, but I am thanking myself for making the commitment to a lifetime of health and that this is a part of it.  As a runner and cyclist, there are a lot of things neglected and my commitment is to 90 days of P90X and seeing that final transformation.  Carving out time for that and running isn't easy but I know that it will be worth it and it's a sacrifice worth making!

28. That I grew up eating lots of vegetables.  I love vegetables now and I know that it is due in part to being served them all of the time from our garden as a kid.  As a vegetarian/sometimes vegan, vegetables are an important part of my diet and being so equal in my love for all things veggie makes that an easy lifestyle to maintain.  So, I am thankful to have had those habits instilled young.

29. Opportunities to give back.  I'm thankful to have had the chance to give back and to keep giving back through volunteering, mentoring and donating.  I wish that I could give more of all three but have been rewarded and blessed to have the opportunities I have had.

30. My life is filled with love, friends and reasons to be thankful.  Having reasons to be thankful is the sign of a life at peace.  And I am.  I'm settled, I'm happy, and I'm blessed.  What else is there?

Sheri

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is one of those fun holidays...just so many possibilities.  It can be cute and fun or scary and dark - whichever you prefer and it's all okay.  I love the cute and fun, but then again, I am a child care provider and I love planning fun activities for the kids.  One of my most favorite parts of October?  Singing "Spooky Walk" every day.  Yes, every day.  I love that cute little song.  And the kids love it too.  If you've never heard spooky walk, check out this little video.  It's not my kiddos, but it's cute kids anyway!



Another great thing about Halloween is all of the treats!!  And my kiddos were spoiled today!

[caption id="attachment_1321" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Boo! Ghosts found their way into the pancakes...[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1324" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Spooky lunch!! I made the "mummy hot dogs" and my daycare moms took care of the rest. Isn't it awesome???[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1322" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Don't mess with these kids! Too cute to not give them treats to![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1325" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Stop with the pictures already! Can I EAT???[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1327" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Digging into those yummy strawberry ghosts...[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1326" align="aligncenter" width="800"] And the Jack O Lantern fruit cups too![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1328" align="aligncenter" width="800"] YUM![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1329" align="aligncenter" width="800"] And don't forget the hot dogs!! These are pretty tasty too![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1323" align="aligncenter" width="682"] Happy Halloween from all of us!![/caption]

We still have a few treats to eat.  We had cute pumpkin cookies for am snack and we'll be enjoying some cupcakes for afternoon snack.  Luckily, we've had lots of good food and fruit in between!  I hope you enjoyed sharing our Halloween day with us.

  Sheri

Chocolate, uh, Dessert?

Okay, so I don't know what to call these, but they are good!  They'd work as a dessert - which is how we had them- or I imagine as a snack, or even the protein component of an otherwise healthy meal.  Chocolate as a meal.  Now there is a thought to consider!  But, before I get around to sharing my dessert, I have to tell you a funny story about dinner...

I don't know about you, but sometimes when I get done working, I'm tired.  The kind of "want to plop on the couch and just rest for hours watching tv" kind of tired.  Dragging my butt out to run, bike or even to make dinner becomes a supreme chore on those days.  It's like the last kid leaves the house for the evening and I become a pile of useless mush.  And just as I sit to relax, the inevitable question comes out of the hubby's mouth, "What's for dinner?"  More often than not, I have a plan, but on those days when I am a pile of mush without a plan, I am not too ashamed to admit it's often a pb&j night, or even worse, a run out to pick up burritos.  This night was one of those nights.  I was a pile of mush with no plan.  And we'd just had pb&j so that was out, and I really, really didn't feel like driving to get burritos.  I tried a few ploys to get the hubby to take me out but he's been sick and wasn't really on board.  I know he would have taken me, but that just felt selfish, so I decided we'd do veggie fajitas.  Or...even better...pineapple veggie fajitas.  One problem.  We were out of tortilla shells.  I figured the couple of mile drive to the store was better than an across town burrito run and hopped in the car.

While I was there, I considered getting a fresh pineapple but thought it would be easier to just use the pineapple I had frozen up a few months ago.  Bad choice.  Once I got home and started prepping the veggies I discovered we had no pineapple.  None.  Insert a huge sigh here because that's how I felt.   But what did I have...?  Pineapple frozen fruit bars.  And, yes, I did add a popsicle to my veggie fajita mix.  And, yes, it worked and tasted great.  I wouldn't recommend it as a replacement for the taste of fresh pineapple being sauteed with the peppers and onions but it did in a pinch and saved dinner.  Yeah, that was a bit dramatic, but that's how I felt.

