Coming Soon!

Coming soon:

Bluephie's Carrot Cake
See Recipe Here! 

Pumpkin Cookies

See Recipe Here!

Homemade Mac & Cheese for One

Homemade Mac & Cheese for One

I know this one seems a little silly, but I honestly make it all the time. It's my comfort food that requires almost no effort and that's nice to have after a long day. Sorry dad, I haven't eaten Kraft Mac & Cheese from the box for about 2 years now! (For those of you who don't know, my dad works for Kraft). 

Every recipe online is so complicated with so many different types of cheese so I experimented for awhile to use the fewest ingredients to get the best taste. I also really hate bread crumbs on my mac & cheese and all the recipes I find always use them. So I'm going against the norm and I'm not including bread crumbs!

The recipe:

Elbow noodles

Shredded cheddar cheese

Shredded Mexican blend cheese

Butter

Milk

Salt and pepper

I really don't have a true "recipe" for this one - I just throw stuff in until it looks good! 

Cook the pasta according to the box instructions, drain, and add to bowl with some butter in the bottom (maybe about a tablespoon or less?). Stir the pasta around until the butter is melted and the pasta has a nice buttery coating. Add a couple pinches of both cheeses (maybe enough so that it just covers the top of the pasta).

Add a splash or two of milk - maybe a tablespoon if you're measuring. Stir in cheese until melted and combined with the milk. You might have to microwave for about 15 seconds to heat it up again to melt the cheese enough. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Some optional additions I've used every once and awhile - add some diced tomatoes or pieces of chicken! Throwing some paprika in there is also nice sometimes.

Enjoy!

Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I actually just made these today and I honestly don't know if I'd make them again. They sound amazing and look delicious, but I feel like I just ended up with a big, heavy, thick cookie. I might try making these into cookies instead of bars so they're not so heavy. 

Another problem I had with this recipe is that the topping called for 1/2 cup of chocolate chips (which is a lot of chocolate!) I found I hardly used any of it so I've reduced it in this recipe

Looks good, right? Looks can be very deceiving. Sure, it tastes good but it's not anything special and I can only eat a very small slice at a time or else it's too much.

Original Recipe

The recipe:

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips plus about an extra 2 tablespoons for topping

1 cup crushed salted pretzels, divided

1/4-1/2 tsp vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing it to hang over two sides. Coat the paper with cooking spray.

Whisk together melted butter with granulated sugar and light brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.

Stir in flour and salt just until incorporated. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup crushed pretzels.

Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top, then sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup crushed pretzels on top, pressing them lightly into the batter.

Bake for about 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. While the cookie bars are baking, melt 2 tbsp chocolate chips with the vegetable oil in a double boiler or in the microwave.

Remove the cookie bars from the oven, cool completely in the pan, then remove cookies using parchment paper overhang. Drizzle the cookie bars with the melted chocolate and allow them to cool until the chocolate hardens. Cut the cookie bars into 16 squares and serve.

Beef Ranch Enchiladas

Beef Ranch Enchiladas

This recipe is one I use all the time! The original recipe is called Ranch Chicken Enchiladas, but I tend to use ground beef more often because it's much quicker. I've changed a lot from the original recipe, but I'll include it anyways!

Original Recipe

The recipe:

1 lb ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning (or make your own using this recipe)

1/2 cup ranch dressing (hidden valley is the way to go)

1/2 cup salsa (my personal favorite is Tostito's Mild Chunky salsa)

Shredded Mexican blend cheese

1 package white flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown beef, drain, add taco seasoning and about 1/3-1/2 cup water (even though the packet always calls for 3/4 I find that's too much and it gets soupy) and simmer for another couple of minutes (~5).

Mix the ranch and the salsa - I felt obligated to put amounts on there but honestly I never measure it. Just try to keep it at about equal amounts.

Spread a spoonful or two of this mixture on the bottom of a glass baking dish. Or omit this and just spray with cooking spray.

