Week 36: Stuffed Mushrooms

This is an appetizer I was planning on serving at a New Year's party, so Abby and I made the filling, and just prepared six to begin with so we could taste them. I stored the rest of the filling to stuff the mushrooms and bake them right before the party so they would still be hot.

This is the first time I've ever really enjoyed stuffed mushrooms since I only recently started eating mushrooms willingly. The texture has always been just a little off for me. Many stuffed mushroom recipes include sausage, but that's not really my style. These were nearly perfect.

Year of Yum Rating: FOUR and a HALF STARS

INGREDIENTS
24 whole fresh button mushrooms
3-4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tsp. vegetable oil
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. onion powder
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper



DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully remove the stems from the mushroom caps, setting the caps aside for later. Add the stems to the bowl of a food processor. Add the garlic to the food processor as well, and pulse in brief bursts until them mushroom stems and garlic are finely chopped.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped mushroom stems and garlic and cook until all the moisture has disappeared, about 5-7 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low. Stir in the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and spices. Stir together until the mixture is smooth and creamy; remove from the heat. Using a small spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of filling. Arrange the mushroom caps on the prepared baking sheet. Top with bread crumbs, if desired. Bake for 20 minutes or until the mushrooms are hot and liquid starts to form under the caps.

Week 35: Chicken and Dumpling Soup

A cozy, comforting, winter-y meal. And it never ceases to amaze me the way those dumplings grow into big, fluffy pillows as they cook. Ahh...

Year of Yum Rating: FOUR STARS

INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 medium carrots, cut crosswise in 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 cup flour
1 can chicken broth (we used way more)
salt and pepper
1 1/2 pound chicken (we got one of those pre-cooked rotisserie chickens)
2 tbsp fresh dill OR 3/4 tsp dried dill (I didn't read this very well, and ended up putting in 2 tbsp dried dill...but dumplings were delicious anyway)
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk plus 2 tbsp
1 package frozen peas (10 oz)

DIRECTIONS
In a big pot heat butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and thyme. Cover and cook until onions are soft (about 5 minutes).

Add 1/4 cup flour and cook 30 seconds. Add broth and boil, stirring occasionally.

Add salt, pepper, and chicken. Reduce to medium-low. Cover and cook about 20 minutes.

For the dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk 3/4 cup flour, dill, baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. With a fork, gradually stir 1/2 cup milk for a moist, soft batter. It should be a bit thicker than pancake batter. Add more milk if it's too thick.

Stir peas into the pot. Drop dumpling batter in simmering liquid, about 10 tablespoonfuls.

Cover and simmer until dumplings are firm (about 20 minutes).

Week 34: Biscotti

This week I learned that if I attempt something, and am even mildly successful, that it becomes an obsession for me. It started with me making some Cornmeal Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti for a dinner I was attending. It turned out pretty well, especially for something that I had no prior experience making. That made me decide that I wanted to experiment more with different recipes for biscotti. Well, that AND the fact that there is nothing cozier than drinking a hot cup of coffee, dunking sweet, crumbly biscotti. I even gave it away as gifts to coworkers. I listed the recipes below in the order that I enjoyed them, from the most to the least. Oddly enough...I can't seem to find any photos. I'll post them later if I find them!

Chocolate Biscotti
(Source: Parade Magazine...you know, the one that comes in the newspaper)

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
1 Sift together dry ingredients. Beat butter and sugar together until very smooth, then beat in the eggs. Mix in dry ingredients until blended. Fold in cranberries and chocolate chips.
2. Shape the dough into a long, flat-ish, thick log. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, cool 20 minutes.
3. Slice into 1/2-inch-thick cookies. Stand them up on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Cranberry-Pistachio Cornmeal Biscotti
(Source: Martha Stewart)

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped pistachios

DIRECTIONS
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
2.Put butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar and mix until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time, until well combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture all at once; mix until just combined. Add lemon zest, cranberries, and pistachios and mix until combined.
3.Transfer dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pat into a log that is roughly 14 by 3 1/2 inches. Bake until firm, lightly browned, and slightly cracked on top, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on sheet on a wire rack, about 15 minutes.
4.Transfer log to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake cookies, rotating sheet halfway through, until they begin to brown at edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks.

**I used this same recipe for another batch, but replaced the cranberries and pistachios with dried tart cherries and mini chocolate chips. I also added a tiny bit of almond and vanilla extracts. It was so yummy.

Orange Almond Biscotti
(Source: allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 pinch salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon orange zest
3 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

DIRECTIONS
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a baking sheet.
2.In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, almonds, and orange zest. Make a well in the center and add the eggs oil, and almond extract. Stir or mix by hand until the mixture forms a ball.
3.Separate dough into 2 pieces and roll each one into a log about 8 inches long. Place logs on prepared baking sheet and flatten so they are about 3/4 inch thick. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly, and remove from baking sheets. Slice diagonally into 1/2 inch slices with a serrated knife. Set cookies on side back onto the cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 15 more minutes, turning over after half of the time. Finished cookies should be hard and crunchy.

Almond Biscotti
(Source: Joy of Baking...who, based on measurements, is apparently from another country...)

INGREDIENTS
1 cup (145 grams) blanched whole almonds, toasted and chopped coarsely
1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Toast almonds for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely. Set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl lightly beat the eggs and extracts together. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer) combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat until blended (about 30 seconds). Gradually add the egg mixture and beat until a dough forms, adding almonds about halfway through. On a lightly floured surface roll dough into a log about 14 inches (35 cm) long and 3 - 4 inches (8 - 10 cm) wide. Transfer log to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until firm to the touch (log will spread during baking). Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.

Transfer log to a cutting board and, using a serrated knife, cut log into slices 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick on the diagonal. Arrange evenly on baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, turn slices over, and bake another 10 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container.


Pumpkin Biscotti
(Source: Simply Recipes)

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
Pinch of ginger
Pinch of cloves
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup of pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and spices into a large bowl.

2. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, and vanilla extract. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Give it a rough stir to generally incorporate the ingredients, the dough will be crumbly.

3. Flour your hands and a clean kitchen surface and lightly knead the dough. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper. Form the dough into a large log, roughly about 15-20 inches by 6-7 inches. The loaves should be relatively flat, only about 1/2 inch high. Bake for 22-30 minutes at 350 F, until the center is firm to the touch. (Feel free to also form two smaller logs for cute two-bite biscotti; just cut the baking time to 18-24 minutes.)

4. Let biscotti cool for 15 minutes and then using a serrated knife cut into 1 inch wide pieces. Turn the oven to 300 F and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. Cool completely.

Biscotti may be still a tad moist and chewy, so if you prefer it crisp let it sit uncovered overnight in a dry space. (I would have liked them better if they were more dry and crumbly, but I didn't do the whole sitting them out overnight thing.) Serve and enjoy.

Cappuccino Biscotti
(Source: Joy of Baking)

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup (100 grams) hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and coarsely chopped
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon (5 grams) pure vanilla extract
2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder (optional)
1/2 cup (85 grams) semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Toast hazelnuts for 10 - 15 minutes or until the skins start to blister. Remove from oven and place hazelnuts in a clean towel and let steam for about 5 minutes. Then briskly rub the towel back and forth to remove the skins of the hazelnuts . Let cool and then coarsely chop. Set aside.
Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl whisk together the eggs and vanilla extract. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer) beat the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, spices, and espresso powder until combined. Gradually add the egg mixture and beat until a dough forms, adding the chopped nuts and chocolate chips about halfway through. With floured hands divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface roll each half of dough into a log about 10 inches (25 cm) long and 2 inches (5 cm) wide. Transfer logs to the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 3 inches (7.5 cm) apart, and bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until firm to the touch (logs will spread during baking). Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.

On a cutting board, with a serrated knife, cut each log crosswise, on the diagonal, into 3/4 inch (2 cm) slices. Arrange the slices on the baking sheet and bake 10 minutes, turn slices over, and bake another 10 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

Week 33: Holiday Cookies

*I know that I'm a little behind. And I'm sorry.

Now, would you like the good news or the bad news first? The good news, you say?

Abby's mom comissioned us to make some cookies for a holiday party. It was fun to have something to bake for!

The bad news: I don't have the recipes. But this is where we got them:



These were yummy:



These were not:



And I had fun with these guys:

Week 32: Spicy Chipotle Burgers

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

Good flavor, but I usually prefer my burgers thinner, which I couldn't do because there was cheese in the middle.

INGREDIENTS
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, undrained
2 pounds lean ground beef
2 teaspoons steak seasoning
1/2 (10-ounce) package Cheddar cheese, cut into 4 thick (1.25-ounce) slices
4 sesame seed hamburger buns (we used Sandwich Thins)
Toppings: tomato slices, red onion slices, romaine lettuce leaves, yellow mustard, mayonnaise, avocado


DIRECTIONS
Process chipotle peppers in a blender until smooth. Measure 4 teaspoons puree, reserving remainder for another use, if desired.

Combine 4 teaspoons puree, ground beef, and steak seasoning in a large bowl until blended. (Do not overwork meat mixture.) Shape mixture into 8 (4-inch) patties; place 1 cheese slice on each of 4 patties. Top with remaining 4 patties, pressing edges to seal. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes.

Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) 7 to 8 minutes on each side or until beef is no longer pink. Serve burgers on buns with desired toppings.

Laziness = Year of Yum Changes

Just to set the record straight, I HAVE been cooking. I have just been procrastinating with this whole blogging thing. The part that has been slowing me down is writing the thoughtful little blurb at the beginning of each post, so I am going to propose I eliminate that, okay? You don't really care that much about my insight, do you? You just want to see the recipes and pictures. I knew it.

