Food, Folks, and Fun

Featuring TinyPrints & a $50 GIVEAWAY!

2013-05-23T01:51:49Z

*DISCLOSURE: This is a sponsored giveaway and I received a gift code as for sharing this information and conducting a giveaway for my readers. All opinions are my own.

My sister and I are both pregnant right now! I’m due in September and she’s due in October. One of the most exciting things about having a little one is announcing its sweet entrance into the world. And the announcement needs to be just right; it needs to be cute (of course), and in the spirit that catches your sweet little one’s unique personality.

Luckily there’s TinyPrints, the Premium online stationary brand! They have *THE* cutest and most unique Birth Announcements & Baby Shower Invitations that are just as special as your little one. TinyPrints has made it so easy; their designs are trend-forward and beautiful, and they have coordinating address labels, thank you cards & gift tags.

Join the Tiny Prints #TinyPrintsBaby Pinning Party™ with @ResourcefulMom on Thursday, May 30^that 8 PM ET RSVP HERE

Connect with TinyPrints

Online | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Buy TinyPrints

Purchase Baby Shower Invitations and Baby Announcements on the Tiny Prints Website!

Win TinyPrints

One lucky reader will win a coupon code worth $50 off your next order at TinyPrints!

Giveaway Ends May 29^th | US Residents Only | Winner has 24 Hours to Respond

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Panera’s Mac & Cheese

2013-05-21T18:09:32Z

Alright folks, this is **THE** recipe for Panera’s Mac & Cheese. As I’ve mentioned to you all recently, I am pregnant and due in September. While I was going through the first 12 weeks of pregnancy there were only two foods that I could stomach: bagels and Panera’s Mac & Cheese. I would have their mac & cheese weekly….okay, okay, if I’m going to be honest maybe it was more than once a week… For me this is the pinnacle of mac & cheese dishes; its rich, smooth, creamy and chock-full of calcium from all that yummy cheese and milk. Not only is this recipe amazingly yummy, its also quick and easy to make!

Cook’s Note: If you’re serving this as a main dish it serves 4-6. If you’re making this as a side dish it serves 8-10.

Panera Mac & Cheese

Print recipe

Serves	4-6
Prep time	5 minutes
Cook time	15 minutes
Total time	20 minutes
Meal type	Main Dish, Side Dish
Misc	Child Friendly, Serve Hot
Occasion	Barbecue, Casual Party
Website	Slightly adapted from Panera's Website

This is *THE* recipe for Panera's rich and creamy Mac & Cheese. Not only is it delicious, it comes together in a snap!

Ingredients

1 16-ounce Package package of rigati pasta ((or other small pasta shells))
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk (2% or whole)
6 Slices white American cheese (chopped)
8oz extra-sharp white Vermont cheddar (shredded)
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions

Step 1
Prepare pasta according to package directions.
Step 2
Melt butter over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly.
Step 3
Gradually whisk in milk; cook over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat.
Step 4
Add cheeses, mustard, salt, and hot sauce, stirring until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.
Step 5
Stir in pasta and cook over medium heat for 1 minute (or until thoroughly heated). Serve immediately.

A Bowl Full of Heaven

2013-04-24T03:57:53Z

A Bowl Full of Heaven

Ooey-gooey, soft & chewy caramel corn.

-OR-

Cruncy, golden caramel corn.

Can’t decide? No worries, this recipe accounts for both tastes! I’m personally more of a crunchy caramel corn girl myself, and a bowl full of it is like heaven!

Caramel Corn

Print recipe

Serves	8-10
Prep time	15 minutes
Cook time	1 hour
Total time	1 hour, 15 minutes
Meal type	Dessert, Snack
Misc	Child Friendly, Pre-preparable
Website	Adapted from Paula Deen for the Food Network

Heaven in a bowl: Caramel Corn. Like your Caramel Corn crunchy or soft? No problem, this recipe can make both!

