Brown Sugar Cranberry Oat Muffins

Sometimes I get really tired of cereal and oatmeal for breakfast in the mornings. Every now and then I'll get up early enough to make myself something different like scrambled eggs and toast or a fruit smoothie, but most of the time sleep wins over breakfast and I end up grabbing a packet of oatmeal as I run out the door. Why didn't I think of making muffins more often for my grab-and-go breakfast? No idea. But now that the idea finally came to me I'll definitely be making some more often!

I start my work day early and usually leave my house no later than 6:30 every morning. This means I usually eat breakfast around 6:15 and I wait until around 12:30 to eat lunch. 6 hours is a long time to go without a meal! So it's pretty important for me to eat something that will fill me up with maybe a small snack around 10:30 or 11:00. These muffins definitely did the trick! I substituted whole wheat flour for half of the all-purpose and with the oatmeal and cranberries, I only needed one or two to satisfy my hunger. These muffins bake up nice and moist and the tart cranberries pair perfectly with the sweet brown sugar muffin. If you're not a big fan of cranberries, try adding in blueberries instead. I think a blueberry-banana combination would be great!

This recipe makes about 16 muffins - perfect for Neal and I to eat throughout the week. By the way - I found this recipe at the Williams Sonoma website. I had no idea they had such a huge collection of recipes! They might be my new go-to source for new ideas, especially their breakfast collection. Check it out when you get a free minute! (Picture and recipe adapted from Williams Sonoma)

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.  Line 16 standard muffing cups with paper liners, or butter/oil the cups.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In another larger bowl, stir together 2 cups of the oats, the sour cream, milk and butter until combined.  Add the eggs, then the brown sugar and stir until combined.  Gently stir the flour mixture into the oat mixture. Fold in the cranberries.

Fill the prepared muffin cups to the rims.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup oats evenly over the muffins.  Pour a little water into any empty muffin cups to prevent scorching.  Bake until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes.  Let the muffins cool about five minutes, then unmold the muffins onto a wire rack and let cool slightly.  Serve warm.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

I'm a huge fan of butternut squash soup in the Fall. I love the sweet/salty flavor and especially the creaminess it adds. A few weeks ago I bought a huge butternut squash from the Farmer's Market and wanted to try to make something different with it. Almost every blog I hop on to look at recipes has so many unique and different ways to use the gourd! Already having a deep love for homemade mac and cheese (I love basically anything that has cheese in it..), I couldn't resist trying out this recipe with the addition of squash. I was very surprised at the ending flavor and how it all turned out! Neal tested it before the final result of the added spices and thought it was just okay, but once I added a bit of salt and herbs, he loved it. Result of the story: Don't forget your spices!

Please don't be skeptical about adding in squash to mac and cheese! It makes the dish so creamy and slightly sweet and I absolutely loved. I roasted the butternut squash before pureeing it which brought out all of the best flavors. For the cheese I used a combination of sharp cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese and added in some garlic powder, rosemary, chili powder, nutmeg and pepper to add some extra flavor. If you have the extra time, I also think adding breadcrumbs to the top and baking it for a few minutes would add an amazing texture and crunch. This is definitely going to be a fall favorite from now on! (Recipe and picture courtesy of Two Peas and Their Pod)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 lb. elbow macaroni
• 2 1/2 cups milk, divided
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 5 strips cooked bacon (optional)
• 1/2 cup green onions, diced (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place butternut squash chunks on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until tender, turning once.

While the squash is roasting, cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain well and set aside.

Add butternut squash to food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Add in 1/2 cup milk to thin out the squash, then puree again.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and add in the spices. Cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly, until the flour mixture begins to smell nutty. Add in the remaining cups of milk gradually (1/2 cup at a time), whisking constantly until smooth and flour is dissolved. Turn heat to high and to a boil while continuing to whisk. After sauce has thickened turn heat to low and whisk in half of the butternut squash mixture. Taste and continue to add in the other half until it tastes creamy enough to you (all up to your personal preference). Add the sauce and the shredded cheese to the cooked macaroni noodles and stir until cheese is melted. Crumble the cooked bacon and green onions over the top (optional). Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Optional: pour After cheese is melted, pour macaroni into a 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup bread crumbs and bake for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.

