Cauliflower Mac 'n Cheese

This meal was fast and really delicious. My husband loved it, the kids loved it, I liked how easy it was to put together....great weeknight dinner. I think it would taste great with some cooked crumbled chicken sausage, too, if you would like to add some protein.

I served it with an amazing savory caprese bread (blog post on this one to come) and a side salad.

This recipe was inspired by one I found on Pinterest from the blog Pip & Ebby.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. of orecchiette "little ear" pasta
• 1 small/medium head of cauliflower, core & leaves removed, cut into florets
• 2 cups shredded Italian mix cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Water, milk or broth to thin the sauce
• Shredded Parmesan
• Fresh basil, chopped
• Crumbled chicken sausage, cooked (this is an optional addition if you want to bulk up the protein on this meal - we eat mostly vegetarian in my house, so I didn't personally try it with the sausage - I do think it would be tasty, though. If you want to add this, do so at the same time you combine the cooked pasta noodles and the cauliflower sauce together)

Directions:

Cook the pasta for 1 or 2 minutes less than the al dente time given on the box. You will cook the pasta again in the oven - so you want to slightly undercook the pasta on the first go 'round to prevent mushy pasta as the finished product.

Steam cauliflower florets for 6-8 minutes until soft when pierced with a fork.

Place the steamed cauliflower, 1 cup of cheese, sour cream, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a large food processor. Process until smooth and creamy. Check for consistency. I added about 1/4 cup of water to thin it out a bit....add a little at a time until it is your desired consistency. You could also add broth or milk.

Set the oven to broil.

Combine the cooked pasta and cauliflower sauce in an large oven safe skillet or a large baking dish.  Stir until well combined. Smooth the top of the pasta mixture out on top so it is all even. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Sprinkle with more Parmesan and freshly cut basil.

Place the skillet under the broiler for two minutes at a time - keep checking to make sure it doesn't burn. I think I broiled mine for about 6 minutes total, checking on it every two minutes.

Serve immediately.

Monster Cookies

Oh me, oh my......these cookies are heavenly! They are incredible! Delicious! Scrumptious! WOW!!

Okay, so a few days ago we had a snow day - and my kids wanted to bake - and to this I never ever say no! My daughter wanted Rice Krispie Treats (yawn!) and my boys wanted chocolate chip cookies (getting warmer, but still yawn)....I just wanted to try something new! I knew the Pioneer Woman would have just what we were all looking for.  She has this recipe for Monster cookies that has chocolate chips, M&Ms, pb chips AND Rice Krispies in them.....we all looked at each other and said YES!!!! We all got what we wanted! The boys got chocolate, my daughter got Rice Krispies and I got to try a new recipe to blog.

Here is the Pioneer Woman's Monster Cookies recipe word for word:

• 2 sticks (1/2 Pound) Butter (salted) Softened
• 1/2 cup White Sugar
• 1-1/2 cup Brown Sugar, Packed
• 2 whole Large Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 1-1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 1-1/2 cup Oats (either Quick Or Regular)
• 1/2 cup M & M's (more To Taste)
• 1/2 cup Pecans, Chopped (more To Taste)
• 3/4 cups Chocolate Chips (milk Or Semi-sweet)
• 1/2 cup Peanut Butter Chips <I used cinnamon chips>
• 2-1/4 cups Rice Krispies

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter with sugars until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. Add to mixing bowl and mix till combined. After that, add in remaining ingredients in whatever quantity you prefer. Add more nuts if you'd like, or more M & M's, more peanut butter chips or chocolate chips.

Add Rice Krispies at the very end, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix!

**<You guys know at this point I put my dough in the 'fridge for a couple hours>

Use a cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 8 or 9 minutes, then allow to cool on a rack.

Easy Skillet Bread

This bread is very very easy to make (and it's incredibly delicious!)! It's a great first bread for anyone who is concerned about making a yeasted bread that requires a rise.  In addition to the list of ingredients (which are minimal), all you need is an over-safe skillet (I love my Le Creuset 12" cast iron skillet) and a standing mixer with a dough hook (although, you can certainly put some elbow grease into it and knead the dough by hand if you don't have a mixer). 

