It's that time of year!

It's that time of year again! Once the last week of December rolls around you start to think about what resolutions you would like to have for the upcoming year and how you would like your life to be made better. In 2011 I would like to focus on EATING more healthy. Hence the post in this particular blog.

I happen to have two other blogs, you can come check them out and follow them too :)

www.imawifeandmother.blogspot.com

www.onecreativemama.blogspot.com

So to jump start my healthy eating and I am going to quit my favorite sweets cold turkey. As weird as this may sound I actually feeling pretty stoked about this one. I'm definitely feeling up for the challenge, and that's exactly what it's going to be! One tough challenge, but I've heard that if you don't eat sweets for very long if you start eating them again they will make you sick, which is what I'm hoping for. (because i won't want to get sick so they won't be tempting!)

The 3 main things I'm giving up are:

ALL CANDY

(I crave it all, especially chocolate bars)

ALL COOKIES

(my biggest weakness ever are these frosted sugar cookies)

ALL SODA

(just all around not good for me)

Now, last year I made one major "New Years Resolution" for my over-all health and well-being (those of you that know me will know what that is, those of you that don't know me well, don't want to know) and I stuck w/ it all year long and am proud to say that I no longer participate in that nasty habit. So after sticking with that (as incredibly hard as it was) It gives me a little more confidence that I will be able to do another very hard thing this year, which is giving up all those sweets.

So once every couple of months I'm going to give an update on my progress and HOPEFULLY i'll be able to say that I stuck with this through the entire year and that I am several pounds lighter because of it!

So I would love some comments about what you would like to focus on in the new year and your ideas about anything else you'd like to share. Tell me about your New Years Resolutions and your plans on sticking with it!

If you'd like to join me in giving up these things as well, I welcome you to the challenge! We can do it! Keep in mind that quitting anything cold turkey is very hard which is why I have chosen not to get rid of all sweets entirely. I don't make baked goods very often, but when I do I get to choose what goes in them, (i.e. stevia/xyitol vs. white sugar & soy vs. dairy) so I can still have a slice of cake every now and then or a small brownie when I'm feeling weak. The key to all things is moderation and consistency.

The Easiest Pulled Pork You'll Ever Make

Ssooo... the other night I made pulled pork sandwiches for dinner and they were DELICIOUS! So I decided I wanted to share how I made them with all of you. They are the easiest pulled pork sandwiches you will ever make. Seriously, I'm NOT KIDDING.

All you need is:

*Beef Broth

*1 medium sized Pork Roast or 2 small Pork Roasts (which is what I used)

*2 containers your favorite BBQ sauce

*a Fork, a knife, and a Plate

*Your handy dandy Crock Pot

So in the morning before you go to school/work/gym/run errands throw the roast(s) in the crock pot with enough beef broth that it almost covers the top. I actually just added water to the crock pot and put a few tbsp beef granules in there and stirred it around. Turn it up to high. When I came home several hours later my house smelled amazing!

When you get home, 1 hour before you want to eat, check that your pork is cooked through using a fork. If it is (it should be after 6-7 hours) drain all the broth from the crock pot and put the pork on your plate. Using the fork and knife shred the beef as best as you can. Put it back in the crockpot after its all shredded and add all the BBQ sauce. Cook for one more hour on low, stirring occasionally, like every 15 mins or so.

I served these on toasted whole wheat buns w/ Baked Beans and Chips. (i just put one side of each bun in my toaster slots and let them lightly toast) Slather the pork on your buns and serve warm. You won't be sorry you cooked this! It's so yummy!!!

*This fed my family of 4 for the night (about 8 sandwiches) and has been in my husband's lunch the last 2 days on two sandwiches and we still have leftovers. I'm not a big leftover fan or it would be gone right now. My point is that this is a decent sized recipe and could feed a family of 6-8 really well :)

Strawberry Blueberry Smoothie

Most people make Strawberry Banana Smoothies, which are delicious, but my all time favorite smoothie is a "made at home" Strawberry Blueberry Smoothie. And yes, I do like them in the winter time! haha So grab your blender and get to blending because this is a healthy snack or dessert that will have you drinking strait from the blender itself! I love using frozen fruit because then I don't have to dilute the milk w/ water. (ice cubes) I don't like using ice, the sound of it in the blender hurts my ears :(

You will need:

About 10 Frozen Strawberries

A handful of Frozen Blueberries

Vanilla Soymilk (I use light soymilk) (no set amount, depends on what consistency you like)

1/2 pkt Truvia (a sweetener made from Stevia, it's wonderful)

Put about 1-1&1/2 cup of soymilk in your blender. Add 2-3 strawberries at a time and blend well till it starts to thicken. Add half the blueberries and blend. Add some more milk if it's getting too thick, you want all those blueberries in there!

*here's a fun fact about blueberries: Did you know that blueberries contain the most antioxidants out of all other fruits? Pretty cool, huh?

Just add and blend till everything is mixed in. Truvia goes in last bc you may or may not need it. It depends on your taste buds really. My husband prefers his smoothies just plain fruity, not too sweet. I feel the same way, but every once in a while I need something a little sweeter so this is how I sweeten it up. NEVER add sugar to a smoothie! It ruins the whole Idea of a healthy snack :P

Enjoy :)

The Yummiest Stuffed Pasta Shells

So, my husband LOVES these so much he told me last time I made them that in the 5 years of begin married to me that he has never loved anything I've cooked for him more than these stuffed shells. I LOVE hearing that, makes me feel so good. It feels so good to cook something you get compliments on right? Well this is one of those dishes!

It works well as main dish or as a side dish since it's got meat in it. You can also make it without meat in it and serve it with chicken or salmon. Here I am talking about this great dish and I haven't even told you what it is yet. Seven Words people: Jumbo Meat and Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells. They are delicious, and the best part about this recipe is that people who are allergic to dairy can enjoy it as well with very little tweaking to the recipe! Awesome, right? Here it is...

You will need:

-20-30 Jumbo pasta shells, depending on how big your family is or wether you're making it a main course or a side dish

-1-8 oz container chive and onion cream cheese (you can buy this or make your own which is very easy. I've posted how below)

-1/2 lb ground turkey, seasoned however you like (unless you like it w/ taco seasoning, that would really not be good! lol I usually just use a few sprinkles each of Salt and Pepper)

-Parmesen Cheese, 1/2 a cup maybe? (or non-dairy imitation parmesan, health food stores sell this)

-1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded (you can also use veggie shreds tofu cheese, motz flavor) and some for sprinkling

-Your favorite pasta or marinara sauce

Chive and Onion Cream Cheese:

In a bowl bigger than the container mix all the cream cheese (I use Toffuti brand non-dairy imitation cream cheese from the health food store. you'll never know the difference. I've made it both ways and I actually like using this better) with one heaping tsp of fine Onion powder and a healthy sprinkling of dried chives. It's that easy and saves you money, too!

Instructions:

Cook the shells according to the directions on the box or bag. Prep your casserole dish by pouring and spreading a thin layer of pasta sauce on the bottom. Preheat the oven to 325°

Soften your cream cheese in the microwave for about 30 seconds and dump into a bowl.

Add the 1 cup mozzarella and mix together. Sprinkle with Parmesan, add browned turkey burger, and mix again. Add another light sprinkling of parmesan. Make sure everything is mixed together really well.

When your shells are done cooking, drain them. Using a spoon stuff each shell with the cheese/meat mixture until they are full and set them side by side in the prepped casserole dish.

When your dish is full, cover the shells with more pasta sauce and top with a light sprinkling of mozzarella. Cover w/ tin foil or the lid if your dish has one.

Cook covered for 30-45 minutes then remove the foil/lid and sprinkle some more mozzarella. Cook uncovered an additional 10 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes and serve.

