Ma! The meatloaf!!

When I told the husband that meatloaf was on this week's menu I heard an under breath groan and it made me realize how meatloaf has a bad wrap. At that point I decided that I needed to do something to spark the husband's interest and get him excited about meatloaf (can one REALLY get excited about meatloaf?).

I decided to jazz up the boring old meatloaf with chunks of sharp cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, and a brown sugar glaze. The result? A meatloaf that husband was asking if he could take the leftovers for lunch. If that isn't someone who is excited about a meatloaf, I don't know what is.

Enjoy :)

Tana's Jazzed Up Meatloaf

For the loaf:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef OR a mix of beef, veal, pork totaling 1 1/2 pounds

1 egg

1 onion, sliced

2 tbsp butter

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup milk

1 cup dried bread crumbs

1 cup cheddar cheese cubes

2 tsp worschister sauce

salt and pepper to taste

For the glaze:

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tsp worschister sauce

In a large skillet, combine sliced onion with 2 tbsp butter and 1 teaspoon sugar. Allow to caramalize then let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, onion, milk, worsticher sauce, and dried bread crumbs. Add cheese cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place in a lightly greased 5x9 inch loaf pan.

Mix the ketchup, worschister sauce, and brown sugar together until combined. Slater over the meatloaf.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Lemons and Walnuts and Carbonara Sauce... oh my!

Every time the husband and I go to our favorite Italian restaurant I order the tortelloni with carbonara sauce. I "ooh" and "ahh" over the rich, creamy sauce. I sop up every last drop with a hunk of bread. I always tell my husband "this sauce is all I need for the rest of my life" to which he literally laughs out loud at me. But do I care? No way. Because I'm in love with carbonara sauce.

Truth be told, I have always been a bit apprehensive about making it at home. I consider myself a fairly good home cook but the thought of my dream meal turning in to pasta with scrambled eggs in a cream sauce worried my little carbonara loving heart. Then there was last night when I decided to go for the gold and let me tell you... I sure am glad that I did. The sauce came together beautifully with it's decadent heavy cream and panchetta base. I did, however, varry slightly from the traditional sauce and added some lemon zest & juice as well as some walnuts for that extra little crunch. I also knew that my meat loving husband would need some form of protein so I baked off a few boneless, skinless chicken breasts (seasoned with olive oil, salt & pepper) and then shredded them and added them into the mix.

Enjoy :)

Lemon Walnut Chicken Carbonara
(adapted from Giada DeLaurentis)

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 pint heavy cream

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

4 egg yolks

1 tbsp dried basil

1 tbsp dried parsley

Salt

1 pound pasta (I used mezza rigatoni)

3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

zest from 1 lemon

juice from 1/2 a lemon

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and garlic and saute until it is brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, cheese, yolks, basil, and parsley to blend.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until it is just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Add the chicken to the pan with the pancetta and stir to combine. Next, add the cream mixture and toss over medium-low heat until the chicken is heated through.

Sprinkle the lemon zest, walnuts, and juice from the 1/2 lemon. Stir to combine. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss so that the pasta is coated with sauce (do not boil or you might end up scrambling the eggs). Let simmer on low heat for 5 minutes before serving.

Some recipes are a little corny...

Excuse the cheesy title - being witty isn't always do-able after a long day! However, whipping up a yummy chipotle Corn Chowder IS do-able. I spotted the recipe for this soup on one of my favorite blogs, The Pioneer Woman, and knew I'd have to give it a whirl. I won't lie, I was a bit hesitant since I'm married to a man who thinks red meat deserves it's due justice morning, noon, and night, so a meal that is basically all veggies? Ehhh... I knew it would have to be top notch to win him over. And guess what? It was! I adjusted the original recipe slightly by using frozen corn, adding a chipotle pepper, adding more cream, and playing with the amount of cornmeal but myself and my dinner dates (my dear husband and culinary guru father!) agreed that it was quite delicious and a perfect soup for a crisp fall night.

