Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes (gluten free)

Because I get asked for this recipe all of the time. Because it is easier than you could possibly imagine. Because I am feeling generous of spirit. And because I believe in "All things in moderation.". 

I give you:

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 Box Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix

2 tsp cinnamon

3/8 tsp cayenne pepper (I realize this is a weird measurement, but I use 1/4+1/8 tsp in the recipe)

1 tub Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Frosting

1-1.5 rounded tsp instant espresso powder

2 Hershey Bars

Line a muffin pan with cupcake wrappers. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Add cinnamon and cayenne and mix for another minute, or until well combined. Scoop into muffin pan and bake according to package directions. Cupcakes are ready when a cake tester comes out of the cupcake clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare your frosting. Place frosting and 1 rounded tsp of espresso powder into a mixing bowl and mix on medium-high for 1 minute. Taste the frosting and add additional espresso powder as needed. This part is really up to your judgement. You want it to taste like a mocha, but not scream COOOOFFEEEEEEEE!!! 

Put frosting in a piping bag with a wide round tip and pipe onto the top of the cupcakes. Break off squares of the Hershey Chocolate Bar and angle them into the frosting.

Makes 15-18 cupcakes.

Notes: 

1. There are lots of gluten free cake recipes out there, and you are certainly welcome to substitute one of them for the box mix I use. However, I would say to you, your time has value. These cupcakes are delicious, and with the additional ingredients no one is going to know you used a box cake mix. Trust me. 

2.  You can absolutely make these with a standard chocolate cake mix. If you choose to do so, you will need to increase the amount of cinnamon and cayenne that you use. Standard cake mixes make a larger quantity of cupcakes than the gluten free cake mixes. You will also need additional frosting, as one tub of frosting was just enough to decorate the 18 cupcakes that I made!

3.  If you are making these for adults and want to up the ante, try adding 1/3 cup Kahlua to the frosting. The frosting will be a little bit looser so you may want to refrigerate the cupcakes until serving. But Holy Moly does it add a little somethin' to the cupcake!

The Challenge

This is our message center. It is right by the back door. I put reminders to the family on it. Sometimes I put up inspiring quotes or even silly pictures. The message posted right now is for me. Although, isn't it really a good reminder for us all?

Be Active Everyday.

Being active is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. Yet when things get busy, what is the first thing that gets pushed to the side? Exercise.

So my goal is simple: Everyday between now and January 2012 I will do something active. It can be anything.  Take the dogs for a 3 mile walk. Do an exercise video. Go hiking. Play tennis with my husband. Go for a bike ride. Take a yoga class.

The possibilities are endless, and I am ready.

Be Active Everyday.

Who's with me?

Sweet Potato and Arugula Salad

Fall is upon us, even here in San Diego. 

Fall leaves me wanting new flavors, richer flavors, and yet I am trying to make healthier choices. Are you tired of me saying that yet? I repeat it in an effort to keep myself focused on the task at hand. I need to put it out there to keep myself on track. In fact, there is only one thing I need more than accountability, and that is new and exciting things to eat. And this salad is both of those things. Plus it is incredibly delicious!

Sweet Potato and Arugula Salad

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato peeled, and cut into cubes

3 cups of arugula

2 tbsp crumbled feta

2 tbsp pine nuts

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp olive oil + 2 tsp olive oil for roasting the potatoes

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Toss sweet potatoes in 2 tsp olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes, or until fork tender. Remove from the oven and cool.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add pine nuts (no oil, no cooking spray). Cook in the pan, stirring often, until toasted. Remove from pan and allow to cool.

In a large bowl combine arugula, sweet potato, pine nuts, and feta cheese. Drizzle with 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 2 tsp olive oil. Toss to combine.

Plate and top with additional cracked black pepper.

This makes 2 entree size salads, or 4 side salads to accompany your dinner. 

Friday night I served it with Cider Glazed Chicken with Pecan Rice from Cooking Light. I have had the salad for lunch twice since then. That's right, both Saturday and Sunday!

