Mashed Sweet Potatoes

I came to the realization a while ago that I don't have very many side dish recipes on the blog. So, I'm trying to change that. Here's a yummy sweet potato recipe that's super easy to whip up and goes perfectly with all sorts of meals!

Okay... do you know how hard it is to get a good photo of mashed sweet potatoes? Just trust me that it tastes way better than it looks, okay? In hindsight, I should've put them in a little bowl or sprinkled some extra cinnamon on top or something, but this is how we eat 'em at our house - just plopped on a plate, straight from the KitchenAid mixer! 

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp butter, softened

Directions:
1. Poke the sweet potatoes all over with a fork.
2. Put the sweet potatoes in a baking dish with 1/4 inch water. Cover the dish with foil. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
3. Peel the skins off the potatoes and stick them in your stand mixer.
4. Beat the potatoes until they have a nice mashed consistency. Add in butter and cinnamon, and mix until combined.

(after the fork poking)

(ready for the oven - minus the foil)

(out of the oven)

(ready for mixing!)

(go, KitchenAid, go!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Garlic Lime Pork Chops

I used to think I didn't like pork chops. But really, I think I just hadn't found the right recipes yet. This recipe makes a delicious, mouth-watering dish that convinced me once and for all that I actually do like pork chops. Plus, the lime makes it so summery and seasonal!

Recipe adapted from here. 
Ingredients:4 lean boneless pork chops (4-6 oz each)4 cloves garlic, minced1 tsp cumin1 tsp chili powder1 tsp paprikaJuice of two small limesLime zestSalt and pepper1/4 red onion, chopped1 tbsp olive oilFresh cilantro (optional, for garnish)
Directions:1. Trim any remaining fat off the pork chops. Put the pork chops in a large bowl, and season both sides with the garlic, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Squeeze the lime juice into the bowl. Sprinkle lime zest and red onion over the pork chops.2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it marinate in the fridge overnight (at least 12 hours or so). 3. Heat olive oil in a pan over the stove. Place marinated pork chops into the pan and cook over medium high heat for about 4-6 minutes per side, or until browned.4. Garnish with cilantro and serve! 

(in the bowl, ready to marinate)

(cooking in the skillet)

(nice and browned on one side)

(it's delicious served with cilantro lime rice!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Bacon-Wrapped Apple BBQ Chicken

I don't know about y'all, but I love easy recipes that taste good. There's something really wonderful about just throwing some ingredients together and sticking it in the oven. This is one of those recipes - easy, but tasty!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's)
2 apples, peeled and grated
Juice of one lemon
1/3 red onion, chopped
6-8 slices bacon

Directions:
1. Combine BBQ sauce, lemon juice, onion, and grated apple in a small bowl.
2. Wrap each chicken breast with two pieces of bacon. Place the chicken breasts in a glass baking dish.
3. Spread the BBQ mixture over the chicken breasts. Cover the dish in foil.
4. Bake (covered in foil) for 40 minutes at 350. Remove the foil and cook for another 15 minutes.

(grated apple)

(BBQ sauce mixture)

(chicken in bacon)

(ready for the oven!)

(all done!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Lemon Cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting

I really like lemon desserts, but even people who don't (like my anti-lemon sister) seem to like this cake! Is it possible for a cake to taste refreshing? Because this one does!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
{Cake}
1 package lemon cake mix (I use Duncan Hines)
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
1 small package lemon instant pudding mix

{Frosting}

1 cup (2 sticks) very soft butter (I just stick them in a bowl on the counter in the morning, then make the frosting later in the day after the butter's been warming for a good long while)

6-8 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

Directions:
1. Mix dry ingredients in the bowl of your electric mixer. Add wet ingredients. Mix on medium speed for a couple minutes (don't overmix!).
2. Pour into two round, lightly-greased cake pans.
3. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean).
4. While cake is baking, make your frosting. Place the soft butter in a large mixing bowl. Add four cups of powdered sugar, the lemon juice, and the lemon zest. Beat until smooth.
5. Add remaining sugar one cup at a time until the frosting reaches a good spreading consistency (I always use all 8 cups to get a frosting that "crusts" a little after it's on the cake).
6. Cool cakes on wire racks. For best results, put each layer in the freezer for a couple hours before frosting.

(dry ingredients)

(mixing the batter)

(lemon cake batter!)

(into two cake pans...)

(frosting being mixed)

(post-frosting!)

(yumm!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Olive Oil & Herb Bread Dip

You know how Italian restaurants have that fancy olive oil and herb dip for the breadsticks/bread? Well, it turns out you can recreate it at home really easily with stuff you probably already have in the pantry!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
1. Put all ingredients except olive oil into a shallow bowl or deep plate. Mix them together.
2. Pour olive oil on top to cover the herbs. Give it all a good stir.
3. Serve with breadsticks or sliced bread!

(ingredients mixed up)

(olive oil added in)

(serve with bread)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Vanilla Ice Cream

I love my ice cream maker. I've made quite a few delicious ice creams since I got it (apple pie ice cream, chocolate velvet ice cream, lemon ice cream,  pumpkin spice ice cream, strawberry cheesecake ice cream, and more!), but I've been searching for months for the perfect plain old vanilla recipe.

I've tried quite a few vanilla recipes, but I just couldn't seem to find one that I loved enough to stick with. But, I finally found the one that I'll be using from now on!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
5 eggs (you can use Egg Beaters or a similar product if you're worried about the raw eggs)
2 12oz cans evaporated milk
1/2 pint heavy cream
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3.5oz package instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups milk

Directions:
1. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together eggs, evaporated milk, heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in the pudding mix until smooth.
2. Pour half the mixture into your ice cream maker. Add in 1 1/2 cups milk, and freeze according to the directions on your ice cream maker (mine takes about 30 minutes). Once it's done, freeze in the freezer for a couple hours before serving. Use the remaining vanilla mixture after the first half is done (do the same thing - pour it in, then add the 1 1/2 cups milk, then let it go for 30 minutes or so). You may need to re-freeze your ice cream maker base between batches. Note: these directions are for those with smaller ice cream makers like me. If you have an ice cream maker that will do an entire gallon at once, you can just pour the entire mixture in and add the 3 cups milk. 

(mixing the ingredients)

(adding the pudding mix)

(freezing for 30 minutes)

(all done!)

(in the freezer for a couple hours)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Nutella Mug Cake

Sometimes you just need a little something sweet. I love the concept of mug cakes because you can make just a little dessert without having 7/8 of a cake leftover, but I rarely find one that really tastes as delicious as an actual cake. This one is an exception though... it's absolutely divine!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
4 tbsp self-rising flour
4 tbsp sugar
1 large egg
3 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp Nutella
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp olive oil
Whipped cream, chocolate syrup, or whatever toppings you want!

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients (except the whipped cream and toppings) in a large coffee mug. Find the largest mug you have... this is not a cake for tiny mugs! Stir it all up with a fork until it's smooth.
2. Stick the mug in the microwave and microwave on high power for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Mine took 1 1/2, but it will vary depending on your microwave wattage.
3. Cool for a couple minutes, then top with a little whipped cream and chocolate sauce and eat!

(ingredients)

(ingredients in the mug)

(all stirred up)

(finished cake - perfect size for two people to share!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!