#1,875: Asian Chopped Salad with Sesame Vinaigrette

I love salads....I especially love a salad that I can some how prep ahead of time.  I made this salad in mason jars so it would stay fresh and I LOVED eating it for 2 days for my lunches.  I added a few ingredients to this to make it more to my liking, but as is would be good too (or with whatever your favorite salad toppings are).  This recipe goes well with just about any meat (especially if grilled).  Eh, this recipe goes well as a side to anything in my opinion!  :) 

1 head romaine

1 1/2 cups purple cabbage (I omitted out of laziness)

1 1/2 cups snow peas

3-4 green onions

1 cup shredded carrot

1 red bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

About 1/4 c sliced/slivered almonds
I also added edamame, bacon bits, and sunflower seeds.  

{For the dressing}

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. sesame oil

1 Tbsp. tamari (or soy sauce)

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 1/2 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Optional: minced garlic or ginger

Chop romaine and cabbage. Place in a large bowl.

Slice snow peas and green onions. Dice bell pepper, slice carrots, and roughly chop cilantro. Add to bowl.

In a small bowl whisk together dressing ingredients.  Pour over salad and toss to combine.

Top with additional sesame seeds if desired.

#1,874: Chewy Peanut Butter Brownies

I was looking for a really easy, quick, and (hopefully) tasty dessert to take to a friend's house, and I had every ingredient on hand for this recipe, so I figured I'd give it a try.  Simple is definitely the word for this recipe!  I whipped this together literally in about 5 minutes (I put the butter in the microwave to soften it).  One of my girls helped me make it too!  This is really good for being such a simple recipe.  I LOVE peanut butter though so rarely can I make something with peanut butter and not like it.  This isn't the best dessert I've ever had, but I certainly enjoyed it.  

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2/3 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup peanut butter and milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 8x8 pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

Place butter and peanut butter in a large bowl and stir until smooth. Add sugars and stir until combined. Add eggs and stir until incorporated. Stir in vanilla. Add flour, baking powder and salt and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.

Place peanut butter batter in prepared pan and spread evenly. (Batter will be thick) Sprinkle peanut butter and milk chocolate chips on top of batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until brownies are set.

Cool and cut into squares to serve.

#1,873: Puff Pastry Pizza Twists

If you are on facebook at all, you are seeing so many how-to videos on making different recipes.  This is a recipe I saw on one of those facebook pages.  The video uses puff pastry and says to cut it into a circle.  I saw that as wasting puff pastry so I did it as a rectangle and it just wasn't as pretty.  So I only took a picture of a piece of it.  :)  My family LOVED this dinner.  It didn't matter to them if it was pretty or not.  It was so super simple to make too.  I did have to bake it a little longer though because the center wasn't cooked all the way through, but I think that's my oven!

2 sheets of puff pastry
Pizza sauce
shredded cheese
egg wash

Place the 2 pieces of puff pastry on a parchment lined baking tray.

I skipped this step: Cut out equal size circles.  

Remove the top sheet.  On the bottom sheet, spread pizza sauce on it, and top with shredded cheese.  Place the other sheet of puff pastry on top.  Take a glass and place it in the center of the circle.  Using a knife or scissors, cut strips away from the edge of the glass.  Take each strip and twist.  Brush egg wash over the top of the puff pastry.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  

#1,872: Cheesy Cauliflower Muffins

I am seriously obsessed with cauliflower.  I eat it at least several times a week.  So when I found this recipe I was super excited to try it!  Since making it the first time, I’ve made it now with both broccoli and cauliflower and enjoy it with both veggies.  So this is super adaptable! 

3 cups finely pulsed raw cauliflower florets (cauliflower should be pulsed until they resemble coarse/large crumbs; 3 cups will be about 1/2 of a large head of cauliflower but please measure it out)

2 large eggs

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup almond flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp dry Italian seasoning herb blend

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners. (I just sprayed my pan with cooking spray really well and it slid right out). 

Combine cauliflower, eggs, cheddar cheese, almond flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder and garlic powder. Mix with a large spoon or spatula until smooth.

Scoop batter into muffin cups, about 2/3 full. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes until muffins are completely cooked and no longer wet to the touch. 

