Quick update

I haven't been doing much cooking or anything other than keeping the house clean, getting it ready to put on the market, going to class, doing homework, and running when I have time. First week of school has gone very well. The class is getting to that stage of familiarity that there aren't a lot of awkward silences any more, and even though we come from very different backgrounds and range in age from 18-34, we all have a vested interest in the material, we all want to be there, and we all are in it to help people. It's very refreshing after coming from 7 years of college where many were there in classes for the wrong reason or just because it was a core requirement.

The terminology seems to be seeping into my brain at a fairly fast pace and I was able to determine that I've memorized about 85 to 90% of the material we've gone over in class. Our first test is on Monday. It's over about 300 pages of material, which sounds daunting, but it is all multiple choice and comprised of only 100 questions. I really have no doubt I'll do well. I'm excited to begin next week!

No move, but no broken heart either...

So, the move didn't go through. We drove up for the final interview and right off the bat, the whole situation just didn't feel right. They put us up in a scary motel, (not kidding... police/ambulance/firetruck showed up TWICE in a three hour period- first time was for a wreck in the parking lot and the second was for a strung out guy lying in the middle of the parking lot), then during the interview they weren't clear on what resources the department had to do the things that actually needed to be done, and although they had a decent offer, the benefits were so bad that we would actually be taking a pay cut. So I kind of had a feeling right away that it wasn't going to pan out. I think that softened the blow when we counter-offered and they didn't budge. We just knew it wasn't a right fit.

However, we have decided to put the house on the market since there has been a drastic upswing in the real estate market here. That way, when hubby starts looking for jobs again around the place we want to move to, we won't have to worry about trying to sell the house then! Also, I'm going back to school starting today to get a CNA certification so I can start gaining medical experience to pursue my Master's degree to become a PA. I'll finish that in a month's time, hopefully get a job (which is extremely likely given that 80% of the class has job offers before the cert is over), work for a few months, try to find a job for hubby, possible move, then start pre-reqs in the spring/summer. About 3 semesters of pre-reqs, then I take the GRE and apply for PA schools. And then up to 3.5 years of more school. Yes. I am aware that I'm crazy. No doubt about that, but I'm doing it.

Working in the medical field was my dream from a really early age. I wanted to be a doctor from about age 8 on, but was discouraged from doing so for all kinds of reasons by the people around me who had their own selfish agendas for me. I spent years trying to follow their limitations and expectations and was miserable for it. Living for years denying thoughts, feelings and dreams can seriously mess you up, and it did. For awhile I entirely forgot who I wanted to be. I lived for others who actually should have had no bearing on my future. Now I'm doing this for me and the family I've created with my husband and son. I feel free to pursue what I want to do without feeling a constant sense of guilt and misery. It's a little scary to step out of a pattern and make such a drastic change, but it's also invigorating! I'll keep my blog updated as I can, but it will probably continue to be less frequent now that other things are coming into my life.

Tri-color Quinoa Stir Fry

I've been on a health kick trying to lose my last 30 lbs (I've lost 50 so far in the past 2 years... most of it in the space of 10 months or so) and I'm gluten free, so quinoa is an increasing staple in my diet. I had a whole lb. of it in my cupboard, and then happened to see a twitter post by Jaime Alexander of "Thor" fame with a delicious looking dish of so many gorgeous colors and happened to have quinoa, as well as what looked to be an excellent combination of flavors. So I used her dish as an inspiration for this one.

Tri-Color Quinoa Stir Fry

2.5 c. uncooked tri-color quinoa

1 small red onion, diced

1 carrot, grated

1 bell pepper, diced

1 cup red cabbage, chopped

1/2 16 oz. can black beans, drained

2 T. olive oil

1/2 t. cumin

1/4 t. garlic powder or 2 cloves regular garlic, minced

sea salt to taste

Cook quinoa per directions. (You can cook quinoa in a rice cooker, I did! Google for cooking times and double your water at least). Next, warm oil in a large skillet or pan then throw in the red onion, carrot, bell pepper, red cabbage, throw in spices too and saute until cooked tenderly. When the quinoa is finished, add it to the skillet or pan along with the black beans and mix thoroughly being sure it's heated through. Taste and season until it's yummy and then serve! Yields about 8 servings.

