Boneless Buffalo Wings

Happy Halloween!  From the Little Miss to you...boo, hoo, hoo.  If you can't tell she has a terrible cold and wanted absolutely nothing to do with these bunny ears, other than chewing on them.

Her first Halloween will not be that memorable.  Little man and I are also sick with the same thing.  It's a rip roaring time here at our house.  We did manage to hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters, but that was about it.

There is always next year?



In the meantime, check out these beauties.  I haven't met too many people who don't enjoy buffalo wings.  Except for those who can't handle heat of any kind.  You're missing out!  They were perfect for our Saturday football watching and snacking.

Better yet, they were boneless so I didn't have to gnaw my way around a bone.  I just don't have time for that with two kids!  Little man ate his minus the sauce, but I did let him try mine as he was asking none stop...should have seen that face!

Boneless Buffalo Wings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 c. Bisquick

1/2 c. parmesan cheese

1 t. garlic salt

1 t. paprika

2 eggs

buffalo sauce

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In one bowl beat egg.  In another bowl combine Bisquick, parmesan cheese, garlic salt and paprika. 

Dip chicken strips in egg, then coat in flour mixture.  Place on greased rack on top of a baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, flipping half way through.  While wings are still hot, place in bowl and pour over buffalo sauce.  Toss to coat.

Serve with your favorite bleu cheese or ranch dressing.

Messy?  Yes.  Worth it?  Absolutely.

Dark Chocolate Almond Joys

Yes, technically Almond Joys are covered in milk chocolate and do not have dark chocolate, Mounds do, but I bent the rules.  It's just been one of those days.

Two sick kiddos, mom now catching it, shots today for both, and that makes for a Friday night without rules.  A night of cuddling, watching TV and having a sweet treat in these homemade Almond Joys.

I'm pretty sure I'll be including this recipe in my cookbook for family and friends I am working on.  You just can't beat a four ingredient recipe - people love those!  Well, at least I hope you love this one.  Try them and let me know.

Dark Chocolate Almond Joys (makes six large, or 12 small)

1/2 bag dark chocolate chips

2 T. milk or coconut oil

almonds

shredded coconut

In a microwaveable bowl, heat chocolate chips and milk in 15 seconds intervals, stirring after each until melted and smooth.

Using flexible muffins tins (makes them extremely easy to pop out when done), pour in enough chocolate to fill bottom layer of muffin tin.  Place spoonful of coconut and top with almonds.  Spoon additional chocolate on top to cover coconut and almond mixture.

Place in freezer to harden, about 10 minutes.  Pop out of muffin tin and enjoy!  Keep in the fridge for best storage.

Big weekend plans?  Not us.  We're staying in.  No plans and I'm loving every minute of it.  In true geeky mom fashion, I plan on tackling the laundry room (the storage space is out.of.control.), stocking the fridge up with next week's meals, watching football, working on the cookbook, and getting these darn kids outside in the fresh air in hopes that all germs will float away.

They will not ruin my weekend with no plans.

Now stop reading and get to making these!

Cubed Steak with Tomato Gravy

Sometimes you just have to trust the label on a can of veggies.  Tomatoes in this case.  Just before I threw the can in the recycling bin, I noticed a recipe printed on the side label.

We are taking a trip back to 1950 folks.  Something about cubed steak, salisbury steak, anything sizzling away in a skillet with gravy makes me get all Joan Cleverish...

I'm always pulled towards recipes with few ingredients, with many of them already found in my pantry.  This recipe is one of those.  My guess is that you'll just be buying the cubed steak, or making the short walk to your freezer to set it out to thaw.

Cubed Steak with Tomato Gravy

4 cubed steaks

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 potatoes, chopped

15 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 c. water

2 T. olive oil

salt

pepper

Preheat a large skillet to medium heat.  Drizzle in olive oil with garlic.  Let cook just a minute until fragrant, do not burn.  Season steaks with salt and pepper and place in hot skillet.  Cook 3 minutes, flip an cook an additional minute before adding in other ingredients.

