{12 Days of Christmas} Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Cheesy mashed potatoes right in the front

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

I chose to pair these delicious cheesy mashed potatoes with turkey meatloaf (recipe) and baked asparagus spears. It was delicious!

Here's the recipe for the potatoes:

Ingredients

3 cups yukon gold potatoes

3 tablespoons butter

10 oz (1 1/2 cups) sour cream

3/4 cup 2% milk

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups cheese

Directions

1. In a large stock pot, cover the potatoes with cold water, bring to a boil and cook until you can easily pierce with a fork (about 35 minutes or so).
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Drain potatoes and return to the pot.
4. Use a potato masher to mash potatoes.
5. Add the butter, half of the sour cream and half of the milk and start whipping them with a hand held mixer. Then add the remaining sour cream and milk, whip together until well blended.
6. Add the salt and 1 cup of the cheese. Whip together until blended.
7. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and spoon the potatoes into the dish evenly.
8. Sprinkle the potatoes with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of Sharp Cheddar cheese and cover with foil being careful not to touch the cheese.
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
10. Remove from oven and keep covered untilb ready to serve.

*adapted from Cozy Country Living*

Hope you enjoy! 

xoxo

{12 Days of Christmas} Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

• Ingredients:
• 
  
• 3/4 cup extra-crunchy Peanut Butter 
• (*The original recipe uses creamy but I much prefer crunchy*)
• 1/2 stick Crisco Baking Sticks All-Vegetable Shortening 
  (Or 1/2 cup Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening)
• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg. Beat only until blended.
2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix until blended. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2-inches apart onto greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly in a crisscross pattern with a fork.
3. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to cooling racks to cool completely.

*recipe adapted from Jif*

This is my absolute favorite cookie to make and to enjoy!

It is always a favorite at Christmas parties and my friends always ask me to make them these cookies. 

I hope you try them out this holiday season - and if you do, let me know how you like them in the comments!

Happy Christmas!

xoxo

Caramel Apples and {Butterbeer} - Recipe!

Butterbeer!

Ever since reading Harry Potter, and then watching the movies, and then enviously looking at all those wonderful Instagram photos of Butterbeer from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I have wanted to try a butterbeer. I love butterscotch, foamy drinks, and wishing I was a wizard (alas, I am only a muggle). It has been my dream to either go to Florida and try it for myself, or to make it at home. Since Florida is currently out of the budget, I looked for lots of recipes on Pinterest, and I'm sure to try others in the future, but this one was the easiest!

Butterbeer Recipe 

Froth: 

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon Butterscotch-flavored Jell-O Instant Pudding Mix

*The original recipe also calls for 1/4 cup powdered sugar but I'm trying to reduce my sugar intake so I didn't include it and it still tasted wonderful!

Directions: With an electric mixer (or whisk), mix all the ingredients until it resembles whipped cream, then set aside.

Cold Butterbeer:

cream soda (chilled)
1-2 teaspoons butterscotch-flavored sundae syrup (per mug)
prepared Froth (recipe above)

Directions: Pour the chilled cream soda into your glass, leaving an inch or so at the top for froth. 

Add in 1-2 teaspoonfuls of the butterscotch syrup and stir well. 

Top off your glass with the prepared froth and give it a few minutes to settle.

Enjoy! 

*adapted from The Disney Diner

We also decided to make caramel apples that day, and it was a very autumnal.

We had so much fun!

We bought some Granny Smith Apples and Kraft caramel bits, popped the caramel bits onto the stove for a little while and then dipped our cut apples into it - delicious!

How have you been enjoying these autumn days?

Tell me in a comment below!

xoxo 

Healthy Recipe: {Pineapple Protein Smoothie}

Recipe:

1 medium-size banana

1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple

1 scoop vanilla protein powder 

(I used Designer Whey)

vanilla almond milk, unsweetened

(fill to max line) 

Blend and enjoy! 