Zesty Lemon Icebox Pie

Neal's grandma's birthday was this weekend and for her requested cake/dessert, she asked for a lemon icebox pie. A what? Icebox? Yeah.. I had no clue. Ha! So I went to my trusty Southern Living website and searched for icebox pies. After sifting through a few recipes, I came across this one. Looked easy and sounded delicious, so I crossed my fingers and hoped this would be similar to what she asked for.

The original recipe called for a graham cracker crust, which I'm not a huge fan of. Especially with a fruit pie - it just didn't seem right! So I substituted a classic dough pie crust instead with fantastic results. I had to bake the crust by itself first before adding in the filling since the filling only cooks for 15 minutes. The pie itself was heavenly. The zesty lemon flavor paired perfectly with the sweetened condensed milk making a tart and sweet creamy filling that tasted uh-mazing. I topped it all with a layer of lightly sweetened freshly whipped cream and twisted lemon slices. It was a very simple dessert but the ending flavor turned out amazing. I didn't have the patience time to wait for it to completely cool, but I think waiting the full time would make it even better. (For the pie crust recipe, click here. This recipe makes enough for two crusts, so cut in half for just a single pie.)

Ingredients:

• 1 pre-baked pie crust
• 6 egg yolks
• 2 cans sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
• Garnish: fresh lemon slices, mint leaves (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice until smooth. Pour into baked pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Cover and chill for 4 hours.

Beat whipping cream and powdered sugar on high speed until soft peaks form. Dollop and smooth over cooled pie. Top with fresh lemon slices and mint leaves and serve immediately.

Outback Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

I love to have hearty salads for dinner every now and then, but I always have to make sure they are "manly" enough for my husband to eat too. Otherwise I get a few rabbit/chick food comments as we're eating, followed by a bowl of cereal or sandwich for a second meal. This one definitely did the trick! Every time we go to Outback to eat, I always get the exact same dish: 8 oz. sirloin, wedge salad with blue cheese vinaigrette, and a baked sweet potato. I love every single thing about each part of the meal, especially the wedge salad that Neal introduced me to a couple of years ago. The dressing is definitely the best part so I decided to try and recreate it. I used a skirt steak, sliced thinly but I think any type of tender, non-fatty steak would work great. You definitely don't want fat on a steak salad.. I was very impressed at how close this dressing compared to Outback's and I may have licked the remaining drops out of the bowl..

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. steak, grilled with your favorite seasonings/marinade
• I used A1 Peppercorn sauce - my absolute favorite steak sauce!
• 1 bag mixed greens/spring mix
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup pecans
• Onion Strings
• 1 large yellow or white onion, sliced into thin strips
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup - 1 cup flour
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• Blue Cheese Vinaigrette:
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

For the Onion Strings:

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Mix the milk and egg together in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge onion slices in the milk mixture, then in the flour. Drop onions into the hot oil and let them saute, turning every 30 second to 1 minute. Remove to a paper towel when they become light brown.

For the Blue Cheese Vinaigrette:

Put all ingredients except blue cheese in a food processor/blender and blend until smooth. Add in the blue cheese crumbles and mix again.

To Assemble the Salad:

Layer the mixed greens, tomatoes and pecans on plates. Slice the steak thinly and lay on top of the greens. Top with a handful of onion strings and drizzle the vinaigrette over top. Serve immediately.

Upside-Down Caramelized Peach Cake

I was at the local Farmer's Market (again!) last weekend, excited to see all of the beautiful pumpkins, squash, apples and Fall flavors everywhere! I have to be honest that I was pretty surprised to still see peaches there since here in the South their peak season has passed. Turns out the peaches were freestone from Idaho, which I found out was about the last place that they are in season right now! Of course I couldn't resist my favorite fruit so I bought a small basket and after devouring a couple, I decided to find a yummy peach dessert to use the rest in. I pulled out an old Southern Living Magazine that I had kept from the summer and turned to this recipe. Perfect! I had all of the ingredients and knew I had to make it! One last shout-out to peaches for the year.

