kelly's creamed spinach

i humbly declare that i made this tonight without a recipe. it was barely enough to serve 3 people so next time i'll be making more for sure.

1/2 cup chopped white onion
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 oz neufchatel cheese or cream cheese
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
10 oz. bag spinach
1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp butter

heat a skillet to medium heat. melt 1 tbsp of butter, then add the onion. saute a few minutes until the onion is beginning to become translucent, then add the garlic. after a few more minutes of sauteing, add in the cream cheese, whipping cream, parm, and salt and pepper. stir well until combined and the cream cheese is dissolved.

in a larger skillet, melt the other tbsp of butter and add the spinach. cook until wilted and add to cream mixture. serve and enjoy!

serves 2!

brown sugar oatmeal cookies

...or should i call these 'apple golden raisin brown sugar oatmeal cookies'? because that's what they are. and they're delicious.

2 sticks butter, softened (all i had was salted)
2 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp fresh nutmeg
1 tsp salt
3 cups old-fashioned oats (not quick-cooking)
1 cup golden raisins
1 tart apple, peeled and chopped

preheat oven to 350' and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

beat together the butter and brown sugar until creamy and lightened in color. add in the eggs and vanilla.

in another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda & powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. add to the butter mixture and beat until just combined.

add in oats, raisins, and apple and beat again until just combined.

with a medium-sized ice cream scoop or disher, scoop out 12 cookies per sheet. use your fingers to slightly press down the dough balls.

bake pans separately for 10-12 minutes or until set but not too browned! makes about 3 dozen good-sized cookies.

pumpkin chocolate chip muffins 2.0

4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 small can (15 oz.) pureed pumpkin
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips

preheat oven to 400 degrees. prepare muffin tin with paper liners.

beat eggs together in a large bown with sugar, pumpkin, and butter. beat until smooth and combined

in a medium sized bowl, combine flour, soda, powder, spices, and salt. blend into pumpkin mix. after thoroughly mixed, fold in chocolate chips.

fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way. bake at 400 for 12 to 15 minutes.

wicked good chocolate chocolate chip cookies.

these are dangerous. i had the husband take half of them to some friends today because i would eat them all by myself over the course of a day otherwise.

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp.
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

preheat oven to 325 degrees. cream together the butter and sugars. beat until fluffy. add in the eggs and vanilla and beat again until light and fluffy.

in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, powder, soda, and salt.

add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined. stir in the chocolate chips.

line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. using a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop, put 8 balls of dough on each sheet. bake each sheet for 10 to 12 minutes. cookies will look puffy.

makes about 30 big cookies.

zucchini bread

i haven't tasted this yet. it's based on a recipe from a family cookbook, but i've made big changes so there's no telling how it'll turn out. i'll let you know.

2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup crisco (butter would probably work too)
2 eggs
1 cup grated zucchini, peel on
1 tsp baking soda
zest and juice of half a lemon
zest and juice of half an orange
1 1/2 cup flour
1/8 tsp fresh nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 cup pecans (or walnuts)

preheat oven to 375 degrees. cream together sugars and crisco. add in the eggs and beat well. add in the zests and juices and beat until combined.
whisk together the flour, spices, soda, and salt. add into the wet mixture and mix until just combined. stir in zucchini and nuts and put into a greased loaf pan.
bake for about an hour or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

update: it's delicious! but next time i will bake at 425 degrees. the top got a little too dark before the center was done. other than that, i wouldn't change anything!

perfect oatmeal raisin cookies

it's been a while since my last post, but i have a good reason!

that's my beautiful baby boy. he was born last friday and is the best thing ever.

two nights ago i got a massive craving for oatmeal raisin cookies, a cookie i've never particularly been crazy about in the past. i guess my tastes are changing now that i'm a mother... :) this is based on the quaker oatmeal "vanishing oatmeal raisin cookie" recipe, but i've changed several things. these are chewy, soft, and rich.

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 heaping tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 heaping cup raisins

preheat oven to 325 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. add in both eggs at the same time and beat well. add vanilla. stir together the flour, powder, soda, cinnamon, and salt and add to butter mixture. fold in the oats and raisins. using a cookie scoop (mine holds about 1/4 cup) measure out onto cookie sheets. bake one sheet at a time for about 12 minutes each. makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

white chocolate orange cookies

my own recipe! picture to come when my hubby gets home with the camera. this makes a sturdy dough and the cookies stay nice and round, which i love. flat cookies don't appeal to me! although i still eat them. these are very sweet and very yummy with a glass of cold milk!

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
zest of two oranges
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 (12 oz.) bag white chocolate chips

preheat oven to 325 degrees. cream together butter and sugar. add orange zest and vanilla extract. add egg and beat until fluffy. sift together flour, soda, powder, and salt. add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and blend until combined, but do not overbeat. stir in white chocolate by hand. drop by scant tablespoons onto cookie sheet lined with parchment and bake until lightly golden- about 13 minutes.

my mama's banana bread

1/2 cup crisco
1 large egg
2 cups flour
heaping 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup light brown sugar
4 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup freckled banana, mashed
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped

preheat oven to 350 degrees. cream together shortening and sugar until well-blended. beat in the egg and lemon juice. whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. add to shortening mixture and blend well. batter will be thick! fold in the bananas and nuts. pour into 9x4" loaf pan that you've lined with parchment and sprayed with baker's joy. bake 60-70 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. cool on a wire rack.

i could eat this for breakfast every day. and i plan on doing just that for the next 2 weeks or so, because i baked 2 large loaves of it tonight.

biscuit quest 2009

one of my goals for this summer was to find the perfect biscuit recipe. it's turned out to be a short-lived search, because i think i found it on the second try. and wouldn't you know, it's the recipe on the back of the Gold Brand Self-Rising Flour bag. the only change the hubby and i made was to add 1/4 tsp of salt. the flour does have salt in it already, but i'm pregnant and have had to add extra salt to pretty much everything for the past 7.5 months. anyway, these are stellar and beau and i each ate two and a half of these straight out of the oven.

Gold's Buttermilk Biscuits

2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
2 tsp sugar
1 stick butter, straight out of the fridge
3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk

preheat oven to 450 degrees. sift together flour, sugar, and salt. cut the butter into small pieces and then using your fingers, cut into flour until only some big chunks of butter remain. add in 3/4 cup buttermilk and stir gently. if the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl, don't add anymore. we had to use about 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon. gently knead on a lightly floured surface until just smooth, then roll out to a generous 1/2". use a biscuit cutter and press straight down (DO NOT TWIST!). place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 9-12 minutes or until they're the golden color that whets your appetite. 9 was the right amount of time for us.

best garlic cheese bread ever.

i can't tell you how delicious this bread is.

1 loaf italian bread, sliced lengthwise
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried parsley
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise

preheat oven to 350'.
in a bowl, combine all ingredients except the french bread.
spread the bread with the mixture. place side-by-side on a cookie sheet covered with parchment or foil.
bake until cheese is melty, then broil until cheese starts to turn golden.
remove from oven, slice, and serve.

samoas cupcakes- a.k.a. caramel de-lites

you could also make this in cake form! if you did a bundt, it would really look like a big samoa :)

butter cake:

1 pkg plain white cake mix
1 cup whole milk
1 stick butter, melted and slightly cooled
3 large eggs
1 tsp. (or tbsp.) vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

-combine all ingredients well and bake at 350 for 20-23 minutes. when you take the cupcakes out of the oven, turn the temp up to 425 and then proceed to make the caramel coconut topping.


caramel coconut topping:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 (7 oz.) bag shredded coconut
1 tbsp vanilla extract.
1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt

-pour the sweetened condensed milk into a small pyrex dish, then place that dish into a bigger dish. pour water into the outside dish, about halfway up the side of the dish w/ the milk. cover the entire thing with foil and put in the oven for 45 minutes. at that time check the water level and add more water if necessary. bake another 45 minutes or until the milk has turned a rich caramel color. carefully remove from the oven and transfer caramel to a larger dish if necessary. add coconut, salt, and vanilla and enough heavy cream to get it to the consistency you want. top the cupcakes and spread evenly.


chocolate drizzle:

1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
about 1/4 cup heavy cream

-microwave chips in 30 second increments until melted. also microwave the heavy cream for about 30 seconds until slightly warm. pour small amounts into the chocolate and stir until smooth. keep adding cream until it's thin enough to drizzle, but don't make it too thin. you might need to keep microwaving in 10 second increments after you add the cream. transfer into a ziploc bag and seal. snip off the corner and drizzle over the cupcakes. chocolate will set after a few hours.

more meal planning

for my information... this may change- 3 weeks ahead of time might be too early to plan, even for me!

spag & meatballs
meatball stroganoff
pork chops, biscuits, roast veggies
leftovers
i will attempt falafel & tzatziki! with salad.

meal planning!

the hub and i are working on our budget, and after realizing what a huge amount of money we spend on dining out each month, i am even more resolved to start cooking at home as much as possible. i love cooking, and there's no reason why we shouldn't eat all our meals at home at least 5 days a week!

having an apartment with a fully functional kitchen will make this easier. 2 weeks and 1 day until we move in! so here's to pre-planning the first week...

sunday: roast chicken, buttermilk biscuits and roasted veggies
monday: chicken quesadillas (w/leftover chicken)
tuesday: stuffed peppers made with buffalo, yellow bell peppers and extra onion
wednesday: tamale pie, also made with buffalo
thursday: leftovers
friday: gnocchi & sauce if i'm feeling up to it, mexican hamburgers with baked fries if im not!

bow ties in cream sauce

this is adapted from a "members only" recipe on tasteofhome.com. i changed it quite a bit but in case you're interested, over there it's called "creamy bow tie pasta recipe"


1 box uncooked bow tie pasta
2 tbsp salted butter
1-2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp flour
2 cloves minced garlic
salt to taste
2 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4-1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vodka or white wine (i had vodka but i suspect white wine would be better)
1/4 cup water
1/4 shredded Parmesan cheese
2-4 tablespoon sour cream


Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in the oil, flour, garlic and seasonings until blended. Gradually add the milk, vodka/wine and water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Remove from the heat; stir in cheese and sour cream. Drain pasta; toss with sauce.

no-bake nutella cheesecake

i made this for easter this year and it was fantastic.

2 blocks neufchatel cream cheese, room temperature
1 (13 oz.) jar nutella
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt

1 store-bought oreo cookie crust

blend together the first 4 ingredients until smooth. pour into crust and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

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i had more nutella in another jar, so i microwaved about 1/4 cup of it until runny and drizzled it over the top before putting it into the fridge.