Summer is officially coming to an end.  Labor Day weekend is upon us and that means those last cookouts before autumn rolls in.  I have to say I love Labor Day weekends not only because it’s a long weekend (and a much needed break from work) but because it means a number of other things.  Like college football season!! I know weird right?  Even though I didn’t go to a college with a football team there is nothing like college football to me.  I really look forward to the start of the season and this weekend it starts it all off.  Actually tonight started it off and it happen to be the night my husbands team was playing.  Go South Carolina!  It’s very likely that every weekend some sort of football will be watched, but I draw the line at NFL (sorry).  Now, another reason I love the Labor Day weekend is because it means cooler weather and some of my favorite holidays are quickly approaching.  It makes me smile just thinking about it all.

Another thing that makes me smile is this pasta salad because it’s a perfect side dish for those upcoming Labor Day weekend parties.  It can serve a big crowd and no one has to know that it’s super easy to make.  It’s really important to let the tomatoes and yellow bell peppers marinate for at least 15 minutes in the lemon and olive oil mixture.  It really gives this pasta salad great flavor.  I have also added chicken to this recipe.  I actually prefer it without the chicken but my husband likes it with so I usually split it up and add half with and half without.  Again, a really great side dish for your last summer cookout.

Oh and I have to share some other very exciting news that happen this week.  I was lucky enough to find a ticket to BlogHer Food in San Francisco for the 8th and 9th of October (thanks Carrie from Deliciously Organic).  I’m so excited I can’t hardly wait to meet all the other amazing community of food bloggers and learn, learn, learn.  It’s going to be so much fun!!  I’m also looking forward to sharing with you all my adventures.  So stay tune!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and super relaxing Labor Day weekend!   

Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad

Print Recipe

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 shallot, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 pound pasta, such as penne or fusilli

12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup fresh baby spinach, chopped

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

Instructions:

In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, shallt, garlic, thyme, and sugar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add tomatoes, yellow pepper, and lemon zest and gently toss.  Let marinate at room temperature for15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and run cold water over pasta to stop the cooking.  Set pasta aside and let cool slightly.

Add the pasta to the the large bowl with marinated tomatoes and yellow bell peppers and gently toss.  Stir in mozzarella, spinach, and basil (and chicken if using) until well combine.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

Only a few days left until the girls start “school”….yikes!  Last week they met their teacher and got to see their classroom (pictures to come on the random side).  They were so excited, and once they stepped foot into their new classroom the toys were the center of their attention.  It was nice to see them comfortable in this new environment.  It’s so hard to believe they will be going to school when it feels like it was just yesterday that they were little babies.  Come Wednesday, when we have to drop them off for their first day of tot school I think we will have the hardest time with it.  I have a feeling we will be only ones shedding a tear (or two) also.  I let you know how it all goes and stay tune to pictures. 

Now let’s talk cookies….carrot cookies.  I know probably not the first thing you think of when you think of a cookie.  But these will not disappoint if you are a lover of a soft and chewy cookie.  I was lead to this cookie after searching for a semi-healthy cookie to pack in the girls lunch this week.  I found it on King Arthur Flour, a great resource for recipes, and knew it was the one to try.  I just made some minor changes to the original recipe.  I used less sugar, used pecan instead of almonds, and adding a slight pinch of nutmeg to the recipe.  Now I’m one of those people that like a soft and chewy cookie so these are right up my alley.  They are simply delicious and you really don’t feel bad biting into them and I feel even better packing them in the girls lunch.  I’m only hoping we have some left by Wednesday.  I think we only have three left!  Between me and the girls we pretty much devoured the batch in a few short days.  I guess that tells you we all liked them.   Hopefully you will enjoy these as much as we did too.

 

Super Carrot Cookies

Print Recipe

1/3 cup canola oil

2/3 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

1 cup grated carrots

1/2 cup pecans, chopped and toasted

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil, suagr, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, vanilla, and egg, mixing until smooth.  Add syrup.  Stir in the carrots, cranberries, chocolate chips, pecans, flour, mixing gently until well combined.  Add the oats last, making sure they are throughly distributed throughout the bowl.

Drop tablespoon-sized balls of dough into prepared sheets, leaving about 1 1/2-inches between them.  Bake the cookies until they’re just barely set on top – about 12 to 15 minutes.

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

What a weekend!  We all enjoyed having my mom in town to visit this past weekend.  Even though we had Bonnie the Tropical Storm make a short stop on Friday morning we still enjoyed our long weekend.  We were all non-stop.  From heading to the indoor “Monkey Gym” to an adventure to the book store to find new books.  We had a blast!  The thing is with the girls everything is an adventure in their eyes.  Again, another reason why it would be wonderful to be a kid again.  Everything is always happy and fun.  I still remember when they were 9 months and I thought to myself this is my favorite stage, but each stage since has continued to amaze me.  Of course, now I think 2 1/2 is the best stage.  I’m sure this will continue all the way up until they are teenager…right? 

Yesterday we were all sad to see my mom head home but we always know there is next time.  She is always planning her next visit before she leaves.  Which is always great because we all love having her here.  Just wish we could live closer….maybe one of these days it will happen.

