Still alive and kickin'

• I'm 4 weeks into my 6 week vacation, which happens to include 3 weeks worth of grad classes, dealing with a little something called humidity and foreign institutions called "Guthrie's Fried Chicken" and grocery stores like Piggly Wiggly and Food Lion.

• I'm thankful to be on the home stretch and working towards my last year of hell, (aka, teaching and grad school) and looking at a overwhelming task called, "790" which is my thesis of synthesizing everything I've done for the past 3 years.

• In all seriousness, God has blessed me with the opportunity to finish my Master's degree in an atmosphere of Christ centered teaching and instruction. I've been privileged to sit under some of the best Christian professors and learn from them.

• I've gotten to spend some quality time with both my brother's, and especially my youngest brother, who is one of the smartest people I know.
• I'm looking forward to a whirlwind trip home, for all of 24 hours before leaving for SEATTLE and seeing Sara. And Melissa. Fun times two. CANNOT WAIT.

• New favorite things: Words with Friends for Ipod touch/Iphone. It's like speed Scrabble. LOVE IT. Tervis Tumblers. Insulted clear cups that don't sweat with ice. Starbucks Via...without a coffee maker, this is my go-to. It's not bad, I can almost make myself believe that's its the real deal.
  

Easy like Sunday morning...or Wednesday night

I've been trying to use up everything in my kitchen before I leave for 5 weeks and I decided to make one last meal. My criteria were: needed to be easy and I wanted to have leftovers for the next day.
Let me brag for a minute...I discovered Martha Stewart's "Everyday Food" as a magazine, but didn't know about the cookbook, Great Food Fast until Sara showed me her copy during my visit to San Angelo, TX. I literally wanted to try every page and bought it as soon as I returned to Las Cruces. If you are looking for a great cookbook, this is pretty much a WINNER.
Anyway, all that to say, Martha Stewart has a Everyday Food application for the iPod/iPhone. It's under $3 I think, and it worth it!!
I found my winning recipe, Fettucine with Spinach Pesto on the Everyday Food app, which is super handy. You can email recipes, save grocery lists, save recipes....love it!!
I've never made pesto, but it's safe to say that this will be making another appearance. The spinach pesto was incredibly easy and so tasty. I personally LOVE anything with spinach and love pasta. You could completely swap the fettucine for any other pasta...I would probably go with penne, linguine or bowtie.
I wanted this to be a little more filling, so I grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced it and put it on top. This is a great summer meal, with or without the chicken!

Fettucine with Spinach Pesto

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 12 ounces fettuccine
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, plus more for serving (optional)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon grated zest plus 2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; immediately drain pasta, and return to pot.
2. While pasta is cooking, place spinach, Parmesan, nuts, garlic, and lemon zest and juice in a food processor. Process until a paste forms. With motor running, add oil and 1/4 cup cold water; process until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add to pasta; toss, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until sauce is thinned slightly and coats fettuccine (you may not need all the water). Serve, sprinkled with additional Parmesan and nuts, if desired.

Now...no meal is complete without dessert. At least not at my house. You will never leave here without something sweet. Again, I was looking to use up my remaining groceries and found this incredible Caramel Banana Cake from one of my favorite websites EVER, the Kitchn. Winner.

Note...I used a 13 x 9 pan and I substituted whole wheat pastry flour for white flour and it turned out perfect. So, since this has whole wheat, that automatically makes it healthy and you can feel free to have 2 pieces instead of just 1. Or, you could have a piece for breakfast. But not that I would know anything about that.

If you really want to elevate this from great to winner...top with cream cheese frosting.

Caramel Banana Cake
2 9-inch layers

3/4 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
1 1/2 cups caramel sauce

Heat oven to 325 F. Grease two 9" cake pans.

Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy then add the eggs and beat until silky and lightened. Sift the flour with the baking soda and salt. Whisk the milk and mashed bananas in a separate measuring cup and add to the eggs and butter, alternating with the flour. Beat just until smooth.

Pour batter into the prepared pans. Pour half the caramel sauce into each pan, and swirl with a knife. The pans will be quite full. Put in the oven carefully and bake for about 60 minutes, or until the centers are set and a knife comes out clean.

Cool completely before serving.

