Pantry List

I'm at my mom's house in sunny Las Vegas right now visiting for a few days. She's nice enough to let me experiment in her kitchen so I've spent the last few hours making a dessert that I've been trying to perfect for a long time. Unfortunately this attempt wasn't completely successful, but I'm definitely getting closer!

While baking in her kitchen, I went through all of my mom's cupboards just to see what she has. I'm always so impressed with her fully stocked cupboards and hope that someday mine will be that full. My mom has always said that besides your canned food storage (wheat, oats, etc.) you need to have 3 months worth of all of the basics that you use on a regular basis.

So, I've made a list, based on my mom's cupboards and what I use regularly, of all of the pantry basics that I personally want to start stocking up on. I'm sure that over the years I will either add or delete things from this list, but I think this is a good place to start from. And I think my husband will thank me for this because once our cupboards are all stocked up that will mean a lot less last minute grocery runs for him!

Pantry List

Baking and Cooking Staples

1. Flour
2. Sugar
3. Cocoa Powder
4. Brown Sugar
5. Salt
6. Baking Soda
7. Baking Powder
8. Chocolate Chips
9. Pam Cooking Spray
10. Crisco Shortening
11. Molasses
12. Cornstarch
13. Corn Flake Crumbs
14. Bread Crumbs- Plain and Italian
15. Chicken Bouillon Cubes
16. Beef Bouillon Cubes

Spices and Extracts

I like to buy most of these in bulk at Costco. These are just a few basics. If I can, I like to try to have two small bottles on hand of all of the other spices I use so that when I run out I have a back up.

1. Vanilla Extract
2.  Peppermint Extract
3. Almond Extract
4. Pepper
5. Cinnamon
6. Garlic Salt
7. Nutmeg
8. Dried Onion
9. Taco Seasoning

Condiments, Oils, Vinegars, and Sauces

1.  Ketchup
2. Mustard
3. Mayonnaise
4. Miracle Whip
5. Barbeque Sauce
6. Salad Dressing (Ranch)
7. Pickles
8. Olives
9. Salsa
10. Vegetable Oil
11. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
12. Vinegar
13. Red Wine Vinegar
14. Balsamic
15. Apple Cider Vinegar
16. Worcestershire Sauce
17. Soy Sauce
18. Spaghetti  Sauce

Canned Pantry Items

1. Diced Tomatoes
2. Stewed Tomatoes
3. Tomato Paste
4. Whole Tomatoes
5. Chicken Broth
6. Cream of Chicken Soup
7. Cream of Mushroom Soup
8. Cream of Celery Soup
9. Canned Chicken
10. Tuna Fish
11. Pumpkin Puree
12. Pineapple Chunks
13. Pineapple Tidbits
14. Crushed Pineapple
15. Apple Pie Filling
16. Pears
17. Mandarin Oranges
18. Black Beans
19. Kidney Beans
20. Chili Beans
21. Pinto Beans
22. Peas
23. Green Beans
24. Corn
25. Mushrooms
26. Sweetened Condensed Milk
27. Evaporated Milk

Other Basics

1. Peanut Butter
2. Jam
3. Honey
4. Syrup
5. Pasta Noodles- Spaghetti, Macaroni, Penne, Bowtie, etc.
6. Rice
7. Jell-O and Pudding Packets
8. Cake Mixes (I like to have a variety like White, Yellow, Chocolate, German Chocolate, etc.)
9. Brownie Mixes
10. Apple Juice

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

For years I have wanted a Le Creuset dutch oven and my cute husband finally got me one for Christmas! It is beautiful. I got it in the ocean color (as seen below) and I absolutely love it!

Anyway, the first recipe I made in my new dutch oven was this soup and it was so delicious! It's loaded with meat and veggies and I love the creamy texture from the mashed potatoes. It was definitely a winner with the husband. I served it with some good, crusty sourdough bread and it was perfection!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

• 6-8 slices bacon, sliced into about 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 large carrot, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups cubed ham
• 14.5 oz. can chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cup milk, divided
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 large potatoes, baked, peeled and mashed
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese + more for garnish
• thinly sliced green onion

in a large pot or dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until browned and crisp. transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate. pour out bacon grease, reserving 1 Tablespoon in the pot. saute carrots, celery, and onion in bacon grease for 10 minutes or until tender, stirring often. stir in garlic and ham and cook 3 minutes. stir in chicken broth, 1/2 cup milk and cream. 

in a separate bowl, add salt, pepper and 3/4 cup milk to mashed potatoes and mix with an electric hand mixer until combined. stir mashed potatoes into soup until combined. stir in half of the cooked bacon. heat for 10 minutes.

stir in sour cream and 3/4 cup cheddar cheese until smooth. simmer on low until ready to serve. top with bacon, cheese and green onion.