If there was only one tip that I could give you on this recipe it would be: cook extra sweet potato. 

That way when you are looking for a quick easy lunch this week, you have an incredible salad you can throw together in mere minutes. 

Oh and I have no doubts this will become a huge hit in your house. It already is in mine!

Pumpkin Smoothie

I love pumpkin ice cream, and it is pumpkin ice cream season. But, and this is a BIG but, I am trying to make healthier choices... less fat, less sugar, more nutritional value. So when contemplating dessert the other night, I decided to let my imagination run wild and come up with my own pumpkin smoothie. The end result was pretty darn delicious.

Pumpkin Smoothie

Ingredients:
1/2 can pumpkin
1 medium banana
6 oz container nonfat vanilla yogurt
8 oz vanilla almond milk
1-1.5 tsp cinnamon
6-8 ice cubes

Cut banana into pieces and freeze. Spread pumpkin into a dish and freeze that as well. Put banana, pumpkin, yogurt, almond milk, ice and 1 tsp cinnamon in to the blender and puree until smooth. Taste. Add more cinnamon and re-blend according to your taste preference.

Pour into 4 glasses.

Serve and enjoy!

Notes:
1. Karen Ray liked this well enough to ask if she could have it for breakfast the next day, and really why couldn't she? Fruit, vegetables and loaded with calcium? Sounds like a great breakfast to me!
2. I freeze the pumpkin and banana so that I don't have to use as much ice in the smoothie. It makes for a cold, frosty drink without it ending up icy. If you aren't inclined to freeze the pumpkin and banana, you may need a few more ice cubes to achieve maximum frosty goodness.
3. Pumpkin Pie Spice might make a great substitution for the cinnamon. I would have used it in these except I don't have any!

Not Just Tomato Soup

You know you are incredibly blessed, when the love of your life is also your partner in crime.

Last night was Halloween, and in Tim's childhood they had a tradition of having tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches before heading out Trick or Treating. It is a tradition we have carried on with our own children. The only problem is, that I have yet to find a tomato soup that is both healthy and delicious enough that I want to make it every year!

Yesterday morning, after trolling the internet for recipes yet again, I decided to create my own. Which is where Tim came in. While I am confident in the kitchen, having someone to bounce ideas off is crucial to success.

So, with Tim's help, I give you...

Not Just Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Medium Sweet Onion, diced
1 Medium Eggplant, peeled and chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups carrots, chopped (I use baby carrots)
4 (28oz) cans of low sodium diced tomatoes in juice
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup fresh basil
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp salt
1-2 tsp crushed red pepper

Heat dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add Eggplant and garlic and continue cooking until eggplant softens. While the eggplant mixture is cooking,  place carrots and broth in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, carrots, broth and 1 tsp crushed red pepper to the pot with the eggplant.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Remove from heat, toss in the basil, and puree until smooth. I use a stick blender, but pureeing in a regular blender would work just as well. Add salt, white pepper, and additional crushed red pepper according to taste.

We spent last night with friends. The kids trick or treated, we gave out candy gathered around a fire pit, and shared a meal. This soup was my contribution. Based on the reviews... It's a keeper!

Notes:

1. It's important the carrots are well cooked or they won't puree well. That is why I microwave them in the broth before I put them in the pot. By microwaving them in broth, you don't waste any of the nutrients by dumping out water that you use to boil the carrots.

2.  In the recipe I said to simmer the soup for 20 minutes. You can leave it on longer than that and it will be fine. I put mine on in the afternoon and left it simmering for at least an hour. The longer it simmers, the more rich the soup will taste. If it ends up a little to thick for your taste, just add some broth when you puree!

3.  I served mine with a tbsp of goat cheese on top. I can't recommend that highly enough. It was so rich and delicious!

Zucchini Muffins, Strawberry Banana Muffins, and Uh-oh Charlie Got Carried Away Muffins

Back to School means back to looking for quick, healthy breakfasts for the kids. It needs to be appealing. It needs to be easy. It needs to be more tempting than a Toaster Strudel.

