tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31416865755015166362024-03-05T19:04:27.279-08:00StracciatellaFor the love of all things Italian, chocolate & leavened.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger297125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-69442685461972764272018-01-14T15:23:00.000-08:002018-01-14T15:23:14.451-08:00The BEST Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, I know what you all are thinking - vegan cookies....really Christina?! Yes, I am serious. Vegan cookies. And since we've already been a few weeks in to all those new years resolutions, I thought I would share a great AMAZING cookie recipe. We can eat those again, right? I have been testing this one out for awhile and think now is the time to give away my vegan cookie secret. Just stay with me here. I promise it's worth it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vegan cookies may not sound the least bit appetizing to you. I get it. What's the point of eating a cookie without eggs and butter, right? I am not going to lie. I thought the same thing. My husband and I recently went on a date night to a local wine bar and restaurant not too far from our house. After dinner, we wanted a sweet treat (duh) and came across a local bakery down the street from where we were. Of course we had to go. We walked in and there wasn't much left since it was close to closing time. Little did we know, it was a vegan bakery. We thought we would expand our baked good horizons and give it a go. Why not, right? So, we picked a double chocolate and walnut cookie. It looked really good and you usually can't go wrong with chocolate and nuts. At least that's what we thought. While that bakery was cute and everything smelled delicious, that cookie was not. It was dry, crumbly and left us wishing for a different cookie. Boo. #sadcookies</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From that point on, I was determined to start trying some vegan baking. It did not have to be much or anything wild, but I figured it was time to add some of it to my baking back pocket. I must have spent hours upon hours researching vegan baking and what people loved, liked and hated. I think there was a lot more vegan hate than love, but I was determined to keep on pushing. Then, I came across the BEST vegan chocolate chip cookies. The best, really? We've all seen recipes that say the best, but then come to find out, they aren't. How many different ways can one make a chocolate chip cookie? Well, apparently, a lot. But we won't go there right now. That's for another time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, since these were the BEST and all the ingredients seemed normal (at least to me), I made my shopping list and headed to the store. And by normal, I mean ingredients I would use more than once and not something I would have to spend $20 to never use it again. While these cookies have all the usual suspects - flour, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and baking soda - I also needed to stock up on coconut oil, unsweetened apple sauce, coconut milk and vegan chocolate chips. Here's a tip. If you use coconut oil in other recipes, Costco is the best place to buy it. Otherwise, I recommend Trader Joes, if you have one near you. If not, most grocery stores sell it these days and it's in the aisle with all the other oils. As for the coconut milk, use the kind in the can. Thai Kitchen is the best brand I've used (I've tried two others), but any of the canned kind will work. Just make sure to shake the can before opening and give it a good stir before measuring. There may be chunks, but that's okay! As for the chocolate chips, most stores now sell dairy free and other vegan friendly chips in the baking aisle. Use what looks good to you. I really, really love the Enjoy Life! brand. They are SO good and you'd never know they were vegan. Really! I've been able to find them at Whole Foods, my local grocery stores and Amazon! Just remember, if you get wild and use regular chocolate chips, these won't be 100% vegan. The choice is yours!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These cookies are really simple to throw together and the best part is, you don't have to soften any butter. I never thought I would say that, but it's a win in my book. If I forget to leave it out, I usually end up accidentally melting it in my microwave. That never fun to clean up. Nevertheless, you simply throw the coconut oil (not melted!), brown sugar and vanilla in to the mixer. Mix until well combined and then add in the applesauce and coconut milk. Give it a stir and then add in all the dry ingredients. At this point, the batter will be thick, but that's okay. If the batter looks a little dry, add a splash more coconut milk. If it looks a little too wet, add in a tablespoon or two of flour. Then, stir in the chocolate chips and use those muscles to mix them in! Now, it's time to bake up these cookies. I can smell them now! These cookies will bake for about 10 minutes until they look just about set and the edges are just starting to get brown. Do not over bake them. I repeat. Do not over bake them or you will have hard cookies. You want these to be nice and soft and ooey gooey. Just as a chocolate chip cookie should be! When the cookies are done, I like to give them a little sprinkle of flaky sea salt for something a little extra special. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And I can now tell you that these vegan chocolate chip cookies really THE BEST. My husband loved them. My coworkers ate more than I can count. My hairdresser and friend loved them so much she asked for six dozen for the holidays and people have been requesting them left and right since I started making them. Another person tried them and had no idea they were even vegan. In fact, they thought I was joking! But nope. No joking here. These are simply the best and something I will be making for a long time to come. In fact, I think you should try them too. They are not just for vegans - they are for all cookie lovers! And I am willing to bet that you will love these as much as I do (and I am not even vegan!)!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hWYHLlCHv07seyw2GNvSxbyLH-d5RflkJDWcT0k7HNKmfeKuX1r8YPfFLgbYdQ-3fZ8SSQsSZM6HpZ2FyAqU2vItIcr6c-KuGW3Y5TqTQb5ao8PxAUyPgx8zH8QpK0pvL6C6GbQQNVpz/s1600/IMG_8553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hWYHLlCHv07seyw2GNvSxbyLH-d5RflkJDWcT0k7HNKmfeKuX1r8YPfFLgbYdQ-3fZ8SSQsSZM6HpZ2FyAqU2vItIcr6c-KuGW3Y5TqTQb5ao8PxAUyPgx8zH8QpK0pvL6C6GbQQNVpz/s320/IMG_8553.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That cookie though!</span></td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>The BEST Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER!</u></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> (Slightly adapted from Baker by Nature)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 cup coconut oil (solid, not melted!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 teaspoons vanilla</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/4 cup coconut milk (make sure it's in a can!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 1/4 cup flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 cups vegan chocolate chips</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Flaky sea salt (I like to use Maldon)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Directions:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a mixing bowl, add the coconut oil, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat until everything is combined well and nice and creamy. Then, add in the coconut milk and applesauce. Mix until combined and then add in all of the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well (batter will be thick!) and then fold in 1 3/4 cups of the chocolate chips. Set aside the other 1/4 cup of chocolate chips for later.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Using a large cookie scoop (or 2-3 tablespoons worth), scoop the dough and placed on the lined cookie sheet. Make sure to leave an inch or two between the cookies as they will spread out. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cookies look just set in the middle and the edges are starting to brown. Do not over bake! When the cookies come out, add on a few extra chocolate chips to the tops for looks and sprinkle with sea salt. Let cookies cool on the sheet for about 15 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. ENJOY!</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I dare you to try to eat just one of these. They are THAT good. Especially warm and just out of the oven!</span></i></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11735990986952712104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-73607074243850440122018-01-05T17:03:00.001-08:002018-01-05T17:03:36.913-08:00One-Pan Peas, Ham and Creamy Noodles<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Looking for a quick way to use up all that leftover holiday ham that isn't soup? Don't get me wrong. I love me a good bowl of homemade ham and bean soup, but there is only so much soup one girl can eat. And I love soup. After the Christmas holiday, my husband and I were lucky enough to have been sent home lots of leftover ham. We had it in soup (duh), mixed some in to our eggs in the morning and even on sandwiches. As much as we loved ham in all those ways, we wondered what else we could do with it. Then came peas, ham and creamy noodles!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">When my hubby was flying us home after Christmas (I've told you he's a pilot, right? If not, well, I'll tell you all about that another time), I was able to get a bit of reception over wonderful I-5, even at 7,000 feet in the air. I used it to my advantage and researched leftover ham recipes. There were all the usual suspects - ham and bean soup, ham and scalloped potatoes, etc. None of them sounded all that intriguing, until I found something about ham and noodles. I mentioned to my hubby and he said it sounded great (and like something he had before!). So, it was settled. That night, I was trying out a new recipe. All I needed to do when we landed was stop by the store and pick up the few things I didn't already have (i.e. egg noodles and peas). Little did I know I would forget a lemon. Don't you </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">hate it when you double check your list at the store only to forget one little thing? Please tell me that I am not the only one that does that! But I digress. Enough about my lemon drama.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, back to the ham and noodles. This recipe is so easy, it's one pan and it takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish. Now that's what I am talking about. It makes enough for a family or just two, with leftovers for an extra meal or two. Now who doesn't love leftovers? This recipe starts off with a little onion and garlic (okay, a lot of garlic) that are cooked down until they are tender and start to brown. Once your whole house smells like heaven, you add in the egg noodles, chicken broth, ham and bit of half and half. Give it all a good stir, bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for 10 minutes, give or take. Once the noodles are tender, add in a bit of cornstarch and water to thicken everything up, a big pinch of salt and pepper and then a bit of lemon juice and a good handful of peas. Give it one more good stir to combine and then here is where we get fancy. I also added in about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese. This is totally optional here, but I think it takes this dish up a notch. Plus, who doesn't like cheese. Serve this with a little salad on the side and you have the perfect meal in less than 30 minutes.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This dish is creamy, super easy and so delicious. It's now on holiday ham rotation at our house and I think it should be on yours too!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Leftover ham isn't just for soup and potatoes!!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">One-Pan Peas, Ham and Creamy Noodles</u> (Slightly adapted from Kevin & Amanda)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 tablespoons butter or olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 cups of diced onion</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2-5 cloves chopped garlic</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 cups chicken stock or broth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup half and half or any milk of your choice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 pound diced, cooked ham</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup frozen peas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon lemon juice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 grated parmesan</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Melt butter in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat and cook onions and garlic until nice and golden brown. Don't burn the garlic! Once the onions and garlic are nice and brown, add in the broth, half and half and noodles and bring to a boil. Then, add the diced ham, cover the pan with a lid and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook noodles until they are tender, about 10 minutes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While the noodles are cooking, combine one tablespoon of cornstarch and three tablespoons water together and add to pan once the noodles are cooked. This will thicken the sauce up nicely! Season with salt and pepper to taste and then add in the frozen peas and lemon juice. Stir to combine, add in the grated parmesan and then enjoy!</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It doesn't have to be the holidays to enjoy this dish! You can make this anytime of the year - just look for ham steak in the lunch meat section of your grocery store. If you can't find it there, visit your local deli counter and ask them to slice your ham like a ham steak. Trust me, they'll know what you're talking about!</span></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11735990986952712104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-5973176224803125502017-08-27T12:50:00.000-07:002017-08-27T12:50:01.278-07:00No Churn Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's been so dang hot here this summer that I find myself not really wanting to turn on the oven to bake. Shocking, I know. Don't get me wrong, I still bake, but I try not to do it as often when it's 105+ degrees for over a week. Ick. Is it Fall yet? I am so ready for cooler weather, sweaters, boots and scarves. Who's with me?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With this, I have turned to no-churn ice cream to cool down. Let me be the first to tell you that I have two ice cream makers and love a good homemade ice cream (and do does my hubby). But, there are two big problems with those things. One, you have to make the ice cream base ahead of time and let it cool. Two, you have to remember to freeze one of the ice cream inserts (and keep it frozen for 2-3 days). I don't always remember to do the latter since the darn thing takes up too much room in the freezer. Ice cream problems. Those are real problems, people!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In one of the many emails I get from fellow food bloggers, a no churn ice cream recipe caught my eye. How the heck did a no churn ice cream even work? Would it even be good? I totally thought you had to churn ice cream to make it light, airy and super creamy. Clearly I was way wrong. And even better, you can make this no churn peanut butter cup ice cream with only five (yes, I said five!) ingredients and in under 10 minutes. In under 10 minutes you will have some of the best ice cream you've EVER had. I kid you not. Let me tell you all about it and how to get this started in your kitchen right now!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To make any no churn ice cream, you'll first need sweetened condensed milk, whipping cream (ps. Costco has the best deal on heavy whipping cream!) and vanilla. But to make this peanut butter cup version, you will need the three ingredients I just mentioned, plus peanut butter and peanut butter cups. Once you've gathered all the ingredients (you may have most of them already!), you'll want to melt a portion of the peanut butter and keep aside. This will give you totally delicious peanut butter ribbons throughout your ice cream. Now who wouldn't want that?! This is the part that takes the ice cream over the top! While the peanut butter is cooling, you'll mix the rest of the peanut butter in to the sweetened condensed milk and then fold all of that into whipped cream. Make sure you are folding and not just stirring really fast or out of control. If you do that, the whipped cream will deflate and make the ice cream really sad. And you'll be sad too. We don't want that. Plus, the whipped cream is what makes this no churn ice cream possible! Who knew?! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once you've folded in the milk and peanut butter mixture in to the whipped cream, gently add in the peanut butter cups. If you are using mini peanut butter cups, just simply mix them in. If you are using regular sized peanut butter cups, make sure to chop them up a bit. Although, I wouldn't mind biting in to a huge peanut butter cup. I've also been known to pick them out of other ice creams instead of eating the actual ice cream. Oops. Don't worry - I don't do that anymore. That was an old, bad habit. Back to the ice cream. Then, you'll place half of the ice cream in a freezer safe container (I like to use a loaf pan lined with plastic wrap), drizzle on the melted peanut butter mixture, the rest of the ice cream and then a little more of the peanut butter drizzle. Swirl everything together and then place in the freezer for at least eight hours to harden up. I know the eight hours sounds like fooorrrreeevverrr, but trust me. It will be well worth the wait Promise!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After eight hours, you will have some of the best ice cream you've ever, ever had. I kid you not. Making no churn ice cream has found a permanent place in my home and I have tried several other versions since making this peanut butter one (oreo fudge swirl and nutella chocolate chip)! The hubby and I are addicted and we think you will be too! No more need for a fancy ice cream machine to make out of this world ice cream at home!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hand me a spoon, please!!</span></td></tr>
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<u style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">No Churn Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream</u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> (slightly adapted from Handle the Heat)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter, divided </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 cups heavy cream, nice and cold</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup mini peanut butter cups, (if using regular sized cups, remember to chop them!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a large bowl combine the condensed milk and 1 cup of the peanut butter until smooth.
Place the remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter in a heatproof bowl and microwave in 30-second increments until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream and vanilla on high speed until stiff
peaks form. If you over beat, you will have butter and we won't want that for this recipe. Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until combined. You don't want to to see any white streaks from the whipped cream. Gently stir in the peanut butter
cups.
Layer the ice cream in a freezer-safe container with dollops and drizzles of the melted peanut butter. Once all of the
ice cream and peanut butter is inside the container, use a knife to gently swirl the mixture. Top with more chopped peanut butter cups, if desired.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cover the surface with plastic wrap before sealing the container. Freeze for at least 8 hours and then enjoy!</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This ice cream will not last long in your freezer. You've been warned!</span></i></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11735990986952712104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-18069562040174228542017-08-20T14:33:00.001-07:002017-08-20T14:40:12.633-07:00Okay, I've Been Hiding<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Okay, I'll admit it, I've been hiding under a rock for over a year. Has it really been that long since I last blogged? Dear lord. I am sorry. But, the good news is that I am just fine. In case you were worried. Hopefully you weren't.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A lot has been going on and most importantly (and why I took a break from blogging for awhile) is because I graduated grad school. FINALLY. I will not lie - it was a long and tough road. Between working full time, planning my wedding (more on that in a minute) and more sleepless nights than I care to remember, I made it. I can official say I now have my Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. Despite graduating over a year ago, some days it does not feel real. I still feel as if I should be going to campus on the weekends to meet a group or getting up to my alarm at 4:30 am to study before going to work. During those two and a half years, I met some of the most amazing and inspiring classmates and faculty who pushed me to be a better person both inside and out. I could not have done it without my fellow classmates nor my husband. He saw the best of me and the worst of me during that time. While I was cranky from little to no sleep, he would make sure that I would take breaks (even though I didn't think I needed them) and make sure I remembered to eat. You do not want to see my hangry. That is not a good sight. I am not sure I would have made it through without him. Seriously. He deserves at least half of my diploma, if not more.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I would not have survived grad school without this group of amazing people!