Spinach & Smoked Gouda Penne Bake

This past weekend, I visited my wonderful friends who are up in Chapel Hill for the summer. It was a great weekend that included a shopping trip with some lovely girlfriends (holler atcha Hannah and Bushman), Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt (THE BEST), and a trip to the driving range with my boyfriend. I packed a lot into a couple of days and it made me all the more excited to get back to school for a new semester!

Over the weekend, I went to three classic restaurants in Chapel Hill and ate my heart out. I dined on my favorite veggie wrap at Spanky's Friday night, ate a drool-worthy sandwich at Sutton's on Saturday for lunch, and  enjoyed Sunday morning brunch at Breadman's. Like someone pinch me...total food heaven.

God Bless Sutton's Drug Store.

In order to not feel TOTALLY guilty about my food consumption AND to save money (I'm a broke college student 4 realz), I brought up a pasta bake so that one of my weekend meals would be taken care of.

This colorful dish is filled with tons of fresh spinach, bell pepper, garlic, and tomatoes, and it's all topped with lots of smoked gouda...YUM. It's healthy and delicious all in one. And more importantly for many, it's super easy to make and is a great meal to throw together in a pinch and serve alongside a simple salad.

When my mom found this recipe in our local newspaper, it quickly became a family favorite. Try it out yourself and I am sure you won't be disappointed!

Spinach & Smoked Gouda Penne Bake

Recipe from The Charlotte Observer

• 2 tbsp. (approx.) extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 small/medium yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 onion, finely chopped
• 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes with basil and oregano
• 1 (6 oz.) bag washed baby spinach
• 1 (12-16 oz.) box penne pasta
• 8 oz. smoked gouda cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Boil the pasta in salted water according to package directions, drain, and keep warm.
2. Prepare 13x9 lightly greased glass casserole dish and pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
3. In a deep skillet pour in the olive oil (approximately 2 tablespoons or 2 turns of the skillet) and turn on medium-high heat.
4. Add the onion to the skillet and allow to cook for about two minutes, constantly stirring. Next, add the minced garlic and again, allow to cook for about two more minutes, stirring. Add in the yellow pepper, repeating the same steps to cook until the vegetables are softened.
5. Next, add the diced tomatoes.  Reduce the heat to low-medium and cook vegetable mixture together for about 5 minutes.  
6. Turn the heat off and add spinach, a little bit at a time, allowing to wilt.  Add vegetable mixture to the cooked pasta, and toss with 1/2 of the shredded gouda cheese.
7. Pour pasta concoction into greased casserole dish and sprinkle remaining shredded gouda over the top.
8. Cook in prepared oven for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted - ENJOY!

Twix Blondies

You know what is pure evil? The strategic placement of candy bars next to the checkout lines at the grocery stores/Target/everywhere. Seriously. There's nothing harder than resisting the impulsive urge to purchase and devour a Peanut Butter Snickers or a Milky Way, just to name a phew. I hope many of you are nodding in agreement...cause it's tough.

Sometimes, life demands that we consume candy bars. We all know it's true. I mean, there is often no better medication than chocolate. Can't deny that.

So, I present to you Twix Blondies. Thanks to this recipe from Cookies and Cups, you can indulge in nearly 40 mini Twix at once (well, in one pan). These are a perfect blend of caramel, chocolate, and buttery, blondie goodness and will therefore satisfy all your sweet cravings.

Do yourself a favor this week and pick up 2 bags of mini Twix, chop 'um up, and make these blondies. Indulge and savor this chocolatey, caramel goodness.


Twix Blondies
Recipe from Cookies and Cups

• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 30 mini Twix bars coarsely chopped + 9 mini Twix bars (reserved for garnish) more finely chopped 
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup melted chocolate chips for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13x9 baking pan.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt, whisking together.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, and vanilla on low speed until smooth.
4. Add eggs one at a time, continuing on low speed.
5. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined.
6. Add the coarsely chopped Twix and chocolate chips, stirring in with a wooden spoon.
7. Spread batter into prepared pan and bake approximately 25-30 minutes until they are set. Toothpick will come out slightly gooey. Be careful not to overcook.
8. When removed from oven, sprinkle reserved Twix on top and drizzle with melted chocolate.
9. Cool in pan for 2-3 hours or overnight. Don't cut the bars until they are completely cooled or you'll have a big mess!

Chickpea and Tomato Salad with Fresh Basil

Colorful and wonderful!

Last Friday, my best friend, Nick, and I cooked a delicious and fresh summer dinner for my parents. My dad just had surgery and my mom has been extremely busy, so we thought we would try out some recipes and help them out all in one.

Our menu consisted of marinated grilled chicken (using Newman's Lite Caesar Dressing for marinade), oven-roasted asparagus (olive oil, salt, pepper), and warm, buttery rolls, but the star of the show was this Chickpea and Tomato Salad with Fresh Basil.

The recipe for the salad attracted my eye on Pinterest (thanks for pinning it, Alexandra!). I'm seriously obsessed with the site and feel so accomplished when I create something off of it...my life is very sad. That being said, it tasted every bit as good as the picture online looked.

All four of us diners couldn't help but dive in for seconds and much to my pleasure (and slight dismay), there were no leftovers! This side dish is super simple, extremely health, and so fresh. It is absolutely the perfect, light summer side dish.

Chickpea and Tomato Salad with Fresh Basil
Recipe from Green Lite Bites

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 25 large basil leaves, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp. honey
• pinch of salt

Directions

1. Toss all ingredients together in a medium serving bowl.
2. Chill for at least 20 minutes, allowing all the flavors to merge.
3. Eat and Enjoy!

The complete meal.

Thanks for manning the grill, Nick!

Roasted to perfection.

Summer Fruit Pizza

One of my favorite holidays, Fourth of July, just passed. I love the Fourth of July. I love it because it is smack dab in the middle of my favorite season (summer, duh) and it celebrates my favorite place ever, the U S of A. I love the sunshine, pool time, and fireworks. You can't beat it, folks.

Obviously, I also love the food served on the Fourth of July: cheeseburgers, baked beans, corn on the cob, watermelon...I am hungry just thinking about all of it. But you can't have a proper Fourth of July celebration, or any summer cookout for that matter, without a delicious dessert. You just can't. Of course you can have apple pie (yum) but at my house, we are all about the fruit pizza.

This fruit pizza is to die for. A light and flaky homemade pie crust topped with a fluffy cream cheese layer and sprinkled with all the fresh and delicious fruit summer has to offer (my mom and I tried to decorate our fruit in a fireworks display - can't quite say we succeeded...)

I love that this dessert is a different take on the traditional pie or tart and is always well-received by friends and family, who always ask for seconds. This is a definite summer must!

Summer Fruit Pizza

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup butter or margarine, cut into pieces
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3-4 cups assorted fresh fruit (of your choice)
• 1/4 cup apple jelly, melted

Directions

1. Combine flour and powdered sugar; cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Pat mixture on lightly greased 12-inch pizza pan; bake at 350 degrees F until browned, 8-10 minutes. Cool.
2. Beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla until fluffy; spread over crust.
3. Arrange fruit on cream cheese; brush with jelly to preserve fruit. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter M&M Marshmallow Cookies

Is there anything better than Peanut Butter M&M's? Maybe, but I would argue against it. They are just too darn good. I mean, you cannot beat that peanut butter chocolate flavor. Yum.

When I first saw this recipe, I was a bit skeptical about the addition of marshmallows, but a peanut butter cookie loaded with peanut butter M&M's...I just couldn't pass it up. Thank God I didn't.

Not only are these cookies super easy to make, they are super colorful and fun cookie to indulge in. They are different, I mean have you ever had a peanut butter cookie with peanut butter M&M's and marshmallows? Didn't think so. But let me tell you, different does not mean bad.

These cookies have been enjoyed by every member of my family. My mom loved them, even though she hates marshmallows, my dad has been enjoying them as he recovers from surgery, my sister munched a couple during the Bachelorette (SEAN OR JEF OR ARIE, Y'ALL?!), and my wonderful friend Nick said they melted in his mouth. Proof enough that these need to be in your cookie jar.

These are a sweet that will satisfy every type of sweet craving. You should go bake these. Like now.


Peanut Butter M&M Marshmallow Cookies
Recipe adapted from Sweet Treats & More

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar 
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup Peanut Butter M&M's
• 3/4 cup mini marshmallows

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter until smooth. Beat in peanut butter, then sugars.
4. Add egg, vanilla, and milk and beat until smooth. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
5. Lastly, gently stir in Peanut Butter M&M's and mini marshmallows.
6. Place rounded tablespoons of cookie dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack. (Don't worry if you have oozing marshmallows! They may be messy but they taste delicious!)

That dough. Too good. 

Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding

This past weekend, I also saw my boyfriend, Lee, for the first time in a month! We had a great time doing some of our favorite Charlotte activities (i.e. walking on the greenway, eating at yummy restaurants, etc.) I couldn't leave him without some dessert though, and being the banana pudding fanatic he is, I chose to make him one of his favorites!

Naturally, for this Southern staple, I trusted Miss Paula Deen and her famous recipe. I don't care what people say about her having diabetes and eating sticks of butter (did you see she lost 30 pounds?!), that woman can cook. Her recipes are simply divine and that's that.

I think what makes this banana pudding recipe different than "yo mama's" traditional recipe is that it calls for cream cheese and . It just makes the pudding even fluffier and more delicious. Don't fret about the extra ingredient though my friends, I used reduced fat cream cheese and everything turned out perfectly. Can you say #winning?

Lee loved this recipe and trust me, he has eaten many variations of banana pudding. Therefore, I promise this recipe will not disappoint. It takes about 30 minutes to throw together and is the perfect, cool treat on these hot summer days (and by hot I mean the next 4 days have forecasted highs of 100+). Nom away!

Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding
Recipe from Paula Deen

• 2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Cookies OR 2 bags Vanilla Wafers
• 6 to 8 bananas, sliced
• 2 cups milk
• 1 (5 oz.) box French Vanilla pudding
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (12 oz.) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Directions

1. Line the bottom of a 13x9 inch inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.
2. In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer.
3. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth.
4. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture.
5. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended.
6. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies.
7. Refrigerate until ready to serve!

I want to lay on this pudding pillow.

Funfetti Cheesecake Bars

I know I said this once, but I am a funfetti freak. Give me a dessert made using Funfetti cake mix and I will devour it immediately (like those cake batter bars). I can't help myself. And I refuse to stop.

So this weekend, my middle sister, Megan, and her best friend, Jordan, came into town for the Brothers of the Sun (Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw) concert. My oldest sister, Kelley, and I went as well.

Allow me to be the first to inform you that the concert was seriously da bomb. Tim and Kenny are both lively performers who sounded (and looked) amazing. If the tour is coming anywhere near you, please go. Just do it. Trust me when I say that seeing Tim McGraw in his tight white pants will not disappoint. I don't make this stuff up people.

Exhibit A: Lord Have Mercy.

Anywhoooooo, in order to properly celebrate this reunion of sorts, I quickly threw together these Funfetti Cheesecake Bars, knowing full well we had Funfetti mix on hand.

While not your typical cheesecake, these bars are still divine. Using both Funfetti cake mix and Funfetti frosting makes this dessert rich and creamy but, have no fear, the cheesecake flavor doesn't overpower the Funfetti taste, it merely complements it. And y'all, let me tell you, the crust on bottom is so delicious I want to bake a pan of the it all by itself and just dig in. I will let you know if (when) I do this.

These Funfetti Cheesecake Bars are colorful, delicious, and dangerous. Prepare to want to consume the entire 13 x 9 pan.

Funfetti Cheesecake Bars
Recipe from Sweet Treats More

• 1 box Pillsbury Funfetti Cake Mix (or 1 box Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip Cake Mix)
• 1 container Pillsbury Funfetti Frosting (or 1 container Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip Frosting)
• 2 (8 oz.) sticks of cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 3 eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Beat the cake mix and butter together until it forms a crumbly dough and press into a greased 13x9 inch pan.
3. In another bowl, beat cream cheese, frosting, and eggs together until creamy. Pour cream cheese mixture over the cake batter crust.
4. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until the edges start to pull away from the pan.
5. Cut into squares and serve (with a dollop of whipped cream on top if you so desire!)

The decadent crust.

The yummy cheesecake.

The finished product.