Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

As you know, I would eat cardboard if it had nutella on it. So I was totally excited when my friend shared the link to this recipe! I love how soft and chewy these cookies stayed (I only baked them for 10 minutes), but would probably like them better if the nutella flavor was more pronounced. I may try adding extra nutella in the future, just to see how it turns out. Enjoy!

Source: Kirbie's Cravings Food Blog
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup Nutella
1-1/2 cups chocolate chips


Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prep baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, the sugar and the brown sugar. Add the eggs and the vanilla until combined.

4. Gradually add the flour until the mixture is combined.

5. Then mix Nutella. Finally add in the chocolate chips.

6. Use ice cream scoop and drop on baking sheets and bake for 9-11 minutes.

"Baked" Potato Soup

This is the third soup I've made this week, and for someone who's always been leery of soups, it's been surprisingly simple, fun, and not time consuming. And this may be THE BEST SOUP I've ever eaten. It comes again, you guessed it, from Smitten Kitchen. There isn't any actual potato baking required, which definitely saves time. The "baked" idea is inspired by the toppings. It is a very thick soup, so, if you'd like it a bit soupier, either skip the blending step at the end, or add the extra broth with the sour cream. I personally loved it thick and made sure the leave it a bit chunky. Of course, in my opinion, bacon is an indispensable topping.

*Below is the recipe as written on Smitten Kitchen, along with her notes. I followed them just as written.

Serves 6

1 head garlic
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise, washed, and chopped small
5 to 6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (I used 5 cups; add the extra cup after pureeing if you’d like a thinner soup)
2 bay leaves
Table salt
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup sour cream
Ground black pepper

Toppings, optional:
Minced fresh chives or scallions
Bacon bits
Sour cream
Grated cheddar
A drizzle of melted (or melted and browned) butter

Rinse the head of garlic to remove any outside grit or dirt. Cut the top third off the head and peel any loose papery skins off the bottom two-thirds. Instead of discarding the top third (CI’s suggestion), pop out a bunch (or all) of the garlic clove tips and mince them. If you’re Deb, breathe a sigh of relief that you have wasted nothing.

In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add leeks and cook them until soft (but not brown), about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook another minute. Add the larger part of the garlic head (whole, not chopped), broth, bay leaves and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat and simmer until garlic is very tender when pierced with tip of knife, 30 to 40 minutes. Add potatoes and continue to simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Discard bay leaves. Remove garlic heads. Optional: If you’d like an extra garlic boost to the soup, using tongs or paper towels, squeeze garlic head at root end until cloves slip out of their skins. Using a fork, mash the garlic cloves to smooth paste and add it back to the soup. [I felt our soup was garlicky enough without this. It had a great suggestion of garlic without overpowering the baked potato flavor.]

Add sour cream to soup and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper to taste. Using immersion blender, process soup until chunky-creamy, leaving lots of potato texture intact. (Alternatively, transfer a portion of the potatoes and broth to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.) Serve with whatever makes you happy on top, or nothing at all.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

This chili is superb! Even better than that, it doesn't have to sit in the crockpot all day! I grilled some chicken breasts earlier in the day and shredded them. Then I added it with the spices! So easy and really tasty! I also made the bleu cheese cornbread, which complemented the chili really well, but next time I'll probably use a bit less cheese, so it's not so overpowering. I will DEFINITELY be making this again!!!!

This recipe come from Beth Cooks.

Chili adapted from this Rachael Ray recipe

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), 1 turn of the pan

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

2 pounds ground chicken (I used shredded breasts)

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 celery ribs, finely chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped (optional)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (half a palmful)

1 teaspoon ground coriander (one-third palmful)

1 tsp paprika

12 ounces beer (your favorite brew)

1/2 cup cayenne pepper hot sauce (Franks!)

One 15-ounce can tomato sauce

One 8.5-ounce Jiffy-brand corn muffin mix prepared according to package instructions

3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 4 ounces)

I can beans (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat a medium Dutch oven or large skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, and the butter and melt together. Add the chicken and cook, breaking up the meat, for 6 minutes. Add the garlic, celery, onion, carrot and jalapeño. Season with salt, pepper, cumin and coriander, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beer and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Concentrate the flavor of the beer by reducing the mixture over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the hot sauce and the tomato sauce. Add beans if using. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the chili for 15 minutes.

**For cornbread: Mix according to package instructions and place in 8x8 baking dish. Sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles. Bake for 20 -25 minutes.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Squares

These were deemed delicious by my husband, who doesn't even like cheesecake! That's pretty high praise, I think. They come from Smitten Kitchen, where it is becoming increasingly more dangerous for me, because each time I open the page to use a recipe, I find three more I HAVE to try! Not cool... but oh so yummy! I don't have a double boiler, and I was a bit hesitant about making the dulce de leche, but it turned out fine. Also, my cheesecake came out a bit lumpy and I baked it too long, but the chocolate glaze covered a multitude of sins! I would make sure your cream cheese is really softened so it's beats in more easily.

Makes 64 (1-inch) cheesecake squares

For crust
3 1/2 oz graham crackers, crumbled (1cup)
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For filling
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4-oz envelope, will be just about half an envelope)
1/4 cup whole milk
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup dulce de leche (12 1/2 oz) (recipe follows)

For glaze
3 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), coarsely chopped
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons light corn syrup

Make crust: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with 2 sheets of foil (crisscrossed), leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.

Finely grind crackers with sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor. With motor running, add butter, blending until combined. Press mixture evenly onto bottom of baking pan. Bake 10 minutes, then cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes.

Make filling: Sprinkle gelatin over milk in a small bowl and let stand 2 minutes to soften. Beat together cream cheese, eggs, salt, and gelatin mixture in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes, then stir in dulce de leche gently but thoroughly. Pour filling over crust, smoothing top, then bake in a hot water bath (I was able to fit mine in a 9×13-inch baking pan) in oven until center is just set, about 45 minutes. Cool cheesecake completely in pan on rack, about 2 hours. Chill, covered, at least 6 hours.

Glaze cake within 2 hours of serving: Heat all glaze ingredients in a double boiler or a small metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth, then pour over cheesecake, tilting baking pan to coat top evenly. Chill, uncovered, 30 minutes.

Lift cheesecake from pan using foil overhang and cut into 1-inch squares with a thin knife, wiping off knife after each cut. (Don’t skip this step! A clean knife is essential for uber-neat squares.)

Note: Cheesecake (without glaze) can be chilled up to 3 days.

Dulce de Leche (Milk Caramel)

I know that most of the world makes this by boiling the milk inside a closed can, but honestly, that scares the bejesus out of me and according to the Carnation can label I pulled this technique from, is not recommended by them (likely because they do not want to get sued, but still). This method works just as well.

Pour one can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk into top of double-boiler pan; cover. Place over boiling water. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 40 to 50 minutes, or until thick and light caramel-colored.

Remove from heat. Whisk until smooth.

Horseradish Chive Bread

Preheat oven to 375º. Mash 1 stick room- temperature unsalted butter with 2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish and 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives until smooth. Season with coarse salt (I skipped the salt). Slice 1 large French bread loaf (or 2 small loaves), without cutting all the way through. Generously spread butter mixture evenly onto each piece, adn wrap loaf in foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve warm.

This is really super delicious and super easy! You could used whatever bread you have on hand, really. I didn't use french bread either time I've made it because the bakery didn't have any either time!

Boeuf Bourguignon Soup

This recipe comes from a recent issue of Martha Stewart Living. It is delicious, and pretty easy as soup recipes go. I've never been a big fan of making soup-- too much chopping, too much planning ahead and simmering. But maybe making more soup can be part of me growing as a person! I made it even easier by using pre- cut stew meat instead of short ribs.

4 bone-in short ribs (2 inches thick, 2 lbs total) * I used about 2.5 lbs of beef stew meat.

coarse salt and pepper

2 tsp. cornstarch

2 Tbsp. EVOO

8 ounces white button mushrooms, quartered

3 carrots, 2 finely chopped and 1 cut into 3/4- in. cubes

3 shallots, minced

2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

2 strips bacon, thinly sliced crosswise * as per my MO, I used 3 slices

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

2 thyme sprigs

1 dried bay leaf

1 C. dry red wine, such as Burgundy * I used [yellow tail] pinot noir

8 C. homemade or store- bought low- sodium beef stock * I love how they specified homemade or store- bought-- aren't those the only two kinds?

2 C. water

1. Season ribs (or stew meat) with 1/2 tsp. salt and some pepper. Coat with cornstarch. heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium- high heat. Lightly brown ribs on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

2. Add mushrooms to pot. Cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add cubed carrot to same bowl. Set aside.

3. Add shallots, celery, bacon, and chopped carrots to pot. Cook until caramelized, about 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste.

