Cheesy Pasta 'Lasagna' Bake

Nursing school keeps me busy. So busy that some nights I have 20 minutes to make dinner. This means I've had to get a little bit creative in the kitchen as of late.

Basically, if you're busy, short on time, looking for something with ample leftovers, or just plain love cheese, I've got tonight's dinner for you right here.

Here's looking at you, Cheesy Pasta 'Lasagna' Bake!

Here's what you'll need, in very specific measurements:
a pound of ground turkey (or chicken, or beef)
a box of pasta (we like whole grain rotini)
a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
a pinch or two (or three) of garlic powder
a pinch or two (or three) of Italian seasoning
a handful (or two) of shredded mozzarella cheese
a light dusting of parmesan cheese

Start with browning your meat in a frying pan. At the same time prepare your pasta according to the directions on the box in a large pot (we use a soup pot). Cook that stuff until it's ready!

If you have a fattier meat, drain the excess fat. If not, just let it hang out in the pan for a minute.

Around this time, I like to turn my oven on to the broil setting so that it can get a couple minute head start before I melt the cheese.

Drain the pasta and toss it back in the pot. Add the meat and the can of spaghetti sauce. Stir like crazy!

Add the spices and seasonings and stir.

Add most of the mozzarella cheese and stir.

Transfer the whole shebang into a baking pan. You'll probably need a 9x13 pan - we usually do.

Top with a light sprinkling of the parmesan cheese and the rest of the mozzarella and put it in the oven for a few minutes - until the cheese gets bubbly and a little bit brown.

Take it out of the oven, dish up, and enjoy the melty goodness that is Cheesy Pasta 'Lasagna' Bake!

A Hump Day Love List

While the title of this post may give off a creepster vibe, I promise you I'm just here to spread a little love. After all, it IS almost Valentine's Day, my most favorite day of the year!

1) This color, Woodlawn Blue, is a new contender in our kitchen-bathroom revamp. Imagine beautiful blue walls with white trim and dark wood cabinets. Pretty, right?

2) Hello to my new best friend! Gimme Brow was recommended to me a few weeks ago by an employee at Ulta. I LOVE IT! It's true that fresh brows can make a face look so much more put together.

3) I'm up to my eyeballs in student loan debt, but I've thoroughly enjoyed window-shopping the Kate Spade Surprise Sale. This wallet is perfect, don't you think?

4) Trevor and I were gifted a Roku for Christmas. Hands down, the coolest piece of technology we own! I love having Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Redbox, etc. at our fingertips! It may make us lazier, but date night is significantly more cuddlier when you don't have to get out from under a blanket to change DVDs.

5) This pretty shade is part of Essie's Resort collection, and you better believe it's on my wish list for the spring!

6) Doesn't that photo make your mouth water?!? It's not my recipe for a strawberry cream heart, but that doesn't mean it won't be on our table for a dessert come Valentine's Day! {You can find the recipe here!}

What have you been loving lately?

Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels {perfect for today's big game!}

In honor of the regular NFL season which started this weekend, I want to share with you one of my favorite recipes to serve during the games. What goes hand in hand with football? Buffalo chicken!

I've shared my recipe for easy slow cooker buffalo chicken last year. Trevor and I love to make a whole bunch of it, have a few meals out of it, and freeze the rest in quart size bags. Those quart sized bags of buffalo chicken are perfect for today's recipe!

No matter if you've got the buffalo chicken ready to go or not, you'll need this Pillsbury product. I find it in the refrigerated dough section. If your store doesn't carry it, you can try crescent rolls or pizza dough instead.

If you're using your freezer stash of already cooked buffalo chicken from above, then you can skip the first step. If not, you'll need: one cooked and shredded chicken breast (the cooked part is important - no raw chicken here!), 1/4 cup of Franks Red Hot sauce, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 of a cream cheese block, and 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles.

Mix together your chicken, hot sauce, sour cream, cream cheese, and blue cheese.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper {skip this step at your own risk!}. Now, roll out your dough (I sprayed a little EVOO down on my cutting board first to prevent any sticking) and use your fingers or a rolling pin to expand it into a larger rectangle.

Here's where it gets messy: spread your buffalo chicken mixture all over your dough! Make sure you get to all of the edges. Starting with one of the long sides, start rolling your dough onto itself. When you get to the end, pinch your edges as much as possible.

Start cutting your log into disks {I recommend cutting it in half first and then cutting each half into 8 disks}. Lay the disks on your parchment paper, then put your baking pans in the oven to bake for 15 - 20 minutes.

They look like this going in:

And like this after baking.

Remove pans from oven once the pinwheels are a nice brown color. Remove from baking pan within 2 minutes and serve warm. We like dipping the pinwheels in ranch, more Frank's, and in blue cheese dressing. This recipe yields 16 pinwheels.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a batch or two of buffalo chicken pinwheels to whip up for this afternoon's game. Go Packers!

What's your favorite football food? Who are you cheering for today?

Fall Recipe Roundup {link up!}

It's getting a little cooler in these parts lately. In true Wisconsin style, it'll warm up again before the snow falls, but in the meantime I've been busy thinking of all my favorite fall recipes.

This buffalo chicken is perfect for tailgating or an easy weeknight meal. Of course you could also try a skinny baked potato soup, too!

It's apple season! Toss some of these yummy apple pie egg rolls together for a simple dessert:

These easy pumpkin spice muffins are perfect to enjoy with a cup of chai or alone:

Try this healthy chocolate zucchini bread to use up the excess crops from your garden:

I've rounded them all up in one post so they're easy to find and I'm inviting you to link up your favorite fall recipes, too. Feel free to click around and tempt your taste buds!


And, if that's not enough, I'm also hosting a fall favorites link up next Tuesday. You'll be able to link up as many posts as your Autumn-loving heart desires. Join me and link up your favorite fall crafts, outfits, activities, recipes, bucket lists, or anything else that has to do with the season. Get those posts together and grab this button to spread the word!

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Can't wait to see you back here again next Tuesday. Let's get ready to share our love of crisp leaves, all things pumpkin spice, harvest decor, and more!


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Banana Pancakes {not to be confused with banana hammocks}

Don't ask me why, buts while menu planning earlier this week, I got this idea of making pancakes for Sunday breakfast stuck in my head. No matter what else I tried thinking about, I kept coming back to pancakes. Trevor and I are more pour-me-a-bowl-of-Honey-Nut-Cheerios people and when we're really feeling fancy we go all out with bagels and cream cheese... so my sudden urge to whip up a batch of pancakes at the crack of dawn came as a surprise.

I searched all over Pinterest, food.com, recipe.com, and any other site that had pancake recipes because I was dead set on not making heavy sit-in-your-gut-till-dinner cakes. I found a few recipes that I tweaked and combined to bring you today's recipe:

Dairy Free, Oil Free, Egg Free, Could Easily Be Made Gluten Free, No Added Sugar, Vegan Banana Pancakes

They look pretty darn good, right? Ohhh, they were, friends, oh they were.

Here's what you need to make your own - keep in mind this is enough for two people so if you're feeding your brood you will want to at least double everything:

3/4 cup dry oatmeal {old fashioned oats and quick oats are both fine but use a GF version if your diet requires it}
3/4 cup almond milk {you could sub any type of milk for this, but I have a small obsession with almond milk so that's what I chose}
1 yellow banana {here's your chance to use up those overripe bananas!}
1/4 cup whole wheat flour {you could sub any type of flour here if you need GF or have other dietary restrictions}
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
a "splash" of vanilla
a pinch of salt
optional: 1 1/2 tsp. cocoa powder, 1/4 cup chocolate chips, 1/4 cup pecans

Grab your blender or food processor. Put everything in except the banana {and chocolate chips or pecans if you're using those}. Blend until smooth. Then add the banana and blend again until smooth. Add your chocolate chips and/or pecans now, if you are using them.

Spoon your batter onto a preheated griddle {or pan}. I set my stove to 4 out of 10 - basically a little cooler than medium. When you see the batter getting bubbles on top of the pancakes, flip those babies over! Remove from heat when both sides are nice and toasty brown.

Repeat, repeat, repeat. Then eat!

I served mine with berries and whipped cream {which obviously negates the no-dairy thing, but you don't have to add it!} because we had both in the fridge and I'm not a huge maple syrup person but you can eat them however you like. Heck, smother them with peanut butter and eat them proudly if you so desire!

Enjoy!

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Lemon Puppy Chow, Lemon Muddy Buddies, Lemon Whatever You Want To Call It

I think we can all agree that lemon is one of those flavors that just screams "summer". Am I right, or am I right? And summer also calls for fun snacks to eat poolside, easy recipes, and things for little hands to help with now that school is out for the next three months. Lucky for you, I've got something that'll cover all of that!

Enter: Lemon Puppy Chow, er, Lemon Muddy Buddies, er, Lemon Whatever You Want To Call It.

Looks good, right? I know! In fact, I kind of want to reach into my computer screen and grab a few pieces...

I mean, it's definitely saying something when Trevor suggests we should eat this - and only this - for dinner. And it's also saying something when he and I devour half the batch sitting on the patio one recent balmy night. And it's also saying something if I dream about this lemony snack three nights in a row.

Basically, what I'm saying is that you need to hightail it to the store ASAP and whip up a batch TO.DAY.

Here's what you'll need:

9 cups rice squares cereal (Chex, or your store's brand)

1 1/4 cup white vanilla chips (not white chocolate chips!)

1/4 cup butter

1 fresh lemon

1 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Measure your cereal into a large bowl. In a separate (microwave safe) bowl, mix together your white vanilla chips, butter, and the juice of one fresh lemon. Microwave that puppy on high for a minute and a half - stirring occasionally. Just a tip, it's going to get foamy, so make sure you keep an eye on it so it doesn't get all over the microwave. Once the mixture is nice and creamy (you may need extra time depending on your microwave), fold it into the cereal. Make sure it's all coated nicely, then add the powdered sugar and toss well.

Lastly, you may want to hide a little bit just for yourself because it's going to be eaten up in about 0.2 seconds. Ok, maybe not quite that quickly, but I bet it won't last long!

Enjoy! And as always, try it out and let me know what you think!


Linking up with Mom's Test Kitchen, Kitchen Meets Girl, Buns in My Oven, Nap Time Creations, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Mandy's Recipe Box

Easy Mexican Slow Cooker Chicken

Now that Trevor's working again, dinner doesn't always get on the table as quickly as I'd like it to. To say that my Crock Pot has been working overtime would be an understatement simply because it's so easy to fill it with the ingredients the night before, pop it in the fridge, and plug it in before work the next day. Getting home after a long shift is infinitely better when your house smells like a scrumptious meal, am I right?

Here's one of our recent favorites - Mexican Slow Cooker Chicken

You'll need:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (frozen is OK)

2 cups frozen corn

1 can black beans (we've also found that Great Northern beans are yummy, too!)

1 jar salsa

1/2 block cream cheese

optional: 1 cup water

Combine the first four ingredients in your slow cooker. If it looks dry, add a cup of water. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Ten minutes before serving, add the cream cheese and stir. I also like to shred my chicken at this point, but you could definitely serve the chicken breasts whole.

Our favorite way to eat this is shredded with saffron rice and some plain Greek yogurt as garnish on top!

Enjoy!

Single-Serve Chocolate Chip Muffin

I love mug cupcakes and other pint-sized recipes because Trevor and I have different tastes when it comes to desserts. I respect the fact that he doesn't always like the healthy-versioned stuff that I make by whipping up smaller batches of baked goods. This recipe was inspired by those small batches.

A little bit of browsing online led to me being overwhelmed with the amount of variations of single-serve cupcakes and muffins. I combined suggestions from a handful of recipes and came up with this sweet treat!

Make it for a yummy breakfast or as a dessert for after dinner - it's up to you!

 

Here's what you need to do:

Preheat your oven to 340 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with one cupcake liner {yes, just a single liner}.

Grab a cereal bowl. Add the following to it: 1 1/2 tablespoons whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt, 1/3 teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips, anywhere from half to one whole packet of stevia depending on your tastes {or one packet of Splenda or other sugar sub}, 1 1/2 tablespoons milk {I used unsweetened almond milk, but you could use skim, too}, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/2 tablespoon butter {I used a light butter}.

Mix everything together until moist, then transfer into the cupcake liner. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Cake Batter Cookies {with a healthy twist!}

Even though I have a love for all things organic and am a little bit more health conscious than the usual 20-something, I harbor a deep, deep love for sweets.

Maybe it's because my sugar intake was very controlled as a kid. Maybe it's just because I love candy, ice cream, and chocolate. Who knows! All I can tell you is that if you asked me to pick between giving up sweets and desserts for a year and giving up TV for a year, I'd hands down choose to eat candy.

My heart always skips a beat when I can find recipes that Trevor and I love made with healthier ingredients. You may remember my chocolate zucchini bread or easy pumpkin spice muffins - they definitely fall into that category.

The recipe I'm sharing with you today is my healthier version of cake batter cookies. It's incredibly simple and easy to make. Plus, the texture of these cookies is to die for - super soft and fluffy on the inside with a little crisp crunch on the outside. They're so good!

Here's what you'll need to do:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Gather a box of confetti cake mix, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1/3 cup of plain Greek yogurt.

Mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate, larger bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir it all up!

Plop rounded spoonfuls onto parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. {For the record, I made half my batch on parchment paper and half on a Silpat sheet - I couldn't tell the difference, they both work fantastically well.}

Your batter is going to have a sticky consistency.  I usually like to portion out my cookie dough using a cookie dough scoop to keep everything uniform but this batter only stuck to the scoop and didn't work. I found the best way to make these cookie-shaped was to transfer the dough from one spoon to another and make rounded piles of cookie dough on the sheets.

Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes. I let mine get a little bit golden on the tops and they were perfect. Cool on a baking rack. Top with more sprinkles, if desired.

Enjoy!

Note: My batch made 39 cookies - though, I had quite a few larger cookies. If you make 39 cookies, each one is 60 calories, on average. However, you can definitely make smaller cookies that contain even less calories!

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Mean, Green, Clean Smoothies!

I mentioned here that I am taking part in a week long challenge to kick off the new year right by drinking a green smoothie at least once a day. I am not new to green smoothies - I was won over last year when I realized you can't taste the spinach that goes into them - but I hadn't been drinking them nearly as much as I used to.

I replaced dinner on New Year's Day with my first smoothie of the challenge. I made sure to use a lot of organic baby spinach and enough unsweetened almond milk to make it my desired consistency, but I also added ground flax seeds that messed with my "smooth" texture. Also in my first smoothie: nonfat organic yogurt, frozen strawberries, a dash of cocoa powder, and a packet of stevia.

It didn't come out green at all because the little bit of cocoa powder helped it resemble something you'd find in a baby's diaper. Not appetizing, but it tasted pretty darn fantastic!

Today's smoothie took the place of lunch. Again, I used organic baby spinach, unsweetened almond milk, ground flax seeds, stevia, yogurt, and strawberries. This time, I added carrots, half a banana, and cinnamon - all of which were yummy additions! I have the same texture issue today as I did yesterday {I prefer my smoothies to be smooth and not chunky - that's why I don't like to use raspberries in smoothies; too many seeds!} so I think I am going to have to grind the flax seed powder even finer for tomorrow's drink.

For those of you wondering, I calculated today's smoothie's calorie count and it came to 340 calories for the whole shebang. It took me 2 hours to drink the entire smoothie {which was about a glass and a half} because I was busy. Hours later, I'm still full.

Next up: I'm going to add a spoonful of peanut butter {or Better'n Peanut Butter} and work on perfecting the flax powder.

Have you tried green smoothies at all? What do you like to add to yours for added health benefits?

Buffalo Chicken, YUM!

It's officially tailgating season! Can you tell I'm from Wisconsin? Tailgating is just as big of an event as the football game itself: brats, beer, chips & dip, cheese, and more brats!

I'm here to share with you the ultimate football dip - {Healthier} Buffalo Chicken Dip. Trust me, you're going to want to run to the store and get a few ingredients for this dip ASAP!

Trevor and I love this recipe so much that I urge you to make it next Sunday! And, the really great part? It doesn't taste like it's a healthy version of anything! Plus, you can use it as a dip with chips and veggies or you can slap some between some crusty bread and make hot sandwiches with it. Even better? It's made in a slow cooker and takes only a few hours from start to finish.

Totally yummy, totally versatile, totally easy!

The original recipe can be found here, but you'll find my own version below.

Source: skinnytaste.com via Sara on Pinterest

You'll need:
1/2 a block (4 oz.) of cream cheese
1 cup fat free sour cream
a small jar (5 oz.) of Frank's hot sauce {insider's tip: try out the different versions of hot sauce that Frank's offers!}
a splash of white wine vinegar
two small or one large cooked chicken breasts
optional: 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles

Note: The blue cheese isn't "optional" in the original recipe, but we've tried it without a few times and while there's a different taste, it can definitely be left out. However, if you do include it in the recipe, you should know that a little goes a long way!

Put everything in the slow cooker and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. When you're ready to serve it, use two forks to shred the chicken and it's ready to go!

Like I said, we like to use it as a hot sandwich spread with crusty bread, but it's also really good when you dip chips and veggies into it!

Now, I'm guessing you have most - if not all - of the ingredients you need for this delicious dip already so you might as well go ahead and make it for dinner tonight - make your kids and husband some PB&J sandwiches so you can eat it all check to make sure it's tailgate acceptable. {Yeah, right, it'll be gone by tomorrow morning!}

What are some of your favorite tailgate foods?

Apple Pie Egg Rolls

Remember when Trevor and I went apple picking?

Yeah, we happened to buy pounds and pounds of apples. With so many apples, I went on a search to find recipes for desserts that weren't apple pie. As always, Pinterest didn't disappoint!

I found this gem and decided one Friday afternoon to test it out with our fresh apples.

Source: chef-in-training.com via Sara on Pinterest

If you've read any other of my recipe posts, you know that I basically modify every single recipe to work with what I have on hand. I'm a strong believer in not running to the grocery store to get a single ingredient. In this case, it was the lemon.

So here's my modified version of the above recipe. I kind of halfed the recipe but kept the same amount of apples because I really wanted to apples to be the star of the dessert and we just really love apples!

• 2 apples - I used a Golden Delicious and an Empire
• 1/6 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• a dash of nutmeg
• a dash of salt
• 9 egg roll wrappers
• 1 egg - lightly beaten

Preheat your oven to 375*. Peel and chop your apples into small chunks {I cut one apple into small pieces and one into larger chunks for a variety of crisp apple crunch after baking}. 

In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients and then add the apples. Toss the apples to moisten the dry ingredients and coat the apples. 

Lay out your egg roll wrappers. One by one, egg wash the perimeter of the wrapper then fill with the apple mixture and roll up.

Place rolls on a lightly greased cookie sheet, then brush outside of rolls with leftover egg wash.

Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes. Pull out and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. Return to oven and finish baking for another 5 minutes.

Let cool for a couple minutes and serve.

Trevor and I enjoyed ours with some simple Vanilla Bean ice cream but they're super yummy alone, too. They taste just like apple pie - but in egg roll form. So good!

I've been on a hunt for traditional desserts with a twist that I can take to our Thanksgiving meals {yes, we have more than one - ugh, can you say stuffed?!} and this one is a winner!

Try 'em! Let me know what you think!

What are some of your favorite apple dessert recipes?

Easy Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Dudes, it's officially Fall.

I'm burning pumpkin scented candles,

have mustard, brown, burgundy, and orange decor all over my house,

and best of all, I'm eating all things pumpkin.

Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin cookies, and some very easy to make pumpkin spice muffins.

Because I have the best readers around, I thought I'd share how I make the yummiest muffins ever. 

You will want to grab a post-it and a pen to make a grocery list because it is in your tummy's best interest to stock up on the ingredients to make these muffins right away. I make about a batch a week {yes, we go through 12 muffins in a week between the two of us, don't judge!} when I'm feeling especially Fall-ish.

Here's what you need:

A box of cake mix - for this particular batch, I used the Classic White. I've had success with the yellow and the chocolate mixes, too, but my absolute favorite mix to use is a spice cake mix. 

A can of pumpkin - not pumpkin pie filling. Pump-kin. That's it. Only pumpkin.

Spices - I love using lots of cinnamon, nutmeg, and some pumpkin pie spice for good measure {when I'm not using the spice cake mix}.

Preheat your oven to 350*F

Put the cake mix, the whole can of pumpkin, and the spices in a bowl and mix. Mix, mix, mix!
I couldn't tell you how much of each spice I use because I never measure - I only eyeball it. I'd guess I use a couple tablespoons of cinnamon, a couple teaspoons of nutmeg, and a single tablespoon of the pumpkin pie mix.

Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray but don't use cupcake liners, they just get too messy with this specific recipe.
Then divide your batter up between the 12 cups.
I like to sprinkle some more cinnamon on top of the muffins before baking, so if you want to do the same, this is the time to do it!
Toss those puppies in the oven for about 20 minutes!

The muffins will puff up when they bake, but they'll hold their general shape. 

No dome-topped muffins here! Only delicious yumminess!

Let the muffins cool a bit and enjoy! I always make sure I have one warm out of the oven because it's in-cred-ible.

They freeze pretty darn well, so if you want to make a whole batch but only eat a few at a time, this will work well for you!

A touch of cake, some fall spices, and a lot of pumpkin! Sounds like the perfect Fall dessert {yes, we eat them as a dessert} or even the perfect baked good to eat while sipping your morning coffee.

Enjoy!

Baked Potato Soup

It's been a little cooler in Wisconsin for the past couple of weeks which is totally welcome, if you ask me!

