Carrot Cheesecake Bars

You'd think it was my love of carrot cake that made me want to make this recipe. Or my love of cheesecake. Both would be good reasons.

But the deciding factor? The baby food carrots.

Exciting? No, not really, unless you're itching to test out a new baby food maker that has been sitting in your closet for months and when you just realized it will still be another 8 months before baby is born and is eating some solid food. Yes, I'm a little weird to be so excited about pureeing food, but a kitchen gadget is a kitchen gadget and I love them all. (Verdict on the baby food maker: awesome.)

I had a definite idea of what I wanted in my carrot cheesecake before I started trying recipes. For one, cheesecake always seems less intimidating to me in bar form, plus it is easier to share the calories that way, so I definitely wanted bars. Second, I wanted the cheesecake to have the depth of flavor, color and sweetness from real carrots, so that is where the baby food carrots and freshly grated carrots come in. Third, I feel like pecans and carrot cake go hand in hand so I made sure there were pecans incorporated into the crust.

The final carrot cheesecake bars are just amazing. They remind me of a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting all rolled into one. And not as messy. The pecans give them just enough crunchy texture, and the spices are well balanced with the carrot flavor. Though the ingredient list looks long for the cheesecake layer, it is quick to put together (especially if you aren't making your own baby food carrots) and makes a large batch that is easy to share. If you are a carrot cake fan, you will love these bars. If you are cheesecake fan, you will love them, too. And chances are that if you love both, are almost 8 months pregnant and want to use a new baby food maker, you'll think you just about died and went to heaven.

Carrot Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pecans, ground finely in a food processor (optional)
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers. (Use 1 cup if adding pecans. Increase the amount to 1 1/2 cups if omitting the pecans)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 cup pureed carrots - can use baby food (3/4 cups pureed carrots is about 1 1/3 cups chopped carrots, steamed and blended with 2 T water)
• 1/2 cup finely shredded carrots (about 3 medium carrots grated on the small holes of a box grater)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix pecans, graham crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir in butter until well incorporated and press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Bake 10 min.
3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugars until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in the cream, cornstarch, sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Fold in pureed and shredded carrots.
4. Pour cream cheese mixture over graham crust and bake at 350 for 55-65 minutes or until center is just set. (There should be little to no wiggling when the pan is jiggled.) Cool completely on a wire rack and then refrigerate at least four hours before serving.

Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 1 hour Yield: 15-20 bars

Recipe Source: adapted from Taste of Home, Kraftrecipes.com and Marthastewart.com

Slow Cooker Sweet Barbacoa Pork

The biggest recipe fail of my marriage was trying to make a sweet barbacoa pork like this one. I had gone to a baby shower soon after my husband and I were married and fell in love with the sweet pulled pork they served. I asked my friend if she could track down the recipe and she e-mailed me with it a few days later. Looking back now, there were several things about the recipe that should have raised red flags.

Like the fact that the pork was slow cooked in 3 CUPS of worchestershire sauce.

Folks, no recipe should call for that much worchestershire sauce. Unless it serves about 40,000 people.

Undeterred by what my common sense told me was a spectacular mistake, I followed the recipe and forged bravely onward. I had already tasted the recipe at the shower so I assumed it must be right. It wasn't. Beside the smell of that much cooking worchestershire sauce pervading the house for 6 hours, the taste was just as horrible as you might expect. It was like eating straight worchestershire sauce, which I really don't recommend if you can avoid it. To this day, I'm not sure if I was the victim of a typo, an honest mistake, or a trick to keep a family recipe within the family. Regardless, I forgot about sweet barbacoa pork until a month ago when I decided to give it another try.

This time, I had success.

So much success, actually, that I've made it three times in the past month. Since each batch makes about a week's worth of leftovers, that means I've eaten this at least once a day for roughly three weeks. Part of that is sheer laziness since it is so easy to put together, but the other part is that really is good. Very good. It's moist and tender with a sweet taste and a slightly spicy kick. I was skeptical about the use of Coca Cola in this recipe but it lends great flavor and enhances the sweetness of the pork. 

