Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins

Today I'm Making.... Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins

Yesterday the family went out to run errands, my husband was out of work and decided he would pack the baby bag. All was good until we were out and I realized that his lovely well packed bag had been forgotten at home. So... with a two year old we had to stop for a snack. He wanted muffins, which made me want muffins. All we could find were store bought blueberry and they were... how to put this nicely... gross. So I decided the next day to try my hand at some blueberry muffins, since at this point I had been craving them for 24 hours. The ones I made were SO much better. Here's the recipe I used:

Recipe: Makes 12 muffins

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Beat 2 Eggs, while mixing add in 1 cup white sugar (or 1/2 white, 1/2 brown), add 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.
3. In another bowl mix together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda,
4. Mix 1 cup frozen blueberries into the dry ingredients (this helps them from all sinking to the bottom when it is all mixed together.
5. pour the dry ingredients into the wet and add 1 cup sour cream, mix well.
6. Grease muffin tin and fill it up with the mix- cook at 400 for 20 minutes.

Review:

These muffins are so much better then the store bought yuck-fest. These are very good, not TOO sweet and very tasty. I will certainly be making these again.

Chicken and Dumplings

Today I'm Making... Chicken and Dumplings

I am southern. Okay I confess I wasn't born in the south and every time I go to school I tend to go somewhere ungodly cold but at heart I am southern and I always come back here. I really like southern food but for the most part I don't cook it, it's probably a combination of 1) not knowing any recipes, 2) being too embarrassed to buy THAT much butter, and 3) worrying that I will start qualifying for the biggest loser if I eat too much. Well I found this recipe, and it only requires 2 tablespoons of butter! You will need a slow cooker.

Recipe: (makes enough for probably 6 people)

1. Add to Slow cooker: 4 chicken breasts (the best is if they are slightly frozen), 2 tablespoons butter, 2 10.75 oz cans of cream of chicken soup (do low sodium or it really starts to add up) and 1/2 an onion chopped finely. Fill the slow cooker with low sodium chicken broth until chicken is completely submerged. Cook for 4-6 hours on low until the chicken pulls apart (like BBQ pulled chicken).
2. Pull the Chicken apart and add 2 rolls of refrigerated biscuit dough (cut each biscuit into 3 parts and squish them thin so the "noodles" aren't too thick) Cook for 1 more hour on low. Make sure you push down the biscuits a few times so that they get fully cooked.

Review:

This is a great comfort food, like a heartier chicken noodle soup. The biscuits really do turn into the consistency of noodles. I didn't use low sodium anything and it was a mistake (granted I am really sensitive to the taste of salt), if it wasn't for that however I would have LOVED this recipe. I will be making this again for sure. It took awhile to make but nothing about it was hard to do and if you are home anyway it really wasn't a big deal.

Pie Crust

Today I'm Making... Pie Crust

I have always thought that some day I would make a pie crust... but that someday always seemed far away. I just do the typical go to freezer section pie crust, it's easy and good. Well I was looking over the shelf the other day and a guy who worked at the grocery store came up to see if I needed any help. We got into a conversation and he told me his wife makes a great homemade pie crust that is easy to make (5 minutes). He ended up taking me into the back so we could call his wife, she gave me the family recipe over the phone. Here it goes:

Recipe: (Makes 1- 9 inch pie crust)

1. Mix together: 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon white sugar, a pinch of salt.
2. Add 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons milk. Roll it into a ball.
3. put the ball in the middle of the pie pan and mush it out with your fingers until it looks the like the pie crust you buy at the store. You don't need to roll it out.

Review:

This was so much easier then i thought it would be. It really did only take me 5 minutes and if anything it was better then the ones I get at the store (and significantly cheaper). I made it into pumpkin pie (my brothers favorite). I didn't pre-bake it before putting the filling in and it was perfect.

* if you are going to make something savory (like a quiche) change the recipe to have: 2 teaspoons of sugar and a full teaspoon of salt instead of what this recipe says.

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Today I'm Making... Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

I love cookies, I want to find a good recipe for all major types of cookies. It takes awhile to find the right recipe- I am picky because I want perfection. These cookies remind me of Christmas parties. Since I am not going to any Christmas parties and I thought my son would get a kick out these we decided to make these on a cold, snowy Saturday afternoon.

