Spinach Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

This salad is so big and hearty that it’s all my husband and I eat for dinner. We don’t have bowls big enough to handle the serving size, so, we have to go in for seconds! If you don’t intend on devouring this entire salad yourselves, it makes a great side salad for a dinner party. The maple vinaigrette paired with the savory bacon and sweet crunchiness of the apple is a combination you don’t want to miss!

Dressing:
3 Tbl REAL maple syrup
2 Tbl shallots, finely chopped
2 Tbl red wine vinegar
1 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbl Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic, finely chopped

Salad:
1 10 oz pkg of fresh baby spinach
1 c. mushrooms, sliced
1/2 apple, thinly sliced (I like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Jazz or Braeburn)
1/3 c. red onion, very thinly sliced (optional)
1/3 c. pecans, chopped
4 to 6 slices of bacon, cooked & chopped
4 Tbl. crumbled blue cheese

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a Tupperware container with a tight fitting lid. Shake, shake, shake to incorporate all the ingredients. Set aside.

Add spinach, mushrooms, apple, red onion and pecans to a large salad bowl. Drizzle salad with dressing (you will not need all the dressing you make). Toss salad and plate. Equally divide bacon and blue cheese between salads; sprinkle each ingredient on top. Serve with a nice crusty bread!

Pumpkin Spice Bread with Cranberries

Autumn has always been my favorite season! And now that we have moved from Texas to Pennsylvania I feel like I am actually going to get a proper fall! The leaves have already started to change colors here; the weather is bright and crisp. The smell of burning wood is in the air...it’s all just too much for me! I want to bake, bake, bake! This pumpkin bread is the perfect way to welcome in fall! It is so aromatic! Just the smell of it alone, baking away in the oven, is worth the time it takes to make it (which really isn’t much time at all)! This bread makes a great snack or desert. But my children especially love it reheated in the morning with a pat of butter! A delicious way to start the day! Enjoy!

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour*
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 c. sugar
1 c. canned pumpkin (or canned sweet potatoes)
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. real maple syrup
2 Tbl canola oil
1 egg
3/4 c. sweetened dried Craisins, chopped

Preheat oven to 375

In a medium mixing bowl add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk together to combine.

In another mixing bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, buttermilk, syrup, oil and egg. Mix well. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients. Fold in chopped Craisins.
Scrape batter into a greased 9X5 loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 52-54 minutes. Remove loaf from oven. Let sit 25 minutes before removing from pan. Slice with a bread knife and enjoy!

*I use a lot of wheat germ when I bake sweet quick breads like this pumpkin spice loaf. I think it gives my breads a nutty, hearty taste- and it adds health, too. I know most people don’t keep wheat germ in bulk on hand like I do, so, to keep this recipe simple, I called for 1 1/2 c. of all-purpose flour. The way I make it, however, is 3/4 c. all-purpose flour, 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour and 1/4 c. wheat germ.

ABC Sandwich

A-B-C sandwich? Why apple, bacon and cheddar, of course! Try this fun sandwich with a Honeycrisp apple (they are in season now!), apple smoked bacon and a high quality sliced cheddar. Serve with a salad and chips- an easy dinner!

10 slices of bacon, cooked to your liking
1 crunchy apple, cored and thinly sliced
4 slices of good quality cheddar from the deli counter
2 tsp Dijon & 1 Tbl mayo per sandwich
4 slices of wheat bread, lightly toasted
Pepper to taste

Assemble sandwich. 'Nough said!

Hammy Jammy Chicken

Before I post a recipe, I always ask my husband if it is "blog-worthy"...so, all the recipes you see on this blog have been deemed "worthy" in my husband's eyes. Of course, there are some dishes that we find especially worthy, and this Hammy Jammy Chicken is definitely that! As you know from past blogs, I am not a huge meat-lover, but, if you saw the way I devoured this dinner tonight you would have never guessed it! I think it was the ham, cooked up nice and crispy...or maybe is with the jam and shredded gruyere...or it most definitely could have been the side salad with the homemade dressing! All in all, five stars! Make this one for sure!

3 Tbl preserves (I used strawberry...but, you could also use fig or apricot)
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 c. shredded gruyere cheese
4-6 thin slices of ham
4 Tbl extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 Tbl butter
1 shallot, minced
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tbl red wine vinegar
4 cups of romaine, chopped
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 Tbl sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 400F

Mix the preserves, thyme and salt & pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

Melt 1 Tbl olive oil in a medium sized non-stick skillet on medium-low heat. Saute minced shallots for three minutes. Place shallots from skillet in a new small sized bowl (leave as much of the oil in the pan as you can). Return the skillet to the stove (you will use this same skillet to cook the chicken in). To make the salad dressing, combine the cooked shallot with 1 Tbl of the preserves mixture, Dijon, red wine vinegar and remaining 3 Tbl olive oil. Use a fork to mix well and set dressing aside.

