From the category archives:

Recipes

“Baked” Apple

by agirlandhermutt on February 2, 2012

I’ve had a bag of Hershey kisses sitting on my counter for a full week now. Every time I walk past the bag I pull a few out and then promptly hand them to The Scientist. Please! Take these off my hands!

As he chows down on the chocolate I have been lovingly microwaving apples. I remember as a kid that my parents would make “Baked” Apples every now and then. I put “Baked” in quotations because there wasn’t a bakin’ happening. They used the microwave! Wasn’t that the thing to do back in the day?!

This isn’t a new recipe to most of you guys, but I’ve been making it every now and then for the past few weeks and I think I finally figured it out. Yum!

“Baked” Apple (Serves 1):
-1 apple
-1 tbsp brown sugar (I used the Splenda brown sugar blend)
-1 tsp. cinnamon
-1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
-1 tsp. butter (I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)

*In a small bowl mix together sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.

*Core the apple. I don’t have an apple corer so I just plugged away with a knife until I got the center out. Job done!

(Seriously. Check out that hack job!)

*Place apple in a shallow bowl and fill the center of the apple with the spice mixture. Really pack that spice mix in!

*Place a thin slice of butter over the apple center. The slice from the butter stick just happened to be the exact same size as the apple center hole. Winner!

*Microwave for 3-3.5 minutes in the covered bowl. That sucker will be HOT!

*ENJOY! Ok, ok, I realize that this isn’t the best photo of an apple ever but it is the most delicious apple! I ate my apple with a spoon and made sure to get a spoonful of that lovely liquid in each bite. If you were feeling a little spunky you could easily add some frozen yogurt or greek yogurt to pour this most excellent liquid over.

Bonus- Hershey Kisses are 9 for 6 pts. Baked Apple is ~3. WOOT!

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So folks, my last few posts have been using photos from my iPhone. While I love it more than the Mutt (kidding, kidding) I am still really trying to figure out my next camera purchase. Until the iPhone isn’t to shabby. Right?!

Have a great day friends!

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Pancake & Sausage Muffins

by agirlandhermutt on January 25, 2012

Good morning friends! I accidentally made these Pancake Muffins the other day for brunch and it was quite the happy event. Who doesn’t love a happy accident? Delish and portable. The two key factors in a great breakfast during the week.

Pancake Muffins!

Ok, lets put this little caveat out there before I tell you how these are made. I went the super easy route. You can go the much better route and do the healthier wheat version of these or even make your own pancake mix. I used what I had on hand which is possibly not the healthiest version, but is certainly the easiest.

In the Mix (Makes 4):
-1 cup Hungry Jack Easy Pack Pancake Mix (or whatever pancake mix you have on hand)
-4 Aidells Chicken & Apple Sausage Minis

Directions

*Measure out 1/4 cup of pancake mix for each muffin you want to make. For this time around I wanted four, so 1 cup of mix. Mix in water, about 1/4 cup, to create a normal pancake batter consistency.

*Spray muffin tin with cooking spray and evenly measure out batter into tins.

*Slice 1 mini sausage in half and press into the center of each muffin.

*Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Easy peasy! They come out light, fluffy, and with a little surprise inside! I think that some people might even call these Pigs in a Blanket-ish.

Drizzle a little maple syrup across the top and enjoy! These are great the next day too. Honestly, I’m not sure how well they freeze. They haven’t lasted that long at my house.

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Thanks for the condolences for my camera and compliments on the hair. I had lots of questions about the extensions so I’m working on a post to share some info on them including where I got mine, how to put them in, how to style them, and my first thoughts on them. Sound good? Good!

Pancakes, Waffles or French Toast?

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Not Quite Pasta Puttanesca

by agirlandhermutt on January 5, 2012

Carbs and I are BFF. Beans are my absolute favorite food. Not to far down that fave list is mashed potatoes (my Dad’s specifically) and just next door to that is pasta. There is something to be said about a cold night at home with a cute little bowl of pasta and sauce. Well, the cold has finally set in around Boston and I settled it to enjoy it with a lil’ bit of Erin’s Not Quite Pasta Puttanesca.

Just in case you didn’t know, Pasta Puttanesca is basically “whore’s pasta” in Italian. The NY Times printed a recipe a few years ago with an interesting little blub about the legend of how this pasta & sauce got its name. It basically boils down to the fact that either they were trying to entice potential clients in with some yummy smells wafting from their kitchen or they were trying to cook up a cheap and easy meal.

The sauce differs recipe from recipe but in most cases the key to this sauce is both salty and spicy notes. A mixture of anchovies, peppers, and garlic typically give this sauce the kick that makes the dish.

As I walked in the door the other night my fingers were starting to feel like they had a little frostbite. I was starving, cold and ready to sit on my couch.

I knew I wanted something salty, something spicy and something warm. I don’t own anchovies and I didn’t have any spicy peppers in the fridge but I knew the basic flavor profile of puttanesca and went with what I had.

Not Quite Pasta Puttanesca to the rescue.

I started with my favorite jarred pasta sauce, Barilla Arrabbiata. It is spicy and makes a great base for any additional add-ins.

To get that salty kick that I was looking for I mixed in about 5-6 chopped up blue cheese stuffed green olives (leftover from making WW Blue Cheese Olive Stuffed Chicken) and about 2 tbsp of capers. Mmm…salt.

I was looking for even more kick so I did a few shakes of the red pepper flakes into the sauce and let it all simmer together.

I topped some whole grain pasta with my sauce concoction and chowed down. I was was fridge to table in about 10 minutes tops. I had plenty of leftovers for lunch this week and was totally warmed all the way through.

Woot.