So, after all that, what was the first thing out of the hubby's mouth after eating the fajitas???  Yep, he asked what was for dessert.  So, I headed out to the kitchen, tossed some peanut butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar and chopped almonds and came up with this...



Now, as I was doing this "on the fly" so to speak I have no real recipe to share, but consider this inspiration to try something different and see what you can come up with.  I did chill the "dough" a bit because it was a little on the loose side while warm but it held it's shape better after 15 min in the fridge.  I had a few too many of these but I tried to justify it by telling myself it was a good protein punch.  Feel free to rationalize this way to yourself too!

Enjoy!
Sheri

Chia Coconut Milk Ice Cream

I decided to take a zucchini from my garden to our neighbor yesterday, and while we were there visiting on her front porch, I mentioned that I had made chia ice cream.  Her response?  "You mean like the seeds they put on those clay heads to grow?  I may have to rethink saying you're not a hippie."  To which I had to laugh.  Despite our best efforts to look like good suburbanites, I fear the cat may be out of the bag.  When you defend not mowing a hillside in order to harvest the weeds and then casually mention eating chia seeds a few sentences later, sometimes you start to feel like an outsider.  Well, that's how I felt anyway.  Sometimes I just don't know if this suburbia suits us anymore.  I hear the call of a farm life louder and louder every day.  But, before I go all starry eyed about having a little farmette someday, back to the ice cream.  And the chia seeds.

For those who don't know, chia seeds are awesome.  Great sources of energy and full of nutritional goodness!  We first read about using chia as an energy source in the book, Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.  No Meat Athlete has a great article about the running fuel mentioned in the book used by the Tarahumara Indians.  The first time I ever ran past the half marathon mark (13.1 miles for the non-runners) the hubby and I started out with a chia seed mixture in a drink form.  And I think it worked because that was a great run!  So, we always include chia seeds in our daily smoothies, but I've also been experimenting with chia soaked in water as a substitute for a binder such as eggs in our veganized recipes.  It seems to work very similar to flax eggs. So, I thought it might be fun to make it the star of a recipe for a change, so here's the 3 ingredient ice "cream" I came up with.



I miss ice cream so much sometimes that I have given in once since giving up dairy and had a small dish from our favorite ice cream spot.  Big mistake.  I regretted it and my stomach was not pleased almost immediately.  I haven't tempted fate since.  But I have been experimenting with other milks and mixtures and this time, I decided coconut milk would be my base.  I used a 15 oz can of unsweetened coconut milk, added about 1/4 c of soaked chia seeds and 3 T of honey.  I put the whole mix in the blender, made it nice and frothy and then added it to the ice cream maker.  It has a smooth texture and is the perfect sweetness.  I loved it and I loved that I was having ice cream that was full of nutrition and easy on my digestive system.  Perfect combo!

In case you're not convinced on how beneficial chia seeds are to your diet...check out What's Cooking America - Chia Seeds.

 

Anyone else find creative uses for misunderstood ingredients like chia?  I'd love to hear them!!

Sheri

Vanilla Vegan Cupcakes

Dessert is a staple at our house.  We've tried to eliminate it only to have it creep back in when the sweet tooth strikes either me or the hubby so instead of getting rid of it, I try to plan for it and have healthier things in the house.  But I decided it was cake, and only cake, that would do for this dessert and I just had to figure it out.  Enter Post Punk Kitchen and her Vanilla Bean Cupcakes.  Did I mention the chocolate ganache yet?  Well, although the cupcake was amazing, the chocolate ganache was over the top!



I did make a few changes.  Instead of adding vanilla bean which I didn't have, I just upped the extract content a bit.  And I used dark chocolate in the ganache but everything else is exactly as the site's recipe describes.



I love when I make cake now and even though it has no eggs or dairy, it still has that perfect delicate crumb of a cake that does.  It's just a perfect surprise, even after a few months of making things like this.  :)  And I thought cake would be a thing of the past when we went vegan.  Whew!  So relieved!

And, just to prove that I did NOT lick the plate...although it was quite tempting!



