Fruit Punch

It's time to sneak some fruit juice into your kids soda =).  I love this drink because it really is a fruit punch.  It's made of half fruit juice, it's not like those sodas flavored with artificial fruit flavors.  This punch also gets an incredible boost of flavor from the almond extract in it.  This beverage is family friendly because it contains no alcohol so it would be a great homemade drink to make for family parties.  One definite highlight of this drink is it's simplicity, you could have it made in under a minute.  I also love that it tastes surprisingly different than your average fruit punch, in my opinion better.  
Random funny thing, I rarely run out of ice in my home (because I hate exercising without an ice cold glass of water so I always keep it stocked, it's a must, a bare necessity) but the one time I go to take pics to blog this drink of course, no ice  =).  We'll say I did it on purpose though because it's still winter and I didn't want the drink to be too chilled.  Drinks just look prettier with it though don't they?  With or without ice this is one incredible and very simple drink to make.  It's delightfully refreshing, even on a cold winter day.


Fruit Punch
Yields 1 liter


Ingredients:
2 cups apple juice, chilled
2 cups grape juice, chilled
2 tsp almond extract
4 cups lemon lime flavored soda, such as Sprite, chilled


Directions:
In a large pitcher, stir together apple juice, grape juice and almond extract.  Pour in lemon lime soda and give it a quick stir (just don't over-mix after adding the soda or you will stir out the carbonation).


Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies (with 5 Secret Ingredients!)

Go now and take your favorite chocolate chip recipe that you "love" and destroy it like it's a bad break up letter you never want to see again.  I'm just kidding.  But really you don't know what chocolate chip cookie love is until you have tried this recipe.  I'm pretty confident these cookies are just that good that you will rid your life of whatever chocolate chip cookie recipe you consider to be the best without ever looking back.  I did.  Search my blog and you will notice I have deleted my old chocolate chip cookie recipe.  It is nowhere to be found, for good reason, these.
Truthfully I cannot believe I am sharing this recipe with the world.  I think this recipe could make millions =).  These are my masterpiece.  I have spent what feels like decades trying every chocolate chip recipe out there and every trick, along with every fancy ingredient.  I have spent hours pondering what would create the perfect chocolate chip cookie.  How could it be done, and what hadn't been done before?  
So, you most likely noticed I mentioned a whopping FIVE secret ingredients, yes five!  Here they are:


1. Chilled butter, nearly every cookie recipe out there calls for softened butter.  Not here.
2. Molasses, I use this because why buy brown sugar when you can make your own brown sugar for nearly half the cost, and fresh?
3. Vanilla bean paste, this gives the cookies that fresh, gourmet vanilla flavor with the fancy vanilla bean speckles.
4. Cornstarch, yes this has been done before, this ones not really so secret anymore.  These lend good texture.
5. I saved the best for last: COFFEE CREAMER POWDER.  Yes coffee cream powder.  These give the cookie an incredible almost creamy texture, keeping them moist and giving them just one more punch of flavor.


It hit me one day, finally, when I was on vacation, to try this ingredient.  It didn't hit me until then because I don't even drink coffee so I never buy coffee creamer powder.  I've tried so many ingredients before, browned butter, sour cream, shortening, melted butter, dry milk, cream cheese, pudding mix and even those long refrigeration required recipes (really who can wait that long for a cookie?).  Then I saw it, the coffee creamer powder and I knew this was going to be good.  
To me the chocolate chip cookie you make says a lot about what kind of cook and baker you are.  Do you play it safe and stick with the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag and just accept it as the best?  Do you buy the pre-made cookie dough at the grocery store?  Do you experiment and add unusual ingredients?  Are you willing to try alternate recipes and tips?  Well, that is one reason I created these.  I want these to show you what I am about as a cook and baker.  I love creating and experimenting!  I'm not afraid of the failures because I know somewhere along the way I will find my successes.  I like to be different and bold.  I like to make cooking exciting for people and help people find confidence in the kitchen.  And mostly I love to see the smile of satisfaction the food I create puts on peoples faces, and how it brings family and friends together to enjoy great times and build memories.  I mean come on, at a party is the food ever not the center of attention =)?  
I hope you thoroughly enjoy this recipe and share it with everyone you know, because good food is made to be shared.

So thick and moist...

