I heart cheese.

It’s no secret that the older I get, the more sensitive my stomach gets. The more I eat my favorite foods the less my stomach likes me, my days of having the “stomach of steel” are sadly over. One of my favorite things to eat is cheese. I heart cheese. I think people who say they don't like cheese are lying. I love warm cheesy dips, slices of cheese on a cracker, cheese pizza, cheese cake (is anyone else’s mouth watering?)….the list can go on and on and on. It’s one ingredient that when added to a dish it always makes it better. I challenge you to find the dish that this rule doesn’t apply to. I don’t know if I was born this way, or if I was infected with the cheese loving disease when I was going to college in Wisconsin.

One thing I don’t love about cheese is how I feel after I eat it. The stomach ache caused by my indulgence almost isn’t worth the joy of eating it…I think we all know that’s a lie. I have learned ways around this roadblock. I don’t love low-fat cheese…there is just something too artificial and plastic-y about it. However I’m not above using it.

One thing that goes hand and hand with cheese is pasta. Who doesn’t love a warm piece of cheese filled lasagna! Lasagna is a heavy dish, yet so delicious, about a year ago I stumbled upon a recipe for a lasagna rolls in Cooking Light and had to try it. It was amazing and didn’t leave you with that - I’m so full I can’t move feeling. Even better than that, it’s so easy to make and easier to customize. The recipe below is for a serving for 4, 2 rolls per person. If you are serving a salad or a side, 1 roll would be enough. It also calls for just mushrooms, onions and spinach; I omitted the spinach because I’m not a big fan of cooked spinach. I’d be willing to bet that you can add other veggies to the mix as well – just make sure to chop them pretty small or they won’t stay in the roll very well.

Lasagna Rolls
Adapted from Cooking Light

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 rolls)

Ingredients
8 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 tablespoon olive oil (the recipe used 4 – I got away with 1)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms (I used about 4 Onces and it was plenty)
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese (I used low fat Italian blend cheese – it takes a little longer to melt, but the saved calories are worth it!)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 Jar pasta sauce
Fresh basil to sprinkle over the top

Preparation

To prepare lasagna, cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, Add onion, mushrooms, spinach, and 3 garlic cloves; sauté 5 minutes or until onion and mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat, and stir in cheeses. It helps to have someone else chop the veggies for you, like i had here.  Katie is a great mushroom & onion chopper.

I used Classico tomato & basil sauce to pour over the top. Then I sprinkled a little Italian blend cheese and chopped fresh basil over the top. I heated it up in the oven at 350, just long enough for the cheese to melt.

Here is the nutrition information according to cooking light. It is less fat and calories if you use low fat cheese & less olive oil like I did.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 393 (27% from fat)
Fat: 11.7g (sat 4.3g,mono 3.6g,poly 1.5g)
Protein: 19.3g
Fiber: 5.9g

Cupcakes are my crack

Cooking is the one thing in my life that always makes me happy. I love everything about it. Taking little bits of this and little bits of that and turning them into something delicious (or sometimes not so delicious), make recipes my own by altering them to delight my palette (and occasionally my waistline), I even enjoy the math involved in converting a recipe for 12 down to 2.

Basically, I’m looking for outlet for my creative energy. My job as an administrative assistant at an Investment management firm just isn’t cutting it anymore (or ever).

I thought I’d kick this blog off with an old favorite, the cupcake. I consider myself a cupcake aficionado, there isn’t a cupcake that I’ve met that I haven’t been wiling to take a bite out of. That being said, my favorite favorite favorite is the amazing vanilla cupcake from Southport Grocery. I have found 1 recipe to come close to this, the Magnolia Bakery cupcake.

The recipe as it’s written makes 24 cupcakes or 1 9” layer cake. I don’t need 24 cupcakes, so I modified it to make 6; I have included the original recipe with measurements for 6 or for the entire 2 dozen.

The Magnolia Bakery Cupcake
• ¼ c. + 2 Tablespoon self rising flour – (1 ½ c.)
• ¼ c. + 1 Tablespoon All-purpose flour – (1 ¼ c.)
• ¼ c. unsalted butter, softened – (1 c.)
• ½ c. sugar – (2 c.)
• 1 large egg, at room temperature – (4 eggs)
• ¼ c. milk – (1 c.)
• Splash of vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line muffin tins, 1/2 c. capacity, with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after.

Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended.

Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes.  Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

These cupcakes aren’t worth making if you don’t make the frosting along with them. It’s the best frosting ever. Teresa is a professional frosting taster.  You should call her and invite her over when you make these cupcakes.

• ¼ c. Unsalted Butter, softened – (1c.)

• 2 c. confectioners’ (powdered) sugar – (6 to 8 c.)

• 2 tablespoons milk – (1/2 c.)

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (2 teaspoons)

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

This frosting can also be frozen to use at a later date, however you won’t be able to frost cupcakes or a cake with it as the frosting will have set. I made some for my friend Nicole and she froze it and continues to take a little out at a time to make cookie sandwiches...because she's fat.