 

This cupcake was the perfect ending after a wonderful veggie burrito from my favorite place, Mexitaly.  I wish I had been able to stop myself long enough to take a pic while it was whole , but this is HALF of their burritos.  It seriously is huge.  And delicious.  I only wish I could justify driving there more often...but when we're running on that side of town it's a "must have" dinner.  And I'm super thankful that Greg never minds that I pick up our dinner usually sweaty, smelly and sometimes even muddy and dirty after running.  :)



That was our hot night last night...a super sweaty and humid trail trail run with some friends.  I was a bit "off" and only did 5 miles, and the hubby did over 7 and most of that was super hilly.  I am in awe of that guy.  He is a crazy runner!  I wish I could keep up. But my 5 mile run earned me a burrito and a cupcake guilt-free so it was well worth it!

How did you spend your evening?

Layered Chocolate Donut

We are blessed to have a great neighbors in our neighborhood.  I mean, there are also the ones that I think every neighborhood has.  The ones who make you a little crazy and you have to just sometimes shake your head, but, luckily, the good ones make up for the crazy people.  Our next door neighbors are great.  We have similar philosophies on growing food, and sharing back and forth a variety of things; beer, eggs, vegetables and even gardening equipment.  We're glad they're our neighbors.:)  So, after being given 4 dozen of eggs over the past few weeks, in addition to some homemade rye beer he made, I thought it would be nice to deliver a treat to them.  I sent over a large bag of our swiss chard from the garden, and that's nice and all, but who doesn't want some chocolate in their life?  So, first I had decided to make muffins.  But what kind?  Blueberry?  Maybe.  But that was a little so-so.  And then I found a recipe that made up my mind.  From Two Peas and Their Pod I found a Chocolate Chip Muffins that was it.  Perfect.  With one change.  I made mine into donuts.  It made 12 donuts and they looked nice.  But this was a thank you for being a great neighbor kind of baked good.  It needed something more.  Glaze.  That's what it needed.  So, I set to work, melting chocolate, melting butter and then carefully dipped each donut into the yumminess.  For the glaze, I used a little less than 1/2 cup of chocolate chips blended with a tablespoon and a half of melted butter.  Dip the cooled donuts in and let set until cool.

Don't you wish we were neighbors?

 

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes and Biggest Loser - wait, what??

I think I've mentioned over the course of the past year or so that my hubby is a fan of snickerdoodles.  The snickerdoodle cookie sandwiches were a major hit around here and I was determined to make something even better.  (I know, I have a type A personality, it's a blessing and a curse.  Always looking to improve things is good example of that dilemma!)  Last night I was in the mood for cake.  But I told hubby that I wanted something out of the ordinary, not peanut butter, not chocolate, but something we don't have all of the time.  Then it hit me - well, first I actually was thinking something like caramel pecan cupcakes which I decided to just tuck away and figure out a recipe for another day - but, then it hit me - snickerdoodle cupcakes.

I knew hubby would approve so while Biggest Loser started in the background - anyone else see the irony of that??? - I set to work.  While I'm mentioning Biggest Loser, let me mention that I think this is the first season that I don't care who wins cause this season just sucks.  Big time.  They have effectively ruined my longest standing favorite show.  At least I now have Grimm which I faithfully sit and wait for every Friday night.  I know it's over the top, never could happen in real life sort of stuff and I guess that's why I love it.  I'm odd like that.

Anyway - back to the cupcakes!  I found a few recipes online and ended up morphing them into one.  The one I most closely used was Brown Eyed Baker's recipe.  I think she has the same sort of obsession with snickerdoodles that my husband does because she has more than one version of snickerdoodle goodies on her blog.  :)  A nice resource to be sure!!  And I only changed a bit here and there...swapped skim for the whole milk and cut the sugar back by about 1/4 cup.  It's a great recipe and I wouldn't expect any less!

So here's what I came up with...



Are you hungry?  Good thing, cause they're tasty little cupcakes!

I made a cinnamon cream cheese frosting only because we have a serious love for cream cheese frosting.  We did debate about vanilla vs cream cheese and of course cream cheese won!  (Insert appropriate shocked face here)  I don't really have a recipe for frosting.  I used softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and added dribbles of cream until I got the consistency I wanted.  Then I added a dash of cinnamon and my frosting was ready!

The cupcakes were a bit more involved, but not much!  I hope you have a chance to enjoy them soon!  I sent some in with the hubby at work last night just to avoid as much temptation as possible around here.  I know we run and bike a lot but the baking still can wreak some havoc on a figure :)

Happy Wednesday everyone!

