Homemade Dairyless French Toast Sticks Recipe

One of my favorite breakfast indulgences is French toast. I absolutely love it! Even those frozen French toast sticks that you have to heat in the microwave. Slathered in maple syrup... YUM. 

Today I will share one of my favorite breakfast recipes: Homemade French Toast Sticks. The recipe in its original form can be found over at A Beautiful Mess. However, since I'm lactose intolerant, I can't do dairy! And I know I'm not the only one. So I adapted the recipe slightly to accommodate those of us with tummies who can't handle milk and cream. Read on to find the ingredients and instructions. 

Makes 2-3 servings
Ingredients: French bread (4-5 slices) 4 eggs 2 tablespoons vanilla almond milk 1/2 tsp vanilla extract cinnamon-sugar topping (1/4 c sugar and 2 tbsps cinnamon) 

Instructions:

1. Cut the bread into "sticks."

2. Mix the eggs, almond milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in a shallow dish or bowl.

3. Coat each stick in the egg-mixture and set onto a greased baking sheet.

4. Sprinkle each stick with cinnamon-sugar.

5. Broil for about 2-3 minutes each side. Definitely keep your eye on them! We all know that with one blink a broiler can burn whatever is in the oven.

6. Once cooled, serve the sticks with plenty of maple syrup and a cup of good coffee! Yum!

What's your favorite breakfast treat?

Savory Italian Crockpot Meatballs

Winter is the time for savory, hearty meals at home. When I see snow on the ground, I just want to simmer things in thick, flavorful tomato sauce. This recipe combines all of those elements: hearty, savory, and tomato-y.  
I first tried this recipe when Mark and I got married. Mainly because meatball subs seem to be one of his favorite things on earth. (Is your husband like that or is it just mine?) Personally, I had never been a big meatball fan. However, little did I know that I would really love this recipe. Pair with creamy mashed potatoes and a salad, or with melty provolone cheese on an Italian sub bun. Enjoy!
Ingredients: Meatballs: 2 eggs, beaten 1/4 c. milk 1/2 c. dry bread crumbs 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese 1 tsp. salt sprinkle of pepper 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1 lb. ground beef 1 lb Italian sausage
Sauce: 15 oz. tomato sauce 6 oz. tomato paste 1/2 small onion, chopped small green bell pepper, chopped 1/2 c. red wine 1/3 c. water 1 tsp. minced garlic (or to taste) 1 tsp. dried oregano 1/2 tsp. sugar pinch of salt pinch of pepper
Instructions: 1. Make the meatballs by combining the beaten eggs and milk. Then, add in the bread crumbs, cheese, and seasonings. Finally, add in your meats. Mix up really well in a large bowl.  Shape into 1 inch balls.  2. Saute the meatballs until browned on the outside. Then put in a slow cooker. 3. Combine the sauce ingredients, and pour over the meatballs. 4. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.  5. Enjoy with sub buns or a salad.

My favorite thing about crockpot recipes is that you can fix all your ingredients, dump them into the slow cooker, and then not worry about it again. In the evenings, we enjoy going to the gym together, so knowing that I don't have to worry about supper when we get home is a plus. Not too mention this recipe will fill your house with the delicious savory scent of tomatoes, garlic, and oregano. So good! Let me know what you think!
Recipe original sourced from the Fix It and Forget It Cookbook. 

Tomato Basil Pasta with Baked Chicken

You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces -- just good food from fresh ingredients. 

- Julia Child 

A basic tenant of cooking in our house is to keep things simple. This tomato-basil pasta recipe couldn't be much simpler. Unless our cupboard is truly bare, I always have the sauce ingredients on hand: tomatoes, basil, garlic, wine. It's easy to whip up on those occasional nights when I have no creative spark for cooking. It's reliable, it's quick, it's easy-- essential ingredients for an enjoyable home-cooked meal, in my opinion. 

