pumpkin pie coconut macaroons

As if the name doesn't tell you enough...  these are a chewy, moist, delicious little coconutty bite of pumpkin pie bliss in a macaroon form!

And to make things even better (for me at least! Ha!), they are dairy-free!  (And even gluten-free too, I think!)  YAY!

I have been so grumpy lately without my dairy.  Baby Girl isn't showing any great signs of improvement yet, but it's only been a few days so I guess we've still got a ways to go on that.

I am so hoping this helps her feel better, but at the same time I am hoping it doesn't help at all.  :o/  Selfish, huh?

Anyways, these little dairy-free gems (all macaroons are dairy free, so I didn't do anything sneaky to these, in case you were wondering!) really are delicious.  Super simple to throw together and taste like a little bit of autumn-joy in your mouth.

Especially with a big cup of coffee...  because we all know coffee makes sweets taste better, right?

Right?!

Pumpkin Pie Coconut Macaroons Recipe
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
makes about 2 1/2 dozen small cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups sweetened, flaked coconut
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large egg whites
1/4 cup pumpkin purée

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325ºF.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In the bowl of your food processor, pulse the coconut for about 1 minute.  Add in the sugar, spice & salt and pulse for another minute.

Pour in the egg whites while the food processor is running and continue to process for another minute.  Add in the pumpkin and pulse a few seconds to combine.

Drop with a small scoop onto the prepared baking sheets (the cookies won't spread much).  Bake each sheet for 25-32 minutes, until the cookies are light golden brown on top.  Remove from the oven and cool completely on the baking sheets.

These are one of the very few cookies that, in my opinion, actually store better not in an airtight container...  they stay crispier on the outside while still nice and chewy inside that way!

Enjoy!

hearty beef & bean soup... on the stovetop or in the slow cooker!

Tender, melt-in-your mouth chunks of beef, with a flavor-packed broth and a bunch of beans, veggies and potatoes.  This is a perfect hearty fall soup for these chilly evenings that are approaching!

I think I could eat soup every day and not get tired of it.  Soup is definitely near the top of my list of all-time favorite foods...  but oddly enough I always forget how much I love it until I am eating it.

I'm actually pretty sure I've never met a soup I didn't like.  Obviously some are more loved than others, but I love soup in every form.  Thin, thick, creamy, brothy, meaty, light...  There are just so many amazing options, it never gets old for me.

This soup started out as a clean-out-the-fridge dinner, but as ingredients got thrown into the pot I realized how tasty it was getting.  By dinner time, I knew I had to share this with you and will definitely be making it again!

I absolutely love the beef in here.  Tender, juicy and packed full of flavor...  so comforting and satisfying!

Hearty Beef & Bean Soup Recipe

Ingredients:
2 pounds beef stew meat, trimmed into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons bacon fat or olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 long celery stalks, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large baking potato, raw or leftover baked, chopped
3 cans beans, rinsed (I used 2 black & 1 garbanzo!)
4 cups beef or chicken stock
4 cups water
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a large stockpot or dutch oven, heat the bacon fat (if you don't have any, olive oil will work) over medium-high heat.  Sauté the onion, carrots and celery until soft and slightly browned.  Stir in the garlic and sauté for a minute or two until very fragrant.

Push the veggies all to the sides and dump the meat into the center to brown a little before adding in the rest of the ingredients.

Bring everything to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low.  Simmer for as long as possible for best results, but at least 6 hours if you are using regular stew meat.

This is a soup that tastes better the longer it simmers.  You could even start it one night and reheat it the next for amazing results!

OR brown all the veggies and meat and then dump it and everything else into the slow cooker on low for 8-12 hours for an almost hands-free meal.  Yum!

roasted cauliflower and chicken mac & cheese

I guess you could just call this a casserole, but it is full of noodles and a creamy, rich cheese sauce, so in my book it's a mac & cheese!

The roasted cauliflower & chicken add a ton of healthy flavor to this dish, and the noodles and gooey cheese sauce give you the satisfying comfort-food we all crave.

This was one of the best meals I have made in a long time (and not just because I haven't been cooking lately!)...  I think I ate half the pan myself!

If you don't have or don't care for curry, leave it & the lemon juice out.  It will still taste great, I promise.

My favorite part of this dinner:  Letting my toddlers steal 'bites' of my dinner - that they thought was just a big bowl of mac & cheese - and enjoying the fact that they were actually eating cauliflower and chicken!

Roasted Cauliflower and Chicken Mac & Cheese Recipe
inspired by Go Bold With Butter

Ingredients:
8oz penne pasta
2 cups cooked, diced chicken (cheater-chicken, leftovers, boiled, etc.)
4 cups cauliflower florets (about one medium head)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon melted butter, coconut oil, or olive oil
salt & pepper
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup whole milk (or 1/2 cup lowfat milk + 1/2 cup heavy cream)
salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon curry powder, optional
juice of one lemon, optional
2 cups shredded cheese (I like a combination of cheddar and monterey jack)
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Butter a 9x13" baking dish and set aside.

Toss the cauliflower florets with 1 tablespoon melted butter or oil, salt & pepper to taste.  Spread evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until tender and starting to turn golden.

Cook the noodles according to package directions and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Sauté the onion until soft, about 5-10 minutes.  Sprinkle the flour evenly over the top and then cook, stirring continuously, until lightly golden brown.

Whisk in the stock & milk, a little bit at a time, until smooth and combined.  Stir in the seasonings & lemon juice and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.

Once the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, turn off the heat and stir in the cheese until melted and smooth.

Toss in the cooked noodles, chicken and roasted cauliflower to combine.  Taste for seasoning, adjust as desired, and dump into the greased baking dish.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly on top.

(*If you are going to freezer-meal this dish, stop here - cover well with foil and plastic wrap and then freeze.  When ready to use it, thaw slightly and add an additional 15-20 minutes to the baking time!)

Reduce the oven temperature to 375ºF and bake the dish for 35-45 minutes or so, until golden and bubbly.

extra fudgy dark chocolate chip cookies

Fudgy, rich, soft and chewy dark chocolate chip cookies, with a touch of heat and a secret ingredient...  perfect with an ice cold glass of milk!

Instant pudding mix.  That's the secret ingredient!

I'm not normally a 'mix' girl, but I have been seeing a few 'pudding mix' cookies around lately and I just had to see what all the hype was about.

I just so happened to have a random box of chocolate fudge instant pudding sitting in my cupboard (that I don't even remember buying!), and this seemed like the perfect use for it.

I must say, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with these cookies.  They are very soft, chewy, and packed full of flavor.  I can't wait to experiment making cookies with some funkier flavors of pudding mixes!

Please don't be afraid of the cayenne and cinnamon if you've never had spiced chocolate.  It's just a tiny hint in the cookies, but it makes a world of difference.  And your kids won't even notice...  if you're even gonna share with them, that is!

Extra Fudgy Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
inspired by two peas & their pod
makes about 7 dozen (depending on how much dough you eat!)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 (3.4 oz) package chocolate fudge instant pudding mix
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the first 6 (dry) ingredients;  set aside.

In a large mixer bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the pudding mix, eggs and vanilla until smooth.

Mix in the dry ingredients until just well combined and then stir in the chocolate chips.  Drop with a small scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes, until the cookies are just set and no longer shiny looking.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, and then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely before storing in tupperware in the freezer.

a few of my favorite things...

I was looking through some past recipes yesterday and I realized I definitely have some favorites when it comes to food that I share here and with friends.

Specifically mac & cheese, fruit crisps/crumbles, and brownies!

I have several variations of these in my recipe book, I never get tired of them, and I'm always excited to try new variations!

