Rainbows and Leprechauns

I saw this idea on Pinterest, and couldn't wait make these beauties for a St. Patrick's Day treat. Cute, huh? You would not believe how much stress they caused. It proved to be one of the most frustrating things I've ever tried to make. Why is it that perfectly melted white chocolate becomes instantly hard and disgusting as soon as you add food coloring? My improvisational adding of random liquids and reheating the mixtures did not quite do the trick. I was able to get a few shots before they all melted into a nice colorful mess. I think I'll stick to baking. :)

White Chocolate Covered Oreos & Rolos:
aka Rainbows & Leprechaun Gold

Of course, I had to add a photo of my little leprechaun. Luckily, his "lucky shirt" from last year still fit. (As do many of his shorts, thank goodness. The weather is warming up quickly in our neck of the woods.) Anywho, here's a cutsie little photo comparison from St. Patty's Day 2011 & 2012.

It's true. He really is growing up.

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

Words cannot accurately describe how amazing this pot pie is. It's definitely one of my top five favorite meals of all time. It's my go to recipe for when we have guests over, or we're taking a meal to someone. I mean, come on, who doesn't like pot pie?

Flaky crust.
Colorful veggies.
Tender meat.
Creamy filling.
What more could you ask for?

So, without further ado, I give you:

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken breast, cubed
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 2 stalks sliced celery
• 1 cup frozen (or one can) corn
• 1 medium red potato, diced
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 butter
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 deep dish unbaked pie crusts

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, celery, corn, and potato. Add chicken broth to cover and boil 13 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid, and set aside.
• In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and onion powder. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick and bubbly. 
• Place the chicken and veggies into the pie crust. Pour sauce over top. (Sometimes I have a little extra, that doesn't fit.) Cover with the top crust, seal edges, and cut a few small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. 
• Put the pie on a cookie sheet and bake for 40 - 45 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes:

• The best pie crust I've tried is Marie Callenders brand. However, when I make this dairy-free I use Pillsbury, because that one is (obviously) dairy-free. I also substitute in coconut milk and Earth Balance butter. Still tasty.
• I should probably warn you that from start to finish this takes about an hour and a half to make. I know, I know, you probably don't want to put that kind of time in. I assure you, it's worth it. I like to cut my veggies and meat in the morning so come dinnertime I can just throw them in the pot to boil. You can also cook the sauce while the veggies are boiling to save time. Then you just sit around and wait while it bakes. Not hard at all.

Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Cookies

This is my new cookie obsession. When I go to make cookies, I don't want anything but these. It's a combination of a few different recipes I found, and if you are a peanut butter and chocolate fanatic like me, you will love them.

And yes, I realize I should have taken a picture of the inside of the cookie, but I was too busy stuffing my face to think about it.

Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 bag of Reeses Mini Peanut Butter Cups

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well combined. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.
• Cut 12 mini peanut butter cups in half. (I cut mine from side to side, so I'm left with two thin peanut butter cup circles.)
• Scoop out a large spoonful of dough. (About a heaping tablespoon size.) Flatten it a bit and put one half of a Reeses cup in the middle. Surround it with dough, roll into a good ball shape, and place on the greased baking sheet.
• Bake at 350 for about 9 minutes. Enjoy!

Obviously you could use any chocolate chip cookie recipe for this, but after trying a ton of different ones, this is by far my fav.

Saturday Morning Muffins

Scott's been on the new diet for a month now and we're happy to report, it's working SO WELL. Yesterday we were talking about how much better he feels and how drastically his health has improved. It's absolutely amazing. I made some gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate cupcakes last night. (My first attempt at gluten-free baking!) While they tasted a little strange to me (being the first gluten-free baked food I'd tried), Scott said they were perfectly delish. He's totally used to not having gluten and doesn't miss it anymore.

But, boy do I miss baking with it! I used to bake so many pies, cookies, muffins, etc... that I had to limit myself to not starting a new batch of something until the old was eaten. One day this past week Scott was gone on a film shoot. I jumped on the chance to bake and not feel guilty by filling the house up with tempting smells of off-limit foods.

So, Landon and I feasted on blueberry muffins. Mmmmm MMM! This is the best blueberry muffin recipe; try it and see for yourself!

Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
•  2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbs butter

Directions 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners. 
• Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture. 
• To make crumb topping: Mix together brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in butter to form coarse crumbs, then sprinkle over muffins.
• Bake about 18 minutes.

Sweet Chili

Nothing like steaming chili and a baked potato to get you through the winter. Only problem: I've never liked spicy chili and I swear every recipe I find is more and more spicy. Soooo, here she is: I've finally perfected my sweet chili recipe. Mmmm mmm! And it's fantastically simple too.

