Chicken Tamale' Bake

I'm going to give credit where credit is due on this one.  I found this WONDERFUL and EASY recipe on www.emilybites.com  She creates healthy and simple recipes, and I have yet to find one that I haven't liked. This was a HUGE hit in our home.  My 2 year old son just chowed his down.  Here are the ingredients and directions.  PLEASE try it, you won't be dissapointed! :)

Ingredients:
1 cup shredded reduced fat Mexican cheese blend, divided (I used Weight Watchers brand)
1/3 cup skim milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 t ground cumin
1/8 t ground cayenne pepper
1 (14.75 oz) can of cream-style corn
1 (8.5 oz) box of corn muffin mix
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles, drained
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast

Directions:
 
1.    Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly mist a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2.    In a large bowl, mix together ¼ cup of the Mexican cheese, the milk, egg, cumin, pepper, corn, muffin mix and green chiles in a bowl until combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes until the layer is set (an inserted toothpick should come out clean).
3.    Using a fork, liberally poke holes all over the surface of the corn cake layer. Pour the enchilada sauce over the top and spread across the surface of the corn cake. Sprinkle the shredded chicken evenly across the top and follow with the remaining ¾ cup shredded cheese. Return the dish to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before cutting into servings.

Whole Wheat Crunchy Chicken Salad Wrap

This is SOO yummy and super healthy!! Play around with this recipe and add whatever you like to it or take out whatever you don't like.  The "wrap is your canvas" lol!

 INGREDIENTS:
 1 Whole Wheat Tortilla
1/2 C. red grapes, halved
1/2 Apple, chopped
3 Tbs. chopped Pecans
1/8 C. chopped walla walla onion (any onion will do)
1 1/2 grilled or baked chicken breast, chopped into chunks of your desired thickness
3 Tbs. Mayo
Salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
1/2 Avocado
                                                                                    1/4 C. Lite cream cheese

DIRECTIONS:
 Mash up 1/2 of an Avocado in a bowl.  Once that is mashed to the consistency you like, mix in the cream cheese until all blended together. 

After all your ingredients are chopped.  Throw together in a bowl and add in Mayo, Salt, Pepper and red pepper flakes.  Mix together.   Spread 1-2 Tbs. of the avocado mixture on the tortilla and spread out. Place 1/4-1/2 of chicken salad mixture on top of that and then wrap like a burrito, cut in half and DEVOUR! ;)  ENJOY!

Cake Batter peppermint chunk cookies!!

these are the simplest, most delicious cookies you will EVER have!! They are so moist and chewy!! I don't think I'll have another cookie any other way from now on!! Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
1 box of Betty Crocker Cake Mix (your choice)
2 eggs
1/2 vegetable oil
2 candy canes or 8 peppermints crushed

Directions:
Pre-Heat over to 350 Degrees.

Mix all the first three ingredients together by hand.  ( it starts off messy,but then it forms into a ball of dough)  Crush the peppermint pieces in a ziplock baggie with something heavy and pour into the batter and mix that all together. 

Take 1 Tbs of dough and form into a ball and place on a cookie sheet and flatted out with your hands just a bit.  Place in the over for 10-12 minutes.  Let cool and enjoy!!!

Meatball Sliders

MMMMMM!!!! These little babies were DELICIOUS and super easy to make! Just a few ingredients and your in Meatball heaven. ;) Enjoy!

• 1 pound Ground Chuck Or Ground Beef
• 1/2 cup Panko Or Other Bread Crumbs
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 1 jar (large) Marinara Sauce
• 12 whole Dinner Rolls (or Slider Rolls)
• 4 slices Provolone Cheese, Cut Into Four Wedges Each

Preparation Instructions

Mix meat with bread crumbs, garlic, salt, pepper, and milk. Knead together with hands. Roll into heaping tablespoon-sized rolls.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for one minute. Add meatballs between the onions and brown for one minute. (You might have to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your skillet.)

