Low Carb Caprese Cottage Cheese Salad

Caprese salad, juicy vine ripened tomatoes,   basil, fresh mozzerella., and if your lucky a drizzle of balsamic reduction. Yum! It's my favorite summer side dish! But when I'm looking  for something quick and nutritious, that fills my tummy with low  carb goodness even as a quick lunch, this is my new go to.

Low Carb Cottage Cheese Caprese Salad

1/2 c 2% cottage cheese
1 vine ripened or heirloom tomato
A few fresh basil leaves, chopped thin
1/2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Balsamic Reduction (Click the hyperlink for an easy tutorial)

Place cottage cheese in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Dice tomato and combine with basil and oil. Place on top or beside cottage cheese. Drizzle with a tablespoon of reduction, enjoy!

5 Ingredient Gluten Free Apple Crumble

    Okay, okay, you got me...there are technically a handful of blueberries and vanilla ice cream added in my picture. While they are absolutely delicious paired with apples, they aren't necessary. If you have them, add them!

    If you've done any amount of gluten free baking you know that almost nothing has less than 10 ingredients. All purpose flour no longer involves picking up a $2 bag at the grocer, it involves sifting and mixing a blend of several different flours to create some sort of substitute that be used in your baking. I'm so over it! I hate that there is now a tupperware in my pantry that contains at least 10 different kinds of g.f. flours... 10!

    Before we went gluten free I can remember offering to make some gluten free cupcakes for some friends of ours. "This shouldn't be hard," I thought.  Wrong! Making them from a mix involved spending $6 per batch,  making them from scratch meant getting an education! 

This is not that kind of recipe! This is easy as pie...but really it's crumble. It's the perfect dessert for company,  or when you need to bring something to cheer up a friend, or when you're just in the mood for some comforting dessert.

 

INGREDIENTS

1/2 c gluten free oats
1/4 c melted (salted) butter
1/2 c brown sugar
2 tbsp coconut flour
1 can of g.f. apple pie filling.
(I got mine at dollar tree and it doesn't contain any gluten ingredients)

 

Heat oven to 350.  Open can of apple pie filling and place in a 8x8 dish. In a medium sized mixing bowl combine melted butter with coconut flour, then add brown sugar and oats.  Top apples evenly with mixture and bake for 20 minutes.  That's it! Serve warm with some ice cream or even a heaping dollop of whipped topping. 

Bacon Cheeseburger Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Okay Okay, I know this post sounds pretty "heavy."  It's really not as bad as you think.

 

I asked my 4 year old son what he wanted for dinner tonight and he said "Cheeseburgers!" Seeing as my husband is working tonight, my oldest son is at a friends house, and it's just the littles and I at home, I'm not about to start up the grill, make burger patties and cut up potatoes for home fries. Just not gonna happen! 

 

I have a bunch of ground turkey in my freezer and some yams (also often referred to as sweet potatoes) taking up space in my vegetable drawer.  A little of this and that and this meal came together fairly quickly. Even my picky two year old ate hers up! I'd say that's a sign of a successful dish!

INGREDIENTS

4 medium sized sweet potatoes (could also use russet potatoes here)
1/2 lb. ground turkey or lean ground beef
1/4 c. onion diced
1 T light cream cheese
1/2 c. reduced fat sharp cheddar plus additional for topping
Bacon or Turkey Bacon (optional)
 1-2 T ketchup
1 T  yellow mustard
1/4 tsp Lawry's or other seasoning salt
1 T Worchester Sauce
A Dash of Cracked Pepper
2 T chopped green onion



Start by scrubbing your potatoes and stabbing them with a fork a few times. You could either wrap them in foil and place them in the oven for an hour or place them on a microwave safe plate and cook them according to your microwave's potato settings (Don't judge! It's the middle of summer!)

Meanwhile, brown ground turkey in a pan on the stove with the diced onion. Drain any fat, return to pan and add seasoning salt, Worchester sauce and a few cracks of pepper. Set aside.

Pull potatoes from the microwave (or oven) and let cool slightly. With a potholder in hand, handle potatoes carefully slicing horizontally across the top to keep the potatoes shape in tact.  Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the insides of potatoes and place in a medium sized mixing bowl.

Preheat your oven to 400*

Mash sweet potatoes and add cream cheese, cheddar, mustard, and ketchup. Add ground turkey and give it a good mash and mix. At this point, it won't look too appetizing. Just remember the best is yet to come.

