spinach artichoke dip

I love this stuff.
Creamy, gooey, and oh-so-satisfying!

This is my take on it.
I like creamy, not chunky.
I like this dip hot or cold.

Plus, my version is low(er) fat!
Win.

Spinach Artichoke Dip
Makes about a cup and a half.
6 ounces fresh spinach
3 cloves garlic, sliced
Olive oil
1 can artichokes, drained and rinsed
8 ounces low-fat cream cheese, at room temp
1/4 cup Parm, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute the spinach in the olive oil and garlic slices over medium heat until wilted.
Process in food processor or blender until smooth.
Add artichokes, cream cheese, and Parm and blend until very creamy.
Enjoy at room temp or chilled in the fridge.
Or...
Spread in a baking dish and broil for a few seconds!

flashback friday - huevos rancheros

Anyone else in a funk?
I am.
I need comfort.
And we just did scones.
So, I go back to my roots.
Tex-mex.
Enjoy!

Want a quick breakfast that satisfies?  Try huevos rancheros!  It's Tex Mex at it's best!  And it's easy!
Get a tortilla and grill it:
(That's right, I'm "grilling" on my burners...)

Cover it with mashed black beans:
(Recipe here)

Sprinkle on the cheese:

Zap in the microwave for 30 seconds and top with a fried egg!

Add some hot sauce and yum!

maple oat scones

Need a pick-me-up from daylight savings?
Yikes.
I hate spring forward.

So, we will make scones today!
Light and crumbly!
Barely sweet and might even be healthy for you ;)
Enjoy!

Maple and Oat Scones
Makes 8-12, depending...
From Smitten Kitchen!

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting surface
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 very heaped tablespoon baking powder
1 very heaped tablespoon superfine or granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Scant 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup milk or buttermilk
1 egg, beaten (for glaze)

Preheat your oven to 400*F. 

Butter a baking tray, or line with parchment paper.

Whisk the flours, oats, baking powder, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. 

Grate cold butter with a box grater and incorporate into dry mixture. 

Add milk and syrup to the butter and flour mixture. 

By hand or with a rubber spatula, bring everything together to form a soft dough. If it feels too dry, add a little more milk but not enough that the dough is sticky. On a lightly floured surface, pat or roll the dough out until it is 1 1/4 inches tall. 

Using a 2-inch biscuit or cookie cutter, cut the dough into rounds and place them on the prepared tray so that they almost touch. 

Glaze the tops with beaten egg and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the scones are lightly golden.

Serve warm and enjoy!

*Kinda dry the next day....eat while you can!*

gd likes

a beautiful Easter dress?  ha. only around $4000.

a new blender.  mine is dead.

these.  oh please, oh please.

and this.  where can i find this?? :/

Soooo, what do you like this week????

feed the birds!

It's still so cold outside!
And my sweet little one asked the other day how the birds live outside in the cold.
And that had me thinking...why not feed the birds!

A perfect craft to do with your small ones when it's still too cold to go and play at the park.
Hope you (all!) enjoy!

Birdseed Shapes
Makes 2-4, depending on how large your cookie cutters are.
Pinterest!
1/4 cup water
1 envelope of gelatin
3/4 cup birdseed
Cookie cutters
Twine, string, or ribbon
Wax paper

Combine water and gelatin in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring often.  Let dissolve completely and then remove from heat for one minute.  Stir in birdseed, adding a bit more if you still see liquid at the bottom.  Lay out your cookie cutters on a piece of wax paper.  Fill a cookie cutter halfway, insert a twine loop (to hang), and continue filling to the top.  Press as much as you can (it's sticky!) and let dry for a day, turning over a couple times.  Hang (on the doorknob if you are too lazy/cold to walk all the way to a tree) and enjoy!

flashback friday - onion tarte

Before we get too spring-y, let's have a few more nights of comfort food, eh????

*and please excuse those pictures!  old camera + no experience = yikes.  still a good recipe though!*

Onion tarte doesn't sound too appealing, huh?  Even if you call it a tarte instead of a pizza, like it really is?  :)
What about if it looks like this??

This tarte is great.  The onions get super sweet and caramel-y and the mustard really brightens things up.  It's great to serve with soup (like we did) or as appetizers for a dinner party.  It's homey but fancy and just plain delicious.
Might sound strange to have a whole pizza with just onions, but trust me, if you call it atarte, it transforms :)

Onion Tarte

Adapted from Gourmet  

Serves 8, as appetizers

One recipe pizza dough, or store-bought
Olive oil
3 pounds yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved

Roll out the pizza dough into a big rectangle, 15"x12".  Lay on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a large heavy Dutch oven over medium low heat.  Add sliced onions and the salt and pepper.  Cover with a lid or a piece of parchment paper and cook until onions are very soft and dark golden brown, about an hour and a half.
Preheat oven to 375*.
Brush the pizza dough with the mustard and spread onion mixture evenly over the surface.  Sprinkle with the cheese and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until tarte is golden brown.  Cut into diamonds (it's pretty!) and serve!

crustless cranberry pie

I hate to admit it.

But, I stock up.

So, last December, when all the fresh cranberries went on sale...

I bought some.

"Some" being five bags.

And froze them.

So, watch out if the next couple weeks are filled to the brim with cranberry recipes.

Yes, I was eating this straight out of the dish with a fork.

You just try resisting it.

Crustless Cranberry Pie

Makes one pie.

Adapted from a couple different sources online.

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups frozen cranberries (or fresh, I suppose...)

3/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

2 eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract

Mix mix mix and spoon into a buttered pie pan.  Bake at 350* for 40 minutes and enjoy!

*Only lasts for a couple days...then it kinda gets mushy.  Eat fast!*