This cake turned out heavenly! My dad always made an incredible peach cobbler in a dutch oven when I was growing up, and this cake tasted very similar. The only major difference was the caramel that coated each beautiful slice. Oh, caramel.. I have a love-hate relationship with him. So delicious, smooth and creamy, but let it cook for just 10 seconds too long and you end up with a thick, black, stinky, smoky mess all over your pan. Gross. Thank goodness I had plenty of sugar to try again!

So as a suggestion: CAREFULLY watch the sugar as it's melting and turning that beautiful amber color. The first time I let the sugar cook until it was the perfect color, then took it off only to watch in horror as it quickly burned and tasted like those nasty popcorn kernels that cook too long. The second time I took my pan off the burner as soon as the sugar began to turn from clumps to liquid and stirred it for a couple more minutes until it was mostly melted. I left some clumps in the pan and they melted perfectly while the cake was baking. So aside from the tricky caramel, the rest was really easy. The cake was so moist and mixed great with the sweet/tart flavor of the peaches and hot caramel sauce. And of course a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream doesn't hurt either!

Ingredients:

• 4 medium peaches, unpeeled and cut into 1/3-inch thick wedges
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
• 1 cup cake flour*
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 3/4 cup butter, at room temperature and divided
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss peaches with lemon juice, set aside. Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda.

Cook 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a 10-inc cast-iron skillet over  medium heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, 5-6 minutes or until sugar melts and turns a light amber color (watch it carefully so it doesn't burn!!). Remove from heat. Immediately add 1/4 cup butter, stirring vigorously. Spread caramelized sugar to coat bottom of skillet evenly, and sprinkle with brown sugar. Arrange peach wedges in concentric circles over sugar mixture, overlapping as needed.

Beat vanilla, remaining 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter at medium speed in an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.  Add sour cream, beating until blended. Gradually add in sifted flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended and stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Spoon batter over peaches in skillet and spread to cover.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in skillet for 10 minutes, run a knife around edge to loosen.

Carefully invert cake onto a serving plate and drizzle with any reserved liquid.  Cut cake into wedges and top with ice cream, if desired.

Mexican Stacked Burritos

I couldn't think of a better name for this meal than "Stacked Burritos." Neal suggested maybe calling it a Tostada or Stacked Tortillas because Stacked Burritos doesn't really fit, but I guess I'm just not creative enough to come up with a new name! :) I've made something similar to this a few times, but I never though to add in refried beans. These made a huge different and added a new flavor and texture from my go-to black beans. I loved how fresh all of the ingredients were and it came together so easy. Since Neal likes meat with most of his dinners, I added diced chicken to his side and left mine meatless. Both sides tasted great and made for an easy and quick weeknight meal (my favorite!).

 

Ingredients:

• 1 can refried beans (16 oz.)
• 1/2 cup medium salsa
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 tortillas
• 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup diced green onions
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup diced chicken (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first 5 ingredients together, spread onto tortillas. Place 1 tortilla in a 9x13 inch dish sprayed with cooking spray. Top with 1/4 cup cheese, corn, tomatoes and onions. Top with a second tortilla. Repeat layers 3 times, cover with aluminum foil. Bake 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Top with salsa, hot sauce or cilantro. Cut into wedges and serve.

Cheesy Sausage, Broccoli and Mushroom Casserole

Sometimes when I think of the word "Casserole" I get a little anxious and unsure. I guess it's because it's what you always picture at a church potluck or funeral, but maybe that's just me! Anyway, I really did love this particular casserole for several reasons. It's a super easy meal that can literally be thrown together in 30 minutes and it also has your meat, noodles, vegetables and sauce all thrown into one container! It's definitely not fancy, but it's hearty, warm and flavorful and also very versatile depending on the kinds of vegetables you like. Oh, and it feeds a LOT of people - around 8-10 if you have a couple of other sides. Or you can serve it to 4 or 5 and then eat it for lunch over the next couple of days! Anything to get out of the old sandwich routine. :)



Ingredients:

• 1 jar (16 oz.) Alfredo sauce (I love Classico brand, but anything works)
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
• 1 package (9 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
• 8 oz. diced mushrooms
• 1 red pepper, finely diced
• 8 oz. egg noodles, cooked and drained
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine Alfredo sauce and milk until smooth. Stir in sausage, broccoli, mushrooms, red pepper and noodles. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish and spread mixture evenly into pan. Sprinkle with cheese, cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes or until heated through.

