Rainbow Cake with Marshmallow Fluff Icing

Happy St. Patrick's Day! To join me in celebration, my best friend came over to bake a cake last night. Not just any cake: A rainbow cake. We could have done something else that was green, but we wanted to branch out to following the rainbow for a pot of gold. So ROY-G-BIV with us, and make a rainbow cake today, tomorrow, or whenever you feel like it!
(The cake is on the Cake Pedestal.)

Rainbow Cake with Marshmallow Fluff Icingchefjennylyn.com

1 White cake mix (plus ingredients on package)
Food coloring
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp. butter, softened
2 tbsp. half-and-half
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 heaping tbsp. marshmallow fluff
1 1/2 tbsp. water


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix cake mix according to package directions, and split batter into six small bowls. Follow the rainbow with each bowl (ROY-G-BIV) red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Spread batter in two cake pans, one color at a time. Bake according to package directions, and cool completely.

For icing, beat together butter, sugar, half-and-half, and milk. Add vanilla and marshmallow fluff, beating well. Add water as needed until you get the texture you want. When icing cake, let first layer set a minute before adding second layer. Otherwise, the icing will all squish out because, yes, it's that texture.

No, this isn't actually my serving, but I had you fooled, didn't I? Nothing says Happy St. Patrick's Day like dressing like a moron and eating 1/4 of a cake! This is a Small Square Plate from the Simple Additions Collection.


Here's Elizabeth rocking her green and stirring together the cake mix. Water and oil are measured into Easy Read Measuring Cups, and the eggs are in a Pinch Bowl. Then we've got Prep Bowls ready to go for coloring batter. The Classic Batter Bowl is the perfect size when you're doing a cake or brownie mix, and its best friend is the Stainless Whisk.

There aren't many people you can invite to dress up and bake St. Patrick's Day food to post on the internet, but when you find those people, you keep them. Elizabeth is those people. Anyway, she's whisking the eggs a bit with the Mini-Whipper, and she can just do it right in the Easy Read Measuring Cup - no need to dirty more bowls!

Just sit back, relax, and let the Stainless Whisk and Classic Batter Bowl do their thing.

Look how clean that bowl got thanks to the Mix 'n Scraper! By taking time to scrape the sides of your bowl, you can get a lot more out of your baking effort. Try it sometime, and be amazed! We used the Large Scoop to divide out batter for coloring, and I think we ended up with about four scoops per color.

Elizabeth is an artist, so she's very particular about coloring cake batter. Thanks to her careful analysis, we ended up with the perfect green - not too dark, not too light.

The Prep Bowls and Small Square Bowls were perfect for dividing colors. This was like coloring Easter eggs but for adults - very mature adults.

Carefully add batter to the Cake Pans one color at a time, being careful not to mix everything together. That's the new Mini Mix 'n Scraper in the Small Square Bowl, and I think it might be one of my new favorites. It's so cute and fun! The Cake Pan Set is heavy-duty, and each pan has handles for easy grabbing and flipping.

Run a toothpick through each pan to swirl the batter, and you're ready to bake a cake!

This icing recipe is dangerous. First of all, there are several weird, little measurements. Then there's the fact that this fluffy concoction begs to be eaten, well, not on a cake. For our measurements, Elizabeth and I used the Pinch Bowls, the Easy Read Mini Measuring Cup, the Measuring Spoon Set, and an Adjustable Measuring Spoon. All these items are resting on a Small Square Plate from the Simple Additions Collection, and you can see a muddled mess of something on it. Well, this is proof that you should never measure over your recipe. Let's just say you're pouring milk from a 1-gallon jug into a 1-tbsp. measuring spoon and someone makes you laugh... Disaster could strike. The same is true for vanilla. Good thing no one decided to measure over the icing bowl! Moving on... Elizabeth is mixing icing in a Stainless Mixing Bowl, and she's using the Skinny Scraper to check for sugar lumps.

