Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

My Valentine's Day...it was simply wonderful!

Take a cold, quiet Sunday in February.

+ a wonderful guy by the name of Brett

+ a pretty vase of flowers on my coffee table, thanks to the same wonderful guy (who sent them to my work on Friday)

+ a bottle of Chianti for drinking and a bottle of Chardonnay for my mushrooms

+ warm focaccia bread dipped in olive oil and sweet balsamic vinegar

+ a big bowl of Greek Pasta drenched in crumbled feta cheese

+ a couple comedies on the television

+ peanut butter no-bake cookies drizzled in chocolate

Yum. But there's one thing I'm forgetting.

Insert crab-stuffed mushrooms baked in a butter chardonnay sauce.

Yes please.

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

3 TBS butter + 2 TBS butter + 1 TBS butter

1/4 C chardonnay

18-20 large button mushrooms

3 green onions, minced

2 tsp lemon juice

4 oz cream cheese, softened

4 oz can crab meat, drained well

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 C bread crumbs

salt, pepper, cayenne

1. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Pop stems out of mushrooms. Cut off the tough ends of the stems and discard. Finely chop stems. Set mushroom caps aside for now.

2. In a small skillet, sautee the mushroom stems in 2 TBS butter for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and sautee another minute or two. Remove from heat and put in a medium bowl.

3. To bowl, add green onions, lemon juice, cream cheese, crab meat and a sprinkle of salt + pepper and cayenne pepper.

4. Melt 3 TBS butter in a small bowl. Mix in 1/4 C chardonnay. Pour into the bottom of a baking pan.

5. Preheat oven to 350. Stuff the mushroom caps with the crab mixture. Heat 1 TBS butter in the microwave. Stir in 1/4 C bread crumbs. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the mushrooms. Place mushrooms over melted butter/wine in pan.

6. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until mushrooms look juicy and bread crumbs are toasted.

Chicken Noodle Soup

This soup was meant to be. Here's how it went down.

Last Sunday, while planning meals for the week, I had a strong craving for chicken noodle soup. Not Campbell's condensed chicken noodle soup (which, I'm ashamed to admit, I actually do like) but real chicken noodle soup. With chunks of carrot, and hearty noodles, and somewhat-greasy chicken :) Without telling Brett that this was one of my meals for the week (he isn't a soup kinda guy...) I went to the store and got everything I needed. The plan was to make it the next day, on a Monday.

Late on Sunday night, Brett started to feel strange. Icky. Upset stomach, headache. The next morning, he considered not going to work, but decided to tough it out. Needless to say, he spent his lunch break napping in his car and ate nothing but peanuts all day. Now, when a grown man eats nothing but peanuts, something is wrong.

Voile! How lucky is it that when he came home from work on Monday, I was able to say...."dinner is an enormous pot of chicken noodle soup!" He was thrilled, to say the least. He took three ibuprofen and a 2-hour nap. Upon waking, he was starrrrrving, and chowed down three big mugs of this soup. It must have done the trick, as he felt near-perfect the next morning.

And that's my saga of Brett getting sick and my delicious soup curing him. Try some before winter runs up!!

Chicken Noodle Soup

2 TBS butter

1 small onion, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

2 large celery stalks, chopped

5 cans broth (chicken or vegetable - I used a combo)

1 cooked rotisserie chicken (this is what makes it good! don't substitute :) )

2 small packages frozen yolk-free egg noodles

basil, oregano, salt, pepper

1. Spend about 15 minutes pulling all the meat off the rotisserie chicken and set aside. Make sure you don't get any little bones, and pull the big pieces apart. Go to town on it.

2. In large stockpot or dutch oven, cook onion, celery and carrots in butter until slightly tender.

3. Add broth and chicken to stockpot. Bring to a boil, and add egg noodles. Bring back to a low boil for approximately 20 minutes, before reducing to a simmer for another 30-45 minutes. Add seasonings as desired.

