Brown Sugar Scrub

 

Here's a simply yet effective recipe for a moisturizing and exfoliating scrub.  

What you'll need:

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp. vanilla

Chicken Penne Bake

I found this recipe on Pinterest (my new obsession) and loved the fact that it was easy to make and sounded a dish right up my alley.  It makes enough for leftovers too :)

What you'll need:
1 (16 oz) box regular or whole wheat penne pasta
2 chicken breasts
6 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp rosemary
1 (24 oz) jar tomato sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

What to do:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a small baking dish, and bake the chicken 25-30 minutes or until it is no longer pink in the center (if I'm lazy I just boil the chicken breasts) . Cut into bite-sized pieces, and then shred using a fork.
2. Cook pasta according to directions.
3. When finished cooking the pasta, add the spinach into the hot water with the pasta and stir just until the spinach wilts. Pour the pasta and spinach into a colander to strain.
4. Pour the sauce into a large pot, and add the spices. Simmer over low-medium heat. Add in the shredded chicken and stir until well-combined.
5. In a large bowl (or the large pot you have the sauce in), combine the chicken and pasta mixtures with half the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
6. Pour into a greased 9×13″ baking dish, and sprinkle with the other halves of the cheeses. Bake for about 20 minutes or until heated through. 

BBQ Chicken Pizza

In case it wasn't already obvious, I love chicken.  I could eat it every day for dinner and be happy.  Unfortunately, my family does not share this same obsession.  However, we are a pizza-crazed family and when I discovered this recipe, I thought I had a safe excuse to sneak in chicken for dinner.  This recipe looked easy to make, which is always a plus on my list.  Also, my dad has been big on making homemade pizza recently and I took full advantage of his pizza dough making abilities.  So, when I got home from student teaching my kindergarteners, all I had to do was prepare the toppings and pop the pizzas in the oven! My family and I loved this recipe and we will definitely be recreating it soon.

What you'll need:
1 store bought pizza crust or refrigerated crust (or 1 lb. homemade crust)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup cooked and shredded chicken
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 orange bell pepper; diced
1-3/4 cups (7 oz.) Monterey Jack Shredded Cheese
Chopped cilantro; to taste (optional)

What to do:
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Place pizza crust on foil-lined baking sheet.
2. Spread barbecue sauce on pizza crust. Add shredded chicken, onion, and bell peppers on top of the barbecue sauce. Top with cheese.
3. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown. Cut into squares; garnish with cilantro.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti.  So easy to make, yet so delicious (who doesn't love carbs??).  In my house, spaghetti is one of those go-to dinners when you are too lazy to think of anything creative to make.  And sure, store-bought spaghetti sauce is convenient and easy but it is definitely not always the best.  This is the recipe for the spaghetti sauce that my mom's side of the family has been making forever! The good thing is that you can't really screw it up and can always adjust spices and other flavors to mix it up a little bit :) 

What you'll need:
1 lb. ground beef
1 tb. minced garlic
1/2-1 medium onion, diced
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (My mom cans tomatoes herself, so I just use that.. how convenient!)
1 small can tomato paste
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
dried basil, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper (to taste)

What to do:
1. Brown hamburger, add onion and garlic near end. 
2. Add salt, pepper, dried basil, and Italian seasoning to taste.
3. Add tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce; simmer, stirring occasionally.

Pretzel Bites

Soft pretzels are one of my favorite snacks but I don't get to eat them that often since there aren't many places around me that sell them.  So, when I came across this recipe, I knew I had to add it to my list of things to make.  These are great for just munching on, or if you are having a party at your house (especially during football season!).  The recipe makes a pretty decent amount, too.  They are a bit time consuming to make when you have to cut up the dough and boil them for 30 seconds but other than that, they're easy to make if you follow the recipe correctly :) I'll definitely be making these again!

What you'll need:
1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 F)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast (I used instant)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled just slightly
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
12 c.  water
3/4 cup baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
coarse sea salt

What to do:

1. On low speed, mix the warm water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.

2. Add the salt and 4 1/2 cups of the flour 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 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl.  Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a lightly floured surface and knead into a ball with your hands.

3. Spray a bowl with cooking spray (or oil with with vegetable oil), add the dough and turn to coat.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

4. Preheat the oven to 425 F.  Spray two baking sheets liberally with cooking spray (if you don't, the bottoms of your pretzel bites will be missing once you take them off- trust me).

