Mini Halloween Pumpkin Cupcakes

I made these for a friend for her birthday today. The recipe is in the October issue of BonAppetit Magazine. Mine aren't as cute as the picture in the magazine, so I am using their picture (which I found online here). They are very yummy!

Mini Halloween Pumpkin Cupcakes
from BonAppetit Magazine, October 2009

Ingredients:
1 cup self rising flour
2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 large egg
1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
chopped crystallized ginger (optional)
1 8-oz package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
orange and black food coloring
orange, black, white, and yellow candies and sugar crystals

Special Equipment:
mini muffin pans
1 3/4 x 1 in paper liners

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 mini muffin cups with peper liners. Mix flour, golden brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice in large bowl. Whisk egg, canned pure pumpkin, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract in medium bowl. Add mixture to dry ingredients; stir to fully combine. Spoon batter into paper liners (batter will almost fill liners). Scatter cryztallized ginger over, if desired.

Bake cupcakes until tester insterted into center comes out clean, about 16 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely on rack.

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl to blend. Beat in powdered sugar.

Divide frosting among 3 bowls. Tint frosting in first bowl with orange coloring (or combine red and yellow coloring to make orange) and frosting in second bowl with black coloring, keeping frosting in third bowl wite. Chill frosting 2 hours or until firm enough to easily spread.

Frost cupcakes; decorate using candy and sugar crystals as desired.

****I didn't have any self-rising flour, so I found this recipe for it online, which was 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Other than that I made the cupcakes pretty much as directed, except that I didn't cook them in liners (I don't have any). I just cooked them straight in the muffin pan. They came right out. I also didn't have any crystallized ginger, so I didn't add that (I have had them both ways and they are good either way). I didn't color the frosting. I just used it as is. I also didn't chill the frosting because I forgot about that part and didn't leave time for it. I thought the frosting was fine unchilled.

I would rate this at 5 stars. These would be perfect for dessert for a fall dinner party.

Very Veggie Lentil Chili

I was looking through my new cookbook for something to make for dinner tonight and came across this recipe. I'm not a huge chili fan (due to lack of good chili growing up--my mom's recipe is really gross, and I'm not especially fond of beans), but I have developed a liking for lentils lately (especially since they cook up faster than dry beans). As I was reading through the ingredients, cumin jumped out at me. Perfect! So I thought I would get past my chiliphobia and try it out.

Very Veggie Lentil Chili
from Cheap. Fast. Good!

2 cans (about 14 oz each) vegetable broth
1 lb (about 2 1/3 cups) brown lentils
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes
1 large onion (for about 1 cup chopped)
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced, or 4 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra virgin
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
hot pepper sauce to taste (optional)
shredded cheddar cheese, for serving
sour cream, for serving

1. Combine the broth and 1 1/2 cups water (see Note below) in a 4 1/2 quart dutch oven or soup pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, pick through the lentils, checking for stones or debris. Rinse the lentils and drain them. When the broth comes to a boil, add the lentils and bring the mixture back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook at a very slow boil for 20 minutes. (Partially uncover the pot if the contents threaten to boil over.)

2. Add the tomatoes with their juice. Peel and coarsely chop the onion and add it to the pot. Add the garlic to the pot. Add the tomato paste, ketchup, chili powder, cumin, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Stir to mix well. Simmer, covered, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes. Add a little more water or vegetable stock if all of the moisture evaporates.

3. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the oil and vinegar. Add hot pepper sauce to taste, if desired. Serve at once, topped with cheese and sour cream

NOTE: The water can be replaced with 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (canned or homemade) if you have enough on hand.

****I pretty much followed the recipe. I used a carton of vegetable broth that was just over 28 oz (which is what it calls for if using two cans of broth), so I added the other few ounces and reduced the amount of water. I forgot to cover the lentils while they were cooking, so all of my liquid cooked out and I ended up adding a few more cups of water. I didn't realize the tomato paste I grabbed was one with garlic and herbs, but as I had opened it before I noticed I used it anyway. I don't think it changed the taste drastically (although I could be wrong since I haven't made this before). I only used half of the amount of black pepper and didn't add the pepper sauce because my kids won't eat spicy foods.

