The cutest things I've ever made

And the reason why I have forgone food blogging. I mean, can you blame me?

Authentic Italian Creamy Tomato Sauce

My sweet cousin, Lia, brought us dinner the other night when I was supposed to be a "woman of leisure." Lia served an LDS mission in Italy, so she recognized good pasta and boy did this dish knock our socks off. It was truly divine, not only to not have to make dinner, but honestly it was some of the best pasta I've ever eaten. The fresh basil was tremendously delicious. You've got to try this! Enjoy!

{She recommends cutting the recipe in half since it makes a ton!}

{AUTHENTIC ITALIAN CREAMY TOMATO SAUCE}
print this

2 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
1 tsp. basil
Dash crushed red chili pepper
3 med. onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
Dash salt

3  (29-oz.) cans tomato sauce

7 oz. Gouda cheese

1 pint heavy cream

Pasta for 10 servings, cooked

Parmesan cheese, grated

In olive oil and butter, sauté basil, chili pepper, onion, garlic, and salt until onion is tender. Add tomato sauce and cook until flavors combine (at least 20 minutes, but the longer the better). Add Gouda cheese and stir until melted. Add heavy cream and remove from heat (cream should not be cooked). Serve over pasta and top with Parmesan cheese. Makes 10 servings.

Crunchy Baked Pork Chops

The first time I made this was with my husband. We saw it on America's Test Kitchen and it was fantastic! But a few weeks ago, when I searched for the recipe I couldn't find it again. Thanks to Smitten Kitchen this is the same thing! It's fabulous. I love how this method makes sure the entire pork chop stays crunchy. No soggy breadcrumbs here. You've got to try it. (by the way if you go to her blog, she has GORGEOUS prep pictures)

Enjoy!

{CRUNCHY BAKED PORK CHOPS}

print this

4 (6-8 oz.) boneless center-cut pork chops 

4 slices hearty white sandwich bread

1 small shallot, minced

3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press 

2 T. vegetable oil
Ground black pepper
2 T. Romano cheese, grated (or Parmesan)
1/2 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves
2 T. minced fresh parsley leaves
1/4 c. plus 6 T.  flour
3 large egg whites
3 T. Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in middle of oven. Tear bread into 1 inch pieces. Place in food processor and pulse until coarsely ground, about eight 1-second pulses (you should have about 3 1/2 cups crumbs). Transfer crumbs to rimmed baking sheet. Add and toss in shallot, garlic, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss until crumbs are evenly coated with oil. Bake until deep golden brown and dry, about 15 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. (Do not turn off oven.) Cool bread crumbs to room temperature. Toss crumbs with Parmesan, thyme, and parsley.

Place 1/4 cup flour in pie plate. In second pie plate, whisk egg whites and mustard until combined; add remaining 6 tablespoons flour and whisk until almost smooth, Small lumps will still be in the batter, so don't freak out.

Increase oven to 425 degrees. Spray wire rack really well with nonstick cooking spray and place in rimmed baking sheet. Season chops with pepper. Dredge 1 pork chop in flour; shake off excess. Using tongs, coat with egg mixture; let excess drip off. Coat all sides of chop with bread crumb mixture, pressing gently so that thick layer of crumbs adheres to chop. Transfer breaded chop to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 3 chops.

Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chops registers 150 degrees, 17 to 25 minutes. Let rest on rack 5 minutes before serving.

Source: Smitten Kitchen

Easter Treat: Rice Krispie Bird's Nest

This is great for little kids, but I've got to be honest, they taste pretty darn good too! But I'm kind of a sucker for rice krispie treats. 

We made this today with our little joy school group. The kids were so excited putting the grass on and the eggs. They were adorable. 

Enjoy!

{RICE KRISPIE BIRD'S NEST}

print this

1/4 c. butter or margarine

1 (10.5 oz) bag mini marshmallows

6 c. Cocoa Rice Krispies (I usually do less, because I like them gooey)

Frosting (make your life easier by just using canned)

Shredded Coconut

Green food coloring

Jelly Beans  

In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter for 30 seconds. Add marshmallows and stir until they are coated in the melted butter. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until marshmallows and butter are melted and fully incorporated.

