Peet's Coffee and Apple Fritter Muffins

What could be better than a hot homemade apple fritter for breakfast? How about a hot homemade apple fritter muffin that is baked, not fried, with a mug of Peet's Coffee's new Cafe Solano medium roast coffee? Sounds pretty good, right? As a Foodbuzz Tastemaker I was lucky enough to be sent free samples of Peet's Coffee's new medium roast blends! As a coffee enthusiast I could not have been happier! I'm not one to endorse a product that I don't love, but Peet's Coffee has been around for so long that I was psyched to try their new roasts and post a recipe to accompany one of them!

I was sent a sample of their brand new Cafe Solano and Cafe Domingo medium roast coffees; each one has a unique flavor. Cafe Solano has floral and fruit undertones while Cafe Domingo has toffee undertones and a clean, crisp finish. Pressing the coffee was the first step to brew the best cup possible, and it really allowed the different coffees to shine. My hands down favorite was the Cafe Solano blend for its floral fruity hints that I knew would go so great with an apple-flavored dessert.

These apple fritter muffins are amazing straight out of the oven, hot and glazed. I made these extra-tiny, but you could absolutely use regular muffin cups. Cinnamon apples get suspened in a moist cinnamon-vanilla batter making the muffins super moist and tasty. I love that they're double-glazed, and the sweet contrast to the robust flavor of Peet's Coffees is a total win!

Apple Fritter Muffins

For the apples:

2 large Jonah Gold apples, 1/4 inch dice
3 tbl salted  butter
2 tbl sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbl water

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Heat the apples, butter, sugar, cinnamon, and water over medium heat until softened, about 6 minutes. Toss with the flour and let cool while you prepare the batter.

For the muffins:

1 cup milk

2 large eggs
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil

1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbl ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line 14 muffin cups with paper liners.

Whisk together the milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. In a seperate bowl whisk together the sugars, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Mix until combined and only small lumps remain (do not overmix).

Gently fold in the apples. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to glaze.

For the glaze:

2 tbl salted butter, melted
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbl water

Whisk together all ingredients. Dip or brush each muffin with glaze and let harden slightly. Dip or brush a second time. Serve hot.

Recipe adapted from Chasing Some Blue Sky.

Supper Saturdays: Slow-Cooker Lentil Soup, Dill Potatoes, and Sugared Plum Crisp

I'm trying out something new this week. I'm trying to put dinner on the table more often, complete with a side and dessert. I love to cook, but I don't always have time to make a complete meal. From now on, I'm going to commit at least one day to making a balanced, somewhat healthy, and coordinated meal and dessert. Here's my first go! I decided to use the slow-cooker after seeing an awesome soup recipe that I would have never thought of. I love slow-cooking all day types of soups that are packed with flavor and healthful! Why not do it in a slow cooker? This lentil soup is delicious and perfect for fall, and the best part is that you can assemble the whole thing in the morning, and with a few last-minute touches have a wonderful healthy soup with minimal effort! I love this!!

Of course the lentil soup would be perfect on it's own, but I've had a thing for dill lately...it didn't exactly work in the lentil soup (I tried it as a last-minute touch but it wasn't meshing), but simple easy potatoes to go with the theme? A delicious accompaniment. I learned a really great technique to cook the potatoes super fast and super salty. Everyone knows how potatoes soak up salt, and I love that there's really no need for any last minute salting after cooking these. I'm a salt lover, too.

For dessert? I'd bought some plums at the store, just to switch things up for my daughter who is known to eat an apple a day. I can't say that she's crazy about plums, but I thought if I baked them in a healthy dessert with some added sugar and oats she might come to like them. Somehow, she wasn't thrilled, but I definitly was! I love how the plums taste after baking. This is also simple, easy, healthy, and rusticly beautiful. This is a pretty great autumnal meal, especially if you don't have a lot of time to make dinner and dessert. It's totally homemade yet super simple, tasty, and satisfying. I know I'll be making all of these foods again, and I hope you make a couple too!!

P.S. Because Jason isn't thrilled about lentils (can't see why, I love them!) I made this flat roast chicken for him also. It's another quick, healthy, homemade meal that is delicious! Try it out!!

Slow-Cooker Lentil Soup

1 onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 parsnips, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 cups (16 ounce package) brown lentils
8-10 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp dried thyme (optional)
1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Put the onion, carrots, parsnips, celery, garlic, lentils, vegetable broth, and thyme in a slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook on the low setting for 6+ hours or the high setting for 3+ hours, depending on how much time you have and how mushy you like your lentils. Add more vegetable broth if you think the soup is too thick (I like mine chunky).

Just before serving stir in the red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Dill Potatoes

2 lbs baby yukon gold potatoes, quartered
1 tbl salt
2 tbl salted butter
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbl chopped fresh dill

Put the potatoes in a pot and add just enough water to come about two inches up the side (do not cover potatoes). Stir in the salt and bring to a boil. Cover and boil for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

Drain the potatoes and add back to the pan. Stir in the butter to coat and toss with the black pepper and fresh dill. Serve.

Sugared Plum Crisp

2 lbs plums (about 6 large)
4 tbl sugar, divided
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats (not the quick-cooking kind)
2 tbl all-purpose flour
2 tbl salted butter, softened

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the plums into wedges and arrange in a medium baking dish (8x8 or oval). Sprinkle with 2 tbl sugar. In a seperate bowl combine the remaining 2 tbl sugar, oats, flour, and butter. Sprinkle over the plums. Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes. Serve.

Churros

I hate to say that the past few days I just haven't been feeling well. I tried to make it a habit to post five days a week, but sometimes life gets in the way. I wanted to have something really great to post today, but I just didn't get around to baking this week (yet). So, for now, this churro recipe will have to suffice...because it is delicious. This is the final recipe I've got to share from my Foodbuzz 24x24, and it was my favorite part of the meal: dessert! Churros are fried deliciousness - crispy crunchy on the outside and soo creamy on the inside. Once you coat them in cinnamon sugar they become irresistably sweet. I'm checking out for now to go finish a mountain of clinical work and study for a test, but I hope this satisfies someone's need!

Churros

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbl dark brown sugar
2 egg yolks
vegetable oil
cinnamon-sugar mixture

In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour and baking soda to combine. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Mix in the salt and brown sugar to dissolve. Remove from the heat and slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth.

Being careful not to cook the egg yolks, beat them into the mixture one at a time. Continue beating until the mixture comes together and becomes smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool.
Prepare a large pastry bag with a large star tip. Heat a few inches of oil in a large saucepan to 375 degrees on a candy thermometer. Spoon the batter into the piping bag and pipe 4-inch lengths of dough into the oil to fry (don't crowd, 5 or 6 at a time is fine), cutting off each length of dough with kitchen shears. Fry 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove onto paper towels and dust lightly with cinnamon-sugar.

Recipe adapted from Classic Mexican Kitchen by Jane Milton.

Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake

I've got a serious baking itch. It's a baking itch that cannot be scratched with Martha Stewart cupcake recipes or fun little ideas like cake pops or candy-filled brownies (understand, if you offer me one of these treats at any time I will still be powerless to turn them down). This is a really serious baking itch that needs to be scratched with french technique and complex multi-component desserts.

To segway into how I found this little cake recipe in front of you, I've got to start off by saying that the library is a wonderful place. After scouring Barnes and Noble, like I have on so many occasions, looking for the most advanced and complete baking book I could find I determined that if I wanted to purchase such a book I would have to wait until Christmas. And although Santa is generous, I just couldn't wait that long (the book I found weighed about 20 pounds and cost over $100). Hence, I turned to my trusty library to help me fill in the months until the holidays. It's not the first time either. I've previously taken out, and ravaged, the Martha Stewart Cupcake book. After making so many different cupcakes, cakes, and buttercreams I know for certain that I'm ready to learn more technique, and I can't wait to share with you all! Seriously, I'm way too excited for this :)

The book that I serindipitously picked out in less than a minute with my untuned-to-depth-perception two year old is EXACTLY what I need right now. It's a great beginners book to cakes. I feel like an over-ready beginner because even though I've made a hundred cake and frostings I've never actually learned anything but the basic butter-flour-sugar-baking soda cakes that we, as Americans, have grown so fond of. They are rampant on the internet and in popular media, but I've been craving something a little different and a little more unique. This first recipe definitly fit the bill! It is complex yet simple meaning that the components themselves are not overly skilled but that there are more than your average cake and they require some more time.

I made this dark chocolate mousse cake for my sister's 28th birthday. It is dark, chocolatey, moist, rich, and light at the same time. But the greatest part is that it's not too sweet. The layers of mousse are just as thick as the layers of moist delicate cake and the dark chocolate ganache is just the right "frosting" for this type of cake. If you love dark chocolate this is the cake for you!

Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake

For the sour cream cake layers:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 2/3 cups sugar

1/3 cup natural cocoa powder (not dutch processed)

1 tsp baking soda

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 stick (8 tbl) salted butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup corn or vegetable oil

3/4 cup ice-cold water

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x3" springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper, and grease the paper. Dust the paper and the sides of the pan with flour and tap out the excess.

Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking soda into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the eggs until blended. Whisk in the sour cream and vanilla extract until blended. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the melted butter and oil together at low speed. Add the cold water and mix to blend. Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix at medium-low speed for 1 minute. Add the egg mixture and mix for another minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set the pan on a wire rack and cool the cake for 20 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack, reinvert the cake, and cool completely. Make the chocolate mousse.

For the dark chocolate mousse filling:

9 ounces dark chocolate (at least 60%), coarsely chopped

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp instant espresso powder

pinch salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup heavy cream

Place the chocolate in a large heat proof bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, espresso powder, and salt and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour the mixture over the chocolate, cover, and let sit 5 minutes. Uncover and stir until combined. Add in the vanilla and stir to combine. Let cool 10 minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining cream until completely blended (the mousse should be used immediately).

To assemble the cake:

cooled sour cream chocolate cake

dark chocolate mousse filling

dark chocolate glaze (recipe below)

Using a long serrated knife, trim off the domed top of the cake so that the cake is perfectly level; reserve the trimmings. Cut the cake horizontally into 3 layers.

Place one of the cake layers in the bottom of a 9x3" springform pan. Scrape half of the chocolate mousse over the cake layer and spread it into an even layer. Top with another cake layer. Scrape over the remaining mousse and spread it into an even layer. Top with the remaining cake layer. Cover the top of the pan with plastic wrap or foil and freeze the cake for at least 3 hours, until firm.

Place the reserved cake trimmings in the bowl of a food processor and process to fine crumbs. Set aside. Make the dark chocolate glaze, if you have not already completed this step.

Remove the cake from the freezer. Run a sharp thin-bladed knife under hot water and wipe it dry. Run the kinfe between the cake and the side of the pan to release the cake; reheat the knife as necessary. Remove the side of the pan. Using a small offset spatula, smooth the mousse on the sides of the cake.

Place the cake on a wire rack and set the rack over a baking sheet. Pour the warm glaze over the top of the cake and use the offset spatula to smooth it evenly over the top and sides. Pat the cake crumbs over the sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake for at least one hour (to thaw) before serving.

For the dark chocolate glaze:

6 ounces dark chocolate (at least 60%), coarsely chopped

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until melted and combined. Add in the vanilla extract and stir to combine. Cover and let cool for 10 minutes before using.

Recipe adapted from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle.

Homemade Refried Beans and Spanish Rice

Closing out the week this Friday is another recipe from my Foodbuzz 24x24 party last month. So far I've posted the recipes for Homemade Corn Tortillas with Salsa and Con Queso, Spicy Mexican Corn Bisque, Shredded Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce, and Black Bean Enchiladas with Red Sauce. My final recipe for churros will be up next week (and man were they delicious). But for now, let's talk beans and rice. Believe it or not, canned refried beans are actually good for you! They contain little to no added fat and are super high in fiber and nutrients. Did you know that? It's only when you go out for authentic mexican food that lard becomes a star. Being that I'm still straddling the vegetarian fence I was not down with adding pure animal fat to my own homemade refried beans. Instead, I substituted a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil, we are frying these beans, after all. They came out tasting super sweet from all the caramelized onion. If you like refried beans, I suggest you try your hand at these!

As for the spanish rice? Well, that was on just about eveyone's favorites list for the night! It had sooo much flavor, I really couldn't believe that everything in it came from a can. If you're a rice fan, (and who isn't?) then this rice is a must try! I think the addition of the boiled water in the beginning (which then gets drained out), the toasting of the rice, and the slow incorporation of the vegetable puree really gave this a stellar consistency and complex flavor. This rice does require a bit of maintenance since it's not your typical throw-it-in-a-pot-and-cover-it kind of rice. But it is well worth it, and healthy to boot!