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Before I finished grad school, you may have noticed that the blog posts slowed down quite a bit. Well, not only was I working full time and going to school at night, but I was also planning a wedding. Crazy, right? Not sure what I was thinking at the time, but I did it. Wait no, we did it (my husband and I, that is)! While we had less than a year to plan our wedding, we were able to get it done relatively seamlessly and plan ahead as much as we could. We really took my summer break to heart and got done as much as we possibly could - favors, decoration shopping and more. My hubby was such a trooper. And through all of the planning and school work, I kept the crazy bride moments to a minimum. Really! There was only one true crying moment when I realized we had to remove a table at the last minute. Now that I look back on it, I have no idea why I was so upset and no one even knew that table had been removed. Oops. But hey, that's pretty good, right? You hear all those horror stories of bridezillas, so I was glad to not have had any of those moments! After all the planning, the day was here and we were married. It was a beautiful ceremony in our family friend's backyard - we couldn't have asked for anything more perfect! We danced the night away with our family and friends and in just a few short months, we'll be celebrating our second wedding anniversary. Time files when you're having fun!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8MIRZG1PI1kzUrm-6NVSFVoQsHiIm8brSJ0Ltix7d8YOfdAYaGy87T5czlvGLoKa0ODxiAmWbcApIwRPHqVReCKKrsx0BH81R6a802HQWt6jgDAzjErfbjSoXQyveyKt2-9uVvINBSW-/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8MIRZG1PI1kzUrm-6NVSFVoQsHiIm8brSJ0Ltix7d8YOfdAYaGy87T5czlvGLoKa0ODxiAmWbcApIwRPHqVReCKKrsx0BH81R6a802HQWt6jgDAzjErfbjSoXQyveyKt2-9uVvINBSW-/s400/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Photo Credit: Beck Diefenbach</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Oh and you're probably wondering where the 411 is on our honeymoon. Well, we did not go on one.....yet. I had a midterm exam two days after our wedding (that teacher was NOT nice when I asked him to take it early - ugh!), so we really couldn't go anywhere. There's nothing more romantic than spending the day after your wedding in the library studying. Party pooper over here. I even joked around with some of my classmates that I would wear my dress to that midterm. If you are wondering, I did not. I was thiiiiiiis close to wearing it, but I don't think I would have fit in the desk with all that dress. But, good things come to those who wait, right? Right! So, the hubby and I have decided it's finally time to take that well awaited honeymoon. More on that later, but it's coming and we can't wait to have some time to celebrate us and relax. We've been waiting a long time for this!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Let's see, what else has been going on? The hubby and I continue to plug away at updating our home and are currently working on our living room. Correction, Ryan is working on the living room. At least for now. He's re-texturing the ceiling and once he's done, we'll have the living room carpeted (the carpet before we moved in was so gross) and then we'll put a fresh coat of paint on the walls. We had to go back to the drawing board with the paint a couple of times, but I think we finally have a whole house paint that will look good on both the walls and the ceiling. We made the mistake of using another color of paint in one of the bedrooms and then doing a white ceiling. That was a fun task. We learned that wasn't the best way to go if we were going to be repainting the entire inside of the house ourselves. Nevertheless, things are moving along and we should be done sooner than later. But don't hold me to that. Doing a remodel yourself is hard work, but we've learned a lot about the house and ourselves through the process. Blood, sweat and tears will live on in this house, even after we are gone!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCktna2D6D2ZJRVHWDf4alc26Fjovg4qNXn_YlLv76MCD_mKFCCvWBxBXXmOx7wvGOWVwDnUCKVLdbwxMSYNpEubkUNLXpFTfn7JKGFWsBozX1uD7bcnpp-_0cB0B92Qmy4XatV2KCFF4/s1600/IMG_7049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCktna2D6D2ZJRVHWDf4alc26Fjovg4qNXn_YlLv76MCD_mKFCCvWBxBXXmOx7wvGOWVwDnUCKVLdbwxMSYNpEubkUNLXpFTfn7JKGFWsBozX1uD7bcnpp-_0cB0B92Qmy4XatV2KCFF4/s400/IMG_7049.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Who needs a contractor when you have a very handy hubby!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And one last item of mention - a new hobby. Not that I have a lot of time for anything else these days, but I decided to take on the task of refinishing old furniture. I never really thought much about it before, but admired those who did just that. Their work was just beautiful and I never thought I would ever even think of trying to do it. Let me just say, I am no expert and nor will I ever be, but, I was willing to give it a shot. Especially after my husband asked if I would like to try to refinish a couple of nightstands that were his grandparents. I was a little hesitant at first, seeing as they were part of the family, but he was certain his grandparents would be proud that we were freshening them up and using them in our home. So, it was time to set out on the task of figuring out how the heck I was even going to get started on such a project. After endless weeks of sanding, painting, priming and then painting again, I was done with the nightstand. It had gone from a funky avocado stained color to a clean and crisp white. Then, I felt I could do more and it was time for a dresser. I decided to do the body of the dresser a grey color and the drawers white (thank you Pinterest for the color inspiration). Despite the dresser being much larger than the nightstand, I was able to get the dresser done a lot faster. Not sure why that was, but I just went with it. After several coats of paint and new hardware, the dresser was finished. Since then, I've been working on the final nightstand and even took an Annie Sloan chalk paint class. Their paint and brushes are THE BEST, but I won't get started down that path. But I will just say that I did not use her paint or brushes on the first two pieces and it was a challenge. Brush hairs everywhere and bubbles in the other brand of chalk paint (to which the name will not be revealed). Don't get me wrong, the two pieces turned out great, but now that I've been introduced to Annie Sloan, there's no going back - and I have my eye on two other pieces and have been keeping my eyes out for others at garage sales or on the side of the road!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRm5RZDyB6msFOa_GngGz3dec4hOYiCkqxAQYnwY448dN_EP5XP38dowkZhTKYrbM_zc9innyXMl4Chb1bTDjHIULQL8fh9U0x2tbTKkfGt4cMYP28gLEvJ3pu3NOu4YqlmMevBW_4-kv/s1600/IMG_8151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRm5RZDyB6msFOa_GngGz3dec4hOYiCkqxAQYnwY448dN_EP5XP38dowkZhTKYrbM_zc9innyXMl4Chb1bTDjHIULQL8fh9U0x2tbTKkfGt4cMYP28gLEvJ3pu3NOu4YqlmMevBW_4-kv/s400/IMG_8151.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This was ELECTRIC blue before I got my hands on it</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So, that's where I've been. Not to worry though. I've still been trying new recipes and cooking up a storm, as usual. I have a ton of recipes to share with you and will be back to blogging at least once a week. No more of this over a year away business. Here's to more recipes and more fun in the kitchen (and hopefully not driving my husband crazy with all my experiments!)!</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-27554260308441790432016-03-29T20:00:00.005-07:002016-04-07T12:06:38.462-07:00Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Not sure what to do with all those leftover carrots from Easter? Well, I have just the answer for you. Make this homemade carrot cake baked oatmeal! But not just any baked oatmeal - vegan, oil and white sugar free oatmeal. Have I scared you now? Please don't run away just because I said vegan. I promise this oatmeal is good. Otherwise, why would I share it with you and pretty much tell you that you need to make this ASAP. Okay, maybe the latter part scared you. Nevertheless, this baked oatmeal is a must make. Whether it's because you want something simple and delicious for quick breakfast, a mid-afternoon snack or for desert (yes, you could eat this for dessert!), this baked oatmeal is for you. Plus, it's full of carrots and any extra veggies I can get in is a plus in my book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am going to be the first to tell you that I don't make a lot of vegan dishes. Not because they don't sound good, but because I just never really think about it all that much. Maybe I should think about it more. Especially after how good this oatmeal was! This oatmeal is super simple to whip up. All you need is oats, carrots (of course), honey or maple syrup as your sweetener, vanilla, cinnamon, a few other ingredients, nuts, raisins and almond milk. Of course I used my homemade almond milk here, but you can use whatever milk you like here. Do note that if you use good 'ol regular milk, this will no longer be vegan. But that's okay too. As long as you are not serving this to vegans. You literally mix everything together, pour it in to a baking dish and bake away. In about 30 minutes your home will be filled with the best carrot cake smell. In oatmeal form, of course.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The best part about this oatmeal is that you can prep everything the night before and just mix it up the morning of and bake. You can also bake the oatmeal the day before and just reheat the next morning. That's what the hubby and I like to do. It makes a super quick, healthy and delicious morning breakfast treat for us. We like to serve it with a dollop of vanilla Greek yogurt or a splash of our favorite milk. Yes, I know neither of those are vegan, but I am okay with it, so I hope you are too. The best part about this oatmeal is that I feel really good about eating it - it's loaded with carrots, oats and no white sugar. It's super delicious and to be honest, you'd never know there weren't eggs or milk in this dish. It's a winner and I think I may even try to add some crushed pineapple the next time I make it. And by next time, I mean next week. Because this was so good and I have been eating it almost everyday this week....for lunch! It doesn't matter what time of the day you eat this oatmeal, you are sure to love it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal</u> (slightly modified from Oh She Glows)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2 1/4 cup oats (not quick cooking)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1/4 salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups shredded carrots</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2 1/2 cups almond milk (or any other non-dairy (for vegan) or regular milk (for non-vegan)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1/3 cup honey (or pure maple syrup)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2 teaspoons vanilla extract</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (or 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1/4 cup raisins</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1/2 roughly chopped walnuts</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 8x11 (9x13 will work just fine here too) pan and set aside. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, add the milk, honey and vanilla extra. Mix well and then pour over the dry ingredients. Give everything a big stir to combine and pour in to the prepared pan. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until golden brown around the edges. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>This baked oatmeal will also freeze really well once baked. Just remove from the freezer the night before to defrost and enjoy the next morning!</i></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-27529856100182170452016-03-25T20:19:00.002-07:002016-03-25T20:19:55.538-07:00Homemade Almond Milk<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Homemade almond milk is something I've been wanting to try for a very long time. I've heard how easy it was to make and since I was buying a carton from the store almost every week, I thought, why not try to make it at home. Seemed logical enough to me. Right? So, I started doing a search for what I would need to make almond milk at home and here's what I found - almonds (duh), dates or other natural sweetener, vanilla beans (or extract) and a nut bag. Yes, I said a nut bag. Don't laugh. It's a real thing. I promise! You can use cheese cloth in place of the nut bag, but I recommend a true nut bag. You can find a variety of them on Amazon and any one of them will work. They are around $10 each and are reusable! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pro-Quality-Nut-Milk-Bag/dp/B00KLT6X9W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1458754208&sr=8-3&keywords=nut+bag">This</a> is the one I bought. It worked great and was easy to clean. That's a win in my book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Okay, back to making the milk. It's super easy. First, you take one cup of almonds and soak them for 8-10 hours with enough water to cover them. Make sure you use a big enough bowl as the almonds will expand a bit. Once 8-10 hours have passed, drain and rinse the almonds. You don't want to use that soaking water. Then, place the almonds and fresh water in the blender. At this point, you can blend away or if you want to add a bit of sweetness and flavor, you can add in a few pitted dates and some vanilla. I threw in a whole vanilla bean pod, but if you don't have those handy, vanilla extract will work just fine. You can also use honey or pure maple syrup instead of dates, if you wish. Or leave out the natural sweetener altogether. It's up to you. Once everything is in the blender, whip it up for a minute or so. Make sure everything is really well blended. Give it few extra seconds if you think it needs it. It won't hurt it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then comes the fun part and where the nut bag comes in to play. Take a big bowl (enough to hold the liquid from the blender) and place the nut bag in the bowl. Pour the contents of the blender in to the bag and squeeze it for as long as you can to get milk out of it. Warning - if you squeeze too hard, it will squirt all over. Ya, that happened to me. Apparently I don't know my own strength. Once all of the milk is out, you can keep the ground up mixture for granola, muffins or to use as a flour replacement in your baking. More on that later. I threw mine away before I knew you could use it. Darn it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Give the blender a quick rinse and then pour the milk back in. Now, add a pinch of salt and a dash of cinnamon. You can leave the cinnamon and salt out, but I think it gives it a little something something and definitely takes it over the top from store bought almond milk. But if you are purest, then you can leave it out. Give the mixture one more whirl and you are good to go. You can pour it in any container you like (I bought <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Libbey-Glass-Milk-Bottle-Lid/dp/B00P85C1MC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458754799&sr=8-2&keywords=glass+milk+bottle">this</a> cute reusable milk jar!) and enjoy for up to a week. If it lasts that long. When all is said and done, this recipe makes about three and a half cups of fresh almond milk. Enjoy it with cereal, in your baking, or just in a big cold glass! </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">how good does that look!?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Homemade Almond Milk</u> (Oh She Glows)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 cup raw almonds</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3 1/2 cups fresh water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3-4 pitted dates</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 vanilla bean (whole) or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pinch of salt</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Soak the one cup of raw almonds in enough water to cover them for 8-10 hours. Once the soaking time has passed, drain and rinse the almonds. Add the almonds to a blender with the 3.5 cups fresh water, dates and vanilla. Blend for one minute on high until everything is well blended. If you feel it needs a bit more, blend for another 15 seconds. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then place the nut bag in a bowl big enough to hold the contents of the blender. Then, pour the mixture in to the bag and squeeze to get all the milk into the bowl. Once you've removed all the milk, you can dump the contents of the bag or save them for another use (more on that to come, but you can also Google it too!). Rinse out the blender and then pour the milk back in. Add in the salt and cinnamon and give it one more quick whirl - 10 seconds or so. Then, pour in to whatever container you have and enjoy!</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Who knew making homemade almond milk would be so fun and delicious!.</span></i><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-86338406136772739062016-03-23T20:18:00.000-07:002016-03-23T20:18:32.387-07:00The Best Black Bean Brownies EVER<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Black bean brownies get a bad rap. Probably because they contain black beans and typically taste nothing like a brownie. But, I am about to change your mind about black bean brownies. Like, I am going to make you want to make these black bean brownies all the time and eat one almost everyday. Don't be scared, okay? Just hear me out. Now, I've tried several black bean brownie recipes out there. The first one I tried had flecks of bean skin (so gross!) throughout the brownie and it gave it such a strange texture. And, it really tasted like beans. Of course, I knew it would, but it was more bean-y than I thought it would be. Not very good in my books. The second version I tried was a bit more chocolaty, but the beans were definitely still there. I made several batches for others, and they loved them, but they still weren't "the one". And definitely not the brownie I would eat in place of an every day ooey gooey chocolate brownie. Now I want a brownie. With ice cream. And berries. And hot fudge. Oh my!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Okay, back to black bean brownies. One weekend afternoon when I needed a study break (as you all know, I stress bake), I decided to do some more research on black bean brownies. That's when I came across a new and different way of making black bean brownies from Gina, the wonderful food blogger of Skinnytaste. If you have not checked out her blog, you must! It's AMAZING. Just like these brownies. I am not going to lie. I was a bit skeptical trying out yet another black bean brownie recipe, but these have changed my life. I kid you not. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">These brownies start with one can of black beans and a food processor. A blender would work well here too. You add the beans, a couple of eggs, some sugar (not too much), a splash of oil, milk, baking powder and soda, cocoa powder and then the two ingredients that take these brownies over the top - balsamic vinegar and espresso powder. I first thought, "vinegar in brownies?", but let me tell you, there is something about the combination of the balsamic and espresso powder that just works. If you ask me, it really amps up the chocolate flavor! And the best part of these brownies, there is not one sprinkle of flour! You just whirl up everything in the food processor until it's nice and smooth (no bean skins here!). Then pour the mixture in to a bowl, add some chocolate chips, mix them in and pour everything in a baking pan. Top the mixture with the rest of the chocolate chips and bake away. In just about 30 minutes, you'll have some of the best brownies you have ever had. Ever! They are so rich and chocolaty, you'd never know they were made with beans. I've fooled quite a few people with these! Now that's saying something.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">These black bean brownies have become part of my weekly baking rotation and something the hubby and I always have on hand. I keep these bad boys individually wrapped up so they are easy to grab and go. Especially when I need a sweet treat I can feel good about. And so I don't eat half the pan in one sitting. Not that I would, but you never know. Each brownie is about 140 calories and will curb that afternoon sweet craving in no time. Trust me, you'll never think about black bean brownies the same way again. These are a game changer.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUgSJQhZiHvIG_MseTRUK65X1wiUrIesleThb4oD-qVBVeo77Bj8Ai61ecf2_6mitlIDuhYyx_aQlL3y0SLlSgN6zVB3jS9fz0rmMCIBejAiVaLNhbUK-nUdYJJT83fdoPaTX9BjTYBxy/s1600/IMG_0527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUgSJQhZiHvIG_MseTRUK65X1wiUrIesleThb4oD-qVBVeo77Bj8Ai61ecf2_6mitlIDuhYyx_aQlL3y0SLlSgN6zVB3jS9fz0rmMCIBejAiVaLNhbUK-nUdYJJT83fdoPaTX9BjTYBxy/s320/IMG_0527.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Yes, these are really made with black beans!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">The Best Black Bean Brownies</u> (slightly adapted from Skinnytaste)</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Recipe makes 16 brownies - each at just about 140 calories!</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1, 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2 large eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1/2 cup sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 tablespoon milk </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon baking soda</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Dash of salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 cup of chocolate chips, divided</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x9 square pan with foil.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Drain and rinse the can of black beans and place in a food processor (or blender if you don't have a food processor). Add in all of the remaining ingredients, except for the chocolate chips. Blend everything together until the mixture is nice and smooth. About one minute. Once everything is well mixed, pour the mixture into a bowl and add half of the chocolate chips. Stir to combine and pour everything in to the prepared pan. Then, sprinkle the other half of the chocolate chips over the top, making sure they are evenly distributed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Bake brownies for about 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Do not over bake! Allow them to cool slightly and then cut in to 16 even squares.I like to keep them in the fridge until they are nice and cold, but if you can't wait that long, let them cool for about an hour or so before cutting in to them. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">These brownies will change your life. You'll never look at black beans the same again!