Chocolate French Silk Pancakes

We were having friends over for brunch the other day and wanted to do pancakes. I LOVE chocolate...any time of day is fine with me. K isn't a fan of chocolate in the morning so this made a great excuse to have both buttermilk pancakes and chocolate ones, so my friends could help me eat them! Unfortunately, they were unable to make it, but I still made the pancakes!

Chocolate French Silk Pancakes-shared from How Sweet It Is
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder(I used special dark)
2 heaping tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs well beaten
1 can coconut milk+more if batter is too thick(I added a bit of reg. milk)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and baking powder. Add in eggs, vanilla, and milk. Stir to combine. Place on greased griddle, once bubbles start to form, flip.

**These were delicious! They were fluffy, chocolaty, and perfect for a Saturday morning.  The boys, except K loved them too! The batter is very thick so use your best judgement when adding more. I served them with butter and maple syrup.

Peanut Butter {Eggs} or balls

Growing up my mom made these for probably every Christmas. They were always loved by us and the people she gave them to...neighbors or teachers! They are still a favorite today, I love them but don't always like to make them. I just don't have the patience to roll the balls and then dip them! But I needed a dessert for Easter so I thought this would be perfect as I had all the ingredients on hand, plus I knew my family would love them!

Peanut Butter {Eggs}or Balls-shared from my mom
18 oz jar of peanut butter
4 cups rice krispie cereal
1 stick butter, softened
1 box powedered sugar(about 1 lb)
1 bag chocolate chips

Mix all the ingredients together except for the chocolate. Roll into balls or egg shapes. Place on cookie sheet. I then put the eggs in the fridge to get nice and cold, makes them easier to dip!

Melt chocolate. Dip balls or eggs in chocolate and place back on cookie sheet. Allow chocolate to harden. I did put them in the fridge to speed this along. Decorate if you would like too!  I used a few colored sprinkles.

**These are fabulous and tried and true! I really like the cereal in them because it helps cut down some of the powerful peanut butter taste that some can have! And make sure you check your jar of peanut butter, mine was only 15 oz, which I figured would be fine, but the eggs wouldn't stick together enough, once I added more peanut butter they were perfect to form!

Roasted Garlic Potato Salad

I'm not usually one for potato salad, I'm picky when it comes to it but I do eat my mom's! BUT this potato salad is my new favorite and can't wait to make it again and this time I'll make sure to make much more! No picture today, it wasn't photographing well!

Roasted Garlic Potato Salad-adapted from Apples to Zucchini
1 head of garlic
2/3 cup plain greek yogurt(I did use mostly yogurt and about 2 tbsp mayo)
2-4 tbsp parmesan cheese(I used shredded but you can use grated)
2-3 lbs potatoes, washed, chopped
1 tbsp dijon mustard(I used yellow)
3 shallots thinly sliced(omitted)
3 tbsp capers(omitted)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375
Place potatoes on large baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Cut top off garlic and lay on a piece of foil. Drizzle with a bit of oil and wrap it loosely. Place potatoes and garlic in oven and roast for 35 mins or until potatoes are done and crispy. Garlic is done when its soft and lightly browned. Allow to cool.

In a serving bowl mix together, yogurt, mayo, and mustard. Squeeze garlic out of skins and mash slightly into sauce. Toss in potatoes and cheese. Stir to coat.

**I love love loved this! I loved the tang of the yogurt and the sharp cheese. It's my new favorite! I also loved that the potatoes were roasted instead of boiled so it added much more texture to the dish!

