Festive Fall Cupcakes

These cupcakes were inspired by a photograph of cookies I came across in a magazine. The decorations were meant to top a thick, chocolate cookie but I decided to improvise and turn them into cupcakes for my students' Halloween party. I have been dying to make this design on cupcakes/cookies since the day I bought the magazine and I am so glad I finally got around to them! They came together quickly and are very impressive looking. I definitely made these for myself (and of course you!) because I am sure my kids will pull all of the decorations off and lick the frosting but that's ok- I love them!



Source: Inspired by Harvest Baking Fall 2009

Ingredients:
1 batch of cupcakes, frosted with vanilla icing
Pumpkin candies
Milk chocolate Twizzlers
Fall leaf sprinkles

Directions:

1- Cut the Twizzlers into 3 inch pieces. Take each piece and slice the top in half lengthwise. Turn the Twizzler and slice in the other direction.
2- Fan out the four "branches" of the Twizzler and push it into the icing.
3- Sprinkle on the fall leaf sprinkles around the "branches."
4- Lay a pumpkin down at the bottom!

Ghost Cookies

This is my second Halloween goody for you! These were so incredibly easy to make that I encourage you to whip up a batch. It doesn't hurt that you are using store bought cookies for the base- that certainly makes the process go quickly! I had seen these cookies in a magazine awhile ago but never bought the magazine so I unfortunately can't give credit where credit is due. If anyone knows where I saw these please feel free to let me know!

Ingredients:
2 packages of Stella D'Oro Breakfast Cookies
One batch of royal icing prepared and slightly thinned (flooding consistency)
Black food coloring

Directions:
1- Cover the counter with parchment paper.
2- Line cookie cooling racks over the parchment paper. Top the racks with the breakfast cookies.
3- Spoon a small amount of the royal icing into a small, air tight container, and cover. Set aside.
4- Using a large spoon, spoon the remaining royal icing over the cookies and allow to set until hard.
5- Slowly add black food coloring to the small container of royal icing. Stir and add more until it's the right shade of black.
6- Place the black icing in a piping bag. Pipe on the ghost faces.

Pumpkin Cookies

In honor of Halloween being right around the corner I am going to post 3 tasty Halloween treats this week, starting with these cookies. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays (although I am likely to say that about every holiday- I love holidays!) Growing up my dad took trick-or-treating VERY seriously. He would plan out which developments we would go to based on the closeness of the houses, how many homes had steps, etc. We would go for hours and hours, filling up pillow cases full of candy. I would then hide the candy in my bottom draw and throw it down the hallway so my sister would chase after the candy instead of pounding on my door and begging me to play with her. Yeah, that was evil. I know. I regret it. Now as a teacher I really love Halloween crafts, treats, and fun with my kids. It's just a good time!



This was my second time working with royal icing and it was much more successful. Last time it took me a VERY long time and I felt nervous the whole time. This time the process was much smoother and I felt more in control. I can't wait to make my next set of cookies with royal icing- it's just so pretty and fun!

For the recipe for both the icing and cookies, see my past blog post.

And just for fun, because the picture came out so cool, this was my icing when I mixed the black gel into the white icing.

Low-fat Alfredo Sauce

Yes, you read the title of this post correctly. Low-fat and alfredo in the same sauce? Yup! I am not an alfredo girl, I much prefer a tomato based or olive oil based sauce. My husband on the other hand loves alfredo. When we were first dating he wouldn't even eat tomato sauces because he feared onions... my, how far we have come! I wanted to make something that he would really enjoy since I normally cook for my own tastes (of course with his in mind) so I decided to make some alfredo.

This recipe was super simple and pretty tasty. I don't know if it's very authentic tasting since it's made with chicken broth and cream cheese rather than heavy cream and parmesan but it is really good. I mixed mine with half alfredo/half tomato sauce and it was delicious! If you prefer to cook low-fat and are missing good creamy sauces give this a shot- you will be glad you did.