Ratings from the Experts*: 10/10 for Vegetarian fare. My picky-eater hubby even said this was delicious, and it's great for making if you need something to eat throughout the week for lunches. It's very low calorie, running about 290 calories per serving.

I might be doing more decorating soon, in a new place.

Soooo. Yeah. This past month has been a little crazy. In the space of one month we've gone from being fairly certain and content to stay here where we've been, to having many doors opened in another state and multiple reasons to leave here. Talk about a switch!

My husband has his 3rd interview tomorrow and we're hoping for a face-to-face interview next week sometime. If all goes well, we might be moving at the end of September. The place we would be moving is much more urban...a bigger city than what we're used to, so we're thinking of actually living in the city just for the life experience. I've already found a dream apartment in a historic building just a few blocks from one of our favorite places to visit in the city. I'm just hoping it stays on the market until we are able to move! (If.) Trying not to get too excited, but it's also a step towards the future for me because the PA school I want to go to is there. If this all works out, it's going to be amazing. Praying that whatever happens, it's the right thing for us. Anyway, I probably won't be posting much for a few more weeks at least. A) Because I won't know anything for a couple weeks more probably, B) Because I might be mending a bit of a broken heart, or C) Because we're packing up to move!

Sweet Pepper Tuna Cucumbers

I do best with a protein-rich diet when I'm trying to lose weight and I wanted to incorporate a generous dose of veggies, so I threw this together for lunch. It's certainly nice to look at, and it shares some qualities with a really good canape recipe given to me by my friend Melissa.

Sweet Pepper Tuna Cucumbers
2 mini sweet peppers, sliced

1 very large cucumber, sliced
1 small can of Tuna, drained
1 1/2 T low fat cream cheese, softened
1 rounded t capers
1/2 t minced onion
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t pepper

In a bowl, mix together the drained tuna and softened cream cheese, add capers and onion, then add in all the spices and mix until thoroughly blended. Drop the blended mixture onto cucumber slices, place one slice of sweet pepper on top, then garnish with more chili powder for extra flavor and color if desired. Chill in the fridge until cold, then serve.

Ratings from the Experts*: My hubby's not a big tuna fan, so I took the burden upon myself to eat every last one of these as I sat here writing this post. What a burden it was... I kid, I kid! I give this a solid 9/10 for the fact that it's a tiny bit salty but I think that could be remedied by simply washing the capers and rubbing them off before adding to the mix. But the mix itself was a good blend. The chili powder really gave it a nice flavor and brought it all together.

Gluten Free Play Dough

My son is even more severely gluten intolerant than I am, so I've been leery of letting him play with regular Play Dough since it contains gluten. I looked all over Pinterest for recipes, tried one this morning, and it was an utter disaster. It more closely resembled pineapple chunky oatmeal than play dough. So I switched gears and found a recipe on About.com from the Celiac Sprue Association and gave it a try. It worked beautifully except for the fact that the actual cooking instructions were way off base, so I changed those to tell you a more accurate process.

Gluten Free Play Dough
1/2 c rice, potato, or sorghum flour
1/2 c corn starch
1/2 c salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 t cooking oil
food coloring of your choice

Mix the dry ingredients together well, then add in the wet ingredients, stirring until blended. The mixture will be very very watery and you'll wonder how in the world it's going to thicken up, but it will. Cook and stir constantly on medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture forms a ball. Once the dough isn't sticky to the touch, take it out of the pan and let cool a bit, then knead it more by hand. Let it cool completely before storing the dough a sealable plastic bag.