Scalloped Potatoes & Onions

I think this is the first time I've ever posted two blog posts in a period of 36 hours. But you see, I have this problem!! I keep a mental checklist of all the recipes I want to post. And, I keep the photos on a little SD card that quickly fills up. So when I cook quite a bit (which is lately....) both my mental list and photo card get just a bit bogged down. Its somewhat overwhelming, but in a good way!

I actually made these deeeeeelicious potatoes about 3-4 months ago, and then again a few weeks back. There is no way - I repeat, no way - that I can just "skip" and move on to another recipe. These potatoes do take awhile to bake, but its so worth it. Both times, I've done this recipe on a weekend, so I can let it bake while I make the rest of dinner or read a book.

This is a great side dish for just about anything, but both times, we've had it alongside pork chops. Something about pork and potatoes...I just can't explain it!

Without further ado...a side dish that I will be making for the next 60 years!

Scalloped Potatoes and Onions

5 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced*

1 medium onion, sliced**

3 TBS butter

1/4 C flour

1 + 3/4 C chicken broth

2 TBS mayonnaise

salt, pepper, paprika

1. In a large, greased, glass baking dish, layer potatoes and onions.

2. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Add flour and stir with a whisk until clumps disappear. Gradually add broth, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper. Cook for approx. 2 minutes, or until thick, stirring with a whisk. Pour over potatoes, and sprinkle with paprika.

3. Bake, covered with foil, at 325 for 2 hours. When you lift the foil off before serving, be very careful...the steam is hot and will burn you!!

*if you have a mandoline, this would be a no-brainer. I don't. I like to be very hands on with my food, so much so that I chose not to add one to my bridal registry

**not diced, not minced, not chopped. Sliced, like half-circles. But you know, it will probably taste the same no matter what :)

Carrot Oatmeal Muffins

If its possible to have a love affair with a muffin, I've done it. I have found THE muffin: the muffin that tastes more delicious, has more texture, is more colorful, and is more healthy....than any other muffin, ever.

Meet these Carrot Oatmeal Muffins. What's not to love? I'm talkin' pineapple bits, coconut, cream cheese!!!! For added nutrients and fiber, let's not ignore the whole wheat flour, rolled oats, and 2 cups of shredded carrots.

These muffins are so good, my cats tore into the plastic bag looking for them.

The bar has been set. Until another muffin scores more points...eat up!

Carrot Oatmeal Muffins

1 C all-purpose flour

1 C whole wheat flour*

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 C white sugar

1/2 C brown sugar

3/4 C unsweetened natural applesauce

1/4 C canola oil

2 large or jumbo eggs, beaten (3 if medium/small)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 C uncooked, rolled oats

1/2 C flaked coconut (sweetened is ok)

1/2 C golden raisins (more plump and delicious than purple raisins, I think)

2 C shredded carrot

8-oz can crushed pineapple, drained with juice reserved

4 oz cream cheese (half of one block)

*this is my second time baking with whole wheat flour, and I love it. You can't tell a difference in flavor, but knowing that you're eating whole grains which aren't refined and bleached...that's a good feeling.

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 2 muffin pans with Pam.

2. In a large bowl, mix both flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and add white and brown sugar, applesauce, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix until just moist (I decided to forego the mixer and use a large spoon.) Fold in the oats, coconut, raisins, carrots and pineapple.

3. In a small bowl, soften the cream cheese by microwaving for 15-20 seconds. Stir until smooth by adding a tiny bit of the reserved pineapple juice. You want the mixture to be fairly thick, like yogurt.

4. In each muffin cup, pour a large spoonful of the batter, and a small spoonful of the cream cheese mixture, followed by another large spoonful of batter. Muffin cups should be about 3/4 full.

5. Bake 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

(see the little layer of cream cheese in there?!)

