Monkey Bread - Monkey "Busy-ness"

It's been nearly four months since my last blog post. But, I do promise to get "back on the saddle" with school and teaching winding down soon. I'm beyond excited for warmer weather, along with most Michiganers!

Every month I have supervision, working toward my full license in counseling. Typically I have hosted this at my home for ladies involved. Of course loving being a hostess but having little time and money to put toward being such, I've been forced to come up with some creative ideas. Monkey bread is a childhood favorite, but I haven't made it since I've been married. What a surprised look my husband gave me when he woke up this morning, and exclaimed, "It actually tastes like monkey bread!" Unreal. Thank, Hunny. ;)

Anyway, thrown together last minute on a Sunday morning, this baby surprised me. Using ingredients I had in the house, it still turned out really great! 

I don't have a bundt pan, so I used an 9x9 in glass pan.

Ingredients 

- 2 loaves of white frozen Meijer bread dough

- 1 can of cream cheese frosting (any brand - I used Duncan Hines)

- 1 cup of sugar (I used sugar blend of stevia and sugar)

- 2 Tbs of cinnamon spice

- 1 Cup of melted butter (I used margarine yogurt blend instead)

- 1/2 cup of light brown sugar

- 1 Tbs of honey

How to make this deliciousness: 

- Place frozen dough out on 9x13 greased cookie sheet. Loosely cover with a kitchen towel and tuck under the sides of the pan. Allow bread to rise overnight.

- Next day: Preheat oven to 350 degrees

- Cut up small pieces of break dough and form into small balls 

- Place cinnamon and sugar in a large plastic bag, and place about 10 pieces/dough balls in at a time and shake to cover with the cinnamon/sugar mixture

- Place dough balls into a greased (small bundt pan or small glass pan)

- Repeat the dough ball process and shaking routine until all dough is used and formed into balls. Continue to place in the pan, making 1-2 layers of dough balls.

- Heat butter in microwave until liquid, remove and place brown sugar and honey in the mixture, heat for 30-45 more seconds. 

- Pour mixture over the dough balls in the pan and sprinkle remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture on top.

- Bake for 35 minutes, allow cool time for 10 minutes. After baking, you can put half of a can of the cream cheese frosting on top with a knife and it will melt right away. Having a whole can allows people to put it on like a cinnamon roll when served. 

- Best served warm, but you can pull them off from the top or the bottom. If turned over (like typical monkey bread, it will have a gooey topping, but if left in the pan right side up it will look and taste more like cinnamon rolls....Win Win, people! 

Honey Marinated Chicken Stir Fry

Hello! I know I've been slacking on my posts as of late. We've been gone for the holidays and busy busy busy! Hopefully you all had a wonderful holiday and spent it with loved ones. So back in the swing of somewhat "normal" this week, I finally got around to making a meal. This was so easy, I feel embarrassed even calling it that. It was so tasty though, I wanted to share! I did have the opportunity to be off work through New Years, and I am loving the down time! This stay-cation is good for my soul and body. I decided to take on home improvement projects and getting back into cooking a bit while I'm off. Two of my favorite things. Oh, and lets not leave out that I've visited the mall areas several times since Christmas. Yes, I am insane. Spending quality time with the pup as well. I can't complain. Life is pretty great.

This dinner recipe was whipped together and so easy to prep for...and worth the 10-15 min prep time. We had some left over rice from Chinese take out. I feel pretty inventive that I utilized that in this recipe. So this is my own for the most part, but I did steal the marinade idea from another blogger. Recipe for that can be found at: http://www.bombshellbling.com/mamas-sweet-marinade-chicken/

The chicken needs to be thawed. I do this the night prior. In the morning, I threw the marinade together in a large mixing bowl which included the following:

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 6 Tablespoons olive oil
• 4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon of honey
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder - or use garlic salt and do not add any more salt
• 1 Tablespoon of mustard seasoning - (original recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of grainy mustard)
• 4 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 
  
• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and add your raw chicken. This makes enough marinade for at least 10 pieces of chicken according to the recipe, however I only used two breasts and had enough to add into my stir fry as a sauce. You can marinate overnight if you want a stronger flavor. You can also grill these babies after you've marinated.

Because I wanted to use up my left over rice, I went the route of a stir fry. My buddy left me a sweet potato, and green peppers prior to her vacation in sunny FL, so I combined those in with my rice for a tasty stir fry! This would be good also with carrots, broccoli, and other veggies. 

1. First add your marinated chicken into a stir fry pan on medium heat. I added a bit of the marinade to the pan for simmering. 

2. Peel your sweet potato and throw in the microwave until semi-tender...about 5-6 minutes. Chop and add to the pan when chicken has started to whiten. 

3. Wash and chop your green pepper, and add into the mix of the pan.

4. I added about 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of chicken broth to keep the mix simmering and not burning in the pan. You can add in the rest of the marinade left overs to the "sauce" of the stir-fry as things start cooking along nicely in the pan. 

5. Add spices as you see fit. I added a bit more garlic powder, salt, and pepper for flavoring. As well as a couple shakes of Teriyake sauce. You can always put more Soy or Teriyake sauce on later when you serve as well, depending on how everyone likes theirs. 

Hope you enjoy! This marinade is so versatile and easy. I will definitely be making it again. The chicken was very juicy and sweet. Can't wait to grill it up this summer!

Happy New Year, everyone! Be safe. See you in 2014

Roasted Pumpkin Chicken Chili

Happy December! Time sure does fly when you add a beagle pup in the mix of life! Seems our weeks and days pass quicker and quicker. We're excited for Christmas with our little guy. He sure does test our patience, but we still love him! We do hope that this biting phase passes quickly though! Below is our "family pic" for 2013 :)

So with all of our time being taken up with Christmas shopping, puppy house breaking, as well as work, dinners have been somewhat "on the go" lately. I also decided shopping for presents was more important than fine dining :) With that in mind, I decided to throw together something that I feel turned out "blog-worthy".

A few months back, my mother brought back a jar of Chipolte Pumpkin Roasted Grilling Sauce made by "American Spoon", you know the company with the awesome jams in all the boutique's in every cutesy town across Michigan? I love their products and I think I've found a new favorite. I used a few products in this recipe that may be considered "specialty" but I'm sure there are easy alternatives if you don't have the exact same product for your chili! I'm all about improving a recipe as anyone knows who may check out my blog. Please also notice, it's December and I'm not over my fall pumpkin obsession...it's a delicious problem. Finally, my husband, who HATES pumpkin, had no idea this was pumpkin based or flavored...he loved it.

Below is my adapted recipe - I show the alternatives to the recipe online in ( )'s. Online recipe can be found at: http://www.spoon.com/recipe/?p=1248

• What you need....
• Large crock pot
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced (I used a yellow cooking onion)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (I used chicken diced in 1 inch cubes)
• 2 (15 oz) cans Great Northern or cannellini beans, drained - ( I used only one!)
• 1 (28 oz) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 jar of any kind of "sweet" salsa will work - the recipe calls for the cherry salsa from American Spoon
• 1/2 jar American Spoon® Pumpkin Chipotle Roasting Sauce 
• 4 oz green chilies, chopped (I used a can)
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1 Tbsp chili powder (instead of this I used a Tbsp of my Tastefully Simple Spicy Four Pepper Dip spice)
• 1 tsp salt (I used seasoning salt)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder (I didn't have any so I used a full packet of hot chocolate! It added a sweetness to the flavor.)
• I also added in a bag of mixed veggies and about 3/4 cup of chicken broth to the crock pot mix.

Here's a blurry pic of my Pumpkin Sauce. I love this stuff! 

I love Tastefully Simple products. If you aren't familiar, check out the website!

https://www.tastefullysimple.com/

Cooking Directions: Heat crockpot to HIGH, add in everything to start simmering except your onion and chicken/turkey. Throw the olive oil in a pan to cook on medium over the stove. Simmer the onions in the oil until soft, add in your poultry and cook until nearly cooked through. Add onion and chicken/turkey to the crockpot. Allow about 3-4 hours until fully cooked on High in the crock pot. Quite delicious served with grilled cheese or I topped mine with mozzarella and Fritos! :) 

My version

My husband's version.