Refried Beans

1 cup dried pinto beans, soaked in water overnight
4 cups water
1 onion, halved plus 2 onions finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, peeled plus 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
salt
2 tbl vegetable oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander

Drain and rinse the pinto beans. Bring the beans, water, halved onion, and whole garlic to a boil in a large pot. Turn the heat to low and let simmer 1 1/2 hours or until tender and only a little liquid is left. Salt to taste. Using a potato masher, mash the beans to the desired consistency.

Preheat a large skillet over low heat. Add the oil, diced onions, minced garlic, cumin, and coriander. Cook until the onions have softened considerably, about 30 minutes. Add about 1/4 cup of the beans and let fry for 2-3 minutes. Using a fork or potato masher, mash into the onions. Continue this process until all the beans have been added. Cook until pastelike, another 20 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Classic Mexican Kitchen by Jane Milton

Spanish Rice

2 cups long grain rice
14 onces (about 1/2 large can) plum tomatoes
1 onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4 tbl vegetable oil
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp salt
3 ounce can fire-roasted chilies

Place the rice in a large heat-proof bowl. Boil a good amount of water in a tea-pot. Pour the boiling water over the rice to cover, stir, and let stand for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh seive and rinse with cold water. Set aside to dry.

Meanwhile puree the plum tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a food processor until smooth.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add the rice and toast until it is slightly golden brown. Add the tomato mixture and stir continuously until all the liquid has become absorbed. Add the stock, salt, and chillies. Continue to cook uncovered until all liquid has become absorbed, stirring occassionally, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Recipe adapted from Classic Mexican Kitchen by Jane Milton.

Maple Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Let me just tell you right now, today is not starting off well. My $45 dream angels bra from Victoria's Secret is wearing. That's right. Sorry for the unnecessary details, but the underwire is starting to poke through on one end and I know from experience that it won't be long until it is totally poking out and leaving little red marks all over my boob. I told you the details were unnecessary. Damn popular marketing. Victoria's Secret is the only store that carries a size that actually fits me like it should, I've been wearing this bra every other day people! I wash it on delicate, never put it in the dryer, and cherish it in general. I have only one. But now, it's days are numbered. Looks like I'll be scratching up pennies to get another one soon, unless that is some unlikely reader wants to send me a new one...ok, that's just weird.

I have no idea what this has to do with cinnamon rolls. Nothing, in fact. Just pointless rambling to go along with your morning cup of coffee. But, if you get anything from this whole thing, I hope that you realize that good bras are worth the money and that maple pumpkin cinnamon rolls are absolutely amazing. Ridiculously high in calories, yes. But delicious, without a doubt. Moral of the story: I need to go on a diet, buy a new bra, but finish the last cinnamon roll first. Yes, sir.

Maple Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

For the pumpkin yeast dough:

1/2 package instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 ounce box)
1/4 cup cold milk
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup salted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
1 package (2 1/2 tsp) active dry yeast
1 tbl sugar
1/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
4 cups all purpose flour

In a medium bowl whisk together the pudding mix and milk until thickened. Add in the pumpkin puree, salt, nutmeg, cooled butter, and egg. Whisk to combine.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the yeast and sugar. Add in the warm water and mix vigorously to dissolve completely. Let stand 5 minutes, the mixture should become foamy.

Add in the pumpkin mixture and beat on low speed to combine. Begin mixing in the flour on the lowest setting 1/2 cup at a time until all is incorporated. Switch to the dough hook and "knead" on low speed for 7 minutes. Dump the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for 1-2 minutes. Place the dough ball in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for one hour.

When the dough is done rising, roll it out (surface does not have to be floured at this point) to an 11x18" rectangle. Proceed to the filling.

For the cinnamon sugar filling:

1/3 cup (5 tbl) salted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tbl ground cinnamon

Using a spoon cover the dough rectangle with the softened butter, leaving about 1" on the right and left sides. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the rectangle, leaving about 1" on the right and left sides again. Press in with your hands.