4. Return ribs with plate juices to pot. Add thyme and bay leaf. Raise heat to high. Add wine. Cook, scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon, until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add stock and water. bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until beef is tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

5. (Remove ribs. Separate meat from bones; discard. Cut meat into bite- size pieces; return to pot.) * You can skip previous step if you use stew meat. Add reserved mushroom- carrot mixture. Bring to a simmer; cook until cubed carrots are tender. Season with salt.

I cooked whole wheat egg noodles (about 6 oz probably) and added them right before serving, just to give the soup a bit more substance.

Soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw before using. Skim fat from top and reheat.

This was really SOOOO good. You can see how using the stew meat simplifies this recipe immensely. I am picky about my stew meat though, because it is so often tough and yucky. I have had great luck with the stew meat at Right by Nature (they'll cut it for you if they don't have any in the case). This time, I used meat from Giant Eagle because I was there. I used a mixture of Nature's basket natural beef stew meat and their angus beef stew meat. I was very pleased with how it turned out-- tendered up quite nicely-- no gristle to speak of.

I am also posting the recipe for Horseradish chive bread, which in insanely good and goes insanely well with this soup!

White Chicken Chili

This recipe comes from my cousin-in-law, Cydney. As a bonus, it is gluten- free. I made one adjustment to the recipe since we were making it for friends and one of them doesn't eat beans. So below is the recipe just as Cydney shared it with me. Below that I will add my very teeny adjustment.

white chicken chili
3 cups cooked and diced chicken breast
1/2 cup onion finely chopped
2 cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained (i've also used black, which was DE-licious, but kinda takes away from the "white chili" name. i guess you could call it "black and white chili", but that doesn't sound as appetizing)
2 cans chicken broth
1 can (7 oz) chopped green chilis **(I used two 4 oz cans because I couldn't find 7 oz cans)
1 cup frozen corn *optional
2 tbsp corn starch
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt or regular salt
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup half & half
shredded cheese for topping

cook the chicken, set it aside and let it cool, then cube it. in the same pan, cook the onion until tender, then add 1 can of broth mixed with the corn starch to make a "gravy". in the crockpot goes the chicken, gravy, other can of broth, beans, chili, and seasonings. cook this on low for 3-5 hours. just before serving add the corn, sour cream, and half&half and make sure it's heated through before serving. yum! top with shredded cheese and tortilla chips, if you so desire.

** As a substitute for the beans, I cooked white rice according to package directions (it was 1 3/4 C. water, salt, butter, and 1 cup rice, supposed to = approx. 3 C. cooked rice) and added it to the crock pot when I added the sour cream and half & half. It turned out really well. I may play around with some beans and some rice in future variations, but suffice it t say, we did not miss the beans! This was super yummy, super easy chili. I anticipate it will be a staple at our house, just like Cyd says it is at hers.

Creamy Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

I made this for company this past Sunday, and we were all quite delighted with it. I can't wait to make them again. I put the whole casserole together before church, covered it in foil, and stuck it in the fridge. After church, I turned on the oven, set the casserole on top to warm up a bit, and then baked it according to the recipe. Turned out great! I left off the cilantro, because it's not one of our favorite flavors, and we didn't miss it at all. And I used black beans because they are our favorite.

*Serves 4-6

Filling:
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 (4 oz.) cans of green chiles, lightly drained
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed, softened
1 can white or black beans, rinsed and drained (you can really use any type of bean you prefer here)

Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup chicken broth
¼ cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 can (7 ounce) green chile enchilada sauce
½ cup sour cream

8 ounces (about 2 cups) Monterey jack cheese, shredded
8 medium (soft taco size) flour tortillas
Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and green chiles. Mix well. Add the chicken and black beans. Mix to combine. Set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce and sour cream.

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Fill each tortilla with about ½ cup of the chicken/cream cheese filling. Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple tablespoonfuls for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 cup cheese for the top of the enchiladas. Roll the tortillas up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full (I can easily fit 8 enchiladas in one pan).

Pour the white sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.

Recipe Source: My Kitchen Cafe (melskitchencafe.com)

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

I copied this recipe directly from Smitten Kitchen. I'm going to say a few things here, and you're going to have to pretend like I'm not slightly obsessed with this website. First, I've never made anything bad when using her recipes. Second, she takes beautiful pictures and writes funny stuff in her posts-- both bonuses. Third, she does this cool thing where each post has what she posted that day one year ago, two years ago, etc, which is a really fun way to find recipes you might never see/ try. If you ever need something, but you're not sure what, just go to her site, type in a keyword, and you're likely to find one of your future favorite recipes.

