Pumpkin Pasty Flavored Pancakes + French Toast

These pumpkin flavored pancakes + french toast have slowly become my absolute favorite, especially as I keep craving Fall season more and more. Be sure to save the pins below so you can come back to this yummy breakfast the next time you’re craving pumpkin in the morning!

Pumpkin Pasty Pancakes

• Pancake Mix

• Pumpkin Puree

• Pumpkin Pie Spice

• Cinnamon

• Sugar

One - Using the pancake mix of your choice, scoop about scoop about 2 cups worth into a bowl and add water or milk as noted on their packaging instructions

Two - Add 1 cup of Pumpkin Puree, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and mix! (note: add more sugar and spices to taste!)

Three- Go about making pancakes as usual to desired color + enjoy!

Tip: Enjoy with cinnamon sugar butter for an extra yummy bite that really brings out the spices!

Pumpkin Pasty French Toast

Ingredients

• Brioche or thick-cut bread of choice

• 1/3 cup Pumpkin Puree

• 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

• 2 tsp Cinnamon

• 2 tsp Nutmeg (Fresh Ground Recommended)

• Egg Yolks (3-4 depending on milk)

• 1 1/2 cups Milk (Heavy preferred but regular works fine!)

• 1 - 2 TSP Vanilla Extract (aka to taste)

• 3 - 4 TBS Brown Sugar

One - Separate yolk from egg whites + mix all ingredients in shallow pie dish for easy french toasting.

Two - Warm skillet or pan and coat each side of toast in egg mixture - about 20 - 30 seconds each side.

Three - Cook it on skillet/pan/griddle until desired texture + enjoy!

Tip: Enjoy with cinnamon sugar butter for an extra yummy bite that really brings out the spices!

The Best At-Home Harry Potter Inspired Recipes

(Vegetarian) Shepards Pie

This is my absolute favorite go-to for a home cooked meal feel. Literally, this tastes like Mrs. Weasley put all her cooking brilliance and love in, just for you! I make this whenever I’m craving or whenever we need to clear out the fridge as tons of the ingredients are bits and pieces you may have left over throughout! If you’re not keen on veggies but know you need to get them, this is an excellent meal for you!

Bangers & Mash

While there isn’t a recipe for this one since it’s literally any sausage/brat of choice and mashed potatoes of choice, it is still worthy of being included as one of Cody’s favorites! Super easy to throw together and if you’re already making Shepards Pie, you can use the mashed potatoes on both dishes!

Pumpkin Pasties

Ok, these are my actual favorite. They taste like fall in a bite and given that they’re the perfect mix of savory and sweet without loads of sugar, they can function as a dessert, breakfast bite or something in between (aka the perfect pastry). I crave these especially when I’m missing fall and they’re super fun to make and take only a little prep time. While you don’t have to cut them into pumpkins, I do just because I think it’s precious (and I love pumpkins), it can be fun! If you don’t have a pumpkin cookie cutter, circles to be folded in half (like empanadas) works brilliantly as well!

Inspired Baked Goods

While we got all of our special baked goods from Sweet Dee’s - a wonderful local bakery - you are probably going to want to be creating your own special goods at home! I’ve added in some of my favorite pins from across the internet of wonderful guides to create your own versions of these many magical inspired treats!

Pumpkin Pasty Pancakes

Ok so I might have taken my love for Pumpkin Pasty to the next level with these pancakes BUT it was so worth it. These are delicious in every way and must be tried if you’re a pumpkin lover! TIP: use cinnamon sugar butter on these - it’s literally that much better.

A Traditional(ish) English Breakfast

We put together this spread with elements of a traditional English Breakfast (something I am very on board with now by the way). We included: fried eggs, toast, bacon (and fakon aka veggie bacon), sausage, and baked beans. We also included pumpkin pasties and pancakes for our sweet tooth but everything was absolutely delicious - including our butterbeer iced coffee (iced coffee + creamer to taste plus butterbeer syrup)

Celebrating Strawberry Season - Strawberry Mojitos

June celebrates MANY things - one of my favorite food related seasonal celebrations is that of strawberries. While we aren’t able to go strawberry picking this year, we’ve loved picking up freshly picked baskets at our local grocers. If you know us, you know we love experimenting with cocktails. Since its summer and we had all these strawberries on hand I wanted to try a twist on the classic mojito - a cocktail I had never really loved but currently is my go to! Below, I’m sharing the recipe to make it one cocktail at a time, in a pitcher and as a mocktail!

