2015 Recipe Recap + Easy Breakfast Yogurt Bowl

Never again.

At least I finished.

And here's an extra one.

Because I kinda cheated back during that one week in July.

To be honest, I had about 3 or 4 more recipes I would have liked to get to but I just didn't.  Maybe I'll make them in the year ahead.  And I have a new idea for an ice cream cake for  my birthday next week, so be on the lookout for that.

1. Baked Crab Dip
2. Mint Oreo Ice Cream Cake
3. 30 Minute Leek and Potato Soup
4. Company Chili
5. Cookie Dough Ice Cream
6. Scott's Salmon
7. Homemade Marinara Sauce
8. Homemade Naan Pizza
9. Crockpot Chicken Curry
10.  Steak Fries
11. Sort of Homemade Chicken Stock
12. Carrot Cake Blondies
13. Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork
14. Mint Oreo Rice Krispy Treats
15. Basil-Oregano Pesto
16. Italian Couscous
17. Limeaide Margaritas
18. Burrito Bowls
19. Sausage Breakfast Bake
20. Maple Donut Muffins
21. Pumpkin Pupcakes
22. Maple Scones
23. Fajita Quinoa
24. Pineapple-Ginger Smoothie
25. Blender Guacamole
26. Caramel Rice Krispy Treats
27. Birthday Cake S'mores
28. S'mores Popcorn
29. Roasted Garlic
30. Peach Crisp
31. Lemon-Lime Bars
32. Honey-Sunbutter
33. 3-Ingredient Mango Salsa
34. (a link to) Mexican Stuffed Shells
35. Jalapeno Popper Dip
36. Grilled Zucchini
37. Pizza Lasagna
38. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
39. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
40. Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
41. Peanut Butter Frosting
42. Hershey's Kiss Cookies
43. Beef Vegetable Soup
44. Grandma's Banana Bread
45. Scott's Holiday Turkey
46. Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake
47. Roasted Dill Potatoes
48. Peppermint Fudge
49. White Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels
50. Crispy Gnocchi and Veggies
51. Cheesesteak Calzone
52. Apricot Squares

(Do me a favor and don't count the recipes. I'm slightly terrified I skipped a number or something and I'm trying not to examine the list too closely.)

Easy Breakfast Yogurt Bowl
makes one serving

1 container of your favorite yogurt (I use Chobani most of the time)
1 small apple, diced
1/4 cup Craisins
3/4 cup of your favorite cereal (I use Multigrain Cheerios most of the time)
Drizzle of honey, optional

Put everything in a bowl and enjoy immediately.  OR put everything except the cereal in a tupperware container and it travels very well to work.  Add the cereal immediately before eating or it will get soggy.

Cheesesteak Calzone

Recipe challenge, recipe #51.

I've had this window open on my browser for days. I hate typing up recipes, almost as much as I hate writing them down.  It's so tedious. However, in the spirit of sharing...here's the next to last recipe for this year.

This is perfect New Year's food.

Or football food.

Or a late lunch on a Sunday and, hey, then you don't have to make dinner kind of food. I've discovered if I make lunch at 2pm, I don't have to make dinner.

I wanted to make it months ago and just got around to it recently.

Cheesesteak Calzone
serves 4-6, depending on how big your pizza crust is...the Pillsbury one isn't very big

1 pizza crust (either in the form of a ball of dough or from a Pillsbury can)
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced (or several mini sweet peppers, thinly sliced)
1/2 an onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced portobello mushrooms
1/2 pound of thinly sliced steak
Slices of Swiss cheese
Mozzarella cheese (sliced, shredded, etc)

In a large pan, with a bit of oil, cook the steak until it's browned (about 10 minutes). Take it out and then put in the onions, peppers, and mushrooms and cook them about 15 minutes, until softened or golden-brown.
Lay out your pizza dough on a pizza stone or cookie sheet and roll it to the size you'd prefer.  If you get the Pillsbury one (and it's delicious), the work is already done for you.
Onto one side of the dough only, layer on the steak, vegetables, and top with slices of Swiss cheese.  I used about 6 and then I sprinkled shredded mozzarella and a bit of a cheddar blend over the top.
Fold over the other side and press with a fork to seal.  Poke a few holes in the top.
Bake at 375 degrees until the whole calzone is golden-brown, about 15-20 minutes.
Serve slices with warmed marinara sauce.