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3- 2.9 ounce bags microwave popcorn (popped)

Cook's Note

Like your Caramel Corn crunchy or soft? No problem, this recipe can make both! For a softer caramel corn, preheat your oven to 200F, for a crunchier caramel corn, preheat your oven to 225F.

Directions

Step 1
Preheat oven to 200F for a softer caramel corn, or 225F for a more crunchy caramel corn.
Step 2
Pop the 3 bags of popcorn and place the popcorn in a large aluminum foil pan. Set aside.
Step 3
Over medium heat, combine first 4 ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil the mixture for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda and vanilla.
Step 4
Pour the mixture over the popcorn, stirring to coat well. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Step 5
Spread the caramel corn over waxed paper to dry and cool.

Mexican Lasagna

2013-04-18T19:06:54Z

Recently my family drove from Rhode Island to California for a military move. Along the way we visited and stayed with some fabulous friends throughout of country. We stayed over Easter weekend with my dear friend, Monica and her family. On our first night there Monica made this Mexican Lasagna for dinner. It was so stinkin’ yummy that I immediately asked for the recipe. Thanks, Monica for this awesome, quick & easy recipe!

Cook’s Note: Monica says she often make this for a crowd and prepares it either the night before or in the morning. She keeps it in the fridge until she’s ready to cook it.

Mexican Lasagna

Print recipe

Serves	6-8
Prep time	10 minutes
Cook time	30 minutes
Total time	40 minutes
Meal type	Main Dish
Misc	Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot
Website	Adapted from my friend, Monica's Recipe

Ingredients

1lb lean ground beef (cooked and drained)
8oz sour cream
2 10-Ounce Cans RoTel Tomatoes
1 10-Ounce Can Cream of Chicken Soup
2 Cups Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
8 10-Inch flour tortillas
2 15-Ounce Cans Ranch Style Beans
chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions

Step 1
Preheat Oven to 350 F. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream and cream of chicken soup, set aside.
Step 2
Tear 4 tortillas in half (you'll have 8 halves) and layer them in the bottom of your pan.
Step 3
Put half the cooked meat over tortillas, and pour 1 can of the ranch style beans and 1 can of the RoTel tomatoes over the beef. Then spread half the sour cream mixture over the beans. Top with 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
Step 4
Cut your remaining tortillas in half and layer them in the pan. Layer the remaining ingredients as you did above: the ranch style beans, RoTel tomatoes, sour cream mixture and cheese.
Step 5
Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the lasagna is nice and bubbly.
Step 6
Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle to top with chopped cilantro, if desired.

Funfetti Cupcakes & a Little Announcement

2013-04-08T21:19:08Z

I have some exciting news to share…I’m pregnant with my second little one!

Mia holding a picture of her soon-to-be little brother or sister.

I’m about 17 weeks along and just got over the yucky nauseous period. I haven’t wanted to look at food–let alone edit pictures and blog about it–but not anymore! To celebrate my return to cooking and baking I have what else, but a cupcake recipe to share with you.

I love cupcakes (and there just so happens to be 19 cupcakes recipes on the blog). I love them for special occasions, birthdays, celebrations, or just because. And no, I don’t think they’re going out of style anytime soon. With my first pregnancy I craved Funfetti cupcakes from the box mix. This time around I decided to make my own…and they’re divine if I do say so myself.

Funfetti Cupcakes

Print recipe

Serves	20 Cupcakes
Meal type	Dessert
Misc	Child Friendly, Pre-preparable
Occasion	Birthday Party, Casual Party
Website	Adapted from 52 Kitchen Adventures

Ingredients

Cupcakes

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/4 cup Buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles or jimmies

Frosting

1 1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles or jimmies

Garnish

rainbow sprinkles or jimmies

Cook's Note

Don't have buttermilk in the fridge? No problem. Check out my buttermilk recipe here!