Sweet Chili
Ingredients

• 1/2 lb cooked ground turkey (or beef if you'd rather)
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1 can refried beans
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can corn
• 1/2 cup green pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Sprinkle of cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1-2 cans beef broth

Directions

• Put everything in a slow cooker. Add the broth last, using more or less, depending on how thick or thin you like your chili. Simmer on low for 4 - 5 hours.
• Or, if it's getting to be dinner time you can totally whip this up! Saute the onions and green pepper in a big pot with a tablespoon olive oil, on medium heat until soft.  Add everything else to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. 

What's your favorite winter comfort food?

Ranch Dressing

Yes, I will get around to posting about Christmas and New Years. The problem is, there are so many pictures and it's going to take forever and a half to go through them, edit, collage, and get them all spiffy for the blog. And on top of that, I'm in one of those moods where I've started a million projects around the house and I just keep thinking of more things I want to do as well. Like sewing white leggings for this crazy paint party I'm going to on Saturday. So, in the meantime, here is a nice, easy, {random} post.

Scott is now on a gluten and dairy free diet. (Mmm hmmm, someday I'll post the details about that big change.) In my search for new food options and substititues, I found this killer ranch recipe. Scott loves ranch. This tastes BETTER than store-bought. Dairy free! Sooooo easy! And I know, boooring picture. I was too lazy to cut up some celery and peppers to add to the photo, hence the handful of tomatoes.)

 

Ranch Dressing
Ingredients

• 1 cup Mayo
• 1/4 cup Dairy-Free "Buttermilk" (see recipe below)
• 1/2 tsp. dried Parsley (or 1 tsp. fresh)
• 1/2 tsp dried Chives (or 1 tsp. fresh)
• 1/2 tsp. dried Dill (or 1 tsp. fresh)
• 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1/8 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1/8 tsp. Black Pepper

Directions

• Combine all ingredients except for the dairy-free buttermilk in a medium bowl.
• Slowly whisk in the "buttermilk."
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Dairy-Free Buttermilk

• Add 1 and 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice to a 1/4 measuring cup.
• Add enough Dairy-Free Milk to bring the total amount of liquid to 1/4 cup (I use So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk. My personal dairy-free milk alternative.)
• Stir and allow to sit for 5 - 10 minutes, until milk curdles then it's ready to use!

Recipe credit: Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom

A Weekend Away and a Favorite Lunch

Last weekend we got to visit our old stomping grounds. Such fun! I gotta tell ya, I was really nervous about how Landon would do on the drive, sleeping at the hotel, getting babysat while Scott and I saw HARRY POTTER, etc... but he did so well! We got to hang out with all of Scott's fam while we were there, who also came down for the weekend.

We loved touring campus. Amazing how fast everything is changing and growing there. The Rexburg Temple is my favorite! Here's the little dude having a grand ol' time exploring it:

Landon loved jumping around (or more correctly diving headfirst) onto the bed and pillows at the hotel. He also enjoyed playing peekaboo under the covers. But, by far his favorite part of the new place was the powdered donuts for breakfast. :)

I so wish we had a fun (and free!) splash pad like this one! It took him a while to get used to it, but eventually Landon did have fun playing in the water.

Random collage picture #1: Have I even mentioned that sometimes I wish Landon was a girl? Ok ok, don't worry, I'm glad he's a boy but sometimes I just can't resist putting his hair in a ponytail or adding a headband. If I don't have a girl eventually, I will be so sad.

#2: The day after we got home from Rexburg, I sat Landon down for lunch and he was eating a little, but then his movements got slower and slower until... zzzzz. So funny. He NEVER falls asleep like that. Guess he was so used to sleeping like that in the car.

#3: The last picture in this random collage is of my favorite fast lunch.  

Taco salad
Ingredients

• Chicken
• Black beans
• Corn
• Cilantro
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Avocado
• Cheese
• Chips
• Mango peach salsa from Costco

Our Fourth and A Very Berry Cheesecake

We had a blast over the Fourth of July weekend. Scott's sisters came down from BYU-I to join in the fun. We hit up Seven Peaks on Saturday. Landon had a ball in the kid zones and floating down the lazy river. Scott and I even got to go on some rides together! Although, when we did, we had a few issues... At the spit-out of one slide, Scott and I were going so fast that our tube went flying off onto the pavement. Ummm, I don't think that's supposed to happen. We also flipped upside down coming out of another slide. And, I just about died when we went on the crazy half-pipe thingy.

