Toasty Whole Grain Orange Muffins

I hate to eat at restaurants. A food blogger that hates restaurant foods sounds strange, but it's very true. I can list the number of restaurants I have ever thought wow this is great on one hand. Five fingers, that's it. Half of the list has been in other countries, whether for the company, the food or both, I'll never be a hundred percent sure, but they still make my top five. I have a much, much longer list of restaurants I have really disliked. The same restaurants that people have told me are so great, you must try them. I have and they weren't that great. So much of food has to do with the experience, not just the food on the plate. It's hard for one person to have the same feelings for a restaurant as another. Some of my favorite memories are associated with the Thai restaurant growing-up that was near our house. While the food was decent, the memories of eating with my mother makes me remember the restaurant as great.

My kids are eating me out of house and home recently. I haven't had as much time online, but I have still been cooking and baking up a storm. Last week I tried a new recipe for Toasty Whole Grain Orange Muffins from the April 2014 issue of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

This recipe has 14 ingredients. It takes 50 minutes of total time, 35 minutes of which is active. I made two versions of the original recipe, one gluten free and one as written. For the gluten free recipe I used a homemade rice flour blend. For the wheat flour muffins I used all-purpose flour and white whole wheat flour. I found that both sets of muffins worked better cooked at 350 for 25 minutes instead of the 400 degrees for 15 minutes suggested by the recipe. I hate cleaning muffin pans so I used muffin liners on both batches. The clean up is much easier and that way my kids can just grab an individual muffin off the counter.

Both types of these muffins turned out well. They were best re-heated with butter or marmalade if you ate them after the first day. Fresh out of the oven the gluten free muffins were perfect and had a great light taste. As with most gluten free baked goods if eaten after the first day they needed to be warmed in the microwave for approximately 15 seconds. My kids really liked the regular muffins and thought they were best with jam and butter.

For the recipe go to Toasty Whole Grain Orange Muffins. 

Don't Buy Overpriced Take-Out, Make it at Home: Asian Chicken Thighs Recipe

Asian Chicken Thighs

My oldest is apparently afraid of trains. This morning in a stroke of genius I came up with the idea of purchasing one way train tickets for my two kids and I to go over the mountains to visit my in-laws. The price would be low and it would only take a couple of hours. I was all excited about the idea, until I told my oldest after he woke up. He looked at me and walked away. My husband tried reasoning with him this evening, and he is somewhat willing. We will see. I am biased since my dad worked for the rail road before I was born and starting from the time I was 10 I took the train over the mountains in Washington State to visit my grandmother and aunt. Apparently you have to have an adult with you now, or that was just the 80's and things were very different. Hopefully he will eventually change his mind and love taking the train as much as I do. One thing my son does love is to cook with me. From the time he could crawl he has been more than willing to help in the kitchen. Tonight he helped me to make a new recipe for Asian Chicken Thighs from the June/July issue of Taste of Home magazine.

This recipe has 15 ingredients. It takes 65 minutes of total time, 30 minutes of which is active and makes 5 servings. As I normally do I made a few changes to the original recipe. First, I only used 4 chicken thighs since the ones I found were very large. Secondly, I used fresh squeezed orange juice. It is much cheaper to buy one orange than a whole container of orange juice, plus the taste is better and it is all natural. I was out of reduced sodium soy sauce so I used regular. Finally, to thicken the sauce I removed the chicken thighs and reduced the sauce and then poured it into a gravy boat to pour over each serving at the table.

The sauce in this recipe was delicious. It was great with the chicken or just by itself with rice. The chicken was very tender and fell off the bone. With 25 grams of protein per serving this is a nice protein rich meal. In addition to being delicious it is also child friendly, my two boys loved the recipe.

For the recipe go to Asian Chicken Thighs. 