5. Bring the 12 c. water to a boil in a large sauce pan over high heat and add the baking soda.

6. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each.  Roll each piece into a long rope measuring about 22 inches.  Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make pretzel bites.  Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches of about 10-15 for 30 seconds.  Remove with a large slotted spoon and place the pretzel bites on the prepared baking sheets, making sure they aren't touching.  Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt.  Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.

7. Remove to a cooling rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating.

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

As a lover of bruschetta on toasted french bread, I saw this recipe and figured this might be a slightly healthier way of enjoying bruschetta (no matter how much I still love carbs- and will continue to eat more of them than I probably should). The smell of this grilling reminded me how much I love summer and how much I'm going to miss my fresh basil when fall and winter come around.. I'll just have to enjoy it while I can!

What you'll need:

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato dressing, divided

2 tomato, finely chopped

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil leaves

What to do:

1. Place chicken in resealable plastic bag. Add 1/4 cup dressing and seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with dressing. Refrigerate 10 minutes but I recommend starting to marinate the chicken in the morning- the longer it marinates the better!

2. Place a large sheet of heavy-duty foil over half of grill grate: heat grill to medium heat.  Meanwhile, remove chicken from bag; discard bag and dressing. 

3. Grill chicken on uncovered side of grill for about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/4 dressing, tomatoes, cheese and basil.

4. Turn the chicken over and place cooked-side up, on foil on the grill. Top with tomato mixture. Close lid. Grill 8 minutes or until chicken is done.

Lime Chicken Tacos

 

When at college, I would frequently make chicken tacos.  They're one of my favorite foods, easy to make, and are great leftovers.  However, I would make the basic tacos by shredding chicken breasts and mixing in store-bought taco mix.  When I came across this recipe, I knew I had to add it to my dinner menu.  After making them, I know I will make these over and over and are definitely a step up from my past college cuisine.  After finishing them, I realized the only thing that would make this meal better is a fresh margarita and am noting it for next time.  

What you'll need:

1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into small pieces)
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
½ - 1 lime (juiced)
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper½ onion (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
10 (6 inch) flour tortillas

Pico de gallo

Lettuce

Mexican blend cheese

Sour cream, guacamole

What to do:1. Add a little oil to the pan and sauté chicken pieces in the pan for 20 minutes over medium-high heat. 2. Add vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, green onions, garlic and oregano. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
3. Warm tortillas and add chicken mixture to each one evenly. Top with cheese, pico de gallo, lettuce, and other condiments.

 

Chicken Crescent Squares

I love these.  Pillsbury's crescent rolls are the greatest dinner rolls I have ever eaten and using these to create the most tasty, flaky chicken puffs is perfection.  These are easy to make yet you have to have patience folding the crescent squares- they love to break.  Nonetheless, they are quick and most importantly, absolutely delicious.

Chicken Crescent Squares

What you'll need:
3 oz. cream cheese
2 tbs. melted butter
2 cups cooked cubed chicken
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 tbs. milk
1 tsp. dried chives and onion
1/2 cup peas and carrots
1 8 oz. can Pillsbury Crescent rolls
bread crumbs

What to do:
1. Blend cream cheese and butter until smooth.
2. Add chicken, salt, pepper, milk, chives, onion, peas and carrots.  Mix well.

3. Separate crescent rolls into 4 rectangles and seal so there are no perforations.  Spoon 1/2 cup chicken mix in center. Pull 4 corners together and seal all edges. Brush top with melted butter and sprinkle bread crumbs.

4. Bake on ungreased teflon sheet for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Shark Week Inspired Cupcakes

I am aware that not everyone is fortunate enough to know what Shark Week is.  For those unfortunate souls, it is a series of shark shows that goes on for a week on the Discovery Channel towards the end of each summer.  Since Shark Week is this week, I decided to make some cupcakes inspired by this wonderful television program.  Needless to say, I'm addicted and wish that it came around more than once a year. 

Shark Fin Cupcakes

What you'll need:
Cupcake mix (I used chocolate)
Fluffy white or vanilla frosting
Blue food color spray (available at most craft stores)
White fondant (available at most craft stores)

What to do:
1. Make cupcakes as you normally would.
2. While cupcakes are baking, roll out fondant until less than 1/4 inch thick.  On a piece of paper, draw a stencil of a shark fin and cut it out.  Place stencil over fondant and create enough fins for each cupcake (as a future teacher, I have learned to create more than needed- you never know when you're going to mess up!).  Once the fins are cut out, spray each side with the food color spray and set in freezer so they stay solid when placed in the cupcake.
3. Once the cupcake is completely cooled, pipe on frosting in a spiral shape.  Lightly spray with blue food color spray (this is supposed to be sort of like water... cheesy, I know).
4. Place stiffened shark fins in the middle of the cupcake.