Essentially, you do three things: cook some noodles, chop and saute tomatoes in garlic, and bake some chicken. I have a little rosemary plant growing in our kitchen. A bright, sweet herb within easy reach, this little plant finds its way into most of my meat seasonings. Drizzle a little EVOO and sprinkle a few rosemary sprigs to get a simple baked chicken.
Also, there's just something so bright and cheerful about grape tomatoes isn't there? Something quintessentially summertime. Their tangy scent automatically brightens my winter mood. I love cooking with them winter or summer. 

Ingredients:  cherry or grape tomatoes, diced 1 tsp minced garlic 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) splash of wine 2 chicken breasts, butterflied 2 tbsps of Italian dressing whole wheat spaghetti pinch of sea salt basil for garnish
Yes, I apologize, I'm one of those "pinch of this" and "a splash of that" cooks. 
Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 350. Butterfly your chicken breasts (you don't have to, but I always do when cooking chicken) and place in your baking dish. Drizzle a little bit of Italian dressing over the chicken breasts and garnish with a few sprigs of fresh rosemary. Place in heated oven and cook for about 45 minutes. 
2. In the meantime, cook your pasta according to the instructions. Drain, rinse, and set aside in a medium serving bowl. 
3. To prepare sauce: drizzle a tablespoon of EVOO onto your sauce pan. Once warm, saute the minced garlic. Add the diced tomatoes. Saute together until the tomatoes start to dissolve into a chunky sauce. Add a splash of wine for flavor. 
4.  Spoon sauce over the cooked noodles and garnish with fresh basil (or dried, if that's all you have). 
5. Serve with cooked chicken, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, and a slice of crumbly French bread. 

Simple and good. In my opinion, that's all you really need from a home-cooked meal. 
What are some of your favorite go-to recipes? 

Quick + Easy Spicy Chili Recipe

Nothing quite completes a crisp, fall Saturday like a bowl of hot chili. Am I right or am I right? My mother has always made the best chili, hands down. It has just the right amount of kick and is perfectly chunky and thick. Today, I decided to share our chili recipe-- just in time for the chillier months ahead. 
Ingredients: 2 lbs ground beef small yellow onion 1/2 tsp minced garlic 1 can red kidney beans, drained 2 cans chili beans 1 can Rotel 2 cans crushed tomatoes 1 tsp chili powder (add to taste) salt and pepper 1 tsp cocoa powder

What to Do:  1. Brown the ground beef with the chopped yellow onion. Cook until all pink is gone, then drain. 
2. In a large pot, crockpot, or Dutch oven, combine all ingredients. Add chili powder and garlic to taste. I personally like my chili to have a definite kick to it. But not everyone enjoys burning from the inside out. Add the spice to your preference and tolerance. 
3. Allow to simmer on low for several hours.  Serve with thick slices of crumbly slathered in melted pimento cheese. The left overs can be stored in the freezer and saved for a snowy day. 
Yep, it's that easy. 

Chicken Vino Bianco Recipe

Last night, I cooked one of my absolute favorite recipes: Chicken Vino Bianco. Or at least, my own version of this crowd-favorite Olive Garden dish. It's one of my favorite meals to cook for a romantic evening at home. Add a loaf of crumbly, crunchy bread and a side salad-- yum! It's perhaps not the healthiest supper ever, but every now and then you just have to splurge. Butter in moderation never hurt anyone.  Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1/2 cup white wine 1/4 cup lemon juice 3 tbsps butter 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper 2 tbsps parsley 1/2 tsp minced garlic 1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thinly 1/2 red onion, sliced thinly, handful of baby bella mushrooms, rinsed linguine pasta 1/2 cup flour pinch of salt pinch of pepper

What You'll Do: 1. Dredge chicken in seasoned flour (flour with salt and pepper) and then cook in pan. I usually allow about 7-8 minutes (or until the chicken reaches 165 on your meat thermometer). Once cooked, remove from pan and set aside.  2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to its package instructions. Drain and set aside when finished.  3.Add 2 tbsps butter to your pan. Saute veggies, parsley, and red pepper until tender. This will take about 3 minutes or so.  4. Return chicken to pan. Add wine, lemon juice, and garlic. Saute for another minute or two. Then, add remaining butter to pan.  5. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for a few minutes. The sauce will reduce and thicken somewhat.  6. Add cooked pasta to pan and saute together for about a minute.  7. Toss in a bowl and serve with a loaf of warm, crunchy bread. 