Pork with Pomegranate Pan Sauce

Flipping through my December 2009 issue of Cooking Light a few months back, something about this recipe drew me in. Imagining a deliciously juicy pork chop alongside a sweet and tangy sauce...it just sounded so appealing! Even better, Cooking Light made note that it can be made in 30 minutes or less: perfect for my crazy weeknight schedule.

My experience with pomegranate is, well, nil. I've had a few pomegranate martinis on the KC plaza, but thats about it! I do know that pomegranates are very, very good for you. In some studies, it has been said to reduce heart disease, lower blood pressure, inhibit viral infections and even prevent dental plaque. But hey, even if all of that is false...the juice from this sweet fruit tastes GOOD! This recipe is my baby step into cooking with pomegranates, since it doesn't actually call for a real pomegranate, but rather the juice - which is a-ok with me from a time and convenience standpoint.

So how did this recipe turn out? Very, very awesome. The sauce is tangy and has a different flavor than anything I've tried before. And the editors of Cooking Light didn't lie - this dish did take only 30 minutes!

Enjoy!

Pork with Pomegranate Pan Sauce

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 boneless pork chops

2 TBS olive oil

1/3 C shallots, chopped

3/4 C pomegranate juice

1 TBS sugar

1 TBS balsamic vinegar

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; rub on pork chops.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops; cook 3-5 minutes on each side. Remove and keep warm in low oven. Add shallots to pan and cook for one minute. Add juice, sugar and vinegar. Bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes or until slightly thick.

3. Serve warm pork chops alongside sauce.

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers

About an hour ago, I finished watching the movie, Julie & Julia - and I must admit, I'm a little bit intimidated! You see, Julie & Julia is the story of an average blogger (like me), who loves to cook (like me), is still very much a beginner (like me), and decides to take on a year's worth of recipes by Julia Child in order to find herself in a deeper, more meaningful way.

Now, when I started this blog in December 2008, I didn't really set out with any specific "goals" such as, attempting every single recipe in a book called "Mastering the Art of the French Cooking," within the span of one year. I did, however, start this blog with the intention of encouraging myself to try new and challenging recipes, to find unique and uber-fresh ingredients, and to record the many recipes that I try for future use. I have printed almost all of my recipes and put them in a binder, and I refer back to them frequently. So in every way possible, this blog is for me. I do love that some family members and friends read my blog and try my recipes - but that's not why I keep writing. I keep writing and cooking because it is truly fulfilling - it has become and will remain an inherent part of who I am and what I love.

I highly doubt that I will ever receive phone calls from the Food & Wine editors, or the producers of Food Network, as Julie did at the end of the movie. But, that is okay with me. Whether your kitchen is a private sanctuary or a place for millions to know and enjoy, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you are having an absolute blast with just a few things in front of you - fresh ingredients and a hot pan to cook them in.

And with that, here is the latest from my small, yet perfectly functional and enjoyable, kitchen:

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers

salt + pepper

garlic powder + dried oregano

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

olive oil

2 large bell peppers, cut into thin strips (3 if they're small)

1 large shallot, thinly sliced (I omitted)

couple sprigs of fresh rosemary (leaves only, trash the stems)

1 C chicken broth (or 1 C water + 1 cube chicken bouillon)

2 TBS balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Using a meat pounder, pound chicken until 1/2-inch thick. Brush chicken with a bit of olive oil on each side and sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano onto chicken. Heat a large skillet over med-high heat and add a bit of oil. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over and cook for a couple more minutes. Place chicken in a baking dish and bake at 450 for 10 minutes or until cooked through.

3. Add a bit more olive oil to pan, if needed. Add rosemary, peppers and shallots. Sautee 3 minutes. Add broth, scraping pan to loosen brown bits. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is done. Before serving, stir vinegar into broth (add a bit of salt and pepper if you like.) Serve bell pepper sauce over chicken.

