Coconut Chicken Tacos

As I type this, the skies are about to open up for a downpour that will supposedly last most of the night, bringing with it the inevitable cold snap that the weatherpeople have been expecting all week.

However, for the past week or so, we've been blessed with some INCREDIBLE springtime weather -- our temps have been in the 70s all week with sunshine every day. It's been a much-needed change in atmosphere.

All of this Springy weather has me craving summertime and beach food, and I've got the perfect recipe to kick off the season.

I made this as kind of a quick, thrown-together meal before church earlier this week, and I'm ridiculously pumped because it TASTES LIKE SUMMER.

This recipe originally came from Creme de la Crumb - but we ended up putting our strips on tacos...because TACOS mean SUMMER and did I mention WE ARE READY FOR IT?

So ready. Sooo so ready.

Also, we kind of (literally) shoved these in our mouths as we were walking out of the door for church, so I have zero pictures. Blogger fail #647.

Fix these with some warm tortillas and topped with sweet and sour sauce and you will be SET. We didn't even need cheese! Seriously, the flavor in these babies are LEGIT.

Summer, come on.

Coconut Chicken Tacos
Serves 2

What you'll need:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp Tony's

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Dash of pepper

2 eggs

1 tbsp water

2 cups (1 small bag) coconut flakes

Corn or flour tortillas

What you'll do:

In a small bowl, combine the flour and seasonings. Set aside.

In separate bowl, combine eggs and water, then whisk until just mixed. Set aside.

In another bowl or plate, pour out coconut flakes. Having these "stations" will make prepping so much easier.

Slice chicken breasts into 1/2-inch strips. One at a time, dip in flour mixture, then egg mixture, then roll in coconut. Lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or foil, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray).

Bake chicken strips 10-15 or until done in the center. Warm some tortillas and build your taco, topping with sweet and sour sauce.

You Be Johnny & I'll Be June

I can't stop listening to Miranda Lambert's new album, "Platinum." I've basically had the whole thing on "Repeat" since Thursday.

It's just...so...good.

It's keeping me upbeat throughout this crazy weather and lack of sunshine.

You what else is good though?

A pasta dish that doesn't make you feel like you weigh 6,000 pounds WHILE it's busy being pretty delicious.

I made this weeks and weeks AND WEEKS ago, but just didn't get around to posting it. I found it in my phone today and thought HEY WHY NOT because wintery, rainy days just call for pasta sometimes AMIRIGHT?

I've only recently discovered egg noodles. WHY I've never cooked them, I'm not sure, but it probably has something to do with the fact that "egg" and "noodles" just don't sound appetizing AT ALL to me.

BUT --- one (very cold) night I just bit the bullet and tried them anyway because they are CHEAP and I didn't feel like eating frozen vegetables.

YES they are enriched and YES they are probably not the best for you --- but I figure a little enrichment can't be too terrible every now and then, right? Everything in moderation, I'd like to believe.

Have you ever had beef stroganoff? It's never really appealed to me, but I think I had it once in college and it wasn't too bad. This version is made with turkey though, as well as a few other seasonings, and it is SO MUCH BETTER. Just be sure to season it because you do NOT want this dish to be bland. And those mushrooms? They add SO MUCH. Please add mushrooms and you won't regret it :)

The SAUCE is the treat in this dish. It's easy and fast to throw together and really the need for those aforementioned enriched noodles is just a minimum. And THAT means we can feel a LEETLE better about eating said noodles and just enjoy the dish all around.

This all came together in about 30 minutes or less. Which COMPLETELY made up for the hour-long wait in traffic trip to the grocery store it took to make it happen.

Definitely something to consider for a rainy, chilly Monday. Happy Day, friends!

Turkey Stroganoff

((serves 2))

What you'll need:

1/2 lb of lean, ground turkey (I use 93/7)

1 small can of cream of mushroom soup

6-8 small mushrooms, rinsed and chopped

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

dash of basil and oregano (or Italian seasoning)

salt and pepper, to taste

Tony's (or other cajun seasoning), to taste

1-1.5 cups of cooked egg noodles

What you'll do:

Saute' mushrooms in olive oil with garlic, onion, and Italian seasoning. Once mushrooms are fully cooked, remove and add turkey. Turn heat to medium, season with salt and pepper, and cook until completely done, about 10-15 minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low and stir in sour cream and cream of mushroom soup. If sauce is too thick, add a little water or chicken broth until it reaches your preferred consistency (I like mine slightly soupy). Season with Tony's or other seasoning to taste, then serve hot over warm egg noodles.

On Lunch Lately

I have a recipe today!

And it's (unfortunately) not for cookies, cakes, candy, pies, or any of those other things that I *really* would prefer to make right now!!!! :) :) :)

'Tis the season, am I right???

Once upon a time, for months upon MONTHS on end, I ate a salad EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. for lunch. It was my go-to meal, my routine, and, really, one of my favorite things to eat.

This was my usual for about a year straight, if not longer. Lately, though, I'm just not feeling it. It's pretty typical around this time of year for me to just want something warm and filling in my stomach, as opposed to a light (and colorful!) salad.

...not to mention that my tastebuds have somehow turned on me recently, so spinach and various types of lettuce now taste absolutely horrible!!!

And so I've been at a loss. Until THIS.

A few weeks ago I started making a small batch of The Pioneer Woman's chicken salad to get me through a couple of days when we didn't have leftovers. Then the next time I made a little more to last most of the week, and I'll probably make it again over the next few days.

I'm hooked on this stuff, people.

While this recipe isn't the healthiest, it's a little lighter than most versions I've had. I like to eat small portion of it with Wheat Thins or Triscuits. A little bit is very filling - so I can make a big batch at once and eat on it throughout the week.

And just FYI -- the lemon juice and brown sugar in this give it THE BEST flavor. EVER. Just trust me on this ;)

I don't always have absolutely everything on hand when I go to make this, so I just improvise. Instead of grapes, I've used apples or cranberries - or all three. I rarely have celery and have never bought rosemary or dill (as in the original), but I'm 100% positive it would taste AH-MAZING if you followed PW's recipe exactly.

So here you go! May all your chicken salad dreams come true!

...whatever that means.

Lunchtime Chicken Salad

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman blog

What you'll need:

3-4 chicken breasts

1/2 cup of mayonnaise

1 cup of plain Greek yogurt

1 apple

1-2 cups grapes

3 tbsp of lemon juice

1-2 tbsp of brown sugar

salt, pepper, and Tony's, to taste

other mix-ins: dried cranberries, pecans, almonds

What you'll do:

Cook chicken thoroughly and chop into small cubes when done. Chop the apple into small cubes, and slice the grapes in half, then combine in a bowl with the chicken. Squeeze about a tablespoon of lemon juice over the mixture (this keeps the apple from turning brown so quickly) and give it a quick stir.

In separate, smaller bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, brown sugar, and remaining lemon juice and stir until evenly mixed. You may decide to add more to reach desired sweetness or consistency (sometimes I will add a teaspoon more mayo). Season with salt, pepper, and Tony's to taste, then pour mixture over chicken and fruit.

Stir until evenly combined and enjoy with crackers, salad, or on a wrap or sandwich.

Bun-less Black Bean Burgers

On with the healthy eating!

We're less than TWO WEEKS out from this big she-bang, so I'm doing everything I can to make sure I'm eating as healthy as possible so I can thoroughly enjoy all of the fabulous East Coast food that awaits us on vacation.

WEEE OOOHH!!!!

---> By the way, where in the WORLD did the past 8 months go? Does ANYBODY remember Spring at all? Beginning of summer? Last Christmas? It's all a blur. Anybody? Anybody?

Onward!

On Friday I wanted something a little...different. I'd spent all week consuming many variations of delicious salads, as well as this fantastic veggie-filled lasagna, yet I was just ready for something a little more..."burger" -like.

Okay let's face it. I want a Mugshots burger. And I want it BAD.

However, giant chunks of delicious meat with thick, warm bread was not in the cards for me on that lovely Friday, but that's okay! Because THIS recipe was a surprisingly okay, VERY surprisingly great substitution!

But let me warn you, if you're seriously craving meat, you might want to go to Mugshots. But if you just want a burger, I'm confident that this will suit your fancy just fine:

Yummmm.

They're not that pretty -- but they taste GOOOOD. I want another one of these SO BAD.


They just might be on the rotation for this week! And might I mention that The Fiance' was thoroughly impressed by the tasty-ness of such a burger with no meat?

It's much, much lighter than ground beef -- and there's no worries of dripping grease! -- plus it's got a great flavor going on. It's a fast recipe, too :) Great for weeknight dinners alongside a nice sweet potato that has been cooking in the crock pot all day. Be still my rumbling stomach.