#1,871: Meatball Bombs

I am becoming the queen of easy meals.  Maybe it's because I'm getting lazier as I get older, or maybe it's because I'm choosing to have time to myself and/or with my family rather than spending tons of time in the kitchen.  Regardless of the reason, I'm looking for ways to get dinner on the table as fast as possible.  I found this super easy recipe for these meatball bombs, and resorted to frozen meatballs...my family didn't notice and/or didn't care.  So take the shortcut and just use frozen, pre-cooked meatballs!

1 can (12 oz) Pillsbury Homestyle refrigerated biscuits
8 cooked Italian-style meatballs (if using frozen, let thaw completely)
1 cup marinara/pasta sauce
1 cup shredded cheese (mozzarella or Italian blend)

I omitted these ingredients to make it easier on me (this would have been super good, but my family was ok without it)

4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

Using your hands, flatten each biscuit into a 4 inch round.

This step was super messy so I gave up on the sauce and just filled eat dough with meat and cheese.  I served the marinara sauce on the side for my family to dip their meatball bombs in.  Place 1 meatball and 2 tablespoons marinara in center of each dough round. Top with 2 tablespoons of cheese.

Wrap dough around meatball and cheese, pressing edges to seal. Place seam side down, leaving room for spreading on prepared baking sheet. Continue until all biscuits have been completed.

I skipped this step: In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, garlic, Italian seasoning and salt. Evenly spoon on top of each biscuit.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm!

#1,870: Cinnamon Roll Sheet Cake

I keep waiting to make this recipe with my kids because
1.  I think it will be the perfect recipe to make for them for breakfast 
2.  It will give my kids an easy recipe for them to try and make with minimal help from me
3.  AND it gives me another reason to use my new half-sheet pans!  (If you do not have one of these you really need to get one.  It is perfect for our family to make things like chicken patties, smaller amounts of tater tots, roasted veggies, etc.  I love that it is a smaller size than my gigantic cookie sheets. 

OK, I should have gone with my intuition on this and NOT used the half sheet pan.  I don't know if mine is smaller than it should be, but when filled, this went pretty close to the top of the pan.  I knew if I put this in the oven as is, I would have a huge bubbled over mess.  So I decided to dump this into a 9x13 pan instead at the last minute.  The cinnamon-sugar mixture got pretty much combined into the cake mix in this process, but I figure it shouldn't change the flavor (just the presentation) of the cake that much.

My family LOVED this.  It is also so incredibly moist.  Next time I'll probably add even more cinnamon to make it more pronounced in the flavor of the cake.  I also will make it in a 9x13 glass pan again and forgo the sheet pan altogether.  

White cake mix

ingredients to complete cake mix: eggs, oil and water

1/3 cup melted butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

For the icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line half sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Make cake mix according to package directions and spread evenly into sheet pan.

Mix melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together and drizzle across cake batter. Using a butter knife, swirl butter mixture through cake batter.

Bake about 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean after being inserted into the cake.

While cake bakes, stir powdered sugar, vanilla and just enough milk to create icing the consistency of white glue.

Remove from oven and cool 5-10 minutes before drizzling with icing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Revisited: French Dip Crescents

Thin roast beef was on sale last week at the grocery store, so I decided to throw some in my cart and figured I'd decide what to make with it later.  The kids are off school today, so this seemed like a very easy, quick lunch to REmake for them and my hubby.  I am not a huge fan of roast beef, but since this is sliced so thin, it almost tastes more like salami (which some of us prefer anyways LOL). 

2 cans Pillsbury crescent rolls (I used reduced fat)

4-6 slices cheese of your choice, cut into quarters (I used ultra thin provolone)

7 oz thinly sliced roast beef (I used 1 to 1 1/4 slices per roll up)

packet of au jus mix

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lay out the individual crescent triangles on a work surface. Add a piece of roast beef and a quarter slice of cheese at the larger end of the triangle, then roll the crescent over the mixture until the crescent roll is formed. Repeat with remaining crescent triangles, roast beef and cheese.

Once completed, lay each crescent roll on a baking sheet that has been prepared with cooking spray. Bake for 14-16 minutes, until the crescent rolls are slightly golden and the cheese is melted.

