The Wilson Diner

Tuscan Bean Soup

2012-01-22T18:20:00.001-08:00

I saw this recipe on Pioneer woman and it looked so good. Most of her recipes aren't very healthy so I was excited to see this and give it a try. The original recipe called for shrimp, but I left that out. I also didn't have fresh basil so I put a dollop of pesto on the soup once I ladeled it bowls. It was delicious!

Ingredients
5 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
3 cans (14.5 Ounce) Cans Great Northern Beans, Drained And Rinsed
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
1/4 cup Tomato Paste
3/4 cups Dry White Wine
1 can (28 Ounces) Whole Or Diced Tomatoes
6 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 bunch Kale (more If Desired)
Plenty Of Torn Fresh Basil or prepared pesto

Preparation Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and stir to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to cook about 2 minutes, getting lots of flavor in the bottom of the pan. Stir in red pepper flakes and dried oregano; stir and cook for another 30 seconds.
Pour in wine and whisk, scraping the bottom of the pan a bit as you go. Allow this to bubble up and reduce, cooking until the wine is reduced by half.
Add canned tomatoes. Drain and rinse beans, then add to pot. Pour in chicken broth. Stir to combine and allow it to simmer for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.
Rinse the kale and tear it into chunks. Stir into soup. (It'll shrink quite a bit, so don't be afraid when you first add it!) Allow the soup to simmer for another 5 minutes, tasting and adding salt and pepper (or even more red pepper flakes) as needed.

Thank you Pioneer Woman!

Eggnog French Toast

2011-12-24T17:06:00.000-08:00

Todd and I were both craving french toast today and decided to make it for Christmas Eve dinner. Strange, maybe.. Good, Yes! I saw this recipe a few days ago and thought I would give it a try. It was so good that it may become a Christmas Eve tradition on the years when we are in town. Regardless, we will find a way to fit this into our December meal rotation every year.

Eggnog French Toast
adapted from 1 cup awesome

Ingredients
6 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup eggnog
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt
1 large loaf fresh bakery bread, such as french, challah or pugliese

Mix all ingredients except bread. Dip bread and fully coat with eggy/milk mixture. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Serve with maple syrup.

Cranberry Sauce with ginger and clove

2011-12-07T18:57:00.000-08:00

Ashley made these over Thanksgiving. They were the BEST cranberries I've ever had.

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 bag (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries, 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar, 1 cup water, 1 T finely grated peeled fresh ginger, and 1/8 t ground cloves to a boil over high. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until cranberries have burst and sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Makes 2 cups.

Pastitsio

2011-11-20T14:30:00.000-08:00

This is a once a year recipe. You know, the ones that you really like, but they are time consuming and not the healthiest so you only make them once a year. This fits into that category. Pastitsio is a Greek/Mediterranean pasta dish. I don't recall having this when we were in Greece, but the flavor reminds me of the food we did enjoy while there on vacation. This recipe is adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook "America's Hometown Favorites".

Pastitsio

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 t cinnamon

8 oz penne pasta

3/4 cup milk

2 slightly beaten eggs

2 T butter, melted

2 T butter

2 T flour

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups milk

3 slightly beaten eggs

1 cup Kefalotiri cheese(greek) You can also sub romano or parmesan

Directions

1. For meat sauce, in a large skillet, cook ground beef and onion until meat is no longer pink. Drain off fat. Stir in tomato sauce, wine, and cinnamon. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; rinse and drain again. In a large bowl, toss pasta with the 3/4 cup milk, the 2 eggs, and the 2 T melted butter. Set pasta mixture aside.

3. For cream sauce, in a small saucepan, melt 2 T butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt, and black pepper until smooth. Gradually add the 1 1/2 cups milk. Cook and stir until mixture thickened and bubbly. Gradually and very slowly pour the hot mixture into the 3 eggs. Set aside.

4. Grease a 9x12 pan. Layer half of pasta mixture in prepared dish. Spread meat sauce over. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the cheese. Top with remaining pasta; sprinkle with another 1/3 cups of the cheese. Pour cream sauce over all; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

5. Cover and bake in a 350 over for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes more or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

What we ate this week!

2011-11-14T19:06:00.000-08:00

Monday-Lasagna This recipe makes 1 9x12 and 2 8x8. I made the big pan to take up to Todd's family next week for Thanksgiving.

Tuesday-Eggplant lasagna(costco) and sauteed brussels sprouts.

Wednesday-BIG mixed salad and carrots/celery and hummus

Thursday-Autumn quinoa salad with roasted brussels sprouts

Friday- Chili and cornbread(both really good recipes)

Saturday-Pastitsio and roasted broccoli

Sunday-First Watch after our half marathon. Next door pizza and Grandma Orpha's white cake(recipe up soon) for dinner. I have been dreaming of eating this pizza after our half marathon for the last few weeks.

What we ate this week!

2011-11-13T18:58:00.000-08:00

Monday and Tuesday- I can't remember. Must not have been too memorable. :)

Wednesday-Lentils and Rice in the crockpot with mixed greens. This made enough for the whole block. Next time I would half the recipe. We liked it, but the kids didn't really eat it. I think the look of it was a turn off for James.

Thursday-Gnocchi Pesto with roasted cauliflower Very very good. Next time I might even attempt making homemade gnoochi.

Friday-Leftover lentils and rice with mixed greens

Saturday- Pumpkin ricotta pancakes for brunch. Spin pizza for dinner

Sunday- Whole wheat macaroni with leftover pesto

What we ate this week!

2011-11-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

Monday-French onion soup in the crockpot. I have made this a few times and it is really good. So easy too!
Tuesday-Thai fried quinoa. This was really good. I made the quinoa and prepped all the ingredients earlier in the day so this came together in less than 10 minutes.
Wednesday-Roasted autumn salad, mixed greens, garlic bread.
Thursday-Noodles with mmmm sauce.
Friday- Autumn mac and cheese. This had all of the same roasted vegetables as Wednesdays dinner. I roasted everything for both meals on Wednesday and made this on Thursday. It was all ready to go in the oven after work on Friday. We really liked this and I would definitely make it again!
Saturday-Gingerbread waffles for brunch. Date night at the Copa Room with Todd.
Sunday- Homemade pizza at my parents! YUM!

What we ate this week!

2011-10-30T16:31:00.000-07:00

Monday-Leftover Tamale Pie

Tuesday-Spaghetti Squash with Veggie Ragu and salad

Wednesday-Turkey meatloaf and salad

Thurday-Penne with leftover ragu sauce from Tuesday and roasted broccoli

Friday, Saturday, Sunday- Mama DID NOT cook! I took a break from cooking while Todd was out of town. We cleaned out the fridge and freezer! I did make some more whole wheat bread. YUM!

What we ate this week!

2011-10-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

Last week seems like a blur. I don't even remember what we ate or what I made. We were out of town for Cornell's homecoming over the weekend. So fun and lots of good food! We enjoyed friday night at Pizza palace with some Taco pizza. Saturday morning we got coffee/hot chocolate and freshly baked peach scones at a local coffee shop before hiking at the Pal. Saturday lunch was at our favorite Lincoln Cafe. Sunday dinner was at a local Cedar Rapids restaurants called Daniel Arthurs. We finished off the weekend at the Breakfast House in CR. SO MUCH good food over the weekend. Back to reality though and trying to be healthy, so we'll start with Sunday night.

Sunday-Veggie Chili(From my freezer stash)

Monday-Veggie Chili on baked potatoes

Tuesday-Turkey/swiss grilled sandwiches with tomato soup(Costco)

Wednesday-Root vegetable lasagna
(From my freezer stash. I made my full recipe a few weeks ago and put it is 2 8x8 pans vs a 9x12.) It was a great idea and I will definitely do it this way next fall.

Thursday-Butternut squash soup with homemade wheat bread. The wheat bread turned out great and was so much easier than I thought. I think I'm going to start making my own bread on a regular basis. It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought. Thanks for the nudge Ashlee! There is nothing like fresh homemade bread out of the oven. It really brought me back to my childhood because my mom used to make homemade bread all the time.
Friday-Veggie Stir-fry using the sauce from here. I stir-fried with broccoli, asparagus, snap peas and edamame(or as Todd asked, "eda what?")

Saturday-Tamale pie with pumpkin cornbread with mixed green salad.

Sunday-Eggplant dip(melitzanosalata) and leftovers. I have no idea how to pronounce that so I'm calling it eggplant dip. We really liked the Eggplant dip and will definitely make it again. It was great with cut up veggies and pitas.

What we ate this week!

2011-10-09T18:33:00.000-07:00

Monday- Black bean and sweet corn quinoa
Tuesday-Root Vegetable Lasagna and salad
Wednesday- Chickpea pasta with root vegetable "candy". We really liked both of these. I think kale or spinach would be a nice addition to the chickpea pasta.
Thursday-leftovers
Friday- Company arrived! Appetizers- Carrots/ranch and 3/1 dip with crackers
Dinner- Cheeseburger soup and roasted garlic bread(costco)
Dessert- Apple pie and pumpkin pie bars
Movie munchies- Monster munch for the kids
Saturday-Sandwiches for lunch
Chicken florentine artichoke bake for dinner with mixed green salad
Sunday-Brunch at First Watch. Dinner-Tilapia(Costco), roasted broccoli and spinach salad.

Food for thought

2011-10-07T05:29:00.001-07:00

What we ate this week!

2011-10-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

Monday- Eggplant Lasagna
Tuesday- Dinner at the park. Carrots, hummus, apples. PB & J when we got home!
Wednesday-Lentil soup with toasted sourdough
Thursday-Turkey meatloaf with twice baked potatoes and roasted brussels sprouts
Friday- Todd out with friends, leftovers for me and the boys
Saturday-I went to Blue Grotto with Abby and the boys had leftovers
Sunday- Cleaned out the fridge!

Peanut butter banana muffins

2011-09-29T19:01:00.001-07:00

Todd came home from tennis the other night with an abundance of bananas and peanut butter. I personally have not tried these muffins since I'm not a banana fan. James gobbled 2 down right away so they must be good! I googled "peanut butter banana muffins" and this looked good to me!

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

4 ripe bananas
1 1/4 c whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c honey
2 T melted butter
2 eggs
1/3 c unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 T creamy peanut butter
{optional: +2 tb to use as small dollops of pb on top of each muffin}

1. Mash bananas and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together honey and melted butter until smooth.
3. Add applesauce, eggs, vanilla extract and peanut butter. Whisk together until smooth.
4. Add flour, baking soda, salt & stir together until not lumpy.
5. Add bananas and mix until just combined.
6. Spoon mixture into lined muffin tin.
7. Add a small (1/4 ts?) dollop of peanut butter to the top of each muffin, and sort of press it in until it's almost covered by the muffin batter.
8. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. I stuck the toothpick in at an angle and went towards the center to avoid sticking it through the dollop of peanut butter.

Yield: 12 muffins

Lentil soup

2011-09-28T18:22:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe is from my co-worker Kathy several years back. Her Italian mother made this frequently when she was growing up. The ingredients are so simple, but it tastes so good. I know lentils aren't everyones "cup of tea", but I love them. Warning, this makes a lot of soup!