I would rate this at 4 stars. I would definitely take this to a pot luck or as a meal to someone. (I am not rating it 5 stars only because I don't think it is dinner party worthy. It really is delicious, though.) It is super budget friendly and really easy to make. My family, even my picky boys, loved it. This will for sure be something we will eat again and again.

Raspberry Lemonade Pie

I had some vanilla ice cream in the freezer and our local grocery store had raspberries for $0.50 a carton yesterday, so I thought this would be a fun creation. I got the crust recipe from the Honey Made graham cracker/Nabisco website, but the rest of the recipe is my invention.

Raspberry Lemonade Pie

Crust:
8 whole graham crackers, finely crushed (about 1 1/4 cup crumbs)
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix all ingredients until well blended.

Press firmly onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate. (I used a 9.5 inch and it worked fine)

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

Filling:
1 2 quart carton vanilla ice cream, softened
1 can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed (this is what I used, don't use it. Use powdered lemonade instead) See edit below
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

Mix softened ice cream and most of the can of thawed lemonade concentrate, to taste. Gently stir in raspberries.

Place filling in pie crust and put in freezer. Allow enough time for filling to harden back up. Top with fresh whipped cream and freeze again until cream is frozen.

****I have a few modifications to my recipe. Don't use frozen lemonade concentrate. Although it tastes oh so good, it doesn't freeze back solid. Use powdered lemonade. I'm sure it works lots better. The pie was so soft that we had to serve it with a spoon. When I tried to spread the cream on the pie (which I think I whipped too thick), it just mushed the filling all around. So don't use the liquid lemonade stuff.

Edit: I had some filling left over, so I put it back in the carton in the freezer. I got it out the next day and it was actually frozen. So I would say if you need it to freeze in a few hours to use powdered lemonade, but if you have the brain and time to make it the day before, I would go with the liquid concentrate. I think it tastes better for something like this.

We ate this with friends and everyone agreed that it should be rated five stars. It was really, really good. We ate the whole thing and I'm surprised that the pie plate didn't get licked clean. It was definitely a hit.

Mint Julep

Mint Julep
from epicurean.com

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon rind
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup fresh mint leaves, washed & chopped fine
Ginger Ale

Boil water, sugar, and lemon rind for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in juice. Bruise mint leaves and add to mixture, stirring. Let stand for a few hours; then strain into a jar with a lid. Refrigerate until serving (may store 2 to 3 weeks).

When making the julep, pour ginger ale into glasses and add syrup to taste, (2 to 4 tablespoons per serving). Garnish with mint leaves or fresh raspberries.

Serves 10 to 15

****I made this exactly as the recipe says. I forgot to refrigerate the ginger ale. I tried to drink the julep warm, but it didn't really taste like I thought it should, so I cooled it off with some ice. Doing that improved the flavor a lot. I think the ice might have watered it down a little, though. We had it again for dinner tonight. This time the ginger ale had been in the fridge, so it was nice and cold. It tasted much better.

I would rate this at 5 stars. I think it would be a fun and different drink for a dinner party.

Melon & Grape Salad For A Crowd

I have developed an allergy to cantaloupe over the last year or so, so this was kind of a hard challenge for me. I love cantaloupe, so I miss eating it. I thought about skipping out, but I had a BBQ to go to, so decided to kill two birds with one stone and do it anyway. My recipe really isn't very original when it comes to melon, but oh well.

Melon & Grape Salad For A Crowd
from cdkitchen

1 medium-large watermelon, cut into cubes or balls
3 honeydew melons, cut into cubes or balls
3 cantaloupe melons, cut into cubes or balls
1 1/2 lbs seedless green grapes
1 1/2 lbs red grapes
3 cups sugar
1 cup lemon juice
1/3 lime juice
1/3 orange juice

Combine melons and grapes. Combine sugar and juices, pour over fruit and toss to coat. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Serve with a slotted spoon. Serving size: 1 cup. Serves 50.

