Chocolate Pretzel Cheesecake Pie

With temps in the upper 90's all week long it was only necessary that we had something cool for dessert last night. Some of the schools in the area have been dismissing early all week, sports activities being cancelled or rescheduled for much later in the evening and the kiddos being cooped up inside for the afternoon. We're ready for mother nature to get her act together around here. Where were these temps during summer break?

I seen someone post a picture of a chocolate pie last week and that's sort of where I got my inspiration for this particular dessert. It's been awhile since I've made anything like this so of course it sounded good. Then my mind wandered to a pretzel crust. Yes, that sweet and salty combination! It's divine.

It's still going to be pretty warm here in the Midwest for Labor Day weekend, definitely consider making this easy pie to take along to your gatherings. It will be much appreciated!


Chocolate Pretzel Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients:
1 cup crushed pretzels
3/4 cup crushed graham crackers
2 tbsp sugar
6 tbsp butter, melted
3.4 oz box instant chocolate pudding
1-1/4 cups milk
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. container Cool-Whip

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine crushed pretzels, graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press into bottom and up sides of a pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile whisk instant pudding and milk together in a bowl for 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. In another bowl, beat cream cheese using an electric mixer until creamy. Add in powdered sugar and whipped cream. Fold in chocolate pudding and mix together well. Spread mixture into cooled pie crust, refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until set.

Enchilada Sauce for the Freezer

Our menu this week seems to be filled with dishes I haven't made in awhile. The hubby said over a month ago that we haven't had buffalo mac and cheese in a long time. Despite the 96 degree temps I turned on the oven and made that last night. Let me tell you, it was amazing! Totally hit the spot.

Well the girls have been begging me for chicken enchiladas so that's our plan for tomorrow night's meal. I got a head start by prepping the sauce, it will make my evening a little easier and I can get dinner on the table much faster. Plus it gave me the opportunity to use up some of our small tomatoes and jalapenos in the garden.

Let's talk about this sauce for a moment. It's pretty much amazing. My enchiladas are always a favorite in our freezer swap because of this sauce. There's just a little bit of heat from the jalapenos and lots of smoky cumin. I also love the addition of fresh tomatoes. It also comes together very quickly, I might have spent fifteen tops minutes cooking. I did take advantage of my free time and make up a double batch, that way I have enough for at least one more meal. I divided the sauce between freezer bags and then all I have to do is thaw, mix it together with the chicken, cilantro and cheese and stuff into tortilla shells. There will be plenty leftover to smoother on top for baking.

Even if you're not a fan of freezer cooking, making up a batch of sauce such as this one saves you time in the evenings when you'd much rather be spending time with your kids or kicking back with a good book. It's a win-win situation.

Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients:
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and diced finely
1 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup water
15 oz. tomato sauce
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, heat oil and jalapenos together. Let cook for about 5 minutes, until tender. Add in garlic and let cook for another minute. Sprinkle in chili powder, cumin and sugar; let cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in water, tomato sauce and chopped tomato. Let simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Let cool completely and then transfer to freezer bags or containers. Label and stick in freezer until ready to use. One batch makes enough for at least 10 enchiladas, one meal with leftovers depending on the size of your family.

Cucumber Salsa

Normally at this time of year I would feel like I'm up to my eyeballs in tomatoes. Enjoying lots of BLT's for supper, fresh salsa and freezing at least two batches of my favorite spaghetti sauce. Nope, not this year. I'm not exactly sure what happened but my tomato plants just did not seem to produce very well this year. I'm really quite saddened by this.

Instead I've got lots of cucumbers instead and a few small tomatoes. I might not be able to freeze any sauce for winter but I figured I can still enjoy some homemade salsa.

It sure was a nice compromise too. I loved the addition of cucumber to my ordinary salsa.  I love my salsa chunky but you can dice the veggies even smaller or try to pulse it through a food processor. I just might have to make another batch as I'm sure this won't last long in our house, the girls love chips and salsa for an after school snack!

Cucumber Salsa

Ingredients:
1 large cucumber, seeded and diced
1-2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 small jalapeno, diced finely
diced onion
grated lime peel
salt, to taste
chili powder, to taste (I also love using Pampered Chef's Chili Lime Rub)


Directions:
In a small bowl combine all veggies and mix together. I gave you estimates but surely feel free to make adjustments. Add in salt, lime and chili powder, tasting as you go and adjusting if needed. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or store in fridge.

Cinnamon Cucumber Bread

I've told you about all of my cucumbers in the fridge lately, right? Between our little garden and the weekly produce box, I feel like I've been eating a cucumber at every single meal. Only one other child likes them besides myself.

I've made pickles, included them on sandwiches and salads but they're still there. So I decided last night, let's make bread. Yes, bread!

Zucchini works wonderfully in bread so why not the same with cucumber? In fact, it really does taste quite like zucchini bread. I had my little helper again last night and we baked four mini loaves, enough to stash a few in the freezer for another day and one for us to try.

Cucumber's have such a high water content that they help keep the bread from going dry. Although I did squeeze a little bit of the water out. Seriously if you have lots of these sitting around your house, you need to make a point to bake a couple loaves.

Cinnamon Cucumber Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups grated, seeded and peeled cucumbers
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1-1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine grated cucumbers, eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla. Mix well to combine. Gradually add in dry ingredients and mix just until combined.  Pour into four greased mini loaves, bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in pans for at least 15 minutes before removing.