*This picture is not my best effort.  The sun was going down and I just took the picture on the cookie sheet.  I photograph food for blog purposes, yes. But I don't think I could ever really get excited about food photography. 

Crispy Gnocchi and Veggies

Recipe challenge, recipe #50.

I didn't plan on adding this one in as I rounded the homestretch of this recipe challenge.  But I made it for dinner last night and it was so easy and tasty that I thought you might like to know about it.
The picture is evidence that I made dinner around 6pm when it was dark out and not conducive to food-blogging, but gnocchi is gnocchi I suppose.

Along with pearl couscous, I usually try to have a package of gnocchi in the pantry because it makes for a quick dinner.  I stretch it with whatever veggies I have on hand, and sometimes top it with pesto or marinara.  This time, I kept it simple with grape tomatoes and sautéed zucchini and garlic.

I used my cast iron skillet (which I love) because it could go in the oven.

In the skillet, I heated some olive oil and put in a diced zucchini.  I added about 20 grape tomatoes, halved, and a clove of thinly sliced garlic (I slice my garlic instead of mincing it to give it a sweeter flavor) once the zucchini was crispy.

In a separate pot, I boiled some water and cooked the gnocchi for 2-3 minutes until it floated to the top.  I strained the water and then added the gnocchi to the cast iron skillet to let it brown up a bit.  I added another tablespoon of olive oil because gnocchi will stick.

After a few minutes, I tossed it all together really well and then added about 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella to the top.  Then I put it in the oven to broil for a few minutes.

And that's it.  Dinner.

White Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels (Last minute gift idea!)

Recipe challenge, recipe #49.

Um, hardly a recipe. But I made a bunch to share at work this week so...

Almond bark (white or chocolate, really)
Peppermint extract
Pretzels
Sprinkles

In a 4-quart crockpot, melt the almond bark on low. It takes about 30-45 minutes.  Whisk it really well with a fork. For some reason, almond bark gets thinner when you stir it more.

Add in the peppermint extract and stir once more.

Add in the pretzels. I put about 3/4 of a large tiny twists bag into the crockpot. I used a wide spatula to cover them in the white chocolate. Folding, tossing, etc. Just don't crush them.

Once the pretzels are mostly covered, spread them onto a cookie sheet or wax paper, close to a single layer.  Top with sprinkles immediately.  Let cool for a few hours.

The almond bark hardens into bark (obviously) and I just peeled it off the paper so it turned into more of a pretzel bark than chocolate covered pretzels.

One of my coworkers eats gluten-free, so I also made a batch of this Rocky Road Candy. Holy cow. It did not all make it to work with me.

Peppermint Fudge

Recipe challenge, recipe #48.

It may be considered a cop-out of sorts to share recipes I've already posted, but this was years ago. Like, really, years.  And this deserves an entire blog unto itself, so two posts is the least I can do for this peppermint crack fudge.

I'm making a giant batch this weekend so I can gift it in cute little holiday bags. If you're not into cookies (though you should be), I recommend this fudge. You can add Candy Cane Oreos to the top too.  I did that one year. I don't buy Candy Cane Oreos anymore though because Target is the only place you can find them and I always eat them long before they can be crushed up and put onto the top of fudge.  If you're interested, I have a Peppermint Oreo Ice Cream Cake in the archives too.  I'm full of good ideas.

Roasted Dill Potatoes

Recipe challenge, week recipe forty-seven.

I don't like mashed potatoes. I never have really. I like instant potatoes, but rarely see the need to eat them. I don't like them that much.

I asked Scott what he wanted me to do with this bag of redskin potatoes that I had and I said, "I could mash them" and he said he doesn't like mashed potatoes all that much.  That's fate.

So, for Thanksgiving, I made roasted potatoes. I love roasted potatoes and make them at least once a week.  I honestly make a meal out of them...sprinkled with ranch seasoning, or sweet potatoes with garlic salt, etc.

For these, I used fresh dill and, after roasting the potato cubes in salt, pepper, and olive oil, I tossed them with the dill.  They were very flavorful and tasted even better the next day.

I liked them so much that I made them again a few days later.  Had to get my $4 worth out of that container of dill.  I basically ate these 4 days in a row and I don't regret it.  This would be a perfect side dish for any holiday meal.

Roasted Dill Potatoes

2 pounds rinsed/cleaned redskin potatoes (or yukon gold...those are my favorite)
2 T. olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 T. chopped fresh dill


Pre-heat the oven to 475 degrees.  I use the "roast" setting, if you have that on your oven.