Ingredients
Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-3 carrots, chopped
4-5 stalks celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 bag lentils
11 cups stock/broth of choice (maybe a little less if not adding rice or pasta)
1/2-1 cup small pasta or brown rice(tonight I used ditalini which is the cutest little pasta ever!)
Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in large soup pot. Saute onion, carrots, and celery until tender. Add garlic and salt/pepper to taste. Cook 1-2 more minutes. Add tomatoes, lentils and stock/broth. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add small pasta or rice. Cook until done. Rice will take much longer than pasta to cook.

To serve ladle into bowls, add a little olive oil and parmesan cheese. Yum!

What we ate this week!

2011-09-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

Monday- Baked sweet potatoes with leftover chili along with Balsamic roasted carrots
Tuesday- Noodle salad with peanut sauce. This was mmm mmm good! I would definitely make this again!
Wednesday- Chicken tortilla soup at Jami's house
Thursday-Poached eggs in tomato sauce with parmesan roasted broccoli. Both of these recipes were really really good! Definitely keepers!
Friday-Penne with marinara, carb loading for 15k Saturday morning
Saturday- Brunch at The Farmhouse after our 15k. Sesame Chicken, rice/quinoa blend, and roasted cauliflower for dinner.
Sunday- Eggplant Lasagna with steamed green beans

Oh, and I made these AMAZING pancakes for breakfast. I felt like I was eating dessert for breakfast, they were so decadent! If you want to treat yourself to something special make these!

Balsamic glazed carrots

2011-09-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

I saw this recipe in Septembers Health magazine. I love anything with balsamic vinegar so I thought these were great!
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds(12 medium) carrots, halved lengthwise then halved crosswise. I halved then just halved the chunky top half crosswise. This made 3 segments from each carrot.
2 T olive oil
2 T water
1/2 t cumin
2 T balsamic vinegar
parsley for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Roast carrots 35-40 minutes until tender. Remove carrots and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar. Shake the pan to distribute vinegar.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2011-09-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from my BF Jami. It is seriously the best tortilla soup I've ever had. It always tastes better when she makes it too. I can't believe I'm just now putting it on the blog, because this has been a favorite for years!

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
1-2 chicken breasts , boneless and skinless
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 can rotel
1 can beef broth
1 can chicken broth
1 can tomato soup
1 cup corn (I use frozen)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drains or 1-2 cups mexican black beans
1-2 cans water
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp tabasco sauce
salt and pepper to taste
fresh tortillas/tortilla chips and cheese for topping

Directions
Saute onion and garlic in oil. Add all ingredients except for tortillas and cheese. Simmer for 50 minutes. Remove chicken from soup and shred. Return chicken to soup and serve with toppings. This is SOOOOO good and you can make it in a crockpot too!

Toasted Quinoa with sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas and feta

2011-09-19T18:34:00.000-07:00

I originally saw this idea here. I changed it up a little bit the basic recipe is the same.

Ingredients
2 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup uncooked), prepared according to pkg
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bunch green onions, divided
2 T olive oil
1/2 cup chickpeas
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes and feta

Heat 2 T olive oil in skillet until hot. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Remove garlic and dispose. Add half green onions and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add cooked quinoa and saute for 10-15 minutes until brown and crispy. Add toppings of choice.

What we ate this week!

2011-09-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

Monday-A quickie version of my sweet potato and black bean quesadillas for myself and the boys. We met Daddy up at the tennis park(that is what James calls it) to watch his match against my alma mater BSS. Instead of grating and cooking the sweet potato I cooked it in the microwave.
Tuesday-Picnic at the park with hummus, carrots, pita chips and fruit
Wednesday- Chili
Thursday- Black bean burgers with pineapple rice/steamed broccoli. The burgers were just OK. Not our favorite..
Friday- Leftovers and pumpkin bread
Saturday-Spaghetti and roasted asparagus
Sunday- Oatmeal pancakes for breakfast
Toasted quinoa with sundried tomatoes, chickpeas, and feta for dinner

Semi-homemade hot fudge sauce

2011-09-11T10:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, this one is really hard so read carefully! :)

You need 2 ingredients:

1 can chocolate syrup(aluminum/tin found in baking isle)

1 can(12 oz) sweetened condensed milk(also in the baking isle)

In a saucepan combine the chocolate syrup and milk. Heat on very low heat until it just starts to bubble. This is amazing on ice cream!

What we ate this week!

2011-09-11T10:19:00.001-07:00

This was a short week for us with Monday being Labor day and Friday James and I left for Phoenix. I didn't really cook at all. I'm excited to start cooking with fall flavors soon!

Monday-Grilled Trout and Kebabs at the parents pool. My mom made some amazing hot fudge to put on ice cream.

Tuesday- Ciao Bella take out. We had a Groupon about to expire and needed to use it ASAP. Tuscan Eggplant for her, Chicken Giorgio for him. I LOVED my Eggplant and would love to try to recreate it at home. Of course, I'm going to try to find a recipe that doesn't include breading and frying. If anyone has a good oven baked eggplant recipe let me know.

Wednesday-Leftover Waldo Pizza from Sunday

Thursday-Leftovers from Ciao Bella. We can make a restaurant meal usually last 2-3 meals. Portions are out of control!

Friday- Out of town for the weekend! No cooking for me! :)

Oven roasted almonds

2011-09-11T10:13:00.000-07:00

We love to eat almonds at our house. My aunt Lynda shared this recipe/method over the weekend. It makes raw almonds taste amazing without any added flavors or salt. I can't wait to go home and roast my raw almonds(We buy them in a big bag at Costco).

All you do is put your almonds on a baking sheet and roast at 300 for 30 minutes. That's it! Let cool and enjoy. Once you try these you won't want to eat raw almonds ever again!

Enjoy!

What we ate this week!

2011-09-04T12:36:00.000-07:00

Monday-Leftovers

Tuesday- Baked sweet potatoes with Mexican black beans. Topped with cheese and sour cream.

Wednesday- Chicken nacho bake with Sweet corn

Thursday- Eggs, toast, fresh fruit

Friday-Mozzarella-stuffed bruschetta turkey burgers with sweet corn and roasted asparagus

Saturday-Leftover burgers and veggies

Sunday- Waldo Pizza

Mozzarella stuffed bruschetta turkey burgers

2011-09-03T19:18:00.000-07:00

These burgers were great! I found this recipe on Iowa Girls Eats. She always posts really yummy recipes. The peanut butter jar tip for making the patties worked great too! You can watch a video tutorial here.

Ingredients:
Burger:

1 lb 99% fat-free ground turkey breast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese, divided into 4
1 cup balsamic vinegar

Bruschetta mixture:

4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced
Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Simmer balsamic vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat until it is the consistency of
thin maple syrup – about 10-15 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine turkey, salt, pepper, dried basil and parmesan cheese. Divide
turkey mixture into four, equal portions.

3. Wrap an old peanut butter jar lid with foil, then lay a sheet of plastic wrap on top.
Divide one portion of the turkey mixture in half, then press one half into the bottom of
the lid. Heap 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese into the middle, then top with the other turkey
half. Press together, then invert the patty by pulling up on the plastic wrap. Seal the edges
with your hands, then place on the grill. Continue with other turkey portions until you
have 4 patties total. Grill burgers for 4 minutes a side over medium-high heat.

4. For Bruschetta mixture: combine all ingredients, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5. Top grilled burgers with Bruschetta mixture and drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Chicken Nacho Bake

2011-08-31T18:21:00.000-07:00

This is an oldy, but a goody. I think I remember first making this in our old house, but I don't think I've made it in atleast 5 years. I usually have all of the ingredients on hand except for the chips. I had a stale bag of chips(crumbs) in the pantry that I was about to toss, but them remembered this recipe. Easy and good! Kraft is a good go to site for simple recipes!

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup salsa

1/4 cup low fat sour cream

1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips

1/2 cup cheese, shredded. Heat oven to 400. Place chicken on foil-covered bakingsheet. Cut 3 slits on top of each chicken breast. Top with sour cream, salsa, and chips. Bake for 20 minutes, top with cheese and bake for another 10 minutes.

What we ate this week!

2011-08-28T17:50:00.000-07:00

Monday- Bean Tostadas with leftover taco ingredients and green salad

Tuesday- Italian spinach pie with tomato and basil salad

Wednesday- Master Wok and Dairy Queen. It was a take out kind of day!

Thursday-Whole wheat penne with Marinara and Spinach Salad

Friday- BBQ chicken quesadillas

Saturday-Catered Zarda at a charity event

Sunday- Birthday cookout at Abby and Davids to celebrate Jack's 11th Birthday!

What I made this week!

2011-08-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

Monday-Leftover Quinoa Spinach bake for me, leftover Southwestern pasta for the boys

Tuesday- Greek Nachos

Wednesday-more leftovers(we eat a lot of leftovers around here)

Thursday- Tacos

Friday-Date night at 801 Chophouse. Filet for her, lobster for him. We shared the maytag bleu potatoes(out of this world good!), roasted brussels sprouts, and grand mariner souffle. Excellent meal!

Saturday- Oatmeal pancakes with blueberries for breakfast

Grilled Chicken, green beans and salad for dinner

Sunday- Hamburgers, beans and corn poolside at the parents

Greek Nachos

2011-08-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Our Everyday dinners blog. What a great idea! I love all the flavors of Greece. This made Todd and I feel like we were back on the islands for a short moment. I adjusted the seasonings from the original recipe because it looked like too much seasoning for 1/2 lbs of beef. My measurements are just approximate!

Greek Nachos

For the sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 ounces feta cheese
1/2 cup Greek yogurt (I used nonfat)
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1 lemon, juice and zest
about 1/4 cup cubed seedless cucumber, more or less
salt and pepper

In a blender or mini food processor combine feta, yogurt, olive oil, mint, and zest and juice of lemon; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. The liquid in the cucumber thins the sauce, so add the cucumber little by little until sauce is at a pourable consistency.

For the beef:

1/4 cup red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound extra lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 T fresh oregano, chopped
salt and pepper

4 pita pockets. We used Naan from Trader Joe's
chopped tomatoes and cucumbers
olives
extra crumbled feta for the top

Preheat oven to 400.

Cut pitas into wedges, drizzle with olive oil, and bake for about 10 minutes, or until crispy.

Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon of oil to a skillet, and cook onion and garlic until transparent. Add ground beef, cumin, dried oregano, cinnamon, a big pinch of salt and pepper, and paprika. Cook until brown. If it starts to dry out, add a little water to the pan. Before serving, toss in the fresh oregano and stir well.

To assemble nachos, put chips on a serving plate and top with beef, sauce, tomatoes, cucumbers, a little extra feta, and olives (if you like olives, I do not so I left them out.)

Quinoa Spinach Bake

2011-08-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

This recipe is for all my quinoa loving friends. I know you guys are out there somewhere!! This recipe reminded me of my spinach pie, but not as cheesy. Probably a little healthier too. The recipe called for blanching the spinach but that seemed like too much work so I just cooked it with the onions after they softened. You could also sub frozen spinach too! Todd ate this for breakfast with a salsa quite a few times. YES, you heard correctly, Todd is eating quinoa and he liked it!! I'm so proud of him! Now I just need to get him to eat oatmeal! One grain at a time I suppose!