</span></i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-3377146428297752462016-03-21T20:14:00.000-07:002016-03-21T20:14:11.461-07:00Lightened Up Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is hands down the best chicken soup EVER. Seriously. For the longest time, I've been trying to find a chicken noodle soup recipe that was just like the fresh chicken noodle soup I love from Whole Foods. Nothing ever came close, until I found this one. It was like a dream come true. It was creamy (but not loaded with cream, if that makes any sense), it had tons of veggies, chicken and just so so so good. It's one of those soups that you can make over and over again and you will love it more each time. It's perfect for those cold and rainy days or for when you or a loved one has come down with a cold. It's like a hug in a bowl. Wow, did I really just say that? It's true though. There is just something so comforting about homemade chicken noodle soup.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now, I need to let you in on a secret. The noodles. Of course you can use any noodle you want (egg noodles would work great here!), but my noodle of choice is frozen egg noodles. You are probably wondering what the heck I am talking about. Right? I don't even know how I found these, but they really do make the soup and come to find out, they are almost at every grocery store in the frozen section! The brand I use and highly recommend is Reames. Just Google it and you'll be able to see exactly what I am talking about. They are simply the best and take the soup to the next level. Don't feel like you have to use them, but if you can find them, you should definitely try them out. They'll be a game changer, I promise.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Okay, back to making the soup. I'll get off my noodle high now. The chicken soup starts off just as any other chicken noodle soup - onions, celery, carrots and garlic. You've got to have garlic. Once the veggies are nice and soft, you sprinkle a little bit of flour over them (this will thicken things up) and add in lots of chicken broth. The broth and veggie mixture will simmer for about 20 minutes or so to let all the flavors to combine. After the 20 minutes are up, add in seasonings, shredded chicken (a store bought rotisserie chicken works great here!) and the noodles. Stir everything together and cook the soup for another 10-15 minutes, or until the noodles are just about done. Then comes the best part. The creamy part. Once the noodles are cooked, add in a can of low fat evaporated milk. This is the creamy part without having to use heavy cream and adding in tons of extra calories. Give everything one more big stir and this delicious pot of creamy chicken noodle soup is ready to enjoy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Do note that this soup will last for up to five days in the fridge. If it doesn't all get all gobbled up right away. The noodles tend to absorb the liquid from the soup, so I like to keep some extra chicken broth on hand to add when I reheat the soup. Those chicken broth boxes are super handy and something I always keep in my pantry!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3jCQYelZ-_y80kHfdh2bmtUQUHy1zUoWmoVj4i4Y1ba-Y_Useuk50tXdr0s5FyRykVLqePHxD2lxMZdiYwn-4zuFWKU_yp-1LqPj02JHbnwavZdLLqhyphenhyphenJDwcJoJNE4i4RhQWDJokKrfc/s1600/image1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3jCQYelZ-_y80kHfdh2bmtUQUHy1zUoWmoVj4i4Y1ba-Y_Useuk50tXdr0s5FyRykVLqePHxD2lxMZdiYwn-4zuFWKU_yp-1LqPj02JHbnwavZdLLqhyphenhyphenJDwcJoJNE4i4RhQWDJokKrfc/s320/image1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">yum!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Lightened Up Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup</u> (slightly adapted from Well Plated)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 tablespoon olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3 carrots, peeled and chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3 stalks celery, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 onion, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3 cloves garlic, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1/3 cup flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">8 cups chicken broth (or stock)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3 cups cooked, shredded chicken</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 can (12 oz) skim evaporated milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2-3 cups uncooked noodles (egg noodles or the frozen ones are great here)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 teaspoon kosher salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon dried oregano</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon black pepper</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In a large pot, over medium heat, add the oil, carrots, onion, celery and garlic. Cook about 10 minutes until the veggies are soft and just starting to brown. Then add the flour and stir for one minute to cook out the flour and coat all the veggies. Then add in the chicken broth and mix to combine. Add in the salt, pepper and oregano and bring the entire mixture to a simmer for 20 minutes. Then add in the shredded chicken and noodles, and cook the noodles according to the time on the package. Once the noodles are cooked, add in the can of evaporated milk, stir to combine and taste for seasoning. Add additional salt and pepper, as needed. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You can enjoy a big bowl of this soup on its own, or it's also great served with a grilled cheese sandwich or homemade biscuits!</span></i></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-35105090432916726252016-03-09T18:35:00.000-08:002016-03-09T18:35:13.678-08:00No-Bake Peanut Butter Oat Bars<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Three ingredients is all it takes to whip up these no-bake peanut butter oat bars. THREE INGREDIENTS! Now we are talking. I am always trying to find (and perfect) a granola bar for my hubby. I've tried and tried again only for them to be too crunchy, too soft, or crumble apart. That or they take a million ingredients and who wants to buy all of that. Not me. There are a few store bought bars we love, but I just can't give up hope on making one at home. I am determined to make one that is easy, delicious and husband approved.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I can't recall if I saw one of my fellow food bloggers post about these bars or if I saw it on Pinterest. Probably both. Who knows. Nevertheless, I knew I needed to try them. I had everything I needed and home and I did not need to turn on the oven. Double win. For these super easy, no-bake bars, you'll simply need honey, peanut butter and oats. Three ingredients. That's it. Nothing fancy here and no need for me to go out and get oodles of ingredients (one of the recipes I tried called for brown rice syrup and I had to go on a wild goose chase to find it!). You simple heat up the peanut butter and honey on the stove (or slowly in the microwave) until you can mix it all together and it is nice and smooth. You don't have to heat it up, but trust me, it makes it a heck of a lot easier to stir when you add in those oats. Once the pb and honey mixture is all ready to go, stir in the oats until they are all nice and coated. Then, just simply plop the oat mixture into a lined pan (I used non-stick foil), press it down and let rest to cool. You can speed up this process by placing the pan in the fridge. I usually do this because I am impatient. Just ask my husband.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Once the bars are ready to go, cut them up and enjoy! You can keep them in the fridge if you like them firmer or you can keep them out if you like them softer. Either way, they are just as good. I like to keep mine in individual snack bags so they are grab and go ready for a quick snack. Plus, portion control so I don't eat them all. Because if they weren't cut up, I'd probably eat half the tray in one sitting. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">uh oh, someone took one!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">No-Bake Peanut Butter Oat Bars</span> (from Cookies & Cups)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 cup peanut butter (smooth works best here, but chunky would be just fine too!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1/2 cup honey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3 cups old fashioned oats (not the quick cooking kind!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Line a 9x9 pan with foil and lightly spray with non-cooking spray </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Place the peanut butter and honey in a pan on the stove (or in a microwave proof bowl if you want to do this in the microwave) and melt until smooth. Then stir in the oats until combined.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Press the oat mixture into the prepared pan and place int eh fridge until set. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It doesn't get more delicious than three ingredients!</span></i><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-13128001487693600252016-03-03T19:53:00.000-08:002016-03-03T19:53:49.294-08:00Lightened Up Grilled Shrimp Scampi<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you are anything like me, you are exhausted after a long day of work and usually have no idea of what the heck to make for dinner. Especially if you've had your head in a book (last semester of grad school here I come) and are figuring out when and were you can fit in your workouts to remain sane. Yes, I am crazy, but you knew that already. At least I hope you did. Needless to say, when you are looking for a quick, easy and super delicious meal, these grilled shrimp scampi skewers are the way to go. Plus, they look so fancy that your family and friends will think you took hours to whip them up. When in fact, it took you five to make them and just about the same time to cook them. Seriously! Can't ask for better than that. And if you don't have a grill, or the weather isn't best for outdoor cooking (hello El Nino), you can just sear these up in a pan on the stove. Easy peasy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To whip these up, you need just a few basic ingredients - olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, red pepper flakes, a bit of parmesean and shrimp (duh). You'll also need bamboo skewers too. If you don't have any, you can typically find these at your local grocery store in the veggie isle or where they have the grilling items. Before you start assembling the shrimp, you'll need to soak the skewers. This will prevent them from burning (especially on the grill). Once they are soaking, then you can start the shrimp. Add everything but the parmesan to a bag and toss to coat the shrimps. You'll want to let them sit and marinate for about 30 minutes. This will allow the shrimp to get nice and flavorful. Once 30 minutes has past (don't let it go too much longer than that or the lemon may start to "cook" the shrimp), you'll layer shrimp, lemon slice, shrimp. lemon slice, shrimp, lemon slice and shrimp. Wow, say that three times fast. Whether you are cooking on the grill or stove, you'll want to cook these about 2-3 minutes per side. When they are done, squeeze some more lemon on them and top with the parm. So easy and so delicious. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You can of course enjoy these shrimps by themselves, but I like them best served with a little bit of parmesean risotto and veggies. They would even be good on a salad too! No matter how you enjoy them, you are sure to love them as much as I do. And the best part (I have been holding out on you) - two skewers (that's eight shrimp, ya'll!) is only 170 calories and almost 25 grams of protein. Now we are talking. That's my kind of meal. Quick. Easy. Delicious. Healthy.