Sugarcrafter

Buffalo Chicken Pot Pies

Tracy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:00:56 +0000

Even though I’m taking a little vacation from blogging for the next few weeks, I had to share a recipe today that I’ve fallen in love with, just in time for your Super Bowl festivities this weekend. I’m sure by now you’ve noticed that I love all things buffalo chicken, and these hot and spicy pot pies I created in order to have something a little heartier around the table on game day are no exception. I’ve also had the wonderful opportunity this year to participate in an all-girl food blogger fantasy football league, which consisted of Michelle from Brown Eyed Baker (league champion!), Tracey from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures (second place!) Dara from Cookin’ Canuck (third!), Marie from Meandering Eats, Elle from Elle’s New England Kitchen, Jen from My Kitchen Addiction, and Jackie from The Spicy Lens, and it was hands-down the most fun fantasy league I’ve ever been in. Each of them also have some great Super Bowl recipes, so please check out their sties as well as the links below! Have a great weekend, and enjoy the game!

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Tracy — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:00:38 +0000

For the next few weeks, I’m taking a little vacation from blogging – don’t worry, I’ll be back! – but in the meantime, some of my favorite bloggers are stepping in to take the reins while I’m away. First up is Jen from My Kitchen Addiction, who I am very fortunate to call not only a blogger friend, but a wonderful real-life friend as well. Her kitchen creations always leave me drooling, especially her gorgeous decorated cookies. Thank you Jen for guest posting today!

Hi, I’m Jen from My Kitchen Addiction. It’s great to be visiting here on Sugarcrafter today! I have been loving Tracy’s kitchen creations for years… And, I’m also lucky to call her a friend. So, as soon as Tracy asked if I wanted to share a recipe here, I jumped at the chance.

I have quite the sweet tooth, and it often gets the better of me in the afternoon. If there is a pan of brownies in the house, I have a big problem on my hands. So, to make sure that I still fit in my jeans, I’ve been focusing on making some healthier snacks. The thing is, I still need something sweet… Celery sticks and carrots are great, but they leave me still craving a brownie.

Granola bars have always been a favorite snack of mine… Especially the peanut butter and chocolate ones. But, most of the store-bought ones aren’t much better than a brownie. (Are you sensing a theme here?) I’ve stumbled on a few homemade granola bar recipes, but most of them called for a large amount of sweetener – honey, agave, maple syrup. Sure, those sweeteners are fairly natural, but I wanted to take things a step further and try to make a sweetener-free granola bar.

It took a bit of trial and error, but I eventually came up with a recipe that I was happy with. The secret? Prunes and dates. When they are blended with a bit of water, they have a nice sticky consistency that is perfect for holding together some homemade granola bars. That may not sound like a tasty afternoon treat, but when you add some peanut butter (or Sun Butter or Nutella for those of you with a peanut allergy, like Tracy!) and mini chocolate chips, you have a delicious homemade granola bar loaded with fiber and protein… And, not too much sugar. Though, to be fair, the chocolate chips and peanut butter do add some sugar to the recipe.

I’m not claiming that these are the perfect diet food, but they have satisfied my sweet tooth… And, kept me from reaching for a brownie in the afternoon!

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Lady Grey Madeleines

Tracy — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:00:11 +0000

Hello there! Today, you’ll find me over at Bluebonnets and Brownies, where I’m excited to be guest posting once again for Amber, one of my best bloggie and real-life friends. Even though Amber’s Tex-Mex and Southern recipes are normally what leave me drooling – and more often than not running to the grocery store to pick up ingredients so that I can get cooking and baking – it’s no secret that her hubby is British and that they both share a love for tea…so today, I’ve whipped her up some madeleines made with one of my favorite teas, Lady Grey. Head on over to Amber’s blog for the full post and recipe, and make sure to leave her some love!

Clementine Sugar Cookies

Tracy — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:18:09 +0000

I’ve been on a bit of a citrus kick this week – perhaps it’s the lack of sunshine around here? So when the few remaining clementines sitting on our counter needed to be used up before going bad, I knew exactly what to do with them. I made these lemon sugar cookies earlier this year and fell in love with them, so I tinkered with the recipe a bit more to create these cookies. They have a light, delicate flavor due to the fact that clementines are sweeter and have less acid than lemons or oranges. I love that the cookies are easily frozen as well, once rolled into balls and then in sugar, and can be baked right out of the freezer as long as you add a few more minutes on to the baking time. These bright, soft and chewy cookies are sure to bring you some cheer in the middle of a dreary winter. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

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Meyer Lemon and Yogurt Meringue Tarts

Tracy — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:21:32 +0000

This past weekend I had a little fun in the kitchen. My brother-in-law and his wife gave me some fun kitchen tools for Christmas, including these lovely quiche dishes and my personal favorite, a kitchen torch. I’ve been waiting for things to finally settle down after the holidays so that I could take them out for a spin, and over the weekend I had my chance. With all my favorite citrus in season right now, I really wanted to make a pie…but instead of a traditional lemon meringue pie with a pastry crust, I went a lighter route using a cookie crumb crust and a delightful, lemony yogurt filling. When I took my first bite of the finished product, I was surprised at how much it tasted like cheesecake even though there’s no cream cheese involved. Also, while I used a torch to brown the tops, you can easily throw yours in the oven for a few minutes if you don’t have one. I hope you’ll give these a try!

