Living in a Cereal World

Apple-ade isn't a thing, so what was I to do? I'm a problem solver and I enjoy a challenge, so of course I'd figure something out. Right away I thought of this  Crockpot Applesauce  recipe that I printed, literally, that morning. I'd never made applesauce before and this seemed pretty hands-off, so I was willing to give it a try. If you're willing to chop up apples and blend the finished product in batches, it's really not complicated. I even left the peel on, which I never do for pies and such. But everything cooks down and is totally edible. The best part? It tastes like apple pie. Exactly  like apple pie but without any crust or butter.👍 We ate it for dinner the first night and I used the rest in yogurt. This is definitely a make-again. So that was the Galas. But then I still had the golden delicious. I had a taste for waffles so I went with this  Apple Cinnamon Waffles  recipe from Minimalist Baker. I think I already had a copy of this recipe but never ...

It seems like a lot of blogs have been getting their Zucchini Weeks in lately. I didn't mean  to; I just had a taste for zucchini. It started with these  Zucchini Cookies with Chocolate Chips  from Well Plated that I've made before and wanted to make again. You can only make oatmeal raisin cookies but so many times, right? You should know, though, that the texture isn't for everybody. Even with most of the liquid squeezed out of the zucchini shreds they're still going to be soft and almost... fluffy. I love them. I store them in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave. Chocolate gooey goodness. Then I made this  Cinnamon Sugar Zucchini Coffee Cake  from Pinch of Yum. I was trying to finish up some buttermilk and I wondered, hmm, is there a zucchini coffee cake that calls for buttermilk?  There's almost always a recipe out there for whatever criteria I come up with. Thanks Google 😉. I did cut back on the brown sugar but it wasn't noticeable. Finally...

There's only two things in the world that my dad loves more than anything (besides his wife and kids, I'm guessing 😉): carrot cake and quiche. And I was determined to come through this year. We don't eat his favorite quiche anymore because it's too rich for the rest of us, but every now and then I'll come across something else to try. Case in point: this  Broccoli, Ham & Cheese Quiche from EatingWell. You've got your veggies, meat, cheese, potatoes...that's a meal right there. I even threw in some diced orange pepper I needed to use. Check out that hash brown crust 😍: It was pretty simple as far as quiches go.  As for the carrot cake, this year I went with a healthier spin:  One Bowl Carrot Cake Banana Bread . Although I ended up using three bowls. That's how I bowl. 😜  I also forgot to take a picture. I need to get back in the habit now. Just imagine the one from the website without the crumbled nuts on top. And I guess I should ment...

Since we went away for Thanksgiving this year, we had a backup turkey sitting in the freezer, meaning it was time for Second Turkey Dinner. 😁 And most importantly, the pies I didn't get last month. Pie #1:  Easy Lattice Apple Pie . Because it had "easy" in the name and I had enough stuff to do leading up to Christmas. It's very spice-heavy and not overly sweet: perfect for topping with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Pie #2:  Best Ever Healthy Pumpkin Pie . Ok, maybe not best best but very good. And I'm always looking for pumpkin pies that don't call for sweetened condensed milk because I cannot handle that stuff. You might have pumpkin pie fanatics in your family who are sticklers for that gelatinous/custardy consistency who wouldn't like this but they'd have to really be sticklers. And all new sides for me:  Slow Cooker Stuffing (it makes a lot --I had to jam it in my 5-qt Crock Pot);  Cranberry Orange Sauce (of course it's delicious...

In the latest installment of "What Do I Eat Besides Cereal?"... This  Sheet Pan Garlic Butter Salmon from Damn Delicious. Never was a website more aptly named. Seriously, who can resist dinner all on one pan? And the garlic butter sauce. You could put that on just about anything. These  Bacon-Chicken Sandwiches from Taste of Home. Now I'm not a big bacon-eater, but this sandwich gave me a little glimpse into why people love BLTs so much. Also, this sandwich hinges on the mayo-chutney mixture. I'll confess that until this day a few weeks ago I'd never had mango chutney in my life . Ever. And I've never had Indian food, either. I want to but I don't know if my digestive system can handle it. But mango chutney? Is so good. Finally, although everything listed here was super-delicious, this  Cinnamon French Toast  from Chobani takes the cake. Or takes the French toast. Every now and then I'm willing to try a French toast recipe with challah o...