Meanwhile, prepare au jus sauce according to packet directions.
Remove from heat and pour into serving bowls.  

Serve the crescent rolls with the au jus for dipping. 

#1,869: Eggplant Fries

When I was at the grocery store the other day looking for vegetables to fill my cart with, I noticed that the medium-sized eggplant were 99 cents each!  You can't beat that price, so I threw one in my cart.  I love eggplant when it's breaded and/or fried.  When it's baked or grilled, I like it, but don't necessarily love it.  So when I found this super easy, quick recipe, I decided to give it a try for my lunch.  Although this is a tad bitter (but eggplant generally is), I LOVED these faux fries.  I think they are too mushy to be considered an actual french fry substitute, but I mixed this in a bowl with some paleo taco meat, and I was a huge fan.  It was SO good.  I have eggplant on my grocery list again for later this week now! 

One medium to large eggplant

1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. (I started these on 400 degrees, but then bumped up to 450 after 15 minutes or so.  Next time, I'll probably start at 450). 

Cut eggplant into medallions (circles), then stack medallions and cut into French fry-like strips.

Place eggplant strips onto a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season lightly with a bit of salt and pepper.

Pop them in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the majority of them are browned and crispy. Let cool slightly before removing from pan.

#1,868: Fiesta Ranch Dip

I had a big container of cottage cheese that needed to get used up and a recipe to use it in.  I found a recipe that not only helped me use up my cottage cheese, but also use that random fiesta ranch packet I had in my pantry as well.  Plus I happened to also have just the right amount of sour cream, so this seemed like a no-brainer!

I didn't love this when I first made/tried it.  But it definitely does taste better as it sits longer.  It's still not my favorite dip I've ever had, but I certainly would eat this.  Let's be honest though, I'll eat most everything.  LOL! 

12 oz Cottage Cheese (I used more like 16 oz)
8 oz Sour Cream
4 oz Mayo (I added about 6 oz)
1 Fiesta Ranch Mix Packet

In a blender or food processor, mix all 4 ingredients together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.  The longer you let the dip set the more flavor it has. Serve with chips, crackers, or veggies.

#1,867: Baked Balsamic Chicken

I am not the biggest chicken fan, but my husband is and when I ask him what he wants me to add to our menu, chicken is often requested.  I also want/need to serve it so my kids learn to love it more than I do AND because it's a healthy protein option for us all.  So I found this recipe for a super easy baked balsamic chicken recipe that you can make ahead of time (or at the last minute like me if you forget to put the marinade together!)

This was super moist chicken and my family really enjoyed this.  I was afraid they were not going to like this because of the chunks of onion, so I had to scrape it off their chicken pieces.  Next tim I will probably leave the onion in much bigger slices so it still flavors the dish, but I can pick it out for the kiddos...and my husband. 

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used chicken breast tenders) 

1/2 small onion, diced

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp. olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary

2 tsp. coarse whole grain mustard (optional) (I DID add this)

Salt and pepper

Combine all the ingredients into a Ziploc bag and give it a good massage with your hands to coat the chicken. Let the chicken marinate several hours up to overnight if you have time.  If not, you don't have to let this sit. 

Preheat oven to 400F. Place the chicken into a glass dish in a single layer and pour any excess marinade on top. Season with extra salt and pepper if desired. Place into oven, uncovered, and bake for 20 minutes.

Boneless Chicken Breasts

Start checking your internal temperature chicken at 20 minutes. They may need only 5-10 minutes more (depending on thickness of meat.).  Chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 160F.

#1,866: Puffy Tacos (Puff Pastry Tacos)

It is no surprise that we eat a lot of taco meat in this family.  We all enjoy it, it's easy to make, and I can have it on hand and in the freezer for quick meals.  Plus we can use the taco meat in so many different ways.  So when I came across this recipe to use it with puff pastry I was all too eager to try it.  Only 1 kid on my family didn't enjoy these (she's the weird one LOL), but everyone else not only gobbled these up, they wanted to eat the leftovers for dinner the next day.  (I don't have to cook one night...uh, ok!).  

