Whole Grain Waffle Mix

If there is anything I didn't do well in school, it was math. Terrible at math. I excelled in English, but math was a joke. Just ask poor Mr. Danner. Didn't even get past geometry. And with most of my sisters, except for Haley, we were all big math failures. Wait, Megan, were you a math failure too? I can't remember if you are a genius like Mallory, Caitlyn, Lauren and me.

So having told you that, I am sure you feel so confident in this recipe that required me to do a lot of math! For some, figuring out the correct measurements times 8 would have been a breeze, but it honestly took me 45 minutes. I am just that stupid. But I did make it and tested it and it worked so no worries. Due to my 45 minutes and plenty of talking out loud to myself, we enjoyed delicious, healthy waffles and we will get to over and over again. This mix makes 14 batches of waffles. And the entire mix can fit into a gallon jug like the one pictured below.


I wanted to do a waffle mix particularly for Jack. He is my first born and because he came first, he has enjoyed laid back, extravagant breakfasts since he was a baby. I have had the time to make whatever his heart desires. Now, that is not quite the case. I just can seem to get my act together to make waffles quickly. So I wanted a mix that was already put together so I could make him his requested waffles with ease. Success! I took my regular whole grain waffle recipe and made a big batch and now, I can make my son happy.


This mix is 100% whole grain. No all purpose flour in here. There is whole wheat flour, oat flour and ground flax seed. To keep with the healthy theme, I did not add sugar to this. You can if you would like. I would add about 2 cups of sugar to the mix. Also, there is melted butter in this. If you are weary of butter, you could add any kind of oil you want instead. Because there is no sugar in these, they aren't sweet. They have a nutty flavor from all of the whole grains. But sweetness is lent from whatever you put on top, be it syrup, powdered sugar, Nutella. Definitely Nutella.



For the mix:
8 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups oat flour
1 cup ground flax seed
1/3 cup baking powder
3 Tbsp baking soda
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp kosher salt

Combine all ingredients in the biggest bowl you have. With a large whisk, mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Store mix in an airtight container in the freezer.

When it comes time to make a batch of waffles:
1 3/4 cup waffle mix
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Heat waffle iron.

In a medium bowl, add all ingredients. Stir gently until smooth. Lightly spray hot waffle iron with non-stick spray. Add about 1/2 cup waffle batter. Cook until crisp on the edges. Serve with pure maple syrup, powdered sugar and butter.

Yields 6 waffles.

Rookie's Notes: Why store the mix in the freezer? Wheat flour should be stored in the freezer. It has a very short shelf life because of it's oil content. It can go rancid quickly. Same with ground flax seed. So store this mix in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Click here for a link to information about shelf life for different kinds of flours.

OAT FLOUR. All you have to do is put some oats in your food processor and give it a whirl. Wah-lah! Oat flour.

And I have dreams of owning this waffle iron.


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Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Here is how you don't lose your pregnancy weight, in case you have been searching for a way to do that. Keep an eye out for some more recipes like this. Like maple pecan sticky buns and buttermilk biscuits with fresh raspberry butter. You know me, always looking out for you and your stretch marks and over-sized rear.


Jack and his neighbor friend came busting through the door a week ago asking for a party. They wanted streamers, music and cupcakes. My two V children were napping, so I obliged. I had actually been looking for an excuse to use my new piping tips I found at Sur La Table in Salt Lake City. I used my favorite chocolate cake recipe, Auntie Shar's. And turns out the piping tips worked like magic, bakery magic. Don't these little cuppiecakes look perfect? The raspberry adds not only a nice look, but an excellent taste, especially with the little cupcakes. With the little cupcakes, my mouth is big enough to eat the whole thing in one bite (lucky me). So it's cake, frosting and a tart raspberry in one. It's ambrosial.


If you want to make these in smaller pans for smaller cupcakes, the batter will make approximately 48 little cupcakes. The bake time is about 10 minutes. After I made the little ones, I kept thinking how adorable these would be at a baby or bridal shower.



For the cupcakes:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Set oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin tins with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Whisk to combine and set aside. In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar and oil and beat with a hand mixer. Alternating with boiling water, add flour mixture in 3 additions. Stir in vanilla.

Divide between muffin tins. Bake for 15 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and pipe frosting on top.

