Maple Pecan Scones

One of our favorite fall treats from Starbucks is their Maple Pecan Scones. Luke got me hooked many years ago, and they are still one of my favorites. Last Saturday, I decided to try and make some at home. The result? Maple Pecan scones even better then Starbucks. Seriously. Try them for yourself and you will love them. I am thinking that these would be perfect for breakfast on Thanksgiving day.

Maple Pecan Scones (I found the recipe here)
1 cup oats
1 1/2 cups flour
2 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 T baking powder
2 T maple syrup
2 1/2 T cold butter (cut into small pieces)
1 large egg
1/2 cup half and half (or heavy cream)
1/2-3/4 tsp maple extract
2/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp maple extract (I think I used slightly more)
5 tsps hot water

*Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Use a food processor or blender to finely grind oats. Using a mixer, mix flour, oats, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add maple syrup and butter; mix well. In a small bowl, beat the egg, cream, and maple extract. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and mix well. Add pecans and mix.
*Place dough on a floured surface (note: dough is very sticky at this point). Knead dough 8-10 times and pat into a circle. Use a pizza cutter to cut 8 wedges.
*Put scones on a a greased baking sheet, slightly separated. Cook 13-15 minutes, until slightly brown. (Note: I checked my scones at 12 minutes and they were brown and done). Remove scones from pan and put on a wire rack to cool. Cool for 3-5 minutes.
*Mix glaze ingredients until smooth. Add more or less water depending on the desired consistency of the glaze. I kept the glaze fairly thick, because it thins out on the warm scones. Spread glaze on scones and wait about 15 minutes to serve (to allow the glaze to dry).

The end result is yummy, better then Starbucks, scones. I added sprinkles to a few of the scones, because everything is better with sprinkles in the mind of child. Silas loved the scones- and ate an entire one. Both Luke and I loved these scones- this recipe is a keeper!

Mom's Brownies

I wanted to share with you my favorite brownie recipe. Seriously, so good. This is the recipe my mom has made my whole life, hence "Mom's Brownies."

Mom's Brownies
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

~Melt chocolate and butter together in a small pan. In a medium bowl, mix sugar and eggs together. Add melted chocolate/butter. Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt.
~Pour batter into a greased 8 by 8 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Icing
1 T. Butter
1 square unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/t T. hot water

~Melt butter and chocolate together in  a pan. Once melted, add powdered sugar and hot water. Stir until smooth. Spread on brownies. (I normally spread them on the brownies after they have been out of the oven for a few minutes, so they are still warm.)
~Optional: sprinkle with nuts or mini M&M's. We choose the M&M's.

Mom's Brownies

This recipe is really quick and easy. Once you taste them, you may never buy a brownie mix again. Enjoy!

Things I love... California Edition

Alternatively titled: What we will do when we go to California.

In-N-Out
Nothing more really needs to be said. If you have eaten In-N-Out, you know what's to love. If In-N-Out could be here in Colorado, and I could eat at In-N-Out AND Chick-fil-a whenever I wanted, life may just be perfect! :)

CCC's
Again, food. Or rather, a drink. CCC's are Chocolate Coffee Creams- a drink that my favorite coffee shop, the Great Bear, in Los Gatos, CA makes. Luke took me here on our second date. I told him that I don't drink or like coffee. He assured me, I would like a CCC. I was certain he would be wrong. And he was right. Yes, you heard it! My husband was right. CCC's are like a little bit of heaven, especially on a hot summer day. I really miss CCC's, but considerung they are loaded with lots of fat and calories, it may be a good thing I can only have them on the rare occasion we are back in San Jose. (And in case you are curious, a CCC is made with Ghiardelli Chocolate Powder, iced coffee, milk, and ice cream; basically a chocolate coffee shake. And topped with real, homemade whipped cream).