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields about 15 cookies (recipe could easily be doubled)


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chilled butter, diced into cubes
1 cup minus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp molasses
2 1/2 Tbsp original or french vanilla coffee creamer powder*
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or substitute 1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


Directions:


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together chilled butter, sugar, molasses and coffee creamer powder until well blended and slightly fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Stir in egg and vanilla bean paste.  Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated (mixture will be very thick).  Mix in milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Form dough into about 2 1/2 tablespoon balls (a bit larger than a golf ball), then drop 8 per sheet onto buttered cookie sheets.  Bake 10-11 minutes, until edges are very lightly golden.  Cool on cookie sheet several minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool.  Store in an airtight container.  To enjoy warm cookies later on, pop cookie in the microwave for 10 seconds if desired.


*This is NOT liquid coffee creamer, that would most certainly yield entirely different results.  Also, don't use light.  
I have tried both flavors, original and french vanilla and love both.  The french vanilla adds one more layer of flavor, it's delish.

Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Slow Cooker Pork for Tacos

Surprise!  Another slow cooker recipe from Cooking Classy =).  I can't help it, I love them!  They always yield such incredibly tender, flavorful meat.  The majority of the time I cook my meat for my main entrees in the slow cooker.  If you don't have one, you need one.  I bought mine for $30 (you can find it here for $34), I love it because the lid stays snug while cooking so all the liquids aren't steaming out all day and it's great for transporting.  I had to buy it recently because my other one exploded, yes exploded!  I did the dumbest thing ever.  I washed it then set it on the stovetop to dry, then apparently I turned on the wrong burner when I went to cook something and KABOOM!  It exploded because it was sitting on the hot, wrong burner I had accidentally turned on.  Talk about my dumbest kitchen moment ever, oops =).  Just glad no one got hurt, the breakage didn't go far.  Sorry, I got sidetracked with that, onto the dish...
This recipe is amazingly simple and so versatile.  The pork can be used for tacos, enchiladas, burritos, quesadillas, tamales, sopas, taquitos, empanadas, salads, tortas, tostadas, mexican pizzas okay, okay you get the idea.  Did I mention it contains only 3 ingredients!  Talk about quick and easy.  This meal is likely to become one of your go to favorites, not just for it's simplicity but for its phenomenal, enticing flavors!  It will have you coming back for more and more... and more.
If you love these then you would probably also love my recipe for Shredded Beef Tacos, again another versatile, simple recipe.  Another favorite is my Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce (from scratch), it's also another easy and delicious dish.  Have I said yet how much I love and constantly crave Mexican food?

Slow Cooker Pork for Tacos
Yields about 6-7 Servings


Ingredients:
2.5 lbs boneless pork spare ribs (look for some with less fat)
1 cup apple juice (don't worry this isn't "sweet pork", it just balances out the saltiness)
1 (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning (I use McCormick)


Directions:
Place pork spare ribs in the slow cooker, pour apple juice over spare ribs.  Sprinkle with half of the taco seasoning the flip spare ribs and season with remaining taco seasoning.  Cover with lid and cook on low for 8 hours.  Trim fat from pork and shred, return to slow cooker for an additional 20 - 30 minutes in taco seasoned broth.  Strain broth or remove pork with tongs or fork when plating.   
For serving ideas see my recipe for Shredded Beef Tacos


Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Microwave Coffee Mug Eggs

Scrambled eggs ready to eat in 2 minutes with less mess, less stress and the same delicious fluffy scrambled eggs you get from cooking on the stovetop!  Sign me up!  
I was skimming through some cooking mags while on vacation this week and noticed these incredible and oh so simple eggs.  Yes, it was an ad, and it got me =).  I love scrambled eggs so these immediately caught my attention.  Normally I'm somewhat of a snubber of microwave methods, but if you've ever been to Einstein Bagels and ordered one of their egg sandwiches you may have noticed they cook the eggs in the microwave and they are actually delicious.  So, I thought this simple microwave method must work and I immediately gave it a try the first chance I had, even on vacation.  It's true, I'm addicted to blogging. I was so excited about this recipe find that I couldn't resist the urge to share even on vacation.  
I hope this recipe makes your life a little simpler so you're not swapping out a fresh, warm, nutritious breakfast for some cardboard sugar filled "pastry" because it's the only thing you have time to make.  You can make these nearly as quick as you can pour a bowl of cereal.  Thank you Incredible Edible Egg!
  

