Happy New Year!

Hundreds of cupcakes baked. Red velvet, chocolate and vanilla. I'm thinking that the last eight hours of baking have made up for the lack of cooking I've done over the past week. Unless you count pouring milk into a cereal bowl or spreading peanut butter on toast.

I feel like this last week, and the entirety of 2010, has gone by way too fast. In some ways, I'm not sure I want it to end. It seems impossible that 2011 could hold things more wonderful than the year before, but then again, maybe it can.

Oh, and since I'm sure you're wondering, the recipes I used for the cupcakes are below!

Red Velvet: Ina Garten's Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (From her new "How Easy is That?" cookbook)
Vanilla Cupcakes: Ina Garten's Coconut Cupcakes (minus the coconut)
Chocolate Cupcakes: Ina Garten's Chocolate Cupcakes

Happy New Year, all!

Madison

Monster Cookies

Gosh I've missed you all! Over the past few days I've fallen off the face of the earth and into the hole known as family Christmas (all four of them!).

In other news, I'm taking the entire week of to be with family and friends. I haven't exercised in days, eaten a few too many sweets, and have yet to get out of pajamas this morning. Send help.


And finally. I wish I had this recipe for Monster Cookies from Southern Living, but I left it at home, along with my changes, and forgot to take it home with me. So to recap: I've been eating too many cookies and don't even have a cookie recipe to share.

Pathetic. I'm vowing to do better. :)

Madison

Wedding Wednesday

Since I got such positive responses about sharing wedding details as decisions are made, I have a few more specifics coming your way right...now!

After plenty of searching, both in stores and online, and buying (following by returning) the wrong dresses, we finally purchased bridesmaid dresses! I say 'finally' but really, I think we are slightly ahead of the game. Sticking to a budget and knowing I wanted to stick to a neutral color palette made it a little more difficult. But a huge discount coupon and plenty of searching led us to Ann Taylor for dresses that nicely compliment my own.

Girls out there, please tell me you wouldn't mind wearing this if you were a bridesmaid??

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!

Madison

Zucchini Spaghetti and a Winner

 

Happy Monday, everyone! First things first, let me say how much I loved hearing you all talk about what you're thankful for. Each and every time I read one of your comments it brought a smile to my face and made me think a little more about being thankful in my own life. I really do have the world's best readers. 

Secondly, a big congrats is due to Courtney Hughes, the winner of the Trader Joe's Peanut Flour giveaway! Courtney, I'll be getting you your gift over the holidays! :)

After last week's confession about how very little cooking I had been doing, I decided to get back in the kitchen and make myself something worth eating - and sharing. This meal actually graces my table quite often, when I am craving pasta but know I need to eat a few more servings of veggies. 

The key to making this dish is to have a julienne peeler. If you don't have one, it's pretty much the best $9 investment you could make and a great gift idea for the hard-to-shop-for cook in your life. And the zucchini? Pretty much the best veggie to put it to use on. In both taste and texture, it's amazing how similar the zucchini tastes to al dente pasta. 

Another bonus is the speed at which this dish comes together. For people like me, who are ravenous at the end of the day and can't wait for dinner, it's the perfect solution all around. Monday night dinner dilemma solved. 

Zucchini Spaghetti 

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

*2 medium zucchini, peeled into strips with a julienne peeler

*1/2 to 1 Tbsp. olive oil

*1/4 tsp. salt 

*1/4 tsp. black pepper

*1/2 cup marinara sauce 

*2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese or shredded cheese of choice 

Instructions

*In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the zucchini to pan along with the salt and pepper and toss to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes, until zucchini is soft but still has a bit of crunch. 

*Add in the marinara sauce and cook 1 minute more, until marinara sauce is heated through. 

*Transfer to bowl and top with cheese. Serve immediately. Serves 1 as a main dish serving or 2 as a side dish. 

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Peanut Flour Pancakes and Giveaway

I've had a bit of a crazy week at work. It seems as if everyone is working extra hard, making the final push until Christmas. Paired with a company Christmas party and a couple coffee dates, the closest I've gotten to making dinner for myself has been opening up a yogurt container.

But even on those days when I don't have time to cook dinner, I find time to make a killer breakfast. It's always been my favorite meal of the day, and I find myself pulling out my cookbooks at 6 a.m. much more than 6 p.m. Totally normal behavior, right?!

So even though I've been eating some pretty dull dinners, breakfast has been fabulous. And yes, I realize my site already has three other pancake recipes, but I just can't get enough of them! If you're a fluffy hot cake lover, these babies will be right up your alley. Before I made these Peanut Flour Pancakes, I thought the only way to get fluffy pancakes was to use all-purpose flour. But as you can see, I was so very wrong.