Hummus

If there's one snack that I can't get enough of, its hummus on pita. I recently went looking for an easy, basic hummus recipe. By "basic," I mean something that can serve, literally, as "base" for any type of hummus - roasted red pepper, chipotle, jalepeno, etc. This recipe definitely serves my purpose: its awesome on its own, and could easily be played with to add any ingredient you may like. The texture is identical to what you find in a restaurant, and the flavor is great, too - pretty garlicky, but if you don't like that, just reduce the number of garlic cloves.

Now, normally when I try a new recipe, I set out to find inexpensive ingredients (trying to save for a house, you see....) However, there is one ingredient in hummus, called Tahini, that is somewhat expensive. Some people say that you can either eliminate the Tahini or replace with a few drops of sesame seed oil (Tahini is, after all, essentially sesame seed butter.) But at the store, as I held the jar of Tahini in my hand with a pricetag of $10.99, I had to give in. Cooking is like candy to me. And sometimes, its ok to indulge in the things you love. The jar will last me for years, its imported from Greece, and when I try a new recipe, I want it to be the real thing.

So, whether you skip the Tahini for the sake of your checkbook, or indulge in it for the sake of living life to its fullest.... serve this hummus on warm pita with a sprinkle of paprika, and I promise that you'll have yourself a very healthy and delicious snack :)

Basic Hummus

2 (15-oz) cans of garbanzo beans, drained (set the juice aside, don't trash it)

3 TBS Tahini*

2 TBS lemon juice

sprinkle of salt

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 TBS olive oil

pinch of paprika and cumin

*can be found at health food stores, or at the grocery store in specialty goods, or near peanut butter

1. Place all ingredients in blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Adjust seasonings as you prefer. Add reserved juice from the beans as you try to achieve a good consistency. I added about 1/3 C of the juice throughout the blending process.

2. Before serving, drizzle a bit of olive oil over hummus and sprinkle with paprika.

Ham & Beans

Brett and I decided to spend last Halloween at my sister Kellie's house, so we could be with my nieces and nephews as they ran from house to house trick-or-treating. We had such a great time! My brother-in-law Ryan recently bought a tractor, so he was able to hook up a trailer for the adults to ride along in (beer in hand, of course...) Of course, at the end of October, the weather was a bit cold so by the end of a couple hours trick-or-treating, we were ready to get inside and eat something warm and filling. Ryan and Kellie had the perfect thing waiting in the crockpot for us - ham n' beans!!!

While this isn't the exact recipe, c'mon, its ham n' beans! Its impossible to screw up and has such a classic flavor. This recipe calls for brown sugar which I love, since I tend to like things a little sweet.

I'm trying to get all these winter recipes posted before springtime arrives. Before we know it, I'll be cooking all sorts of fresh tomatoes and basil-based sauces. I love cooking in sync with the season. Ingredients taste better and more than anything, its fun! This may or may not be my last "soup/stew" post of the season. I'm sort of a spontaneous cook, and never know what's next!

Thanks to my sister Kellie for this inspiration on this one! Love you!

Ham and Beans!

1 lb dry Great Northern beans

1/2 lb cooked ham, diced

1 small onion, diced

1/2 C brown sugar

salt, pepper, cayenne, parsely

1. Rinse dry beans in a large pot; discard shells or broken pieces. Add 8 cups of cold water and let stand overnight.

2. Drain beans and pour into slow cooker. Add ham, onion, brown sugar and seasonings. Add enough water that beans are just barely covered. Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours. Adjust seasoning as necessary.

Taco Salad

After our New Years Eve party with our friends, we found ourselves with 4 large, unopened bags of tortilla chips. Now, Brett and I love chips and salsa, or chips and cheese dip, or chips and guacamole. But four bags of chips....that calls for something bigger. As I sat there wondering about the best way to get rid of the chips, I decided on two things - first, to give two bags of chips away to our friends. Second - TACO SALAD! I've never even made taco salad, so this idea was a winner. Even better, I was able to find other necessary ingredients already in my pantry: taco seasoning, enchilada sauce, Rotel. I sort of "invented" this taco salad on my own, based on things I already had.