So let’s talk orzo….I actually made this salad the night before my mom came.  I knew it was something she would like and it’s always nice to have a few things in the refrigerator to snack on especially when you’re on the go like we are with the girls.  After making it I had a hungry husband though, he had one large bowl and started to go for the second one when I had to say “whoa! I’m cutting you off!”  In only two short days the orzo salad was gone and we all got to enjoy it.  It’s really a great salad with or without the chicken.  I prefer the chicken myself because it can really turn into a great to pack for lunch or have as a main dish.  Also, great for a summer cookout. Enjoy everyone!  

Summer Orzo Salad

Print Recipe

1 1/4 cups uncooked orzo

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (such as a rotisserie)

1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup yellow bell pepper, diced

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped

1 cup fresh mozzarella, cubed

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tsp minced garlic

Juice from one lemon

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp fresh black pepper

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well.

Combine pasta, chicken, spinach, tomatoes, red and yellow bell pepper, basil, oregano, and mozzarella in a large bowl and toss well.

Combine vinegar, oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Drizzle dressing over pasta mixture; toss well to coat.

Adapted from CookingLight.com

I’m a officially on a mini stay vacation!  Yeah!  Today was my first day of a 4 day vacation and I’m looking forward to staying home and hanging out with the girls.  Another bonus is my mom is here for a few days too so we all get to have a little girls time together.  We have a full day planned tomorrow and I don’t know who’s more excited me and my mom or the girls.  I’m sure they will be up early as we have plans to take them to the local “money” gym.  That’s what they call it the monkey gym.  I really think those are the best things ever, it wear the kids out and you enjoy watching them have a great time.  What could be better? 

Before I head off to a long weekend with the family I wanted to share these delicious muffins.  I actually made them last night and they were the perfect snack today for the girls and even my mom and I.  You have to understand that my mom is the expert baker and I owe all this cooking and baking to her influence, so when she took a bite and actually said to me….”Heather, these are good!”  So I guess I did something right with these.  The munchkins loved them too so that’s always a good thing in my opinion.  I adapted the recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Baking, but made a couple slight changes….like adding the banana.  I think the banana actually brings a nice sweetness and moisture to the muffins.  Yummy!  I might have to go and have another one now…

Oh!  and one more exciting bit of news that I can’t wait to share with all of you.  I’m excited to be partnering with Smithfield.com for the remaining of year on their new blog.  Throughout the rest of the year I will be talking food, parties, cooking with your kids, and so much more.  Stay tune to some very fun and exciting posts that me and several other amazing bloggers will be doing on Smithfield.com’s blog.  Make sure you stop by tomorrow as I get to introduce Multiply Delicious to all the Smithfield readers. 

Ok, everyone have a fabulous Friday and weekend! 

Banana Carrot Apple Muffins

Print Recipe

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup old-fashion rolled oats

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2/3 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 1/4 cups grated, peeled tart apple (about 1 large)

1 1/4 cups finely grated, peeled carrots (about 2 medium)

1/2 cup ripe banana, mashed

1/2 cup pecans, toasted

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until blended.  Stir in the buttermilk and butter.  Pour over the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula just until half moistened, 8-10 strokes.  Add the apples, carrots, banana, and nuts and stir just until evenly distributed.  Do not over-mix.

Spoon the batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each cup about three-fourths full.  Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 15 – 20 minutes.  Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 2 minutes, then turn out onto the rack. 

These are best after sitting overnight. 

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Baking

Sorry I’ve been missing in action everyone, but I have been a busy mommy.  The girls have kept me on my toes these past few days.  This weekend we had a lot of fun together, but I think we were all happy when daddy came through the door last night.  We all missed him this week and we were all happy to have him back home and have our routine back to normal. 

Ok, now onto this yummy summer salad.  With the temperature being so hot here in Florida all I want these days is a light and fresh salad.  This salad is that and it combines two of my favorites, mango and scallops.  Did you know that mango’s are high in Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Copper and Vitamin A?  And they are delicious!  Here in South Florida is very common to find a mango tree pretty much everywhere.  Actually we have one right down the street.  I have co-workers who bring in bags of them.  I know what I’ll be making a lot of this summer.  This salad is super yummy and in my opinion perfect for any summertime meal.  And if you don’t prefer scallops, try shrimp or chicken.  The shrimp I would cook the same as you would the scallops.  And if you decide on chicken, just pick up a store-bought rotisserie chicken and you have an easy meal in minimal time. 

Enjoy everyone!

Scallop and Mango Salad

Adapted from Redbook

Print Recipe

1 lbs bay or sea scallops, rinsed

1 large ripe mango, halved, pitted, and diced

1 large cucumber, quarters lengthwise, cut into chunks

1 bag (about 1/2 ounce) of spinach

Dressing:

1 1/2 tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger root

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

2/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1/4 cup reduce-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Instructions:

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbsp dressing on medium for 1 minute.  Add scallops and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until scallops are opaque throughout, stirring occassionally.

While scallops are cooking prepare salad dressing by adding all ingredients into a 2-cup jar with lid and shake well to dissolve the honey.

In a large bowl, toss together scallops, mango, cucumber, and spinach.  Add 1/2 cup of dressing and toss to lightly coat. 

Serve and garnish with lime wedges.  Salad should make about 4 main dish salads.

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