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_ei1x2UsojMvs5Cf-hQUdWVBEzKF8a2KUZgPeao4488xXxDSNqdtatObov6Q2iFogXzF99DfrIKnXUmIB-_Se7t4ouF9epZITUvX8yNTZjdBqWYUvUY6aMXuZ8U3ASvChyS0to4TC0aK/s1600/45F11467-D6DA-4AC8-ACE6-C152EFD3C8BA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_ei1x2UsojMvs5Cf-hQUdWVBEzKF8a2KUZgPeao4488xXxDSNqdtatObov6Q2iFogXzF99DfrIKnXUmIB-_Se7t4ouF9epZITUvX8yNTZjdBqWYUvUY6aMXuZ8U3ASvChyS0to4TC0aK/s320/45F11467-D6DA-4AC8-ACE6-C152EFD3C8BA.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">how good does that look?!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Lightened Up Grilled Shrimp Scampi</u></b> (SkinnyTaste)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 tablespoon olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2 large lemons cut in half</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3 cloves of garlic, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3 tablespoons parsley, chopped (fresh or dried would be just fine here)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you like it HOT)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">about 32 large shrimps, cleaned and deveined (about one pound)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3 large lemons cut in to slices</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">16 bamboo skewers, soaked in water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 tablespoon parmesean cheese</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In a large bag, combine the olive oil, juice from 1 1/2 lemons, parsley, garlic and red pepper flakes. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Let marinate for about 30 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While the shrimp marinate, prep the grill or your stove top. Get it nice and hot. Beginning and ending with shrimp, thread the shrimp and folded lemon slices onto eight pairs of skewers to make eight total.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Spray your grill or pan with nonstick spray (or oil, if you like) and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes. When the shrimp are cooked (they will be opaque!), set on a plate, squeeze remaining lemon on top and sprinkle with the parm cheese. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Who knew shrimp could be so easy and so delicious!</i></span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-12177869773765156152016-02-23T20:24:00.000-08:002016-02-23T20:24:04.701-08:00Chocolate Pot de Creme<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Let me first say that my husband said this was the BEST chocolate dessert I had ever made. The BEST. I was shocked. In a good way of course. But that is only because it took five ingredients and less than five minutes to make (he did not know that little secret). I kid you not. I don't joke when it comes to dessert. Or chocolate. Especially chocolate desserts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A week or so ago, the hubby and I went out to dinner with our good friends Amanda and Jeremy. I wasn't feeling too great and could barely taste my soup (darn you cold), but I could not stop eyeing their dessert - butterscotch pot de creme. I grabbed my spoon and took a bite in hopes of being able to taste it and nothing. Darn it you stuffy nose! Everyone said how good it was and that's when I remembered seeing a chocolate pot de creme in one of my cookbooks - hello Pioneer Woman. I figured I needed to try to make it myself some day, but had no idea that day would be sooner than later. I was still not feeling that great come Valentines Day (and neither was my hubby), but I knew I still needed to make something sweet and a little extra special for dessert that evening. Then I remembered - pot de creme! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This dessert could not be easier. You literally dump chocolate chips, eggs, vanilla and a pinch of salt in the blender. Yes, there are raw eggs in this dessert. Warning. But don't be scared. You eat raw cookie dough, right? I hope that I am not the only one that does that. If raw eggs give you the heeby geebies, then use pasteurized eggs here and you should be fine. Promise! Once everything is in the blender, give it a pulse or two to get things going. Then, pour in hot coffee until everything is nice and smooth and it's turn into a chocolaty heavenly blender full of bliss. That's it. No joke. That's it. At this point, you can pour the mixture into individual containers (I used small mason jars, but wine glasses would be so cute here) and then let set up in the fridge for a couple of hours. You can enjoy these pot de creme's straight from the fridge, but I like mine with some fresh whipped cream and a bit of grated chocolate on top. Berries would be good here too. Or chocolate sauce. Don't get me started.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">No matter how you serve these super easy, super delicious, super elegant chocolate pot de creme's you are sure to love them. In fact, these may just become your new go to chocolate dessert. It looks fancy. Your friends and family will think you slaved for hours. It's out of this world delicious and the BEST chocolate dessert you will ever have. Don't take my husbands word for it though - make these today and see for yourself!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">PS. I made a half recipe and it was enough for multiple nights of desserts. A full recipe makes 6-10 servings, depending on how much you fill (or how big) your containers are.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9q7QqOcCotguHOKShVVO4NJ63fZVm7SuXWAHPkvzZvfQJAZlb_2stAr1D6bHPFyOTjk6t38A1G2w0ergY4pMCmJGNMeKzlfPJhsQVch5CGRo40zBRIelGHwXSKQn0K2xQdjjvCc0OIdN0/s1600/IMG_0843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9q7QqOcCotguHOKShVVO4NJ63fZVm7SuXWAHPkvzZvfQJAZlb_2stAr1D6bHPFyOTjk6t38A1G2w0ergY4pMCmJGNMeKzlfPJhsQVch5CGRo40zBRIelGHwXSKQn0K2xQdjjvCc0OIdN0/s320/IMG_0843.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">look at that whipped cream!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Chocolate Pot de Creme</u> (slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4 large eggs at room temperature</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2 teaspoons vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">pinch of salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 cup of very hot coffee</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">optional: 3 tablespoons liqueur (I used amaretto, but whiskey, rum or orange liqueur would work great here!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For topping: freshly whipped cream</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Place the chocolate chips in the blender and then the eggs, vanilla and salt. Pulse a few times to get everything mixed together. Then, turn on the blender and slowly add in the hot coffee until the chocolate is melted and everything is smooth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pour the mixture into small jars, wine glasses or your favorite little containers. Refrigerate for two to three hours until the pot de creme's are nice and firm. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Enjoy just how they are or top with whipped cream. Yum!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Simple. Elegant. Delicious.</i></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-8581156650434753532016-01-16T19:04:00.000-08:002016-01-16T19:04:03.821-08:00Cheesy Garlic Biscuits<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These cheesy garlic biscuits are pretty much the best thing next to sliced bread. I mean, come on. How can you go wrong with something that has garlic and cheese, right? And the best part, they only take 30 minutes from start to ready to eat. Now we are talking. These biscuits are crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside and the perfect accompaniment to your weeknight soup or big family dinner. Or if you are like me, who needs dinner to enjoy them? I dream about these and the smell they fill my house with. Garlic and cheese are pretty much a match made in heaven. Let me tell you just how easy these are to make. Be warned though - once you start making these, you may want them all the time. You can thank me later.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, biscuits. Here we go. Other than the baking staples you already have in your kitchen (flour, salt, etc), you'll need grated cheese (don't use the pre grated, it has starch all over and won't get all ooey gooey), buttermilk and garlic powder. Biscuits also must have butter - it's what makes them so good! But who wants to sit there and cut all the butter in with a pastry cutter or your hands? Not me. I have a new trick that will change your life - grate your butter with a box grater. No need to cut it in any more, just mix it right in with everything else. So easy, right? I think so! Once the butter is all grated, just mix in all the dry ingredients and then mix in all the wet until everything is just combined. You want to make sure to not over mix it. This will give you a tougher biscuit. Not that those are bad, but you want those bad boys nice and fluffy. Once the mixture is ready, you'll want to use a spoon to make 12 plops (technical term) on your baking sheet. They will rise, so leave a bit of room between them. Not too much, but enough. If you need two pans, that's fine. My baking pans seem to be a bit larger than normal, so I could fit them all. Once the biscuits are all measured out and ready to go, pop them in the oven for about 15 minutes, give or take.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While the biscuits are baking, here is where you make the stuff that takes these from good to great. The garlic butter sauce! In a small pan, melt the butter, parsley and more garlic powder until everything is combined. When the timer goes off and the biscuits come out of the oven, you will brush each one with the garlic butter. There is just something about when that butter soaks right in and the smell of garlic hits your nose. And then you realize you must eat one now! These biscuits are so incredibly easy to make that once you make them,you'll wonder why you never made homemade biscuits before!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">these biscuits are ready for their closeup</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Cheesy Garlic Biscuits</u> (Handle the Heat)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For Biscuits:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 cups all purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 teaspoons baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon garlic powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6 tablespoons cold butter, grated</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/4 cups grated cheddar cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3/4 cup cold buttermilk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For Butter:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 tablespoons butter, melted</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon dried parsley</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon garlic powder</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or silpat, if you have one).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, garlic powder and salt. If you've grated the butter, throw it in now. If you have not and want to cut your butter in, add the cubed butter and use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter until the butter is pea size, give or take. Then add in the cheese and then the buttermilk. Mix everything until just combined. Don't over mix it here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Drop the dough in about 1/4 cup sizes on to the baking sheet. You should get about 12 biscuits using this measurement. Bake until golden brown about 15 to 17 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While the biscuits are baking, mix together the melted butter, parsley and garlic powder. When the biscuits come out of the oven. brush each one with the garlic butter and enjoy!</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These cheesy garlic biscuits are pretty much life changing.</span></i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-6595947152797207972016-01-04T18:48:00.002-08:002016-01-04T18:48:30.728-08:00Skinny Honey Lemon Chicken<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's that time of the year where we all want to start eating a little better and working out a bit more. Hello New Year's resolutions, right? Plus, I am always looking for new tasty and lighter dishes to make. Here comes skinny honey lemon chicken! I know what you are thinking. Skinny? Does that mean it even tastes good? Well, let me tell you, this skinny honey lemon chicken is loaded (and I mean loaded) with flavor. And best of all, it only takes 20 minutes from start to finish and you have a meal that is quick, easy to make and it's even gluten free! Let me tell you all about how to make it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This honey lemon chicken starts off with a super easy and quick marinade of soy sauce (use tamari or other gluten free soy sauce here is going gluten free!), sesame oil and rice wine vinegar. You just dump the diced chicken and the soy, sesame and vinegar, give it a little toss and let it do its thing. I would suggest a couple of hours for maximum flavor, but who has that much time when you are hungry. Am I right? A 10 minute marinade will be just fine here and will give just enough time for the chicken to get all that yumminess. When you are ready to start cooking, drain off the juices and toss them away. You won't need them. Then, salt and pepper the chicken to your liking and then start cooking it up. While the chicken is cooking (which only takes 5-8 minutes), you'll need to throw the honey lemon sauce together. Grab a bowl and add in chicken stock (or broth), fresh (none of that pre-squeezed stuff here!), honey (duh), cornstarch, lemon zest and a pinch of fresh or ground ginger. Oh and make sure to zest the lemon before you squeeze it. You'll never get the zest off if you've already squeezed out all the juice. I've tried. It doesn't work well and it's dangerous to your knuckles! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mix everything together and set aside for a few minutes. When the chicken is done cooking and looks all brown and delicious, remove it and then add the sauce to the pan. Cook for a few minutes until it gets thick and ooey gooey. At this point, if you like a bit of zing, you can add in sriracha or your favorite hot sauce. I added a bit, but not too much. Just a little bit of, hmm. Once the sauce is thick and delicious, add the chicken back in and toss it to coat. At this point, you can eat it plain, over brown rice, quinoa or with roasted veggies. Personally, I like it with a bit of brown rice and veggies to round out the dish. Healthy carbs and veggies for the win! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This quick and easy dinner can be made during the week in a flash and the best part, you made it at home. You don't have to go out for take out and even better, it's sauteed, not fried! We all know most sweet and sour takeout dishes are fried. Delicious, but fried and not the best for our waistlines. Also, this dish is naturally sweetened with honey and not loaded with anything other than fresh and delicious ingredients. Here's to a delicious and healthy 2016!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikx2gPdj7zqhZ6Os-gNdHrbSO7qLbs1bnKv9AfnacIniff5hA18OSosN8caBLrOCON-ZAC7owtqEWVsggwbm42kgKAqfVUYHkCqtX1VuUorKAfTDBrgBJ5SdPUoqkrsf2UQPSl8sKTp19i/s1600/1F4E3E3B-A147-475D-B810-292EBE0ED69F.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikx2gPdj7zqhZ6Os-gNdHrbSO7qLbs1bnKv9AfnacIniff5hA18OSosN8caBLrOCON-ZAC7owtqEWVsggwbm42kgKAqfVUYHkCqtX1VuUorKAfTDBrgBJ5SdPUoqkrsf2UQPSl8sKTp19i/s320/1F4E3E3B-A147-475D-B810-292EBE0ED69F.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Pucker up, it's honey lemon chicken!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Skinny Honey Lemon Chicken</u> (slightly adapted from Gimme Some Oven)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/2 pounds of chicken breasts, cut in to bite size pieces</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari if going gluten free)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (can use white or white wine vinegar here, too)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dash sesame oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper to taste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Honey lemon sauce (see below)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Toppings (optional): sliced green onions, lemon slices and sesame seeds</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For Honey Lemon Sauce:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3/4 cup chicken broth or stock (whatever you have will work just fine)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/4 cup fresh lemon juice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 tablespoons honey (more if you want it sweeter)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 tablespoons cornstarch</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">zest of 1 lemon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">pinch of fresh or ground ginger</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">optional: sriracha for a bit of heat, to taste</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a large ziploc style bad, add the chicken, soy sauce, sesame oil and vinegar. Toss the bag around until all the chicken is coated well. Place the bag in the fridge for the chicken to marinate for at least 10 minutes, but not to exceed six hours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When you are ready to start cooking, drain the chicken and season with salt and pepper. You can toss the marinade at this point. You will not need it. Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the chicken for about five to eight minutes, or until there is no more pink. You don't want raw chicken! When the chicken is done, remove from the pan. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a small bowl, add all of the honey sauce ingredients and mix well. While the pan is still hot, cook the sauce for several minutes until it's thick and bubbly. Once it's ready, add in the chicken and season to taste. If you want to add a bit of heat, now is the time to add the sriracha or hot sauce of your choice. Top with toppings and enjoy!</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Who knew eating well could taste so good!</span></i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-39445875048953797572016-01-01T08:16:00.002-08:002016-01-01T08:16:58.286-08:00Coffee Cake Baked Donuts<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In honor of my father in law, I bring you a special new year's morning edition of Stracciatella. He is a donut lover (just don't give him a maple or blueberry donut!) and always has a supply on hand. I always look forward to the donut part of the morning when we go to visit him because who doesn't love a good donut in the morning. Especially with a good cup of coffee. Mmm. He always has a variety and boy are they good. It's really hard to choose which one you want! Maple are my favorite and there always seems to be one in the box for me! I love how he always remembers I loves maple. You're the best, Dean!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When we got back from our most recent trip to Oregon, it got me thinking about baked donuts. I loved our donut mornings, but wanted to see if I could make them a bit healthier (but taste just as good!). Plus, I had purchased a donut pan a year or two ago and it was pretty much time to pull it out and experiment. It wasn't doing any good collecting dust in the pantry. As soon as we got home, we unloaded the truck and while the hubby was unpacking, I started looking online for a baked donut recipe. There are so many recipes out there, but nothing was really saying "make me". Maybe that's because I was tired after an eight hour drive. Nevertheless, I kept going and finally found the one. A coffee cake donut with crumbs. Lots of crumbs. And you know how I like crumbs! There were lots of chocolate donuts, but for some reason. I wanted something a bit more breakfast-y. If that makes any sense at all. I thought I would go for the chocolate one at first, but nope. Maybe next weekend. Chocolate glaze is also my thing. Don't tell anyone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As long as you have a donut pan, these are a piece of cake. Or piece of donut. Okay, that wasn't as funny as I hoped it would be. Oh well. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Nonstick-6-Cavity-Donut-Pan/dp/B004CYELOQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1451512871&sr=1-4&keywords=donut+pan">Here </a>is the pan I use - it's perfect and a great price. You can order one online, but if you can't wait for it to be shipped, you can find them at almost any store these days. The donuts are made of a simple batter of flour, butter, milk, sugar, and egg and baking powder. I added a dash of cinnamon for extra oomph, but that is up to you. I like cinnamon. The crumb topping is super easy too and is just melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour. Mix it all up until it's nice and crumbly. You'll know when it's ready, trust me. You'll want to make sure to spray your donut pan with non-stick spray and then pour the batter in to a plastic ziploc style bag. Snip off the end and then fill each donut indent in the pan with the batter. You should have just enough for six donuts. Then top all of the batter with the crumbs. You may have more crumbs than you need, but try to pack it all in if you can. If there is some leftover, that's okay. No need to panic. I could not get all mine to fit!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The wonderful baked donuts then go in to the oven for about 15 minutes to get nice and puffed to perfection. Once they come out, let them sit in the pan for about five minutes before removing. They will be hot and some of the crumbs may fall off. Just a warning. Let the donuts cool for about another 10 minutes and then comes the best part - the glaze! Crumbs + glaze = love. Just saying. The glaze is just powdered sugar and milk. I added a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg to give it a bit more coffee cake like flavor. I also put this in a small ziploc style bag to make it easier to drizzle over the tops. Plus it makes it look all pretty and fancy. These coffee cake donuts are soft, crumby and a little bit sweet from the glaze. They are the perfect little morning treat are too good not to make. Plus, they will make your morning just a little bit extra special (and delicious).