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Chai Pancakes

Tracy — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:51:48 +0000

As long as I can remember, I’ve always a loved pancakes. Well, maybe except for one summer growing up after a fateful camping trip with my family. The campground we frequented always had a big pancake breakfast on Saturday morning, which was pretty exciting…all you can eat pancakes with butter, syrup, bacon, sausage, and jam. One Saturday morning after my family and I had loaded up our plates with pancakes, we all sat down together to eat breakfast. Unfortunately, we all sat down together to eat breakfast on the same side of a rickety picnic table that had seen better days, and the picnic table toppled over, practically in slow motion…our pancakes flew through the air and landed on top of us, along with everything else that was on the table. My parents were laughing about it, but as a teenager I remember feeling embarrassed that I was wearing my breakfast and there was orange juice in my hair. We all laugh about it now though, and pancakes and I are back on good terms. Today I made you chai pancakes, using concentrate from Tazo, although you can certainly make your own as well!

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Rosemary and White Cheddar Biscuits

Tracy — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:39:07 +0000

I know I’ve said this before, but I find Pinterest totally addicting. From food (of course) to DIY and crafts to beautiful homes and cute outfits, I can easily lose a good 45 minutes on a few too many clicks of the “See More Pins” button. My problem is that I keep adding projects to my to-do list, but have a hard time getting organized enough to actually accomplish them…so I’m wondering, how do you keep organized? Whether it’s a simple to-do list, a favorite notebook or day planner, a sophisticated collection of spreadsheets, or even post-it notes stuck to your computer, I want to know!

Now that my cry for organizational help is out of the way, I want to share these rosemary and cheddar biscuits I made last week when I decided that I needed to branch out from the biscuits I normally make when I serve soup – particularly because now that we’re well into January, I’m making a LOT of soup. These biscuits are still of the savory variety, but they’re a little more on the soft and fluffy side, and they’re perfect with a pat of butter or even a bit of sweet jam. Enjoy!

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Lentil Soup

Tracy — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:39:45 +0000

Even though it’s raining outside instead of snowing, it’s still perfect weather for soup. I didn’t realize just how easy it is to make soup from scratch until last fall, and now I can’t get enough of it. If you can chop things up and throw them in a pot, and have time to let them simmer while you’re doing other things around the house, then you can make soup. I like to refer to Kate’s post over on Aimée’s blog on how to make soup from scratch without following a recipe; I find it so much fun to experiment with new flavors and also to try and recreate some of my favorite restaurant soups at home. I like to serve many of my soups with cheddar and parsley biscuits as well, mostly because soup alone doesn’t quite fill up the hubby, but also because I love them too and because they always seem to go well with whatever we’re having. Happy soup making!

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Nutella Rice Krispie Bars

Tracy — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:13:25 +0000

How is your New Year going? So far, mine is moving along a bit faster than I expected. Usually in my neck of the woods the snow and cold have settled in by now, which seems to slow things down and make us upstate New Yorkers want to hibernate as much as possible. Instead, the weather has been crazy warm for this time of the year and I’ve been inspired to be extra productive, at least in the morning. By the time the afternoon comes though, I find my motivation waning, and I’ve decided that what I need is a little afternoon pick-me-up. You know, when it’s 2:30 in the afternoon and your energy level drops to about zero, and your motivation for doing anything suddenly plummets? I originally created these bars a few weeks ago to bring for dessert at a fun girl’s night, but I also found that when cut into halves or thirds, they make a light, perfect afternoon snack for when my energy levels are low and I need a little something to make it through to dinner time. Everyone at my girl’s night was asking me for the recipe, so I can definitely say they were a hit. Plus, since I’m slightly obsessed with nutella, I can’t get enough of them. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

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Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Soup

Tracy — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:26:21 +0000

First, I just wanted to thank you for your comments on my last post – I’ve really enjoyed reading about all your food-related goals for the year! It’s exciting to see that many of us have similar ones, and I’m looking forward to hearing about all your successes. Here’s to a prosperous and fruitful new year meeting our goals!

Now that the bustle of the holiday season is over and we’re left to cozy up and settle in for the winter, I’ve been making many a pot of soup around here for dinner. This is one of my new favorites – it’s hearty and satisfying, quick enough for a weeknight meal, and perfect served piping hot on a cold day. Serve it with biscuits as well if you’re extra hungry…either way, make it this week and stay warm!

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