Now it's time to finish the job! Look at that icing! I promise it's some of the best stuff I've ever eaten, and I've eaten a lot of stuff. Ok, so my icing is in the 4-Qt. Stainless Mixing Bowl, and I'm using the Small Mix 'n Scraper to give it a stir every couple of minutes. That's the Small Spreader I'm using to ice the cake, and I think it might be the greatest thing in the world for this job. Again, my cake is on the Cake Pedestal, a beautiful plate that comes apart for versatile use and easy storage.

Want to see this cake again? Want to make one? That's what I thought! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

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Green Velvet Cupcakes

If you're looking for a St. Patrick's Day treat that's sure to blow minds, look no further. These little two-bite cupcakes are made with my great-grandma's red velvet recipe, and I promise you'll love them. My sweet friends Nathan and Julie are about to get married, and I'm doing their Pampered Chef shower tomorrow night... which happens to be St. Patrick's Day! I didn't want to go over the top with green everything, but I couldn't ignore this important holiday on which we celebrate... well, I'll Google it later. For now, I'll just get to the nitty-gritty.

Green Velvet Cupcakes
chefjennylyn.com

Cake
1 1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. vinegar
1 oz. green food coloring

Icing1 stick butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.Sift dry ingredients together in a small bowl. Mix oil, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl. Add all cake ingredients to oil/sugar/egg mixture, and beat well.

Scoop 2 tablespoons of batter in small muffin cups (3 tbsp. for large, 1 tbsp. for mini). Bake one pan at a time for 14-16 minutes.

For icing, beat butter and cream cheese together. Gradually add powdered sugar until mixture is smooth and creamy. Pipe on cooled cupcakes, and decorate.

Wow, there's a lot going on here! Let's just dive in: Sugar, oil, and buttermilk (gag) are in the Easy Read Measuring Cups, my favorite measuring tools of all-time! Then there's the little Easy Read Mini Measuring Cup beside those to give you some perspective. Vinegar is in an Adjustable Measuring Spoon, and Vanilla and baking soda are in the Measuring Spoon Set. I measured flour with the Measuring Cup Set, and the handy leveler tool is resting on those. My eggs are in a Prep Bowl, and everything is on top of the Large Cutting Board. Then I've got my Stainless Mixing Bowls ready to go with my mom's old sifter in the small one. No, this is not a Pampered Chef sifter (we don't have one), but it IS the greatest sifter I've ever used. I don't know its history, but I think it's been in the family a long, long time.

By the way, I know I hate buttermilk, but do not abuse my great-grandma's recipe by using anything but the real deal. None of that fat free junk!


A customer of mine in California - Dawn, this is your shout out! - told me she couldn't use anything but the Pampered Chef Madagascar Vanilla because it's the best. Unfortunately, I never got around to ordering any, so I remained a consultant who didn't know her own vanilla. Tragic, but true... Anyway, I was recently given a $250 shopping spree from the company (I know, right? Join my team, and you can get free stuff, too!), and I decided it was the perfect time to order my vanilla. It didn't matter that I had a brand new bottle of "Someone Else's Pure Vanilla Extract" in my cabinet - I had to try this! You'll notice that my recipe says 1 tsp., but I used a 1/2-tsp. Measuring Spoon. That's because this is double-strength and therefore goes twice as far. Yes, this 4-oz. bottle is really 8 beautiful, brown ounces of awesomeness. Dawn was right - just the smell when I opened this told me I would never go back. By the way, that's the Stainless Whisk in a Stainless Mixing Bowl.



Man, it's amazing what an entire bottle of green food coloring can do! My muffin cups are on the Cookie Sheet, and I did a second batch on the Large Bar Pan. If you don't have a Medium Scoop, please do me a favor and get one! This is the runniest cake batter I've ever worked with, and I think I would have had a huge mess without my scoop. The Mix 'n Scraper was a hero, making sure all the batter was off the sides of my bowl. That equals more cupcakes, people! More cupcakes!!!


When you make icing, be sure you take the "gradual" to heart with your powdered sugar. Otherwise, you end up with a huge mess and a lot of frustration. I just use the Measuring Cup Set to add a cup at a time, and I rarely walk away with a blanket of powdered sugar all over my front. Rarely is not equal to never, but it's better than always. Hey, check out my copy of the recipe! My aunt Barber (or Barbara) let me make a copy of her hand-written, oil-stained original, and I get excited every time I pull it out!