Oatmeal Brulee with Ginger Cream

As I have discussed many times before, breakfast is the meal I struggle with the most. My natural tendency in the morning is to grab a cup of coffee and nothing else until the middle of the afternoon. The men in my house on the other hand wake-up very hungry. My two boys pop out of bed in the morning and want food right away. If I take more than 5 minutes, they start following me around asking why I haven't started their breakfast. Since my husband leaves for work at 6 in the morning I try to make sure that the meals I make for breakfast are quick and easy. I really don't have the energy to go full out at 6:30. However, on weekends I like to take the time to make a more labor and time intensive breakfast. Weekend breakfasts allow my family to talk about what has happened during the week and be together. This weekend I tried a new recipe for Oatmeal Brulee with Ginger Cream from the December/January issue of Taste of Home magazine, which looked delicious and perfect for fall.

This recipe has 15 ingredients. It takes 40 minutes of total time, 30 minutes of which is active, and makes 4 servings. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local grocery store. Since I eat gluten-free I used gluten-free oats, however, regular oats would work just as well for people who can eat gluten. I haven't seen fresh raspberries in months so I bought frozen. The broiler on my oven has been broken for years so I used the broiler on my toaster oven. My total broiling time was longer since I used this method, about 15 minutes total. Instead of using butter to grease my ramekins, I used non-stick spray. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I loved this recipe. The ginger cream was delicious and the crusty sugar topping was very popular with my two kids. Plus, the time was reasonable for a weekend meal and the oatmeal was perfect with hard boiled eggs for breakfast. This is definitely a recipe I would make again.

For the recipe go to Oatmeal Brulee with Ginger Cream.

Gluten Free Berry-Orange Coffee Cakes

I have a soft spot in my heart for coffee cake. When I was first learning to bake my mom gave me one of her old cookbooks and I discovered coffee cake. I think I must have made at least one coffee cake a month for about six months. I was in love. As I became more confident in my baking skills I tried harder coffee cake recipes and once I was in college I discovered the great flavor that rum can add. There is something so great about sitting down with a great cup of coffee and homemade coffee cake. Regardless of the time of the day it just feels right. Now when I first went gluten free I thought I would have to give up my beloved coffee cake. Then I decided I would just learn to bake differently. I tried approximately 4 coffee cake recipes that were horrible. I almost gave up. Then I decided to try one more recipe and it came out perfect. So now I am back to regularly baking coffee cake again. On Thanksgiving morning I tried a new recipe for Berry-Orange Coffee Cakes from the November issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, which looked delicious and perfect for converting to gluten free.

This recipe has 15 ingredients. It takes 25 minutes of baking time, 10 minutes of prep and makes 15 cakes. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local grocery store. When baking gluten free I always use muffin tin liners. Gluten free muffins tend to stick to the pan easier than their gluten counterparts. My favorite gluten free all-purpose flour uses coconut flour as a base and that it what I used in this recipe. I decided to use slightly less ginger than the recipe suggested, probably approximately one tablespoon instead of two. My two kids aren't big fans of walnuts so I left them off of the top of the cakes as well as the orange peel. Finally, since I made these cakes gluten free I found the baking time to be 5 minutes longer than the recipe suggest. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

These cakes were very popular on Thanksgiving morning. I left off the glaze on my servings, but put them on my boys cakes. They were flakier than regular wheat muffins, but had a great soft taste. My two in-laws were in town for the week and both thought that these cakes were delicious. If you like ginger you could use the full amount suggested by the recipe or you can reduce the amount like I did. Overall, a great gluten free baking recipe.

For the recipe go to Berry-Orange Coffee Cakes. (registration required)

Cranberry-Orange Scones

I am finally back home after visiting family for the last week. You may have noticed if you follow me on social media that I have been posting a large number of West Virginia photos. My family had a great time going on hikes, parades and visiting parts of the state that we had only been to a few times previously. Now comes the chaos of school starting next Monday. I can't believe how fast this summer has gone. My oldest is nervous and excited about starting first grade, I am just looking forward to being back down to one child during the day. So this is the week that we are getting our breakfast and sleeping routines back in order. I have gotten much better about at least eating something for breakfast everyday and this morning I tried a new recipe for Cranberry Orange Scones from the July issue of All You magazine.

