Making Crayons

    As an elementary school teacher, I have access to a LOT of crayons.  Each year I buy boxes and boxes of crayons and it seems as though the reds, the browns, and the blacks dissappear half way through the year.  I'm not talking about violet-red, red-violet, red-orange, etc. I'm talking about your basic red, brown, and black.  Also, I always end up with about 20 white crayons that have not been touched.  Another issue I'm always having is that the crayons get broken into little tiny pieces that no one wants to use.

    Last year I finally came up with a solution.  I had 2 silicone molds just sitting in my cupboard at home when I had the idea to melt down my old, broken crayons and make fun new ones!  I have a star mold and a flower mold.  The first time I did this I gathered up all the broken crayons, nasty crayons, "nudie" crayons, and the white crayons.  If they were a little bit longer then I'd like I broke them into smaller pieces.  Then I grouped them into colors.  The blues (light blue, dark blue, cornflower blue, blue-purple, etc) all went into a pile.  I then split up the white pieces in between all the groups.

    Next I put like colors into the molds together.  I heated them in the oven until they liquified and then took the out to cool.  Once they had cooled they were easy to pop out.  I took them to school and the kids were fighting to use them because they were so cool.  I ended up making them again for Christmas and giving them to the kids as gifts.  They loved them!  This is also a great project for kids to help with.

Homemade Crayons

2-3 cups of broken, peeled, crayons

Silicone baking mold

1.  Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Put each of your silicone baking molds on a cookie sheet.

2.  Peel the paper off the crayons and break into small pieces if needed.  Group the crayons by color.

3.  Put the crayons in the molds acording to color filling to the top.  Put in the oven on the baking sheet for 15 minutes (or until they are completly melted). 

4.  Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheets for 15 minutes.  Take the silicone molds off the baking sheets and place on a cooling rack and additional 20 mintues.  Pop out and enjoy!

Martha Stewart's Toffee

     I had several people I wanted to send homemade gifts to this holiday season. I originally thought of making homemade cookies, but I do that every year. I also feel like around the holidays there are always cookies around. I recalled someone making toffee and went on a search for a good toffee recipe.

     I decided on Martha Stewart’s recipe. It seemed easy enough-boy was I wrong. It took a lot longer to come to temperature then the directions state. Then, I was able to get the toffee out of the cookie sheet pans, but not out of the baking dish. I fought the good fight with the baking dish and the baking dish won. I had to throw out the entire pan because it wouldn’t come out. The other toffee came out greasy on the bottom because of the cookie spray. I was seriously distraught.

     However, after letting the toffee dry out for 24 hours, the bottoms dried out and the toffee hardened. It turned out rather tasty. I have to admit that while it took some series effort, the toffee was worth it.   It was great to give as gifts and people told me how much they enjoyed it. Next time I’d make sure I have several types of nuts to sprinkle on the toffee and I’ll use all baking sheets and line them with parchment paper so the bottoms won’t be greasy.

Martha Stewart’s Toffee (slightly adapted from Martha Stewart)
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
¼ c. light corn syrup
½ c. water
2 ½ c. sugar
1 pound chocolate almond bark, chopped into pieces
2 c. almonds, finely chopped
Cooking spray

1. Spray a 15 x 10 baking pan, a 9 x 13 baking pan, and an 8 inch square baking pan with baking spray.

2. In a large saucepan combine butter, sugar, water, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over high heat stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir an additional 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stop stirring. Place a candy thermometer on the side of the pan.

3. Let the mixture come to a boil without stirring. Continue boiling at low heat until the mixture reaches 285 degrees (between 40-60 minutes. It took me 65 minutes). Remove from heat and immediately pour evenly into the prepared pans. Smooth if needed. Let cool for one hour at room temperature.

4. Melt the chocolate almond bark in the microwave heating at 30 second intervals until it’s totally melted. Pour over toffee, spreading with a spatula. Immediately sprinkle with nuts.

5. Let stand for 24 hours. Use a knife to score the toffee pieces or else break into pieces. Store in an airtight container for 3-4 weeks.

