Pumpkin Pecan Greek Yogurt Quick Bread

I don't know about you, but I always buy too much pumpkin puree during the fall. I love any and everything pumpkin, so I always over estimate the amount I actually use. So this recipe is inspiration from that leftover can I just want to use up.

The thing is: my can was pumpkin pie puree, and I couldn't find a healthy quick bread recipe that uses pumpkin pie puree. I took a stab at combining a few recipes and came up with this masterpiece. It's a moist, not too sweet, perfectly pumpkin flavored quick bread. I promise, you won't be disappointed (plus you'll use up that last can of pumpkin pie puree, so next year you can buy new again).

Pumpkin Pecan Greek Yogurt Quick Bread
yield: 1 loaf pan

ingredients
15 oz. can pumpkin pie filling mix
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
Cinnamon sugar for topping

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 8x4 inch loaf pan.
2. In a stand mixer, combine pumpkin pie filling, Greek yogurt, eggs, vanilla extract, melted coconut oil, and brown sugar. Mix until well combined.
3. To the pumpkin mixture, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until just moistened. 
4. Fold in the pecans. 
5. Spoon the batter into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
6. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Easy Peanut Stir-Fry Recipe

Getting back from the first weekend of football season, I had a lot of left over veggies. Green peppers, red peppers, carrots, sugar snap peas, you name it! At one point, we were dipping them in ranch. Tonight, not so much. But, coming home from work after a long day, I wanted an easy recipe. So I decided to get all the veggies out of the refrigerator (feel free to use what ever combination of veggies you have) and make this delicious peanut stir-fry sauce.

EASY PEANUT STIR-FRY
yield: 3 servings

ingredients
sauce
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. lemon juice
4-1/2 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. garlic, chopped
1 tsp. ginger, finely chopped
1/3 cup of water
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

veggies
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, cut as matchsticks
1/2 cup sugar snap peas
1 Tbsp. canola oil

rice
1 cup brown rice, dry
water

instructions

1. FOR THE RICE: Cook rice according to package directions.
2. FOR THE SAUCE: Meanwhile, in a 2-cup glass measuring cup, melt the peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds, or until soft. Add rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Stir until combined. Add water and crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside.
3. FOR THE STIR-FRY: Add canola oil to a large sauté pan. Heat to medium high and add the veggies. Cook for 3 minutes, or until just crunchy. Add peanut sauce and cook for 1 minute longer.
4. Create your bowl by placing rice on the bottom and then stir-fry mixture on top. Enjoy!

Mexican Roasted Corn and Quinoa Stuffed Squash

The truth of this recipe is: I was given (unidentifiable) squash from a friends garden and decided to use them as my Fall decor. Well, so long Fall. We jumped from 60 degrees this morning, to a blistery 35 degrees tonight. And so my mindset has switch to the holidays: time to decorate for Christmas! Aka time to say goodbye to the (unidentifiable) squash decorating the home, and hello to delicious meal.

I am a sucker for Mexican food, so when I found this recipe from Pinch of Yum's blog, I knew it was a must try! And lucky for me, with a few modifications, it is one of the best squash dishes I have ever had. It only took me an hour to prepare and have on the table (win! for a work night!). Plus, it's sweet and savory combination of flavors melting in my mouth had me wanting seconds. Give it a try, you won't regret it.


MEXICAN ROASTED CORN and QUINOA STUFFED SQUASH
yield: 4 servings

ingredients
2 medium winter squash
1/2 cup organic quinoa, uncooked
3-1/2 cups water
2 tsp. olive oil
1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small white onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, chopped
1 tsp. garlic, minced
3/4 cup corn
1 tsp. chilli powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
5 oz. queso fresco, crumbled
Sour cream
Cliantro
instructions

