September Recipe Remake Recap

I'm always a little sad to see September go. My birthday is in September, I love the beginning of the fall season, the turning of the weather, and so much more. This month flew with the return to work and getting to know a new group of 5th graders, plus helping Landon adjust to being back at his school. He's a champ though- he's loving his toddler class and is really thriving. Overall a good start to the year!

This month I remade a few favorites. One of which was these veggie pizzas. I made this for a Labor Day party my friend Mindie hosted. These were a hit- they were the first item to disappear. I left off the spinach this time and just added extra of everything else. I love how these can be made ahead and are really low maintenance, making them the perfect snack to bring to a party.

For Labor Day we actually attended three parties in three days, so I decided to remake my favorite spinach dip which is always popular. This time I made it with just 16 oz of sour cream and no mayo at all due to Landon's egg allergy and it was honestly just as good. I don't know if I'll use mayo in it anymore.

For the third Labor Day party I made my grilled lemon, rosemary, and basil chicken tenders since I knew Landon wouldn't touch a hot dog or a burger. This chicken was just as good the second time around. This is definitely one of my favorite grilled chicken recipes. Plus it was nice to just throw the chicken in the marinade and bring to the party so my soon-to-be brother in-law could grill it up!

Lighter creamy garlic pasta is a favorite of mine. I love that it all cooks in one pot, I LOVE how flavorful it is, and I love how quickly it comes together. I ended up using spaghetti because I didn't have angel hair and I didn't like it as much. I really love how the sauce clings to the delicate angel hair pasta and won't be straying from it next time I make it!

September also brings the Jewish holidays. This year Rosh Hashanah fell on the first full day of school. I was completed wiped out and decided to bring a bakery cake to our gathering. Apparently when I left it was the talk of the town that I didn't bring a homemade dessert, which is usually the main attraction for this crowd. I couldn't disappoint when Yom Kippur came around so I remade my easy snickerdoodles and they were a star. My sister and Frank, her fiance, said they were my favorite dessert to date (probably because they're not chocolate people and I tend to put chocolate in everything...)

I remade a favorite of mine- BBQ chicken enchiladas- this month. John was working from home one day and did me a favor by picking up the baby. For one reason or another I got home before him and wanted to have dinner ready when he walked in so we could eat with Landon for once (Landon goes to bed at 6, John gets home at 7:30, so dinner is never as a family on weekdays). I threw these together with some Mexican rice (from a mix) and it was delicious. Even Landon enjoyed these!

If you've learned one thing from reading my blog it's that we eat a lot of pizza and pasta. This month I made chicken bacon ranch pizza and John could not stop raving about how good it came out. Honestly what made it different is this time I got lazy and I didn't drain the bacon grease. I cooked the chicken in it (I usually drain 95% of it) and it made this pizza to die for. (Like, literally... and figuratively... pretty sure we can't eat too many meals cooked in bacon grease, but oh this was good!)

Last but not least I made cake batter cookies for my birthday at school. I stirred in some sprinkles to make it more exciting and really it was delicious and pretty. My students loved them and were so excited to get a treat on an otherwise typical Tuesday.

Ranch Cornbread Chicken

Howdy friends. It's Friday! HOORAY! I keep disappearing on you because I just am not fully in the rhythm yet of working again and balancing it all. It usually takes me a month to get fully back... so I guess my excuse is almost over! This chicken was hands down one of the tastiest chicken recipes I've had in a long time. It was so flavorful and perfect. John and I both loved it. I wish Landon had been awake when we ate it (he STILL goes to bed at 6... and he's almost 2! It's a blessing and a curse...) because I know he'd have loved it.

Try this. It'll be a family favorite!

Source: Adapted from Mom's Who Think

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken tenders
1 egg
8 ½ ounce package cornbread muffin mix
1 ounce package ranch salad dressing mix
Vegetable oil

Directions:

1- In a skillet cover the bottom with a thin layer of oil. Heat over medium-high heat.

