Mrs. Regueiro's Plate

Elena's First Birthday: Growing "Up"

2013-05-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

First, I want to thank all of my wonderful foodie friends that participated in cupcake's virtual baby shower yesterday. Please make sure to visit Eva Bakes for all of the scrumptious cupcake posts for my sweet little cupcake. He will be here sometime next week!Wow. It seems like it was just yesterday that I had announced my sweet little "cookie" aka Elena was born. I still remember the day when I went into labor quite vividly because I had literally started my maternity leave that afternoon and had pains and aches all day long that I couldn't shake off.

The moment Elena had entered our lives, our days and nights have been filled with so much love, excitement and pure bliss. Elena has the sweetest and most contagious smile, she's a ball of energy, and has been the biggest and best highlight of our year. She's definitely one of the best things Eric and I have "cooked" up.

Since Eric and I were team green for Elena's pregnancy, we chose a neutral theme for the nursery. I wanted something playful, fun and a room that our child would love. One of my favorite Pixar movies was "Up" and I know the first ten minutes are the hardest part of the movie, but the overall themes in the movie celebrated so much that I adored. The themes of love, loss, loneliness, fear, excitement, adventure, inspiration and so much hope for life.

Of course, I wanted to celebrate Elena's first birthday with the "Up" theme because it had meant so much to us. The balloons and the rainbows of color seemed like the perfect way to celebrate Elena's big day. Plus, it would be our little way of saying goodbye to it before we move her into her new room. Her little brother will be taking over her nursery, but he is getting a fun playful Lego-themed nursery.

Some of the simple decor elements included: An instagram collage of Elena from the year and a milestone poster to display some of her fave things.

Since I was fully baked (37 weeks) at the time of Elena's birthday party, I knew that I couldn't handle too much work for her party. I didn't want her little brother to make a guest appearance! Thankfully, I had lots of help - Eric and my mom were the cooks that day and handled the majority of food prep. My girlfriend had came extra early to set up the decorations and my cousin/Elena's godmother, came over the night before to bake up Elena's smash birthday cake and cupcakes.

We hosted a small family party for about 35 adults and kids, we have a large immediate family! We had a simple Filipino-inspired menu: Chicken adobo cooked on the BBQ, my mom's pansit noodles, steamed rice, mixed salad and lumpia that we had ordered from a Filipino bakery. Plus, for dessert the strawberry cupcakes and Elena's smash cake that we baked the night before.

One of my sisters has a silhouette and was able to use of Elena's pictures and created a silhouette of Elena and we pasted it on an 8x10 canvas. I used this as guestbook thumbprint artwork for everyone and this will be displayed in her new room.

The best part of the day was singing Happy Birthday to Elena. I sat next to her and saw her face absolutely light up with glee from all of our family singing to her. I literally choked up a bit and could barely sing along because I was fighting the tears. It was then that it hit me and I realized that my sweet baby was a big girl and officially a toddler!

My sweet Elena you fill my heart with so much love and joy that it literally explodes with happiness for you. You are definitely Papi's little girl and have him wrapped around your itty bitty finger because he melts like butter for you. But you will forever be my sweet baby Elena. We can't wait to see what the next year will bring. We love you Elena!

Vendor Information:

Up Invitations from Etsy: Spare Time Prints

Elena's custom flower headband from Etsy: Jameson Monroe

Birthday Onesie from Etsy: The Peachy Owl

Instagram Collage Prints from Persnickety Prints

Rainbow Tutu & Highchair Tutu: Made by me

Milestone Poster: Made by me using PSE

Sticky & Sweet Asian Meatballs

2013-05-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!

I know it's been forever since I have updated my neglected food blog. It has been a few hectic weeks and I'm finally getting caught up here. We recently celebrated Elena's 1st year birthday and baptism, and I plan on sharing some of my favorite birthday pictures next week. And more importantly, cupcake hasn't made an appearance just yet, we have 10 more days to go until my scheduled c-section on May 13....unless cupcake decides otherwise. I'm almost near the end of my second pregnancy and finally ready for cupcake to join our growing family.

Then I had the worst luck of them all and my computer crashed and I lost some precious photos from the past year and other files on my computer. Some stupid Windows update had malfunctioned or something, and my computer refused to cooperate. I usually back-up my data on my external hard-drive and it was on my agenda of things to do this past week but I never got to it. It was a tough lesson learned and I can't stop kicking myself in the butt for it either. Thankfully, Eric and I have been able to recover many of the lost photos but it's taken all of this week to configure everything back onto my computer. It's been very time-consuming and this time around I'm making sure that I back up everything.

This delicious meal has been in the back burner for me to post and I have to thank Jessica a million times for creating this recipe. With the end of my third trimester, cooking and preparing dinner has been a daunting task while taking care of Elena. This Asian-inspired meal is easy to prepare during the week, and only takes 30 minutes or less to prepare the entire meal. The sticky and sweet Asian meatballs taste similar to sweet and spicy teriyaki with a little bit of a kick. If you want to increase the heat on this dish, add a dab of Sriracha to the sauce for that extra heat.

Sticky & Sweet Asian Meatballs
Adapted from Sunny Side Up
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Ingredients:

Yield: 24 to 28 meatballs

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
3 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
1/4 cup & 1 tablespoon finely diced green onions, including whites
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1 large egg, lightly whisked
1/4 cup mushrooms, finely diced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoon sweet chili sauce
sesame seeds, garnish
Cooking spray

Cooking Directions

In a small saucepan, whisk together the first group of ingredients (starting at water and ending at grated ginger) over medium-high heat. Bring to a slow boil and then reduce to a simmer until sauce has reduced by half and slightly thickened.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and spray a large jelly roll pan (11x13) with cooking spray or Misto.
While the sauce is thickening, combine the second group of ingredients (make sure to reserve 1 tablespoon of green onions) in a medium bowl. Lightly form and shape into 2-inch meatballs using your fingers or a small to medium sized ice cream scooper.
Place the prepared meatballs on the jelly roll pan and bake for 15 minutes, and remove coat the meatballs in the sauce using a brush. Bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, making sure that the meatball is fully cooked, and no longer pink.
Serve immediately over steamed white rice with desired vegetables and garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions on top.

Review: One of our new favorite ways to enjoy ground turkey, and it's so easy to prepare and makes plenty. So that's a double winner in my book, and you can always freeze the extras for another day...which will come in handy in the coming weeks when I'm not cooking as much in the kitchen.

P.S. I couldn't resist and had to share my favorite photo of the week of my sweet Elena. I made her a rainbow tutu and strawberry cake for her 1 year smash cake birthday photo shoot. How in the world did my baby turn 1? I'm still in mommy denial, but it's been one amazing year. I promise you will see more fun birthday pictures and some from this photo shoot next week...unless cupcake decides to evict himself!

Tiramisu

2013-04-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

There are a few desserts that my husband and I typically like to always order whenever we dine out at restaurants. There's the sinfully gooey pizookie (giant cookie cooked in a mini pizza pan), a warm slice of apple pie (ala mode is a must for me), or the creamy and indulgent cheesecake (because making a regular size one at home would require fat buffet pants for the rest of the month). My personal favorite is the ever so decadent tiramisu, an Italian classic dessert that is a coffee lover's dream come true. However, Eric isn't a fan of chocolate desserts, so it's a rare occasion if I can indulge in tiramisu.

I had a sudden craving to make it myself when I saw that my food bloggy girlfriend, Eva, had Tiramisu on her baking bucket list. I don't have a cooking or baking bucket list written down but just a running backlog of recipes in my head that I always want to cook or bake up. It's the desire to complete food challenges to feel a sense of accomplishment and mainly to figure out if homemade desserts taste better at home versus the restaurants, too. And it's always fun to collaborate with my food bloggy community whenever I can especially before my hands will be busy with a newborn. (We have less than a month left until my due date!)

The challenging aspect of this recipe was locating the ingredients. I had the hardest time locating ladyfingers. Trader Joe's only carries them during the holiday season, and my go-to grocery store did not carry them as well. Thankfully, Sprouts Farmers market had carried them in stock, and I almost debated about ordering them on Amazon, too. This dessert came together with a little bit of detailed prep, and the results were pretty fantastic. Make sure to not drench the ladyfingers in the coffee-Kahlua mixture too long, just a quick coating or you will have soggy ladyfingers. The texture was wonderfully creamy and you can taste all the wonderful blended flavors of the coffee, cream cheese/mascarpone mixture with the little bits of grated chocolate. More importantly, you will not notice that this is the "lighter" version dessert because you will be too busy finishing your serving.

Make sure to check out Eva Bakes beautifully made Tiramisu as well.

