Melt-in-your-mouth Pumpkin Cookies

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

I'll be honest, these were soft and delicious, but I do like a little more pumpkin flavor in my pumpkin cookies. Next time I might add the whole can of pumpkin and maybe a little more flour to compensate? I'll let you know how that goes!

I also did NOT use the frosting, but added chocolate chips instead. If I were to frost them, I think I would replace at least half the butter with cream cheese and maybe even a tablespoon or two of the leftover pumpkin - cooked in the saucepan with the butter and brown sugar.

Makes 3-4 dozen (depending on size)
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg
1 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 of a 15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour

Frosting
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar (add until desired consistency/firmness)
ground cinnamon sprinkled on top (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl beat the 1 cup of butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, egg, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Blend on medium high speed until light and fluffy. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, the 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and the nutmeg. Beat until combined. (Add chocolate chips - optional)
2. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until tops are set. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
3. For frosting, in a small saucepan heat the 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar until melted and smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Spread frosting on cookies. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon if desired.

The Famous Lilly Peanut Butter Fudge Cake

Probably my favorite cake EVER! My grandma's recipe. Chocolate + peanut butter... need I say more?

Ingredients:
Cake:
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter or margarine (2 sticks)
1/4 cup cocoa
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 Tablespoons peanut oil (may substitute canola oil)

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup cocoa
6 Tablespoons buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Combine flour, sugar, and baking soda in large mixing bowl; set aside.
2. Melt 1 cup butter or margarine in a heavy saucepan; stir in 4 Tbsp. cocoa, eggs, salt, water, and buttermilk until well blended. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Remove from heat and mix into flour mixture, stirring until smooth. Add 1 tsp. vanilla. Pour batter into a greased an floured 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until center is set. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes.
4. Mix peanut butter and peanut or canola oil. Spread over warm cake and allow to cool completely.
5. For frosting, combine 1/2 cup butter or margarine, 1/4 cup cocoa, and buttermilk in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Pour over powdered sugar, whisking until smooth. Add 1 tsp. vanilla. Spread chocolate frosting over peanut butter layer on cake. Try not to eat the whole thing in one sitting.

Copper Canyon Grill Tortilla Soup

When we lived in Maryland, our favorite local restaurant was a [kinda pricey] grill whose name changed with the seasons. Everything on its very short menu was absolutely delicious. When we went back for Travis's graduation, we ate lunch there with my mom (she convinced the waiter to seat us on the patio even though it wasn't officially open for lunch). I ordered a tortilla soup, and it was, of course, delectable (as Fancy Nancy would say). Then, a few months ago, back in Kansas City, I found myself craving said tortilla soup. Mind you, this place is not a chain restaurant and has changed owners as often as my daughters change tutus. I had no hope of finding a recipe. But, in desperation I googled anyway. Lo and behold. The restaurant actually has a minimalist blog where they share little tidbits of news, and occasionally, a recipe. Can you guess which one they chose to share??? I was in raptures! Here is the original recipe.

Sadly, I definitely did not have any cans of "condensed chicken and rice soup" on hand. What even is that? So I whipped myself up a basic recipe for "chicken and rice soup," that I pretty much made up (hey, if Campbell's can do it, I can do it!), and started there. Here is the abridged recipe:

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 diced onion
1 carrot, chopped (or sliced or whatever you like to do)
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons flour
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 cup cooked chicken (or however much you want... or leftover Thanksgiving turkey, in my case!)
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
Tortilla chips
4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese (or whatever flavor you like on your tortilla soup!)

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, melt butter and saute onion, carrot, and celery until softened. Add garlic and saute another minute or two. Sprinkle flour over cooked vegetables and stir, cooking for a minute or two longer. Add chicken broth, uncooked rice, cooked chicken, diced tomatoes, and tomato sacue (I have to say these measurements are all rough estimates. Just add however much broth you want to make the appropriate amount of soup! Keep in mind that 1 cup of liquid will be taken up in cooking the rice.) Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until rice is cooked completely.

Place some tortilla chips in the bottom of an individual bowl and sprinkle cheese over the chips. Pour soup over the chips and cheese.

Cinnamon Rolls

Um, sorry you can scarcely see them under all that delicious frosting!!!

