Snickerdoodle Bread

Snickerdoodle Bread

Jim's favorite cookie is Snickerdoodles.  It's inevitable that I try every variation related to snickerdoodles for him, including bread!  This was fantastic!  A great breakfast treat or afternoon snack! 

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sour cream
1 pkg Hershey's cinnamon chips (optional)
3 Tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*.  Cream butter, sugar, salt, and cinnamon until fluffy.  Add eggs and mix well.  Add vanilla and sour cream and mix well.  Mix flour and baking powder in a separate bowl.  Add to wet ingredients and mix until all combined.  Add cinnamon chips if using.  Spoon batter into 4 mini loaf pans until about 2/3 full.  Mix 3 Tbl. sugar and 3 tsp. cinnamon and sprinkle over batter in each loaf.  Bake at 350* for 35-38 minutes.  Let cool before removing from pan. 


**Can be made in 2 large loaf pans, bake at 350* for 60-70 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. 
**You can make these as muffins (about 2 dozen total), bake at 350* for about 20 minutes. 
**Cinnamon chips are a seasonal item, you can find them at Hersheys.com. 
**For a healthier version, you can substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream. 

By:  LilLuna

White Chocolate Oreo Brownie Cake

White Chocolate Oreo Brownie Cake

This dessert is addictive!  And it's so pretty!  It's a great combination of brownie, cookie crunch, and chocolate.

Ingredients:
6 oz. Hershey's Cookies & Cream Chocolate Candy Bar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*.  Melt candy bar, sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium low heat.  Whisk in eggs and vanilla.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir until mixture is incorporated and smooth.  Pour into greased 9" springform pan.  Bake at 350* for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Immediately pour sweetened condensed milk over brownies.  Top with mini chocolate chips.  Let cool, serve with ice cream.

By: Fahrenheit 350*

Chicken and Bacon Mac & Cheese

Chicken and Bacon Mac & Cheese

This is one of our new favorites!  How could you go wrong with grilled chicken, bacon, and mac & cheese! 

Ingredients: 
6 slices smoky bacon
salt & pepper
1 lb. whole wheat short cut pasta (such as penne or elbow noodles)
Vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons butter
3 rounded tablespoons flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded provolone
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 375*.  Arrange the bacon on a slotted broiler pan or on a rack placed over a baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 15-25 minutes.  Chop and reserved.  Switch on the broiler.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook just shy of al dente.  Drain and return to the pot.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a grill pan or cast-iron griddle over medium-high heat.  Drizzle the chicken with vegetable oil, season with salt, pepper, and paprika.  Grill the chicken for about 10 minutes, turning once, until nicely browned.  Transfer to a cutting board and cut into one inch pieces.
While the chicken cooks, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute.  Whisk in the cider, then the milk.  Bring to a boil and cook, whisking, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 3-4 minutes.  Add the thyme and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Stir in the cheeses until melted.
Add the chicken, bacon, and sauce to the pasta and transfer to a casserole dish.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Broil until bubbling and browned, about 5 minutes.
Garnish with parsley as desired.


**This recipe has several things going at once and uses about 5 pots/pans but it is soooo worth it!!  Jim wants it every time we have bacon in the house. 