****I bought all of the stuff to make the whole recipe, but I started cutting it up and realized how much it was really going to make. So I ended up doing only about 1/3 of the recipe. And it still made a huge bowl (the biggest bowl that I have). I wasn't sure what it meant by "1/3 lime/orange juice", so I figured it meant 1/3 cup. By the time I ate it it had been sitting out for a long time, so it was really watery and I couldn't even tell that the fruit had had anything poured over it. I am hoping it was better for everyone else.

I didn't really eat much of it, so I'm not too sure what it tasted like. I am going to give it 3 starts just because melon salads are always a hit at a summertime gathering.

Brazilian Beans and Rice

My husband served his mission in Brazil, so he loves Brazilian beans and rice. I have been trying to find a good recipe since we got married 7 years ago, but to no avail. At Thanksgiving we visited my sister-in-law and met her friend that is from Brazil and she told us about how she makes it and promised to get us the recipe. We finally got it yesterday. And lucky enough for me, it included peppers! Here is the recipe:

Brazilian Beans and Rice
from Luciane

For a traditional lunch, serve rice and beans with a green salad with tomatoes and Italian vinaigrette dressing (not ranch) and meat, as below.

The beans (crockpot style):
1 lb bag dry beans, pinto or black (or canned--but watch the salt--none my be needed)
2 bay leaves
copious amounts of water
2-3 T olive oil
smoked sausage or 1/2 package bacon (optional)
1/2 of an onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
salt and pepper, to taste
2 beef bullion cubes
Mrs Dash, to taste (optional, no pepper needed if using Mrs Dash)
Seasoning salt (optional, without lemon)
Whatever you like to season with as long as it has no lemon
bell pepper, 1 1/2 inch wide strip chopped finely (optional)
a little cilantro, to taste (optional)

Look through your beans before rinsing them to make sure to remove small pebbles or other debris. Rinse well. Soak for 1/2 hour in plenty of water. Rinse again and pour the beans into a crockpot. Add the bay leaves. Cover with about 5 inches of water (at least double the amount of beans) and cook on high, overnight.

Remove the bay leaves. If using meat, saute until cooked and use 2-3 T of its oil (instead of olive oil) to saute the onion, until clear. Add pressed garlic and stir until fragrant. Pour some of the beans/water into the saute pan to dislodge all the yummy bits and pour it all back into the crockpot with the meat. Add bouillon cubes and salt and pepper to taste (or other seasonings, as mentioned above).

Cook until the beans are done, checking every once in a while. When cooked, you can stir in the bell pepper and/or cilantro, if using. Experiment and taste, adjusting the recipe to your liking.

The rice:
2 cups jasmine rice (old crop, not new crop--from Asian store if possible and definitely not storehouse rice)
4 cups water
2 shallow teaspoons salt
1 T olive oil
1/4 of a small onion
1 clove garlic, pressed

Cook the onion and garlic the same way as above, adding to the rice. Put the rice, salt, and water into a pan and heat to boiling, then simmer, uncovered, until almost all the water is soaked up. Then cover with a lid and finish cooking.

The salad:
You can make your own vinaigrette with 1 part lemon juice, 3 parts olive oil, cilantro, tomato, green bell pepper (if desired, all cut finely), salt and pepper and Italian seasoning.

The meat:
At a Mexican store, purchase thinly sliced beef. Pound it out more thinly still. Marinate for an our in olive oil, pressed garlic, and a little salt. Sear meat quickly on each side in a pan on high heat, using a little olive oil in the pan (if using nonstick, no oil needed). Remove meat. Add a few onion ring slices and a little more oil to the hot pan. Saute them quickly, then return the meat to the pan with the onion rings and cook until meat is finished cooking. This can be done with chicken or fish, too.

****I pretty much followed the recipe. I added the bell peppers, but not the cilantro. I didn't have any Mrs Dash, so I used Tony Chachere's spices n' herbs seasoning, but not very much. I used bacon, and after I cooked it I crumbled it into the beans in the crockpot, then used some of the bacon grease to cook the onions. According to my husband the Brazilians never put bell peppers in their beans, so I don't know if I will next time I make it. I think it would be good either way. I got some salad, but we didn't end up eating it. And I didn't get any meat, so we just had the beans and rice. Next time I will probably make 1 1/2 times the rice recipe because we had lots more beans left over than rice. I will have to make more rice to finish the beans.

I would rate this at 5 stars. We actually had friends over for dinner (the husband also served a mission in Brazil) and our friend and my husband both thought this was the most authentic tasting beans and rice they have had since their missions. We all loved it.

Strawberry Basil Lassi

A few weeks ago my family attended a wedding/PhD graduation party for a friend from my husband's department at school. She and her husband are from India, so they had Indian food catered for us party goers to enjoy. One of our new Indian discoveries is lassi (pronounced LU-see). It is a smoothie-type drink that is made of watered down yogurt with any combination of fruit, vegetables, or nuts. At this party we had mango lassi and nut lassi. I think my 4-year-old drank about a gallon of the mango lassi. When I googled "basil recipes" I found a lassi recipe that included basil, so that is my recipe for the week. Here it goes:

Strawberry Basil Lassi
from aartilla the fun

Lassi base:
1/2 cup yogurt
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
pinch of salt

For the strawberry part, add:
1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen, thawed)
2 large basil leaves, torn
1/4 teaspoon or so black pepper

The website I got this recipe from doesn't really have instructions, but it does have a video. I watched the video and this is pretty much what the video says to do: Puree the strawberries in a food processor, then add everything else (start with less water and add more if needed) and mix (still in the food processor). Then enjoy! It shouldn't be too thick. You should be able to drink it through a straw.

The combinations for this are endless. Just start with the yogurt base and you can add anything that you want. I thought the combination of strawberries and basil was going to be gross or weird, but they actually compliment each other pretty well.

I would give this 5 stars. This is cheap and easy to make and I think it would be a hit at a dinner party.

Garlic Herb Pizza Dough and Soft Garlic Breadsticks

Of course I have to participate on garlic week. This is the best ingredient so far! I made two things out of garlic for one meal, so I am posting both recipes for your recipe pleasure.

Garlic Herb Pizza Dough
from Homemade Pizza Made Easy

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2/3 cup lukewarm water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 Tablespoon fresh garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tablespoon Oregano, fresh, chopped (if using dried herbs, cut amounts in half)
1 Tablespoon Parsley, fresh, chopped
1 Tablespoon Basil, fresh, chopped
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
2 cups bread flour

Dissolve yeast in water. Place flour in bowl of electric mixer. Add dissolved yeast, oil, water, salt, garlic, oregano, parsley, basil, onion powder, and black pepper. Using dough hook, mix well at medium-low speed (or follow mixer instructions) until all ingredients are incorporated. Knead for a few more minutes. Dust with flour or oil ball and place in a large bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm, draft free area for 1 to 3 hours.

The recipe stopped here, so this is what I did for cooking: I spread the dough on a large, greased cookie sheet and covered the dough with my desired toppings (pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni on one, Alfredo sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, cubed chicken (I precooked the chicken), and basil on another). The recipe didn't give a temperature, so I cooked each pizza at 400 degrees F for about 10-12 minutes. My pizzas turned out great, so I think this temperature and time were good choices.

****I used SAF instant yeast, so I skipped the yeast dissolving step and mixed my yeast with my flour before I added any of the other ingredients. I used wheat flour instead of bread flour. This recipe made one nice sized pizza that almost filled my large cookie sheet.

