Recipe Links Galore

While eating his first ear of corn on the cob this season, I asked Isaac how he liked it, "Yum. All I can say is YUM!"

Thought I'd share a few of our current favorite recipes, all taken (and slightly adapted) from other food bloggers.

Apple Nachos from Manifest Vegan. I skip the vegan chocolate chips and go with boring old Nestle and I toast the coconut and the almonds, and these have quickly become my very favorite snack/dessert/lunch. The kids love them too. 

It's just been in the past couple of months that I discovered the deliciousness that is lentils and I make them even in the summer because they are that good. I found this recipe via Making it Here. Super healthy, super tasty. 

These next two recipes are from my favorite food blogger at Mel's Kitchen Cafe. In the summer months I usually go on a cooking hiatus, and our dinners consist of mostly salads or cold cereal (with the occasional lentils, of course). If you hate to heat up the oven in the summer, make this Mexican Tomato and Corn Salad tonight for dinner, only stir in a chopped avocado before serving--and I promise you will thank me for introducing it to your life. 

Sesame Noodles with Peanut sauce. I love to add sauteed red pepper or zucchini to this dish, and it's easy to forego the chicken if you are in the mood for a vegetarian meal. I also don't usually cook all of the pasta required because it's a little too much for our family to eat, plus, it makes the noodles extra saucy, and you know how I like my noodles and my life extra saucy. 

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos from Our Best Bites. I make a double batch and then freeze all the left overs. It think they are best with corn tortillas. These never disappoint. Trust me.  

Got any current favorite dishes being served at your house? Please do share!

In this Together

I have had a hard time finding my groove as a mother for a few months now. Honestly, I'm not sure I've seen it on a regular basis since the birth of my third child. Or maybe it's just that I've had to adapt to a "new" groove since becoming a mother of three. That being said, our first month here in CT has been especially challenging. I think I put my finger on why it's been harder as of late. 


You see, most (not all) East Coast families are smaller than mine. Much smaller. In fact, in my limited observations, not counting church friends, most CT families consist of one or two children. At the library...the park...the grocery store...children are more of a scarcity than in other parts of the country where we have previously called home. That being said, I sometimes feel like a circus act when I take all three kids out by myself (which is probably more often than my sanity should allow). Logical-me likes to think that no one is really gawking at me like it appears, they are all too worried about their own lives and their own problems. But then self-conscientious-me is certain that they really are staring and thinking all sorts of things about how I'm "in over my head" and need a lesson on birth control.


For the record, most people are very kind to me and my little ones. And no one has been downright rude. I've come to the conclusion that my choice to raise three small children very close together is one that not all people find appealing, so they might have a hard time understanding why it DOES appeal to me. And I am totally o.k. with that. To each his own, right? So I have been trying really hard not to be a mind-reader (even though I know I'm really good at it) or get anxious when I think someone might possibly be judging the way in which I am choosing to raise my family. After all, I'm 32 and 3/4 years old, it's high time I stop caring what other people (might) think of me!


I had an epiphany recently after reading this blog post. With all the mothering groove/child-rearing/self-conscientious thoughts on my mind, I suddenly realized, aren't we all in this together? Shouldn't we be helping each other as much as we can? Forget being secretly overjoyed upon seeing another child throw a tantrum in public (my kid NEVER throws tantrums THAT big) or gagging while reading a sweet post about how motherhood is bliss (she's totally lying through her teeth right now), because sometimes it really is. So I choose, here and now, to judge less and love more. Want to join me?


I read a great quote from this inspirational talk:


"may we try to be 'perfect' men and women in at least this one way now--by offending not in word, or more positively put, by speaking with a new tongue, the tongue of angels. Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity, the three great Christian imperatives so desperately needed in the world today. With such words, spoken under the influence of the Spirit, tears can be dried, hearts can be healed, lives can be elevated, hope can return, confidence can prevail."


I am making a resolve today to be happy and supportive to all my fellow mothers out there. After all, don't we all want what is best for our children? At the end of the day, I would dare say that, more than anything else, every mother just wants to give her kids the very best she can. 


On that note, I have wanted to share the very best recipe I can for the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies for a long time. So check out the link on my side bar. You won't regret it, at least not until you've eaten the entire plate of them yourself. When all is said and done, mothering requires a lot of chocolate. 

Because every post deserves a picture.

Chinese Coleslaw

This is another famous Aunt Shelly Salad. It is quick and easy, yet I almost always come home with an empty bowl whenever I take it anywhere. And it makes the perfect summer dinner when tossed with shredded chicken.

For the dressing (best if made the night before but in a pinch I have done it right before serving the salad and it still works):

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp Accent (a seasoning salt/salt substitute)
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1/3 cup oil

Mix all ingredients together and shake vigorously until sugar and spices are dissolved. Refrigerate until ready to serve salad.

For the salad:

• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 2 packages Ramen noodles (discard the spice mix packet)
• 1 package coleslaw mix (1 lb bag)
• 4 chopped green onions

Crush Ramen noodles and roast them in the oven with the almonds at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, just until they are both golden brown. In a large bowl, toss all ingredients together. Add dressing just before serving and mix well. 

*P.S. This marks my 400th post. Hooray!

Avocado Feta Salsa

Someday I will learn how to take pictures of foods that actually look appetizing. For now, just take my word for it that this salsa is worth trying!

My aunt Shelly gave me a recipe book for Christmas---full of all her culinary secrets! For those of you who know Shelly, she is an outstanding cook, so with her permission I am sharing one of my favorites from her book. 

I first made this salsa on Super bowl Sunday and have whipped it up several times since. It is great eaten with tortilla or pita chips. A couple of nights ago for dinner we stuffed it inside pita bread and ate it with a salad and I absolutely loved it that way. I have been craving spring foods and this one really hit the spot. 

Avocado Feta Salsa

• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 ripe avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 tsp dried parsley (or 1 TBL fresh)
• 1 tsp dried oregano (or 1 TBL fresh)
• 1 TBL olive oil
• 1 TBL. red wine vinegar (I sometimes add a little more)
• 1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Gently stir all ingredients together. Cover and chill until ready to serve. 

Roasted Vegetables

Lately I have been obsessed with roasting vegetables. I can't seem to get enough.They are, in my opinion, so much more delicious than the steamed variety.
Some of my favorite veggies to roast are broccoli, cauliflower, onions, peppers, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and asparagus.
All I do is add a little bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. I roast them at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. If I am feeling extra adventurous, I will squeeze some fresh lemon juice or add a pinch of garlic salt when I pull them out of the oven.
When roasting cauliflower by itself, my sister-in-law, Becky gave me the following recipe: add a little bit of Parmesan cheese, some bread crumbs,a couple of cloves of minced garlic, and some Italian seasoning after coating them with a little olive oil and it is a great companion to any Italian dish . Ryan's brother claims that this cauliflower is so good, it tastes like French fries. Not sure I agree with the French fry part, but vegetables really are delicious cooked this way.

Southwestern Quinoa

Have you jumped on the Quinoa train yet?

I love this stuff! My sister introduced me to this grain (is it a grain?) when we moved to Utah and now I use it in place of rice whenever I can. You can find it in bulk at Costco for a reasonable price. I have also seen it at Winco and other grocery stores. Since Ryan's family has started a weight-loss challenge to kick off the new year, I thought I would share this healthy recipe:

Southwestern Quinoa

 2 cups water

1 cup quinoa grain

2 tsp Olive oil

½ tsp Cumin

1 clove minced garlic

½ tsp Garlic Salt

1 cup salsa

1 can black beans, rinsed

Chips or crackers of your choice

Bring water to boil, add quinoa. Simmer for about 20 min. While hot, toss with olive oil, cumin, 

minced garlic, & garlic salt. Gently stir in salsa & black beans. Serve with chips or crackers.

Honey Wheat Bread

I first got this recipe from my sister a couple of years ago. It makes two huge loaves. We usually eat one and freeze one for later. It makes great French toast if it's a couple of days old as well. And it only has to rise one time.

