Easy Italian Bread

The weather has been warming up here in Idaho recently, which makes me very happy.

We often have some misleading weather, and this year has been no exception.  In January, we had multiple days where the weather seemed positively spring-like, and I was even able to get some things done in our yard in preparation for spring, and was able to clean up a large amount of "presents" from our two pups, which are anything but a gift, to be sure!

Then, we were later hit by snow, wind, and freezing temperatures as we moved in February, and even this past month, we received more snow, which is the last thing I desire in the springtime.  But thankfully, we've had temperatures into the 70's for the last few days, and I have been enjoying every minute of it!

When we experienced our most recent snowfall a week or so ago, I decided to make some Italian bread, with the intent of making garlic bread to go along with some pasta I had planned for later in the week.

This bread is super easy to make, and is a wonderful accompaniment to any meal!  It also makes simply scrumptious garlic bread when paired with my homemade garlic butter and set under the broiler for a few minutes.

Banana Muffins

I bought bananas for some chocolate fondue we did last week, but I didn't really need 6 bananas for the fondue, so I decided that some tasty muffins would be the perfect new life for the extra fruit.

They made perfect little muffins with a lovely streusel topping, and I didn't even need to wait for the bananas to age and turn brown to use them!  My bananas were just out of the green stage, so I whipped them in my KitchenAid with the whisk attachment for a few minutes until they expanded in size, which made them work just as well as browned bananas.

Whip up a batch for the week, and have tasty banana muffins for breakfast each morning!

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

My love of lemon rears its head once more!

I started having a hankering for lemon poppyseed muffins early this week, but had neither the time, nor one of the essential ingredients to make this dream a reality.  Until today.

I woke up early(ish) and ran to the store for some yogurt (I normally have this on hand, and was saddened when I saw I was out).  These muffins were going to happen.  They just were!

I actually have a love/hate relationship with muffins that stems from the fact that if you try to buy a muffin from a bakery or store, what you end up with is something more akin to a cupcake than a muffin.  Which, don't get me wrong, cupcakes are awesome, but when I want a muffin, I want a muffin!  Not a cupcake masquerading as a muffin.  It's very "sheep in wolves clothing"... sneaky little pseudo-muffins.

These muffins are muffins!  Yes, they do have a glaze on them, but that part is totally optional!

I had Bruce try one after they were done, and he said they needed more sugar.  I'm pretty sure he's been brainwashed by the cupcake-muffin ninjas out there.

These muffins are bursting with lemon flavor!  And won't leave you feeling like a slug after eating one (or two!) for breakfast like those muffin impostors will.  The glaze is sweet but tangy, which gives them a nice zip.  You should make them.  They'll change your view on muffins forever!

Buttery Crescent Rolls

Few things conjure up memories of holidays and big family gatherings quite like food.  Growing up, someone (usually my mother) always brought these rolls to the family shindigs, and they would quickly disappear, small hands grabbing them from the giant bowl on the counter over the course of the event.

These rolls have butter, butter, and more butter, and are definitely not "healthy", but they are delicious, which is infinitely more fun.  This recipe makes a lot of rolls, but can easily be cut in half if you don't have a huge gathering.

Bake some up and bite into the best rolls you will ever eat!

S'mores Peeps

Bruce is of the opinion that Easter has the best candy of the year.  With one exception.  Neither of us like "Peeps".  Y'know, those little marshmallow critters coated in sugar?  Yeah...those are pretty gross.

But I think the bunnies are pretty cute.  So I decided to shake it up a little and make s'mores with my peeps.  But!  Instead of making a traditional s'more, what could be cuter than coating the little bunny in chocolate and dipping it in graham cracker crumbs?

Not much.  These little guys are adorable AND delicious!

Cherry Hazelnut Granola Bars

There are generally two sides to the granola bar debate: Chewy or Crunchy.

I love crunchy granola in a parfait or to eat with some milk poured over it, but I am not a big fan of chowing down on a crunchy granola bar by itself.  Give me a chewy granola bar any day though!

These bars are soft, chewy, chocolatey and full of delicious tart cherries, oats, rice cereal and toasted quinoa.  Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up!

Honey Cookies

My brother-in-law keeps bees.  A couple weeks ago, he brought us some honey that he harvested from his hives, and I have been pondering all sorts of things to make with it.

This afternoon I decided to make some sugar cookies...well, honey cookies.  They are light and have a subtle taste of honey that is spectacular!  I rolled half of the cookies in raw sugar and left the other half plain.  Bruce and I both prefer the plain ones, but the ones with the sugar have a fun crunch to them, and look sparkly and fun, so you can make them either way.

If you love honey, you should give these a taste!

Nutbutter Cookies

I first made these cookies for Bruce last year, and he liked them so much, he asked that they be a part of our treat table at our wedding, so of course, I obliged, even though I am personally not a fan of peanut butter.

However, I actually make these with half peanut butter and half almond butter, and I don't mind them at all!  Yes, they taste more like peanut butter than anything else, but it's not as overpowering to me as ordinary peanut butter cookies.

You can make these with any nutbutter or combination of nutbutters that you choose.

On an unrelated note, some of you may have noticed that I haven't posted a recipe in a couple of days, and here is why... I am going to be cutting back on this blog for a little bit, just until I finish school (I have 3 months left, and about 27 credits to complete) and graduate!  So, to ensure that I am focusing my attention where it needs to be, I will be cutting back on the posts.  I may still post on weekends or when I find myself with a spare moment, but it will be a while before I can get back to posting every day.  Thank you all for your love and support as I take this step!

