#656: Old-Fashioned Hamburgers

I was looking for an almost-end-of-summer grilling recipe and decided to make these hamburgers for my family for dinner.  I am not a good hamburger maker.  My burgers usually end up super dry....but that's probably because I have to eat mine totally and completely well done. 

This recipe claims it makes 2 burgers with 1 lb of meat.  My family doesn't each need to have 1/2 lb burgers so we got 5 smaller burgers out of this recipe. 

These were fantastic.  They fell apart a little bit, but my family didn't mind one bit and we all enjoyed it!  Even Chloe and Allison who are not particularly fond of burgers.  Allison even asked if we could have it again next weekend.  These were so moist!  Loved them!

1 lb ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1 egg
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp deli mustard
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp butter
Hamburger buns
Desired toppings such as lettuce, tomato, avocado, ketchup, mustard, pickles, sliced cheese, etc.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Dump all the burger ingredients in a big bowl and use the tines of a fork to mix it. Don’t moosh it all together, just mix it with the fork. Do not overmix.
Divide the meat in half (or in our case fifths) and form each half (fifth) into a ball. Push 1/2 a tbsp of butter (I used about 1/4 of tsp for each of ours) into the center of each ball and form the ball into a patty. The butter makes it extra moist and gives it a touch more flavor.
Cook each burger according to your desired pinkness.

#655: Strawberry Kale Smoothie

Sorry, I didn't have time to take a photo of this one.  So this is not the actual recipe picture.  Photo courtesy of http://www.healthline.com

So I intended to make a different kale smoothie recipe but when I went to make it I could NOT find it on my pinterest boards.  (Does that mean I have too many?!)  Anyhow I googled the smoothie and decided to make this one, with a minor change (I added yogurt).

The kale has quite a veggie scent to it so I thought the girls would both turn their noses up at this.  I put it in big plastic cups and gave them a straw to hopefully help them not to notice the kale in it (how could they not, it was green).  Chloe asked if it was a super hero smoothie, I just smiled and said, "Sure." 

They both gobbled this up.  In fact, I had to tell them to stop drinking their smoothie and eat their dinner.  I am making this again tomorrow for them to eat with their dinner.  I'm going to try using this with different fruits too.  Anything to get spinach or kale into their diets!

1/2 cup frozen blueberries (I omitted)1/2 cup frozen strawberries (I used 1 c)
1 tablespoon ground flax seed (I used chia seeds)
2 cups torn raw kale
1 cup cold water (I used 1/2 c)
1/2 c plain yogurt

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend for about 3 minutes,  or until smooth.

#654: Healthified Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing

I made this salad to eat with my mom one day that she was visiting.  Then we decided to go to Fazoli's instead so I didn't eat it.  Instead, I shared this with my friends/co-workers Erin and Lora.  (Photo courtesy of Erin!)  I didn't think I was going to get to try this, but since my mom never ate hers either, I had a second one to eat for lunch the following day.

Although I liked this, I didn't love it.  All of the flavors were good, I loved the peanuts and the edamade in this, but it just didn't wow me.  Salads should be so good that you can't stop eating them.  It didn't do that for me.  Maybe it was the spinach.  Maybe it was because I made it in a mason jar and didn't eat it for 2 days.  I don't know.  But regardless, it wasn't my favorite salad so I won't be making this one again. 

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup bulgur
1 bag (10 oz) Cascadian Farm® frozen shelled edamame
1 medium red sweet pepper, seeded and cut into thin bite-size strips
1/2 cup coarsely shredded carrot
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
4 cups fresh spinach leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped honey-flavor dry-roasted peanuts
1 recipe Peanut Dressing (below)

 

Peanut Dressing

1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons reduced-fat creamy peanut butter                                           
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 clove garlic, minced

In a medium saucepan, bring broth to boiling; add uncooked bulgur. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until bulgur is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Drain if necessary. Meanwhile, prepare edamame according to package directions.

 

Transfer bulgur and edamame to a large bowl; stir in sweet pepper, carrot, red onion, and cilantro.  Divide spinach among four serving plates. Top with bulgur mixture; drizzle with Peanut Dressing. Sprinkle with peanuts.

