Cinnamon Glazed Scones

A few more days until I am a married a woman, so I am relaxing with some baking in the kitchen. With so many things on my mind I can't concentrate on writing a long intro here, so let's keep it short and sweet, just like this recipe. Hope you all enjoy this treat one morning and that you can share it with people who you care about.

Have this diddy stuck in my head: 

Cinnamon Glazed Scones

Ingredients for scone batter:

• 2 cups flour 
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1/2 tsps baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg, separated, egg whites set aside
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Ingredients for topping:

• 2 tbsp Raw sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Glaze:

• 1 cup powder sugar
• 3 tsp milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium sized bowl mix together your flour, soda, powder, salt and butter. Mix until crumbly. 
3. In a small bowl mix together honey, egg yolk, milk and juice, then add it to your dough, mix well.
4. On a floured surface, form your dough into a ball. Then flatten until it's 1/2 inch in width. Cut the scones into about 6-8 pieces. 
5. Next whisk your egg white until it starts to froth a little, brush it over the dough then sprinkle it with your cinnamon and raw sugar.
6. Transfer the pieces over to a greased baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until a little brown.
7. While the scones bake, mix together your glaze ingredients in a small bowl. When the scones are ready to come out of the oven, transfer the pieces to a plate, then drizzle your glaze over the top.
8. Serve!

Happy Eatings Everyone!

Sweet Potato Cakes

I know that you must be getting tired of recipes that include or feature sweet potatoes, but I just can't help myself. They are so diverse and can be incorporated into pretty much anything (did I mention cheap?). They almost always make their way into my shopping cart because of how reliable they are, not to mention how nutritional they are, high in vitamin C, natural sugar and magnesium. Get your vitamins everyone:

Sweet Potato Cakes

More Nina... Always more Nina:

Makes 4 patties

Ingredients:

• 4 slices bacon cut into pieces 
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1/2 yellow onion diced
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. Peel and wash your potatoes, place in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are easily mashed.
2. While the potatoes are cooking fry up your bacon and onions. Save the fat.
3. In a medium sized bowl, mash your potatoes and mix in bacon and onions.
4. Add your egg and form your patties.
5. In the same pan you fried the bacon, fry up your patties, about 2 minutes on each side on a medium heat (too high and they'll burn).
6. Serve!

This recipe is perfect for those on a budget or for when you have limited means in your kitchen. It's quick and easy to prepare for those in a rush too. So basically it's freaking easy. Happy Eatings Everyone!

Quinoa with Yams and Broccoli

For anyone who knows me one of my favorite food groups is bacon. Delicious and salty bacon. The amount I eat is ungodly and the amount I serve at parties is always abundant (more for me). But on sunny days in June I like to settle down at the dinner table with the garden veggies that make all of our lives colorful. So setting the bacon aside, here's a light and tasty summer time meal for you to enjoy:

Listening to this classic:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups veggie broth
• 2 small yams peeled and cubed
• 1/2 yellow onion diced
• 1 cup corn
• 2 cups broccoli
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring quinoa and broth to boil in a medium size pot. 
2. Once boiling add your sweet potato, turn down the heat and cover. Let sit for about 20 minutes. 
3. In a fry pan saute your veggies in your olive oil. Set aside.
4. When the quinoa is done, add your quinoa to the fry pan and mix well, adding salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve!

There you have it, a simple recipe to satisfy our summer bellies! Happy Eatings Everyone!

Homemade Hamburger Helper

I've read, scanned and visited many food blogs, and though all have something to offer, I can tell you the one thing that bores me in each and every one of them is how the blogger drones on about what they or their kids did that day or the hints of saffron and why it's important. Some pepper it with witty banter or sweet nothings but I can't seem to find the drive to do that here. Instead I need to take the more fervent approach where I reach your hearts through your stomachs. Though some blogs may have better photos or their design is a lot more sophisticated, the bottom line is simple that this is therapy for me (and delicious for you). Not just food in general but the act of making it, the joy of serving it and the simple happiness of eating my kitchen concoctions. 

Any chance I get to serve people through food I do it. I have always and will always take pride in it. So when a friend comes over and sits on the couch and seems surprised or overly thankful for the little morsels or the meal I have prepared for them, know, the time and effort put into that dish isn't just to see them smile and feed their bellies (though that is a large part of it), it is simply a way for me to show affection and to feel pride in something I do. My own brand of therapy.