1 lb ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1 package taco seasoning
1 (10oz) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained (I omitted for my family)
2/3 cup water
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (17.3-oz) package puff pastry, thawed

Preheat oven to 400. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large skillet, cook ground beef until no longer pink. Drain. Add taco seasoning, diced tomatoes and green chiles and water. Simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside.

Unfold pastry sheets. Cut each sheet into 9 squares.

Arrange taco meat down diagonal center of the pastry squares. Sprinkle with some of the shredded cheddar cheese. Fold two opposite corners of each square over the filling and press edges to seal.  (Mine would not stay sealed so I dipped my finger in water and moistened one edge.  Then I pressed that edge into the opposite side of the pastry sheet and it sealed better…some still opened but stayed together much better than the ones I did not use water on).  Place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake 15-18 minutes, until golden brown.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

#1,865: Oriental Cauliflower Rice

I have very, very low expectations for this recipe (isn't that sad!? I really need to have more faith in recipes and if I will like them or not).  But I have been excited and nervous to try making this dish.  So I decided to whip this up for breakfast this morning (weird breakfast meal I know!).  Shockingly and wonderfully, I loved it!  I cut WAY down on the amount of eggs to add to it because I figured that would be the one ingredient that was going to make or break this dish for me.  For me personally, that was probably a good idea.  If you love eggs though, I'd suggest adding more.  Also, it suggests adding bacon and at the time I didn't have any made, so I just added bacon bits.  Real bacon would obviously be better, but in my time crunch, the bacon bits were just fine for me.  I enjoyed this so much in fact, I'm debating eating/making it again for lunch! 

This would be a great, healthy breakfast to make in the morning as long as you prep your veggies the night before.  I'm adding cauliflower to my grocery list for next week for sure. 

I found this recipe on a post from Mommy Trainer on facebook, although the post shows a link to instagram.  I'm glad I came across her page and this recipe.  

Riced cauliflower (I riced about 7 medium sized florets or so).
Your choice of veggies: carrots, peas, peppers, onion, broccoli, etc.
3-4 eggs (I did one)
salt and pepper
coconut aminos or soy sauce
ham or bacon, diced (optional)

Saute your veggies (I did red bell pepper, peas, and red onion).  When they are almost done, add the egg(s) and scramble with the veggies.  When the eggs are just about scrambled add the riced cauliflower to heat through.   Season with salt and pepper.  Add coconut aminos (or soy sauce) to taste.  Add chopped bacon or ham if desired.  

#1,864: Tahini Blondies

Just the other day I was looking at a half used jar of tahini in my pantry and thinking I should probably just get rid of it because I don't see myself using it any time in the near future, and I've had it for a while.  Then wouldn't you know, I come across a recipe for Tahini Blondies in a recent issue of Real Simple magazine that will use up almost exactly what I have left in my jar!  Thankfully I also had every other ingredient on hand that I needed, so I whipped up these babies on our icy day (soon to be weekend) stuck inside and at home.  (I also may be using cooking as an excuse to avoid doing some school work...just maybe!).  

I am trying to be more mindful and health conscious, so I didn't really want to eat these, so I had a bite of one to try it.  You definitely get the aftertaste of the tahini, so if you dislike tahini, I would avoid these.  My kids think they taste like peanut butter (they do a little) and I'm thinking peanut butter or sun butter would be another good substitution.  BUT the purpose of making these was to use tahini so I'm still glad that's what I used.  1 of my kids wasn't overly impressed with these and said she could take it or leave it.  The other 2 however, ate a piece of one and then immediately asked for another.  These 2 are my nut loving kids though!  

1 3/4 c packed light brown sugar
1 c tahini
1/4 c melted butter
2 large eggs
1 1/2 all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

In a bowl combine the brown sugar, tahini, melted butter, and eggs.  Stir in in the flour, salt, and baking soda. 

Transfer to an 8 inch square baking dish lined with parchment paper.  Top with 1 tsp flaky sea salt (I used about half).  Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  (After 25 minutes, I bumped the temp up to 350 and baked for about another 10 minutes because mine still were not done in the middle). 

#1,863: Crockpot Italian Meatballs

When I asked my kids this week what they wanted on our dinner menu they said meatball subs.  Since it is such an easy recipe to throw together (and reheat during the week!), I decided to oblige and make it for them.  I found this recipe for Italian Meatballs that I could make in the crockpot (my favorite way to cook since it's less messy/easy clean up).  These are so good.  They are super moist and tender....I had to stop myself from eating too many of these so there would still be plenty leftover for our dinner this week! 

2 large eggs

½ cup breadcrumbs, fresh or dried

½ cup finely chopped onion

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

¼ cup minced fresh parsley

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground pepper

32 oz lean (90% or leaner) ground beef (I stupidly/accidentally only used ONE lb of ground turkey...it still turned out ok though)

Spaghetti Sauce, Homemade or Jarred

Lightly beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the breadcrumbs, ½ cup onion, cheese, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper.

Next add the beef and with your fingertips lightly mix the ingredients until just combined but try not to over mix or compact the meat. Using ⅛ cup for each (I just eyeballed it to be about a golfball size or smaller), make the meatballs compressing them just enough to form a ball and place in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover with sauce and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.  (Mine were done at 6 hours)

#1,862: Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken

Sorry, this isn't a pretty picture!

My family did however, really enjoy this chicken.  I went to school to get some work done and as soon as I walked in the door I could smell that this was getting overcooked...and I was right.  The edges of our chicken were a little dry, but that was because I wasn't home to check on it.  Yes, I know that's the point of the crockpot, but I used thin chicken breasts, so it didn't take that long to cook.  We ate this with rice, and drizzled the sauce over the top...OK Allison and I ate it that way.  Everyone else ate it dipped in catsup.  (shaking head in disbelief)  

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs  (I used thin boneless skinless chicken breasts)

4 garlic cloves, minced

⅓ cup honey

½ cup low sodium ketchup

½ cup low sodium soy sauce

½ teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

½ tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Arrange chicken thighs on the bottom of your slow cooker; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, oregano and parsley; whisk until thoroughly combined.

Pour the sauce over the chicken thighs.

Close with a lid and cook for 4 to 5 hours on LOW, or 3.5 to 4 hours on HIGH.*

Remove lid and transfer chicken to a serving plate.

Spoon the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

#1,861:Brussels Sprouts With Lemon And Garlic

Raise your hand if you love brussel sprouts!!  (Hand raised high!!)

I used to hate these little babies. I thought they smelled funny and would linger throughout the house forever.  Thankfully my mom didn't make them often.  Then I became an adult and started roasting them and I love these little guys!  They are so under-loved.

Normally I roast mine in the oven at 425 degrees or so for probably close to 30 minutes.  I'm sure I'm overcooking the heck out of them, but that's the way I like them the most.  This recipe suggested broiling for 15 minutes and I was super skeptical.  But as you can see from the photo above, they are definitely done.  BUT you have to really watch them because the little ones (and the leaves that fall off) burn very quickly.  I eventually moved it to the middle rack of my oven so it would keep cooking but was away from the heat a bit.  


This is a really good recipe, and I loved the lemon in it.  Personally this was even better with a little bit of shaved Parmesan on it, but I enjoyed it as written too!

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon

2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (quartered if large)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (I used minced)

1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh chives (I omitted)

Preheat the broiler. Pour the olive oil into a small saucepan. Remove wide strips of zest from the lemon using a vegetable peeler, taking care not to get the white pith. Add the zest to the olive oil and heat over medium heat until the zest is sizzling, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Put the Brussels sprouts on a rimmed baking sheet; drizzle the olive oil over the sprouts, leaving the zest in the pan. Toss the Brussels sprouts and spread in a single layer (it's OK if some of the leaves fall off). Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper.

Broil, stirring often, until the Brussels sprouts are tender and charred in spots, 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, thinly slice the reserved lemon zest; add to the Brussels sprouts along with the garlic during the last 2 minutes of broiling. Transfer to a bowl, add the chives and toss. Season with salt and pepper.

#1,860: Crockpot BBQ Chicken Cornbread Casserole

Often times when I make a meal, I don't care so much if my kids don't like it (hey I expect that from this crew), but it worries me that Brian won't like it either.  When he doesn't like it then I feel like I wasted my time and ingredients!  This was one of those "will they eat it?!" recipes!  

