Sprinkled with Flour

Clean Pants Pending

2026-09-15T13:22:05.370-05:00

I left this blog in 2014 when my life was becoming something new. I didn't know it would be thirteen years before I came back, and I didn’t know that I would find myself at the beginning again - that my life would become something new again. A lot happened, and I'm not quite the same person who wrote those old posts, but comfortingly, this place still feels like mine and l find myself itching to make things again.

Beginning is exciting when you’re in the first half of your life. It’s so easy to look into the future and see possibilities and adventure. Beginning again after the end of a marriage, in the second half of your life, doesn’t feel exciting at first. It’s terrifying, and lonely, and leaves you wondering if you will ever feel like you’re standing on stable ground again.

I’m the type of person who needs forward action. I need to be doing and creating. I also need clean pants, a better relationship with laundry, and a non-broken dishwasher - but a girl’s gotta have goals. So instead of putting all my restless creative energy into consuming other people’s content and doomscrolling in sweats as I avoid the laundry, I’m going to put that energy into myself. Not the laundry per se - because, well, laundry sucks. But breathing life back into this place will give me a framework for living this next part of my life.

A woman making things, while she makes a life. A new life.

I’m not coming back as someone who has figured out how to rebuild a life, because I’m still building it. I don’t know exactly what this becomes yet, but I’m making things again, and I’m going to let you come along while I figure it out. I wasn’t sure if this blog even still existed in Google’s eyes, but it turns out this blog isn’t quite as dead as I thought it was.

Apparently, it’s a little like me. A little older, in need of some attention, maybe sans a few pairs of clean pants, but still puttering along. I disappeared for thirteen years, and there are still people finding my Plum Pizza and Buttery Soft Glazed Raisin Pretzels while Google roams around opening cupboards.

I thought I was coming back to something I’d left behind. Turns out, it was still here.

Miss Cayla Renee - Our Birth Story

2014-02-26T13:39:00.001-06:00

Hello there! Yes, I know...I've been gone for a while. However, dealing with a rough pregnancy, complications, and ultimately having the baby - I've been REALLY preoccupied lately. In case you misseed it, we welcomed our new baby girl on December 21st, right before Christmas. Cayla Renee was born at 38 weeks weighting 7lbs 4oz, and was 19 1/2 inches long.

My water broke at home and after getting to the hospital my labor went really fast and was relatively easy. Easy compared to the 13 hour long pushfest with my first! I only pushed 4 times and out she came! She was ready to meet her family. :)

For those of you who have followed my pregnancy journey, you will remember we had a second trimester miscarriage last fall which you can read about in this post for Chicken Jalapeno Rice Soup: A Letter To Our Baby. After much soul searching, and given the nature of how hard pregnancy is for me (we're talking home health care, 24 hour IV's, and bed rest), we decided that our family was complete with just our son, and we wouldn't try anymore.

Well, never say NEVER...right? I had an EXTREMELY surprise positive pregnancy test 6 months after our pregnancy loss, and after getting over the shock - we were happy to tell Cade he was finally going to be a big brother. I was scared that my Hyperemesis would be so severe again, and I began to prepare for the inevitable. I have to say - we were giving a blessing and it was not as hard this time around. Don't get me wrong, it was still miserable - but I avoided having a nurse come to my house every other day to redo my IV because my veins were shot. I avoided vomiting over 20 times a day (No, I'm not exaggerating). Most of all, I avoided having to inject a catheter into my abdomen every day for the Zofram pump.

This pregnancy had it's share of worries - but we made it to the end and the result was SO worth it.

Lemon Sugar Cookies with Lemon Buttercream Frosting

2013-07-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

Luscious lemon sugar cookies with a creamy lemon buttercream frosting.

By now you should know of my love for citrusy desserts. But sometimes you don't want to wait for a cheesecake, cake, or pie to bake, and need the quick sugar fix that a cookie can give you.

That's why when I came across this Tasty Kitchen recipe for Lemon Sugar Cookies with Lemon Buttercream Frosting, I knew I had to try them out.

They're the perfect combination of lemony sweetness and soft, buttery cookies. The frosting is amazing and may or may not have been eaten by itself in vast quantities.

Don't judge. :)

Are you intrigued yet? If you head on over to the Tasty Kitchen Blog, you can read my full step-by-step post and pick up the printable recipe while you're at. What are you waiting for!

Peanut Butter S'mores Cookie Bars

2013-07-16T09:41:00.002-05:00

I don't know about you, but when it's summertime I have to have a few staples on hand. Homemade lemonade, ice cold sweet tea, and the fixings for some ooey, gooey s'mores of course. These Peanut Butter S'more Cookie Bars are a great variation to your typical gooey graham cracker sandwich.

We had a pretty eventful weekend after finding out that the ~~alien~~ baby taking my body hostage is going to be...drumroll...

A girl!

It looks like our playroom will have to make way for tea sets and babydolls; a weird idea to get used to for me. I'm used to army men with missing limbs and wiping the toilet seat every time I go to the bathroom. I get boys.

Girls are a species completely foreign to me, and I'm pretty sure my husband feels the same, judging by his dazed look and mumblings of, "what am I going to do with a girl?"

But we're all excited for the new change, especially Cade. He can't wait for his baby sister to arrive. So to celebrate I whipped up these Peanut Butter S'more Cookie Bars. Peanut butter, chocolate and marshmallows trapped between a graham cracker base and crumbly topping make these puppies really addicting. Enjoy!

Amber

Peanut Butter S'mores Cookie Bars
Yield: 16 bars Printable Recipe

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/3 cup peanut butter
3 cups miniature marshmallows

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until well blended. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing until well combined. Press half of the dough in the prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes.

3. Sprinkle chocolate chips over baked layer, drop peanut butter by spoonfulls over the chocolate chips, using a toothpick to swirl everything around so the bottom cookie layer is evenly covered. Sprinkle with marshmallows and scatter the remaining dough over the marshmallows, forming the top layer. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or just until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Strawberry Thyme Lemonade - Culinary Covers

2013-06-27T08:44:00.000-05:00

It's time for my next post over at Culinary Covers, and today I'm bringing you a delicious drink straight from the cover of one of my favorite magazines - Real Simple.

