Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies

I had a Scentsy party this weekend and wanted to make a couple appetizers and desserts for my guests to enjoy. These were the perfect sweet treat - even if I did bake them a little too long and they stuck to the paper liners. They're simple to make when you're short on time with only a few ingredients that most of usually have on hand. If you haven't heard of Scentsy before, check them out! They have amazing ceramic warmers that melt the most amazing scented wax without flames!

Ok, now back to the brownies...

1 pkg brownie mix (for a 13x9 inch pan)
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
plus ingredients to make the brownies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 20 muffin cups with paper liners and set aside.

Prepare the brownies according to the package directions. Spoon brownie batter into the lined muffin tins.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg, peanut butter and vanilla together with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Spoon one rounded tablespoon into the center of the brownie and press down slightly.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until centers are set. Cool completely before enjoying!

Souce: Kraft Foods

Cashew Lime Chicken over Rice

This is another simple recipe...see a trend here. I have been craving chinese lately and wanted to make it at home but didn't want a simple stir-fry. This was quick and so tasty.

1 cup basmati rice
2 tsp canola oil
1/2 tsp ground ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 lbs boneless, skinless, chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp finely grated lime zest
1 cup salted cashew pieces

Cook the rice according to the package. I found Uncle Ben's has a 90 second rice packs that worked perfectly!

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic, cook stirring for 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.

Add the salt and pepper and stir to coat. Add the broth, hoisin, lime juice and zest and bring to a simmer. Partially cover the pan and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens for about 8 to 10 minutes. I found that my sauce wasn't thickening, so I added a little bit of cornstarch mixed with warm water to help move this along.

Serve the chicken mixture over the rice and top with the cashew pieces.

Source: Quick Fix Meals by Robin Miller

Tortellini & Spinach Soup

I saw this recipe over at Tasty Kitchen last week. It was a featured recipe and perfect for a very, cold evening. It was simple and easy to make and I paired it with cheesy flatbread.

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 quart low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
15 ozs canned whole tomatoes
salt
fresh ground pepper
15 oz package fresh or frozen tortilleni
3 cups fresh spinach, chopped

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion. Cook the ontion is softened and the garlic has a turned light gold, about 5 minutes.

Add the oregano, broth, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Break the tomatoes up with a spoon. Bring the soup to a boil and add the tortellini. Cook according to the package directions.

One minute before the tortellini is cooked, add the spinach. Stir to combine. When the tortellini is completely cooked, remove the pot from the burner to eliminate overcooking. Season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Cheesy Flatbread

This is another simple and easy recipe. I took me all of 5 minutes to put together and then 10 minutes to bake and voila - done!

1 pkg Pillsbury pizza dough
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp pizza seasoning
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Spread out pizza dough in a greased jelly roll. Poke holes into the dough with a fork. Spread the melted butter over the dough. Sprinkle seasonings and cheese evenly over dough.

Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until dough is cooked and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let rest a couple minutes before cutting.

Ham and Spinach Couscous

If you’re looking for a quick, one pot meal – this is it! It was perfect meal for the one night I was running late coming home from work and Madeline attacked me as I opened the door because she was SO HUNGARY! Well, 10 minutes later, her requests were answered and dinner was done! She gobbled it up and asked for it for lunch the next day. I’d say that’s a success!

2 cups water
1 cup chopped fully cooked ham
1.5 - 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
½ tsp garlic salt
1 cup uncooked couscous
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large saucepan, combine the water, ham, spinach and garlic salt. Bring to a boil and stir in couscous.

Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Sprinkle with cheese.

See I told you it was quick!

Source: Taste of Home Healthy Cooking, Dec 2009/Jan 2010

The Modern Girl's Arm Candy

I have to share with you a picture of me with an amazing bag I won from a Facebook contest.

One of my mom friends, Jillian is starting up a business with her mom and sister called JCJ Bags. They were running a promotion on Facebook to see who could refer the most people...and I won! I haven't been on a winning streak lately, but maybe my luck is turning around!

I was able to pick out a new bag and chose the Walk on the Wild Side one. It's a zebra print, with red bow and red satin lining. There's two pockets inside that are perfect for your phone and lipgloss! The construction is amazing and I can't wait to show it off!

Check out JCJ Bags on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/jcjbags or look them up on Facebook.

