Rolo Pretzel Turtles

These are so easy to make, you can’t even call it cooking. Lay some pretzels on a baking sheet, top each with a Rolo, and bake at 350F for 3-4 minutes. Take them out of the oven, and press a walnut or pecan on top. And you’re done – a homemade turtle!

Broccoli Pesto & Fusilli

I really liked the idea of using broccoli in a homemade pesto, as in this recipe from 101 Cookbooks. I started with the ingredients as listed, and then I did my own thing. I had fresh basil handy, so I added a large handful. The pesto seemed too thick, so I added a little more oil and lemon juice. It still looked a little thick, so I threw in some white wine (not directly from my glass, of course!) And then, it tasted too lemony, so I added more Parmesan.

I really enjoyed the final product, and most of my taste testers liked it too but noted a strong lemon flavor, which I suspect was compounded by the wine. With so many pesto recipes out there, I will likely try another one next time, but this was still a good experiment.

Old Farmhouse Chutney Cheese Ball

I am a big fan of Stonewall Kitchen products, but more on that in a future post. My sister made this appetizer for the weekend using Stonewall’s Farmhouse Chutney. The cheese ball was rolled in walnuts, in place of pecans. I generally think of cheese balls as a holiday appetizer, but it worked just as well here, on the cusp of fall.

Last Weekend of Summer

A day off from the blog to enjoy the unofficial last day of summer! I’ll be back tomorrow with a recipe from the holiday weekend.

Baked Orzo with Tomatoes and Zucchini

Can you handle one more zucchini recipe? This one is a version of lazy lasagna that’s perfect for the transition from summer to fall. You can use fresh zucchini (and tomatoes, if you have them) and then enjoy a delicious warm meal on a cool night.

I omitted the red peppers based on preference, and used a can of diced tomatoes that were not cooked in any additional oil. The final result was great!

Tuna, Cucumber, and Chickpea Salad

This was such an easy salad to throw together, and most of the ingredients are standard pantry items except for the cucumber. I got the recipe from On a Lobster Placemat, although I omitted the capers and used thyme instead of oregano. Served over a bed of fresh spinach, it was a great lunch.

Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt

Thanks to Yoplait, I was able to try this Fiber One yogurt for free. There are 4 flavors available: Vanilla, Peach, Strawberry, and Key Lime. Vanilla seemed like the next best thing to the plain yogurt that I usually buy. Even though it has extra fiber (5g), the yogurt was still nice and creamy, and it actually didn’t taste artificial. It was the perfect sweet treat after a meal, for just 50 calories.

However, I’d rather get my fiber from natural sources, and stick to plain Greek-style yogurt which I can flavor with fruit or other fun mix ins. There is also a lot of packaging here for a small amount of yogurt. But it’s always fun to try new things!

Coffee and Banana Oats

One of my favorite on-the-go breakfast combinations is a skim latte and banana. I tried to recreate the flavor here in a new oatmeal variation. You don’t need to brew a fresh pot of coffee if you have a little leftover from the day before. This was a great bowl, complete with a caffeine kick!

1/2 c. oats
1/2 c. coffee
1/2 c. skim milk
1/2 banana, sliced
1/2 t vanilla
Dash of cinnamon
Dash of cocoa powder

Cook oats, coffee, and milk in a saucepan on medium heat, mixing in banana, until it reaches the desired consistency. Remove from heat, add vanilla, and garnish with cinnamon and cocoa. powder.

Tomato and Corn Pie

I almost let this one pass me by, but my sister nudged me, emailing to ask if I’d seen Smitten Kitchen’s latest recipe. I had seen it, but it seemed like a lot of steps. And I am not that good at rolling out my own dough. So here’s the secret when you have a cooking project that seems complex – find a few (preferably hungry) people and tackle it together. Yes, it took 4 of us to put this all together and then clean up while it was in the oven, but doesn’t that make it all the more special?

The pie itself was really good, but does need some time to cool when it comes out of the oven. And I think we all agreed that more basil would make it even better. But since everyone asked for seconds, I am calling this a success!

Zucchini & Black Bean Quesadilla

Sometimes you just throw things together quickly and you end up with a great dinner. I started with a whole wheat tortilla, which I topped with 1/2 c. mashed black beans and 1/2 of a zucchini, very thinly sliced. I added a handful of shredded cheese and then topped it with the other tortilla.

I cooked the quesadilla in a frying pan coated with cooking spray for about 5 minutes on each side, and then added a dollop of plain yogurt. The only thing that would have made this better is a margarita…….