I still feel like it's important for me to give some kind of insight into these recipes, so all I will be including is how I liked it using the scale below, as well as any changes I made, or what I would like to do differently in the future.

RATING SCALE:
Five Stars = This was awesome! I will totally make it in the future!
Four Stars = Yum. I really liked this, but probably want to make some adjustments.
Three Stars = This was pretty good, but not my favorite.
Two Stars = Eh, okay. I probably won't make it again.
One Star = No, thanks.

Week 30: Goat Cheese and Leek Tart

I have never cooked with leeks before, but this recipe just called out to me when I stumbled upon it on one of the baking blogs that I follow. I thought it looked elegant, different, and CHEESY, so I was all for it.

I didn't LOVE the idea of using refrigerated pie crust, but I also wasn't opposed enough to actually attempt to make my own crust. Also, I forgot to buy cream cheese, so we just used all goat cheese. The cheese mixture was a little liquidy (which we handled very gracefully, right Abby?), and the cream cheese might have fixed that problem.

All in all, this was pretty easy to make, and I found it quite yummy. I think it would be pretty to display at a party, or even make little baby tarts!

(The pictures above show the tart being served with Wheatberry, Lentil, Caramelized Onion, and Feta salad. It was okay, but obviously not good enough to be featured in a Y.O.Y. blog post...)

INGREDIENTS
1 Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust
1 bunch leeks, white & pale green parts only, thinly sliced into half moons and washed well (see tips below)
1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt & pepper
4 oz. herb & garlic goat cheese, room temp
2 oz. plain goat cheese, room temp
2 oz. cream cheese, room temp
2 TBSP milk
3 egg yolks, divided
1/4 tsp dried thyme

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 with rack on the lowest shelf. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Toss washed and dried leeks with oil, salt & pepper.

Beat together the goat cheese, cream cheese, milk, TWO of the egg yolks and thyme until smooth. Lightly season with salt & pepper.

Place the pie crust on the baking sheet.

Spread goat cheese mixture on top, leaving a 2-inch border.

Top with leeks.

Fold edge of crust over the filling, pinching folds together to seal.

With a fork, beat together the remaining egg yolk with 1 TBSP water. Use a pastry brush to apply to dough.

Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 45-55 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature.

Week 29: Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Pasta

This week's recipe gave me a fun new way to eat sweet potato. I was a little skeptical when I heard that we were going to grate the raw sweet potato and put it straight into the skillet to cook briefly with other ingredients. I quickly found out that it would be nothing but delicious!

I loved the fresh flavor of this pasta with its yummy veggies. And, I've said it before, anything covered in goat cheese is a winner in my book.

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces whole-wheat angel hair pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups shredded, peeled sweet potato, (about 1 medium)
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup diced plum tomatoes
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar, or lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

DIRECTIONS
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes or according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon oil and garlic in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is sizzling and fragrant, 2 to 5 minutes. Add sweet potato, bell pepper, tomatoes and water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bell pepper is tender-crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and keep warm.

3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the vegetable mixture, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, parsley, tarragon, vinegar (or lemon juice), salt and cheese; toss to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 2 tablespoons at a time, to achieve the desired consistency.

A Sign You've Really Arrived...

How do I know that I've really arrived in the baking world? Fourth graders swooning over my baked masterpieces would be the first indicator.

Or perhaps they're not THAT picky.

Last night I made a super-simple, semi-healthier version of chocolate cupcakes. I used that trick that everyone besides me probably already knew where you mix chocolate cake mix and a can of pumpkin, and then bake it. Those are literally ALL of the ingredients. I chose organic chocolate cake mix, because that seems to be the kick I'm on right now. Also, the recipe was for cake, and I opted for mini-cupcakes.

I brought them in for my class to try today. I told them that there was a secret ingredient that made them healthier than regular cake. They were guessing all this crazy stuff...soybeans, cranberries, tofu, apple juice, etc. After a hint about this ingredient being a current seasonal one, they guess pumpkin right away. I expected them to immediately get grossed out, but they still thought that these were the best things EVER. They asked for the recipe, and about half of my class frantically copied it down on post-it notes. One girl declared that this is what she was going to bring for her birthday treat!

I consider that a success. Even though I am responsible for the grades on my critic's report cards, I'm sure that didn't influence their reactions at all...

Week 28: Soup and Quiche, but MOSTLY Quiche...

This has been a busy week, so when it came to choosing something to make for Year of Yum, this week, I was a bit of a slacker.

OR I was an overachiever, depending on how you look at it.

Because I had a few different recipes that I wanted to try, but I just didn't quite settle on one. So we made two things:

Cumin-Scented Wheat Berry-Lentil Soup AND Spinach Quiche with Potato Crust

The quiche was so yummy. Nearly anything that has three different kinds of cheese will get my seal of approval. Also, even though the potato crust was a whole lot of work, it was worth it. It tasted pretty yummy, and certainly it had to be more healthy than a flour-and-butter crust.

