Bacon and Brussels Salad

Hey everyone! Guess what?! I had a baby! A beautiful little boy born on Valentine's Day. In typical Jax-tries-to-do-too-much-fashion, I spent a good few days pushing through what I thought were Braxton Hicks contractions, and I did a Body Step class just a few hours before my water broke. The endorphins temporarily eased the intense pain until the water broke, and after that I was in full-blown labor. I came somewhat close to delivering my baby in my bedroom but luckily we made it to the hospital on time. Whoops! It worked out great - he's healthy and I'm doing well too!

A good lesson that I learned though, and think is important to share, is that evidentially labor can feel different and act differently between women and even for the same woman in different pregnancies. I was having contractions for nearly six weeks, but they always went away after an hour or so. The last few weeks of my pregnancy, they were pretty painful. I couldn't talk or walk through them. But they felt different than they did during my first pregnancy. They would always go away and never had any regularity to them. I taught my last Body Attack class at 39 weeks, and I could barely get through it. But you know me. I always like to try.

Anyways, I'm at home and my husband is with me for the next few weeks as we adjust. Two young kids is hard work! Logistically speaking, especially difficult. There is almost no down-time during the day. Yes, I am nursing as I type this. I look forward to seeing the rest of my baby weight come off as I attempt to juggle the two of them solo next week. I have about six extra pounds on me from my pre-pregnancy weight, so nothing crazy.

The weekend before my little dude was born, we all went to this cute pizza place near our house. They had the most awesome brussel sprout salad! Their version has coppa and ricotta salada, which would make this super expensive, so I changed it up just a little. Bacon and brussel sprouts, goat cheese, almonds and EVOO - simple, but what's not to love?

Please don't confuse me for awesome for cooking when I just had a baby. I use a baby carrier constantly to nurse and soothe my newborn while attempting to juggle everything else. It is the ONLY way I can get anything accomplished. My newborn son always has food stuck to the top of his head from me eating and drinking while he's in the carrier. Today I found lettuce and balsamic vinegar in his hair. Yup!

Here's my angel last week at one week old. Love him!

Bacon and Brussels Salad

Inspired by the Chopped Salad at Hersh's Pizza

Ingredients
1 pound raw brussel sprouts
1 pound extra thick bacon
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (the higher quality, the better)
2/3 cup slivered almonds
5 oz goat cheese, crumbled
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Bake the bacon according to directions and let it cool (Have you ever tried this method? Because if not, you're missing out. So much more fantastic).  Shred the brussel sprouts. I used my food processor with the grater attachment. Once the bacon is cool, chop it coarsely. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Keep it refrigerated, but warm it up for about 30 seconds in the microwave before serving it.

Very easy and simple. See? I told you I'm not awesome. But make this because it's really good.

The Cookie Monster Cupcake How-To

My son turned two years old a few weeks ago and we celebrated with a cookie-monster themed birthday party. Him and I were both sick, but I wanted to shower him with as much love as possible before his baby brother turns his life upside down in a few weeks. So, I made this cookie-monster cupcake in his honor. It may have been my last attempt at doing something I'm very proud of, because I'm pretty tired these days.

Trust me when I say, if I can make this, you can make this. I am very artistically-challenged. I think that part of my brain never developed properly. I can't draw stick figures any better than my 2-year-old, and I remember I couldn't draw a heart until 1st grade.

Because of my condition and the fact I was also throwing a party the next day, I decided to use a cake mix for the cup cake. I made the icing from scratch because I needed it to be a particular texture to create Cookie Monster. The taste of the cake was absolutely disgusting. I am so used to baking my own desserts that I can't stand boxed cake mix at all! The icing was great. I used a standard American buttercream recipe and food coloring to turn it blue.

My son's reaction: he kissed it, told me to kiss it, took one bite, told me it was good, and promptly demanded a bowl of fruit. He is so my kid.

I'm now 38 weeks pregnant and looking huge! I've gained about 20 pounds, which is ten pounds less than I gained my first pregnancy. Something to be happy about! I was teaching Body Attack pretty well up until last week when what seemed to be out of nowhere, I was experiencing tons of pain during the impact. So I started team-teaching a few days ago and doing much of the class low-impact. Because I'm so far along, it still feels like a workout, but I feel safe about it.

My son got peanut butter on my already crappy camera, so we are still using our iPhones to take pictures. Unacceptable for when the baby comes... please... if you have a camera you love (other than the Canon Powershot), let me know what it is! Here is what I look like at 38 weeks pregnant. Is it just me, or does this baby look like he's sitting in a chair in my stomach?! Believe it or not, his head is down. I can't wait to meet this pointy butt!!!

The Cookie Monster Cupcake How-To

Technique adapted by NicolaBakes on this video
American Buttercream recipe from Savory Sweet Life

This makes a ton of cake and icing. If you don't want any leftovers, reduce the recipe, especially for the icing.

Ingredients
Chocolate cake batter or chocolate cake mix, follow directions to create the batter
Chocolate chip cookies - anything will do
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature. Let it sit for a few hours to be sure.
3-4 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
approximately 2 tablespoons of milk or heavy cream (I used heavy cream)
blue food coloring
4-6 jumbo marshmallows
4-6 chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli for the wide shape)

You'll need a standard cupcake tin AND a jumbo cupcake tin. You could opt for a standard cupcake tin and a mini one, but I think that would make a really small monster and may be harder to work with. You'll also need a pastry bag with a wide, star-like tip, but you could easily just pipe the icing with a plastic ziplock bag with a corner cut off. It just won't work as well.

Watch the video before attempting this project! I simplified their method and ended up with the same result, so I recommend my adaptations for time-saving.

Bake the cupcakes in both the jumbo and standard cupcake tins. To give yourself some room to mess up, make at least four jumbo cupcakes. Let them cool completely, and then remove the muffin tops with a knife so the cakes are flat on top. Set them aside. I made mine two days before I made Cookie Monster.

To make the buttercream, beat the butter on medium speed with a paddle attachment (hand mixer will work just fine) for about 3 minutes until fluffy and soft. Slowly add the sugar on the lowest possible speed so it doesn't blow everywhere. I added 4 cups. When it's fully incorporated  add the salt, vanilla, and milk/heavy cream. You can add more milk/cream if you want your icing thinner, but you will be thinning it with food coloring and you will need this to be a formidable frosting. After the frosting is made, you can add your food coloring until it's your desired color.

Take the jumbo marshmallows, place them on a plate, and use a small amount of icing to "glue" a chocolate chip in the corner of each "eye". Place the plate in the fridge to set.

Place the buttercream in an icing bag with a wide, star-like tip. Use the frosting to glue the bottom of one small cupcake to the center of a large one. Then, pipe it around the entire cake until the smaller cupcake is completely covered. Using an offset spatula (or a butter-knife), smooth the frosting as much as you can and remove any spaces.

Take a small knife, cut a portion of the cupcake/icing towards the bottom of the icing where you want Cookie Monster's mouth to be. Remove the excess cake and icing. Place the cupcake in the fridge for 15 minutes to set. After it sets, cover the cupcake in more frosting by dotting it around the entire cake. Don't forget to do it around the mouth, and don't miss any spaces! Then, using a fork, fluff the icing further to create a more wild-haired look. Place the marshmallows on the top of the cupcake and gently push them into the frosting. Then take a cookie and place it in the mouth of cookie monster. If it doesn't fit, don't force it. Just cut it to size and keep the rounded portion of it on the outside. Put Cookie Monster back in the fridge for another 15 minutes to totally set! Then enjoy watching your little one's excitement!

Crispy Kale Goat Cheese Pizza

Oh. My. God. I just made something so fantastic that I am actually mad at myself for not having thought of it before. Feast your eyes on this.

I try not to eat much pizza because of the whole bread-makes-me-fat thing, but at this juncture in my life, I don't have reasons to cut corners. Besides, kale is super good for you. We love kale at our house and eat a ton of it on a regular basis. Everything from kale chips to kale frittatas, and I'm happy with it just steamed on a plate and drizzled with olive oil.

I was inspired by the idea for this pizza a few days ago by another recipe, which did not involve kale, and I had my heart set on making it for dinner tonight. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I'm entering my ninth month of pregnancy and some days I'm not sure if I'm going into labor because everything hurts so bad. I was literally bending over the stove meditating through contractions while making this pizza. All I could think was, "Even if this baby is coming tonight, I really want to finish making this pizza". I may be crazy but it was so worth it.

I know people are very afraid of kale. I guess it does look scary, being that it is very green and curly. It screams "HEALTHY" and it seems like many people equate that with gross. But kale is such a versatile vegetable, and I encourage you all to incorporate into your diet. Famous for being the second healthiest vegetable on the planet - topped only by collard greens - kale is how your kids should be getting their calcium, not milk, as rumor may have it. Calcium (and other vitamins and minerals) in kale are much more easily absorbed by the digestive tract than through milk. Get your kids into kale. I don't know if this pizza is the trick to that, because of the goat cheese. But my almost-2-year-old is a huge fan of goat cheese and I know he's going to be shoving this down his throat for lunch tomorrow like there will be no more.

His fears may be accurate though, because I'm not sure how long I will be able to knowingly keep this pizza in the fridge when it could also be in my mouth.

So, here are the conclusions of this post. Eat kale. Lots of it. Make this pizza. Even if you're in labor.

Oh, and Happy New Year!

Crispy Kale Goat Cheese Pizza

Dough and recipe inspired by How Sweet Eats Meyer Lemon Pizza

Ingredients
For the dough
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 and 1/8 cup very warm water (I run my tap until it gets as hot as possible)
1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the pizza
3/4 cup chopped onion
4-5 cups of kale, washed, stems removed, torn into small pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
Salt to taste
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, plus a little more for sprinkling
1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled (or about 4 oz)

To make the dough: Mix the first four ingredients together in a large bowl and set it in a warm place for about 10 minutes until the yeast mixture is very bubbly. Either using a mixer or a wooden spoon, add the flours and salt, and mix until dough forms and can be made into a sticky ball. Remove the dough, knead it on a floured surface and roll it into a ball. Oil the bowl with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil and place the ball in the bowl, covering it in the oil. Cover with a warm, wet towel or saran wrap, and place it in a warm place to rise for 1.5-2 hours (I heat my oven to 170, then turn it off, and then place the bowl in the oven).

When you're ready to use the dough, roll it out on a well-floured surface and then place it in a pizza pan or a rimmed-baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray, then let it rise in a warm place again for about 10 minutes.

For the pizza: Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet. Add the chopped onions and cook them until they're amber brown (about 15 minutes), then add the kale and continue to cook on medium-low heat. Let the kale wilt, and keep stirring the onions around to caramelize them. When they turn a dark-amber color they're sweet. Keep cooking the kale until it starts to get a little crispy, about 10 minutes. It will get crispier in the oven, don't worry.

While the kale is cooking, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add the minced garlic, then the mascarpone cheese, and when that's melted add the parmesan cheese. Add a dash or two of salt to taste. Turn off the heat, add the caramelized onions and kale, and mix everything until incorporated  Spread the mixture on the pizza, then top it with the sun-dried tomatoes. Sprinkle a bit more parmesan cheese, and then the crumbled goat cheese. Bake the pizza on 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the dough is soft but cooked through.

Cookie Dough PB Cups

A few weeks ago, I impulsively made these because I was craving sweets and chocolate like a starving child.

Then a week later, when we only had two left, I just had to make them again. They're fortunately (or unfortunately) very easy to make. And they are probably one of the best things I've ever baked, except you don't have to bake them. This is coming from someone who has had some serious issues lately controlling their baking and eating-baked-goods addiction.

In my "normal" life I don't really eat a lot of sweets. When I'm pregnant, it seems that every day I can't go without some sort of dessert. Sometimes, twice a day. I feel super guilty about it, especially with things like cookie dough peanut butter cups. I mean, that can't be good for my baby - even with the healthy food I eat. However, this pregnancy I was really nauseated and sick up until I was 22-weeks-pregnant, and I would take getting fat any day over being nauseous while mothering a young child. So, I'm taking advantage of the situation :) These are a total pregnancy-utopia food. Except everyone in my life that has tried them has moaned while doing so.

If you're here looking for the chocolate latkes recipe I promised last week, I received the honor of posting it to my friend Tara's blog. Check it out here. Also, her blog is awesome. Look through it for some great ideas.

So the most dangerous part of this recipe is that you technically can just make the cookie dough and eat that. It's eggless so it can be stored and consumed safely (does anyone pay attention to that though? I eat cookie dough all of the time, with eggs or not). My original plan was to do that but somehow I ended up making the entire recipe, which I got from another favorite blog of mine, How Sweet It Is.

First you make the cookie dough, then you melt chocolate and mold it into cupcake cups.

After everything has set in the freezer, simply pack the cookie dough into the chocolate cups tightly, cover the cups with more melted chocolate, and freeze it again until totally set. Pack them tightly. Don't waste chocolate-chip-peanut-butter-cookie-dough. 

Um, yea.. no baking. So easy. Too delicious. Dangerous. If you were to file this recipe that's what it would be under.

No really nice, quality stomach shots at all lately. The last time we used an actual camera (not a camera phone) to take pictures of my growth was when I was 25 weeks pregnant. I'm 32 weeks now, and really dropping the ball on watching my baby grow. This pregnancy is flying by to say the least! I know I'm bigger, but for some reason the scale isn't showing it. I gained like five pounds in my first trimester and then it seemed to slow down. By this point in my previous pregnancy I had gained over 20 pounds. The doctor's office scale is saying I've only gained 13.  It's likely the reason is that my adorable son, who is 23-months-old today (WTF), is like a second gym membership. Maybe that's why I can't stop eating dessert, because I'm legitimately starving.

Yes. That will be my excuse.

Cookie Dough Peanut Butter Cups

Original Recipe from How Sweet It Is

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (I used Harris Teeter Organic No-Stir because I HATE processed PB)

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons AP flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

2 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips, divided (I used Ghirardelli)

Sprinkles (optional)

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and whisk in the brown sugar. Let it cook a few minutes until the sugar dissolves and it bubbles a bit. Add the peanut butter and vanilla and whisk it until it's fully mixed. Set it aside.

While it's cooling, melt 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips. I did it in 30-second intervals in the microwave, stirring it between, until it was just melted. Line a cupcake tin with liners (the original recipe calls for mini-cupcakes, but I didn't have those and quite frankly, I think that would be too small for me) and using a pastry brush, brush the chocolate on the bottom and up the sides of the liner. Don't let it be too thin, as this will hold the cookie dough! When you're done, put the tin in the freezer until it sets - about 15 minutes.

Going back to your cookie dough, whisk the powdered sugar, flour, and salt into the mixture, then fold in the mini-chocolate chips. Put it in the fridge to cool and set for about 10 minutes. When it's cool, remove it and pack each cupcake liner with some of the dough until it's almost 3/4 of the way full. Place it back in the freezer for about ten minutes. Melt the rest of the milk chocolate in the same fashion, and spoon each cup with about two tablespoons of melted chocolate. Use the pastry brush to distribute it evenly. Add sprinkles if desired. Put the tin back in the freezer.

This is the hard part. Waiting.

You shouldn't have to wait more than 10 minutes for the entire thing to set, but if you can manage to wait 30 minutes, these will be even better. Remove the liners and enjoy. Store these in the fridge. They are much better served cold!

Creamy Tomato Bisque

Have you ever had a favorite dish at a particular restaurant that you order time and again, for years?

That's how I feel about the creamy tomato bisque at Cypriana's, a small little carry-out place at my job. I love this soup and I usually can't resist getting a small cup to go with a salad for lunch. A few months ago I asked Cypriana's manager if she could give me some basic idea as to the recipe to her soup and she was kind of enough to provide some vague answers.

Manager: "You know, first I cook my vegetables, then I make my roux, and I add a lot of garlic and heavy cream. I cook it for hours and really develop the flavor. Oh and I strain all of my soups!".

Me: "What vegetables?"

Manager: "Canned tomatoes, maybe some celery. You know!"

With this information (or lack of) I was determined to try and emulate her soup.

I'm sad to say, I have not. But I've come close. And it tastes pretty awesome. And even more exciting is I totally winged this. I don't know what the true definition of a bisque is, so this in fact, may not be one, but I'm going to call it bisque because that's what the restaurant calls it.

This recipe makes a lot of food. Certainly enough to feed a family of eight, and freeze the other half for another night. I filled up two 48-ounce Tupperware containers of it with the recipe.

Also, I know it's Hanukkah  and this isn't relevant to the holiday at all. Hanukkah recipes and posts will come later! I'm experimenting with my own chocolate latkes recipe that so far, is going great.

Jax's Creamy Tomato Bisque

Inspired by the creamy tomato bisque at Cypriana's Cafe

Ingredients
Two large cans of whole plum tomatoes (28 ounces each can), slightly drained
3-4 large fresh tomatos, cut into large pieces
5 stalks celery, cut into pieces
1 medium yellow onion, cut into large pieces
1 head of garlic, each piece peeled
1/4 cup butter (half a stick)
1/4 cup AP flour
3 cups milk
1.5 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder

Method: You need to cook the vegetables first;  you can either do this in a large pot or a crock pot. I used a crock pot, and cooked the canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, celery, onion and garlic on low for about 5 hours. The vegetables need to be tender but not mushy, and I wanted the flavors to come out through slow cooking. The other nice thing about the crock pot is as a busy mom, I don't want to sit over the stove for an hour waiting for vegetables to get tender. So while not necessary, I recommend this method.

Once the vegetables are done, strain them by ladling them into a fine strainer over a large bowl. Reserve the liquids in the bowl, and place the solids in a separate large pot OR a food processor. The next step is to puree the cooked vegetables, and I used a hand blender, so I put them into a large pot.

(By the way, if you love to make soup, a hand blender is a must-have item. I just got one a few months ago and it's up there with my iPhone in terms of its importance in my life).

In a separate large pot, melt the butter over medium heat and add the flour, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk in the milk, and cook until the mixture is thick (about 10 minutes), constantly stirring. Add the pureed vegetables and stir to combine. Add the heavy cream, salt, and garlic powder. Go back to your reserved liquids and add some to taste. I added about 3 cups because I like a strong tomato flavor. If you add a lot of the liquids, it's best to keep cooking the soup for at least 10 more minutes to boil off some of the water while maintaining the tomato flavor.

Garnish with parsley if desired and enjoy.

P.S. Sorry my pictures always suck. I take them with my iPhone and pictures from my real digital camera are even worse. I swear my food tastes good.

Winey Asparagus Chowder

Hi everyone! Sorry I don't post enough. I can't possibly do it with a toddler who doesn't take naps for me. He sleeps when anyone else puts him down except moi. It royally blows. I'm so tired these days after taking care of him and taking him out and about. I can barely stand up after 5-6 hours of picking him up and down, chasing him for diaper changes, and trying desperately to calm him down when he's having a terrible-two's meltdown. The less he sleeps, the more frequent and intense the meltdowns become. The less I lay down, the worse these third-trimester contractions become. There have been a few nights now where I questioned if I was in pre-term labor. No fun at all.

Get. My. Kid. To. Sleep. PLEASE.

You may be thinking, why on earth is she complaining about taking care of her son when she's still teaching Body Attack? Well, I'm here to tell you that teaching Body Attack is like taking a freakin nap compared to taking care of a toddler. Toddlers are no joke. Super physically demanding. And they last much longer than an hour.

So I'm 30 weeks pregnant. Holy crap, we are having a baby soon! I've now gained about 15 pounds. I really hate gaining weight. I want to complain about it. Except in about sixty days I will have two young children to take care of. Meaning double the physical work. I don't feel fat; I just feel awkward. My stomach is so much bigger this time than the first time, rather, it is sticking out front. It's strange to carry around, and have it grow as fast as it's growing. I keep burning it while cooking, bumping into things in my house, and falling while walking upstairs because I am so clumsy.

I'm still able to workout though, and besides feeling like death on the days I'm taking care of my son solo, I can't really make many complaints. I stopped teaching with Colton around 32 weeks pregnant and I think I'm probably going to be able to go way beyond that this time. I have modified a little and stepped back a bit, especially on days I'm not feeling well. But I try to have fun, first and foremost, because quite frankly I LOVE LOVE teaching, and when I stopped last time I was super depressed about it. If I have to take an option here and there I do it now, because I'd rather bring the class positive energy than go do a move that will leave me so tired I can't finish my class with a bang.

And for my body attackers who come to my classes religiously, I want to thank you guys for not only being so supportive of me continuing to teach, but for bringing such a positive hour into my life. On days like today where I felt huge and like I couldn't move, that 60 minutes of teaching is what I needed to feel like myself again, even if it was brief.

This weekend starts Hannukah and I can't wait to celebrate it with my son. I made him a ginormous felt menorah and taped it to the wall, and made him felt candles to stick on the menorah when we begin lighting the candles. We used puffy paint and stickers to decorate it together which he loved, but it seems like he's more obsessed with putting tape on the wall than with his menorah. I think he will feel differently though when we actually light the candles. This week, I plan on making latkes and jelly doughnuts with him to celebrate, and maybe getting creative with sauces and latkes types so we can enjoy some variety. Hopefully I'll have something yummy to post on here once that's done.

In the meantime, I made the most banging chowder last week, and actually ate most of it before anyone in my family could get to it! Which I don't feel bad about because usually my boys eat food I make before I get even one serving. This was delicious, and I'm proud to say, my own recipe. I just made it up on a whim. My husband said it was a bit "winey" for him, so you can add more broth or milk to the chowder (or less wine) if you don't like winey soup. I thought it was fab :) I didn't take a super fancy picture but here it is. More to come next week!

Winey Asparagus Chowder

Ingredients
1-1.5 pounds of asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1.5 cups chopped white onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1.5-2 cups of milk
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Chop asparagus into 1-inch pieces, reserving the tips for later. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, and slowly whisk in flour. Cook the roux until it's slightly browned, then slowly whisk in the milk. Keep cooking the mixture until thick, stirring constantly. Once the sauce is thickened, add the onion and garlic. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion is tender, then add the wine and chicken broth. Stir it until fully incorporated  add the chopped asparagus, and cover. Cook for another 5 minutes or so until the asparagus is just cooked. Using a hand blender, puree the asparagus, onion and garlic until the soup is thick and homogenous. Add the asparagus tips into the soup before serving.

If you think it's too much wine, try reducing it to just a half a cup or adding a bit more milk. I only used 1.5 cups of milk because I wanted my soup to have a thick texture. I could have added more milk and cooked it longer without a top on to boil off some of the water, but I was doing this as fast as I could.

Yum!

Pumpkin Comfort: Pumpkin Bliss Salad and Twice Baked Pumpkin Penne

Warning: For those that read further than this sentence, this post makes the art of portion control a lost one.

It all started with a massive 16-pound pumpkin on Friday. This would be the last one I would roast this season, to make both homemade pumpkin puree and some freshly chopped pumpkin to use this weekend in a variety of comfort recipes. From this:

To this:

and this

 I also made some delicious pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with pumpkin buttercream frosting. I'm sure I've far exceeded my vitamin A requirement for a pregnant and nursing mother with the amount of pumpkin I consumed in just this weekend.

My pumpkin bliss salad, I'm proud to say, was my own creation. The only thing I copied was the caramelized brussel sprouts from the Grilled Cheese Social. If you really want to indulge when making this salad, you may need to go out of your way to find goat butter. I used this kind, which I found at my grocery store a few months ago, and I've been waiting to tear it open to make something good! You'll also want to pick up some top-notch goat cheese. You've already done the hard work of cutting up a pumpkin. May as well do this right.

My 21-month-old son loved the basic ingredients in this "salad".

Twice Baked Pumpkin Penne is pretty much all thanks to this recipe from How Sweet it Is. I wouldn't have changed anything, as the recipe is brilliant, but I didn't want to use butternut squash since I spent my son's precious nap time on Friday cubing a massive pumpkin. I also couldn't find mascarpone cheese, and so I used creme fraiche instead, and I decided to throw some veggies in the mix to add some extra comfort and flavor. Yum.

This may sound presumptuous, but you're welcome.

Pumpkin Bliss Salad

Makes approximately 5 salads

Ingredients

1 lb raw brussel sprouts

1/2 yellow onion, chopped coarsley

2 lbs chopped pumpkin, cut into 1-2 inch cubes

1/3 cup roasted salted almonds

4 tablespoons of goat milk butter, divided

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 cups baby spinach, raw

5-6 oz goat cheese

1/3 cup dried cranberries 

1 can sliced beets, or 2 beets, roasted and cubed

To caramelize the brussel sprouts: Steam the brussel sprouts until they're tender but still crunchy. Let them cool a bit, then cut off the bottoms and half them. Save all the leaves that fall off. Heat one tablespoon of goat butter in a medium skillet over medium heat, then add the chopped onion. Once the onion is tender and translucent, add another tablespoon of goat butter, and the brussel sprouts and loose leaves. Turn the heat up to medium-high, and wait for the sprouts to brown a little, then add the sugar. Toss and cook until the sprouts are browned.

In another large skillet, melt two tablespoons of goat butter, then add the chopped pumpkin and roasted almonds, and salt. Cover, and cook until tender, tossing every few minutes to full absorb the goat butter.

To assemble the salad, put 1-2 cups of raw spinach on a plate, add the beets, brussel sprouts, pumpkin, almonds and dried cranberries, then crumble goat cheese on top. You will not need dressing on this salad. Unless you're crazy.

Twice Baked Pumpkin Penne

Recipe barely changed, thank you How Sweet It is
Serves 10, unless you're pregnant. In that case, serves 2.

Ingredients
2 lbs chopped pumpkin, cut into 1-2 inch cubes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Olive oil, to toss

1 medium eggplant, cut up into 1 inch pieces

3 cups spinach

1 pound penne pasta

2 tablespoons butter

2 shallots

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup creme fraiche (or mascarpone cheese as the original recipe calls for)

1 to 1 and 1/3 cup milk (start with the smallest amount, add more as needed)

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

fresh sage leaves

8 oz thick sliced bacon, baked 

Toss the eggplant with a little olive oil and salt, and roast it at 350 degrees for 15 minutes each side on a baking sheet. Steam the spinach, and set them aside.

Pre-heat the oven at 400 degrees, and toss the cubed pumpkin with olive oil, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Lay it on a baking sheet and cook it for 20 minutes, then toss it around, and roast it for another 20 minutes.

Cook the penne according to the package directions. Drain it well, and set aside. When the pumpkin is tender, put it in a bowl and mash it well. In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the shallots over medium heat. Whisking constantly, continue to cook it until it begins to brown or you see brown bits in the pan. Add the flour, and continue whisking for a minute or so. Add the mashed pumpkin, creme fraiche, and milk and stir it until fully combined.

Pour pasta into a 13 x 9 glass baking dish, and add the roasted eggplant, steamed spinach, and top it with the pumpkin creme sauce. Carefully fold the mixture together until it's mixed throughout. Top the pasta with both the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, and then the sage leaves. Bake it at 400 degrees for approximately 30 minutes, and then top it with the bacon.

Dig. In. OMG.