Cut the potatoes into about 1cm cubes.  The smaller you cut them, the more quickly they will roast.

Toss the potatoes onto a large cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with a teaspoon or so of sea salt (less if using table salt) and a few grinds of the pepper mill.

Roast for 20-30 minutes.  Check at 20 minutes and stir them around if you'd like.  Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.

They're done when golden-brown and a little crispy.  Toss with fresh dill and serve immediately.

Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake

Recipe challenge, week recipe forty-six.

When I presented the idea for a Cookie Dough Ice Cream cake, I already had a vision of what it would look like.  Scott said something about adding peanut butter and I was like That doesn't match my vision.  But it was his birthday and all, so whatever.

This cake is a compromise.

I put peanut butter chips in the chocolate chip cookie base and I put them in the egg-free cookie dough topping.  I was going to go for hot fudge AND peanut butter drizzle on the top but neither Target or the commissary had the Reeses' topping, and there was no way I was going to Wal-Mart the day before Thanksgiving.  Wal-Mart on any day of the year is terrifying, let alone that one.

Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake
makes a 13x9 pan

Chocolate chip cookies (enough to cover the bottom of the pan)
1.5 quarts (one big container) of cookie dough ice cream (or make your own!)
1 recipe of eggless cookie dough, frozen and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 container Cool Whip
Hot fudge

In a 13x9 pan, line the bottom with chocolate chip cookies to form a crust.  I used ones that were still a bit warm from the oven so they smushed together nicely to cover the bottom.
Take your softened cookie dough ice cream and spread it over the "crust".  Put the pan in the freezer for half an hour to harden.  Drizzle about 1/4 cup of warm hot fudge over the ice cream layer and re-freeze for 15 minutes or so.  Spread softened Cool Whip on as the next layer.  Re-freeze for half an hour. Drizzle about a 1/2 cup of warm hot fudge over the top of the Cool Whip layer.  Decorate the top with pieces of eggless cookie dough.  Refreeze for at least half an hour before serving.
This can be made days in advance, and let it sit out on the counter to soften for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Scott's Holiday Turkey

Recipe challenge, week recipe forty-five.

Sometimes I feel like a terrible blogger.  Well, maybe not blogger. Instagrammer.  I documented nothing on Thanksgiving, even though I took pictures.  Sometimes I really do wonder what the point of Instagram is....I look at it multiple times a day and it's really just a guilty pleasure. I'm not sure why I don't post more.  I'll chock this up to thing #246 I'm trying to figure out about myself.

Scott came home from 5 weeks away the day before Thanksgiving. It was drizzling freezing rain for most of Thanksgiving so we didn't go anywhere. We took the dogs for two walks. It was 20 degrees out.  He opened some birthday presents (it was his birthday too, so thank goodness he made it home). I ate a lot of pecan pie.  We watched the entire season of Homeland, thus far (#PeterQuinn4ever). I made Scott watch Love Actually (Hugh Grant at his finest).

Scott always makes a turkey and this year, not knowing what time his flight would get in, I decided to take on the task myself.  I bought a 2.2 pound turkey breast because we waste a lot of turkey every year. This is really because I'll eat a few pieces but I don't really like turkey. I'd probably prefer ham. Or beef.

Scott did make it home in time to take over turkey prep and he was disappointed there was no dark meat; if I had known that was what he liked most about turkeys, I definitely would've bought a bigger bird.  Maybe for Christmas.

This is the recipe he used and I was very skeptical.  I was planning on the Creole Butter and the turkey bag, because we do that every year, but he had this other combination of stuff he wanted to inject.  It worked out really well in the end, it smelled amazing, and I don't even mind cooking turkeys now that we have an oven with a perfect turkey button.  It does the legwork for you.

Leg work.  Turkey leg. Ha ha.

We use turkey bags, and the perfect turkey button has a probe that goes into the thickest part of the turkey and that measures the temperature. There's no guesswork and even I can cook a turkey now. I did not stuff it or inject it, but I did cook it. Perfectly.

Scott's Holiday Turkey

Turkey, size of your choice (this was a small turkey, but you can use the same method with larger birds)

1 bottle of Tony's Creole Butter + flavor injector

Turkey bag with plastic tie

Vegetables of your choice: roughly chopped onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.