Source: Kraft

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. pasta, uncooked
1-1/4 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 tsp. flour
1/3 cup PHILADELPHIA 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese
3 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese, divided
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
COOK pasta as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, beat broth and flour in medium saucepan with whisk until well blended. Add reduced-fat cream cheese, 2 Tbsp. Parmesan, garlic powder and pepper; cook 2 min. or until mixture comes to boil and thickens, stirring constantly.

DRAIN pasta; place in large bowl. Add sauce; toss to coat. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and parsley.

Lighter Chicken Francese

My absolute favorite type of chicken to order out is chicken francese. I have gotten it at countless restaurants and have rarely been disappointed. My favorite though is from a place by my in-laws house. The name of the restaurant is Nora's. They serve family sized portions only they don't mean to! One single meal, meant for one person, is a pound of pasta and 4-6 chicken cutlets! If anyone eats that alone that's shocking.

When I was making my menu last week I realized that for some reason I have never made chicken francese at home! I dug through my huge list of bookmarked recipes and found this one. My oh my- delicious. This was so good that I am sad I didn't make it sooner. John and I were very pleased with this recipe and I can't recommend it enough.

Source: Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes

Ingredients:
4 chicken breast halves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup egg whites, beaten
1 lemon, juice of
1/2 lemon sliced thin
1/3 cup white wine
1 can fat free chicken broth
Pam cooking spray
salt and fresh pepper
3 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
2 tbsp butter

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a bowl, and the beaten egg whites in another bowl.

Heat a very large non stick pan over medium heat. When hot spray with Pam to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.

Lightly flour chicken, then dip in eggs and add to the hot pan a few at a time. Saute chicken 2-3 minutes on each side. When cooked, transfer onto a plate. Spray the pan again and repeat until all chicken has been cooked.

Once all chicken is cooked, place the chicken broth in the bowl with the remaining flour and whisk. Add to the pan along with the juice of the lemon, white wine, lemon slices, parsley and butter and simmer on low heat for about 2 minutes so it reduces slightly and thickens. Turn off heat. Return chicken to the pan to combine with the sauce.

** 8 points per 6 ounce chicken breast

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I am going to go out on a limb and say that my favorite baked good scent is pumpkin. I love the way pumpkin smells when it is cooking. Straight out of the can leaves something to be desired, but as it's baking away with spices and other delicious ingredients it is just so aromatic. I decided to make these more so out of necessity than anything else. I had 1 cup of pumpkin that needed to be used immediately and this recipe looked pretty good. I should have trusted my instincts when I saw that it called for nutmeg as the only spice. I don't like nutmeg. Bleck. However when it's combined with cinnamon, all spice, cloves, etc. I can deal with it. But alone it's just not my thing. I should have omitted it or substituted cinnamon because the nutmeg killed these muffins for me! John still liked them a lot but I just couldn't get past the nutmeg.

The muffins were so easy to make and didn't need the stand mixer which is a bonus- less clean up! They are dense and hearty yet still somewhat moist. I like the base of this recipe but would make some modifications. I think I'd add 1/4 cup of vanilla yogurt to give them some additional moisture. I'd also swap the nutmeg for cinnamon or omit it all together. I look forward to making them again with these alterations.


Source: Adapted from All Recipes

INGREDIENTS

1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/3 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, sugar, salt and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, beat together pumpkin, eggs and water. Stir pumpkin mixture into flour mixture; beat until well blended. Fold in chocolate chips.

Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. (The original directions say 30 minutes. Mine were done around 22.)

Buffalo Shrimp

My husband and I share a deep, deep, DEEP love for buffalo sauce. However buffalo sauce is so bad for you when you get it from a restaurant. Considering Frank's Buffalo Sauce from the jar is 0 calories for a tablespoon it's amazing that restaurants are able to make it so calorie ridden but somehow they do. My guess is ridiculous amounts of butter. Mmmmm... butter. I mean eeeewwwwww.... butter! I had been craving buffalo anything for awhile now so I decided to make buffalo shrimp. I typically go for buffalo chicken but I have 2 pounds of shrimp in the freezer that need to be used up so shrimp won.

