Pull Apart Cinnamon Pumpkin Bread

I love fall baking!  As soon as September hit I was ready for the pumpkin recipes.  This was SO good but not a strong pumpkin taste at all.  I found it on Sunnyside Up and changed it slightly.

I had a hard time getting mine out of the pan and then turned back over - so it ended up in a heap.  Here is a picture of one piece of my heap =).  

Bread

• 2 Tbsp  butter                                                                                                                    
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp  butter

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown 2 tablespoons of butter, letting it bubble up and turn a dark golden brown but being careful not to allow it burn (turn black). Once browned, remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the milk, return to stove and heat through.  Pour the milk and butter into the bowl of standing mixer (fitted with a dough hook) and allow to cool so it is no longer hot but also not cool (about 100-110 degrees F). Once it has reached a warm but not hot temperature add the yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar and allow to proof (the top will look foamy and the liquid cloudy). Then add the the pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Stir until combined then add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and knead for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and just slightly sticky. If the dough is too moist, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

Move dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.

While dough is rising, brown another 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well.   Making sure sugar evenly absorbs the butter. Set aside. Next, grease and flour a 9×5 loaf pan and set aside.

When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and flip out onto a clean floured surface and knead with hands for 1-2 minutes. Roll dough into a 20×12 inch rectangle.  Evenly sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture and press into dough with palms of the hand. Cut the rectangle into 6 strips. Lay strips on top of each other and cut each strip into 6 even squares (cut in half then each half into thirds). Stack strips vertically into the loaf pan. Cover the pan with a clean towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes.

In the meantime preheat an oven to 350 degrees. After rising in the pan bake for 30-40 minutes or until top is a very deep golden brown.

Buttered Rum Glaze  (I used a little bit of rum flavored extract and some vanilla, you could leave the rum out)

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/8 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp milk
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/8 tsp rum flavored extract and 1tsp vanilla

To prepare the glaze, heat the butter, milk, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boil then immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flavoring and powdered sugar.

Cucumber Soup

I thought we needed something refreshing on a hot summer day.  So I started making a chilled cucumber soup.  Then it stormed and it wasn't hot anymore.  Oh well, it was still good.  This soup is good hot, room temperature or chilled.  

The original recipe is from here and the changes I made were a from all the comments left.  I love all recipes just for that reason!

Surprisingly, everyone ate it - most of us even liked it =).  We're going to eat it again and probably use all the cucumbers in our garden to freeze a bunch of this for the winter!

4 cucumbers
1/4 cup sliced onion
2 tablespoons butter or oil

1 clove garlic
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
7 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 tablesppons farina or wheat flour
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
1 cup sour cream

Peel, seed, and chop cucumbers. The healthiest part of a vegetable is the skin and seeds, so I peeled mine with stripes - only about half the skin and I didn't remove all the the seeds.  The quickest way to remove seed is to cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and then you can easily scoop them out.

Cook the chopped onion and garlic in the margarine until soft. Add the chopped cucumbers and vinegar. Pour in the broth, as much as will fit.  I held out a few cups because my pan wasn't big enough.  Salt & pepper taste, and add dill. Bring to a boil and wisk in the farina or flour.  Let the soup simmer for 20 minutes, or until the cucumbers are soft.

Put the soup into a blender, and puree it.

Pour the puree into a bowl, and whisk in the remaining broth, 1 cup of milk and sour cream. Taste the soup for seasoning. Either eat hot or store in the fridge to eat cold.

Peanut Butter Protein Balls

This is a great healthy snack for kids and adults.  

1 c. natural, organic peanut butter (I use whatever peanut butter I have)

2 ½ c. rolled oats or quick oats

½ c. flax seed meal

¾ c. honey (use local – helps fight allergies)

½ c. unsweetened coconut

3/4 c. raw cacao nibs (found in health food store or online) (or choc. chips – just not as healthy)

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.  It does get quite sticky, so I just use clean hands and mix it all together.  It should look like the consistence of thick cookie dough.  After mixed, wash hands and pour a bit of Canola oil on your hands so mixture won’t stick to you.  Scoop teaspoon size balls into your hand and roll.  I use a small cookie scoop. I like to put them on a cookie sheet line with wax paper to set in fridge for about an hour.  After that, just throw them into baggies and your set.  You could also freeze them if you will not eat in a week or so.  I often times double the recipe and then freeze them.