Recipe: (makes 24 cookies)

1. Blend 1/2 cup softened butter (one stick) with 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter- blend with a hand mixer until creamy.
2. Add 1/2 cup packed brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar mix again with the hand mixer until it starts to fluff up a bit.
3. Add 1 egg, 2 tablespoons milk and one teaspoon vanilla extract and mix it up.
4. In another bowl mix together 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/8 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix that all the dry ingredients together well.
5. Pour the dry ingredients slowly into the wet while mixing with the electric mixer- if you have a hand one then you will probably need a buddy- I had to use my 2 year old which was an adventure.
6. Form the dough into 1 inch balls- I used about a tablespoon in each. place them on a cookie sheet- they don't spread out very much so you can have them about 1 inch apart.
7. Bake at 375 for 12 minutes.
8. While they are baking unwrap your kisses (or other chocolate candy)- you have to put them on top of the cookies right when they get out of the oven- just mush them into the middle gently. After you do this put the cookies on the cooling rack and leave them alone- the chocolate stays soft for a long time (hour +) so don't touch them or they will stop looking like kisses.

Review:

I fail at cookies more then anything else I make which makes me not very confident- but these are a winning recipe. They tasted exactly like I imagined they would. You can sprinkle the top with granulated sugar to make them look fancier- I didn't do this but it's an option. I would recommend eating at least one while the chocolate is soft- the whole cookie will melt in your mouth. These look impressive and would make great gifts. I will no doubt be making these again.

Mini Frittatas

Today I' Making... Mini Frittatas

This is another thing I came up with while trying to find something for an office breakfast. I think individual portions are always a good idea with a crowd of people. These are also good because you can add or subtract ingredients in any or all of the servings based on who will be eating them (vegetarians etc). I think next time I will make these with bacon... because everything is better with bacon.

Recipe:

1. Preheat Oven to 350 and grease a muffin tray – This makes 12 servings.
2. In a bowl whisk together 6 eggs, ½ cup of milk, a pinch of salt and a little (1/8 a teaspoon) pepper (I also added a bit of blackening seasoning for good measure)
3. Add 2/3 cup chopped zucchini; ¼ cup chopped red bell pepper, ¼ cup sautéed yellow onion and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
4. Take a ¼ cup measuring cup and scoop one into each muffin cup- this way they all end up the same size
5. Bake for 20 minutes. To get them out of the tray run a knife around the edge of each muffin.

Review:

I have a confession, I never actually got to try one of these. Everyone at my husband's office liked them so much there was nothing left. I did get asked for the recipe, so I am going to take that as this is a winning recipe. I love how easy it is to change it up, even if you only wanted to add bacon, garlic, spinach, feta or anything to even one or two you could do that. This is also a low carbohydrate meal if that is important to you or the people you are feeding.

Mini Pecan Muffins

Today I'm Making... Mini Pecan Muffins

While searching for ideas to make for my husbands office breakfast I decided to focus on individual sized foods (as opposed to something big like a quiche). My husband wanted something "christmasy" so when I came across a pecan muffin it seemed perfect! they are bite sized so you don't have to feel too guilty and there are only 5 ingredients! These alone might have inspired me to host a brunch so I can show them off!

Recipe:

1. Grease (I used Bakers Joy) a mini muffin tray and preheat oven to 350 (I only have one of these muffin sheets and it makes 18 muffins so I had to cook two batches- if you have to do that make sure the tray is completely cool before you put in round 2 or they will cook unevenly)
2. In a bowl stir together 1 cup of light brown sugar, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup of chopped pecans.
3. In another bowl mix together 2/3 cups softened butter and 2 eggs until smooth.
4. Mix the two bowls together- mix until JUST combined
5. Bake for 20 minutes at 350- when done cool them on a wire rack.

Review:

These are amazing little suckers and they look as impressive as they taste! My husband said he was walking around his office after the breakfast and overheard people raving about them. They were so good I had to type up the recipe because he was asked so many times for it. I will certainly be making these again... like for every party I go to from now on!

Chocolate Walnut Pie

Today I'm Making... Chocolate Walnut Pie

I love Thanksgiving and even though I had a small group this year I couldn't help but make the same amount of food I usually do. Needless to say I think I have eaten 3 entire Thanksgiving dinners so far and I still have food left. This year was the first year I have made a dessert- usually I have guests bring dessert while I make dinner. I decided to do something out of my comfort zone (pumpkin pie/ cheese cake) and make something unlike anything I have made before, chocolate walnut pie!

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Beat together (I used a hand mixer) 3 eggs, 2/3 cup white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup light corn syrup, 1/3 cup melted butter.
3. Soften 1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave and add it to the mixture, then add 1 cup walnuts (you can substitute pecans if you like them better).
4. Pour Mixture into a unbaked deep dish pie crust (I use pre-made, eventually I will learn to make my own).
5. Bake for 45 minutes. I had never made a pie with this consistency before (like pecan pie) but from what I could tell you want it to start to set up and then when you take it out of oven and it will continue to set up and will only finish once you put it in the fridge. Don't overcook it because the crust will start to burn. You need to let this pie sit in the fridge overnight before eating it for it to have the right texture.

