Individual Fruit Pizzas

Source: I've seen the idea a few places on Pinterest, including here and here, but I used my mom's tried and true sugar cookie recipe and the cream cheese frosting recipe from this cake

Ingredients:
for the cookies:
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
6 cups flour
2 cups shortening
1 level tsp. soda
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract

for the icing:

8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3.5 cups confectioners' sugar

1 - 2 Tablespoons heavy cream (I used 1% milk instead, and while the recipe author said it would be less creamy than cream, I thought it was divinely creamy)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch salt (I skipped this because I had salted butter)

for the fruit toppings:

(*I was making these for a Young Women activity, so I picked fruit that went along with the value colors, but you can use whatever you like/is in season)

bananas, sliced

blueberries

strawberries, sliced

kiwi, sliced

mandarin oranges, drained

fresh pineapple, cut into small, thin slices

purple grapes, halved

fresh peaches, sliced

Directions:

First, make the cookies: Sift baking powder with flour.  Work shortening into flour as you would for pie crust.  Add sugar, beaten eggs, sour cream, salt and soda.  Mix well (I usually have to get my hands dirty and really knead everything together in the bowl).  Add flavoring (more kneading by hand at this point to get it all mixed in and stuck together in a big ball).  (I usually like to let the dough chill in the fridge for a few hours before rolling it out, but it's not completely necessary.)  Roll out, cut into desired shapes (~4-inch circles in this case), and bake at 400° for about 7 minutes or until lightly browned.

While the cookies are baking, mix together the frosting: Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until no lumps remain, about 3 full minutes. Add confectioners' sugar, 1 Tablespoon cream (or milk), vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add 1 more Tablespoon of cream (or milk) to thin out, if desired.  (I ended up with about 1 1/2 Tablespoons milk and it was silky smooth and easy to spread.)

When the cookies are cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting and top with fruit as desired.

Makes about 3 dozen 4-inch diameter cookies (and frosting to cover each one of them).

Notes:

As I mentioned above, I prepared these little treats for our New Beginnings refreshments.  Instead of icing and decorating cookies for everyone, I decided to make it a do-it-yourself dessert bar.  I put all the fruit into individual bowls (with cute labels - I don't know what came over me), had a tray of cookies and a few bowls of frosting and let the young women, parents and leaders go to town decorating their own.  It was a huge hit with everyone who attended (and with Gregg and me who got to eat the leftovers for the rest of the week!).

My cute fellow leaders showing off the spread.
(We also had someone bring some mini cupcakes, pictured
in the top left corner there - just so you know that's not part
of the fruit pizza dealio.)

Smiles all around.

Cheesy Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
for the sauce:
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sugar

for the pasta shells:
24 large pasta shells (about 3/4 of a 12 ounce box)
(*If you want to use the entire box of shells (there are usually about 32 shells total in a 12 ounce box), prepare an 8X8-inch pan in addition to the 9X13-inch pan and consider increasing the filling and sauce by half.)

for the filling:
16 ounces (2 cups) cottage cheese
15 ounces (about 2 cups) part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
10 ounces frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry of excess liquid
(*Make sure to squeeze as much liquid out of that spinach as possible so the shells don't have excess liquid (letting the sit for a few minutes after baking will help that, too).)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
(* If you'd like to reserve some of the cheese (or shred extra) for sprinkling on top of the shells and sauce before baking, feel free!)

Directions:
For the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat.

While the sauce simmers, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta shells al dente according to package directions. Drain and immediately place them in an even layer on paper towels or parchment.

For the filling, in a medium bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, parsley, oregano and basil. Add the spinach and mix until combined. Stir in the cheeses.

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spoon about half of the sauce on the bottom of the prepared pan and spread evenly. Fill each pasta shell with an even amount of the filling (about 1/4 cup per shell, more or less) and place the shells on top of the sauce in the pan - making three rows of eight shells.

Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top of the shells. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Uncover and bake five or so more minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the shells sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

(*This makes a great freezer meal. Before baking the shells, after they have been fully assembled and covered in sauce, cover the dish with a double layer of aluminum foil and freeze. I usually bake from frozen, adding an hour onto the baking time and uncovering for 15-30 minutes instead of just a couple of minutes (so it would be about an hour and a half covered and then 15-30 minutes uncovered).)

