Garlic Roll Ups

I made Garlic Roll Ups last night to go with our pasta dinner. They were yummy! To show you what a novice cooker I am I did not know they sold frozen bread dough at the grocery store. It makes sense they would but I had never put it together. So I bought a bag and extremely excited to try some new recipes with it. The bread was good, better then any Grands biscuit if I must say so myself. I got the recipe from one of my favorite blogs Clover Lane I love this woman's philosophy on just about everything! Check her out if you have time.

Mini Baked Apple Pies...

I made these last night...boy were the yummy! Also super easy and I had all the ingredients on hand! These are a must try...perfect for a small portion or for little kids!

New Recipes

Since I have been breastfeeding all I have been doing is eating! I am always hungry and rarely satisfied! I am giving myself another week of shoving my face then it's back to the grind of eating a bit more healthy! Here are a few recipes I tried this week!

Chicken Tortilla Soup This was easy and delicious! We topped ours with a little sour cream and cheese...mmm!

A version of Cheesecake

This was easy and yummy. Not for the health conscious!

Buffalo Chicken Casserole

This was easy for a weeknight. It wasn't the best thing we have ever had, but it was alright. We tried to brainstorm how it could be better. I used ranch instead of blue cheese dressing. I would def use panko breadcrumbs as topping and I had to turn my broiler on to brown them. It had a slight kick to it because of the hot sauce, but not too spicy!

I have more recipes to try and I hope to get to a bunch of them while on maternity leave!

Comfort Food

So since I am done with work and just waiting patiently for Baby Franks to decide to come, I have been cooking up a storm.  I guess because it is the only thing I feel like I have control over. Or maybe the fact that I am using food as time passer by right now...details details!  I tried this on a whim tonight. It was easy and hit the spot with our food on the grill! Mac and cheese on the stove was good but I prefer baked for a little crunch, but I didnt plan that far ahead.  I got the recipe from THIS blog...give it a try!

PS I am 38 + 5 and headed to OBGYN tomorrow...Im praying for an immediate admit to L & D...Hey a girl can dream can't she!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

I have made these before, but this was a new recipe I tried. Let me tell you, I will be using this recipe again...it was delicious and simple. I ended up only having 3 peppers on hand, but saved the left over filling for lunches and what not. These were very good, peppers cooked perfectly and filling was flavorful!

This recipe is from Simple Recipes and called Dad's Stuffed Peppers!

courtesy of simply recipes

MMMM....FOOD!!

So I tried out these new recipes this week and they were both great!

From Annies Eats these Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls were surprisingly easy and delicious. I just used store bought salsa, but homemade salsa would probably be even better! I might make another batch this week and freeze them!

Also I made this Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Dip...it is really good for you :)

From Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1 package (8 ounces) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese (softened or cubed), softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (6 ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• Graham cracker sticks

Directions

• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Serve with graham cracker sticks. Yield: 2 cups.

Cake Batter Cookies

Cake Batter Cookies! Very easy and delicious! They have a slightly different taste to them then original chocolate chip coookies. Between Mark and his friends they were gobbled up quickly!

From Stephanie Cooks

Source: All Recipes

Ingredients:
1 (18.25 oz.) box cake mix
1 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2-In a medium bowl, stir together the cake mix and baking powder. Add eggs and oil, then mix until well blended. (It was a bit crumbly for me so I used my hands to really mix it well- it's not as smooth as typical dough.)
3-Stir in chocolate chips, or your choice of additions. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets.
4- Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

What's for DInner...

Mark was requesting meatloaf for dinner this week....meatloaf??!! REALLY?!? I can't remember the last time I ate meatloaf, let alone an attempt to make it!  So with some new found energy I looked into blogger world and found a million and one recipes. I adapted a few recipes into one and went for it...I'm not going to lie it did not look very appetizing but it was yummy!!

Here is what I did:

1.5lbs of ground beef
1 chopped onion
3/4 c. breadcrumbs ( I used Italian)
1/2 c. chicken broth
I added sage, salt, pepper, and garlic salt a pinch at a time
approx 1/2 c ketchup
3 eggs

I mixed it all together, put it in my loaf plan and topped with more ketchup. Baked at 375 for 1hour and 15 minutes.  It was moist and delicious. Served with sweet potatoes and green beans! I have one happy husband tonight! I had to blog about it so I wouldn't forget what I did! It feels good to be back in the kitchen again!

Leftover Turkey

I made this for dinner this week..using my left over turkey from Thanksgiving. I didn't have exactly everything the recipe called for so I used what I had and it turned out just fine. I used frozen vegetables and mixed in some fresh I had. I didn't have any pastry dough so I used biscuits and it was just as good. Mark enjoyed it and I had the leftovers for lunch the past 2 days.

