Shrimp Linguine with Tomatoes, Broccoli and Artichoke Hearts

I have been lovinggg artichoke hearts lately! Random? Definitely. I had a can left over after making a heavenly spinach-artichoke dip and decided to make a pasta creation! It was delicious!! The broccoli was one of my favorites parts to this dish other than the artichoke hearts and tomatoes and shrimp and.... everything else!

Ingredients:
Fresh USA wild caught shrimp, 1/4 lb. One head of broccoli 4 artichoke hearts 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 can of crushed tomatoes olive oil, used to sauté 2 teaspoon oregano 2 teaspoon basil 1 package of Linguine, or Fettuccine, or Spaghetti 
Directions:

1. Add olive oil to a skillet, toss in 2 cloves of the minced garlic
2. Slice the artichoke hearts into quarters and remove the stem area
3. Add the Artichoke hearts to the skillet
4. Cut the broccoli into florets and add the broccoli to the skillet
5. Pour in the can of crushed tomatoes, do not drain it will become the sauce
6. Add basil and oregano
7. Start boiling the water for the noodles!
8. In a separate skillet, sauté shrimp in olive oil with the left over garlic
9. Sprinkle the shrimp with some basil and oregano
10. Let the sauce simmer and Voilà! Your meal is complete

Happy Cooking!

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Icing

I had a slice of pumpkin spice cake with maple cream cheese icing in NYC and have been dying to attempt to remake it! Of course it wasn't as good at the NYC cake but it is still a delicious fall cake :)

Preheat the over to 350 degrees... Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla and then add the eggs one at a time.

Add in the lovely pumpkin puree

Add in the flour, baking soda and powder, and dry spices

Pour batter evenly into three cake pans. I tried two new silicone pans and they were great!

For the icing: Butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar andd maple syrup!

I like to pack on the icing in the layers :)

Lather the icing on the cake and enjoy the deliciousness!

Recipe from Country Living Magazine

Ingredients:

3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened

1 cup Firmly Packed Dark Brown Sugar

1 cup Sugar

3 large Eggs

1 1/2 cups Pumpkin Purée

1/2 cup Buttermilk

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

2 cups All-Purpose Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Fresh-Ground Nutmeg

Maple Cream Cheese Icing

2 Cream Cheese packages

4 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar

2 sticks Of unsalted butter

a splash or two of milk

1/4 cup of maple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease 3 cake pans 

2. Cream butter, sugar, and add eggs one at a time until mixture is smooth  

3. Add in pumpkin puree, buttermilk, and vanilla 

4. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and nutmeg slowly into the mixture

5. Pour batter into three pans and back for 35 to 40 minutes. 

6. Let the cakes cool-- try not to rush this step, I know I always do!

7. Cream icing ingredients together and ice your cake!!

Happy Fall!

Quick and Easy Chicken Fried Rice

It has been one of those days when I needed a quick and easy meal! Tuesdays I play flag football with two of my roommates and it is at that awkward time when its a little to early for dinner but if you don't eat before the game....not good! Solution?... Chicken fried rice

  Thaw 1/2 cup of frozen peas and carrots

 Cut chicken breast into small pieces and cook in soy sauce in a frying pan

  Sautee in carrots and peas once chicken is fully cooked

  Add in rice and a splash more of soy sauce, I have found that day old rice works best

Serve with soy sauce and japanese white sauce {also called Yum-Yum sauce}

Enjoy this super easy and delicious meal!

 Here are a few pictures from the flag football game :)

 Love Em oh so much!!

Just keeping it real... y'all I was a swimmer which equals no running ability haha {dinosaur arms}

 Yupp I totally thought I was catching that one haha not quite

I love these girls (missing Rossi) so blessed to live with them

Banana Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Have over-ripe bananas? Try this delicious breakfast bread!

As seen on Lovin' From the Oven

Ingredients: 

For the bread:

3 over-ripe bananas, smashed up

1/3 cup melted salted butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

2 Tbs milk

For the swirl:

1/3 cup sugar

1 Tbs cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Crisco and flour a loaf pan. 
2. Mix bananas, butter, sugar, milk, egg, and vanilla together. sprinkle baking soda around on top of the banana mixture. Gently stir in flour.
3. In a small dish, mix together the 1/3 cup sugar and 1 Tbs cinnamon.
4. Add 1/2 of the batter to the loaf pan and then sprinkle half, or a little more than half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture all over the batter in the pan. Add the rest of the batter, and then sprinkle the leftover cinnamon-sugar on top.
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes

Happy Labor Day!

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tuesdays... so close to the middle of the week but just not quiteeee there yet. Tuesdays and Thursdays are a full day of classes and today I found myself wanting to enjoy one (a few) of these delicious cookies as soon as I arrived home. I found a recipe on Pinterest {here} that looked delicious a few weeks ago and decided to give it a try. I ended up altering it a little bit to achieve the perfect "after a long day" indulgence and my sister definitely approves!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup salted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups dark chocolate chips

2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cream together butter, sugars, egg, milk and vanilla with a mixer.

3. Add dry mixture of flour, cornstarch and baking soda.

4. Stir in chocolate chips.

5. Roll dough into one inch balls and place about two inches apart on a cooking sheet.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes (depending on your oven's temperature) the cookies will stay golden in color and harden as they cool! 

Enjoy!