Ricotta Pancakes

Now that my son is in school, I appreciate summer a little more! We have really enjoyed the relaxing mornings before we head out to swim team and lessons. The kids love pancakes but I usually make waffles (less babysitting involved I think) but their extra nice request was too hard to resist the other morning. I had a clearanced container of ricotta in the fridge and remembered hearing about ricotta pancakes once so to Google I happily went.

Smitten Kitchen never disappoints (she has a lovely new cookbook too) and although I didn't make the apples she suggested for her lemon ricotta pancakes, some yummy canned peaches from last fall were perfect with our favorite homemade maple syrup. Honestly, though, these tasted amazing fresh off the stove with a little butter on top. I hate lumpy pancakes (though I probably deserve them using Bisquick!) Because these pancakes are mostly ricotta and eggs, there's no lumps- just soft, tender pancakes to melt in your mouth. Next time I'll double the recipe because these were all gone before the griddle cooled with only my little man, baby strawberry and I eating them.

What's your favorite topping for pancakes and waffles? I'm going to try these with strawberries next time (surprise surprise!)

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes 

from Anne Strawberry
adapted from smitten kitchen
Servings: Makes about twelve 3- to 4-inch pancakes.

4 large eggs, separated
1 1/3 cups ricotta
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons lemon zest
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Separate the eggs and set aside the whites. In a bowl whisk together the egg YOLKS, ricotta, sugar, and zest. Lightly stir in the flour until barely combined. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold stiff peaks. Whisk in a quarter of the whites then fold the rest in gently. Cook the pancakes over medium heat on a griddle of flat pan brushed with butter for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until they are golden. The recipe will yield about a dozen 1/4 cup sized pancakes. Transfer the pancakes as they are cooked to a heatproof platter and keep them warm in a 200°F oven (or eat them hot off the pan with a little fresh butter!) Try fresh fruit or maple syrup on top.

Irene's Maple Syrup
from Anne Strawberry
2 cups Sugar
2 cups Water
1/2 cup Dark Karo Syrup
1 teaspoon Maple extract
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Combine all ingredients in sauce pan, place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Boil for five minutes and serve over pancakes. Store leftovers in a screw-top glass jar for a few weeks (reheat in the microwave or on the stove).

Pineapple Yogurt

The first time I went to France, I spent a summer semester studying, exploring, playing, and eating my way through Paris. It was an awesome time and introduced me to a lot of still-favorite foods- pain au chocolat, baguettes, chevre (goat cheese), and pineapple yogurt. When I went back to France for a few days, I immediately sought out the pineapple yogurt. I've really never been a yogurt person but there was something special about my 'ananas' yogurt, so fresh and creamy and just amazing. I've attempted to recreate the taste by mixing crushed pineapple and juice into Greek yogurt (the Fage at Costco is reasonably priced and yummy) but when I tried this Chobani Pineapple last month I knew I'd met my match. This yogurt... it's just ridiculously delicious. It comes in a host of other flavors that look great but I've only got eyes for this one. It's like I'm eating ice cream for breakfast, filling up with healthy protein and calcium and starting my day off just right. Have you tried this? Do you love it? Have another amazing flavor to recommend?

PS You can read more about Chobani on their site and even get coupons too. And no this isn't a sponsored or sneaky post, I just really... really love this yogurt. Call me crazy.

TWD- Honey Cherry Scones

A couple of weeks ago we were dying of heat and feeling bad that the AC would still kick on. Suddenly, it's cold- really cold! My mommy brain doesn't do so great on dates lately and last night I realized I hadn't made my Tuesdays with Dorie recipe. Sure enough, I didn't have the ingredients or the equipment for this weeks recipes so I hopped back to last week's Honey Nut Scones. The kitchen was cold and everyone was snacky (someone needs to go to the grocery store already...) so we happily turned on the oven and whipped these scones up. Using honey, whole wheat flour, and nuts (or in my case, dried cherries) they felt like a pretty decent treat.