Now for the fun part! The Skinny Scraper is the perfect size for loading the Easy Accent Decorator full of icing. Then you can just screw on a tip, and you're good to go! This tool is fabulous, and it's great for kids when they want to help in the kitchen.

People who are good at decorating things can ignore this tip, but the rest of us should heed the warning: Patience. Center your tip, slowly press the button, and let the icing shape itself. There are all kinds of things you can do, but these are small cupcakes, and I didn't want to mess them up trying to be a hero. One good, big blob of pretty icing is always a safe bet.

Then you can decorate with whatever you want, but I prefer leftover Christmas sprinkles. I remember using these in December thinking they looked too St. Patrick's Dayish, and now look at me go! Just ignore the snowflakes that slipped by my eagle eye. I've got 24 cupcakes on the Large Rectangular Platter with Handles from the Simple Additions Collection, and my back-ups are in the Cool & Serve Square Tray. I LOVE this tray for transporting cupcakes because it's tall enough to leave the icing in-tact. I mean, you saw how difficult my technique was, so the last thing I want is some stupid lid messing it up! Lastly, I have my leftover icing in the Easy Accent Decorator with the handy cap stuck on for storage.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Enjoy being American and acting as though you have Irish roots even if you have no clue. Except me... I'm sure there's some back there somewhere.

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Ham Florentine Braid

If you think this looks pretty, you should taste it! Braiding is a tried and true Pampered Chef technique, and I can remember having my first experience with it back in 1999. Basically, you roll out crescent rolls, fill them with whatever you want, and tuck them around to look pretty. More on that later. For now, let me tell you this recipe is perfect for any occasion or any time of day. I took it to a missions breakfast at church, and it was my solution for people who wanted something warm but didn't do well with the consistency of breakfast casserole. People like me. It was gone before I made it through the line, but I'll survive... I have the recipe.

Ham Florentine Braidchefjennylyn.com

2 packages (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent rolls
8 oz. deli ham, chopped
1 1/4 cups sharp white cheddar, grated
10 oz. frozen, chopped spinach (thawed, drained)
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 egg, separated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together ham, 1 cup of the cheese, spinach, mayonnaise, and pepper.

Unroll crescent rolls, and spread on Rectangle Stone. Pinch seams, and roll together. Cut dough in strips lengthwise, and roll seams back together in the middle. Fill middle with spinach and ham mixture, top with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese, and "braid" dough strips across using a "lift, twist, tuck" method.

Whisk egg white until frothy, and brush over braided dough. Bake 25-30 minutes.

This is one of the simplest recipes I have in my arsenal, and it's also one of the prettiest. Could things get any better? Didn't think so. The only work involved is prepping ingredients, and that's quick thanks to good tools. My mayonnaise is in the Measure-All Cup (LOVE!), and my cheese is in an Easy Read Measuring Cup. We just introduced the Microplane Adjustable Coarse Grater, and let me tell you - wow! this thing is awesome awesome awesome! The ham is just sandwich meat, and I'm slicing it with the 5" Utility Knife from the Forged Cutlery Collection. This is the knife that comes in the Consultant Kit, and I promise it will change the way you feel about prep work if you try it.

You know what's fun? Colors coming together to make a beautiful mixture. All of my ingredients are in a Stainless Mixing Bowl, and I'm using the Mix 'n Scraper for, well, mixing. This is the absolute best tool ever for thick batters or mixtures! Of course my Pepper is from the Pampered Pantry, and I'm using my Bamboo Grinder.


The nice thing about this recipe is that even if you mess up, you're still going to get a great end result. If you don't cut your strips straight, no one will even notice. My dough is spread on the Rectangle Stone, and I used the Baker's Roller (now it's fancy, but this is the old one) to pinch all those seams together. Then came the Pizza Cutter for slicing it all in strips. Roll the middle back together after the strips are cut.