I use a NutriBullet - my mother gifted one to me and I am in love. I have lost about 8 pounds so far and have been feeling happier and healthier. I highly suggest getting yourself a really nice blender if you can! 

Happy Wednesday! 

xoxo

Christmas Morning Recipe: {Monkey Bread}

Monkey Bread

An easy recipe that is wonderful for special occasions, like Christmas morning!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits 

(many people use Grands! but I personally prefer Trader Joe's)

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large bundt pan or casserole with cooking spray. (I used a casserole because I have yet to purchase a bundt pan).

2. In a large storage food bag or bowl, mix granulated sugar and cinnamon. 

3. Cut up the biscuits (in quarters) into 16 pieces, rolling into balls. Shake in the bag or roll around in bowl to coat the dough in the sugar mixture. It should look like this:

4. Melt butter over stove; when melted, add brown sugar and stir. 

Optional: I like to add what is left of the sugar/cinnamon mixture but it is up to you!

5. Place dough balls in pan or casserole and pour the butter mixture on top of the pieces. 

6. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes at 350 degrees F, until golden brown. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. 

7. Turn upside down onto plate. Pull apart to serve. 

Serve warm and enjoy!

Adapted from Pillsbury.

xoxo

Recipe: {Broccoli Bites}

Broccoli Bites

I found this recipe on Pinterest a while back and decided to try it out. It wasn't my favorite, but they are interesting for a somewhat-healthy snack. 

Ingredients:

16 oz. package of frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained of liquid

1 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese or low fat cheese (I used a mix of shredded cheeses)

3 eggs

salt & pepper



1 cup of seasoned Italian breadcrumbs


Pre-oven

Directions:

Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl,

then form small patties with your hands, 

placing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes.

Be sure to flip the patties over after the first 15 minutes!


All done!

As you can see, I used muffin liners (I was all out of parchment, unfortunately) and I would 

highly recommend only using the parchment method.

I could not get the patties to come off of the muffin liner, so I had liner-bits to pick out as I 

was attempting to eat. No fun.



If you try them out, I hope you enjoy them!

Source: thinnrecipes.blogspot.com, stacysnacksonline.com

xoxo

Recipe: Basic French Toast

Basic French Toast Recipe
Ingredients:

5 or 6 thick slices bread

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

dash of salt

syrup

Directions:

1. Mix together eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt.

2. Lightly grease a skillet and put over medium heat.

3. Dunk each side of bread in the mixture, making sure to soak both sides. Place in the pan and cook on both sides. Serve warm with (maple) syrup.

Adapted from allrecipes.com.

Enjoy! Happy Saturday!

xoxo

Recipe: Turkey Meatloaf

Not the best picture, but it was delicious! New photo coming soon! (:

We had turkey meatloaf and green bean casserole for dinner the other night. It was like a mini-Thanksgiving in here! Delicious!

Ingredients: 

2 beaten eggs

2/3 cup dry bread crumbs

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 1/2 lb ground turkey

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tbsp packed brown sugar

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 5x9" loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together beaten eggs, bread crumbs, milk, salt, pepper, and ground turkey. Feel free to add an extra dash of bread crumbs if the mix is too runny. 
3. Place in loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes. While that is cooking, mix together 1/4 cup ketchup and 2 tbsp brown sugar. 
5. Remove meat loaf, remove white fat that has been baked out, cover in ketchup & brown sugar mix. 
6. Bake for another 5-10 minutes. 
7. Enjoy!

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

xoxo

Recipe: Hot, Skinny Spinach Dip

Pre-oven.

Mmmm... Spinach dip. It has always been a favorite of mine, but I usually only get to have it on the rare occasion that I go to a restaurant in a group. So to not only find a recipe for it, but to find one that is better for you, too?! I had to try it. And I must say, I love it. 

Let's begin:

What I used, this time

Recipe:

10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1/2 cup light sour cream

5 tbsp light mayonnaise (I used regular; that's all I had!)

1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

1/4 cup green onion, chopped *

1 clove garlic, crushed **

1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella

fresh pepper (for taste)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Put into an oven-safe dish and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cheese should be melted. 

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes:

Serves about 10. This recipe was adapted from Skinnytaste.

Also, I was so excited to try out this dip that I forgot to take a picture when it was all ready to eat! I will update as soon as I make another batch. It was delicious!

xoxo

Recipe: Banana & Chocolate Chip Muffins

Tasted so good!

Recipe:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (~2 large)

1 large egg

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup milk

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line 12 muffin cups with foil liners (do not use paper - I did and it was so difficult to take off the liners!). 

2. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

3. In another (medium-sized) bowl, mix mashed bananas, egg, melted butter, and milk.

4. Stir banana mixture into dry ingredients until they are blended, being careful not to overmix. Then stir in chocolate chips.

5. Fill muffin cups with batter until they are about 3/4 of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees until muffin tops are golden and the chips are melted, about 25-30 minutes. 

6. Cool and enjoy!

Doesn't it look delicious?

This recipe was adapted from Epicurious. 

xoxo

Pinterest Recipe for Revolutionary Mac & Cheese!

Revolutionary Mac & Cheese

Yummy, yummy!

Mmmmm... Mac & Cheese. It's been a favorite of mine for years. While my favorite still comes in a blue box (it's horrible but true), every so often I like to switch it up and try a new recipe. 

That's where Pinterest comes in! I found this recipe for Mac & Cheese, tweaked it just a tad, and viola! A delicious dinner for me! 

Ingredients: 

2 1/2 cups milk

2 cups dried pasta (I used shells and it worked well!)

1 cup loosely packed cheese (cheddar preferred*), shredded**

1 tsp. salt

Directions: 

1. In a saucepan, add pasta and milk. Bring to a simmer, being careful not to bring to a boil!

2. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pasta is soft. Stir frequently, and again, make sure the milk does not boil! 

3. Turn off heat and add cheese and salt. Stir to combine. Let cool for a minute or two, then stir again. At this point, you may add a little more milk if not creamy enough. 

4. If you would like to bake your Mac & Cheese, you may do so at this point. Place in a baking dish and top with a generous portion of shredded cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for about ten minutes, until the cheese has melted. 

5. Serve and enjoy!

(Serves 4)

Adapted from Macaroni and Cheesecake

Notes:

*I say cheddar preferred, because it is the usual cheese used in Mac & Cheese, but next time I plan to try out a combination of cheeses!

**Could be pre-shredded or shredded by hand, whichever you prefer. I did not have a cheese grater on hand (moving out is such a pain!) and so I used store bought, and it worked fine!

Have fun making Mac & Cheese!

xoxo

Pre-K Wednesday: Zucchini Bread and Graduation!

Our homemade zucchini bread

We made zucchini bread with the kids this week! We let them grate the zucchini into small bits and allowed them to measure out our other ingredients. The zucchini was from our garden! It was a fun and time-consuming activity. We used a recipe from the Better Homes & Gardens' New Cook Book. You can buy the book here or see the recipe below:

Zucchini Bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. 

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. baking powder, and 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg. In another mixing bowl, combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup shredded unpeeled zucchini, 1/4 cup cooking oil, 1 egg, and 1/4 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel. Add flour mixture and stir until combined. If you please, stir in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts before pouring batter in a 8x4x2-inch loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, remove bread from pan and cool thoroughly on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing, makes 1 loaf (16 servings). 

Enjoy!

Graduation cupcakes

Many of the families were excited for their children to graduate for the first time ever, and one mom even made these great graduation cupcakes! She used funfetti cupcake mix (I'm in my twenties and funfetti is still my favorite). She made the graduation "caps" with a lollipop stick, a Reese's peanut butter cup, Hershey's chocolate (2 pieces per cap), an M&M, a sour worm-type candy, and melted chocolate as "glue." 

They turned out so cute! 

Hope your baking adventures are turning out delicious! 

xoxo