Blackened Salmon Tacos with Corn Salsa and Cilantro Lime Ranch

Marshall and I absolutely love tacos. We probably have some variation of a taco once or twice a week. Yeah I know we are a little obsessed with them. So, when I found this blackened salmon taco recipe I was pretty excited to try it, and let me tell you it did not fall short of my expectations. It was quick, pretty easy, and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients

2 (6 0z) salmon fillets

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour  

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp packed brown sugar

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

 

Corn Salsa

2/3 cup frozen corn, warmed

1 medium Roma tomato, diced

1 small Avocado, diced

2 Tbsp finely chopped yellow onion

2 tsp lime juice

1/3 cup black beans(I added these. I just love black beans)

1 dash garlic powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Cilantro Lime Ranch

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

1 Tbsp buttermilk ranch seasoning mix

1/4 cup cilantro

1 small clove garlic

Juice of 1/2 - 1 lime

 

Directions

For Serving:

Flour or corn tortillas, warmed

Shredded Cheese (your choice)

Corn Salsa

Cilantro Lime Ranch

 

Blackened Salmon Tacos

In a shallow mixing bowl, using fork, combine flour, chili powder, paprika, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Baste salmon fillets with 1/2 tsp olive oil on each side and dip salmon into spice mixture and generously coat each side. Place coated salmon in preheated skillet and cook 3-4 minutes per side until outside is lightly blackened and center of fillet is cooked through and opaque. Flake salmon using a fork. Assemble tacos by dividing salmon among tortillas, top with lettuce, corn salsa, cheese, and drizzle with Cilantro Lime Ranch. Serve immediately.

 

Corn Salsa

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.

 

Cilantro Lime Ranch

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

 

This recipe was adapted from http://www.cookingclassy.com

Brownie Desssert

 

I found this recipe on pinterest and knew that I had to try it.  I made it conference weekend so that we would have guests and plenty of help eating it.  It is as yummy as it looks but not too rich which is nice.  I found this recipe at www.hpj.com.  It is a home cooking blog.  I followed the recipe just as it is written and we wouldn't change a thing.  Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:
2 brownie mixes
1 extra large egg
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 (8 oz.) containers whipped topping
1 (3 oz.) package instant chocolate pudding
1 (3 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups milk
1 Hershey candy bar or chocolate syrup

 

Directions: Mix brownie mixes according to directions. Add egg. Bake in 9x13 inch greased and floured cake pan. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 container whipped topping. Put this mix on top of the cooled brownies. Blend puddings and milk together and put on top of the cream cheese mixture. Top with another layer of whipped topping. Put chocolate shavings or chocolate syrup on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Carla Hall's Triple Lemon Bars

 

 

 

 

 

I saw these baked on the TV show The Chew.  I don't know if anyone out there has watched this show but as a lover of lemon I knew that I had to try these.  They are Carla Hall's recipe.  If you like regular old lemon bars then you will love these.  They are triple the deliciousness!  I pretty much followed the recipe and yes I did use fresh lemon juice squeezed by me.  The zest from six lemons is a lot of zest but be sure to combine it with the powdered sugar while your cookies are baking.  By the time you are ready to put it on the cookies and I just sprinkled it on top before I cut them, the zest will be kind of candied and the powdered sugar has turned a little hard and stuck to the zest.  It is way better than just plain powdered sugar.  Try them.  You won't be disappointed.

 



For the Shortbread Crust:

2 sticks Unsalted Butter (softened)

1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Lemon (zest; reserving juice for filling)

2 cups All-Purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon Salt

• For the Filling:
• 7 large Eggs
• 3 1/4 cups Granulated Sugar
• 1 cup freshly squeezed Lemon Juice (about 6 lemons; reserving zest)
• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Confectioner's Sugar (plus reserved zest for dusting)

For the Shortbread Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest and beat for another minute, or until blended.    

