New Website!

Please Visit my new blog address: 

www.thecheerandchow.com

I will no longer be using this one, but would love feedback and comments on my new one!  Thanks!

Also, check out IT Arsenal

for help with your website or blog, and any technical computer problems.  Rob is great to work with!

Marinara Sauce in Slow Cooker

Oh November!  Time moves so quickly these days..but I'm not to upset.  I love November and December.  There's a lot of food and deliciousness, family and friends, sweaters and coats, bundling up to go outside, or just snuggling inside with some wine (or tea, hot cocoa, or beer).

For November I decided that I am going to write down something (or several things) that I am thankful for from that day.  Just little things. I mean unless something really huge happens that day then obviously I will write that as well.  But most of the time, it's the little things that make my day.  If we all stop to think about the things that made us smile during the day instead of the things that made us mad, or stressed us out, I'm sure we'd all be a lot happier.  I got the idea from this blog:  Savvyeat- the-little-things.  I started a little late, but it's never to late to be thankful.

To keep track of all the things I am thankful for, I am using the smart phone app thankfulfor.  You can also use their website thankfulfor.com, write it in a journal, or use one of the creative ways Julie suggests.

Anyway,  this marinara sauce was really delicious and so easy to make.  It also makes a pretty big batch.  I used it for spaghetti for 2 one night, then lasagna for 10 a couple days later.  It can also be frozen.

Marinara Sauce in Slow Cooker

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 c chopped onion
5 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 c fresh basil chopped
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dry oregano
salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.  Cook on high for 2 hours, then low for 1 hour.  If you want your sauce to be smooth, you can pulse it in the food processor.  Serve on spaghetti, in lasagna, as pizza sauce..the options are endless!

Cinnamon and Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

About this picture...I forgot to take pictures of the 5 dozen cookies I had made.  There were 2 cookies left one morning when I was about to leave for work.  I grabbed the biggest and most attractive looking one of the two.  I was eating it in the car (that's right, a cookie for breakfast) when I realized there was only 1 cookie left and I hadn't taken any pictures (immediately regretting leaving the small, lame one for John, not good for a picture).  Anyway, I called John and said "please do not eat that cookie!  I need to take a picture of it."  That is why I put this tiny cookie beside a pumpkin.  Don't let the appearance of the photo sway you though!  These cookies are truly delicious!

I went grocery shopping last week and now my shelves are semi re-stocked with canned pumpkin.  I bought 5 cans but as I was driving home I began to worry that I didn't get enough!  I mean you never know.  There are just so many pumpkin things I want to make.  And I don't want the stores to run out!  Which was a problem last Thanksgiving...

Speaking of stores not having things...I could not find cinnamon chips!  I went to Giant Eagle (this areas huge grocery store) and thought I was just blind when I couldn't find them anywhere.  I was on my way to Target to see if they had them when I randomly saw a 'Shop & Save' so I quickly stopped.  And wouldn't you know, they had cinnamon chips!  And every other chip under the sun!

These cookies were delicious: cakey, with pumpkin, chocolate, and cinnamon goodness in every bite!  They were a hit with our Bible Study and at John's work (the first time I ever made cookies for John to bring to work...I felt like such a wife)

I got the recipe from keepitsweetblog.com.  I love this blog because it is filled with delicious baked goods!

Cinnamon and Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
From Keep it Sweet 


1 c butter
1 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 c canned pumpkin
3 1/4 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pumpkin pie seasoning
2 c semi sweet chocolate chips
1 c cinnamon chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together dry ingredients.

With an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin.

Stir in dry ingredients until combined, then add chocolate chips and cinnamon chips.

Drop teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Mexican Chicken Chilli in Slow Cooker

So Halloween weekend!  I've never been 'gung ho' Halloween.  I mean I love candy and parties...But dressing up is just a pain for the most part and it stresses me out!  We are going to a Halloween party tomorrow and I do have my "costume", except for my wig  If it's not in the mail tomorrow, I don't know what I'm going to do.  Also, my costume is kinda silly and people (except for the people at this party) won't even know who I am until they see me with John, and even then, it's very much a 2011 costume.  I'm doing it for John though based on his "favorite" song (Don't ever say I'm not a good wife :P).  Maybe I'll post a picture later if it all works out.  Are you dressing up for Halloween this year?  If so, what are you being?

I totally failed in posting this on Wednesday like I had planned. Oh well, regardless of when I posted it, it is still delicious!  This is modified from a Weight Watchers recipe that I found on Photo a Day, so that goes to show that it is low in calories too!  But still so hearty and fulfilling!

Mexican Chicken Chili in Slow Cooker

-1/2 c onion
-1 16 oz. can black beans (drained and rinsed)
-1 16 oz. can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
-1 14.5 oz. can tomato sauce
-1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
-3/4 c chicken or vegetable broth
-2 c frozen corn
-2 chicken breasts
-1 packet taco seasoning (If you have an ethnic aisle in your grocery store, there are so many options)
-1 tbsp cumin
-1 tbsp chili powder
-a dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker.  Cook for about 5 hours on High, or 8 hours on low.  Shred chicken, then cook for an additional 15 minutes or so.

The Perfect Fall Food for a Lazy Fall Night

Hi Friends!  I had mentioned in my previous post that I was going to make butternut squash soup, pumpkin bread, and apple cider floats for a chilly fall night and I did just that.  It was all so delicious and comforting.  The kind of food you want to eat when you're wearing your Pajamas, and ready to just relax for the night and not have to worry about all of the things you should be doing. 

The recipes for these three things are each in separate posts below.  Enjoy!

Butternut Squash soup

This is my all time favorite comfort food.  I could eat it everyday.  I love that it is sweet, yet also spicy and so creamy (without adding cream).

Butternut Squash Soup

1 Butternut Squash peeled and chopped (about 4 cups)
3 peeled and chopped whole carrots (about 1 cup)
1 medium white or sweet potato peeled and chopped
1 small chopped onion (about 1 cup)
3 tbsp Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
2 c vegetable broth (or more, use your best judgement)
1/2 to 1 cup skim milk

Preheat oven to 425.

Toss squash, carrots, potato, and onion in a baking pan with olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper (use as much spices as you think are needed.  I use about equal parts salt, pepper, and cinnamon, but less nutmeg.)

Bake for 45 min-1 hour

When squash is soft, transfer everything in baking pan to a soup pot, add vegetable broth and simmer for 1 minute.

Use an immersion blender (or regular blender if you don't have an immersion) and blend until smooth.

Add milk to desired thickness and stir.  Add more salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg to desired taste.

I serve this with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt, but you can use sour cream as well!


Part 1 of 3 in The Perfect Fall Food for a Lazy Fall Night

Pumpkin Bread

I made this bread quite a bit last fall, so I thought I would try it again.  As I thought, I wasn't disappointed.  It's moist and flavorful!   This pumpkin bread is modified from a recipe I found on delish.com.

Pumpkin Bread

1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c honey
2 egg whites
1 c pumpkin puree
1/4 c canola oil
1/3 c non-fat plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c whole wheat Flour
1/4 c ground flaxseed
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the sugar and wet ingredients in one bowl.

