#1,452: Glazed Doughnut Muffins

Look at those gorgeous little babies!  These are a little dense in my opinion, but still really good.  My kids loved them.  The recipe says to double dip the frosting/glaze, but I honestly didn't think it needed it (so I didn't!).  Plus I didn't have enough to double dip them all and I didn't want to make more glaze.  

For the Muffins:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

For the Glaze:

3 tablespoons butter; melted

1 cup confectioners’ sugar; sifted

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons hot water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with muffin liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. With the mixer on low speed, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and vanilla until just combined. Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and mixing until just combined. Do not over mix!

Spoon batter into cups, filling the cups, and smooth tops. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups. Bake until muffin tops are a pale golden and springy to the touch, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 10 minutes before glazing.

To make the glaze, In a medium bowl mix together the melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and water. Whisk until smooth.

When muffins have cooled slightly, dip the muffin crown into the glaze and allow the glaze to harden. Once hardened, dip a second time and allow to harden then serve.

Recipe Note: Muffins will keep at room temperature for about a day.

#1,451: Hearty Italian Sandwiches

I'm kind of surprised that this recipe got mixed reviews from my family...and I'm more surprised by who liked it and who didn't!  I expected my husband to balk at these because of the addition of the peppers (I only used one and I diced it fine, so it was basically mush) and I figured Matthew (age 2) wouldn't eat this at all.  I also thought Allison (age 7) would love this.  However, Allison did NOT enjoy these, and Brian and Matthew did!  Who knew!  I can't predict with this group.  I tried hard not to eat these but kept sneaking bites off the kids plates (the ones who didn't like it didn't care!).  I thought it was great and we will be eating these again next month since we had leftovers.  (Sorry kids who didn't enjoy it!)

This is a recipe you might want to have cooking in the crockpot when you are home!  It does not say to add water to this, but it was really drying out, so I added about 3/4 of a cup or so to mine about 2 hours in.

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)

1-1/2 pounds Mild Italian Sausage Links (casings removed)

2 large onions, sliced

2 large green peppers, sliced (I omitted)

2 large sweet red peppers, sliced (I diced)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

I also added some minced garlic and a few shakes of Italian seasoning

8 sandwich rolls, split

Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, optional (I used mozzarella)

In a Dutch oven, cook beef and sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Place a third of the onions and peppers in a 5-qt. slow cooker; top with half of the meat mixture. Repeat layers; top with remaining vegetables. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and pepper flakes.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until vegetables are tender. With a slotted spoon, serve about 1 cup of meat and vegetables on each roll. Top with cheese if desired. I put mine open faced in the oven and toasted the bread and let them cheese melt!  Yum.  

#1,450: Crock Pot Spaghetti Squash Curry

I decided to try this spaghetti squash curry (curry is newer for me!) and was excited, but skeptical.  Sadly, I don't like this recipe at all.  I don't know if it's the texture of the squash (it is quite soft) or the flavor or the combo of the two, but I could only eat one bite at a time and then had no desire to try another bite (I tried several times!).  I'm going to be sharing this with a co-worker in hopes that she likes it and I don't totally have to dump it all.  Never again for me though. 

1 medium spaghetti squash, 3 to 4 pounds

1 can of coconut milk, room temperature, well shaken

1/4 cup of water if using a full-fat coconut milk

1 to 2 Tbsp of red curry paste

4 to 6 whole garlic cloves, optional

Cut your spaghetti squash in half the short way. A serrated knife helps if you are unsure about cutting a hard squash.  Scoop out the seeds from the inside of your squash halves. 

Poke holes into the tops of your squash halves with a fork, at about 4 different points.

Pour your coconut milk (and water if using full fat coconut milk) into your crock pot, and add your curry paste and garlic cloves. Mix your curry paste into your coconut milk until it is dissolved.

Place your squash halves open/cut side down into your coconut curry mixture.

Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. Remove your squash halves from your crock pot and use a large fork to scoop them out and return them to your slow cooker and stir well.

