White chocolate cranberry cinnamon rolls

Hopefully this comes across in how much I cook, but I'm trying to stay away from all processed/packaged foods as much as possible. That being said, I've never made cinnamon rolls from scratch unless you count those that come from a can.

Normally Scott and I stick to a standard of eggs, bacon, toast and possibly hash browns for breakfast. I came across this recipe, decided to find a date I could prep them (as they need to rise for a day) and then have these as a treat. These were absolutely delicious. However, it's a little bit too much work for my normal breakfast that I don't know if I'd make them again anytime soon. This recipe makes a ton, and they would be awesome if you're having family or friends stay over or come for breakfast.

Prepped

Finished product

White chocolate cranberry cinnamon rolls-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School

Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes + overnight rising

Serves 16

Rolls

• 4 1/2 teaspoons (or two packets) active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 5 to 6 cups all purpose flour

Filling

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 package (10 to 12 ounces) white baking chips
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Glaze

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 5 to 6 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the butter, sugar salt and 4 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Punch dough down. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 24 inch x 12 inch rectangle. For filling, combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon; spread over dough to within 1/2 inch of edges. Sprinkle with white chocolate chips and cranberries. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. 

Cut into 16 slices. Place cut side down in two greased 9x13 inch pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Bake at 350 degreese for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm rolls.

Baked manicotti

When I was going to the store, I had to Google the difference between cannelloni and manicotti. The original recipe calls for cannelloni, but I was struggling to find it. From reading online, I couldn't tell much of a difference, so just went with manicotti

Although it's a pain in the butt to stuff the manicotti's it wasn't as bad for me this time (see the last time I made manicotti here). I actually read the box (weird, right?) and cooled the manicotti on a baking sheet. It helped so much--and, as an added bonus, the noodles didn't stick together!

Anyway, this recipe also calls for you to make your own bechamel sauce. Scott absolutely LOVED this recipe. I would definitiely make it again. I was actually surprised as I didn't add any extra seasonings (or salt). The original recipe calls for using brats and removing the casings, but just using a 16-19oz package of regular Italian sausage will work too. It takes awhile to make (you need at least an hour), but it's totally worth it. Plus, you could probably put it together a day or so ahead of time.

One last thing, when it says large skillet, definitely use the biggest one you have! I got everything to fit in our standard, what I would call medium, pan with a bit of a raised edge, but it got a bit messy when I started stirring.

Baked manicotti-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School, original recipe from Johnsonville
Total time: 1 hour
Serves 6

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 16-19 ounces Italian sausage
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups milk
• 12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 box (14 shells) manicotti
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

For the filling

In a large skillet, add oil, onion and mushrooms over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes. Add sasauge, stir and cook until the onion is softened and the sausage is no longer pink. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, minus 2 minutes (mine was about 5). Drain, place on a baking sheet to cool.

For the bechamel sauce

Preheat oven to 450 degreesMelt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stirr until well incorporated. Slowly add milk and whisk together until smooth. Continue whisking as mixture comes to a slow boil and begins to thicken. Stir half the sauce into the sausage mixture and reserve the other half to pour over the manicotti. Add 12 ounces shredded mozzarella to the sausage mixture and stir while adding in the egg yolks. Cover and set aside if pasta is not yet cool enough.

Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch greased baking dish. Spoon filling into each pasta tube carefully by starting at one end and pushing through with a spoon or your finger.

Nestle the manicotti in the sauce and cover with remaining sauce (if there is any extra sausage mixture, but this on top as well). Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Bake for 45 minutes or until heated through and the cheese starts to turn golden. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Crab quiche

This is our day-after-Christmas-breakfast. It was quick and simple to put together. I added mushrooms, just because I had some and they're my favorite! The original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of egg substitute. I used 4 egg whites, and 2 whole eggs. You could also just use 5 whole eggs if thats what you wish. My other suggestion is to pat dry the zucchini. The quiche seemed very watery and I'm pretty sure that was the culprit!

If you don't know where to get already cooked crabmeat-go to your grocer's fish section. There should be fully cooked, ready to eat flaked crab meat in a refrigerator.

Crab quiche-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School
Total time: 1 hour
Serves 8

• 6 ounces crabmeat, flaked
• 6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup zucchini, shredded and patted dry
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 4 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 4 egg whites plus 2 whole eggs (or 1 1/2 cups egg substitute, or 5 whole eggs)
• 1-12 ounce can evaporated milk
• 3/4 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
• Dash of paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine crab meat, cheese, zucchini, onion and mushrooms. Mix together well. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased deep-dish pie plate that has been coated with cooking spray. In another medium bowl, combine the eggs, evaporated milk, mustard, salt and seasoning. Whisk well, then pour over the crust in the pie pan. Sprinkle with paprika.

