Star Wars cookies

I think these are my third official attempt at Royal Icing. I want to say that it's getting better with each attempt but I think I'm just failing to read the directions completely before I get too deep into the process.

Anyway, these were fun :) They were for James' 4th Birthday party and for the treat bags. Each of his little friends took home one cookie, wrapped with so much love.

Plain cookies. These are cute enough just like this!







I didn't get many pictures of the details but this is one cookie, very wet.



The cookies were all bagged up after completely drying overnight plus. I once made the mistake of moving and letting plastic wrap touch not-completely-dry cookies. Ugh. Never again.

We think they turned out well. Four year olds aren't picky!

My sister gave me this embosser for my birthday. Each cookie had my seal on it. I looked so professional!

Mummy Dogs

This was for my son. He didn't end up touching them. Stinker.

This idea is from this website.

Repeat

This is from a few weeks ago but the picture makes me happy. I must make this again especially now that it's cold!

Brussel Sprouts Gratin

I've made this recipe twice now and we've loved it. Jim isn't a big brussel sprouts fan but he really likes this one. How could he not like this recipe with shallots and brussel sprouts cooked in bacon grease and then with crumbled up bacon? Two strips of bacon isn't much in a recipe for two pounds of sprouts, but it's enough. Okay, confession. I used three strips.

Try this. We like it. We're making this for Thanksgiving dinner.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Brussel Sprouts Gratin.

Giveaway

A great blog that I read is having a giveaway! Click here to find out about the giveaway! (It's a fancy new vacuum!)

Ginger Pumpkin Muffins

These were bound to make both Jim and myself happy- they combine our loves of ginger and pumpkin!

These were very good. Jim ate one and when I told him he could have another he was obviously very happy. He said they are "very, very good". So glad :)

I actually made these not for us but for James. At naptime he told me it was the Sun's birthday and we need cake and presents. I went with it because it was a good way to get him to actually take a nap- if there was something to look forward to afterwards. So the muffins will serve as the cake. I don't know what we're going to do about the presents :)

Yeah, that's my muffin in the front. Its half eaten and then I thought maybe you'd like to see the inside of these muffins.

The recipe called for 1/2 cup of crystallized ginger. I didn't think James would care for that so I substituted 1/2 cup of mini chips. I know he'll love those.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Ginger Pumpkin Muffins. This is a recipe from one of my favorite bloggers. She does some great recipe comparisons.

Giant Ginger Cookies

My big sis needs a little cheering up so I baked some cookies for her. Okay, for all of us. I ended up only having a half cookie (3.5 points) but Jim enjoyed a whole one. He is a sucka for ginger anything :)

I hope Ana likes these! They are HUGE and gingerlicious. Martha just doesn't fail me!

Click here for the stolen recipe for Giant Ginger Cookies.

Last CSA Farm Box

So the verdict? I don't think we'll get another farm share. I really, really enjoyed getting the boxes and the challenge of making the different vegetables. I certainly did try new ones but I think I wasted and gave away a lot too.

And I think I really don't like squash. Squash. I got lots of squash in these last few boxes. I don't know what to do with them. We'll see.

BUT I did get a pumpkin! Mmmmmmmm. Pumpkin pie. I'm saving lots of my points for a piece. Just one piece.



Did you know that brussel sprouts grow like this? and how many kinds of squash ARE THERE?!

Well, it was a great experience. I look forward to hitting farmers markets all over the metro next year, and not just for the safe and easy vegetables. We need to try new things too.

Pico de Gallo & Mexican Flatbread Pizza

I've never really paid attention when my Mom makes her Pico de gallo. DUMB.

Here's my train of thought of why I needed to make it all of a sudden. We went to a restaurant the other night and on the menu I figured the safest thing to eat was a veggie flatbread pizza. I only ate half and I had a side salad. It was SO GOOD. I figured it wouldn't be hard to make one at home so I looked up "flatbread pizza" in my good ol' Google Reader. Pioneer Woman had the first search result. Good ol' PW! Her version was a Mexican pizza, with beans, her pico de gallo, seasoned meat, cheese, etc. The only icky thing was that she used canned biscuits for her flatbread. I have been trying NOT to use processed food like that. I used Flatout flatbreads (1 WW point each!)






I didn't print the recipe, I just figured I had the idea. Well, Jim wanted to make the pizzas so they'd be ready when I got home. I told him how to make the pizzas. They were just okay. He did everything as I asked. I later found out that we should have used refried beans with salsa mixed in for the bottom "sauce". Our versions of the pizzas were too dry. I liked all of the flavors but I think it needed something else. I'll definitely try these again. Jim wasn't a fan, so maybe I'll make them when he's not home :)


We baked the flatout breads with a little olive oil for a few minutes in a 350 degree oven, this helped it get crispy first. The toppings went on and back in the oven for a few more minutes. Easy.

Click here for the stolen recipe for PW's Pico de gallo.

Click here for the stolen recipe for PW's Mexican flatbread pizzas.

Sesame Chicken with broccoli and snow peas

I wasn't organized about this recipe. I should have read through it at least once really well and then I would have caught the details, like using only 3T of the soy sauce for the marinade. I put in the entire 5T and then had to add additional ingredients to balance it out. I hate when I make mistakes. I hate when I'm flustered/crabby because of low blood sugar. I was a maniac in the kitchen and my poor husband had to wait patiently for me to calm down.

Good thing this was good! If this had been a crappy meal, I would have lost it completely. It was pretty simliar to sweet and sour, and pretty good for being a "light" meal. Who needs battered chicken?

I couldn't find chili paste at the grocery store so I substituted a bit of ketchup with red pepper flakes (I looked it up online). It worked but I could have been heavier with the red pepper.

This recipe said it makes 5 servings. I think because I added the broccoli (whole head) I think it probably stretches out to a very healthy sized 5 servings. It also includes the rice. A serving is 9 weight watcher points. This scared me at first but I it was do-able for my day today. I even have 2 points left for a snack tonight! Mmmm. Skinny cow ice cream sandwich!

Click here for the stolen recipe for Sesame Chicken with Snow Peas.

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Torte

I was asked to bring a dessert to a friend's house, for a birthday celebration. I was told that she likes tortes. I actually considered just buying one from a fancy bakery in Anoka but I looked up some recipes and found this one. It didn't seem hard at all, and used very few ingredients. The blogger's picture looks absolutely HORRIBLE but the reviews were good.

So I made this...

It tastes a lot like the Chocolate Intensity Cake that Jim loves so much but with a sweet raspberry kick.

My friends really loved this cake. We are all dieting in some way so I watched them eat little bits at a time. A lot of little bits but who was counting?

Click here for the stolen recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Torte. Please look at my picture of this cake, don't look at hers. Hers is a hot mess.

This cake was made in a 8 inch springform pan. The cake was on the thin side, but a slice was still 8 Weight Watcher points. There were 8 servings. But really, you only needed half a slice. It's very rich and delicious.

Crab Cakes

Jim said these crab cakes are better than any he's had in a restaurant. Ooooh high praise!



I made these crab cakes last night, the mixture anyway. I made the cakes and put them on a baking tray and refrigerated them overnight. This was great. I pulled them out of the refrigerator, dredged them in a bit of flour, and then sauteed them for 3-4 minutes per side.

For dinner, a crab cake with a lemon herb sauce, leftover Tuscan vegetable soup, and a side salad. Plenty of food! (9 points total)

My sister has been telling me to buy the lump crabmeat at Sam's Club. Whenever I've made crab cakes in the past I've used canned crabmeat. Good, but not great. These were great! It was $16 for almost a pound of meat but well worth it. This recipe made four healthy sized crab cakes. We've decided that we need to make these again :)

Click here for the stolen recipe for Crab Cakes. I found the recipe in my The Best Light Recipe cookbook but found the basic recipe online. Try 'em, you'll like 'em.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

I don't think I'm a big fan of squash which is unfortunate because my farm boxes are arriving PACKED with it. I made this soup tonight for later in the week. (My recipe says it keeps for four days, covered in the fridge.)

I snuck a little taste of it and I think this will definitely be a small serving on the side of a meal. It isn't the star, in my eyes. It's really, really velvety smooth and I think it's probably a great soup. I just don't think I'm BFF's with squash. We're just civil to each other :)

I really wanted to love it too because it took up a whole hour of my life! Roasting in the oven, then cooking on the stovetop with garlic, broth, white wine, and then pureeing it in the blender, and finally adding a touch of half and half. I didn't even bother with the dishes. I was just too tired :) (Sorry Jimmy!)

Click here for the stolen recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash Soup.

Ooops! I can't find the recipe online. I lack the energy to type it out. Here are the ingredients though: 1 large butternut squash, 1 onion, 2 tsp vegetable oil, 3 garlic cloves, 1/4 cup dry wine, 1 bay leaf, 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (low sodium), 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, 1/2 cup half and half, salt and pepper.

This soup has 4 servings. Each serving is 3 Weight Watcher points.

Another Chicken Pot Pie

I don't know how my other Chicken Pot Pie rates in the weight watcher world but I would guess with the processed pie crust (probably made with lard) that it isn't very healthy. Lovely tasting, but not good for my diet right now.

I found this recipe in my The Best Light Recipes by Cook's Illustrated. I am really appreciating that it breaks down the calories, fat, carbs, protein, and fiber at the end of each recipe. I was quickly able to figure out which recipes I could make for my diet. A serving of this Pot Pie is about 8 points. It's all I ate and I actually had 1 1/2 servings :) All within my diet!

The filling was on the thin side, like runny. I actually like the other recipe much better but I'll have to check the points on it before I make it again. I really liked the biscuit top to this pot pie. Yum. It was quite easy to make, just mixing wet and dry ingredients separately and then all together. The biscuits were dropped on top of the filling.

So we really enjoyed this dinner!

