Day 140: Brown Suga Balsamic Strawberries

Yield: 2 cups berries
Time (Start to Finish): 25 min

Ingredients:
2 cup sliced strawberries
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
½ cup brown sugar
½ tsp vanilla
small pinch salt
½ lemon juiced

Directions:
1. Take the sliced berries and combine with all the other ingredients. Stir and let sit for 20 min so they make a juice
2. Put over ice cream, on a biscuit, or just eat out of the bowl!

Rating: 3.5 strawberries
Notes: I normally like these a lot, but I added too much balsamic and then it tasted pretty lame! The brown sugar balsamic ratio is delicate and special, so play with caution, but if you nail it, you will see just how marvelous it can be! Anything strawberry I love, and the sauce this makes is quite marvelous.

Day 139: Garlic Spread

Yield: ½ cup
Time (Start to Finish): 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 head roasted garlic
mustard
lemon juice
salt and pepper
olive oil

Directions:
1. roast the head of garlic until soft and spreadable, you can deskin first or just cut the top off, roast in foil with a little oil and salt and squeeze the cloves out
2. in a blender, add the cloves of garlic, a tsp of mustard, ½ of a lemon juiced, a little olive oil salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Feel free to add more of any in order to make a good consistency.

Rating: 3.5 strawberries
Notes: This is pretty good to put with a cheese platter and crackers. It is very garlicy, so its only for those who love it, which I do!!! I don’t normally like mustard, but it cuts this down a lot and I think is the perfect addition. I put it with some toasts, and some brie, so you must try it. It doesn’t take very long to make and really impresses people…but…don’t expect to be kissing many people after eating this one!

Day 138: Chocolate Crinkles

Yield: 20 cookies
Time (Start to Finish): 1 hour

Ingredients:
½ cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
¼ cup oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

powdered sugar

Directions:
1. In a mixer, mix the oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla until smooth
2. Add the cocoa, flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and mix until smooth. Let sit in the fridge for about 20 min
3. Preheat the oven to 350F
4. Roll dough into balls with hand and roll into sifted powdered sugar and place on cookie sheet, flattening just a touch
5. Bake for 15 min until they crackle on top and are soft to the touch. Try not to overbake. Its always better to underbake

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: I am on a roll right now making some great things! Ok, I admit, some of them are easy, but it’s the holidays, and they all taste good!! These are wonderful, and the cinnamon adds that special kick. I would even add espresso powder, or orange zest. Yummy!! They are soft, filling, and totally give any girl that chocolate fix she needs. Boys, this is your ticket to help out a cranky girl!

Day 137: Goat Cheese Grape Appetizer

Yield: 12 pieces
Time (Start to Finish): 20 min

Ingredients:
Goat Cheese
12 crackers
12 grapes, red or green
raspberry jam
toasted pecans

Directions:
1. Take the cracker and spread a thin layer of jam on it
2. Add the goat cheese on top, a liberal amount
3. Slice up the grapes and add on top in a spiral
4. Sprinkle the toasted pecans on top and serve!

Rating: 3.5 strawberries
Notes: I have made a lot of goat cheese stuffed grapes, so this is a bit of a twist. I actually made this from left over holiday party stuff, with some things I bought at trader joes while I was there. These are quick to make and really easy to enjoy. Make sure to get a good goat cheese and fresh grapes. If you cant, substitute for strawberries, blueberries or lychee which you can get in a can.

Day 136: Avocado Dressed Edamame

Yield: 2 people
Time (Start to Finish): 30 min

Ingredients:
1 cup shelled edamame
½ avocado
soy sauce
lemon juice

Directions:
1. Cook the edamame according to the directions. Usually its boiling them for 5 min
2. In a blender or a mixer, mix the avocado, soy sauce and lemon juice until it makes a smooth sauce. Taste and add more soy if its too sour, and more lemon if its too salty
3. Pour over the edamame and serve as a side to any dish. Goes great with sushi!

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: I really love with dish! Its chunkier than I wanted because I didn’t have a mixer and had to use a whisk, but it tastes great. It does really well with sushi and you don’t need to add salt, the soy sauce adds plenty. I don’t know how I thought up this one, but it is a must try. Does good next to potatoes, or like I ate it, just on its own!

Day 135: Gingerbread men

Yield: 24 men
Time (Start to Finish): 2 hours

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
3 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ stick butter
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup molasses
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

½ box sifted powdered sugar
little milk (amount varies)
vanilla

Directions:
1. In a mixer, mix the sugar and the butter until smooth
2. Add the egg and the molasses and vanilla
3. Mix all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the wet. Turn the mixer on very low and mix until combined
4. Let sit in fridge for 20 min
5. Preheat oven to 350F
6. Take into a ball, about half the dough, and with flour roll until ¼ inch thick. Cut using gingerbread man cutter and bake for 20 min until soft to touch but not sticky. Let cook before icing
7. Mix the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until frosting is thick but able to pipe.
8. With a piping tube, pipe designs onto the cookies! You very well may add different colors to the frosting. If it is too thick, add milk, too thin, add more powdered sugar. Enjoy these guys!

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: These were made for the holiday party at Patagonia! The original plan was to make each man look like a different member of the staff, but after shopping all day for stuff, and then a couple beers at lunch with the girls, there just wasn’t enough time! They turned out well though. The frosting was a little soft, but they tasted great. Gingerbread lasts really well, so we enjoyed them at work for a couple of days. Thanks to lyn for for kitchen, and happy holidays! Try all sorts of different shapes, but I wouldn’t use this recipe for building a house, it’s a little soft. Great for leaving out for santa though!

Day 134: Sage Brown Butter Popcorn

Yield: 1 big bowl
Time (Start to Finish): 20 min

Ingredients:
6 fresh sage leaves
½ stick butter
½ cup popping corn
salt

Directions:
1. Pop the corn using directions, I used an air popper so I just threw them in and they popped out!
2. In a pan, place the butter, and on med heat, melt the butter and cook until it browns, but doesn’t burn
3. Take it off the heat and let cool a little bit.
4. Chop up the sage leaves and add to the butter
5. Pour over the popcorn, toss, and add salt and enjoy!

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: yum!!!!! This is truly something I will make time and time again. The thing I did wrong was I didn’t wait long enough for the butter to cool and the sage leaves burned a little bit, but even still, the flavor was good. I ate this for dinner while sitting and chatting with the roomies. A nice thing to share I think. Enjoy while watching a movie, alone, or with a group of friends. It is simple and so so good!

Day 133: Oatmeal Sammy

Yield: 1 person
Time (Start to Finish): 25 min

Ingredients:
¼ cup steel cut oats
1 cup water
2-3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp flax powder

1 slice sourdough toast
butter
peanut butter

Directions:
1. Take the water and bring it to a boil
2. Add the oats and the brown sugar and cook until the oats are done and not very soggy so they can go on toast and not run off
3. Add the flax just as it is finishing
4. Toast the bread and skim on some butter and then peanut butter
5. Put the oatmeal on top and enjoy as an open faced sammy!

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: This was actually something that was perfect to eat as I ran out the door! Its fast to make, you don’t have to use steel cut oats either if you want it faster. It filled me up all the way until lunchtime which is rare, it was just what I needed. You must try it out and whats cool is it is all stuff you most likely have in your cupboard. I hope you make this guys.

Day 132: Mom’s Cruisin’ Chicken

Yield: 3 servings
Time (Start to Finish): 30 min

Ingredients:
1 package chicken tenders
½ stick butter
2 big garlic cloves
¼ cup onion
salt and pepper
½ cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
nutmeg scrape

cooked brown rice

Directions:
1. In a sauce skillet, take and melt the butter with the onion and garlic just until it is melted and pan is hot
2. Throw in the chicken and add salt and pepper. Cook until chicken is almost all cooked
3. Add the wine and cook until chicken is done
4. Add chicken stock and bread crumbs and mix to make a sauce. Feel free to play and add more bread crumbs or chicken stock to make more sauce. Add scrape of nutmeg at end
5. Serve over cooked rice, mashed potatoes, or noodles!

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: I have been eating this since I was a small child..without the wine oc course. What was great about this was I had lunch for days! It was perfect and so easy to reheat. You must try it. The sauce is so simple, and the chicken is tender, and it is comforting and warm. Best part is that it takes no time at all, so its ideal for families. I hope you like it guys!

Day 131: Saffron Butter Cookies

Yield: 2 dozen cookies
Time (Start to Finish): 2 hours

Ingredients:
½ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar (light or dark)
½ egg (mix one in a bowl and add half)
2 1/3 cup flour
dash salt
2 Tbsp cream
3 three fingered pinches saffron

Directions:
1. Heat the cream until it is almost boiling
2. Add the saffron and crunch it up so it is in as small pieces as possible. Mix and let steep as long as you can, I did for 1 hour, you can do much longer
3. Preheat oven to 350F
4. In a mixer, mix the butter and the sugar until smooth
5. Add the egg and the cream
6. Add the flour and salt until the mixer it just together
7. Roll into balls and place on a cookie sheet and flatten. You may sprinkle sugar on top if you want
8. Bake for 15 min until bottom of cookies are just browning
9. Serve with tea or on their own

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: Thanks to my boss at work, I am lucky enough to have been given saffron! If I had bought it myself, I would have sprinkled it only on risotto, but I thought, with this present, I must play with it! So cookies it is! They are very good. Its hard to pick the flavor out if you don’t know what it is, but if you know saffron, you can taste it for sure. Maybe I needed to steep longer. They go great with tea, and aren’t too sweet. Just perfect. I didn’t add sugar on top of mine.

Day 130: Cran Black Tea

Yield: 1 person
Time (Start to Finish): 15 min

Ingredients:
1 black tea bag
splash cranberry juice
cream
lemon squeeze
raw sugar pack

Directions:
1. Boil water and then add tea bag and steep as directions tell. About 4 min
2. Add splash of cranberry, splash cream, squeeze lemon and the sugar. Drink and add more of anything to taste

Rating: 2.5 strawberries
Notes: The lesson I learned today is I don’t like 100% cranberry juice, but juice that is mixed with cranberries. Like cran apple, or cran raspberry. It was WAY to tart, and so I had to add a lot of sugar. I like cranberry and black tea is also something I learned. I made this at work when it was cold and rainy, so it was a nice treat to wake me up, warm me up and keep me going for the day. I hope it does the same to you during this winter season! Oh, and the pic is from my camera phone this time!

Day 129: Toasty Scramble

Yield: 1 person
Time (Start to Finish): 20 min

Ingredients:
1 egg
¼ cup cream
¼ avocado
1 slice sourdough toast
4 slices cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
1-2 Tbsp butter

Directions:
1. Toast the bread, butter, and cut into pieces
2. Heat a skillet to med-med high heat
3. In a bowl, whisk the egg, cream salt and pepper
4. Melt rest of butter into the skillet and cook the egg mixture until it is scrambled to your liking…runny or firm
5. Add the cheese, cut into pieces, and the toast and mix until combined and cheese begins to melt. Serve with avocado sprinkled on top and enjoy

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: As long as the toast is toasted a little extra, then it is perfect. It gets soft in the egg mixture. It is nice, its like when you put your eggs on a piece of toast, only it is already all cut up for you! And the cheese seems to draw to the toast for some reason. It is super delicious. You will enjoy this recipe for sure.

Day 128: Cinnamon Hot Chocolate

Yield: 2 people
Time (Start to Finish): 20 min

Ingredients:
2 cups soy milk
½ cup heavy cream
cocoa powder (to taste)
2-4 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp vanilla

Strawberry jam
Whipping cream


Directions:
1. In a sauce pot, mix the cream, soy milk, cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla with a whisk until smooth and creamy. Heat on med until hot but not boiling. Taste it and feel free to adjust the spices. More cinnamon, more chocolate, whatever suites you best!
2. In a mixer, mix the cream until it is whipped cream. No sugar or sweetener. Then add a little strawberry jam to make it strawberry flavored. Put on top and enjoy!

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: Our house is so cold we could see our breath! So what better to do than to make hot chocolate! I wish I had some bailey’s though. That would have made it a million times better. But the strawberry cream really added a lot, and it was just the right spicy where it was still obviously hot chocolate, but with a little sumthin. I like soy milk with a mix of cream so it isn’t as heavy, but you can add just regular milk if you like too. Enjoy!

