Slow Cooker Lentils with Poached Egg

Ahhh.. Lentils. So good for you and so filling. This is a simple dish that lends itself to a nice warm breakfast or dinner. This isn't the most flattering picture, but it's really beautiful in person.

How to Poach an Egg

To poach eggs:

In a deep pan or skillet bring about 2 inches of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low. Break the egg into a measuring cup or small glass. Hold the cup close to the surface of the water and slip the egg into the water. Cook until egg whites are set but the centers are still soft, about 3-4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

What the wha? Yeah, you heard me right, I said no bake cookies. If you need something that isn't going to take a lot of your time or you simply enjoy super soft peanut buttery goodness, this one is for you.

Cranberry Walnut Chocolate Chippers

This is a nice simple cookie. They are light and airy right out of the oven and if you can make them last long enough they become crisp outside and stay fairly soft inside. The flavors are understated so even though it sounds like there is a lot going on it this cookie, it works. This would be a fine addition to your holiday cookie collection.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

As I hurried through the grocery store in the early hours of Thanksgiving morning I accidentally grabbed a can of pumpkin pie mix instead of pumpkin puree. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with it, but I wanted to use it up before it got lost in the back of the cupboard. Obviously it was time for some wonderfully moist, tasty, muffins.

Perfect Bacon

What's that you say? Well, yes, bacon is perfect just because it's bacon, but let's not argue semantics. Cooking bacon is a pain, sometimes on the hands and arms, sometimes in the face. If you've got an alternative idea about proper kitchen attire the array of painful possibilities that could arise from cooking bacon are truly endless.  I'm here to help. I will admit that I stole this from my brilliant husband, but I'm owning it, and legally what's his is mine. So here you go. Perfect Bacon.

Turkey (or Chicken) Pot Pie

That's right. Throw on your cleanest wife-beater, hike up those Daisy Duke's and slip off your shoes, it's time to make a pot pie!

Coconut Pumpkin Tapioca

 

The pumpkin theme has been going strong around here lately and apparently it hasn't gone unnoticed. One of my super fun, food loving, coworkers sent me a request for this so of course I had to make it. Not being a big tapioca fan I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out, but it was actually quite good, I think the coconut milk really makes it. It can be served hot which gives it a delicious rice pudding feel or chilled for what I'm told is nearly perfect tapioca pudding.  I'll let you be the judge of that.

Pumpkin Bread

It's that time of year when everyone is dusting off their favorite sweaters and drinking their seasonal lattes to convince themselves they're really okay with the fact that summer is over. So what better way to use our freshly made pumpkin puree (or canned if you must)  than to make pumpkin bread?

Pumpkin Puree

Isn't Fall wonderful?  I love this time of year. The air is crisp and clean, the leaves are beautiful, and the stress of the holidays it at least a few weeks away. It also means it's time for one of my favorite rituals, the annual trip to the pumpkin patch where we will undoubtably buy more pumpkins than we have the energy to carve. This year we also picked up a few sugar pumpkins (aka pie pumpkins) so I could do a little bit of experimenting, which means I've also been doing a little bit of research. It turns out making your own pumpkin puree isn't difficult at all, it just requires a little bit of patience. I've done a lot of reading and a little bit of listening and I think I've found a process that solves the main complaints people seem to have about making their own puree.

Pumpkin Bran Muffins

Happy Halloween everybody!! With all the sugar floating around us this time of year I thought we could do with something that is healthy yet still delicious.  The pumpkin and spices give a nice seasonal flare to standard bran muffins so make a batch and enjoy!!

Crab Risotto

So what do you do when a super hot guy calls and says, "Hey, I'm coming over... and I've got crabs"? Well obviously you take the crab, clean it up, and take him out for a couple of beers to show your gratitude. If all goes well the risotto can be date number two. Or three. I'm just saying it's possible. It may have even happened to me.