Super Easy Taco Soup

So I love this recipe bc when you're a mom and you're constantly on the go there's nothing a like a yummy meal you can throw in the crockpot and not worry about till 5:30. And that's exactly what this is! No prep work, just toss the ingredients in and go! So I hope you enjoy this, the recipe comes from the kitchen of my beautiful sister-in-laws Shalane & Shannon :)

You will need:

-1 can corn, drained

-1 can black beans, rinsed

-1 can green chilis (i actually thought I had some of these but turns out I didnt so I chopped up some green peppers instead. If you have the green chilis tho, definitely use them, way easier!)

-1 pkt taco seasoning or 1/4 cup

-32 oz (4 cups) of chicken broth

-4 frozen chicken breasts

-16 oz (2 cups) of your favorite salsa (I used Tostitos medium, my hubby's favorite)

Put all ingredients in crockpot, turn on high and let cook 4 hrs. Take chicken out and shred it w/ a fork and return it to crockpot and cook an additional hour.

*If you would like to use ground meat (such as hamburger or turkey burger) instead of chicken you would just cook the meat up (seasoned how you like it) and add it before you cook the additional hour at the end. I like the chicken tho, but turkey burger tastes great also :)

I like to serve this w/ rice, tortilla chips, tofu sour cream, and cheddar cheese. Enjoy!

Can you tell the difference?

I made burgers for dinner tonight! Each side is different, can you tell why?

You guessed it! On the left side are hamburgers and on the right are turkey burgers.

But what is the difference really? There's a slight difference in taste, beef is a little darker than turkey, but is there anything else? YES THERE IS!

As a mother my job is to help provide and care for my family, and one of the main things I do is feed everyone! I try to be pretty health conscious which is hard sometimes, but for the most part it's not really as bad as people make it out to be. Which is why choosing turkey over beef was an easy decision for me. Maybe after reading this information you'll agree with me.

Cost

I buy my turkey burger in 1 lb frozen rolls from Walmart or Smiths. (it depends on how far I want to drive that day) At Walmart it costs $1.86 per roll and at Smiths it costs $1.99 per roll. I've never been able to find the same amount in beef that costs under $2.00.

Nutrition

In one 16oz frozen roll of turkey burger there is 170 calories, 13g of fat, 110mg of cholesterol, and 19 grams of protein. (I took that strait off the label of a frozen roll in my freezer (turkey and natural seasonings), Jennie-O brand.) In 4oz of frozen ground beef there is 290 calories, 23g of fat, 75mg of cholesterol, and 21g of protein. So while beef has more protein, turkey is definitely the healthier option. (I also took this strait off the label of frozen ground beef patties in my freezer (all beef), Great Value brand.)

Cooking

As far as cooking goes, you can pretty much use both ground beef or turkey in any recipe that calls for ground meat. So there's really no difference there. In my personal opinion though, I prefer cooking w/ Turkey burger as there is less grease than with beef.

Taste

I've heard several people say that cooking with turkey instead of beef is sacrificing flavor, but I would have to disagree. I've also heard that you have to add more seasonings to turkey than to beef because it is more bland in flavor. Once again, I disagree. I season my turkey and beef the same way and altho I can tell a difference in the taste of the actual meat there is no "sacrificing of flavor" and once again, there is less grease in the turkey. So you may disagree, but I think turkey wins again!

I hope you enjoyed reading my blog! Feel free to stop by any time :)

This is also posted in another blog of mine. To view this and other posts in my life as a mother blog click here.

LeftOver Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie

I realize I'm posting this a little too late since Thanksgiving has been over for a while, but I figure there is more holiday turkeys in the future w/ Christmas coming up so you can try it out then if you'd like. Also, this recipe is non-dairy! So all of you out there that are allergic to dairy like my husband and daughters, or who are lactose intolerant can enjoy this as well. I hope you like it!!!!

____________________________

You will need:

-leftover turkey carcass

(you can do an easy prep on the turkey before hand-boil in large pot, all meat covered w/ water for 2 hrs. drain and let cool 30 mins and meat will pull right off very easily)

-2 pie crusts (dough, not precooked)

-1&3/4 cups water

-1 can select mixed veggies (carrots, potatoes, celery, green beans, and peas)

-1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk

-2 heaping tsp chicken bullion granules

-cornstarch

-salt & pepper

First you need to pull all the leftover turkey (dark and light meat) from the carcass and put it into a mixing bowl.

