What's the Difference Between and Lemming and a Lemon?

One is a small mouse like rodent that lives in the tundra (and are mistakenly believed to commit mass suicide when their population gets too big by running off cliffs, thus the birth of "don't be a lemming"), and one is a delicious fruit!

Ok, I'm really grasping at straws here for a beginning to this blog post. This may not be my best segue ever, but I'm doing it anyway.

I've been loving lemons lately. So when I saw a recipe for Citrus and Olive Oil Cake I knew I had to try it!

Something went a little wrong when I made this cake. I'm not quite sure what it was? I may have not beaten the sugar and eggs enough, or I may have put a little too much baking powder in. All I know is my bundt cake did not "rise" to the occasion...but thankfully I didn't mess it up enough for it to taste bad. It actually tastes really good.

Citrus and Olive Oil Cake


You will need:

• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 cups plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp lemon zest
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2/3 cup milk
• 3 tbsp citrus flavored liqueur
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• about 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat pan with butter and then flour, tapping out any excess. Set prepared pan aside.

Beat eggs and sugar together in a large mixing bowl, on medium high speed, until pale yellow, about 1 minute. Add remaining 3 cups of flour, zest, milk, olive oil and liqueur and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Add baking powder and stir in.

Pour the batter into the bundt pan, smoothing out the top. Bake in oven for about 40 minutes, or until a wooden skewer comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely, in it's pan.

Mix together confectioners sugar and  lemon juice until it's a good glaze consistency. Pour over the top of the cake after it has cooled.

Cut yourself a slice of cake, pour yourself a glass of milk and enjoy:).

Source: slightly adapted from Around the Table

Swap Time!

This round was another SRC-style swap, hosted by A Taste of Home Cooking. I'd like to take a minute and just say that I give her so much credit for putting these together. It seems like an awfully big undertaking and a very big commitment. So thank you! I really enjoy doing the swaps and appreciate all the time and effort you put into them:).

This round I received Ommy Noms food blog. I was so excited when I got my e-mail and saw this because I have made a couple things off her blog before and had more recipes bookmarked to make. Perfect! After some serious deliberation I decided to make her recipe for Maple Oatmeal Pancakes. I've been loving pancakes lately. I'll make a large batch and wrap them by two's, and stick them in the freezer for a quick breakfast that doesn't have to taste quick!

I'm a breakfast lover, it's a necessity for me. I can never get away with skipping breakfast like some can, or only survive on a cup of coffee and a banana. I need food! So when I'm in a hurry, or a half asleep state, it's nice to know I've got delicious pancakes in the freezer- one minute away from my enjoyment.

Maple Oatmeal Pancakes


You will need:

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 quick cooking rolled oats
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 eggs

Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add milk, oil, eggs  and maple syrup, stir until fully combined. I also added 1 tbsp of flax meal to the batter.

Lightly oil a non stick skillet over medium high heat. Pour batter into skillet, 1/4 cup at a time. Turn when bubbles form on the surface. Cook until second side is browned.

And how can you forget the final step?: Smother them in real maple syrup...mmm :).

Makes about 7-8 pancakes.

It was hard not to eat all 7 or 8 in one sitting...but I managed to display some self control and put some away in my freezer :).

Source: Ommy Noms Adapted from Allrecipes

Keeping Your Heart Healthy

I'll be the first to admit that when I'm making a delicious dinner or decadent dessert "healthy" isn't always my first priority. I try to be more aware of the nutritional value of the foods we're eating, but other times I throw caution to the wind. Moderation is key ;).

It was when I saw this post over at The Jey of Cooking that I decided to make an earnest effort to make sure our dinners and snacks would be healthier, for real this time! (you've got to give me desserts though, I'm nothing without mascarpone cheese and fresh whipped cream :( ).

She'll be donating $1 to the American Heart Association for every entry of a heart healthy recipe in commemoration/celebration of her mom's heart transplant.

So here we go!

Grilled Chicken with Pineapple and Strawberry Salsa


You will need:

• 2 slices fresh pineapple, patted dry, about 1/2 in thick
• 1 cup whole strawberries, diced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion (I would omit this next time)
• 3 to 4 tbsp freshly chopped mint leaves (I used 1 tsp dried crushed mint leaves)
• 1 to 2 tsp sugar
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 medium lemon
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 4 ounces each) all visible fat discarded
• 2 tsp salt free steak seasoning blend ( I used Monteal spicy steak seasoning, but I don't believe it's salt free)
• 1/4 tsp salt (I omitted this because my steak seasoning was not salt free)

Preheat the grill on medium high. Brush a grill pan or grill rack with oil. Heat the grill pan or rack for two minutes. Grill the pineapple on each side for about 2 minutes. Transfer to the cutting board and let cool before chopping.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients except the lemon. Grate 1 tsp lemon zest, reserving the lemon. Stir the zest and chopped pineapple into the strawberry mixture. Set aside.

Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with seasoning and salt. Grill for 5 minutes on both sides, or until cooked through. Transfer to plates. Squeeze the reserved lemon over the chicken. Serve with salsa on the side.

We had the chicken with a spinach salad. Matt was not a fan of the salsa because of the onion, it was way too strong, and I agree. I would definitely omit it next time I make this. Otherwise he would have liked it and I would have enjoyed it a lot more. Also, I didn't halve my chicken breasts before grilling them on the grill pan. I grilled them and then just cut them in half. Next time, for the sake of saving grill time, I would halve them.

Overall it was very good, I really like the sweetness and freshness of the fruits with the mint over the spicy chicken. I loaded mine up with salsa since Matt didn't eat a lot of it:).

Source: slightly adapted from American Heart Association.

Calories Per Serving 191
Total Fat 3 g
Trans Fat 0.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Saturated Fat o.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat0.5 g
Sodium 223 mg
Fiber 2 g
Protein 27 g
Cholesterol 66 mg
Carbs 14 g
Sugar 10 g
Dietary Exchanges- 1 fruit, 3 very lean meat

This Isn't Just Any Ordinary Tuesday

Today marks my 100th post!

Sometimes when I think about it, it doesn't really seem like much. Then I think back to when I started this blog in June of 2011, and how I don't really stick with anything, and 100 posts seems pretty awesome!

I started this blog on a whim, not really knowing how I would go about anything, and not knowing how long it would last. Now that I've conquered 100 posts, and conquering 1 year is just around the corner, I have to say...I'm sort of proud of it:). I've had my ups and downs. I've contemplated ending the blog, I've wondered what's the point. At the end of the day I enjoy baking, cooking and sharing things I've tried and loved or liked...or hated with anyone who's interested. I think this blog is just as much for me as it is for anyone else.

So let's have a drink to 100 blog posts:).

Bananas Foster Smoothie

You will need:

• 1 very ripe banana
• 1 oz rum
• 1 oz Amaretto
• 1 cup milk
• 5 ice cubes
• 1 tbsp banana Smoothie mix (if you don't have this, you could sub in 6 oz of vanilla or banana yogurt or a scoop of vanilla ice cream)

Combine all ingredients in a blender, blend until very smooth. Serve in a tall glass, topped with whipped cream and a cherry.

This weekend I'll debut one of Matt's new concoctions. I'll warn you, it's potent :). 

Happy Pi Day!

Celebrate Pi Day!

Pi, Greek letter (), is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world on March 14th. Pi = 3.1415926535…

With the use of computers, Pi has been calculated to over 1 trillion digits past the decimal. Pi is an irrational and transcendental number meaning it will continue infinitely without repeating. The symbol for pi was first used in 1706 by William Jones, but was popular after it was adopted by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler in 1737

Source: piday.com

Remember back in the day, when your math teacher let everyone bring in pie on Pi Day (even in 6th grade when we didn't know have a clue what Pi was)? Just one big party, full of pie. It was awesome! Well, I thought I'd revisit my school years and make some pie in honor of Pi Day.

I was actually shocked when I went to Wegmans yesterday and all of their pie ingredients and frozen pies were on sale, some things were actually running though. I bet Pi Day rivals Presidents Day in sales...

This recipe doesn't require a lot of ingredients, or a lot of time. I bought everything premade because, let's be honest, I just wanted to eat pie as soon as possible.

Mini Cherry Pies ...wait for it....On A Stick!

You will need:

• 1 package pie crusts (2)
• can of desired pie filling
• lollipop sticks
• cookie cutter 

That's it!

Unwrap pie dough and roll your pin over it a couple time gently to smooth down the edges. Sprinkl some flour on one side and flip over. Take your cookie cutter and cut out as many shapes as you can, keeping them close together. 

Place the pieces down on your baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, alternating so you have room for the stick. Place a lollipop stick down on each piece.

