Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Fluffy Cinnamon Vanilla Frosting

As promised, ANOTHER Martha Stewart recipe! I actually made these a week or so ago and have just now gotten around to telling you about them. I made these for my friend Shaunda. Her birthday was at the beginning of October, but I didn't actually get the chance to bake something for her on her actual birthday because I was out of town.

Of course I turned to my trusty Martha Stewart Cupcake Cookbook for a recipe! I had marked her Snickerdoodle Cupcakes to make in the fall and thought Shaunda's birthday was the prefect opportunity to try it out!

...Maybe not so much...

I must tell all of you that Martha calls for these cupcakes to be frosted with her famous Seven-Minute Frosting. I DID have great intentions of making the frosting, but for whatever reason it just would not come together. I got very frustrated and I finally had to give up on the Seven-Minute Frosting and turn to something else. I was running out of patience and ingredients! lol So I instead decided on her Fluffy Vanilla Frosting, but made a couple changes to it so that it would complement the Snickerdoodle Cupcakes. All in all, I think the cupcakes turned out great, however, I really was hoping to have success with the Seven-Minute Frosting. I think the cupcakes would have looked a lot prettier and probably not been as sweet (don't get me wrong they were delicious, just probably would have been better with the other frosting). Until next time Seven-Minute Frosting ... get ready cause I AM gonna master you! ;o)

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Fluffy Cinnamon Vanilla Frosting

(recipe from Martha Stewart Cupcakes, also found here)

For the cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus 1/2 teaspoon for dusting
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 2 days at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

For the frosting: (below are with my changes, check here for the original version)
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons cinnamon

With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Reduce speed to medium. Add the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed; after every two additions, raise speed to high and beat 10 seconds to aerate frosting, then return to medium-high. This process should take about 5 minutes. Frosting will be very pale and fluffy.

Add vanilla and cinnamon, and beat until frosting is smooth. If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 10 days in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes.

**I also dusted the tops of my cupcakes with addition cinnamon (NOT CINNAMON SUGAR-that would make it too sweet).**

Applesauce Spice Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

A co-worker of mine had a birthday coming up and I had already planned to make her something special...I just didn't know what. Part of me wanted to make a cake, but the other part of me wanted to have another excuse to make another recipe out of Martha Stewart's Cupcake Cookbook! (Stay tuned I have another one coming that is just as good!)

I flipped through the pages of the cookbook trying to pick something I thought would suite her taste buds. I finally decided on Martha's Applesauce Spice Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting. Whew...that's a mouthful! I wanted to make something that fit the fall season (hence the Halloween liners!), but I didn't know if she would like the flavors. It turns out it happens to be one of her favorites, lucky me!

These cupcakes we incredible! I can't even begin to tell you how moist they were. Applesauce always seems to make such a big difference (and it's better for you). The flavor was so good and the Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting complimented it so well. I omitted the nuts from the recipe, just because some people don't care for them, but you certainly could leave them in. I actually think I wouldn't have enjoyed these as much with them. These cupcakes really were amazing! Another BIG Martha success! :o) If you are looking to make a treat for this fall season and want something that's not pumpkin, give these a try. They will be a crowd pleaser!

Applesauce Spice Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

(recipe from Martha Stewart Cupcakes...also found here)

For Applesauce Spice Cupcakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups store-bought applesauce

1 cup toasted pecans, chopped (optional - I omitted)

For Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin and a 6-cup tin with paper liners. **While the original recipe says it makes 18 cupcakes, I was able to get 22 out of the recipe. I used my large Pampered Chef scoop to dish out the batter evenly. I think 18 would have made HUGE cupcakes.**

Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves together into a medium bowl. Set aside.

Put 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, the granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs, one at a time. On low speed, mix in applesauce and then flour mixture. Stir in nuts, if using, by hand.

Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely in tins on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in the clean bowl of electric mixer make frosting. Mix cream cheese with remaining 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter and 1 cup brown sugar on medium speed until smooth. Spread cream-cheese frosting on muffins. Muffins can be refrigerated in airtight containers up to 2 days.

Mini Oreo Cheesecakes

I am sure you all know by now of my not-so-secret-sudden-obsession with Miss Martha Stewart!! I admit, I was a little stand-offish at first, but I have since learned to let all that go! She really has some fantastic cookbooks and magazines out there. I love her Everyday Food Magazine, and I especially love her two recent cookbooks!!! (Martha Stewart Cupcakes and Martha Stewart Cookies) I can't seem to stay away from her recipes. I really have yet, knock on wood, to be let down by one of her recipes! If you are like I used to be about Martha, maybe you too should take a step down and see what all the fuss is about...take it from me, it's totally worth it!