 

 

 

Apple Crisp Ala Mode

I love ice cream...there is just something about it.  I think I could eat it every day and never get tired of it.  One problem.  Milk and I?  Not friends.  So, I have enjoyed ice cream fully knowing that I would pay for it later with stomach pain and still, I ate it.  Crazy?  Yep.  I have a problem.  But, last year, we broke down and bought a Cuisinart Ice Cream machine.  Best purchase in a long time.  I made almond milk ice cream to my heart's content and enjoyed every bite!  Yet, part of me still yearned for the real deal.  :(  But this year...we are buying our milk and cream from a local dairy and they have their own ice cream.  I wondered...would it make me sick?  And even if it would, I had to try it.  Guess what?  Not sick at all.  Hmmm.  I wonder if the overly processed stuff just couldn't compete in terms of quality.  So, I decided to make some ice cream with their milk and cream and still no sickness.  Let me tell you, I am in heaven now.  Fresh, creamy ice cream at the drop of a hat and it tastes so good!!

So, what happens when you take this?



And a little of this?

 



Well, it becomes this of course!

 



I am a huge fan of our creamery milk.  Especially when I sit down to a dessert like this.  I would have never thought that changes in our diet would allow for wonderful foods like this to be friends again.  What a bonus!

So, my recipes are pretty basic.

Vanilla Ice Cream

2 cups cream, preferably grass fed, organic

2 cups milk, preferably grass fed, organic

1 - 2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup sugar, preferably organic

Mix with a whisk until sugar is dissolved and put in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer directions.

 

Apple Crisp

4-5 apples, cored, sliced and peeled, organic if possible

2 T butter

1 1/2 cup oats

1 t cinnamon

2-3 T sugar, preferably organic

Mix all ingredients except apples and cut butter into dry ingredients.  Toss apples into mixture and put into a greased pie pan or shallow baking dish.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

 

Easy recipes but what a wonderful taste.  I couldn't wait for leftovers!

Almond Loaf

As I continue on my never ending quest of how to use and not waste the leftover almond meal from my homemade almond milk, I stumbled on a great recipe for almond loaf.  Hmm.  I debated back and forth a few days, never sure if I wanted to give it a try or not.  I mean, how would it taste?  Would it be like bread?  Or cake?  So many questions later, I decided that I had to at least make it once.  I'm glad I did.  You can find the original recipe at Chocolate Chilli Mango and I didn't deviate much from it, except I didn't weigh things and I did swap for rum extract over almond.  I like the buttery tone it adds to it, so that was a win.  And I had used all of my dates up making the Almond Joy protein bites a few days ago, so I did use brown rice syrup instead.



After I baked it (which took about a half hour longer than the recipe listed) I couldn't wait to try it.  It tasted like a dense souffle.  Yum!  But it was more savory than sweet so I had to make a bit of caramel sauce to go with it and wow, that was the sweet treat I was hoping for!  Quite a pleasant surprise  and well worth the wait.

 

Almond Loaf

2 cups of leftover almond meal from milk making, or 2 cups of ground, sprouted almonds

5 T brown rice syrup

4 eggs (I was lucky enough to have a neighbor give us 2 dozen farm fresh eggs!  What a great recipe to showcase them!)

1 t vanilla extract

1 t rum extract

3 t baking powder

1 cup almond milk but I think it could go down to 3/4 cup depending on how wet your almonds are

Whisk eggs together in a medium bowl and then add all ingredients.  Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for about an hour and 10 minutes.  Check frequently as it may need less, may need more time.

Carrot Cake for My Birthday

I love cake.  It's one of my favorite desserts...so when my birthday comes around, I let myself enjoy the moment and eat cake!  The hubby and I were trying to decide what type of cake to make and I was actually getting ready to make my Black Magic cake from a few weeks ago when I suddenly had an urge to make carrot cake.  Did a quick look through the kitchen and checked off ingredients and set to work.

I used a Betty Crocker recipe, but I made some changes.  I cut the sugar down to 1 cup from 1 1/2 cups and I cut the oil to 1/2 oil, 1/2 applesauce.  True perfection!



It's such an easy recipe too!   Besides the shredding of the 3 cups of carrots (hubby's job - aren't I lucky?)  the rest of it came together super easy!

