Autumn Minestrone Soup

Today is the first official day of winter break! I stuck to my typical schedule of going to boot camp class at 5:45 am because I figured it was good for me.  I know I'm a little crazy.  However, it was a nice way to start my day and now I have the whole day ahead of me!  

What is really weirding me out is the fact that it is raining...on December 21st...in Chicago.  What???

So, I figured it would be lovely to share this soup recipe with you all because it is a soup kinda day.  

I made this soup as part of Bri's and my vegetarian Thanksgiving.  This was just a dinner for the two of us where I went all out and made a ton of delicious vegetarian things.  This Autumn Minestrone was super easy to make and it was amazing!  If anyone else out there is looking out the window and thinking today is going to be one dreary Monday, make this soup!  It will totally brighten your day!

Autumn Minestrone Soup

(adapted from Cooking Classy)

Ingredients:

15 baby carrots, chopped

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups vegetable broth

2 - 2 1/2 cups 1 inch cubed sweet potato, peeled first

2 - 2 1/2 cups 1 inch cubed butternut squash

1 zucchini, quartered

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp cinnamon

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups kale and spinach mix

1 14.5 oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

parmesan for topping

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium and add in the carrots and onion.  Cook for about 5 minutes and then add in the garlic and cook for another minute.  

2. Add in the vegetable broth, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, zucchini, rosemary, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, and bay leaves.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and let simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes or until sweet potatoes can be pierced with a fork.  

3. Add in the kale/spinach and the kidney beans.  Cover and let cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Remove the bay leaves and serve with parmesan if you want!

Enjoy :)

Sweet Potato Black Bean Veggie Burgers with BBQ Caramelized Onions

I have a pretty sweet week at school right now.  I survived Monday.  We reviewed graphing quadratics and I had cheer practice after school.  And now I have Tuesday, which I am already all planned for!  Wednesday is Veterans Day and so we do not have school and then Friday is a Teacher Institute Day.  So, I only have two more days of teaching this week!  Crazy!

Today I went to my boot camp class in the morning.  It was super tough since I was still sore from my work out on Saturday.  This past weekend I was hanging out in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin with my bestie, Tamara.  She took me with her to her work out on Saturday morning.  Slow motion push-ups are officially my least favorite exercise.  They are weirdly easy at first, but then you feel like your arms might just fall off for the next three days...Then today we did SLOW MOTION PUSH UPS!  I couldn't believe it.  I'm half way through my boot camp class when the instructor told us that we were going to do them.  We have never done slow motion push ups before, but of course we did today.  Now, I can barely lift my arms above my head.  Ouch.  I guess the good news is that if I keep doing them I'll have awesome looking arms for my wedding dress :)

Sweet Potato Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Ingredients:
1 sweet potato
3 scallions
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp of cilantro
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 red pepper, chopped
3/4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 egg
8 whole wheat buns
cheese if you want (we used colby jack)
BBQ Caramelized Onions:
1 red onion, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
BBQ sauce, to taste

Directions:
1. Peel the sweet potato and use your food processor with a grate attachment to grate the sweet potato.  If you don't have this, you can use a cheese grater with the largest holes.  Place sweet potato pieces in a large bowl.
2. Put the black beans in the food processor and pulse a few times to mash the beans.  Add these to the bowl with the sweet potato.
3. Mix in the scallions, cilantro, cumin, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon, salt, red pepper pieces, and oats.  Stir well.
4. Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Mix the egg in with the other ingredients and place the mixture in the fridge to chill until the oven is ready.
6. Once ready, form 8 balls with the mixture and press into burger shaped rounds.  Place on baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes and then flip and bake for another 15 minutes.
7. For the caramelized onions, add onion slices, olive oil and bbq sauce to a pan.  Heat over medium until onion becomes translucent and soft.  Serve on top of burgers and feel free to add any other toppings!

Enjoy :)

Spicy Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers

Can you believe it is SEPTEMBER?!?!?

I can't.  It feels like I was just finishing up the last year of school.  I can't believe I am already into my third year of teaching!  School is going really well so far and I am having a great time getting to know my students.  I have high hopes for this year and I can't wait to see how it goes.

Since it is September, I figured we could celebrate with a fall-like veggie burger recipe.  Now, I don't want summer to end, but I feel like good food can help ease the transition.  Fortunately, the weather is still certainly summer-like.  I hope it stays that way for a while!  While, fall is nice, winter is the worst.

