Cranberry Salad

[An actual conversation held at a Friendsgiving one year.]

Friend 1: "Will you pass the beets?"

Friend 2: "Those are yams!"

Friend 1: "They're the same thing!"

Friend 3: "Actually...it's cranberry sauce."

You can't make this stuff up.

Thanksgiving is a great holiday; a time to spend thinking about all that we a thankful for with family, friends, and yummy food.  As a child I always intentionally skipped the cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving.  Sometimes you could see the ridges from the inside of the can, and others it had a similar consistency to cottage cheese.  It was not to be trusted.

Until I had it at my wonderful in-laws Thanksgiving.  My mind was blown.  Who knew the side of cranberries could be so delicious?!  My mother-in-law was gracious enough to share with me her mother's recipe, and I'm sharing it with you!  I did alter the ingredients a bit from the original, but it is delicious!

Grandma Springer's Cranberry Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh cranberries, finely chopped in a food processor

1 - 20 oz can of crushed pineapple, drained

1 - 11 oz can of Mandarin Oranges, drained

2 - 3 oz packages of Lemon Jell-o

7 spoonfuls of white sugar [more or less, to taste]

2 cups boiling water

Directions:

Dissolve Jell-o in boiling water.  Place in refridgerator.  You want the Jell-o to cool and begin to  congeal {it takes about 45 min - 1 hour}.  While the Jell-o is in the fridge, finely grind the cranberries in the food processor and add sugar to the cranberries.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved, then stir in the crushed pineapple.  Once the Jell-o is beginning to congeal, add it to the salad and stir it until it's combined.  Last, add the mandarin oranges and mix them with the salad.  Cover the salad and place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours.  Enjoy!!

Prosciutto & Fig Pizza

So not too long ago prosciutto was on sale, and I thought Everyone loves it, so I'll buy some and make something delicious with it.  My first attempt at 'something delicious' was quite the opposite {prosciutto-wrapped shrimp ... sounded good at the time?}.  I got the bad luck out of the kitchen, though, because my second attempt was insane [in a good way!].  One of the things my students and I always have in common is our mutual love for pizza.  It is my favorite food.  Seriously.

When attempting this, I was a little apprehensive because the ingredients are very different than my typical pizza toppings, but Oh. My. Goodness.  This pizza gets Byron's seal of approval as well :)

Ingredients:

1 whole wheat pizza crust (I always use Trader Joe's pizza dough)

fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces (as much as you like!)

5-6 fresh figs, washed and sliced thinly (like a tomato)

5-6 pieces of thin-sliced prosciutto (or more!)

3 hand-fulls of arugula

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

(Makes 1 pizza)

Directions: (baking times will vary depending on your pizza dough)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare pizza dough or crust according to the directions on the package on a pizza stone or baking sheet.  Place the figs on the dough/crust, spacing them somewhat evenly.  Next place the mozzarella on the crust.  You may add as much as you'd like!

Place the pizza in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese has begun to melt.  Take the pizza out of the oven and drizzle the Balsamic Vinaigrette over the enter pizza, then layer the prosciutto on top.

Place the pizza back in the oven for about 5-7 minutes.  Remove the pizza from the oven and add the hand-fulls of arugula.  Drizzle some more dressing on the pizza, but you don't want to soak it!

Place it back in the oven for about 3-5 minutes.  Remove the pizza from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes, then slice 'er up and serve with a nice glass of wine.  Enjoy!

Mocha Frap

I love a good cup o' joe.  My go-to morning cup of go-go juice is an unsweetened Cafe Au-Lait made with skim milk.  [p.s. that's a fancy way of saying I like black coffee with skim milk, no sugar or sweetener -- Sometimes I froth it to make it nice and foamy, sometimes I don't.]  It's simple and it's delicious.  I am not a Starbucks fan [Sayyy Whaaaattt?], but every now and again I want something blended and somewhat fancy.  Especially in the summer, it's nice to have an iced coffee to kick-start my mornings.  But I'm cheap and would rather spend $5 on anything but a drink, so here's what I've come up with:

Ingredients:
1 cup of black coffee, chilled [I french press coffee one morning, then refridgerate what I don't drink for the next morning, but any coffee should work!  The stronger the better!]
3/4 cup of skim milk
1 cup ice
light drizzle [or more!] of chocolate syrup
sugar/sweetener [if you like sugar in your coffee, you'll want it in this, too!]
whipped cream [to make it pretty, duh!]