Microwave Coffee Mug Eggs
Yields 1 serving


Ingredients:
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
Spray a 12 oz. coffee mug with cooking spray or grease with butter.  Add eggs and milk to mug and stir with a fork or whisk until well blended.  Microwave mixture on high for 45 seconds then stir.  Microwave again for 30 - 45 seconds longer until eggs are cooked through.  Immediately sprinkle with optional cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm.


Adapted from Incredible Edible Egg

Cornbread Sugar Cookies with Honey Butter Frosting

Cornbread meets sugar cookies!  Some of you may be thinking hmm, that sounds strange.  Let me just tell you these are one of the best sugar cookies you will ever eat, yes I'm going to brag a little =).  They are such an exciting twist on the classic bakery style sugar cookies.  These still hold true to all the wonderful characteristics you find in a perfect sugar cookie. They are fluffy, tender, sweet, and undeniably delicious.  These are one of my families favorite desserts.  I have to give some away or I will just devour them all on my own.  
You could also make Cornbread Sugar Cookie Squares with Honey Butter Frosting which are nearly the same but in bar form.  I adapted both that recipe and this one from my Sugar Cookie Squares and Sugar Cookies recipes, I decided to experiment one day and came up with these.  They are everything you love about honey buttered cornbread and soft, frosted sugar cookies combine into one.  If you ask me I think they are good enough and exciting enough to be the next new cookie craze!

Cornbread Sugar Cookies 
Yields about 2 dozen


Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups corn flour (this is NOT cornmeal, cornstarch or masa harina)*
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1 recipe Honey Butter Frosting, recipe follows


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl whisk together, all-purpose flour, corn flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer whip together butter and sugar until light and fluffy about 3-4 minutes.  Stir in egg and egg yolk.  Mix in sour cream, vanilla and lemon juice.  Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated.  Form dough into balls by the heaping tablespoon fulls then place on cookies sheets and flatten dough balls evenly to about 1/2" with your hands.  Bake in preheated oven for 9-11 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before frosting with Honey Butter Frosting.


*You can usually find this in the health foods section or gluten free section of the grocer or supermarket.  If you can't find it there you can also purchase it online here. 


Honey Butter Frosting


Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup honey
2 cups powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt


Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, whip together all ingredients until light and fluffy about 1 - 2 minutes.


Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala doesn't get any easier than this!  I created this recipe because so often people skip Chicken Tikka Masala in their dinner rotation recipes because it takes so much time and effort to prepare.  In my opinion this cooking method tastes just as good, if not better, than any of those tediously time consuming recipes.  The better comes because of the unbelievably tender chicken this recipe yields from long hours of slow, low cooking and also how much time it gives the spices to meld and develop in this incredible dish.  I'm quite certain this will now be my only method/recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala.  How could I go back to the long, laborious method now?  
Never tried Indian food before?  Then now is definitely time!  I was thinking, how do you describe Indian food and it's enticing, delectable flavors in two words?  Bold and exciting!  If you have never tried Indian food before, it's likely you have tried the spices it contains in several alternate dishes but Indian food combines all those rich spices into one amazing dish.  So go on and excite your taste buds with this flavorful, spice packed Indian dish.   

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
Yields 6 servings


Ingredients:
5 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch pieces (about 3 lbs)
1/2 large yellow onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp freshly, finely grated ginger
1 jalapeno, stemmed, sliced in half and seeds removed
1 (29 oz) can tomato puree (I recommend Contadina Brand)
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt 
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp Garam Masala
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp salt, or to taste
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1-3 tsp cayenne pepper*
2 bay leaves
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
Prepared Long Grain White Rice or Basmati Rice
Chopped cilantro, for serving


Directions:
In a large mixing bowl combine chopped onions, minced garlic, grated ginger, sliced jalapeno, tomato puree, plain yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, Garam Masala, cumin, paprika, salt, cinnamon, pepper and cayenne pepper.  Stir until combine.  Pour half of sauce mixture into a large slow cooker then add in diced chicken followed then cover chicken with remaining sauce.  Add in 2 bay leaves.  Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on low heat for 8 hours (or high for 4 hours).  
In a mixing bowl, whisk together heavy cream and cornstarch, pour mixture into slow cooker and gently stir.  Allow mixture to cook 20 minutes while you prepare the rice.  Remove bay leaves and sliced jalapeno and serve warm over rice and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.