I didn't used to like scones but now I know better! You don't need any special equipment or ingredients and the recipes are flexible. They are simple to make with butter straight out of the fridge cut into a couple dry ingredients. Pour over some wet ingredients, stir in your favorite mix ins and press into a cake pan. Normally I shape my scones with a biscuit cutter but after I read the tips from the rest of the TWD Bakers, I decided to try pressing them into the pan, cutting them like a pizza (only half way though!) and freezing them while the oven got hot. After they baked, I cut the wedges the rest of the way and the final product was fluffy and light, even with all the whole wheat flour. Obviously they were gobbled up quickly (no time for fancy pictures or good lighting at our house!) While these are still technically a pretty sweet treat (especially when topped with butter and jam), the simple, wholeness of it all felt pretty good on a cold night. You can see the recipe at Jeannette's or buy Dorie's wonderful book already. Mine is tattered and stained and I love it more every day.

Wednesday Want- Chocolate Cheerios

Today's Wednesday Want is an admittedly casual one. I loved this picture of Baby Strawberry rocking her first bowl and cereal and milk all on her own and felt, as it is her birthday coming up, I should let you in on a secret. Nestled between a million brightly colored boxes at our grocery store is one demure little stack of our favorite cereal. It seldom has a toy in the box, a sale, or any flashy characters grazing it- but Chocolate Cheerios are the real deal. My son has discovered their magical powers ('Try these sister, they turn the milk chocolate!') and I've started storing my limited supply in the farthest reaches of the pantry to avoid detection by the children. Oh sure I share, but I want to make sure these babies aren't subjected to any children's kitchen experiments. You know, the ones that end with cheerios all over the floor (that the dog won't eat any more from over-exposure!) And I fill most of their bowl with plain cheerios first- trust me, it still tastes great, these babies are magical!

Have you had Chocolate Cheerios before? Is there another cereal I'm missing out on? If only I could get oatmeal to taste as good as a nice bowl of cheerios and sliced strawberries...

PS I checked my favorite store and sure enough our favorite cereal is a suprisingly great deal on Amazon (especially with the subscribe and save option and free shipping right to your door). Who knew?

Deviled Eggs

{printable recipe here}

Hope you had a nice Easter weekend! We had great company, awesome food, even perfect weather! I colored eggs with the kids and my light tile miraculously made it out alright, even if Baby Strawberry sported a bright blue hand for a few days. Only after we finished did someone tell me they always do their eggs outside, why didn't I think of that? They turned out pretty well even though I couldn't find the actual dye kit anywhere (some hot water, a little vinegar, and a squirt of my gel food coloring worked awesome- except the fuchsia came out a little crazy). My little man was so proud of the beautiful eggs and a not too happy that I wanted to mess with them, but deviled eggs were calling. I've never made them before so I scoped out a basic recipe from Rachael Ray. They turned out great (and looked pretty cute cut with my crinkle cutter, thanks for the tip Paula!)

Anne Strawberry Made Deviled Eggs For the First Time
{printable recipe here}
recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

12 large eggs
Ice water
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons mustard
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper
Paprika, for dusting

In a large pot, arrange the eggs in a single layer and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and remove from the heat; let stand for 10 minutes. Drain, then cover the eggs with ice water. Let stand until cool to the touch.

Peel the eggs, halve lengthwise and scoop the yolks into a medium bowl, reserving the egg whites. Mash the yolks with the mayonnaise, mustard and cayenne; season with salt and black pepper. Spoon the yolk mixture into the egg white halves and dust with paprika.

TWD- Cherry Sunshine Muffins

I have a love hate relationship with muffins. They're so easy and quick to make, so flexible on ingredients. They're also usually so full of butter- and they taste so good. So yeah, we try to limit our muffin making but of course we loved these! Next time I'll sub in some whole wheat flour to make up for the butter. With some extra tart dried cherries and lots of citrus zest and juice (orange and lemon both), I don't think you'd really notice. The trick to muffins is just to handle the batter delicately and to make sure that you don't try to work out every single lump. And the actual hardest part? Don't eat too many- don't let the dried fruit fool you, they're chock full of butter (and SO good!) And since I can't leave well enough alone, I brushed them with butter right out of the oven and sprinkled them with sugar so they were a little sparkly.


