Macaroni & Cheese

Once again, I'm working on updating my foodie blog :).

I love cheese.  Like really love it.  Ergo, almost any kind of macaroni and cheese is on my "favorite foods" list.  Not the healthiest of choices.  But what can I say?  I like the good, but not-so-good-for-you stuff.

This is my mom's recipe.  Not that she made it up.  Just that this is the recipe she has made since I can remember.  Sometimes she substitutes the cheese for whatever cheese she happens to have in the fridge.  That's never as wonderful.  So here is the original recipe.  Because it's just too good not to share :).

Macaroni & Cheese

1 1/2 cups macaroni
3 cups shredded cheese (mixture of Monterey Jack, mild Cheddar, and Parmesan -- light on the Parmesan)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 onion, chopped (or 2 tablespoons freeze-dried or dehydrated onion)
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup milk

Boil macaroni according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

In a saucepan, make white sauce by melting butter over medium heat and adding onion and garlic.  Cook until onion is clear.  Add flour, whisking while adding (it will still be lumpy due to garlic and onion).  Stir until combined.  Add milk and combine.  Bring to a boil.  Boil 1 minute, then mix in cheese almost all of the cheese (reserve about 1/4 cup for sprinkling later) until melted.

Pour cooled/drained macaroni into cheese sauce and mix well.  Pour into greased 2-quart casserole dish and bake covered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Remove from oven, sprinkle with reserved cheese and bake uncovered another 5 to 10 minutes.

Can't-Eat-Just-One Cinnamon Rolls

I love baked goods.  And I love cinnamon rolls.  And I love the Taste of Home magazine.  I put more recipes into my "recipe binder" from a Taste of Home that I happen upon than from anywhere else.  It's probably a tad dangerous for me to come across one.  Because guaranteed I'm going to find about 10 recipes I want to try.

Well, as luck would have it, someone gave me the February/March 2015 Taste of Home to flip through and keep.  Oh my goodness.  And so then I had to make these cinnamon rolls. 

CAN'T-EAT-JUST-ONE CINNAMON ROLLS
1 package (or 2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup water (110 degrees)
1 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup instant vanilla pudding (approx half of a 3.4 ounce box)
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted (I omitted this)
Frosting:  (I made mine more of a glaze and added about 1/2 tablespoon milk -- I also cut this in half)
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon water

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in warm water.  In a bowl, beat milk and pudding mix on low speed 1 minute.  Let stand 1 minute.  Add egg, butter, salt, yeast mixture and 2 cups flour; beat on medium until smooth.  Stir in enough flour to form a soft dough (I used all 3 1/2 cups).

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth, about 6 to 8 minutes.  Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.  Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

For filing, in a bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon.  Punch down dough; divide in half.  Roll each into an 18x10 inch rectangle.  Brush each with 2 tablespoons butter; sprinkle with half of the sugar mixture.  Roll up, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal.  Cut each into 12 slices.

Place in a greased 13x9 inch baking pan.  Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes (mine took 20) or until golden brown.  In a bowl, beat frosting ingredients until creamy.  Spread over warm rolls.

Notes:  In addition to what I already noted in the recipe above...  I chose not to cut each half into 12.  I ended up with a total of 16 and I assume they were just bigger than what they otherwise would have been.


Verdict:  They are yummy.  We ate half the pan in less than a day.  And then had to give some away for fear that I would eat the rest (seriously don't need that!).  However, I have another recipe for cinnamon rolls that are overnight cinnamon rolls.  Which means I can do all the the work the night before and then just bake them in the morning.  So I will probably keep using that recipe, because it's amazing too and I like splitting it up.  But these are delicious, and I would otherwise keep making them.

Chicken Pillows

I recently wanted to find a somewhat "girlie" lunch to make for a couple friends who came over for a play date.  And I wanted to use what was in my house, so as not to have to make a special trip to the store!  Well, I hit upon a recipe shared by my dear friend Stacy many moons ago:  Chicken Pillows. 

