Caprese Pasta Salad

Here is a healthy and delicious pasta salad that will leave you satisfied without the guilty conscious!  With all of the healthy protein from the mozzarella and turkey, you won't be hungry an hour after lunch, but it is light enough that you won't be weighed down.  Enjoy!

~ Caprese Pasta Salad

4 cups of noodles, cooked al dente

5 leaves finely chopped basil

1 cup diced fresh mozzarella

8 oz oven roasted deli turkey, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 cup baby tomatoes, halved

1 cup fat-free balsamic dressing

Mix all ingredients and chill before eating for optimal yumminess!

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken and Stuffed Pepper Poppers

This meal is all about the awesomeness of stuffed foods.  A healthy and delicious chicken breast filled with spinach accompanied by virtually carb-free, crunchy, and creamy pepper poppers!  This meal will leave you stuffed without any of the guilt!

~Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken

2 chicken breasts, sliced in half horizontally
3 pieces of bread
1 Tablespoon Greek seasoning
1 pack frozen spinach
1 T lemon juice
Salt/pepper, to taste
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup Milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a food processor, pulse the bread and Greek seasoning until combined.
Sauté spinach, salt, pepper, and lemon juice—add the feta cheese.
Spread the spinach mixture onto each piece of chicken and roll up; secure with toothpicks.
Dip in milk and roll in breadcrumbs.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Serve over quinoa or cous cous.

~Stuffed Pepper Poppers

10 mini peppers, washed and stems removed

2 mozzarella cheese sticks

1/4 cup feta

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  

Cut each cheese stick into fifths.  

Sprinkle a pinch of feta into the bottom of each pepper.  

Place one of the cheese stick pieces into the pepper, sealing in the crumbly feta.  

Bake for 10 minutes and then broil (on high) for 1 minute.

Reese's Egg Redo

Reese's Egg Redo

Reese's eggs are delicious and addictive.  And as I recently learned, they are so fun to make!  This is a great and easy project for anyone-- kids, seasoned chefs, crafters, and those who aren't so kitchen savvy.  No matter your expertise, people will be calling you Martha Stewart before you know it!

Ingredients:

Townhouse Oval Crackers

Peanut Butter (I went with crunchy)

White and Chocolate Chips

Sprinkles

Popsicle Sticks (optional)

Spread peanut butter between the crackers and insert a stick (if you want to make Reese's Pops).

Place the peanut butter sandwiches in the freezer while you are melting the chocolate so that the peanut butter hardens.  It makes the next step so much easier.

Once your chocolate is melted, dip the cookies into the chocolate and cover in sprinkles.  Place on parchment paper to allow to set, or if you are impatient, like me, put the crackers in the freezer.  They are delicious at room temperature or frozen!

It's All Greek to Me

An easy and delicious chicken that stays juicy when baked!

~Oven Baked Greek Chicken

2 chicken breasts
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 cup light sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 F.  Clean the chicken and put in a zip top plastic bag.  Mix all remaining ingredients and put the mixture in the bag.  Marinate the chicken 30 minutes to overnight.  Place the chicken on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Flip the chicken and bake for 10 minutes more.  Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving!

Drop Biscuits

Well, it has been over a year since I posted on the blog, and man, have things changed!  I have graduated from nursing school with my accelerated BSN, worked night shift in the Intensive Care Unit, got engaged to my longtime college sweetheart, planned a wedding, switched to day shift, and married my college sweetheart on October 4, 2014.  After a few months of settling into married life, Christmas passed and it's officially 2015, and I am so ready to be back to blogging. Even though I have been slack (understatement) about posting, I never stopped cooking and baking.  I'm back, baby doll, and first up, are my easy drop biscuits...

Drop Biscuits

2 cups flour

2 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 T sugar

½ cup chilled butter, diced

1 ¼ cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Combine flour, powder, salt, and sugar.  Sift.  Cut in butter.  Add milk.  Drop by the spoonfuls onto cookie sheets.  Bake 18 minutes.  (Switching the top and bottom pans half way through the bake time).  Makes 30 biscuits.

**Tip-- when trying to wash the bowl afterwards, use a balled-up piece of aluminum foil in place of a sponge to avoid the dough getting stuck in the sponge.  Ew.**

Creamy Mediterranean Chicken

This recipe is a great way to enjoy a creamy pasta dish without all the fat and calories as those that you get at restaurants!  The chickpeas and reduced-fat cream cheese combine to make a rich sauce that will make you think that you're cheating on your diet!

Creamy Mediterranean Chicken

2/3 cup chicken broth

8 oz reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed

1 can chickpeas, rinsed

1/4 cup fat-free Italian Dressing

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced

4 slices deli ham

1 package baby spinach leaves

1 1/2 cups angel hair pasta, cooked

Blend broth, cream cheese, 1/2 cup chickpeas, and Italian dressing in a blender until smooth and set aside.

