Coffee and Cannolis

I'll admit that we don't eat a lot of vegetables in our house; however this is something I've been trying to rectify.  I don't really mind zucchini but it's a kind of "new" vegetable to me.  Seeing recipes like this have made me think this looks like a good way to reintroduce the summer vegetable in to our meals.  Because they're coated with a breadcrumb and cheese mixture before being baked into "chips" they're like a masked version of the vegetable.  These will be something I keep in my back pocket if we end up having picky kids!  They could make a great side-dish with some burgers (which is how we enjoyed them), or a good after school snack for kids perhaps! Oven Baked Zucchini Chips Ingredients: 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs 1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan Cheese 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 2 tablespoons water 1 egg, beaten 2 1/2 cups 1/4 inch sliced zucchini (about 2 small) Cooking

Growing up in St. Louis, it's pretty common to find Toasted Ravioli on local restaurant appetizer menus.  Toasted Ravs (as locals refer to them), are typically meat filled ravioli breaded with Italian breadcrumbs then deep fried until hot and golden, served with warm marinara sauce and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.   At every St. Louis grocery store (or at least the one's I shop at) you're able to find frozen Toasted Ravs that can be baked or fried.  They're also available in other varieties, but most restaurants stick with the good ol' fashioned meat filling. I admit that until recently we've always had a package or two of these in the freezer for quick snacks or a small weekend lunch.  They're delicious so you can't really blame me.  However, as soon as I got my new pasta roller I knew that the first thing I wanted was a big batch of homemade toasted ravs to take place of the prepackaged variety.   I am so glad I decided to make these.  One batch

There are many things I want to try in the kitchen, and yeast bread making is definitely one of them.  I decided to take the leap and try these Brioche burger buns I've had on my list to try for a few months.  I always get annoyed  that when I want burgers , Sloppy Joes , or household favorite Spicy Chicken Sandwiches , I have to plan 3-4 bun-friendly meals, which rarely equates to figure-friendly.  The reason for planning that way is that I hate to buy a package of hamburger buns just to use only half of it!  I know people say you can freeze store-bought bread products, but come on... they're nasty thawed out.  That being said, I do believe that heartier bread products, and those made without nasty chemicals do freeze and thaw well, which is why I finally broke down and tried my hand a burger buns, so I could freeze the leftovers to use later. The buns were actually easier to make than I expected and tasted every bit as good as I'd hoped.  The only thing I'll change

You may, or may not recognize this dish from a post way back in the day on this blog, however I've adapted it a bit and wanted to post my new version.  This is one of my favorite comfort food meals.  In the past I've always made it using convenience foods, which is still fantastic, however making it from scratch only takes a few extra minutes and is much more rewarding.   Chicken and Stuffing Casserole Ingredients: 1 lb. boneless/skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness and cut into 1" cubes, or 1 lb. shredded cooked chicken 2 Tablespoons butter 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 Tablespoons flour 1 cup warm chicken broth 1/2 cup warm milk 8 oz. Sour Cream 1-2 cups thawed frozen vegetables of choice 1/2 cup shredded cheese.  I use cheddar but Swiss would be amazing if my husband liked it! 2 cups stale bread cubes 2 teaspoons desired herbs (such as parsley, sage and thyme) Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a casserole dish with cooking spray. In

Homemade Soft Pretzels have been on my list to make for a long time, and I finally had a legitimate reason to make them; meaning, a reason to make some and get them out of my house so I don't eat them all.  While, these were a little time consuming, they were so worth it.  In actuality, I found the whole process to be relatively relaxing.  One thing to remember - time consuming does not always equal hard.  These were not hard to make by any means... Relaxing, remember?! Of course, in cooking and baking, at the end of the day the most important thing is that it tastes good.  These were fantastic.  I can't wait to make some more again.  I chose not to shape in the more traditional twist shape, choosing to make pretzel sticks instead.  Additionally, I used some of the dough to make pretzel rolls/buns because I LOVE sandwiches on pretzel buns. Homemade Soft Pretzels and Pretzel Rolls Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees F) 1 tablspoon sugar 2 teaspoons kosher