So this past weekend, I was going to someones house and needed to bring a dessert. I knew right away that I wanted to make something out of Martha's Cupcake Cookbook, I just wasn't sure what to make. I mean there are so MANY recipes I am dying to try out! That being said I flipped through the book and decided on her Mini Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes. They looked so cute and I loved the idea of the whole Oreo on the bottom acting as the "crust" of the cheesecake.

The cupcakes turned out perfectly! They had a great flavor and completely satisfied my sweet tooth (which can sometimes be difficult!). The cheesecake was smooth and creamy and the little bits of oreos swirled throughout was just enough. No glass of milk needed to dunk these oreos that's for sure!

Mini Oreo Cheesecakes

(recipe from Martha Stewart Cupcakes Cookbook)

42 Oreos, 30 left whole, and 12 coarsely chopped (this is almost 1 whole package of Oreos)

2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature (or 4 8 ounce packages)

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

1 cup sour cream

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. I used my Pampered Chef Large Cookie Scoop to evenly fill my cupcake liners. (I also was able to make 32 cupcakes, the recipe says it makes 30.)

Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

Chocolate Cupcake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream

This is one of the best recipes I have tasted for a chocolate cupcake! Go figure the recipe came from Martha Stewart! :o) I had been wanting Martha's Cupcake Cookbook for some time (really since it hit store shelves!) but couldn't seem to justify spending money on another cookbook. I don't really buy myself stuff, especially cooking stuff, I always seem to have a "wish list" full of things I want/desire. I guess I just feel like it is crazy to continue buying myself stuff when we need things like groceries, gas...a roof over our heads! :o) All things that take precedence over my silly baking hobby!

So I just sulked about it for months...watching everyone else blog about Martha cupcake goodness...yes I had cupcake envy! Then one day I came home from work to find that the hubs had a surprise on the table waiting for me! It was indeed Martha's cupcake book, and actually sitting right next to it was Hello Cupcake! (yet another book I was wanting)!! What a great guy he is!

But back to these wonderful cupcakes...
So a co-worker had a "special" birthday coming up. The big "4"-"0"! I knew I wanted to make him something special, I just wasn't sure what to do. I kept going back and forth, cake - cupcake - cake - cupcake, I finally decided I wanted to do cupcakes so I could try out another Martha recipe.

I emailed my co-worker's girlfriend to find out his flavor of choice. Turns out it was chocolate! I am actually not a huge fan of chocolate, nor am I really supposed to eat much of it, but I flipped through the book anyways and came across a chocolate cupcake recipe that looked pretty tasty. It was topped with a Swiss Meringue Buttercream, which I thought would be a great combination.

Sure enough it was a FABULOUS combination and I am so glad I made them. The cupcakes were so incredibly moist and flavorful. I actually think this recipe would make a great cake. The buttercream was so smooth and creamy; it went perfectly atop the chocolate.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream

(from Martha Stewart Cupcakes, cupcakes - page 152 / buttercream - page 304)

For the cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened dutch-process cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk (see my tip for homemade buttermilk here)

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil (I used canola)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup warm water

For the buttercream:

5 large egg whites

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar

pinch of salt

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into Tablespoons, brought to room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Reduce speed to low. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, extract and the warm water. Beat until smooth and combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. (Batter will be thin.)

Divide batter evenly among the lined cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, about 10 minutes. Turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.

Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months in an air tight container.

For the buttercream:

Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in the heatproof bowl of a standing mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved (the mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingertips).

Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, whisk until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, and completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl), about 10 minutes.

With mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once all butter has been added, whisk in vanilla. Switch to the paddle attachment, and continue beating on low speed until all air bubbles are eliminated, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with a flexible spatula, and continue beating until the frosting is completely smooth. Keep buttercream at room temperature if using the same day, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat with paddle attachment on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes.

NOTE: Don't worry if the mixture appears to separate or "curdle" after you've added the butter. Simply continue beating it on medium-high speed, and it will become smooth again...PROMISE!!!