Carefully add potato mixture back into the potato shells, stuffing to the brim. Top with green onions, cheese, and a good zigzag of ketchup. Place potatoes in an oven safe baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes until stuffing is warm and cheese on top is melted and bubbly.

Top with turkey bacon and serve warm.

The 110 calorie Frappe

This summer's Starbucks Frappuccino Happy Hour left me used to getting a cold creamy coffee fix for cheap. Alas, it didn't last forever. Good thing I've figured out how to make something just as delicious, not to mention low calorie, for cheaper than a half price Frappuccino.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introducing exhibit A: found of all places at the 99 cent store.

This instant espresso powder will keep your ratio of liquid down so that you don't end up with a slushy, unsatifying watered down mess.

My second weapon is my ninja blender. It handles ice like a pro, and I find it does an even better job when I use the individual jar, making a Frappe for 1.

Lastly, you'll need some refrigerated liquid coffee creamer and some almond milk(or milk of your choice. Sometimes I add a teaspoon of chocolate chips and a dollop of whipped cream to the mix, just for good measure.

 

 

Ingredients:

3/4 c light almond milk
1 c ice
2 t instant espresso powder
3 T sugar free flavored coffee creamer
Optional addins: I tsp. Nutella or peanut butter,  chocolate chips, etc.  ***Warning***this will probably put you over the 110 calorie mark.

Directions: Place all ingredients in your blender jar(No need to dissolve espresso in water). Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Brown Rice Rotini with Pesto Cream & Chicken

Pesto. Yum. Homemade Pesto, even yummier! The best part? I can load it full of spinach and get my kids to eat it! Basil is growing in the garden and I've got a whole lotta gluten free pasta taking up space in my pantry. Thank you to my local discount store that has a random assortment of sometimes decent gluten free items.  I also had some chicken I had baked, shredded, and reserved from last week sitting in my freezer. Chicken is tricky. We all love it, but my 4 year old son has recently been diagnosed with a chicken allergy, among-st many other bizarre and frustrating allergies (insert mommy's sad sigh here) so if we're going to have it it has to be an optional ingredient so I can split up the dish and make his without. This is a simple dish that could be simplified even further with some store bought pesto and a rotisserie chicken (or without chicken at all). Sometimes I even add some cooked frozen green peas for some more vegetables and color. It's so good!

Basic Pesto:

1 c of loosely packed spinach
1/2 c of loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 tsp of minced garlic
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c pine nuts (you could also use almonds)
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
a few drops of lemon juice
1/2 tsp of salt
a few cracks of pepper

In your food processor or blender, add all ingredients except for the olive oil and give it a good pulse. Once the ingredients pretty much pulverized, stream in the olive oil and continue to mix until combined. Give it a little taste and add salt or more garlic to taste.

Brown Rice Rotini with Pesto Cream & Chicken
Brown Rice Rotini
2 cups of shredded cooked chicken
2 tbsp Cream Cheese
1/4 c. Grated Parmesan
3/4 c. Prepared Pesto (see above recipe or use store bought)



Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook Rotini to package directions. Drain and return to pain. Add cream cheese to hot pasta and toss to melt so that it coats pasta evenly. This should be done while pasta is still very warm.  Add pesto and chicken and toss to combine. Top or serve with remaining Parmesan. Enjoy!

My Two Year Gluten Free, Post Partum, Hiatus

     I can't believe it's been two years since I've posted on this blog. Gasp! This means that my daughter is almost two! You see, the new baby kind of through a wrench into the idea of blogging for awhile. Not only that, but about a month after she was born my husband returned from paternity leave only to return home sick. Very sick. He took an additional month off of work because every time he ate he got violently ill. Terrible gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue, nausea. He once described it to me as being stabbed in the stomach repeatedly for several hours. It was terrible and terrifying. He spent the afternoon of our daughter's baptism laying in bed while I did my best to entertain friends and family. We were brought to our knees in prayer, fearing the worst.

     His doctor's couldn't find anything wrong.  There were scans, scopes, blood tests, and after several weeks we were still left without any answers. Finally, after a little bit of research, we decided to take gluten out of his diet. Voila! He was much better. Only it wasn't so much like "Voila. " It was more  like don't eat this, don't eat that, can't cook this, can't order that. Here I was with an infant and two other kids to feed and I now had to figure out this whole mess of gluten free-ness.  It was like a bad dream. I was stressed, he was stressed, (no more bread, pastries, and worst of all no more beer!) and the kids were feeling our stress. Now add another factor into this terrible equation: at about month 6 baby blues were not going away.I found myself crying, raging, flipping out, and drowning in anxiety over the most ridiculous things. I've struggled before with feeling blue, maybe even teetered along the edge of depressed or anxious, but this was like nothing I'd ever experienced! I loved my kids to pieces, absolutely adored my precious baby girl, but I had to come to terms with the fact that I was pretty much making myself and my entire family miserable. This was when I went to my doctor and got diagnosed with post par-tum depression. I was put on medication and just like "Voila," I felt much better.

