Italian Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

This delicious dish is made with real Italians. They're easy to catch but hard to tie down. For this recipe, they can be served diced or shredded.

Do you believe me?

I thought not.

Okay, here's the real scoop: This dish takes ten minutes & is ridiculously tasty!

Ingredients:
Portobello mushroom(s)
Leftover bread (or pre-made breadcrumbs)
Marinara sauce (leftover, jarred, or make some from scratch)
Roasted garlic (I got mine from the olive bar at Whole Foods Market. You can do the same, buy it jarred or fresh from a farmer's market, or make your own.)
Cheese (I chose grated mozzarella. Something Italian works best - fontina, parmesan, asiago, etc.)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 325° F.
2. Grab a portobello mushroom, pull out the stem, & wipe it clean with a damp cloth.
3. Toast some leftover bread, then crumble into a bowl (or use pre-made breadcrumbs).
4. Toss into the bowl: marinara sauce & diced roasted garlic (I got mine from the olive bar at Whole Foods Market).
5. Mix.
6. Spread the mix into the mushroom.
7. Top with grated cheese.
8. Throw in the oven for 13-15 minutes.
9. Enjoy! Goes great with red wine, or, in my case, a yummy Canadian triple-distilled golden ale called Le Fin du Monde.

<3

P.S. Next time, I'm trying this recipe!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today, I have a new favorite cookie. Second only to the Snickerdoodle, in my book, is the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookie. I had some extra pumpkin puree & wanted to cheer up a friend, so I searched the nets for a cookie recipe & found this great one. Below is my amended version. They turned out so amazing! I rarely bake, but I definitely see myself making several more batches of these while pumpkins are still in season!

Ingredients:
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 egg
2 cups whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon milk
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (Next time, I'm trying cinnamon chips!)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional - I didn't put walnuts in this batch, but I think I will in the next one!)

Directions:
1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, & egg. In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, salt, & milk. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture & mix well.
2. Add vanilla, chocolate chips, & nuts.
3. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet (leave room between each spoonful - these puppies really grow!) & bake at 350 degree F (175 degrees C) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown & firm.

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