On Monday we went to the Provo Freedom Festival Parade (for the first time). Our favorite was the undertaker. What on earth? Of course we hit up all the booths afterward and enjoyed a delish funnel cake.

And what's the fourth without a BBQ and some scrumptious berry cheesecake?! It was definitely worth turning on the oven in the 100+ degree weather. THEN, (that's right, not over yet) Scott, Landon and I went up to Salt Lake to watch the Major League Soccer team play. Another first for us. (This was Landon's birthday present for Scott.) Landon did surprisingly well and slept through the second half and fireworks that followed. Exhausting, but fun day!

Very Berry Cheesecake
Ingredients

• One graham cracker pie crust
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted 
• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened 
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten 
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup strawberry jelly
• 1 cup whipped topping 
• Sliced fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries  

Directions

• For filling, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Fold in blueberries. Spoon into crust.  
• Bake at 350° for 10 minutes; cover edges with foil to prevent overbrowning. Bake 23-27 minutes longer or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate until chilled.
• In a small bowl, beat jelly until smooth; spread over filling. Spread with whipped topping. Garnish with strawberries and additional blueberries if desired.

A Salad and A Oreo Chocolate Chip Brownie

I try to eat healthy most of the time, but boy do I have a weak spot for sweet, sugary things.

I'm happy to report that all those greens and scallions are from my garden! Made for a scrumptious lunch that Scott and I absolutely loved. (And Scott is not usually a salad person so this is a big step, my friends.)

But sadly, I think we counteracted all that healthiness with this sinful treat I made. Oops. :) It's the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie n' Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar! That's right folks, a chewy cookie layer on the bottom, Oreos stuffed in the middle, and a fudgy brownie layer on top. Oh. sweetness. overload.

Quick Salad
Ingredients

• Romaine or red leaf lettuce
• Black beans
• Cooked chicken
• Diced tomatoes
• Shredded carrots
• Shredded cheese
• Croutons

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie n’ Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar
Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (12 ounces) milk chocolate chips
• 1 pkg Double Stuffed Oreos
• 1 Family Size (9×13) Brownie mix
• 1/4 cup hot fudge topping

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Cream the butter and both sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well to thoroughly combine. 
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt, then slowly incorporate into the mixer until the flour is just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. 
• Spread the cookie dough in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish that’s been lined with wax paper and sprayed with cooking spray. Top with a layer of Oreos. 
• Mix together brownie mix, adding an optional 1/4 cup of hot fudge topping to the mix. Pour the brownie batter over the cookie dough and Oreos. 
• Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for an additional 15-25 minutes. 
• Brownies are down when a toothpick inserted 2″ from the edge comes out clean or with moist pieces clinging to it. Let cool completely before cutting.
• To half this recipe for an 8×8 brownie mix, simply half the chocolate chip cookie dough ingredients. Enjoy!

You can find more insane recipes here, on Kevin and Amanda's Blog.

Crinkles!

Let me preface this post by explaining my history with sweet things... I love them. Any and all. However, when I was pregnant with Landon I decided to seriously cut back all candy and baked goodies. Once Landon was born I couldn't eat chocolate (has milk) so it's been a while since I've had any really scrumptious, chocolaty treats. Untilllllll I recently found the recipe for these bad boys.

Oh. my. goodness. You know when you find some sinfully delicious dessert but it's so sweet you can only have a few bites? Not the case with these chocolate crinkle cookies! I'm not kidding you, I can down that whole pan in 5 minutes and not feel one bit sick. It's a miracle. (And I'll refrain from mentioning how many pan-fulls I've eaten.) They are SO easy to make. Amazing right out of the oven. Still chewy the next day. Mmmmmmm. Anyway, go make them...

Crinkles
Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar  

Directions

• In a medium bowl, mix together cocoa, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the cocoa mixture. Cover dough, and chill for at least 4 hours.  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into one inch balls. I like to use a number 50 size scoop. Coat each ball in confectioners' sugar before placing onto prepared cookie sheets.  
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand on the cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool. 

I love my husband. I love that he works from home and I get to see so much of him. I love how ridiculously random he is. And I love that he is always looking for ways to help me take care of Landon. All in a day's work:

Berry Banana Smoothie and Chicken Apple Salad

Recently Scott and I have decided to eat better. Our inspiration has come from my good friend Megan and her amazing food blog. Her recipes are "naked" in that they don't have any preservatives, additives, or fillers of any kind. Because of this, they are really good for you, and also very tasty!