Honey Wheat Bread

Use Whisk hook on mixer to mix:

1/2 cup hot water

1 TBL sugar

1 1/2 TBL yeast


Let sit for 5-10 minutes, then add:

2 1/4 Cups hot water

1/3 cup honey

3 TBL canola oil

1 TBL salt

1/2 Cup powdered milk

1 TBL wheat gluten

4 C. wheat flour


Mix for 2-3 minutes on low speed.

Change to dough hook on mixer and add:

2 1/2 cups white flour (or until dough ball cleans the sides of the bowl).

Turn speed up - let mixed knead dough for about 10 minutes. Watch your mixer--this is a dense bread and I'm pretty sure it's what ended up killing my Kitchenaid. Don't run your motor ragged like I did!

Separate into loaves.  Let dough rise about 1 hour (or until dough is above the rim of pan)

Preheat oven to 450'.

Turn down to 350', put bread in oven.

Bake about 30-35 minutes.

Bread Sticks

It turns out that I am fresh out of ideas for blog posts for these last two days of November. Since I can't give up this close to the finish line, you are going to get recipes for today and tomorrow unless something monumental and blog-worthy happens between now and the end of the month (like Davis learning to crawl--he is so close...yet so far away...). Today's recipe is one that I make at least once a week because it goes with so many different meals. Hope you like it as much as I do! The recipe is adapted from My Kitchen Cafe, in case you had any doubt.

Photo from My Kitchen Cafe

Bread Sticks

1 ½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon instant yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
Approximately 3 ½ cups flour (any combination you want--I use half white, half wheat most of the time)
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, melted 

Mix water, yeast, and sugar in electric mixer until yeast is activated. Add salt and flour and knead for 5 minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Roll out the breadstick dough about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick and cut into strips with a pizza cutter. Twist slightly if desired and roll in melted butter. Place about 1/2-inch apart on 11x17 inch baking sheet. Sprinkle with garlic salt, parmesan cheese, or whatever spices your heart desires. We have made cinnamon sticks by sprinkling with cinnamon sugar. Cover and let rise 30 minutes. Bake 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees until golden brown.

{Modified} Mississippi Mud Pie

While living in Colorado, Becky and I would rotate cooking meals. It was fun because I was able to get some new dinner ideas from her, I learned a ton, and I only had to cook half the time. Totally win/win. Hands down my favorite dessert was when Becky made Annie's Eats version of the  Mississippi Mud Pie. She modified Annie's version by using chocolate ice cream instead of coffee flavored. We celebrated my dad's birthday on Sunday with two different mud pies and I made a few modifications of my own.

With this pie I followed Annie's recipe, but replaced the toffee chips with cookie dough chunks and the coffee ice cream with cookie dough ice cream. This pie was the most popular among my family members. 

And with this pie, I used crushed Heath Bar in place of the toffee bits and replaced the coffee ice cream with Ben and Jerry's "Everything but the..." This was my personal favorite of the two. 

The possibilities are really endless here...peppermint, peanut butter cup, orange chocolate, caramel...and the ganache is  heavenly, I tell ya. My one piece of advice when making this pie would be to use higher quality ice cream. As Gavin would say, "No froo-froo ice cream will do." Steer clear of the fluffy stuff. This dessert is time consuming because you have to freeze the pie between layers, but it isn't difficult at all. I was nervous about the ganache because I'd never made it before and it ended up being very simple. 

So if you are looking for a nontraditional pie for Thanksgiving, I would highly recommend this one. 

A picture of the old man celebrating 59 big ones. 

Cucumber Cream Cheese Bread

Looking for an easy-peasy appetizer to take to a holiday party?

Look no further.

I could eat a whole platter myself in one sitting. Just ask Becky, she introduced me to them during our month together in October. I have made them multiple times since. Ryan ate them and he doesn't even like cucumbers.

