chocolate chip olive oil mini muffins

this was my first time making mini muffins, and this recipe will definitely be used again, but in different variations. i really liked the cake part. it was sweet but not too sweet and because i know the secret ingredient, i could taste the olive oil slightly and that gave it a nice flavor. this recipe gave me exactly enough batter to make 24 mini muffins, which ryan and i ate all of them in only a couple of days.

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1 cup flour

1/4 cup chocolate chips, if desired

1. Beat together the eggs and sugar with an electric beater until thin and pale. Add the olive oil, baking powder and salt and beat again until combined. If desired, add chocolate chips. 2. Fold in the flour and pour into a mini-muffin pan (or cake/loaf pan) sprayed with nonstick spray.3. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown (40 minutes for cake/load pan.)

green chile casserole topped with fried egg and dollop of sour cream...

...for breakfast. when did i get so new mexican?

rum custard pie

i had a potluck to go to and i wanted to bake something easy. i should have chosen to bake something quick & easy, because i got called into work in the morning, and when i got out i only had an hour to bake something, which is how long this pie took to bake. it was tasty but because i couldn't wait to cool it down, serving it warm just wasn't the right way to serve it. either way, everyone ate some and i didn't have any leftover.

1 prepared pie crust

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs (i used 3 eggs because the farm fresh eggs we buy are huge)

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup light rum

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

whipped cream, for garnish

powdered sugar, for garnish

Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 350º.

2 On a lightly floured surface, unroll pie crust.

3 Roll pastry into a 12-inch circle.

4 Press pie crust into a 9-inch deep dish pie plate, crimping edges, if desired.

5 In a large bowl, beat sugar and eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined.

6 Add evaporated milk, water, rum and salt.

7 Beat at low speed until combined.

8 Pour mixture into crust.

9 Sprinkle top of pie with nutmeg and cinnamon.

10 Place pie onto a rimmed baking pan with a depth of 1/2-inch.

11 Add hot water to baking sheet coming halfway up the pie plate. Be careful not to get any water in the pie itself.

12 Bake for about 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean.

13 Garnish with whipped cream and powdered sugar if desired.

shrimp quiche

i made this as a fast dinner. we have a huge bag on tiny shrimp so i took a couple of cups and sauteed them in olive oil and garlic. i used chedder cheese and some feta. ryan and i enjoyed it so much we ate 3/4 of the quiche in one sitting.

1 (9 inch) baked pie shell

4 ounces small, cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

2/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup light sour cream

1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Spread shrimp evenly across the bottom of the pie crust. Sprinkle cheese over the shrimp.

Stir sour cream, green onions, salt and pepper into the beaten eggs; then pour mixture evenly over the shrimp and cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

oatmeal whole wheat quick bread

wanted to make a loaf of bread to eat with dinner. this was fast and easy to make (i made it in the toaster oven) and i've been eating it toasted with butter and honey for breakfast/snacks everyday.

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Grind oatmeal in a food processor or blender. In a large bowl, combine oatmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, dissolve honey in vegetable oil then stir in the milk. Combine both mixtures and stir until a soft dough is formed. Form the dough into a ball and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped.