We've cut back our grocery budget since my change in career, which means we're not buying as many of JR's boxed treats and I'm trying to make him more snacks instead. You'd think he would be thrilled, but truth be told, he loves those individually packaged treats sold in a box!

The one way I know to win him over is with peanut butter. As I've mentioned on here before, JR adores peanut butter anything. It was no surprise that he loved these Peanut Butter Cup Blondie Bites.  

This preparation was a bit unique in that you melt butter on the stove and add ingredients from there. Beware, I didn't give the batter enough time to cool and the peanut butter cups started melting as soon as they hit the batter. I tell you this so that you don't miss that important step in the directions! 

I think these would be a big hit on a holiday cookie tray! Familiar, yet a little different.

Here is what you'll need:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup mini peanut butter cups

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. 

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Remove pan from heat and add brown sugar. Stir until dissolved. Once sugar mixture has cooled slightly, add egg and vanilla, and stir until smooth. Add flour mixture and stir until combined. Once the mixture has cooled, add peanut butter cups and stir until just combined.

Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups and smooth tops with back of spoon. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until just set. Allow to cool completely in pan. Run a butter knife around the edge of each muffin cup before removing. Makes 24.

Source: Adapted from All You, May 2008 via My Recipes

Well, that's partially right. However, much to my surprise, meatballs are great in this sauce as well! I'm so glad that I talked to my friend The Home Cook and my sister, both of whose recommendation convinced me to give Swedish Meatballs a try. If you've never made them, I hope you will try them too!

Here is what you'll need:

For the Meatballs:

• 1 lb ground sirloin
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 small onion, finely grated
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

For the Sauce:

• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter 
• 2 Tbsp all purpose flour 
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 1 1/2  cup beef broth
• Salt and pepper 
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard 
• 1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt

• 1/2 lb egg noodles, cooked
• handful of chopped chives

Combine meatball ingredients, with the exception of the olive oil, in a bowl until just mixed. Roll into mini meatballs, a bit smaller than golf balls.

Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Fry meatballs until they are browned on each side, about 8-10 minutes. You may need to do this in batches in order to avoid overcrowding the pan. Once meatballs are browned on all sides, remove from pan and set aside.

In the same pan, add the butter and melt. Add flour to melted butter and whisk together into a paste. Add sherry and whisk until smooth. Add beef broth slowly while whisking to make a sauce that coats the back of a spoon. Add salt and pepper and mix well. Turn heat to low and add mustard and yogurt. Stir to combine.

Add meatballs back to the pan and stir so meatballs are coated with sauce and are warmed through. Serve over egg noodles and garnish with chives. Serves 4.

Source: Slightly adapted from Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals as seen on A Taste of Home Cooking

I have 2 stuffed cabbage recipes that I normally make. This one loosely resembles the recipe made by my mother as far back as I can remember. I don't know her measurements (there probably aren't any), nor do I know her exact ingredients, but I do remember piling all the wrapped cabbage and stuffed peppers in a pot, adding potatoes and covering them all with tomatoes. I took that memory and created a recipe around it and this is what I came up with. Enjoy!

Here is what you'll need:

• 7 outer cabbage leaves
• 3 cubanelle peppers

• 1 lb. ground sirloin
• 1 tsp oregano 
• salt and pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs (or minute rice)
• 1/4 large onion, finely diced

• 1/4 head of cabbage, chopped
• 1 cubanelle pepper, diced
• 8 small potatoes, halved or quartered
• 8 small tomatoes, quartered
• 8 oz. tomato sauce
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Fill a large pot with water and boil the 7 outer cabbage leaves until they are softened and partially cooked. Drain and set aside.

Hollow out 3 cubanelle peppers by cutting a circle around the stem and emptying out the seeds. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl add ground sirloin, oregano, salt, pepper, egg, Worcestershire, bread crumbs and onion. Combine until just mixed. Divide meat mixture into 10 portions.

