#178 - Newman's Own Sesame Ginger Dressing

I love anything Newman's Own. I think Sesame Ginger is my favorite (low-fat) dressing. It also makes a great marinade.

#175 - Baby O's birthday dinner

It's been a busy week. Baby O turned 1! We had 2 celebrations, one on his real birthday with Oma & Opa and one this past weekend with all the family and friends.

On his real birthday we had shish kabobs. And I got the best BBQ marinade from here. I tweaked it just a little because I didn't have lemon pepper.

BBQ Sauce:
1/2 cup ketcup
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 T vegetable oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons pepper

Marinate the chicken (up to four breasts) in the sauce for at least an hour or so and then grill on low.

I will totally make this again.

#128 - Chocolate Covered Strawberries

2 weeks ago, I made the best chocolate chip cookies ever and had some extra chocolate chips left over. I also had a bunch of strawberries I needed to use (I had bought the big Costco carton of strawberries.) (chocolate chips + microwave) x sweet strawberries = Yummy!

(wow, i blog about food a lot)

#95 - Vita Baby

I just can't stand having to pay almost $1 for a little jar of baby food, so I decided to make my own with the Vita-Mix (if you don't have one of these, get one, because it is the best blender ever!)

I boiled two sweet potatoes, stuck them in the blender, added some water and magic. Enough baby food for 2 weeks.

Reminds me, 2 years ago, I loved watching these blender videos. Not the Vita-Mix, but pretty cool.

#53 - Made my tastebuds dance

Wowza! This is the best, and I mean best tortellini dish I've ever tried. Usually, tortellini is too pasta"y" for me, but this was perfect. My SIL Cathy (thanks) made it for me and it was oh so good! I highly recommend.

Butternut Squash Tortellini with Brown Butter Sauce
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

4 to 6 servings

1 hr 10 min

Ingredients
Squash Tortellini:
1 butternut squash, approximately 2 pounds, cubed (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1 1/2 teaspoon herbs de Provence
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 large shallots, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
4 small amaretti cookies, crushed (about 1/3 cup)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 package small wonton wrappers

Brown Butter Sauce:
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)
2 tablespoons torn fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, or chopped dried cherries, or mixture of both
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
To make the tortellini, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a foil-lined baking sheet toss together the butternut squash, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper. Bake in the oven until soft and golden, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Cook the shallots and garlic until lightly golden, about 3 minutes.
In a food processor, combine the butternut squash mixture, the shallot mixture, and the ricotta cheese and pulse a few times to blend. Add the crushed amaretti cookies, the nutmeg, and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pulse until smooth. The tortellini filling can be made one day ahead.
To make the tortellini, lay out 6 wonton skins, keeping the remaining skins inside the package or under a very lightly dampened paper towel. Place 1 tablespoon of squash mixture in the middle of each skin. Dip a pastry brush in a little water and wet the edges of the skin. Gently fold the square wrapper into a triangle, making sure the edges are securely closed and there are no air pockets inside. Dampen the two bottom corners of the longest side of the triangle and gently bring them together, pressing lightly to secure. Place the formed tortellini on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Before laying out another 6 wonton sheets, be careful to dry the work surface. This will help keep tortellini from sticking to the baking sheet. Continue until all the butternut squash mixture is used. There should be approximately 36 tortellini. (The tortellini can be formed, frozen on the baking sheet, transferred to a tightly sealed plastic bag or container and stored for up to six months. To cook, simply toss the frozen ravioli into the salted boiling water and cook for 4 minutes.)
To make the sauce and serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.
Add the sage, walnuts and cranberries and let cook until the butter starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat off and season with salt, and pepper.
Stir to combine. Then, gently place the tortellini in the boiling water and gently stir. When they begin to float they are done, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, gently spoon the tortellini onto a serving platter, Top with the brown butter sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

#39 - Roasted Veggies

Recently I decided I needed to eat more vegetables (yes, this is something I should have decided long ago, but now I am trying really hard.) So, I went to Costco and bought a massive bag of broccoli, 6 large red peppers and a huge bag of carrots. I have a bag of onions, a 1/2 bag of potatoes and 3 sweet potatoes left over from Thanksgiving. I just found this nifty roasting guide here and below. I'm definately going to try some of these combinations out soon.