Courtesy Picky-Palate

Cheesy Turkey Pot Pies

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 Cups white onions, finely chopped
1 Cup finely chopped carrots
1 Cup celery
1 Cup frozen peas
1 Cups steamed broccoli
2 Cups baby red potatoes
2 Cups cooked shredded turkey breast
1 Tablespoon fresh minced garlic
1/2 Stick butter
1/2 Cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
3 1/2 Cups chicken broth
1 1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Sheets Puff Pastry Thawed for individual pies, or 1 sheet for casserole style

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil in medium dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, saute onions, carrots and celery, for 8-10 minutes or until softened. Add in peas, broccoli, and potatoes. Stir and cook for 5 minutes then add in the garlic; cook for 1 minute then add turkey breast. Reduce heat to low.

2. In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium high heat; whisk in flour salt and pepper for one minute. Slowly whisk in chicken broth until thick and creamy, about 3 minutes. Once thickened, stir in cheddar cheese until melted. Pour sauce over turkey and vegetables.

3. Divide filling into 6 2 Cup ramekins for individual pies. Cut puff pastry into 6 rounds and place over ramekins. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until puff pastry is golden brown. You can also pour all filling into a 9×13 inch baking sheet and lay whole puff pastry sheet over top for casserole style. Bake time is the same.

Picky-Palate



Taco Soup

I have been wanting to try this soup for a while now. I love tacos and since I'm throwing myself into fall I figured now would be a great time with the pretty cooler days. The soup was yummy and made enough leftovers for a couple lunches. I got the recip from For the Love of Cooking but remembered to take some pictures with I-phone!

Mix ground beef, onions, garlic and taco seasoning in stock pot, cook for 5-7 minutes

yumminess!

Add corn, black beans, pinto peans(I only had chili beans), can of tomatoes with chilis, one can of diced tomatoes and ranch packet.

Let Simmer for 2-3 hours. I added some water to make it a little more soupy. I adjusted the original recipe and added more corn then it called for.It turned out a little more like chili, not a brothy soup, but still good. Other recipes I looked at added V8 jucie and said it was really good. Maybe next time!

Top with Sour Cream and cheese and I made corn bread to serve with it. MMMM! Love me some taco soup and love me some  Fall!!!!

Seven Layer Bars

I made these this week as a special treat. They are easy, yummy and quick. Recipe and picture from Brown Eyed Baker

Seven-Layer Bars

Yield: 18 bars

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

9 graham crackers (5 ounces), crushed

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup white chocolate chips

½ cup butterscotch chips

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk


1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Line the pan with two overlapping pieces of foil or parchment paper, leaving overhang to act as handles for lifting the bars out of the pan. Spray with non-stick spray.

2. Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake until the outer flakes just begin to brown, about 4 minutes. (Keep a close eye on it – coconut can go from slightly browned to burnt in a matter of seconds.) Set aside.

3. Melt the butter and combine with graham cracker crumbs in a small bowl. Toss with your fingers until the butter is evenly distributed. Press the crumbs evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan.

4. In order, sprinkle the walnuts, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and coconut over the graham crumbs. Pour the condensed milk evenly over the entire dish.

5.  Bake until the top is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours.

6. Remove the bars fromthe pan using the foil or parchment handles and transfer to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife or bench cutter, cut into 2 by 3-inch bars.

Sweet Treats

I saw these Rice Krispie Treat Popsicles on Twig and Thistle and I think these are simple and fabulous. I think I am going to make these for my bridal shower at the end of this month. Dip them in chocolate and tie them with pink ribbon or some zebra stripe if I can find them. They will be pretty and delicious... check em out!

French Toast Casserole...A new staple!

On Saturday Mark's parents brought over a couple tons of mulch. We had to spread so much mulch!! My brother Matt, also came over and brought Lilly and Diana...I bet you can guess how much work I got done with them here haha! So when I saw THIS I decided it was easy, I had everything on had, and looked yummy. It was all of the above. It was stinking easy and really good. Not the healthiest breakfast but it got gobbled up! I am will be making this next weekend when my family is in town and I have to say I am excited!

I will be revealing our new backyard soon, I must admit...it looks really good! We have come a long way in a year!

Oatmeal Breakfast Shake

I made THIS for breakfast this morning. It was easy, good and nutritious. I paired it with a piece of fruit and coffee. Some people suggested adding protein powder to it....I will definitely try this. Happy Monday!

Courtesy of Gina's Weight Watcher's Recipes!

Cookies

I went home for Mother's Day the other weekend and my sister and her new husband were there on Saturday. Now usually when I go home I take some kind of baked good because it is a good chance for me to try something new and then I'm not stuck eating an entire batch of cookies or a whole pie. HA! Well, I didn't bring anything this time because I had made mt fruit tart the night before. My sister MB was MAD! She was like " you didn't bring anything, how dare you!" So I decided that I would make some cookies and mail them to them! SO I made these from picky-palate (link in my sidebar) they were easy and really good. I didn't have the muffin top pan that she uses in her recipe so they were just normal size! Enjoy!





