Cinnamon roasted almonds

I've been having some "tummy" trouble lately and in an effort to figure out the cause, I decided to cut out gluten products for a while. (luckily not the issue) During that time I was searching for a snack that would fill me up, but was gluten free. These almonds are now my new addiction. I love them and they are so easy. I found this recipe on "for the love of cooking."

1 lb unsalted almonds

1 egg white

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

preheat oven to 275. Line baking sheet with a silpat mat. Whisk the egg white and vaniklla until nice and foamy. Add the almonds and toss. In a separate bowl mix together sugars, cinnamon and salt. Pour sugar mixture onto the almonds and toss to coat evenly. Pour onto the baking sheet, spread evenly and place in oven. Roast for 20 minutes, then "stir" or mix the almonds and roast for another 20 minutes. Let them cool and enjoy!

Lindt truffle chocolate cupcakes

I found this recipe on "the sister's cafe" blog, one of my favorite cooking blogs. She raved about these cupcakes and she was right, they are amazing. So amazing that I finally started asking my children TO eat them so that I wouldn't. Imagine "Claire, will you please eat a cupcake for mommy?" I'm sure they thought I was crazy! I will not be making these again unless we have company over...it's just too dangerous. I did make some changes that I will note, but either way i'm sure they are amazing.

1 box devils food cake (I just used milk chocolate)

1 box instant vanilla pudding (small box..I didn't have vanilla, so used chocolate)

4 eggs

1/2 c. oil

1/2c. water

1 c. sour cream

milk chocolate lindor truffles by Lindt (appx. 24)

Unwrap truffles and set aside. In bowl add all other ingredients and mix well. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake at 350. After 5 minutes, lightly press a lindt truffle into each partially baked cupcake. let the cupcakes bake an additional 13 minutes (total of 18 minutes) Cool completely, then frost. (I only had 8 truffles left in the cupboard, so the other cupcakes had chocolate chips mixed in, my picture above is a chocolate chip cupcake)

Cream cheese Frosting

1/2 c. butter

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 tsp vanilla

3 c. powdered sugar

Crab fondue-so yummy!

I'm not a huge seafood fan, but I had this fondue at a bookclub years ago and it was so good I could have eaten the whole pot myself.. I got the recipe from my friend Trish and made it again for a family get-together. It was as good as I remembered! My favorite thing to eat it with is chunks of bread. Just make sure you don't use wimpy, fall apart bread. You'll need some crusty bread (french bread would work just fine). It is not low calorie, which is why I decided NOT to scarf down the whole pot myself!

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4c. minced shallots

2 c. heavy cream

8 oz. brie, rind removed

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 lb lump crab meat (I used 8oz because that's all I had, it was still great)

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

in a saucepan, Cook shallots in butter until softened. Add cream, brie, salt and pepper. When brie is melted add in crab meat and parsley, cook for a few minutes and then transfer to fondue pot. I was worried when the fondue seemed a bit thin when I poured it into the fondue pot, but it thickened up after about 30 minutes...so maybe plan ahead so you have a few extra minutes to let it thicken?

Fettucine with italian sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, and basil

Once again I found this recipe on www.fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com I loved this pasta dish and I thought it was even better the next day. Sorry I don't have a picture. Just trust me, it's yummy!

5 links johnsonville sweet basil italian sausage, removed from casing (I just used a non-name brand italian sausage)

8 oz. buttom mushrooms, quartered

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

1 c. grape tomatoes

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed

1 1/2 c. chicken broth

11 oz. fettucine (I used more)

2 c. baby spinach

1 c. fresh mozzarella, chopped into small cubes

3 Tbsp pine nuts (pine nuts are crazy expensive right now, so you could omit these)

handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped

Remove sausage from casing and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add onion and mushrooms. Continue to cook until the mushrooms are golden and onions are tender (and meat is cooked through). Add the minced garlic, grape tomatoes, oregano and crushed fennel. Stirring constantly. Add the chicken broth. Break up most of the tomatoes by piercing them with a spatula, then simmer sauce for 7-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the pasta, per instructions, while the sauce is simmering. Drain the pasta, then place into the sauce along with the spinach, cheese, pine nuts and basil. Toss to coat evenly. Enjoy!

Eggnog Quick Bread

I found this recipe on Allrecipes. I was a little hesitant to try it, I'm not sure why. I love eggnog, I just wasn't sure about eggnog in my bread. But it was great, the whole family loved it.

2 eggs, beaten

1 c. eggnog
2 tsp. rum flavored extract
1 c. white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Prehead oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of 9x5" loaf pan or three mini loaf pans. Blend together the eggs, eggnog, rum extract, sugar, vanilla, and butter. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Add the eggnog mixture and stir just enough to moisten. Pour into prepared pan. Bake bread for 40-60 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean) I usually cook for about 30 min, then put foil over the top to prevent overbrowning and cook the rest of the way. Cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!

Sausage, Potato and Cheese Waffles

This recipe is from one of the magazines I subscribe to--I tore it out, so I don't know which one. These are like an entire breakfast cooked up into one waffle, and they are really tasty. The best part is that you can make the waffles ahead of time, freeze them up to 3 weeks, and then just pull them out and pop them in the toaster like an Eggo waffle when you need a quick and filling breakfast.

About 4 links breakfast sausage, casings discarded
1 baking potato, grated and excess water squeezed out (or just use 1 C. or so of frozen hash browns)
4 T. butter
1 3/4 C. flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. pepper (I put a little less in mine and it was plenty pepper-y)
2 C. milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten

In a medium skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 5 minutes. Add the potato and butter, lower the heat and simmer until the butter is melted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir in the milk and eggs until smooth. Stir in the sausage-potato mixture.

Cook in waffle maker.

Beef and Bean chimi's

This recipe comes from one of my favorite cooking blogs, "for the love of cooking." I made it last night and it was a huge hit. I did cook mine a little differently, but I think either way they would be great.

1 lb. lean ground beef

1//2. sweet onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. paprika

1tsp. chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

salt/pepper

1 can of chili beans (I did not drain)

Cook ground beef and onion until thoroughly cooked, add garlic and spices, and cook 4-5 more minutes. Add the can of chili beans and let simmer for a few minutes.

Layer tortilla with beef mixture and cheese. Place seam side down in a the hot skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. (I did it a little differently, I sprayed a 9x13 with cooking spray. I also lightly sprayed the top of the tortillas and broiled them on low for a few minutes. Watch closely, you don't want to burn them. You just want a nice crispy outside shell. I served these with sour cream and salsa. So good!