Ingredients:

1 lbs spinach

2 t olive oil

1 yellow onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T fresh thyme

1 t rosemary

1/4 t red pepper flakes

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 cup cottage cheese

salt and pepper to taste

2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 8 x 8 inch glass baking dish with olive oil spray. Heat oil in saute pan. Add onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and red pepper flakes and saute for about 8 minutes. Add spinach and cooked until wilted. Remove from heat and combine with quinoa, cottage cheese and eggs. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake until edges are brown for 60-70 minutes. Serve warm or at room temp.

Special K Bars

2011-08-14T17:52:00.001-07:00

These are Todd's ALL. TIME. FAVORITE. He grew up with his mom making them frequently and we almost always have them when we go visit. I have tried making different variations of this and they never turn out, but this time I got the exact recipe. They probably weren't as good as his mom's but he still gave them 2 thumbs up!

Special K Bars
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups rice krispies
1/4 cup butter

Chocolate frosting
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 T peanut butter

Combine corn syrup and sugar in a large microwave bowl. Microwave until sugar is dissolved and starts bubbling. Add peanut butter and butter and stir until smooth. Add the rice krispies until combined. Press into a 9 x 13 pan. To make frosting melt chocolate chips and peanut butter until smooth. Frost bars and enjoy!

What I made this week!

2011-08-14T15:48:00.000-07:00

Monday- Summer squash and corn chowder with Hummus and carrots. I made a second attempt at cooking my own chickpeas in the crockpot and this time it worked. I don't think I cooked them long enough last time. This time I soaked the beans for 8 hours, rinsed, and cooked on low for 9-10 hours. They turned out great and one 1 lb bag made one batch of hummus, and filled 2 small freezer bags. Not bad for $.99.
Tuesday-Leftover turkey burgers and green beans
Wednesday-Black beans with rice/quinoa(1/3quinoa ratio to 2/3 brown rice. I love quinoa, but Todd isn't completely sold so I sneak it in things sometimes.) We topped ours with cheese, cilantro and salsa. Todd said this was much better than he expected. I really enjoyed it and it makes a TON! We also had steamed broccoli and grapes to round out our meal.
Thursday- Leftover soup from Monday and cheesy toasts
Friday- Chicken pesto panini's and spinach salad
Saturday- Carrot cake pancakes
I baked a double batch of banana muffins
Sunday- We went to a company picnic. I brought southwestern pasta salad and special k bars.

What I made this week!

2011-08-07T16:59:00.000-07:00

We got back in town Monday night. We enjoyed a great steak dinner with twice baked potatoes at my parents.
Tuesday- Sesame Chicken with steamed broccoli

Wednesday- Green Bean, tomato, and chickpea salad. The lemon flavor reminded me of the pita panzanella that I LOVE, but I think next time I would do less green beans and more tomatoes. Not sure I'd make this again. I think with extra tomatoes and basil instead of parsley would make it much better.

Thursday- Night out for me/night in for the boys. Spaghetti with meat sauce.

Friday-Leftover Spaghetti

Saturday- Oatmeal Pancakes for breakfast. Turkey burgers and sweet potatoes for dinner. These burgers were AWESOME! The only thing I did differently is I used TJ's mango/ginger chutney instead of Major Grey's.

Sunday-Dinner at the parents

Sesame Chicken

2011-08-03T19:01:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

Flour mixture:
1/4 cup flour
1/8 cup sesame seeds
1/2 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
Pepper
Red pepper flakes

Sesame sauce:
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/8 cup sesame seeds

Coat chicken in flour mixture. Saute in olive oil until brown. Add sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with brown rice.

What I made this week!

2011-08-02T18:52:00.002-07:00

We left town on Thursday morning so I didn't make much this week. We did enjoy a few of the things I bought at Trader Joes.
Monday-Sausage zucchini bake with sweet corn. I made this with Trader Joe's garden vegetable chicken sausage. Everyone in the family liked this a lot.
Tuesday- Trader Joe's sun-dried tomato and goat cheese ravioli served with sweet corn(I got 12 for $3 so you'll see a trend here). The ravioli was just ok. I probably won't buy it again.
Wednesday- Leftovers from Monday with more sweet corn.

What I made this week!

2011-07-24T17:33:00.000-07:00

In an effort to track and remember what I make I'm going to try to post it weekly on the blog! So many times I try a new recipe but it never makes it to the blog. Atleast this way I can link to the recipes I've tried..
What I made for Dinner?
Monday: Pita Pizzas with sundried-tomatoes and artichokes
Tuesday: Vegetable Lasagna
Wednesday:Chicken Gyros
Thursday: beef tacos
Friday/Sat- Protein pancakes with pineapple sauce for breakfast and leftovers
Sunday- dinner at the parents
What I baked? Pineapple zucchini muffins and Chocolate zucchini bread

Protein Pancakes

2011-07-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe here. These are more eggy tasting than traditional pancakes. The whole family like them! I sauteed some fresh pineapple in maple syrup for a yummy topping.

1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup oats
4 eggs or 8 egg whites
Butter or spray oil for pan

Combine cottage cheese, oats, and eggs to blender. Blend until smooth. Cook like normal pancakes.

Zucchini pineapple muffins new and improved

2011-07-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

7/23/11 ****NEW and IMPROVED**** I made these today with a few healthier changes. I used all whole wheat flour, no brown sugar, and butter instead of oil. Not quite as sweet and a little more dense, but still just as good! All of the changes are reflected below!

FIrst posted 9/13/09

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 -3 T agave nectar
2-3 T molasses
2-3 T honey
1/2 Cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 pinch ginger
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 whole Large Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Cups Grated (unpeeled) Zucchini (I usually just use 1)
1 (20 Oz.) Can Crushed Pineapple In Juice, Drained

Preheat oven to 350°.To prepare muffins combine flour, sugar, coconut, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk.
Combine butter, eggs, vanilla, agave, honey, and molasses; stir well. Stir egg mixture, grated zucchini, and pineapple into flour mixture. Add to muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Vegetable Lasagna

2011-07-22T19:44:00.000-07:00

I channelled Pioneer Woman on this recipe. I saw her vegetable lasagna a few months ago. Yum! I changed it up quite a bit, but the basic method is the same. I used less noodles, less ricotta, less egg, different veggies/herbs. Whatever you do, don't leave out the wine. This is what makes the sauce taste so good! It is my new summer lasagna.

Ingredients:
9 cooked lasagna noodles
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, Diced
1 eggplant, Chopped
3 squash (yellow Or zucchini), Diced
1 can (28 Ounce) crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup White Wine
1/4 cup Fresh basil, chopped
1 t fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt (more To Taste)
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 cups mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Extra Parmesan Cheese, For Sprinkling

Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and lay flat on a sheet of aluminum foil.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for a minute. Add diced red peppers and saute for another minute or so. Add squash and eggplant and cook for a few minutes. Pour in wine, add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and stir.
Pour in tomatoes. Stir to combine and let simmer for 20 minutes or so. Stir in chopped basil and oregano.
In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, egg, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
To assemble, spread a little of the vegetable/tomato sauce in a lasagna pan. Layer three cooked noodles in the pan, slightly overlapping them if necessary. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on the noodles. Top the ricotta mixture with mozzarella. Spoon a little less than 1/3 of the veggie/sauce mixture over the mozzarella.
Repeat the layering two more times, ending with a large helping of vegetable sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan.
Bake at 350 degrees, covered in foil, for 20 minutes, then remove foil and continue baking for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

Strawberry Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal

2011-07-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on $5 dollar dinners when I googled strawberry rhubarb baked oatmeal. I made this twice in Michigan since we have fresh rhubarb in the yard. I also used our hand-picked strawberries which made it extra special! It was delicious. Definitely not your typical oatmeal!

Ingredients:
about 2 cups diced rhubarb
about 3 cups diced strawberries
2 large eggs
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 – 1/2 cup brown sugar, for sprinkling

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 9×13 baking dish.
Toss the rhubarb and strawberries in the baking dish.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients, except the brown sugar. Pour the batter over top of the fruit and stir gently to combine the fruit.
Sprinkle the brown sugar over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean in the middle.
Serve Strawberry Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal with milk, cream, yogurt (or even with ice cream as a dessert!).

Baby's First Foods

2011-07-21T13:28:00.000-07:00

I was first introduced to the idea of Baby Led Weaning from my friend Ashlee who fed her baby Corinne "real food". I was very intrigued by the idea and after researching it myself I decided to practice BLW with James. I get asked very often why we don't give our babies cereal/purees. The following article from http://ecochildsplay.com/ explains exactly how I feel about baby's first food. I plan to send this to anyone that seems interested in BLW.

"By saying you don’t need baby food, I’m not merely saying that you don’t need commercial processed jarred baby foods and cereals. I’m not just saying you can make your own healthy, organic purees and even grind your own rice. I’m saying you don’t need it at all.

No purees, no rice, no pablum. No mashing, no whizzing, no pulverizing. In short, no spoonfeeding.

It’s. Just. Not. Necessary.

But wait, you say… babies need to learn to eat, right? Of course you need to feed the baby, don’t you?

Well… no, actually. Your baby will feed himself. (Or herself, as the case may be.)

The Case for Baby-Led Solids

Baby-led solids is a simple, practical, logical and natural method of beginning solid foods whereby your baby simply eats real food, by himself, from the beginning. It is also called “baby-led weaning” or BLW, a term popularized by British health visitor Gill Rapley, whose pioneering work in this area has become the manifesto for parents seeking a more sensible approach to starting solids with their babies. Note that the term “baby-led weaning” uses the British meaning of the term ‘weaning’ — applying to the entire process of weaning from milk to solid food, instead of the North American usage which generally only applies to the very end of this process.

Rapley has recently published the ultimate guidebook, Baby-led Weaning: Helping Your Baby To Love Good Food. It challenges existing assumptions about spoonfeeding and guides parents to a more developmentally appropriate approach to solids.

But wait — if BLW is so simple and natural, why should we need an entire book to explain to us how and why to do it? The fact is, we have become so conditioned to believe that the usual method of beginning our infants with runny rice cereal, gradually progressing through smooth then lumpier purees, in defined quantities and on a defined schedule, keeping flavours bland and simple — is the right and indeed the only way to do things, that we don’t even think about even questioning why this is the way we do it. It takes an entire book to clear away our mental blockages and reveal our hidden, faulty assumptions.

If you do nothing else, if you don’t have the time to read this entire article, at least read this book.And if you do read this entire article and want to learn more, read this book. If you read this article and are still not convinced, then — you guessed it — read this book. . It will answer any questions you might have that aren’t covered within the limited scope of this article.

A Brief History of Infant Feeding

To understand the logic of completely ditching cereals and purees, we first have to realize why the current schedule and method for infant feeding is the way it is. The reasons are manifold and complicated, but suffice it to say that current feeding practices were developed in the early twentieth century, in response to nutritional deficits in commercial infant formula, and the transfer of authority from the mother to the physician – who would prescribe rigidly scheduled feedings, compromising breastfeeding and leading to undernourished babies.

As such, it became the standard to start giving “solid” supplemental foods to babies 3 months old, or 2 months old… or even younger, as a nutritional necessity.