I love this magazine. That about says it all.

I went with the Strawberry Thyme Lemonade and sure was glad I did!

It's sweet, tart, and has just a touch of something extra that'll get your lips smacking. Want the recipe? Head on over to Culinary Covers to see my full post and grab the printable recipe while you're at it

Amber

Banana Bread Muffins - And A Surprise!

2013-06-25T08:59:00.000-05:00

I know my posts have been lacking lately, but I've had a good reason - promise. A few months ago we had a very unexpected surprise and found out that I'm pregnant again, and should have a new arrival at the end of the year! Some of you may remember that we lost a pregnancy last winter after a very complicated pregnancy.

I suffer with Hyperemesis Gravidarum when pregnant, which last time required me to be put on home health care. You can read more about my HG story here, and our second trimester miscarriage here.

Well, after a lot of deliberating we had decided that we weren't going to try again, but you know how you're never supposed to say NEVER - right?

Yeah.

I'm not gonna lie. I was scared. Anyone who has experience with HG can probably understand the thoughts going through my head. Being hooked up to daily IV's until my veins were completely shot, stabbing myself in the stomach every day with a medication pump that lets me at least keep water down, and being confined to bed 24/7 is not something to enter lightly.

I had a lot of people praying for me this time around, hoping that maybe, just maybe I might not get the short end of the stick. My doctor had my protocol already set up and I started on it from day 1. Early intervention has the best success of keeping it at bay. I'm SOOO relieved to be able to say that this time around is much better. I've avoided the IV's and medication pump so far. Yay!

I've actually been able to be in the kitchen a little bit when I feel well enough, and whipped up these tasty Banana Bread Muffins the other day. I threw some white chocolate chips on top to change it up a bit. These were really good.

Note: If you are unfamiliar with HG, please read my post on it. HG is NOT morning sickness and does not respond to any traditional remedies. It is dangerous for both the mother and baby.

Banana Bread Muffins

Yield: 18 Printable Recipe

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla extract

4 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup white chocolate chips, for topping

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in the mashed bananas. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

Divide the batter among your muffin tin cups. Bake the muffins on the middle rack until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. about 25 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a rack and cool slightly.

Notes: I added some white chocolate chips to the tops of half of my muffins to switch it up a bit. You could milk chocolate chips too, or even add some crunchy pecans. I didn't have enough muffin pans for the batter, so I used 4 mini tartlet pans for the remaining batter, which turned into little muffin tops that were so good!

Source: Recipe loosely adapted from Food Network

Cherries Jubilee Ice Cream Pie - Culinary Covers Post

2013-06-06T08:57:00.002-05:00

I've got another contributing post for the new site Culinary Covers. What's on the menu today? How about Cherries Jubilee Ice Cream Pie!

A delicious brandy infused cherry topping on top of a creamy, swirly, frozen pie. Don't forget the graham cracker crust. Yum!

For the recipe head on over to Culinary Covers and grab it. Stop and say hi while you're at it too!

Amber

Fried Goat Cheese & Beet Salad: Nutmeg Nanny Guest Post

2013-05-31T05:00:00.000-05:00

I've got a great guest post for you today from the talented Brandy of Nutmeg Nanny. Since I haven't been able to be in the kitchen as much lately, I've enlisted the help of a few of my fellow blogger friends, who've graciously offered to guest post on Sprinkled With Flour, and help "fill in the gaps" so to speak.

I certainly don't want to leave you hanging when I could be sharing some of the delicious recipes from these friends. So read on below and meet Brandy!

Howdy Sprinkled with Flour readers! I’m Brandy from the blog Nutmeg Nanny. Today I’m bringing you a tasty salad that is perfect for spring and summer.

I have always had a special place in my heart for pickled beets. I grew up eating them and even requested them with dinner as a kid. Most of my friends would freak out at the thought of eating a beet but I was so on board with the idea. Especially when they are perfectly pickled and harvested from your own garden. You cannot go wrong.

It wasn’t till I was in my 20’s that I finally tried goat cheese. I feel head over heels in love. I was a little annoyed with myself for waiting so long to finally bite the bullet and give it a try. Now I will put it on just about anything. I have even been known to spread it on crackers and call it lunch. To each his {or I guess in my case, her} own….right?

So naturally beets and goat cheese are a perfect pair. The tanginess from the pickled beets and the creaminess from the goat cheese just work together in a way that can only be described as amazing. Who knew one person could be so in love with a vegetable and cheese?

For this salad I like to do a quick pickle on my beets and pan fry the goat cheese so it’s crispy and super creamy. If you don’t feel like going through the whole process of pickling your own beets {which I swear is easy!} you can always buy them at the store. Fresh pickled beets are normally found in the produce section in the case near all the pre-chopped vegetables and fruits. Oh and a small fun tip. Freeze your goat cheese for about 30 minutes so it’s firm and slice it with plain dental floss. It will make perfect little rounds that are ideal for frying!

Fried goat cheese and beet salad

Yield 2 servings

For pickled beets:

2 regular sized fresh red beets

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder

For fried goat cheese:

16 ounce log fresh goat cheese

1 cup panko bread crumbs

2 teaspoons Italian blend seasoning

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup all purpose flour

Olive oil

For salad:

8 cups mixed baby greens

Balsamic vinegar

Extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

For beets:

Cut off beet tops and slice beets into four equal pieces. Add to small pot and cover with water. Boil for about 30 minutes until soft. You do not want them falling apart, just fork tender.

Rinse and immediately cool down by running cold water over the beets. Using your hands simply rub the peel of the beet off. It should come off very easily at this point.

Chop beets into bite size pieces or slices.

In a medium sized bowl whisk together apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, olive oil and dry mustard powder. Add in cut beets, toss and let sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.

For fried goat cheese:

Freeze your goat cheese for about 30 minutes until it’s solid but not totally frozen.