Cucumber Cream Cheese Appetizer

• 1 loaf crusty bread or baguette (longer and thinner works better), cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 2 cucumbers, sliced
• One 8oz. block cream cheese, softened
• 4 tsp. Hidden Valley Ranch Original dressing powder (1/2 of a 1 oz. packet)

Mix cream cheese and ranch powder together until smooth. Spread onto baguette slices and top with a slice of cucumber. If you want to get really crazy you can top with a little bit of freshly ground black pepper or even some salad supreme.

Now just watch them disappear at the next holiday party. Trust me on this one. Especially if I'm invited to said party.

Chile Verde

I have set a goal for myself to post once a day during the month of November. 

So far, so good. 

We'll see how the next 25 days go. I hope it helps me count my blessings (since everything I've blogged about thus far represents something I'm thankful for) and keeps me from feeling too down about being 1,300 miles apart from my better half. 

Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE to eat, so food is definitely something I'm thankful for. I found this new recipe on My Kitchen Cafe (Seriously, I've got to be Mel's biggest fan but she comes through for me EVERY TIME! Tried and true, baby.) I adapted it slightly and you will find my version below. I served this as pork tacos last night and they were a hit. Your house will smell heavenly, believe me (garlic and onions, mmmm). One of the best things about this recipe is that the left overs can be frozen, so I just have to take them out of the freezer one night after my hubby gets home for a quick and easy meal.

*Disclaimer: This recipe does take a little bit of extra work because you have to brown the pork (which is a big deal for someone like me who despises handling raw meat) and then reduce the sauce, but it is worth it if you are as crazy about Mexican as I am! Trust me on this one! It's delicioso!

Pork Chile Verde

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 pounds boneless pork roast, trimmed of as much fat as possible
Salt and pepper for seasoning roast
2 sweet onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely minced or crushed
1 (15 oz.) can green enchilada sauce
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles
2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel)
1 beef bouillon cube
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper

Cut the roast into 5-6 large chunks. Season the pork generously(very generously) with salt and pepper on all sides. In a large heavy pot, heat the oil over medium heat until it is hot. Add the pork, being careful not to crowd the pot (brown the pork in shifts, if needed). Brown the pork on all sides until golden and well-browned, about 30 seconds to a minute on each side. 

Remove browned pork from pot and place in slow cooker. Add  onion and garlic to pot where pork was browned. Cook for 1-2 minutes until onions are translucent, stirring often. Place the garlic and onions in the slow cooker. Stir in the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. 

Remove the roast. Wait 30 minutes for meat to cool slightly so it's easy to shred. Shred and set aside. Pour the remaining liquid and ingredients from the slow cooker into a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil on the stove, and simmer vigorously over medium-low or medium heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking or burning, until the mixture has reduced and thickened considerably. 

Add the shredded pork and sauce back to the slow cooker. Stir to coat the pork with the sauce. Turn on high in order to allow the pork to heat through again. 

Serve with tortillas and desired toppings, such as sour cream, cheese, guacamole, tomatoes, and salsa. It is also great on top of lettuce as part of a salad.

Cookie Bake-Off

It's starting to become a tradition that whenever anyone comes to visit, we make time for a cookie bake-off. My sister, Brooke, has been visiting from Louisiana for the past couple of weeks, so the other night we combined cookies with Family Night and baked up a storm. Mom and Dad were a team, Brooke and Maddie were a team, and Ike and I were a team.

The kids waiting anxiously to sample the cookies.

Dad scoffing at the competition.

Good luck with those Snickerdoodles, sis, you're going to need it.

Mom and Dad chose to go with the classic chocolate chip cookies.

Careful not to drop that egg.

She had almost as much dough on her face as she managed to shove in her mouth.

Hamming it up.

Can you say "Martha Stuart?"

And the winner was.....the Magic in the Middle cookies, baked by Ike and yours truly! Now, I don't mean to brag (honestly, I'm one of the most humble people I know...), but we spanked the other two teams! There were 5 non-partisan judges and we won all 5 votes! Boo-yah! (did I really just type boo-yah?).