Behold the "Lift, Twist, Tuck." Lift the strips on both sides of the filling, twist them in a complete circle, and tuck them together, giving them a little pinch. So the word "braid" is used pretty loosely in this recipe, but "Ham Florentine Lift, Twist, Tuck Thing" doesn't have the same ring. Anyway, do this all the way down, and give each end a little tuck to make sure nothing seeps out in the oven. Losing filling would be tragic! I love how this fits the Rectangle Stone perfectly, but you'll get the same result on any of the Stoneware pieces. Well, maybe not the Muffin Pan.

Then comes the egg white. I adore the Egg Separator because it's the best way to keep your hands out of the gag-inducing egg raw egg texture. Besides, it keeps you from having to wash your hands again in the middle of the recipe. Notice how the Egg Separator hangs on the Small Batter Bowl perfectly thanks to the clipper-onner. I frothed the egg white in no time using the Mini-Whipper, a handy little tool that's perfect for your morning shakes, chocolate milk, or egg whites.

After giving the crescent rolls a quick brush of egg white using the Chef's Silicone Basting Brush, this beauty is ready to go in the oven. You can make this without the egg white, but this is what gives it that pretty, glazed look as it bakes. Throw this in the oven for 25-30 minutes, and get ready to be amazed. Whatever you do, DO NOT bake this when you're home alone. There is no way to avoid excessive snacking because no one is there to say, "Really, you're eating a fifth serving?" Trust me on this.

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Call me up: (205) 585-2464

Giant Rocky Road Cookies

There are cookies, and then there are COOKIES; these would be classified as the latter. When I promoted to Pampered Chef Director, my best friend Elizabeth and I celebrated with a steak dinner... and these cookies. I chose them from the Simply Sweet Cookbook, and I'm ashamed to say I'd had the recipe over a year before trying it. I don't have a good excuse for letting this slip by, but I'll be sure to make up for lost time. Anyway, try these. They're honestly good enough that I'd pay for them at a bakery, and that's saying a lot for me.
(Cookies are displayed on the Cake Pedestal.)

Giant Rocky Road Cookies

chefjennylyn.com

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (plus additional for flattening cookies)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped toasted pecans, divided
1 pkg. (11.5 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chunks, divided
1 1/4 cups miniature marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in small bowl; mix well, and set aside. In large mixing bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture; beat just until mixture forms into a dough. Stir in 3/4 cup pecans and 1 1/4 cups of chocolate chunks.

Using Large Scoop, drop eight rounded scoops of dough, 2 inches apart, onto cookie sheet. Dip back of scoop in cocoa powder, and flatten cookies slightly. Lightly press half of the remaining pecans and chocolate chunks into tops of cookies.

Bake 14-16 minutes or until cookies are almost set. (Centers will be soft. Do not overbake.) Remove cookie sheet from oven; immediately press half of the marshmallows into tops of cookies. Cool completely on cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough, pecans, chocolate chunks, and marshmallows.


I talk a lot about the Measuring Cup Set, but it's because I can't get over it! The sheer quality of these cups is true to Pampered Chef form, but there are also a couple more than the standard set plus a leveler tool. So handy! I have things on the Cutting Board to keep my work surface clean, but I'm failing miserably. Anyway, this is the 2-Qt. Stainless Mixing Bowl, and you can see those handy measurements inside!

New this month - the Measuring Spoon Set!!! This was my first time to use these, and I imediately fell in love. They're sturdy, and they have rounded ends to dig in ingredients easily. Also, notice how many come in this set: 6. Hello, 1/2-tablespoon measure!

Everything's about to come together for the most amazing cookies I've ever had, and I'm eager with anticipation. It was all I could do to stop, take a picture, and keep moving. My toasted pecans are on the Small Bar Pan, the one that fits in the toaster oven. Quick tip: toast the pecans while you're prepping everything. Of course I have my flour mixture and soon-to-be butter mixtures in the Stainless Mixing Bowl Set, the best bowls of all time. Look the Measuring Spoon Set - see how they snap together even if a couple are in use? Also, my teaspoon of vanilla is stable because there's a little base on the back of the spoon. My egg is in a Prep Bowl, and marshmallows are hanging out in an Easy Read Measuring Cup. See that little Stainless Mini-Whisk in the flour/cocoa bowl? That was my mom's favorite product, and she had a kitchen full of Pampered Chef.