While your cheese is hardening mix together panko bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, set aside. Set up a breading line in the following order: flour, egg, bread crumbs, parchment/wax paper covered large wooden cutting board.

Remove cheese from freezer and slice into 1/2 inch rounds by using plain dental floss or a knife. If using a knife make sure to wipe it off after each cut to stop it from crumbling.

If any of your pieces fall apart just pat it together and try to keep a somewhat round shape. It does not have to be perfect.

Take goat cheese rounds and dip in flour, then egg and then goat in panko/herb mixture. Lay onto lined cutting board. Continue until all slices have been coated.

If your cheese is really soft pop it into the freezer for about 5 minutes to chill.

Take a large high-sided skillet, cover the bottom with olive oil and add to range over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, fry goat cheese rounds until crispy on both sides.

Gently remove fried goat cheese from the skillet onto a paper towel lined plate to help soak up any remaining olive oil. Serve fried goat cheese warm.

For salad:

Lay out four salad bowls and add 2 cups mixed green per bowl. Top with equal amounts pickled beets and walnuts. Drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Top each salad with an equal amount of goat cheese rounds. You should get enough for at least 2 – 3 rounds per salad.

Source: Pickled beet recipe from Simply Recipes

Ravioli with Creamy Poppy Seed Sauce

2013-05-24T10:29:00.001-05:00

Well, I asked everyone on Facebook what my next post should be - sweet or savory - and you all surprised me with a savory dish request.

Sorry my sweet-toothed friends, the savory fans won out this time...but never fear...I'll have a sinfully sweet treat ready for you soon!

I've been meaning to share this dish with you all for a while, it's so good and it gets extra points for being really quick and easy. Perfect for busy weeknights, but just as good to please company.

Who doesn't love a good pasta dish? Throw in a creamy sauce made just a tad more special with poppy seeds and a touch of fresh parmesan, and you're golden. I also used a squash filled ravioli that I picked up at Wold Market - LOVE that place! Let's get started shall we?

Ravioli with Creamy Poppy Seed Sauce
Yield: 4 Servings Printable Recipe

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup heavy cream or half & half (I was being good and used half & half)
freshly ground black pepper
3-4 tbsp poppy seeds
salt, to taste
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
12 oz cooked ravioli

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Whisk in the cream and stir over medium heat until hot but not bubbly. Add the cooked ravioli and season with freshly ground black pepper. Simmer gently until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the poppy seeds, add salt to taste if desired, and serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Amber

Slow Cooker Peach BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

2013-03-22T14:38:00.003-05:00

Do you like barbeque? How about pulled chicken sandwiches? How about easy slow cooker recipes?

Oh you do?

Well then, pull up a chair, get comfy, and be prepared to drool - because amazing barbeque is about to happen.

Barbeque and pulled chicken are two of my favorite things, and when you put them together you get one awesomely delicious meal. In my humble opinion at least.

I found this recipe for Slow Cooker Peach BBQ Chicken Sandwiches on Tasty Kitchen and knew it was going on my menu plan - STAT. The chicken is slow simmered in a spicy sweet barbecue sauce that has a great kick from peach preserves. I loved the peach flavor and ate copious amounts of the chicken by itself while I was shredding it. I also used my Amazing Barbeque Sauce - I like to call it Awesome Sauce, but you can use any kind that floats your boat.

So we've established the chicken is good. Now add a heaping of your favorite coleslaw, and a few healthy slices of fresh avocado, and you have yourself one really delicious sandwich.

For the recipe head on over the the Tasty Kitchen blog where you can check out my full step-by-step post and grab the printable recipe too!

Strawberry Avocado Gorgonzola Salad

2013-03-21T07:58:00.000-05:00

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I have to confess, I've been gorging myself on some pretty indulgent food lately. Sometimes you just need a plate (or two) of some good homemade comfort food.

But when your pants start getting a teeeny bit snug, it's a sign that maybe you need a break from those delicious calories. For me, a good crunchy salad is the first thing I turn to when I need to jump off the jiggly thigh train. The only problem is my salads tend to get boring. I don't keep exciting salad fixings in my fridge on a regular basis, but this time I was lucky to have picked up a few extra goodies at the store. I eyed some strawberries, a package of gorgonzola cheese left over from my Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing, some bacon, and a bundle of fresh avocados.

It all sounded good to me - so in it all went! I added some grilled chicken and a bit of chopped pecans for texture - gotta have texture. This salad was really good and hit the spot. If you wanted to trim off some extra calories you could forego the bacon, but I love my bacon. Next time you want to liven up your salad, try this one out. Enjoy!

Amber

Strawberry Avocado 

& Gorgonzola Salad

Yield: 1 salad Printable Recipe

2 cups leafy greens

1/2 cup grilled chicken, sliced

1/2 avocado, sliced

2 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

1/2 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

1/8 cup chopped pecans

Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing to garnish, as desired

Directions:

Wash greens and drain. Slice your grilled chicken, avocado and strawberries. Cook bacon until crisp, drain grease and crumble or chop bacon into pieces. Fill your bowl or plate with your greens, top with sliced chicken, avocado, crumbled bacon and sliced strawberries. Sprinkle the crumbled gorgonzola cheese and pecans on top. Drizzle on some homemade Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing if desired, but this salad is just as good on its own. Grab a fork and dig in!

You can grab the recipe for the dressing in my Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing post.

Blueberry Kuchen

2013-03-11T09:38:00.001-05:00

It's raining here today, AND snowing, at the same time. I love rain - call me crazy, and I love the snow, but the two together make for a very gross combination. Dirty slush is no fun to get out in, so that's why I'm staying in today - with a slice of this breakfast treat.

Blueberries. Check. Amazingly good crumbly topping. Check. No kid or husband around to see me finish off the entire pan. Check.

A good coffee cake and cup of hot tea or coffee is the perfect answer to dark, dreary days like today. This Blueberry Kuchen is another delicious recipe from Tasty Kitchen, submitted by TK member Deborah. I had to stop myself from eating the crumb topping by itself when creating the step-by-step post. The topping is kinda crucial to this cake. Are you hungry yet?