Leave one of your pie crusts in its pan and turn the other one over upside down on a foil lined cookie sheet to thaw.

Drain your veggies and mix them into your turkey w/ a few sprinkles each of salt and pepper. If you have fresh veggies (I didn't at the time) you should boil them in chicken broth to cook them before you mix them with your meat. Add them to the broth in order of how fast they will cook. I.E. potatoes and carrots will take longer to cook than peas and green beans, ect.

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Now for the filling:

In a sauce pan add all the soy milk and water and stir in your granules. Mix them well. In a small mug mix about 1/4 cup cold water with 4 heaping tbsp of cornstarch and mix well. Should be the consistency of cream, nice and thick. Add this a little at a time to your water/milk mixture until it begins to thicken. Sprinkle it with salt and continue stirring until you have a nice thick filling.

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Add your filling to your turkey/veggie mix and mix it all together well.

Throw your bottom pie crust in the oven and cook it according to the directions. While that's cooking you can shape your top crust. Yours may not fall apart, but mine had been frozen and it broke a lot on the sides so I wadded it up into a big ball of dough and rolled it out to the right size (just wider than the pie pan it came in, as you can see)

When the bottom crust finishes cooking, fill it right to the top w/ your filling mixture.

Carefully lay your top crust over the filled bottom one and press the edges down. You can cut off any excess top pie crust very easily w/ a butter knife or just press down a little harder around the outside w/ your finger and it will pull right off. You should also score the top so it can breathe. (you don't have to score it like I did, you can do it how ever you'd like)

Cook at about 350 until your pie crust begins to brown and it should look something like this when it comes out.

It was pretty tasty and it went fast! Except I got really thick pie crusts, I won't make that mistake again. Even my 19 month old daughter gobbled down a whole slice! For another good recipe on a Chicken Pot Pie from scratch click here and my friend The WannaBe Chef Chelsy will show you how to make a delicious one!! Follow her, she's a great cook! I hope you enjoy your dinner! Happy Cooking :)

I thought I'd give everyone a little Thanksgiving/Holiday tip because for those of us who love to cook, but have A LOT of people to cook for sometimes you just can't make everything!

So my tip to you is Rhode's brand Bake & Serve Dinner Rolls. They are delicious and you can get a bag of 72 rolls or 2 bags of 36 for less then $8 at your neighborhood grocery store. I put 2 together in each cup of my muffin tin, let them rise per the instructions on the back, bake them, then spread fresh made garlic butter of the top of them when they're hot right out of the oven. Its fun for the kids to pull apart and who doesn't love a giant roll to dip in that yummy turkey gravy??

Anyway, enjoy your holiday and all the time spent with family :)

‎.❤♫❤♫❤.•*¨`*•..¸♥☼♥ ¸.•*¨`*•.♫❤♫❤♫❤.
╔═════════ ೋღ❤ღೋ ═════════╗
ೋ ❤❤❤~~HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!~~❤❤❤ ೋ
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...❤♫❤♫❤.•*¨`*•..¸♥☼♥ ¸.•*¨`*•.♫❤♫❤♫❤

Allergy Friendly Chocolate Chip Cookies

Allergy Friendly Chocolate Chip Cookies

From the kitchen of my good friend Valerie comes a very tasty, allergy friendly cookie recipe that will leave you wanting more! I promise you cannot taste the difference between this and something made with dairy and eggs. They are wonderful, so thank you Valerie for sharing this with me so I can share it everyone else. You are awesome!!!

My little 18 month old actually pushed a chair up to the counter while I was in the shower and ate almost the whole plate that Valerie made me. What a little squirt!! It just goes to prove that Valerie's cookies are the best :)

You will need:

1 cup (2 sticks) Nucoa Margarine unmelted

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1&1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 tbsp corn starch

4 tbsp water

(the cornstarch and water are your egg substitute. 1 part starch, 2 parts water = 1 egg)

2&1/2 tsp real vanilla extract

2&1/2 cups flour + 2 rounded tbsp

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 whole bag Kroger brand semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

You will need two separate mixing bowls. In one bowl mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and set aside. In the other bowl mix all remaining ingredients together. Add the flour mixture one cup at a time to the sugar mixture and blend well till all blended together. Slowly add in chocolate chips and mix into your dough.