This recipe has 10 ingredients. It takes 25 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of bake time and makes 12 scones. This recipe was very straight forward and I made very few modifications. I have switched over to using organic butter and that is what I used in this recipe. For the orange juice I used fresh squeezed, the flavor is better and the price is low. I did make a few changes to the baking. Before the scones went into the oven I brushed the tops with heavy cream. I always do this with scones, it helps to brown the tops and gives the scones a nice flavor. I found that my scones took the full 15 minutes to fully brown on the top and bottom. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I am a huge scone fan. My mother loved going to high tea when I was in my teens and the tradition has rubbed off on me. I love baking fresh scones and sitting down with a great cup of coffee (or tea). Even if I only get to relax for a few seconds, I relish those moments. This recipe has a nice orange flavor without being overpowering and my two boys loved the scones. They ate the entire batch before dinner. I love how easy these are to put together and shaping the scones in a cake pan was a great idea! This is a recipe I would make again for tea, breakfast or any time of the day.

For the recipe go to Cranberry-Orange Scones.

Pork Shoulder Roast with Citrus Mojo and Green Sauce

As you all probably know by now my family loves pork. Not just a little bit, but literally my husband could be a vegetarian as long as he could still eat pork. My two boys are pretty much the same way, if I tell them that pork is for dinner they run to the table. Pork shoulder is a popular dish in my house and I make it approximately once a month. Most of the winter I make it in the crock-pot and in the summer I smoke it all day on the charcoal grill (my husband won't allow a gas grill in our house). One method that I make less frequently, but tastes delicious is oven roasted. The May issue of Food and Wine magazine had a recipe for Pork Shoulder Roast with Citrus Mojo and Green Sauce, which looked like a great recipe for oven roasted pork.

This recipe has 13 ingredients for the pork and 9 ingredients in the creamy cilantro-lime sauce. It takes 8 hours of cooking plus 8 hours of marinating, 45 minutes of which is active and makes 8 to 10 servings. The only pork shoulder that I was able to find at any of the stores in my area was 8 pounds, so I increased my cooking time accordingly. Instead of fresh lemon juice, I used bottled lemon juice. I would normally use fresh, but my two kids ruined my lemons, I love my three-year-old! Additionally, I used bottled orange juice, the price and time to squeeze fresh oranges was more than I wanted to spend. I marinated my pork shoulder for 10 hours total. Finally instead of a white onion for the sauce I used the sweet onions that I already had. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

The sauces when combined together with the pork was delicious. It was a little rich for everyday, especially with the mayonnaise sauce, but would be great for party. When I first started eating this dish I ate the sauces separately and wasn't impressed. However, once I ate them together the taste was great. They definitely should be served together. My two boys were not sure about the green sauce, but once they tried it they were fans. This makes a large amount of leftovers, I would say enough for at least three more meals. Overall, a nice change of pace from the normal pork roast recipes that I prepare.

For the recipe go to Pork Shoulder Roast with Citrus Mojo and Green Sauce.

Food and Wine Whole-Wheat Linguine with Walnuts, Orange and Chile

As you all know I love pasta and cheese. Separately, together it doesn't matter, I love them both. I have tried unsuccessfully to get my family to try whole-wheat pasta since it became readily available a few years back. Every couple of months I try a new recipe hoping that they will change their minds and realize that they do in fact like whole-wheat pasta. I shouldn't be surprised at their resistance. When I first met my husband he thought that bacon and bacon grease were a major food group. Everything that he cooked was fried in bacon grease and somehow he weighed 130 pounds. Fast forward almost 10 years and I have successfully transitioned him into using olive oil instead of bacon fat and to admit that bacon is a sometimes food. Whole-wheat pasta has still been a struggle. He has slowly progressed to the point that there are a few recipes using whole-wheat pasta that he appreciates and I make semi-frequently. The April issue of Food and Wine magazine had a recipe for Whole-Wheat Linguine with Walnuts, Orange and Chile which looked very simple and I was hopeful that my family would enjoy it regardless of the whole-wheat pasta.

