I blew NaBloPoMo

On Friday night going to bed early was a major priority after a very,very stressful week, and I forgot to post. Of course, then I found myself wide awake at exactly 12:11 a.m. on Saturday realizing what I did. Oh, well. I've participated every year and have yet to make it through a whole month (well, maybe I did the first year; I don't really remember, and that was at my last blog). What can I say, sometimes a good night sleep trumps my desire to make it to the finish line in a blogging contest apparently.

Anyway, no meal planning this week. Since it's a short, and very, very busy week, we're taking it easy, eating some of the meals I've frozen in the past couple of months (meatballs, pasties), and getting ready for the big eating day (aka Thanksgiving! Can't wait!) and my 30th birthday (on Sunday).

However, I will be baking 3 pies, and I'll share those recipes over the week - a pumpkin pie (standard, can't avoid), a pecan pie (also standard), and something I haven't made before, a sweet potato pie, by special request of Aaron's aunt.

And now I've made myself hungry. I love pie.

Pancake Sandwich

I know I'm not the only one, but sometimes I just need a big breakfast for comfort reasons, even if it's not the morning. Enter Brinner, and one of our favorite recipes that we use sparingly because too often would be way too much: The Pancake Sandwich.

Now this sandwich isn't for someone who is watching their calories, that's for sure, but it is delicious and very comforting. This is more of a list than a recipe, but the ingredients are so basic anyone could make this. Really.

Start with a pancake (we usually go with plain, but I can see how blueberry pancakes would add a little something extra). Place it on a plate, and top it with about 1/4 to 1/2 c. scrambled eggs. Top the eggs with a slice of American cheese. Criss cross two strips of bacon (place them on in an X) on top of the cheese, then top all of that with another pancake. Then, if you're really brave, drizzle the whole thing with maple syrup (real syrup, not that fake pancake/maple flavored corn syrup grossness) (just a personal opinion).

There you have it. One delicious, fattening, but really delicious sandwich. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or brinner!

0 for 3

So, yeah. We didn't cook again tonight, and I'm calling it a wash. No new recipe today.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Well, so far this week we're 0 for 2 in making the meals we had planned - last night we had a rotisserie chicken and tonight take out Mexican - but only because there's some sort of cold determined to take down everyone in my house this week.

Still, since I'm NaBloPo-ing it this month, I thought I'd share one a delicious dessert recipe that's perfect for this time of year. And that dessert is Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars. Seriously, how can you go wrong with that sort of combination? They're amazing, and also rich, so remember to cut them into fairly small squares. You really won't be sorry if you make these, I promise.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Source: Everyday Food

20 chocolate wafer cookies (half a 9-ounce package) (or the equivalent in chocolate graham crackers, which is what I used)

2 Tbsp. sugar

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

2 - 8 oz. packages cream cheese

1 c. sugar

1 c. canned solid pack pumpkin puree

3 large eggs

3 Tbsp. flour

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp. salt

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Set aside.

In a food processor, blend cookies with sugar until finely ground; add butter and pulse until moistened. Transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan, and press gently into bottom (I use the bottom of a measuring cup and it works beautifully). Bake until fragrant and slightly firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Place cream cheese in a food processor; blend until smooth. Add sugar, pumpkin, eggs, flour, spice, and salt. Process until combined. Set aside.

Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until melted. Add 1 c. of the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine. Set aside.

Pour remaining pumpkin mixture into prepared pan. Drop dollops of the chocolate mixture onto pumpkin mixture; swirl with a knife. Bake until cheesecake is set, but jiggles slightly when gently shaken, 40 to 50 minutes.

Cool in pan. Cover; chill until firm, at least two hours. Using overhang, transfer cake to work surface. With a knife dipped in water, cut into 16 squares. Serve.

Monday Meal Planning 11.16.09

I'm doing things a little different this week; usually I post meal plans that are either what we ate the previous week, or made up of other meals that I've already tried, but this week I'm going to post what we're planning to eat this week. If the recipes turn out, I'll do a post for them coming up. I'll indicate if we've already tried a recipe and enjoyed it that's included in the plan. Here goes!

Monday: Spaghetti and Meatballs, Garlic Bread, Salad

We love these meatballs! The recipe makes a lot, so I freeze half, and we're eating the reheated half tonight. I can't wait!

Tuesday: Beer Glazed Black Beans with Tomatoes, Cheese Grits, Tortillas

Haven't made these yet, but I can't wait to try them. We're planning on going vegetarian for the month of January, so we're testing out a few easy-looking recipes so we have additional staples for that month.

Wednesday: Twice Baked Potatoes, Salad

Thursday: Spicy Autumn Veggie Burgers on Hard Rolls, Tater Tots

Friday: Brinner - Migas, Toast

Saturday: Creamy Pasta with Ham and Broccoli, Rolls, Salad

Sunday: Comfort Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Broccoli

I know, I know...meatballs twice in one week. But! They're almost a week apart. And I love meatballs. So there.

Lots of new recipes this week! I'm currently at home waiting for the stove repairman to show up and replace my stovetop, so I'm celebrating with lots of cooking. I'm so excited to have a fully working stove again I can hardly stand it!

To Do

Even though I've been cooking and baking for a long time, and have made many things that my friends think take some skill, there are still more than a few things out there that I'd like to try to make. So, I figured tonight I'll post the start of my list and in the next few months I'll try to make them and post about it here. Might as well start tackling my cooking/baking goals, right?

Here are things I'd like to make/master (all from scratch):

• pierogis
• whoopie pies
• macarons
• coq au vin
• beef bourguignon
• cheese - mozzarella, paneer, cheddar, ricotta
• caramel corn
• 100% whole wheat bread
• sourdough bread (with my own starter)
• granola/granola bars
• yogurt

I think that's a good start to a list, if not almost a little too ambitious. This is going to take me a while to get through!

Homemade Spaghetti-O's

Last night before I made the special dinner for Aaron, I made a special dinner for Gabbie. We try to feed her as little processed food as possible, as a rule, so I'm often trying to find ways to make some of my childhood favorites from scratch. On a whim  yesterday, I Googled "spaghettios recipe," and found this recipe, which, modified for size, was just what I was looking for. Gabbie wasn't crazy about it last night, but I think that was mostly due to her being able to see my giant pile of shredded cheese (intended for cheese grits; delicious, wonderful cheese grits), because she loved the reheated leftovers today.

Homemade Spaghetti-O's

Adapted from Oven Love

1 large can tomato sauce (28 oz or so - the equivalent of 3 cups)

1 1/2 c. water

2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 lb. small pasta shapes (we used pasta stars)

1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 c. milk

1 Tbsp. butter

salt, to taste

Combine tomato sauce, water, and garlic powder in a large pot. Bring to a boil. When boiling, add the pasta to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently (mostly because the past will stick to the bottom of the pot due to its small size) for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is soft. Stir in the cheese until melted. Add milk, butter, and salt, and stir to combine. Enjoy!