Place rounded tablespoons of dough onto an un-greased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake at 350 for 11 minutes.

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I've asked Valerie to help me search for an even more allergy friendly cookie that is Gluten free as well. Hopefully we'll find something soon and I'll post that as well.

I also want to try sweetening this particular recipe w/ a different sweetener other than sugar such as Xylitol or Truvia. When I get the guts to try it I'll let you know how it turns out :)

Thanks Valerie!

Liquid Aminos-my secret ingredient

When I married into my husband's family five years ago, I was introduced to a number a various ways to make my life and my family's lives healthier.

Among those were some cooking substitutes and this one in particular is my very favorite. It's called liquid aminos and now I don't know what I'd do without it! It's my secret ingredient that keeps everyone asking: "what makes your chicken taste so good?"

You can find it at any health food store or any grocery store with a health food section (i.e. smith's/fry's, harmons, maceys, ect.)

Bragg Liquid Aminos, developed from soy protein by Paul & Patricia Bragg Ph.D. as an all natural, all purpose liquid seasoning.

Taken from the bottle: A gourmet alternative to Tamari & Soy sauce. No preservatives, no alcohol, non-fermented, gluten-free, no added salt, and contains 16 amino acids.

I use this stuff to make my chicken more flavorful, my vegetables more salty, with olive oil to sautee my vegetables, and when I'm frying up turkey burger. My husband will use it for much much more too! It's great in hobo dinners, casseroles, and stuffings and dressings as well!

We love it!

Easiest, Yummiest Taco Meat

So I am a BIG taco fan for some reason and I've been experimenting w/ my taco meat for a while trying to get just the right balance of everything with the right veggies and seasonings and all that jazz so here it is, my best (easy and yummy) taco meat.

Also, I do taco salad lots (just use crushed corn/white corn tortilla chips) but when I do regular tacos I use Tortilla Land's Uncooked Flour Tortillas. They are delicious! Best I've found in my 5 years of looking :)

You will need:

- 1 lb ground meat (I use turkey burger)

- 1 pkt Taco Bell taco seasoning (or your favorite)

- 1/2 can Black beans

- 1/4 of a medium white onion

- 1/3 of a regular sized green bell pepper

- 1/2 cup water

- a little bit of olive/vegetable oil

- a squirt of liquid aminos (optional)

Suggested Toppings for Your Tacos or Taco Salad:

- fresh chopped tomatoes

- chopped olives

- cheddar cheese

- sour cream

- guacamole

- shredded lettuce

- salsa

- basically anything that sounds good!

So first you chop up your veggies real fine, all except the beans of course. If you have a food processor that's also a great way to go. I find joy in chopping mine by hand tho. (I don't know why. I'm just weird like that)

Next you want to sort of sautee you onions and bell peppers together in a non stick frying pan. Fry them just until they begin to brown and then you're going to add your raw ground meat and completely brown that.

After your meat is browned all over, add your taco seasoning and water and stir it all together well. Once your taco seasoning is mixed in pretty well add your black beans and turn your burner down to simmer. You only want to warm up the beans.

It should look similar to this, and it's as simple as that! See? not hard at all :) If you used ground beef (this is turkey burger) it will be a bit darker. Sorry for the crappy picture, It's from my phone.

Anyway, enjoy your yummy tacos!!!!

Dessert Mode!

Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies

So as soon as Halloween rolls around my sweet tooth goes into overdrive and I get into dessert mode all the way through new years! Not too great for my waist line, but as hard as I work out 6 days a week I deserve to binge every once in a while right? I made this a few weeks ago with my girls and everyone absolutely loved it! Had to tweek the recipe just a bit, but it tastes absolutely wonderful :) I made these in a cake pan, but using a cupcake tin and making little bites out of them would be super fun! Also, its another dairy free recipe! (as long as you buy brownie mix w/ no dairy :) If you'd like to give it a little crunch add your favorite chopped nut to the brownies before you cook them!