Either way, it's comfort in a bowl! Enjoy! Happy Holidays!

Bottle Cap Snowman Ornament

Cute. Little. Snowmen. These little projects are perfect for gifting, craft night, and to add some fun to your Christmas tree! Super easy...always a bonus.

You'll need:

Hot glue gun (I used my mini - smaller dots of glue are needed)

Beer or bottle caps (at least 3 and multiples of 3)

White spray paint

Black and orange acrylic paint

Toothpicks

Assorted colored or metallic holiday ribbon

Buttons (small)

First, spray paint your bottle caps white. These may need 2 layers. They take a few hours, even overnight, to dry properly. Do this in a non-damp area so the paint dries quicker. 

 After they are dry, connect the bottle caps to each other using hot glue on the edges. Hold together for 15-30 seconds until your 3 caps are done and dry. I used a tooth pick to stabilize. Lay toothpick on a strip of hot glue. It helps to do this against a hard flat surface in order to keep the ornament straight and not crooked. 

The easy and fun part is next. Using your ribbon, you'll make a loop for hanging and attach on the back with the glue. The toothpicks I also used for the eyes, nose and mouth dots. Much easier and effective! Create the scarf by folding a small piece of ribbon in two and gluing the middle. Glue the scarf to the "neck" of your snowman. Glue on a matching button, and you're done! Allow them to dry for an hour or so after completing. 

Awe! These guys make me happy and so excited for Christmas! 

Hope you enjoy your crafting!

Happy Thanksgiving week everyone! Be Blessed.

Pumpkin Cheesecake and Apple Pumpkin Muffins

It's MSU versus U of M kick off time. In my house, this means we dress in Sparty Green and White, my husband gets feisty and yells at the TV, and I bake to deal with the chaos. It's a healthy family system. 

In the drizzle, wet, and yet beauty of fall, it's a perfect time to enjoy the full tastes of fall favorites like Pumpkin, Apple, and Gingersnap cookies. YUM! I covered some recipes here that include some amazing fall flavors. Hope you enjoy.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Cookie Crust

Please try to argue and tell me that doesn't sound like a dream come true! This stuff was not the most easy dessert to make, but totally worth it. I was proud with how it turned out and enjoyed consuming it even more. This would be the perfect fall dessert with some cappuccino or hot cocoa after a meal. Delish!

How to make this deliciousness...

For the Crust:

2 cups of gingersnap cookie crumbs

6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice

For the Cheesecake:

4 - 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened

1 cup of granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 can of pure pumpkin puree (15 oz)

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbs pumpkin pie spice

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 inch circular spring-form pan with foil and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. 

Take your crushed gingersnaps and combine with crust ingredients. Mix well in medium sized mixing bowl.

Place gingersnap mixture into the pan. Use your fingers or a spoon to smooth out and create the desired thickness for the crust. I did not have enough cookie mixture to make high sides for the crust. 

Boil water for your "water bath" for the cheesecake. See this video for steps and the "why" to this step is needed. It's not hard, but does help the cheese cake keep from cracking after baking. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ers2q0zoNQ

I used about 3/4 of the batter into the cheese cake. I had leftovers, which I incorporated into the next recipe on the blog (Apple Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins). 

Place batter in the pan and your pan within a pan (I used a baking pan). Place your boiled water in the pan around the tin-foiled pan. 

So here is my finished cheesecake. It did crack, as you can see, but the batter settled after cooling and storing in the refrigerator. Let it cool  out of the water bath an hour. Place it in the fridge covered with plastic wrap over top tightly covering. It should set in fridge for about 6 hours. I added cool whip for a topping. Perfection. Even with the cracks. 

