Red Beans and Rice

You asked for it, more crock pot recipes! I used to be intimidated by cooking with beans. I thought you had to soak them for days and cook them for weeks. I was so wrong. Yes, there are box mixes for red beans and rice, but this is so much better, cheaper, and delicious. 

The recipe was adapted from Our Best Bites (love them).

Add rinsed and sorted beans to your crock pot.

Cover with water.

Add bouillon cubes.

 P.S. Has anyone ever seen the Tony Chachere's commercial? Horrible.

Add the onion and seasonings.

Add the sausage and stir to combine. Pop a lid on, and cook on HIGH for 6 hours.

This is your finished product!

Serve over, under, or around rice! 

This would also be great with cornbread. 

Please visit my link parties page to see who I linked up with this week!

Chicken Noodle Soup

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Who doesn't love a piping hot bowl of chicken noodle soup? Many of us didn't really experience a winter this year, including us. I didn't make many soups or stews, but I did try my hand at homemade chicken noodle. With a start to finish time of under an hour, this is a definite go to for me!

Tortellini with Mushrooms, Artichokes, and Sun Dried Tomatoes in a Lemon Butter Sauce

This dish combines almost all of my favorite foods. There is just something about the paring of artichokes and sun dried tomatoes that makes me really happy. If you didn't notice, this is a vegetarian dish, but you could just as easily pick up a different variety of tortellini. I have seen a ton of flavors lately, including Italian sausage or chicken filling. 

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Crock-Pot Roasted Chicken

Let's make a roasted chicken in the crock-pot! Ok! 

There are seriously just a few things that make my house smell as good as a roasted chicken-Puffs tissue infused with Vicks and Pumpkin Roll Scentsy. 

Moving on. 

This is a great crock-pot recipe, simply because EVERYTHING cooks in the crock allllll day. The recipe calls for baby Yukon golds, but I only had adult Yukon golds on hand. I just chopped them up close to baby size. 

Let's begin!

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Have you entered the latest giveaway?? Custom stamped necklace from Bella Vita Jewelry! 

Please visit my link parties page to see who I linked up with this week!

Pepperoni String Cheese Roll Ups

Weekend lunches are always tough for us me. Mainly because I'm not used to making lunch for everyone during the week. Most of the time, I forget to even buy anything, but when I saw these on Pinterest...I was inspired. Good job, Pinterest...doing what you were made to do. 


I cut the calories and fat count down from the original recipe by using turkey pepperoni (I promise you won't notice a difference) and reduced fat crescent rolls and cheese. There are 2 rolls in one serving for a total of 325 calories without any dipping sauce. 

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Pepperoni String Cheese Roll Ups


Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package reduced fat refrigerated crescent roll dough
4 reduced fat cheese sticks, halved
1 (3.5 ounce) package sliced turkey pepperoni
optional - marinara or ranch sauce for dipping


Garlic Butter Glaze
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 


For the rolls:
Take each triangle of crencent roll dough and place about 6 pepperoni on the bottom of the triangle. Place half of a cheese stick on top and roll up. Place seam side down on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-14 minutes or until golden brown.


For the glaze:
While rolls are cooking, combine the melted butter, Italian seasonings, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. 


When rolls are done remove from the oven and drizzle with the garlic butter glaze. Serve with marinara or ranch for dipping.


 Please visit my link parties page to see who I linked up with this week!

Zuppa Toscana

HEY! Guess who got a haircut? If you follow me on Twitter, you might have played along with #pickallisonshaircut. Before I went, I was ready to shave it all off. I even grabbed my scissors on my desk and pretended to chop off a big chunk. I need help. Well, here it is! 

Hey, bangs! 

Now, onto today's regular scheduled post. 

The is an Olive Garden copycat recipe. I personally have never had this soup, but this homemade version is quite tasty. The additional of kale really rounded out the soup well. It is a hearty soup that paired great with crusty bread.

Zuppa Toscana


Prep Time: 40 minutes 

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, cut into a small dice
1 pound hot breakfast sausage or Italian sausage
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups (32 ounces) chicken broth or stock
3 cups Russet potatoes, cubed
Salt and pepper to taste
2 loose packed cups kale, torn into bite size pieces
1 cup heavy cream or 14 ounce can evaporated milk
Parmesan cheese, grated

In a large soup pot cook bacon over medium until crispy. Add sausage, stirring freuqently until browned and crumbled. Drain off the grease.

Add onion; saute until translucent; add garlic; saute until fragrant.

Stir in broth and potatoes, season with salt and pepper, simmer 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add kale and heavy cream or evaporated milk. Bring to a simmer. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. 


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Please visit my link parties page to see who I linked up with this week!

Also, have you heard about the upcoming Find Some Love Fest? Grab the button and meet back here February 1st!

Skinny Pizza Rolls

I have shared several sweet recipes, so thought I would share a savory one with you today! I originally found this on Dashing Dish. Katie is one of my favorite bloggers and is a true mentor.

I make these pizza rolls a few times a month. Don't be intimidated if you have never used wonton wrappers before, they are very easy to use. You can find them in the produce section of the grocery store, paired with the eggroll wrappers. These make a great dinner paired with a salad or would be great for the upcoming Super Bowl!

With the use of turkey pepperonis and wonton wrappers, these pizza rolls come out to be 30 calories each. Yes, 30. My husband (the ultimate taste tester) LOVES these. I promise you won't be sacrificing any taste or nutrition by leaving the frozen ones at the store.

What I love about these rolls, is how diverse you can make them. You can add any other typical pizza toppings to the mixture, sausage, chicken, veggies, you name it!

**The original recipe calls for regular turkey pepperoni. I had the mini turkey pepperonis on hand. By using these, I was able to skip slicing the pepperonis.***


Skinny Pizza Rolls

Prep Time: 15 minutes 


Bake: 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes


Cool: 3-5 minutes


Yield: 24 rolls

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup tomato sauce OR marinara sauce OR pizza sauce

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or more to taste)

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or more to taste, I also substitute fresh basil occasionally) 

20 turkey pepperonis

24 wonton wrappers

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (for sprinkling)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. 

In a medium bowl, combine tomato sauce, mozzerella cheese, and spices. Slice pepperonis into quarters and add to mixture, stirring to combine. 

Add a tablespoon of filling to the center of a wonton wrapper. 

   

Dip your finger in water and trace along the top edge of the wrapper. Bring the bottom point up to meet the top point and press firmly to seal. Place roll onto baking sheet. Repeat until all wrappers have been assembled. 

 Lightly spray the tops of the assembled rolls with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over rolls. Surprisingly, the Parmesan cheese in the plastic tube works best. It gives the rolls that "cornmeal" type feel. I had fresh on hand, so that's what I used!

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Just like pizza, it is always best to let it cool a few minutes before serving. Things seem to stay together better that way. Enjoy! 

**EDIT**

I thought I would also add, that I normally double the recipe to use all of the wonton wrapper up. I end up with 2 baking sheets of pizza rolls. One sheet goes into the oven and the other goes into the freezer. Once frozen, I add them to a large freezer bag in single layers with parchment paper in between each layer. They freeze SO well and just like the store bough frozen pizza rolls, they are so simple to take a few out and bake! 

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Please visit my link parties page to see who I linked up with this week!

Also, have you heard about the upcoming Find Some Love Fest? Grab the button and meet back here February 1st!

Cherry or Apple? Now you don't have to choose!

 If you are here from Pineapple Lily, welcome! She graciously allowed me to guest post over there!

Time for another pie!!

Go here and here if you missed the first two pies! 

I'm a fruit pie kinda gal. Apple pie? All over it. My husband is a huge fan of cherry pie. (Like so much of a fan, my mother in law made him an entire cherry pie to bring home from Thanksgiving.) When I came across the recipe, I knew I had to make it. It is a fun and easy twist on two traditional pies. Technically it is a tart, but hey-who invited the pie police? 

This pie comes together in about 20 minutes, with the most time consuming step consisting of peeling and slicing two apples. Along with a short prep time, this pie will go quick (read: was all gone within 12 hours of baking it). 

Cherry Apple Crumb Tart

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake: 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes 

Cool: 15 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 refrigerated pie crust
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 large Granny Smith apples
• 3/4 cup canned cherry pie filling (about 1/2 of a 21 oz. can)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Let pie crust stand at room temperature 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add butter and blend thoroughly using  two forks. Set aside.

Roll out pie crust into a 13-inch circle and place on a baking stone or a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Peel, core and cut apples into thin slices. Layer apples evenly over crust leaving a 1-inch border of crust.

Spread 3/4 cup cherry pie filling over the apples. Sprinkle flour mixture over apples and pie filling. Fold the outer edge of the pie crust up over the fruit to form a rim.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Serve warm.

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Cinnamon Applesauce Strudel Muffins {recipe}

Summer is long gone. It took all the fresh affordable berries with it.  So, a nice alternative to blueberry muffins is an apple muffin. Using both white and wheat flour and substituting cinnamon applesauce for most of the butter, these muffins only come out with 180 calories and 3 grams of fat. The wheat flour makes them a little denser that an all white flour would. If you don't have cinnamon applesauce on hand, you can use regular (add 1/4 teaspoon) cinnamon or unsweetened (add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 cup more sugar).

Cinnamon Applesauce Strudel Muffins

Prep: 20 minutes

Bake: 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes

Yield: 18 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup cinnamon applesauce
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups chopped apples
•  
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin pan or line with cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Stir in apples, and gradually blend in the flour mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan.

In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over tops of mixture in muffin pan.

Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 

Please visit my link parties page to see who I linked up with this week!

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Hibernation Season

Tomorrow is "Food Day" at the office. I am always really torn about food day because you have no idea where the food came from (read: cats on the kitchen counter) but, some of the best food I have ever eaten has come from a potluck. And by best, I mean I stuff my face until I can't move.

Wanna know what I'm making? Probably not, but I'm going to tell you anyway. If there was one day you wished you worked with me, tomorrow is it. See below.

Brownie Batter Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

See, I told you. 

Now, since we all gained weight just by looking at it, let's talk fitness! This time of year is usually my weight gain season. (See above.) Practicing portion control is key during the winter months. All of the potlucks, holiday feasts, and desserts make it hard to stay on track. I don't know about you, but as a full time working mom, I'm exhausted by the time I get home, make dinner, and get Austin to sleep. 

What tips and tricks do you use during the long winter months? 

New Series and a Superhero

Heeeyyy! So before we get to the new series, I just had to show you these photos. Is this not the cutest? We found a great sale at Baby Gap and even their Junk Food Collection was on sale! Woo-hoo! I think Wise was more excited about the pieces that I was. :)

After some thought about it, I have decided to start my four week series on...you guessed it, pie! It is the holiday season, and what better time to share a few new and old recipes! 

Feel free to join me throughout the series with your own pie recipes.I would seriously love it if you did!!!  If I receive enough interest, I will create a link for you to join in. Also, I would love it if you would share your favorite pie or one you would like to see made. You, the reader are my inspiration! 

First Up, Lemon Meringue. This is my husbands favorite pie. I knew I had to find a good recipe he would approve of, and this one gets five stars from him. I have made this pie a few times and really enjoy how simple it really is. Meringue was really intimidating to me...until I actually researched how to make it. So easy! I'm weird like that sometimes. I have an irrational fear of making yeast breads. Ahhh! Bread hooks! Kneading for hours! Grinding my own flour! Yeah, see. I told you I was weird.





Lemon Meringue Pie

Prep: 20 minutes


Bake: 350 degrees, 10-12 minutes


Yield: 8-10 slices of pie

Ingredients

Filling:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 lemons, juiced and zested
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked and cooled

Meringue

• 4 egg whites, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 6 tablespoons sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lemon Filling:


In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Wisk until incorporated.


Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest.



Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter.



Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick.

 

Remove from heat and let cool, then transfer to baked pie shell.

Meringue:


In a large mixing bowl, combine vanilla, egg white, and cream of tartar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until soft peaks form.

 Gradually, add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed about 4 minutes or until mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks and sugar dissolves (rub a small amount between two fingers; it should feel completely smooth, not grainy).


Immediately spread meringue over pie filling, carefully sealing the edge to prevent shrinkage.



Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown. Let pie cool 20 minutes before transferring to refrigerator. Chill for 2-3 hours before serving.



Please visit my link parties page to see who I linked up with this week!

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