Nutty Marshmallow Caramel Bars

Nutty Marshmallow Caramel Bars

Heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Chop 1 c almonds and add to a large bowl with 3/4 c flour, 3/4 c oats, 2/3 c packed brown sugar, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 ts salt and 1 egg.  Mix together until combined.

Stir in 1/3 c margarine that has been slightly melted and stir until mixture is crumbly.  

In a 9x13 pan spread the mixture out evenly and bake for 10 minutes.

After baking, pour 7 ounces of marshmallow creme over the hot bar and then drizzle with a caramel sauce.  If you don't have caramel sauce you can melt 1/4 c butter with 1 cup brown sugar and allow that to cook to make a similar sauce.  After the marshmallow and caramel layers, finish with 1 c chopped almonds.

Bake again for another 20 minutes.  Let cool and slice into bars with a wet knife to prevent the bars from tearing when cutting.  Enjoy!  

Monkey Bread Dough from Scratch

Mix 2 1/4 tsp yeast in 1/2 c very warm water.  Stir.  Melt 1/2 c butter and stir into 1/4 c sugar, a pinch of salt and 1/2 c evaporated milk.  Add the yeast and stir.  Beat in 3 1/2 c flour and knead together.  Place in a bowl and cover with a clean towel.  Allow to rise for an hour. 

Bacon and Potato Medley Soup

Bacon and Potato Medley Soup

I had just bought a bag of potatoes that I was hoping to use in addition to some left over turkey bacon and chicken broth I had on hand.  I was pleasantly surprised with the result!

To begin, cook 6 pieces of turkey bacon, slice into small pieces and set aside.

Wash 2 pounds of potatoes and slice into quarters.  Place on a baking sheet, cover with olive oil and italian spices and bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees- long enough to bake through and softened.

On the stove, in a pot simmer with oil 2 tbsp minced garlic and 2/3 c of chopped onion.  Add in the bacon pieces and let it begin to cook together.  Add 3 tbsp flour, a pinch of salt and some pepper and mix well.

Pour 3 c chicken broth to the pot and stir- leave until it begins to boil.

In a large bowl, add the cooked potato pieces with 1/3 c milk and mash them as much as they will allow ... some pieces will still be whole and others will not.

Add the potato mixture to the boiling broth and mix for 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to incorporate.  

When ready to serve, prepare the bowls with the soup and top with cheese, red pepper and parsley to your liking.

Mix all together in your bowl and enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Bread

Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Bread

In a bowl mix 1 1/2 c flour, 2/3 c oats,  2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, a pinch a salt and 1 tsp baking soda.

With a mixer, combine 1/2 c sugar and 6 tbsp softened butter or oil if you would like a healthier option. Beat in 2 eggs, one egg at a time followed by 1 tsp vanilla.  Continue to mix.  Add 1/3 c plain yogurt and 1 c apple sauce and mix until just combined. 

Place in prepared loaf pan and bake for about an hour at 350 degrees.

Cinnamon Yogurt Muffins with an Almond Streusel Topping

Cinnamon Yogurt Muffins with an Almond Streusel Topping

Prepare the streusel topping first by combining 2/3 finely chopped almonds with 1/3 c packed brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 2 tbsp melted butter.  Mix well and place in freezer while preparing the muffin batter.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare a 12 muffin tin pan.  In a large bowl whisk 4 tbsp butter that has been melted and cooled, 2/3 c sugar, 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla and 1 c plain yogurt.

Stir in 2 c flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of salt.

Fill each muffin tin with batter and sprinkle the chilled streusel on top, lightly pressing the crumbs in so they adhere to the batter.  Bake for 18 minutes and let cool.

White and Milk Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

White and Milk Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Preheat your oven to 350* and prepare a bundt pan for baking.

In a mixer, cream 1 1/2 c sugar with 12 tbsp butter until it is fluffy.  Add 3 eggs, 1 egg at a time.  When mixed, add 1 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1 1/4 c yogurt.  

In a separate bowl sift together 2 1/2 c flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and a pinch of salt.  

While having the mixer on a low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until combined.  

 Evenly spoon half the batter into the bundt pan.  Top with half your streusal mixture which is a combination of 1/3 c packed brown sugar, 2/3 c flour, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 4 tbsp cold butter cut into pieces crumbled together.

Once half the batter has been topped with half the streusal as well, sprinkle milk and white chocolate chips on top- enough to your liking.

Repeat with remaining batter, streusal and chips.

Bake for 60 minutes and let cool to enjoy!

Eggnog and Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies

Eggnog and Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies

Stir together 1 c sugar, 1 c softened butter, 1/2 c milk, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp eggnog extract.

Stir in 3 1/2 c flour, 1 tsp baking powder and pinch of salt.  Mix in until dough is formed.  