2 T. sherry + 2 T. soy sauce +2 T. red wine vinegar (mixed together in a small bowl)

1 T. flour

Open up the turkey bag and put 1 T. of flour inside.  Close the bag and shake it up to coat the sides. Place it in a roasting pan and then place the turkey in the bag. Put vegetables into the cavity and/or around the turkey.  

With your flavor injector, inject the bird with the sherry/soy sauce/vinegar mixture (this is the part I was skeptical about). Pick 3-4 different spots.  

Then, inject the turkey with the Creole Butter.  There are instructions on the bottle.  It's one ounce of marinade per pound. 

Let the turkey rest for about half an hour before you bake it, and then again after it's done.

(I'm no expert on turkey-cooking. These are my layman's directions. I just wanted to impart the knowledge about the injectables we use.)

Basically, Scott has taught me: 1. Use a turkey bag. No need to baste then.  2. Use a flavor injector.  You'll notice the difference.

Recipe Recap (thus far) and My Grandma's Banana Bread

I'm three weeks behind on this self-imposed challenge and I kind of hate myself for doing it in the first place, but that's life.  And, truth be told, there's many things here I make regularly, so I've been uninspired to develop new stuff.  Practical and useful is more important to me in a recipe than innovative. I've also spent the better part of this year living by myself, so I tend to stick to the same foods. Here's what I've got so far:

1. Baked Crab Dip
2. Mint Oreo Ice Cream Cake
3. 30 Minute Leek and Potato Soup
4. Company Chili
5. Cookie Dough Ice Cream
6. Scott's Salmon
7. Homemade Marinara Sauce
8. Homemade Naan Pizza
9. Crockpot Chicken Curry
10.  Steak Fries
11. Sort of Homemade Chicken Stock
12. Carrot Cake Blondies
13. Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork
14. Mint Oreo Rice Krispy Treats
15. Basil-Oregano Pesto
16. Italian Couscous
17. Limeaide Margaritas
18. Burrito Bowls
19. Sausage Breakfast Bake
20. Maple Donut Muffins
21. Pumpkin Pupcakes
22. Maple Scones
23. Fajita Quinoa
24. Pineapple-Ginger Smoothie
25. Blender Guacamole
26. Caramel Rice Krispy Treats
27. Birthday Cake S'mores
28. S'mores Popcorn
29. Roasted Garlic
30. Peach Crisp
31. Lemon-Lime Bars
32. Honey-Sunbutter
33. 3-Ingredient Mango Salsa
34. (a link to) Mexican Stuffed Shells
35. Jalapeno Popper Dip
36. Grilled Zucchini
37. Pizza Lasagna
38. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
39. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
40. Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
41. Peanut Butter Frosting
42. Hershey's Kiss Cookies
43. Beef Vegetable Soup
44. Grandma's Banana Bread

If you're looking for Thanksgiving-friendly foods, I recommend #1, the Baked Crab Dip and #39 Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.  I'm hoping to have our turkey recipe up next week (because we have to make it, of course) and you can always file it away for Christmas.  Growing up, we had turkey on Christmas too.  So, to me, Thanksgiving smells like Christmas without the presents.

Moving on...

Recipe challenge, week forty-four.

Today, I want to share a post I first wrote 5 years ago.  It was, I think, the second recipe I ever posted.  My grandma had a banana bread recipe that used Bisquick and it probably just came off of the Bisquick box. But it was written in her own handwriting and still sits in my mom's recipe binder, so I'm calling it a family recipe. I've never actually found it on a Bisquick box if that makes a difference.  This is one of my go-to recipes.  I make it multiple times a year and it's a quick and easy way to use up ripe bananas.
Practical and useful for sure.

Make sure you top it off with vanilla frosting or cheese cheese frosting or peanut butter frosting. You really can't go wrong with this recipe. 

^If you're looking for a dessert recipe, scroll through the Frosting tag.  Yum.

Beef Vegetable Soup

NOTE: Today is a snow day.  I started this last night but apparently have no follow-through.

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I swear I want to blog.  I have dozens of half-written posts.  Ideas for more than that. Lots I could share. But something happens on the weekend...I've been treating my weekends like to-do lists and I've really been stressing myself out (that's one of those half-written posts you may never see). If I don't have blog posts written and ready by noon on Sunday...there will be no blog posts.  So, as I type, it's 6:51pm on Monday, and I'm contemplating a shower, 15 minutes of Pilates, and bed by 7:45.  Though...it IS Monday, which means Jane the Virgin. And I do still have to watch OUAT from Sunday.  And I do have tests to grade.  But I'm hoping for a snow day tomorrow. 

