One-Pot Macaroni & Cheese 4/5 Spoons

Hey hey! So I really fell off the wagon here, didn't I? Well, I'm a baker at home and you should check out my business folded apron bakery and like it on Facebook as well. BUT, I still cook meals for myself like a human does and wanted to start writing again. Maybe not as much as I used to but I'm going to try.

My business logo, ain't she cute? (Thanks to Tesh Silver for making this for me!)



ANYWAY, I found this Mac & Cheese recipe and was like, "Yes, I must have this in my face". I did change it quite a bit and I'll put the recipe closest to what I did here and leave the link up there for ya to check out.

One-Pot Macaroni & Cheese
(adapted from Everybody Likes Sandwiches adaptation)

1 c. full-fat cottage cheese
1 1/2 c. skim milk + 1/2 c. heavy cream (it's what I had, but she uses 2 c. whole milk)
1 t. dry mustard
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 - 1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
2 c. (an 8-ounce block) of extra sharp cheddar cheese
1-16 ounce box of pasta (i used rotini, small pasta would probably work best with this)
1 T. butter (cut into small pieces)
1-2 T. parmesan to sprinkle on top
1/2 c. frozen peas
1 handful of baby spinach
1/2 c. bread crumbs
Sprinkling of paprika for the top

Preheat the oven to 375F. Make sure to spray/butter your pan. Cheese is a real bitch demon to get off of a pan!

Blend together the cottage cheese, milk, mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. In a large bowl, combine the milk mixture with the uncooked pasta and grated cheese, peas and spinach (reserve 1/4 cup cheddar cheese for the topping). Pour everything into your baking dish and cover with a lid or foil. Bake for 40 minutes, give the mixture a stir, dot with butter, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese, bread crumbs and paprika. Bake uncovered for another 30 minutes or until the pasta is tender and the cheese on top is golden and crusty. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Serves 4-6 hungry mouths.



(Photo courtesy of Everybody Likes Sandwiches)

*Overall this was pretty good. It could stand to have more salt in it and more cheese but I was trying to not use more than was minimally recommended. But if I'm going to have full-fat mac and cheese, I'm just gonna go all for it. I loved the additions of the veggies because of the snap of the peas and earthiness of the spinach. So perfect. And I plan on taking pictures of my own food next time, I hate stealing others photos even if I credit them!

Well, this is a beginning of a new era. An era where I actually blog again. PS - if you use Google Reader to follow me, it will be shutting down on July 1st of this year. I started adding my stuff to feedly and it actually seems pretty sweet. So please add me there and get used to a new layout, haha. We all will have to!

MONTH OF FOOD!

Well, I didn't really intend for my own desire to make a new recipe everyday to be part of Vegan MOFO (read about it here if you don't know what it is) but here we are!

I am busy working on trying to start my own home baking business (I got my business cards today!) and it's fun but I realize how much goes into doing this but hey, that's why I saved all this money from my temp job. I love life and I love what I'm creating so this is all worth it for me.

On to the food! So I'm going to try really hard to make all 31 days vegan but I am not promising anything (hence why I'm not affiliated with VeganMOFO). So here is what I had for Day #1 and #2. This also means I'm going to try (goddess willing) every day so I can make sure I am back in action on this blog (because I miss it.)

#1: No Bake Cookie Smoothie! (Vegan)

2 T. oats
1 c. ice
3/4 c. vanilla almond milk (or milk of your choice!)
1 T. brown sugar (or sweetener of your choice!)
1 T. cocoa powder
2 T. peanut butter

Dump in blender. Whir. Enjoy!


#2: Pumpkin Almond Granola (Vegan)

I used Everybody Likes Sandwiches adapted recipe and cut it in half and omitted the dried fruit. It was so crunchy, slightly sweet and so perfect for a dreary fall day.

I'm desperately trying to have better pictures even with my Android phone but making a DIY light box really helps! I had so much fun being crafty and making something I will use daily. Now just to get some cute vintage plates to take pictures on.....

See you again tomorrow with two new recipes! (I skipped yesterday so I had to make up for it.) Thanks for reading!

