Taking a Break from Chicken!

We've been having chicken for the last couple of days, thanks to my slow cooker, and totally needed a break. (Not that we didn't love every single meal, of course!) I saw that Trader Joe's had these pre-portioned 1 pound packages of ground beef and decided to make some stuffed shells. All I did was cook the beef along with some onions and mushrooms. Then I stirred in some Marinara sauce to heat through. For the shells, I stuffed them with a mixture of Ricotta, Parmesan, fresh parsley and an egg. Then everything got topped with some Mozzarella and went into the oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes. Simple and perfect for Sunday night while watching the Grammy's!

I Never Knew I Loved Zinfandel!

I haven't had much experience with Zinfandel, but after the Zin In Paradise Festival on Saturday, I'm hooked! It was such a fun event with LOTS and LOTS of wine. (I mean, how can you go wrong with that right?) We met up with our good friends, Gregg and Aimee at Fort Mason, and proceeded with 3 hours of non-stop Zinfandel tasting (along with some cheese and crackers, of course). I definitely liked the fruity ones the best and even though I can't quite recall which ones they were, I'm sure I'll be buying a lot of Zinfandel from now on! We totally lucked out with the gorgeous weather since it's been raining for the last couple of week.

What to do with ALL that CHICKEN?

Make Pot Pie! I decided to make Chicken Pot Pie after watching them being made on Everyday Food. (I LOVE that show!) I loosely followed the recipe (as I usually do) and used Pillsbury Pie Crust instead of puff pastry since I didn't have any. I also made just 1 medium-sized pie instead of 4 small ones. It's not the prettiest thing in the world but tasted SO good! The chicken and carrots inside were creamy and just so satifying. Chicken Pot Pie is just such comfort food and perfect for a Saturday night!

Slow Cooked Chicken Stroganoff

There's no better way to cook chicken thighs than in a slow cooker. The juicy dark meat gets so tender, it falls off the bones! Chicken thighs go on sale quite often, especially the HUGE Extreme Value Packs, so I usually cook half of them and keep the rest in the freezer. You don't even really need to defrost the thighs before you throw them in the slow cooker. You just have to cook them a couple of hours longer. I usually make a big batch of chicken over the weekend and then I have chicken to make dinners with all week! Tonight I used some to make this Chicken Stroganoff. I just sautéed up a small onion and some mushrooms. Then I stirred in some of the broth from the slow cooker along with about 2 Tbsp of flour. I let that boil for a couple of minutes and then stirred in about a cup of sour cream. It was the PERFECT creamy sauce for my egg noodles along with some tender, juicy chicken! And for a special finishing touch, I added a few sprinkles of fresh parsley. An easy and yummy weeknight meal!

As American as Apple Pie Cookies!

I was searching around for cookie ideas and found this recipe for Apple Pie Cookies from 1 of my favorite blogs, Baking Bites. I loved the idea and decided to give them a shot. OMG they totally taste like an apple pie but in cookie form! They also made our kitchen smell like the holidays, which I'd been missing. The only apples I could find were these HUGE Fuji apples so I only used 1. I also didn't want big chunks of apple so I chopped mine up in my mini food processor. I love how moist these cookies turned out and they're chewy with just a little bit of crunch from the pecans.

Panini to the Rescue!

I feel like we've been on a pasta rut lately for weeknight dinners so I decided to switch it up with Panini. (Ok maybe I just wanna use my new Panini Press again!) This one was filled with Southwest Chicken Strips, sun-dried tomatoes and Pepper Jack Cheese. SO good! I LOVE the way the kitchen smells as the sandwiches are cooking. It's this yummy combination of cheese melting and buttery bread toasting!

My Go-To Mac and Cheese

I love experimenting with different recipes so I have very few "go-to" meals that I can make without following some type of instruction. However, along with pasta in meat sauce, egg burritos and grilled cheese sammies, I can whip out some mac and cheese any night of the week! I grew up eating the stuff out of that cute blue box (and don't get me wrong, there's NOTHING wrong with that!) but nowadays I find that it takes about the same amount of time to make it from scratch. All you do is melt some butter (1 Tbsp for every serving), whisk in the same amount of flour for a couple of minutes. Then you add some milk or cream (a cup for every serving) and stir until the sauce is slightly thickened. Next you melt in some cheese and add the pasta...DONE! Nowadays there are so many gourmet cheeses out there and I love using Gruyère, Monterey Jack or Smoked Gouda, just to name a few! (They're also very inexpensive from Trader Joe's!) I also like to jazz up my mac and cheese with some beef or chicken and of course, mushrooms! I always take that extra 20 minutes to top the dish with some breadcrumbs and bake it in the oven. It's SO worth the effort for that yummy crunchy topping! Tonight, my mac and cheese featured Italian sausage and a mixture of Mozzarella and Cheddar. It's also topped with homemade Sourdough breadcrumbs and a sprinkle of fresh basil! Now we're full and ready to watch some House and 24!

More Greek Yogurt to Bake With!

Since my first Greek Yogurt baking experiment came out so well, I decided to try some more. I found this recipe from the Chobani website and decided to make a few changes. I LOVE the moist texture of this bread and the combination of strawberries and blueberries were amazing!

Ingredients:


1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c plain Greek Yogurt
1 c sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans
1 c strawberries, chopped
1/2 c blueberries


Prep:


1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5x2-inch loaf pan.


2. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk in the flours, baking powder and salt. Stir in the nuts. Gently fold in the blueberries and strawberries.


3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

I Bought A Jar of Mustard Aioli...

I picked up a jar of Mustard Aioli from William Sonoma last week during their Annual Winter Sale and couldn't wait to try it! (You know me and my condiments!) I was thinking about making Fish Sandwiches but saw this can of Lump Crabmeat at Trader Joe's and decided that Crab Cakes would be even better! I was SO right! The Aioli paired perfected with the crab and I used fresh breadcrumbs which made them light and very moist. I'm definitely glad I have more Aioli left to experiment with!

Ingredients: (6 crab cakes)


3 Tbsp butter, divided
1 shallot, chopped
1 Tbsp sour cream
1 Tbsp mayo
1 tsp dried mustard
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp hot sauce (I used Tobasco)
1 lb lump crabmeat
1 c fresh bread crumbs
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Mustard Aioli
Green onions or chives(optional)


Prep:


1. Heat 1 Tbsp butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Sauté shallots until soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.


2. Mix together sour cream, mayo, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Add crabmeat and bread crumbs. Stir until combined. (Do not overmix!) Shape in 6 patties.


3. Heat 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When butter has melted, place 3 patties in the skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the bottom has browned. Carefully flip the patties over and cook another 5 minutes on the other side. Remove from skillet and add the remaining oil and butter. Repeat with the remaining 3 patties.


4. Serve warm topped with Aioli and a sprinkle of green onions or chives, if using.

Bobby Flay Inspired Breakfast!

We were watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay the other night and the battle was Blueberry Pancakes. I haven't made pancakes for a while so we were both totally craving them after watching the show! I wanted to recreate the recipe but decided that it was WAY too complicated and went the Bisquick route instead. OMG they were good! I'd forgotten just how yummy and easy pancakes were! PLUS you don't feel so guilty eating them with so many blueberries. Hey, antioxidants cancel out butter any time in my book! And of course, no breakfast plate would be complete without a fried egg. What a perfect way to start the weekend!

Greek Yogurt + Apples = Healthy Muffin Marriage

I love the thick texture (and high protein value!) of Greek Yogurt. I've never really thought of it as a sweet treat like regular yogurt but more of a healthy alternative to sour cream. (Yes I've put it on salads and baked potatoes!) I stocked up on WAY more cartons than I could eat from Trader Joe's so I decided to do some baking. Since Greek Yogurt is such a healthy ingredient, I knew I had to stick with the theme by making whole wheat muffins. I also had some apples so I added that as well. And of course, NO muffin is complete without some raisins and nuts!