Combine the dry ingredients in another.

Mix both of these together. 

Pour into a greased or sprayed metal loaf pan.

Bake for 40-50 minutes until toothpick (or small knife) inserted comes out clean.

Cool, slice, then eat.  You may not be able to stop. 


Part 2 of 3 in The Perfect Fall Food on a Lazy Fall Night

Apple Cider Float with Homemade Cinnamon Caramel Sauce)

I have a lot of favorite things, but hot apple cider is definitely on my top 10 list.  With a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and homemade cinnamon caramel sauce on top of that, you just can't beat it.  It is the perfect end to a chilly fall night.

Apple Cider Float
Serves 2 (But can serve more if you have more cider and ice cream!)

2 c apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks
a sprinkle of ground cinnamon
vanilla ice cream
caramel sauce (or Homemade Cinnamon Caramel Sauce, see below)

Heat apple cider with cinnamon sticks and cinnamon on stove until hot, but not boiling.  

Pour into 2 mugs

Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and caramel sauce.

Mmmm....the ice cream melts a little and gets all frothy and creamy!  Yum 

Cinnamon Caramel Sauce

1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 tbsp flour
1/2 c hot water
1 tbsp butter1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a small saucepan over medium low heat, mix together sugar and flour.  Then stir in the hot water and cook until slightly thickened, making sure all of the flour has dissolved.

Add butter and cook an additional 10 or so minutes until thick and bubbly.  Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon and vanilla.

This can also be used as an ice cream topping, or as an apple dip.  I used my leftovers on some apple cinnamon baked oatmeal before I put it in the oven and that was delicious as well.


Part 3 of 3 inThe Perfect Fall Food for a Lazy Fall Night

Caramel Apple Crisp

I am so glad it's Friday!  Recently the weeks have seemed to last forever and when Friday rolls around it's just such a relief.  Plus I get to sleep in on Saturday which is a definite plus.  This weekend my friend Jen is coming to Pittsburgh so I'm really looking forward to that.  I'm not quite sure what we're doing yet, but I know we'll find something good.  I love it when people come to visit! I think tonight we're just going to relax with some butternut squash soup, pumpkin bread, and hot apple cider floats.  Perfect food for this cold fall day.

I have been enjoying taking full advantage of fall foods and flavors recently.  Johns parents came to visit last Sunday, we had a nice time relaxing and playing Phase 10.  For dessert I made Caramel Apple Crisp.  I'd never had apple crisp with caramel before so thought it would be a nice touch.  Not to much caramel though, but just enough!

Caramel Apple Crisp

-1 1/2 c oats
-1 c flour
-3/4 c brown sugar
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 c butter
-4-5 c apples
-1 (4.5 oz) bag soft caramels chopped (I used Werthers)
-3/4 c apple cider

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease 8x8 pan.

Mix together oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Cut in butter until crumbly.

Slice apples.

Press 1/3 oat mixture into pan.  Add half the apples and half the caramels.  Follow with another layer of oat mixture, apples, caramels, then the remaining oat mixture. 

Pour 1/2 c apple cider on top.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Pour rest of cider on top, then cover with foil and bake for another 15 minutes.

Serve with vanilla ice cream, or in a bowl with milk on top.  So good!

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Oh my goodness!  I wasn't going to post tonight...seeing as I just posted this afternoon.  But we just had a DELICIOUS dinner.  I was unsure about it because I've never made Acorn squash, or eaten it as far as I know except for maybe a bite or two.  I think it's one of those things that my mom made occasionally and we all said "ewww" so she ate it herself.

But this was seriously good!  John even loved it.  He kept saying how good it was. And he scraped his acorn squash clean.  I Googled different things to do with an acorn squash and I found all sorts of recipes, I kinda mixed and matched from a lot of different recipes and came up with this.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Squash:

-1 Acorn Squash
-1 tbsp butter
-2 garlic cloves minced
-1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
-salt and pepper

Filling: 

-olive oil
-2 small links Turkey sausage, casings removed (or sausage of your choice, I used Hot and the flavors were really complimentary)
-3/4 c chopped onion
-1 c chopped carrots
-1 medium sized apple cut into chunks (I used Stayman because they are my favorite, but you can use any baking apple)
-2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
-4 tbsp cheddar cheese
-salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

Cut acorn squash in half and get rid of the seeds and gunk on the inside.  Put in pan face up.

Melt butter, garlic, and sage and spread on both pieces of acorn squash. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 1 hour.

Melt olive oil, add onions and carrots.  When onions are soft, add sausage without casings and break up into pieces.  Cook until sausage is no longer pink.

Add chopped apple, sage, salt and pepper.

Fill already roasted acorn squash with the sausage, apple mixture, then sprinkle each with 2 tbsp cheddar cheese.

Put back in the oven for another 20 minutes.

The spiciness of the sausage, with the sweetness of the apple, and the sage on top of the acorn squash really was a winner.  I am definitely looking forward to trying a new recipe with acorn squash soon.

You can easily make this vegetarian by omitting the sausage and using quinoa instead, which would also be delicious.

This is John's scraped clean squash.  Definitely impressive for him!

Spicy Chicken Sauce in the Slow Cooker

I'm writing a post for crock pot Thursday...on Wednesday.  So you can make it on Thursday.  I started crock pot Thursday because I don't get home from work until about 6:30 and thought it would be nice if dinner was pretty much ready when I got home.  Also, our favorite TV shows are on that night so it gives me more time to relax and enjoy the good ol' TV.  The Big Bang Theory and The Office are the shows I am referring to by the way.  They just crack me up every time.  We have also been watching Whitney.  I'm still not sure what I think about it but it's funny enough.  I watched one of her stand up routines earlier this summer and thought it was pretty dang good, so thought why not watch the show?  I'm still eh about it though.

So as I was just reading the word "crock pot", I wondered if I should use the "slow cooker" instead?  It's kind of like the whole tissue/Kleenex thing.  I don't even know if my slow cooker is actually a crock pot or not.  So I will just say slow cooker from now on.

Anyway, I made this Spicy Chicken Sauce for dinner last Thursday.  I got the inspiration from the September 2011 issue of Rachael Ray.  However, that recipe wasn't in a slow cooker, and I made quite a bit of changes.  I also would typically serve this dish over quinoa, but this time I served it over whole wheat pasta with spinach because I knew John was hankering for pasta (he always is).  So do whatever you are hungry for...it was delicious with pasta, but it would be with quinoa, rice, plain, or wrapped in a tortilla as well!  This recipe served 2 of us with leftovers.  And we eat a little more than a normal serving size so it could potentially feed a family of four.

Spicy Chicken Sauce

-2 chicken breasts, chopped
-1 small onion sliced, about 1 cup
-1 jalapeno chile chopped (seeded and de-ribbed unless you want it super spicy)
-3 cloves garlic minced
-1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles (You can also use plain diced tomatoes if you prefer)
-1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
-Salt and Pepper
-Juice from 1 lemon (about 1 tbsp)

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

My slow cooker cooks pretty fast so this was done in about 5 1/2 hours on low.  However, all slow cookers cook differently.  Typically I would cook this on high for 5 hours and low for 8.  You probably know how your slow cooker works so do what you think would work best based on how your slow cooker cooks and your schedule.

Brocolli & Potato Frittata

I finally got apples and cider!  From Beccari's Farm Market.  I will definitely be going back!  They have the best Apple Cider ever!  They actually call it liquid apple because there is no added sugar (it doesn't need it), no water, and no preservatives.  We finished 1 gallon in less than a week...of course we did have more guests than usual so it wasn't just us drinking it. I plan on making some apple desserts within the next couple of days...so I will probably be posting them on here.  Fall is delicious!

I also bought myself a bag of Chex Mix when I was at the grocery store last Sunday...a moment of weakness.  I thought John and I would share it...but he wasn't as interested in it as me, or maybe I just didn't give him a chance to eat it...who knows.  The bag lasted about 5 days so that's not to bad is it?  So with my Chex Mix in one hand and my hot apple cider in the other, I was a happy girl.

But Chex Mix and Apple Cider weren't the only things I ate last week, of course.  I found this frittata in the November 2011 issue of EveryDay with Rachael Ray and adapted it just a little.  It was pretty delicious.  I've never thought to add potatoes to eggs before but it turned out well.  This can work for dinner, breakfast, brunch, or lunch so it's pretty versatile.

Brocolli & Potato Frittata

-Olive oil or coconut oil (I've been using this a lot recently because I got a jar while in amish country)
-2 white potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces 
-4 cloves garlic minced
-1/2 small onion
-2 cups broccoli florets
-4 whole eggs and 4 egg whites
-1 half c skim milk
-4 oz. pepperjack cheese
-salt and pepper

Heat oil in a skillet (preferably a cast iron that has been well seasoned).

Add the potatoes and onions and cook, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking until potatoes are tender.  About 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add a little more oil to pan.  Add garlic and broccoli.  Season with salt and pepper and cook until broccoli is tender.

Return the potatoes to the pan and smooth the veggies into an even layer.

Put rack in oven on the very top and preheat broiler.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper.  Pour over the potatoes and broccoli.  Cook until the eggs are set around the edges but still wet on top.  Then broil until just set and starting to brown a little on top-about 4 minutes.

Slice and serve.  Can be served with a variety of different side dishes depending on what meal it is for, or just alone.  It has most of the food groups in it already.

Pumpkin Peanut Soup

Yesterday John and I did the Step Trek in the South Side slopes of Pittsburgh.  It was a walk that explored a lot of the different stairs around the area.  It was fun because we were able to explore an area of Pittsburgh that we otherwise wouldn't have, we saw some pretty cool views of the city, and of course we got exercise (1,322 steps..not counting the thousands of steps we took just walking to the different stairs).  Needless to say my calves are pretty sore.  After that we went to my favorite place, The Milk Shake Factory.  They not only have 55 milkshake variations, you can also come up with your own flavor. AND they have sundaes, plain old ice cream cones with probably about 12 ice cream flavors, and homemade fancy chocolates.

After we got home we relaxed for about a half hour then went on a bike ride at the North Shore.  We were hoping to see some filming of 'One Shot' so we could see Tom Cruise but they weren't there.  But it was still a nice ride because of the insanely beautiful weather.  We just had to take advantage of it!  And I think we did a good job.

Anyway, I thought this soup would be a good idea for a relaxing night after our busy day.  I've been loving cooking with pumpkin and squash and all of the delicious tastes that fall brings.  I may be overdoing it just a tad, but there are so many recipes and options that it's hard to not take advantage.  John hasn't complained yet...but we'll see what December brings after his 15th bowl of some variation of pumpkin or butternut squash soup.  This recipe was especially delicious because it had the peanut taste to compliment the pumpkin.  I got the recipe from the October 2011 issue of Women's Health.

Pumpkin Peanut Soup

-2 tsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
-1 small onion (about 1 c)
-3 cloves garlic
-1/2 tsp paprika
-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
-1 can pure pumpkin puree (15 oz.)
-1 1/2 c vegetable broth
-1 jar drained roasted red peppers (7 oz.)
-1/3 c smooth peanut butter
-1 tsp sugar
-1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
-salt and pepper

Heat oil and onion and cook until onion is slightly browned.  Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.

Add paprika and crushed red pepper, pumpkin puree, broth, peppers, and peanut butter. Stir and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Blend until smooth.  Serve and enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash Pesto

So a week and a half ago, on a Sunday,  I planned out what I was going to make for dinner the next two weeks.  To reduce the stress of deciding the day of.  So I went through these recipes last week and they were mostly flops.  Well..maybe not complete flops just not worthy of my blog.  Then this week I was excited to make dinners but turns out with one thing or another we're not even going to be around all that much.

This past weekend we spent the weekend in Huntingdon, PA with our good friends Sara and Jared (who live there) and Melanie and Dave (who came from Philadelphia).  It's a good mid way point, in the middle of nowhere PA.  But anyway, Sara took Mel and I to all of these Amish Farms in Bellville, PA to get all sorts of fresh goods.  I got 2 huuuggggge butternut squash, an acorn squash, Spaghetti Squash, sweet potatoes, and gourds to decorate with.

After getting my gourds, I decided it was about time I started decorating for fall.  So I spent Monday night after work at Pier 1, Crate & Barrel, and Etsy.com.  I get decorating anxiety but I think I'm happy with the fall decor I got.  Now I just have to clean the house so it looks better.
I just couldn't wait to try the spaghetti squash so I made that for dinner on Monday Night.  After shopping...so we didn't eat until 9:00 PM...needless to say even after brushing before bed I had the worst garlic breath in the morning.

Spaghetti Squash Pesto


I used this link on How to Cook a Spaghetti Squash 


Then I made Pesto:

3/4 c basil
1/2 c spinach
1/4 c parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves
walnuts or pine nuts if you have them (I didn't)
olive oil
salt and pepper

Combine in the food processor:

After I got all of the "spaghetti" threads out of the squash, I added a chopped tomato and the pesto and voila!  I wasn't very hungry so I'm still not entirely sold on the spaghetti squash thing but John really liked it! So ya know, that's always a good thing.

If anyone has any must try recipes using a spaghetti squash please give me the recipe!

Corn soup with Jalapeno Puree

I have declared Mondays as meatless.  But let's be honest, there will be more than one meatless day in my house.  I could definitely be a vegetarian.  As it is now I only make and mostly only eat chicken and turkey.  I will eat other meats though if I am eating at someone's house.  I never want to inconvenience anyone so I just eat what they prepare.  I make beef maybe once a year, for Johns birthday.  Meatloaf...he loves it.  I told him I would make a turkey meatloaf and he didn't really like that idea.  Every time I buy beef though I just feel gross...and it looks gross and ya know, it's just not appealing to me in the least.  But have me over for dinner, and I will eat your bloody steak without one complaint.