I know I don't really mention dinners anymore, but this one was too good not to post. So I had a taste for calzones--which I hadn't attempted since  last Fall --and I wanted one that didn't involve tomato sauce in it or on it. And maybe I could use up some mushrooms and add chicken...or chicken sausage. So with the guidance of recipes from  Reynolds Kitchens and  Sunset I ended up with Pesto-Chicken Sausage Calzones. Basic ingredients: 1 lb of pizza dough (thawed if frozen) 1/2 c. of pesto (I used refrigerated Buitoni) Swiss cheese--I used two slices of thin baby Swiss per calzone, you might like it cheesier 1 c. steamed broccoli 1 c. sliced mushrooms 2 fully-cooked Italian chicken sausages, sliced  Before following the directions from one of the linked recipes you'll want to brown your mushrooms and sausage (use one pan for less cleanup!). I just sprayed the pan with some PAM olive oil spray and sautéed for about 5 minutes. The great thing about c...

Okay, it wasn't that long...I just didn't get a chance to post this yesterday. And, funnily enough, I had planned the week's meals ( yes, I am a planner😛) before I realized this past Wednesday was Pi Day. Anyway, enough setup, here's what we had for dinner:  Healthy Chicken Pot Pie . I've made this once before but decided to make it again this week in lieu of soup. Anyone else getting tired of soup? Or Nor'easters? Then at almost the last minute I realized I should find a use for the second pie crust. While I'm at it, I should also try to finish up these frozen cranberries. Hey, don't I have a recipe for a Cranberry-Pear Galette? Well if I do, I couldn't find it. So I ended up making this one:  Cranberry-Pear Galette with Pecan Crust , without the pecan crust. It made just enough for four, which was my intent; I didn't want to make a full pie and have it go to waste with people going their separate ways. That was my first galette; I would...

I'm still working on my picture issues but I couldn't wait any longer to share What I've Been Baking Lately: 1.  Sweet Potato Spice Loaf . This was supposed to be our Christmas dessert but we had more than enough cookies, so I made it a New Year's cake. I thought it would be more of a stiff, dry pound cake but darned if that sweet potato didn't up the moisture content. It also provided a subtle sweet potato flavor. Mainly the spices shine in this one. I hope you like allspice and nutmeg. 2.  Apple Butter Bacon Scones . Did I mention these already? Oh, well. This was my first post-move Sunday breakfast. There's a little something for everyone: apple butter, diced apple, bacon. Every bite of bacon was like a little surprise. 3.  Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Cornbread . I made this for Christmas dinner, kicking off a week of way too much squash. Seriously, I don't need any more winter squash recipes for a month. It was worth the effort, though. Baking i...

I know I should be getting back to the cereal reviews but this was right on my tongue and I wanted to share it:  Autumn Sweet Potato and Mushroom Soup . I mean literally, I just ate the leftovers for lunch. A while back I made a Sweet Potato and Quinoa Soup and while I loved it, not everybody *cough*mom*cough* likes the texture of quinoa. So I when I came across this soup I jumped at the chance to try it--yes, even with the blended mushrooms. It sounds weird, but it works. Imagine savory mashed sweet potatoes. Now add vegetable stock and reheat. That's basically it, and it's delicious. I won't lie, it's work to dice those potatoes and later transfer everything to the blender (someday I will get an immersion blender) but it's worth it . 😋 ********* Also one of my least favorite tasks? Grating carrots. Also totally worth it? These muffins: They're called  Oatmeal Muffins with Blueberries , so just don't tell anyone about the carrots. 😉 They're...

