no bake chocolate cheesecake mousse

Let's just say I'm glad this mousse is served in 4 individual cups, because otherwise I'd want to eat it all in one sitting.  I would die from richness and sugar, but it might be worth it.

 This is a great dessert to make ahead if you have company, or if you want to have dessert planned out for yourself for 4 days!  Not that I would do that...

This really is an awesome dessert though.  It's pretty darn quick to make (not counting chill time), its easy to make, and it requires only a tiny amount of ingredients.

You can change it up too.  Sometimes Jeff prefers classic cheesecake mousse, which involves cancelling the last tablespoon of whipping cream and the cocoa powder.

You could also make a fruit topping over the top, or add in a different flavor extract.  Lemon, mint, I could go on.

Also, Jeff loves his mousse semi-frozen.  He sticks his in the freezer for about 30 minutes before eating.

recipe adapted from Cooking Classy

no bake chocolate cheesecake mousse
serves 4
Total time: 2 hours 20 minutes

ingredients:


mousse:

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

crust:

• 1 package graham crackers (about 8), crushed
• 1 tbsp packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil

directions:

1. In a medium bowl use a hand mixer  on high speed to whip the heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form.  Add in the corn syrup and whip again until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment whisk the cream cheese for about 3 minutes, until fluffy and light.  Add in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla.  Whisk until well mixed.  
3. Mix in the whipped cream mixture in two batches, until just combined. Set aside.
4. Put the graham crackers in a sealed freezer bag and crush with your fists, a mallet, etc.
5. Add the brown sugar into the bag and shake to combine.
6. Pour in the coconut oil and seal the bag.  Massage with your fingers to mix well.  
7. Divide the crust into 4 cups or small bowls and pack down with your fingers, a large spoon, etc.
8. Pour the mousse evenly into the 4 cups and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to a few days.  Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!  This is just a brief shout out to all the awesome dads out there.  I hope you are all having a very relaxing and fun day with your families.

I just had to add this "proud Mommy" moment from earlier today.  I reminded Liam this morning that today was Father's Day.  His reaction was to run up to Jeff, hug him and tell him "I love you!"  Then Liam turned to me and insisted that Jeff needed cookies.  Chocolate chip cookies.  He knows they're Jeff's favorites (and figured he'd get a cookie or two out of the deal I'll bet!).  Liam insisted on making the cookies himself.  All I did was help measure, add the egg (we had spillage the first try when he did it himself), and handle the oven.   Liam did the rest all by himself.  And darn it if I can't stop eating them!  I love how sweet this kid is, and how freaking awesome he is in the kitchen!

Because Jeff is totally awesome I was already planning on making a good dessert, but the kiddo stole the show a bit, so I'll make my dessert later.  I'll post it soon, don't worry.   :)
Seriously though, he could have been relaxing and doing whatever he wanted today, and Jeff beautified the whole front yard AND cleaned out the garage!  Extra credit goes to him.

Happy Father's Day everyone!

Not bad for cookies made by a 4 year old, huh?

Liam used my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, which can be found here.

plum ice cream

I love fruit in general, and plums are no exception.  They are sweet and tart, and a very convenient tiny size.  However, I can really only make so many plum tarts and pies before I get REALLY bored, and I have a ton of plums right now, thanks Jenna!  Have I mentioned before how awesome it is to have generous relatives with fruit trees?  Anyway, I was searching for new plum recipe ideas on Pinterest (of course!) and I saw plum ice cream.  None of the recipes were exactly what I wanted, so I made up my own.  I'm so glad I did!  It turned out great.  Sweet, tart, a beautiful consistency, and the most gorgeous color pink I've ever seen.

I just LOVE this color!  No food coloring necessary.  Puree all the ingredients and refrigerate for 2 hours. THen just churn in an ice cream maker, and freze.  Soo easy!

I love the consistency of this ice cream.  Some ice creams have to sit on the counter for 5 minutes before they are soft enough to scoop, and some ice creams are so soft they they are practically liquid.  This ice cream is a perfect medium.  Soft enough to serve immediately out of the freezer, but holds it shape post scooping for plenty of time before melting.

plum ice cream
makes 1 1/2 quarts

ingredients:

• 2 cups of plum puree
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup strawberry yogurt
• 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

directions:

1. Puree all the ingredients together in the blender.  
2. Refrigerate the puree for 2 hours.
3. Churn in an ice cream maker according to its directions.  Mine needed 25 minutes and perfectly filled the 1 1/2 quart capacity.
4. Scoop ice cream out into a freezer safe container with an air tight lid.  Freeze at least 1 hour.

note: I pureed lots of plums by themselves.  I poured out the excess after the needed 2 cups and froze for smoothies later.  I then added in the rest of the ice cream ingredients and pureed.

pasta and garbanzo bean soup

I totally love this soup!  Not only is it really easy and healthy, but its super kid friendly (Liam's favorite soups all have pasta and beans), but you can make part of it ahead of time!

I made the first half of the recipe while the kids were napping and I had some free time.  Then the boys and I went swimming, and when we got home I only had about 15 minutes of cooking before it was all ready.  No fuss, little mess, healthy and filling.  Jeff and the boys loved this soup, and one bowl (plus a few pieces of obligatory "soup bread" to dip) was very filling.