The soup...not so much. It was lacking something. Well, technically it was lacking CHARD, since I gave up looking for it after two different grocery stores had none. But I also though some sort of noodle would have given the soup more substance.

Cumin-Scented and Wheat Berry-Lentil Soup

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups lentils
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups cold water
3 tablespoons EVOO
3 large carrots, finely chopped
1 medium red onion, diced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 cups cooked wheat berries
1 bunch rainbow or red chard, large stems discarded, leaves roughly chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Combine lentils, broth, and water in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently until the lentils are tender, but not mushy, 25-30 minutes (brown lentils take a little longer than green ones).

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat.

When the lentils are tender, stir cooked wheat berries and chard into the pot. Cover and simmer until the chard has wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrot mixture and lemon juice.



Spinach Quiche with Potato Crust

INGREDIENTS
2 cups firmly-packed shredded potatoes
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup grated onion
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 package frozen spinach, thawed
3 egg whites
1 large egg
1/2 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
4 ounces feta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese


DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 10-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Place potatoes and salt in a colander in the sink and allow to drain for 20 minutes. Press down on the potatoes with paper towels to squeeze out the excess moisture. Combine potato mixture, egg, and grated onion in a medium mixing bowl. Press in to the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie plate. Bake 20 minutes. Brush the top of the crust lightly with canola oil and bake another 15 to 20 minutes until the crust is lightly golden. Do not over bake. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, squeeze moisture out of the spinach in a kitchen towel. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and egg. Add the ricotta and feta cheeses and the spinach. Mix well. Pour the spinach mixture into the prepared potato crust. Top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake 30 to 45 minutes (at 350) until the quiche is browned. Remove from the oven and allow the quiche to cool at least 15 minutes. This cooling/resting time is important because it allows the quiche to set. If you cut the quiche too early, it will be runny.

Week 26: Creamy Pumpkin Penne

To say that I've been a little obsessed with pumpkin lately would be an understatement. I see all of the beautiful pumpkin kitchen creations that are possible. And I want to make them all! (Actually, I would settle for just EATING them all...)

My sissy made pumpkin butter. Delicious.

I printed off a recipe for "Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes" that I will hopefully be tasting soon. Looks delicious.

And when I saw a recipe on a food blog for a SAVORY pumpkin dish, I was all over it.

It was pretty good. I liked the flavor of the sauce, and that it was healthy. I was really stepping outside of my box with the sausage, and I didn't really love it. The taste was pretty good, but I couldn't get over the texture.

INGREDIENTS

4 ounces whole wheat penne pasta

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 links cooked chicken sausage, sliced

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese (1% milk fat)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup skim milk

pinch of nutmeg

5 ounces torn spinach, thick stems removed

grated parmesan cheese (optional...but I'm judging you if you opt out)

DIRECTIONS

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook gently for about 10-15 minutes, until softened and beginning to caramelize. Add garlic and chicken sausage, continuing to saute.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to pasta directions.

In a blender, combine pumpkin, cottage cheese, and milk. Blend until no lumps are present. Add to sausage mixture in the skillet and continue to cook over low heat. Season to taste with salt and freshly-ground pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.

Drain pasta and return to pot over low heat. Add sausage mixture and baby spinach, and toss together. cover for a few minutes to let the spinach wilt. Serve with parmesan cheese.

More Week 25: More Spaghetti Squash

I've been in my kitchen a lot more than usual lately. I think part of it is the autumn-y, cool weather that makes me want to make warm, comforting food. Last week spaghetti squash was on sale, so I picked one up. I made a yummy dish consisting of spaghetti squash, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, etc. It was pretty good, but not photo-worthy.

Every time I've made spaghetti squash I've been amazed by it. It is just such a cool phenomenon! I DID get some pictures of that...

Week 25.5: Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Last week, a sweet friend invited me over for chili for our semi-regular Wednesday dinner. I was deciding what to bring, and it occurred to me that the only reasonable choice would be cinnamon rolls. I don't know WHY cinnamon rolls go so naturally with chili, but the fact that this is how the school cafeteria always served it must make it right.

I was feeling (perhaps overly-) ambitious, and I decided that I would not get a can of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, but rather I would make them from SCRATCH. Unless using a bread machine to make the dough doesn't count as scratch...

It took longer than planned, but they turned out to be SO yummy. I enjoyed snacking on microwaved leftovers for days!

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup warm milk
1 egg, room temperature
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups bread flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped pecans (I left these out because some people just don't like nuts, okay?)

1/2 package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons milk

DIRECTIONS
In the pan of your bread machine, combine water, melted butter, vanilla pudding, warm milk, egg, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, bread flour, and yeast. Set machine to dough cycle; press START.

When dough cycle has finished, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 17x10 inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter. In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over dough.

Roll up dough, beginning with long side. Slice into 16 1-inch slices and place in 9x13 buttered pan. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. While rolls bake, stir together cream cheese, softened butter, confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and milk. Remove rolls from oven and top with frosting.

