I’m loving the trend of more and more food bloggers periodically featuring their favorite products, so I’ve decided to jump on the bandwagon and write a post about my own current obsessions every so often as well. I think I’ll do it whenever I have five goodies I can’t wait to tell you about! Of course, some items will be foodie related, but I also plan to touch on other topics too.

1. Let’s start with makeup! Apolinaras likes to joke that Sephora and Harbor Freight Tools, are our respective candy stores. I prefer a natural look, but I kind of love makeup and finding new HG (Holy Grail!) products. I usually just order things online, because I like reading product reviews, but I finally got myself to the store so I could get color matched for the Make Up For Ever foundation I’ve been wanting to try well, forever. I’m so glad I finally did! The HD Invisible Cover Foundation blends beautifully and feels light but evens things out really nicely. It lasts all day, and I’ve had no issues with shine. I will definitely be repurchasing this one.

2. I also went ahead and got the Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder. I do think it “adds a soft-focus effect to the complexion”. Can’t beat that! I already have a primer and Kabuki brush that I like, but you can also get a well-priced starter kit that contains both these items and the foundation and powder.

3. I just finished Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, the CEO of Facebook, who is pioneering a movement to encourage women to Lean In to their careers and become leaders in their chosen fields. This book struck several chords with me. Even though there are many women getting PhDs and doing postdocs in biomedical research, there still are not many women in tenure track academic positions. For example, all the professors in two of the three departments our lab is a part of, besides my boss, are men. The challenges women face are rarely acknowledged or discussed, and we are, unfortunately, losing some wonderful highly-trained scientists. This needs to change, and reading this book is a good start! I could go on awhile and gush about each chapter in the book, but instead I’ll just encourage you to read it! What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

4. I looove these cute Baby Bjorn bibs. They are made of silicone and have a deep pocket at the bottom that catches all the food that doesn’t quite make it in Miss Greta’s mouth. The straps are adjustable so we should get a lot of use out of them, and best of all, you can wipe them clean with a damp paper towel or just pop them in the dishwasher after each use – genius!

5. Finally, remember when I mentioned how much we loved the yogurt in New Zealand and wished we were we able to get some here in the States? Well, someone must have been reading my blog, because a New Zealand style yogurt is now available here! The lovely folks at Koru are making a New Zealand style yogurt in Kansas. It has an amazing smooth texture, a touch of cream, and really delicious fruit flavors like passion fruit, mango, peach, pomegranate cherry, and strawberry goji. They are so good that I enjoyed them for dessert a couple days.

Koru yogurt is currently only available in the Northeast and Great Lakes region, but hopefully will be in more locations soon. I have 10 coupons for free yogurt that I’d like to send on to two readers who will be able to try all five flavors for free! I’ll send them to the first two people who request them in the comments section below. Please check to see if you are close to one of these stores before commenting.

I really enjoyed mixing things up with this post! Do you have any favorite finds or book recommendations?

The fine print: Koru sent me complimentary yogurt to try, but my opinions are my own, of course.

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This post is a little overdue, but better late than never. Here’s my favorite picture from Greta’s 7 month birthday a few weeks ago. I still can’t believe she spontaneously posed like this, and I managed to catch the shot!

And here’s our little cutie with Apolinaras.

Her sixth month was filled with some fun firsts, including our first jog in the running stroller (she inevitability falls asleep after a mile or so).

And first swimming lesson! She just loves splashing around in the water like her mommy and daddy. We also moved her up to her convertible car seat because she was getting too tall for her infant seat and dropped her crib down because she started pulling herself up on her knees! She has been giggling nonstop when we play peek-a-boo and is enjoying tons of new solids. She especially loves feeding herself baby crackers called mum-mums. She lights up and kicks her feet in anticipation when she sees the package!

Like mother, like daughter – I lit up the other day when I bought our first bunch of spring asparagus! I promptly used it in this lovely quinoa dish. I also stirred in chicken sausage, feta, and sun dried tomatoes, and added a little red wine vinegar for some tang. I made a big batch of this on Sunday and enjoyed it for lunches all week – yum!