I used Italian herbs in this bread to give it a savory flavor....but you can experiment with the herbs and spices and add whatever you like! Cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg would make a delicious sweet bread, for example! 

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 packet of yeast ( 2 1/4 tsp)
1 cup of warm water (about 110F)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
3 cups of all purpose flour
oil to coat the bowl
melted butter
coarse grain salt for sprinkling

Directions:

• Add warm water to the standing mixer's bowl (do not use hot water- test with your finger to make sure the water is just warm). Sprinkle the yeast on top. Leave it undisturbed for 10 minutes to let the yeast activate. Do not stir.

• Using your paddle attachment on the standing mixer, add the sugar, salt, spices, and flour to the yeast mixture and mix to form a dough, about three minutes.

• Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes to form a soft and smooth dough ball.

• Remove the dough and coat the bowl with oil. Place the dough back inside. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and keep it in warm place for about an hour and a half or until the dough ball has doubled in size.

• Place the dough ball into a well greased, oven safe, large skillet pan and use your hand to press the dough out to the edges. Using a knife score 3 to 4 cuts across the flattened dough intersecting through the center. I made a little circular pattern over the scores just to look pretty. Do whatever you like.

• Brush the top of the with generous amount of butter. Sprinkle coarse salt on the top of the butter.

• Bake at 350F for about 20 to 25 minutes or until it is golden in color.

• Brush the top with additional butter if you like. 
• ENJOY! 

                             

Soft Chewy Molasses Cookies

I have been in full-blown Christmas cookie baking mode the last few days.....I have been making the dough, scooping it, and freezing it so that on Christmas Eve all I will have to do is pop the dough balls into the oven, bake and VOILA! A wide array of delicious cookies to bring to our Christmas Evening Festivities!

Along with the usual sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies (I have been told by many people "these chocolate chip cookies are the best I've ever had and where can they get the recipe?" and I usually say, "the back of the Toll House bag!" because that's the simple truth.....but I do tell them, as I always tell you all, that I chill the dough for at least three hours......so I'll say it again, please chill your cookie dough! Google the science of why!), I am also bringing the Double Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies that I blogged the other day, and then these, Soft Chewy Molasses Cookies. They are really delicious and have that distinct gingerbread taste that we all love so much during the holidays.  I am all for a crisp gingersnap, but I really do prefer soft molasses cookies and this recipe definitely delivers flavor and chewiness all in one.

I scoured Pinterest looking for a recipe that didn't involve using shortening (aka Crisco, YUCK!).....it was hard to find....but I did! This recipe comes from the blog Great Grub, Delicious Treats. It is shortening-free and completely delectable!

And now my holiday baking is complete!

Here is Great Grub, Delicious Treat's recipe word for word:

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup organic sugar
• 3/4 cup butter softened
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 egg cage free
• 2 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• Sugar for coating optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar, butter and molasses together.
3. Beat in egg until light and fluffy.
4. Mix in flour <I sifted my flour>, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves and nutmeg together until well combined.
5. Cover dough and refrigerate for about an hour. This makes handling the dough much easier.
6. Roll dough into 1 - 1 1/2 in balls.
7. Roll each ball in sugar to coat.
   <And this is the time when I chill my cookie dough. Sometimes I chill it overnight, but you really should chill it for at least 1 to 3 hours. Google the science of why chilled cookies look and taste better>
8. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes. <I baked mine for 9 1/2 minutes>
10. Remove from oven and let sit for 1 minute before removing cookies and placing on wire rack to cool.
11. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies

Every Christmas I scour Pinterest looking for fun Christmas cookies to bake and then blog for you, my friends and readers. These cookies caught my eye right away because of the candy canes and I know you will all love them! The kids helped me make them and they had a blast crushing all the candy canes!!! The verdict - 100% DELICIOUS!!! The soft crunch from the cooked candy canes was really yummy - and the peppermint extract in the dough had a great, subtle taste. We gave these cookies two big thumbs up! I will be bringing them to our family party on Christmas Even (I froze the rest of the dough in pre-scooped balls for convenience). 