Anyway, meatless Mondays are a good idea because you never know what we ate over the weekend.  For some reason I really don't want or like to cook on Saturdays or Sundays (unless it's breakfast) so we normally go out to eat, or have a frozen pizza.  But it's good to start the week off healthy.  And of course continue to eat healthy throughout the week, and then splurge on the weekends.  That's my mentality...probably not the best one but I like it.

As I was going through old magazines ripping out recipes, I came across one for Corn Soup in the July 2010 issue of Real Simple (I love this magazine!)  So this recipe is modified from that.

Corn Soup with Jalapeno Puree

Jalapeno Puree

2 jalapeno peppers with seeds removed
a quarter of a green bell pepper chopped (about 1/4 cup) I used the frozen bell pepper mix from Trader Joe's
2 tbsp chicken or vegetable broth

Put peppers on baking sheet and broil for about 10 minutes until slightly charred.  Let cool for a little then blend in blender with 2 tbsp broth.  Pour into a small bowl, clean out blender, and set aside for later.

Corn Soup

2 tbsp butter
1 small onion chopped
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
5 cups white corn kernels (Ok so I have to be honest here, I was to lazy to chop the corn off of about 10 ears of corn so I just used the frozen white corn from Trader Joes)
salt and pepper (about 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper)
plain yogurt
cilantro leaves

Melt butter in a large saucepan, add onions and cook until soft but not browned.

Add corn, broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Blend soup in blender (or with your immersion blender if you are so lucky) until smooth.

Serve the soup with a spoonful of plain yogurt in it and the jalapeno puree on top.  Garnish with fresh cilantro.

I am so happy to soup season is here!

Pizza Pie

Do you ever feel just so overwhelmed by a lot of things that are all kind of silly?

Currently I'm going through stacks and stacks of magazines ripping out recipes and such so I can throw the rest of the magazine away.  But in the process I of course find articles I want to read and it takes a lot longer than originally planned.  I really have too many subscriptions to magazines but I wouldn't have it any other way.
I'm sort of working on my new blog page (where all of the stuff from this site will be transferred eventually) with a lot of help from Rob with IT Arsenal.  He just so happens to be my best friends husband so it's convenient for me, but I definitely recommend him to anyone looking for help with blogs, websites, and anything technical.  Anyway, he's of course doing most of the work anyway, but it's still something that's on my mind.
I'm trying to figure out what all I want to make for dinner this week.  Sometimes I feel like I just can't find any recipes but other times I feel like there are far too many and it's so hard to pick!
I also really want to start putting my summer clothes away and bringing out the cold weather clothes but that is always such a process.  And I end up giving at least a garbage bag full of clothes to Goodwill after it's all said and done which of course means I need more clothes.  Which John obviously doesn't understand...oh goodness.

So anyway,  This pizza recipe is very versatile, semi easy to make, and sure to please your husband, friends, kids etc.

Pizza Pie

Crust

1 package (1/4 ounce) yeast
1 c warm water
2 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c oat bran
a little salt
1 tbsp honey

Dissolve yeast in water and let sit for 10 minutes.
Mix flour, oat bran, and salt.
Add honey and yeast mixture.  Stir and knead together.
Cover and let sit for a couple minutes to rise.

Split dough into two equal size pieces.  Roll out each so that it will fit in a 10 inch pie plate with extra to go around the sides.  Lay one piece of dough in greased pie plate and press against sides.  Save other piece for later.

Fillings

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 c chopped basil
several shakes oregano
Sliced mozzarella (or shredded) use as much as you want
salt and pepper

And this is where you can get creative.  In the pizza pie that I made I used bell peppers, onions, and pineapple.  But you can use any combination you like.  Mushrooms, spinach, olives, pepperoni, sausage, banana peppers, ham, etc. etc.

1 beaten egg

Dump diced tomatoes onto uncooked dough in pie plate.  Put basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and cheese on top of that.  Put any combination of other fillings on top of the cheese.  Add a final layer of cheese on top of that.  Top with the second layer of crust. 

Brush crust with egg.  bake at 400 for about 35 minutes until golden.

Heaven in my mouth

I know these aren't the most visually appealing.....but to my taste buds, they are above and beyond.  What are the two most popular chocolate covered food items?  At least as far as I know....

strawberries and pretzels.

So I thought- what if I combined them all?  And I did.  I was by no means disappointed.  I mean how could I be really with all those delicious flavors in one bite?  I know they don't look the greatest and when you eat them you get melted chocolate all over your fingers, but who cares?

And they're so easy to make so why not??

Obviously the main ingredient in these is the chocolate, so you can use a fancy chocolate bar or whatever kind you like best.  I used semi-sweet chocolate chips from Trader Joes.  I always keep several bags of them on hand, just in case I need them for recipes, but also for popping a couple in my mouth for that chocolate fix. 

Chocolate, Strawberry, Pretzel Clumps

18 ounces chocolate
2 c chopped strawberries
1 1/2 c thin broken pretzels

Chop strawberries and break up pretzels.  Melt chocolate on stove or in the microwave.  Stir all ingredients together.  Spoon clumps onto wax paper covered cookie trays and refrigerate. 

To prevent to much mess, I recommend refrigerating right up until you serve them if possible. 

Plum Crisp for 2

I love apples.  And I'm looking forward to all the different ways I will be able to use them soon.  But at the same time, I'm trying to make the most of the summer fruits while I can.  I've never baked anything with plums before and I had a bunch in the fridge so this plum crisp just seemed like the best idea.  It was really delicious and serves 2 perfectly (not to much, not to little)

I modified the recipe from taste of home.

Plum Crisp

4 plums sliced
nutmeg
1/4 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c oats
1 tbsp honey plus extra for drizzling on plums
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Grease round baking dish. I used a 4 cup glass pyrex but you could try another small dish, like a small pie plate or something of the like.
Slice plums and arrange in dish.  Sprinkle with a little bit of nutmeg and drizzle with a tad of honey.
Mix flour, oats, honey, sugar, butter, and vanilla extract together.
Pour on top of plums.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35-40 mins.  Uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 until topping is golden.

Cajun Turkey Burger

So I just got an iphone.  A 3GS not a 4, but that's enough for me especially considering the phone I had just a few days ago. It's pretty fun!  I've been having a fun time exploring and seeing all the different things it does.  I just discovered an app from Whole Foods that has a bunch of different recipes:  Whole Foods recipe app

It's pretty cool because you can specify dietary needs, and type in the different ingredients you have on hand and it will come up with a recipe for you.  Oh the options.  I'm also a fan of Words with Friends and was excited to 'check in' at my first restaurant this morning on foursquare.  I'm actually feeling a tad overwhelmed with all of this technology...

Anyway,  these burgers were dinner a few nights ago.  I always feel like a good wife when I make burgers.  The recipe was modified from foodnetwork.com not the Whole Foods app...those will probably be coming soon.