Pour in jar of marinara; shake pan gently to mix. Put on lid and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

When ready to serve, cut each dinner roll in half. Place a wedge of Provolone on the top and bottom of each roll. Spoon a meatball with the sauce onto the bottom bun; top with the top bun.

Just a Cake

Wish my son's 1st birthday is coming up, tomorrow in fact, I shopped around for all sorts of cute ideas for his cake. I was going to have one made for him, until I stumbled upon this recipe on www.bakerella.com (LOVE HER!! check out her blog when you get a chance) I saw this beautiful cake and just KNEW this was the one! I can't WAIT to have my slice tomorrow with everyone else!! Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup milk
2/3 cup hot water

Buttercream Frosting:
1 1/2 cups butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

6 cups powdered sugar
4-8 Tablespoons milk

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels, if desired

Chocolate Ganache:
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

For the cake:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease the bottom of two 9-inch cake pans. Then place parchment paper cut to size on the bottom of each pan and grease paper. Dust pans with cocoa.
• Sift dry ingredients together and place in a large mixing bowl.
• Add eggs, oil, milk and vanilla and beat for a couple of minutes until combined.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add hot water and mix together.
• Pour into prepared pans and bake for about 28-30 minutes. Batter will be very liquid.
• Cool for about 5 minutes in the pan. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

For the frosting:

• Beat the butter in a mixer until smooth.
• Add vanilla and mix until combined.
• Add the powdered sugar in several additions, scraping down the sides after each addition.
• Add milk a tablespoon at a time and mix together until you achieve a smooth consistency.
• Note: If you want your frosting whiter without using shortening, add a little white icing color to tint.

For the ganache:

• Heat cream and butter in a saucepan until melted and remove before it starts to boil.
• Place chocolate morsels in a small bowl and pour cream on top. Let sit for a few seconds and whisk by hand until completely incorporated and smooth.
• Let cool until thick and pourable.
• The ganache can take a bit to thicken. You can make it before the buttercream, to save time. Just use a wire whisk to stir it every few minutes and keep it smooth

To assemble: trim tops off of cake layers with a long serrated knife so they have a nice, flat top. Place one layer bottom side up on cake stand. Mix about 2/3 cup morsels with about 1 cup of the frosting. Spread frosting on top of bottom layer. Place second layer on top. It helps to have a crumb coat on the outside of your cake first. Simply apply a thin coat of frosting to the entire cake to catch andy excess crumbs. Then place cake in freezer for a few minutes to firm up frosting and cover the entire cake again with a thick layer of buttercream. This will help you keep all those crumbs from getting caught in your pretty work. Slowly, pour ganache over center of cake. Pour just enough to start dripping down the sides.

Mexican Lasagna

This recipe is SOOO easy and so delicious! I found this recipe a long time ago and it has become a favorite in our home. I hope that your able to try it and enjoy for yourself...believe me, this will become a staple in your home like it is in ours. =)

Ingredients:

1 lb. of lean ground beef or ground Turkey
1 C. onion finely chopped
3 C. Salsa
2 C. Frozen corn
16 oz. Fat Free Cottage Cheese
1 1/2 C. shredded Cheddar Cheese
12 small corn tortillas, cut in half
1 1/4 tsp. Chili Powder
1 1/4 tsp. Cumin

Directions:

Brown your meat until cooked, add the onion and cook for about 4 mins until they are soften.
Add in your salsa, corn and spices. Cook together for about 8 mins just until your mixture is all hot.
Spoon some of the mixture in to the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, layer the corn tortillas (remember they are cut in half) on the bottom add half a container of cottage cheese and then meat mixture, then layer tortillas, cottage cheese, meat, shredded cheese, top with remaining meat mixture and a little more cheese on top. cook in a 375 degree oven for 35-40 mins or until the cheese is all bubbly and yummy!
Enjoy! =)