For the chocolate frosting:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Combine butter, cocoa powder and powdered sugar and mix until butter is smooth. Add milk and vanilla. Adjust with more milk or powdered sugar if needed.

Yields 24 regular-sized cupcakes.

Rookie's Notes: I figured out the trick to using cocoa powder in frosting and it being completely smooth. Sift the cocoa powder. I know, such an obvious thing, but sometimes I am a little slow on the uptake.


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Shrimp and Black Bean Taco Salad

Weekend Update:

Went to the Elk Ridge City Carnival. It's Utah County's best kept secret. My boys indulged in cotton candy, old fashioned carnival games, snow cones, ice cold soda, bounce house and lots of prizes. And I spent a little under $10. Best kept secret.

Made some really grand Sunday mashed potatoes using a bunch of my herbs from my backyard. It's as close to a garden as we are going to get this year. I didn't want to put in a garden and then have a newborn. So maybe next summer. For now, we are just doing herbs, which I suppose is better than nothing. But if you have a garden, let me know when you have more zucchini and tomatoes than you can handle. I would be glad to take those off your hands.

Darling daughter and her darling smile.

Sat at El Azteca with my sister Caitlyn and her new baby Samson for 2 hours. We ate beef tacos and chips and salsa and talked all about babies. Violet and Sam are exactly one month apart. So Caitlyn and I have a lot in common these days. Samson is Caitlyn's first baby and her and her husband Tadd are completely smitten. Caitlyn says Tadd can't get enough of Samson. I told her that once Samson starts smiling, say goodbye to your husband because Tadd is going to die. Smiling babies are the best. Violet has been smiling up a storm and our whole family is in love.

There you have it. My weekend. And now onto a recipe.


Here is a completely self-indulgent salad by me. This salad is all of my favorite things. Spicy shrimp, black beans, fresh pico de gallo and avocados. Instead of throwing all of those together in a bowl, I made it make more sense by adding tortilla chips, romaine lettuce and a creamy tomatillo dressing. You know the dressing I am talking about. The one that us Western United Statesers can't inhale fast enough. Cafe Rio's Tomatillo Ranch Dressing. As expected, it tied everything together perfectly.




For the dressing:
2 cups Ranch dressing
3 tomatillos, chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 lime, juiced
1 cup cilantro
2 tsp Tabasco
Pinch of cayenne pepper

In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Cover and store in the fridge until serving.

For the pico de gallo:
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 bunch cilantro, minced
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients and stir to combine. Set aside until serving.

For the salad:
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined and tails removed
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
A few grinds black pepper
1/4 tsp chile powder
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 bag tortilla chips
1 head romaine, chopped
2 avocados, diced

In a medium bowl, combine shrimp, black beans, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper and chile powder. Mix well and set aside. Let sit for 15 minutes.

In a medium skillet over medium high heat, add olive oil. Once the oil runs quickly in the pan, add shrimp and black beans. Saute until shrimp are pink and barely cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and transfer shrimp and black beans to a medium bowl.

To assemble salads, add a few tortilla chips to a plate. Add a small handful of romaine, some diced avocado and then a spoonful of pico de gallo. Spoon on a few shrimp and some black beans and then finish with a drizzle of the dressing.

Yields 6 servings.

After snapping a few shots, I shoveled some of this awesome salad in my mouth before rushing over to pick up a fussy Violet. It was so good. So very good.


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When will Whitney get her groove back?

Everyday I wake up to the sound of a pink-clad infant stirring in a blue toile bassinet next to my bed. I slowly rise, rub my eyes that are probably still wearing their contact lenses (bad girl) and look at the infant. She is sort of crying, sort of smiling and is trying her darnedest to wiggle out of her blanket. I pick her up, set her on my bed and unwrap her tight swaddling. She stretches her arms, the arms with balled fists at the end. She turns her head to the side, sticking her chin in the air. And then she's ready to eat.

I make my way down the stairs and into the kitchen, turn the faucet on to get the warm water running. Bottle is filled, formula is measured, cap tightened and I shake it gently as I go into the laundry room to put the laundry in the dryer. Now back up the stairs. By now, Violet has fussed enough to wake up her daddy dearest. He has picked her up, set her on his chest and she has fallen back to sleep. Now would be my chance for a shower. So I quickly get in the shower and by the time I am out, Violet has woken again and is ready to eat.

