Happy Blog-iversary!!

I cannot believe that it's been a year since I started this little thing. I really half expected it to be a blog that I posted in for about a month and would then let fall to the wayside.

But I am not only proud of my dedication, but very proud of how far I've come, both in the kitchen and behind the camera. I am by no means relatively skilled in either area, but I think I've made some progress!

To date, 464 people subscribe to this blog through Google Reader! That is beyond baffling to me, especially when there are so many blogs that are waaaaay better.

This little project of mine has grown into more than just a hobby; it's like another child. I have fallen in love with selecting creations to post and then wrangling with them to get cool pictures.

Happy Birthday, little blog - and many more!

PS - Not only is today the first birthday of my blog, but it is also the 10th anniversary of my first date with my husband. WOW!!

FiberOne Bars

My breakfasts during the week are typically eaten in the car or at my desk while grading papers, so I always need something portable, not too messy, and of course, delicious. For that reason, one of my favorite things to eat are Fiber One bars; in fact, I usually keep a whole box in my desk drawer.

A few months ago, Brooke posted a DIY recipe for these little bars, and I quickly made them. However, I experienced the same dilemma she did - crumbly, trail-mix type very-non-bars. In fact, I don't even think I blogged about them.


So I was very excited when she posted a revision. Her post, which originates over at Must Love Chutney, promises to yield bars that much better hold their shape - and they sure do! They don't taste quite as good as the original, but they are really good.

Warning: Be prepared to smack your husband's hands away multiple times as he tries to pick the chocolate off of the top, resulting in some chocolate-bald spots!

Now... can anyone help me do a fake-out version of the Mocha Chocolate bar...?


Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups Fiber One cereal
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds or peanuts
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup honey
• 2/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional)
• I also added about a teaspoon or two of cocoa powder
  

In a large bowl, stir together the cereal, oats and nuts. Set aside. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Combine the brown sugar and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat just until boiling, then remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, salt, vanilla and cinnamon until smooth. Pour over the cereal and oat mixture, stirring quickly (as sugar mixture cools it hardens quickly). Immediately press mixture into the prepared pan using the back of a large spatula. Lightly press chocolate chips into top of bars (if using). Allow to cool slightly, then cut into squares. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 18 bars.

Texas Chicken Quesadillas

I have a confession.

When Jenn first said that she was making these quesadillas for our most recent lunch, I was skeptical and kind of didn't think I'd like them. I'm not really a BBQ kind of girl, so when we got to her house, I dutifully took one to be polite.

Wowzers. I don't know if it was the carmelized onions, or the honey-BBQ combo, or WHAT, but these babies were GOOD. The five of us totally chowed down, and I have to admit that I definitely ate my fair share. They are delicious!

Oh, and I've totally added a "quesadilla maker" to my growing list of little appliances that I want... (waffle maker, panini press... the list goes on!)

Funnily enough, when I made them, Ryan wouldn't really eat them. In fact, he kept pulling out the onions and throwing them on the floor! Then the next day, I gave them to him for lunch, and again, he wouldn't eat them. So I made him something else, but he rejected it and devoured the quesadillas. What a nut.


Ingredients

• 2 TBSP of oil
• 1-1/2 onions (vidalia is preferred) sliced into rings
• 1 TBSP honey
• 2 chicken breasts, diced
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
• 1 Cup shredded mexican cheese
• 8 ten inch flour tortillas

Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until they begin to carmelize. Mix in the honey and stir until it is golden brown. Remove and set aside.
Place the remaining oil in the pan and add the chicken. Cook through over a medium high heat. Stir in the BBQ sauce to evenly coat the chicken.

Place the chicken, onions and cheese onto a tortilla, top with the other tortilla and cook in your quesadilla maker about 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can cook them in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Mocha Ice Cream

I wanted to make a fun ice cream flavor for when my parents and brothers came over for dinner. My two favorite things in the world (besides Ryan, of course) are chocolate and coffee, so I set off on a search to find an ice cream recipe that would satisfy both.

This Mocha Ice Cream from myrecipes.com was perfect! It might be actually a TOUCH too rich, but that's really okay - that just means that I have a little less, and a) the ice cream lasts longer, and b) I don't get as fat. ;)


The only suggestion I have is to let the mixture sit in the fridge for much longer. After 2 hours, mine was not cold enough, and it didn't mix in the machine; I had to put the machine, with the mixture inside, in the freezer for another 45 minutes before it fluffed up.


Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package semisweet chocolate squares, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
• 4 egg yolks

Microwave chocolate in a 1-quart microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 minutes or until melted, stirring twice; stir in brewed coffee. Set chocolate mixture aside.

Bring whipping cream, half-and-half, 1/2 cup sugar, and coffee granules to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar and coffee dissolve.

Beat yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar at high speed with an electric mixer until thick and pale. With mixer at low speed, gradually pour hot cream mixture into yolk mixture; return to saucepan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 to 8 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate mixture. Cover and chill 2 hours.

Pour chilled mixture into freezer container of a 5-quart hand-turned or electric freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Pack freezer with additional ice and rock salt, and let stand 1 hour. Serve ice cream with cookies, if desired.

Three Cheese Penne and Chicken Florentine

Brooke posted this Three Cheese Penne and Chicken Florentine dinner awhile ago, and I starred it right away. I, too, get "Dinner Tonight" from myrecipes.com, but I don't know how this one escaped being saved by me!


I followed many of Brooke's adaptations and made some of my own. This is perhaps one of my favorite things about cooking; you make minor changes, and then someone else makes minor changes, and then someone else... and you have all of these cool variations on the same dish. I really enjoy making a dish "mine"!