Day 127: Christinoua

Yield: 1 person
Time (Start to Finish): 25 min

Ingredients:
½ cup quinoa
1 cup tomato veggie pureed soup
1 cup water
salt
½ lemon, juiced
goat cheese

Directions:
1. Take the quinoa, tomato soup, water and salt and place in a pot and let it come to a boil. Turn to med and cook down until the liquid is gone and the quinoa is tender. If it is not, add more water. It splatters, so don’t wear white and try to keep covered
2. Add the lemon juice and stir, and then sprinkle with goat cheese.

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: This is actually SUPER good! I made it without the goat cheese, and it was just alright, and then Christina, my roomie, was all, hey throw on some goat cheese, and it made it a total winner! A must try. You can add spices too, or really use any kind of soup puree to cook the quinoa, but I chose tomato this time. Give it a twirl, and let me know if you like it! Oh, quinoa is probably one of the most wonderful grains in the whole world. If you haven’t tried it, you simply must. Not only is it tasty, but very easy and quick to make.

Day 126: Sweet Dutch Babies

Yield: 3 babies
Time (Start to Finish): 30 min

Ingredients:
2 eggs
½ cup flour
½ cup milk
dash salt

2 Tbsp butter

Powdered sugar
Strawberry butter, or lemon juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Melt the butter and put into a muffin tin (bigger than a cupcake tin. If you only have cupcake, maybe do 5) put into 3 of the holes to make 3 muffins. You want it totally coated in butter.
3. In a blender or with a whisk, mix the eggs, flour, milk and salt together until very smooth
4. Pour into the tins so there is room on top and bake until they poof up and are brown and crispy
5. Take out of the oven and plate. They will start to fall. Cover with powdered sugar and serve with strawberry butter or lemon juice.

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: These were so fun! I couldn’t remember the ratio very well so I winged it, and they worked! It was so fun to see them pop up in the oven like that! These are a little eggier and heavier than a popover, and more buttery than a brioche, so it is really just for a quick breaky fling. The strawberry butter added a lot, and the powered sugar did too. Remember when I did the savory one? You can really add anything to make these amazing is the lesson I am learning. Try them out!

Day 125: Bacon Sage Chicken Pot Pie

Yield: 4 People
Time (Start to Finish): 1 ½ hours

Ingredients:
1(15 OZ) Pkg. Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts (2 crusts)
1/3 cup butter
15 fresh sage leaves
5 cooked pieces bacon
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk

2-1/2 to 3 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey (I used 4-6 chicken breasts.)
2 cups frozen mixed, vegetables, thawed

Directions:
1. Cover chicken with water in saucepan. Cook until done, debone and cut into bite sized pieces.
2. Heat oven to 425. Prepare pie crusts as directed on package for two - crust pie using 9 inch pie pan.
3. Melt margarine in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add sage with the onion and cook 2 minutes or until tender. Add flour, salt and pepper; stir until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened.
4. Add chicken bacon and mixed vegetables; mix well. Remove from heat. Spoon chicken mixture into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust; seal edges and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust. 5. Bake 425 for 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: This is so bacony and yummy! The key to any mans heart let me tell you! The sage adds a lot too, but the bacon overpowered and it was a very very good thing. Another wonderful night with Lucy and cooking. Her idea for the pot pie, mine for the bacon and sage. A must try for sure. It is a killer recipe.

Day 124: Strawberry Butter

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 strawberries
dash salt
dash cinnamon

Directions:
1. In a mixer with a whip, mix the cream with the salt and cinnamon until it separates and turns into butter. It take about 2 minutes. Make sure to have a towel ready it will splash. You can use a small cuisenart too.
2. When it is separated, add the sliced strawberries. If using a mixer with a blade, it will chop them up for you. If using a mixer, either use jam or chop the strawberries before adding them super fine
3. Put in a container and let chill in the fridge

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: This was pretty awesome. My mom told me today about when I was in grade school making butter in a little jar by shaking it, and I thought, that is so simple! Ill make it with strawberries! You can add any fruit you want. Or add savory things to it as well. I made this after a long day of shopping and am saving it for something I have in store for breaky tomorrow. I cant wait until then! Enjoy guys!

Day 123: Walnut Fruit Smoothie

Yield: 1 smoothie
Time (Start to Finish): 15 minutes

Ingredients:
½ cup vanilla ice cream
1 strawberry popsicle
4 frozen peach slices
grapefruit juice
1 handful walnuts

Directions:
1. Take all ingredients and put in a blender and blend until smooth
2. Add more grapefruit juice if you want smoother

Rating: 2 strawberries
Notes: My first real sucky recipe! I mean, it was drinkable, but for serious, don’t add grapefruit juice, add orange or something else, and the nuts were very strong, maybe add pine nuts instead or something. Maybe nuts in a smoothie isn’t as amazing an idea as I thought. I think I can still make it work. Try this if you like…it was the warmest most beautiful day ever and its fall, so I thought a smoothie would be a killer idea. It was, just not the way I made it. Good luck, here is your challenge…make a better smoothie. I know, not that challenging, but you have to start somewhere!

Day 122: Banana Bread Sandwich

Yield: 1 Sammy
Time (Start to Finish): 15 min

Ingredients:
2 Slices banana bread (my mom’s preferably)
vanilla ice cream
cinnamon

Directions:
1. Take the ice cream and soften it
2. Add some cinnamon and mix it together
3. Spread it on the banana bread, make into a sammy and scarf

Rating: 3 strawberries
Notes: Although this tastes incredible, I must say I don’t feel it was extremely creative. I was in a rush out the door and had to make something, and still have not stocked up on essentials in the house after Portland, and this was all I had. Sorry for the lameness, but this is a good lesson…just add cinnamon to ice cream and it makes it a whole new delicious thing! If I had cream cheese I would have thrown a little in the mix too...try it out! Pumpkin bread would be yummy too!!

Day 121: Cheese Filled Apple

Yield: 1 Apple
Time (Start to Finish): 5 min

Ingredients:
1 Granny Smith Apple
½ cup cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. With a knife, core the apple without cutting the apple in half so the apple is intact but with no core.
2. Take the cheddar and fill the hole with it by pressing it in with your fingers. This is a great activity for kids
3. When the apple is filled, slice it so each slice of apple has a hole of cheese in the center.