As I feed her, my mind wanders. I wonder if this will be the day, the day my groove returns. The day I can get it all done the way I want it done. The laundry, the park, breakfast, lunch, dinner, makeup, hair, mop floor, rub husband's tired feet. Will today be the day I have been waiting for?

I should be saying that although the house is littered with toys and pretzels, I am just enjoying my children and we are staying in our jammies and reading books and making cookies. That isn't me. I can't pretend it is. I like order, schedules, clean, organized, wiped, folded, vacuum lines. I am a better mother and wife when I can get things done that way. 7 years of marriage and 3 children have proven that about me.

So everyday, I hope this is the day it all comes back. It is slow going, but it's coming. I can feel it.

Grilled Pork Chops with Peach Chutney

I have a great friend named Lindsey. Lindsey is great for many reasons, but one of them is that she likes me and my kids to come over to her house so that my kids can mess her house up and she can feed me food. It's a pretty sweet deal. One time, between bites of a white bean soup, Van spilled her tomato seedlings she was sprouting for her spring garden. Lindsey demanded that I sit down and just enjoy my soup and not clean up after Van. Okay lady, you don't gotta tell me twice.

Last summer, Lindsey had the most amazing peaches at her house. Juicy, sweet and tart and buxom. One day, Lindsey made the children some sandwiches for lunch and she cut up a bunch of peaches for the kids. And then I ate them all. While the children dined on their PB and Js, I went to check on them frequently, each time taking peaches from their little plates.

Unappreciative children don't need peaches of that caliber, I do.

They don't appreciate the perfect balance of firm and soft nor the amount of juice dripping down their hands.

They don't need a peach so perfectly sweet, I do. So I did.


If you had a box of peaches of that stature, I would hope they wouldn't end up in this chutney. It's true, I hope you just eat them. In this cruel world, there are more good peaches than there are superior peaches. Use your good peaches in this. This chutney is sweet and savory at the same time. Honey helps create a thick, sweet texture and Worcestershire adds that tang only Worcestershire can add. Pork always pairs well with fruit, so that is what I did. The pork chops are marinated in an apple cider vinegar marinade to aid in tenderizing and it does just that.




For the marinade:
1 1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
A few grinds black pepper
1/2 tsp Montreal steak seasoning
A few bone-in pork chops

In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, pepper and steak seasoning. Whisk well to combine. Add pork chops, being sure to coat each one in marinade. Cover and put into the refrigerator and marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours.

Heat grill to medium high heat. Remove pork chops from the marinade and discard the marinade. Grill each pork chop for 3 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Serve eat pork chop with a spoonful of the peach chutney on top.

For the chutney:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups diced peaches, about 5 small peaches
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Splash of hot sauce
1 lemon, zested

In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil runs quickly in the pan, add the shallot and garlic. Saute until the shallot is softened, about 2 minutes. Add the diced peaches and saute for 1 minute more. Pour in the honey, soy sauce, Worcestershire, ginger, salt and hot sauce. Stir well to combine and simmer for 10 minutes, until the sauce is thickened and the peaches are broken down a bit. Remove from heat and add lemon zest. Pour chutney into a small bowl and set aside until serving.

Yields enough chutney for 6 pork chops.

Rookie's Notes: Let me remind you that the most tender pork is going to still be pink inside. Pork isn't like chicken. When it is cooked through, it is still slightly pink.

Also, if you want to quickly peel the peaches, do this. Set a pot of water on to boil. Once boiling, add the peaches. Let them bob around in the boiling water for about a minute. While you wait for them, get a big bowl and add some ice cubes and cold water. Once the peaches have been in the boiling water for 1 minute, take them out with a slotted spoon and put them directly into the ice water. Now, all you have to do is slip off the peach peel. It should slide off really easily.

If you are a frequent reader of this here blog, you know that this is my third recipe for putting pork and some kind of fruit sauce together. Yes, I also have developed recipes for Grilled Pork Chops with Apricot Onion Sauce and Pork with Pear Chutney. I promise I am done indulging myself. Will you be the one to stop me from putting pork and fruit together? Sometimes I need someone to slap my hands and tell me no. Like my friend Donna is in charge of making sure Ethan and I don't get anymore cats. We have killed too many of them. But that is a different story for a different day. But I will say that it is very true that antifreeze kills cats.


