.ravioli.

yesterday, i wrote about this amazing homemade marinara sauce. today, i give you what to drizzle it all over- ravioli. never did i think there'd be a point in my life where making my own pasta would be so easy. well, it's not and that is exactly why i cheated here and you should too.

have you ever bought wonton wrappers for an asian dish or even just seen them in your local supermarket? these little buggers make excellent ravioli tops and bottoms. the pioneer woman said to try it and i believe everything she says.

start by making your mixture. this can really be whatever yumminess you would like to stuff inside a darling little ravioli. like i said, i believe the pioneer woman and she suggested this arugula and cheese variety. the ricotta cheese and parmesan cheese got mixed together.

from there, i added the salt, pepper and egg and mixed vigorously.

i've never cooked with arugula before and have been anxious to try it. all over the web and in cooking magazines, i see the dark green, leafy stuff, but have a hard time finding it in my grocery store for some reason. this time, i was determined and had someone point me in the arugula direction. for this recipe, heat a skillet over medium to medium high and drizzle in some olive oil and your arugula. spinach would be another go-to option at this stage.

or, you can skip the green all together and just make yourself a good ol' cheesy ravioli. it didn't take but a minute or two for the arugula to cook enough to be removed from the skillet. mix it in with your cheese mixture and you've just created the insides of a delicious meal.

the tedious and magical part of the whole recipe is up next. lay our your pre-made, store-bought, couldn't-be-easier wonton wrappers and heave a little spoonful of your mixture right in the center of each one. don't put too much or it'll be oozing out the sides when you go to put another on top.

in a separate bowl, create an egg wash of one egg and some cold water. brush this wash along the sides of the wrapper or use your finger like i did to coat the edges. stick your top wrapper on and press along the edges. ta-da! you have yourself a neat little ravioli package.

to cook, toss a few at a time in boiling water for just a few minutes. retrieve them with a slotted spoon.

your sauce options are anything from marinara to alfredo to some simple olive oil. whichever way you top it, you will be pleased when you dig in and get a bite of these. try it out.

ravioli
from the pioneer woman
Ingredients
12 ounces, weight Whole Milk Ricotta
1-1/2 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Or Romano
1 whole Egg
Salt And Pepper, to taste
4 cups Arugula
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Egg Yolks
24 whole Wonton Wrappers
Olive Oil, For Drizzling
Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper, For Serving
1 whole Egg (additional)
3 Tablespoons Water
Preparation Instructions
Mix together ricotta, grated Parmesan, 1 egg, and salt and pepper to taste.
In a skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil and wilt arugula (this'll only take about 30-45 seconds.) Remove from skillet and chop. Allow to cool, then stir into one batch of the ricotta mixture. Set aside.
In a small dish, beat together 1 egg and 3 tablespoons water. Set aside.
Set a pot of water on to boil, then make the ravioli:
Lay one wonton wrapper on the surface. Set a small amount (1/2 to 1 teaspoon) filling in the center of the wrapper. With a pastry brush, brush a 1/2-inch strip along all four sides of the wrapper. Place a second wrapper on top, working from the middle first. Carefully press out air bubbles as you carefully press the top wrapper around the base of the filling, then work your way out to the edges, lining the corners up and pressing lightly to seal.
Once the ravioli are assembled, drop them four at a time into boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon.

.marinara sauce...drop the jar.

even since my days of playgrounds and barbies, italian food has been my favorite. we ordered pizza for every birthday of mine back then and these days, i usually choose an italian restaurant to celebrate. the first 'adult' meal i probably ever made was your basic spaghetti.

these days, i still make italian food a lot and even get creative with the cheeses, pastas, layers in the lasagna and special ingredients. however, i'm going to admit that i have never stepped away from jar sauce. until now. jar sauce is delicious and convenient, but it isn't homemade and i'm making efforts to be more creative in the kitchen. although it took a little more time and effort, making marinara sauce from scratch wasn't difficult and was well worth it. let me show you.

to form a base of flavors, begin with some go-to aromatic ingredients: fresh onion and garlic. get those two simmering on the stovetop and your home will shortly begin to smell like something good is going down.

pour in some red wine without being too heavy handed. if you accidentally slip and have some spill in your mouth, don't blame me.

next, you should add some tomatoes. listen, without tomatoes, you wouldn't exactly have a marinara sauce, now would you? i used what i had in my pantry; which was one large can of crushed tomatoes and one small can of fire roasted diced tomatoes. i'm sure you could you use any combination of canned tomatoes you'd like and it would turn out just fine.

to sweeten out some of the acidity in the sauce, add about a 1/4 cup of sugar.

from there, bring your two cooking sidekicks to the party- salt n pepa- shoop shoop ba-doop
shoop ba-doop. sorry, not that salt n pepa.

the white and black granulated stuff-this salt and pepper.

to really make your homemade marinara something special, add something special. that was profound. my something special was our homegrown basil. it is quite apparent that i washed it really well because my hands are covered in water. that is not slime as the picture may lead you to believe.

feel free to add any other herbs you see fit and then let some low heat over a couple hours bubble and cook its way through your sauce to create a harmonic blend of ingredients. you'll be singing sweet melodies when you taste this.

i drizzled mine over the pioneer woman's homemade ravioli. i'll be posting on how to make those very soon.

marinara sauce
adapted from the pioneer woman
ingredients
1 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
1-1 1/2 cups of red wine
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 small can of fire roasted tomatoes
1/4 cup sugar
salt and pepper to taste
fresh basil leaves
additional italian herbs (optional)

here's how
dice your onion and garlic cloves and add to a large pot over low to medium heat. once the onion and garlic begins to soften, add the wine.

allow to simmer over low heat before adding the two cans of tomatoes. continue stirring ingredients together. add the sugar, salt, pepper and herbs to finish out the taste spectrum.

cook over low heat for 1-3 hours. continue to check for taste and tweak as needed.

.ain't got to lie cake.

do you have a special dish that your friends and family always ask you to make? are you famous for your potluck dish or a special dessert? is each holiday marked by your delicious something'r'other?

living away from our family these past years, my eye guy and i have found a group of friends that feel like home to us here in tennessee. when i made this chocolate cake for a special birthday, my friends complimented it so much that i felt all bubbly inside.

when another girlfrand's birthday rolled around, i asked her what she wanted me to make for her soiree. she replied with, 'you know how much i likes that chocolate cake!' this is not a direct quote, but i'm sure she would have added the s, thank you very much.

now, this cake is a pain in the you know what to make. but for her- i'd make three of them. she keeps us laughing, shaking our heads and on our toes at all times. she may come across as crazy as a soaked hornet, but she also has a warm side that will listen when need be and a big heart of gold.

so for my girlfrand's thirty-something birthday, i baked her this layered chocolate cake. it was good. it also helped that each bite we took was made sweeter thanks to cutting up with friends and having one of those nights that'll always be treasured.

my point is- i now have 'that' special dish that my friends ask for and i couldn't be more flattered.

.happy birthday, eye guy.

today is my eye guy's birthday. it is kinda a big deal to me. not only is he embarking on a new decade, but he is opening a new chapter of his life. this is our first birthday celebration as a married couple.

in my childhood home, birthdays were more important than national holidays and i carry that same mindset with me today. fireworks, bubbles, butterflies, roller coasters...all fighting for the attention of my insides as a birthday approaches. i think i may have been more excited than my birthday husband himself this morning. then again, that is not too unusual.

.little dustin chopping away.

his birthday will be celebrated throughout this weekend with surprises around each turn. again, i'll probably be more excited than him even though i'm the one dishing them out. i'll be baking his favorite dessert to help celebrate.

wanna know the best part about him opening a new chapter? i'll be hand in hand with him through it. we're writing our life's story every day- together.

so, happy birthday to my number 'opposite of eye squared!' i'll translate the nerd love for you (my number one).

.butternut squash + goat cheese dip.

do you trust me? if you trust me or even have an inkling to want to trust me, then you will make this dip.

unfortunately, i was in such a rush when making it that the pictures are scarce so i'll have to give you a visual with my words.

picture going to your local farmer's market, or local grocery store, and picking up some butternut squash and a sweet onion. you may or may not want to stop at multiple booths and taste test cherry tomatoes and muscadines. this part is optional. then, head home and take the skin off the squash with a sharp knife and your husband (may substitute husband with self or any other adult).

once your butternut squash is without its rind, dice the meat of the squash into small cubes. chop up your sweet onion and scatter it with the squash cubes on a rimmed baking sheet. sprinkle with salt, pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. roast your veggies in a pre-heated to 400 degree oven until tender. it took approximately 20-30 minutes for me. just keep an eye on it.

if you have the time, let it cool for about 10 minutes after removing from the oven. if you are in a big hurry like i was, then skip the cooling process. place all of your roasted contents into a food processor. begin processing to make a smooth consistency.

if you are reading this while standing. you may want to have a seat for the big wabam, wowzas, wooweee factor. add some herbed goat cheese to the contents in your food processor. yes, yes, yes- this makes the butternut squash dip sensational.

the goat cheese i had was already herbed, but if yours isn't, feel free to add a little oregano, rosemary and any other herbs you may have. crumble the goat cheese and start up the food processor again. i tasted the dip before the goat cheese and it was good, but after adding the goat cheese, it was just superb. you can let it sit at room temperature before serving or cool it off in the refrigerator. i cooled mine in the fridge for just a bit.

the possibilities for what to dip in it are numerous...crackers, pita points, a spoon, your fingers...lick the bowl.

butternut squash and goat cheese dip
ingredients
1 large butternut squash or 2 small/medium ones
1 sweet onion
2-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
small handful of goat cheese
herbs
salt and pepper to taste

directions
preheat oven to 400 degrees. peel butternut squash and dice into cubes. chop up sweet onion. scatter butternut squash and onion on a rimmed baking sheet. cover with salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

bake for 20 to 30 minutes until squash gets very tender. remove from oven and let cool for ten minutes. add to a food processor and blend.

then, crumble up a small handful of goat cheese and add in with herbs. process all together until smoothly blended. check taste to see if more salt and pepper are needed.

serve with something yummy to dip. either cool in the refrigerator or serve at room temperature.

.stuffed and frosted peach cupcakes.

with the beginning of fall comes football season frenzy for many of my friends. during those first few games and then the big ones, there are often gatherings, get-togethers and tailgating parties. a fun way to add a little spirit is with food coloring.

take your favorite cupcake recipe, add a little of your team's color to the frosting and voila- you've got a sweet crowd-pleaser.

for all my tennessee friends' pleasure, i knew i had to go orange. then the football party's hostess special requested 'something peachy' and i couldn't let her down.

the moment i came across this recipe for peach cupcakes, it was love at first sight. not only were the cupcakes laced with little bits of peachy goodness, but the frosting was brown sugar cream cheese. i mean, come on- doesn't that sound like an irresistable taste combination?

there was only one problem. my friend hosting the little soiree doesn't do cream cheese. i know, i know...you'll have to take it up with her.

i opted to make her happy by keeping the peach cupcake and nixing the cream cheese frosting- almost.

most of the little cakes got stuffed with a spoonful of brown sugar cream cheese frosting. however, i left a few without for my gal pal. some cupcakes even had a surprise walnut or two hiding in the center. i was feeling froggy.

all of them were iced in a vanilla buttercream frosting. to take a bite of of all those flavors at once was more explosive than the game. (maybe that was just for me)

my grand finale was to dye the frosting just right and i went to great measures to mix the balanced ratios of reds and yellows to create a light orange. this portion of the baking program was a wee tense and my eye guy had to throw in his two cents worth as well.

i just stuck to what my mom taught me about the color wheel with red and yellow creating orange and was pretty pleased with how they turned out. the color was on the light side, more peachy than tennessee-ey, but i was happy with it.

after all that faux-artistry, i felt a little flushed and went into my guest bedroom (a.k.a. craft storage closet) to pull out the football toppers when i saw something in the same bag. a small jar of the exact right orange food coloring that i had bought the weekend before. totally forgot i ALREADY had the perfect color, pre-mixed orange.