Tiramisu
Adapted from Cooking Light
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Yield: 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients

1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons instant coffee
1/2 cup sugar, divided
3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons Kahlua (or coffee-flavored liqueur), divided
5 large egg whites
2 tablespoons water
8 ounces cream cheese (reduced if preferred), softened
2 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened
24 to 28 savoiardi ladyfingers
3/4 ounces chocolate, finely grated

Cooking Directions

Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil and remove from heat. Add the instant coffee and let stand for 10 minutes. Refrigerate until needed.
Combine 1/4 cup sugar, egg yolks, and 1 tablespoon Kahlua in the top of a double boiler, whisking constantly until thick and creamy and until a candy thermometer registers 160 degrees. Remove from heat and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
In the bowl of the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on medium high speed until medium peaks form.
In a small saucepan, add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water over medium-high heat. Cook until candy thermometer registers 250 degrees, no need to stir mixture. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour hot syrup into the egg whites. Gradually increase speed to high and mix for 2 minutes or until stiff peaks form, making sure to not overmix.
In a large bowl, mix egg yolk mixture, cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Carefully fold in 1/4 of egg white mixture into cream cheese mixture and gently fold in the remaining egg white mixture.
Place coffee in a 4 inch container (I used a pie plate) and add the remaining 1 tablespoon Kahlua to coffee. Quickly dip ladyfingers into coffee mixture and arrange into desired dishes. For single serving goblets, I used 1 1/2 ladyfingers or 12+ ladyfingers in 9x9 baking dish. Spread a layer of cream cheese mixture over ladyfingers. Sprinkle with grated chocolate. Repeat procedure with remaining ladyfingers. Garnish with remaining chocolate. Cover and let chill for at least 2 hours.

Review: Absolutely delicious, and I prefer the single serving goblets versus the family size. You can easily half the recipe to make personal servings for yourself especially if you have a husband like mine that doesn't like chocolate desserts.

Sweet Tea Cupcakes for Nikki's Virtual Baby Shower

2013-04-12T02:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Virtual Baby Shower day to my dear sweet friend, Nikki, from Seeded at the Table!

I absolutely love my wonderful and supportive food blogging community and when my friends, Jessica and Kelsey, invited a group of food, craft and life bloggers to create something in the theme of "Sweet Southern Boy" - I couldn't resist! Nikki like myself is expecting her second child this coming May, and we're both expecting boys! Her son, Judah, is an absolute gem and I know he's going to be one fantastic big brother. It's just too bad that we live 1700 miles apart because I would love playdates with our kiddos. Elena would go gaga crazy for her foodie (boy) friends.

Nikki and I had initially met online through our food blogging and officially (in real life) at the FoodBuzz Festival in 2011. We had clicked right from the start, and I have nothing but admiration, respect and love for Nikki. She is super-friendly, full of spirit and energy, loving and an absolute sweetheart. I remember rooting and screaming my head off for Nikki at the FoodBuzz Awards because she was nominated for the Best Family Food Blog. Although she didn't win, she will always be a winner in my book.
Now, more importantly these sweet tea cupcakes. I had my first taste of sweet tea when I was visiting my in-laws in Florida and I was taken back by the sweetness of the iced tea. I usually drink iced tea unsweetened, but I think eventually because of the humidity - the sweetness was needed. Currently, Nikki resides in Mississippi and has a deep love for everything "sweet and southern." She even has her own recipe for Southern Sweet Tea that inspired me to make these cupcakes in her baby boy's honor.

These sweet tea cupcakes have a hint of lemon, almost a nod to the Arnold Palmer (half lemonade and half iced tea) that I absolutely love drinking during the hot summer months. I had to make this pregnancy friendly and used decaf lemon tea bags because the caffeine turns the baby Zumba on at full crank. You can easily substitute black tea or any other fruit-flavored tea like orange, raspberry for an unique twist. The cupcakes are slightly denser but are a great way to have a bite of sweet tea in cupcake form. I also prefer cream cheese frosting versus buttercream frosting because I prefer the tangyness and it paired well with the candied lemons. But in the end, it's just a matter of preference, but quite honestly my pregnancy cravings ruled again on this recipe - Nikki would totally understand right?

Nikki, I'm so very happy for you on the newest addition to your wonderful family. I'm a little sad that we never got to spend more time together while you lived in SoCal, but I'm very thankful for the time we have shared together and hopefully our paths will cross again. Our kiddos need to meet up so we can have the next generation of food bloggers collaborating!

Please make sure to check out the full round-up of recipes and craft posts at Sunny Side Up and Apple A Day's blogs.

Sweet Tea Cupcakes for Nikki's Virtual Baby Shower
Cupcakes adapted from Food Network
Cream Cheese Frosting adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
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Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients

3/4 cup milk
7 lemon-flavored tea bags
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
8 ounces cream cheese bar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sweet tea milk mixture
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Candied Fruit Lemons for garnishment

Cooking Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the cupcake pan with desired liners.
Warm the milk in the microwave for 1 minute, stir and then for additional 30 seconds. Place the tea bags in the milk and let tea steep for 5 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons of sweet tea mixture for frosting.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix the sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs until combined. Alternate adding the flour mixture with sweet tea mixture until incorporated. You may not need all of the sweet tea mixture, make sure cupcake mixture is fully incorporated.
Using a large ice scooper or 1/4 cup - fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before adding frosting.
For the frosting: In the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend the cream cheese, butter, vanilla paste, sweet tea mixture and lemon zest until fully combined. Add the confectioners' sugar and combine until smooth. Frost the cupcakes as desired.

A big thanks to Kelsey and Jessica for bringing together a wonderful group of food, life and craft bloggers to help celebrate such a momentous time for Nikki and her sweet southern boy!

Favorite Turkey Burger

2013-04-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Springtime has to be my favorite season of them all. The blooming flowers, spring flowers and growing gardens, and the fantastic sunny weather. It's practically intoxicating...that I might have neglected my little food blog for a bit. Sorry friends, but it's been a busy week here at Casa Regueiro. We are knee deep in nesting mode in preparation for cupcake to arrive, and I have 3 weeks until Elena's first birthday party!!! So it's safe to say...I have been busy!

With the weather warming up, it's time to change gears and start cooking outside with the grill. Tacos, pizzas, burgers, steaks in my opinion always taste better when cooked on the grill. Usually we like to make these burgers or visit In-N-Out for our burger fix, and whenever I have ground turkey to cook for dinner - I always make sloppy joes, so this was a great alternative meal.

This is our new favorite recipe for turkey burger. These burgers are very moist and delicious, and very easy to prepare. Top them with your favorite burger toppings like avocado, grilled onions, mushrooms, extra cheese, lettuce, or perhaps some grilled veggies. I served them along with a side of sweet potato fries and a bowl of strawberries for the perfect springtime meal.

Favorite Turkey Burger
Adapted from Martha Stewart
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Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1/2 cup finely grated Gruyere Cheese
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Cooking Directions

Heat large grill pan on medium-high heat or grill.
In a medium bowl, combine the ground turkey, Gruyere cheese, green onions, breadcrumbs, mustard and garlic. Mix gently with a fork and combine. Season with salt and pepper. Carefully form mixture into four 1-inch thick patties or (six 3/4-inch patties).
Lightly oil grill with cooking spray (Misto). Place patties on grill and sear until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. If cooking on grill, place patties on hottest grill and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Cook until cooked through, about 5 to 10 minutes per side.
Serve with desired toppings over a toasted sesame hamburger bun.

Review: Absolutely delicious. I opted to cook these on the grill pan versus the grill, but I know we'll make them again soon enough and prepare them on the grill.

I'm a week late on sharing this, but here are some of my favorite pictures from Easter. Elena had her first egg hunt after church service. Papi helped her out find eggs and I waddled/followed along (since I'm 34 weeks already!). There were a bunch of little kids helping Elena out as well, they would come up and drop eggs in her basket. It was the sweetest thing ever, and it's hard to believe that this was her last first holiday before she turns the big one!! WOW!

Happy (early) Easter!

2013-03-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Wishing your

Easter is decorated

with LOVE, PEACE and

the Joy of SPRING!

With Love from,

Krystal, Eric, Elena & Cupcake

Balsamic and Beer-Braised Short Ribs with Parsnip Puree

2013-03-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that this beautiful Spring month of March is slowly coming to an end, but at least we have an awesome holiday of Easter to celebrate this coming weekend, too. The crazy photo-taking mommy me, couldn't resist buying Elena some bunny ears at Target from the dollar bin. We had a little bit of trouble taking pictures with Santa, and I absolutely refuse for her to take any pictures with the Easter bunny. There's something a little off about that white rabbit, besides I rather take cutesy pictures of Elena looking like a bunny versus with a crazy white bunny.

As a last goodbye to the cold wintery months, I wanted something that was heart smacking delicious and something meaty-tender that you do not need a knife. Eric had a made a special request for short ribs for dinner, and I knew the perfect recipe that I had wanted to try. My wonderful beer connoisseur husband has a pretty heft surplus of beer that was perfect to use up, too. The richness of the balsamic vinegar and dark ale and additional ingredients tenderize the short ribs to a divine blissful meaty heaven. It does take a little bit of cooking time to wait for this dish so I suggest this as weekend meal where you can spend some extra time on prep and cook time.

