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Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas from the LaForce's! Hope you are all having a wonderful day spending time with those you love!
Friday, December 21, 2012
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles... or Pun'kin depending on how you pronounce it. Who doesn't love pumpkin and snickerdoodles?! The past couple of Christmases I have made regular Snickerdoodles so this year I decided to jazz it up for Girls Baking Day. Katie, Danielle and I get together for a day of lesisurely baking cookies usually with a Christmas movie on too and then swap some cookies to go home with.
I found several recipes and spent time reading all the comments to made some improvements for my recipe.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
adapted from Pennies on a Platter, makes 3-4 dozen
Ingredients:
3 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 ground nutmeg
1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 heaping cup of pumpkin puree (like Libby's pure pumpkin)
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
For coating:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir to blend and set aside. In another large bowl, using electric mixer, beat together butter and sugars on medium until light and fluffy. Blend in pumpkin puree. Beat in egg and vanilla until incorporated. With mixer on low gradually add in dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight. If you make it the day ahead take it out an hour ahead to soften a bit.
Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl and mix to blend. Scoop the dough (about 2 tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture an dplace on prepared baking sheet. Repeat to fill the sheet spacing 2 inches apart. These do not spread a lot. Dip th ebottom of a flat heavy-bottomed drinking glass in water, then in sugar-spice mixture, and use the bottom to flatten the dough balls slightly.
Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes or until just set and baked through. Let cool on baking sheets 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. If needed, these cookies do freeze well in an airtight container.
I doubled this recipe so I could take some to the Alpha Chi Omega Alum recipe swap / ornament exchange. It made 6 1/2 dozen. This is more of a cakey cookie (because of the pumpkin) so don't expect the consistency to be like a chewy chocolate chip cookie but they are delicious and not overwhelmingly pumpkin. So even some non pumpkin lovers enjoy these!
I found several recipes and spent time reading all the comments to made some improvements for my recipe.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
adapted from Pennies on a Platter, makes 3-4 dozen
Ingredients:
3 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 ground nutmeg
1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 heaping cup of pumpkin puree (like Libby's pure pumpkin)
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
For coating:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir to blend and set aside. In another large bowl, using electric mixer, beat together butter and sugars on medium until light and fluffy. Blend in pumpkin puree. Beat in egg and vanilla until incorporated. With mixer on low gradually add in dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight. If you make it the day ahead take it out an hour ahead to soften a bit.
Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl and mix to blend. Scoop the dough (about 2 tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture an dplace on prepared baking sheet. Repeat to fill the sheet spacing 2 inches apart. These do not spread a lot. Dip th ebottom of a flat heavy-bottomed drinking glass in water, then in sugar-spice mixture, and use the bottom to flatten the dough balls slightly.
Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes or until just set and baked through. Let cool on baking sheets 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. If needed, these cookies do freeze well in an airtight container.
I doubled this recipe so I could take some to the Alpha Chi Omega Alum recipe swap / ornament exchange. It made 6 1/2 dozen. This is more of a cakey cookie (because of the pumpkin) so don't expect the consistency to be like a chewy chocolate chip cookie but they are delicious and not overwhelmingly pumpkin. So even some non pumpkin lovers enjoy these!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
LaForce Likes #28
After the big meals and desserts and cookies of the holidays what better time to do a good cleaning of your refrigerator?
And while you are doing that why not make some DIY fridge mats to make clean up in your fridge that much easier from now on. They are made out of cheap plastic placemats cut to size. This would be especially helpful in the crisper drawers that tend to get grimy looking quickly.
When we move into our new home I could totally see myself doing this in our refrigerator!
And while you are doing that why not make some DIY fridge mats to make clean up in your fridge that much easier from now on. They are made out of cheap plastic placemats cut to size. This would be especially helpful in the crisper drawers that tend to get grimy looking quickly.
When we move into our new home I could totally see myself doing this in our refrigerator!
Monday, December 17, 2012
Skillet Lasagna
I am here to share another wonderful healthy recipe. This 1 pot (technically 2 due to boiling noodles) meal coincides quite nicely with those of you that participate in Meatless Mondays. But it could easily accommodate cooked chicken or ground beef/turkey if you wanted.
It was so fabulous and easy that this is the 2nd time we have already made in twice in the past couple weeks. The ingredients actually work well for making it twice before some of your ingredients expire.