For the cream cheese icing:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package light cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon rum (optional)
3 cups confectioners' sugar

For the icing: In a large bowl, whip the butter and cream cheese together until very smooth, with no lumps remaining. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon rum, if using. Add the confectioners sugar, beat on low speed until combined, then on high until frosting is smooth.

Women's Circle

I'm hosting Women's Circle (Book study) at my casita on Thursday. I'm not feeling like trying anything crazy...just simply and delicious...I'm feeling like Sara-friend's Hummus

Sweet Roasted Pepper Hummus

15 oz. low sodium garbanzo beans, drained
4 oz. roasted red peppers
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 (or so) Tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. (or less) cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Combine ingredients in food processor until smooth and slightly fluffy. Better if refrigerated before serving. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, if desired.



And something sweet, Paula Deen's Gorilla Bread, which doesn't require a ton of new ingredients. I happen to have everything but biscuits.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
• 2 (12-ounce) cans refrigerated biscuits (10 count)
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, stirring well; set aside. Cut the cream cheese into 20 equal cubes. Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Place a cube of cream cheese in the center of each biscuit, wrapping and sealing the dough around the cream cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nuts into the bottom of the bundt pan. Place half of the prepared biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, pour half of the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of nuts. Layer the remaining biscuits on top, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, pour the remaining butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate on top and invert.

Last week in the desert

I brought my favorite triple chocolate cake to our 20's group last night...but then again, I'm a chocolate fiend. You'll find me eating this for breakfast!

Nancy G's Chocolate Cake
1 box Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
1 small package of chocolate pudding
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips (or whatever you have on hand, milk chocolate, semi-sweet)


Combine liquid ingredients + sour cream as directed on back of cake mix, fold in chocolate chips and pour into a greased bundt pan and bake for suggested time. I would check it prior to the end of baking, since it's going to be a lot denser with the addition of sour cream and chocolate pudding mix. It may take a few more minutes than a usual bundt cake from a mix.

While your cake is baking, here is the glorious frosting that is from heaven above:

1 stick margarine (I've done butter and margarine, for some reason margarine has a better flavor here)
7 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
7 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 box of Domino powdered sugar, or about 2 cups

Melt margarine in the microwave, pour into a mixing bowl, add cocoa and whipping cream. Beat until smooth, then add powdered sugar until frosting is desired consistency.

Veggie Enchiladas and Caramel Coconut Pecan Brownies

Dinner with my mama last night...she made these little gems from Cooking Light...simply delish

Corn and Cheese Enchiladas



Preparation Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cooking Time: 31 minutes minutes
Yield: 4 Servings

Cost per Serving: $1.98

8 6-inch corn tortillas
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
5 scallions, white and light green parts, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 2 medium ears)
1/2 cup whole milk
Salt
2 cups grated pepper Jack
1 10-oz. can enchilada sauce

Preheat oven to 350°F. Stack tortillas, wrap in foil and bake until softened, 8 to 10 minutes.

While tortillas are baking, oil a 7-by-11-inch glass baking dish. Warm 1 Tbsp. oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in corn and milk and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 7 to 10 minutes. Season with salt.

Remove tortillas from foil. Set aside 1/2 cup cheese. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of corn mixture in center of a tortilla. Sprinkle with a heaping tablespoon of cheese. Roll up tortilla and set in dish, seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas, overlapping them slightly. Pour enchilada sauce over tortillas and sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes.

CALORIES 457 ; FAT 25g (sat 13g); CHOLESTEROL 64mg; CARBOHYDRATE 41g; SODIUM 323mg; PROTEIN 20g; FIBER 5g


Aaaand....since I'm leaving for 6 weeks and trying to use up some ingredients in my house, I found this amazing brownie recipe (Southern Living) that happened to use up the coconut, pecans and sweetened condensed milk that I had....enjoy!!
One quick note...I also had 3/4 cup of leftover sliced almonds that I mixed in with the pecans....incredible!
Also...DO line your 13 x 9 pan with foil...you are able to lift the whole thing out and it makes cutting SO SO SO much easier!


Caramel-Coconut-Pecan Brownies (Southern Living)


Prep: 20 min., Bake: 55 min.