    These factors, and the fact that life just got plain old hectic, are why I stopped blogging. I needed time off. I needed time to figure things out. I needed to change the way we ate, the way we did dinner, and the way I did life. Unfortunately my depression has not gone away now that my daughter is two. After a few attempts of trying to "wean" myself off of the medication I have found that this is probably going to be a life-long  medical issue for me.  Now I know there are probably those individuals, even in my own circles that would jump to the ignorant conclusion that "if she had a better prayer life," or "if she walked closer with God," than this depression would leave me. My response: That's a load of crap. I believe that God knows every part of me. For some reason, this is part of my journey. I have the hope that someday I will be healed, and I fully believe that my God can heal me! But it is ignorant to take myself of medication for a chemical imbalance that I cannot control.

      So happily, healthfully, I enter into a new direction for my blog (maybe it will continue, maybe it won't.) Welcome to Musings from my Messy (& Gluten Free) Kitchen. Hopefully I can entertain you with a few palatable recipes that my family loves.

Mexican Quinoa Casserole

A large bag of quinoa called my name at Costco a few weeks ago. Probably because if I put it in my cart it would make me look like I was in Costco for the healthy food, and not for the food court frozen yogurt craving I was experiencing after my last OB appointment.  Plus, bringing it home would force me to make some healthier recipes for my family. There are a ton of interesting, and even delicious looking quinoa recipes on Pinterest lately, and I wanted to give some of them a try.

Yesterday at lunch I through together some chicken wraps with leftover BBQ chicken breasts and decided to incorporate some quinoa instead of rice. I toasted the quinoa, sauteed it with some onion and garlic and then added salsa before steaming it to perfection. The result was so flavorful that it inspired me to give it a try it as a casserole for my dinner tonight. The result was this yummy Mexican inspired concoction complete with bubbly Monterey jack cheese. I'm definitely going to make this again...and next time I'll even try to feed it to my kids.

Mexican Quinoa Casserole

1 1/2 c. quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic
1/2 c. diced onion
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/3 c. of your favorite jarred salsa
2 c. water
2 eggs
1 c. skim milk
1 c. shredded Monterey or pepper jack cheese plus 1/2 c. more for sprinkling on top
1/2 c. crushed tortilla chips
1/4 c. diced green onions
1/4 c. roughly chopped cilantro
1 small lime
*optional toppings: sour cream, additional salsa, avocado, etc.

In a medium saute pan heat olive oil over medium/low heat. Add quinoa, garlic, and onion, lightly sauteing and taking care not to burn. Add salsa and water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook approximately 20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Cool slightly. 

Grease a 9x13 casserole dish and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl beat eggs and milk, combine with cheese and stir into quinoa. Spoon into casserole dish. Cook for approximately 30 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and casserole looks set. Top with crushed tortilla chips and cheese. Place under the broiler for a few minutes until cheese is bubbly and chips are toasted...be careful not to burn the chips!

Serve warm, topped with scallions, cilantro, a squeeze of fresh lime juice and anything else you dream up.

Enjoy!

Banana Caramel Coffee Bread with Caramel Glaze

I don't know how it happened since we tend to be Banana addicts in this family, but for the second week in a row I found several overripe bananas sitting on top of my counter. Last weeks bunch got chopped and frozen for smoothies, and this week's bunch seemed to be begging for some baking. I don't know how or why, but the thought of something caramel also popped into my head. As I started gathering my ingredients for the basic recipe I always use for banana bread I decided to substitute a shot of espresso for the apple juice in my recipe and voila...this sophisticated bread was created. I love the balance of flavors...it's not too much of any one thing, just a delicious rich morning (or maybe afternoon and evening) treat that will pair well with a nice cup of coffee.

Banana Caramel Coffee Bread with Caramel Glaze

2 c.  flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c.  sugar
1/4 c. of butter or margarine softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. mashed ripe bananas (about 4 large bananas)
1/4 c.  sour cream
1 shot of espresso or 3 tbsp. of really strong coffee
1 tsp. of caramel extract (vanilla could also be substituted)
1/8 tsp of finely ground espresso

Caramel Glaze:
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. brown sugar
3 tsp. heavy cream
1/2 c. powdered sugar



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine butter and sugar until blended. Add eggs and beat to combine. Add banana, sour cream, espresso, ground espresso,  and caramel extract. Mix well.