Week 25: P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Sometimes I just don't know what do cook. And it's weird. Because most of the time, I find myself reading through all of my food blogs, drooling over all of their kitchen creations, and itching to make some of my own. But when it comes time for me to actually choose something to make for my weekly dinner date with Abby, I find myself drawing a blank. That happened this week, and a special friend gave me the great idea to make lettuce wraps. Perfect!

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnuts
2/3 cup mushroom
3 tablespoons chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
leaves of iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce
1/4 cup sugar (we used Splenda!)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil (I didn't find this...so I didn't use it!)
1 tablespoon hot mustard
2 teaspoons water
1-2 teaspoons garlic and red chili paste

Stir Fry Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.

Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice, and sesame oil.

Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.

Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.

Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.

Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.

Saute chicken breasts for 4-5 minutes per side or done.

Remove chicken from the pan and cool.

Keep oil in the pan, and keep it hot.

As the chicken cools, mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.

Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.

When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.

With the pan still on high heat, add another tablespoon of vegetable oil

Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts, and mushrooms to the pan.

Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce "cups."

Top with the Special Sauce.

Week 24: Butternut Squash Soup

Have I mentioned how great Abby is at not only finding foods that we don't have experience cooking, but also choosing foods that we haven't EATEN? She sure is.

This week she showed up with some beautiful butternut squash, and I was so excited to hear that we were making butternut squash soup!

INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons chopped onion (we probably used more than this, knowing us)
4 tablespoons butter
6 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
3 cups water
4 cubes chicken bouillon
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese

DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan, saute onions in the butter until tender. Add squash, water, bouillon, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Cook 20 minutes, or until squash is tender.

Puree squash and cream cheese in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth. Return to the saucepan, and heat through. Do not allow to boil.

Week 23: Buffalo Chicken Calzones

This week Abby and I were also planning on making cupcakes for Bunco, which I was hosting this week, so I wanted our dinner to be something semi-easy. When I stumbled across a recipe for buffalo chicken calzones on one of my food blogs that I follow, it seemed like the obvious choice. I love calzones. I love buffalo chicken. And refrigerated pizza dough makes everything easier.

I loved this easy, yummy recipe so much that I made mini versions for Bunco a couple of nights later. Abby and I dipped ours in ranch instead of the usual blue cheese dressing. Next time I might try to stick some veggies in there... (Also, please note how lovely and perfectly-shaped Abby's calzone is. Mine is the blog of dough next to it.)

INGREDIENTS

1 lb pizza dough

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced

2 tsp plus 1/2 cup hot pepper sauce, divided

2 tbsp butter

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup pizza sauce

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Melt butter in a hot skillet and cook chicken thoroughly until opaque throughout and no pink remains.

In a bowl, mix together pizza sauce and 2 tsp hot pepper sauce; set aside.

When chicken is cooked through, reduce heat and add 1/2 cup hot pepper sauce, tossing to coat.

Let simmer for 10 minutes. Drain chicken if necessary.

Divide dough in half and roll out into circles.

Place half of pizza sauce mixture, chicken, and mozzarella cheese into each calzone, close, and seal edges by pinching the dough.

This wasn't in the original recipe, but Abby and I brushed some egg whites on top of each calzone, and we sprinkled them with coarse salt, fresh ground pepper, and a little grated Parmesan cheese. This made them prettier and added some good flavor to the bread.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until dough is browned. Serve with dip.

**A sad reality: Typing these recipes often makes me realize that I didn't do a very good job of following directions. For example, I put the pizza sauce/pepper sauce mixture in the skillet with the chicken instead of just pepper sauce. Both times I made them. With the previously mentioned cupcakes, I erroniously completely omitted the egg yolks that it called for. It's possible that my reading comprehension isn't as good as it should be...

Week 22: Snow Family Mac 'n' Cheese

I didn't know what recipe Abby was going to bring with her this week when she showed up for our "Year of Yum" date, but man was I excited when walked in the door with all of the fixings for mac and cheese. Cheesy pasta...comfort food at its best.

I don't know who the Sara Snow chick is (though Abby assures me that if I knew her, I would like her), but she sure does make a mean mac 'n' cheese. Everything in the recipe called for organic, but Abby and I used non-organic butter and cheese. We also used some crazy gluten-free pasta that we were a little nervous about, but it ended up being delicious.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons organic butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups organic milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
2 cups grated organic cheddar cheese
2-4 organic roma tomatoes, sliced
1 cup breadcrumbs

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook pasta until firm.
Melt butter. Blend in flour. Whisk in milk.
Cook at medium until thick.
Add salt and pepper and 1 1/2 cups cheese.
Stir to melt.
Place cooked macaroni in greased baking dish.
Pour sauce in. Top with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs.
Bake for about 35-40 minutes. Start with the lid on and then take it off for about the last 20 minutes so the top gets nice and toasty.