Sloppy Joes

To quote my husband "this is the best barbecue I ever had!" Something like that is soooo good to hear! And it was really good. We were watching a rerun of Throwdown with Bobby Flay and the challenge was sloppy joes. I usually don't make them since I would take the short cut and use a can of Manwich...which my husband tells me he hates. Interesting? So needless to say, I was quite shocked when he asked to put sloppy joes on the menu this week.

This recipe is super simple but has a TON of flavor! It's even better the second and third day!

1 1/4 lb lean ground beef
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 green pepper, minced
1/2 red pepper, minced
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1 cup ketchup
2 cups crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp salt

Brown meat in a large skillet. Drain grease and then remove meat and place into a bowl, set aside.

In the same skillet, add the canola oil and add the onion, peppers, garlic and chili flakes. Cook on medium heat for about 7 minutes until tender and cooked through.

In a larger pot, add the ketchup, tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and mix well. Add in the cooked vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Cover and cook on medium low heat for about 15 minutes.

Add the sauce to a food processor or blender and puree into a smooth sauce. Add the sauce back into the pot and reduce heat to low. Add the ground beef and stir.

Cover and cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve on crusty rolls. Makes approximately 8 sandwiches.

Recipe adapted from : Simple Comfort Food

Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites

I'm warning you now, these are pure evil! They are so addicting and hard to keep your hands off them! One of my online mom's friends shared this recipe with our board and I had already planned to make soft pretzel sticks but didn't have the rye flour to make them. I had just about everything for this recipe and needed to fill up a Sunday afternoon and it just worked out. Also growing up with near Philadelphia, these pretzel bites are pretty close to the real thing!

This was my second try at using yeast and it worked well once again! I definitely will be making more breads and other baked goods with yeast. It's really easy to work with and there's no reason to be scared anymore!

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast
3 oz unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
vegetable oil
3 quarts water
3/4 cup baking soda
1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp cold water
Coarse sea salt (or in my case, sesame seeds)

Combine the water, sugar, yeast and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with a dough hook until well combined. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Add the salt and flour to the yeast mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears to be too wet, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time. I ended up using 4 1/2 cups of flour and it was perfect. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.

Oil a bowl with the vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, set aside.  In a large stock pot, bring the 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add the baking soda.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces about 4 to 4.5 ounces each. Roll each piece into a long rope measuring 22 inches and shape. Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make the pretzel bites. Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches for about 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoo and place pretzel bites on the prepped baking sheet. Make sure they are not touching.

Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the coarse salt (or sesame seeds). Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack to rest for 5 minutes. ENJOY! :)

Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod

Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Breasts

This is another recipe from The Rodale Whole Foods Cookbook and it was another success! Marinating the chicken breasts in the yogurt made them super moist and tender and so delicious! Madeline gobbled it up with no compliants and even asked for leftovers for dinner on Friday!

3/4 cup plain lowfat yogurt (I used the leftover Greek yogurt I had from the banana crunch cupcakes)
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp nutmeg
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I used 2 HUGE chicken breast halves...I mean they were HUGE!!!) LOL!
1/4 cup italian breadcrumbs
salt
fresh ground pepper

In a shallow dish, combine the yogurt, lemon zest and nutmeg. Add the chicken and turn over to coat evenly with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. I made my marinade in the morning before work.

Preheat the oven 475 degrees. Lightly oil a 9x9 inch baking plan.

In a shallow bowl or pie plate, combine the bread crumbs with salt and pepper. One piece at a time, lift the chicken from the marinade and press the chicken into the crumbs coating each side lightly.

Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the baking pan. Bake uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes on each side or until lightly golden and cooked through.

Recipe adapted from The Rodale Whole Foods Cookbook

Banana Crunch Cupcakes

I haven't bake in awhile and got the baking itch last night. I wanted to make something fairly healthy since we're trying to eliminate all the junk and exercise more. I searched through a new cookbook that my sister-in-law gave me for Christmas and found a recipe for banana crunch cupcakes. I looked over the recipe and had most of the ingredients and knew I could subsitute a few things. Maddie and I made them last night and they are pretty tasty - not too healthy, but they remind me more of a muffin...and no frosting!

I did learn one thing last night, flax meal is a subsitute for oil. Hmmm..interesting. It's a 3:1 ratio, so I'm sure these cupcakes could be made with vegetable oil if you do not have flax meal. I would use 1/3 cup if you're trying it. I liked the flax meal, it adds a nice nutty flavor.

1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt (I used fat free greek yogurt)
3 large eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup oat flour
3/4 cup flax meal
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or other nut)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a small bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons melted butter and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and honey. Add in the yogurt, eggs, mashed bananas and vanilla and combine well. In a separate bowl, stir together the oat flour, flax meal, baking soda and salt. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until combined. Fold in the nuts.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and sprinkle each with the brown sugar mixture. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to completely cool.

Recipe adapted from: The Rodale Whole Foods Cookbook

Spinach and Smoked Gouda Quiche

I've been wanting to try quiche, I've never had it in my entire life. I know...shocking, right?!?! I searched around and found a different recipe than a tradtional quiche lorraine. This was definitely different, but really tasty. My daughter ate it with no compliants - I think because she helped make it! I love having her help me in the kitchen and I want to continue this tradition as she gets older! It's great bonding time and she's learning so much in the process.

1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp butter
10 box frozen spinach, thawed and drained
3 slices of turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup shredded smoked gouda
2 eggs
1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 cup half and half

salt

fresh ground pepper
frozen premade pie crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium frying pan, melt butter. Add the chopped onion and saute until tender. Stir in the spinach until well combined. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In the pie crust, sprinkle the bacon and cheese on the bottom. Add the spinach mixture as the next layer. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Add the milk and half and half. Season with salt and pepper. Carefully pour the mixture into the crust.

Bake the quiche for 45 - 50 minutes or until knife comes out clean from the center. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Source: Adapted from allrecipes.com

Almond Butter

We have recently been introduced to almond butter and I'm so glad! It's so good and much better than peanut butter. We love eating it with apples and I'm going to use it in some overnight oatmeal later this week. This is super easy, but it takes a little time and a good food processor. Mine started getting really warm, but luckly the butter was just about done before it overheated. I think I might be buying a new food processor in the upcoming months!

1 lb roasted almonds, no salt

Add almonds to the food processor. Begin grinding almonds. They will turn into tiny bits, but keep going. After about 10-12 minutes, butter starts to form and it will thin out. You will need to push the mixture down with a spatula occasionally, but it will get there! A tip I learned from a friend is to add a little bit of coconut oil after it's turned to butter and it will be easier to spread. I'll definitely be picking up some on my next shopping trip!

Chicken Spaghetti

I've had this recipe tagged in The Pioneer Woman Cooks recipe book since I received it as a gift from my friend Katey. It's a pretty simple casserole to make and I took some short cuts and tried to make it healthier.

But I have to say...I wasn't sold on it. We all could just taste the cream of mushroom soup and nothing else, but we all forced a plate of it down. I wasn't going to throw out half a casserole, so we had leftovers for dinner tonight....and I must say, it's much better as leftovers! Maybe it's just one of those recipes that you freeze and reheat.

2 boneless chicken breasts, skin removed
1 pound thin whole wheat spaghetti, broken into 2 inch pieces
4 oz jar diced pimientos, drained
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup finely diced green pepper
2 cans fat-free cream of mushroom soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 tsp seasoned salt
fresh ground pepper
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Poach the chicken breasts in a large stock pot filled with water. Bring the water to a boil and reduce heat to medium and simmer until chicken is cooked about 25 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside on a plate to cool. Once cool, shred or cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.

In a separate pot, cook the spaghetti to al dente. Drain pasta and palce into a large bowl.

To the bowl, add the cream of mushroom soup and stir to combine. Add 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese, onions, peppers and pimientos. Stir to combine. Season well with the seasoned salt and black pepper. Finally add the chicken and broth. Stir together until well combined.

Pour the mixture into a large baking dish and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until bubbly. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to allow sauce to thicken up.

Source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Pork & Sauerkraut

It's my family's tradition to have pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day. Eating pork and sauerkraut is an old Pennsylvania Dutch tradition and symbolizes prosperity in the new year. We're big fans of this meal and it's usually served with mashed potatoes and applesauce. My husband and I disagree on how to eat it though! I like to mix my sauerkraut with mashed potatoes and he likes to just eat the sauerkraut plain - either way, it's so good!

What are your New Year's Day traditions?

3-4 lb boneless pork loin
1 large can Silver Floss sauerkraut (this is our favorite brand)

In a crock pot, add the pork loin. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sauerkraut and juice. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.