Head on over to the Tasty Kitchen blog to read my full post and grab the printable recipe while you're at it. Enjoy!

Amber

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Chunky Twix Cookies: Before & After

2013-03-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

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I think it's time for another before and after post, don't you? If you missed my last one and are wondering what the heck I'm talking about, you can read about it in my Browned Butter Pecan Shortbread: Before & After post.

In a nutshell, I'm slowly updating my older posts with newer, improved photos - and adding a critique of my older photos rather than just deleting them willy nilly.

While I'd love to banish them to the dark recesses of my computer's recycle bin forever, I thought it more helpful to share them and add the tips I've learned along the way. Today I chose one of my most popular recipes, my Chunky Twix Cookies. I don't use the term "The Best" very often, but these cookies really are the best cookies I've made to date. They've made it around the blogging world quite a bit, and are highly coveted by my family. Since these are my best cookies, I thought they deserved a better photo. Now let's trash my photo! :)

Here is the Before:

1. Too Busy:

When I first started trying to improve my food photography, I decided to jump on the bandwagon with everyone else, and tried to do what everyone else was doing. This led me to Michael's to stock up with all kinds of patterned papers to act as "backdrops" to my recipes. A few bucks poorer, a few years wiser, and I learned that SIMPLE is better.

What makes a striking photo? Usually an image that has a single theme or idea, with clutter kept to a minimum makes for the best photo. Successful photos rely on elements of composition: line, shape, form, texture, pattern, and color. Every photo whether intentional or not, contains one or more of these elements.

In this image, the patterned paper clashes with the patterned plate and the deeply textured cookies. There's also too much color going on. When composing an image, try to keep the colors to 3 or less. More than that and your picture can become distracting. There's just too much going on in this picture and it stresses the eye out trying to decide what to focus on.

2. Awkward Focus Spot:

When choosing where to focus on your food, it's best to focus on the area that is closest to you, this is especially true when you're using a large aperture (small number) because your depth of field (the area that is in focus) will be shallow. In this image you can see I placed my focus point near the center of the image, rather than the area of cookie closest to me. This makes the front of the food out of focus, which doesn't work in this image.

The way the plate is angled, the out of focus part of the cookie is the center of attention, and where your eye naturally wants to fall. For this reason, I should have set my focus point to the closest area of cookie, or stopped down my aperture setting so more of the cookies were in focus.

3. Composition Too Tight:

As in my last post, here is a prime example of when to back up already Amber! :) I'm either too close to my food or have cropped it too close. The plate, glass of milk, and background are so close together there's no room to breathe. When looking at a photo you want to have room for your eye to move around the image. That's not too say don't ever have a close up, but in this photo it doesn't work very well.

Now here's the After:

Settings: f4.0; Shutter 1/160; ISO 1250

A little easier on the eyes don't you think? I kept it simple with a plain white napkin under the serving dish, the milk and and cookie rack are arranged in the background to allow the eye to wander around the image and come back to the main point of focus - those yummy cookies!

I also made sure to place my focus point on the front edge of the closest cookie, to eliminate any out of focus areas on the cookie. You'll notice I set my aperture to f4.0 so my depth of field wasn't too shallow. I was lazy and didn't want to pull out my tripod, so this shot was handheld. But if I wanted to decrease my ISO I could have lowered my shutter speed accordingly. I used my 85mm lens for this shot, and generally you want to keep your shutter speed to about 1 to 1 1/2 times the focal length of your lens (if hand holding), to avoid camera shake. So for an 85mm focal length, you want to keep your shutter speed at least 1/80 or 1/100. For a 50mm focal length - 1/50 or higher, etc.

You can find the recipe in my original post for Chunky Twix Cookies. If you have any questions about this critique or want me to go into more detail, just leave a comment and I'll be happy to answer them! If you found this helpful I'd love to hear from you. Thanks!

Note: I don't claim to be an expert, but I have learned a thing or two over the years and will gladly share those things with people. I'm also a family photographer in the St. Louis area, so if you're interested in seeing my work outside of food photography, visit Amber Potter Photography.

Update: If you're just starting out in the photography world and need some help understanding all that photo jibber-jabber, my pal Karly at Buns In My Oven has started a great series called So You Want To Be A Better Photographer? Her tutorials are sure to help you "see the light". Hehe...bad pun? Anyway, her tips combined with my before and after critiques are a good way to see the photography principals put into practice, and learn to recognize what's wrong with an image. When you can tell what's wrong with a photo and why it doesn't work, then you can better improve your own skill!

Amber

This month I also joined a new project - The Leftover's Club. This is a group of blogger's who get paired up with another blogger each month, to share the leftovers from the goodies we made. It's a great way to get to know each other, and have someone else take some of the temptation off our hands. This month I'm paired up with Budget Gourmet Mom, and can't wait to share our goodies! Sound like fun? Visit The Leftovers Club online to learn more and sign up!

Savory Simple - Cappuccino Cookies

Damn Delicious - Blueberry Lemon Bars

Give Peas a Chance - Spiced Vanilla Honey Biscotti

Kelly Bakes - Dulce de Leche Digestive Cookies

Sprinkled With Flour - Chunky Twix Cookies

Pineapple and Coconut - Cinnamon Dolce Oatmeal Cookies

Budget Gourmet Mom - Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookies

Food n' Focus - Cranberry Scones

Bakeaholic Mama - Coconut Banana Brownie Pie

Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing

2013-03-04T10:45:00.001-06:00

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I don't know about you but I love cheese with flavor. Growing up in the U.K. we had really good cheese and really good bread, which are just two of the things I miss most. I especially love blue cheese, and anything of the moldy variety for that matter.

I do love me some mold - er, on my cheese that is. As long as it's not in my husbands dirty socks - or found behind my child's bed, I'm good.

Roquefort, Stilton, Gorgonzola, the list goes on - I could be happy with any of these. I ran across this container of Gorgonzola cheese at the store the other day, and I knew I had to grab it. I didn't know what I was going to do with it, but I finally decided on whipping it up into a creamy salad dressing.