If storing in freezer, let cool completely. Then I usually wrap each loaf in plastic wrap and then foil. Label and place in the freezer.

Peach Blueberry Cake

Let me tell you, it's felt like one crazy week. Besides the girls starting school yesterday and everything that went along with that; I've also been busy processing forty pounds of peaches. But that's a post for another day.

So yesterday our oldest two daughters headed back to school, starting 1st and 8th grade. I'm honestly sad to see summer go, I love each and every day with my girls and always feel blessed that I'm able to work from home and be here for them. At the same time, it was a much needed break as well to have the house so quiet yesterday! With only our three year old home, it was peaceful.

She was a big helper in the kitchen, we had fun trying out some new recipes yesterday in attempt to use up the last of our peaches.

I made this on Sunday for dinner with my parents. It's a very unique dessert and everyone loved it. I don't know if cake is the correct term, it's made in a springform pan just as a cheesecake would be. The dough itself was almost like sugar cookie dough, yes I did taste it :)

When baked through the flavor and texture did remind me of pound cake. The middle is filled with lots of fresh blueberries and peaches and we enjoyed our slices with scoops of vanilla ice cream. It really was a perfect dessert for a warm summer day!

I would definitely recommend saving this dessert for an occasion when you can serve it all at once, having no leftovers. It's best enjoyed the day it's made and even while warm. Because there is so much fruit filling, there is some liquid and it just doesn't keep for very long.

Peach Blueberry Cake

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks butter, cold and cubed
2 eggs
1-1/2 tsp vanilla

for the filling:
3/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca
6 peaches, pitted and sliced
1-1/2 cups blueberries
Juice from one half of lemon

Directions:
For the dough, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into food processor. Pulse just to combine. Add in cubed butter and process until mixture is crumbly. Add in eggs and vanilla, process just until dough forms into a ball.

Remove dough and transfer to a 9-inch springform pan, press dough out covering the bottom and evenly up the sides. Place pan in fridge to chill while you make the filling.

In a large bowl, stir together sugar, flour and tapioca. Add in sliced peaches, blueberries and lemon juice. Toss everything together to coat fruit well. Spoon filling into prepared pan. Cover pan with foil, place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Filling should be bubbling and crust will be golden brown by this time. Remove from oven to let cool at least 20-25 minutes before removing sides of the pan. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

Slightly adapted from: Annie's Eats

Streusel Squash Muffins

I've come to love summer squash but I have to be honest, I've about had enough of it for the summer. We've been receiving at least a few each week in our produce box, we love grilling it and adding it into other dishes but even still this morning I had four in my fridge. And that's not even counting the zucchini- that's a whole different story.

So when Michelle from Simplify, Live, Love posted about these on her facebook page last week, I was very intrigued. Muffins are a favorite around here, I try to keep the freezer stocked with some at all times for easy breakfasts and snacks.

The kids ate these so fast this morning I couldn't believe it! I was a little giddy with excitement. They had no clue these were filled with all kinds of healthy goodness. I think it's just as important for kids to actually eat their vegetables without having to sneak them into their foods, but hey if it works, there's nothing wrong with that.

I got just over two dozen regular sized muffins out of my batch, plenty for me to stash away for another day. I also made some without the streusel topping and the kids loved them just as much.


Streusel Squash Muffins

Ingredients:
2-3 yellow summer squash
2 eggs
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon

streusel topping:
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp butter
3/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Wash and trim ends off of squash, slice into small pieces. Add to a medium saucepan and fill about half way with water, cook over stove for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine both flours, sugars, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside. When squash is tender, drain water and dump into a food processor or blender and puree until it's reached your desired consistency.  In a bowl, combine mashed squash, eggs, melted butter, applesauce and vanilla. Add into dry ingredients and stir just until combined.

Combine struesel ingredients in a small bowl, cut in butter using a fork until mixture is crumbly. Spoon muffin batter into prepared muffin tins, top with streusel topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes and serve. Store extras in freezer for another day if desired.

Adapted from: Spookane Dinner Club

Chicken Pasta Primavera

This time of year I think we've all got tons of veggies from the garden laying around waiting to be used up. At least that's how it's been in my house lately. I really do love it, but at time it can be an overwhelming thought.

One day at lunch last week it consisted of my throwing a bunch of ingredients, namely vegetables, into a skillet and creating the dish you see above. All while crossing my fingers and praying the kiddos would eat it. Some ate better than others but for the most part all five children present gobbled it up. Score for this mom/daycare provider!

I honestly love meals like this, it's what I would call a pantry staple. All ingredients I have on hand and I can substitute for whatever veggies I have in the fridge. Plus the kids and I had a great discussion regarding what vegetables certain animals like to eat. One of my daycare boys ate all of his carrots when we talked about bunnies enjoying carrots too.  We even decided bunnies like zucchini as well. Whatever works!

Chicken Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 zucchini, chopped
2 whole carrots, chopped
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 fresh green beans
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. basil
8 oz. pasta (I used angel hair)
1 seasoned chicken breast, cooked (I used an Italian seasoning blend)
Shredded or grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat, add in zucchini, carrots and green beans. Let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes and garlic, let cook for one minute longer.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Slice chicken breast into strips. Add cooked pasta to vegetable mixture, toss to combine. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve chicken over pasta in bowls.

Speaking of vegetables, here's what was in our produce box for this week. A lovely variety! I'm excited for more kale and we even got three different varieties of basil this week. There's a lemon kind that smells wonderful, I can't wait to cook with it!