This meal is wonderful for entertaining a small dinner crowd and would make a fantastic Easter dinner, if you were looking for something outside the norm of the typical Easter ham meal. The parsnip puree truly makes this dish as well, and I highly suggest making it. It's way better than mashed potatoes and pairs perfectly with the short ribs and they go together like peas and carrots. You can even prepare this dish the night before and reheat the meal before serving and it would still taste unbelievable.

A winning meal that makes you fall heads over heels in love with.

Balsamic & Beer-Braised Short Ribs with Parsnip Puree
Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
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Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 3 1/2 hours
Total time: 4 hours
Yield: 4 to 6
Ingredients:

5 pounds bone-in short ribs, English style - about 6 large or 10 small ones
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion
4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 bottles dark beer, i.e. dark ale {I used Firestone DBA}
2 to 3 cups beef stock
Handful Fresh-flat leaf parsley
2 pounds parsnips
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon freshly grated horseradish
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper

Cooking Directions

Prepare the short ribs. Place the short ribs on a large jelly roll pan and season generously with salt and pepper, making sure to coat all sides. Heat a large Dutch oven (7 to 8 quart pan) over high heat, and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Once the oil is hot, sear the short ribs on all sides, in batches. Don't rush this part, and overcrowd the pan - this is where you build the flavor of the short ribs. Transfer the browned ribs to the jelly roll pan and repeat with the remaining ribs.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Once all the ribs have been browned and removed from the pot, turn the heat down to medium-high heat. Remove the excess oil and fat and leave about 1 tablespoon remaining in the pot. Add the onions, and season with salt and pepper and cook until translucent and slightly browned - about 10 minutes. Add the smashed garlic cloves and saute for a couple more minutes. Add the tomato paste, and cook for a few minutes, until thickened. Add the balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and beer, making sure to scrape any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Return the browned ribs to the pan. Add enough beef stock to cover the ribs and bring the liquid to a simmer, then remove from heat. Cover with pot with aluminum foil and then cover with the lid. Bake for 3 hours or until the meat can easily be pierced with a knife or pieces can be torn back with a fork. Remove from oven and let the ribs rest for 15 minutes, uncovered. If needed, skim off the fat off the top.
When ready to serve, there are 2 recommended ways and I tried both methods and either one is pretty fantastic.
Option 1: Serve the short ribs as they are with fresh parsley, over a side of prepared parsnip puree. DELICIOUS.
Option 2: Remove the ribs from pot and place on a large jelly roll pan. Preheat oven to 420 degrees and roast them for 15 minutes, or until the edges start to crisp. Strain the braising liquid into a small saucepan and simmer over high heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the liquid has been reduced to a third. Sauce should be a little thick. Serve the ribs on a serving platter and drizzle the reduced sauce on top. Garnish with fresh parsley and a side of prepared parsnip puree. OUT of THIS WORLD DELICIOUS.
Prepare the parsnip puree. In a large heavy pot, combine the parsnips with enough cold water to cover. Place over moderately high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes, then drain.
Return the hot parsnips in the pot, add the butter, heavy cream and horseradish and using a hand immersion blender, puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Review: Ahhh-mayyyyy-zing!!! Make it soon if you can before the BBQ summer months hit us.

Elena news: My little sweet baby is 11 months old today!! OMG! I'm in full planning first birthday party mode because this month will go by fast. Elena and I have been visiting our favorite park since it's been warmer and she loves the swings there. She is cray cray on the swings and doesn't hold the rails and puts her hands up in the air like she's on a rollercoaster. She's hilarious like that. She's not quite walking yet, but she does stand up by herself for a couple seconds before she plops down on the floor. Maybe she will be walking by herself in the month to come.

Skillet Lasagna

2013-03-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Oh happy day, it's officially Spring season!

While in some parts of the US, it may still feel like winter - I absolutely love living in SoCal where our winters never really see snow. This past weekend, we (or really just my husband) had worked on our yard. I have been wanting to plant new perennial flowers in the front yard to improve our curb appeal and mainly to spruce up the outside of the house. Eric had to update the sprinkler systems and fix a couple broken sprinkler heads and it took him 3 days and 9 trips to Home Depot to finally finish phase one of the garden. Poor guy, it was his birthday weekend and he worked on the house for the majority of the weekend. Next weekend is dedicated to my vegetable and herb garden, and I can't wait!

I'm already dreaming about walking back to my garden and cutting fresh herbs for my dishes. At one point, we had basil, rosemary, thyme, chives, sage, oregano, and mint. Over time, they all went a little dry and weed crazy - so we are starting from scratch again. Since the colder days are almost behind us, menu planning has shifted to less oven-type meals and more stove-top meals. In my opinion, most oven-type meals are comfort food dishes like casseroles and lasagnas, and luckily this recipe is a combination of an oven-type meal cooked on the stove-top for that comfort food satisfaction.

This skillet lasagna is easy to prepare for a weeknight dinner and my only gripe is that I couldn't believe the grocery store that I had visited didn't have any ricotta cheese in stock. I had to substitute cottage cheese which is fair substitute to use instead. I plan on making this again when I have fresh basil from the garden to use, too. I served this dish with a simple green salad, garlic bread and we even had a little bit of creamy lemon gelato for dessert which all made for a wonderfully delicious rustic Italian meal.

Buon Appetito!

Skillet Lasagna
Adapted from Annie's Eats
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Ingredients:
1 1/2 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with juices
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 pound Italian sausage, crumbled
10 curly-edges lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup cottage cheese (or ricotta cheese)
3 tablespoon fresh basil, minced (optional)

Preparation:

In the bowl of the food processor, pulse the tomatoes until coarsely chopped. Or coarsely chop the tomatoes.

In a large non-stick skillet (or cast iron), heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onions with the salt and pepper, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the Italian sausage to the pan and cook until no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Scatter the broken lasagna noodles in the skillet and pour the tomatoes with their juices over the top. Increase the heat to medium-high and cover. Cook at a vigorous simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. When pasta is tender, remove the skillet from the heat and stir in half of the mozzarella and Parmesan, and 1/4 cup of the cottage cheese. Dot the remaining cottage cheese over the top, then layer with the remaining cheeses in an even layer. Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbly, being careful not to burn the top, give or take 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, and garnish with chopped basil and serve.

Yield: 6 servings

Review: Eric and I loved the simplicity of this dish. It's a great weeknight dinner and is not heavy as your typical lasagna. Plus, whenever I do make lasagna, I hate that I'm always stuck with leftovers for days. This dish is perfect for just the two of us and enough leftovers for one day.

Happy Birthday again to the hardest working husband/father/best friend ever!!!

Strawberry Meyer Lemon Cream Pie

2013-03-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Do you know what day it is today? It's March 14, otherwise known as Pi Day not to be confused with National Pie Day, which is celebrated on January 23. Yes, I'm totally math geeking out today because I'm celebrating a Greek symbol “π” which is used in mathematics to represent the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter which is approximately 3.14159. My inner math nerd finally remembered to celebrate this day with a sweet piece of homemade pie and it's like an episode of Lost, where I corresponded the numbers to something meaningful...i.e. Pi day!

I'm no stranger in making homemade pies, and one of my absolute favorite pie to bake is apple pie. However, I wanted something simple enough to prepare and wanted to use two of my favorite seasonal ingredients - strawberries and Meyer lemons. With this second pregnancy, I have been eating bowls of mixed berries- strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries like it's my job. Plus, we have an abundant amount of Meyer Lemons that are fully ripe to use (if any of my local friends want any - please come over and take a basket). With a quick search on Pinterest, I found this gorgeous Strawberry Meyer Lemon Creme Pie and knew it was the one I had to make because I had most of the ingredients at hand.

Coincidentally, the one ingredient that I didn't have was vodka on hand to use for the listed pie crust maybe because I used all of it to make some homemade vanilla extract. So I searched for the best pie crust that I know - good ole Martha Stewart's recipe and it's practically foolproof. (Yet, if you have vodka on hand, try the original recipe and let me know how it works - the vodka is supposed to help with the moisture and give a flakier crust.) Rolling pie dough can be a little tricky - it is important to be patient and not speed through rolling out the crust, but you can always substitute store bought pie crust to save you some time, too. The creme filling is what originally caught my eye because it's a combination of strawberries and homemade whipped cream with a hint of lemon citrus to freshen the palate. This is one sinfully sweet pie to celebrate Pi day!

Strawberry Meyer Lemon Creme Pie
Pie adapted from Eat the Love, Pie Crust adapted from Martha Stewart
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Ingredients:
For Pie Crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling dough
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons ice water, plus 2 more, if needed
For the Strawberry Meyer Lemon Creme Filling:
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
1/4 cup powdered sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 pints strawberries, divided (about 3 to 4 cups)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons strawberry jam

Preparation:

Prepare the pie crust by adding the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Pulse a couple times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand. Add the 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse again until mixture is crumbly but holds together, add additional water if needed (up to 2 tablespoons). Avoid over-processing the dough.

Place the dough onto a work surface with a sheet of saran wrap placed on top. Form dough into a 3/4-inch thick disk. Wrap tight in saran wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, or until firm.

Unwrap dough, place on a floured work surface. Roll dough to at least a 14-inch round. Lift and place dough in pie plate. Carefully fit into the bottom and up the sides of the plate. Pinch the overhang to about 1 inch and crimp together around the edge, and discard any excess. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line crust with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust is lightly browned, about 40 to 45 minutes. Carefully lift and remove the paper and let crust cool completely.

While the pie crust is cooling, prepare the cream filling. In the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the wire whisk, add the heavy cream, sugar, lemon zest and salt. Mix on medium high speed until peaks form, being careful not to over whip the cream. Add 1 1/2 cups of chopped strawberries and fold into the whipped cream.

Spoon the filling into the cooled pie crust. Add the remaining strawberries and place them on top all over the filling, making sure to cover the surface of the pie. Drizzle the lemon juice over the strawberries and filling. Heat the strawberry jam for about 30 seconds or until it melts. Brush the jam over the strawberries to give them a shiny glaze. Serve immediately.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Review: Simply scrumptious. This pie should last 3 to 4 days in the fridge if kept in a covered container.

Bloody Mary Tomato Soup

2013-03-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Did the daylight savings time change mess up your schedule? I was really hoping that it wouldn't mess up our napping and sleep schedule for Elena. Day 1 she was awesome, and she woke up at her usual time and had a typical happy go-lucky day. But for some odd reason by Day 2, she was out of whack and something happened. She started teething again, her top two teeth are cutting and she is not one happy baby. She has woken us up for those rare 3am, 4am, 5am crying sessions. Like full blown crying, "I'm in so much pain, screaming bloody murder tears of teething pain." It's definitely not something you can sleep through, and thankfully Eric and I have tag teamed in the night to check on her.

After a long and exhausting night, I'm like a walking zombie. I really try and take a nap when Elena sleeps but it's the only downtime I sometimes get for myself. And those are precious and rare moments that I really let myself indulge in. I have a stack of food magazines that I would love to read and bookmark recipes, or catch up on my DVR'd episodes - I'm still behind on How I Met Your Mother and The Office, and it's ideal time for me to cook/bake something in the kitchen. I had bookmarked a couple recipes in one of my latest cookbooks that I had been wanting to make and wanted something fast to prepare for lunch.

I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of Breakfast for Dinner from the amazing food blogger, Lindsay, of Love and Olive Oil. I loved her first cookbook and loved her sinfully sweet cookie dough billionaire bars. One of my go-to lunches at home have been sandwiches and soup. I usually make a big crockpot of soup on Sunday and enjoy it during the week. I'm a big fan of tomato soup because it screams comfort food and serves as a wonderful reminder of my tomatoes from my garden. (We will be planting a couple tomato plants this weekend!) This is a grown-up version of tomato soup has lots of flavor and is easy to prepare when you are a walking zombie in the kitchen. Plus, this will be a great recipe to use for those many tomatoes that I plan on growing.

Bloody Mary Tomato Soup
Adapted form Breakfast for Dinner
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Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, about 3 to 5 large), sliced 3/4-inch thick
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup vegetable broth
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or to taste
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon celery salt

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush foil with 1 tablespoon of the oil.

Arrange tomato slices in a single layer on sheet, drizzle with with another 1 tablespoon of oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, and then broil on high for 4 minutes or until the tops have slightly browned.

In a large saucepan, heat the remaining oil over medium high heat. Saute the onions, celery, carrot and garlic for 9 to 10 minutes, until softened. Stirring occasionally. Add wine and cook for another 4 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in roasted tomatoes and any juices, 3/4 cup water, vegetable broth, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, sugar, celery salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool slightly.

Using an immersion blender (or blender/food processor), puree soup till smooth. Continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes and add salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: 4 servings

Review: One tasty tomato soup and perfect for those easy meals after a long and exhausting night. A parent's job is never over and you're always on the clock. Besides, I can't refuse this lovable face, she totally makes me weak. If her little brother is just as adorable, I'm going to be one very ~~tired~~ (happy) mommy.

Apple Pie Muffins

2013-03-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

Breakfast during the week is one of the easiest meals that I love to prepare for myself. Most often, I have two breakfasts - the first one early in the morning before Elena's morning bottle and maybe 2 hours later of something with a little more substance. Typically it's oatmeal, a bowl of cereal or just a glass of orange juice and later on maybe eggs with toast or warmed tortillas with nutella and fresh fruit (it's one of my fave unhealthy breakfasts).

Luckily for my husband, he gets something as well for breakfast. I pack his breakfast the night before so he has something to munch on while working away at his desk. Most typically it's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or oatmeal and whenever I get the chance - I love baking up my favorite batch of banana blueberry walnut bread. It's always a treat when I can bake up a batch of breakfast muffins and I knew that these apple pie muffins would make for a sweet surprise. Plus, it was something that I wanted for breakfast, too.

These apple pie muffins are everything true to their name and absolutely scrumptious. You can easily serve these for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a little bit of salted caramel on top. (Swoon.) These muffins are easy to prepare and very moist, and they stayed that way for a couple days in my Tupperware container. I prefer to eat my muffins warm and I would warm them up in the microwave for less than 30 seconds and gobble them down with a large glass of milk. It's a wonderful way to start your day with an apple...in muffin form!

Apple Pie Muffins
Adapted from Macaroni & Cheesecake
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Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons apple pie spice*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk**
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 cups chopped apples, peeled (about 2 medium)

For the Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoon butter, melted

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tin with desired muffin liners or spray muffin pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, apple pie spice, baking soda and salt. Whisk together and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, buttermilk, egg, vanilla and 1 1/2 cups brown sugar. Whisk until fully incorporated and sugar has completely dissolved.

Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the butter mixture. Stir until fully incorporated. Fold in apples and stir until combined.

In a small bowl, combine the streusel ingredients together. Using your hands or fork, mash the mixture until it feels like coarse sand. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon on top of each muffin or as evenly as possible.

Bake muffins for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and transfer to cooling rack. Store in airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days.

Yield: 12 to 16 muffins

*Apple Pie Spice: 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ground allspice, 2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon (optional)
**Buttermilk Substitution: 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or 1 tablespoon vinegar. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Review: Apple pie in muffin form...it's like having dessert for breakfast. Who can say no to these?? Make a double batch and freeze some for later! I used fuji apples but you can use whatever you have on hand, like granny smith, honeycrisp or gala - they will all taste scrumptious!

Check out Elena's latest milestone...she's walking with her push cart. I bought this push cart toy at the consignment sale a couple weeks ago, and in the beginning she was only intrigued by the buttons and slobbering all over the wheels. She wasn't interested in walking with it until this past weekend. I'm so proud of my little growing baby, maybe in a couple more weeks she will be walking all by herself!

Blueberry Cornmeal Butter Cake

2013-03-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday and happy first day of March!

It seems that I'm a creature of habit right now. I have been enjoying a mix of fresh berries for breakfast/lunch/snack and sometimes over my dessert. I always know it's Elena's afternoon feeding time when I start watching my episode-athon of Sex and the City. I have been slathering a bit of Elena's lavender bedtime lotion at night because I love the way it smells on her, and it totally helps me fall asleep, too. Plus, right now in my kitchen I can't stop cooking from Deb's cookbook, whenever I have been menu planning - there are several recipes that I seem to gravitate to cooking or baking.

One sweet treat that my husband loves to enjoy is anything with blueberries. Eric loves huge blueberry muffins whenever we are at a bakery, or peanut butter and blueberry jelly sandwiches for breakfast and he even enjoys the occasional blueberry bagel egg sandwich. He's definitely a sweet and savory kinda guy. I couldn't resist making this blueberry cornmeal butter cake for him because it looked absolutely scrumptious.

This easy to prepare blueberry cornmeal butter cake comes together in no time at all. The hardest part is waiting for it to bake in the oven and avoiding the lingering sweet smells of it from the kitchen. This cake is almost a combination of a blueberry buckle and sweet cornbread, but one million times yummier. We loved this for dessert but it can be easily be served for breakfast, brunch or the perfect late night snack.

Blueberry Cornmeal Butter Cake
Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
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Ingredients:
For the Cake:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for the pan
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for the pan
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest, freshly grated
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and patted dry

For the Streusel:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 8x8 square pan (or 9x9) with parchment paper. Butter and flour the pan or coat with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream the butter with sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Then add the vanilla and lemon zest. Add the dry ingredients a third at time, alternating with the yogurt or sour cream. Fold in the blueberries.

Pour the batter in the prepared pan and using a spatula spread it evenly across. Mix the streusel ingredients together in the same dry-ingredient bowl either by mashing everything with a fork or your fingers until it feels like coarse sand. Generously scatter the topping over the batter.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown or a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then loosen the sides with a spatula or knife and then flip out onto a cooling rack. Cut into squares.

Yield: 16 squares

Review: Simply scrumptious and this would be a fantastic addition to your Easter menu plans. It's time to start planning ahead because this month might fly by as fast as February did!