#1,449: Crockpot Sausage and Lentil Soup

After last of making sausage and potatoes in the crockpot and the sausage basically turning to mush, I was so afraid to add the sausage for this recipe.  So I decided to cook/brown it in a pan, and then add it in just before the lentils were done cooking.  I actually really liked this recipe.  It was so simple to make and it made a huge batch so I'll have a lot of leftovers for this week.  

12 to 14 ounces sliced kielbasa sausage (I used organic chicken sausage)
2 cups brown lentils
2 carrots (diced)
1 celery rib (diced)
1 diced onion
3 minced garlic cloves
15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

For best flavor, brown kielbasa.  Set aside (you will add this at the end).

In a crockpot add the lentils, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning, along with 2 quarts of water or stock.  Stir to combine and cook on low for 4-5 hours.  Add more water or chicken stock if needed (I needed to add it TWICE, so you might want to really watch this one).

About 30 min before it is done cooking, add the cooked/browned sausage and let the sausage re-heat and the flavors blend. 

TBT: Easy Five (Ingredient) Mexican Dip

The actual name of this recipe is Easy Five Mexican Dip, but I hate the name of it.  Five what?!?!  The photo isn't great either, but that's totally my bad!  But in my defense, dips are hard to photograph!  :)  I made this recipe way back on New Years Eve in 2010.  I figured this would be a great throwback recipe to post since the Superbowl is coming up.  This is an easy, and delicious dip that I'm sure many would enjoy!

Original post from 2010: 

This was super easy to make, but it wasn't hot or spicy at all, so a little bit of rotel tomatoes in this would make it perfect!!  As you can see from the red text below, I also added some chopped cilantro.  Yum!  I found this recipe on Kraftfoods.

16 oz Velveeta Cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
8 oz cream cheese
2-15 oz cans of black beans, rinsed
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tomatoes, chopped
cilantro

Combine all ingredients except tomatoes and cilantro in microwaveable bowl.  Microwave on HIGH 5 min. or until Velveeta and cream cheese are melted and mixture is well blended, stirring every 2 min. Stir in tomatoes and cilantro. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

#1,448: Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins

I made these muffins for Matthew to take to school to share with his friends.  I don't know if the other kids enjoyed them, but my family sure enjoyed sneaking a few off the cooling rack! These are a little dense, but I'm not the world's best baker, so that could be the error of the cook and not the muffins themselves.  I would definitely make these again for my kids for breakfast!  

3 medium very ripe bananas

1 egg

1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk or 1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 -3 tablespoons chocolate chips

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional) (I omitted)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat 12 muffin tin liners with cooking spray and place in muffin tin.

In large bowl, mash bananas with fork. Whisk in egg, milk, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.

In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to banana mixture and combine well. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts. Spoon equal amounts of batter into 12 muffin cups.

Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Allow to cool slightly in pan, then remove to wire rack.

Recipe Revisited: Bubble Up Enchiladas

 Here is the one disadvantage to trying so many different recipes....I forget what I already made!  I made these bubble up enchiladas last night for dinner (which were a huge hit by the way) only to realize I made it back in 2012...so it's NOT a new recipe for us.  After not eating it for 2 1/2 years though, it's kind of like a new recipe right?!!  :)

Anyhow, my family loved this and I think we are going to have the left overs for dinner tonight again.  It's a bit spicy for my crew so some of them had to eat it with a little bit of sour cream added on top to cut the heat of the enchilada sauce.  Definitely a keeper recipe!  


1 pound ground turkey
10 oz can enchilada sauce
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 can reduced fat refrigerator biscuits
1 ¼ cups shredded low fat Mexican Cheese



Preheat oven to 350 F.  Brown turkey and drain juices if needed.  Pour and mix enchilada and tomato sauce over browned turkey.  Cut refrigerated biscuits into fourths and stir into meat mixture.  Dump into a greased 9X13 casserole pan and bake for 25 minutes. Take out of oven and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes.