Tasty Tuesday-4/26

Smore Cakes in a Jar-How Sweet It is
Oatmeal Raisin Bars-The Sweets Life
Thai CHicken Salad-For the Love of Cooking
Rigatoni with Stewed Veggies-Finding Joy in my Kitchen
Strawberry Yogurt Muffins-Sweet and Savory
Vanilla Bean Cake with White Chocolate Frosting-Jenn's Food Journey
Cheesy Chipotle Corn and Zucchini Casserole-A Southern FairyTale
Open Faced Teriyaki Burgers-The Sweets Life
Quick No Rise Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls-Alli n' son
Summer Squash, Zucchini, Pea Risotto-Debbie Does Dinner Healthy
Curried Turkey Calzones-Chasing Tomatoes
Breakfast Tortilla Strata-The Sweets Life
Minestrone Casserole-$5 dinners

Menu Plan Monday

Breakfast/Baking:
-Carrot Cake(Easter)
-Peanut Butter Eggs(Easter)
-Muffins
-Granola

Dinner:
-Pulled BBQ Pork Sandwiches, Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Potato Salad, Salad(Easter)
-Tacos and salad
-Coconut Chicken with Pineapple Curry Dipping Sauce, Coconut Sweet Potatoes, Salad
-Cheese Dog Casserole

Wheat Buttermilk Bread

A few weeks ago, a friend at church shared a loaf of bread with us. It was AMAZING and I need to get that recipe, but then I saw this recipe on one of my favorite blogs and it looked very similar to what we had. I knew I had to try it until I could get my hands on the other one!

Wheat Buttermilk Bread-shared from Finding Joy in My Kitchen
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup dry milk
3 cups flour(I used 2 cups wheat, 1 cup white)
4 tsp vital wheat gluten
2 1/4 tsp yeast

Place ingredients in bread maker according to manufacturer's directions. Press dough setting and allow to work through cycle. Check dough to make sure its the right consistency, I added more flour to mine as it was really wet.

One dough is done, shape into a loaf shape. Place into a greased loaf pan, cover, and let rise for 1 hr. Bake at 325 for 30-40 mins until bread is lightly browned and sounds hollow. Remove from pan and allow to cool almost completely before slicing.

**I wasn't so sure that this would rise well because the first rise didn't look like it usually does, but after the second rise it looked fine, not as high as the original did. It tastes delicious and I love the texture of the bread, its nice and soft. It made EXCELLENT grilled cheese!

Thai Steak and Fried Rice

I love that flavors of Thai food and love trying new steak marinades so I thought this would be perfect!

I did make a different Fried Rice recipe than what is on this link...I realized I was missing 2 ingredients!

Thai Steak-Jenn's Food Journey
2 tbsp lime juice
1 1/2 tsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp srirachu sauce(i use plain hot sauce)
1/4 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp canola oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp hoisin sauce
1 lb steak(I used a london broil)

Mix together marinade ingredients and place steak inside. Marinate for 4-6 hours. Grill for 4-5 mins per side or until desired doneness is achieved. (This was cooked about 5-6 mins on each side under the broiler.

**I think this definitely needed more marinating time, but the flavor was pretty good and tasty!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

This fall I surely had a pumpkin addiction...everything was pumpkin it seemed from breakfast foods to pasta! I was looking for some new breakfast ideas and came across this!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies-adapted from Family, Stamping, and Fun
1 cup unsweetened applesauce or butter,softened(I used a bit less, with 2 tbs butter softened)
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1 tbsp vanilla
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup quick cook oats
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1-2 cups mix ins:dried cranberries, raisins, chocolate chips, nuts(I used 1/4 cup choc. chips and some dried cranberries)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a bowl combine applesauce, butter, eggs, honey, vanilla, and pumpkin. Mix well to combine, stir in oats and set aside for 5 mins. In another bowl sitft together remaining dry ingredients. Add to wet ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in mix ins. Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough out onto cookie sheets. Cook for 15-18 mins(if cookies are big 10 mins if they are using a small scoop).

**The boys helped me make these, they are doing quite well with baking things almost pros...well my 4 yr old is, my 2 yr old helps by eating all the ingredients! I wasn't sure if they would eat these, but Q devoured at least 3 or 4 yesterday. A did like them as well!  They did not spread out or become big cookies at all, but I think that was due to the applesauce being added. Next time I think I'll add more spices!