You will need:

- 2 boxes classic brownie mix (plus whatever the mix calls for like eggs, water, oil and so on)

- 1&1/2 cups peanut butter

- 3/4 cup butter or margarine

- 1/4-1/2 cup powdered sugar (depending on your sweet tooth)

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 1 cup chocolate fudge frosting

Directions:

- Make the brownie mixes together by following the directions on the box and cook them. Let them cool all the way through.

- while they're cooling, mix the peanut butter, 1/2 cup of the butter, and the powdered sugar and vanilla together with a mixer until they're blended well.

- spread the peanut butter mixture over the cooled brownies, covering completely.

- spread the chocolate frosting (I only used about half a container) over the peanut butter so it covers completely and cover your pan with tin foil.

- Refrigerate for at least one hour and then cut into squares and serve cold. Keep un-eaten portions in the fridge.

- If you desire, top with your favorite chopped candy. (reese's peanut butter cups, butterfinger, dark chocolate chips, ect.)

These were wonderful so for those of you reading who have a sweet tooth, prepare to fall in love again :)

Chocolate Banana Cream Trifle

Chocolate Banana Cream Trifle

This recipe is easy and best of all... drum roll please... Its dairy free! Also makes a fun holiday treat you can make with your kids that everyone will love. Of course you can use regular milk and all ingredients with dairy if your family is not allergic, but mine is so here's the recipe!

You will need:

-18 whole graham crackers

-3/4 cup chocolate syrup (check the label! Hersheys & GV are all i use, I don't know if others are non-dairy)

-1 (12 oz) container non-dairy whipped topping

-1 box instant vanilla pudding (jell-o brand has no dairy if prepared at home w/ soy milk)

-1 cup vanilla soy milk

-4 large bananas

-2 Tbsp Lemon juice

Directions:

- chop/crush the graham crackers in a bowl and set them aside.

- For the chocolate portion (its called ganache) put your chocolate syrup and 1&1/2 cups of the whipped topping into a small, microwave safe bowl and heat just until it can be whipped together smoothly.

- combine the pudding mix and soy milk in a separate bowl and whisk together till thickened. Stir in the remaining whipped topping until the whole mixture is smooth and set it aside for a minute.

- Slice your bananas equally and put them into a bowl. (I eat the ends w/ my girls just for fun, silly but they like it) Sprinkle them with the lemon juice and toss gently so you don't ruin their shape. Set aside 12 or so slices to top your trifle with.

- To put it all together find a bowl that you can see through. (clear plastic or glass) place half the graham cracker crumbs on the bottom and spread them out evenly. put half of the bananas in a layer over the graham crackers and pour about 1/3 of the ganache over it evenly.

-Spread about half of the pudding mixture over that and repeat the layers till you're out.

- Decorate the top by drizzling the remaining ganache in a criss cross pattern and sprinkling that with the remaining graham cracker crumbs. Garnish with the bananas you set aside around the edges and you are done!

Great job! It's going to taste great!

Granny's Potato Salad (A Mix to taste recipe)

-This is a Potato Salad recipe that my husband absolutely loves! It's been in the family for 3 generations, and I make it every single Thanksgiving and Christmas.

-Now, keep in mind that these are estimates of the amounts to add. You will need more for more people, and less for less people. This batch here makes plenty for my 4 person family with enough left overs for all of us.

1.) Make real mashed potatoes (you'll need about 2&1/2-3 lb for this recipe)

2.) 5 hard boiled eggs, diced

3.) about half a medium sized onion

4.) 3-4 heaping tbsp sweet pickle relish (and squeeze a little juice out too)

5.) 1 tbsp mustard

6.) 2-3 tbsp salad dressing (you may want more or less, depending on how it tastes to you)

7.) salt and pepper to taste

-Mix Ingredients together one at a time starting with number one.