Give this recipe a try next time you want a yummy dinner for two at home.  Let me know what you think!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Ya'll. This bread is slap-yo-mama good. I'm not even joking. One bite into this moist, soft bread tastes like an explosion of holiday goodness: cinnamon, chocolate, pumpkin, nutmeg...

Need I go on? 

After I made this bread Monday, I told Mark, "Babe, I'm gonna be the official Queen of the Holidays." Because this bread is absurdly yummy. And this is coming from someone who isn't a huge pumpkin-flavor fan. I want to be-- after all, it's pumpkin spice season! But I can't help it-- it just tastes like squash. To counteract the pumpkin flavor, I loaded this recipe with chocolate chips. Ya'll know me, if it has chocolate in it, I'm probably going to like it. And this turned out perfectly. The mix of pumpkin, spices, and chocolate is just perfection.  Paired with a strong cup of coffee? Mmmm. 

Ingredients: 

1 and 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 c. coconut oil (melted)

1 and 1/2 c.pumpkin puree 

2 tsps. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

14 tsp. ground cloves

chocolate chips

Tip: You can substitute the above spices with pumpkin pie spice if you want. 

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.
Spray a 9x5 bread pan with cooking spray. I used Pan baking spray.

1. Whisk together your dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

2. In a separate medium-sized bowl, mix your eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. I like to mix ingredients like this using a spatula.

3. Add the pumpkin puree and melted coconut oil to the egg/sugar mixture. Don't worry-- your bread won't taste like coconut!

4. Mix ingredients together, being sure to mix to fully incorporate the dry ingredients.

5. Slowly fold in your chocolate chips. I kind of just "eyeballed" how many chocolate chips I wanted. I probably used a little less than a cup. For some people, that may be too much, but I love chocolate! I would recommend adding chocolate chips maybe a 1/3 cup at a time until you get as many as look good to you.

6. Slowly pour the batter into your baking pan. Bake for about 60-70 minutes. Time will vary depending on your cooking conditions and oven. After about an hour, I started checking the bread to make sure that it wasn't browning too much on top. You can check to see if it's done by inserting a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, it's done.

Tip: Lower your oven rack to prevent the bread from browning too much. 

Once I removed the bread from the oven, I let it set for about 5-10 minutes to cool. Once ready, I couldn't wait to feel the sink and give of the bread knife into the crust. The melty chocolate chips smeared the blade and made my mouth just start watering.  I love the way that baking bread fills the entire house with that warm, spicey smell. No candle can do that. 

A cup of coffee, a good book, and a slice of this bread was the perfect recipe for a fall afternoon at home. Try it out this weekend and let me know what you think! 

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Easy Meals for Newly-Weds

Recently, a friend asked me what some of my "go-to" meals were. I don't know if I'm allowed to have "go-to" meals after only one-and-a-half years of marriage, but maybe I am.

With this question in mind this week, I tried to think of a blog post idea which would actually be helpful. While I typically share our renovations and adventures around town, unless you're planning a hike, coming to Frederick, or remodeling your house...my posts may be more entertaining than they are informative. That's when my friend's recipe question dredged from my memory.

What exactly are my go-to meals? While I still like to experiment with different tastes and yummies (more often than not taken from these two Pinterest boards: here and here), the press of work, school, and life occasionally take over. When that inevitably happens, it's nice to have some reliable recipes to fall back on. Thankfully, I have a husband who isn't afraid to lend a helping hand in the kitchen. He's always quick to grill out or help clean up--which certainly is a tremendous help.