Directions

Cupcakes
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 cupcake pans with paper liners or with nonstick spray.
Step 2
In a large bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Step 3
In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg whites. Set aside.
Step 4
In a large mixer bowl, combine sugar and butter. Beat for 3 minutes, until well combined and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Step 5
Alternate adding 1/3 of flour mixture and 1/2 of buttermilk mixture to the mixing bowl, beating until just incorporated in between, be sure to begin and end with the flour mixture. Beat for 1 more minute.
Step 6
Add sprinkles and stir until just combined.
Step 7
Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool for at least 30 minutes before frosting.
Frosting
Step 8
In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until just incorporated. Add heavy cream and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Increase speed to high and beat for around 4-5 minutes, until frosting is light and fluffy. Add in the sprinkles or jimmies and mix until just incorporated. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes. Garnish with more sprinkles or jimmies.

Those Darn Sugar Cookies…

2013-03-28T20:43:41Z

You know those sugar cookies from the grocery store; the soft, chewy, circular ones with the pink frosting ? Yea, those. Well, I have a bit of a confession. Hi, my name is Jenna… and I’m a soft, chewy sugar cookie addict. This I know I am surely not alone in. These cookies bring back fond memories for me. You see, during my senior year of high school I’d often hang out on Friday nights with my brother and his wife (something I’m sure the newlyweds really appreciated). My friends were off at parties and I just wasn’t into that scene. So, a typical Friday night would include a trip to the video store (when there were video stores) and the grocery store to pick up treats. My treat of choice, those sugar cookies.

What I love about this recipe is that you get the awesome taste and soft, chewiness of the store bought cookies but you get to reap all the rewards of making them from scratch. I LOVE that this recipe makes bars because they’re SO easy to whip together (seriously 1 hour from start to finish), look stinkin’ cute, and can be customizable for any party, occasion, or holiday. How cute would these be for Easter on Sunday?!? I also think they’d be perfect for bake sales because they’re easy to transport and wrap up and this recipe makes a ton!

Cook’s Note: When I made these I cut them into 24 honkin’ huge bars and they can easily be cut into 48 bars and still be decent-sized.

Soft & Chewy Sugar Cookie Bars

Print recipe

Serves	24+
Meal type	Dessert
Misc	Child Friendly, Pre-preparable
Website	Adapted from Annie's Eats

The bar version of the famous Loft House sugar cookies.

Ingredients

Cookie Bars

1 cup butter (at room temperature)
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs (at room temperature)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon zest (optional)
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting

1 cup butter (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
4 cups confectioners’ sugar (sifted)
5 tablespoons milk
food coloring (optional)
sprinkles (optional)

Directions

Cookie Bars
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Grease a 13 x 18″ rimmed baking sheet (basically a half-sheet pan) and set aside. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until light and smooth, about 2 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Blend in the vanilla and lemon zest (if using). In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Stir together with a fork to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl and beat on low speed just until incorporated.
Step 2
Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared baking sheet and press into an even layer. Bake 10-15 minutes, until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
Step 3
To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in the vanilla, salt, and confectioners’ sugar until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Mix in the milk. Tint as desired with food coloring. Spread over the cookie in the pan, add some sprinkles and cut into bars.

Introducing my Blog Partner

2013-03-27T02:21:43Z

So, this has been a while in the making–seriously, the better part of 6 months–but it’s finally here! My sister, Jenna, will be joining the blog and sharing her mouth-watering, restaurant-quality recipes with you and occasionally some crafts and décor ideas, too!

Here are the top 5 things I love about this girl:

5. She taught me how to straighten my hair. This may seem trivial, but it was truly life-changing. We both struggled for years with naturally curly hair and not the cute kind either. Fortunately, Jenna went away to college in Utah and learned all kinds of beauty secrets. Today my hair is silky-smooth and (most days) lives at my shoulders instead of in a ponytail.