I love how simple this recipe is. This morning I just brought my son in to the kitchen, gave him a few pots and pans and a couple of spoons to play with while I worked on the play dough. In less than 15 minutes we had a wad of playdough even larger than a regular play dough can carries! I made 2 colors today, but I expect we might add some more colors to the collection next week since my son loves it so much. And that makes me a happy momma. :)

Cheese and Turkey Stuffed Mini Peppers

I have been recovering from abdominal surgery, so I haven't been able to cook much at all (Dr.'s orders... I promise!) Instead I've been stuffing my face with far too much food generosity from my in-laws, and eating out more than I should since I haven't felt much like cooking. I've gained about 5 lbs I think and I've about had it... so it's back on the healthy eating bandwagon today so I don't feel so much like an overstuffed Italian sausage. These little beauties are my new obsession (the peppers, that is). They are Mini sweet bell peppers and they are so great for me since I love bell pepper but can't ever seem to use a whole pepper in a dish. And they also make gorgeous little finger food like this!

I wanted a pop of protein, so I grabbed some cream cheese and roasted turkey lunchmeat from the fridge. The following is the result.

Cheese and Turkey Stuffed Mini Peppers
2 T. Cream cheese
3 mini peppers
2 slices, thinly sliced oven roasted turkey (Land o' Frost is what I used)
1/8 t. garlic salt
1/4 t. Italian seasoning

Slice the tops off the mini peppers and remove any seeds from the interior. Cut the slices of turkey into three portions and stuff one portion in each of the three peppers. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mash together cream cheese with the seasonings until well blended. Smear generous amounts of cream cheese mixture into the peppers on top of the turkey, be sure to fill them to the top! Now, enjoy.


Ratings from the Experts*: 10/10 from me, for snacking it's a filling, healthy snack that packs a healthy protein punch in addition to a nice serving of veggies.

Savory Egg and Cheese in Ham Cups

I saw this recipe on Pinterest (surprise), and knew I had to try it for its simplicity and versatility alone. It's virtually like choosing ingredients for an omelet, but a whole lot easier and prettier to cook. I don't think there are enough fingers in the world to count how many times I've tried to flip an omelet and screwed it up- so then said dish suddenly morphs into Crumbled-Omelet-in-a-bowl, my specialty. These turn out pretty as a picture with no effort at all. They are so versatile too. Want broccoli? Extra cheese? Even cooked sausage added? Go for it!

I'll share what I came up with for ingredients simply for the fact that it was delicious and perfectly seasoned for our taste. A couple of notes: I used two slices of ham for the cups to ensure the cup was thick enough to hold the egg sufficiently; I sliced the veggies I used very thinly so they cooked well and didn't disrupt the texture too much.

Savory Egg and Cheese in Ham Cups
Smoked ham lunch meat (two slices for every cup you want to make)
Eggs (one egg for every cup)
red bell pepper, sliced thin and into small pieces to sprinkle into the cups
minced onion, fresh or dried
Monterey jack w/roasted red pepper cheese, cut into small chunks just larger than shreds (this ensures some of the chunks of cheese will sink into the egg and cook throughout)
garlic salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Spray your muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In your muffin pan, place 2 slices of ham lunch meat over each muffin tin and press down into the cup until the ham forms a little cup. Next, crack open one egg into each ham cup. Season the egg, then add your sliced and minced veggies. Place the pan in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes or until the eggs are set just a bit. Pull them out and add the chunks of cheese on top of each cup. Put it back in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or just until the egg white looks cooked. Leave in longer if you want harder-cooked eggs.

Ratings from the Experts*: 10. Perfect. Easy. Fantastic flavor. Perfect portion sizes. They also freeze and reheat well and are great for taking in the car if you want something portable, just be sure to wrap them in a paper towel or saran wrap after heating.

Chicken Satay

Satay is one of those gold standard dishes that I tend to judge a restaurant by. I've had some realy horrible Chicken Satay that more closely resembled leather on a stick than actual food (usually found at chinese buffets), and I've had some that still makes my mouth water just thinking about it (such as Sakura's Satay- which I had in Paris last year- shown below).

For me, this recipe falls closer on the scale to Sakura's and a bit more even towards the authentic than even Sakura's, which is not a bad thing at all. I must mention that I gleaned this recipe from yet another cookbook find this past weekend. It's called Street Food, by Clare Ferguson. It's a collection of street food recipes from every corner of the world. I was thoroughly impressed by the gorgeous pictures and rich, varied recipes I found... and I got the book for only three bucks!