Oh and my little love of my life, Elena is officially 10 months old. She's constantly babbling "daddaddada," standing up and crawling all over the house. She loves to crawl to our bedroom and pound on the closet mirrors or sometimes she will race to her bathroom, maybe it's because she loves bath time so much. I just want time to slow down a tiny bit because I can't fathom her being an one year old in less than two months. EEKS!

Ham Croquettes {Croquetas}

2013-02-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

I can't believe this month is almost over and Easter is around the corner. Once all the Valentine's decorations were off the shelves from the stores, Easter basket galore, Cadbury eggs and marshmallow bunnies have filled it's spot. It's one of those weird years that Easter comes early, but it is a nice reminder that Spring is almost here, too. Actually this is my personal reminder that I need to work on our vegetable and herb garden, and Eric and I have some busy dirt-filled weekends ahead of us. Hopefully, we can plant some tomatoes, bell peppers, and a wide array of herbs. It's always nice to enjoy the fruits of your labor during the coming months of Spring and Summer.

These ham croquettes are commonly served at holiday parties like Easter as appetizers or can be consumed for any meal of the day. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, it doesn't matter or even as that perfect midnight snack. Typically, we enjoy them in a Cuban medianoche sandwich (sweet bread sandwich with pork and ham) with a croquette sandwiched in between, or most often by themselves. They are the perfect Cuban snack because once you start eating them, you can't stop. More importantly, it's an appetizer you can prepare using all that leftover Easter ham.

These beautiful ham croquettes are made out of a mixture of ground ham and spices and lightly breaded and fried to perfection. I warn you that this is a time consuming recipe, and most often we purchase a box of them already prepared at our favorite Cuban bakery, or sometimes if available in the frozen section. However, homemade is always a great way to save yourself that long trip to the bakery and a great way to salvage the extra ham.

Ham Croquettes {Croquetas}
Adapted from iCuban
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Ingredients:
For the Croquettes:
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup onion
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon dry sherry
4 cups (1 pound) smoked ham, ground
3 cans (4.25 ounces) Deviled Ham
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon Complete Seasoning

For the breading:
2 eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1 cup dry bread crumbs (mixed with 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Vegetable oil (for frying)

Preparation:

In a large pan, melt the butter, add the onions, and saute until translucent. Stir in 1/3 cup flour to make a roux, adding more butter if needed to make a smooth roux. Gradually whisk in the milk and whisk until it forms a smooth sauce and has thickened. Whisk in nutmeg, sherry and spices. Fold in the ground ham and breadcrumbs.

Let mixture simmer for 5 minutes on low heat. Taste for seasonings, add salt and pepper. Spread mixture into a large jelly roll (9x13) baking pan and let refrigerate until cool, at least one hour. Note: Mixture needs to be firm enough to form into rolls. If your mixture is too sticky, add some additional bread crumbs.

Shape the ham mixture into logs about 3/4-inch thick and three inches long. Make an egg wash by beating the eggs with water until frothy in a small bowl. Combine the bread crumbs and flour in a second bowl, add salt and pepper.

Dip the croquettes in the egg wash, and roll the logs in the seasoned bread crumbs. Dip a second time and re-roll in the bread crumbs. Place croquettes on a large jelly pan and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for two to three hours, you may cook immediately or freeze them for later.

When ready to serve, cook the croquettes in hot oil (about 350 degrees), a few at a time, three to four minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oil and let drain on a paper towel plate.

Yield: 3+ dozen croquettes

Review: Almost a knockoff recipe from our favorite Cuban bakery, and the trick to making these is making sure they are coated twice with the breading and making sure that the oil is hot enough to fry them. If you fry them in parcooked oil, you run the risk of them breaking. If you are not a fan of ham, you can always substitute chicken, too.

Gooey Cinnamon Squares

2013-02-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

Is it Friday already? I can't believe it's the last Friday of February and March is practically around the corner. Eric and I finally started talking details about Elena's 1st year birthday and baptism plans, and it's high time to start prepping for her big day. Next week she will be turning ten months, and I will have 2 months until her birthday. YIKES! My sweet baby is growing up soooo fast and before I know it her little brother will be here as well. Double YIKES!

One of my many sweet cravings with this second pregnancy has been plenty of cinnamon sugar. I am in love with cinnamon toast, warm tortillas with butter and cinnamon sugar, snickerdoodles, fresh fruit with cinnamon sugar on top and coffee (on the rare occasions that I do drink it) with whipped cream and cinnamon on top. These gooey cinnamon squares are a perfect bite of cinnamon sugar heaven. It's a cross between a gooey cake and snickerdoodle cookies into one decadent treat. Shamefully, I may have already made this dessert twice before posting this recipe. It's that good. I do plan on having these on the menu for Elena's birthday or any upcoming big events beforehand, too.

These are best enjoyed the day they are baked. I highly prefer them warm from the oven with a large glass of ice cold milk. I made the mistake of halving the recipe the first time, and realized they went too fast. Make a batch today and thank me later!

Gooey Cinnamon Squares
Adaped from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
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Ingredients:
For the cookie base:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus extra for the pan
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk

For the Gooey Cinnamon Layer:
1/4 cup light corn syrup or honey
1/4 cup milk or half-n-half or heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

For the Topping:
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of an 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper, allowing the ends to hang over at least 2 inches. Coat pan with butter or cooking spray. Set aside.

Prepare the cookie base. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar baking soda and salt. In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream the butter with sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and milk and beat until combined. Stir in flour mixture until incorporated. Spread dough in an even layer in the prepared baking pan. Set aside.

Prepare the gooey layer. In a small bowl, whisk together corn syrup, milk, and vanilla. Set aside. In the bowl of the stand mixer (doesn't need to be cleaned from the previous use), cream the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until combined. Add the flour and corn syrup mixture alternately, mixing each time until all ingredients are incorporated. Dollop over the cookie base with a spatula or butter knife into an even layer.

Make the topping. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle liberally over the gooey layer. Bake until the edges have set and center is still gooey, about 25 to 30 minutes. Gooey layer may rise and fall, but will still be a bit liquidy under the cinnamon crust. Let cool completely on rack. Lift from pan using the parchment and cut into 1-inch squares. Squares can be kept covered at room temperature up to 1 week, if they last that long.

Yield: 7 dozen 1-inch squares

Review: Ahhh-mazing. These gooey cinnamon squares are like candy, you can't stop popping them in your mouth. Yes, I have been cooking like crazy out of Deb's cookbook, but this woman is genius. I still have a couple recipes to post that I have made and every recipe has been a winner so far. Buy her cookbook if you haven't already.

And my crazy cookie monster. You know I couldn't resist sharing this picture. She's going to hate me in 15 years for posting this.

Kahlua Cappuccino-Fudge Cheesecake

2013-02-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

No matter how you look at it birthdays are wonderful milestones in your life.

It's funny when I was younger like in my kiddo days, I absolutely loved birthdays. The silly excuse to eat cake, have an awesome party all in your honor and the insane amount of presents from your friends and family. Nowadays, my view on birthdays are "UGH, I'm getting old!" or "OMG, it's here again - another year has past?" Birthdays shouldn't be painful reminders of how old you are, but they should make you appreciate the simple and positive things that happened in the past year. The birth of my beautiful daughter, saying goodbye to the working world and becoming a stay at home mommy, and enjoying the love of my family and friends. Birthdays are your very own personal holiday, and that never gets old.

One of my favorite birthday celebrations is baking up my birthday cake. Some may think that this is silly that I bake up my own birthday cake, and that maybe I should buy a cake. Or maybe have my husband, bake me a cake - that might happen later down the road. I really love the baking challenge of finding my birthday cake and creating and enjoying it. It's my own private birthday relaxation and celebration all rolled into one special cake.

More importantly, this birthday cheesecake is my pride and joy. This scrumptious out of this world, OMG, there's so much chocolate and coffee yumminess that I could scream that you must eat this Kahlua Cappuccino-Fudge cheesecake. This was my pick to celebrate my awesome thirty + four birthday. There was no need for a big party, but a simple date night out with my husband for dinner and bowling! The only thing you need to know about this cheesecake are the main components: Coffee + chocolate + cheesecake + a little booze.

It all equals perfection in one coffee lover's dream in a cheesecake.

Kahlua Cappuccino-Fudge Cheesecake
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen & seen on Bon Appetit
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Ingredients:
For the Crust:
1 (9-ounce box) chocolate wafer cookies or 1 (15.5 ounce) Oreos with the cremes removed
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (chocolate chips would work)
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Kahlua Ganache:
1 1/2 cups heavy or whipping cream
20 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (chocolate chips would work)
1/4 cup Kahlua or other coffee-flavored liqueur

For the Filling:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum
1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder or instant coffee crystals
1 1/2 tablespoons ground whole espresso coffee beans (or use more espresso powder)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons molasses (light)
3 large eggs, room temperature

For the Topping:
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate covered espresso beans (optional)

Preparation:

Prepare the crust. Finely grind cookies, chopped chocolate, brown sugar, and nutmeg in a food processor. Add butter and process until crumbs stick together, scraping bowl down as needed. Transfer crumbs to a 9-inch springform pan. Using a large piece of plastic wrap, press down into crumb mixture firmly up sides to within 1/2 inch of top edge, then over bottom of pan.

