Tex-Mex Stuffed Patty Pan Squash

We have really enjoyed our CSA membership at Great Country Farms this year. Holli and Charly have enjoyed going each week to pick up our produce. Today Charly ate her weight in blackberries as she picked away! One thing we have had an abundance of is squash and zucchini. We have had to get creative with our meals to use all of it. This is one of the best ones we had yet!

The patty pans were perfect for stuffing and hollow out really easy with a spoon. The original Martha Stewart recipe called for using yellow squash, but I thought the patty pans were a better choice and could hold more filling.

Five Three Fudge

I just made up that name. For my whole life it has just been "mom's fudge". Such a forgettable name. But Five Three? Better right? Maybe when you understand what the five and three stand for. Five minutes. Three ingredients. I'm serious. And it's good. You might be able to find comparable fudge out there, but chances are it requires fancy equipment, lots of time, and a super attentive cook. Not Five Three fudge. This is the perfect last minute Christmas treat. At our house, it isn't Christmas without the fudge.

Baked Spaghetti Squash with Garlic & Butter

Holli and I have different feelings about cooking. I love to cook and because I love it I like to make things that take a long time and are more complex. Holli on the other hand, doesn't really like cooking, so she is looking for something quick and easy. We both, however, ultimately try for the same thing...good food. Holli has been doing a great job finding great meals that are also in her style of cooking.

I have a cousin who is a dedicated reader of the blog. She has been a vegan for many years and for some reason she reads all the posts even though almost every dish I post has meat in it. So Kelly this recipe goes out to you. I know it's not a true vegan recipe, but they do make vegan butter and vegan Parmesan cheese. So you may have to do some substituting. Spaghetti squash is an excellent replacement to pasta and as a bonus is gluten free. So if you want to try something new that is really easy and cheap to make...here you go!

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Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Fall is upon us and you know what that means...sweaters, scarfs, soups and everything pumpkin! I'm sure all of these things will be making their way on the blog in the coming months! We can't get enough pumpkin here at the Coats household, and can you blame us?! It's like orange crack! Holli and I were both intrigued by a pumpkin snickerdoodle, but Holli just had to have them this weekend. You didn't hear me complaining. I was glad because it felt like a transition into fall.

Sinfully Sinless Tiramisu

I have always wanted to try Tiramisu, but I don't drink coffee and don't drink alcohol and Tiramisu has both. Sadly I always have to pass over this Italian dessert when I see it on a menu. I have decided to break from the traditional Italian version and try something a little unorthodox, but that still fits into my standards. So if you are a Tiramisu traditionalist, this recipe may not be for you. But if you don't like coffee or alcohol or just want to give your kids something a little more refined than a cold hot dog, this recipe may just be for you. Also a bonus it is Mormon approved...it's kind of like kosher.

Inside Out Carrot Cake Muffins

You might want to sit down for this one...because you are about to be blown away. Think about delicious moist carrot cake topped with gooey wonderful cream cheese frosting. Now take that lovely slice of cake and invert it! Turn it's world upside down, by putting the cake on the outside and the frosting on the inside! I know crazy huh?! It sounds awesome, but does it taste good? Yes. Yes it does. There are some recipes that I have really high hopes for and end up falling a little short. This was not one of those recipes. It ended up being far better then I imagined, and trust me, I imagined it being really good.

Chicken Piccata

Our rock the vote was so close I decided to make this recipe as well! Ok, I really wanted to make it anyways, but can you blame me? Look at this thing! It is just one of those classic Italian dishes. As summer comes to an end I wanted to fit this one in before it is soup season. It is just so bright, fresh and simple, I love it. Not a lot goes in to this dish, but you can fool anyone to think you put in a ton of effort. Another bonus is most of the ingredients (besides the capers) you probably have on hand, so it wont break the bank. My friend Liz who is always hooking us up with sweet stuff, gave me her subscription to Cooks Illustrated. I have really liked it so far. This recipe is from their website, which has a bunch of good recipes and how to videos.

Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes (a replica of the Cheese Cake Factory)

Photo by Holli Coats

Thank you all for voting! Out of 45 votes, 15 of you (or 33%) voted for the Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes for the win! It was a close race and it pulled ahead of the Chicken Piccata in the last minute. I have been wanting to make these for a long time now, but laziness had gotten the best of me.


If we are going to the Cheese Cake Factory it is guaranteed that I will order them every time. It is just one of those things that is unique. I have never had anything like it. If you have never had these they are in the appetizer section. Normally Holli and I will order this and split an entree, because seriously who really needs all of the food they give you?

Crock Pot Pulled Pork

So I realized our blog has been a little neglected. Holli and Charly have been in Utah for the past two weeks. I should have done more blogging, but when you are cooking for one, it's hard to find the motivation. Plus after working for 10 hours a day, the last thing you want to do is...well anything.

Sorry guys, Holli has the camera so these aren't my pictures. Source

Coconut Banana Bread

We love this banana bread recipe! It is one of the moistest banana breads I have ever had. The coconut is also a nice touch. Since Holli will only eat bananas when they are green we end up freezing a lot of bananas when they get too ripe which I am ok with since they turn into this! This recipe is brought to you by Holli's Mom's Blog Lovin' from the Oven! I just ate the last of ours for breakfast today!

Photo by Holli Coats

Summer Chicken Salad

Summer meals are hard for me. I can always think of lots of warm, comfort food type dishes, but in the summer heat I'm at a loss for what to prepare. With all the delicious produce in season, you would think it would be easy. Just goes to show my food creativity is totally lacking.