So I've made lots and lots and lots of cinnamon rolls in my day. They were all vaguely terrible. Dry-ish and a little flavorless and they'd totally fall apart because of the spiral-roll shape (not in a good way). So when my friend Megan, one morning after we'd beaten ourselves to pieces with a Jillian Michaels workout, mentioned that her house happened to be full of freshly baked cinnamon rolls and would we like to come try one? I was like, "Um... is the Pope Catholic?" We HAD just worked out, after all. We'd earned those cinnamon rolls. Wow. Best. Cinnamon. Rolls. I-have-ever-tasted.

Luckily, she was kind enough to send me the recipe.

This one is from Beauty and Bedlam, but I halved it and adjusted some of the ingredients so they would be slightly less than nearly 600 calories per roll! (Yes, I did the calculations on that because I am a masochist.) This made 9 GIGANTIC cinnamon rolls, which were definitely more than enough for my family of 5... and we ate them all day long. Really I couldn't even finish half in one sitting.

INGREDIENTS

Dough

• (1) .25 oz. pks. active dry yeast
• 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup melted butter 
• 1/2 cup 110 degree water (approximately)
• 1/2 cup warm milk (must be warm)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 egg – slightly beaten
• 3 1/4-3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling

• 3 Tbsp. melted butter 
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbls. ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cups chopped walnuts, pecans or raisins – (optional)

Frosting

• 4 oz. neufchatel or fat-free cream cheese
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• About 1 Tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (I just realized I accidentally doubled both extracts, but it was yummy! Reduce these amounts if you're scared.)
• 2 cups powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For bread machine: Add water, milk, melted butter, sugar, salt, egg, flour, and yeast to bread machine bowl, in that order. Set on "dough" setting. (I did this the night before so I could just wake up and roll them out in the morning.) Then jump to Step 6.
2. Without bread machine: In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tsp. sugar in warm water; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix together milk, remaining sugar, 1/3 cup melted butter, salt, and egg; add yeast mixture and 2 cups of flour to mixture; beat until smooth; stir in enough flour to form a slightly stiff dough.
4. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for 8 minutes.
5. Place dough into a large greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
6. Punch down dough and let rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together 3/4 cup sugar and cinnamon.
7. Roll dough out onto a floured surface into a 15″ X 10″ rectangle.
8. Brush 3 tablespoons melted butter over dough; sprinkle cinnamon sugar liberally over dough; sprinkle nuts evenly over dough, if desired.
9. Tightly roll up dough, starting from the shorter (10") side. Pinch edges together to seal. Cut the roll into 9 slices using dental floss or thread.
10. Grease a 9″ X 9″ X 2″ baking pan. (I will say I had to squeeze them into a pan this size, and it made for gargantuan towering rolls that were a bit doughy in the middle - because they were too big to cook through evenly. I thought they were good, but you might also experiment with different pan sizes and shapes - or different roll sizes!)
11. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the prepared pan; cover pan and allow to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until nearly doubled in size.
12. Bake rolls in a 350 degree oven for 25 – 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
13. For frosting, beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Add milk, a little at a time, until frosting reaches desired consistency. Spread frosting on warm rolls and eat until you are stuffed.

Preparation time: 30 minute(s) (plus additional rise time)

Cooking time: 25 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 9 huge rolls

Soft Pretzels

Something about Fall made me want to eat pretzels. Or we can blame the pregnancy. Whatever! We used to get these AMAZING pretzels from a Dutch market in Maryland, and I've never found anything quite like them. But they make the pretzels right there in front of you... so how hard can it be, right? So I set out to try, and I have to say they were pretty delicious! But just a word of warning - they really have to be eaten the same day. (We tried to keep a few, but no.)

Recipe adapted from the Brown Eyed Baker, who adapted it from Alton Brown

INGREDIENTS:
1½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
4½ cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Boiling water
About 1/4 cup baking soda
1 egg white + 1 tablespoon water, whisked together (for egg wash)
Coarse salt, for sprinkling
Melted butter (3-4 tablespoons)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine the water and sugar in a mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to foam.
2. Add the flour, salt, and butter. Use the dough hook attachment to mix on low speed until all of the ingredients are combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, about 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Remove the dough from the mixer and place in a clean, oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and brush with the vegetable oil; set aside. [**This is important! I was too lazy to get out the parchment paper and it was beastly to get the pretzels off the pan! And then the chemical reaction from the baking soda left marks on the pan. Just so you know.]
5. Pour boiling water into a 9x9 glass pan (or whatever you have - a shallow dish) until it is about 2/3 full. Add baking soda and stir to combine. (The 1/4 cup is a really rough estimate - I really just dumped some in.)
6. In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. [**Another note: I made nearly twice as many pretzels with this recipe - maybe mine were just small?] Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Holding each end, whip the center of the rope in toward itself so the U-shape catches and spins a couple times. Lay it down carefully, bringing the two ends down to meet the bottom (center of what was the U). Basically, make a pretzel shape.
7. Place the pretzels into the boiling water and baking soda, 2 or 3 at a time (however many will fit comfortably), for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large, flat spatula. Place the boiled pretzels on the baking sheet. Brush the top of each pretzel with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt.
8. Bake until they are just starting to brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and brush with melted butter, making sure not to remove all the salt! Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Blueberry Streusel Bars with Lemon Creme Filling