From Rachel Ray Magazine

Her Price is Much Higher than Jewels

What woman wouldn't want her husband to think her as more valuable than jewels, precious gems? Priceless! Rare! Beautiful! What does it take to become worth that much to your loved ones?
While I embark upon this journey to become more like the Proverbs 31 woman, I am doing a bit of "research." I am currently reading Beautiful in God's Eyes by Elizabeth George. She walks through each verse of Proverbs 31:10-31. Her book is convicting, challenging, empowering and encouraging. I am going to try to share my thoughts on each chapter as I go through her book. I am currently on the second chapter, which describes Her value. She points out ways that we as women can add sparkle and brighten up our own life, as well as the lives around us. She suggests that we can bring value to those around us by:
Growing in practical skills - managing a home. Her suggestions include homemaking, money management, and time management. This is an area where I am striving to be better. I am working on doing a better job taking care of our house (dishes, laundry, cleaning, etc.). I know Jim appreciates the meals that I cook and trying to make sure the pantry and fridge are well stocked. I do enjoy taking care of my home and those in it but there's always room for improvement. I am doing a much better job of making dinner most nights (for the past two weeks I've made dinner EVERY night). I'm trying to be budget and health conscious when we go to the grocery store and am making a very diligent effort to buy fewer processed foods (making a healthier version from scratch). I love to cook and am having fun exploring new recipes. Laundry is an area that I don't feel too much struggle in, we have a good system, and we always have clean clothes to wear. However, I generally fail abysmally at dishes and keeping the kitchen clean! Because I love to cook, something is always dirty! I try to catch up and some days I do great, but a lot of the time there is always a pile of dishes to do. Definitely an area where I can try harder.
Elizabeth also mentions money management as a way to add value. This is an area where I feel we're doing a decent job (Jim and I feel this is a team effort). Jim and I always do our budget together every month. We know how much we spend and loosely follow Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover plan. We have no debt other than our mortgage and are working on saving. Jim is definitely the saver in the family, and I am the spender. I have learned a lot about money being married to him, particularly to be more aware of how much we're spending. We are pretty content with our financial position, however, we're trying to figure out if we can make our budget work with me being a full-time stay-at-home mom (I currently work from home which can be exhausting and difficult with a very active 10 month old!). I read a lot of articles, blogs, books, etc. on how to manage money, retirement planning, budgeting, etc. I hope that I can add value by thinking of creative ways to tweak our budget or helping figure out investments/savings (Jim doesn't like to read so he trusts me to summarize what I've read).
Lastly, in this section, Elizabeth mentions time management. This is an area where I feel I could use help. Some days, I manage to workout, clean, take care of household chores, play with my baby girl, work, and cook dinner. Other days, I feel like I've wasted the entire time on the internet (I could argue that some of that time is productive as I find new recipes, learn about how to raise kids, and read financial articles but I think Jim would disagree). I lack discipline. Elizabeth George is also the author of a book titled Life Management for Busy Women. This book is on my list to re-read. Hopefully I'll get some good ideas on how to be more productive.
In this chapter on value, Elizabeth points out not only growing in practical skills but also growing in emotional stability. I feel I've written enough for now so I will have to revisit this topic some other time.

Slow Cooker Chicken

Ah, the ease of a dinner cooked in a crockpot. Turn it on before work and dinner is done when you get home! Love it! Here are two different recipes for slow cooker chicken.  The first is the super simple version; the second requires browning the chicken drumsticks before putting in the crockpot so it's more time intensive but the seasoning is more flavorful!

Slow Cooker Chicken

Ingredients:
6-8 drumsticks
seasonings of choice
2 potatoes (I only use 1 because hubby won't eat them)
1 large carrot

Directions:
Spray the inside of the crockpot with cooking spray.  Dice the potatoes and carrot and place in the bottom of the pot.  I toss them with some Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Then set the chicken on top of the bed of potatoes/carrots and coat with Italian seasoning and/or Montreal chicken seasoning.  No broth or water needed, the juice from the chicken keeps it moist.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.


Ingredients:
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup all purpose spice rub (see below)
8 drumsticks
3 potatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup carrots
1 cup green beans
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth

All purpose Spice Rub
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
Mix all ingredients for spice rub together in a small bowl. Mix with the flour. Turn chicken in flour mixture until thoroughly coated, pat off excess flour and reserve flour mixture. Boil potatoes in several quarts of lightly salted water for 5 minutes, drain and place in bottom of slow cooker. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken on all sides, about 4 minutes per side; transfer to plate and set aside. Add a little more oil to skillet, add veggies and saute until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add reserved seasoned flour and stir until vegetable are coated. Add wine and bring to a boil. Add chicken broth and simmer until slightly thickened; pour into slow cooker. Arrange chicken over vegetables. Cover cooker and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. Remove to a serving platter.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of my favorite treats!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour (plus some for high altitude)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla (I add more)
2 large eggs
1 bag chocolate chips or mixture of chocolate chips and chocolate chunks

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375*. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together. Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop onto greased cookie sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on pan, remove to wire racks to cook completely.

Zucchini Bread

This makes a great breakfast or snack! I love to keep it around (I always try to freeze a loaf!).

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:
3 eggs, well beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups grated zucchini

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*. Mix together eggs, vanilla, and oil. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Then add the grated zucchini. Pour batter into greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour.