 Add the flour and salt and mix just until fully incorporated. Do not over mix the dough.     

Turn dough out into a 9x13 inch baking dish and evenly press into the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides of the dish. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 10 to 15 minutes, or until mostly firm.

Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, just until cooked and pale golden color. Do not turn oven off. Cool completely on a wire rack.  I put mine in the fridge while I made the filling but it was still warm when I put the filling in.  I couldn't wait.     

For the Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon juice.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.     

 Slowly whisk the flour mixture into the egg mixture just until combined. Pour the mixture into the baked crust and cooked for 35 to 40 minutes, or until filling is set. Remove and allow to cool on the wire rack.     

Once completely cooled, cut lemon bars into 20 squares and then cut each square on a diagonal to create triangle.

To serve, whisk together the confectioner's sugar and reserved lemon zest. Generously sprinkle over the lemon bar.     



Maple Pecan Sandies

Aka Maple Pecan Refrigerator Cookies by Jo Ann Kurtz and featured in the Parade.  They are really good - Mike's new favorite cookies.  They were really easy to make too!

1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp real maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp maple extract
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (I used walnuts)

Beat butter for 3 minutes or until creamy.  Beat in sugar gradually.  Add syrup, egg yolk, and extracts; beat well.  Stir in flour and pecans.  Divide dough in half and shape into logs 2 inches in diameter.  Wrap in plastic wrap or parchment and refrigerate until firm.  Preheat oven to 350.  Cut logs into 1/2-inch-thick rounds; arrange on greased cookie sheets.  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. 

Microwave Peanut Brittle

I have tried makiing peanut brittle a long time ago and successfully burned it.  I gave up on the idea of me ever making it.  I found this receipe at Mel's Kitchen Cafe blog and decided to give it another try since it wasn't going to take a long time.  It was a success and I just might add it to my collection of Christmas goodies.  Every microwave is different so be warned to pay attention and watch carefully the first time and then make adjustments for your microwave.  Enjoy!

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts (I just used roasted unsalted peanuts and they were great)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda

Butter a large baking sheet and set aside.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the sugar and corn syrup and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Stir. Microwave for another 2 minutes. The mixture should be starting to turn a light yellow/amber color. Stir in the peanuts. Microwave an additional 3-5 minutes, watching carefully, until the mixture turns golden brown (the color of peanut brittle).(I did mine for 4 minutes)
Stir in the butter and vanilla until the butter is completely melted. Microwave for 1 more minute. Stir in the baking soda. The mixture will become very foamy and thick as you stir.
Carefully spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Cool completely. Break into pieces. The brittle can be made ahead and stored covered, at room temperature, for three days.

Cereal Candy

I have begun baking and making candy for the season.  Here is one of my favorites.  It comes from my childhood.  My mother always fed us very healthy food and never too much of it.  We had treats but not very often.  I can't believe that she made this for Christmas.  It is very addicting and totally bad for you.  I have continued the tradition.  My children love it and the people I give it too ask for the recipe.  So here it is.  Enjoy the season.

2 cups Trix
2 cups Honeycomb
2 cups Rice Chex
2 cups small colored marshmallows, not white
2 cups slivered almonds (the healthy part)
2 lbs. white almond bark or white chocolate chips

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Melt the almond bark in the microwave very carefully and pour over your dry ingredients.  Combine and then spoon out onto parchment paper.  Be fast because it does set up fast.

Apple Turkey Burgers

 
Anna Elise made  Apple Turkey burgers at Achievement days a while back.  A friend of mine made them recently and I decided it was time we gave them a try.  However,  I couldn't find the recipe that Anna brought home, so I looked at several recipes on-line and came up with a recipe of my own.  Our whole family really like these.

1.75 pounds ground turkey
1 apple finely diced
3 TBL finely diced onion
1 tsp lemon pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste

Make patties and grill or broil until done.  Add cheddar cheese and melt.
Serve on buns with Sweet Chili Sauce.