Berry Banana Smoothie (Blend the following)

Ingredients

• 1 ripe banana, cut into pieces
• 2 cups of frozen, mixed berries
• 1/2 cup crushed ice
• 1 container plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup agave or honey
• Handful of spinach (You can't taste this - I swear!)

Chicken Apple Salad
Ingredients

• Big handful of spinach
• Small cooked chicken breast, diced
• 1 small apple, sliced
• assorted veggies like carrots, peppers, green onions and mushrooms

Homemade Apple Vinaigrette: Whisk the following together:

• 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons apple juice
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon agave (or honey would work)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

*You will have leftover dressing

He's Rollin! And An Amazing Peach Pie!

(Landon will be four months old tomorrow!!) As of the first of October, he has figured out how to roll over from his back to his tummy. He does it every time I lay him on his back. He's never trying to grab for anything, I think he just really likes to be on his tummy. He even does it while I am changing his diaper or clothes... which can make quite a mess, say, if he happens to pee right after rolling over and I don't have a diaper on him yet, and then decides to spit up all over the place too. Good photo opt though. :) I have a great video of him rolling over (along with some really painful ones where he is almost there but not quite and struggles FOR - EV - ER with no success) but I have no idea how to get it from Scott's weird camera format and huge file size to something I can put on the blog. Oh well, here are a few action shots:

Sometimes he gets a little stuck and isn't quite sure why:

In other news, Landon has discovered he loves jumping up and down, being thrown, and standing in front of the fan. Yesterday I went through all his clothes and found tons that now fit him. Here's the little shark bait in his new PJs:
Nothing says summer like peach pie and this recipe from Taste of Home is DELISH. (I have such a sweet tooth and because I can't eat chocolate, eggs, or dairy anymore thanks to Landon, it's sometimes difficult to find desserts I can eat.) After making this I found out Scott doesn't like cooked peaches sooooo I had to resort to eating it all myself. Darn :)
Peach Pie
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 1/2 cups sliced peeled peaches
• 2 deep pie crusts
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine sugars; add peaches and toss gently. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom pastry; trim even with edge. Set aside. Drain peaches, reserving juice. In a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt; gradually stir in reserved juice. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in lemon juice and butter. Gently fold in peaches. Pour into crust.  
• Roll out remaining pastry; make a lattice crust. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cover edges loosely with foil. Bake at 400° for 50-60 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Remove foil. Cool on a wire rack.

Our Tree and Turkey

What a wonderful Thanksgiving Break! The day before Thanksgiving I just couldn’t wait any longer so we bought all the necessities for our first real Christmas tree. The only place that had trees was Smiths, (equivalent of Fred Meyer) but they had a great selection! We got a robust 6 ½ foot grand fir, that smells absolutely divine, for only $25. I thought this was a good deal considering that at the nearby tree farm, they were going to charge 50 bucks a pop. Sheesh. We decided on some cute bulbs, balls, and ribbon; from which I made all the bows, including the topper. (Saving us the $20 that angels and stars were going for). We played Christmas music and dug into the storage closet for the other decorations and it was jolly good day. YAY for Christmas!!!

This was also our first Thanksgiving not with family, so I took on the task of making the feast. I enjoy cooking so it was actually kind of fun! (Minus the part where you’ve been cooking for 5 hours and still don’t have everything done.) I had all the staples and everything turned out really well. Mmm mmm good.
So excited because Tom Turkey was finally done.

I really liked this picture Scott took of the Sweet Potato Casserole.

My favorite Thanksgiving dish is this cranberry apple sauce my mom always makes. It’s just cubed apples, blended cranberries and sugar, but it is so delicious!

Steamin' hot garlic mashed potatoes.

The finished assembly line.

About time - the fruits of my labors.

Also, as a random side note, Scott and I went and saw Old Dogs yesterday in the theater. It was so funny! Very good movie, definitely worth seeing, and one we will buy!

Rocky Road Deep Dish Dessert Pizza

I just made the most scrumptious dessert and it was sooooo easy! Mmmmmm, enjoy for yourselves...

Rocky Road Deep Dish Dessert Pizza
Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter , softened
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 bag milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• Caramel syrup

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spray a 8x8 pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy (about 1 minute at medium speed).
• Add 1 cup of the flour, sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla and beat until thoroughly blended.
• Beat in remaining 3/4 cup flour to make a soft dough.
• Spread onto bottom of prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until top is light golden brown.
• Remove from oven& reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
• Sprinkle chocolate chips, mini-marshmallows and pecans over crust, then drizzle caramel over top.
• Return to oven and bake for 6-8 minutes or until edges of marshmallows are light golden brown.
• Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then remove sides of pan.
• Cool completely before slicing into wedges.