#1,447: Pina Colada Breakfast Smoothie

I've made this recipe twice now, and to be honest, I'll probably eat it again tonight for dinner or again tomorrow for breakfast, because yes, it is THAT good!  I personally used a can of coconut milk, and since it was such a great can with a really thick cream in it, I've been putting a dollop of the cream, and then some of the coconut water.  If I feel like I need to thin it out a little bit, I'll add just a little bit of tap water with it.  LOVE this recipe!

1 large Banana
¾ cup canned Crushed Pineapple (or 1-1/4 cup frozen or fresh pineapple chunks)
 2 Tbsp Shredded Unsweetened Coconut
1 cup Coconut Milk
1-1/2 cups Ice Instructions

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until thick and (relatively) smooth.  

#1,446: Easy Sausage Balls (without eggs)

I made this super simple recipe for Matthew to take to school to share with his daycare friends at breakfast.  Allison tried one of these when they were done cooking and not only raved about how much she liked them, but that she wants them for her birthday breakfast next week too.  :)  These were super simple to make, but is no way these would have turned out without the addition of some moisture (ie milk!).  This was so super crumbly and dry.  I couldn't get the Bisquick to fully mix in, so I added about 1/3 c of milk to this as well and it made a world of difference.  I just added a few splashes here and there until it was moist and fully mixed together, but not overly wet.  

2 cups Bisquick
1 pound bulk sausage
1 generous cup sharp cheddar cheese
About ¼ to 1/3 c of milk

Combine cheese and Bisquick.  Add sausage and mix well.  Slowly add in milk so the mixture is wet enough to get all of the ingredients to combine and can be shaped/rolled into a golf-ball (or slightly smaller) sized ball.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until browned, flipping over half way through.

Note: You can make this recipe up ahead of time and freeze them.

#1,445: Crockpot Kielbasa and Potatoes

With the help of the hubby washing potatoes, I think I got this in the crockpot literally within 7 minutes!  Now that's an easy, "set it and forget it' type of dinner.  HOWEVER we hated this recipe.  Like it was so bad, I couldn't even serve the kielbasa.  The sausage was MUSH.  :(  Thankfully, I had another package of sausage in the fridge, so we quickly threw it on the grill.  I liked the potatoes and the GRILLED sausage together, but I would not make this again for my family.  This might be a recipe made better on the stovetop or oven. 

12 oz package smoked sausage, cut into bite sized pieces

8 small Yukon gold potatoes (peeled or unpeeled)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium onions, sliced (I only used half of one)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced (I omitted)

1 tsp salt

½ tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

3 sprigs of thyme (or ½ tsp dried)

3/4 cup chicken broth

Scrub potatoes well and cut into 2" pieces. (I left the smaller ones whole, and cut some of the larger ones in half). Place potatoes into slow cooker and add garlic, sliced onions and bell peppers. Season with salt, oregano, basil and thyme. Add chicken broth.  Stir ingredients to distribute seasonings.

Add smoked sausage to top of vegetables. Cover and cook 4 hours (high) or 8 hours (low). 

#1,444: Creamy Tex-Mex Quinoa Dinner or Dip

This recipe is actually supposed to be more like an appetizer served with Scoops tortilla chips.  But I loved the idea of this as more of a dinner/casserole, so I served mine to be eaten as is.  This was good as a casserole, but it was definitely even better served with tortilla chips!  I will definitely make this again.  

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced or petite-diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup quinoa, well-rinsed and drained

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4-8 ounces light or regular cream cheese, cubed (depending on how creamy you like it)

Squeeze of fresh lime juice

Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

In a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker, toss the chicken, corn, black beans, tomatoes and quinoa together.

In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the broth, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the ingredients in the slow cooker and give it all a good stir (scrape down any quinoa that may be stuck to the sides of the slow cooker above the liquid).