These were the best shrimp I have made recently! John said it might be one of the best things I have ever made but I think that's because I fried them and I never ever fry food at home. However tonight it was 8:00 p.m., I had eaten lunch at 11:30 (downfall of being a teacher- you can't pick when you eat!), and starvation mode was setting in. Frying them was much faster than preheating the oven and baking them so time won over health. I must say that these were mighty tasty and I am sure they would be just as tasty baked.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
20 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 egg
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup of panko
1/3 cup of Frank's buffalo sauce (or similar)
salt & pepper

Directions:
1- Pat dry the shrimp. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2- Dip first in flour, egg, and then panko. Repeat until all shrimp are coated.
3- At this point you have a choice to bake or fry the shrimp. If you bake them preheat the oven to 425 and bake until cooked through and crisp on the outside. If you choose to fry them heat some vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet until the oil "speaks" to you. Put the shrimp in the oil and flip after 3 minutes or so, when golden brown. Repeat for this side.
4- Remove cooked shrimp to a shallow dish. Coat with buffalo sauce and toss until evenly coated.

Chicken and Rice Soup

I briefly mentioned in a previous post that I now have to follow a low-fat diet for a surgery I will be having soon. While most people might be upset to hear this I was actually not. It's definitely a healthier way to live and I am happy to "have to" do this. Sure, I will have not-so-good things now and then but there are worse things in the world than eating healthy. Someone asked how it was going to affect my blog- not much at all! Most meals can be made low-fat through making healthier choices like lean meats, low fat cheeses, etc.

The hardest thing for me so far has been lunch at work.If not planned ahead lunch can become a messy time. I decided to plan ahead and make some low-fat soup for the week. I made up this recipe based on what I had on hand and let me just say- yum! I love chicken and rice soup and often get it when out to eat. I really loved this recipe and will make it often. I should also mention that this resulted in 3 lunch sized portions of soup. Enjoy!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1 32oz carton of fat free chicken broth
3/4 cup chopped rotisserie chicken (or any precooked chicken)
1/2 small onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1/4 cup of long grain rice, uncooked
1 tablespoon of EVOO
Seasonings to taste (I used salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and parsley)

Directions:
1- In a deep pot heat the oil. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Saute for about 5 minutes.
2- Pour in the chicken broth and rice.
3- Cover, bring to a boil for about 10-15 minutes, or until rice is cooked.
4- Add the chopped chicken and seasonings, taste and adjust as needed.
5- Allow to simmer over low heat for about 5-10 minutes.
6- Serve hot.

Cranberry Coffee Cake

Food blogging is an interesting experience. There are so many wonderful blogs out there that are so interesting and unique. One blog, Simply Me, is attempting to cook her way through the cookbook Simply In Season. When the writer of the blog put out a request for people to guest blog on her site for cranberry recipes I jumped at the chance to make the cranberry coffee cake.

Cranberry always reminds me of Thanksgiving, fall, and even Christmas. All three of the previously mentioned holidays/seasons are wonderful times of the year and make me feel warm and giddy on the inside. I was thrilled to make this coffee cake because it made me think fall is finally here and the holidays are around the corner! WOO HOO!

This cake was pretty simple to put together. It came together quickly and baked nicely in the oven. The end product was beautiful and really something special. I made this for my husbands work breakfast and he said it was a huge hit. I tasted a tiny piece and I had to agree- delicious!

Source: Simply in Season

Ingredients:

3 cups of cranberries, washed
1 1/3 cup of sugar, divided
1 cup of chopped walnuts
3/4 cup of butter, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper.
Combine the cranberries and 2/3 cup of sugar. Pour into the baking dish, spread evenly.
Top with the 1 cup of walnuts.
Cream together the sugar and remaining 2/3 cup of sugar.
Add the eggs and vanilla, stirring well.
Combine in a separate bowl the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix it into the creamed mixture.
Drop the batter by spoonfuls over the cranberries. Bake about 40 minutes. Allow to cool then carefully invert the cake. Slice and serve!

Asparagus and Zucchini Quiche

So it's that time again... time for me to make breakfast for John's coworkers. I have made so many different dishes for them that I am beginning to really get a better handle on their tastes. One thing that always goes over really well is quiche. I personally love that they enjoy quiche because it is just so easy to make! What is simpler than mixing some eggs, cheese, and veggies together and letting them bake away in the oven? Nothing!