Prepare the ganache. In a large saucepan over medium-low heat bring the heavy cream to simmer. Remove from heat, add chocolate and Kahlua. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted and ganache is smooth. Make sure there are no clumps. Pour 2 cups of ganache over bottom of crust. Freeze until ganache layer is firm, about 30 minutes. Reserve remaining ganache for topping, cover and let stand at room temperature until ready to use.

Prepare the filling. Position rack in the middle of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of the stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, mix cream cheese and sugar until completely incorporated. Scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in flour. In a small bowl, stir the rum, espresso powder, ground coffee, vanilla, and molasses until coffee dissolves. Add into cream cheese mixture. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Pour the filling over cold ganache into the crust. Place springform pan on rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour until top is brown, puffed and cracked at edges. Check if the center jiggles only slightly. Transfer cheesecake to cooling rack and let cool for 15 minutes adding topping. Keep the oven on.

Prepare the topping: In a small bowl, whisk sour cream, sugar and vanilla until completely mixed. Pour topping over hot cheesecake, spreading topping evenly over the top. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until topping is set. Transfer cheesecake to cooling rack. Place in refrigerator after 15 minutes until completely cool, about three to four hours. Preferably overnight.

When ready to decorate. Run a small sharp knife between crust and pan sides to loosen cake. Transfer cheesecake to serving platter. Spoon reserved ganache into a pastry bag fitted with small star tip. Pipe flowers around the edge of the cake, and if you want to go the extra mile, add diagonal lines atop cheesecake, be creative, and make a lattice if you desire. Garnish with chocolate-covered beans, if desired. Chill until lattice is firm, at least 6 hours.

Cooks Note: Cheesecake is best made a day ahead, so flavors have time to settle. There is a good amount of preparation and waiting and cooling time, so if you plan to make this the day you serve it...bake early in the morning.

Yield: 12 servings

Review: One sinfully decadent cheesecake to celebrate any fabulous birthday.

Happy Valentine's Day

2013-02-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Chive Risotto Cakes

2013-02-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Meatless Monday!

I had the most fantastic birthday weekend ever, and celebrated the big thirty plus four. My mom had stayed over our house for the past week and helped me out with Elena. There's nothing like having your mom around the house to help you with little things since I'm moving a little bit slower these days. (26 weeks pregnant!) I was able to get some much needed errands done, bake my birthday cheesecake, and have a wonderful date night out with my husband. Eric and I dined at one of our favorite restaurants, Pizzeria Mozza, and shared this tasty pizza and another one. It had brought back several yummy foodie memories from our vacation in Italy.

One of my favorite dishes from Italy is risotto. It's one of those fancy dishes that I crave something indulgent and rich. I have had trouble with indulgent and rich dishes with this pregnancy, but this is a dish that is on a level that my palate can appreciate. Maybe because it's fried and has cheese, who can say no to cheesy carbs? This is a fantastic recipe to use if you want something a little fancy for a weeknight dinner. You can easily opt to use leftover risotto, if by chance there were any leftovers. It's a versatile recipe that you can substitute other cheeses as well, but Italian Fontina is an excellent creamy cheese when melted. Make sure to use a cheese that melts well.

I served the chive risotto cakes with a spinach salad topped with roasted beets, cheese and walnuts drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette for a simple Italian inspired meal at home.

Chive Risotto Cakes
Adapted from Back to the Basics
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Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 1/2 cups Italian Fontina cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup panko
Olive Oil

Preparation:

Bring a large pot (4-quart) of water to a boil over medium-low heat and add 1/2 tablespoon salt and the arborio rice. Cook, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. The grains of rice will be quite soft. Drain the rice in a sieve and run under cold water until cool. Drain well.

Meanwhile, whisk together the yogurt, eggs, chives, Fontina, 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper in a medium bowl. Add the cooled rice and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, until firm.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

In a shallow dish, add the panko crumbs. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Form balls of rice mixture using a standard ice-cream scoop (2 1/4-inch) or a large spoon. Pat the balls into patties at least 3 inches in diameter and 3/4-inch thick.

Roll the patties in the panko, turning over to coat. Place the patties in the hot oil and cook, turning once, for about 3 minutes on each side until the risotto cakes are crisp and nicely browned. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and keep warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Continue cooking batches, adding oil as necessary, until all the cakes are fried. Arrange on a serving platter and serve immediately.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Review: Simply delicious. If you are craving a little protein, serve it with grilled chicken or perhaps a poached egg on top for a little extra flair. This dish reminds me of my fried macaroni and cheese bites but a little fancier.

My favorite picture of the three of us, or four of us from this past weekend. Of course, Elena and I are wearing matching headbands that I had made, but I think it looks cuter on her than me. Cupcake has been growing alot lately, and my belly is proof!

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

2013-02-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and it's not a typical holiday that Eric and I usually celebrate. We don't need a day to tell each other that we love each other, when we do that every day of the year. ;-) Plus, we are too busy celebrating my birthday which is in a couple of days. I already got a sweet early birthday gift of a much needed pre-natal massage. It was absolutely perfect and what made it even more perfect, the masseuse came to my house for the appointment. LOVE!

I do love Valentine's Day for the box of chocolates, the pretty heart decorations, and the decadent sweet treats. It's been a little difficult to resist the allure of something sweet lately, and my pregnancy cravings lately have been something sweet like cookies and brownies. These easy to prepare red velvet crinkle cookies are perfect when you need something sweet in a pinch. They have a beautiful light and dark contrast from the powdered sugar and you only need 5 ingredients to make this recipe. It's practically foolproof and a fantastic recipe. They are chewy in the middle and have a slight hint of chocolate.

Pure deliciousness!

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Adapted from The Novice Chef
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Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 box Red Velvet Cake Mix (18.25 ounce)
1 cup of white chocolate chips
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or baking silicone mat.

Place powdered sugar in a small shallow bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine butter, eggs and cake mix until there are no large lumps left. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls (about 1 tablespoon) and coat in powdered sugar. Place on cookie sheets at least 2 inches apart.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the tops have slightly cracked and the tops look set (the centers will be a little gooey but soooo yummy). Let sit for 5 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.

Serve immediately and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days, if they last that long!

Yield: 18 cookies

Review: Yummy! If you don't like red velvet or not a chocolate fan, you can easily substitute another boxed cake mix to make the crinkle cookies. You can use lemon, strawberry, or even the funfetti for a playful take on the crinkle cookie.

I love this little sweetie pie of mine, and she brings the biggest smile to my face everyday. Her favorite thing to do lately is tear apart the baby floor mats in her playpen. She will start with the corners and then rip off the letters and then madness ensues. It's impossible to tell her no when she's just having fun. At least the mess is contained!

Carrot Cake Bread

2013-02-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hello February! I love this month for so many reasons.

Superbowl is this upcoming weekend. I absolutely love the entertaining side of Superbowl, the fantastic foods, half-time show and the funny commercials. Plus, the main reason is because my birthday is in a week and we sorta celebrate it all month long. I'm really looking forward to my mom coming up and spending some time with Elena and us.

More importantly, grandma is babysitting so Eric and I can have a date night out for my birthday. Last month we had our first date night out without Elena, and it was probably harder for me than Elena. It took forever to get Elena to be trained on the bottle because she was a breastfed baby. I have slowly weaned her completely on the bottle, but this mama isn't ready to give up nursing Elena just yet. I haven't had any problems being pregnant and nursing, but it's time to give my body a break before cupcake arrives. He will need his milk supply, too!

I had made this scrumptious dessert because I was cleaning out my produce drawer. I hate when I don't use all my vegetables and they go bad, it's such a bad habit that I buy too much produce. Plus, I had some leftover cream cheese frosting that I didn't want to toss either. So I took a quick look at my ZipList Recipe Box app and found this perfect recipe. Eric absolutely loves carrot cake, so I knew that this would be a sweet treat to enjoy and he had plenty to share because he brought a tray to work for everyone to enjoy. Definitely a great quick bread to prepare for breakfast or dessert that tastes like carrot cake without the fuss.

Carrot Cake Bread
Adapted from A Cozy Kitchen & Cream Cheese Frosting Adapted from Joy the Baker
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Ingredients:
For the Bread:
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups coarsely grated carrots
1 can (8 ounce) sliced pineapple, drained and diced
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (sweetened works, too)
1/2 cup raisins

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces (1 bar) cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8x4 loaf pans or four 5x3 mini loaf pans.

In the bowl of the stand mixer, beat the eggs. Add the oil, sugar, and vanilla and mix until well incorporated.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add dry ingredients 1/3 at a time into the wet ingredients. Gently fold in the carrots, pineapple, raisins, walnuts, and shredded coconut.

