I’m a huge fan of the casserole. In general, I love the process of putting a few key ingredients together in a pan, baking said pan, and coming out with a pan of perfectly melded flavors.

We weren’t a big casserole family when I was younger, but there was one specific casserole that my mom would make that I would look forward to each and every winter. It has a specific flavor and texture that I couldn’t replicate no matter how many times I tried… turns out I was doing it wrong. I got the real recipe from my mom a few years ago, and have made it a few times since.

Noodles, tomato, bacon, ground beef, parmesan cheese, and a few veggies come together to make something that is so much greater than the sum of its parts. I used extra-lean ground beef and center-cut bacon, but ground turkey and turkey bacon could be substituted and no flavor would be sacrificed.

Neapolitan Casserole

Adapted from the Antoinette Pope Cookbook

Ingredients (serves

• 1 lb. ground beef or turkey
• 1 lb. whole wheat pasta, cooked and kept hot
• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 5-6 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced (I left these out)
• parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 c. water
• 1 tsp. garlic powder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350*. Heat a large frying pan and add the pieces of bacon. Cook until crispy, and add the onion and peppers.

Cook until onions are translucent and peppers are softened. Add the mushrooms and cook a few minutes.

Add the ground beef or turkey. Cook until meat is cooked through.

In a casserole dish, put 1/3 of the cooked pasta, 1/2 the meat, and a generous sprinkle of parmesan.

Repeat with another third of the pasta, the rest of the meat, and more parmesan. End with the pasta.

In a separate vessel, mix together the tomato paste, water, and baking soda. Be careful, as it will froth up! Pour the tomato mixture on top of the meat and noodles and bake for about 25 minutes.

Top each serving with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

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I know, you can see the reflection of the ceiling fan in my spoon. But I had to show you, grated parmesan cheese really works best here. My mom always used what we called “shaky cheese”, or more commonly known as the shelf-stable parmesan found most commonly in a green can.

It truly never ceases to amaze me the comfort I find in replicating recipes from my childhood. I’m ready to snuggle up for the night and relax! I just wish my mom could bring me a mug of warm vanilla milk… oh well.

The very same night that I made the itty bitty burgers, I made other tiny food as well. It was like cute overload over here!

Last year, I donated 100 Cupcakes to the A to Z Literacy Movement’s annual fundraiser, and while they were well-recieved, there were tons left over. This year, I was asked to donate cupcakes again, and my friend Mal and I decided that minis were a much better option.

The A to Z Literacy Movement is a cause that I can believe in, and I’m honored that I was asked to provide the desserts for their fundraiser again. A to Z sends teachers, books, and money to needy villages in Zambia to help provide students there with the educational services they so desperately need. Baking a bunch of cupcakes for that cause seems like the least I can do.

My cupcake skills have come a long way since last year, and I was excited to show off a bit. And so, mini red velvet cupcakes were decided upon. Partially because everyone loves red velvet, and partially because of the proximity of the event to Valentine’s day.

I used a tried and true recipe from Smitten Kitchen and my very favorite buttercream frosting from Tasty Kitchen. While I thought about making up a cake recipe from my own brain, I needed to make sure there were enough cupcakes for the attendees of the benefit. I thought 75 would do it. This recipe made 6 dozen, so I was darn close.

The decorations were simple: little sparkly silver hearts and pink, red, and white nonpareils. Very cute, very festive, very Valentines-y. I got text messages throughout the night from people at the benefit as I was photographing Heidi & Matt’s Wedding with photos of cupcakes and empty cupcake trays. Needless to say, they were well-recieved.

I love how cute they were (obviously) but I also loved that they were two perfect bites of cake and frosting. They’re a perfect dessert to make for Valentine’s day. The recipe is extremely simple, and the chemistry of it is fascinating.

And did I mention they’re cute?

Ever since starting this little photo-taking endeavor, I’ve said that I’d be terrified to take wedding photos. I’d only get one shot to get it right, and if I didn’t, the moment was lost.

Engagement photos can be re-staged, babies can be re-positioned, but that “I do” moment can’t be re-done.

When one of my closest friends found a new love and subsequently got engaged, she and her fiancé asked me to take photos of their small private wedding ceremony. I agreed, and was beyond excited for them, and beyond terrified. Luckily, they’re an amazing couple and have been such wonderful friends to me over the last few years that I knew I’d do nothing but my best.