This quiche was inspired by the variety of veggies I had in the fridge. I had a beautiful bunch of asparagus that needed to be used as well as a zucchini. I turned to google and found this recipe. It was perfect and easy. According to John it was a big hit at his office- so that makes it even better!

Source: Adapted from My Wooden Spoons

Ingredients
1 small zucchini, diced into small piece
6 thin stalks asparagus ( woody ends removed ) diced into small piece
1 small onion
3 clove fresh garlic
3/4 cup milk (1%)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
pepper to taste
salt to taste
frozen pie crust
1 tbs olive oil

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375.
1- In a large skillet heat the oil. Add the onion, zucchini, and asparagus. Saute for a few minutes. Add the garlic. Continue sauteing for a few more minutes.
2- Once the veggies are cooked add the salt and pepper, set aside to cool slightly.
3- In another bowl beat the eggs. Add the milk and cheddar cheese.
4- Spoon the veggies into the bottom of the pie crust. Pour the egg mixture over top.
5- Bake for approximately 45 minutes.

Baked Chicken Fajitas

Do you ever come across a recipe that you wouldn't typically like but feel drawn to it? That's exactly what happened when I saw this recipe for fajitas. I am not a huge fan of Mexican food but for one reason or another this recipe really excited me. I liked how it was baked rather than stir fried. Both methods are easy but baking definitely required minimal effort. Throw all of the ingredients together, stick it in the oven, and voila! Best of all this recipe is extremely healthy and low fat as long as you go light on the cheese/sour cream/etc. John and I both loved these. John even said "Fajita Fantastic!!" when he tried them (it's ok to laugh at him... I did.) I can see this recipe being repeated several times in our household.

Source: The Rookie Chef , originally from Taste of Home

Ingredients:
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained
1 medium onion, cut into thin strips
1 medium green pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium red pepper, cut into thin strips
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp fajita seasoning (if you don't have this just use a little extra chili powder and cumin plus some onion powder)
1/4 teaspoon salt
tortillas

Directions:

1- In a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray, combine the chicken, tomatoes, onion and peppers.

2- Combine the oil, chili powder, cumin and salt. Drizzle over chicken mixture; toss to coat.

3- Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.

4- Spoon onto tortillas and top with salsa, sour cream, and whatever else you like!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Chocolate chip cookies are a classic. Most people love them. They are just comforting and delicious. I knew I needed some form of chocolate chip cookies to round off some cookie platters I was making for a party but I was short on time so I decided to make bars. Cookie bars are just as tasty but are easier to make in the sense that you just throw all of the dough in the pan and slice it once it cools. Easy peasy.

These bars are mighty tasty. Best of all there is no egg in the batter so if you have a husband like mine who loves to eat raw cookie dough you don't have to swat them with the spoon to keep them away from the batter (not that I swat John with spoons... at least not often). The bars are very soft. After 20 minutes I wasn't sure if they were done because they still looked so raw. I let them go another 3 minutes and then just pulled them out. Once they cooled they congealed nicely and were a delicious addition to the cookie platters. They guests at the party loved them and raved about them! Big success.

Source: All Recipes

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 pinch salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift together the salt and flour and mix into the butter mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts. Mix until well blended. Press batter into a 15x10 inch jelly roll pan.

3. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into bars and let cool in pan on wire rack.

Chicken Penne Florentine

Every now and then I'll look in my fridge and see 5-6 mini pyrex bowls full of left over veggies, broth, chicken, etc. Tonight I had 5 varieties of veggies chopped up and not a lot of any of them! I decided to throw them together with a little bit of this and that in an effort to not throw out all of that food (or more likely let it rot until it's undefinable). I was so impressed with the end results and can't emphasize enough how delicious this is! This is a hearty veggie filled pasta that you can feel good about eating. Enjoy!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1/2 box of penne
1 cup of diced cooked chicken
1/2 small yellow onion
1 small tomato, diced
5 oz frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1.5 cups homemade cream of chicken soup (or 1 can)
1/3 cup 2% mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
1- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box, set aside.
2- In a large nonstick skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms, saute for 3-4 minutes.
3- Add the spinach, soup, and broth. Stir until the soup and broth are smooth.
4- Add the chicken, pasta, and tomatoes. Stir and allow to heat for 5 minutes. Add the cheese and mix to combine.
5- Serve hot.

Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

With fall here and winter looming in the not too far off future there are countless casserole recipes, pot pies, and baked pasta dishes that will be popping up everywhere. One ingredient that graces many of these recipes is canned condensed soups. Growing up many of my favorite recipes used these canned soups. However as I have developed my cooking I have gained a desire to stray from using as many canned/processed ingredients. I came across this recipe for cream of chicken soup and decided to give it a try. While I don't mind canned cream of mushroom soup I never use canned cream of chicken. Those pink bits of chicken floating in the thick goo always creep me out (sorry... I know it's very popular, I just can't get over it! I end up picking out all the bits and it takes FOR-E-VER!)

This recipe results in a soup that is the perfect substitute for canned condensed chicken soup. You can feel good about using this soup because it's a healthier option and all of the ingredients are pronounceable which is a big bonus. To make it low-fat just use 1% or 2% milk like I did. I am so excited to have this recipe for the cold months ahead!

Source: Tammy's Recipes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt (or less; taste to test)
1/4 teaspoon parsley
dash of paprika
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup flour

Instructions:
1. In medium-sized saucepan, boil chicken broth, 1/2 cup of the milk, and the seasonings for a minute or two (longer if using fresh onions or garlic).
2. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of milk and flour. Add to boiling mixture and continue whisking briskly until mixture boils and thickens.

Yields 3 cups of soup. 1.5 cups is the equivalent of one can of soup.

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

For someone who loves cooking I have the hardest time coming up with lunch options for work. I don't love leftovers, I am getting sick of frozen meals like Lean Cuisines, and I get tired of sandwiches. This leaves me with very few options! Add to it that I am having stomach surgery soon and need to follow a low-fat diet from now on and I have been feeling lost when it comes to healthy, quick lunch options.

I decided to bake up a batch of healthy muffins to accompany my lunches. I have been scouring the internet for tasty low-fat recipes for my new lifestyle and these seemed promising. They were quite tasty. They have a very earthy, healthy taste. They don't have the typical cake like taste of muffins- rather an oatty taste that is quite appealing. The original recipe calls for raisins but I switched it up to blueberries... you could always substitute raisins if you prefer!

Source: Adapted from About.com

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup cinnamon applesauce
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tbsp canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup blueberries (or 1/2 cup of raisins)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper cases or spray with nonstick cooking spray

In a large bowl combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a medium bowl combine applesauce, buttermilk, sugar, oil and egg. Make a well in dry ingredients and add applesauce mixture. Stir until just moist. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.

Bake for 16-18 minutes.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

I was going through my blog the other day and I was wondering where my oven roasted potatoes were. Then I realized I never blogged them! I make them often and have been making them for years. It is such an adaptable recipe because you can switch the spices up to use whatever you have on hand. They do take a little bit of time to cook but patience is a virtue you need when it comes to potatoes. I can't even tell you how many undercooked baked potatoes I have served in my life. It's embarrassing and I really try not to make them for company since I always mess up! The trick is to insert a fork into the potato- if it goes in and comes out with ease- you're good to go. If you feel resistance or need to push- keep cooking!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
2 potatoes, washed and diced into even pieces
Lemon juice
Lawry's seasoning salt
Paprika
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Pepper
Parsley
Cooking spray

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 375.
2- Sprinkle lemon juice over the potatoes, toss to coat.
3- Sprinkle the rest of the ingredients over the potatoes until nice and evenly coated, tossing to ensure all seasonings are evenly distributed.
4- Spray a baking dish with cooking spray, add potatoes.
5- Bake for 1 hour or until cooked through. Take out every 20 minutes and stir to ensure all sides brown.