To easily remove and cut brownies, line the pan with greased and floured heavy-duty aluminum foil, allowing several inches to extend over sides. After baking and cooling, lift the block of brownies from the pan using the foil. Press the foil sides down, and cut.

Yield: Makes 32 brownies


4 (1-ounce) unsweetened chocolate baking squares
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Microwave chocolate squares in a microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 1 1/2 minutes, stirring at 30-second intervals until melted. Stir until smooth.

Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.

Add flour, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla and chocolate morsels. Spread batter into a greased and floured 13- x 9-inch pan. Sprinkle batter evenly with coconut, 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels, and chopped pecans. Drizzle evenly with sweetened condensed milk.

Bake at 350° for 50 to 55 minutes or until golden brown and center is set. Cool completely on wire rack. Cut into squares.

Katie's Big Bite...or Katie Takes on Guy Fieri's recipes

For Memorial Day, I decided that I would take on a recipe that had been staring me in the face since Spring Break. Both of these are SUPER!!! Thank you Guy Fieri!!!

Citrus Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, about 2 oranges
• 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chiffonade fresh mint leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chiffonade basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon celery seeds

Directions

Glaze, recipe follows

Combine all the ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving 1/4 cup for glaze and put the chicken in a 13 by 9-inch pan and bake for 45 minutes. Baste with the glaze, turn the pieces over and bake for an additional 15 to 25 minutes, basting every 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and arrange the chicken on a serving platter.

Glaze:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1/2 cup orange marmalade (look for marmalade with small rinds)
• 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup reserved marinade, strained

In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot add the shallots and ginger and saute for 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook for 15 minutes. Baste the chicken with the glaze after 45 minutes.

Rice Pilaf Garden Style

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
• 1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1 1/2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 cup seeded and diced Roma tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon freshly crackled black pepper
• Salt

Directions

In a large pot, heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. When the butter melts, add in the rice and pasta. Add sat and saute for 4 to 5 minutes, then add the shallots and saute 2 minutes more. Add the zucchini and mushrooms and mix to combine. Stir in the stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover and cook for 14 to 16 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley, lemon zest and Parmesan. Season with the black pepper and salt, if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

I had leftover lemon cornmeal pound cake and strawberries...what's a girl to do? Trifle!!

You will need:
Any leftover cake (about 4 cups worth, cubed)
Any kind of fruit (roughly 4 cups)
Pudding (I usually double...so 4 cups)
Whipped topping....I'm a purist, so 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream and 1/3 cup of sugar will give you heaven on beaters. Tip...chill your bowl and beaters.

Layer cake, pudding, fruit and repeat. Top with whipped topping.

This can be done with virtually any cake, any fruit, any pudding...it's a great way to use leftovers.

Life updates

Life is busy...I've been busy going to weddings.....

































Finishing up the school year....














Allowing animals into my classroom for Pet Day...












Going to graduations....




















And getting ready for 6 weeks of traveling around the country...Ohio, Alabama, Georgia and Washington....

So needless to say, I haven't been doing much cooking other than...

Hummus melts (from Shape magazine)

1 whole wheat bagel
Apple slices
Hummus
2 slices of cheddar cheese

Open bagel and spread hummus, layer apple slices and top with chedder cheese. Place under broiler for 10ish minutes until cheese is melted.


And last night I hosted my church's 20's group for fellowship and snacks...I made this from my my other BFF, Cooking Light

Lemon Cornmeal Poundcake

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 7.9 ounces all-purpose flour (1 3/4 cups)
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 10 tablespoon butter, softened
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup nonfat buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 large egg whites
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 
  Topping:
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 cup fresh blackberries
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare cake, weigh or lightly spoon 7.9 ounces (about 1 3/4 cups) flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt). Combine 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended; stir in rind and vanilla. Combine buttermilk and 3 tablespoons juice. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

3. Place egg whites in a large, clean bowl; beat at high speed using clean, dry beaters until stiff peaks form. Gently fold half of egg whites into batter. Gently fold in remaining egg whites. Spoon batter into a 10-inch tube pan coated with cooking spray and dusted with 2 tablespoons flour. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

4. To prepare topping, combine berries, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon juice. Chill 30 minutes. Beat cream with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Serve cake with berries and cream.