Some Recipes to Share

I mentioned yesterday that I start South Beach today. In honor of my 2 weeks of NO carbs and NO sugar, I've decided to post 2 of my favorite "SB" friendly recipes!

Fake-out Frozen Yogurt
1 cup of 0% Greek Yogurt ( I like Fage)
1 packet of Splenda
A few dabs of Vanilla Extract
1 Dash of Cinnamon
8 Almonds

Directions: Mix everything together and put in the freezer for 10-15 min. It won't be totally frozen, but the already creamy yogurt gets even thicker when chilled. SOOOO good.

Roasted Asparagus and Havarti Cheese Omelette
4-5 stalks of Roasted Asparagus
2 Eggs
Splash of Skim Milk
1 Piece of Havarti Cheese
Salt
Pepper
Butter

Directions: It's an omelette...it's not that hard to make, but I love the combination of Havarti and Asparagus. Roasting Asparagus is super easy. All you need is a pyrex, asparagus, olive oil and salt and pepper. I usually roast them at 400 til they are getting dark and the tops look crispy.

Enjoy!!

XO

DIY: 'If Moon were cookie"

I’m a big lover of cookies, mason jars, baking and the holidays. Here is my suggestion for the BEST cookies and DIY project evaaaah (ok maybe not evaaaah, but it’s pretty darn good)!
I make these all of the time around the holidays. They make perfect gifts and they can be done in a variety of ways. I will be sharing my Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie recipe…because it’s my personal favorite. Feel free to get creative!

Instructions:

Group together the salt, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon into one dry mixture...let’s call this “YUM”. Then take the Oats, Flour, Chocolate Chips, Brown Sugar and the “YUM” concoction and layer them in whatever order you like right into the Mason Jar. Your jar should look something like this…

I borrowed this image from the internet...because I have yet to make my holiday treats....thank you everydaynecessities.com


Now...Take the recipe below…or your own personal family favorite and add it to a small note card and fasten it to the top of your mason jar along with the instructions on baking the cookies.

Recipe:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
3 cups of Quaker Oats (Quick)
1 Chocolate Chips (prefer semi sweet)
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened

Baking Instructions:

Pour Mason Jar into a large mixing bowl and add the…
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
Bake at 350 for 10-12 min or until they look golden brown and yummy!

Enjoy,

Ash


ps. random sidenote...the title of my blog is from a cookie monster song. He was always my favorite character and I would sing "If Moon were cookie" all the time as a kid...my poor mother.

Childhood Favorites: Macaroni and Cheese

Everyone has a favorite meal from childhood. In my 20+ years on earth I have never abandoned my love of Macaroni and Cheese. I don’t care if it’s white cheddar, original or four cheese. It can come in a blue box (Kraft) or out of a pouch (Velveeta). I’ve even been known to order it at fancy restaurants and to add caramelized onions, spinach, chicken, bacon, broccoli and ketchup to make mine special.

Now that I’m 22, I‘ve decided my "Mac’ n cheese" should evolve into a slightly more grown up version. When I stumbled across this recipe online from Ina Garten, I knew this would be the perfect recipe to try. Wish me luck on my culinary journey to my childhood.

Ingredients
4 ounces thick-sliced bacon
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven - there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.
Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.
Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Recipe Courtesy of Foodnetwork.com and Ina Garten

What are your favorite childhood meals?

XO
Ash