Chicken and Asparagus in a Marsala Reduction

I have said it before, but I'll say it again- I work with some great girls. We are all in the same age group, in the same stage of life, and it's just great. Last week I went out to dinner with some girls and had an amazing chicken and asparagus dish with mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes...yum. I knew I could make something similar at home and I have been fantasizing about this chicken ever since.

Now... I have never said this before... and I am hesitant to proclaim this... but... THIS IS THE BEST CHICKEN I HAVE EVER MADE! I love chicken, I have made it so many ways, and nothing holds a candle to this. I am not just saying that because I created the recipe, I am saying it because it's just so true. This exceeded every expectation I had. Are you wondering what makes it so special? Ok, fine, I'll tell you. For starters the mushrooms had almost a caramelized taste from sitting in the marsala reduction. Next, the chicken was moist and tender. The asparagus were perfect. The cheese tied it all together. And the reduction... oh the reduction... Delicious. I will say that it didn't make a ton of sauce, just enough to coat the mushrooms and give the chicken delicious flavor. If you wanted to turn the reduction into a sauce you could double the sauce ingredients but be sure to allow for it to really reduce down.



Source: Stephanie Cooks original

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
4 asparagus spears- cooked, keep warm
1/2 cup of mushrooms
1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup of chicken broth
1/4 cup of marsala wine
2 tablespoons of butter
Flour
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
1- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dip in flour, coat thoroughly.
2- Melt the butter in a non-stick skillet.
3- Add the chicken, cook over medium-high heat until cooked.
4- Remove from the heat and set aside.
5- Pour the marsala wine in, scrape up the bits on the bottom.
6- Add the mushrooms and chicken broth. Allow to heat for about 2-3 minutes or until hot.
7- Return the chicken to the pan. Flip the chicken after 30 seconds so both sides sit in the sauce.
8- Top with two spears of asparagus and half of the cheese per breast.
9- Allow to heat until the cheese begins to melt (don't worry if it doesn't melt all the way- it will).
10- Scrape up the mushrooms and top the cheese with the mushroom/sauce mixture.
11- Serve and enjoy!

Peanut Butter & Nutella Cake Truffles

As I have gained experience cooking I have acquired a reputation for bringing baked goods to celebrations. We have a very close group of family friends that we spend the Jewish holidays with and I always bring dessert. So far I have made chocolate chip cookie pie and apple upside down cake. Both were hits but the cookie pie was definitely more of a crowd pleaser. Knowing this I decided to go with a rich, chocolate dessert for our last gathering. I went with these truffles and boy oh boy- success. They were quite tasty and fun to make- just make sure your cake balls are well chilled (aka frozen or almost frozen) and you will have plenty of success. The original recipe called for making peanut butter truffles and nutella truffles. I thought it would be best to combine them and make it into one delicious bite- sure enough they were delectable!

Source: Inspired from The Crepes of Wrath

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix, baked according to directions
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup Nutella
18 oz. milk or dark chocolate
Sprinkles or whatever you want for decoration

1. Bake cake according to package directions. As soon cake is cooked crumble the cake into fine crumbs in a large bowl.

2. Mix the bowl of crumbled cake thoroughly with peanut butter and Nutella. Roll each mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet lined with wax paper (Should make approximately 40). Chill for several hours (you can speed this up by putting in the freezer).

3. Melt chocolate in microwave in 30 second intervals stirring in between.

5. When chocolate is completely melted, roll balls in chocolate with two forks, rolling the balls between the forks. Place on a cookie sheet to cool.

6. Decorate with sprinkles, drizzled chocolate, or serve as is.

7. Allow the truffles to harden before serving- I like to keep them in the fridge until serving.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Nothing screams fall quite like pumpkin. Around early September the food blogosphere goes wild over pumpkin goodies. Add to it that this year there is a slight pumpkin shortage (actually quite severe in some areas) and pumpkin has become all the rage. I honestly wasn't interested in purchasing any pumpkin just yet but after hearing about the shortage I thought I should investigate my local stores to see if it was affecting my area. Surprisingly it was! I quickly added to the hysteria by buying the last two cans even though I didn't have any immediate need for them. It reminded me of when people go and buy milk and bread because the news is forecasting 2 inches of snow- unnecessary hype, but hey- even the strong fall weak at times.