Apple, Pumpkin, Cheesecake Muffins (w/ White Chocolate Chips)

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cups of chopped and peeled apples

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ginger spice

2 cups of flour

1/4 tsp of salt

1 tbs cinnamon

(Cheesecake leftovers batter - about 4 cups worth)

1 large egg

3/4 cup white chocolate chips (optional)

If you're making this without having made the cheesecake before, there is an alternative recipe to follow at: http://www.bakedbyrachel.com/2013/10/apple-pumpkin-gingerbread-muffins/

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You'll need 2 muffin pans (12 count cups) or make 1 batch at a time. You can expect 24 muffins total. 

Cream together butter with 2 sugars. Add in wet ingredients including the cheesecake mix. Slowly mix in flour with electric mixer. Add in the baking powder and baking soda to the mix. Once the mix is smooth and the chunks are out, add in the apple pieces. Mix these in with a spatula or by hand. 

Place large scoops into each liner. Bake at 350 for about 25 - 30 minutes. The cupcakes will be moist, but test them after baking with a toothpick down the middle. If it comes out clean, you're good to go. 

Allow them to cool in the pan about 1 minute, then remove and store uncovered. No need to refrigerate. 

These were a delicious snack, breakfast, or dessert. They're good at room temperature and warmed. The apple chunks are a cool addition to the texture and moistness of the muffin. 

Happy Baking! Go Green ;)

Light Loaded Baked Potato Soup

My fall front porch. Not super into creepy Halloween decorations. 

The natural fall front porch is warm and inviting! 

Wreath made from materials from Hobby Lobby! Super easy. Corn stalks, pumpkins, and gourds from Horrocks. Flowers from our favorite local market, Speyers. Welcome mat (from last year) Target clearance! 

Light Loaded Baked Potato Soup

You'll need...

8 slices crispy bacon chopped

1 white onion chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

1.5 tsp fresh parsley, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

2 tbsp flour

salt and pepper

4 cups chicken broth (low sodium), divided

1 bag of frozen potatoes or 3 cups of redskin potatoes chopped into 1'' pieces
1 cup of carrots sliced
1 cup of chopped broccoli 

3 cups reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded and divided

1 can of fat free cream of chicken

2/3 cup low fat sour cream

2/3 package of light cream cheese

4 tbsp chives, minced
Crock Pot - Cook time (including prep) about 6 hours

Cook that bacon...crispy, baby. 

While cooking the bacon, I started my chopped veggies in the crockpot with the cream of chicken soup and 3 cups of chicken broth. Set crock pot to high. 

Leave some of the bacon grease in the pan (about 2 tbs) and put the chopped onion in there with the garlic powder. About 5 minutes...

In a small bowl mix flour and milk together. It will be clumpy at first but then add mixture into the skillet with the onions. Raise the heat of the pan to a boil, or until the flour mixture has dissolved. Continue to stir lightly until blended. I added in the other cup of chicken broth to this as well. Once it's to the desired texture  and all creamy looking, add it into the crock pot mixture (shown below).

Set aside your shredded cheddar, chopped chives, crumbled bacon, cream cheese, and sour cream. I refrigerated everything until I needed it again in a few hours.

I cooked this for about 3 hours on high at first and then 1.5 on low as I noticed the veggies were cooked, and it just needed to simmer for a bit. I added the cheese, sour cream, and cream cheese in then (so about 4 hours of cooking had occurred and all veggies were soft). You could cook it on low for 6-8 hours and add the cheese/sour cream in after. I had to whisk it a bit to mix the cheese and blend the soup.

Needless to say, this soup was delicious! It hits the spot on a cold night. :)

Add your bacon, extra cheddar, and scallions on top and it's a perfect meal or even starter soup before a meal! It really tasted like a loaded potato too. Hope you enjoy it!

Jute Lamp Shades, Painted Pumpkins, Homemade Applesauce, and a Beagle pup!

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens" Ecclesiastes 3:1

Fall is in full swing. It's always been one of my favorite seasons. For one, it was always the beginning of soccer season in college. I looked forward to chilly games believe it or not! I disliked the wet games though. As goal-keeper, that was nightmare! However, now in this stage of life, the seasons remind me of God's creativity and the beauty of "change". Nothing stays the same. Growing older, I've realized this is something I value greatly. My husband and I are so drastically different in that. He is a man sure of his love for certain things, order, and sequence. Variety for him isn't a pleasant thing. It really throws off his routine ;) Me, on the other hand, I love trying new things and the saying "variety is the spice to life" was probably coined for people like me. I'm not ashamed. I embrace it. Hopefully my husband is getting used to it by now!