With my kids, if it is baked in the oven, it is a crowd pleaser. So last night I hunkered down with some past their prime bananas and went to work creating some muffins!

Recipe 1:

 

Zucchini Banana Muffins
(This recipe is adapted from Taste of Home. You can find their recipe for Zucchini Banana Bread here)

Ingredients:
1.5 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 mashed, ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla
2 small zucchinis shredded

Preheat oven to 325. Spray a muffin tin with Pam.

In a large bowl combine your dry ingredients. In a small bowl whisk together egg, oil, bananas, vanilla, and zucchinis. Stir into your dry ingredients. Spoon into your prepared muffin pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and spring back when touched.

Note: I shredded my zucchini on my microplaner as I seem to have misplaced my grater. This created more of a puree rather than a shredded effect. The end result was a very moist muffin with the consistency of banana bread!

Recipe 2:

Strawberry Banana Bread Muffins
(This is adapted from an earlier post of mine. You can find it here.)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup strawberry yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1 medium banana, mashed

1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup strawberries1/2 cup walnuts (I left these out as Tim doesn't like walnuts)

Preheat oven to 325 and spray a muffin pan with Pam.


Beat together first 6 ingredients until blended. Combine and add the next 3 ingredients and stir until dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in the strawberries and walnuts. Do not overmix.



Spoon into prepared muffin pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and spring back when touched.


Recipe 3:

Uh-Oh Charlie Got Carried Away Muffins

I'm not sure exactly what got into me, but as I was looking at those Strawberry Banana Bread Muffins, I started thinking... wouldn't these be good with coconut on top? Oh! and slivered almonds?? Oh, Oh, OH! and a light dusting of brown sugar to caramelize the topping together???

And you know what? I was right! If you make these muffins, be brave, be daring, ADD THE TOPPING!

Topping:
1/3 cup sweetened coconut
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/4 light brown sugar

After spooning the muffin batter into the muffin pans, top the muffins with coconut and almonds and then lightly sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Holy cannolis these are scrumptious! 

Note: Be sure your children get a few before you find yourself licking the crumbs off the counter!

"Oh There You Are Peter!"

Have you ever seen the movie Hook? Robin Williams plays a grown up Peter Pan who has lost sight of what is most important in life... family. All of that changes when his kids are kidnapped by Captain Hook. Peter goes to NeverLand to rescue his kids. Before he can do that he has to find himself.

My favorite scene is Peter trying to convince the Lost Boys to help him save his kids. Why would they help this grown man? A man who bore no visible resemblance to the boy they knew. A boy who had sworn to never grow up.

And then, in that moment, that moment when everything seems hopeless, the smallest of the Lost Boys walks up to Peter...

And that my friends is how I spent my summer vacation.

 For the month of August I made time for friends, activities, and most importantly, my family. I savored experiences and made memories to carry me through the return to school and schedules.

After a whirlwind romance, I fell in love with Summer.

And now September walks among us, and two weeks in I have realized I love it too. I love the crisp evenings, perfect for a sweatshirt and jeans. I love the return of schedules, activities, and routines. I love balance after a Summer of freedom.

And I love my blog!

This week I will be posting an end of summer salad, a delicious and healthy muffin recipe for Back to School mornings, and a refreshing end of summer white wine with a glass cork!

Welcome home my blog friends. I've missed you!

ps. If you've never seen the movie Hook, I highly recommend it. You can get it through Amazon, or pick it up at Target for $5. Family movie night anyone?

Chocolate Dipped Frozen Bananas - Cooking with Kids

This is such a fun summer activity! Not to mention a delicious treat! And it is completely appropriate for kids as young as 3 to make.