Babies that young are not able to “eat”. They do not have the muscular coordination to chew, they cannot sit upright, and they have the “tongue thrust reflex”, whereby anything unexpected in their mouth is just pushed right back out again. In order to “feed” very young babies, they must in fact be tricked. The food must be liquefied because they cannot chew. They must be spoonfed to get past the tongue reflex, circumventing an important safety mechanism (though in most cases, you still have to push the same spoonful back in several times before it stays). And it must be bland, tasteless, indistinguishable from their accustomed milk, or else they will reject it.

It was also expected that babies would be completely weaned onto solid foods by their first birthday, at the latest. And so a strict schedule of how many meals per day was implemented, gradually, deliberately replacing milk feedings, and changing in texture and consistency as the baby grew older.

What We Now Know About Infant Nutrition

Of course, we now know that breastfeeding on demand provides all the nutrition that a baby needs for at least the first 6 months or even the first full year. Modern formulas, while not nearly as complete as breastmilk, are still quite adequate for nourishing the baby whose mother is unable to breastfeed and no additional supplements are necessary. In fact, not only do babies notneed any supplemental nutrition for the first 6 months, it is in fact potentially harmful for them to ingest anything other than milk, as their digestive systems are not yet mature enough to handle anything else. Too-early introduction of solid foods has been associated with increased allergies, digestive problems in later life, and possibly even obesity.

The 6-month-old baby is a very different creature from the 3-month-old. At 6 months of age, most babies:

are keen to imitate everything they see their parents doing, including eating
are curious about new experiences, including tastes and textures
can hold objects and manipulate them, including finger foods
can sit upright
have lost the tongue thrust reflex
can chew

So all of the reasons that spoonfeeding is necessary for the 3-month-old simply do not apply to the older baby. It fact, it was not uncommon under the old guidelines to begin finger foods and some self-feeding at around 6 months old. Our babies have not changed, only the age at which we begin solid foods has changed. But paradoxically, we have not changed our method and schedule of introducing solids to match the vastly different developmental stage of the older baby!

As Rapley says in her book (pp. 33-34):

Of course, spoon-feeding seemed to be unavoidable when it was believed that babies of three or four months needed ‘solids’ since, at that age, they couldn’t chew or get food to their mouths themselves. This led to an assumption that spoon-feeding and purees were an essential part of introducing solids, no matter what the age of the baby.
So, although research now tells us that those babies who started solids at three or four months old (or even younger) shouldn’t have been having them at all, most people still assume that a baby’s first solid foods should be given by spoon. But there doesn’t appear to be any research to back this up.

How It Works

Baby-led solids is simply about trusting your baby to feed herself, the way she has ever since birth (feeding on demand). It involves realizing that we do not need to trick or coerce our babies into eating, nor do we need to ‘teach’ them how to eat, nor is there any ‘window’ whereby if we do not make them eat by a certain age, then they never will. Eating is an essential survival mechanism, it only makes sense that a human child will instinctively begin eating when she is developmentally ready to do so, just as she will begin to sit up, walk, and communicate, all on her own with no specialized instruction or coercion from her parents. So long as they are given the opportunity, all healthy babies will do all these things by themselves, in their own time.

For many families, their first experience with baby-led solid begins when their baby swipes a bit of food off mom’s plate and starts gnawing away at it. At first, this is simple curiosity on the baby’s part. He does not yet understand that this will fill his tummy, he just wants to check it out, and do what mom is doing. BLW as a method is simply allowing your baby to continue this exploration of food on his own terms. Over the course of a few months, your baby progresses from exploration (with limited ingestion), to deliberate eating for hunger, until he is eating complete meals and beginning to reduce his milk feeds. And this all happens with no pressure or interference from the parent, who has simply allowed natural development to take place.

The Problem With Spoonfeeding

Replaces healthier milk. Solid foods are less nutritionally dense than breastmilk or even formula. An infant’s primary source of nutrition should be milk for at least their first year, with solid foods being only a supplement and not a main source. Spoonfeeding tends to put more food in a baby’s tummy than they actually need, leaving less room for the essential, healthier milk.
Interferes with long-term breastfeeding. Since the typical schedule for solid foods is designed with complete weaning from the breast by age one in mind, completely filling up baby’s tummy with solid foods, there is a risk that your baby will nurse less, depleting your milk supply, and leading to complete weaning much earlier than would have happened naturally.
Power struggles over food. Since your baby has no control over what or how much she eats, she is more likely to resist, seeking to gain some power over her own body. The “airplane game” is really a manipulative attempt to win this power struggle, based on a faulty (and nonsensical, when you think about it) assumption that babies will resist eating solids and our job is to overcome this resistance and make them eat.
Suppression of instinctive appetite control. When you are spoonfeeding according to a schedule, you are more likely to try to get baby to “finish the jar,” even if she is clearly communicating that she is finished. This overrides the natural connection between hunger, appetite, and portion control, leading to potential problems with overeating in the future.
Bland food leads to a bland palate. Most children prefer white bread, basic pastas, hot dogs, and other simple “kids’ foods,” rather than a rich and healthy variety of ‘real’ or ‘grownup’ food.
Cereal is not a healthy first food. Cereal only became the standard first food because it was easy to mix into a very young infant’s bottle. There are no nutritional advantages to it whatsoever. In fact, cereal is heavy in starch and carbohydrates, which are difficult for an infant to digest, and a diet heavy in carbs is not a balanced diet.
It’s complicated! Measuring, pureeing, organizing, freezing, cleaning, scooping. Food mills, food processors, jars, spoons, ice cube trays and specialized storage kits. Recipe books just for babies. Counting, planning, fretting that they’re not ‘eating enough,’ scheduling, worrying when to progress to ‘stage two’…

Advantages of Baby-led Solids

Optimum balance of milk and solids. By letting your baby control his portions, according to his own instincts, you will not unintentionally fill him up with the less-nutritious solid foods. He will gradually nurse less frequently, according to his own ideal balance of milk and solid foods, and wean on his own natural schedule.
Confidence and independence. Since your baby is in complete control of their feeding, deciding what to eat and how much of it, there are no power struggles. Rather than being a passive recipient of food, she is a confident explorer, and as she matures she will be keen to try new things rather than suspicious of foods she hasn’t eaten before.
Self-regulation of portions. Your baby maintains his connection with his appetite, leading to a healthy attitude to portion control. He simply stops eating when he is full.
Your baby is part of the dinner table. Rather than needing to be fed a separate dinner on a separate schedule, she joins you at dinner. Your food doesn’t grow cold while you feed your baby first, and she isn’t bored while everyone else eats. She can participate in dinner conversation and learn table manners by observation and imitation. She learns about using cutlery and how different foods are eaten by example… and by eating the same foods as everyone else.
Enjoyment of wide variety of flavours. ‘Grown-up foods’ are not something children need to ‘graduate’ or grow into. When they eat real foods from the beginning, with rich flavours and spices and a variety of textures, they will continue to eat real foods and not become dependent solely on “kid’s food”.
The right balance at the right time. You can relax knowing that she is eating exactly what she needs to be healthy. A growing toddler is more likely to ‘binge’ on carbs at times, an older infant might focus on healthy fats or proteins, or go through periods of hardly eating at all but only breastfeeding, all according to what her body needs at this particular stage of growth. Studies have shown that when offered a variety of healthy foods, without adult influence or interference, babies will instinctively choose a balanced menu providing all the nutrients they require. So there’s no guesswork on your part.
It’s so easy! Make a healthy meal for your family, put some on your baby’s plate. That’s about all there is to it. Really.

But What About Choking?

This is the inevitable question when people first learn about BLW. In fact, there is no greater concern about choking than with spoonfeeding, and it may even help protect against choking. Humans have an innate gag reflex, whereby anything that gets to the back of the mouth unexpectedly (or is too large to swallow) will be regurgitated with a retching action. In babies, this reflex is further forward in the mouth, and so gagging is fairly common while they are learning to handle food. Although this is commonly confused with choking, it is actually the normal protective mechanism, preventing choking while a baby learns to manipulate food in his mouth with his tongue, to chew and swallow. Spoonfeeding denies a baby the chance to practice this manipulation while the gag reflex is still extra-active. By the time a traditionally spoonfed baby is allowed to practice with finger foods, the gag reflex has receded somewhat, closer to the airway, and is thus less effective as a protective mechanism. Gill Rapley again (p. 63):

So babies who haven’t been allowed to explore food from the beginning may miss the opportunity to use it to help them learn how to keep food away from their airway. Anecdotal evidence suggests that babies who have been spoon-fed have more problems with gagging and ‘choking’ when they start to handle food… than those who have been allowed to experiment much earlier.

Final Food For Thought

Of course, many readers will now be saying “but I raised my babies by spoonfeeding purees and they loved it and turned out just fine.” And it’s true that many babies will develop into healthy eaters no matter how we approach their first foods. But this won’t be true for all babies. BLW decreases the risks of many eating problems and is just plain easier and more enjoyable for both parent and baby. While problems stemming from spoonfeeding may not always be extreme or applicable to all babies, the fact remains that it is completely unnecessary… so why go through the bother?

Let’s leave the last words to Gill Rapley (pp. 240-241):

Baby-led weaning can help to prevent the sorts of battles over food that are an all-too-common story amongst the parents of toddlers and young children and it can contribute to making family mealtimes fun for everyone. in a nutshell, it makes eating the pleasure it should be.
… There is a growing amount of evidence that the way children are fed when they are very young establishes the way they will feel about food throughout their childhood, and maybe even into adulthood. Obesity and eating disorders are in the news almost every week … Many of these problems have their roots in one (or both) of two key issues: appetite recognition and control. The healthy development of both of these things is at the heart of BLW.
So much of the advice parents are given about infant feeding is still based on the abilities of three- or four-month-old babies and the assumption that babies need to be spoon-fed. It rarely takes into account the natural abilities of six-month-old babies to take the lead with solids and feed themselves. Baby-led weaning brings together what we not know about when a baby should start solids with what we can see babies are able to do at this age."

Coconut Oat Macaroons

2011-04-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

I can't explain it, but lately I've been craving coconut. I didn't even like coconut growing up, but now I want it all the time. No, I'm not pregnant, atleast I hope not!

When I saw this recipe a few weeks ago I decided I had to make them. They were the perfect treat to make after Pilates class!

Of course I adapted the recipe based on what I had and came up with this creation.

Ingredients:
1 7 oz bag of full fat unsweetened coconut (I got the best choice brand) or 1 cup coconut butter
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut(that is what I had on hand)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1/2 tsp Kosher salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300°F. In a food processor, process the entire 7 oz bag of full fat shredded coconut for about 5-8 minutes, until a thick, smooth coconut butter forms, scraping down the sides as needed (this will yield about 1 cup of coconut butter).
Combine the coconut butter and all of the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Stir until well-combined.
Using a mini ice cream scoop or a small spoon(I used a Tablespoon), scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet (no need to leave much room in between as they do not spread out). Bake for about 15 minutes(the original recipe said 20-25 minutes, but I think I had the oven at 350 and my macaroons were small), or until the bottoms of the macaroons are lightly browned. The macaroons will be very soft at this point.
Allow the macaroons to sit at room temperature on the baking sheet for about 30 minutes, or until they firm up and cool down.

YUM!

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

2011-04-19T18:52:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe from the Sisters Cafe. They have a great blog with lots of good recipes. I was looking for a muffin to make for friends and I saw this. Anything labelled "Grandma's Famous" is a must make!