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Family Proclamation Made Pretty

Today's post is a bit off the beaten food path. But you will like it.

If you are a Mormon, you are familiar with "The Family: A Proclamation to the World". And if you don't have it framed in your home yet, my graphic designer slave, Megan, has a solution. If you do have it framed, you probably have the really bland version sold at the church bookstore. It's time to give your wall a makeover. Here is your makeover. How cool is this?


If you want to purchase one for your home, click here.

If you aren't LDS, I invite you to read the proclamation. It's worth reading. Click here.

Edamame with Bacon and Shallots

Jack has a neighbor buddy, who we will call Hannah. Hannah and Jack are both very imaginative. They like riding bikes and running through sprinklers. And Hannah is good at keeping Jack in line. "Jack, don't say that. It's inappropriate." She doubles as his mother.

Last week, after a rather industrious day of bike riding and cape wearing, Hannah joined us for dinner. Dinner was a simple pasta and green salad. In the salad were two of Jack's greatest enemies, tomatoes and cucumbers. But bless that little Hannah, she peer pressured him right into eating the tomatoes and cucumbers. "Come on Jack. They are good. See, watch me eat some. Now it's your turn." And he did. I just adore that little Hannah.

One vegetable that Hannah wouldn't have to pressure Jack into eating is edamame. The boy adores edamame. Ethan gave me the idea to combine two of Jack's favorite things- edamame and bacon. So this side dish was created. It is steamed edamame, crisp bacon and shallots and then a bit of acid with a splash of red wine vinegar. It's a vegetable side dish made hearty. If you can find it, buy the frozen edamame that steams in the bag. Way less cleanup.




4 pieces of bacon, diced
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 8 oz packages frozen shelled edamame, steamed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
Splash of red wine vinegar

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add bacon, shallot and garlic. Saute and cook until bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add edamame, salt, olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Yields 6 servings.

Rookie's Notes: If you have leftovers of this, they reheat great. Just add a tablespoon of olive oil to keep it moist.


HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS RECIPE OR ANYTHING ELSE? Click here.

Bacon-wrapped Water Chestnuts

I love it when someone tells me about one of their favorite recipes and then the agrees to put together a guest post for me. That is what Sarah did. Sarah, who named her son Zealand. Such a cool name.

Sarah and Zealand

Awhile ago, Zealand's mom left a comment on a post talking about these bacon-wrapped water chestnuts. It's apparently a family specialty and it could be your families next specialty as well. Sarah, take it away lady.



When I married into the Hunt family, I struck recipe gold. This recipe is one of the many, many unique and delicious recipes from my husband's mother and grandmother's recipe gold mine. This recipe is a great tradition in our family for Thanksgiving and Christmas. But as good as they are, I have broken free and made them several times throughout the year, especially for dinner parties. My sister and brother-in-law have made a variation of this that is also very very delicious. Bacon-wrapped pineapple. Everything the same just pineapple in the middle instead of water chestnuts. Juicy!




3 8 oz cans whole water chestnuts, drained
2 lbs bacon
1 cup sugar
1 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp soy sauce

Set oven to 375 degrees.

Cut bacon in thirds and wrap around chestnuts. Secure with a toothpick. Set on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.

While bacon is in the oven, combine sugar, ketchup and soy sauce in a medium sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

When the bacon is cooked through and crisp, drain the excess grease and pour the sauce over bacon chestnuts. Return to oven, reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from the baking sheet and transfer to a serving platter.


Sarah's Notes: This makes A LOT! Also, I use 1/2 brown sugar and 1/2 granulated sugar, or sometimes all brown sugar, but the recipe does call for just regular sugar.

Rookie's Notes: My graphic designer slave wanted me to tell you about this high fructose corn syrup free ketchup. Organicville's Ketchup. Click here for a link.

Pizza We Eat A Lot

Yes, that is the title of this recipe because I couldn't think of anything more creative. It is what it is. We like this simple homemade pizza and we eat it on occasion. We aren't the type of people to keep with a tradition like pizza every weekend or full moon or whatever. Sometimes I make this twice a week and sometimes we will go 2 months without having it. It just depends on when I feel like making it. I won't lie, it's a bit of a production. The dough is from scratch and so is the sauce. And it's all made from very basic ingredients. While there is some extra work involved in making this pizza, it's absolutely worth it. Crisp crust, savory, flavorful sauce and quality toppings.

