Monster Cookies !!

2 sticks unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
** Cream together well
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
**Cream together well
3-4 cups flour (Note: batter will be very stiff)

add the "kitchen sink"
M&M's
Chocolate Chips
Nuts
Reese Cups

Bake at 375 for 12 minutes and ENJOY!!

Dear Great Pumpkin ...

Happy Halloween!!

Yummy Mummy

1 package crescent rolls
Pepperoni
Deli Ham
Procuitto
Provolone
Mozzarella
Italian Seasoning
Marjarum
Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper

Open crescent rolls and pinch together into one rectangle. Down the center layer the following: provolone, ham, procuitto, mozzarella, all seasonings, then pepperoni. Fold all sides around to enclose the "mummy". Spray with PAM and bake at 370 for about 15 minutes or golden brown.

Severed Fingers with Blood Dipping Sauce

Packaged Breadsticks -- season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, italian seasoning, and lots of parmasean cheese. Press down the end with your thumb to make look like the end of a finger then place a slivered almond at the end as you "nail"; bake at 375 until golden. Blood dipping sauce is the Pizza Hut red sauce recipe you can find below -- serve warm!

Enjoy

Tomato Cream Sauce over grilled chicken and pasta

I cannot put into words how amazing this dinner was!!

Tomato Cream Sauce

Handful of any pasta - cooked
1 T butter
1 T flour
2/4 cup milk
1/4 cup tomato sauce

2 chicken tenders seasoned with salt, pepper, and dash of dried sage -- pan fried in olive oil

Make a basic roux with butter and flour, cook 1 minutes - whisk in milk then stir in tomato sauce. Serve over pasta and chicken. ** I topped mine with fresh mozzarella ... yummy !!!

Next weeks menu .....

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatball Subs
Pot Roast, Carrots, Potatoes
Chicken and Dumplings
Pizza Mac
Club Sandwiches


sounds good to me .. :-)

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

Oh yes ... these are amazing !! Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

1 package brownie mix (i always use the one that comes in a bag for $1) - prepared as directed

6 oz cream cheese (i used the low fat)
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
2 T flour
1/2 canned pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Mix all.

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 8x8 inch baking dish.
Put 2/3 of the brownie batter into the dish and spread evenly. Next, spread the cheesecake filling carefully over top the brownie batter. Last dollop the remaining brownie batter onto the cheesecake filling and swirl (i used a wooden chop stick). Bake for 35 minutes or until center comes out clean when poked.

Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats

So so yummy !!!

6 cups rice krispie cereal
3 cups mini marshmallows
1/4 cup butter
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

(yupp it's that easy)

in a large pot melt together butter, marshmallows, and pumpkin pie spice; once melted take off heat and stir in the cereal. Press into a greased pan and allow time to 'set up'.

Pumpkin White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies !

These are my go-to fall favorite cookies!! ENJOY, they are amazing!

Pumpkin White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup softened butter

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

1 cup packed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix but PURE pumpkin)

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups white chocolate chips

2/3 cup macadamia nuts

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Beat butter and sugars in a large bowl until creamy. Beat in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla until well mixed. Gradually add in four mixture. Stir in chips and nuts.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Cool for two minutes then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party ...

Since Alex is a HUGE Florida Gators fan we created a .. very .. unique menu to celebrate the largest outdoor cocktail party for the game today vs. Georgia; on the menu: Gator burgers, Cajun Fries, Gator Choppers, and Teboe Tea aka burgers, fries with old bay, sweet tea, and stuffed mushrooms.

Burger Recipe:

Lean ground beef
Old Bay
Worcestershire Sauce

on George Forman for 8 minutes.

Pudding ... huh .... oh ... yuuuuum !!

Super Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made this yummers for out trip to Indy, half for us and half for Alex's cousin who watched Kinsey while we were away; thanks Joe!

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding & pie mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (12 oz. bag) semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour and baking soda; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat in the instant pudding until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips.

3. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

4. Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

When the moon hits your eye like a big PIZZA PIE ...