This recipe has 9 ingredients. It takes 25 minutes of total time and makes 4 servings. I had to make a few substitutions to the ingredients due to their lack of availability. Calabrian chiles are not available in my area, so as suggested by the recipe I substituted crushed red pepper. I doubled the recipe, so I used 2 tablespoons of crushed red peppers to substitute for the 2 tablespoons of chiles. The taste was nice, but I thought a little overly spicy. I would suggest cutting back on the total amount of crushed red pepper if substituting. I toasted the walnuts on the stove top instead of the oven. I find it easier to toast nuts on the stove rather than turning on my gas oven and heating up my entire kitchen. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I am happy to report that my husband and two kids ate this dish and were pleased with the whole-wheat pasta. The flavor was simple and spicy. The orange wasn't very noticeable, so if you want a strong citrus flavor I would suggest increasing the amount of orange peel. My husband took the leftovers for work the next day and reported that they re-heated well. Overall, a simple pasta recipe that my non-whole-wheat pasta loving family enjoyed.

For the recipe go to Whole-Wheat Linguine with Walnuts, Orange and Chile.

Food and Wine Roasted Beets with Pistachios, Herbs, and Orange

As I've mentioned before I love beets. I have been known to eat an entire jar of pickled beets by myself in one sitting. I am also the same person that gets overly excited when I go to a craft show and they have someone selling jars of pickled beets in their stall, yum. For most of my life I enjoyed my beets pickled and eaten sliced or whole with a large serving of sour cream. Everyone else in my family couldn't stand my beloved beets and refused to partake in my delicious treasures. However, approximately two years ago I stumbled across a recipe for roasted beets and everything changed. My family discovered that they could actually enjoy beets. Now I make roasted beets a couple of times a month and they are always happily eaten. The March issue of Food and Wine magazine had a recipe for Roasted Beets with Pistachios, Herbs and Orange which looked very easy to prepare and full of flavor from the fresh herbs.

This recipe has 15 ingredients. It takes an hour and twenty minutes to prepare and cook, twenty minutes of which is active and makes 8 servings. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local grocery store and made no ingredient modifications. The beets that I purchased were very large and therefore took longer than the hour baking time suggested by the recipe. I had a hard time breaking the cinnamon stick into pieces and only broke it in half instead of into four pieces. To save on time during dinner prep I made the dressing in the morning, which I feel helped to make the flavors blend together and become more flavorful by the time it was served at dinner. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

While this recipe takes 15 ingredients, the taste is really quite simple. The fresh herbs create a nice fresh flavor, which is light and not overbearing. The presentation is beautiful with the color from the beets and the contrast with the green color of the pistachios and celery leaves. My husband liked this dish, but felt that for him it was a little too simple in taste. My two boys ate the beets, but picked off the nuts and fresh herbs. A beautiful dish that is very healthy and simple.

For the recipe Roasted Beets with Pistachios, Herbs, and Orange.

Food Network Magazine Warm Beet-Orange Salad

I'm back! My internet is on and I am so much happier! So back to my normal posts. Since I was sick in January and diagnosed with very low potassium I have made a great effort to include more fruit in my family's diet. I have always been great about preparing vegetables, but fruit is another story. I am happy to report that the last time I had my potassium checked it was perfect and I don't have to go on any daily medication. I feel so much better and less tired now that I have been diligent about including more fruit. Plus I have discovered that fruit can be delicious in recipes. The January/February issue of the Food Network Magazine had a recipe for Warm Beet-Orange Salad, which promised a delicious combination of fruit and vegetables and very simple to prepare.

This recipe  has 7 ingredients. It takes approximately an hour to prepare and cook and makes 6 servings. I actually picked a week to make this dish that beets were very hard to find in my area. It seems that every couple of weeks different vegetables and herbs becomes impossible to find and then in a couple of weeks appear again, it can be very frustrating and doesn't seem to have much rhyme or reason. Luckily, after I went to three stores I was able to find great looking beets to prepare. Make sure to let the beets cool slightly before peeling to prevent burning your hands. Finally, take all the skin off the oranges before segmenting, the taste is better plus it absorbs the dressing more effectively. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I love how bright this salad turned out. This would make a great salad for Easter or a spring get together. My husband thought that this recipe would benefit from the addition of more flavor. I agree that the addition of fresh basil would elevate the flavor of the dish. Overall, very easy to put together and would make a colorful edition to any table.

For the recipe go to Warm Beet-Orange Salad.