(Optional) To tint buttercream (or royal icing), reserve some for toning down the color, if necessary. Add gel-paste food color, a drop at a time (or use the toothpick or skewer to add food color a dab at a time) to the remaining buttercream. You can use a single shade of food color or experiment by mixing two or more. Blend after each addition with the mixer (use a paddle attachment) or a flexible spatula, until desired shade is achieved. Avoid adding too much food color too soon, as the hue will intensify with continued stirring; if necessary, you can tone down the shade by mixing in some reserved untinted buttercream.

To finish cupcakes:

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a medium french star tip (Ateco #863 or Wilton #363) with buttercream. (I used my Pampered Chef Easy Accent Decorator) Pipe buttercream on cupcake as desired. Cupcakes can then be stored up to 1 day at room temperature, or refrigerated up to 3 days in air tight containers. Bring to room temperature to serve.

Time to make a wish ................. make it a good one ........

Happy Birthday ya "OLD FART" :o)

~Photography by Kristen Wiltse Photography

Iced Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies

I hope you enjoyed my Parisian themed dinner! It was so delicious! I can hardly wait to make it again!

Of course here I am, sharing ANOTHER dessert with you! I guess I just have sweets on the brain lately! :o) Back on my birthday, my good friend Kristen (the one who takes all those great photos on my blog!) surprised me with Martha Stewart's Cookie Cookbook for my birthday! What a great friend!!! :o) I knew I had to thank her by making her cookies of course! So I looked through the cookbook to find something that I knew she would like...that is when I came across the Iced Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies! Although I am sure she would have loved any of the other cookies I bookmarked, there was just something about these cookies that had her name written all over them!

Kristen grew up on a farm in upstate New York. It was actually an apple farm. She has great stories about being on the farm growing up. She always talks about the homemade applesauce her mom would make and how tasty it was. (She recently even tried her hand at making homemade applesauce and did a great job!!!) So I thought these cookies would put a smile on her face, and maybe even bring back some good ol' apple memories!

These cookies turned out AMAZING! Not that I really expected anything less than amazing out of Miss Martha Stewart, the girl seriously has some great recipes. I actually have yet to come across one I did not like!! These cookies were so moist and not too sweet. I loved how the maple icing added just the right amount of sweetness to every bite.

I also made these cookies to take to a birthday get together of a friend of mine to just turned 40! (which by the way...you must see the dessert I made him for his actual birthday, it involves Martha again! I think that will be my next post!) The cookies were a huge hit there. I will definitely be making these again soon!

Iced Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies

(from Martha Stewart Cookies, page 77)

For the cookies:

4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup applesauce

1 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup raisins ** (see below for tip)

For the icing:

1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup

3 Tablespoons water (I didn't add the whole 3 Tablespoons, just add slowly to get the right consistency)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make cookies:

Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until combined. Add egg and applesauce; mix until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix in raisins.

Using a 1 1/2 inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies until golden and just set, 13 to 15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack set over parchment paper; let cool completely.

Make icing:

Whisk confectioners' sugar, maple syrup, and water until smooth. Drizzle over cookies; let set. Cookies can be stored in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

** I want to share a great little tip with you on how to plump up old raisins you may have in your cabinets. It is a great tip to have handy. Don't think those dried up little raisins aren't any good, they just need a little TLC!! :o) All you need to do is place the measured amount of raisins in a deep bowl and cover them with warm water. Let them sit for about 5 to 10 minutes. Drain off the water and pat dry with paper towels...and there you have it just like new! Fresh, plump, moist raisins ready to go into your recipe! **

~Photography by Kristen Wiltse Photography

A "lighter" Pulled Pork Sandwich

This meal was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! My husband LOVES pulled pork! I always hate buying it in the pre-made packages at the grocery store. I mean really I have nothing against Lloyd's BBQ, but it is just SO bad for you. My husband loves the stuff ... seriously could probably eat the stuff every weekend if it was up to him. That with his Lay's potato chips!!! haha

I got my Everyday Food Magazine last week, and I was so pumped to see that it had a lighter take on pulled pork inside. It was paired with a cabbage slaw, something very southern, and it sounded delicious. Having had great experience with Martha's magazine previously, I knew I wouldn't be disappointed! This was so delicious!!! Great for a lazy Sunday afternoon!
I actually did this recipe a little different than in the magazine. I knew I wanted to slow cook my pork tenderloin all morning so it would be nice and tender. So what I did was just put the tenderloin in a roasting pan and generously seasoned the outside with coarse salt and fresh ground pepper. I then baked it at 225 for about 4 hours. I turned it halfway through the 4 hours just to re-season and let some of the juices move around the pork. If you want to try it the way I did (which I HIGHLY recommend) see below. Otherwise the original recipe can be found here.