Cherry Vanilla Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

I guess I must really be in the mood for cupcakes or something because here is another cupcake recipe. This one is a little twist on this recipe. With Valentine's Day coming up I thought these pink cupcakes would be appropriate and fun to make. Instead of doing a regular cream cheese frosting I decided to add coconut and a little bit of my absolute favorite almond extract. I've found that most coconut frosting recipes say to sprinkle the coconut on top of the frosting but I chose to mix it right in, and I like it! If you're not a coconut fan, leave it out, they will still taste amazing! And then to make them look cute I topped them off with a cherry. So far I've had 5 of these cupcakes today, yes 5, but only one had frosting on it so that's ok, right?

Cherry Vanilla Cupcakes

• 1 box white cake mix (I recommend Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe)
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 3 large eggs whites
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons cherry extract
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2-3 drops red food coloring

line 18 to 24 muffin cups with muffin papers. preheat the oven to 350 degrees. using an electric mixer, beat the cake mix, water, egg whites, melted butter, cherry extract, and vanilla extract in a large bowl for 2 minutes, or until the batter is well blended. using about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of batter for each cupcake, spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. bake the cupcakes until they are very pale golden on top, about 15 minutes. cool the cupcakes completely on a cooling rack.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1- 8oz. package cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 4-6 cups powdered sugar
• milk (if needed)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1-2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

in a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter. slowly add in powdered sugar until light and fluffy. (add a couple of tablespoons of milk if frosting gets too stiff). mix in vanilla and almond extract. 


frost cupcakes and then sprinkle with coconut.

Cream Cheese Brownie Cupcakes

Oh my gosh these are good! My husband came home last night and saw them and couldn't resist. He said he was only going to eat half of one but within minutes of eating the first half he went back and finished the rest of it off. I really like how these are made in muffin tins because they come out in perfect little individual servings. The brownie is rich, chocolaty and nice and dense. Now we'll just have to see if I can resist finishing off the rest of the pan by myself this afternoon!

Cream Cheese Brownie Cupcakes

CLICK HERE FOR MY RECIPE

Cookbook Wish List

I LOVE cookbooks! It makes me feel so happy to flip through the pages of a beautiful cookbook and imagine and dream about all of the delicious things I could make.

Here are a few of my favorites that I keep on a shelf by my computer for inspiration. 

Here are some cookbooks that are currently on my wish list.

I'm always on the lookout for great cookbooks so let me know what your favorites are or ones that are on your wish list!

I'm getting really hungry thinking about all of these books and I've been craving something chocolaty and decadent for days so first thing tomorrow I'm making CREAM CHEESE BROWNIE CUPCAKES!!! (And when I say first thing in the morning I mean I'm making them for myself for breakfast. I have problems, I know.) Check back soon for the recipe!

Cheesy Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

I love this recipe, it is so good! My husband really loves it too, especially since it has chicken in it and not just cheese and spinach. The recipe can easily be doubled and it transports really well which makes it a perfect meal to make when you have to take dinner to someone. When I make this, I like to serve it with a salad and garlic bread or homemade bread sticks.

Cheesy Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

• 25 uncooked pasta shells (just less than one 12oz. box)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped into small cubes
• 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 8oz. package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 of 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 3 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce, divided

cook pasta according to package directions, stirring frequently so that shells don't stick to the bottom and tear. drain and separate onto a sheet of wax paper.

preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 inch pan. 

in a large bowl, combine chicken and the rest of the ingredients except for mozzarella and spaghetti sauce. stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella. spread 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce into bottom of pan. spoon chicken mixture into shells and place on top of sauce. pour remaining spaghetti sauce over shells. cover pan with foil and bake 40 minutes. uncover pan and sprinkle shells with remaining 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese. bake 5-8 minutes more and then remove from oven and serve.