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: My mom used to make this for me as a kid, so it makes me feel very close to home. It is so yummy and perfect as a snack between meals, and it is fun and cute. I love it so much! It may not be the most exciting of dishes, but it makes me happier than anything when I get one of these (well, chocolate covered strawberries makes me way happier than anything) enjoy!

Month 4

Annie’s Current Weight: 131
Pleasures: No weight gain! A total pleasure for sure! This month was a mix of emotions. I for sure learned a lot about pumpkin, which is great. I had a lot of guest kitchens, which is also great, and a lot of on the fly recipes, which was also a good thing. I celebrated a lot of events, and look forward to this next month!
Pains: There were a few close calls in not wanting to cook something, or almost not which is a problem, and I feel like a few of my recipes are a little uninspired, but that’s ok sometimes. I used a lot of boxed things when I easily could have worked from scratch, but that’s ok and important for those with quick needs!
Promises: This next month there will be a lot of cooking with other people which is always a nice thing, so I vow to really try this month to learn from others cool and exciting things. I also promise to throw in a lot of cookies and treats that people can make others for the holidays. Nothing better than the gift of treats.
Ponders: I feel like this last month was kind of chill. I had inspiring times, I had hard times, I had fun times, and it was hard to focus a lot of it. I think this next month, even though I have a lot going on, I can really try and focus more on what I am doing and why I am doing it. I shave started planning trips for march and in the summer, and its hard thinking I will also have to plan time every day to cook something. I may just need to plan ahead for those. Weird thinking about it to be honest with you, and I ponder why im doing this project. I love it, don’t you dare get me wrong, but I find people getting less interested, or something about it that is making me feel more like throwing stuff together than pushing myself. I need to figure that one out. Until then, I look forward to sharing more food with good people!

Day 120: Turkey hash brown with cranberry sauce

Yield: 4 strawberries
Time (Start to Finish): 20 min

Ingredients:
1 yellow potato, small
1 egg yolk
1 slice fresh left over turkey
salt and pepper
1 clove garlic
olive oil

cranberry sauce

Directions:
1. In a bowl, grate the potato, leaving the skin on and on the biggest setting
2. Heat up a skillet to med or med high and add the oil so the bottom is covered
3. In the bowl, add the egg yolk, torn up slice of turkey, chopped up clove of garlic, salt and pepper
4. Place in a flattened pile on the middle and let cook until brown. About 5 min. then flip
5. Cook until brown on both sides and serve with cranberry sauce

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: So, again, this was way more successful than I thought. The cranberry sauce added a holiday touch, while not being overwhelming. A great breakfast. I made this before going to work, so it was a great start. Got not a whole lot to say about this one. I think it speaks for itself. Try to only use fresh turkey.

Day 119: Leftover Sammy

Yield: 1 person
Time (Start to Finish): 15 min

Ingredients:
1 Hawaiian sweet bread roll
mayonnaise
cranberry sauce
turkey
salt and pepper
stuffing

gravy

Directions:
1. Take the roll and warm it.
2. Put a skim of the mayo on one side of the bread, and the cranberry sauce on the other.
3. Add the turkey, and put on salt and pepper. Then add the stuffing
4. Heat up the gravy and as you eat the sammy, dip it in the gravy

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: What is better than thanksgiving? The leftover sammy…hands down. And how do you make it better? Dunk it in gravy. This was the best thing I have ever eaten in my whole life! I didn’t give it a 5 because it is not a full recipe, you know? But it is PERFECT in every way I say. The salt and pepper is key. Thanks for packing the lunch for me momma

Day 118: Pumpkin Pie

Yield: 1 9 inch pie
Time (Start to Finish): 1-2 hours

Ingredients:
Crust:

4 oz. sugar
8 oz. butter
1 egg yolk
pinch salt
1/2 lemon rind
12 oz. flour

Filling:

15 oz. pumpkin puree
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
½ cup milk
¼ cup cream
1 eggs
2 T flour
1/8 t nutmeg
1/4 t ginger
1/4 t allspice
1/2 t salt
1 t cin.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Mix all crust ingredients in a mixer. If the dough is sticky add more flour, if it is too crumbly, add a little lemon juice.
3. Roll the dough out on a board with a floured rolling pin until it is less than a forth of an inch. Put it into a pie tin and make an edge. You can do this with your thumb and 2 pointer fingers, or you can just use a fork. Don’t make it too thin
4. Put in the freezer until chilled.
5. When chilled, take out of freezer, poke with holes and place on a cookie sheet.
6. Bake for about 5 min until the dough stops being shiny but does not brown. Cool the shell. It is better to under bake it than over bake it
7. Preheat oven to 350
8. Take all the filling ingredients and mix them in a big bowl with a whisk. Pour into cooled shell (there may be extra) and bake until it wiggles like jello, doesn’t shake like water. About 30 min.
9. If the crust browns too much, take out of oven and cover edges with foil.
10. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: Happy Holidays! Best pumpkin pie of all time. I made this at the folks house on thanksgiving morning before we put in the turkey. Im telling you though, add a little brown sugar to the filling to make it a little sweeter and you are in the gold. It was nice to share this with friends, and the crust, which is actually a shortbread cookie, is perfect, because the edge is a cookie! You can use the left over dough to make little cookies and put them on the top of the pie, like leaf shapes or something, or just as a snack while the pie is cooking. Enjoy holiday folks!

Day 117: Mac and Yams

Yield: 2 servings
Time (Start to Finish): 40 min

Ingredients:
1 box Macaroni and cheese
hollandaise sauce
¼ cup yam pieces
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp milk

Directions:
1. Boil the macaroni in salted water until it is cook. Drain and set aside
2. In another pot, boil sliced and peeled yam pieces until they are tender when poked with a fork
3. In a pot, add the cheese packet, hollandaise sauce, and milk until mixed and smooth.
4. Add the macaroni and stir.
5. Add the yam and pepper if needed.

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: I liked this more than I thought I would. I thought this would be one of those big flip recipes. Looks like I was wrong! It turned out really good, and I feel like I want to make a baked home made version of this. Weird huh? Made when I got home late from work and just grabbed things from the shelf before heading out. A good meal for when you are in a rush, and keeps you full for a nice long night. Enjoy! Sorry the pic is blurry, it was steamy!