This recipe made about 6 burgers; 1.5 of which were leftover for lunch the next day...until I got hungry again right before bed. Then there was only half of a burger left. Whomp whomp whommmp.

And also? They taste GREAT (better, even?) WITHOUT the buns. Hellooooo carb cutting!

So these are basically guilt-free.

Actually, I believe they are. Yes, let's go with that. Allll sorts of good stuff in here! :)

Bun-less Black Bean Burgers with Corn

Makes 6 patties

What You'll Need:

1 can low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tbsp tomato sauce

1 egg

4-5 tbsp Italian breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp hot sauce

dash of Tony's

1/4 - 1/2 cup corn (fresh or frozen works best) - depending on taste

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

What You'll Do:
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, pour in your beans and mash with a fork until it has a smooth texture. Add in your garlic, tomato sauce, Tony's, cumin, and chili powder and stir until combined. Next, add in your egg and then the breadcrumbs, one tablespoon at a time, and stirring after each addition. Pour in your corn and hot sauce, then stir until it's evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

By now, your mixture should be thick enough to roll into burger patties (it will be messy!). If not, add in another tablespoon of breadcrumbs and stir. Pat mixture into 2- to 3-inch patties.

Bring 1 tablespoon of olive oil to medium-high heat in a skillet and place patties in the skillet. Pan fry patties for about 3 minutes on each side, then again for an extra minute.

Serve warm alongside veggies.

Turkey and White Bean Chili

I'm a hard core lover of veggies.

But sometimes, a girl needs meat. Warm, meaty goodness - minus the grease.

Solution? Skillet turkey chili, my friends! Turkey chili!

While I realize chili tends to be a cold weather food, I love making this dish at any given time of the year. It's that good - and to be so meaty, it's actually lighter than your average chili.

I use ground turkey instead of beef because it's much less grease, and with this dish it gives it more flavor. Pair it with a nice salad or some veggies and you've got yourself a nice meal that leaves you feeling REALLY good about yourself!




I had steamed corn and toasted bread alongside mine when I made this last week, and it was purely delish. I love this stuff. HINT: If your corn "accidentally" mixes with your chili, it tastes really, really good!!!!



What a great kickoff to fall :)

Turkey & White Bean Chili
Serves 2

What you'll need:

~ 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

small handful of chopped onion (or onion powder, if you're not into onion)

~ half a tsp of garlic powderHalf a pound of ground turkey (93/7 works great!)1 can of white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained1 can of diced tomatoes (italian seasoning)~ 1 tsp of italian seasoning1/2 cup of water

sprinkle of pepper

dash of salt

worcestershire steak sauce, to tasteoptional: hot sauce

Directions:

In a skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat, then add onions (or onion powder) and garlic powder and saute for about 2 minutes. Add turkey meat and cook until brown, crumbling with your spoon or spatula and adding worcestershire sauce as it cooks. Once meat is completely cooked through, add your beans (rinsed and drained) and diced tomatoes (with juice!). Add water and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

If you want, add your hot sauce, pepper and salt as everything starts to simmer and combine. Stir to ensure that everything is mixed and evenly combined and serve warm. Goes great with toasted bread and veggies.

Total time: About 15 minutes

One Month & A Brownie Mug

Folks, we have one month.

I have no idea what to say!

At the risk of sounding ridiculously typical -- It feels very...surreal.

Wanna know how I celebrated at midnight?

Two words: Mug brownie.

Oh yes.

This is a terrible {but delicious} photo {it was midnight, after all}:

A sweet little innocent brownie to fix my need for chocolate and celebration in the wee hours of this A.M.

i.e., I couldn't sit still or sleep and therefore felt a strong need to do something productive that involved chocolate.

Plus, my mind is zooming in sixteen and a half different directions at most moments of everyday of every week, thus making cooking real food a little difficult as of lately. So I stick to what's easy: crock pots and microwaves.

I'll be honest, usually the mug brownies I make are larger than this. In fact, this particular one from last night/this morning is actually half the size of the normal one I always sometimes make -- but I was desperate for chocolate and STRONGLY unwilling to feel guilty about it.

So viola! Here you have it -- the full recipe for a one-minute mug brownie. If you want just a small taste to get your dessert fix, cut it in half and consider it healthy!

