Top Ten Recipes of 2013

                                                  Baked Oatmeal with Bananas and Chocolate

                            I wanted to share my top 10 recipes of 2013. I hope you enjoy them.

                           A New Year, is upon us and I'm excited to share more recipes, life and
                           fun stuff with you. As always I want to thank each and everyone of you
                           that stop by my little blog. It means the world to me. I wish you all the -
                           very best 2014.

                                                                    Perfect Green Smoothie

                                                                   Cheddar Shepard's Pie

                                                               Strawberry Avocado Salad

                                                                   Grape Pesto Pizza

Tuscan Dipping Oil

Pineapple Caprese with Rosemary Skewers

Stuffed Peppers with Turkey and Orzo

Healthy Garbonzo Bean Salad

Teriyaki Noodle Bowls

Let me know what you would like to see more of on my blog, food, life

or just my favorite things? You can follow my everyday life here on Instagram.

Roast Beef Crostini

                 Hello my friends - I wanted to post this as fast as I could just in time for your
                 New Years Celebration. I almost can't believe how fast 2013 went by. I'm
                 really looking forward to a brand new year filled with lots and new exciting
                 things. Cheers, and I wish you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year!!!!!!

                                                               Roast Beef Crostini
     
                                                               1 French baguette, cut
                                                               1/4 pound roast beef or pastrami cut into 3rds
                                                               1 (5.2 ounces) Boursin garlic and fine herbs cheese
                                                               1 jar of fig jam or fig butter
                                                               green onion, chopped
                                                               salt and pepper

             1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and toast your bread until lightly toasted.
             Watch carefully so the bread doesn't burn. Take out of the oven and start -
             assembling. Put the cheese on first, jam, roast beef, green onions and top with
             salt and pepper. Serve with some champagne and you have yourself and incredibly
             easy appetizer.

Simple Sugar Cookies

I hope you still have room for holiday baking? Any time of the year is always

good for some delicious and easy cookies. These little gems are soft and easy.

These are me go to Sugar Cookies.  Merry Christmas to you and your family.

                                                                            Sugar Cookies

                                                                            2  3/4 cups all - purpose flour
                                                                            1 teaspoon baking soda
                                                                            1/2 teaspoon baking powder
                                                                            1 cup butter, room temperature
                                                                            1 1/2 cups sugar
                                                                            1 egg
                                                                            1 teaspoon vanilla

                 1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium size bowl stir flour, baking soda,
                 baking powder, set aside.

                  2) In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg
                  and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Rolls rounded teaspoonfuls
                  of dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets.

                 3) Bake 8 to 10 minutes until golden. Do not over cook.

                   Note - right before they go in the oven you can sprinkle them with sugar.

                                                                         

Peanut Butter Pie with Nutter Butter Crust

 If you love peanut butter - this pie is for you. I seem to be making tons of pies this holiday
 season. This one is one of my favorites it's very rich and delightful. The pie crust is really
 the winner here. I hope you try this for your family and enjoy. You won't regret it.

                                                    Peanut Butter Pie with Nutter Butter Crust

                                                    1 ( 8 ounce ) package cream cheese
                                                    1 cup creamy peanut butter
                                                    1 cup powdered sugar
                                                    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
                                                    1 ( 8 ounce ) container cool whip, thawed

                                                    For the crust

                                                    25 nutter butters, crushed
                                                    4 tablespoons butter

                 1) Mix the crushed nutter butters and butter until combined. Place in a pie plate
                 and bake ay 350 degrees for about 5 to 6 minutes, let cool.

                 2) Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla
                 beat until smooth. Add cool whip and stir until fully combined. Place the filling
                 into cooled pie crust. Chill one hour before serving. Serve with additional
                 whipped cream.

                 Note - sometimes I put melted nutella on the pie crust and then add the filling
                 on top. Totally optional =)

                 

Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Mashed Potatoes

What we have here is a great side dish. Perfect for any Holiday meal or just to

go with weeknight dinner. I have a thing for baked potatoes with broccoli and

cheese and one day I was thinking how could I make a mashed potato version?

I came up with this and it was truly awesome. I hope you enjoy!

 Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Mashed Potatoes

1 - 5 pound bag yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut

1 large head fresh broccoli - cut into florets

4 ounces butter

3/4 cups of milk

3 ounces cream cheese

2 garlic cloves

salt and pepper

16 ounces of grated cheddar cheese, save some for top

1) Put cold water in a large pot put about 1 tablespoon salt in the water.

Add potatoes and garlic cloves and boil for about 45 minutes or until fork

tender. During the last 10 minutes of boiling add your broccoli and cook

in the potatoes until broccoli is soft but still bright green. Drain the water

and put back in pot. Add butter, cream cheese, milk, cheese, pepper & salt

Egg Nog French Toast

                   I'm trying to come up with the words to tell you have wonderful this simple
                   French Toast is. This would be so special to serve your family on a Sunday
                   morning or on Christmas day. Serve with fresh fruit and a great cup of coffee.

                                                                    Egg Nog French Toast

                                                                    1 loaf Challah bread or a French baguette
                                                                    2 cups Egg Nog
                                                                    2 eggs
                                                                    1 teaspoon cinnamon
                                                                    a dash of nutmeg
                                                                    1 teaspoon vanilla

                   1) In a shallow bowl mix egg nog, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.
                   Meanwhile in a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter. Place your bread in
                   the egg nog mixture, coat well on each side and place in pan and cook
                   until golden on each side. Repeat process. Serve with Maple Syrup.

Chocolate White Russian

         What we have here is a perfect Winter cocktail. Sweet and delicious. You won't
         even need to have dessert. Imagine yourself sipping this as the snow falls. A truly
         comforting cocktail. I added some Godiva white chocolate to this traditional
             creamy drink and it made it so much better than I could've imagined.

          Have you ever seen the movie The Big Lebowski? It's a cult classic and such a great
          movie. The main charter is The Dude and his favorite drink is The White Russian,
          and ever time I think of this cocktail the movie instantly plays in my mind.

                                                                Chocolate White Russian

                                                                 1 ounce Vodka
                                                                 2 ounces Kahlua
                                                                 1 ounce Godiva white chocolate liquor
                                                                 3 to 4 ounces of milk
                                                                 ice

             1) This recipe makes one glass. Put ice in glass and pour next four ingredients
             in glass and mix.

Blueberry Pie

          There is always room for pie, right? Well I can say that with this pie because fruit
          pies are my favorite. I tend to lean towards fruit desserts. This blueberry pie you can
          pretty much make all year and it's oh so good. Sweet, tart, juicy and topped with
          vanilla ice cream it's out of this world good. Did I mention that it's easy as well?

                                                                    Blueberry Pie

                                                                   4 cups fresh blueberries
                                                                   1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
                                                                   3/4 cup sugar
                                                                   4 tablespoons cornstarch
                                                                   1/4 teaspoon salt
                                                                   1 teaspoon cinnamon
                                                                   1 tablespoon butter, cubed

                                                                   2  ( 9 inch ) pie crusts one for the bottom
                                                                   and top. Top is optional. I made a homemade
                                                                   pie crust but store bought would work great
                                                                   as well.

               1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

               2) Mix blueberries and lemon juice in a large bowl and sit aside. While that is
               sitting in another small bowl mix together sugar, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon.

               3) Mix the dry ingredients into the blueberries. Place pie filling into your pie
               crust. Put butter cubes on top of berries. Decorate top of pie however you would
               like. Bake for 50 minutes of until golden.