Notes:
So this was pretty much amazing!  But really, how could it not be?  Pasta filled with ooey-gooey cheese topped with a lovely marinara?  Pretty much heaven, if you ask me.  It's kind of similar to a manicotti recipe that I grew up with, but instead of having to stuff the cheese mixture into a tube-shaped shell (or a trick we learned was to cut the cooked tube open, place the filling at one edge and roll up the noodle around the cheese), you just scoop it directly into an open shell.  Super easy.  Don't be afraid of the long list of ingredients.  This really came together quite quickly (not super fast, but not as scary and long as it seems) on a recent Saturday evening.  I didn't bake it at the end but instead kept it in the fridge for Sunday dinner.  I think it took about an hour to cook cold from the fridge, but it was worth it to not have to do any prep.  Just pop, bake and devour.  Delish!

Old Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Source: here, via Pinterest and my sister Megan

Ingredients:
for the cookies:
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats (later you'll see that it says to process the oats in a food processor, since I don't have one, I decided to just use quick oats instead; my sister Megan also didn't blend her oats and she has used both old fashioned rolled and quick oats with success)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup butter, softened (I used salted)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

for the icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp milk
(*I halved the icing recipe because I thought it seemed like it would be way too much - turns out it iced exactly half of my batch, so the amounts are right.  But the un-iced cookies were tasty, too, so you can do what you like.)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour oats into a food processor and pulse until partially ground, about 15 seconds (as noted above in the ingredients list, both Megan and I did NOT do this step and the cookies were totally great). In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground oats, for 30 seconds.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter, granulated sugar and light-brown sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time, mixing until combined after each addition. Stir in vanilla. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix just until combined (scrape bottom and sides of bowl as needed). Allow cookie dough to rest 10 minutes at room temperature.

Scoop dough out about 2 Tbsp at a time and drop onto a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven 11 - 15 minutes. Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a mixing bowl whisk together powdered sugar and milk and dip tops of cooled cookies in icing and allow excess to run off or alternately spread icing over cookies. Return to wire rack and allow icing to set. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes:
When my family came to visit at the beginning of June they brought a batch of these cookies along for the trip.  They were nice enough to share with us after dinner one evening, and oh boy!  What a treat!  I didn't hesitate long after they had left to whip up my own batch of these marvelous goodies.  They're so good.  Just like the ones from the store.  But better.  I love the spiciness from the cinnamon and nutmeg and the sweetness from the perfectly hardening glaze.  Triple yum!

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

Source: Tasty Kitchen Blog

Ingredients:
1 (1.5*) cup all-purpose flour
1 (1.5*) cup whole wheat flour (I didn't have any ground up, and Cal was napping so I didn't want to wake her with my loud machine, so I just used all-purpose this time)
1 (1.5*) teaspoon baking soda
½ (3/4*) teaspoon salt
1 (1.5*) teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ (3/4*) teaspoon ground ginger
¼ (3/8*) teaspoon ground cloves
1 (1 15 oz can*) cup pumpkin puree (I had 1/2 cup frozen in the freezer, remnants of an opened can from the fall, likely, so I used it plus 1/2 cup applesauce)
1 cup sugar (half brown, half white was really nice) (I have been using more like 2/3 cup total sugar for a regular batch and it's plenty sweet)
2 (3*) whole eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
¾ cups fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped (again, I had some leftovers from another recipe months ago stashed in the freezer - just gave 'em a rough chop straight from the freezer and they worked great - I probably had closer to 1 cup) (other fun mix-ins I've tried with much success: one or two chopped apples (I didn't even peel them), mini chocolate chips and pecans)

* these are the 1.5x amounts that I use when I want to use a whole 15 oz can of pumpkin

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees (I always mini muffins at 350) and line your muffin cups (when I 1.5x the recipe, in italics above, I got 48 mini muffins + 1 mini loaf).

In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, salt and spices together and give them a quick swish with a whisk.

In your mixer, beat together the pumpkin, sugar, eggs and oil until it looks smooth. Then mix in the flour mixture until it’s just combined before stirring in the cranberries.

Divide into muffin cups, about 3/4 of the way up.  Bake about 18-20 minutes, or until done (I think mine took about 17 minutes, 12-13 minutes for the mini muffins). Let them cool a few minutes in the pan before removing them to a cooling rack.

Note: If you prefer a sweeter muffin, add 2-3 tablespoons more sugar.  (I didn't see a need for this - they were plenty sweet but just a little bit tart when you bit into a cranberry.)