I thought I  might start a mini-series sharing some of my favorite easy meals. These will vary on the healthiness scale from healthy to ehhh-not-so-bad. In all cases, I find them pretty easy to whip up. What's more: they often involve the holy grail of newly-wed cooking: leftovers.

Newly-Wed Meal Number One: Spicy Honey-Lime Fajitas

This recipe was adapted from the fajita recipe over at this blog. I first found this recipe in 2012... weird to think that I've been fixing this for almost two years! Time truly flies.

Here's what you'll need:
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
red bell pepper
yellow bell pepper
green bell pepper
1/4 red onion

For the marinade: 
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice and lemon juice, mixed together
1/2 tsp smokey chipotle spice
1/2 tsp minced garlic
pinch of salt and pepper
drizzle of honey

Here's what you do: 

• Butterfly the chicken breasts and trim off any fat.
• Chop the chicken into long pieces and place pieces in a quart-sized Ziplock bag
• Mix marinade ingredients and pour into bag. Let sit for 30 minutes.
• Chop up veggies and saute in a little olive oil. Set aside in a bowl and cover.
• In the same pan, cook chicken until done. 
• When chicken is cooked, toss veggies in too, so that they are coated with marinade.
• Pour continents into your serving bowl! 

These fajitas taste yummy with black beans and corn tortillas. The only real prep work is chopping everything and mixing the marinade--which really doesn't take long. Plus, this recipe usually cooks enough for our lunch the next day as well. Just dump the leftovers into a plastic container and reheat for lunch!

What are some of your favorite recipes?

un, deux, trois

"Simple" is an important part of a newlywed girl's vocabulary. Especially when it comes to kitchen antics. And this cookie recipe certainly falls under the description "easy." It requires only three ingredients, ones which I always have on hand.

Here's what you need:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Here's what you do:

• Mix your ingredients together in a medium-sized mixing bowl. 
• Scoop out small amounts of the cookie mix and roll into little dough balls. 
• Arrange on an un-greased cookie sheet. 
• Using a fork, mash slightly and create the little cross-hatch design.
• Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before eating. 

As simple as these cookies are to make, they taste amazing straight out of the oven paired with a glass of milk. We're not big sweet eaters around here, but I love to tinker in the kitchen and bake. So, most of these little yummies went to our neighbors. Which illustrates a good point. As quick and easy as these cookies are to bake, they would make great last-minute hostess or holiday gifts! 

So there you have it. As easy as one, two, three!

Limoncello

A few weeks ago, I discovered--much to my joy and to Mark's dismay--that Under the Tuscan Sun was available on Netflix. Oh happy day! Let's face it. A movie about Tuscany, writing, renovating, Italian food, coffee, ice cream, wine, and romance. It's like a giant ball of things-Abi-squeals-about. Plus, Diane Lane's hair makes me doubt all my major life choices. Seriously, those curls. Only to be rivaled by mid-90s Julia Roberts. Yes, I have hair-crushes. What's it to ya?

Wow. We are now way off topic. Anyway.

In keeping with the spirit of the movie, I decided to try my hand at making limoncello. Lemons, grain alcohol, sugar, and water. It sounded easy enough. Surprisingly, it was!

Here's what you'll need: 

8-10 lemons
a bottle of grain alcohol
3 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups sugar
a vegetable peeler
a glass pitcher
a fine mesh strainer
a funnel
a stoppered glass bottle

Here's what you do:

1. Peel the lemons, being careful to get only the yellow peel and not the white pithy part. This takes a little while, with the lemons becoming surprisingly wiggly and slippy as you go. Of course, that last bit could just be me being clumsy.

2. Toss the lemon peels into your glass pitcher. Pour the grain alcohol over it.

3. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for about four days.

4. After the four days have passed, make the simple syrup using the water and sugar. Stir the water and sugar together in a small saucepan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Once sugar has dissolved in the water, set aside and allow to cool completely.