This post linked to:

Made From Scratch Tuesdays,  Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays , Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Turning the Table Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, 12 Days of Christmas Goodies

Skittles Vodka

    There's nothing like a homemade gift to wow your friends and family during the holidays.  All it takes is a little time, a little planning, and a little work to make fabulous holiday gifts for everyone on your wish list.  During the next week I'll be sharing five easy and wonderful homemade holiday gifts that I am personally giving this year for Christmas.

    First on the list is Skittles Vodka, perfect for those that enjoy flavored martinis or like to add a kick to an alcoholic beverage.  My favorite part of this flavored vodka is the brilliant colors of the finished vodka.  Another great twist is that you can make Skittles Vodka in any flavor that you can find the candy in.  I made lemon, lime, strawberry, and orange. 

     When giving the vodka I tied a ribbon around the lid and tied a bag of Skittles to each jar.  I'm also attaching a drink recipe to each flavor vodka.  This vodka is quick to make and is ready in a week.

Skittles Vodka
1 bottle vodka
10 fun sized packs Skittles

4 or 5 pint sized mason jars

1.  Divide the Skittles into colored piles.  Put all the Skittles of one color into each of the jars.  (I did not use purple because I hate grape flavoring).

2.  Fill each jar with vodka leaving 1/2 inch of room in the top.  Put the lid on and shake the jar for a minute.  Let it stand overnight.

3.  Continue shaking the jar each day for a week.  After the week is up either skim the sugary foam off the top or strain the mixture through cheesecloth.

4.  Tie a ribbon around the lid, attach a package of Skittles, and a recipe for using the flavored vodka.  Keep the lid on tight and use for up to 3 months.

This post linked to:
Meatless Mondays, Mangia Monday , Making You Crave monday
What's Cooking Wednesdays, Turning the Table Thursday, Sweets for a Saturday

Sans Rival Cake (a Filipino dessert): Daring Bakers

   Catherine of Munchie Musings was our November Daring Baker's host and she challenged us to make a traditional Filipino dessert-the delicious Sans Rival cake! And for those of us who wanted to try an additional Filipino dessert, Catherine also gave us a bonus recipe for Bibingka which comes from her friend Jun of Jun-blog.

    When I first read how to make this cake I was more then a little confused.  The recipe was for a meringue with layers of buttercream in between.  I have to admit that I didn't think it sounded appetzing at all.  The recipe itself didn't look like it would be too hard to make but it was time consuming.  After racking my brain I decided to make a lemon flavored buttercream and top my cake with raspberries.

   The original recipe calls for toasted cashews but I have to admit I really don't like nuts at all.  Seeing that there was a large amount of nuts in the sans rival I knew I'd have to put some type of nut in and really the only nut I even partially like is an almond so I substituted those in.  I cooked the sans rival in two batches in order to make all four layers.  I was able to make them in quarter sheet pans and get a nice thin layer.  The sans rival was actually very good.  It was crisp on the edges and chewy in the middle with a faint flavor of nuts.

    It turns out the buttercream is a French buttercream which is nothing like the Americanized version that I normally make.  The French buttercream is so much better.  It's made with eggs, sugar, butter, and flavorings which makes it fluffy and not overly sweet like American buttercream.  I loved it and plan on using this to top my cupcakes with from now on.  I flavored it with lemon extract and lemon zest which gave it a nice tartness.

    Layering the cakes and buttercream wasn't as difficult as I would have thought.  It came together quickly.  The hardest part for me was getting the nuts to stick on the sides.  I wrapped the entire thing in plastic wrap and refrigerated it.  Two days later I served it as dessert after and Asian inspired meal.  Everyone loved it.  The nutty sans rival and the lemony buttercream worked perfectly together and were offset by the tart raspberries on top.  Not only did it taste good but it was beautiful and impressive as well.  I'd like to try making it again with different flavored buttercreams.

Sans Rival Cake (adapted from Catherine's own recipe)
10 large egg whites (save the yolks for the buttercream)

1 1/2c. granulated sugar

1 t. cream of tartar

2 c. chopped, toasted almonds

1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

2.  Line two quarter sheet pans with parchment paper. Butter and flour the sides of the pan well.

3.  In a large mixing bowl beat the egg whites on medium until foamy (about 2 minutes).  Sprinkle with the cream of tartar.  Gradually add in the sugar, a couple of tablespoons at a time, beating at high speed now.  Continue beating at high for 7-10 minutes or until stiff, shiny peaks form.