Divide batter into the prepared loaf pans. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the bread for at least 10 minutes and turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Prepare the cream cheese frosting. Place cream cheese in the bowl of the stand mixer. Beat the cream cheese for 1 minute until is soft and workable. Add the butter and mix until combined on medium-low speed, scraping sides as needed. Add the salt, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat on low until incorporated. Frost cooled breads with frosting. Garnish with freshly grated carrots if desired.

Yield: Two 9x5 loaves

If you are looking for ideas for Superbowl, here are my suggestions:
Baked Tex Mex Pimento Cheese Dip, Fried Mac & Cheese Bites, Buffalo Chicken Tacos, & Tacos de Carnitas with Salsa Verde, Slutty Brownies & Pina-Colada Oatmeal Cookies.

Elena News: We visited the doctor this week for her 9 month check-up, and our next appointment is when she's 12 months = a freaked out mama! Her height and weight are above average, and I'm struggling to carry her 21 pounds at times! But she's growing great and keeps herself entertained with the silliest of things. She chose to play with her diaper box that I was using to store her toys. She chose to dump all the toys, and play only with the box not her toys. She loves to climb up on things, or pull herself up on our legs and stand for periods of time. We might have a walker sometime in the next month or so, and then the real trouble begins...baby proofing the entire house!

Foil Packet Soy-Lime Salmon with Green Beans

2013-01-29T07:00:00.000-08:00

One of my biggest gripes about being pregnant...the no eating sushi rule. UGH.

Something about the raw sushi being bad for a pregnant woman. Plus, there's a big foodie list of "Do not eat foods while pregnant," which I think is unreasonable because I think it's totally unfair to tell a pregnant woman what NOT to eat. However, the super duper awesome stretchy maternity full panel pants might make up for it because they are always perfect for those "OMG, I ate too much kind of nights." But all in all, I absolutely love being pregnant. My growing cupcake has been kicking up a storm lately, and it's always a joy to see your stomach move from left to right.

My solution for wanting sushi has been eating lots of cooked fish. For some reason in my second pregnancy - I have been craving the protein fish the most. Recently, Eric and I discovered Alaskan Steelhead salmon at our latest grocery shopping excursion at Costco and it's been one of our favorite types to purchase because it's really light and fresh. Before we have bought the fresh farmed Atlantic salmon and there was a subtle difference between the two. The Alaskan salmon seemed a lot more lighter on the palate.

This easy to prepare meal will take less than 10 minutes to put together and another 20 minutes to cook. The foil packet method in cooking the fish is similar to steaming the fish and it allows you to not overcook the fish. It seals in the flavor in the cooked salmon. The winning combination of soy and lime and spices would accentuate any type of salmon and it's definitely a healthy meal to enjoy. I served it with a side of basmati rice and maybe had lots of room for dessert afterwards, too.

Foil-Packet Soy-Lime Salmon with Green Beans
Adapted from Sunny Side Up & Confections of a Foodie Bride
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Ingredients:
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
2 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoon honey
Red pepper flakes
3 green onions, cut and divided (white and light green parts separated from dark green)
1 lime, quartered
Green beans, trimmed (about 12-15 per packet)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Sesame oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare foil cutting 4 sheets at least 12-14 inches long. Place a salmon fillet in the center of each foil. Place in a large skillet or baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and honey together. Brush each fillet with the sauce. Squeeze a lime over the fillet. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and the white and light green parts of the green onions. Top with green beans, sliced garlic, ginger, a drizzle of sesame oil, salt and pepper.

Seal the foil by bringing the sides together and pinching along the seam. Fold along the ends.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes before opening foil. Transfer to a plate, and serve with the rest of the green onions and any remaining sauce left in the foil packets.

Yield: 4 servings

Review: Fantastic healthy dish and perfect for those short on time when preparing dinner nights.

Whole Lemon Bars

2013-01-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

True story:

January is official start date of citrus season at our house and our lovely Meyer lemon and Valencia oranges are at full capacity right now. This past week I took my morning workout outside and plucked a huge bucket of oranges and lemons off the trees. While picking the oranges from the tree, I heard a woman's voice from behind my house asking if she could have some oranges. (There's street parking for the apartments that are located behind my house.) I said sure, here let me give you some and then I proceeded to hand her maybe about 15 to 20 oranges. She was happily delighted that I was giving her some free fruit, and I didn't care because I had already picked a bucket. Then I said wait, let me go get you a bag to carry them all. She was like you're too kind and asked me if I liked avocados. I said oh my goodness- for the past week I have been eating avocados and toast like it's my best friend - it's one of my pregnancy cravings right now. She offered to bring me a bag of avocados for my generosity, and I said that sounds like a sweet deal. I thanked her and couldn't believe my luck for being outside at the right moment.

Even though it was a total bizarre and friendly exchange - it was really nice to have the favor returned and I didn't anticipate it. I could have stingy and not given her any oranges, but since we had more oranges than we can eat and drink - it was just nice to be friendly....just because you never know. Now, I didn't have to pick a bucket of lemons to make this recipe and only needed one. After my morning workout, I quickly prepared these scrumptious whole lemon bars all in one bowl - the bowl of the food processor. They are not as tart as my go-to classic lemon bars, but they have a perfect balance of sweet and tart.

A scrumptious sweet treat to enjoy this citrus season.

Whole Lemon Bars
Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
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Ingredients:
For the Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks, plus extra for greasing pan

For the Filling:
*1 small-to-medium-sized lemon
1 1/3 cups sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar for garnishment

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and make sure the rack is placed in the middle of the oven. Line a 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Put one sheet along the bottom and up the sides in one direction and then place a second piece to cover the bottom and the other sides. Lightly butter or spray the paper and set the pan aside.

In the bowl of the food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture is sandy and will stick together when pinched. Place the dough crumbs into the prepared baking pan and press evenly across the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides. Prick the crust all over with a fork and bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. If the crust should bubble up, gently prick the area with a fork. Leave the oven on.

Prepare the filling in the food processor. Slice lemon in half, and if the white part of the skin is more than 1/4 inch thick- slice the lemons. If not, remove the skin from half of the lemon or the bitterness of pith can overwhelm the bars. To remove the skin, place the lemon cut-side-down on the cutting board, and remove the skin and pith from the entire half in downward cuts and remove. The second half, even if just as thick, can be used as is. Cut into slices.

Remove any seeds from the lemon slices and toss the lemon - flesh and peel - in the bowl of your food processor. Add the sugar, and run the machine until the lemon is thoroughly pureed, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the butter and run until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides of the food processor as needed. Add the eggs, cornstarch and salt and pulse until fully combined.

Pour the lemon mixture over the crust and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the filling is set. You can check if the middle jiggles slightly, then they are finished baking - if they are jiggling alot - bake for another 5 minutes or until the top has slightly browned.

Let the bars cool completely on rack or in the fridge. Gently lift the parchment paper and place on cutting board. Slice into squares and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

*Cooking notes: If you use Meyer lemons, which tend to have a thinner skin - they have the perfect balance of tart and fragrance. Reduce the sugar to 1 cup and use the lemon as is. No need to remove the skin. You can also double the recipe and bake in a 9x13 pan as well. I highly suggest doubling the recipe, because these lemon bars will disappear fast.

Yield: 16 bars

Review: Smack-tastic! Make these whole lemon bars now, and make a double batch because you'll find yourself wanting a whole pan to yourself. Luckily, I shared with some friends but I already find myself wanting to make another batch because they were the perfect after dinner dessert. Plus, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook is absolutely AWESOME...it's my go-to cookbook at the moment. I bought it for myself as an early birthday gift and there are TONS of recipes that are phenomenal. I absolutely love all of Deb's stories/recipes and all of her food photos makes your mouth water for everything in the cookbook. I might be cooking my way through her cookbook for the next month or two!

Smoky Pork Tinga Tacos

2013-01-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I get hit with intense cravings for certain foods. For a couple weeks now, I have been craving a maple bar donut. By the way, did you know in the east coast - they call them Long Johns? Sooo bizarre! I have made several big hints telling my husband, it would be his best intention that since he was going out, that maybe he should buy me a donut. Eric, being the wonderful husband that he is, finally gave in to my craving when he had a night out and I got stuck home because we couldn't find a babysitter. Oh yes, that maple bar was pretty smack-tastic.

And at least once a week, I have intense cravings for Mexican food. You know yummy foods like tacos, carnitas, chips and salsa and lots of guacamole. Since our favorite Mexican restaurant is located an hour away in LA - I usually prepare most of these yummy foods at home. Utilizing my favorite kitchen appliance, the crockpot, makes this meal a no-brainer. Put everything in the crockpot in the morning, and let it simmer away all day and you have a fantastic meal waiting by dinnertime.

Taco Tuesday is where it's at!