I LOVE The Kitchn.  It is a great site with tons of amazing recipes.  Also, I love that the recipes are super use friendly and they all come with tons of tips, variations, and explanations.  I found this Sweet Potato Veggie Burger on their site and then I just changed small tidbits based on what I love and what we had in our fridge!  Please head over to the site for the recipe!

I made the sweet potato patties according to the directions, but here are the few things I added/changed.
1. I did not chop the sunflower seeds.  I wanted a bit of a crunch in there, so I left them whole.
2. I also used my food processor with a grater attachment to grate the sweet potato.  This made things go super quickly!  Then, I simply added the beans to the food processor and pulsed to combine.
3. Finally, for my toppings, I used some sliced tomato, sliced avocado, spicy cheddar cheese (sliced), and BBQ sauce.

Holy moly it was delicious!

Enjoy :)

Apricot and Brie Stuffed Sweet Potato with an Egg

Every day, I take the train to school, then I take the train home, then I work out.  After all of this, the last thing I want to do is spend a ton of time cooking.  In fact, I'm usually so hungry that I just want to eat the first edible thing in sight.  I decided to buy some sweet potatoes after seeing some examples of stuffed potatoes on other blogs and making up some easy dinner recipe!  Here it is!

This stuffed sweet potato was absolute delish!  It has brie, apricot preserves, an over-easy egg, and a bit of hot sauce drizzled on top.  It was so freakin amazing that I couldn't wait to share!

Apricot and Brie Stuffed Sweet Potato with an Egg

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato

1 egg

2 tbsp apricot preserves

2 tbsp sliced brie cheese

2 tsp Frank's Hot Sauce

pepper

Directions:

1. Microwave your sweet potato for 5 minutes or until it can easily be pierced with a fork.  Cut the sweet potato down the middle.

2. Spread the apricot preserves on the inside of the sweet potato and place the cheese along the middle.  This will allow it to melt a little while you cook the egg.

3. In a pan, cook your egg to perfection and then place in the middle of the sweet potato.  

4. Top everything with a few drizzles of hot sauce and some fresh black pepper.

Enjoy :)

One Pot Vegetarian Sweet Potato Breakfast Skillet

I had to post this because so many people were asking about the recipe! This "breakfast for dinner" dish was outstanding and one of the more attractive meals I have put together.

This week was the first week after the marathon where I sorta felt like I was all better again.  I started running again, I felt more positive about teaching, and I got back to cooking!  I was in a bit of a post-marathon funk for a while and it felt really good to be back to myself!

Bri and I didn't have any plans this weekend and it has been so nice just relaxing!  Last weekend, I went to a math conference and didn't really feel like I had any weekend time!  However, it was a really cool conference and I already started using a bunch of the ideas I learned from it in my own classroom.  For example, I taught this fun lesson about a Giant Gummy Bear!  The video is really cute and my students did a great job with the lesson.  Besides teaching and running, I made some amazing meals that I am really excited to share here!

One Pot Vegetarian Sweet Potato Breakfast Skillet
(adapted from Cookie Monster Cooking)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes (I left the skins on)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup pepper jack cheese
4 eggs
2 green onions (optional)
1 avocado (optional)
siracha sauce (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add in sweet potatoes, paprika, cumin, salt, and cayenne and toss to combine.  Cover and let cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Pour in the veggie broth, stir, and then cover again for about 10 minutes or until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.  You may need to add more broth so that the potatoes don't stick.  Stir every 2-3 minutes to check.
2. Once potatoes are done, sprinkle the cheese over the tops.  Then, create 4 spaces and crack the eggs into them.  Cover and let the eggs cook for 5-6 minutes or until your eggs are done the way you like.
3.  To serve, cut up the green onion and sprinkle over the top.  Serve with avocado slices and a little siracha.

Enjoy :)

Vegetable Pot Pie with Sweet Potato Biscuits

Here I am again on a Sunday where I actually get a moment to breathe.  However, this Sunday has been particularly busy since I have so much to do!  I can't believe I've gotten so busy!  This coming week of school will actually be my first week with 5 days of teaching.  Sorta funny isn't it?  We started with a 3 day week, then there was Labor Day and that meant a 4 day week, and then we had a full week with assessment days so I really only taught 4 days.  This week, however, is totally normal.