Place both chicken breasts in a large Ziploc bag and gently pound the chicken with a meat mallet. Overlap two pieces of ham on a cutting board (you will be wrapping the chicken breasts with the ham) and place a chicken breast on top. Repeat for the second breast. Spread 1 Tbl of the preserve mixture on the top of each chicken breast. Top each breast with 1/4 c. shredded gruyere. Wrap the chicken with the ham. If the ham slices do not touch, place a third slice on the top to cover the cheese.


Put butter in the same skillet you sauteed the shallots in. Turn heat to medium. Once butter starts to froth a bit and skillet is hot, use tongs to VERY carefully place wrapped chicken breasts in the skillet, cheese side up. Cook the bottom side only for 4 minutes.

Use tongs to VERY carefully transfer each chicken breast into a square baking dish. Pour the pan drippings right on top of the chicken breasts. Bake chicken in the oven for 17-20 minutes until cheese is fully melted and the ham looks browned and crispy.


Prepare the salad while the chicken is baking. Toss chopped lettuce, tomatoes & sliced almonds in a salad bowl and drizzle with dressing (you will not use all of the dressing- save the rest of it for another salad at a later date).

Plate the cooked chicken and dressed salad side by side on a plate. Try eating the chicken and salad together in one forkful- they taste great combined! Serve with crusty bread. Enjoy!

French Onion Dip

This home-made french onion dip is SO much better than the canned version! My friend, Shannon, sent me this recipe awhile back and I finally got around to making it! It will definitely be one of my go-to hors d'oeuvres from now on! Of course, my chip of choice is Ruffles, but cut carrots or wheat thins would also work well alongside this delicious appetizer.

2 large yellow onions, cut in half and sliced into 1/8-inch thick half-rounds.
3 tablespoons butter
3 Tbl canola oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup cream cheese (4 oz), at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onions to cool.

Place the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise in a bowl and beat until smooth (you can do this by hand, but, it is easiest with an electric mixer). Add the onions (reserve 1 Tbl of the onions) and mix well. Taste for seasonings. Serve in a dip bowl with reserved 1 Tbl of caramelized onions on top (looks pretty) alongside chips or crackers.

Peanutty Peanut Butter Cookies

Oh wow, these are good! No, they are better than good- they are really the best peanut butter cookies I have ever had! My friend, Melissa (over on Harper Street Treats), and I share an immense love for the Baking Illustrated cookbook...it's our baking bible! Melissa told me about this recipe and I jumped on it! Adding ground peanuts to the dough just puts them over the top!

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (16 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup extra-crunchy peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts, ground in food processor into crumbs

Preheat oven to 350F

In a bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together and set aside.

In another bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat until fluffy.

Add peanut butter, eggs (one at a time), vanilla, dry ingredients and ground peanuts, beating after each addition.

Roll the dough into 2 inch balls (use about 2 Tablespoons of dough for each). Place on baking sheets. Press each ball with the back of a fork twice to make the classic peanut butter cookie design on top.

Bake approximately 10 minutes until the edges are just beginning to brown and the cookies are slightly puffy in the middle (they will look a little underdone in the middle). Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Sweet Potato, Spinach & Hominy Enchiladas

I only cook meat about twice a week. I’m not a vegetarian by any means (some of you will recall my love of bacon), but, I’m just not a huge meat fan. Of course, I still want to serve my husband a hearty meal- one that doesn’t feel skimpy or leaves him hungry. Well, these enchiladas are just perfect! They are flavorful and filling and at the same time the spinach and sweet potato are very healthful. I served these tonight and they were a big hit! Try doubling the recipe and making them for a crowd...I don’t think anyone will miss the meat!

2 Tbl canola oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 medium sized sweet potato, peeled and shredded on a cheese grater
1 Tbl garlic, minced
1 Tbl cumin
2-3 handfuls of fresh baby spinach
1 c. yellow or white hominy
1/4 c. cream cheese
2 c. Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 15oz can enchilada sauce
6-8 flour tortillas (depending on how much filling you put into each one)

Preheat oven to 400F

Coat a 9X13” glass baking dish with nonstick spray.

Heat canola oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add the shredded sweet potatoes, garlic and cumin. Cook for 5 minutes. Toss in fresh spinach and cook until wilted, 1-2 minutes. Add hominy and cream cheese and cook until cream cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Add salt & pepper, give it a good stir. Add 1 c. Monterey Jack cheese. Stir to combine.

Spread 1 c. enchilada sauce on the bottom of the glass baking dish. Fill each tortilla with 1/3 c. filling, then roll. Place enchilada in dish, seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Top with remaining 1 c. enchilada sauce- pour it right down the middle of the enchiladas in a horizontal stripe. Following the same stripe, top with remaining 1 c. Monterey Jack cheese.

Bake until cheese melts and tortillas brown on the edges, 15-20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving. Serve with black beans and rice. A little guacamole & sour cream on top doesn’t hurt either!