Dinner Rolls from Scratch

Oh my gosh. I am so excited about this recipe. I had no idea how easy it is to make delicious homemade rolls! These remind me so much of the Texas Roadhouse rolls. They're just perfectly puffy and sweet! Y'all have GOT to try this - it takes less than an hour, and most of that is baking time!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup milk
6 tbsp butter, separated
3/4 cup hot water
4 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 1/2 - 5 cups flour
2 packets fast rise yeast

Directions:
1. Pour milk into a glass measuring cup. Add in 4 tbsp butter (sliced into about 8 pieces), and microwave on high for 90 seconds.
2. Preheat oven to 170 degrees.
3. Pour the milk-butter mixture into the bowl of a large stand mixture. Mix in the hot water, sugar, and salt.
4. Add 2 cups of the flour and mix using a dough hook for 1 minute.
5. Add the yeast. With the mixer on medium speed, add in the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time. Stop adding flour when the dough stops sticking to the sides of the bowl.
6. Mix dough with a dough hook on medium speed for five minutes.
7. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for five minutes (I just sit it next to my 170 degree oven).
8. Sprinkle a flat surface with a little flour. Put the dough on the surface and divide it into twelve pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, and place them in a lightly-greased 9x13 pan.
9. Put the rolls into the 170 degree oven. Let rise in the oven for 20 minutes (they should rise to about 1 inch above the pan).
10. Leave the pan in the oven, and turn up the temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for 15-20 more minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown.
11. Brush the tops of the rolls with the remaining 2 tbsp butter. Tear apart and serve!

(milk-butter mixture)

(dough mixing)

(warming for 5 minutes)

(twelve dough balls)

(this is what they look like after 20 minutes at 170 degrees)

(all done!)

(Yum!)

(after brushing tops with butter)

(see how puffy and fluffy they are?)

Delicious!

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

DIY Simmer Scent: Lemon, Rosemary, & Vanilla

Spring is in full bloom here in Houston (seriously, I should take some pictures of the gardenias and lantana in our front yard!). Spring always makes me want to spruce up the house... spring cleaning and all that, but also new houseplants and just little things that make the house seem "fresh."

When it comes to making the house seem fresh and springtimey, this stove simmer scent recipe is perfect! I found it on Pinterest, and when I read that it's the secret behind the smell of Williams Sonoma stores, I had to try it! You can find the original post about it here, but basically this is what you do:

1. Put 1 sliced lemon, 1 tbsp vanilla, and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary into a saucepan.
2. Fill the saucepan with water and let it simmer over low heat on your stove all day long.
3. Refill with water as needed, and enjoy the fresh scent of springtime!

You could also just stick everything in a slow cooker and leave that on low all day. It makes the house smell so lovely! Rosemary is such a lovely scent, and that combined with the lemons... just delightful!

Ingredients!

Stick it all in a saucepan...

Simmer!

Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers

You guys know how much I love simple, easy, delicious recipes. This one is definitely easy, simple, and delicious (especially if you recruit a husband to do the grilling for you...), but it's also healthy! 

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 pound lean ground turkey (it comes in 1.25 lb packages at my grocery store, but if you just have 1 lb that's fine too!)
1 cup old-fashioned oats
2 large egg whites
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
6 oz crumbled feta cheese
8 Havarti cheese slices (or whatever toppings you want on your burgers!)
8 whole wheat buns (or whatever buns you want to use!)

Directions:
1. Mix the turkey, oats, egg whites, spinach, and 1/2 cup of the feta (save the rest of the feta) in a large bowl. Don't be afraid to use your hands!
2. Divide the turkey mixture into 8 parts, and shape each one into a patty.
3. Grill over medium high heat until cooked through (about 6 minutes on each side, depending on how hot your grill is). Add havarti cheese slices for the last couple minutes of grilling time (so the cheese gets nice and melty).
4. Serve burgers on wheat buns, topped with the extra feta crumbles.

(turkey, oats, egg whites, spinach, feta)

(burger patty mixture)

(eight patties)

(grilling)

(all done!)

Yumm!

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Muffins

I made a batch of these for Jeff for his birthday (he really likes blueberries), and they were a big hit! They're a perfect springtime breakfast!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups plus 1 tbsp flour
1 1/3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 oz fat free greek yogurt
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup oil
1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions:
1. Mix together 1 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla, and oil. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing lightly.
3. Mix the blueberries in a separate bowl with the remaining tbsp of flour. Fold the floured blueberries gently into the batter.
4. Spoon the batter into 12 muffin cups.
5. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (Note: the tops of these won't really "brown" like regular muffins, so don't leave them in too long waiting for a browned top!).
6. Cool on a wire rack, and sprinkle the tops with a little extra lemon zest (optional).

(wet ingredients)

(dry ingredients)

(wet + dry ingredients, plus floured blueberries!)

(batter)

(into the oven...)

(cooling on a wire rack)

(yummy blueberries!!)

(finished muffins)

(with a little lemon zest on top!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Baked Broccoli Macaroni & Cheese

Do you ever have one of those days that make you just want to curl up on the couch in a blanket and eat mac n' cheese and watch Friends reruns all night? That happens to me all the time. Usually I end up doing law school stuff instead of watching Friends reruns, but I can at least make myself some mac n' cheese, right?

This recipe is perfect for days like that, and it's totally healthy because of the broccoli. ;o) No really though, the recipe is from Skinny Taste so it can't be that bad!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
12 oz elbow pasta
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp dried minced onion
2 cups skim milk
1 cup chicken broth (low fat is fine!)
8 oz (2 cups) shredded sharp cheddar (low fat is fine here too)
salt and pepper to taste
2 medium heads of broccoli, florets chopped into bite-sized pieces and stalks discarded
1/8 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
cooking spray

Directions:
1. Mix the dried minced onion with 1 tbsp water and set aside to soak.
2. Boil a large pot of water. Cook the broccoli florets and pasta according to the pasta's package directions for al dente (or a couple minutes less than the regular cook time). Drain and set aside.
3. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish, and preheat the oven to 375.
4. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the soaked minced onion and cook about 2 minutes. Add flour and cook another minute, or until the flour is golden and well-combined. Add milk and chicken broth and whisk.
5. Raise the heat to medium-high and whisk the sauce until it comes to a boil. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce is smooth and thick. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Remove sauce from heat and add the shredded sharp cheddar. Mix until cheese is completely melted and incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add the broccoli and pasta to the sauce and mix well. Pour into the 9x13 dish.
8. Top with grated Parmesan and bread crumbs. Spray the bread crumbs with a little cooking spray.
9. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, then broil for 2-4 minutes to brown the breadcrumbs a bit.

(chopped broccoli florets)

(minced onion + water)

(onion + butter)

(after adding flour)

(sauce after adding milk and chicken broth)

(cooking broccoli)

(cooked elbow macaroni)

(sauce heated to boiling)

(remove heat and add cheese)

(finished sauce)

(sauce + broccoli + pasta)

(into the pan!)

(topped with parmesan and bread crumbs)

(mmm, bread crumbs!)

(fresh out of the oven!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!