Super Easy Pasta with Avocado Sauce

Hi all.  I finished my first week of work!  I FINALLY got a nanny job.  As part of a nanny share, I'm responsible for taking care of 2 tiny babies (one 3 month old and one 7 month old) and the 7 month old's big sister after kindergarten.  I'm starting out with just the 3 month old for a couple weeks as her mom returns from maternity leave and will transition to having all babies in a couple weeks!  It's so nice to finally be working.  As Michelle knows, too much free time is not my friend.  Speaking of Michelle:

Puppy Selfie

Sleepy Pup

I've been cooking a lot lately and need to catch up on blogging recipes.  Honestly, my favorite thing I've made in a long time was Sesame Peanut Noodles with Beets!  So good.  I had been craving peanut sauce for a while and finally purchased farmers' market beets and was gifted honey, paving the way for this deliciously one point sauce.  


So I guess since this blog requires more than just puppy pictures and updates on my life, let's talk about Pasta with Avocado Sauce. This was a pinterest find, as many of my recipes are lately.  I really didn't alter it from what Damn Delicious came up with.  This was fast and easy, and unlike most my recipes, I didn't have to chop vegetables forever.  It made a bunch, but I have a feeling the avocado will make it brown.  Let me know if you think of any ways to improve or add on!

Avocado with Pasta Sauce

Adapted from Damn Delicious

"Fiesta Bean Salad"

Like I mentioned in a previous post, Vince and I have been trying to budget, including packing lunches.  I made this salad for the first time within my first couple weeks living together.  I've found the key to packing lunches is packing food you actually want to eat.  Many a time at my old job, my packed lunch would get pushed further back in the fridge as my coworkers' ideas for takeout sounded more enticing. Vin mentioned different salads sounding good and I thought of a recipe of Jackie's from college.  I couldn't track that down, but as always I found my way on Pinterest.  I get the feeling Vince's coworkers were a little impressed to see Vince actually bringing lunch, rather than going out for lunch every day as he was before.  They were also impressed with my over-doing the garlic, with the smell of garlic filling the room whenever Vince opened his container at lunchtime.  Though he loves garlic, I've since cut back for the sake of our containers and Vin not getting sick of the salad.  The original recipe recommends to eat it right away, but it's fine through the week, though the avocado gets soft.  I think maybe next time I'll add some black pepper.

Chicken Mango Fajitas

In the past month or so, a lot has happened.  I quit my job of 4+ years, moved away from Pittsburgh (my home of 8 years), and moved with my boyfriend to Takoma Park, MD.  Being in a new area, looking for a job, and living with a significant other for the first time have offered a lot of challenges along with lots of excitement.  Overwhelmingly cliche, I know.  I pretty much agreed to move to Takoma Park, a cute tree-filled community bordering DC, before ever visiting it.  So much of enjoying an area is knowing how to do it right and being a part of the community there.  Luckily, a former coworker of mine was able to give me the info of his sister-in-law and Vince (the boyfriend) has coworkers here that have been giving us some insights.  We've been trying to budget well (emphasis on the trying..) so that of course means smart grocery shopping, packing lunches, and making dinners.  As we meal planned for the week, Vince suggested quesadillas, which turned into this meal.  I had a moment of "should I buy the packaged fajita seasonings?" which was immediately followed with "of course not, I have a recipe!" With advice from one of our TP mentors, we checked out a grocery store called Shoppers, which was priced very well.  I'm not sure if we went on a bad day or what, but our cheap bell peppers needed to be used quickly.  What better way to use them but one of my fav recipes - Chicken Mango Fajitas.

During the few weeks we've been living together I've already made this recipe twice, with the second time being our first time having a friend over for dinner at our new place!  It was also a go to for dinner's in Pittsburgh.  Finally, I'm sharing the recipe.

Chicken Mango Fajitas

From Healthy Chic Eats

Marinade:
1 Tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (about 2 oranges)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, chopped (use the other half as garnish)
1 teaspoon lime juice

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

In addition to Peanut Butter Pie, I was also responsible for bringing an appetizer to Mother's Day at my sister's.  My go-to appetizers are my mom's cheese ball and my paternal grandma Laverna's olive nut spread, which some day I'll post, but I wanted to do something different. My girl Raleigh (Rae's sister-in-law-to-be) planned to make a hot caprese dip, and I thought I'd compliment it with another hot dip.  Spinach Artichoke Dip it was, but I couldn't find a recipe I liked.  There were a couple good candidates including some interesting ones with Alfredo sauce, but I wanted to use mostly ingredients on hand.  Will all this in mind I did something I am still new to; I looked at a bunch of recipes and from them made my own.  Turned out pretty well with no major critiques from Momma D.  I served it with toasted mini pitas.

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
1 (10 oz) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped (doesn't have to be a fancy jar)
1 cup shredded mozzarella
8 oz cream cheese 
2/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayo
1/3 cup grated Parmesan 
2 teaspoons garlic 
1/2 teaspoon salt

Simple and Delicious Peanut Butter Pie

Hi all.  Like Kate, I have returned from the depths to blog my first recipe since October, which had been my first since February 2013.  At the end of April, I moved away my home of 8 years, my friends, and my job.  I'm now living outside of DC in Takoma Park, Maryland with all sorts of time to cook and blog.  I'm cooking more than I ever have, mostly because of the no job thing, and hope to share more of my recipes.