If you're looking at the soup and wondering how it could be so healthy, look no further.  The soup is full of veggies!  I roasted and pureed them before stirring them into the chicken broth (low-sodium of course).  That made the broth thick, flavorful, and creamy.

I roasted a pan of carrots, red bell pepper, and cauliflower with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper until the tops were golden and fragrant, then I pureed the veggies with some of the chicken broth.  I did all this ahead of time and then stuck the liquid in the fridge until I was ready the finish the soup.  You could make the soup all in one go if you want to though.

I just love the bright orange color!  The cauliflower and bit of olive oil really help thicken the soup and make the broth creamy.  I swear, it tasted so luscious, like I was eating some super fatty, but HA-HA!  I was only eating veggies. Yay for taste bud deception.  :)

I wanted a mostly pureed soup because I was going for simplicity.  A lot of my soups are massively chunky and busy, and I wanted something simple.  Plus, Liam loves veggies, but he doesn't always enjoy them in large chunks in his soup.  He'd rather have the flavor of them, and actually be able to see the pasta in the soup.

I like my soup to be pretty thick, and this soup thickens more the next day (looking almost like a very cheddar-y mac and cheese), so feel free to adjust the amount of broth used accordingly.

pasta and garbanzo bean soup
serves 6

ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into pieces
• 8 carrots, sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, de-seeded and cut into large pieces
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (add more if you prefer thinner soup)
• 2 15 oz. cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups small pasta
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp chili powder

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Cut up cauliflower, carrots, and bell pepper and place as flat as possible on a parchment lined baking sheet with the garlic.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Bake for 40 minutes.  
2. Slide veggies off the parchment and into a blender.  Add chicken broth and puree.  At this point you can store the puree in the fridge for later use, or pour the puree start into a pot on the stove.
3. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add the pasta, garbanzo beans, basil, oregano, and chili powder.  Stir occasionally.  As soon as the pasta is al dente the soup is ready.  Serve with french bread to dip.

note: feel free to add more chicken broth if you prefer a thinner soup.  You might want to have some extra broth on hand for leftover soup, as it will thicken the next day in the fridge.

white bean chicken chili soup

I kind of love those nights where I realize I have an hour or less until dinner needs to be ready, and I'm in need of a grocery store trip.  I almost always end up figuring out a new recipe that I really like.  If the perimeters change, I get too comfortable and lazy and tend to stick with what I know.

The goal was to make something for dinner that would be large enough to last for Jeff's lunch the next day.  If I could make it healthy and protein-rich too, then bonus!

This turned out perfectly and I wouldn't change a thing.  My house smelled amazing!  Jeff commented that it was delicious, he was just confused eating it because "it tasted like chili, but acted like soup".  I'll take it.

white bean chicken chili soup

serves 3-4

ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• pepper to taste
• 2 chicken breasts
• 4 cups chicken broth (preferably low-sodium)
• 2 15 oz. cans white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp chili powder

directions:

1. Add olive oil, garlic, onion, and salt to pot on medium heat.  Stir often and cook for several minutes until soft.
2. Add in chicken breasts.  Flip occasionally and let cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-30 minutes.  
5. Remove chicken and cut up, return to the pot.
6. Taste, adjust seasonings if needed, and enjoy!

southwestern pizza

I love pizza.  Jeff disagrees with me.  He says that since my pizza is cheese-less (lactose intolerant & personal choice) its technically a flatbread.  Whatever.  I love flatbread.  :)

This version was just for me, so no cheese.  It tastes great this way, but I have included cheese in the accompanying recipe.

I love how versatile pizza is.  I generally make an uber veggie one for myself, and pepperoni or BBQ chicken for Jeff.  It is a great source of happiness for me that the boys also prefer my veggie filled pizza.  For the win!

I wanted to try some new pizza flavors, and southwestern seemed like a good place to start.  If all goes well, look for another new flavor coming soon.

This pizza is so good!  Tons of fresh veggies, lots of flavor, and refried beans?  Yes please!

Sorry, not much more to say, I just couldn't stop taking photos...

southwestern pizza
makes 1 large pizza

ingredients:

• 2/3 can of refried beans (I used vegetarian beans, waaay less sodium)
• 4 garlic cloves, diced
• 1/3 large green bell pepper, sliced thin
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced thin
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup corn
• handful of tomatoes (your choice which veriety, I used sun gold), sliced
• 1/2 small can sliced black olives
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• fresh cilantro for garnishing (optional)
• your favorite pizza dough (I love the Pioneer Woman's recipe)

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  In a small oven safe pan roast the garlic, bell pepper, onion, and corn in the olive oil for 30 minutes.  Take out and set aside.
2. Set oven to 500 degrees F.  Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and lay down rolled out pizza dough.  Spread evenly with refried beans.  Top with the roasted veggies, tomato slices, olives, and seasonings.  Bake for 11-12 minutes.  
3. Remove form oven, cool for several minutes.  Top with optional cilantro and serve.

note: This pizza is almost better the next day.  I usually love cold pizza, but not one with beans on it.  To reheat bake on a baking sheet at 375 degrees F for 6 minutes.  Delicious!