Assembly:

Start with one tortilla, add a spoonful of the ranch/salsa mixture and spread it around. Add some beef and sprinkle with cheese. Roll up the tortilla any way you'd like - I fold in the top and bottom to about the middle. Then fold one of the sides in and overlap the other side on top. If it doesn't stay together I'll hold it with a toothpick or two. 

Place in baking dish and repeat for as many enchiladas as you'd like to make. Spread some more ranch/salsa mix on top of your enchiladas and sprinkle the top with some more cheese. 

Bake until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through - about 15-20 minutes.

Serve hot and enjoy! 

Taco Seasoning

Taco Seasoning

Do you ever wonder what exactly they put in those taco seasoning packets? If you have some time, mix together some of your own!

This recipe can be found pretty much anywhere so I won't include an original source this time!

The recipe:

1 tbsp chili powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

Mix it all up and store extras in an airtight container. For 1 lb browned ground beef, add about 2-3 tbsp of your final mixture and stir in with 1/3-1/2 cup water. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Brown Sugar Baked Peaches

Brown Sugar Baked Peaches

These make a really great snack when you're craving something sweet and hot. They're so simple to make and taste sooo good.

Original Recipe

The recipe:

Peach(es)

Brown sugar

Butter

Cinnamon

(optional)

Nutmeg 

Allspice

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Halve the peaches and remove the pit. Place in a baking dish, skin side down. Place 1/2 tsp butter in the center of each peach half. Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of brown sugar to each peach half. Sprinkle with cinnamon, and if you're feeling extra spicy, sprinkle with some allspice and nutmeg as well.

Bake about 30 minutes, until peaches are tender. Serve warm and enjoy!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach Artichoke Dip

I've made this for parties and people go CRAZY over it! It makes a ton so if you're making it just for yourself I'd suggest cutting the recipe in half.

Original Recipe

The recipe:

8 oz cream cheese

16 oz sour cream

1 stick (8 tbsp) butter (the original recipe says unsalted, I use salted and it tastes great so use whatever you'd like!)

1 1/2-2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

10 oz frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, pressed

(optional)

4 oz can diced jalapenos, drained

[I'm not a huge fan of jalapenos so I always leave these out)

In a medium pot over medium heat, melt together cream cheese, sour cream, butter, and Parmesan cheese until melted and bubbly.

Stir in chopped artichoke hearts, spinach, and garlic. 

Serve hot with chips, crackers, toasted bread slices, etc. My personal favorite are those pretzel crisps that come in the big blue bag!

Tomato Basil Chicken

Tomato Basil Chicken

I make this recipe ALL the time! It's easy, fast, and tastes amazing. 

Original Recipe

My modifications bring this down to 1 serving.

The recipe:

1 chicken breast (I use chicken breast tenderloins so they're even smaller)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 roma tomato

1 garlic clove

1 tbsp cold butter

1-2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Fettuccine pasta

Salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese

Start by boiling water for the pasta and start cooking the pasta whenever it's ready - I hate how recipes always say this at the end of the recipe - I always forget and then I'm stuck waiting for my pasta to finish while everything else is getting cold!

Heat oil in a skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Once oil is hot, add chicken breasts. If the oil doesn't begin to sizzle, it's not hot enough! Cook chicken on first side for 4-5 minutes, and then flip. If you're using chicken breast tenderloins like I do, reduce cooking time by about a minute.

After you've flipped your chicken, add the tomato, basil, butter, and garlic to your skillet. Season with salt and pepper - I always forget this step and I'm disappointed by the lack of flavor. The salt and pepper really bring out all of the best flavors in this dish. 

Stir everything together (without flipping the chicken back) and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Again, adjust cooking time by how big or small your chicken breasts are. Once chicken is done cooking, reduce heat to low and wait for pasta to finish cooking. 

Add everything to a bowl, sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

2AM Chili

2AM Chili

Original source: http://www.cookingcomically.com/?page_id=33 <- check out this site, the comic that goes along with this recipe is awesome.

I've made this recipe twice now and I absolutely LOVE it! It makes enough where I can freeze a bunch and I get about 20 meals from it.

A little about me - I live by myself and I'm a pretty small person so I usually have to modify recipes  "for one" so the leftovers don't go bad before I get a chance to eat them! But this recipe is great to freeze and save for later.

So the chili. I modified this recipe a bit from the original depending on what I had available in the kitchen.

The grocery list:
 1 29 oz can of tomato sauce
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce (try a flavored sauce if you're feeling adventurous!)
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (again, try some flavor in there! I like the chili ones)
1 can of light red kidney beans
1 can of pinto beans
1 can of corn
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow onion
1 zucchini
3-4 cloves of garlic
1.5 lbs ground beef (or any substitute you choose)
1 tsp-1 tbsp Brown sugar
~2 tbsp Cooking oil
1/4 bottle or can of your favorite beer

Seasoning:
2 tbsp All purpose flour
2 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp Garlic powder
1 tbsp Onion powder
1 tbsp Ground red pepper (Cayenne)
4 tsp Chili powder
2 tsp Ground cumin
1 tsp Basil leaves (dried)
Ground black pepper

Toppings (optional):
Crackers (I love either Saltines or Fritos)
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream


Start by browning a pound and a half of ground beef. I think ground pork would also be great - or for you vegetarians out there, try brown rice or quinoa (or both!).

Meanwhile, chop about 1/2-3/4 of the red pepper, green pepper, zucchini and the onion. You can also mince the garlic cloves now, but I use a garlic press to bring out all the flavor the garlic has to offer.

While the beef is finishing up, open all the cans and combine in a big pot. Be sure to drain the beans and the corn or else it'll water down your chili.

Once the beef is done, drain the grease and add it to your pot.

Add a couple tablespoons of any cooking oil to your now empty skillet. The original recipe uses coconut oil and I love the grapeseed oils from WildTree (http://shop.wildtree.com/catalog/cfCatalog.cfm?c=109). My favorite is the roasted garlic, but I recently ran out and I've been using the basil pesto. Then add your veggies and saute. I usually let the garlic sizzle in the oil until it's fragrant and a lovely pale-brown color and then add the rest of the veggies and saute for a few minutes. To keep the veggies crisp, make sure your pan and oil are HOT!

Add the veggies to your pot. Then, combine all seasoning ingredients, mix, and add it to your pot. For some reason, the last time I made the seasoning, something just didn't turn out right. It was a little too sweet for my liking and I like my chili a little spicier. I can't quite remember exactly how I made it the first time (when it turned out amazing) but I'm pretty sure my seasonings consisted of: flour, crushed red pepper, paprika, ground cumin, basil leaves, and black pepper. I'll experiment next time and let you know how it turns out.

Finally, add a couple shots of whatever beer you have in the fridge! Since I live in Wisconsin and beer is awesome here, my favorite is New Glarus Two Women. To find one comparable: the description from the New Glarus Brewing website says it's a classic country lager with a crisp, well balanced, and satisfying flavor. It pairs well with pan fried trout, pork chops, steak, goulash, pasta salad; and gruyere, provolone, and colby cheeses.

Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for as many hours as you'd like (I usually do 4 but if I'm impatient I'll sneak a bowl out after about an hour), stirring occasionally. Finish that beer, relax, and enjoy the amazing aromas!

Finally, serve yourself a generous helping and top with cheese, sour cream, and crackers.

Welcome!

Hello!

Welcome to my kitchen! I'm going to use this space to post recipes I love and use frequently. I've actually found most of my recipes on Pinterest and modified them to my liking. I'm going to start by making a bunch of posts with my favorite recipes and as I make them again I'll post pictures! Enjoy!