Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Homemade dough; Cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, raisins, and walnuts

A couple of months ago I bought a bread maker. I know, I know, a lot of you cooks out there are probably thinking, "HOW DARE YOU DARE TO BUY A MACHIIIIINE!!" But really, for those of us that don't have a lot of time to knead, let rest, knead, let rest, rise, etc etc, the bread machine is a dream come true for bread/carb lovers.

Lately I have been experimenting with a few different bread and dough with the bread machine. I actually wanted to make this simply because I had all of the ingredients in my cabinets at home. I did not make the vanilla frosting to go on top of it because it looked nice and sweet without it already.

I used walnuts, raisins, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon inside of the buns. I ended up not using all of the ingredients in the buns, but I know next time not to use butter sparingly and to add everything to the buns. The reason these are so great is that fresh bread, cinnamon, and butter flavor. These are simply amazing right out of the oven!

Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms

Mushrooms brushed with olive oil and stuffed with Spinach, Fetta Cheese, Garlic, Green Onion, and a bit of salt.

Often times I like to make the food that I hear people talk about, or that I see people eating on TV, or something delicious that I've tried in a restaurant. I was recently watching an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, one of my favorite shows and often a source for food inspiration, and stuffed mushrooms were mentioned.

I've always enjoyed the taste of mushrooms, cooked (like on pizza) or raw (like in my salads). In my childhood days where I allowed myself to scarf down three or four slices of deliciously and wonderfully oily pizza, I always made sure to pick the slices with the most mushrooms. Even then I never felt like I had enough!

This is my first try at stuffed mushrooms. I decided to go with this particular type of vegetarian stuffed mushrooms because the recipe called for Fetta Cheese. Brian is the biggest fan of cheese that I know (he can eat a box of cheese cubes by itself and in one sitting), and Fetta is one of his favorites. While I usually steer clear of super stinky cheese recipes,(although it is really and truly growing on me) I decided to try a cheesy stuffed mushroom recipe.

This is honestly one of the most delicious appetizers I've ever tried. The spinach, garlic, green onion, and Fetta Cheese mix + olive oil + sprinkling of Parmesan on top just filled my entire house with a wonderful aroma. I feel like I am almost 100% converted to a cheese like-r because of this appetizer!

Stuffed mushrooms are surprisingly easy to prep and make. Don't let the 'vegetarian' part fool you; they are jam packed with flavor, and you will not miss the meat at all. I will be making these time and time again to accompany different meals, or alone as a snack. My relatives will be eating these at the next holiday family dinner, I'm sure of it!

I served these stuffed mushrooms with spaghetti with roasted garlic sauce and spicy Italian Sausage.

Pink Heart Cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcake, Cookie, Icing, and Frosting from scratch; Red Food Coloring from Albertson's

There is just something about cupcakes that is so cute. I always want to use cute, light, and dainty colors when I make cupcakes. I thought that I would not be able to produce this cute light pink color with the albertson's brand red food coloring that I bought, but I think it actually turned out quite nicely. Slowly slowly I will try and collect some different colors from here. Look at all those beautiful colors! Luckily they are only $1.99 and my dream of owning most or all of these colors can easily become reality (unlike my dream of figure skating at the Olympics, but that's another story for another blog :) ) I'm currently eyeing the Buttercup Yellow and the Delphinium Blue.

I made these cupcakes for my friends and family this past Valentines Day I forgot to take "in the process" pictures, so I only have the end product pictures. The little heart shaped cookie cutter is probably my favorite, and the cutest and most versatile equipment. I've used it for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, dog yummies and cookies, valentines day...the list goes on. I unintentionally made the frosting lighter/fluffier, but I think it works well with the look of the cupcake, don't you think?

I'm sure these cupcakes would be cute for a bridal or baby shower too, if you plan on making these :) You can write words or even the initials of the couple within the heart!

Turkey and Turkey Bacon Sandwich with Cheese Balls

Whole Wheat bread and Italian Mix Salad from Fresh and Easy, Spread by Tapatio, Turkey Bacon by Oscar Meyer, Turkey by Carl Buddig, Cheese balls from Rite Aid

On the show Friends, what is Joey Tribbiani's favorite food?


SANDWICHES!!


One of my all time favorite food is the simple yet DELICIOUS sandwich. In high school, I used to eat a sandwich every single day. Even my weekly shopping list in college consisted of various sandwich making materials.

I love sandwiches for several reasons: they are easy to make, there is room for creativity, almost any side (fries, soup, salad, chips, fruit, etc.) goes well with it, and it always tastes great.

Often I like using turkey bacon because really it tastes almost exactly like the real deal, and you wont have to worry as much about eating the white fatty parts (I was always reluctant to scarf bacon down because of that reason) or clogging your arteries! It is also easy to control how crispy you like it, and there is also less oil splattering.

Brian and I were watching an episode of the office where Michael, Pam, and Ryan were eating cheese balls and I suddenly needed to get my hands on some cheese balls. While the original blue can with a yellow lid Cheez Balls by Planter's no longer exists, Brian was able to find a replacement at a local Rite Aid. While its definitely not as good as the original, it goes quite well with a sandwich and it satisfies a cheese ball craving quite nicely.