Baked Ziti

Jim's favorite food (other than chicken nuggets) is Italian: spaghetti, lasagna, chicken parmesan, chicken fettucini alfredo, etc. So we had to try a baked ziti recipe (we used egg noodles instead). It was great! We will definitely be adding this to our main dinner rotations.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:
1 bag of Egg Noodles
1 extra large can of tomato sauce (can buy pre-made spaghetti sauce, I usually just use a can of tomato sauce and add Italian seasonings)
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, Italian cheese, provolone, parmesan or combination of all
1 1/2 lbs hamburger meat

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*. Brown the meat & drain. Also, cook the noodles and drain. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 casserole dish. Layer half the noodles and then half the meat, half of the sauce and half of the cheese. Then layer the rest of the noodles, the meat, the sauce, and the cheese. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes. Let cool for 10-15 minutes so that it can settle.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

Red Velvet is my favorite kind of cake! These cupcakes are delicious! My aunt used to make these for me every year for my birthday. Now, I try to continue the tradition and make them for myself :)

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar)
1 oz. bottle red food coloring.
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 Tablespoons cocoa

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, vinegar, and food coloring and beat well. Measure out buttermilk and add vanilla. Sift flour, salt, baking soda and cocoa. Add alternately dry mixture with buttermilk mixture to the butter/sugar mixture. Always begin and end with DRY ingredients when adding alternately with wet ingredients. Pour into greased and floured pans. Bake 8" round cake pans for 30-35 minutes. Bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes.

Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients:
1 stick butter, softened
1 8oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
4-6 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Cream butter, cream cheese, and vanilla. Sift and add powdered sugar until it reaches desired consistency. Spread on cooled cake/cupcakes.

Hamburger Casserole

This simple dish is one of Jim's favorites. It's the ultimate in comfort food. Pair with some steamed veggies and dinner is done!
Hamburger Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

2 cans cream of chicken soup 1 1/2 cups water (we use 1 cup water, 1/2 cup milk to make it a bit creamier)

1 cup rice

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Brown the hamburger meat, season with salt and pepper. Put soup in casserole dish and add water. Add rice and hamburger meat. We like to sprinkle with a handful of colby jack cheese too! Bake at 375* for 1 hour.

Donut Muffins

Jim grew up eating these for breakfast so I was quite pleased to stumble across the recipe several years ago. They are amazing! Cinnamon-sugar goodness!

Donut Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup butter, melted

Topping:

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup melted butter Directions: Preheat oven to 350*. In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Make a well at the center of dry ingredients. In another bowl, beat egg slightly, add milk and butter. Add to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Grease muffin cups. Fill 2/3 full with batter. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Meanwhile, combine sugar and cinnamon. Brush tops of muffins with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. ** For a variation on the topping, try this yummy glazed version: Ingredients: 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1 cup powdered sugar 3/4 teaspoon vanilla 2 tablespoons hot water Directions: Whisk together all ingredients until smooth.  When muffins have cooled slightly, dip the muffin crown into the glaze or brush with glaze and allow to harden.  Enjoy! By: Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Andes Mint Cupcakes

Jim is obsessed with chocolate and mint desserts! This was his Valentine's treat. They were really good. I like how fudgy the cupcake was!

Andes Mint Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Chocolate Mint Filling:
1/2 cup chocolate chips
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon peppermint extract (or creme de menthe)
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Mint Buttercream:
1 cup (2 sticks, 16 tablespoons) butter, softened to room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
32 ounces powdered sugar (about 7 cups)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons peppermint extract (or creme de menthe)
Green food coloring

30 Andes mints for garnish

Directions:

For the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin cups with paper baking cups. In a large bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; using an electric stand mixer, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water. The batter will be on the thinner side. Fill the muffin cups 1/2 full and bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. This recipe makes about 30 cupcakes. So you may need to bake the cupcakes in installments if you only have 1 or 2 muffin tins. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack, after removing them from the muffin tin.

For the mint filling, while the cupcakes are baking, place the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a small microwave-safe bowl and heat for 1 minute at 50% power. Stir. Repeat the process until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the peppermint extract and powdered sugar, whisking until smooth. Let the mixture cool to room temperature (but don’t let it get too stiff) and pour it into a squeeze bottle or a ziploc bag.

When the cupcakes are cool, insert the tip of the squeeze bottle into the center of the cupcake and press gently to fill the middle of the cupcake with the mint ganache.

For the frosting, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add the heavy cream and peppermint and vanilla extracts. Beat until light and fluffy. Add green food coloring until the color you like is achieved.