Divide the dough in half and add red food coloring to one portion of the dough.  Cover both portions and refrigerate for 3-4 hours until firm.

Heat your oven 375* and place 5 candy canes in a ziploc bag to crush while the dough sits out for a few moments.

Roll both portions of dough into about 4 inch ropes on a floured surface.  One all the dough has been prepared into their ropes, lightly twist one of each and curve the tops onto a cookie sheet to create the shape of a candy cane.  Repeat until all the dough has been formed.

Bake 10 minutes and immediately after removing from the oven top with crushed candy cane- as the cookies cool, the candy will harden and adhere to the candy cane cookies.

Cool compeletely and enjoy!

Blueberry Yogurt Crumb Cake

Blueberry Yogurt Crumb Cake

Preheat oven to 350* and prepare a 9 x13 pan.

In a small bowl make your topping- mix together 1 c sugar, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1/4 c flour and a pinch of salt.

In another bowl whisk 2 c flour and 1 tsp baking soda- set aside.

In a large bowl- or if you have a stand mixer, cream together 1/2 c butter, 1 c brown sugar and 1/2 sugar on high for a few minutes.  

Whisk together 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla and 1 c plain non-fat yogurt in a small bowl.  Add this to the butter mixture in two parts to be sure each part is incorporated before adding the next.  

Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix for about another minute.

In the pan, pour half the batter - top with 1/2 c blueberries and half the topping mixture.  Repeat with batter,  another 1/2 c blueberries and the remaining topping.

Bake for about 45-50 minutes- until the center of the cake is set.

Cool and enjoy!

Honey Glazed Ham with Swiss and Gruyere Cheese Scalloped Potatoes

Honey Glazed Ham with Swiss and Gruyere Cheese Scalloped Potatoes

Most years my Dad is given a ham at work and my parents share it with myself and my siblings.  Our portion arrived yesterday and what goes better with ham than scalloped potatoes?

I tried a new recipe that was super tasty so here it goes ... be prepared for a long baking time, but it is worth it!!

Preheat the oven to 350*.  Prepare a 9 x13 pan so the potatoes don't stick.  After slicing 2 lbs of russet potatoes into 1/8" slices, lay 1/3 of the potatoes in the pan.  Season the potatoes with pepper and layer 1/2 c diced onions and 1/2 c of swiss/gruyere cheese.  Add a few slices of chopped, cooked turkey bacon with 1 tbsp fresh parsley and 1 tbsp fresh chives.  

Repeat this process again beginning with the potato slices and follow the stated order above.  Finish with the remaining potato slices.  Pour 2 1/2 c fat free half and half over the potatoes and cover with foil to bake for about an hour.

After the hour of baking, remove the foil and bake another 40 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the moisture is absorbed.

With about 15 baking time remaining for the potatoes, place the ham in a pan with a bit of honey to carmelize and cook through.  

Serve and enjoy!

Spider Cider

Spider Cider

This is just a cute name for an orange juice based hot cider.  

In a saucepan heat 3 c orange juice, 4 cinnamon sticks, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp cloves, 1/2 c brown sugar and 1/4 c honey.  Stir well and keep or serve.  

To make the cups a bit more festive this Halloween evening, I drew some spiderwebs on the mason jars and a few colored paper straws for fun!

We are planning on a hot cup when we get home from our Fall Festival tonight!

Fall S'more Owls

Fall S'more Owls

My boys like dressing up for the fun of Halloween, but my hubby and I aren't big on the spooky aspect that comes with Halloween so we have fun with other decorative and baking options - this is one of them!

Super easy ...

Break graham crackers in half so the two rectangular parts are still stuck together.  Slice a large marshmallow in half and place the sticky sides up, side by side.  

I then placed yellow Wilton candy melts with the dollop side down on top of the marshmallow's sticky side up.  By placing these sides together it will help the other pieces melt and stick best.

Place in the microwave for about 5 seconds - just enough for the marshmallow to puff up a bit.  Gently press the yellow candy into the marshmallow.  Immediately place a chocolate chip on top of each candy melt and a candy corn in the center.

Such a quick and yummy treat for the Fall season

Buttercream Frosting

Buttercream Frosting

In a small saucepan cook 4 tbsp flour with 1 c milk, stirring constantly until the texture becomes thick like a paste.  Let it cool to room temperature.

With an electric mixer, beat 1 c softened butter with 1 c sugar until creamy.

Beat both mixtures together on high speed until smooth and then add 1 tsp vanilla- give it another minute to mix.

Refrigerate for about 30 minutes and then use on your baked goods!

Braydon and I used it to top our pumpkin ginger cupcakes this morning instead of using our cream cheese frosting recipe!