Review: Writing this blog made me crave this pie so much I had to get up and take a break for a slice half way through! It's really good, but very rich so I recommend having small slices. This is a fun twist on a traditional pie and was a great addition to our Holiday feast.

Taco Salad Shells

Today I'm Making... Taco Salad Shells

Now I realize this isn't much of a recipe... but it's a super fun way to jazz up a normal dinner. I feel like it's really easy to fall into a rut with food- we get good at a few things and it's just easier and faster to make those. If one of your go to meals is tacos, burritos or fajitas I would recommend trying this instead of normal shells and it will seem like a whole new meal.

Recipe:

1. Preheat your oven to 350

2. Place oven safe bowls face down on a baking sheet, spray the outside of the bowls with cooking spray (I used olive oil)

3. Take Large Burrito sized soft tortillas (I used whole wheat) and place one over each bowl. I let them sit out for a while before doing this because they didn't want to bend right.

4. Bake for about 15 minutes- check them, it depends greatly on the type of shell you use (my cooking time was actually closer to 20 minutes). You want them to be somewhat crispy or they won't hold their shape.

Review:

They don't taste like the ones in restaurants because they aren't deep fried so don't expect that. They are very good and give the taco salad a crunch while not adding tons of fat. I will be making these again- my son even wanted to try some and he never wants to try anything.

For the salad I had- mixed greens, black beans (which I cooked with taco seasoning), diced tomatoes, onion, cheese, sour cream and marinated steak and a little ranch dressing.

Popcorn Balls

Today I'm Making... Popcorn Balls.

I have been craving these for awhile now but fearful of making the candy coating, I've put it off. It seems like such a fall food- popcorn and caramel and since I didn't get any while I was at the fair I thought I should make some for myself. This is pretty much as far from diet food as you can get- so be warned, but it's so tasty I am willing to put the recipe out of my head while eating it. It's like eating fresh crackerjacks- watch out for fillings it's a little sticky- but if you cook it to the right temperature it shouldn't be too bad.

Recipe:

1. Mix 1 cup white sugar with 1/2 cup Corn Syrup and 1 stick of butter (1/4 a cup) into a small sauce pan- cook it until it reaches 300 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer you can do the "crackle test"- drizzle the mixture over ice water- if it turns stringy and hard when it hits the water then it's ready (If it's globby or soft it's not ready so keep cooking).
2. Pop 8-10 cups of popcorn set it aside in a large bowl
3. Take the candy mixture off the heat once it's gotten up to 300 degrees- add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
4. Pour the candy over the popcorn- mix it all together and let it sit until it is cool enough to handle- don't wait too long or you will be eating it out of the bowl because when it hardens there is no turning back. I think next time I will probably mix everything up and then scoop it onto parchment paper to cool a bit so it is less likely to harden in the bowl. When you can handle it you can roll it into balls- the recipe says it makes 5- 3 inch balls but it looks like it could have made more.

Review: This recipe ends up tasting just like cracker jacks (especially if you add peanuts). Something to remember this is not a recipe you probably want to make with children- the syrup gets really hot. I have 2 children who both broke down right as I put the syrup over the popcorn- needless to say I will be eating mine right out of the bowl :)

Chicken Casserole

Today I'm Making.... Chicken Casserole

Sometimes I look into my pantry and fridge and I have no idea what to make. I have so many components but my brain won't focus on what I can make with them. Well I made up this recipe on the spot just poking around in my cupboards and veggie bin. The recipe can be changed to include anything you have. It actually didn't occur to me to post it here because it seemed so random but my husband said it was so good that I had to. So here goes...

Recipe:

1. Cook 1 pound pasta, I used whole wheat penne pasta. Make sure not to overcook it because you are going to put it in the oven at the end and you don't want it to end up mushy.
2. In a bowl mix 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (I used the type with 1/3 less sodium), about 1/2 a cup of milk, and chopped veggies ( I used mushrooms, corn, celery and onion). Stir in a can of chicken- I used one of the big cans 12.5 ounces- and I rinsed it first to get some of the sodium off of it. You could also use rotisserie chicken- but I was trying to use things right out of my pantry.
3. In a casserole dish mix the pasta and the other mixture, stir in 1/2 cup of Shredded cheese (I used cheddar), top with a little cheese and Panko bread crumbs.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes

Review:

My husband's response was "I don't know what you put in that, but I swear I could eat the whole pan". I really liked it, it's super easy and super flexible to what you have on hand. It seems like it will be a good thing for lunch the next day. I will certainly be making this again.

Brownies

Today I'm Making... Brownies

I love cooking but my kitchen it grossly understocked. I don't have the scoops, mixers, knives, pans or even the bakeware to make cooking easy. My husband recently made me buy a new cookie sheet because mine was so old everything stuck to it, I swear plain butter would have stuck to it.

I decided to make brownies because it was another one of those things I didn't realize you could make without a mix from the store. This is all well and good except that the only pan I had was a round cake pan. I was trying to figure out the area of the pan to make sure it was close enough to the size the recipe called for. Yeah that's right I had to use pi(r)2 to bake... I can't even figure out how to type the symbol for pi if that's any indication for how well that little exercise went. Well after 10 minutes, a calculator and Google I finally figured it out. Luckily 25 minutes later I had a plate of brownies to drown out my feelings of ineptitude.

Recipe:

1. In a sauce pan melt 1/2 cup Butter then remove from heat.
2. Mix in 1 cup sugar, 2 lightly beaten eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.
3. Bake in a 8 x 8 greased pan for 25 minutes at 350 degrees

Review:

I love chocolate and therefore I love these! I halved the amount of butter and added 1/4 cup of applesauce in it's place, I also added chopped pecans- both of which gave the brownies a slightly different taste then the base recipe but I really like them this way too. I recommend them served warm with ice cream. These are better then the mixes found at the store and honestly they took about the same amount of time to make.

Stuffed Shells

Today I'm Making... Stuffed Shells

I love Italian food but I very rarely make it. Really I am just about limited to pasta with spaghetti sauce. So I am going to try and branch out, I figure as long as there is garlic and cheese how bad could it really be? Well my husband asked for this specifically so I am starting with stuffed shells.

Recipe:

1. 1. Prepare Jumbo Shells according to the package- mine said 14 minutes, I cooked them for 12 and they came out perfectly. Drain and put them directly into really cold water (I used ice water) to stop them from cooking anymore.
2. Filling: 2 1/2 cups of cottage cheese (if you don't like cottage cheese use ricotta), 10 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, 2 Lightly beaten eggs, 3 cloves minced garlic (if you like garlic- if not cut it down or use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder instead), 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil. Mix it well and put all the filling in a large plastic zipper bag- cut the corner off the bag and use it like a pastry bag to fill the shells.
3. I used 3 medium pyrex glass containers to cook them in because they are really easy to store. Put a layer of sauce on the bottom of the container(s), place the shells opening up, fill them with the filling, cover with a layer of Spaghetti sauce (I use jarred), sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes- until it's bubbly. After it's done let it sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Review:

This turned out way better then I thought it would. I was skeptical of the cottage cheese but it doesn't taste like it when it's cooked with everything else. Both my husband and I had seconds and he is planning on taking it to work for lunch tomorrow. This would be a really great meal to make ahead and freeze or to bring someone who is sick or with a new baby because they can just throw it in the oven. I will be making this again- next time I might add spinach or meat but I did like this one just how it was.

Sauteed Mushrooms

Today I'm Making... Sauteed Mushrooms

As I have said before I am a huge fan of grilling and on days where I am not up to cooking something with a lot of prep time I put some meat in a marinade and then throw it on the grill. Well this is all well and good but it occurred to me today that I could spice up this go to plan with a simple topping for the meat. If you have ever been to a hibachi restaurant and had steak it probably came with mushrooms mixed in, well this recipe makes that sort of mushroom. It's easy and makes a huge difference to the taste and presentation of the meal.

Recipe:

1. Melt 2 Tablespoons of Butter in a sauce pan
2. Add 8 ounces (one container) of sliced white mushrooms, let cook for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms start softening.
3. Add 2 cloves Garlic chopped, cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Add 2 teaspoons soy sauce (I used ginger soy sauce), cook for 5 more minutes until the juices have come out of the mushrooms.

Review: I put these mushrooms over grilled steak, when my husband ate it his response was "have you ever thought of becoming a chef?"... which he then followed up with "are female cooked called chefs?"... but that is neither here nor there. I loved how these turned out. It is little tricks like this recipe that make at home meals feel more like a night out at a restaurant. Which when you have two children like I do is actually doable!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Today I'm Making... Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I love Autumn, it's by far my favorite season. A large part of the greatness is of course the food. It seems that the dishes start becoming warmer, spicier and richer, the only thing unhappy about that is my waistline but it is so worth it. My husband is in charge of bringing breakfast tomorrow for his breakfast club and it is the first one with the cooler weather so we needed a recipe to celebrate autumn. What is more fall like then something with pumpkin, cinnamon and chocolate? They came out AMAZINGLY. The recipe makes 12 muffins.

Recipe:

1. Mix together wet ingredients: 3/4 cups brown sugar, 1/4 cup canola oil, 2 eggs, 1 cup Pureed Pumpkin (make sure it's pure pumpkin- not the stuff with sugar and spice already mixed in), 1/4 cup water.
2. In another bowl mix dry ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, mix in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.
3. Mix the two bowls together, the batter should fill 12 muffin tins- there isn't a lot of added fat in this recipe so make sure you grease the pan well or use paper so they don't stick.
4. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Review:

These are wonderful muffins- we doubled the recipe since they were made for a crowd. I can't wait to hear the reviews. I wouldn't change anything about them except next time I am making a whole batch just for my family!

