Heaven.

Well it is only heaven if you like mushrooms, Camembert, and puff pastry. I looooooOOoooOOOoove all three so it is one of my heavens. This would be a great "impress the in laws(or future in laws!)and bring to a Holiday gathering" snack. Or if you're like me, you'll probably make it this weekend while watching movies and drinking lots of wine. No judging.

Three Mushroom and Camembert Cheese Puff Strudel




Ingredients:
4 teaspoons Olive Oil, Divided
1 whole Large Shallot, Minced
4 ounces, weight Portobello Mushrooms, Thinly Sliced
4 ounces, weight Crimini Mushrooms, Thinly Sliced
4 ounces, weight Shiitake Mushrooms, Thinly Sliced
½ teaspoons Kosher Salt, Or To Taste
½ teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper, Or To Taste
2 teaspoons Chopped Fresh Thyme
1 whole Sheet Puff Pastry, Defrosted
3-½ ounces, weight Camembert Cheese, Thinly Sliced
1 whole Egg White, Lightly Whisked

Directions:
Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add shallot and saute until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 2 additional teaspoons olive oil and stir in thinly sliced portobello, crimini, and shiitake mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are tender and just starting to turn brown. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in minced fresh thyme leaves.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll defrosted sheet of puff pastry into a 9- by 12-inch rectangle. Lay slices of Camembert cheese down the middle third of the puff pastry, leaving one third of puff pastry free on each side of the cheese. Spoon the mushroom mixture evenly over the cheese. Fold one-third of puff pastry over the mushrooms to cover it. Using a small, sharp knife, cut the remaining third of the puff pastry into 1/2-inch strips. Brush the pastry that is folded over with egg white. Fold one strip on either end to seal the strudel. Lay the remaining strips in decorative X pattern along the top of the strudel. Brush with egg white and let rest in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Transfer the strudel to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until the puff pastry is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch slices. Serve.

This can serve 6(or 1...remember no judgement)

Pumpkin Spice Sugar Blossom Cookies

Because I love you, and I love pumpkin spice anything!!

Pumpkin Spice Sugar Blossom Cookies




Ingredients:
For the cookie dough:
¼ cups Butter, Softened
¾ cups Granulated Sugar
1 whole Egg
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1-¼ cup All-purpose, Unbleached Flour
¼ teaspoons Cream Of Tartar
¼ teaspoons Baking Soda
¼ teaspoons Salt
For the orange sugar:
¼ cups Granulated Sugar
5 drops Yellow Food Coloring
1 drop Red Food Coloring
3 dashes Pumpkin Pie Spice (optional)
For assembly:
24 whole Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses(where have these been all my life?? and WHY am I JUST now finding out about them??)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

For orange sugar: In a small plastic container with a tight fitting lid, pour in sugar and drop food coloring over the top. Close container with the lid and shake vigorously until sugar turns orange. Mix in pumpkin spice if using. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until smooth. Whip in egg and vanilla until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Slowly stir in remaining ingredients until combined. Set aside. Using a cookie scoop, drop cookie dough into orange sugar and roll around lightly to coat.Place on un-greased cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are just barely starting to brown. While cookies bake, unwrap Hershey kisses.

Remove cookies from baking sheet immediately and place on a cooling rack. Press a Hershey kiss into the center of each warm cookie. Cool and serve. Or just serve warm!

Qunioa Salad with Peaches

Simple, healthy, and interesting way to use quinoa! What is quinoa? Though not technically a grain, quinoa can substitute for nearly any grain in cooking. Actually the seed of a leafy plant, quinoa’s relatives include spinach, beets and Swiss chard. Due to its delicate taste and rich amounts of protein, iron, potassium and other vitamins and minerals, it is quite popular. It is also a good source of dietary fiber and is easily digested.


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onions
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 sliced ripe peach

Directions:
1. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan; add uncooked quinoa. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Cool quinoa slightly.

2. Stir in peppers, onions, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, honey, pepper and peach

Sweet & Spicy Chicken Thighs

I looooove sweet & spicy combinations! This was delicious and I served it with some yummy peach quinoa.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
Cooking spray
6 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler.

2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss to coat. Place chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil chicken 5 minutes on each side.

3. Combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well. Remove chicken from oven; brush 1/4 cup honey mixture on chicken. Broil 1 minute. Remove chicken from oven and turn over. Brush chicken with remaining honey mixture. Broil 1 additional minute or until chicken is done.

Honey Bun Cake

Remember Little Debbie Honey Buns? This cake is really similar in flavor and it is delicious!! I brought it to a BBQ and everybody just RAVED about it. The best part is that it is incredibly EASY!!

Ingredients:
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 cups confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, oil, eggs and sour cream. Stir by hand approximately 50 strokes, or until most large lumps are gone. Pour half of the batter into an ungreased 9x13 inch glass baking dish. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the batter in the cake pan. Spoon the other half of the batter into the cake pan, covering the brown sugar and cinnamon. Twirl the cake with a butter knife or icing knife until it looks like a honey bun (or whatever design you want to make).
3. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Frost cake while it is still fairly hot. Serve warm.
4. To Make the frosting: In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioner's sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth.