Mini Mac-N-Cheese To Go

Super convenient when you need something to grab on the go

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound pasta (I used long noodles, but any work)
• 1 & 1/2 tbsp butter
• 2 & 1/4 cup cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup milk

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F, spray muffin tin 
2. Cook pasta until al dente, drain and set aside
3. In large pan melt butter, whisk in flour over moderate heat for 2 minutes
4. Whisk in milk and cook until boiling, about 5 minutes
5. Add cheese and whisk until melted
6. Take off heat and fold in pasta
7. Pack mac n cheese in muffin tins, leveling out at the top of openings 
8. Lightly sprinkle extra cheese and garnish on top (I put red pepper flakes for some spice!)
9. Bake for 10 minutes until golden and sizzling

Orange Chick'n (Tofu!)

This was a little sweet for me, but if you like the tangy orange chicken/tofu this is perfect for you!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: Varies

Ingredients:

• 1 lb tofu or 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 1/3 cup flour
• olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp ketchup
• 6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 4 tbsp brown sugar

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix the orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, and ketchup. 
2. Pour flour in a small bowl, cover tofu or chicken in it and shake off excess 
3. Pour a small amount of olive oil in a skillet and brown the flour-covered tofu or chicken (less color will occur on tofu)
4. Place tofu or chicken in the mixture and let soak for 15 minutes 
5. Pour entire mixture into a skillet and cook until slightly crispy 
6. OR, place pieces on a baking sheet and cook in oven for roughly 25 minutes, flipping half way through 

Banana Nutella Bread

Can you tell I like bananas and nutella yet?

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50-55 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour + more for dusting the pan
• 10 tbsp sugar
• 5/8 cup Nutella (microwaved for 30 seconds to make more spreadable)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt (I use Greek)
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan and dust with flour, tapping out the excess
2. Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl, set aside.
3. Mix the mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla with a wooden spoon in a bowl
4. Lightly fold wet mixture into dry mixture until combined and batter looks thick and chunky
5. Mix the nutella in a swirl pattern (be very careful...I mixed mine too much and it's not that pretty!)
6. Bake until loaf is golden brown (or doesn't stick to a knife if it's too brown from the Nutella like mine) about 50 minutes
7. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack or cutting board

Spicy Spinach Bread

Tastes good alone or adds a little zest to a sandwich :)

Prep Time: ~15 min
Cook Time: 45 min

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup sliced spinach leaves
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 large egg
• 1& 1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, spray 8x4 loaf pan
2. In large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, pepper, salt, and spinach
3. In separate bowl combine milk, oil, and egg. Whisk together
4. Pour liquid mixture into dry mixture and stir lightly, the batter should be lumpy
5. Pour batter into loaf pan
6. Bake bread for about 45 minutes until golden brown
7. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then let cool completely on a wire rack

Nutella Banana Oatmeal Cookies

The name makes these cookies sound super busy, but the flavors go together so well!

Prep Time: ~10 minutes
Cook Time: 8-10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 & 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup apple sauce
• 2 large mashed ripe bananas
• 1 egg
• 1 & 3/4 cup oats
• 1/4 cup Nutella

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl
3. Cut in apple sauce
4. Beat in mashed ripe bananas and egg
5. Mix in oats
6. Take a knife and "slice" nutella into batter with a knife (you can mix it in but it wont look as pretty!)
7. Spoon drops of batter on a cookie sheet
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes

Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes

This taste like extremely unhealthy deliciousness, but they actually are fairly healthy for you! And since they contain oats and the superfood blueberries they do well to keep you full for a long time.

Prep Time: ~10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 blueberries ( I froze mine to make it less juicy & messy pre-cooking! )
• 1/3 cup flour (I use wheat, but any should do)
• 2 tbsp rolled oats
• 2/3 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/3 cup milk of choice (I use almond milk)

Instructions:

1. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl
2. Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl
3. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ingredients
4. Cook on a skillet (spray with cooking spray if not using a nonstick pan!) on low-medium, flipping each pancake once **make sure not to overheat because the center will NOT cook before the outside burns if you do!
5. Serve with syrup, powdered sugar, etc! 

Pita Bread

Making it is SO much cheaper than buying it, and it tastes just as good (if not better!)

Prep Time: ~55 min
Cook Time: 10-15 min

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp yeast
• 1 & 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 tsp salt
• 3ish cups flour

Instructions:

1. Dissolve yeast in water for about 5 minutes in a bowl large enough to add the other ingredients in
2. Add salt and 1 & 1/2 cups flour, beat to make a batter
3. Add flour until it becomes a rough dough
4. Knead until dough is smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky
5. Divide into 6 balls, then flatten with a rolling pin to 1/4 inch thick discs
6. Keep an even thickness to help the "puff"
7. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
8. Rest on floured surface for 30-40 minutes until slightly puffed
9. Bake 10-15 minutes until lightly golden

Wonton Wrappers

Of course I had to make something to go along with the peanut sauce... and after finding out how easy these are to make I don't understand why anyone spends the money to buy them!

