Holiday Yams with Brown Sugar & Pecans

Favorite Holiday Yams {via simply happenstance}

 :: Holiday Yams with Brown Sugar & Pecans ::

It’s that time of year! The time where we all pull out our favorite family recipes for the holidays! This happens to be one of my personal loves that I make every Thanksgiving! It’s the ultimate comfort food… using yams {or sweet potatoes}, milk, butter, vanilla and pecans! It’s baked to perfection and served warm! Most of the ingredients you most likely have in your pantry… which makes this dish even more enticing! 

I know that yams are not always a favorite {especially the candied kind topped with marshmallows that we often find during the holidays}; however, this dish is a great alternative to the typical yams or sweet potatoes served. The rich potato mixture is mildly sweet with a hint of vanilla, and the topping…. perfectly crunchy with the baked pecans, warm brown sugar and melted butter! I promise this will become one of your ‘go-to’ holiday recipes!

I hope that you’ll whip up this tasty dish to serve at one of your holiday get togethers this year!  As Julia Child once said, “Everything in moderation…including moderation.” Enjoy, my friends!

Holiday Yams {recipe on Simply Happenstance}  [Read more…]

Black Bean Chili

 

all in one pot, black bean chili {via simply happenstance}

:: Black Bean Chili ::

Can you believe that Halloween is this week? We are still waiting on costumes {delivery takes a bit longer now that we are living in the mountains}. It looks like we have a super girl, batman, a werewolf, and obi wan kenobi! Ha! An eclectic bunch, for sure!

I thought I’d share with you one of our favorite Halloween traditions…. chili! I don’t think we are alone in this one. I have lots of friends that make a big pot of warm chili for a quick and easy dinner on Halloween night! This recipe is one of my favorites, as it is loaded with healthy vegetables and hearty black beans. I also like that it’s hard to mess up. Measurements aren’t really a necessity {as long as you don’t go overboard with the optional hot peppers and spices}. Also, you can adjust the recipe as needed to suit your own taste… even adding in ground turkey or beef, if you’d like. The best part about this recipe is that it’s ALL IN ONE POT! That’s right! Way less clean up, my friends! With four kids… I am completely over the clean up process…. plus less time cleaning up, means more time enjoying your sweet littles! 

So, without further ado, here is the dream dish…. easy, healthy, and completely delish! [Read more…]

Creamy Corn Chowder

 

Creamy Corn Chowder {Simply Happenstance}

:: Creamy Corn Chowder ::

Have you ever had the corn chowder from Mimi’s Cafe? That soup was my inspiration behind this quick, easy, and flavorful autumn meal! {I actually haven’t been there in years… but I have fond memories of that warm, comforting dish!} This recipe is extremely easy using only a few ingredients. It can be made vegetarian, effortlessly, by omitting the bacon. It can also be made healthier by using milk in place of half & half, or heavy cream…. it’s your choice! I decided not to skimp on the creaminess… so I went with the heavy cream. {It was just one of those days!} The corn chowder turned out rich, creamy, and delicious friends! Paired with warm, crusty french bread… you have the perfect fall meal! I hope you enjoy!  [Read more…]

Perfectly Homemade Pizza Dough

 

pizza dough :: Perfectly Homemade Pizza Dough ::

Believe it or not… I actually went about two years without eating pizza {Gasp! I know!}. During my first pregnancy, I didn’t experience food cravings as much as I experienced food aversions. Unfortunately, pizza… was the enemy. I couldn’t handle the taste, smell, or even the word P-I-Z-Z-A. Thankfully with time, the aversion passed {I think Husby was especially grateful for that}! Now… like most of you, I completely savor a good slice of pizza… especially if it’s homemade. Typically my husby picks up some of Trader Joe’s premade pizza dough, on his stop at the market before making his way up the mountain to our home. However, this week, he was home from the fire station for a few days and we didn’t have any dough on hand. I decided to mix up an easy homemade pizza dough {from one of my faves… The Pioneer Woman}, and top it with fresh, organic veggies from my mom’s garden. Yum!

pizza dough simply happenstance

The best part about making homemade pizza dough, is that there are literally only a few key ingredients needed…. flour, salt, olive oil, water and yeast. It honestly took me less than 5 minutes to make, and only an hour to let rise. 

Homemade Pizza Dough Simply Happenstance

[Read more…]

M&M Skillet Cookie

m&m skillet cookie

:: M&M Skillet Cookie ::

It’s fall and I am feeling inspired by all that I see.  Target really has a way of taking a hold of oneself with it’s lovely displays of Halloween and all its seasonal M&M’s.  I can’t help it….the kids want chocolate chip cookies, and I am thinking we need something new… something that I actually have to think a little bit about and use one of the many gadgets that I like to covet.  How many of you have this problem?  I love kitchen appliances, cake plates, pans, and coffee mugs….I can go on and on.  The problem is I buy them and then I sit and wait.  I wait to decide the best possible recipe I will create to use in that special addition to my kitchen.  So I am breaking out my Lodge cast iron and I am making it simple.  Two dishes to clean and I don’t have to roll out cookies, set them aside to cool, and repeat.  One pan and you get to slice your cookie out of it.  Genius and easy!  This M&M Skillet Cookie is simply inspired by BJ’s Restaurant.  When I first arrived at Long Beach State as a Freshman, BJ’s in Belmont Shore was a fun meet-up for food, friends, and family.  We would always end our meal with a Pizookie.  Since my kids have recently had their first try of one, I am making an at home version… and its not going to be in a small pan.  No rush to finish and we did top it with ice cream.  Yum! [Read more…]

Maple Cream Cheese Whipped Frosting

 

maple cream cheese whipped frosting

:: Maple Cream Cheese Whipped Frosting ::

Confession…. this post was totally supposed to be about Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Whipped Frosting {whew… that’s a mouthful}, but…. the frosting literally STOLE the show! I decided that this entire post had to be dedicated to its light, airy, sweetness!

So, a little background… I first had this whipped cream cheese frosting when one of my lovely friends/coworkers made me cupcakes for my surprise baby shower with Mr. Amazing. Thankfully, my dear friend gave me the recipe, which I then passed on to Nicole, and some of my other close friends. In fact, Nicole also loves it, and has shared the recipe with you here. This time around… I made a minor {dare I say…. remarkable} adjustment, which turned this perfect summer frosting into the perfect one for fall. In fact… I couldn’t sleep last night because I was thinking of all the ways one could eat this heavenly confection!

Here are my thoughts… this would be incredibly delicious topped on pancakes, waffles, spice cakes, pumpkin, apple, or pecan pies, graham crackers, sugar cookies, or even fall muffins! It could be used as a sweet filling for dessert crepes… or you could simply dunk sliced apples right into it! Of course, there’s always my favorite option… eat. it. straight. out. of. the. bowl. If you choose that last option, just know you’re going to lick that bowl clean! It’s just that good! [Read more…]