True, when I made these for the fabulous ladies who came to luncheon with me (sounds so proper, doesn't it ;)), I didn't have all the ingredients called for.  But I made substitutions, and it worked out marvelously well.  Even the two toddlers who ate with us gobbled them down! 

But then, a couple nights ago, I made them the almost real way. (Almost, because I still used breadcrumbs in place of crushed up stiffing mix).  Once again, my toddler devoured her portion.  And it made plenty for me and hubby to enjoy as well :) (and after leftovers!). 

This recipe is originally from beckyhiggins.com.  I will share it below as written, with my changes in the parentheses.

CHICKEN PILLOWS
2-3 cooked chicken breasts, diced or shredded (or two cans of chicken if you're pinched for time)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
6 to 8 regular crescent rolls
stuffing mix, slightly ground up (I use plain breadcrumbs)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk

Combine chicken, cream cheese and seasonings.  Add a spoonful of mixture to center of crescent roll.  Wrap up dough and pinch the edges.  Dip in melted butter and then roll in stuffing mix (breadcrumbs).  Bake at 325 for 25 to 30 minutes.  Serve with mushroom sauce (combine soup and milk in saucepan and simmer over low heat until smooth and creamy).

I'm not sure why I haven't made this recipe more often.  I included it in our family cookbook we made for our 2008 Family Reunion, because when I'd had them at Stacy's, they were so delicious!  And then I never got around to making them.  Well, no longer to be true!  These are pretty quick and easy, especially if you already have some chicken to use.  The first time I made these, for the lunch, I subbed shredded cheddar for the cream cheese and puff pastry for the crescent rolls (it's what I had on hand) and used canned chicken and my friends said it was enjoyable.  So I think you can take some liberties with this and still come up with a great meal!

Pumpkin Pie Green Smoothie

Some of you may be aware that I've been on a green smoothie kick as of late.  The truth is:  I'm a terrible vegetable-eater.  I like my food to taste delicious, and veggies that aren't totally dressed up (which sometimes takes some creativity and effort) just don't appeal to me. 

But I like V-8 juice. 

And I like smoothies.

So clearly, getting my veggies in a liquid manner seems to work for me.  And so I've been doing the green smoothie thing. 

Today, I also decided to work on getting rid of some of the (copious amounts of) pureed squash we have hanging around our house.  I'm not complaining about this, as I love having all this stuff at my fingertips for making breads and pies, etc.  It's just that I recognize I need to actually use it ;).  We got squash from our own garden last summer, and we also got a 20-pound winter squash from my in-laws.  Ergo, we have lots of pureed squash in our freezers.

So today I decided to pinterest some pumpkin smoothie recipes.  And lo and behold, I found one that was a green smoothie as well!  So I had to try it.  Even if it isn't fall ;).  I found the original recipe here.  But below is how I adapted it to my personal tastes (and what I had on hand).

PUMPKIN PIE GREEN SMOOTHIE
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
sprinkle of cloves
sprinkle of nutmeg
1 ripe banana
3 small handfuls fresh baby spinach (probably about 3 cups, loosely packed)
1 tablespoon honey (ours was raw, since we got it from Jeremy's brother who has bee hives)

Add ingredients to blender (I suggest putting everything in but spinach and banana.  Then add the spinach on top and then the banana to weigh it down).  Blend on high (or smoothie setting) a couple minutes until well-blended and smooth.


This wasn't as sweet as some of the green smoothies I've made (like I said, my vegetables have to taste good...).  That's why I added honey initially, because the banana wasn't sweet enough for me.  But once I added the honey, I really liked it -- even though it still wasn't as sweet as other smoothies I've made which have more fruits.  And Lynnaea liked it a lot too.  She came back for more 3 times!  So I say it's a win :). 

Also, the recipe above makes about 3 cups, so cut it back as needed.  I just wanted to make sure there was plenty to go around ;). 