Special thanks to My Kitchen Cafe for the yummy recipe and to my dear friend Mandy for introducing me to these award winning gems in the first place! You've seriously got to try these.

Spinach Pasta Salad

My sister introduced me to this salad shortly after moving to Utah and I absolutely love it. It is especially delicious in the summer. I will try to post a picture of it the next time I make it, but if you are a pasta fan and a spinach fan, you will like this one. 

Spinach Pasta Salad

 8 oz. baby spinach
12 oz pkg pasta, cooked (I like to use Rotini)
3 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (Rotisserie chicken works great as well and tastes amazing)
3 tbsp seame seeds
1 cup cashews
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp sesame seed oil
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp rice vinegar

Combine all ingredients for dressing. Shake well. Mix all other ingredients together. Pour dressing mix over salad mix just before serving. 
When I made this salad I added a tablespoon of fresh grated ginger to the dressing and it was awesome! I highly recommend it.

The Orange Julius Moment

I am addicted to orange julius. I have always loved them, but during this pregnancy they have become a staple. I probably drink one 3 or 4 times a week! The baby needs the extra calcium, right? The other night, Ryan was gone and I had just put the kids to bed. And I needed an orange julius...desperately. Ryan usually helps me drink the glorious blended concoction, so I felt a little guilty having the yummy drink to myself. I really wanted someone to share the deliciousness with!

After blending it up, I peeked into Isaac and Maddie's room to see if they had fallen asleep. I think Maddie was gone as soon as her head hit the pillow, but Isaac shot up when he heard the door open. I was secretly excited that he hadn't fallen asleep and quietly asked him if he wanted to get out of bed and share a special drink with me. I could tell he was even more excited than I was. I poured him a glass and sat down on the Lazyboy with him, hoping to watch his favorite book-turned-to-video, Chrysanthemum, and get a little cuddle time with my favorite 2-year-old. The opening credits hadn't even ended when he took a break from guzzling the orange julius, looked up at me, and with the sweetest voice said this:

"Mama, will you leave me alone, please?" (translation: Stop hugging me, get off the recliner, and give me a little space, would ya?)

He asked so politely that I slid over to the couch and let him watch his 14 minute video without my arms wrapped around him.

I missed out on cuddle time, but got a good laugh out of Ryan when I told him the story later on that night.

Here's Ryan's delicious Orange Julius recipe for any who are interested:

• 6 oz. orange juice concentrate (half of a 12 oz. can)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 cups milk
• 16 ice cubes

Blend together to desired consistency. Garnish with whipped cream if desired.

Thai Chicken Pizza

This is a recipe I got over a year ago from my friend, Trieste (who got it from Rachel Ray's 30 min. meals), and I wish I hadn't taken so long to try it! If your like us and you like Thai food, you'll probably love this. We made it last week and we sure did.

Ingredients

1 pizza dough, any brand--I use this fast and easy recipe.

1/2 cup duck sauce or plum sauce (both can be found in the international section at Walmart)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 package (2 cups) shredded provolone or Monterey Jack cheese (we used Mozzarella)

1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 rounded tablespoonful peanut butter

2 teaspoons hot sauce (any kind)

2 teaspoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning) eyeball it

4 chicken breast cutlets, 1/2 pound (my sister used shrimp instead and said it was amazing--we are going to try that next time we make it)

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar

1/4 seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks

4 scallions, chopped

1 cup bean spouts, a couple of handfuls

Palm full cilantro leaves, chopped

1/4 cup chopped peanuts, 2 ounces

lime wedges

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Form pizza crust on pizza pan or cookie sheet. Top with duck or plum sauce - spread it around like you would pizza sauce. Sprinkle the pizza with some crushed red pepper flakes then top with cheese and peppers (omit this step if you don't want much spice). Bake until golden and bubbly, 15 to 17 minutes.

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine vegetable oil, soy sauce and peanut butter with hot sauce and grill seasoning. Use the microwave to loosen up peanut butter if it is too cold to blend into sauce, 10 seconds ought to do it. Add chicken and coat evenly with mixture. Let stand 10 minutes (or more) then grill chicken cutlets 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until firm. Slice chicken into very thin strips.