Jane will be on the DVR for tomorrow evening (or, better yet, during my snow day).  I introduced my teammate at school to the show.  After we discussed for awhile (while we were supposed to be planning or something), I asked: Team Michael or Team Rafael? She said Team Michael.  I'm Team Rafael.  I don't think she and I can be friends anymore. 

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Recipe challenge, week forty-three (but really there's going to be more than one recipe per week sometimes because I'm counting recipes more than I'm counting weeks at this point because I'm running out of time).

(Who am I kidding...there will be a solid week of just recipes at the end of December just so I can get them done with and posted.)

(Carry on.)

Believe it or not, I started this recipe months ago and thought that I wrote it down and then I realized I didn't and then I realized I lost the recipe my mom gave me years ago and then I needed to start over again so I've been putting it off.

Crockpot Beef Stew
use a 6 quart crockpot

Beef stew meat, 1 pound (It can be frozen, but should be cut into 1 inch chunks if you haven't bought it that way. Trimming the fat is also a good idea.)
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
4 cups cold water

Put all of those ingredients in the crockpot for about 2 hours on high.

Then add:

2 cans beef broth or stock
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
1 can corn, or 1 cup frozen corn
1 can green beans, or 1 cup frozen green beans
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
2 T. tomato paste
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery

Turn the crockpot to low and let it slow-cook all day, 6-8 hours. You could let it go for much longer too if you need to. This batch cooked for about 10 hours total.

If you are freezing this soup, let it cool first, skim any fat off the top, and then divide into Ziploc freezer bags and lay flat to freeze.  I got 3 bagfuls of this, so that's 3 separate meals.

Hershey's Kiss Cookies and #TBLgratitudechallenge

Recipe challenge, week forty-two.

These are Hershey's Kiss cookies and I made them last week and ate them all over the course of 10 days. So...

I did not take a new picture because I knew there was a good decent acceptable one in the old post and I highly recommend adding these chocolate and peanut butter cookies to your holiday baking.  I make them for Christmas, but sometimes you just get a hankering for a peanut butter cookie and the warm Hershey's Kiss is the perfect accompaniment. 

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Then we have the #TBLgratitudechallenge at The Balanced Life.  If you're on Instagram (or even Facebook now that they've swiped the hashtag), post a picture of something, little or big, that you're grateful for each day in November.  There's no rules and no order and no prompts. I appreciate that.

These are the things I've been grateful for lately...

I took the time to just sit and read this book from cover to cover last weekend.

  It Was Me All Along by Andie Mitchell.

Scott plowed the field before he left, so walking the dogs is easy.  That's Pikes Peak in the background. I admit that I already take this view for granted. 

Our vet is open after 4pm, which means I can get after-work appointments.  This one required an appointment for a disturbingly messed-up toenail. 

I have so much to do all the time and it's very stressful.  But it's also oddly comforting to have such purpose.  I suppose that's why I keep at it with the teaching thing. 

I usually just make Dunkin Donuts K-Cups.  But I ran out on Saturday (so unprepared) and pulled out the bag of Kaladi Brothers that Esther sent me.  It's so much better in the French press than the Keurig but I didn't feel like making a lot.  So I was grateful to have a laid-in supply of coffee.  

**And I don't have a picture, but I'm very grateful that the Steelers won in overtime yesterday and the Broncos lost.  Today is "jersey day" at school.  Since everyone and their 9 year-old is a Broncos fan here, this a perfect day to follow their first loss, right?**

Peanut Butter Frosting

Recipe challenge, week forty-one

A couple of weeks ago, Scott mentioned that there was an army thing we should *probably* go to. Some guy was having a cookout and there would be football games to watch and army wives would be present and all.  I asked if we should take something.  He said yes.  I, because I'm incredibly unmotivated and lacking creativity these days, said I could make brownies.  Boxed brownies.
I wandered the aisles of SuperTarget for 20 minutes and that's all I could come up with. The last thing I felt like doing was spending my Sunday making an elaborate dessert. And though this is my go-to appetizer, I didn't feel like transporting a hot dip.