4.  Fold in the toasted, chops almonds, reserving a handful for decoration. 

5.  Divide the meringue into 4 each parts and spread one part in each of the pans.  Try to make it as even as possible, spreading to the edge of the pans.

6.  Baked for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove the meringue from the baking pans while still hot.  Allow to cool for 2-4 minutes and then remove the parchment paper.  Allow meringue to cool completely. 

7.  Line the pans with new parchment paper and repeat the process.  When all 4 meringues are cool, trim the edges so all are uniformly shaped.  Set aside.

Lemon French Buttercream
5 egg yolks
1 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. water

1 1/4 c. butter (2 1/2 sticks), softened

1 t. vanilla
1 t. lemon extract
zest from one lemon

1.  Put the egg yolks in a mixing bowl and beat on high until the have doubled and are lemony yellow in color.

2.  Put the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat.  Continue cooking and stirring until the syrup reaches 235 degrees.

3.  With the mixer on high, very slowly and carefully pour the syrup down the sides of the bowl, until it has all been added.  Continue beating on high until the mixture is at room temperature (about 10 minutes). 

4.  Keeping the mixer on high, add in the butter a tablespoon at a time.  Add in the vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon zest and beat for another minute.

Assembling the Sans Rival Cake:

1.  Put a dab of the buttercream on a cake board and put the first layer of meringue on top.  Spread a think layer of lemon buttercream on top of it.  Place another meringue on top of the buttercream and spread it with lemon buttercream.  Continue until all four layers are in place. 

2.  Spread buttercream on the top of the cake and around the sides.  Immediately push the reserved almonds into the sides of the cake or decoration.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days before serving.

3.  When ready to serve pull the Sans Rival Cake from the refrigerate and cut gently with a serrated knife.  Top each piece with raspberries and serve.

This post linked to:
Not Baad Sundays, Sundae Scoop Sundays, Your Recipe, My Kitchen

Apple Spice Toffee Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Glaze

    I love making homemade treats from scratch but I don't always have the time to throw the ingredients together so I like having a mix or two on hand so I can whip up something semi-homemade in a pinch.  As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program I was given a box of Duncan Hines cake mix as well as Comstock-Wilderness Fruit Filling to make a delicious dessert.

     I'm very familiar with Duncan Hines and I knew I wanted to use the spice cake mix because there are so many different things you can do to dress up a spice cake mix.  I wasn't familiar with Comstock fruit fillings but the apple looked delicious and would pair well with the spice cake.  I needed a quick dessert for Thanksgiving dinner and thought an apple spice muffin would be perfect.

     After getting things together I wanted to go a little more fancy and decided on an apple spice toffee cupcake with a brown sugar glaze.  I know the Duncan Hines spice cake is filled with spicy notes and bakes up moist.  The addition of the sweet apples was a perfect contrast to the spicy cake mix.  The Comstock apple filling can is made with apple slices that would be great in a pie.  I cut mine into pieces to mix with the batter.  I then added some toffee chips and baked up the cupcakes then finished them off with brown sugar glaze.

     The resulting cupcakes were sweet, spicy, and delicious.  They were moist and the pieces of toffee and apple really added a nice fall inspired flavor to the spice cake.  The sugary sweet brown sugar glaze was a great addition to this cupcake.  The best part was everyone thought I had made them from scratch and all 2 dozen were gone by the end of the night!

Apple Spice Toffee Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Glaze
1 box Duncan Hines spice cake mix
2 eggs
3 T. oil
3/4 c. water
1 1/2 c. Comstock-Wilderness apple filling
3/4 c. toffee pieces

For the glaze:
1/2 c. brown sugar

4 T. butter, softened

1 t. vanilla

1 c. powdered sugar

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

2.  In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs, oil, and water.  Mix until well combined.

3.  Add in the spice cake mix and stir until combined.  Add in the apple filling and toffee pieces and mix for 1 minute or until ingredients are blended.

4.  Fill each muffin cup 3/4 of the way full.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

5.  Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add in the brown sugar and continue heating and stirring for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.  Add in the powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time, whisking as you go to avoid lumps. 

