A Cook's Quest

Hooray!  It is Secret Recipe Club time again.  This is such a fun group to be a part of.  My blogging has slowed down significantly over the last year, but I wouldn't miss one of these reveals! This month I was assigned to Cooking Whims by Megan.  She not only shares recipes, but fun food finds, and her life experiences.  I really enjoyed getting to know her and her family through her blog.  She says, "I am no chef, but I do love to cook and bake and photograph everything under the sun."  She likes to try new recipes and document them on the blog. When it came time to choose a recipe, I struggled to make just one for my post.  I pondered these  Homemade Oatmeal Granola Bars  because I have struggled to find a granola bar that I really, truly loved.  I also considered  Rosemary Roasted Chicken  and  Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Burgers .  But, I finally settled on these  Strawberry Cupcakes with Cream ...

It is time for another round of Secret Recipe Club recipes.  I love doing this every month, because it introduces me to blogs that I wouldn't otherwise see.  This month I was lucky enough to be assigned to Fantastical Sharing of Recipes written by Sarah.  What I love about this blog is that Sarah has a similar take on food as me.  She tries to cook at home and not from packaged meals, but she also cooks what her family loves.  Not everything is the healthiest but she is always trying new recipes and sharing them with her family. As I started going through her recipes, I found many that I wanted to make.  Her one pot spaghetti looks awesome, and has been pinned for future reference.  I almost went for the cheddar baked potato soup , but the weather here is just too warm for that.  So, finally, I settled on this chocolate chip coffee cake .  I love coffee cakes, and Sarah says "adores," it and it is super easy to make.  I didn'...

Well, another month has rolled around, and it is time for another round of the secret recipe club.  This month I was assigned a fun blog called, The More Than Occasional Baker  written by Ros.  Ros has a love for baked goodies, both sweet and savory, and enjoys participating in cooking challenges. I really enjoyed looking through the many different posts at The More Than Occasional Baker.  There is a wide variety of delicious recipes to choose from.  I was drawn to all 30 of the recipes made with  peanut butter   because it has been a while since I have tried anything new with the husband's favorite ingredient, but in the end practicality and time won out.  I chose these tasty Cheese, Tomato, and Herb Twists because I needed an easy and tasty side dish to serve with dinner one night.  I had all the ingredients on hand and was able to whip these babies out in no time flat. Honestly, I was a little worried about how these w...

I love a good pasta salad, but I am also very picky about my pasta salads.  As a result I don't typically eat other people's salads, nor do I try new recipes.  I stick with what I know and love.  However, this month I stumbled on to this Orzo, Cranberry, and Apple Salad when I was assigned to Life and Kitchen for my Secret Recipe Club blog. Life and Kitchen   is run by Lindsey, a busy mom who enjoys cooking for her family and having fun.  She writes her blog for her daughter and family in a hopes that one day they will understand what day to day life was like growing up in their family.  Lindsey's most current posts don't have meat in them.  In 2012  she gave it up and no longer cooks with meat products.  But, that doesn't mean her recipes aren't super tasty! And, her older recipes do have meat so if that is what you are after you can find it on her blog.  I searched through her blog and found many recipes I was tem...

I am so excited to share this recipe with all of you today!  Why, you ask?  Well two reasons.  First, because today is Secret Recipe Club reveal day and I was assigned to an AMAZING blog and second, because the AMAZING blog is packed full of healthy, but delicious recipes. The recipe I am in love with is Baked Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries with Garlic Aioli Dipping Sauce and it comes from Laura over at The Healthy Jalapeno .  Her blog is full of recipes that are made with fresh ingredients that are good for your body.  She says she has, "no special talents," but don't believe that because her food is awesome!  Every recipe she makes for her new hubby and herself looks tasty, with a capital T!   I first contemplated one of her many smoothie recipes  , because I am always in a rush in the mornings and need a filling, healthy breakfast.  Then I spent some time on her snacks page drooling over a ton of options for my wine book c...

For the last few weeks my part of the world has been enduring freezing temperatures   By freezing I mean highs around 15 degrees Fahrenheit.  If anything says soup weather, these temperatures sure do! So, for this month's Secret Recipe Club I chose this   Light Cheddar Broccoli Soup  from I Am a Honey Bee .  I loved that Nicole, the blog's author writes a blog with recipes, restaurant reviews, and scrap booking posts.  It is creative and fun, and I loved checking in to see what new surprises might be posted. On to the soup! Not only was this soup warm on a cold winter's day, it was great to try a recipe for a family favorite that is lower in fat and calories, but full of a TON of flavor.  It was easy to make, and it took little time or effort.  I stayed to true to the recipe and didn't make any changes other than the type of low fat cheese I used. ENJOY! Lite Cheddar Broccoli Soup Recipe Source: I A...

It's  Secret Recipe Club reveal day!  This has become one of my favorite events each month.  This month I was lucky to be assigned  Healthy. Delicious. as my blog to choose a recipe from.  Lauren loves to cook and has a blog full of tasty AND healthy food.  I had a lot of trouble choosing a recipe because Lauren's blog is full of amazing food, and since she has been blogging since March of 2007 there were many tasty recipes to choose from!  Finally, I narrowed my choices down to three: Pear and Raspberry Brie Puffs , Brussel Sprout Salad with Maple Vinaigrette , and Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese .  I settled on the Mac and Cheese because homemade mac and cheese is one of my all time favorite dishes, and jalapeno poppers are a favorite appetizer of mine.  Both have cheese, and in my book cheese bumps a recipe to the top of the rankings. Let's get to business about this recipe.  I love that Lauren took a favorite...