Frost the cooled, filled cupcakes with frosting (using a large star tip) or simply spread the frosting in a large dollop with a butter knife or flat spatula. Garnish with an unwrapped Andes mint and a drizzle of leftover ganache (make sure the ganache is completely cool or it will melt the frosting when you drizzle it on top of the cupcake). Refrigerate until serving.

By: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Healthy Chicken Nuggets

We LOVE chicken nuggets. Just about anywhere we go out to eat, Jim orders chicken nuggets if possible. However, they are expensive at the grocery store and I was sure I could find a better way to make them. I have tried three nugget recipes over the past three weeks and this one is the winner! I like that they are baked and not fried. The crust was still crunchy. The Italian bread crumbs add some flavor. And they make a great finger food for kids too!

Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients:

16 oz (2 large) skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into even bit sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp olive oil
6 tbsp whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tbsp panko
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
olive oil spray

Directions: Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray. Put the olive oil in one bowl and the breadcrumbs, panko and parmesan cheese in another.
Season chicken with salt and pepper, then put in the bowl with the olive oil and mix well so the olive oil evenly coats all of the chicken. Put a few chunks of chicken at a time into the breadcrumb mixture to coat, then on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the top with olive oil spray then bake 8 - 10 minutes. Turnover then cook another 4 - 5 minutes or until cooked though.

By: Chef In Training

Stovetop Mac & Cheese

Stovetop Mac & Cheese

I have been on a quest for the past few years to learn to make good homemade mac & cheese. Jim does not like the baked versions (texture thing with creamy cheese and crunchy top) so I've been trying stovetop recipes. I think we've gone through 5-6 recipes and every time, it's "that was okay".  This recipe is perfect!  It is so rich and creamy.  Another plus is that it uses one skillet!  I think we finally found a keeper!

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups water
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
12 ounces elbow macaroni
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 cups shredded cheese, we use Colby jack
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small chunks
ground black pepper to taste
*original recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard and 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, I haven't tried it with those yet because Jim doesn't like either of them. 

Directions:
Bring water, 1 cup of evaporated milk, macaroni and salt to a simmer in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat.  Cook at a vigorous simmer, stirring often, until the macaroni is tender and the liquid has thickened, 9-12 minutes.  Whisk the remaining evaporated milk, cornstarch, and paprika together in a small bowl, then stir into the skillet.  Continue to simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.  Off the heat, stir in the cheese, one handful at a time.  Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately. 


By: Mel's Kitchen Cafe


So, here is another version we also like.  I found this recipe for mini mac & cheese appetizers and love the base!  My favorite thing about this recipe is that I always have the ingredients on hand.  I have to be intentional with the first recipe about keeping the pantry stocked with evaporated milk.  So, this is my recipe to use when we're out of that.  It's still delicious!

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
4 oz. Colby jack cheese
4 oz. American cheese (deli sliced, chopped)
1/4 cup parmesan
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Directions:
Cook the macaroni in salted water until al dente.  In separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour for 2 minutes.  Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until boiling, about 5 minutes.  Add the cheeses and paprika.  Fold in the macaroni. 
We like to have this with homemade chicken nuggets! 

For the mini mac & cheese appetizer
Take base above and fold in an egg yolk before adding the macaroni.  Spray mini muffin pan with cooking spray and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Spoon macaroni into muffin cups (about 1 rounded tablespoon each) and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Bake at 425* for 10 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes. 


By: Food and Wine

Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Jim and I love chicken cordon bleu! We used to buy those pre-packaged chicken cordon bleu and chicken stuffed with broccoli and cheese from the grocery store. I decided a few years ago that I could learn to make chicken cordon bleu and it was fantastic (I will upload that recipe later this week). I saw this recipe on Pinterest and had to try it. It's very good!

Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
1 large egg
3/4 cup panko
1/4 Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 cups broccoli floret, cooked, chopped small (I use frozen, already chopped)
3 slices provolone
salt
spray oil
toothpicks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine egg and a little salt. Beat with a fork to make an egg wash. Set aside. Fill a second bowl with breadcrumbs.
Pound chicken breasts to make cutlets (about 1/4" thick). Place a slice of cheese in the center of the chicken and top with a little broccoli. Wrap chicken around to completely cover cheese, using toothpicks to secure.
Dip chicken into egg wash, then breadcrumbs. Spray cookie sheet with oil and place chicken on cookie sheet. Lightly spray chicken with oil and bake about 25 minutes, until cooked. Top with 1/2 slice of provolone and put in oven until melted, about 2-3 minutes.