4. She’s the cutest girl I know with a concealed weapons permit. We grew up in liberal, suburban Connecticut. No one there owned firearms, at least no one we knew. After a few years in Utah she met her hubby who is the epitome of an outdoorsman. He slowly converted her to his gun-slinging ways and they’ve been happy ever since. We even had target shooting (with a BB gun) and Sarsaparilla at her bridal shower!

Jenna & her hubby, Wyatt

3. She’s my favorite shopping partner. We have similar shopping styles; comb through stores—almost painstakingly—find things we like, but wait to make purchases until we see what every other store has to offer first. Oh, and we both despise paying full price for anything…if it’s not on sale, forget about it. We live far apart and every time we’re together and go shopping we have to buy something “sisterly” {this is our code for buying something cute without having our hubbies groan too much because it was a “sister” purchase}.

Sporting our “sister Coats” that we bought while in Seoul, South Korea.

2. Although she’s my little sister, I’ve learned how to be a better friend and person from her. Her inner light, faith, and relationship with our Heavenly Father are so sweet and her smile and laughter are incredibly contagious. When I grow up, I want to be just like her.

With her little man, Miles

1. Besides my husband, she’s my best friend. She’s been my cheerleader, confidant, and friend for as long as I can remember. We’ve done a whole lot of growing up together, she made me actually like country music, and we were each other’s maids of honor to boot!

Besties

So ya, that’s my little sister. You’re going to love her and her yummy recipes. So be on the lookout for some this week!

Lucky Treats

2013-03-13T18:42:27Z

I wanted to make a quick little treat for my family for St. Patrick’s Day using items I already had on hand. I took stock of my pantry and saw the Lucky Charms and marshmallows. Bam, done, it was decided—I was going to make Lucky Charms Treats. My little one loved the little treats and surprisingly the marshmallows in the cereal didn’t melt once it was added to the melted marshmallow mixture. Here’s the quick and easy recipe below, enjoy.

Lucky Charms Treats

Print recipe

Serves	12
Meal type	Dessert, Snack
Misc	Child Friendly
Website	Adapted from the original Rice Crispy Treat recipe.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
1 10-ounce package marshmallows ((about 40))
6 cups Lucky Charms cereal

Directions

Step 1
In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
Step 2
Add the Lucky Charms cereal. Stir until well coated.
Step 3
Using buttered spatula, press mixture into a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.

Chili to Warm you on a Snowy day!

2013-02-17T20:52:09Z

My little family is spending this winter in Newport, RI while my husband goes through some training. Before we got to Rhode Island my little one had only seen snow falling once before in her life. Well, things have definitely changed…after a few little snow falls and a Nor’easter called Nemo she has become quite used to the white, fluffy stuff. Last weekend after Nemo we were able to get some good snow play in. When we came inside we were cold, tired and hungry. On a snowy day there’s only one type of food that I want to satisfy my hunger and that’s a nice, warm bowl of chili.

Two things I love about this recipe: it mostly uses ingredients I readily have available in my pantry, and it’s versatile—I’ve made this recipe with both kidney beans and black beans. I’ve also made it on the stove top and in a slow cooker, no matter the variations this chili comes out great every time (see how to make the variations in the cook’s note).

Cook’s Note:

For a rich, thick consistency, cook the chili with the lid on for half of the cooking time. If you are a fan of spicy food, consider using a little more of the red pepper flakes or cayenne–or both. The flavor of the chili improves with age; if possible, make it a day or up to five days in advance and reheat before serving. Leftovers can be frozen for up to a month.

Slow Cooker Option: At the end of step 1, transfer the cooked beef mixture to a slow cooker; add the rest of the ingredients as directed in step 2. Cook the chili on the high setting for four hours.

I like to serve this chili with my favorite corn bread recipe.