I discovered that I had about a tsp of Sweet Chili sauce in the bottom of my last bottle. So I quickly looked up several sweet chili recipes online and came up with a homemade sauce that tastes pretty good - almost exactly the same as our bottled sauce!

We made small patties and served them on rolls, my kids like 'sliders'.

Sweet Chili Sauce
1/2 cup vinegar (white, rice or apple will work)
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. white sugar
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp. fish sauce  (this could probably be optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced or 3/4 tsp granulated garlic
1/4  Tbsp. dried crushed chili (or less if you don't want it so spicey)
1+1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp. cold water

Place all ingredients, except the cornstarch/water mixture, in a sauce pan and bring to a rolling boil.  Reduce heat to medium and let boil for 10 minutes, or until reduced by half.  Reduce heat to low and add the cornstarch-water mixture. Stir to incorporate and continue stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens.

Enjoy!

PUMPKIN COOKIES WITH CARMEL FROSTING

I ate these cookies at Trina's last weekend when we were visiting.  I am not a real pumpkin lover but these were delicious.  I have several children that are pumpkin lovers and wanted to share before Thanksgiving was over.  She found these on Pinterest and they are from www.letsdishrecipes.com.  Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients
Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Frosting
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Pinch of salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in pumpkin. In a medium bowl, sift together the baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, salt and flour. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

To make frosting: In a medium saucepan, combine butter, cream, and brown sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture just begins to boil; remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool then stir in confectioner's sugar. Spread frosting over cooled cookies.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

So these cookies are from the magazine Chocolate Desserts which are from the TV Show Cook's Country which is on PBS.  They are pretty yummy cookies.  When we made them they were gone pretty fast.

2 cups plus 2 Tbl. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
12 Tbl. unsalted butter, melted and cooled.  (I usually leave out the salt and just use regular butter and call it good.)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tsps. vanilla
1-1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Heat over to 325.  Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl and set aside.  Using a mixer, mix butter and sugars on medium speed until thoroughly blended.  Beat egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined.  Add dry ingredients and beat on low speed just until combined.  Stir in chips.

Spoon onto baking sheets.  I use a cookie scoop and also use parchment or silpat on my pans.  Bake until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft about 10-12 minutes.  Let cookies cool on pans before removing.

Chicken, Squash, & Apple Hash

I found this recipe on a coupon blog (weird, I know) months ago and we eat this probably twice a month, we all (with only one exception) love it.  I've changed several things, I'm going to list the recipe as we make it, but there is lots of room for your changes.   Original recipe from Collin at Hip2Save.com.

1 acorn squash, peeled, cleaned and cubed
1/2 - 1 medium onion chopped
1 - 2 apples diced
1 large chicken breast, cut into small chunks and pan-fried (you may want to add more chicken)
1/4 tsp smoked paprika for a bacon flavor
chopped walnuts
salt & pepper to taste

Set your oven to broil, then throw the cubed butternut squash on a sprayed cookie sheet. I spray my squash with olive oil as well. Let broil for about 8 minutes. Make sure to stir every couple of minutes. I take them out before they look done, I don't like them mushy.
While the squash is cooking,  heat some oil in a skillet over medium heat. Throw in the chopped onions and stir occasionally until they are softened and starting to brown a little and add the paprika.
Now add the apples into the skillet with the onions. Stir for a minute and then add everything else (cooked chicken, broiled squash and chopped nuts). Season with salt and pepper.

Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

The recipe is from tastykitchen.com and it is by Jen of My Tiny Oven. We all loved it. 

3 tbs butter
1 1/2 cups Orzo
3 cups chicken broth
6 tbs fresh chopped basil
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the orzo and saute for a few minutes, until it turns a golden brown. Add the broth and cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until all broth has been absorbed. Removed from heat, add the cheese and basil and salt and pepper to taste.