Day 116: Creamy Side Potatoes

Yield: 1-2 servings
Time (Start to Finish): 25 min

Ingredients:
2-3 small yellow potatoes
salt and pepper
¼ cup hollandaise sauce
2 cloves garlic
1/8 cup onion

Directions:
1. Slice the potatoes and boil them in salted water until they are almost cooked through
2. In a pan on med high, add a little oil and fry the potatoes with salt and pepper, chopped garlic, and chopped onion
3. When they are cooked, add the hollandaise sauce, stir, and take off the heat. Serve warm.

Rating: 3.5 strawberries
Notes: I added a lot of garlic and onion, so it was quite overpowering, but the hollandaise and the hot potatoes was really a thrilling combination. You must try it. Plus, super versatile, breaky or dinner. I made them and then my roomie needed to immediately make some, which is a pretty good sign if I might say so. Try them out, but maybe leave out the garlic, or just add a little less.

Day 115: Cumin Rice

Yield: ½ cup rice
Time (Start to Finish): 20 min

Ingredients:
¼ cup rice
1 cup chicken stock
¼ cup water
salt
1-2 tsp cumin powder

Directions:
1. Take a pot and fill it with all the ingredients.
2. Bring to a boil and reduce to med heat until rice is soft and sticky. You can add more chicken stock or water if rice is still crunchy

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: I first made this with Christina and we put it on pumpkin naan with roasted veggies, which was wonderful. Today, though, I just ate a bowl of it. It was great after a long day of traveling home after Portland. You can add more salt, pepper or cumin. It goes great with a number of different dishes and veggies, so try it out!

Day 114: Ellis’ Chicken Wings

Yield: 12 wings
Time (Start to Finish): 1 hour

Ingredients:
12 chicken wings

1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup lemon chicken panko seasoning
2 Tbsp cayenne powder
salt and pepper

¼ cup flour

1 cup buttermilk
¼ cup hot sauce

oil (for deep fryer)

blue cheese dressing

Directions:
1. Make sure the wings are room temp
2. Take your deep fryer and set it on chicken, or read the directions and set it to the correct temperature and heat the oil
3. Take 3 bowls. In one place the flour, in the second mix the buttermilk and the hot sauce. In the third mix the bread crumbs, panko seasoning and cayenne, salt and pepper
4. Take the chicken wings, dip them in the flour, then the buttermilk mix, then the breadcrumbs and drop them in the deep fryer 3 at a time.
5. You will know they are done when they are a dark brown on the outside and begin to float a little bit.
6. Serve hot with the blue cheese sauce

Rating: 3.5 strawberries
Notes: These were made on a nice chill Sunday in Portland! Thanks ellis! They were super tasty, but we both agreed that they needed to be more spicy. I might even add some spice to the dipping sauce. Ours didn’t float like a lot of the chicken wing recipes say, but they came out moist and delicious. You can cook them in a pan with oil, and I might look up directions on how to do that, but we were lucky enough to have a deep fryer. They taste best with a good movie and a cold beer.

Day 113: Timmy’s Holiday Appetizers

Yield: 15-20 pieces
Time (Start to Finish): 35 min

Ingredients:
1 baguette
cranberry sauce
brie or st andre cheese (any soft cheese)
almonds
salt

Directions:
1. Preheat the broiler
2. Take the baguette and slice it up
3. On each slice, spread with a thin layer of cranberry sauce, and then sprinkle with salt
4. Add a slice of the cheese on top, and then top with an almond (you can chop the almond up if you like)
5. Place in the broiler until the cheese is melted and the bread is crisp. Stay with it, things in the broiler cook super fast

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: Happy Fakesgiving!!! This was a treat, a turducken, beer, wine, good friends I haven’t seen in 9 years, good food, everything was wonderful! My dip was a hit, and this appetizer started as Timmy’s idea, and I got to make round 2 of them. I added the salt and a broiler. They are really tasty and got us very much in the spirit of the holiday. Fakesgiving is a thanksgiving for all the friends before thanksgiving..a killer idea right? And a killer meal. Try these out for a holiday meal of yours!

Day 112: Capell Dip with a kick

Yield: 1 16 oz container
Time (Start to Finish): 10 min

Ingredients:
1 16 oz container sour cream
1 pack liptons powdered onion soup mix
1 Tbsp cayenne powder
½ lemon juiced

Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together and put in a covered container in the fridge. Overnight is best, but you can serve right away.
2. Serve with wheat thins or potato chips.

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: This is a dip I have been having since I was a child and we have it every holiday when my brother and I go home. I changed it up by adding spice and lemon, but it is such an incredible little dip! I could seriously eat bowl after bowl of this. This was a close call recipe. I almost didn’t make it in on time…too many naps today for some reason, and my first day in Portland. Thanks for the guest appearance kitchen ellis!

Day 111: Apple Green Bean Risotto

Yield: 2 servings
Time (Start to Finish): 30-45 min

Ingredients:
1 Box Parmesan Cheese Risotto (or my basic risotto, no wine or veggies)
½ granny smith apple
½ cup fresh green beans

Directions:
1. Make boxed risotto as directions say, or make my risotto. You CAN add the wine, but leave out the veggies.
2. When it is close to being done, so the liquid is almost all gone, throw in cut up peeled green apple and cut up green beans.
3. They will cook just enough so when it is done they are still crunchy, but cooked a little.

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: So I love boxed risotto sometimes, and a simple parm one can for sure hit the spot. I LOVE adding apple to things like this, and the green beans really added a lot. I wish I had maybe cooked them a little bit more, blanched them maybe. Anyways, it is a super warm meal, sweet and savory, and I love mixing the two. Enjoy with a nice white wine, or a glass of lemon water. Oh, a squeeze of lemon would be EPIC in this!!

Day 110: Grey’s Sandwich

Yield: 1 sammy
Time (Start to Finish): 15 min

Ingredients:
Mayo:
1 Tbsp mayo
1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
½ lemon juiced
dash Worcestershire sauce

Sammy:
2 slices sourdough bread
3 slices smoked turkey
¼ avocado
salt and pepper
sprouts
2 slices tomato
3 slices cucumber
2 slices cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Make the may spread first by mixing the mayo, parm, lemon and worc. Sauce together and setting aside
2. On the bread, place all ingredients. On the bread put a skim of the mayo spread and on the other half the avocado. The rest in the center.