Cajun Turkey Burgers

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 lb green bell pepper chopped (about 1/2 c)
1/2 c chopped onion
several shakes of cajun seasoning (about 2 tsps)
salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients and form 4 patties.  I grilled mine on the George Foreman, but you could also use a real grill or a skillet.

Sauce: 

1/4 c ranch dressing
2 tsps hot sauce

stir together.

I served my burgers on whole wheat buns with chopped tomato, sauce, and grilled pineapple on top.

Coconut Mocha Smoothie

So you know how Starbucks has their seasonal coffee drinks?  For some reason I always get really excited about them.  But I rarely go to Starbucks anyway and when I do I always get iced green tea with a teeny tiny bit of simple syrup or some sort of hot tea. And when I finally say ok ok I'll treat myself to the Coconut Mocha Frappucino, I'm always a tad disappointed.  I mean it tasted pretty good, but was it worth my $5?  Especially without whipped cream?  I really don't know...

Anyway, this was my attempt at making something with actual nutrients but that also had that coconutty, coffee, chocolate taste.  It's obviously no Starbucks, but it still tastes pretty delicious.

Coconut Mocha Smoothie

1 frozen banana
2/3 c coconut
1 heaping tsp plain non-fat yogurt
1 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp instant coffee powder
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 c soy milk
honey to taste

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend away.

Now...I have a secret.  I did actually put spinach in mine too...because with all of the other flavors any trace of spinach taste is gone. So I mean...if you're up for it try it.

Quinoa with Corn/Basil Topping

I am no good at making original names for recipes...as you can probably tell.

Anyway,  I had three ears of corn and wanted to make something new besides just corn on the cob.  I was thinking soup or something like that, but although it's been a little chilly I don't think it's time just yet to start making soups.  I do think that this dish looks pretty festive though for the upcoming season.

Quinoa with Corn/Basil Topping
Serves 2 but you can double or triple the recipe

Quinoa

1/2 c quinoa
1/2 c chopped carrots
1 1/4 c water
a little bit of salt

Prepare as box says.

Corn/Basil Topping

Cooked corn cut off of 3 ears (about 2 cups)
1 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp milk
1 clove garlic
1/4 c fat free feta
a few shakes of crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c fresh basil cut into small pieces

Combine all ingredients except basil in the food processor until mostly smooth.  Stir in basil.
Top Quinoa mixture and serve.

Peach Cobbler

So Labor Day, kinda a sad day and kind of not.  Summer just seemed to go so fast this year...and of course we didn't get to do all of the things we said we were going to do or wanted to do.  Oh well.  It will still be warm for a little while more.  But Fall brings great things!  Especially for my taste buds.  Specifically Butternut squash (you will be seeing a lot of recipes using it..YUM!), hot Apple Cider, Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, trying the black bean brownies with pumpkin puree instead of bananas, apples from Soergels Orchards and so much more!

Anyway, I made this Peach Cobbler and these Pretzel Brownies for our Labor Day Festivities.  We had two different family gatherings to go to with John's family.  We had a lot of fun and the desserts seemed to be a hit!  Always a good thing.

I have never attempted Peach Cobbler before but found a recipe that sounded delicious in the August 2011 issue of EveryDay with Rachael Ray and really wanted to try it.  

Peach Cobbler

11 medium peaches, peeled and sliced
2/3 c sugar
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp. flour (I used white flour since I was making it for a bunch of people but I would love it with whole wheat flour as well)
1/2 c yellow cornmeal
1 lemon, zested
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, chilled
1 c heavy cream
1/4 c milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Set aside 1 tbsp of butter to soften to room temperature.

In a large bowl, combine the peaches, 1/4 c sugar, and 2 tbsp flour and toss well.

In another bowl, combine 1 1/2 c flour, cornmeal, 1/3 c sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Grate the stick of butter using the large holed grater into the bowl of dried ingredients. By the time I was done doing this I had butter all over my hands and a little bit that I wasn't able to keep grating.  I just cut the rest into tiny pieces with a knife.  Toss butter with flour mixture only a little bit.  Put back in the refrigerator.

Use the reserved tbsp of butter to grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Pour peach mixture into dish, cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes.

When peaches are done baking, pour heavy cream and milk into flour/butter mixture and stir until just combined.  Pour of peach mixture covering as evenly as possible.  Bake for about 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Peach season is still in it's prime!  Until the end of September so hurry up and make this one.  Last taste of summer before the wonderful tastes of fall!

Good n Green Smoothie

Breakfast!  Ok...so this picture looks pretty gross  but there's just not a good way to take pictures of these things....plus I took a couple sips before I took the picture so there's smoothie residue all around the glass.  Gross.  But it definitely doesn't taste gross!  So try it out!

Good n Green Smoothie

1/2 frozen banana (I keep a bag of frozen bananas in my freezer)
1/2 c spinach
1/2 c frozen pineapple
1/4 c carrot (or about 5 baby carrots, or one small whole carrot)
1/2 brewed green tea
1/4 cup milk
a splash or two of juice (I used a splash of Dole orange, pineapple, banana and a splash on Sobe pure pineapple, but you can use whatever you have on hand)
enough water to make it blendable
Honey to taste

Combine all ingredients in blender and pour into glass.  You can add yogurt, or flax seed if you want for extra nutrients.  Smoothies are just so versatile and easy.  If you come up with a delicious smoothie recipe, please let me know!

Raspberry Smoothie with a hint of coffee

I make smoothies almost everyday for breakfast and why not?  These ones are full of good stuff your body needs to start off the day!  Once it gets cooler I'll probably start in on the oatmeal..but for now I'm still loving the smoothies.  I have quite a bit of recipes but haven't documented any so thought it was about time.

Now I just want to tell you before I write the recipe.  The first ingredient is spinach, as it is with most of my smoothies.  But don't stop reading yet!  You can't taste it. honest.  And it's a good thing to start your day off with the green stuff.

Raspberry Smoothie with a hint of coffee

 1/2 c spinach (frozen or fresh)
3/4 c frozen raspberries
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1 tsp instant coffee
2 tbsp non-fat plain yogurt, Greek or normal (or just two heaping tsps full whatever looks right)
1/2 c milk (I use light Soy but you can use normal too)
1/4 c water
Honey to desired sweetness, I just kinda swirl a little bit in

Add all ingredients to blender and blend!  Easy peasy!  In this smoothie you have a ton of vitamins, omega 3's, calcium, fiber, potassium, and just a little bit of caffeine.  On top of all that, it is delicious and what makes it even more so is knowing all of the good things you are putting into your body.

Black Bean Corn Salad

I know what you're thinking, something else made with black beans???  I know I know...but this salad is perfect to bring to picnics or end of summer dinners.  My mom used to make this all the time, but she couldn't find the original recipe.  I pretty much remembered how to make it...but used google just to spur my memory.  Most recipes call for a red bell pepper however Trader Joe's happened to be out the day I went so I got a green one.  To be honest though, I can't really tell that much of a difference between green and red bell peppers.  Are my taste buds messed up?  I'd really like to know.  I do think that the red bell pepper would make for a better picture....but what's done is done.