Also - This could easily be made vegetarian by omitting the bacon and using vegetable stock instead of chicken. I don't know why you WOULD omit the bacon but I won't judge you if you do :)

Enjoy

Chipotle Corn Chowder
(adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 large yellow onion, finely diced

32 ounces frozen corn, thawed

3 whole chipotle peppers In adobo sauce, finely diced + 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce

1 whole 4-ounce can diced green chilies

32 ounces, fluid low sodium chicken broth

2 cups heavy cream

½ teaspoons kosher salt

6 tablespoons corn meal

1/2 cup water

Add bacon pieces to a pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Cook for a couple of minutes. Throw in diced onion and stir, cooking the onion for 3 to 4 minutes. Add butter and melt. Add corn. Stir and cook for one minute. Add both kinds of chilies and stir.

Pour in chicken broth and cream. Add salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low.

Combine cornmeal with water. Stir to combine, then pour into the chowder. Cover and cook for 15 minutes over low heat. If chowder needs more thickening, add another tablespoon of cornmeal mixed with water. Cook for another ten minutes.

This bread is BANANAS... B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

Before you start, I'm well aware that I have been a delinquent blogger so there is no need to remind me ;) At least I have a decent excuse... The photography business that the husband and I started has taken off like gangbusters leaving little to no free time. But fear not! Today starts our "off" season so I shall be back to my food blogging ways with a vengeance. You've been warned.

To kick us off right, I want to share with you the most AMAZING banana bread that I've ever eaten. The husband is typically not a fan of banana bread so he was a bit hesitant to try this one at first. But then I told him that there was delicious dark rum in the bread. And he managed to woof down a piece like there was no tomorrow.

Without further ado, I present to you Bananas Foster Banana Bread. Moist. Decadent. Rich. And shockingly a recipe that I adapted from Cooking Light.

Enjoy :)

Bananas Foster Banana Bread
(adapted from Cooking Light)

4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup packed brown sugar, divided
6 tablespoons butter, melted and divided
1/4 cup dark rum, divided
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Cooking spray
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine banana, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 5 tablespoons butter, and 3 tablespoons dark rum in a nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to bubble. Remove from heat; cool. Place banana mixture in a large bowl. Add yogurt, remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, and egg. Beat with a mixer at medium speed.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; place on wire rack.

Combine remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter, remaining 1 tablespoon cognac, and powdered sugar; stir until well blended. Drizzle over the warm bread.

Beef, it's what's for dinner.

The darling Mr. TL rarely gets red meat prepared at home. Why you ask... well, it's not my favorite. Unless you're taking about a tender, medium cooked filet mignon with a Gorgonzola sherry cream sauce, then I'm pretty much never going to be in favor of red meat. However, when I read rave reviews about this gem of a recipe, I figured I could appease the darling husband for one meal... with a big bun full of meat (with lots of sharp provolone melted over the top!).

I'll be the first to admit that this recipe was over the top incredible. Apparently the Pioneer Woman actually does know what she is taking about ;) I adapted my recipe slightly by utilizing my favorite kitchen gadget, the slow cooker, and allowing the beef to become magical by cooking all day. I'm not sure if it is a bonus or torture that you get to smell the delicious scent of it all day, but ya do. So deal with it and Enjoy :)

Italian Drip Beef
(adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks)

1 whole Beef Chuck Roast, 2.5 To 4 Pounds

1 can Beef Broth

1 packet of Good Seasons Italian Dressing

1 teaspoon Salt

1/4 cup Water

16 Oz Pepperoncini Peppers, With Juice

Buttered, Toasted Deli Rolls

4-6 slices of sharp provolone (but any cheese will do)

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Stir lightly to combine seasoning with the liquid. Cover and turn on low for 6 hours.