This meal will take you about 20 minutes to throw together, and you end up with a heaping plate of yummy finger food! The first night, we ate the taco salad out of bowls because I was worried it would end up all over the floor.

Brett's suggestion for this near-perfect taco salad: jalepenos. I really don't know I overlooked this the first time but I totally agree, jalepenos would be the perfect addition!

Taco Salad

1 bag of Santitas corn tortilla chips

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 TBS olive oil

1 package taco seasoning

1 can chili beans

1 can spicy Rotel

1-2 C shredded cheddar cheese

shredded lettuce

canned jalepeno pepper slices

sour cream

2 TBS ranch dressing

3 TBS enchilada sauce

1. Cut chicken breasts into thin, small strips. Heat olive oil over medium heat, and add chicken. Cook until no longer pink inside (shouldn't be long since the chicken pieces are small.) Add taco seasoning and water according to taco seasoning package.

2. Assemble the rest of your taco salad. Take a couple handfuls of chips and place on a plate. Sprinkle some shredded cheese and add a few spoonfuls of beans. Zap in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove, and top with warm chicken, a couple spoonfuls of Rotel, a small handful of lettuce and a few jalepeno slices. Add a dollop of sour cream on top.

3. Mix ranch dressing and enchilada sauce in a small bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad.

Crab Croissants

I don't like beginning stories with "When I was younger...." but I can't think of how else to start this! So, when I was younger, we would always go to my Aunt Ellen's for Halloween. She lived in the perfect neighborhood close to my grade school. Once school let out, my dad and I would make the short trip to her house where she would always be making a huge pot of tomato, beef and potato stew. We would have this for dinner, along with a salad and often times, these little crab croissants. After dinner, I would go trick-or-treating with friends or cousins in Aunt Ellen's neighborhood.

During the years in which I was too old to trick-or-treat at Ellen's, but too young to have discovered the joy of cooking, I didn't get to enjoy these crab croissants. Eventually, I decided to try out the recipe (it wasn't hard to remember the two "ingredients") and at this point, I've made more of these than I can count! They are super easy (did I mention they call for two ingredients?) and super fun to eat. The flavor is great, too - a creamy, crab-y filling inside a buttery crust. I've made them for parties, for weekend snacks, or even as a side dish for dinner!

I am so thankful to my aunt Ellen for all the wonderful memories and meals. As I say at the very top of the page - the single best part of cooking is sharing it with ones you love. Whether its an elaborate pasta dinner, or a simple crab-filled croissant, if it makes your family and friends smile....its a job well done.

Crab Croissants

1 tube Pillsbury Crescent dough (reduced fat!)

8 oz crab dip/salad

1. Unroll crescent dough. There will be 8 triangles. Cut each triangle into two small triangles. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

2. Take a small tablespoon of crab dip and put in the center of each triangle. Roll into a small crescent.

3. Bake crescent rolls as directed on package.

A couple notes - - -

a) I use Santa Barbara Bay Krab Salad found at Wal-Mart in the specialty cheese, sauce, etc. section. Crab salad is less thick/creamy than crab dip, but its a bit sweet and has small chopped veggies in it, so we really like the texture and flavor. Most grocery stores have their own type of crab dip somewhere in the refrigerated section. Have fun experimenting! Also, I actually prefer the texture of imitation crab to real crab, so I've never attempted making homemade crab dip for this recipe with canned or fresh crab.

c) As written, this recipe makes 16 little croissants. They do not last long!! I almost always double the recipe.