Saute chicken until cooked.  Add ham and remaining chickpeas.  Pour cream cheese sauce over ingredients in the skillet; cover with lid.  Simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes.  Toss in pasta.

Call Me a Hippie, but I Love Granola

I have always loved granola, but the high fat content and calories always deterred me from eating it.  When my sweet boyfriend got some granola as a housewarming gift from his new neighbors, I got inspired to create my own "healthi-fied" granola recipe!

~Crunchy Granola

6 cups rolled oats

1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 cup coconut

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash salt

6 T honey 

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup craisins

2 T brown sugar

1/2 cup almond milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, mix honey, almond milk, and brown sugar over medium heat until combined.  In a bowl, combine oats, nuts, coconut, cinnamon, salt and mixture from the saucepan. Place on a sheet pan and put in oven. Bake for 30 minutes or a little longer, stirring occasionally. 

Remove pan from oven and add raisins. Cool on a rack, stirring once in a while until granola reaches room temperature. Transfer to a sealed container.

Enjoy on top of granola, with milk, or just sneaking it from the container!

International Crepes

It's official.  I have graduated from nursing school!  Now, I have more time to cook, photograph, and blog in between study for my Board Exams.

I know that I have posted my recipe for crepes before, but I love experimenting with new fillings.  This particular recipe might be my favorite.  This is the Hawaiian Pizza Crepe!

~Hawaiian Pizza Crepes

Crepe Recipe

Filling:
1 cup marinara sauce
1 package of deli ham, chopped
1 can of pineapple tidbits, drained
1 package low-fat mozzarella cheese
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes

Cook your crepes and then top each with marinara sauce, ham, pineapple, cheese and red pepper flakes.  Roll the crepe and warm in the microwave for a few seconds to melt the cheese.  Enjoy this international delight!

Revamped Cake Mix Cupcakes

I have always loved any sweet that is made from scratch.  I'm not going to lie, I have been known to turn up my nose at break and bake cookies and cake mixes.  Whew, I'm glad to get that off my chest!  Well, that is not the case anymore.  My palette has evolved... and I have discovered this new recipe!  Enjoy!

~Revamped Cake Mix Cupcakes

1 box of yellow cake mix
Eggs called for on the box +1 egg
Substitute the oil called for on box with the same amount of melted butter
Substitute the water called for on the box with the same amount of buttermilk

I know it sounds difficult, but trust me, it's easy!  Combine all of the ingredients and beat for 2 minutes. Poor into lined muffin tins or a greased cake pan. Bake according to the instructions on the box.  Test with a toothpick and then allow to cool!

While you are waiting for your confections to cool, whip up some of this awesome buttercream icing!

~Awesome Buttercream Icing


1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup real butter
1 1/2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
1 dash salt
5 cups confectioners' sugar
2 -3 tablespoons milk

Cream butter and shortening; then add vanilla and salt. Add sugar a cup at a time beating on medium speed. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time and beat on high until completely blended.

Cissy's Easy Fruit Cake Cookies

These ain't your Grandma's fruit cake cookies... well, actually they are MY Grandma, Cissy's, fruit cake cookies.  Many people turn up their noses at fruitcake, but these cookies are a different story.  They are sweet and salty, crunchy and soft, rich and addictive... pretty much everything you want in a dessert.  So throw those preconceived notions about fruitcake aside and whip up a batch of Cissy's Easy Fruit Cake Cookies!

~Cissy's Easy Fruit Cake Cookies

1 cup candied pineapple
1 cup candied red cherries
1 cup candied green cherries
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup pecans
2 1/2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut fruit into small pieces. Chop nuts. Mix fruit and nuts. Sift together dry ingredients over the fruit. Mix the fruit and dry ingredients (yes, you will probably have to use your hands and get messy!)
Cream the butter and sugar; add the eggs. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, nuts and fruit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop the batter onto the sheet by the teaspoon.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies... You might have had them before, but you have never tasted them like this!  They are delicious, easy (ONLY 2 INGREDIENTS!), and (semi-)healthy! So buy some cake mix and pumpkin and heat up that oven.  You'll thank me!

~Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

1 can pumpkin puree

1 box of yellow cake mix

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Mix the box cake and the pumpkin puree until combined. Take a teaspoon ice cream scoop and drop the batter onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 13 minutes. Allow the pies to cool and then slice them in half horizontally. Spread cinnamon cream cheese icing in the center and enjoy!

~Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

4 ounces unsalted butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract and cinnamon.