 

Peanut Dressing: In a small saucepan, combine 1/3 cup water, 3 tablespoons reduced-fat creamy peanut butter, 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper, and 1 clove garlic, minced. Whisk constantly over medium-low heat about 3 minutes or until smooth and slightly thickened (mixture will appear curdled at first but will become smooth as it’s whisked over the heat). Makes about 2/3 cup.

#653: Grapes with Lemon-Honey Yogurt

The yogurt in this recipe is so good, I might just make it this way and eat it plain for breakfast!  Mmmm!

I loved this.  I will probably eat it every day for lunches this week.  It's healthy, light and refreshing.  I love the honey and the almonds!

1 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt (I used plain fat free yogurt)

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups seedless red grapes

3 cups green grapes (I omitted because I prefer red grapes)

3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted (I was too lazy to toast these this time)

In a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Divide grapes among eight serving bowls. Top with yogurt mixture; sprinkle with almonds. Yield: 8 servings.

#652: Healthy Sunday Brunch Casserole

I continue my search for a healthy, yummy, egg-y casserole.  This is getting closer for me!  :)  I really, enjoyed this and a lot of it for dinner.  I can't wait to eat the leftover for breakfast tomorrow.  I hope it tastes as good reheated as it does fresh. 

I halved this recipe since I was the only one planning on eating this.  When I made it, I also added cooked, chopped turkey breakfast sausage, and omitted the egg substitute, used 1/2 c milk, and about 1 c thawed hash browns. 

6 bacon strips

1 small onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon canola oil

2 cartons (8 ounces each) egg substitute

4 eggs

1 cup fat-free milk

4 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon dill weed

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels; drain. Crumble bacon and set aside. In the same skillet, saute onion and green pepper in oil until tender; remove with a slotted spoon.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg substitute, eggs and milk. Stir in the hash browns, cheese, salt, pepper, dill, onion mixture and reserved bacon.

Transfer to a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Yield: 8 servings.

#651: Egg and Bacon Breakfast Dish

I am not a fan of overnight recipes that have eggs soaking on top of bread.  I think the bread soaks up the liquid way too much.  So I was scared to make this recipe and decided to pour the egg mixture over the bread and put it right into the oven (not let it sit at all).

Although the flavors in this dish were okay, the bread still was too wet and mushy for my liking.  Maybe if you used a heartier, thicker bread it would taste better, but I personally did not enjoy this recipe and would not make it again. 

All tastes are different though, so maybe you will like this one...
PS: I halved this recipe and added some cooked turkey breakfast sausage to it as well.

7 slices of wheat bread with the crusts cut off

10 oz of a mix of shredded monterey jack and cheddar cheese

8 eggs, beaten

2 1/2 cups of 2 % milk

4 oz of crumbled bacon

Spray the bottom of a 9-13 glass dish with cooking spray. Line the dish with the bread with the cut off crusts. Spread the cheese evenly over the bread.

Mix the milk with the beaten eggs and pour slowly over all of the bread and cheese. Sprinkle crumbled bacon over the top. Refrigerate overnight, then in the morning bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes until cooked through and the top has risen.

#650: Tasty Italian Chicken

My mom took this picture...most of the chicken plain but I see she captured one little piece served with the sauce on it.  :)

This is a newer blog that I've come across and I really am liking some of the recipes I've seen!  (Not a fan of her recipe layout but the recipes itself are good!)

I decided to try this chicken recipe one day when my mom was visiting.  Fortunately for me, I was at Preschool screenings all evening so my mom made it for us and I just had to re-heat it when I got home.  (It's nice to have someone else make dinner for me every once in a while). 

This was so good, I didn't realize I was eating (all of) Brian's lunch the next day.  It was SO good and it smelled fabulously.  I am a picky chicken eater and I ate this cold right out of the fridge.  Fantastic chicken meal!

1/2 cup chopped onion
1-1/8 tsp paprika, divided
3 tsp olive oil, divided
1-1/4 cups water
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp reduced-sodium chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1-1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins

In a small saucepan, saute onion and 1/8 tsp paprika in 1 tsp olive oil until tender. Stir in water, tomato paste, bay leaf, bouillon and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, Parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder, oregano and remaining paprika. Add chicken; seal bag and shake to coat.

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook half of the chicken in 1 tsp oil for 2-3 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm; repeat with remaining chicken and oil. Remove bay leaf from sauce. Serve over chicken.