Black Bean Corn Salad

1/2 c red onion (about 1/2 of a medium sized onion)
1 bell pepper (green or red)
1/2 c cilantro leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp lime juice
1 can corn drained
2 cans black beans drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste


Chop the onion, bell pepper and cilantro leaves.  I used my chopper (like a slap chop but not) and it was a lot of fun. I don't know why I don't use it more often.  Mix together.
Add black beans and corn.  Mix well.
Finally add olive oil, vinegar, lime juice and salt and pepper.  You can add more of the liquids if it seems to dry or to taste.

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry shortcake was one of my favorite dinners growing up (along with pancakes, cherry puddin', and apple dumplings).  I knew it was gonna be a good night when my mom said we were going to have strawberry shortcake for dinner.  We normally had a small-ish dinner....salad with grilled chicken or something then could indulge in the strawberry shortcake.  So this is definitely a tradition I plan on carrying on with my own family.  I think this is about the 3rd time I've made it for John so I'm on my way.  I don't think he quite understands the appeal but when we have kids I'm sure that will change.

So typically I would serve this shortcake in a bowl covered in strawberries with milk on it.  However we didn't have any milk, we didn't feel like running out and getting any, AND we had an almost expired carton of heavy cream in the fridge.....so I decided to make the indulgence a little more so by making homemade whipped cream.

Strawberry Shortcake

Shortcake:

1 1/3 c whole wheat flour
2 tbsp ground flax seed (This can be omitted)
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 c honey (or whatever looks right as you're squirting it out of the bottle)
1/4 c oil (canola, coconut)
1 big spoonful of plain or vanilla yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c milk (I used coconut milk because it's all I had)

Mix all ingredients together, pour into a greased 8x8 pan.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Whipped cream

1 c heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp confectioners sugar

mix ingredients together.  Whip until peaks form and you have the right consistency.  I used an electric hand mixer, but you can do it by hand (if you have the patience) or with a stand mixer.

Wash and cut up strawberries and assemble shortcake.  Great for one of the last nights in August...

Strawberry Lemonade

I love lemonade.  Not the kind from a mix but the fresh shaken kind.

Strawberry Lemonade

1 lemon
5 frozen strawberries
2 or 3 tsps sugar
ice cubes
water

Cut lemon in half.  squeeze one half of lemon into glass, put in frozen strawberries and microwave for 25 seconds.  Mash strawberries into lemon juice.  Squeeze the other half of the lemon in.  Add sugar, ice and water.  Put larger cup over the glass and shake it until sugar is dissolved.

Try making this lemonade without any fruit, or with blueberries, or raspberries.  Add flavored vodka or rum..the possibilities are endless.  So refreshing!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and....Broccoli?

So here's a fact no one cares about, when I eat dinner alone I almost always eat roasted sweet potatoes with a whole lot of steamed broccoli.  However, tonight I was thinking what if I roasted the sweet potatoes and broccoli together??? Because I've recently come to the realization that all vegetables taste better when they are crispy.  And I have to say, I was not disappointed.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli

Sweet potatoes
Broccoli
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Cajun seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Wash sweet potatoes,  Roughly peel or peel completely whichever you prefer (I keep some skin on for the extra fiber...), chop into rounds, and place on one side of baking sheet.  Chop Broccoli or use frozen and put on the other side of baking sheet.  Toss both with olive oil, salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning.

Roast for 18-22 minutes stirring or flipping mid way through.

I might try roasting or grilling lima beans next....

Grilled veggies with quinoa

So...There is no picture for this one.  Sometimes I totally make something up with leftovers and things I already have in the cabinet.  Not thinking it will really be all that good.  But even though there is no picture for this one I thought I would still document the recipe...because I loved it.

Also, I have been using my George Foreman all the time.  I wish I had a real grill (someday) but the George does work pretty nicely.  Plus, John cleans it for me since I always burn myself when I try.  Bonus!

I don't have the exact measurements for this recipe as I mostly just used leftover fresh veggies, so it can be altered depending on the number of people...or what veggies you have.

Grilled Veggies with Quinoa

red bell pepper
green bell pepper
zuchinni
sliced onions
grape tomatoes
green beans (fresh or frozen)
olive Oil
salt
pepper
A handful of fresh chopped:
Thyme
Sage
Rosemary
garlic cloves
Quinoa (I used 1/2 cup prepared as the box suggested)
Parmesan cheese

Prepare quinoa as box suggests.  Add half of the chopped thyme, sage, and rosemary to quinoa before cooking.

Chop veggies as desired, toss in olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and the remaining herbs.  Grill (on George or your nice real grill) until cooked through and slightly charred.  Toss with cooked quinoa, add salt and pepper as needed.  Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Who knew grilled veggies could be so good?

Black Bean Brownies

Edit:  I made these again substituting 1 c butternut squash cubes for one of the bananas and adding a tad more cocoa, instant coffee powder, and sugar.  They didn't taste so much like bananas after that.  Get creative!  I intend on substituting pure pumpkin puree for the bananas once fall gets just a little bit closer.  And I'm thinking of trying sweet potatoes and carrots after that.
 
Don't let the name scare you!  These things are so delicious!  Not to mention chock full of fiber and dare I say, healthy for you?  Minus the sugar of course?  Which for 12 brownies is pretty minimal. and they're so easy to make too! mmm...so moist and fudgey. I am going to be making these all the time.

Black Bean Brownies

1 can black beans, rinsed
2 bananas
1 egg
1/4 c water
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp instant coffee powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 c oat bran (or regular oats)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor except oat bran.  Process until smooth.  Add oat bran process a little bit more.  If using regular oats you may want to process it a little bit longer.  Pour into greased muffin pan.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy!  And relish in the fact that something so delicious could actually be at least a little bit good for you!

The best sugar cookie recipe

I made these cookies for the cookie table at the wedding of my very good friend and TH 9 roommate Catherine Bishop to Chris Ross.  It was a beautiful wedding!

I got the recipe for these cookies from another of my favorite blogs: Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body and I couldn't have asked for a better tasting sugar cookies.  Ok, so I've never even made sugar cookies before so maybe they just all are so easy and delicious but I was so very impressed with these.  I also used Multi Purpose flour for these which I nevvvveeer use.  But I've come to the realization that not everyone likes whole wheat.  In fact, I'm surprised at the amount of people who hate the way it tastes. So I've decided that though I will always use whole wheat for John and I.  I will use multi purpose while making dessert for others...which is mostly when I make desserts

As a side note, one would assume that all I eat is sugar.  But really I'm making all of these desserts and cookies for events and other people so it's not all that bad.  But I DO really love sugar anyway.

Sugar Cookies:
 Recipe from  Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body

1 1/4 c sugar (I used organic evaporated cane juice and it worked great)
2 sticks butter
3 egg yolks
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
granulated sugar
 or sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350.  I used my stand mixer for this so it made mixing so easy.

Mix butter and sugar until it is nice and creamy.  Add egg yolks and vanilla extract.  Add flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt until cookie dough is all mixed.

