Roasted Butternut Squash

Also a goodie and easy veggie.

Guess what I do?

Lots of olive oil, salt and pepper.  Into a 415 oven for a good 20 minutes.  I like my pieces really soft.

Then I usually put under the broiler for another few minutes to really burn the edges and crisp it up.

If cutting a whole squash is annoying (which it can be), I find the already diced pieces at Costco, Trader Joes or sometimes the grocery store.  It usually is not that much more in price and probably more pieces than I would get out cutting it myself.

Here's my new secret.  I took at recipe from Cook's Country a couple months that was delicious.  I don't remember it now so I just add cayenne pepper along with the salt & pepper.  It gives it a great, spicy bite to each piece.  I didn't have any cayenne the other night so I used chili powder and adobe powder spices.  Steve said his nose was burning.  I liked it.  Stick to the cayenne.

I make two separate batches, one spicy, one plain so Emily can eat it too.

Best Baked Broccoli

A couple months ago I decided to mix up my normal roasted broccoli (olive oil, salt & pepper) and add a little more.  Just bread crumbs and pecorino cheese but wow, it's so good.

Try it.  If I made it, you know it's as basic as you can get and pretty much fail proof.

The ingredients above can be used in any measurements.  

You will want to use a lot of broccoli florets.  They really shrink so you can't have enough.  

I use Pecorino Romano cheese but parmesan would be ok too.  You'll want it for the sweetness factor.  

I like to tear off any stem and really make tiny florets.  The smaller the crunchier.

Add a good amount of olive oil to really coat the veggies.

Add bread crumbs and mix.  Then salt and pepper.  Mix.

Add cheese and mix well.  You want it to be very well coated with all ingredients.

I like to oil my pan as well to make them even softer and crispier.

Preheat oven to 415 (or whatever you prefer) for fifteen to twenty plus minutes.  Really it is however roasted you like them.  I know people that do 30+ minutes for brussels sprouts.  Same idea.  

I like to shake the sheet once or twice while baking to get them brown all around.

And serve.

They are so delicious it's hard to stop eating the whole batch.  You'll see.  Be careful, you don't want a stomach ache and you'll forget how much you are eating!

Oh, and they are delicious cold too.  

Easy & Delicious Chocolate Croissant Cookies

Other desserts: Pumpkin Crumb Cake, Oatmeal Cookies and Snowball Cookies

Need a last minute cookie or dessert to make for the holidays that people will think is gourmet?

This is it!

Saw it in last month's Cook's Country and had to try it.

I used the recipe below except instead of making the dough I used store bought puff pastry.  So easy, so good.  A little puffier than the pictures and the chocolate really melted out of the dough.  I just cut off the ends to make it look cleaner and after the drizzle was added they looked perfect.

Most importantly, they tasted delicious!

All you need for my way:
1 package frozen puffed pastry sheets
6 Hersey chocolate bars (1.55 oz/regular size)
1 egg
sanding sugar

I used up all my chocolate bars for the dough since I had so much so I just melted chocolate chips for the drizzle.  Or just remember to save a bar for the end drizzle and make some plain pastries.

Here is the original recipe from Cook's Country

Recipe type: Cookies

Serves: 20

Ingredients

• 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
• 6 (1.55-ounce) Hershey's milk chocolate bars (the regular size)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons white sanding sugar (or granulated sugar)

Instructions

1. Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
2. Add vanilla and beat until mixed in.
3. Add the salt to the flour and then add the flour to the butter mixture in 2 additions, stopping to scrape down the sides of bowl. Beat just until the flour is incorporated into the mixture.
4. Place dough on a piece of plastic wrap, shape into a disk about 6 inches in diameter, wrap fully, and refrigerate for 1 to 24 hours.
5. Place oven racks in upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Break 5 of the chocolate bars apart at the seams so you have a total of 20 pieces.
7. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface into a 20 by 8-inch rectangle. Cut dough into twenty 2 by 4-inch rectangles.
8. Place a piece of chocolate crosswise across each piece of dough. Chocolate should overhang the edges some. Fold dough around chocolate and place on prepared baking sheets seam side down.
9. Brush tops with egg and sprinkle with sugar.
10. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown, switching and rotating baking sheets halfway through. Let cookies cool 5 minutes and then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
11. Break remaining chocolate bar into pieces, place in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on 50% power for about 1 minute. Stir and drizzle on cookies.

Pumpkin Crumb Cake Time of Year

It's October which means time to make everyone's favorite pumpkin crumb cake!

This year's may the best batch yet.

Recipe here.

Cherry Chocolate Cake for an 89th birthday & BBQ

Last weekend we celebrated my Grandpa's 89th birthday.  We did the usual BBQ at their house, which I always look forward to each year.  Summer has begun!

It was really nice my mom could be there this year.

I made Cook's Country's Cherry Chocolate Cake.

It was good but the icing completely fell apart, taking the cake with it.  It looked terrible.  Plus, I added way too much food coloring making it bright pink instead of cherry light pink.

Regardless, it was a crowd pleaser.

A total mess.

Remember last year?  Time flies.

Cinco De Mayo Tips, Ideas & A Little Party

We all know I love Cinco de Mayo.

It's not a secret around here that all I really know how to cook is Mexican food so I always make something special for this holiday.  Plus, it is always the beginning of spring, yummy food (and drinks) with fun colors to incorporate through the meal and decor!