Even though I took the easy way out of with boxed brownies, I did have the plan to make homemade frosting.  This would kick the brownies up a notch and not make them taste quite so boxed.  Though boxed brownies, slightly undercooked, are the best kind of brownies. I always add half a cup or so of chocolate chips to the batter to up the gooeyness factor.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/4 cup butter, softened (half a stick)
1 t. vanilla
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 T. milk, as needed

Cream everything together with an electric mixer or stand mixer.  You may need more or less sugar and milk depending on the consistency you want.  

Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

Recipe challenge, week forty (though it's like week 45 and I'm failing at this, but I have noticed that the last three recipes including this one have been pumpkin-based, so that's something...hashtag fall).

Do you have any idea how many recipe posts I've started and never finished?  Many drafts. I feel like someone has inserted some sort of drain in my creativity outlet and taken it all away.  I have an idea or a thought and then it's gone. Or I have NO ideas and thoughts but lots of time to cook. Or I have no time to cook and then no ideas or thoughts to accompany that time so I end up reading or doing Pilates or watching reruns while folding laundry while eating pancakes from a box for dinner.

It's for this reason why I both want to and have to climb into the recipe archives.  I want to share past recipes because they are recipes I STILL make all the time.  Those are the kinds of recipes we need: the dependable ones.  And sometimes this is just a necessity because I can't for the life of me think of something else to do with all the pumpkin I have in my refrigerator.

I first made pumpkin baked oatmeal in 2011 and I continue to make it every year.  I recommend it with maple syrup.  The butter-flavored kind.

But really, it's perfect for me to take to work and heat up for a snack during my planning period. It serves as a ready-made breakfast all week long. And it has chocolate chips in it.  Win-win-win.

Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal 
makes an 8x8 pan
(here's the original link)

2 1/2 cups oats
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg OR pumpkin pie spice (or, if you're feeling crazy, both)
1 T. melted butter
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin 
1 cup milk
3/4 t. baking powder
1/2 cup dried cranberries OR chocolate chips

*The original recipe included 3 T. brown sugar. I didn't include it this time and it was just as tasty.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, egg, vanilla, milk, and butter.  Add the oats, spices, and baking powder.  Stir in the cranberries or chocolate chips.
Pour into a greased 8x8 pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  It's okay to start checking at the 20 minute mark though.  It's done when the middle springs back when lightly pressed. Store in an airtight container (in the fridge if you'd like to) for up to a week.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe challenge, I don't know what week it is.

(I looked it up. This is week thirty-nine, but really it's like week forty-two, so we (me) are behind.)

In the effort to use my stocked pantry o' pumpkin, I made some cookies.  I took my regular chocolate chip cookie recipe that I've been making since I could stand at the kitchen counter, and I added pumpkin and then pumpkin spice.  They came out kinda crispy, yet kinda fluffy.  These cookies will satisfy a craving for "fall" without tasting like Thanksgiving (if that makes any sense).

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes approximately 3 dozen

1/2 cup Crisco
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 cup brown sugar
1 T. vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 t. baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (this can be upped to more than 1 cup and/or you can substitute milk chocolate)
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

In a bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (flour and baking soda).  Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, cream together the Crisco, sugar, and pumpkin.  Add the egg and vanilla.  Mix very well.  Slowly add in the dry ingredients until combined.  Stir in the chips and nuts (if using).
Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Do not over bake.  Let them sit on the cookie sheet for a minute or two before removing.  Store in an air-tight container for up to a week. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Recipe challenge, week thirty-eight.

This is nothing new because I feel like I talk about these muffins every fall.

Do you, like me, fear running out of pumpkin?  Our first year in Alaska, there was a pumpkin shortage and that was slightly terrifying.  I don't remember it affecting me directly but I remember people talking about it.  To this day, I keep several cans in the pantry during the fall months.  Just in case.

Our first year in Alaska was also the year I started making these muffins at least twice a fall season.  It's Scott's mom's recipe and I don't actually know where she got it, but we love these muffins.  I've done them as mini-muffins too.

I'm cheating (again) this week and sharing a tried-and-true recipe simply because I made them for a cake walk at the school carnival this past week and I'm making them again, as I type, because I just seriously love them.  I would update with a picture but they're not done yet so maybe later.

Other things I could've put on Instagram this weekend but didn't: ice cream twice in one day, a hike up the Manitou Incline, and Jett goes to obedience school.  All will be discussed on the blog this week.  Eh, maybe not the ice cream thing. That's self-explanatory.