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: Sorry I haven’t updated in so long! Another successful meal at Lucy’s as we caught up on Grey’s. We also ate cheesecake, berries, all sorts of yummy things. The dressing is a Caesar type dressing, and just perfect on the sandwich. You can add regular mayo if you want, but this really makes it super special. Enjoy for lunch or dinner! Even try toasting the bread!

Day 109: Green Bean Bacon Bouquets

Yield: 2 bouquets
Time (Start to Finish): 20 min

Ingredients:
1 strip bacon
½ cup french green beans
salt
½ lemon
balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425F
2. Take the green beans and cut the ends off so they are all the same length
3. Take the bacon and cut it in half
4. Take the beans and separate them into 2 bundles, and down the center, wrap the bacon. Make sure the end of the bacon is on the bottom touching the cookie sheet
5. Place both on a cookie sheet with sides (there will be bacon grease) and cook for 10 min. flip over and finish until the bacon is cooked
6. When out, sprinkle with salt and lemon juice and a splash of balsamic vinegar

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: These were so quick and easy! Just the right amount of bacon, salt and the lemon. The balsamic pulls it all together I feel like. Its amazing the things you can do with bacon, let me tell you! These were a nice evening snack, but would be great on a buffet or served with chicken and potatoes perhaps. You can also use asparagus or little carrot slices or anything like that. Bacon is a wonderful thing!!

Day 108: Left Over Red Curry Mac and Cheese

Yield: 2 people (1 hungry person)
Time (Start to Finish): 20 min

Ingredients:
1 box mac and cheese
left over red curry sauce

Directions:
1. Take the box of mac and cheese and boil the noodles in a pot of salted water until they are cooked
2. Strain noodles
3. With the cheese packet, mix the red curry sauce. I left the amount up to you for how thick you like mac and cheese sauce, but about 2 Tbsp.
4. Mix with the noodles and serve!

Rating: 3.5 strawberries
Notes: I think this is SUCH a killer idea I have, but I think I will never again use a box of mac and cheese. It was good, I ate all of it, but it is so obvious that from scratch will be 8 million times better. It was also a great way to use up left over thai food. You will for sure enjoy this, and I promise you when I make it from scratch in my restaurant, you will love it a million times more. Stay warm people!

Day 107: Cran-App-Gin-Iced Tea

Yield: 3 people
Time (Start to Finish): 20 min

Ingredients:
3 cups water
1 Tbsp fresh sliced ginger
1 granny smith apple

cran apple juice

Directions:
1. In a pot, place the water and sliced of ginger
2. Take the apple and with the skin on or off grate it with a fine grater and put in the water
3. Bring to a boil and boil for maybe 2 min. taste it and if you like the flavor, stop, but cook longer for a richer flavor
4. Strain the liquid and cool
5. When serving, serve in a glass with ice, a splash of cran apple juice and enjoy!

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: This was drunk after a long night of thai food! It was so refreshing! The ginger feels healthy and the apple is a nice different refreshing taste. Most people think tea involves tealeaves, and others think it is just when you steep something in water. It is up to you, and you can also add this to a few tea bags. It is so yummy, and I love all things tasting of cranberries and ginger! Why I drank it when I was cold, the world will never know…

Day 106: Lentil Soup

Yield: 6-8 servings
Time (Start to Finish): 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 med yellow onion
5 cloves garlic
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 carrots
¼ cup white wine
16 oz lentils
32 oz chicken stock
curry seasoning (to taste, about 2 Tbsp)
1 lemon

Directions:
1. in a big pot, cook the onion with the oil and salt and pepper until it is soft, about 5-10 min
2. add the carrot, peeled and chopped, as well as the garlic, chopped small, and cool for just a few seconds
3. add the lentils, and then about half of the chicken stock,and the wine
4. keep stirring and cook on med or med high until it soaks in
5. add more stock and cook until the lentils are soft. Add more stock if you want a thinner soup.
6. Add the curry seasoning to taste and serve with crusty bread.
7. Right before serving, squeeze in the lemon to brighten all the flavors.

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: Ok, so this makes a lot of soup. I suggest cutting it in half for sure, but keep the lemon the same. I learned about a soup like this while in New York, and it is just SO easy to make and so filling and tasty. Our house is SO COLD!! I am in a down jacket and blanket right now and am STILL freezing, so a warm bowl of filling soup is perfect. Serve it with some amazing bread and you have a super super winner. Plus it is healthy.

Day 105: Spiced Whipped Cream

Yield: ½ cup
Time (Start to Finish): 10 min

Ingredients:
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp powdered sugar
¼ tsp vanilla

1 berry scone
1 strawberry
8 raspberries

Directions:
1. In a mixer or with a whisk in a bowl place the cream
2. Add the ginger, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla, making sure to strain the dry and mix until it is stiff whipping cream. Should take a couple minutes
3. Put berries on it and place on a scone for a light dessert or sweet breakfast

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: This is such a great whipped cream. It goes wonderfully with pumpkin pie, apple pie, or on hot chocolate. It is perfect for decorating a cake or just with berries. I love it because its taking something simple and spicing it up…literally! I just put it on berries and a scone for breaky with my roomie, real simple.

Day 104: Pantry Bars

Yield: 8 by 8 inch pan
Time (Start to Finish): 45 min

Ingredients:
2 cups graham crackers
6-8 Tbsp melted butter

1 bag shredded coconut
¼- ½ cup peanut butter chips
¼- ½ cup chocolate chips
½ tsp cinnamon

¼- ½ can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Melt the butter and in a bowl mix with the graham crackers and cinnamon until if holds together when you squeeze it in your hand
3. Press on the bottom of your pan and bake for about 3 min
4. Let cool and then sprinkle on the top peanut butter chips, chocolate chips and walnuts evenly throughout
5. Add the coconut and you want to cover all parts of the bar. You may use the whole bag or not, but make sure all parts are covered
6. Take the condensed milk and pour over the coconut making sure to coat all the coconut. Stop when you have covered it all. It may take half a can, maybe less or more. Let sit for about 10 min so it soaks in
7. Bake until the coconut is brown on top. You may need to rotate half way through so the coconut is evenly browned. Let cool and cut into bars

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: I call these pantry bars because I had a lot of left over things, coconut, chops, crumbs, and this really cleaned it out. I got rid of 4 bags of things AND created a tasty treat! I made a similar thing when I worked at magnolia but I changed it around by adding the cinnamon and other little tweeks. They are really tasty. Also, I have finally caught up on my blog!! I apologize for having been so gone from the blogging. I can assure you I have been cooking every day and have NOT ONCE slacked and not cooked something. We needed to have a little family time and blogging and being perky just wasn’t what I was feelin, but filling people I love with good food was always on the top of my list. Thanks for baring with me guys! I hope you enjoy these recipes that I just bombarded you with, and ill try my best to keep up with it more!