Lighter Pulled Pork Sandwiches

(adapted from Everyday Food Magazine)

1 can (15 ounces) no salt added diced tomatoes in juice

2 tablespoons brown sugar

4 garlic cloves minced

1 generous tablespoon spicy brown mustard

coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

1 pork tenderloin

*when I buy pork tenderloin at the grocery it usually comes pre-packaged with two pieces of tenderloin. I cooked both of my portions and shredded both. I froze some of the shredded pork for a rainy day...so I really only used half. But you can eyeball it. Everyday Food said it was about 1 pound of tenderloin...hope that helps.*

1/4 cup light mayo

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 head green cabbage, shredded

wheat rolls

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Generously season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper. Place in roasting pan with lid and cook for 4 hours. At the 2 hour mark turn over pork tenderloin and re-season. After 4 hours is up pull out of oven, leaving covered, let cool for 15 minutes.

While pork cools, combine the tomatoes, brown sugar, minced garlic, spicy brown mustard, salt and pepper into a blender. Pulse mixture until it is all combined. Carefully pour tomato mixture into a deep saucepan. Bring to a boil. While tomato mixture is coming to a boil, shred your pork. Once shredded, and tomato mixture is boiling, add the pork to the tomato mixture. Cover and let simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, make slaw: In a large bowl whisk together mayo, 1 tablespoon vinegar, celery seed and 1 tablespoon water. Season with salt and pepper. Add cabbage and toss to coat. Set aside.

When the 25 minutes are up on the pork, add the 1 teaspoon of vinegar and stir to combine. Prepare sandwiches as follows:

Portion a generous amount of pork onto one side of a wheat roll.

Top with cabbage slaw mixture.

Place other bun on top and enjoy!!

**Photo from Everyday Food, I must have been so into eating my sandwich I set the camera down to continue assembling mine and my husbands that I never got a picture of it as a "sandwich"!!!

hahaha silly me!!

Touchdown Tea

No party is complete without some form of a cocktail!! I wanted to find something fun and festive to have for the Superbowl Party...after all isn't the cocktail one of the most important parts of a good football game!?! So finding a drink wasn't entirely my only issue, I need to have a drink with a catchy name!!! I know I am a cheese ball, but hey that's what makes it so much fun!! So I looked....and looked....and looked and nothing really struck me. And then I got my friend looking with me....and she looked...and looked and we finally decided on a Touchdown Tea!!! Courtesy of Miss Martha Stewart!!! :o) I made a few adjusts to the original recipe that I think made it much better! I was a little nervous about this cocktail due to it having Tequila in it, but I REALLY loved it. And everyone at the party went crazy over the stuff.

Touchdown Tea

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

4 cups of low pulp orange juice

2 cups of Tequila (I used what they call Blanco or Silver Tequila)

12 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice

3 ounces of grenadine

Ice for serving

Sprite

Lemon peels for garnish

Pour orange juice, lemon juice and Tequila in a large pitcher. Add grenadine and shake. (you could wait to add this to each individual cup, but I liked the flavor it added combined in with everything)

This is how I served it:

1. I filled my cups about half full with ice.

2. Put about 1 cup of Tequila mixture over ice.

3. Top off with about 1/4 cup of Sprite.

4. Garnish with a lemon peel. To do this I took a potato peeler to the lemons I squeezed and peeled off slices of lemon peel. I then twisted them before putting them into the cups to release the oils and add another zest!

***These are not exact measurements. I am so bad at measuring ... sorry! I really just did the first one to test how it would taste and then judged it going forward. If you have any questions feel free to ask!***

You could half this recipe too, I just had a lot of people so I needed more. They were so yummy!! Some people even said that you could taste the alcohol...that's dangerous!!! :o)

-Photography courtesy of Kristen Wiltse

Calling all you healthy eaters...