Creamy Lemon Chicken

I made this for the first time last night and it turned out delicious! The sauce is light and creamy and I love the fresh flavor the lemon gives it. This recipe scored high points with my husband so I'll definitely make it again. The ingredients are so basic and the instructions are easy so this will be a go-to recipe on nights when I need something simple but really good.

Creamy Lemon Chicken

• 6 chicken breast halves
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon flour, divided
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream plus 1/4 cup, divided
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice

salt and pepper both sides of each chicken breast. pour 1/2 cup of flour into a ziploc bag. add chicken and shake to coat. heat oil in a large skillet. add chicken and cook four about 8 minutes on each side or until completely cooked through. remove chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

add chicken broth to the pan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to loosen the browned bits on the pan. simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. stir in 3/4 cup of cream and lemon juice. cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat.

in a small bowl or measuring cup, stir remaining flour and cream together with a fork until smooth. pour into skillet and bring sauce to a boil. simmer for 2 minutes while stirring. return chicken to the pan and heat through. 

Movie Theater Bark

I can't go see a movie without getting a big bag of buttery popcorn. It's a guilty pleasure that I crave and dream about. If I get popcorn then naturally I have to get some sort of chocolate treat to balance out the saltiness of the popcorn. My husband likes to get peanut M&M's and dump them into the hot popcorn so that they get all nice and warm.

Well here is my grown-up variation on the peanut M&M's dumped into the popcorn. It's really fun and easy to make and the chocolate-toppings combinations are endless. Here I have pictured semi-sweet chocolate with mini pretzels, raisins, and salted peanuts as well as semi-sweet chocolate with dried cranberries, candied pineapple, and white chocolate chips. If you guys come up with any other yummy combinations you'll have to let me know. Now I just need to get a babysitter so that we can take these treats and go see a movie!

Movie Theater Bark

• 8oz. good semi-sweet, bittersweet, white or milk chocolate- chopped into small chunks
• toppings of your choice, here are some yummy variations
• mini pretzels, raisins, salted peanuts
• dried cranberries, dried candied pineapple, white chocolate chips
• s'mores- milk chocolate with graham crackers, mini marshmallows
• cookies and cream- white chocolate with crushed oreo cookies

spray the bottom of a bread pan with non-stick cooking spray and then line the pan with parchment paper (see detailed instructions below). set a glass bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water. make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. put the chocolate into the glass bowl and stir until chocolate is completely melted. pour chocolate into the lined pan and spread evenly with a spatula. sprinkle toppings over chocolate immediately. refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. peel off parchment and break into pieces.

*parchment lining instructions:

cut a piece of parchment paper to fit into the bread pan leaving an overhang on the long edges. make a fold in the parchment paper several inches away from the edge.

place the folded edge of the parchment into the bread pan and fold down the short sides of the parchment.

fold down the parchment into the other long edge of the pan.

remove the parchment and spray the bottom of the pan with non-stick cooking spray and replace the parchment paper.

Chicken Linguine Carbonara

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I feel like it went by so fast. While I'm sad it's over I'm really looking forward to this new year and to lots of new, yummy recipes!

I've been putting off going to the grocery store since we got back in town from Christmas so I had to be a little creative last night for dinner. I ended up making a carbonara sauce with a little twist. Instead of just bacon, eggs, and cheese, I added a little heavy cream and chicken to make this dish more hearty. It turned out really good! This recipe is really simple, you just have to make sure you move fast towards the end so that the noodles stay nice and hot!

Chicken Linguine Carbonara

• 4 chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 slices bacon
• 8oz. linguine or spaghetti (I used multi-grain linguine)
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• salt and pepper

slice chicken into small strips. heat oil in a large skillet. once heated through add chicken and cook until chicken starts to turn golden brown. transfer chicken to a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.

start cooking pasta according to package directions. meanwhile, cook bacon in skillet until crispy, about 8-12 minutes. transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. cut bacon into about one-inch square pieces. 

in a large bowl, whisk eggs together and then whisk in cheese and cream. 

working fast, quickly drain pasta and then toss in egg mixture. (the heat of the noodles will cook the eggs). add the bacon and chicken. season with salt and pepper to taste. sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve immediately.