I chopped up my filling a little before putting it in the pies because I chose cherry and the cherries were sort of big, I wanted to be able to fit enough inside. Place a small dollop of your filling in each pie, making sure to not get to close to the edge.

Place another piece over the filling and use a broken off, short piece, of a lollipop stick to press down the edges, sealing them completely. If you get a little oozing out, just wipe it up with a paper towel and continue sealing.

Brush the tops of each pie with egg whites. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. I kept mine in for the full length and maybe a minute longer.

I got 5 pies out of each circle of pie dough, without reusing the scraps to make more. I didn't know how well premade pie dough would hold up to that much kneading and rolling, but you could definitely do it and probably get 7 out of each circle.

How cute are these, right? I think they came out really well. To some the ratio of crust to filling is off for them, saying there isn't enough filling, but I thought it was perfect. This may be personal preference, or it was because I chopped the filling, so I was able to fit more inside. Also note that a few of the sticks seemed loose, so make sure when you're sealing your pies that you seal extra good around where the stick comes out of the bottom.

Perfect bite size pies!

These would be a great idea for a bridal shower favor, kids party or a baby shower! Especially because you can customize a little with the cookie cutter. You just want one that will have enough surface area to fit filling and be sealed.

Source: http://www.bakerella.com/easy-as-pie/

So there you have it, my pie on Pi Day :). Hope everyone has a great day, and remember, it's all thanks to this guy:

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Lemony Goodness

Do you want a simple, delicious, quick cookie? Ok great! Here's the perfect recipe for you:). I made these cookies per Stephs request and I'm really glad I did (Thank you Steph:)). They have the perfect amount of lemon flavor, are nice and chewy and it's pretty impossible to eat just one!

The original recipe calls for either agave nectar or honey. I happen to have a very large bottle of agave nectar from the last time it was on sale at Wegmans, so I used that. I still have some lemons left over so I may make a batch some time this week and use honey to see if there's much of a difference in taste. Also, half way through making these I realized with without the addition of eggs, these cookies are vegetarian (do vegetarians not eat eggs?) and could easily be made vegan with the substitution for the butter. More importantly it means you can safely eat all the unbaked dough you'd like! 

Chewy Lemon Snowdrops

You will need:

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
• zest of 2 lemons
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup agave nectar or honey
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• about 1 cup powdered sugar, for coating

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together flour and salt in a bowl and set aside.

In an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle, cream together butter, lemon zest, sugar and agave nectar (or honey). Mix until very smooth, about 3 minutes. Make sure to scrap down sides.

In a small cup combine the lemon juice and the baking soda. With the mixer on low, add in the flour mixture and the lemon mixture. Scrape down the sides and mix by hand to ensure that all ingredients are evenly distributed.

Roll the dough into balls, 1 inch in diameter.

Make sure to spray your hand with a little bit of cooking oil so the dough doesn't stick too much. I baked the 2 sheets separately, 13 minutes each.

Let cool on baking sheets for 5-10 minutes and transfer to rack. The original recipe has you toss them in a bowl of powdered sugar but I opted to sift the sugar over top of the cookies. Simply because they are still pretty soft at this point and I didn't want any breaking apart in my hands and...cause they look prettier this way:).

Now pour a glass of milk and devour these cookies!

Source: sophistimom

Pasta Swap!

Matt and I could pretty much live on pasta, so when I saw that this swaps topic was "pasta dishes" I was pretty stoked. I received a recipe for Penne with Arugula in a Tomato Cream Sauce from Delish. Can we say yum?

When it comes to pasta, most every dish is a hit in this house, and this one did not disappoint! I would make this again and again. The only change I made was to use spinach instead of arugula. This wasn't by choice. Wegmans was out of arugula. I guess that's what I get when I go grocery shopping at 1:00 in the morning, everything isn't necessarily stocked. I also followed the link to some tips for the recipe by Mary Beth and followed one by adding 2 tbsp of vodka to the sauce.

Penne with Arugula (or spinach) in a Tomato Cream Sauce


You will need:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 oz Pancetta thinly sliced and chopped
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 oz Baby Arugula, chopped
• 2 tbsp vodka
• salt and pepper
• 1 lb penne

Put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan heat oil on medium-high heat and saute the pancetta. When slightly browned and crisp, add the diced tomatoes. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the cream, blending it. Simmer another minute, and then add the arugula. Simmer until the arugula wilts, and season with salt and pepper.

When the pasta water is boiling, add the penne and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta. Serve the pasta topped with the sauce.

So good. Make this:).

Source: Delish