Directions:
Combine the coffee, milk, ice, drizzle of chocolate, and sweetener into a blender.  Blend it until there are no more ice chunks.  Pour your coffee drink into a glass and top it with a mountain of a little whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup.  Serve it with a straw and enjoy!  Mornings aren't so bad, right?

Banana Pudding

My dad and me before walking down the aisle.

Of all the desserts out there, Banana Pudding is my dad's absolute favorite.  For his birthday, Father's Day, and any other day I want to show him some love, I make it specially for him.  Banana Pudding is great because you can pick up tasty bananas year-round at the grocery, so it's a perfect go-to dessert.  We're all born and raised in Georgia, so you better believe it has lots of bananas and vanilla wafers to accompany the homemade vanilla pudding!

[If you have bananas left over when you finish this sweet treat, since they're nice and ripe you'll want to use them in something immediately.  They'll be perfect in Banana Nut Muffins or Banana Blueberry Muffins!]

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tbs all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups of 2% milk
5 egg yolks, beaten
4 tbs butter (1/2 stick), at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
7 ripe bananas
Nilla Wafers -- I use about 1 1/2 12 oz. boxes in the pudding & save a few for garnishing
Whipped Cream [for serving]

Directions:
For the Pudding:
In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the sugar, flour, salt, and milk.  As it is heating, stir it until the mixture is completely blended and there are no lumps!  [Be patient -- it takes a little while!] *Keep the heat on medium-low!  Otherwise the pudding will burn and stick to the pan!*  Stir the mixture every couple of minutes until it begins to bubble.

While the pudding mixture is warming up, combine the 5 egg yolks a measuring cup with a spout and whisk the yolks.

Once the pudding mixture is bubbling, cook it for 2 more minutes, stirring continuously as it thickens.  After 2 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and scoop about a 1/2 cup of the pudding mixture to the beaten egg yolks.  Stir the egg/pudding mixture until the ingredients are combined.  Place the pudding mixture back on the stove over medium heat and pour the egg/pudding mixture back into the pan.  Continue to cook, stirring continuously for about 3 minutes.

After 3 minutes, reduce the heat to Low and add the butter [Rather than adding the half-stick in one large chunk, it melts much better if you slice it!] and vanilla.  Stir it until all of the butter has melted and been blended with the pudding.  Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit for about 10 minutes before building the banana pudding.

Now it's time to slice those bananas!  Slice the bananas into about 1/4 inch medallions.  You have 10 minutes, GO!

Building the Banana Pudding:
You can build your Banana Pudding in a regular baking dish, a large trifle bowl, individual trifle bowls, or just a regular bowl -- however you wanna do it!  First, cover the bottom of your dish in a nice layer of Nilla Wafers.  Next, add a layer of bananas.  After that, pour over a nice layer of the pudding, using a spoon to spread the pudding evenly.  Repeat these steps until you've used all of your pudding.  You will want to finish with a pudding layer on top.  Cover your pudding and place it in the fridge to cool for about 2 hours.  When you're ready to serve it, add a top layer of whipped cream.  Eat it with a spoon and a glass of milk.  Mmmmmm!

Banana - Blueberry Muffins

I stood in the kitchen last night contemplating whether to use the bananas left over from the Banana Pudding I made on Father's Day for Banana Nut Muffins or to use the fresh blueberries in Blueberry Muffins.  I love them both so much, so I decided to combine my two recipes.  Andddd....I think I found my new favorite muffin.  They are delicious.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp baking soda OR 3 tsp baking powder
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
1 large egg
1 vanilla Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup fresh blueberries + some for garnish

(makes 12 muffins)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350º and place muffin liners in muffin pan.

In a small bowl (cereal sized will do!), sift together the flour and baking soda/flour.  In another small bowl, whisk together the egg and the vanilla extract.  Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar.  Once they are blended, pour in the egg mixture and continue mixing.  The batter will look lumpy and curdled -- that's okay!  Add the Greek yogurt.  Once the yogurt is blended into the batter, add the flour mixture in three parts, mixing along the way.  When all of the ingredients are mixed together, add the bananas.  After the bananas a even spread, turn the mixer off, and fold in the cup of blueberries.

Even pour the mixture amongst the 12 muffin cups.  Press the extra blueberries into the tops of the muffins and place in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until they've reach a nice, golden color.  Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool for about 10 minutes before serving.  Happy breakfast!

Variation: Add chopped pecans or almonds!

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

I've stated before that I love buffalo chicken anyway you serve it and statement is still truer than ever.  I may have stumbled upon the easiest way to make it: in the crock pot.  What?!!  It honestly could not be simpler [really, I don't think it can be screwed up] and after hours of bubbling, it's perfectly moistened and shredded without a knife.  We put the chicken in whole wheat tortillas as well as big leaves of iceberg lettuce along with some shredded carrots and a drizzle of light ranch dressing.  The buffalo chicken wraps were perfect for lunch and dinner since they're not heavy and go well with fresh fruit and veggies as sides.  Mmmmm.

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1- 16 oz can of Chicken Broth

1/2 white onion, diced

1/2 cup of your favorite wing sauce (I use Texas Pete Wing Sauce) 

1 stalk of celery

shredded carrots, tortillas, iceberg lettuce, shredded lettuce, and ranch or bleu cheese dressing {for serving}

Directions:

Add the broth, and hot sauce in the crock pot and stir them together until combined. Place the chicken in the crock pot.  Make sure the broth is covering the chicken!  If you need to, add more broth or water until the chicken is covered.  Pour in the diced onion, then add the celery.  Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for about 4 hours.  

When you're ready to eat, shred the chicken with a fork.  Using a slotted spoon, move the chicken onto your tortillas or large lettuce leaves.  I added more hot sauce [yum!].  Then add the shredded carrots, and lettuce, then a light drizzle of dressing.  Enjoy!

Baked Red Potato Fries

I love potatoes, any way you cook them, but we rarely ever have them since I try to stay away from eating them for dinner.  We bought a huge bag of them a while back for a stirfry dish, but since we didn't use all of them [that would be a bigggg stirfry!] the rest of the bag looks at me with pleading eyes, begging me to cook it.  When I made turkey burgers last week, it was a perfect chance to bake some french fries!

Baked Red Potato Fries

Ingredients:
3 red potatoes
1.5 tbs olive oil
salt, pepper, & Everyday seasoning [to taste!]

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375˚.  After washing the potatoes, slice them into wedges length-wise.  You want them to be between 1/2 inch and 1 inch thick.  Toss them in olive oil.  Add salt, pepper, and seasoning to your liking!  Dump the potatoes on a bakin sheet and spread evenly.  Place in the oven for about 40 minutes, rotating the baking sheet in the middle.  About 4-5 times while the fries are cooking, use a spatula to flip and rearrange the fries.  Once they're soft and the edges have browned, remove them from the oven.  Let them cool for just a couple minutes, then dig in!

Turkey Burgers Recipe

While we were in San Diego, we ate some of the most delicious food I've ever had.  Seriously -- it was all so good.  Our first meal there was at Hodad's, which is a burger joint that was actually visited by Food Network's Guy Fieri and featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. I know you're thinking, it's just a burger; how good can it really be? And let me tell you, I am not a burger person, but it was hands-down the best bacon cheeseburger I've ever had.  Not to mention the strawberry shake I had was insane, and the fries and onion rings were perfect.

Tonight I made some burgers for Byron and me.  Were they as good as our vacation burgers?  No, but they were undoubtedly much better for us and still delish...not to mention they are so simple to cook!  I make the patties fairly small [as far as a hamburger goes], so we eat them on toasted whole wheat English Muffins.  I even chopped some potatoes and baked some fries to finish off our dinner.

Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 tbs olive oil
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
splash of worcestershire sauce

(Makes about 7 burgers)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375˚.  Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.  Once everything is combined, using your hands form patties from the mixture and place on a baking sheet.  (I made 7 burgers to fit on English Muffins)  Place them in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, rotating the tray in the oven halfway through.  Serve on whole wheat English Muffins, topped with pickles, spinach, tomatoes, mustard, and all of your favorite burger toppings.  Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I absolutely love buffalo chicken.   Pretty much any way you serve it I like it. . .especially as dip!  It’s a perfect appetizer for a party or tailgate, and if there’s any leftover it warms up wonderfully.  I make mine with low-fat cheeses and with smaller amounts of cheese than most recipes, but I’m sure it’s delicious with additional amounts. 

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (boiled, then shredded)

2/3  cup low-fat cream cheese

½ cup low-fat sour cream

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 – 1½ cups [more/less to your liking!] buffalo sauce of your choice (I use Texas Pete Wing Sauce)

1 tsp minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Celery, Carrots, and/or tortilla chips for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375˚.  In a medium bowl, stir the sour cream and minced garlic together.  Add in the cream cheese and mozzarella cheese and stir until blended together.  Next pour in the hot sauce and stir until it’s blended with the cheese mixture.  Gradually add the chicken to bowl of cheeses and hot sauce, stirring to make sure the pieces of chicken are coated.

Once all of the ingredients are combined, pour them into a glass or ceramic baking dish.  I separate my dip into two small dishes, but an 8x8 glass dish would be perfect.  Even spread the dip across the dish and place it in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the edges are bubbling.

Serve with celery, carrots, and tortilla chips [and maybe a beer?!] while it’s still hot.  Enjoy!

Jalepeño Bacon Cheeseball

Warning: There is a great possibility that this might become your favorite appetizer.  It doesn't matter if I make this for Thanksgiving, dinners with friends, or just for a snack...it always disappears quickly!  The ingredients are fresh and flavorful and combine beautifully to make an incredibly delicious pre-dinner treat. [I mean, it does combine bacon, jalepeños, and cheese...]

Ingredients:
8 oz reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tsp lime juice
pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 jalepeños [ribs & seeds removed], finely chopped
6 slices of bacon (cooked to be nice and crispy, then broken into small pieces)
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
crackers [for serving]

Directions:
In a medium bowl using a strong spoon, mix together the cream cheese and sharp cheddar cheese.  Then add the lime juice, cayenne pepper, ground cumin, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce.  Next, stir in half of the jalepeños and half of the bacon.

On a salad plate, mix the other half of the bacon and jalepeños with the parsley and pecans.  Spread out the ingredients to cover the plate.  [You're going to roll the other ingredients in this to get the nice outer layer of the ball.]

To make the ingredients into a ball, it works best to have slightly wet hands.  Run your hands under the faucet.  Don't dry them, but also don't leave them dripping water.  Then scoop the cream cheese mixture from the bowl and pretend you're making a snowball with the mixture.  Once it's nice and round, roll the ball in the pecans, jalepeños, bacon, and parsley.  Wrap it tightly in cling wrap and refridgerate.  Remove it from the fridge about 15 minutes before serving it.  Surround the decadent cheeseball in your favorite crackers and dive in -- it won't last long!

Southwest Chicken [Crock Pot]

Life is hectic and some most days, even though I love to cook, I don't want to stand in the kitchen preparing dinner. [I'd rather drink my wine on the couch engrossed in a good book with my feet propped on the coffee table - can I get an 'Amen'?]  Some days, or weeks, require simple meals that make our tight schedules, wallets, and tummies happy.  Yes, it's possible!  This is quite possibly one of the easiest recipes ever.  We serve ours over brown rice, which means while the rice simmers I can prop my feet up, sip a glass of Cabernet, and read a few chapters grade some papers.

Ingredients:

1½ lbs (3 pieces) boneless, skinless chicken

1 can of Rotel with Green Chiles

1 can of black beans, drained

8 oz frozen corn

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 can chicken broth

3 scallions

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp ground cumin

cayenne pepper (to taste)

salt (to taste)

grated cheddar cheese, chopped scallions, sour cream, and fresh avacados for garnishes

rice, tortillas, or chips for serving

(makes about 6 servings)

Directions:

Combine Rotel, black beans, corn, cilantro, chicken broth, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt in the Crock Pot.  Lay the chicken breasts on top (make sure they’re submerged).  Cook on low for 10 hours. 

