I have stumbled upon the best mini chip muffin recipe ever! NEVER buy those hydrogenated, crap filled, 100 ingredient store chocolate chip muffins again. These muffins are so easy and ridiculously delicious! I would love to take credit for these but I found these over at www.littlesweetbaker.com her site is fantastic and her recipes blow my mind.

Yes they have white flour and NO they are not a diet recipe. If you are going to have a treat and “own your sugar” this is the recipe to do it with. I changed it up a bit by putting them in a mega muffin pan. More is better in my book when talking about a muffin.

All I have left to say is….. Your Welcome!

Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins

Servings: 12 Difficulty: easy
Ingredients
2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup milk (whole or buttermilk is preferred)
1 tbsp vanilla
1 & 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
1) Preheat oven to 425°F and spray a 12 cup muffin tray with non-stick cooking spray.
2) In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips. Set aside.
3) In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla. Slowly add to the dry ingredients. Gently fold together until JUST combined.
4) Divide the batter into the 12 muffin cups and bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then turn the oven heat down to 375°F and bake for another 13-15 minutes. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes and enjoy warm.
Muffins taste best the day of, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Recipe by Little Sweet Baker

Perfect Pie Crust
2 1/4 cups all purpose white flour (Trust me- whole wheat does not work)
3/4 tsp salt
12 Tbsp COLD unsalted butter, cut into chunks
6-8 Tbsp cold water
*Additional flour will be needed when it is time to roll out the crust
*Makes TWO pie crusts

In a large bowl add flour and salt. Mix together with a fork.
Next add the butter. Now you need to cut the butter (Don’t freak out!) into the flour to form coarse crumbs.

I like to use a pastry blender but you can pulse it in a food processor or use a fork.

You basically just mash the butter and flour together like you would mashed potatoes.

Once the course crumbs have formed begin to add the water. Add about 5 tbsp then get your hands in the bowl. A spoon did not work for me to mix the water and flour mixture. It’s kind of like meatballs, you have to get in with your hands. Add the remaining water and mix until the dough comes together. Your hands will be covered in sticky dough, don’t worry just peel it off and add it back to the dough ball.

Once the dough is mostly together and there is no loose flour or crumbs at the bottom of the bowl, separate it into two servings. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Now you are waiting……… You can do this up to two days before but you will need to pull it out of refrigerator about 20 minutes before if you do that.

Pie time! Remove the plastic wrap and dump your dough ball onto a floured surface. I love silicone baking mats (I get mine at Costco and they are half the price) because the dough doesn’t stick to it.

Once on the mat, flour your rolling pin and roll the dough out until it is about an inch bigger than your pie plate.

Now you are ready to make pie!!!!

Thanksgiving Day, 2014 my husband and I celebrated 15 years! In this world that is no easy task. We have had amazing highs and horrendous lows. We have chosen to push through, lean in, and love unconditionally. Since celebrating our day on the 27th was not really in the cards (the darn family wanted to eat turkey with us, Hehe)we saved our one on one time for the day after.

Doug arranged for an amazing day at Wilson Creek Winery in Temecula (Home of my FAVORITE Almond Champaign), lunch at their grill, and then home for dinner in our PJ’s. I took over at dinner and prepared steamed lobster tail ($21 at Costco for two huge tails) and warmed up side dishes from Thanksgiving Dinner.

1.5 pounds of fresh Lobster Tail

Yummy!

It is funny how things change the older you get. In years past we would have spent lots of money, possibly traveled over night, and measured the days success on that.This year we agreed that all we really wanted was a day together. We have learned in our Horrendous Lows that all we ever need is each other. So that is what we got. At the end of the day, we both agree that this was our favorite anniversary so far.

Hi All! I decided it is time for an RN for Wellness give away! I have a ton of products that I love and that I think every kitchen needs.
One of my favorite items is the Cuisinart Mini Prep food processor. I use it to make salad dressings, chop nuts, chop veggies, and mix sauces. It is easy to clean and does not take up much space in the cupboard.
How to win…. Visit www.facebook.com/jennrnforwellness “Like” my page and in the comment section of the post let me know what you would use your mini chopper for. I will announce the winner on Monday, Dec.1st!!!

Southwestern Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
4 celery sticks, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 can (14.5oz) hominy, drained
1/2 cup Frozen Okra (optional)-Total fav. of mine
1 can (4oz) diced green chiles
1 can (7oz) verde sauce (Herdez)
1 can (14.5oz) diced stewed tomatoes
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped
2 cans reduced sodium chicken broth
1 tsp each: garlic powder, cumin, chile powder, black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
In a large soup pot add butter onions, celery, and carrots. Saute until onions are translucent; approx. 5 minutes.
Add hominy, okra, green chiles, verde sauce, diced stewed tomatoes, and chicken breast pieces.

Stir well and add chicken broth, once broth is added bring to a slow boil.
Once boiling add seasoning and bay leaf.