Day 103: Mint Pesto with Berries

Yield: 2 servings
Time (Start to Finish): 20 min

Ingredients:
1 cup loose mint leaves
¼ cup walnuts
2 oranges, juiced

berries (strawberries, rasberries)

Directions:
1. In a blender or food processor, mix the mint leaves, orange juice and walnuts. Feel free to add more juice if it is not runny enough. You want to be able to drizzle it.
2. Slice the berries and serve next to the fruit so it can be poured on.

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: This is a perfect little treat! The pesto is super light. Minty and walnuty. I didn’t taste the orange too much, so if you want the flavor to pop, add some of the zest of the oranges. It is great over berries. You will really enjoy this. It is a nice different dish. I had a super long day, and didn’t want to make anything today, but this really took no time at all, so it’s a good thing to impress people with little to no effort. Enjoy!

Day 102: Eggs, Potatoes n Bacon

Yield: 1 serving
Time (Start to Finish): 30 min

Ingredients:
3 slices bacon
1 small red potato
1 egg
salt and pepper

maple syrup

Directions:
1. Grate the potato
2. Crack the egg into the potato. Add salt and pepper and stir
3. Cook the bacon in a skillet until it is the cooked that you like. I like mine cooked all the way through
4. Dump out about half of the grease from the pan and leave the rest in
5. Over med heat, drop in the egg/potato mix and cook on one side. Flip and cook the other side like you are cooking a pancake.
6. Take off when cooked through, put with the bacon and add maple syrup to the top.

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: This was SO YUMMY! I might say cook the potato a little bit before, which is why I gave it a low score, but it is seriously wonderful. A nice different way to serve a classic dish. This is also really quick. Love cooking egg dishes in the morning, they cook so fast!

Day 101: Cottage Cheese with Pine Nuts n Apples

Yield: 1 person
Time (Start to Finish): 20 min

Ingredients:
½ granny smith apple
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
1 tsp brown sugar
½ Tbsp butter
drizzle honey
½ cup cottage cheese

Directions:
1. In a skillet, cook the apples, sugar and butter until the apples just barely become soft. Take off the heat and chill in the fridge
2. Toast the pine nuts on a skillet too until you smell the nuts and cool as well
3. Take cottage cheese, mix with apples, pine nuts and honey until the taste is right. Don’t add too much honey right off the bat. Enjoy!

Rating: 3.5 strawberries
Notes: This was really simple to make, and felt really healthy to eat, even though it had some sugar in it. You don’t have to cook the apples with sugar and butter if you don’t want to. The toasted pine nuts REALLY made the dish. They always make things taste good, im telling you. I ate this as a mid day snack which I think is perfect, or maybe a little treat after a run or a yoga sesh. I hope you like it guys!

Day 100: Eggs Benedict Via Annie

Yield: 1 Person
Time (Start to Finish): 25 min

Ingredients:
1 bottom English muffin
¼ avocado
1 slice red potato
½ string cheese
Hollandaise sauce
1 egg
oil spray
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the potato until it is soft through. You want a center cut of potato so that is fits on half of an English muffin. When it is done, set aside.
2. Take the English muffin and toast until it is almost toasted through. Add the cheese on top and put it back in the toaster oven so the cheese melts
3. On a skillet, cook the egg over easy with salt, pepper, and the cooking spray so that it doesn’t stick
4. Take the English muffin with the cheese, put the potato slice on top, add the avocado. I like to smash the avocado up instead of adding slices
5. Put the egg on top and top with a little salt and pepper. Then add the hollandaise sauce. I didn’t add an amount because everyone likes different amounts. Serve and enjoy!

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: This was pretty wicked, I am not going to lie. I was just going to make some avocado potato thing in the morning, but instead this came out of nowhere and it was killer! I would have added bacon if I had thought of it, but then I think it would have been too amazing and I would have had to stay home all day and just keep making them over and over and eating them over and over. It is so tasty, and you can poach the egg if you like, but doing it over easy is not a bad substitute. Wake up your significant other with this and you will have them hooked for life.

Day 99: Breaky English Muffin

Yield: 1 person
Time (Start to Finish): 25 min

Ingredients:
1 english muffin
drizzle honey
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1/8 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup toasted walnuts

Directions:
1. Toast the walnuts on the stove until you start to smell the nuts. Usually takes about 3 minutes. Chop them up
2. Toast the English muffin to your liking
3. Spread on the peanut butter, drizzle with honey, and top with cranberries and walnuts.

Rating: 3.5 strawberries
Notes: This is a nice quick breakfast or snack. Lots of protein and it sticks with you for a good long time, so its nice to eat as a break from a busy day. I know its pretty simple, but it really is tasty and really good for you. You must try it out. Try not to get the dried cranberries that are soaked in orange juice. Those are just gross. Enjoy guys!

Day 98: Pan Fried Potatoes

Yield: 2 servings
Time (Start to Finish): 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 med red potato
1 cap red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp white wine
salt and pepper
¼ cup Italian parsley
1 lime, juiced

Directions:
1. Cut the potato into small pieces
2. Place in a skillet with a little water and let boil for a few seconds
3. Add the wine, vinegar, salt and pepper
4. When they begin to brown, add half of the lime and cook until they are browned
5. Add the rest of the lime and when it is almost cooked off, add the parsley

Rating: 3 strawberries
Notes: These were nice and felt like a german style potato, but I didn’t cook them long enough. The flavor was there, but the texture was a little off. I would serve them with some meat or at breakfast. They are good, just not super exciting. If you don’t cook them though, they wont turn out ok.