Raspberry Key Lime Pie 5/5 Spoons

Whew. Well yesterday was a rough one guys. I lost my job and I'm still kind of confused and wondering what to do. I will say though, that I'm mostly glad. I really didn't enjoy my job and after finding out some dirt on the position, I didn't want to be involved in that company anyway. So to celebrate the end of my crappy position and the new job that my roommate is starting, I made this Raspberry Key Lime Pie!

I was watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (don't judge) and some cafe made a Raspberry Key Lime Pie and I was inspired. I've never made a Key Lime Pie and kind of had an itch to do so (with some serious prodding from my roommate's taste buds). I adapted the pie recipe but made up the raspberry and whipped cream topping. There are a lot of parts but they are all easy and come together fast. Here we go!

Ooh la la right?

Adapted from Emeril Lagasee's Key Lime Pie recipe:

Graham Cracker Crust:

1 1/2 c. graham crackers (crushed, this is about one packet of graham crackers)
4 T. butter, melted
1/2 c. sugar (it seems like a lot but it really caramelizes in the oven and holds the crust together)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mash and smash the graham crackers until tiny and add butter and sugar. Mix. Pat into a 9-inch pie plate and bake until the crumbs are brown. About 20 minutes. Let cool before adding the filling.

Filling:

1 c. key lime juice (those little guys are hard to juice BUT it's worth getting the real thing if you can, they also have it bottled at most grocery stores)
2 cans sweetened condensed milk (14 ounce cans)
2 whole eggs
1 T. lime zest (I added it to the batter instead of putting on top for maximum lime flavor!)

Mix all the filling ingredients together and pour in cooled crust. Turn oven down to 325 degrees and baked pie for 15 minutes. Let cool for awhile on counter and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Raspberry Topping:

1-12 ounce bag frozen raspberries, thawed and drained
1/4 c. sugar
1-2 t. lemon juice
2 T. cornstarch

Let raspberries thaw and let them drain over your cooking pot to get out as much juice as possible. Put the juice in a measuring cup and add enough water to it to make 3/4 cup. Put all ingredients in a pot on the stove and cook on med-high until it is thick and bubbly. Make sure to keep stirring so it doesn't burn. Strain in a colander and push on the raspberries to get the delicious juice but not the seeds. Let cool before adding it to the pie.

Okay, so once this is cool, top the pie with it as much as you can. There might be too much so just spread it out to the edges. Now for the whipped cream!

Whipped Cream:

1 c. heavy cream
1-2 T. confectioner's sugar
1/2 t. vanilla

Make sure your stainless steel bowl and beaters have been in the fridge for awhile otherwise your cream won't whip as well. It will take awhile but whip, whip and whip your cream, add the sugar and vanilla in while whipping. It might seem like it won't happen but then all of a sudden, whipped cream! Don't over beat it though, because you will end up getting weird butter.

So yeah, decorate as you wish. Or just spread the cream over the top to make a beautiful layer on layer pie. Here is the inside:

I feel so excited to be back on here and have more time to do something I love. I am actually considering try to apprentice with a local bakery because I need to see this whole no job thing as an opportunity to work on me and do what I love. I hope you make this pie and share it with people you love!

Instagram Pics!

I feel terrible that I haven't been on here in forever. Here are some Instagram pics with some of the stuff I've been eating and loving and enjoying in the past few months. I promise I will be back soon but working full-time has crushed my spirit a bit (I don't mean to sound depressing, it will all be okay). Enjoy!

Seitan Pepperoni pizza (homemade whole wheat crust, Yves pepperoni, spinach and pineapple)

Chocolate Fun Cake w/ Peanut Butter Frosting

Coconut layer cake w/ Blueberry filling and Blueberry Cream Cheese frosting (for a special friend's birthday!)

Portuguese Orange Olive Oil cake (I will definitely be making this again)

I started making my own veggie broth (and it's so good and so easy and nice to know that I can control my ingredients!)

I'm usually pretty good about health lunches for work like this one: Brown basmati rice w/ tamari glazed tofu and broccoli. So easy and so filling.

Vegan S'mores Pizza from Dimo's Pizza in Chicago

I promise I will be back soon. Thanks for hanging in there everyone!

Please support me in the Farm Sanctuary Walk for Farm Animals!

Hi all,

I know no one likes to ask for money (me included) and that even fewer people like to give their money away (me included) but this is for a really great cause. I am walking because I love and respect animals and really hope that just this little effort will help abused, displaced and sick animals at Farm Sanctuary. This is something that means a lot to me and if you can give anything (any amount is great!), I would be so grateful. Here is a link to why we walk for farm animals because I think Farm Sanctuary can say it better than I ever will.

Thanks and once I reach my goal, there will be another giveaway! Take care of yourself and others.

VEGANVEGANVEGANVEGAN

Yeah, yeah, we've heard it all before Jackie. You are going vegan. You tried and failed. You've gone off the deep end.... again!

Well, I realize that as a creature of habit (like we all are) that going vegan cold Tofurkey is not the greatest idea for me. I always felt like if I had to quit something, I had to do it right then and there. We all know diets don't work that way and neither do lifestyle changes. It's okay that I'm still eating cheese pizza or having creamer in my coffee. I don't beat myself up over it. I know these changes will make me happy and better the planet, so it's part of my plan in my 30th year. I may never be totally completely vegan (I hope I will be) but I'm making it easier for myself to lead down that path. Here are some of the products that are helping me along the way too!:

365 Everyday Value Organic Unsweetened AlmondMilk

Wow, you guys. This stuff is amazing. My friend Kris Anne was the one who had me try this first over a year ago and I just never remembered how amazing it was since then. I was at Whole Foods the other day and grabbed a carton. I used it for baking but didn't try it on my cereal. I thought "What the hell?" and put it on my Cheerios. Wow, it is so close to the real thing I couldn't believe it. The real thing to me is skim milk, it will not be a good alternative to people who drink thicker and fattIer milks. I loved the slightly nutty flavor and how it didn't taste so milk-y. I know, milk should taste milk-y but I get so icked out by too much dairy. I can't wait to have a glass of this with chocolate chip cookies and use it in my smoothies and in creamy veggie soups. The only problem is that I don't have a convenient Whole Foods near me but I guess I can stock up on the aseptic boxes, I hope!

Earth Balance Organic Whipped Buttery Spread

As someone who had quite the love affair with butter in the past year, I was astounded by the flavor of this spread. I use the buttery vegan sticks for baking but this is a whole other ball game. It is so light and downy but with tons of salty buttery flavor. I love spreading it on dark breads like rye or pumpernickel or on some warm, crunchy pancakes. This is the real deal.

So take it from someone who is still a dairy eater, I recommend both of these things HIGHLY. I wouldn't steer you wrong my loves. Soon, there will be a review for vegan meatball subs! Take care and enjoy the weather!

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Vegan Espresso Buttercream Frosting 5/5 Spoons

So it's been almost two months since I've written here. I feel just terrible. I started a new job and neglected something I love, something that makes me feel whole. I promise to be here more often and to just cook more often. Yeah, I'm too tired usually to make anything exciting besides tacos, pasta or a frozen pizza most nights. It is really unlike me but I'm aware of it now and will work to make my dinners (and other meals) way better.

Now on to a recipe review! I made these cupcakes for a get together but did not end up going (don't ask), so lucky me and my roommates! We get to eat a bunch of cupcakes. Not gonna lie, these did not last until the next day. I think these might have been some of the best cupcakes I've ever had (vegan or not). Here is the one picture I got (but they don't look too shabby!):

I found this recipe for the cupcakes and tweaked this recipe for the frosting. Here are my notes for both:

Cupcakes --

- I used vanilla almond milk instead of soy milk. It's what I had on hand.
- I only used vanilla extract.

Um, that's it. These were SO tender and fluffy. The batter was really liquid-y and I was afraid it wouldn't turn out but it was the total opposite. I dare say these were the most moist cupcakes ever. Ever ever.

Frosting --

- Well since I wanted these to be vegan, I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks. Since my favorite grocery store now carries their sticks (ahem, because I requested them, you're welcome Chicago!) I have stocked up like crazy.
- I definitely used more espresso than was written in the recipe. I think about 2 1/2 t. dissolved into the vanilla extract. I needed that extra coffee kick.

So yeah, make these. I know everyone says this but I could not recommend these more.

Hopefully I will get back in the groove more and be able to post once a week. Take care my loves and you will see me again soon!