I didn't really have any issues with ingredients for the recipe thanks to a trip to the Asian market in OKC this past weekend (other than not having fresh lemongrass stalk or tamarind paste), so I think my dish came out pretty close to the book's. I did lack tamarind paste, so I just left it out of the peanut sauce and added a little bit of peanut butter for some consistency, then when my mixture was still too thin, I brought the sauce to a boil, added about a teaspoon of corn starch, and the problem was solved.

Chicken Satays
1 lb. boneless chicken breast
2 T peanut oil
2 T distilled white malt vinegar (I substituted apple cider vinegar for GF purposes)

-Spice paste-
3 garlic cloves, chopped
4 shallots or 1/2 small onion, chopped
1 T coriander sees, crushed
1/2 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped (I didn't have this, but I did have a Thai spice mix with some in it, so I added 1 t. of that mix)
1 t. ground turmeric
2 small, fresh hot red chilies, finely chopped (optional in my opinion)

-Satay sauce-
1 t. fish sauce, toasted on a piece of foil for 1 minute
1 t. tamarind paste (sold in jars- but I didn't have any, so I added some natural peanut butter instead mainly for consistency)
1 oz. macadamia nuts or peanuts, chopped,
1 T brown sugar
1/2 stalk lemongrass, finely sliced (again, same substitution of spice mix here)
4 shallots or 1/2 small onion, chopped
2 small, fresh hot red chilies, finely chopped (optional in my opinion)
1/2 c canned coconut milk

Cut the chicken breasts into thin ribbons about 1 inch wide, then put pieces into a medium bowl. Chop the spice paste ingredients, mixing them all together in a food processor until it becomes a paste-like consistency (if you need to, add 1 T of water to help the consistency). Heat the oil in a skillet, add the spice paste, and saute until aromatic. Let it cool, stir in the vinegar, then add to the chicken. Marinate for about 20 minutes or up to 2 hours. Meanwhile, soak 8 wooden satay sticks in water.

To make the satay sauce, put the fish sauces in a food processor, add the tamarind paste (or peanut butter in my case), nuts, sugar, lemongrass, shallots or onions, and chilies. Heat the coconut milk in a small saucepan to near boiling point, then add to the processor and puree briefly to form a sauce. Preheat your broiler or light your grill until very hot.

Push the meat onto the sticks, threading it on in waves- then grill or broil or cook for about 3 minutes each side until done. Serve with the satay sauce.

Ratings from the Experts*: Hubby gave this (even lacking some ingredients) a solid 10. Better than 95% of the other chicken satay I've had, I gave it a 9, simply for the fact that it was a tiny bit dry for what I prefer, compared to the satay in Paris which is the best experience I've had.

Pinspiration.

Pinterest has become a new interest of mine. Well... scratch that. It's not just an interest, it's an obsession. There. I said it. *Breathes deeply*. Hello, my name is Jen... and I'm a Pinterest addict.

I can freely admit that I've gone through every one of my pinboards and selected the 'best' cover; I have categorized and recategorized my pins into more and more boards as time goes by. Checking Pinterest as much, if not more than Facebook is not uncommon. My favorite Pinners, like my cousin Tara, who consistently posts some of the best DIY pins out there, Jane Wang (who posts fabulous recipes) and Lauren Conrad (yes... that Lauren Conrad) who has a great eye for fashion and design, pepper my pin boards.  I have three boards for food alone. I have two or three for fashion, and several for home decor, design, and organization. If I'm looking for a specific type of recipe, I check Pinterest first. If I have a vague design idea for furniture but want some more ideas, I check Pinterest. I confess that a lot of thought patterns end in "I should check Pinterest!" these days and frequently I'm met with eye rolls from my husband.

Thus, I am going to start blogging some of the Pinterest projects that are inspiring me in my own household off and on. (I know I'm only adding to the addiction, but really, it can't be helped. It's like the compulsion to scratch an itch...) I'll be posting the inspiration project, then following up with updates on my projects as they come along.

So, without further ado...

I want to take this.... (old beat-up chest of drawers currently being used as my craft supply storage.)