Spring Quinoa with Roasted Asparagus
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Roasted Asparagus:
2 pounds asparagus, tough ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Quinoa:
2 cups quinoa
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup crumbled feta
1 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
1 pound chopped chicken sausage, cooked in a skillet until browned

Directions:
Heat oven to 400˚F. Place asparagus on a large baking sheet and drizzle evenly with olive oil and salt. Roast asparagus for 13 to 17 minutes at 400˚F or until tender.

Meanwhile, to make the quinoa, place quinoa and chicken stock in a large stockpot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed and quinoa is soft.

Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl and stir in olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt until well combined; stir in the roasted asparagus, feta, sun dried tomatoes, and browned chicken sausage. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition: 523 calories, 21.5g fat, 7.5g fiber, 26.7g protein per serving
Cost: $2.38 per serving

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I’m finally feeling like I can relax a bit and turn away from the news. Much love to Boston and all the incredible law enforcement officers who worked so hard to keep us safe this last week.

I also got back in the kitchen on Sunday night, because I had volunteered to make a dessert for a coworker’s birthday. Since I was feeling too lazy to head out to the store, I rummaged around my kitchen and found frozen berries, cream, and coconut, and this tart was born!

I made a coconut sugar cookie crust and added a bit of almond extract to give it that something extra special. Then I filled the crust with whipped cream and berries and topped it with more coconut. I barely added any sugar to the filling so it had a nice tartness that was balanced by the sweetness of the crust. This tart is perfect for spring!

Coconut Berry Tart
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Cookie Tart Crust:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Filling and Topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups frozen berries, thawed (mine were a mix of blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries)
1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Directions:
To make the cookie tart crust, heat oven to 350˚F. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Mix in egg and almond extract; stir in flour, baking powder, and salt until soft dough forms. Stir in flaked coconut. Spread dough in bottom and 1-inch up the sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Bake crust for 18 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown on the edges and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

To make the filling, place cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in a chilled bowl and beat with an electric mixer with a whisk attachment on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 to 4 minutes. Gently fold berries into the whipped cream and fill tart with the mixture. Evenly sprinkle coconut on top and carefully remove tart from the springform pan. Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition: 267 calories, 11.0g fat, 2.9g fiber, 2.6g protein per serving
Cost: $0.50 per serving

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Our hearts were broken on Monday here in Boston. Thankfully, we were not at the marathon this year, but we’ve cheered on the athletes in the past when we’ve had friends running. Watching the marathon is a joyous tradition for many Bostonians. Our city is actually rather small, so everyone who lives here knows someone who was there on Monday.

The stories of the first responders and heroes rushing to help the injured, the medical personnel leaping into action at the hospitals, the runners vowing to run again next year, the police officers, investigators, and National Guard members working long shifts to help keep us all safe, and the overwhelming number of people showing up to donate blood are inspirational.

Our good friend Phil is inspirational as well. Within hours of hearing the devastating news, he started fundraising for the victims. 100% of the proceeds will be donated completely to programs working with victims of the attacks. $150,000 has already been raised and donations are coming in every 15 seconds. Please join us by donating here or through the widget I’ve posted below, and please help us spread the word.

We will heal – we are Boston Strong. Hugs to everyone.

Donate Now – Secure Online Fundraising

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Have you ever ordered off a restaurant’s “secret” menu? I almost tried ordering the Quesarito when I was at Chipotle this week. Why didn’t I think to wrap a quesadilla around a burrito?!

I also used to always order mint Oreo blizzards from Dairy Queen growing up. I don’t think they were officially on the menu, at least when I first started ordering them, so when my former coworker Libby told me she used to always do the same, I knew we were kindred dessert spirits!

For Libby’s birthday, I wanted to make a mint chocolate cookie packed with our other mutual dessert love, Trader Joe-Joe Chocolate Sandwich cookies. All the goodies packed into these cookies, including two kinds of chocolate, peppermint extract, Andes baking chips, and the chopped chocolate sandwich cookies, make them perfect for mint chocolate lovers!

Chocolate Mint Cookies
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups coarsely chopped Trader Joe-Joe Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Vanilla Bean Crème, (or Oreos, 16 cookies)
1 cup Andes Crème De Menthe baking chips

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. Place butter and sugars in a large bowl and mix until creamed. Mix in eggs, peppermint extract, vanilla extract, and melted chocolate until smooth. Mix in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in chopped cookies and baking chips.

Use a 3/4 ounce cookie scoop to scoop out 24 cookies and place the dough scoops 2 inches apart on several large greased baking sheets. Bake at 350°F for 9 to 11 minutes or set. Cool on cooking racks for 10 minutes. Makes 24 cookies.

Nutrition: 214 calories, 11.9g fat, 0.9g fiber, 1.9g protein per cookie
Cost: $0.22 per cookie

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I’ve been trying to get this post up for a few days now, but I’m nursing a cold and therefore more tired than usual, and I’m having the worst writer’s block….so I’m just going to keep this one short and sweet! Meatloaf is one of our favorite comfort foods and this version has a Cajun twist. It’s packed with spices and onion, green pepper, and celery. It’s very tasty and filling and pretty healthy too – enjoy!

Cajun Meatloaf
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 large egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions, green pepper, and celery and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes or until veggies are soft. Add garlic and sauté one additional minute.

Mix cooked veggies, ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano, thyme, and salt in a large bowl with hands until well combined. Form meat into a loaf and place in a greased pan. Bake meatloaf at 350˚F for 45 to 50 minutes or until cooked through. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition: 242 calories, 11.5g fat, 1.8g fiber, 24.7g protein per serving
Cost: $1.52 per serving

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One of my favorite things about making brownies is that you don’t have to wait for the butter to warm to room temperature since you just melt it with the chocolate. This is especially important when you spontaneously decide to whip up a treat for your hubby’s coworkers and all your butter is in the freezer!

These are really rich and decadent triple chocolate brownies that aren’t too sweet. I hope Apolinaras’ team enjoyed them at his exciting new gig. They are perfect for dark chocolate lovers!

Triple Chocolate Brownies
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter
6 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons espresso powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 12-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)

Directions:
Heat the oven to 350°F. Microwave the butter and unsweetened chocolate in a microwavable bowl at high power until the butter is melted, about 2 minutes, stirring well after 1 minute. Stir until combined, then mix in the vanilla extract. Meanwhile, beat the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and add in the melted chocolate mixture. Stir in the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt stir until smooth; stir in chocolate chips. Spread the brownie mixture evenly in a well-greased 9×13-inch pan. Bake at 350°F until the brownies are set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out clean, about 26 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes. Makes 24 servings.

Nutrition: 268 calories, 16.6g fat, 2.4g fiber, 3.3g protein per serving
Cost: $0.25 per serving

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Here is Greta on her March 11, her 6 month birthday! She is now 18 pounds 1 ounce and 28.5 inches long.

I can’t really put headbands on her anymore because she pulls them off and then this happens….

We were super excited to start her on solids foods on her half birthday. Here she is enjoying her sweet potatoes!

February was also a busy month. My parents visited over President’s Day weekend, and we had a great time.

About a week after they visited, Greta started sitting on her own. She loves sitting and grabbing whichever toy she wants.

She also discovered her feet! I can’t believe how fast she’s growing up!

Speaking of my parents visiting, I think I’ve mentioned before that they love the Cheesecake Factory and go there for brunch every weekend. The last time they visited, I enjoyed the lettuce wraps off the CF appetizer menu and would definitely get them again. Of course, I had to create a tasty version to enjoy at home as well.

I marinated the chicken in Greek yogurt and spices and then also filled the lettuce wraps with cucumber, carrots, pea shoots, peanuts, and tamarind sauce. So delicious and healthy!

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Grilled Chicken:
1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons garlic ginger paste
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

For assembly:
8 large Bibb lettuce leaves
1 seedless English cucumber, chopped
4 carrots, shredded
1 4-ounce package of pea shoots
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts
1/2 cup tamarind sauce

Directions:
Place Greek yogurt, garlic ginger paste, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and salt in a medium bowl and mix until well combined. Spread marinade evenly over chicken pieces in a shallow dish and refrigerate for an hour. Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium high heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and cook chicken for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center.

To assemble the wraps, fill lettuce leaves evenly with chicken, cucumber, carrots, pea shoots, and peanuts, and drizzle with tamarind sauce. Makes 4 servings of 2 lettuce wraps each.