I have a lot planned for this week and I spent the entire morning typing out my lesson plans, printing off exit tickets, and uploading warm ups and other activities to my school account.  I feel pretty prepared and that makes me feel good.  Also, I like planning an entire week at a time because it ensures that I know where the students are going during the week and where they should be by the end of the week.  This isn't to say that I'm not open to changing my lessons as I go along.  I am constantly adapting plans and changing them from class to class or day to day.  What works in one class may not work in another and that means I have to be flexible.  Lately, I have also been getting visitors in my classes.  My Division Chair has observed a few of my classes and this week the teacher in charge of the mentor program is coming to observe.  This added feedback makes me feel stressed out, but it is very helpful and I keep telling myself to stay calm and open minded.  I can't wait to see how everything goes!

The meal I have to share today was made a while ago, but it was super yummy and I just couldn't forget about it.  I was craving comfort food, Bri is a vegetarian, and I wanted to make something that would last a while.  So, I found this awesome recipe for a Vegetarian Pot Pie, I adapted it to be lightened up, and I made the Sweet Potato Biscuits to go on top.  It was a delicious casserole meal and it was jam packed with veggies!

Vegetable Pot Pie with Sweet Potato Biscuits

Ingredients:
Sweet Potato Biscuits:
1 medium sweet potato
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
7 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 cup skim milk
Pot Pie:
1 1/2 lbs. brussel sprouts, cleaned, trimmed, and cut in half
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 lb. pearl onions, blanced and peeled
1 heal cauliflower, cut into 1 inch pieces
22 sage leaves
8 thyme sprigs
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 1/2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cream
nutmeg
1 egg

Directions:
1. Prepare the sweet potato biscuits: Microwave the sweet potato on high until it can be easily pierced with a fork.  Peel the potato and mash into a bowl.  Set aside.
2. Pour the vinegar into the bottom of a liquid measuring cup.  Fill with milk until you reach the 1 cup line.  Let sit for 5 minutes (this is a buttermilk substitute).  
3. In a food processor, process the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Continue to pulse as you add in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.  Add in the sweet potato and then slowly pour in the buttermilk until the mixture forms into a ball.
4.  Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface until 1/2 inch thick.  Use a cookie cutter or biscuit cutter to cut out 12 circles.  Re-roll the dough as needed. Set circles aside.

5. Prep all the veggies. To blanch the onions, let them boil in water for 3 minutes.  Drain and remove skins.
6. Preheat oven to 425.  Place cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and onions in a 13 by 9 inch pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Add 6 sage leaves and 4 thyme sprigs.  Let roast in the oven for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven, throw away sage/thyme and reduce the oven heat to 375.

7. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, onion, 6 sage leaves, and 2 thyme sprigs.  Let simmer, covered for 15 minutes.  Strain the milk into a bowl, discard the onion, sage, and thyme.
8. In the same saucepan, melt the butter.  Add the flour and whisk over medium heat for 2 minutes.  Add in the milk and continue to whisk until mixture thickens, 10-15 minutes.  Chop two sage leaves and the remaining two thyme sprigs.  Add the chopped sage, thyme, and cream to the milk mixture.  Season with nutmeg.  Pour over the veggies in the 13 by 9 inch pan.  Add in the frozen peas.

9.  Place the 12 un-cooked biscuits over the vegetable mixture.  Press 1 sage leaf into each biscuit.  In a small bowl, beat the egg and then brush a little over each biscuit.  Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes or until biscuits are lightly browned and puffy.

Enjoy :)

Sweet Potato Encrusted Chicken Fingers

I just had the most overwhelming weekend of my life.  I graduated from the best school ever and on Sunday when I realized I was an official college graduate, I freaked out a little.  I felt very overwhelmed by how many goodbyes I had to say and very nervous by how little I know about my future.  I know that these are perfectly normal emotions, but it doesn't make it any easier to process all this.  I am glad that Bri is hanging with me now that he is all done and graduated too.

When I woke up Sunday and I couldn't decide if I was happy or if I was about to burst into tears, I went for a run.  I love running and it always helps me to think and clear my head.  On my run, my very smart and impressive friend, Katie, called and we talked a little about this whole graduation thing.  She made me feel much better.  I am always so impressed by her grace and ability to say the perfect thing.  She told me that while she was studying abroad in Spain she had a postcard with this quote: "Adventure may hurt, but Monotony will kill you."  This is so true.  While I may be terrified about the future, I am also excited about what it will bring.  As a math teacher, I want so badly to "change the world" and enable all students to succeed.  I want to contribute to my school and community, I want to inspire students to become passionate learners, I want to do everything I can to embody everything I love about education and teaching.  

I know that by focusing on my passions and ensuring that I am happy and calm, I can focus my time and energy into these goals.  Therefore, I run and I cook.  Right now, while watching Indiana Jones, I am also planning some meals for Bri and I to cook together and considering my lessons for this week.  I ran 9 miles this morning because it made me feel amazing and helped me refocus.  I lost sight of my passions and purpose for a bit because of my fear, but by realizing this, I know that I can be successful with whatever the future throws my way. 

Oh, and by the way, my Half Marathon is NEXT WEEKEND! It's on this coming Sunday! Woah! How did that happen?  I feel pretty darn ready and excited about it.  My family is coming back up for another fun filled weekend and my runner besties will be back in town to run with me.  So, I guess a bunch of those sad goodbyes were really "see you soons."  I can handle that for now.  Today I have a fun and cute party recipe because now that I've graduated, I gotta party a little! Enjoy these homemade chicken fingers! 

Sweet Potato Encrusted Chicken Fingers

Ingredients:

14 oz chicken strip pieces

2 cups crushed sweet potato chips

2 eggs

2 tbsp mustard

2 tbsp honey or agave nectar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

2. In a small bowl, beat eggs with the mustard and honey.  Place crushed chips in a wide bowl.

3.  Dip the chicken in the egg mixture and then roll in the sweet potato chips.  Place on pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes depending on how thick your chicken strips are.  Serve with BBQ Sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.

Enjoy :)

Farmer's Market Veggie Burgers with Chipotle Avocado Sauce

I have another great Kosher for Passover recipe and it's vegetarian! Bri and I recently went to the Soulard Farmers Market and we got: sweet potatoes, spinach, red peppers, onions, avocados, and a chipotle spice mix.  We then, made some Homemade Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers with a Chipotle Avocado Cream Sauce.  This was some delicious food and to keep the veggie burgers together we used a little quinoa and eggs.  Everything is Gluten Free and everything is healthy! It was an amazing meal and definitely a great option for your vegetarians on Passover!

I am also on Spring Break and so in between Passover Seders and getting some much needed sleep, I'm doing a lot of running, cooking, and applying for jobs.  So relaxing? It's a tad stressful, but I'm glad I have all this time to get some applications complete.  Anyone hiring teachers in the Chicago-land area?  I'm pretty good...and I make a mean veggie burger!

Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers with Avocado Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
For the Burgers:
2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 red peppers, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1/2 lb. fresh spinach
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tsp chile power
2 eggs, lightly beaten

For the Avocado Sauce:
3 small avocados, peeled and sliced
1 packaged chipotle spice seasoning (about 2 tbsp)
1 cup non-fat greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
1/2 fresh lime juice

Directions:
1. Cook quinoa according to directions and set aside.
2. Place sweet potato slices in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 7 minutes or until you can pierce the pieces with a fork.  Smash sweet potatoes with a fork.
3. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan.  Place in minced garlic and onion.  Sautee until onion starts to become translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add in red pepper and wine.  Let cook until wine mostly evaporates, about 10 minutes.  Add in spinach and stir until wilted.  Season with salt, pepper and chile powder.
4.  Stir the sweet potato with the veggie mixture.  Add in the cooked quinoa and stir to combined. Stir in the eggs until mixture is well combined.
5.  In a non-stick skillet, form veggie burgers and cook for about 4 minutes on each side.  Burgers will be lightly browned and should stay together when flipped.
6. To make the sauce, puree the avocado in a food processor until creamy.  Stir in greek yogurt and spices.  Stir in the lime juice and serve with the burgers.

Enjoy :)

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Peas with a Baslamic Sage Brown Butter and Goat Cheese Sauce

Bri was still on break for my first week back to school.  So, he came up to Madison with me and it was great!  We had a lot of fun hanging out together after school/work and it was nice to have the company since Madison is so dead right now with Winter Break still going on.  During the days, I had school and work so Bri worked a ton on his thesis.  It worked out perfectly that he had so much to do because I was so busy all day long.  However, at night we were able to get in some really fun activities around Madison!

