Sara's Sweets

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

It's 2012 already?! Maybe it's time that I return from my blogging hiatus.

Recipes to come soon! I promise. :)

The Cookiepedia!

2011-09-30T22:25:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago (okay, probably a month ago…but I was out of town for 2 weeks on business), I got contacted by the good people of Quirk Books. They asked me if I was interested in receiving a copy of The Cookiepedia, by Stacy Adimando, for review. Umm…of course, I was! Being a “cookie enthusiast,” I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to review a new cookie cookbook, now could I?

There are so many things that I love about this cookbook. First of all, every single recipe is a cookie = awesome! Secondly, it’s so cute and practical. The pages are spiral bound for ease in turning and propping open to your recipe. Plus, the font is fun, the recipes are clear and they even leave a little space for you to make your own notes on the recipes.

Third, there are pictures of every cookie. I don’t know about you, but I enjoy it when cookbooks have pictures. It helps when you know what your making is going to turn out looking that good!

And lastly, I love this quote within the first few pages! Ain’t it the truth?

While perusing this cookbook, I came across many cookies that I immediately wanted to make such as the Thin Mints, the Animal Cookies, the Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink-Cookies, the Madaleines, the Lemon Chewies…well alright, I kinda wanted to make them all. However, I could only pick one, so I picked the Oatmeal Raisin Cookies! I loved these oatmeal cookies cause they were easy to make; plus, they were hearty and deliciously cinnamon-y.

So, if you’re a baker and cookie lover like me, I’d definitely recommend checking out The Cookiepedia. I foresee many more cookie posts in the future on my blog.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, from The Cookiepedia

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats or quick cooking oats
2/3 cup raisins

Directions

Cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed for a few minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix a bit more.
Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Pour in the flour mixture an run the mixer motor on low, just to work it in. Stir in the oats and raisins with a spoon.
Scoop out tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto parchment-paper-lined cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake from 12 to 14 minutes, rotating cookie sheets halfway through baking. Let cool and enjoy.

Banana Bread

2011-08-31T21:09:00.004-07:00

A few weeks ago, I was at Sam's Club browsing the fruit area when I saw a bunch of overripe bananas. "Those poor bananas," I thought, "Who's going to ever buy those, especially when they are near the perfectly yellow ones?" Yes, I know it's kinda sad that I think that about over ripe fruit...but nevertheless, I did. The whole bunch of about 3lbs of bananas was only $1.98! A total bargain, right? But what does one do with overripe bananas? Make banana bread, of course! And so, the bananas somehow made their way into my cart.

I've made this recipe many times over the past few years and it has become my "go-to" banana bread recipe. Not only is it simple, I bet you have all the ingredients in your pantry, but it's delicious! When making this bread, I sometimes use whole wheat flour and sometimes just regular flour, or you can mix and match. Also, I add spices to my bread, per the modifcations below and it turns out great everytime. I always get compliments from people saying how moist and flavorful this bread is; plus, numerous requests for the recipe. So, here you go, my friends. Make this soon and enjoy it as a snack with coffee or as my personal fave - warmed up with some butter on top for breakfast. Mmmm!

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Quality control.

Banana Banana Bread by Food.com
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed very overripe bananas

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly grease 9 x 5 loaf pan
In large bowl, combine flour, soda and salt.
In separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar.
Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended.
Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 60-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.
Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Homemade Salsa

2011-08-14T16:15:00.002-07:00

Hello! I’m back. I took a break. Because I felt like. Alright, let’s move on.

Chips and salsa are a favorite for Jeremy and me. We like it as an appetizer, apart of a meal or as a snack. But why should we always have to resort to store bought salsa? Though there are many delicious varieties of store bought kind (ex. Trader Joe’s Pineapple Salsa), there is something about homemade salsa that is so good. Maybe it’s the fact that you can make it as spicy or chunky as you want. Or maybe it’s because it’s so easy. My vote is for all of the above!

This recipe is from Jeremy’s sister and brother-in-law and it’s fabulous! It’s a mix of canned and fresh items, which make it so delicious and as I’ve mentioned…easy! Plus, I frequently cut the recipe in halve and it still turns out great. It’s one of those recipes that you can’t mess up. So, go ahead and make the Carne Asada Burritos that I’ve talked about and this salsa. Throw in some tortilla chips and you’ll have a wonderful, fiesta.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Just add chips!

Delicious Salsa

Printable Copy

Ingredients

1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 large can diced tomatoes (dice a little more)
1 large bunch of cilantro (chopped)
3/4 of a large white onion (chopped)
2 raw jalapeno peppers (chopped)
1 Anaheim chili (fire roasted on stove, until black, then chopped)

Directions

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl.
Season with garlic salt and black pepper, to taste.
Refrigerate left overs.

My New Obsession

2011-07-04T10:51:00.001-07:00

If you know me at all, you know that I’m slightly obsessed with peanut butter. I’ve been know to eat spoonful's out of the jar. I eat it on apples, on celery sticks, on carrot sticks…actually, I’m pretty sure I’d eat it on just about anything.

When I first came across this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Picky Palate, I knew I was destined to make it. It’s main ingredient is peanut butter, with the second ingredient being Oreos. That’s right, I said it, Oreos. Followed by the last ingredient, white chocolate chips. I’m going to give you a moment to imagine the goodness…

Are you drooling yet? Please. I beg you. Stop what you’re doing right now. Make this peanut butter. Then, grab a spoon and dig in, while you check out some of Jenny’s other amazing recipes on her blog.

Enjoy!

Cookies and Cream Peanut Butter, by Picky Palate

Ingredients

10 whole Oreo Cookies (I added a whole roll of Oreos, which I think is about 15…because really, why not?)
2 Cups creamy peanut butter (Per Jenny’s recommendation, I used a “natural” pb, since we’re adding so much sweetness)
1 cup white chocolate chips
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

Directions

Crush Oreos into small pieces and place into a large bowl. Add 2 cups peanut butter.
Place white chips and 2 tablespoons peanut butter into a double boiler and stir until melted OR microwave in 30 second intervals.Add to bowl of Oreos and peanut butter.
Stir just a little so you have a bit of swirls of chocolate throughout. Place peanut butter into a jar!

Carne Asada Burritos

2011-06-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

Hello? Anyone out there? Probably not, since I've neglected my blog for the past 2 months, but for reals, I'm back. Over the past few months, I was traveling for work a lot, which didn't equal a lot of home cooked meals and when I was at home, I was just making my old standbys. Yeah, yeah, I know , that’s always my excuse. However, I'm now back in the kitchen, cooking up fabulous eats and treats. So, lets get going with this one!

In our weekly meal planning, Jeremy said he wanted Carne Asada Burritos. I immediately thought, "Umm, I'm not even sure what Carne Asada is exactly, besides delicious." So, to the internet I went. Specifically, to one of my favorite blogs - For the Love of Cooking. Pam has a fabulous website with so many delicious recipes! I've been reading here blog for a long time and I always find awesome stuff on it.

Just recently Pam posted Carne Asada Sandwiches. Um, yum! Well, since we wanted burritos, all I had to do was make her Carne Asada recipe, add our fixins’ and ta-da, a delicious meal was born.

Within our burritos, we added pinto beans, cilantro, cheese and grilled onions. Mmmm, I’m not going to lie…this carne asada is fantastic! Jeremy and I were both shocked how good it was. I’m talking restaurant-quality- good here. You should all make it this week. Actually, you should all make it tomorrow night, invite me over for dinner, and then go check out Pam’s blog, so we’ll talk about her recipes, deal?

Enjoy!

Slicing the meat.

Pre-rolled.

Post-rolled.

Quickly being consumed by me!

Carne Asada Marinade

from Pam at For the Love of Cooking
Printable Recipe

1 1/2 - 2 lbs of flank steak (I couldn’t find flank, so I used thin sirloin)
1/3 cup vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil (I only used about 1/3)
1 tsp cumin
1-2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp oregano
2 limes, juiced
4-5 cloves garlic minced

In a gallon size Ziploc bag, combine all ingredients with flank steak and mix really well. Let marinate for at least 6 hours - overnight if you can. When ready, grill to your likeness.

Cake Balls

2011-04-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

If you've been around the food/cooking/baking blog community, I'm sure that you're familiar with Bakerella. Her beautiful treats are works of art and her Cake Pops are especially lovely. If you're not familiar, go ahead and check out her website, I'll wait...

Pretty cute, right? Did you see the reindeer ones for Christmas? So, cute! Why can’t I have that talent?

Anyway, I've wanted to make Cake Pops for awhile and finally got around to doing it a few weeks ago. However, I didn't have any sticks, so mine were Cake Balls. I followed Bakerella's directions located here and my Cake Balls were a success! Not only were they easy to make, but boy, were they good. They reminded me of kind of a Ho-Ho, with their firm coating and soft inside. One thing to remember though is to make sure your chocolate coating stays warm and melty…otherwise, it will start to thicken up and you’ll have lumpy balls. Ha!

Smooth, pretty balls.

Bumpy, ugly balls.

Mmmm, Cake Balls!

On a side note, when I was making these Cake Balls I could not stop thinking of the Saturday Night Live skit called, "Schweddy Balls." In fact, I giggled for a good hour while making them (I have a high level of maturity). You've seen the skit, right? It's good old Saturday Night Live humor and though slightly inappropriate...it's hilarious! And just incase you haven't, here it is.

Enjoy the video clip and enjoy these Schweddy Balls...I mean, Cake Balls!

Cake Balls by Bakerella

Ingredients

1 box cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake) – I used Devil’s Food
1 can frosting (16 oz.) – I used Vanilla
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)
wax paper

Directions

After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting.
Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet.
Chill for several hours.
Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm.

**See Bakerella’s website for detailed instructions and prettier balls! **

Decadent Peanut Butter Pie

2011-04-07T21:00:00.002-07:00

Well, well, well...look who it is! It's me! I'm back from my blogging hiatus! Isn't that exciting? Since the end of February, I've been traveling a lot for work, but over the past week I have been home and making some good recipes. To make up for my absence, I'm starting off with a recipe that will knock your socks off, so here we go...

First of all, I love peanut butter. It is my favorite food. I've asked (and received) peanut butter for Christmas. I think it's delicious. I have a jar in my desk at work. And I've been know to eat spoonfuls straight out of the jar. It completes me. When I first saw this recipe, I knew that I was destined to make it.

Man 'o man, this pie did not disappoint us. It is rich in it's peanut butter and chocolate flavor, but also light at the same time. With a filling made of cream cheese and cool whip, it doesn't leave you feeling weighed down...just thoroughly peanut butter satisfied. Usually I would use light cream cheese, but I didn’t want to risk changing the texture of the pie, so I used regular. However, I did use “light” Cool Whip because as you all know, if you use at least one “light” item in your baking, it cancels out the calories of everything else. No joke. It’s a true story. Also, as you'll see from the pictures, I added chopped up Reese's Peanut Butter cups to the top of the pie because really...why not? If you’re a peanut butter nut like me, go make this pie and then enjoy every single bite of it. That’s what I’m going to go do now!

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Ummm…YUM!

Jif’s Decadent Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients

1 cup Jif Creamy Peanut Butter, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 (12 oz.) container (4 1/2 cups) frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
1 prepared chocolate pie crust
1 (11.75 oz.) jar Smucker's Hot Fudge Ice Cream Topping, divided

Directions

BEAT together 1 cup peanut butter, cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with an electric mixer on medium, until well combined. Gently mix in 3 cups whipped topping until thoroughly combined. Spoon mixture into pie shell. Using a spatula, smooth mixture to edges of pie.
RESERVE 2 tablespoons of hot fudge topping into the corner of a resealable food storage bag; set aside. Microwave remaining topping on HIGH (100% power) for 1 minute. Stir. Spread topping over pie, covering entire peanut butter layer. Refrigerate until set. Spread remaining whipped topping (1 1/2 cups), over hot fudge layer, being careful not to mix the two layers.
CUT a small corner from bag containing topping. Squeeze bag to drizzle topping over pie. Place remaining 2 tablespoons peanut butter in a resealable food storage bag; cut bag corner and squeeze to drizzle in opposite direction from topping. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

The Lucky Winner is…

2011-02-23T15:26:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all of you fine blog readers who entered my CSN Stores GIVEAWAY last week! After much deliberation…and the usage of the true random number generator…we have a winner! So, congratulations to…

Renee

from Black and Gold Girl’s Book Spot!!

Yay! I highly recommend that you check out Renee’s blog. This girl is reading machine, who writes excellent book reviews and loves the Pittsburgh Steelers!! Plus, she’s a great “blog friend” to me!

Thanks again to all of those who entered my GIVEAWAY and many thanks to CSN Stores for this great opportunity! I’ll be posting new recipes soon, I promise. Enjoy the rest of your week, my friends.

I’ve Been Absent…So, Let’s Have a Giveaway!

2011-02-15T19:13:00.001-07:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. I haven’t posted since January. Shameful, isn’t it? I do have a good excuse though. You see, my husband decided to hurt his knee and he had to have surgery, so I’ve been busy taking care of him. In order to buy myself some time before I get a new recipe posted, how about a GIVEAWAY?!

Those awesome people at CSN Stores are once again, offering a generous gift certificate for $50 to any of their over 200 online stores, to one of you fine readers. Whether you're looking for some modern office furniture or perhaps some fitness equipment or even a fountain for your backyard, CSN stores have it all!!

I’ll be randomly selecting one lucky reader to win this GIVEAWAY! There are 3 ways to enter and all entries must be received by midnight (AZ Time) on Saturday, February 19th and here’s how you enter:

Leave a comment telling me how you found my blog. (I don’t have a ton of reader, so I’m just curious how you found me! )
Follow ME on Twitter @saraboff, or if you already do, let me know
Become a Follower of Sara’s Sweets, or let me know if you already are

*Please leave separate comments to let me know that you’re a follower on Twitter or of the blog.

Good luck!!

The Best Chocolate Cake in the Whole World!

2011-01-17T19:19:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, do I have a recipe to share with you! I've been holding onto this recipe for years...just waiting for the right time to make it. Last week, we were having friends over for dinner and I needed a dessert to make. While looking through the cabinets, I stumbled upon my Bundt pan and I knew, it was time to make this cake. Holy moley, I don't know why I waited so long to make it, but boy, am I glad that I did!!

This cake is the most chocolaty cake I've ever had in my life. And I am absolutely, 100% in love with it. Not only is it chocolate cake, but it's got chocolate pudding mix and chocolate chips inside, and it's covered with chocolate glaze. Oh yea! What's not to love about that? This cake is wonderful at room temperature, but for more decadence, put it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Oh. My. Gosh. It's Heaven, I tell you. Pure Heaven. Even Jeremy, who isn't a fan of cake, said, "This is amazzzing!" Plus, when I told him that I was going to make us one every week, he gladly said, "Sounds good to me!" Make this cake now. You will not regret it (though your hips just might!).

Enjoy!

Pre-glazed.

Post-glazed.

Pre-getting in my belly!

Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze, by Food.com

Ingredients

1 (18 1/4 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1 (4 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 3/4 cups water
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze

3 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup powdered sugar
2 -3 tablespoons hot water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°, grease and flour bundt pan, set aside.
In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix and chocolate chips.
In another bowl, combine water, eggs, and vanilla mixing well.
Add egg mixture to dry mixture and mix with spoon until just blended.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until cake tests done when wooden pick in center comes out clean.
Cool 15 to 20 minutes before removing cake from pan.
For Chocolate Glaze: Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix with spoon until smooth.
When completely cool, drizzle cake with Chocolate Glaze.

I'm Baaaack! With Rocky Road Candy

2011-01-04T20:34:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! Since it's been awhile since my last post, I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I apologize for disappearing for a few months, but it just needed a break from blogging about my cooking. I still cooked and I still took pictures, but for some reason, they just didn't magically blog themselves. Bummer, right? Anyway, I'm back with recipes to share, so let's get to it!