And now, without further ado, here is the recipe for the best nutbutter cookies you will ever make!

Seasoned Potato Wedges

I tend to crave salty things more than sweet things.  So today I quickly made these seasoned potato wedges.  They are super easy and you can totally customize them to your personal tastes!

These would be good with garlic and Parmesan, or some chipotle chili powder for a fun kick!

Cottage Whip

I have been craving cottage cheese lately, which is not something I normally eat in mass quantities, but it has been years (yep, years) since I have eaten cottage cheese, so I figured, why not indulge the craving?

Bruce is decidedly anti-cottage cheese, so I have the entire carton all to myself!

Growing up, I used to eat cottage cheese with pineapple chunks in it, and I seriously thought that was the best thing ever.  A little sweet, a little tang, a pretty stellar breakfast or snack.

When I went to have breakfast, I found that I didn't have any pineapple, but I did have some frozen cherries...so I decided to blend it all together into a fantastic concoction I have dubbed the Cottage Whip!

It is so smooth, creamy and fruity, and not to mention healthy!  And it keeps you full for a long time, which is always a plus when you work from home...about 10 steps from the kitchen...

Baked Garlic Zucchini Crisps

I've been curious to try making crispy zucchini chips for a while now.  I am not a fan of potato chips at all, but I do enjoy a good salty snack.

These zucchini crisps are crunchy, garlicky and not as fattening as fried potato chips, which is always a plus, though probably an acquired taste if you are a potato chip junkie.

Blueberry Cobbler Protein Smoothie

Yep, two smoothie recipes in a row!

I have quite a bit of frozen fruit hanging out in my freezer this month (we do one big monthly grocery shopping trip, and I knew I was going to want fruit that wouldn't go bad before I could get to it), and the past couple mornings I have just wanted something quick, easy, and filling.

This blueberry cobbler smoothie is very filling.  It has oats in it, which gives it more texture, and also makes you full fast...or at least it makes ME full fast!

And look at that color!  Isn't it gorgeous?  Well worth the 2 minutes of in credible effort on my part my blender's part.

Mango Raspberry Protein Smoothies

Looking for something tasty and fun to start your morning off right?

These mango raspberry smoothies are the way to go.  Full of flavor, with an added boost of protein, they make a great and healthy breakfast.

I use frozen fruit and berries, I think it makes the smoothies smoother than if you use fresh fruit and ice, but you can definitely go that route as well!  You can blend your way to a great day!

Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

I have been making biscuits for a long time.

But I never seemed to be able to achieve that flakiness that other people were getting with their biscuits.  And I wanted it.  My biscuits have always been good, but I wanted them to be flaky and decadent like a pastry.  Which is when it dawned on me that if I want them to be flaky like a pastry, I should fold the dough like a pastry.  Duh!

You can probably achieve flaky biscuits with any recipe you like, as long as you fold the dough correctly.  

First, you roll (or pat) the dough out til it is about 1/4" thick, then you'll fold it into thirds (like you fold a business letter) over the middle.  Then roll (or pat) it out to 1/4" thickness again and repeat the folding.  Then you just roll (or pat) out your dough again and cut out your biscuits.  

They'll be flaky and delicious!

Chipotle Baked Zucchini Chips

Have you ever had fried zucchini chips?  OMG, they are amazing!  I love zucchini, and use it in a lot of things, from zucchini bread to turkey burgers.

My mother-in-law gave me a couple zucchini last week, and I knew just how I was going to use them.  These zucchini chips are baked instead of fried, but that doesn't make them any less delicious!  And paired with my chipotle ranch dressing?  Heaven!

No-Bake Chocolate Cherry Energy Bites

Sometimes, you just don't have time to eat anything substantial during the work day.  When those days come around, I like to grab a quick no-bake energy bite.

These chocolate cherry bites are full of oats, unsweetened coconut, dried cherries and chocolate!  A great little boost during your hectic day!

Lemon Blueberry Scones

I was sitting in church today, dreaming up these scones, and longing to be home so I could make them.  Which then made me feel bad that I wasn't paying attention in church.

So, once my meetings were over, I headed home and made myself comfortable in the kitchen as I whipped up these intensely flavorful scones.  They were exactly what I needed!  A light, lemony scone dotted with blueberry baking chips and drizzled with an amazing lemon glaze.  I will definitely attempt making these with real blueberries in the future!

What more could you ask for on a cold Sunday afternoon?

Taco Roasted Chickpeas

Sometimes, you just need a spicy, crunchy snack.

And since I am not a fan of potato chips, and I always seem to have a can or two of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) lying around in my pantry, it only made sense to make some taco roasted chickpeas.

They are super tasty, and handy to pop in your mouth when you need a little something to nibble on, but don't want to waste a ton of calories.

Eggnog Muffins

When contemplating what to make for Christmas morning breakfast, it didn't take me long to decide upon eggnog muffins.

I had made some blueberry eggnog muffins a couple months ago, and while those were amazing, I decided to go with a "plain Jane" version for Christmas (honestly, you can't call these "plain Jane", because they are heavenly, but I digress).

These muffins are fluffy, with a kick of nutmeg and a lovely streusel topping that takes these muffins to the next level!

Spiced Almonds

Sugar coated nuts seem to be everywhere this time of year, especially almonds.

So, why not jump on the bandwagon?

These little sugar and spice covered nuggets of goodness are incredibly addicting, and once you start popping them in your mouth, it is really difficult to stop.

I may need an almond intervention...