On Tuesday, Bri got into town pretty late so he got a bite to eat at Potbelly's and then we discovered a new frozen yogurt place called Cherry Berry.  It was pretty awesome and it's really close (too close) to where I am teaching.

The next night, we made dinner and dessert. It was a really nice time.  The dinner we made was Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Peas in a Brown Butter Balsamic and Sage sauce and then for dessert, Creme Brulee. Everything was delicious and people thought it was our anniversary or something.  Nope, just Wednesday night.

On Thursday, we went to Ella's Deli for dinner on the way to the movie theater.  We saw Les Mis.  It was fantastic.  It is my favorite musical to begin with and now I can watch it whenever I want.  Anne Hathaway truly deserves her Oscar nomination.  I bawled my eyes out at the end and was a tad embarrassed leaving the theater looking like a splotchy mess.  We were able to make it to the 6 p.m. movie time, which was great since it was almost 3 hours long and I was exhausted after my long day of teaching/work.

Friday was when Bri had to leave to get back to Chicago before his long drive back to school so we went to Panera for a quick lunch between school and work and then it was time to say goodbye.  It was really nice having him around for the week.  It felt like a little preview of what next year could be like with me teaching and him in law school.

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Peas with Balsamic Sage Brown Butter Sauce and Goat Cheese
(adapted from Aida Mollenkamp)

Ingredients:
1 16 oz package Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Gnocchi
3/4 cup frozen peas
2 oz. goat cheese
4 tbsp unsalted butter
12-16 sage leaves
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 shallots, chopped
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1.  Cook the gnocchi according to the directions.  Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
2. Cook the peas according to directions and add to the gnocchi.
3.  In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  When it starts to foam, add in the sage leaves and cook for a few minutes.  Remove the leaves and place them in the gnocchi bowl.  Return the butter to the stove and add in the shallots.  Cook until butter browns, stirring often.  Scrape the brown bits from the bottom and remove from heat.  Stir in the balsamic and pour over the gnocchi.
4.  Top with goat cheese and season with the pepper to taste.  Toss everything together and serve!

Enjoy :)

Charleston, SC Day 3

After my run in the morning, we lounged around before heading into Charleston for our cooking class at Charleston Cooks!  This place is a fantastic cooking store that also hosts demonstation and participation cooking classes.  The participation classes were totally booked, but we were able to get a spot in one of the demonstration classes.  It was a fabulous time!  We watched Chef Marcus cook up some Shrimp and Grits and Upside Down Apple Cupcakes.  Everything was fabulous and we even got a glass of wine with our food!  It was so much fun.  Also, I learned some fun times on how to hold a knife, how to cut an onion, and tons of fun facts about eggs and baking!  It was really cool!

After our class, we walked around the Market for a bit before dinner at Slightly North of Broad.  This place books up fast and if you don't have a reservation you can just forget it...however, we were able to walk in right at 5 when their bar opened and put our name in for one of the few tables they keep open for walk ins.  The table we ended up at was actually the "chefs table" where you eat your dinner while watching all the action go down in the kitchen.  It was pretty cool.  Also, the food was fabulous! Oh my was it delicious!  My dad got the tilefish (the special), my mom and I split a pear salad and flounder dish, and Zack and Bri got the gnocchi.

The Grits on the Side 

Butternut Squash Custard on the Side

Following dinner, we were too full for dessert (which was hard to walk away from...) and we went to a fun bar down the street to watch the end of the Packers game.  We are pretty avid Bears fans, being from Chicago, but we needed the Packers to win in order for the Bears to go to the playoffs.  The bar we found was called Mac's and was a great find since it was a "midwest bar" that specialized in hosting midwest and big 10 games.  It was really cool to see so many Wisconsin-ites and Chicago-ans in Charleston!  Unfortunately for the Bears, the Packers lost.  So, we decided to comfort ourselves with some ice cream (we were feeling less full at this point).

We drove to the Marble Slab Creamery (I even found a groupon!), which was known for some of the best ice cream in Mt. Pleasant.  We had amazing creations and proceeded to feel crazy full once again.  It was awesome.  My dad also got ice cream, but ate it before I got a picture...Here are some of the treats we indulged in:

Birthday Cake Ice Cream with Twix, Cookie Dough,
and Fudge (Zack's)

Red Velvet Ice Cream with Brownies and Fudge (mine)

Coffee Ice Cream with Health and Snickers (mom's)

Now it's time to digest and play Hoopla!  Good night!

Roasted Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts

This semester has been so hectic for me.  When I saw that I had a chance to leave for a weekend, I got really excited! I decided to visit Bri in St. Louis for the weekend and it worked out that my best friend, Michael's group would have their fall show while I was in town! In order to get in at a good time, I was going to have to leave pretty early on Friday.  So, I drove to Chicago Thursday night to see my family acapella because then I would be able to leave earlier on Friday and have a slightly shorter drive.  Plus, I really wanted to see my parents!

Thursday was great!  After my Methods class, I drove home.  As soon as I got home, we went out to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and then had Swirlcup for dessert.  It was a great evening and I really loved getting to see my parents.  My mom and I watched Grey's Anatomy and Glee and I was able to pick up some stuff that I needed to take back to school.

Friday morning, I woke up and went for a great 5 mile run, showered, and then got ready to get on the road to St. Louis.  I arrived around 3:30 and then Bri and I met up with his friends around 5:30 for dinner at the Fountain.  This is Bri's favorite restaurant.  They have great food and amazing desserts.  Bri tried their Thin Mint Martini which is made with mint ice cream and I had the NuttyIrishman for my dessert.  Coffee ice cream, hot fudge, and pecans.  Yum!  It was a really fun evening.  I can't wait for tomorrow!

Today's recipe is all about veggies.  It is a fantastic side dish and will look great on the holiday table.  I made this for my sister's Thanksgiving, but I'm probably going to be making it again for my Aunt's Christmas party.  I found a recipe on the Food Network that was all about roasting potatoes and then I adapted it to incorporate brussel sprouts as well.  Brussel sprouts are great because they are in season and they add awesome color to your dish.  This dish was super yummy and a huge hit!

Roasted Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts (adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients:
3 lbs. russet potatoes
3 lbs. red potatos
4 lbs. sweet potatoes
5 lbs brussel sprouts
3-4 tbsp canola oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
3 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.  Wash the potatoes and chop into 2-inch thick pieces.  Place in a pot, cover with water and let boil for 10 minutes.  Drain potatoes and spread them out on a baking pan in one layer.  Drizzle 2 tbsp of canola oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss the potatoes to combine and then spread them back out. Place in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until potatoes are crisp.
3.  Wash the brussel sprouts and cut off the white ends.  Remove any yellow leaves.  Place on another baking sheet in one layer and drizzle the rest of the canola oil, salt, and pepper over the sprouts.  Toss the combine.  Place in the oven for about 30 minutes or until sprouts get crispy.
4.  While your veggies are roasting, mix the butter with the parsley, thyme, and rosemary.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Place in a container and refrigerate until you are ready to serve the dish.
5.  When the veggies are done, place in your serving dish.  When ready to serve, make sure they are warm and then drop spoonfuls of the butter into the veggies so that it melts.  Toss to combine and serve!

Enjoy :)

Sweet Potato Pie

So, I know that everyone is probably suffering from some sort of food coma today, but I just had to share this fun recipe that is perfect for Thanksgiving or the Holidays.

Also, I am not suffering from a food coma.  Don't get me wrong, I went to a great Thanksgiving dinner.  First, Bri and I stopped over at his families thanksgiving dinners for a few hours and then we made our way over to my sister's house for my family's thanksgiving dinner.  It was so nice to see everyone.  I haven't been home with family since the summer and this was just amazing to be around everyone once again.  Plus, I got to meet my new baby nephew who is just the cutest thing ever! The food was delicious and the company was even better.

I ate a ton, however, after dinner, Bri, me and my brother Zack went home around 8 and then I took a "nap" from about 9:30 to 11:30.  Then, we got in the car with my mom and drove over to the mall for Black Friday shopping that started at midnight.  The entire mall was opened and we got some great deals at a bunch of stores.  I made a killing at the Limited and seriously stocked up on some much needed teacher clothes.  I am totally ready for interviews and high school.  I also was able to get a bunch of presents as well as a new pair of cute shoes! I just love Black Friday.  The mall was busier than I have ever seen before and they were playing music throughout the stores.  It was so much fun.  We got home a little after 3 and went back to sleep.

Now, I am writing this after sleeping in later than I have in ages (9...woah) and deciding whether or not I should go shopping again.  I do need a bunch of groceries so Super Target is currently calling my name.  I am also planning on a great lunch at Portillos and then an evening out with my friends.  I can't wait for another lovely day of break!