Take the 1" of dough on either side and fold it over to prevent the filling from coming out. Now you can begin rolling the dough up from the bottom (Gingerbread Bagels has great pictures of this). When you're finished rolling, cut off either end of the roll; you can either discard these or bake them, like I did. Cut the remaining dough into 7 rolls, being careful to keep the rolls together by squeezing them when necessary. Place into greased cake pans or casserole pans, being sure to leave plenty of room for rising (I ended up with 9 rolls counting the ends and used three 8" cake pans). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for another 20 minutes. While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cover with maple cream cheese frosting.

For the maple cream cheese frosting:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3 tbl salted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbl pure maple syrup

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the cream cheese and butter on high speed for about 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the powdered sugar until combined. Add in the maple syrup and combine. Switch the mixer to high and beat for another 3-5 minutes or until fluffy.

Recipe adapted from Gingerbread Bagels.

Black Bean Enchiladas with Red Sauce

I wish I had some great story for you today, but in actuality I'm being rushed to get out the door right now. I'm about to go to the hospital to pick out my patient for tomorrow - that's right, I get to pick out my patient. Anyways, this is a recipe that comes from my Foodbuzz 24x24 party last month. I thought it would be great to do two different enchiladas, this being a healthier vegetarian option. Everything is homemade, and I would make these again in a heartbeat.

I made my own corn tortillas for this, but buying them store bought is totally fine, and probably way more normal. The filling is a homemade black bean mash. I actually found the filling to be lacking a little flavor which is why I ended up putting some cheese in each tortilla. The red sauce more than makes up for it, though. You could also easily substitue canned black beans for dry, just sautee them with some garlic and onions before you mash them.

Black Bean Enchiladas with Red Sauce

For the black bean filling:

1 cup dried black beans, reconstituted in water overnight
4 cups water
1 onion, peeled and halved
8 garlic cloves, peeled
salt

Drain and rinse the beans twice. Bring the beans, water, onions, and garlic to a boil in a large pot. Turn the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours, until the beans are tender and there is only a little water remaining. Remove the outside of the onion and strain, reserving some cooking liquid. Season with salt to taste. Using a potato masher, mash the beans to a chunky consistency, adding more cooking liquid as needed.

For the red sauce:

3 tbl vegetable oil

1 tbl flour

1/4 cup chili powder

2 cups chicken stock

10 ounces tomato paste

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

salt and pepper

In a saucepan over medium heat add the oil. Whisk in the flour and use a wooden spoon to cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the chili powder and cook for 30 seconds. Add the stock, tomato paste, oregano, and cumin and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken and smooth out. Season to taste. 

Recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse.

To assemble:

6-7 corn tortillas
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
black bean filling
red sauce

Roll up each tortilla with a little cheese and black bean filling. Place in a baking dish and repeat until you've made all the enchiladas. Cover heavily in red sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Serve!

Chocolate Nutella Oatmeal

Hello friends! Today I've got one amazing recipe to share with you for Nutella oatmeal...that's right...Nutella oatmeal! I don't want to hear anyone saying that oatmeal is boring ever again. Seriously, putting a big scoop of Nutella in your plain oatmeal and sprinkling some jimmies on top could just be the best thing that ever happens to you.

Chocolate Nutella Oatmeal

1 cup old-fashioned oats (not the quick-cooking kind)
1 cup water
1 cup milk
2 tbl sugar
1/3 cup Nutella
2 tbl hazelnuts
chocolate jimmies

Bring the oats, water, milk, and sugar to a boil. Turn the heat to low and stir until soft and thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Nutella until melted and gooey. Top with hazelnuts and chocolate jimmies!

Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal

Cinnamon raisin oatmeal is reminiscent of rushed school mornings and rainy days when there was nothing to eat in the house. It reminds me of an old cereal cabinet we used to keep next to the dining table. It was really an old half-island but instead it was used to house various and many boxes of cereal and dried pre-packaged oatmeals. On top was always a bowl of really old potpourri or figurines. Pressing the cabinet door to release the magnetic lock is something I will never forget, nor will I forget the boxes of expired oatmeal we threw away when we finally cleaned it out and got rid of it. Always the variety pack and always missing just the good flavors. In case you were wondering, cinnamon raisin was never the good flavor at my house. Oh, childhood memories...

Trust me when I tell you that this oatmeal recipe is 300 times better than that pre-packaged individual serving size stuff. It has 500 times more flavor and it is 100% as easy to throw together in a hurry. Why I never knew about real oatmeal as a child is something I will never know. This is one of those recipes that when I first saw I thought "why didn't I think of that, duh!?" and then continued make in whatever flavor combination I could think of. Throw a little milk, water, sugar, spices, and oats in a pan and five minutes later you've got fresh hot homemade oatmeal. I'll never buy the instant stuff again. As you can see from the pictures above, it is totally kid approved. :)

Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal

1 cup milk

1 cup water

2 tbl brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbl raisins

1 cup old-fashioned oats (not the quick-cooking kind)

Stir everything together in a pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to low and cook, stirring constantly, until softened and thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie Baked Potatoes

When I was a kid frozen chicken pot pies were something of an anomalie to me. I was always a chubby kid who like to eat just about anything. But watery, runny, frozen chicken pot pies with half-burnt flavorless crusts? I just didn't get it.

Last year I made the most amazing vegetable pot pies from an Ina Garten cookbook. They changed my mind about pot pies. Since then I realized that it's all in the execution. A good chicken or vegetable pot pie can be good, and here's a few reasons why: 1. the filling doesn't have to be runny, it can be rich and creamy and full of flavor 2. peas and carrots aren't all bad when used in the correct proportion 3. puffed pastry dough is so much better than traditional crust. There you have it. The idea to stuff a baked potato with chicken pot pie filling came to me after reading this month's Food Network magazine. That and the fact that making a baked potato pot pie is a hell of a lot easier than making a whole pie. Oh, and I love that they're individually portioned. Here's some step by step photos to show you how to make your own:

First off, poke your potatoes! Bake them until soft.

Dice up your chicken.

Add it to a pot with the carrots and peas. Then cover it with water and poach the chicken and veggies, creating a lovely chicken broth in the process.

Reserve the liquid.

By now, your potatoes should be cool. Slice them in half.

Scoop out the flesh.

Mash it up and set it aside.

In a seperate pan, melt some butter. Good ole butter...

Sprinkle in some flour.

Whisk it up.

Cook it a little bit...you just made a roux!

Remember that reserved chicken liquid? Whisk it in.

Whisk in some milk, too.

Whisk unil thick and creamy.

Now you can add in the poached chicken and veggies.

And mix it up. Reserve some for later.

Take the mashed potato flesh from earlier and dump it in.

Mix it up, too.

Now comes the fun part. Fill the potatoes up!!

Take your puffed pastry and slice it into rectangles.

Put one on each potato.

Bake them until they look like this...

But that's not all! Take the reserved chicken filling and put it back into the pan.

Add in some more reserved chicken liquid.

Whisk it up.

You just made your topping!

Spoon it on the potatoes. You just made chicken pot pie in a baked potato!

Chicken Pot Pie Baked Potatoes

2 large yukon gold potatoes
1 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 carrot, diced
1/3 cup frozen peas
2 cups water
3 tbl salted butter
3 tbl all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/3 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the potatoes and poke them all over with a fork. Put on a baking sheet and bake until soft, about one hour. Let cool.

Meanwhile, dice the chicken breast into cubes. Add the chicken, diced carrot, and frozen peas into a pot and cover with the water. Salt and pepper heavily. Turn the heat to medium and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Drain the liquid, you should have at least 1 1/4 cups, reserve.

Cut the cooled potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh, leaving 1/4-1/2 inch border around the outside of the potato. Using a potato masher (or butter cutter) mash the flesh of the potatoes. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan melt the butter. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk to form a paste. Cook the raw flavor out, about one minute. Slowly pour in 3/4 cup of reserved chicken liquid, whisking constantly. The mixture should immediatly begin thickening. Whisk in the milk. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour in the chicken, carrots, and celery and mix to combine. Scoop out 1 cup of the mixture and set aside. Dump the mashed potato flesh into the remaining chicken mixture and stir to combine. Salt and pepper to taste if needed. Arrange the potatoes in a baking dish and fill with the potato-chicken mixture.

Prepare the thawed puff pastry mix by slicing 1/3 of a sheet of puff pastry into four rectangles. Place one on top of each potato. Crank the oven to 430 degrees and bake the potatoes for about 15 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden and puffed.

Meanwhile prepare the sauce. Put the reserved cup of chicken mixture back into the pot over low heat. Slowly whisk in 1/4-1/2 cup of the reserved chicken liquid until desired consistency is reached. Spoon over hot baked potatoes. Serve and enjoy!