Place the pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet in case of overflow. Then cook in oven for about 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Cheesy Biscuits

These were very quick and easy to make. Less than 15 minutes and you have some yummy dinner rolls!

Cheesy Biscuits-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 10

• 2 cups Bisquick mix
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stir Bisquick, milk and cheese in a large bowl until a dough forms. Spoon 10 balls of the dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Ham and Mushroom Frittata

I'm back going through my cookbooks for a change! I haven't yet used my cask iron skillet for a frittata so I was excited when I came across this recipe. I mostly use that skillet for bacon. Lots and lots of bacon. Did you know we really like bacon in this house?

Anyway, I sliced up some ham and mushrooms and did this. I might use cooking spray instead of butter next time, it all stuck to the bottom of the pan a bit much (it's currently soaking in my sink). Either way, a really delicious egg dish that doesn't take much to make. You could also do it like almost any other omlette or egg bake and add your favorite ingredients. Case in point-the original recipe calls for broccoli. I accidentally bought mushrooms and deiced to use those instead. 

One of the best things about learning to cook, you don't need to follow the recipe to a 't'. You can feel free to add ingredients and mix things up a bit to 1. What you have in the house, and 2. What you like to eat.

Ham and Mushroom Frittata-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School

Total Time: 15 minutes

Serves 4

• 6 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup cooked ham, diced
• 1 1/4 cup swiss cheese, shredded and divided
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, pepper, ham and 1 cup cheese. Set aside. In a 10 inch oven proof cast iron skillet, saute mushrooms in butter over medium heat for about 4 minutes. Pour in egg mixture, cover and cook for 4-6 minutes or until eggs are almost set.

Turn on broiler. Add remaining cheese to top of eggs and place in broiler for 4-6 minutes or until eggs are set and cheese is melted. Let stand for a few minutes.

French Dip Au Jus

Embarrassing story time. The very first time I had a hangover I went to Perkins and ordered a French dip with mozzarella and fries with ranch. Ever since, it's a typical hangover meal for me. I didn't make this recipe for a hangover, but it was pretty awesome. Make sure to get some great hoagies or french bread for the sandwiches.

French Dip Au Jus-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School
Total Time: 8 Hours
Serves 8

• 1-1/2 teaspoon beef bouillon
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 pound beef rump roast
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 8 cups water
• 8 single-serve hoagie buns
• 8 slices mozzarella
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 ounces sliced mushrooms

In a small bowl, combine beef bouillon and thyme. Rub over beef roast. Place in a 5-quart slow cooker, and add the onion, soy sauce, garlic, pepper and water. 

Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat is tender. Remove meat and let stand for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat and saute mushrooms until tender. Slice beef and place on hoagies with a slice of mozzarella. Serve with the au jus.

Mini Cheeseburger Pies

I recently went to the Taste of Home Cooking School at the Waukesha County Expo. This is the fourth time I've gone to one of these shows! They're a little repetitive, a little cheesy, but you still get some great food tips, cookbooks and other swag that makes it totally worth it! This recipe was one of the ones that was demoed. I almost didn't make it, but it smelled so good when she made it, and Scott seems to like things made with Bisquick!

These were incredibly good! They were moist, but so easy to just pop in your mouth! I used ground turkey instead of ground beef as that was what I had on hand. I didn't have any tomatoes or sliced pickles (totally thought I did though), but they really just need some ketchup or ranch! These are perfect for those nights that you just don't know what to make. I don't know about you, but I usually have pancake mix and some form of ground beef on hand! I also think these would be great with Italian sausage next time!

Mini Cheeseburger Pies-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School, Fall 2013
Total Time:  45 Minutes
Serves 6

• 1 pound ground beef or turkey
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup pancake mix
• 2 eggs
• Ketchup, mustard, tomatoes, pickles, optional for garnish

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12-tin muffin cups with baking spray.

In a large skillet, cook beef, garlic and onion over medium heat until browned, about 7 minutes. Drain. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and garlic salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, pancake mix and eggs until blended. Spoon scant 1 tablespoon of mixture into bottom of each muffin tin. Top with 1/4 cup of the burger mixture, and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese. Spoon 1 tablespoon baking mixture onto the burger in each tin.

Bake 20-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for about 5 minutes. With a spoon or thin knife, loosen sides of muffins from the pan and serve with garnishes, if desired.

Broccoli-Cauliflower Cheese Bake

I'm always looking for new recipes for veggies. Although this is loaded with cheese and some great spices, I wasn't a fan. I thought it was missing something, but I'm not sure what. I won't be making this again.

Broccoli-Cauliflower Cheese Bake-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School
Total Time: 55 Minutes
Serves 4

• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 1 head broccoli, chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3-3/4 cup low fat milk
• 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 6 ounces shredded swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the cauliflower and broccoli in a large stock pot with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain; transfer to a 9x11 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

In small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in cornstarch, mustard, salt, nutmeg, cayenne and pepper until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.