2- Beat the egg in a bowl, set aside.

3- In a zipper bag combine the cornbread muffin mix and salad dressing mix.

4- Dip the chicken in the egg, then drop into the muffin mix. Shake well.

5- Fry in small batches for 5-6 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through.

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Shrimp

This is the last meal I made on my grill before my BRAND NEW GRILL died. Sigh. We have been loving our grill this summer but after 7-8 uses it conked out. I still have to call the manufacturer and see what they can do for us since it's really brand new. As I was waiting for the grill to heat to grill these shrimp I realized it just wasn't getting hot enough. Luckily the plan was shrimp, which don't require much heat or grill time. Had it been a steak I was intending to make I guess the meal would have had to be scratched, but shrimp are so quick cooking!

This marinade was delicious. The combo of ingredients is weird, but the flavor is fabulous. I had stumbled upon this recipe on All Recipes and decided to heavily (like, very heavily) modify it. The flavor combo was slightly smokey, slightly sweet, and full of flavor. Give it a try, we loved it!

Source: Stephanie Cooks original, inspired by All Recipes

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp ranch

1 tsp crushed garlic

1 tsp sriracha

1 tbsp worschershire sauce 

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 pound peeled and deveined shrimp

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1- Combine the first six marinade ingredients in a zipper bag or bowl. Stir well.

2- Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Toss into the marinade. Allow to sit at least one hour, up to 12.

3- When ready to cook, slide shrimp into metal or pre-soaked wooden skewers. 

4- Heat over medium-high heat on the grill, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Brownie Bottom Ice Cream Cake

Today is my 29th birthday. HOW I am turning 29 today is really a mystery to me. I feel like I just wrote this confetti cupcake post on my birthday, only when I wrote that I was turning 25. My how life has changed in these four years... most notably being my son and all the joy he has added to my life. I really am not a big birthday person, it's more or less just another day, but still, it's good to celebrate, no?

I had intended to make this cake for my birthday but was impatient and made it for Labor Day. It was totally delicious and everyone at the BBQ loved it. It's just so decadent and sinful and delicious. Totally yum. Since I won't be eating this on my birthday I figured I could at least share this yumminess with you for my big 2-9. My last year in my twenties... oh boy! So if you feel like celebrating something, or just eating the most delicious dessert in the world, try this cake. It's heaven on a plate.

Source: Slightly adapted from Cookies and Cups

Ingredients:
1 box brownie mix, 15-18 oz (NOT Family Sized) made according to package directions in an 8x8 pan
1 1/2 cups chocolate frosting
1.5 qts ice cream (I used vanilla caramel swirl)

1 cup Cool Whip

Sprinkles

Directions:
1- Spray an 8x8 or 11x7 deep-dish baking dish with cooking spray. Sides need to come up at least 3 inches to leave room for the ice cream and whipped cream layer.

2- Bake brownies according to package directions.
3- Let cool completely before moving on to next step.
4- Spread chocolate frosting onto cooled brownies.
5- Place frosted brownies in refrigerator.
6- Now remove ice cream from freezer and allow to soften for about 30 minutes.
7- Remove brownies from refrigerator and top with ice cream, spreading evenly. Top with Cool Whip and sprinkles. Spread onto ice cream cake and place in freezer for at least 3 hours.
9- Remove from freezer about 10 minutes before serving so it softens enough to cut.