By: Skinny Taste

Pizza Bites

We tried these for dinner a couple of weeks ago and they were really good! The topping adds a lot of flavor. These would make a great finger food for parties or a fun dinner for kids!

Stuffed Pizza Rolls Recipe:

Ingredients:
1 roll refrigerated pizza dough
2 Tbl. grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbl. olive oil or melted butter
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

Mozzarella cheese, diced or grated
Pizza toppings of your choice: ie, ham and pineapple, pepperoni slices, sausage, etc.Marinara/pizza sauce for dipping

Directions:
Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package (usually it's 400 degrees).

Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". You're going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.
Place cheese and desired toppings on each square (Note that you're not putting the marinara sauce on the dough- it's for dipping after). You just need to be able to enclose the toppings in the dough so keep that in mind.
When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish).
Brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil or melted butter and then sprinkle with the garlic, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese (I mixed all of these together and then sprinkled on top).

Cook them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Keep an eye on them!

Serve warm with warmed marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

By: Six Sister's Stuff

Creamy Chicken Broccoli Casserole

This dish is similar to a couple that I already make but it is quite good! I think next time, we will use cubed chicken instead of shredded chicken. The shredded chicken gets lost in all the sauce. Also, Jim wants to try it over noodles instead of rice.

Creamy Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded (or cubed)

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

1 cup of sour cream

2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

1 bag frozen broccoli and chopped

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook chicken and shred. Preheat oven to 375*. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 2 qt. casserole dish. Cook for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve over rice or noodles.

By: Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour

Baked Zucchini Coins

I love zucchini, it's one of my favorite veggies. These make a great side dish with Italian meals.

Baked Zucchini with Mozzarella

Ingredients:

2 medium sized (or about 5 small) zucchini
Garlic powder and seasoning salt
Mozzarella Cheese (or Italian Cheese, Parmesan, any cheese will do)

Directions:
1. Slice your zucchini up into 1/2 inch rings.

2. Lay them out flat on a large cookie sheet (lightly sprayed with cooking oil). Sprinkle with garlic powder and seasoning salt.

3. Bake in the oven at 350 for about 10-15 minutes or until crisp tender.
4. Take the hot pan out of the oven and sprinkle the zucchini with cheese. Turn the oven to broil, throw that cookie sheet back into the oven and let the cheese get all bubbly and a bit browned. This should only take about 3-5 minutes, watch carefully.

...Does not eat the bread of idleness

I promise not to only post about food. :) I'm just so excited to try all of these new recipes and wanted to write about it. I'm sure there will be more but I'll try to intersperse some thoughtful entries as well.

When I was reading the verses in Proverbs 31 the other day, one thing really stood out to me and convicted me. The virtuous woman is constantly in action.
"...works with eager hands."
"She gets up while it is still night..."
"She sets about her work vigorously..."
"...her lamp does not go out at night."
"...does not eat the bread of idleness."

I am currently a work-at-home mom so I can be with my baby girl. I work part time, mostly during her naps or when she is in bed. While she is playing independently, I spend much of my time cruising the internet or reading. I am realizing how much time I have been wasting and I am trying to figure out how to be more productive during this time. I'm learning how to strike a balance between taking care of her (since that is my primary job right now) and also not feeling like a complete lazy bum who had nothing to show for the day. The past couple of days have been better. I've been able to get a little bit of housework done while she plays at my feet. I've actually gotten a few short workouts in (a very difficult thing to do when there is a baby trying to climb up your legs). And I've cooked and baked a lot, providing meals for us this week and freezing three meals for a future week when I don't have time (or am too tired) to cook. I at least feel like I've accomplished something when Jim gets home from work and asks what I did all day :) I'm a work in progress.

Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce

I LOVE Mexican food, especially enchiladas. I made these for lunch yesterday and shared with my parents. They are sooo good! Jim doesn't like Mexican food but I'm going to see if he'll try these next time I make them. I'll make a convert of him yet :)

Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
12 soft taco shells

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan

2. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.

3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.

4. Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.

5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

6. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

By: Joyful Momma's Kitchen

Carmelitas

I saw these yummy treats on Pinterest and the picture taunted me, so I had to try them. We thought they were pretty good. Honestly, I think my turtle bars are better (recipe to be uploaded later)

Carmelitas

Ingredients:
32 caramel squares, unwrapped
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Combine caramels and cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until completely smooth; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, and baking soda. Pat half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of an 8x8" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Pour caramel mixture over chocolate chips. Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over caramel. Return to oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.
*A stint in the fridge will help them cool off if you're pinched for time. They shouldn't be served cold, but all of that molten caramel takes a long time to cool down. They should be stored and served at room temperature.
**To make a 9x13" version, simply double the amounts.