Stir in 1-1/4 cups each mozzarella and swiss cheese until melted. Pour over vegetables. Bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake 5 minutes longer or until golden brown.

Minestrone Chili

I haven't yet made minestrone, but this recipe was great! I used to hate tomatoes and tomato sauce as a kid, but I've recently learned to come around to it. This was called a soup, but I decided to call it a chili. It's so thick, but absolutely amazing! I almost would've added a can of chicken broth, or something to give a little bit more liquid after adding all the beans and pasta. The flavors were great, especially with the pepperoni slices. This could easily be substituted with Italian sausage (I added this below so I remember to add it next time) or chicken-you could even add any additional stew vegetables into this soup that you have on hand!

Minestrone-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School
Total Time: 6 1/2 Hours
Serves 8

• 2 cans (one 28 ounce, one 14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups water
• 4 medium carrots, sliced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3-1/2 ounces sliced pepperoni
• 1/2 pound Italian sausage, browned
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cans (16 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 10 ounces frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1-1/4 cups cooked elbow macaroni
• Shredded mozzarella cheese

In a 5 quart slow cooker, combine first nine ingredients. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours. Stir in the remaining ingredients and cook for 15 more minutes, or until heated through. Serve with cheese sprinkled over the top.

Mushroom Pot Roast with Gravy

Any sort of roast is a favorite of mine, especially if it's made in the slow cooker. It always comes out so tender! That just reminds me of my grandma's roast recipe from when I was younger. Adding some additional veggies and flavors just makes it even better. Served with corn and mashed potatoes (the gravy is delicious) makes for a great week night meal that takes close to no time to prepare!

Beef Roast with Gravy

Mushroom Pot Roast with Gravy-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School
Total Time: 6 hours
Serves 8

• 1 pound baby carrots
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 3 pound beef rump roast
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1-12 ounce jar beef gravy
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup water
• 1 envelope onion soup mix

Place carrots and mushrooms in a lightly greased 5-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle roast with garlic powder and pepper. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown roast in oil on all sides. Transfer to slow cooker.

Combine the gravy, mushroom soup, water and onion soup mix in a small bowl and pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender. Serve with potatoes, or just the gravy over the beef.

Frittata Primavera

I wish that egg dishes were something that can be prepared the night before and thrown in the oven right away. I wish I could have time to make breakfast every morning, but I just haven't had the motivation yet.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. This recipe spoke to me because I love all the flavors in it. I definitely added a lot to the original recipe-ham, onion, tomato, and next time I would definitely add some mushrooms. I can't find the recipe on Taste of Home's website, which is weird, so I can't link to the original recipe. The flavors were great, even though I had some huge asparagus spears to deal with!

Frittata Primavera-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking Schools
Total Time: 40 Minutes
Serves 8

• 3/4 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1 inch lengths
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 tomato, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 8 eggs
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes
• 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 ounces chopped, cooked ham

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook and stir the vegetables in a large skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes, or until crisp tender.

Beat eggs, water, salt and pepper in medium bowl until well blended. Pour into greased 8x8 inch baking pan, sprinkle cream cheese, mozzarella and ham and lightly mix. Bake 30 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.

Veggie Cheese Soup

I have made a few different cheese soups since I've started cooking. They've all been fine. I thought this soup was on the verge of great! It had so much flavor and yummyness! Even though some may consider this gross, I think the diference was the Velveeta cheese. It just has so much flavor and thickness to it! You could always remove the ham from this recipe to make it vegetarian, but it does give it some extra yum!

Veggie Cheese Soup

Veggie Cheese Soup-Adapted from Taste of Home

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Serves 9

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 celer rib, chopped
• 2 small potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 3/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 3 cups frozen California-blend vegetables, thawed
• 1/2 cup chopped fully cooked lean ham
• 8 ounces velveeta

In a large nonstick saucepan coated with cooking spray, cook onion and celery over medium high until tender. Stir in potatoes, water and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into soup. Return to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in condensed soup until blended.

Reduce heat; add vegetables and ham. Cook and stir until vegetables are tender. Stir in cheese until melted.

Layered Tortellini Salad

I was kind of nervous to make this recipe. I'm not sure why-but I think it was the cabbage. I haven't worked much with it so it kind of scares me. I'm so glad I made this though! It was absolutely fantastic! I don't have a glass bowl, so I couldn't take a great picture of the layers, but it doesn't even matter with how awesome this was! The flavor of the dressing was an awesome surprise! Make this for your next potluck-you won't be disappointed!

Layered Tortellini Salad

Layered Tortellini Salad-Adapted from Taste of Home
Total Time 30 Minutes + Chilling
Serves 12

• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dired dill
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 package (20 oz) cheese filled tortellini
• 2 cups shredded red cabbage
• 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 8 ounces diced colby jack cheese
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

For dressing, place the first eight ingredients in a blender. Cover and process until blended; process 1-2 minutes longer or until smooth.

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water

In a large glass bowl, layer the cabbage, lettuce, and tortellini. Top with cheese, bacon, onion and tomato. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Drizzle with dressing. Toss to coat.

Broccoli Beer Cheese Soup

I love broccoli cheese soup and beer cheese soup. Seeing both in the title made me know I had to make this! I absolutely loved it! There was so much flavor to this soup! The only thing Scott wasn't a fan of was that it wasn't a very thick soup. I think that's okay though, because of all the other things that are in it. I will definitely be making this again--and you can make it as a freezer recipe too!

Broccoli Beer Cheese Soup

Broccoli Beer Cheese Soup-adapted from Taste of Home
Total Time: 55 Minutes
Serves: 12

• 5 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 3 medium carrots, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 cans chicken broth
• 4 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed
• 1 medium red pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 package cream cheese, cubed
• 12 ounces light beer

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, saute celery, carrots and onion in butter over medium high heat until tender. Add the broth, broccoli, red pepper, salt and pepper. Combine flour and water in a small bowl until smooth; stir into pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until thickened and vegetables are tender.

Stir in cheese and beer; cook until heated through and cheese is melted, stirring occasionally (do not boil). 

**To Freeze**

Cool remaining soup; transfer to freezer containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. To use frozen soup: thaw in refrigerator overnight. Transfer to a saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally (do not boil).

Nutrition Facts
12 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories		186.8
Total Fat		11.0 g
	Saturated Fat	6.8 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.6 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	2.0 g
Cholesterol		36.7 mg
Sodium		1,071.2 mg
Potassium		444.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate		10.4 g
	Dietary Fiber	1.7 g
	Sugars	1.7 g
Protein		11.3 g

Blackberry-Sauced Pork Chops

Scott really doesn't like pork. Or so he says. But I swear the more I make it the more he's liking it. I was very nervous about this sauce when I started it. But it was a very different flavor that we really liked in the end!

Blackberry-Sauced Pork Chops-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4

• 1/2 cup seedless blackberry spreadable fruit
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• Dash ground cinnamon
• 4 boneless pork loin chops (5 ounces each)
• 2 teaspoons steak seasoning
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup fresh blackberries

In a small saucepan, combine the spreadable fruit, lemon juice, soy sauce and cinnamon. Cook and stir over low heat until spreadable fruit is melted. Remove from the heat; set aside.

Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with steak seasoning. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chops in oil over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160°. Serve with sauce and blackberries.

Creamy Deviled Eggs

I never remember how to boil eggs and always have to look it up. This website helped a lot! I wouldn't say I love deviled eggs, but I definitely don't hate them. I decided to try it. The picture of these looked so good, but in the end, they were a little salty for me. I wouldn't make this recipe again (1.5/5), but will continue to search for one!

Creamy Deviled Eggs-adapted from the Taste of Home's Cooking School Magazine
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Makes 6 Servings

• 6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and havled
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 rounded teaspoon white pepper

Remove egg yolks; discard all but four halves. Place the reserved yolks in a food processor. Add cream cheese, yogurt, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon dill weed, celery salt, onion powder, and pepper. Process just until smooth; adjust seasonings if necessary.

Spoon 1-3/4 teaspoons filling into each egg white half. 

Banana Pancakes

I honestly cannot remember the last time I made homemade pancakes! This was a very easy recipe & almost anyone could do it! The pancakes were also awesomely fluffy, which, whenever I've made pancakes in the past, always seem to not be fluffy. I'm not quite sure what it was yet, but I'm thinking maybe the buttermilk.

The recipe also calls for a spice called cardamom. After some research, I learned that this is considered the queen of spices in Inida (with pepper being the king). And that it is extremely expensive. So after a little more digging, I found out most people suggest to not substitute. Well, I've been cooking for awhile now. Granted, nothing extremely exotic, but I've never yet come across cardamom in a recipe. I wasn't about to pay $13 for a small bottle of the stuff. So in the end, I substituted cinnamon, and it definitely did the trick!

Overall, I'd give this a 5/5. I'm definitely going to make these again when I'm craving pancakes. More often than not, I'll have everything on hand. The batter is what makes it, the banana pieces just add to it! Also, try making a double (or more!) batch, as you can cool then freeze the pancakes for a later date!This recipe is from Taste of Home Cooking School's cookbook/magazine.

Banana Pancakes

Makes 10 pancakes

Total Time: 25 Minutes

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (or cinnamon)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons canola oil (any type of cooking oil will do, canola is healthier)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extra
• 1 small firm banana, finely chopped

In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and cardamom. Combine the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in banana.

Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot griddle coated with cooking spray. Turn when bubbles form on top; cook until second side is golden brown.