Prep Time: ~15 min

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. In medium bowl beat egg and water.
2. In large bowl combine flour and salt.
3. Pour egg and water mixture into flour and salt, mix well. If mixture is too dry, add small amounts of water (1 tsp) at a time.
4. On lightly floured surface knee dough until elastic.
5. Separate dough into two balls and cover with a damp cloth for 10 minutes
6. Cut each ball into four smaller pieces
7. Roll each piece into a thin circle
8. If not using immediately, stack and store in a ziplock bag. Separate using wax paper to prevent sticking together

Spicy Peanut Sauce

Disclaimer: This does NOT taste like the stuff you get at restaurants, but it is nommy nonetheless!

Prep Time: ~ 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil 
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• 1.5 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp Siracha Sauce (c)
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

(don't mind my messy kitchen in the pictures...)

Instructions:

1. In pot over medium-high heat, combine all ingredients. 
2. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
3. Store in a sealed container. 

Nutella (c) Filled Sugar Cookies

Everyone loves Nutella (c)...and everyone loves sugar cookies, so why not combine them into one delicious recipe?!

Prep time: ~20 minutes
Cook time: ~10-15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Nutella (c)
• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1.5 cups sugar, separately have another 1/3 cup
• 14 tbsp (1.75 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Scoop out Nutella in small (they will have to fit in a cookie) mounds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Put in freezer until ready to use (or solidified if ready before this occurs)
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. In large bowl, beat together the butter and 1.5 cups sugar at medium speed until the mixture is creamy and fluffy (roughly 3-5 minutes)
5. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract
6. Gradually beat in flour mixture until combined. 
7. Use roughly 2 tbsp of cookie dough for each cookie.
8. Split the dough in half and flatten each half. 
9. Life one mound of Nutella (c) and lay on bottom half of cookie dough
10. Cover Nutella (c) with other half of cookie dough, sealing the edges with your fingers.
11. Roll ball in the extra sugar, then place on baking sheet
12. Bake the cookies until edges are set and beginning to brown, about 10 to 13 minutes.

Acai Bowl

A healthy snack, a filling breakfast, whatever you want to use it for this super food fills you up and tastes sinful even though it's healthy!

 Ingredients:

• 1 pack frozen Sambazon (c) Acai (I put mine in ice cube trays previously so it's easier to blend)
• 1 banana + however much you want for garnish
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup juice, milk, etc (up to you, I use Naked Juice (c) or almond milk!)
• honey for drizzling 
• granola

Instructions:

1. Blend acai and juice together in a blender until smooth
2. Add strawberries and blend until smooth
3. Add banana and blend until smooth
4. Pour into bowl and add garnish (honey, granola, banana, up to you!)

Homemade Twix (c) Bars

Is there really an explanation necessary...the best candy you can buy, now homemade so you don't have all those extra weird ingredients!

Disclaimer: This is NOT something you can quickly whip up, it takes some time and sitting around

Prep Time: ~10 minutes
Cook/Cooling Time: ~1hr 30min

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter or margarine
• 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups Unbleached All-Purpose flour
• 2 cups caramel, cut into small chunks
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream (I use almond milk instead!)
• 3 cups milk chocolate chips **

** any type of chocolate will work but use milk chocolate if you want the classic Twix (c) taste!

 (Fig. 1)

  (Fig. 2)

 (Fig. 3)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Spray a 9.5 x 13.5 pan lightly with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
2. In a bowl beat on medium speed the butter, sugar, vanilla and flour.
3. Take the dough and press it into the prepared pan, make sure it is even. (Pricking the crust all over with a fork will allow steam to escape and prevent bubbling)
4. Bake the crust until golden brown, roughly 35-45 minutes. Then set aside to cool.
5. While the crust is cooling melt the caramel and cream over low heat in a small saucepan. 
6. Pour the caramel over the crust and set in the refrigerator until it firms up, at least 30 minutes.
7. Once the caramel is firm, cut the caramel covered crust into strips (any shape you want, I just did similar to a real Twix (c) with mine!) and set aside. (Fig. 1)
8. Melt the milk chocolate chips in a double broiler over very low heat, mixing continuously to prevent burning.
9. Once melted completely remove from heat. 
10. Take pre-cut bars and dip into the chocolate and place on parchment paper or a plate to let set for several hours before eating (or cheat like me and put them in the refrigerator, only takes about 30 minutes then!) (Fig. 2)

This recipe is one I modified from one I found on stockpilemoms.com

An Introduction

Hey all! My name is Noelle and I love to bake, cook, experiment, etc!  And of course my favorite time to do this is when I am s-t-r-e-s-s-e-d, which is generally a result of, you guessed it, studying. I bake and cook pretty regularly so I thought, hey why not make a blog so other stressed (or not) people can get these awesome recipes too!?

Now, I mentioned school is a big stresser, which when you're kind of making your own major (since my school doesn't formally offer animal psychology) while double minoring in Anthropology and Education is understandable!  Along with that I also have a full time job as a nanny. Sometimes I almost go crazy from the kid (he's currently a year) but sometimes it's really easy and relaxing. Those tend to be right after the crazy moments so I immediately start looking up recipes to try later that night.

While the blog is called stress BAKING I will also post the recipes to the things I cook for dinner. I have three housemates and they tend to jokingly call me "Mommy Noelle" since I yell at them for eating cookies for dinner, which tends to result in me making their dinner, aka stress cooking rather than baking!

Anyway, I guess that is enough of an intro...hope you enjoy the blog!

**Disclaimer: I may write little to none as an intro to most of these recipes, I know I generally skip the paragraphs of writing on blogs when I'm looking at a recipe so I figure you all do too!