German Meatballs with Buttermilk Gravy

My family loves meatballs so any time I see a new meatball recipe I have to try it. This recipe made a ton of meatballs. I thought we would have a lot left over. That was not the case. My kids kept eating and eating. I thought they'd never stop. How my kids react is always a good indication of how good the meal is. This is definitely something I will make again. 

Printable Recipe

German Meatballs with Buttermilk Gravy

2 lbs ground beef

1 1/2 cups diced onion, divided

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

3 Tbsp butter, divided

1 tsp brown sugar

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

2 tsp spicy brown or regular mustard

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup flour

2 cups buttermilk

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar and 1 cup onion. Cook for about 5 minutes until onion begins to brown. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until caramelized, about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

While onions are caramelizing, combine bread crumbs, milk, egg, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add remaining 1/2 cup onion and ground beef. Mix until fully incorporated. Shape into walnut size meatballs. 

After onions are caramelized add 1-2 Tbsp water to deglaze pan. Remove onions from pan. Increase heat to medium and add 1 Tbsp olive oil to pan. Fry meatballs until browned. (My pan did not hold all of the meatballs so I did this in two batches) Remove from pan and place on paper towels. 

Add remaining 2 Tbsp butter to skillet. Add flour and cook and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in buttermilk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add onions and meatballs and simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Serve over rice.

Serves 6

Recipe adapted from The Open Pantry

Stuffed Poblanos

I started getting Bountiful Baskets a few weeks ago. I love it! I love the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables I get for the money and I love trying new things. This week I ordered the Mexican pack, which contained poblano peppers. I wasn't sure what to do with them because I've never cooked them or even eaten them before. I thought of making stuffed poblanos but I needed a recipe. I looked online at many recipes and I couldn't find exactly what I wanted. So I came up with this. It was so good. I'll definitely be making them again. Hopefully I'll get poblano peppers in my basket again.

Printable Recipe

Stuffed Poblanos


6 poblano peppers
1 lb ground beef
2 green onions, sliced
1-2 tsp jalapenos, diced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
lime juice, to taste

Place poblano peppers under the broiler directly on the rack. Cook for 15-20 minutes until charred, turning every 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Once they are cooled peel off the skin. Cut off the tops and carefully remove the seeds. Set aside.

In a large skillet, brown ground beef and drain. Add green onions and jalapenos. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and heat through.

Carefully stuff mixture into each poblano pepper. Make sure you stuff the mixture all the way down to the bottom of the pepper. Place in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Squeeze some lime juice over the top of the peppers. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Serves 6

*I had a small amount of filling left over so I saved it to make burritos.

Pasta Fagioli Soup

This recipe has been moved to The Traveling Circus.

Click the link below for the recipe

Pasta Fagioli Soup

Butter and Garlic Shrimp Penne

At our house, shrimp is one of our favorites. But to be honest, I've never cooked it before. Either my husband cooks it or I order it in a restaurant. I've been trying to branch out with my cooking so I thought I'd give shrimp a try. I found this recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe and I thought it looked so good. With butter and garlic, how can you go wrong? We all loved it! I actually cooked the shrimp perfectly which is great for my first try!

Printable Recipe

Butter and Garlic Shrimp Penne
1 1/2 lbs medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
5 garlic cloves, minced
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb penne pasta
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup clam juice
1/2 cup fresh parsley or 1 Tbsp dried
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Toss shrimp with 2 tsp of the minced garlic, 1 Tbsp of the olive oil, and 1/4 tsp salt. Let stand for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Heat remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add smashed garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until light and golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, take out garlic, leaving oil in the pan. Discard garlic.

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and return pasta to pot.

Increase heat in skillet to medium. Add shrimp and marinade and place in a single layer. Cook without stirring until oil starts to gently bubble, about 1-2 minutes. Stir shrimp and continue to cook until cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Do not overcook. Transfer shrimp to a bowl.

Add remaining garlic and red pepper to skillet and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour and cook and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in chicken broth and cook for 1-2 minutes, until smooth. Whisk in clam juice and parsley and cook until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter and lemon juice. Add shrimp and sauce to pasta. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Cool Mint Oreo Brownie Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for St. Patrick's Day yesterday. I also made a whole meal with green food. We had cabbage rolls, pasta with pesto sauce, salad with green veggies and green ranch dressing, green fruit salad, and a green drink. It's so fun to be festive!

