Happy Halloween & a Green Monster Smoothie

Happy Halloween!!!

Halloween is finally here.  The kids have their costumes, the house is decorated, the treats are bought, now the fun can finally begin.

This year, Zombie's seem to be really popular.  You see them mentioned on billboards, commercials & the oh-so-popular TV shows.  So I thought I'd share with you the music video that my extremely talented brother-in-law, Wes Nelson, created.

Wasn't that a great video?  My kids are obsessed with it.  So are you wondering where this weeks recipe is, yet?  Okay, you asked for it.  Seeing how it's Halloween, I decided to do something that sounded a little scary (although not one bit scary to eat).  Let's make a Green Monster Smoothie.

Green Monster Smoothie

This is a very simple recipe & you can alter the amounts however you like.  This is just the way that I make it.  

• 1c milk
• 1T peanut butter
• 1/2c Greek Gods honey vanilla greek yogurt
• 1 banana
• 3c+ kale greens
• 1c ice cubes

Throw all the ingredients into a blender & pulse.  It seems to work best if you put the ingredients in, in the order I've listed above.  Also, you'll want to pulse the blender instead of just turning it on; otherwise you'll get Green Monster soup.  And don't worry about the taste of the kale.  The other flavors mask it very well.  You could also try using spinach instead; it has a milder taste.  Spinach is just a migraine trigger for me, so I used the kale instead.

French Onion Soup

I love the Fall.  The mountains around here are so beautiful this time of year.  I love having my windows open all day & then snuggling under my down comforter when it's time for bed.  I love the Halloween parties & Trick-or-Treaters.  In fact, the only thing that I don't like about Fall is that it never seems to last long enough.  

I also love the wonderful foods that I start to make once the weather cools down.  I mean, I know I can make any food, any time of the year but who really wants to make a hot soup or a heavy stew when it's 100'F outside.  

This last week I decided to try  making a French Onion soup.  I have always enjoyed eating it at restaurants but I've never tried making it myself.  It definitely is a recipe that needs to be planned way ahead of time but it's really simple.  I just threw my onions into the pot & went about my day (folding laundry, reading a book, vacuuming, reading a book, picking up the toys, reading a book ... you get the idea).  

You can find this recipe at Closet Cooking and check out her photographs, too.  All that melty cheese looks oh-so-yummy.  Hmm, maybe this is what I should make for dinner tonight.

Doesn't this look amazing?  And just imagine, underneath is a delicious bowl of sweet caramelized onions in a hot beef broth. 

I know this looks like a lot of onions but trust me, they will really cook down & you'll be glad you used so many.  **Hint:  They will cook down faster if you put a lid on top**

Here are the onions along with the beef broth & other seasonings.  Only thing left to do is pour it into bowls & top with the cheese.

Old Fashioned Pancakes

I love going to IHOP & Denney's just for their pancakes.  They taste so much better than the store-bought mixes that I've always bought but I just figured that was how it was & there was nothing I could do about it.  I don't know why I hadn't thought of making my batter from scratch before but I'm so glad that eventually I thought of it.  This recipe is SO much better than any of the store bought mixes & I was even surprise to find out that I liked it a lot more than the restaurant pancakes.  Best part is that I always have the ingredients on hand & they are a lot cheaper than the store bought mixes.  I often double this recipe but then I always have a bunch left over.  I throw the extras into the freezer & then just throw them into the toaster for a quick hot breakfast for the kids.

Old Fashioned Pancakes

• 1 1/2c all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2t baking powder
• 1t salt
• 2T white sugar
• 1 1/4c milk
• 1 egg
• 3T butter, melted

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt & sugar.  Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium low heat.  Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4c for each pancake.  

Brown on both sides and serve hot.

 Enjoy!!!

Chicken Marsala

This recipe has now been added to my list of favorites.  It's not a quick recipe but it is easy & it tastes amazing.  My husband loved it & my 7 year old (who is extremely picky) asked if she could take the leftovers for school lunch.  The only thing that I would do differently is not cook it so long at the end.  I was trying to get dinner on the table while helping one child with homework & breaking up a fight between the other two so I ended up reducing the sauce a little more than I would have liked.  It still tasted amazing, there just wasn't as much to use as gravy for the potatoes.

You can get this recipe from Domestically Dreaming

It's that simple.  ENJOY!!!

Tomato Cream Pasta

This is one of my "Go to" meals for when I'm in a hurry.  It tastes great, everyone loves it & it's quick & easy to make.

Tomato Cream Pasta

• 12oz to 16oz bag Penne pasta
• 2 - 14.5oz cans diced tomatoes with garlic & onions
• 1 1/2c whipping cream
• 2t Basil
• Sauteed Mushrooms
• grated Parmesan cheese
• crisp bacon

Cook the pasta & then set aside.  Cook the tomatoes over medium-high heat, in a skillet, until juice is reduced (about 5 minutes).  Reduce heat, add basil, cream, mushrooms, heat through. DO NOT BOIL.  **At this point, I usually add a tablespoon of flour if the sauce hasn't thickened as much as I want it to.**   Toss with the pasta.  You can serve it with the cheese & bacon on the side or mix them into the serving bowl  just before serving.

Doesn't this sauce look delicious?

Blackberry Lime Bars

I've decided that I need to add another category to my blog.  I think I'm going to call it "Too Good to Miss".  This category will be for those amazingly delicious recipes that do have either HFCS or PHO in them but can't be forgotten because they are just that good. 

This is one of those recipes that is just too good to give up.  It was created by my very talented friend Carrian at Sweet Basil.  It is a refreshing dessert & the lime & blackberries work really well together.  

You can find the recipe here, at OhSweetBasil.com & make sure you check out the rest of her site.  She has TONS of delicious recipes for you to try.

I Love graham cracker crusts.  So yummy.

Don't those blackberries just look wonderful?  Just have to cook it & then it'll be ready to eat.

It's Time to Vote!!!

Doesn't this look delicious!!!    This recipe was created by my friend Carrian from Sweet Basil.  She's entered it into a contest at Mrfood.com & has been selected as a finalist.  She could use all the votes she can get so head on over & help her out.   Here's the link to vote.  Just click on the button in the upper right corner that says "vote now" & then vote for the Fajita Burger made by Carrian Cheney.