sugar cookie bars*

I made these yummy bars this weekend for a family dinner. I LOVE sugar cookies. Especially the Granny B's. Those are my all time favorite! Until I look at the nutrition info on the back. Then, not so much. But those are by far the best sugar cookie I have ever had.

These bars are really good, too. And they are SO simple! Most sugar cookies take forever to make because you have to make the batter, then chill for a few hours, then you can finally roll them and bake them. This recipe is getting that same great yummy taste, but spending 15 minutes making batter and frosting and then you bake, frost and you're done. It's a beautiful thing. Especially for people like me that just cannot seem to catch up! I think I would add a little more lemon zest though, or maybe the juice of the lemon. But then again, I am a lemon fanatic.

Remember, tune in tomorrow to see my little sister's 21st birthday cake!! I know that I sure can't wait!

Sugar Cookie Bars
from The Girl Who Ate Everything

1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp lemon zest (optional) - I would HIGHLY suggest adding this ingredient :)

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda and stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined.

Spread on a greased baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan).

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean (they won't look done so do the toothpick test).

Cool completely and frost.

Frosting
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 of an 8 oz block) softened
1 tsp vanilla (I used almond extract for half of the frosting)
¼ tsp salt
4 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp milk
food coloring (if desired)

For frosting combine butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined, then add milk a little at a time and mix until smooth and spreading consistency. You may not need all the milk!

Spread over cooled cookie bars.

Anyone looking for a good Easter treat?? This would make a great one!

-alyssa*

doughnut muffins*

So, my little sister is turning the big 21 on Wednesday, so I am giving you time to prepare for the birthday cake that I am going to make her and share with all of you! I am SO excited! I went and bought all of the ingredients today because I just couldn't wait any longer! I am going to keep it a surprise, though, because this cake is going to need it's own unveiling!

Also, my hubby really doesn't eat sweets very often, so I told him that he needs to be thinking of a cake that he wants me to make him for his birthday(which is in May - hey, you can never prepare too early). I told him that I could just surprise him, but he said that he wants to eat it. RUDE! But, he did commit to start researching a cake for me to make! This should be interesting...the only cake he really even likes is his moms chocolate sheet cake and her strawberry sheet cake. But I am bound and determined to win him over with one of my creations! This could be my toughest task to date!

Doughnut muffins. We made these for the kids for breakfast over the weekend. These things are so cute and so yummy! The dough is really thick, so you can fill up your cups all the way to the top and they wont flow over the edges, they just raise beautifully. They remind me of a snickerdoodle. Give me anything with sugar and cinnamon and I am one happy girl!

 
Doughnut Muffins
from Genesis of a Cook 

For Muffins

3 cups flour
3/4 cups sugar, plus 1/8 cup of sugar
1/2 tbs. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream

For Topping

1/4 cup butter, more if needed
1 cups sugar
1 tbs. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a standard muffin pan with muffin cups.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and the sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just mixed in.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Combine the vanilla, milk and heavy cream in a measuring cup.

With a spoon or rubber spatula, mix a quarter of the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture. Then add a third of the milk mixture to the butter and sugar mixture. Continue mixing in the remaining dry and wet ingredients alternately, ending with the dry. Mix until well combined and smooth, but don't overmix.

Scoop enough batter into each tin so that the top of the batter is even with the rim of the cup, about 1/2 cup.

Bake the muffins until firm to the touch, about 25-30 minutes.

To finish, melt the butter for the dipping mixture in a small bowl. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. When the muffins are just cool enough to handle, remove them from the tin, dip them into or brush them all over with the melted butter, and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar.
 

Makes 12 muffins

Eat up :)

-alyssa*

garlic-rosemary roasted baby potatoes*

We have really been "roasting" away lately I have just realized! By roasting, I mean vegetables! I sure wish we were literally roasting away due to it being super hot outside. The other day it was about 54 degrees and I seriously considered throwing on my swimsuit and heading to the backyard to work on my tan :). But until then, I will just continue roasting...vegetables...haha.

These potatoes are SO cute! I have never cooked with these little potatoes before, and they are just the cutest things and I love how they are bite size! The recipe calls for fingerling potatoes, but my food supplier was out so I ordered these little guys that come in three colors - which I love!

Now, the recipe calls for course-grain or dijon mustard, and I chose course-grain. While mixing the sauce into the potatoes, you are definitely going to clear out your sinuses! Just warning you! This stuff is STRONG. I was kind of worried that it was going to overpower the rest of the potatoes, but once they're roasted and all of the yummy flavors meld together it really is a beautiful thing! We served these cute little guys with steak and some garlic bread - just an idea :).

Garlic-Rosemary Roasted Baby Potatoes
from Our Best Bites

1 1/2 lb. fingerling (or other very small potatoes), washed; try and pick the potatoes that are as bite-sized as possible

2 1/2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 1/2 Tbsp. coarse-grain or Dijon mustard

2 1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Rosemary (be sure and strip the needles from the stem before chopping them)

About 5 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

Coarsely-ground black pepper

Kosher salt

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  While the water is heating, combine olive oil, minced garlic, rosemary, mustard, and some black pepper.  Set aside.  When the water is boiling, add the potatoes and boil for about 10 minutes or until they are easily pierced with a fork.  

Drain, return the potatoes to the pan, and then toss with the mustard mixture.

Now...this is where the beauty of this recipe comes in.  You can either do all of this ahead of time and then refrigerate the potatoes until you're ready to finish them off or you can do it all at once.  Either way, you're not going to spend more than 30 minutes making these beauties and they're so elegant that you could seriously serve them at the fanciest dinner party.  So...if you're making these right now, preheat your oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  If you're saving them (for up to 6 hours), line the baking sheet and spread the potatoes out evenly and then cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate them until you're ready to bake them.

When you're ready to bake these guys, sprinkle with Kosher salt.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the skins are browning and sizzling. For fancy presentation, place the roasted potatoes on a platter, scrape those delicious bits off the foil sprinkle them over the potatoes, and then garnish with a few sprigs of rosemary.

These little guys look so fancy and they are so yummy! And the best part, they are so easy!!! Happy roasting everybody!

-alyssa*

roasted butternut squash*

This week has been very busy with trying out tons of new recipes, and some were a hit and others not so much! This butternut squash recipe, much to my surprise, was a hit! I seriously thought that we would have tons left over, but it was quite the opposite.

I know some people aren't fans of squash because of the texture. Squash can be very mushy and stringy, but this recipe reminded me a lot of roasted potatoes. When it gets oven roasted it gets very crispy on the outside and really not the typical squashy texture. And I LOVE rosemary! Oh, and the balsamic also adds a very tangy and yummy taste that makes you think - what is that? Mmmm...so good!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Rosemary and Balsamic Vinegar
from Kalyn's Kitchen

2 lbs. butternut squash cubes (about 6 cups)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T + 1 tsp. best quality balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. very finely chopped fresh or frozen rosemary, or slightly less dried rosemary (be sure it's especially finely chopped if you use dried rosemary)
sea salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F/200C. Mix together the olive oil, 1 T balsamic vinegar, and rosemary, then toss squash cubes with the mixture.

Arrange the squash on a cookie sheet or dish large enough to hold it in a single layer.

Roast 20 minutes, then turn squash and roast about 20 minutes more, or until squash is very soft and starting to get slightly caramelized.

Remove from oven and toss squash with additional 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar, sea salt, and pepper. You can mash slightly if you want, but I keep mine rather chunky. Serve hot.

-alyssa*

spicy honey chicken*

Oh man, this stuff if my new favorite thing! We made it last night for dinner for the students, and I loved it so much I made it tonight for my hubby! The chicken is great all by itself, but tonight we made it as a salad and I honestly could live off of it for the rest of my life (if the salad had croutons of course - my FAVORITE food)! At the school we actually baked the chicken, instead of BBQ (since it's FREEZING outside), and it was still very tasty! But tonight for dinner I had the husband BBQ the chicken and it was AMAZING!

The original recipe actually calls for chicken thighs, but I have a thing with chicken on the bone. I don't like it - for two reasons actually. First, seeing the bones just freaks me out. Second, it's just a pain in the behind to eat chicken on a bone. I like effortless eating. I am going to admit, I am a lazy eater. I want to sit down and enjoy my meal, not wrestle through it. Maybe that's why I don't like steak?? There's a lot of wrestling and chewing and effort put into eating steak. I think I just had a breakthrough.... :)

Ok so spicy honey chicken. I think the kids actually liked this meal! The first dinner this week they actually didn't complain too much about. I think we have a KEEPER people!! WAHOO!