Nutrition: 452 calories, 15.6g fat, 3.5g fiber, 64.3g protein per serving
Cost: $3.28 per serving

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I’ve always admired Ben and Jerry’s clever ice cream names and came up with a creative one for my recipe today – Top Tier-amisu Ice Cream Sundaes! I know, I know, I shouldn’t quit my day job, haha.

I’ve become more addicted to lattes since having Greta and recently tried coffee ice cream for the first time. It was quite tasty, but I wanted something more, so I made these indulgent adult ice cream sundaes. I started with a couple scoops of coffee ice cream and then added some airy lady fingers (I found mine at Trader Joe’s, of course), decadent mascarpone whipped cream, and a dusting of cocoa powder on top. Ah, these totally hit the spot.

Oh, and mascarpone is going to be my secret ingredient in whipped cream from now on – it thickens the whipped cream beautifully and adds a richness that is hard to beat.

Tiramisu Ice Cream Sundaes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Mascarpone Whipped Cream:
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Sundae Assembly:
12 small scoops of coffee ice cream
24 ladyfinger cookies
1 teaspoon cocoa powder

Directions:
To make the mascarpone whipped cream, place mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in a well-chilled bowl and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 to 4 minutes.

To assemble the sundaes, scoop ice cream evenly into 6 bowls. Place four ladyfingers in each bowl and top evenly with mascarpone whipped cream. Sprinkle cocoa powder on top. Makes 6 sundaes.

Nutrition: 632 calories, 46.0g fat, 1.6g fiber, 9.5g protein per sundae
Cost: $2.38 per sundae

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Look at this lovely green pesto gouda, which somehow ended up in our cart at Trader Joe’s. It’s amazing how often this happens. I also discovered their caramel cashew cookies on this trip – so good! Anyway, this gouda is their spotlight cheese for March, so hurry and get it while you can! Green cheese for St. Patty’s Day just makes me happy. I obviously needed to use it in a creamy mac & cheese. To keep things interesting, I also mixed in some fontina and a few more green ingredients – roasted broccoli and fresh basil. I’ve been enjoying this all week for lunches!

Pesto Gouda Mac & Cheese
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 head broccoli florets (I had 12 ounces)
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk (I used 2%)
2 cups shredded fontina cheese
2 cups shredded pesto gouda (or gouda) cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup packed chopped basil

Directions:
Heat oven to 400°F. Place broccoli florets on a large cookie sheet and drizzle evenly with olive oil. Roast for 15 minutes at 400°F or until tender.

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and place back in a large pot.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth and cook one more minute or until mixture starts to brown. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and mix in fontina and gouda cheeses and salt. Heat 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth, whisking occasionally. Mix cheese sauce with the pasta and broccoli in the large pot; stir in basil. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition: 539 calories, 25.9g fat, 6.8g fiber, 25.0g protein per serving
Cost: $1.32 per serving

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I always look forward to grabbing lattes with my mom and wandering around the mall when we see each other. Miss Greta and I are already continuing this mother/daughter shopping tradition. We haven’t been to a mall yet, but we did go to Nordstrom Rack the other weekend and explored all the aisles of shoes. Greta was most captivated by this sparkly pair, so I had to explain to her that 5-inch heels are just too much when you’re 6 feet tall!

We then headed over to HMart and slurped up soup in the food court before stocking up on some pantry staples like soba noodles. I had been thinking it would be fun to do an Asian twist on spaghetti and meatballs. I put this plan into action when we got home and made some meatballs packed with garlic, ginger, and soy sauce, and served them over delicious sesame soba noodles with red pepper and broccoli. Hopefully Greta will enjoy shopping and going to different grocery stores as much as I do!

Soba Noodles and Meatballs
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Meatballs:
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
3 tablespoons garlic ginger paste
1 cup panko
1 large egg
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Veggies:
1 tablespoon canola oil
Florets from 1 large head of broccoli
2 red bell peppers, chopped

Soba Noodles:
1 pound soba noodles
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 garlic cloves, minced

Directions:
To make the meatballs, heat oven to 375˚F. Place the ground turkey, garlic ginger paste, panko, egg, and soy sauce in a large bowl. Gently but thoroughly mix and shape the mixture into 32 meatballs. Place meatballs on a large cookie sheet and bake at 375˚F for 16 to 18 minutes or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center.