Form rice krispie treats into muffin pan. After they sit for a few minutes, go back and push down the centers to form a bowl shape for the nest.

In a small mixing bowl, stir the green food coloring into the shredded coconut to color it green. 

Put a dab of frosting in the bowl of the nests. This acts as a "glue" to keep the grass in place. Sprinkle the green coconut (grass), on top of the frosting.  Finish with jelly beans for the eggs.

Creamy Ravioli & Spinach Soup {CROCK POT}

 

I'm running out of time to post soup recipes while we're still experiencing winter weather. It's been such a mild winter here, but I know from the past {almost} 30 years {yikes!} that we will get more snow here in Utah before we're through. So keep this soup recipe handy for the next cold evening!

This was such a sophisticated and elegant soup. If you can really say that about soup. I guess I just did. I absolutely loved it and would have happily paid full price for it at a restaurant. Lucky for me, I didn't have to. Plus, I got to eat it for a few days in a row!

It was also divine with this side dish. Let me tell you about this. No doubt you've had bread with oil & vinegar. But not like this...This is Costco's Rosemary herb bread. And the dip is Basil Olive Oil and Fig Balsamic Vinegar with grated Romano cheese. Holy smokes!! Talk about flavor overload. It was the BEST version of bread and oil, I've EVER EVER EVER had.

So where do you get these flavors of oil & vinegar? Well, it was a gift to us, but the wise gift-givers got it from the Mountain Town Olive Oil Company. I have yet to go in there, but once we're out of these bottles, you can bet I'll be making a trip there to refill. Divine!

Enjoy!

{CREAMY RAVIOLI & SPINACH SOUP}

print this

1 envelope alfredo sauce mix

4 c. water

1 (14.oz) can vegetable broth

1 1/2 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 c. onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. dried basil, crushed

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. dried oregano, crushed

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 (10 oz.) pkg frozen cheese ravioli (the original recipe called for tortellini, but I had a hard time finding it)

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

6 c. fresh baby spinach leaves

Ground black pepper

Finely shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese

Place dry white sauce mix in a 4 quart slow cooker. Gradually add the water to the white sauce mix, stirring until smooth. Stir in broth, mushrooms, onion, garlic, basil, salt, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2 1/2 hours. Stir in ravioli. Cover and cook on low for 1 hour more or high for 45 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk and fresh spinach. Sprinkle individual servings with black pepper and shredded Romano cheese.

Source: www.bhg.com

Blueberry Lemon Zest Breakfast Cake

Delicious. I'm obviously liking breads and cakes based off the previously posts. But this one is the best, actually. It's title implies it's for breakfast and that's when we ate it. But really it's sweet enough for dessert. It was so yummy and moist with a little sugar crunch crust on top. 

You'll love it. 

Enjoy!

{BLUEBERRY LEMON ZEST BREAKFAST CAKE}

print this

½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature
Zest from 1 large lemon
3/4 c. + 2 T. sugar

1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen
½ c. buttermilk

1 T. sugar for sprinkling on top

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour (which will help them not run in the batter. Whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

Grease a 9-inch square baking pan. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Source: Alexandra's Kitchen

English Muffin Bread

This was yummy yummy yummy. When I saw this recipe, it stated it made the BEST toast. Yep, dead on. And it was just in time for my "sick tummy week." 

I think I ate about two loaves all by my lonesome. It's awesome. And easy to make. You're crazy if you don't try it. Just plain crazy.

Enjoy!

P.S. I "halved" this recipe. I couldn't stand the thought of 11 cups of flour. Holy cow.

{ENGLISH MUFFIN BREAD}

print this

5 1/2 c. warm water
3 pkgs. yeast
2 T. salt
3 T. sugar
11 c. flour 

Activate yeast by putting in bowl and covering with warm water and sprinkling with a little bit of sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes, until it's frothy. Mix yeast, remaining warm water, salt & sugar in large mixing bowl. Add half the flour and mix well. Mix in remaining flour and let rise in bowl until double in bulk (about 1 hour). The dough will be VERY sticky. Spoon dough into 4 well greased loaf pans and let rise until dough reaches the top of the pans (about 45 minutes). Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown. 10 minutes before done, brush with melted butter. Allow to cool completely before cutting.  