Ingredients

• mint leaves (some for muddling some for garnish)

• strawberries (2-3 per glass)

• 1 oz sweet & sour

• ice

• 1 oz white rum

• soda water / club soda

Individual Cocktail

• muddle 3 or so mint leaves, strawberries and 1 oz sweet and sour in bottom of glass

• add ice

• pour 1 oz white rum

• top with soda water/club soda

Pitcher Cocktail

• muddle 30 mint leaves, 20 strawberries and 6 oz sweet and sour in bottom of pitcher (be sure not to muddle mint too much or else it will get bitter!) tip: adjust mint & strawberry amount to taste!

• add in ice (2 cups or so) if serving immediately or set aside ice to be served individually

• pour 6 oz white run and soda water to taste + stir! tip: add sugar by the tablespoon if you want a sweeter taste or use sprite or 7up instead of soda water

Mocktail

• muddle 3 or so mint leaves, strawberries and 1 oz sweet and sour in bottom of glass

• add ice

• pour soda water over ice to top (tip: if you want something sweeter or with more of a strawberry flavor, try out strawberry craft soda - we love Trader Joe’s Sparkling Strawberry Juice and recommend that!)

My Go-To Vegetarian Recipes

Whether it’s because we’re all at home and cooking for ourselves more or because people are now, more than ever, interested in taking on vegetarianism, I’ve been getting SO many requests for my go-to vegetarian recipes. In response, I’ve rounded up many of my favorites and hope you love them just as much as I do!

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Sloppy Janes - Inspired by the original at Broad Ripple Brew Pub (Indianapolis, IN)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Package Meatless Ground (Gardein is my preference!)

• 1 TBS Olive Oil

• 1 C Chopped Onions (add more or less to preference)

• 1 C Chopped Green Peppers (add more or less to preference)

• 1 Cup Ketchup

• 1 Can Tomato Sauce (you can also use diced tomatoes for more veggies just add more ketchup)

• 1/4 C. Brown Sugar (if you don’t care for sweet opt for 1/8 C)

• 1/3 C. BBQ Sauce (I love Sweet Baby Rays)

• 1 TSP Garlic Powder

• 1 TSP Chili Powder (use less or more depending on preference for spice)

• Salt and Pepper to taste

• Burger Buns (6+)

• Optional for the side : Pickle Slices & Red Onion Slices

STEPS

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat adding olive oil, chopped onions and green peppers. Cook to desired texture - typically 5 minutes.

• Add in spices, ketchup, tomato sauce, brown sugar, and bbq sauce to pan allowing to simmer for another 3-5 minutes.

• Lower heat and add in bag of meatless ground stirring & incorporating “meat” and sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes turning off heat about halfway through.

• To assemble, spoon sloppy Jane mixture onto buns with optional toppings of pickles & onions.

Vegetarian Sheppards Pie - Inspired by Harry Potter

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package meatless ground (Gardein is my favorite)

• 1 can petite diced tomatoes ( NOT drained // do NOT drain)

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 3/4  cup diced onion

• ½ cup peas

• 3/4 cup corn

• 1 pouch Italian dressing mix .7 ounce pouch

• 2 cups prepared mashed potatoes (instant mashed potatoes work fine, I love using Bob Evans)

• 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese (optional but extra yummy!)

STEPS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• In a large skillet, add in onions, peas, corn, tomatoes, seasoning and simmer for 3 minutes or so. Once simmering, add in meatless ground continuing simmer for 5 - 7 minutes.

• Pour meat/veggie mixture into a casserole dish (safe for the oven). If your mashed potatoes are pre-made and frozen, microwave so you can scoop them out.

• Spread mashed potatoes over top of veggie/”meat” mix then adding shredded cheese.

• Bake for about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and mix is heated through completely.

Veggie Philly Cheese Stake Sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

• 16 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms (thicker slices are better)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (be sure to divide)

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon dry oregano

• 1 red bell pepper (sliced intro strips - half if size is too big)

• 1 green bell pepper (sliced into strips - half if size is too big)

• 2 large onions (red, white or yellow works - pick your preference)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 4 6" sub rolls (any bread works but this is my preference)

• 4 slices provolone cheese (always add extra if you want - cheese it up!)

STEPS

• First, we need to caramelize the onions. To do so, heat 1 tbs olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions for 10 minutes until they just start to brown. At this point, sprinkle on the 1/2 tsp salt and lower the heat to a medium. Stir every 7-10 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when they’re brown & sweet.

• In a separate skillet (medium sized) heat 1 tbs of olive oil over medium & saute the mushrooms and peppers until the mushrooms have expressed most of their juices (about 7-8 minutes).

• Sprinkle mushrooms with soy sauce and oregano. To thicken, sprinkle 1 tbs of flour stirring.

• Melt the provolone on top of the mushrooms and peppers in sections that will fit on your buns/bread, covering the pan with a lid to melt.

• Scoop the cheesy mushroom/pepper mix onto a toasted bun and top with caramelized onions.

Spinach & Artichoke Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms (aka Spin Dip in a Shroom)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbs olive oil

• 4 medium portobello mushrooms (be sure to remove the stems and gills)

• 1 pkg frozen chopped spinach (cooked and drained, 10 ounces)

• 1 can artichoke hearts (drained and chopped, 14 ounce can)

• 4 oz cream cheese (room temperature)

• 2 tbs sour cream

• 1/2 c Parmesan cheese (grated)

• 2 cloves garlic chopped

• salt and pepper to taste

• 3 oz mozzarella cheese (shredded)

STEPS

• After cleaning, de-steming and gilling mushrooms brush with olive oil and place on baking pan - broiling on high in oven for 5 minutes (or until tender)

• In a large bowl, mix together the spinach, artichoke, cream cheese, sour cream parm cheese, garlic, salt and pepper until all combined (it will look just like a thicker artichoke dip)

• Stuff each mushroom cap with the mix distributing evenly between them (TIP: if you have too much mix for your mushrooms, you can set aside and leave in fridge or freezer - it still makes a great dip and goes great with veggies or pita chips)

• Once filled, top with shredded mozzarella cheese & bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes

• Turn broiler on high for a few minutes towards the end of baking to golden up the cheese if desired.

Caprese (Salad or Appetizer)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 roma tomatoes

• 1 package of sliced mozzarella cheese or mozzarella balls

• 1 package basil leaves (TIP: if you can get a basil plant or grow your own I highly recommend)

• Olive oil & balsamic vinaigrette to taste

• Salt & pepper to taste

STEPS

• Wash tomatoes and slice if eating as appetizer or dice if putting in salad and plate or toss in bowl.

• Lay mozzarella slices on top of plated tomatoes or chop smaller and throw in bowl.

• Clean and de-stem basil leaves placing on plate or chopping smaller for salad and throwing in bowl.

• Drizzle with olive oil & balsamic vinaigrette to taste.

• Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.

Apple Cobbler Recipe

Apple pie or cobbler might not be technically in season but it’s one of my absolute favorite desserts to make all year long! Whoever told you these flavors were only good in Fall has got it all wrong! If you’re still not sure, be sure to add some ice cream to make it even more perfect for summer months.

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Ingredients

• 2 pounds Fuji or Granny Smith apples peeled and thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup orange juice

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1 1/2 cups flour

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 3/4 cup light brown sugar , packed

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 cup rolled oats (don’t switch to instant - it does matter!)

• 1/2 pound cold unsalted butter , diced

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl add the apple slices, orange juice, sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg. TIP: If you’re not big on nutmeg, feel free to skip out, just add in more cinnamon!

3. For the topping, mash together the flour, sugars, salt, oats and butter.

4. Add the apples to a 8x8 pan (or opt for a pie dish) and place the topping on top of apples

5. Bake for 30- 40 minutes or until your desired golden brown color.

Recipe: Pantry Inspired (Super Easy) Cookies

I don’t know about you but sometimes I just REALLY want a cookie - or a few. Thankfully most items needed to make a cookie can be found right in your pantry! For something a little more fun I like going through the pantry and using any random candies or additions to make them even yummier! For this recipe we had regular M&M’s, Peanut M&M’s, a few Reece’s Easter Eggs and Chocolate Chips but you can honestly use anything you’d like!

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Recipe: Harry Potter Inspired Pumpkin Pasties

One thing I will always love is pumpkin. Pumpkin spiced lattes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin- everything. It might not be fall while we’re sharing this but it’s time like these when creating your absolute favorite things is even more important! I hope you love these as much as we do - they’re perfect for a little taste of fall & a great treat for watching Harry Potter!

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Recipe: Vegetarian Shepards Pie

As a long time Harry Potter lover, I’ve always enjoyed trying to create some of the magical bites at home. While I’ve made Shepard’s pie for family and friends, I haven’t ever made a vegetarian version I could enjoy. After trying this out, I will definitely add this into our normal meals. Not only is it super yummy, it is filled with things you likely already have in your freezer or pantry that seem like odds and ends!

How to Make At-Home Crunch Wrap Supreme Dupes

While we’re staying safe at home, we’ve been trying to make things interesting when it comes to meal time. I don’t know about you - but cooking just seems like one of the few really enjoyable things about meal time. Given we typically eat out a decent amount it’s been hard to stay in and not eat out as much as a way to try to limit our exposure. Any who - with some odds and ends in the pantry plus a few pick ups from our bi-weekly grocery runs we were able to create both regular “crunch wrap supreme”s and a vegetarian dupe!

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Galentines Day Ideas Round Up

Galentines is upon us so naturally I’ve been spending all my time on Pinterest seeing all the AMAZING ways to celebrate with your gal pals! I’ve rounded up some of my favorite ideas right here from Brunch to Movie night, these pins got you covered! Make sure to click through for more info, tips & more!

Brunch

Movie Night/Sleepover

Pizza Party

Photoshoot

Get Baking

DIY It

Bad & Boozey

Valentines Sweet Charcuterie Board

One of my favorite things in the whole wide world is charcuterie boards! No matter the theme for making them they’re the perfect way to up your snack game, customize to the occasion and any dietary needs! For valentines day I put together something extra fun (and extra pink) I hope you’ll love!

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To build this board, I started in the candy aisle (duh!) Valentines has so many fun, colorful options in heart shapes and is in so many ways the second Halloween (or first?) I’ve linked everything I snagged below including Valentine’s M&M’s, Hershey’s, Conversation Hearts, and JuJu Hearts!

My favorite little sweet treat I made are these pink, heart shaped mini rice treats! To make these I mixed up rice treats per usual - rice cereal, marshmallows and lots of butter - and added red food dye to the mixture. I recommend doing this with the butter so it goes in more evenly and you don’t get any streaks or paler pieces! Once mixed, press it into a baking dish or cookie sheet with raised edges and chill until set. Once set, take a small (or whatever size you’d like) cookie cutter and cut them into your hearts!

I added drizzled chocolate and sprinkles - or even dipped chocolate with sprinkles for added Valentines flare! Get creative with these & its even more fun!

For the other rice treats, I made them the same way but instead of dying them left them plane & cut into larger squares. If you don’t feel like making these but still want the added Valentines fun of chocolate and sprinkles or candy, head to the store or order pre-made Rice Krispie Treats online. All you have to do from there is unwrap, dip in chocolate and decorate to your liking!

To make the pretzel rods & mini chocolate dipped & drizzled pretzels all you need to do is take a piece of wax paper and place on whatever cookie sheet or large tray/plate you’d like! Place the pretzels out evenly and make sure they’re not connected or else the chocolate will keep them together! Once placed, melt your chocolate - I used milk and white - and drizzle over or dip them in, using a spoon to add on additional where empty spots may have been. Once done, you can use candies or sprinkles to decorate to your liking! I personally recommend using smaller sprinkles - the large hearts were super cute but could be a little to much to chew on when we tried them out!

Ingredients:

Tips for Creating Your Board:

Charcuterie boards can be so intimidating! I remember looking at the ones on Pinterest and thinking I could NEVER make one that beautiful but honestly, it’s something anyone can do! Here are my tips for making it happen!