Chocolate Dipped Frozen Bananas

Ingredients:
1 bottle Magic Shell
5 bananas
10 Popsicle sticks

Additional optional ingredients:
Sprinkles
Chopped nuts
Toffee Pieces
Coconut

Begin by peeling your bananas and cutting them in half. Insert a Popsicle stick into the cut side of the banana. Place the bananas on a sheet of wax paper on a tray and put them in the freezer. I usually do this well in advance and that way they are ready to go whenever the kids want to make them: after slip n sliding, during a sleepover, as a reward for completing their summer bridge workbook assignment for the day, or whenever the mood strikes you.

When you are ready to make them take your bottle of Magic Shell out of the cabinet, shake well, and pour into a fairly large cup. A Solo cup works perfectly, but you could just as easily use any cup in your cabinet. Tim used a tea cup for this batch!

Hold the banana by the stick and dip into the Magic Shell.

You may have to swirl it around a bit to obtain maximum coverage, but the kids never seem to mind that part!

I normally put the bananas back on the tray covered with wax paper and pop them in the freezer for a minute or two. This is much, much easier than trying to get the kids to stand there holding their chocolate dipped bananas, without eating them, while they wait for the chocolate coating to harden!

Pull out of the freezer, serve, and revel in the happy faces!

Oh and yes, you just got them to pick a fruit for snack. Score one for Mom!

Variations:

Now that we've been making these for awhile, I've started to spice them up. Some of the fun additions we have done, or that we are planning to do are:

1. Set out an array of sprinkles on the counter. After the kids dip their bananas in the Magic Shell they can pick a sprinkle, or two... or seven and shake them all over the bananas. If you don't have a dog, it is best to have them do this over some sort of tray. 

2. Take a shallow pie plate and cover the bottom in chopped nuts (I like pecans). After the kids dip their bananas in the Magic Shell, have them gently roll them in the nuts. Stick them in the freezer for a few minutes. If you are happy with the result, eat them. If you are related to me, remove them from the freezer. Dip them a second time in the Magic Shell. Place in the freezer for just a minute more, and then enjoy!

3. Take a shallow pie plate and cover the bottom in toffee pieces. After the kids (who am I kidding, you totally know I made this one for me), dip their bananas in Magic Shell, gently roll them in the toffee pieces. Place them back on the tray in the freezer. In a few minutes, remove from the freezer. Dip them again in the Magic Shell. Place in the freezer a second time, this time for just a minute. Enjoy!

4. Same procedure as above but use coconut!

The possibilities are endless!

Tim's Almost a "Chocodile" Birthday Cake

I always feel a lot of pressure when it comes to Tim's birthday. When you love someone that much, you want nothing more than to give them everything they want and have it all come out perfectly.

In our house, you pick your cake. You name it. Someone makes it for you. Tim's only request was chocolate.

Now for a little secret: Tim has more than a small penchant for snack cakes. You would not expect this from a man with Tim's culinary background, but it is true. His favorite is the Chocodile.

However, like all of the best laid plans, mine had a snafu. Tim wanted a chocolate cake. My brain decided on a Chocodile styled cake. Yep, I completely forgot that a Chocodile is vanilla cake with cream filling and chocolate frosting! I am that blonde.

So what did I do? Well I made the cake I wanted, vanilla cake be damned, and honestly? It came out better than I ever could have hoped!

Chocodile Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

(Who needs to work from scratch when the cake mixes today are incredible!)

Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix

And ingredients listed on cake box

Frosting:

(This is really just a seven minute frosting.)

2 large egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

2 tbsp water

1 tsp vanilla extract

Ganache:

9oz semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup heavy cream

Bake cake according to package directions using two 8 inch pans. While the cake is cooling make your frosting.

Place all of the frosting ingredients in a metal mixing bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of boiling water on the stove. Beat with a handheld mixer for approximately 7 minutes or until frosting is fluffy (soft peaks). Remove bowl from the saucepan and continue beating until the frosting is slightly cooled.

Place one layer of the cake on a cake stand. Top with all of the frosting. Place the second layer on top of the frosting.