Source: One Good Thing

Banana Coconut Bread with Lime Glaze

Our little family definitely doesn't "go bananas" for bananas. I don't know what it is. But none of us really like them. 

I think, for me, it a texture thing. Plus, I grew up on the "BRAT" diet when you had an upset stomach. I still do this for my little guy. So maybe that's why he doesn't like them either. Anyway, the theory is that when you have an upset stomach or recovering from the stomach flu, you only eat, Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, or Toast.

But one thing we DO love is banana bread. I tried this new recipe because of the idea of a lime glaze. Mmm, and my inkling was correct! The lime glaze is divine. However, I think next time I'll skip the coconut. It wasn't necessary and my little guy wouldn't eat the bread because of it. 

Tell me what you think. Enjoy!

{BANANA COCONUT BREAD WITH LIME GLAZE}

print this

2 c. flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. sugar

1/4 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. ripe bananas, mashed

1/4 c. plain low-fat yogurt

3 T. apple juice

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. + 1 T. sweetened coconut, flaked

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/2 T. lime juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat with a mixer for 1 minute. Add eggs and beat well. Add bananas, yogurt, apple juice, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture and beat just until moist. Stir in 1/2 c. coconut. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Sprinkle with 1 T. coconut. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes. Combine powdered sugar and lime juice and drizzle over warm bread.

Basmati Rice & Corn Salad

I'm really surprised I haven't posted this yet. But I guess I haven't made it for a while. Which is a bummer! We love this salad. I found it by accident in the little booklet that came with our rice cooker. It's really delicious! We had it last night, served with BBQ chicken. Yum! It would taste wonderful hot or cold.

Enjoy!

{BASMATI RICE & CORN SALAD}

print this

1 c. basmati rice
1 ¾ c. water
½ tsp. salt
2 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. Dijon mustard
1/3 c. olive oil
½ c. crumbled cooked bacon
5-6 green onions, thinly sliced
Salt & Pepper

Add rice, water and salt to rice cooker. Soak rice for 15 minutes before turning on cooker. Cover and cook rice until done. Stir in corn, re-cover, and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Pour rice and corn into a large bowl and fluff with fork.

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar and mustard, add olive oil and whisk well. Pour dressing over rice and toss to combine. Add bacon, onions, and Salt and Pepper to taste.

Personalized Fortune Cookie for your Valentine

I know I posted these last year. But I wanted to remind you of a cute, easy, inexpensive way to show your Valentine your love. I made these personalized fortune cookies last year for my sweet Valentine, my parents, and my in-laws. On each "fortune" I wrote a reason why I love them. It was so fun for them to open the messages, PLUS these taste so yummy.

Get creative with how you decorate. You can buy different colors of dipping chocolates. Or you can put food coloring in the cookie batter! You could even go back with piping icing and write their name.

I was teaching some friends how to make these a while back and one told me the FUNNIEST fortune. She said her husband always says the same line when he opens a fortune cookie. He says, "Help! I'm trapped in a fortune cookie factory and I can't get out." ha! I love it. 

Enjoy!

{FORTUNE COOKIES}
click here for a printable version of this recipe.

2 large egg whites 

1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
3 T. vegetable oil
3 tsp. water
½ c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
½ c. granulated sugar
Optional: food coloring, dipping chocolate
Cooking Spray

Preparation:

Write or print fortunes on pieces of paper, make sure they are no more than 3 1/2 inches long and  ½"  wide. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spray two or three 9x13 baking sheets. 

In a mixing bowl, on medium speed beat the egg white, extracts, water and vegetable oil until frothy, but not stiff. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar. Add the flour into the egg white mixture and stir until you have a smooth batter. The batter should be thin enough so that it pours off of a spoon, but not too thick that it won't spread easily with the back of the spoon. 