Cocktail Meatballs & Chicken Skewers

Looking back exactly a year ago, I was making a blog post for carmelized onion dip that I made for friends on New Years Eve. Well, its funny how nothing and everything changes in a year. My love for cooking, my wonderful friends, the place I live, the job I go to each day....none of it has changed. I did, however, acquire a new nephew as well as another very good friend, and biggest of all - I got engaged! I have so much to look forward to in 2010, and its fun to imagine where I will be on January, 1, 2011 - a married woman! Will I be in a new house? Will I be in my same position at work? Will I have made another new friend? It's all very, very exciting :)

Let's get to these yummy appetizers. I know cocktail meatballs are a total classic, but they were new for me, and I post almost every new recipe that I make on this blog. They were seriously delish! A bit sweet and so flavorful. Everything just goes in the crockpot for 3 hours and the only "accessory" you need is a toothpick! These little guys go down fast.

Next up are chicken pineapple skewers. This recipe is so fun to eat - anything on a skewer is! The recipe is easy to make, and since its broiled, the cook time is super fast. I made these in the afternoon and threw them in right when my friends arrived. These skewers were a HUGE hit; the chicken is very juicy (I attribute it to the fast cook-time) and the marinade is so flavorful.

Here's to a wonderfully exciting and peaceful 2010. I know I can't wait :)

Cocktail Meatballs

14-oz can jellied cranberry sauce

1 bottle Heinz Chili Sauce

2 TBS brown sugar

3 tsp lemon juice

2 lb frozen meatballs

1. In slow cooker, place all ingredients on high for 2.5-3 hours. Stir occasionally. Eat with toothpicks and keep slow cooker on warm.

Chicken & Pineapple Skewers

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 C soy sauce

1/3 C sugar

1.5 TBS olive oil

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 drops toasted sesame oil

1 can pineapple chunks

wooden skewers

1. In bowl or container, mix all ingredients from soy sauce through sesame oil.

2. Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch chunks, ensuring that you remove all fatty pieces. Place chicken in marinade and refrigerate for several hours.

3. Place wooden skewers in water for approx. 30 minutes. This prevents charring once they are broiled.

4. Thread chicken and pineapple onto skewers. I put about 4 pieces of chicken and 4 pineapple chunks onto each skewers, and cut the skewers in half after baking, so each "mini" skewer had two pieces of each.

5. Turn oven to broil, and broil skewers for 5 minutes on each side. If chicken still looks slightly pink, turn oven to 350 and bake for several more minutes.

Oven-Fried Chicken Parmesan

I have felt so guilty about not posting any blog entries in two weeks! What can I say, the holidays are a good excuse :) Well, now I gotta get back to it. I wish I had a more fun and creative recipe to share with you today, but there is a lot to be said for something classic, filling, and delicious - even if it isn't the most unique recipe in the world!

There are so many variations on "chicken parm" out there. Different spices, crumb coatings, cuts of chicken, marinara sauces. My intention in sharing this recipe with you is to give you something simple, quick, healthy, filling - and with no strings attached. This is chicken parm at its best, without bells and whistles.

We always use whole wheat pasta, and I'm convinced that once you've tried it, you'll never go back! The texture is totally different - it may be a big strange at first - but the health benefits are huge and you'll reach a point where plain white pasta noodles just taste...plain! We love whole wheat pasta and I'll never cook with anything else.

Enjoy! And Happy Holidays to you and your family!

Oven-Fried Chicken Parmesan

1/4 C flour

sprinkle of dried oregano + basil

pinch of salt + pepper

2 large egg whites, beaten

3/4 C bread crumbs

4 boneless chicken breasts

olive oil

1/2 jar marinara sauce

1 C mozzarella cheese

hot, cooked pasta

1. Preheat oven to 450. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness.

2. Combine flour, seasonings, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Place egg whites in a bowl. Place bread crumbs in a separate shallow dish. Dredge each chicken breast in flour mixture, then dip in egg whites, letting excess drip off. Then dredge in bread crumbs.

3. In large skillet, heat 1 TBS oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts to pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side, adding another TBS of oil when you flip the chicken breasts. Place chicken in pan and place in the oven. Bake at 450 for 5 minutes. Turn chicken over, top with several TBS of marinara and cheese. Bake another 6 minutes, or until chicken is done.

