Pumpkin Donut Muffins

Two years, sixty three recipes, ~12,000 page views from 10 different countries and 46 of the 50 states…not too shabby!  I hope you all are enjoying the recipes as much as I am.  This blog is something I look forward to writing (and eating) the recipes that inspire me.  Feel free to send me ideas or family recipes…I am always looking for something new. 

With this marking my two year anniversary (well two years and six days), I thought I would come full circle and post another fall/Halloween inspired dish…pumpkin donut muffins.  Seeing that I work in marketing research I read a lot about consumer trends, specifically related to food. I came across an article that said pumpkin spiced/flavored foods have increased 234% since 2008…a huge increase!  Here is one more to add to the list…enjoy!

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

 I have been on a wild rice kick lately (this is just one of the few recipes I have cooked) and having a great fall!  My house is feeling more and more like a home, especially with the new additions of fall mums, Halloween décor and birch wood logs.  My mom came up and visited a few weekends ago and we had a blast visiting an apple farm.  I keep trying to make apple recipes, but I really don’t like hot cooked apples, so instead of posting recipes I don't like, I decided to post this one - much better!

Whipped Feta

This weekend was a pretty darn good one!  One of my closest friends was in Chicago this weekend, I played host at home for the first time at home, and I made some great appetizers, one of which I am sharing today.  I am not sure about you, but I LOVE all kinds of cheese, anything from cheese wiz all the way to the fancy cheeses.  As I was trying to find some appetizer inspiration, I stumbled across a blog with an entry titled “whipped feta” – I was hooked.  This is one of the easiest things you can do and packs a lot of flavor.  I spread the whipped feta on some toasted garlic bread, roasted some Campari tomatoes with olive oil, 3 garlic cloves and topped it off with a little fresh basil…yummy!  

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Labor Day weekend in Chicago means the Jazz Festival is in town (and summer is coming to an end). There is nothing more fun than sitting on a lawn with friends, drinking some wine, listening to Jazz, and enjoying some great food.  I saw this recipe on Pinterest a few weeks ago and have wanted to try it out, but knew I needed an occasion when multiple people would help me eat it (great for a party).  I just love how the little bit of heat mixes will the cool coleslaw and the sweetness of the Kings Hawaiian bun.  It is finger licking good! 

Chicken with Mushrooms & Cream Sauce (Julia Child)

 After not sleeping much this week my body gave out on Friday and I was feeling pretty miserable.  I slept most of the afternoon on Friday, all Friday night and parts of the day on Saturday…I guess my body needed it!  Unfortunately I had to miss a good friend’s air & water show party, but on the other hand, I got in some quality movie time on the couch (during the few hours I was awake).  Funny enough, Julie & Julia was on which is where I found my inspiration this week….the great Julia Child!  This is a super easy and very tasty and comforting dish…I made enough to have for left overs tomorrow night (and maybe the next).  I also had some brussel sprouts in the fridge and roasted them in the oven (similar recipe to the roasted broccoli recipe I have posted).    Bon Appetite (in my best Julia Child high pitched voice)!

Elote

I love when inspiration hits!  After a Cubs game outing last week I joined some friends at Moe’s Cantina for a drink and dinner.  We ordered a bunch of food to share and one of the dishes was called Elote.  Oh, my, goodness, it was DELICIOUS!  We couldn’t get enough…corn in a cheesy, creamy, spicy Mexican dish.  So, I set out to find a recipe to try and found this one.  I am definitely making this again and bring it to an upcoming air & water show party – it is sure to be a crowd pleaser!  Summer is still here and it is prime corn season, so I would strike while the iron is hot! 

Oatmeal Chia Bites

I love when recipes are shared with me (so send me your fav’s!).  About a week ago I was chatting with a research vendor about a project I am thinking about working with them on and she passed along a fun recipe that includes Quaker Oats!  Now, this definitely isn’t low in sugar, but it does have pretty natural and basic ingredients…you can even rationalize popping one since it has flax and chia seeds (I promise you, you can’t taste them).   These are super quick!  I forgot to pick up vanilla at the grocery store, so mine was missing that, but it still tasted great!   

