snickerdoodle cupcakes

Like any good mom (laugh) I held off on giving Carter any sugar until his first birthday.  For his ridiculously large and over the top first birthday party I ordered cupcakes and a mini 6 inch triple layer personal snickerdoodle cake covered with cream cheese frosting and dusted with cinnamon and sugar.  Carter took a few bites and stuck his fingers in it like any cute little one year old would and then got down from his highchair.  As my family helped me clean up from the party I got to the highchair and took a bite of the tortured cake.  I was in love at first bite.  I called my sister in law over to try and to make a long story short we sat around the highchair and polished off the entire cake.  It was my reward for making it through the first year of parenthood and worth every single delicious calorie.  The entire family was in love with this cake.  A few months later the cake was requested for my brother in laws birthday.  I called the bakery to order and they were out of business.  I knew the owner so, I called her and asked if I could have the recipe.  Apparently this is not something you do because she was totally offended that I even asked.  Soon after Martha came out with her cupcake book and the family was saved because she had a recipe for a snickerdoodle cupcake.  Thank you Martha.  I have made this as a cake and as cupcakes and it is fantastic!  The best thing is you can bake the cupcakes and freeze them and pull one out and frost it when the hankering for a snickerdoodle cupcake hits.  I have not made a lot of cupcake flavors but, thus far this is my favorite hands down. 

snickerdoodle cupcake

source: martha stewart

cupcake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups whole milk

frosting:
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

  

topping: 

1 tbsp. sugar + 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners.

2. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with additions of milk, beating until combined after each addition.

4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake about 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

1. In a medium bowl, use electric mixer to blend cream cheese and butter. Add sugars, vanilla and ground cinnamon. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Dust cinnamon and sugar mix over frosted cupcakes using sieve.

zucchini bread

A goal of 2011 was to get back to the basics.  To learn how to cook/bake at the beginning and tackling some of the easy and basic recipes every mom should have in her arsenal.  In almost every cooks kitchen I notice the BHG cookbook.  I think it is one of those cookbooks you get at the beginning of your cooking adventure post college or at the start of your marriage to learn to cook in order to fill the void of your mom, take out, frozen meals or whatever you were living on before you stepped out into your first big girl kitchen. I have had the BHG cookbook for years and have never made a single recipe from it.  I was not interested in cooking at the start of my marriage.  We lived on the handful of things I could make which included black bean soup (from a package), pasta with meat sauce, boboli and crock pot chicken.  Looking back all I can think is GROSS.  Why didn't I try to learn and feed my husband better?  I am not sure when the desire to learn to cook came on but, it is burning in me now and I go to bed thinking about flavors and combinations and techniques.  I am on a quest to learn and tackle my cookbook collection.  My csa box had zucchinis last week so, zucchini bread from BHG seemed like a good starting point.  This is an easy bread with a moist center and slightly crunchy top.  Next time I will double the recipe and freeze a loaf because it was gone in two days.  I should have watched it a bit closer toward the end of the cook time because it finished at the lower end of the suggested time range.

zucchini bread

source: bhg cookbook

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 tsp. lemon zest
• 11/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c. chopped walnut or pecan nuts (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or spray  a 8"x 4" loaf pan.
2. In a mixing bowl combine the sugar, zucchini, and egg. Add oil and lemon zest; mix well.
3. Add the dry ingredients and stir.
4. Fold in the nuts, if using.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
6. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a rack.

roasted mushrooms and kale over butternut squash puree

When Brad is out of town I miss him BUT I get fairly excited about my dinners because I get to eat things I can't when he is home.  The first night I typically have a big bowl of microwave popcorn with milk duds mixed in and sprinkled with salt.  I know horrible but, I have a movie night with the kids (read fun mom) and I indulge in one of my favorite pregnancy cravings.  After I have had that naughty treat I move onto vegetarian dishes.  My csa box delivered a gorgeous huge butternut squash, shallots and purple kale.  I came up with this following dish which is a spin off of a kale and butternut squash bread pudding I make.  This version takes out the bread and highlights the vegetables.  This was delicious, filling and made a ton!  I had this for the two nights following the popcorn dinner so, kinda makes up the nutritionally void meal nights before.

roasted mushrooms and kale over butternut squash puree

source: sweetflours

• 1 pound mixed sliced mushrooms (crimini, portobello and shitake)
• 1 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 shallots chopped
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1 large butternut squash
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
• 1 bunch kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut butternut squash lengthwise and clean out seeds.  Place squash on jelly roll pan face down with small amount of water. Roast until squash is tender about 45 minutes.  Set aside and allow to cool to touch.
 
On a large baking sheet, dress the mushrooms, garlic, shallots and thyme with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and spread out. Roast the mushroom mixture for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and season with salt and pepper.
 
Scoop out butternut squash into large bowl and either puree or mash depending on consistency desired.  Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Stir in the cheddar until melted.

Lower over temp to 375.  Toss the kale with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt. Arrange the kale on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet and roast until crisp at the edges, 10-12 minutes.