1. FOR THE SQUASH: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place face down on a cookie sheet. Pour about 2 cups of water (or enough to cover cookie sheet) around the squash. Place in oven and bake for 35 minutes, or until squash is tender.
2. FOR THE FILLING: Meanwhile, add the quinoa and 1-1/2 cups of water to medium sauce pan. Bring to a rapid boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until quinoa is tender and white spiral-like threads appear around each grain. Once cooked, add chili powder, cumin, and salt. 
3. In a sauce pan, add olive oil and onion. Sauté until translucent. Add jalapeño and garlic. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Add the black beans and stir for another 4-5 minutes over high heat.
4. Place the corn in a dry skillet over high heat and let the corn cook without stirring for 3-4 minutes. Stir once and repeat until the corn is browned and roasty.
5. Once the corn is browned, add quinoa spice mixture and beans. Remove from heat and stir in ¼ cup of queso fresco.
6. ASSEMBLING THE SQUASH: Turn on the oven to broil. Divide the filling evenly among the four cooked squash halves. Top each with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Top each squash piece with crumbled queso fresco, sour cream, and cilantro.
7. Enjoy!

Note: for the (unidentifiable) squash, you can use acorn squash, which is easily found in your local grocery store. Or, my best guess is that the squash used for this recipe was kabocha squash. 

Pumpkin Spice Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Frosting

The day October 1 arrives, my brain immediately goes into fall baking mode: pumpkins, apples, squash, and all the corresponding spices! Yum.

Every year, I am asked to make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. This year, I decided get in front of the asks, and kick-off October by making these delicious treats. 

There's truly no better smell than having the aroma of pumpkin pie spice in the air. Try out this fool-proof recipe and I guarantee you'll be the talk of your next dinner party. 

PUMPKIN SPICE WHOOPIE PIES with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
yield: 24 pies

whoopie pie ingredients
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 Tbsp. ground ginger
1/2 Tbsp. ground cloves

cream cheese frosting ingredients
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover baking sheets with a Silpat (If you don't have a silicon baking mat, I highly encourage you to invest in one.). 
2. In a large bowl, beat together the oil and brown sugar. Mix in the pumpkin and eggs, beating well. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Mix well.
3. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons onto baking sheets lined with a Silpat. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cookies cool.
4. While cookies cool, make the filling. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese with butter, until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar.
5. Make sandwiches from two cookies filled with cream cheese frosting.

Healthy Protein Blondie Brownies

When Lauren Conrad came out with a healthy version of cookie dough, high in protein, I had to try it! Who doesn't love to eat cookie dough? Unfortunately, upon making the cookie dough I bumped up against one issue: the chickpea base made for a texture that didn't help me crave my sweet craving. 

And that's how this recipe came about! Much to my surprise, by adding a few key ingredients to the already made cookie dough, I found a new blondie brownie that's high in fiber and protein. Plus it doesn't use flour or butter, while still tasting great! Win. Win!

HEALTHY PROTEIN BLONDIE BROWNIES
yield: 12 squares


ingredients
1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp. agave nectar
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup rolled oats 
sea salt, for sprinkling

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Spray 8x8 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Combine all ingredients except for the chocolate chips into a food processor until batter is smooth. 
4. Fold in chocolate chips and oats. 
5. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle sea salt on top.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Note: the batter make look underdone, but you don't want to over cook because it will dry out. 
7. Enjoy!

To make the blondies your own: try changing up the peanut butter and using almond butter. Or adding nuts or using a different type of chocolate.

Egg Noodle Pizza Bake

Growing up, mom always used egg noodles to make the best chicken noodle soup. Savory, from scratch, and perfectly hits the spot on a cool fall day. Mmm!

But, my egg noodles have now sat in the cupboard for a little too long and chicken noodle soup just wasn't it. When I went to Pinterest, I stumbled across this Taste of Home recipe. Made it on a Monday night. And let me tell you, I may have found a perfect weeknight meal with leftovers to serve throughout the week!