Slowly add flour mixture and beat at a low speed until just combined. 

Bake in the oven for about 1 hour or until a knife or skewer inserted in center comes out clean.

For the Glaze:
Combine butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Let cool for 5 minutes and then whisk in cream and powdered sugar. If glaze is too thick add extra cream a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.

Let bread cool to warm and spread or pour glaze over top. I like to do this while bread is warm so that it melts down the side.

Now invite all your friends over for coffee and enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Blogging is the last thing on my mind lately. In about 11 weeks I will be a mother of three and handling all that seems to consume all of my thoughts. The last few weeks have been full of nursery planning, pregnancy insomnia, lots of naps and oh wait...did we (mostly "the boys") really go through 4 gallons of milk already this week???Do I really need to go grocery shopping again??? Planning meals and thinking about recipes has been the least of my worries but somebody's got to do it!

This is one of those meals I've made several times and each time it's delicious and successful. Unfortunately, it never seems to make it to my blog because I either don't have time to take a picture or we've gobbled it all up before I even think about it! It's a delicious twist on Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo and a perfect dish for warm weather because it doesn't require you to turn on the oven. Try it once and you'll never want plain old Chicken Alfredo again.

PS: I've got my picky eating older son to eat noodles with Alfredo...another win in the dinnertime battle!

BBQ Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
*Alfredo Sauce Recipe from Allrecipes.com

1 package of Fettuccine Noodles
For the Chicken:2-4 chicken breasts (depending on how much your family can eat)
1/2 c. of your favorite BBQ Sauce *We love Jack Daniels Original Recipe*
1 clove of garlic, minced
For the Alfredo:
1/4 c. butter

1 c. heavy cream

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 1/2 c. fresh grated Parmesan

Garnish:

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

Additional Parmesan Cheese

Additional BBQ Sauce for drizzling

Directions:

Slather chicken breasts with BBQ sauce and garlic. Marinate in refrigerator for approximately 1 hour.

Preheat grill and grill chicken, flipping once, until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. Wrap in foil and set aside. Do not cut into chicken until your ready to serve in order to keep moist.

In the mean time bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a medium saucepan melt butter. Add cream and simmer for approximately 5 minutes. Add garlic and cheese and whisk, heating through. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through.

Toss Alfredo Sauce with Fettuccine and transfer to a large serving platter. Cut chicken into thin strips and place on top of pasta. Garnish with cilantro, additional Parmesan cheese, and an even drizzle of barbecue sauce.

Enjoy!

Herbed Mashed Potatoes with Rosemary Cream

My 8 year old picky eating son has a love for rosemary...of all the crazy things. It all started with a batch of Foccacia bread last summer. It's funny because rosemary is prevalent in our neighborhood and every time he gets a whiff of it he asks me to make Foccacia bread. So tonight I looked at the rosemary in my refrigerator and decided to whip up something different. I pulled out some chicken, rubbed it with rosemary, garlic, and lemon juice and slow baked it in the oven. Then I started on some mashed potatoes. While I was peeling them I got this crazy idea to make a gravy/sauce that was infused with rosemary, shallots, and garlic. When I was done the house smelled amazingly aromatic and the taste was like no other mashed potatoes we've ever had. My son's verdict, "Mom, these are the best mashed potatoes I've ever had!" Maybe you'll agree.

Mashed Potatoes with Rosemary Cream Gravy

For the Potatoes:
about 2 lbs of Russet Potatoes peeled and chopped into 2 inch pieces (Yukon or Red would also work)
1 cube of chicken bouillon seasoning
1 large sprig of fresh rosemary
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp. butter
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 c. lemon juice
1/2 -1 c. of milk
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
For the Sauce:
1 shallot, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tbsp. of diced fresh rosemary leaves
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
1 c. milk
2 tbsp. cream cheese

In a large pot combine potatoes, enough water to cover, rosemary, garlic cloves (whole), bouillon, and a pinch of salt.  Bring to a boil and cover, simmering until potatoes are fork tender. Remove rosemary (some leaves can definitely be left behind), and drain water. Mash potatoes well. The boiled garlic will mash right into the mix. Add butter, lemon juice, Parmesan, and milk a little bit at a time until you get the desired fluffy consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a small saucepan melt butter over medium/low heat and toss in diced shallot and garlic. Cook until just fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic. Stir in flour to make a roux, cooking a minute or two to get rid of the flour taste. Slowly add milk, whisking until all the lumps are gone. Add rosemary and cream cheese, continuing to cook until thickened to the consistency of a gravy or white sauce.

Enjoy...and plant some rosemary in your yard if you already haven't done so :).

Black and Tan Cupcake

I don't know what it was...maybe the baby that I'm brewing...but after months of not wanting much to do with anything sweet or chocolaty, or coffee like I finally got the craving for a cupcake...and the hubby quickly agreed. I gathered the things in my pantry, quickly realizing I wouldn't be able to make anything that included vanilla extract. I'm fresh out, and there's no way I'm going to the grocery store in this crazy rainy weather we are having. I doctored up a German Chocolate Cake mix with some extra cocoa powder and some coffee flavors, and then I began mixing the frosting. Truthfully, I thought this was going to be a frosting disaster...all good frosting contains vanilla extract right?  But to my surprise my improvisations resulted in this rich decadent goodness. So much goodness that I couldn't bear to part with the leftovers. You could decorate these cupcakes with pretty chocolate curls or caramel drizzle...but I kind liked out simple they were to make...and to frost. No piping bag, just the back of a tablespoon and a big bowl of frosting.

Black and Tan Cupcakes
1 box of German chocolate or other chocolate cake mix
1/2 c. vegetable oil (or the amount called for in the cake mix)
3 eggs
2 tbsp espresso liquor
1/3 c. chilled coffee or espresso
*Remaining amount of water called for on your cake mix.
6 oz cream cheese softened
1 stick of butter
2 tbsp espresso liquor
2 tbsp of caramel topping
1 pinch of sea salt
2-3 c. of confectioner's sugar

For the Cake:
Dump the box of cake mix in your mixer bowl along with the eggs and oil. Get out your measuring cup and measure out 2 tbsp. of espresso liquor and 1/3 c. of coffee. Fill that same cup with enough water to measure out what your box of cake mix calls for. I hope that makes sense...basically your substituting some of the water for coffee and espresso liquor...not adding to that amount. Also add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. Turn on your mixer and beat until smooth. Fill cupcake tins (or cake pans) with batter about 2/3 c. full and bake according to box directions.

For the Frosting:
Whip butter and cream cheese in the bowl of your mixer until it is smooth. Add espresso liquor, caramel, and salt. Beat until incorporated. On slow speed add confectioner's sugar, starting with 2 c. and adding additional sugar if it appears to be too thin. Frosting will have a thick creamy texture, it won't hold shape like a butter cream but should be able to be swirled with the back of a spoon on top of the cupcakes and hold some form.

The Long-Awaited Lego Bookshelf

So this has nothing to do with food...or homemade gifts...but it's a fun idea that I wanted to share.

Ever since we moved into our house, which was well over a year ago, I have been looking for creative Lego decor for our now eight year old son's bedroom. Amazingly...there isn't a whole lot out there to buy other than Lego themed storage containers. Anything else was atrociously expensive...well more than I'd spend on my own bedroom and definitely too expensive to put in the hands of an 8 year old boy. We settled for grey walls, red accents, plaid bedding, and a framed Lego Batman poster.  Kinda boring.

Then I got this idea...but I kept it to myself for awhile because my husband, who happens to be excellent at "home improvement" projects already had a very long honey-do list...and the mere mention of another project would probably have been like hooking a hangnail on a bed sheet.

Finally the opportunity to redo our son's bedroom came around...and I pounced with my project idea. Granted, it's not like he raced down to the hardware store immediately for the paint and supplies. I offered to do all the sanding and painting and much to my own surprise I did the majority of it on my own. I say this because if you know me...you're aware that patience is not my virtue.

So here's how it all went down....

This shelf was a plain birch veneer Wal-Mart bookshelf...probably not the best quality for sanding and painting...but we made it work.

1) We took off all the shelves and I sanded the finish off of the entire piece.

2) I dusted it off and wiped it down with a damp cloth to make sure it was squeaky clean.

3) I painted the shelf, using Behr Paint and Primer in One from The Home Depot. I used a Dove roller brush for a smooth finish and a paint brush to get in the nooks and crannies...I waited until it was dry and then gave it another coat.

4) Once the shelf was all painted my wonderful husband sanded the tops off of 3" PVC pipe caps with low grit sand paper. He attached the caps with liquid nail and generously painted the caps so tired pregnant me wouldn't have to do it.