I decided to do a count for fun, and I have 9 Mac & Cheese recipes...

          pasta dogs with cheese sauce
          spicy baked mac & cheese
          baked buffalo chicken mac & cheese
          super-creamy stove top mac & cheese
          3-cheese baked mac & cheese
          baked quinoa 'mac & cheese'
          creamy stove top mac & cheese for two
          baked butternut squash and bacon mac & cheese
          & almost Beecher's famous mac & cheese!

9 fruit crisp/crumble recipes...

          raspberry rhubarb crumble
          rhubarb crumble & make-ahead crumble topping mix
          berry peach crisp
          cardamom peach blackberry crisp
          apple crisp yogurt parfaits
          fresh peach raspberry cobbler
          almond berry crumble, gluten free
          peach blueberry crumble
          & peach raspberry crumble pie!

and 12 Brownie recipes!

          fudgy dark chocolate brownies
          mexican hot chocolate brownies
          caramel peanut butter Snickers brownies
          fudgy York peppermint patty brownies
          pink & brownies, for my love
          fudgy chocolate chip cookie dough brownies
          candy bar brownies
          mocha fudge brownies
          fudgy Andes mint brownies
          triple chocolate peppermint brownies
          chewy lemon bars (lemon brownies)
          & toasted coconut Samoas brownies!

Have you tried any of these?  Which are your favorites?

Or even better, do you have a favorite mac & cheese, brownie or fruit crisp recipe I should try?  Like I said, I never get tired of trying new kinds!!

gooey marshmallow chocolate chip cookies

These cookies are rich, moist, incredibly chewy and absolutely irresistible.

My two toddlers were complete basket-cases just looking at these and I had to hide them as soon as they were cool to stop all the tears.

I may have needed to hide them from myself too.  Maybe.  :o)  They were good.

I have to say, one of the best parts about being blessed with some amazing meals from friends while we adjust to having a new baby in our family, is that I get to spend my precious little kitchen time on fun things like baking, instead of the day-to-day challenge of feeding my family.

There is no way I would be able to do both right now, and since baking is my sanity, I'm pretty sure those amazing meals are also helping me adjust more easily to the chaos that is our life right now!

Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
makes about 18 very large cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups + 2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, melted & slightly cooled
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups mini-marshmallows

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt;  set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together the melted butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.

Beat in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla until well combined.  Beat in the flour mixture until just combined and then stir in the chocolate chips and marshmallows.

Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes in the fridge before continuing.  Preheat the oven to 325ºF.  Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper;  set aside.

Scoop about 1/2 cup of the dough, roll into a big ball in your hands and then gently split in two like you are cracking an egg in half.  Place the halves, craggly side up, onto the prepared baking sheets... about 6 cookies to a baking sheet, with lots of room for spreading.  Repeat with the remaining dough.

(Of course, you can make these cookie smaller...  and I am usually a small-cookie person...  but for some reason they just never taste as good to me when I make them smaller!  No idea why!)

Bake each sheet for about 15 minutes, until lightly golden brown around the edges and then let the cookies rest on the cookie sheets for at least 5 minutes before transferring to cooling racks to cool completely.

cheesy chipotle barbeque meatloaf

So, when I realized this week that Baby Girl really could show up at any time now, I decided to finally do a mini freezer-cooking marathon.

One of the easiest things I made was meatloaf...  one of my favorite comfort foods that no one else in my family seems to care much about!

But, since I am the pregnant one and doing all the work, I decided to go with my own cravings this time.

The rest of the family won't starve, that's for sure!

I did try to make things a little more fun though, but making barbeque meatloaf laced with a nice kick of chipotle chili pepper and lots of chunks of mozzarella cheese.

I think my family might actually get a little excited about this meatloaf!

(Which is a good thing, since we have at least 2 meals worth in the freezer now!)

Cheesy Chipotle Barbeque Meatloaf Recipe

Ingredients:
3 pounds ground beef
1 cup barbeque sauce, divided (1/2 cup + 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup bread crumbs or cracker crumbs, optional
1 1/2 cups diced mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Place all the ingredients, except for 1/2 cup of the barbeque sauce, into a large bowl.  Quickly and gently mix all the ingredients together with your hands until everything is mixed.  Don't over work the meat or it will get tough!