6.  Allow the glaze to cool.  Using a butter knife put a thin layer of glaze on each cupcake.  Keep in an air tight container for up to 3 days.

This post linked to:

Sweets for a Saturday, Party Mindie Style

Happy Thanksgiving! 2 Turkey Desserts

     Happy Thanksgiving to all of my readers!  This year I am thankful for my loving husband, my wonderful friends, and my amazing family.  I'm happy to be spending Thanksgiving day at my parents house celebrating with my family and having some delicious comfort food.  I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday.

     I'll be out shopping tonight at midnight for all those Black Friday sales so I have to keep my energy up by eating all the Thanskgiving favorites!  But before I leave, I'd like to share with you two fun and easy Thanksgiving desserts that I made for my students this year.

Pilgrim Hat Cookies (adapted from Women's Day)
16 Fudge Stripe cookies
16 small peanut butter cups
royal icing (in white and yellow)

1.  Place the cookies fudge side up on a cookie sheet.  Place a small amount of white royal icing around the edge of an unwrapped peanut butter cup and place it over the hole in the cookie.

2.  Place the yellow royal icing in a piping bag with a small tip.  Pipe icing around the peanut butter cup to make a hant band and then pipe on a gold bucket in the middle of the hat.

3.  Allow the icing to harden for at least 2 hours and enjoy!

Oreo Turkeys (adapted from Our Best Bites)
1 package Oreo cookies

1 bag candy corn

1 box Whoppers

1 bag mini Reese peanut cups
royal icing
sprinkles

1.  Get two baking sheets.  Lay out 18 Oreo cookies.  Put icing in the crack in the top half of the cookie and stick in 5 candy corns, point side in.  Lay the cookie down on the baking sheet.

2.  Next put a dab of royal icing on the opposite end of the cookie and stand a cookie up at the other end to make the base.  Push it against the side of the baking sheet so it holds as the icing hardens.

3.  Once the icing has dried, unwrap 18 peanut butter cups.  Cut off the very end of each peanut butter cup, making a flat end.  Put icing on the cut side and the top of the peanut butter cup.  Push the cut side onto the plain cookie and the top covered in icing on the cookie with the candy corn.

4.  Put a dab of frosting on a Whopper and stick it on top of the PB cup.  Cut the tops off of 18 candy corns.  Dab a little icing on each one and stick it to the front of the Whopper to make a beak. Allow to dry for 15 minutes.

5.  Put the royal icing in a piping bag with a small tip.  Pipe on two eyes for each turkey.  Immediately put a sprinkle in the middle of each.  Allow the entire thing to dry for 30 minutes then carefully stand each turkey upright.  Keep in an air tight container for up to 3 days.

This post linked to:

Sweet Tooth Friday, Friday Potluck, Shines on Friday, Foodie Friday

Vegetable Manicotti with Vodka Cream Sauce

     I have never made manicotti. That’s right. The princess of pasta has never made manicotti. Surprised? I am kind of surprised I’ve never made it. I like to eat it. I’ve had it at restaurants but I’ve never made it myself.

     I recently came across a recipe for a vegetable manicotti with a homemade vodka cream sauce. I was in love before I even made it. I made the sauce in the morning. It was easy to make and smelled divine. I covered it up and refrigerated it until I made the manicotti. Basically, you can use any vegetable you want in the manicotti. All you have to do is sauté it then add it to the cheese mixture. I’d recommend you have a base of onions, garlic, and spinach, but feel free to add in whatever veggies your family enjoys. We added mushrooms, artichokes, and shredded carrots.

      The manicotti took some time to prepare but it looked great. I spread some of the vodka sauce on the bottom of a pan, put in the manicotti, then topped it with the remaining sauce. They were really good! The manicottis were firm and easily held the stuffing. The insides tasted of a vegetables medley slathered in Italian cheeses. The sauce was wonderful with the vegetable manicotti. It wasn’t too heavy on the tomatoes and paired well with the vegetables. We each only ate 3 manicotti because they were so filling. This would be a great dish to prepare for company because it can be made in the morning and then refrigerated until it’s time to heat.