Before serving, shred the chicken.  (The chicken will be very tender – I shredded mine in the Crock Pot using a plastic spoon.)  Serve over rice, in a tortilla, or with chips as nachos.

¡que delicioso!

   

Mahi-Mango Tacos

These few days of warm weather have definitely given me Spring Fever.  I'm ready to be poolside/lakeside/beachside with a fruity drink in hand . . . but until then, I'll settle for the fruit!  One of my favorite things about Spring and Summer is the abundance of delicious fruit.  This dish is definitely one that's perfect for summertime, incorporating mangoes and avacadoes with fresh [or frozen] mahi mahi, and made me reminisce about our Honeymoon in Aruba.  Needless to say, it's wonderful and I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cubed

1 avacado, peeled, pitted, and cubed

½ red onion, finely chopped

juice of 1 lime

fresh cilantro, chopped (to taste)

salt & pepper

1 tbs olive oil

2 large mahi mahi fillets

1 tbs blackening spice

tortillas

(Makes 4-8 tacos, depending in your tortilla size)

Directions:

Salsa: Mix the mango, avacado, onion, cilantro and juice of 1 lime together.  Season with Salt and pepper.

Fish: Heat a pan on the stove.  Drizzle olive oil onto the pan.  Add the mahi mahi and sprinkle with blackening spice on both side of the fillets.  Cook for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Once the fish is cooked and the salsa is prepared, warm the tortillas (in the microwave or on the stove) and cut the fish into small chunks.  Place a heaping spoonful of mahi mahi on the tortilla, followed by a large spoonful of the mango-avacado salsa.   Enjoy!

oven roasted rosemary potatoes

It doesn't really matter how you cook it, a potato is pretty much always tasty, right?  The most important thing is for it to be cooked thoroughly. [Let's be honest, unless it's a chip, no one wants a crunchy tater, am I right?]  I typically lean toward sweet potatoes, but every now and then that just won't do.  Byron and I have always chosen red potatoes over traditional baking potatoes, and especially for this side dish I'd definitely use the red.  This recipe is incredibly simple, but definitely one of our favorites -- the potatoes are light with great flavor.  It also warms up wonderfully in the microwave, so we always make more than we'll eat in one meal. Hope you like it!

Ingredients:
Red potatoes [skin on, uncooked], chopped into 1 inch pieces
Olive oil [enough to cover the potatoes
Rosemary [fresh or dried]
salt & pepper, to taste

[I'm gonna be honest and tell you that I never measure the ingredients or time for this . . .
it's a recipe of your best judgement!]

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Once you wash and chop the potatoes, scatter them onto a baking pan. [I always cover my pan in aluminum foil for an easy clean-up!]  You want them to lie in one layer on the pan.  Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes until they are glistening.  Sprinkle rosemary on top of the potatoes.  Shake some salt and pepper on top of the rosemary.  Place them in the oven for 25-30 minutes, flipping the potatoes halfway through.  You'll know they're finished when the potatoes are soft.  Enjoy!

oven roasted brussel sprouts

If any food is given a bad rap, it's brussel sprouts.  I mean, I can remember watching an episode of Full House as a child, and even Uncle Joey was hiding his brussel sprouts in his napkin!  My parents never cooked them, so I just assumed they were anything but tasty . . . until I mustered up the courage to try them at TBM [where else?].  Immediately, I fell in love with a new green vegetable.  Byron likes them, too, so we've been eating them quite regularly since we discovered their awesomeness in the fall.  

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh brussel sprouts, halved
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
salt & pepper to taste

(makes about 5 servings)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine olive oil and garlic in a measuring cup.  Toss brussel sprouts in the oil/garlic mixture in a medium mixing bowl.  [They should be covered in enough olive oil to look wet.]  Spread onto a large baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Put them in the oven for 20-25 minutes, rotating & stirring the brussel sprouts at 15 minutes.  When the brussel sprouts are soft and slightly seared, remove them from the oven.  Sprinkle additional salt and pepper to suit your taste buds.  Enjoy!

shrimp fettuccine

Something strange is happening with my taste buds.  I have never classified myself as a seafood eater.  In fact, up until the past few months, I've done everything in my power to stay away from it.  But, something has changed.  I'm not sure why or how, but I can tell you that I don't hate it!

We've been eating a fair amount of salmon lately [cooked a few different ways, so I'll share those recipes later], but I decided to get adventurous and add shrimp to our palate.  It's been at least a year since my last shrimp tasting [unless you count the couple of shrimp tossed across the large cooking space at hibachi restaurants], so I decided to cook the shrimp into something, just incase it was overly fishy tasting.  Let me tell you, it was delectable!  And SOOO easy!

Shrimp Fettuccine Recipe

Ingredients:
8 oz fettuccine pasta
2 tbs olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
16 oz medium shrimp, peeled & deveined, thawed
1/2 cup Gia Russa Tomato Bruschetta Topping
1/4 tsp (or more) crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
4 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup (or more) + some for sprinkling Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, finely grated

(makes about 4 servings)

Directions:
Boil water in a sauce pan with a splash of olive oil [the olive oil will help keep the noodles from sticking together].  Once water is boiling, add noodles and continue boiling for about 10 minutes, or until the noodles are soft.

While you are waiting on the water to boil, heat a large saute' pan with the olive oil and garlic.  Cook until the garlic begins to brown.  Next, on medium heat, add the bruschetta topping, shrimp, red pepper flakes, tomatoes, salt, and pepper.  Let the wonderful mixture bubble.  Carefully stir the mixture to ensure all of the ingredients are combined.  After about 2 minutes, add the chicken broth.  You might fear that the mixture has become too liquidy -- stop worrying and sip some wine while you wait about 5 more minutes while everything bubbles together.  Reduce your heat to low and add the 1/4 cup of cheese and spinach.  Let it bubble for a few more minutes, allowing the cheese to melt and the spinach to wilt slightly.  Your noodles should be finished cooking by now.  Strain them, then add the hot fettuccine to the large saute' pan.  Stir everything together one last time.

Scoop the pasta onto dishes, sprinkle with cheese, and enjoy!  Don't forget to remove the tails from the shrimp!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Anytime you get together with good people, good food is a nice accompaniment.  Byron and I watched the Superbowl with his parents last weekend, so it was the perfect time to make some Spinach Artichoke Dip!  We always order it when we eat a TBM [it's one of my favorite things to eat there].  I was more than delighted when my own version turned out to be [dare I say...] better than TBM's!  Is that even possible?!  (I am a little lot biased to my own cooking.)  And. . . I can betcha that it's better for your figure, too.  Does this mean I won't order it when go for our beer tastings and pint nights?  Absolutely not.  It just means I get to make it a home and enjoy the delicious dip in my PJ's  the comfort of my own home!

Ingredients:
1 - 8 oz. package of cream cheese [I used low-fat]
1 - 14 oz. can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 cup low-fat mayo
1/4 cup low-fat grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup low-fat grated romano cheese
1/4 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine the cream cheese and the mayo in a medium sized mixing bowl.  Stir until they're combined. Add the minced garlic.  Stir.  Add the parmesan, romano, and mozzarella cheeses in a medium sized mixing bowl.  Stir together.  Add the spinach.  Stir.  Add the artichoke hearts.  Stir some more.  Add the garlic powder, salt, and pepper. One last stir.

Move the mixture of ingredients into an oven-safe baking dish.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the edges are bubbling.  Serve with pits chips.  Nom, nom, nom.

banana nut muffins

I absolutely love having friends visit us at our apartment.  Even though we don't have tons of space for entertaining or lots of seating, it's so much fun to host!  Maybe it will be even better once we finish start decorating!

Cal and Ashley are our overnight guest guinea pigs.  We look forward to the weekends they spend with us, like this weekend!  I love cooking for people, especially good friends.  Whilst I love cooking [anything], my favorite meal is breakfast.  So naturally, that's one of my favorite meals to cook.  

Whenever Byron and I spend weekends with Cal and Ashley, we always enjoy a nice big breakfast together.  Last weekend was no different when Banana Nut Muffins were added to the menu -- Mmmmm!