Peanut Butter Pie is probably the only food where I always prefer my own recipe.  It's actually a recipe of my mom's from a "Grange Cookbook".  I tried to research what that is and I'm still not exactly sure, but it's a go-to for my mountain momma.  For Mother's Day, we go to my sister's house, and being that this pie is her mother-in-law-to-be's favorite, I always make it.  It's a pretty simple recipe and easy to adapt.  In the past I've added in M&Ms, used a mix of crunchy and creamy peanut butter, and the past few times I've added chocolate to crust and drizzled it on top.  The chocolate was definitely a crowd pleaser during yesterday's Mother's Day dinner.  I use to make this so much that I had the recipe memorized and after having it again yesterday I had to wonder why I stopped.  It's fluffy, delicious, and so easy and quick to make.  I highly suggest making it asap, or at least taking it to your next potluck.

So few ingredients needed.

Simple and Delicious Peanut Butter Pie

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (I've always used cheap stuff, never tried natural)
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 (8 oz) container of Cool Whip
1 graham cracker crust (I always buy mine)
1 cup milk chocolate (optional, but just do it)

Snickerdoodle Blondies, or "Oh hey, blog, I'm back"

So I am one of those... I search Pinterest for recipes from time to time.  Not too ashamed to admit it.  In July I went to meet my boyfriend's parents for the first time (after only dating for a couple months), and I was way nervous.  Momma D always says to not go to someone's home empty handed, and that Italians typically bring bread and wine.  Momma D also says a lot of things that aren't appropriate for this blog.  Michelle believes in always bringing baked goods, and showing people you love them with delicious foods.  With all this in mind and extensive searches and worrying, I set out to make this recipe.

Snickerdoodle Blondies

Adapted from My Own Sweet Thyme  

2 2/3 cups all-pupose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar, light or dark
1 cup butter, room temp
2 eggs, room temp
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup white sugar (last time I used turbinado sugar, added a good texture)
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon (last time I accidently added a lot; feel free to do the same)

Vegan Nori Rolls

In my current post-cleanse state I've been super motivated to eat well and cook delicious and nutritious meals and snacks (point of the cleanse has been achieved).   Yesterday I made this recipe as well as two others that I will post on here soon.  Along with the first of many healthy recipes I'm trying, this is also the first recipe from Pinterest (yeah, I'm one of those) that I've made, pinned from this site.  I cheated a bit on the recipe by using out of season veggies and pre-sliced peppers from the store.  Needless to say this recipe will be much more delicious in the summer. 

Raw Vegan Nori Rolls

Vegan Blueberry Banana Buckwheat Waffles

Lately I've been craving waffles.  I have a near Leslie Knope level of love for this tasty not-just-breakfast food,  thanks in part to my Aunt Leisa and my babysitter making them for me all the time growing up.  At my aunt's we always smashed ripe bananas and mixed it into the batter, something I continued to do at Duquesne Towers.  Here's a recipe inspired by an Your Daily Vegan's recipe with that incorporated. 

Vegan Blueberry Banana Buckwheat Waffles

Mine made 10 waffles

• 2 or so bananas, ripe
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 2 cup non-dairy milk (I used almond)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 handfull of frozen blueberries

• Smash up those ripe bananas and set aside.

• Mix all the dry ingredients first, then add in the wet ingredients.

• Cook the waffles per your waffle maker's directions.  JUST MAKE SURE YOU SPRAY THE IRON! Can't stress that enough.

• I like mine to be nice and brown.

Simple enough - delcious waffles.  Make sure if you're going to freeze them you let them cool completely first. And in the words of Leslie...

 

"We need to remember what's important in life: friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn't matter, but work is third."

Lactation Cookies.

That's right friends. Lactation cookies of the oatmeal and chocolate chip variety.  This month good friends of mine welcomed their child into the world.  I was hoping to find a way to help or support in this time, and my friend suggested the idea for lactation cookies as thought of by her lactation consultant.  As a novice baker I'm usually pumped to try something new.  This recipe is inspired by the recipe for Momma's Milk Cookies on this website, which will also give you information on why the key ingredients of oats, brewer's yeast, and flax are helpful.  The key ingredients just provide nutrients that are helpful for lactation;  I ate a couple and nothing weird happened.  The recipe is definitely unique and the cookies are different from any oatmeal chocolate chip cookies I've had before.  I'm going to try the other recipe on the linked site soon, and if you have any ideas for other uses for brewer's yeast please pass them my way.

Found in the vitamins & supplement section in 

Whole Foods.

M&M and White Chocolate Mint Cookies: The First Batch of Cookies for the Exchange!

Hi all.  As you've seen, we're hosting a holiday cookie exchange at our apartment this week.  After all, cooking should be a communal act, bringing all of us together.  Michelle said before that giving food to someone is showing them love and gratitude.  What better time of year to share these sentiments?

