Vanessa's It List: The Top 8 Reasons I Need a Bigger Kitchen

Well I am finally done with midterms (killer) so I thought I would drop a line and give you a taste of what I have been doing this last week when I should have been studying. Keep in mind that my kitchen is probably the size of your bathroom! Hope you enjoy, and I hope I passed my exams. Eek. I studied barefoot, hope that helped. 
The Top 8 (sorry I ran out of time) Reasons I Need a Bigger Kitchen

Reason #1. Homemade Pasta

I tried making pasta for the first time. I used whole wheat on the first batch and I wished I had done half whole wheat, half white (which is exactly what I did the second time around). They were great. Thank you Pioneer Woman for the recipe.

Mr. Dry meet Mr Wet

 Reason #2 CranCocoOat Cookies.
I was really craving cookies the other day but didn't have any chocolate chips, so I came up with this recipe.

Recipe:

Wish I had taken them out a few minutes earlier

3/4 cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup grapeseed oil ( I used Wildtree) 
1 large egg 
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (make you own)
½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups whole oats
½ cup coconut flakes (I used unsweetened
¾ cup craisins

Mix the top 5 ingredence together until smooth. In seporate bowl, mix the next four ingredence. Add to wet mixture. Stir in coconut and crazins. Line baking sheet with partchment paper or Silpads and drop a spoon full at a time onto the sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 8-11 minutes (more like 8 if you have my oven). Cool on a wire rack and enjoy with milk!

I also made a plan chewy coconut cookie. It was awesome too.

                                             Reason  #3 Soft Pretzels

 I am a carb addicts so I was excited to see if I could turn my pizza dough into soft pretzels. The verdict: Yes, I can!

First off prepare the pizza dough just like my directions (click here for recipe) but instead of pulling the dough into two equal balls, make 6 balls. After those have set for 15 minutes roll the balls out one at a time and twist into the pretzel shape.

 Mix together 1 cup of water and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Dip each pretzel into the baking soda water and place on a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and cook in a preheated 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. (my oven is wack so it only cook 8 mins). While they are cooking melt 2 tablespoons butter. Take pretzles out of the oven and brush with butter. Place on a wire rack, with something underneath them to cetch the drips, and cool. 

Sweet and Creamy Mustard dip:
 (thank you Food network!)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup dijon mustard

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
The brown mustard shown is from my friend Erin (thanks!).

Reason #4 Onion Bread Twists

Oh So Onion Twists

So keeping with my love for pizza dough, I made some soft bread sticks. Prepare pizza dough as directed but devide dough into 6 equal balls instead of 2. After 15 minutes roll into long logs (about 18 inches) and twists. Hold the two ends together and let it twist onto it's self. Pinch the ends a little so that they hold together and place on a lined cookie sheet.  Mix 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil (I used Wildtree) and 2 teaspoons seasonining of your choice (I used Wildtree Oh So Onion Blend). Brush each twist with seasons oil and place in a pre heated 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. When you take them out you can brush them with a little more oil and cool on a wire rack. Yum!

Cimmamon Sugar Twists

Bonus: Craving something sweet? Change it up and sub the onion blend for 2 teaspoons sugar and 1/4 tea cinnamon.

The production Line

        Reason  #5 Butternut Squash Ravioli
Since I had mastered the art of making pasta (or atleast attempted it a few times), I decided to try my favorite: butternut squash ravioli!. I didn't know what I was doing so I jack a recipe from food.com

Blueberry, blackberry, orange and plain yogurt

Reason #6: Flavored Yogurt
So we have been unjoying our homemade yogurt a lot lately, but I wanted to change things up so I added 1 cup of frozen blueberries to 1 quart of yogurt. I threw it into the food processor and...tada: blueberry yogurt! I did the same with blackberries and frozen orange juice concentrate. I want to try strawberries when they come in season. And you could always mix in maple syrup (thanks Kopavi for that tip) and honey. And don't forget the ground flax seed!
 So good and only simple.

Bean and rice burrito

Reason # 7 Homemade Tortillas

I got my recipe from The Urban Spork. It was so simple. The only change I made was I did 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 white flour. And I added 1/4 cup ground flax seed (I pretty much add this to everything).

Crackers can be any shape!

Reason # 8 Homemade Crackers

I have made over 10 different recipes of crackers since this year started.
These are my favorites:

Fishes by Miss Anthropistic Kitchen

Cheeze crackers by Happy Smple Living

Ritz by Cupcake Project

Olive Oil Crackers by Yes I Want Cake

Most of the time with these crackers if it called for all purpose flour I used 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white flour. And of course, I added a little ground flax seed. 



The snack that smiles back...

Also I want to note that I think in order to prevent your crackers from burning (my first batch was runied), I cut the cook time almost in half and put them in the dehydrator for a couple of hours. This way they crisp up and wont burn! (Yes, I'm a genious)

Ok, there's 8 reasons why I need a bigger kitchen. Now if I can make all of this in a kitchen the size of a standard bathroom, what's your excuse?