To make the veggies, heat canola oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet and place broccoli florets and red bell peppers in the pan; sauté for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender.

Prepare soba noodles according to package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water. Place in a large bowl. Mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, canola oil, sesame oil, honey, and garlic in a small bowl and mix well. Pour dressing over soba noodles and mix well. Stir in veggies and meatballs. Serve at room temperature. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition: 645 calories, 24.2g fat, 4.4g fiber, 38.5g protein per serving
Cost: $2.95 per serving

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I’m convinced that Apolinaras buys more bananas than he knows we can finish in hopes of some getting brown….so he gets banana bread! Not that I mind. Banana bread is one of my favorites too, and I’m always thinking about new ways to mix it up. Since Apolinaras loves all things coconut, I decided to stir some coconut cream into the batter instead of buttermilk this time. I also added a hefty dose of sweetened flake coconut. I thought the flavors were pretty well balanced, and Apolinaras has already requested it again!

p.s. There are a few days left to enter my blogiversary giveaway if you haven’t checked it out yet!

Coconut Banana Bread
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (I used 3 medium/large bananas)
1 cup coconut cream (mine was from Trader Joe’s)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sweetened flake coconut

Directions:
Heat the oven to 350°F. Beat butter and granulated sugar with a mixer in a large bowl until creamed. Add in the eggs, mashed banana, coconut cream, and vanilla extract, and mix until smooth, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt until smooth. Stir in the flake coconut. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9-inch loaf pan and bake at 350°F for 65 to 75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes, then use a knife to loosen the loaf, and remove from the pan. Makes 12 large servings.

Nutrition: 252 calories, 11.1g fat, 3.2g fiber, 4.6g protein per serving
Cost: $0.51 per serving

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Yesterday was my Blogiversary! Thank you all for spending a little part of your day with me. I appreciate each and every one of my readers, and I hope I’ve inspired you all to play in the kitchen!

To celebrate my little blog turning four, I thought I would continue my tradition of having a giveaway! What cookbook are you currently lusting over? These are some of my recent favorites, and I would like this one.

Any cookbook could be yours! To enter to win, just leave a comment on this post with a link to your cookbook of choice on Amazon. Entries must be in by 11:59 pm EST on Tuesday, March 5. Good luck!

The fine print: I’m sponsoring this giveaway myself. The winner will be picked with random.org on Wednesday, March 6 and announced shortly thereafter.

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Here’s Greta on her 5 month birthday a few weeks ago! She’s in her daddy’s favorite outfit – a fuzzy purple hoody, which he says makes her eyes pop, awww. Greta has been very busy this month learning to tripod (sitting while leaning forward when there are toys in front of her) and teething. She wants to chew on everything, including her fingers!

We’ve set up a little play area in our family room, and she loves the mirror.

And here she is laughing away while Apolinaras and I dance around, sing, and make faces. We will do anything to hear her sweet giggle!

We also bundled up and had a lot of fun exploring during the recent New England blizzard. I enjoyed watching little Greta gazing at everything covered in snow – you could see she was trying to figure out what happened!

Whenever storms hit, I make sure to stock up on fun snacks. I’ve been a little addicted to the Archer Farms Zen Party Trail Mix from Target, so I decided to mix up a similar version with my favorite ingredients for a fraction of the cost. I combined cashews, sesame honey almonds, sesame sticks, and wasabi peas. So easy and tasty!

Zen Trail Mix
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups roasted salted cashews
2 cups sesame honey almonds
2 cups sesame sticks
1 cup wasabi peas

Directions:
Mix cashews, almonds, sesame sticks, and wasabi peas in a medium bowl and enjoy! Makes 24 servings.

Nutrition: 196 calories, 15.1g fat, 2.1g fiber, 5.7g protein per serving
Cost: $0.35 per serving

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I have my first how-to video for you today! I demonstrate an easy way to caramelize onions and show them every 10 minutes of the hour and a half process. Video shoots are fun, but I wish I had someone to speed along the editing process for me. I shot this one in October!

Caramelized onions are one of those ingredients that make everything better. I used the batch in the video to make a really lovely pizza. The caramelized onions became the “sauce” and then I piled on chicken, apples, and cheddar cheese on top. This was the perfect combination of flavors!

Apple Cheddar Pizza with Chicken and Caramelized Onions
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Caramelized Onions:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large yellow onions, sliced (9 cups)

For pizza assembly:
1 pound of your favorite pizza dough (I used whole wheat from Trader Joe’s)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I poached mine)
1 apple, cored and chopped
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
To make the caramelized onions, heat butter and olive oil over medium low heat in a large nonstick skillet until butter is melted. Add onions, cover, and cook 60 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove lid and cook an additional 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, or until caramelized.

To make the pizza, heat oven to 450˚F. Place pizza dough onto a surface spread with semolina flour and spread dough into desired shape (I made an 11×11-inch square). Place shaped dough onto a greased baking sheet and bake at 450°F for 8 minutes. Spread crust evenly with caramelized onions and top with chicken, apples, and cheddar cheese. Bake pizza an additional 8 to 12 minutes or until crust is crispy and golden brown and cheese is melted. Cut into 8 slices. Makes 4 servings of 2 slices each.

Nutrition: 861 calories, 39.4g fat, 10.9g fiber, 51.6g protein per serving
Cost: $2.35 per serving

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Woohoo, I’ve finally found a few minutes to blog! Hopefully this recipe was worth the wait. On super busy nights, like the ones I’ve been having recently, I love grabbing dinner from Chipotle on my way home from work. I always order the same thing – a chicken burrito with brown rice, onions and peppers, black beans, corn salsa, tomato salsa, and cheese! This Mexican casserole has a bunch of same yummy ingredients.

I layered corn tortillas with seasoned chicken mixed with salsa, red onions, bell peppers, black beans, corn, and sharp cheddar cheese. The corn tortillas get crispy on the top layer but stay nice and soft on the inside. This dish is perfect to whip up on Sunday and then enjoy all week.

Mexican Casserole
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 12-ounce jar of your favorite salsa (I used Salsa Autentica from Trader Joe’s)
1 red onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
18 6-inch corn tortillas
5 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn, thawed

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. Place paprika, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and salt in a small bowl and mix well. Place chicken in a large bowl and sprinkle with spice mixture; toss until chicken is evenly coated. Heat canola oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet and sauté chicken for 6 to 8 minutes or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Place cooked chicken in small bowl and stir in the salsa. Add onion and bell peppers to the same skillet the chicken was cooked in and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes or until tender.

Layer six corn tortillas to cover the bottom of a greased 13×9-inch pan. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheddar cheese on top, followed by half the chicken salsa mixture, half the onion and bell pepper mixture, half the black beans, and half the corn. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheddar cheese on top , then six more corn tortillas. Layer 1 more cup cheddar cheese, remaining chicken salsa mixture, remaining onion and bell pepper mixture, remaining black beans, remaining corn, and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Top with remaining six tortillas and remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese. Bake at 350°F for 35 to 45 minutes or until cheese on top is melted, bubbly, and slightly browned. Makes 9 servings.

Nutrition: 602 calories, 27.4g fat, 8.4g fiber, 47.2g protein per serving
Cost: $1.69 per serving

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There’s nothing quite like a rich and hearty lasagna! I could dream up different versions all day. The one I’m posting today features a chicken sausage, ground turkey, and sun dried tomato meat mixture layered with whole wheat noodles, tender roasted eggplant , creamy ricotta, and a lovely pecorino romano white sauce. Oh, and several generous handfuls of shredded mozzarella cheese, of course!

It does take some time to assemble all the parts of this dish, but it’s definitely worth it because you get to enjoy the leftovers for several days. It also freezes beautifully. I’m already looking forward to making this again – yum!