Buttery Parmesean Orzo

What a Super delicious and easy recipe! I found this recipe on www.laurainthekitchen.com She's and amazing Italian cook, I've tried ALOT of her recipes and this one just happens to be one of my favs! Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 ½ cups of Chicken Stock
1 cup of Orzo Pasta
1 Tbsp of Unsalted Butter
1 Tbsp of Fresh Parsley, chopped
4 Tbsp of Freshly
Grated Parmiggiano Reggiano
Salt and pepper to taste

Process,

1) Preheat a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the butter, once it melts add the orzo and cook it for about 3 to 4 minutes or until it develops a brown nutty color (stir constantly)

2) Add the chicken broth and bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and let it cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the orzo is fully cooked and the chicken stock has been absorbed.

3) Turn the heat off and add the cheese, parsley and season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Beef Stew with Beer and Paprika

We've been hit with ALOT of snow the past few days, so of course, my husband is coming home cold, hungry and tired. And what better way to warm yourself up, than with a good hearty bowl of beef stew! I found this particular recipe on www.pioneerwoman.com Check out her blog if you already haven't, she has AMAZING recipes to try out!
Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 2 pounds Stew Meat
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can Beer, 12 Ounce Can
• 4 cups Beef Stock (or 4 Cups Water + 4 Beef Bouillon Cubes)
• 2 cups Water (additional, If Needed)
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Sugar
• 4 whole Carrots, Washed, Unpeeled, And Roughly Sliced
• 4 whole New Potatoes, Quartered
• Minced Parsley (optional)

Directions:

Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown meat in two batches, setting aside on a plate when brown. Cut pieces in half. Set aside.

Add diced onions to the pot. Stir and cook for two or three minutes until softened, then add garlic for another minute. Pour in beer and beef stock, then add Worcestershire, tomato paste, paprika, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add beef back into the pot. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

*UPDATE: The liquid should cook down to a thicker state. If it gets too thick/reduces too much, add additional water as needed.

Add carrots and potatoes, then cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. (If stew gets dry, just add a cup of hot water at a time to replenish the liquid.) Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve in bowls next to crusty French bread. Sprinkle with minced parsley, if desired.

Chocolate Pudding....SUPER easy and SUPER delicious!

I stumbled upon this recipe on youtube and fell in love with it right away. It was SOOO easy to make. VERY little ingredients and a recipe that is sure to melt any Chocolate lover's heart. =) Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 C. heavy whipping cream
1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 C. mini marshmallows

Directions:
In a small saucepan, add the heavy cream and marshmallows and let it heat up until the marshmallows melt. Turn the heat off and add the chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate melts and place this mixture into 2 small or 1 large glass cup.

Let it cool in the fridge for about 15 to 20 minutes and serve it topped with fresh berries and chocolate curls. Enjoy!

Peppermint Delight

It's that time of year!! My FAVORITE time of year! All the baking and yummy goodies to be had!

My dad was going through some old recipe books they had and found this recipe and asked if I would "please!!" Make this for him. lol! I couldn't say no...this looked too good! It's a very simple recipe, but very VERY delicious! Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. marshmallows, cup up
1 C. heavy whipping cream- whipped
1 C. nuts (any type will do)
14 small candy canes, crushed
1 C. graham cracker crumbs
4 Tbs. Butter, melted

Directions:
Melt butter and mix with 3/4 C graham cracker crumbs. place in the bottom of a baking dish. Add 2/3 of the whipped cream to the cut up marshmallows and mix together. add nuts and candy canes to the other 1/3 whipped cream. Put the marshmallow mixture on top of graham cracker crust, followed by the nut and candy cane mixture on top of that. Finish the whole thing off with the remainder of the graham cracker crumbs and place in the fridge to chill for up to an hour and Enjoy!!!

SOOO simple, but tastes like a MILLION bucks!! ;)

Turkey stuffed Cabbage leaves

I've always wanted to try this recipe, but I knew the hubby would NEVER eat it. lol! well, since he's gone for work, I figured I'd give it a try. I'm so glad I did too, cause it was WONDERFUL and super easy!! Give it a try, and ENJOY!

