Night Time Prep

Every night after dinner, I have to start thinking about breakfast and lunch for the next day.  Sometimes breakfast might be as simple as a cup of yogurt with some granola, or the spinach quiche I posted about last time, but no matter what I prepare, it has to be quick the next morning.  It's even better if I can eat it on the way to work!  I've been hearing a lot about mason jar meals and thought I would try it.  I didn't mind the jar being in the refrigerator, but I hated carrying it around with me.  Tomorrow morning I'm going to put my overnight breakfast concoction in a Tupperware type bowl.  I think that might work better for me.  If I drop it, I don't have to worry about a mess that might cut someone.  The first time I made it, it was a little bland.  This time I jazzed it up a little bit!  I hope you like it!

Overnight Oatmeal

½ cup of quick cook oatmeal

½ cup frozen or fresh blueberries, blackberries, and/or raspberries

1 cup almond milk

1 tsp. chia seeds

1 Tb. sugar free syrup

½ tsp. cinnamon

Combine all the ingredients in a storage bowl or a jar.  Stir and refrigerate overnight.  Microwave for 1 – 1 ½ minutes or eat cold.  Add more fruit if desired.

Crustless Spinach Quiche and Other Stuff

I haven't forgotten about all of you.  Really.  Life has been super busy!!  Many of you know that I have a second job and I LOVE IT!  I am a representative for doTERRA Essential Oils and I have been teaching classes and educating people on the many uses for essential oils.  I have a class this Saturday at my home if you would like to attend.  If you would like to host a class for your friends, I would be happy to teach it and you get free oils for hosting!  It's a great deal!

My youngest grandson turned 3 years old this month also.  That kid is a hoot!  He has so much energy, is so carefree, and the life of the party!  He is fun to be around because he keeps you entertained.  He also likes to play dress up as much, if not more, than his sister.  You never know if he's going to be a Ninja Turtle, a fireman, a super hero, or what!  However, don't call him Superman.  In his world, the name is Super Guy.

But, like I said earlier ... I haven't forgotten about you.  Today I have a recipe for a crustless spinach quiche.  If you are gluten intolerant, you can eat this.  There is NO flour involved.  It's so good, you won't even miss the crust!  OH!  I found my camera, so you get a picture of it today.  I'm so excited to be able to give you a picture again!

Crustless Spinach Quiche

1 10 oz. pkg. chopped spinach, thawed and pressed dry

6 eggs

1 ½ cups skim milk or almond milk

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

4 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

6 oz. shredded Swiss or other favorite white cheese

Mix all ingredients and pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish that has been sprayed with a cooking spray.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 - 35 mins.  

It's Called POUND Cake For a Reason

Maybe it should actually be called pounds cake.

Each year at school, the teachers always give a little something to the people on their grade level.  This year I decided to make Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars and Cream Cheese Almond Pound Cake.  I can't share the cookie bars recipe because it belongs to a friend of mine and I didn't ask her permission.  The cake recipe is mine though.  You can make it a regular cream cheese pound cake and use vanilla flavoring or an almond cream cheese pound cake by using almond flavoring.  So good!!!



Cream Cheese Pound Cake

3 sticks of butter
3 cups of sugar
1 8 oz. cream cheese
dash of salt
6 eggs
1 Tb almond or vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups plain flour or Gluten Free flour

Cream butter, sugar, and cream cheese together until light and fluffy.  Add salt and flavoring of choice.  Beat well.  Add eggs one at a time and beat after each addition.  Mix in flour slowly and blend well.  Pour into greased and floured tube pan of angel food cake pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 
1 1/2 hours until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Two Of My Faves

Two of my favorite things are chocolate and peanut butter.  Together or separately ... it doesn't matter.  I found this recipe on Facebook, made a few minor changes and I made it for our Thanksgiving dinner.  I can't wait to taste it.  I would have added a picture, but I have lost my camera somewhere and I can't seem to make the pictures from my phone stay on the blog.  If any of you know the trick, please let me know.  I'll add to this post tomorrow and let you know how good the cake is.

UPDATE:  The cake was a huge, delicious hit!  It was so moist (that's what the  buttermilk does).  It is very rich so you will want to cut small pieces.  I will definitely be making this one again!!!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge Cake

  Cake:

2 cups all-purpose Gluten free flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup water

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

      1  16 oz jar creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9” x 13” baking pan or glass baking dish.  Mix flour, sugar, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Set aside.  Place butter in a large pot. Melt over medium heat.  Using a large pot makes it easier to stir.  Add in cocoa powder.  Stir to mix.  Then, stir in water, buttermilk, and eggs. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils.  Remove the mixture from the heat and add dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir until smooth. Add in vanilla.  Pour batter into pan and spread out evenly.  Bake  25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Spread the peanut butter over the cake. If the peanut butter doesn't spread easily, put the cake with the peanut butter on it back in the (turned off) oven for 5 minutes.  Take back out of the oven and the peanut butter should spread nicely.  Allow to cool completely.