... that's amore

Home-made 'Pizza Hut' Pizza

1 and 1/3 cup warm water
1 pkg dry yeast
1/4 cup non-fat dry milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Mix water, dry milk, salt, sugar, and yeast .. let sit for two minutes. Stir in oil, then flour. Turn out onto floured work surface and kneed for 10 minutes (good idea to allow strong hubby to do this job).

Roll out to a 9 inch circle and place in vegetable oiled 9 in cake pan; let rise in warm place for 1 hour.

Tomato Sauce

8oz can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon each dried marjoram, basil, garlic salt.

Combine all and let sit for an hour.

Top dough with 3 oz sauce and 3 oz shredded mozzarella cheese; bake at 475 until cheese is bubbly and crust is browned.

** I made mine into a cheese (mozzarella and ricotta) and spinach calzone :-) yummy.

Sweet Chili

My hubby likes his chili sweeeeeeeeeet ... much like everything else :-)

1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can tomato soup
1 can water
1 can tomato paste
1 lb ground beef
1/2 container chili sauce
splenda

Brown beef, add chili sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tomato soup, paste, and water and bring back to a simmer. Drain and rinse beans and add to chili; season with splenda till sweet enough to please hubby; serve in bread bowl.

Parmesan-Encrusted Pork Chops

(picture is pre-pan fried)

Thank you Giada for this wonderful recipe!

2 large eggs
1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon wedges, for serving

Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Sometimes i just want to bang my head agaist the wall!

Honestly i think i hate the fact that i studied nutrition in college! I really hate knowing how wrong people are when they talk about nutrition........ but never want to admit that they are wrong when someone like me comes along. So yeah ... ugh.. i am just glad that i did not do an internship post-grad only to work clinical and put up with this for the rest of my life!! Ok i am done with my rant. Thanks for listening.

Hmmmm .... ideas to next weeks dinner

Monday: Beef stew ... in the crock pot (not being served with homemade bread)
Tuesday: Ham steak, potatoes, and carrots
Wednesday: Beef Stroganoff
Thursday: Chili (hmmm maybe in some bread bowls ... from the new bread bakery downtown)
Friday: in-laws are coming and requested the Pulled Pork that Alex has been raving about so i am making that and apple crisp

Bread making should be left to professionals

Well after two flops at bread making i have set the idea on the back burner until i get my stand mixer ... then i'll give it another shot. My first failed attempt was for a basic whole wheat bread which ended up way to dense and tasted like flour. My second was sweet dinner rolls, a little bit of a better outcome but still now worthy of making again ... anytime soon.

Chicken with Bacon Cider Sauce

Chicken with a Bacon Cider Sauce

2 boneless chicken breasts
3 strips bacon
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 t butter or EVOO
1 t flour

Cook bacon (i did mine in microwave) until it is done enough to crumble. Cook chicken breast in a little EVOO, take out and reserve on side. Add butter to pan and flour for a basic roux, wisk in apple cider and chicken stock, season with salt and pepper, add chicken back to pan while sauce thickens. I served this over brown rice.

Rootbeer Pulled Pork

The BEST thing to ever come out of this tiny kitchen!!



2 liter bottle of rootbeer (i used the .80 cents generic kind)
2 lb. pork loin roast
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce



Place pork in slow cooker and season with salt and pepper, pour in bottle of rootbeer (it will be a lot), cook on low alllllll day (i did mine almost 8 hours). Take our pork and shred. In the meantime pour our rootbeer and clean slow cooker. Place the shredded pork into slow cooker and add BBQ sauce. Place on low for another hour.

Quick Dinner ...

Waldorf Chicken Pasta Salad

1/2 c pasta
2 T light mayo
12 grapes cut in half
1/2 apple
1 can white chicken

Boil pasta, run under cold water to chill, drain. Mix in bowl cooked pasta, mayo, chicken, apple, and grapes. Then ENJOY!

Parma Rosa Chicken

Tonight we had Parma Rosa Chicken, it turned out pretty good but next time i am going to try and use chicken cutlets or tenders; which i like to work with more.