Without further ado...
Skillet Lasagna
from Eat Skinny Be Skinny, serves 4, 275 calories per cup
Ingredients:
-1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
-1 large onion, chopped
-1 cup mushrooms, chopped
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-2 14.5oz cans italian diced tomatoes
-1/4 cup tomato pasta sauce
-3 basil leaves chopped
-black pepper to taste, we like a good bit
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 cup skim ricotta cheese
-1/2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese
-3 Tbsp parmesan cheese
-6oz lasagna noodles (half the box - reason this is great to make 2 times), broken into thirds and fully cooked
-1-2 tsp garlic powder or to your liking
-2 Tbsp parsley (fresh or dry)
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 4 minutes - these always take a bit longer than that for us. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook until garlic is fragrant, about one minute. Add in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, salt and pepper. Cook mixture until it thickens up a bit, around 5 minutes.
Add noodles to skillet and stir into the mixture well. Add scoops of ricotta cheese over the noodles; add in mozzarella and Parmesan. Stir in parsley. Cook about 2 more minutes, or until mixture is thick. Serve immediately with additional basil or parsley.
A few notes:
-I have never actually used fresh basil in this since this time of year it's pricier so I add in some dry basil but I cannot wait to make this with fresh basil in the spring and summer!
-The original recipe doesn't call for the garlic powder but who doesn't love extra garlic besides your spouse when sharing a kiss immediately after :)
-For those of you that don't like mushrooms very much, hubby (non-mushroom lover) says you don't taste them when they are mixed with everything else.
We like to serve this with a side salad or some veggies.
Get a close up of this deliciousness. Bet you can almost taste it!
Linking up at these fun parties
It was so fabulous and easy that this is the 2nd time we have already made in twice in the past couple weeks. The ingredients actually work well for making it twice before some of your ingredients expire.
Without further ado...
Skillet Lasagna
from Eat Skinny Be Skinny, serves 4, 275 calories per cup
Ingredients:
-1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
-1 large onion, chopped
-1 cup mushrooms, chopped
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-2 14.5oz cans italian diced tomatoes
-1/4 cup tomato pasta sauce
-3 basil leaves chopped
-black pepper to taste, we like a good bit
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 cup skim ricotta cheese
-1/2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese
-3 Tbsp parmesan cheese
-6oz lasagna noodles (half the box - reason this is great to make 2 times), broken into thirds and fully cooked
-1-2 tsp garlic powder or to your liking
-2 Tbsp parsley (fresh or dry)
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 4 minutes - these always take a bit longer than that for us. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook until garlic is fragrant, about one minute. Add in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, salt and pepper. Cook mixture until it thickens up a bit, around 5 minutes.
Add noodles to skillet and stir into the mixture well. Add scoops of ricotta cheese over the noodles; add in mozzarella and Parmesan. Stir in parsley. Cook about 2 more minutes, or until mixture is thick. Serve immediately with additional basil or parsley.
A few notes:
-I have never actually used fresh basil in this since this time of year it's pricier so I add in some dry basil but I cannot wait to make this with fresh basil in the spring and summer!
-The original recipe doesn't call for the garlic powder but who doesn't love extra garlic besides your spouse when sharing a kiss immediately after :)
-For those of you that don't like mushrooms very much, hubby (non-mushroom lover) says you don't taste them when they are mixed with everything else.
We like to serve this with a side salad or some veggies.
Get a close up of this deliciousness. Bet you can almost taste it!
Linking up at these fun parties
(M) Motivate Me Monday, Making the World Cuter Mondays, Making Monday Marvelous, Just Something I Whipped Up, The DIY Showoff, Mad Skills, (T) Today's Creative Blog, All Thingz Related, Tip Me Tuesday, Ladybug Blessings, Try it Tuesday, A Little Birdie Told Me (W) Whatever Goes Wednesday, Blue Cricket Design, We Did It Wednesday, Wassup Wednesday, POWW (Th) Hooking up w/HoH, Somewhat Simple (F) Remodelaholics Anonymous, Frugalicious Friday, FrouFrouDecor, Fingerprints on the Fridge, FFA Friday, Weekend Wander, (S) Weekend Wrap Up Party, Lamb Around (Su) Sunday Showcase Party, Sundae Scoop, It's So Very Cheri
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