Kitchen Gadgets (that I can't live without!)

Since I haven't had much time to cook lately, I thought it'd be fun to post a different kitchen gadget every week that I seem to grab frequently.  The first one I decided to do is the garlic press.  I'm the kind of person who hates her hands smelling like the food she's preparing and garlic is one of the items that I despise smelling like.  Using minced garlic that you buy in a jar is okay but freshly pressed garlic is the way to go.  However, when trying to mince garlic cloves with a knife, it's extremely hard not to reek of garlic for the following days.  With the invention of the garlic press, this crisis is averted.  It's so easy to use and clean and there really is no more need to buy minced garlic! The one I use is from Kuhn Rikon Switzerland and I absolutely recommend it! In fact, it was rated the best garlic press on America's Test Kitchen. All you have do is place a clove in the center and squeeze the handles together.  You don't even need to peel it-- the garlic will still come out just fine :)

Marinated Pork Tenderloin

As I've mentioned in my Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork post, I thought I wasn't a pork fan... here's another dish that disproves this past belief.  This pork tenderloin is juicy, tender, and has the best marinade.  It also is super easy to prepare and you can let it marinade in the refrigerator as long as you want-- the longer, the better! Trust me.

Pork Tenderloin

What you'll need:
9 tbs. honey
9 tbs. lemon juice
3 3/4 tbs. soy sauce
2 1/2 tbs. dry sherry
5 cloves garlic, pressed

5-6 lb. pork tenderloin
1 large zip-lock bag to fit the marinade and tenderloin in

What to do:
1. Combine marinade ingredients, mix.
2. Place tenderloins and marinade into zip-lock bag and seal, making sure there's as little air in the bag as possible.  No need to thaw the tenderloin beforehand; you can just put it in the refrigerator and let it thaw and marinate as long as you want!
3. When ready to grill, grill tenderloins for 8 minutes on each side, then place them on their sides and cook each side for 4 minutes each.
4. Tent in foil for 5 minutes.

What an amateur...

Here's some more attempts at photography.. key word "attempts".  Who says amateurs can't have some fun playing around?

These hamsters made me want to cozy up just like them! So precious :)

My adorable baby brother.  6th graders are still babies right?

A river when I visited Paderborn, Germany during spring break my sophomore year in college. Fun fact: It's the smallest river in Paderborn!

My gorgeous goddaughter on the 4th of July last year. I'm terrified of sparklers after burning my hand when I was little but am glad she enjoyed hers :)

Shrimp Pasta

I made this tonight and this has been a family favorite for a while now.  The fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic for this dish make a huge difference and would recommend trying to grow your own herbs and such if you have a green thumb.  It'll save you money, which is always great :) Hope you love this dish as much as I do.  Is it too soon for leftovers?


Shrimp Pasta

What you'll need:
1/4 c. virgin olive oil
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
8 cloves fresh garlic, chopped small (a garlic press is my best friend, I don't know about you!)
20 large uncooked shrimp
5 large ripe tomatoes, cut into cubes (I use Roma)
1 c. fresh basil chopped
1 c. white wine
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2-1 tsp. red pepper flakes 
1/2 lb. linguini pasta

What to do:
1. In large saucepan on high heat, add olive oil and sauté onion and garlic until light golden brown (one of my favorite smells ever!)  2. Add shrimp, tomato, basil, white wine, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper; lower flame, cover and simmer 10-15 minutes.   3. Cook pasta and drain.  Combine with prepared sauce.     

Grilled Asparagus with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Yum.  This was a more tangy side dish due to the Italian dressing and went perfectly with the steak dinner I had.  With only 3 ingredients apart from the asparagus it was fast and easy to make, which is a huge plus.  Just combine the ingredients, drizzle over asparagus,  and throw on the grill on a heavy-duty foil "pan"! Wait less than 10 minutes and it's ready to serve.  Definitely will make this again!

Grilled Asparagus
with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

What you'll need: 
1 lb. fresh asparagus spears
2 tbsp. light Italian Dressing
1 tbsp. minced roasted garlic
1 1/2 tbsp. honey

What to do:
1. Preheat grill to medium-high (350-400 degrees Fahrenheit).  Fold up the edges of a sheet of heavy-duty foil to form a pan.  Snap the tough ends off asparagus; place spears in foil pan. 

