Easy Holiday Treats

I got this "recipe", if you want to call it that, a few years ago from a sweet lady at our church. Since then, it has been a big hit among friends and family. It has to be one of the easiest batch of treats I have ever made.

All you need is a package of store bought peanut butter cookie dough and a bag of Reese's Cups. (Tip: look for the candy to go on sale right after Halloween. You can buy a few bags and throw them in your freezer.)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a mini muffin pan, place chunks of the cookie dough in each opening. You don't want them too big or too small. You'll have to experiment with the amount of cookie dough to get the perfect "rise" when they bake.

Place pan in the oven on the middle rack, and set your timer for 12 minutes. While the cookies are in the oven, unwrap the Reese's Cups. This part is especially fun for little one's to join in. I just have to watch Buddy. He likes to eat them as we go!

Start checking your cookies around 10-11 minutes. You want them to start turning brown on the sides and the top to where they are almost overdone. If they are undercooked, they will crumble when you try to pop them out of the pan. When they are ready, take the pan out of the oven and immediately place a Reese's Cup in the center of each cookie. Press it down so that it sits right in the middle.

After you put all of your Reese's Cups in, allow the pan to cool for at least 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, take a fork and gently pop them out. This part can be tricky because if they weren't cooked long enough or haven't cooled long enough, they might break apart. On the plus side, those "mistakes" are yummy to munch on.

If you are preparing them for a party, you can go ahead and serve them. They are so good to eat at this point because the chocolate and peanut butter are warm and soft. If you are packing them up to give away, I'd recommend letting them sit for a few more hours so they can harden up.

As far as the amount the recipe yields, two packages of dough and a large bag of Reese's Cups will usually get me about two and a half pans, which is about 60 cookies.

Always,

Amanda

A Trip to the Farmer's Market

This morning we went to the local farmer's market that sets up every Saturday morning in a church parking lot right down the street from our house. There are people selling fresh produce, plants, eggs, handmade soaps, and other great things. We love to shop there to support our neighbors and community in our joined efforts to live a more sustainable lifestyle. 

Today we purchased squash, red potatoes, chipotle salsa, and homemade tea tree oil soap. It smells so yummy! We just finished the delicious salsa with lunch and are looking forward to the fresh veggies for dinner!

To find a farmer's market near you, click here. Have a great weekend!


Always, 

Amanda

Utimate Veggie Lasagna

I have asked my sister, who is a vegetarian and also a "naturally chic mama", to be a guest author on my blog to share her healthy, whole foods based recipes. Here is a great dish that she made for dinner last night. Delicious!

I created this recipe right before I went vegetarian. I was trying to cook lighter, healthier meals for my family that were still absolutely yummy. I had originally started altering my traditional lasagna recipe by replacing the noodles with whole wheat pasta and adding more veggies. Then I took it a step further and removed meat all together. One day, I was making Eggplant Parmesan and it hit me, take out the pasta completely and make a true veggie lasagna! It is definitely one of my favorite recipes to make...and eat!

Ingredients:
1 eggplant
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic
2-4 zucchini
2 cups sliced mushrooms
4 cups fresh spinach
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1 cup part skim ricotta
1 cup 2% mozzarella
1 vine ripened tomato
Fresh basil leaves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Slice eggplant (with or without skin) into 1/2 inch slices, salt generously on both sides and lay on a towel. Set aside. Slice zucchini, chop onion and garlic. Heat large skillet on med-high. Add a little olive oil. Brown garlic, then add onion, mushrooms, and zucchini (add salt, pepper, and other seasonings to taste). Saute for about 5-10 minutes. Set aside. Pat eggplant dry, then saute in skillet, flipping several times until browned on each side. Pour a little pasta sauce in the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. Layer sauteed veggies, fresh spinach, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, then slices of eggplant. Repeat this order (approximately 3x) beginning each time with the sauce. When finished layering, top with the remaining sauce, mozzarella, diced tomatoes and fresh basil leaves. Bake in the oven until cheese melts and sauce begins to bubble (about 15-20 minutes). Let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy!

(For a slight variation to the recipe, you can add peppers and olives to give it a "pizza lasagna" taste!)


Always, 

Amanda