Tzatziki Sauce

I have been rather uninspired recently with recipes (so please email me some good ones!).  But, inspiration finally hit me when I was looking through some old pictures of one of my favorite trips…Greece!   I remembered falling in love with tzatziki and eating massive amounts of it.  Being that it is summer and is hot (well some of the time it’s hot), I thought this would be a great recipe to share.  It is SUPER simple, very fresh and good for you!

Ricotta & Orzo Stuffed Tomatoes

Well, life has been a little busy lately and I have grown very delinquent on posting.  I guess when most of your pots and pans are packed for a month it makes it a bit hard to cook.  This is officially my first post in my new place.  Most of my weekends since moving in have involved some sort of home improvement project and multiple trips to Home Depot – I believe my house is putting me through a little new home buyer hazing (I hope it ends soon). 

Enchilada Mac & Cheese

Oh man, I think I have found the mother of all comfort food – enchilada mac & cheese.  The perfect combination of two of my favorite foods.  It kind of reminds me of hamburger helper, but SO MUCH better and just as easy.  I was looking for a recipe that sparked my interest this week when I came across this.  Now, keep in mind, I have been working out quite a bit lately and watching what I eat (bathing suit season is coming soon – or that is what  I keep telling myself even though it is in the low 20’s today), so when I saw this,  my mouth started salivating.  I knew I had to let myself splurge and try this out.   

Chocolate Dipped Madeleine's

YOLO!! The Year Of Lindsay Ohyeah, is off to a great start!  Now, I know claiming an entire year for myself probably sounds a little (okay maybe a lot) narcissistic, but I swear it’s not all about me and everyone can share in the fun.  Going into 2014, I knew this was going to be the last 6 months of my 20’s and the first 6 months of my 30’s and I wanted shake things up and give myself an excuse of live life to the fullest and celebrate where I have been, what I have learned and the exciting surprises yet to come – something everyone should allow themselves to do.  As most of my close friends know, I tend to throw a lot of myself into work, and this is a great way to give myself a break and ensure I find that work/life balance. 

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

It’s been a whirl wind of a week.  It started off with another polar vortex and a two day off-site at the “Marketing The PepsiCo Way” training (not a fun time getting over to McCormick Place in -12 degree weather and even worse wind chills).  On the flip side though, if I ever visit Antarctica, I have learned the art of dressing in layers:  tights, winter running leggings, wool knee socks (thanks mom), wool dress, turtleneck, sweater, two scarves, fleece headband, two pairs of gloves, Uggs, long puffy jacket with hood – takes me a while to de-robe once I get to work. 

Chipotle Cheddar Biscuits

Biscuits….mmmmmmm yummy!  I was asked by a co-worker to find a great biscuit recipe which inspired me this morning.  I believe he was thinking more of a plain buttermilk type biscuit, but one of my favorite little shops in Old Town popped in my head – The Twisted Baker.  Ann and I used to meet there for breakfast on the weekends before she moved in with Matt and it is such a cute little bakery (made me want to open a place of my own).  They have a breakfast sandwich using chipotle cheddar biscuits as the buns with bacon, egg and cheese on it.  Just thinking of it makes me want to squeeze my fingertips together, make a kissing noise and say “PERFECTO!” Okay, okay, I might be going a little overboard, but they are pretty darn good. 

Grilled Chicken Salad with Lemony Dijon Dressing

Cafeteria food, usually not something to be excited about but PepsiCo has a pretty nice cafeteria, including a great salad bar.  About a year ago I made a commitment to making sure I eat more greens, so, for the past year I have been making myself a salad for lunch every day.  Well, not every day.  Every other Wednesday is Sushi Day and it is a little crazy how much we look forward to that day (really good classics made in front of you).  After a year of eating salad, I have become a little tired of the same salad every day. 

Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Caramelized Onions and Spinach

Pasta…the dish that can instantly put you in a good mood.  A few months ago I was traveling a good amount and when it finally came to an end, I went in search of a comfort food recipe.  I stumbled across this one on Pintrest and LOVED it!  Such great flavors with the caramelized onions, mushrooms and spinach.  The directions and ingredients seem a bit long, but don’t let it scare you away, it is a pretty easy dish to make.  With another blast of polar air heading to the Midwest this week, I would definitely suggest adding it to the dinner rotation this week.  Enjoy!