Super Easy Monkey Bread

Making yummy, family friendly breakfasts doesn't mean you have to get up at the crack of dawn.  This simple Monkey Bread recipe takes about 10 minutes to assemble, giving you more time to hang out with the kiddos, take a hot shower or drink another cup of coffee.  It's also perfect for brunch. 

The first time I made this I used salted butter because I love sweet and salty, but it was too salty even for me.  There is plenty of salt in the biscuit to give you the perfect salt to sweet to ratio.  Stick with unsalted butter and yes, I mean butter, not margarine.  You could also use the light buttery baking sticks.

Serve it with fresh fruit and turkey sausage or turkey bacon to balance out your breakfast.  Reheat leftovers in the microwave.

Recipe
Adapted from:  AllRecipes.com
1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 (16.3 ounce) cans Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1/2 chopped pecans or walnuts

1 c firmly packed brown sugar

2/3 c unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a bundt style pan with cooking spray.
2. In a zip top plastic bag combine sugar and cinnamon.  Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces and place in bag.  Shake bag to coat biscuits. 
3. Sprinkle half of nuts into pan.  Top with half of the biscuits.   Repeat.  
4. In a small saucepan melt butter.  Stir in brown sugar and vanilla.  Pour over biscuits.
5. Bake 28-32 minutes or until browned and no longer doughy.  If it starts to brown too soon, cover lightly with foil.  Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes and until turning onto serving dish. 

Zuppa Toscana

I haven't been blogging much lately because the bun in my oven has an aversion to any form of cooking.  Attempting to find new recipes to try has been leaving me green around the gills. Fortunately, now that the first trimester is several weeks behind me and I am starting to see the the end of the morning sickness train.

This Olive Garden inspired recipe is an oldie but a goodie.  Although I'm not a huge Olive Garden fan, I do love their Zuppa Toscana and bread sticks.  This simple sausage and potato concoction has the power to warm my soul and make me a happier camper.  The addition of spinach makes me feel like I'm eating something healthy even if it's more of an indulgence.

This is my version and I realize that it is not exactly like the one you get at the Olive Garden.  Like most recipes on my blog, it has been altered to suit my families tastes.  Served up with a crusty loaf of bread and a side salad, zuppa toscana gets great reviews around our home.  The empty bowls and pot speak for themselves.

*At the bottom of the recipe I have included low-fat substitutions which I have used at times with much success.  My only suggestion is that if you use low fat or fat free half and half instead of the whipping cream, take great care to make sure the mixture is does not boil.  The lack of fat makes it more likely to curdle in your soup.  It will taste fine, but won't be as pretty. 
 
Recipe
6 slices of bacon
16 oz Italian Sausage
8 c thinly sliced red potatoes
1 1/2 c onion, chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
3-4 c spinach, chopped
8 c chicken broth
2/3 c heavy whipping cream
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

1. Fry bacon, drain on paper towels and crumble. Set aside.
2. Clean out bacon skillet, crumble and cook sausage.  Drain on paper towels.
3. In a large pot, saute onions in 1-2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat until soft.  Add garlic and cook one minute more. 
4. Add chicken broth and potatoes or until potatoes are tender.  Simmer 10-15 minutes.  
5. Stir in sausage, bacon, spinach, cayenne pepper and whipping cream.  Heat through, but do not boil.

*Lighter variation- Use turkey bacon, Italian turkey sausage links, and fat free half instead of whipping cream.  Be careful not to boil with half and half because it will curdle. 

Guilt-free Peanut Butter & Chocolate Pie

After weeks of deliciously sinful holiday binging, we are all looking for ways to cut back on calories and trim our waistlines without giving up all of the things we love.  But seriously, it's hard to diet when you feel like all you are eating is diet food.  Am I the only one with this issue? 

In need of new "dieting" inspiration, I consulted my handy Weight Watchers Pinterest Board and found this amazing Peanut Butter Pie Recipe from Dashing Dish.  (This blog is full of healthy foods, workouts and meal plans to help you on your way to weight loss success!)

A healthy dessert with peanut butter and chocolate sounds to good to be true, you say?  Actually, this sweet treat comes in under 250 calories for 1/10 of the pie!   Even if you're a dessert-a-holic like me, I think you'll find one piece of this rich, peanut buttery, chocolatey goodness to be just right.  Because it is frozen, you savor each bite, allowing you to eat less while feeling completely satisfied.

This pie was not only good, but so simple to put together.  I am already dreaming up variations like strawberry cream cheese with a graham cracker crust, fresh strawberries and chocolate chips or a lemon blueberry version. 

Guilt-free peanut butter pie and it's many possible variations are destined to be summertime staples at our home!

Recipe
Adapted from: Dashing Dish

1 (8 oz) Package fat-free cream cheese, softened

1/2 c Crunchy or creamy peanut butter (I used all natural pb)

1 c Splenda

1/4 c Skim milk

1/4 c Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 (8 oz) Container of fat-free Cool Whip

1 Premade Oreo or chocolate cookie crust

3 Tbsp Light Hershey's Syrup

1 Package Reese's Cups, chopped (optional- It is still good without the topping and will save you a few extra calories.)

1. In a bowl, whip together cream cheese, peanut butter, Splenda and milk until smooth.  Add chocolate chips.  Fold in Cool Whip. 
2. Spoon into crust.  Drizzle with chocolate syrup.  (I think I ended up using less than 3 tablespoons.)
3. Freeze 6 hours or overnight. 
4. Remove from freezer 10-15 minutes before serving.   Garish will chopped Reese's Cup pieces if desired. 

Sweet and Savory Green Beans

If you've ever made green bean bundles you know what a pain they are, but you also know how amazing they taste.  It's one of those things you love to eat at someone else's house, but you don't want to spend the time to make for yourself.  Maybe I'm the only one...

These sweet and savory green beans are the perfect solution.  You get all of the flavors with half of the work.  I served these for Thanksgiving and they were amazing!  You will rarely hear me calling a member of the bean family amazing, but these really were!

I found the recipe on Pinterest.  I know, shocking  It let me to  Nancy Creative.  Her beans look wonderful, but I did tweak them a bit to lower the calorie content. 

I hope you'll give them a try and enjoy them as much as we did!

Recipe
Adapted from Nancy Creative
4 or 5 (15 oz) cans cut green beans, drained
8 slices thick cut bacon, cut up
1/3 c brown sugar
1/4 c light butter
7 tsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper

1. Fry diced slices of bacon until about half way done.  Drain on paper towels.  (It's easier to cut them up first, in my opinion.)
2. While bacon is frying, melt butter and brown sugar together.  Remove from heat and stir in soy sauce, garlic powder and pepper.  
3. Dump green beans into a 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle with bacon and then pour butter mixture over the beans.  Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Stir and enjoy!

15 Minute Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

One of the things I love best about Pinterest is that is has led me to find great new blogs!  Recently, I discovered High Heels and Grills which has some really amazing recipes and fun, quirky writing.  I highly recommend it if you like "real people food."

We tried their Philly Cheese Steak recipe and let me just say, it makes the most amazing cheese steaks!  It's not that much different than the way I usually make them, but the addition of the garlic and little bit of butter make a huge difference.  Fresh garlic is a magical thing. 

I did leave out the mushrooms because the hubs is not a big fan, but check out the original recipe if you want to add them back in. 

Does anyone else have a hate/hate relationship with the broiler?  It's my biggest cooking challenge, but I'm determined not to let it beat me!  Sooo...my advice is to watch your bread carefully while it's in the oven because it quickly goes from almost ready to ready for the garbage can. 

The hubs enjoyed these Philly cheese steaks so much, he asked for them again a few days later.  Pin this gem and keep it in the arsenal for quick weeknight dinners.  You won't be disappointed.

Recipe
Adapted from High Heels and Grills
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 white onion, cut into thin slices
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 lb thinly sliced roast beef
salt and pepper, to taste
4 ciabata rolls, cut in half horizontally
4 slices provolone cheese

1. Preheat broiler to 450 degrees and place rack in the middle of the oven.  Lightly butter cut side of rolls and place them open, cut side up on a baking sheet. 
2. Melt butter over medium heat and add onions, garlic and green bell pepper.  Lightly salt and pepper them.  Saute 4-5 minutes or until softened.  Stir occasionally.  Turn down heat if they start to brown.
3. While onions and peppers are cooking, place rolls in oven and lightly brown (2-3 minutes).  You don't want to brown them too much because you are going to put the back in the oven again.  Watch carefully because they can go from pretty to pretty ugly in seconds.  Remove from oven and set aside.
4. Once onions and peppers are to your desired tenderness, add roast beef and stir until beef is heated though.  This only takes a minute or two.  
5. Divide meat and pepper mixture between rolls.  Top with cheese.  Leaving the sandwiches open, place them back under then broiler for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Watch carefully.