When I was a kid, my mom would make Rocky Road Candy every Christmas, as gifts for people, and they would rave about! Now that I'm a "grown up," I make it for friends during the holidays too and it is something that I look forward to it all year long. Not only is it chocolaty and delicious, but it is ridiculously easy! No joke, there are only 4 ingredients and it takes less than 8 minutes to make. Besides all that, what I love the most about this is the butterscotch chips! You don't suspect them to be in there, but then you bite into the candy and get that yummy butterscotch flavor in the background. Mmmm! I highly recommend that you make this candy, whether it's Christmas time or not.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Pre-microwave.

Post-microwave.

All cut up and ready to be eaten!

Rocky Road Candy by Mom

Ingredients

1 bag of chocolate chips
1 bag of butterscotch chips
1 cup of chunky peanut butter
2 cups of marshmallows
Anything else that will make your candy "rockier": raisins, nuts, craisins, etc.

Put chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter in a microwavable bowl. Melt on high for about 3 minutes, until smooth.
Stir in marshmallows.
Pour into a greased 11 x 8 pan and refrigerate for a few hours or even overnight, until hard.
Cut into 1 inch squares and store in the refrigerator until ready to give away or eat.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf

2010-11-16T16:43:00.001-07:00

Before I started this cooking/recipe blog, I used to occasional post recipes on my “other” blog. This is a repost from that blog, but when I made this bread the other night I realized that it wasn’t on this blog! This recipe is delicious and a must for fall baking, so I felt it necessary to to share.

Ever since the first day of Fall last week, a lot of the foodie blogs that I read have been posting pumpkin recipes. I LOVE pumpkin! So, I was inspired to jump on the pumpkin bandwagon and bake something scrumptious.

This afternoon I baked this incredible Pumpkin-Gingerbread Loaf. I've always loved regular pumpkin bread (thanks to my mom at Christmas time) and this bread adds the ginger element, which just makes it outstanding. It's moist and comforting with the pumpkin flavor and then it's got a slight ginger kick. YUM! I could easily eat half a loaf or 3-4 muffins...it is THAT good.

I found the recipe a few years ago on Recipezaar. Since I'm always trying to make recipes a bit healthier, I cut back on the sugar by 1/2 a cup, used whole wheat flour and subbed half egg whites for the eggs. It's not much of a "healthy" modification, but I figured even a little bit could make it more figure friendly. The recipe makes 2 big loafs (9-inch pans). I like to make 1 loaf and 12 muffins, so that I can have somewhat of portion control. :) It also freezes really well. If you decide to do muffins, they'll take about 22 minutes to bake. Seriously, you have to make this bread...it is AMAZING and a wonderful Fall treat!

Ingredients.

12 muffins, minus 1 due to Quality Assurance. :)

Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf by Recipezaar

Printer-Friendly Version

1 cup margarine/butter
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 1/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
4 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
2/3 cup water
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup nuts (optional)

Directions

Cream together margarine, sugar, and eggs.
Combine all dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture alternately with water and pumpkin.
Beat well.
Pour into 3 well greased loaf pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minute or until toothpick comes out clean.

We Have a Winner!

2010-11-08T10:37:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all of those who entered my CSN Stores GIVEAWAY! Welcome to those new readers of Sara’s Sweets and to you old readers, thanks for sticking around. :) Without further ado…the lucky winner, picked at random, is…

3 Boys and an Old Lady!!

Congrats, Old Lady! I’ll be in contact with you very soon.

Thanks again to all who entered! And of course, many thanks to CSN Stores for allowing me to have this GIVEAWAY! Have a great week everyone.

Paste e Fagoli and a GIVEAWAY!

2010-11-01T22:35:00.001-07:00

As a preferred blogger for CSN Stores, I have the opportunity to host another giveaway for one of you fine readers! Yay! By now you all know that CSN Stores has over 200 online stores with a ton of different items to choose from. You need new dining chairs? No problem. What about a ceiling fan? They got it. Or how about a tool case? You know they have one! And now is your chance to get something that you need! Those great folks at CSN Stores have offered one of my lucky readers a $50 gift code to any of their sites.

I’ll be randomly selecting one lucky reader to win this GIVEAWAY! There are 3 ways to enter and all entries must be received by midnight (AZ Time) on Saturday, November 6th and here’s how you enter:

Leave a comment telling me which what restaurant recipe you wish you had the “copycat” recipe for
Follow ME on Twitter @saraboff, or if you already do, let me know
Become a Follower of Sara’s Sweets, or let me know if you already are

*Please leave separate comments to let me know that you’re a follower on Twitter or of the blog.

And now onto today’s recipe! I enjoy Olive Garden very much. I could go there and eat soup, salad and breadsticks all the time. Actually, I could go there and just make a meal out of the breadsticks…but that’s besides the point. One of their soups that I like is Pasta e Fagoli, and it just so happens that in my Top Secret Restaurant Recipe cookbook, there is a recipe for it! This soup is delicious. It’s full of beans, meat and little, funny shaped pasta that I’ve never bought before! Plus, it is hearty, it’s warm and it’s just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It’s perfect dinner or lunch a winter day! Now if only I had the recipe for the breadsticks from Olive Garden…

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Mmmm!

Pasta e Fagoli, Copycat Recipe from Olive Garden

Printer-Friendly Version

Ingredients

1 pound Ground beef
1 small Onion
1 large Carrot
3 stalks Celery
2 cloves Garlic
2 14.5-oz cans Diced tomatoes
1 15-oz can Red kidney beans
1 15-oz can Great northern beans
1 15-oz can Tomato sauce
1 12-oz can V-8 juice
1 tablespoon White vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoon Basil
1/2 teaspoon Freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Thyme
1/2 pound Ditali pasta

Directions

Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Drain off most of the fat. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic; sauté for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients (except pasta), and simmer for 1 hour.
About 50 minutes into simmer time, cook the pasta in 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of boiling water over high heat. Cook for 10 minutes or just until pasta is al dente, or slightly tough. Drain.
Add the pasta to the large pot of soup. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes and serve.

Applesauce

2010-10-18T22:22:00.001-07:00

One food that makes me think of fall is apples. I love apples! Gala apples are my favorite. They are sweet and crisp, and I buy them in 10lb bags from Sam’s Club. Since I was away from home for a few weeks, I didn’t have a chance to eat many apples and I was worried they weren’t going to survive much longer. So, I needed an easy recipe to use up my apples…and that is were this delicious recipe comes into play!

I Googled “applesauce” and this was the first recipe that came up. I honestly had no idea that applesauce was so easy to make! I cut up some apples, added some sugar and spice and ta-da, 20 minutes later, I had applesauce. Who knew!? The Gala apples are wonderful to use in this recipe because of their natural sweetness and I subbed brown sugar for white. I took a taste-test bite after I mashed up the apples and boy-oh-boy, warm homemade applesauce is mighty delicious! Jeremy even said, “Ya know, this is better than the store bought, jar kind.” That it is, Jeremy. That it is.

Enjoy!

My beautiful Gala apples.

Delicious!

Homemade Applesauce

Printer-friendly Version

Ingredients

4 apples - peeled, cored and chopped (I didn’t peel mine and it was still good!)
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

In a saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Allow to cool, then mash with a fork or potato masher.

And the Winner is…

2010-10-10T09:57:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all of those who entered my CSN Stores GIVEAWAY! All thanks to all the new readers who somehow came across my blog and entered. I love new readers! Without further ado…the lucky winner, picked at random, is…

Natalie from The Sweets Life!!

If you guys aren’t familiar with Natalie’s blog, you should check it out because she makes all sorts of drool-worthy foods! Congrats, Natalie! I’ll be emailing you soon.

Thanks again to all who entered! And of course, many thanks to CSN Stores for allowing me to have this GIVEAWAY! On a side note, I’m home for a whole week before I head out on a business trip, so I’ll have a few new recipes going up soon! Have a great week everyone.

I’m Still Around…and Just to Prove it, I’m Having a Giveaway

2010-09-30T21:55:00.001-07:00

Hello friends! I’m so sorry that I haven’t posted a delicious recipe since the beginning of September. It’s my travel season for work and sadly, I haven’t been home lot lately to cook! But don’t worry, only a few more trips and I’ll be back in the kitchen cooking up some tasty treats. In the meantime, to make it up to you, it’s time for a GIVEAWAY!! The sensational people at CSN Stores have offered one of my lucky readers a $50 gift code to any of their sites. If you remember from past giveaways, CSN Stores has a variety of products, such as dutch ovens, baking molds and even shoes!!

Cooking supplies AND shoes all in one place?! I’m SO there! :)

I’ll be randomly selecting one lucky reader to win this GIVEAWAY! There are 3 ways to enter and all entries must be received by midnight (AZ Time) on Thursday, October 7th and here’s how you enter:

Leave a comment telling me which you would choose: new cooking supplies or new shoes
Follow ME on Twitter @saraboff, or if you already do, let me know
Become a Follower of Sara’s Sweets, or let me know if you already are

*Please leave separate comments to let me know that you’re a follower on Twitter or of the blog.

Good luck!!

Crack Brownies

2010-09-03T16:35:00.001-07:00

Hi there, blog readers! I hope you are all doing well, and I hope that none of you are on a diet. If you are on a diet, I beg you, please, please, please look away right now! I’m not joking. The recipe that is soon to follow is not for those trying to watch your waistline. It’s part brownie, part rice krispie treat and part peanut butter cup. You will not be able to eat just one! Not looking away? Well, alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you…

Mmmm. I came across this recipe for “Better-Than-Crack Brownies” on a blog that I read and the minute I saw the picture I just knew that I had to make them. I’m not even that big of a fan of brownies or rice krispie treats…however, put them together with a layer of peanut butter cups in between and you’ve won me over.

Jeremy asked me to make a dessert for him for the week, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try this recipe. Sadly though, he wasn’t crazy about this recipe. He said it was “too peanut buttery.” Excuse me? Did my husband really just say that? I think I was in shock for a few minutes after those words came out of his mouth. How did I marry someone who doesn’t share my love/obsession with peanut butter? I don’t think that anything can ever be “too peanut buttery,” especially when paired with chocolate. Oh well, more for me then.

This brownies are very rich, but I love that the rice krispies add a bit of lightness and crunch to them. They are so delicious! The evening after I made these, we went to dinner and movie with our friends, Jayla. I brought us each a “Better-Than-Crack-Brownie” to sneak into the theater and they loved them. I even ended up given them extras. Being so delicious and having the word “crack” in their name, the brownie’s name somehow got shorten and by the end of dinner, Jeremy and Jayla were calling me a crack dealer who was sneaking crack brownies into the theater, in my purse. Good thing the cops weren’t around. I have a feeling that our conversation about crack brownies could have sounded a bit suspicious. :)

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Cooling.

So good!

Crack Brownies, adapted from How Sweet It Is

1 batch box brownies
1/2 cup salted almonds
3/4 cup chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups
1 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 cups cups Rice Krispies Cereal

Mix brownies according to directions, and bake for 20-25 minutes in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Remove and top with peanuts and peanut butter cups, and bake for 4-6 minutes more.
While they are finishing baking, melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Stir in cereal. Remove brownies from oven and evenly pour chocolate mixture over top.
Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
Cut, eat and use serious self control to avoid eating half the pan.

And the Winner is…

2010-08-09T20:47:00.001-07:00

Hello friends! Sorry for the delay in announcing the winner of my CSN Stores GIVEAWAY, but I was out of town this weekend and just too busy to blog! First of all, let me thank all of those who commented, became followers of me and my dog on Twitter and became followers of this blog. Never before have I had so many comments, nor did I know that so many people read my blog. So, thanks for boosting my confidence. :)

Alright, I know you’ve all been anxiously awaiting the results, so let’s get to them. With the selection help of Random.org, the lucky winner of the $50 CSN Stores gift card is…

#56 - The Tree Huggin Momma

Congratulations, Tree Huggin Momma! I’ll be emailing you within the next day with details on your $50 CSN Stores gift card.

Thanks again to all who entered and to CSN Stores! Stay tuned to Sara’s Sweets for more delicious recipes and giveaways in the future!

CSN Stores GIVEAWAY & Cinnamon Rolls

2010-07-31T21:14:00.001-07:00

Those wonderful people at CSN Stores have done it again. They are allowing me to host a GIVEAWAY on my blog to one of you lovely readers! Awesome, right?

CSN features over 200+ stores with tons of products at incredible prices. They offer le creuset cookware, furniture, pet products, outdoor products and so much more. But what are they offering you, you ask? CSN has graciously offered to give one of my readers a $50 gift card in the form of a promotional code that can be used on any product on their site....yippee!

I’ll be randomly selecting one lucky reader to win this GIVEAWAY! There are 5 ways to enter and all entries must be received by midnight (AZ Time) on Friday, August 6th and here’s how you enter:

Leave a comment telling me what you would spend your $50 gift card on at CSN Stores
Follow ME on Twitter @saraboff
Follow CSN on Twitter @csnstores
Follow MY DOG on Twitter @dieselboff (he’s pretty funny!)
Become a Follower of Sara’s Sweets

*If you become of follower on Twitter or on Google Reader, leave separate comments to let me know.

Alright now let’s get onto today’s recipe because it sure is a good one! About a week ago while at work, I got the sudden urge to make cinnamon rolls. It was really weird. I haven’t eaten a cinnamon roll in quiet awhile and I’ve never made cinnamon rolls before, but knowing that I had a packet of yeast at home, I figured, why not!

In my search for a recipe, I found 2 that I liked. I selected the recipe below because it had great reviews, but I liked the “overnight” technique of this recipe by Alton Brown of Food Network, especially since my plan was to take them into work in the morning.

My only modification to the recipe was that I used whole wheat flour and light cream cheese. You see, using those two ingredients completely cancels out all the calories from the 3 sticks of butter that are in this recipe. Really, they do!

Speaking of the 3 sticks of butter, I’m not gonna lie….they are totally worth it! These cinnamon rolls were light in texture, flavorful in the cinnamon/sugar filling and rich in the frosting. Pretty much they were amazing! Right after they came out of the oven, I took them to work, so my co-workers could experience them being warm and gooey…that’s when cinnamon rolls are best, right? I set them on the counter at 7am and the pan was wiped clean by 7:30am. No joke! Food goes fast in my office, but I’ve never seen it go that fast before. In fact, I almost didn’t get to try one! If I hadn’t moseyed into the kitchen for coffee at 7:20am, my chance to try these beauties almost ceased to exist! If my co-workers didn’t love me already, I’m 99.9% certain that they love me now that I brought them cinnamon rolls.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Rolled out dough.

About to go in the oven.

Out of the oven.

Frosted with copious amounts of icing!

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls by Recipezaar (newly named Food.com)

Printer-friendly Version

Ingredients

1 ( 1/4 ounce) package dry yeast
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4 cups flour

Filling

1 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine, softened

Icing

8 tablespoons margarine
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

For the rolls, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl.
Add sugar, margarine salt, eggs, and flour, mix well.
Knead the dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour.
Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, until it is approx 21 inches long by 16 inches wide.
It should be approx 1/4 thick.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
To make filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
Spread the softened margarine over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the surface.
Working carefully, from the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom edge.
Cut the dough into 1 3/4 inch slices, and place in a lightly greased baking pan.
Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown.
While the rolls are baking combine the icing ingredients.
Beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy.
When the rolls are done, spread generously with icing

Chili

2010-07-14T14:24:00.001-07:00

I’ve always been a fan of chili. It’s warm. It’s chunky. It’s delicious. And you know what else I like about chili? It’s so versatile and everyone has their own recipe! The possibilities are endless. Meat or no meat? Chicken or beef? Beans or no beans? Veggies or…well, you get the idea.

