Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

"Summer time and the living's easy!" It is Friday and I have the day off so I am feeling pretty good today:) We don't have huge weekend plans, but I am still excited it is here!

Fresh, local produce is one of my favorite things about summer. We don't have a garden this year, well we have tomato plants and herbs, but never got around to planting anything else. The sprinkler system project took over. We love going to the farmer's market and supporting our local farmers though!

I made this grilled vegetable pasta salad with some of our favorite summer veggies. Josh grilled zucchini, eggplant, red peppers, and yellow squash. I made a simple balsamic dressing, chopped some tomatoes, fresh basil, and added everything to some pasta. I finished it off with feta cheese.

Pasta salads are perfect for the summer. I like to make a big bowl so we can have leftovers for our lunches. They are also good for bbq's, picnics, and pool parties. Have a great weekend everyone!

Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

(Printable Recipe)

Grill the following vegetables, I brush them with a little olive oil and balsamic:

Zucchini

Eggplant

Red pepper

Yellow Squash

Chop up tomatoes and fresh basil.

Cook your favorite pasta and run cold water over it, this is a cold pasta salad.

Make a balsamic dressing or use store bought.

I used balsamic vinegar, a little olive oil, garlic, shallots, Dijon mustard, chopped basil, salt, and pepper. Whisk everything together to your taste. Sorry I didn't measure.

In a big bowl add the pasta, veggies, and basil. Stir. Pour dressing over pasta and veggies. Stir and add more until the pasta is well coated. Add in feta cheese. Serve cold. Will keep for a couple of days.

Chocolate Toffee Cookies

It is hot in Utah. The other day it was 102 degrees outside and of course that was a day I wanted to bake. I try not to turn on the oven when it is roasting outside, but I came across a recipe for Chocolate Toffee cookies and immediately turned on the oven.

If you are a chocolate lover, these are the cookies for you. They are super rich! They remind me of brownies, but in cookie form. The toffee melts in with the chocolate and adds extra goodness to these cookies. Make sure you have a cold glass of milk nearby; you will want a few swigs after downing a couple of these chocolaty gems.

The house may have been a sauna, but oh well. These cookies were worth the heat!

As most of you know we have been participating in She's Becoming Doughmesstic’s Penny Pinching Pantry Raid Challenge. The goal was to only spend $100 on food for 4 weeks in July-that included groceries and eating out. Yesterday was the last day and WE DID IT! We passed with flying colors too. We only spent $26.34 on food for the entire month!

So how did we do it? We didn’t starve, I promise! We love food and eating good food. We used what we already had in our pantry, fridge, and freezer. Some days we had to be creative to come up with a tasty meal, but it was fun. I did continue to buy milk and produce, but that was about it. Luckily, I had milk coupons and found great deals on produce.

My dad and Josh’s mom came to visit and they both spoiled us a bit. They treated us to a meal out and purchased some groceries for us. Some of you may consider this cheating, but I promise we didn’t beg them to and they do this all of the time when they visit. We have great parents:)

We had extra mouths to feed this month. Besides my dad and Josh’s mom, our friends from Colorado stayed with us for a weekend, with their five kids. Our family friends from California also came to visit. Friends and Josh’s brother joined us for a couple of meals during the month. We love entertaining and I wasn’t going to let the food challenge change that.

We made sure we had plenty of food for our guests-we made them special breakfasts-whole wheat waffles, pancakes, banana bread, etc. We grilled out a lot-using the chicken and fish we had in the freezer. We made homemade pizza, baked our own bread, created new pasta dishes, salads, and sandwiches. We actually did a lot of cooking. I didn’t stop baking either. We had to offer sweet treats to our guests:) I just used the ingredients I had on hand.

Eating out wasn’t too much of a temptation. I always pack our lunches for work and we usually make dinner at home. I know Josh wanted to eat out a couple of times and I had to put my foot down, but he really was a good sport.

All said and done, I think we did a good job. I don’t know if I will stick to a $100 food budget every month, but I certainly will try.

Chocolate Toffee Rounds

Recipe from The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion

(Printable Recipes)

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 TBS unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup toffee bits ( I used chopped up Heath bars)
1 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease (or line with parchment paper) two baking sheets.