{Optional: if you want to color the cookies, add the food coloring at this point.}
 

Place level tablespoons of batter onto the cookie sheet (make sure you sprayed the pan well), spacing them at least 3 inches apart. Use the back of a round Tablespoon to spread it out a bit. Bake about 14-15 minutes. You want to watch for the outer 1/2-inch of each cookie to turn golden brown and they are easy to remove from the baking sheet with a spatula.

Working very quickly, remove the cookie with a spatula and flip it over in your hand (yes, it will be kinda hot). Place a fortune flat in the middle of a cookie. 

To form the fortune cookie shape, fold the cookie in half, like a taco {yes, this is a picture of a paper towel. I didn't think to take pictures of the process until after. So, please hold your mocking!} Hold the two edges together, but keep the bottom fold rounded.

Then gently place the rounded fold on the edge of a bowl or a muffin pan and fold together the opposite way to form a fortune cookie shape. {remind me never to attempt to enter the world of hand-modeling}

Place the finished cookie in the cup of a muffin tin so that it keeps its shape. Continue with the rest of the cookies. 

I cook only 2 cookies per pan, because you have to fold quickly. If you wait too long the cookies will crack because they harden FAST!

To speed up the whole process, I use 2 baking sheets  and alternate putting them in the oven. I set two different timers to keep the two sides of the oven straight. 

After they're all cooked and cooled, melt your dipping chocolates and dip one side of the cookie, if you choose. Then decorate with sprinkles. Adorable.

Sugar Cookie Bars

I'm a sucker for sugar cookies. Every time I see one, my mouth starts to water. But at the same time, I'm kind of picky with what sugar cookies really are good. The HAVE to be soft and chewy. The hard and dry variety, are just not going to cut it.

My recipe for the BEST sugar cookies, really is the best as far as I'm concerned. But let's be honest, sugar cookies take time to roll out, punch out, cook in batches, and finally frost individually. So, this week I was craving sugar cookies and found this sugar cookie BAR recipe. It's quick and easy and you'll be eating them in no time. The hardest part is waiting for the pan to cool before frosting. 

I made these specially for my sister-in-law, Tiffany (oh, and my brother, Adam too), who just had their FIRST baby....a girl. She will be my little girl-to-be's best bud. Their sweet little newborn is adorable with a full head of black hair. Good work you guys! You just need to have 12 more of those sweet babies. Just Kidding!

Enjoy!

{SUGAR COOKIE BARS}

print this  

1 1/2 c. sugar 

1 c. butter, room temperature 

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature 

1 egg 

2 tsp. vanilla extract 

2 1/2 c. flour 

1/2 tsp. baking soda 

1 tsp. baking powder

 

Preheat oven to 350°.Spray 15x10 inch jelly roll pan with cooking spray (I seriously got out my tape measure to make sure I had the right pan, you don't want them to be too thin and this is NOT the big cookie sheet size). In your mixer cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together. Add in egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated. With mixer on low, add in your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix until just combined. Press the STICKY dough evenly into your prepared pan.Bake for 20 minutes until edges begin to golden. Cool completely before frosting.

 

FROSTING  

1/2 c. butter 

1/4 c. milk 

16 oz. powdered sugar 

1/2 tsp. salt 

1 tsp. vanilla

Adjust milk and powdered sugar to get to desired consistency.

Source: Chef in Training

Cheesy Broccoli & Rice Cups

I love these little things! You can't go wrong with cheese & Ranch dressing. Plus, I really believe this is why my little boy loves broccoli so much. They make it fun for kiddos to eat their veggies. Just remember to stop "taste-testing" the mixture once you put the raw egg in!

Enjoy!

{CHEESY BROCCOLI & RICE CUPS}

print this

1 c. Minute White Rice, uncooked

1 c. chicken broth

1 1/2 c. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained

2/3 c. shredded cheese (of your choice)

1/4 c. Ranch dressing

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare rice as directed on package, substituting chicken broth for the water. Place cooked rice in large mixing bowl; cool slightly. Stir in remaining ingredients until well blended. Spoon mixture evenly into 8 greased muffin cups. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Scotcharoo Bars

These have always been one of my very favorite treats. They are SO simple and quick to make. And they are divinely good. I dare say I've eaten 1/2 a pan of them in the past 2 days. And I wonder why I'm getting chubby cheeks. It's all the baby's fault. Nonono.