Chili is a great recipe if your doing P90X because the different phases of the nutrition plan that accompanies the workout of P90X are all pretty low carb. I found this recipe by just Googling “P90X Chili,” and then I just adjusted per our tastes. Not only is this chili is packed full of protein, but it’s also flavorful, hearty and easy! Add a side salad and you’ve got a delicious low carb dinner…whether your doing P90X or not.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Mmmm, chili.

P90X Chili

Makes 7 1/2 servings, 1 cup servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound ground chicken breast
1 onion, chopped
2 cups water
28 ounce canned crushed tomatoes
15 ounce canned kidney beans - drained, rinsed,
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 – 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Place turkey in the pot, and cook until evenly brown.
Stir in onion, and cook until tender.
Pour water into the pot.
Mix in tomatoes, kidney beans, and garlic.
Season with chili powder, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.

Read more, plus nutrition facts!: http://caloriecount.about.com/p90x-chili-recipe-r385258#ixzz0th4rQiWp

Ice Cream Pie

2010-07-01T08:27:00.001-07:00

Yum, yum, yum! This is the new favorite dessert in our house. I’ve made it twice in the last 3 weeks. I came across the idea for this dessert on the Eat Better America website and thought that it’d be perfect for summer!

I made it for the first time when my family came up to visit and it was so good, that Jeremy requested it again for when Jayla came over last week. Speaking of Jeremy, I have a cute story about this recipe. When I first told him that I was going to make an ice cream pie for dessert, Jeremy gave me a confused look and said, “But won’t the ice cream melt in the oven?” Ah ha ha, cute, huh? I explained that I wouldn’t actually be baking it and he still seemed skeptical, but I think I convinced him that it’s good.

So, my inspiration for this ice cream pie was from this Healthified Turtle Ice Cream Cake. I actually had all the intentions of following that recipe, but then I thought, “Well, there is premade Oreo crust at the store, so why should I make my own?” Then, I asked Jeremy if he wanted a different kind of ice cream than vanilla and he wanted strawberry. Personally, I was thinking Cookies ‘n Cream or Coffee would be excellent, but he’s not a fan of those. Really, this recipe is more of a method. Use whatever kind of ice cream you like. Use a graham cracker crust instead of Oreo. Add as much hot fudge as you want. Or substitute butterscotch topping. Use peanuts instead of pecans. Or whatever. You get the idea.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Eat me!

Sara’s Ice Cream Pie

1 store bought Oreo cookie pie crust
2 - 3 cups reduced fat chocolate ice cream, slightly softened
2- 3 cups reduced fat strawberry ice cream, slightly softened
1/2 cup Sugar free hot fudge topping
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Sugar-free caramel topping

Drop chocolate ice cream by small spoonfuls over crust; carefully spread until smooth. Freeze 1 hour or until firm.
Spoon and carefully spread fudge topping over ice cream. Sprinkle with pecans; press lightly. Freeze 1 hour or until firm.
Drop strawberry ice cream by small spoonfuls over pecan layer; carefully spread until smooth. Cover; freeze at least 8 hours or overnight.
To serve, let stand at room temperature 5 to 10 minutes to soften. Cut into 8- 12 wedges. Place each wedge on individual dessert plate; drizzle each with caramel topping and additional nuts, if desired.

Broccoli Salad

2010-06-22T08:49:00.001-07:00

I think broccoli is my favorite vegetable. Well, no, I take that back. I might like carrots a bit more, but broccoli is a close 2nd. Have any of you tried the Broccoli Salad that you can buy in a kit at Costco? If you haven’t, I can tell you that it is delicious. However, I’m also going to tell you not to go buy it and to just make this recipe because it tastes exactly the same, if not better! :)

This Broccoli Salad is one of my new favorite side dishes, thanks to a blog that I visit frequently, Anne Strawberry. I’ve made it about 3 times in the past month or so. It is full of fresh broccoli, crunchy toppings and a sweet dressing, and it’s just delicious. This Broccoli Salad is crunchy, sweet and savory all at the same time and it makes for a quick side dish. I’ve made the original recipe below and then I’ve also made a few modifications to suit our tastes. I don’t like a lot of dressing on my salads, so you’ll see below that I decreased the amounts a bit.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Ready to eat!

Broccoli Salad by Anne Strawberry

Ingredients

4 - 6 cups chopped broccoli flowerets (I use 6 cups)
¼ cup diced red onion
½ cup toasted sunflower seeds (1/3 cup - I tried using pecans once, but preferred the sunflower seeds)
1/3 cup raisins (I use Craisins)
8 strips cooked bacon, crumbled

Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise (3/4 cup - I use Light Mayo)
½ cup sugar (1/3 cup)
1 ½ T. apple cider vinegar (red wine works, too) (about 1 tbs)

Directions

After making dressing, toss on salad and combine.
Serve immediately.

M&M Dream Bars

2010-06-14T07:20:00.000-07:00

Hello friends, have you ever thought you blogged a post, only to find out 3 days later that it never went through? That's what happened to me. I thought I posted this on Friday, but just realized that it never went through due to a server error! And here I was thinking that just no one was reading my blog. :) Well, here is another tasty, sweet treat for you! We had a graduation BBQ at my work last month for those students, that work in our office, who graduated. As usual, I signed up to bring a dessert (does that surprise anyone?).

I’ve made this recipe a couple of times before, as it’s any easy go-to-dessert, plus it’s delicious. The first time I made these bars, I took them to my friend Alli’s parent’s Christmas party (easily jazzed up with red and green M&Ms)…and I’m proud to say that her mom requested the recipe and they are now a yearly additional to the dessert table! :)

These bars are sweet, chocolaty, nutty and are like a big oatmeal cookie! There is a layer of sweet gooiness in the middle that really amps up the recipe from other bars. I love them! They are fabulous…and of course, they were all eaten up by my co-workers!

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Bottom “crust” layer.

Gooey deliciousness.

Right out of the oven.

Mmmm.

M&M Dream Bars, by Recipezaar

Ingredients

2 cups oatmeal
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup coconut
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup melted butter
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup M&M'
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Combine oatmeal, brown sugar, flour, coconut, baking soda, and salt; add melted butter and stir until moist (the mixture will be crumbly). Reserve 1 1/2 cups and press remaining crumbs into a greased 13X9-inch baking pan (I line the pan with non-stick foil.).
Bake 12 minutes at 375°F.
Combine milk and peanut butter; carefully spread over baked crust. Sprinkle on M&M's and chocolate chips. Sprinkle reserved crumbs over chocolate pieces and lightly press crumbs down.
Bake 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely before cutting.

EatSmart Nutrition Scale – Product Review

2010-06-01T20:15:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, the wonderful people at CSN Stores approached me with the offer to do a product review. Get any product from their many online stores, receive a substantial credit to purchase the product and then post a review on my blog? Heck yea!

So, out of all the numerous products that CSN stores I selected this wonderful EatSmart Nutrition Scale with Digital Scale and Nutrient Calculator (try saying that ten times fast!). This scale is one of the coolest kitchen gadgets that I've ever seen. Not only does it weigh your food for you, but it can also tell you the the amount of calories, carbs, fiber, sodium, fats, vitamin K and six other nutrients from thousands of packaged and 999 whole foods. Pretty cool, right?

The EatSmart Nutrition Scale has come in very handy recently, since Jeremy and I are still on the P90X nutrition plan and our protein needs to be weighed out in ounces. Plus, it’s just fun to measure random foods now. :) Let’s take a look at it…

Measuring chicken, in ounces. 15 oz of chicken to be exact.

Yellow Bell Pepper, Code 167, 6.7 oz., plus, calories, carbs and fiber.

Sodium, potassium, magnesium.

Total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol.

If anyone is looking for a food scale, this one is awesome! Check it out at the CSN Stores website, or take a look at some of their other items. They have everything! Seriously, from computer desks to barbeques to dog beds, they’ve got it all. Thanks CSN for letting me do this product review!

The Most Amazing Carrot Cake

2010-05-25T08:55:00.001-07:00

What’s up, doc?

Carrot cake is probably my most favorite cake. It’s delicious and it’s got carrots in it, so it’s totally healthy and fat free, right? :) My dad loves carrot cake, so for his birthday last month I baked him one!

This is by far, the best carrot cake that I’ve ever had! It’s flavored with the perfect amount of spice and it is filled with carrots (of course), pineapple, coconut and pecans. Plus, when paired with a cream cheese frosting…oh my…it’s pure heaven!

I’ve made this recipe a few times and surprisingly, I don’t make any changes to it. Something weird happened when I made it for my dad though. I’m pretty sure that I was paying attention and using all the right measurements, but for some reason my batter was very dry and tough to stir. I added a few tablespoons of skim milk to smooth it out, and the cake turned out fine and delicious…but it was just weird. I still don’t know what happened. Oh well. If you have a carrot cake lover in the family or if you just want to try the most delicious carrot cake on the planet, I recommend this recipe.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Just call me “Sara Lee.”

After I “fixed” the batter.

Frosting ingredients.

Cooling cakes.

Ta-da!

Mmmm.

Carrot Cake, by Recipezaar

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

Wilton Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan or 2 round 9 inch pans.
Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; make a well in the center and add sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix with wooden spoon until smooth.
Stir in carrots, coconut, walnuts and pineapple. Pour into 9x13 inch pan and bake for about 45 minutes, or in round pans for 35 – 40 minutes. Don't panic, the centre will sink a little.
Allow to cool; when cool, frost the cake.
To make the frosting: Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth; add the icing sugar and beat until creamy.

Chicken Marengo and Spinach Citrus Salad

2010-05-16T21:52:00.001-07:00

Yum, I have such a delicious meal to share with you all today! One of my favorite shows on Food Network is The Next Food Network Star. (Whoo, the new season starts on June 6th! Who’s excited??) Last season, Melissa d’Arabian won the competition and got her own show, which I rather enjoy. Melissa’s signature cooking technique that helped her win was her 4-step chicken.

Last Sunday, I was watching Food Network re-runs last and saw her make this chicken Marengo and spinach citrus salad. I’d never heard of Chicken Marengo before, but her easy cooking technique and the deliciousness of the food convinced me that I needed to try this recipe…and I’m sure glad I did.

The chicken Marengo reminded me of a lot of chicken cacciatore. It’s filled with tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and yellow bell pepper, and it is yummy! Plus, with Melissa’s easy 4-step cooking method, I was surprised to see that it came together in about 30 minutes and all I had to do was spend about 10 minutes on the salad. Speaking of the salad, let’s talk about it because it too was fabulous! I wouldn’t think that spinach and citrus would be a good combination…but what-da-ya-know, it is! The spinach is mild, the orange segments are tart, the dressing is light and refreshing, and the pecans…oh my, the pecans…they are seasoned with rosemary and cayenne, and they MAKE the salad!

I’m so glad that I made this recipe and I plan to make it again. Jeremy and I just ate the chicken Marengo and the salad (trying to stay low carb for P90X), but this could easily be paired with some white or brown rice for a complete meal. A few modifications, per my style, I skipped the flouring of the chicken and I used 1 cup of chicken broth as a substitute for the white wine and beef broth. With the salad, I used baby spinach and next time I’d probably use 4 cups instead of 3 because there was a lot of dressing for only 3 cups. As for the dressing, I only had olive oil so I used that and only used 3 tablespoons.

Mmmm, just thinking about this recipe makes me want it again. We had extra veggies/sauce and I ate that later in the week for lunch over a turkey burger patty. SO good! I’m going to have to look into some more recipes from Melissa d’Arabian because she’s totally won me over with this recipe. It has my highest recommendation!

Enjoy!

Ingredients, minus the chicken.

Prepped veggies.

Spinach salad ingredients.

What a great dinner!

4 Step Chicken Marengo by Food Network

Ingredients

3 large chicken cutlets, sliced into thin paillards (slice while partially frozen)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (skipped this)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (used olive oil)
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and julienned
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup white wine (used chicken broth)
1/2 cup beef broth (used chicken broth)
1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon butter

Directions

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, to taste, and lightly dredge in flour.
In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the chicken. Brown on both sides, until nicely golden, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
In the same pan, add more oil, if needed, along with the onion, mushrooms and peppers and sauté until softened and fragrant, but not limp, about 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook a few minutes to cook out the raw flavor.
Turn up the heat, and add the wine/wine to deglaze the pan and let it reduce for 2 or 3 minutes.
Add the beef broth and tomatoes.
Once the mixture begins to bubble, add the browned paillards and any juices from the chicken and reduce the heat to a simmer.
Cook until the chicken is warmed through, about 3 minutes.
Turn the heat off and stir in the butter.
Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately.

Spinach and Citrus Salad with Sweet and Spicy Pecans

Ingredients

3 cups fresh spinach, washed and dried, cut into chiffonade
2 green onions, chopped
1 orange, supremed and halved
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup pecan halves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Citrus Dressing, recipe follows

Directions

Put the spinach and green onions in large salad bowl and sprinkle with the halved citrus supremes.
In a small saute pan over medium heat, add the butter and sugar and stir until the butter is melted.
Add the pecans and toss until the pecans begin to brown.
Stir in the rosemary and cayenne and stir just a few seconds to release the aroma.
Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Sprinkle the pecans on the salad while still warm.
Drizzle the dressing over salad and serve.

Citrus Dressing

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons orange or grapefruit juice (or a combination)
3 tablespoons canola oil (used olive oil)
1 tablespoon olive oil (omitted this tbs)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, add all the ingredients and whisk until emulsified.

Protein Shake

2010-05-09T22:23:00.001-07:00

If any of you check in on my “other blog,” you’ll know that last week Jeremy and I started the P90X workout and nutrition plan. The nutrition plan is broken down into a few different phases, which vary depending on what part of the workout your in or your desired results. We are currently in Phase I, which is a high protein/low carb eating plan. Sadly…low carb means no cookies, cakes, candies or Sara’s Sweets! Bummer, right?

I know you’re probably thinking, “Sara, what are you going to blog about if you can’t eat delicious treats?!” No need to worry, my friends. I’ve got a few “sweet” recipes saved up to blog about and I thoroughly plan on continuing to bake treats for my friends/co-workers, so I’ll have plenty to blog about! Plus, I’ll have some delicious new P90X recipes to share.

The first recipe has become a favorite breakfast of ours and it is the protein shake. It’s such an easy and quick breakfast, plus it’s surprisingly very filling (hello, protein)! We bought chocolate flavor protein powder and we used strawberries as the “berry,” which resulted in a delicious, strawberry, bananay, chocolate shake. Yum!

I highly recommend this delicious shake if you’re looking for a filling, quick and easy breakfast. And of course, it’s nutritious!

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

All the protein shake, just for me?

Delicious!

P90X Protein Shake

Ingredients

1 cup skim milk
1 scoop protein powder
1/2 cup berries
1/2 banana
1/2 cup ice

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender.
Blend until smooth.
Drink up!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-05-04T14:59:00.001-07:00

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again…I love cookies. I especially love these cookies because they contain my most favorite food: peanut butter. But not only do they contain peanut butter, they also have Reese’s Pieces in them AND chocolate chips! I know, right? AMAZING!

I bought a good sized bag of Reese’s Pieces to snack on, but after having them in the house for about a week, I realized how dangerous they were and I needed to devise a plan to get rid of them (without throwing them away, of course). Cookies immediately came to mind. Phew! Crisis averted.

So, where did this recipe come from?? Whenever I find a new recipe on a blog or website, I usually print it out and throw it on my computer desk in our office. As you can imagine, with all the wonderful blogs that I read, I have quite a stack of delicious recipes, especially cookie recipes, sitting there, just waiting for me to make them. However, this recipe came from…the back of my peanut butter jar! I look at that jar almost everyday, so no wonder the recipe was in my head! :)

In my usual baking-fashion, I made a few adjustments to the recipe. First of all, I used butter instead of shortening because 1) shortening kinda creeps me out and 2) butter makes a softer cookie. While gathering ingredients out of the pantry, I came across half a bag of chocolate chips and thought, “Hey, why not!” Then, of course, I added the Reese’s pieces. Also, as a side note, in between batches I’d put the dough in the fridge, so the texture/butter consistency would not change.