As American as Apple Pie(lets)

"As American as Apple Pie".  It's not a saying for no reason.  Just because you're patriotic doesn't mean that you always want to make a whole pie though.  So try out these pie-lets... They are sure to please!

~Apple Pie-lets

1 can of crescent rolls
2 apples
2 T sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 T melted butter (divided)
Extra cinnamon and sugar to top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a baking sheet.
Finely chop apples and coat with 1 T butter, sugar, and cinnamon.
Place the mixture in the center of each crescent triangle and fold it over and seal the edges with a fork.
Place each folded triangle on the baking sheet.  Brush the tops with the other tablespoon of butter and the extra cinnamon sugar.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving with vanilla ice cream!

Star-Spangled Cookie Pops

Iced sugar cookie pops.  What a way to celebrate our country on Labor Day!  These cookies are easy, delicious, and cute enough to serve at any party (or to just eat at home)!

~Sugar cookies

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. 

Roll out the cookie dough on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thick.  Use a star shaped cookie cutter and place on a greased sheet pan.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. 

Working quickly, insert a bamboo skewer into the bottom of the cookie about 3/4 inch.  Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.  Let cool completely before icing.

~Buttercream Icing

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
Directions

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and vanilla. Blend in the sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the milk, and continue mixing until light and fluffy. Keep icing covered until ready to decorate.  Top cookies with sprinkles.

Not Your Average Cookie "Cake"

Cookies.  Cakes.  Icing.  Combine the three and what do you have? An amazingly delicious faux cookie cake that you are guaranteed to drool over.  This is a simple way to dress up regular sugar cookies that is bound to thrill your guests or your sweet tooth!

All you need is sugar cookie dough (recipe follows), buttercream icing (recipe follows), sprinkles, mini-marshmallows, food coloring, and circular cookie cutters of different sizes.  Roll the cookie dough out to 1/4 of an inch and use the different cookie cutters to cut out equal amounts of cookies.  Bake and cool the cookies while you make the icing.

Ice the cookies and stack them on top of one another from largest to smallest.  Before the icing dries, coat with decorative sugar or sprinkles.  Flatten a mini-marshmallow and make 5 small cuts around the edge to make it look like a flower.  Using a toothpick, color the petals with food coloring and place it on the top tier of the cookie cake.  Voila!  Your cookie "cake" is elegantly complete!

~Sugar cookies

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

~Buttercream Icing


1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
Directions

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and vanilla. Blend in the sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the milk, and continue mixing until light and fluffy. Keep icing covered until ready to decorate.

A Dog's Gotta Eat Too!

Anyone who knows me knows that I love animals.  More than that, I love dogs.  It is because of this love that I cook for people AND dogs.  After all, a dog's gotta eat too!

My dog, Kip, has always had 2 obsessions: ensuring the security of our yard (from deer, neighbors, mail men, and even the ever so daunting butterflies) and peanut butter.  I often entertain myself by giving him a nearly empty jar of peanut butter and watch him try and get every last morsel out.  Occasionally, I give him a break and just make him peanut butter dog cookies.  It's easier for him, but not nearly as fun for me... oh well, the sacrifices of love.

Kip, the Australian Shepherd

~Peanut Butter Oatmeal Dog Cookies

2 cups flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 hot water
Extra flour for rolling

Preheat the oven to 350° F
Mix dry ingredients together.
Mix in the peanut butter and hot water. You may need to add more flour if the dough is too sticky.
Knead the dough well.
Roll out the dough into 1/4" thickness and cut into shapes with cookie cutters
Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet for 40 minutes.
Store in a sealed air tight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Strawberry Ice Cream Forever

There is nothing quite like homemade ice cream on a hot summer night.  The problem is that it is addicting.  It sticks to your hips and messes with your bikini figure.  Well, not anymore!  Here is a fat-free ice cream that tastes like it won't let you fit into your skinny jeans the next morning.  You know the best part?  You still will!

~FAT-FREE Strawberry Ice Cream

Servings: 12 servings (1/2 cup each)

2 cups washed strawberries without the stems

2 cans (12 fl. oz. each) Fat-free Evaporated Milk 

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 

2 teaspoons lemon juice 

1/8 teaspoon salt 

Chill the fat-free evaporated milk for at least an hour. 

Pulse the  strawberries in food processor so that the strawberries are in nice chunks. 

Mix the evaporated milk, strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and salt in large bowl. Pour into ice cream machine container. Follow manufacturer’s instruction for preparation. For me, it's 30 minutes.  

Watch out, it will poof up and overflow!  (As evidenced by picture #3)

It will still be a little mushy, so store in a tupperware container and freeze for 2-4 hours before serving if you like your ice cream to be more firm.