Sausage and Eggplant Lasagna
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Roasted Eggplant:
2 eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch thick lengthwise slices
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Meat Layer:
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound chopped chicken sausage
1 large leek, white and light green part only, chopped
6 ounces fresh baby spinach
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 8.5-ounce jar julienne sliced sun dried tomatoes from Trader Joe’s (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon salt

Ricotta Layer:
32 ounces part-skim ricotta
1 large egg
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt

Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk (I used 2%)
1 1/2 cups freshly grated pecorino romano
1/4 teaspoon salt

Assembly:
1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles
4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:
To roast the eggplant, heat oven to 375°F. Layer eggplant slices in colander, sprinkle with salt on both sides of each slice, and let sit for 30 minutes or until moisture comes out. Rinse well with water and pat dry with paper towels. Place eggplant slices on two large baking sheets and use a pastry brush to evenly coat both sides of each eggplant slice with olive oil. Bake at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender but not mushy.

To make the meat layer, place ground turkey, chicken sausage, and leeks in a large nonstick skillet and sauté for 10 to 12 minutes or until meat is browned and fully cooked through. Add spinach and garlic to the skillet and sauté 1 to 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Stir in sun dried tomatoes and salt.

To make the ricotta layer, place ricotta, egg, basil, oregano, and salt in a large bowl and mix until smooth.

To make the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth and cook one more minute or until mixture starts to brown. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and whisk in pecorino romano and salt. Heat 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.

Heat oven to 350˚F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook lasagna noodles according to the directions on the package. To assemble the lasagna, place a layer of 4 noodles in a 13×9-inch pan and top it with half the eggplant, half the ricotta mixture, half the meat mixture, half the sauce, and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Repeat this layer. Then place the remaining 4 noodles on top and sprinkle evenly with the 2 remaining cups of mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350˚F for 45 minutes or until cheesy is light brown and bubbly. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition: 623 calories, 30.2g fat, 6.9g fiber, 43.6g protein per serving
Cost: $2.36 per serving

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Brrr, there’s nothing like slurping up a large steamy bowl of soup when it’s cold out. Work has been crazy lately, so I haven’t cooked in a couple of weeks. I always try to have a few weeks of blog recipes ready to go for busy times like this though and actually made this soup back in December. Looking at the pictures is making me crave it again now that it’s so much colder out!

I roasted carrots for the soup and added in shallots, garlic ginger paste, warm spices (coriander, cumin, and cayenne), chicken stock, and some pumpkin puree to give the soup body and add another layer of flavor. A little honey and sherry vinegar for sweetness and acid, respectively, rounded the flavors out. I also made it a full meal by piling a bunch of grilled shrimp into each bowl for some extra protein. So good!

Roasted Carrot Soup with Grilled Shrimp
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Soup:
2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 large shallots, chopped (1 cup)
1/4 cup garlic ginger paste
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt

Grilled Shrimp:
1 pound jumbo shrimp
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Heat oven to 400˚F. Place carrots on a large cookie sheet and drizzle evenly with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Mix well and roast at 400˚F for 25 to 30 minutes or until tender.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add shallots to the pan and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender; add garlic ginger paste and sauté 1 additional minute. Stir in cayenne pepper, coriander, and cumin and saute until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add roasted carrots, chicken stock, and pumpkin puree to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth; stir in sherry vinegar, honey, and salt.

Meanwhile, prepare the grilled shrimp by using a pastry brush to evenly coat shrimp with olive oil. Sprinkle evenly with salt. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat and cook shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through and pink, working in batches. Evenly stack shrimp in the center of four bowls and ladle soup around the shrimp. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 402 calories, 12.7g fat, 5.4g fiber, 35.2g protein per serving
Cost: $3.23 per serving

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Here’s a picture of our little pumpkin on her 4 month old birthday last week. She’s 15 pounds 15 ounces and 26.75 inches long and is already in size 6 to 9 month outfits. In the past month, Greta has started “talking” all the time and is also having a ton of fun choosing what toy she wants to grab and chomp away on. It’s been so amusing to watch her start to fixate on objects. I put a bag of chips on her lap the other day at Panera, and she intently batted at it for the remainder of our meal. We also love doing whatever we can to make her laugh! It’s so fascinating watching the little wheels of her brain turning while she is discovering her world. Bath time is her favorite, so I think she may be a swimmer like mommy. She also rolls over from back to front now and is always trying to sit up. And, she’s way ahead of the curve and is already walking!

Haha, just kidding, but it does kind of look like it in this pic, doesn’t it?