When I last made this, we ate it in the backyard because Ethan was working in the yard. Ethan has an addiction to our yard, specifically the lawn. He says that every neighborhood has a silent competition for the greenest lawn. A lawn free of dandies and weeds. It's very "Desperate Housewives". So every weekend, Ethan carefully trims, mows and then steps back and admires, as do I. Thank you for all your hard work in the yard husband.



Two things I find essential when making homemade pizza: 1. Use fresh cheese, not frozen. Freshly grated is much better. 2. Get your pepperoni from the deli counter. It not only has excellent flavor, but the slices are bigger, thus covering more surface area on your pizza.



For the dough:
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp olive oil and more for rolling out

Add the yeast to the warm water and set aside. Let it sit for about 5 minutes so that the yeast can dissolve in the water.

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar. Whisk to combine. Add the olive oil and the yeast mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to come together. Start mixing with your hands until a ball begins to form. Turn the dough out onto the counter and begin kneading. Knead for 5 minutes and then form into a smooth ball.

Spray the inside of a clean bowl with non-stick spray. Put the dough in the bowl, cover with a towel and let rise for 45 minutes to an hour. While the dough rises, make the sauce and prepare the toppings.

For the sauce:
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 Tbsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp kosher salt
A few grinds black pepper
2 tsp sugar

Add all ingredients to the blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Important note: This recipe for the sauce makes double what you are going to need. Use half on the pizza and freeze the other half for next time you make pizza.

For the toppings:
1 lb low moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 lb sliced pepperoni
2 4 oz cans sliced olives
1 8 oz package mushrooms, thinly sliced

Once the dough has doubled in size, set the oven to 450 degrees. Spread a small amount of olive oil (about 2 Tbsp) on the counter. Roll out dough to a 10x15 inch rectangle. Transfer to a 10x15 inch baking sheet. Spread on half of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle on half the cheese. Add the toppings and sprinkle on the remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Slice up and serve. Garnish with fresh basil if you've got it.

Yields 6 servings.

Rookie's Notes: Why slice the mushrooms yourself? My mushroom-loving husband says that really thinly sliced mushrooms are best. Also, the mushrooms are going to shrink considerably when they are cooked. Dry heat does that to mushrooms because they have a high moisture content. Anyways, the amount of mushrooms in a package of already-sliced mushrooms isn't enough for this pizza. They aren't sliced thin enough. So slice them yourself. If you like mushrooms, you will thank me.

If you want to use whole wheat flour for this pizza, go for it. I personally wouldn't prefer all whole wheat, I would do half and half, or 1 1/4 cup whole wheat and 1 1/2 cup all-purpose.



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Blueberry Muffins

Something to treasure. Quiet mornings alone.

It's when Violet wakes up around 6:00am and is ravenously hungry. Once she is fed, I wrap her back up, go downstairs and put her in the swing. The house is quiet and the floor is cold. The dishwasher is full of clean dishes and the sink is empty. The toys are put away and the dryer isn't running. The TV is off and all I can hear is the soft clicking of Violet's swing.

It's the calm before the storm.

The storm of Van's diaper being changed and his firm demand that he has chocolate syrup in his sippy cup of milk. The storm of Jack wanting to watch "Franklin" and snuggle under a blanket and not be disturbed. The storm of Violet wanting attention at the exact moment the eggs are to be scrambled. It all seems to explode at the same moment. Everyone, even the eggs, needing my attention in unison.

A few mornings ago, I enjoyed the nothingness before everyone woke up and I made these perfect muffins. These muffins who's recipe is fail-proof. Every blueberry needs a muffin for a friend. They all need a chance to live to their fullest potential by experiencing life inside the warm softness of a muffin. A muffin not overly sweet. A muffin moist and light. A muffin topped with sugar before baking. This is one such muffin.


This recipe is so incredibly delightful due to the sour cream in the batter. Moist and fluffy. The method to putting this batter together is simple as can be and you most likely have everything in your pantry and fridge right now. And hey, if you don't have blueberries, nothing is wrong with some chocolate chips and orange zest or maybe some almonds and canned pineapple.