Day 97: Gingersnap Ice Cream Sandwiches

Yield: 40 cookies, 20 sandwiches
Time (Start to Finish): 1 hour

Ingredients:
¾ cup shortening
1 cup sugar (+sugar for rolling cookies)
1 egg
¼ molasses
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp powdered ginger
1 tsp cinnamon (+ ½ tsp for rolling)

1 pint vanilla ice cream

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. In a bowl, or mixer, mix shortening and sugar
3. When creamy add egg, then molasses
4. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon seperatly and then add to the mixture and mix until smooth. Dough will be a little wet.
5. In a separate shallow bowl, put about ½ cup sugar with ½ tsp cinnamon
6. Roll dough into 1 inch balls with your hand, roll in the sugar mixture, and then place on a cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Flatten a tad.
7. Bake for about 20 min until they crackle on top and are cooked through
8. Let cool and then place in the freezer and chill.
9. Take the ice cream out of the freezer and let soften
10. Take 2 cookie and about a Tbsp of ice cream to make a sandwich. You can add more or less ice cream, and then put in the freezer again. Serve and enjoy!

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: This is my aunt Paula’s cookie recipe with my twist into making them sandwiches. They are WONDERFUL! You can add any kind of ice cream you like, but I think vanilla makes the cookies really stand out. I also used ben and jerry’s vanilla for the center, which was perfect. You must try these, and the gingersnaps are soft and perfect for holiday cooking. Paula would love that I made these!

Day 96: Grilled Cheese with apples and avocado

Yield: 1 person
Time (Start to Finish): 15 min

Ingredients:
2 slices wonder bread
2 slices craft singles
¼ avocado
¼ granny smith apple
1 Tbsp soft butter

Directions:
1. Heat a grill pan to med heat
2. Take the bread and spread the butter on one side of each
3. Slice the apple and the avocado thin
4. On one of the bread slices, the unbuttered side, but a slice of the cheese, then the avocado, the apple and the other slice of cheese on top. Then the top slice of bread.
5. Place on the grill and when it is brown, flip it. The cheese being on the outsides should make the apple and avocado stick.

Rating: 3.5 strawberries
Notes: This is really quick and easy. I stayed at the folks house and this is what we had in it. It is also a nice comfort meal. Ate it for lunch after a long day. It was so colorful and yummy, and nothing feels like a kid like wonder bread and craft singles. My mom cooked a LOT growing up, but things like this were a treat, so we remember them. Enjoy it guys

Day 95: Coconut Chocolate Macaroons

Yield: 16 cookies
Time (Start to Finish): 45 min

Ingredients:
2 egg whites
½ cup granulated sugar
pinch salt
¼ tsp vanilla (or almond extract)
¼ cup flour
1 ½ cup shredded coconut
48 chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325F
2. In a pot on the stove over med heat, heat up the eggs, sugar and salt. Make sure to stay with it and keep stirring so the eggs don’t cook and just heat until heated through.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and chill in the fridge until cool to the touch
4. Make a 1 inch ball out of the batter. The batter will be sticky. I used a small ice cream scoop, but a spoon will be fine, and put in the center 3 chocolate chips. Place on a cookie sheet. They wont spread
5. Bake for 15 min until they aren’t shiny and a little brown on the bottom. Don’t over bake or they will be dry and hard to eat. Enjoy!

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: My mom has been craving macaroons, and I was going to visit her, so I thought, what better than to make her favorite cookie! I would for sure add more chocolate to the centers if you want a real bang, but otherwise, these turned out perfect. You don’t want them too brown on the outside or they will be way to dry, so watch them, and watch out, these are so yummy!

Day 94: Sweet and Spicy Walnuts

Yield: 1 cup nuts
Time (Start to Finish): 20 min

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp butter
¾ tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp cayenne
` 1 cup walnuts

Directions:
1. In a skillet on the stove over med heat, mix all ingredients until you smell the nuts and the brown sugar and butter have stuck to the nuts and aren’t super greasy anymore
2. Feel free to add more cayenne or cinnamon if it isn’t spicy enough, but I like it when you get hit in the back of the throat with the spice, not right away

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: These flew into my mouth and I ate them so fast! They are incredible, and great to throw into bowls around the house during a party. That is how I invented them. They are perfect, but I just put them on the kitchen table for the roomies, but they were gone in no time. Try them out, and even with different nuts. You can leave out the spice, you can throw them on a salad, and they are just to die for!

Day 93: Alley-Pop’s Birthday Cake

Yield: 1 9inch cake
Time (Start to Finish): 4 hours

Ingredients:
Yellow Cake:
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup softened butter
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
¼ +1/8 cup whipping cream
Chocolate Cake:
¾ cup flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup softened butter
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
¼ +1/8 cup whipping cream

1 quart mint chip ice cream

Chocolate Frosting
¾ cup cocoa powder, sifted
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup whipping cream (maybe more)

Directions:
1. This is the same for both cakes. Make them seperatly
2. Preheat oven to 350 and get a deep 8 by 11 pan. Deep enough for a layer of cake and one of ice cream and one of frosting.
3. Mix the butter and sugar until smooth, then add eggs, vanilla and mix again, scraping bowl. Then mix the salt, flour, (cocoa when making chocolate cake), baking powder. Alternate with the whipping cream. When everything is mixed together, make sure smooth
4. Spread the vanilla cake on the bottom of the pan, then add the chocolate cake on top, mix with a fork so it is marbled and bake until a knife comes out clean. Should be about 25-30 min
5. Take the cake, and when cool, feel free to cut off the bump in the middle so the cake is level, but put in the freezer so it is super chilled
6. Take the ice cream out and slice it and lay the slices on top of the cake. Don’t forget, feel free to cut the box the ice cream comes in, you wont be using it again! Smooth with your hand or with a knife until it is an even layer. There still should be about an inch of space on the top of the pan for the icing. Put back in the freezer
7. Frosting: make sure all the ingredients are room temp.
8. Add the cocoa, powdered sugar, BOTH SIFTED, butter, vanilla, and a little of the whipping cream and mix until smooth. If it is too thick, add more cream until it is spreadable.
9. Take the cake out of the freezer and spread the frosting evenly on top. Cover and put back in the freezer. Feel free to write happy birthday on it!! Enjoy!

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: The cake was PERFECT for this, but I think more ice cream next time for sure. It travels well as long as you get a lid with your pan, and it fed a ton of people! It was a success! Alley asked for this cake because she didn’t have an ice cream cake growing up, so, here it is! It worked, with left over, and it tasted amazing. I also didn’t even out the cake so it wasn’t as pretty as I would have liked, but that’s ok, the taste is what matters! Happy birthday Alley!!