Peanut Butter Noodles

Today I’m making… Peanut Butter Noodles

I admit I have been a little MIA lately. Sometimes parenthood gets in the way of things we like to do for ourselves (this blog) in the name of our children. My son was really sick but no worries, he is now he is back to his crazy self so I am back to blogging. I picked this recipe because I love peanut butter and wanted to try something besides sandwiches with the main ingredient of peanut butter. It stores well, can be used as either a side dish or main dish and can be changed up easily with the addition of protein and vegetables.

Recipe:

1. Cook 8 ounces of Udon Noodles according to the package… mine took 4 minutes in a big pot of boiling water.
2. Sauce: ½ a cup of chicken broth, 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh ginger, 3 tablespoons Soy sauce (I used ginger soy sauce), 1 1/2 tablespoon Honey, 3 tablespoons Peanut Butter (I used creamy/ no sugar added), 3 cloves Minced Garlic, 1 teaspoon Chili Powder. – Mix everything together over medium heat until the sauce gets creamy.
3. Put the noodles in the sauce and mix it together. Garnish with whole peanuts.
4. Additions: I put in some pan cooked Chicken, I would have liked to have had broccoli but I didn’t have any.

Review: This was good but make sure you like peanut butter before you make it. I accidentally added too much chicken stock so I had to add some extra peanut butter, honey and corn starch to thicken it up. I had a lot of sauce but there is nothing wrong with that! This is a great way to change up traditional peanut butter.

Stuffed Peppers

Today I'm Making... Stuffed Peppers

I love the farmers market, everything tastes so much better then the produce you find at most grocery stores. This last weekend we brought my 2 month old for the first time and discovered what an adventure it is being in a crowded area with two children and many aisles for a two year old to disappear into. My husband and I had to take turns watching the kids and picking out what we were going to buy. My husband who loves spicy foods was in charge of peppers. Well, when we got home I discovered he bought two bell peppers which he doesn't even like all that much... this is why I usually do the grocery shopping. Well I wanted to make something he would enjoy so I decided to fill them with meat :). Here's the recipe I made up for stuffed peppers... there are a lot of opportunities for substitutions so use it as a jumping off point.

Recipe:

1. I used 2 bell peppers the recipe for the filling would probably fit 4 better. I had one yellow and one red but again any color would work. Cut them in half and scoop out everything inside. Put them in boiling water for 2 minutes, take them immediately out and "shock" them in a bath of ice water. Set them aside.
2. Filling: brown 3/4 pound ground turkey, add 3 cloves of chopped garlic, 1/4 of a medium onion chopped. Add 1.5 cups of cooked barley (you can substitute brown or white rice) and 1/2 a jar of pasta sauce. I added in some chopped raw carrots and celery I had sitting around but it isn't necessary. mix it all together.
3. Fill the Bell Peppers with the filling and top it with cheese- I used a mixture of shredded cheddar and Parmesan. Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Review:

These were great and an excellent way to incorporate some veggies in a different way. My husband said these were the best stuffed peppers he has ever had. If you are looking for a low glycemic food (doesn't effect your blood sugar greatly) this is a good recipe for you but make sure you use barley instead of rice.

Pulled Buffalo Chicken

Today I'm Making... Pulled Buffalo Chicken

My husband and I agree on most things but one thing we have always differed on is our favorite flavors in food. He LOVES spicy, he is the type of guy that adds hot sauce to everything. I go more towards sweet foods. Well, since it is football Sunday today I decided to make a recipe catering to him. He loves buffalo chicken and I have never attempted to make it. This however isn't traditional fried buffalo chicken but instead a slow cooker pulled chicken version. While it is spicy, I was able to comfortably able to eat it and I'm a wuss. This recipe is about as easy as it comes.

Recipe:

1. Put 3 or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts in a slow cooker


2. Cover the chicken with about 10 ounces of your favorite bottled wing sauce and 1/2 cup chicken broth


3. Cook on Low for about 5 hours.. my slow cooker runs hot so mine only took 4 hours.


4. When the chicken is done enough you will be able to pull it apart easily with a fork, after you pull it all apart add a tablespoon of butter and let it cook for another 30 minutes and it's done... I told you it was easy :)

Review:

My husband really liked it. We ate it on toasted Ciabatta bread with blue cheese dressing and chopped celery. It is a great Sunday Football food and would be a big hit with a crowd. You can amp up the heat by adding more wing sauce in those last 30 minutes but I didn't want to put it out of my comfort zone in terms of heat. I have a feeling my husband will be asking for this again in the future.