*I put 1 -3 tsp because it is all depending on your heat preference.  If you don't like spicy foods you could even omit this ingredient.  I go for 3 tsp but I like my food really spicy.


Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Peanut Butter Pretzel Rice Krispie Treats

Aren't Rice Krispie Treats one of the greatest treats of all time?  Indeed they are, and their possibilities for alternate variations are endless.  I have so much fun creating new flavors of Rice Krispie Treats because it's so simple to do and they are always incredibly easy to make,  not to mention how quickly you can be enjoying a flawlessly delicious dessert in no time.  

These treats are perfect for snacking or dessert and they are even fancy enough for parties.  It's always a delight for people to enjoy a new twist on one of their favorite treats.  Can you ever go wrong adding peanut butter to treats and desserts?  Then, you add in even more flavor with the slightly salted pretzels, smooth, rich chocolate and a hint of pure vanilla.  These are an exciting party for you mouth.  They are everything I'd imagine a gourmet candy bar to be.  Lets just say, WARNING: Highly addictive.

If you love Rice Krispie Treats you  may also like to try Sugar Cookie Rice Krispie Treats, Cookie's and Cream Rice Krispie Treats or Cinnamon Roll Rice Krispie Treats (I'm a Rice Krispie Treat Lover can you tell? =).

Peanut Butter Pretzel Rice Krispie Treats
Yields 20 squares


Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1 (10.5 oz) package miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 1/4 cups Rice Krispies Cereral
1 1/2 cups coarsely crushed pretzel pieces


Topping:
1 cup milk chocolate chips
2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup coarsely crushed pretzel pieces


Directions:
Butter a 9x13 dish, set aside.  Melt butter in a large non-stick saucepan over medium-low heat.  Stir in marshmallows and cook, stirring constantly until marshmallows have melted.  Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup peanut butter and vanilla.  Pour Rice Krispies Cereal and 1 1/2 cups coarsely crushed pretzel pieces in to melted marshmallow mixture and gently fold mixture until cereal and pretzels are evenly coated.  Spread mixture evenly into prepared 9x13 dish and spread into an even layer with a butter spatula.
Melt chocolate chips with 2 Tbsp peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl, in 30 second intervals stirring after each interval until melted and smooth.  Pour melted chocolate mixture into a piping or ziploc bag, snip the tip of the end and drizzle mixture evenly over Rice Krispie Treats.  Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 cup coarsely crushed pretzel pieces, enjoy immediately with melted chocolate topping or cover and refrigerate until set for a set chocolate topping.


Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Moist Lightened Up Chocolate Cupcakes with Penuche Frosting

Lightened up chocolate cupcakes that taste even better than their more fatty competitor?  Sign me up!  These cupcakes melt in your mouth!  You honestly would never know that applesauce was added to lighten them up in place of butter or oil.  And the penuche frosting, where do I begin?  Let's just say this stuff is worth gold to me =).  If you have never tried penuche, it's basically an insanely delicious, caramel like brown sugar fudge, and here it is in frosting form.  The cupcake recipe is my own and the frosting recipe was adapted from allrecipes.com, thank you allrecipes love that site!
  
Moist Lightened Up Chocolate Cupcakes
Yields 24 cupcakes


Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda 
1 tsp baking baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
6 Tbsp applesauce
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp unsulphured molasses
2 tsp vanilla extract 
3/4 cup hot water


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Fill two muffin tins with paper liners and butter top of muffin tin.  In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add in eggs, sour cream, applesauce, melted butter, buttermilk, molasses and vanilla and mix until blended.  Stir in hot water and mix with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Pour about 1/4 cup mixture (or fill cups 3/4 full) into 24 paper lined muffin cups (there should be just a bit left over) and bake for 17-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.  Allow cupcakes to cool before frosting.  


Penuche Frosting


Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar*
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp hot water


Directions:
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk in brown sugar and salt and bring mixture just to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Stir in half-and-half and bring mixture just to a boil, stirring constantly.  Remove mixture from heat and stir in vanilla.  Allow mixture to cool to warm (original recipe states "lukewarm" but I found warm worked better) then beat in powdered sugar.  Add hot water as needed to thin frosting out 1 tablespoon at a time.  Immediately spread frosting over cooled cake/cupcakes before it sets.


*I usually only have light brown sugar on hand so I just add 1 tsp molasses to this recipe along with the light brown sugar (rather than using dark brown).