4. Serve chicken breasts on top of hot, cooked pasta with additional sauce.

Mini Reese's Cheesecakess

This dessert recipe is one of my most favorite EVER. I first made this in high school, when we needed to bring a dessert for a class function. Since that time, I've made these cheesecakes over and over...and over and over! Everyone loves them. They're addictive! When you first bite into one, you get that classic cheesecake flavor and texture. Take one more bite and you hit a crunchy, peanut-buttery, chocolate-y Reese's candy! To finish it all off, its made with a crunchy and buttery graham cracker crust. It seriously does not get any better than this.

That's all I can say about these little desserts - to find out more, try 'em yourself!

*note - as written, this recipe makes 6 cheesecakes. When I made these last week for a work holiday party, I quadrupled the recipe!

Mini Reese's Cheesecakes

1/3 C graham cracker crumbs

1 TBS white sugar

1 TBS butter, melted

8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened*

1/4 C white sugar

1.5 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

mini Reese's peanut butter cups

1. Preheat oven to 325. Insert muffin liners into a muffin pan.

2. In small bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Place a tablespoon in the bottom of each muffin liner. Press down firmly. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes, then remove and cool.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on its own for a minute or two until smooth. Add sugar, and beat until smooth. Add lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla; beat until smooth. Mix in the egg and beat until smooth (sorry for sounding like a broken record...)

4. Pour cream cheese mixture into muffin cups using a small measuring cup or large spoon. Fill the cups 3/4 full. Unwrap your peanut butter cups and place in the center of the cream cheese filling, pressing down slightly.

5. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and refrigerate until ready to eat, or at least 2-3 hours.

*to soften, pleeeeease don't microwave your cream cheese. I haven't had the best of luck with this, as the cream cheese seems to lose some its creamy quality. I leave my cream cheese on the counter for 3-4 hours until its room-temperature. This will give you VERY smooth and creamy cheesecake.

Slow-Cooker Jambalaya

Jambalaya is one of my favorite weekend meals. I love that it allows so much flexibility with ingredients and spices. On some occasions, shrimp sounds appealing whereas other times, I'm craving smoked sausage - the beauty of jambalaya is that you can use either, or both!! I love to load it up with tons of veggies, and as much spice as Brett and I can handle. With rice mixed in or served separately on the side - your pick! Today, I even chose to throw in an Anaheim pepper - for no reason other than, it sounded interesting. Not many recipes offer such an opportunity to have fun and be creative.

I've made jambalaya probably 3 or 4 times in the last several years. Tonight, it was definitely my best! Below is the exact recipe I used. I originally planned to serve the jambalaya alongside jasmine rice, but there was so much liquid in the crock pot that I decided to add dry rice during the last 20 minutes to soak it all up. It turned out perfect! I love this recipe in particular because it cooks in a crock pot, and how can you not love the "set-it-and-forget-it" mentality?! It filled the kitchen with delicious smells all day while I wrapped Christmas gifts.

Have fun with this one!

Slow-Cooker Jambalaya

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cut into 1-inch cubes

1 lb smoked turkey sausage, sliced

28oz + 14oz can diced tomatoes, with liquid

1 large onion, diced

2 green bell peppers, diced

5-6 stalks of celery, diced

1 Anaheim pepper, diced

1 can chicken broth

oregano, parsley, garlic powder, cajun seasoning, cayenne, red pepper flakes, tabasco sauce

salt, pepper

2 C uncooked jasmine rice

1. In slow cooker, add all ingredients except uncooked rice. Estimate seasonings based on your tastes, and what looks right. You can always add more later. Set slow cooker to low for 5 hours.

2. Add uncooked rice after the 5 hours has run up. Flip slow cooker to high and cook for another 20 minutes, or until rice is tender.