1. Start by laying out your biggest bits! For this board, the rice treats, pretzels rods and strawberries were the biggest pieces! I laid them on one at a time in a way I thought looked nice! I check the look of things by looking at the board from the top and various sides!

2. Figure out your fillers! Fillers typically are smaller pieces - mini pretzels, M&M’s, JuJu Hearts, etc. Once you’ve got these figured out you can slowly begin to place these in to fill in the gaps! I suggest placing them around the board so any side can access that bite without having to reach across the entire board!

3. Adjust as needed! Even though things can start looking good, they can also move or mess up! Don’t fret- just squeeze things around and see what you like!

Indy's Best Bites - My Favorite, Must-Go Eatery's In and Around Indianapolis, Indiana

Home is where the best food is- period. No matter where you’re from I can guarantee you’d swear a few spots from home have the best bites you’ve ever had. I’m sharing some of my favorites in and around Indianapolis! Whether you’re local, visiting or just wanting to see if you could visit with food options - I’ve got you! As a vegetarian, a majority of these places had extensive vegetarian options (typically vegan, gluten free as well!) but I have included locations I’ve eaten at before becoming vegetarian!

Broad Ripple Brew Pub

I’ve been going here since before I can remember from hot summers as a little kid to grabbing lunch with my parents before catching flights back to university. Their menu has changed over the years but you can always count on amazing options for all dietary needs, delicious bites and if you’re in to it, a good selection of local beers! My personal favorite: Vegetarian Sloppy Joe OR Drunken Ravioli

Some Guys Pizza / Bazbeaux /Puccini’s

If you’re a local to Broad Ripple you might know a bit about this local pizza rivalry. If not, a quick summation is that Bazbeaux is the first, Some Guys came next with Puccini’s being the newest - all from original Bazbeaux staff. Sometimes it’s drama - in fact, I worked at Some Guys Pizza in high school (seriously, the best job & people ever) and it was a tricky subject on occasion - but at the end of it, I encourage pizza lovers to give them all a try and just enjoy it for all it is - three delicious takes on pizza and other Italian foods. Each has special bits unique to them and I can guarantee you will love every bite, no matter where you go! My personal favorites: House Salad with homemade Ranch & Santa Fe Pizza (Some Guys Pizza) Bazbeaux Special (Bazbeaux Pizza) Scamorza Appetizer & Humble Pie

Yats

A simple & straightforward place I make sure to visit every.single.time. I come home! Each location offers up 7 - 10 different options of stew (or something similar) every day, served over rice with bread (get extra - its only a few cents extra!) Whether you like spice or not, there’s something for you! Note: certain locations only take cash - so be sure to check before you go what the situation is there! My personal favorite: Vegetarian Spinach and Mushroom Etouffee.

Mama Corolas

One of my absolute favorite local Italian restaurants- Mama Corolla’s is delicious and a truly beautiful little spot for a meal! Whether its with friends, family or your SO - the food & atmosphere are perfect. My personal favorites: Brushetta & Fettuccini Alfredo.

Good Morning Mama

If you’re in or near Broad Ripple looking for a breakfast bite - you gotta go here! There’s something for everyone and is SO GOOD. There will probably be a wait because it’s no secret & somewhere tons of locals & visitors stop by! My personal favorites: Mama’s Breakfast Meal, Java French Toast, Mimosas!

Cafe Patachou

I’ve been coming here since High School and let me tell you - any restaurant by Martha Hoover I’ve been to so far is GREAT! She saw a need for farm to table food far before many and the freshness in still there plus some new twists and turns that make dining in any of the foundations restaurants amazing. Here, my personal favorites are: The California Dreamer Omelette, Our Toast #ToastLove, Egg Salad Sandwich and Green Goddess Salad.

Twenty Tap

If you’re stopping in to try some of their amazing beers you MUST have their cheese curds. Like seriously - even go there JUST for the cheese curds. They will not disappoint - I promise. My personal favorites: Cheese Curds (duh)

The Cake Bake Shop

Not only is this one of my favorite places to take gorgeous photos, every single thing on the menu here is delicious. Now, the prices may scare you a bit - I totally was a little put off at first too - but once you take that first bite (and every single one after) you will understand every cent is worth it. I’ve tried a lot of different bites here and have never NOT been thrilled. This is a great place to go with others, have everyone get something different and share so you can try multiple things without spending $100. My personal favorites: Raspberry Champagne Cake, Carrot Cake, Peanut Butter Mouse Pie (this is heavenly).