Turkey Lasagna Improv

Turkey Lasagna Improv

Last night I had prepped and started dinner with Lasagna as the plan ... until I realized I was a few lasagna noodles short to finish the dinner- SO, I continued as planned but instead of using the lasagna noodles in layering dish, I used Radiatori noodles since that is what I had on hand.  Granted, the noodles didn't hold the shape of a classic lasagna, but the taste was just as good!

To get started, begin boiling noodles in a pot and at the same time place oil in a deep pan with about 1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic and 3/4 c diced onions.  Let cook until it begins to brown and add 1 pound ground turkey.  I seasoned my turkey with basil, red pepper and a few other italian seasonings- feel free to season to your liking.  Once the turkey has cooked completely, add about 1/2 c diced tomatoes, 1/2 c milk and a can of tomato sauce.  Continue to cook on a low/medium simmer to incorporate your flavors, but not so much to where the turkey will begin to dry out.  

At this point, add 15 ounces of fresh ricotta cheese, 1/2 c of monterey jack cheese and 1/4 c of parmesan cheese.  Stir well to mix in with the turkey.  

The noodles should now be boiled and drained.  

Prepare a 9 x13 pan and coat the bottom with 2 c of the turkey/sauce.  Then cover with noodles.  I added a complete layer of provolone cheese to the top of the noodles and then repeated the process again with more turkey/sauce, noodles and provolone cheese- I topped with a bit of parsley at the end for extra garnish. 

Bake for 30 minutes at 350*

As always, using ground turkey instead of ground beef and non-fat/low-fat options of cheeses and milks will lower your fat and calorie intakes.

This was a big hit and made enough for leftovers for tonight!

Kid Approved Mac and Cheese

Kid Approved Mac and Cheese

My boys love the Kraft Mac and Cheese, but I don't like that is a processed food, SO I tried a few recipes, altered measurements and I think I have figured out a homemade rendition!

Boil noodles and drain them- add 5-6 tbsp butter to the noodles with a can of chedder cheese soup.  Mix together until it has melted.  Then add 3/4 of a can of evaporated milk and 2 c of shredded cheddar cheese.  Add or take away more or less cheese upon your preference.  Continue to stir on low heat until everything is creamy and cheesy.  

To try to cut down on the fat intake since there is a lot of potential here, use Smart Balance instead of your butter, the Campbell's Healthy Request version of the Cheddar Cheese Soup and Fat Free evaporated milk.  The taste truly is just as good and you can feel good about giving your kids a better option to boxed mac and cheese!!  

Italian Panko Breaded Chicken with Melted Provolone Cheese

Italian Panko Breaded Chicken with Melted Provolone Cheese

This meal is really easy and super tasty!  Defrost as many chicken breasts as your family will eat, I took out 3.  

In a ziploc bag pour in about 2 1/2 c panko bread crumbs, 1/4 c onion, a dash of red pepper, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp basil and 1/2 tsp rosemary.  Be sure to mix all the seasonings together.  

In a separate bowl pour in enough italian dressing to completely coat the chicken.  If you have time in advance, marinating the chicken as long as possible will increase the flavors!  In the event that you are preparing all at once, simply dip each piece of chicken in the dressing and then in the panko bread crumbs and place in a prepared baking pan.  

Preheat your oven to 350.  Once all the chicken has been dipped in the dressing and the bread crumbs, top with provolone cheese and bake, covered for 40 minutes.  Remove the lid or foil and continue to bake until the cheese has become golden brown.  

Serve with your favorite side or vegetable and enjoy!

Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce

Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce

I have begun doing preschool curriculum at home with Braydon.  Some days we do an activity, one day we might take a fun trip and other days we might have a cooking day based off of the letter we are learning.  Since we have begun with A, we learned about apples and apple trees so we thought it would be fun to make our own applesauce.

To begin- peel, core and slice about 8 apples and place them in a large pot along with a few strips of orange or lemon peel, 3-4 tbsp lemon juice, some cinnamon sticks, 1/4 c brown sugar, 1/4 c white sugar, a dash of nutmeg and 1 c water.

Mix together, cover your pot and bring to a boil.  Once bubbling, lower to a simmer and allow to cook for about 25 minutes until the apples have softened and form an applesauce texture. 

Be sure to remove the peels and cinnamon sticks before serving.

 Let cool and enjoy!  We had a warm bowl with our lunch to finish our day of A!

Bacon Cream Cheese Wrapped Chicken Breast over Buttermilk Alfredo Linguine

Bacon Cream Cheese Wrapped Chicken Breast over Buttermilk Alfredo Linguine

Today was a low key afternoon and I was so grateful for it.  Our little family has had quite a few changes in schedules and activities in the last month so it was nice to have our whole family home early in the afternoon after school.  While my hubby played some games and read books with our boys I had the opportunity to prepare a dinner that I might not have, if it weren't for a little alone time in the kitchen.