Smoky Pork Tinga Tacos
Adapted from Apple A Day
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Ingredients:
For the Marinade:
1 pound redskin or Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted)
3 to 4 chipotles in adobo, diced finely
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from chipotles
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

For Serving:
4 ounce fresh Mexican chorizo sausage (optional)
24 warm corn tortillas
1 cup crumbled Mexican Queso Fresco or Queso Seco or other fresh soft cheese, i.e. feta or goat cheese
2 large avocados, sliced or diced

Preparation:

Layer the potatoes over the bottom of the slow cooker and top with pork.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes (with their juices), chipotles, adobo sauce, Worcestershire, oregano, garlic and onion and about 1 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pour the mixture evenly over the the meat and potatoes. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours or low about 10 hours.

When ready to serve, fry up the chorizo (if using) then mix together with pork, breaking it into smaller pieces. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve with warm tortillas, queso fresco, and avocados for soft tacos.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Review: Spicy tacos with a kick and so easy to prepare. This meal makes plenty, so if you are looking for something to prepare for plenty - this would be ideal. Serve it up for Superbowl or playoffs this coming weekend!

Elena News: I got her infectious laugh on video and click on the link to check it out. She's a ham!
Elena Laugh

Baked Coffee Cake French Toast

2013-01-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

Yay it's Friday!

I love LOVE love our lazy weekends at home. I love staying in my pj's all day watching endless episodes of CSI, or How I Met Your Mother or whatever movie marathon that Eric and I decide on. I absolutely love seeing Elena cuddle up with her daddy when she's sleepy. I love taking naps on the couch with Elena because she smells so good, like my precious baby. Family filled weekends are a must-do for us every weekend even if we don't have any plans. The only thing that matters on the weekends are the three of us...soon to be four!

This recipe is a must try because it combines two of my favorite breakfasts into one. This is so much easier than regular french toast and it's very similar to a breakfast bread pudding. What made this breakfast more enjoyable, is that IF you plan ahead and prepare it the night before - you have time to savor those extra zzz's in the morning. Pop it in the oven while preparing your coffee, fry up some bacon or go ahead and feed your little one breakfast while this quickly bakes up. The whole house will smell like cinnamon and maple syrup.

Decadent and delicious!

Baked Coffee Cake French Toast
Adapted from Joy the Baker
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Ingredients:
For the French Toast:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
10 slice stale white or whole wheat sandwich bread *I used Kings Hawaiian Round Bread
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
For the topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
Powdered sugar & fresh pomegranate arils or fresh berries for garnish

Preparation:

Prepare the french toast: Melt butter in an 8-inch cast iron (or any oven-friendly) skillet. Coat the entire pan, including the sides of the skillet with melted butter. Remove from heat.

Slice the bread diagonally. Fan and stack the bread atop the melted butter, cut side down, point side up.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla. Once well incorporated, pour the custard over the bread slices into the skillet. Gently press the bread slices into the custard to coat, don't worry not all bread slices will be completely submerged in the egg mixture.

Cover the skillet with plastic wrap and refrigerate for anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight.

When ready to bake, place the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Prepare the topping. Whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Use your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is in pea-sized lumps. Remove the soaked bread from the refrigerator and sprinkle with crumb topping.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the custard has set and the bread tops are toasted. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over the top of the french toast and scoop into bowls to serve. Garnish with pomegranate arils or fresh berries if desired.

Best served the day it is baked.

Yield: 6 servings

Review: Absolutely delicious. I'm in love with pomegranate arils because they are so fun to eat and taste like little sour candies that are good for you. I highly recommend the sweet Hawaiian bread or challah bread for a different texture or even sourdough.

Elena News: She's crawling all around the house and on the verge of standing up by herself. Right now I'm so in love with our latest order of headbands from Jameson Monroe. We joined the "headband of the month club" and I highly recommend it! I have been making our headbands for Elena and I but sometimes you gotta splurge. She's such a ham for the camera biting her blanket away. Her two bottom teeth have been bothering her like crazy for the past couple of weeks. She might turn 9 months and still have no teeth, but that still doesn't stop her from enjoying food either!

Cantaloupe Agua Fresca

2013-01-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

There are many simple pleasures in life that make you go hmmmmmmm.

They are unexpected gifts of life that make you smile and enjoy that moment for as long you want. Things like seeing your baby crawling around the house and on the verge of taking her first steps. We have an ottoman set up in the center of our living room, and I usually have to put my slippers on top of it so Elena won't eat them. She's figured out how to pull herself up and grab my slippers regardless! The little booger loves to munch on shoes anyway she can but I'm super proud mama on her little steps to walking, too.

Sometimes when you receive an unexpected gift in the mail from a dear friend. I recently got a children's book for cupcake because my friend knew it would be perfect for us. It really makes you appreciate the value of your friendship and wished that you lived 10 minutes closer than 100,000 miles away. Thank you again Betsy for the wonderful book, "You are my Cupcake" is the perfect first book for my foodie kiddos.

Or sometimes it's the first sip of a beverage especially when you are really thirsty. You just finished cleaning the house or finished ten loads of laundry. The only thing you want is something ice cold to quench your thirst. When you are really thirsty, that first sip of any liquid beverage is pure bliss. This cantaloupe aqua fresca translates to "fresh cantaloupe water" in Spanish, is exactly what it - refreshing and the perfect way to quench your thirst.

Cool and refreshing!

Cantaloupe Agua Fresca
Adapted from Chow
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{Printable Recipe}
Ingredients:
1 (3 pound) ripe cantaloupe or other melon, diced (about 4 cups)
3 cups cold water
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar, plus more as needed
Ice

Preparation:

Place the cantaloupe, 1 1/2 cups water, lime juice and sugar in a blender and puree until smooth.

Strain through a fine mesh strainer over a large pitcher, using a ladle or wooden spoon to press down on the solids. Discard the solids.

Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups water and stir to combine. Taste and add more sugar as needed. Refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour. Serve over ice.

Yield: 5 cups

Review: Best way to use ripe melon, and this recipe happened on accident. I bought cantaloupe hoping to eat it but I left it in the grocery bag and overnight it had ripened. Rather than toss it, I came across this simple recipe. Watermelon would be another great aqua fresca to enjoy, too!

Cupcake News: I can't believe I'm more than halfway over with my pregnancy. Here's last week's bump pic of me at 22 weeks! Cupcake is all belly compared to Elena. I'm starting to slow down a bit, and I sometime get bursts of energy. On Sunday night, I randomly wanted to clean the kitchen - from the countertops to the kitchen island and appliances because I wanted everything spotless.

Orange Gingerbread Squares with Cream Cheese Frosting

2013-01-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

TGIF!!

Don't you just love Fridays? It's probably my favorite day of the week because I know it leads up to the nice family-filled weekend. I look forward to the wonderful Saturday breakfast that Eric prepares of my favorite pumpkin pancakes. Plus, he's a pretty awesome husband because lets me sleep in a little bit extra, too. I love walking in on him in the kitchen while he is dancing or singing with Elena. Best husband and cutest daddy ever, right?

One of my pet peeves that I am trying to work on for the New Year is the insane amount of foodie magazines that I have subscriptions to and the numerous cookbooks that I own collecting dust. I want to focus on utilizing my cookbook collection that I have stocked up and making recipes from my magazines. I try and keep one or two cookbooks out and use it for the month or so. Plus, I'll make whatever challenging recipe that I find from my magazines - it's always fun when I try to plan our meals for the week.

One of my favorite cookbooks that I can't stop cooking from is Joy the Baker's. Her kitchen sink carrot cake, and apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies and a couple others that I'm working on posting on....are all pretty spectacular. I know this dessert sounds something holiday-ish but I am a little late in sharing this scrumptious recipe. We enjoyed these bars with the family during Christmas Eve and they were a perfect seasonal addition. But just because the Christmas holidays are over, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't enjoy these easy to prepare orange gingerbread squares. It's called dessert for a reason, and that's a year round treat!

Orange Gingerbread Squares with Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Joy the Baker
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Ingredients:
For the Squares:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 unsulfured molasses (not blackstrap)
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons orange zest
3/4 cup hot water
For Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 bar cream cheese bar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Pomegranate Seeds for garnish

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, making sure the rack is in the center of the oven. Grease and flour an 8x8-inch or (9-inch) square baking pan. Set aside.

To make the squares, in a large bowl whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl or the bowl of the stand mixer at medium speed, whisk together vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs until thick and pale. Add molasses, honey and orange zest and mix until combined.

Add flour mixture to the egg mixture and slowly fold together with a spatula. Add the hot water and mix until combined until batter is smooth and velvety.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan before frosting.

While squares cool, prepare frosting.

Place cream cheese in the bowl of the stand mixer. Beat the cream cheese for about 1 minute, until is soft and workable. Add the butter and mix until combined on medium-low speed, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the salt, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat on low until incorporated.

Frost the squares and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds before serving. Cut into squares.

Yield: 12 to 16 squares
Squares can be refrigerated and be stored for at least 3 days.

Review: Simply scrumptious. One of my favorite holiday desserts that didn't involve lots of prep time. This would be a perfect addition to a brunch or any family gathering. This would be a sweet Valentine dessert, too!