Pour in tomatoes, water and chopped potatoes.  Put lid on skillet, turn down to low, and let simmer for 35-45 minutes, stirring halfway through scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan into the sauce.  Sauce will continue to thicken.

Serve as is, or over rice.

I was already feeling starchy, so I didn't take the extra step for rice.  Trust me, the meat is so tender and the gravy is so good, you won't miss the rice.  But if you like to follow recipes to a T, then make the rice.

Whew.  This week is crazy.  I need a glass of wine.

Or another piece of this steak.

Pumpkin Agave Muffins

Our house woke up to these on Sunday morning.  The sun was streaming in the window at just the right time and I caught this beautiful photo.  I wish every morning was like this.

Unfortunately most mornings are not as lazy and require a "rush, rush" mentality.  So I relish days like this one.

After hopping on the computer this morning to check emails, work on this post, read some food blogs, I came across a statistic on another blog that disturbed me.

Only 1% of blog readers actually comment on the blog they are reading.  Currently I am getting close to 1,000 page views a day (yes, it has jumped quite considerably in the last weeks), which in turn means about 10 comments.  Let's all be honest, this is a very real and true statistic for my blog.

I cannot count how many times I have people come up to me, old friends and new, family members, co-workers, the list goes on and on saying they read my blog, but I never knew!  The bottom line is this.  If you don't comment, I have no idea you are reading.  And without those comments I sometimes wonder if I am cooking, baking and posting for cyberspace.

Not to get on a soapbox - but your comments fuel my fire.  They are what keep me cooking, baking and taking photos.  So if you like what you are reading (or don't like), please comment.  If you are just browsing and passing by and nothing really attracts you to the post that day, that is fine.  I do that all the time.  I'm busy, the kids are screaming, dinner is ready and I simply don't have time to comment or I just have nothing to say.  It happens to all of us.  BUT - if you do have something to say, than say it.

Like I said it keeps me motivated.

There.  Enough said.  I don't usually ramble like this...forgive me?

Back to these muffins that made my Sunday a pretty darn good day.  I adapted them from this recipe, one received from my recent visit to the Taste of Home Cooking School.

Pumpkin Agave Muffins
1 c. agave nectar
4 eggs
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
1 c. canola oil
2 1/4 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare muffins tins with paper liners.  In a large bowl combine agave, eggs, oil and pumpkin.  In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and blend into batter.  Pour into liners, filling 3/4 full.

Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Let cool on a wire rack.

Are you sick of pumpkin recipes yet?  Or should I keep going?

One Pot Baked Chicken Risotto

Before I start chatting away about risotto, check out these.  I won a giveaway and yesterday received a box full of assorted chocolate covered stuffed dates.  They are out of this world.  So far we've tried the dark chocolate almond and they have not disappointed, so I'm sure the others will tag closely behind.

Sweet Pillar & Co. you have done these right!

Now on to dinner.  More often than not, I'm asked about easy, family meals.  Ones that require little to no prep time and don't make a disaster of the kitchen.

This one fits into that category perfectly.  One pot, easy ingredients, happy family.

One Pot Baked Chicken Risotto
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 c. diced carrots
1/2 c. diced celery
2 c. arborio rice
2 1/2 c. chicken stock (warm)
1 T. lemon pepper seasoning
2 t. salt
4 cloves garlic, minced

Grease a large dutch oven or casserole dish.  Place chicken breasts, garlic, carrots, celery, seasonings and rice in bottom of dish.  Pour warm stock over ingredients and stir to combine.  Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, covered.

Open the lid and you have this.

Folks, it has the flavor of chicken noodle soup, minus the fuss.  A perfect comfort meal for the upcoming cold, fall days.

Today, I'll be tackling a homemade Christmas gift project I am stirring up (just wait and see!), watching my beloved Hawkeyes, doing laundry, grocery shopping, muffin baking and chasing kids.

A typical fall Saturday.

I hope yours is as fun as mine.

Peanut Butter Cup Blondies

Honestly, I am stuffed to the gills right now and the last thing I feel like talking about are these peanut butter cup blondies.

But...I'll do it for you.

After a workday filled with food - breakfast pizza, plus a huge pumpkin whoopie pie courtesy of Elly's this afternoon, I frankly don't give a rat's you know what about another dessert right now.  Did I just say that out loud?

Write that down.

I know there are many of you out there that are wondering what to make for your kid's birthday party this weekend, for tailgating on Saturday or a food day at work tomorrow.  We'll here you have it folks.  Make these.  They will not disappoint.

Plus, they are easy.  You know I wouldn't give you anything too difficult.

Peanut Butter Cup Blondies

Adapted from this recipe

2 eggs

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 brown sugar

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

1/4 c. butter, melted and cooled

3 T. milk

1 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

4 peanut butter cups, chopped

1/2 c. dark chocolate chips

Beat eggs and sugars together until smooth and creamy.  Add in peanut butter, butter and milk, mix well.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt, gently adding to mixture until just combined.  Fold in peanut butter cups and dark chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread batter into a greased 8x8 square pan/baking dish.  Bake for 25 minute or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool and cut into bars.

Serve with a glass of ice cold milk to wash down the evidence.

Let's see...what do I have coming up?  Stay tuned for these treats.

• Homemade Nut Butter
• Pumpkin Agave Muffins
• Cubed Steak with Tomatoes & Rice

Which one are you most excited about?

Florentine Meatball Sliders

Check out these little meatballs sizzling away.  Aren't they cute?  I'm the first to admit I probably think a little too much about food.  These beauties were thought up when I was trying to take a cat nap while the kids were also napping.

Enter in one toddler who doesn't want to sleep that day (stripping off the sheets, blanket, pillow, etc.) from his bed, a 7 month old who is sleeping well, but a little restless due to her brother being noisy across the hall, and me laying on the couch attempting to shut off my brain for 30 minutes.

Not happening.

All I want is 30 minutes of shut eye.  If kids only knew how they would relish a nap later in life.

So my mind turned to food.  I had ground turkey thawing in the fridge, crushed tomatoes in the cupboard and a huge spaghetti squash that needed to be eaten.  I first thought was spaghetti, then meatballs, then...meatball sliders.

This is the final vote.

I even whipped up my homemade foccacia rolls.  Not really sure where the energy came for those, but it happened.  These would be the perfect finger food for a party, a casual Sunday evening meal and a great one for the kids.

Who doesn't love a meatball sub?  In slider form?

Florentine Meatball Sliders
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 box thawed and drained spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1/2 c. breadcrumbs or crushed plain cereal
1 egg
1 T. hot sauce
salt/pepper to taste

Gently combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Preheat a large skillet to medium heat.  Form meat into 1 in. balls and place in skillet.  Brown on all sides, turning several times, about 1 minute a side.

To finish cooking, place meatballs in simmering spaghetti or marinara sauce, homemade or store bought.  Let simmer on medium heat for at least 30-40 minutes, or until ready to eat.  Place on toasted slider buns and top with mozzarella cheese.

The only problem with this meal is that they only made it till lunch the next day for leftovers and then they were gone.

I hope you don't have the same problem.

Sour Cream Corn Cakes

The last time I posted a recipe two days in a row was when I was staying home with the little man.  I did a great job back then putting up a new post each morning.  Well, enter in another child and a part-time job and that has just gone out the window.

So give me a little praise this morning - two days, two posts.  I just could not share this delectable pancake recipe for everyone who is climbing out of bed this weekend wondering what to make the kids for breakfast.

Do not be scared of homemade pancake batter.  This one is as easy as mixing up a boxed cake mix.

And look at these eggs?  There is just something to be said for farm fresh eggs.  I love them.



As I was browsing The Pioneer Women's Cookbook yesterday I came across her recipe for sour cream pancakes.  Well, I've been staring at a bag of cornmeal in my cupboard for about a month now, wanting to use it, but just not sure how.

Enter the cornmeal.

You need to make these.  Throw away your Aunt Jemima pancake mix and do I dare say Betty Crocker's homemade version?  Yes, do it.  This pancake recipe will become your families new favorite.

Sour Cream Corn Cakes (makes 12, 4 in. pancakes)
1 c. sour cream
4 T. flour
3 T. cornmeal
1 T. sugar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 large eggs
1/2 t. vanilla

Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle to medium heat.  Put sour cream in the bowl, then add flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda and salt.  Stir together very, very gently.  Stop short of just being combined.  Whisk eggs in a separate bowl along with vanilla.  Pour egg mixture into sour cream/flour mixture.  Stir together gently until just combined.  Do not over mix.

Melt butter in skillet and place 2 T. of batter in the skillet, cooking for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on the first side, 45 seconds on the flip side.  Serve with butter and maple syrup.



Don't you just want to dig right in?  The cornmeal in this batter gives these pancakes the best texture.  I think I'll be putting cornmeal in my pancake batter from here on out.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Crazy for Casseroles

Sorry for the lame picture - it's gets dark early now!

Imagine the horror when I realized I hadn't made this casserole in over a year?  I know, tragic.  I brought it back this week, thanks to an evening of flipping through my recipes and seeing my neglected 'chicken cordon bleu casserole' sitting in the back with a big 'ol frown.

I'm sorry buddy, but summer has been crazy and casseroles don't usually jump out at me during the months of June through August, when the oven isn't exactly my best friend.

I think he forgave me.

If you love chicken, ham, swiss cheese and crunchy goodness, you'll love this one.  It is a tried and true recipe from a dear friend's mom - we go way back - and I just wouldn't be sharing it with you if it wasn't delicious.  So here you have it folks, the ultimate comfort casserole.

And remember, calories don't count on this one.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

4 1/2 c. diced chicken
4 1/2 c. diced ham
1 c. cheddar cheese
1/3 c. flour
1 t. dill
1/4 c. butter
2 c. cream
1/8 t. mustard
1/4 c. silvered almonds

Topping: 1 box stuffing (or homemade croutons like I made), 1/4 c. cheese, 1/4 c. silvered almonds, 2 T. butter

In a pan saute onion in butter until tender. Add flour, stir to form a paste, about a minute. Gradually add cream, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil for 1 minute, until thickened. (I took mine off the heat after that minute and it thickened pretty quickly). Add seasonings once thick.

Layer chicken, ham and 1 c. shredded cheddar in bottom of a 9x13 pan. Pour cream mixture over the meat. Add toppings and drizzle with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

*I didn't use a box of stuffing, so I simply cut up 1/2 loaf of french bread, mixed it with some canola oil, garlic and parsley and baked the croutons still just crispy, I also omitted the butter at the end, as I simply forgot!*

Put this on your grocery list for the weekend.  Your family will LOVE it.

You can thank me later.

Cinnamon Sticks

These little morsels of yumminess came courtesy of my Mom this weekend.  After the little miss was baptized on Sunday, we had friends and family back to our house for a light breakfast - caramel pecan rolls, these cinnamon sticks, cookies, cinnamon sugar donut muffins, a ton of fresh fruit, coffee and juice.

I had intended on making breakfast burritos as well, but the crazy week got the best of me, and time ran out.  I'm pretty sure no one went hungry because of my lack of time.

This recipe only has 7 ingredients and two of those are the cinnamon and sugar you roll them in.  Can't yell at me for a long ingredient list today!

Cinnamon Sticks
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. Crisco
5 T. sugar, additional for rolling
2 c. flour
1 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
1 T. cinnamon

Mix first six ingredients in order given.  Shape dough into rolls about the size of your finger.  Cut into 2 inch lengths.  Bake at 350 degrees until light tan, about 20 minutes.  While warm roll in mixture of cinnamon and sugar.

Store in an airtight container and they will last several days.

For freshness that is.  I'd be shocked if they aren't gone within two days, and if you are taking them to an event, much shorter.  These would be great for the holidays all wrapped up for neighbors, co-workers, or a cookie swap.

Hear that girls?  I'm making this one come December!

Oh, and for those that are interested.  The article in the newspaper featuring me, the fam and my blog will be coming out next Thursday, October 20th.  Here's to crossing my fingers and hoping I don't come off like a dork.

Baked Chicken Bites {Kid Friendly, Mother Approved}

We don't buy a lot of processed food in our house.  Yes, you'll find the occasional fruit snack or Cheez-It.  And yes, on road trips we will swing through McDonald's to buy chicken nuggets for the little man in the back seat who is starving.

And yes, I too eat fast food every once in awhile.  Everyone's guilty pleasure right?

But for the most part, I try and buy whole ingredients at the grocery store and then "create" fun foods at home for both us and the kids.  Not only is it cheaper, but healthier.  These homemade chicken bites are the perfect example. 

Baked Chicken Bites
1 c. buttermilk, divided
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
cut into 1 in. cubes
3/4 c. flour
1 c. finely crushed cereal (I used a mixture of cornflakes/rice chex)
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. garlic salt
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. oregano
1/8 t. pepper
2 eggs

Pour 1/2 c. buttermilk into a large plastic bag; add chicken.  Seal bag and turn to coat.  Let set up to 2 hours.  Place flour in another plastic bag.  In third bag place crushed cereal and seasonings.  In a shallow bowl, whisk eggs and the remaining buttermilk

Drain chicken, add to flour and shake to coat.  Coat with egg mixture, then add to cereal mixture, shake to coat.  Arrange chicken on a large greased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until juices run clear.  Serve with a side of barbecue sauce, ranch, ketchup or honey mustard.

Like I said, kid friendly, mother approved.  These were inhaled fairly quickly at our house, but shockingly we did have some leftovers for lunch the next day!

Here is our latest family photo op.  The little miss was baptized yesterday at church, so it meant a day of church, family and food.  I have a great, simple dessert to share later this week from the baptism.  It's like eating a mini pie crust covered in cinnamon and sugar.  Yeah, pretty delicious.



Have a great Monday and start to your week!

Fried Apple Pancake Rings

Has anyone seen the new talk show The Chew?  I am able to catch it on Mondays and Fridays when I'm not working, and so far love it!  They seem to have endless ideas on cooking and home decorating, along with the latest trends in both.

This recipe comes courtesy of The Chew.  It's a new twist on the usual pancake.  Your kids will devour them, and more than likely you'll eat a few yourself.  With apples in peak season right now, here is another way to use them up.

Fried Apple Pancake Rings

3-4 apples, cored, peeled, sliced to 1/8" thick

pancake batter

1 t. pumpkin pie spice

1 t. cinnamon

maple syrup

Using your favorite pancake batter, add pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon.  Dip apple slices into batter, coating all slides.  Cook like a pancake, one minute the first side, about 30 seconds after you flip. Serve with your favorite maple syrup or top with powdered sugar.

After shouting out on Facebook last night, "What should we have for dinner?".  The resounding answer was pancakes.  So here was our version - delicious!

The rest of today is all about housekeeping and watching football (Go Hawks!).  The little miss gets baptized in the morning, so we'll be busy with family and friends tomorrow, with a yummy breakfast spread I hope to share for you - simple and easy, yet scrumptous.

Here's a double sided question for you...

What are you doing today and where are you from?

I love hearing what people's weekend plans are and where they hail from.  Oregon?  Florida?  North Carolina?  Canada?

Taste of Home Cooking School

This week has been a whirlwind.  And it's not done yet.  I feel like I haven't been home at all, until tonight, and even then I have to prepare and prep for tomorrow (more on that in a bit).

After spending the last three days on the road for various things (little kiddos pictures, a visitation, and cooking school last night) I'm ready to grill out with the family tonight and relax a bit.  But, first how about a recap?

I had the best Buffalo Chicken Salad sandwich from Elly's Tea & Coffee House earlier this week.  Why haven't I thought of this?  Wheat berry bread, buffalo chicken salad, cheese and lettuce.  Pretty heavenly.  I just might be recreating this at home soon.

Last night my good friend Jess and I headed to Riverside Casino & Golf Resort for a Taste of Home Cooking School.  Let me just say we were NOT expecting such a huge turn out!  We easily guessed there were between 1,000-2,000 people there.  It was insane.

Being a field editor for Taste of Home, I wanted to visit one of their cooking schools, not only because it was in my area, but I was curious to see what it was all about.  In case you are interested in going, it is like a mini trade show, a cooking stage upfront, with the audience learning around 6-8 recipes from one of their chefs. 

Last night she showed us everything from desserts, meat dishes, salads and even a vegetarian soup/stew.  Our favorite were the pumpkin whoopie pies.  I was not one of the lucky viewers who got to take those home...

I'm not bitter.

I have yet to go through the large goodie bag filled with magazines, free samples, coupons, etc.  I'm saving that for when I have some peace and quiet, i.e. after everyone is in bed.  Nothing seems to get done before then!



So today, yes this is me, and yes I am holding a hedgehog.  I really can't believe it myself.  A co-worker got two for her little girls and she brought them by.  I'm now wondering did I disinfect my desk after this?  It wrapped up an insane day of my computer not working, switching to a different laptop, and finally get one thing accomplished.  Ugh.

Now for tomorrow.  I have the local newspaper coming to my house bright and early to feature me, the kiddos and my blog.  I'm very excited about it, as we are relatively new to this community and frankly I'm pretty sure not many people even know about my blog here locally.

Tonight's agenda?  Make up some cookie dough, figure out what I'll be chatting about, compiling recipes, etc, etc.  Once again after everyone is in bed.  As we all know nothing gets done before then.  Stay tuned for another recap!

Bake & Bubbly Cookbook Winner

And the winner is...

Comment #30

Julie S
I'm a casserole lover so count me in! I love a good bubbling dish of some really great chicken enchiladas...yum!

Julie, since you were so kind in leaving your email address, I will be contacting you shortly!  Are you ready to fill your belly with some yummy baked dishes?

--------------------------------------

On another note, my good friend and I are headed to Riverside Casino & Resort tonight to attend a cooking show with Taste of Home magazine.  I'm stoked!  Recap to come!

Happy Hump Day...

'Forget Your Bikini Body' Cookies

I don't often try out new cookie recipes unless it is the holiday baking season, as I have found the ones my family likes and generally stick to the basics.  But, times are a changing.

Last week I asked my Facebook followers for good cookie recipes, as I needed to bring some to my husband's work function over this past weekend.  I didn't want regular old chocolate chip.  Boring.  Seventeen entries later, I decided on a version of Toffee Malted Cookies.  You can find the original recipe here.

But, in true form, I changed them up a little.  I'm not a huge fan of malted milk balls, and I was just imagining someone chopping down on one and breaking a crown at the open house.  So, here is my version.  These are quite possibly one of the greatest cookies of all time.  No kidding.



'Forget Your Bikini Body' Cookies (makes 3 dozen)

1 c. butter, softened

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

2 1/4 c. flour

1 c. oats

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 c. chocolate covered toffee bits

1 c. dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together butter, cream cheese and sugars.  Add eggs, one at a time to combine.  Stir in vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, salt and gradually add to mixture.  Dough will be very thick and stiff.  Fold in toffee bits and dark chocolate chips.

Place large spoonfuls on a greased baking sheet, 12 to a sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or just until golden around the edges.

I kept four of these for us and the rest the husband took to work.  I have yet to receive back my Tupperware container or any cookies, so I'm guessing they were a hit.  In my opinion, you need to make these for your next function.  You will not be disappointed.

*Don't forget to enter my cookbook giveaway!  You have until Wednesday to enter.  Get crackin'!*