When 6 hours is up (or when you can't stop salivating at the smell) completely shred all meat with two forks, leaving no large chunks behind. Serve immediately, or keep warm over a simmer on the stove.

You may make the day before, then store in the refrigerator. Remove the hardened fat from the top before reheating.

Serve on buttered, toasted rolls. Top with cheese (sharp provolone is recommended) and melt under the broiler if desired (and believe me, you'll desire it).

The way to my husbands heart...

Is via buffalo wing flavored items... buffalo chicken dip, buffalo chicken pizza, buffalo chicken cookies... ok, maybe not that last one, but you get the point. Mr. M loves him any meal inspired by the famous chicken wing and this meal, was no exception. And bonus points for the recipe being derived from Cooking Light!

I am a huge blue cheese fan so after one read through of the recipe, I knew I had to have it. The cheese, once folded with light cream cheese, became very easy to stuff into the butterflied breast and stayed intact surprisingly well during the browning and then sub sequential baking process. That is, until I cut into it, and had a blue cheese moat on my plate. That my friends, is pure heaven.

I made a few minor adaptations to the original recipe, which I've noted below and would make it with the same adaptations again in the future!

Enjoy :)

Blue Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Buffalo Sauce

(adapted from Cooking Light)

3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

2 tablespoons fat free cream cheese

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons 1% reduced-fat milk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons water

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

2 teaspoons hot sauce

2 tablespoons buffalo sauce

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast to form a pocket. Stuff cheese mixture evenly into pocket.

Place flour in a shallow dish. Combine milk and egg in a shallow dish, stirring well with a whisk. Place panko in a shallow dish. Working with 1 chicken breast half at a time, dredge chicken in flour, then dip in egg mixture; dredge in panko. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken, flour, egg mixture, and panko.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and extra virgin olive oil to pan; swirl until butter melts. Arrange chicken in pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over and allow to brown another 4 minutes.

Place skillet in oven. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until done.

While chicken bakes, combine remaining butter, water, Worcestershire, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer; cook until butter melts. Remove from heat, and stir in hot sauce and buffalo sauce. Serve sauce with chicken.

One of my favorite snack foods...

... is a big soft pretzel. Preferably with a side of honey mustard to dunk it in. Clearly, this isn't exactly a healthy snack but thanks to my friend Katy and her find in the Hungry Girl 1-2-3 Cookbook, I was able to include my love of pretzels + honey mustard into this evenings dinner!

I adapted the recipe slightly and have included the adaptations below. The result was a very tasty chicken finger that didn't even need a dunking sauce and is moderatley good for you!

Enjoy :)

Pretzel Coated Honey Mustard Chicken Fingers

(adapted from Hungry Girl 1-2-3 cookbook)

3 tbsp clover honey

3 tbsp grainy mustard

2 egg whites

1 pound boneless chicken tenderloins

2 dashes salt

2 dashes black pepper

8 ounces hard salted pretzels,finely crushed

2 packets of Splenda (any sugar substitute will do)

Preheat oven to 350 F

Mix honey, mustard and egg whites together in a small bowl.

Season chicken strips with salt and pepper and then submerge in the mustard-egg mixture. Set aside to marinate for at least 5 minutes (I let mine marinate for 8 hours).

Mix crushed pretzels with Splenda and spread mixture out on a plate. Spray a baking rack with nonstick spray.

Thoroughly coat chicken strips with the pretzel mixture, and then transfer to the baking rack sheet. (Discard excess mustard-egg mixture.) Mist the tops of the strips with nonstick spray.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

So about that eating healthy...

I flagged this recipe on The Food Network website from Sunny Anderson a few months ago and knew that when the husband and I wanted to indulge, this would be the meal. Fried fish... big, crusty sourdough rolls... cheesy, creamy pasta. Yum yum yum.

Tonight was the night to indulge! Next week we get into the full swing of healthy eating, gym going, and spin classes so it was the perfect evening to go for it.

The batter on the fish is so perfect (LOVE the cornmeal!) and the mac and cheese is sharp and delicious. The original recipe called for catfish but I used locally caught pollock, which is a nice, dense fish that holds up really well to frying. The mac & cheese also called for onion and while I loooove onion, the Mr. does not, so I sub in shallots whenever a recipe calls for an onion (which makes the onion taste more mild).

Enjoy!

Crunchy Fish Sandwiches and Stove Top Mac & Cheese

Ingredients for Spicy Tarter Sauce:

1 cup mayonnaise 1 lemon, juiced

3 teaspoons prepared horseradish

2 teaspoons hot sauce

2 tablespoons dill relish

Pinch kosher salt

Pinch ground pepper

Ingredients for Fish:

Oil, for frying

2 eggs

3 dashes hot sauce

2 teaspoons Old Bay

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 fish filets

4 sourdough sandwich rolls

4 tablespoons butter, softened

To make the Spicy Tartar Sauce:

Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To make the Fish:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a deep 12-inch pan set over medium-high heat, add enough oil so it comes 1/3 of the way up the sides. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F.

In a wide-mouth bowl, whisk the eggs with the hot sauce, Old Bay and a pinch of salt. In a small paper bag, mix together the cornmeal, flour, cornstarch, and salt and pepper, to taste. Dredge the fish in egg mixture, then in the flour mixture. Gently shake off excess flour. Set aside and repeat with remaining flounder. Fry the fish in batches until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes each side, being careful to keep the temperature at 375 degrees F. Remove fish to a paper towel to drain and immediately season

with salt.

Slice the sandwich rolls in half, slather the cut sides with butter and season with salt. Arrange, cut side up, on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until lightly golden, about 8 minutes. An alternate is to put them, buttered side down, on a griddle or under a broiler, and toast until golden. Set aside.

To assemble sandwiches, slather the rolls with the Spicy Tartar Sauce, top with fish, and serve.

Stove Top Mac & Cheese

2 tablespoons butter

2 shallots, grated with juices retained

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups heavy cream

8 ounces Colby Jack cheese, shredded

4 ounces sharp Cheddar, shredded

1 pound baby shell pasta, cooked al dente

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots, including juices, and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, white pepper, paprika, and salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Cook for a few minutes to let the flavors bloom, and then slowly stir in the heavy cream. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Add the cheeses and stir until melted, then remove from heat. Stir in the pasta and toss until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve warm.

Hola! Mi llamo Mexican Chicken Meatloaf!

In my hunt for healthy recipes, I came across a meatloaf recipe that called for ground beef that caught my eye... I knew I could just sub in ground chicken for the beef and make it that much better. It turned out quite tasty and moist and it satisfied my love of Mexican flavors!

Enjoy!

Mexican Chicken Meatloaf




1 lb. ground chicken
1 cup crushed Doritos
1 egg - beaten
1 packet taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups shredded colby/jack cheese - divided
1 1/2 cups salsa - divided
1/2 can refried beans


Combine first 4 ingredients, 1/2 cup of the cheese, and 1 cup of the salsa.

Form mixture into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan.

Spread refried beans over the top of the meat loaf.

Drizzle remaining salsa over top.

Bake in 400 degree oven for 50 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Bake additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

Happy New Year!

We spent our New Year's Eve between two parties and where there are parties, there are, of course, yummy snacks!

I chose to bring two types of Sweet Onion Tartletts to the first party and Beer Dip & Easy Goat Cheese Spreads to the second. Everything turned out really very tasty and I would make it all again in a heartbeat.

Sweet Onion Tartletts (Thanks to my girl Emily for the inspiration!!)