I promise I am going to get a new camera, hopefully soon. These pictures just don't do this meal justice. I may try and take new pictures today...I brought the leftovers for lunch (and I am even more excited about eating it today because I think the flavors will be even better!) This was seriously one of the best dinners I have made in a long time! IT WAS SOOO GOOD!!! Again this recipe came from my Everyday Food Magazine. *shakes head* I know, all my other great cooking magazines/books feel left out!! But I can't help it, this cooking magazine is seriously life changing! HA

I always try to be a healthy eater, sometimes it works out better than other times, but this year I am really trying harder. I really enjoy eating healthy, that isn't the problem, it's all the bad stuff that I enjoy eating too!! This recipe is a great healthy recipe that fills you up and doesn't leave you feeling like crap...even after seconds!! :o) The lemon complements the tuna so nicely in this recipe. And the homemade garlic bread crumbs on top add a very nice crunch to every bite. It's such a fresh meal! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Spaghetti with Tuna, Lemon and a Garlic Breadcrumb Topping

(adapted from Everyday Food Magazine)

coarse salt and pepper

garlic salt

3 slices of whole wheat sandwich bread

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of olive oil

3/4 pound whole wheat spaghetti

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons dried parsley

2 cans (6 ounces each) chunk light tuna in water, drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse bread and 1 teaspoon oil until coarse crumbs form. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Bake until golden, tossing occasionally, about 8 minutes.

Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta. Return pasta to pot. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley and 1 tablespoon oil. (I added a couple dashes of garlic salt here too...just because my husband and I like garlic so much!) Toss, adding enough pasta water to coat pasta. Add tuna; toss gently. Serve sprinkled with garlic breadcrumbs on top!

Chicken Paprikash

Ok so I have a confession to make *sighs* my Martha Stewart Magazine is seriously one of the best cooking magazines ever!! I never thought I would say that at all. I haven't really ever been a big fan of hers, but this magazine has forever changed me and my relationship with Ms. Martha!! You can just call us sisters from now on!!! HAHA Seriously though, I love Everyday Food! You must go check her magazine out if you haven't already. This recipe originally was called Turkey Paprikash, but I made a few adjustments of my own to the dish. I knew I would prefer chicken too, but you could certainly use boneless skinless turkey breast if you wanted. This dish was really tasty, and fairly healthy too! I particularly liked the fact that it wasn't a really heavy dinner. I hope you enjoy it!!

Chicken Paprikash

(adapted from Everyday Food a Martha Stewart Magazine)

coarse salt and pepper

8 ounces whole wheat egg noodles

2 small skinless boneless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion chopped

1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes in juice

1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until al dente; drain. In a bowl, toss chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon paprika; season with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Working in batches, brown chicken, 3 to 5 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add onion to skillet. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 4 to 6 minutes.

Return chicken to skillet (along with any juices). Add tomatoes (with juice), 1 tablespoon paprika and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook until chicken is opaque, about 2 to 4 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Serve paprikash over noodles.

Tortilla Soup with Black Beans

So I recently got this great magazine in the mail...Everyday Food! It is a Martha Stewart magazine, but the thing is I don't know who got it for me!!! I love the magazine though! It is full of great recipes on every page. I seriously think I dog eared almost every page!!! That's how good ALL the recipes looked!!! I came across this one today, looking through the magazine for like the third time, and thought it would be perfect for a Sunday afternoon...and lunches for this week! It is really healthy at only 277 calories (less I would say for me because I didn't add the chips into the soup only as a topper) per serving. It is so delicious and it was so simple to put together! I always keep things like canned tomatoes and black beans in my pantry, just in case days like today come up where I want to make a soup! You can never have toomany canned tomatoes or beans in your pantry! I hope you like it as much as I did!

Tortilla Soup with Black Beans

(from Everyday Food a Martha Stewart Magazine)

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon chili powder (mine was a heaping teaspoon...I like things spicy!)

2 14.5 ounce cans of diced tomatoes in juice (one of my cans was the regular diced tomatoes the other I used diced tomatoes with chili's) (I also bought the cans with no salt added)

1 14.5 ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 10 ounce package of frozen corn

coarse salt and pepper

1 cup crushed tortilla chips, plus more for serving (I bought the wheat ones)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook garlic and chili powder in oil until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes (with juice), beans broth, corn, and 1 cup of water. Season with salt and pepper.

***I didn't add the 1 cup of water because I didn't want the soup broth to be watered down, and also because I knew I wasn't going to add the 1 cup of crushed tortilla chips to the soup. I didn't want to add the crushed chips to the soup, one to make it healthier and two because I hate soggy chips! You certainly can make it the other way, this was just what I did. ***

Bring soup to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Add tortilla chips; cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. Serve soup with lime wedges and more crushed chips.