We had a little, but great, get together with some neighbors on Sunday.  It was a beautiful and (finally) warm day.

At the end, a few of our local firefighters stopped by with their fire truck.  Ok, he was coming by to sell raffle tickets for the Fireman's parade but it worked out great!  He let the kids in the truck and turned on lights.  Talk about good timing!

That's Cook's Country Confetti Cake.  It was ok.  I've had better of their desserts.  Festive, but nothing too special that a cake box wouldn't have made.

A few of my tips and favorites that you can throw together for today.

This is how my dad taught me to cut a lime last summer.  So much better with flat ends.

Easy tissue paper pom poms.  Really can be used for any occasion or party decor.

Use this as a guide for different sizes.

My favorite salsas, chips and dips.

La Esquina is an amazing NYC Mexican restaurant and now they have their famous dips and salsa available at your local grocery store.  You're welcome.

I love these chips my sister introduced me to last winter.  We usually buy the no salt kind. Only issue, terrible for dipping and don't even try to spread refried beans on them for nachos.  We don't have HEB homemade chips as an option up here, so this is what I have to deal with.  

I also like these and the rest of the Target Simply Balanced tortilla chips line.

The only seasoning I ever use for tacos.

Have a great day!!!

Produce Tools

We've been eating a ton of fruits and vegetables around here lately.

I love that Emily has the go ahead to eat whatever she wants.  Berries, citrus, vegetables galore.

Here is my review on these little gadgets that you don't really need but make life a little easier.

All can be found at Sur La Table, William Sonoma or probably your local kitchen store.

Strawberry Huller

Not exactly sure about this one yet.  Mine didn't look as pretty as above.

Pineapple Corer

Used this morning and amazing.  So easy, a little messy with the juices coming out but so much better than the six step cutting process.

Avocado Slicer
 

My avocados were pretty small so the tool wouldn't fit properly.  I'll try again with a normal size, but so far, not too impressed.

Our Trader Joe's Appetizer Dinner

I'm not the best cook and I always have trouble finding new recipes.

Lately, I've found some great lunch and appetizer selections so when we couldn't decide what to eat Saturday night, I made a little of everything.  I also had a very successful trip to Trader Joe's which helped in the ingredient department.

Caprese salad

I love picking fresh basil off my new plant.  Purchased at Trader Joe's.

Avocado Coconut Oil Toast

I would make this every night if I could.  Trader Joe's multigrain sourdough bread.

Fig and goat cheese flat bread
I love the f&g pizza our favorite local restaurant makes.  Thought maybe I could make it myself.  I picked up the flat bread, goat cheese and whole figs at Trader Joe's.  Brushed olive oil on the bread,  added some grilled onions before sprinkling the goat cheese and sliced figs.  Toasted for about five minutes then drizzled Trader Joe's yummy balsamic glaze.

I made a side vegetable of roasted brussel sprouts so that the entire meal wasn't made from bread.

Mix Grilled Cheese on Sourdough
Sunday lunch I used the rest of the delicious multigrain sourdough bread, shredded some colby jack cheese and extra sharp cheddar and grilled the yummiest grilled cheese sandwiches.  I added sliced ham to one of them.  Shredding only take a few additional minutes and worth it!

Easy and delicious.  

Thanks TJs.

{Bake With Me} Easy Baking for Host Gift

I haven't baked in forever and with a new playdate yesterday afternoon I knew I needed/wanted to bring something.

Since it's been months since I baked anything, I figured I should start easy.

Trader Joe's Cinnamon Crumb Cake Coffee

Comes in a box mix and very easy to throw together.  A little crumbly, but I guess that's why it is called a crumb cake.

Then I was in the mood to really make something (easy) so I made my Grandma Margaret's oatmeal cookie recipe.  Since it was for a playdate I substituted whole wheat flour and added flax seeds.  Makes them a little better for you and taste was not compromised.

A Healthy New Year

I ended the year and began the year not so healthy.

Now I am trying to get back in the swing of things.  A little healthier options here and there.

I found both these recipes in Martha Stewart's current issue.  Very easy, I had all the ingredients in the house and extremely tasty.

Roasted Broccoli with Pumpkin Seeds and Grated Pecorino

I had a ton of Trader Joe's brown rice medley left over from the night before.  I was out of pumpkin seeds so I just roasted sunflower seeds, a few almond slices and pine nuts with the broccoli.  It gave it a great, nutty flavor.  I added the pecorino at the end with a little lemon juice and it was very satisfying.  

Original recipe here

Avocado Coconut Toast

I love avocado so this was a no brainer to make.  So much more delicious than I anticipated.  The coconut oil gave the toast a rich flavor.  The red pepper flakes gave it a little spice and the lemon a little tang.  All worked so well together.  I cut up small slices of a multi grain baguette and served before our dinner.

You probably don't have to use coconut oil but it is a great alternative to butter or other cooking oils.  Also, a great hair mask treatment.  

Original recipe here

Ok, not so healthy.  At all.  But good.  I guess they are the same as Trader Joe's holiday stars?

I did try this green smoothie yesterday.  Pretty good.  Very sweet due to the fruit and definitely can't taste all the greens.

I think this is still one of my favorites.  Probably because I love peanut butter.  And anything Brooke recommends.