Carmel Apple Cider

I love Fall at Starbucks - especially the Carmel Apple Cider....oh yum. This year, though, I took a hint from a friend, and now make them at home and they are just as delicious (if not more since I'm proud of myself for not spending $4 on each one!)

Carmel Apple Cider

• Your favorite cider (I just use the packets b/c they're easy)
• Carmel syrup
• Whipped cream (opt)
• Cinnamon (opt)
  

--For every 8 oz of cider, add 1 T of carmel syrup, top with whipped cream and cinnamon!

Chicken Vegetable Dumpling Soup

On cold and dreary or snowy nights, nothing hits the spot like nice warm soup! It's part of the reason why I love cooking in the fall and winter! This soup is insanely easy and one of Scot's favorites. Not too pretty in the picture, I know, but it really is delicious. This past time I didn't have actual Bisquick, but I had Krusteaz Wheat and Honey Pancake Mix and that worked really really well, I highly recommend it!

Chicken Vegetable Dumpling Soup

• 1.5 cups milk
• 2 cups (I do a little more) mixed frozen veggies
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 1 can cream of chicken
• 1 can cream of mushroom - I don't do the mushroom thing, so I do another can of chicken
  
• Dumplings:
  
• 1 cup Bisquick
  
• 1/3 cup milk

--Heat 1.5 milk, veggies, chicken, condensed soups until boiling
--In separate bowl mix Bisquick and 1/3 c milk
--Drop Bisquick mix into soup by the spoonful (about 8)
--Reduce heat and cook uncovered 10 minutes. Cover and cook another 10.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone probably has a recipe they like, but here's mine. It's a combo of a BH&G recipe and my roommate's from college. The only chocolate chip cookies I've ever liked better were a from a gal I knew who used a combo of white and wheat flour and ground up oats! Oh man...those were dangerous - I still need to get that recipe!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 t vanilla
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips

--Cream sugars and fats together
--Add vanilla and eggs one by one
--Add all other dry ingredients
--Drop spoonfuls onto greased cookies sheet
--Bake 10-11 minutes at 375

Pour a big glass of milk and go to town!

Saffron Rice and Salsa Chicken

So my preggo brain forgot to take a picture of this meal, and really, that's half the pleasure in eating/making this meal! I'm so bummed, but picture, if you will, a moist pan-boiled/fried breast of chicken on a bed of that amazing saffron rice. And then add a little bit of salsa to the rice and to the chicken. Now picture cut stewed tomatoes on the top of the said chicken breast. Oh yeah, man...so yummy, and also, so pretty to look at. My roommate in college and I came up with this dish, and believe it or not, it is still one of Scot's favorites. Which is good for me seeing how easy it is! (ps - this is a "no-recipe" recipe, so bear with me.)

Saffron Rice and Salsa Chicken

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 package of Yellow Rice (found with all the other rice, in the neat little yellow and gold packet)
• Favorite salsa - at least a cup if not a little more
• Whole stewed tomatoes

--Cook rice according to directions, replacing 1/2 cup salsa for 1/2 cup of required water
--Cook chicken in a pan with a little water and salsa to taste. Or pan fry it with the salsa.
--Once rice and chicken are done, put a bed of rice on the plate with the chicken breast on top. Cut a stewed tomato into a "fan" (cut it into about 5 slices without cutting all the way through to the bottom - I really hope this makes sense) Fan the tomato out onto the chicken breast and serve!

Tortellini Vegetable Soup

I love soups. I love stews. I love stoups (heavier than soup, lighter than stew). This is one of my favorite soups, though. It's hearty, it's flavorful, and it's easy. I always serve it with some hearty bread (9 grain Italian is my current favorite) and make it a complete meal! Enjoy!

Tortellini Vegetable Soup

• 2.5 cups water
• 2 can Italian diced tomatoes - undrained
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 t dried basil - crushed
• 1/2 t dried oregano - crushed
• dash of pepper
• 4 cups frozen California mixed vegetable (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots) - 16 oz pkg
• 1 9oz pkg frozen tortellini
• 3/4 t parsley

--Put everything (minus frozen stuff and parsley) into large pot
--Bring to boil. Stir in tortellini and vegetables.
--Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 6 minutes.
--Stir in parsley.

Easy Pizza Crust

Friday nights are pizza nights at our house. Each and every week we decide what kind of pizza we'll be having on that Friday. This past weeks choice was my personal favorite, Hawaiian. What makes this pizza so appealing, is not only the taste, but the ease of it. I don't have a bread machine, nor do I want one. I also don't quite have the time (or make the time, really) to make a pizza dough that has to rise and all that good stuff. I do, however, use this little recipe that requires no rising time. We like thinner crusts, so this works for us. I have had several people ask for this recipe, so here it is.

Easy Pizza Crust

• 2.5 cups flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 t dry yeast
• 1 t salt
• 2 T sugar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 3/4 cup water

--Mix all dry. Add all wet.
--Stir and knead a couple times.
--Roll out.
--Bake 10 minutes at 425.
--Put on your sauce and toppings.
--Bake again for 20 minutes.

Sometimes I add herbs and such into the dough if I'm feeling in the mood. This is just a very basic recipe - have fun!

Baked Shells with Winter Squash

This is a recipe I've been wanting to try since I got my hands on the Everyday Food cookbook! It is one of the meals I would never think of making due tot he odd pairing of ingredients, and was very hesitant to make, but it turned out great! It came with its minor-mishaps, though, so I improvised a bit. I could only find winter squash puree in 10oz containers, not 12, so I added in a little pureed sweet potato. Totally fine and didn't even notice it. The recipe called for 'small shells', so that's what I got. Judging by their picture, that's not what they meant. They meant normal, not jumbo, shells. Oh well, still turned out fine. And lastly, the french bread I'd been saving for the last 3 days so it would get crusty especially for this recipe...yeah, it was crusty, but not usable if you catch my drift. So I improvised and used Ritz. Again, just fine. All in all, a great meal, Scot went back for seconds!

Baked Shells with Winter Squash

• Olive oil
• 2 large onions - thinly sliced
• 2 t rosemary (it calls for fresh, I used dried, it was fine)
• 1 pound small past shells (as in not the jumbo kind)
• 1 pkg (12 oz) frozen winter squash puree
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 slices crusty baguette, cut into 1/4 inch cubes (1.5 cups)

--Saute the onions in some olive oil until brown. Add 1 t rosemary.
--Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions minus 2 minutes (al dante) Reserve 1.5 cups of pasta water.
--Stir squash and reserved water into the onions.
--Add the onion mixture to the pasta (back in the pot) along with 1/2 cup Parmesan. Mix.
--Transfer all to a greased 9x13 baking dish.
--Combine bread crumbs with 1 t rosemary, some olive oil, and the remaining Parmesan and sprinkle over pasta.
--Bake for 10-15 minutes (until golden brown on top) at 400.

Serve with a big salad and you're good to go! Enjoy - we did.