1 package Parma Rosa Sauce mix (combing with 1.25 C milk and 1 T margarine)
2 chicken breasts butterflied open to make 4 thiner pieces
Any small tube pasta
mozzarella cheese
Italian bread crumbs, flour, and 1 egg -- for breading chicken

Bread chicken in flour then egg then bread crumbs and pan fry in a little EVOO. Boil pasta while chicken is cooking. In a saucepan make Parma Rosa Sauce. When chicken is done place on baking sheet, top with cheese, and put in oven until the cheese melts. When pasta is al dente drain and mix with sauce. Place pasta on plate and top with chicken.



*Today at work i made TONS of chili, slow cooker beef sandwiches, and Thai Noodles with Peanut Sauce (very good... i'll get the recipe and post it asap)

Super Duper Zuppa

Tonight I made Super Duper Zuppa soup ... my take on Olive Gardens Zuppa. This soup will be wonderful in the winter time, it really warms you from the inside. Enjoy!

2 large sweet sausage links
3 cups kale
1/2 cup pasta
1/2 cup white beans , drained and rinsed
1 large potato, peeled and sliced
1 LARGE can chicken broth

Place sausage in a large pot with water, boil for 15 minutes. Take out the sausage and cut into small bite size pieces. Dump out the water and fill soup pot with chicken stock; add the potatoes, pasta, and cut up sausage. Once potatoes and pasta are tender add the kale and white beans; cook for a few minutes just until kale wilts.

Best Ever Apple Crisp

This is the best ever apple crisp recipe courtesy of my mom! I love it because you do NOT use rolled oats in the topping but a crumble instead! Mmmmmmm i just love the fall season!

Peel and thinly slice about 6 macintosh apples and place into a baking dish. Combine in a bowl: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 egg, and a dash of salt. Spread evenly over apples. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon. Melt 1 stick of butter and drizzle over the top. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream !

Quick Ideas for Next Weeks Menu

Parma Rosa Chicken:
Bread chicken breast in flour, egg, seasoned bread crumbs, pan fry in a little EVOO. Boil penne and toss with parma rosa sauce. On a small baking sheet add the chicken breast and shred some mozzarella cheese over top, stick in oven to melt. Serve chicken over pasta.

Rootbeer Pulled Pork

Chicken with Cider Bacon Sauce served over Rice

My Super Duper Zuppa Soup ... sausage, kale, potatoes, and white beans

Friday .... mini vacation to Indianapolis !!!! eating out in and getting to know our new home!

Slow Cooker Beef Sammie

Last week i made these pulled beef sandwiches that came out amazing !!!

Shoulder cut beef
water
salt and pepper
garlic
onions
george washington mix

chop onions into large chunks add to bottom of a large pot (of crock pot) along with garlic, place beef on top, season with s & p, and george washington mix, add water. Cook on stove top for 6 hours (remember to check water levels and add more as needed). When done trim fat and shred with two forks, stir in sweet baby rays BBQ sauace and cooking broth.

VOX question of the day about Halo 3

"Halo 3" was released this week - did you get a copy? What are your early thoughts on this final installment of the blockbuster trilogy?

Alex got a copy and is playing RIGHT NOW !! Shocking ... he has been glued to that stupid X-BOX since Tuesday. I've been sick with a horrible cold and all i want is some attention but NOOoooo Halo is stealing it all..... arg i hate you Halo 3 you are stealing my hubby away from me ! ... "team slayer" "lost the lead.. tied the leader... gained the lead" ahhhhhhh

What I Made for Dinner last week ...

What i made for dinner this week: September 24 - 28.

Monday: On Monday Alex had softball until 7 when he got home we had dinner which consisted of spaghetti and meatballs (leftover from meatball subs we had last week).

MEATBALLS
1 lb (or a little more) meatloaf mix (beef, veal, pork)
1/2 C Italian bread crumbs
1 teaspoon dried parsley
a little chopped garlic
2 T parm cheese
1 egg

Form each meatball and place onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes then add to maraneria sauce and finish cooking.

Tuesday: Alex worked tonight until 9 so we ate before he left at 5. Tonight we has sausage and peppers (well i had peppers and he just had the sausage).