It was no surprise that Chloe hated it, Matthew only liked the cornbread topping, and Allison LOVED it.  Thankfully, Brian also enjoyed this immensely and wouldn't mind me making it again sometime soon!

I loved that this was so super simple to make and took very few ingredients.  AND it has corn in it and my non-veggie eating hubby didn't even complain!!  SCORE! 

1 pound of cooked, or practically cooked chicken, cubed or shredded (I browned my chicken in a pan until it was mostly cooked through, then chopped it up)

1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks (optional, I omitted)

1 red onion, diced 

1 cup frozen or fresh corn

1 bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce (18 oz)

This is what it looked like
when I took it out of the crockpot

1/4 cup hot water

Box of cornbread mix (plus the ingredients needed to make it on the box MINUS the oil or butter)

Spray the inside of your stoneware with cooking spray. Cut up the chicken and sweet potato (if adding), and add to the crock. Add the corn. Empty the contents of the barbecue sauce bottle, and then add 1/4 cup of hot water to the bottle, shake, and pour that out, too. Mix well with a spoon.

In a separate bowl, mix together the cornbread topping. Spread the topping on to the chicken mixture.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours (Mine cooked for 4 hours and the chicken was definitely done, borderline burning in some spots.  The cornbread was done except for one edge, so I would seriously start watching this after 4 hours). 

#1,859: Olive Oil Lemon Cornmeal Cake

Since returning home from New Years, I'm (apparently) on a grocery store strike and trying to see just how long I wait out the inevitable trip.  I'm getting creative (and desperate) in trying to get in servings of fruits and veggies to my kids.  I *MAY* have raided the school lunch drawer and given them a fruit cup....and I *MAY* have told them that the canned cranberry sauce I found in the WAY back of the pantry also counted as a fruit.  (By the way, I did break down today and finally went...pretty much because there was literally nothing left in the form of fruit that I could get by with).  Today I found a 3/4 empty container of cornmeal and I almost tossed it.  Then I figured it wasn't doing any harm back there and to just leave it.  

Wouldn't you know today of all days (after I got back from said grocery store), a magazine from that same establishment shows up and in it is a recipe for this Olive Oil Cornmeal Cake.  I swear it was an omen!  In addition to the cornmeal I wanted to use up, our eggs are pushing it's expiration date, AND I had a lemon leftover from my brussel sprout recipe too.  There were too many coincidences here so as soon as dinner was over I decided I better whip up this cake!  

So I popped that baby in the oven and went and did something really dumb.....I worked on lesson plans (blech!) and I lost track of time.  By the time the timer went off for this cake, it was over done by at least 5 minutes (hence the very dark top and bottom AND it may be hard to see, but the edges were so dark, I had to cut out the middle of the cake to serve to the kids).

So one of my kids took one bite and said this was awful; one kid said it was good, but she didn't love it; and one kid asked if he could eat the rest for his breakfast!  Can these 3 never get on the same page?!  

Me personally, I liked this, but didn't love it.  Would I eat it, of course (I don't turn down most foods though), but would I make this again, no.  It just was "eh."  I did like the lemon flavor, and do think the orange might have been better (sorry no oranges in this house today), but it was still kind of dry (yes I know I over cooked it), and although I liked the nutty texture of the cornmeal, but this is not a sweet cake, and I still didn't think it was anything extraordinary.

If you try it, let me know what you think! 

1/2 c olive oil, plus more for greasing

2 large eggs
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c orange juice (I used fresh squeezed lemon juice)
1 1/4 c flour
grated zest of 1 orange (I used lemon)
1/2 c cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/3 c white sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease an 8 or 9 inch round pan with olive oil; line the bottom with a round of wax paper and rub it with oil.  In a bowl, whisk 1/2 c oil, eggs, sugar, orange juice, and zest until smooth.

Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt; whisk to combine (batter will be thick).  Scrape batter into prepared pan; sprinkle top evenly with sugar. 

Bake 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  

Cool cake 30 minutes in pan, before transferring to a plate.  Store any leftovers in an air-tight container. 