I have to copy down this recipe before I lose it (again). I found it in my recipe box, but it was an incomplete recipe. Some careful Googling helped me find it on the Fine Cooking website. Needless to say, these are delicious.

• 8 oz. (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pan
• 13-1/2 oz. (3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats)
• 1-1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. table salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 large egg, separated
• 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 2-1/2 cups room-temperature blueberries (about 13 oz.), washed and drained on paper towels

TIP:

Be sure to use room-temperature berries. Cold fruit straight from the refrigerator will prevent your dessert from baking evenly.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the ends. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of the foil.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Using your fingers, blend the butter completely into the flour mixture. Transfer 2 cups of crumb mixture to another bowl and reserve for the topping. Blend the egg white into the remaining crumbs and then press the mixture into the bottom of the pan to form a level crust. You can tamp it with the bottom of a measuring cup to even it out. Bake the crust until it starts to form a dry top, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and egg yolk. Let this mixture stand for 5 minutes; it will begin to thicken.

Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the hot crust and then drop spoonfuls of the lemon mixture over the blueberries. Spread gently with a spatula to distribute a little more evenly, but take care not to crush the berries; it’s fine if the lemon mixture isn’t perfectly even. Bake until the lemon mixture just begins to form a shiny skin, 7 to 8 minutes.

Sprinkle the reserved topping over the lemon-blueberry layer, pressing the streusel between your fingers into small lumps as you sprinkle. Bake until the filling is bubbling at the edges and the topping is brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Let the bars cool in the pan on a rack until just warm, about an hour. Carefully lift them out of the pan using the foil overhang and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove the foil and cut into 24 bars when cool. The bars may be stored at room temperature for a few hours but otherwise should be kept in the refrigerator.

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 270; Fat (g): 10; Fat Calories (kcal): 90; Saturated Fat (g): 6; Protein (g): 4; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 2.5; Carbohydrates (g): 41; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 0.5; Sodium (mg): 140; Cholesterol (mg): 35; Fiber (g): 2

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

We were video chatting with my mom today, and the topic of granola bars came up (because we were eating them), and she asked if we ever made our own, like she used to when I was little. I said I wanted her recipe, and Kate said, "You can tell it to us, and we'll write it down!" So that's what we did. My mom read the recipe while Kate took notes. (She has had a lot of practice since her class had recently compiled a cookbook, and they have been working on writing recipes for weeks.) I thought her finished recipe card was so cute, especially with the little drawing of the granola bar at the bottom. It's quite true that no one likes to make a recipe without a picture of the finished product.

Peanut Butter "Granila" Bars

1 cup sugar
1 cup light Karo syrup
1-1/4 - 1-1/2 cups peanut butter
4 cups rolled oats
2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup raisins
Other optional ingredients: sunflower seeds, almonds, dates, rice krispies

1 - Combine sugar and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil for one minute. Remove from heat.
2 - Add peanut butter and stir until melted,
3 - Stir in remaining ingredients and knead until well blended (if adding chocolate in any form, wait until the mixture is nearly completely cooled).
4 - With well-buttered hands, press into a buttered cookie sheet.
5 - Let cool, then cut into bars, Wrap or store in an airtight container.

Crepes

[As a matter of interest, this is the recipe my childhood friend transcribed for me when we were in junior high. The original copy is the one my dad still cooks from today whenever he makes crepes - of course my parents kept the original version, scrawled on lined paper and with "flour" spelled as "flower." Completely priceless.]