  Icing:

 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 3/4 - 4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

To make the icing, combine butter, buttermilk, and cocoa in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to boil.  Remove from heat and add in confectioners’ sugar. Stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla.  Pour icing over peanut butter and smooth out the chocolate. The cake should sit at room temperature for about 2 hours to allow the icing to set.

It's All About The Pumpkin!

I can't leave my other friend out who shared the pumpkin cake recipe with me!  I used to work with Cindy and she made every day a happy one!  She retired at the end of the last school year and now she is living the lifestyle many wish to live.  She lives at the beach and does things at her own pace when she wants to!  I am so happy for her, but I miss her immensely!!!  Work will never be the same without her.  She is what made each day glorious.  I MISS YOU CINDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pumpkin Cake

1 pkg yellow cake mix

1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant butterscotch pudding

4 eggs

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup veg oil

1 cup of canned 100% pure pumpkin

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

½ can cream cheese icing

In large mixing bowl, combine ingredients. Beat on low for 30 sec, then on medium for 4 minutes. Pour into a greased and floured 10 in bundt tube pan.  Bake at 350 for 50-55 min or until wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 15 min.  Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Microwave icing for 30 seconds.  Spoon over the top of the cake.

Tis The Season!

Pumpkin season that is!  If you go to the store, everywhere you look, you'll see something pumpkiny.  I used to not be a fan of pumpkin, but I can't say that any more.  Last year a friend make a pumpkin spice cake.  It was really good.  Last weekend I made pumpkin spice cookies.  They were good too.  I don't have a recipe for that one because I bought the mix in the bag from the grocery store.  A week or so ago, I had a meeting at school and a friend made the best pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes!  She shared the recipe with me and I'm going to share it with you!  You are going to love how EASY it is!  Let's say this all together ... THANK YOU, KACEY!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

1 15 oz can of pumpkin
1 yellow cake mix
1 egg
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 bag of pumpkin chips
1/2 cup  chocolate chips

Mix first 4 ingredients until blended.  Add in chips. Spoon into a cupcake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  Frost with cream cheese icing, if desired.

                              

Welcome Fall!

I admit it.  I'm addicted to Facebook.  Sometimes you learn great things.  Sometimes, it's hours of your life you never get back.  I found this recipe on Facebook.  SCORE!  I did make a few changes to it.  I took out the salt because I figured the sausage had enough salt in it.  I also used a vegetable peeler on the celery.  It takes off most of the strings and makes it more tender.  I cut the onion in half and used essential oil instead of fresh Rosemary.  Besides Rachel Ray, who keeps fresh Rosemary around anyway.  Other changes I made were I peeled the apple, used reduced fat sausage and cooked it separately in order to remove more fat, and changed the kind of cheese it called for.  It turned out GREAT!  Hubby didn't care for it, but he's not much of a squash person.  He did like the stuffing though.  I thought it was a nice recipe to welcome the Fall.

 *If you are doing food prep for the freezer, scrape out the Acorn Squash and mix all the ingredients together at the end.  You can put these in aluminum pans from Dollar Tree and store them in the freezer until you are ready to use them.  This makes for a quick, complete, and easy dinner!

Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

 2 medium acorn squash
1/2 chopped onion
2 chopped stalks of celery
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Pepper, to taste
1 drop Rosemary doTERRA essential oil or you can use a Rosemary from your garden
1-2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 lb sausage, cooked – I used lower fat sausage.
1 chopped apple, peeled
3/4 cup of plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup shredded Italian pizza cheese

Using a sharp knife, cut off the top and bottom of each squash to create a flat base on each side. Slice the squash in half, scrape out seeds to create individual bowls for the stuffing. Drizzle each squash half with olive oil and sprinkle pepper on top.  Bake in a preheated oven at 400˚F for 40 minutes.

While squash is roasting, cook sausage and chop up.  In a large pan over medium heat - heat oil and add onion, celery, garlic, and doTERRA Rosemary essential oil. Cook until onions and celery are soft. Add sausage and apple. Mix in bread crumbs and Italian pizza cheese. Remove from heat.

Once squash has finished roasting, remove from oven and fill each with the prepared stuffing mixture. Return to oven for 20 minutes - adding a little Italian pizza cheese to the top when it comes out of the oven.