Chicken Schnitzel

Oh man. I may make this again this week, because it was a huge hit. I got it of of iVillage again, but I made my own changes. I used lemon, and I used Panko Crumbs in stead of bread crumbs, and I added the noodles with lemon sauce. You can make this however you want and I'm sure it is just dandy.

Chicken Scnitzel

2 large chicken breasts

2 cups Panko crumbs, sauted till golden with butter in a frying pan

1 egg

2/3 c flour

salt and pepper

Canola oil

1 package soba noodles (yummy buckwheat noodles that are SO good for you, found at Whole Foods or even better- Sunflower Market)

Sauce

2 T butter

1-2 T flour

1/3 cup heavy cream

3 T capers

salt pepper to taste

squeeze of lemon

Place your chicken breasts between two pieces of wax paper and one at a time, beat with a rolling pin till 1/4 inch thick. Cut in half, length-wise so you now have four schnitzel's. Beat the egg, and put in a shallow bowl. Put the flour in another shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Put your toasted Panko crumbs in another bowl. Dip each schnitzel one by one first in the flour, then the egg, then the panko crumbs. Make sure to press into the panko crumbs to get good coverage. Place on a plate and refrigerate for 30 min.

Meanwhile, boil your soba noodles just until tender and drain. Melt the 2 T butter in a small sauce pan and add the flour. Keep stirring, and always try to keep the mixture moving. Add the cream and the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Add the capers.

Rinse your soba noodles and drain as much as possible. (They are pretty slimey... don't worry about it.) Toss the noodles with the sauce and set aside to keep warm.

In a large skillet warm up the oil and when hot add the refrigerated schnitzel. If doing them not all at once, warm the oven to 175 degrees to have a place to keep them warm. Fry the schnitzel's for 2-3 min on each side at med-high heat, or until golden brown and cooked through. Keep warm in oven till ready to serve.

Curl up a pile of noodles on the plate and place warm schnitzel on top, and serve!

Watermelon Limeade

Such a lovely twist on the citrus beverages. I am going to try using raw sugar next time, to make the taste a bit more natural.

Watermelon Limeade

8 cups of cubed water melon

1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

1/4 c. sugar

mint/limes (garnish)

Blend up the watermelon in the blender (it may take two cycles), then strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Stir in the lime juice and the sugar and mix till completely dissolved. Chill- and serve.

S'mores Bars

These are on my TOP FIVE favorite treats list. They are so good, and so satisfying- it's almost sinful. I got this recipe from Brit- so thank you for making my life all the better.

S'mores Bars

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 8 graham crackers)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized milk chocolate bars
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows) *I used a whole jar

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and/or line an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt.
Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan.
4. Place chocolate bars over dough (2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate if necessary to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick).
5. Spread the marshmallow fluff over the chocolate.
6. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles or panels and laying them together).
7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

(I put chocolate chips on top because I am JUST that desperate for more sugar, calories, and deliciousness.)

Caprese Pasta Salad

I whipped this up pretty quick and it is SO GOOD. The recipe is from iVillage, so credit goes to them.

Caprese Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

8 oz dried rigatoni

1 cup cubed fresh mozzarella

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup pesto sauce (homemade or store bought)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook the rigatoni in some salted water with a dash of olive oil, just until tender.

While pasta is cooking, cube the mozzarella, halve the olives, and mix them with the pesto.

When pasta is ready, rinse in cold water, then pat dry with paper towel. Toss gently with the pesto mixture, and serve.

(If making ahead of time, take out of the fridge a half hour early, as it is to be served at room temp.)

Comfort Macaroni and Cheese

I received this delicious recipe from my dear cousin Liz, who honestly- is one of the most trustworthy mothers there is. I would only make a change as to add more varieties of cheese, to give the flavor a little more of a kick.

Ingredients

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

(I halved this recipe for my family of three, and we STILL have plenty of leftovers..)

Strawberry Lemonade

This is my inagural post and it couldn't be better timed. We all know its HOT out there, especially for me, cause I live in the south y'all. So what could be better than some FRESH, TART, SWEET, REFRESHING, Strawberry Lemonade? Yes please.