Crepes

2 Tbsp. butter, melted
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup orange juice

Beat eggs and milk; add butter. Add flour, sugar, and salt at once while mixing. (An electric mixer is easiest.) Add vanilla and orange juice. Pour a scant 1/4 cup of batter on hot pan and immediately rotate in a circular motion until the batter forms a thin crepe. Cook over medium heat until the edges start to turn slightly golden; flip and cook for 30 seconds more. There is no need to discard the first pancake. :-)

The General's Southern Pound Cake

This recipe is NOT mine and strictly speaking, I didn't ask permission to share it. But I'm terrified that I'm going to lose it someday or, you know, my house will burn down and take the recipe with it or something, so this way I'll be sure to have it wherever I go. It comes from our good friend and legendary baker, Jeremy Rich, who got it from a good friend of his own who happened to be, not surprisingly, a Southern general. It is far and away THE BEST pound cake I have ever had the pleasure of eating.

1 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2-3 teaspoons high quality vanilla

Cream butter shortening. Add sugar slowly, mixing thoroughly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Mix cake flour and salt, and add to batter. Mix well. Add whipping cream and vanilla. Blend for 8 minutes on medium-high speed.

Grease and flour bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 75 minutes. Turn off the oven and let sit unopened for another 5 minutes. Remove cake and cool 5 minutes, then invert over wire rack to cool. Dust with powdered sugar.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Okay, I know I should just call a spade a spade and consider this an official "SOUP" blog instead of a "recipe" blog with variety.

Anyway, when I was growing up my mom used to make a delicious broccoli cheese soup. Being a kid I wasn't a huge fan of broccoli. Or cheese. Or soup, for that matter (don't worry - I grew out of it), but this soup was an exception. It was totally delectable, as Fancy Nancy would say. This is not the same recipe my mom used (because I don't have it... hm, I should look into that), but it is definitely delectable all the same.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 medium chopped onion
1 cup carrot, grated
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups half-and-half cream (I use fat-free 1/2 and 1/2 and it is just the same! It's my dirty little fat-free secret)
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb fresh broccoli
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese (have I mentioned how much I love Cabot's Seriously Sharp cheddar?)
salt and pepper

Directions:
1 - Sauté onion and carrot in butter until tender.

2 - Stir in flour and whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and add the half & half.
3 -  Add the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.
4 - Add the broccoli. Cook over low heat until broccoli is bright green.
5 - Add nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and add cheese.

Fall Soup

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2 carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup apple juice or cider
4 cups beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 zucchini, cut into 1-in. pieces
2 red potatoes, chopped
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of baking soda
1/3 cup small shell macaroni (or any small pasta), uncooked
1/3 lb. ground Italian sausage, cooked (optional - if you want a vegetarian dish!)
1 cup fresh baby spinach 
Salt & pepper to taste

1. Saute onion and carrots in olive oil for several minutes; add garlic and cook for one minute longer. Add tomato paste and stir, over med-high heat. Add apple juice or cider and cook for a few minutes until slightly reduced.
2. Add beef broth, diced tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, beans, Italian seasoning, and nutmeg. (I also added some basil and Penzey's "Forward" spice blend, which I nurse an addiction to and put on everything - fish, eggs, ice cream...) Add whatever seasonings taste like Fall to you. Sprinkle with a dash of baking soda to cut the acidity - add a little at a time because it will make the soup mad!
3. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for as long as you like - maybe even an hour, if you have that kind of time.
4. Add macaroni, cooked Italian sausage, and spinach. Simmer for about 15 min. Season generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with fresh Parmesan and serve with bread!

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies

Um.... My two favorite things in a cookie? YES PLEASE!

[A random speech - because you've come to expect that from me]:
You may notice that I prefer to BAKE than to COOK. In this world, there are cooks and there are bakers. The bakers are in charge of dessert and generally fattening everybody up. The cooks are in charge of sustenance and basically whipping up the everyday eats that keep us alive. You can guess which I consider to be more valuable, yet here I am trying to adapt to fill both roles. Let me just indulge myself here and give into my natural inclination. Which is, of course, to bake loads of delicious treats that I certainly should not be eating and/or feeding my children for breakfast.