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

Toss in the cubed cream cheese and cover the slow cooker for 5-10 minutes to let it soften.

Stir all the ingredients together until the cream cheese is mixed in well.  Add the lime juice and cilantro and give it another quick stir.

Serve as is, with tortilla chips, in a corn tortilla, etc. 

#1,443: Paleo Sweet Potato Chili (Crockpot Recipe)

How did I forget to add the onions in this recipe?!  I love red onion and add it in to recipes all the time.  I might have to go sautee some in a pan and add it in!  I halved this recipe and made it in the crockpot over night.  It's now ready for me to eat for lunch today....and for this week at school.  I love the sweetness the sweet potatoes add to this chili.  Next time I'm going to dice them up a little smaller next time though, I think I left them a tad too big for my liking.  Regardless, super yummy!

2 lbs. ground beef (I used ground turkey)

1 red onion, chopped (I omitted b/c I forgot to add them!)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 large can (29.5 oz) can tomato sauce

2 cups petite diced tomatoes, with juice

3 cups beef stock

3 carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)

5 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 4-5 cups)

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon thyme

2 tsp. salt

1½ teaspoons black pepper

½ cup chili powder (or to taste!!)

dash of oregano

dash of red pepper flakes

In a large saucepan, brown hamburger, onions and garlic. Drain off the fat. 

Add the cooked ground beef and onions, as well as all of the remaining ingredients to a crockpot.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4 hours.  

#1,442: Perfect Baked Chicken

That looks like some good chicken doesn't it?!  In order to make this recipe you're going to need a cast iron skillet or oven safe dutch oven.  This was so simple to make, that this was made by Brian (my husband who does NOT know how to follow a recipe very well).  He called me once to ask what kind of oil he could use since we were running out of olive oil,and then when I got home mixed it together wrong.  For someone who barely follows a recipe except for the list of ingredients (ahem, me!), that's not a big deal, but for a guy who barely cooks, it's a little scary that he was struggling with a recipe with basically 5 steps.  (I'm assuming/hoping he never reads this, otherwise, he may never cook again since I'm giving him a hard time!).  

ANYHOW, this chicken was SOOO moist.  I loved the carmelization/color it got from baking in the oven.  I will definitely be making this recipe again!!

1/2 t. garlic powder

2-4 boneless chicken breasts with or without rib meat

1/2 t. pepper

2-3 T. olive oil

1/2 t. onion powder

1/2 t. paprika

1/2 t. salt

Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika in a small bowl. Coat the chicken breasts in the seasoning, rubbing in to coat. Pour olive oil in the bottom of a Dutch oven, and heat to med-high. When nice and hot, add chicken to the pan (in batches if necessary). Cook 2-3 min per side. 

If any chicken has been removed, add it back to the Dutch oven. Place uncovered Dutch oven in a 350 degree F oven for 25 minutes or until juices run clear. Let sit on a plate 5-10 minutes before cutting, shredding, or eating.

#1,441: Texas Hash

Does anyone else think the word Texas Hash should include some sort of potato??  Every time I think of this recipe I think I'm forgetting to add potatoes to it.  So this is basically a seasoned ground beef/turkey mixture with rice.  (I think it needs a different name).  Sounds good enough to me though!  I knew I was pushing my luck with this recipe with my husband, and if he was going to like it, I was probably going to have to add texture by crushing up some tortilla chips on top.  Sadly, I didn't have any on hand, so he had to have this as is.  Allison and I really enjoyed this simple meal/dinner.  Brian thought it was just ok (no shock there).  Matthew (2 yrs) would only even attempt to eat this if I put it in a quesadilla for him.  :)  For me, I would make this again (and add some corn and diced tomatoes), but for my family, they weren't overly impressed, so I probably won't make this too often.  

