Chicago Blackhawks Pizza

I made this when the Hawks were in the playoffs for the Stanley Cup. It didn't turn out quite how I expected it to... but it was really fun to try to re-create a picture on a pizza!

Ingredients:

• Pizza crust (always get mine from Trader Joes)
• Yellow pepper
• Pepperoni
• Pizza sauce
• Pesto
• Mozzarella cheese
• Italian seasoning

Directions:

1. Cook pizza crust for 70% of the time it suggests
2. Take out of the oven and let cool
3. Spread with sauces and toppings of your choosing
   
4. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly 
   
5. Top with Italian seasoning

 Although the Hawks didn't win the Cup, it was an awesome series to watch!

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Salmon Cakes

 

I found this recipe through Primal Palate (recipe here). I eat a ton of her meals and find them all delicious! I love crab cakes, and I love salmon, so I figured I might as well combine them.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. canned salmon (I bought these at Costco - make sure you get wild!)
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/2 c. finely chopped onion
• 3 tbsp. bacon fat (she uses duck fat but I don't have that!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
3. In a large bowl, mix salmon, eggs, salt, pepper, and paprika
4. Add garlic and onion and mix again
   
5. Use hands to make patties and place on baking sheet
   
6. Bake for 15 minutes
7. Remove from oven and heat bacon fat over medium heat on stove
8. Cook patties in fat for 2 minutes on either side
   

I ate these with Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Blue Cheese and Homemade Mayo.

All mixed together made amazing leftovers:

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Agave Nectar Roasted Bacon on a Stick

Apparently bacon on a stick is a thing, especially at the Chicago White Sox stadium. Seeing as I love bacon (more recipes here), I figured why not try it?! I figured covering in agave nectar could create a sort of caramel on the bacon, and it did just that. Delicious!

Ingredients:

• Bacon
• Agave nectar

Directions:

1. Put aluminum foil over baking sheet
2. Cover in bacon
3. Pour agave nectar over bacon
4. Put in a COLD oven
5. Put oven to 400 degrees
6. Bake for about 20 minutes (I love my bacon over cooked, almost charred, so start checking after 10 minutes if you don't like it done as well)

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Four Inredient Nutella Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies

 

I made the #1 mistake when you're trying to eat as healthy as possible - I went food shopping at Costco when I was starving. Forty-five minutes later, I came home with two huge tubs of Nutella. So I decided to make some Nutella stuffed peanut butter cookies. Oh Lord. I can't believe how good these were. I was eating so many I had to bring them to school to get rid of them, and they were gone by 9am. Success!

Ingredients:

• 1 c. peanut butter
• 1 c. sugar + 1 tbsp.
• 1 egg
• 1 c. Nutella

Directions:

1. Line baking sheets with parchment paper
2. Scoop out teaspoon sized scoops of Nutella and put on baking sheet
   
3. Freeze for about one hour
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees
5. Mix the first three ingredients together
   
6. Make golf ball sized balls of peanut butter cookies
   
7.  Break balls in half, and place Nutella between, then form the peanut butter mixture around the Nutella and make sure to seal shut
8. Sprinkle  remaining sugar over balls
9. Make a criss cross pattern over balls with a fork
10. Cook for about 8 minutes
11. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely

Later on, if you REALLY want a sweet treat, take one cookie and spread Nutella over, take another cookie and spread peanut butter over, and then sandwich together. Ah. Maz. Ing!!

 
Enjoy!

Kelsey

Popcorn Ice Cream

Just a quick salty sweet idea: top your ice cream with caramel popcorn!

SO. GOOD.

My next experiment might have to be chocolate covered caramel popcorn...

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Mini Cracker Pizzas

 

I got the idea to make mini pizzas with crackers through a picture I saw on Pinterest. I used those crackers that people eat with cheese at cocktail parties. These are the easiest thing, and you can quickly customize them to make a bunch of different kinds! (I've done this twice - first with pizza sauce, ham and sausage, and cheddar cheese, and then with pesto and mozzarella)

Ingredients:

• Round crackers (I used a wafer type one but you could use anything)
• Pizza sauce/pesto
• Cheese
• Toppings of your choosing

Directions:

1. Set oven to 350 degrees
2. Put aluminum foil on baking sheet and spread out crackers
3. Spread pizza sauce or pesto on crackers
4. Top with cheese and toppings
5. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly
6. Let cool before serving

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Caramel Soaked French Toast

 

Friends of ours had a baby, and they invited us over for brunch to meet her. They had this waiting for us when we got there, and I honestly hadn't anything that good in a long time. The sugar combines with the syrup to create this hearty caramel, and because this is soaked overnight, there is flavor bursting in every bite. We made this for Easter and there were no leftovers. Thank you Kristin for sharing this recipe with me!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
• 3/4 c. butter
• 1/4 c. + 2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 8-10 slices Texas toast
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 1/2 c. milk (or 1/2 & 1/2)
• 1 tbsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 c. butter, melted

Ingredients:

1. Combine brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup in medium pan. Cook 5 minutes, until bubbly. 
   
   
   
   
2. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. 
3. Cut bread in half and arrange bread over syrup
   
4. Combine eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt. Pour over bread. 
   
   
   
   
5. Cover and chill overnight.
6. When ready to bake, set oven to 350 degrees
7. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over bread 
8. Drizzle butter over bread  
   
9. Bake for 45-50 minutes until bubbly and brown

Best part - this can be eaten for breakfast, or for dessert (just top with ice cream)

 
Enjoy!

Kelsey

Beautiful baby S :)

Mean Green Juice with Spinach

 

Watching the movie Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead was the one that got me into juicing. Their main juice is called the Mean Green Juice, which is delicious, but I always have spinach around so I thought I would add it in. I made this before a flight, and it filled me up and gave me energy for a day of traveling!

Ingredients:

• 1 cucumber
• 4 celery stalks
• 2 apples
• 8 leaves of kale
• 1 bunch of spinach 
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 inch ginger

I keep these bottles and drink juice out of them

Directions:

1. Clean everything and cut to fit in juicer
2. Juice 

Enjoy!

Kelsey 

PAM Juice (Pineapple, Apple, Mint)

 

The Blue Print Cleanse is a very expensive juice cleanse that I see offered on sites like Groupon a lot. Since I started cooking, I often see things I want to try, and try to create it. So I did some Googling, and a lot of their juices are so easy. This one was SO delicious and simple.

Ingredients:

• Pineapple (I used a whole one because I love pineapple but most suggest half or more)
• 2 green apples, cleaned and cored (again, can vary based on what you have)
• 3 mint leaves

Directions:

1. Juice!

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Homemade Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

This has been my go to breakfast for awhile.

All it is: plain Green yogurt, one cut up banana, fresh blueberries, honey, dash of cinnamon, granola, and chopped walnuts.

I love this because you can add or subtract whatever you want, especially varying the fruit and the nuts. The one below was mainly strawberries and walnuts.

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Almond Butter Cups in Coconut Oil Chocolate

I saw a recipe for these through Instagram (follow dietitian_girl) and I wanted to try it. SO delicious and super easy. Though it was hard to wait for them to freeze before eating...

Ingredients:

• Almond butter
• Coconut oil
• Chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Depending on how many cups you want to make (I just made one to start to make sure I would like it) pour about a 10:1 ratio of chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 10 second intervals, stirring, until melted and well blended
2. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray, or fill with muffin cups
3. Pour a third of the cup with chocolate, and then plop a spoonful of almond butter in the middle of the chocolate. Cover with more chocolate if necessary
4. Freeze

Enjoy!

Kelsey