Pizza Stuffed Bellas

Sometimes your favorites come from what you have on hand in the pantry or fridge. In this case, both. I absolutely love mushrooms and we have an excellent selection at our local Farmer’s Market. This past week the portabellas looked irresistible and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them. I had a feeling they’d end up being stuffed with something delicious. I happen to love pizza flavors, so I decided on a pizza themed stuffed mushroom. The portabellas I had were, HUGE. So, adjust your recipe as you see fit. For one pound of meat, I’d say 4 decent size portabellas should work perfect with about ¼ lb of meat mix per shroom.

When cleaning a mushroom, never submerge or soak in water. Use a damp cloth and wipe off the dirt.

Ingredients:

4 Portabellas, cleaned - stems removed and gills scraped out
1 lb. Ground beef
1 jar pizza sauce or 2 cups homemade sauce (I love MIDS pizza sauce)
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
Olive oil
Cheese optional (I used raw milk cheese and it was phenomenal)

Directions:

Heat olive in a pan and sauté the garlic and onions until they are translucent. Add in the ground beef and cook through. I like to cook mine until it’s a little bit crispy. Stir in the pizza sauce until combined and warmed through, so the flavors marry. Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil and also rub the outside of the portabella with olive oil. Lay down onto baking sheet with the cleaned gill side up and place pizza beef mixture into the shroom, being cautious not to overfill it. Top with a sprinkle of cheese and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.

These are gooey pizza imitations that outdo the real deal and are much healthier too!

Picture Source Here

Thought for the Day:

“Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinion drowned your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs

Italian Swiss Steak - Crockpot

I love those days when you have a random assortment of food and think hmmm…I’m lazy and I need something that will cook itself.  All I want to do is pour stuff into the Crockpot! I also wanted to avoid the traditional way of cooking swiss steak and do something a bit different.  The artichoke Italian swiss steak was created and very much loved in my house.  Even our dinner guests enjoyed the creation!!  This wonderful (insert sarcastic eye roll) picture was of some leftovers that I took to lunch today.

2 Swiss Steaks (about 2 lbs)

2.5 cups red sauce (from a jar or homemade, just make sure it’s gluten free and paleo friendly)

1 can artichoke hearts, quartered

4 cloves garlic, minced
S&P
Garlic Powder
2 T Coconut Oil
Cabbage, shredded

Season meat with salt, pepper, and garlic; in a skillet (we love our cast iron) with 1 T coconut oil heated sauté until brown on both sides. Place meat into Crockpot and top with sauce, artichoke hearts, and garlic. Cook for 6-8 hours. Then take the meat out of the Crockpot and let rest before pulling apart and putting back in sauce, where it will cook for another hour to let all the flavors blend.

Heat 1 T coconut oil in large pan and add shredded cabbage seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Serve meat over cabbage and voila a delicious healthy meal from items in your pantry or freezer (we make sauce and freeze it).

Avocado Egg Cups

Avocado egg cups = win! I saw this idea on Pinterest, but couldn’t find a bake time, so I took it upon myself to experiment and see what worked. It’s pretty darn easy, delicious, and pretty to look at. Dribble on a little hot sauce and voila, total yum! I’m not a fan of spicy but the richness of the egg and avocado cut through the heat to allow me the zing I love without the burn.  I used basic seasoning this time, but up next I'll through in some cumin, paprika, and chili powder for some southwestern flare.


Super Easy Avocado Egg Cups

1 Avocado
2 Eggs
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Hot Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Split open the avocado and remove the giant seed. Season the inside of the avocado with a little pepper, garlic and salt (very minimal). Crack open eggs and drop into holes where the seed use to be in the avocado. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic to your desired taste. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until eggs reach your level of desired doneness. I prefer a little bit runny yolk, while my husband wants his eggs cooked without a bit of dribble. Top with hot sauce or whatever you prefer and ENJOY!

This was super easy and the avocado melted in my mouth. I served it with a side of sausage and this is an excellent breakfast or dinner meal!

"Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires...courage."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Simple and Sweet

Chocolate, nut butter, and bananas are a match made in the clouds! Pure simple flavors that create an explosion of flavor. This little sweet treat was made to cater more toward a gluten free or paleo diet, but one could sub whatever kind of chocolate and nut butter that is most desired for his or her taste. I chose almond butter and "Enjoy Life" semi-sweet chocolate chips, which are gluten, soy, and dairy free. I like those chips better than Hershey's or Nestle,  I absolutely love those little morsels of goodness!



Resist the Urge to Lick Your Screen

Ingredients

1/2 C chocolate chips
1/2 C almond butter
2-3 bananas, sliced into large round chunks
Shredded coconut (I prefer "Let's Do Organic" shredded and unsweetened)

Melt the chocolate chips and almond butter over a double broiler. Once melted, drop in banana slices and coat completely, before placing on baking sheet lined with wax paper. Sprinkle coconut on top of banana chunks. Once all the bananas have taken their chocolate bath, place them in the freezer on the cookie sheet for a couple hours. They are delightful, so please enjoy!

Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

The title says it all - what's not to love! My BFF in NC sent me this recipe link and I made it that night because it looked so amazing and I wanted to do a test run before Thanksgiving. Again with the cell phone pictures because I'm too lazy to break out the camera and take a nice shot, so I'm forgoing a picture of the food and posting one of me and my momma from years ago! Please do me one favor and MAKE YOUR CRUST! The pre-made graham cracker crust tastes like sawdust and a yummy homemade one is easy to whip up!  Now to get off the food topic for a minute.

This is the first Thanksgiving without my mom (December 1st will be the six month anniversary of her death) and it's proving to be a difficult time for me. The festivities do not hold the same magic they have in the past and I know my momma would not want it that way. However, it's hard...plain and simple. Gatlinburg, TN was my momma's favorite place on earth and a turn of events has landed us there for Thanksgiving weekend. I really felt God's hand in this situation because he gave me faith that I will see true joy again. For the first time in a long time, I felt that twinge of joy that had always been a part of me when I found out we'd be in Gatlinburg.....it's like I'll be with my momma in spirit because I know that's where her spirit is every day. My wish is that everyone holds the ones they love a little bit closer and takes the opportunity to get to know who their family really is. We all grow with age and those relatives who were a pain in the ass when we were young, aren't necessarily that way anymore. Get to know the family members in your life as they are today and truly embrace your relationship with them. I hope we all love a little more, forgive a little more, and appreciate what we have a little more staring right now while we have the opportunity.

Recipe Adapted from Taste of Home found HERE

Ingredients

2 C graham cracker crumbs
1/3 C sugar
1/2 C butter, melted
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups chopped pecans
1 jar (12-1/4 ounces) caramel ice cream topping
Additional caramel ice cream topping, optional

Directions

Melt the butter in a bowl, and then stir in the graham cracker crumbs and sugar.  Press graham cracker mix into a pie pine and up the sides as evenly as possible.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, 1 egg and vanilla until smooth.  Spread into pastry shell; sprinkle with pecans.
In a small bowl, whisk remaining eggs; gradually whisk in caramel topping until blended. Pour slowly over pecans.

Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before slicing. If desired, garnish with additional caramel ice cream topping.

Butternut Squash Lasagna Goodness

Mmmmmmm, mmmmm, great!  I've made this meal at least half a dozen times in the past three months and love it.  My husband, well he's not a convert yet from traditional lasagna noodles to other, healthier, options.  I really don't miss the noodles and actually prefer the squash to regular noodles.  I've made eggplant lasagna in the past and loved it, but this is even better than that!  I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as I do.

If this was the only meal I could ever eat again, I'd be okay with that! It has amazing flavor with the sweetness of the butternut and the tang of the tomatoes.  I've made this with pizza pork sausage, Italian sausage, and chicken sausage - none of them have disappointed me.  I recommend doubling the meat and sauce if your prefer a more meaty lasagna, but I like it just the way it is as I think the butternut squash and sausage balance each other very nicely. 




Deliciousness right here, folks!!

Paleo Butternut Squash from Health-Bent

1 lb hot Italian sausage, casing removed
1/2 red onion
3 cloves garlic
16 oz jar pizza sauce (I prefer Mid's)
1 roasted red peppers
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 C couples leaves of fresh basil
1 small butternut squash

Preheat your oven to 400ºF.

Roast your red pepper by placing it on a cookie sheet and turning it until all sides are black and it's sort of collapsed into itself.  Then put in a bowl and cover with plastic which will allow for easier removal of the red pepper skin.  After about 15 minutes, remove plastic wrap and take the skin off of your peppers and pull out the seeds (if a few get left behind, no worries, they get processed)!