The Fountain in Los Gatos
We started taking Silas to the fountain in downtown Los Gatos when he was one year old. He loved it! Luke and I both love Los Gatos- Luke always dreamed of living in downtown Los Gatos. (Dreamed because it's insanely expensive). When we lived in California, one of our favorite things to do was spend the afternoon in Los Gatos. Los Gatos has a small town feel, a very cute downtown, and is surrounded by the Santa Cruz Mountains. There are lots of great restaurants. Fun, unique shops. Some chain stores we like (William Sonoma, Gap, Borders). Coffee shops. Candy and ice cream shops. And the fountain. It's a pretty perfect place to spend a beautiful afternoon.

The Santa Cruz Boardwalk

Our last year in California, we started going to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk a couple of times a summer with our friends Brian and Marny (and their kids). We would go to the Boardwalk on Monday or Tuesday night- when all rides are $1- and some food items are $1 (soda, cotton candy, and hot dogs- and let me tell you, the hot dogs taste like they cost $1. I had one once, never again.) Mostly the kids go on rides and we have chance to hang out with some of our best friends and catch up. And the ocean is right there- the Boardwalk is lit up. It's so much fun! 

Pizza My Heart

This is a northern California pizza chain. They sell pizza by the slice- and the slices are huge! Their restaurants are surfing in theme- surf posters, surf boards hanging from the wall... We ate their often when we lived in California. We would grab pizza in Capitola and eat it on the beach. There is a Pizza My Heart in Los Gatos- we ate their often. And another favorite location was the one located right next to San Jose State University. When Luke was still in school, Silas and I would meet him there for dinner some nights when he had class... Lots of memories at this place- and the pizza is delicious!

Willow Street Pizza
Probably the restaurant I miss the most... I waitressed at Willow Street for 5 years. I started their shortly after I moved to California and waitressed until I was 8 months pregnant with Silas. I always hoped to go back- it was a fun restaurant to work at and I always made great tips! I worked at the original Willow Street in Willow Glen- it's small and quaint- with lots of regular customers. When I was pregnant, I had some of my customers bring me baby presents... After I quit, we ate there often. I still have friends that work there- and the food is as good as ever! My favorite pizzas: Thai Chicken and Garlic Chicken. My favorite sandwich: Chicken Pesto Sandwich with Garlic Fries. (Oh, the garlic fries are so good! When I used to work there, sometimes I would have garlic fries and plate of pepperoni for lunch. Honestly, I have no idea how I don't have a serious weight problem!) Favorite dessert: Carmel Apple Bread Pudding. Favorite free thing they serve? Homemade Honey Wheat Bread- made twice a day. Always delicious- especially good right out of the oven. 

La Villa Ravioli
A little Italian deli in Willow Glen that makes amazing handmade raviolis. I didn't discover this little gem until I had been living in California for years. Sad. I miss it. Last time we were in California, I went and bought a bunch of the raviolis, froze them, and brought them home to Colorado. Yep! I carry food on flights- sometimes it's a wonder that Luke puts up with me! :) And yes, I will be bringing more home when we go to California in a few weeks.

Lunardi's
One of my favorite grocery stores. Is it weird that I have favorite grocery stores? Probably. And truth be told, I have a few. We shopped at Lunardi's mostly for produce- great produce and pretty good prices. And good meat. They have very quite kid size shopping carts- that Silas loved. He was a little maniac- pushing the cart around the store. :) And the bonus is they give free cookies to kids- whatever kind they want. Silas always would choose a sugar cookie with big sprinkles covering it.

Trader Joe's
Another favorite grocery store. I have no idea why we don't have Trader Joe's in Colorado. I have heard it's because of the liquor laws... I have heard it's because we don't live close enough to a distribution center... The truth is that there are lots of people from California that live in Colorado. Hence, there are lots of people wanting Trader Joe's here. I hope someday they will open here. We will bring some of our favorite things home with us (like their Cinnamon Bread). But there are some favorite items that can't make the trip because they have to be frozen... Orange Chicken, Chocolate Croissants, Burritos... I have often said that if there was an In-N-Out and Trader Joe's in Colorado, it would be a perfect place to live.