Vegetable Manicotti with Vodka Cream Sauce (adapted from Pretty Peas )

For the manicotti:
12 manicotti shells cooked, drained, and cooled
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 T. olive oil
1 onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 oz. mushrooms, chopped
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
2 carrots, shredded
1 c. lowfat ricotta cheese
¼ c. Parmesan cheese
½ c. mozzarella cheese

1 t. salt

1 t. black pepper

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a large baking pan with cooking spray.

2.   Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add in the onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Add in the mushrooms, carrots, and artichokes and cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. Put the spinach and the onion mixture in a large bowl. Add ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses. Mix well. Add in the salt and pepper and stir.

4. Stuff the manicotti with the prepared mixture. Place in the baking pan with vodka cream sauce covering the bottom.  Pour remaining vodka sauce over the top of the manicotti.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes. 

**To freeze the manicotti, place on a cookie sheet and freeze for 3-4 hours.  Wrap in plastic wrap then place them in a freezer bag and keep frozen for up to 6 months.**


For the vodka cream sauce:
1 T. olive oil
½ onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
½ c. light cream
½ c. low fat milk
1/3 c. vodka
1 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
½ t. oregano
¼ c. Parmesan cheese

1. In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add in the garlic and onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half.

2. Add in the cream, milk, and vodka stirring well to combine. Stir in salt, pepper, and oregano. Stir occasionally over simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Add in Parmesan cheese and remove from heat.


This post linked to:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Totally Tasty Tuesday
What's Cooking Wednesday, What's On Your Plate Wednesday?

Twice Baked Potatoes

     I love potatoes. They may be my favorite side dish. It doesn’t matter how they are cooked, I’ll eat them. One of my favorite ways to eat them is when they are twice baked. Surprisingly, I have never made a twice baked potato before. I recently found a recipe for them in my Taste of Home cookbook and decided to give them a try.

     I baked the potatoes according to the directions but found that they were not cooked all the way so I had to put them back in the oven. Next time I think I’ll pop the potatoes in the microwave for 4 minutes and then put them in the oven to make sure they are fully cooked. I also had some difficulty scooping out the centers and leaving the potato skin shell. On one potato I tore the skin so I ended up wrapping the outside in foil which did wonders to help it hold its’ shape. The other potato I managed to scoop out without disturbing the skin.

     The inside of the potatoes was a snap to make. I cooked them for the second time and when I pulled them out they looked amazing. They were creamy with lots of bacon and cheese. The skins were crispy and salty. They were awesome. My husband loved them and wanted me to make them again the next night.

Twice Baked Potatoes (adapted from Taste of Home )

2 medium potatoes

Sea salt
2 oz. one-third less fat cream cheese
3 T. low fat milk
1 T. butter
½ c. part skim cheddar cheese, divided
3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 t. chives
1 t. Salt
1 t. pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash potatoes, poke holes in them, and rub the outsides with sea salt. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender.

2. Remove from oven and slice in half. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Scoop out the pulp, leaving a thin potato skin shell. Place the pulp in a medium bowl and mash.

3. Mix the cream cheese, milk, butter, bacon, chives, and ¼ c. of the cheese in a bowl. Add the mashed potatoes and mix well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4. Place the potato skin shells back on the baking sheet. Scoop the potato filling into each shell and top with the remaining ¼ c. cheese.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

This post linked to:

Not Baaad Sundays, Sundae Scoop Sundays, Mangia Monday

Rosemary Focaccia: What's Baking?

   This month the What's Baking? challenge was hosted by Jey of The Jey of Baking.  She challenged us to do some savory baking.  I knew immediately that I was going to make rosemary focaccia.  Focaccia is on my list of 31 while 31 and my cousin Jessie gave me a recipe for the rosemary focaccia a few months back.

   The focaccia was fairly easy to make.  I still had a few sprigs of rosemary growing in my herbs garden so I used that in the focaccia and on top of it.  Focaccia doesn't have much kneading which makes it easier then many other yeast breads.  It's also spread on a pan and baked instead of in a loaf pan.  The focaccia turned a golden brown and was nice and thin.  It was crisp on the edges and was tasty without anything on it.  It also made a flavorful sandwich bread.