Fresh, crunchy greens can only get better under a creamy layer of Gorgonzola deliciousness, right? I experimented on amounts, adding a little of this and a little of that, and finally ended up with this dressing. It's pretty tasty if I do say so myself.

Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing

Yield: 1 cup Printable Recipe

1/4 cup mashed Gorgonzola cheese

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

salt, to taste

fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl mash the gorgonzola cheese with the back of a spoon. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Whisk until well combined. Add salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Now pop it in the fridge overnight for the flavors to marry together. Serve over your favorite salad or have a veggie dipping palooza. Enjoy!

Amber

Dr.Seuss Strawberry Marshmallow Skewers

2013-03-01T11:34:00.001-06:00

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I've got a super easy, super quick treat to share with you today. This week has been celebrate Dr. Seuss week at my son's school, and each day they've done something different to celebrate it and a love for reading. Today he got to dress up with the Dr. Seuss theme.

I packed him a Dr. Seussified snack that will be sure to make his classmates green...and not the green eggs kind. (Yeah, kinda dumb pun - I know.)

I call these Dr. Seuss Skewers because of the red and white layered effect. Just alternately slide a strawberry and a marshmallow on a skewer - I used a straw for safety reasons - wouldn't want an angry mom calling me because her kid poked his eye out.

You never know with Kindergartener's. Accidents are just waiting to happen around EVERY corner.

These are a really fun way to dress up some fruit. Served with a side of yogurt dipping sauce they're a great strawberry snack. Try them out with your kids, they'll love them!

Dr. Seuess Strawberry & Marshmallow Skewers

Yield: 1 skewer Printable Recipe

4-5whole strawberries, washed and stem removed

4-5 large marshmallows

1 straw or skewer

Slide one strawberry onto the skewer, then a marshmallow, repeat until you've filled your skewer or straw. Serve with side of creamy yogurt for a yummy dipping sauce. Easy peasy. Enjoy!

Amber

Overnight Ham & Cheese Breakfast Cups

2013-02-25T11:19:00.001-06:00

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I don't know about you, but I love waking up in the morning and having breakfast all ready. That's just one less thing to have to worry about when trying to get ready on busy mornings. I especially love individual size portions for school mornings, which make it super easy to feed just one kid - or a whole football team - if you have one. This recipe for Overnight Oatmeal In A Jar is one of my favorite make-ahead morning meals.

I really like breakfast casseroles too, they're quick and easy and sure to please the pickiest critics, so I decided to miniaturize it and turn them into these Ham & Cheese Breakfast Cups. You can customize them any way you want - swap the ham for sausage or bacon, add in some cooked veggies or get wild with your cheese. I kept these simple since that's what my kiddo likes best, but I'll definitely be experimenting with some different variations.

Just throw it all together the night before, pop them in the fridge, and have them baking while you're getting ready in the morning. Easy and super yummy, this is a great time saver recipe when you need one.

Overnight Ham & Cheese Breakfast Cups

Yield: 4 cups Printable Recipe

2 1/2 cups of cubed dry bread, you can also use toasted bread
1 cup cubed ham
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 black pepper

Divide the bread cubes into 4 sections and place in 4 ramekins. Place 1/4 cup ham in each ramekin. Then sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded cheese over the ham in each cup. In a medium bowl combine the milk, eggs, melted butter, dry mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

Pour evenly between each ramekin. Cover and chill overnight. When ready to eat, remove from fridge and preheat oven to 350 F. Bake uncovered for 25-30 mins or until set and golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool and set up for 5-10 minutes.

Recipe Note: Your cups will be nice and poofy when you remove them from the oven but will sink a little after cooling. That's o.k! :) The type of bread you use can also change your end result. It's best to use a dry bread like challah, french bread, or any stale textured bread, so your casserole isn't too mushy.

More Make Ahead Breakfast Meals You May Enjoy:

Homemade Breakfast Sandwiches
Overnight Oatmeal In A Jar - Berry Crumble Style

Awesome Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Bubble Buns

Peanut Butter Brownie Gooey Butter Cookies

2013-02-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

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I had a hankering for something gooey and chocolaty yesterday. At first I thought brownies, but that didn't sound like it would hit the spot. Then I had another idea - gooey butter cake - but that didn't seem right either.

Living in Missouri the ultimate gooey dessert is St. Louis gooey butter cake, and of course since we moved to St. Louis just last summer, I've been well-acquainted with the sticky, tasty treat. Whenever I stroll through the grocery store - because that's how I grocery shop, no wild six year old running amuck through the aisles here. Ahem. Moving on. As I was saying, when on my leisurely grocery trips I always have to avoid the bakery section, namely the giant goody cabinet filled with gooey butter cookies, cakes, and all manner of pure ~~evil~~ deliciousness.

Then I thought, why not have a brownie AND gooey butter cake AND throw in some peanut butter, just to be safe. Then why not roll it all up into a cookie while I'm it?

That's how I got these babies. Peanut Butter Brownie Gooey Butter Cookies. I was inspired by Paula Deen's Gooey Butter Cookie recipe, since she is the queen of gooey butter cookies after all. She uses a cake mix, but I preferred to start with a brownie base from scratch.

These are just as you would expect them. Gooey, chocolaty, peanut-buttery - oh yeah, and really, really good.

Peanut Butter Brownie Gooey Butter Cookies

Yield: 18 Printable Recipe

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
8-oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup peanut butter

In a bowl combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt. Set aside. In an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the egg, vanilla and peanut butter and mix until creamy.

Add the flour mixture to the cream cheese mixture and mix until well combined. Cover and place in the refrigerator so the dough can firm up a little bit.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove dough from fridge and roll the chilled dough into tablespoon sized balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool completely. The cookies will stay soft and gooey on the inside. Yum!

