Farmers Market Finds

The last time I went to a farmers market, it was more like a flea market... the type of flea market where you go home with actual blood sucking fleas. Do fleas suck blood? I should have looked that up...
Anyways, today we went to a new farmers market... erm, I mean, a farmers market that has been completely renovated.
It. Was. Amazing.
There were so many awesome things that you can't find anywhere else, and it was all so unique! A few of my favorite's were "Taste of Quebec" (by the way, the correct pronunciation for Quebec is 'key-beck' in French and in English it's more like 'ka-beck'). They had tons of authentic maple syrup products. Pure maple syrup is like nothing else you've ever had in your life. They also had real poutine (pronounced 'pooh-teen' in English and 'pooh-tin' in French) with the real sauce and the real cheese curds. "Nom nom nom..." so good!
Another one of my favorite things... the cutest mittens on earth made from alpaca! I no longer want a puppy... going straight for the alpaca.
The last thing I'm going to talk about today... the FOOD! I cannot find words to describe my happiness from all the food there. I get jealous when I read other foodie blogs and see all their pictures from the Upper East Side and all these chic bake shops because I've never had the privilege of experiencing anything like that, so when I saw all these super cute cupcakes, apples the size of my head, home made pasta sauces, organic cleaners... I felt like royalty. I really wish I would have brought my camera, but considering I was anticipating a horrible experience (again), it didn't even cross my mind. Boo to me.
Here is some of the loot I came home with...

   
Macaroons...

Humongous apples...

Savory pies... Taco Pie and Chicken Shepherd's Pie (holy cow they were amazing!)

Last but not least... flavored honey straws! Do you remember these from your elementary days? Boy, I do!

We got lime, mango, sour raspberry and watermelon. These brought back so many memories for me!
So that was my day at the farmers market. I basically fell in love with it and am begging to go back again next weekend. Take care, my friends!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

{love me some pineapple}
You know how sometimes you just have weird cravings? Some things just sound really good. That's what lead me to making this super yummy cake. I was dying for pineapple upside down cake, and I was so happy when it turned out perfectly! I'm constantly cooking and baking things, however not everything makes it on to the blog. Mmm but this cake is truly amazing. I am so proud of myself! And it totally hit the spot!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 (8 oz) can pineapple rings, cut into fourths
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla


Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. Place 1/4 cup butter in a 9x1 1/2 inch round cake pan. Place pan in oven until butter melts. Stir in brown sugar. Arrange pineapple in brown sugar. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and ginger. Add milk 1/4 cup softened butter, the egg, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Beat on medium for 1 minute. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 5 minutes. Loosen sides of cake, invert onto plate. Cool for 30 minutes, serve warm.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 15th Edition (Better Homes & Gardens Plaid) 

Cowboy Quesadillas

{darn tootin'}
I seriously am in awe over these. I wanted something more on the healthy side for dinner, and when I came across these, I knew they had a permanent place on my menu. The original recipe called for green onions, but I am not a big of fan of green onions. So I tweaked it a bit and used a 1/4 of a white onion. You can easily alter these to your tastes, whatever floats your boat! All you need to know is that these are amazing and you need to try them, asap. Oh, and don't forget the dipping sauce. It's amazing.

Ingredients:
8 large flour tortillas
2 chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 cup white rice, cooked
1/4 of a large white onion, chopped
1/2 cup black beans
1/3 cup corn (frozen or canned works great)
2/3 cup diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cup grated Pepper Jack cheese
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/3 cup barbecue sauce


For dipping sauce just measure out equal parts of ranch dressing and barbecue sauce, and mix together.

Directions: In a medium skillet, saute onions until just barely translucent. Add chopped chicken and cook thoroughly. Set aside. In a large bowl, add rice, corn, beans, tomatoes, chicken and onions and mix together. Then add cheeses and barbecue sauce and mix until evenly coated.
Spoon mixture into each tortilla and grill them up on the skillet... and dip away! For a vegetarian variation you can leave out of the chicken.

Check out those golden crispy delicious tortillas...

Held together by warm, ooey gooey melted cheeses... droll... 

Source: Our Best Bites

Soft Garlic Knots

{if only bread didn't make you fat, i'd eat these for every meal}
I'm not always one for making bread. Then I remember how good it makes your home smell and my attitude changes and I end up making double batches. Such was so for this recipe. They just sounded so good I couldn't resist. These were gone by the end of the night.

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup milk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water

For the glaze:
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions:
In a large bowl (whether attached to a stand mixer or not, it doesn't matter) combine dry ingredients. Add the oil, milk, and water. Mix until ingredients have formed a dough. Switch attachment to dough hook and knead on low until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. You can also knead by hand, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer to bowl coated with cooking spray. Turn once to coat, cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 10 inch long rope, and tie into a knot. Tuck the end pieces above and under respectively, into the center. 

 Transfer rolls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a clean towel and let rise again for 30 minutes. 

Preheat your oven to 350F, and mix the ingredients for the glaze and brush over the top of each roll. Bake until set and lightly browned about 15-18 minutes. Let cool slightly before enjoying!
Source: Annie's Eats