I would rate this at 4.5 stars. I might serve this pizza at a dinner party, but it would have to be a pizza dinner party. We really like this recipe.

Soft Garlic Breadsticks
from Taste of Home

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons water (70 to 80 degrees F)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons garlic powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh basil or 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
3 cup bread flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon butter, melted

In bread machine pan, place the first nine ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of water or flour if needed).

When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 20 portions. Shape each into a ball; roll each into a 9 inch rope. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Brush warm breadsticks with butter. Yield: 20 breadsticks.

****I don't have a bread machine, so I mixed this in my KitchenAid stand mixer like I do with any other bread dough. I wasn't sure if the bread cycle mentioned in the recipe allowed rising time, so I put my dough in a greased bowl, covered it, and let it rise for about 45 minutes. Then I rolled it into breadsticks and let that rise for another 30 or 40 minutes, then cooked them. I didn't brush them with butter, but I think I will next time.

I would rate this at 5 stars. I would make this for a dinner party. We ate the leftovers with soup the next day. Yum!

100% Whole Wheat Bread

You are probably wondering why I would post a bread recipe on potato week. And you are probably thinking, "another bread recipe?" I don't blame you. But trust me, this bread recipe is different. I have been looking for a great bread recipe since I got my KitchenAid mixer a year and a half ago. I think I found a winner. I found this recipe on the blog of my friend Mrs. Mordecai. She was going through the same thing as me, trying to find the perfect homemade wheat bread recipe. She finally realized that right under her nose was what she was looking for. This is the recipe her mom makes and has probably made for Mrs. M's whole life. You can find the recipe according to Mrs. M here. Without further ado:

100% Whole Wheat Bread

1 2/3 cups very warm water
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup instant potato flakes
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/3 - 2 cups additional whole wheat flour

Combine first 3 ingredients, then slowly add oil, honey, salt, potato flakes, and lemon juice, mixing as you go. Add remaining flour a little at a time until the temperature is right. Knead about 10 minutes (I use my KitchenAid). Shape into two loaves and place in two greased 8" loaf pans. Let rise until double, about 30 minutes. (I put them on top of the stove and preheated the oven at the same time.) Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes. Cool on rack. For a softer crust, cover the loaves with a towel as they cool.

****I followed the recipe exactly, except I used 8 1/2" loaf pans because I can't find 8" loaf pans anywhere around where I live. I grinded my own wheat flour (my very first time!), which made the bread even better (I'm sure it is all in my head). In a different post Mrs. M suggested that if you had more time the dough could rise for 30 or so minutes prior to the loaf shaping and rising step, so that is what I did. This bread is the softest home made bread I think I have ever eaten, and it is so easy! I think the potato flakes play a big part in the softness. My family of four ate an entire loaf in one day (mostly all at one meal).

I would rate this at 5 stars. I would definitely serve this at a dinner party along with lots of butter and some yummy jam, or maybe with some delicious soup. Mmmm.

Swedish Meatballs

A couple of years ago my family was invited to the home of a friend who is from Finland. She made traditional Finnish (or they might have been Swedish) meatballs. We loved them. I decided that is what I wanted to make for our challenge this week, but my friend is moving with her family to Finland for a year and had packed her cookbooks by the time I asked for the recipe, so I had to find one online. It found the recipe below on the Food Network website, courtesy of Alton Brown. You can find the original recipe here.

Swedish Meatballs

2 slices fresh white bread
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons clarified butter, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
a pinch plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 pound ground chuck
3/4 pound ground pork
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups beef broth
1/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Tear the bread into pieces and place in a small mixing bowl along with the milk. Set aside.

In a 12-inch straight sided saute pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sweat until the onions are soft. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread and milk mixture, ground chuck, pork, egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and onions. Beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes.

Using a scale, weigh meatballs into 1-ounce portions and place on a sheet pan. Using your hands, shape the meatballs into rounds.