***Two notes : 1. Please chill the dough for at least two hours. Chilling cookie dough makes a huge difference in how they bake (Google if if you want the science behind it). and 2. I used way more candy canes then the ingredients state. I put a cup of crushed candy canes in the dough, then I rolled the top of them in about 1/2 cup of crushed canes. When the cookies bake, the candy canes melt - they are delicious, but they do not look as pretty. So, if you care about presentation, sprinkle the baked cookies with extra pieces of crushed candy canes just before serving. They will most likely roll off, but they will look pretty! ;)

This recipe comes from the blog A Pumpkin & A Princess. Here it is word for word with my changes and notes in italics:

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chunks
• 1/2 cup candy cane pieces (I used a total of 1 1/2 cups, plus more for sprinkling after they baked. See my note above***)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Beat butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and peppermint until light and fluffy.
3. In a large bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture until well combined.
5. Stir in chocolate chunks. <I mixed in 1 cup of crushed candy canes>
6. Use cookie scoop to drop cookies onto ungreased baking sheet.
7. Press candy cane pieces on top. <I rolled the top of my dough balls in 1/2 cup of crushed candy canes>
8. <I chilled my cookie dough, like I ALWAYS do, for two hours before baking>
9. Bake 8 to 10 minutes.
10. Cool slightly then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. 
11. <Sprinkle with extra candy cane pieces before serving just for looks>

No Bake Nut Butter, Banana & Chocolate Krispie Treats

I REALLY wanted Rice Krispie treats today (yes, I said, "I," not "my kids," but, "I")......I have seen recipes like this on Pinterest before so I thought I would whip up my own version. I had some nice, ripe, brown bananas on the counter (I have to admit I'm always waiting for my bananas to get spotty because then I know I can start baking with them - they also make my smoothies taste better!).  I wanted to incorporate the banana into the treats.  So I threw a few things into my mini food processor (don't forget the vanilla and cinnamon! Yum!), added melted chocolate (always a good idea)....and just to be extra healthy, I threw in some protein packed hemp seeds (which if you haven't ever tried hemp seeds you really need to - they are so tiny and have a mild nutty flavor - they are almost undetectable in baked goods, smoothies and salads - which makes them easy to sneak into foods!).

Let me tell you, it's a miracle these even turned into treats because I was scarfing them like a mad woman straight from the mixing bowl - WOW!!! They are that yummy! Makes a great snack, makes an even better dessert (yes to these Krispie Treats and no to that huge bowl of ice cream!). Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 very ripe banana
1/2 cup peanut butter or any nut butter (I used 1/4 almond and 1/4 peanut....if allergies, use sunbutter)
2 Tbl coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup chocolate chips
4-ish cups of Rice Krispies
2 Tbl hemp seeds, plus more for sprinkling, optional

Directions:

Place banana, nut butter, melted coconut, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and pure maple syrup in a food processor or blender. I used my mini-food processor and it was big enough. Blend ingredients until completely smooth.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips until they are completely smooth (check after a minute, stir, and then cook 30 seconds more).

Place banana mixture and melted chocolate chips into a large bowl. Add the Rice Krispies and hemp seeds, if using. Add until you like the consistency....mine were not super wet.  Stir until completely coated.

Use coconut oil to lightly grease an 8X8 square baking dish. Press Rice Krispie mixture into greased dish and flatten the top with a spoon. If you like you can sprinkle more hemp seeds on top. Place in the 'fridge for at least 30 minutes or until the treats are set. Turn the treats on to a clean cutting board and cut into squares. Enjoy!!

Cranberry Bliss Smoothie

I saw these beautiful, fresh cranberries in the grocery store and I knew I had to put them into a smoothie! I was a bit nervous the smoothie would be too tart, but the orange and very ripe banana evened the flavors out and the whole thing was actually quite sweet! Very yummy and a great way to give you body an immunity boost during cold and flu season!

1/3 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 medium orange, peeled
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 ripe banana
1 cup of your favorite milk, I used an almond/coconut blend
1 Tbl honey (optional)
1 Tbl hemp seeds (optional)
Ice cubes

Place all ingredients into a high power blender. Blend until smooth. Add a couple of ice cubes if desired. Enjoy!