LEMONADE

1 3/4 cups white sugar
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups lemon juice
1 cup of smashed strawberries (or blueberries, raspberries, or even peaches...be creative)

Directions

1. Microwave 1 cup of water and the sugar to dissolve, add ice to cool and then move to step 2

2.Remove seeds from lemon juice, but leave pulp. In pitcher, stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups water.

..More like "What's for Dessert!"

This is certainly something to imitate. But the truth of the matter, is that whatever concoction you end up with- the ingredients are ALL delightful and what your left with is certain to taste good. But as Serendipity is one of my favorite restaurants, and it is summer- a time for frosty treats, I thought this was a good one.

Ingredients:

Frrrozen Hot Chocolate

• 6 pieces (1/2-ounce) chocolate , a variety of your favorites
• 2 teaspoons store-bought hot chocolate mix
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3 cups ice
• Whipped cream
• Chocolate shavings

Directions:

Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Place it in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted. Add the hot chocolate mix and sugar. Stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and slowly add ½ cup of milk until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

In a blender, place the remaining cup of milk, the room-temperature chocolate mixture and the ice. Blend on high speed until smooth and the consistency of a frozen daiquiri. Pour into a giant goblet and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Tortellini and Spinach Soup

On Fridays I tend to watch (or TiVo) Rachel Ray. She had this really quick and easy meal idea. It's so quick and easy there's really no recipe to memorize.

I know it's hot today, but yesterday it was cold and soup was really good. But I just had some of this a minute ago and it was still good even though it's 75 degrees in my house.

Here's what you need:

A big carton of chicken broth or vegetable broth or somethin or other broth
One package of Buitoni fresh cheese tortellini (usually found in the cheese section)
Spinach
Onion
Lemon Zest
Nutmeg
Pepper
Chicken (optional)


I had some fresh onion in my vegetable garden when I went there to grab some spinach so I threw it in there as well. I like onion. If you like onion, throw it in with the broth.

Let the broth come to a boil. I had some leftover chicken thighs so I cut up a couple and let them cook in the broth.

Once the chicken is cooked, add the little tortellini guys and cook until they all float to the top and are tender.

Grab a bunch of spinach (and by a bunch, I don't mean a literal "bunch" of spinach, I mean throw a LOT of spinach in there cause it wilts to nothing).

Stir it around and let the spinach wilt. Grate some nutmeg in there (or sprinkle) and then zest a good amount of lemon in there, it really brightens the flavor.

Pepper if you want. Enjoy!

Jaime Oliver's Shell Pasta with Bacon and Peas

Shell Pasta with Bacon and Peas
adapted slightly from Jamie’s Food Revolution
serves 4

8 slices bacon or pancetta, preferably free-range or organic
a small bunch of fresh mint (maybe 16 stalks)
salt and pepper
1 lb dried mini shell pasta
olive oil
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 cups frozen peas
3 tablespoons crème fraiche
1 lemon, cut in half, seeds removed
6 ounces parmesan cheese (hunk, grate it fresh.)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt. Finely slice the bacon. Pick the mint leaves and discard the stalks. Finely grate the parmesan.

When water is boiling, add the shells and set a timer, cook shells until just al dente. Meanwhile, heat a saute pan over medium heat and add a splash of olive oil and the butter. Add the sliced bacon to the pan, grind a little pepper over and fry until golden and crisp.

Chop the mint leaves while the bacon fries. When the bacon is cooked, add the peas, stir, and add the creme fraiche and the mint. When the pasta is cooked, drain it but do not rinse. Add the pasta to the bacon and pea mixture, stir to distribute. Juice lemon over the pasta, let mixture begin to bubble, then turn off the heat. Add the grated parmesan and stir in, then serve with additional mint and parmesan if desired.

