Baked Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

{source}

We loved this dish.  So super easy, and John went gaga for it.  It is a great dish to fix on a night where you don't have much time.  Serves up great with rice!

{What you need}

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons brown sugar

3 teaspoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 500 degrees and lightly grease a casserole dish.  In a small saute pan, saute garlic with oil until tender and fragrant.  Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar.  Place chicken breasts in a prepared baking dish and cover with sugar mixture.  Add salt and pepper as you like it.  Bake uncovered for 15-30 minutes.

Original recipe found here.

Healthy Spicy Thai Noodles

{source}

This original recipe had a lot more oil, but I found that just cutting it out significantly didn't sacrifice any flavor and made it a kajillion times healthier!  I calculated it out and it is 7 Weight Watchers PP for 1 cup, prepared this way.  Not bad for a very unique flavor in the WW world!!  

{What you need}

1 box whole wheat linguine pasta

1 Tblsp crushed red pepper (or less if you don't like it too spicy)

1/4 cup sesame oil

6 Tblsp honey

6 Tbsp soy sauce

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded

green onions, chopped

cilantro, chopped

peanuts, chopped (adds points)

carrots, slithered 

Boil the linguine according to box directions, drain.  Heat sesame oil and crushed red pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Strain out pepper and reserve oil.  To the oil, whisk in the honey and soy sauce.  Toss chicken and sauce mixture with noodles.  Serve cold or hot (I prefer cold) with green onions, cilantro, peanuts, and carrots on top.

Inspired by this recipe from LeAna of asmallsnippet.blogspot.com

Breakfast Pizza

{source}

This was awesome!  We have a weekly tradition of pizza at our house and it's fun to find a fun variation.  Plus we LOVE brinner, so this was perfect for our family.

{What you need}

• 1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 cup frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 1/2 cup chopped bacon, cooked
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 5 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

any other omelette-type toppings you'd like

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).  Separate crescent roll dough into 8 triangles. Place in an ungreased 12 inch pizza pan with points toward the center. Press together to form a crust. Bottom of crust should be sealed and outside edge should be slightly raised so that the beaten eggs don't run off the edges too much. Spoon bacon and any other of the toppings you chose over crust. Sprinkle with hash browns and top with cheddar cheese.  Beat together eggs, milk, salt and pepper; pour over crust. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Bake in preheated oven until eggs are set, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Inspired by this recipe.

• 
  

Fluffy Pancakes

{source}

I'm not a pancake person, but these are absolutely to DIE for.  They are a similar consistency to waffles, and I'm a major waffle girl, so this is a great compromise with John, who is not-so-much a waffle guy as a pancake guy.  Great for Saturday morning breakfast with you cute little family.

{What you need}

• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• cooking spray
• 
  
• Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

Compliments of Kris at allrecipes.com

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

{source}

THE single most perfect cake for the fall season!!  So utterly moist and flavorful, this is one of my new favorite recipes.  It's a major hit at showers and parties and will drive you crazy with how many people ask you to give them the recipe.

{What you need}

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups canned pumpkin
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 
  

{frosting}

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 round pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.  In a large bowl combine sugar and oil. Blend in vanilla and pumpkin, then beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Spread batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.  Combine all frosting ingredients and frost as desired, stacking the cakes with frosting in between.
• 
  
• Inspired by this recipe and this recipe.

Best-Ever Meatloaf

{source}

• 
  
• LOVED this easy and delicious recipe.  John isn't even a fan of meatloaf, but he really liked this and said it was hands down the best meatloaf he's ever had.  

{What you need}

• 1 (10.75 ounce) can tomato soup 
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 envelope dry onion soup and recipe mix
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3 large potatoes, peeled

1/2 onion, diced

4 carrots, peeled and diced

• Thoroughly mix 1/2 cup tomato soup, beef, onion soup mix, bread crumbs and egg in a large bowl. Place the mixture into a 13x9x2-inch baking pan and firmly shape into an 8x4-inch loaf. arrange the vegetables around the loaf.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the meatloaf and potatoes are cooked through. Combine remaining tomato soup, water, ketchup and honey in a small bowl and pour over meatloaf when there is 20 minutes left.

Inspired by this recipe.

Filled Vanilla Wafers

{source}

This one is a delicate and tasty treat that is perfect for fancy showers or parties.  It takes a little time but is really quite simple and incredibly impressive.  This one comes c/o my precious grandmother-in-law, who in all honesty puts Martha Stewart to shaaaaaaaaame.

{What you need}

2 boxes vanilla wafer cookies

1 cup crushed pineapple—drained

1 cup finely chopped dates

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, well beaten

2-3 cups powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.  Cook together until it starts to thicken.  Cool.  Spread 1 teaspoonful or so between two vanilla wafers and roll each filled cookie in powdered sugar. Put in air tight container and age  24 hours or a little less.  These do not keep for a long time as they continue to absorb moisture, but I have recently discovered that they can be frozen and kept for some time.