Sure-Fire Roasted Vegetables

4 to 5 cups of "soft" veggies
Chopped broccoli (1 cup)
Onions (1 cup)
Chopped garlic or whole cloves (1 to 3 cloves)
Bell peppers (1 cup)
Zucchini or yellow summer squash (1 cup)
Eggplant (1 cup)

OR

4 to 5 cups of "hard" veggies
Chopped carrots (1 cup)
Sweet potatoes or new potatoes (1 cup)
Butternut squash (or other squash), cubed (1 cup)
Parsnips or rutabaga (1 cup)
Onions (1 cup)
Chopped garlic or whole cloves (1 to 3 cloves)

Seasoning Mix:
For Italian:
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

For Mexican:
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

For Indian:
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon graham masala
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray jelly roll pan with cooking spray.
Combine vegetable mixture (either hard or soft vegetables) in bowl. Add your choice of seasoning mix. Toss vegetables to coat with seasoning. Place vegetables in pan in a single layer.

For soft vegetables: Roast 10 minutes. Take pan out of oven and spray the tops of the vegetables with cooking spray. Turn veggies and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

For hard vegetables: Roast 15 minutes. Take pan out of oven and spray the tops of the vegetables with cooking spray. Turn veggies and cook for another 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Make it a meal by adding a can of drained and rinsed beans (such as garbanzo or black beans). Serve vegetables as a side dish, over couscous or brown rice, or wrapped up in a burrito with salsa.
Recipe from PCRM Weight Loss Study Cooking Demonstration contributed by Brie Turner-McGrievy, R.D.

#33 - Go Bananas B-AN-AN-AS

Yesterday we celebrated Pepe's birthday and all he wanted was a banana cream pie so, our good friends, Anna and Grant, bought Pepe a Marie Callender's Banana Cream Pie . . . so yummy. Anyway, the pie bought back two good memories for me (warning lots of reminiscing and a delicious recipe to follow).

1. When I was a kid, our family was friends with this older Hispanic couple. They were pie makers at the local Marie Callender's restaurant. I remember they would give us left over pies and I would think that we were so lucky.

2. When I was working (on a shoot where women give birth live on tv, this is an insignificant detail, but thought you'd like to know) in Orlando, Florida, I went out to eat with my co-workers to Emeril's Orlando. I'm not a huge fan of New Orleans' flavors (ie: fish, fried food and southern food), but . . . OH MY GOODNESS . . . they had the BEST Banana Cream Pie. So good, that I had to make it for Pepe. I found the recipe here. I've only made it once, about 3 years ago, but it was delicious. If you want the best Banana Cream Pie ever, try this:

Banana Cream Pie with Caramel Drizzles and Chocolate Sauce
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003

Ingredients
4 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped
3 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 recipe Graham Cracker Crust, recipe follows
3 pounds (about 9) firm but ripe bananas, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Caramel Sauce, recipe follows (Adds a good combination of flavor, but you don't really need this, only if you are really adventurous)
Chocolate Sauce, recipe follows (you don't need this, see above)
Shaved chocolate, for garnish
Confectioner's sugar, for garnish

Directions
Combine 2 cups of the cream, the milk, 1/2 cup of the sugar, the vanilla bean, and the vanilla seeds in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat.
Combine the egg yolks, eggs, cornstarch, and 1 cup of the sugar in a medium bowl, and whisk pale yellow in color. Set aside.
Whisk 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks. Gradually add the egg mixture to the hot cream, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly with a large wooden spoon to cook out the cornstarch and the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. (The mixture may separate slightly. If so, remove from the heat and beat with an electric mixer until thick and smooth.) Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for about 4 hours.
To assemble, spread 1/2 cup of the custard over the bottom of the prepared crust, smoothing with the back of a large spoon or rubber spatula. Arrange enough banana slices (not quite one-third) in a tight, tiled pattern over the custard, pressing down with your hands to pack them firmly. Repeat to build a second layer, using 3/4 cup of the custard and enough bananas to cover, smoothing down the layer evenly. For the third layer, spread 3/4 cup of custard over the bananas and top with the remaining bananas, starting 1-inch from the outer edge and working toward the center. Spread 1 cup of custard evenly over the bananas to prevent discoloration. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
In a medium bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar and the vanilla extract and whip until stiff peaks form.
Remove the pie from the refrigerator. With a sharp knife dipped in hot water, cut the pie into 10 equal slices. Transfer the slices to dessert plates. Fill a pastry bag with the whipped cream and pipe onto each slice. (Alternately, spread the whipped cream evenly over the pie before cutting.)
Drizzle each slice with the caramel sauce and chocolate sauce, sprinkle with the chocolate shavings and confectioners' sugar, and serve.

