Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it was so yummy!  They are like little mini pumpkin pies.  Perfect for chilly fall evenings.  One batter, no extra crust or filling and they taste amazing.  

Ingredients:
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup half and half (or evaporated milk)

How to Make Them:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice

In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, and half and half until well combined
Add in dry ingredients
Mix well until there are no dry streaks in the batter
 

Fill the cups 1/3 of the way
Bake for 20 minutes

Cool in pan.  When they come out they will look like cupcakes, but they will sink as they cool.
Chill before serving.  Top with a dollop of cool whip. Enjoy!

Feed Me

<center><a href=" http://brandonandchristinabrown.blogspot.com/ "><img border="0" src=" http://i1176.photobucket.com/albums/x321/cfbrown814/healthy.jpg "/></a></center>

Okay friends, since I have been sick for over a week now my diet has completely been killed.  I haven't been able to work out and with Brandon taking care of meals we haven't been eating well at all.  That's why we decided to go on a major healthy living spree starting Monday.  The problem is I am not a creative cook.  I'm not really much of a cook at all, but I like to learn.  It's easier for me to eat well and cook when I have a plan of attack.  With that being said, we do not have very many healthy recipes.  That's where you come in.  I would love to learn some new healthy and delicious recipes for all meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Post your healthy recipe(s) on your blog and send them my way by adding your link below.  I can't wait to learn some yummy recipes.  I will work on posting my own sometime this week.  Thanks for feeding me healthy!

Good Enough To Eat: Garlic Pesto Chicken and Tomato Cream Penne

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it just looked so delicious I had to try it.  Since I am off of work for the summer I have a lot more time to plan meals and cook and this recipe looked like a good one to try.  It was easy to make and really delicious!  We ended up with leftovers, which is always a good thing.  

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

1/2 bottle of Herb and Garlic Marinade (I used the store brand instead of Lawry's and it tasted wonderful)
2 large spoonfuls of Pesto
Chicken tender cutlets (you can use chicken breasts and cut them into strips, but buying the strips is easier)

For the pasta:

Whole grain/whole wheat penne

2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic- minced
2 spoonfuls of pesto
1/2 cup of chicken broth (about half a can)
8 ounces of tomato sauce (I used Ragu Sweet Tomato Basil)
1 cup of half and half 

How to make it:

Mix the marinade and pesto.

Place the raw chicken in a large ziploc and cover with the marinade/pesto mixture

Marinate for half a day or more 

Once the chicken is done marinating, you are ready to put the meal together.  

Start the water and boil the penne.

While the water and penne is boiling, pour the entire marinade and chicken into a skillet and cook the chicken fully.

Heat the olive oil in a separate pot and cook the garlic. 

Add 2 spoonfuls of pesto to the olive oil/garlic mixture.

Add in the chicken broth and simmer until half has cooked off.  

Pour in tomato sauce and then add half and half.

Simmer sauce mixture until it thickens a little (5-7 minutes).  

If the sauce needs to be thicker add a little flour.  

Once sauce is thickened, toss with penne.  Serve chicken on top of pasta.  Enjoy!! 

It's a Wrap

Recently, I have really gotten into making wraps. While in San Diego I had a delicious spinach wrap and it inspired me to make my own. They are a healthy lunch or dinner option and you can customize them however you want. Here are a couple that I have enjoyed this summer. 

Spinach Salad Wrap:

Ingredients: Spinach wrap

                       Spinach leaves

                       Grapes (or you could substitute cranberries)

                       Chopped walnuts or pecans

                       Chicken

                       Cheese crumbles (I use goat cheese)

                       Dressing of your choice (I like Balsamic Vin. or Lite Ranch)

Toss all of the ingredients with your dressing and wrap 'em up!

Buffalo Chicken Wrap:
Ingredients: Spinach Wraps
                       Shredded chicken breast
                       4 TBSP Frank's Red Hot Sauce
                       1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
                       Ranch Dressing (I used Lite)
                       Shredded cheddar cheese
                       Spinach leaves

Boil the chicken breasts and shred.  Toss chicken with hot sauce and italian seasoning.  Heat wraps in microwave for 20 seconds (put a paper towel between wraps on plate to keep moist).  Put ranch dressing on wrap.  Add spinach leaves and chicken.   Top with cheese.  Enjoy!

Project 31 Day 11: Good Enough to Eat

 Day 11.  Post a recipe
Buffalo ChickenDip

Ok people it's tailgate season!!  In honor of college football starting this week I decided to post a tailgate recipe.  This is one of our favorite party/cookout/tailgate recipes and it is quick and easy to make.  It is so yummy and everyone always asks for the recipe, so I thought I would share it with ya'll.  So here you go.

Ingredients:
Grilled chicken strips cut into bite size pieces (we use the frozen strips like Tyson)

2 bars of cream cheese (we use the 1/3 less fat)

1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce or any buffalo sauce

1 cup ranch dressing

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

Make It:

Preheat oven to 350*

Microwave the grilled chicken strips (enough  to thaw, about 5 min.)

Chop the chicken into small bit-size pieces

Spread the cream cheese on the bottom of a 9X13 glass pan (I usually put the cream cheese in the microwave to soften for easier spreading)

Spread the ranch dressing on top of the cream cheese

In a separate bowl, toss the chicken with the buffalo sauce

Evenly spread the chicken over the ranch/cream cheese layers

Top with cheese

Cover with foil and bake for 30 min.

Serve with Tostito's Scoops
Enjoy!

What are your favorite tailgate foods?

Good Enough to Eat: Summer Chicken Salad

I was never a big fan of chicken salad, until recently.  But when I was traveling abroad in Peru I actually found some chicken salad I liked.  Obviously, I can't just hop on a plane and grab some Peruvian chicken salad, so I was on a mission to find a chicken salad recipe that I like.  Well, I found a basic recipe and did a little concocting of my own to make a yummy, fruity, summery chicken salad.  I thought I would share it with ya'll.  So here ya go!

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken (get it at your local grocery store, the kind in the warmers, I use the lemon pepper kind)

1 cup lite mayo

Pepper

1 tablespoon lemon  juice

Half a package of Craisens

1 apple (I used a Fuji)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Make It:

Pull the meat off of the rotisserie chicken and take off the skin of the pieces

With a large knife chop the chicken into tiny pieces and place in a large bowl

Stir in the mayo

Season with pepper to taste

Stir in the lemon juice

Chop the apple into tiny pieces and add to the chicken mix

Add the Craisens and walnuts; stir

Refrigerate

I like to serve it on a nice flaky croissant

Enjoy!

Good Enough to Eat: Strawberry Shortcake Cake

This is a great summer recipe and so easy to make.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 Angel Food Cake (can buy from the bakery at the grocery store)

2 large packages of frozen strawberries

1 6 oz. package of strawberry jell-o

1 package regular gelatin

1 large container of cool whip (I used lite)

Fresh Strawberries

Make It:

Crumble the cake into the bottom of a 9X13 dish

Make the strawberry jell-o (make it with 1 cup of boiling water and 2 cups of cold water; don't use water amounts from the box)

In a separate bowl, make the gelatin (make with 1/4 cup cold water)

Stir the gelatin into the strawberry jell-o mix

Add 1 cup of cool whip to the jell-o mixture and swirl slightly

Add frozen strawberries to the jell-o mixture

Pour the mixture over the cake and be sure it is covered well

Refrigerate until ready to serve

Before serving frost the cake with the remaining Cool Whip and fresh cut strawberries

Go Bananas

Time for another yummy recipe.  Got some over-ripe bananas?  Try Banana Bars!  It's not only heart healthy but delicious!

What you need: 

1.5  cups sugar

1/2 cup fat-free margarine, softened

1 egg

2 egg whites

1 cup fat-free sour cream

3 large ripe bananas, mashed

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

Frosting: 

1/4 cup fat-free margarine

2 cups powdered sugar

3 Tbsp fat-free sour cream

Make It:

Preheat oven to 375*

In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar and margarine until light and fluffy

Add egg and egg whites one by one, mixing after each

Stir in sour cream until well blended

Add mashed bananas and vanilla, mix well

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt

Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture until thoroughly mixed

Spread into 15X10 jelly roll pan

Bake 20-25 minutes.  

Cool.

To Make Frosting:

Melt 1/4 cup margarine in a saucepan

Put powdered sugar in a separate bowl

Add sour cream and melted margarine

Beat until smooth

Spread on cooled banana bars and cut into bar slices

Enjoy!

Comfort Food

As human beings we go through the ups and downs of life; the roller coaster ride.  Being that this is the nature of living, we all seek comfort in a variety of places: exercise, sports, shopping, reading, or my favorite, eating.  Tonight I took on the task of making homemade creamy macaroni and cheese, the ultimate southern comfort food and believe me it was delicious.  While thinking about mac n' cheese it got me thinking about comfort in general and where I seek my comfort.  For me, I find comfort in other people, which too often leads to disappointment, unfortunately.  Other times I find comfort in eating, which only leads to remorse and self-consciousness.  Being a counselor, it is part of my job to help comfort others, but I don't even know how to truly find comfort for myself.  I think we can get all too lazy in our comfort sources without realizing that these sources really do not lead to peace and comfort.  Our comfort should come from the ultimate flawless source, Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.  

So regardless of how yummy comfort food may be in the moment, it can never replace the comfort we will find when we seek Christ.  Remember macaroni and cheese cannot save us just as it can never truly and wholly comfort us.

   

It's Fall! Time for a Pumpkin Recipe!!

4-Layer Pumpkin Cake with a Caramel Pecan Drizzle

What You Need

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup oil

4 eggs

1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, divided

1 pkg. (8 oz.)cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed

1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Make It

HEAT oven to 350°F.
BEAT cake mix, 1 cup pumpkin, milk, oil, eggs and 1 tsp. spice in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round pans.
BAKE 28 to 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.
BEAT cream cheese in medium bowl with mixer until creamy. Add sugar, remaining pumpkin and spice; mix well. Gently stir in Cool Whip. Cut each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife; stack on serving plate, spreading cream cheese filling between layers. (Do not frost top layer.) Drizzle with caramel topping just before serving; top with nuts. Refrigerate leftovers.

TA-DA!!