Shape into loaves (this will make 2 large loaves, or 5-6 small loaves) and brush the tops with the remaining barbeque sauce.

Bake at 350º for 45-75 minutes, depending on the size of the loaves, until the meat is cooked through.

If you want to freeze some of the loaves (I freeze half to two-thirds of them, depending on how many people I am feeding with the first meal!), wrap them in foil unbaked and place them in a ziploc bag.

freezer cooking adventures...

Well, 3 pregnancies later I have finally accomplished something that has been on my to-do list each time but never happened...

I made several meals for my freezer, so we can actually eat more than canned chili and cereal when Baby Girl gets here and I am too tired to cook!

My mom came over this week to keep us company for a few days while Andrew was out of town.

Yesterday I got it in my head that I should do some freezer-feeding and since Grandma was here to help entertain the boys, I decided to actually do it!

Over the course of the afternoon, I ended up getting several meals ready and boy did that feel good!

I also snuck in a few minutes to organize our garage freezers so we can actually find those meals again in a few weeks, which felt almost as good as getting the meals ready themselves!

Nesting has officially come to town, I think!

All of these dishes I made on the smaller side, so that we don't have more than one meal and one meal of leftovers from each one.

Here's what I froze:

2 - 9" pans of my Tuna Casserole
6 - small-loaf size Cheesy Barbeque Chipotle Meatloaves
1 batch of Chili-Seasoned hamburger meat for tacos or chili later
2 batches of Hamburger Soup
1 big batch of Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff (we'll get at least 2 meals or a company meal out of this!)
oh and one more triple-batch of Raspberry Freezer Jam.

And I still have a big batch of our favorite Split Pea Soup to make (today or tomorrow...  I forgot to buy carrots for that one!) that will give us 3-4 meals worth!

Here's what I did:

I made the Tuna Casserole's except for baking, put into foil pans, covered with foil, placed in gallon ziplocs, labeled and froze.  (To serve, I will thaw overnight and bake at 350ºF until heated through and bubbly.)

For the meatloaves, I mixed all the ingredients, formed and placed into small foil loaf pans, covered with foil, placed into gallon ziplocs, labeled and froze.  (To serve, I will thaw overnight and bake at 350ºF until cooked through, brushing with more barbeque sauce if needed!)

I browned 3lbs of ground beef and seasoned with Homemade Chili Seasoning.  Half was used to make 2 batches of  Hamburger Soup and half was frozen in a ziploc to use later for tacos or chili making.

For the Hamburger Soup, I put all the ingredients, and the cooled, cooked hamburger into gallon ziplocs, labeled and froze.  (To serve, I will add corn - I was out - and then heat on the stove or slow cooker!)

I cooked my Slow Cooker Stroganoff as usual, except for adding the sour cream, let it cool and then placed it into a gallon ziploc, labeled and froze.  (To serve, I will reheat in the slow cooker, adding sour cream at the end, and serve with fresh cooked noodles.)

I will make my Split Pea soup as usual tomorrow and freeze into gallon ziplocs (probably will take 4), label and freeze.  (To serve, I will reheat on the stove or slow cooker!)

And...  we will eat well for a while at least!!

Do you freezer cook?  Or have you before??

What are your favorite recipes to freeze and reheat?  

I may do another day of this if I feel up to it, so I need some ideas!

(Fun story:  I *may* have sharpened my knives before I began, and I *may* have cut myself a few times with those newly sharp knives.  Here's a tip:  If you do the same, don't decide to cut up a bunch of fresh pineapple the next day!)

mexican hot chocolate brownies

Do you ever just want to skip dinner all together and go straight for the dessert?

That's hard to get away with when you've got little kids around, but my boys were both asleep before 6:30 last night so I decided to just go for it.