Simple Beef Chili

Print recipe

Serves	8-10
Meal type	Main Dish, Soup
Misc	Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot
Website	Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions (about 2 cups woth)
1 large red bell pepper (cut into 1/2 cubes)
6 medium garlic cloves (minced, about 2 Tablespoons worth)
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2lb lean ground beef
2 cans (15 ounces each) red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes (with the juice)
1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree
lable salt (to taste)

Garnish

limes
avocado (diced)
sour cream
scallions (sliced)
cheddar cheese (shredded)

Directions

Step 1
Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, oregano, and cayenne; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add half the beef; cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining beef and cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 2
Add beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Remove cover and continue to simmer 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally (if chili begins to stick to bottom of pot, stir in 1/2 cup water and continue to simmer), until beef is tender and chili is dark, rich, and slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning with additional salt. Serve with garnishes, if desired.

Chocolate Truffle Tart

2013-02-17T20:34:00Z

Truffles are one of the most gift-able treats on Valentines Day. They’re rich, silky, and deliciously dense. My husband loves truffles (and anything dark, and chocolatey for that matter) so I decided to turn one of his favorite treats into a tart. If you’ve been following me for a while you know that I not exactly a chocolate aficionado; I find it too rich for my liking. BUT that doesn’t stop me from making it for my dearest loved ones. I tried one bit of this tart and that was enough for me (I did polish off a healthy helping of cream and berries though ). My hubs loved the tart and polished it off over the next few days, and he may have even eaten a slice or two over breakfast…

Cook’s Note:

This recipe uses a 10-inch tart pan. If you are using an 8-inch pan decrease the ingredients by 1/4, and if you are using a 12-inch pan increase the ingredients by 1/4. The same will also apply to your cooking time.

Use the best quality bitter-sweet chocolate that you can afford for this recipe, after all chocolate is the star of this recipe! The brands I would recommend are Ghirardelli or Scharffen Berger.

If you end up with extra filling, don’t fret…make truffles! To do so place the extra filling in a bread pan and refrigerate until firm, about 2-3 hours. Using a small teaspoon-sized cookie scoop (or just a teaspoon), scoop mixture and roll between your hands to form a ball. Roll the ball into cocoa powder and place on a plate. Chill the little balls of joy for at least an hour before serving.

Chocolate Truffle Tart

Print recipe

Serves	10-12
Meal type	Dessert
Misc	Gourmet, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold
Occasion	Valentines day
Website	Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients

Crust

2 cups Oreo Cookie Crumbs
7 tablespoons butter (melted)

Filling

1 1/2lb high-quality bittersweet chocolate (chopped)
2 cups heavy cream
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature & cut into 12 peices)

Garnish

freshly whipped cream (optinal)
raspberries (optional)

Directions

Crust
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2
Mix the Oreo crumbs and and melted butter together in a medium bowl. Mix until the butter is distributed evenly throughout the crumbs (you may need to get your hands good and dirty for this step, I personally enlisted the help of my toddler).
Step 3
Press the mixture into an un-greased, 10-inch tart pan. Make sure the mixture is pressed evenly along the bottom and sides of the pan.
Step 4
Place the tart pan on a cookie sheet and bake until it has slightly puffed, 10-12 minutes.
Step 5
Once out of the oven, place the tart pan on a wire rack to cool while you prepare the truffle filling (make sure it cools at least 10 minutes).
Filling
Step 6
Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside.
Step 7
Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat; pour hot cream over chocolate and set aside for 1 minute.
Step 8
Using whisk, slowly stir chocolate and cream until smooth, being careful to avoid aerating the mixture.
Step 9
Slowly stir in the softened butter until combined.
Step 10
Pour filling into cooled tart shell. (Filling should reach just below top of tart shell. If sides of tart shell have slumped a bit when baked, you will have a little extra filling.)
Step 11
Use an offset spatula to spread filling to sides of tart and smooth the top.
Step 12
Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 48 hours.
Step 13
Slice into thin wedges and serve with whipped cream and raspberries.