Form dough balls, roll them in sugar or sprinkles and place them on cookie sheet.  Press down to flatten slightly.

Bake for 12-14 mins until cracked a little on the top.  Do not over bake or cookies will not be soft in the middle.  Place cookies on cookie rack to cool.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Brownies with a pretzel base and buttercream frosting

I saw these on one of my favorite blogs: The Avid Appetite and knew immediately that I had to try them.  However, although I love sweets, I don't like baking for just John and I.  That would be a real problem for people like us who try to eat healthy.  So when I girl in our Bible study asked someone to make a dessert, I seized the opportunity.  These suckers were to die for!  I love that salty and sweet mix, and the icing was so easy to make!  Forget the fact that there is a ton of butter in these guys...it's ok to indulge every once in awhile.

P.S. My picture isn't very good...as this was the last brownie left.  I decided to take a quick picture before I gobbled it down.

Brownies with a pretzel base and buttercream frosting
Recipe from: The Avid Appetite

Pretzel crust:

4 cups pretzel
3/4 c unsalted butter
1/2 c sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degress F.  Line 9 x 13 pan with aluminum foil then spray with cooking spray.
Pulse pretzels in food processor until roughly chopped. Mix together with melted butter and sugar.  Press into 9 x 13 pan and bake for about 10 minutes
.
Brownies:

4 ounces (4 squares) unsweetened chocolate
3/4 c butter
2 c sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 c flour

change oven temp to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter and chocolate in microwave until butter is melted.  Then stir until all chocolate is melted as well. Mix in all other ingredients until blended well.
Pour and smooth brownie mixture onto pretzel crust. Bake for 35 minutes.  Do not overbake because you want the brownies to still be fudgy!  But not raw of course.

Buttercream frosting:

1/2 c butter at room temperature
3 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp milk

Beat the butter until fluffy (I used my stand mixture with the paddle attachment but you could also use a hand mixture.  Gradually add sugar and keep beating, then add vanilla and milk.

Then spread over cooled brownies.  Put a pretzel on top of each brownie if desired.  It's helpful as it lets guests know what is in your dessert!

Black Bean Sweet Potato Burritos

I received this recipe from my beautiful friend Melanie.  She sent it to me after a discussion over how we like making vegetarian dishes but our husbands also like meat.  She said her husband even said about these burritos "it tastes like there is meat in here!" so that is a bonus!
I knew right away that I was going to love it due to the fact that it has two of my favorite ingredients in it: black beans and sweet potatoes.  I was not wrong in assuming this and knew I had to put it on my blog ASAP.  These will be a staple in the Marlowe house I know that for sure!

Black Bean Sweet Potato Burritos:

3 cups sweet potatoes, peel and diced
1/2 c onion chopped
olive oil

Saute sweet potatoes and onions in 1 tbsp olive oil until tender.  Add water as needed to prevent sticking.  About 10-15 mins.

2 c black beans
1 tsp cumin
3/4 ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
A shake or two of cayenne red pepper

(since I love spices, I always tend to add more than recipes call for...so do what you think is right)

Add all of the above ingredients and cook until heated through.

8 flour tortillas (I actually used whole wheat, low carb tortillas from Trader Joes. Low cal, plus lots of fiber. Bonus!)
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat Oven to 350.

Divide bean mizture and cheese among tortillas and roll up. Place in a pan.  Cover pan with foil and bake for 20-25 mins.

Garnish with sour cream, salsa, and fresh cilantro!  YUM!

whole wheat "healthy" cinnamon buns

So I love cinnamon buns.  A lot.  And this morning, while thinking of ideas to make for breakfast, I thought to myself, I have one more packet of yeast left soooo....I searched for "healthy" cinnamon bun recipes.  I found several and kinda mixed and matched them.  The result was delicious.  And I mean come one, it's Sunday, I'll eat healthy tomorrow.  Besides, Friday we went on a mountain bike expedition in the afternoon, and in the evening we rode our bikes downtown for dinner, then Saturday went on a killer hike.  And although we had ice cream and Pizza last night, well I think we warrant this cinnamon bun breakfast.

As a side not to the above picture, I have a problem when it comes to eating...I just can't wait to eat so I forget to take a picture until I am done.  Resulting in a more than half eaten pan of cinnamon rolls....oooh well.

Whole Wheat "Healthy" Cinnamon Buns

Dough:

-1 c skim milk
-1 packet yeast
-2 c whole wheat flour plus more for kneading and rolling
-2 tsp baking powder

-1/4 c sugar or honey (I used a little sugar, a little honey)
-1/4 tsp salt
-several shakes of cinnamon
-4 tbsp applesauce

Put the skim milk in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute, until warm.  Add yeast packet and stir (Note: Do not smell this mixture unless you want to gag.  I made the mistake....) Let sit for several minutes while you combine the other ingredients.

Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon together.  Add yeast mixture, then applesauce.  Combine until formed into a ball (I used my KitchenAid stand mixer with the hook mixing fixture.)

Set on Floured surface and knead a few times, then roll it out until it is about 1/4 inch thick.

Filling:

-2 tbsp butter
-4 tbsp brown sugar or other (I used organic sugar, evaporated cane juice..that's what I use a lot as my white sugar substitute)
-2 tsps cinnamon (I hate measuring cinnamon so I just shook it a lot and made sure it was covering the dough

Melt bummer, pour over dough and spread so it evenly covers it with a spatula.  sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.  Roll into a log, and cut (about 1 inch) place in pan (I used an 8x8 but it was a little to small I had Enough to fill a small pyrex bowl with 5 small cinnamon buns,  You might want to use the next size up)

And here's the rising deal,  I didn't look up this recipe until the morning I wanted to eat them so I didn't have a lot of time or patience to let them rise.  If you make these the night before, you can cover them and put in the refrigerator overnight.  But if you make them the morning of, turn your oven to 200 for about 2 minutes, then turn it off.  Put cinnamon buns in the warm oven for 30 minutes or so, and TADA! they have risen.

Then, preheat your oven to 350 degrees (After you have taken the risen cinnamon buns out) if you refrigerated overnight bake for 20 minutes, if the cinnamon rolls are still warmish, bake for 15 minutes.  You do not want to overcook your cinnamon rolls or they will be very dry.

Icing:

-2 Tbsp butter
-1 tbsp milk
-1/4 tsp vanilla
-Enough powdered sugar to get it to the consistency you want

Mix all ingredients together.

After taking cinnamon rolls out of the over, pour mixture over top.  Let cool for a couple of minutes then enjoy!

Potted Herb Garden

Living in Pittsburgh in a townhouse without much space for a garden, you do what you have to do.  Although I would love a vegetable garden it is pretty unrealistic right now, so I figured I could at least grow some fresh herbs in pots on our small deck.  I waited longer than i wanted to because herbs don't do well if they get to much water, and being in pittsburgh that is certainly a problem...with all of the rain and such.  But now they are done and the weather has really been great.  Sun! and just the right amount of rain.  Now I just need to find recipes to use my herbs in which shouldn't be a problem.