All that said, since my blog is a pale shadow compared hers, one of the things I'm going to try to work on is getting pictures up with my recipes... but don't hold your breath.

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Adapted from Good to the Grain

Unlike most cookies, where spreading is a cause for concern, here, it is encouraged as it leads to a thinner, lacier cookie. (More or less, you want to do the opposite of everything suggested here.) Because the condition of my baking sheets isreprehensible, I lined mine with parchment paper instead of buttering them, but unfortunately, this impeded the spreading a little. I’m sure you all have unblemished and lovely baking sheets, and therefore are encouraged to butter them, as the recipe suggests.

Aside from playing around with the flours, my other changes were to streamline the oat measurement to include the oats you can use to make oat flour. I added weights as well, but don’t use them for the alternatively suggested flours, as they may weight more or less.

Yield: 30 3-inch cookies (with a 2 tablespoon or #40 scoop), larger if your spread more

Butter for baking sheets
2 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon (8 1/4 ounces or 231 grams) old fashioned oats
1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces or 65 grams) whole wheat flour
1 cup (4 3/8 ounces or 125 grams) all-purpose flour*
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoons (20 grams) baking powder
1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda
2 teaspoons kosher salt**
1 cup (8 3/8 ounces or 238 grams) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces or 100 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (2 grams) cinnamon
1 teaspoon (2 grams) freshly grated nutmeg (I used less, because I was nutmeg-wary, but wouldn’t have minded more)
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs

Icing:
2 1/4 (9 1/2 ounces or 270 grams) cups powdered sugar
5 to 6 (75 to 90 ml) tablespoons whole milk
1 tablespoon (6 grams) cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt**

Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Rub two baking sheets with butter. In a food processor, grind 1/2 cup of oats to a fine powder, then add remaining oats and grind them all together until it resembles coarse meal, with only a few large flakes remaining.

Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl, pouring back any bits of grains or other ingredients that remain in the sifter. In a small bowl, whisk butter and eggs until combined. Using a spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Scoop balls of dough about 2 to 3 tablespoons in size (I used a #40 cookie scoop, which scooped 2 tablespoon-sized balls) onto cookie sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. When tops are evenly brown, take them out and transfer them to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining cookie dough. Let cookies cool completely before icing.

In a bowl, whisk icing ingredients together until smooth. It should have a honey-like consistency. Drizzle the frosting over the cookies. Let the frosting set for 30 minutes (or more; it took longer at my place but by the next day, was fully firmed up) before eating. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

* The original recipe replaced this volume with a multigrain flour mix that worked out to 1/2 cup barley flour + 1/4 cup millet flour + 1/4 cup rye flour. If you have any of these flours, swap them in and reduce the volume of all-purpose.

** Saltiness of kosher salt varies by brand. I’d recommend 2 teaspoons if you use Diamond kosher salt, and about half as much if you use Morton kosher salt or another brand.

Ok, here are my (Emily's) notes: I used parchment on my cookie sheets because I wanted fatter, softer cookies and that is what I got-- YUM! Also, I used half or less of the salt in the recipes (for cookies and icing) because I was just using plain old Morton's iodized salt.

Nutella Fudge

Yes, you read that right, it says nutella fudge. I almost had a conniption fit when I found this over at Beth Cooks, after being referred there by my friend, Stephanie. Simple, delicious, totally shareable, and definitely party worthy if you're in need of something quick and easy to take to your next shindig!

Drumroll, please:

Adapted from Cooking Canuck

Butter, for greasing pan
1 (14 oz. ) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz. high-quality bittersweet (60% cacao) chocolate chips**
1 cup Nutella, room temperature
3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Sea salt, approximately 1/2 tsp

** I used bittersweet baking squares because they didn't have any chips that dark.

Grease the bottom and sides of an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with butter. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overlap on the sides.

In a medium glass or stainless steel bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, bittersweet chocolate chips, Nutella, and butter.

Form a double-boiler by setting the bowl on a medium pot of gently simmering water. The water level should be low enough that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir until the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth, 5 to 7 minutes.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, spread the top smooth with a spatula, and sprinkle with sea salt. Refrigerate until the fudge is firm, at least 2 hours.