In the microwave or in a saucepan over very low heat melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring until smooth. Set the mixture aside to cool to lukewarm.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Beat in the melted chocolate, then stir in the flour, toffee bits, and chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes or until the tops are cracked and dry, but the cookies are still soft to the touch. Don’t overbake these; they’ll become firm as they cool.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

Recipe for Apricot Sorbet

We had a great weekend. Josh's mom came to visit and so did our friends from Colorado. They have five kids so it was quite the party! We went hiking, stopped by the farmer's market, went swimming at the Dewey's, and did a lot of cooking, baking, and grilling. We love having guests, it was nice having extra mouths to feed. It gave me an "excuse" to cook and bake more:)

On Friday night Josh made grilled pizza for dinner. I was in charge of dessert:) I used the other half of the apricots from our neighbors tree to make sorbet. It was so easy and the texture was amazing! The sorbet is very creamy, but no cream or milk was needed. Just apricots, sugar, water, and a splash of vanilla.

I am so glad our neighbors let us pick their apricots. This sorbet is heavenly! The perfect ending to a meal on a hot summer night.

Apricot Sorbet

The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

(Printable Recipe)

2 lbs. squishy-ripe fresh apricots (about 10-15, I used more because mine were small)
1 cup water
1 cups sugar
3 drops almond or vanilla extract (I used vanilla)

Directions:
Split the apricots in half, remove the pits, and cut each half into thirds. Combine the apricot wedges and water in a medium nonreactive saucepan and cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Heat until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

Once cool, puree the mixture in a food processor or blender until smooth. Taste a spoonful and if there are any small fibers, press the puree through a mesh strainer. Stir in the almond or vanilla extract. Cover and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.

Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Dried Apricots

I have always been fond of apricots. My grandpa has a farm in Idaho and we used to go almost every summer when I was a kid. We loved exploring the farm, riding horses, chasing peacocks, milking cows, and picking apricots. There’s nothing better than a fresh, juicy, ripe apricot on a hot summer day.

We were out walking the other night and bumped into our neighbors who have an apricot tree. They said they weren’t going to use them this year so we could pick what we wanted. I of course ran home and got a bag, I wasn’t going to let those apricots go to waste.

I decided to dry most of them. I washed the apricots, cut them in half and placed them in our food dehydrator. When I woke up the next morning the apricots were dried and ready to be bagged. They aren't the prettiest things, but they are a great healthy snack!

I also made apricot sorbet and will be sharing that recipe soon! Stay tuned, it’s a winner!

Penny Pinching Pantry Raid Update

I went to Sunflower Market this week to stock up on produce. I was running low and I can’t live without my fruits and veggies. Josh’s mom is also visiting this weekend so I wanted to make sure we had fresh produce for our special guest.

Wednesday is double ad day at Sunflower-everything from the week before and the new week is on sale. I got some great deals:

1 bunch of cilantro-50 cents

1 eggplant -55 cents

4 white peaches-$1.31

4 yellow peaches-84 cents

5 apples-$1.77

1 green pepper-50 cents

1 cantaloupe-50 cents

7 Roma tomatoes-$1.18

5 plums-$1.34

2 zucchini-59 cents

1 cucumber-50 cents

Head of Romaine lettuce-99 cents

3 lemons-$1.00

1 garlic clove-34 cents

Total-$12.27

So far we have spent $23.34 on food this month. I think we are going to make it. Our friends from CO stayed with us last night and Josh's mom is visiting all weekend. Don't worry we are not starving our guests:) Have a great weekend everyone!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pretzel Bars

I don’t usually crave salty snacks, but I do love pretzels. Twists, rods, sticks, chocolate or yogurt dipped, I love them. We’ve made homemade soft pretzels and those are super scrumptious too. Pretzels are just a fun snack, in any shape or form!

I recently saw a cookie bar recipe from Food and Wine that included pretzel pieces. I knew I had to try these. Pretzels mixed into a sweet treat, what a divine idea!

