Food In Many Forms

Somehow a search for healthy kid's recipes led me to pink lemonade bars... they certainly are fun... but not so healthy. On second thought, I promised baked goods to a friend I'm visiting this weekend.... yep, Thursday night this is happening. Hands-On Time:  15 minutes Ready In:  1 hour 20 minutes Yield:  Serves 24 Ingredients 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter - softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 cups flour Pinch of salt 6 large eggs 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup flour Several drops of red food coloring Powdered sugar for dusting Directions Preheat oven to 350 F degrees and line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment or waxed paper. Cream together butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Stir flour and salt together and add to butter. Stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Press dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from o

The only way I have ever eaten spaghetti squash (before today) was with lots of butter and some spicy, ground sausage ... it was delicious! Today, I found a healthier recipe to try on my own, but it really lacked that oomphiness that I remembered. The water seeping out the bottom didn't help it either. However, I did get to use a melon-baller to scoop out all the "spaghetti" which was tons on fun, and tomorrow I am going to add some spice when I eat the leftovers and see if that improves it.  If there is no significant improvement, I will just have to accept that spaghetti squash needs a little more help than it's delicious cousins, butternut and acorn . I'll keep y'all posted... I'm crossing my fingers that there is a magical fix and I just don't know it yet... 

In my attempt to give some store-bought crescent rolls a little boost of nutrition , these crescents are filled with spinach, Parmesan and caramelized onions. Plus, these little guys can be made the night before and refrigerated until breakfast time. This also means you don't have to cook (or eat) all 8 at once ! Ingredients 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup chopped onion 2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 (8 ounce) Open Nature refrigerated crescent rolls Directions Caramelize onions. Add spinach, Parmesan cheese, onion, oil, salt and pepper to a bowl.Unroll and separate the crescent dough into eight pieces. Spread spinach mixture evenly over dough to within 1/8 in. of edges. Roll up and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Check out this gooey deliciousness... Adapted from:  http:/

I am the worst when it comes to using leftovers before they go bad. Not because I don't know how, but because I think I have a mental block against food that tastes worse the day after I cook it. Sooo... logically this means I have to make leftovers taste BETTER than they did in order for them to be appealing to me. These green beans were just humble microwavable steamed beans. But after a few days in the fridge, they magically became green bean salad with feta, pecans, garlic-infused olive oil and balsamic vinegar . There was a recipe, but I really just threw stuff on top until I was happy with it. A great lunch to bring to work! I also did I redo of my favorite eggplant dish - Eggplant Caponata - and it was even better today when I had it cold for lunch with some organic blue corn tortilla chips! You have to admit, I'm finally getting the hang of this whole leftovers thing!

I enjoyed my dinner too much not too share! Cut a whole wheat pita in half and layer with southwestern-style chicken, scallions, and part-skim mozzarella! Stick it in the toaster oven until the cheese melts and top with fresh salsa... stick the other half of the pita on top and dig in!

While working for a group in Baltimore Public Schools, my partner and I had to come up with recipes that could be made with foods found at the corner store and little or no pans or appliances. After doing some research at the local 7-Eleven, this is what we came up with and it has a lot of potential I think. Materials 2 Bananas 6 oz low-fat or fat-free yogurt in the flavor of your choice Two paper plates or plastic container Popsicle sticks, chopsticks (optional) Toppings, such as granola, cereal, crushed pretzels, peanuts, chocolate syrup Directions: Peel the bananas and cut them in half horizontally. Insert popsicle sticks or chopsticks in the bottom of the bananas at this time. Place bananas on the plate or container and spoon yogurt over top, until covered. Sprinkle your favorite toppings over the yogurt. Use your creativity! Cover with second plate or lid and place in freezer until firm (3-4 hours) Enjoy your frozen banana pop on a stic

I have a habit of picking up unusual baking supplies at the grocery store, just because I have never seen them before. Almond paste, poppy seed filling, dutch process cocoa, orange and lemon extracts have all caught my eye on one occasion or another. But of course I always forget the essentials . Without baking powder, unsalted butter or confectioner's sugar, I resorted to a lemon sugar cookie to fulfill my sugar craving . Compared to other untested recipes I've tried, this recipe was pretty successful. But I think they would be even better with a lemon icing or a lemon glaze , or even just some colorful icing on top!  Adapted From:  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/crisp-lemon-sugar-cookies/detail.aspx Ingredients 1/2 cup butter, softened  1/2 cup and 1 teaspoon sugar  1/2 egg  1-1/2 teaspoons milk  1 teaspoon lemon extract  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract  1-1/4 cups and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour  1/2 teaspoon salt  1/4 teaspoon baking soda  Additional sugar  Directions In

Can I first say that it is great to be back in a kitchen I can call my own ? Even working 40 hours a week, I've cooked and baked more in the past two weeks than I did all summer. Having a consistent schedule really helps, along with a few easy strategies. 1) Make meals on the weekends for the week... this feta and summer squash orzo with feta cheese and basil was the first dinner of my internship. I had no idea how I would feel after my first day and I was grateful for anything I could throw in the microwave and eat. Luckily, I had gotten to the grocery store that weekend. Unluckily, the squash was less than fresh after a day in the fridge. Live and learn. 2) If you can't cook for tonight, cook for tomorrow... I also bought chicken that week, which needed to be cooked pronto. When I got home hungry the next night, I popped a frozen dinner in the fridge, and once I was fed, I figured out what to do with all that chicken. I ended up making my own breadcrumbs and using an eg

I just moved to Baltimore so naturally I had to break in my new kitchen with a little baking! A friend from University of Maryland gave me this recipe for Chocolate Muffins and they always turn out moist and delicious . Plus, they are full of vitamin A and fiber . I wonder what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow? Ingredients Duncan Hines Devil's food cake mix 15 oz can of pureed pumpkin 1/3 cup water Dark chocolate chips (optional) Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine pumpkin, cake mix, chocolate chips (optional) and water. Grease 2 muffin tins and fill them half-way up with batter. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a fork comes out clean. Allergens: Wheat, gluten, soy, milk