Americas Test Kitchen - Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Like all things good and heavenly to eat, this recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen! I've been pretty excited with the contents of my Cook's Illustrated magazines that come every other month.  This bread was actually in the March/April 2012 issue, and I just finally got around to making it.  Mac loves this as a breakfast food, so much to the point that I have to ration him to two slices per day.  I know this sounds cruel, but...

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Cookies 'N' Creme Cookies

What's better than an Oreo or a Chocolate Chip Cookie? A Chocolate Chip Cookie that tastes like an Oreo! These completely destroyed any smidgen of self-control that I have... there is no way to eat just one! Ingredients: 1 c. butter, room temperature 3/4 c. light brown sugar 1/4 c. white sugar 1 (small) package instant vanilla pudding mix 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 2 1/4 c. flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 1...

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Birthday Summer Berry Trifle

Raise your hand if you've ever made your own birthday dessert and been scolded for it! (Cue: Me, raising my hand, half-ashamed, but mostly quite proud to confess such a crime). My birthday was a few weeks ago, and I had just received my Cook's Illustrated magazine in the mail containing this AMAZING recipe.  There was no way I could pass up an opportunity to make this dessert.  Plus, I was definitely a spoiled birthday girl, despite making...

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Best Brownies Ever

For those of you who don't know my dad, he is the biggest fan that chocolate desserts will ever have.  My amazing mother bakes a fresh batch of brownies or chocolate chip cookies every other day so that he never has to eat dried-out desserts. The other important characteristic to know about my dad, is he is a perfectionist and he's picky! It's very hard to ever top his favorite things, but for a while now, he has been on the hunt for the...

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Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes

How do you like your pancakes... Strawberries and lemon creme?Or blueberries and maple syrup?Whatever fits your fancy, you HAVE to make these lemon poppyseed pancakes!! HAVE to. Seriously, do it now. Eat them for breakfast. Eat them for lunch. Eat them for dinner. Eat them for a midnight snack. Top them with your favorite fruit, or just roll em up like tortilla and take it to go. Just make them. Really. You won't regret it.Ingredients:2 C flour1...

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Blueberry Buttermilk Bake

Inspired by a recipe from Pinterest, again! This made a fantastic group brunch dish... I'm sure you could use other berries (would probably be good with raspberries) Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature Zest from 1 large lemon 2 c. white sugar 2 eggs, room temperature 2 tsp. vanilla 4 cups flour 4 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. kosher salt 4 cups fresh blueberries 1 cup buttermilk Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF....

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Extraordinary Steamed Artichokes

Do these green bulb, prickly leaf things scare you? I have to admit, artichokes are a bit intimidating.  My family didn't ever buy them growing up, and I wasn't quite sure how you cook them, much less how you eat them.  The unknown is a foreign land to me, one that I quickly avoid whenever possible.  Artichokes fall in that category... I know, I'm a wimp. True statement. So, what inspired me to pick up this little guy in the...

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Slow Cooker Spare Ribs

Do you ever find yourself wishing there was more time in the day and everything took less time to do? The blog Six Sister's Stuff had a post of making 8 Freezer Meals in an hour.  Of course, I didn't believe that it really only took an hour to make EIGHT meals, so naturally, I had to test it out.  It took almost exactly 60 minutes! Being the skeptic that I am, I then doubted that the meals would actually taste good.  Proved...

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Cheddar Pear Pie

I've realized that I'm really not a very good food photographer... If I remember to take pictures at all, they always turn out blurry or washed out.  I guess that allows you to use your imagination to think about how amazing all of these recipes taste, rather than relying on my pictures! We all know that fruit tastes better when it's in season, fresh and local.  This pie is no exception to that rule.  Mac's mom bakes this pie every...

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Chicken Pot Pie with Cream Biscuits

If you are just looking for a biscuit recipe, skip all my boring commentary and skip on down! I understand that I have several recipes on this blog that are some variation of Chicken Pot Pie.  What can I say, I love my one-dish, carb-covered meals! This is another Test Kitchen masterpiece that is easy to make, full of veggies (and fat, but no one needs to pay attention to that), and gives you a few days of fantastic leftovers.  You could...

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Triple Layer Monster

 Photo Cred: Jason Swank Everything about this dessert says, "Oh, I found it Pinterest!" I like to label it "pinteresque".  I was looking for a special birthday dessert for our friend who has a healthy love for classic sweets (cookies, brownies, and oreos).  This was absolutely the winner.  How can you go wrong when you combine all three of his favorite delectables? So what is it, you ask? Exactly what Jason loves. Chocolate...

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Singapore Noodles

I love curry, but often cannot enjoy it because of a coconut allergy. This dish was the perfect combo of texture, variety, and flavor without making my throat swell shut! If you like curry, you are sure to love this dish! When I set out to make this recipe, I failed to check my cupboard to ensure I had all the ingredients. Of course, the one thing I was missing was the flavor booster... curry powder. Turns out curry powder is just a blend of...

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Baked Rigatoni

Feel like a twist on the standard pasta casserole? Try this one out! The squash and cinnamon were interesting additions, and I was a bit skeptical at first, but it proved to be the perfect match to chicken sausage. Ingredients: 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 c. dry white wine (I used a Sauvignon Blanc) 3/4 lb sweet Italian turkey sausage (I used 1 lb Italian chicken sausage instead) 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 lb diced...

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