Recipe inspired by Paula Deen's Gooey Butter Cookies

You May Also Enjoy:

Chocolate Snickers Layer Cake

Malted Milk Ball Chewies

White Chocolate Sprinkle No Bake Cookies

From My Foodie Friends:

Biscoff Gooey Butter Cake from Bake Your Day

Chocolate Chip Gooey Butter Cookies from Buns In My Oven

Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies from Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Linked up to Tidy Mom's I'm Lovin' It

Chocolate Chunk Scones with Peanut Butter Glaze

2013-02-18T10:56:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the anniversary of my brother's death. Last year I made these Fresh Cranberry Scones with Lime Glaze, since they're a comfort food for me. Growing up in the U.K nothing says comfort quite as much as a nice "cuppa" tea and a scone.

I thought this year would be a good time to make another scone recipe, so I threw in some chocolate chips and added a peanut butter glaze. What's more comforting than chocolate and peanut butter?

Not much.

These scones are moist, fluffy and oh-so good. If you're having a bad day, or just want a pick-me up, throw a tray of these your oven and you'll be set. :)

Chocolate Chunk Scones with Peanut Butter Glaze

Yield: 10 Scones Printable Recipe

Scones:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose four

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 cup heavy cream

Peanut Butter Glaze:

2 tbsp butter, softened

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 400 F and grease a large baking sheet. Coarsely chop the chocolate chips. In a large bowl combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir the chopped chocolate into the flour mixture. Combine the egg, yolk and cream, then add to the flour mixture, stirring just until combined.

On a well-floured surface with floured hands, gently pat dough into a 1-inch-thick round (about 8 inches in diameter). With a sharp knife cut the round into thirds one way, then make perpendicular slices the other direction to make diamond shaped scones. Depending on how you slice them, you should get about 10-11 scones. Use your hands to gently shape any leftover scraps into scones. Do NOT roll dough out. Place scones onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden. Depending on your oven you may need to adjust baking time. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

For Peanut Butter Glaze: In a small bowl combine the butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar and milk to reach your desired consistency. Drizzle glaze over warm scones and allow to cool. Enjoy!

Amber

Red Hot Apple Butter & FREE Valentines Printables!

2013-02-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

When I was a girl I used to love listening to my grandma tell me stories of her childhood. Being one of a dozen children and raised on a farm, you can imagine the stories she had to tell. Certain recipes go hand in hand with memories of my grandma. Fried mushrooms, grape sorbet, and red hot cinnamon applesauce.

Yep, putting red hot candies in a bowl full of fresh, delicious applesauce is something that will always remind me of my grandma. When I visited my in-laws this past Christmas, my mother-in-law had a jar of homemade apple butter that one of her friends had made. I love a nice big glob of apple butter the same as anyone, but this apple butter was special.

Why? I could tell this apple butter had red hots in it. There was a hint of a little something extra that the average person might miss, but my red-hot trained taste buds picked up the trail like a red-hot loving blood-hound.

So with Valentines Day approaching, I decided to start experimenting in the kitchen and see if I couldn't come up with a delicious red-hot inspired apple butter. I love how this turned out. I used a combination of apples to boost the flavor, and a little cider vinegar to give it a great kick. The red hots really do make it just a tad more drool-worthy. This apple butter is great slathered on a piece of toast and even better whipped up in a batch of this Apple Butter Bread with Cinnamon Glaze. Mmmm.

I poured some into mini mason jars and packaged them up all purdy for V-day. Who wouldn't want a jar of this red-hot deliciousness for Valentines Day? I plan to give some away as gifts - that's the plan anyway - and if a few jars happen to find their way hidden in the back of my pantry, you won't tell...will you?

Red Hot Apple Butter

Yield: 4 jars Printable Recipe

5 lbs sweet red cooking apples (peeled and cored)
2 1/2 cups water or apple juice
2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
pinch of salt
1/2 cup red hot candies
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 (1/2 pint) canning jars

Peel and core your apples. Place the apples, water, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and red hots in your slow cooker or a large heavy bottom pot.

Cook on high for 2 hours, until
apples soften. Puree the apples until smooth. I like to use my immersion blender for easy, mess free blending. Add the 2 tbsp of cider vinegar and cook on low for another 8-10 hours, stirring occasionally until mixture becomes thick and turns dark brown.

Depending on how sweet your apples are, you may need to use more or less sugar. The general rule is 1/2 cup sugar for every 1 cup of apple sauce. If your apple butter becomes thicker than you'd like, add a little water or apple juice to thin it out as desired.

I made some mason jar labels for the lids and Valentine gift labels too. Yes, I know...I was feeling pretty crafty. Doesn't happen very often. :)

Now how about a freebie! Who doesn't love FREE stuff? I decided to share the Valentine love, and put the labels into a handy dandy PDF printable for ya.

Happy Valentines Day!

Red Hot Apple Butter Printable labels. PDF download here.

Red Hot Valentines Day printable labels. PDF download here.

If you enjoyed this recipe you may also like Apple Butter Bread with Cinnamon Glaze!

Apple Butter Bread with Cinnamon Glaze

2013-02-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

This post is for all my fellow mothers of boys. I'm pretty sure that mothers of boys - let's call us M.O.B's for short - should have our own special national holiday. Seriously...complete with marching band and waving banners applauding us M.O.B's for the craaaaazy crap we deal with on a ~~daily~~ hourly basis.

EDIT: This post was originally accompanied by photographic evidence of the particular brand of chaos that came with raising my then-six-year-old son. He's an adult now, and apparently adulthood comes with certain privileges—like your mother no longer publishing the finer details of your childhood on the internet. Just know that by the time I got to the Apple Butter Bread, I'd earned it.

Like this Apple Butter Bread with Cinnamon Glaze. It's moist, spicy, and a great way to recover from whatever particular brand of chaos your children have cooked up that day. If you're feeling extra motivated, you can even make your very own apple butter with my recipe for Red Hot Apple Butter. Enjoy!

Apple Butter Bread with Cinnamon Glaze

Yield: 1 loaf Printable Recipe

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 tsp baking soda

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground allspice

1 cup apple butter

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Cinnamon Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp butter, softened

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1-2 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the egg and beat well. In glass measuring cup combine the buttermilk and baking soda. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.

