creamy chicken & wild rice soup.

Happy December 1st, everyone! This is one of my favorite days of the year because it is the start to the best month ever.  It is pretty chilly where I live so if you are experiencing the cold too, I have a great soup for you. 

This is my new favorite soup. And this is a pretty big deal because I am not usually a soup-eating lady. It is creamy and hearty- everything a good soup should be, as far as I am concerned. This creamy chicken soup was also packed with delicious flavor. 

You don't want to skip out on this soup recipe this winter. I will definitely be making it again soon. I won't lie, I was pretty sad when it was all gone.

~

creamy chicken & wild rice soup from cooking classy

• Ingredients:
• 
  
• 3/4 cup uncooked wild rice blend
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup diced carrots 
• 1 cup diced celery
• 7 Tbsp butter, divided
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (measured from 3 14.5 oz cans)
• 1/4 tsp of each dried thyme, marjoram, sage and rosemary
• Salt (I ommitted) and ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts halves
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk (I used half & half)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (I used half & half)
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 
  

Directions:

1. Prepare rice according to directions listed on package.
2. Halfway through the rice cooking, in a separate large pot, melt 1 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and saute until slightly tender, about 4 minutes, adding in garlic during last 30 seconds of sauteing. 
3. Add chicken broth, thyme, marjoram, sage, rosemary and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high, add chicken and bring mixture to a boil. Cover pot with lid and allow mixture to boil 12 - 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Chicken may need to be rotated if pieces are thick.
4.  Remove the fully cooked chicken and set aside on cutting board to cool 5 minutes then shred into small bite size pieces. Meanwhile reduce heat to low and add cooked rice to large pot. Add shredded chicken to soup.
5. In a separate medium saucepan (I just rinsed and wiped out the rice pan), melt remaining 6 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook 1 1/2 minutes, whisking constantly. Then, while whisking vigorously, slowly pour milk (or half & half) into butter/flour mixture. Cook mixture, stirring constantly until it thickens. 
6. Add milk/cream mixture to soup mixture in pot and cook about 5 minutes longer, or until soup is thickened (at this point, you can simmer the soup for a longer period of time if you want the rice to soften more, just cover with lid first and stir occasionally).
7. Add the remaining can of chicken broth, if desired.*
8. Stir in heavy cream (or half & half) and lemon zest and serve warm.

*I did not add remaining chicken broth.

banana oat muffins.

Here is a healthier banana muffin recipe for your Thursday! It uses wholesome ingredients such as oats and bananas. I used stevia instead of sugar to cut back on the carbs. The bananas and vanilla greek yogurt combined with the stevia help bring out sweetness in the muffins.  When butterscotch and white chocolate chips are added, these babies come out to only 16 grams of carbs (13 grams without baking chips). 

~

banana oat muffins from britney munday

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of old-fashioned oats

2-3 bananas

2 eggs 

1 cup of vanilla greek yogurt

½ cup Stevia (or sugar)

1.5 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1/2 cup baking chips or nuts, optional*

Instructions

1. Mash bananas in large bowl.
2. Add eggs and yogurt to large bowl. Mix well.
3. Mix in stevia, baking powder, and baking soda to banana-yogurt mixture. 
4. Use blender or food processor to grind oats into flour consistency.
5. Transfer oat flour to your large bowl. Mix well.
6. Fold in baking chips and nuts. 
7. Line 18 muffin tins or spray muffin pan with oil. 
8. Spoon batter equally among muffin tins.
9. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.

*I used a combination of butterscotch chips and white chocolate chips

chocolate swirled cream cheese chocolate chip cookies.

This is by far one of my new favorite cookie recipes.  You truly get the best of both worlds: a rich cream cheese chocolate chip cookie combined with a simple yet perfect chocolate cookie.  Since they are swirled, they look even prettier too!

These cookies take a bit of time to prepare since you have to make two different types of dough but it is still an easy, straightforward recipe. I had a blast making these and eating them too, of course! I hope you enjoy these gems as much as I did. 

~

chocolate swirled cream cheese chocolate chip cookies 

from averie cooks

Ingredients:

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup original block cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar (I used Stevia)
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used part mini, part normal sized chips)

Chocolate Cookies:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup dark or light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste

Instructions:

1. First, make your cream cheese chocolate chip cookie dough. Put butter and cream cheese into mixer and beat until well combined. Add both sugars, egg, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
2. Gradually add flour, cornstarch, and baking soda until just combined. Scrap down mixer as needed.
3. Gently fold or mix chocolate chips into batter.
4. If you only have one mixing bowl, transfer cream cheese chocolate chip cookie batter to another large bowl and place in refrigerator.
5. Begin making chocolate cookies in mixing bowl. I didn't wash mine out since the chocolate color will take over and you are using the same ingredients anyway.
6. Put butter and sugar into your mixing bowl and beat until soft, creamy, and well combined.
7. Add egg and vanilla extract and continue beating until well combined. Scrap down sides as needed.
8. Gradually add flour, cocoa, cornstarch, and baking soda. Mixing on low, just until combined.
9. Start with your cream cheese cookie dough. Using a small cookie scoop (or filling up a medium cookie scoop halfway), drop dough onto cookie sheet. I got 12 on a sheet.
10. You will do the same with your chocolate dough (using a cookie scoop, a spoon, or clean fingers) except you will place the chocolate dough on top of each ball of cream cheese dough. 
11. With clean hands, roll each mound of dough into a ball. Then, slightly flatten each dough ball.
    
    

     
    
    
12. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-9 minutes (or 12-13 minutes for bakery sized cookies), just until edges are set. My edges weren't even brown yet but they firmed up and were perfect.
13. Repeat until your dough is gone. You will have slightly more cream cheese dough so you may have some plain cream cheese chocolate chip cookies (definitely nothing wrong with that!). I got 5 dozen cookies. The original recipe suggested making 15 bakery-sized swirl cookies and 1 dozen plain cream cheese chocolate chip.

pb banana & oat dog treats.

I've been wanting to make dog treats for Rose for awhile now but I never seem to get around it. I won't lie- it's probably because I'm too busy making people food!  We ran out of store bought dog treats a few weeks ago so I decided it was time to try it out. 

I made these last night and Rose taste-tested one. She gobbled it up quite quickly so I'm assuming that means she enjoyed it ;) 

These were too easy to make and you may already have the ingredients on hand. If you don't have flax, you could probably just add more oats. In case you are worried about any of these ingredients, here is a list of people food that is safe for dogs. 

Below is the recipe & pictures of our sweet Rose just because she's cute! :)

~

pb banana & oat dog treats 

adapted from miss molly says & lola the pitty

Ingredients:

1 cup oat flour 
2 small bananas, mashed
⅓ cup peanut butter 
2 Tbsp flax seed (can be ground or whole)
1 egg (or 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Put all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Mix ingredients together thoroughly until well combined.
4. Use a medium cookie scoop (or a spoon) to form balls of dough. Flatten out balls of dough using the back of the cookie scoop or your hand.
5. Place on a nonstick baking sheet (or use parchment) and bake for 20 minutes. Bake until edges are slightly brown.

apple fritter cake.

On the way-too-incredibly-rare occasion I get a doughnut, I always get apple fritters. I don't know what it is about them but I can't get enough (it probably helps they always seem to be bigger than a regular doughnut ;) ! 

I have found numerous DIY apple fritter recipes but most of them require frying and that just seems like a lot of work (maybe someday).  I was pumped to find this apple fritter cake and believe me, it was delicious! 

Perfect recipe for this beautiful fall, apple-picking weather we are having now. 

~

apple fritter cake from the domestic doozie

Ingredients:

For the batter:

3 cups flour

1/4 tsp. salt (I omitted)

1 cup white granulated sugar (I used 1/2 c stevia & 1/2 c white sugar)

4 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 cups milk (any kind)

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup butter, melted

6 small apples cored, peeled and diced (I used 2 very large apples & 1 small apple)

For the topping:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp. flour

1 tbsp. cinnamon

For the glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

5 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Start by mixing all the ingredients for the batter (except the butter) together in a bowl. Once combined, carefully pour in the melted butter. Mix on SLOW speed so butter doesn't splash everywhere.
2.  Pour the batter into a greased 9x13 pan. Evenly distribute the apples over the top of the batter. 
3. In a separate bowl mix together the topping ingredients. Drop small scoops of it evenly over the apples. Topping will be thick.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Depending on how many apples you put in and how juicy they were you may need to increase your time. If the top is getting too brown you can always cover with foil.
5. Combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla for glaze.
6. After you take it out of oven, let sit for 20 minutes and then pour the glaze all over the cake.

funfetti cream cheese cookies.

Yes, you read correctly: funfetti cream cheese cookies. Cream cheese in cookies is easily one of the best baking ideas ever.  It gives cookies an extra boost of rich flavor while also making them super soft & gooey.

I didn't add quite as many sprinkles/nonpareils as suggested but it's pretty obvious when you have enough (or not enough). I also didn't chill the dough and my cookies were fine. If you are worried though, scoop out individual cookie dough and put on a plate for 10 minutes in the freezer.

These are perfect for any season or occassion- enjoy!

~

funfetti cream cheese cookies from the messy baker

ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 stick  unsalted butter

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

½ cup white granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 egg, at room-temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

~⅓ cup sprinkles 

~¼ cup nonpareils

directions:

1. Cream together the butter, cream cheese, both sugars until pale and fluffy; about 3 minutes. Scrap down the sides of the bowl.
2. Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Whisk in vanilla and almond extract.
3. Gradually add in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Beat until the batter comes together and the dough is smooth, about 1 minute.
4. Beat in all the sprinkles/nonpareils. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give the dough one last stir to make sure the sprinkles/nonpareils are evenly distributed.
5. Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours or overnight. *I skipped this step and my cookies were fine*
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
7. Using a medium cookie scoop, drop dough 3 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-13 minutes, no longer. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

I can't emphasize enough how happy I am it is finally pumpkin season! I have already made pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin pie oatmeal, and also these pumpkin cookies. 

If you are already pumpkin crazy like me, these cookies will be perfect for all your pumpkin- craving needs. They are super soft and are like pumpkin cake in cookie form!

~

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies 

 from i heart naptime

ingredients

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt (I omitted)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp milk
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• Chocolate chips*

instructions

1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir into the wet ingredients. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Stir for about one minute.
2. Add vanilla and chocolate chips and stir until combined.
3. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop cookies on by the spoonful. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

notes

*I used about 1/3 of an 11oz bag of mini semi sweet chocolate chips. An 11 oz bag is recommended.

Recipe makes about 3 dozen. Each cookie (WITHOUT chocolate chips) has 11.4 grams of carbohydrates. I didn't include chocolate chips in the carb count because I didn't measure my chocolate chips.

pumpkin smoothie.

Aren't so many smoothie recipes super summer-y? Smoothies such as pineapple mango, blueberry peach, strawberry banana, the list goes on. Don't get me wrong- I love all those yummy flavors but it's September (aka FALL) so it is time for some fall smoothies!

So, here is a super quick and easy fall smoothie recipe. And it is perfect for using up that can of pumpkin puree that's leftover from that pumpkin dessert you just made!

~

pumpkin smoothie

Ingredients

1/2 banana, frozen
1/2-3/4 cup milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
1/4 cup pumpkin, puree 
1/2-3/4 cup vanilla greek yogurt
Sprinkle of Pumpkin Pie Spice
Sprinkle of Cinnamon
Sweetener (honey, maple syrup, stevia, etc.), optional

Instructions

Blend all ingredients together. Add more milk until you reach desired consistency.


Inspired by

http://www.peanutbutterandpeppers.com/2013/09/09/oatmeal-pumpkin-breakfast-smoothie/ &

http://ahealthylifeforme.com/pumpkin-banana-vanilla-smoothie/

cookies & cream brownies.

The last time I was at the store, I grabbed a package of Oreos and I'm so glad I did because I pinned this amazing brownie recipe a few weeks back. I hadn't made an Oreo dessert in forever either so I knew it was time.

It's a quick, easy recipe to begin with and could be made even easier if you only had time to use a box mix. 

Ahh... don't Oreos make everything better? 

~

cookies & cream brownies 

from what's gaby cooking

ingredients

• 10 tablespoons butter, room temp.
• 1 1/4 cups white granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (I used salted butter so I omitted salt)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 15 Oreo cookies, crushed and divided

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment OR line with tin foil and spray with non-stick baking spray.
2. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, melt the butter. OR microwave butter until melted. 
3. Once the butter has melted, add the white sugar and cocoa powder. Stir to combine and remove from the heat if using stovetop.
4. Add the salt, vanilla and eggs, whisking until fully incorporated.
5. Add in the flour and half of the crushed oreo cookies and stir until just combined.
6. Scoop the batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining oreo cookies on top.
7. Place the pan into the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the brownies cool for at least 2 hours. You can also stick them in the fridge for a bit to help cool quickly.
8. Remove the brownies from the pan by lifting the parchment or tin foil out. Place the brownies on the counter, slice and serve.

fudgy double chocolate zucchini cookies.

I love soft, fudgy, chocolatey cookies! I was so excited to find this one that includes zucchini. Zucchini makes cookies like these super moist and soft. Since we still have zucchini coming out of our ears so I had to bake up something delicious with it. They have been so large that they don't work very well for sauteing but they are perfect for baked goods. 

Oh and the zucchini in these cookies make them totally healthy ;)

~

fudgy double chocolate zucchini cookies 

from an oregon cottage

5 tbsp butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg (or 1/3 cup yogurt)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (I omitted)
1/2 c. shredded zucchini (squeeze extra water out of zucchini with paper towel or clean dish cloth)
1/2 cup chocolate chips 

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a large cookie sheet with parchment.
2. Melt butter in microwave just until melted. Let cool about 5 minutes in the fridge (so it doesn't cook the egg and melt the chocolate chips). Stir in both sugars and cocoa powder until combined. Add egg (or yogurt) and vanilla.
3. Mix in flour, soda, and salt until smooth and then add the zucchini and chocolate chips, stirring until combined.
4. Using a medium cookie scoop, drop onto prepared cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
5. Store in an airtight container or freeze for longer storage.

creamy parmesan roast beef pasta.

This is a super easy dinner recipe reminiscent of beef stroganoff- just without the mushrooms. I get so tired of cooking chicken or browning and draining ground beef. Since the beef came from the deli, no meat-cooking was required! Win! 

This dinner pairs perfectly with a green salad or a dish of fresh green beans. Let me know if you try it- I hope you enjoy it!

~

creamy parmesan roast beef pasta 

from back for seconds blog

Ingredients

• 10oz small pasta, i.e. shells or bowtie
• 1 lb deli roast beef, chopped
• 1 Medium onion, chopped
• 3/4 cups grated parmesan cheese
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 1/2 cup beef stock

Directions

1. Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook pasta as directed on box. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large pot (enough to hold 4+ cups of liquid and other solid ingredients), saute onions and roast beef until onions are soft and beef is heated through. Take out onions and beef and place in separate plate or bowl.
3. In the same large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until thick paste is formed. Keep stirring for about 1-2 minutes.
4. Slowly add in milk and other seasonings. Whisk until smooth for several minutes. 
5. Stir in beef stock and continue cooking and stirring until sauce bubbles and thickens. 
6. Add parmesan cheese and let sauce sit for a few more minutes to thicken more.
7. Add pasta, beef, and onions to creamy parmesan mixture. Stir to coat.