Finally for the ganache. Pour your chocolate chips into a bowl. (I really, really want to type a glass bowl because that is what I always use, but I know in my heart of hearts that it doesn't matter. So you can just pour them in any bowl that you like.) On your stove, heat the heavy cream in a small pot, just until it boils. Watch carefully or you will end up with one heck of a mess!

When it comes to a boil, pour it over the chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the cream and chocolate are combined. Let it rest for a few minutes so that it cools and thickens slightly. Pour over your cake starting at the center. It will cascade down the sides of the cake on its own.

Refrigerate until time to serve.

It kind of reminds me of another hostess cake...

Can't you see it with some white swirls down the middle?

But whether you prefer a Chocodile, or a Hostess Cupcake , I promise you won't be disappointed if you make this!

Chocolate Dipped Fruit with a Surprise

Ingredients:

1 lb strawberries

1 package raspberries

2 dozen cherries

2 dozen mini oreos

Chocolate mousse

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate melts 

Start by preparing your chocolate mousse. If you have a recipe that you love, make that! If not, I really like this one from All Recipes.

While the mousse is setting up, wash and dry your fruit. Cut the stem and the core out of the strawberries. Pit the cherries. Now I'm going to be picky about this and tell you that your cherries will be the highlight with your guests and they will be twice as cute if you pit them from the bottom and leave the stems attached. It is more work, but totally worth the end result. I normally make two slits across the bottom of the cherry (it makes an x) and then I stick my fingers in and pull out the pit. This will effectively divide your cherry in 4 sections, but that is okay. The mousse will pull it back together, and when it is chocolate dipped no one will be the wiser!

When your mousse has set up you are ready to start filling the fruit. Start by lining a cookie sheet with wax paper. Fill a piping bag with chocolate mouse. Fill each piece of fruit and then place it on the cookie sheet. For the raspberries, I fill them slightly over the top of the raspberry. Finally, move on to the Oreos. Pipe mousse onto the top of each Oreo and place on the tray with the fruit. Place cookie sheet in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.

While your delicacies are in the freezer you can start melting your chocolate in a double boiler on the stove. I like to work with a half a batch at the time. Sometimes when moisture gets into chocolate it can seize. By only melting half of the chocolate at a time you can avoid losing all of your chocolate if it does seize. When your chocolate is melted turn your burner all the way down to it's lowest setting. This will maintain some heat in the chocolate while you are working. Place your tray next to the double boiler.

Start with the strawberries. This is going to feel a little backwards to you because you are dipping the opposite end of the strawberry than you normally would. Dip the top of the strawberry 1/2-1 inch into the melted chocolate. This seals the chocolate mousse inside the strawberry. Place the dipped strawberry back on the wax paper.

Repeat the process with the raspberries, Oreos and finally the cherries. It is important to do the cherries last as they are extremely juicy and can cause your chocolate to become grainy and seize. Melt more chocolate as neccessary.

When you are finished, place your chocolate covered delicacies in the refrigerator. While they are setting up you can melt the white chocolate. You can do it in a double boiler on the stove, or if you purchase the white chocolate melts they will melt just as easily in the microwave. White chocolate can be a bit finicky. Which, in my opinion, makes it worth the trip to Michael's to pick up the White Chocolate Melts!

Finally the fun part. When the white chocolate is melted, take the tray out of the fridge. Now you can drizzle with white chocolate in one of two ways. You can fill a piping bag with the melted white chocolate and pipe it onto the chocolate covered fruit and Oreos, or you can go with a more haphazard approach. I usually dip a fork or knife into the melted chocolate, and shake it back and forth over the tray. It adds a bit of whimsy and lends a less formal feel to your dessert. But again, suit your own fancy!

Keep the chocolate covered fruit and Oreos refrigerated until you are going to serve them. Arrange on a platter and await the oohs and ahhs as your guests discover the secret hidden beneath the chocolate!

A Little Chocolate Magic

I am in love with Summer. The easy pace, the company of friends, the lack of scheduling renews my soul. Summer finds me wanting to pack picnics, sip wine, and feast on Caprese made with the tomatoes from my garden. 