Week 21: Grilled Pizza

This week we attempted something we've been wanting to try for a while now; grilled pizza! Sounds slightly bizarre, I know. If you're anything like me, you are thinking, "However does the raw pizza dough not go through the grate of the grill?!" Answer: it must be sheer magic of deliciousness.

Here's what we did:

We formed the dough (we tried three different types of dough, but Pillsbury in the roll from the refrigerated section was probably my favorite) into personal-sized crusts. Plop it in on a pretty hot grill for a couple of minutes. You can tell from the pictures that we didn't worry at all about how our crusts looked...we were going for the rustic look. Make sure to watch it, because I definitely burned a couple of pizzas.

After a couple of minutes, we flipped the crust over and added our toppings of choice. We had all of the usual suspects, plus some chicken, onions, and peppers that we had just grilled.

Now it was time to close the grill so the toppings could get all hot and melty while the other side of the crust was grilling.

During the cooking process, it was mentioned how much more work this was than just ordering a pizza from the hut. But after trying our grilled pizzas, there was really no comparing them with a greasy, lame-toppinged delivery pizza.

I can't wait to do this again!

Week 20: Orzo Squash Salad

This week Abby and I had to use our combined cooking knowledge to figure out how to make our recipe. The reason for this was that this "recipe" really didn't give a lot of detail. It pretty much just describe the dish, and we figured out how to create it! So here goes...

INGREDIENTS
orzo
squash (we used yellow and zucchini)
mushrooms
goat cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
We cooked the orzo while we sauteed the squash and the mushrooms in olive oil. We added the mushrooms once the squash was already almost done. Mix together the orzo, veggies, and goat cheese. The goat cheese will pretty much melt to mix well throughout the salad.

I'm not a big fan of squash, but this was so yummy! You can cover pretty much anything in goat cheese and I'll be a happy camper!

Week 19: Pesto!

I had never made pesto before, and Abby had never been successful at making it before, so it seemed like a good choice for this week.

I don't have a food processor, so I just looked up a recipe for "blender pesto." It actually worked really well, and was very smooth and creamy!

Basically there's nothing to dislike about pesto. I was pretty much drooling over all of the ingredients individually. Fresh basil...garlic...good, strong, smelly cheese...pine nuts... Delicious.

We put the pesto on some quinoa. It wasn't beautiful, but enjoyable nonetheless!

INGREDIENTS
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS

Put the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic cloves, and salt in the blender and mix at high speed. Stop from time to time to scrape the ingredients down toward the bottom with a rubber spatula. Add the Parmesan cheese and blend together. Before spooning the pesto over the pasta add to it a tablespoon or so of the hot water in which the pasta has been cooked. (Ooops! Didn't do that last step. I wonder if it was important...)

Week 18: Supposed-to-be-Spicy Corn Fritters

The story here is that this recipe included a "spicy" dipping sauce for aforementioned corn fritters. I didn't really feel like making this sauce, but if YOU do, check out the recipe here.

This last-minute recipe was yummy! Abby and I topped it with sliced tomatoes. We decided it might be fun to try putting all kinds of yummy veggies or even black beans into the batter before we fry it.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup flour (we used whole wheat)

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup water

2 cups of corn kernels (if frozen, defrost and drain first)

4 large scallions, finely sliced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

grapeseed, canola, or peanut oil (a high smoke point oil) for frying

DIRECTIONS

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, ground coriander, and ground cumin in a medium bowl. Add egg, lemon juice, and water. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the corn, onions, and cilantro. Stir until just combined.

Heat a large frying pan on medium high heat. Add enough oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan. When oil is hot (shimmering, not smoking), spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons worth of fritter batter into the pan to form one fritter, patting it down with the back of the soon as soon as it is in the pan. Work in batches. Leave about 1/2 inch between the fritters in the pan. Let cook about 2-3 minutes on each side, flipping the fritters when they are nicely browned on one side. When browned on the other side, remove the fritters to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess fat.

Add oil as needed to keep the bottom of the pan well-coated. Note that the fritters will likely splatter a bit as you are cooking. So, either use a screen splatter guard, or wear long-sleeved clothes while you cook.

Week 17: Spaghetti Squash New Mexican

Something that's so fun about going through these cooking adventures with Abby is that she is good at making me try new things. Things that I would have told you I didn't like. Last time it was eggplant. This time we had spaghetti squash. Not only did I learn that I like spaghetti squash, but now I'm motivated to find more recipes that use it!

Apparently it is common to use spaghetti squash simply as a substitute for pasta. While I would like to try it that way (with a jar of Ragu), this recipe combined strands of spaghetti squash with Southwest-inspire ingredients to make a sort of casserole.