Here's my recipe

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

3 eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 t cinnamon

1 t baking soda

1 t vanilla

1/2 t salt

1/4 t ground nutmeg

3 cups shredded carrots

1 cup chopped nuts - I used walnuts

Preheat oven to 350, grease and flour 2 - 8" cake pans.  Mix sugar, oil, applesauce and eggs until blended.  Stir in remaining ingredients and beat for about 2 min on medium.  Fold in carrots and nuts.  Pour into pan.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  You can either serve as is or cool and add a cream cheese frosting.  (Which totally makes the carrot cake, so I'm not sure why you'd skip it!)

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 cups confectioners sugar

1 T milk

1 t vanilla

8 oz softened cream cheese

Beat with wire whisk on high until fluffy.  Spread on cooled cake.

 

 

Gluten Free Brownies

 



 

I have an assortment of flours sitting around in the pantry - it's amazing the amount of ingredients you pick up here and there for different recipes.  I even had a box of King Arthur Gluten Free Baking mix sitting unopened from a thought I'd had about a gluten free recipe.  So, when I heard a friend had given up gluten for lent, my mind went into action thinking of a way to create a treat for her and expand my recipe repertoire.  I went easy on myself this time and made the recipe as is with one tiny change from King Arthur's website.

King Arthur Gluten Free Brownies

I cut the sugar down to a little less than one cup.  I don't think the recipe suffered at all, in fact I think it could go down a bit more than that because they were still plenty sweet.  I didn't add in the optional chocolate chips or nuts and they were perfect.  Very deep and fudgy.  They might even benefit from some espresso powder or a splash of dark coffee to even further enhance the chocolate but they are pretty awesome as is.

I can't wait to share these brownies with her - and I hear there's a bottle of red wine with our name on it waiting to be shared too...sounds like the kind of evening I need! What's better than chocolate, wine and a good friend?

 

 

"Better than going out" Chicken Critter Salad

It was a long week filled with stress, sickness and just trying desperately to get back into some kind of a routine.  Friday afternoon came, I got done work a little early and hubby and I hit the trails at our favorite local park for the first run all week.  It was a shorter run than normal so we hadn't made any plans for snacks, etc to take along and when we finished, we were starving!  On the ride home we tried to decide what we wanted for dinner.  One of the places we still like to head out to every now and then is Texas Roadhouse.  I love the deep fried pickles and hubby loves the rolls and we both agree our favorite thing on the menu is the Chicken Critter Salad.  We thought of heading home, cleaning up and going out, but quickly decided that Friday night is not the night to head there, or anywhere in our town, for dinner and decided to make it at home.  I'm so glad we did!

Of course we started off with some fried pickles - easy and simple.  I drained some dill chips while I heated some oil in a saucepan and then tossed the pickles in a flour, cayenne, seasoned salt mix and fried them until crispy.  For a dip I blended ketchup, horseradish mayo, Italian seasoning blend, hot shot pepper blend and paprika.  We nibbled on these while we made the ingredients for the salad.

First, I tossed some cubed leftover bread with a blend of butter, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper and then put it in the oven at 400 degrees.  Then I made a batter of flour, milk, and seasonings for the chicken tenderloins that I'd thawed out.  I dredged the chicken in the batter and hubby fried them in the same oil we'd used for the pickles.  While he did that, I cubed 2 hard boiled eggs and washed the salad lettuce.  Once the chicken was cooked, we sliced it and put it over the egg, greens and tomatoes and put warm croutons on top.  And added just a bit of honey mustard dressing on top.  Perfection!!  We enjoyed our favorite meal without calling ahead, dealing with crowds or forking over any $.  What a great date night!  Only thing missing was the rolls, so next time I will be sure to have some dough ready to go.

One thing we don't get out very often is dessert so it was extra-special to enjoy a dessert after our meal.  I wanted to try a new recipe and I have seen Black Magic Cake on more than a few blogs, so I decided that would be perfect.  I used this recipe from Allrecipes Black Magic Cake and was excited with all of the wonderful reviews.  We weren't disappointed. Of course, it had to have a peanut butter icing because it wouldn't be a chocolate cake in our house any other way.  :)  Nothing fancy, just a Peanut Butter Buttercream essentially.  So creamy it melted in your mouth.  I wish I had a recipe, but it was more of a clean out the odds and ends to concoct a frosting sort of event - in the most delicious way possible.



I think we were so spoiled with our evening in we might have to replicate it the next time we've got a craving for our favorite salad.  Being home, enjoying working together and then having a relaxing dinner was more than worth it!

 

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.

 

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!!

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!!