Summer is for living, and we do lots of it.

As I was pondering an offering for the blog this week, I came across the idea of giving you a snapshot of my Summer. So this week I am going to share with you a little chocolate magic: a series of desserts that have made the cut on many a gorgeous summer evening. There are recipes to share with friends, a cake to make your family swoon, and a great summer activity to share with your kids. 3 Chocolate recipes. And really, doesn't chocolate make everything better?

Chocolate Dipped Fruit with a Delicious Surprise

Chocodile Cake

Chocolate Covered Frozen Bananas

The magic starts tomorrow!

Summer Caprese Pasta

Nothing is better than tomatoes fresh from the garden, unless it is this years basil. The basil from my garden this year is heavenly. 

So Saturday night I went for a simple dinner. I was in the mood for fresh ingredients but I wanted a hearty meal. The solution? Turn my fresh Caprese salad into a pasta dish! Oh and it was 15 minutes from chopping to plating. How's that for quick and easy?!

Summer Caprese Pasta

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cups of grape or cherry tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic

2 hand fulls of basil

12 of the small size mozzerella, halved

12 oz pasta (whatever is in your cabinet. I had rigatoni)

Cook the pasta according to package directions. While it is cooking...

Halve the tomatoes and the mozzerella, mince the garlic, chiffonade the basil.

Heat oil over medium high heat add garlic and saute 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and saute two or three minutes.

Add your basil and saute just a minute more.

Add the pasta. Stir to combine and until heated through (less than a minute really). Season to taste with salt and cracked black pepper. Remove from the heat and add the fresh mozzerella.

Divide equally among 4 plates.

Adding the mozzerella while the pasta is still hot gives it this terrific meltiness and an almost buttery mouth feel. This recipe was a keeper. I have a feeling I will be making it a lot this summer!

Cooking with Kids- Calzones

Last Thursday Tim taught a cooking class at our local library. 40 kids, 2 kinds of calzones, an apple-blueberry crumble, and a good time was had by all!

The highlight for me was all of the moms coming up at the end asking for the recipes... because their "kids actually ate them!" We of course had the recipes for all of the children to take home.

Cooking with your kids is so incredibly fun, and often, if they have a hand in making it, they are more apt to eat it! Here are a few pictures of the action. The recipes are at the bottom.

 Learning to work the dough.

 Everyone had a turn.

 A better shot of the mayhem. Trust me, if Tim could teach 40 five-nine year olds how to make calzones... you can definitely do it with your kids in your kitchen!

 We had some great teen volunteers too!

 And look at how beautiful they turned out!

Chicken, Black Bean and Corn Calzone with Salsa Sour Cream

Ingredients:
1 store bought pizza dough
1 pound chicken breast, roasted

1 can of corn, drained and rinsed

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2-2 tsp chili powder

3/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4  tsp black pepper

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded

1 egg

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a cookie sheet with Pam.

Allow dough to come to room temperature, and then roll or stretch dough into a large oval or rectangle. Make sure your dough is not bigger than the pan you will use to bake the calzone.

                                           

Chop the roasted chicken into bite size pieces.  Heat a large pan over medium heat. Spray with Pam. Add chicken, black beans, corn, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper and stir until combined and heated through. 

Remove from heat and stir in half of the cheese. Spoon the mixture onto one side of the dough you rolled out. Top with remaining cheese. Pull the other half of the dough over the top and pinch the edges to seal it shut.

In a small bowl whisk the egg. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg over the top of your calzone. Poke a few holes in the top of the calzone so that it won't fill with air while you are cooking it.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Cut into pieces and serve with salsa sour cream.

Salsa Sour Cream

1cup sour cream

1/3 cup mild salsa (like pace)

In a bowl mix together sour cream and salsa.

Chicken and Broccoli Calzone

1 large pizza dough ball

1 lb of chicken breast, roasted

1 1/2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 onion chopped

2 tbsp butter

2 cups mozzarella, shredded

1 egg

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a cookie sheet with Pam.

