Sesame Crab Cakes & Sesame Snap Peas
We recently got a bumper crop of Snap Peas from our Co-Op (at least it was a lot for me who does not did not like Peas). I needed to do something with them to “mask” the flavor (but ended up snacking on lots of …
Tag: food
Butterbeer Cupcakes
These cupcakes go out to all the Harry Potter Fans out there! More than a decade is coming to a close. In June of 1997 the first Harry Potter book [Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone] was released and a Nation (world) was hooked.. we read …
Tuna Pasta Salad
This classic and awesome Tuna Pasta Salad from Kids Can Cook – the cookbook I grew up with & did lots of my early on my own cooking from. I almost did not get this cookbook when I moved out! My parents would not let me take this cookbook until they copied a few recipes from it: this was a go-to book for its simplicity and reliability, one I still enjoy as a “grown-up” chef 🙂
Feel free to add whatever fresh veggies you have laying around to this (peppers, more tomatoes, asparagus – whatever): the beauty is the perfect simple base that you can add to. The recipe I give you here is what my family adapted this pasta salad to after years of making this. And to be honest – we usually just make it as is without adding more, but more veggies would make it healthier!
Tuna Pasta Salad
from Kids Can Cook
- 6 oz macaroni (elbow or whatever you have 1/2 used in the house already)
- 1/2 cup mayonaise
- < 3 T red wine vinigar
- 1 T dried basil (or 2T fresh)
- 1/4 t granulated garlic
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/2 t pepper
- 2 cans tuna (drained)
- 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup thinly chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup chopped green olives
Cook maccoroni according to package directions to al dente. Drain, set aside to cool.
In your covered container combine mayonnaise, vinegar, basil, garlic, salt, & pepper. Whisk together & taste. Then add your tuna into the bowl and break up any chunks of tuna. Add your cooked pasta, onion, olives (and whatever else you want). Mix well. Store in the fridge and enjoy!
And I leave you with a question: What childhood favorite dish do you have as a go-to that is so simple but you will never give up!?
Banana Carrot Whole Wheat Muffins
I decided to round out “breakfast sweets” week with just one more recipe of another tasty breakfast goody that traveled to the shore with us last weekend! This one is in the HEALTHY breakfast goodies category and will be making a repeat in our kitchen …
Strawberry Cake
I went strawberry picking (twice) last week. I knew it was late in the season so I wanted to get as much out of it as possible. On Saturday we picked about 8 pounds: about 3 pounds went into refrigerator jam, I froze about a …
Snickerdoodle Muffins
This past weekend we were away with friends to celebrate Rich’s sister’s & future brother-in-law’s bachelorette/bachelor weekend. I volunteered (was volunteered?) to make some breakfast goodies for everyone who were staying at the condos (yay for friends with beach houses). I already had found these Snickerdoodle Muffins and had them bookmarked from Melissa Bakes – so I knew exactly what to make!
It turned out that the bachelor’s favorite cookie ARE snickerdoodle so I could not have chosen a more perfect breakfast muffin for him. Now I warn you – these are not the “get you going & healthy” type of muffin (I made those too, more on that another day). These are more of a “I love to have something sweet and naughty for breakfast” kind of muffin!
I almost had to beat Rich & his future brother-in-law in order to keep them away from the muffins to allow everyone to get them. (Which I later found out not everyone did even get one. Thats ok – I have had requests to make them next month for pre-wedding breakfast at that beach condo with the same awesome group of people). Actually: come to think of it, there may have been some smacking of hands as the boys tried to sneak these the night before and I yelled at them that they had to play fair & that they were for breakfast. I guess that just goes to show how yummy these are!
I know that these are a sweet muffin based on a cookie, but I wish that there was a way to make them healthier… what do you think about subbing out one stick of butter for applesauce!?
Snickerdoodle Muffins
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 18 – 24
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoons cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¼ cups buttermilk
- ⅔ cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners & set pan aside.
- In the bowl of a mixer, combine the butter and sugar and cream until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the sour cream and buttermilk and mix to combine. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until you have a smooth batter.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping.
- Use an ice cream scooper and plop a scoop of batter into the bowl with the sugar and cinnamon. Gently roll the batter in the sugar and cinnamon. Place the ball into the paper liner. When you have completed all of the muffins, sprinkle the leftover cinnamon sugar onto the tops of all of the muffins.
- Bake the muffins at 350ºF for about 16-18 minutes (I had to err on the longer side) or until they are golden on top and just baked through.
And I leave you with this question to ponder: If you could pick a classic treat & maybe alter it slightly so you could eat it as a part of one of your meals every day – what would that food be?