Ingredients
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
zest of one lemon
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 cup frozen blueberries

Topping (this is what makes these so special!):
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 Tb lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar

Mix dry ingredients(except sugar) and set aside. Beat butter and sugar. Add egg. Add dry ingredients and lemon zest alternating with milk. Gently stir in the blueberries. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Combine butter and lemon juice. While the muffins are still warm, dip the tops in the butter and lemon juice, then dip in sugar. Makes 12 muffins.

Olive Garden's Pasta E Fagioli

2011-04-11T19:26:00.000-07:00

I found the original recipe on crockpot 365 and it is also on my friend Maleah's blog. I don't use a full lb of beef and I decided I liked it better with italian seasoning rather than all oregano. You can use any combination of veggies that you want. You could add broccoli, squash, green beans, asparagus, corn, etc.. We all love this soup at our house!
Ingredients:
1/2 lbs ground beef, cooked and drained
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup celery, diced
2-14 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups(32 oz) beef stock
1-2 teaspoons italian seasoning
salt and pepper
3-4 cups spaghetti sauce
1/2 dry pasta shell macaroni(added during the last hour of cooking)

Add all ingredients except pasta to crockpot. Cook on low 8 hours and add the pasta during the last hour.

Time saving tip: I usually assemble this in my crockpot the night before I plan on cooking it. I keep it in the fridge overnight and just have to plug in my crockpot in the morning. If I end up having a hectic morning I'm so glad I took the extra time the night before.

Pulled pork sandwiches

2011-04-08T18:44:00.000-07:00

I made this slow cooker pulled pork recipe for my company last weekend. I made it the weekend before through step 4, then froze. 2 hours before serving put the mostly thawed pulled pork back in the crock-pot combined with 1 cup bbq sauce. Todd LOVED this recipe and so did both boys. I know you are thinking, "you let Blake eat this?", but yes he LOVED it too! I am all about giving babies whatever the rest of the family is eating, but I really thought this was going to be too spicy for him because it does have a little bit of a kick. I was out running errands when Todd shredded the meat and gave some to Blake. He couldn't get enough! :) I found the recipe here.

Spice Rub:
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground white pepper

1 (6-8 pound) bone-in pork shoulder
½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
1/4 cup water
1 cup barbecue sauce

1. Mix all spice rub ingredients in small bowl.
2. Massage spice rub into meat. Wrap tightly in double layer of plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 3 hours. (For stronger flavor, the roast can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
3. Unwrap roast and place it in slow cooker liner. Add liquid smoke, if using, and ¼ cup water. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours, until meat is fork-tender.
4. Transfer roast to cutting board; discard liquid in liner. “Pull” by tearing meat into thin shreds with two forks or your fingers. Discard fat.
5. Place shredded meat back in slow cooker liner; toss with 1 cup barbecue sauce, and heat on low for 30-60 minutes(longer if you froze the pork), until hot. Serve with additional barbecue sauce.

Chicken Chili

2011-04-08T18:18:00.000-07:00

This is my fool proof Chicken Chili recipe and one of our winter staples.

Put the following ingredients in your crockpot:

1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups of tomato sauce (I usually use 1/2 of an extra large jar of Prego spaghetti sauce from Costco)
2 cans beans, drained & rinsed (I usually like pinto and black beans)
1 chicken breast, uncooked
2-3 T chili powder
1 T cumin
Season to taste with: garlic powder, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper
1 cup frozen corn (I usually add this at the end of cooking)

Set crockpot on low and cook for 7-8 hours. Shred chicken and serve. Makes 6-8 servings.

Time saving tip: I often put 1-2 extra chicken breasts in the chili to cook for another use later in the week.

Yogurt French Toast

2011-04-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for creative ways to use my homemade yogurt. I've been baking with it a lot. Typically, I can substitute my strained yogurt for sour cream and have also used unstrained yogurt for buttermilk. My results have been great! This recipe can be used with any kind of bread. I've made it with wheat and cinnamon bread. Both good.

My yogurt french toast idea came from this website. I doubled the original recipe because we are all about leftovers at our house. Enjoy!

Ingredients
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup of homemade yogurt
2 tbsp. honey
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
8 slices of bread (fresh or slightly stale)

Combine the eggs, yogurt, honey, vanilla and cinnamon. Dip both sides of bread in yogurt mixture. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve with maple syrup!

Ashley's blueberry oat bars

2011-04-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

Ashley made us these delicious bars after we brought Blake home from the hospital. They are great for breakfast or a snack. The original recipe is from Real Food magazine.

Ingredients:
2 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
6 T butter, chilled
3/4 cup milk
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1 T cornstarch
2 cups frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350
1. Combine oats, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and brown sugar. Cut butter into small pieces and add to flour/oat mixture using a pastry blender or 2 forks.
2. In a separate bowl combine milk, lemon juice and vanilla. Add to oat mixture until combined. Press 2/3 of the mixture into a 9 x 12 pan. Set aside remaining 1/3 oat mixture.
3. Combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and 1 cup frozen blueberries in mini food processor. Add to remaining 1 cup blueberries and spread over oat mixture. Crumble remaining oat mixture on top of blueberries.
Bake for 50-55 minutes. These also freeze well if individually wrapped.

Spinach and Ricotta Calzones

2011-02-09T19:20:00.000-08:00

These were really easy and good. I got the original recipe from here, but I changed/added a few spices from the original. Also, you could easily omit the meat from the recipe and make it vegetarian. I served mine with marinara on the side and roasted asparagus.
Ingredients
1 cup part-skim ricotta
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1/2 cup cut up cooked ham, sausage, chicken, or ground beef
6 oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained and chopped
1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough or homemade
Cooking spray
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine first 9 ingredients.

Divide dough evenly into 5 pieces; pat each dough piece into a 5-inch circle. Spoon about 1/2 cup spinach mixture onto half of each circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Fold dough over filling until edges almost meet. Bring bottom edge over top edge; crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim. Place calzones on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 14 minutes or until browned.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

2011-02-01T19:42:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe off another blog, but I altered it just a little. It was originally called Bourbon chicken, but it doesn't have any Bourbon in it, so I decided to rename it! :)

Ingredients
2 lbs boneless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove crushed
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup orange/apple juice
1/4 cup agave nector or brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

I usually prepare this the night before and let it marinade, but the recipe will work if you don't let it sit overnight. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and then mix all of the ingredients below the olive oil together and pour into a ziploc bag and add the chicken (you can make a double batch so you have one for later and put it in the freezer!) .

The next day remove chicken from marinade, but reserve the marinade. Cook chicken in olive oil until done. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Add reserved marinade plus cornstarch to the same pan. Once this mixture comes to a simmer add the chicken back in. Bring to a hard boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over rice. I also served this with steamed broccoli and carrots

Dark Chocolate and Oat Clusters

2011-02-01T06:01:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe I found online from Health Magazine. Dark chocolate is rich in heart-healthy antioxidants, oats are filled with fiber, and peanut butter gives you a delicious dose of protein. I told Todd they were "no bake" cookies. He thought they were good, but he is not a big oatmeal kind of guy. He also informed me that his mom makes the BEST "no bake" cookies! I guess I must get that recipe! Regardless, this satisfied my urge to make cookies and eat lots of cookie dough/cookies so I was happy!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons 1% low-fat milk
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
Preparation

Place peanut butter, milk, and semisweet chocolate chips in a saucepan; cook over low heat until chips melt (about 3 minutes). Stir in oats; remove from heat. With a spoon or melon baller, drop 8 ball-shaped portions on a wax paper-lined baking sheet; let set in refrigerator 10 minutes before serving.

4 servings (2 clusters each)
CALORIES 160
FAT 8g (sat 3g, mono 3.5g, poly 1.5g)
PROTEIN 5g
CARBOHYDRATE 19g
FIBER 3g
CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg
IRON 0.0mg
SODIUM 40mg
CALCIUM 0.0mg

Balsamic & White Wine Roasted Vegetable Pasta

2011-01-21T17:28:00.000-08:00

I have enjoyed following this blog lately and found this post that looked so good. I made it for dinner tonight and we all really enjoyed it.

Ingredients:
1 head of broccoli(cut into florets)
1 lbs brussels sprouts(halved)
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t montreal seasonings
olive oil
1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 T butter
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
12 oz penne pasta, cooked

Preheat oven to 425. Place brussels sprouts on baking sheet and toss with a little olive oil and the garlic powder. Roast for 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes. Place the broccoli florets on another baking sheet and toss with olive oil and montreal seasoning. Add to the oven when you are turning the brussels sprouts and roast for 15 minutes. So the brussels sprouts end up roasting for 30 and the broccoli for 15. While the veggies are roasting cook the onions until soft( about 5 minutes) and then add the garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the wine, balsamic, and butter. Simmer and reduce. Add roasted veggies, sundried tomatoes to wine sauce and toss with cooked penne. Sprinkle with parmesan and enjoy!

Sour cream muffins with poppy seed streusel

2011-01-20T18:41:00.000-08:00

I came across this recipe last night and realized I had all the ingredients on hand. So this morning James and I made them since we had a lazy snow day today. They were also the perfect thing to deliver to our neighbors for shoveling our driveway. :)
James and Todd gave them 2 thumbs up! Todd asked, "When can you make these again?" I subbed yogurt for the sour cream and I bet you could use lemon rind rather than orange and that would be good too!

Sour cream muffins with poppy seed streusel, by Cooking Light
Ingredients
Streusel:
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 (8-ounce) container reduced-fat sour cream
Cooking spray
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare streusel, combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

To prepare muffins, lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a small bowl; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into 15 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle streusel evenly over batter. Bake at 375° for 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove muffins from pans immediately; place on a wire rack.

Caramelized Onion & BBQ Quesadillas

2011-01-11T05:53:00.000-08:00

This is one of our favorite uses for leftover chicken or shredded beef.
Ingredients:
1 onion, sliced
your favorite bbq sauce. We like Sweet baby Rays with these.
leftover meat, chicken or shredded beef
shredded cheese of your choice
whole wheat tortillas

The most time consuming part of this recipe is caramelizing onions which takes about 25-30 minutes. I start out with a little olive oil in a skillet at med-high heat. Add the onions and stir frequently. As they start to caramelize you can turn down the heat and add a little honey/sugar to increase the caramelization. Once they are done, set aside and let cool for a few minutes. You can even make these ahead and store in the fridge for a few days in advance.

Now it is time to build your quesadilla. Start with a tablespoon of bbq sauce. Then add your meat, cheese and caramelized onions. Cook in a skillet or quesadilla maker.

Coconut Bread

2011-01-10T12:21:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from Tyler Florence. It yields 1 loaf.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 cups flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
1 t ground cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 t vanilla
zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut, toasted

Preheat oven to 350. Toast the coconut on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes stirring frequently for even browning. Let cool.

Increase oven temp to 375. In one bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl combine melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Pour in coconut milk and whisk together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together. Gently folded in the toasted coconut. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Peppermint Bark Fudge Chewies

2011-01-09T12:06:00.000-08:00

This recipe is adapted from the Dec 2010 Costco Connection magazine. Costco makes some yummy peppermint bark!
Ingredients
1 20 oz package brownie mix (I used ghiradelli)
2 T flour
8 T butter, melted
2 eggs
1-1 1/2 cups chopped peppermint bark

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl combine brownie mix, flour, melted butter, and eggs. Fold in the peppermint bark. Using a scoop or spoon, drop cookie dough by generous tablespoons or 1-inch balls about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes and let cookies cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before cooling on a wire rack. This makes about 4 dozen cookies.