Allow dough to come to room temperature, and then roll or stretch dough into a large oval or rectangle. Make sure your dough is not bigger than the pan you will bake it on.

                                           

Chop the roasted chicken into bite size pieces.  Steam the broccoli until crisp tender. In a large pan melt 2 tbsp of butter. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the chicken and broccoli and half of the cheese stir until combined.

Spoon the mixture onto one side of the dough you rolled out.  Sprinkle with the 2 cups of cheese. Pull the opposite side of the dough over the top and pinch the edges together.

In a small bowl whisk the egg. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg over the top of your calzone. Poke a few holes in the top of the calzone to keep it from filling with air while cooking.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

Cut into pieces and serve with your favorite marinara sauce.

 Have fun and enjoy!

A Thought on Resisting Temptation

Today I am baking Tim's Birthday cake, chocolate cake, marshmallow filling, chocolate ganache frosting. I am also baking 96 carrot cake cupcakes and frosting 200 carrot cake cupcakes for an entirely separate party. To say this is a recipe for disaster while just getting started on my Healthy Eating Makeover 2011, is to put it mildly.

But then a thought occurred to me. Why not make a healthy snack as readily accessible as the bounty of unhealthy cake-related hoo-haw all around me?

So I washed a bunch of strawberries, put them in a bowl, and sat them smack in the middle of my work station.

And you know what? It worked. Having them right at my fingertips, helped me to make the right choice... I didn't even lick the spoon!

So, as I am headed into a holiday weekend filled with barbecues and parties, and I am facing making something to bring to each one, I think I am going to employ this trick.

Tomorrow I'm chopping up a cucumber!

Avocado Orange Salsa

Recipe by my friend Mary. Enjoyed at her Orange Harvest Party.

Ingredients:
1 large orange, supremed.
1 ripe avocado, diced medium
2 tbsp minced red onion
4 tsp juice from 1 lime
1 small jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cliantro leaves
Salt

Combine all ingredients. Salt to taste.
Makes 1 cup. (I recommend tripling it. You won't be sorry!)

We ate this as a dip, but can you imagine it as a topping for fish tacos? Or over a lovely grilled chicken breast. Or on a burger.
The possibilities are endless!

Orange Harvest Party

My dear friend Mary can throw a party. The type of party that has you scratching your head in disbelief. She is incredibly creative and talented, and i am so thankful that we finally live on the same coast again so that I can reap the benefits of her creativity.

Two weeks ago, she invited us to her house to help harvest their orange tree. You won't believe what we found when we got there.

Hand crafted bags hanging from a hook in the tree inviting us to fill a bag and take it home.

Mary made the bags from burlap and they were lined with vintage fabric from her grandmother. They were charming and Karen Ray has now appropriated the bag for her own use.

The tree was the perfect height for picking, and you could do it by hand or with a picker that Mary provided.

Some people got a little carried away with the picker... not to name names, TIM!

There was a bounty of food and every item had a hint of orange flavor or was orange in color. The menu was tacked to the umbrella out on the patio. Some ideas are so simple and yet have such a large impact. The menu included:

Victor's homemade hummus with pita chips.

Avocado Orange Salsa with Tortilla Chips.
This was my personal favorite, and I will share the recipe tomorrow.

Marinated Orange Olives

White Sangria with Oranges and Mango

Orange and Fennel Salad

3 types of skewers:
Beef with Orange and Garlic, Honey Orange Garlic Chicken, and Ginger Chili Citrus Shrimp.

And then there was dessert. Homemade gelato in two flavors! This is the Orange Rosemary.

Which was served with a dark chocolate and orange marble cake.

and this is the Orange Mango Gelato.

The kids played in the back yard.

And had quite the feast of their own!

There were crafts to make.

And quite possibly the biggest, most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen!

And the adults? 

Well, lets just say the party brought out the child in all of us!