#649: Three Cheese-Stuffed Shells with Meaty Tomato Sauce

This recipe has been bookmarked for MONTHS on one of my pinterest boards, so I decided it was about time to try it and remove it.   (I remove all recipes/meal ideas once we try it and I post it). 

Anyhow, this recipe comes courtesy of the fabulous Pioneer Woman.  I'll admit though, I changed her recipe to make it easier and I know we sacrificed authentic flavor in doing so.  But in this kitchen (especially since it's the first day of school for us all) ease and quickness of meal won out over the original (fresher) recipe. 

With that said, these were still very good.  I love cheesy stuffed shells though!
At the bottom you will find the original recipe.  The first recipe shown is a combination of the original recipe and my changes.

This recipe makes a lot of shells!  We got 3 meals out of this for our family.  We ate a 9x13 pan for 2 meals, and then I froze a separate 8x8 pan for a later meal. We loved this.  It was good fresh and as leftovers.  Delicious. 

Here is my version:
8 ounces, weight Jumbo Pasta Shells
30 ounces, weight Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
8 ounces, weight Parmesan Cheese, Grated, Divided
1/2 cup Grated Romano Cheese
1 whole Egg
2 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp Minced Parsley
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1-2 jars of Spaghetti Sauce (I used meat sauce) # of jars depends on how much sauce you want poured over your shells.

Cook pasta shells for half the cooking time; make sure not to overcook. Drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, half the Parmesan, Romano, egg, salt and pepper, basil, and parsley. Stir until combined.

To assemble, coat the bottom of a baking dish with sauce. Fill each half-cooked shell with the cheese mixture. Place in the sauce. Repeat with shells until cheese mixture is gone. Top shells with remaining sauce. Sprinkle on extra Parmesan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Here is the original recipe:
8 ounces, weight Jumbo Pasta Shells
30 ounces, weight Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
8 ounces, weight Parmesan Cheese, Grated, Divided
1/2 cup Grated Romano Cheese
1 whole Egg
12 leaves Basil, Chiffonade
2 Tablespoons Minced Parsley
Salt And Pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
5 cloves Garlic, Minced
1/2 pound Italian Sausage
1/2 cup Red Wine
1 whole 28 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
1 whole 15-ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Minced ParsleyCook pasta shells for half the cooking time; make sure not to overcook. Drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.  Heat olive oil in large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for a minute or two. Add Italian sausage and brown, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Pour in red wine and let it cook for a minute or two.

Pour in cans of crushed tomatoes and stir. Add sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check for seasonings; can add crushed red peppers if you like a little heat.
In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, half the Parmesan, Romano, egg, salt and pepper, basil, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Stir until combined.
To assemble, coat the bottom of a baking dish with sauce. Fill each half-cooked shell with the cheese mixture. Place face down on the sauce. Repeat with shells until cheese mixture is gone. Top shells with remaining sauce. Sprinkle on extra Parmesan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Serve with crusty French bread.

#648: Strawberry Beet Smoothie

I have never liked the taste of beets.  They are one of the few vegetables that I just cannot get into or enjoy in any way.  Not opposed to subjecting my children to them though, I made beet puree for Matthew for future baby foods.  :)  Sorry buddy...you're going to love veggies if it kills me!

Anyhow, I had a little bit of left over beet puree and decided to use up the leftovers in a smoothie.  I have to admit, it is really good.  It still has that woodsy beet taste to it, but it isn't super overpowering.  I will definitely make this again for myself...and next time I'm making the girls try it (although my guess is they will drink it once but not again after that).

1/4 c pureed beets
1/3 c strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2+ skim milk (I needed to add a little bit more to mine to thin it out)
1/2 tbsp honey
ice cubes (if using fresh strawberries.  Otherwise if using frozen strawberries you don't need it)

Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth.

#647: Refried Bean Tostada (Not a Tostada IMO)

This recipe has been on my pinterest board for months!  I finally got around to making it for dinner tonight, and although I enjoyed eating it this way, no one else in my family did. 