Cheers to Sunday night.  Kind of.  Go make these muffins. I like to eat them for breakfast with peanut butter.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Dry ingredients:
3 1/3 c. flour 
2 T. pumpkin pie spice
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
Mix together and set aside

Wet ingredients:
2 eggs
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1/2 c. oil
1 1/2 c. sugar

Blend the wet ingredients with a mixer and add the dry ingredients in 3 batches. You can use up to 1/2 c. of milk to thin the batter if necessary. It should be thick when it's all mixed together.

Add 1 c. of mini chocolate chips. Stir and spoon into a muffin pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Pizza Lasagna

Recipe challenge, week thirty-seven.

This recipe name is misleading.  This lasagna does NOT have pizza ingredients in it, but you could probably put pizza ingredients in it.  I made this on a Sunday at 7pm after a duck hunting trip to the middle of nowhere and I really only made it because Scott wanted food for dinner.  I would've been satisfied with cereal.  It was ready to eat before he had unloaded the kayak.

Not only was it delicious, but it was in the oven within 20 minutes AND it made two 8x8 pans, so I was able to freeze one for a busy night (said busy night has since come and gone and it was delicious that time too).

The secret is the oven-ready lasagna noodles.  They have a doughy texture, which is why this tasted like pizza smothered in homemade sauce, ricotta, and fresh spinach. I call it Pizza Lasagna because it tasted like and had the texture of a deep-dish pizza.

A perfect weeknight dinner.

Pizza Lasagna
makes two 8x8 pans or one 13x9 pan

1 package of oven-ready lasagna noodles
2-3 cups of marinara (1 jar)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese + more for sprinkling on the top
1/2 shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, loosely packed
1 16-oz. container ricotta cheese
2 t. dried Italian seasoning (or fresh basil and oregano minced, if you have them)
1 egg
Ground beef or turkey, if you have it (I didn't)

In a mixing bowl, mix the mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach, ricotta, egg, and spinach. Stir it together until well-combined.

In your pan (or pans), spread 1/4 of the marinara into the bottom. Layer in noodles, spread a scoop (1/3 a cup) of the cheese mixture, and then another 1/4 cup of sauce. Repeat until all of the cheese/noodles/sauce are used.  (Step by step pictures would be nice, but it's just layering lasagna.)

Sprinkle extra mozzarella over the top.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Check at 20 minutes, though.  Remove the foil and broil for a few minutes until the cheese on top is browned. Let cool for a few minutes to set before you cut it.

For freezing: Wrap the foil pan in plastic wrap, then wrap tightly in foil. If you're using an 8x8 pan, it will fit into a Ziploc freezer bag.  Store in the freezer for up to two months. If you're using a larger pan (they do make bigger freezer bags), wrap it very tightly in another layer of plastic wrap after the foil.  Be sure to store flat in the freezer.  When ready to bake, just unwrap all the layers, be sure to cover the top in foil and then put into a 350 degree oven while still frozen.

Grilled Zucchini

Recipe challenge, week thirty-six.

Since I cheated with week thirty-four (and thirty-five), I got back on the wagon immediately for this past week, even if the post is showing up late.

But first, let's do a recap...

1. Baked Crab Dip
2. Mint Oreo Ice Cream Cake
3. 30 Minute Leek and Potato Soup
4. Company Chili
5. Cookie Dough Ice Cream
6. Scott's Salmon
7. Homemade Marinara Sauce
8. Homemade Naan Pizza
9. Crockpot Chicken Curry
10.  Steak Fries
11. Sort of Homemade Chicken Stock
12. Carrot Cake Blondies
13. Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork
14. Mint Oreo Rice Krispy Treats
15. Basil-Oregano Pesto
16. Italian Couscous
17. Limeaide Margaritas
18. Burrito Bowls
19. Sausage Breakfast Bake
20. Maple Donut Muffins
21. Pumpkin Pupcakes
22. Maple Scones
23. Fajita Quinoa
24. Pineapple-Ginger Smoothie
25. Blender Guacamole
26. Caramel Rice Krispy Treats
27. Birthday Cake S'mores
28. S'mores Popcorn
29. Roasted Garlic
30. Peach Crisp
31. Lemon-Lime Bars
32. Honey Sunbutter
33. 3-Ingredient Mango Salsa 
34. Mexican Stuffed Shells (not mine but I had to share because it was new to me and really good)
35. Jalapeno Popper Dip

Hey, maybe this grilled zucchini recipe is cheating too because the neighbor told me how to make it.  We've been spending more time with the neighbors lately and they all have gigantic gardens because they're not me and actually have the mental ability to garden.  I am so so bad at it. And I'll probably never try again because this year was an utter failure.