Rosemary Focaccia (adapted from Gayno's School of Cooking)
2 1/2 c. flour
1 t. salt
2 T. fresh rosemary, chopped
1 t. dried rosemary
1 c. warm water
1 packet of dried yeast
2 T. olive oil

1.  In a small bowl combine the water, yeast, and oil.  Let sit for 5 minutes.

2.  In another bowl mix the flour, salt, fresh rosemary, and dried rosemary.  Mix the yeast mixture into the flour mixture.  Stir for 2 minutes or until the dough is just combined and smooth.

3.  Put in a bowl and cover.  Let the dough sit for 2 hours or until it doubles in size.

4.  Oil a quarter sheet pan and scrape the dough onto it without folding it.  Oil your hands and spread the dough to the edge of the pan.  Dock the dough at 1 inch intervals.  Brush the top with oil and sprinkle with salt and fresh rosemary. 

5.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 2 hours or until almost doubled. 

6.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Cook the focaccia for 20 minutes or until the top in golden brown.

This post linked to:

Friday Potluck, Fusion Friday, Foodie Friday

Shine on Fridays, Party Mindie

Spinach, Artichoke, and Roasted Red Pepper Quiche: Foodbuzz Tastemaker

    I go through around a dozen eggs a week which is funny because I don't like eating just eggs.  I like to make things with eggs in them and I bake with eggs all the time, but I would never go out to breakfast and order eggs.  As a Foodbuzz Tastemaker I was given two dozen Land O Lakes eggs to try for free.  While I use Land O Lakes butter all the time, I've never tried their eggs so I was anxious to find a recipe that I would eat that really featured the eggs.

    The thing I really like about the Land O Lake eggs are that they are produced by hens that are fed a vegetarian whole grain diet of whole grain corn and soybean meal.  There are no added hormones, antibiotics, animal fats, or animal by-products.  The price was reasonable as well.

      I settled on making a quiche because it really features the eggs but uses a lot of other wonderful ingredients as well.  I've made many quiches with ham, bacon, and sausage, but I wanted to go with a healthier, vegetarian version this time.  I asked around for my friends favorite versions and finally came up with spinach, artichoke, and roasted red pepper.  I added in some fresh rosemary from my garden along with cheddar cheese and queso fresco. 

     The finished quiche was gorgeous.  The top was a golden brown with fleck of green, red, and orange.  It was really a stunning meal that tasted as good as it look.  The vegetables added texture and flavor to the eggs while the cheeses blended in for a smooth finish.  We had two friends over for dinner and the four of us finished off the quiche.  This may be my favorite flavor combination to date!

Spinach, Artichoke, and Roasted Red Pepper Quiche (a Hezzi-D original)
1 refrigerated pie crust dough
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and water squeezed out
6 oz. marinated artichokes, chopped
6 oz. roasted red peppers, chopped
1 T. fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 c. Queso Fresco, crumbled
1 c. low fat milk
4 Land O Lakes eggs
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Press the pie crust dough into a pie pan and shape the edges.  Set aside.

2.  In a large bowl combine the spinach, artichokes, red peppers, and rosemary.  Mix well to combine.  Spread into the bottom of the pie crust.

3.  In the same mixing bowl beat the eggs.  Add in the milk and milk well.  Add in both cheeses and stir.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Pour the egg mixture over top of the vegetables.

4.  Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a knife stuck in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before cutting.

This post linked to:

What's Cooking Wednesdays, What's On Your Plate Wednesdays

It's A Keeper, Full Plate Thursday, Meatless mondays

Darwin's Children

     The book Darwin's Children by Natasha Larryopens with a look at a very unique family.  The Lerner's live in Jonesborough, Tennessee, a small town made up of prodominately white families.  Meet Jaycie, a 17 year old black teenager who is impressively smart.  She's also an empath who has a talent in telepathy and telekenesis.  Her father Mason, a local doctor, is quite possibly the world's most powerdul telepath.  They live with Allision, Jaycie's live in nanny.  Allison is beautiful, blond, and incredibly young looking.  She's also 92 year old with superhuman strength and speed.  The last member of the family is John, Jaycie's godfather who has the power of persuasion.