Jaime Oliver's Pot Roast Meatloaf

main courses | serves 4-6
A good meatloaf with freshly made tomato sauce is great comfort food. I think this also makes a tasty change from the British Sunday lunch and I flavor it and treat it as if I’m roasting a big joint of meat. I used to make this a lot for staff dinners at the restaurant. It’s made along similar lines to meatballs and burgers, and trust me – people love this just as much.

To make your meatloaf
Preheat the oven to full whack (475 degrees). Peel and finely chop one of the onions—don’t worry about technique, just chop away until fine. Place in a large frying pan on a medium high heat with 2 lugs of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the ground cumin and coriander. Fry and stir ever 30 seconds for around 7 minutes or until softened and lightly golden, then put into a large bowl to cool. Wrap the towels in a kitchen towel and smash until fine, breaking up any big bits with your hands. Add to the other bowl of cooled onions with oregano, mustard and ground beef. Crack in the egg, and add another good pinch of salt and pepper. With clean hands, scrunch and mix up well. Move the meat mixture to a board, then pat and mold into a large football shape. Rub it with a little oil. You can either cook it straight away or put it on a plate, cover and place in the refrigerator until needed. Place the meatloaf in a Dutch oven-type pan or baking dish, put into the preheated oven, and turn down the temperature immediately to 400 degrees. Bake for a half an hour.

To make your meatloaf sauce
Peel the other onion and chop into 1/4-inch pieces. Peel and slice the garlic. Finely slice the red chile. Place the onion, garlic and chile in a large pan on a medium high heat with 2 lugs of olive oil, the paprika, and a pinch of the salt and pepper. Cook for around 7 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until softened and lightly golden. Add the Worcestershire sauce, garbanzo beans, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down and let it slowly simmer for 10 minutes. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper if needed.

To finish off and serve your meatloaf
Pick the rosemary leaves off the woody stalks and put them into a little bowl. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and pour all the fat from the pan over the rosemary leaves and mix up well. Spoon your sauce around the meatloaf. Lay the slices of bacon over the top of the meatloaf and sauce. Scatter over the rosemary leaves. Put the pan back in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the bacon turns golden and the sauce is bubbling and delicious. Serve with a mixed leaf salad and some wedges of lemon for squeezing over—this will add a nice sharp twang.

Jaime Oliver's Crispy Garlic Chicken

Yummy, light and simple. Both husband and child ate this one.

Ingredients

• 1 clove(s) garlic
• 1 lemon
• 6 cream or plain crackers, such as Jacob's
• 2 tablespoon(s) butter
• 4 sprig(s) fresh Italian parsley
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg, preferably free-range or organic
• 2 skinless chicken breast fillets, preferably free-range or organic
• Olive oil

Directions

1. To prepare your chicken: Peel the garlic and zest the lemon.
2. Put your crackers into a food processor with the butter, garlic, parsley sprigs, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whiz until the mixture is very fine, then pour these crumbs on to a plate.
3. Sprinkle the flour on to a second plate. Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat with a fork.
4. Lightly score the underside of the chicken breasts. Put a square of plastic wrap over each one and bash a few times with the bottom of a pan until the breasts flatten out a bit.
5. Dip the chicken into the flour until both sides are completely coated, then dip into the egg and finally into the flavored crumbs. Push the crumbs onto the chicken breasts so they stick — you want the meat to be totally coated.
6. To cook your chicken: You can either bake or fry the chicken. If baking, preheat your oven to its highest temperature (475 degrees), place your chicken on a sheet pan, and cook for 15 minutes.
7. If frying, put a frying pan on a medium heat, add a few good lugs of olive oil, and cook the chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through, golden, and crisp.
8. To serve your chicken: Either serve the chicken breasts whole, or cut them into strips and pile them on a plate. Beautiful and simple served with a lemon wedge for squeezing over, and a tiny sprinkling of salt. Great with a lovely fresh salad or simply dressed veggies.

Jaime Oliver's Baked Camembert Pasta

(picture adapted from flickr)

This was quite tasty. Very simple, and exquisite. The can be baked in its box, which I purchased at Target. The flavors can be played around with too. Don't feel like you need to commit to rigatoni, either. Use whatever pasta you like.