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced green bell pepper (I omitted, but would add next time)

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 pound ground beef (I used ground turkey)

½ teaspoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup long grain white rice

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice (I omitted, but would add next time)

1 cup water

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet that has a tight fitting cover, heat olive oil over medium high. Add onion, peppers, garlic, ground beef, dry mustard, chili powder, salt and pepper. Sauté until ground beef is no longer pink, breaking up beef as you cook.  Add rice and cook for two minutes letting rice absorb liquid.

Add tomato paste and cook for one minute. Add canned tomatoes with juice, water and Worcestershire sauce. Stir, cover and simmer for 20 minutes covered.

After 20 minutes, remove lid and fluff the mixture then serve. If the mixture is to wet, cook for another few minutes with lid off.  If you are using the cheese, sprinkle on top for last few minutes of cooking time with lid on.

#1,440: Ridiculously Easy Breakfast Casserole

I will absolutely, 100% make this recipe again when I need to bring something for breakfast.  I might even make this to take to a family/mom in need of some comfort food/easy meal.  It was so simple to throw together this morning before work and my school staff meeting.  It cooks up in about 30 minutes, so I just threw this in the oven as I finished getting ready for work.  This was a big hit, and can easily be adapted to add in any sort of ingredients you love.  The original recipe called for just sausage, but I love bacon, so I added a little bit of cooked bacon as well.  Next time I will probably add some cooked onions and potentially a few cooked veggies (like peppers or mushrooms).  Regardless, this was great!  

1 pkg cressent rolls

1 lb mild sausage

I also added 1/2 lb cooked bacon

6 eggs, beaten

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9×13 baking dish with Pam. Brown sausage in skillet. Spread cressent dough in bottom of 9×13 dish. Add sausage (and bacon), then pour eggs over sausage. Generously top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

#1,439: Maple Cinnamon Pecan Pull-Aparts

I made this recipe to take to our staff meeting this morning, and got up a tiny bit early to throw this in the oven.  I had this recipe thrown together literally in about five minutes, so that gives this recipe extra points in my book.  It was completely gone this morning and overall seemed to get pretty good reviews.  The sour cream gives this a little bit of a tang, and a slightly off aftertaste in my opinion, but not everyone felt the same way.  I would make this again, although I would probably use something a little sweeter like yogurt instead of the sour cream.  Such a simple, quick breakfast. 

½ cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

¼ cup sour cream

1 teaspoon maple flavor or vanilla

1 can (17.5 oz) Pillsbury™ Grands!™ refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8x4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix all ingredients except cinnamon rolls with icing.

Separate dough into 5 rolls; set icing aside. Cut each roll into quarters; add to pecan mixture, tossing gently to coat. Spoon roll mixture into pan.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Turn upside down onto serving plate or platter. Spread with icing. Serve warm.

#1,438: Hamburger Potato Casserole

Well this recipe got mixed reviews from my crew.  From an cooking standpoint, it was very easy to make and throw together.  (That's always a huge plus!).  Allison loved this and asked if she could take leftovers in her lunch!  Brian however, was not as big of a fan and said he probably wouldn't eat it again.  (The other two are such picky eaters, they are hard to please and don't love most things!).  I personally enjoyed the potatoes of this, but the ground beef lacked flavor/seasoning.  Probably not a recipe I will make again for our crew, yet, not a terrible recipe.  To each his own! 

1 lb. lean ground beef

3 cups thinly sliced potatoes 

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

3/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease an 11 x 7 (2 quart) glass baking dish. In medium skillet, cook the onions and ground beef until done. Drain the grease. In a medium bowl, mix together the milk, soup, salt and pepper. Layer half of the potatoes, soup, cheese and then the hamburger meat. Repeat with the rest of the potatoes, soup, hamburger meat and then the cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the potatoes are tender.