5) ...the only troublesome spot on this project was the cheap cardboard backing for this bookshelf. The paint started peeling off of it, so at the advice of Home Depot we gave it 3 good coats of Varathane Spar Urethane (water based) to help seal it. Time will tell if it will peel with the wear and tear of an 8 year old boy. If that happens I'll probably just rip the whole back of the shelf off and leave it open against the wall.

No Bake Nutella Cheesecake

They warned me about Pinterest and I should have stayed away...but it's so addicting! This recipe caught my eye, or rather a delicious looking picture of this recipe caught my eye on Pinterest and I had to try it. Warning: It's about addicting as Pinterest itself! My pictures don't do this recipe justice...go to the blog My Baking Addiction to see something a bit more beautified :).

I piped melted white chocolate into the shape of hearts onto a
chilled cookie sheet to make these little hearts.

No Bake Nutella Cheesecake
*adapted from My Baking Addiction

Ingredients
12 Oreo cookies
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese, softened
2/3 c. Nutella
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of hazelnut liqueur (Armaretto is also good)
8 oz. of whipping cream, whipped and chilled
Optional garnish of: chocolate shavings, extra whipped cream, chopped hazelnuts, or in my case 1/2 of a chopped hazelnut milk chocolate bar and white chocolate hearts in honor of Valentine's Day.

Place Oreos in a Ziploc bag and crush. Add melted butter and shake to combine. Divide crumb mixture between serving dishes (I used wine glasses) and press to the bottom to make a crust.

In your mixer combine cream cheese, Nutella, & vanilla extract. Beat until smooth. Gently fold in whipped cream until it is fully incorporated.

Pipe or spoon into serving dishes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Garnish as desired.

It's so easy!

I Scream You Scream We All Scream for... Cookies?

 Looks can be deceiving. And oh so adorable. These little treats are sugar cookies made to look like ice cream. Today I was browsing around looking for Super Bowl recipe ideas when I found this recipe for ice cream scoop sugar cookies. Not very super-bowl oriented...I know, but I just couldn't resist rolling up my sleeves and making these. I experimented a bit with sizes and found that a 1/2 tablespoon rounded measuring spoon made a the perfect size scoop which fit perfectly atop miniature ice cream cones. These cute little creations would be perfect for an April Fool's treat or even a birthday party....or maybe just because you love your kids and you want to make them something fun.

Sugar Cookie Dough

6 c. white flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 c. margarine or butter
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
For Strawberry Ice Cream:
1 small box of strawberry flavored gelatin
freeze dried strawberries (optional)

For Chocolate Ice Cream:
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
2 tbsp. melted semi sweet chocolate


*Before you begin: You're probably going to want to use a stand mixer for this recipe...the dough is pretty thick and a hand mixer probably won't cut it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in your mixer.
In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, and salt and slowly add to the wet mixture. It will seem very dry, but let it whip a few minutes and it should come together. If it's still unworkable you can add a very small splash of milk (think teaspoon size) because you'll want this dough to be on the dry side or the cookies won't set up the way they're supposed to.

Divide your dough into thirds. Place 1/3 of the dough into your mixer and add cocoa powder and melted chocolate. The melted chocolate should add enough moisture to help the cocoa powder blend into the dough. Once that is mixed set it aside, clean your mixing bowl and add another third of the  dough. Add the strawberry gelatin and freeze dried strawberries (if using) and run your mixer until your dough is completely pink and gelatin is fully incorporated.  The remaining third of dough will be your vanilla ice cream.

Scoop out dough, (see note below)  making sure to overfill your scoop a bit so as to make an edge that resembles a scoop of ice-cream. Plop your scoops onto a baking sheet about 2 inches apart and press on some sprinkles. Bake 12-14 minutes (you don't want to have browned ice cream) and cool.

Melt chocolate chips in a small bowl on medium heat in the microwave for about 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between to make sure it is melted. Dip the top of each cone in a bit of chocolate, and, using the back of a spoon smear some more chocolate onto the bottom of scoops to help them stick to your cones.

Once you've mastered the art of ice-cream scoop cookies why not experiment with other flavors...maybe chocolate or mint chip or peanut butter...the possibilities are endless! Have fun enjoying your sweet treats!
***For this recipe I used miniature ice cream cones and a round measuring 1/2 Tablespoon to make my scoops. You could also use a regular ice cream scoop if you planned on putting these on top of regular ice cream cones. I would suggest baking off 1 or 2 before you do a whole batch to see how large they will be after they've baked...that way you don't end up with ginormous scoops that don't fit on your cones.