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
  
• 16 large cabbage leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2/3 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. In a pot, bring 1 cup water and rice to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, Butter a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
3. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Reduce heat to low and place cabbage leaves in pot. Simmer 4 to 5 minutes, until tender. Drain leaves and set aside.
4. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook turkey and onion until turkey is brown and onion is tender. Transfer turkey and onion to a bowl, cool slightly, and mix in cooked rice, egg and 1 can tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
5. In a separate bowl, mix 1 can tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, brown sugar, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.
6. Spread cabbage leaves on a flat surface and place about 2 tablespoons turkey mixture in the center of each leaf. Fold edges of leaves over filling, then roll into logs. Place cabbage rolls seam side down in dish. Pour sauce evenly over rolls.
7. Cover and bake 1 hour in the preheated oven. Remove cover during last 10 minutes of cook time.
   

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

I've been seeing alot of people talking about Pumpkin Muffins. They sounded so yummy and so festive for this time of year. I was surprised I had never had one before. So last night, I sat down and made up a recipe with what I had in stock in my pantry. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C. Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
1/3 C. Canola Oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. all spice
1/2 Sugar
1/2 applesauce
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

topping:
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbs. sugar

Directions:
* Preheat over to 350 Degrees F. Make sure your oven rack is set on the middle rack. Put your liners in your muffin tin or spray your muffin tin if your using a mini muffin tin.
* Whisk together the flour and Baking Powder in a small bowl.
* Whisk together Pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, allspice, 1/2 C sugar, 1/2 C applesauce, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Then whisk in the flour mixture until combined.
* stir together cinnamon and 1 Tbs. sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
* Divide batter among muffin cups then sprinkle with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Then baked until fluffed and golden brown for 25-30 minutes. If your cooking them in a small muffin tin, bake for 15-17 minutes.

Enjoy!

French Apple Tart

My wonderful husband recently purchased the new Kitchenaid Food Processor for me, so of course, I had to try it out as soon as I got it! I figured, with the Holidays approaching us, what better way to try out my new food processor then to make a yummy dessert. I recently purchased the new "Cooking Light" Thanksgiving edition magazine at my local grocery store today. I stumbled upon this recipe and knew I HAD to give it a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 (14.1 ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
3 Tbs. Apple jelly, melted and divided
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3 Tbs. packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1 1/2 pounds granny smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced (this is where the food processor came in handy)
8 tsp. creme fraiche

Directions:

* preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
* Roll dough to a 12-ince circle; place on a 12-inch pizza pan. Brush dough with 1 Tbs jelly. Place pan in freezer for 5 minutes.
* Scrape seeds from vanilla bean. Combine seeds, brown sugar, and nutmeg in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Sprinkle 1 Tbs. sugar mixture over dough. Arrange apple slices in concentric circles on prepared crust. Sprinkle apples with the remaining sugar mixture. Bake at 425 for 35 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown.
* Brush remaining 2 Tbs. jelly over hot tart. Cut into 8 wedges; top each wedge with 1 tsp creme fraiche.

Serves 8
Calories: 205; Fat 8.7 g; Protein 1.4 g; Carb 32.6 g; Fiber 1.1 g;

Lifestyle Changes....Non-food related post

So last Thursday I had my second Gallbladder attack this year. For those that have experienced any sort of Gallbladder issues, I feel for you, it is one of the WORST feelings/experiences ever! SO, since that happening, I went to my doctor and was advised to set up an appointment with a surgeon to discuss having my gallbladder removed and until that happens, I need to stay on a VERY strict low-fat diet. So, I haven't posted any recipes lately because I've been doing alot of research on alternatives for some of my favorite recipes, I plan on posting them next week. My husband is leaving this Saturday for Hawaii to work there for 2 1/2 weeks. So I'm going to be spending as much time as possible with him before he leaves, then next week I'll focus on getting some good recipes up. =) I plan on making a trip to our local Trader Joe's this weekend to get all the ingredients for the recipes I plan on posting. Thank you for your patience!! Happy Holidays to all.

Turkey Buscuit Cups!

A couple months ago, I was complaining to my dad how I feel like I make the same meals over and over that use ground beef as the main ingredient. It's either meatballs, meatloaf or tacos...Meatballs, meatloaf or Tacos...ETC. you get my point. So my wonderful dad found me an AMAZING cookbook by "Taste of Home" called..."Delicious favorites for Family meals and potlucks, ALL ground Beef". I, however, do not eat ground beef anymore, so I subsitute all ground beef for ground turkey, and the recipes turn out just as good! This particular recipe, I used my left over turkey mix from the stuffed bellpeppers I made last night. The great thing about this recipe, is you can do whatever you like. You can make is as healthy or un-healthy as you like. I didn't use as much cheese as this recipe called for and my meat mixture has veggies and black beans in it=) I will post the actual recipe below for you. ENJOY!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 jar (14 ounces) spaghetti sauce
2 tubes (8 ounces each) large refrigerated biscuits
1 C (4 ounces) shredded cheese

Directions:

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce; cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until heated through.

Press biscuits onto the bottom and up the sides of greased muffin cups. Spoon 2 TBS. of beef mixture into the center of each cup.

bake at 375 F for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with cheese; bake three minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Turkey stuffed Red peppers!

I have tried a few different stuffed peppers in the past, and to me, they just didn't have enough flavor. I think another problem was, I was using ground beef at the time, which made things extra greasy...ewww!
This time around, I used the basic knowledge I had for cooking a stuffed pepper and just threw together this recipe using ground TURKEY instead of beef, and it was WAY better! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 bellpeppers (any color will do)
1 pound taco flavored ground turkey (you can usually find this at your local grocery store, if not, go ahead and add your own seasonings)
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 C shredded cheese of your choice
1 15 ounce can black beans, drained
1/3 C frozen peas
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
Olive oil spray

Directions:
Pre-heat your oven to 350 F

Cut the tops off of your peppers and clean the seeds and membrane out. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, you'll only need enough water to cover the peppers. Cook the peppers in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Remove the pepper with tongs and invert onto a paper towel lined plate to drain before stuffing.

In a large pan, spray a little bit of the olive oil spray in the bottom and start cooking your onion. Let the onions get translucent before you add the turkey in as well. Once the turkey and onion have cooked up, throw in the frozen peas, drained black beans and tomato sauce. Let that cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Ladle the mixture into the peppers, just enough to have it stick out above the pepper. (you may have some mixture left over, that's ok, you can use it the next day for more peppers, or make yourself a taco salad with it) =)

Stick the peppers into a baking dish standing up right and sprinkle 1/4 C of cheese over the top of each pepper. Cover the dish and peppers with tin foil and bake for 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!

Operation Christmas Child....Non-food related post.

I wanted to post something besides "What's for dinner in my home tonight". Operation Christmas Child is something very near and dear to my heart. It is an opportunity for us to be selfless and fill a shoe box to send to a child that has NOTHING. This child will appreciate the shoe box you have sent them more than you or I could ever imagine. The little things that you and I take for granted everyday (ie heat, a warm bed to sleep in, television, video games, laptops, hot cups of coffee etc.) They don't have. So this shoe box that you send to a child will mean the WORLD to them. It will show them that someone out there cares for them and loves them that much, that they wanted to give them something special to call their OWN.
The Holidays are approaching very quickly. The week of Nov. 14-21st is the official drop off week for the Shoe Boxes. Please check out the website below for details about "Operation Christmas" and where a local drop off location is in your area. I hope you find it in your heart to pack a shoe box for a child in need and make this Christmas mean the world to them! God Bless!

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/

Italian Wedding Soup

This was a first for me. I was craving a new hearty/warm soup for this chilly Fall Weather we're having. I found this recipe and knew I had to try it. It took a bit of work to prepare everything, but in the end...SOOO worth it! I had just one bowl for lunch this afternoon, and it was VERY filling. Enjoy!

Credit for this recipe goes to laurainthekitchen.com I LOVE watching her cooking videos on YouTube.com as well.

For the soup base:
1 Small Onion, chopped
2 Medium Carrots, diced
2 Stalks of Celery, diced
1 Clove of Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
6 cups of Chicken Stock
5 ounces of Fresh Baby Spinach, washed and dried
¼ tsp of Fresh Lemon Zest
Fresh Chopped Parsley
Salt and Pepper, to taste
3/4 Cup of Small Pasta (I used Orzo Pasta, it worked great!)

For the meatballs:
¾ lb Ground Chicken
1 tsp of Grated Onion
1 Clove of Garlic, grated or finely minced
¼ tsp of Fresh grated Lemon Zest
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp of Fresh chopped Parsley
2 Tbsp of Bread Crumbs
1 Egg
1 Tbsp of Milk
3 Tbsp of fresh grated Parmiggiano Reggiano

Process

1) In a large bowl, combine together all of the meatballs ingredients, mix well and form little tiny meatballs. Set aside.

2) In a large pot over medium high heat, cook together the chopped onion, carrots, celery and garlic in the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

3) Add the meatballs and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the pasta and cook according to packaged direction. 2 minutes before the pasta is cooked, add the spinach and cook for a couple minutes.

4) Season with salt and pepper to taste and turn the heat off. Right before it’s served, add the ½ tsp of grated lemon zest and fresh chopped parsley.

Ladle up and enjoy!

Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash

I have never been a big Acorn Squash fan until I tried this recipe the other night. It was so smooth and delicious! It had the perfect amount of sweet and savory and was a big hit with my taste buds!! Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 Acorn squash
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Maple Syrup
• Dash of Salt

Method

1 Preheat oven to 400°F.

2 Using a strong chef's knife, cut the acorn squash in half, lengthwise, from stem to end. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff in the center of each half. Score the insides of each half several times with a sharp knife. Place each half in a baking pan, cut side up. Add about a 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the baking pan so that the skins don't burn and the squash doesn't get dried out.

3 Coat the inside of each half with 1/2 a Tbsp of butter. Add a dash of salt if you are using unsalted butter. Add a Tbsp of brown sugar to the cavity of each half. Dribble on a teaspoon of maple syrup to each half.

4 Bake in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the squash is very soft and the tops are browned. Do not undercook. When finished, remove from oven and let cool a little before serving. Spoon any buttery sugar sauce that has not already been absorbed by the squash over the exposed areas.

Serves 2 to 4, depending on how much squash you like to eat.

French Toast Cupcakes with Creamy Maple Frosting

My daughter has her 6th birthday coming up and I've been on the look out for a yummy cupcake to make for her party. I found this cupcake on www.suzybakes.com I had to make these cupcakes before her party just to make sure they would be loved. ;) This recipe is SOOOO good! The cupcakes were moist and the frosting was the perfect consistency and had the perfect amount of maple flavor. Enjoy!!


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs plus one egg yolk, room temperature
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon maple extract

Baking Temperature: 350 degrees
Baking Time: 20-25 minutes

1. Line two muffin tins with cupcake papers.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flours and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the eggs (including extra yolk), 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk, vanilla, and maple extract. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended.
6. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
7. Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Maple Buttercream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 to 1 teaspoon maple extract to taste

1. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and maple. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes after each), until the icing is thick enough to be of good consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar (note: I ended up using 8 cups of sugar for this recipe.)
3. Sprinkle with cinnamon for garnish, if desired.
   
4. Store at room temperature or else icing will set. Can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days.