I got this recipe from Our Best Bites. You really should peek around their website! I use tons of recipe from these girls and have loved every one of them!

Spicy Honey Chicken
from Our Best Bites

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 2lbs - (I used breasts, but they swear on the thighs!)

2 t vegetable oil

Rub:

2 t granulated garlic
2 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t coriander
1 t kosher salt
1 t cumin
1/2 t chipotle chili powder

Glaze:
1/2 C Honey
1T Cider Vinegar

 

Combine the rub spices in bowl and mix well.

Use kitchen shears (or a pair of clean scissors) to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Pat dry. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Then toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well.  

Use your hands and get in there! Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it's not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well. Reserve 2T honey glaze for later. Take the rest and brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.

I'm gonna warn you that this can make a hot mess, literally. It's sugar, and it's gonna drip. But the smelly smoke is worth it for a minute or two. Just leave your grill on for a few minutes after the chicken is done to burn off any excess glaze. It's totally worth it once you taste this stuff.

If you don't have a bbq, try it on an indoor grill pan or use your broiler. Just be sure to open a window in case you burn your glaze!

Remember how I had you reserve that extra couple tablespoons of glaze? Ya, drizzle that on top now. Your taste buds will thank you.

 Make it on a salad...

or it's just as amazing all by itself!

We served this with a side of roasted butternut squash (recipe coming tomorrow). Another shocker that the kids actually tried the squash, too. Maybe they are trying to expand their horizons..?!

-alyssa*

eggplant parmesan*

I had this dish for the very first time (actually the first time I have ever had eggplant period) on the cruise that we just got back from. For those of you that are skeptical and scared of eggplant, honestly once the breading is smothered on it and the yummy marinara and cheeses are all melty on top you can hardly even taste the eggplant at all. So technically I really don't even know what eggplant tastes like, but I do know that eggplant parmesan is YUMMY! The best part - this recipe has the eggplant baked, not fried. My new menus feature ZERO items that we will be deep frying! WAHOO! I am hoping to get rid of the deep fryer and maybe replacing it with a grill or maybe a panini maker?? This may be a little out of reach - but hey, a girl can dream :).

Well, this story has a very sad ending. We served this for dinner last night, and less than 1/4 of the kids even attempted to try it. They all came in and ranted and raved about how good it looked, then asked the dreadful question "what is that?" It was all over in one word. EGGPLANT. I haven't decided whether or not I should remove this item from my menus. There was so much waste, but I really really really wish the kids would just try it! Am I trying to expand their horizons a bit too far?? Maybe...

Eggplant Parmesan
from Allrecipes

3 eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
6 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
1 (16 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (we used fresh parsley)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs.

Place in a single layer on a baking sheet.

 
Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes on each side.

In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce.

Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses.

Sprinkle basil on top. (If using fresh basil or parsley, don't sprinkle on top until right before serving.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Looks delish huh! I really really loved this recipe!! If I decide to take this off of my menus, I guess I will just have to settle with making it at home. YUMMMM!

-alyssa*

black bean and mango tostadas*

Sorry everybody, I have seriously been slacking! The husband passed along his flu to me, so I have been basically strapped to the bed/couch for most of last week and just started feeling good enough to escape to St. George for the weekend! But I'm back and better than ever :).

We started my new menus last week!! I am going to need to tweak them a little bit, but we definitely have switched things up. Yesterday we served these refreshing and gorgeous black bean and mango tostadas! They look so happy and make me wish it were summer! We served them along side the vegan quinoa and black beans I tested out a couple of weeks ago.

Black Bean and Mango Tostadas
from Two Peas and Their Pod

Corn tortillas
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained and heated up
1 mango, peeled and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
Lime wedges
Salsa, if desired

1. Turn the broiler on high. Spray corn tortillas with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Place on a baking sheet. Put corn tortillas in the oven until crispy, about five-seven minutes. Flip them once to make sure each side is crispy.

2. Top corn tortillas with black beans, mango chunks, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, lettuce, and avocado. Dress with fresh lime juice and salsa.

Are these not so cute? And guess what?! If you serve it with my quinoa the entire meal is VEGAN!! As I have mentioned before, I really seriously jump for joy when I find recipes like this! We have some vegans at the school and let's be serious, there are not tons of options for them. And, they are super healthy (shhhh...)!

-alyssa*