I'm super excited to have the chance to do another review for CSN Stores. I seem to always have furniture on my mind and love these gorgeous modern bar stools. Around here though it seems like baby step stools are more practical even if they aren't as pretty as that apple green cross-backed beauty above! As always though, kitchen stuff is on my mind. I've been trying to nicely steal my mom's immersion blender for ages and she's not budging (not fair considering I made her buy and fall in love with it in the first place!) My real hope is to finally get a grain mill. I've been mooching *I mean borrowing* my friends' Nutrimill when I make bread and I think it's about time, but I'm having a hard time committing to the cost! Suggestions anyone? Anyone of you have an love a Nutrimill? Fortunately they're all available on CSN Stores and I think it's going to be a win win, if I can ever decide!

PS Come back tomorrow for a nice, minty St. Patty's day treat!

Yogurt Waffles

{printable recipe here}
My husband loves breakfast. It makes sense since his nickname is Mr. Carbohydrate and most breakfast foods seem to be carb layered on carb. When I saw these gorgeous waffles on the lovely Whisk and a Spoon I knew they would make a great, easy weekend dinner. Please tell me you do breakfast for dinner too, right? Right? Well anyways, I like serving breakfast and calling it a decent meal because I don't love going to the grocery store, so occasionally I run out of regular "meat and potatoes" kind of meals. And for some reason my husband persists in being hungry every single night when he gets home from work. I omitted the spices hoping that he wouldn't miss the usual Bisquick. Nonetheless, he still prefers the boxed variety. But as for me and the little mouths I feed, we are going to stick with these waffles. Easy, yummy, and full of creamy, healthy plain yogurt. I served them with peanut butter and syrup (and fruit if you have it). Don't knock it till you try it. The peanut butter is all melty and delicious. Besides the inevitable sugar coma, it's a great dinner!


Yogurt Waffles
from Anne Strawberry
adapted from Fine Cooking via a Whisk and a Spoon
{printable recipe here}

9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon (I omitted this but will add it next time)
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg (same as above)
1/8 tsp. ground cloves (same as above)
1-1/2 cups plain full-fat or low-fat yogurt
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs, separated
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 200°F and heat a waffle iron, preferably a Belgian waffle iron. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, milk, egg yolks, vegetable oil, and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, with a wire whisk or electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites to soft peaks.
With a spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the yogurt mixture until just combined (the batter should be a little lumpy). Fold the whipped egg whites into the batter until just incorporated.

Brush the waffle iron with a little vegetable oil. Working in batches, cook the batter in the waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions until crisp and golden. Set the waffles directly on the oven rack to keep warm. Do not stack them.

Serve the waffles with syrup and peanut butter (I freeze the extras and toast them later for an easy breakfast).

Irene's Maple Syrup
from Anne Strawberry
2 cups Sugar
2 cups Water
1/2 cup Dark Karo Syrup
1 teaspoon Maple extract
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Combine all ingredients in sauce pan, place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Boil for five minutes and serve over pancakes. Store leftovers in a screw-top glass jar for a few weeks (reheat in the microwave or on the stove).

Toasted Almond Pecan Scones

{printable recipe here}
We've had a busy weekend and I wasn't sure I woul get to making this recipe but I knew I should. So this morning I opened up the fridge, armed myself with a stick of butter and my container of eggs. I opened up the cookbook and realized I did not have enough nuts, didn't have any heavy cream, didn't have any nerve to head to the grocery store with my kids after we'd spent all weekend in the car with Baby Strawberry screaming her head off.

 

Thankfully, Little Miss is a whole milk addict and we always have plenty of that on hand, so I just subbed out the cream for the delicious whole milk, added some pecans to my toasted almonds, and figured the butter would make up any difference. This is the first batch of scones I've made that were actually light and fluffy and delicious. To say I'm a perfectionist is, well, kind of like saying it's hot in Arizona. I have a hard time not mixing in every bit of flour and making sure every piece of butter is evenly incorporated. But I tried my OCD best not to overdo it and they turned out great (finally!) Thanks Mike for the fun recipe choice (see the real recipe on his blog and see the rest of the scones from the TWD group here!)