Sweet Potato Pie (adapted from All Recipes)

 Ingredients:
1 pound sweet potatoes
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup half and half
2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp vanilla
1 9-inch pie crust (recipe-I left out the lemon juice for this pie and added a dash of cinnamon)

Directions:
1.  If you are making the pie crust, you can follow the recipe link and do this a day or two in advance.  Then, just leave the dough out to soften a bit and then roll out into a circle, 12 inches in diameter and place in your pie dish.  Fold dough over the side a bit and then take off any excess dough.  Place in fridge until ready to use.
2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3.  Microwave the sweet potato until it can be easily pierced with a fork, about 5-6 minutes.  Remove the skins and then mash the sweet potato.
4.  In a large bowl, beat the mashed sweet potato with the butter until well combined.  Beat in the sugar and brown sugar until well combined and then the half and half and eggs.  Mix in the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla.  Pour the filling into your prepared pie dish.
5.  Bake the pie for 60 minutes or until sides and middle are firm.  Let cool and top with whipped cream.

Enjoy :)

Foodie Friends Friday October 12 Linky Party

It's time for another Foodie Friends Friday and today I am linking up a fantastic recipe for Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls! Check out some great recipes and remember to come back and vote on Sunday!

Onto the business/fun stuff! Last week three lucky winners won cute foodie headbands from The Lovebug Collection!

And here are the winner's from last week's party!

Most Votes:

1. PB&J Poke Cake

2. Zombie Eyeballs

3. LEMONLICIOUS

Most Clicked:

1. Pepper Jelly Turkey Meatballs with Confetti Rice

2. Gingerbread Pumpkin Cheesecake

3. PB&J Poke Cake

This week is sponsored by Clean Mama Printables and three randomly picked, lucky winners will win an Organized Kitchen Label Kit!

But first, here are this week's co-hosts:

Foodie Friends Friday http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com

Tracy at Busy Vegetarian Mom http://www.busyvegetarianmom.com

Robyn's View http://www.robynsviewathome.blogspot.com

Marlys at This and That  http://marlys-thisandthat.blogspot.com/

Lois at  Walking on Sunshine http://wifeofthecolonel.blogspot.com/

Lindsey at Family Food Finds  http://www.familyfoodfinds.com

Cindy at Cindys Recipes and Writings  http://www.cindysrecipesandwritings.com

Michelle at  From Calculus to Cupcakes http://www.fromcalculustocupcakes.com

Cynthia at Feeding Big  http://www.feedingbig.blogspot.com

Jodie at Binomial Baker http://www.binomialbaker.blogspot.com

R Dawn at Spatulas on Parade http://www.spatulasonparade.blogspot.com

Angie at A lil Country Sugar http://www.alilcountrysugar.blogspot.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

This week I got to go caving with my 8th graders! That's right, I the BinomialBaker, crawled through a cave.  In science, the 8th graders are learning about caves and so we take a trip to Eagle Cave to explore.  It was a great trip where we got to "free cave" for about 2 hours and then also had an hour for a "dark experience" where we had to walk through an area of the cave in complete darkness and nothing but a rope keeping us together.  I had a blast!

I was really nervous about this experience, but it was "challenge by choice" and I chose to challenge myself.  I was pretty scared of the dark experience, but I sucked it up and had a great time with the kids.  I also went for the bear squeeze, which was terrifying, but rewarding when I was able to make it through!  I got to know a bunch of new kids and I was able to get closer to kids from my class.  We had a great day caving and then got Culver's on the way back! I felt a little like an 8th grader myself!

Now, I am bumped and bruised and the entire left side of my body is really sore, but it was so worth it! Plus, I have a great comforting fall recipe to share today.  It is the perfect treat for breakfast, or anytime!  I made Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls and after a crazy day in the cave, it was great to warm up with a yummy cinnamon roll and watch some TV to give my aching body a little break.