-Once everything is mixed well together cover your potato salad and refrigerate for at least 2 hours so it will chill all the way through.

Hopefully this is pretty easy to understand. Enjoy!!!!!!

The Perfect Holiday Treat

Giant sugar cookies w/ pumpkin cream cheese frosting

(not exactly healthy, but so good your family will love them!)

You will need: 1 stick unsalted butter

(for the cookies) 1 large egg

2 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder 1/4 cup sour cream (you can

1/2 tsp salt substitute tofu sour cream)

1/4 tsp baking soda 1&1/2 cups sugar

You will need:

(for the frosting)

8 oz cream cheese, softened (tofu cream cheese is delicious in this recipe!! you honestly cannot taste the difference in this or the cookies if you choose the tofu route)

1/4 cup pumpkin puree (i use the stuff in the can)

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp fresh orange juice (i prefer making some from frozen concentrate for this recipe, quicker and easier, but if you have a juicer then real fresh tastes wonderful also)

1 tsp grated orange zest (optional)

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

4 cups sifted powdered sugar

Cookie Instructions:

1.) preheat oven to 350°

2.) in a medium sized mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. set this bowl aside for now.

3.) using an electric mixer on medium to med-high beat butter and sugar together until they're light and fluffy looking (about 2-3 minutes usually) Add the egg and vanilla and beat well to combine. *Don't forget that if you have a little one who is allergic to eggs there are plenty of substitutes out there for eggs that work great in most recipes!

4.) w/ your mixer on low add half the flour mixture followed by the sour cream and mix well then add the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until smooth. If the dough gets to thick for your mixer don't be afraid to get your CLEAN hands dirty! Sometimes it's more fun that way :)

5.) Drop spoon fulls of dough equal to about 3 tbsp on your ungreased cookie sheet a couple of inches apart. Bake until the edges start to firm and the cookies are beginning to brown (20 minutes give or take a few)

6.) cool your cookies on a rack and either put in your second batch or get ready to make the yummy frosting!

Frosting Instructions:

1.) Don't put your mixer away yet! Beat together the cream cheese, pumpkin, butter, orange juice & zest, and the vanilla in a large bowl until they're smooth.

2.) Add the sugar 1 cup at a time and continue to beat at medium speed until you achieve the consistency you like or until it is light and smooth.

Once your cookies are cooled, frost them w/ your pumpkin frosting and serve.

Enjoy!

The Best Cheesy Garlic Bread Ever!

You will need:

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mayo

1/4 cup margarine/butter

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 loaf french bread, halved length-wise

1.) Combine all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and load it onto your french bread halves.

2.) Place on cookie sheet/broiler pan and broil on middle oven rack until the top begins to brown. Serve warm.

You will learn about me in future recipes that my husband and daughters are all allergic to dairy products. If you have the same/similar problem DON'T BE AFRAID TO TRY THIS RECIPE or any other containing dairy! There is always a substitute!

Go check out a smith's/fry's grocery store (or your local grocery store if it has a health food section) or any health food store and try their Tofu and Soy cheeses! My husband and daughter's all LOVE soy cheese so we can still eat all the good stuff. I can't wait to get some and try this recipe with it :)

Welcome!

Welcome to my food blog!!!

I've decided I want to share all my favorite recipes w/ you!!

I've been a mom for 4 wonderful years now and a wife for a little bit longer than that and let me just admit that when I first got married I was a terrible cook. haha!

The only things I could "cook" were instant mashed potatoes, box mac'n'cheese, and toast! lol I even went through a phase where I wanted to eat out all the time to try to avoid the fact that I was such a failure in the kitchen :/

But all of that is changed now and altho I don't LOVE to cook, I LOVE the outcome of cooking and I love to make my family happy when I do cook! So this blog is going to be an ongoing compilation of my favorite recipes for everything you can think of: deserts, appetizers, main courses, and of course snacks. And maybe there will be a few good drinks in there as well!

So I hope you enjoy everything! And don't let cooking scare you. Once you get the hang of it, it's not as hard as you thought :)