One of the best parts about the finished pulled pork is that it is so versatile. You can add it to a quesadilla or a burrito, serve it over rice, or serve it as part of a giant salad with rice, beans and chips. Not surprisingly, the salad is my favorite way to eat it. No matter how you serve it, though, it's one of those great crockpot recipes that you keep on hand for when time is short or when you want to easily feed a crowd. Or have leftovers for a week. And I promise you, there isn't a single drop of worchestershire sauce in it.

Slow Cooker Sweet Barbacoa Pork

Ingredients

• 5 - 6 lb pork roast (bone-in is okay; if you can't find one this big, you can use two smaller roasts.)
• 3 12oz cans Coke, divided (not diet – can use caffeine free)
• 1-1/4 cups brown sugar, divided
• 1/4 c. water
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 7 oz can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (the adobo sauce is what you really want, not the peppers. I generally pour the can into a strainer and pour the Coke over the peppers to rinse off the sauce into the crockpot. This gives the pork a smoky, spicy taste, so I wouldn't skip it.)
• 3/4 cup red taco sauce (I use mild)
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1 tsp cumin

Directions

1. Put the pork, 1 can of Coke and 1/4 c. brown sugar in a Ziploc bag to marinade. Marinade in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
2. Pour meat and marinade into crock pot. Add the water and cook for 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low, or until meat is starting to get tender and will shred easily.
3. Drain liquid. Shred meat with two forks into bite sized pieces.
4. Put shredded pork back in crock pot with 1 1/2 cans of Coke, 3/4-1 cup brown sugar (depending on how sweet you like your pork), garlic, adobo sauce from the chipotle peppers, taco sauce, ground mustard and cumin. Cover and and cook on low for 2 hours or high for 30 minutes.
5. Stir up the shredded pork and serve over rice, in a burrito or on a salad.

Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 6-10 hours Serves: 8-10

Recipe Source: Adapted from www.barbarabakes.com and www.ilovetoeatgoodfood.blogspot.com

Cherry Almond Poppyseed Muffins

Those of you familiar with Costco probably know about their muffins. They're roughly three times the size of a regular muffin and contain about a week's worth of fat and calories. They're pretty much round pound cakes. My husband had told me multiple times before we got married how much he loved this one particular flavor of muffin from Costco, and when the family dog got into the batch a few days before the wedding he was pretty disappointed.

Soon after my husband and I were settled into our new place I had the itch to bake something one Saturday and decided to make some muffins for my husband. I asked him what flavor it was that was his favorite and he said, "Poppyseed"

"Lemon poppyseed?" I asked.

"Yes, that sounds right. Lemon poppyseed." He answered.

So I set off to find a recipe for lemon poppyseed muffins. I baked up a batch and they had a lukewarm reception. Something wasn't quite right with the taste, he said. Not to be deterred, I tried another batch, but they weren't much better. Throughout the week I tried a couple more recipes and none of them quite measured up to what my husband was looking for in a muffin. I finally gave up.

Fast forward a few months and my husband is at Costco with me. We end up in the bakery section and I ask him if he wants to buy some muffins. He walks over and picks out a dozen almond poppyseed muffins and brings them back to the cart. Apparently Costco doesn't even make lemon poppyseed muffins. The reason all those lemon poppyseed muffin recipes never passed the taste test with my husband is that lemon just doesn't taste like almond.

Since that discovery I've avoided making muffins altogether, but when I found an almond cherry muffin recipe I decided it sounded too good to pass up. I added poppyseeds for my husband and made half the batch without cherries in case he didn't like them. It turned out that he liked them both ways and the recipe was a definite keeper. I love the combination of cherries with the almond flavoring and the poppyseeds give it just a bit of crunch. It's not a healthy recipe by far, but they are very moist and worth the splurge every once in a while. I have to say, finally having a muffin recipe be approved by my husband did give me a feeling of satisfaction. It didn't hurt to finally know the right flavor to make them.

Cherry Almond Poppyseed Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 T poppyseeds
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped dried cherries

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour 2 muffin tins or line with paper muffin cups.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and poppyseeds. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, sour cream and extracts. Add the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Do not overbeat. Fold in the cherries.
3. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full of batter and bake 20-25 minutes or until tops are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean.

Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 20-25 min Yield: 24 muffins

Recipe Source: adapted from Penzey's Spice Catalog, Winter 2012

Middle Eastern Stuffed Peppers

I think at some point during the pregnancy, every set of expectant parents realizes what my husband and I are just starting to realize: 

Babies need a lot of stuff.