I got their permission to share these photos with you all, and I’d love to hear what you think. It was definitely a challenging shoot, but I managed to get all the important moments… and most importantly, the love between them is obvious. I know that they both like black and white photos, along with a vintage-type feel, so that’s what I went with in my editing. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Congratulations Heidi & Matt! I wish you nothing but the best!

I just had to follow up last night’s Itty Bitty Burgers with a Fingernail Friday to keep the fun going! I know I skipped a few weeks, but it’s for good reason: after months of doing my nails twice a week, the novelty wore off. I went and got a shellac manicure which lasted two weeks, then I was given a challenge. My students and friends started asking me when I was going to try that “water marble thing”.

Water marble is this seemingly simple concept: drip nail polish onto distilled water in a cup, marble with a toothpick, dip nails in and voila! Cool marbled nails.

Here’s a video of the concept:

I tried it time and time again, and all I got was a mess. But then I got motivated, and took about two hours on a snowy Friday night to actually get it right. And it was good!

And then, I got ambitious and did it again, and was even more pleased with the result:

Something about having that fun design on my nails got my mojo going again, and I did some lovely peacock feathers:

And then this kind of Valentines-y half moon design which my students insist look like Pokéballs from Pokémon.

And then, my friend Sarah sent me her most recent design too, its kind of Patriotic and nautical.

Another thing I’ve really picked up is crocheting. My tutorial for a super-bulky scarf  was extremely popular, so I started challenging myself to make amigurumi, or cute crocheted stuffed animals. Or rather, tiny stuffed crocheted food.

A macaron:

And a cupcake

It’s loosely based on this real cupcake I made almost two years ago:

And, just for fun, a silly picture I found that made me laugh ridiculously hard because, to be honest, I’m a crazy cat lady.

Have a great weekend!

It’s no secret that I love small things. More specifically, small things that are just small versions of big things.

A normal carrot? Great, and delicious in hummus. A teeny tiny carrot?? Amazing!

A regular-sized cupcake? Delicious and definitely cuter than a large cake. A mini cupcake? Perfection!

An average burger? Perfect on the grill and wonderful with cheese. A mini burger?

TA-DA!

Three teeny tiny burgers on three teeny tiny buns, topped with three teeny tiny pieces of cheese. The only thing that wasn’t teeny tiny about these burgers was the flavor. I managed to pack a ton of seasoning into the four-bite burgers that graced out table tonight.

To a pound of meat, I added:

• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt

I think the key was letting the meat mixture sit for about 20 minutes before cooking. The dried parsley rehydrated, the seasoned salt distributed evenly, and upon cooking in a hot pan, these tiny burgers became bites of perfection.

The tiny buns would’ve been great for a tiny sloppy joe, a tiny crab cake, a tiny egg sandwich… see? I like tiny things.

Dinner was made perfect by an addition of baked sweet potato fries.

Now, I’m off to frost some teeny tiny cupcakes for a big huge benefit over the weekend. Another teeny tiny food post will follow because, well, I like tiny things.

Almost five years ago, I got the news that my job had been eliminated. Thanks to lack of funding, a change in curricular direction, and a few other various and sundry reasons, I was no longer employed at the school at which I’d worked. I was devastated.

Was I a good teacher? Had I done something to upset the powers that be? What was to become of me?

It was by some twist of fate and lucky suggestions from Adam that I ended up applying to work in my current school district. I applied on a Sunday, interviewed on Tuesday, had my second interview on Wednesday and was hired the following week.

I can remember my first meetings in this district, and was blown away by how warm and friendly everyone was. There was none of the bitterness that had overshadowed my last days at my first job, and my coworkers seemed genuinely eager to meet me.

I had no idea that these new people, these coworkers, would become some of the most amazing friends and mentors I could ask for.

It was because of two coworkers’ birthdays, and at the request of another that I bring back some “balls”. See, last year after the FoodBuzz Fest, a bunch of us bloggers became obsessed with recreating Annie the Baker’s dough balls. And I brought them to work. And my friend has been asking for balls ever since… and oh, does that say a lot.