have i mentioned i'm a little on the overwhelmed side this year? regardless, these are the type of cupcakes that taste like an easy going saturday afternoon with friends. have a bite.

peach cupcakes stuffed and frosted
adapted from smitten kitchen

cucpakes
ingredients
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of nutmeg
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks or 6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark or light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) buttermilk, sour cream or full-fat yogurt
3 large peaches, peeled, cored, and chopped smallish (I went for a 1/3-inch dice)

directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 28 muffin cups with paper liners.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg and set aside. Cream the butter and sugars together, beating until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl between each addition, and then the vanilla. Gently mix in the buttermilk, sour cream or yogurt. Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the peach chunks.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes for five minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

vanilla buttercream frosting
ingredients
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream
directions
In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.


brown sugar frosting filling
ingredients
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (4 ounces or 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch and powdered sugar. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the sugar-cornstarch mixture and vanilla, beat until frosting is smooth and light. Chill the bowl in the refrigerator until it thickens back up a bit, about 30 minutes, then spread or dollop on cooled cupcakes.

.chicken noodle soup.

once upon a time, i was younger. wait, that's your story too? cool. back in those days, i would occasionally come down with a cold. not unique to me either? that's fine.

whenever i did get sick, my mom would prepare for me a magic elixir. chicken noodle soup. you too?! ok, this is getting creepy.

although my husband wasn't sick, the weather outside had a cold..the kind of cold that whipped through our open windows and begged for a warm soup. for this cold, i set out to make my eye guy my first homemade chicken noodle soup.

i knew i wouldn't be having any of the actual chicken soup my self, but it didn't mean i couldn't enjoy some homemade noodles and veggies with veggie broth.

the recipe doesn't call for making the noodles from scratch, but i was in an overly productive mood and couldn't resist trying this out. while the dough rested, i got to work on the chicken broth and chicken.

as a non-meat eater, this was by far my least favorite part of the process. ah, the things you do for love.

getting the carrots and celery washed, prepared and diced was no problem. the vibrant colors work miracles for a drabby disposition. i highly recommend eating something colorful if you're ever down in the dumps, have a cold or even if your outside weather has a cold like ours.

if i hadn't read to do so in the recipe, i would never have left the leafy parts on the celery, but am so glad i did. it intensified the flavor and added a rustic look to the soup.

after my pasta waited patiently for me, it was time to roll it out and cut it into noodles with my big pizza cutter. this was a little tedious and many of the noodles stuck together. if i were to do this all over again, i would make sure i had plenty of time and patience at the ready. it would probably be best if i had rolled the dough out a wee flatter, but they still tasted so comforting and good.

with all the components swimming together in the pot, i could barely wait for my eye guy to get home so i could surprise him with the soup.

it smelled so fresh with a softness to it that can only come from comfort food.with a little side of cheese toast like my mom used to make, the chicken noodle soup for him and chickenless noodle soup for me made for a tasty meal.

chicken noodle soup
from the pioneer woman
ingredients
1 whole Cut Up Fryer Chicken
2 whole Carrots, Diced
2 stalks Celery, Diced
1/2 whole Medium Onion, Diced (optional)
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
1/4 teaspoon White Pepper (more To Taste)
1/4 teaspoon Ground Thyme
2 teaspoons Parsley Flakes
16 ounces, weight Frozen "homemade" Egg Noodles
3 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour

directions
Cover chicken in 4 quarts water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove chicken from pot with a slotted spoon. With two forks, remove as much meat from the bones as you can, slightly shredding meat in the process. Return bones to broth and simmer on low, covered, for 45 minutes.

Remove bones from broth with a slotted spoon, making sure to get any small bones that might have detached.

Add the carrots and celery (and onions, if using) to the pot, followed by the herbs and spices. Stir to combine and simmer for ten minutes to meld flavors.

Increase heat and add frozen egg noodles and chicken. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

Mix flour and a little water. Stir until smooth. Pour into soup, stir to combine, and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until broth thickens a bit. Test and adjust seasonings as needed.