They call this recipe a tostada...it's not!  Basically, you just heat the tortilla in a muffin tin so it takes the shape of a "shell."  Then fill with any desired taco fillings you want.  My family preferred to eat their tacos with soft shells instead.  I would eat my taco this way again though.  It was fun...and different...and took a little more effort to eat.  :)

Use caution when following the timing in the directions.  These shells do NOT need a combined total of 15-20 minutes in the oven.  After 10 minutes total our shells were VERY well done. 
6 (6-inch) flour or corn tortillas
3/4 c refried beans
3/4 c salsa
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro (I omitted b/c it was in my salsa)
We also added ground turkey with taco seasoning
Any desired toppings: sour cream, avocado, tomatoes, etc.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Mist every other cup of a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Press a tortilla into each sprayed cup, flattening out edges, and bake until golden, about 8 minutes (in my oven it needed about 4 minutes).

Divide beans among tostadas, add taco meat, top with salsa and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and bake until warmed through, 7 to 10 minutes (Ours needed about another 4-5 minutes).

Place each tostada on a plate and sprinkle with cilantro. Top with desired toppings.

#646: Pumpkin Poppers

It doesn't have to be fall for me to use pumpkin in a recipe.  I love pumpkin.  So I figured this would be an excellent recipe to make (and try out on) for the girls for lunches this week. 

First of all, Allison and I enjoyed these still warm right out of the oven.  But I also froze most of them and stuck one (left to thaw) in their lunchbox today and both girls devoured it right away.  These are definitely a keeper in our house and a great way to get them to eat a veggie!

AND I'm more excited that I made these healthier by NOT dipping them in butter and sugar like the recipe calls for.  Saved us a lot of butter fat/calories.  I did put some cinnamon and sugar in a Ziploc bag and put the mini muffins in the sugar mixture when they were still hot.  It soaked up a little bit of the sugar but not nearly as much as if it was soaked in butter first. 

Also, instead of the nutmeg, allspice and ground clove, I used about 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice instead.

Muffin/Popper
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp ground clove
1/3 c vegetable oil
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 c pumpkin (pure, not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 c milk

For coating
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
2/3 c sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 and spray your muffin pans.  Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined. 

In another bowl, mix together the oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk.  Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until just combined. 
Fill your mini muffin tins until almost full.  Bake 10-12 minutes.

While they are baking, melt butter in a small bowl and combine sugar and cinnamon in a Ziploc bag.  Let the poppers cool for a few minutes before rolling them in the melted butter and them dipping them into the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

#645: 5 Ingredient Granola Bars

This recipe came in the mail this week in a flyer for Kroger.  Once I saw the words "5 Ingredients" and the picture of these I was hooked and planned to make these for the girls right away. 

These were super, super easy to make.  You basically just mix everything in a bowl, press into a 9x13 pan and bake.  The girls and I LOVED these.  I froze most of them so I can just pull out one bar at a time for Allison to eat in her lunchbox. 

Next time I'll make these with mini M and M's...I just couldn't find them at the store this week.

2 c quick cooking oats (I used steel cut)
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c honey
1/2 c peanut butter or 1 stick butter, softened (I used peanut butter)
3/4 c of any desired add-in (ideas include: MandM's, mini chocolate chips, raisins, Craisins, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, etc.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  (Line a 9x13 pan with foil so you can easily pull these out of the pan and cut).  Spray with cooking spray.  Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Press into prepared pan and bad for 18 minutes or until light golden brown. 

Cool 5 minutes, cut into rectangles and then cool completely before serving.  (Or eat warm right out of the pan like I did...still delicious!)  Store in an air tight container.  Makes 18 bars. 

#644: Key Lime Poke Cake

I made this recipe to serve at a Girls Night In Game Night I was hosting and unfortunately I got sick and had to cancel it.  So the girls and I had a few pieces of this cake before I cut and froze the rest of it (we'll see how well it defrosts!).

This was quite, quite easy to make.  My only complaint is that the filling does not seep all the way down to the bottom of the cake.  If you look at the original recipe photo, it looks like the filling is at least half way down into the cake...mine barely went about 1/4 of the way down.  Regardless, if you like lime, you'll probably like this cake. 

It wasn't my favorite kind of cake to eat, but I'm not a super huge lime lover.  It was definitely good though and I enjoyed eating it.  One good thing about this cake though is that 1 piece really is enough for one person...no over-indulging here!

Cake
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 eggs

Key Lime Filling
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
3/4 c whipping cream
1/2 c Key lime juice or regular lime juice
1 tsp grated lime peel
Optional: 4 drops yellow food color and 1 drop green food color to give the filling a green hue otherwise it'll be cream color
                                          

Frosting

1 container (12 oz) whipped vanilla frosting

2 tsp grated lime peel

Garnish (if desired)
Fresh strawberries

Key Lime Slices
Lemon Leaves                              

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour.

