New blog address!

For those of you looking for more recent posts...please go to plunkett365.blogspot.com to check out the new challenge for the year!

RECIPE #367: Cookie Dough Truffles... the LAST RECIPE

*UPDATE: Someone (as in ME) messed up counting some recipes and I actually ended up TWO recipes ahead! Yep folks...367 recipes tried out this year!...Except of course I messed up somewhere way back when and I am actually more behind.
I think the point overall is. I tried a lot of recipes, and it was a fun ride! :)

The end is finally here. June 1st, 2011 I decided to set a goal of 365 recipes in a year. It began with a quiche and is ending with this glorious dessert that I found here. Throughout this year I have branched out in the world of bread making, and some pizza dough mixed in. I have learned what kind of wrappers to use or not use for egg rolls, and have attempted many of my favorite Japanese foods (see here, here, and here for a few). I did not attempt a couple recipes (for instance my mother-in-law's lasagna, nor did I try a lot of fish or Indian recipes like I wanted to when i was half way through the challenge.) Alex also went from baby food to eating almost everything we put in front of him!
But I am so proud of myself for making it through. Even with a crazy job, a on-the-go son, and a husband whose coaching job keeps him out late. often. I did it. :) It is kind of fitting that it should end with the school year.

so here is the one last recipe for 365 Recipes in a year!

You need:
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 bag mini reese's cups, chopped into fourths
3-4 cups chocolate chips

• cream together butter and sugars
• add milk and vanilla
• stir in salt and flour
• add in chopped mini reese's cups
• refrigerate for an hour (or while you are at the fifth grade promotion ceremony! :) )
• using a cookie dough scoop make one inch balls and place on a a wax covered cookie sheet
• freeze dough balls for 30 minutes
• Heat 3 cups of chocolate chips in the microwave for 30 sec intervals until softened. 
• dip balls into chocolate until coated then tap off extra chocolate
• put back on tray and refrigerate too keep cool.

store in airtight container or give some away so you don't eat them all! :)


stay tuned for a new look on the blog tomorrow because June 1st starts the new the new 365 challenge! :)

Recipe #366: Grilled Pork Chops

This afternoon/evening was one that felt like summer vacation has already started...it almost has! Two half days and some more cleaning and packing up the room to do and I am free for the summer!
Of course, these evenings have been perfect for outdoor cooking!

We have a grown up picnic table, but one of us always seems to end up sitting with Alex!

Deliciousness on a plate! 

I think I could just grill vegetables and be content! 

Alex too...he was eating his ear of corn--one half in each hand--and was still begging for bites from my ear!

I asked Will this afternoon chicken or pork. He chose pork so I took it out of the freezer and let it defrost while we went out and ran some errands. Once we got back I looked for a recipe in my Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine (she has the best photo indexes in the front of the magazine) and found a great grilled pork chop recipe that was fast and easy!

You need:

3-4 bone in pork chops

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp oregano

2 Tbsp olive oil (the recipe actually called for 2 tsp...read that wrong!)

1/2 Tbsp honey

• mix together vinegar, oregano, olive oil and honey
• pour into a large ziploc bag. 
• add pork chops and massage to coat
• refrigerate for 20 minutes before grilling.
• add your favorite veggies to the grill as well and enjoy a fresh and tasty meal!

Recipe #365: Southwestern Egg Rolls

These were AMAZING! I loved the filling. You could use it with anything. I found the recipe on pinterest and the recipe is originally found here. I made just a couple of changes...

You need:
1 can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans of southwestern styled corn, drained
1 cup of fresh spinach cut into thin slices
1 chicken breast plus 2 Tbsp taco seasoning
1 cup cheddar
1/2 cup mozzarella
4 green onions chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp taco seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 package of spring roll wrappers

• first stick the chicken in some water mixed with the 2 tbsp taco seasoning and boil. when cooked through shred chicken and put in a large bowl
• mix in the remaining ingredients (except the wrappers!)
• heat oven to 425 and spray a baking sheet with non stick spray
• lay out one wrapper, with point facing you.
• place 1/4 cup of filling in the point of the wrapper and start to roll up, when you get half way, fold in 2 outside corners to the middle and tightly continue to roll up. 
• wet the tip of the remaining corner to make sure it sticks to the roll
• place rolls on the prepared baking sheet ( I did about 12 on a sheet) and bake for 15-20 minutes or until wrapper gets golden brown. Turn the rolls half way through baking

they tasted amazing with some taco ranch dressing...mix some cumin, taco seasoning, and a pinch of cayenne pepper with about a half cup of ranch. work out the measurements until if is the flavor you want. It was a pretty yummy dipping sauce!

Recipe #364: Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

I thought I would try another kind of pizza dough. The whole wheat was amazing and when I did it "blind" on the grill (see directions here) it actually turned out better then the bread dough I had used earlier. It puffed up and then was the perfect crispness when it was done!
I love grilling pizza this way now. I put the dough on the grill. go back in and get the ingredients together, pick some herbs, turn the pizza, add the toppings and wait 5 more minutes! So easy and such fresh delicious pizza!

the whole wheat dough was really delicious and not heavy like I expected it to be! I got the recipe from my favorite book, Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day
 It only lasts seven days in the fridge, but you can freeze for longer it in 1/2 lb portions.

You need:
3 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp olive oil
7 cups whole wheat flour

• mix together water, yeast, salt, honey, and olive oil.
• add in flour then mix until evenly moistened.
• cover and let it rise for at least two hours.
• stick in fridge until you are ready to use!

Recipe #363: Angel Food cake with fruit layers

Now I am sure this dessert would have been more delicious had I had some whipped cream to go in the layers and on top, but lets just say this MUCH lower calorie version did just fine to hit the spot after some amazing Memorial day hamburgers.

You need:
angel food cake mix and water
strawberries
blueberries
1 Tbsp sugar
optional: whipped cream

• make the angel food cake according to package directions
• cut up strawberries, mix blueberries in and add 1 Tbsp sugar. Mix up and refrigerate
• once it has cooled, remove from pan.
• cut sideways into three pieces. put bottom third on a nice plate and then layer with fruit. (and whipped cream if you have it!)
• put middle third on top and layer with more fruit and whipped cream
• put top third on and top with remaining whipped cream then fruit.

Recipe #362: Rainbow Cupcakes

This was something else I pinned a long time ago (but you can find the original idea here) and decided it would be a fun treat for our picnic tomorrow. It is not a total surprise because you can see some of the colors through the cupcake liner and then it got mixed in to the frosting a bit as well!

You need:
2 boxes of white cake mix and related ingredients
1 pack of GEL food coloring
frosting

• mix up cake mixes according to package directions.
• put about 2 cups of batter into four bowls
• add one gel coloring to each bowl and mix up.
• place a large spoonful of each color in each liner (in any order you want) 
• it make about 30 cupcakes
• bake according to box directions.
• cook on a wire rack then frost! 

Recipe #361: Trixie Treats

Today was a busy baking day! Tomorrow I am having a picnic with my kiddos after our awards ceremony so I decided to make some sweet treats to celebrate the year. I had pinned some things on pinterest that I thought would be perfect for a fun picnic party because of the colors...The first one I found here. I just loved the colors and though of making the trix cereal into treats! I am going to call it Trixie Treats though because anything like trix will always make me think of Trixie, the character in Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, one of my and my kiddos favorite books and authors. (don't get me started on some of my weird word associations!)

Anyhow, this was a super easy treat that I made quite easily with Alex wandering around my feed waiting to be picked up. (which really, this whole time, should have been my rating system for how easy or difficult a recipe was!)

You need:
1/2 bag of mini marshmallows
10 cups Trix cereal
1/4 cup of butter

• spray the sides of a pot with non stick spray. 
• heat butter in pot until melted
• add in marshmallows and stir until they are melted. (i also coated the bottom of the spoon with no stick spray)
• take off heat and add in trix slowly, mix occasionally 
• mix together until well blended
• spread in a greased 9x13 pan. spread out evenly with a spoon then let it cool
• cut into the size you want! I think I got 24 squares! 

Recipe #360: Energy Bites

I am such a snacker, but have to really watch myself because it is so easy to snack on unhealthy things. So most times I really don't keep much of anything in my house to avoid temptation. But I came across these a while ago on pinterest and followed it to a recipe found here. It is nice to have an option sometimes that will fill you up in a good way!

You need:
1 cup oats
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup butterscotch chips
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

• mix all ingredients together
• chill for 30 minutes
• roll into small balls (I used a cookie dough scoop to help.) I made about 30 balls.
• store in container in the fridge. should last for about a week!

the recipe called for 2/3 cup toasted coconut but since Will doesn't like coconut, I put the sunflower seeds and butterscotch chips in instead. One little ball was the perfect snack for me. I haven't down a calorie check on it yet, but you definitely only need one or two to fill you up! :)

Side dish #25: Stories

My sister is graduating from high school and one of her senior projects was to write about meaningful books throughout her life thus far.
Anyways, when I was thinking about what a neat idea that was, I thought of it in two ways. One, having my students create a reading log of meaningful books to them throughout their first grade year (maybe choosing one book a month). I really want my students to start valuing reading and realizing that they can have favorites, but then also think about why.