Click here for the stolen recipe for Chicken Pot Pie. I found the recipe in my cookbook. I love that book :)

This pie has 8 servings. Each serving is 8 Weight Watcher points.

Cauliflower Soup with bacon and cheese

YUM YUM!
There really isn't a recipe. I found this "recipe" on another blog but it didn't have exact amounts of ingredients or anything. It's more of an idea of what to do for the soup.

1. Steam cauliflower, for approximately 20 minutes. I did half a head of cauliflower, thinking it would be plenty.
2. Blend the cauliflower with chicken broth. (I used about 16 oz or 2 cups of low sodium chicken broth.)
3. Season with salt and pepper. I added a little cayenne pepper, I don't know why.
4. Serve with small amounts of shredded cheese and bacon. (4 soup servings = 4 strips of bacon)

So it wasn't plenty. We loved the soup and it was more like side dish servings for 4 so I steamed the other half of the cauliflower and made more soup! It tastes creamy but without cream/milk which is GOOD for WW.

Each serving was only 2 Weight Watcher points, that includes the 1 strip of bacon and 2 T of RF cheddar cheese for each serving!

Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with...

ganache filling and Chocolate Swiss Meringue frosting. Yeah, that's a whole lot of chocolate! 22 ounces of bittersweet chocolate for 24 cupcakes!





I think this is one of the best chocolate cake recipes I've made. It's a deep chocolate flavor because of the added coffee and Dutch cocoa. Oh, and vinegar. I don't remember the reason for the vinegar but I've used it before in cake recipes.

And I actually like the frosting and I don't like overly sweet stiff frosting. The amount of butter is concerning but oh well :)

The ganache filling was interesting. A teaspoon of ganache is placed on top of the cake batter before you bake the cupcakes. It was supposed to sink to the middle and voila! ganache filling. Well, I'm happy with how mine turned out but the ganache is more on the bottom of the cupcake. It tastes the same so who cares?

They must have been good- Jim had TWO cupcakes.

The reason I made these was for my dear friend Sara's baby shower. She wasn't very specific about what kind of treat she would like for her shower, just "something chocolate". I think these will do!

Click here for the stolen recipe for Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with ganache filling. This recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated originally. You just can't beat their recipes.

Each cupcake is worth EIGHT weight watcher points. I figured it out. Worth it!

Apple Cranberry Bran Muffins

We have an abundance of apples thanks to our Saturday visit to the apple orchard. This muffin recipe only used ONE apple but I wanted to try it. I used wheat bran, which is a new-to-me ingredient. I found wheat bran in the bulk section of the grocery store, where you can fill a little baggie with however much you need. I only needed 1 1/2 cups so I thought this was a good way to buy it.

These muffins are healthy! And pretty good for being so healthy :) I just love any cranberry apple combination so I was sold at the recipe title. AND these came from a reliable, wonderful blog.

Each muffin is 2 weight watcher points.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Apple Cranberry Bran Muffins.

Salted Caramel Brownies

OMG! I am in love with Salted Caramel. A friend of mine suggested (to the FB world) that everyone should try the SC hot chocolate at Starbucks. I had one. And then another. Yeah, I like it :)


So I saw this recipe and I know that SC is kind of trendy right now. It seemed like an easy recipe and then miraculously I had all the ingredients. WHOA. Fate.


They are divine. Jim says they are "sweet but salty". Yeah, he should be a writer.




Please go forth and make these.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Salted Caramel Brownies.

Coconut Shrimp

Seriously one of my favorite foods. I don't know why I hadn't made this recipe for a few years, but it used to be one of our regulars. It was in a Cooking Light magazine way back when we used to live in our townhouse. It seems easier to make now, I think because I'm more experienced in the kitchen. I even did the extra step of toasting the coconut. Yum. It filled the kitchen with a lovely smell!

Easy recipe. And I have definitely conquered my fear of raw shrimp. I bought them frozen from Sam's Club. Easy. Cheap(er). Wonderful.

So originally I knew this recipe from a magazine but of course it's made it's way to online.

Click here for the stolen recipe for Coconut Shrimp. I skipped the pineapple salsa. We used Plum Sweet & Sour sauce from Big Bowl.

Quick Shrimp and Corn Soup

Wow, it's been a while! I've been cooking but nothing new. Certainly nothing blog worthy. This recipe is an old favorite. We love soups around here. When I first met Jim he didn't think a soup was a main course, that it couldn't possibly fill him up. I think the first soup I made for him was the Salsa & Meatball soup (Albondigas) and after that he was convinced. This soup is an easy meal to put together. I've cheated with this recipe and used cooked shrimp, not because it's hard to cook with raw shrimp but because well, I don't know.

I kind of consider this recipe cheating (raw shrimp or not) because it's using a bunch of canned foods. Canned tomatoes, cream of mushroom soup, creamed corn, etc. I usually don't use a lot of canned or processed foods in recipes. Well, it's good. I don't want to say it's not!

Click here for the stolen recipe for Quick Shrimp and Corn Soup. This recipe was originally from Cooking Light but I found it on another website.