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

I haven't posted for a long time but I am going to try to do better.  It isn't that I am not trying new recipes, it just seems like a long ways to go and get the camera to take a picture of what I have made.  I have become addicted to watching a cooking show on TV and now have some of their magazines and recipe books.  My next few posts will be from these.  This bread is from the show Cooks Country and also published in a Cooks Illustrated magazine.  It is a show on PBS.  I know that the recipe seems long and complicated but not really when you get to the end and you taste the best wheat bread in your life.  It is so light and soft and moist.  So take a little time and try it.  I will add a few comments of a few changes that I made to the recipe.

Biga

2 cups bread flour

1 cup warm water

½ tsp. instant yeast

 

Soaker

3-5 cups whole wheat flour(It calls for 3 and use 3 if you are using store bought whole wheat flour but if you have just ground your own it might take more.  You want this to form a stiff ball, when you knead it.  They probably used store bought flour and  I grind my own flour and found that it needed about 5 cups to get it to this stage.)

½ cup wheat germ

2 cups milk

 

Dough

 

¼ cup honey (I like my bread a little sweeter so I added a little extra honey, maybe a tablespoon)

4 tsp. table salt

2 Tbl. Instant yeast

6 Tbl. Butter

2 Tbl. Vegetable oil

 

For the biga:  Combine bread flour, water and yeast in large bowl and stir until completely mixed.  Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temp. overnight. (8 – 24 hours)

For the soaker:  Combine whole wheat flour, wheat germ, and milk in large bowl and stir until it is stiff.  Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth.  Return to bowl and cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge overnight – same as the biga.

For the dough:  Tear soaker apart into 1 inch pieces and place in bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook.  Add biga, honey, salt, yeast, butter and oil.  Mix on low speed until it starts to mix together.  Increase speed and knead until dough is smooth and elastic.  At this point I usually have to add an extra cup of bread flour because of the extra honey that I add.  Be your own judge of how you want your dough but mine is not real stiff.  Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and shape into ball and place in greased container.  Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes.

Gently press down on center of dough to deflate.  Holding edge of dough with fingertips, fold partially raised dough over itself by gently lifting and folding edge of dough toward middle.  Turn bowl 90 degrees and fold again.  Do this 6 more times.  Cover and allow to rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.

Spray two bread pans with nonstick cooking spray.  Turn dough out onto floured surface and divide into 2 pieces.  Pat each piece into an 8 by 17 inch rectangle.  With short side facing you, roll dough toward you into firm cylinder, keeping dough tights.  Pinch the dough together.  Place the seam side down into loaf pan.  Repeat with second piece of dough.  Cover loaves and allow to rise at room temperature until double in size. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees with baking stone on shelf.  Place a pan on the next rack down under the baking stone and fill with boiling water.  Place bread pans on baking stone and turn the oven temp. down to 350.  Bake the bread for 40-50 minutes until the internal temperature of the bread is 200 degrees.  (It is important to use a thermometer. I thought it looked done after about 25 minutes, but when I used a thermometer it really took about 40-50 minutes and the bread was perfect.)  Let cool in pans for 5 minutes and then remove to cooling racks.

Hot + Cheesy Corn Dip

For dinner the other night chips and dip just sounded amazing so I found this recipe from http://www.howsweeteats.com, and it was to die for. So here it is. Hope you enjoy!

4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 1/2 cups sweet corn

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

4 green onions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 (17 ounce) container of 2% Greek yogurt

5 ounces cheddar cheese, freshly grated

5 ounces monterey jack cheese, freshly grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add bacon. Fry until crispy and all fat is rendered, the remove bacon and let drain on a paper towel. Add corn to the skillet, cooking and stirring until golden and a bit caramely – about 6-8 minutes. Remove corn and add it to a large bowl. Add olive oil to the skillet, then add onions and red peppers with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in jalapeno, green onions and garlic, cooking for just 2-3 minutes. Transfer mixture to the bowl, adding in the yogurt, paprika, bacon and 4 ounces of each cheese. Stir until combined, then top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is golden on top. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or crackers.

Buffalo Chicken Eggrolls

These are absolutely amazing, and everyone needs to try to them. I adapted this recipe from canyoustayfordinner.com. She has lots of great recipes.