 

Toasted Almond Pecan Scones
from Anne Strawberry
adapted from Baking by Dorie Greenspan
{printable recipe here}

1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk (5/8 cup)
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cube of butter (1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons), cut into small pieces
1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional- for garnish)

In a medium saute pan, toast the nuts for five or ten minutes over medium heat, until fragrant (watch them closely!) Take half the nuts and roughly chop. Take the rest and combine with the sugar in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Blend egg, milk, and extracts (I like to use a glass measuring cup and a fork). In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, powder, salt, and pureed nuts. Add the chopped butter and, using your fingertips, cut and blend the butter into the dry ingredients, until it's all pebbly and well mixed (but the pieces will be different sizes, oatmeal to peas, and that's just fine). Pour over the wet ingredients and lightly mix together with a fork or spatula, being careful to be gentle. Turn the dough onto a floured board, pat out with your hands until about 3/4 inch thick and slice up or cut out with a biscuit cutter. I got twenty five using my 2 inch circle cutter. Place on a baking sheet with about 1/2 inch between each. Garnish with sliced almonds if desired.

Bake for 20- 22 minutes until slightly golden brown. Brush with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven and allow to slightly cool before serving with jam and butter.

Orange Poppyseed Muffins

 

I love to try a fancy, new dessert recipe but I also really appreciate a simple Tuesdays with Dorie recipe like these muffins. Right now it's citrus season and the trees are beautiful and heavy with delicious fruit, so I had a hard choice to make between lemon and orange for these babies. I went with orange merely because my little man asked so nicely (it is his favorite color still!) These muffins came together quickly and were super yummy, especially after the glaze went on top. I even subbed in 1/3 whole wheat flour and no one was the wiser. I can't seem to get my muffins to stay fresh more than one day (tips anyone?) but I am going to make these again for Sunday breakfast for sure. My favorite muffin from Dorie is still her Orange Berry muffins but this was a fun chance of pace. Get the recipe from Betsy or from Dorie's wonderful book here or try my favorite Lemon Poppyseed Muffin recipe. It's a classic. Just take it easy on the mixing and have a quick and special breakfast! Come back later this week for my first try with fondant (and overly ambitious pirate cupcakes for my little man's birthday!)

PS- I used some silicone muffin cups for the first time. NOT recommended in case you were wondering! I scored a whole stack of heart shaped ones for a buck at Goodwill at thought it would be fun, but instead of getting heart shaped muffins I have blobs in muffin liners that need to be washed (lame!) I do, however, 100 percent recommend buying a few Silpats to line your baking sheets. No more burned cookies or muffins, easy clean up, a million uses- I can't say enough about these things.

Dimply Plum Cake

{printable recipe here}

We're having a lazy morning around my house. My son slept in to 7:00 (haha, he's such an early riser) and we had a nice breakfast before we got to pressing projects like building duplo towers and folding laundry. Tonight we have a party to go to and the hardest part of the day promises to be a trip to Costco (on a Saturday). I'm also thinking over Baby Strawberry's upcoming birthday and what kind of baked good to make her. Surely something pink and covered in frosting. This cinnamon laced cake is delicious. I've made it before with pears or peaches so you can really use whatever similar fruit you have available (maybe I'll use raspberries next time). It's easy enough for my little man to whip up with me and I can pretend it's healthy with the whole wheat flour. Make this and in a few minutes your whole house will smell delicious. It's going to be a good day.

Let me know if you have any fabulous one-year-old birthday party ideas. Time is flying too fast and her day is only a couple of weeks away!

Dimply Plum Cake

{printable recipe here}

from Anne Strawberry

Adapted from Baking by Dorie Greenspan

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or cardamom)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/3 cup flavorless oil, such as canola or safflower

Grated zest of 1 lemon or orange

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

4 ripe plums, pitted, halved, and sliced into thirds (6 slices per peach)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan, dust the inside with flour, tap out the excess and put the pan on a baking sheet. (I actually buttered my pan this time but a nice even spray of Pam with Flour would work here)

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together.

Working with a mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until soft and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and beat for another 2 minutes, then add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for a minute after each addition. On medium speed, beat in the oil, lemon zest, and vanilla. The batter will look smooth and creamy, almost satiny (with the whole wheat flour and cinnamon it will have a nice light brown color). Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated.