Printable Recipe

Cool Mint Oreo Brownie Cupcakes

Makes 16 cupcakes

1 package Cool Mint Oreos

1 box brownie mix

ingredients to make brownies

Buttercream Frosting:
1 1/2 cups butter softened
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tsp. milk
food coloring

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare brownie batter according to directions. Reserve 16 Oreos. Place remaining Oreos in a large ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin, leaving the pieces chunky. Fold into brownie batter. Place cupcake liners in muffin tins. Spray with cooking spray. Fill liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out mostly clean. (There may be a few crumbs still on toothpick.) Cool completely. 

To make frosting, cream together butter and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add sugar. Mix until blended well. Add milk to make frosting creamier. Mix in food coloring. Pipe or spread frosting on cupcakes. Top each cupcake with an Oreo.

 Recipe adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

I'm really not a huge fan of peanut butter but my husband loves it. So I'll occasionally make a peanut butter dessert for him. But I have to admit that these are now my new favorite cookies. They kind of remind me of Nutter Butters, which I love, but they were a lot softer. The only complaint I have about these cookies is there wasn't quite enough. I wanted more! These cookies went really fast with my husband and 4 kids eating them. Next time I'll double the recipe.

Printable Recipe

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies


3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup quick oats

filling:
3 Tbsp butter at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
3 Tbsp heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Place butter, peanut butter, and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Using the paddle attachment, cream together at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Blend in egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix on low until just incorporated. Stir in oats until evenly blended.

Use a small cookie dough scoop and portion out the dough (about 2 tsps). Roll into balls and place on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating cookie sheet halfway through. Let cool for 5 minutes then move to wire rack to cool completely.

To make filling combine butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. Cream together until combined. Add heavy cream and mix until smooth and fluffy. After the cookies have cooled, pair them up by size. Spread frosting onto cookies, top with remaining cookie, and press down so the filling reaches the edge. (This filling makes exactly enough to fill the cookies so if you want more filling increase recipe by 50%)

Makes about 18 sandwich cookies

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats

Garlic-Roasted Asparagus

Printable Recipe

Garlic-Roasted Asparagus

1lb asparagus, ends trimmed
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 Tbsp minced garlic
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425. Place asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil and garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss. Bake until asparagus is tender and lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes, stirring twice. Remove from oven and toss with lemon juice.

Recipe adapted from Food Network, Emeril Lagasse

Oven Baked Chimichangas

Printable Recipe

Oven Baked Chimichangas


2-3 cups diced cooked chicken
2 cups cooked rice
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1-2 tsp minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
salt and pepper
burrito size flour tortillas
vegetable oil

Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and heat to 450. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large skillet. Cook onion until just softened. Stir in chicken, rice, beans, and chipotle peppers. Heat through, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in cheese and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat tortillas in microwave until warm and pliable. Place chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla. Fold in the sides and wrap up the tortilla tightly. Brush the tops with oil and place seam side down on the hot baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp, about 10-12 minutes.

makes 6-8 chimichangas

recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Butterfly Cake

My sweet baby girl turn 1 this weekend. I love to make cute cakes for my kids but I'm not very creative. I looked online to find ideas for a butterfly and I came up with this. It was really easy. I've tried to make complicated cakes before but they never turn out how I want them too. Plus they take way too long and personally, I don't think it's worth it. But there are ways to make cute cakes that are simple. I made this using White Almond Sour Cream Cake with Almond Buttercream Frosting. It was so good! My baby loved it!!!

Butterfly Cake


1 8 or 9" round cake
3 cupcakes
6 cups frosting, divided and colored any color
black icing
licorice
m&ms

Freeze cake for easier frosting. Cut round cake in half down the center. Turn outward to make wings. Frost and decorate. I used pink frosting for the wings and purple frosting for the polka dots. Frost cupcakes and place in the middle of the wings. Decorate with m&m's for eyes and licorice for the antenna. Make a smile using black icing.

White Almond Sour Cream Cake

This recipe has been moved to The Traveling Circus.

Click the link below for the recipe

White Almond  Sour Cream Cake