I am in love with all of the scrapers, but the Mix 'N Scraper might be my favorite. It's amazing with thick batters, but I adore the shape of its head. It acts as a spoon for me to "gradually add flour mixture." This is the point of the recipe where I really feel like I'm about to make something. I mean, there's batter, and it's all over the place, and I want to lick the beaters, and - oh, wait - I never do that!

According to the editor's note in my Simply Sweet Cookbook, "dipping the back of the Large Scoop in cocoa powder will keep the cookie from sticking as you flatten it. The flat surface keeps the chocolate chunks and pecans on the cookies." Why cocoa powder instead of flour? Because it's brown and won't make your cookie look floury when it bakes. That's a Pinch Bowl housing the cocoa powder, and I think it's doing a mighty fine job.

Cookie Sheet #1 is ready to go in the oven. The original recipe says to use Parchment Paper, but I was going to skip it. Then I figured I'd follow the directions just to see what happened since I'd never used it before. Well, not for cookies, at least. You know what? I didn't have to wash my Cookie Sheet when I was finished, and it didn't get any Large Serving Spatula scratches. Nice! Behind the sheet of cookies, you can see the thickness of this batter. That's why the Mix 'N Scraper was my hero; it made quick work of mixing in chocolate chunks and pecans, but was also the only way to get batter off the sides of the bowl... which meant more cookies.

I did half of these on a Cookie Sheet and half on the Large Bar Pan. All of them were excellent, and I couldn't tell a difference in final products. If you don't have Cooling Racks in your kitchen tool arsenal, let me just tell you that you're missing out. Quick tip on the marshmallows: I took the cookies out at 14 minutes, added marshmallows, and baked them an extra two minutes for hte marshmallows to toast. I'd say I'm a genius.

I've shared these cookies with several people, and I've had nothing less than rave reviews. I love these, and I'm pretty sure you will, too.

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Shop Online 24/7 at pamperedchef.biz/jennylyn

E-mail me: chefjennylyn[at]gmail.com

Call me up: (205) 585-2464

Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup

This is the best tomato soup I've ever had in my life. It beats anything I've ordered in a restaurant, and it's even better than the classic Campbell's I ate as a kid. Yes, even better than that. I first had this at my cousin Whitney's house a few months ago, and I knew I'd have to make it eventually. She sent me the recipe, but it involved roasting the tomatoes, and that sounded time-consuming. If I'd realized then how simple this recipe was, I'd have made it immediately, but alas, life is full of regrets. We simply move on, realize roasting tomatoes doesn't take long, and look forward to more soup in the future.

Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup

chefjennylyn.com

1 1/2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes
5 tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 tsp. dried basil, crumbled
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry red wine
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup tomato paste
Sugar to taste, if needed
2 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Halve tomatoes lengthwise, and lay them in a pan, cut sides down. Brush generously with 3 tbsp. olive oil, and sprinkle wiht garlic, oregano, basil, and pepper. Roast tomatoes until their edges are charred, about 15 to 20 minutes. Scrape tomatoes, oil, and herbs from pan into food processor. Process until not quite smooth, leaving small chunks.

In a sucepan, cook onion in remaining 2 tbsp. oil until translucent. Whisk in roasted tomato puree, broth, and wine. Then whisk in tomato paste and heavy cream. Taste and add sugar if necessary. Stir in optional Parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste, and bring soup to a simmer.



You know what's fun? Using Pinch Bowls. I really do enjoy these because they make me feel like I belong on the Food Network or something. Here's my herb mixture, and I'm grinding my Peppercorn Medley with the Bamboo Grinder Set. One thing I really enjoy about this set is the stand that keeps crumbs from getting all over my counters. Plus, let's just be honest: It looks cool. Ok, so then I've got my first three tablespoons of olive oil ready to go in the Easy Read Mini Measuring Cup.