French Dip Sandwiches

2011-01-07T19:53:00.000-08:00

Jami made these back in December and they were fabulous. I knew I had to try them myself, plus I love the crockpot. It is so nice coming home to dinner at the end of the day! This recipe is adapted from All recipes.

Ingredients
1 (4 pound) boneless beef roast
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions
Remove and discard all visible fat from the roast. Place trimmed roast in a slow cooker. Add all ingredients on top of roast and add enough water to almost cover roast. Cover, and cook on Low heat for 10 to 12 hours, or until meat is very tender.
Remove meat from broth, reserving broth. Shred meat with a fork, and distribute on bread for sandwiches. Used reserved broth for dipping.

Chicken Florentine Artichoke Bake

2010-12-18T15:31:00.000-08:00

I made this for my mom's birthday dinner and everyone enjoyed it. I love anything with sun-dried tomatoes. I got this recipe from a co-worker.

Ingredients:
8 oz bowtie pasta, cooked
1 small onion, chopped
1 T butter
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tsp dried italian seasoning
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 10 oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed and well drained
1/2 cup oil-packed dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp paprika
1 T butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Cook onion and butter over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl combine eggs, milk, seasonings, salt/pepper, chicken, cheese, artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, and half of the Parmesan. Transfer to a 9 x 12 baking dish. Bake, covered, 20 minutes. In a small bowl combine remaining Parmesan, bread crumbs, paprika, and melted butter. Sprinkle over pasta and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes until golden.

Peanut butter balls

2010-12-17T18:24:00.000-08:00

Another holiday favorite! These are perfect to put in cute little bags and give away as gifts.
Ingredients:
1 lb powdered sugar
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 sticks butter, melted
1 cup peanut butter

Mix together and roll into small balls. I put in the freezer at this point to harden up a bit.

Chocolate coating
2 packages semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 package butterscotch chips.

Melt chips in microwave or double boiler. If you are using the microwave be very careful not to burn the chips. Stirring them frequently while melting is key. Once melted dip the frozen balls in chocolate sauce. I line baking sheets with wax paper and put them back in the freezer to harden once again. Once frozen you can bag them up. We like them frozen at our house but they are good room temp too!

Christmas sugar cookies

2010-12-16T13:15:00.000-08:00

This is our family Christmas cookie recipe to make cut out cookies. Delicious! This year Abby and I made 3 double batches to share between us. 3 double batches of cookies covered my entire table and a large part of my counters!

Ingredients for 1 single batch:
1 cup crisco
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 t salt
1 t almond extract
1 t vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour

Roll small portions of dough on a floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters and bake 8-10 minutes at 350. I only roll out the dough twice so it doesn't get too tough.

Aunt Lynda's frosting
1 stick butter
1 cup crisco
2 T hot water
2 lbs powdered sugar
1 t salt
2 t vanilla
1/2 cup evaporated milk

Mix water, butter, crisco. Add half of the powdered sugar, then add salt and vanilla. Mix remaining powdered sugar and evaporated milk, alternately until frosting resembles whipped cream. 1 recipe of frosting is enough for 2 double batches of cookies. If you don't use all the frosting it does freeze really well.

Red Velvet Cake

2010-12-15T18:02:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe that I have grown up with. It is a favorite at Christmas time and birthdays.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 bottle red food color
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
2 T cocoa powder
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/4 cups flour
1 t vinegar
1 t vanilla

Cream shortening, sugar, eggs. Add remaining ingredients alternating between dry and wet ingredients. Lastly, add vanilla, baking soda and vinegar. Bake at 350 for 28-30 minutes in 2 9 inch round pans. Cool completely on wire racks.

Buttercream frosting
3 T flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 t vanilla

Cook flour and milk over medium heat until bubbly and thick. Do not boil. Let mixture cool completely in the refrigerator. Cream sugar, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Mix in the cooled milk/flour mixture. Now you are ready to frost!

Warning: This is what your two year old will look like if you let them help you make this!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

2010-11-28T19:21:00.000-08:00

I like this recipe a lot. Just don't over do it on the ginger! You can easily roast up the squash, shallots, and ginger ahead of time and then puree and reheat later. This is from Cooking light a few years back.
Ingredients
4 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large shallots, peeled and halved (if they are XL you may only need 2)
1 (1/2-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced (Make sure you only use 1/2 inch or the ginger will over power the soup. It will only be about 6 thin slices.)
2 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons (1-inch) slices fresh chives
Cracked black pepper (optional)
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a roasting pan or jelly-roll pan; toss well. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Cool 10 minutes.

3. Place half of squash mixture and half of broth in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large saucepan. Repeat procedure with remaining squash mixture and broth. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Top with chives and pepper, if desired.

Paula Deen's Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes

2010-11-28T19:16:00.000-08:00

If you've never had a gooey butter cake you need to make them. YUMMY! There are lots of different variety's but pumpkin is one of my favorites. This is another Thanksgiving favorite at our house.
Ingredients
Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Sweet Potato Casserole

2010-11-28T19:11:00.000-08:00

I've made this casserole the last 3 Thanksgivings! I love it so much. I think it may be better leftover than the day of Thanksgiving. This is from Cooking Light
Ingredients
Potatoes:
2 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped( I use about 3 large potatoes)
1 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Cooking spray
Topping:
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted( I don't toast my nuts before hand and thought it turned out fine)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare potatoes, place potatoes in a Dutch oven, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until very tender. Drain; cool slightly.

Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add half-and-half, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs; beat well (mixture will be thin). Scrape mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

To prepare topping, sprinkle miniature marshmallows over top of casserole. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in pecans, and sprinkle over potato mixture and marshmallows. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Chunky Vegetarian Chili

2010-11-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3-4 peppers, variety of yellow, red, and green
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T brown sugar or honey
1-2 T chili powder
1 t cumin
1 t italian seasoning
28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 can of rotel
2 15 oz can black beans
1 15 oz can kidney beans
1 15 oz can pinto beans
1 cup corn

Heat oil in large pot over med-high heat. Add onion, peppers, garlic, saute 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Makes approximately 8 cups. I like to make this in the crockpot too!

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

2010-11-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

This is a really easy recipe that everyone enjoys!

1 onion, chopped
4 T butter
1 can cream of mushroom, celery, and chicken soup
1 can evaporated milk, 12 oz
1 lb velvetta
16 oz broccoli florets, chopped

Saute onion in butter. Add all other ingredients and heat on low-med until hot.

Honey lime enchiladas

2010-10-24T16:25:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on the Sister's cafe. I like that it comes together quickly and also makes enough to freeze the extra pan. Todd loved this recipe!
1.5 lbs pork or chicken, cooked and shredded
Sauce:
1/3 c honey
1/4 c lime juice
1 Tb chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce
equal parts mixed together of:
mozzarella cheese, shredded
cheddar cheese, shredded
flour tortillas

Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.

Lightly spray 2 pans with non-stick baking spray. Pour 1 can of green enchilada sauce into each pan to coat the entire bottom. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.

Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top - don't be stingy! Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then turn on broiler and place enchiladas nearer the top of oven. Let it broil until cheese is slightly brown and crispy. Top with salsa and sour cream!

Cheeseburger Soup

2010-10-21T05:08:00.000-07:00

A co-worker of mine gave this to me a few years ago. It is pure comfort in a bowl!

Ingredients
1/2 lbs ground beef
3/4 cups onion
3/4 cups carrots
3/4 cups celery
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
4 Tbsp butter, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced and peeled potatoes
1/4 cup flour
8 oz velvetta cheese
1 1/2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup sour cream (optional, I think it is fine without it)

Brown beef, drain and set aside. In the same saucepan saute veggies, spices in 1 T butter until veggies are tender(about 10 minutes). Add broth, potatoes, and beef and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile in another smaller skillet melt remaining 3 T butter. Add flour and cook 3-5 minutes until bubbly. Add to soup, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce to low and add cheese, milk, salt/pepper. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Add sour cream right before serving. Makes 8 servings.

Healthy homemade granola bars

2010-10-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe here. I have been looking for good breakfast/snack items without added sugar. I used cashews for the nuts and whole flax seed(next time I will try milled). When I rolled them out they only took up about half of my baking dish so next time I think I will double the recipe.

2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 c. flax seed, milled
1/4 c. quinoa
3/4 c. shelled sunflower seeds
1 c. chopped nuts (any kind or combination)
1 c. shredded coconut
1/2 to 1 tsp. cinnamon (desired amount)
1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. agave nectar
1/2 c. honey
2 tsp. molasses
4 T. butter
2 tsp. vanilla
4 T. peanut butter
1 c. dried, chopped fruit (optional)

1. Mix first 8 ingredients together and place on a rimmed baking sheet. toast in a 400 degree oven for 12 minutes. Stir and let cool at least 15 minutes.
2. Bring next 4 ingredients to a simmer, stirring continuously. stir in the vanilla and peanut butter and cool for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Put the toasted ingredients and dried fruit in a large bowl and pour the liquid ingredients over it. mix very well.
4. Place parchment or wax paper in the rimmed baking sheet and butter the top side, then place the granola bar mixture in the pan. put another butter sheet of paper, buttered side down, on top of the mixture and press down. roll with a rolling pin to make it very tight, smooth, and even.
5. Let set for 2-3 hours and cut into desired bar size. makes about 20-24 bars. package in snack size bags or an airtight container. if not using within next few days, store in freezer. they keep very well, and thaw quickly. (really yummy frozen, too!)

Italian Spinach Pie

2010-10-14T13:04:00.000-07:00

This is easy, quick dinner I found on Kraft a few years ago. It is basically a crust free quiche. You can serve it with another veggie, fruit, bread/toast, salad or alone. You can also have it for breakfast or lunch too.

1 container (12 or 16 oz.) Low Fat Cottage Cheese
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1 cup cheddar or mozzarella cheese
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers(optional, but adds a lot of flavor)
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/2-1 teaspoon italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Mix all ingredients until well blended.

Pour into greased 9-inch pie plate.

Bake 40 min. or until center is set. It doesn't get much easier than this!

Summer Squash and Corn Chowder

2010-09-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

I made this recipe from the Aug 2010 Cooking Light. They suggested pairing it with tomato bruschetta. It was a great late summer meal.

Ingredients
2 slices applewood-smoked bacon
3/4 cup sliced green onions, divided
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 pound yellow summer squash, chopped
1 pound frozen white and yellow baby corn kernels
2 1/4 cups milk, divided
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Add 1/2 cup onions, celery, and squash to drippings in pan; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Reserve 1 cup corn; set aside. Place the remaining corn and 1 cup milk in a blender; process until smooth. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups milk, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to blender; process just until combined. Add pureed mixture and reserved 1 cup corn to pan. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt. Ladle about 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with about 1 tablespoon bacon, 1 tablespoon remaining onions, and 1 tablespoon cheese.

Makes 4 servings at 285 calories each.