Top: Sweet Onion Tartletts with Blue Cheese, Bottom: Sweet Onion Tartletts with Baby Swiss Cheese



Ingredients:

4 large red onions, peeled and sliced into half moons

1 stick of unsalted butter

6 packets of sweet & low

1 package of phyllo dough

salt & pepper to taste

2 tbsp melted butter

8 ounces shredded swiss

8 ounces blue cheese crumbles

Directions:

In a large dutch oven, melt the stick of butter. Add onions and stir to coat with butter. Add sweet & low. Cover & let onions sweat out for 20-25 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once the onions are soft & brown, season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove onions from heat. (At this point, you can choose to leave them as is, or stir in cheese. I took half of my onions and stirred in shredded swiss and left the other half plain, and once they were in the cups, then topped them with crumbled blue cheese)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut your phyllo dough into 2 inch
squares. Spray a mini muffin pan with Pam. Place 2 pieces of phyllo in the cup, pressing down. Use a small pastry brush and brush a small amount of melted butter onto the phyllo. Cover the butter coated phyllo with 1 more square of phyllo.

Fill each phyllo cup to the top with desired onion mixture. If you are going to top your onions with cheese, sprinkle the cheese on top of the onion filled phyllo cup.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until browned and bubbley!

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Beer Dip (I adapted this recipe from one on a RI Nestie's fabulous recipe site and it will ABSOLUTELY become a recipe that I will make again)



Ingredients:

16 ounces softened cream cheese
1/2 cup beer
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and ranch dressing mix until smooth. Beat in cheese. With your mixer on low, pour in beer in a steady stream. Mix until well combined. Serve with pretzels.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Easy Goat Cheese Spreads (I bookmarked this recipe from the Pioneer Woman many moons ago and had been waiting for the perfect time to debut it! Nexttime I want to try poppy or sesame seeds... and the dill was by far my favorite!)



Ingredients:

2 packages (11 Ounce) Fresh Goat Cheese

6 Tablespoons Fresh Dill (or More If Needed)

6 Tablespoons Paprika (or More If Needed)

Directions:

Finely chop your fresh dill and spread it out a bit on a piece of saran wrap.

Carefully remove the goat cheese from the packaging and gently roll it over the fresh dill, coating it almost completely.

Pour some Paprika onto a second piece of saran wrap. Roll the second cylinder of goat cheese in the paprika until it is covered completely.

Carefully wrap each roll snugly in plastic wrap and chill until it’s time to serve. (The Paprika Goat Cheese will not do well if kept for longer than one to two hours so don’t make it too far in advance).

Serve with crostini or crackers.

Popeye says eat your spinach!

And trust me, once you give this recipe a whirl, you'll gobble it right up! It's such an easy recipe to put together that it will absolutely be a staple in our home for party food.

I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com and adapted it slightly. I changed up the amount of mayonnaise and added in a block of cream cheese for some added texture and it worked beautifully! I also upped the amount of spinach to ensure that Popeye would be satisfied with the amount of spinach in each bite!

I served my dip with a crudite of veggies and some butter crackers and it was devoured! If you're not an onion fan, you may not dig this dip, as you do use leek soup mix. Other than that, it's a hit from start to finish!

Enjoy.

Spinach Dip



Ingredients

3/4 cup mayonaise

16 ounces sour cream

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 package dry leek soup mix

4 ounce can water chestnuts, drained and rough chopped

10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese, dry leek soup mix, water chestnuts and spinach.

Chill in the refrigerator overnight and serve the next day in a bread bowl.

O-R-E-O... ooooh! Sing it with me...

Oreos may very well be one of my favorite cookies. So it was a total let down when my sister in law announced she was not making her usual Oreo truffles as her cookie swap cookie. I decided that it just isn't Christmas without the truffles, and I made a batch!

They are super easy to make, require little ingredients, and are always a hit!

Enjoy :)

Oreo Truffles



Ingredients

16 ounce package of Oreos

8 ounce block cream cheese, softened

16 ounces candy melts, in whatever flavor or color you want your shell to be

Directions

Place entire package of Oreos into food processor and grind until they are a fine crumb consistency.