In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.

Bake 27 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. With handle of wooden spoon (1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter), poke holes almost to bottom of cake every 1/2 inch, wiping spoon handle occasionally to reduce sticking.

In medium bowl, stir together filling ingredients (mixture will thicken). Pour over cake; spread evenly over surface, working back and forth to fill holes. (Some filling should remain on top of cake.) Refrigerate 1 hour.

Spread frosting over cake; sprinkle with lime peel. Garnish as desired. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

#643: Roasted Tomato and Onion Blender Salsa

Blender salsas are my favorite to make because they are so ridiculously easy!  When I found this recipe I was super excited to try it.  This recipe calls for a ridiculous amount of serrano peppers though (20-25!), and I hate things hot and spicy, so I just eliminated them all and added some diced green chilis (in my opinion, jarred sliced jalapenos would work just fine too!). 

Since finding this recipe, I've made it twice now.  This last time I froze it in smaller jars so I can take out about 1 cup at a time.  I'm so excited that I found this recipe.  My brother, Michael is dying for me to give him some and is still waiting for some to arrive via ups!  (No I really didn't send it).

My second batch wasn't spicy at all so I tricked Allison into try it (I told her it was just like spaghetti sauce), and she loved it.  She even told me it was so good, "it made her heart happy."  I'm just glad I got her to eat a few servings of veggies!  :)

16 full size tomatoes (I used about 8 on-the-vine tomatoes)2-3 yellow onions
20-25 serrano peppers (I used 1 jar of diced green chilis)
8-10 cloves of garlic (I used about 5)
1-2 tbsp salt
1-2 bunches of cilantro (I used 1)
I also added a little lime juice

Cut the tomatoes and onions in half and place cut side up on a cookie sheet along with the peppers.  Roast at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.  (Until the onions are translucent)
Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until relatively smooth (or however you like it!)

Gutzy Gear Backpack Covers Review

It's back to school time (hang I need a moment to here...okay sulking complete) and that means new clothes, new shoes, new lunchbox and of course, a new backpack!  I had the pleasure of participating in a back to school backpack party by Gutzy Gear, a company I had not heard of before.  Gutzy Gear are soft, removable, customizable backpack strap covers, that you decorate with velcro-backed patches.  These are easy for even the littlest of kids!  The velcro is strong though, so these don't fall off easily.  Your child can create their backpack strap covers in seconds...or minutes if they are like mine and they can't decide which patches to choose or where they should position them!

Photo courtesy of GutzyGear.com

These are super easy to create! Our kit came with a set of backpack strap covers for each child and a pack of 2 patches.

A set of straps comes with 2 mystery Gutzy patches and retails for $9.99. Additional patches are sold separately in sets of two for $4.99. In my town, they are available at Kmart, Toys R Us and Office Depot.  Click here to find a store near you.

  

As you can see from all of the photos everyone loved creating their Backpack straps and were excited to take them home!  My girls are ready to get very girly looking ones to add to their straps now!

For more information you can also visit the Gutzy Gear Website as well as their Facebook and Twitter pages.

I received the product mentioned above for free from Gutzy Gear. This in no way influenced my opinion and I received no monetary compensation. This giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

#642: Corn and Blueberry Pancakes

Unfortunately I was the only one who enjoyed these pancakes.  Allison thought they were okay but didn't prefer them. I thought they were wonderful (especially with real maple syrup on it).  I was more than happy to freeze all the leftover to save for breakfasts when school starts again in a few weeks.  I would definitely make these again.

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I used skim)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Butter and maple syrup, for serving (optional)

Heat a griddle or two large nonstick skillets over medium-low heat. In a bowl, whisk flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda and salt until blended. Make a well in the center. Whisk buttermilk, egg and oil in a bowl; add to flour mixture. Gently whisk just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.

Using a ladle, drop batter in scant 1/3-cup rounds onto hot griddle. Let cook 2 to 3 minutes until edge is firm and bubbles form. Carefully flip over and cook an additional 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with butter and maple syrup, if desired.

