Homemade graham crackers anyone? Come on over to Style Lush today for the recipe! Easy peasy.

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Ya, ya, we’ve all made oatmeal cookies before, but these stand out for me. The original recipe calls for white chocolate chips and cranberries, so you really can go any direction you want, but I used what I had in my pantry and loved the combination.

I made two trays full, then kept the rest in the fridge until we were ready for some warm, crispy cookies. Delicious!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Original Recipe: Annie’s Eats

(6 dozen cookies)

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 ½ cup flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 cups oatmeal
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine beaten eggs and vanilla. Set aside.

Cream together butter and sugars. Add flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda to sugar mixture. Mix well. Blend in egg mixture and oatmeal. Fold in the pecans and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. (I did 10 minutes then immediately placed them on wire rack to cool. Next time I will do the full 12 minutes for a crispier cookie.)

Enjoy!

Until recently, I had never attempted to make scones. I had tasted a few here and there. They just never did it for me. Too dry, not sweet enough, not sure what, but I knew they were no donuts. I found a recipe I thought I could master and made an attempt. What was so great about these scones, besides their flavor and texture, was their ability to be frozen. I made an entire batch of dough, cut them into rectangles, then froze half of them. I was certainly please last Sunday to find the leftovers sitting in the freezer talking to me saying, “HELLO, LOVER.” One word: Delicious!

Blueberry Scones

Original Recipe: Smitten Kitchen

Makes 12 to 16

2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar (+ 1 tbs for more sweetness)
1 tbs baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
6 oz of butter, in 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup blueberries (or any other fruit you’d like to use.)
3/4 cup buttermilk

Turbinado or sanding sugar for sprinkling (optional, All I had was regular sugar.)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place cubed butter in freezer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, measure other ingredients (except buttermilk and fruit) and mix in the bowl of a food processor.

Add butter to processor bowl and mix until the butter and flour mixture are the texture of coarse cornmeal. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a mixer and add buttermilk and fruit, mixing on the lowest speed until the dough just comes together.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently a couple times. Roll dough out to approximately one-inch thickness (or just pat it out with floured hands) and cut into squares. Cut those squares again on the diagonal, creating triangles. Sprinkle with sugar here. (I took half my batch and froze it. Adding a few minutes of bake time when I finally did use it.)

Bake on an ungreased baking sheet or with parchment paper for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned.

Enjoy!

e

Wow, and I thought chocolate chip cookies were easy to make. These guys? Even easier. No scooping out dough, rolling into decent balls, nothing. Just spread into brownie pan, cook, cool, cut and serve! We have burned through this entire batch rather quickly. Before the pan was close to empty, I took 10 and froze for a rainy day.

Chocolate Chip Blondie Bars

original recipe: Eat at Allie’s

2 1/8 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
12 tbsp butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan by about 1 inch. Spray the foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. Mix the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and stir just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and pecans and press the batter out into the prepared pan. Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, about 24 minutes. (I had to cook mine 6-8 minutes longer.)

Cool to room temperature.

Remove the bars from the pan by lifting the foil overhang and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Mmmmm. Chipotle burrito bowl. Now that is what I call, YUM. Want to recreate one at home? Well, then get out your slow cooker and marinate some chicken in the fridge all day and you’re on your way! I saw this recipe this week and HAD to try it. Perfect for assembling ahead of time, then just layer away when dinner approaches.

Chicken Burrito Bowl

Original Recipe: Annie’s Eats

Serves 2. (Double recipe if needed.)

Spicy Citrus Black Beans

(I used slow cooker)
1 can black beans
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 pepper, chopped or minced (bell, Anaheim or jalapeno depending on your taste)
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. pureed chipotles in adobo (I didn’t have any, so this was omitted.)
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Juice of 1 lime (I only had lemon juice.)
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
Chopped fresh cilantro, to taste, plus more for garnish (I left this out since I am not a huge cilantro fan, nor did I have any.)

Place the beans in a colander and rinse thoroughly.  Add beans and rest of ingredients to slow cooker layer by layer. Mix through. Cover. Turn heat on low and let cook until needed.

Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken

1/4 cup tequila
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (once again, only had lemon juice)
1/4 cup freshly squeeze orange juice
1 tsp. chili powder
1 jalapeno pepper, ribbed, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

Combine the tequila, lime juice, orange juice, chili powder, jalapeno, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl or zippered plastic bag.  Mix well. Add the chicken breast to the container.  Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours. (I only had mine in a couple of hours in the fridge. They were fantastic, but if they had longer, I can imagine how good they’d be.)

Heat grill to medium-high heat.  Oil the grates to prevent the meat from sticking. Once the grill is heated, cook the chicken until nicely browned and cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into small bite-sized pieces.

Rice

2 cups rice.

Cook as directed. (I popped in a 2 cup bag of brown rice in the microwave for 3 minutes. DONE!)

Salsa

Add your favorite salsa as one of the layers for that extra kick!

To assemble bowl:

Start with a layer of rice, then the beans from the slow cooker. Top with chicken pieces, salsa and shredded cheddar cheese. Add sour cream, if desired.

Enjoy!

Join me over at Style Lush where I talk about raised containers for those with less space to garden!

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I have been looking for a delicious chicken salad recipe to whip up for quite some time. I get so stalled with what to make for lunch and end up broiling a Dr. Praeger’s veggie burger with a side of cottage cheese. It works, but I was really wanting something homemade and a little more upscale. Iowa Girl Eats recently posted this and I HAD to try it. Luckily, I keep on hand dried cranberries and sliced almonds, so this specific recipe was ideal. Plus, the addition of curry powder and soy sauce really made this chicken salad most divine. (And btw, there is no mayonnaise in the ingredients, only Greek yogurt! Well, in most cases, but not mine.)

Chicken Salad

Original Recipe: Iowa Girl Eats

Ingredients:

6 oz shredded chicken (I bought mine in a pouch.)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 green onion, sliced (I didn’t have any, but it still tasted great.)
2 small ribs celery, chopped

1/2 cup plain Greek Yogurt (Only had 1/4 cup, so I did use an additional 1/4 cup mayonnaise)
1/2 tsp curry powder
2 tsps soy sauce
squeeze of lemon juice

salt, to taste

Combine chicken through celery in a bowl. Mix dressing ingredients and pour over chicken mixture. Toss to coat.

(makes 3 sandwiches)

Enjoy!

Do you own a slow cooker or crock pot? Then, I have the recipe for you! Besides layering each ingredient which includes frozen chicken, cans of beans and corn, all you really need is a can opener to get this meal off and running first thing in the morning.

My great friend Allie, who’s my local chef and mommy friend gave me my first experience using my crock pot. It was SO easy. Why didn’t I do this sooner? (BANGS HEAD.) The flavors work really nicely together since they are slow cooked and the chicken is completely tender. The cream cheese added at the end makes for the perfect creamy sauce.

Santa Fe Chicken Casserole

Original Recipe: Eat at Allie’s

1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained (I used a frozen medley of veggies including corn, peas, green beans and carrots)
1 jar all natural chunky salsa (Used Trader Joe’s Salsa Autentica)
3 large chicken breasts (frozen!)
8 oz. package 1/3 less fat cream cheese (I used 3/4 of the bar to bring down the calorie/fat content)

In a crockpot layer black beans, corn, ½ jar of salsa, chicken breasts, and the other ½ jar of salsa. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. (My slow cooker cooks quite fast on setting 3. So, I put my meal together at 1p.m. and still had a perfect dish by 5:30p.m.)

Remove the chicken from the Crock Pot and shred into big chunks. While you are shredding the chicken, add the cream cheese to the Crock Pot. Mix until melted. Place the shredded chicken back into the Crock Pot and stir to combine.

Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

Maybe someday I’ll write about my life here, but until then, go read my post at Style Lush regarding expandable spice racks. (It’s pretty deep, so read at your own risk. ha.)

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And, DEFINITELY make this coffee cake for your holiday weekend. Nothing like a cup of coffee and some cake to go with it! (This is a moist, cinnamon type of cake. Perfect to reheat and my kids PLUS hubs would eat the whole thing if I let them. Luckily, for them and me, I cut the entire pan in half, and delivered some goodies to some local friends. I don’t think they were disappointed either!)

Coffee Cake

Original Recipe: Tasty Kitchen/Alicia

• 1 cup Oil
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• ½ cups Granulated Sugar
• 2-½ cups Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Nutmeg (I used 1/2 tsp since I am not a huge nutmeg fan.)
• ½ cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Milk

Combine oil, sugars, flour, and salt. Mix thoroughly.

Set aside 3/4 cup of the mixture for a streusel topping.

To the remaining mixture, add the buttermilk, egg, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix.

Pour batter into a greased 9×13 pan. (I used a brownie pan.)

Crumble the reserved streusel mixture on top. (Note: If the streusel topping is clumpy instead of crumbly, add flour and granulated sugar, alternately, until the desired texture is reached. Add 2 tbsp each.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and milk. While the cake is still warm, drizzle the glaze on top.

(Tip: if you do not have buttermilk, use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and enough milk to equal 1 cup. Set aside for 5 minutes, then use.)

Enjoy!

e

(Yes, it’s Tuesday, but I’ve got several things coming down the pipe, so…)

Ok, while I may say this about several things I make, I am going to say this loud and clear on this one. THIS IS FANTABULOUS. Just seeing the pictures I took of this pasta makes me want to go out and get more pancetta and make it again STAT. Damn, it’s good. And can we say EASY? If you are feeding this to kids, you may want to stay lighter on the pepper before adding more to your own portions, but the pepper makes all the difference in my opinion.

Fettuccine alla Carbonara

Original Recipe: Confections of a Foodie Bride

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz pancetta, diced
1 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
1 3/4 cups Parmesan, divided
1 egg
3 egg yolks
1 lb fresh fettuccine (I used linguine, all I had.)
salt to taste

Heat oil over med-high heat. Cook pancetta until almost crispy. Add black pepper, stir, cooking two more minutes. Move pancetta and oil into large bowl and cool slightly.

Whisk egg, yolks, and 1 1/2 cups Parmesan together. Pour over pancetta and stir vigorously, mixing thoroughly.

Cook fettuccine, drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water. Add pasta to the bowl and toss with the pancetta mixture, adding 2-3 tbsp of pasta water to make creamy sauce.

Salt and pepper to taste and let sit for 5 minutes. Toss again and serve topped with remaining Parmesan.

Enjoy!

Over at Style Lush today, Tattoos only a mother could love. (Also, help me make sure I didn’t miss anything for our trip to Disneyland coming up.)

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Did anyone take advantage of the abundant amount of strawberries overproduced in the past month? Not sure how or why, but they went on sale for PENNIES and I took advantage! One way I burned through my supply was making Strawberry Shortcake. I used to be the gal who pulled out her Bisquick box to make my shortcakes, but I recently found a recipe at Annie’s Eats and went for it. You should too! Oh, and it was my first attempt at real whipped cream. (and yes, I needed to whip longer. I’m learning.) No more Cool Whip for this girl! Have you seen what’s in that stuff? AGH. Go with the real deal. Everyone at the table will thank you.

Strawberry Shortcakes

Original Recipe: Annie’s Eats
6 servings

Ingredients:

Shortcakes:
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar (PLUS 1 extra tbsp. for added sweetness)
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup heavy cream

Strawberries:
1 quart strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/4 cup sugar

Whipped cream:
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
splash of vanilla

Directions:

Strawberries: In medium bowl, stir together strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar; set aside in fridge for about 1 hour.

Shortcakes: Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt with a fork. Pour in heavy cream and stir together with fork until almost all of the dry ingredients have come together to form a dough. Gently clump dough together with your hands and transfer to a work surface. Form into a 6-inch round log. (The dough can seem very dry and crumbly, but just do your best to keep it together, and avoid kneading as much as possible.) Slice the log into 6 equal rounds and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. (Even if the dough seems like it is not sticking together, just gently squeeze it into the disc shape. It will fuse together during baking.) Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Cream Topping: Combine the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until frothy, and then increase the speed to medium-high. Whisk until stiff peaks form, being careful not to over-beat. (I used a hand mixer and beat the crap out of it, but as you can see, I didn’t beat it enough. Keep beating!!)

Assembly: Slice each one in half horizontally. Transfer the bottom half of each cake to a serving plate, top with the strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!!!

e

Non-coffee drinkers, what’s your drink of choice? New post up at Style Lush!

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I have made this cake twice for Mother’s Day last year and Easter earlier this month. On both occasions, I received RAVE reviews for my efforts. Plus, how can you really go wrong with homemade cream cheese frosting?? Make sure you have a lot of people to share this with because while it’s delightful, it’s a richer piece of cake, like a banana bread, so you want to make sure you have lots of bodies to share it with. If you are looking for that dessert that will really “wow” your guests, look no further. (Sorry, I am watching Project Runway and Tim just inspired me to say “wow.”) Oh, and this is a Paula Dean cake. Enough said.

BANANA NUT CAKE

Original Recipe: Paula Dean

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana
• 2 large eggs

  For the cream cheese and nut frosting:

• One 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• One 1-pound box confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Makes 1 8-inch three-layer or 1 9-inch two-layer cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 8-inch or two 9-inch cake pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl; add the shortening, buttermilk, and banana. Mix until all the dry ingredients are dampened, then beat at low speed for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and beat for 1 minute.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then turn out the cakes on a rack to cool completely before frosting.

 Combine the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract and beat until fluffy. Fold in the pecans, and frost the cake. If you love lots of icing, you can make 1 1/2 times this recipe. Remember, this is not banana bread but a stacked cake, so be sure to frost between the layers as well as the outside.