Sausuage and Peppers
Itialian Sweet Sausage
1 bell pepper
1/2 onion

Saute onion and peppers in EVOO till crisp tender. In another skillet add enough water to cover 1/4 sausages. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Take sausage out and add to skillet wtih peppers and onions cook for another 15 minutes, browning on all sides. Serve on an Italian roll. (next time try with some marinara sauce)


Wednesday: Ahhhh ... i had a cold all week and all i wanted was some homemade chicken noodle soup ... but i has just made that last week when Alex has this lovely cold so i settled for chicken pot PIES, inspired by a similar dish Rachael Ray was making on 30 minute meals.

Sauce onions and carrots in EVOO; chop chicken and season with poulty seasoning and S & P, add to skillet and saute till brown. Push all to one side of pan and make a quick roux in the empty space. Wisk in chicken stock. Add a handful of frozen peas. Add a small amount of fat free half and half, simmer till thickened. Transfer to a baking ramican. Make pie crust and cover OR put a puff pastry sheet into equal squares and bake on an ungreased baking sheet (for this method spoon chicken mixture into dish and serve with puff pastry square on top).

Thursday: My favorite meal of the week!! Pork chops with apple raisin "salsa".

Pork Chops with Apple Raisin Salsa
2 center cut boneless pork chops
1 figi apple
1/2 cup apple cider
pinch cinnamon
1/4 cup raisins
1 T brown sugar
2 t maple syrup

Cut the apple into SMALL cubes. Add to a small skillet the apple, raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon, and apple cider (half). Simmer till cider reduces then add the other 1/4 cup of cider.

In a skillet heat about 2 T EVOO. Season pork chops on both sides with s & p. Cook chops on either side for 8 minutes (per side). Add a teaspoon on maple syrup to each chop and turn to coat, cook in syrup for about 2 minutes.

Serve with apple salsa on top.

Friday: Well it is Friday right now and it is almost 8 o'clock , so far this evening i made Alex a sandwich at 4 o'clock then we shared a piece of pumpkin cake i made earlier in the week (which i adapted to make low fat ... phew i'm glad that 40K diploma came in handy somewhere). I really wanted to make the Zuppa Tuscona soup tonight but Jer came to visit and Alex was not sure if we would be going out to eat or not so i never ended up making it .. on well maybe tomorrow.

THIS WEEK AT WORK :
Well this week at the lab i got a raise and promoted !! I am now the main chef and i oversee all of the research assistants. The recipes i made this week for the subjects are: the Tuna Burgers which are actually pretty good (recipe below), Ratautoulle (pounds and pounds of it !), Spinach and Beef Skillet (very good - recipe below), Pork Stir Fry ( a huge pain in the butt).

Tuna Burger (well at work i weight all ingredients out to grams so here in my estimate in cups and tablespoons)
1 can tuna packed in water DRAINED
2 T mayo
2 T egg whites
2 t mustard
1 t scallions
2 T bread crumbs

Form into patties, stick in the freezer for an hour then grill on George Foreman for 20 minutes.

Spinach and Beef Skillet
half a bell pepper cut into strips
1 t garlic
1 t EVOO
2 cups spinach
2 T scallions
2 T soy sauce
1 T water
1 T ketchup

Heat EVOO on large skillet, add garlic and pepper and saute until crisp-tender. Add the soy sauce and water and cook another 2 minutes. Add spinach and scallions just until wilted. Stir in ketchup. Serve over brown rice and top with thinly sliced grilled steak.

About Me

Hello fellow foodie bloggers. My name is Sarah and i will be Mrs. Alex P on May 10th :-) finally !! I am a Penn State Alum with a degree in Nutritional Science and the supervisor at the PSU Metabolic Diet Study Center. Alex and I will be moving to Avon, Indiana the end of May where he has accepted a job with QTG (Gatorade) and i will be job hunting (::sigh..:: i love my job now) but i am still very excited to move and me home owners :-) We have a almost three year old Maine Coon named Kinsey who is our little fur baby. I am so excited that i found my way onto The Nest's Whats Cookin' board because i have finally found a group of girls like me who love to cook and appease the hubs and share ideas about a common passion.

** Happy Cooking **