Run a spatula around the bowl and under the batter, just to make sure there are no dry spots, then scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Arrange the plums in an evenly spaced pattern, lying each slice on it's side and slightly jiggling the pan just so the fruit settles comfortably into the batter.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes , or until the top is honey brown and puffed around the fruit and a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 15 minutes- during which time the plums juices will seep back into the cake- then run a knife around the sides of the pan and unmold the cake. Invert and cool right side up.

Optional Accompaniments: Serve with whipped cream or a dollop of pastry cream for breakfast. For dessert, add a small scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. It’s also cute frosted with a little cream cheese frosting.

Apple Oatmeal Quick Bread

It's no secret that my tall man would subsist on carbs and meat alone if he could. I knew he would love this week's Dorie treat. I enlisted my little man to help me make it and it was super easy- even when my brain feels so fried from the heat that I'm practically forgetting to cook at all! Everyone loved it (especially baby strawberry- I made her a special mini loaf sans nuts). I'm still more partial to banana bread, I'll be honest. But I'm keeping this recipe up my sleeve for the next time my husband is begging for some carbs! Grab the recipe from Natalie.

Notes: I used one apple, peeled and diced, for the fruit and baked the batter into four mini loaves. They took about forty minutes in the oven and would do great in the freezer! Next time I'll add a little whole wheat flour. No one will notice, promise.

TWD- Cinnamon Chip Swirled Bread

I've been nesting. Well, not really nesting, because I'm not pregnant, but lately I've been going through every nook and crazy in our house, trying to make it more organized. It all started (this round, I had it bad at the end of my pregnancy with Baby Strawberry, too, but I wouldn't admit I was nesting and just said I was working my tail off, wouldn't some one get me a cold drink and a pedicure already?) when I tripped on another toy and though, "There has to be a better way! Or I'm throwing away every toy in this house!" Of course I want the toys out to be accessible and played with, the kids to be clean and happy and napped, the food hot and ready when my husband gets home. Ahem. I also want the toys put away (after they are played with!) So I've been hunting for perfect toy storage which leads to me perpetually trying to rearrange our couch- to accommodate a play area and simultaneously hide the toys! We have a huge and comfy sectional sofa and I love it. But I just can't escape the feeling that there is a better way to fit it all in- especially since I've been stalking Craigslist and Good Will and brought home and refinished a few pieces of furniture that my husband wasn't sure we needed! Well after we moved around the couch (and moved it right back where it was) I decided to tackle the garage. Somehow, the toys, copious baking dishes, camping gear, and painting supplies aren't cooperating and are overrunning my poor little garage. It's doing better now but I think I spent a little too much time baking my brain in the heat and and not enough time in my hot kitchen. I have the wrong Tuesdays with Dorie recipe again, this week. In other news, I have already made next weeks recipe. So we're good to go on that. And I found some pans in the garage that I am looking forward to using. I'm also excited to review something from CSN Stores again- last time I got a stellar pan and this time I'm debating between getting a rice cooker or (don't laugh) sometime to store the toys. That's versatility there. Do you have a rice cooker, love it, hate it, store it in the far corner of the garage and forget about it? I burn/undercook the rice embarrassingly often and since it's one of my Tall Man's favorite carbs, I need to do something about that already.

We did love this swirled bread. It was so yummy. I made a regular loaf and a mini, one traditional and one with cinnamon chips (pictured above). It came together in a hurry (made and baked before Church even on Father's Day, not too bad) and tasted great. Get the recipe from the lovely Susan here, or buy the book (it's worth it, promise!)

One more thing about the toys, does anyone have something like this or think it would work for a three year old and his little sister? Or a magical solution to keep it all cute and contained (obviously I'm asking too much!) I've been reading housekeeping books lately- like Real Simple's and Mrs. Meyer's and hope it's going to translate into a neater house- we'll see. And I'm not sure if reading books about cleaning and organizing is more or less weird than reading cook books, which I do far too often.

Come back later this week for some Mango Sorbet. Just thinking about it has me ready to run and buy some more mangoes!

Crepes and Caramel Sauce

Did you have late start days in high school? We used to get together and make crepes on those days and wow they were delicious. My friend Brittany had the best recipe and they always turned out great. Since then I've tried lots of recipes (even Alton Brown's) and none compare to hers. They are easy to make (they don't rip when you flip them), don't require any special tools, and taste great with any filling. Get some strawberries and nutella and I'm yours for life. Make this caramel sauce if you're feeling fancy.