I’m not gonna lie…these cookies are good. They are soft, peanut buttery and chocolaty. Could it get any better? I took them to work the next day and one of my co-workers (who’s eaten a lot of my cookies) said, “Oh my gosh, these are the best cookies you’ve made in my entire life!” Ha! So, there’s the proof. They are good.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Cooling.

Up close and personal.

Irresistible Jif Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup Jif Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 cup Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening (1/2 cup butter)
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 Tablespoons milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup Reese’s Pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Place sheets of foil on countertop for cooling cookies.
Combine Jif peanut butter, Crisco® Shortening (butter), light brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl.
Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended.
Add egg. Beat just until blended.
Combine flour, salt and baking soda.
Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.
Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.
Flatten slightly in crisscross pattern with tines of fork. (skip if using chip and pieces)
Bake at 375ºF for 7 to 8 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Four Cheese Baked Penne

2010-04-26T20:55:00.001-07:00

Who likes pasta? I do! Who likes cheese? I do! Who likes four cheese pasta from Self Magazine, so it’s somewhat light and healthy? I do! I do!

I actually made this recipe for the first time a few months ago, but I recently made it again and remembered that I never blogged about it. How silly of me!

This pasta is creamy, delicious and comes together fairly quickly. By using reduced fat cheeses, it’s lighter than most pastas and when paired with a green salad, you’ve got a delicious and healthy meal. Plus, it feeds a lot. Both times that I’ve made this, I’ve cut the recipe in half and we’ve had leftovers for 2 days. Surprise, surprise…when making this I actually didn’t make any substitutions! Well, except I used dried parsley, instead of fresh parsley because why would I just buy fresh parsley…what would I use it for besides this? Anyway, I recommend this yummy and cheesy pasta, if you’re looking for a lighter pasta option.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Hot out of the oven.

Ready to eat.

Four Cheese Baked Penne, by Self.com

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups small-curd lowfat cottage cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella, divided
1 cup part-skim ricotta
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 pound whole-wheat penne
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (8 oz) no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 400°.
Combine cottage cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella, ricotta and parsley in a bowl.
Cook pasta until tender but still firm; drain.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
Add garlic; cook, stirring, 30 seconds more.
Add tomatoes, sauce, oregano, rosemary, salt, pepper flakes and pepper.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat; simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.
Add pasta; turn off heat. Stir in cheese-parsley mixture.
Coat a 9" x 13" glass baking dish with cooking spray; transfer pasta mixture to dish. Top with remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and Parmesan.
Bake until heated through and cheese melts, 30 minutes.

Hawaiian Cake

2010-04-10T16:26:00.001-07:00

Boy, do I have a delicious cake recipe for you! For Easter, Jeremy, Diesel and I went down to my parents house for dinner and you know I was all about making the dessert. My grandma’s birthday was in a few days, so I thought a cake would be perfect. More specifically, I thought this cake would be perfect! My parents just back from a Hawaiian vacation, we’re Hawaiian and it’s delicious.

This cake is very simple to put together and would be great for get togethers or a pot-luck or a birthday celebration. It is yellow cake, topped with a layer of pudding and pineapple, then frosted with Cool Whip and coconut. Yummy! Make this for your next party. Seriously, it’s a-mazing.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Pineapple layer.

Frosted.

Ready to eat!

Hawaiian Cake, by Recipezaar

Ingredients

1 (18 1/4 ounce) package yellow cake mix
3 eggs (or as called for by your cake mix)
1/3 cup oil (or as called for by your cake mix)
1 1/3 cups water (or as called for by your cake mix)
1 1/4 cups cold milk
1 (3 1/2 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
8 ounces Cool Whip (standard size)
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flaked coconut, toasted

Directions

Prepare and bake the cake according to package directions, using a greased 13 in x 9 in x 2 in baking pan.
Cool.
In a bowl, whisk together milk and pudding mix; let stand to thicken.
Stir in pineapple.
Spread over cake.
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
Beat in 1 cup whipped topping.
Fold in remaining topping.
Spread over Pudding.
Sprinkle with coconut.
Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

Honey-Ginger Crunch Mix

2010-04-02T07:31:00.001-07:00

I love snacks. They are a great way to make your tummy stop rumbling in between meals. Are you looking for a new snack? Well, I suggest that you make this sweet Chex mix, because it is delicious! I came across this recipe about a year ago when I had extra Chex to spare, after making the regular Chex mix. It’s a nice change from the traditional savory Chex mix and it’s got some of my favorite ingredients in it.

This mix contains nuts, pretzels, coconut, Craisins and honey. Yum! Plus, it’s got ground ginger in it. I don’t know about you, but I love ginger. It’s such a great flavor and it’s a bit unexpected in this mix. Of course, I made a few modifications to the recipe, based on what I had in the pantry. I used cashews and peanuts instead of almonds, and I added chopped, dried apricots with the Craisins. Mmmm, I love this mix. If you’re ever looking for a new type of Chex mix, head on over the the Chex website because there are a bunch of delicious varieties to try.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Cooling.

Ready to eat!

Honey-Ginger Crunch Mix

Ingredients

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground ginger or cardamom
6 cups Rice Chex® cereal
2 cups bite-size pretzel twists
1 cup unblanched whole almonds
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup dried cranberries or pineapple

Directions

Heat oven to 250°F. Spray large roasting pan with cooking spray.
In 1-quart saucepan, heat brown sugar, butter, honey and ginger to boiling. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Into roasting pan, measure cereal, pretzels, almonds and coconut. Stir in brown sugar mixture until evenly coated.
Bake 50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool, about 15 minutes. Place in serving bowl; stir in cranberries. Store in airtight container.

POM Wonderful Chocolate Cupcakes

2010-03-18T20:49:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, the fabulous people at POM Wonderful sent me a free sample of their pomegranate juice! Yay! Have you guys ever tried this stuff? It’s delicious and the health benefits from it are amazing.

Here are a few outcomes of numerous studies done by POM Wonderful where patients drank 8oz of POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice daily:

Cardiovascular

In 13 healthy male volunteers who drank POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice for 2 weeks, the amount of LDL cholesterol oxidation decreased by 20% and antioxidant activity in the blood increased by 9%. Read the study.

Prostate Cancer

• In a clinical study involving 46 men with rising PSA after prostate cancer treatment (surgery or radiation) who consumed 8 ounces of POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice daily over two years, PSA doubling time increased from 15 to 54 months (p <0.001).5 A longer term (6-year) continued evaluation of active sub-group patients showed a further increase in PSA doubling time to 88 months. Read the study.
* PSA doubling time is an indicator of prostate cancer progression.

Pretty awesome, right? Major health benefits from such a little bottle. Anyways, beside just drinking this juice, I wanted to make something with it. After searching the POM website, I found a chocolate cupcake recipe! Chocolate cupcakes made with pomegranate juice?? I was intrigued and decided to make it. The chocolate cupcakes were delicious and had just a hint of pomegranate flavor in them…and of course, they were 100% healthy because of this juice and had zero calories in them (I can’t dream can’t I?).

Along with the cupcakes, I also found a recipe for cream cheese frosting on the POM website, but I had some issues with it. It calls for 1 1/2 cups of juice. That seems like an awful lot for frosting, doesn’t it? I’ve made many frostings in my day, but never one with so much liquid. In fact, I only added 1/4 cup of juice because it made the frosting so runny. There was no way that my frosting was going to turn out like this picture.

Has anyone else tried to make this recipe before? What did I do wrong? Anyway, it turned out to be more of an icing, so I just dunked the cupcakes in them and viola! Deliciousness. Thank you POM Wonderful for sending me some juice. I already feel healthier! :)

Enjoy!

Cupcake ingredients.

Iced cupcakes.

Frosting ingredients.

Mmmmm.

POM Wonderful Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water, heated to boiling
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar (not wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F with rack in the center, place a paper baking cup in each of 24 regular sized muffin cups.
Whisk together the dry ingredients to combine well, in a large measuring cup.
Combine pomegranate juice and boiling water. Add oil, vinegar and vanilla to the pomegranate juice mixture.
Add to the flour mixture all at once and whisk to combine (batter will be lumpy).
Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups (about half full), bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and free of crumbs, let cool.

POM Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
4 oz. soft unsalted butter
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
14 oz. powdered sugar

Directions

Place butter into electric mixer bowl with paddle attachment and cream on medium-high speed for 1 minute, add the cream cheese and continue to mix for 2 more minutes,
Turn the speed down to low and slowly add in the powdered sugar and the pomegranate juice, mix until the sugar is fully combined.
Remove icing from the mixer and place into a piping bag with a round or star tip.
OR just dunk your cupcake into the runny icing! :)

Chocolate Toffee Candy

2010-03-12T22:08:00.001-07:00

Hello blog readers! I hope you are all doing well. Today I present you with one of the easiest and most delicious recipes ever! Have you ever had a Skor candy bar? Well, if you haven’t, I highly encourage you to go to the store and buy one right now because they are delicious. According to the Hershey website, “with buttery toffee enrobed in milk chocolate, this bar is a distinctively rich treat.” Mmmmm, toffee and chocolate.

I came across this recipe on Recipezaar.com and of course, it’s fabulous! There are 4 ingredients total and it takes about 15 minutes of cook/put together time and that’s it! I’ve made this twice now. The first time I cut the recipe in half, which works nicely, and used semi-sweet chocolate chips. It was good…but it didn’t quite taste like a Skor bar, so when I made it again, I used milk chocolate chips and it was AMAZING! I took it into work and got nothing but raves about it. If you’re looking for a quick treat or dessert, I really recommend this recipe.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Toffee.

Delicious!

Mock Skor Bars, by Recipezaar

Ingredients

24 regular salted Saltine crackers
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 13 x9 inch pan with Parchment (or foil) paper for easy clean up. Arrange crackers evenly in pan.
In saucepan over medium heat melt butter. Stir in brown sugar until melted and smooth. Bring mixture to a boil stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Boil for 2 minutes and then pour mixture evenly over cracker.
Bake in oven for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle chocolate pieces evenly over caramel mixture. Return to oven just long enough for chocolate to melt. Spread chocolate evenly with spatula.
Place pan in refrigerator or freezer until chocolate is firm. Cut or break into pieces.

Cinnamon Apple Swirl Bread

2010-02-28T16:02:00.001-07:00

Here is another delicious recipe from Recipezaar. I made this bread before years ago and came across it again a few weeks ago, while I was bored. Mmmm, it’s good stuff.

It’s very similar to a cinnamon raisin bread, except you use apples! Which is perfect for me because I’m not a fan of raisins but I happen to LOVE apples. In making this, I made a few substitutions (surprise, surprise, right?). First, I used half whole wheat flour because I usually use that in my baking and I prefer whole wheat bread. Secondly, I didn’t have any “real” butter, so I used Smart Balance buttery spread and it worked great! Third, I used Gala apples and mixed, chopped nuts.

This bread takes a little while to make, due to the rising and such, but it’s worth it. You get two loaves and they freeze very well. One word of advice, next time I make this I plan to just roll it all up like a jelly roll from one end, as opposed to from both ends. My reasoning would be that I like to eat this bread toasted with a bit of Smart Balance, but on some pieces the bread didn’t “connect together” and it broke in my toaster. Which now leaves me with little pieces of apple and nuts and the bottom that get charred every time we make toast. :)

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Apple, cinnamon and nut filling.

Diesel likes to help me cook…even when I get a little messy.

Pre-baked.

Right out of the oven.

Swirly!

Cinnamon Swirled Apple Bread

Ingredients

5 1/2-6 cups all-purpose flour
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup shredded apple
1 1/2 cups finely chopped peeled apples
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 slightly beaten egg white
1 tablespoon water
coarse sugar

Directions

In a large mixing bowl combine 2 cups of the flour and the yeast; set aside.
In a saucepan heat and stir milk, granulated sugar, the 3 tablespoons butter, and the salt until warm (120° to 130°) and until butter almost melts.
Add milk mixture to dry mixture along with eggs.
Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping side of bowl constantly.
Then beat on high speed 3 minutes.
Stir in shredded apple.
Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much remaining flour as you can.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total).
Shape into a ball. Place in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface.
Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 hour. Punch dough down.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
Lightly grease two 8x4x2- or 9x5x3-inch loaf pans.
Meanwhile, for filling, in a medium mixing bowl combine chopped apple, nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon; set aside.
Roll half of the dough to a 14x9-inch rectangle. Spread with 1 tablespoon of the softened butter; sprinkle with half of the filling.
Beginning at both short ends, roll each end up, jelly-roll style, to center.
Place loaf, rolled side up, in a prepared loaf pan. For second loaf, repeat with remaining dough, remaining butter, and remaining filling.
Cover, let rise until almost double in size (about 30 minutes).
Stir together egg white and water. Brush egg white mixture over tops of loaves; sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake in a 375° oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when you tap tops (if necessary, loosely cover with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning).
Immediately remove from pans. Cool on wire racks.

We Have a Winner!

2010-02-24T15:23:00.001-07:00

Hello friends! First of all, thanks for all of those who commented and entered my GIVEAWAY to win a bottle of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion. According to the Random Number Generator on Random.org, the lucky winner is #1 – Natalie from The Sweets Life blog! Yay!! Congratulations, Natalie.

Thanks to all who participated in my GIVEAWAY and I hope to have to opportunity for more GIVEAWAYS in the future. Stay tuned tonight or tomorrow for another delicious recipe: Cinnamon Apple Swirled Bread. Yum!

A Review, a GIVEAWAY & Derby Pie

2010-02-18T20:35:00.001-07:00

Boy, this is going to be one packed post! Bare with me though because it’s good. I promise.

First, we have a review! A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Skin MD Natural asking me if I’d be interested in receiving one of their products and reviewing it. Heck yea, I would! I’m so glad that I was able to receive a sample of their Shielding Lotion because this stuff is awesome!

Living in AZ for the majority of my life, I’ve always had skin that was more on the dry side. Ever heard people in AZ say, “Oh, it’s a dry heat?” Well, they weren’t kidding! Add winter on top of that and then the fact that I’m always washing my hands…it all leaves me with dry skin. The first time I used the shielding lotion, my skin was instantly moisturized and soft, and I was surprised that it stayed that way through most of the day! Plus, the lotion is very light, non-greasy, fragrance free and a little goes a long way. I love that! I’ve been using the Shielding Lotion for about a week now and the overall appearance of my skin has improved greatly. No more rough hands or dry cuticles, just soft, smooth skin. It’s wonderful! Check out these cool facts about Skin MD’s Shielding Lotion:

It’s natural, eco-friendly
It’s unlike any other conventional, artificial moisturizers because it works with the skin to naturally moisturize and heal
It helps restore skin's natural protective abilities by bonding to the outer layer of skin, strengthening skins natural barrier against toxins and irritants that can dry the skin, while locking in the
skin's natural oils
It’s made in the US, using high quality natural ingredients, making it over 90% all natural
It’s free of harmful fragrances, parabens, and colorants making it hypoallergenic
It’s also vegan-friendly and gluten-free

Pretty cool stuff, right? I highly recommend this lotion to those with dry skin…in fact, let me help you with that: secondly, we have a GIVEAWAY! I’ll be randomly selecting one lucky reader to win a full size bottle of the Skin Natural MD Shielding Lotion on Tuesday, February 23rd at 12pm AZ time and here’s how you enter:

Leave a comment telling me why your skin is so dry.
Tweet the following: “@saraboff from Sara’s Sweets is having a Skin Natural MD giveaway and I want to win! http://bit.ly/afPaAA,” then, leave a comment telling me you’ve done so.
Blog: If you have a blog of your own, mention my giveaway in a post, then leave a comment telling me you’ve done so.

