Lemon Brown Butter Pasta Salad with Arugula, Tomatoes, and Toasted Pine Nuts

I have fantastic news to share!  I passed!!!

I took TWO more teacher tests recently so that I can become certified in Illinois as well as Wisconsin and I just found out that I passed! So, I am one step closer to being a full-fledged certified teacher!  This is both very excited and a little scary, but I am so glad that I passed those dang tests and now I can relax!

Today I am sharing a fun recipe that I found while watching Giada on the Food Network.  I love Giada and her food always looks so good!  This pasta dish sounded amazing and so I made it right after I watched her show!  Instead of warm pasta, I served it as a chilled Pasta Salad and it was a huge hit!

Lemon Brown Butter Pasta Salad with Arugula, Tomatoes and Toasted Pine Nuts (adapted from Giada's Recipe)

Ingredients:
1 box whole wheat penne pasta
4 cups arugula
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 cup italian blend shredded cheese
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
Dressing:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, making the dressing.  Pour olive oil in and then zest the whole lemon and put that in.  Next, juice the lemon and add that to the mixture.  Finally add in salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Set aside.
2. Place pine nuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5-6 minutes at 350 degrees.  They should be fragrant and lightly browned.
3. Cook pasta to al dente according to directions.  Drain and place back into the pot.
4. In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Continue to cook the butter, stirring occasionally  until browned and fragrant.  Turn off the heat, add in the pasta, arugula, tomatoes, pine nuts, cheese, and dressing.  Toss to combine.  The arugula will wilt.
5.  Serve immediately as a hot dish or chill in the fridge to serve as a pasta salad.

Enjoy :)

Chocolate Cookies with Chocolate and White Chocolate Chips

The other day I went running at the work out center and I was watching the Food Network.  I am a pretty big fan of the Pioneer Woman because I think she is just really down to earth and a total family person.  Everything she makes is for friends and family and that is what I think food is all about! As I was running, I was watching her make some amazing looking cookies.  So of course, instead of craving healthy things as running should make you do, I was craving cookies.

Then, I came home to find out that my family wanted me to make some cookies to take with us to our picnic dinner at Ravinia.  Ravinia is a music venue near where I live and my family likes to get out there often to sit on the lawn, listen to music, and enjoy a picnic style dinner.  Its an awesome way to spend an evening!  So, I made my Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies and the Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Cookies with Chocolate and White Chocolate Chips.

Chocolate Cookies with Chocolate and White Chocolate Chips

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups white chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch together.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until well combined and light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Beat in the vanilla.  Slowly, add in the flour mixture until just combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips.
4.  Scoop out cookie dough, about 2 tbsp at a time, and drop onto the prepared baking sheets.  Leave plenty of room between cookies as they will spread out.  Bake for about 12-15 minutes.

Enjoy :)

Foodie Friends Friday: 4th of July

This week, Foodie Friends Friday is back!  This week is all about the 4th of July!  This fabulous American holiday is just around the corner and we are going to celebrate!  Just follow the rules and link up some recipes that are perfect for Independence Day! Also, host favorites will be featured on Daily Dish!  This week I'm linking up Skinny Patriotic Cheesecake, Angel Food Cake, and Red White and Blue Brownies.

Most Votes:

1. Fruit Swirl Coffee Cake

2. Lemon-Lime Curd in Sugared Wonton Cups

3. Watermelon Margaritas

Most Clicks:

1. Jello Strawberry Parfaits

2. Chili Dog Casserole

3. Strawberry Rhubarb Wreaths

And Host Favorites!

Welcome to Foodie Friends Friday!

Please take a moment to read through the rules before getting started, Thank You!

*By linking up you agree that you read these rules and all photos/recipes are original and belong to you. You agree to allow Foodie Friends Friday and any of it's affiliated websites or publications (Social Girls Media, LLC) to use photos, links, and recipes for reprint and/or republishing and distribution without monetary compensation to you. If photos & recipes are used, proper link backs to you will be included.

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Please remember to do this. It benefits you! To thank you, we will continue to feature those with links throughout the year on various outlets.

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An InLinkz Link-up

Heath Bar Butterscotch Ice Cream

My Dad's favorite candy is Heath Bar.  So, for Father's Day, I wanted to make him a yummy dessert that used heath bar!

I am also recently obsessed with making ice cream.  Now that I am home, I love that I get to use my stand mixer and my ice cream maker.  These are two appliances that I really miss when I am away from home and now that I am back I am a tad obsessed.

Speaking of obsessed, I am also a tad obsessed with Candy Crush Saga.  Like, it is ruining my life a little.  I can't stop playing! If you don't know what this is, don't check it out.  You will get addicted and you will regret it.  However, if you do know what I am talking about I'm pretty sure you understand where I am coming from.

This ice cream was super yummy and it is definitely going to be a go-to recipe of mine.  I basically made Alton Brown's Vanilla Ice Cream and mixed in heath bar pieces and a bit of butterscotch.  It was awesome.  Now I am going to play some more Candy Crush and eat ice cream...its gonna be a great night.

Heath Bar Butterscotch Ice Cream

Ingredients:
3 cups half and half
1 cup heavy cream
8 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
3 tsp vanilla
1 cup heath bar pieces
2 tbsp butterscotch topping

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, heat half and half and cream until simmering.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow.  Slowly stir in the warm cream mixture until well combined.  Pour mixture back into the saucepan and heat over medium heat.
3.  Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.  This will take a little while, about 15 minutes.
4.  Pour mixture into a bowl and chill for 4-8 hours.  I chilled mine overnight.
5. Once the mixture is chilled, pour into an ice cream make and churn according to your directions.  After about 10 minutes, add the heath pieces and butterscotch.
6. Once the ice cream is done, serve as soft serve, or pour into a container and freeze for a few hours until hardened.

Enjoy :)

Veggie Pasta with Red Peppers and a Cheesy Avocado Sauce

I can't believe they did it again! The Hawks won the Stanley Cup! I have a great evening last night where a bunch of my girl friends came over and we watched the game.  We were all pretty into it and got super nervous right at the end.  It was a lot of fun, I provided tons of snacks, and I even baked some awesome cookies (get excited for that recipe post).   It was a fun night and now I am way too tired for camp, but also very happy that my hockey team won!

I will be sharing that new cookie recipe soon, but first I wanted to talk about a new find of mine:   Barilla Veggie Pasta.  I made this pasta, tossed it with smashed avocado, pepperjack cheese, a splash of lemon and other veggies and I had one amazing meal.  Plus, the pasta has a whole serving of vegetables in it! This was one of my last meals in Madison with Bri because we needed to clean out my fridge.  What seemed like a random assortment of ingredients turned into a really yummy pasta dish.  Seriously, this dinner is so easy and so tasty!

Veggie Pasta with Red Peppers and Cheesy Avocado Sauce

Ingredients:
1 Box Barilla Veggie Pasta
1  avocado
1 red pepper, sliced
1 cup shredded cheese (I used a blend of pepperjack and cheddar)
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:
1. Make pasta according to directions until al dente, drain and place back in pot.
2. While pasta is cooking, peel the avocado and place it in a bowl with the lemon juice and cheese.  Mash every thing together.
3. In a small pan, saute the red pepper slices with a little olive oil until translucent.
4. Mix the avocado mixture and red pepper slices into the hot, drained pasta.  The cheesy will become melted and the avocado should coat the pasta.

Enjoy :)

Foodie Friends Friday: Fruit Party!

This week, Foodie Friends Friday is back!  This week is all about Fruit!  Just follow the rules and link up some fruit recipes that are perfect for the summer! Also, host favorites will be featured on Daily Dish!  This week I'm linking up Fresh Rhubarb Crisp, Apple Crisp, and Peach Blueberry Crisp.

Most Clicks:

1. Cherry Torte

2. Shrimp Scampi

3. Pepperoni Pizza Swirl Bread

And Host Favorites!

Welcome to Foodie Friends Friday!

Please take a moment to read through the rules before getting started, Thank You!

*By linking up you agree that you read these rules and all photos/recipes are original and belong to you. You agree to allow Foodie Friends Friday and any of it's affiliated websites or publications (Social Girls Media, LLC) to use photos, links, and recipes for reprint and/or republishing and distribution without monetary compensation to you. If photos & recipes are used, proper link backs to you will be included.

Adding Links back to Foodie Friends Friday and our Button is our only form of advertising to bring in more people to see YOUR recipes.

Please remember to do this. It benefits you! To thank you, we will continue to feature those with links throughout the year on various outlets.

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Meet our Co-Hosts at Foodie Friends Friday:

Graze Restaurant, Madison, WI

Phew! Just finished a quick 4.5 mile morning run and now I am here to tell you about a fantastic new restaurant I discovered in my last week in Madison.

My last week was super fun because Bri and I went to a million new places and did a bunch of the things that I've always wanted to do, but never got around to.  For example, we took a walk in the Arboretum together, went to the terrace to watch a hockey game and share a pitcher, and tried a ton of new restaurants.

Another little family out for a stroll
in the Arboretum

Graze, is known for being one of the best restaurants in Madison.  Their chef is constantly switching up the menu to incorporate fresh, local ingredients that they buy at the farmer's market just outside their front door on the weekends.  They are located on the square and have a wall of windows so that you can look out at the beautiful capitol as you enjoy some crazy good food.  You can go there for lunch, brunch, or dinner.  We went their for dinner.

Appetizer: Hot Pretzel with 3 Mustards and Cheese 

Drinks :)

We started out sitting at the bar while we waited for our table and we each enjoyed a drink and split a hot pretzel with mustard and cheese as our appetizer.  So far, we were pretty darn impressed.  The mustards were yummy and the cheese (of course from WI) was amazing.  The pretzel was one of the best I have ever had!  Then, we sat down and ordered our dinner.  I ordered the Tofu Bibimbap (tons of fresh veggies and rice with tofu in a spicy sauce and topped with a fried egg) and Bri ordered their Homemade Veggie Burger (a beet based burger).  Everything was delicious. I loved my meal and Bri thought it was one of the best veggie burgers he had ever had (and this is impressive considering how many he has tried).  For dessert, because we had to get dessert, we split their freshly baked Chocolate Chip Cookies with Milk.  It was an adorable and comforting end to the meal.  We will definitely be hitting up this restaurant in the future!  If you are ever in Madison, put Graze on your list of Must-Eat-Restaurants.  

Tofu Bibimbap 

Veggie Burger

Dessert!

Fresh Rhubarb Crisp

Have you ever just had one of those weeks where you know you are crazy anxious, but not sure what it is about?  I have been so weird this week! Camp started on Monday, I applied for an apartment with Bri on Tuesday, and I keep having weird dreams that combine camp with the first day of high school.  It's weird.  I think that I just have so much going on right now and it is making me act weird.

However, I am excited that summer is here! Camp has started, MNL is back on (Monday night frozen yogurt with my girl friends), and I am back on with my traditional work out routine that includes Pilates and Zumba as well as after-camp-work outs.  All of these exercises are things that I love and I am super excited because my friend, Alyson goes with me to Pilates and Zumba and Anna comes to work out with me after camp.  It's always better to have someone to work out with and Alyson and Anna are awesome.

I have taken to running 3 or 4 miles before camp.  I am a big fan of this since I feel much more motivated in the morning than I do after camp.  I like to use our treadmill at home since then I can make sure that I can get into the shower quickly and be ready for camp in time.  The problem with this, is now the treadmill needs to be repaired and I can't use it for a week! I am such a running addict and I am nervous about going outside and potentially being late.  I suppose I will just have to figure it out.  All this exercise is helping me to stay positive and not get too nervous about all the changes coming up in my life.

While I was back in Madison, Bri and I went to the Farmer's Market one Saturday and got some fresh rhubarb! It looked beautiful and we decided to make a Rhubarb Crisp with our beautiful rhubarb!

Fresh Rhubarb Crisp

Ingredients:
1 lb. rhubarb, chopped
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp unsalted butter
lemon juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place chopped rhubarb in a 13 by 9 inch pan or 8 by 8 inch pan.
3. In a food processor, process the oats, cinnamon, ginger, flour, and brown sugar.  Add in the butter and process until combined.  Sprinkle topping over the rhubarb.
4. Drizzle lemon juice over the top and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes or until topping begins to brown and dish is a little bubbly.  Serve warm or with ice cream.

Enjoy :)

Foodie Friends Friday: Father's Day

This week, Foodie Friends Friday is back!  This week is all about Father's Day!  Just follow the rules and link up some recipes that your Dad loves! Also, host favorites will be featured on Daily Dish!  This week I'm linking up the No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie that my dad and I made together while we were on vacation.

Top 3:

1. Grilled Peaches

2. Strawberry and Cream Mini Muffins

3. Lemon Brownies

Most Clicks:

1. Banana Cake

2. Strawberry and Cream Mini Muffins

3. Grilled Peaches

And Host Favorites!

Welcome to Foodie Friends Friday!

Please take a moment to read through the rules before getting started, Thank You!

*By linking up you agree that you read these rules and all photos/recipes are original and belong to you. You agree to allow Foodie Friends Friday and any of it's affiliated websites or publications (Social Girls Media, LLC) to use photos, links, and recipes for reprint and/or republishing and distribution without monetary compensation to you. If photos & recipes are used, proper link backs to you will be included.

Adding Links back to Foodie Friends Friday and our Button is our only form of advertising to bring in more people to see YOUR recipes.

Please remember to do this. It benefits you! To thank you, we will continue to feature those with links throughout the year on various outlets.

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Meet our Co-Hosts at Foodie Friends Friday:

  Now Let's meet our sponsor this week! *Giveaway Disclaimer: Facebook is in no way associated with this website or giveaway and holds no liability for this giveaway. "Liking" facebook pages is optional, not mandatory for entry. Sponsors will be responsible for shipping- if there is a delay or problem with prize, you must communicate directly with sponsor.

Gluten Free Treats

It's time for camp again and I love bringing in treats to share with my counselors.  We end up being like a little family by the end of camp since we spend so much time together and so it is nice to share treats with them once in a while.  Two of my counselors cannot eat gluten products and so I try to incorporate a gluten free treat whenever I can.  Today I am bringing in one of my favorites: Gluten Free Nutella Brownie Bites.  These brownies look just like the mini ones you get from the store, but they are homemade, gluten free, and even better!  I love Nutella and this is one awesome dessert.

I am pretty new to this Gluten Free thing and while I am decently good at cooking gluten free, I am still searching for those great Gluten Free baking ideas.  If you have any I would love if you would share them with me! 

Here are a few of the other things I've made that are Gluten Free:

Puppy Chow

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Apple Oatmeal Muffins

Gluten Free Cheesecake

Apple Crisp

Skinny Peanut Butter Brownies

What I really need is some gluten free cupcakes...I'll get right on it!

Vegetarian Quesidillas

Back to camp! I am starting yet another summer as a site director at a day camp in my home town and I am pretty pumped about it! This week we have camp training and I am excited to see all my counselors and get ready for the summer.  Plus, it will be a nice week of getting back into the swing of things after a great last week at school.  

I have been doing a lot of work for camp, catching up with my friends from home (MNL!!!!) and looking into recipes that I want to make this summer! So far, I have been too tired/lazy to do much, but I promise some great things are on the way!

Bri and I have gotten into making quesadillas and these were really yummy! Quesadillas are a great way to use up leftover veggies or try a new kind of cheese.  Since we are both pretty big fans of both, this was an awesome dinner.  

Vegetarian Quesadillas

Ingredients:

whole wheat tortillas

4 green onions, chopped

1 red pepper, diced

1 avocado, sliced

cheese (we used a mix of pepper-jack and mexican blend)

Directions:
1. Heat a skillet over medium heat and place tortilla in skillet.  Sprinkle cheese on one half of the tortilla and top with the onions, avocado, and peppers.
2.  Let cook until cheese starts to melt, about 3 minutes, then fold over and flip and let cook for another 4 minutes.  Serve with salsa and maybe even some chips or sour cream!
Enjoy :)

Quinoa and Spinach Stuffed Tomatoes

Today I have so much to share! Bri and I have been trying out lots of fun vegetarian recipes and this one was a huge hit! Also, I just had my last day of student teaching and I am finally, officially done with school/college/madison.  This means that I am sad/excited/anxious/terrified/curious all at once.  

Student teaching was an amazing journey for me.  My experiences in a middle school and a high school helped to shape me into the person I am today and the teacher I want to be.  Teaching and learning to teach is really this huge self-discovery program.  I swear I have learned so much about myself through my experiences and I have developed such an awareness in regards to those around me.  I feel so different from when I started college and I know that I am ready to take on my own classroom.  I am excited that I have a job lined up and I can't wait to continue this journey on my own.  Up until now, I have had amazing cooperating teachers there to support and assist me.  I am so grateful for my cooperating teachers and I feel that I truly lucked out.  I know that they are a support system that I can continue to keep in touch with and I will.  I even made this sweet math clock as a thank you! 

Also, my friends going through the School of Ed with me have been so important to me these past two years.  I am not sure what I would have done without others who knew what I was experiencing and could empathize.  Plus, I have an amazing family and boyfriend who have always supported and encouraged me.  I am relieved to know that these people will always be there for me and will continue to support and encourage me through my first years of teaching and beyond.  I can't wait to see what next year has in store and I can't wait to share my experiences and ideas in regards to teaching and math here!  

Bri had been fantastic and I am so glad that he has stuck around in Madison for the past few weeks.  I love having him around and I can't wait to apartment search in Chicago with him.  I am really excited about moving in with him and starting the next chapter of our relationship!  Plus, we make some darn good dinners.  Like this one! Quinoa and Spinach Stuffed Tomatoes.  We made a yummy quinoa and pesto mixture, stuffed some fresh tomatoes, baked them, and had one amazing, healthy, vegetarian, and gluten free meal! 

Quinoa and Spinach Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients:

8-10 medium tomatoes

1 cup quinoa, cooked according to directions

4 tbsp pesto (your favorite)

3 cups fresh spinach

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 and prepare the tomatoes.  Cut a circle into the tops of the tomatoes and scoop out the insides.  Place into a 13 by 9 inch pan.

2. Make quinoa according to directions.  Set aside.

3. Place minced garlic and about 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Toast garlic for a few minutes.  Add in spinach and saute until wilted.  Stir into the quinoa.  Add in the pesto and mozzarella and stir to combine.

4. Stuff tomatoes to the top with the quinoa mixture.  Sprinkle parmesan on top.  Cover the pan with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  

Enjoy :)

Foodie Friends Friday: Chocolate Ice Cream and Donuts

This week, Foodie Friends Friday is back!  This week is all about Sweet Treats!  Just follow the rules and link up your favorite ice cream recipes and doughnut recipes in honor of National Chocolate Ice Cream Day and National Doughnut Day! Also, host favorites will be featured on Daily Dish!  This week I'm linking up Ice Cream in a Bag, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Donuts, and Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts.

Top 3:

1. Chocolate Chip Cookies with Ice Cream

2. Frog Eye Fruit Salad

3. Delicious Potato Salad

Most Clicks:

1. Frog Eye Fruit Salad

2. Broccoli Salad

3. Delicious Potato Salad

And Host Favorites! 

Welcome to Foodie Friends Friday!

Please take a moment to read through the rules before getting started, Thank You!

*By linking up you agree that you read these rules and all photos/recipes are original and belong to you. You agree to allow Foodie Friends Friday and any of it's affiliated websites or publications (Social Girls Media, LLC) to use photos, links, and recipes for reprint and/or republishing and distribution without monetary compensation to you. If photos & recipes are used, proper link backs to you will be included.

Adding Links back to Foodie Friends Friday and our Button is our only form of advertising to bring in more people to see YOUR recipes.

Please remember to do this. It benefits you! To thank you, we will continue to feature those with links throughout the year on various outlets.

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Meet our Co-Hosts at Foodie Friends Friday:

  Now Let's meet our sponsor this week! *Giveaway Disclaimer: Facebook is in no way associated with this website or giveaway and holds no liability for this giveaway. "Liking" facebook pages is optional, not mandatory for entry. Sponsors will be responsible for shipping- if there is a delay or problem with prize, you must communicate directly with sponsor.

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Blueberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies--No Butter!

So I really like to bake and I haven't had a ton of time to do this this year because of teaching.  However, as the year winds down and we head into finals, I found myself with a little more time on my hands.  I think I also just felt more prepared in general when it came to teaching.  I have grown so much more confident and comfortable as the year has gone by and so last week, after ensuring I was ready with my review activities for my students, I made some cookies!

Also, as the year winds down, I have been wanting to go back and visit middle school.  So, yesterday when I did not have any finals to sit through, I drove over to the middle school and visited my students and cooperating teacher.  It was so wonderful to see all of them and it put this huge smile on my face.  As students entered the classroom they looked at me, looked slightly confused, and then smiled.  They all remembered me and wanted to know if I was back to teach them.  I explained that as a student teacher you do half your teaching in middle school and then half in high school and that now I was in high school.  They were still very excited to see me and I hung around to help out during class.  I also got expressions like, "Where did you go?", "Hey look, I'm taller than you now..." and, "How are you? Where are you gonna teach next year?"  It was so cool to chat with them.  They were the bunch that really taught me my first lessons about teaching and classroom management.  Plus, it was great to see the 8th grade team.  This group of teachers, especially my cooperating teacher, helped me to learn so much about myself, teaching, and working as a team.

After my visit, I returned to high school to get some work done and then it was back home, a nice 6 mile run, and then dinner with Bri.  Yesterday was such a great day and it makes me so excited to get grounded in my new school next year.  I can't wait to have those experiences every year as I meet new students, teachers, and make connections.

But back to those cookies, I made some Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies and I used Coconut Oil instead of butter! The result was one fantastic tasting cookie. I shared them with the teachers at high school and everyone was a big fan.  Plus, they were shocked to learn that there was not a single stick of butter in the batter!

Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
2/3 cup virgin coconut oil
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flours, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl, beat coconut oil with brown sugar until well combined.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla.  Slowly mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.  Stir in the blueberries and white chocolate chips.
4. Form 1 tbsp - 2 tbsp sized balls of cookie dough and place on prepared cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Cookies will start to brown around the bottom.  Let cool.

Enjoy :)