XXL M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 Cup sugar

1 Cup packed light brown sugar

2 extra large eggs

2 Tablespoons pure vanilla

3 3/4 Cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

12 oz bag chocolate chips

1 bag M&M’s (you’ll have some left over)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer beat the butter and sugars until well beaten. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; mix. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with the chocolate chips. Do not mix in M&M’s!!

2. Scoop 1/4 Cup of dough and press into a muffin top pan (or just press onto a parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet). Now, press your M&M’s onto pressed cookies. This way they won’t break apart!! Bake for 12-15 minutes, until edges just start to turn golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes on muffin top pan or cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

As many of you know Mark started a new job in April. He is working for 2 guys mainly and we got invited over to one of their houses for a cookout. I was excited/nervous to meet them, but they turned out to be very nice people. Their wives were nice and kids super cute. I could tell they really liked Mark and impressed with how he has handled this new challenging new job. They asked us to bring a dessert so I had to pull out the big guns... I saw THIS over on Annie's Eats. I was nervous to try it, but it actually turned out pretty good. It took me awhile to make, but I think next time it would go smoother. Now that I have a tart pan and actually read the entire recipe through (whoops)It turned out pretty and was very yummy. I think they were all impressed...



 

You can use whatever fruit you want or is available. It was light and yummy. I will make this again! It is hard to tell in the picture, but I used my Grandma's cake plate as well...It is so pretty and makes me think of her!

Banana Muffins

I had some bananas that were going bad so I searched around and found this recipe. It was easy, I had everything in my pantry and they were super yummy. FYI they are not healthy but oh soo good.
HERE! is the link. Enjoy


Crumb Topped Banana Muffins
Courtesy RecipeZaar.com
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
Topping
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, to taste
1 tablespoon cold butter
1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions
1. In lg bowl, mix the 1st 4 ingredients.
2. Mix bananas, sugar, egg and butter.
3. Stir into dry mixture just until moistened.
4. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.
5. Combine first 3 topping ingredients.
6. Cut in butter until crumbly.
7. Sprinkle over muffins.
8. Bake at 375° for about 20 minutes, until muffins test done.
9. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Eggplant Tomato Sauce

I made this for dinner last night. It was really yummy. I am a big fan of eggplant. It was quick and easy! I found the recipe on Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes! It is a great site with tons of recipes that include the WW points. I am not on WW, but some of my friends are, but it is also a nice guide for us non WW people. Enjoy!




Eggplant and Tomato Sauce
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 3/4 cup • Calories: 131 • Points: 2.5 ww points

1 medium eggplant, cut in 1/2" cubes
4 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

28 oz can plum tomatoes including juice (I like Tuttorosso)

salt and fresh ground pepper
chopped herbs like basil and parsley
In a large deep frying pan, saute garlic in olive oil. Add eggplant and saute about 2-3 minutes. Coarsely chop tomatoes and add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and simmer, uncovered about 15-20 minutes. Add fresh chopped herbs and toss with pasta (extra points).

Lemon- Poppy Seed Cookies

I decided that I wanted to make something to bring with me when I head home to Columbus tomorrow for my sisters wedding. We are having a cookout tomorrow night so I wanted to bring a dessert, something light and tasty...These looked perfect. I got the recipe from Annie's Eats! It was easy and quick. Did I mention these are fabulous?!! I did have to double the recipe to get 24 cookies, mine were kinda big. They are so yummy, especially if you like lemon things! I will be adding these to my rotation! Enjoy



Recipe and picture courtesy of Annie's Eats.

Yield: 18-24 cookies
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. poppy seeds
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp. lemon zest
1 large egg

For the glaze:
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1-2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the lemon zest and egg until blended. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated.

Drop balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are set and just beginning to brown at the edges (do not let the tops brown). Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack set over wax paper to cool a bit before glazing.

To make the glaze, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Add more lemon juice if necessary, just until the glaze has reached a consistency good for drizzling over the cookies. Glaze the cookies and let the glaze set before serving. Store in an airtight container.

Source: adapted from Baking Bites

Cauliflower Salad- Sorry No Picture

I made this salad last weekend when I had visitors. It is so yummy. I think it tastes best when you let it sit overnight, just make sure you don't mix it until you are going to serve it. You can substitue yellow onions for red. It is easy and yummy! Enjoy!

Cauliflower Salad Recipe
Source: Linda Franklin (My mother in law)

1 large head iceberg lettuce
1 large red onion
1 large head cauliflower
1 pound bacon fried crisp and crumbled into small pieces
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
Parmesan cheese(the kind in green container) for sprinkling over the top
1 cup Mayonnaise( I like Hellmann's because it seems to hold up and not get so watery

Directions: Place in layers as follows in a very large bowl one you can cover to put in frig. Break lettuce into bite size pieces,place in bottom of the bowl, do the same with the cauliflower layer on top of lettuce,dice onion spread over cauliflower,then sprinkle crumbled cooled bacon over the onion, Spread mayonnaise like you are icing a cake over the top layer, sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese, sugar,and salt. Place in the frig up to 24hours( can be served sooner) Mix well,just before serving but not to much because salad will get limp.