Heat the remaining butter in the saute pan over medium-low heat, or in an electric skillet set to 250 degrees F. Add the meatballs and saute until golden brown on all sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the meatballs to an ovenproof dish using a slotted spoon and place in the warmed oven.

Once all of the meatballs are cooked, decrease the heat to low and add the flour to the pan or skillet. Whisk until lightly browned, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the beef stock and whisk until sauce begins to thicken. Add the cream and continue to cook until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Remove the meatballs from the oven, cover with the gravy and serve.

Makes approximately 30 meatballs, 4 to 6 servings.

****I didn't have any white bread, so I used 1/2 cup of bread crumbs in place of the white bread slices. This didn't seem to cause any problems. I used lean ground beef and pork (I think both 97% or something like that). I just used regular butter. I didn't feel like making clarified butter and I have never seen it at the store to buy it. I used nutmeg from a container instead of freshly ground stuff. I ended up adding another tablespoon of flour because I couldn't get the sauce to thicken.

These meatballs were delicious. My whole family loved them. My 4 1/2 year old wouldn't even eat dinner with us at first. When he finally got up to the table I told him he had to eat one meatball. I think he ate at least 10. My batch made about 63 meatballs, so I guess I made them smaller than the recipe suggests (I don't have a scale to measure out the portions). I like smaller meatballs anyway. And they were pretty fast to make. I got all of the meatballs made and cooked in about a half hour. The sauce took about another 20 minutes or half hour, but only because I couldn't get it to thicken. I had IKEA's Swedish meatballs last month while I was there shopping and I liked these ones way better.

I would rate this recipe at 5 stars. I would definitely serve this at a dinner party. I think it could make a fun appetizer.

I once again forgot to take a picture. I need to do better with that.

Melt-in-your-mouth Strawberry Muffins

I found this recipe on the metal seal/cover on a Stonyfield Farm yogurt container. Doesn't that name make your mouth water?


Melt-in-your-mouth Strawberry Muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup Stonyfield Farm yogurt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped strawberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar and baking soda. In another bowl, mix eggs, yogurt, butter and vanilla. Toss strawberries into the flour mixture. Then pour yogurt mixture into flour mixture and stir. Spoon batter into greased muffin tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until tops are golden brown. Yields: 12 muffins

****I followed the directions exactly. I used fresh strawberries and plain yogurt. I wasn't sure which flavor of yogurt to use since it isn't specified in the recipe. I decided to use plain since it has less sugar. Next time I will try vanilla. The muffins were really good, but I think the vanilla yogurt would make them even more yummy (for a sugar junkie like me).

I would rate this recipe at 4 stars.

Black Bean Burgers

I found this recipe in a post someone made in a group I am a member of on CafeMom. I thought it looked different and interesting.

Black Bean Burgers

1 can black beans, rinsed/drained, and smashed with fork
1 egg
2 tablespoons salsa
chopped and sauteed onions and green peppers
1/2 cup bread crumbs
spices (cumin, oregano, pepper)

Mix everything together and form into 4 patties. You can either brush them with oil and bake them or cook them in a pan with olive oil (flipping once). Then enjoy!

*****I made them exactly as instructed. We ate them on bread since we didn't have any buns, with ketchup and mustard. I thought this would be a good recipe to have if you had to live off of food storage (if you have black beans in your food storage) if you didn't have access to or couldn't afford meat. I think that as long as you have the basic ingredients (beans, egg, bread crumbs) that you could use dried onions and whatever herbs you wanted or had on hand.

I would rate this at 3 stars. I will definitely make this recipe again, but it isn't really something that you could take to a potluck and isn't *wow* enough for a dinner party. My husband and I had to keep reminding ourselves that we weren't eating meat!

Dunkley's Famous Macaroni Salad

Sorry this is a day late! When I was searching for a recipe with Swiss Cheese in it I found this recipe. I thought it looked really yummy.