To something resembling this.

My chest of drawers is obviously a lot simpler in design than the inspiration piece and I don't intend on using Eiffel tower artwork in the decoupage, but I have some vary old hymnals that I think would work nicely for the drawer fronts. I'm trying to decide if I should paint the whole dresser the shade below.  I have this shade as an accent piece throughout my living room, but I'm unsure if I want to use such a vibrant color on a piece as large as the dresser... so. I don't know yet. Thoughts?

But regardless, I will post progress pics once I decide what exactly I'm doing to it. I'm excited to see how it turns out and I hope whomever my readers are, that they enjoy the process too!

Tuna Rolls

I found this gorgeous new recipe in a book I picked up this past weekend at a half price bookstore during a sale... for a whopping $2!!! Not only are the pictures in this book absolutely fantastic-make-you-salivate-esque, the recipes are inventive and different. It's called Everyday Tapas : A collection of essential recipes, and appears to be put together by Paragon Books with no particular author. Thumbing through it briefly I saw at least half a dozen recipes that I wanted to try immediately, which was enough for me to decide the $2 price tag was totally worth it. This recipe was one of those that popped out at me. I love bell peppers and go through several of them every week... so I'm almost always stocked with some, and I have (or had) about 8 cans of tuna sitting in on my cabinet shelf that I'd been contemplating how to use for the past couple of weeks. As is usual for me, I had to adapt a tiny tiny bit to account for some missing ingredients as well as personal taste. (And yes... that gorgeous photo above really is mine. This dish was so pretty that it was not hard to photograph at all!

Tuna Rolls (as adapted from Everyday Tapas)
3 bell peppers (I used yellow and orange, although the original recipe calls for red)
2 oz. olive oil (was 4 oz. - I cut this in half and didn't notice any difference)
2 T lemon juice
5 T red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 t. paprika
1 t. chili powder (called for chili flakes- which I don't have)
2 t. sugar
2 T salted capers
10 oz. tuna in water, drained

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Slice and deseed the peppers into thirds, coat lightly with olive oil and place on a baking sheet in the oven for 15 minutes, turning peppers frequently until the skin is blackened and blistered all over. When finished, set them aside and allow to cool.

In a separate bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, paprika, chili powder and sugar together.

When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins, then place in the bowl of dressing mixture, making sure all the pieces of pepper are covered and coated, then set in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Next, rinse the salt off the capers and mix with the tuna. Drain the pepper pieces, reserving the dressing. Divide the tuna mixture between the pepper pieces and roll up. Secure the roll with a toothpick. Place the tuna rolls on a large plate or serving platter, then drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve.

Makes approximately 4 servings.


Ratings from the Experts*: 9 very easily. My husband isn't a fan of tuna so it's doubtful he'll even try these, but I loved them. The only things I would change is to add a little black pepper to the mix, and perhaps cut back the olive oil even more or change it to garlic infused olive oil for a tiny bit more flavor.

Brazilian Black Bean Stew

I was really in the mood for something flavorful and exotic a few days ago, and I wanted something that combined meat and a fruity, sweet flavor. I did some digging on allrecipes.com and found this recipe. Since I lacked a few ingredients and I can never seem to leave a recipe alone, I made some tweaks to it.

This gorgeous bowl of awesomeness is called Brazilian Black Bean Stew. And it's actually even better as leftovers than the first day of cooking, as I discovered today. The flavors soak through it all and flavor the whole dish to perfection.

Brazilian Black Bean Stew
1 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 lb. chicken sausage, chopped or sliced thin
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1 can Rotel (with green chilies)
1 1/2 cups water
2 16 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
pinch of pepper

First, heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, and cook the chicken sausage just enough to warm it. (2 to 3 minutes). Add the diced onion to the skillet, and cook until tender. Stir in the minced garlic, then mix in the sweet potatoes, bell pepper, tomatoes with juice, Rotel, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender. Next, stir the beans into the rest of the mixture, and cook uncovered until they begin to soften a bit more. Mix in the pineapple, and season with salt, cumin, pepper, and other spices to taste. 

I recommend allowing it to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Makes 6-8 servings depending upon portion size.

