Dessert Time!  Tired of paying $6 a slice for this in restaurants?  Try this - I swear it's just as good. This isn't classic tiramisu as it excludes rum, mascarpone cheese and eggs, but I really didn't miss them at all (especially the fat and calories). The coffee flavor was amazing! 

Source: Everyday Food

• Prep Time20 minutes
• Total Time20 minutes
• Yield Serves 6 - 8

  Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of very strong coffee (I brewed 5 tablespoons of dark roast coffee with 1 3/4 cups of water)
• 1 bar (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
• 3/4 cup heavy cream 
• 1/3 cup sugar 
• 2 packages (3 ounces each) soft ladyfingers (these can be, unfortunately, hard to find - I got mine at Trader Joe's) 
• Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

Directions

1. Make coffee; set aside to cool.  (I cheated and popped a few ice cubes in mine).  
2. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese with heavy cream and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Spread a few tablespoons of cream-cheese mixture in the bottom of a 2-quart serving dish. Separate ladyfingers. One by one, dip the ladyfingers in espresso until they just start to feel soft.   Don't over do it or you will end up with a soggy mess! Then arrange in bottom of dish. Spread with a third of cream-cheese mixture. Repeat twice with remaining ladyfingers, espresso, and cream-cheese mixture (can be refrigerated, covered, up to 1 day).
4. Dust with cocoa just before serving. (To make this extra chocolaty, you could try dusting each layer with chocolate. 

More winter comfort food! This is my go-to chicken pot pie recipe.  It's a healthier version as it contains no butter, has only one crust, and I cut out more fat and calories by using skim milk.  But let's not kid ourselves - there is still a pie crust on top!

Source: Real Simple Magazine (with changes)
Serves 6| Hands-On Time: 35m | Total Time: 1hr 10m Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 carrots, diced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups skim milk
• 1 10-ounce package frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or if you don't have any on hand, you may use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme)
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 9-inch store-bought piecrust, thawed if frozen

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Cook the chicken in a pot of simmering water until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes; let cool, then shred.  Or, I actually prefer to brush the chicken with olive oil and grill it until almost done; then cube.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes (do not let them darken). Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and simmer until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken, peas, thyme, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Transfer to a shallow 1½- to 2-quart baking dish.
4. Lay the crust on top, pressing to seal. Cut several vents in the crust. Place the pot pie on a baking sheet and bake until bubbling and the crust is golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

Oh the crock pot!  There is nothing like coming home to the aroma of a meal slowly cooking all day!  This is one my favorite slow cooker recipes!  Perfect for cold, winter days.  

Source: Real Simple magazine (with changes) 
Serves 6| Hands-On Time: 15m | Total Time: Varies

• 1 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into chunks
• 2 sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons
• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 large red onion, cut into wedges
• 1/2 cup dried apricots
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• kosher salt
• 1 10-ounce box couscous (1 1/2 cups) (garlic flavored is my favorite)
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
• 2 cups baby spinach (1 1/2 ounces)
• 1/4 cup roasted almonds, chopped

Directions

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the beef, tomatoes (and their juices), onion, apricots, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup water.
2. Cook, covered, until the meat is tender, on high for 4 to 5 hours, or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
3. Add the sweet potatoes part way through to avoid overcooking them.  If you're cooking on high, add them after two hours.  If you're cooking on low, add them after 4 or 5 hours.  
4. Ten minutes before serving, prepare the couscous according to the package directions.
5. Add the chickpeas to the slow cooker and cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach. Serve with the couscous and sprinkle with the almonds.
6. To freeze: Omit the couscous and spinach. Cool the beef to room temperature and divide among freezer containers or bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.
7. To reheat: Thaw in a bowl of cold water or overnight in the refrigerator. Cook in a pot, covered, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the spinach. Serve with the cooked couscous.

My favorite crock pot:
 http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-Forget-6-Quart-Programmable/dp/B001AO2PXK

Everything you want in a slow cooker for $50!  If you are like me, when you go to work, you are out of the house for well over 8 hours.  With this, you can program the pot for a certain cooking time.  After it reaches that time, it will switch to a "keep warm" setting.  Otherwise, you can insert a probe into the meat and when the desired temperature has been reached, it will switch to the warm setting.  The snaps on the lid make it easy to take to a pot luck.  This also received great reviews on Consumer Reports.  

Slow cooking tips:
- Don't peek! I've heard tale that when you take the lid off, it will increase your cooking time by 30-60 minutes.
- Don't worry! You won't burn the house down (really)!
-Get a pot that is about this size (6 qts).  Otherwise, you will tend to overcook your meals if it is too small and most recipes call for a medium size crock.
-Consider adding some ingredients part of the way through (if you're home).  For example, we add the sweet potatoes, chick peas, and spinach later in the recipe above.  Add beans an hour or so before serving when making chili.
-Reynolds makes slow cooker liners that you may insert into your slow cooker before adding your food.  This certainly makes clean up almost instant.  However, I'm not sure how I feel about plastic being heated along with my food for hours at a time.  I'm holding off on using them for now.  
-Cooking times are really approximate when using slow cookers.  An hour here or there on low can really be insignificant at times, which is the glory of slow cooking.  Also, don't be afraid to play around with the settings and times.  For example, you could cook on low for 5 hours and then on high for 2 to speed things along. 

This is a food blog dedicated to easy, simple, sometimes wholesome, always delicious recipes.  

I love to cook but mostly, I love to eat! 

Here, I'll share my favorite recipes, tricks, products, and kitchen gadgets/appliances.  I'll also post my favorite meals out in in the Richmond, VA area.

Bon Appetit! 
-Lindsey