If you've never cooked with peanut flour, here's the low-down. It's made from ground peanuts, as the name suggests, that have had a portion of the fat removed. The flour is gluten-free and packed with protein, making it great for vegetarians and athletes looking to add a little extra protein to their diets. The peanut flavor is mild and slightly sweet but not overtly peanut-like. Surprisingly, it also gives you incredibly delicious and fluffy pancakes that will brighten even the coldest of days.

Can't find peanut flour? I feel for you! To remedy this, I am giving away two bags of Trader Joe's peanut flour to one lucky reader. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment at the bottom of this post telling me what you're most thankful for this holiday season! The winner will be announced Monday, December 20th.

Peanut Flour Pancakes

Ingredients
*3/4 cup peanut flour
*1/2 cup whole wheat flour
*3/4 tsp. baking soda
*1/4 tsp. salt
*1 Tbsp. brown sugar
*1 egg
*1 cup milk
Sugar-free syrup or regular maple syrup

Instructions
*Stir together the peanut flour and whole wheat flour, breaking up any of the lumps. Add in the baking soda and stir until well combined.
*Add in the remaining ingredients and stir until just combined.
*Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Spoon pancake batter by the quarter cup onto hot skillet and cook, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
*Serve with pancake syrup, if desired.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Mint Hot Chocolate Cookies

I'm thinking of turning Monday mornings into a time for weekly wedding updates. Everyone okay with that? Mmmkay good.

What's become very evident to me over the past week and a few days is that I'm a very decisive bride. One who doesn't dilly-dally over decisions in the least bit. And since Joey and I didn't want a long engagement, it works out well.

Decisions Made:
*Date: July 9!
*Ceremony and reception locations: Check!
*Dress and veil: Check and Check!

In other news, I made you some cookies. Ugly ones at that. But just because they are ugly doesn't mean they don't taste amazingly delicious and deserve to be given a chance. Seriously, these cookies are pure deliciousness. They're chewy, thin and crispy around the edges with a slight caramel wafer appeal. And for anyone who loves mint chocolate chip ice cream, these will pull at your heart-strings like none other.

Mint Hot Chocolate Cookies
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, December 2010 
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients
*2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
*1/3 cup mint-flavored hot chocolate powder
*3/4 tsp. baking powder
*1/2 tsp. salt
*2 sticks butter, softened
*1 cup sugar
*1 large egg
*1 tsp. vanilla extract
*1 cup chopped peppermint patties

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. 
*Whisk together flour, hot chocolate powder, baking powder and salt.
*With an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. Slowly add in the flour mixture, beating until just combined, followed by the peppermint patties.
*Form dough into 1-inch circles. Place on baking sheets and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake 9 minutes per batch. Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transfering to wire rack to cool completely.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Quick Spinach Manicotti

If you are anything like me, you're a little crunched for time. Whether you're a mom trying to meal-plan for the week, a student preparing for finals or an editor planning a wedding - time is tight.

During the weeknight, after a trip to the gym and a shower, I rely on meals like this. It's enough to feed a family one night or a couple people for multiple nights. Me? I ate my way through this over the course of a week since I have no problem with eating the same thing night after night. And, like lasagna, it tastes better the second and third times.

And did I mention this dish is easy? Cook the pasta, stir together the ricotta and chopped spinach, fill the pasta, top with marinara and bake. Paired with a side salad this meal may very well get me through the winter. 

Quick Spinach Manicotti
From Martha Stewart's Everyday Food 
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients
*8 manicotti shells
*1 (15-oz.) container light ricotta cheese
*1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
*1 (8-oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained of excess moisture
*1/2 tsp. salt
*1/4 tsp. black pepper
*1 tsp. dried basil
*2 cups marinara sauce
*1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

*Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta shells according to package instructions. Drain well and arrange in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan and spinach. Season filling with salt and pepper.
*Transfer filling to a large zip-top plastic bag. Twist and squeeze bag so filling is in one corner. With scissors, snip a 3/4-inch opening in corner. Pipe filling into both ends of each pasta shell. Arrange stuffed shells in an 8-inch square glass baking dish.
*In a medium bowl, whisk together marinara sauce and oregano. Pour sauce evenly over shells and top with 1/2 cup Parmesan. Bake until sauce in center of dish is bubbling and Parmesan is browned in spots, about 30 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

12.4.2010

This year has pretty much knocked me off my feet. Over the past twelve months my life has changed in such remarkable ways that it's hard to remember what things were like at this time last December. There was a new relationship, a graduation from college and my first big-girl apartment. Falling in love while trying to figure out just what it was that I hoped to do with my life. No one really prepares you for how difficult it is, coming into your own after college. There were flowers - too many to count - and kisses, too. Plenty of laughs, a few tears, my first camping trip and a phone call letting me know I had landed my first full-time job. 