While chicken cooks, mix honey and vinegar and add the cucumber. Turn to coat evenly.

Top the hot, cooked pizza with chicken, scallions, sprouts and cilantro. Drain cucumbers and scatter over the pizza. Garnish pizza with peanuts and lime wedges, cut into slices and serve.

Lime and Cilantro Chicken Salad

A couple of years ago my dear friend Kelly gave me this salad recipe, and I have been deeply indebted to her ever since. It is my favorite meal. In the summer, we eat it about once a week. In the winter, at leas once a month. The salad dressing is, of course, what makes it so amazing. Ryan puts it on tons of stuff and Isaac calls it "Special Sauce" because it makes everything taste better. Below is the recipe, with a couple changes to help simplify it.

Salad Dressing

1/2 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 teaspoons puréed chipoltle chiles in adobo sauce (I use what I need and freeze the rest)
2 tablespoons of honey
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro stems and leaves

Mix the first 6 ingredients in the blender. After well blended, add cilantro and pulse until desired consistency. Set aside.

Salad

1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded chicken
1/2 cup chopped red peppers and/or chopped tomatoes
4 cups of mixed greens ( I usually use romaine and spinach if I've got it)
3/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1 cup grated Jack cheese (or whatever cheese you have on hand)
1 chopped avocado

Mix all the ingredients together. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently with tongs.

And to think...

a month ago, I thought this was a lot of snow...

Until we woke up to this amount of snow yesterday. You know it's cold when you get excited about a high of 25 degrees in next week's forecast. Today's high was -1 with a windchill of -20 to -30. Even preschool was canceled today. The only place I've taken the kids all week was to playgroup and the grocery store this past Wednesday because we hit a heat wave and temps reached as high as 12 degrees.

Needless to say, we have a little cabin fever around here. But we have all managed to stay healthy this winter and we have a warm place to stay, so I'm trying to focus on the positive. Spring will be here before we know it, right? And Spring in Iowa is absolutely fantastic, so I can survive, right? Right?

While housebound this week, I tried a new muffin recipe and it's a winner. I got the recipe here, but made a few changes to it, so below is the recipe I ended up using:

makes 12 muffins

For the Batter:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup apple sauce

1 cup sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

For the filling:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

For the streusel topping:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed

1 1/2teaspoons cinnamon

First, to prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar and whip until smooth. Form into a log on greased plastic wrap , making sure that the diameter is small enough to fit into the well of a muffin pan. Wrap the log up tightly and freeze until slightly firm, 1-2 hours.

Meanwhile, combine the flour, spices, salt and baking soda in a bowl. Mix well and set aside. In another large bowl combine the eggs, vegetable oil, sugar and pumpkin puree. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

To make the streusel topping, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Mix together until crumbly.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease muffin tins or add paper liners. To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well 1/3 of the way with batter. Remove the cream cheese log from the freezer and slice into 12 slices. Place a slice on top of the batter in each muffin well and gently press (don't press all the way to the bottom). Divide the remaining muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups on top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the batter. Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes. Best if served at room temperature.

Shelly's Spinach Salad

I know this is my second recipe post in a week, but trust me when I say that this one is well worth making. My aunt Shelly is an awesome cook and this salad is one of her staples for family get-togethers. So when I was in charge of bringing a salad to Easter dinner with some friends a couple of weeks ago, I was pretty sure this one wouldn't disappoint. It didn't. Thanks, Shelly!

Spinach Salad

Dressing:

One 8 0z package sliced mushrooms

1 1/2 cups oil

3/4 cup white vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup sugar

Mix all ingredients together and chill in refrigerator overnight.

Salad:

1 head red leaf lettuce

5 oz. spinach greens

1 red onion, sliced thinly into rings

1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled into bits

1 pint cottage cheese

6 oz. grated Swiss cheese

In a large serving bowl or platter, layer lettuce and spinach greens, then add cottage cheese, Swiss cheese, bacon, and red onion. Pour dressing over the top and toss. Serve immediately as spinach will begin to wilt.