COOKIES ~

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk

PEANUT BUTTER FILLING~

1/2 cup peanut butter (+ maybe a little more - I had to add a bit more to make it manageable)
1/2 cup powdered sugar

CHOCOLATE FROSTING~

1/2 cup chocolate pieces (I used Ghirardelli's 60% cacao)
1 Tablespoon butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS:

1. Beat butter, shortening, and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat for several minutes on medium-high. Beat in cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Batter will be very thick. Add milk, a tablespoon at a time, until batter is desired consistency (you may not need the full amount).
2. Drop cookies onto cookie sheets. Press your thumb into the center of each ball.
3. For peanut butter filling, mix peanut butter and powdered sugar (add another tablespoon or so of peanut butter if the mixture is too thick to stir). Drop a rounded teaspoonful of peanut butter filling into the indentation in each chocolate cookie.
4. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
5. Meanwhile, make chocolate frosting. Melt chocolate pieces and butter in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar and blend with electric mixer until smooth. Add milk during mixing to keep the frosting at a smooth, mix-able consistency.
6. Spread frosting over cooled cookies, covering the peanut butter filling.
7. Try not to eat all of the cookies by yourself. At least not all in one sitting.

Green Smoothies

***UPDATED:
 I adjusted this recipe a little each time and took advice from some friends who are on the "green smoothie" bandwagon, and now we have a base recipe that is a keeper! Troy and Brooklyn STILL eat it, which is more than I can say for my first few versions after the first try.

I first discovered this new craze via the wonderful world of Pinterest. Smoothies? + Vegetables? My kids eat smoothies! And they do not eat vegetables. Surely we can come to an agreement here...

I have to admit, when I pulled out the blender and then... stuffed it full of fresh spinach... I was skeptical. I mean, well just look.

Yum, right?

No.

So I hit "blend" or something else with a pulverizing description to it and came up with this.

Then we drank it.

Result?

It was a WIN!

WOW, you wouldn't believe how much like spinach this does NOT taste! No really! It was truly delicious. I made a couple alterations to the first recipe I found and liked it much better.

Here ya go.

6 oz fresh spinach, kale, or collard greens
8 oz frozen raspberries or strawberries ( I used strawberries)
1-2 ripe bananas (fresh or frozen)
1-2 cups milk
1/2-1 cup yogurt (if using plain yogurt, add honey or sugar)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup grape juice
1/4 cup flax seed meal (optional)
6-8 ice cubes (also optional, if the banana was not frozen and/or if you like a more icy consistency)

Place all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth. Some people prefer to blend the greens and water first, then add the other ingredients, but I've found it makes no difference for me!

Deep-Dish Chicken Pot Pie

This one's for Kathryn. Also - lower in fat than the regular version, especially because it only has one crust!

3 medium leeks or 1 large onion, chopped
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (optional)
1-2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half, light cream, or milk
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, corn, beans, etc.)
1 beaten egg white
Pastry topper (below)

In a large saucepan cook leeks or onion, mushrooms (if using), and chicken pieces in hot butter over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until cooked through and vegetables are tender. Stir in flour, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook for another minute or two. Add broth and milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in frozen vegetables (as much as you'd like). Pour into a 2-quart baking dish.

Prepare pastry topper and place over chicken mixture in dish. Turn edges under; flute to edges of dish. Brush with beaten egg white. With a sharp knife, cut slits in the top for steam to vent.

Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Pastry Topper:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
4-5 Tablespoons water

Stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until dough pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle cold water over the mixture, one tablespoon at a time; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to side. Continue sprinkling water and tossing until all dough is moistened. Form into a ball and turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap and roll dough out until it's the size of your baking dish. Use the plastic wrap to help transfer the pastry to top the dish. (Also makes clean-up easier!)

Travis's Famous Snow Cones

Wendi requested the snow cone recipe, so here it is! He makes the syrup (below) and drizzles it over the snow cones along with sweetened condensed milk - yes, straight from the can! Sounds crazy but it's actually good...

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 (0.13 ounce) package unsweetened, fruit-flavored soft drink mix

Directions

1. In a saucepan, stir together the sugar and water. Bring to a boil, and boil for about 1 minute. Remove from heat, and stir in the drink mix. Allow to cool, and store in a container for pouring. Pour over shaved ice to flavor.

Carrot Bread

I made this for our pre-school Easter party by modifying a zucchini bread recipe. Get it? Carrots? Bunnies? Right. My original recipe notes that you can try 1 ½ cups grated apple instead of zucchini (or carrots in my case) - and also omit the milk. I haven't tried it that way though!

