Happy Halloween Sugar Cookies

As much as I hate to admit it, this only-posting-on-the-very-last-day-of-the-month thing is becoming more common than I would like. This month it works out okay though because it's Halloween today!! I know there were a ton of cute creative Halloween projects that I missed out on, but one that I had always wanted to try was homemade sugar cookies. I've never really been a fan of eating them because the ones that I have had were way too sugary and sweet even for me, but I thought I'd give them a shot anyway because they look like fun to make. I also had a bit of an ulterior motive in making these cookies because I had volunteered to make some cross shaped cookies for my God daughter's Baptism and I wanted to bake a practice round first. With Halloween coming up, I figured they would be the perfect theme for my first batch of sugar cookies. I had a lot of fun making them and they weren't too detailed for a first time cookie decorator.

So here's what I discovered about making sugar cookies: it takes a loooooonnnnggg time!!!! Of course I learned more than that, but that is the main thing I realized after my 10 straight hours of cookie baking/decorating. After this experience, I have a whole new respect for Glorious Treats, which is where I got the base for all of my recipes and tips for this project. She always has beautiful, creative sugar cookies, but I can only imagine how many hours she spends in her kitchen!  Don't get me wrong though; I enjoyed being able to pour so much love & care into creating sugar cookies because it takes a good bit of time and patience.

With so many carefully decorated cookies on hand, Jimmy & I took some to our next door neighbors to introduce ourselves since a couple of them were new to the neighborhood. I also sent some to friends and family, and they held up surprisingly well through UPS. Unfortunately, I will admit I ate about a half dozen myself...and they were definitely more "treat" than "trick!" I cut back the sugar in the icing recipe and they turned out to be the perfect sweetness for my taste. Since it may be a little late to make these for Halloween, you can use the same recipes for some fun Thanksgiving themed cookies or of course for some cheery Christmas ones. Like it or not, the holidays are here and you can celebrate each one with sugar cookies!

Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract
Parchment paper

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer (using the paddle attachment if you have it or if not just the regular beater whisks) cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy or about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat another minute or so. Slowly add the flour mixture and use a spatula to scrape the sides as needed. Blend until all of the flour is incorporated and the dough begins to form a ball. Take out the dough and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Knead the dough a few times with your hands and separate it into 2 pieces. Wrap each piece in parchment paper and place the dough in a large Ziploc bag. Refrigerate for about 2 hours or in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes. You may want to set a timer if placing it in the freezer as it will take a few hours to defrost if it gets too frozen. Even after pulling it out of the fridge, it will need to sit for about an hour before it's pliable enough to work with. Once the dough is about ready to roll out preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Stagger the time (about 1-2 hours apart) you take each half out of the fridge to keep the dough at the right temperature. Roll out dough to 1/3 inch thickness & cut out shapes. 

Once your tray is full of similar sized cookies, place it in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes right before going into the oven so that they'll keep their shape. Decorate with Royal Icing.

Recipe source: Glorious Treats

Royal Icing Recipe

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons Meringue Powder
3 cups powdered sugar
6 Tablespoons warm water

1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Make sure all bowls and utensils are totally grease-free to ensure icing sets properly. Beat all ingredients until stiff peaks form. Divide white icing into individual bowls and add food coloring. Transfer into piping bags or squeeze bottles and decorate with love!

Recipe adapted from Glorious Treats. Visit her site for in-depth tutorials about cookie decorating and more creative sugar cookie ideas.

Super Simple Weekend Frittata

Whew, I got a September post in just before October 1! Talk about waiting til the last minute...
Oh the shame in not making more regular posts! I hate to say "I've been sooo busy!"...so I won't. I WILL say that I'm so happy about the season change and am really looking forward to making lots of fall dishes. My favorite holiday of the year is Thanksgiving because of course I love to cook, but it's tradition that I make a full Thanksgiving dinner for my immediate family and the gratification of cooking with love for my favorite people in the world is beyond words!
Anyhow, today's recipe is one you could make anytime of year. Frittata's are flexible because the ingredients can be changed up, so you can use whatever is in season at the time. If you've never had a frittata, it's kind of like a scrambled egg pie. You put pretty much the same stuff you might put into an omelette or scramble, but you bake it. I made this one on a whim one Saturday morning and we ate it for breakfast all weekend. I made it a little thin because it would just be Jimmy and me eating it, but I think it would be prettier and would definitely feed more people if it were a little thicker. A thicker frittata can be made by just adding a few extra eggs to the recipe below. This whole meal was made in just one pan as well, so that makes it even more appealing to me because I'm all about avoiding dishes. And Jimmy can attest to that! So if you're looking for a simple breakfast/brunch recipe that will feed you and your sweetheart all weekend long, try this one out!

Feta & Veggie Frittata

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 cup Egg Beaters
(or use 4 more eggs if you prefer)
1 medium squash, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup feta cheese (I use fat free, but it's optional)
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
Kosher salt & Course Ground Pepper (or whatever S&P you have on hand)
Handful of shredded cheddar for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute the veggies in a large pan with an oven-safe handle so that you can stick the whole pan in the oven at the end. Use the extra virgin olive oil to coat the pan, mix the veggies in it, add the Italian Seasoning and some salt & pepper. About 1 tablespoon of kosher salt (start with half of that if using regular iodized salt and taste as you go) and about 1 teaspoon or as much pepper as you like. As the veggies cook, beat the eggs, Egg Beaters & feta cheese with a whisk in a separate bowl and add some salt & pepper. Use about the same amount as was used with the vegetables. Remember that it's better to go light on salt and add more as you go if you're not sure.
Once the vegetables start getting soft and slightly translucent add the egg mixture and remove from the burner. Stick the whole pan in the oven for about 15 minutes or until it appears solid throughout. Remove from the oven & sprinkle the cheddar on top. Enjoy!

Juicy Grilled Lemon Chicken...even after Labor Day

Wow! August thirty-whaaaaat?!! I know it is so cliché to use phrases like “time flies” but sometimes it really does feel that way. There were just as many hours in the days of August as there were in July and yet somehow this will be my one and only post for the whole month. Funny thing is that I have cooked more this month, but the difference is the timing and ingredients. You see, I sort of instigated a health challenge amongst my family because we are planning to go on a vacation soon and as I have mentioned more than once, I have put on several L-B’s recently.  So in the interest of stimulating mine and my families’ competitive nature I thought making a challenge out of it might be a fun way to give me some much needed motivation. Thankfully I have been able to get my butt in gear and have been making deliciously healthful meals most nights this month. Unfortunately I haven’t quite figured out a good routine though because Jimmy and I go play tennis once it cools down outside so by the time we get home and I start on dinner it’s super late. Of course I’m famished by the time we actually eat and have no good lighting or patience for taking any pictures and so that’s how it is now August 31 and the whole month has passed without sharing a single recipe.  Today’s concept comes from my main culinary education source, the good old Food Network. Claire Robinson showcased Greek flavors on an episode of Five Ingredient Fix where I stumbled upon a delightful grilled chicken dish that can be made on an outdoor or indoor grill, so you can whip this yummy dish up anytime of year.

Grilled Lemon Chicken

Bone in chicken with skin
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch fresh oregano picked
4 smashed cloves of garlic
Juice of 2 lemons
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper 

Mix together the oil, oregano leaves, garlic, lemon juice and salt and pepper in a bowl. Rinse & pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then place in a ziploc bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken and seal the bag, pressing out any excess air. Shake up the bag carefully to distribute the marinade. Allow the chicken to soak in the marinade in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, but not more than about 24 hours or the chicken starts to cook in the acidity of the lemon juice.

Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.

Place a grill pan over moderately-high heat until very hot. Place the chicken skin-side down and cook until well browned about 10 minutes making sure not to move it around. Flip the chicken over and cook for another 10 minutes or so. Move the chicken to an oven safe pan and finish cooking in the oven until golden brown and cooked completely. About 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165. For best results, let the chicken rest around 10 minutes outside the oven before serving.

Recipe adapted from Five Ingredient Fix

My Fancy New Kitchen & Plum Cake Dad, really?!

So as I mentioned, my family came to visit me recently right before my kitchen remodel was finished, and from the moment they got here, my Dad was going on about Plum Cake. That was the first time I had ever heard of such a thing, but he was insisting that my Mom used to make it all the time. This would probably be a good time to admit the fact that, my mother does not like to cook. Surprising, I know, but my parents own restaurants, so she has never really had to cook. Since I've never seen a boxed Plum Cake, I was skeptical that my Mom had ever actually made such a thing. My Dad explained that they used to make a boxed Plum Cake and she would bake that and Spice Cake. I definitely remember loving her Spice Cake, but the Plum Cake is still debatable. Anyhow, my Dad had found a Plum Cake recipe in the local newspaper along with a bag of black plums and we got to work. At first, it sounded weird to me, but after I thought about it, plums are similar to peaches which are in all kinds of delicious desserts. I was a little concerned that the tart skin might not be so appealing, but it actually turned out to be a super moist and flavorful cake without being overly sweet. The skin actually added a beautiful color to the cake as well, so needless to say, I was delighted with the final result. Good call Dad! :)

Now, about the kitchen...I love it!! My sweet husband worked so hard to get it done as soon as possible because he knew how much I would miss it, but I don't think he realized how much he would miss my cooking until we were eating out every night. As you can see, we upgraded the counter tops, added a back splash, got a new microwave, a new sink & faucet and repainted all of the kitchen cabinets. I'll admit it was kind of a pain in the ass even though Jimmy did most of the work, but just dealing with the mess was a hassle in itself. Thankfully, it turned out to be totally worth it because I think it looks absolutely beautiful. I may just have to make his favorite meal in heels and something cute to repay him! ;)

Plum Cake Recipe:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon iodized salt
about 7 black plums, cut off the ends of each (like the piece in the pic) then pit, peel & chop the rest
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan, dust with flour and tap out the excess. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients with the butter mixture. Take the peeled & chopped plum flesh and fold it into the batter. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Arrange plum butts cut side down on top of the batter. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the cake is lightly browned on top. Note that the plum butts will sink into the cake, that's supposed to happen. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Cool for 30 more minutes, then dust with the powdered sugar and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from San Antonio Express Newpaper

My favorite taste testers and biggest fans! 

One Pot + 7 Ingredients = Chicken Tacos

Tacos, tacos, tacos!!

It was such a nice surprise having my family come visit Jimmy & me last weekend, but I was a little bummed that my kitchen still wasn't fully restored from the remodel. As of today, however, the kitchen is complete! I'm thrilled at the way it turned out all thanks to my super hard working hubby and will be sharing pics soon. 
Having my whole family here at home with me doesn't happen too often, so it made me happy which in turn made me want to feed them! With my cooking stuff spread out between the guest room and the garage, I knew I would have to make simple meals that wouldn't require too many dishes or gadgets. I had a bunch of chicken thigh meat in the freezer, so with some other ingredients I had on hand, I was able to make these hearty tacos without much fuss. I just threw everything in my trusty dutch oven & let it cook while I joined my Mom & sister for a day of shopping. We came home to a house that smelled of Mexican deliciousness and all chowed down! So next time your loved ones visit you at home, whip up this easy dish that will have them wanting to visit you more often!

My sweet baby nephew so wanted to get his little hands on these, so you know they were good!!

Isn't my taco holder neat? I got it as gift for our 5th wedding anniversary from a long time friend & I love it!