This has been linked to Newlyweds Pumpkin Link up!

Mini Chicken Meatballs with Pasta

I didn't quite read this recipe all the way through to discover I needed chicken broth for the sauce...so I adapted it to something else! I do have to say it tasted WONDERFUL! (oh and please excuse the picture!)

Mini Chicken Meatballs with Pasta-adapted from What Megan's Making
1 lb ground chicken
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten*
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp ketchup
salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley(I used 2 tbsp dried parsley)
1/2 lb pasta, cooked to pkg directions

*I thought the mix was a bit wet with 2 eggs in it, but they did cook up nicely and were moist.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix together all the ingredients. Form into mini meatballs and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 mins until cook throughly.

Sauce/veggies
1-2 qts grape tomatoes
sliced sweet peppers(optional)
olive oil
salt and pepper
2-3 tbsp tomato and basil seasoning mix(I used tastefully simple)

Place tomatoes and pepper on cookie sheet with sides. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast with meatballs until tomatoes start to pop.

Place drained pasta in large serving dish. Scrape veggies and all the juices over the pasta and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle on seasoning and stir to combine. Let sit a few minutes to allow flavors to meld. Add in meatballs.

**This was better than I thought it was going to be! It was perfectly light and flavorful! WE did cut the meatballs in half for the leftovers to help stretch them out more. The meatballs were moist and very flavorful!

Tasty Tuesday-4/19

Lemon Cranberry Coconut Bread-The Sweet Life
Cheeseburger Pasta-Recipe Shoebox
Olive Garden Breadsticks-Finding Joy in my Kitchen
Dark Chocolate Blueberry Muffins-How Sweet It Is
Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake-Let's Dish
Dark Chocolate Cake with Hot Chocolate Frosting-What Megan's Making
Pizza Monkey Bread-What's Gaby Cooking
Korean Sizzling Beef-Crazy Jamie's Blog
Famous Cake-Lick The Bowl Good
Coconut Chicken with Pineapple curry dipping sauce-Cooking During Stolen Moments
Slow Cooker Italian Vegetable SOup-Debbi Does Dinner Healthy
Homemade Peppermint Patties-Making Memories
Cherry Granola-Finding Joy in my Kitchen
Coconut CHicken-Barefoot ConTerra

Menu Plan Monday

Breakfast/Baking:
-Brownie Bites with whipped cream and sliced strawberries(for a friend's party)
-Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
-Pizza Puffs(for friend, minus the pepperoni)

Dinner:
-Baked Potato Soup
-Mini Chicken Meatballs with Pasta
-Thai Steak and Fried Rice
-Spanikopita cups(for a friend)
-Mac and Cheese Dog Casserole

Homemade Jo Jo Potatoes

I used to LOVE these when we would get them growing up! I still do if I can find them...not many places seem to sell them. But now I have this beauty of recipe that is pretty good!

Again, I might have a picture...still learning with the new camera! Otherwise check out Jenn's recipe for a beautiful picture!

Homemade Jo Jo Potatoes-Jenn's Food Journey
potatoes(I used 4-5 sm/med potatoes)
olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup panko crumbs
2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees with a jelly roll pan warming inside.

Slice potatoes into wedges and place in bowl and cover with plastic wrap and steam in the microwave for 4-5 mins. In the meantime, mix together panko, cheese, and spices.Drizzle with 1-2 tsp olive oil and lightly stir in bowl for one min until they look starchy. Dredge potatoes in cheese mixture and press into the potatoes a bit to get it to stick. Set aside on another cookie sheet and repeat until all potatoes are coated. Allow to rest for 15 mins(which I did not, they rested for as long as I was dredging them!)