Tomato and Basil Skillet Chicken

Once September hits I go into full blown fall mode. I am so over summer... so.over.summer. Ugh. Yet, the weather is still hot and therefore I still am enjoying many of the summer flavors rather than fully transitioning to fall (however I can assure you that change will happen soon!). This dinner was really the result of having a container of grape tomatoes that needed to be used up and a big bunch of basil. It's so simple to make and is really delicious. I personally enjoyed watching the tomatoes explode in my skillet. I'm a little twisted like that I suppose, but I enjoyed watching the skin of the tomato split and brown before it would finally pop. Therapeutic after a long day, I tell you. John and I both loved this and felt it was a nice flavorful. meal. I served it over spaghetti with oil, garlic, and parmesan, but I think it would be good over rice or polenta as well!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 pound chicken tenders, diced into 1" pieces
1/2 tsp garlic salt
pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes
2 tbsp butter
20 basil leaves, sliced thin
1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese

Directions:
1- Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
2- Meanwhile, season the chicken with garlic salt and pepper. Add it to the skillet and cook until browned on both sides. Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside.
3- Add the tomatoes to the pan and turn the heat up. Allow them to heat over high heat until the skin on the tomatoes begins to char. Apply slight pressure to the tomatoes until they pop.
4- Add the butter and basil to the skillet. Simmer the butter, basil, and tomatoes over low heat for about 1 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5- Add the chicken back to the skillet and stir until heated through. Serve over rice, pasta, or polenta. Top with cheese.

Toddler Tuesdays: Sunbutter and Honey Muffins

Yay for Toddler Tuesdays! Time to see what Landon's been eating lately... and surprise... it's a bread product! The kid lives on bread.

I'm still in a bit of denial that I have a child with peanut allergies, among other food allergies. I remember being pregnant and joking with a foodie friend that I'd die if my kid had food allergies since I live, breathe, and die food. Well, low and behold I have the most adorable and amazing boy who is highly allergic to so many things! I guess it's a blessing that I am a foodie though because I am able to take on the challenge of making him foods that are tasty and yet accommodate his needs.

If you have a child who goes to daycare or school you're aware that many schools are peanut free, and some are even tree nut free as well. I have discovered that Sunbutter is the alternative of choice to nut-free butters, and Landon is a fan! I mix Sunbutter in many things for him, but this was my first time baking with it. These were so easy to make and were tasty. They were soft and delicious. Perfect for school treats since they are nut free and easy to pack!

Source: Adapted from Becky Bakes

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons sunbutter (sunflower seed butter)
2 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup milk 

Directions:
1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3- Add the sunbutter and oil and mix with a fork until crumbs form.
4- Add the milk and honey and mix until combined.
5- Pour into muffin tins (about 3/4 full) and bake for 10-12 minutes, until tops are golden brown and spring back when you touch them. (If making mini muffins adjust bake time to 8-10 minutes).

Cheese Stuffed Breadsticks

As I sit down to write this post I can already tell you it's going to be short. I started teaching again this week and I am exhausted. On top of the back to school routine setting in I feel horribly sick today, so don't mind my pity party for one, but I am keeping things short. I have been meaning to share these delicious breadsticks with you because they are seriously heavenly. Straight up heaven. When I made them I served them with just a simple pasta and salad, and honestly I should have just done salad because John and I were all about the breadsticks. I ate one, took a bite of a second and then gave it to John, and literally I said "I instantly regret giving you that..." because it was so good I didn't want to share. You must try these. They are so delicious and so easy to make!

Source: Adapted from Weary Chef

Ingredients:

2¼ cups baking mix (like Bisquick), plus a little for dusting
⅔ c. milk
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
½ tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp parsley

2 tbsp. olive oil
8 pieces of string cheese

Directions:
1- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2- Stir together baking mix, Italian seasoning, and salt. Add milk, and stir to combine.
3- Generously dust work surface with baking mix. Turn out dough, and knead about 15 times. Shape into a ball, then roll into a ¼” thick rectangle.
4- Cut dough into 8 smaller rectangles. Place a cheese stick in the center of each piece of dough, and fold the dough around the cheese. Stretch the dough as needed to entirely cover the cheese, and squeeze the entire breadstick, including the ends, to seal all edges.

5- In a small bowl combine the garlic powder, parsley, and oil. Brush the mixture over the breadsticks.

6- Place on a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden.

7- Serve with sauce. (Warning- the cheese will be hot, so allow to cool a bit before biting in).