Apple-Cinnamon Upside-Down Cake

Every year around the holidays, my family gets together for pizza with our non-related extended family, the Gislers/Slomans. It is always such a treat to see these wonderful people! This year, we hit up the Stewartville vs. Byron basketball game to cheer the Stewie Tigers and Will on, and then ventured over to the Gisler's house for pizza.

Of course, I eagerly volunteered to bring the dessert. :)

After much time spent figuring out what to whip up, I decided on an upside-down cake, because 1) I have been wanting to make one for quite some time now, and 2) after filling up on pizza, I figured we would want something a little lighter for dessert.

Boy, was this yummy. Even after we devoured four huge pizzas, we still made a huge dent in the cake. All that remains is one little piece! (Which I'm sure will not last long.)

I am already looking forward to next year's get-together! :)

Apple-Cinnamon Upside-Down Cake
Adapted slightly from Martha Stewart (Thanks Martha!)
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2-3 large apples (I used 2 Gala), peeled, cored, and sliced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup skim milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and side of a 9-inch round cake pan, then sprinkle the bottom with brown sugar.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the sliced apples with lemon juice, then arrange them in the pan in two concentric circles. You may not use all of the apples.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon, then set aside.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat the 1/2 cup butter with the granulated sugar until light and fluffy, then add the eggs and vanilla, mixing until incorporated.
5. With the mixer on a low speed, alternately add the flour mixture in three parts and the milk in two, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
6. Pour the batter over the apples in the cake pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45-55 minutes. (It only took about 35 for me, but it might be my oven. I would keep an eye on it!)
7. Cool the cake in the pan at least 30 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert the cake onto a rimmed platter.

Greek Yogurt Blueberry Banana Bread

Let winter break begin!

One of the first things I did after getting home from school was to bake. Best start to break ever? You betcha!

I've had my eye on this recipe for quite some time now, so when I got home and saw a few very ripe bananas and some frozen blueberries in the freezer, a rather large smile appeared on my face. Greek Yogurt Blueberry Banana Bread, get ready to be made! (And then devoured in no time!)

Doesn't it just look divine?

This is the first time I've made bread with something other than chocolate chips in addition to the bananas, and as much as I love chocolate, the blueberries did an excellent job of replacing the chocolate chips. I will definitely be making this again!

Greek Yogurt Blueberry Banana Bread

recipe from No Sugar Sweet Life
Makes 12 servings

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 cups + 3 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large ripe bananas
2 large eggs
6 oz vanilla, plain or blueberry greek yogurt
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (I used frozen)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mash bananas very well with a fork.
4. Add eggs, vanilla and brown sugar, and mix thoroughly.
5. Add greek yogurt, and whisk until everything is well combined and there are no lumps.
6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.
7. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan, distributing evenly.
8. Bake for one hour or until the top is golden and toothpick comes out clean.
9. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool a bit before cutting yourself a big honkin' slice. :)

What is your favorite additional ingredient to banana bread? 

Lemon Berry Scones

Greetings, everyone!

Can you believe it is December already? Seriously, it does not feel like it AT ALL. Yesterday, the temperature was in the 60s. The 60s. In Minnesota. On December 3rd. Say whaaaat?! I don't know about you, but I am really wishing for some snow. It is so much harder to get into the Christmas spirit when there is no snow! (How you southern people do it, I don't know. Andrea is majorly impressed.) 

Also, sorry for the hiatus in blogging. I know you were probably very concerned, thinking I fell off of a cliff or something. But no worries, I am still in one piece! 

With the end of the semester creeping up on me, I have been bombarded with essays, tests and projects. But study-udy-udying hard-core these past few weeks has made my life so much more relaxing now! So much so, that I had time to bake these scrumptious Lemon Berry Scones! 

After about 10 minutes in the oven, the house started to smell sooo good. Cue drooling. And they taste as good as they smell. I had never made scones before today, so I was a little nervous. But these are seriously a piece of cake to make. 

Lemon Berry Scones
Recipe from Skinnytaste
Makes 10 scones

Ingredients:
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice, divided
1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp chilled butter (must be cold), cut into small pieces
3/4 cup dried berries (I used a mixture)

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Make the glaze by combining 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Mix until sugar dissolves.
3. Combine buttermilk, 1 tbsp lemon juice, sugar, vanilla, and egg in a medium bowl and stir until well combined.
4. Combine flours, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and mix. Add chilled, small butter pieces. 
5. Fold in the dried berries, then add the wet ingredients, stirring just until moist. At this point, the dough will be sticky.
6. Knead dough lightly four times on a floured surface with floured hands. 
7. Form the dough into an 8-inch circle onto baking sheet. It should be about 3/4" thick. 
8. Using a knife, cut the dough into 10 wedges. Do not cut all the way through, though. 
9. Brush the lemon glaze over the dough, then place in the oven for about 18-20 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. These can be enjoyed either warm or at room temp.

Baked Oatmeal Cups

Yummy yummy in my tummy! That is what I have to say about these babies. They really hit the spot.

On a FREEZING cold day like today, (There were SNOW FLURRIES!!! I can hardly contain my excitement!!) these are the perfect warmer-uper. Well, standing in front of the open oven after they were done baking helped too. (I learned this trick from my best friend Leah! So brilliant!)