With "change" being a theme to the season, we've FINALLY decided to add a little variety to our life with a new furry member of the family...Duke will be making his debut to our home November 8th! This was quite the process to first decide on a dog breed. Mercy. We thought about an English Bulldog for many months. Austin's love for all things "Rob and Big" truly inspired. I came around eventually to the idea. Unfortunately, we researched dogs, emailed breeders, and came up short on that idea. We were not so sure if that's what we really wanted...So, eventually, we landed on the Beagle breed...and the name Duke. Found a breeder in Rockford who kept us in the loop as new litters were born. And eventually, we knew we had found our "Duke". We've visited twice prior to bringing him home..we just love him that much! If I could imagine the adoption process (translation from humans to baby dogs) this feels quite similar. Can't wait to snuggle with this little bugger.

Just look at those eyes! Makes your heart melt doesn't it!

Okay, onto crafts...my life line and self-proclaimed healing therapy.

 Painted Pumpkins

Just keep that Chevron obsession coming! Anyone who has been in my office at work can attest there is a lot of chevron happening. So why not add it do my fall decor? These were a bit more difficult to do than anticipated...

I wish I would have painted with actual white paint instead of the spray paint as it seemed to dry funny and crept between the tape design. Note to self!

{Pictured above is white spray paint and glitter paint I had left over from other projects}

First do some taping!

Then some painting! Allow a good several hours dry time before taking the tape off. 

 "L" Pumpkin! Super easy to do yourself. You can stencil for a more accurate paint job. 

My little pumpkins needed some paint too!

You gotta roast the pumpkin seeds! Tasty treat. 

Recipe found at: http://jadelouisedesigns.com/roasted-pumpkin-seeds-recipe/

Jute Wrapped Lamp Shades

So I'm on a jute high these days. I may have gone a little overboard. Ahhh well. Boring lamp shades come to a more natural and fun looking state of being. 

(Before Pictured Above) - That's my Pumpkin Apple Yankee Candle burning there. Smells like heaven!

You will need a lampshade, rope/jute fiber (You can find this at your local Home Depot or Lowes), a hot glue gun, scissors, and lots of glue re-fillers (I went through a ton of glue!)

This project requires some patience. Settle in with your favorite 2 hour movie and get to gluin'. 

After! The only complaint I have is that the light doesn't shine bright through the jute. I wish I would have used more of a pure rope like fiber. However, they're still pretty for a decorative look. 

 Fix it and Forget it Crock Pot Apple Sauce

We were gone for most of the day Saturday running errands. I spent about 20 minutes peeling all the apples, threw them in the crock pot with a couple other ingredients, and 6 hours later....boom! Applesauce! Seriously, that's what happened and it was just like that. 

Recipe taken from the following blogger: 

 http://thefrugalgirls.com/2010/10/homemade-crockpot-applesauce.html

Only adaptions I made: I used mostly macantosh, honeycrisp, and empire apples...which are very sweet naturally, therefore I probably would have left out a 1/4 cup of brown sugar blend and only used 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract instead of 1 tsp. 

For a bigger turn out you'll need more than 6 apples as this recipe above calls for...

I used 12 apples total

1 cup of water

1-2 tsp of Cinnamon

3/4 cup of brown sugar blend (splenda/brown blend)

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

(and a Crockpot of course)

All ingredients mixed together on high for 6 hours.

Once the 6 hours are up, you'll want to mash the apples up a bit and let it simmer. It will be a little wet, but some of those juices will absorb into the sauce. The apples should be really mushy and the smell...well let's just say it's going to smell awesome in your house for the next couple of hours! 

Yields about 3-4 cups worth. You could easily do another 6-12 apples in a large crock pot for more apple sauce!

Hope you enjoy some new ideas. Get crafty. Get cookin'. Enjoy the fall! Be blessed everyone.