Enjoy!

{SCOTCHAROO BARS}

print this

1 c. light corn syrup

1 c. smooth peanut butter

1 c. sugar

1/2 box of Rice Krispies (or corn flakes are really good too!)

1 (12-oz) bag chocolate chips

1 (12-oz) bag butterscotch chips (I often time skip the butterscotch and just do one bag of chocolate chips)

In a sauce pan over medium heat, combine corn syrup, peanut butter, sugar. Heat while stirring until mixture warms and becomes a smooth consistency. Don't boil or cook too long or the bars will be hard. Pour mixture over large bowl of cereal and mix until incorporated. Pour into a sprayed 9x13 pan. 

In a microwave-safe bowl pour both bags or chips (chocolate & butterscotch). Heat for 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chips are all melted and mixed together. Pour over Scotcharoos and allow to set up.

Walnut Craisin Salad - My new favorite salad

When I was pregnant with my son, I craved Cheetos and red grapes. I have yet to purchase a bag of either since getting pregnant with this wee one. Yuck! 

But what I HAVE been craving is salads. And it always changes what TYPE of salad. One night I was crying at 10pm because I was craving Olive Garden's salad and it was too late to get one. Silly pregnancy hormones.

But this is my new favorite salad. I think I've had it every day for the past 10 days, lunch and/or dinner. It's so simple and YUM YUM YUMMY! I just keep a bowl of cut lettuce and then when I want a salad I mix in the ingredients. So easy.

I hope you enjoy!

{WALNUT CRAISIN SALAD}

print this

1 head Romaine heart lettuce (spinach would be delish mixed in or as a substitute too!)

1/2 c. Craisins

1/2 c. Walnuts, whole (these would be yummy if you wanted to "candy" them, but I want to save on time & calories) 

1/4 c. Romano cheese, freshly grated 

Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing

Toss salad ingredients together and top with vinaigrette. Serve immediately.  

Quick & Easy Parmesan Cheese Knots

I love BREAD. And I love fresh hot bread out of the oven. But usually by the time I think of what we're having for dinner, I should have started making the bread hours before. So, when I tried this recipe I was excited! QUICK and easy rolls. And don't be fooled by the fact that you're using biscuits (because honestly, I'm not a fan of biscuits usually), these really taste like rolls.

Enjoy!

{QUICK & EASY PARMESAN CHEESE KNOTS}

print this

1 (12-oz.) tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1/4 c. oil ( I used Olive oil)

3 T. Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried parsley flakes

Roll each biscuit into a 12-in. rope and tie into a knot; tuck ends under. Place 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

In a large bowl, combine oil, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, oregano, and parsley; brush the warm knots with the mixture. 

Source: Real Mom Kitchen

Cheesy Mexican Rice

Did everyone survive the holiday season? I feel like a tornado came through my life. I have to say, because of my amazing husband, my house is in really good condition. But his pregnant wife on the other hand, feels like she's been through a tornado. 

But we're on the other side. And it's back to an uncluttered home and life. And back to cooking. I've really enjoyed all the parties and not cooking dinner very much. But I'm looking forward to being on a schedule again. 

This rice dish was WONDERFUL! We ate it for days with different dishes. You'll love it. It's so fresh and delicious. You're not going to come close to this with a box, I promise. I found it on this cute new little blog I linked to through Pinterest. Thanks!

Enjoy!

{CHEESY MEXICAN RICE}

print this

2 T. butter
1 1/2 c. long-grain rice
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded & finely chopped (keep the seeds in if you want more heat)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 c. chicken broth
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
1 c. cheese, shredded

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the rice, onion, jalepeno, and garlic. Cook until the rice is browned and vegetables are tender. Stir in the water, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender, about 15 to 17 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and cheese and transfer to a serving bowl.