Combine the mushrooms and the kale and serve on a bed of butternut squash puree.

apple cinnamon oatmeal

I have always had a severe aversion to cooked fruit.  The issue has always been the goo that typically covers cooked fruit.  I have steered clear from really anything with cooked fruit or fruit in the bottom for years.  When my CSA box started to deliver granny smith apples I needed to come up with ways to use them.  They were too tart for the kids and I could not use them in any recipe which would cover them in syrupy goo. The shinny happy green apples were staring at me from the fruit bowl one morning as I prepared my daily bowl of oats.   The idea to give apple cinnamon oatmeal a whirl came to mind.  The results were delicious.  The apple get soft but, not mushy and the cinnamon and sugar adds a nice amount of spicy sweet.  I have no idea if the ground flax is really adding any huge health benefits but, I know it can't hurt and I really like the nutty undertone it gives to the oats.

apple cinnamon oatmeal

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 granny smith apple; peeled and cubed

1 teaspoons of brown sugar

1/8 tsp cinnamon

good sprinkle of ground flax seed meal

Combine the oats, water and almond milk.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator over night.  If you don't have time to do over night then do it in the morning and let it sit.  This allows the oats to soak up the liquid and produce the most voluminous and creamy bowl of oatmeal.  Remove wrap and add chopped apple, brown sugar, cinnamon and flax meal and give a good stir.  Either cook bowl or stove top or put in microwave for ~4 minutes stirring half way through.  Enjoy! 

banana butterscotch snacking cake

Lately I have really been trying to incorporate fruits and vegetables into dishes as many ways as possible.  I know baking one overly ripe banana into a cake does not make it a healthy item but, this is a snacking cake.  When I compare this snack cake to those you find on the grocery store shelves (twinkies, ho-hos, ding dongs) ... you get the picture ... I feel pretty good.  I am trying to move away from processed food (goldfish, bunny crackers and bars) and create items from the kitchen filled with better ingredients and lots of motherly love.  This cake is so easy that both kids helped make it.  I gave one the wet ingredients and the other the dry and we combined and stirred together.  This is a great alternative use for black bananas other then banana bread.  The cake was fluffy, moist and had the perfect amount of banana flavor which was elevated with the sweet pockets of butterscotch.

banana butterscotch snacking cake

adapted: cooking light

• 6.75  ounces  all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/3  cup  sugar
• 1  teaspoon  baking powder
• 1  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1  cup  plain low-fat banana yogurt
• 3/4  cup  mashed ripe banana (about 1 medium)
• 1/4  cup  canola oil
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1  large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2  cup butterscotch chips 
• cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of flour mixture.
3. Combine yogurt, banana, oil, vanilla, and egg in a small bowl; stir until well blended. Add yogurt mixture to the flour mixture in large bowl, stirring just until moist.  Add chips and give a quick stir to incorporate.
4. Pour the batter into a 9-inch square metal baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 20-22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan 10 minutes on wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Serve with whipped topping.

smoky beef tacos

I heart Mexican food but,  I have not had much success in making anything that tastes authentic.  I love simple street tacos.  This meat is so simple to make and tastes so good! The ingredients list is short, the prep time is quick but, the cook time is long.  The slow cook gives the dish that flavorful falling apart meat which is worth the wait.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.  It is spicy, savory and smoky.  You can adjust the spice by how much chipotle pepper you add.  This meat serves a large crowd and adapts to various toppings.Just thinking about these makes me want to round out my Mexican menu with a few more dishes and have a cinco de mayo gathering this year. 

smoky beef tacos

source: everyday food

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo
1/2 cup ketchup
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 3 pounds), excess fat trimmed
16 corn tortillas (6-inch), lightly toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, stir together chiles, ketchup, 1 cup water, garlic, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Cut beef into 4 equal pieces. Add to pot, and turn to coat. Cover, and bring to a boil; transfer pot to oven. Bake, covered, until beef is fork-tender, about 2 1/2 hours.

Transfer beef to a cutting board. With a large spoon, skim off and discard fat from cooking liquid. Shred beef with two forks; and add back to cooking liquid.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Serve beef with tortillas and desired toppings.

hearty winter vegetable pilaf

I am really digging this healthy eating thing.  I feel better putting good things into my body.  It is amazing.  I have never liked rice.  Because I did not like rice I just assumed I really did not like grains in general.  Then I went through my no carb phase so this dislike of grains was compounded.  Last year I started to experiment with new grains and well wouldn't you know I really like them.  They have such amazing health benefits and they add texture and substance to vegetarian dishes.  Now I am hooked and have a pantry filled with bags of assorted grains.  The harvest grain blend from Trader Joe's inspired this dish which I brought to book club.  This could easily be adapted to liking by using couscous or quinoa.  This is the kind of side dish I want to make at the beginning of the week so, I can just add to my plate as I dish up dinner.  I could not get any of the other mouths in my house to try it but, I have finished off every last grain.
 
hearty winter vegetable pilaf

source: sweetflours

• 1 1/4 cups trader joes harvest grain blend (or quinoa/couscous)
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oi, divided
• 1 pound mixed mushrooms (shiitake, cremini and baby bella)
• 3 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced separately
• 1/4 cup walnut pieces
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound brussel sprouts, quartered lengthwise 
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Toss quartered brussel sprouts in one tablespoon of olive oil and  season with salt.  Roast brussel sprouts for approximately 20 minutes.
2. Bring vegetable broth to a boil.  Add harvest grain blend.  Bring back to a boil, reduce to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
   
3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the scallion whites, walnuts and dried cranberries; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the nuts are light golden, about 2 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Remove brussel sprouts from oven and toss with the mushroom mixture and grains. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and add any additional seasoning per taste.