But that's just my unqualified but totally rational two cents ;)

One Minute Mug Brownie
Serves 1-2

What you'll need:

4 tbsp self-rising flour

4 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tbsp veggie oil

Splash of water

Splash of vanilla

Sprinkles

Your favorite mug :)

What you'll do:

Mix dry ingredients in mug until completely and evenly combined. Add wet ingredients and mix until throughly combined and the texture is like that of cake batter. Add a little more water if it's too dry, but the mixture should NOT be soupy. Mix until creamy.

Pop in the microwave for 1 minute, then add sprinkles while warm. Top with cool whip if you have it on hand.

For a smaller brownie, cut the ingredients in half (except for vanilla, obvi. Because vanilla is AWESOME), then pat yourself on the back for making an excellent choice.

Chopped Taco Salad

WOWZA! It's Thursday folks! Al...most...there....

BRING ON FRIDAY!

44 days. That's all I can say.

Well, that and AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA{gasp}AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Deep breaths, deep breaths.


I'm at the SO-EXCITED-YET-SO-ANXIOUS phase. So excited about everything, yet scared to death it won't come together on time.

But it's okay! I hear this is normal?

Right?

Anyone?

I'll take it!

You know what calms me down? Food. Good food. Good food and good FOR you food.

I've been on a crazy Mexican food kick - which I might have mentioned in a previous post. A couple of weeks ago I was at work, pining away for tacos and quesadillas and burritos when BOOM. I get a text from a dear friend inviting me to eat Mexican a few days later. Joy. Pure joy.

I like to think things like that are God's way of just saying HEY -- but maybe that's just me.

Ever since then, that's all I've wanted to eat. Hence the two rounds of THESE TACOS and the abundance of chips, salsa and tortilla chips in my kitchen.

Monday night, however, I needed vegetables. I needed them BAD. And I didn't want them cooked, either. Cold, raw veggies that would cool us off inside and out during the humidity that hit The City this week.

I couldn't eat another plain salad though. I couldn't. I love salad, but after the gym that night -- I needed more.

MORE I TELL YOU! MORE!

As in Mexican.

Do you see where I'm going?

Boom. Yes - taco salad - with alllll the fixings.

I promise there are vegetables under there. LOTS of vegetables...Somewhere.

Proof! Here's a not-so-great picture -- without all of the toppings...if that's your thing (still delish):

Romaine lettuce, fresh corn, lean turkey meat, carrots, black beans, cheese, salsa, sour cream and lime juice = party in my tummy.

It was a good night that night.

As were the next three days/nights that I continued to make this.

Because of all of the veggies in this dish, it was still actually pretty healthy despite the sour cream and chips on top. But all in moderation, folks :)

I didn't measure anything in this dish, mainly because it's a salad and I always eyeball it (I've never once measured lettuce or tomato --- why start now?) - so the recipe below is simply a guesstimate. Chop and add to your heart's desire -- whatever you love on your salad!

I like to think of this as summer comfort food. Those days where you've just come from the gym and really DON'T care to work in an oven or over a stove? This is great.

Plus, BECAUSE it's so healthy --- ALL THE MORE REASON FOR DESSERT!!!

Baby cupcakes YEAH!!!!!


Anyway...make this. Salsa + sour cream = mouth watering good. I don't even know anymore.

Plus it's a really good way to prep for the scandal that shall be posted tomorrow...MWAH HA HA!


Note: This recipe is similar to THIS POST featuring Chicken Fiesta Salad. If you're not crazy about lean turkey or beef, I'd suggest the chicken! :)

Chopped Taco Salad
Serves 1-2

4 leaves Romaine lettuce

1/2 Roma tomato, sliced

1/2 pack of lean ground turkey meat (So sorry! I didn't note the ounces!)

1 can of low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained

1-2 ears of fresh corn (your preference - canned corn would work too, rinsed and drained)

1 tsp sour cream

1 lime, cut in half

Sprinkle of shredded carrots

Sprinkle of shredded fiesta cheese

Salsa, to taste

Chips, to taste

Steak sauce

Salt, Pepper, and Red pepper to taste

Chipolte Ranch dressing, to taste (I only used about a tsp - you don't need a lot of this)

Small pat of butter

Wash and dry your lettuce, then chop until it's in small pieces. Place in a bowl along with tomato slices, black beans and carrots (and corn, if using canned).

If using fresh corn, let it cook in skillet with a small pat of butter until done. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Once semi-cooled, add to salad bowl.

In another skillet, brown your lean turkey meat and season with a tad of salt, pepper and red pepper. Add a few dashes of steak sauce and crumble meat into small bits as it finishes cooking. Add half a squeeze of lime juice and let it cool.

