Wow its been a long time!!

You think I must have forgotten I have a blog! 1.5 years later and onto my 3rd job as a REAL nurse I'm back! I have SO many more recipes to share so hopefully I'll remember to keep updating this even if I don't have pictures!!

I have finally found a job that I LOVE!! School nurse for an elementary school....its perfect! Sure some days I want to pull my hair out, and sometimes the kids are a little over dramatic, but getting to spend my day with kiddos....yep! Exactly what I have been wanting.

Today I brought in my pumpkin bread for the staff that I posted about 2 years ago, and some chocolate chip zucchini bread. I love this recipe from Skinnytaste. Skinnytaste is one of my very favorite blogs to get recipes from. She makes everything a little bit more healthy which I love!! Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (not packed)
• 1-1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips ( I always add more!! I also like to mix 1/2 mini chocolate chips too!)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1 cup apple sauce
• 1-1/2 cups shredded zucchini (not packed)

Preheat oven to 325°.

Mix dry ingredients into a large bowl. Once mixed add chocolate chips.

In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients.

Combine with flour mixture and stir just until blended.
Pour in to multiple small loaf pans or one large loaf pan. Grease pans well.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

The loaves freeze really well so I suggest making a ton when you have too much zucchini and freezing it for a treat later on!

Vanilla Bean Caramel and Pinterest

I have officially found Pinterest. It is HORRIBLY addicting and I am so obsessed. I have found a ton of new recipes and I've been baking a ton. I also got a new camera so I can finally start to add more pictures to my recipes. This is very good news for all of you!

This caramel is TO DIE FOR! It's fairly simple to make and is amazing with apples or on other desserts. My next recipe is going to be caramel brownies. I'll keep you posted on how those turn out. This recipe comes from Annie's Eats. You should make it NOW. No joke. On ice cream its even better.

I've also had more time to actually make meals so you should be getting some of those recipes soon. Its nice to finally have time to plan out weekly menus and cook healthy food.

Vanilla Bean Caramel

1 C. sugar

1 1/4 C. cream

1 T. vanilla bean paste (I keep this on hand since it has the "caviar" from the pods in a nice paste. Gives it a little more vanilla flavor than just extract. I recommend using either the paste or caviar to get the full taste in this recipe)

Pinch of salt

1/2 t. vanilla extract if you use pods ( I just added a little more paste)

Using a heavy bottom pan, spread the sugar over the bottom.

Turn on low heat and let it slowly liquefy. Once the sugar starts to melt, stir until all of the sugar is melted. Once sugar is completely liquid let it cook until it becomes dark. This will be the color of your caramel so make sure to make it dark enough but be careful not to burn it.

While sugar is cooking measure out cream and add vanilla paste. As soon as the sugar has browned, remove from heat and whisk in half of the cream. (If cream is slightly warm it helps this process.)

Once incorporated add in remaining cream, salt and vanilla extract. Mine hardened once cream was added so place it over med-low heat again to re-liquefy. Place in airtight container and store in the fridge.

Gotta Be Something More

Clearly I'm a little bored trying to stay up for night shift! Kinda a funny little game! I'll post some recipes after this!! :)

RULES
1. Put your iTunes/ music player on shuffle
2. For each question, press the "next" button to get your answer
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER WHAT
4. Post all answers on your blog!

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY? Friends-Band of Skulls

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? Famous in a Small Town-Miranda Lambert--my sister and I always joke this is how it felt growing up in Red Lodge!!

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY? I Like What You Say-Nada Surf

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE? One Day You Will-Lady Antebellum- kind of a good title for the unknown of life!

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? The Best Is Yet To Come-Frank Sinatra--Perfect song!!!

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU? Bag of Hammers-Thao and the Get Down, Stay Down...maybe because I'm a little crazy?!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS? Mrs. Robinson- Simon and Garfunkel- Just funny because awesome oldies always make me think of my parents!!

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? I Want to Hold Your Hand- The Beatles

WHAT IS 2+2? Pump It- Black Eyed Peas--just funny because of my obsession with Jersey Shore!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND? New Slang- The Shins- On the soundtrack to Brians favorite movie Garden State...must mean something!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Father- Horse Feathers...kinda weird but with all the hair I guess Brian reminds me of my dad!

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? Fallin' and Flyin'- Jeff Bridges (CrazyHeart soundtrack) I love this song!

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? Happy Kid- Nada Surf- I love this! It's definitely true!!

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Anoanimal- Andrew Bird

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? Killing for Love- Jose Gonzalez--strange!

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING? Jessie's Girl-Rick Springfield! YES!! HAHA one of my FAVORITE 80's songs!!

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL? Fitz and the Dizzyspells- Andrew Bird, kind of a neat song

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? Never Know-Jack Johnson--haha maybe that means it is always changing!

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET? Lay Me Down-Tim McGraw...thats sad!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? Into the Night-Santana--umm ok?!

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS? Gotta Be Something More- Sugarland

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies...ever!

These are my go to cookies. Last night I was feeling antsy and needed to do something. So I went for the perfect cookies. I really enjoy making them using the biggest scoop I own so they're as big as my face but thats just me!

These always turn out so soft and chewy. Perfect cookies indeed!

I found the recipe in my Colossal Cookie book. I found this perfect book at the giant bookstore in Lincoln City, OR this summer. Might be the best used book purchase ever.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

2/3 C. light brown sugar

Cream together.

Add 1 egg, mix well.

In a separate bowl combine,

1 C. flour

1/2 t baking soda.

Add to mixture. Mix well.

Add 2 t. vanilla.

Stir in 1 C. chocolate chips.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-14 minutes. Just until edges begin to brown. Let cool and enjoy the best chocolate chip cookie you've ever made!

Biscoff Cookies

Once again I am failing at updating this frequently! With my work schedule I feel like I'm either working, sleeping or catching up on the things I need to do when I'm not doing the first 2! Anyways since its getting closer to the holidays I'm trying to bake more!

I found this recipe on Bake at 350. These make the little delicious cookies that you get on planes. The sweet, somewhat spicy, amazing little cookies! I hadn't had them in forever but last time I went home they were serving them again! My local grocery store (Haggen-my favorite store!) carries the Biscoff spread and it tastes just like the cookies! So I decided to get some and try out this recipe.

Biscoff Cookies

In mixing bowl combine,

1 stick butter
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. biscoff spread

Mix until fluffy. Then add

1 egg, Mix and add

1/2 C. heavy cream (I used 1/2 cream 1/2 skim milk).

In a separate bowl combine

3 C. flour
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking soda

Mix well and scoop onto cookie sheets. I used my smallest scoop and flattened them a little once they were on the sheet. You can also split the dough and refrigerate it, then roll it out and cut it, but I went the easy way!

Line the sheets with parchment paper at bake at 350 for 9-14 minutes.

Then close your eyes and enjoy without the turbulence!

Ham and White Bean Soup

Sorry its taken me so long to post something new! Night shifts are an interesting shift to get used to!

This is a perfect fall recipe. There have been more rainy days up here and on those days nothing sounds better to me than a big pot of soup simmering on the stove. This is a great recipe too because it makes plenty to freeze for later or for great leftovers the next day. I actually think its better the 2nd and 3rd day! For the Love of Cooking has great soup recipes. I'll be posting more soon!!

1-2 onions
1-2 T olive oil

Saute onions in olive oil.

Chopped carrots (However much you think)
Chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced

Add carrots into onions and cook down. Add in celery and garlic and cook until tender.

1 1/2-2 C cooked diced ham

Add in ham and cook for a few minutes.

Add 4 14 oz cans of white beans (I used rinsed cannellini beans).

Add 3 cups stock. You can use chicken stock but I found ham bouillon at the store and that gave it GREAT flavor!

Season with 1 bay leaf and salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for at least 1-2 hours. You can puree it down with a blender if you like your soup thicker but I like mine a little bit more chunky.

Serve with bread of your choice.

Perfect Pumpkin Bread

Sorry I haven't been posting much lately! I have been cooking and baking AND taking pictures I just haven't been uploading them! This recipe doesn't have pictures (SORRY!!) but take my word for it...it is AMAZING! I am using this recipe from My Baking Addition. I think this might be my new fall favorite!

Perfect Pumpkin Bread

2 C. pumpkin puree
4 eggs
2/3 c. water
1/2 c. applesauce (if you don't have applesauce the original recipe calls for 1 c. oil)
1/2 c. oil
1 T. vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. sugar

Mix above ingredients well.

In a separate bowl whisk together,

3 1/2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
2 t. nutmeg
1 t. cloves
1 t. ground ginger
(You can also use pumpkin pie spice but I didn't have any so I made my own.)

Add dry ingredients to wet mixture.

Grease and flour your pans. You can use 2 large loaf pans, or mini loaf pans. I used mini pans and got 6 mini loaves out of it.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes for large loaf or 25-40 minutes for mini loaf pans.

I also topped my bread with 1 T. of sugar in the raw. It gives the top a perfect crunch and the sugar gives a fantastic extra touch. I also added raisins to my last 2 pans and they are amazing in it! You could also add chocolate chips, craisins, or dried cherries to it and I'm sure it would be amazing!