One thing lead to the next as I rummaged through my pantry and fridge for ingredients I needed to use up and this is what I came up with!  It was a huge hit and it has made the list of Can you please make again soon?  As a Mom, I consider that a success.

Bacon Cream Cheese Wrapped Chicken Breast: 

So, to get started-defrost 3 chicken breasts and place in a prepared baking pan.  In a bowl combine 8 ounces of fat free or low-fat cream cheese, 1 cup of finely chopped onion, a few dashes of cayenne pepper, a heaping tsp of minced garlic and a dash of pepper.  Stir together until combined, but not too much to cause the cream cheese to soften and lose solidity. 

At this time preheat your oven to 400*.  Take a chicken breast- spoon and smooth the cream cheese mixture over the chicken breast.  Place enough on to evenly distribute the mixture amongst the chicken you have prepared.  Once the cream cheese mixture has been placed on the chicken, wrap 4-5 slices of turkey bacon around the chicken breast with the seam underneath to secure the bacon's placement and set in the pan.  Continue this process with each piece of chicken.

I had a few tbsp of cream cheese mixture remaining that I placed around the wrapped chicken before baking and I let it cook for 45 minutes at 400*.  In the last few moments you can also set the oven to broil and crisp the bacon if that is your preference.

Buttermilk Alfredo Linguine:

While the chicken baked, I boiled a package of linguine noodles.  

While the noodles were cooking, I prepared my sauce.   Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a saucepan and stir in 2 tsp of flour.  Once incorporated, whisk in 1/2 c of milk with 1 c of buttermilk.  Continue to stir in 1 dash of nutmeg, 1 tsp of minced garlic and 1 tsp of pepper.  Then add 1 c of parmesan cheese, continue to stir until the sauce begins to thicken.  Add the cooked noodles to the sauce.

Serve the buttermilk alfredo linguine with the bacon cream cheese chicken on top- finish with a pinch of parsley and enjoy!

Homemade Toaster Pastries

Homemade Toaster Pastries

I made sugar cookies with the boys this morning and before I got started I doubled my ingredients to make these pastries after- the recipe below is a single batch.

In a bowl add 3 1/2 c flour, 2 tbsp baking powder, 2 eggs, 1 c butter, 1 tbsp vanilla and one can of 14 oz sweetened condensed milk.  Beat until the dough forms and chill in between baking batches.

I used a mold, but if you don't have one, cut out rectangle shapes in your dough after it has been rolled out.  On one rectangle place a tbsp of jelly and then top with another dough rectangle.  Press the edges closed to seal.  Repeat until all your dough is used and bake for 18 min at 350 degrees.  I topped with sanding sugars before baking as well.  

Other fillings that would be great are peanut butter, nutella or lemon curd!

Let cool and enjoy as a breakfast on the go, a yummy snack or dessert.

The Tried and True Sugar Cookie Recipe

The BEST Sugar Cookie Recipe!

The boys asked if we could make super hero cookies, so we used our impressions in our cookie dough and they were thrilled!!

I have used quite a few recipes for homemade sugar cookies, and this is my favorite.

In a bowl add 3 1/2 c flour, 2 tbsp baking powder, 2 eggs, 1 c butter, 1 tbsp vanilla and one can of 14 oz sweetened condensed milk.  Beat until the dough forms and chill between batches to keep firm.

We rolled our dough out, designed each cookie to look different with captions and characters and baked for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Braydon always loves to watch the goodies bake!

Let cool and enjoy!

Pizza Ebelskivers

Pizza Ebelskivers

I begin by making a traditional pancake batter.  In a bowl mix together 1 c of flour, 1 c of milk, 1 tbsp of sugar, 2 tbsp of oil, 1 tsp of baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1 egg.  Take your ebelskiver pan and coat it well with oil.  If you are in search of a great pan, I have a nonstick ebelskiver pan and turning tools from Williams-Sonoma and I love them.  I highly recommend the turning tools, but toothpicks can also be used.

Once the pan has warmed up, fill each bowl with 1/2 tbsp of batter.

I made the ebelskiver batter from our breakfast recipe and added some Trader Joe's 21 seasoning salute to give it a more seasoned flavor, as opposed to a sweet one.  I followed the same routine for breakfast ebelskivers, but instead I prepared a tomato base sauce and sliced string cheese for my fillings.

In my ebelskiver pan I placed the batter and then a dollop of the sauce ...

then I placed a piece of the cheese on top of the sauce ...

and topped it all with another layer of the batter.  I completed this process until all my ingredients were used.  We used a marinara sauce for dipping as well.  If you missed the thorough steps to making ebelskivers, check out the ebelskiver blog ... if you are up to date with it all, enjoy this new take on the ebelskiver as an appetizer or light dinner- which was a perfect finger food, especially for our boys!