However, I will just buy my zucchini at the store so I can keep making this as an easy summer/fall side dish.  Cold weather doesn't set in here in southern Colorado until the end of October, so I've got plenty of time.

Grilled Zucchini

1 medium-sized zucchini, thinly sliced (about 20 slices)
1 cup Zesty Italian salad dressing

In a large bowl, toss the zucchini slices with the dressing and let marinate for about 30 minutes.

When your grill is hot, spread the slices onto it and watch them closely. After about 4 minutes flip them. Cook for 2-3 more minutes and remove from the grill.  That's it!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Recipe challenge, week thirty-five.

There was supposed to be a Stitchfix post today but, as I'm typing on Thursday night, I don't have the kind of energy to post anything coherent.  I also need to post a recipe for this week and this is my favorite dip ever.  I think.  I'm too tired to go through my mental rolodex right now.  This is good, whether it's the best dip I've ever had or not.  Very good.

Jalapeno Popper Dip.

I plan to make it this weekend for a cookout and I highly (highly) recommend that you do too.

Oh, but this is the dress I decided to keep from Stitchfix.  I can share that much I suppose.

And I've worn my $8 sandals every day this week.  

(A link to) Mexican Stuffed Shells

Recipe challenge, week thirty-four. Kind of.

I can't lie. I haven't cooked in awhile.  In fact, grocery shopping isn't even fun anymore. In fact-in fact, I stopped at Chick-fila for dinner the other day when I knew Scott wouldn't be home until late.  I really just wanted a giant unsweetened tea, but I figured a chicken wrap would hold me over as I hunkered down to two hours of paperwork on a Thursday night.  How boring, right? The dogs weren't happy about it, but someone has to work to buy all those treats....

In fact, I've taken a step back from social media in general because I like to be intentional with things and right now I'm busy being intentional with things other than blogging.  Mostly school stuff.  But I've been insisting on half an hour of Pilates (at least) every day. It takes an extreme amount of forethought to put a workout into a busy day, and I'm the first one to admit that I've been going to bed too late.  However, dinner has barely been getting made because by the time I leave school, drive 30 minutes home, and I feed/walk/play with the dogs, it's almost 6pm and I have stuff to do and I end up putting something together for Scott and I just eat whatever.  It's not a practice I recommend.  If I'm lucky, I keep up with the laundry and dishes as the week goes on. Which means not often.

However, I made these stuffed shells weeks ago and took them to my friend who'd just had a baby.  I made a double batch so we had dinner for two nights too.  I do love freezer cooking and this is a great example of something you can make, wrap up tightly, stick in the freezer, and pull out on a busy day.

 It's not my recipe;  I googled "healthy Mexican stuffed shells" and this is what came up.  So I don't know if this counts because I didn't invent it. But it IS new and I DID make it and it's not like I'm writing a cookbook or plagiarizing, right?

I'll just post the link.  Just in case.

3-Ingredient Mango Salsa

Recipe challenge, week thirty-three.

I posted mango salsa two years ago and I've made it several times since.  However, I always felt the need to get uber-creative and got away from the original inspiration for the recipe.  My friend made this very basic salsa for a get-together back in Missouri and I couldn't stop eating it.  I'd really never had mango-anything before that because I'd spent four years in Alaska and I don't think you can even buy mangos there and, if you can, they're probably $8 each.  But this time of year they're about a dollar in Colorado, so it's worth it.  

I did this salsa last weekend with just on-the-vine tomatoes, one mango, and a few tablespoons of chopped cilantro.  You can add salt, but check the saltiness of your tortilla chips first.  Different brands equal a different level of saltiness and all. (I once went out with a guy who was completely irritated over the fact that, on one occasion, the tortilla chips at Chili's were too salty. First of all, no such thing. Second of all, I've never been able to forget this.  I have a photographic memory I suppose. Every single time I go to Chili's and every single time I think about tortilla-chip-salt-content, there it is.)

Anyway.

3-Ingredient Mango Salsa

1 mango, peeled and diced (make sure it's ripe)
3-4 ripe tomatoes, diced
2 heaping tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

Mix it all up and it will store in the fridge for up to 3 days.  I'd make it 12 hours or so before you need it.