Anyway, this dinner was so amazingly delicious. It was very comfort-food-ish, but I didn't feel super guilty about it. I will absolutely be making this again.


Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 3 cups thinly sliced mushrooms - omitted only because I forgot to buy them
  
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 tsp minced garlic
  
• 3 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) carton skim ricotta
• 4 cups hot cooked penne (about 8 ounces uncooked tube-shaped pasta)
• 2 cups shredded roasted skinless, boneless chicken breast
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup fat free half and half
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

Preheat oven to 425°.

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat, add mushrooms, garlic, and onion; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add spinach, basil, and black pepper; sauté 3 minutes or just until spinach wilts.

Combine spinach mixture, ricotta cheese, pasta, chicken, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, milk, and soup in a large bowl. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Very Berry Muffins

I had such a blast baking cookies and Rice Krispies treats with Ryan, and he really seems to enjoy helping me in the kitchen.


I was in the mood to bake today, and thought muffins would be a good culinary activity. Plus, Ryan could have them for breakfast this week - he loves eating things he helped create!


I went digging through my Reader to find something that was reasonably healthy and didn't require a trip to the store. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when I found the perfect muffin on my friend Brooke's blog (I believe Brooke found them here).

I stuck with her adaptations, and the only thing I changed was doing half whole-wheat for the flour.


And the verdict? Awesome. Ryan inhaled his, and my husband ate three of them at once!

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp butter (melted and cooled)
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar(plus additional for sprinkling)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries (thawed and divided)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray muffin tin with cooking spray.

Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup berries and milk and mash well. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar; add egg and beat well. Gradually mix in dry ingredients by hand. Mix in berry/milk mixture, followed by remaining berries and mix until just combined.

Using two spoons pour batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each chamber 3/4 full. Sprinkle top of muffins with sugar. Bake for 22-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Creamy Ziti with Peas and Ham

Although my dinner didn't turn out quite as creamy as Rachel's, I am still glad that I cooked this dinner from Culinary Kicks. I really love the taste of ham and peas together, and, well, if you haven't figured out yet that I am in desperate need of a 12-step program for pasta-holics, then we have a problem.

I think next time I would reserve a little extra cooking water, or perhaps add a little bit of cream. But other than that, this dinner was really good.


Creamy Ziti with Peas and Ham
(adapted from America's Test Kitchen)

• 1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 4 ounces thick sliced ham, diced
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb small pasta (I used mini ziti, the recipe called for mini shells)
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (half of one lemon squeezed)

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil for the pasta.

2. Combine the ricotta, Parmesan, butter, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, in a serving bowl large enough to hold the pasta.

3. Cook the ham in the oil in a 12 inch skillet until the ham is cooked through and browned. Drain onto a plate lined with paper towels, reserving the oil.

4. Cook the onions in the oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Remove from heat and add to the ricotta mixture, stir to mix well.

5. When the water is boiling, stir in 1 tbsp salt and the pasta. Cook stirring often, until the pasta is almost tender, but still a little firm to the bite. Add the peas during the final 30 seconds of the pasta cooking.

6. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the shells and peas. Whisk the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water into the ricotta mixture until smooth. Add the shells and peas and toss to coat. Add the reserved ham, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Save the remaining 1/4 cup pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce before serving.

Roasted Potatoes

I was inspired by a Crisco ad, although I can't seem to find the ad that I ripped out and used as a basis. Below you'll find roughly what I did, although this side is ridiculously forgiving and versatile. Go with what you like and/or what you have on hand!

I haven't made potatoes in awhile unless I've mashed them, and these were a nice change. I am definitely saving the rest of the bag to make these again soon.


Ingredients

• Cooking spray
  
• 2 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and chopped into bite-sized chunks
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 425. Spray a jelly roll pan with cooking spray.

Place the potatoes and oil into a large ziploc bag and add the rest of the ingredients. Toss around to coat.

Spread potatoes in a single layer on pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until fork-tender.

Dinner Divas: Chicken Francese

This was a Dinner Divas pick from, um, December. Yeah, I'm on top of things...

It was worth the wait, though. Tyler Florence's Chicken Francese was very, very quick to put together and tasted delicious. The chicken was so tender and juicy and I regretted not doubling - we had no leftovers!

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 11/2 pounds)
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, with rind, cut in thin rounds
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them. Pound the chicken breasts with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/4-inch thick. Put some flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. In a wide bowl, beat the eggs with 3 tablespoons of water to make an egg wash. Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet.

Dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, and then dip them in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off. When the oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and fry for 2 minutes on each side until golden, turning once. Remove the chicken cutlets to a large platter in a single layer to keep warm.

Toss the lemon slices into the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the wine, broth, and lemon juice, simmer for 5 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly. Roll the butter in some flour and add it to the skillet, this will thicken the sauce. Stir to incorporate and dissolve the flour. Reduce the heat to medium-low and return the chicken to the pan; place the lemon slices on top of the cutlets. Simmer gently for 2 minutes to heat the chicken through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

When the most recent issue of Everyday Food arrived in my mailbox the other day, I tore out this recipe so fast and made it the next night.

I don't usually cook or bake with peanut butter since Ryan is allergic, but I really couldn't help myself. These things are SO GOOD!


They are slightly denser than most cookies I make (similar to the zucchini-chip cookies I've made) but they are good. Really good. Really, really good.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup peanut butter (I used chunky but I don't think it matters)
• 4 TB (1/2 stick) unsalted butted, room temp
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 8oz semisweet chocolate, cut into chunks

Preheat oven to 350.

In a bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat peanut butter, butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until smooth. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto two large baking sheets. Bake until golden, 13 to 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

Yields approximately 36 cookies.