AND then I was also thinking about how Will and I go on about how many times we read THAT book today to Alex. What makes him love that book so much and want to hear it over and over again?
Since I failed miserably at keeping up with his baby book, I decided I would try to do a better job keeping up with his favorite books throughout the years.
So thanks to a couple of quiet minutes this morning I came up with this! :)

(click on the picture to take you to the other pages)

I only have two sample pages at this point, but they are pretty general so will just make copies. one for before he starts school and then one for after. I think as he gets older it might change too. Wouldn't this be such a fun memory to give him when he graduated high school or even has his first child (I know...I am thinking WAY in advance!) 

I might put it a binder with sheet protectors, or eventually bind it, or I might do something else all together, but still...

a fun way to remember the treasured stories throughout the years.

Just thought I would share! :)

Recipe #359: Spring Rolls take 2!

I had spring roll take one a while back and they did not turn out well at all! I had the wrong kind of wrappers and not the best recipe. But I was not going to give up, so I did some research and found a better recipe, got the right ingredients and oh. my. goodness.

I found a winner.

I found the recipe here. I changed up the ingredients just a bit, but she has great step by step directions for rolling. I still need to work on getting mine the same size and shape, but they turned out so well! It is kind of a long process, but I broke it up so that most of the prep I did during Alex's nap time and then it was really easy to fry them up before dinner! I stuck over half of what I rolled in the freezer, so we already have a meal ready for another time!

You need:

1 package of spring roll wrappers. (I found mine in the frozen section of an asian food store.) get the ones that are a white 8x8 square

1 lb ground pork. 

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp corn starch

1/4 tsp sugar

1 bag of cole slaw (I used about 2/3 of it)

spring onions, sliced 

garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp mirin

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sesame oil

• take wrappers out of the freezer so they are thawed out by the time you want to start.
• first mix pork, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, corn starch, and 1/4 tsp sugar together. marinate for 10 minutes
• in a large fry pan, brown pork until no longer pink, push to side of pan and then add cole slaw, onions, and garlic. stir fry for a couple minutes until veggies soften. 
• then add mirin, soy sauce, sugar, salt and sesame oil (I actually mixed these together in a small bowl first and then dumped it in)
• mix everything together.
• spread out on a cookie sheet tilted up so that the extra juices drain down. Remove access juice and then bloat with a paper towel

*if you are visual like me be sure to check out these great picture directions!

• take off one sheet and place it on flat surface with a corner facing you.
• place a tablespoon full of meat mixture in the bottom portion of the wrapper. roll up half way and then fold two corners tightly into the middle. 
• continue to roll up making sure it is tightly staying together.
• dab water on the last corner to make sure it sticks to the roll.
• as you make them layer on a cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap.
• take out what you need then put the rest in the freezer. I froze them on a cookie sheet first then put it in a bag after if was frozen
• in a small sauce pan, pour in about 2 inches of oil and heat until it is about 350.
• add in 2-3 spring rolls at a time. I had really long chopsticks that were perfect for placing them in, then turning each slightly so that it browns evenly. 
• after a minute or two take them out and place on a wire rack to cool.
• enjoy with sweet chili sauce or your favorite dipping sauce! :)

Recipe #358: Taco Salad Bowls

I made another taco salad found here, but in this one everything is combined and it comes with a taco bowl! ;)

You need:
lettuce
half of a tomato
shredded cheese
1/2 lb of ground beef
taco seasoning
1 cup salsa more or less
couple tablespoons ranch dressing (we didn't have sour cream!)
soft tacos
chips, crushed

• find a small bowl that is oven safe. set the soft taco inside to make it form a bowl shape. (you may need to heat the taco in the microwave for a couple seconds to make it soft enough to shape
• heat oven to 350 and set bowls inside for about 5 minutes or until taco is hard around the edges
• once they are done take out and put on a small plate
• meanwhile, brown ground beef and add in taco seasoning and necessary water.
• prepare vegetables and put in a large bowl.
• mix in taco meat, cheese, salsa, and ranch
• mix in chips
• spoon into taco shell bowls

Recipe #357: Cinnabon Scones

my younger sister made these for mother's day and sent the recipe on so I thought I would try them! She found the recipe here. I didn't get to take a picture, but have been enjoying them for breakfast in the mornings!

You need:
2 cups all-purpose flour 
1 cup rolled oats 
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder 
1/4 tsp salt 
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, chilled and cut into pieces 
3/4 cup whole or low-fat milk 
1 egg, lightly beaten 
1 tsp vanilla 
1/2 cup toasted chopped almonds
2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3-4 Tbsp orange juice or milk.

• mix together flour, oats, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt
• add in butter and mix until mixture is crumbly
• in a small bowl mix together milk, egg, and vanilla
• add to dry mixture and mix until everything is evenly moistened
• in a separate bowl mix together almonds, cinnamon, and 2 Tbsp sugar
• mix into dough so it is swirled together, but not completely mixed in.
• drop by rounded 1/4 cup fulls onto greased cookie sheets.
• bake at 425 for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown
• let it cool on a rack for 5 minutes
• mix together powdered sugar and juice or milk to make a glaze for the top. add to scones before serving warm

Recipe #356: Alfredo pizza

This was my first try baking dough directly on grill...it was pretty delicious and I will be doing it again to get it right! i followed the directions for how to do it on the grill from the Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day

You need:
dough (I actually used bread dough this time)
white sauce with mozzarella mixed in (found here or use leftovers from this recipe)
shredded chicken
mozzarella

• heat grill on high for about 5 minutes
• clean grates and then oil (we misted it with our olive oil bottle)
• while it it heating up, roll out dough into a thin layer.
• prepare toppings and take outside
• carefully slide crust onto the grill grates and cover. let it grill for about 3-4 minutes or until the bottom is starting to brown (try not to open the cover too early to check)
• turn over
• immediately spread the alfredo sauce on, then top with shredded chicken and cheese
• grill for another 5 minutes, until cheese is melted and before the bottom burns! 

delicious! 

Recipe #355: Grilled Zucchini with Feta

summer vegetables on the grill are my favorite!
You need:
2-3 zucchinis
feta cheese
olive oil
lemon juice

• cut zucchini into thick slices
• spray with olive oil and grill about 5 minutes on a side.
• take off grill top with feta
• drizzle on some lemon juice and olive oil

Recipe #354: Thai Basil Rolls

This was a very "fresh" meal...full of vegetables...but honestly not a favorite. I probably messed up the recipe terribly or something. I found the recipe here but didn't have much meat on hand so i added some shrimp to a couple but honestly i couldn't taste it at all!

You need:
spring roll wrappers (the see through ones)
basil
rice noodles
bean sprouts
cucumber
cilantro

• first boil water and heat the rice noodles for about 5-7 minutes. drain then run water through them
• get a bowl of warm water.
• place a wrapper in the water and let it soften for about 30 sec.
• in the middle of the wrapper place a basil leaf, then add some shrimp, cucumber, rice noodles, cilantro and bean sprouts.
• continue this process until you have made enough!
• I made the sauce that the original recipe had (hoisin sauce and peanut butter mixture) but it seemed really heavy for the rolls so I used my sesame dressing instead! 

Like I said...it was fresh and tasty, but I think I really needed a meat filled meal today! :)

Recipe #353: Grilled Corn and Avovado Salsa

I had an avocado that was about to go bad so I decided that I needed to use it up quick! I did a quick search and found a recipe here that I loosely followed. It was also a perfect way to use up the leftover corn and zucchini I had from last night!

You need:
1 avocado
1 ear of  grilled corn
slice or two of grilled zucchini
lemon juice
olive oil
crushed red pepper

• open avocado and cut into large pieces
• cut corn of the ear and mix with avocado
• add in small pieces of zucchini
• sprinkle in some crushed red pepper
• stir in two spoonfuls of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil

Recipe #352: Grilled Banana S'mores

This was a pinterest find, or you can find the original here. It was an amazing, rich, delicious, quick and easy dessert (is that enough adjectives for you!)


You need:
2 bananas

handful of chocolate chips, mini marshmallows and cinnamon toast crunch cereal

• split open a banana long ways
• stuff some chocolate chips and mini marshmallows
• wrap in aluminum foil around banana
• stick on grill for 3-5 minutes, or a little more if on indirect heat 
• open up when ready to eat, sprinkle some crushed cereal on top
• eat up quickly before your child tries to steal too many bites!

Recipe #351: Spice-Rubbed Pork Chops

This recipe came from an everyday food magazine. I didn't thoroughly read the directions about 30 minutes before I wanted to put it on the grill, so it didn't marinate in the rub that much but it still was very tasty!

You need:
3-4 bone in pork chops
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil

• in a large ziploc, pour in sugar, coriander, cumin, and a little salt and pepper.
• toss up then add pork and oil. shake up until everything is well coated.
• let it sit in the fridge for 20 minutes (at least-- the magazine said 8 hours or more!)
• grill it until done, about 5 minutes on a side! 

amazing with grilled corn and zucchini too!

Recipe #350: Meat Doria

I must have been subconsciously missing Japan more than normal this weekend because I tried out several recipes that remind me of food in Japan...coffee jelly, milk coffee and now meat doria. This is like a gratin, but with rice instead. and I had a ton of rice to use up so this worked perfectly. I copied the doria I often got at Gusto's, a restaurant we went to occasionally in Japan.
I made four single serving dishes.

You need:
4 cups cooked rice
white sauce (recipe found here, take out the chicken bullion and use water instead of chicken broth)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
2 Tbsp grated parmesan
1/2 lb ground beef
1 cup pasta sauce

•  preheat oven to 450
• make white sauce according to recipe directions
• add cheeses to the sauce and mix well. turn off heat once it is mixed together.
• meanwhile brown the beef and then add pasta sauce to it.
• in the bottom of oven safe dishes, put a layer of rice
• ladle on some of the white sauce and mix in with rice. smooth out rice and then add a little more white sauce on top. 
• put a couple spoonfuls of the meat sauce in the middle of each dish.
• arrange dishes on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 min
• in the last 5 minutes, put the oven up to 500 to help the cheese on top brown a bit.

Enjoy!

Recipe #349: Perfect Iced Coffee!

I had pinned this a while ago on pinterest and now that summer is upon us I decided that this would be a perfect drink to have on hand. So I checked out the recipe found here, got the necessary ingredients (coffee and water!) and got strarted! :) Cold brewing is supposed to help it be less acidic.

You need:
1 gallon of water
1 lb bag of ground coffee
half and half

• in a large pot, dump the bag of coffee then add the gallon of water make sure the coffee is submerged
• cover and let it sit overnight
• get a big pitcher, a strainer and some coffee filters.
• place the strainer in the pitcher, make sure the bottom fits well in the pitcher (this was a problem i had!) line the strainer with a coffee filter.
• ladle the coffee into the strainer. you will need several coffee filters! 

This concentrate should last about a month! I mixed about 2/3 of a cup with the iced coffee and then about 1/4 half and half and a bunch of ice!

Recipe #348: Stuffed Burgers

Alas...no picture of this deliciousness. I think my camera is about dead. I am hoping it last me through the summer though so I can take my time deciding on a new one!
Last night we had stuffed burgers...it ended up being a kitchen meal because when Will went out to turn on the grill we realized that we were out of gas! (And we had JUST gotten back from the store!)
Although it would have been so much better on the grill, it was pretty delicious!

You need:
1 lb ground beef
3-4 strips of bacon
shredded mozzarella
basil, torn into small pieces

• dry up bacon and tear into small pieces
• form ground beef into 6 thin patties
• on three patties, place some bacon, mozzarella and basil 
• put another patty on top and shape so that sides are closed and pinched together
• heat on medium on stove on each side for 5-7 minutes

i could only eat half of mine it was so huge! but every delicious. :)

Recipe #347: Baked Sandwich

Today for lunch I made a loaf of bread with all the sandwich fixings inside! :)

It has a lot more sesame seeds on top until it accidentally rolled off my pizza peel and on to the floor! ;)

you need:
grapefruit sized piece of dough
ham
cheese (i used mozzarella and cheddar)
spinach
spicy mustard

• take out portion of dough and allow to rest for about 40 minutes. (half way through preheat oven to 450 with stone inside)
• roll dough out until its about 1/4 inch thick
• spread some mustard around the top
• then top with ham, cheese, and spinach
• roll up, tucking in the sides as you go, make sure seam is closed tightly and on bottom of roll
• spray some olive oil then add sesame seeds.
• bake for about 30-40 minutes
• allow to cool and then cut!

Recipe #346: Coffee Jelly!!

This is such a happy day! I have finally discovered (thanks to my mom!) a way to make coffee jelly (jello) in America!  When Will and I were in Japan several summers ago, I discovered the glorious taste of coffee jelly. My dad bought tons of it because I probably had one everyday!

Starbucks over there even had a frap with it mixed in! (AMAZING)

My mom found a recipe here and it was SO easy! You should go make some today! :)

You need:

2 cups brewed coffee

2 Tbsp sugar (more or less depending on how sweet you want it, 2 Tbsp was not very sweet, just enough!)

1 Tbsp gelatin (that is one packet in the Knox box)

4 Tbsp water

half and half (or whipped cream)

• mix the coffee and sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat. 
• turn off heat just before it boils
• add 4 Tbsp water and gelatin, mix until gelatin has dissolved.
• add gelatin mixture to coffee and stir until dissolved.
• allow it to cool and then poor into little single serve dishes.
• allow to cool in fridge for several hours 
• pour a little half and half on top then enjoy! (In Japan it comes with single serving cups of cream! :) ) 

Recipe #345: Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Cookies are a great way to celebrate the start of a weekend! 

I had saved this recipe (found here) a long time ago because I have so many bananas in my freezer, and after months am finally getting around to making them! It was such an easy recipe--took maybe 10 minutes!

You need:

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

3 mashed bananas

2 cups oats

1 cup chocolate chips

• preheat oven to 375
• cream together sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla
• in a small bowl add flour, baking soda, cloves and cinnamon
• add dry mixture to sugar
• stir in bananas, oats, and chocolate chips
• drop teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet
• bake for 10-12 minutes.
• remove immediately to a cooling rack lined with parchment paper (the cookie may still seem soft, but will be perfect if you take them out then!

a couple notes... this recipe made probably about 60 cookies...although the recipe said 24! also, while the first batch was in the oven I stuck the dough in the fridge and the second batch held their shape a little bit better, so if you have time and patience, put the dough in the fridge for a bit before baking! :)

Recipe #344: Baked Zucchini Sticks

I found this recipe a while ago on pinterest, or originally found here. Zucchini was on sale at Aldi today so I decided to make them! They went perfectly with the sweet and sour pork chops we had tonight!

You need:
2 zucchinis
2 cups panko
grated parmesean
dried basil and oregano
2 eggs, beaten

• preheat oven to 425
• cut zucchini in half then cut each half into 9 pieces
• mix parmesan and herbs with panko
• dip in egg and then in panko
• place on a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper that has been sprayed with olive oil
• bake for 12 minutes, turn zucchini and bake for 12 more minutes
• we enjoyed with sesame seed dressing!

Recipe #342 and #343: Sweet and Sour Pork Chops with Zucchini and Herb Rice

So today I started making a list of 24 recipes because that is how many I have left to make before the end of the month! This evening I got three out of the way and they weren't even on the list so that is good!

You need:
2-3 pork chops
1/2 recipe of sweet and sour sauce
3 cups rice
a couple leaves of basil and cilantro, chopped up
zucchini, sliced into thin strips
olive oil

• spray the bottom of a pan with olive oil and brown three pork chops, turning after several minutes
• add in sweet and sour sauce ingredients and turn heat to low, allow the pork chops to simmer in sauce for 15 minutes
• meanwhile in another pan saute the zucchini in a little olive oil. add cooked rice and then herbs
• mix well

Recipe #340: Paprika and Parsley Foccocia

1 small grapefruit size of pizza dough
paprika
parsley
crushed red pepper
olive oil

• heat oven to 450
• spread olive oil on the bottom of a pie pan
• roll out the dough into a circle that it the size of your pan
• place dough in pan, flip to cover both sides with the oil.
• indent the dough with your finger to keep it from puffing up so much.
• add parsley, paprika and red pepper on top
• bake for 15 minutes or until done
• remove from pie tin and allow to cool 

Recipe #341: Coffee Braised Pot Roast

My mother-in-law gave us a pot roast so I decided to find a new recipe to let it sit in the crock pot while I was at work. So I was looking on realsimple.com and found this recipe that called for a different kind of beef, but i figured it would be just fine for my pot roast too! :)

you need:
1 onion, peeled and quartered
4 large potatoes, quartered
1 small bag of baby carrots
2.5 lb pot roast
1 6oz can of tomato paste
1 cup of brewed coffee
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar

• cut up onions and potatoes.
• place all veggies in the bottom of the crock pot
• salt and pepper the pot roast then add to the top
• whisk tomato paste, coffee, worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar in a small bowl.
• pour on top of roast
• cook on low for 8-9 hours

for foccocia recipe go here

Recipe #339: Inarizushi

I love inarizushi! I always get them as a "first meal" when we stop by a convenient store on our way home from the airport. When we were at H-mart after my brother's graduation, I decided to buy a package to make some of my own! Here is a sample of what a package might look like, but mine weren't in a can.

you need:
inarizushi pouches
2 cups rice

• first make little ovals shapes of rice
• carefully open up inari pouch and place rice inside

be careful not too stuff it too full! :) share with your husband and son, or make in secret so you don't! ;)

Recipe #338: Curry Roasted Chicken

Another Real Simple Recipe! I used chicken breasts and instead of chicken legs, and roasted it with an onion and sweet potato.

you need:
2 chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper
2 sweet potatoes
coriander
1 onion

• heat oven to 450.
• in a skillet heat olive oil
• season chicken with curry powder, salt and pepper
• add to skillet and cook on both sides until slightly browned
• cut up veggies and add to a roasting pan. 
• nestle chicken with veggies
• pour curry oil from pan around on the veggies, and sprinkle a little coriander on them as well.
• bake for about 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

tastes great with rice too! :)

Recipe #337: Personal Deep Dish Pizzas

This was kind of out of my favorite Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day book! With some changes though...

you need:
a baseball sized portion of pizza dough
cheese
pasta sauce
hamburger meat

• divide dough into 4 sections.
• preheat oven to 500
• roll each one out and place in a small, oven safe dish
• add some cheese at the bottom
• top with meat, then sauce.
• sprinkle a little bit more cheese on top.
• turn oven down to 400. 
• bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and it is bubbling up.
• let it sit for a bit to set and then serve!

Recipe #336: Purin

Ahh...purin is a favorite Japanese snack that comes in these fun shaped little cups. But when you live in the states and can't get those, you have to settle for the DIY box!

I guess you might say it is similar to flan, but it is a much lighter consistency then the flan i have eaten!
Of course you need the box so this is kind of a hard recipe to make... and then you also need a brother who reads Japanese to tell you how to make it!

It is really easy. Just mix the package with 400ml milk, and stir over heat until dissolved. pour into 4 little bowls. Then freeze for an hour. Donnie didn't believe me on that one, but I am pretty sure that is what you are supposed to do...it sat in the fridge for an hour and did nothing! (I actually accidentally left it in the freezer overnight, but when it thawed it was the right consistency, so it was fine!)

just before serving, mix a Tbsp of water with the caramel packet and pour over each pudding.

Alex loved it so much he went into the fridge yesterday and pulled out the last one to eat! Crazy kid. He got to eat it...after sharing a couple bites with me of course! :)

Side Dish #24: Mother-Daughter Aprons!

My sister is an apron-loving kind of girl, so for her birthday and then for her daughter's birthday (back in FEBRUARY...yeah, i am kind of late!) I decided to make them some matching aprons!

For Mary's I copied my favorite apron...one that was from Japan. I loved how the straps criss-crossed so that if stayed up higher in the front.

my japanese one used buttons and then had separate straps to tie it... by accident :) I discovered an even better way...using D rings I was able to  use 2 long straps instead of having to use 4. 

I used bias tape to trim Mary's all the way around.

Lizzie got a little ruffle at the top and bottom of her apron. 

I used a small quick release clip as a fastener for the top, so they could adjust how long it was.

I meant to get pictures with them wearing it but forgot! :( 

Fun times...although I realized I need to do all my gift projects in the summer because it gets really stressful trying to find time to work on them during the school year!

This has been my year for reading. I have realized I don't have time to read and craft so I have to pick one or the other!

Recipe #335: Coconut Cake

Blogging has become a chore lately. Life in general is a chore because there is so much going on right now...testing, closing out the school year, my brother's graduation, life has been really busy, so finding moments to type up the recipes falls to the very end of my to do list, then gets shifted to the end of the next days too! But the year is almost up. I don't know what this will turn into after June first, because I am certainly not going to pursue this again! We now have a ton of recipes we love and this next year will probably be spent revisiting some of the favorites and being so thankful that I can go to some of my stand-by recipes when i cook for guests!

So i thought that maybe typing up a fun recipe would get me in the mood for the several I should do tonight!
Coconut cake is a Schaeffer favorite and definitely not a Will favorite so when Mary had bought the ingredients for Donnie's grad party I asked if I could make it to count it as a recipe! This is one of mary's favorite cakes to make! It was so delicious. It is best if you make it the day before!

You need:
1 white cake mix and necessary ingredients
1 small tub of cool whip, thawed
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups coconut

• make and bake cake according to package directions
• when the cake it done, take it out to cool.
• meanwhile, mix milk, sugar, and 1/2 cup coconut in a small saucepan for about a minute or two
• poke holes ALL over the cake, the more holes the better.
• pour milk mixture all around on top of the cake. Cover and leave in fridge overnight.
• A couple hours before serving fold in 1/2 cup of coconut into the cool whip
• spread cool whip all over top of cake
• top with remaining cup of coconut
• refrigerate a couple more hours.
• it looks really pretty when you do a layered cake, but this 9x13 was perfect for an outdoor party!

Recipe #333 Basil Spaghetti with #334 Cheese tomatoes

Real Simple has this as one recipe, but i am behind and the count down to May 31st is approaching rather quickly! Will loved the spaghetti and said it is such a great summer pasta. I am sure we will make it again. He is not a huge fan of tomatoes so I don't think we will be doing that too much! I highly recommend making this meal with as much freshness as possible! The tastes are so amazing!

You need:
Half a box of spaghetti noodles
handful of fresh basil
a couple leaves of oregano
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
3 cloves of garlic
grated parmesean

• make noodles according to package directions.
• cut up garlic and add to a small sauce pan along with olive oil and red pepper
• heat for a couple minutes then take off heat.
• mix in with drained noodles until they are evenly coated
• stir in torn basil and oregano, along with a bit of fresh, grated parmesan

for the tomatoes...

you need:

4 roma tomatoes

shredded mozzarella (fresh would have been nice but I was out!)

grated parmesan

• turn on broiler
• lightly coat a foil lined baking pan with olive oil
• arrange sliced tomatoes on the baking sheet then top with the cheeses
• broil for 3-5 minutes
• put on top of spaghetti and enjoy!

Recipe #332: Curried Egg Salad Sandwich

Another Real Simple Recipe!

you need:
4 eggs
1/4 cup mayo
1/2 tsp curry powder
chives,
cucumber
2 tortillas
spinach

• place eggs in water, bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover. let it sit for 12 minutes
• then run under cold water, peel and chop up
• in a small bowl mix together mayo and curry powder
• add eggs and mix together.
• add chopped up chives
• on a tortilla later some sliced cucumber and spinach, top with half of the egg salad

Recipe #330 and #331: Cinnamon Rolls and Spinach Tomato Scrambled Eggs

The boys slept in this morning, giving me sometime to make a good breakfast for when people started to wake up!

First the cinnamon rolls. I found the recipe here on the blog by the authors of my favorite bread and pizza books!

you need:
about a grapefruit size of bread dough (recipe found here)
mixture of cinnamon, sugar, and brown sugar (maybe like a handful of sugar and brown sugar and a couple pinches of cinnamon)
chopped up walnuts

• take out dough and form into a ball. let it rest for 15 or so minutes
• roll out into a 1/4 inch thick square. 
• cover with sugar mixture, then walnuts
• roll up and cut into the size rolls you want (I did six)
• let it rest for 45 min to 1 hr 
• preheat oven to 350 and bake for 25 minutes

Eggs:

you need:

2 eggs and 1 egg white

spoonful of feta cheese

spoonful of mozzarella

spinach, cut into thin pieces

1/2 roma tomato, diced

basil

• in a bowl mix together all ingredients
• scramble over medium heat until eggs are no longer runny

Recipe #328: Open-Faced Caprese sandwiches (on #329: Basil Feta Bread)

Another Real Simple recipe. No picture though because my camera battery died!)

First the bread:
Follow the recipe found here, but after resting the bread for a bit fold in some fresh, cut basil and feta cheese!

Now the sandwich:
You need:
bread
1 chicken breast
1 roma tomato
munster cheese (technically you should use mozzarella, but i didn't feel like it!)
basil leaves

• cut chicken in half long ways to create thinner pieces
• heat pan with a little olive oil then cook chicken
• slice bread and top with chicken, basil, tomato slices, then cheese
• broil until cheese is melted!

Recipe #327: Spicy Pork and Soba Noodles

I found this recipe in a Real Simple Magazine or you can find it here!

You need:
soba noodles (1.5 little packs)
2 small pork chops
1/4 of an onion
long slices of an English Cucumber
2 Tbsp mirin
2 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp sweet chili sauce

• start bowling noodles
• meanwhile, thinly slice pork and season with salt and pepper
• heat fry pan with a little olive oil and cook up pork, add thinly sliced onions
• turn heat to low and add in sweet chili sauce, and stir together.
• once noodles are finished, add soba, pork and cucumber to a bowl, stir in sesame oil and mirin

Recipe #326: Strawberry Pizza!

You need:
baseball sized ball of pizza dough
chocolate chips
whipped cream
strawberries

• preheat oven to about 450 or 500 
• roll out pizza dough
• once the baking stone is heated put pizza dough inside
• about 5 minutes afterwards punch down dough and sprinkle on chocolate chips
• bake until pizza dough is cooked through
• take out and let cool. 
• top with strawberries and whipped cream

Recipe #325: The Ron Swanson vs.Chris Traeger

This is what Will wanted to call it...I mean look at the picture.

sweet potatoes vs. steak...

got to love parks and rec! :)

The weather is warm and most of our cooking is done on the grill! We love doing sweet potatoes on the grill. So healthy and delicious! And there is the steak. probably not as healthy but pretty delicious!

You need:

Steak (I got these from Will's mom so I have no idea what kind they were!)

Barbecue sauce. We used Jack Stack barbecue sauce I got while I was in Kansas City, MO. I used it earlier with pork chops but haven't posted it yet!

• Marinate steaks in barbecue sauce. keep in fridge for a while.
• grill at around 400 for about 30 minutes. (depending on how done you like it!)

Eat up! Will was so happy while eating tonight! :)