To make these all you'll need (besides flour, eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla, which you have I'm sure, right?) is a nice round nonstick pan, a brush for the melted butter, a bowl and whisk. I think even my non cooking friends have that. A fabulous weekend brunch awaits you- go go!

PS If you're thinking of getting me a birthday present (well that's in five months but it's never too early) I've been lusting after a griddle style crepe pan ever since I saw my French teacher's years ago- here's a nice one on Amazon or an less expensive option too, that has amazing reviews. Someone tell my husband...)

Oh one last thing- Katrina is the winner of my last giveaway. Congrats!

Caramel Sauce
from Dana Garry

½ cup melted butter

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup corn syrup

½ teaspoon vanilla

Bring to a boil in a medium to large saucepan, stirring constantly, and boil for 2 minutes.

Add ½ cup heavy cream.

Bring to a boil again, stirring constantly, and add ½ teaspoon vanilla.

(My recipe doesn’t actually say stir constantly, but I have learned that you must be very careful not to let it burn on the bottom.)

Quiche (for your leftover ham)

(old picture, sorry! i'll be cooking again soon i hope!)

I hope everyone enjoyed Easter! We had a ham (from Costco, of course) and all the regular, delicious food. It was fun but I felt pretty guilty since my enormous cast keeps me from chopping or washing pretty much anything. My mom was a good sport though and we had a great weekend and tons of ham leftover, too. My two favorite things to make with the extra ham are quiche and refried beans. I throw a piece of the ham into my crockpot with the pinto beans and they come out SO delicious. Really. I don't even "refry" them. For more info on the quiche and pie crust see the original post here and give the pinto beans a try- they're cheap and easy (even easy enough for one handed me!)


Don't forget today's the last day to enter the Giveaway!


Basic Quiche
by LaNell Strobot
*use whatever meat, cheese, and veggies you like- this is a flexible recipe!*

2 Eggs
1/2 Cup of Mayonnaise (no Miracle Whip)
1/2 Cup of Milk
1 Tbsp Cornstarch

1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup Shredded Swiss Cheese
1/3 Cup Sliced Green Onion
1 Cup Cubed Ham (I used sliced deli ham in the photo, whatever you have on hand works)

1 9 inch Pie Crust, blind baked for about 15 minutes

Blend eggs, mayo, milk, and starch with a fork in a medium bowl. Once all ingredients are smooth and combined, add the cheese, onion, and ham. Stir to combine and pour into crust.

Baked at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes until the filling starts to firm and brown a little.

Banana (Nut) Muffins

{printable recipe here}
My mom has been making this simple recipe for banana bread my whole life. The first time I tried someone else's I thought, "Why is this dry? It's not supposed to be!" Well with this recipe it won't be. Mix in (or sprinkle on top) chocolate chips, nuts, etc. Anything goes. I prefer it served as muffins but we like mini loaves, too. Like I said, anything goes. So mush up those brown bananas sitting on the counter and make your husband some moist, delicious banana bread. You won't regret it.

Banana (Nut) Muffins
from Anne Strawberry
{printable recipe here}

yields 12 muffins or 3 mini-loaves

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed banana (about three small bananas)
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped nuts or chocolate (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a muffin tin with paper wrappers (or grease) and set on a silicone lined sheet. Set aside.

In a mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat until combined. Add bananas, milk, lemon and vanilla and mix until combined. Add dry ingredients (sift if you're feeling motivated) and gently mix in. Mix in nuts or chocolate (or reserve to sprinkle on top). Use a medium ice cream scoop to portion batter into muffin tins (about 2/3 full). Bake for 20-25 minutes (35-40 for mini loaves), let cool, and enjoy!

Allspice Crumb Muffins

I love muffins and will take them over cupcakes any day (which is funny since I love frosting and that's often all that separates the two). I've made this recipe before without Allspice and called them "Snickerdoodle Muffins" for my Snickerdoodle-loving brother. I'd never tried Allspice before but really liked the flavor of these muffins (it reminded me of cloves), especially with the subtle, clean taste from the lemon zest. I guess it goes without saying that my son LOVED these muffins since he couldn't hardly keep hands off them (and now you can see that tried to use my rug as a back drop, my apologies). You can find the recipe here, on page 16, or at Kayte's blog.