Graham Cracker Crust:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl and mix well. Add the butter and mix well. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan. Top with aluminum pie tin and with a circular motion, press the crust tightly into the pan. Bake until browned, about 25 minutes. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
Yield: 1 (9-inch) crust

Caramel Sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup whole milk
Combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Let boil without stirring until the mixture becomes a deep amber color, 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely so it doesn't burn. Add the cream, whisk to combine, and remove from the heat. Add the milk, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature before serving with the pie. (The sauce will thicken as it cools.)
Yield: generous 3/4 cup

Chocolate Sauce:
3/4 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 pound semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Scald the half-and-half and butter in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat.
Place the chocolate and vanilla in a medium, heat-proof bowl. Add the hot half-and-half and let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Serve slightly warm. (The sauce can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for several days, but it must be returned to room temperature before serving.
Yield: generous 3/4 cup

WARNING - it takes approximately 10 hours start to finish to make.

#30 - Jiffy Rolls

Made these for Thanksgiving (with BT, Kart Bucket, Lauren and Matt), it's a family tradition. Seriously, delicious rolls and they are super fast to make, hence the name . . .

JIFFY ROLLS
1/2 cup melted butter (plus more for coating)
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt

5 tsp yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar

2 eggs
7 cups flour

Combine water, butter, sugar and salt. Let cool until lukewarm, if needed. Dissolve 5 tsp yeast in 1/2 cup warm water, along with 1 tsp sugar and set aside. Add 2 well beaten eggs to lukewarm ingredients. Beat in 3 cups of flour and then add yeast mixture. Then add 4 cups flour. Knead. Roll out, smother in butter, (it's actually just a light coat), cut into sections with pizza cutter, roll up. Let rise until double in bulk (about 2-4 hours). Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. Coat with butter (if you want, but not needed) when out of oven.  Makes approximately 5 dozen small to medium rolls.

I like mine on the doughy side. Also, I made a mistake and ended up making 3 times the recipe. Which is totally fine with me because we had lots of leftovers.

#28 - Yummy Sandwiches

white bread
cream cheese
shredded chicken (from a leftover roasted chicken)
pomegranates (also made it with huckleberry jam - it was better)
crushed black pepper
mustard

Kart Bucket made one for me today...yummy!

#21 - Leftovers

I had some mashed potatoes left over from yesterday, so I decided to make this. I only added the cream cheese and then added a handful of cheese to melt on the top. So good, tasted like a twice baked potato.

#20 - I'll take mashed potatoes with a side of . .

Being from Idaho, one of my favorite foods is potatoes. Especially mashed potatoes. Just made these 30 minutes ago . . . yum!

Here's my made up recipe:

Boil Potatoes (Idaho Potatoes are the best) with skins on (best to boil in salt water.)

Peel off some skins (be careful they are hot.)

Mash Potatoes with Milk (whole) and Butter (if you want to be bad.)

Grind Salt and Pepper (I like lots of Pepper (thanks Dad)) into Potatoes.

Eat.

Oh, and to quote my sister Casi:

"I'll have mashed potatoes, with a side of french fries and a side of hashbrowns."

#19 - Peanut Butter Pickle Sandwiches

Today is National Pickle Day
got the pic from here

one of my favorite sandwiches is pb and pickle. grandma jerry makes them the best!

#15 - French Toast in Bed

Pepe makes the best breakfasts. Yesterday he surprised me with this. So buttery and sweet.

#2 - Honey Wheat Braided Twists

I bought a huge (I bought mine at costco, but this gives you an idea) box of Frito Lay "healthy" chips. 30 bags of chips . . . yum! Baked Lays, Baked Cheddar & Sour Cream Ruffles, Baked Doritos . . . and Rold Gold Honey Wheat Twists (pretzels).

Usually, I do not like pretzels, so the bags the twists where the last ones in the box. But, when I tried them, oh so yummy! You have got to try these. And there are a lot of them in the bag.

I want to go get another bag of these right now.