Pull cookie sheet out of the over and lightly coat pan with oil. Quickly place the potatoes on the pan and return to the over. Bake until crispy and golden brown.(The original recipe says 25-30 mins, mine were much thinner so they only took 10-15 mins)

**These were EXCELLENT! They also came together and cooked pretty quickly due to the thinness of them. They were crispy on the outside and crunchy on the inside and lots of flavor too! I did put my wedges in a ziploc steam bag to cook them as I had no plastic wrap and it worked perfectly!

Pear Cucumber Balsamic Salad

I had some pears and cucumbers that need to be used up. I spotted this recipe in a Robin Miller cookbook and deemed it perfect!

Now I do have a picture...but 1) its pretty boring, thing white salad with balsamic coloring and 2) I got a new camera and I don't know how to use it properly yet and they came out AWFUL! so maybe just the recipe will do for now...

Pear Cucumber Balsamic Salad-Robin Miller
1 english cucumber, chopped
2 pears, cored and chopped
2 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan cheese

Place cucumbers and pears in a bowl. Add in oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and cheese. Toss to combine.

**I thought this sounded delicious, K was skeptical but he really did like it! I loved the freshness of the fruit and veggies with the tang of the vinegar! Definitely will be making a reappearance!

Vanilla Cranberry Muffins

I'm currently in the process of cleaning our the freezer. I happen to find half a bag of frozen cranberries, so this recipe seemed to fit the bill perfectly!

Vanilla Cranberry Muffins-shared from Finding Joy in My Kitchen
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
4 tbsp greek yogurt(I used strawberry)
2 eggs, room temperature(mine were not)
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup cranberries, chopped
nutmeg to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together vanilla and sugar until well combined. Stir in yogurt and applesauce. Mix in the eggs. In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients. Alternate adding the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture with the milk. Fold in cranberries. Place in prepared muffins tins and bake for 20-25 mins.

**I really liked the tart cranberries with the sweetness of the muffin. It was also very moist and delicious!

Pasta with Chicken Sausage, Peppers, and Kale

I found some natural chicken sausages marked down at the store one day. They were provolone and wine flavored thought they sounded interesting, but once I got home I wasn't sure what to do with them! Then I found this recipe and thought it sounded perfect for them. You can use any kind of sausage of course! I also replaced the escarole with Kale, I never had it before, but I knew I liked Kale.

Pasta with Chicken Sausage, Peppers, and Kale-adapted from Gina's Skinny Recipes
1 lb chicken sausage
3 sweet peppers, sliced
1 onion, sliced
3-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped
1 lb pasta
crushed red pepper flakes to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Cook sausage until no longer pink. Remove from pan and set aside. In hot pan, add in peppers, onion, and garlic. Cook for about 5 mins until tender. Add in kale and cover for about 3 mins, stir and continue cooking for another 3 mins until kale is wilted. Drain pasta and reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water.

Mix together veggies, pasta, and sausage. Add in crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, and water. Stir to combine. Serve with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top!

**This was tasty and different. The sausage had a unique flavor to it, not sure if will be something I purchase again, but it was still tasty! I loved all the veggies that are in it, of course I had added more! This could easily be adapted to vegetarian. It was an easy dish to prepare and perfect for a light meal!

Baked Fish with Sour Cream Parmesan Sauce

Being that we are still in the season of Lent I've had to come up with meatless meals on Friday. K has been craving fish which is fine, but sometimes I like to change up what I do with it! This recipe sounded perfect, but was still pretty closed to the baked cod I've made before!

I did use Cod instead of Tilipia.

Baked Fish with Sour Cream Parmesan Sauce-shared from Jenn's Food Journey
4 fish fillets(cod or tilipia)
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
3 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tbsp italian Seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tbsp panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Rinse and pat fish dry(VERY important if you use frozen fish) Lay fish in greased baking dish. Mix together sour cream and spices. Spread on top of fish. Combine breadcrumbs, panko, and cheese.
Sprinkle on top of sour cream. Bake for 12-15 mins or until fish flakes.