Combine cream cheese and Oreo crumbs in a big mixing bowl until it has formed a dough (the oil in the cookies will give the dough a nice sheen and will prevent the cream cheese from sticking to anything but the Oreos).

Use a cookie scoop to scoop out bits of the dough (I used a 1 inch cookie scoop) and roll into balls.

Once your balls are formed, you can melt your chocolate and then dip them in the melted chocolate (follow the directions on your packaging for melting of the chocolate). When dipping, I use two oversized spoons to roll the balls back and forth in.

Place the balls on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and chill in the freezer.

Yield: 24-26 1-inch balls.

Eggnog is the drink of the God's.

Well probably not, but I have such an affinity to it that I have to limit my consumption. I've resorted to using philosophy's Old Fashioned Eggnog 3 in 1 Body Wash to get more of a fix. But I digress...

Last night was my hubby's annual family cookie swap and being the newest member of their fam, I volunteered to host and provide the snacky bits. One of the hits of the spread was this easy peasy Eggnog Cake. As much as I enjoy a scratch cake, one that comes from a box saves time and with the week I'd had this week, I was looking for as many time saving things that I could.

This cake is super moist and dense all at the same time... the eggnog, rum, and nutmeg flavors work so beautifully together to make this cake a new favorite in our house for years to come!

Enjoy!

Eggnog Cake







Ingredients - Cake:

4 Tablespoons butter or margarine

1 packaged yellow cake mix

1 1/2 cups commercially prepared eggnog

2 eggs

1 teaspoon rum extract

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Ingredients - Glaze:
2c. powdered sugar
2T. melted butter
3T. eggnog
1t. vanilla

Directions - Cake:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cake mix, eggnog, eggs, rum extract, nutmeg and melted butter on low speed for 30 seconds or just til moistened. Beat on medium for 2 minutes or until smooth. Pour into greased bundt pan.
Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
Poke holes in the hot cake and brush with half of the eggnog glaze.
Cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Drizzle with remaining glaze.

Directions - Glaze:
Combine the glaze ingredients in a bowl, whisk well. Add more eggnog if needed for a consistency that will drizzle from a spoon.

Shhh... it's a secret!

This was the second installment of the Secret Baker shipment I mentioned in an earlier post. This time, our theme was Fall... whatever we baked & sent had to be fall inspired!

I chose to make Pumpkin Streusel Bread. Since the recipe I used makes a ton of bread, I ended up with 2 loaves and 9 good sized muffins. I love how this bread/ muffin recipe turned out... so moist and tasty. The streusel topping is really the highlight (or so I think!). I will absolutely be making this again very soon!

Enjoy :)

Pumpkin Streusel Bread/ Muffins

Ingredients

Bread

• 
  

  15 oz can pumpkin puree

  
  


• 
  

  4 eggs

  
  


• 
  

  1 cup vegetable oil

  
  


• 
  

  2/3 cup water

  
  


• 
  

  3 cups white sugar

  
  


• 
  

  3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  
  


• 
  

  2 teaspoons baking soda

  
  


• 
  

  1 1/2 teaspoons salt

  
  


• 
  

  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  
  


• 
  

  1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  
  


• 
  

  1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

  
  


• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Streusel topping

• 4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 
  

  5 tablespoons white sugar

  
  

• 
  

  3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  
  

• 
  

  3 tablespoons butter

  
  

• 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Directions

1. 
   

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans or prepare muffin pans with paper liners.

   
   


2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.


3. 
   

   In a medium bowl, mix streusel of flour, sugar, cinnamon and walnuts. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle onto loaves.

   
   


4. For loaves, Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. For muffins, Bake for about 20 minutes in preheated oven. Bread/ muffins are done with a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Light & fluffy pumpkin!

For my girls night dessert, I decided to make a pumpkin infused mousse. I could not stop eating this dessert... it is so light, airy, spicey, and pumpkiny (is that even a word?).