Ratings from the Experts*: Me- First night I gave it a 7. It seemed way too tomato heavy and the spices just didn't seem to blend through it all. Today... I give it a strong 9. The flavors had melded together and the tomato did not seem overbearing today at all. It was delicious. The spices were great today, although in the future I think I would increase the cumin to 1/2 a teaspoon and add more than a pinch of pepper... and possibly add some basil to the mix for good measure. Hubby gave it a 7 as well but also agreed that it only seemed to get better as leftovers. I'm thinking somehow this might do even better as a slow cooker recipe? Nonetheless... this is a definite yes to making it again.

A New Beginning...or Rather, an Expansion.

This blog is evolving a little to account for my lifestyle and interests, as cooking is just one of many things I enjoy doing in my free time. Thanks to the rise of Pinterest and many other DIY blogs and sites, my interests in home deco and organization have also been piqued and sent into overdrive lately. I've been on a six month house cleanse, donating, selling, and repurposing about three quarters of the junk, clothes, and general mess that had been clogging every closet in my house and spilling into my idyllic appearance of clean. I have the very last round of craigslist  and donation items set out in the spare bedroom now. My closets are organized and clean. Our attic space junk has been cut to about 20% of the original volume and I can now walk through front to back with zero risk of tripping over some random box of undisplayed art projects or college dorm room decor that had last seen the light of day 9 years ago.

Let me tell you... it is a WONDERFUL feeling to open a door and see everything right there in front of you, to know where everything is, and to be able to use everything that is left. My head feels clearer and I feel much more at peace with our home environment. I don't have obvious things facing me every day now like "I really need to go through that cabinet and reorganize it." There aren't any more broken or orphan phone chargers in the coat closet. I don't have clothes I haven't worn in 5 years or longer any more. That yellow gold jewelry that never suited my skin tone? It's gone too. In place of these random things is a mound of cash in our pocket, a closet that looks neater, drawers that are a little less stuffed, repurposed mason jars that actually do something other than sit empty taking up space in cabinets, and crafts that I've actually used to decorate our house instead of them sitting on a shelf somewhere upstairs for years on end.

I managed to develop a method of getting rid of stuff without the dreaded internal argument.

For example: Well... I did use that doily for Aunt Bertha's party 2 years ago... but will I use it again in the next five years?

Answer: Is the doily currently serving a purpose, or will it serve any purpose in the next six months? How many other doilies do you have? Is there a need to keep all of them especially if they aren't an heirloom or of sentimental value? NO. Repurpose, sell, or donate... or actually USE it. Don't let it sit unused on a shelf.

Those clothes that are either too big or too small or are certified relics yet still hang in your closet? Don't keep them. Donate or sell them. By the time you lose the weight they won't be in style any more anyway. They could be clothing somebody a lot less fortunate than you right now. Instead they are sitting in your closet unworn. Unless you're going to spend time mending, get rid of socks with holes, and clothes that are a little too well-worn as well.

Go through your medicine cabinets and pitch all the expired meds, vitamins, and bandaids that have lost their sticky. Trash those empty shampoo bottles in your shower. (Yes...I'm talking to you). That hairspray you haven't used in five years? Pitch it too.

Check the dates on your non-perishables in those kitchen cabinets too. I had muffin mix in my cabinet that was 4 years out of date. I found old pasta that I can't eat now since I'm gluten free... some of it was out of date too.

The biggest point is, getting rid of things is not an issue of sentimentality, it is an issue of use. Can or will you use it... and be as realistic as possible about those odds.

So step up... do what I did, be bold... and reclaim your house, sanity, and organize! In the future, I hope to share some of the organizational ideas I've picked up on lately as well as some of the recent home decor projects I've completed, so look for updates soon!

Super Fluffy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had a major sweet tooth today and was feeling adventurous, so I whipped these together out of my head. As you can see, I was going for insanely sweet, and I would say that this did it. An unexpected benefit was that these turned out absolutely deliciously FLUFFY... which is kind of a rare thing for gluten-free cookies. My husband agreed they were phenomenal.