A lot of stuff.

Stuff for sleeping, stuff for eating, stuff for playing, stuff for cleaning, stuff for fussiness, stuff to make life easier for the parents. Stuff.

Our first trip to a baby store to look at car seats ended with us walking around in a daze looking at all kinds of things we'd never thought of before. Why are there so many different kinds of bottles? Do we need a portable crib? What about a baby carrier? What makes one swing better than another? Will our baby even want a swing? Are we horrible parents-to-be because we don't even have a swing? Who in their right mind would entrust us with a baby?!?!

Thank goodness we still have just over 10 weeks to go. And that we have Amazon Prime. I have a feeling my husband might be ordering our infant seat while I'm in labor.

We also have friends and family that know way more than us and don't seemed to be freaked out by the amount of stuff babies need. Several packages have already arrived from my sister in Vermont, a friend has donated some things her kids have outgrown, and my mother-in-law and sister-in-law brought me to a baby store this weekend and bought a bassinet and baby lounger for us. We're getting there on the stuff.

Being that our lives are so full of "stuff" lately, I thought these stuffed peppers would be an appropriate recipe to post today. This is the kind of "stuff" I'm better at dealing with. Probably because you can eat it. And because it's easy to put together, tastes delicious, and doesn't require difficult decisions.

All things that make it different from baby stuff.

I love bell peppers and have a baked Southwestern recipe that I really enjoy, but I like that this one isn't served warm. The cool flavors of the chickpeas, couscous and feta cheese topped with a simple olive oil dressing make it a refreshing dish and good for this warm spring that we've been having. Like almost everything I've been making lately, these stuffed peppers are fast to make and work well for a light lunch. They also make a pretty side dish.

Thank goodness there is some "stuff" I can handle.

Middle Eastern Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 6 medium-size red bell peppers
• 1 cup pearl couscous, cooked following package directions. (Can substitute acini di pepi pasta if you can't find pearl couscous. I also add some whole wheat orzo sometimes, too.)
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 large scallions, trimmed and chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Trim about 1/2 inch off tops of peppers, remove seeds and core. Place cut side down in a microwave safe dish. Pour in 1/2 cup water and cover, venting at one corner. Microwave on high for 5 to 8 minutes or until tender. Remove peppers from dish and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine couscous, chickpeas, cucumber, scallions and parsley.
3. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt and black pepper. Whisk together and add to couscous mixture to taste. (There may be excess dressing depending on your tastes, so don't add it all at once.)
4. Stuff peppers with an equal amount of couscous mixture, about a scant cup in each. Serve room temperature or chilled.

Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 5-8 min Serves: 6

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Family Circle

Rainbow Asian Slaw

 

I like colorful food.

No, I don't mean Skittles, Starburst and Fruit Loops.

Okay, I do, but mostly I mean that I like some color in my meals. The fruits and veggie kind of color. In fact, the more colors there are in a dish, the more excited I am to eat it. 

Truth: sometimes I add tomatoes or red bell peppers to my salads or pasta just because they are red.

You'd think the color alone, then, would be enough to make my happy about this Asian slaw. And it is. What pushes it from like to love, though, is the taste. It's goooood. Different and good. The dressing is light enough to let you taste the veggies in the slaw, but strong enough to add its own sesame and ginger flavor. It isn't too harsh or too sweet, and has just enough of each ingredient that they blend perfectly. It's simple to make; half of the prep work is opening a bag of broccoli slaw and matchstick carrots. That kind of prep work I can handle. It's great as a side dish but it also makes a good light lunch. Or second or third lunch, as the case has been with me lately. 

It's one of those all-around winner recipes that you keep in your recipe box and make again and again. 

Every time you want to taste the rainbow.

Rainbow Asian Slaw

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar (not the seasoned kind or it will be too salty. Can substitute regular white vinegar but the dressing will have more of a harsh flavor)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 large garlic clove, minced

For the slaw:

• 4 cups prepared broccoli slaw (or shredded cabbage)
• 2 cups prepared shredded carrots (or grated in food processor)
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced into bite size pieces
• 1 cup pre-cooked, shelled edamame (available fresh or frozen)
• 2 medium scallions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped salted peanuts
• 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Make the dressing by combining all ingredients in medium bowl. Stir with a whisk until peanut butter is dissolved. Set aside.
2. Combine all of the slaw ingredients in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss well. Let sit at least 10 minutes so vegetables have a chance to soak up the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve cold.

Prep Time: 10 min Serves: 6 side dish servings

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from http://www.onceuponachef.com/2011/03/asian-slaw-with-ginger-peanut-dressing.html

Falafel Pie

Last Wednesday, my husband and I celebrated our third anniversary. Since I'm so sentimental, of course I had forgotten the significance of March 7 when I was scheduling hair cut appointments six weeks earlier so instead of going out to dinner we got our hair cut at our stylist's house. Yes, I'm a hopeless romantic. My husband kept the e-mail I sent him asking, "Shoot, March 7 is our anniversary, right?" as protection against blame when he forgets some important date in the future. 

Luckily for us, there is a restaurant in the top floor of the building where I work and my husband was able to come up and join me for lunch on our anniversary. I'd like to say we each had a gourmet meal by candlelight, but in truth he ate a big cookie while I chowed down on a giant sweet potato and an equally giant salad. For those of you who have been to meals at our house, you know this is pretty normal. Still, I'm starting to worry a little about what our anniversary will be like twenty years from now. Hot dogs from the microwave?  

What is sad is that although I forgot to plan ahead for our anniversary, somehow I remembered that tomorrow is Pi day (3/14) and made sure to make a pie for the occasion. In my defense, I just remembered a few days ago, and this pie has been on my mind for a week so it really was just an excuse to make it. Also, I'm pregnant. I'll throw that in there as an excuse, too, because I might as well get some kind of leverage out of having a giant belly and strange leg cramps in the middle of the night. 

For those of you who haven't been introduced to falafels yet, they are little bites of deliciousness. They are a Middle Eastern food usually made from ground chickpeas, herbs and spices that is rolled into a ball, fried, and served in a pita with different toppings. The toppings can vary depending on the source, but generally include some cucumber and yogurt or a thin tahini sauce. 

I've never tried making my own falafels since I tend to avoid recipes that involve frying out of sheer laziness, but when I ran across a recipe for a falafel pie I realized that was something even my lazy self could handle. Baking the falafel mix in a pie pan instead of making it into balls and frying it takes out a lot of the work that goes into making them but keeps the delicious flavor. It also healthies it up a bit, which I like. Since making falafel mix from scratch involves just adding ingredients to a food processor and a little chopping (the hardest part might be remembering to soak the beans ahead of time), it turns out to be a fairly quick and easy meal to make. Once the falafel base is baked you can add your preferred falafel toppings. In my case I added a little hummus, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives and a cucumber yogurt sauce, but it's something you can customize to your tastes. I liked the falafel part of the first two pies I made so much that I cooked a double thick falafel base in a second batch and ate it dipped in cucumber sauce. 

Whether you already love falafels and want an easy way to make them at home, or have yet to fall in love with them, falafel pie is an easy, delicious, non-intimidating way to enjoy great falafel flavor. You can make it to celebrate Pi day, an anniversary, or just a regular Wednesday night.

Falafel Pie

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried chickpeas (or about 2 1/2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed)
• 1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 - 6 tablespoons flour
• Vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped tomato
• 1 large cucumber, sliced
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives
• 3/4 cup Hummus
• Cucumber Sauce (see below for recipe)

Directions

1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain. (Skip this step if using canned chickpeas)
2. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
3. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onion half in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed. (Watch for over-processing with canned chickpeas)
4. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough flour so that the dough can form a small ball. Add extra flour if necessary.
5. Liberally oil the bottom of 1 or 2 9" pie pans. (If you want an extra thick layer of falafel, use just a single pie pan. The pictures in this post show the thickness when divided among two pie pans.) Add the falafel mix into the pie pan(s) and pat it down until it is uniformly flat. Brush the top of the falafel with more oil. Bake just until the top appears dry and the falafel is firm to the touch, about 15-17 min if using 2 pie pans and 20-23 min if using one.
6. Top falafel with hummus, cucumbers and tomatoes. Drizzle with cucumber sauce and sprinkle with chopped olives. Serve.

Prep Time: 5 min (not including soaking) Cook Time: 20 min Serves: 6

Cucumber Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cucumber
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 T lemon juice
• Salt and white pepper, to taste
• Pinch ground cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Grate cucumber with a box grater set over several layers of paper towels. Using the paper towels, squeeze out excess water from the cucumber.
2. Add cucumber to the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Refrigerate if not using immediately.

Recipe Sources: adapted from The Foods of Israel Today by Joan Nathan (via epicurious.com) and theveganstoner.blogspot.com

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes, Olives and Chicken

My elementary school prided itself on having nutritious and healthy lunches. All breads were whole grain, there were multiple vegetable and fruit options, and treats were things like celery and peanut butter with raisins or frozen bananas with carob chips. 

I think I brought my own lunch every single day of elementary school. 

Now, of course, I would love for someone to cook and prepare all that healthy food for me, but as a kid I wasn't as interested. I distinctly remember the disappointment of the frozen bananas with carob chips. If you aren't familiar with carob chips, just know that they look just like chocolate chips, but they have a different taste that is less sweet, slightly bitter and more molasses-ish. If you want to try a cruel trick on a first grader, hand them a banana with carob chips and let them take a bite. Carob just does not equal chocolate. 

When I first heard about recipes that used spaghetti squash as an alternative to pasta, I was reminded of the carob chips. Some things just don't work as a substitution, and I wasn't sure about this one. After trying a couple different recipes, though, I think the key is not to think of spaghetti squash as a substitute but as a food in its own right. It has its own flavor and sometimes it works well with other ingredients and sometimes not as well. 

Sometimes, even, the flavor it adds is better than pasta. This recipe is one of those instances. Since spaghetti squash has a slightly sweet natural flavor, it works really well with the slightly salty chicken filling that is added to it here. The squash has more crunch to it than regular spaghetti and I really like the texture that it adds. Throw in the added bonus of having fewer calories and more beta carotene than pasta and you've got way more than a substitution. Did I also mention that this recipe is super fast to make?

Fast, delicious, and good for me? Win, win, win. As you can see, I've come a long way since elementary school. Just don't ask me to give up chocolate for carob anytime soon. 

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Tomato, Olives and Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 medium spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (or 2 cups already cooked, shredded chicken)
• 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, drained and chopped (can substitute Kalamata olives)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (in the winter I use 1 1/2 T dried basil)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Arrange the spaghetti squash halves, cut side down, in the bottom of a shallow, microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high until flesh is tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides, 3-5 minutes (if using already cooked chicken, skip this step and add the chicken with the tomatoes and seasonings). Add the tomatoes, olives, basil and oregano, bring to a simmer, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about another 5 minutes.
3. Preheat the broiler.
4. Flip the spaghetti squash over and, using a fork, pull the strands from it, making spaghetti-like pieces. Season the flesh with salt and pepper. Make a slight "hole" in the center of each squash half to make room for the filling, then spoon the filling into squash halves. Sprinkle the top of each with feta cheese. Transfer the stuffed squash to a baking sheet or roasting pan and place under the broiler. Broil until the cheese is golden brown, about 2 minutes, then serve.

Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 15 min Serves: 4

Recipe Source: Quick Fix Meals by Robin Miller

Peanuts and Caramel Corn (Cracker Jacks Improved)

My husband and I are both big baseball fans. It was the first thing we connected on when we met, and most of our first dates involved baseball games or baseball conversations. I remember wondering at some point if we'd ever have something else to talk about. Luckily for us, we eventually found more in common or it would have been a pretty boring marriage from the end of the World Series until Spring Training every year.

My husband grew up in Minnesota and I grew up in Vermont, so we each have different "home" teams that we root for, but it hasn't been a point of contention in our house. Over the years we've both developed a level of respect for each other's team and I'd say we probably like them more than we would readily admit. I made sure to bring my husband to some games at Fenway so he could experience some of what I loved about my team, and after living in Minnesota and going to so many games there I definitely do some secret rooting for the Twins. (Also, some secret oogling over Joe Mauer.)

When you're a baseball fan, the stretch between the end of the World Series and the start of a new season can feel really long, especially as spring approaches. If you are true nerd, like me and my husband, you get a little jump on the season by watching some of the spring training games. As far back as I can remember, the first official spring training game every year has been between the Red Sox and Twins, and it's become a little tradition in our house to watch both our teams as they gear up for the regular season. I definitely make more of a deal of this than my husband, but we both feel a little bit of celebration in the air as the first game approaches.

This year, to celebrate the occasion, I decided to make homemade Cracker Jacks. The problem that I found when taste testing the first results with my husband was that we aren't all that fond of Cracker Jacks. Caramel popcorn with peanuts? Big fans. Strongly molasses-flavored caramel popcorn with peanuts? Not as much. The recipe I'm sharing, then, is the perfect caramel popcorn/peanut treat according to us. It has nice crunch, great buttery, caramel flavor and salty roasted peanuts. I have honestly made four batches of it in the past week and it disappears within a day every time. I'm fairly certain my husband has eaten nothing else for days. (Remind me to schedule his next dentist appointment soon.) If you are celebrating the start of baseball season, need a gift for a neighbor, a treat to share with friends or just want to relax with a treat at the end of a long day, this caramel popcorn is the perfect special treat.

Peanuts and Caramel Corn (Cracker Jacks Improved)

Ingredients

• 7 quarts plain popped popcorn (This is about 2 large mixing bowls full. Do not use buttered popcorn or any kind of salted microwave popcorn)
• 2 cups dry roasted peanuts (use spanish peanuts if you want a more Cracker-Jack-like treat)
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 3 T molasses (ONLY if you want the treat to taste more like Cracker Jacks. I prefer the caramel corn without it.)
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Place the popped popcorn into two shallow greased baking pans. You may use roasting pans, jelly roll pans, or disposable roasting pans.
2. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Combine the brown sugar, molasses (if using), corn syrup, butter and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend. Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.
3. Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will be light and foamy. Quickly stir in the nuts and immediately pour over the popcorn in the pans and stir to coat. Don't worry too much at this point about getting all of the corn coated.
4. Bake for 45 min - 1 hour, removing the pans, rotating them, and giving them each a good stir every 15 minutes. Test a cooled piece of popcorn after 45 minutes and if it is crunchy you can stop baking. If it is still chewy, bake for another 15 minutes.
5. Line the counter top with waxed paper. Dump the corn out onto the waxed paper and separate the pieces. Allow to cool completely, then store in airtight containers or resealable bags.

Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 1 hour 10 min Serves: 20 

Recipe Source: Adapted from allrecipes.com

Blueberry Banana Bread

Many years ago, near the end of a very long Minnesota winter, a couple of my grad school friends came over for a summer beach party. I think you'd need to experience how long a Minnesota winter is to fully appreciate that we weren't crazy to do this. We needed a break from snow and down coats, even if it was for just one night. We turned up the thermostat, wore shorts and short sleeves, put floor plants on the table, (for more of a tropical feel, of course) ate summer food and watched South Pacific. I've always known how to have a crazy, rockin' time.

A few weekends ago, I had almost the opposite party for myself. It has been such a mild winter that when I saw that it was supposed to actually snow one weekend, I got excited. I hoped against hope that it would be a big storm, that my husband and I would be snowed in, and that I'd bake and we'd watch movies the whole weekend. The snow came - and then left. It snowed a measly few inches and melted in less than 24 hours. Rather than give up my dream of baking and watching movies, I ignored the bright sun outside, turned on my oven and a few great 90s classics and had my own little "snow day".

Sometimes you just have to be able to pretend in life.

This banana bread came in the midst of my baking "snow day." It started more out of necessity, as so many banana recipes do, because I had some overripe bananas needing a project. Since there were many more involved projects going on in the kitchen that day, I decided to keep it simple and make some banana bread. This recipe fit the bill perfectly. It's a quick recipe that makes a delicious, moist loaf of banana bread with great banana flavor. The addition of blueberries add nice bursts of flavor and color throughout the loaf. If you have a snow day coming up soon, whether real or pretend, I highly recommend baking this and curling up with a big, warm slice while watching your favorite old movie. 

Blueberry Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed 
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (or frozen; do not thaw before adding to batter)

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Beat in bananas. Gradually add the dry ingredients, beating just until combined. Fold in blueberries.
2. Pour into three greased 5-3/4-in. x 3-in. x 2-in. loaf pans, or 2 9x5 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes (small pans) or 40-45 min (larger pans) or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 40 min Makes: 2 medium or 3 mini loaves

Recipe Source: allrecipes.com