Birthday Cake Crumbles (Milk Bar)

 Cake by Courtney uses these in her confetti cakes and that's what I made for Lucy's birthday this year. These really do add a special extra something to the cake and are so fun!

https://milkbarstore.com/blogs/christina-tosi-bake-club/bday-cake-crumbs?srsltid=AfmBOorCkbA69LRXOgF9Ep-hlO2UAHKQHh6WTvpZYTPa5Dcli1VZDLgA

Makes about 2 cups, she doubles it because they snack on them, I had to fight the kids off from doing that so I had enough

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 ½ tablespoons light brown sugar 

¾ c cake flour 

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt 

2 tablespoons  rainbow sprinkles

¼ cup vegetable oil 

1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract 

Heat the oven to 300F

In a medium bowl, combine the sugars, flour, baking powder, salt, and sprinkles, mixing until combined. Add the oil and vanilla and mix again to distribute. The wet ingredients will act as glue to help the dry ingredients form small clusters; continue mixing until this happens.

Spread evenly on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 300F

Let the rainbow crumbs cool completely before snacking. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Abby's Roasted Tomato Soup

 Another Tomato soup I know. But I just had it this week from the freezer and it is so good!

Abby Thome on instagram. 

Roast:

13 fresh off the vine tomatoes, halced

3 whole bulbs garlic with tops cut off

2 white onions, quartered

 4 thyme sprigs, leaves pulled off

3/4 tsp smoked paprika (must)

salt, pepper, olive oil

Preheat oven to 425

1. On a baking sheet place all tomatoes skin side down and season with olive oil, salt and pepper then flip them over. 

2. Nestle in the onion and garlic bulbs and springs of thyme

3. Drizzle with more olive oil, salt, pepper and smoked paprika

4. Bake 425 for 45-50 minutes

Soup:

2 cups vegetable stock

2 TBSP Pesto

1/2 cup heavy cream

Get rid of sprigs, squeeze out garlic cloves and add all of the veggies to a dutch oven and immersion blend to puree. Blend with veggie broth and pesto, Stir in heavy cream before serving. Can make in the crock pot too. 

Harvest Apple Dressed Up Salad

Carochambers has a series called "How to make a bagged salad taste really good." All of the ones I've tried are good. We just had this one last week and it was ah-mazing!

Trader Joes Harvest Apple Salad Kit

Chicken Breast

cut up butternut squash (into small bite sized pieces)

red onion

apple cut up into bite sized pieces

pear (diced up, optional)

(she adds a diced up date, I didn't have that)

oil, lemon pepper, garlic powder, salt, pepper

You're going to season the chicken breast with the lemon pepper seasoning and the butternut squash too, you'll put it on a baking sheet and bake at 425 for about 20 minutes. Mine took longer it was semi frozen and thick. Just till it's 160 internal. 

Assemble salad with kit ingredients, sprinkle on onions, apples and whatever you'd like to add. You can add some microwave grains or warm farro to make it heartier but we didn't need it. 

So good!

Peach Mint Tea

 Not really a recipe but our FAVORITE tea of all time. All of us love this. 

1 peach tea bag

1 mint tea bag

steep in hot water

add splash of lemon juice

drizzle in honey (more if you're feeling under the weather)

Cottage Cheese Queso

 I've made homemade queso but I actually like this one better. It's super fast and easy and quite high in protein. CakebyCourtney shared it a few months ago and we've been making it ever since. 

1 cup cottage cheese

3/4 cup shredded cheese (ideally a Mexican blend) but I use Colby jack from Costco (sometimes I use less)

splash of milk to blend but let it be a thick as it can

taco seasoning to taste

Blend it all up, put in a glass dish and heat before eating. We keep it in the fridge and reheat until it's gone. 

Iced Oatmeal Bars

 I would bake these in a cookie sheet next time just to see if they cook quicker and can get more out of it. Don't go over the time. It will look jiggly but will firm up as it cools 

https://www.brownedbutterblondie.com/iced-oatmeal-cookie-bars/