1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 beaten egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup finely shredded carrots (I just threw them in the food processor)
¼ cup oil
¼ cup milk (this is an estimate – just put in however much it takes to make it more like a thick batter consistency)
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted (optional)

1. Grease the bottom and ½ inch up sides of an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
2. In another medium bowl combine egg, sugar, carrots, oil, and milk. Add carrot mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts, if using. Spoon into prepared pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan, then cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

Tomato Bisque

I know. I've gone crazy about soup. We literally ate it every day last week. And for lunch too. But this one is fabulous.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped,
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 cup milk
3 cups beef broth
1 (14.5) can tomatoes, whole in juice or diced, seasoned or not, your choice!
1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 bay leaf
Around 1/2-1 tsp. Italian seasoning, basil, or whatever you like to use
Dash nutmeg
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, carrot, and garlic until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in flour and cook another minute.
2. Whisk in milk, cooking and stirring until mixture is thickened. Add tomato paste, beef broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, bay leaf, Italian seasoning/basil, nutmeg, and salt & pepper. Bring nearly to boil and simmer 20-30 minutes.
3. Remove bay leaf. Pour soup into a blender in batches and blend until it's the desired consistency. Alternately, use a stick blender to puree the soup in the pan.
4. Return soup to pan and heat through. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and basil as desired.

Serve sprinkled with fresh basil, grated Parmesan, or a swirl of cream, and definitely with a grilled cheese sandwich. (You may or may not already know of my undying love for Cabot's Seriously Sharp cheddar.)

Shrimp Bisque

I found this one on Discovery Health, and although I didn't even come close to following it to the letter, it was still delicious. My only advice would be NOT to leave the ingredients from the stock in the soup (specifically the bay leaf & peppercorns; carrots - optional) because you think it will improve the flavor as it finishes cooking and you can just warn your family what not to eat. We all nearly killed ourselves accidentally cracking into those sneaky peppercorns... So probably, just follow the recipe. We served it with buttermilk cornbread, which recipe follows below.

Ingredients
• 12 ounces raw shrimp (30-40 per pound) shell-on
• 1 each onion chopped, divided
• 1 each carrot peeled and sliced
• 1 stalk celery (with leaves) sliced
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 each bay leaf
• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces mushrooms wiped clean and sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• ½ each green bell pepper, chopped
• ¼ cup chopped scallions
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups low-fat milk
• ¼ cup reduced-fat sour cream
• ¼ cup dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Dash of hot sauce

Instructions
1. Peel and de-vein shrimp, reserving the shells. Cut the shrimp into 3/4-inch pieces; cover and refrigerate.
2. Combine the shrimp shells with about half the onion, all the carrot, celery, wine, peppercorns and bay leaf in a large heavy saucepan. Add water and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve, pressing on the solids to extract all the juices; discard the solids. Measure the shrimp stock and add water, if necessary, to make 1 ½ cups.
3. Heat oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, scallions, parsley and the remaining onion. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring constantly, until it starts to turn golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly stir in milk and the shrimp stock. Cook, stirring to loosen any flour sticking to the bottom of the pot, until the soup returns to a simmer and thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved shrimp and cook until they turn opaque in the center, about 2 minutes more. Add sour cream, sherry and lemon juice; stir over low heat until heated through—do not let it come to a boil. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper and hot sauce.

Buttermilk Cornbread

Ever-so-slightly adapted from a classic allrecipes.com find, this one is FABULOUS... IF you like your cornbread sweet. Which of course I do.

Ingredients
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.
2. Combine melted butter, oil, and sugar. Add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and immediately stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Kalua Pig

This one is from our friends the Changs who served it at their daughter's 2nd birthday party, and it was AMAZING! I was suffering from early pregnancy nausea but this was one dish I just loved. Don't be thrown off by the leaves. They told us if you are sticking it in the slow cooker to just forget about the leaves. I just left them in the recipe for authenticity.

2 lbs. pork shoulder
1 Tablespoon Hawaiian salt (coarse sea salt)
1 Tablespoon liquid smoke
1 banana leaf
2-3 large ti leaves, ribs removed
1 cup water

Score pork on all sides with 1/4-inch deep slits about 1 inch apart. Rub pork with 1/2 tablespoon Hawaiian salt, then rub with liquid smoke. Wrap pork in the banana leaf, then wrap completely in ti leaves. Tie with string and wrap in foil. (Omit the leaves part if using slow cooker.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pork in shallow roasting pan and add 1 cup water. Roast for 4 hours. (Or, roast in slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours.)
Shred pork and let stand in 1/2 tablespoon Hawaiian salt dissolved in 1 cup boiling water with a few drops of liquid smoke before serving.