#641: Snortin Good Salad

This truly has to be the dumbest name for a recipe yet (I did not come up with this one!).  Personally, I think even "layered salad" would be a more fitting name.  (It was layered when I made it...this is a picture of the salad tossed).  I've made this recipe twice now and loved it both times and it has gone over well to both events I brough it too.  Personally I think both times there was too much "dressing" (mayo and sugar) but no one else seems to agree. 

1 head iceberg lettuce, torn (I used romaine hearts)
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 medium red onion, sliced and separated into rings (I diced mine)

1 (10 ounce) package frozen peas, thawed

1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon (I used 1 lb turkey bacon)

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sugar

In a large glass salad bowl, layer the lettuce, cauliflower, onion, peas and bacon. Combine the mayonnaise and sugar; spoon over salad. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Toss just before serving.

#640: Seashells with Basil, Tomatoes, and Garlic

I also made this recipe to eat at the family White Sox/Tailgate party this weekend.  I put all of it together the night before except the shaved parmesan and basil.  I just added that in the morning we were going to eat this, and then tossed it all together one last time. 

Although I really enjoyed this recipe and will definitely make it again, we all agreed it was good, but bland.  It needed some more salt, pepper and maybe some Italian seasoning or something.  Just not much flavor beyond the garlic and olive oil. 

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced
3/4 t. sea salt
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1 pt. small cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 lb medium seashell pasta
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, shaved
1/2 c. thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1 container of fresh mozzarella balls (I quartered mine)
Combine oil, garlic, pepper flakes and salt.  Add tomatoes and let sit for about 15-30 minutes for flavors to blend. 

Meanwhile, cook pasta as package directs for al dente in a large pot of salted water. When done, drain and toss pasta with tomato mixture, then with the cheese, basil and mozzarella balls.  Mix well to combine.

#639: Grape Salad

I made this recipe (much to Brian's dismay since he hates grapes) for our 2nd Annual family White Sox Tailgate and Baseball game.  It was so, so easy to make and I was able to make it the night before.  The hardest part of his recipe is taking the time to pull all the grapes off the stems.  Other than that, you can throw it together in no time.  This recipe says to toast the almonds (which I did) but honestly, you could not tell and it didn't make hardly any difference in the recipe, so next time I wouldn't waste my time doing it and skip that step.

 Those of us who ate it really enjoyed it...so I will definitely be making this again!

1 tub (10 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Original Cooking Creme

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 cups each seedless green and red grapes, halved

2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
1/2 cup PLANTERS Slivered Almonds, toasted

Mix cooking creme and sugar in large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients; mix lightly.

#638: Easy Pizza Rolls

These were the ugliest pizza rolls I could have ever possibly made.  My goodness did these look bad...but they tasted good.  We ate them hot, cold and at room temperature.  Hot was definitely the best, but they were definitely ok at room temperature too.  I wouldn't really recommend eating these cold. 

Part of the reason these turned out so un-uniformly is because my pizza rolls (before slicing) were so thick they kept falling apart.  So I then decided to put half of it in the freezer to see if that would help, and I unrolled the other half, cut it in half and then re-rolled it into two smaller pieces.  The smaller pieces definitely cut better, but I had to stick those in the freezer for about 15 minutes as well to help them not fall apart while cutting. 

I would make these again, and next time would add more toppings than just cheese)...but I would NOT make these for a special occasion where they all were supposed to look uniformly and perfect!

I omitted the following ingredients and instead used a tube of store bought, pre-made pizza dough:
2 cups flour
Pinch of salt
6 TB butter, cut into cubes
2/3 cup of milk (or non dairy substitute)
plain flour

1/4 cup pizza sauce
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (I used mozzarella)
Any desired pizza toppings: ham, pineapple pieces, cut veggies, pepperoni, olives, cooked sausage, etc.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking tray with non-stick paper.

I skipped this step: Sift flour into a large bowl, add salt. Cut butter into the flour with a knife.  Begin to add milk slowly, mix/knead.  Mix/knead until the dough starts to stick to itself, put on a floured surface. Kneed the dough until smooth, then...

(This is where I started): use a floured rolling pin to roll into a rectangle.
Spread the pizza sauce onto the dough, sprinkle with cheese and desired toppings.

On the long side start rolling up the dough into a log.  Cut the log into 12 pieces equally. (I got about 30 pieces from my dough).  Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven to cool. Will keep for 2 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving.