GuacaPasta

So this week we seemed to have inadvertently been having "Mexi-Italian".   The first part of the week was a great Mexican Lasagna recipe I found on Fat Free Vegan  and then having leftover avocados I decided to make what my husband kindly referred to a guacapasta.  How do you make guacapasta?  Well I found several recipes online for creamy avocado pasta...but once I got to making the sauce it I realized I was making guacamole.  So therefore guacamole + pasta = guacapasta!
My family enjoyed it - we love guacamole and we love pasta.  The two actually go together suprisingly well. Its quick and refreshing making it a great summer meal that allows you to spend more time playing outdoors than locked in the kitchen.

GuacaPasta - 3 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup dry whole wheat penne

1 large ripe Haas avocado, pitted and peel removed

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 clove garlic, minced

~1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons salsa

1 cup diced tomatoes

Directions:

1. Cook according to box directions until Al Dente, about 9-11 minutes.

2. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce by placing the avocado, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, salt and salsa into a food processor (I used my magic bullet). Process until smooth and creamy.

3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and place pasta into a large bowl. Add the sauce and tomatoes to the pasta and toss until pasta is well coated. Serve immediately.

Note: This pasta dish is best eaten the day it is made.

Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Pumpkin Pancakes

We haven't made it officially to fall yet, but it seems like every time I glance at pinterest I'm seeing pumpkin recipes and Starbucks and Panera have already welcomed back their pumpkin spice lattes.  So I guess its no wonder this pumpkin addict's cravings are coming early this year.

So with the help of my little chefs-in-training, I set off this morning to make our first pumpkin pancakes of the season. Siena selects the eggs, Nala cracks, Mommy breaks.  Mommy levels, Nala pours in, Siena taps the  bottom of cup to make sure everything is out.  We all take turns stirring.  Daddy heats the syrup while they cook, and then we all enjoy!

It should be noted that when it comes to pancakes I am a lazy cook, I always make them with Bisquick® as my foundation. I've had a few mishaps over the years and have learned that while I love to cook, during the craziness of a Saturday morning with the girls its best to stick with the the semi-homemade approach.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Prep: 10 min Cook: 5 min

2 1/3 cups Original Bisquick® mix

2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 1/4 cups milk

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend together: pumpkin, milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and spice until smooth.  Stir in Original Bisquick® mix, make sure the mix isn't clumpy, but don't over stir.  

Heat griddle to 275°F.  Pour pancakes onto hot griddle, I usually do about 2 heaping tablespoons of batter for each pancake.  Feel free to make fun shapes: pumpkins, bunnies, hearts, houses - yes I like to amuse my children :).  Cook until you see bubbles forming on top of the pancakes, flip, cook for another couple of minutes.  Then serve with warm maple syrup, whipped cream, and pecan bits.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Fun Food Friday at work tomorrow which means cookie baking for me. So given I'm known as a cookie girl around the office, why would one make one batch of cookies when you can make 2. I of course had to make the classic chocolate chip cookies which I'm known for. But, since its fall and i LOVE pumpkin I was so excited to try a new recipe full of sugar and spice.   Oh so yummy, I'm definitely thinking making these may need to become a part of my yearly fall baking rituals.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

25 min prep, 1 hr set, 10 min cook

Cookie Ingredients:

~2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 stick melted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 large egg

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Sugar coating:

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Melt butter.  Stir in sugars completely. Whisk in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla, one at a time. Add the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly.  If using a mixer be sure to not over mix. Cover the dough, and refrigerate for one hour, until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and spice for the coating. Scoop dough (approximately 2 1/2 tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Roll the dough ball in the sugar mixture, and place on the lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Take a glass with a flat bottom and use to flatten the balls. Add extra sugar topping to cookies as needed.

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. Remove when the centers of the cookies have set. Let cool on the baking pan for approximately 5 minutes, and then transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely.

Adapted from from: http://abitchinkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/10/pumpkin-snickerdoodles.html

Chocolate Chip Recipe is as always inspired by the Nestle Tollhouse on the back of the bag :)