Ingredients
(serves 4-6)

- a box of Camembert Cheese (250g)
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, pick the leaves off the woody stalk
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- 100g grated parmesan cheese
- 400g dried rigatoni
- 150g fresh spinach

Directions

1. Open the box of cheese and unwrap it. Place it back to the wooden container (Note: mine did not come in a wooden container so I placed it in a oven safe dish like what you see in the photo).
2. Score a circle into the top of the skin, then lift it off and discard.
3. Lay the garlic slices on top of the cheese, sprinkle some pepper and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil.
4. Scatter the rosemary leaves over the top and gently pat with your fingers to coat them in the oil.
5. Bake the cheese in a preheated oven of 180C (350F) for about 25 minutes, until golden and melted.
6. When the cheese has 10 minutes left to cook, add the pasta to the pan and cook according to packet instructions.
7. When the pasta is cooked, add the spinach to the pan – it only needs cooking for 10 seconds or so.
8. Drain the pasta and spinach to the pan and let it wilt.
9. Drizzle with a couple of good lugs of extra virgin olive oil and add the grated Parmesan. If the sauce is too thick for you, add a splash of reserved cooking water to thin out a bit. Season with salt and pepper and give it a good stir.
10. Remove the cheese from the oven. Divide the pasta between your serving bowls. Either drizzle the melted Camembert on top or pop cheese on the table and let everyone help themselves to a lovely, gooey spoonful.

Honey Lime Chicken

I am a bad blogger today since this post will not contain a picture of my own, but trust me, I was too busy gobbling these recipes down to think of taking a picture!
Monday night, I had a whole pack of chicken breasts in my fridge that were nearing expiration. I decided to throw them all in the crockpot on low with a much of mexican spices (cumin, chili powder, garlic, onion powder, cilantro, oregano, etc.) until I could decide what to do with the chicken. Then, I found this yummy recipe on the Sister's Cafe site for Honey Lime enchiladas. We made it for dinner following the recipe posted and they were delicious! The best part was that I had a lot of leftover chicken that I had already put honey and lime juice in. So, a few days later, they became Honey Lime Shredded Chicken Tacos. Yum! So, whatever your family craves, give this tasty shredded chicken a try in your favorite Mexican recipe.

Honey Lime Chicken

You can follow the direction from the Sister's Cafe if you are a measuring type of cook, but I rarely measure, so I just adjusted the amounts of the following ingredients:

Honey
Lime Juice
Garlic Powder
Chili Powder
salt and pepper

Mix in with your hot shredded chicken straight from the crockpot. Adjust the amounts to your personal tastes (we used more lime and less honey). Yum!

Black Bean Salsa

1 can black beans, rinsed
3-4 chopped Roma tomatoes
1/2 can corn, drained
1/2 yellow onion minced
1/2 a bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 TBS minced garlic

Toss to combine. Add a few sprinkles of salt, a few squirts of lime juice, and a teaspoon of both chili powder and cumin to the mix. Let it chill until ready to use.

Then, take a nice crispy corn tortilla, add the salsa with the chicken, garnish with cilantro, cheese, and sour cream, and enjoy!

Pasta with Goat Cheese and Roasted Asparagus

I've had a block of goat cheese sitting in my fridge ever since I made beet and goat cheese risotto (sorry, didn't take pictures of that recipe, which I kind of made up as I went along). I haven't really known what to do with the cheese until I got my semi weekly email from Martha Stewart's "Everyday Food" with a dozen spring pasta recipes.
I tried it. I liked it.

• 2 bunches asparagus (2 pounds total), tough ends removed
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 12 ounces cavatappi or other short pasta
• 1 small log soft goat cheese (5 ounces), crumbled
• 2 to 3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Place asparagus on a large rimmed baking sheet; dot with 1 tablespoon butter, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, tossing occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes; cut into 2-inch lengths.
2. While asparagus is roasting, generously salt boiling water. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Set aside 1 1/2 cups pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.
3. In a medium bowl, combine goat cheese, remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and 1/2 cup pasta water. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk until smooth. Add goat-cheese mixture and asparagus to pasta; toss to combine, adding more pasta water if necessary for sauce to coat pasta. Serve pasta garnished with chives.