1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries (or one 6 oz container)
Sugar, for sprinkling on top (use whatever sugar you want. White, brown, turbinado)

Set oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or spray the pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together with sour cream, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Stir butter mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Gently fold in blueberries. Batter will be thick.

Divide the batter among muffin cups and sprinkle on about 1/4 tsp of sugar on top of each muffin. Bake for 20 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Yields 12 muffins or 6 jumbo muffins (which is what I did).

Served with this: a banana and a glass of orange juice.

Rookie's Notes: Instead of sprinkling on some sugar before baking the muffins, I used this stuff. My Aunt Robin is a Pampered Chef executive and she likes to send me and my sisters fun stuff. This is one of them. Sweet Honey Vanilla Sprinkle. It was so great on top of the muffins. I can't wait to find more uses for it. Like the back of the bottle says to use it for grilled fruit. Hello delicious.



HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS RECIPE OR ANYTHING ELSE? Click here.

Knows

My mother in-law knows how to make a quilt. And I mean KNOWS. See, look.


And I know how to make cute little girls. And I mean KNOW. See, look.

Can you believe it's already been 4 weeks?

Ethan's Pizza Rolls

This recipe idea hit Ethan like a brick. Like woke him up in the middle of the night. He was hit by a brick in his sleep. Such a terrible way to get an idea. This was a brick telling him that an egg roll wrapper can house all sorts of delicious things. He didn't waste any time trying it out. And we enjoyed. And so did our neighbor who just happened to drop by at the exact right moment. Don't you wish you were my neighbor? In the words of the brilliant Usher, "Yeah".

The title of this recipe was up for debate. What is your vote?

Ethan's Pizza Rolls

Ethan's Mozzaroni Rolls

Italian Egg Rolls

I decided on Ethan's Pizza Rolls, cuz it's ma'blog and all. I can dictate what things are called, right? Ethan begged to differ. I said we should call these Ethan's Pizza Rolls. But he really liked Ethan's Mozzaroni Rolls, but that was a little too Rachael Ray for me. And Italian Egg Rolls was definitely a no-go. That just sounds gross. So Ethan's Pizza Rolls it is.

So what are these? An egg roll wrapper filled with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and ricotta cheese. And then some little gems of pepperoni and Italian sausage. All of those things are put in a pretty little pile in an egg roll wrapper and then deep-fried until crisp and golden. What about something to dip with? Anything fried needs a dip for a friend. Use whatever your and yours would prefer. Marinara, alfredo or a mix of both. We did a quick rose sauce. Marinara sauce mixed with heavy cream, garlic and Parmesan cheese.




1 lb bulk Italian sausage
1/2 lb pepperoni, cut into small pieces
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz ricotta cheese
A few cups marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade)
1 package egg roll wrappers
Vegetable oil for frying

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add sausage. Cook, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon, until cooked through. Pour onto a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Set aside.

Fill a small bowl with water. On one egg roll wrapper, add a 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese and ricotta cheese. Add a few pieces of pepperoni and a tablespoon of cooked sausage. Add a tablespoon of marinara sauce over the top of everything. Roll the egg roll wrapper by pulling up the bottom corner, then folding over the two sides and then rolling over to the top. Dip your finger in the water and run it along the top corner and them fold the whole roll over and gently press to seal. Set aside and repeat until all of the sausage is gone.

Heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry each roll until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Serve with marinara, alfredo or rose sauce for dipping.

Yields about 20 pizza rolls.

Rookie's Notes: Here is how you roll up these little babies.

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Food Face - Keely Steger

Keely is a blogging friend of mine and you can find her fine food at A Time To Eat. Keely is our latest food face, one with her grannie's old cast iron skillet and a penchant for lasagna rolls stuffed with spinach and shrimp. And scroll down for a picture of Keely with good ol' P Dub herself. Keely, is she really that beautiful in real life?

What foods do you remember most from your childhood?

I grew up in the era of convenience food, but Sunday lunches after church were always a big deal. More than anything, I loved pot roast Sundays, when we would pull the car into the garage and be hit over the head with the delicious smell of the roast, potatoes, and carrots, falling apart deliciously in the oven. I also remember my Grannie's biscuits and gravy, which she always made when out-of-town family came to visit.

What foods can you not get enough of?