Earlier this month we went to the Lawrenceville Joy of Cookies Tour.  Encase you haven't been, several businesses in our Lawrenceville neighborhood (can't find the words to sum up Larryville) coax us in with delicious cookies.  It did the trick because I ended up checking out several stores that I wouldn't have gone in otherwise.  I highly suggest going, but be sure to go early - lots of places ran out of cookies during the four day event.

The highlight of the trip for sure was checking out greenSinner.  Michelle had been hyping this local, sustainable florist for weeks and my God it did it go beyond expectations.  Michelle and Mekenzee have inspired in me a new found appreciation for succulents, and this great workshop and greenhouse, and the beyond kind owners, only continued that cause. Not only does greenSinner win the awards (in my mind) for best new business and best shop owners, but they for sure had THE BEST cookies of the tour.  They were made by their friend Culinary Cory, and I wish I would have remembered to look up his blog before trying to replicate his Minty Grinch Cookies View his recipe here!

One last thing and then the recipe...

It was only a matter of time before a Pittsburgh food blog had a pierogie recipe.

Sweet potato piergoies: A tale of over-coming doubt and adapting old Ukrainian recipes

Upon hearing that our Friends-giving feast would require every dish to have "a twist" I was racking my brain for ideas.  At Girl Dinner when a few of us picked ingredients from a hat to assure we covered all bases, I ended up with sweet potatoes.  I was quite nervous about making something super unique, while all the time craving my mom's sweet potato casserole.  Luckily, Mekenzee swept in and said "Aren't you who's always talking about sweet potato pierogies?" It's true.  I often try to persuade the waiter at Blue Dust's 25 cent pierogie night to get the kitchen staff to make sweet potato ones and love the Gosia's Pierogies from farmers' markets and the Pittsburgh Public Market.  So the hunt for a sweet potato pierogie recipe was on.

Turns out... no recipe.  Of the few recipes Google gave me there were only ones with cheese and onions and other savory ingredients, and I was still craving sweet potato casserole. Stressed once more I mixed a couple together and came up with my own.  My mom always said "cooking is not an exact science unless you're using leavening".  I on the other hand always use recipes.  If you know that this + this + that = good why not use it as a guide? Here is what happens when you mix the recipes of St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church's pyrohy recipe found in this article (or from a volunteer roommate), and ravioli recipe from Epicurious:

Sweet Potato Pierogies

In case you didn't notice, we're all fans of pumpkin

I've heard before (and have no facts to back this up) that Fall/Thanksgiving is the time of year that we eat the most season foods.  I've learned not to mess around when it comes to this.  As a young "adult" living with friends I've sky rocketed from (okay.. grown past)  sticking to just pumpkin pie and pumkin roll made with canned pumpkin at my mom's house.  I now know enough to have every course of every meal contain pumkin, and am sure to finish it up with a Dogfish Head Punkin or a Southern Tier Pumking (once again, no time to mess around when it's pumpkin season). 

I've realized I cook and bake as I do all things in life:  very slowly with a lot of emphasis on process and method, followed by super awkwardness towards any praise or goodwill I receive in regards to the finished project.  This recipe is a strong example, but I'm sure an advanced baker could whip these up in no time.  It's taken from a Mrs. Field's cookie book and I found it online here, but I have included my (quite possibly pointless) step by steps.  Here goes my most complimented recipe:

Pumpkin Harvest Cookies

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter (if you're going to brown it, add an extra couple of tablespoons)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (All of our flour is mixed together, I typically end up using wheat flour)
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (Trader Joe's has a really good and inexpensive one )
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2c (packed) dark brown sugar
1 cup solid-packed unsweetened pumpkin puree (follow my lovely roommate's instructions to make your own)
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoons vanilla extract
10 oz white chocolate, coarsely chopped (I just use white chocolate chips, feel free to throw in the whole bag)
1 cup pecan halves and pieces, toasted

Yield: About 3 dozen.

• Set everything out for it to be room temperature.  Possibly pointless, but after a few mishaps I swear by it. 

• Brown that butter. I went off of this recipe. It has a great color guide.  Once again, possibly pointless and may be omitted, but it smells awesome and adds a nutty flavor.  I brown and then throw the butter back in the fridge or freezer a little so it gets more solid. 

• In a small bowl, combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda.  I usually sift the flour (pointless), but sometimes weird flakes come out of the wheat flour. 
• In another bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add in the eggs and vanilla, then the pumpkin puree. Next comes the flour mixture.  Stir/beat just til combined.  Stir in the chocolate and pecans.
• Throw it in the fridge, but just for a little.  It makes it easier to drop onto cookie sheets and it makes it so they don't spread out as much.
• Preheat to 300 F.  I seriously wait til this point to do this, unless it's cold outside...
• Finally spoon out the dough, roll into balls, and place a couple inches away from each other on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until it's brown around the edges.  

• Enjoy and share!

These pumpkin cookies are often requested by my coworkers and great to take to a party.  Hope this recipe stands a good introduction to blog for me.  For the first time ever this week I'm creating my own recipe so I'll be sure to report back, good, bad, or otherwise.