Oatmeal Cookies

Today I'm Making... Oatmeal Cookies

Uncle David came over to help out with the kids today. Ryan LOVES Uncle David and I thought it would be a fun activity for them to make cookies. I wanted to pick a recipe that I had all the ingredients for but was also something my brother would eat (he doesn't like chocolate chip... yeah I don't know what the issue is, it makes me question our genetic link). So I decided on a simple oatmeal cookie, warning: it's recommended you let the batter sit in the fridge for an hour before cooking.. so if you are in a hurry this might not be the recipe for you (I only put them in the fridge for about 15 minutes and they tasted just fine to me) here's how we did it:

Recipe:

1. In a bowl Mix: 2 sticks of softened butter (which is equal to one cup- I know it's a lot but at least it makes a lot of cookies) with 1 cup white sugar with 1 cup of brown sugar. Stir in 2 beaten eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
2. In another bowl mix 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt and 1.5 teaspoons of cinnamon.
3. Mix both bowls together and add 3 cups quick cook oatmeal (I used 5 minute steel cut because that's what I had, they didn't end up looking like the oatmeal cookies I'm used to but they were still good). Put the batter in the fridge for an hour.
4. Bake at 375 for 11 minutes- you can do as little as 9 minutes but I like mine a little more well done.

Review: These are good, I will probably make them again, though if Uncle David isn't here I will likely add chocolate chips. They taste just like cinnamon raisin cookies minus the raisins. I ended up liking them more after they had cooled completely as opposed to the one I had warm- maybe it was a texture thing. These cookies would make excellent ice cream sandwiches, just put a scoop of vanilla ice cream in between two of them!

Chicken Pot Pie

Today I'm Making... Chicken Pot Pie

Most nights after toddler dinner, baths, bottle, PJs and bedtime Don and I end up having pretty simple dinners- throw something on the grill, with a side of a veggie and a carb. Well today wasn’t one of those days so I decided to make a more preparation intensive/ comfort food. If you have never had a homemade chicken pot pie you are missing out big time- it tastes nothing like the frozen stuff and the best part about making your own is you can control exactly what you want in it. Here is my version but know that you could add corn, potatoes, different seasonings etc.

Recipe:

1. In a saucepan put 1 cup chopped carrots, 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1 cup frozen peas and 1 pound of raw cubed chicken breast. Put enough water in the pan to cover everything and bring it to a boil. Cover and let it boil for 15 minutes. When done, drain it.

2. Sauce: in another sauce pan add 1/3 cup of butter to 1/3 cup of chopped onion, cook until the onions turn translucent. Add to the mixture 1/3 cup of all purpose flour. (This is the point where I thought I did something wrong... it started looking like dough… but fear not, it all turns out okay). Add 1 cup milk and 2 cups chicken broth. Mix really well, try and get as many clumps as you can out. Add 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, a pinch of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring the mixture to a slow boil and take it off the heat when it starts to thicken up.

3. Mix the contents of both saucepans together so the sauce coats evenly.

4. You need 2 deep dish pie shells, put one of them in the oven for 6 minutes at 400 degrees, let the other one thaw at room temperature.

5. Use the cooked pie shell as the bottom of the pie, pour in the filling. Cover with the thawed pie crust… I admit when I was doing this it fell apart… in about 12 pieces…. But I patched it back together and after it baked you couldn’t even tell. Brush the top with 1 beaten egg and poke it with a fork so it doesn’t turn into a balloon which will lead to you having to clean your oven.

6. Bake for 35 minutes at 375

Review:

This pot pie is amazing. My husband is a big fan but I’m afraid he will never eat the frozen version again (though really I don't blame him). It wasn't greasy or too salty like the frozen ones.

I ended up with extra filling that I might cover with biscuit dough and bake for a quick/easy version of pot pie tomorrow at lunch...

*Update: I decided to make my mini version with the leftovers and it was great!!! I set it up in a ramekin, put One piece of refrigerated biscuit dough on top, brushed it with a beaten egg and baked it at 375 for 30 minutes. This would make a great dinner party food! See below for a picture.

Pancakes

Today I’m Making… Pancakes

Sometimes I forget that everything can be made from scratch. I have grown up with the box of pancake mix, in my head all pancakes come from a box. Last night I was thinking about it and realized it was probably like cake mix… you are just buying a bag of pre-mixed dry ingredients with preservatives to make them last, it almost always turns out better if you do it yourself (and it only takes about 2 minutes longer). Also, if you ever bake you probably have all the ingredients already in your pantry. So I decided to try out scratch made pancakes this morning. They ended up being super fluffy and everyone loved them, even my super picky 2 year old! No more boxed pancakes for our family! *The next morning when we asked my son what he wanted for breakfast his response was "moms pancakes!"... a good sign for this recipe.