The cookie bars were delightful. The pretzels added a nice little crunch and the sweet/salty combination was very satisfying. Josh said these are his favorite bar treats that I have made. This recipe is a keeper!

Penny Pinching Pantry Raid Update

The challenge is still going well. Over the weekend our friends from CA stayed with us and we were able to feed them well with what we had. We also had friends over for dinner on Sunday. The challenge is working even with extra mouths to feed! :)

I bought another gallon of milk for 80 cents this week. Josh goes through milk like mad! I am grateful for coupons this month. I am going shopping for produce today. I hope to find some bargains at Sunflower Market. It is double ad day, so there should be some good sales. Our total is now at:$11.07.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pretzel Bars

Source: Food and Wine

(Printable Recipe)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

One 12-ounce bag bittersweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups mini pretzels, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons chocolate sprinkles (I didn’t use these)

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray.

In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt. Using a mixer, beat the butter with both sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract. On low, beat in the dry ingredients, just until incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips and pretzel pieces.

Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Press the batter down with a spatula. If you want to use the sprinkles, sprinkle them on top of the batter. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. The middle might be a little gooey but that is ok, the bars will set up. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool completely.

Use a knife to go around the side of the pan to loosen the bars. Cut the bars in squares and serve.

Recipe for Toasted Coconut Lime Cookies

A couple of weeks ago I made lemon blueberry cookies and fell in love. They are so good, especially in the summer. I decided to play with that recipe again. This time I created a toasted coconut lime cookie.

I used the same base recipe. I toasted coconut and stirred about a cup into the dough. I also used a lot of lime zest. We love tart lime treats. I wanted the cookies to be pretty so I finished them with a lime glaze and additional toasted coconut.

The cookies were excellent! Another great cookie for a hot summer day.

Toasted Coconut Lime Cookies

(Printable Recipe)

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Zest of 2-3 limes (I used 3)
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. (3 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup buttermilk

1 cup toasted coconut

Glaze:
Confectioners sugar

Fresh lime juice

Lime zest

Toasted coconut

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. I used my Silpats. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, add the sugar and lime zest. Rub them together with your fingers until well mixed. This brings out the lime flavor.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar/lime mixture and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the egg, and beat well to mix. Add the vanilla, and beat on low. Mix in the flour mixture and the buttermilk in batches at low speed, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Stir in the toasted coconut.

Drop the dough by level tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, leave about 1 ½ inches between each cookie.Bake one sheet at a time for about 11 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes; then transfer them to a wire rack.

For the glaze, whisk together the sifted confectioners sugar, lime juice, and lime zest. I never measure, just guess until you get the right consistency and flavor. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies. Top with toasted coconut.

Neff's Canyon Hiking Photos

Utah is a beautiful place. If you haven't been, I highly recommend you add it to your list of travel destinations. We love having company too:)

I am feeling lazy today so I am sharing some of our recent hiking pictures. Utah received a lot of rain this spring/summer so the mountains are extra green and lush. These photos were taken up Neff's Canyon.

Sorry no recipe today, I will be back with a sweet treat soon:) Have a great weekend!

Penny Pinching Pantry Raid Update

I had to buy a couple of things this week-a gallon of milk and Roma tomatoes. The gallon of milk was only 80 cents because I had a coupon. The Roma tomatoes were on sale for 99 cents a pound-I spent 1.19. Overall I have spent $10.27 on food this month. Not too shabby:) We are over half way there!

Recipe for Cherry Oatmeal Crisp

We picked up a big bag of Rainier cherries at the farmer's market on Saturday. They are sweet and juicy. I have been mixing them into my Greek yogurt this week. I also made individual cherry crisps for dessert.

I love making mini or individual desserts. Everyone feels special because they get their own and it is great portion control. I used our little white ramekin dishes. I pitted the cherries and made an easy oat topping-old fashioned oats, flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, a pinch of salt, and butter. The little crisps bubbled up in no time. I served them with a dallop of vanilla frozen yogurt.

We ate our cherry crisps outside on our patio. Summer, I love you!

Oh and I pitted the cherries by hand-the old school way. I really need to invest in a cherry pitter. Does anyone have one? Do they work well?

Cherry Oatmeal Crisp

(Printable Recipe)

Makes 3 individual crisps-we used small ramekins. You can double or triple it for one large crisp or more individual ones.

About 1 1/2 cups Rainer cherries, pitted and halved
2 T sugar
1 T flour

3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 T. flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 T. cold butter-cut in small pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray ramekins with cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl sprinkle the cherries with the 2 T of sugar and flour. Mix well. Let sit while you make the oat topping.
3. In a small bowl add the oats, cinnamon, salt, flour, and brown sugar. Stir.
4. Add the butter to the oat mix. Mix with your hands until you have a crumbly mixture.
5. Pour sugared cherries into the sprayed ramekins. Make sure each one is even. Add the oat topping.
6. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes. Until they are bubbling.
7. Cool for a minute and serve. We added a dallop of vanilla frozen yogurt:)

Recipe for Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

My dad came to visit us for the weekend. It was a quick trip, but we had a great time. We went to the farmer's market at Pioneer Park, did a lot of yard work-my dad was a huge help, and then he treated us to a nice dinner at Cafe Molise. We also went to my sister's and hung out with my niece and nephew. They get cuter by the minute.

My dad loves raisins. He can't go a day without them. I wanted to make him a special treat, so I baked a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies.

These cookies won't win an award for "most attractive" or "best presentation," but they are down right delicious. The cookies are soft and chewy with a nice cinnamon spice background. The plump raisins added sweetness to these wholesome cookies. My dad loved them, I am glad I added in extra raisins. They turned out great!

Penny Pinching Pantry Raid Update

I think I may of cheated this weekend, but not on purpose. My dad LOVES spoiling his girls. While he was here he bought us groceries and took us out to dinner. I promise I didn't ask him to and this isn't unusual. My dad enjoys spoiling us while he is in town.

So I don't really know how to count my food budget total. I still have only spent $8.28 of our own money, but we do have a fridge that is full of fresh produce and we enjoyed a nice Italian meal out. Again, I promise I didn't beg my dad to buy our groceries, that is just something he does. He is the best. So if anyone wants to kick me out of the challenge let me know:)

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

(Printable Recipe)

1/2 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

Pinch of ground cloves

Freshly grated nutmeg-just a bit

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

3/4-1 cup of raisins

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl add the raisins and cover with water. Let them sit for five minutes. This will help plump them up.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth and creamy. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture. Blend until combined. Stir in the oats and raisins.

Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. You can bake them right away, but I prefer to chill the dough. I think it helps them bake up and not be so flat.

When you are ready to bake, spoon about a tablespoon of dough into a round ball, leaving space between each cookie. They will spread a little. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes. Take them out when they are golden at the edges but still a little under baked in the middle. Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to cooling rack.

Recipe for Roasted Potato Wedges

It's finally Friday, yahoo! Any fun plans? I have the day off so I am catching up on house cleaning and errands. Tonight I am going to meet up with two of my food blogging friends for dinner. Kalyn, of Kalyn's Kitchen, is having me and Chris, from Mele Cotte, over for dinner. It should be a fun night.

My dad is flying in late tonight from Illinois. He is only going to be here for the weekend, but I will take what I can get:) We plan on going to the Farmer's Market Saturday morning and we might try a hike later on. We will pack in as much fun as possible.

Today I am sharing an easy recipe for roasted potato wedges. They are the perfect side to so many dishes. Adults and kids love them too. You can keep it simple and flavor them with salt and pepper, or you spice things up with Cajun spices, chili powder, cumin, etc. I like to add fresh rosemary and Spike seasoning. You can serve them plain or with dipping sauces. Roasted potato wedges are a healthy alternative to French fries. They are tasty, easy, and cheap too!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Roasted Potato Wedges

(Printable Recipe)

4 potatoes, washed, scrubbed, and cut into wedges (we leave the skin on)

Olive oil

Salt/pepper (use other seasonings if you wish)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. On a baking sheet toss the potato wedges with a little bit of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Use additional seasonings if you wish.

3. Spread out the wedges on the baking sheet. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Make sure you toss and turn the wedges every 10 to 15 minutes. You want them to be a little crispy.