I didn't have chives so I used green onion. Chives would be better, but whatever.

Jaime Oliver's Crackin Burger

I didn't used to be a burger fan. Then I went to Five Guys, and became burger picky. Ever since then I haven't found a burger to surpass it. That being said, if I can't get myself a Little Cheeseburger at Five Guys, this is the burger I'd turn to next. It was really good and I was surprised..

Crackin Burger

1 lb lean ground beef, preferably organic

12 Cream crackers (I used "Cabaret" crackers)

1 egg

2 T dijon mustard

1/2 C parsley torn to pieces

salt & pepper

Burger Buns

Butterhead lettuce

Good quality cheddar (I prefer the UTAH made "Full Moon Cheddar")

Condiments of your choice (I used mayo and A1)

Mix your ground beef up with the smashed crackers, egg, mustard and parsley. Then add salt and pepper. Form into 6, 1/4" thick patties. Put in refrigerator to firm.

Heat up a grill or frying pan and bring to hot, then turn down to medium. Cook your patties for 3-4 min on each side, depending on preference. Serve with cheese on top and dress your burger nicely. Serve with salt and vinegar chips. Yum.

Stuffed Pizza Rolls

Recipe adapted from ourbestbites.com (such a great site...probably 1/2 my dinners come from here)

These are a fun twist on pizza that the kids will love! You can "personalize" them with any toppings of your choice and dip them in either alfredo or marinara sauce. I've even made them with chicken/bacon/cheese and dipped them in ranch dressing for an appetizer. Gotta love the versatility folks!

The first time I made these I just used a store bought dough sheet/or pizza dough like the ones in the pillsbury cans. This time, I made a delicious homemade pizza dough. YUM.

Pizza Dough

1 tblsp. yeast

1 c. warm water

3 c. flour

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. sugar

3/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

1/4 c. olive oil

Combine yeast and warm water in mixer, let stand 5 minutes. Slowly add the flour, salt, sugar, thyme, cheese and oil. Mix on low until blended. Scrape down sides of bowl if necessary (maybe add a tblsp or two of water if it's too dry). Place dough in large bowl greased with tblsp of oil, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size. Punch down and roll into crusts over floured surface.

Pizza Rolls

1 batch homemade pizza dough (or 2 store bought refrigerated pizza dough cans)

2 tblsp. grated parmesan cheese

1 tblsp. melted butter

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

mozzarella cheese

marinara or alfredo sauce

pizza toppings: pepperoni, ham, pineapple, sausage, etc...

Combine garlic powder and Italian seasoning in small bowl and set aside.

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface into a rectangle. Cut into squares using a pizza cutter; you should end up with about 18-24 squares depending on how big or small you cut them. Place cheese and desired toppings in middle of squares. Fold up by grabbing corners then pinching together and making a ball (see photos above). Dip smooth side in melted butter and place seam side down on baking dish. Sprinkle with seasoning mix and then parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 for about 20-25 minutes. Serve warm with marinara or alfredo sauce.

Jaime Oliver's Chicken and Leek Stroganoff

This was from the book I posted about earlier. I have been having a lot of fun with these. Mainly, because I'm starting with the 30 minutes meals, so they are fast and easy. So far, I've enjoyed each recipe. This stroganoff is surprisingly tasty. It's tangy, creamy and savory all at the same time. My husband acted on instinct, and said "he may not be able to eat all of it, and save some for later"... but once he tasted it he finished it all off.

Chicken and Leek Stroganoff

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup long-grain or Basmatti Rice (I used short brown rice)

1 large leek

big handful of mushrooms (I used cremini)

2 chicken breasts

olive oil

a knob of butter

a glass of good, tasty white wine

a bunch of fresh parsley

1 1/2 cups heavy cream*

Cook your rice according to the packet instructions in salted boiling water.