Enjoy :)

Pumpkin Mousse



Ingredients

• 
  

  1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin

  
  


• 
  

  3 cups heavy cream

  
  


• 
  

  3/4 cup superfine sugar

  
  


• 
  

  ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

  
  


• 
  

  ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

  
  


• 
  

  1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  
  


• 
  

  Ginger snaps, for garnish

  
  

Directions

Combine pumpkin, 1 cup cream, sugar and spice in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Cool fully.

Whip remaining heavy cream and vanilla to soft peaks and fold into cooled pumpkin mixture. Pour into a serving dish and crumble the ginger snaps over top before serving.

Girls just wanna... eat goooooood!

This past weekend was our monthly girls night with 3 of my bridesmaids and myself. This month I had the honor of hosting for the first time at the new love nest of the husband and I!

Since it is a chilly October here in Rhode Island, I decided to use a fall theme for the meal... lots of warm flavors with a hint of spice and lots of yummy goodness!

Enjoy :)

Apple Cider Martinis



Ingredients

2 oz vodka

1 oz butterscotch schnapps

1 oz apple cider

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake with ice until chilled.

Serve in a cinnamon sugar rimmed glass.

Apple Butter Pork Loin, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Baked Acorn Squash




Pork

Ingredients

• 
  

  1 ½ pound pork tenderloin

  
  


• 
  

  s&p to taste

  
  


• 
  

  2 cups apple juice

  
  


• 
  

  1/2 cup apple butter

  
  


• 
  

  1/4 cup brown sugar

  
  


• 
  

  2 tablespoons water

  
  


• 
  

  1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  
  


• 
  

  1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  
  

Directions

1. 
   

   Place pork in bottom of crock pot.

   
   


2. 
   

   Mix juice, butter, sugar, water, and spices together in a bowl and pour on top of roast.

   
   


3. 
   

   Cook on low for 8 hours.

   
   


4. 
   

   An hour before serving, stir in a slurry of cornstarch & water to thicken sauce.

   
   

Potatoes

Ingredients

3 lbs yukon gold potatoes

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup heavy cream

2 heads of garlic

evoo

S&P to taste

Directions

Begin by roasting the garlic: preheat oven to 375, slice tops off garlic so bulbs are exposed. Place garlic in baking pan, drizzle with evoo and season with S&P. Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool completely.

Peel and cut potatoes into small cubes. Boil until soft.

Place cooked potatoes and butter in mixing bowl. Combine. Add peeled garlic cloves. Combine again. Add cream until you reach desire consistency. Season with S&P to taste.

Squash

Ingredients

2 acorn squash, sliced in half and seeds removed

4 tbsp butter

4 tbsp brown sugar (light or dark)

Pam cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray cookie sheet with Pam and place squash halves cut side down. Bake for 45 minutes or until soft to the touch.

Remove squash from over, flip so cut side is up. Fill the hole of squash with 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp brown sugar each.

Return to oven for 15 minutes, to melt butter and combine sugar.

All those in favor of tasty & quick Mexican flavored soup say "Aye"!

Aye Aye!

I love Mexican food... so much so that I dream of visiting Chicago one day just to go to Rick Bayless' restaurant!

I adapted this recipe from one I found on a website that is put together by the local Nest board and it is certainly a great resource for all sorts of deliciousness!! I'm always looking for good slow cooker recipes since I work late and the husband's idea of cooking a good meal is calling for takeout.

Enjoy :)

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 
  

  1 pound shredded, cooked chicken

  
  


• 
  

  1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed

  
  


• 
  

  1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce

  
  


• 
  

  1 medium onion, chopped

  
  


• 
  

  1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers

  
  


• 
  

  2 cloves garlic, minced

  
  


• 
  

  2 cups water

  
  


• 
  

  1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

  
  


• 
  

  1 teaspoon chili powder

  
  


• 
  

  1 teaspoon salt

  
  


• 
  

  1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  
  


• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn


• vegetable oil

Directions

1. 
   

   Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with chili powder, salt, pepper. Stir in corn. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.

   
   


2. 
   

   Serve with a dollop of sour cream and avacado slices.

   
   

Here fishy fishy fishy!

Fish is one of my favorite things to make... This recipe is a super simple way to jazz up some plain old white fish.

Enjoy :)

Parmesan Baked Fish

Ingredients

1/4 cup milk

2 teaspoons salt

2 pounds thawed fresh or frozen fish fillets

1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

melted butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 11 1/2 x 7 1/2 x 2-inch baking dish.

Blend together the milk and salt in a shallow bowl. Combine bread crumbs, paprika, and Parmesan cheese in another bowl.

Dip fish fillets into milk mixture then into crumb mixture. Arrange in the prepared baking dish. Drizzle melted butter over fillets. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, depending on thickness of fillets. Fish should flake easily with a fork when done.

Let's pop some bubbley!

Risotto is a labor of love... lots of stirring, and adding liquid, and more stirring. But once the creamy texture forms, and the smell of parmesean cheese is oozing from the pan, it makes it all worth while!

After our wedding in May, I found myself starring at 5 bottles of champagne... 4 were gifts, 1 was leftover from my bridal shower. I quickly went on a hunt to find recipes in which I could put some of the champagne to good use (I didn't use all of it, of course... I had to save some to sip out of the beautiful Tiffany flutes we were given :)). I adapted this recipe from allrecipes.com and it was a huge hit with our dinner guests! I added the asparagus for a bit of bite and color & some mushrooms too (to be able to tell myself it had veggies in it!!).

Enjoy :)

Champagne and Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients

8 thin slices prosciutto

6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

24 asparagus spears, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces

portobello mushrooms

4 tablespoons butter, divided

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 ½ cup Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice

1 ½ cup Champagne

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the slices of prosciutto on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake until the prosciutto slices are almost completely crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes. The slices will crisp up even more as they cool. Reserve for garnish.

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Blanch the asparagus in the chicken stock for 2 minutes. Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon. Set the asparagus aside and keep the chicken stock at a low simmer.

In another medium saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the shallot and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the Arborio rice and stir to coat in the butter. Continue toasting the rice, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes more. Add the Champagne and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in the asparagus, remaining butter, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Spoon the risotto into serving dishes and garnish by breaking the crisp prosciutto into smaller pieces over the top of the risotto. Serve immediately.

Balsamic vinegar is love.

This past weekend we had my hubby's sister and her husband over for dinner and some Trivial Pursuit on the Play Station.

While recipe planning a few weeks back I came across a recipe on a local recipe site for Balsamic Chicken with Angel Hair. I decided that that was a fine jumping off point but I knew I wanted to change the recipe up a bit and come up with my own concoction.

It turned out so well that my non-cook of a sister in law even asked for the recipe! Delicious!

Enjoy :)

Balsamic Chicken and Angel Hair with Zucchini



Ingreidents

4 chicken breast, boneless skinless
1 pound angel hair pasta
4 medium, quartered and sliced zucchini
1/2 of a small red onion, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
6 - 8 leaves, fresh basil, chiffonade
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese

Directions

1 - Begin cooking angel hair pasta in a pot of salted, boiling water; reserve ¼ cup of pasta water.

2 - Cube chicken breasts & season with salt & pepper. In a fry pan coated with olive oil, saute onions & garlic until soft; remove from heat.

3 - Add chicken to same pan & sauté, do not cook through yet. Add onions and garlic back in. Stir to combine then add sliced zuchinni. Cover and simmer on low heat.

4 - Toast pine nuts in a dry pan until lightly browned.

5 - Add pine nuts, balsamic, & reserved pasta water to chicken mixture. Continue to cook uncovered until chicken is cooked through; add basil chiffonade at last minute prior to removing from heat.

6 - To serve, spoon mixture over angel hair pasta & top with parmesan cheese.