#1,858: Shredded Chicken and Lime Soup with Cilantro (optional in the Crockpot)

I had 2 chicken breasts in my freezer and a hankering for an easy soup, so I searched until I found a recipe that I had all of the ingredients on hand AND was a healthy recipe.  I was excited to try this recipe and threw this together (in my crockpot) literally in about 5 minutes.  It is so simple.  As you can see from the photo above, I took this picture before I added the cilantro.  If you like cilantro (and don't think it tastes like soap), add the cilantro!  It gives it such good flavor.  Also if you are being a dad less healthy, add some shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and maybe a few crushed tortilla chips.  :)  I never added the avocado either...not because I don't like it, but because I didn't have any on hand.  I seriously contemplated adding some guacamole that I DID have in my fridge, but decided against it.  

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion

2 stalks celery

1 medium jalapeno

4 cloves garlic

¾ lb. chicken breast

6 cups chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes w/chiles

1 tsp oregano

½ Tbsp cumin

1 medium lime 

½ bunch cilantro

1 medium avocado

Dice the onion, celery, and jalapeno (scrape the seeds out of the jalapeno before dicing). Mince the garlic. Cook the onion, celery, jalapeno, and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until tender.

Add the chicken breast, chicken broth, canned tomatoes with chiles, oregano, and cumin to the pot. Bring the whole pot up to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to low, place a lid on top, and let simmer for one hour.

After simmering for an hour with a lid on, carefully remove the chicken breast from the pot and use two forks to shred the meat. Return the meat to the pot. Squeeze the juice of one lime into the soup. Get as much juice as possible from the lime by using a spoon to scrape the inside of the lime.

Rinse the cilantro and then roughly chop the leaves. Add to the pot, give it a quick stir, and serve. Dice the avocado and add a few chunks to each bowl.

#1,857: Baked Crab Rangoon

When my mom asked me to make these crab rangoon, I told her we should just call the local chinese place because this was going to be WAY too much work and not taste good anyways. My sister and I almost had her convinced we should do that, but then she complained that she already had all of the ingredients, so we decided just to go ahead and make them for her.  I say WE, but my sister didn't help AT ALL (thanks a lot Trisha!).  However, these were so good, we made them a second time and my 7 year old Chloe helped me make these and now she wants to make them every day.  :)  No these are not as good as a Chinese place because they aren't crispy and fried.  But they taste really good for baked, and let's face it, it's healthier for you.  Maybe Chloe is right and I should get the ingredients for these again.... :) 

1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 small green onions, chopped

8 oz imitation crab, finely chopped

6 oz cream cheese, softened

28 wonton wrappers 

In a bowl mix the softened cream cheese, crab, green onion, garlic salt, and Worcestershire sauce.  Spoon about a 1/2 tablespoon or so of cream cheese mixture into the center of each wonton wrapper.  Dip your finger in water and moisten all along the edges of the wonton wrapper.  Fold up the corners by bringing them to the center of the wontons (right above the mixture) and pinch to close/seal the Rangoon.

Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. 

#1,856: Cranberry Almond Spinach Salad

Seriously, this salad is so good, I've made it twice already!  You would think that during one of those times I would take a picture of it, but apparently that was not the case.  It also gives me a reason to make it a 3rd time to finally snap a picture (coming soon hopefully.  Update: photo added 1/5/17).  This was really, really good.  And I loved that I could have everything done/prepped/made ahead of time and then literally just throw it all together at the last minute.  Mmm...this was good!

The first two times I made this I used shallots.  The thrid time I just used diced red onion instead because I had it on hand.  I don't mind it either way.  And again, it's even better with the bacon! 

16 oz baby spinach (or regular spinach chopped...this is easier for me!)

1 cup almonds, toasted

1 cup dried cranberries

And I added diced bacon...definitely add the bacon!

Sesame Seed Dressing

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 Tbsp white sugar (I used 2 packets of stevia)

1/2 cup olive oil

3 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp finely minced shallot

2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

1 Tbsp poppy seeds (optional)

For the dressing: In a bowl or jar whisk together white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in olive oil, honey, shallot, sesame seeds and optional poppy seeds until mixture is well blended.

For the salad:

Add spinach, almonds and cranberries to a salad bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss. Serve immediately after adding dressing.