Recipe:

1. Mix ¾ cup of milk with 2 tablespoons of White vinegar… I know what you are thinking, but I swear you can’t taste the vinegar and this is what makes the pancakes so fluffy. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes.
2. In another bowl mix 1 cup of flour, 2 tablespoons white sugar, 1 teaspoon Baking powder, ½ teaspoon Baking Soda, ½ teaspoon salt
3. Add 1 Egg to the milk mixture- whisk it
4. Mix everything together until all the lumps are gone- cook it up.

Review:

These pancakes are super fluffy. They are of course best right out of the pan. Usually you see the pancakes are ready to flip when they start to form little bubbles… that didn’t happen for me with this recipe. I flipped when one side was brown, just don’t have the pan too hot or they won’t cook all the way through. This is a basic recipe, in the future I will try them out with some add-ins. I'll post if I come up with anything good!

Baked Pork Chops

Today I'm Making.... Baked Pork Chops

When I was in high school my biology teacher told me a really gross story about pork and I refused to eat it for years. I have since moved on and gotten over the trauma of the story but I have never before tried anything remotely creative with pork. I either put it in a simple marinade or just throw it on the grill. Well all that has now changed thanks to this recipe. These baked pork chops remind me of a non-greasy version of chicken fried steak and being the southern girl I am that suites me just fine.

Recipe:

1. Put some oil (I used olive) in a skillet and start it on medium/ high heat
2. Take 3 or 4 pork chops and pat them dry with a paper towel
3. Sprinkle them with Garlic Powder and Poultry seasoning (honestly though the sauce is pretty strong so I’m not sure you can even taste this seasoning)
4. Prepare three dipping bowls: #1 - 1 Egg (beaten), #2- All-Purpose Flour #3- Bread Crumbs (I used plain Panko bread crumbs because that’s what I had)
5. Dip the pork chop in the egg, then in the flour, then back in the egg and finally into the bread crumbs.
6. Fry ‘em up in the hot pan… it doesn’t have to be cooked all the way through, your goal here is just to brown the crust. Cook them on each side for 5 minutes.
7. Take them out of the skillet and put them in a 9x13 baking dish- put them in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
8. Sauce: (mix them in a bowl) One can of Condensed Cream of Mushroom soup (10 ¾ ounces) ½ cup milk (I used 2%), 1/3 cup white wine (I used Pinot Grigio- I suppose you could use anything)
9. Pour the sauce over pork chops and bake for another 30 minutes. (Check the internal temperature- pork should be at least 155 in my book). When it hits that temperature you are done. Enjoy!

Review:

These are great, the sauce is tangy (make sure you scoop out any extra sauce for dipping the pork into… no need to waste the good stuff). The sauce also ensures that the pork is juicy which in my experience is sometimes lost with other cooking methods. This would be great if you are having guests over because you can throw them in the oven for those last 30 minutes and get everything else ready then just pull them out of the oven and serve when the guests arrive.

Cashew Broccoli

Today I’m Making… Cashew Broccoli

When I was a preschool teacher there was a requirement in our school that parents had to pack a lunch with a protein, a carbohydrate and a veggie or fruit. Since those days I have made all my complete meals with these components (yeah that doesn’t include the nights I have a bowl of Mac and Cheese or a bowl of cheerios). My issue is that the veggie is almost always just a steamed vegetable- either fresh or frozen. Corn, broccoli, peas etc… after years of this it has gotten kind of old. So this broccoli recipe is me breaking out of that little rut.

Recipe:

1. Steam 1 ½ pounds of broccoli florets- I used frozen because it was easier to get my hands on, and I can stock up which means I will make the recipe more often. When they are done steaming (make sure there is still some crunch to them) put them on the dish you plan to serve them on.
2. Sauce: in a sauce pan mix and bring to a boil:

• ¼ cup butter
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce (I used low sodium ginger soy sauce)
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 2 cloves of minced garlic

3. Chop up 1/3 cup of salted cashews and add them to the sauce

4. Pour the sauce over the broccoli and let it sit for a few minutes so the broccoli can soak up some of the saucy goodness. Serve.

Review: This tastes a lot like the cashew chicken (minus the chicken) that you get at Chinese restaurants. This is a great way to change up a vegetable- and will likely cause you to eat more broccoli then you normally would.