Super Fluffy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 c creamy peanut butterr
1 c sugar
1 c flour (I used Pamela's GF all-purpose flour, but regular flour will work too.)
1/2 c oats
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. vanilla
1/4 c melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 c choc. chips (or desired amount)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together all the dry ingredients. Add the peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and two eggs and vigorously fold in the wet ingredients until the dough is blended and slightly sticky, but moldable. Form small balls of dough and space evenly on a foiled cookie sheet. DO NOT flatten the cookie balls, this is part of what makes them fluffy. I put the first dozen in the oven as dough balls and they turned out super fluffy. I made the mistake of flattening the second sheet of cookies and they turned out ok, but not nearly as light and fluffy. They don't spread much, so don't get panicky watching them bake. Bake them for 13-16 minutes watching closely so they don't crisp too much. Serve warm. Yields about 24 cookies.

Ratings from the Experts*: 10, 10, 10... for sure. Will definitely make these again!

Glazed Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

I've had a sweet tooth all week and yogurt doesn't seem to be cutting it, so I went on search of a decent looking recipe. This is actually a hybrid of many recipes, but all in all it turned out really good even though I didn't know exactly what I was going to do when I started.

Glazed Pumpkin Pecan Muffins
1- 15 oz. can pumpkin
1 box yellow or spiced cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow cake)
1 T cinnamon
2 t. cloves
2 t. nutmeg
3 T chopped pecans

For glaze:
1 1/4 c powdered sugar
3 T milk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a muffin pan and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients: cake mix, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, pecans. Once well-mixed, start folding in the entire can of pumpkin until all of the pumpkin is mixed in and the whole mixture is entirely moist.  Spoon by heaping tablespoonfuls into the muffin cups until they are about 2/3 full. Bake in oven for 20-25 min.
Once muffins are done, allow them to cool completely before beginning glaze.

Easiest thing to do is use a measuring cup to measure out the powdered sugar, keep it in the measuring cup, then add a T of milk at a time, mixing well with a fork until the sugar mixture has become a thick, creamy glaze. Drizzle generously over the muffins and then all all the muffins to sit in the fridge for about 20 mins to allow the glaze to set. Devour.

Ratings from the Expert*: 8.75? I couldn't quite give it a 9 since I didn't exactly whip my glaze thick enough. It didn't set quite as well, but I think I really just didn't whisk enough. 2 muffins are already gone. They are delicious. And gorgeous to boot.

Antipasto Penne and Italian Sausage with Tomato Cream Sauce

I thought this up earlier today and fell in love with the idea. I had a light antipasto salad of peppers, artichokes and olives leftover that my husband had picked up from the store on a whim and I wanted to make an Italian dish with some different flavors. It turned out FANTASTIC. Will definitely make this one again.

Antipasto Penne and Italian Sausage with Tomato Cream Sauce
4 Mild Italian Sausage links
1/2 c antipasto of your choice
1/4 medium onion, diced
1/2 bell pepper, julienned
1 can mushroom stems and pieces
4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, melted
1 c. Tomato soup
3 T corn starch
1 pkg. Penne Pasta (I used Tinkyada Gluten Free Penne)
1 T Italian seasoning
1 T minced garlic
Pepper to taste

In a large skillet, brown the sausage, then slice thinly. Throw in diced up antipasto salad, onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms and toss in olive oil, then saute for several minutes until veggies are tender. (I also threw in a tiny bit -maybe a teaspoon- of balsalmic vinegar at this point).

In a separate saucepan, combine cream cheese and Tomato soup, stirring until well blended, then add corn starch to thicken. Sauce should be the consistency of a thick spaghetti sauce when done. Add in garlic, Italian seasoning, and pepper and mix well.

Cook pasta per package directions. Drain. Then add sauce and Italian sausage mix and stir until blended. Top with cheese of your choice (I used an Italian blend of Cheddar, Asiago, and Mozzarella.)

Ratings from the Experts*: 10 from BOTH of us! Yes... I know. Rare that I get a 10 out of the Hubby, but it happened! That's why I felt I had to post this even though I've fallen well behind on blogging duties.