All You Mixed Green Salad with Oranges

I can eat a very large amount of goat cheese. If I sit down without measuring out a serving, I can easily eat the whole 4 oz package. My oldest son loves goat cheese as much as I do. One of his favorite after-school snacks is goat cheese and crackers, which he loves and often requests. Given my family's love of cheese I have been trying out various types of salad recipes which incorporate the ingredient. The December issue of All You Magazine had a recipe for Mixed Green Salad with Oranges, which looked like a delicious combination of cheese and citrus and a perfect dinner side.

This recipe has 8 ingredients in the dressing and 5 ingredients in the salad. It takes 15 minutes to prep and makes 8 servings. I frequently have a hard time finding Boston lettuce in my area, and this recipe was no exception. I had to go to several stores to find all the types of lettuce needed for the recipe. All the other ingredients were easy to find. I did end up using more than the 4 ounces of cheese suggested by the recipe since my family loves it so much. Finally, I prepped my dressing in the morning and let it set in the fridge all day, which made the flavor of the shallot really come out in the dressing. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

My husband really liked this salad and ate over half of it all by himself. I liked how the cheese and the dressing blended well together. The oranges give a nice citrus taste and best of all the salad only cost $1.80 per serving. Very easy to prepare and a perfect side to heavy main course.

For the recipe go to Mixed Green Salad with Oranges.

Everyday Food Roasted Beets with Orange and Thyme

Growing up I hated beets. My mother would try over and over again to make me eat them and I stubbornly refused. It wasn't until I got married that I discovered that beets weren't just from a can or jar and could actually be delicious. In the last 8 years I have fallen in love with roasted beets and make them frequently. My two boys are hit or miss on whether they will eat them, but luckily my husband loves roasted beets and will eat them as many times as they are prepared. One of my favorite ingredients to pair with roasted beets are fresh herbs, so I was intrigued when the January/February issue of Everyday Food Magazine had a recipe for Roasted Beets with Orange and Thyme.

This recipe has 9 ingredients. It takes approximately 50 minutes to prepare and roast and makes 4 servings. I actually had a hard time finding fresh beets locally. For whatever reason all my local stores were out of beets for over two weeks. Luckily, I was finally able to find them and prepared the dish. All the remaining ingredients are basic and I had no problems finding them and made no substitutions. I used local honey, I always try to use local honey when available. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

Fresh herbs and roasted beets when paired together are delicious. This recipe is very easy to put together and has a nicely balanced flavor. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed these beets, I particularly liked the flavor from the grated orange peel and fresh thyme. Overall, a very simple roasted beet recipe.

For the recipe go to Roasted Beets with Orange and Thyme.

Food Network Magazine Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts

I am not one of those people that can limit themselves on nuts. The whole idea of eating 10 almonds for a serving doesn't fit with my snacking personality. I'm lucky that I am constantly moving and burning calories, so I look for high protein snacks that will tide me over until my next meal. As I've stated before I tend to eat 6 smaller meals throughout the day, instead of three large ones. I am drawn towards sugar, so I try to find protein snacks that will satisfy my sweet tooth while providing energy. As I was looking through the December issue of the Food Network Magazine I came across a recipe for Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts, which looked like a great sweet and savory protein snack.

This recipe 11 ingredients. It takes a total of 35 minutes, 10 minutes of which is active, and makes 8 to 10 servings. I thought that I had chipotle powder in my cupboard, but when I got ready to make the recipe I discovered that I did not. Instead I substituted Ancho chili powder, which I do relatively frequently in recipes. I chose to combine all my ingredients in a bowl and then pour onto a baking sheet. This way all the nuts were evenly coated. Make sure to watch the nuts while they are in the oven. I probably turned the nuts about every 8 minutes in order to prevent burning. I would not suggest turning down the heat though, the temp needs to be high enough to caramelize the brown sugar. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

The sweet flavor from the brown sugar combines nicely with the savory flavors from the rosemary and chili powder. This recipe makes a lot of nuts, so it would be great as a party snack. If you are making it for your family I would suggest cutting the recipe in half unless you have two growing boys like I do. I served this as an after school snack to my oldest and he loved it. Overall, an easy sweet and savory snack.

For the recipe go to Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts.

Womans Day Open-Faced Orange and Cumin-Spiced Pork Sandwiches

With two growing and rambunctious boys, I oftentimes find myself short on time around dinner. I will start something to serve and within a couple of minutes my two boys will have total pre-dinner meltdowns. Thus, dinner turns into disarray as I scramble to find something that we can possibly eat. To the rescue comes my slowcooker. I love how easy it is to start something in the crockpot in the morning and by dinner everything is done. This way even if my two boys start melting down it doesn't matter since the food is already ready to serve. The October issue of Woman's Day magazine had a recipe for Open-Faced Orange and Cumin-Pork Sandwiches, which looked delicious and full of great spices.

This recipe has 12 ingredients. It takes a total of 8 hours and 15 minutes, 15 minutes of which is active, and makes 4 servings. All the ingredients were easy to find at my local grocery store. I did make some major modifications to the original recipe. First, I prefer for pulled pork to keep my pork butt whole during the crockpot time. I salt and pepper the butt, pan sear on all sides, and then add fat side up to the crockpot. The flavor from the bone makes for a rich, delicious flavor. I chose to add the whole cloves, just make sure to take them out before serving. Finally, I forgot to make fresh country bread, so I served the sandwiches on Naan, since I already had it on hand. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

This recipe is very easy to prepare and has a great flavor from all the spices. The modification to the bread, made a delicious compliment to the flavors. My two boys loved this recipe and ate their whole servings, plus leftovers the next day. During the fall and winter months, crockpot recipes can be a great way to prepare dinner without much effort, and this recipe is no exception. Overall a great blend of spices in a quick, pork recipe.

For the recipe got to Open-Faced Orange and Cumin-Spiced Pork Sandwiches.

Better Homes and Gardens Milk Chocolate Marble Loaf Cake with Citrus Compote

I have a major weakness for chocolate. If there is chocolate in the house I will find it and more than likely eat it. Luckily for me I was given my dad's high metabolism and I am constantly running around after my very rambunctious two and five-year-old. Thanks to a combination of these factors and the fact that 99 percent of the time I eat very healthy, I routinely indulge my chocolate cravings. I hate to admit it, but I have even been known to eat leftover chocolate cake for breakfast. Not the healthiest breakfast, but yummy none-the-less. Given my love of all thing chocolate the recipe for Milk Chocolate Marble Loaf Cake with Citrus Compote in the November issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine caught my eye and looked like something perfect for my menu plan.

This recipe has 9 ingredients in the cake and 5 in the citrus compote. The prep time is approximately 30 minutes and the bake time 65 minutes, and it makes 12 servings. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local grocery store with the exception of the kumquats, which I left out. My disco era oven even with a oven thermometer never seems to bake consistently and my cake took 20 minutes longer than the stated recipe. I tented the cake after to the first 30 minutes to prevent burning and rotated the loaf pan halfway through the cooking time. The only oranges available at my local grocery store were seeded, which made the prep for the fruit compote slightly more time consuming than the time the recipe suggested. I also took off the skins from both the oranges and grapefruit. I find the texture of the skins unpleasant in many recipes. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

The loaf cake part of this recipe turned out well. It was light and had a subtle chocolate flavor. I wasn't as impressed with the combination of the loaf cake and fruit compote. Separately the fruit compote was delicious and my two sons loved eating it for breakfast by itself. When it was paired with the loaf cake it just seemed off. Both components were great on their own, but the combination didn't work. The loaf cake spread with warm butter was popular in my household and eaten quickly. My two boys loved the fruit compote as a fruit salad for breakfast, and ate all the leftovers. Overall, both components work well separately and therefore I would recommend eating them as two different recipes.

For the recipe go to Milk Chocolate Marble Loaf Cake.

Saveur Salsa de Pina Picante (Spicy Fresh Pineapple Salsa)

One of my favorite things about summer is the abundance of inexpensive fruit. I love just about every type of fruit and have passed on these feelings to my two children. My two boys love going to the grocery store and picking out fruits and vegetables for the week and will even ask for things by name. Recently, my five-year-old has been obsessed with pineapples due to one of the movies that he owns. When I was looking through the August issue of Saveur magazine I was pleased to find a recipe for Salsa de Pina Picante (Spicy Fresh Pineapple Salsa), using one of my son's favorite new fruits.

This recipe has 8 ingredients and literally can be prepped in just minutes. All the ingredients were easily found at my local grocery store, and I was happy that the price of pineapples is currently low. I actually had to make this salsa twice, the first one succumbed to a kitchen accident and fell on the floor. I was lucky that I had extra ingredients and I made a second batch. I did make one modification. All the fresh oranges at my local grocery store looked less than stellar this week, so I substituted refrigerated pure orange juice instead. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

If you don't like spicy food, this salsa is not for you. I used relatively large jalapenos and my salsa was spicy to say the least. If your family is not a fan of spicy foods, I suggest seeding at least one of the jalapenos, which will significantly cut down on the heat. I served the salsa with homemade curry tortilla chips (recipe to be posted later in the week) and the combination of the two was delicious. My husband really loved this recipe, he thought the combination of sweet and spicy was great. I liked how easily the recipe was to put together, even if I had to make it twice. My two boys picked around the salsa eating the pineapples, but this was definitely a salsa more for adults. Overall a great spicy-sweet salsa that would go well with a variety of dishes including meats or plain with chips.

For the recipe go to Saveur Salsa de Pina Picante.

Everyday Food Spiced Roasted Chicken

We eat a lot of chicken in our household, and when I say a lot I mean a lot. My two boys love any type of poultry and will eat all the leftovers of a dish if given the opportunity. I love chicken also, but I tend to get bored with the same roasted chicken recipes, so I try to frequently change my chicken recipes and menu plans. The May issue of Everyday Food magazine had a recipe for Spiced Roasted Chicken, which looked promising for a change from my family's normal roasted chicken routine.

This recipe has 9 ingredients and the prep work takes approximately 10 minutes, with 1 hour and 20 minutes of total cooking time (if using a 4 lb bird). All of the ingredients are basic and I had no problems finding them at my local grocery store. I did have to buy a 7 pound chicken, there were no smaller birds available. Due to the much larger size of my bird, than the 4 pound bird used in the recipe, I had to modify some aspects of the cooking. I started the recipe in a dutch oven as stated in the recipe, but the bird did not crisp up as much as I expected, so I switched to a roasting pan for the last hour of cooking time. Additionally, since I was using a much bigger bird, my total cooking time took an hour and a half longer. I followed everything else in the recipe as stated, with no modifications.

The chicken in this recipe turned out very moist. My two boys enjoyed the chicken immensely and I liked how tender the entire chicken was. The vegetables didn't turn out as well and we didn't eat them. They ended up softer than we prefer, but this probably had a lot to do with the increased cooking time due to bird size. This recipe creates a moist chicken, which if you use a bigger bird like I did, would make enough leftovers for multiple additional meals.

For the recipe go to Everyday Food Spice Roasted Chicken

Family Fun Orange Cornmeal Cakes

My husband is a big fan of anything with orange flavoring. He was not pleased when a certain national coffee chain decided to get rid of their Valencia flavoring. This is the same man that waits until the day after Christmas and buys every single chocolate orange clearanced at the store. My boys share his love of anything orange, but I have never been as big of a fan. However, I decided recently that I needed to try baking more orange flavored treats for my family and have been looking for new recipes to try. The December/January issue of Family Fun magazine had a recipe for Orange Cornmeal Crisps, which looked perfect for my family and their love of anything orange flavored.

The cookie in this recipe has 10 ingredients and the glaze 4 ingredients. Most of the work is done in an electric mixer, with the majority of the prep time coming from the time waiting for the dough to freeze. I followed the recipe as is, with no modifications to the ingredients. However, I did find that my cooking time was slightly longer than the 10 to 12 minutes recommended. Additionally, I added more orange juice to the glaze in order for it to be the right consistency.

My two boys really enjoyed these cookies. I was suprised how much I liked these cookies when I don't normally liked orange flavored sweets. The first day my husband thought the cookies were a little gritty from the cornmeal, but he was impressed how well the cookies stood up over time and by the third day he really liked them. These cookies are a wonderful blend of crispy and sweet and would go well on any cookie platter.

For the recipe go to Family Fun Orange Cornmeal Crisps.