Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries

These zucchini fries are delicious, fairly easy to make, and wayyy healthier than regular fries! You can gobble up a handful without feeling guilty about it (woohoo!)!

Yummm. I'm craving some right now! 

Recipe idea from here.  Ingredients:  1 small zucchini, sliced into thin "fry-like" strips 1 cup flour 3 tsp paprika 6 tsp garlic powder 2 eggs 1 cup panko bread crumbs 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese Directions: 1. In a small bowl, combine the flour with 1 tsp paprika and 2 tsp garlic powder. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs. On a plate or dish, combine the panko crumbs, Parmesan, 2 tsp paprika, and 4 tsp garlic powder. 2. Coat the zucchini strips in the flour mixture, then dip them in the egg, then coat them in the panko mixture. 3. Put the zucchini fries on baking sheet (it's fine if they're close together) and bake at 425 for 20 minutes (flipping them over after the first ten minutes). 

(zucchini sliced)

(flour mixture ingredients)

(panko mixture ingredients)

(finished panko mixture)

(here's my station all set up - flour first, then egg, then panko)

(onto the baking sheet...)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Farfalle with Mushrooms, Spinach, and Italian Chicken Sausage

Sometimes you just need an easy dinner that's pretty much impossible to mess up. This recipe will totally work for that. It's really forgiving... you can mess with the ingredients to work with what you have in the fridge/pantry, and it always turns out great. Just adjust the spices and veggies to make it perfect for your taste buds! 

Ingredients: 12 oz farfalle pasta (or you know, 1/2 farfalle and 1/2 rotini, or whatever you have in the pantry) 1/2 of a 10 oz bag of baby spinach 1 lb Italian chicken sausage (or regular Italian sausage, or ground beef, or whatever) 8 oz fresh sliced mushrooms 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp Italian seasoning 1 tsp thyme 1 tbsp oregano 1 tsp black pepper 1/2 to 1 jar red pasta sauce, depending on how saucy you like it! Freshly shredded Parmesan, to taste
Directions: 1. Boil the pasta according to package directions. Add in the spinach for the last three minutes. Drain and return to pot.  2. Remove sausage from casing (or, if it's just the ground kind, don't worry about it). In a skillet, crumble the sausage and cook over medium heat until cooked through. Add in the mushrooms and garlic for the last 5 minutes or so of cook time.  3. Add the sausage & mushrooms to the pasta and spinach. Add in the Italian seasoning, thyme, oregano, pepper, and pasta sauce and stir to combine.  4. Top with shredded Parmesan and serve! 

(pasta and spinach)

(Kroger's italian chicken sausage)

(removing from casing)

(cooking sausage)

(adding garlic and mushrooms)

(sausage-mushroom mixture is done!)

(adding it to the pasta and spinach)

(adding in the pasta sauce and herbs)

(topped with Parmesan cheese, yumm!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Triple Chocolate Muffins

Here's a perfect chocolate muffin recipe for you! With semisweet chocolate, dark chocolate, and baking cocoa, they're really yummy and chocolately without being too sweet (definitely a muffin, and not a cupcake)!

Recipe adapted from here.
Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups flour 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup baking cocoa 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 3 eggs 1 cup sour cream (the light version is fine) 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Directions: 1. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, chocolate chips, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until combined.  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, water, milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients until just moistened (don't overmix!!). 3. Prepare a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each cup 2/3 full with the batter. 4. Bake at 325 for 16-18 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

(dry ingredients)

(wet ingredients)

(making a well in the dry mixture to pour in the wet mixture)

(adding in the wet ingredients)

(batter)

(ready for the oven!)

(freshly baked! I got 24 regular and 12 mini cupcakes out of this recipe)

(yumm!)

(cooling on a wire rack)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting

This is the best recipe I've found in a while. It's just delicious. The cake is so moist, and the coconut pecan frosting is a perfect complement. It's so refreshing to find a great cake recipe that doesn't use traditional thick, sugary frosting! Here's how my family felt about it:

Karoline gave it a big thumbs up!

It made my dad smile!

Bottom line: y'all have GOT to try this one out. As an added bonus, I think it's a perfect Fall-ish recipe!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

3/4 cups water

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 + 1/3 cup brown sugar (separated)

2/3 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 egg

1/4 cup shortening

3 tbsp melted butter

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

3/4 cup pecan pieces

2 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Boil the water, and remove from heat. Mix the oats with the water, stir, and cover. Set aside.

2. Mix the white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, egg, and shortening in a bowl. Stir in the oatmeal mixture.

3. Lightly grease a 9x9 pan. Pour batter into the pan. Bake at 350 for 22-24 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, mix melted butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar, coconut, pecans, milk, and vanilla.

5. After cake has cooled slightly, spread the coconut pecan frosting over the top of the cake. 

6. Broil the cake until the coconut has browned slightly and sugar has caramelized (just a few minutes - watch it closely so it doesn't burn!).

7. Eat! Well, cool it a bit first. :)

(oats soaking in hot water)

(cake ingredients)

(cake batter without oatmeal)

(adding oatmeal)

(cake batter)

(finished cake)

(mixed frosting)

(frosting on top, ready to broil!)

(after broiling... see how it's nice and browned and caramel-y looking?)

(all done!)

(yum!)

Ta-da!

Cookies & Cream Ice Cream

Okay y'all, this might be my favorite ice cream recipe yet. Except for maybe the strawberry cheesecake one. Oh! Or the apple pie one! I just really love homemade ice cream. But regardless, this one is a Top 3 recipe for sure. :) 

Recipe adapted from here.
Ingredients: 1 cup milk 3/4 cup sugar pinch of salt 2 cups heavy cream 1 tbsp vanilla 20 Oreo cookies
Directions: 1. Combine milk, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Stir until the sugar has totally dissolved. 2. Add cream and vanilla. Stir until blended. Pour mixture into your ice cream maker and turn it on! 3. While the ice cream mixture is freezing, crush your Oreos.  4. After the ice cream maker has been going for about 15 minutes, add in half the Oreos. Wait another 15 minutes, then add the other half (The first half will get pretty mixed up, giving your ice cream the chocolatey color and Oreo flavor throughout. The second half will stay pretty much intact and will end up being the chunky pieces you see. If you want your ice cream to be white with cookie pieces, add all the Oreos after 30 minutes).  5. Turn off the ice cream maker and spoon the ice cream into a container. Put it in the freezer for at least a couple hours before serving (ice cream will firm up a bit more while in the freezer). 

My sister, Karoline, was my assistant for this recipe! 

(mixing milk + sugar + salt)

(sugar is totally dissolved) 

(adding vanilla and cream)

(ice cream base mixture)

(into the ice cream maker it goes...)

(Oreos crushed!)

(they don't have to be crushed very finely... chunks are good!)

(finished ice cream!) 

Ta-da!

Enjoy!