Ingredients: (6 muffins)


3/4 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c oatmeal (quick cooking or regular)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c Greek yogurt
1/4 c canola oil
1 egg
1/3 c packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 apple (any type), diced
1/4 c raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans


Prep:


1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 6 cup muffin tin.


2. In a large bowl, whisk together sour cream, oil, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla. Add flour, oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir until just combined.


3. Fold in apples, raisins and nuts.


4. Scoop batter into muffin cups (a regular-sized ice cream scoop works well).


5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

We Like Stuffed Pasta

We like ANY type of Stuffed Pasta at our house, whether it be Shells, Ravioli, Lasagna Rolls and of course, Manicotti! It's been a LONG time since I'd made these cute shells and I remember how yummy they were the last time. I did recall having difficulty stuffing the shells without them splitting on the ends, so I went online and did some research. I found a video on how to make them from Kraft Foods and they used a PIPING BAG! What a genius idea! My shells were filled easily (and with no mess!) and none of them split apart! The stuffing I made was just a simple mixture of Ricotta, Parmesan, Mozzarella and parsley. But of course, man cannot live on pasta and cheese alone. SO I topped my shells with a meaty sauce made with Italian sausage, mushrooms and Marinara Sauce. All baked in the oven for about 20 minutes and SO yummy! :)

Ingredients: (2 servings)

1/2 lb Italian sausage (2 links)
1 Tbsp butter
1 c mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, diced
2 c Marinara sauce
1 c Ricotta cheese
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp dried parsley
4 large Manicotti shells, cooked and drained
1/2 c Mozzarella cheese

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, cook sausages (casings removed) over medium heat until no longer pink. Add butter, mushrooms and onions. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in Marinara sauce and let simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine Ricotta, Parmesan, egg and parsley. Stuff into Manicotti shells.

3. Pour half of the meat sauce into a greased 9"x5" loaf pan. Arrange shells over sauce. Top with remaining sauce and Mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes until heated through and cheese is bubbly.

Using Up A Box of Yellow Cake Mix

I recently bought a couple of boxes of Duncan Hines Cake Mix cuz they were on sale and decided to use one for Cookie Friday. I found this from their website and thought they were just perfect! I substituted walnuts for pecans cuz that's what I had on hand and my coworkers are totally loving them!

A Big Bowl of Chili on a CHILLY Night

The weather has been wet and cold here in SF, so I decided to make something that'll warm out tummies. I picked up a bottle of Hormel Chili Master Three Bean Chili and knew it would be the perfect base for our dinner! I started by browning some Italian sausage (casing removed, of course!) and threw in the rest of the left-over meatloaf. Then I added some sliced mushrooms and sauéed them until they were soft. Then I emptied the jar of chili to heat through. While that was happening, I made some cornbread muffins using the good old Jiffy Mix, following the instructions on the back of the box and adding some shredded cheddar cheese to the mixture. The muffins went into the oven for about 15 minutes, which was all it took for the chili to be ready as well. Dinner was served with some more cheese on top and a sprinkle of green onions! What a great way to warm a rainy cold night!

Leftovers Transformed!

I made some meatloaf Friday night and as usual, ended up with a TON of left-overs! (Not complaining though!) I put some in the freezer and decided to make stuffed bell peppers with the rest. I used the same "boiling first" method as last time and the peppers came out perfectly tender! I can't think of a better or easier Monday night dinner! Now we're full and ready to watch the rest of the 24 Season Premier!

More Biscuits and Gravy from SCRATCH!

It's been a while since I made Biscuits and Gravy so I decided to give it another shot. I used the same Gravy recipe as before but this time I made these Parmesan Basil Biscuits, which I found from the Taste of Home website. Again, they turned out AMAZINGLY good and easy! We have a lot left over since the recipe made a dozen and I'm sure they're just as good with some good old butter!


Before being drenched in gravy...

After the gravy shower...

Savory Baking at its BEST!

I had some Half and Half in the fridge that needed to be used up. I found this recipe from the Land O'Lakes website for Parmesan Bacon Biscuits and thought they would be perfect savory treats! I didn't have any Bacon Bits (I don't believe in dried up meat-wannabes) so I substituted some diced ham instead. I also used 1 cup of regular flour with 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour for that nutty flavor (and to make me feel better about eating them, of course!). They turned out SO good! Crunchy on the outside and flakey on the inside! The little bits of ham gave them just enough of a meaty texture, which went perfectly well with the salty Parmesan cheese. They're just perfect as a snack but I can't wait to have them for lunch with some tomato soup!

Vanishing Cookies? THIS I've Gotta Try!

I wanted to bake something healthy to start off the new year so I decided on Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Naturally, I went on the Quaker Oatmeal website to find a recipe. I saw this one called Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and knew that it was the one I wanted. Let's see how fast they "vanish" at the office today!

My Version of Melissa's $10 Dinner

I didn't really like Melissa d'Arabian when she was competing for The Next Food Network Star. I thought she looked unnatural in front of the camera, but I guess that happens to everyone when they're just starting out. I thought I'd give her show, $10 Dinners, a shot and after a few episodes, she really started to grow on me! She gives great tips for the everyday home cook and who doesn't like the idea of feeding 4 people for under $10 right? I watched her make this Sausage and Roasted Vegetable Penne and immediately knew I had to try it! Being me, of course, I had to make a few adjustments, but the end result tasted great and I definitely stayed within my $10 budget! I never knew roasted veggies tasted so good in pasta dishes but I'll be sure to use them more often now. Below is my version of this recipe.

Ingredients: (4 servings)


1 yellow onion, cut into wedges
1 green bell pepper, cheeks removed, cut into bite-size pieces
10 button mushrooms, stems removed
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
Garlic salt and ground black pepper, to taste
20 grape tomatoes
3 chicken sausages (the cooked kind), thinly sliced
1/4 c heavy cream, half & half, or whole milk
12 oz Bowtie Pasta, cooked according to package instructions,
1/2 c shredded Mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil for garnish


Prep:


1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the onions, peppers and mushrooms on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss with 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes.


2. Turn baking sheet around and add the tomatoes. Season with more salt and pepper and toss with the remaining olive oil. Bake another 15 minutes, until vegetables are caramelized.


3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add the sausage and saute until heated through. Turn up the heat and add the cream. Stir until thickened, about 5 minutes.


4. Add the vegetables and any pan juices to the skillet. Toss in the cooked penne and Mozzarella. Top with basil before serving.

Biggest Loser on the Food Network?

I'm sure that anyone who watches the Food Network has seen an ad for their new competition shows, Worst Cooks in America. It sounded like a pretty interesting (or at least different) idea, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I watched the first 2 episodes on On Demand last night and couldn't really get into it. It felt a lil too much like The Biggest Loser to me, where Anne Burrell and Beau MacMillan basically put these contestants through cooking bootcamp. It also felt a bit unrealistic cuz you really can't expect someone who can barely make Mac and Cheese to recreate a complicated dish like Shrimp Cacciucco or Poached Tiger Prawns on their first try. The emotional commentaries are unnecessary as well, cuz we're just COOKING here, not going through a divorce or death in the family! I may give this show another chance if there's nothing else on TV but I'd much rather watch Chopped or Iron Chef anyday!

Florentine Muffins

I decided to make a savory recipe from my Muffins Book and decided that these Florentine Muffins would be perfect since I already have all the ingredients on hand. I really love making savory muffins cuz they're different and you can eat them any time of the day, whether it be brunch, a light lunch with some soup, a snack, or even on the side with dinner! They're also really healthy with tons of spinach and pine nuts. The fantastic smell of pesto also added to the yumminess of these muffins!

Ingredients: (6 muffins)


1-1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1/3 c olive oil
1/2 c half and half
4 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 pine nuts
1/4 c pesto
1/2 c shredded Mozzarella cheese


Prep:


1. Preheat oven to 375°F.  Line 6 standard muffin cups.


2. In a bowl, stir together the flour baking powder and salt.


3. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, olive oil and half and half.  Stir in the spinach and pin nuts until well blended.  Add the dry ingredients and stir until evenly moistened.  Fold in the pesto and cheese. 


4. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling level with the rim.


5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and springy, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin come out clean.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes.

Panini #2

I really can't explain just how much I LOVE my Panini Press! These sandwiches featured Costco Roasted Chicken, Pesto, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Provolone Cheese. What a great way to start a Saturday morning!

Ravioli Fillings Transform into Muffins!

We had a LOT of Butternut Squash filling left-over from my Raviolis so I decided to make a muffin recipe from The William-Sonoma Collection Muffins. They have all sorts of sweet and savory recipes that I've been meaning to try. (Really, I actually have sticky notes on the pages with muffins that I wanna make!) They came out great! Not too sweet and smelled like the holidays.

Ingredients: (6 muffins)


1 c mashed sweet potato (or left-over ravioli filling)
1 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking pwder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 c half and half
1/2 c pecans, chopped
1/2 dried cranberries


Prep:


1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 6 standard muffins cups.


2. In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.


3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the egg, sugar, oil and half and half. Add the mashed sweet potato and beat until completely blended.


4. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until evenly moistened. Fold in pecans and cranberries. Do not overmix.


5. Bake for 20-25 minutes to a golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center of a muffins come out clean. Transfer to wire rack and let cool for 5 minuntes.

Greg Requested Something with Cinnamon

Our house was filled with the wonderful aroma of cinnamon while my Mini Carrot Cakes were baking and Greg gave me a special request. He wanted something for dinner that involved cinnamon. Ok, I've NEVER thought of cinnamon in a savory dish so I was pretty stumped. HOWEVER, thanks to the magic of Google, dinner was born...Butternut Squash Ravioli! I didn't follow any particular recipe but just got different ideas from a bunch of recipes. Using Wonton Wrappers DEFINITELY made my life easier even though roasting the butternut squash and then making the filling was still a pretty time-consuming task. This was no 30-minute meal but well worth the wait!

Ingredients: (8 servings)


1-1/4 lb butternut squash (one large squash)
1 pkg wonton wrappers
1 c ricotta cheese
2 oz bacon, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 large shallot, roughly chopped
1/2 (1/4 c) stick of butter
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c of olive oil
1 c mushrooms, sliced
1 c parmesan cheese


Prep:


1. Preheat oven to 400°F.


2. Peel and cut squash into wedges, scooping out pulp and seeds. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and roast 25 minutes or until soft.


3. When cool, place squash, ricotta, nutmeg, and cinnamon into a blender and process until smooth, drizzling in the olive oil with the machine running.


4. Take a wonton wrapper and add 1 Tbsp of squash mixture to the center. Lightly moisten edges of wonton wrapper with water, fold into a triangle. Press edges down with a fork on all sides to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.


5. To prepare the sauce, heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat to melt. Add rosemary, bacon, mushrooms and shallots and cook for 5 minutes. Stir frequently to allow butter to brown without burning. Remove from heat, and add parmesan.


6. Add finished raviolis to boiling water and let them cook until they rise, then remove and let cool. Plate raviolis and top with sauce and fresh basil to serve!

The Cutest Carrot Cakes You've Ever Seen!

For some reason I decided that my first Friday treat of 2010 would be Mini Carrot Cakes. Why not right? And carrot cakes aren't complete without the cream cheese frosting but mine are INSIDE so they're easier to transport. SO cute and SO good!

Ingredients: (48 mini cakes)


Muffins:
1 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 c shredded carrots
1/4 c raisins
Filling:
4 oz softened cream cheese
1 egg yolk
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla


Prep:


1. Preheat oven to 350°F.


2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar.


3. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and vegetable oil. Stir in carrots, walnuts, and raisins.


4. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg/oil mixture. Stir until just combined. Fill mini-muffin cups about 1/2 full.


5. In another bowl, cream together all the filling ingredients. Plop a teaspoon of the filling on top of the batter in each muffin cup.


6. Bake about 20 min, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake part comes out clean.

1, 2, 3, 4...Complete Dinner from Trader Joe's!

We just LOVE any type of stuffed pasta so I always have a few packages in the fridge for a quick meal. Tonight's dinner featured Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli in Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce. It also had Chicken Sausages with Sun-dried Tomatoes and mushrooms. EVERYTHING came from Trader Joe's! I also added some fresh Basil for brightness and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Quick and easy but SO YUMMY!

Foods I'm Adding to (or Keeping on) My Diet in 2010

Many of us make New Year's Resolutions and a lot of them involve living a healthier life. I'm also making that resolution this year and 1 of the main components of a healthy life is choosing more nutritious choices. I think of it as maximizing the benefits and still keeping the calories in check! So here are some of my 2010 food additions, some I've already been eating but will definitely have more of!


1. Lean Beef
-Why? Helps the body turn food into energy, prevents memory lost
-How? Snacking on Oscar Mayer Deli Roast Beef!


2. Beans
-Why? Lowers blood pressure, risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes AND breast & colon cancer
-How? Dipping my veggies in hummus


3. Soy
-Why? Prevent breast cancer, fight heart disease
-How? Soy Chips (my fav snack anyway!)


4. Oatmeal
-Why? Reduces risk of heart disease & type 2 diabetes
-How? Oatmeal packets for my mid-day snack


5. Flaxseed
-Why? Keeps red blood cells from forming clots, lowers breast cancer
-How? Flaxseed pills (already taking)


6. Broccoli
-Why? Lowers cancer & heart disease risks
-How? I LOVE steamed broccoli & eat it everyday!


7. Spinach
-Why? Guards against mascular degeneration, prevents heart attacks, helps deliver oxygen to your cells, prevents birth defects
-How? Steam up some spinach to go with that broccoli!


8. Tomatoes
-Why? Protects against heart disesase & breast cancer
-How? I put salsa on literarly EVERYTHING!


9. Garlic
-Why? Decreases blood pressure, lowers risk for ovarian & colorectal cancers, protects against colds
-How? Garlic pills (no stinky breath but ALL the benefits)


10. Apples
-Why? Protects against heart disease, lowers risk of lung cancer & type 2 diabetes
-How? Brothers Apple Crisps, 39 calories for 1.5 apples!

Zucchini Muffins Take 2

I saw that Zucchini was on sale at Safeway so I decided to make a batch of muffins. I've made them before and my mom loved them so I thought they'd be a good New Year's treat for her! A quick Google search and I found this recipe, which just happens to be the exact same one that I used before. (Hey, why change something that I already know works right?) I added the optional walnuts and raisins this time and they turned out SO good! I can't wait to bring them to my mom!

Celebrating 2010 with Some Cornish Game Hens!

I don't know why but Cornish Game Hens feel very New Year-ish for me. I've never made them before cuz the recipe usually requires roasting them and I didn't have a roasting pan until NOW! (Yes, my cabinets are getting extremely full!) I found this recipe for Apricot Glazed Cornish Hens from Taste of Home and decided to try it out. They were SO good and almost too cute to eat!


Here they are all gglazed up and waiting to go into the oven.

And here they are cooked and waiting to be devoured! (Don't they look like miniature Rotisserie Chicken?)

Because Celebrating ALWAYS Involves Eggs Benedict!

Well...at least at our house, it does! And since I keep my English Muffins and Canadian Ham in the freezer, I can whip up a yummy brunch anytime I want to. :)