Garlic Chicken Pasta with Broccoli

My Kitchen Cafe is one of my favorite recipe blogs--everything I've tried from this site is super-delicious. This pasta recipe is no exception--our whole family ate it so I consider it a success. The only major change I made to her recipe was to swap the spinach for some steamed broccoli (we like cooked spinach, but we lOVE steamed broccoli). Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Picture taken from My Kitchen Cafe (shown using spinach instead of broccoli)

Garlic Chicken Pasta with Spinach adapted from Cook's Country

6 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (this doesn't add spiciness - just the right amount of flavor)

6 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound penne pasta (I used butterfly)

1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach (I substituted this for about 2 cups steamed broccoli--next time I'll use 3 or more cups)

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried

6 tablespoons juice from 2 lemons

1 cup grated parmesan cheese (we only had about 1/2 cup on hand and it still tasted great)

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Meanwhile, combine garlic, pepper flakes and oil in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave until garlic is golden and fragrant, about 1 minute.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and cut into bite-size pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer 1 tablespoon of the garlic/red pepper oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat until oil is rippling. Add chicken and cook until well browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.

Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta to boiling water and cook until tender but still slightly firm (al dente). Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water. Drain pasta and return to the pot. Stir in chicken, steamed broccoli (or spinach), basil, lemon juice, Parmesan, and remaining garlic mixture, adding reserved pasta water as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

As the recipe suggests, I made the garlic knots to go with the meal and they were the perfect side.

Picture taken from My Kitchen Cafe.

Chicken Tikka Masala and Naan

Photo courtesy of My Kitchen Cafe

I stumbled upon a new recipe the other day and decided to try it for dinner this afternoon--it was a keeper so I thought I'd share. We love Indian food around here, and it's a classic Indian dish--Chicken Tikka Masala--don't let the name scare you--it isn't difficult at all! The best part about the recipe is that, while it takes some time, it doesn't take any amount of cooking skills--as long as you can dice a pepper and throw a few spices together, you will be successful. Another great thing about the recipe was that I had everything on hand except the fresh ginger, so there aren't any odd ingredients or spices that are impossible to find.

I also took a chance this afternoon and tried making Naan to go with the Tikka Masala. Although it's going to take a little bit more work to get just right, it was perfectly edible on the first try, so I consider it a success. If you can make yeast bread and you have a pizza stone, you can make Naan. Like the Chicken Tikka Masala, it just takes a little time.

Hope you like the recipes.

Chicken Tikka Masala Adapted Slightly from My Kitchen Cafe

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

Combine all ingredients except chicken in a Ziploc freezer bag. Shake together until well blended. Add chicken and marinate at least one hour (I let it sit for about 8 hours). Discard marinade. Cook chicken in frying pan.

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for one minute. Season with cumin, paprika and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add cooked chicken and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve over hot rice with naan bread.

Photo courtesy of My Kitchen Cafe

Naan

Adapted slightly from My Kitchen Cafe

• Approximately 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons yeast
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt
• 1/2 cup warm milk (warm enough to activate the yeast)

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl by hand), stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and yeast. In a small bowl, mix together the egg, yogurt, and milk. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and stir for about 1 minute, until the dry ingredients are completely incorporated into the wet ingredients.

Increase machine speed and knead the dough until it is smooth and shiny. Remove the bowl from the mixer and cover with a towel. Leave in a warm place to rise until the dough doubles in size, about an hour.

Put a baking stone or heavy baking sheet on the lowest rack of your oven. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees for at least 30 minutes prior to baking so the stone can get hot.

Divide the dough into eight pieces and form into oval shapes with your hands, about 6 to 8 inches across.

Cook two or three pieces at a time. Drop the dough onto the hot stone and shut the oven door, watching until they are just starting to turn brown in places, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove the naan from the oven. Spread with garlic butter if desired. Serve warm with Tikka Masala or your favorite Indian dish.