Dunkley's Famous Macaroni Salad
From RecipeZaar

1 (16 oz) package salad macaroni (or ditali pasta)
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup red onion, diced
1 cup yellow onion or white onion, diced
1 cup medium cheddar, diced
1 cup Swiss cheese, diced
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup dill pickles, sliced
1 cup salami, diced
1 cup black olives, drained and sliced or diced
1/2 teaspoon horseradish
1-2 tablespoon garlic salt
1-2 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1-2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 (3 oz) jar pimentos, rinsed and drained
1-1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil.

2. Add macaroni and cook until it is al dente, approximately 7 to 9 minutes.

3. DO NOT OVERCOOK the pasta or it will fall apart when the salad is tossed together

4. Rinse macaroni until cool.

5. Drain well and let it dry out slightly.

6. Place pasta in a large bowl.

7. Carefully fold in celery, red onion, white onion, Cheddar, Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese, dill pickles, salami, and black olives.

8. Refrigerate the mixture, covered, overnight (or refrigerate for at least 2 hours).

9. Mix the garlic salt, minced garlic, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, and celery salt together. Add to the salad.

10. Fold in pimentos.

11. Mix 1 cup of mayonnaise and horseradish; fold into the salad (You may use up to another 1/2 cup mayonnaise, if needed).

12. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.

Makes 25 servings

******First of all I cut the recipe in half. I didn't want to have leftovers of this for the rest of our lives. I didn't use horseradish or pimentos (I couldn't find the pimentos at the store). I didn't use the full amount of cayenne pepper and added the lower amount of the black pepper because I didn't want it to be too spicy. I mixed the spices with the mayo instead of the pasta/veggie mixture because I thought the spices would be more evenly spread out that way.

I would rate this at 4 stars. It would a great potluck dish. We loved it! I think it would be perfect for a Summer picnic.

Hot Chicken Salad

I thought this recipe looked yummy, so I decided to try it. It even includes water chestnuts!

Sorry, I forgot to take a picture. Just think of a casserole with corn flakes on the top. That is what it looked like.

Hot Chicken Salad
from Nancy's Kitchen

2 cups chicken, cooked
1 cup rice, cooked
1 cup celery
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon chopped onion
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 can Cream of Chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup water chestnuts

1/2 stick margarine
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 cup crushed corn flakes

Mix all ingredients next day put in casserole. In separate pan melt margarine, and stir in crushed corn flakes and slivered almonds. Spoon over casserole. Bake for 35 minutes, uncovered, in 350 degree oven.

****The instructions were a little weird to me, so I just mixed all of the ingredients in the first group together, put them in a 9x13 pan, covered that with the ingredients in the second group (that I had mixed together)and cooked according to the instructions. I used butter instead of margarine and canned mushrooms instead of fresh ones. I chopped up the water chestnuts (my husband doesn't like them very much, so I thought maybe they would be more tolerable to him in little pieces).

I give this recipe 3 1/2 stars. I didn't totally love it, but my sons actually ate it and my husband had about 5 servings (minus the mushrooms).

Chef Spotlight: Angie R.

You thought we forgot about the chef spotlight, didn't you?! We didn't actually forget, the week just flew by so fast, and before we knew it Friday was already here!

This week our featured chef is Angie R., my best friend from eighth grade who I have had the pleasure to reconnect with online. Isn't the internet amazing sometimes? Here is her spotlight.


Name

Angie R.

Where are you from?
I grew up mostly around Utah Valley, but lived in Iowa for a few years while growing up. I went to college in Southern Utah, and now live in Southeast Ohio.

Why did you join What's in {Your} Oven?
I love cooking. I have always liked it, but lately I can't get enough. I thought it would be fun to have someone tell me to use a new and exciting ingredient and make something different. I was excited when Jillian emailed me about this blog. Funny enough, just before Jillian's email my sisters and I started a blog to share recipes with each other (you can see it at sisstonesoup.blogspot.com). My husband asked me a couple of weeks ago if we are ever going to eat the same thing twice ever again. (tell him he can have the same thing twice if *he* cooks it. Ha!)