That’s it! Good luck!

Lastly, we have a recipe. A very delicious recipe, I might add. One of the blogs that I frequent is Iowa Girl Eats. Kristin has some delicious recipes, plus great tips on exercise and being healthy. A few months ago, she posted this recipe and I knew that I had to make it!

Kentucky Derby Pie is basically a chocolate chip cookie pie. I know, right! A chocolate chip cookie pie?! = AMAZING! I followed the recipe to a “t” and it rocked my world. Stop reading right now, go to the store, buy the ingredients and make this asap! It is THAT good.

Ingredients.

Done baking.

You have to eat it while it’s still warm! Oh my goodness!

Kentucky Derby Pie, by Iowa Girl Eats

Ingredients

1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
dash of salt
1 frozen deep dish pie crust

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and mix well after each egg. Add vanilla and mix.
Combine remaining ingredients into mixture and spoon into pie shell. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Serve warm!

Brownies

2010-02-07T19:46:00.001-07:00

Jeremy loves brownies. I’m not the biggest fan of them, but of course, I’d eat one if it were offered to me. Unless, of course, there were also cookies. If I had to pick between cookies and brownies, I’d take cookies in a heartbeat, but that’s not the point. I was bored one afternoon and asked Jeremy if he would like some brownies. Sure enough, he said yes, so off to baking I went.

This recipe comes from Recipezaar.com and I’ve actually made these brownies a few time before. People have always loved them! They are easy to make, moist and very chocolatey. Plus, you can add whatever”goodies” you like! (I added nuts and chocolate chips) In all honesty though…I think they are a little too rich. I know what you’re probably thinking, “Sara, how can a brownie be too rich?” Call me crazy, but maybe it just comes down to the fact that brownies wouldn’t be my dessert of choice. Dont’ get me wrong, they are still good…it’s just that I can’t eat more than a small piece before I'm all chocolated out. So, if you’re looking for an easy and rich brownie, this is your recipe.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Right out of the oven.

Milk is necessary with this brownie.

“Whatever Floats Your Boat” Brownies, by Recipezaar

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT

1-2 cup chocolate chips (semisweet, white, butterscotch, peanut butter) or raisins or chopped maraschino cherry or chopped nuts or M&M' or Reese's pieces or miniature marshmallow

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease an 8 inch square pan or line with foil.
In a medium bowl combine melted butter and cocoa and stir until cocoa is dissolved.
Add sugar and mix well.
Add eggs one at a time and stir until well combined.
Stir in vanilla, flour and salt until you no longer see any flour (do not overmix).
Fold in "WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT"!
Spread in pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes.
DO NOT OVER-BAKE -- your brownies will come out dry. Adjust time/temp accordingly for your oven. If you do the knife/toothpick test, it should come out with moist crumbs, not clean.
Cool completely before cutting into squares.

For double recipe, bake in 9x12 pan and add 5 minutes to baking time. Makes 16 brownies.

Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup

2010-01-22T09:32:00.001-07:00

Hola amigos! For Christmas, I got a new cookbook called, “Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2.” It has a bunch of delicious sounding recipes from places such as Applebees’s, Macaroni Grill, Olive Garden, Outback and Chili’s. There’s even a website that the book is based on. Last week, Jeremy picked out a recipe to make for dinner and he decided on Chili’s Enchilada Soup.

Since we live in Po-dunk, USA and don’t have a lot of chain-restaurants, we visit Chili’s often and I can’t say that I ever remember seeing a chicken enchilada soup on their menu. Have you? Maybe it’s because I don’t really look at the soups there. I usually look at the burgers or the chicken fajita pita because that’s what makes me think of Chili’s. Anyway…

A main component of this soup in cheese…but not real cheese…Velveeta cheese. I have mixed feeling about Velveeta. First of all, it comes in a box. What kind of cheese comes in a box!? Secondly, it’s kind of rubbery. What kind of cheese is rubbery!? Lastly, it’s “pasteurized cheese product.” Not just cheese, but “cheese product.” That creeps me out a bit. But oh well, it’s not like I eat it everyday…or even more than once a year, for that matter.

Beside the Velveeta, this soup was pretty good! It’s thick and cheesy and really tastes like enchiladas! We cut the recipe in half, since it’s just the two of us and that still gave us enough leftovers for lunch the following day. So, if you like cheese and you like enchiladas, I’d highly recommend that you try out this soup…or just go to Chili’s and taste it there.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Topped with crushed tortilla chips and green onion.

It’s good!

Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup, by Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2

Ingredients

1 tbs vegetable oil
1lb skinless, boneless chicken breast
1/2 cup diced onion
4 cups chicken broth
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 cup masa harina (corn flour)
3 cups water
1 cup enchilada sauce
one 16 oz box of Velveeta, diced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Directions

Add 1 tbs oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add chicken breast to pot and brown for 4-5 minutes per side. Set chicken aside.
Add onion and garlic to pot and saute over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until onion begins to become translucent. Add chicken broth.
Combine masa harina with 2 cups of water in a medium bowl and whisk until blended. Add masa harina mixture to pot with onion, garlic and broth.
Add remaining water, enchilada sauce, cheese and spices to pot and bring mixture to a boil.
Shred the chicken into small, bite-size pieces and add it to the pot. Reduce heat and simmer soup for 30-40 minutes or until thick.
Serve soup in cups or bowls and garnish with shredded cheese, crumbled tortilla chips and/or a spoonful of your favorite salsa or pico de gallo.

Makes approximately 12 servings.

***By the way, if you have a dog be sure to stop by my other blog because I’m having a “Dog-gone GIVEWAY!” Enter by Wednesday, January 27th.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

2010-01-16T11:42:00.001-07:00

Mmmm…peanut butter cookie. Mmmm…Hershey Kiss. Mmmm…peanut butter blossoms! I love these cookies, but can you believe that I never made them before. Shocking right? They are so easy and so delicious, yet for some reason they’ve never crossed my kitchen, until now.

On New Year’s Eve, we had our friends come over for dessert and video games. I’ve been wanting to make these cookies for quite awhile, plus Hershey Kisses were on sale, so now was my chance. These are such a delicious cookie! I can’t think of anything better than peanut butter and chocolate. In making these, the only substitution I made was that I used butter instead of shortening. The butter made the cookie a bit crumbly and delicate, which is different than your normal peanut butter cookie texture (made with shortening)…however, I rather enjoyed it! I also enjoyed eating these cookies when they were still a bit warm and the Hershey Kiss was melty. Yum!

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Ready to eat!

Mmmm.

Peanut Butter Blossoms, by Hershey

Ingredients

48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar

Instructions

Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.
Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

Winner, Winner, Mac & Cheese Dinner!

2009-12-27T10:38:00.001-07:00

Sorry I’m a day late with the results of the GIVEAWAY! I was going to post this yesterday when we got home from California, but Diesel and I were tired, so we decided to take a nap, while Jeremy went to work…and yea…that was the end of that.

So, I had a total of 19 entries. According to Random.org, the lucky winner is…

#11 Michele P., who will be using this apron and measuring spoons to make tamales and cookies! Yum, yum! Congratulations Michele…I’ll be sending you an email today. Thanks for all who entered my GIVEAWAY. Hopefully, I’ll be able to have more in the future. Now, on to today’s recipe!

This is an easy and delicious recipe for macaroni and cheese from Cooking Light. It’s a lighter version of mac and cheese, due to the reduced fat cheese and the skim milk in the recipe, but you’d never know that it was “light,” because it’s creamy, cheesy and bacony! The only change I made was I added 4 slices of bacon, instead of 2 because come on…seriously…only 2 pieces of bacon in 6 servings?! That’s NOT enough, if you ask me! Pair this Bacon Mac with a side salad and you’ve got a delicious, healthy and easy meal.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Hot, out of the oven.

Mmmm, cheesy!

Bacon Mac, by Cooking Light

Ingredients

3 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
12 ounces strozzapreti or penne pasta
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk, divided
2 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
Cooking spray

Directions

Preheat broiler.
Bring 6 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Add pasta; cook 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Combine flour and 1/2 cup milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add 1 cup milk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until it cools to 155°. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, onions, hot sauce, pepper, and bacon; stir. Add pasta; toss. Spoon into a 2-quart broiler-safe dish coated with cooking spray; top with 1/2 cup cheese. Broil 7 minutes.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole & Giveaway

2009-12-21T20:49:00.002-07:00

That’s right…a GIVEAWAY! I’m so excited, but before I get to that, I have a recipe to share…be sure to keep reading after the recipe though, ok?

So, I’m on the email list for Eat Better America and I love their recipes. They take some recipes for delicious, comfort food and “healthify” them to make them a little more figure friendly! About a month ago, my parents, grandma and auntie came up to visit and I thought this casserole would be a great option for dinner. As I suspected, it did not disappoint!

This casserole comes together very quickly and before you know it, you can pop it into the oven. The only modifications that I made was I substituted a can of Rotel Diced Tomatoes with Chilies, for the large tomato and I added a few extra tortillas to the top, for some crunch. This dish is creamy, flavorful and cheesy! You’d never know it was “healthified.” I highly recommend this delicious meal.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Hot, out of the oven!

“Healthified” Chicken Tortilla Casserole
Ingredients

1 can (10 3/4 oz) 98% fat free condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
1 container (8 oz) fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup fat-free (skim) milk
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
8 yellow corn tortillas (6 or 7 inch), torn into bite-size pieces
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
1 large tomato, chopped (1 cup)
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend (6 oz)

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
In large bowl, mix soup, chiles, sour cream, milk, chili powder and cumin until blended.
Stir in chicken, tortillas and bell pepper. Stir in tomato and 1 cup of the cheese. Spoon and spread mixture in baking dish.
Cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes.
Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes.

Alright…now let’s talk about my GIVEAWAY!! Are you by chance looking for some new cookware? Maybe some Rachel Ray cookware, for example? Well, if you are, you should definitely check out Cookware.com because the super-cool people there contacted me about hosting a GIVEAWAY! I’m stoked since this is my first GIVEAWAY that I’ve been contacted about. Does this mean that I’ve “made it” in the blog world?? “Oh, you like me! You really like me!” Anyways, back on track…what am I giving away?

This lovely apron and these magnetic measuring spoons:

Cute, huh?! I’ll be randomly selecting one lucky reader to win these two items. You can enter up to 2 times by Saturday, December 26th at 11am AZ (PST) time and here’s how you enter:

1. Leave a comment telling me what you’d cook/bake while wearing this apron and using these spoons (if you don’t have a blog profile, be sure to include your email address, so that I have a way to contact you).

2. Tweet the following: “@saraboff from Sara’s Sweets is having a giveaway and I want to win! http://bit.ly/6Icmaa,” then, leave a comment telling me you’ve done so.

That’s it! Good luck!

More Pumpkin

2009-12-16T20:12:00.001-07:00

Wow, I can’t believe it’s been so long since my last post! Time has just flown by. I remember posting and saying, “Alright, in a few days I’ll post my other 2 recipes,” and yet, here I am about 2 weeks later, finally doing it! Oh well, it’s Christmas time and I’ve been busy.

Moving on though…the following recipes are more wonderful ways to use pumpkin. The first recipe is a delicious Pumpkin Dip! Not only is this dip very easy to make, but it’s also pumpkin-y, maple-y and sugary. What a great combo! In making this I used full fat cream cheese and sugar free maple syrup because that’s what I had on hand at the time. Also, I ate mine with sliced apples and gingersnap cookies. Mmmmm!

Pumpkin Dip by Cooking Light

Ingredients

3/4 cup (6 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
24 apple slices

Preparation

Place first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.
Add syrup and cinnamon, and beat until smooth.
Cover and chill 30 minutes. Serve with apple.

Up next are some wonderful Pumpkin Muffins with streusel topping. When I bought canned pumpkin for the pie that I made (see previous post), I accidentally bought “pumpkin pie mix!” I buy pumpkin all the time and couldn’t believe that I did that…and to top it all off, I opened it and almost put it into the pie before realizing it. Wow, maybe I was having a very early “senior moment.” Anyway, inside the label on the can, I found this easy and yummy pumpkin muffin recipe!

The muffins are flavorful (because the pie mix already has spices in it) and moist, but it’s the streusel topping that makes them. I was planning to add nuts to the streusel topping, but forgot…however, I do think the addition would be wonderful. As for my usual modifications, the recipe calls for “baking mix,” but all I had was pancake mix and it seemed to work fine, and I didn’t add the raisins. So, if you’re looking for a quick and tasty pumpkin muffin, you should definitely give these a try.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Just out of the oven.

Mmmmm!

Crumble Top Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose baking mix
1 cup raisins, (optional)
2/3 cup quick or old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 can (30 oz.) LIBBY'S® Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix
2 large eggs
Streusel topping (recipe follows)

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 400° F. Paper-line or grease 24 muffin cups.
COMBINE baking mix, raisins, oats, sugar and cinnamon in large bowl. Combine pumpkin pie mix and eggs in medium bowl; mix well. Stir into oat mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Sprinkle with Streusel Topping.
BAKE for 14 to 16 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans to wire rack; cool slightly. Serve warm.
FOR STREUSEL TOPPING:
COMBINE 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon in small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly.

Pumpkin Galore

2009-12-02T20:46:00.001-07:00

In looking at the pictures on my camera, I’ve realized that I’ve made a good amount of pumpkin treats within the last month. Mmmm, pumpkin! So, I’m going to combine them into this post and one more to follow in a few days. Here we go with the first 2 recipes… Enjoy!

#1 Pumpkin Snickerdoodles by The Recipe Girl

Make these cookies now! They are absolutely amazing. The Recipe Girl is amazing. Check out her blog! When I saw this recipe, I knew I HAD to try them, plus I wanted to bake some cookies for a friend. I ate 5 of them while baking them and 5 the next day…thank goodness I gave a bunch away because I probably would have eaten them all. This cookie is soft and a perfect mix of pumpkin and snickerdoodle. MMMMM!

Ingredients.

One of the many that made it into my mouth.

Yum, yum, yum!

#2 Pumpkin-Ginger Pie with Golden Marshmallow Topping by Pillsbury

We had a Thanksgiving pot luck at my work last week. I, of course, signed up to bring dessert! Specifically, pumpkin pie. I have a Pillsbury calendar near my desk at home and I’ve been staring at this recipe for all of November, just waiting to make it. Now was my chance.

This is a delicious pumpkin pie! There is a layer of crunch streusel in-between the crust and the pumpkin filling, so it’s a nice surprise when you cut the pie, as well as when you taste it. Also, there is fresh grated ginger in the filling. I love ginger. Pumpkin and ginger should get married. They are wonderful together. Lastly, it’s topped with yummy marshmallows that get golden and melty. Yum! If you’re a fan of pumpkin pie, I highly recommend trying out this recipe.

Ingredients.

Struesel layer.

Just out of the oven.

About to get toasted. I don’t have a picture of the marshmallow toasted because I did it right before I went to work and was already running late!

Ingredients

Crust

1 Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust (from 15-oz box), softened as directed on box

Streusel

1/2 cup crushed gingersnap cookies (9 cookies)
1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

Filling

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons grated fresh gingerroot
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Topping

2 to 2 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions

Heat oven to 425°F. Place cookie sheet on middle oven rack. Unroll pie crust in 9-inch glass pie plate as directed on box for One-Crust Filled Pie. In small bowl, mix streusel ingredients. Sprinkle streusel in crust-lined pie plate.
In large bowl, mix filling ingredients. Pour into pie crust on top of streusel. Place pie plate on cookie sheet in oven. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake 35 to 45 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 3 hours.
Just before serving, set oven control to broil. Spread marshmallows evenly over top of pie, completely covering filling. Broil pie with top about 5 inches from heat about 30 seconds, watching carefully, until marshmallows are lightly browned. Marshmallows will brown quickly. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Do not use cookie sheet. In step 2, for second bake time, cover edge of crust with strips of foil to prevent excess browning, and bake 35 to 40 minutes. Remove foil before step 3.

Oreo and Snickers Cheesecake Bars

2009-11-18T20:40:00.001-07:00

Every fall at my work (a University), we have an Open House for prospective students and their families. As part of the days events, we provide a continental breakfast that includes bagels and cream cheese. For some reason, we always end up with a massive amount of left over cream cheese! And when I mean massive, I’m taking like a 100 of the little single servings of cream cheese. Last year, I volunteered to take some because 1) I knew I could find something to make with it, 2) I don’t really buy cream cheese a lot and 3) I could bake something yummy to take into the office! So this year I did the same and was sent home with a grocery bag full of little cream cheeses. And what did I make, you ask?

Oreo and Snickers Cheesecake Bars! Wow-o-wow, these were awesome! I got the recipe from the Philadelphia Cream Cheese website. They have a lot of great recipes on this site and they have a cool feature called the Cheesecake Customizer. In playing with the customizer, I thought to myself, “Self, what would be delicious in cheesecake? What are some of your favorite treats?” And my answers were Oreos and Snickers. Yum-my! So, I plugged those treats into the customizer, got the recipe and started opening my 32 little cream cheese servings! Talk about a pain in the butt! It was worth it though because the bars turned out deliciously and of course, they were gone in an instant at work. I did manage to grab a piece before it disappeared and I’m glad I did because it was heavenly!

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

My piece!

Sara’s Oreo and Snickers Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

Crust:

2 cups cookie crumbs, OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
4 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/4 cup sugar

Cheesecake Batter:

4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

Batter Flavorings:

1 Tbsp vanilla

Mix-In's and Toppings:

1 cup mixed into batter and 1/2 cup sprinkled on top Oreo (cookie), coarsely chopped
1/2 cup mixed into batter and 1/2 cup sprinkled on top Snickers (candy), coarsely chopped

Directions

CRUST: Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Mix Crust ingredients; press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 min.

BATTER: Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Stir in Mix-Ins. Pour over crust.

TOPPINGS: Add Toppings.

BAKING: Bake 40 min or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Pumpkin Bread

2009-11-11T13:13:00.001-07:00

Mmmm, I love pumpkin stuff! I believe that my love for pumpkin started with the pumpkin bread that my mom always used to make around Christmas time. It was moist, flavorful and oh-so-pumpkiny! I was in love.

A few weeks ago, I felt the need for some pumpkin bread, and I happened to have some canned pumpkin leftover from making my pumpkin butter, so I got to baking.

Usually recipes for pumpkin bread make at least 2 loaves, but I didn’t want 2 loaves that were the same. I don’t know why, but I just didn’t. So, I made one “classic” loaf using Libby’s pumpkin bread recipe and I made another favorite of mine, Pumpkin Gingerbread.

Both were delicious, as always! The classic recipe takes me right back to be a little kid and eating the bread that my mom made; while the gingerbread one is a delicious twist to pumpkin bread and I love the flavorings. Yum, yum, yum! I could eat pumpkin bread all day. Actually, when I made these recipes…I did. :)

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf.

Classic Pumpkin Bread.

Deliciousness is served.

Libby’s Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. each nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon
1 1/2 c. each granulated sugar and packed brown sugar
1 c. oil
2 c. canned pumpkin
4 eggs
1 c. each raisins and nuts (optional)

Directions

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Add the sugars, mixing well.
Mix dry ingredients with the oil and pumpkin, stirring until well combined.
Add eggs, one at a time, blending thoroughly. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 1/2 x 5 1/4-inch loaf pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pans. Place on wire rack to cool.

Pumpkin Butter

2009-10-25T10:46:00.001-07:00

This is a re-post from last year from my “other” blog, but it’s one of my favorite recipes, so I really felt that it need to be on this blog! I’m still obsessed with this recipe and my new way of eating it is with chunky peanut butter on toast. Oh yum! The peanut butter and the pumpkin butter both melt a bit and paired with the crunchy toast…oh man, it’s Heavenly. :) Really…go make this right now.

I've discovered a new recipe that I'm totally obsessed with...pumpkin butter! I had some leftover canned pumpkin from when I made my Pumpkin Gingerbread, and this past weekend, I decided to do something about it. In my recipe search on Recipezaar, I came across this wonderful recipe for Warp-Speed Pumpkin Butter. I had all the ingredients, so I thought, "Why not?" Boy am I glad that I did because this stuff is absolutely amazing and I'm eating it any chance I get!

The recipe is so easy and takes less than 10 minutes to cook in the microwave. Oh my, the spices and the pumpkin are such a delicious combo! Plus, while it was cooking, the whole house smelled like fall deliciousness!! So far, I've had this pumpkin butter on toast and sliced apples, but the possibilities are endless. If you like pumpkin, this recipe is a must-try! Enjoy! :)

Ingredients, except the pumpkin cause I was already measuring it.

All mixed up and hot out of the microwave.

Yummy! Spread on apple slices.

Yum! Spread on toast.

Warp-Speed Pumpkin Butter, by Recipezaar

Ingredients

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon clove
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling mix)

Directions

Combine everything except the canned pumpkin in a microwaveable one quart bowl. Mix well.
Microwave on high for 3 minutes, then stir.
Mix in the pumpkin well, and microwave on high 5 minutes longer. It should be bubbly.
Put into clean, sterilized jars for gift-giving, or into other clean, airtight containers for home use.
Let cool slightly, then refrigerate.
This will keep several weeks in refrigerator or can be frozen for longer storage. This cannot be kept in your pantry- must be refrigerated or frozen.

Pineapple Blueberry Crunch Cake

2009-10-19T09:03:00.001-07:00

Following our Pulled Pork Sandwiches, you know we had dessert! Someone at Jeremy’s work made this and he liked it so much that he requested that I make it for when Jayla came over.

The recipe is from Ms. Paula Deen and to be honest with you, I love to watch her show, but I don’t really like to make her recipes. In case you haven’t noticed…her recipes aren’t exactly healthy. They are usually loaded with butter, cream, cheese and pretty much anything unhealthy. Oh well, a treat everyone in awhile doesn’t hurt, right?

This recipe was super simple and very good! The bottom is a mix of pineapple and blueberries, while the top is cakey and nutty. Yum! I’m sure this would be great with other types of fruit like canned peaches, pears and apple pie filling. If you’re looking for an easy, fruity and delicious dessert recipe, I would highly recommend this one…even though it calls for almost 2 sticks of butter. :)

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Per the recipe, it serves 8 people. This is how much was left after 3 people ate some. Oh Paula, you and your out of control portion sizes!

My close up.

Paula’s close up. Now, why couldn’t mine look that pretty?

Pineapple Blueberry Crunch Cake, by Paula Dean

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, plus more for dish
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, in juice
1 (20-ounce) can blueberry pie filling
1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 13 by 9-inch casserole dish.
Melt 3/4 cup butter in saucepan over low heat.
Pour the pineapple with juice into the casserole dish and evenly spread blueberry pie filling on top. Cover with dry yellow cake mix and top with pecans. Drizzle with melted butter and bake for 35 to 45 minutes.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2009-10-11T20:05:00.001-07:00

And now, back to our regularly scheduled blogging!

Sorry I’ve been MIA for the past few weeks; however, it is travel season for work so I’ve been gone a lot. But in the few days that I actually have been home and cooking, I’ve been documenting as much as I could so I’d have stuff to blog about! So, I should be back to blogging regularly since I have enough photos and recipes for while I’m on the road.

A few weeks ago, we had our dear friends, Jayla, over for dinner and a movie. I wanted something easy to make and when I think “easy,” I think “Crockpot.” Well, it just so happens that I’d seen a recipe on one of the enjoyable blogs that I read, Iowa Girl Eats, and I thought it’d be perfect. BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches.

This recipe was great and I was so happy with how it turned out! Not only was it crazy simple, but it was super delicious. All I did was cut up a pork roast, throw it in the Crockpot with a bit of seasoning mix, balsamic vinegar and water, set the timer for all day (7:30am – 5:30pm) and voila! A delicious meal was ready. Once I got home from work, I shredded the pork (which was insanely easy, since it was so tender), added some BBQ sauce and let it sit for a bit, until our guests arrived. Delish! Since this cooked while I was at work, it gave me plenty of time once I got home to make my side dishes. Awesome. I highly recommend this meal. It was easy, fast and very tasty!

Enjoy!

Before cooking.

About to shred.

All shredded.

About to be eaten by Jake!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 pork roast (I bought one that was about 3lbs and had the bone-in)
1 packet of Lipton Onion Seasoning Mix
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
BBQ sauce

Directions

Cut pork roast into chunks and place into Crockpot with Lipton seasoning, vinegar and water.
Cook on low for about 10 hours.
Shred pork and add BBQ sauce.
Eat up!

Chili

2009-09-14T20:02:00.001-07:00

It’s fall and it’s football season! Chili reminds me of both these things. You can cozy up with a nice, hot bowl of chili and a piece of cornbread at the table. Or you can enjoy it while watching the big game, or even better on a hot dog!

I really enjoy chili and I love how there are SO many recipes for it. You can change everything in it! The kind of meat you want, if you want meat at all, the kind of veggies, the kind of beans, the kind of spices…you name it, the possibilities are endless with chili.

I had some ground turkey in the freezer that needed to be used, so I decided that chili was the way to go. I used my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook and though it’s not the best chili I’ve ever had (that would be from Claim Jumper…they have a steak chili that is a-mazing), it’s still pretty good! Obviously, I used ground turkey instead of ground beef, I added a can of white beans, and I also added additional spices: cumin, garlic powder and pepper. I cooked mine in the Crockpot all day long, but you can easily make it on the stove as well. So easy and so good.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

All finished.

Yum!

Chili, by Better Homes & Garden

12 ounces ground ground beef

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1 cup chopped onion (1 large)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 to 3 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

In a large saucepan cook ground beef, onion, pepper and garlic until meat is brown and onion is tender; drain fat.
Stir in beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, basil and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
OR
Throw it all in a crockpot before you go to work and then come home to a delicious smelling house and a pot of hot chili.

Mini Pumpkin Muffins

2009-09-06T21:07:00.001-07:00

It’s September! You know what that means, don’t you? It means that it’s time to break out the yummy fall recipes that include things such as: pumpkin, apple cinnamon, cranberries and soups. After all, Starbucks has started serving their Pumpkin Spice Latte already, so if Starbucks says it’s time…then it’s time!

Well, I LOVE pumpkin stuff! When I found this recipe for Mini Pumpkin Muffins, I knew I had to make them…plus, they were so cute and pretty healthy. I found this recipe through my emails from Very Best Baking. In addition to recipes from Nestles, they have a bunch of recipes from Libby’s. Perfect! Chocolate and pumpkin recipes all in one place!

These mini muffins are delicious! They are pumpkiny with a crunchy topping of granola. Plus, 3 of these little muffins only has about 100 calories. So, they are a great and nutritious snack or addition to breakfast. My only complaint is that mini muffins are so small! Seriously, I could pop like 3 into my mouth at once and could easily eat about 10. :-) Anyway, when I made this recipe I cut it in half, because 60 mini muffins is A LOT, used whole wheat flour and topped it with my homemade peanut butter and banana granola. These mini pumpkin muffins are so easy to make and are the perfect start to fall.

Enjoy!

So tiny!

Mmmmm.

"3 for 100" Mini Pumpkin Muffins, by Libby’s

Ingredients

1 cup whole-wheat or all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups lowfat granola cereal, crumbled

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350º F. Paper-line or grease mini-muffin pans.
COMBINE flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Beat sugar and oil in medium mixer bowl until blended. Add pumpkin and eggs; beat well. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Sprinkle each with about a 1/2 teaspoon of crumbled granola. Press granola lightly into batter.
BAKE for 15 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store muffins in covered containers or resealable plastic bags.
Makes 20 servings, 3 muffins each

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-08-29T10:49:00.001-07:00

Mmmmm, cookies. They are my favorite sweet treat and I love them dearly. This recipe is SO good and SO ridiculously easy.

All you have to do is go to the store and buy the Nestle Toll House Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, pop them in the oven and voila! Ha ha! Alright, so this isn’t really a recipe post, but I have a point, I promise.

40 mini cookies!

I get emails from VeryBestBaking.com, the Nestle website. These emails include coupons, recipes and special deals. A few weeks ago, I got an email telling me about a FREE collector cookie plate! Free + cookie = I’m in! With this plate you’re supposed to bake some cookies and send them to someone, then on the website you can track your cookies. Cute idea…but my one concern is: why would I give away my free collector cookie plate? I understand it’s a nice thing to do…but really do I want to give away my plate? Hmmm, we’ll have to see about this. I may just have to give cookies to people who are close by and will give me the plate back!

Anyway, part of the FREE offer was that you had to buy 3 bags of Nestle morsels or cookie doughs. You can never have too many chocolate or butterscotch chips, so I bought some of those and the Mini Cookie Dough. Then, I cut out my UPCs, included my recipe and mailing information and shipped it off! I can’t wait to get it. I love FREE stuff.

Everything ready to go.

Send me my plate!

Speaking of FREE stuff, I send away for FREE stuff all the time. Jeremy makes fun of me because he says that he never knows what is going to show up in the mailbox. A granola bar? Coffee? A box of cereal? Who knows? Well, just the other day I received this delicious FREE sample of Kashi Honey Sunshine cereal.

I love Kashi products! “Seven Whole Grains on a Mission.” Anyways, I signed up to receive emails from Kashi and to be apart of their "Kashi Connect” program. With this program, you can receive coupons, samples, etc….for FREE. Along with this yummy box of cereal, they included a coupon for a FREE regular size box, as well as six coupons for $1.50 off a box. Sweet!

I hope you all enjoy this fun offers as much as I do.

Enjoy!

Alice Springs Chicken

2009-08-24T21:33:00.001-07:00

The Alice Springs Chicken from Outback Steakhouse is one of Jeremy’s favorite meals there. For those of you who have never had it, it’s a grilled chicken breast that is marinated in a honey mustard sauce, topped with mushrooms, bacon and cheese. I’ll admit…it’s pretty delicious and probably has a million calories in it!

In selecting our meals for the week, Jeremy chose Alice Springs Chicken and I told him that he was in charge of finding me a recipe. Apparently, I trained him well because he found a great recipe from the fabulous, Recipezaar. This recipe is very, very close to the real thing! The honey mustard sauce is one of the best I’ve had (and I’m not even a huge fan of honey mustard) and the cheesy bacon on top is amazing. When I made this tonight, I cut the recipe in half, used light cheese, and left out the mushrooms, since Jerm isn’t a fan of them. The chicken breasts that I used were huge, so we both only ate half…which means we have leftovers for tomorrow. Yum! So, here’s another highly recommended meal from our kitchen.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Hot out of the oven.

Served with veggies and au gratin potatoes. Yum!

Now This is Alice Springs Chicken, by Recipezaar

Ingredients

1 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup honey
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
12 slices bacon, cooked
3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

With an electric mixer combine the mustard, honey, and 1 Tbsp oil, and lemon juice for 1 minute.
Pour 1/2 mixture over chicken in a gallon ziplock to marinate in fridge 2-24 hours.
Chill remaining marinade to serve with chicken.
After marinating chicken, preheat oven to 375°F Put remaining oil in frying pan. Heat and sear chicken on both sides.
Transfer chicken to oven safe pan and brush with marinade.
Meanwhile in frying pan add butter and sauté mushrooms.
Season chicken breasts with salt and peppers.
Stack bacon across each breast, spoon mushrooms on each breast and then approx 1/3- 1/2 cup cheese on each.
Cover pan with foil and bake 7-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with honey mustard marinade.