But enough of this, let's get on to the eats!
Oh and the listening, here's what's on my ipod right now:

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1/2 or medium sized tomato diced

2 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups hot water

2 cups elbow macaroni

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Combine all of your sugar and spices into a small dish and set aside.
2. In a large skillet brown your ground beef and drain of fat.
3. Next add your macaroni, milk, spice mixture and water. Bring to a boil.
4. Then cover and turn down the heat to let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the noodles are al dente.
5.  Finally add your cheese and tomato to your helper, mixing well so that the cheese melts.
6. Serve!

I hope you enjoy this one! Happy Eatings Everyone!

BBQ Ground Beef and Biscuits

Some nights dinner is the last thing on your mind until you look at the clock and it reads 6 pm. Probably should make something now. My motivation was teetering on little to none so I had to find a recipe in which I had to do very little. We all need those recipes and we all need a break sometimes, this recipe is most definitely a 'break'. It took all of 10 minutes and turned out super tasty. I hope you enjoy it and I hope you like the little change I've been making to my blog posts, music really does help your cooking!

Listening to this artist a lot lately: 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup corn
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 1 can jumbo biscuits (8)
• shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to directed degree on biscuit package.
2. In a 9x9 casserole dish place your biscuits, and pound down to make a crust.
3. Bake your biscuits for about 5 minutes.
4. Next cook to brown your ground beef in a skillet along with onion and corn. 
5. Drain beef of fat, then add your sauce and mustard, mixing well.
6. Pour beef into casserole dish, sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until crust is browned.
7. Serve!

Mmmm, that was easy. Happy Eatings Everyone!

Crunchy Garlic and Honey Chicken

This week I've been trying to watch more new movies, listen to different music and just accept things for what they are. Right now is what I like to think of as a transitional time for both my education and career options, lately I've had to take on jobs that are unsatisfying and unchallenging while not forwarding my education or what have you at all, but I've been coming to terms with my transitional phase and I accept it as just that. So I am trying to focus on the positive (this is quite new for me, usually I am neutral and try not to focus on either the positive or negative) and to my surprise, it's working. So when I looked at a fried chicken recipe, knowing full well that I have failed many times at making it, I decided to do it and it turned out absolutely delicious.

Listening to this while I am cooking:

 

Ingredients:

• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups flour
• 4 tsp salt
• 4 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp ground thyme
• 2 tsp ground sage
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 eggs
• 4 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3-4 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/8 cup soy sauce (low sodium soy sauce is best)
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
•  vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

1. In a medium size bowl mix together flour, salt, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, thyme, sage, paprika and cayenne. Place half in a ziploc bag and freeze for next time.
2. Take your chicken and either slice the long way for 1/2 inch thick pieces or pound with meat tenderizer until 1/2 inch thick.
3. In a small bowl combine eggs and water for an egg wash.
4. Take each piece of chicken and coat it in your flour mixture, dip it in the egg wash and then back into the flour for a double coating.
5. Pour your vegetable oil into a skillet until it's about a 1/4 inch full. Bring to almost high heat (not too hot or it will brown and burn before the chicken can cook fully). Fry for 2-3 minutes on both sides or until brown. Set chicken aside on paper towels to rid it of any extra grease.
6. In another skillet or fry pan heat up your olive oil and garlic until garlic is soft, not brown. Then add your soy sauce and honey, mixing the ingredients well.
7. On medium heat take each piece of chicken and coat with honey mix on either sides (little over 30 seconds for both sides).
8. Serve with rice and veggies!

I call this my Positivity Chicken so deal with it. Happy Eatings Everyone!

Baked Egg and Avocado

I am going to keep this one short because I don't think you need me declaring my love of breakfast again and my bronchitis just wants me to go back to bed to rest up. Please enjoy this wonderfully healthy, magically easy and magnificently delicious recipe:

Look at those beautiful colors!

Ingredients (makes for 2):

• 1 avocado 
• cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 eggs
• parmesan

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut avocado in half and remove pit.
3. Crack your eggs into the pit crater in each half of your avocado.
4. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, cayenne and parmesan.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes (depending on how you want your eggs)
6. Serve!

Look how easy that was, I added some tabasco because I like mine spicy but you can just stick to the toppings in the recipe. Well, my belly is satisfied and now I will go nap, like my body wants me too. Happy Eatings Everyone!