Penuche Frosting Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com
Cupcake Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

S'mores Bites - Two Ways

With a Kiss...

or with a Rolo, take your pick!

Seriously, dessert doesn't get any easier than this!  This definitely has got to be one of my easiest recipes yet, and cutest =).  They can be made in 5 minutes or less and they taste just like a S'more, or upgraded S'more if you use Rolo's.  These are the perfect way to be able to enjoy a S'more in the comfort of your home even in the winter time.  How fun would these be for a party?  They'd be sure to put a smile on everyone's face.  I also tried these with Saltine Crackers and they were delish, they gave them that slightly salty with sweet tastiness. 

For best results just be sure to eat them right after toasting to get that gooey, toasted, authentic S'mores goodness.

S'mores Bites 
Yields 12


Ingredients:
6 graham cracker sheets*, or 12 Saltine or Ritz Crackers
6 large marshmallows
12 Hershey's Kisses or Rolos, unwrapped


Directions:
Break graham cracker sheets in half, then cut each half into a circle using a 2 1/4" circle fondant cutter or metal cookie cutter (if using Saltine or Ritz Crackers no cutting needed).  Using clean scissors cut each marshmallow into 2 halves.  Heat oven to Low Broil and place oven rack two levels below broiler.  Align graham crackers in the center of a cookie sheet about 1/2" apart from each other (you want them all to be near the center so they are directly under the broiler and cook more evenly at the same time).  Top each graham cracker with a marshmallow with the cut/sticky side down.  Place marshmallow topped graham crackers under broiler (turn oven light on if you have one) DON'T WALK AWAY, watch them closely as they will toast quickly, allow to toast until golden rotating pan with oven mitt as needed (I left the oven door open the entire time to watch them and rotate, just be careful).  Once golden immediately remove from oven, place 1 Kiss or Rolo in the center of each toasted marshmallow and gently press down.  For best results serve warm, just like a real S'more.


Note: you could easily double this recipe but I wouldn't recommend toasting more than 12 at a time for more even toasting.


*I used a package of graham crackers that had been open for a couple of days, I don't know if this will make a difference to help with easier cutting and less breakage or not.  The crackers seem to soften slightly when you do this, just thought I better mention it.


Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Lasagna Roll Ups

Lasagna in a single serving form, no more messy sloppy layered squares!  I love these.  Not only do they look incredible they taste incredible!  I doubt I will ever make regular layered lasagna again.  These are the perfect serving size, and they are so much fancier.  If you ask me I think they are even easier than layered lasagna.

You will notice in the ingredients list I stated freshly grated cheese for all the cheeses, you are not allowed to use the pre-grated stuff, it's junk especially for lasagna =).  You will also noticed in the recipe that I stated to grind the cooked beef/onion mixture in the food processor for a few seconds, I do this because every really good Italian restaurant I've been to seems to have finely ground beef in their pasta sauces and I love it.  You don't get any large chunks of beef in your sauce, it just gives it a better consistency.  If you have a small family this is a perfect dish to make the whole batch, then freeze half (unbaked) and thaw overnight the day before you want to eat it and bake the next day for dinner.  I love getting two meals from one.  

I would recommend serving this along with your favorite Italian bread and a fresh salad topped with The Old Spaghetti Factory's Creamy Pesto Salad Dressing, then finishing dinner off with some Fresh Strawberry Gelato.  Yum!

Lasagna Roll Ups
Yields 12


Ingredients:
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 lb lean ground beef
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (I'd recommend Contadina Brand)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste


1 (15 oz) container Ricotta Cheese
1 large egg
1/3 cup fresh flat leaf parsley (aka Italian Parsley, its about 1 small handful), chopped
2 1/4 cups freshly grated Mozzarella Cheese, divided
3/4 cup freshly, finely grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1/3 cup freshly, finely grated Romano Cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper


12 uncooked lasagna noodles


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Drizzle one tablespoon olive oil into a large non-stick fry pan.  Heat over medium high heat, crumble ground beef over oil, add chopped onions and cook mixture stirring occasionally and breaking up meat, until browned.  Drain fat from beef.  Pour beef mixture into a food processor and pulse for about 5 seconds until it is ground into fine pieces.  Pour beef mixture back into fry pan and add crushed tomatoes, minced garlic, basil, oregano and 1 tablespoon olive oil and stir.  Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste then cover with a lid and simmer over low heat while preparing pasta and cheese mixture.
Cook lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling water along with 1 tsp salt and 2 tablespoon olive oil to al dente according to directions listed on package.  Once noodles are cooked, drain and immediately line noodles in a single layer on waxed paper or cookie sheets.  
Prepare cheese mixture (I do this while pasta is cooking) by stirring together Ricotta cheese, egg, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper with a fork in a large mixing bowl until well combine.  Stir in chopped fresh parsley.  Add in 1 3/4 cups grated Mozzarella Cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese and 1/3 cup Romano Cheese, stir mixture until well combine.
Stir meat sauce and spread 1/3 cup evenly into a 13x9 inch baking dish by tilting pan back and forth.  Spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture evenly onto each cooked lasagna noodle, then spread 1 heaping tablespoon meat sauce along the top of cheese covered noodle.  Roll noodles up jellyroll style and arrange seam side down in baking dish.  Cover rolled noodles with remaining meat sauce (about a heaping 1/8 cup over each) then sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese evenly over roll ups.  Tent lasagna roll ups with foil (don't allow foil to rest on cheese or it will stick you just want to loosely tent to prevent the cheese from browning) and bake for 35 minutes in preheated oven.  Serve warm garnished with additional chopped fresh parsley. 


Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

The Old Spaghetti Factory's Creamy Pesto Salad Dressing

One of my favorite places to eat is The Old Spaghetti Factory. Why? I LOVE their pesto salad dressing.  I came up with this recipe so I can enjoy it at home. We eat it about once a week in my home. Not only do I use it to dress my salad, but I also use it as a veggie dip, a sandwich spread and I even love dipping pizza in it (healthy I know =). This recipe is so simple and super quick to make! Try this recipe and I think it will become a staple in your home too.
I would highly recommend serving this over a simple green salad with homemade croutons, once you've had homemade croutons you can never go back to store-bought.

Spaghetti Factory's Creamy Pesto Salad Dressing

Yields about 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise

1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk

1 1/2 Tbsp dried basil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup freshly, finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth and creamy. Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate 1 hour (this will help the flavors develop, I don't always do it if I don't have an hour to wait). Serve over salad or use as a dip.

Simple Dill Dip for Veggies, Chips or Crackers

How do you get kids (and yourself) to eat veggies?  A great answer: a great dip.  This dip is so easy to make, it takes maybe 3 minutes if that.  It stores in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks (as long as all your cream cheese/sour cream doesn't expire before then), so that is a definite plus to this recipe.  You can make it and have it on hand in the fridge, and whenever you need a healthy snack grab some veggies and dunk them in this simple yet amazing dip.  You could even use 1/3 less fat cream cheese and light sour cream to cut back on the amount of fat in it.  You will no longer be buying that pre-made stuff at the grocer once you have this =).

Dill Vegetable Dip

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

1 Tbsp ranch seasoning mix

2 tsp dried dill

1 ½ tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried chives (optional)

1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Directions

Pulse cream cheese in food processor until smooth.  Add remaining ingredients and pulse a few seconds until well blended.  Serve with vegetables, chips or crackers.  Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks (as long as cream cheese/sour cream doesn't expire before then).

Cornbread Sugar Cookie Squares with Honey Butter Frosting

It's official, I'm in love with cornbread lately!  I posted my recipe for Cornbread Pancakes with Honey Butter Syrup a few weeks ago (I've made them again twice since =) and it got me thinking what else I could give all the delicious flavors of the classic cornbread to, honey butter and all.  Sugar cookies are a favorite cookie of many people (including myself), so I set out on a venture to turn my Simple Sugar Cookie Squares into a cornbread version.  I'm ecstatic that my experiment turned out so wonderfully =).  Sometimes I get one of these random food ideas and they are a total failure, but the ones like these that are successful are the ones that keep me experimenting.  These are truly one of my new favorite cookies.  I love that they are so unique.  I've never tasted a cookie like it.  Yes, they have nearly the exact same texture as frosted sugar cookies but they have a flavor all their own, a sweet cornbread covered in creamy honey butter flavor.  I couldn't think of what to call them, so I just decided to name them after their inspiration, cornbread and sugar cookies.  
I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!  Oh and bonus they are even healthier than your average sugar cookie because the corn flour adds in whole grain, wahoo, unintentionally healthier =).  These are so easy to make, so get going and make a batch!