I'd suggest making half the crumb topping, not overfilling the muffin tins, which you should well grease (I should have made 15 or so instead of 12), and using cinnamon or nutmeg if you are scared of the allspice. Really though, I'd spring for a new jar next time you're at the store. And if you're feeling sneaky- sub half the flour for whole wheat flour and with the spice coloring the muffins, your husband will be none the wiser. See the other (surely more beautiful) versions at the Tuesdays with Dorie site.

I also have the giveaway winner to announce. Congrats Liz (I want the recipe for your vanilla cream, by the way) and thanks to everyone for their yummy snack suggestions. I'm going to try to implement some of them because as much as I wish muffins and pudding were the perfect snack, they aren't going to get me into my skinny jeans any time soon! And you all know that isn't going to stop me from making them both, haha!

Simple Cinnamon Rolls

My Tall Man loves Cinnamon Rolls (well, he loves any white bread and nearly all carbohydrates, but he especially loves Cinnamon Rolls) so I decided to make them for his birthday treat again this year (that was a few weeks ago- before the baby- don't worry, I'm not wrestling with yeast and a newborn yet!).

I've made a few recipes in the past that I felt weren't worth the trouble or the calories. I love Dorie's Pecan Sticky Buns and made those for his birthday last year but since I was nine months pregnant and exceedingly sick of watching the numbers on the scale creep up higher and higher I wanted something lighter. So, I tried Peter Reinhart's version from the Bread Baker's Apprentice after I saw so many delicious posts about it (check out Nancy's here for some good tips). The dough is sweet and flavorful but not heavy and rich like some other versions. It's also not too "bread-y" so this still feels like a special dessert... or delicious breakfast. They also don't bake up with that hard, yucky sugar crust on the bottom of the roll which I've had happen to me a few times (maybe that's because there isn't any butter spread on the rolled out dough?)

View the complete recipe here (page 143). I've posted a quick version for my own records here, since I'll be making these regularly and can never seem to keep track of the paper copies!

NOTE- Do NOT double this recipe in your KitchenAid. The second time I made these I did that and I ended up kneading the dough by hand, worrying I'd nearly killed my beloved Empire Red, and generally just regretting my decision. It only takes a few minutes to whip these up in your mixer so just be patient and do so in two batches- trust me!

Let me know if you've made this recipe before and if you have any recommendations on whole wheat flour, different flavors (I'm trying orange rolls next time), or general tips. I'm far from a bread expert which is why I loved this recipe- he really walks you through it in the book and even with little experience these turn out great.

Cinnamon Rolls
from the Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart

Yields one big baking sheet worth of rolls (about 12-15 depending on how you slice them- I like a little variation so people can choose a big or small roll- use a bench cutter for neat slices or dental floss in a pinch)

6 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 1/2 tablespoons shortening or butter, at room temperature
1 large egg, slightly beaten
grated zest of one lemon
3 1/2 cups bread or all purpose flour (I used King Arthur's bread flour)
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/8 to 1 1/4 cups milk, room temperature
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar

Cream together sugar, salt, and shortening on medium high speed in mixer with paddle attachment. Whip in the egg and lemon zest until smooth. Then add the flour, yeast, and milk. Mix on low speed until the dough forms a ball. Switch to the dough hook and mix for about 10 minutes on medium, or until the dough is silky and supple, tacky but not sticky. Add a little flour or water if necessary to attain this texture.

Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough into it, cover, and let rise for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Lightly flour or oil a counter and roll the dough into a rectangle about 2/3 inch thick, or 18 by 9 inches wide. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the dough and roll it up into a log, with the seam down. Slice the log, making the pieces about an inch thick. Place on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and let rise until nearly doubled (about an hour in my lovely desert home).

Bake at 350 on the middle rack for 20 to 30 minutes, or until gold brown. Remove from oven, let cool, and glaze with powdered sugar icing or cream cheese icing.


