Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo

You Need:
3/4 cup butter- softened
2 cups whipping cream
2 cups grated Parmesan Cheese
1 box (lb) fettuccine
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
fresh (or dried) basil

You Need To:
Using a hand/stand mixer: Beat the butter until smooth; add the cream & parm cheese & mix on low until well blended. Set aside.

Cook the pasta according to the directions- drain and IMMEDIATELY add the hot pasta to the butter mixture. Toss to coat & add the salt/pepper.

Chop the fresh basil (or use dried) and spinkle on each serving. YUM!

God Bless.

Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

when you need dessert in a serious hurry- these things kick ass:

Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies
1/2 C Butter
2 C Sugar
1/2 C Milk
4 Tbsp Cocoa
1/2 C Peanut Butter
3- 3 1/2 C Quick cooking Oats
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 C choc chips (optional)

Directions:
Melt butter in a saucepan: add sugar, milk & cocoa. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil for 1 minute (no more no less) Stir in the PB, Oatmeal, Vanilla & Choc Chips and drop onto wax/foil paper. Let cool until set. (pop them in the fridge to cool quicker)
Store in an airtight container in the fridge (or 1 day @ room temp)

Freaking awesome- you WILL eat the whole batch if you don't watch yourself. for real.

apple cider muffins

Apple Cider Muffins
Ingredients:

Streusel:
1/3 cup light brown sugar
3 tbsp flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 tbsp butter

Muffins:
1 3/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp apple pie spice
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup apple cider
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Streusel:
Mix together the brown sugar, flour and spices in a small bowl. Using a pastry cutter- cut in the butter until the mixture resembles course crumbs

Muffins:
Preheat oven to 400.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, nutmeg, apple pie spice, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl, mix together the egg, apple cider and oil. Mix the wet & dry ingredients together until just mixed.

Line a muffin tin with liners (or grease them) and fill each cup about halfway. Spread 1 tsp of the streusel mix into each cup and fill the rest with the muffin mix (about 1/4 in or so from the top) - then sprinkle another tsp or so on the top of each muffin (use up the streusel)

Bake for about 20 minutes (until browned & delish) and remove. Let them cool for a few and enjoy!

Potato Salad

i freaking LOVE potato salad but people always ruin it with tons of onions, celery & etc etc- blech! i like it simple! so i adapted a recipe from Emeril- he uses onions, celery & other stuff i'm not keen on. so i mixed it up and made it my own.

The Best Potato Salad

2lbs potatoes (red, or peeled baking potatoes) cut into bite sized pieces
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground pepper
2 tblsp limeade (or lemon juice or lime juice)
1/2- 1tsp celery salt
1 tsp onion powder
*1/2 tsp mustard powder (if you DON'T use whole grain mustard)
1 tsp parsley
2-4 hard boiled eggs (chopped)
3/4 cup mayo (or miracle whip)
*1 1/2 tblsp whole grain mustard OR 1 1/2 tblsp regular mustard (i used regular because that's what i had)
4-6 strips cooked bacon (nice & crispy)- bacon is optional, but who doesn't like bacon?!

Directions:

Boil the potatoes in water with 1 chicken boullion cube, until tender- about 10-15 min

Drain the potatoes and transfer to a salad bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, season with the salt, cayenne, black pepper and limeade -mix well to combine. Add the celery salt, onion powder, parsley and eggs- mix again.
Combine the mayonnaise and mustard together and then mix in.
Crumble the bacon & mix it into the salad- not too much, but enough!

Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve chilled.
Enjoy!

Pumpkin Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpking (from a 15-oz can)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp pumpkin-pie spice
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tbsp sugar
1/2
tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350.
Put liners in muffin cups.
Sift together flour and baking powder in a small bowl.
Mix together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin-pie spice, 1 1/2 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then mix in flour mixture until just combined.
Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl.
Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about 3/4 full), then spinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Bake until puffed and golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.
Makes about 12- 15 muffins

aaand thanks to a massive can of pumpkin i also made some Iced Pumpkin Cookies

nom nom nom.

Enjoy!

Quick Corn and Potato Chowder with Cheddar Biscuits

in my opinion there is no need to slave over chowder for hours (not that i don't appreciate it when people do- i mean, i AM from New England)- but you can make a very quick, awesome chowder in about 20 min. literally- sooo good!


Quick Corn and Potato Chowder

2 cups water
2 cups milk
2 medium yellow/white/red potatoes (skin on- chopped)
1 can corn- drained (yes, CANNED CORN! ZOMG!)
1 chicken boullion cube
sea salt, black pepper, basil, onion powder, celery salt, smoked paprika
corn starch & water (it's better to mix the corn starch in water first & then use it to thicken)

In a medium saucepan: add the water & boullion cube- cover & cook the potatoes until tender (about 15 min or so)
turn the heat down to medium low & add the corn & milk (don't drain the potatoes because the starchy water will add flavor & thickness)- mix & then add seasonings to taste (not too much, no need to overwhelm, but make sure to use plenty of salt & pepper)

Allow the chowder to simmer for about 5-10 min- while it simmers, add the corn starch (to desired thickness)
Remove from heat & ladel into bowls- NOM NOM!!!

p.s. you can top with cheese or bacon or whatever you want- i just keep it simple :)

Cheddar Biscuits

Biquick Mix

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Follow the directions on the Bisquick box- add the cheese into the mix & plop them on a greased baking sheet (usually not greased but cheese requires grease people!)

Bake for about 10 min- butter & eat! YUM!

Enjoy!

Rice Pudding

i LOVE rice pudding- but not the soupy, goupy, oopy, runny, shmunny stuff that people seem to gravitate towards- no! i like something firm, sweet, savory & lacking in tapioca!

and the only person that ever made it the way i like it is my mother- so here it is- my mom's Rice Pudding (minus the nasty raisins she likes to add)


Rice "Pudding"

2 cups cooked white rice (hot, cold- doesn't matter)
2-3 tblsp butter
1 cup heavy/whipping cream
2 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
cinnamon (to taste)
nutmeg (to taste)

Pre-heat oven to 350
Butter an 8x8 baking dish

in a bowl- mix together all of the ingredients- pour into the buttered baking dish and bake for about 25-30 min.
Remove from the oven and serve whenever! i love it hot, but it's good cold too. serve it as is or with milk or yogurt.

OMG it's soooo good!!!!

Enjoy!