Stir in the apple butter and chopped pecans. Pour into a greased 9-in x 5-in x 3-in loaf pan. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Depending on your oven, you may need to cook for more or less time. Do not over bake or your bread will turn out dry. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Glaze: Mix together the powdered sugar, butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and enough milk to reach your desired consistency. I usually use 1-2 tbsp. Drizzle over the bread and allow to cool completely.

Source: bread adapted from Southern Living Annual Recipes

If you liked this recipe you may also enjoy my Red Hot Apple Butter!

Linked up to What's Cookin Wednesday at Buns In My Oven

Secret Cake: A Tasty Kitchen Recipe

2013-02-08T09:08:00.001-06:00

Can you ever have enough chocolate cake recipes? That's stupid question...right? Well, since we've got that cleared up, how about I share a really good chocolate cake I recently tried out.

It's called Secret Cake.

I have no idea why it's called that, but I do know I can't keep it a secret from you guys, because it's too good a recipe not to share the chocolate love. I found this cake recipe on Tasty Kitchen, and was immediately intrigued by the title, plus it had no picture with it. How can you not be curious about a mysterious dish called Secret Cake, made all the more mysterious with no picture to put with the name.

The cake is really moist and fluffy, but the kicker for me was the icing. It was so satiny and smooth, and ultra rich...and was made even better with chopped walnuts folded in. It set up with a slight crackled glaze but stayed gooey and rich underneath. Chocolate heaven!

Have I peaked YOUR interest now? For the recipe and my full step-by-step post, head on over to Tasty Kitchen where you can grab the printable recipe too!

Open Faced Enchilada Veggie Quesadillas

2013-02-06T14:51:00.000-06:00

Are ya still a bit bloated from all the game day face stuffing? How about a tasty recipe full of veggies to even it out a bit?

Oh, okay...this recipe does have it's fair share of melted cheese, so it's technically not HEALTHY per se....but let's just say the veggies cancel out the cheese.

Good. I'm glad we agree.

I opened my fridge today and came face to face with a sad little jar of my leftover Slow Cooker Chipotle Enchilada Sauce. It was staring at me...all lonely...saying, "eat me."

What? Like you don't ever talk to the inhabitants of your fridge?

There wasn't enough left for a meal, and just enough that I couldn't throw it away, so this girl got to experimenting. A few butchered veggies later and I'm chomping away on what I like to call the Open Faced Enchilada Veggie Quesadilla. A layer of smoky chipotle enchilada sauce topped with caramelized onions, sauteed veggies and melty cheese, this is another great way to use my Slow Cooker Enchilada Sauce. Cut these up into individual slices and you've got yourself a great appetizer too.

Hmmm...I think I know what I'm adding to next year's Superbowl menu.

Open Faced Veggie Quesadillas
Yield: 4 Printable Recipe

1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
4 flour tortillas
1/2 cup finely diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup diced olives (green or black)
1/4 cup Chipotle Enchilada Sauce
1 cup shredded monteray jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
sour cream, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place tortillas on a baking sheet, lightly spray with cooking spray and prick all over with a fork. Bake for 5-6 minutes, until they are puffed and begin to turn golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions to the skillet, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions turn translucent and begin to caramelize (about 8-10 minutes). When the onions are almost done, add the diced peppers and cook just until they begin to soften. Remove from heat.

Spoon about 1-2 tablespoons of enchilada sauce over the baked tortillas. Top with the onions, veggies, diced olives and cheese. Place back in the oven and cook for 5-6 more minutes, until the cheese has melted. Remove from oven and garnish with fresh cilantro and sour cream. Enjoy!

Amber

Linked up to What's Cookin Wednesday from Buns In My Oven.

Superbowl Recipe Roundup

2013-02-03T09:37:00.001-06:00

Hello. My name is Amber...and I'm a procrastinator. If you're afflicted with this disease too, then pull up a chair and stay awhile...you're in good company.

If you're a fellow procrastinator then chaaaances are you've put off deciding what to make for your superbowl party until now. Don't worry, I've got you covered.

Here's a few superbowl food ideas from the archives to get the ball rolling...and several more drool-worthy ideas from my foodie friends.

Need some appetizers to kickstart your shindig? (pun intended). Then these Ham and Cheese Potato Skins should do the trick.

Or my favorite spinach dip ever. Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip. Yum!

Need something a little more filling? Cheesy Spinach and Bacon Quesadillas. Mmmm...melty cheese. Do I need to say more?

Want something you can throw in your crockpot and not worry about? I love this Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chill.

Now onto the good stuff. Dessert baby. These Chewy Gooey Chocolate Bars are everything they sound like they should be.

My Chunky Twix Cookies are the most popular cookies I've created, and are widely requested by my family on a regular basis. They've even made it around the blogging world quite a bit. Taste one...and you'll be hooked.

Want something super quick and easy. Then you'll need these Turtle Rice Crispy Treats of course!

A good sandwich goes a long way, like this Grilled Bacon Strawberry Peach Sandwich.

And how about a little bit of gluten free chocolate goodness for all my gluten free peeps? Flourless Chocolate Coconut Almond Cookies.

And because I'm a liiitle obsessed with buffalo sauce...and I haven't shared any buffalo recipes yet (gasp), here's a few of my favorite ideas from some of my foodie friends. Go check them out, and have a great superbowl party!

Layered Baked Buffalo Chicken Nachos courtesy of Jessica from How Sweet It Is.

Buffalo Chicken Flatbread Pizzas courtesy of Laurie from Simply Scratch.

And last but certainly not least, Buffalo Chicken Meatball Sandwiches courtesy of Karly from Buns In My Oven.

I hope this has given you enough ideas to get you started...I know it's got my belly rumbling. Do you have big plans for the game, or are you taking it easy? We're just going to be chillaxin it at home. Later!

Amber

Browned Butter Pecan Shortbead: Before & After

2013-01-30T10:12:00.000-06:00

I love makeovers don't you? I bet you never thought a photograph could get a makeover, but that's exactly what I'm going to show you today. Back when I first started this blog, it was purely as a way to chronicle recipes that I wanted to try, and to have something that showed my progress along the way.

