Molten Lava Cakes

Don't judge a book by it's cover... and don't judge a cake by the fact that it comes from a package.  I've tried many "from scratch" recipies that can't get close to this one.  Not all boxed cakes are created equal and this one transcends them all as it's one deceptive little box, and I thought I should let you know what it's capable of.  This baby makes Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes that are every bit as good as Flemings, Roy's and even Disney Cruise's Palo restaurants' versions.  They're fool proof and come with perfect little paper cups that cook and release the cakes perfectly.  No mess either?  BONUS!  We love ours à la mode and cut them open as soon as they're served to stop them from cooking all the way through so we can keep that melted molten in it's oooey gooey consistency that we love so much.  

Spaghetti Bryan

Tonight I married two of my loves: Spaghetti Squash and Carrabba's Chicken Bryan.  A staple around here is my rendition of Carrabba's tasty Chicken Bryan but tonight I decided to mix it up and center the meal around a lighter, healthier, nutrient dense subject and the spaghetti squash that's been sitting on our counter fit the bill of our hungry hankering perfectly.

Don't know if I can really call this a "recipe" since I'm not making my own sauces or ingredients for this meal.  Just keeping it real friends.  Thankfully so are these ingredients so other than the fact that they're not organic, the sauces are all made of real wholesome goodness that even I can pronounce, with no nasty fillers or artificial preservatives.

Carrabba's sure knows how to throw delicious ingredients together.  And these  three ingredients are no exception: sundried tomatoes, fresh basil, and caprino cheese make one tasty triad.  I usually set these atop our grilled chicken and drizzle it with another Carrabba's secret: their lemon butter sauce.  So bomb.

We made an eclectic duo and enjoyed it with baby back ribs.  What would you pair it with?

The Mac Of All Cheeses

Rainy Days and Mondays always bring cravings around. Ah, the sweet comfort that only Mac and Cheese can provide.  If you've ever eaten the Mac and Cheese at Paradise Bakery or Panera Bread you know the silky, rich, & smooth comfort I'm talking about. Ha.  But seriously it's that good.  So I've tried relentlessly to replicate that heaven they serve in a bowl only to be disappointed failed recipe after failed recipe.  Even a knock-off recipe on Paradise's blog that touts it as being "the ultimate" couldn't be farther from the ultimate indulgence.  Ulghk.  The floury roux cements your pot o' pasta into one solidified mass of nastiness.  So my hilarious theory is that it is all a ploy to get us back in there once we discover the recipe they gave us only leaves us with our Mac & Cheese hunger still unfulfilled.  I had to figure out a way to have it on command. Something that would not only taste amazing but would taste just as good reheated.  Not only am I a self-proclaimed Mac and Cheese connoisseur but I am a left-over snob.  It's gotta be good reheated or it's not taking up valuable space in my fridge.

GAME. ON.

And after many failed attempts I finally  cracked the code friends!  I figured out the secret combination of ingredients to  get that cheesy, creamy, heavenly, goodness.  Three ingredients was all it took.  (Funny how the yummiest recipes are the simplest ones.)

The Mac of All Cheeses

Side note- I love Cabot's Vermont cheddar as it comes wrapped in this non water permeable wax packaging which keeps it ultra fresh until you're ready to use it.  I absolutely love it.  It peels off like a clemintine cutie rind on a hot day.   I always find it at Costco.

I used equal parts of the 3 ingredients, so simple right?!  And even with quadrupling the recipe, it turned out perfectly.  Rare moment for me!   And yes, this is a picture of what I reheated from last night, same noodles and all!  Happy happy happy!  It was a touchdown in our kitchen as we (...or should I say the guys enjoyed the game :) last night.  Hope you enjoy it in yours too!

Happily Veggie After

Guess who's on her second bowl of salad?  Not just our normal organic salad either, the romaine is topped with broccoli, cauliflower, red bell pepper, avocado, mushrooms, & cherry tomatoes.  It's proof that sour salad dressing,  Parmesan, Swiss, and crumbled bacon can make even my picky little eater LOVE her veggies as much as her fruits. :)  Granted I did chop everything to unidentifiable bits, but she ate her veggies nonetheless. :) Today was a very monumental day for me.
Sour Salad Dressing:
1 cup olive oil
Freshly squeezed juice of 2 lemons.
3 cloves garlic
(+Salt & pepper to taste)
Blend together.  This keeps in the fridge for a few weeks and makes an amazing marinade too!

Due to Popular Demand...

Shavonne - a - bon rolls. :)

GREG'S GOULASH... mmmmmMMMMMMAZING!

LET'S HEAR IT FOR MY BOY!  Awww.... LET'S GIVE THE BOY A HAND!

My cute chef of a husband, Greg has officially won my stomach after today.  When he told me yesterday that HE needed to go to the grocery store to get the stuff for today I was like "wwwwHAT the?" (Not that he doesn't cook, 'cause he makes some mean German Pancakes that I, being the pregnant woman I am, crave on a daily basis :)  So I was very interested as to what he was going to make, and I pried it out of him that he had found a recipe.  SCUUUUUUUURRRRR!!!  Stop!!  MY husband?!  Found a recipe?  Greg found a recipe.  He normally calls his mom to get her awesome classics (cute, huh?)... but HE actually found one... which meant he thought enough to LOOK for one.  I'm sorry if this sounds corny... but that's CUTE!  So here I am, just minutes after downing my "umpteenth" serving of the wonderful dish...  

"And it's made with bits of real (chicken)... SO YOU KNOW IT'S GOOD"  

-Name the movie!

-10 cool points if you can answer that.

Here's some random photos I googled that give you the idea... :)

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4 chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)

1 16 oz. jar of salsa

1 can of Black Beans (P.S. I hate beans... but LOVED this... go figure.)

1 can of Drained Corn

8 oz pkg. Cream Cheese

Directions:

Put chicken in crock pot and season with whatever you wish, Greg used Chalula seasoning and a little Chalula sauce.  (Which I'm normally out with... but the end result was... ooooh so amazing.) Then pour salsa, beans and corn in and let it sit on low for 3 & 1/2 hours before you add the cream cheese, let simmer for 1/2 hour mas, shred the chicken and then VIOLA!  Simple.  Easy.  DELISH!!!  This would be amazing over rice, though we ate it with our favorite tortillas from Costco that you cook yourself, and it would even make a great dip.  It's super versatile.  

All I know is this: my husband is THE MOST AMAZING MAN ALIVE to have known I would flip for this... he knows me so well, and I'm almost embarrassed to say that I had fourths.  What?  :)  It was that good.  It is a MUST try... c'mon you know you have all the stuff in your pantry... and no offense Greg, but it's next to impossible to mess up a crock pot dish, ya know?

If you try it, which you simply must, you have to let me know what you think!