I was looking forward to apple picking this weekend because the weather felt cool, my sweaters are making their way to the front of my closet, and pumpkin candles have been burning all day long on my stove... AND THEN I found out that because we had such a weird spring (super warm temperatures in March, then really cold again in April) that there aren't a lot of apples to be picked... which means orchards are not offering pick-your-own this year, they've pre-picked apples instead.
And now I'm bummed! Trevor and I found a great family owned apple place last year and were looking forward to making it a tradition...

Anyway, I'm totally off track now.
Darn apples getting me sidetracked.

I was telling you about the cooler weather lately! Cooler weather = soup weather! And I want to share a delicious {and easy, and healthy} baked potato soup with you that you can make in a flash - tonight, or whenever the mood strikes.

The best part about this soup I'm sharing with you? It's not as carb heavy as the usual baked potato soup. How does such a wonderful thing happen? You use cauliflower in place of some potatoes! It's pretty darn amazing, and you can't even taste a difference!

Here's a link to the original recipe that I started using, but my modified version is what you'll find typed up in this post.

Source: skinnytaste.com via Sara on Pinterest

It looks pretty darn great, right?! It tastes just as good as it looks, I promise.

You'll need:
2 baking potatoes (I use small ones)
1 head of cauliflower cut up (I use mostly the florets but throw in some of the stems to bulk it up)
1 1/2 cups of no sodium added, fat free chicken broth
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
salt and pepper
*some* cheddar cheese (we only put cheese on our soup after serving it, so this amount is determined by each person)
*some* bacon bits (again, each person puts their own amount of bacon bits on, so this amount is different every time)

Ok! Let's make some soup!

Poke some holes in your potatoes after washing and drying them. Toss them into the microwave for 5ish minutes or until tender. Then, cut up the potatoes into chunks.
While your potatoes are in the microwave, cut up your cauliflower and toss it into a stock pot/soup pot with about an inch of water in the bottom. Cover then bring to a boil. Let your cauliflower "steam" this way for about 5 minutes. Drain the water out.
Add the potato chunks to the pot with the drained cauliflower. Then add the chicken broth and milk and bring to a boil.
Use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree the mixture into a smooth soup. You'll be surprised by how fast it thickens up!
Add the sour cream and salt & pepper to taste. Cook on low for a few more minutes.
Serve it up in bowls and portion your own cheese and bacon bits.
Enjoy!

The whole recipe takes 15-20 minutes and is SO filling. I usually only need to eat 1 ladle of this soup to keep me full for the rest of the day. Because this recipe makes so much and is so filling, we always have leftovers. I'm happy to report that the soup is just as good a couple days later as it is fresh.

I've shared this recipe with family and friends and I've only heard good feedback about it! Head to the grocery store and pick up what you need to try this soup tonight!

Enjoy the return of soup weather!

Have you substituted carbs with cauliflower before? Have you liked it?
Have you tried this recipe? What did you think?!

Pinspiration in the Kitchen: Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Welcome! Today I'm linking up to my first Pinspiration in the Kitchen hosted by my friend Carrie at Frugal Foodie Mama. I'm excited to see what everyone else links up because I'm in the mood to make more yummy treats!

I've been meaning to make zucchini bread for a few weeks now, but hadn't gotten around to it - until this week. I didn't feel like getting the bread maker out for this recipe {it was cool enough to turn the oven on, so I did just that}. But I should add that this could definitely be made in one. Check out this post for more bread maker recipes.

Here's the nitty gritty:

I used this pin from my "Yummm!" board on Pinterest as a starting point. The recipe can be found at Taste of Home here.I usually don't follow recipes exactly as they're written and this one was no exception. First, I halfed the recipe because I only wanted to make one loaf. With only two people in the house, a lot of recipes have to get cut down in my kitchen! I also used a combination of whole wheat flour and unbleached flour instead of the flours they suggested. Best part about this recipe? It's healthy but still tastes rich and chocolatey! The following is my version:

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/6 cup canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup baking cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 cup shredded peeled zucchini
• 
  
• In a large bowl, beat the sugar, egg, applesauce, oil and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flours, cocoa, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and baking powder; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended. Stir in zucchini. Transfer to 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
• 
  
• Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 12 slices
• 
  
• I gathered up the ingredients.

Mixed the wet stuff up.

Then mixed the dry stuff up.

Added the dry mix to the wet mix.

Look at the pretty color of the zucchini!

I added the zucchini to the rest, then put it in a loaf pan.

Baked it for 40-45 minutes, and this is what I got! Looks great, right?

Try it! Let me know how it turns out! And then hurry over to the link up to find even more delicious recipes to make {you can never have too many!} :)

Also linked up to The NODrama Mama and Mom's Test Kitchen!