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If you make a coffee cake out of Greek Yogurt, does that make it healthy? In my mind it does. (Please don't tell me any differently. I prefer to live in ignorance.)  Greek yogurt, cinnamon streusel, cream cheese glaze - yes, please. That is my kind of breakfast.  This recipe came from TwoPeasandTheirPod.com. (If you haven't checked out their website - you should - it's awesome.)  Greek Yogurt Coffee Cake 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 3 large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups plain Greek yogurt 2 1/2 cups cake flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt For the streusel: 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces For the cream cheese glaze: 3 ounces softened cream cheese 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature 2/3 cup powdered sugar 1/4 teaspoon vanilla 3 tablespoons milk, or enough to make it a glazing consistency Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Set aside.
Add the vanilla and Greek yogurt.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.  Let cool on a wire rack. Carefully transfer the cake, streusel side up, onto a serving plate.
To make the cream cheese glaze, beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla extract and milk. Beat until smooth and until you have a glaze consistency. Drizzle cream cheese glaze over cooled cake and serve.
 Oh yea baby - breakfast of champions.
Ciao!
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 Sliders are becoming really popular.  They seem to be the new appetizer of choice. Or in my case, the dinner of choice.
These meatball sliders are easy to put together, they're delicious and they make great appetizers, pre game snacks, or dinnertime sandwiches.  Oh yea, and they're also the perfect thing to feed a hungry teenage girl in between cross country practice and soccer practice.  Mini Meatball Sliders 1 pound Ground Chuck Or Ground Beef 1/2 cup Panko Or Other Bread Crumbs 1 clove Garlic, Minced 1/2 teaspoon Salt Freshly Ground Black Pepper 1/2 cup Milk 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1/2 whole Medium Onion, Diced 1 jar (large) Marinara Sauce 12 whole Dinner Rolls (or Slider Rolls) 4 slices Provolone Cheese, Cut Into Four Wedges Each
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for one minute.
Pour in jar of marinara; shake pan gently to mix. Put on lid and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
When ready to serve, cut each slider roll in half.
Spoon a meatball (or two or three) with the sauce onto the bottom bun. Add mozzarella or provolone cheese.  Add the top bun and voila - mini meatball sliders.  I even packed a few leftover meatball sliders into Courtney lunch. I warmed the meatballs and put them in a thermos to keep them hot and packed the slider buns in a baggie. She put the sandwich together at the lunch table.
Ciao!  How do I feed a child who walks in the door after Cross Country practice at 5:30 and has to leave the house for soccer practice by 6:30? Quickly - that is exactly how I feed her. The challenge is to get healthy, protein packed food in her to replenish and refuel her for practice. After running for miles in the afternoon heat, she really doesn't feel like eating anything heavy or hot so it's been a challenge to come up with meals that appeal to her.  This doesn't happen very often so you can imagine my surprise when she absolutely inhaled this chicken taco salad. I didn't have very high hopes that this would even appeal to her but the moon and the stars must have been in perfect alignment that night because SHE LOVED IT!  I did my own little happy dance at the table as I watched her eat bite after bite of this healthy meal. (Lets just keep that "healthy" part between you and me. Shall we?) I got this idea from the Pioneer Woman - she's my hero.
Chicken Taco Salad 1 head of romaine lettuce 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1/2 cup frozen corn, defrosted 1/4 cup colby jack cheese 1 cup crushed tortilla chips 1 avocado, sliced 1/4 cup ranch dressing 3 Tablespoons salsa 1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped 2 chicken breasts packet of taco seasoning or homemade taco seasoning For the dressing, combine prepared ranch dressing and salsa.
Start with a head of romaine lettuce. Put in individual bowls.
Slice tomatoes in half and add to salad.
Add corn to salad.
Add avocado and green onions.
Top with crushed tortilla chips.
Top with sliced chicken.
Drizzle with dressing.  I'm usually not a ranch fan but this dressing was mighty tasty. And, when you mix it all up - because lets face it, that's exactly how you're going to eat it, it looks like this...  Not as pretty as the first pictures but - just as delicious.
I am not under any false allusions here to think that Courtney is going to be just as enthusiastic about this salad a second time as she was the first time because --- well --- she's 15 and her food preferences change hourly. Ciao!  The way I look at it - we are just now approaching prime grilling season in Atlanta. Standing on my back deck at in the middle of July with the afternoon sun beating down is absolutely brutal. I end up running in and out of the house over and over again, just to try and avoid the excessive heat. 
For a girl from Northeast Ohio who is used to summer grilling and summer picnics, this is the weather I've been waiting for - even if it is the middle of September.  Turkey Sausage Skewers 1 package turkey smoked sausage 2 zucchini 1 red bell pepper 1 onion 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives 3 tablespoons soy sauce 1 clove garlic, minced Zest of 1 large lemon 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Serve the skewers with rice and voila - a beautiful and delicious grilled dinner!
My family really liked these skewers. I liked the vegetarian option and Ben and Courtney liked the sausage skewers. Totally worth waiting until September for optimum grilling weather.
Ciao!  Saturday afternoon soccer games = Friday night pasta night.
I have so much respect for soccer players. They are really in great shape. I wouldn't even be able to guess at how far they run but I can tell you that for the 90 minutes that the clock is running - they are running.  All of that running requires a lot of energy. Courtney's favorite way to get the energy she needs for a game is pasta. For her, its pregame fuel.  Shrimp and Chicken Pasta 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 cup cooked chicken 1/2 pound basil 1/2 onion, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped 14 ounce can tomato sauce 1/4 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup sherry
Heat 1 Tablespoon oil and 1 Tablespoon butter in skillet and saute until pink and cooked through.
Remove from skillet and add 1 more Tablespoon oil. Add onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes.
Add pasta.
Serve.  The pasta was great and the soccer game ... well, it was pretty great too.
Ciao!
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