In a saute pan crumble the sausage and brown it, along with the onions & garlic. While that’s going, cut the top and ends of the squash off and peel it. Split it into 1/4′s. What I mean by that is, right where the squash starts to turn bulbous, cut it in 1/2, width-wise. Split those two halves in half, lengthwise. This will make it much easier to cut into planks. Pull out the seeds. Don’t be anal about getting out all the strings, as you won’t even notice those when they’re cooked. Slice the squash into the aforementioned planks.

Make the sauce by pureeing the pizza sauce, red peppers, olive oil and basil.

Using a 9×9 oven safe baking dish, put down enough sauce to lightly cover the bottom of the dish. (This keeps the squash from sticking to the pan.) Next add the squash, trying not to overlap the pieces, then spoon on the sausage mixture, followed by the sauce. Repeat until all your ingredients are used up…trying to reserve enough sauce to cover the top of the lasagna.

Bake for 45 minutes. You’re looking for a bubbly pan with a crispy, browned top. Stick a fork into it to check your squash to make sure they are fork tender.

Eggplant Parmesan Sorta

This super easy weeknight meal rocked! It was way better than I had imagined and much lighter than a traditional eggplant parmesan. I wanted eggplant parmesan, but I didn’t want the breaded fried goodness that comes with it, so I had a dilemma. Not really, but it makes this recipe sound way cooler. I am in love with Mezetta pasta sauce because it’s gluten free and free of some other junk that our bodies do not need on a regular basis. I love making my own pasta sauce, but some nights you need something bottled and quick. This dish reheated well for the next couple nights of dinner too!

Roasted Eggplant

1 Eggplant
Garlic Power
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Olive Oil

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Trim the ends of your eggplant off and stand it on one flat end to make it easy to cut the skin off. Slice the eggplant lengthwise and lay flat on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with garlic powder and black pepper. Pop in the oven for about 10-15 minutes and flip. The edges will start to turn a little brown and the eggplant will be tender.

Sausage Marinara Topper

1 lb. ground pork sausage (beef, chicken, or turkey could be subbed) 

1 Jar Mezetta Pasta Sauce (or your favorite, or a nice homemade sauce)
(Click HERE for a great semi-homemade sauce)

Brown the sausage until cooked through, then add the marinara. Cook until heated through.  Serve over roasted eggplant and let it melt in your mouth.


Here's a picture of the pasta sauce I used from the companies website

Skillet Eggs with Squash

I hope everyone is enjoying a long holiday weekend as we celebrate America's birthday and our freedom!  I love the 4th of July for many reasons.  One, I love what it represents, two it was my grandmother's birthday (my momma's mom may she rest in peace, and lastly because we usually have a big ole' cookout.  This year we are foregoing the cookout, which bums me out but there has been way too much going on for us personally to do it this year.  I was hoping to get my dad over for marinated steaks on the 3rd (which are AWESOME), but it doesn't look like that's going to happen.  There's some strangeness going on since my momma's passing.  I suppose we are all forming a new normal, but I feel I need my dad more now than ever. So, tomorrow won't be as I want it to be, but it'll still be a great day.  I hope you all have a wonderful celebration of the USA!!

This recipe is courtesy of Food Network Magazine, July/August 2011.  It was absolutely delicious and I ate it all week long with it reheating very nicely.  I undercooked the eggs just slightly (except for the one egg I broke when placing it in the skillet), so when I reheated it the eggs wouldn't turn to rubber.  It worked out absolutely perfectly and some avocado smashed up was the perfect companion to this recipe.  Next time I will add some pancetta to it because it would add an excellent depth to the dish.  However, if I didn't have any pancetta on hand, I would not hesitate to make it as posted again.  The best thing was that I only used my cast iron skillet...who doesn't love having less dishes!

Skillet Eggs with Squash

6 medium zucchini

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I used 1.5 T of dried parsley)

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter (I did not use the butter as the original recipe did)

6 large eggs

1/2 cup grated pepper jack or sharp white cheddar cheese (I did not use the cheese)

Grate the squash into a colander using the large holes of a box grater (or use a food processor fitted with the shredding attachment). Toss with 1 tablespoon salt, then let drain in the sink, 30 to 40 minutes. Squeeze the squash to remove as much liquid as possible.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Set aside 3 tablespoons of scallion greens. Add the remaining scallions (white and green parts), the jalapeno, and salt to taste and cook until the scallions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the shredded squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in the parsley, nutmeg, and pepper to taste. Cook until the mixture is slightly dry, about 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and let cool, 5 minutes.

Spread the squash evenly in the skillet. Make six 2 1/2-inch-wide indentations in the mixture with the back of a spoon; put 1/2 teaspoon of butter in each one. One at a time, crack each egg into a small bowl and pour into an indentation. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the cheese.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the egg whites are set and the yolks are cooked to desired doneness, 10 to 12 minutes. Scatter the reserved scallion greens on top.

"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others." ~ Pericles

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Scones

This delicious recipe comes from "The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook" by Elana Amsterdam, who also has a wonderful blog.  My husband loves pastries and could eat one every single morning for breakfast.  However, they aren't the best thing for you, so I found these tasty little gems that offer a great alternative.  Plus, if you eat a paleo lifestyle, this is a great treat! 

This is a basic recipe, but could be dressed up with some dried cherries, orange zest, raspberries, etc.  If you do not use agave, honey would be a great substitute!

Chocolate Chip Scones

.5 cups almond flour
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/3 C grapeseed oil
1/4 C agave nectar
2 large eggs
1 C chocolate Chips (I usually add more and I use Enjoy Life chips)

Preheat your oven to 350 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine almond flour, baking soda, & salt in small bowl. In another medium bowl, beat together grapeseed oil, agave nectar, & eggs. Stir dry ingredients into wet and combine. Fold in chocolate chips.

Let the dough rest for about 20 minutes before you drop them on the baking sheet. It allows them to thicken up, so they do not spread as much when baking them. They will puff up more then.  Drop by 1/4 C onto lined baking sheets & bake for 15 minutes or so, depending on your oven.  You can also roll into a ball then shape into a scone! Enjoy!

I have to stop taking pictures w/my cell phone!! This picture does not do the scones justice.  They were much more scrumptious looking!

Sausage and Peppers

It has been some time since I posted and a lot has happened, but life is back on the upswing now.  My mom got unexpectedly ill and passed away 31 days after she went to the hospital the first time, from cancer.  Days are and will continue to be hard, but I have faith God will pull us all through this.  It's just my dad and me now.  Of course, the rest of our family, friends, and my husband too, but you all know what I mean.  :)  Words cannot explain the loss of a parent that you were very close too, but I feel blessed that we were so close.  Thankfully I'm just as close to my dad and we are able to share stories and memories.  He's doing pretty good, but I know it has to be more painful to go home to the house they shared without her there.

So, on to happiness! I had some ingredients around the house and threw a delicious dinner together.  I didn't time myself or measure very closely, so feel free to adjust as you see fit.

Sausage & Peppers
1 lb. pork sausage
1 each red, green, & yellow pepper
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
black pepper
splash red wine
olive oil

Clean your peppers and slice into fairly large pieces and quarter your onion seperating the layers. Chop your garlic cloves into small pieces.  When cutting your peppers, slice the top off and pull out the stem.  Save the pepper around the stem b/c it's still good!!

Heat 1T olive oil in a pan and brown your sausage on all sides.  Remove the browned sausage from the pan and set aside.  Deglaze the pan with a splash of red wine (a dry white would work too). Add the peppers, onions, and garlic to the pan and drizzle 2T olive oil over the veggie mixture, add more if needed.  Cook down until soft and starting to become translucent around the edges, which should be about 20 minutes or so, depending on how thick your pepper slices are.  While your peppers are cooking, slice your sausages on a diagonal or regular...the diagonal slice makes me feel like I'm eating at a restaurant.

After the pepper mix is cooked, add one can of fire roasted tomatoes and the sliced sausage.  Simmer for about 15 minutes until the sauce thickens and the sausage finishes cooking.  This was a tasty and easy weeknight meal!  Enjoy!

Note:  You will probably notice that I did not add any salt.  I felt like the tomatoes and sausage contained enough salt that the cooking process didn't require anymore.

Here's a pic of the tomatoes:

My thought for the day is for my momma and anyone who has lost someone they love.

<><> <><>

“You can shed tears that she is gone, or you can smile because she has lived. You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back, or you can open your eyes and see all she's left. Your heart can be empty because you can't see her, or you can be full of the love you shared. You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday. You can remember her only that she is gone, or you can cherish her memory and let it live on. You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back. Or you can do what she'd want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.”

David Harkins quotes

Peanut Butter Dump Your Boyfriend Chocolate Cupcakes

These cupcakes are AMAZING!! If you have any sorrows to drown or any celebrations, these are your cupcakes.

My husband and I love going to Barnes & Nobles and browsing cookbooks and magazines. Sometimes we take pictures of the recipes with our cell phones....GASP...instead of buying the book. That is where this delectable little recipe came from! So, we did not get a picture of the book cover and I am unable to share the source at this time. That definitely does not take away from the party in your mouth when you take a bite!!

I was very excited that I got the chance to display these cupcakes on the cupcake stand I made!  The project was super easy and turned out very cute. 

Cake:

2 C all purpose flour
2 C sugar
½ C cocoa
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
½ t salt
1 C oil
1 C milk (please do not use skim; use at least 2%)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 t vanilla extract
1 C hot water

Frosting:

½ C butter, softened
1 C creamy peanut butter
3 T hot water
2 C confectioners’ sugar
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Line your cupcake tins; makes around 22 cupcakes.

In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients.

Add oil, milk, vanilla, beaten eggs; blend well. Stir in hot water; mix well.
Fill lined cupcake tins using 1/3 cup measuring cup. Bake 22-25 minutes. Let cool.

For the frosting: blend the butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar and hot water (alternating) until desired texture is achieved.

Frost cupcakes and enjoy!

Cheesecake and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

A picture is worth a thousand words and in some cases a thousand calories.  Cheesecake and chocolate chip cookie dough is a combination made in heaven!  The simplest recipes can be so delicious and that's the case with this recipe.  I have a confession to make - I used Pillsbury cookie dough and Ghirardelli chips!  I think there was a time when Nestle didn't melt the way I would have liked it and I've always found it to be "waxy" compared to Hershey's or other higher chocolate chips. 

Toll House Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients


1 pkg. (16.5 oz.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or your favorite recipe
2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 oz unsweetened bakers chocolate, melted
2 containers (8 oz. each) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/2 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels, melted

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375º F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.

SLICE dough into 16 pieces. Cover bottom of prepared pan with pieces. Allow to soften for 5 to 10 minutes. Using fingertips, pat dough gently to cover bottom.

BAKE for 15 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

COMBINE cream cheese, sugar and melted chocolate in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Add whipped topping; stir until just blended. Spoon over cookie crust; smooth top. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Cover; refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or overnight. Remove sides of pan.

Grab a fork and dive in! This one is worth every single calorie - it's so tasty there is no guilt involved. 

Check out the following sites for some more sweet features:

Allie' n Son  - Sweet Tooth Friday

Sweet as Sugar Cookies - Sweets for Saturday #3

Green Chile Pork Stew

I stumbled across this delectable recipe and knew I had to make it!!  Every bite was savory and comforting, which is perfect for these cold winter days.  This was one of those dishes that make you sad when the last bit is all gone. The picture is a little yellow - we need to find a way to improve the lighting when we aren't taking pictures during the day in natural light!

 Green Chile Pork Stew
Adapted from Fete and Feast
Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz. fresh chorizo

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

1 carrot, chopped
1 shallot, minced
2 lb. pork cutlets, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
½ tsp. pepper
1 c. chopped green chilies or 4 oz. can
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. ground cumin
3 c. chicken broth
2 Tbsp. yellow corn meal
4 Tbsp. water

Garnishes (optional)


Shredded cheese like Monterrey Jack, manchego, or Queso Asadero

Sliced green onions
Sliced jalapenos
Sour cream

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until until hot.  Add the chopped fresh chorizo and saute until crispy.  Remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon and add the onions, carrots, and shallots to the oil in the pan.  Saute about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.


Add the pork and saute for five minutes or until pork is no longer pink on the outside.  Add the chilies, oregano, and cumin to the pot; stir to combine.  Add the chorizo back in and the chicken broth; stir well.  Raise the heat to medium and bring the stew to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for one hour, or until the pork is tender.

Mix the corn meal and water together in a small bowl. Add to the pot and stir to combine.  Raise the heat to medium and bring the stew back to a boil. Cook for five minutes until it begins to thicken slightly.


Serve with garnishes and warm tortillas.

I was waiting for an opporunity to use the individual crocks I found at Crate and Barrel, so I spooned some stew into them and covered them with cheese.  I broiled them for a few minutes until the cheese was melted!