I can't help but give a shout out for the Spice Turn-About. This has absolutely revolutionized my spice cabinet... situation. No more knocking things over every time I need Cinnamon! This turn-about is great because it holds bottles for most major brands, including, of course, the Pampered Pantry.

I use the Garlic Press constantly. I think it's made an appearance in 99% of my posts thus far. There's just no substitute for fresh garlic, and you don't have a reason to avoid it when you don't have to peel the garlic! Again, all of the herbs and spices go in a Pinch Bowl. My work surface is the Large Grooved Cutting Board, and it rests right across my sink. Love. This. Cutting. Board!

If you don't have the 4 1/2-inch Serrated Knife, let me highly encourage you to check it out. Tomatoes are no match for this blade! You know how you pay for tomatoes by the pound? You know what makes them really expensive? Wasting half of them because you cut the entire top instead of popping the stem out. The Core & More makes quick work of stemming my tomatoes, and it's a true blessing in the summer when strawberry season comes along.

Oil, anyone? The Easy Read Mini Measuring Cup is awesome because it measures, but it also acts as a prep bowl when I go to brush the oil. I've got my tomatoes in the Large Bar Pan, and they're about to become amazing. That's the Chef's Silicone Basting Brush I'm using, by the way.

There's no way to get around the fact that onions are annoying. They just are. Papery little skins, stinky smells, tear-enducing chemicals... Anyway, if you have to cut onions, you might as well make it easier on yourself by using a good knife. This is the 5" Santoku, and it's my favorite of the Forged Cutlery Collection. I'm just quartering the onion, and I'll use the Food Chopper to make it fine. This is the ultimate protection against tears, and it goes in the dishwasher when I'm finished! Beside my onion station, I've got broth and wine measured into Easy Read Measuring Cups. Yes, I'm using white wine instead of red. Why? Because it's what I had in my kitchen, and I figured it didn't matter much. No, I'm not a chef, just a girl who likes food and is too cheap to buy special wine for 1/4 cup.

The onions are doing their thing in the 8-Qt. Stockpot. I can't say enough about the Executive Cookware Collection. Just try it, and you'll be amazed! The spoon I'm using is from the Basic Nylon Tool Set, and I don't have to worry about it melting when I walk away from the onions. Spoil me!

My kitchen started to smell amazing, and then I pulled these beauties out of the oven and got super excited. I mean, I roasted a pan of tomatoes, and they're about to be soup! That's just great! For everyone who asks me if you can use Stoneware with vegetables, here's the proof. The Large Bar Pan loves tomatoes... and meat... and cookies... and anything else that goes in the oven.

The Measure-All Cup is one of my favorite tools. Push it to the measurement you want, fill it with the substance you hate dealing with (tomato paste, peanut butter, mayonnaise...), and push it out. The Stainless/Silicone Sauce Whisk is great for stirring everything together because I don't have to worry about scratching my pot. Again, this is the 8-Qt. Stockpot.

After simmering everything together a little while, I have the most amazing soup of all time. This is great when it's fresh, but it's even better the second day after the ingredients have married and birthed extra flavor babies.

Make this. Tell me what you think. Do it!

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E-mail me: chefjennylyn[at]gmail.com

Call me up: (205) 585-2464

Artichoke, Spinach, and Feta Stuffed Shells

It's hard to make a picture of stuffed shells look appetizing. Let's just be honest: They look better in person. Bless their little hearts for being kind of "eh" for their close-up. The bottom line here is that this is one of my favorite recipes, and it's never had less than rave reviews when I've made it for other people. So this post of for everyone who's asked for the recipe over the last few months only to have me say, "Yes, I'll send that to you!" My problem is making myself stop to type out a recipe I cut from an 8-year-old magazine. Yes, I could scan it, but I'm a notes-all-over-my-original-recipe kind of girl, and that's just embarrassing to share with the world. ("You tripled the cheese, Carden? Really? I think I figured out your weight problem...")

So to all of you who have waited patiently, I give you my version of Cooking Light's Artichoke, Spinach, and Feta Stuffed Shells. With extra cheese.

Artichoke, Spinach, and Feta Stuffed Shellschefjennylyn.com

1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 (28-oz.) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes with added puree
1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup shredded provolone cheese, divided
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
8 oz. fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
9 oz. artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
12 oz. jumbo shell pasta, cooked

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat; cook 12 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and set aside.

Combine 1/2 cup provolone and the next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a medium bowl. Spoon or pipe about 1 1/2 tbsp. cheese mixture into each pasta shell. Place stuffed shells in a 13x9-inch baking dish. Spoon tomato mixture over shells; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup provolone. Bake for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated with melted cheese.

Jenny's recipe note: Use a lot more cheese. A hearty amount of shredded mozzarella on top makes everyone happy.

Big surprise - I heart prep work. My cheeses are ready to go in the Easy Read Measuring Cups, a set that will absolutely change the way you feel about measuring. Before I had these, I fumbled around like crazy, but now I'm all smiles when measuring, and I have a look of sheer contentment on my face when I hit the right mark. (Imagine a Snuggie commercial.) Ok, so maybe it's not that drastic, but these really are great. My oregano is in a Pinch Bowl, and I've got red pepper measured in in an Adjustable Measuring Spoon. Then there's the Smooth-Edge Can Opener... best. can. opener. ever. People buy these and then order more for all their family members. It's a beautiful thing.


I love the 8-Quart Stockpot from the Executive Cookware Collection. You know what's annoying and/or unsafe? A big pot of boiling water and noodles that's not easy to handle. Thank you, 8-Qt. Stockpot for making the "cooked according to package directions" step of this recipe bearable. Behind my big pot, I've got the 1.5-Qt. Saucepan with cream cheese softening. Yes, I'm the girl who always forgets to soften the cream cheese and then heats it while I do other steps of the recipe. That's the Skinny Scraper in the cream cheese and a Bamboo Spoon in the noodles.

This is my artichoke/noodle station. AKA: My kitchen sink. I can't say enough about the value of a cutting board that fits over the sink, and that's exactly what the Large Grooved Cutting Board does. In a small kitchen, this is fabulous. Then I've got my Colander & Bowl Set doing its thing and simplifying life. The Food Chopper makes chopping artichokes ridiculously easy, and then I can just take it apart and stick it in the dishwasher. The Handy Scraper is crucial when transporting chopped artichokes from the cutting board to the bowl. Then there's the Garlic Press...



So about the Garlic Press: Love. There is no substitute for fresh garlic in a recipe, but a lot of people avoid it because of the peeling. Honestly, if I didn't have good tools that kept my hands away from the gross stuff, I'd have a jar of who-knows-how-old garlic in my fridge, too. So I don't judge. This is what it looks like to use fresh garlic with the Pampered Chef Garlic Press. A lot of times, the whole peel will come out on the hopper, and you don't even have to get it out of the press. If you do need to get it out, however, there's a handy tool for that. Yes, they think of everything. Besides, you don't get to use the word "hopper" with a jar of garlic.

So now it's time to assemble the recipe. I'm using my favorite bowl from the Stainless Mixing Bowl Set, and the Mix 'n Scraper made it crazy easy to stir all those thick ingredients together. To fill the shells, I stick a Ziploc bag in the Measure-All Cup, fill it with the Classic Scraper, and close it off using a Twixit! Clip. Then I can just snip the end and fill shells easily.

Line the shells up in the Rectangular Baker, top them with sauce, cheese, and more cheese, and you're good to go! Just bake this beauty until you like the way it looks, and enjoy. This ladle is from the Specialty Nylon Tool Set. I love leaving tools in pots and pans without wondering if they're going to melt when I walk away.

This recipe is awesome. I don't know what else to say about it. My grandmother gave me a stack of old Cooking Light magazines, and this is my most treasured find from the haul. It's a great meal to serve dinner guests, and it's also perfect for taking to others. If you do that, just make it ahead, leave it unbaked, and let the lucky recipient cook it up when ready.

Enjoy, and tell me if you do!

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