INGREDIENTS
1 medium spaghetti squash
sea salt and ground pepper
EVOO, as needed
cumin and chili powder to taste
a splash of water, as needed
1 medium sweet or red onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 ears of fresh corn kernels cut off (we did bell pepper instead)
1 cup ripe and juicy cherry tomatoes, halved
1 14-oz. can black beans, rinsed, drained well
2 whole roasted greed chiles, mild or spicy, seeded, chopped
1 lime - for zest and juice

For garnish:
toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds
fresh chopped cilantro
lime wedges

Option:
cubes of goat cheese or feta

DIRECTIONS

First, roast the squash. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Half the squash lengthwise and place cut side up in a roasting pan. Season with sea salt and pepper, a drizzle of good olive oil, some cumin, chili powder (and garlic, if adding). Add two inches of water to the pan to help keep the squash from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Roast in a hot oven for about an hour, until the squash is fork-tender. Half way through roasting you might want to pour a little bit of water on each squash to keep them moist.

When the squash is done, remove it and let it cool.

Heat a splash of EVOO in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic, corn kernels, and spices; stir for five minutes until the onion has softened.

Meanwhile, when the squash is cool enough to handle, take a fork and scrape the squash making spaghetti-like strands (this part was fun)!

Toss the squash strands into a large mixing bowl. Season with more sea salt and pepper. Sprinkle in some added cumin or chili powder, if you like, to taste. Toss well. Add the skillet mixture, tomatoes, black beans, green chiles. Combine. Grate a lime and add the zest. Cut and squeeze the lime juice all over the mixture and toss lightly.

Pour the mixture into a casserole style baking dish. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven until heated through, about 20-25 minutes.

If you'd rather do it up in a skillet, add the squash to the skillet mixture and stir in the remaining ingredients, as above. Cover and gently heat through over medium heat, roughly 5-10 minutes.

Serve with a sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and feta, as your heart desires.

Week 16: Pasta Fresca

This week I kind of cheated. What I really wanted to make was something on my brand new grill. Unfortunately I didn't get around to getting propane, so instead I found myself getting up extra early to pore over cooking blogs, cookbooks, and magazines. I ended up running across a recipe that I have made before, but it was so long ago that it practically doesn't count. It was a recipe for my favorite dish at Noodles & Co. - Pasta Fresca. Back when Noodles was new, I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I have since come to believe that their sole purpose is to rip you off. Because, really, what's cheaper than pasta? They definitely make at least a 600% profit on that one. So sissy found me this recipe, and I was way excited.

The funny thing about this recipe for Pasta Fresca is that it "serves 4", but the fresca sauce declares it is for 15 servings. We calculated the ingredients to make less sauce, but I guess you could also save the extra sauce in the fridge or something and use it throughout the week if you plan on making pasta more than once. Or you could just make 15 servings of pasta because YUMMMMM...

A couple of comments about the recipe: first of all, next time I make this it will be with less olive oil. It was entirely too oily. Not necessary. Also, make sure that the pan is really hot when you put the noodles and other ingredients in. I don't think that the tomatos are actually supposed to cook, but just heat up real fast. Plus a hot pan will sear the pasta, which really makes the dish better if you ask me. Finally, I think I will use whole wheat pasta in this dish from now on. I couldn't find whole wheat bowties, but I think another shape will do the job. Okay, here goes...

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons EVOO
2 1/2 cups pre-cooked farfalle (bowtie) pasta
1/4 cup cubed roma tomato
1 tablespoon diced red onions
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt and cracked pepper
1 ounce fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup fresh garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sweet white wine
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Saute instructions: In a very hot saute pan, add: EVOO, pre-cooked farfalle, roma tomatoes, diced red onions, kosher salt, and cracked pepper.

Sear noodles, stirring occasionally until steaming hot.

Add fresh baby spinach, and 1 oz. fresca sauce.

Toss to combine, serve with freshly shaved parmesan cheese (we used feta).

Fresca sauce instructions: combine garlic, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, balsamic vinegar, white wine, and 1 cup olive oil. Mix together. Viola!

Week 15: Eggplant Parmesan

This week Abby helped me step out of my box. If you had asked me a few days ago if I liked eggplant, I would have replied with a (disgusted) "NO." When Abby suggested trying eggplant Parmesan this week (made from beautiful farmer's market eggplant), I decided to be a grown up, and see if my hatred toward this unusual vegetable was justified or not. Who knows...maybe I would be like Fermina in Love in the Time of Cholera who thought she hated eggplant her entire life, and when her crazy mother in law made her eat it virtually every day, she discovered that she was quite fond of it.

Overall, I thought our dish was quite yummy! Now, I'm not entirely convinced that I would appreciate eggplant as much if it was not fried, and then baked with an obscene amount of cheese, but it was a good start.

When questioning the nutritional value of this meal (which we served with whole-grain pasta...makes up for all that cheese, right?), we decided that perhaps we could try BAKING the breaded eggplant slices instead of frying them. We could also take away the casserole aspect of it, and just put the eggplant on a bed of pasta with some sauce and a little (or a lot...) of cheese.