Heavenly Brussels Sprouts Lardons

One of my favorite holiday side dishes is Ina Gartten's (Barefoot Contessa) Brussels Sprouts Lardons!  They are incredible and a huge hit at every family gathering.  Really, how could they not be with salty pancetta mixed with sweet raisins!  Get high quality pancetta because the reward will be more than worth it. 

I drool just thinking about taking a delicious bite of this little bit of heaven on a fork.  With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I encourage you to try something new for your gathering and I promise it will be LOVED!  My husband who was not a brussels sprouts lover now eats them all the time.  This is his favorite way, but on weeknights we mostly just roast them as this is a special occasion dish.

Ingredients:


2 tablespoons good olive oil
6 ounces Italian pancetta or bacon, 1/4-inch dice
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts (2 containers), trimmed and cut in 1/2
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup golden raisins
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan and add the pancetta. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is golden brown and crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the pancetta to a plate lined with a paper towel.

Add the Brussels sprouts, salt, and pepper to the fat in the pan and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the raisins and chicken stock. Lower the heat and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. If the skillet becomes too dry, add a little chicken stock or water. Return the pancetta to the pan, heat through, season to taste, and serve.


"Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Scarlet Threads and Scentsy

Hey there fellow foodies! This is a post about food without a recipe.  I was turned on to an amazing company, Scarlet Threads and am hosting a party!  There is some infomration following on them and I thought you all might be interested because you can wear their products while cooking!  The other, Scentsy, well it gives you the smell of deliciousness on days you don't want to fire up the oven!  I'm thinking of having my first give away....help welcome on how to do this!

Let’s have a party to celebrate the empowerment of women half a world away. Scarlet Threads is a fairtrade organization that is dedicated to providing rural Chinese women a pathway out of poverty through
dignified employment. Work. Dignity. Beauty.

What does Scarlet Threads make? You guessed it, aprons! As well as bags, children’s dresses, and traditional Chinese crafts. We all love an excuse to have fun, dress up, shop and eat well. What if, this time, it is for a good cause? Come over, we’ll try on aprons, which will protect us from some incredible Hors d'oeuvres while we thoroughly enjoy ourselves.

Maybe you’ll fall in love with an apron, or with the mission, or both!

It's a great time to start Christmas shopping and support the empowerment of women! Naturally there will be yummy food and tasty drinks!

Check out their website for more information and to preview the products: www.ScarletThreads.org

In conjunction, there will also be plenty of Scentsy availabe! Talk about Christmas shopping all in once place, whether for you or someone else!

Scentsy has some amazing seasonal scents and wamers in addition to their normal amazingness!

Preview Scentsy here: https://scentsy21128.scentsy.us/Home

I'm so excited and cannot wait to see you all at the party! If you cannot make it there are online shopping opportunities that you can attach to my party. Please contact me with any questions!

The party is on Saturday, September 18th! ;)

Heavenly Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This is easily the best chocolate cake I have ever indulged in!  Thanks to Lisa over at The Cutting Edge of Ordinary for sharing this addictive bit of goodness.  I followed the recipe to a T and used applesauce like she recommended.  There was a tiny applesauce incident the second time I made this cake.  Not really sure how it happened, but the applesauce jar fell from the counter and busted all over the floor.  I cleaned up the mess and knelt down to wipe up the sticky applesauce residue - well, all the glass was not cleaned up.  My knee found it and I lost a lot of blood, but survived.  I'm sitting here debating on getting in the shower because we all know how bad that burn is - especially with a cut this bad.  I won't go into too much detail, but there is some "floppage."  With that being said, mmmmmmm - enjoy the best chocolate zucchini cake ever.  This is the kind of recipe that makes you toss out the old standbys because it is so wonderful!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Courtesy of The Cutting Edge of Ordinary courtesy of Bon Appetit, November 1995

2 ¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup vegetable oil (I used 1/2 cup applesauce instead)
2 large eggs
1 teasoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini (about 2 ½ medium)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾ cup chopped walnuts (optional, I left them out)

Preheat oven to 325.

Butter and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan, or a bundt pan. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda & salt into a medium bowl. Beat the sugar, butter and oil in a large bowl until well blended. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract. Mix in the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk in 3 additions. Mix in grated zucchini. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts. Bake 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake completely in pan.