Corn Dog Muffins

2009-08-07T20:14:00.001-07:00

I love corn dogs! Cornbread + hot dog + wooden stick = deliciousness! Corn dogs are great to get the State Fair or amusement parks (specifically Disneyland California Adventure… amazing corn dogs there!), but how can you have them at home?? Well, you could buy the frozen or you can make these muffins!

Growing up, I used to request that my parent buy the frozen kind, so that I could have a corn dog every once in a while. Knowing my love for the meat on a stick, they brought me this recipe that they cut out of a magazine and now I’ve finally made them! Boy, am I glad I did because they are SO good. Jeremy even gave them the “two thumbs up” and stamp of approval.

The recipe is so simple and quick. I cut it in half and got 11 regular sized muffins out of it; plus, I used skim milk and light cheese. Yum, yum, yum! I ate my corn dog muffins with ketchup and mustard, which I think is a MUST for corn dogs, while Jerm ate his plain. They were delicious! If you’re a hot dog or corn dog lover, go make this recipe. Seriously, go now.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Corn dog muffins!

Corn Dog Muffins

Ingredients

2 (8.5 oz) packages cornbread mix
2 tbs brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
9 hot dogs, cut into small pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease muffin tins.
Stir together the cornbrea mix and the brown sugar in a large bowl. Whisk the egg and milk in a small bowl until smooth. Fold the eggs, cheese and hot dogs into the dry mixture until moistened. Spoon mixture into muffins tins until 2/3 full.
Bake for 14-18 minute or until gold brown.
Serve with mustard and ketchup, or eat plain!

Ginger Snaps and Chocolate Crackles

2009-08-03T21:20:00.001-07:00

Whoa, look out! I’ve got two cookies in one post. Brace yourself for delicious sweetness.

About a month ago, I signed up for the “Cookie Bag Ministry” at church. The ministry consists of members delivering cookies and information to first time guests of the church. Well last week, I got my first phone call and assignment, and I was SO excited. They told me that I could either bake cookies or buy cookies from the store. Me? Buy cookies from the store? Perish the thought!! Obviously, I opted to bake them myself. And so my quest for new recipes began…

I came across this first recipe about a week ago, on one of the blogs I read. Therefore, I won’t re-post the recipe, I’ll just provide the link to it and share my review.

Ginger Snap Cookies by The Sister's Cafe

These cookies are AWESOME! I love gingerbread cookies and ginger snaps; however, they do have a tendency to be a crispy cookie, as opposed to a soft and chewy one. Well, not these! These are soft, chewy and quite flavorful. I definitely added in the “optional” white chocolate chips and I’m so glad I did because they compliment the ginger flavor beautifully. These will without a doubt become one of my most loved cookies. By the way, I used whole wheat flour and cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients.

Mmmmm.

My usual, “quality control.”

The next cookie, Chocolate Crackles, comes from my Martha Stewart’s Cookies cookbook. I’ve never made these kind of cookies before and they looked pretty in the cookbook, so I thought, “What the heck?” Theses cookies are very tasty and very chocolatey! I’d recommend rolling them in A LOT of powered sugar to get the full “crackle” effect, otherwise some of it will absorb. Also, the recipe says to chill the dough for a few hours…well, I wasn’t that patient, so I just put it in the freezer for 30 minutes and voila! As with the Ginger Snaps, I used whole wheat flour and cut the recipe in half.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Crackly.

Chocolate Crackle Cookies by Martha Stewart

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups light-brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Chop bittersweet chocolate into small bits, and melt over medium heat in a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and light-brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add melted chocolate. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined. Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.
Using your hands, roll pieces of dough into a ball shape. Roll dough in confectioners’ sugar until completely coated. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, 12 to15 minutes.
Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week

Turkey Meatballs

2009-07-30T20:39:00.001-07:00

I had 1/2 lb. of ground turkey left over from a prior meal and I needed to find something to do with it. So, off I went to Recipezaar.com to find a recipe that would work. Wouldn’t you know, I found a recipe? Oh, I love you Recipezaar.com.

This recipe had great reviews and I had all the ingredients, so it was perfect. These meatballs were so easy to make and quite tasty too! I cut all the ingredients in half, since I only had 1/2lb of turkey, used dried parsley, and baked them in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Since Jeremy says he “doesn’t like” ground turkey (even though he eats it just fine when he doesn’t know I’m feeding him ground turkey), I decided to add some BBQ sauce to the meatballs and throw them on a hot dog bun, in order to make a meatball sandwich. Plus, I grilled up some onions and melted some cheese on top…deeelicious! These meatballs would be great with spaghetti, gravy or other type of sauce. Try them out! The possibilities are endless.

Enjoy!

Just out of the oven. Plain.

BBQ meatball sandwich!

Turkey Meatballs, by Recipezaar

1 lb lean ground turkey

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

Directions

Mix all the ingredients and shape into 30 meatballs approximately.
Spray a nonstick pan lightly with vegetable oil
Cook the meatballs for 5-6 minutes or until cooked through and nicely browned on the outside. You will likely have to repeat the process for a second batch unless you have one big frypan!

Chicken Parmesan

2009-07-26T08:25:00.001-07:00

This Chicken Parmesan is a quick and easy recipe, from Robin Miller’s Quick Fix Meals. A few years ago, Robin did a demonstration at a cooking store in the fabulous city (and my home) of Scottsdale (she and her family live there). Once my parents and I heard about the event, we knew we were definitely going. At the demo, she made tasty food, answered questions and of course, signed her cookbook. This is one of my favorite cookbooks, not only because (so far) it’s my only autographed one, but also because I love Robin’s idea of “morphing” recipes to give you different meals through out the week.

I’ve made this recipe a few times and it’s for sure a keeper. The sauce is delicious and so easy to make. Plus, it takes minutes to bread the chicken and throw every thing into the oven. I only make two chicken breasts, so I cut the breading ingredients in half. However, I do make all the sauce because I serve this with pasta and Jerm and I are saucy kind of people.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Pre-trip into the oven.

Post-trip into the oven and served with pasta.

Chicken Parmesan, by Robin Miller (Quick Fix Meals)

Ingredients

One 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
One 6 oz. can tomato paste
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 dry seasoned bread crumbs
3 – 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tbs olive oil
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
4 tsps grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven 400 degrees. Coat baking dish with cooking spray.
In a medium saucepan, combine the tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and garlic powder. Set over medium heat, bring to a simmer and let simmer until ready to use (about 10 minutes).
In a shallow dish, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Place eggs in a separate shallow dish and the bread crumbs in a third.
Dredge the chicken in the flour, evenly coating both sides and tapping off any excess. Dip both sides of the flour-coated chicken in the egg and then in the bread crumbs.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side.
Transfer chicken to the prepared baking dish.
Top with tomato sauce, mozzarella an Parmesan.
Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minute, until the chicken is cooked thoroughly and the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Iced Mocha Coffee

2009-07-14T06:06:00.004-07:00

Alright, so this is a lame excuse of a recipe...but it's deliciousness in a glass, so I felt the need to post about it.

I love coffee. Ever since Girl Scout camp when I was a kid, I have loved the smell of coffee (the leaders would drink it in the morning and the smell would fill the dining hall). On the rare occasions that my family would go out to breakfast, my parents would get coffee and I'd always ask to smell it or have a sip (which I didn't like at the time). Once I got to college, I realized the caffeine benefits of coffee, but would only drink it mixed with half a packet of hot chocolate. Now, I love coffee. I love it hot with cream and sweetener, I love it in Caramel Macchiatos and Skinny Vanilla Lattes from Starbucks, I still love it mixed with half a packet of hot chocolate, I love coffee beans covered in chocolate, I love it as ice cream, I love it in baked goods and I love it cold.

Jerm and I have a really nice coffee maker (yay, for bridal registries and my friends at US Airways!), but I don't use it a lot. You see...Jerm doesn't drink coffee and we always have coffee at work, so every weekday I think, "I'll just have some at work." Well, this past weekend our puppy, Diesel, decided to wake up at 4:45am... so I was feeling the need for coffee and I decided to brew a pot. It was warm outside (hi, I live in AZ) so I thought, "Mmmm, iced coffee would be delicious!" And ta da, this deliciousness in a glass was born. It's cold, it's light and there is just a hint of chocolate in there. Definitely try out this drink or a version of it. What else would be good in iced coffee?

Enjoy!

Sara's Iced Mocha Coffee

Ingredients

2/3 glass of coffee
Skim milk
Ice
1/2 - 1 tsp sugar
1 - 2 tsp Hershey's Chocolate Syrup

Directions

Brew coffee. Either use it hot and add lots of ice, or let it chill for a bit to cool down.
Fill a large glass with ice and add about 2/3 of the way full with coffee.
Add as much skim milk as desired.
Add sugar and chocolate syrup.
Drink up!

Classic Baked Ziti

2009-07-12T06:25:00.001-07:00

This a a pretty basic recipe but it's always a delicious one! Usually when I'm making baked pasta, I just kinda throw together what I think sounds good (spaghetti type ingredients), add some cheese on top and throw it in the oven. Well, last week Jeremy specifically requested "Baked Ziti," so that set me on a search for the recipe.

I used a recipe from my old standby, Recipezaar. Whenever I search for a recipe on that website I always sort by "Rating," and this one was high up on the list. It's simple, it's cheesy, it's Baked Ziti! :) I cut the recipe in half since it was just for Jerm and me, and it turned out nicely. Add some breadsticks and salad and you've got a delicious meal. Definitely try it out if you're looking for easy and classic dinner.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Pre-baked.

Post baked.

Classic Baked Ziti, by Recipezaar

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (32 ounce) jar meatless sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta, cooked and drained
2 (8 ounce) cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large skillet, cook ground beef, onions, and garlic over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until beef is browned; stirring frequently.
Stir in spaghetti sauce, chicken broth, and oregano.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir 1 cup of the sauce into the cooked ziti noodles.
Spoon 1/2 of the ziti mixture into a 13x9x2-inch baking dish.
Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
Top with 2 cups sauce, then remaining ziti mixture and remaining sauce.
Cover and bake 20 minutes.
Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Return to oven and bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until heated through.

On a quick side note, I' like to thank finsmom for giving me this lovely award! I've never gotten a blog award before. "You like me...you really like me!" Who knew that people other than my mom, my husband, and my in-laws read my blog! :) Thank you!!

These are the rules of this award:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.
3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.
I think 15 is A LOT, so I'm not going to have quite that many...7 is a good number...how about 7? Therefore, I would like to pass this award on to the following great blogs:

Mini Tacos and Cheeseburgers

2009-06-21T11:54:00.001-07:00

My friends, Juliann and Alli, came over last week for a "Girl's Night Sleepover." We decided that we were going to have a theme of "kids night," which meant we were going to watch kid movies and have kid food. I was in charge of the menu and I decided to make Mini Tacos, Mini Cheeseburgers, veggie sticks and dip, and apples with caramel dip.

I found the recipe for the Mini Tacos from Recipezaar and once again, that website didn't fail me. These were super easy and surprisingly very good. The tacos are won ton wrappers, filled with taco seasoned meat (I used ground turkey), salsa and cheese. Yum!

Ingredients.

Just out of the oven.

For the Mini Burgers, I saw Ms. Paula Deen make them on one of her shows and they looked great. They are little beef patties (with mustard and ketchup baked in) topped with cheese and baked inside puff pastry. Now let's take a moment and talk about puff pastry. Apparently, it's NOT the same thing as phyllo dough! Did anyone else know this? Because I didn't and I bought phyllo dough and though the burgers were still good...they were "interesting" with the phyllo dough bun/crust. So, we'll just leave it at that...make sure to buy puff pastry and NOT phyllo dough.

Both these recipes were very easy and very taste. If you have kids or if you're like us and just want some "kid" food, I highly recommend both these recipes.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Ugly burger in phyllo dough...but still tasty!

Mini Tacos, by Recipezaar

Ingredients

24 wonton wrappers
1 lb hamburger
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning
1/2 cup salsa or picante sauce
3 tablespoons salsa
1 cup shredded cheese
sour cream (optional)
olives (optional)
guacamole (optional)

Directions

Cook hamburger until browned.
Drain the fat. Stir in taco mix ans 1/2 cup salsa/picante sauce.
Simmer for 3-5 minutes.
Press wonton wrappers into mini muffin cups.
Spoon beef mixture in cups and top with the 3 tbs of salsa and cheese, evenly divided.
Bake in preheated 425°F oven for 8 minutes, or until the wontons are nicely browned.
Serve with extra salsa, sour cream, olives and guacamole if desired.

Mini Burgers, by Paula Deen

Ingredients

8 ounces ground beef
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
All-purpose flour for dusting
1 sheet (from a 17.5-ounce package) puff pastry
2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) Cheddar, shredded
1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the beef, ketchup, mustard, salt, and pepper. Form the mixture into 8 equal-size patties. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, brown the patties for 1 to 2 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, unfold the pastry and roll out. Cut the pastry lengthwise into 4 equal strips, then cut strips in 1/2 crosswise. Place 1 patty on each strip and top with cheese. Fold the pastry up around the burgers and pinch the edges together to seal, molding to fit around the patties. Brush the tops of the pastries with the egg mixture.
Place the mini burgers on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to15 minutes or until puffed and golden. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Flatout Wrap Pizzas

2009-06-13T21:07:00.001-07:00

Have any of you tried Flatout Wraps? They are flatbread/wraps that only have 100 calories and are delicious. You can create so many tasty meals with them. Cold wraps, grilled wraps, quesadillas, pizzas and so much more! Jerm and I aren't renewing our Costco membership (because Sam's Club is less than 5 minutes away) so before it expired we went shopping. I'd heard about this bread before and since we'd never be back to Costco I thought, "What the heck? Let's buy some!"

So, last week I made Flatout Wrap pizzas and they were yummy! The bread gets nice and crispy, just like a thin crust pizza, and of course, toppings are endless. I made 3 different kinds of pizza for our dinner: BBQ chicken, Hawaiian, and Chicken Broccoli. Yum! I highly recommend these wraps and making them as pizzas; plus, for only 100 calories they can't be beat!

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

About to go into the oven.

All melty and halfway eaten.

BBQ Chicken Flatout Wrap Pizza

Ingredients

1 Flatout Wrap (we used Multi-grain)
1/4 cup BBQ sauce + about 1-2 tbs additional
Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cooked, chopped chicken breast
2 sliced cooked bacon
Pineapple pieces, small

Hawaiian Flatout Wrap Pizza

Ingredients

1 Flatout Wrap
1/4 cup marinara sauce
Mozzarella cheese
3 slices of deli ham
Pineapple pieces, small

Chicken and Broccoli Flatout Wrap Pizza

Ingredients

1 Flatout Wrap
1/4 cup marinara sauce
Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cooked, chopped chicken breast
1/2 cup frozen broccoli florets (thawed out in microwave)
Dash of garlic salt

Directions (for all pizzas)

Pre-heat oven to 350. Lay Flatout Wrap on a nonstick cookie sheet. Bake for 7 minutes.
Spread sauce on Flatout Wrap, leaving about 3/4 inch edge.
Top with cheese and toppings.
Bake for 15 minutes.

Oatmeal Scotchies

2009-06-05T13:39:00.001-07:00

Mmmm, cookies! My favorite dessert/sweet treat of all time. Last night I felt like doing some baking, so I looked into the pantry to see what ingredients I had, and I found a bag of butterscotch chips. Mmmm, butterscotch. Butterscotch is delicious, but I feel like it's overlooked a lot. There are so many recipes with chocolate chips, but are there really many with butterscotch chips? Not that I know of. How sad for the delicious butterscotch chips and their goodness.

Anyway, on the back of the butterscotch chip bag was the recipe for these delicious cookies. Nestles Oatmeal Scotchies. They are crisp and flavorful and pack a big butterscotch punch. I was a bit surprised to see cinnamon as an ingredient; however, it was a fabulous flavor combination with the butterscotch. Jeremy isn't a fan of cookies that aren't what he's used to (so basically anything besides chocolate chip), but I was pleasantly surprised when he said, "Ya know, these cookies are actually pretty good." That's right, they are good...in fact, they are delicious.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Cooling on the counter.