Oatmeal pancakes

2010-09-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
2 cups oatmeal
½ cup whole wheat flour
3 T honey
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 ½ cups buttermilk
2 large eggs (slightly beaten)
¼ cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon (you can add more, but James is sensitive to it so I don't add a lot.)

These are a new favorite! I adapted this recipe from one I found here. I substituted honey for the sugar and whole wheat flour for the white flour. Combine dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and let sit for 20-30 minutes, covered. Cook slowly on a griddle. Helpful tip: The pancakes are easier to flip if they are not very big.

Oatmeal Crispies

2010-09-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

This is a family recipe. I grew up making these with my Mom and sister. I love that you can make the dough ahead of time and freeze into logs. Then you can pull out the dough and have freshly baked cookies anytime.

Ingredients
1 cup crisco
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
3 cups oatmeal

Cream shortening, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Shape into 4 rolls and wrap in wax paper. Freeze for atleast an hour. If you have to you can skip this step. I'm not sure why freezing the dough is important, but it is just how I grew up making them. Cut and bake 10 minutes at 350.

Chili's Grilled Caribbean Salad- Honey lime dressing

2010-09-19T19:24:00.000-07:00

This is a salad that Chili's used to serve with a honey-line dressing. They discontinued it a while ago, but I recently heard that they brought it back. I'm not sure if it is the same as my old favorite. I found this recipe in a book that specialized in restaurant recipes. At Chili's they served this salad on a bed of greens with grilled chicken on top. They also topped it with pineapple chunks, mandrin oranges, and tortilla strips.

Ingredients
1/4 cup grey poupon
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 T sugar
1 T sesame oil
1 1/2 T apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 t lime juice

Combine and serve over salad. This makes enough for 2 very large salad servings.

Chicken in a creamy sun-dried tomato and wine sauce

2010-09-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite foods. I only make it a once or twice a year, but I seriously could eat it every day. I found this recipe in Oprah magazine many years ago.

Ingredients
3 T butter
3 T olive oil
1 lbs boneless skinless chicken strips
2 T flour
1 lbs pasta, I like fetticine
2 shallots, minced
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1 8 oz jar of oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and julienned
fresh basil
salt and pepper

Melt butter and oil in a large skillet. Toss chicken strips in flour and sear over med-high heat until golden brown. Transfer chicken to a plate. Add shallots to the skillet and saute for 1 minute. Add wine, cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil into skillet while scraping up bits of chicken from the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sauce thickens. Return chicken to skillet to heat through. Salt and pepper to taste and serve over cooked pasta!

Carrot Cake Pancakes

2010-08-23T16:54:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of ground cloves, ground ginger, ground nutmeg (you could use a little pumpkin pie spice if you had that on hand)
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups finely grated carrot (about 1 pound)
Cooking spray
honey and butter

Another Cooking Light recipe! Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (through spices) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar and next 4 ingredients (through eggs); add sugar mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in 2 cups carrot.
Cook on low to medium heat and top with a little butter and honey! These are delicious and make 10-12 pancakes.

Chocolate chip zucchini bread

2010-08-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup applesauce
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups finely shredded zucchini (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray

I found this recipe on Cooking light, but really there is nothing light tasting about it. It really tastes like cake! But atleast it is cake with vegetables!! James loved helping me make this and loved eating it even more!!!
Preheat oven to 350°. Place first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at low speed until well blended. Stir in applesauce. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (through salt), stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating just until moist. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack, and remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Enjoy!

Sweet potato and black bean quesadillas

2010-08-12T05:18:00.000-07:00

1 package of whole wheat tortillas
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and grated
½ yellow onion, grated
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
Salt and pepper
1 can drained and rinsed black beans
1 cup cheddar cheese

Preheat a large skillet and add 1 tbsp. olive oil. To the large skillet, add grated onion and sweet potato and cook 15-20 minutes until onions and potatoes are soft. Turn skillet with potato mixture off, gently fold in black beans, cumin, chili powder, salt/pepper.. Clean out skillet with a paper towel, spray with nonstick cooking spray, and return to heat. Add one tortilla to skillet, brown on one side, flip over. Sprinkle with cheese, then add ½ cup of potato mixture, then sprinkle with more cheese. Fold one side over, brown for 4-5 minutes,then flip and brown the other side. Top with salsa, sour cream, or cilantro. I like to eat these with tomato soup!

Italian Vegetable Pasta Salad

2010-04-07T11:04:00.001-07:00

This is really easy and really good! You can use any assortment of veggies that you have on hand.
Ingredients:
1 pkg. GOOD SEASONS Italian Dressing Mix
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (* red wine vinegar may used as well)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1/8 cup water + 3Tbsp
1 pkg. (9 oz.) refrigerated three cheese tortellini, cooked, rinsed and drained
1 small zucchini, cut lengthwise in half, sliced
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
1/2 cup chopped red peppers
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
2 green onions, diagonally sliced
PLACE dressing mix, water and vinegar in cruet or other container with tight-fitting lid. Add oil; cover. Shake until well blended.
COMBINE remaining ingredients in large bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the dressing; toss lightly. Cover.
REFRIGERATE at least 2 hours. Stir before serving.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2009-09-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

2 cups flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
2 eggs
2 cups plain yogurt
1/2- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 tbs canola oil

In a medium sized bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. In another large bowl add eggs, yogurt, pumpkin puree, and two tablespoons oil. Beat well. Stir in dry ingredients until just combined. Then just cook your cakes! These are light and fluffy and kind of remind me of the pancakes I made with ricotta. I was looking for a use for all my yogurt so this was perfect. This recipe makes a lot of pancakes, but we love leftovers at our house. They freeze and refrigerate great!

Apple Pie

2009-09-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

This is an annual tradition at my parents house. We make atleast 12 pies to freeze and enjoy for the year ahead. The recipe for the crust is enough to make atleast 12 pies. The apple pie filling recipe is enough to make 1 pie.

Flaky pie crust starter
12 1/2 cups flour
2 T salt
5 cups shortening

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Mix well. With pastry blender, cut in shortening until evenly distributed. Mixture will resemble cornmeal in texture. Put in a large container, label and store in the freezer.

Flaky pie crust
2 1/2 cups flaky pie crust starter
1/4 cup ice water
1 egg, beaten
1 T vinegar

Crumble flaky pie crust mix, if frozen. Put mix in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine ice water, egg and vinegar. Sprinkle a spoonful of water mixture at a time over the flaky pie crust mix and toss with a fork until the dough barely clings together in the bowl. Roll out dough to desired thickness between 2 sheets of floured wax paper. Place dough in a 9 inch pie plate without stretching. Flute edges. If you are using the pie crust for a apple pie fill with apple filling. Otherwise you can bake the pie crust at 425 for 10-15 minutes.

Apple pie filling
6 to 8 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3/4 -1 cup sugar
2 T flour
1/2-1 t cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

Mix all ingredients together and add to pie shell. Top with 2 T butter cut up into small pieces and top with additional crust or crumble topping. Freeze. To bake from frozen bake 20 minutes at 425 and an additional 50 minutes at 375.

Homemade yogurt in the crockpot

2009-09-25T14:51:00.000-07:00

I was wanting to get a yogurt maker but then read on another blog that making yogurt in the crockpot IS possible. It is so easy too!

Ingredients
8 cups (half-gallon) of whole milk
1/2 cup store-bought natural, live/active culture plain yogurt (you need to have a starter. Once you have made your own, you can use that as a starter)
thick bath towel

Plug in your crockpot and turn to low. Add an entire half gallon of milk. Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours.

Unplug your crockpot. Leave the cover on, and let it sit for 3 hours.

When 3 hours have passed, scoop out 2 cups of the warmish milk and put it in a bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of store-bought live/active culture yogurt. Then dump the bowl contents back into the crockpot. Stir to combine.

Put the lid back on your crockpot. Keep it unplugged, and wrap a heavy bath towel all the way around the crock for insulation. Let it sit for 8 hours.

Fresh yogurt will last 7-10 days. Save 1/2 cup as a starter to make a new batch. It isn't quite as thick as store bought, but still has a nice consistency.

I'm so excited about this, but now need to think of ways to use all this fresh yogurt I made. Any ideas?

Root Vegetable Lasagna

2009-09-24T11:43:00.000-07:00

This was delicious and both James and Todd LOVED it! It was very time consuming though and something that I would probably only make on the weekends.
Root Vegetable Lasagna from Cooking Light
Ingredients
6 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2 1/4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato (about 1 pound)
2 cups coarsely chopped onion, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cooking spray
4 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) grated Parmesan
9 packaged no-boil lasagna noodles
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450°. Combine squash, potato, 1 cup chopped onion, and oil in a roasting pan coated with cooking spray, tossing to coat vegetables. Bake at 450° for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring once; set aside. Combine remaining 1 cup onion, milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, and bay leaf in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat; let stand 15 minutes. Strain milk mixture through a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Return milk mixture to pan. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add flour, salt, and pepper to milk mixture, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently with a whisk. Remove from heat; stir in Parmesan cheese.

Preheat oven to 375°. Spread 1/2 cup milk mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over milk mixture; top with half of squash mixture, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and 1 cup milk mixture. Repeat layer with noodles, squash mixture, mozzarella, and milk mixture. Top with remaining 3 noodles. Spread remaining milk mixture over noodles, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie Bars

2009-09-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups flour(divided)
1/2 cup oats
3/4 cup brown sugar (divided)
1/2 cup butter
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
3 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans

To make crust combine 1 cup of flour, oats and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Cut in the 1/2 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into bottom of an ungreased 9 X 12pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. While the crust is cooking mix up the filling by combining the pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, white sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Pour filling over crust and continue to bake for 25 minutes. To make streusel topping coming remaining 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs and stir in the pecans. Sprinkle with topping and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Cool for 1 hours and then chill for atleast 4 hours. Serve with whipped cream!

Chicken enchiladas

2009-09-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

Chicken Enchiladas adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 of an onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Dash of black pepper
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup fat-free sour cream
3 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1/2 cup salsa
6 (6-inch) whole wheat flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350°. Heat large skillet over medium heat until hot and add a touch of olive oil; add bell pepper and onion. Sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Combine flour, coriander, and black pepper in a medium bowl; gradually add broth, stirring with a whisk until well-blended. Add to saucepan; bring to a boil, and cook 3 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and sour cream. Combine 1 cup cheese mixture, turkey, and salsa in a bowl.

Spread 1/2 cup meat mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour remaining cheese mixture over tortillas. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Pita chips and hummus

2009-08-31T15:53:00.000-07:00

Yumm, this is so good. Seriously addictive. The pita chips are a little spicy so you can definitely leave out some of the spices if you don't like things with a kick.

Spiced Pita Chips by Ellie Krieger
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 whole-wheat pitas, cut into 1/8's

Combine olive oil and all spices in a large bowl. Add pita wedges and toss to coat, Spread in 1 layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, tossing once, or until pita is brown and crisp. Cool completely before serving.

Hummus- my version
Ingredients
1 16-oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Process first 6 ingredients in a food processor 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Yogurt marinade for chicken

2009-08-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

This is a great marinade for grilled chicken. Since James loves yogurt we seem to always have this on hand.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups(12 oz) plain yogurt
1 T canola oil
1 T grated peeled fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T montreal steak seasoning or seasoning of your choice

Combine all ingredients in a ziploc plastic bag. Add chicken and marinate for 2 hours before grilling.