**This was by far the best fish recipe I've made! Well K will tell you about the one I made once that involved a bag of potato chips and a stick of butter, but that doesn't tend to be very healthy! This fish was cheesy and had a tang from the sour cream! Delish!

Tasty Tuesday-4/12

Apple Peanut Butter Cookies-Sweet & Savory
Baked Falafel with Lemon Tahini Sauce-Can You Stay for Dinner?
wheat buttermilk bread-Finding Joy in my Kitchen
Vegan Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies-Joy The Baker
gf peanut butter banana snack cakes-apples to zucchini
Sweet Potato Brownies-Little Kitchen On the Prairie
Cake Batter Blondies-The Sweets Life
Balsamic Roasted Red Potatoes-Crazy Jamie's Blog
French Bread Rolls-what Megan's Making?

Menu Plan Monday

Breakfast/Baking:
-Cranberry vanilla muffins
-Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
-Egg McMuffins(extra for freezer)
-Waffles of Insane Greatness

Dinner:
-BBQ Chicken, mixed veggies, and Homemade baked sweet potato Parmesan Chips
-Wine and Provolone Chicken Sausages with Kale, Peppers, and Pasta
-Beef Stroganoff over Egg noodles, corn OR Japanese Beef Stew
-Fish Filets homemade Jo Jo potatoes
-Bake Potato Soup

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffins

I always love finding new muffin recipes and this one sounded easy and tasty!*Oops apparently I forgot to take a picture of these! I'll have to remember for next time!

I totally messed up the recipe...I didn't read it all the way through and just did it the way I thought I a muffin recipe usually goes! But despite misreading the instructions they came out wonderful!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffins-shared from How Sweet It Is
1 cup rolled oats(old fashioned)
1 cup milk
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup butter softened(I used 1 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp oil)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together milk and oatmeal. Set aside and allow to soak for about 5 mins or while you mix the rest of the recipe.

Whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, sugar, and baking soda. Whisk in butter/oil(if you use all butter it may still be lumpy) and egg. Add in vanilla and milk/oatmeal, whisk until throughly combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Place in prepared muffin tins(this makes 12) and bake for 15-18 mins.

**I wasn't sure how these would come out after reading the recipe wrong...or not reading it for that matter! BUT they came out AMAZING! They are crunchy on the outside and moist and tasty on the inside! They also taste just like a cookie in muffin form! YUM! Next time I'll try to cut back on the oil/butter though just to make them a touch healthier!

Maple BBQ Turkey Sloppy Joe's

I was recently reading someone's Tasty Tuesday type list and stumbled upon this. It sounded great so I couldn't wait to try it! Normally, I'd serve it on some Sandwich thins or homemade hamburger buns, BUT a wonderful lady from church made us some homemade bread(which I need to get the recipe for now) so I served it on that!

Maple BBQ Turkey Sloppy Joe's-shared from Rachael Ray
1 pkg ground turkey(usually around 20 oz)
1 red pepper, diced
1 tbsp poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup maple syrup(the real stuff!)
2 tbsp tamari(or 3 tbsp soy sauce)
8 oz can tomato sauce
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar(approx.)

Season turkey with poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Brown turkey until its no longer pink while breaking it up. Drain. Add in peppers, onion, and garlic and cook for about 5 mins until tender. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Allow to simmer for about 5 mins until heated through.(Taste when done to check for seasoning). Serve over rolls or bread.

**These were really good and tasty! I was glad I only put in the 2 tbsp tamari as I think anymore it would have been to powerful! It was both sweet and salty and we loved it!

Chicken Tikka Masala

On our quest to try new cuisine this was another one on my list. Once I found Garam Masala that I could afford that is! Luckily a friend also shared some of hers as I didn't buy enough at the store!