Ask, and ye shall receive I always say. So I made balls. Festive ones at that, full of sugar and sprinkles, and later, stuffed inside a cute coffee mug and gifted to my two birthday friends.

These were loosely based on Diana’s sugar cookie dough balls but since my phone was dead at the time, I improvised.

Birthday Cookie Dough Balls

Ingredients (30 cookie balls)

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (or more!) rainbow nonpareil sprinkles

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well between additions.

Add the salt and baking powder, beat well.

Add the flour and mix well, then add the sprinkles.

Mix again until a thick batter forms, about 30 seconds.

Scoop using a small cookie scoop, then form into balls. Place about 1″ apart on a prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes.

Bake 8-10 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly browned.

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So, another birthday treat day has come and gone, and I’m reminded again why it is that I’m so lucky to work where I do. Not only do my coworkers appreciate me for the teacher that I am, but they have truly become friends.

You know what they say…

Love me, love my (cookie dough) balls.

Ok. No more balls jokes. I have students reading.

When it’s freezing outside, there’s only one thing on my mind: getting and staying warm. I have this issue with cold toes. When my toes are cold, it doesn’t matter how warm the rest of me is, I feel cold.

During the week, this is a rare occurrence because my school building is quite warm. My students often laugh at me because it’ll be 20° outside and I’ll have the window open because I’m so warm. At home though? My toes are cold.

One thing that helps to get and keep me warm is a hearty meal, preferably one with a bit of spice that can warm me from the inside out. A weekend is usually an opportunity to try something new, so this past weekend I threw some stuff together and hoped for the best.

“The best” is exactly what I got. I made homemade sandwich bread (recipe to come soon), a truly phenomenal pulled pork recipe, and the whole thing was topped with local cheddar cheese. Well, local as in Wisconsin.

A last minute addition to the sauce recipe turned out to be the keystone to this recipe. WIthout it, I think it would’ve been good. With it, it was great. “It” was a bit of whiskey. We’re not big drinkers, but we do have whiskey in the house, and I think I’ve used more of it in recipes than we’ve drank over the years.

The best part about this pork? It took exactly 15 minutes to prepare. The cooking time is merely an estimate, as most slow-cooker times are. I cooked ours for 6 hours, but it was done at 5. The key is to take the meat off the bone, shred it, then let it cook in the sauce for another hour.

Slow-Cooker Whiskey Pulled Pork

Ingredients (10-12 servings)

• 1 3-4 lb. pork shoulder
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon onion powder
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup whiskey or bourbon
• 2 Tablespoons molasses
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 Tablespoon kosher salt

Instructions

Place the chopped onions at the bottom of your slow cooker.

Salt all sides of the pork shoulder, then place it on top of the onions. Mix all the ingredients together except the broth and pour over the pork.

Pour the broth into the slow cooker without pouring it over the pork.

Cook on low heat for 5 hours.

Remove the pork from the bone if needed, shred the meat, then cook on high for another hour (or two if necessary!)

Serve with barbecue sauce, if desired.

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Since the pork cooked for so long, the fat rendered off of it and could be skimmed off the top of the sauce. If you’re so inclined, the sauce could be reduced on the stove top for serving. We used some of our favorite BBQ sauce that I picked up at the FoodBuzz Festival, J. Lee Roy’s.

Was this a perfect South Beach Diet meal? Absolutely not. There was a bit of sugar in the sauce/marinade recipe, and obviously carbs in the bread. BUT, it’s a huge improvement on the previous pulled pork recipes I’ve made which have been laden with sugar-heavy BBQ sauce. I’m calling it “an improvement”.

Some of you may have noticed the new “30 Days” page listed in my header menu. I’m participating in a 30-day challenge with some of my students, and my challenge to myself is to cook and/or eat a healthy meal a day, photograph it, and post it on that “30 Days” page. This will then be shared with my students! It’s a pretty cool project, and I’m excited to participate!

Oh, and in case you were wondering? My toes were warm after eating this sandwich!

This was going to be a post about bread. More specifically, this bread:

It’s a super-fluffy, high-fiber, slightly sourdough whole wheat bread I made because, to be honest, we were out of bread, and I was bored and cold on this weekend morning. Don’t worry, I’ll still share the recipe.