Quality control.

Nestle Oatmeal Scotchies

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or grated peel of 1 orange
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
COMBINE flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
BAKE for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies or 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

2009-05-25T20:39:00.001-07:00

I LOVE peanut butter and jelly! I honestly think it's one of the best food combinations around, if not THE BEST. I could eat peanut butter and jelly everyday of my life and not get sick of it. In fact, I usually eat pb&j a multiple days out of the week for lunch. And I'm always eating peanut butter. Actually, I think I might be slightly addicted to peanut butter...right now I have 5 jars of it in the pantry! Oh well, I could be addicted to worse things, right?

Anyway, I got a Martha Stewart cookie cookbook for Christmas and saw this recipe in it. I wanted to make it for my birthday last week, but decided not too because we had other sweets in the house, so I made it this weekend. These bars are delicious! If you like pb&j, then you have to try this recipe. I could probably eat the whole pan of these....they are THAT good. I've made these bars before, but I used Ina Garten's recipe (the Barefoot Contessa) and the recipes are almost identical. I think one has a bit more peanut butter in it, and that's the only difference. Both recipes are great!

In making these tasty treats, I used whole wheat flour (as usual) and chunky peanut butter (because Jerm and I are chunky peanut butter kinda people). Als0, I cut the recipe in half and baked it in an 8x8 inch pan. One thing to note if you do cut the recipe in half, I'd recommend a bit more than half the jelly. Some of it gets absorbed into the base, so I think a bit more would have been perfect. Oh and in the cookbook, Martha has some nonsense about letting the bars cool completely, and then refrigerate for an hour or so, and then cut them! Yea right!! Mine we're still a bit warm when I cut into them...and they were AMAZING.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

The dough was excellent raw!

Cut bars.

On the way into my mouth!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars, by Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups strawberry jam, or other flavor
2/3 cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with butter, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease the parchment, and coat inside of pan with flour; set aside. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add eggs and peanut butter; beat until combined, about 2 minutes.
Whisk together salt, baking powder, and flour. Add to bowl of mixer on low speed; combine. Add vanilla. Transfer two-thirds of mixture to prepared pan; spread evenly with offset spatula. Using offset spatula, spread jam on top of peanut-butter mixture. Dollop remaining third of peanut-butter mixture on top of jam. Sprinkle with peanuts.
Bake until golden, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool; cut into about thirty-six 1 1/2-by-2-inch pieces.

Strawberry Lemon Cake

2009-05-13T10:04:00.001-07:00

It’s summer! I love summer. I love that students our out of school, so I can park closer to my office. I love that the sun rises super early and sets super late. I love the way the warm AZ sun thaws me out, when I’ve been inside too long. I love BBQs with friends. And I love light summer desserts!

Last night we went over to Jayla’s house for dinner, dessert and doggie playtime. Of course, I was in charge of the dessert…since its my favorite thing to make! :)

A few days ago, I was watching Paula Dean's show and I saw her make a Lemon Cake. Hmmm…I love lemon. She made the lemon curd filling from scratch. Hmmm…I have lemon curd in the fridge. I thought to myself, “Hmmm…we might be onto something here.” After looking on the Food Network website and reading the reviews for the recipe, the comments on the cake weren’t that great. So, I thought to myself, “Hmmm…I could always use cake mix, but what goes good with lemon?” Then, it came to me…strawberries!! Since after Paula’s show, Sandra Lee was on, I thought, “Hmmm…I’ll make this Semi-Homemade style!” And voila, this delicious cake was created.

I used Pillsbury Strawberry cake mix, store bought lemon curd, Paula’s frosting (which got good reviews with the recipe) and fresh strawberries, to decorate. This cake was moist, sweet, tangy and a delicious addition to our summer dinner! With the cake mix, I made it the “cholesterol free” and “high altitude” way. As for Paula’s frosting, I really liked it! It has a marshmallow texture and the recipe makes a lot, so your cake can be nice and fluffy (but I only used half b/c it was way too much for my liking). Plus, it doesn’t need to be refrigerated. To continue with my lemon theme, I added a bit of lemon extract to the frosting, just to round out the flavors. This is a very tasty cake and if you’re looking for a summer dessert, I highly recommend it.

Enjoy!

Mmm…strawberries.

I’ll admit…one reason I like it, is because it’s pink.

The boys eating their cake.

Us girls eating ours.

Sara’s Strawberry Lemon Cake

Ingredients

1 box Strawberry cake mix
Lemon curd (store bought or make your own)
Paula Dean’s Frosting (recipe below)

Directions

Make cake mix as directed for a 8 or 9 inch cake pan and allow to cool on wire racks.
Poke holes in the top of one of the cake layers and spread on as much lemon curd as you’d like. Top with remaining cake layer.
Frost with Paula’s Frosting and garnish with strawberries. (I’m sure you could put more lemon curd on the top layer, if you’d like, because the frosting is so thick that it wouldn’t spread the curd around.)

Paula’s Frosting, by Paula Dean

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 tablespoon white corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
2 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract (my addition)

Place sugar, cream of tartar or corn syrup, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler.
Beat with a handheld electric mixer for 1 minute. Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan.
Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes.
Beat in vanilla.

"Healthified" Lasagna

2009-05-02T20:47:00.001-07:00

A few days ago, we had Jayla over for dinner and it was my chance to make a meal with more than two servings. Usually when its just Jeremy and me, I only make enough food for two people, plus one left over. I love having people over because then I can either make the whole dish or at least not have to divide it up.

Anyway, I get emails of recipes from the Betty Crocker and this was in one of them. It's a very easy and delicious lasagna...plus, it's on the "lighter" side. When I made this I couldn't find Muir Glen pasta sauce, so I used Paul Newman's Tomato Basil sauce. Also, I was out of dried basil, so I substituted oregano. My only recommendation (per Jeremy) for this recipe was to add a bit more sauce, as we like our sauce and it dried out just a bit, when we had leftovers.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Pre-baked.

Post-baked and eaten. :)

Healthified Lasagna, by Betty Crocker

Makes 12 servings

9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1lb extra-lean (at least 90%) ground beef
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 jar (25.5 oz) Muir Glen® organic Italian herb pasta sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 egg
1 container (15 oz) reduced-fat ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese 8 oz)
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package. Place in cold water.
Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, cook beef and garlic over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in pasta sauce, ground red pepper and 1 teaspoon of the basil. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, beat egg slightly. Stir in ricotta cheese and remaining 1/2 teaspoon basil until blended. Drain noodles. Spread about 1/2 cup sauce mixture over bottom of baking dish. Top with 3 noodles, 1 1/2 cups of the sauce mixture, half of the ricotta mixture and 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and mozzarella cheese; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Spray 15-inch piece of foil with cooking spray. Cover lasagna with foil.
Bake 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): In step 4, uncover and bake 15 to 20 minutes longer.

Nutrition Information: 1 Serving: Calories 240 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 4 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 60mg; Sodium 400mg; Total Carbohydrate 21g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 5g); Protein 20g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 15%; Vitamin C 2%; Calcium 25%; Iron 10% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Lean Meat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Delicious Chicken Pot Pie

2009-04-26T11:29:00.001-07:00

I only have one word for this recipe...YUM! We love this chicken pot pie and it has quickly become a favorite meal in our house. I've made this for my parents and for friends, and everyone loves it. Before making this recipe, I'd never had chicken pot pie, but now I know it's a delicious meal!

This recipe is another from the fabulous website of Recipezaar.com. It's easy to put together and I usually like to prep the veggies ahead of time, so I can just throw it all together and bake it. I use store bought pie crust (because it's easy and tasty!), cut back the chicken to 2 cups and as usual, use whole wheat flour and skim milk. I highly recommend this pot pie...it's amazing.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Prepped veggies.

Pre-bake.

Post baked and after we ate some. :)

Delicious Chicken Pot Pie, by Recipezaar

Ingredients

1 cup potato, diced
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup chopped carrot
1/3 cup melted margarine
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 pie crusts (either store bought or your own recipe)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Sauté onion, celery, carrots and potatoes in butter for 10 minutes.
Add flour to sautéed mixture, stirring well Cook one minute stirring constantly.
Combine broth and half and half.
Gradually stir into vegetable mixture.
Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly.
Stir in salt and pepper; add chicken and stir well.
Pour into shallow 2 quart casserole dish and top with pie shells.
Cut slits to allow steam to escape.
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly and cooked through.

Flash Roasted Crispy Ranch Chicken

2009-04-23T12:09:00.001-07:00

Let me just start out by saying that if you like ranch dressing and tortilla chips, you have to try this recipe. This chicken is so quick, easy and most of all delicious! When I went to college, my mom got me a Campbell’s Soup cookbook that is filled with quick and easy recipes. This is definitely my favorite recipe from the book!

The chicken is breaded in a ranch/cream of chicken soup mix, then coated with tortilla chips and baked in the oven. Delicious and so simple!

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Served with brown rice and veggies. Yum!

Campbell’s Flash Roasted Crispy Ranch Chicken

Ingredients

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 (1 ounce) envelope ranch dressing mix, I use Hidden Valley
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast half, about 4
1 1/2 cups tortilla chips, finely crushed
1-2 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

In a shallow dish mix soup, milk and dressing mix. Reserve 1 c for sauce.
Dip chicken into soup mixture.
Coat with tortilla chips.
Place chicken on a greased baking sheet.
Drizzle with margarine or butter.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 min or until chicken is no longer pink.
In a small saucepan over med heat or microwave, heat reserved soup mixture to a boil. Serve over or with chicken.

Awesome Carrot Cake

2009-04-13T14:45:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, my parents and grandma came up to visit us, meet our puppy and have dinner. With dinner, of course, I just had to make dessert! Since December, I've "owed" my dad a carrot cake (we make deals where I owe him a cake/treat/etc.) and this was my chance to finally make it for him.

I found this recipe years ago on Recipezaar. It is the BEST carrot cake I've ever had! It's got carrots, coconut, pineapple and walnuts in it, which creates a delicious, chunky texture. Plus, it's so moist and flavorful. Stop what you're doing right now...and go make this cake! It's that good. In fact, I just had a piece for breakfast! What? It's got veggies and fruit in it, so it's healthy right? :)

As usual, I made some "healthier" modifications: whole wheat flour, egg whites, 1/2 applesauce for the oil and I cut back on the sugar by 1/4 cup.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Pineapple, carrots and coconut.

The batter all mixed.

One layer, just flipped out of the pan.

Frosted with cream cheese icing and sprinkled with coconut.

About to be my breakfast!

Why-I-Joined-Zaar Carrot Cake, by Recipezaar

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

FROSTING THAT SARA USED

1 (8 ounce) (light - 1/3 the fat) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 cups icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; make a well in the center and add sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla.
Mix with wooden spoon until smooth.
Stir in carrots, coconut, walnuts and pineapple.
Pour into 9x13 inch pan and bake for about 45 minutes.
Don't panic, the center will sink a little.
Allow to cool; when cool, ice the cake.
For frosting: Cream butter and cream cheese. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time and then vanilla.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2009-04-12T07:26:00.001-07:00

Hello blog world! I'm sorry that I've been MIA lately, but our new puppy has been keeping us pretty busy. I've been taking pictures of the meals that I've made, but I just haven't found the time to blog about them...until now.

So, getting back in action, I present to you a delicious BBQ Chicken Pizza! I love pizza and I love BBQ sauce, so whoever created the idea of BBQ Chicken Pizza is a hero in my book. This recipe is from Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade on Food Network. Unlike a traditional BBQ Chicken Pizza, this one has sliced apples and bacon bits on top, which adds a great texture to it. I've made this a few times and Jeremy and I love it. I've always cooked it in the oven, as opposed to cooking it on the grill, as the recipe directs but I get it'd be great and crispy that way. Use your favorite BBQ sauce and add any additional toppings that you'd like. Cilantro goes great on BBQ Chicken Pizza!

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Pre-baked.

Post-baked.

Ready to eat!

BBQ Chicken Pizza, by Sandra Lee

Ingredients

1/2 pound chicken cutlets
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza dough (recommended: Pillsbury)
1 cup BBQ sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup green apple, sliced
1/4 cup real bacon bits
2 green onions, sliced

Directions

Set up grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Oil grate when ready to start cooking.
Brush chicken with vegetable oil, season with salt and pepper. Place chicken on the grill and cook until done, about 2 minutes per side. When done, slice into 1-inch pieces, reserve.
Spray a perforated disposable cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Carefully remove pizza dough from can. Unroll dough and place on cookie sheet on the grill. Let cook 2 minutes and turn pizza over.
Spread BBQ sauce over pizza leaving a 1-inch border. Next, top with mozzarella cheese, diced apples, chicken, and bacon pieces.
Cover with grill lid and cook 5 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve hot, topped with green onions.
Cook's Note: Cooking indoors: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly spray baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside. Carefully unroll dough and place on prepared baking sheet. Press out dough with clean hands to form 13 by 9-inch rectangle. Use oven mitts to place baking sheet in preheated oven. Bake in for 7 minutes or until crust just begins to brown. Use oven mitts to remove crust from oven and top as directed. Use oven mitts to return to oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted and has begun to bubble.

Steak Sandwich

2009-04-01T19:07:00.001-07:00

Last night for dinner, Jeremy and I decided to have Philly Cheesesteaks. I've only eaten a Philly Cheesesteak about twice in my life, but they sure are delicious. This wasn't exactly a Philly cheesesteak though, it was more just a steak sandwich...but it was yummy and it's the thought that counts right?

For this dinner, I just kinda "winged" it, and I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. I'm sure you could add more spices and more ingredients to jazz it up a bit; however, we enjoyed this simple, cheesy steak sandwich, and it'll definitely appear on our menu again.

Enjoy!

The cooked steak.

Grilled onions.

Hot out of the broiler.

I served mine open-faced, with fries and fruit.

Steak Sandwich, by Me

Ingredients

Steak (I used boneless ribeye)
1/3 of a large onion, sliced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Provolone cheese
Hamburger buns

Directions

Season steak with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a frying pan to medium high. Grill steak until desired wellness. Remove from pan and set aside.
In same pan, grill onions until desired likeness.
Place steak and onion on hamburger buns.
Top with provolone cheese.
Broil for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.

Puppy Chow

2009-03-28T08:31:00.001-07:00

In light of our fabulous news about getting a puppy (please see my other blog for details), and the fact that I still have Chex cereal to use up, I decided to make Chex Muddy Buddies, otherwise known as Puppy Chow. Does anyone else called it Puppy Chow? Jerm looked at my like I had a second head when I asked him if he wanted me to make him some Puppy Chow...but that's what I've always called it.

This is a very simple and easy recipe, and it's one of my favorite sweet treats. I do not make it very often because when I do I just want to eat it, but it's great every once in a while and excellent for get-together's. The recipe is from the box/website of Chex cereal. By the way, if you have some free time, check out the Chex website because they have a TON of great Chex mix recipes. There is one with coconut and ginger that Jerm and I love. Yummy! So, next time you want a sweet chocolately snack, try this Puppy Chow. Oh, and check out the substitution tip from the website....I'm definitely going to try that the next time I make this.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Choc/PB/butter.

All mixed, pre powdered sugar.

Post powdered sugar and cooling.

Chex Muddy Buddies a.k.a. Puppy Chow

Ingredients

9 cups Corn Chex®, Rice Chex®, Wheat Chex® or Chocolate Chex® cereal (or combination)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth.
Stir in vanilla.
Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resalable food-storage plastic bag.
Add powdered sugar.
Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Substitution: Peanut butter and chocolate are a favorite flavor combo, but peanut butter lovers can substitute peanut butter chips for the chocolate chips to intensify that flavor.