Chicken Tikka Masala-shared from Recipe Shoebox
3 chicken breast
salt
ground coriander
cumin
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp butter
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece ginger, microplaned
3 tbsp Garam Masala
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes OR crushed tomatoes(I used crushed)
1 tbsp sugar
chopped serrano or Jalepeno pepper(to taste)
Rice:
4 tbsp butter
2 cups basmati rice
1 tbsp tumeric
4 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 pkg frozen peas

Saute rice in butter until browned. Add in water, tumeric, and salt and cook as directed.(I used brown basmati so I think it took about 45 mins). When rice is done stir in the peas.

Season chicken with salt, coriander, and cumin. Dredge in yogurt. Grill until chicken is charred and cooked through. OR Cook under broiler for 5-7 mins per side. Remove from pan and chop into 1 inch cubes.

Melt butter in large pan add in onion and saute until slightly browned. Add in garlic and ginger, then add in 1 tbsp salt and 3 tbsp garam masala and if desired chopped Serrano pepper(I used a few slices of chopped jalepeno).

Next add in tomatoes and sugar. Stir and simmer for about 5 mins. Stir in the cream and chicken. Simmer for 1-2 mins. Serve tikka over the rice and with Naan Bread.

**I really loved this dish! The chicken was moist and delicious and the sauce was very flavorful..but next time ill use less jalapeños it was a bit spicy!

Sweet Potato Soup with Cheddar and Chives

I picked up one of Robin Miller's Cookbooks at the library last week...and shortly after I had quite a few recipes marked off, which my mom made fun of me for! BUT I did have 3 recipes on the menu last week...but I only made one of them after K informed me he didn't want anything spicy. I made this soup on Friday and I wasn't sure about the flavors, but it did WORK! K really enjoyed it and he usually isn't a fan of pureed soups.

I did leave the leeks out because I forgot to pick them up, so I'm sure that would had a bit more bulk to the meal. K also suggested maybe some caramelized onions for next time...not 10 mins before dinner!

Sweet Potato Soup with Cheddar and Chives-Robin Miller's Robin to the Rescue cookbook
2-3 sweet potatos, peeled and cubed
2 leeks (white part only) chopped and rinsed well(omitted)
1 qt vegetable broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp sugar
1 can evaporated milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded cheese(cheddar, italian blend, smoked)
chives
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Place sweet potatoes in pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender. Drain and set aside.

Place olive oil in large skillet and heat up. Add in leeks, garlic, and sugar, cook until leeks soften, about 5 mins. Add potatoes and broth and bring to a boil, simmer for 5 mins. Using an immersion blender or a reg. blender puree soup. Add back to the pan and stir in evap. milk. heat through. Serve up soup and garnish with cheese and chives.(I did use dried chives)

**We mixed out cheese into the soup and surprisingly it tasted REALLY good! K used an Italian blend cheese on leftovers and he said that was EVEN better than the cheddar. The recipe did call for smoked cheese(or cheddar) but I wasn't going to pay that much for it.

Waffles of Insane Greatness

I finally was able to buy some new waffle plates...my old Belgian waffle maker sadly bit the dust. And no it wasn't "that old" maybe a few years. So I found some plates that would fit into my George Foreman grill. I had one very excited 4 year old when they came and I was glad they did because I really wanted to try this recipe!

Waffles of Insane Greatness-shared from Finding Joy in My Kitchen
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup milk+2 tbsp(if using all ww flour)
4 tbsp olive oil
1 egg
3/4 tsp vanilla

Mix together dry ingredients. Mix together wet ingredients and add to the dry ones, mix until just slightly lumpy. Allow to sit for 30 mins.

Heat up waffle griddle. Oil if desired. Ladle batter onto hot griddle, close and cook according to your waffle maker directions. Top with your favorite topping and enjoy!

**I made these one morning when my mom and sister were here for breakfast. I made chocolate whipped cream and strawberries to go on top. They were really tasty! My mom also tried them with syrup and they were also good! I loved how crunchy the cornstarch made them and they tasted wonderful! They even reheated well, not soggy at all!