     Things are going well until Jaycie is forced to go to a prestegious high school after many years of being home schooled.  The kids at school aren't sure how she's different but they know they don't want to be around her.  If that's not enough, things are heating up between Jaycie and her best friend Matt.  Unfortunately, when they two try to become more then friends Jaycie struggles to keep control of her telekenisis. 

     Everything seems so routine until a stranger delivers a message to Jaycie telling her where to get a job and then to become friends with a girl who works there.  Jaycie immediately recognizes that Haylee has supernatural powers herself, though she is not yet aware of them.  The continues on with Jaycie getting ready to surge into her full power, Haylee learning about her powers, and the family coming together as quite possibly the most powerful family in the entire world.

    I thought the story line in this book was enjoyable.  It took a look at the supernatural world through the eyes of super charged humans.  The book flows easily and is a quick read.  At times there are parts that are overly dramatic and seem hard to beleive but for the most part the book stays on track and is a fast paced ride through the supernatural.

I give this book 3 ½ stars out of 5 stars.

*I was given a copy of this book by the author for review.  The review is based soley on my own opinion.*
This post linked to:
Saturday Situation

Pumpkin Palooza: Secret Recipe Club

  It's time for this month's Secret Recipe Club!  I love being involved in this wonderful group of food bloggers.  It's such a great experience finding new blogs and making new things.  When I found out my blog for this month was Not Rachel Ray I knew I was going to have a hard time picking just one item.  I've looked through Rachel's blog before and have found many wonderful recipes including blueberry mint iced tea, cream cheese filled brownies, and chicken lettuce wraps. 

    I found two recipes that I knew I had to make; the pumpkin butter and the pumpkin dip.  After debating how I would present the pumpkin butter, I decided to make the healthy breakfast muffins to go along with the pumpkin butter.  Then I figured as long as I was making a couple of pumpkin recipes, I should just go all the way and make the pumpkin pie spice myself.  I had so much fun with these four recipes, just ask the other teachers at my school!  I think they thought Christmas came early this year because of all the goodies I brought in.

    The pumpkin butter is just slightly sweet which makes it pair wonderfully with the healthy breakfast muffins.  The muffins are moist and flavorful and no one at work would believe they were so low in fat and so high in fiber!  I switched a few ingredients around and made mine with bananas and apples instead of bananas, carrots, and raisins.  I know I'll be making these again because I couldn't believe they were low fat and tasted so good!

    The pumpkin pie dip was a clear winner both at home and at work.  I served it with graham crackers and apples.  Both were good but I thought the sour apples worked the best with the sweet pumpkin dip.  I did add in a tablespoon of rum which gave it a nice additional flavor.  I'm so glad I got a chance to make all four of these fabulous recipes!

Healthy Morning Muffins (adapted from Not Rachel Ray)
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
3 T. flax seed
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. salt

1 c. old fashioned oats

2 T. olive oil

1 T. butter

1 egg

1/3 c. low fat milk
1 apple; peeled, cored, and diced

1 bananas, mashed

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.

2.  In a large bowl whisk the brown sugar and butter.  Add in the oil, egg, and milk.  Stir until well blended.

3.  In another mixing bowl combine the lour, flax seed, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.  Stir in the oats.  Add in the liquid ingredients and mix well.

4.  Fold in the apple and banana.  Fill each muffin cup almost to the top.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Honey Pumpkin Butter  (Adapted from Not Rachel Ray)

6 T. butter, softened

1 T. honey

1 T. pumpkin puree

1 t. pumpkin pie spice

1 t. vanilla

1/2 t. cinnamon

1.  In a medium bowl whip all ingredients until they are well combined.  Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 1 week.

Pumpkin Pie Dip  (again from Not Rachel Ray)
8 oz. package of reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 c. pumpkin puree
2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. vanilla
1 T. Bicardi rum

3-4 c. powdered sugar

Graham crackers and apples for dipping

1.  In a medium sized mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and rum.  Beat on high with an electric mixer until smooth.

2.  One cup at a time add in the powdered sugar until the dip is smooth and reaches the desired consistency.

3.  Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.


Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon freshly nutmeg

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 t. salt

1.  Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl.  Store in an air tight container for up to 6 months.



This post linked to:
Meatless Mondays, Muffin Mondays, Mangia Mondays  , Thankful For Food
Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays,  Made From Scratch Tuesdays