Santana Row
Think upscale restaurants, shops, hotels, and lofts. This is Santana Row. I have heard some call it the Beverly Hills of northern California. It's not nearly that big- maybe 4 blocks long and 3 blocks wide. Before we had kids, I was a secret shopper for a company that was hired by a lot of restaurants (one of them being Willow Street, which was how I got connected with them.) This company "shopped" most of the restaurants in Santana Row. So I would receive a few assignments a month to visit specific restaurants- and we were reimbursed for our expenses. We had the opportunity to eat at quite a few restaurants we never would have visited if we were paying for it. Some of our favorite restaurants in Santana Row are Strait's, Yankee Pier, the Counter, and Pasta Pomadoro. Santana Row was a fun "date night" place for us. Dinner, coffee, stores to shop in, and a fun atmosphere.

Vasona Park
One of our favorite parks in Los Gatos. Luke and I had engagement and some wedding pictures done here. It's beautiful! Lots of walking paths and trails. A lake. Multiple play structures for kids. Picnic areas. And Silas' favorites: a carousel and train to ride.

Sprinkles

The first (and only time) I have had Sprinkles cupcakes was in April of 2010. We were on a trip to San Diego and stopped for lunch (and to try to spot some stars) in Beverly Hills. I had read about Sprinkles (probably in People magazine)- and when we saw it, I had to stop and try these cupcakes. WOW! They did not disappoint. They were amazingly delicious! I have tried other specialty cupcakes from shops and nothing has compared to Sprinkles. My favorite was a dark chocolate cupcake. I am hoping we will be able to hit the Sprinkles in Beverly Hills and in Palo Alto when we are in California- you only live once! :)

The Ocean

I have realized that for me, water = life. Colorado is DRY. I miss water. We definitely did not taken advantage of how close we lived to the ocean. But when we did take the time to go to the beach, we loved it. We are looking forward to going to the beach in San Diego and in Santa Cruz.

Phil's BBQ

This is our favorite San Diego restaurant. It is the best BBQ I have ever had. Seriously. It's that good. The line is almost always out the door. But it's worth the wait. My favorite is the Broham sandwich- which a BBQ pork sandwich- and huge. And I eat the entire thing. :)

"Our" Children's Museum

Silas always calls the Children's Museum in San Jose, "Our Children's Museum." We had a membership to the museum when we lived in California- and we definitely got our money's worth. We went a lot. And I miss it too. We loved going as a family- and it was a great place to meet friends and play. I have lots of happy memories at the Children's Museum.

Well I started this post over a month ago... and I am glad that I waited until now to finish it. Writing about our favorite places and looking at some of these pictures... it makes me homesick! I am so glad that we are going to California soon. We miss lots of people in California- and lots of our favorite things and places. But it's not where we want to be anymore (at least not most days). Colorado is finally starting to feel like home- and we are so happy to be here. But we excited to be going back to California for a long visit! :)

Summertime Fun

We are having a great time with my sister and her family this week. We have been to the park, swimming at the Y, and to Focus on the Family to play. (Up tomorrow: a water park). Plus we have had hours of playing and just being silly. And, who could forget, FOOD! We have grilled out (AKA: barbecued) and had a picnic. We have also eaten at Chick-fil-a, Chili's, BJ's Brewery (pizookies!), and LuLu's Frozen Yogurt.

For my sister's family and my family, bedtime is flexible- especially in the summer. For my family, when it's light out later, somehow we end up always doing things late in the evenings- and the kids end up being up late. Last Friday night we were at Target- until they closed! On Sunday night, we were at Kohl's until they closed- and then went grocery shopping. So we thought nothing of going out for frozen yogurt at 8:30pm last night. Sugar before bedtime? Not a problem in our family! That's the benefit to going to bed late... they are tired enough that sugar doesn't effect them. And the added bonus for me is they sleep in the next day! 