Raw almonds and dark chocolate chips, a great bowl of chili smothered with cheese (with Fritos on the side), dark roasted coffee with French vanilla creamer in the mornings, peanut butter- spread on anything or nothing.

What is your favorite restaurant?

Victoria's- The Pasta Shop: a little Italian place on Campus Corner in Norman, Oklahoma. It's the date spot of choice for my husband and I and the only place that can get him to truly savor his food. It's that good. He always gets chicken lasagna and I get the lasagna rolls stuffed with spinach and shrimp. Just had it for my birthday!

It's raining cats and dogs and freezing outside.
What would you fill your belly with?

Homemade chicken pot pie. It's so rich, hearty, and yet simple. I love making the first one of the cold weather season.

What are your essential kitchen tools?

My Wusthof 8 inch chef's knife, Kitchen Aid mixer, white vinegar and water in a spray bottle (we use it to clean EVERYTHING), big cookie sheets and Silpats, the big cast-iron skillet my Grannie gave me.

Have you ever had any major kitchen disasters?

I almost lost the tip of my thumb once while chopping onions. I've never been so close to passing out. Thankfully, no stitches needed.

Did you answer these questions in your head as you read this? Good. Want to be a Rookie Cookie Food Face? Answer the questions below and then send them to me with a few pictures of yourself. I will post A new Food Face every week or so.

What foods do you remember most from your childhood?
What foods can you not get enough of?
What is your favorite restaurant?
It's raining cats and dogs and freezing outside. What would you fill your belly with?
What are your essential kitchen tools?
Have you ever had any major kitchen disasters?

Send your answers and a few pictures of yourself and your blog address (if applicable) to whitney_leigh_ingram@yahoo.com

Spaghetti with Roasted Vegetable Sauce

Here is how you make tomato sauce without doing too much. Chop some vegetables, roast the hell out of them and then puree them. They will cry out in pain after being burned and chopped up into a million pieces, but you will get to enjoy a sweet, savory sauce and your family will be eating more vegetables than they would like to acknowledge. Or maybe they would like to acknowledge. I don't know about your family, but they wouldn't have devoured this had I told them that there are 6 different kinds of vegetables in this. Yours might hip-hip-hooray at the thought of consuming loads of fresh veggies, but not mine.

Before hitting the heat.

I doubled this recipe so I could have a freezer meal for me and my family once Violet arrived. So when it came time for dinner, all I had to do was boil some pasta and reheat the sauce. It is just like a tomato sauce, but the roasted vegetables lend a certain sweetness that only roasted vegetables can. The flavor is more complex than a regular tomato sauce. Layers of different flavors.


Like my picnic table? It was our little weekend project a few weeks ago. Okay, strike that, reverse it. It was Ethan's project. I wanted a bright color for the table and it turned out just how I wanted. Of course, we love eating outside, until the mosquitos make their arrival in a few weeks. Eating outside makes for less mess and no cleaning the floor after wards. Looks like we can have couscous now! Cause I will tell you what, you are bananas for feeding children couscous if you aren't outside. Bananas.



4 tomatoes (medium or large, doesn't matter), quartered
2 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 2 inch pices
1 green bell pepper, seeded and quartered
1 onion, peeled and quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3/4 tsp kosher salt
A few grinds black pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning blend
1/4 tsp fennel seed
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 lb spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Set oven to 400 degrees. Pile all vegetables onto a baking sheet. Add olive oil, vinegar and all seasonings on top. Toss gently with your hands until all vegetables are coated in oil and seasonings. Spread in a single layer. Place baking sheet in the oven and roast for 40 minutes, tossing with a spatula halfway through.

Once vegetables are softened and lighted browned, remove pan from the oven. Scoop all vegetables and any liquid into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Pour vegetable mixture into a large saucepan over medium heat and stir in tomato sauce. Bring to a light boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve sauce over cooked spaghetti and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Yields 6 servings.


Served with this: Some garlic bread that was most desirable and quite simple. All it was was my garlic herb compound butter spread onto some white bread slices and then topped with additional Parmesan cheese, just a bit. Then I put the slices on a baking sheet and then under the boiler for a few minutes. Result: toasty, buttery, garlicky, herbalicious.

THE END

HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS RECIPE OR ANYTHING ELSE? Click here.

If you are wondering if Violet slept all night for the first time over the weekend, she did.