4. Serve plain or with dipping sauces such as ketchup, bbq sauce, etc.

Recipe for Honey Whole Wheat Bread

I love whole wheat bread, but Josh isn't a huge fan. He loves it for toast or a BLT, but prefers white bread for his other sandwiches. He claims most whole wheat bread is too dense. I do buy white bread for Josh because I let him eat what he wants, but of course I prefer we both eat healthy:)

When we were in Colorado the friends we were staying with had a couple loaves of homemade whole wheat bread. Josh tried it and loved it. I was amazed, he said he would even use it for sandwich bread if I made it. So of course I snagged the recipe.

We ran out of bread this week and since I am trying to spend $100 on groceries/food this month, it was time to make our own. The recipe makes two big loaves and is really easy. My KitchenAid did most of the work:)

I was nervous it wouldn't turn out as good as our friends, but it did! I love that the recipe calls for ALL whole wheat flour. It also has a little vital wheat gluten, which adds protein and improves the texture and elasticity of the dough. This bread has a very nice texture, it is light, fluffy and all whole grain. It is perfect for toast and sandwiches.

I am glad Josh likes this bread. I will be making our own every day bread from now on.

Penny Pinching Pantry Raid Update

I haven't spent any money this week so I am still at $8.28. I am running low on produce so I will have to make a grocery run this week. I can't live without fresh fruits and veggies. I will shop the sales though:)

Some of you are probably wondering what we are eating, I promise we are eating well. Breakfast is oatmeal for me and cereal for Josh. I've always packed our lunches, so that hasn't changed. For dinner, we are using more of our freezer and pantry food. It is actually fun being creative with what we have. So far the challenge is going well!

Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Stouts' recipe

(Printable Recipe)

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 T vital wheat gluten (find it at Whole Foods, Bob's Red Mill, King Arthur, etc.)
2 packets of yeast (I used rapid rise)
2 1/2 cups warm water

In a large mixing bowl (preferably a KitchenAid), add the 3 cups flour, wheat gluten, and yeast. Stir. Add in warm water and stir until combined. Let sit for 10 minutes.

1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup honey
1 1/2 T lemon juice
1 T salt
3 1/2-4 cups whole wheat flour

Mix the oil, honey, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl. Add to flour mixture after the 10 minutes. Mix until combined. Add in the additional flour and mix. Now knead the dough for ten minutes with the dough hook. When it is done divide the dough into two loaves. Make sure they are even. Shape them into loaf form. Place the dough into 2 loaf pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with a clean towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. After the loaves have risen, bake them for 30 minutes. They should be golden brown. Let cool before slicing, if you can wait:) You can freeze one of the loaves if you wish.

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Monday is not my favorite day of the week. I have a hard time coming back to work, especially after a fun holiday weekend. We went hiking and spent time at the Dewey's. We enjoyed the pool, a bbq, fireworks, etc. It was a perfect weekend.

On Saturday while the guys were playing "blood ball" in the pool, I baked cookies. Josh was outside and the Dewey's love peanut butter so I tried a flourless peanut butter cookie. No flour in a cookie? You read it right. I was intrigued too. The recipe called for peanut butter, sugar, baking soda, and an egg. How easy! Of course I had to play around a little, so I added vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and chocolate chips.

The cookies melt in your mouth. They are soft, delicate, and full of peanut butter goodness. I am glad I added the chocolate chips, everyone loved the peanut butter and chocolate combo. When I told the group there was no flour in the cookies, they were amazed. No one even missed it! I will have to kick Josh out of the house so I can bake these again:)





Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Joy the Baker

(Printable Recipe)

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup brown sugar & 1/2 cup white sugar)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray.
2. Mix the peanut butter and sugar together until creamy and smooth.
3. Add in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
4. Stir in the salt, baking soda, and chocolate chips.
5. Spoon dough into balls, about 1 Tablespoon of dough for each cookie. Place them on the cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.
6. Smash with a fork and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let them sit on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes. Move to a wire rack and cool. Make sure you don't overbake. They will set up and you want them to be soft.