Add your meat to the salad mixture, then top with shredded cheese, salsa, and sour cream, then add one more squeeze of lime juice to top it off. Crumble chips on top, give it a nice stir, then enjoy.

Roasted Tomato Basil Bisque + Ben's Famous Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I'm pretty sure tomato soup popped up in my dreams on Friday night.

I say this because on Saturday morning, I woke up and NO JOKE the VERY FIRST THOUGHT in my mind was "I NEED TOMATO SOUP!"

It really was. I tell no lie!

The weather was a little rainy, and slightly dreary...perfect weather for tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Does it get any more comforting than that?

I have a very simple recipe for tomato soup that use frequently, but this weekend deserved a little something different.

Wha-bam:

I prepped the recipe as usual, but soup looked a little tooooo soupy when I was done. Thankfully I had about 1/4 cup of whipping cream (cheaper store brand YEAH!!!!) leftover from a previous recipe and poured that goodness right in.

Apparently I wanted bisque, not soup. But oh, was it ever so delicious. I love it when experiments turn out so wonderfully. I can't wait to make this again.

Last-minute change to recipe = brilliance.

The trick is to combine roasted Roma tomatoes with no-salt-added diced tomatoes (from a can -- GASP!) with seasoning. I usually use plain diced tomatoes, but this time used the kind with green chilies. It was actually an accident that I didn't realize until afterward, but no regrets here! It added a little extra KICK to the flavor, and mixed so well with the red pepper flakes I threw in early on.

Can I take a moment to declare my love for store brands? There's no shame in these, peeps. Same taste, better price, happier wallet. 'Nuff said. There are very few items, though, that I'm completely loyal to a particular brand. But more on that in another post.

Back to Saturday.

As all of the bisque-y goodness was happening, The Fiance' stopped by and offered to help with lunch (aaaawwww :) ).

People, apparently I am marrying the Master of All Grilled Cheese Makers. Seriously. I'm not exaggerating.

Okay maybe I am a little. But still, these were seriously the best grilled cheese sandwiches I've ever tasted. I think we all know who will be making the grilled cheeses from now on ;)

I have no idea what the boy did, but he did it GOOD. Maybe one day he'll teach me and I can share the recipe on here :)

As for the soup, here are some lovely photos of the process and the recipe below.

Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Basil Bisque
Serves 4

6 Roma tomatoes

2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil, divided

Sprinkle of salt

Sprinkle of pepper

1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

Dash of garlic powder (about half a teaspoon)

1 tsp chopped onion (or a few sprinkles of onion powder)

Dash of cayenne pepper

1 can of no-salt-added diced tomatoes with green chilis

2 cups chicken or veggie broth

1/4 cup whipping cream

1 tsp of basil

Slice the Roma tomatoes and arrange on a baking sheet (preferably covered with foil that has been sprayed with a light layer of cooking spray). Drizzle tomatoes with 1 tsp EVOO. Depending on the size of your tomatoes, you may need a tad more oil, but they should not be greasy. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes, then broil until they are just beginning to darken on top. For my oven, this took about 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp of EVOO in a saucepan on medium-high heat and let garlic, onion and red pepper saute' for just under a minute (it might get dark, but don't let it burn). Pour in diced tomatoes, broth, and cayenne and let simmer for about 5 minutes, then add the basil.

Lower the heat to medium-low when mixture begins to boil, then add your Roma tomatoes. Stir well so everything is nicely combined.

Using an immersion hand blender, blend the soup until it reaches the desired consistency. I left mine slightly chunky. If you don't have a hand blender, pour soup (a little at a time - it will be hot!) into a normal blender, then pulse until desired consistency. Return to saucepan.

With heat still on medium-low, add in the whipping cream a little at a time, stirring constantly. When bisque reaches the desired thickness (and a little red color), your dish is ready to enjoy.

Serve alongside warm grilled cheese sandwiches.

Mean, Green, Smoothie Machine

Folks, summer has arrived.

It's 90+ degrees over here - and it's wonderful. I'm loving the sunshine and being able to relax by the pool =)

Things are getting a little crazy over here. Not "bad" crazy - just lots of decisions to make and work to do for September!

With the crazy comes the reminder that it's important to eat right and keep my energy up - can't get sick now! So allow me to introduce you to my breakfast:

Yep - that's a green smoothie. Isn't she a beaut?

I know it looks disgusting - slime, anyone? But I promise the taste is MUCH better than the sight of it.

The main ingredient: Spinach.

Oh, Spinach. Lovely Spinach. I've touched on the subject before, but I really do enjoy the stuff. Raw, cooked, steamed over chicken - YUM. Maybe the fact that it's really good for you is what I love more than the actual taste itself, but I promise you, you really probably might not be able to tell that there is any spinach in this shake.

Besides the color, obvi.

I drank these all the time when I was training, but took a break once I was done -- which may or may not have been because I re-discovered chocolate chip waffles.

However, upon that discovery I ALSO discovered that I felt really gross after eating said waffles. Maybe next time I'll just have them for dessert :o/

So here we are - back to le frappe' verte!

That's FRENCH for The Green Smoothie! Jealous? Impressed? Yeah you are.

I've been drinking them again for about a week now, every day for breakfast. I've definitely noticed my skin looking better - and I definitely feel better throughout the day.

Plus it gives you an extra serving of veggies, starting your morning off in a great way.

If you know me then you know I am obsessed with veggies.



I'm weird. I've accepted it.



Try this -- it only has five ingredients and the lovely taste of vanilla and almond butter completely cover the bitterness of the spinach. And here's a side note: I am NOT a fan of Greek yogurt. Like -- at all. It makes me gag. Even I can't taste it in this.

Do something good for yourself and make this for breakfast. Bottoms up! =)

Lean & Green Breakfast Machine - Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup of fresh spinach

1 heaping tbsp of Greek yogurt - I prefer vanilla or honey flavored

1 tbsp of almond butter (use peanut butter if you prefer)

3/4 cup of vanilla almond milk (use skim milk if you can do that sort of thing)

1 banana

Combine all ingredients into a blender or smoothie maker and pulse. Mix until all ingredients are evenly combined and top with a cute Hawaiian umbrella.

Quick Monkey Muffins

Happy Saturday!

This morning's breakfast was purely an experiment - and a delicious one at that. After a few crazy weeks at work and a few more busy out-of-town weekends in between, it was high time for a laid-back Saturday morning spent drinking coffee and watching cooking shows. Love :)

FYI - Today the Pioneer Woman reminded me I needed to bake this amazing chocolate cake and Trisha Yearwood now has me craving pimento and cheese sandwiches. Be still my heart.

FYI 2.0 - I despised pimento and cheese sandwiches until about two years ago. Nothing happened, I literally woke up one day and immediately, waved my fist and declared, "I MUST HAVE PIMENTO AND CHEESE!" (dramatic interpretation, obvi.) I couldn't stop thinking about how delicious it suddenly seemed and eventually made my way to the store to purchase said product. I haven't turned back since.

But I digress.

Last night while heading home from the grocery store I heard a sudden "POP!" from the floor of the car. A can of biscuits I'd grabbed in the store (for a future experiment!!!!) had burst open and into the grocery bag.

It only made sense to use them to make these little beauties this morning. Couldn't let the biscuits go bad, now could we? ;)

I've been dreaming about making monkey bread since this post at Christmas time. Then I joined the crazy boot camp and went on a crazy "healthy food only" kick for about four months. While I still aim to eat healthy, I've slowly allowed myself to indulge in something sweet every now and then. So this morning, I decided it was high time to cash in on my monkey bread dreams.

Since I am a household of one, a full monkey bread cake is probably not a good idea. So hence these baby monkey muffins - just enough for a taste of monkey bread for one :)

I scaled down a Bell's Best recipe to use with only two canned biscuits, then added a few of my own ideas. My suggestion: before baking, poke a few holes in top of the biscuits, then add the glaze. This way the inside of the biscuit has a nice flavor as well.

These also taste great when they're dunked in a cup of coffee. Enjoy!

 

Mini Breakfast Monkey Muffins for One

Adapted from Bell's Best cookbook

Canned Biscuits (I used two)

2 tbsp cinnamon

2 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp butter or margarine, melted

1 tbsp Karo syrup

pinch of brown sugar

cream cheese

Mix cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Brush 1 tbsp of melted butter on biscuits dip in the cinnamon mixture. Place in a baking pan. Combine remaining butter and Karo syrup, then add to remaining cinnamon mixture. Poke holes in the tops of biscuits, then drizzle the glaze over the top, making sure it seems into the holes. Top them off with a pinch of brown sugar and touch of cream cheese - adds just a little extra sweetness! Bake for 10-15 minutes or until biscuits are cooked thoroughly. Serve warm and enjoy!