5. Add simple syrup to lemon-alcohol mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, and let sit overnight at room temperature.

6. The next day, strain the limoncello using the mesh strainer. Transfer to the glass bottle. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until chilled!

The glass bottles were so pretty!

What does it taste like? To me, it tastes exactly like my mom's lemon pie, in liquid form and bottled. Mark says it tastes like a lemon drop. One thing is for sure: it's sweet, rich, and worth sharing!

Typically, limoncello is consumed after a meal to aid with digestion. While this drink is made throughout Italy, the best of this lemony liqueur is apparently made in Capri, where it is allowed to sit for sometimes as long as 40 days. However, I am neither in Capri nor the least bit Italian. I simply watched a movie, thought it sounded yummy, and googled recipes until I felt I had the hang of it. So this recipe is the Southern-girl version of the Italian liqueur! If I have any Italian readers, maybe you can further enlighten me on the subject! You may even have a better method or tradition for making it. I certainly would love to hear your ideas if so!

Some yummy ways to serve limoncello can be found here and here. Personally, I'm anxious to try the blueberry-limoncello cooler--it sounds like summer in a bottle and would give me a good use for my rather-prolifically-growing mint! (Side note: apparently mint is a native Maryland plant; it is currently dominating my garden.) Now I just need to host a girl's night or dinner so I have an excuse to share this lemony goodness. Any takers?

Unexpected plus: I now have an excuse to buy those beautiful glass bottles at Home Goods and TJ Maxx. The two pictured here were each 1.99! Can't beat that! Spoiler alert for my friends: this concoction may be used as gift in your near futures.

A Summer Staple: Chicken Salad

During the high heat of summer, you can count on two things to be served at my family's table: garden-fresh tomato sandwiches and homemade chicken salad. While the tomato plants, at least in my part of the country, are still tender and young, nothing is stopping me from kicking off my summer with a yummy chicken salad sandwich.

Here's the recipe, straight from my mama's kitchen to mine to yours. I love this recipe because its simple, easy, and yummy. Plus, it makes enough to provide my lunches for a few days.

Warning: Southern recipes are rarely exact. We tend to use measurements like "a pinch," "about half," and "a few." In our world, eyeballin' it replaces measuring cups.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)
celery
white onion
mayo
salt and pepper
white wine (optional)

Directions:

1. Place chicken breasts in a pot. This one picture is about 4 qts...or so it says on the botom. Fill with water until breasts are just covered. I use water filtered through my Brita filter, just because I live in the city and am freaky-teaky paranoid about water.

2. Bring to a boil. Once the water starts to boil, let it continue for about 30-40 minutes. If you wish, you can add a splash of white wine in this step.
A little trick: place a wooden spoon over the pot to avoid boil-over. I truthfully don't know why this works. A friend suggested it, and, ever the skeptic, I had to put it to the test. It worked... I still don't know why.

3. While your chicken is cooking, chop your celery and onions. I use a few celery stalks and about half an onion. I dice them using my Kitchen-Aid chopper, but if you've got some mad knife skills, go for it. I just prefer to keep my fingers intact. Set aside when finished (the celery and onion...not your fingers.)

4. Once your chicken is cooked, set aside on a plate. Allow to cool for a few minutes so you don't burn your fingers when you shred it. Once cooled enough that you don't yelp every time you touch it, shred finely.

5. In a medium sized bowl, combine chicken, onions, and celery. Add mayonnaise. I try to use either light mayo or olive oil mayo. This serves no other purpose than making me feel less guilty about gobbing mayo into a bowl. (Use about a half cup). Mix well. Add more mayo until you reach your desired chicken -salad- consistency. Add a pinch of salt. Season liberally with pepper.

6. Spread on some toasted bread and enjoy! I usually toss a fresh cayenne pepper onto my plate--but to each her own.

I'll try to share more summer recipes in the coming weeks!
In the meantime, what's your favorite summer dish?