INGREDIENTS
2 medium eggplant (about 2 1/4 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch-thick round slices
kosher salt as needed, plus 1 tablespoon
5 cups fresh breadcrumbs (we could've gotten away with about 3 cups, I bet)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
freshly ground black pepper
vegetable oil for frying
all-purpose flour for dredging
6 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
olive oil, as needed
7 cups marinara sauce
2/3 cup grated Parmesan, divided
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS
Arrange the eggplant slices on several baking sheets and sprinkle generously all over with kosher salt. Set aside to let the bitter juices weep from the eggplant, about 1 hour.

Transfer the eggplant to a colander in the sink, and rinse well under cold running water. Transfer eggplant to a work surface and blot very dry with paper towels.

In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, breadcrumbs, oregano, thyme, and season with pepper.

Place the flour in a medium lipped plate or bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Dredge an eggplant slice in flour, then dip it in the egg, and finally dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.

In a large straight-sided skillet, pour the oil to a depth of 1/2 inch. Heat the oil over medium heat until it registers 400 degrees F on a deep frying thermometer. The oil must be heated to 400 degrees so that the breaded eggplant, when added, will drop the temperature of the oil to the proper frying temperature of 375 degrees F.

Working in small batches, fry the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, about three minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt to taste. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly brush a 15 x 10 x 2 inch baking dish with olive oil. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 1/3 of the marinara sauce and arrange half of the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with another 1/3 of the sauce. Scatter half of the Parmesan and half of the mozzarella over the sauced eggplant. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, sauce, Parmesan, and Mozzarella. Bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Week 14: Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Since I was running around this week doing 1,000,001 other things, I was looking for something simple this week. I saw a recipe that intrigued me on Joy the Baker, one of the cooking blogs that I follow religiously, and decided to take a shot at making homemade rance dressing. It made a BUTTLOAD (by official measurement), and I'm still enjoying it.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of real mayonnaise (we used the lowfat stuff)

1/2 cup of sour cream (again...lite)

buttermilk (to desired consistency)

1 clove of garlic

1/4 cup Italian flate leaf parsely, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

salt to taste

healthy pinch of freshly ground black pepper

dash of Tabasco

DIRECTIONS

Mince the garlic with a knife and then sprinkle with about 1/4 teaspoon of salt on to the garlic. With a fork, mash the garlic and salt into a thick paste.

In a bowl combine all of the ingredients except for the buttermilk. Stir. Add buttermilk utnil you've reached the desired consistency. Tase and season as necessary. Chill for a couple hours before serving. Thin with milk when it comes out of the fridge if you wish.

Week 13.5: Pinkberry Wannabe

This week I had another fun food adventure. I made fro yo with Lisa! Ever since last summer when sisters, Jon, and I stumbled upon Pinkberry while wandering Greenwich Village, I have been obsessed. Fortunately I am able to get my fix of tart yogurty goodness since a similar venue (Mochi Yo) has opened here in Kansas City. If only it weren't so dang expensive. My solution? Homemade!

I searched and searched for recipes that might give me the desired outcome. I found quite a few recipes that claimed to emulate Pinkberry, many that just contained yogurt and sugar. I ended up choosing one from Recipezaar that was posted by a chick who claimed that she, too, was in love with Pinkberry, and had been on a similar quest to recreate this heavenly dessert at home. She had combined three recipes that she had found on the internet, which seemed like a recipe for success to me!

How did it go? I was pretty impressed. The texture was good, but softer than the real thing. I could try a different setting on the ice cream maker next time. The flavor was pretty close to what I was looking for, but not perfect. I could definitely taste the apple juice.

I may end up trying other recipes, but this one can definitely be a go-to for when my sweet tooth rears its ugly head... Now I just need an ice cream maker of my very own...

INGREDIENTS
10 ounces nonfat plain yogurt
4 ounces fresh green apple juice (I didn't know where to get this, so I just used Simply Apple)
2 1/2 ounces nonfat milk
2 ounces granulated sugar
5 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lemon juice
8 ounces whipping cream, sweetened

DIRECTIONS
1) Whip the whipping cream to a consistency where you can start to see the stroke marks of the whisk and slowly disappear. We put a little splenda in to make it "sweetened."

2) Add plain yogurt and mix well. Then add the rest of the ingredients.

3) Pour into ready to go ice cream maker (it may require freezing the bowl overnight).

4) The recipe said to scrape it down every 30 minutes to aerate it, but that wasn't necessary (or possible, really) with Lisa's ice cream maker.

5) Once it's at an ice cream/fro yo consistency, enjoy it plain or with toppings of your choice. Some popular Pinkberry toppings are fresh strawberries, kiwi, mango, peach slices, pineapple, blueberries, lychees, raspberries, chocolate chips, coconut shavings, Cap'n Crunch cereal, Fruity Pebbles, which chocolate chips, etc. Get creative!

*While the texture was smooth, creamy, and soft straight out of the ice cream maker, it wasn't quite the same after being saved in the freezer in a tupperware container. The taste was still great, but it was hard and had to be scraped into my bowl. It's probably best fresh!