St. Elmo’s Steakhouse

This is one of those staple places to check out in Indianapolis. It’s an upscale, steakhouse dining situation but it’s been around since 1902 for a reason. I’ll never forget when the Super Bowl was in Indy hearing about how every celebrity in town had reservations - or didn’t, but got a seat anyways, because- well, its St. Elmos. As a vegetarian I can’t say much about their steaks other than from friends & family who have gone and loved every bite. Their world famous shrimp cocktail, delicious salads and veggie sides are absolutely yum and is a great place for a special night out downtown.

Just Pop In

Whether you want to try them all, snag something as a gift or (truthfully) something for yourself, Just Pop In is THE BEST. If I’m in town or my mom comes out to see me, I always get popcorn one way or another! My personal favorite is their Indy Mix (a take on what is typically called Chicago Mix - Cheddar Cheese Popcorn and Caramel Popcorn). I’ve recently tried a few more I love: Cherry Flavor, Bazbeaux Tomato & Basil Pizza.

The Rathskeller

Growing up I’ve attended lunches, weddings and dinners here and they’ve been great! If you’re over 21 - especially in the summer - the Biergarten is especially fun with beautiful weather and many, many drinks. With traditional takes on Bavarian food you really can’t go wrong. I will say as a vegetarian things are a bit more tricky but if you’re ok with sides, even these are delicious! Worse comes to worse, you can have a drink (or two).

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There are SO many other bites that are AMAZING in and around Indy - I know I couldn’t possibly know them all! I’d love to know your thoughts on other Indianapolis restaurants that you love and what your personal favorites are!

A Cara Collective & Family Thanksgiving Recipes

This time of year is full of so many of my favorite things - traditions, events, weather - but my favorite might be the food. We get out the recipe books & cards, hit the grocery and spend time together making bites and meals that remind us of family & when shared with those we love makes them even more special! This year, I’m sharing some of my very favorites. Most of these recipes come straight out of the family cook book -passed from friends who became family & generation to generation.

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Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Ingredients

• 2 cups crushed pretzels

• ¾ cup margine - melted

• 3 Tablespoons sugar

• 8 oz cream cheese

• 8 oz cool whip

• 1 cup sugar

• I large box strawberry jello

• 2 cups boiling water

• 20 oz frozen strawberry

• 15 oz can crushed pineapple - drained

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees

• Mix ingredients for crust (pretzels, melted butter and sugar) and press into 9x13 pan

• Bake in oven for 7 minutes

• While baking mix cool whip, cream cheese and sugar together and spread onto crust in dish once out of oven

• Let cool whip layer chill in fridge until set

• Mix jello, strawberry and pineapple together, then, pour over cool whip layer and chill until set

Tips:

• strawberry can be substituted for other fruit - just be sure to change jello flavor as well to be the same or compliment!

• best if made the night before serving!

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Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients

• 8 oz can cream of mushroom

• 1 cup Chicken stock

• 2 Tablespoons chopped onion

• 2 Tablespoons butter

• 3 Tablespoons flour

• ⅓ cup white wine

• 2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese

• Salt and pepper

• 2 can french style green beans

• ¼ cup bread crumbs and/or french fried onions (add 1 cup+ to taste or preference)

• 2 Tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375

• Saute onions for five minutes

• Blend in flour, cream of mushroom, chicken stock and wine

• Cook, stirring all the time until the mixture boils and thickens

• Add cheese, salt and pepper

• Combine this with drained green beans in buttered casserole dish

• Mix crumbs with butter and onions and sprinkle over top

• Bake 375 for 25 minutes

Tips:

• you can replace the chicken broth with about any other broth! I use vegetable personally!

• Making this the night before serving (minus bread crumbs and/or french fried onions) is THE best!