I can not believe that a month has gone by since my last post!  The month of August has FLOWN by like a whirlwind, and I now find myself adjusting to a new school schedule.  In addition to the start of school, it is also time for another round of the Secret Recipe Club . This month, I was assigned to Bewitching Kitchen written by Sally who is originally from Brazil and has traveled the world.  If you want recipes that feature fresh and healthy ingredients this blog is for you.  I was struggling to choose a recipe because all of Sally's recipes look mouth watering!  I finally settled on the Roasted Heirloom Tomato Tart that she adapted from Just a Smidgen because tomatoes are in abundance right now, and I believe that anything that calls for puff pastry is destined to be delicious! I was not wrong!  This tart was delicious with the creamy cheese and sweet summer tomatoes atop the light and crispy puff pastry.  I was not able to locate ...

This month's recipe for the Secret Recipe Club comes from the blog Loving Life  written by Kirstin.  What I enjoyed about reading through this blog is the personal aspect Kirstin brings to all of her posts.  Not only are there recipes, but also daily life details of one family from the Pacific Northwest.  I love learning about those who write the blogs and getting to know about their life and what is important to them. I have shared on my blog a time or two that my husband's favorite dessert flavors are chocolate and peanut butter, in fact I have a chocolate and peanut butter category on my blog just so I can quickly find a recipe whenever he has a craving.  When I found this peanut butter pound cake at Loving Life I knew it was the recipe that I would be making for this month's reveal. As pound cakes go this one fits the bill.  It is dense, but moist, and very full of flavor.  Alone it reminds me of a peanut butter cookie in cake form, ...

Yes, it is time for another Secret Recipe Club reveal.  I can't believe how little I have been cooking or trying new recipes.  I am happy to report that school was released a few weeks ago, so my days of not cooking much are gone, at least for the summer.  I will be preparing many more new recipes for my family and everyone that reads my blog starting with the June Secret Recipe Club. For those that aren't familiar with it, the Secret Recipe Club, is a once a month opportunity to secretly try a new recipe from another blogger's site and write about it.  Everyone does a reveal on the same day at the same time.  During my last term of school it was the only time I tried new recipes because it was all I had time for. This month I am assigned to Shockingly Delicious .  Oh. My. Goodness.  This drool worthy blog is written by Dorothy Reinhold who is newspaper editor, writer, mom, food lover, and volunteer.  Just reading her blog made me hungry,...

Can you believe it is Secret Recipe Club time again?  The time is just flying by and I am so sad that I have not had a post in over a month.  I am only five weeks away from a full summer off which means lots of cooking and lots of fun with my family.  I can hardly wait! OK, on to my blog assignment for this month.  I was so lucky to get Prevention RD a blog about healthy eating that tastes wonderful and is EASY to do.  This is my kind of blog I tell ya!  Nicole, who writes Prevention RD, is a registered dietitian so she knows what she is talking about in the healthy food department.  She also knows how to make healthy food taste delicious!  I had such a hard time choosing a recipe to feature from her blog so I had to make three or four before I finally settled on her Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken. Most of you know that I L.O.V.E my slow cooker.  It is such a life saver at times and makes my hectic life much easier. ...

It is secret recipe club time again.  My life has been a rush of finals, research papers, and of course all the running around required with baseball, dance, and other family obligations.  I have been on the look out for fast, easy and delicious side dishes to go with our slow cooker dinners.  Melanie over at Fabulously Fun Food has a lot of great side dishes that are not only tasty, but easy too.  She gives a great description of the pros and cons of each dish as well as the changes she plans on making the next time. For this recipe I listened to her suggestions and eased up on the oil but I didn't know how much ginger to use so I just guessed.  I will probably add more next time or use thicker slices because we really like ginger in our house.  Overall though it was delicious!  Perfect to use as a side dish or to make into a vegetarian main dish with some other veggies.  I really loved the flavor of the ginger with the broccoli and nutty...

  It is Secret Recipe Club time again!  This month I was assigned the blog, Savannah's Savory Bites .  It is a fun blog full of recipes that are tasty, easy on the budget, and easy to prepare.  Yes, it is right up my alley!  Because this Secret Recipe Club posting is during the holiday season, I decided to make a  Pumpkin Pound Cake .  We love pumpkin year round in this house so I always have a can of it in the pantry ready for a delicious treat. This recipe is exactly what holiday desserts should be in my opinion.  Warm and delicious full of sweet spices and moist from the canned pumpkin.  We topped ours with fresh whipped cream, oh yes it was a delicious dessert, but it also makes a great breakfast treat too!  Enjoy! Pumpkin Pound Cake Recipe Source: Savannah's Savory Bites 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ginger ...

For a few months I have been following a couple of blogs that participate in The Secret Recipe Club .  It is a private group of bloggers who are each assigned a blog to make a recipe from.  Everyone posts the recipe they chose at the same time on the same day as the rest of the group.  It looked like a lot of fun and a great way to find new food blogs with great recipes.  This is my first time participating and I have to say it was a lot of fun! The blog I was assigned is called Enriching Your Kid  and it is full of wonderful recipes that taste good and are good for you and your family.  The author is writing about her journey as she makes her mother's recipes and nourishes her family.  Her recipes range from nourishing pasta dishes loaded with delicious veggies to fruit salads and tips about packing great cold lunches.  I have quite a few of her recipes marked to make soon but I chose the Cheese Cutlets to make first because they w...