Pumpkin Thyme Mac & Cheese

I love baking with pumpkin in the fall. I've posted recipes in the past for some of my favorite pumpkin baked goods: pumpkin pie, pumpkin chocolate chip bread, pumpkin spice bread, pumpkin chocolate chip scones, pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin cream cheese bars (and more!). I decided the time had come to branch out and use pumpkin for something other than baking, and this recipe ended up being delicious! It sounds a little weird to use pumpkin in a pasta, but trust me - you should try it!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
1 lb rotini pasta
2 1/2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 1/2 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 oz smoked gouda cheese, grated
2 oz white extra sharp cheddar, grated
salt and pepper to taste
Panko bread crumbs, to garnish

Directions:
1. Stir together milk, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle flour over melted butter and whisk together. Cook flour mixture for 2-3 minutes, then stir in thyme.
4. Whisk pumpkin-milk mixture into flour mixture until fully incorporated. Simmer over low heat until thickened, about four minutes.
5. In a separate bowl, mix grated cheeses and lemon juice. Stir the cheese mixture into the pumpkin sauce just until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Stir pasta into the sauce little by little and serve!

Pumpkin mixture simmering!

Butter + Flour

Adding thyme to the thickened butter/flour mixture...

Pumpkin mixture combined with flour mixture...

Adding the cheeses and lemon juice...

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Blueberry Cake with Blueberry Sauce

Jeff loves blueberries. They're not my favorite fruit, but I try to make a blueberry something for him every once in a while. I do, however, really like chocolate, so we both really enjoyed this one!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup water
1 cup fresh blueberries, divided, plus extra blueberries to use as a garnish
1 egg
1 1/2 cups frozen light whipped dessert topping, thawed and divided
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking, soda, and salt in a bowl.
2. In a blender, combine water, 1/2 cup blueberries, and egg. Blend until smooth. Add gradually to flour mixture and mix until combined. Pour into a greased 8x8 baking pan.
3. Bake 30 minutes, or until a toothpick put in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
4. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine 1/2 cup thawed dessert topping and chocolate chips. Cook in the microwave on 50% power for 1 minut. Stir until smooth. Let stand for 5 minutes, then pour over the cooled cake.
5. To make the blueberry sauce, put 1/2 cup blueberries and 1/2 cup thawed dessert topping in a blender and blend until smooth.
6. Serve cake topped with extra blueberries and blueberry sauce.

(dry ingredients)

(wet ingredients)

(ready for the oven!)

(blueberry sauce)

(mmm, chocolate ganache!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies (Husband-Friendly!)

When you're breastfeeding or pumping milk for a baby, at some point you're probably going to have some worries about your milk production and whether your body is making enough. There are lots of solutions... fenugreek supplements, drinking extra water, etc... but my favorite by far is making these cookies! The oats, flax seed, and brewer's yeast are the perfect concoction for milk production support, and they taste delicious! And don't worry... it's perfectly okay for husbands and friends and family to eat them too.

These are perfect for taking to a mom who has just had a new baby (or a mom who had a baby a few months ago and could use a little surprise from a friend!), or if you're pregnant you could make a bunch to put in the freezer for after the baby arrives (I definitely plan on doing that next time around!).

Recipe adapted from here.

Makes a LOT of cookies, like 4-6 dozen depending on how small you make 'em (but you can freeze some and they freeze/thaw really well!).

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 tbsp water
2 tbsp ground flax seed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tbsp brewer's yeast powder

Directions:
1. Mix flaxseed meal and water and let sit for 3-5 minutes.
2. Beat butter and sugars until smooth. Add eggs and mix well.
3. Add flaxseed/water mixture and vanilla. Beat well.
4. Whisk together flour, brewer's yeast, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to butter/sugar mixture gradually and mix until combined.
5. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.
6. Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto baking sheet (lightly greased, or use parchment paper or a Silpat).
7. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Variations:
This recipe is super adaptable... I've tried all of the following with excellent results:
(1) Substitute white whole wheat flour for 1 cup of the flour.
(2) Substitute 1 cup of apple cinnamon instant oatmeal for 1 cup of the oats, skip the chocolate, and add a little extra cinnamon.
(3) Add in a cup of coconut flakes.

