Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

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So easy.  So uniquely delish.  They are really peanut buttery, so if you don't like PB these might not be for you.  But if you do, then these are heaven!

{What you need}

1 cup white sugar

1 cup peanut butter

1 egg

18 bite-size reese's peanut butter cups

Cream sugar, pb, and egg.  Form dough into small balls, forming each dough-ball around one peanut butter cup.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  It is CRUCIAL that you do not over-bake them.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

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These totally are not in season, but they are delicious as ever!  Tonight for dinner I made this pasta so I thought I'd try to get the most out of the can of pumpkin we bought.  I googled a recipe for cookies and found this winner here.  The only change I made was I used chocolate chips instead of raisins and nuts.  That was a no-brainer to me.  They turned out to be the best pumpkin chocolate chip cookies John and I have ever had.  Enjoy!

{What you need}

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 bag chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl, cream together sugar, egg, shortening, and vanilla.  In a separate bowl sift together the rest of the dry ingredients and gradually add in to sugar mixture until blended.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Spoon onto greased cookie sheets and cook for 10-15 minutes.  We found that 12 minutes is perfecto.

Noodles & Co Mac and Cheese

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Yes you read that correctly--the ulitmate in comfort food at it's best!  I initially consider taking risks when I go to Noodles & Co--i really do-- but I inevitably always end up getting the Mac and Cheese.  And I am never disappointed.  I am huge into any variety of mac and cheese, but I think this might be my very favorite.  Creamy, flavorful, cheesy. . . heaven.

{What you need}

1 lb. elbow noodles

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups half and half

1/2 tsp salt

3 Cups Monterrey Jack (or Colby Jack)

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour making a roux. Gradually stir in half and half whisking until thickened. Stir in salt. Remove from heat. Add cheese, stir until cheese melts. Top with fancy shredded mild cheddar cheese.

(Found this recipe here)

Bacon Artichoke Penne Bake

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I had my eye on this recipe for a while before actually being able to make it.  It is every bit as delicious as it sounds, my friends.  It refrigerates well, or you could even freeze the leftovers (my variation made heaps).  My new dream is to make a bacon artichoke pizza inspired by this recipe....

{What you need}

8 oz penne or bowtie (I used a whole package penne, I think like 14 oz or something)
1 recipe alfredo (or any jar of store-bought alfredo)
2 chicken breasts, grilled and chopped (about 2 cups) (I'll probably leave this out next time)
6 oz (1/2 package) cooked bacon, chopped (I used the whole package)
1 (14 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (I used a 16 oz can)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I used two cups)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.
Prepare pasta according to package directions.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare guiltless alfredo sauce (I just used a jar from the store).  When pasta is done, drain and add to the sauce.  Toss with chopped chicken, bacon, artichoke hearts, green onions, and 1/2 cup mozzarella.  Season to taste.
Transfer mixture to an 8 x 8 baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Cover with foil and bak for about 20 minutes.

(Compliments of  Our Best Bites Cookbook) 

Eggless Cookie Dough

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Some people are paranoid about eating cookie dough because of the raw egg in it.  This has never fazed me, but I stumbled across this delicious recipe and whipped it together for a tasty treat for a sisters day.  It keeps great and I just keep a batch in the fridge to snack on every once in a while when I'm having a sugar craving.

{What you need}

1 cup butter

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 small (~3.5oz) box instant vanilla pudding 

1/4 cup milk

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2 cups chocolate chips 

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light in color.  Add pudding and combine well. Stir in vanilla and milk.  Add in baking soda and flour, 1/2 cup at a time until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Keep refrigerated. 

(compliments of The Sisters Cafe)

Baked Mushroom Rice

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A hearty side for roast or chicken from my new favorite cook book.  And you know how I love me mushrooms!  It bakes in the oven for a while so you have free hands to be preparing anything else you need to.

{What you need}

2 T butter

1/2 c onion, chopped

1 c sliced mushrooms

3 c beef broth

1/2 c apple juice

1 T white vinegar

3/4 t kosher salt

1 t pepper

2 c uncooked rice

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a 9 x 13 dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.  Melt butter over medium heat.  Add chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes.  Add mushrooms and continue cooking until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are tender.  Remove from heat and combine the remaining ingredients in the pan.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork before serving.

Pumpkin Alfredo

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I made this for a very special evening.  I had been to the doctor earlier that day for an ultrasound for our first baby, but since John couldn't come with me because of final presentations at school, I had the ultrasound tech not tell me what sex the baby was and she wrote it down on a card I provided and put it in an envelope.  We had this very delicious and elegant meal before we opened the envelope together to find out what our first baby would be.  So this is a very special meal to us, and it is pretty reasonable to make.  Not the easiest thing, but definitely doable.

It calls for half of this alfredo sauce, which is part of why it takes a little longer to make because it's like you're making two meals.  But if you find a delicious alfredo sauce that comes pre-made or something, you could probably use that too and cut down on some prep time.

{What you need}

1 (8 oz) package cheese ravioli 

(or pasta of choice--I think it would be great with spinach fettuccine too)

1/2 batch of this alfredo sauce (or about 1 1/2 cup of canned)

1/2 T real butter

1/4 c finely minced onion

2 T chicken broth

1/2 t dried thyme

1 t dried sage

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  In a separate saucepan, melt the butter on medium heat. When melted, add onion and saute until it is translucent and fragrant.  Add chicken broth and herbs.  Use   a spatula to deglaze the pan a bit and get any cooked bits of onion off the bottom.  Add pumpkin and whisk to combine.  Add alfredo sauce, stir to combine and cook until heated through.  Serve immediately over cooked pasta.  Another favorite from Best Bites.