While the bread was rising and baking, I got to thinking about what to put on it. Sure, I could make a sandwich, melt some cheese on it, or use some of the cinnamon butter from a couple weeks ago. Which got me thinking… that cinnamon butter was really delicious, but it’s kind of a “uni-tasker”. It’s sweet, and sometimes I (believe it or not) don’t want sweet. And then I noticed the Vidalia onions I had in our veggie basket.

At this point, the bread was still rising. I could still, potentially, make it onion bread if I wanted to. But I wanted Adam to eat it too and he has this “thing” against most onions. And then, like a cheesy montage from a silly comedy, memories started popping in my head: the honey butter my mom used to buy for us; the cinnamon butter in our fridge; the pesto butter from our favorite Italian restaurant; the cheddar butter from the BBQ place… the one thing in common? Butter.

And so, this was born:

Caramelized onion butter. Sweet European butter mixed with onions that cooked on the stove top for almost an hour.

Putting that butter on this bread became an afternoon snack, dinner, and a late night snack. Even Adam, the self-proclaimed onion hater, said “Ok, this onion butter is CRAZY!” The cute yellow polka dot mini casserole, I think, made it that much better.

I expected it to be “good”. I didn’t expect it to be THIS good.

Caramelized Onion Butter

Ingredients

• 2 sweet onions, sliced
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 sticks good butter, softened

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.

Add the onions, sprinkle them with the salt. Allow to cook until translucent and slightly brown, and then sprinkle with the sugar.

Keep cooking until the onions are brown and aromatic. Allow to cool.

Transfer the onions to a food processor, then process until a coarse paste forms.

Add the softened butter to the food processor, then process until the onions are evenly distributed. Transfer the butter to your container of choice, or create a log in waxed paper.

Enjoy, but avoid eating with a spoon. It is still butter!

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Please let me know if you try either of these recipes, and if we’re just crazy in thinking that they’re as fantastic as we do…

I’m off to have some butter.

As usual, I’m cheating a bit.

Homemade Chipotle Burrito Bowls

Recipes used:

Cilantro-Lime Rice from Iowa Girl Eats

Chile-lime chicken

Black beans were simmered with chili powder and bay leaves.

Guacamole included: 4 avocados, 1 chopped tomato, 1/4 diced red onion, 1/2 diced jalapeño, juice of two limes, salt

I’m not calling you a dummy, I swear!

Over the last few months, Adam and I have thoroughly embraced the delicious South Beach Diet side dish that is mashed cauliflower. One of the things that I’ve really missed in these months (with a couple of gaps for the holidays) following South Beach have been potato-based side dishes. Sweet potatoes are fantastic, but sometimes, bland white potatoes cooked in a fun way is what I want.

Mashed cauliflower to the rescue!

Many of you have emailed asking for my process in making mashed cauliflower since it always comes out looking so much like “real” mashed potatoes. So, on this busy Monday, I bring you a step-by-step tutorial to make your very own delicious side dish.

Just a caveat: this is NOT mashed potatoes. Anyone who tells you this tastes “just like” mashed potatoes is crazy. However, the texture is close, and the flavor is close enough that it makes a great substitute.

Start with a head of cauliflower.

Now, I know that not everyone has cauliflower for $0.59 per pound like we do. Feel free to use a bag (or two!) of frozen cauliflower florets in place of the fresh. Everything else will stay the same.

Cut the cauliflower into florets, discarding only the core and external leaves.

Place the florets in a large microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup water.

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and then…

In the mean time, assemble your other ingredients:

Be careful when you remove the bowl from the microwave; that steam is ridiculously hot and abundant!

Now, make sure you have everything:

I used asiago cheese, but cheddar is amazing, parmesan is fantastic, and mozzarella is beautifully gooey. But the point is, use 1 cup of shredded cheese.

Pour the milk over the hot cauliflower and then puree the heck out of it with either a stick blender or food processor. Add the salt, pepper, and butter, then puree more. Last, add the cheese, puree again, and allow to sit a few minutes before serving to let all the cheese melt.

Not very impressive-looking, right? This looks better as a side dish:

That’s brisket that cooked all day. No, you can’t have the recipe… I promised my mom! But you can have the cauliflower mash! And trust me, you’ll like it!