2. In a small bowl combine dressing, garlic, and honey; drizzle over asparagus.  Place foil pan with asparagus on grill.  Grill, covered, 6-8 minutes, or until asparagus is crisp-tender, turning occasionally.

Raspberry Lemonade Bars

In celebration of summer, these bars seemed perfect for a barbeque.  When eaten chilled, these raspberry lemonade bars were both delicious and refreshing.  After stumbling across this recipe, I knew I had to make them! However, after following the recipe exactly, the bars still did not want to cook properly.  The instructions said to bake them for 20-25 minutes but when that amount of time passed, the middle was still liquid.  By the time the middle was cooked to where it needed to be (after almost 45-50 minutes), the edges of the filling started to become more golden and the overall color seemed to dull down.  However, the taste was spared and they were DELICIOUS.  I added a tad more sugar to the recipe so they would not be as tart but they were still tart enough like a fresh glass of lemonade and boy were they refreshing! Happy baking!

raspberry lemonade bars

for the crust:
9 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick, plus one tablespoon)
1/4 cup (50g) superfine sugar (or regular granulated)
1 cup (100g) of unbleached all-purpose flour
pinch salt

for the filling:
1 1/2 cups (287g) superfine sugar (or regular granulated)
3 egg whites
1 egg
2/3 cup (150mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 3 lemons)
2 tablespoons lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
2/3 cup (65g) unbleached, all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1-2 cups (150-275g) of frozen raspberries, defrosted
1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 degrees Celsius). Line a 8×8″ * square baking pan with a strip of parchment paper (8×14″) that covers the bottom and overlaps on either side. (This is so after it cools, you can pull out the entire pan of lime bars and cut them neatly. You can omit this step completely, though. You don’t even need to butter the pan.)

2. Cream butter, sugar, and salt with an electric mixer. Mix in flour until just incorporated. Flour hands and press dough into 8×8″ square baking pan, so that it comes up about a 1/2 inch around the sides.

Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Sandwiches

 Confession.  I have been known to not be big on pork.  However, the more I try, the more I slowly admit that a lot of pork recipes are delicious.  When I came across this recipe, I was automatically drawn in by the Dr. Pepper ingredient.  It intrigued me and for my family's Fourth of July barbeque, I insisted on trying it out.  Holy moly.  The combination of the juicy, tender, and flavorful pork with the soft pretzel rolls was absolutely perfect.  What made it even more enjoyable was the fact that it was so easy to make! This is one recipe that I will definitely make again and I know my family would deeply appreciate it. :)

Enjoy! I know I did, as well as my family and guests at the BBQ :)

What you’ll need:
5-6 pound Boston butt (I used boneless)
1 onion – minced
4 teaspoons cayenne pepper (I only had 1.5 tsp and was too lazy to go to the store but it was still amazing)
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 cups Dr. Pepper
bbq sauce
sandwich buns/rolls (I would definitely recommend fresh pretzel rolls but any will do.  More of a contrast in color between the meat and rolls would have been ideal-but who cares when it tastes so delicious?!)

What to do:
1. Turn your slow cooker to 225 degrees. Add onion, place Boston butt on top {fat side down}. Sprinkle cayenne, dry mustard, brown sugar and Worcestershire on top.
2. Pour apple cider vinegar and Dr. Pepper over top. Cover and cook approximately 6-8 hours, until meat is tender and pulls apart using two forks. {Check meat every so often and turn about half way through}
3. Remove pork from slow cooker and place into a large bowl {discard liquid}. Using 2 forks pull pork pork apart. Discard any bones and excess fat. Once pork is completely pulled add desired amount of bbq sauce of choice. Mix to combine.
4. Serve over toasted sandwich rolls/buns.

Since there wasn't much contrast in color between the meat and roll, I decided to try and make it "prettier" by putting on some super yummy pickles.  Unfortunately, they did not want to cooperate and lay nicely so it ended up looking a little goofy... but delicious nonetheless!

Summer Lovin'

Summer:  warm sun, great tan (or burn), gorgeous scenery.  These are some pictures I took on a trip to Wisconsin last summer.  Can I go back now? Pretty please?

So what's with the turtle, you may ask? Well, it's a tradition of the family's that I tagged along with to catch a turtle, paint your name (non-toxic paint, no worries), and to release it back into the lake the first time you take a trip up to their cottage.  Let me tell you... he was a feisty lil' fella! Ahhh, summer :)