Who do you cook for?
My husband, Brett, and my two sons, Skyler (4 1/2) and Wesley (3 in a month). (side note: I know Angie's husband's brother, because he served an LDS mission in my town in WISCONSIN. It's a small world, after all.)

What kind of food do you like?
The funny thing about me liking to cook so much is that I don't really like to eat. I know, I'm weird. I love Mexican and Italian food and most things sweet, especially ice cream. I have recently discovered Indian food and think it is pretty yummy, too. (You may be weird, but we still like ya!)

What do you hope to get out of participating in What's in {Your} Oven?
Some fun recipes made with ingredients I'm not too familiar with. Also, I love that it gives me another excuse to cook something new!

We are glad that you are so excited about the blog. We all need a little excitement in our lives. It's great that you enjoy cooking so much and are daring enough to try new things. Thanks for being one of our chefs!

Pineapple Cookies

Pineapple Cookies

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 c shortening
2 eggs
1 can crushed pineapple
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups flour

Drain pineapple as much as possible. Mix all ingredients. Cook at 375 F for 10-15 minutes.

When you put the cookies away, be careful not to stack them unless they are well done, otherwise they will stick together.

***This recipe isn't really new to me, but I haven't had these cookies since I was little. My aunt used to make them. They were always my favorite. They are still as good as I remember them being back then.

I would rate them at 4 stars. (My husband took them to our branch's priesthood session potluck tonight.)

Hot Cheesy Spinach Dip

Hot Cheesy Spinach Dip
(from Easy to Bake, Easy to Make)

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped onion (about 1/4 medium)
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups half-and-half
2 packages (9 oz. each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1 can (8 oz.) sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 package (1 oz.) dry vegetable soup mix
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is crisp-tender and garlic is fragrant, 2-3 minutes.

2. Stir in flour; cook and stir an additional minute. Add half-and-half and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens, about 2 minutes.

3. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in chopped spinach, water chestnuts, Cheddar and vegetable soup mix. Spoon dip into a 1-quart casserole or gratin dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

4. Bake dip until it is bubbly and cheese is melted, 10-15 minutes. Serve warm.


***When I told my mom that the ingredient of the week was water chestnuts, she made this for me for lunch. The only thing she did differently was that she cooked it in the microwave for about 3 minutes instead of baking it. We ate it with sliced french bread. It is yummy!

I would rate this 4 stars. It is definitely good enough for a pot luck.

Zesty Chicken Pot Pie

(from Kraftfoods.com. Click here to see their version of the recipe.)

Picture from Kraftfoods.com

12 oz. (1 1/2 pkg [8 oz. each]) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, cubed
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 pkg. (10 oz. each) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 env. Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix
1 refrigerated ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of 15-oz. pkg)

PREHEAT oven to 425 F. Place cream cheese in large saucepan. Add broth; cook on low heat until cream cheese is completely melted, stirring frequently with wire whisk. Stir in chicken, vegetables and dressing mix.

SPOON into 9-inch pie plate. Cover with pie crust; seal and flute edge. Cut several slits in crust to allow steam to escape. Place pie plate on baking sheet.

BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until golden brown.

Serves 8

**************************************************************

I love pot pie, so when I saw this recipe I decided I had to try it. I made everything as it is listed, except I used Neufchatel cheese and when it came time to add the seasoning packet I realized that I only had Ranch and not Italian, so I just went with the Ranch. It was really easy to make. My family actually ate it. My husband couldn't stop saying how good it was. My sons, who are very picky eaters and normally won't eat anything with vegetables in it, didn't complain about the veggies and seemed to liked it. I am excited to try it again with the Italian seasoning and see what the difference is in the taste.

I would rate this a 3 1/2 stars (is that allowed?). I would definitely take it as a meal to someone and might take it to a potluck depending on the group. We will for sure be making this again.