Thick and Delicious Cream Cheese Frosting

Note- Since I made these for my Tall Man's birthday, I made a plain powdered sugar icing (as shown in the photo) since he's a crazy person and doesn't really like cream cheese. However, they taste even better with a good cream cheese icing, and since I've never met another person, besides my love, that doesn't like cream cheese icing, this is a sure bet.

1 block Neufchatel (reduced fat) cream cheese, softened
1 stick of butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 bag (1 pound) powdered sugar
Milk, as needed (about 1 tablespoon)

Cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth and well combined. Beat in the vanilla then, with the mixer off, add the powdered sugar. Cover with a clean dish towel and combine on low speed until the sugar is incorporated. Remove towel and increase speed to make a smooth frosting, adding milk until desired consistency is reached.

Spread on slightly cooled cinnamon rolls and enjoy!

Cinnamon Honey Greek Yogurt Dip

Last fall I went to Greece and enjoyed amazing food and beautiful scenery (not to mention the company of my favorite people!) So when the nice people at Stonyfield asked if I'd like to try some Greek yogurt, I knew everyone at my house would be happy. My brother says the Greeks use yogurt like crazy and even serve it with beans (he didn't want me to recreate that one, though). We tried several different recipes, subbing in the thick, strained yogurt for sour cream and to add richness to other dishes. Seriously, people didn't believe that it was fat free. And good for you (and you don't even have to go to Greece to get some? Though I'd still recommend the trip...) This cinnamon dip is sweet and tangy and perfectly compliments all the fresh fruit overflowing right now. And since it comes together in one bowl in as many minutes, it'll make everyone happy.

Cinnamon Honey Yogurt Dip
1 (7 oz.) container Greek yogurt
1/4 cup honey (to taste)
Ground cinnamon (also to taste)

Directions:
Combine the yogurt and honey in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly until smooth and well combined. Add a very small amount of cinnamon, taste, and adjust accordingly. Cover and refrigerate. Serve with fresh fruit.

from Annie's Eats

TWD- Mango Bread

I've never baked with mango before and was excited about this week's Tuesday with Dorie recipe when I first saw it was selected. Sure enough, this recipe delivered. This quick bread is simple and easy to throw together and packs a lot of flavor- cinnamon, ginger, lime zest, and mango (am I the only one who thinks of SNL every time I see the word "Mango?")

I skipped the raisins in favor of walnuts. The one run in I had with the recipe was my stingy mango- it only gave me half the fruit the recipe called for. I just ended up halving the recipe and baking it in a smaller pan. It worked great and was delicious. I did have to tent the cake to keep it from over browning but it was yummy and quick and a recipe I'll come back to (though probably with a little less ginger and some different fruits- apple maybe next time?) Thanks Kelly for a fun choice that everyone loved. Stop by her blog for the recipe and enjoy!

TWD- White Chocolate Raspberry Bread Pudding

It's Tuesday again and I'm not quite sure how it snuck up on me so quickly! I've been sick again all week and last night I was laying in bed writing my "sorry, no bread pudding post" mentally when I decided I would just suck it up and make it tomorrow anyways. Well, I'm sure glad I did.

Since my tall man can't have chocolate but can eat white chocolate (I think we need Alton Brown to explain that, he'd do a much better job) I subbed white chocolate in without looking back. I used a whole loaf of day old french bread (16 ounces instead of just 12) and had just the right amount of bread to custard. I also used 2 percent milk since that's what we keep on hand (no excuse for whole milk any more since my baby is 2 now!) I added some frozen raspberries for color last minute and they provided the perfect burst of flavor and freshness. And, I added a squirt of vanilla to the custard just to be safe. I've never regretted extra vanilla. I feel the same way about whipped cream, too- so I served this with heaping dollops of cream melting on top.

This was delicious, easy... and all gone in a few minutes. I'm glad I had guest tasters in the kitchen to keep me from eating it all in a frenzied, starving pregnant moment (you know what I'm talking about... when you get hungry when your pregnant, it hits suddenly and massively!) Thanks for the fun choice, Lauren. Make sure to get the recipe on her blog (or here) and make this for yourself. With any variation it would be a winner. And while you're here, please leave a comment with any suggestions on boosting your immune system. I've been so sick this pregnancy (with non pregnancy stuff) that I'm afraid to even look at raw cookie dough for fear of salmonella!