By: Lulu the baker

No Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

No Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

I jumped at this recipe for granola bars. Jim loves the Quaker Chewy chocolate chip granola bars but I've been wanting to find a healthier alternative. I love how simple and delicious these were. We tried them today and our only modification would be to do a little less honey. I might add almonds for me too.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups quick cooking oats {not rolled oats!}
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Directions:
In a large bowl, stir oats and rice cereal together. Set aside. In a small pot, melt butter, honey and brown sugar together over medium high heat until it comes to a bubble. Reduce the heat and cook 2 minutes. Pour in vanilla and stir. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well to moisten all ingredients. Pour into lightly greased small jelly roll pan {about 12x8x1} and press out to be about 3/4 inch in thickness. {If your pan isn’t small enough, pack the mixture into one side. You really want to press them down so they stick together.} Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and press down lightly. Cool on a countertop to room temperature for two hours or until the chocolate chips are set before cutting into bars. Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
See? Now wasn’t that so easy? Feel free to add in any spices or other add-ins that you like. Raisins, nuts, maple syrup, flax seeds, cinnamon, butterscotch chips, coconut, agave, craisins, citrus zest, the list goes on. And, it’s all super healthy!
Recipe Notes: If your granola bars don’t seem to be staying together when you cut them, you may have made them too thin or you didn’t pack them in tight enough. Stick them in the fridge for 20 minutes and that should help keep them together. {Be sure not to keep them in there too long or else they’ll become super hard!} The next time you make them, try reducing the butter to 3 tablespoons and really packing them down.
Yield: 10 bars

By: Lauren's Lastest

Culinary Adventures

So, one of my favorite things to do is cook and bake! Unfortunately, my husband and I are picky eaters so it is sometimes challenging to find meals that we both like. We both have sweet tooths, and I have a lot more success finding desserts that we both enjoy, but that's not very healthy. We have been cycling thru the same handful of dinner recipes for the last several months and I've gotten bored. Each year, one of my New Year's Resolutions is to try a certain number of new recipes (I haven't picked a set number to try this year, just the general goal of trying new things). Most of the recipes end up being a dessert. We have found some favorites for dinner: chicken parmesan, chicken cordon bleu, roast chicken....are you noticing a trend? We love chicken. We'll eat pork too and ground beef. Jim likes steak, I like seafood; neither of us likes the other. I like spicy foods, Jim does not. I like fruit, Jim likes vegetables. Etc, etc., etc. I have made it a personal challenge to try to expand our menu choices, eat more healthfully, and try to be an example of good eating habits for our sweet little girl, Katie.

I have recently discovered Pinterest, and I've become addicted! We have tried 7 new recipes in the past 3 days (one snack, one dessert, one side, and 4 dinner dishes!). I want to have a section in this blog cataloging our favorite meals (and treats), as well as our adventures experimenting with new dishes. Our experiment is twofold: first, as I said before, I'm bored of cooking the same thing and I want to add more ideas to our "standard list" of dinners to choose from; second, I'd like to eat more healthfully. We are trying to be pretty intentional about reducing the amount of junk food we buy at the grocery store by replacing it with healthy alternatives, or at least a homemade version of the same thing (homemade chocolate chip granola bars, yum!). I hope you'll enjoy reading about our culinary adventures, and maybe you'll find some new recipes to add to your menu!

Welcome

Welcome to my blog!
This blog is about my life and journey to become more like the Virtuous Woman in Proverbs 31. This idealized woman has intrigued me since I began learning about her and studying her sometime in college. Is it possible to become like this woman or is she just an illusive icon? Is she still relevant? What does it look like to be a woman of "noble character" in the 21st century? I want to discover what the Bible has to say about becoming a godly woman, to become a "crown to her husband" (Prov. 12:4), and to have my children call me "blessed" (Prov. 31:28). There are so many aspects to explore as they relate to this amazing woman: marriage, parenting, health and beauty, career and finances, charity, etc. I will be trying to post at least weekly, touching on these topics. I will also chronicle my walk with God and how he's transforming me into a Virtuous Woman...worth more than rubies.