Herb Crab Salad Stuffed Avocado Goodness

We love avocados and we love crab meat.  When we saw this tasty combo in the August 2010 issue of Everday with Rachel Ray, it was a no brainer that we had to try it.  It's a great light and healthy summer meal.  Healthy is such a relative term - according to our lifestyle it's healthy.  Good fats and nice lean meat, plus low carbs.  Well, to my dear husband low carb is sinful, but I like to eat lower processed carb meals. 

This is something that can be mixed up with various herbs.  We grow fresh sage and basil, so that is what we used. 

Herb Crab Salad Stuffed Avocados
Adapted from August 2010 Everyday with Rachel Ray

2 T chopped fresh herbs (I used basil and sage)
1/3 C Mayonnaise
1 t Red Wine Vinegar
Pinch Pepper
2 Cloves Garlic
Salt
1/3 C chopped celery
8 oz. Lump Crabmeat
4 Pitted Avocados, Halved

Chop garlic cloves and sprinkle a little bit of salt on them.  Work chopped cloves with the side of the knife blade smashing the garlic against the cutting board until the garlic is pastelike. 

In a small bowl combine the fresh herbs, mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, smashed garlic, pepper, and celery; mix well.  Add in the lump crabmeat and spoon into the avocado halves.  Enjoy because these are delicious!

Aggie's Kitchen Roasted Veggie Pesto Pizza

I've been gone for a couple months; mostly busy with school and homework.  Downloading the pictures  for this pizza made me realize how many recipes I have to post.  It has been so long that  I had forgotten about some of the things I made.

This is by far one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten in my life.  It's a veggie lover's dream, and meat could also be added if desired.  I made a few modifications to the recipe posted below.  I made a basic pesto, which follows the pizza recipe.  I also bought a fresh cooked italian herb pizza crust from our local Farmer's Market.  That part is really up to one's taste and could be adjusted.  I hope you love it as much as we did!

Roasted Vegetable Pesto Pizza
Courtesy of Aggie's Kitchen

store bought or homemade pizza dough
1-2 red bell peppers, chopped (I used 2)
1-2 zucchinis, chopped (I used 2)
2 yellow squash, chopped
red onion, chopped (I used 1/2 of a large)
4-5 garlic cloves, crushed
store bought or homemade pesto
pine nuts
mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper

In a large bowl, toss veggies, olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread evenly on large baking sheet and place in a preheated 425 degree oven. Roast vegetables for approximately 20-25 minutes, tossing about halfway through.

Spread pizza dough out on flat surface. Work dough out, pulling and stretching gently until reaching desired size. I use a pizza stone and try to get the dough just slightly larger than the stone since it does tend to shrink back slightly.

Spread pesto evenly over pizza dough. Spread roasted vegetables over pesto. Top with pine nuts and mozzarella. Bake in 425 degree oven for approximately 15-20 minutes or until dough is golden brown and cheese is melted. Be sure to lift pizza up and check that the bottom is browning as well. If it is not, place on lower rack for a few more minutes.

Basic Basil Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (use the REAL stuff - it'll make all the difference)
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 garlic cloves (more or less depending on size of cloves)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a food processor, combine the basil and pine nuts; pulse several times.  Add the garlic and pulse a few more times until the garlic and pine nuts are tiny pieces.  Slowly drizzle in the EVOO while the food processor is still running.  Scrape down the sides and add the grated parm cheese and pulse until well blended.  Add salt and pepper, adjusting to your preferred taste.

If the basil or garlic are overpowring, add some more cheese, nuts and EVOO.  Approximately 1 C.

Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I've been obsessed with oven baked sweet potato fries for at least 10 years now.  They are so delicious and one can flavor them with a plethora of spice combinations.  Mexican sweet potato fries fit into my most recent meal.  They turned out excellent and they always disappear too fast.

Ingredients
2 Sweet Potatoes
2 T Olive Oil
1/2 T Cinnamon
1/2 T Cumin
sea salt

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  I was too lazy to get a teaspoon out, so I just used 1/2 tablespoon for the cumin and cinnamon.  I also added a sprinkle of sea salt w/out measuring it.

I halve my sweet potatoes first, then cut the half in half, then cut that into fries.  There might be an easier way, but this works for me, and I keep all my fingers. :)

In a bowl, toss the uncooked fries w/the olive oil, then add in the seasonings.  Spread the fries out on a baking sheet and place them in the oven.  They usually take anywhere from 20-30 minutes, and be sure to flip the fries half way through baking so they do not get burned on one side. 

Super simple, super tasty, and super healthy!

Getting ready to go in the oven

Delicious!!!