Tasty Tuesday-4/5

Orange Chicken Stir Fry-Jenn's Food Journey
Hawaiian Pineapple CHicken-Siggy Spice
Corn and Summer Squash Chowder-Debbi Does Dinner Healthy
Strawberry Lemonade Muffins-Sweet as Sugar Cookies
Beef with Peppers-Pioneer Woman
Blueberry Oat Crumble Bars-How Sweet It Is
Warm Strawberry Bacon Orzo Salad-How Sweet It Is
Thai Steak with Fried Rice-Jenn's Food Journey
Italian Style Shephard's Pie-from apples to zucchini
Homemade Samoas Bars-Baking Bites
Dark CHocolate Yogurt Cake-How Sweet It Is
Chewy Lowfat Banana Oatmeal Cookies-Gina's Skinny Recipes
Jo jo Potatoes-Jenn's Food Journey

Peanut Butter Banana Streusal Muffins

I signed up to bring snack to A's preschool this week with a plan to clean out my freezer by using up some frozen cookie dough! Then my mom and sister came over and A wanted to make cookies so I took out the dough, leaving me with having to come up with something else to make! I had already planned on making these so some went to his class!

Peanut Butter Banana Streusal Muffins-adapted from Recipe Shoebox
Streusal topping:
3 tbsp whole wheat flour
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp butter, melted
Mix together and set aside.

Muffins:
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup banana puree(about 1-2 bananas mashed)
1/2 cup oil(I used mostly applesauce with a touch of oil)
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add in the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Place in greased muffin tins and top with streusal topping. Bake for 15-17 mins until golden brown.

**These were really tasty and all the kids loved them. I did make them mini size, something about mini muffins causes kids to gobble them up! I didn't find the peanut butter flavor to be very strong so maybe next time I'll add more! I loved the sweet topping of the streusal!

Ham and Cheese Canneloni

A few weeks ago my mom and I attended the Taste of Home Cooking School Show. In our bag of goodies came 2 of their magazines full of recipes! This was one of them and I knew I had some extra egg roll wrappers in the freezer to use up!

Ham and Cheese Cannelloni-shared from Taste Of Home
8-10 egg roll wrappers
1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 lb sliced deli ham
1 jar alfredo sauce (or homemade)
1 cup shredded italian cheese blend

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together ricotta, egg, and mozzarella cheese until well combined. Spread a layer of alfredo sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.Lay egg roll wrappers down on work surface and spread with 3 tbsp of cheese mixture. Lay 1-2 pieces of ham on top and roll up jelly roll style. Place seam side down in pan. Continue until all cheese and ham is used. Spread remaining sauce on top of rolls and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for about 20 mins until hot, brown, and bubbly.

**These were pretty good even the boys liked them. I felt they need more flavor, maybe ill add in some garlic next time!

Naan Bread

I've had this list on my tasty Tuesday list for a while now and I FINALLY got to make them! They were pretty easy to make and the boys loved helping me! Cooking them was easy considering I used my George Foreman Grill!

I did adapt this to using my bread machine for the dough, but its not necessary!

Naan Bread-adapted from Let's Dish
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups bread flour(I used 2 cups ww, 1.5 ap +4 tsp vital wheat gluten)*
Topping:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp garlic salt

Add ingredients to bread machine as recommended by manufacturer. Start on dough cycle and once it beeps remove dough. *Check dough to make sure its not to dry or wet, you may need more or less flour. Divide dough into 18 or so equal pieces and roll into a ball. Place on cookie sheet and cover with a towel. Allow to rise for an hour until doubled. Mix together butter and garlic salt. Roll dough out into circles. Place on pre-heated george foreman grill. Brush with butter/garlic. Cook for 2-3 mins until puffed and brown, flip and brush top with more butter. Cook for another 2-3 mins(with the grill closed).

**This made delicious bread that we ate along with some chicken tikka masala. The boys gobbled them right up as well!