Banana Nut Muffin Recipe:

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda OR 3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
3 ripe bananas
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
ground cinnamon

(makes 12 muffins)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350.  Place muffin liners in a 12 count muffin pan.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and set aside.  Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a large measuring cup with a spout and set aside.  Cream the butter and sugar together using an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Gradually pour the egg mixture into the butter mixture while continuously mixing the batter together.  Then add the flour mixture, pouring it 1/3 at a time.  Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.  Add in the bananas and continue mixing.  The batter will look curdled -- don't worry!  Once the bananas are combined and mixed well, use a rubber spatula or large spoon to fold in the nuts.

Evenly distribute the muffin batter into the muffin cups.  Sprinkle cinnamon on each muffin.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until the muffins pass the toothpick test (Insert a toothpick into a muffin -- the muffins are finished when the toothpick is clean when removed from the muffin.).  Let the muffins cool for a few minutes before serving.

Variation: Use cinnamon roasted almonds instead of pecans.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Fluff Recipe

What's the best things about fall [besides the cool weather, beautiful colored leaves, jack-o-lanterns, mums, apple ciders, crisp breezes. . .]?  Okay, there's a lot to love about fall.  A LOT.  Especially pumpkins!  They're great to look at and they're great to eat!

Pumpkin muffins, pumpkin breads, pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pies, pumpkin cheesecakes.  Yum.  Unfortunately, those delicious pumpkin dishes don't always help your skinny jeans fit the way you'd like.  So here you go: a pumpkin treat that won't expand your waistline and leave you feeling guilty.  Plus, you can dip apples in it!

(recipe makes about 6 cups)

Ingredients:
1 - 16 oz. can of pumpkin
1 - 6 oz. container of fat free vanilla Greek yogurt
1 - 8 oz. container of fat free Cool Whip
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp. of vanilla
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
sprinkle of all spice

Directions:
Mix cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and all spice into pumpkin.  Stir in the brown sugar until completely blended.  Add the vanilla. Stir until blended.  Mix in yogurt.  Stir in cool whip until completely blended.  Refrigerate until serving.  

Serve with apple slices, bananas, or graham crackers.  Mmmmm!

Blueberry Muffin Recipe

One of my favorite things about summer is the abundance of fresh fruit.  Mmmm!  Blueberry muffins have always been one of my most favorite treats, so this year I decided it was time to make some from scratch with the freshest blueberries I could find.  I made them a few times this summer. . . and even on the first day of fall.  [Saturday felt a little bit too much like summer to bake pumpkin muffins!]  I'm looking forward to fall, but I'm definitely gonna miss these babies.

Blueberry Muffin Recipe
Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients:
12 1/2 ounces cake flower
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup Vanilla yogurt [I recommend the Kroger Brand Carbmaster Yogurt]
1/2 scoop Vanilla protein powder
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Directions:
Wash blueberries and let them dry.  Preheat oven to 380° F.  Place muffin liners in pan.

In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flower, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and protein powder.  Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, egg, and yogurt.  Once the mixture has a nice, smooth consistency, add in 1 cup of blueberries.  Fold the mixture over the blueberries.  Scoop the batter into the muffin pan.  Fill each cup about 3/4 full.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of blueberries on top of muffins before setting in the oven.  Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until golden, rotating the pan mid-way through.  Let them cool for a few minutes and enjoy.

I bet you can't eat just one!

Guacamole Recipe

I have never been a fan of guacamole.  Ever.  Maybe there's something about the texture, I'm not sure, but I never got hankerings for it.  Then I decided to make it myself with lots of other ingredients, and Voila! I've found a guacamole dip I really enjoy.  This is one of my favorite summer dips.  It's fresh and light with lots of flavor.

Ingredients:
4  avacados, pitted and cut into 1/2 inch chunks.
1/4   onion, diced
3  cloves of garlic, finely minced
1  jalepeno, finely chopped
1  large tomato, diced
1  cup of grilled sweet corn kernels
1/4  tsp (or more!) ground cumin
juice of 1 lime
cilantro (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.  Gently stir to combine, making sure everything is mixed well.  Cover and place in the fridge until ready to eat.  Serve with tortilla chips!