A few weeks ago as I was preparing our meal plan I sought inspiration from the cooking blog goddess, Pioneer Woman, and she delivered! We've had this meal several times now (just had it tonight!) and it always proves to be refreshing and delicious!

Passion Fruit Mousse

One of my all time favorite things in life is Passion Fruit Mousse. Has anyone ever asked you the question, "If your house was on fire and you could grab 3 material possessions, what would they be?" I can't exactly pin down my three, but if I had passion fruit mousse in the fridge I may be standing in the street eating my mousse and watching my photo albums burn. That being said, I think you now know how much I love the stuff.

Picture By Matt Coats

Whole Wheat Pancakes with Buttermilk Syrup

Since my little angel woke me up at about 5 this morning I thought I would post a quick 4th of July food blog post. I knew it had to be something American so I thought I would post about the most American meal of the day, breakfast! Then I thought pancakes had to be American because Paul Bunyan ate them and what was more american then a giant beast of a man who loves to chop down natural resources for other Americans to consume? So pancakes it is!

I took these pictures! Holli isn't the only one who has picture taking skills. But she did teach me everything I know!

Pão de Queijo (Brazilian cheese bread)

I'm going to let you in on a little secret about something delicious! I mean a secret so good you will name you next child after me! It's Brazilian cheese bread. It's called Pão de Queijo( pronounced pow jee kay-show). Holli and I are addicted. I used to eat these things all the time on my mission in southern Brazil and now that I know how to make them...this could be a problem...a wonderful delicious problem. Also a bonus, they are Gluten free. I have a co-worker who has celiac disease and still comes by my office a month latter thanking me after giving her this recipe. She said that it is the closest thing to bread she can eat. Gluten free bread tends to be really crumbly and dry. This recipe is a must try if you are on a gluten-free diet! Another bonus is you put all the ingredients in a blender and pour them in a muffin tin and voila you’re done! It's so easy Charly can make it. The only down side is it uses tapioca flour. It can be found at any grocery store and isn't too expensive, but trust me once you have these you will buy a giant bucket full at Costco!




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Garlic Lime Flank Steak with Chimichurri

Flank Steak has always been a treat in the Coats' household growing up. I was one of my Dad's specialties. We would always have it with rice pilaf and ranch beans. I honestly believe if my Dad cooked 12 flank steaks my family wouldn't stop eating until we finished it all! Of all my flank steak memories growing up, the one memory I can't remember, is eating flank steak leftovers. I don't think it ever happened. The hard thing about grilling meat is you have to keep an eye on a lot of things at once. The beauty of flank steak is it is one huge piece of meat! I decided to take a family favorite and give it a little twist! My Dad would marinate his steak in teriyaki sauce. Because I was cooking for someone with a Gluten allergy (Yes this recipe is gluten free) I couldn't use anything soy sauce based. So I used a simple garlic and lime marinade. I then topped it off with a vibrant fresh tangy chimichurri sauce. It was awesome!

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Blended Root Beer Float

This post will be short and sweet (no pun intended)! I love root beer floats and if you ask Holli she will tell you that in the summer I get these crazy root beer float cravings. There is something wonderful about the root beer crystals that form in the cracks of the ice cream and then drinking that creamy root beer goodness afterwards! It doesn't get much better on a hot summer day! That being said, you would think a blended root beer float would be inferior because you just don't get that same experience you do with the traditional float. I would beg to differ. I almost prefer the blended float. I can't exactly explain why, but it is just better. Don't get me wrong I still love the float, but you will just have to try it for yourself and decide.

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Big Fat Bacon Sliders

Are you ready for summer? I have been looking forward to it since the first snowflake hit the ground last winter. Memorial Day is a much anticipated because it marks the beginning of summer. I am having to get used to not having a BBQ around. So sad, but I am making due with the oven. When Holli showed me a Pioneer Woman recipe for a burger wrapped in bacon that you cook in the oven, I knew I had to make it for Memorial Day!

Picture by Holli Coats (She's good!)

Pasta Carbonara

Pasta Carbonara got second place in our vote and I have been very excited to make it ever since. I know I'm not supposed to tell, but this is what I voted for. As you all know by now I'm obsessed with eggs...and bacon...and butter...and this pasta has it all. 

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Chicken Tikka Masala

I have always loved to experiment with food. I'm always finding new recipes to try and share with all of our faithful readers. I'm sure you have wondered some time or another, "Do they eat like this every day?" The answer is no. Like everyone else we have some simple cheap things we eat on an almost weekly basis. We must eat spaghetti at least once a week if not more. Another super cheap, super easy Coats dinner staple is Chicken Tikka Masala. Don't be fooled by this fancy sounding curry, it is a 30 minute life saver. We bought an easy curries cook book way back in the day at Ross. Holli brought up the point that this is the first recipe in the book and the only one we have made. Haha, maybe I will have to try another one some day.

Photo by Holli Coats

Food blog guest post: Orange Brûlée French Toast

As you can all tell by now we are trying to keep things fresh on the old blog. We have been doing votes, giveaways, and changing the look and layout. So to keep things in the same vein I have decided to feature recipes from people whom I look up to and admire in a culinary sense. As soon as I had this idea my mind instantly went to my sister Candice. Below is a picture Brinn Willis recently took of my family. Candice is the one wearing the cartoon chef hat.

Picture by Brinn Willis of  BMW Photography (I added the Chef Hat)