Notes:
I debated about whether it was really "legal" to make such a fall-time flavored muffin in the middle of the summer.  But, obviously, I decided that I didn't care and I'm sure glad I did.  This was a fantastic Muffin-of-the-Month for June and I think it would be equally as fantastic during any other month of the year.  I loved how pretty they looked when I took them out of the oven, so I immediately took some pictures (something I've been pretty bad at with recipes as of late).  That should tell you right there that they're worth making.  We froze them and took them along on a camping trip and they made a perfect breakfast snack.  Cal especially loved them!

Joan's Jello

Source: My aunt, Joan Fullmer (hence the name!)

Ingredients:
3 3oz packages apricot jell-o (I often can't find apricot jello, so I've also used raspberry before which made a lovely raspberry-lemonade type flavor - so you can be creative with your jello flavors, I think it's pretty forgiving!)
3 cups boiling water
3 cups cool water
1 3 oz package lemon cook and serve jell-o pudding
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yokes, beaten
2 cups water

Directions:
Prepare apricot jell-o according to package directions. (Which are: add 3 cups boiling water to gelatin mix; stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved.  Stir in 3 cups cold water.)  Prepare lemon pudding according to pie directions.  (Which are: stir pudding mix, sugar, 1/4 cup water and egg yolks in medium saucepan.  Stir in 2 cups water.  Bring to full boil on medium heat, stirring constantly.  Cool 5 minutes, stirring twice.)

Pour cooked pudding mixture into large bowl with dissolved apricot jello.  Mix until homogenized.  Chill until set.

Notes:
This is a perfectly lovely summer-time treat that has graced many a family party.  I decided to make a batch for when my family came to visit over Cal's birthday.  Yum!

(Another) Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

Source: Victoria

Ingredients:
2 cups sour cream
1 packet buttermilk ranch mix (I just bought the cheapy store-brand regular ranch mix)
1 bunch cilantro (I broke off some of the stems, but I wasn't too picky about it)
2 tomatillos
1 jalapeno
3-4 cloves garlic (I think I added like 5-6 because mine were really small)
juice of 1/2 lime

Directions:
Add all ingredients to blender.  Blend until smooth.  Chill at least one hour before serving.

Notes:
Heather already posted one version of this delicious salad dressing, but I thought I'd add this other option I  tried while visiting in Virginia a couple years ago.  It's equally as delicious - a must have on those Cafe Rio style pork burritos made with the Spicy Pork Barbacoa!  I think this might be my favorite part!

Lemon Chicken Pasta with Broccoli

Source: Mel again

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cubed
Salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon oil
4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 1/2 cups water
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (when I do the full 16 oz pkg of pasta, I up this to 2 1/2 cups)
Zest of two lemons, about 1 Tablespoon
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 2 lemons, use the same ones you just zested)
12 ounces penne pasta (about 4 1/2 cups dry) (I usually use the whole 16 oz package and just up the liquid a bit to make sure it all cooks)
2-3 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets
3/4 cup milk (when I do the full 16 oz pkg of pasta, I up this to 1 cup)
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I never have the real stuff, so I just used 1/4 cup of the powdered stuff from a can and then garnished with more at the table)

Directions:
Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season well with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil is hot and rippling. Add the chicken and saute, stirring frequently, until the chicken is browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate, keeping as much oil/liquid in the skillet as possible.

Keep the skillet on medium heat and add another teaspoon of oil if needed (I usually don't but you'll want to keep an especially close eye on the garlic). Add the garlic and basil and stir constantly for about 30 seconds. Add the water, broth, lemon juice and pasta. Stir to combine.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally just to keep the pasta from sticking, for 10-12 minutes until the pasta is tender - it will cook for a few more minutes in the next step. There will be a bit of liquid left in the skillet; that's ok (I had more than "a bit" left - I thought it looked like a lot - but it really is okay).

Add the broccoli and lemon zest. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until the broccoli is bright green and tender. While the broccoli is cooking, whisk together the milk and cornstarch.

Uncover the skillet and stir in the milk mixture along with the Parmesan cheese and reserved chicken. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce has thickened slightly, 1-2 minutes.

Season with additional salt and pepper (this is really important - don't skip this step!) and serve.

Notes:
I still have some frozen lemon juice cubes and a partial jar of zest in my freezer, so whenever I see a recipe involving lemons, I perk up and pin that baby!  I tried and loved a similar recipe earlier this year with angel hair and spinach, but I think I've been converted to Mel's way (of course I have!) and will likely stick to it.  I may even try the angel hair and spinach with her methods - they're so quick and simple and totally out of this world delicious!  You should make this.  Today.