Spinach & Tomato Alfredo Pizza

It’s been awhile since we’ve had a Meatless Monday, hasn’t it?

Each year, during the season of Lent, I enjoy exploring and sharing amazing vegetarian recipes. 

And each year, as Lent comes to a close with the celebration of Easter, I vow to continue making and sharing beautiful vegetarian recipes.

And then a month goes by and I realize that I haven’t made a single vegetarian meal!

So I thought I’d start small with an amazing veggie-ful alfredo pizza!  There’s so much good stuff going on (whole wheat crust, spinach, tomatoes), that you don’t have to feel guilty treating yourself with alfredo!

Peanut Butter Dog Treats

I don’t have a dog.

Nope, I’m more of a fish tank kind of gal…when I can keep them alive, that is.  Those poor little fish!

I’m not even terribly interested in getting a dog, only partially because of the fact that I can barely keep fish alive.  But my brother has a dog and my boys are starting to like her…well as long as she stays at least 3 feet away from them at all times.  Ha!

Since they sorta like Tetra now, my boys wanted to make her some dog treats for her birthday.  Tetra, like many dogs, loves peanut butter, so these treats were perfect for her!

My boys both love the fact that the treats they made are Terta’s “potty treats”.  My older son will even give her a treat now…as long as she’s securely in her kennel first!

Harvest Chicken Quinoa Soup

I’ve had this recipe pinned for quite a while.

You see, I bought some quinoa for a recipe a while back and the only package available was this massive 2 pound bag of quinoa.  And I have to say I did like the quinoa, especially with all of the protein and other nutrients, but the texture got to me a bit (see oatmeal).

Since then, I’ve been looking for ways to add this protein powerhouse to other dishes instead of letting the quinoa stand alone.

Enter this soup!  It is packed full of all sorts of delicious vegetables plus boasts the quinoa.  I love that the quinoa takes the place of the pasta in this soup.  Plus, with of the other chunked up veggies and chicken – the quinoa texture doesn’t bother me in the least! 

Recipe Notes:

*To make the soup vegetarian use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock and omit the chicken!

Chocolate Covered Banana Cupcakes: SRS

Hi All!  It’s the 20^th, which means it’s time for this month’s Surprise Recipe Swap!!

This month, I was assigned Sarah’s blog, Sarah Lynn’s Sweets.  Sarah’s blog is all about delicious sweets and beautiful creations, so it was right up my alley!

The recipe I chose to make was actually Strawberry Banana Cupcakes, but since I’m a chocolate fanatic, I swapped out the strawberry frosting for chocolate (if you’re more of a strawberry person, be sure to check out Sarah’s recipe!)

The cupcake itself is reminiscent of banana bread, only lighter and a touch sweeter.

Cupcakes weren’t the only thing I made with this recipe!  I’ll give you a sneak peek…

…but you’ll have to click on over to my other blog, Amy’s Confectionery Adventures to get all the details!

Steakhouse Mushrooms

When I made the Caramelized Onion & Feta Crusted Steaks, I couldn’t resist also trying the Steakhouse Mushrooms along with them.

These mushrooms are the perfect accompaniment to any steak.  Simply seasoned, and absolutely delicious!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta: SRC

It’s Secret Recipe Club Reveal Day again today!  Yay!!

This month, I had the pleasure of whipping up something delicious from Sarah’s blog, Sarah’s Kitchen.

Sarah is originally from Kent, England but moved to the US and became a US citizen in the early 2000’s.  Sarah loves to shop with coupons and cook, cook, cook!

I had such fun choosing a recipe from Sarah’s Kitchen!

Since Easter was not too long ago and there was an abundance of ham in my house, I ultimately decided on Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta (to use up a bit of that ham!)

I made a few changes to the recipe just to lighten it up a bit (the original called for 2 cups of heavy cream – which sounds delicious, but deadly!)  I sometimes worry about substituting milk for heavy cream since it can yield a much runnier sauce, but in this case, 20 minutes in the oven thickened the sauce right up!

To wrap up, I’ll leave you with two quotes uttered by my husband while eating this meal,

“Are there three meats in this?  Yes!”

And

“I can’t stop eating this – I just want more and more!”

Yep, it’s a winner, folks.  Thank you Sarah, for a wonderful recipe!

Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes

One of the best ways to stay on task is to start your day with a hearty, healthy breakfast like oatmeal pancakes.

I love that these pancakes have the staying power of oatmeal without that instant oatmeal texture I dislike so much. 

I like to make a big batch of these in advance and just pop a few in the toaster when we’re ready to eat them.  It cuts down on the early morning prep considerably while getting you off to a great start.

Creamy Sausage & Tomato Pasta

It’s funny.  Lately I’ve either been making very labor intensive meals (like French Onion Soup) and spending hours in the kitchen, or I’ve been starting to make dinner when I kids start asking for food and whip up a quick 30 minutes or less meal.  Nothing in-between.

Today’s recipes falls under the oh-my-gosh-it’s-5-o’clock-and-I-haven’t-started-dinner kind of days.  It’s fast – the whole meal is done in the time it takes to boil the pasta. It’s easy – boil pasta and open a couple cans.  And it’s kid friendly – yay pasta!  It’s a perfect weeknight or “I’ve been reading Harry Potter all day instead of cooking” type of day!

Recipe Notes:

*I used spicy sausage in this recipe, but if your children (or other family members) are sensitive to spice, use a mild sausage instead.

Two Blogs; New Looks!

I got motivated this weekend and decided to give both of my blogs a makeover!

Presenting the lovely new Amy’s Cooking Adventures

And Amy’s Confectionery Adventures!!

Both still have the same great content, but with easier to use tabs and social media buttons!

If you’re viewing this in a Reader, stop on over and see the changes for yourself!

Pork Fried Rice

Every time I make Chinese food, I like to pair it with fried rice.  One, because I like it, and two because it’s full of sneaky little protein and veggies for the kids to eat!

Recipe Notes:

*I always cook my rice with 2-3 tablespoons of chicken bullion stock.  On this occasion, I cooked the rice in the morning, and tossed it in the fridge to cool. Voila!  Leftover rice!

Baked Pork Egg Rolls

Who doesn’t love an egg roll?  Whenever I order Chinese takeout, I absolutely have to have an egg roll with spicy mustard.

Since I tend to not order takeout all that frequently but do make my own Chinese dishes, I have been trying to make my own egg rolls for quite some time.

The only thing is, deep frying freaks me out.  It’s one thing to go to a restaurant and feign ignorance about all the grease and oil and deep frying.  But it’s quite another to actually deep fry something myself.  That amount of oil gives me the heebie jeebies.  Plus the smell – bleh – I do not want that smell in my house.

Therefore, my revised endeavor was to make a delicious baked egg roll.  Not easy. Nope, nope, not easy at all.

I’ve learned a lot along the way and made quite a few mistakes.

For example, I made baked egg rolls with beef instead of pork.  Don’t go there, just no.  Don’t do it.

I’ve also filled them so full that they burst during cooking.

I’ve made bland, underspiced egg rolls.

I’ve made soggy egg rolls and greasy egg rolls, and you name it, I’ve probably done it!

But this time, I can finally declare success!  Pork egg rolls, perfectly spiced.  Not at all soggy.  Small, and beautifully golden brown without deep frying.  Yes!  I can finally make egg rolls!