EGG NODDLE PIZZA BAKE
yield: 8 servings 

ingredients
10 oz. egg noodles, uncooked
1 lb. ground turkey or beef
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. parsley
1 jar (14 oz.) pizza sauce
1 can (4 oz.) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1 package (3-1/2 oz.) sliced pepperoni 
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste 

instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add noodles and cook. 
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain.
3. Add onion, green pepper, garlic, oregano, and parsley. Sauté.
4. Add pizza sauce and mushrooms. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. 
5. Drain noodles. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
6. In a greased 13 x 9-in. baking dish, layer half of the noodles, beef mixture, and cheeses. Repeat layers. Top with pepperoni. 
7. Cover and bake for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
8. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Green Peppers

I am a big fan of Philly Cheesesteaks, which means I randomly have a craving for them. But, the summer time also has me bikini body conscious. With this recipe I forget the bread and used a green pepper instead—quite possibly one of the most tasty substitutions I've made in a long time!

Here's a shopping tip I learned long ago from grandma: when shopping for your green peppers look for a pepper with 3 bumps on the bottom (rather than 4 bumps). These peppers tend to be sweeter and are better for eating.

PHILLY CHEESESTEAK STUFFED GREEN PEPPER
yield: 6 pepper halves

ingredients
3 green peppers
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
4 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced 
2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella and provolone cheese blend
3/4 lb. thinly sliced roast beef
6 slices provolone cheese 

instructions

1. Slice peppers in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and ribs.
2. In a large sauté pan, add oil and warm over low-medium heat. Sauté onions until just translucent, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic, butter, and salt and pepper. Sauté another 3 minutes, or until the mixture is caramelized. 
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. Add thinly sliced roast beef to onion/mushroom mixture. Allow to cook on low heat for about 4 minutes.
5. Add shredded cheese. Cook until melted. 
6. Generously fill each pepper with mixture. Top with provolone slices.  
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese on top is golden brown.
8. Remove from oven. 
9. Serve warm (these also make excellent leftovers reheated in the microwave). 

A shoutout to Peace, Love, and Low Carb for the inspiration for this recipe.

Hot Fudge Sauce

Warmer days can only mean one thing: homemade ice cream season is just around the corner! And that's why it's time to stock up on hot fudge sauce.

I love this recipe for a few reasons: It super easy to make. And the sauce can be frozen, so when you have one of those spontaneous summer evening meals with friends, you'll look like quite the host by serving ice cream with this sauce!

HOT FUDGE SAUCE
yield: 3 cups

ingredients
1 stick margarine
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups powered sugar
1-1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla

instructions

1. Combine all ingredients except the vanilla in a medium sauce pan. Cook on low, gradually bringing to a boil. Stir constantly when boiling. Boil for 1 minute.
2. If mixture is too thin, add more chocolate chips or powered sugar.
3. Add vanilla.
4. Let cool completely to thicken. 
5. Serve over ice cream.

Before Summer's End...Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Almost all summer now, I have been eyeing the Strawberry Lemonade recipes, everything from drinks to cakes. I finally took the time to make a lemon cupcake with strawberry frosting. 

After a few failed frosting attempts, I decided on a fresh strawberry buttercream frosting. What makes this recipe even more spectacular (as if it wasn't delicious sounding enough) it is made with Greek yogurt. No need to feel guilty about partaking in this taste of summer.

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Makes: 2 dozen

Cupcakes

2 ½ cups flour

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

4 teaspoons lemon zest

6 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, butter, and eggs until smooth. 
4. Add Greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon extract. Beat until smooth. 
5. Add flour mixture and mix just until smooth.
6. Scoop batter into paper lines; fill ¾ full. Bake 22-25 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack before frosting.

Strawberry Frosting

1 ½ cups fresh strawberries

1 cup butter

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

1. Place strawberries in a blender; puree until smooth.
2. Transfer strawberry puree to a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil, stirring often, until puree is reduced by at least half, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
3. Beat butter with an electric mixer in a bowl until light and fluffy.
4. Beat 1 cup confectioners’ sugar into butter until just blended.
5. Beat 2 tablespoons strawberry puree and vanilla extract into butter mixture until just blended.
6. Repeat with 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, followed by 2 tablespoons strawberry puree two more times.
7. Beat last ½ cup confectioners’ sugar into mixture until just blended.

Indianapolis has audition fever!

Colts Cheerleader auditions are in full swing. Throughout the month of March dance workshops are being held on Tuesdays and workouts are every Thursday.

I was asked to take photos at two of these sessions. And they were posted on Colts.com :)
1. Tuesday, March 13 Dance Workshop
2. Tuesday, March 20 Kick Workshop

Stay tuned for the start of auditions, Saturday, March 31--they will even be streaming live! Want to know more? Check out this little blurb I wrote for the fans!

No words or photos can adequately describe the capacity of a tornado:Henryville, IN

On Friday, Colts staff, players and cheerleaders took a bus to Henryville, IN to help the town clean up after an F4 tornado devastated the place they call home. No previous viewing of photos, television reports or YouTube footage could have prepared me for what was in store this day.

And to think that we arrived exactly a week after this tornado hit. Recovery is a long process.

We left the complex at 7:00 a.m. and took 65 South for almost 2 hours, until we arrived at the Henryville exit. Just miles before this exit you couldn't tell a tornado of such high magnitude had passed through the area, but as we approached the exit ramp the speechlessness set in.

Cars were piled on top of one another, thrown about like feathers. Trees were stripped of their limbs, left naked, and snapped in half appearing as if it were twigs. In fact, it almost looked like a forest fire had swept through and cleared out the area.

Honestly, I felt like I was on the set of "Twister."

We drove through downtown Henryville and went directly to our location for the day. This recently established auto shop was a childhood dream, that in just minutes was torn to shreds by the F4 tornado. Next door was the diner whose front got smashed in by a school bus. And across the street was the high school--a solid, steel building mangled and thrown for miles, like it was nothing more than fabric.

You can see the location by watching this video

While working across the street from the school we picked up segments of the school's track, we moved steel from the roof, and stood in awe of the "I" beams that were folded and bent and lying in the yard. An atypical scene, to say the least. And it continues to be one that puts shivers down my spine. How can wind lift up, move, and mutilate a steel object as solid as an "I" beam?

During our time at the Auto Shop we also witnessed at least a dozen cars that were totaled. Either the glass was blown out, or the softball size hail left nice imprints on the vehicles.

I will never forget the box of lightbulbs that were found under all the rubble-untouched.

Tornadoes are quite mysterious.

Following are some of the photos I took on my iPhone while in Henryville.
The Auto Shop's sign, found under siding, and the school's track.
The Auto Shop, or what is left. Basically, we only saw titled walls that surrounded the bathroom.
And the surrounding land:





This tornado even lifted a fire hydrant from the ground, and moved it 20+ feet from the road.

I must thank God for giving me the opportunity to spend this day in service. Without it, I would not be able to share the story of Henryville with you. Please continue to pray for the individuals who found themselves in the path of this storm. And for all of those, whose lives are forever changed because of a natural disaster.

I'm a Big Sister!

It's official, after months of training, and waiting for a match, I have become a Big Sister (through Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Indiana)!!

My little sister, Lily, is 12 years old! Our first outing: wondering through World Market and have breakfast for dinner at Panera!

I had never before been to World Market and what an adventure it was. This store literally had a little bit of everything-from home furnishings to aisles of exotic candy. It was definitely a treat to explore this store! After "window shopping" we walked across the way to Panera. Both Lily and I got cinnamon-crunch bagels-YUM! But she taught me a new way to slice a bagel. Apparently you can ask for your bagel to be sliced like bread, meaning it's sliced vertically and you end up with about 10 pieces. The bagel lasts longer and you get cinnamon crunch on every slice. What a novel idea.

Hopefully, as you can tell I am so excited to form this relationship and see what it grows to become. I'll keep you updated, as we meet 2 times a month!

I'll admit, I have a ((slight)) obsession with Pinterest & Nutella

Who knew that a Website designed for users to "pin" or share their favorite content through photo would become so popular, and addicting!

Pinterest is just this Website. And quite honestly it has brought forth my creative bone. Seriously I could easily spend hours on this site. I never cease to find ideas that I don't take the time to come up with on my own, or even better, I see ideas and twist them to become my own.

The "pins" that have been keeping me the most preoccupied are those that take me to the kitchen. Here is my most recent creation thanks to Pinterest :)

Nutella Rice Krispie Treats!

For some reason Rice Krispie Treats have been my looming craving. And really, who doesn't love Nutella? So almost immediately after I stumbled across a Nutella Rice Krispie Treat recipe, I took off for the kitchen.

Lucky for me, this recipe was super easy! Check it out:

Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) margarine
4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup Nutella
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Directions:
Melt margarine in a large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in Nutella until melted. Add cereal. Mix with hands until well coated (to keep treats from sticking to your hands, run them under water every-so-often). Evenly press mixture into a 13 x 9-inch pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cool and cut into 2-inch squares.

Adapted from: The Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy Blog

Day 10: SUPER BOWL XLVI SUNDAY!

What a crazy day this turned out to be, and an unexpected one at that.

Lesson learned: No matter how many schedules you make (down to the exact minute) or details you lay out, there are things out of ones control that cause you to quickly throw that schedule away.

Unfortunately today, that lesson had to be learned. Our beloved security that has been through thick and thin with us this week, didn't get credentialed for game-day. Drum roll please...I became security! Really, are you surprised? I'm can be a lean, mean security machine!

But, with this mishap, it also meant I had to stay in one place, rather than party hop like was the original plan.

Today we were scheduled to appear at:
10am-noon: Motorola's Chalk Talk at the Marriot Indianapolis North.
12:30-1:30pm: Welcome Nissan executives to Indianapolis.
2:30-5:30pm: NFL Alumni Tailgate Party at Bartinis Lounge.
2:30-5:30pm: NFL On Location at Lucas Oil Stadium.
2:00-5:30pm: NFL Tailgate Party at the Convention Center.
1:30pm-when the show is over: Post Game Show LIVE with Jimmy Fallon at the Hilbert Theater.

Notice a trend in this schedule? Unlucky for us, all 41 cheerleaders had to be downtown between 1:30 and 2:30pm that afternoon. To make matters worse, they all then had to return to the complex (our meeting place for the week) at 5:30pm.

Thank goodness the Colts were transporting individuals to and from downtown today, otherwise I don't know what we would have done! So at 7:00 that morning, we put Cheerleaders on busses and bussed them downtown for the day. Luckily most of them had to get their game-day credentials that morning, so they weren't sitting around the entire time!

At any rate, Heather and I were assigned to hang out at the NFL Tailgate Party at the Convention Center. We mingled and took photos with all of those who were invited to this exclusive party by the NFL Commissioner (including Twitch from So You Think You Can Dance!). We also enjoyed concerts from The Frey and Lenny Kravitz. We ended up standing front row for both of these performances! Here are a few photos from the event:





After the NFL Tailgate Party, we returned to the complex with all but 10 cheerleaders. Those 10 were left downtown at Jimmy Fallon, where we would later return. So I watched the 2nd quarter and Madonna's half-time show of Super Bowl XVLI at the Complex, in my bosses office.

Immediately following the half-time show we drove downtown to hang out at The Hilbert Theater. We cheered the Giants and little Manning on to a victory!

The Late Night Show with Jimmy Fallon Super Bowl Post Game Show went live around 11:00pm. The opening number had quite a catchy tune-Adele's "Rolling in the Deep." Jimmy re-wrote it and titled his tribute, "Please don't go to sleep".

Sadly, after three days spent at the Hilbert Theater, we had to part ways. Thanks to Jimmy Fallon we left with a little memorabilia!

And now as the clock strikes 3:30am, my Super Bowl festivities have come to a close. Life won't be near as exciting without the Super Bowl in town. I wonder what will come next...