Speaking of winter, I am very excited for it to arrive. I love everything about this time of year: the snow, christmas lights, the holiday spirit, getting to spend time with family, eating yummy food! It can't get any better than that!

Baked Oatmeal Cups
Makes 12
Adapted from Heavenly Home Makers

Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pear*, diced 

*feel free to use different fruits like apples or blueberries. I'm sure they will be just as scrumptious!

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, honey, salt, and baking powder. 
2. Add in the eggs milk, applesauce and cinnamon, and stir.
3. Fill a muffin tin with 12 liners, and then divide the mixture evenly among them.
4. Sprinkle the diced pear (or other fruit) on top.
5. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the oats are golden brown.

Nutrition Information:
Calories: 121
Total Fat: 1.6g
Cholesterol: 28mg
Sodium: 97mg
Total Carbohydrates: 24.6g
   Dietary Fiber: 2g
   Sugars: 14.4g
Protein: 3.3g

Whole Wheat Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Whole wheat zucchini banana chocolate chip muffins.

What a mouthful... in more ways than one!

These muffins are so good. Seriously. I don't want to stop eating them! (I'm eating one as I type one-handed. Efficient? No. But SO worth it.)

I love how there is both a fruit AND a veggie in these muffins. You can't say that very often! Unless you make these frequently. If you are in that boat, then I give you a virtual high-five. :)

I was inspired to make these by my friend Zoe. Yesterday, she made Yellow Summer Squash Bread and added zucchini to the mix. YUM! It got me wanting to bake something with zucchini. And how convenient that I had some that needed to be eaten! Hooray!

Whole Wheat Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Adapted from How Sweet It Is
Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients: 
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 large egg
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup skim milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup applesauce
1 1/3 cup zucchini, grated
1 small-medium banana, mashed
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a muffin tin with liners or spray with cooking spray. (I used spray because I had no liners on hand.)
3. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk egg and sugar together until smooth.
5. Add milk, vanilla extract, and applesauce, mixing until smooth.
6. Stir in zucchini and banana.
7. Gradually add in dry mixture until just combined.
8. Fold in chocolate chips.
9. Evenly divide batter into muffin tin.
10. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
11. Devour. :)

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 167
Total Fat: 5g
   Saturated Fat: 3g
   Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 16mg
Sodium: 120mg
Total Carbohydrate: 28g
Dietary Fiber: 4g
Sugars: 10g
Protein: 9g

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake. Mmmmm. I'm drooling just thinking about it.

A while back, I was on Pinterest. (oh, how much time I spend on this site. Hello, my name is Andrea, and I am a pin-aholic.) I came upon this recipe. I immediately thought, I NEED to make this. It just looks so tasty!

Well, today was the day.

This recipe is super easy to make, and is pretty healthy too. It is PACKED with protein from the chicken, greek yogurt, and black beans. It has 10g of fiber per serving. You hit all 5 food groups. (if you consider tomatoes a fruit...which I do. Haters gonna hate.) Woo hoo!

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake
Adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Makes about 5 servings

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 cups brown rice, cooked
3/4 cup frozen corn
15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
6 oz plain greek yogurt
4 oz can green chilis
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Cook chicken. You can also use pre-cooked chicken if you have some already made.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly to combine. Make sure the yogurt and cheese are mixed in well. Season with salt and pepper if you wish.
3. Transfer the mixture into an oven-safe dish and top with extra cheese.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until heated through. At this point, I turned the broiler on for a few minutes to get the cheese on top browned a bit. But you can skip this step if you are dying to eat this delicious concoction. :)
5. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 482
Total Fat: 11g
   Saturated Fat: 6g
   Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 82mg
Sodium: 403mg
Total Carbohydrates: 52g
Dietary Fiber: 10g
Sugars: 5g
Protein: 43g

Chocolate Chip and M&M Cookies

Every blog has to start somewhere, and mine is starting with a chocolate chip and M&M cookie recipe. Because who doesn't love cookies with BOTH chocolate chips (dark chocolate, none the less!) and M&M's? 

These cookies are super easy to make. Like seriously. VERY easy. And seeing as Halloween is approaching, I think it is safe to say that you should already have all of the ingredients on hand. 

Exhibit A: Snack-sized packages of M&Ms. (Hopefully our trick-or-treaters can forgive me for taking a few packages hostage. It was for a good cause!)

These yummy little guys are really light, too. The first time I picked one up, I may have tossed it into the air a bit, because I was expecting it to be heavier. It wish I could have witnessed it. 

Chocolate Chip and M&M cookies

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Makes about 3 dozen

Ingredients:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup white granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 egg

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup M&M's*

1/2 cup dark chocolate chocolate chips*

*I would recommend mini-sized

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix sugars, butter, egg, and vanilla thoroughly.

2. Add flours, baking soda, and salt to the mixture, blending well.

3. Fold in the M&M's and chocolate chips.

4. Drop dough onto cookie sheet.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, or until golden brown. 

6. Enjoy with a nice big glass of milk. This is mandatory. :) 

Nutrition Facts:

Serving size: 1 cookie

Calories: 87

Total Fat: 4g

   Saturated Fat: 3g

   Trans Fat: 0g

Cholesterol: 12mg

Sodium: 55mg

Total Carbohydrates: 12g

Dietary Fiber: 0g

Sugars: 8g

Protein: 1g