Double Chocolate M&M Cookies

I know I already have a chocolate cookie recipe that's really similar to this, and it really is a great recipe. But I wanted to try something different... Something that produced a softer and chewier cookie, and this was the winner! I've made these cookies twice in the past two weeks and I'm still not sick of them. They're so chewy and chocolatey (is that a word?) and taste awesome with a mix of M&M's and white chocolate chips. This recipe also makes a lot of cookies - almost 4 dozen so there's a perfect amount to eat and share! (Recipe courtesy of Two Peas and Their Pod)

 

Ingredients:

 

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups M&M's
• 1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat and set aside. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt and coca and set aside. With a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until smooth. Add in eggs, one at a time. Next, add in vanilla extract and mix until blended. Slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture and mix until flour disappears. Stir in M&M's and chocolate chips. Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.

 

Bake cookies for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are set around the edges, but still soft in the center. Don't over bake. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes. Move to a cooling rack and cool completely.

 
 

Mushroom and Brown Rice Casserole

I usually don't have too hard of a time coming up with ideas and recipes for the main dish each day, but the sides? Whew.. Now that's a whole different story. My mind draws a huge blank each time I try to think about sides and I usually go back to the same boring salad, corn on the cob, mixed veggies, salad, fresh fruit... salad.. You get the picture. It was so nice and refreshing to actually find a different side recipe other than salad! And if you haven't already picked up from my blog that I love mushrooms, then you need to come visit more! I absolutely loved everything about this casserole. The rice was moist and flavorful and the mushrooms and onions added a nice texture and flavor to the brown rice. It's a very simple dish, very creamy and comforting that reminds me of home. And the best part of all is I now have a new side dish to add to my salad and veggies! Perfect in my book. (Recipe and picture courtesy of Annie's Eats)

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. brown mushrooms, cleaned and coarsely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups cooked brown rice, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• Minced fresh herbs (optional) such as chives, parsley, etc.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 2-qt. baking dish. In a large skillet over medium heat saute the mushrooms in the olive oil, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their juices, about 5-7 minutes. Add the onions to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Add in the rice and stir to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream and salt until smooth. Add in the rice mixture and stir gently until blended. Spoon mixture into the baking dish and sprinkle most of the Parmesan cheese over the top, reserve a bit for finishing. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes more, until the top is lightly browned. Top with remaining Parmesan and fresh herbs, if desired.

Caramelized Onion, Spinach and Mushroom Pizza with Garlic White Sauce

Some of my absolute favorite ingredients all in one combination that just happens to be on a pizza. Oh baby.. Can't get better than this! I loved the sweetness of the caramelized onions combined with the savory garlic white sauce. Add some sauteed sliced mushrooms and fresh spinach to make a beautiful and flavorful pizza! The mushrooms have enough substance to make it very filling so meat isn't necessary. Oh, and if you don't like mushrooms, this probably isn't the pizza for you... Just sayin'.



Ingredients:

Garlic White Sauce:

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 1 cup milk
• Herbs such as basil, parsley, and oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings:

• 1 large onion sliced thin
• 1 small package cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 bag fresh baby spinach
• 2 cups Fontina cheese, grated (A mozzarella and parmesan mix works great too)

Make the garlic white sauce first. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for three minutes. Whisk in the flour until a roux or paste forms. Slowly add in the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook for about 4-5 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Add in a pinch of desired herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Place the sliced onions in a saute pan with a couple tablespoons of butter. Stir over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes or until they become very soft. Add in sliced mushrooms and cook until mushrooms begin to release their juices and the onions begin to take on a caramel color.

Pour the white sauce into the middle of the pizza dough and spread around with a a ladle. Sprinkle on the onions, mushrooms and spinach and top with grated cheese. Bake pizza on a pizza stone in a 500 degree oven for 8 to 13 minutes or until edges are crisp and cheese is golden and bubbly in spots.