BBQ Glazed Meatballs

Today I’m Making… BBQ Glazed Meatballs

The NFL is back this week, my husbands favorite time of year. The season starting gives me a great opportunity to try out some new ‘party’ foods. This week my brother and his girlfriend came over so I had more guinea pigs to try things out on. I am going to try and make something ever week of the season that we stay in to watch the game. Since it was the first week I made three new recipes… two of which turned out really well (BBQ meatballs and Cashew Broccoli), the other was just okay (German Potato Salad). I’ll start off with the meatballs. I have a history of making really terrible meatballs so I was skeptical, but how are you going to get better if you don’t try? These turned out excellent and would be a really great passed appetizer/ party food.

The Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large bowl mix:

· 1 ½ pounds ground beef

· 1 egg, beaten

· 1 cup quick cook oatmeal- I used 5 minute Quaker oats

· 6 ½ ounces of evaporated milk (I had a 12 ounce can so I just eyeballed about ½)

· Pinch of Salt

· A bit of pepper- maybe ¼ tsp

· ½ tsp garlic powder

· 1 tablespoon of chili powder

· ½ cup of chopped onion (make sure the pieces are small or it will be hard to make the meatballs round)

3. Kneed all the ingredients together… I use my hands but make sure to take off your rings or they get gross and you are picking raw meat out of your jewelry.

4. Roll the meat into meatball sized balls- 1 ½ inches I would say… it makes a lot but they are tasty! Put them on an oiled cookie sheet.

5. Cover them in BBQ sauce. I could have made my own but I didn’t. I used the bottled stuff- make sure it's the sweet stuff not vinegar based.

6. Bake for an hour.

Review:

These are tasty; I wouldn’t change much about them. I do have to warn you that they stuck to the pan, hopefully my dish soap acts like it does in the commercials and they will just wipe clean (not likely), but the meatballs are well worth whatever effort is required in cleanup.

Guacamole

Today I'm Making... Guacamole

Guest Blogger: Uncle David

So it's game day and that means we are making snacks for a crowd. First up is Guacamole, which is actually really easy (I am not nearly the cook my sister is and I can still throw this recipe together in about 5-10 minutes). This is a good recipe to play around with, for instance, I love cilantro so I always put a little bit more of that in my recipes. If you want it a little bit spicier, add some more peppers (habanero is a good pepper to use in guacamole too) or a hot salsa. I am a huge fan of Chipotle Guacamole and this recipe is closer to that than any pre-made guacamole I have ever gotten from a grocery store.

In a food processor add the following ingredients:

• 2 Hass Avocados (obviously just the meat, remove the peel and pit)
• 1 Jalapeno Pepper (take the seeds out)
• The juice from 1 lime
• Half of 1 large cilantro bunch (chop it up yourself or make sure the processor chops it up small)
• 1 scoop of Jack's Special Medium Salsa (which is my favorite salsa, feel free to use your own favorite or you could make your own pico de gallo).

Blend it all together and then add salt to taste (I added between 1-2 teaspoons). It is better to add a little bit at a time, you can always add more.

Every time I make this it comes out a little different: this one was pretty cilantro heavy (I added 3/4 of a bunch), but it was good. Today we just used it as a dip, but it is also great in burritos or any other Mexican dishes. Enjoy!

Banana Crumb Muffins

Today I'm Making.... Banana Crumb Muffins

I am hosting a playdate tomorrow morning and needed a snack that would appeal to three 2 year old boys and their moms. My first thought was blueberry muffins, because everyone likes those... but then I thought about three 2 year old boys, blueberries and my living room furniture and decided against it. I have made these banana muffins once before for my husband's office with success. If this batch is a hit, I think this might be my go to breakfast for a crowd recipe.

The Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease the muffin cups, or line with muffin papers... I do paper, I can't deal when they stick.

2. Mix all the 'dry' ingredients in one mixing bowl:

• 1 1/2 cups all- purpose flour
• 1 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Salt

3. Mix all the 'wet' ingredients in another bowl:

• 1 egg beaten
• 3 ripe bananas (peel them then mush them with a fork)
• 3/4 cups white sugar
• 1/3 cup melted butter (make sure it is melted not just softened)
• Splash of REAL vanilla extract

4. Mix the two bowls together- my brother described the mixture as looking like egg drop soup. The mixture will make 12 good sized muffins.

5. Crumb Topping: Mix the ingredients until it looks like sand... it will taste good no matter what so don't worry if you can't get it looking great. Sprinkle the topping over the muffins. *after making the topping I had about 2x too much so you can halve the recipe to avoid waste.

• 2 tablespoons Flour
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter (softened- not melted)

6. Bake: 18-22 minutes, mine took 20 but I have an old oven so make sure you check them because your cooking time could be different. In case you don't know - check them by sticking a fork or toothpick in the center of the muffin if it pulls out clean they are done.

Review:

These muffins are amazing. The bananas make them really moist, they aren't too sweet and the crumb topping really pushes them to the next level. If I wasn't making these for a playdate I would have added some sort of nut (walnuts or pecans) but they are great even without them.