These little delicious pumpkin cookies were on the cookie platters I made for my dad and uncles party. They were delicious and I was able to make them using just the ingredients I had on hand (big bonus!) I didn't have any ground clove so I just added extra cinnamon and they were so tasty. The texture was cakey and soft. I highly recommend this recipe.

Source: All Recipes

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonful.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork or squeeze bottle.

To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

Simple Tomato Sauce

I love red sauce on pasta. Marinara, tomato, arrabiata... love them all. I had made a few different recipes before, one of which is my classic go-to sauce recipe, but I still hadn't found *my* sauce recipe yet. When my mother asked me to cook all of the food for my father and uncles joint birthday party I was thrilled. I love a good excuse to cook up a storm. After we worked out the menu I knew the only glitch was finding a delicious pasta sauce recipe for the baked ziti. When I saw this one on the food network's website I knew I had to try it. At first I was skeptical about the carrot and the celery- but they created such a rich flavor. It lends itself to a hearty taste without adding calories and fat since the flavor is coming from vegetables rather than bacon grease and cheese. I love this recipe and it will quickly be my new go-to recipe.

Source: Giada Le Laurantiis

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
4 to 6 basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

Directions
In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Cookie Spreads

John had a few coworkers over recently for a barbecue. I knew I wanted to make something for dessert for them but I couldn't come up with anything. I was spending an unnatural amount of time in the kitchen that weekend baking for upcoming events so I wanted something fast, easy, and tasty. What's easier than a cookie that you literally spread over a baking sheet? Nothing, I am sure of that! Well.. actually, buying cookies from the bakery is easier- but this is cheaper. So do this.

These cookies were delish. They taste like a chocolate chip cookie, just with the chocolate on top. Not much to not love. I was a little skeptical about the margarine in the recipe. I don't use margarine. I use real butter when baking and cooking for company, or Smart Balance for everything else. I decided to just go with it and I am glad I did- these were so tasty and got rave reviews. Definitely worth a try.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup margarine
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 to 8 ounces chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together brown sugar and margarine. Add egg and mix together. Add flour, salt, and vanilla, and mix together well.
Spread dough onto cookie sheet to a thickness of 1/4 to 1/2-inch.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until slightly brown.
Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top. Return to oven for 1 minute.
Remove and spread melted chips over the top.
Cut into squares.

Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

One comment I get often when people I know in real life discover my blog is "Wow! I wish I had time to cook that much!" I give this comment the side eye. Doesn't everyone have 24 hours in the day? The next comment I get often is "I like to cook- I just don't have the motivation." Now this comment I understand! I love cooking and baking and will elect to spend a whole weekend in the kitchen. But a Monday night after working all day, writing a paper, cleaning the bathroom... ugh... no thanks! Most of the time I'll force myself to just make what I had planned but sometimes we do end up with take out or at Blue Wasabi, our absolute FAVORITE sushi restaurant.

When I made this macaroni and cheese it was one of those "just get your butt in the kitchen and stop moaning" kind of nights. I had practically dialed the pizza place and hung up 5 times as I argued with myself on whether or not to cook. Then I remembered this recipe and rushed to the freezer to make sure I had frozen broccoli. Sure enough I did so off to cooking I went. This macaroni and cheese is some seriously cheesy stuff! It was delicious. The broccoli really infused the taste and every bite had a hint of broccoli- delish. I will say this is much better as a side dish than a main course. I made it as a main course and I personally felt it was a little heavy even when using all reduced fat ingredient and cutting the butter in half. If you love macaroni and cheese and broccoli give this a shot- its quite tasty.

Source: Adapted from Joelen's Culinary Adventures

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 (8-ounce) package shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1 (10-ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed and coarsely chopped
8 ounces pasta, cooked
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs or 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, and whisk in all-purpose flour; cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes.

Whisk in milk gradually; cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Add shredded cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in broccoli and pasta. Pour into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs or parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes.