Spaghetti with Acorn Squash

This recipe was in the October 2011 issue of Everyday Food and the original recipe called for butternut squash and also escarole. I used half of an acorn squash, and did not include the escarole and it was still very delish!

This pasta uses a brown butter sauce, and really who can go wrong with a brown butter sauce...no one! It was so buttery and the acorn squash really helped to fill you up. I also included some ricotta cheese and some parmesan cheese which just helped to make everything very creamy.

Spaghetti with Acorn Squash
October 2011 Everyday Food
**Please note I am including my version of this recipe. I did halve the recipe and got 2 servings, but I'll include the full recipe for 4 servings.

Ingredients:
-- coarse salt and ground pepper
-- 1 medium acorn squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
-- 1 pound of spaghetti
-- 6 tbs unsalted butter
-- 7 oz ricotta (3/4 cup)
-- Parmesan cheese, sprinkle however much you want on top before serving

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook squash until crisp tender, about 3 mins. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a colandar to drain.

Return water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, drain pasta and return to pot.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tbs butter over medium-high heat. Add squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned in spots and tender when pierced with a knife, about 8 mins. Add to pot with pasta.

To skillet, add 4 tbs butter and cook, swirling skillet occasionally until butter is lightly browned and has a nutty aroma, about 1 min.

Drizzle over pasta and toss to combine, adding enough pasta water to create a light sauce. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving dish. Top with ricotta and parmesan cheese.

**Please note I only added the ricotta cheese right before serving. If you are going to have left-overs the next day you may want to hold off adding the ricotta cheese.

Chicken with Balsamic Pears

This recipe was in the October 2011 issue of Everyday Food. I have been craving some pears lately, and this recipe just totally hit this spot. The original recipe called for turkey cutlets, but I used chicken instead since I always have a ton of chicken in my freezer. I made sure to pound the chicken breasts down so they were rather thin and would cook quickly.

The pears really cook down and you get more of the tangy balsamic and thyme flavor, but with the texture of the pears. It was really good and it was still good the next day for leftovers.

Chicken with Balsamic Pears
October 2011 Everyday Food
**I halved this recipe and came up with 2 servings. Full recipe is below. I also used dried thyme instead of fresh.

Ingredients:
-- 4 chicken breasts, pounded thin (or turkey cutlets)
-- coarse salt and ground pepper
-- 3 tbs unsalted butter (I actually just used olive oil)
-- 3 large shallots, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
-- 3 garlic cloves
-- 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves (I used dried and used about half since they were dried)
-- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
-- 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
-- 2 tsp grainy mustard (I used honey mustard)
-- 2 pears, cored and sliced into thin wedges (I used red pears since this is what I could find at the store)

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet heat 1 tbs butter (or olive oil) over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook until cooked through and brown on both sides. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.

Add 2 tbs butter (or olive oil) to skillet and reduce heat to medium. Add shallots, garlic and thyme and then season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally until shallots begin to soften, about 6 mins.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together broth, vinegar and mustard. Add pears to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 4 mins.

Add broth to mixture, cover and cook 5 mins. Uncover, increase heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until pears are tender and liquid is almost evaporated, about 3 - 5 mins.

Return chicken to the skillet, along with any juices. Toss to combine and serve.

This was also good the next day adding to some greens with some feta for a tasty salad. Served with acorn squash.

Sweet-Roasted Rosemary Acorn Squash Wedges

I have always wanted to try an acorn squash, and when I finally got one, I just had to try this recipe from the Pioneer Woman. Anything with butter and brown sugar just has to be delish, and the rosemary gave it a little bit of a floral twist. The acorn squash was very sweet and tasted like candy, and after baking for around 50 mins, it was just falling off the skin.

The hardest part was getting it cut open. You really need a sharp and sturdy knife. Once you get the point into the center it gets a little easier. The tough outer skin is really the hardest. Totally worth it though!

Sweet-Roasted Rosemary Acorn Squash Wedges
The Pioneer Woman
**Please note I used only a half of one acorn squashes, so I only used about 1/4 of the recipe. The full recipe is below and I followed it exactly except I used dried rosemary instead of fresh.

Ingredients

• 2 whole Acorn Squash, Cut Into 8 Wedges Each
• 4 dashes Olive Oil
• Salt To Taste
• 1 stick Butter
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar (lightly Packed)
• 2 Tablespoons Rosemary (minced)

Preparation Instructions:

Place wedges in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt, then roast in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.

Combine butter, brown sugar, salt, and rosemary in a bowl and mix into a paste.
Remove squash from oven and smear paste all over squash. Return to the oven for 30 minutes, until brown and caramelized.

Halfway through roasting, your paste will have become a sauce. Brush sauce over the top of the squash and then continue roasting until time is complete

Serve in the baking dish, drizzling more sauce at the end. Yummy!

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

A few weeks ago I watched this show on The Cooking Channel called Pizza Outside the Box. This show featured fun and different pizzas from around the country. One of the pizzas that I totally wanted to try came from North Carolina. It was a Buffalo Chicken Pizza, and it actually came from a food truck.

It seemed really simple to make, and who doesn't love Buffalo Chicken! I ended up making a personal sized pizza last week just so I could try it out, and it was very tastey.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

-- Pizza crust (I used a premade crust)

-- Olive oil

-- Pizza sauce

-- Buffalo hot sauce

-- Mozzarella cheese

-- Chicken cut into cubes

**Please note that I am not including exact measurements because it will vary depending on the size of pizza you are making.

Directions:

Spray or brush some olive oil onto the crust. Then pour some pizza sauce into a bowl and mix about 1 tablespoon (or more if you like it hot) of buffalo hot sauce in with the pizza sauce. I used 1 tablespoon for a personal pizza size. You may want to use 2 or 3 tablespoons if you are making a larger pizza. Start with 1 tablespoon and then taste it to see if you want to add more. I would just add a little bit at a time.

Spread the pizza sauce on the pizza and then cover with mozzarella cheese.

I then browned some chicken in a pan over medium heat. You want to pretty much cook the chicken all the way through. At the very end I mixed 1 teaspoon of buffalo hot sauce in with the chicken just to coat it. Again, if you are making a larger pizza you may want to add more.

Then add the chicken to the top of the pizza and bake according to your pizza crust's directions. I didn't make mine too spicy, but you can always make it more or less hot depending on how you can handle the heat! The buffalo sauce was a perfect combination with the pizza sauce and the mozzarella cheese helped to bring down the heat a little. Very delish!!

Baked Turkey Egg Rolls and Fried Rice

I found this recipe on Iowa Girl Eats, and I love it! I have always wanted to make egg rolls, but was very intimidated by it. IGE's shows a step by step way of making the egg rolls and it really is pretty easy to make. Also, because they are baked and not fried, and because you use ground turkey instead of ground beef, they really aren't too bad for you. And the sauce, made up of soy sauce and ginger, is so tasty! You really need to try these out!

Baked Turkey Egg Rolls
Makes 8 egg rolls

Ingredients:
-- 2 cups coleslaw mix
-- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
-- 2 cloves garlic
-- 1/2 inch peeled, fresh ginger
-- 1/4 medium onion
-- 1/2 lb. ground turkey
-- 2-3 Tablespoons soy sauce
-- 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
-- 8 egg roll wraps

**Please note I have tweaked these slightly, so if you want to see the original recipe, click on the link at the top of this post.
Directions:
1. Place coleslaw mix in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 3 minutes.
2. Add garlic & ginger to food processor and chop until fine. Add onion and chop until small. Move mixture to skillet over medium heat and sauté in 2 teaspoons oil for 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn garlic.
3. Add ground turkey to skillet and cook until no longer pink. Drain turkey/onion/garlic mixture and return to skillet. Add cooked cabbage and celery, soy sauce and red chili pepper flakes. Stir until combined and allow to cool.
4. Heat the oven to 400 degrees, spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and get out a small cup of water.

I used these egg roll wrappers and found them in the Produce section, next to the tofu.

5. Lay egg roll wrapper on a flat surface so it’s in the shape of a diamond. Add about 3 tablespoons worth of turkey filling.

6. Fold up from the bottom.

7. Then fold in the sides.

8. Roll up once, making sure to tuck everything in. Then dip your finger in a little water and run along the triangle point. Then fold the point down. The water will help to seal the egg rolls.

9. I then sprayed the egg rolls with spray butter and baked at 350 for 15 mins (or until brown).

Fried Rice

To make the friend rice I cooked 1 cup of dry brown rice and when it was done, I added it to a hot skillet with:

• Dash of sesame oil
• Steamed broccoli
• handful of coleslaw mix
• Dashes of ginger and garlic powder
• ~2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 egg

I believe I cooked it for about 2 - 3 minutes and then served along with two egg rolls per serving and some sweet and sour sauce.

There are so many fun things you can do with egg roll wrappers and I can't wait to share more ideas with you. If you have any fun recipes using egg roll wrappers, please share!

Artichoke & Spinach Mac & Cheese

One of my good girlfriends is an Independent Consultant for Tastefully Simple. I have gone to a couple of Tastefully Simple parties, and I do love their products, but I have been looking for ways to use the products I buy for fast,easy, weeknight meals. There are some great recipes on the Tastefully Simple website that shows different ways to use the products.

I loved the Artichoke and Spinach dip, but after buying the mix I never ended up making the dip. Instead I found a great recipe on the Tastefully Simple website that uses the mix to make a creamy mac and cheese. It was very easy and didn't take much prep time to make. You just need to add a few ingredients: milk, cream cheese and shredded swiss cheese with the packet, and then pour over cooked pasta. I added some more cheese on top and then baked it for about 15 mins just so everything could melt together and the top could get a little brown. The recipe states to brown it under the broiler, but I prefer to just bake it for a little while. It keeps the top from getting too crispy.

If you are interested in ordering this product, or any other products, you can place an order through Rachael here. I placed my order on a Sun and I received my shipment by Thurs. I love that even if you buy through a party, they ship to your own home. You don't have to hunt down your hostess to get your product.

Artichoke & Spinach Mac & Cheese
Recipe from Tastefully Simple

Ingredients
1 packet Artichoke & Spinach Warm Dip Mix
8 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups milk
6-8 oz. shredded Swiss cheese or a combination of Swiss and Cheddar
Salt & pepper to taste
8 oz. prepared hot pasta (elbow macaroni or penne)
Parmesan cheese (I added this after baking and right before serving)

Directions
Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan; heat on low and whisk until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup Swiss cheese; heat and whisk until smooth. Do not boil. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Combine cheese sauce and hot pasta; spread mixture into a greased 8 x 8 baking pan. Top with remaining cheese. Place pan under broiler until cheese melts and is lightly browned, 5-7 minutes (or bake on 350 for 15 mins). Add some parmesan cheese right before serving. Makes 6-8 servings.

Cocktail Time: Wyandotte Winery (Local Winery)

For those of you who are currently living in Columbus, or are planning on visiting soon, I wanted to share a great local winery. I have been to Wyandotte Winery a few times for tastings and recently was there for a happy hour. They have a great little tasting room and a small banquet room as well for get-togethers of around 30 or so people.

Source

This winery is actually just down the road from where I live, and I have passed by this place so many times that I was so glad to finally get to try it out. They have about 11 different wines and you can either do 6 wines for $5 or 11 wines for $10, or 1 wine for $1 (although one of the wines is $2). They also give very generous pours, so if you do the "Grand Tasting" which is the 11 wines for $10 you end up getting about 2 decent sized glasses of wine. They also have a really great variety of dry and sweet wines, so there really is something for everyone.

I really liked the wine White Roses, which according to their website is "a classic Niagara wine available in both a sweet still and dry sparkling style. The aroma reminds many people of the grape vines that used to grow in their Grandmother's back yard." It is kind of sweet, but not overly sweet. It really does make you feel like you are in a rose garden, which I love!

I also really liked the Raspberry Summer wine which is made from 100% raspberry juice. The Graystone, which is an Ohio Riesling is also pretty good with tastes of peach and mango, but my friends didn't like it as much as I did. It was very crisp, which I tend to like in a wine.

If you are in the area, be sure to stop by and check out this winery. They also have a cute little gift shop with lots of fun gifts for wine enthusiasts.

Butterscotch Apple Crisp - Gluten Free

This recipe was on The Neelys on Food Network last spring, and as soon as I saw it I think I instantly ran out and bought the ingredients to make this. I have actually made this a couple of times, but was excited to try it out again since this is a great Fall time dessert. It works best with really tart apples like Granny Smiths (which are my favorite!), because the tart apples work really well with the sweet butterscotch chips. I'll warn you this is addicting and I totally could not stop eating it. Definitely do not make if you are on a diet...ha!

Because I am attempting to go gluten free (about 75% of the time it seems), I totally wanted to try out gluten free flour. It worked really well and I totally did not notice a difference. I ended up using this baking mix and although it was about $5, and was the cheapest flour I could find, you really don't use that much and it was totally worth having something so tasty that was also gluten free.

Source

Butterscotch Apple Crisp

Servings - 8

Recipe from The Neelys

**Please note that I halved the recipe, so if you make the full recipe your dish will be much fuller than mine above.

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 5 Granny Smith apples (about 2 pounds), peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 (11-ounce) bag butterscotch chips
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used Gluten Free flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, plus more for greasing

Topping: 

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup quick oats
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup pecans, chopped (optional - I didn't include these this time)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish.

For the filling: Toss the apples, butterscotch chips, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, allspice, and lemon juice together in a large bowl. Add to the buttered baking dish and dot with butter.

For the topping: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, oats, and salt. Blend the butter into the mixture until it forms pea size lumps. Stir in the pecans and sprinkle over the filling.

Bake until the apples are tender and butterscotch is bubbling, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Plate with a scoop of butter pecan ice cream on top.

Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Last week I shared some of the fall decorations around my home. I thought it would be fun this week to share my kitchen. Now please note I do not have a big fancy kitchen like many people and bloggers out there. And even though I would love to have some more counter and storage space, it is nice and cozy and gets the job done. And the smaller the kitchen, the smaller the mess to clean up right...well not always!

View looking into the kitchen. The gate is to try and keep my pup out of the kitchen. For the most part it works, but sometimes she does break in. You can also see my apron collection hanging on the pantry door.

The left side of the kitchen. In the far corner is where I keep my recipe binders which include all of the recipes I have downloaded off the internet (I'll have to share that project sometime). I also keep my cutting board up against the wall behind that pitcher of flowers. It helps to keep it out of the way, but it is also easily accessible. It's also kind of large and hard to find a place to store it. The cute little fruit/veggie holder I got about 1 1/2 years ago at Crate and Barrel and I love it! Having it out on the counter helps me to eat more healthy instead of grabbing the junk food. And it's so pretty! The soap/counter cleaner set next to the sink I got at Target and it is lavendar scented. Makes washing dishes kind of fun!

My grandfather made this spice rack for me back when I had my first apartment (which we will not discuss how long ago that was). I love it so much and finally have it all filled up!

Here is the right side of the kitchen, looking in from the living room, over the breakfast bar. All of my kitchen tools are to the left of the stove. I love my knife set which I got at Crate and Barrel last spring. Totally worth the investment to get a good knife set.

Thanks for visiting. Hope you enjoyed my little cooking space!

Fig-Prosciutto Pizza

I came across this recipe a while back on The Pioneer Woman's website and always wanted to try it. It was also on her show this past Saturday, which reminded me that I had to make this soon!

The Pioneer Woman calls this pizza "Cowgirl Food". She says this type of food is "chick-friendly" and is food that you eat with just the girls when the cowboys are away. I think this recipe would be perfect with some cocktails for a girl’s night!

I have never had a fig believe it or not, so I wasn't sure what the fig portion of the recipe would taste like. But I do love prosciutto, and of course cheese, so I didn't think it could be too bad. The fig jam is sweet and the prosciutto kind of salty, so it was a perfect combination.

The only sad part is that I totally forgot to add the mozzarella on top of the fig jam layer. I was trying this recipe by memory and totally forgot. Don't be like me =( It was still good anyway and I didn't even realize I forgot this until I looked the recipe up to share with everyone. Either way it's a very tasty treat!

Fig-Prosciutto Pizza
Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
-- Pizza Crust - pre-made or make your own; I used a gluten free pizza crust mix (see below pic)
-- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
-- 4 Tablespoons Fig Spread Or Jam
-- Kosher Salt To Taste
-- Fresh Mozzarella, Sliced Thin (I totally forgot to add this, but make sure you do, I will next time)
-- Thinly Sliced Prosciutto
-- Spinach (PW used arugula, but I found a bagged spinach kit on sale, and it worked just fine)
-- Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
-- Shaved Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 - 450 degrees (follow the instructions if using a pre-made crust.

Roll out pizza dough as thinly as possible. Place on a large baking sheet.

Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Spread fig spread (or jam) all over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

Lay sliced of mozzarella all over the surface (please note I totally forgot to add this, which made me really sad, but it was still really good without it. I will make sure to add next time). Sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes (or follow directions on your pre-made crust), or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.

Remove from oven and immediately lay prosciutto over hot pizza. Just before serving, sprinkle arugula/spinach and Parmesan shavings.

I served mine with the bagged spinach kit that included dried cranberries, sliced almonds and blue cheese...yum!

Fall Inspiration

Fall is my favorite season and I love to decorate for fall. I love the warm oranges, and reds and browns, and the colors just go so well with my decorating style.

All of these fall magazines have given me some inspiration to get ready and excited about fall.

I will admit I am not excited about colder weather and winter soon approaching, but I am enjoying the cooler, crisp temperatures. I am also getting excited about pumpkin flavorited items and I actually hit up Starbucks yesterday for my first pumpkin spice latte of the season (which you can also find a knock-off version, or 2, here).

I have to tell you a quick story about my Starbucks trip. I placed my order and then pulled up to the window. The girl working the drive through was very perky and when she repeated my order she then said "you look super excited about this pumpkin spice latte." I was excited, but I don't think I looked overly-excited. She then asked if this was my first of the season, and when I said yes, she said she was so excited to be experiencing my first of the season pumpkin spice latte with me. She then handed me my drink and told me that she hoped that this latte was everything I expected and more. She was very sweet, but it just made me laugh because I think she was more excited about it than I was, and I was pretty darn excited.

Anyway...I do have some other pumpkin flavored treats, which you can find here. I also am eager to find some new recipes to try and share as well. Last year I totally stocked up on canned pumpkin so it would get me through the season and through winter. I am sure that I will stock up this year as well...ha!

So here are some of the fall items I have put out for fall. I have some halloween decorations as well, but I'll hold off until October before I pull them out (don't want to rush the seasons too much right!).

The wreath on my front door. My front door is not very protected, so I keep my wreaths on the inside of the door. I wish I could find something that would outlast the weather, but for now, to keep my wreaths looking nice, I keep them indoors.

This is the center piece on my coffee table in the living room. I got this idea from a Crate and Barrel mailer last fall. I just used my "traveling leaf" (as my friends call it) platter, placed a hurricane with some fall shaped glass beads (Pier 1 last year) and a pumpkin spice candle, and then tied some raffia around it. I have had the candle for a few years now, and it still smells so good, even unlit. Go Pier 1 candles!

This is my dining room. I got the topiary at Garden Ridge a long time ago. I am sure you can find something similar at Joann's, Old Time Pottery or Garden Ridge. The table runner I got last year at Pier 1. I need to find some fall inspired candles for my candle holders. They just look too springy in this picture.

Some fall things for the kitchen. Dishtowels (orange one from Crate and Barrel, plaid one from Kohls), some plaid ribbon for my platter (Southern Living at Home), and of course a cinnamin pumpkin candle from Bath and Body Works (my favorite!).

A few weeks ago while visiting my Grandparents in W.Va. we went to Blenko Glass and I got this orange glass bowl. I thought it looked like a flower and thought it would be perfect to hold some delish fall apples.

Of course the bathroom can't be left out. I got this little fall sign a long time ago at Hobby Lobby for probably only a few dollars. I didn't really have a place to put it, but it fit perfectly on the sink in my guest bath. The sunflowers are there all year long, but they are very fall-like.

Hope you enjoyed my fall decorations. If you have any fall inspired decorating ideas or recipes, please share.

Pea and Mint Risotto

My mom came across this recipe and has been wanting to try it for a while. On Labor Day we were grilling out some pinwheel steaks and for some reason I really like risotto with steaks. I actually have this weird obsession with making risotto lately, but that is another story for another time. My Mom's mint was also starting to grow kind of wild, so it was a perfect day to try it out.

I am not sure if this is exactly where she found the original recipe, but it is the exact recipe we used. We followed the recipe almost exactly, except we halved the recipe, and maybe added in a little more cheese (you cannot use too much cheese!).

The only thing I would do differently is possibly add in some mascarpone cheese (like I used in this Lemon Risotto dish), and I would also add the mint right before serving. The mint started to turn brown in a few places once it hit the hot dish. Other than that, it was actually pretty good.

I really liked adding the peas in the risotto. It added a little more texture to a typically creamy dish. And the mint leaves were very fresh and made the dish very summery.

Pea and Mint Risotto
Full recipe below will serve 6-8 side dishes

Ingredients:

-- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
-- 1 large garlic clove, halved
-- 1 large shallot, minced
-- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice (10 ounces)
-- 4 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth, warmed
-- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
-- One 16-ounce bag frozen baby peas (3 cups), thawed
-- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-- 1 cup finely shredded mint leaves

Directions:

In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the garlic and shallot, cover and cook over moderately low heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir over moderately low heat until slightly translucent, about 2 minutes.

Add 1 cup of the warmed chicken stock and cook, stirring, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the stock, about 1 cup at a time, stirring until the stock is absorbed before adding more. Cook, stirring, until the rice is al dente and suspended in thick, creamy liquid, about 17 minutes total. Season with salt and pepper; discard the garlic (we used minced garlic so we just kept it in).

Add the peas and cook just until heated through. Stir in the cheese and mint and serve.

Please note: If you halve the recipe, I would only add about 1/2 cup of broth every couple of minutes, or you are going to run out of broth before the risotto is fully cooked. I also keep my heat a little below medium so that the broth doesn't evaporate quickly (which can happen if your heat is too hot). For the pot holding your broth, once it starts to simmer, reduce the head for that pot to low or med-low. If you get to about 10 minutes and you have about half of your broth left, you are doing good. That is typically how I check my heat.

Easy Loaded Baked Potato Soup

The other day I was craving some soup, and I had some potatoes left over from my Creamy Mashed Potatoes recipe, so Loaded Baked Potato Soup just seemed to hit the spot. I was very hungry though, and had a million things to do, so I needed something fast though. I flipped through my recipe binder and found this quick and easy soup from Kraft Foods.

Now please note this is not the best ever Loaded Baked Potato Soup I have ever had, but it was quick and easy, and it wasn't too bad. I did add in some more seasonings because it was a little bland.

I was debating on posting this recipe because it is made in the microwave, but since we are keeping it real around here, I figured microwavable recipes needed to be included as well. I am even going to add a tag for future microwavable (aka lazy) recipes.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Serves 3 - 4 soup bowls

Ingredients:

-- 1 lb. baking potatoes (about 2), cubed

-- 1 can  (14-1/2 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

-- 1 cup milk (I use skim milk) 

-- 3 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled and divided (I used turkey bacon)

-- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

-- 1 green onion sliced, divided (I forgot to add in, but go for it)

-- 1/4 cup sour cream (I used light)
-- Salt and pepper to taste (my addition)
-- Kansas City Steak Seasoning (my addition, love this on potatoes for some reason!)

Directions:

Microwave potatoes in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 5 min., stirring after 2-1/2 min. Stir in broth and milk. Microwave 10 min., stirring after 5 min. Carefully crush potatoes with potato masher. Please note I then had to microwave again for a few more minutes. The potatoes still seemed a little too hard for my liking.

Reserve 2 Tbsp. each bacon and cheese and 1 Tbsp. onions for topping. Stir remaining bacon, cheese and onions into soup. Add salt, pepper and any seasonings to taste.

Serve topped with reserved bacon, cheese, onions and sour cream.

Peach Jelly

I am not sure what it is about the end of summer, but it totally makes me want to make jams and jellies. One of my favorites to make is Peach Jelly. This jelly is best to eat in the middle of winter because it reminds you of summer. It's like summer in a jar!

Last year I got really into canning and bought all of my supplies. Here is what you need:

A dutch oven (love my blue one!), a large pot for processing (got this black one at Walmart for around $10), canning tools (the 4 blue tools were in a canning kit I picked up last year), pectin, jars/lids/rings, and of course fruit!

We got these beauties at the farm market near my parent's neighborhood. We got all of these, and about 10 others my Mom kept, for only $12! There were probably about 40 peaches in that basket! I have been eating them on my oatmeal all week and they are so ripe and sweet!

So to make jelly, you need to start by peeling the peaches. The easiest way to do this is to cut little X's in the bottom of the peaches. Then put them in boiling water for only about a minute. Love that steam! =)

You then immediatly take the peaches out and put them in ice cold water. This will then help you peel the skin off the peaches. The more ripe they are the easier they are to peel.

Here they are all peeled. You can see where I cut the X's into the bottoms of them. That's ok, you will then need to cut them up anyway. Please note I used about 20 peaches, but many of them were small. My recipe called for 12 peaches and I got about the same amout of jelly, so I would say 12 if they are large, 20 if they are medium to small peaches.

Place about 2 cups into your dutch oven and mash with a potato masher.

Then add the rest of your sliced peaches to the dutch oven.

Over medium heat, bring your peach mixture to a boil and boil for 20 minutes.

Then add in 4 1/2 cups of sugar. Please note you will need 6 cups of peach/liquid mixture, so I just quickly measured it out and then put it back in the dutch oven before adding the sugar. I had exactly 6 cups. Bring back to a boil and then add in 2 oz of pectin. I used liquid pectin this time, and I am not sure the difference between the dry and liquid pectin. We will see how it turns out later when I crack these bottles open. If you have any tips with using pectin, please share.

While your mixture if boiling, you need to bring some water up to boil in your stock pot for processing. I add the empty jars/lids/rings into the water so it sterilizes them, and also brings them up to temperature so the glass doesn't crack when you put in the hot jelly. After you fill them, you need to add the jars back to the boiling water and boil for 10 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let them cool in the water. Keep an eye on it because sometimes my lids pop up. I just push them back down and they typically stay. You will hear them popping, so just stay in the room for about 20 or 30 mins or so to keep an eye on them and you should be ok. I always get nervous they are not going to seal, and I do have some that pop up, but they always seem to go back down.

Here are my beauties. I ended up sealing up 8 small jars and kept one of them to enjoy now. If you do have the time and patience, canning isn't very hard and you can enjoy your results through the long-hard winters.

Italian S'mores

***Update: I have added a note about browning the marshmallows under the broiler below***

Giada was on the Today Show last week sharing some Labor Day grilling tips and recipes, and she shared this recipe for Italian S'mores. I have been craving some s'mores lately, and my Mom has been wanting to try Nutella, so I just knew we had to make these.

Giada's Italian S'mores from The Today Show (Source)

Now please note we did things a little differently than Giada but you can find her original recipe here. She used a baguette instead of a graham cracker, but we had graham crackers on hand so that is what we used. I still call them Italian S'mores because they use Nutella instead of a chocolate bar.

I then recreated the recipe again when I got home using gluten free graham crackers. You can also either roast the marshmallows over the flames in your grill, or you can roast them under the broiler as I have done below. My Mom did find us some fun skewers to roast marshmallows, so I do need to try those out, but it was too cold and dark out when I tried these at home, so I just made them under the broiler.

Italian S'mores

Ingredients:
-- Graham Crackers
-- Nutella
-- Marshmallows

Directions:
Spread a little (or a lot) of Nutella onto one graham cracker square. Make sure to lick your knife clean =) Roast your marshmallow (either the old fashioned way or under the broiler). Place roasted marshmallow on top of the graham cracker with Nutella. Eat immediatly for be results. Repeat as needed.

To broil your marshmallows, I placed a piece of foil on a baking sheet and then sprayed some cooking spray just so I could ensure the marshmallow would not stick. Then place under the broiler and watch very carefully. As the top starts to turn brown, pull the baking sheet out of the oven and flip the marshmallow over. Then put back under the broiler until the other side becomes brown and the marshmallow starts to puff up.

Please note the gluten free graham crackers in the above picture are not too bad. They are a little harder than typical graham crackers, but they taste just like the honey flavored graham crackers. They remind you of a hard cookie you would dunk in your coffee. I would recommend trying them out if you are trying to go the gluten free route.

***Update: Since I have made this recipe about a hundred times this week (I am obsessed), I have discovered some tricks with broiling the marshmallows. If you have a custom temp setting on your broiler, set it on the higher temp (around 300 degrees). This will allow your marshmallows to brown quickly, and not get too puffy and mushy. Please note that they will brown quickly, so please keep constant watch on them, and as soon as they start to turn brown, take them out and turn them over. If you broil them at too low a temperature, they will just melt and get gooey and won't brown. They will also get really sticky, and will stick to the foil/pan and to everything else, and that's not fun. I also read on a Nutella recipe website that you could use marshmallow fluff. You won't get the campfire taste, but it would work in a pinch.

Hillbilly Hotdogs (from Diner's, Drive-ins and Dives)

So I do have some fun recipes to share from the Labor Day weekend, but until I get around to getting everything together, I wanted to share a fun place that my family visited last year during the Labor Day weekend.

Last year, my parents and I went to visit my Grandparents (my Mom's parents) in W.Va. over the Labor Day holiday. Every year, since about 1999, we have passed this place called Hillbilly Hotdogs on Rt. 2 in W.Va. We always thought the place was kind of crazy, and every year when we drove by, joked about how we would never eat at that place, and was this place still in business??

Abby and I in front of the Hillbilly Hotdogs sign

One day while flippin through the channels I came across the show Diners, Drive-ins & Dives, and what did I see, Hillbilly Hotdogs! I was so amazed that this place was so popular! There were people from FL and CA that had stopped by to visit, all because of the show!

Dad ordering us some hot dogs

Well of course my Dad and I decided we just had to stop on the way to visit the Grandparents. I don't think my Mom was all too excited, but she was a good sport. We each had a hot dog, and they were only about $1.59 each (a pretty good bargin for a place so famous!).

Their indoor dining is in the school bus (this cracked me up!)

They are very well known for their Homewrecker which is a huge hotdog that sells for $14.99. If you can eat the whole thing you get it for free.

Here's Guy on the show enjoying the Homewrecker.

Ok, I'll admit the hotdogs were pretty good, and they were a bargin at only $1.59 each! Not sure if we will make this a regular stop, but it was fun to see what that place was all about. And now we can say we have been to a dive featured on Diners, Drive-ins & Dives!

I have been to a few Food Network restaurants and will have to feature them on here at some point in time. I have visited Paula Deen's The Lady & Son's in Savannah, GA and The Neely's BBQ restaurant in Nashville, TN.

Any Food Network restaurants you have visited or would like to visit?