So yep, I used up some squash...  Got in some spinach...  It's all good :)!

Frankenmuffins

I don't know about most people, but as for myself...  I know I could do better at getting veggies into my body.  And more importantly to me at this point, as a mother, I want to get more veggies into my sweet little girl.  Her diet is determined largely by me (and somewhat by her dad, and I'll admit it:  he's a healthier eater than I am).  So it is up to me to make sure she is getting what she needs.  And, I often fall short on the veggies.  It's one of the reason I'm looking forward to a high-end blender and some green smoothies! 

Because I want my veggies to taste yummy.  And I'm always on the lookout for delicious recipes that include vegetables.  My stir-fry veggies recipe has helped me a lot.  I really like getting a variety of vegetables that way.  My husband loves it.  And so does my toddler.  But I don't make them every day, of course.  And so it's nice to have other recipes to turn to :). 

Well, this recipe is bomb.  My friend Lea saved some Family Fun magazines for me -- figuring I may find some family fun stuff to do with my young family!  And I found several awesome things.  Including a recipe for Frankenmuffins!  Granted, they are named to be suited for Halloween.  And I probably will make them for Halloween for sure!  But I wanted to try them out, and since I had all the ingredients (thanks to my THRIVE Spinach!), I felt motivated to do it today :).

FRANKENMUFFINS
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup milk (I used whole milk because it's what I had in the fridge)
6 ounces (6 cups packed) fresh baby spinach  (I used 3 cups THRIVE Chopped Spinach and rehydrated it)
1 large ripe banana
2 teaspoons vanilla (I used THRIVE Pure Vanilla Powder)

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 16 muffin cups with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, combine first 7 ingredients and stir with a mix until well combined. 

In a blender, add the oil, milk, and spinach.  Puree until smooth.  Add banana and vanilla and blend until all is well combined.  Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until completely mixed (I used my stand mixer).

Fill each prepared muffin well two-thirds full.  Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes (mine took 17).

And seriously...  This recipe is amazing.  The batter tastes good too, just fyi.  And there's no raw egg, so it's pregnant-lady and toddler friendly ;).  But the real test is the muffin itself, right? And they are so good.  Especially about 10 minutes after I pulled them out of the oven! 

And so now you have an adult's opinion on them.  I think they taste great.  And I love that they have spinach and we're getting veggies.  And that there is whole wheat, which is also good stuff. 

But what does my toddler think?  So, I gave her half of one for a snack.  She gobbled that thing up and asked for more.  Which I didn't give her, as it's close to dinner time.  But I am thrilled that she liked it so much!  And the way I see it, these could even be used as a breakfast.  What a great way to get some veggies in you first thing in the morning!

So moms...  If you want something new to get veggies into your kiddos, give this recipe a try!  I will be making it again and again!

Energy Bites

I found this recipe on a blog about 2 1/2 years ago.  It was while I was still working.  They seemed awesome.  And doable.  And easy.  So I tried them.  I made them my way (read:  the unhealthier way).  The original recipe calls for all-natural peanut butter (the kind without added anything) and agave.  I have neither of those things typically.  So I used good ol' store-bought Skippy (or JIF -- whatever happens to be selling at Costco at the time) and honey. 

Anyway, they are bomb.  And surely they pack a punch in the energy department.  And, compared to many other options (like Twinkies or something), they are a healthier snack option.  I think.

So here goes, with my recipe:

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup honey
2 cups dry nonfat powdered milk
2 cups oats
chocolate chips to taste

In a medium bowl, mix together honey and peanut butter until well-blended and smooth.

In a large bowl, mix together powdered milk and oats.  Then add the honey mixture to the milk mixture.  Like this:

Mix them together.  I start out with a utensil (and I recommend something sturdy)...  But I usually end up just mixing with my hands.  It gets really thick.  In fact, yesterday, I started getting a hand cramp from the mixing.  Just a little forewarning ;). 