We had warm-out-of-the-oven brownies topped with delicious, creamy ice cream and I have to say it was one of the best dinners I've had in a long time!

Of course I couldn't make just plain old everyday chocolate brownies.  Since I was splurging anyways, I really wanted to try something new and fun.

Well, actually - I am always looking for fun, new ways to spice up my brownies, but this time I decided to very literally spice them up!

I took the flavors of a Mexican hot chocolate:  Rich, dark chocolate... warm, comforting cinnamon... with a little spice hiding in the background...  and mixed them into my favorite fudgey, gooey brownies.

If you can get your hands on some Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Coconut Palm Sugar, it adds an amazing depth of flavor to these brownies...  But if you can't, regular brown sugar will work just fine.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies Recipe

Ingredients:
3/4 cup dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup butter, melted & divided (1/3 cup + 1/3 cup)
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
1 cup coconut sugar (or firmly packed brown sugar)
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 2/3 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350ºF.  Line a 9x13" glass baking dish with foil and generously grease the foil.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cocoa and baking soda. Stir in 1/3 cup of the melted butter until smooth. Stir in the boiling water until the mixture is smooth and thick.

Stir in the sugar and eggs with the remaining 1/3 cup melted butter.

Place the chocolate chips in a small bowl and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the flour, tossing to coat.

Into the chocolate mixture, stir in the remaining flour, extract, salt & spices until just smooth. Stir in the flour-coated chocolate chips and spread the mixture evenly into your prepared baking dish.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the edges start to pull away from the pan. (It's always better to under-bake brownies than to over-bake them!)

Cool completely in the pan before cutting for the prettiest results...  or dig right in to the warm gooey brownies if you don't care!  :o)

cardamom vanilla strawberry freezer jam

I have been stocking my freezer with jam ever since strawberry season opened a few weeks ago, and made my last few batches of strawberry yesterday.

I usually make a simple Fresh Strawberry Freezer Jam...  but I wanted to try something a little more fun with my last beautiful berries.

And since cardamom is one of my favorite spices to pair with fruit and a good vanilla bean never hurts anything...  I thought that would be a great place to start!

I loved the results and now I'm almost thinking about running out and getting some more berries from our local berry farm so I can make more.

Fortunately for my wallet, I am just too tired to do that...  so we'll have to wait until next year's crop, and I will have to ration out what I have for as long as I can!

Cardamom Vanilla Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons instant freezer jam pectin
2 cups sugar

1 vanilla bean

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

5 cups smashed strawberries* (from about 1/2 flat or 4 pounds berries)

Directions:
Wash and dry your freezer-safe containers.

*The easiest way to smashed fruit, after you have rinsed, dried and hulled:  Place in a large bowl and gently smash with a potato masher until mostly smashed with lots of small chunks of berries still visible. Measure out from this bowl... you will likely have a tiny bit extra.  (Or if you have snacked on the berries a bit, just the perfect amount!)

Split the vanilla bean down the center lengthwise and scrape out the seeds.  (Stick the scraped out pod into a small jar and fill with sugar...  homemade vanilla sugar!!)

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, pectin, vanilla bean seeds and cardamom until combined. Measure in the 5 cups of smashed berries, stir to combine and then continue stirring for 3 minutes.

Pour the jam into your clean, dry containers, leaving 1/2" of headspace to allow for expansion in the freezer.  Cover and let sit on the counter for 30 minutes or so before transferring to the freezer.

Store in the freezer for up to a year. Once you open one and put it in the fridge, try to use it up within 3 weeks.

perfect, extra moist banana bread

Do you have a signature recipe?

A treat or meal that you have been making for years, over and over again...  so often that you could practically make it in your sleep?

This banana bread is mine.  In fact, I think my husband will be a little bit upset with me for sharing this with you...

He thinks this should be one of those 'kept under lock and key forever and ever' recipes.

But you know what?

I love you.

And because I love you, I want to share this special treat with you.

And since I can't make you all little loaves of banana bread and sit with you and visit, I'm going to share this recipe with you and hope that you'll try it.

I love a good slice of fresh banana bread with my morning coffee, and since I can get this bread into the oven in about 10 minutes (or pull it out of the freezer...  it freezes beautifully!), it's a quick and delicious treat for those 'banana bread days'.

Maybe someday we can all slather some butter on our warm banana bread, pour ourselves a cup of coffee (or tea!) and have a chat!  Wouldn't that be lovely?

Perfect, Extra Moist Banana Bread Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (or nutmeg)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Butter a 9x5" loaf pan.

Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Beat in the eggs.  In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda & salt.  Add to the creamed mixture and mix until just combined.

Mix in the bananas, sour cream & vanilla.  Pour into the pan and bake for about 60-70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

This bread does not need extra butter on top, it's so moist.  But, that has never stopped me from putting butter on my slices!  :o)

baked butternut squash and bacon mac & cheese

Butternut squash is not something I usually crave.

I just don't ever walk by it in the grocery store and think 'man, I've gotta have some of that!'

But...  when it shows up in my kitchen (from a farm-share or Bountiful Baskets, for example) I always end up enjoying it much more than I expected!

This recipe is a perfect place to put your butternut squash.  Especially if you've never tried it or if you're not sure if you like it.

Cheesy, gooey, creamy mac & cheese, with a lovely sweet background from the squash.  You really can't go wrong with this dish!

Especially with all that bacon...  how could it not be good?!

(And the healthy squash cancels out all the other not-so-healthy stuff right?  Right??)

Oh, and in case you were wondering...  this earned rave reviews from 10 year old Navy, who was completely convinced it would be disgusting!

Baked Butternut Squash and Bacon Mac & Cheese Recipe
adapted from How Sweet It Is
serves 6-8

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, peeled & cut into about 2" pieces
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 lb penne (or other short) pasta
4 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
4oz cream cheese
1 cup crumbled bacon
1 cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese, divided (1/2 cup + 1/2 cup)
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided (1/2 cup + 1/2 cup)
crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a large rimmed-baking sheet with foil.

Toss the butternut squash with the olive oil and salt, pepper & nutmeg until evenly coated.  Place in the oven and roast for about 45 minutes, stirring once after about 20 minutes.

Once the butternut squash is golden and tender, remove it from the oven.  Dump it into a large bowl and mash well with a potato masher until fairly smooth;  Set aside.

Cook the noodles according to package directions.  Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat and melt the butter in the pan.

Stir in the onions with a bit more salt & pepper and let cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft and just starting to brown a bit on the edges.

Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, then whisk in the flour and cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the milk, cream and cream cheese, stirring occasionally to let everything melt and warm up.  Stir in the butternut squash purée, taste for seasoning and turn off the heat.

Once the noodles are cooked, scoop out about 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside.  Drain the noodles and toss them into the pan with the sauce, adding as much of the reserved pasta water as you need to coat the pasta evenly.

Stir in the crumbled bacon and 1/2 cup of each cheese and then dump everything into a buttered 9x13" pan.

Toss the remaining cheeses together and sprinkle them over the top of the pasta.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until everything is bubbly and golden on top!

strawberry freezer jam

Fresh, farm-ripe strawberry season is finally in full swing, even for us late-bloomers out here in the dreary Pacific Northwest!

In my house, that means freezer jam.  Lots and lots of freezer jam, storing up the beautiful fresh berry harvest for the rest of the berry-less year.

Now, we definitely eat our fair share of the berries just as they are...  fresh, sweet, juicy, red to the core and bursting with flavor.  Sometimes the whole lot of it gets no farther than our mouths.

But we are so lucky to live close to a beautiful berry farm.  We can pick berries to our hearts content (or buy 1/2 flats picked for us, which happens much more often!) until the season is done.

Strawberries come first, and then raspberries, blueberries and marionberries.  All beautiful.  All perfect.  All my favorites!

There is just nothing more simple and pure to do with berries this perfect than making homemade freezer jam.  You just can't beat it, as long as you have access to really good fresh berries.

(I'm sorry, but store-bought conventional berries just aren't going to give you great freezer jam.  You'll taste what's lacking...  Freezer jam is only as good as the berries that it's made out of!)

Give this a try the next time you get a chance to go berry-picking.  Or knock on my door and I just might be willing to part with a pint or two!

Strawberry Freezer Jam
adapted from Ball
makes 3 pints (or about 6 cups!)

Ingredients:
5 cups smashed strawberries* (from about 1/2 flat or 4 pounds berries)
2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons instant pectin

Directions:
Wash and dry your freezer-safe containers.

*The easiest way to smashed fruit, after you have rinsed, dried and hulled:  Place in a large bowl and gently smash with a potato masher until mostly smashed with lots of small chunks of berries still visible.  Measure out from this bowl...  you will likely have a tiny bit extra.  (Or if you have snacked on the berries a bit, just the perfect amount!)

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and instant pectin until combined.  Measure in the 5 cups of berries, stir to combine and then continue stirring for 3 minutes.

Pour the jam into your clean, dry containers, leaving 1/2" of headspace to allow for expansion in the freezer.  Cover and let sit on the counter for 30 minutes or so before transferring to the freezer.

Store in the freezer for up to a year.  Once you open one and put it in the fridge, try to use it up within 3 weeks (like that's ever a problem!).

Enjoy on your toast, crackers, or stirred into your favorite plain yogurt with some granola on top!

easy, homemade man chili

I kind of hate to admit this, but there are just some things that my husband does better than me in the kitchen.

And I have to say it, chili is definitely a win for him!

Maybe it's because he has just eaten a lot more chili in his life, but I can never quite seem to keep mine from being too...  different.

I can't leave well enough alone, and in many cases that's ok, but for a good, classic man-chili, simple is better!

Andrew made a huge pot of this last week and we finished it off in a matter of days.

And last night, we (and by we, I mean my pregnant chili-craving self) decided he should make another big pot!

You could definitely cut this recipe in half if you don't want a large amount, but this is a great dish to feed your freezer with for future meals... so why not get out the big pot and have another meal waiting for you?

Oh, and the spice measurements?  Totally subjective.  We like things spicy around here, so we use quite a bit.  If you're making this for the first time, or you're just not sure, start small and you can always add more later!

Andrew's Easy Homemade Man-Chili Recipe

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
8 cups (or 4-15oz cans or 2-28oz cans) tomato sauce
8 cups (or 4-15oz cans) beans (we like 2 kidney, 1 pinto and 1 black or garbanzo!)
1/4 cup chili seasoning (your favorite brand, or homemade)
salt & pepper, to taste
chipotle or cayenne pepper, to taste
chopped fresh or canned jalapeño peppers, to taste

Directions:
In a large dutch oven or stockpot, brown the beef: breaking it apart into large chunks and cooking until there is no more pink.  (You don't want to break up the meat into tiny bits, thick chunks the size of your thumb or a bit larger at the smallest!)  As the meat cooks and browns, season it with salt & pepper and about half of the chili seasoning blend.

Here's the trick for the onions:  Add them a little bit at a time, starting with when you brown the meat, and saving a little bit for the very end, so that there are different textures of onions all throughout the chili.  Some bits will be very soft and sweet and others will have a little more bite to them!

(If your meat is on the fattier side, drain off some of the excess fat before continuing.)

Once the meat is cooked through, stir in the rest of the ingredients.  Bring everything to a boil and then cover and simmer on low as long as you'd like!  (Chili only tastes better the longer it simmers, so this is a perfect meal to make a day or two before and reheat in the slow cooker!)

Serve hot with shredded cheese, sour cream and corn chips if you're like me...  or eat it plain if you're a purist like my husband!  :o)

Enjoy!