#1,437:Peanut Butter Nutella Cookie Dough Bites

I came across this recipe and had to make some additions/changes to it to make it sweeter/better to my liking.  These are not super sweet, so adjust your amount of sugar accordingly.  If you are doing a sugar detox/avoiding sugar, then omit it completely.  I thought it needed it at least a little bit though. This would be great as a to-go breakfast, dessert, or just a chocolate-craving-snack. :) 

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup wheat bran

1 T cocoa powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp nutella

1 tbsp peanut butter

1 T chopped nuts (I used slivered almonds)

1/4-1/2 cup almond milk

1 tbsp sugar (I used Stevia)

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the almond milk.  Mix well.  Slowly add the almond milk, one tablespoon at a time until a very thick dough is made.

Roll into bite sized balls and place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.  Place in freezer for about 10 minutes.  

#1,436: Chicken (or turkey) and Zucchini Poppers

Look at those cute little meatballs!  Don't they look good?!  They are!  BUT these are very strong on the cilantro (which I happen to like).  So if you don't like cilantro very much, you probably won't like these.  I thought they were delicious though!  

1 lb. ground chicken breast (I used ground turkey...not a huge fan of ground chicken)

2c grated zucchini (leave peel on) (I squeezed out the excess water)

2-3 green onions, sliced

3-4 Tbsp cilantro, minced

1 clove garlic

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

optional: ¾ tsp cumin (I did add this)
I also added about 1 tbsp minced garlic

olive oil, for cooking (or coconut oil, avocado oil, or ghee)

Toss chicken with zucchini, green onion, cilantro, garlic, salt, and pepper (and cumin, if using). 

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Use a small scoop or a heaped tablespoon to scoop meatballs into the pan. Cook 8-10 at a time for about 5-6 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook an additional 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown and the centers are cooked through.

I used a cast iron skillet (oven safe) and browned these on the stove for a few minutes on each side.  Then I threw the pan in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes until they were cooked all the way through.  

#1, 435: Crockpot Italian Beef over Spaghetti Squash

I love easy recipes, and I especially love ones that I can throw together quickly and then come home to dinner totally made/done!  We ate this on a night that we weren't getting home until pretty late, so it was the prefect meal to have waiting for us when we got home.  I had pre-made the spaghetti squash so that saved me a ton of time.  The rest of the family ate this in some toasted rolls, but I loved it with the squash (yeah for low carb!).  We will definitely be making this on again. 

2.5 – 3 pounds of beef roast
2 cups chopped carrots
1 small white or yellow onion, sliced
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of red chili flakes
1.5 cups organic crushed tomatoes (I omitted)
2 cups beef stock
1 Tbsp tomato paste

Trim your beef of excess fat, and set in the crockpot.

Peel and chop the carrots, slice the onion and chop the garlic. Add these to the pot with the beef along with the seasonings: salt, garlic powder, basil, oregano, thyme, cinnamon and red chili flakes.

Pour in the beef stock and crushed tomatoes. Add the tomato paste and give everything a good stir. Cover the slow cooker, set to low for 5-6 hours.  Shred when done and serve. 

#1,434: Butternut Squash Breakfast Skillet

This was a super easy, really delicious breakfast that I ate for three days this week.  It makes a big batch of squash and sausage so you can definitely make this once and it eat for a few meals.  This reheated really well, and I would definitely make this again! 

12 oz butternut squash, peeled and diced into ½” cubes 

1 Tbsp oil of choice

1 lb homemade breakfast sausage (I was lazy and did not use a homemade one)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp onion powder

½ cup water

In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat.  Add the butternut squash and sauté for 2-3 minutes. (I was roasting other veggies, so I just roasted mine in the oven instead)

Add the water, cover the pan loosely, and cook for 4 minutes or until the water has absorbed and the squash is tender.  Push the squash to the sides of the pan.

(I did not do this step and cooked mine in a separate pan!)  Add the sausage in the middle of the pan and begin to brown (do not mix with the squash until cooked). 

Once the sausage has cooked through, mix it with the squash and add the seasonings.

Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes to heat through.