Mango Chicken Chopped Salad

Last week The Hubby and I were blessed to be able to get away on a 4 day cruise to the Bahamas. It was part 10th anniversary celebration, part babymoon as we're expecting our 3rd child in July. It was wonderful to get away for awhile, but after 4 days of eating cruise food we were ready for some home-cooked detox. Today is Sunday, and in our family, tradition holds that instead of eating whatever mom cooks the boys get to enjoy a giant bowl of cereal for dinner (sometime's it's nice to have a little break from my short order cook duties.) So I figured it was the perfect time to try out this new recipe for Mango Chicken Chopped Salad. The original recipe had a few dislikes like cucumber so I made a few changes from the Coastal Living version (July 2011) and it was thoroughly enjoyed. Said my meat and potato loving husband: "You can make this twice a week." as he finished off the rest of the bowl. We both agreed that this salad is best if very lightly dressed and I'm eager to try it again next week but this time dressed with my recipe for Cilantro Lime Dressing.

Mango Chicken Chopped Salad
adapted from Coastal Living

Ingredients

for the chicken

4 chicken breasts

1/4 c tequila

blackened seasoning

1/4 c. lime juice

for the dressing:

1/4 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. sour cream

2 tsp. lemon zest

2 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp. sugar

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

for the salad:

4 c. chopped red leaf lettuce

2 mangos peeled, pitted, and chopped.

1 red bell pepper finely diced

1/2 c fresh cilantro chopped

1/4 c. chopped red onion

Place chicken in a shallow dish and sprinkle with blackened seasoning (like Zataran's brand) and salt on both sides. Drizzle with tequila and lime juice, tossing to coat. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour.

Grill chicken until cooked through. In the mean time you can chop the ingredients for the salad and whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing.

Let chicken cool and then chop into bite size pieces. Toss together with the mango,pepper, cilantro, lettuce, and onion. Toss with dressing, a little at a time until the desired flavor is reached. We opted for less dressing (about 4 tablespoons) because the ingredients alone are so flavorful.

Enjoy!

Molasses Sugar Cookies

 It's just not Christmas until we've made a batch or two of these delicious spiced cookies. They have a crunchy outside, chewy center, and the aroma of these cookies will fill your house with yummy! They are amazingly simple, keep well, make a wonderful addition to your kid's teacher gifts. That is, if you can hide enough of them from your family to give away. They're also a great cookie for kids to help make as they can help roll the dough into balls and dip them in the colored sugar.

Molasses Sugar Cookies
yield: 6 dozen

Ingredients:


A great gift for friends, neighbors, and teachers in these
cute bags I got from Hobby Lobby.

1 1/2 c. shortening
2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. molasses
2 eggs
4 c. flour
4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt
1 pinch of cardamom (optional)
Christmas colored sugars

Directions:

• Melt shortening in a saucepan and cool. 
• Add to mixer bowl and cream with sugar, eggs, and molasses.
• Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl and slowly add to wet mixture. Mix well.
• Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Roll dough into walnut size balls and roll in colored sugar. Place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until tops appear to crackle (see picture).
• Cool and store in an airtight container.

            

Nutritional Information

Molasses Sugar Cookies

Servings Per Recipe: 72
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 93

• Total Fat: 4.5g
• Cholesterol: 6mg
• Sodium: 105mg
• Total Carbs: 12.7g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.2g
• Protein: 0.9g

VIEW DETAILED NUTRITION

About: Nutrition Info

Peppermint Brownies

Decorating for Christmas got me in the mood to bake something special for dessert tonight. I got this crazy idea to whip up some peppermint flavored buttercream icing and spread it over a batch of brownies. Then I remembered the Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses that I had hiding in my cupboard. Voila! So simple and so fancy I think I might make these for Christmas.

Candy Cane Brownies
for the brownies:
1 box of your favorite brownie mix

for the frosting:
1/4 c. butter
2-21/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
3/4 tsp of peppermint extract
2-3 tbsp. of milk
15 unwrapped Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses

Directions:
Prepare brownies according to package directions. Cool completely.

In the meantime prepare the frosting. Cream butter in mixer until fluffy. Gradually add in powdered sugar, extracts, and milk and whip on medium speed until combined.