This pot has thyme, cilantro, and lavender in it.  The cilantro is a little out of control, growing taller and even flowering but it still seems to be doing well.  I hope this is normal?  And I'm very excited about the lavender although everyone keeps asking "What are you going to do with it?"  Well for starters there is this awesome place in squirrel hill on Murray called Te-Cafe that I absolutely love.  And they make a delicious lavender lemonade.  So refreshing.  I found several recipes online for that and am looking forward to trying it at home.  There are also lavender baked goods I'm dieing to try along with lavender chocolate like I have tasted at Mon Aimee Chocolat in the strip district.

This pot has sage, basil, and rosemary.  I'm thinking I will end up freezing a lot of the sage once the colder weather comes and that is something I use a lot in butternut squash dishes.  The basil I will use all the time so I am so glad it is doing so well!  And the rosemary is something I love to throw in chicken dishes so I know I will find a use for it.

We have a dirt "garden" area in front of our house where bushes are planted right under our mailbox so I also planted mint out there.  Mint spreads like crazy and I heard it can live in even the worst conditions.  However mine is not doing so well.  Hopefully it come back to life or no mojitos for me :(

Anyway, the moral of this post is: Even if you live in a place with no yard, if you have even a tiny space in the sun you can still plant an herb garden. 

Sweet Potato Quinoa Patties

Sweet potatoes and quinoa are a staple in the Marlowe house.  When I am just at a loss for dinner ideas, I either make some kind of chicken with sweet potatoes done some way, or mix random ingredients with quinoa. However, I actually did find a recipe for these and it couldn't be more fitting for my tastes.  It was pretty time consuming so I can't say that I would make it all to often but it was really delicious as a final result.

Sweet Potato Quinoa Patties


1 large egg

1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tbsp dry ginger
 3 small cloves minced garlic
1/4 c flour
3/4-1 c cooked quinoa
1 c grated sweet potato
salt to taste
pepper to taste
canola oil

Salsa for on top

 1/2 c diced pineapple
1/4 c diced bell pepper (whatever color you would like)
1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp brown sugar

Combine all of the ingredients for patties minus the canola oil and refrigerate for a half hour.

In the meantime, combine all of the ingredients for the salsa and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Heat oil in pan and form small patties.  No more than 3 tbsps in each for optimal cooking and sticking together.  Cook in pan about 3 minutes per side, sort of flattening it with the spatula a little as it cooks.

Serve with salsa on top


This recipe sounds like a weird combination but it really is good with the sweet salsa offsetting the spicy patty.

Someday I might just combine all of the ingredients for the patties and make a casserole type dish without.  I think it would shave off a little time and still taste delicious.

chicken mozzarella roll ups

So John's friend was coming over to dinner.  Well...I guess he's kinda my friend too.  It's weird.  John seems to have more highschool/college friends in the area, and they are all nice enough to include me in everything.  So anyway,  I wanted to make him at least a semi good dinner because he lives by himself and goodness knows what he normally eats.

I had some fresh mozzarella and tomatoes I had to finish before they got moldy along with my ever present pesto that I thawed out the night before.  So I decided on these roll ups and they were quite good.

Chicken Mozzarella Roll ups:

-chicken tenderloins
-mozzarella cheese
-pesto (store bought or homemade recipe at the bottom of this post)
-roma tomatoes
-salt
-pepper
-olive oil

Depending on how many people you will be serving use as many tenderloins as you think you will need (I used 11: 4 roll ups each for the guys, and 3 for me)
Smash them a little bit so they are thinner and easier to roll.
Put a small spoonful of pesto, a piece of tomato, and a piece of cheese on each.  roll up and place on baking sheet seam down.
Put olive oil on top (I have one of those olive oil sprayer things that work really well, but you could also brush it on) then top with salt and pepper.
broil for 8-10 minutes until slightly browned on top.

I served these with a big salad and homemade garlic breadsticks (I would post the recipe but they really weren't that good)

I just love basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella together.  So I thought this would be a good combo and I was right.  There are so many ways you can make these chicken roll ups so I might be posting more recipes.  And if you come up with any other delicious ideas, please let me know!

Raspberry Sorbet

I just have to write this recipe down before I forget.  I used to make this all the time last summer and it was so delicious.  And it's healthy too, besides the sugar but raspberries have so much fiber!  Hooray!  Try it with chocolate syrup or chocolate chips.  Oh and it's from July 2010 'Martha Stewart Living'.

Raspberry Sorbet

-1 12 ounce bag frozen raspberries
-1/4 c sugar
-1/4 c water

Put raspberries in food processor, and pulse until they are coarsely chopped.  Keep the food processor on and add sugar and water until smooth.

Matzo Brickle

I've been making this dessert/snack for years.  More than 12 for sure.  I used to make it and put it in baggies and give it to my friends as gifts...and whenever I brought a snack anywhere this is what I brought.  And I still love it to this day.

Recently I was reading one of my magazines, and found that someone decided to make it fancy and sell it.  Why didn't I think of that?!  matzel toff!

Matzo Brickle

-matzah (found in the kosher section of the grocery store)
-1 c butter
-1 c brown sugar
-2 c (or more if you feel like it) semi sweet chocolate chips

Line a cookie sheet (with sides) with aluminum foil.  Cover with matzah.

Melt butter and sugar on medium low heat (You don't want it to be any hotter than this or you will end up with a smelly burnt sugar mess)  Stir frequently until it boils.  Stir continuously for 3 minutes as it boils.  

Pour sugar and butter mixture over matzo.  bake at 450 degrees for 3 minutes. Pour chocolate chips over everything.  Put back in the oven for about 1 minute.  Take out and spread chocolate until it covers everything.

Put in the refrigerator for at least an house until firm.  Break into pieces and store in refrigerator.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

This was my first experience making anything with rhubarb.  I was so excited when I finally found in at Kaelin Farm Market in Wexford, PA.  I have recently discovered many farm markets in Wexford and am very excited about this, especially with the summer coming up.  Anyway, I searched around and found a ton of different recipes for strawberry rhubarb pie.  Taking all of these, I combined, added, and got rid of some things to come up with this.  It really was good:

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Crust:

For the crust I used the All butter crust I found on another food blog.  You can find it in my blog Here
and this will also lead you to her blog.  Do not bake the crust before you bake the rest of the pie.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Filling:

-3 c strawberries
-2 c rhubarb
-1/2 c white sugar
-1/2 c brown sugar
-2 tbsp instant tapioca
-1 tbsp lemon juice

Mix everything together and stir until combined.  Pour into pie crust.

Crumb Topping:

I'm not a huge fan of crust covering my entire pie, but I love crumb topping, so I thought I would go this route.

3/4 c flour
1/2 c rolled oats
1/2 c brown sugar
3 tbsp butter
pinch of cinnamon

Combine all ingredients.  If it isn't crumbly enough add a little cold water.

Sprinkle generously over pie.  Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, then turn down to 350 and bake for an hour more.  If it looks like the crust is getting to brown cover loosely with foil.