2 chicken breasts
Frank's Red Hot Sauce
Crumbled Feta Cheese
12 egg roll wrappers

First cook the chicken(I boiled it), then let it cool and shred. Then add some Frank's Red Hot Sauce to the chicken just until it is pretty well coated. Then layout your egg roll wrappers, and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the chicken and a little bit of feta cheese. Wipe the sides of the egg roll wrapper with water, and wrap it up like an egg roll. Then fry them in oil, about two minutes on each side. Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Creamy Quinoa Primavera

Okay, so here is another quinoa dish for you that my family really enjoys. This includes my husband who isn't a big veggie fan but there are a ton in this and they are just so finely chooped you don't even notice them. I originally found the recipe at http://www.letsdishrecipes.com/2011/03/creamy-quinoa-primavera.html but I did make a few changes.

1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
3 cups chicken broth
2-4 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon butter
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3-5 cups finely chopped pieces of assorted uncooked vegetables (I do these really fine and use my little food processor so they are about the same size as the quinoa.  This way if you have a picky eater they won't even notice the vegetables)
1/4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Directions
Rinse quinoa thoroughly; drain. Bring quinoa and broth to boil in a 2-quart saucepan; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20-25 minutes or until broth is absorbed. While quinoa is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook garlic in butter for about one minute, stirring frequently, until golden. Stir in vegetables. Cook about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir cream cheese and basil into cooked quinoa. Toss vegetables with quinoa mixture and sprinkle with cheese. (You can use any vegetables you want.  I've used zuchinni, corn, carrots, onions,  and peppers.)

Cheesy Quinoa

Okay, so I got the original recipe from http://aroundthetableri.blogspot.com/2012/02/cheesy-quinoa-mac-cheese.html.  However, I did make several changes and I changed the name because the original blog gave you the impression that this was going to be like mac n cheese but with quinoa and I didn't feel like it was but it was still very good.  So here's the recipe how I made it.  Enjoy!

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 3 cups of chicken broth 
• good pinch of salt
• a few grinds of seasoning salt
• 1  clove of garlic, minced
• 1  egg
• 1  cup milk
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese, more for sprinkling
• Optional Panko Bread crumbs or crushed ritz for topping

Cook quinoa using chicken broth and garlic according to package instructions. (About 15-20 minutes)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat 13x9 inch dish or large casserole dish with cooking spray.Whisk together egg and milk in large bowl. Fold in quinoa mixture and cheese. Stir very well and let some of the cheese melt. Transfer to prepared baking dish and if using Panko Crumbs or Bread crumbs add now and bake 20-25 mins, until bread crumbs are browned.

Lofthouse Sugar Cookies

These sugar cookies are to die for. They are so soft and fluffy they almost melt in your mouth, and they are super easy to top it off. Hope you enjoy! Recipe courtesy of http://www.motherthyme.com.

Lofthouse Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

3 cups cake flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a medium bowl combine cake flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Using an electric mixer cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in eggs one at a time stirring after each addition.  Stir in sour cream and vanilla until combined.  Gradually add in flour mixture combined.  

Chill dough for at least one hour in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.  

Roll 3 tablespoons of dough into a ball.  Use flour on your hands if needed.  Place ball on baking sheet and flatten to about 1/2 inch thick, molding sides to keep round shape if necessary.  Continue with remaining dough, placing each 2 inches apart.  

Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.  Cool for a few minutes on baking sheet, and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.  

*For shapes- roll out chilled dough ½ inch thick on a well floured surface.  Flour rolling pin and cut out to prevent sticking.  Cut out desired shapes and place on parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.  Do not overbake.  Cool for a few minutes and transfer to wire rack to cool.

Shapes will spread from the baking powder.  To define the shape used after the cookie has cooled, place cookie cutter on top of cookie and firmly press all the way down, removing any access cookie for the edges.  

Frosting

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

3 cups confectioners sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

food coloring (optional)

Directions

Using an electric mixer combine butter and gradually add in confectioners sugar.  When all sugar is added, pour in milk and vanilla and blend on medium until fluffy.  Add in food color if desired.