Me and Natalie... Natalie was my first niece- she will turn
10 years old next week. Hard to believe!

Kelly, Corey, Kieran, and Natalie- love her expression. :)

Luke's frozen yogurt

My frozen yogurt

Luke and I are similar in lots of way- yet so different in others. One way we are different is dessert. My motto when it comes to dessert is: "If it's not chocolate, it's not dessert." While Luke does like chocolate things, he also loves fruity things- and considers them dessert. Luke's frozen yogurt choice: Summer Lime and Razzmatazz. No toppings. My frozen yogurt choice: Fudgesicle. Toppings: M&M's, brownie pieces, cookie dough, and peanut butter cups. 

My parents, AKA: Papa and Grammie (or Gaga)

This little guy is always smiling... even when missing out
on yummy stuff like frozen yogurt!

Best Buds: Silas and Connor

Luke and Teyla 

Kieran trying the lime frozen yogurt... :)

Eliana, AKA: Miss Messy Face

LuLu's Frozen Yogurt....

is good to the...

very last drop!

Foodie Friday: Mediterranean Beef Stir Fry

Mediterranean Beef Stir Fry
1/2 lb. sirloin steak
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. minced dried onion
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
6 oz. linguine
2 T. butter
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. olive oil or cooking oil
1 c. broccoli
1 c. cauliflower
1 c. carrots (sliced)
1 c. mushrooms (sliced)
Grated Parmesan cheese

Cut up all of the vegetables and set aside.

Thinly slice across the grain, bite size strips of steak. Combine water, vinegar, onion, pepper, and red pepper together in a medium size bowl. Add meat and mix well. Marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature.

 In a large pan, Sir fry garlic in 3 T. oil for 30 seconds.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the marinade and add to pan. Add cornstarch to the remaining marinade. Stir and set aside. Cook meat for about 3 minutes.

Add vegetables- stir fry about 5-7 minutes, until vegetables are tender. (I put a lid on the pan because it helps the vegetables cook faster.)

Add marinade to meat and vegetables. Cook and stir until bubbly (about 2 minutes). Meanwhile, cook linguine pasta. Toss with butter after cooked and drained. Serve with pasta and parmesan cheese. Makes 3-4 servings

My notes: When I make this, I often use more meat then the recipe calls for- probably more like one pound. This means that I also sometimes increase the marinade. I also sometimes change the amounts of vegetables. I don't love mushrooms, so I often do less mushrooms and more of the other vegetables. I served this with a strawberry and orange romaine salad you can find here.

Looking for more great recipes? Check out Designs by Gollum.

Summer Quesadillas

My mom is all about food being "summer food" or "winter food"- and it always seemed silly to me. Guess what? I totally get it now. Some food just tastes better when it's hot out! So the other night I made quesadillas- and not just regular quesadillas... Roasted Corn and Chicken Quesadillas. They are good- and spicy! This is a pretty quick dinner that uses ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.

Roasted Corn and Chicken Quesadillas
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken- cut into 1/2" cubes (I used 2 chicken breasts for this)
1 cup frozen corn
3/4 cup medium salsa
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup mayo (I used light mayo)
2 tsp. chili powder
1 (12 oz) pkg. flour tortillas (8- 7" tortillas)
1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese (or you can use colby/monterey jack cheese; I used a mixture of colby jack and pepper jack cheese)

~Combine chicken, corn, 1/2 cup salsa, and salt. Spread mixture in a single layer in a 9 by 13 pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, stirring half way through.

Chicken, corn, and salsa mixture ready to go in the oven

~In a small bowl combine mayo, chili powder, and remaining 1/4 cup salsa. Spread mayo mixture evenly over half of each tortilla. Using a slotted spoon, top mayo with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Fold each tortilla in half and press down gently.