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls (adapted from A Full Measure of Happiness)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup skim milk, warmed (I microwaved it for 1 minute)
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp low-sugar maple syrup
1 cup mashed sweet potato (I microwaved a medium-large sweet potato for 6 minutes then peeled it and mashed it)
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp egg whites
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp unsalted butter
cinnamon and sugar

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz low-fat cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. Mix warm milk, yeast, and maple syrup together in a small bowl and set to the side until it becomes bubbly, about 7-8 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, beat the sweet potato, egg whites, olive oil, 1 cup of flour, and salt.
3. Mix in the yeast combination until well combined, and then mix in the rest of the flour until just combined.  Switch to a dough hook and knead for about 8 minutes.  The mixture will form into a ball, but it will still be sticky.  Cover the dough with a towel and let rise for about 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
4. Place the dough on a clean and lightly floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle about 4 inches wide and 18 inches long.  Melt the butter and then drizzle over the dough so that it covers all of it except for about 1/2 inch around the sides.  Sprinkle a good about of sugar and then cinnamon over the dough.
5. Starting with one of the long edges, roll the dough tightly until you get close to the other side.  Take the other side and wrap over the top of the rolled dough.  Cut into about 12 pieces and place in 2 round pans.  Cover the pans and let the rolls rise for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for about 15 minutes.
7.  Drizzle with your favorite glaze, or make this fantastic cream cheese frosting to slather on top: mix the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until well combined and creamy.  Spread over the warm rolls!

Enjoy!

This recipe featured on Foodie Friends Friday!

Daring Bakers' September Challenge: Empanadas

Patri of the blog, Asi Son Los Cosas, was our September 2012 Daring Bakers’ hostess and she decided to tempt us with one of her family’s favorite recipes for Empanadas! We were given two dough recipes to choose from and encouraged to fill our Empanadas as creatively as we wished!

I startled looking through tons of recipes for Empanadas.  I knew that I wanted to make a vegetarian one and I also knew that I wanted to make a whole wheat dough.  After lots of searching, I decided to combine some of my favorite tastes and make something fantastic.  I was inspired by Naturally Ella's recipe, and I adapted from there.   Also, I used the recipe for the dough that was provided from Patri and just used whole wheat flour! 

Sweet Potato Caramelized Onion Goat Cheese Empanada

Ingredients:

Dough Ingredients:
5-1/3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups lukewarm water
1 satchel (1 tbsp) dry yeast
2 tsp salt

4 tbsp canola oil
olive oil, to brush over pre-baked dough

Filling:
2 tbsp (divided) extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 large white onion, coarsely chopped into strips
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
2 cloves garlic
1 cup water
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup fresh cilantro
2 tsp chipotle powder
salt and pepper, to taste
paprika
8 oz goat cheese (I used cranberry cinnamon)

Directions:
1. Make the dough: Mix flour and yeast together and create a hole in the middle of the mixture.  Measure out the water and mix in the salt.  Pour the warm salt water into the hole in the flour and mix to combined.  Knead dough for about 8 minutes or until rough and elastic.  Clean out the bowl, cover with oil, and place dough in the bowl.  Cover witha  a towel and let rest/rise for about 1 hour, or until the dough is about doubled in size.
2. While the dough is rising, make the filling: In a medium saucepan, place 1 tbsp oil, onions, brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp chipotle powder.  Heat over medium, toss to combine, and then let cook, covered for 30 minutes or until onions are caramelized.  Stir the onions ever 5-10 minutes.  

3.  In another large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat and sauté the peppers and garlic until peppers start to look translucent, about 4-5 minutes.  Next, add in the sweet potatoes and the water.  Continue to cook, stirring once in a while until potatoes are cooked and can be pierced with a fork.  Add in the beans, cilantro, caramelized onions, chipotle powder, and season with salt and pepper.   Remove from heat and let cool.

4.  Once your dough has risen, place it on a floured surface and divide in half..  Roll out half the dough into a rectangle about 1 foot by 2 feet.  Spray a large pan or baking sheet with oil and place dough on the baking sheet.  Make sure the dough covers the bottom and goes up the sides.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Next, take the goat cheese and sprinkle crumbles over the dough.  Pour the filling onto the dough.  Roll out the other half of dough so that it covers the top and goes a little over the edges. Pull the edges together and roll to make sure they stay together.  You can cut off any extra dough and use it to make cool designs (I did a J for Jodie :)).  Sprinkle more paprika on the top and then, using a fork, pierce the dough is several places so that the fork goes all the way through the top to the bottom.  Brush the top of the dough with olive oil.

5.  Preheat oven to 400 and let your empanada bake for about 30 minutes or until crust is golden.  Using a spatula, make sure the bottom is cooked as well.  Serve with salsa or other dipping sauces and...

Enjoy :)