Cornbread Sugar Cookie Squares 
Yields 24 squares


Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole grain corn flour (this is NOT cornstarch)*
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp lemon juice
1 recipe Honey Butter Frosting, recipe follows


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a 13 x 9 baking dish, set aside.  In a mixing bowl whisk together all-purpose flour, corn flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip together butter and sugar until light and fluffy about 3 - 4 minutes.  Stir in egg, egg yolk, sour cream and lemon juice.  Slowly mix in dry ingredients and stir until well blended.  Gently press mixture evenly into buttered dish and bake 16 - 18 minutes until edges are lightly golden.  Allow to cool completely then frost with Honey Butter Frosting.  Store cookies in a single layer in an airtight container.


*Cornflour can be found in the health foods or gluten free section of the supermarket, if you can't find it there it is also sold online (here).  I used Bob's Red Mill brand.  This is entirely different from cornstarch so do NOT use cornstarch, I know some people refer to cornstarch as cornflour so I just wanted to clarify here that's not what you use in this recipe.


Honey Butter Frosting


Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 1/2 Tbsp honey
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt


Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Chocolate Covered Love Struck Strawberry Hearts

Who doesn't love a chocolate covered strawberry?  I created these love struck strawberries because I had some left over almond bark from the Minnie and Mickey Mouse Oreo Pops I made last week, so I wanted to create another use for that almond bark I had left.  These are a fun new twist on chocolate covered strawberries for Valentines Day.  I did also try these with milk chocolate and I didn't think they were near as cute, so you're welcome to try it but in my opinion the white version looks better.  Did I mention how easy these are to make?  They're a great last minute Valentines treat to gift to a friend or loved one, and they are sure to put a smile on their face.  Happy Valentines Day everyone!

Love Struck Strawberry Hearts
Yields 6 (you could easily double/triple this recipe)


Ingredients:
6 fresh strawberries
6 oz. vanilla almond bark (white chocolate would also work)
Pink sugar crystal sprinkles


You will also need:
12 toothpicks
hot glue gun/glue


Directions:
Cut a "V" in the top of each strawberry and round edges with knife (think of carving a pumpkin), set aside.  Melt almond bark in a small microwave safe container in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth.  Dip strawberries just below bottom of the "V" to cover top, allow excess to drip off then immediately sprinkle coating with pink sprinkles before coating hardens.  Set on wax paper to dry.
To make arrows:
Cut 1/2" off the ends of 6 toothpicks.  Place a tiny drop of glue 1/2" in down (an uncut toothpick) and glue pointed ends of two 1/2" toothpick pieces to the toothpick.  Insert toothpick arrows just below chocolate coating on a diagonal (I cleaned the tip that was inserted through the strawberry with a wet paper towel to remove some of the red).  Note: the strawberry will start to break down after a few hours, so it's best to serve these before then.

Healthy Cookies

Finally, a cookie I feel great about eating!  Once you see the ingredients list of these cookies you will see what I mean by healthy.  They are full of fiber, antioxidants and vitamins.  They are also low in fat.  I created this recipe because I happened to only have 1/4 cup butter in my fridge so I had to improvise and try something healthier.  I'm so excited about how delicious they are!  I need, yes need, dessert everyday or it's just not a great day for me =).  Sort of a problem, but not now with these.  I can curb my sugar craving with this nutrition packed cookie.  These moist, cake like cookies melt in your mouth!  The glaze is totally optional, I mostly added it for looks so feel free to leave it off.  Also if you wanted to you could ice them with a low-fat or even fat free cream cheese icing.

Carrot Applesauce Cookies
Yields about 2 1/2 Dozen


Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup light-brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1 cup finely grated carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries (such as Craisins)


Optional Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl whisk together all-purpose flour, whole wheat  flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, optional nutmeg and salt, set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip together applesauce, butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well blended and smooth about 1 minute.  Stir in egg and vanilla.  Slowly add in flour mixture.  Stir in quick oats, carrots, raisins and dried cranberries, mix until combine.  Drop mixture by heaping tablespoon fulls onto a Silpat lined cookie sheet two inches apart and bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden and set.  Allow to cool several minutes before removing to wire rack to cool.  If using glaze: in a small mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and milk until well combine and smooth.  Pour into a piping or ziploc bag, snip a small tip off the end and pipe over cookies (note: store cookies in a single layer).