Chocolate Gingersnaps

I have to say I have been obsessed with this recipe since I saw it posted by a friend on Facebook.  I will be forever grateful to Luanne Holladay for sharing this gem of a cookie with me. Most people associate Fall with pumpkin or chili but I start to crave a nice gingersnap when the weather gets cool and the leaves start to change.

First of all the fact that I hated gingersnaps as a kid is quite funny to me now.  I remember my dad used to by the Archway Gingersnaps on a Sunday and I would be tricked by their sugar sprinkled top.  The spice was too much for my tongue back in the day.

This cookie is perfectly soft and chewy.  With such a small amount of chocolate in the cookie it isn't too sweet.  The ginger and molasses give it a bit of a kick in the end that fills the palate with spice.

Please give this cookie a chance and you will find yourself craving these from time to time, I promise.

Chocolate Gingersnaps

Original recipe by Mollie Katzen
Makes: 36-48 cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 Tablespoons bittersweet chocolate chips, melted
(or use a 1oz square of unsweet chocolate)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 Tablespoons molasses
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone liner.  Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (I used a hand mixer).  Add melted chocolate and beat again until combined.  Add in molasses, egg, and vanilla and beat again.

Next you will start adding your dry ingredients.  Add the flour, baking soda, ginger and salt.  Now you will just stir to combine.  You don't want to beat the dry ingredients because it will make a tough dough.

Lightly flour your hands and roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet. You should have only 12 cookies to a pan.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and let rest for a minute before moving the cookies to a cooling rack.  Cool completely before putting in a storage container.

Enjoy!!

Easy Potato Soup

The weather has started to become cool and crisp so it is time to start making my favorite soups.  Last year I made soup almost once a week and would have enough leftover from dinner that I would take some for lunch.  I am excited to share my favorite soup recipes with you because they are warm, cozy and full of flavor.

My first soup of the Fall season happens to be the easiest.  This soup only has five ingredients and that includes the pepper.  I think the flavor of the soup starts with the bacon that is fried up in the pot.  If you don't want to add bacon since it is only used as a topping you can just start with the leeks.

I remember coming across this recipe a few years ago in a cookbook I bought called 5 Ingredient Fix by Claire Robinson.  I have searched for this recipe online but I haven't been able to find it so what I make now is just from memory with a few minor adjustments of my own.

Easy Potato Soup

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 5 pieces of thick cut bacon, cooked and chopped
• 2 large leeks, white and light green parts chopped and rinsed (or 3 medium)
• 16 golden potatoes, cubed (about 1, 3lb bag)
• 6 cups veggie broth
• salt/pepper to taste

Cook bacon in a large stock pot until crisp.  Remove from pot and cool.  Drain excess grease from the pot. Add chopped/drained leeks to pot and cook on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes until soft.  Once the leeks begin to soften add the potatoes and vegetable broth.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low/medium and cook about 15-20 minutes until you are able to pierce the potatoes with a fork.
Remove the pot from the heat and ladle by the spoonful into a blender.  Blend until smooth.  I blend in batches and then return to the pot on the stove. (You can also use an emulsion blender for the same effect) Before serving top with crumbled bacon.

*Additional topping suggestions-sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, Sriracha.

Enjoy!!

Cinnamon Pancakes

I feel so bad for not keeping up with the blog but I have started my online classes and have been bogged down with the amount of homework that is due. I had good intentions over the past few weeks but one thing or another got in the way of posting delicious recipes.

Last week I made my favorite coffee cake and when I got my camera out to take a photo but it immediately gave me a message that I needed to charge my battery.  After searching the house for my charger (we had recently went through a purge) I found my extra battery and charger and was back in business, however, the coffee cake was gone.

Now let's get back to this cinnamon pancake recipe that is absolutely delicious and makes enough you can freeze them for later.
I decided last weekend when I woke up that the air was cool and crisp so it must officially be Fall.  I asked the boys if they wanted some pancakes and of course they excitedly said yes.  We have these spiced pancakes along with some chai which made our morning feel so cozy.

Cinnamon Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-2 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon butter melted, slightly cool

*If you don't have buttermilk you can add 1 Tablespoon white vinegar to the regular milk and let sit while you measure out the dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl mix the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  I put 1-2 Tablespoons of cinnamon in the ingredients list because it just depends on how strong you like the flavor. Once you combine the dry ingredients make a well and add all of the wet ingredients.  Whisk just until combined.

Heat a skillet (if not nonstick melt 1/2 Tablespoon butter in pan) and once it is warm drop the batter, about the size of a sand dollar, into the pan allowing space between for flipping the pancakes. Do not flip until you see bubbles on the surface of the batter.  I have made the mistake a few too many times and flip before the batter is ready but then I end up with a crumpled mess.

I made this recipe and had enough for breakfast plus more to freeze for another date.

**Note: if you freeze pancakes, I recommend placing a small piece of parchment between each cake.

Enjoy!!

Lasagna Rollups-Meatless Monday Style

Today I  switched my dinners around and decided that lasagna rolls would be a great end to the extended weekend and it would be a Meatless Monday.  This recipe is great because there are parts that the kids can help with during preparation and I like the fact that I can get them to eat spinach.  I have a love for homemade lasagna ever since I figured out how much tastier it is than the frozen kind.

I used to make my lasagna with italian sausage and mushroom but then a friend shared a wonderful mexican lasagna recipe where I even made my own sauce (mind blown).  I started looking for recipes that were lower in fat and that is how I found this gem.  I also thought that if the lasagna was made into rolls that I wouldn't eat too much.  I feel I need to put a disclaimer on this and say that I don't use fat free ingredients in this recipe.  I am a huge believer in full fat but in moderation and to each their own.

Even though these rolls have spinach in them, they are great when served with a large leafy salad with a light italian dressing.  Man my mouth is watering right now.

Lasagna Rollups

Adapted from here

Servings: 5

Ingredients:
10 lasagna noodles, cooked
24 oz jar prepared marinara sauce
10 oz bag fresh spinach, cooked and liquid removed
15 oz ricotta
1/2 cup grated parmesan
2 cloves garlic, minced
1  egg
salt, pepper to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray or grease a 1 1/2 - 2 quart baking dish.  I use my 1 1/2 quart ceramic baking dish because what you want is a smaller dish that isn't too deep.
Measure out 1 cup of the sauce and spread it evenly in the bottom of the baking dish.  Doing this will keep the rolls nice and moist.
Mix together the ricotta, parmesan, garlic and egg. Once those are mixed you can salt and pepper to taste. My family prefers more pepper and a tiny bit of salt.  Make sure that your spinach has been squeezed of any excess water and add to the ricotta mixture, stir until combined.
Lay out a piece of wax paper and lay one noodle down.  Place 1/4 cup of the ricotta mixture at the end of the noodle that is closer to you and spread evenly up the noodle.  Roll up from the bottom and then place the noodle roll seam down in the dish.  Continue until all the ricotta and noodles have been used.  The noodle rolls will be snug in the dish and this will help them stay together during the baking process.
Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top.  Bake for 35 minutes, uncovered.  Take the baking dish out of the oven and sprinkle the cup of mozzarella over the noodles.  Set the oven on broil just until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
I suggest letting the lasagna rolls rest at least 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!!

How To Make Your Weekend Amazing! aka Baked Vanilla Bean Donuts

Homemade donuts on the weekend are pretty special around my house.  I know it is probably easier to buy a box of donuts from the store but they don't have the same fresh taste as homemade.  The cake in this donut is so moist and slightly sweet.  The not too sweet taste might be why I prefer this donut recipe.

This is a tried and true recipe.  I have made this particular one about 5 or more times and each time they are perfect.  The ingredients for this recipe get dumped into one bowl which makes cleanup a breeze.  The cake is lightly brown but tender inside and they fall right out of the pan without sticking.

The glaze for this recipe is new to me but i have to say it is preferred to the others I have used in the past. This glaze recipe doesn't call for corn syrup which is a win in my book.

Confession: I hate to sift ingredients before mixing but I think that it is very important when making a glaze or thin icing. If I don't sift the powdered sugar I end up with little lumps and then my donuts don't look like they belong in a bakery case.

I am posting a photo of what I consider to be essential tools for this recipe.

I love my silicone tipped whisk, donut pan and my icing bags.  If you don't have piping bags for icing handy then you can use a large ziploc baggie and cut the tip off.  I find that this method is almost essential when placing the batter in the donut pan.

Ingredients:

Original recipe here

Servings: 12-14

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 24 minutes (12 minutes each batch)

Donut Batter

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean scraped (optional but recommended)
2 eggs
3/4 milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted



Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Spray pan with baking spray or brush with melted butter to grease (quick painless release of the cake donut is what we want).
Melt the 2 tablespoons butter and set aside to cool. Once the butter is no longer hot, add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir.  Stir just until combined so that the cake remains soft.  Place the batter in a ziploc or a decorator bag, snip the tip and pipe the batter in the donut pan.  Only fill each circle of the pan 1/2 way. Bake for about 12 minutes (should be lightly golden) and then let sit in pan a few minutes before placing the donuts on the cooling rack to cool completely.

*If you don't have the vanilla bean I would still make this recipe.

Glaze:
Original recipe here
Servings: 12-14 donuts
Prep Time: 10 minutes

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
3 Tbsp unsweet cocoa powder
2-4 Tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl with a wide rim.  Add 2 tablespoons of milk and vanilla.  Whisk to combine.  If the glaze is still thick add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until glaze is thin and spreadable but not runny.

Dip each donut top in the glaze and give a twist as you pull up.  Place on foil or wax paper for at least 5 minutes while the glaze firms up.

These should be eaten within 2 days.  If covered for too long the glaze will soften.

Enjoy!!

Roasted Cabbage

My new favorite vegetable side dish is cabbage.  I actually saw the idea on Pinterest and once I realized how cheap cabbage was in the produce department at the grocery I decided to give it a try. I figured since the boys like brussel sprouts that the taste wouldn't be much different.  Too my surprise the roasted cabbage was so much better than brussel sprouts. The biggest difference was.....

Sweetness!

When the cabbage was roasted the inner layers were soft and sweet while the outer layers had a bit of the caramelized crunch you get when you roast almost any vegetable.

Tonight I paired my cabbage slices with some mini meatloaf.  Gavin thanked me tonight for making his favorite dinner ever tonight.  I think for an 8 year old I am doing pretty good if he eats all of this.

You do need a bit of cook time so this isn't a last minute dish but it is delicious.

Roasted Cabbage Slices
Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients
1 medium head cabbage
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment.  Slice the cabbage into 6 slices. This should make each slice about 3/4-1 inch thick.  Line the cabbage slices in a single layer on the pan. Drizzle olive oil over the cabbage.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Bake for 40 minutes or until edges of cabbage begin to brown.

Barbara's Chicken

Sorry it has been so long since my last post but we were busy setting up the kids in separate rooms and then next thing I knew it was time for school to start.


I felt like over the past few weeks I have been cooking the same things over and over.  Most of my dinner were Tex Mex and I decided I needed to seek out some different recipes for the menu this week.  I had to do some digging to find this recipe card but I knew that this chicken needed to be made this week. This is one of the few recipes that I make and the kids will eat the mushrooms.  Not sure what makes the difference here but they eat every single bite!

What do I like about this recipe?
The flavor is wonderful
I like that the chicken breast is thinner but comes out moist and delicious
Onions and mushrooms are a great combination


I need to give credit to Jon's mom for this recipe.  We were in Fort Wayne visiting and she made this for a dinner one night.  I loved the flavor so much that I asked her to write down the recipe on an old fashioned recipe card. I have of course made some changes to her original recipe but not much. My changes were only for the fact that the ingredients below are what we are more likely to have on hand.

Barbara's Chicken

Adapted from a recipe by Jon's mom, Barbara Stedge
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
4 chicken breast (thin boneless, approx. 1 lb)
1 Tablespoon butter
8 oz. sliced portabella mushrooms
1/2 small onion, rough chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup broth (chicken or veggie)
splash of red wine vinegar
*1 cup shredded mozzarella, optional
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 1 1/2 quart baking dish.
Season your chicken breast with salt and pepper.  Place your butter in a skillet on medium heat until melted. Swirl the pan to make sure the butter is distributed. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the skillet and cook turning once until both sides are brown.  Spray your baking pan (I used a 1 1/2 quart ceramic baking dish) and place the chicken breast in a single layer in the pan.  Set aside while you prepare the rest of the dish.  Place the onions and the mushrooms in the same skillet that you cooked the chicken.  Add the garlic and a bit more salt/pepper to taste. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until the onions begin to soften.  Pour in your 1/2 cup broth, vinegar and cook a few more minutes to distribute the flavors.
Pour the mushroom and onion broth over the chicken.  Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

*If you plan to add the shredded mozzarella, take the pan out after 10 minutes, sprinkle the cheese, cover and bake an additional 15 minutes.

I always say to add salt to taste along with the pepper but to tell you the truth I hardly ever add salt to anything. We prefer to use pepper and other spices/seasonings.

Enjoy!!