Brown Sugar Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes

This recipe is adapted from one found here by The Hungry Mouse. :)

Ingredients:

1 package of Oreos

4 Tablespoons of melted butter

24 oz. cream cheese  (3 8-oz. bricks), at room temperature

1 3/4 cups dark brown sugar

4 eggs (at room temp)

1 15-oz. can 100% pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 Tablespoon of Vanilla

2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup flour

For the Crust:

Crush your oreos in the food processor and then pour in the melted butter. Spoon about a tablespoon or so of the crust into cupcake liners and then press down with a glass. 

For the Filling:

Beat the cream cheese in your mixer until smooth. Add the brown sugar and mix again. Break your eggs into another bowl and then break them up with a fork. Add to the mixer. Beat well. Add the pumpkin, vanilla, pie spice, flour and mix until well combined. Pour filling into crusts. Bake at 325 for 35 minutes then turn off heat and crack the oven door for an additional 30 minutes. Then remove from oven and cool in kitchen for another 30. Then refridgerate 6 hours or overnight. You can top with whipped cream or eat as is.

Makes 36 cupcakes

Chicken Sweet Potato Black Bean Baked Flautas

Ingredients:

9 Mission Carb Balance Flour Tortillas

1 grilled shredded or cubed chicken breast

1 sweet potato

1 cup of black beans

1 cup of corn

1/4 of julienned carrots

1/4 of mild salsa

1/2 of feta cheese

2 tablespoons of cream cheese

1 teaspoon of basil paste

1/8 teaspoon of cumin

1/8 teaspoon of garlic salt

a pinch of red pepper flakes

3 dashes of tabasco sauce

salt and pepper to taste

shredded mexican cheese

Directions:

Put oven at 425. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Poke some holes in your sweet potato, wrap in damp paper towel and microwave for 7 minutes. Grill your chicken breast and shred or cube. Place in a large bowl and add the insides of the sweet potato, add everything else EXCEPT the mexican cheese. Mix! Take a tortilla and sprinkle with mexican cheese, add filling, sprinkle again with mexican cheese and then roll and place seam side down on cookie sheet until all are made. Spray the tops with cooking spray and bake for 7 minutes. Then take out and flip and cook for another 8 minutes on the other side.

I served mine with avocado on top. Super delicious and fairly healthy dinner. Enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato Panzanella

This recipe was introduced to me by my sister in law. She adds lemon cucumbers and red onions. We have also discussed how good it would be with avocado. So start with the below base and add whatever you like. 

Ingredients:

One baguette, sliced into 1 inch cubes

4 heirloom tomatos (I prefer Cherokee Purple and Pineapple)

A few chopped basil leaves

garlic

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Your favorite cheese (I used a garlic Jersey cheese from my farmer's market but my SIL used small mozzarella balls. You could also use feta or goat.)

Directions

Mix bread cubes with olive oil, salt, pepper and minced garlic. Bake at 375 until crispy and golden brown. 

Take them out and let them cool. 

Slice the tomatoes into bite sized pieces. 

Toss everything but the bread in a bowl with vinegar and olive oil to taste. 

Toss with cooled bread cubes and taste for seasoning. 

Serves 4-6 people

Coconut Vanilla Quinoa Pudding

1 cup of uncooked quinoa

1/2 cup of sugar

3 13.5 oz cans of coconut milk

1 teaspoon of Nielson-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste

pinch of sea salt

Rinse quinoa in cold water to get rid of the bitterness. In a medium-sized sauce pan, add the coconut milk, cream, sugar and vanilla bean paste. Set the stove to medium-high until the milk comes to a simmer. Add the quinoa and set the stove to low. Stir every few minutes for one hour or the milk reduces to your desired pudding consistency.
I like to serve mine with frozen berries or chocolate chips. 

Peach Ginger Lemonade Granita

16 oz of frozen peaches

2 cups of water

1/2 cup of sugar

5 lemons

1 inch chunk of ginger

2 apples

Place the peaches, water and sugar in a medium sauce pan on the stove on medium heat and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Take an immersion blender and blend until smooth.

Use a juicer to get the juice from the ginger, apples and lemons.

Combine all liquids together in a 9 x 13 baking dish and place in the freezer. Take a fork to the liquid to fluff every hour until it is to your preferred consistency.

Brown Butter Salted Caramel Mocha Cookies

These are adapted from Kevin and Amanda's recipe found here.