Cover, cook on medium low heat, maintaining a low boil for 30 minutes.

When ready to serve remove bay leaf and serve with warmed flour tortillas.

Since having children the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas has become one crazy whirlwind of schedules and checking off “memory making” items from the list. I can look back at the last few years and say we did a lot of memory making but to be honest I can’t say I enjoyed much of it. It felt so rushed. I was so tired. We were all so tired. Realizing that we can take six weeks to do these things helped me to pump the breaks and remove the stress.

One of my favorite Christmas songs is O Holy Night. I love this song because of the part that says, O Holy Night, the stars are brightly shinning, It is the night of the dear Saviors birth, long lay the world in sin and error pinning, until HE appeared and the Soul felt its worth. The SOUL FELT ITS WORTH….. I can have six weeks of that!

You know what the craziest part is for me, I don’t lose Thanksgiving at all in this process. I actually gain Thanksgiving. For me thankfulness comes when I am with those I love and doing for those I love.

And so on Monday, November 17th we started a whole new journey as a family… The journey of a Christmas Season that will start before Thanksgiving, include Thanksgiving, and flow through that glorious day of Our Saviors Birth.

The first thing on my Christmas season to do list was Christmas Music! Really loud Christmas music!

My friend Jenn has a Gluten sensitivity and she asked me if I would do a little research for her and locate a no fail Gluten Free Chocolate Cake. Being a girl that has a deep love for chocolate ANYTHING I responded…. “If I must”. So out into the recipe world I went and after three tries I have landed on what I think is the BEST Gluten Free cake to ever grace the planet.

The recipe and image is from the website: Real Simple

Flourless Chocolate Cake
Serves:10 (It is very rich) Total time: 2 hours

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for the pan
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for the pan
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
5 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting

Directions
Heat oven to 350° F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and dust with cocoa powder.
In a medium saucepan, heat the butter with ¼ cup of the heavy cream over medium-low heat until the butter is melted. Add the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth; remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, and cocoa powder; whisk in the chocolate mixture.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until puffed and set, 35 to 40 minutes.

Let cool in the pan for 1 hour (this is very important! DO NOT take out too soon). Run a knife around the edge of the cake before unmolding.

Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream with the sour cream and confectioners’ sugar until soft peaks form. Dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar and serve with the whipped cream.

Yum! Yum! Yum!

While talking to a friend recently it became abundantly clear that I wanted to do a post on celebrating Thanksgiving on a budget. We are constantly bombarded with the message that if we don’t spend a lot and if we don’t have the best; it isn’t even worth it to try. I used to live that way too. If I couldn’t afford to throw a lavish party with all the bells and whistles I wouldn’t throw one at all. I would completely consume myself with all the details. By the time the party came and went I was exhausted, broke, and couldn’t remember why I wanted to have the party in the first place.

After my husband and I found Dave Ramsey and reworked our entire financial situation I realized that my view of the holidays and parties had to change. We now budgeted and paid cash for everything so lavish parties weren’t an option anymore. I had to learn to lean in to who we really were, what we could afford, and what was really important. Ya know what happened when I did that…. I became increasingly happy and incredibly thankful. I was thankful for the time spent and memories made.

You know what else I learned?…. The people that love you and matter most could care less about the minuet details that would of cost you a small fortune and a ton of stress. These people would rather you be a “Mary” and enjoy your party rather then a “Martha” and busy yourself with the details.

So here we are. I have a few budget friendly Thanksgivings under my belt now so I thought I would share a few tips I learned along the way!

Decorations:
Photo Credit: My Heart’s Desire

Decoration’s do not need to be expensive. You can very easily use glassware you already own and repurpose it into a beautiful centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table. This use of popcorn, beans, and peas is a simple way to bring harvest colors into your home. Candles can be purchased at the Dollar Store in almost any shade or size and twine from the garage or your craft bag for the bow. Pinterest is a great place to start; just type in “budget Thanksgiving decorations” and your off. I also love the website www.passionatepennypincher.com, this girl is a genius!

The Menu:
Image from Whole Foods Market

The number one budget trick on meal planning for Thanksgiving or any dinner party for that matter is DO NOT over cook!

We get so consumed with all the yummy recipes that we feel like we need to make one of each. Remember last year when you stuffed yourself so full of food you thought you would puke? I know for me; after cooking all day the last thing I want to do is eat on that food for the next week. We practically have to hide the food in our families bags so they take some home. How about this year you make just enough? I promise you will not run out of food. If you really want to try those recipes why wait for Thanksgiving? How about you make them in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.

When deciding what to cook, make a list of of the Top 5 things you want to eat and stick with it. I know in our house the top 5 are Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, and Sweet Potato Casserole (All these recipes are on this website by the way). I then divide the menu up between family members and we celebrate potluck style.

Gratitude and Thankfulness:

The good news here is as Psalm 100:4 says “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Our price has been paid so the most important part of Thanksgiving is free. Remember to love one another, appreciate your friends and family, and Thank God for the endless blessings.

I am a huge fan of Sandra Lee and her show Semi-Homemade. I love that she takes recipes and reworks them to make them easy for the busy mom. I also appreciate her flare for fun food that the kids will love. If Sandra says the kids will love it; they will love it!

When looking at recipes to incorporate into our meal rotation she is a regular go-to. I just go in and do a few whole food and unprocessed tweaks. I need my meals to be quick and easy too; so my tweaks have to fit into that category as well. Remember we do not have to reinvent the wheel we need to utilize our internet and cooks we love and tweak them to fit our family. You may have a diabetic in the family, or someone who is lactose intolerant, don’t let that stop you. You can make most recipes work for you! So let’s get started!

Recipe remake RNforWellness style: My changes will be in BOLD

Pizza Casserole

Ingredients
Makes: 8 servings
Cook: 30 minutes

1 package (16-ounce) mini penne pasta (Whole Wheat Pasta)
1 jar (26-ounce) pasta sauce (Homemade simple marinara sauce)
1 container (5-ounce) diced bell peppers, chopped, Ready Pac® Tri Peppers (Fresh Veggies)
11⁄2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (3 cups mozzarella cheese)
1 jar (4.5-ounce) sliced mushrooms, drained (Fresh Mushrooms)
1 can (3.8-ounce) sliced black olives, drained
1⁄2 package (3.5-ounce) sliced pepperoni (25 slices)(Preservative free Pepperoni)
1⁄3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 roll (8-ounce) garlic breadsticks (Immaculate Brand crescent rolls OR pizza crust)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook penne for 7 minutes or until tender but not quite al dente. Drain well.

In a saute pan add fresh peppers and mushrooms and cook until tender. Add in homemade marinara sauce of your choice and seasoning. Pour sauce over drained noodles and stir well to coat. Stir in 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese until well mixed.

Transfer to prepared dish. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the remaining mozzarella over top. Top with olives. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella over top. Arrange pepperoni slices over mozzarella; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove crescent dough from can and separate into individual triangles and then use a pizza cutter to cut into strips. Once strips are cut twist.

Remove casserole from oven and place twisted dough around edge of baking dish. Return to oven; bake for 15 to 18 minutes more or until twists are golden brown. Serve hot.

With Christmas just six weeks away there are things we begin to do in our home to prepare for the hustle and bustle. There are four areas I address this time a year.

Budget:
As many of you know we are Dave Ramsey people. A few years ago we began the total money makeover, paid off $58,500 in debt in 16 months, became FPU leaders and haven’t stopped preaching it since then. When Christmas times comes around nothing changes in our financial world because we plan! Doug and I have found that the best way for us to save for Christmas is to put money away each month directly out of Doug’s check into a savings account. Now if you haven’t done this all year do not worry. You still have time. Here are a few tips to get you on track.
1. Sit down and make a list of who you need/want to buy for.

2. Sit down and calculate how much you can pull aside from each check from now until Christmas to buy those people gifts.Cash shopping only!

3. Go back to the list and decide how much you can afford to spend on everyone on your list.If you do not have enough for everyone on the list see if there are some items you can make or people you may see after the 25th and you could buy their gift at an after Christmas sale.

4. Now make a list of what you want to buy each person and shop with that list. Do not allow yourself to get caught up in the hype and wonderment of Christmas. It isn’t beautiful when you wake up in January in debt and the Christmas dazzle is gone.

5. Set a plan for next year so that when Christmas comes you are ready!

The Menu and the Decorations:
Y’all know I am about clean eating and entertaining. My favorite thing to do is scour the internet for new exciting recipes I can make RNforWellness approved. Planning the Christmas dinner menu, making the list,and putting my shopping day on the calendar helps to relieve the stress of the unknown for me.
I also take time to get my decorations down, go through them and decide what I will use this year, what might need to be tossed, and is there anything I need to purchase using my Christmas budget. If you are like me by the time Christmas is over the last thing I want to do is put away my decorations so they kinda end up shoved in whatever Christmas tub has room. I know it’s not the best plan but it’s the best this girl can do come January 1.

The Advent:
In our home spending time with the kiddos revisiting what Christmas is all about is one of the most wonderful pieces of the holiday season. We have our traditional advent calendar that we do every year but I also like to bring in a new thing that gets everyone excited about the true meaning of Christmas. My boys look forward to what this thing will be every year. Now with the world of Pinterest this is a whole lot easier. There are so many wonderful ideas that other mom’s have done and now all of those ideas are at our fingertips. We no longer have to always reinvent the wheel.

Prayer:
The only way I know how to truly prepare for the Christmas season and all that is wrapped up in the hustle and bustle is to pray. I learned a few years back that if I don’t spend time with God they true meaning of Christmas and the joy that comes with it gets lost in translation.

My prayer for all of you is that my website might be a place you can come to get recipes and ideas for your holiday season. I hope that I can help to lower your stress.