Toasted Pita Panzanella

2009-08-06T17:27:00.000-07:00

This is an Italian dish with a twist. Panzanella is widely known in Italy as a "bread salad" or "leftover salad", so the sky is the limit with this one as far as which ingredients to use. It is great for an August meal with so many fresh ingredients readily available this time of year!

Ingredients:
2 whole wheat pitas
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1/2 of a red onion, sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta
2 T fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 t sugar
1/4 cup EVOO
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Chop pitas into 8 sections(like cutting a pie) and toast for 14 minutes, turning halfway through. Set aside and cool. Once cool break into smaller pieces.

Combine tomatoes through basil and add pita pieces. Combine lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper and slowly add the olive oil. Drizzle dressing over salad and let set at room temperature 20-30 minutes before serving. This serves 2 adults and one baby James!

Pork Spare Ribs

2009-08-05T19:04:00.001-07:00

I must admit, I was a little intimidated about making ribs, BUT not anymore. These were so easy, delicious and really impressed my husband! The best part is after a little prep work they finish cooking in the crock-pot and simmer all day!

Ingredients:
3 to 4 pounds spareribs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 onion sliced
2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce

Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. Place ribs(meaty side up) under broiler for 15 minutes to brown. Put sliced onion in crock-pot. Slice ribs into serving pieces and put in crock-pot. Pour in BBQ sauce. cover; cook on Low 8 to 10 hours (high for 4 to 5 hours). Enjoy!

Twice Baked Potatoes

2009-08-01T18:42:00.001-07:00

My mom is the expert at these, but I made them for Todd's birthday today because they are his favorite.

Ingredients:
6 baked potatoes
6 T sour cream
4-6 T butter
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (divided)
4 pieces of bacon cooked and crumbled

Directions:
Once the baked potatoes are cool enough to handle cut the potato lengthwise towards the top. You can reserve the tops to make potato skins. Scoop out the insides of all the potatoes into a bowl and add the sour cream, butter and half the cheese. Beat until smooth. Put the filling back in the empty shells and top with remaining cheese and bacon. If you are lucky you will have some extra mashed potatoes to enjoy as a snack!!! You can make these ahead and store in the fridge until you are ready to eat. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Asian style bbq pizza

2009-07-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

This is adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe that I've been making for years and it is one of my favorites. I love bbq sauce. What can I say, I'm a KC girl! The main difference from the original recipe is I use more plum/bbq sauce than the original.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound thin cut (cutlets) boneless, skinless chicken breast
Extra-virgin olive oil
Grill seasoning blend (I use Montreal Seasoning by McCormick) or salt and pepper
2 tablespoons cornmeal or all-purpose flour
1 package store bought pizza dough (you are making 1 12-inch pie)
2 to 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/3 cup plum sauce or Peking Duck Sauce
1/3 cup barbecue sauce, any variety or brand(I usually use KC masterpiece).
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Heat a grill pan or skillet over high heat. Drizzle oil over chicken cutlets and season with grill seasoning blend or salt and pepper. Grill chicken 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Cut chicken into bit size pieces. You can also omit this step and use leftover chicken.

Sprinkle a pizza pan or baking stone with cornmeal or flour. Press the dough into a pizza shell, working all the way to edges of the pan. Sprinkle the edges of your dough with sesame seeds. Cover the dough with sauces. Cover pizza with cheese. Top with sliced chicken and scallions and red pepper. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until crisp and cheese is bubbly. Cut into 8 slices.

Margaritas

2009-07-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

Directions and Ingredients. Equal parts(12 oz of each makes 4 margaritas): Sprite, Limeade concentrate, Tequila, Corona.

Abby's instructional video

Michigan Strawberry Pie

2009-07-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

Strawberry Pie
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 c. sugar
1 c. water
1/2 pkg. strawberry gelatin
1 baked 9 inch pie shell, cooled
enough Michigan strawberries to fill a pie shell
fresh whipped cream

Blend together cornstarch and sugar. Combine in saucepan with water. Cook, stirring until thick 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add gelatin. Stir until dissolves and cool slightly. Add strawberries to cooled pie shell and pour the cooked strawberry liquid over the pie. Cool for 2-3 hours. To make whipped cream use 1 container of heavy cream and beat on high with 2 T sugar and 1 t vanilla until stiff peaks form. This is my favorite dessert to make when we are in Michigan.

Brown sugar baby carrots

2009-07-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

Carrots are cooked with brown sugar and butter, resulting in a sweet, flavorful brown sugar glaze.
Ingredients:
16 ounces baby carrots
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup water
dash salt and pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine the baby carrots with remaining ingredients. Stir to blend ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling (uncovered) for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until carrots are tender and the liquid has evaporated.
Serves 4 to 6.

Baked Beans

2009-06-29T11:44:00.001-07:00

This is a family recipe of ours and I have no idea where it came from, but they are a favorite at our house in the summer! There is no measuring for this recipe. You just add a little bit of everything and bake it in the oven for a couple hours at 350 stirring occasionally. Enjoy!
Start with 1 large can of baked beans and drain off a little of the liquid. Then add: ketchup, mustard, your favorite bbq sauce, brown sugar, molasses, and liquid smoke(take it easy on this one).

Guacamole Stuffed Eggs

2009-06-04T05:41:00.000-07:00

This is from Krafts food which great place to get no fuss recipes. If you like hard-boiled eggs and guacamole this is a fun one! I also think it would be a good St Patricks Day recipe too!
Ingredients
6 hard-cooked eggs
1/2 large fully ripe avocado
2 tsp. lime juice
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely chopped
Crackers and cilantro(optional)

Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks; process in food processor with avocado, juice and mayo until smooth.

Stir in peppers; spoon into egg whites. Keep refrigerated. These can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Rhubarb Crisp

2009-06-01T15:50:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from my Mother in law Robin. It is my favorite dessert that she makes. I didn't grow up with rhubarb so I wasn't sure if I would like it, but it is delicious. She always makes it for us when we visit and the rhubarb is in season. It is so good with vanilla ice cream.

Rhubarb Crisp:
2 lg eggs, beaten
6 Tbsps flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 cups fresh or frozen cup rhubarb
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup butter

Combine eggs, 6 Tbsps flour and white sugar. Spread in bottom of greased 9 X 13 pan. Put rhubarb over first mixture. Combine brown sugar, 2 cups flour and butter. Sprinkle over rhubarb and bake at 350 45 to 60 minutes.

Blackberry Peach Crumble

2009-05-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

We had my parents over for dinner tonight. I made taco salad and this for dessert. I used frozen fruit so it was very simple to put together. It was delicious with vanilla ice cream.

Blackberry Peach Crumble
Ingredients:
2 cups blackberries
5 cups sliced peaches
3/4 c. sugar, divided
1 tsp cornstarch
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 c. flour
1/2 oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 stick butter, chilled
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 425 degrees and prepare a shallow baking dish.
-In large bowl, combine blackberries, peaches, 1/4 sugar, cornstarch, and lemon zest and juice.
-Toss gently and spread into baking dish.
-In medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients and using fork or pastry cutter, cut butter into flour mixture until about the size of small peas.
-Sprinkle mixture over top of fruit and gently spread out.
-Place in oven to bake until top is beginning to brown and fruit mixture is bubbling, about 35-40 minutes.
-Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Banana Muffins

2009-05-23T07:33:00.001-07:00

These are Todd's favorite. I don't care for bananas so they don't tempt me one bit! These are a great way to use up ripe bananas. You can store the ripe bananas in the freezer until you are ready to make the muffins.
Banana Muffins
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
3 mashed ripe bananas
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Mix together in order; pour into muffin tins. Bake 25 minutes at 350.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

2009-05-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

Lemon? Ricotta? Pancakes? Sounds strange, but these are my absolute favorite pancakes! Love, Love, Love! It may seem like extra work to separate the eggs and beat the egg whites but it is worth it. They are so light and fluffy. These are a great spring/summer breakfast.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup milk
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta, milk, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and juice until smooth. Sift together the flour, baking powder and 1/8 tsp. of the salt over the ricotta mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.

In another large bowl, using a whisk, beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the remaining 1/8 tsp. salt and continue beating until soft peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg whites into the ricotta mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites.

Preheat a griddle over medium heat. Spray the griddle with nonstick cooking spray. Ladle 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on top and the pancakes are golden underneath, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer to a warmed plate. Repeat with the remaining batter. Makes 12 to 14 pancakes.

Easy Vanilla Pudding

2009-05-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe that reminds me of my childhood. My mom would make this a lot and I think the recipe originally came from the back of the cornstarch box. You can make this on the stovetop, but I make mine in the microwave and it turns out great! I love it hot, warm, room temp or cold. It is one of my favorite comfort foods!
Ingredients
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 t salt
2 3/4 cup milk(I use skim)
2 T butter
1 t vanilla

Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in the milk. Cook in microwave for 5 minutes. Stir. Microwave 3-5 minutes(stirring every minute) until it starts to bubble. Make sure you use a large enough container because it does expand. Lastly, stir in butter and vanilla.

The Wilson Diner

Tuscan Bean Soup

Eggnog French Toast

Cranberry Sauce with ginger and clove

Pastitsio

What we ate this week!

What we ate this week!

What we ate this week!

What we ate this week!

What we ate this week!

What we ate this week!

Food for thought

What we ate this week!

Peanut butter banana muffins

Lentil soup

What we ate this week!

Balsamic glazed carrots

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Toasted Quinoa with sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas and feta

What we ate this week!

Semi-homemade hot fudge sauce

What we ate this week!

Oven roasted almonds

What we ate this week!

Mozzarella stuffed bruschetta turkey burgers

Chicken Nacho Bake

What we ate this week!

What I made this week!

Greek Nachos

Quinoa Spinach Bake

Special K Bars

What I made this week!

What I made this week!

Sesame Chicken

What I made this week!

What I made this week!

Protein Pancakes

Zucchini pineapple muffins ** new and improved**

Vegetable Lasagna

Strawberry Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal

Baby's First Foods

The Case for Baby-Led Solids

A Brief History of Infant Feeding

What We Now Know About Infant Nutrition

How It Works

The Problem With Spoonfeeding

Advantages of Baby-led Solids

But What About Choking?

Final Food For Thought

Coconut Oat Macaroons

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

Olive Garden's Pasta E Fagioli

Pulled pork sandwiches

Chicken Chili

Yogurt French Toast

Ashley's blueberry oat bars

Spinach and Ricotta Calzones

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

Dark Chocolate and Oat Clusters

Balsamic & White Wine Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Sour cream muffins with poppy seed streusel

Caramelized Onion & BBQ Quesadillas

Coconut Bread

Peppermint Bark Fudge Chewies

French Dip Sandwiches

Chicken Florentine Artichoke Bake

Peanut butter balls

Christmas sugar cookies

Red Velvet Cake

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Paula Deen's Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes

Sweet Potato Casserole

Chunky Vegetarian Chili

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Honey lime enchiladas

Cheeseburger Soup

Healthy homemade granola bars

Italian Spinach Pie

Summer Squash and Corn Chowder

Oatmeal pancakes

Zucchini pineapple muffins new and improved