Assembly line! Tortillas, mayo spread, chicken mixture, and cheese.

~Cover a 16 by 14 baking sheet with foil. Spray foil with no stick cooking spray. Arrange quesadillas evenly on baking sheet. Lightly spray top of quesadillas with cooking spray. Bake for 5 minutes at 450 degrees. Take the quesadillas out of the oven, carefully turn them over, and put them back in the oven for about 5 more minutes. Let the quesadillas stand for about 2 minutes before serving. Serve with additional salsa and sour cream.

And dinner is ready!

Gluten and Dairy Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Tonight we had dinner with a family that I knew from my trips to Guatemala. They were missionaries there years ago when Guatemala was a country I visited frequently. (True Story: I visited enough times in one year that I was stopped and questioned at immigration when returning to the U.S. because they suspected I was smuggling drugs). I went to Guatemala on mission trips, as well as to visit my friends the Ellers, who lived there as missionaries. Their teammates and neighbors were the Stiff' and I got to know them during my time in Guatemala. The Stiff's now live in Colorado, literally 5 minutes from us. Last week I ran into Nell and we made plans to have dinner this week. So tonight we went to their home for a BBQ and I volunteered to bring dessert. I made brownies and cookies. I found this recipe for gluten free and dairy free peanut butter cookies on numerous websites and the reviews were all very good. I was skeptical, but thought I would give it a try. And I am so glad I did. They. Are. Delicious.

The recipe is very easy:
1 cup sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp. baking soda

~Mix the sugar and peanut butter together first. Then add the egg and baking soda and stir until creamy. Roll the dough into small balls, about 1" in size. (I also rolled the balls in sugar before putting them on a cookie tray). Then press the dough down with a fork to flatten the cookies. Bake at 325 for 8-10 minutes. I pulled my cookies out at about 9 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely while on the cookie tray. (This is important because they are essentially still cooking a little more).

~I am sure you could add chocolate chips to this recipe to make them even more delicious. I might try adding mini chocolate chips next time.

So there you have it! Simple and delicious. And perfect for people that have food allergies. Enjoy! :)

Sausage and Vegetable Stir Fry

Another quick and easy dinner idea for you. This is a meal idea that my mom came up with- and one that I really like. One reason I like it is because it allows you to use any vegetables you have on hand. So I often make it when I have a bunch of vegetables that I need to use. So for those of you who have a vegetable garden, this might be a great idea for you! There isn't a real "recipe," just a list of ingredients to add to your liking.

The ingredients in it are smoked sausage; I used Hormel Beef Smoked Sausage. When making this dish for me and Luke, I use about half the sausage. Add a bunch of cut up vegetables, cooked pasta, Italian dressing, and Italian seasoning.

The first step is to slice the sausage and cook it. I cook the sausage on both sides until it starts to brown. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside. I wipe out the grease from the pan before using it saute the vegetables.

Next, start boiling some water to make pasta. I make about 3 servings of pasta when making this for us. Then cut up a bunch of fresh vegetables- how ever much you want to eat. Use whatever vegetables you like and have on hand. This time I used little tomatoes, baby carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, and red onions. In the past I have also used zucchini, cauliflower, red peppers, and white onions.

Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil and add the vegetables. Saute until tender. Add Italian seasoning and Italian dressing. (I used low fat dressing.) Add as little or as much as you want. Add the cooked pasta and sausage to the vegetables. Cook a few more minutes until everything is heated through. We always have leftovers when I make this. Somehow the dish always ends up larger then I expect. Luke often ends up bringing the leftovers to work for lunch.

I served this dish with a simple salad. Romaine lettuce, mandarin oranges, sliced strawberries, and sugared pecans. Luke used a balsamic vinaigrette for dressing. I don't use salad dressing. (I know, weird. But typically, I don't even eat salad.)

And I will leave you with a picture of my cooking assistant that evening- sitting in a Bumbo for the first time! Isn't he just the cutest?!?