As the mixture comes together, toss in your chocolate chips (to your liking...  I use semi-sweet.  And I use quite a few, as I like them.  However, you could even leave them out if you're not a fan of chocolate.  But who does that!?! ;)).  Mix those in (again, probably easiest by hand).

Form into 1-inch (or so) balls. 

I find that sometimes the mix is still too dry, so I've added a little water at a time until it's more manageable.  I often still end up with some crumbs that just won't mix in and shape into balls...  No worries... I just eat that with milk. 

Anyway, they are yummy.  And they just may cause me to surpass my target weight this pregnancy :/.

Happy eating!

[Scrubs] Party!

I am an avid [Scrubs] fan.  It was a TV show that started in 2001 and ran through 2009.  There were technically 9 seasons.  But the last season was a complete bomb, so I just pretend there were only 8.  Because they ended Season 8 perfectly, and I've never understood why they brought the show back -- with some major change-ups -- for a 9th season.  Ergo, I ignore Season 9 and say it ended with Season 8.

Anyway, for years (and I do mean years), my friend April and I have been making plans to have a [Scrubs] party.  After all, we'd had so much fun with our "The Office" party several years ago; so why not?  And so, over the course of those years, I started taking notes as I watched the show...  Foods featured in some hilarious or significant way.  Rockin' songs that played in various episodes.  Cool trivia questions for a trivia game.  We didn't know when we'd manage to have this party, but we knew it would happen one day.  So we were going to be prepared!

Well, then my husband surprised me with the idea of taking a long vacation to Alabama this year.  And I knew -- I just knew -- it was time for the [Scrubs] party to take place!  

And did it ever!  

Yes, I totally went to a thrift store and bought scrubs for this.  And yes, I totally took up luggage space for said scrubs and hubby's chemistry lab coat from his college days (so he could dress up like a doctor...).  He questioned my sanity in this usage of space.  I told him it's all about the fun and the memories.  

So the following pictures were the foods we had.  The season in which the food was featured (where applicable) is noted on the card.

Apple juice in specimen cups.  Hahahaha.  Because The Todd would get free apple juice that way :). 

The good doctor examining the specimen...  (He thought we were totally gross for doing this!)

You do have it admit it looks pretty authentic!  And yes, some of us did drink from these as cups.  Cheers!

 

April actually had Mello Yello in hers...  It looked like a healthier specimen, quite honestly :).

Then there were chocolate bears, because that is J.D.'s nickname for Turk.

And Bit O Honey, because after he's diagnosed with diabetes, Turk is only allowed one candy bar every 6 months.  He finally settles on a Bit O Honey, because it gets stuck in his teeth and he can enjoy it longer!

And bugles from the time J.D. imagines himself sitting with Turk and they both have bugles on like fingernails and are cackling like witches.

"Mmmm... mulattos!"  "They're milanos, idiot."  "Oh, that makes sense.  I always thought that was a racist name for a cookie."

I can't remember why the root beer.  But it was there :).  Guess I need to watch Season 5 yet again to remember!

Pizza rolls, because Carla could check the results of the pregnancy test once they were done cooking in the microwave!  (This was Turk's explanation.)

And, finally, fruit cups...  Because these poor new doctors had so many student loans, they would steal in bulk from the hospital to make ends meet...  And the fruit cups were what they ended up with a lot of.  (Not saying I agree with stealing... But they were a good addition to the food selection ;).)

The awesome [Scrubs] playlist!  So much fun to listen to all these songs!  There really is some great music on the episodes.  I discovered many new favorites from watching the show :).

And here we all are -- and the little kids each got a toy doctor gadget -- so they were included in the dress-up ;).

Notice we are almost all in some sort of medical attire :).  I'm not the only crazy person :)!

And here are me, Julie, and April.  So. much. fun!

Seriously, this was a great night.  I have the awesomest friends.  And... I can't do this all on my own... I'm no super[woman]! ;).