I never imagined it would re-spark a love for photography that I'd always had but never did anything about. As I look back on my first few recipes, I cringe at those photos but I know that every journey had to start somewhere.

I just wish at the beginning of that journey I knew what the heck white balance was. Seriously, food is not supposed to be blue my friends...unless you happen to be eating a blueberry, or these Blue Velvet Cupcakes, or blue cotton candy...you get the idea.

I purposely kept those ugly images up because I wanted a reminder of where I started at. I've decided to go ahead and update my old photos with new ones, but instead of the old picture being dumped (rightly so) into the recycle bin, I'm going to turn it into a Before & After post. If you're just starting out in the food blogging world, and get discouraged looking at other bloggers food photos, maybe these posts will help you see that everyone started somewhere.

Even if somewhere was ugly blue food. :)

Here's the before shot of my Browned Butter Pecan Shortbread.

O.K. here's where I'm going to completely trash my own photo. Don't worry - I'm a pro - I've gotten enough rejection emails from Foodgawker over the years that I can handle it.

1. THIS COOKIE IS BLUE
Obviously. Food is not supposed to be blue. Unless it's the aforementioned blueberries...or cotton candy. If you don't already know about white balance, find your camera's user manual and learn how to set a proper white balance in camera. This does not mean Auto White Balance. To get the most accurate white balance, you should set a custom white balance using a grey card, or if your camera has the option you can set the Kelvin number to somewhere between 5500K and 6500K. This range should cover most daylight lighting situations. Here's a great Kelvin Chart to help you out. If you don't want to mess with setting your white balance in camera, you can also adjust it in your editing program. Most editing software has the option to adjust the WB to a more natural color.

2. CAN YOU SAY "BACK UP?"
Seriously, getting in close for a detail shot is alright but when you start to loose the ability to tell what's in the picture, you're too close. The same goes for cropping your pictures, leave a little room to breahe...trust me...your food will thank you. :)

3. TOO DARK
This image is underexposed AND overexposed, making the left side of the image too dark and the right side too bright. This easily happens when shooting a side lit image (when you're light source is coming from the side of your subject.) To fix this, you need use something to reflect some light back onto the shadowed side of the image. I like to use a white foam board or reflector to open up shadows. To prevent overexposed areas, you can either move the plate further away from the light - so it's less harsh, or use something to diffuse the light (make the light softer and not so harsh). I have sheer white curtains hanging from my kitchen patio door. These work great for diffusing the light when it's too harsh.

4. BAD COMPOSITION
The crop is part of the bad composition, but a little planning and food styling/arrangement does wonders. This subject is too broad to cover now, but when you're looking through your viewfinder really look at the image before you snap the shutter. Is your picture crooked? Is there enough room to crop if needed? I'm still guilty of not paying close enough attention to the composition before I snap the shot.

Now for the AFTER shots:

There you have it. How I went from glowing blue cookies to something a little more edible looking. If you'd like a more in depth explanation of anything I mentioned, let me know! If there is enough interest I'll do more food photography posts, diving into more detail on photography tips and tricks I've learned, and showing you how I like to get the shots for my posts. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. :)

Note: I don't claim to be an expert, but I have learned a thing or two over the years and will gladly share those things with people. I'm also a family photographer in the St. Louis area, so if you're interested in seeing my work outside of food photography, visit Amber Potter Photography.

Update: If you're just starting out in the photography world and need some help understanding all that photo jibber-jabber, my pal Karly at Buns In My Oven has started a great series called So You Want To Be A Better Photographer? Her tutorials are sure to help you "see the light". Hehe...bad pun? Anyway, her tips combined with my before and after critiques are a good way to see the photography principals put into practice, and learn to recognize what's wrong with an image. When you can tell what's wrong with a photo and why it doesn't work, then you can better improve your own skill!

You can find the recipe for these cookies in my original post for Browned Butter Pecan Shortbread.

Have a great day!

Amber

Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas

2013-01-28T09:08:00.003-06:00

Remember that Slow Cooker Enchilada Sauce I posted about last week? Well, as promised here are the enchiladas I whipped up using it. They're so easy and yummy, and you can make the chicken filling in the slow cooker too. Just throw everything together in the morning, then by dinner time all you have to do is assemble your enchiladas, pop them in the oven for 25-30 minuets, and BOOM...delicious Cheesy Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas.

This recipe uses my homemade Slow Cooker Enchilada Sauce but you can use your own, or...I hate to say it...STORE BOUGHT sauce. :) The next time you need an easy week night meal, try these out!

Cheesy Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas

Yield: 10 Printable Recipe

4 oz of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups Chipotle Enchilada Sauce
2 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (about2-3 large breasts)
1 cup corn, undrained
4 oz rotel
1 onion, diced (omit if cooking chicken stovetop)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
10 tortillas

Directions:

In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese, sour cream and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce. Add 1 cup of shredded cheese. Set aside.

In another bowl mix shredded chicken, corn, rotel, cumin and garlic powder. Add the cheese mixture to the chicken mixture.

Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Place 1/3 cup of chicken filling on each tortilla, roll and place seam side down in baking dish.

Pour remaining 1/2 cup enchilada sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheddar-jack cheese over the top. Bake uncovered at 3735 F for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

CROCKPOT DIRECTIONS: Place chicken breasts, corn, rotel, onion, cumin, and garlic powder in your crockpot. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. If desired, you can add a little bit of chicken broth to the mixture. When chicken is done, use a fork to shred it and then directions above for assembling and baking the enchiladas.

FREEZER DIRECTIONS: (uncooked enchiladas): Cook your filling, then assemble enchiladas, cover and freeze. Allow to thaw completely then bake at 375 F for 30 minutes or until hot. You can also freeze the chicken filling uncooked. Just place your chicken, corn, rotel, garlic powder and cumin in a freezer bag and freeze. When ready to cook, remove from freezer and allow to thaw completely. Place the thawed meat mixture in your crockpot and cook according to directions above.

Now I need a good white enchilada recipe, do you have one you'd like to recommend? If you do let me know in the comments, I'd love to try it out!

Amber