Run a knife under hot water, dry it off, and run it around the edges of the pan to loosen the fudge. Using the overhanging parchment paper, lift the fudge out. Peel off the parchment paper. Cut the fudge into 3/4-inch squares. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil.

Makes approximately 50 3/4-inch squares.

Garlic Pretzels

All credit goes to my sister-in-law, Kate Sawyer, on this one. So glad she shared this recipe with me. It's one of my favorite snacks now, and I make them regularly! Yummy and simple-- seems to be my mantra.

2 boxes (or bags, 1 lb. each) Snyder's sourdough pretzel knots.

mix together: 1 C. vegetable oil, 1 tsp. lemon pepper, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, & 1 tsp. dill weed

Break pretzels into bite size pieces. Pour oil mixture over pretzels and stir. Allow to sit several hours, stirring occasionally. They get better the longer they sit, but do remember to stir every once in awhile.

Peanut Noodles and Chicken

This is a winner on every level. Simple ingredients (I left off the bean sprouts and will do without the cucumber next time)-- you might actually have them all in your kitchen already! It was quick and yummy. I'm excited to try it as leftovers tomorrow!

1/2 lb. linguine

2 Tbsp. light soy sauce

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1/2 C. peanut butter

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 C. hot water

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 lb. cooked chicken, shredded (I cooked the chicken on our Foreman Grill earlier in the day and shredded it after it had cooled).

1/2 cucumber, peeled and cut into 2-in matchsticks

1/2 C. bean sprouts

1. Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.

2. Mix together the soy sauce, lemon juice and cornstarch. In a medium-size saucepan, combine peanut butter, garlic, sugar, red pepper flakes and 1/2 cup hot water. Whisk in the soy sauce mixture and bring to a simmer. Whisk until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in the sesame oil.

3. In a large bowl, toss together linguine, chicken and peanut butter mixture. If you choose to use them, scatter cucumber and bean sprouts over the top and serve at room temperature.

This recipe is another from the Oct 2010 Family Circle.

Berry French Toast

This is a super yummy simple breakfast that you might be able to make with what's already in your kitchen.

This recipe is adapted from the October 2010 Family Circle.

1 package (8 oz) reduced- fat cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp light sour cream

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 C. berries (the recipe called for chopped strawberries, but I used blueberries)

8 slices bread (I used challah because that's really all I use for french toast)

4 eggs

1 C. milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1. Beat together cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and 1/2 tsp vanilla. You could fold your fruit into this topping, or leave it separate, as I did.

2. Mix eggs, milk, 1 tsp vanilla, and spice in a large bowl. Dip bread slices one at a time and fry on hot griddle until browned on both sides.

We spread the topping like butter (it was pretty thick) and sprinkled the blueberries on top, but you can do it however you'd like it. We also used the topping as a spread for pumpkin doughnt muffins later that day.

Four Cheese Mac and Cheese with Bacon

The only thing that could have made this better is more bacon! And, I kid you not, it tasted better as leftovers two days later! Win- win.

This recipe comes from the October 2010 Family Circle.

** disclaimer: This might be the most unhealthy recipe I have ever made! :) Yum, yum.

1 box (1 lb) cavatappi

6 slices bacon, diced (I will probably use 8 next time)

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

3 Tbsp all- purpose flour

2 C. milk

1/2 tsp. onion flakes

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 C. shredded colby-jack cheese

1 C. shredded mozzarella

8 slices Kraft deli deluxe American cheese

1. Heat oven to 350º. Coat a 3 qt. broiler- safe baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling.

2. Cook cavatappi 8 minutes in boiling water, then drain. Meanwhile, in a medium sized saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, 6 minutes. Transfer to paper towels. Carefully pour off all but 2 Tbsp. drippings (I pretty much poured it all off). Add butter.

3. Whisk in flour until smooth. In a thin stream, whisk in milk. Stir in onion flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium- high heat, then reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. In a large bowl, toss together cheddar colby- jack, and mozzarella.

4. Remove milk mixture from heat, whisk in American cheese (I broke it up a bit to make it melt faster) and 1 1/4 C. of the cheddar mixture. Toss bacon pieces with remaining shredded cheese.

5. In pasta pot, combine cooked pasta and cheese sauce. Pour half into prepared dish. Sprinkle with a generous cup of the bacon- cheese mixture. Repeat layers.

6. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes. Increase oven temp. to broil and broil 2 minutes, until top is lightly browned. Cool slightly before serving.

I mean, seriously, YUM!