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Cheesy Breads

Ingredients

• 1 pound butter

• 1 teaspoon tabasco

• 1.5 teaspoons worchestire sauce 

• 1.5 teaspoon dill weed

• 4 - 5 oz kraft old english cheese 

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon bean monde seasoning

• 5 loafs Safeway english breads 

Instructions

• Soften butter and cheese to room temperature before starting

• Take out various cookie sheets and cover in wax paper (tip: be sure you have freezer space to put these on! Organize before!)

• Once soft, put in large mixing bowl and beat until fluffy then, add rest of ingredients (tabasco, worchesture, dill weed, onion powder, and bean monde.

• Once combined, take bread out of bags and remove crusts - these can be set aside to make home made croutons!

• Once crusts are removed, tale 3 slices at a time and put spread on them - Put spread on bottom slice, then add second slice on top - add spread and add third slice.

• Cut 3-slice stacks into four little squares (tip: be sure to cut 3 slices at a time so they all fit when assembled)

• Take each little stack and butter all four sides and the top - DO NOT butter the bottom (this side will be on the wax paper and if buttered it will stick.

• Place on wax paper and once a sheet is full, place in freezer

• Once set, put in plastic bags and do not thaw when you go to bake later on

• In baking, take directly from bag to cookie sheet then oven

• Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes

Tip

• These are intended to be made in bulk (70-80 at a time) and are great to stock up before entertaining

• These last in the freezer for a few months (but honestly won’t last because YUM)

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Cream Corn

Ingredients

• 2 packages frozen kernel corn 

• 8 oz whipping cream

• 1 teaspoon salt

• Pinch of white or cayenne pepper

• 2 Tablespoons melted butter

• 8 oz homogenized milk

• 6 teaspoon sugar

•  2 Tablespoons flour

Instructions

• Place all frozen corn in 9x13 dish

• Combine cream, milk, salt sugar and pepper on stove - bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes

• Add butter and flour mixture then pour over corn and mix 

• Refrigerate over night

• Bake at 350 until bubbling for about 25 minutes

Tips

• This dish is SO good and really is best when made a day or two before serving

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Corn Souffle

Ingredients

• 1 16 oz can whole kernel corn - drained

• 1 16 oz can cream style corn

• 8 oz sour cream or plain nonfat yogurt

• 1 box jiffy corn muffin mix 

• 1 stick of margarine, melted

• 2 lightly beaten eggs

Instructions

• Spray 3 quart souffle dish with nonfat cooking spray

• Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and pour into dish 

• Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes or until golden brown 

• Serve warm

Tips

• you don’t HAVE to make it in a souffle dish BUT be sure whatever you make it in, you use non-stick spray!

• it does serve 6 -8 but this is also the perfect side to cook most any time!

• for a kick, you can add green chiles!

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I hope you enjoyed these recipes! Be sure to save the pins to be able to come back & if you make it be sure to tag me so I can share!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Happy National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day! I don’t know about you - but I LOVE a yummy, old fashioned, warm chocolate chip cookie. No matter the season or the reason, baking in our lil kitchen has to be one of my fave things Cody and I do together. To celebrate we snagged our favorite recipe and lots and lots of chocolate chips! In spirit of today, I’m sharing our chocolate chip cookie recipe below along with some other super yummy one’s I’m dying to try!

The recipe I’ll be sharing is a quick, no-chill recipe- because when you want cookies you don’t wanna wait for them to chill. Additionally, these are for a small batch since we made them on the fly in hopes of properly celebrating the holiday. If it were up to me, I’d try these 2 Day Chocolate Chip Cookies- but we couldn’t wait that long today.

(Small Batch) Chocolate Chip Cookies

Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

2/3 cup all-purpose flower

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter - melted

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp white sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1) Preheat your oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2) Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.

3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter and sugars. Add egg yolk and vanilla and mix until well combined. Stir in the flour slowly until it is mixed properly. Fold in chocolate chips.

4) Scoop dough into hands and roll into balls (about 2 ounces), then place onto baking sheet.

5) OPTIONAL: add additional chocolate chips on top of cookie for extra chocolate and pretty cookies.

6) Bake between 9 to 12 minutes until the cookies are to your desired color and texture.

7) Cool and enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed this post and are now enjoying some yummy cookies of your own!