Cut both ends off the leek, quarter lengthways and then slice across thinly, then wash well under running water. Slice the mushrooms. Slice the Chicken Breasts into finger size pieces.

Put a large frying pan on a high heat and add a good lug of olive oil and the knob of butter.

Add the leek to the pan with the white wine and a small glass of water and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Let it bubble away for 5 minutes loosely covered with a piece of foil.

Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley, stalks and all. Remove the foil and add the chicken strips, most of the parsley, the cream and the mushrooms.

Stir, and bring back to a boil then turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes.

Just before serving, cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice of one half into the stroganoff. Season to taste. Spoon rice onto each plate, and top with the stroganoff. Scatter with the remainder of the chopped parsley.

Crab Quiche

This is a recipe I've made over and over again. I got it from my mom. It's quiche -- crustless quiche which I like because crust packs loads of fat and it's the innards that are the best part anyway right? Well, in this recipe they are.

Easter morning my roommates and I had some friends over for breakfast. These are my two lovely roommates right here eating. Maybe they're finished, I don't know.

Mandi is the dark haired beauty. She made honey wheat pancakes -- sorry, waffles. Dangit. If she reads this I'm going to hear about that. THEY LOOKED LIKE PANCAKES! Anyway. I made blueberry muffins and quiche. The blueberry muffins are from Everyday Food. You can get the recipe here. I love them. They have cornmeal.

Moving on. This quiche is great if you like crab and mushrooms and swiss cheese. That's basically it. So something possessed me to buy a ginormous thinger of dried mushrooms at Costco. Have you seen that thing? $15.00. I bought it. If you need mushrooms I can hook you up.

They're super easy because you just run hot water over them until they're reconstituted. I hope to use them in soups and more quiche and other stuff. But seriously, if you want some mushrooms...

Here's the recipe:

4 eggs
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 can crabmeat, drained
1 cup sliced mushrooms (saute if you want)
2 cups grated swiss cheese

Mix first 6 ingredients; beat until smooth. Stir in crab, mushrooms and swiss cheese. Pour into pie plate. Sprinkle with paprika, cook for 40 minutes at 350.

Peanut Butter Tartlets (from Confessions of a Bake-a-holic)

One of my most favorite combinations in this world besides lime and ginger ale, is chocolate and peanut butter. These little bites of heaven are the perfect size to satisfy your CPB cravings, multiple times.

Recipe credit to Confessions of a Bake-a-holic.

Peanut Butter Tartlets

About 40 (13-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from candies. Spray mini muffin cups with cooking spray.

2. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, peanut butter, egg and vanilla until light and fluffy in large bowl. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place one in each prepared muffin cup. Do not flatten.

3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until puffed and lightly browned; remove from oven. Immediately press peanut butter cup onto each cookie. Let cool 5 minutes in muffin pan, then carefully remove from pan and cool completely on wire racks.

Makes 40 cookies.

Recipe adapted from Hershey.com.

Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution

I have been following this show, and if you have not- watch it on Hulu.com.

Jaime Oliver, (also known as the Naked Chef) is on a mission to permanently change the food system in schools in America. Upon arrival at a school in Huntington, the most obese city in the United States, he discovered that all kids eat is processed or frozen foods. When asking the students what they had for dinner the night before, half said "pizza" and half said "chicken nuggets." Not only are the schools failing to help the future health of these children, but the parents are failing as well.

I fear for the future of my child, not only in school, but in my own hands. The amount of chicken nuggets, hot dogs and pizza that I have fed my child is disgusting. And now that I know what chicken nuggets that you buy frozen or the ones you get at McDonald's are made of.... I have no desire to ever put them on my kid's plate EVER again.

Jaime went into one of the classrooms and showed them a number of vegetables. These children couldn't identify them. Not even a potato. He expressed concern that if kids don't know what something is, they won't eat it.

I so bought the book, and I'm keeping up on his escapade in Huntington, West Virginia. I'm hoping to learn a lot, completely change the way myself and my family eat, and pass it on.

I will definitely be using some of his recipes to post up here.