I promised I'd let you know what I did with the rest of the pumpkin leftover from the  cake . So here it is: first I made this  Pumpkin Granola . I know, I know, kind of expected but I was ready for some scratch granola. It's a bit on the chewy side but that's what happens when you work with pumpkin. Then I did something a bit more unexpected: I finally made a savory pumpkin recipe. Pumpkin, Sausage and Spinach Calzones . I realized after I took the picture that a hot, melty-cheesy calzone would've made for a more appealing image (than this leftover from the fridge) but at the time I really just wanted to eat 😛. And it was delicious. I've never worked with frozen pizza dough or made a calzone before but I will definitely do both again 😁!

(You'll get the connection.) I don't know why I keep posting on Sundays. I'm not trying to make it a thing ; it just keeps happening. Once I have a few more cereal reviews I should be back up to twice a week at least. Today I wanted to share a few things I've made recently. First, this Irish Soda Bread from Sally's Baking Addiction. I've made Irish soda bread before but this one, by far, was the biggest. So big I had to freeze half of it. Even though it was more dough to work with it still wasn't difficult. A little bit of kneading and then let it do its thing. Oh, and definitely cover it halfway through. I didn't and I wasn't happy with the browning on top. A bit much for me. Next up, this morning I decided to try these Ham and Cheese Baked Egg Cups . It's like omelets, only baked, so everybody gets to eat at once. Not to mention have convenient leftovers. I would only suggest adding a little extra salt and pepper to each cup before baking t...

...because sometimes I have all these little items that don't warrant a full blog post: In breakfast breads, Dave's Killer Bread  has a new raisin bread that I'll be trying soon. I'm hoping it'll be a gateway bread to some of their other breads. Also, Thomas' had to go and make a S'mores  English muffin. Well, if you insist...😛 You know I haven't mentioned any dinners since last summer? So here's two: Lemon Garlic Herb Shrimp Packets , which I served over orzo (and a note: because I didn't divide the shrimp mixture evenly, some packets took longer to cook than others); and Pork and Noodle Bowl . Super simple and super-filling. I know you're wondering, where's the cereal reviews? Probably not 'til next weekend. I have two in the pipeline, and some Memorial Day baking. We had a sneak preview of summer weather last week, so I think my body's getting acclimated. Seasonal pies, anyone?

(It's a pun if you say it aloud.) I know I don't really share dinners here anymore but this one was a standout. I never thought my parents would enjoy a pizza that didn't have pepperoni or sausage. Or tomato sauce. It all started a weeks ago when my mother mentioned in passing that she'd like to try naan sometime. I had some chicken in the freezer so I'd thought put the two together. Actually, Hidden Valley put the two together with this Chicken Ranch Naan Pizza . And the garlic naan is a must. The combination of garlic, mozzarella, and tomato? I can't even put it into words. Which is not great for a blog. But I highly recommend this if you're bored with regular pizza. ****** I know I said I wasn't ready for Fall but I may have already opened my box of Pumpkin Spice Mini-Wheats. The spices taste a little stronger than I remembered. I'm still in the process of collecting the rest so I probably won't be opening them until September.

For the items I don't feel warrant their own entry: 1. Pineapple Iced Tea . I wanted a drink for a crowd for the 4th, and this one made just enough for the pineapple imbibers. I didn't use all of the juice because I needed to save some of the pineapple chunks in something , so it didn't have as much flavor as it could have. But my brother appreciated that it wasn't overly sweet. 2. Old-Fashioned Macaroni Salad . Two requirements: I needed a lot to feed that same crowd, and I wanted pickles in it, since my grandma uses pickles in hers. And, boy, did I get a lot of macaroni salad. It took three days to finish. 3. Chili-Lime Grilled Chicken . For a change of pace from all the grilled sausage and beef the day before. The marinade leaves behind a hint of lime, and the chili powder and cumin give you a little spice. 4. Roasted Fingerling Potato Salad . For when you have leftover fingerling potatoes and don't know what to do with them. The lemon-thyme dressing is s...

It's been a few days, hasn't it? I was sick all weekend and am still working on getting better. So I thought I'd use today's entry to list some of the foods I've made recently. 1. Sally's Favorite Cornbread . Is it mine too? I don't know yet. But I will say that I made it last week to go with one dinner, and then I ate it for breakfast...and then I ate it for breakfast again. That reminds me, there's still some in the freezer. I added blueberries because, why not? Even though plain buttery cornbread is absolutely fine--especially this one, which is moist and cake-like. You'll want to eat more than you should. 2. Beef Chimichangas . I got my first issue of Eating Well and marked this page immediately. I made this while my brother was home and everybody loved them. I don't think they even noticed the mushrooms. This was also my first time having fresh salsa. Definitely worth it. 3. I made these garlic pita chips  yesterday and they got a lit...

And mama wanted sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. She didn't say together in one dish but I figured someone must have put those two together. I went with these Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes  even though we had pancakes for breakfast. We won't be having maple syrup again anytime soon. A quick note on this recipe: my oven is super super hot so I roasted at 425 degrees. Even then I almost obliterated those sprouts. Always fix more sprouts than you think you need. As for the pancakes? I'm slowly working my way through the Whole-Grain Buttermilk Pancakes  variations from Eating Well. This time I made blueberry and set aside some berry-less batter for my mom. She went back for seconds and actually ate one with blueberries. And then I set aside some time yesterday for the cake. I should've really cleared my day but it couldn't work out that way. But I'll get to that in my next entry.

I know I haven't shared a dinner recipe in months; I've just been overwhelmed with everything else. But everyone seemed to like this  Dijon Turkey Dinner  we had last week. It was a good and easy weeknight dinner with ingredients we already like: turkey cutlets, peas, potatoes. We didn't have any Yukon gold potatoes so I bought a bag of little steamable ones; all we had to do was halve them before boiling. No need to peel, either. And the amount of smoked paprika looked like a lot once spread on the turkey but the flavor isn't predominant. I would not have though to combine that with Dijon mustard but it worked. And of course, leftovers as a sandwich...

I made a quiche. It didn't dawn on me until after I'd finished dinner: hey, I made a quiche. I mean, it's basically just an egg pie, right? Still, first one. I hadn't had quiche in three years-ish since I found out the hard way that I can't eat my mom's recipe anymore (the stomach experiments of the lactose intolerant--whee) so I'd been searching for a suitable substitute ever since. As with most new recipes, it took a good amount of time for everything to fall into place so I could make this Ham and Swiss Quiche. It's more eggy than milky, so that helped. I also picked this variation (there were several) because I'd never had ham or red pepper in a quiche before. I don't think my onions were as caramelized as they should have been but they still had plenty of flavor. Of course my dad would rather have had more meat but that's not the point. I was most proud of my crust--it looked almost like the store-bought frozen kind. And I made t...

None of these warranted their own entries but I'd thought I'd share my last gasp of summer salad/sandwiches (although sandwiches could be eaten...whenever): 1.  Simple Tuna Salad , aka what to make when you need to get rid of those bottled roasted red peppers before they get lost in the fridge. It's a nice change from the typical relish-y tuna salad. 2. I can't find a link anywhere but it was recently advertised in the Sunday coupons in my newspaper. It involved mayo and mustard, which was a new combo for me with regards to chicken salad. I'll just have to update this later. 3.  Lemon-Chicken Pasta Salad , a last-minute 'what am I going to with this leftover roast chicken and snow peas from another meal--BINGO' light dinner. As you can see, I really, really don't like to waste food. Cereal reviews coming next week, honest!

I know I haven't blogged dinner much lately but I had to mention this:  Jerk Turkey Sandwich with Pineapple Slaw . I honestly thought I'd never get to try jerk seasoning again in this house because of  these burgers  not going over well with one member of the household *cough* mom *cough* but the coleslaw topping swayed me. I made one tiny change, swapping mandarin orange slices for the regular orange for acid issues but I don't think it made a drastic difference to the recipe. The coleslaw still what it was supposed to do, which was to balance out the spicy kick of jerk seasoning. I actually could've used more seasoning than the small amount I chose to use out of fear...or respect...or courtesy, whatever. At the very least, make sure you season both sides. I had leftovers for lunch the next day. Still good cold!