Chicken Tortilla Soup

I can't believe it is already the end of January!  I've been back in school for about a month now and I feel like there just are not enough hours in the day.  I'm at school for seven hours, and sometimes when I get home the last thing I have time to do is cook dinner on top of all the studying I have to do.  In order to save me some time, I bought a Crock-Pot on Black Friday.  I figured that I could just throw ingredients in it in the morning and come home to a delicious meal, or make something that would leave me with leftovers for the week.  This week I will be enjoying this yummy Tortilla Soup!

Red Pepper and Sausage Risotto

Risotto is one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy.  It is made from Arborio rice, a high-starch rice, that absorbs liquids and releases starch giving it a creamy texture.  When cooking risotto it is important to add the liquid a little at a time and stir the rice continually, that way the starch is released correctly.

Champagne Cupcakes

It's hard to believe that another year is coming to an end.  I can't think of any better way to ring in the new year than with a glass of champagne.  This year, I decided to take it one step further and make some champagne cupcakes to enjoy while celebrating.  I hope you all have a very Happy New Year and I look forward to sharing more recipes with you in the new year!

Penne al Salmone Affumicato (Smoked Salmon Pasta)

 

One of the things I love about visiting my family in Italy is getting to enjoy all the wonderful seafood that is available since they live right on the Italian Riviera.  A few years back on one of my previous trips to Italy, one of my aunts made this dish for me and it quickly became one of my favorites.  It is so simple to make and tastes amazing! 

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cheesecake

It's hard to believe that I am already half way through my first semester of Pharmacy school!  It's amazing how fast times flies.  It seems like just a few weeks ago I moved to Oregon and it was nice and sunny, but fall is here and the rain is already starting.  Between the cold weather and my need for caffeine, I've had a few pumpkin spice lattes already this month, which inspired me to try making another pumpkin spice latte cheesecake after my not so perfect attempt last year (lets just say that when making a cheesecake, you need to make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature).  I found this yummy recipe last year on one of my favorite blogs called Sprinkle Bakes.