And if all those things weren't enough, this weekend was the capstone on a year I will never forget, because the love of my life whisked me off my feet with a surprise trip to NYC. There were letters, four in total, that took me from one surprise to the next, each more wonderful than the one before. And at the end of the scavenger hunt was the best surprise of all. 

There, in front of the tree at Rockefeller Center, the man I love more than anything in the world got down on one knee and said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. How I got so lucky, I'll never know. I am blessed beyond anything that I deserve. I wish I had words to express what I'm feeling, but for now I don't. Perhaps in the future I will. One thing is for certain: this has been one heck of a year.

Iced Eggnog Cookies

Did you hear that this week has been declared cookie week? Well now you know and we can get to baking! I'm not entirely sure who named it cookie week. Though I do suspect that The Pioneer Woman had something to do with it.

I realize I'm a bit late partaking in cookie week festivities. But just because cookie week is almost over doesn't mean the baking needs to stop. In fact, it's just begun.

A few weeks back while visiting Florida my step-mom made me some pretty delicious cookies. So delicious that in the course of three days I ate the entire container. Of course I asked her to send me the recipe, and when it arrived in my mailbox I got to baking right away.

Changes were made, including a few healthy additions like whole wheat flour. And a few subtractions were made, too, like using less sugar and butter. So they're kinda like health food, right? And the best part of it all is that they are 100% delicious, without being super sweet. In fact, you can eat two or three without needed to take a nap afterward. That, my friends, is a very good thing.

Iced Eggnog Cookies
Adapted from BHG's Double Thumbprint Cookies 
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients
*1/4 cup butter, softened
*1/4 cup canola oil
*1/2 cup sugar
*1 tsp. baking powder
*1/2 tsp. salt
*1 large egg
*1 teaspoon almond extract
*2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
*1/2 cup sugar
*1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
*1 cup powdered sugar
*3 Tbsp. eggnog
*2 Tbsp. milk
*1/2 tsp. almond extract
*Decorator Sugar (optional)

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
*In a large bowl, combine the butter and oil. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and almond extract until combined. Beat in flour until just combined.
*Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. In a bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon. Roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Flatten with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a glass.
*Bake in the preheated oven for 7 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack. Combine the powdered sugar, eggnog, milk and almond extract. Drizzle cookies with powdered sugar mixture. Sprinkle with decorator sugar, if desired.

Happy Baking!

Madison

25 Christmas Challenges

I know it's only the second day of December, but I can already feel that my holiday spirit is lagging a bit. Not getting to partake in tree decorating with my mom and my sad selection of Christmas music, paired with the fact that I don't have any Christmas traditions of my own may have more than a little to do with my attitude. 

So this morning, when I was catching up on a little blog-reading, I was inspired by what I found on one of the cutest blogs around - The Rockstar Diaries. The author's mother sent each of her daughters 25 gifts paired with 25 'challenges' for the Christmas season. And since I thought it was such a great idea, I wanted to take the challenge and share it with you so you can take it, too, should you so desire. 

Over the next couple weeks, look for updates on my Christmas Challenge progress. And if you decide to take it, I'd love to hear updates and see photos, too! 

Merry Christmas!

 

Madison

25 Christmas Challenges...

• go out of your way-- befriend someone today that needs a friend and follow through to Christmas
• tell someone you love them
• make a tree decoration that will remind you of Christ
• in your prayers today, give thanks for every blessing without asking for anything
• try to be as kind as possible to others today
• try not to quarrel with family members today
• do a good deed anonymously
• make goals for yourself-- seal a copy in an envelope to be opened in a year
• visit someone sick or lonely or sad
• do volunteer work for some worthy cause
• do something fun for a child or younger sibling
• try to forgive someone who has wronged you, be reconciled
• make a "give list" instead of a list of gifts you'd like
• improve yourself in some way to please the Savior
• quietly reflect and choose uplifting activities vs shopping
• phone or send a card to an old friend or family member
• listen to Handel's Messiah
• make a christmas treat for someone else
• be a calming influence today and control your temper
• accept the gift of forgiveness-- pray for some weakness and ask for help in repenting of it
• look at Christmas lights... where does all light come from?
• sing carols
• do something nice for someone without their knowing it was you
• be the first to say hello to people all day
• ask someone to tell you about a past Christmas