We celebrated her 4 month birthday with some indulgent mini cheesecakes featuring Trader Joe-Joe chocolate sandwich cookies, of course. And Biscoff. Have you had Biscoff or the similar cookie butter from Trader Joe’s? Biscoff is a spread made from cookies which was invented in 2007. It’s rather addicting! I used the sandwich cookies for the crust and mixed Biscoff into the cheesecakes. Then I topped them with a Biscoff drizzle and more chopped up cookies. They are oh so cute and the perfect size!

Biscoff Joe-Joe Mini Cheesecakes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Mini Cheesecakes:
16 Trader Joe-Joe Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Vanilla Bean Crème, pulsed in a food processor until ground into crumbs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup Biscoff spread
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toppings:
1/4 cup Biscoff spread
2 teaspoons milk
10 Trader Joe-Joe Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Vanilla Bean Crème, coarsely chopped

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. To make the mini cheesecakes, place cookie crumbs and butter in a medium bowl and mix well. Line 12 cups of a muffin tin with cupcake wrappers and evenly distribute cookie crumb mixture among the cups. Press down with the back of a spoon and bake at 350°F for 8 minutes or until set.

Meanwhile, beat together cream cheese and sugar with a mixer until fluffy. Mix in Biscoff spread, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Pour cheesecake batter on evenly into the cups. Bake at 350˚F for 25 to 28 minutes or until set. Remove from pans and let cool to room temp, about an hour, and then place in fridge until chilled, about 1 more hour.

To make the topping, place Biscoff spread and milk in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Evenly spread on top of the cooled mini cheesecakes and top evenly with chopped cookies; press cookies down into the mini cheesecakes. Remove mini cheesecakes from paper muffin cups. Makes 12 mini cheesecakes.

Nutrition: 346 calories, 2.6g fat, 1.1g fiber, 3.4g protein per mini cheesecake
Cost: $0.43 per mini cheesecake

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I have a really lovely salad recipe for you today. It was inspired by the Tahini Sauce from Trader Joe’s, which is a very tasty blend of tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. I created an easy tahini dressing just by stirring a bit of milk into the sauce to thin it out a bit. Of course, if I was going to use a tahini dressing, then my salad obviously had to be topped with falafel! I added pumpkin puree to my chickpea mix, which resulted in very creamy falafel. I coated the outside of each falafel ball with panko and fried them up in some canola oil until the outsides were crispy. Yum!

I also added a hefty dose of butternut squash to my salad since it’s currently in season, and I really liked how the sweetness of the butternut squash was so well balanced with the bite of the tahini dressing. In the summer though, I think adding tomatoes and cucumbers instead would also be really delicious. Oh, and I also had planned to add some coarsely chopped pita chips to add a bit of crunch like croutons do, but the chips somehow all disappeared before I had the chance to make the salad….oops. Trader Joe’s really needs to sell bigger bags of pita chips!

Pumpkin Falafel Romaine Salad with Butternut Squash and Tahini Dressing
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Roasted Butternut Squash:
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pumpkin Falafel:
2 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups panko, divided
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons canola oil

For Salad Assembly:
2 hearts of romaine, chopped
4 teaspoons milk
1 8-ounce container Trader Joe’s Tahini Sauce

Directions:
To make the roasted butternut squash, heat oven to 400˚F. Place squash on a large baking sheet and drizzle evenly with olive oil and salt; mix until evenly coated. Bake squash for 22-28 minutes at 400˚F or until tender.

To make the pumpkin falafel, place chickpeas, pumpkin puree, 1 cup panko, onion, flour, garlic, cumin, coriander, and salt in a food processor and pulse until well combined, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the food processor as needed. Form a ball with the dough and place on a clean work surface. Form dough into 24 balls and coat in remaining 1/2 cup panko. Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil over medium high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Place 8 balls in the skillet and fry until golden brown, turning so all sides are cooked evenly, about 6 minutes. Repeat with remaining balls and canola oil.

To assemble the salad, place romaine and butternut squash in a large bowl and mix well. Evenly distribute salad among 6 plates and top each with 4 falafel balls. Stir milk into the tahini sauce and spoon dressing on top of the salads. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition: 550 calories, 29.0g fat, 13.8g fiber, 13.7g protein per serving
Cost: $2.05 per serving

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