#1,433: Cinnamon Carrot Fries

If you like slightly sweet cooked carrots, you might really love this recipe.  I actually really, really enjoyed these carrots!  It would have been even easier to make if you like eating baby carrots, but I am not a fan of those so I used organic whole carrots and just peeled/cut them up.  I loved the cinnamon on these carrots.  Delish!

1 Pound carrots

1 Heaping tablespoon coconut oil

½ Tablespoon Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon coconut flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the carrots into equal size sticks.

Toss the carrot sticks with the oil, cinnamon and flour and lay flat on a baking sheet. Don't overlap the fries. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until fork tender.  

#1,432: (Healthier) Eggroll in a Bowl

I'll be honest, I was scared to death to try this recipe because the last time I ate a big bowl of cooked cabbage/coleslaw mix, my stomach hurt for two days!  But my friend Jaime pinned this recipe for me to try first, so I had to oblige.  LOL  Although I liked this, it was way too salty for my liking.  Between the sausage and the soy sauce, that's a lot sodium.  So beware of how much soy sauce you use.  This was good, but I probably won't make it again.  It does taste a lot like the filling/inside of an eggroll though, so if you are craving eggrolls, you might enjoy this recipe! 

1 lb ground country sausage

1 bag dry coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup soy sauce (I used coconut aminos)

1 teaspoon ginger

sliced green onion

In a large, deep skillet, brown sausage. Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine garlic, soy sauce, and ginger; set aside. Once sausage is cooked through, add dry coleslaw mix to skillet and stir to combine. Pour soy sauce mixture into the skillet and stir, continuing to cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until cabbage is wilted, but still a bit crunchy. Serve with sliced green onion.

TBT: Homemade PopTarts

As I went through my recipes to choose the next one to post as a "throwback" recipe, I decided it was only fitting to re-post this recipe since (as you may have noticed) this recipe/photo is the backdrop to my blog.  I always loved how the poptarts photographed with the pink icing, so here's the throwback Thursday recipe for you this week!  


Here is the original blog post I wrote in August 2010:
I am so glad I found this recipe online this week!!  I came across these homemade poptarts on Once A Month Mom's website (http://onceamonthmom.com/freezable-recipe-homemade-pop-tarts/) and was eager to make them for Allison and Chloe to take as a breakfast treat for their friends at daycare.  I was thrilled that it only uses 2-4 ingredients, depending on if you want the frosting or not.  Personally, I loved them without the frosting but Allison liked them better with.

I happened to have an extra refrigerated pie crust in the fridge so we made them this morning and within minutes of coming out of the oven Allison, Chloe and I had eaten them ALL!  Chloe was even eating the crumbs off the floor.  Yes, it was a big hit in our house!

I made most of them with strawberry jelly (since we had that on hand), but I also made one with peanut butter and jelly and one with some cinnamon and a tbsp of brown sugar.  The brown sugar and cinnamon was my favorite!  Hands down, no contest, it was the best!!

Originally I planned to freeze these and see how they reheated (which they are supposed to do).  But we're piggies and have none to stick in the freezer.  : ) 

Ingredients:
1 box refrigerated pie crusts (2 per pkg)
1 cups Jam/Jelly (any flavor)
Optional other fillings: Cinnamon and brown sugar, peanut butter, nutella

Glaze:
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
Sprinkles (optional)


Directions:
Using a pizza cutter trim the edges so that you have a square/rectangle to work with. Using the pizza cutter divide each rectangle into 4 squares. Place and spread 1-2 Tablespoons of jam/jelly on each square in the middle. Fold over the dough and seal edges with a fork. (With extra cut off dough, roll out and make 2 additional squares). 

Place on cookie sheet for baking. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes. After baking remove for cooling and prepare glaze by mixing in milk until desired consistency. Spread on top of pop tarts and allow to cool.

Freezing Directions:
Once cool, flash freeze. When partially frozen place in gallon freezer bag for storage. To serve: Thaw or heat in microwave for 1-2 minutes or heat in oven. If adding glaze DO NOT put in toaster.

Servings: 10