Wrap 1 portion of meat mixture inside each of the cabbage leaves as if you were making a burrito. Stuff the remaining portions of meat into each of the cubanelle peppers.

Place wrapped cabbage and stuffed peppers in a large pot. Add chopped cabbage, diced pepper, potatoes, and tomatoes to the pot.

In a small bowl, combine tomato sauce, brown sugar and garlic. Mix well and pour over all ingredients in the pot. Cover.

Turn stove to medium/medium-high heat until the liquid begins to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 35-45 minutes, or until meat is cooked through and potatoes are tender. Serves 4-5.

Source: Adventures In My Kitchen Original

This month's What's Baking is being hosted by Eva at Eva Bakes. There couldn't be a more fitting October theme than pumpkins and/or sweet potatoes. I was really excited about this theme becuase I have a slight addiction to sweet potatoes.

If you haven't noticed already, I normally end up baking a sweet each month for What's Baking, but this month I decided to use the sweet potato theme and bake a side dish. Jr loves sweet potato casserole, so I decided to do a switch up on that casserole and make Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes.

These were really great, and what I especially like about them is that it's easier to make exactly what you need and in individual portions. Also, you can taylor them to individual tastes like we did (some with and some without marshmallows). These are great for a weeknight, but would be a great side dish for Thanksgiving as well.


Be sure to head on over to Eva Bakes to look for this month's roundup which is sure to have a lot of inspiration for the upcoming holidays!


Here is what you'll need:

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 Tbsp butter, melted
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar, divided
• 2 tsp real maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• Marshmallows, optional

Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

Cook Sweet potatoes by either baking them or microwaving them until

Split sweet potatoes in half, scoop out insides of potatoes, leaving skins intact, and place in a bowl. Set sweet potato skins to the side.

Add butter, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, maple syrup and seasonings to the bowl with the sweet potato flesh. Combine well. Scoop mixture into the reserved potato skins. Sprinkle tops with remaining  brown sugar. Place on a baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes.

Cut marshmallows in half if you are using regular size ones (you don't need to do this if using mini marshmallows). Remove baking sheet with sweet potatoes from the oven. Place marshmallows on top of each sweet potato (2-3 marshmallow halves per potato depending on the size of your potatoes). Place potatoes back in the oven and bake another 10 minutes, or until browned.

Source: Inspired by Guy Fieri

I was initially looking for a meat-free dinner option, and almost made this Eggplant Zucchini Bolognese (minus the meat), but I just couldn't get into the mood for making it this week. I was really craving breakfast type foods, but JR isn't a believer in breakfast for dinner. When I came across this Potato Crust Quiche, I was pretty sure we could have breakfast for dinner without complaints. I was right! He ate it for dinner, and lunch the next day!

While there is nothing like the buttery crust of a quiche, this was a nice alternative and definitely satisfied my breakfast cravings. I went ahead and subbed ham and spinach, where Nicole used bacon and broccoli. This is one of the reasons I love quiche so much, you can make so many variations.

I mentioned early in this post that it has been a while since I participated in the swaps and in that time a few improvements were made. At the bottom of this post you will find a linkup of the recipes made during this swap.

I hope you'll give this quiche a try. This would be perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner this upcoming weekend.

Here is what you'll need:

For the Crust:

• 3 cups coarsely shredded uncooked potatoes (I used frozen ones, defrosted)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a 10-inch cheesecake pan or pie plate and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine crust ingredients. Press into prepared cheesecake pan or pie plate. Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven. Reduce heat to 350F.

For the Filling:

• 3 oz cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 4 oz. ham, diced (or other meat of your choice)
• 1 box frozen spinach, defrosted and strained (or other vegetable or your choice)
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup fat-free half-and-half
• 1/2 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• dash ground nutmeg

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6 for a breakfast or with side (we had 4 dinner servings with no sides).

Source: Adapted from Prevention RD