Spread frosting onto cooled brownies. Lightly chop the kisses and sprinkle over the top.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spiced Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

You've got to try these! I decided I needed a "fall" themed cupcake and found this awesome Pumpkin Cupcake recipe from Martha Stewart. Because they were a "test batch" of sorts, I quartered the recipe and made these in my miniature cupcake pan, perfect for a bite size treat. I'm definitely going to whip these up again for Halloween. The remaining minis in my refrigerator are definitely going to work with the hubby tomorrow.The month of October is packed with enough sugar on it's own!


Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
recipe Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes about 18 regular cupcakes, and approximately 4 dozen minis

2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 c. packed light brown sugar
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Coat pan with non-stick spray or line with paper liners.
In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together both sugars, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree.

Fill cups about halfway with batter. Bake 20-25 minutes (about 12-15 for miniatures) until tops spring back when touched. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 oz. tub cream cheese      
1/2 c (or 1 stick) unsalted butter
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. powdered sugar

Whip cream cheese and butter until combined and creamy. Add in vanilla and powdered sugar and whip on low speed for 1 minute and on medium-high speed for an addition 3-4 minutes until creamy.

To Decorate:

Tint frosting desired color, I used yellow and red drops to create and orange tint. Pipe onto cupcakes with a frosting bag or a sturdy Ziploc bag with the corner cut off and top each cupcake with a candy corn, or three...:) .

What to do with a leftover veggie tray?

Over the weekend we celebrated Garrison's 2nd birthday with family and friends. It was so much fun. The birthday boy got spoiled rotten and managed through the evening with minimal 2 year old tantrums! The weather was perfect and the flies were horrible! We ate lots of delicious food and enjoyed some extra special cupcakes for dessert. Of course, I over estimated the amount of food we needed and had mounds of leftover's to use up. Tonight I set my sight on making a soup from all the leftover vegetables from the veggie tray. I had several cups of fresh broccoli, cauliflower, and baby carrots.  I channeled some inspiration from a Broccoli Cheese Soup that was hiding in the back of my memory from last fall and mixed that with some pantry (and refrigerator) staples. Voila! Rich & Creamy Vegetable Soup!

Creamy Mixed Vegetable Soup

2 c. each Broccoli & Cauliflower
1 1/2 c. carrots (or baby carrots)
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic
4 c. chicken broth (or 4 c. water with 4 tsp. granulated chicken bouillon)
1/2 c. fat free (or regular) half & half
1 c. milk
1 c. grated Colby Jack (or cheddar) cheese
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. grated black pepper
1/2 c. grated Colby Jack (optional, for garnish)
Fresh Croutons (optional, for garnish)


Add broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots to a large pot. Add broth and salt and bring to a boil. Turn to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. With a slotted spoon remove about 3/4 of the vegetables and place in a blender and puree with half & half. Set aside.

In a saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add diced onion and garlic and cook about 5 minutes or until onion is soft and translucent. Stir in flour to make a roux and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add milk and cheese, stiring well to combine. Mixture will be thick.

 Mix roux into the large pot of remaining vegetables and broth. Stir in the vegetable puree. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh croutons and additional cheese if desired.

Pumpkin Spiced Latte

Did you run to Starbucks as soon as the Pumpkin Spiced Latte became available a couple of weeks ago?  Are you remortgaging your house so that you can afford said "lattes." The hubby and I tested out this recipe tonight and I give it an A+ for being as close to Starbucks as possible. I was so glad to find canned pumpkin, albeit a small can, for less than $2.00 today at Walmart. I've had this recipe in my hands for over a week and I just couldn't find it in me to shell out 3 almost 4 dollars for a can of pumpkin at other stores. Before I share the recipe a few notes: Use 1% or 2% milk and real sugar. After you've tasted this the right way then you can try and lighten it up. Also, you may find the pumpkin puree to be a bit mealy. If it bothers you Torani does make a Pumpkin Spice Syrup. You can replace the puree with the syrup. Without further or do, here is a recipe for a copycat pumpkin spiced latte.

Pumpkin Spiced Latte

2 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 cup 1 % milk

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger brewed espresso or double strength coffee  (I had no idea what a jigger was...but apparently it's the equivalent of a shot glass.)

Whipped cream, whipped topping, or whatever floats your boat :).

Brew your espresso and set aside.

 In a small saucepan over medium heat whisk pumpkin, vanilla, sugar, spice, and milk. Whisk continuously until hot. Do not bring to a boil or your milk will burn.

Place milk in a blender and whir a few minutes or until frothy. Pour into a mug and top with your jigger of espresso. Stir to combine and top with whipped cream. Enjoy!

At this rate you may still have money left over for Christmas shopping by the time fall is over.