Ingredients: 

2 sticks (1 cup) of unsalted butter

1 1/4 cup of dark brown sugar

1/4 cup of white sugar

2 eggs

1 TB of Vanilla 

2 1/4 cups of flour

1 packet of Starbucks Via Mocha

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 cup of caramel bits

3/4 cup of Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips

Course sea salt for sprinkling

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter starts to foam, begin whisking constantly. When the butter turns brown, fragrant, and you see little brown bits at the bottom of the pan, immediately remove from heat and and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Set aside to cool (I threw mine in the fridge to cool).

Whisk together the flour, coffee, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugars until well combined, about 3-5 minutes. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low-speed just until combined. Add the caramels and chocolate chunks and stir until just combined.

Spoon golf ball sized dough on cookie sheet lined with silpat. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool and enjoy!

Lemon Cheesecake Cupcakes

These babies are tart!

 

Ingredients:

2 8oz blocks of cream cheese

1 cup of white sugar

1 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste

1 packet of lemon jello

the zest and juice of 2 lemons

8 oz tub of Cool Whip

A sleeve of crushed graham crackers (9)

6 Tablespoons of melted butter

Directions: 

Mix crushed graham crackers and butter together. Spoon into cupcake liners and smash with a glass to make even.

In a mixer, cream together cream cheese, sugar, jello, zest, juice and vanilla.

Gently fold in cool whip.

Spoon batter into cupcake liners.

Pop in freezer for at least 4 hours and serve cold. Enjoy!!!

Turtles...

Dwight: Thanks for meeting me. 

Michael: Are you kidding me? I'd go anywhere to see a turtle. 

Dwight: There is no turtle. 

Michael: Man, now I'm going to have to go online and look at turtles. Otherwise I'm gonna be off the whole day. 

The Office, Season 7 Episode 20

Ham, Peas, Mac and Cheese

My friend gave me an old issue of Cooking Light magazine and I found this recipe. The reviews weren't great but I thought I could make it great. Below is my version.

Ingredients: 

12 oz of Eating Light veggie elbow macaroni
1 1/2 cups chopped ham
1 1/2 cups frozen peas 
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
3 cups milk (I used one cup of heaving cream and two cups of organic whole)
4 cups of sharp cheddar
1 teaspoon of garlic salt
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1/4 teaspoon of paprika
1/8 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon of italian herbs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup of panko crumbs

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400°.
Cook pasta in boiling water 6 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Combine pasta, ham, and peas in a large bowl.
Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt butter then add flour. Cook until flour has soaked up all the butter. Add milk; bring to simmer and whisk. Dip a spoon in and run your finger down the middle of the back. If sauce stays separate, it's done. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, seasonings, salt, and peppers. Pour cheese mixture over pasta mixture; stir to coat. Spoon pasta into a 13 x 9 glass baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Sprinkle panko over the top. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
This feeds 8 people. Enjoy!

Favorite Things Post!

Here is a list of my favorite things right now, Oprah style, well not really Oprah style because I can't give the items to everyone in my studio audience... I also do not have a studio audience... Click the links for where to buy!

Pacifica - Pretty much any scent is amazing. Their body lotion is thick and creamy. My favorite scents are Hawaiian Ruby Guava and Island Vanilla.

Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Stress Scrub - This clears my face and makes it feel clean with a tingle.

Le Creuset French Oven
I cook many things in this. Pasta, soups, meat, etc.

Aladdin 20 oz Tumbler 
I drink water in these at work, goal is three a day. Helping me hydrate.

Alba Passion Fruit Nectar Chapstick - Smells delicious and heals my lips.

Kettle Honey Dijon Chips
Nuf said.

Nike Women's Free Run+ 3
Super light weight and comfy

Happy shopping and perusing.

White Chocolate Caramel Macadamia Nut Cheesecake Cupcakes

Ingredients:

3 8oz blocks of cream cheese

1.5 cups of white sugar

4 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste

8 oz of melted white chocolate (I half melted mine so there would be bits of chocolate to crunch into)

8 oz tup of Cool Whip

A sleeve of crushed graham crackers

6 Tablespoons of melted butter

Caramel

Macadamia Nuts

Directions: 

Mix crushed graham crackers and butter together. Spoon into cupcake liners and smash with a glass to make even.

In a mixer, cream together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.

Add melted white chocolate while mixer on.

Gently fold in cool whip.

Spoon batter into cupcake liners, sprinkle with chopped macadamia nuts and caramel.

Pop in freezer for at least 4 hours and serve cold. Enjoy!!!