My Favorite Taste Tester

So I really wanted to join Kelly's Korner's show us your pets, and since this is a food blog, I just had to share my favorite little taste tester.

This is Abby. She is a hungry little beagle. She is 9 years old, and only about 30 pounds,

but she can pack away some food like nobody's business!

When she really wants something she will stand on her hind legs and beg.

She loves peanut butter, as you can see on her lips,

but only gets that when she needs medicine.

She really loves everything but especially loves bread,

carrots, bacon, and really anything I eat.

She does not like sour apples though.

She loves to eat so much that I have to gate her to keep her out of the kitchen. She has been known to get into the fridge and just get herself something to eat. She mostly tries to do this when I am not home, but has been known to open the fridge right in front of me. I always think she looks like a prisoner in this picture, but she is really being kept OUT of the kitchen.

Her vet said that the lumps on her back were love handles, so I don't think this beagle is starving, but she doesn't agree. She has to keep her curvy figure!

Anyone else out there have a crazy beagle who likes to eat?

Flour-less Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe was in the October 2011 issue of the Rachael Ray Magazine. When I saw that these were flour-less and had only 5 ingredients I totally did not believe that these were going to turn out. But Rachael Ray never does you wrong. They were just like regular peanut butter cookies and I totally wanted to eat ALL of them!

The dough is kind of like wet sand, so you do kind of have to pack them together, but they are not too bad like other gluten-free mixes. They do bake up a little puffier than typical cookies, but they still have a good combination of fluffy and chewyness. Oh and the chocolate chips make them AWESOME!

Flour-less Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
October 2011 issues of the Rachael Ray Magazine Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients:
-- 1 cup peanut butter (I used reduced-fat)
-- 1 cup of brown sugar
-- 1 egg
-- 1 tsp vanilla
-- 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined.

Roll the dough into approximately 1-tablespoon-size balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets, about 1 inch apart.

Use a fork to press down on the balls and make a cross hatch pattern on each (I forgot to do this, but they still turned out great).

Bake the cookies, rotating the racks halfway through, for 10-12 minutes, until puffed and golden. Let cool for a few minutes on the sheets, then remove with a spatula.

Creamy Potato and Leek Soup

The other day I mentioned that i LOVE leeks! I don't know what it is, but they just have this mild onion flavor that I am just loving. I am especially loving them with all things potatoes!

I also love creamy potato soup, and this soup is like liquid gold! It was so delish that I could not stop eating it! And it's not as bad as typical creamy soups because instead of using heavy cream, I used.....wait for it.....fat-free half and half. Yep, no fat, lower in calories, and still creamy! It totally worked and I will totally try this again with some other soups.

Creamy Potato and Leek Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients:

6 potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 cups of chicken broth

2 leeks, chopped

2 teaspoons margarine

1 1/2 cups fat-free half and half

salt and pepper to taste

Kansas City steak seasoning (my secret weapon to spice up potatoes!)

Directions:

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, combine the potatoes and broth and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
2. In a separate skillet over medium heat, saute the leeks in the butter or margarine for 5 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Add the leeks and the fat-free half and half to the potatoes and stir well. At this point you might want to take a potato masher and slightly thicken the soup.)
3. Add salt, pepper and steak seasoning, or other seasonings you prefer, to taste.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

So I originally came across this recipe via Iowa Girl Eats, and I totally didn't think this was going to taste like Pumpkin Pie, but it totally does! This was so rich and decadent and perfect for breakfast or even dessert. I actually thought it was a little rich for me for breakfast, but it would be perfect for an after dinner dessert. You totally forgot you are eating oatmeal. This will totally become one of my new favorite fall desserts, and it might actually be fun to make for the family for Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Good Life Eats
**Please note I halved the recipe and then spooned into 3 ramikins which were really small (I totally need to find some smaller baking dishes, or bigger ramikins!)

Ingredients:
-- 1 cup old fashioned oats, not quick cook
-- 1 Tbs whole flax seeds, optional
-- 2 1/2 Tbs brown sugar, packed
-- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
-- 1/4 tsp allspice
-- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
-- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
-- 1/4 tsp salt
-- 1/2 tsp vanilla
-- 2 tsp butter, softened
-- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
-- 3/4 cup milk

Topping:
-- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
-- 2 tsp butter, softened
-- 1 Tbs brown sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 4 individual sized ramekins. Set aside.

Combine the oats through salt in a medium sized bowl. Stir well. In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla, butter, pumpkin, and milk. Whisk thoroughly. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the oats. Stir until combined.

Divide mixture evenly between 4 individual sized ramekins. Place ramekins on a baking sheet (this makes it easier to move in and out of the oven.). Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the topping: chopped pecans, butter, and brown sugar. After the oatmeal has baked for 10 minutes, remove and divide topping mixture evenly between the ramekins. Bake and additional 7 minutes. Cook for 5 minutes before serving. Top with a splash of milk and raisins, if desired.

Potato and Leek Pizza (from The Pioneer Woman)

I came across this recipe a while back and recently came upon some leeks and totally had to try it. I had never had leeks before, so I wasn't sure what I was getting into. I found though that I love leeks! They are kind of like green onions, but with more of the consistency of regular onions. They are really great when sauted with butter!

This pizza was a-ma-zing and I am labeling it one of my favorites. The potatoes kind of make it hearty, and the leeks and bacon give it great flavor. I found that I needed to add a little more salt to my potatoes, but other than that, it was perfect!

Potato-Leek Pizza
Yield: 1 pizza
**Please note that I halved this recipe because I did a smaller pizza, but I am including the full recipe below.

Ingredients
-- Pizza Crust (I used a gluten-free mix, but you can find The Pioneer Woman's pizza crust here)
-- extra virgin olive oil
-- kosher salt
-- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
-- 3 leeks, rinsed well to remove grit and thinly sliced
-- 5 small red or Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced paper thin
-- 1 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
-- 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
-- grated Parmesan cheese
-- freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Prepare the pizza crust by drizzling lightly with olive oil and sprinkling lightly with salt.

In a skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until cooked but not crisp, then remove and set aside. Pour off most of the grease, but do not clean the skillet. Return it to the stove and, over medium-low heat, saute the leeks until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove the leeks from the heat and set aside.

Using a sharp knife or mandoline, slice the potatoes very thin. Be careful not to allow them enough time to oxidize. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer all over the crust, slightly overlapping the edges. Sprinkle the potatoes lightly with salt, then lay the mozzarella slices in a single layer on top of the potatoes. Place the leeks on top of the cheese, then sprinkle the fried bacon pieces over the top. Add a generous dose of crumbled goat cheese, grated Parmesan, and a sprinkle of pepper.

In an oven preheated to 500 degrees F, bake the pie for 8-11 minutes (or follow the directions on your pizza crust mix), until the edges of the crust are golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Slice it into wedges or squares and serve immediately.