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Elderflower Sangria

I thought I'd share my new favorite summertime adult beverage recipe today! It's the perfect make-it-by-the-pitcher drink for hot weather and daytime parties, and it even sounds fun because you get to say "elderflower" when you serve it.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:

1 bottle dry rosé wine, chilled

1 cup St. Germain elderflower liqueur

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 lemons, thinly sliced

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a pitcher, stir, and serve!

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Banana Nutella Pancakes

We've been eating these pancakes for breakfast and for dinner around here lately because they're too good to be limited to just mornings! They re-heat well in the toaster oven for a quick one-handed-while-holding-the-baby lunch too. And thanks to the oats and a little coconut oil and white whole wheat flour and banana/Nutella as sweetener, they seem healthier than regular pancakes, right? Haha. Regardless, they're super tasty and highly recommended!

Recipe adapted from here (makes 6 small-ish pancakes).

Ingredients:
1 very ripe banana
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp Nutella
1 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp milk
1/2 c old-fashioned oats
1/4 c white whole wheat flour
2 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat a skillet to medium heat.
2. Mash banana with baking powder. Add egg, oil, salt, vanilla, Nutella, and milk. Stir to combine.
3. Stir in oats and flour until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Scoop 1/4-cup portions of batter onto preheated skillet and cook for 2-4 minutes on each side.

(mashed banana and baking powder)

(batter before oats and flour)

(completed batter)

(cooking pancakes)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Buttermilk Bread

I love breakfasty breads, especially the really moist delicious ones that taste like something from a fancy coffee shop (which this bread most definitely is!). This recipe is great for using up that extra cup of buttermilk that seems to end up in my fridge periodically, and its fanciness to effort ratio is nice and large. :)

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1/2 c butter, softened
1 1/3 c sugar, divided
1 egg
1 c buttermilk
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
1. Cream together butter, 1 c sugar, and egg. Add buttermilk, flour, and baking soda and mix until combined. In a separate bowl, combine 1/3 c sugar and cinnamon.
2. Put 1/2 of the batter into a greased loaf pan. Sprinkle 3/4 of the cinnamon mixture on top of the batter. Add the remaining 1/2 of the batter and top with the rest of the cinnamon mixture. Swirl with a knife.
3. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

(butter, sugar, egg)

(after mixing in buttermilk, flour, and baking soda)

(all pretty and ready for the oven!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Ginger Beef & Mushroom Stir-Fry

This recipe is so simple and tasty, and it's full of spinach and mushrooms even though it hardly tastes like you're eating veggies! You can even prepare the steak/marinade ahead of time to make this a really quick-and-simple weeknight dinner!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp corn starch
2 tsp ground ginger
ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb thinly sliced sirloin or flank steak
2 cloves garlic. minced
2 tbsp olive oil
16 oz baby bella mushrooms, quartered
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Rice, for serving

Directions:
1. Whisk together soy sauce, chicken broth, rice wine vinegar, corn starch, ginger, and pepper in a bowl to form a marinade.
2. Add the steak to the marinade and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
3. Once steak has marinated, heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Remove steak from the marinade (reserving the marinade) and add steak and garlic to the pan. Saute for 2-3 minutes, or until browned. Remove steak from the pan and set aside.
4. Add mushrooms, spinach, and reserved marinade to the pan. Stir to combine and cook, stirring often,  for 5-7 minutes, or until the spinach has wilted and the mushrooms are tender (the sauce should thicken as well).
5. Return steak to the pan and toss to combine. Serve over rice, garnished with sliced green onion.

(marinade)

(marinating steak)

(cooking steak)

(cooked and set aside)

(cooking mushrooms and spinach)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!