Ingredients
1 pound boneless chicken thigh or breast meat
1 can diced tomatoes with chiles
(I used Rotel-Hot)
1/2 large yellow onion, sliced up
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf (I prefer using fresh when possible)
3 tablespoons chicken taco seasoning
(or your own combination of cumin, garlic & chili powders)
Handful of fresh chopped cilantro
Kosher salt & course ground black pepper (Which don't count as "ingredients" since they go in practically everything!)

To make the chicken taco meat, either use a slow cooker or a heavy pot with a lid like my lovely red dutch oven. Add full chicken thighs or breasts, the can of tomatoes with juice, the onion slices, chicken stock, bay leaf & taco seasoning in the pot. Liberally (at least one tablespoon each) add the kosher salt & pepper then stir it all together to combine. Put the lid on the pot and place it in the oven at 300 degrees for about 2-3 hours. If you need it to cook longer, say you want to throw it in early then use it for dinner, lower the temp to about 200. My oven has a slow cook function that can be set at either low or high, so that's what I used. Once the chicken is almost done, add the cilantro so it keeps that nice green color and bright flavor. (I didn't add much because my Mom's not a fan, so you can't see much of it in the pic.) Of course you can also just toss it in with the other ingredients at the beginning if you want. Be sure to taste the meat once it's cooked to be sure the flavor is good. Remember you can always add salt, but too much will ruin your hard work.

Once the meat has cooked down so much it falls apart on its own, it is done. Stir it around to break up any big chunks, but it shouldn't take much effort for the chicken to break down into stringy pieces like in the pics. Take out the bay leaf and drain the meat well if there is still a lot of juice before serving. 

Corn tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream & shredded cheese obviously put the ingredients well over 7 items, but these are all things that can be switched up to make the dish your own. For example, try crema oaxaquena or crema fresca instead of sour cream. They are a bit sweeter and add more depth to the flavors of Mexican dishes, especially spicy ones. Or add avocado if you don't like cream. You can also try using queso fresco or cotija cheese instead of shredded cheddar, which are crumbly white cheeses that are also used in Mexican cuisine. If you're trying to limit your carb intake, use butter lettuce leaves to make chicken lettuce wraps. Ooo, good idea Jackie! I'm gonna have to do that next time since I need to get serious about shedding these extra ten pounds I've gained this year. Especially considering it's only July! *sigh* :-/

Patriotic Red Velvet Blueberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

I loved the way the liners were dyed from the Red Velvet and blueberries. They have this cool tie-dye effect that's very patriotic!

With the fourth of July falling midweek this year, people celebrated earlier or later than usual and I was no exception. I chose the early route because the sooner I can get a day off always seems to be better these days. I opted to travel to my hometown to spend time with my family and get out of my work-in-progress house for a bit. Things are coming along quite nicely with the remodel though, as I can now access everything I need to cook. There are still a couple of last steps left for it to be camera ready, so stay tuned! 

It was good as usual to see my family, but it had been way too long since I'd seen my sweet nephew. He was so much bigger than he was just a short month ago! I try to spend as much time as possible with him because he changes so much every time I see him. We enjoyed a little time in the pool and he seemed to like kicking around in his little baby float. Due to the kitchen remodel, we had to head home earlier than expected, so unfortunately, I didn't actually make these goodies until I was back at home.

Making too many of these sweets without having enough people to unload them on is a dangerous thing in our house. I have eaten one almost everyday since the fourth...yikes! It's really showing now too, so I may just have to implement a limit of one baked good per week. :(

Red Velvet Blueberry Cheesecake Cupcake Recipe

Let me start by admitting that I used a boxed Red Velvet Cake mix...oh, the shame! Well I'm not exactly a professional baker as you know, and I haven't experimented much with red velvet yet. I thought of this combination kinda last minute too, so I didn't have all day to get it right. Anyways, if you have a great red velvet recipe, definitely use that instead of the box mix, but they are still pretty darn good!

1 box of your choice of Red Velvet Cake, mix with ingredients as instructed.
24 vanilla wafers or graham crackers cutout with round cookie cutter to fit in baking cups

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
6 oz fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt (I used Oikos)
2 large egg whites
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup blueberries

Heat oven to 350°. Line cupcake tin with liners. Place a vanilla wafer or small graham cracker cutout at the bottom of each liner.

Gently beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth using an electric mixer. Gradually beat in fat free yogurt, egg whites, and flour. Do not over beat. Gently fold in the fresh blueberries and scoop mixture into cupcake liners filling about one third of the liners. Smooth the mixture to provide a somewhat level surface for the next layer.

Now, scoop a layer of red velvet mix over the cheesecake mixture. Fill liners a little over 2/3 full and bake about 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool on cooling rack for about 15 minutes then transfer to fridge. Chill for at least an hour before frosting.

Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. heavy cream

1 cup blueberries for garnish

Combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in the vanilla extract. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar a little at a time until incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Be sure to taste the frosting as you add the sugar to ensure it does not become too sweet for your taste. Add the heavy cream to the bowl and beat on medium-low speed just until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and whip for 4 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired and top with fresh blueberries.

Kitchen Purgatory Pot Roast

Aaaaahhhhhh!!! I'm having kitchen withdrawls! Look at my poor oven. 

How could I not have seen this coming? Of course a kitchen remodel sounds glamorous, but as you can see from this picture, the process is far from glamour of any sort! I hate to sound like such a whiney baby considering Jimmy has done most of the hard manual labor, but it has taken a toll on both of us and it's looking like we will need to endure it for another week or so. Thankfully, we really don't argue much in general, but this project really has me pushing his buttons just as effortlessly as I type this posting. I'm not trying to aggravate him, but sometimes I'm just so darn good at it! Plus, it's easy to get sassy when everything is covered in dust, it's over 100 degrees outside and you can't turn on the AC and especially when you can't access the fridge for a drink or snack. Hopefully this madness will get wrapped up soon because I'm looking forward to whipping up something scrumptious for my hard-working hubby in my upgraded kitchen!

The first night this whole remodel debacle started, we had committed to taking dinner over to a friends house as they had just moved into a new home and had their first baby. With so much to celebrate, I really wanted to take them something comforting and delicious, yet low maintenance considering the circumstances in the kitchen. So I opted for a pot roast. It has a pretty broad appeal and is easy to transport. Dessert was also a must, so I also baked up some of my Brownie Cookies to go along with dinner. Although it was a bit of a hassle running back and forth to the guest room to grab cookware & ingredients, it was definitely worth it to support our friends at such an exciting time in their lives. So if you get brave and decide to undergo a kitchen remodel...well, you're probably just gonna wanna go out to eat! ;) But if you have a good dutch oven (or Crock Pot), you can still turn out some delicious low hassle meals to share with people you love.

Beef, carrots & potatoes is a hard combination to beat, although I guess it coulda used something green. Ha! The plate! ;)

This is what was left of that delicious dinner all cooked right in my fun red dutch oven.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (about 3 lb) boneless chuck roast or shoulder roast
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 white or yellow onion, roughly sliced
3 garlic cloves, smashed

1 cup red wine (and the rest of the bottle to drink!)
1 1/2 cups low sodium beef stock
2 bay leaves
1 cup baby carrots
2 pounds (about 8-10) small red potatoes, quartered
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350º.
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chuck roast with salt and pepper. Add roast to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Add onion to pan; sauté 3-5 minutes or until tender. Add the red wine, thyme sprigs, smashed garlic cloves, beef stock and bay leaves to pan; bring to a simmer. Cover pot and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours or until the roast is almost tender.
Add carrots and potatoes to pan. Cover and bake an additional 1-2 hours or until vegetables are tender. If you're pressed for time, boil the potatoes & carrots in another pan for about 10 minutes so that they are partially cooked before tossing them in the dutch oven with the meat. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf from pan & discard before serving. Serve roast with vegetable mixture and cooking liquid. Cheers!