</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">look at those crumbs!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u><b>Coffee Cake Baked Donuts</b> </u> (Slightly adapted from Chef in Training)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For Donuts:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup all purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/4 cup granulated sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">pinch cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 egg</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon melted butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 cup milk</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For Crumb Topping:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/4 cup butter, melted</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 cup brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup all purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon cinnamon</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For Glaze:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 cup powdered sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream (add more for desired consistency)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pinch cinnamon and nutmeg</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 325 degrees and spray donut pan with non-stick cooking spray.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a stand mixer (or bowl and spoon!), mix together all the ingredients for the donuts except the last four ingredients. In a small bowl, mix together the egg, vanilla, melted butter and milk. Then, gently fold in the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix just until combined. Place the batter in a ziploc like bag and snip the corner. Fill each of the donut holes in the pan evenly until all batter is used. Set aside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the donut batter is made, you'll need to prepare the crumb topping. In a microwave proof bowl, melt the butter. Then add in the brown sugar and cinnamon and stir to combine. Then add the flour and mix until it resembles crumbs. Top each one of the donuts with the crumbs. Add as much as you can, but there may be some crumbs left over. Make sure to push some into the donut batter. Place prepared donuts in the oven for approximately 15 minutes until cooked and slightly browned. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let cooked donuts cool in the pan for five minutes and then remove to a cooling rack. While the donuts are cooling, prepare the glaze. Place both the powdered sugar, pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg and milk in a small bowl and mix until the glaze is pourable. Not to thin and not too thick. Add more powdered sugar and/or milk as needed. Once glaze is ready, pour in to a small ziploc like bag, snip end and drizzle over each one of the donuts. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>These coffee cake baked donuts will change your life.</i></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-19952729020116133982015-12-30T20:29:00.000-08:002015-12-30T20:29:15.569-08:00Cheesecake Cookies<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Earlier this month, my department had its annual holiday party and team building event. Instead of doing a Secret Santa exchange, we decided to all write down our favorite drink, appetizer and dessert. Then, we all randomly picked a piece of paper and had to make or buy one of the items on the list. Now this is my type of gift exchange! Of course I got the one with the dessert I don't make - cheesecake! You see, I can't give something to someone without it being homemade. It's just against my cooking religion. I was so torn and going back and forth on what to do. I was drowning in final projects and preparing for finals week and just couldn't find the time to research what to do. I even asked my husband if he would make a cheesecake (he makes the BEST cheesecakes EVER), but it was too short of notice and I really wanted to have the time to learn from him. Ugh. Baking problems!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then a miracle happened. I sat down for a few minutes and came across how I could still make a cheesecake, but in a different form. And one that would not take two days to make or take hours for the cream cheese to soften. That may be why I don't make real cheesecakes. I am impatient and can't wait hours and hours (and more hours) for the cream cheese to soften. But that's a whole other story. Nevertheless, I came across a fabulous recipe for cheesecake cookies! I had looked for something like this before, but nothing looked <i>this</i> good or was even close to what I needed. How did I not see these before? They were literally cheesecake cookies. The cookies have graham cracker crumbs in batter and are filled with a cheesecake filling. They are pretty much a cheesecake thumbprint cookie that is out of this world delicious. And they taste just like cheesecake!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A cookie that taste like cheesecake and is easier to make than cheesecake? Heck yes. These cookies really are simple to make and a whole batch was made and baked within 40 minutes. Now that's what I'm talking about. The batter is simple to make and the best part, no chilling the dough. A lot of thumbprint style cookies require you to chill the dough for a least an hour after making it, if not more. No one has time for that. At least I don't. I want cookies now! Once the dough is all ready to go, you scoop it out and make an indentation in the top to hold the cheesecake filling goodness. While a thumb works pretty well for this part of the process, I would recommends using a measuring teaspoon. This seemed to give me a good size indent and didn't cause cookie dough to get all under my nails. Win win. I would also suggest saving a bit of graham cracker crumbs for here. Before you indent the cookie, dip the teaspoon in the grahams. This way, the cookies won't stick and you can get them all done in a flash! That's just my two cents though. Flour or brown sugar would work just fine here too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can enjoy these cheesecake cookies just as they are or fancy them up a bit. You can top them with a cherry pie filling, drizzle with caramel or chocolate or even add fresh fruit of your choice. How good would chopped strawberries be on these? Mmm. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No matter how you enjoy these wonderful cookies, you are sure to love them. I know my secret santa cheesecake cookie recipient did!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Cheesecake Cookies</u> (slightly varied from My Baking Addiction)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup all purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/2 sticks softened butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 cup brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 egg, separated</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4 ounces of softened cream cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/4 cup granulated sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon vanilla</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or spray well with non-stick spray.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a stand mixer, add the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. About three minutes. Then add in the egg white and mix until combined. Once mixed well, add in the graham cracker crumbs flour and baking powder. Once the batter is ready, you'll need to make the filling. In another bowl,. add the cream cheese and sugar and mix until it's nice and creamy. Then add in the egg yolk and vanilla and mix until combined.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop out the dough leaving about an inch between cookies. Once you've scooped out all the cookies, you'll need to make an indent in the tops to hold the cheesecake filling. You can use your thumb or a teaspoon. Then, fill each of the cookies with the cheesecake filling. Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes or until the filling is just set and the cookies are slightly browned on the top. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Cheesecake in a cookie form? Heck yes!</i></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-72906482690977982662015-12-29T19:54:00.000-08:002015-12-29T19:54:56.514-08:00Candy Cane Vodka<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, I'll be the first to admit that I totally failed to share this candy cane vodka with ya'll three days ago. Oops. Between getting home after vacation and actually unpacking my suitcase (instead of waiting two weeks to do it), I completely forgot. Please forgive me. By the way, did you know that the day after Christmas is National Candy Cane Day? I wonder why it's not the 25th. That seems like the perfect day, doesn't it? Nevertheless, since it's still the holidays and candy canes are everywhere to be found (and now even cheaper as stores are trying to clear their shelves for Valentines Day sweets!), you need to make this super amazing holiday treat. It's literally just candy canes and vodka. Nothing else. Seriously. Candy canes and vodka!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of my super sweet classmates this semester told me that she makes all kinds of flavored vodka with a variety of candies. Skittles, Jolly Ranchers, etc. It got me thinking - what could I make that was extra holiday-y? I did a quick search online and low and behold, candy cane vodka. I wondered if it was really as easy as it said it was, and let me tell you, it was! The hubby and I have several handles of vodka left over from our wedding so this was the perfect opportunity to try something new and festive for quick and easy holiday gifts. I ran to the store and bought a ton of candy canes. Handfuls and handfuls of candy canes. I think the lady behind the register at our local grocery store thought I had gone crazy with a cart of candy canes. Once I had the candy canes at home, I literally got a big jar (I used a gallon size Mason jar), filled it with vodka and then plopped in the candy canes. The hardest part about all of this was unwrapping those darn things. For some reason, the tops always seemed to break! I thew everything in, closed up the jar and in just a few hours, the candy canes dissolved and created a wonderful flavored vodka. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The more candy canes you add, the more flavorful it will get, but the minty level is up to you. This vodka can be enjoyed over ice by itself, mixed in to make your favorite holiday cocktail or my favorite way to enjoy it is in hot cocoa. Hello deliciousness! No matter how you enjoy it, it's too easy not to make and everyone will wonder how you did it (and you don't have to tell him just how easy it was!). How easy was that? Now I am channeling my inner Barefoot Contessa.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQueUdOJ4fKRvFRpOFTn8_BzrNmKAMjvDOzNbAH85HLhQfYou4W3uPgIf91WSsCRdePC_NrTCre77DTR9SDt5zCEa8sT067fGKQdTrNe3cpFqfnCRjt2U2jvkYaH2P75X7lVJSvW0rbyT/s1600/A0031AE5-4ABB-4E39-BF85-2E1C2D73A542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQueUdOJ4fKRvFRpOFTn8_BzrNmKAMjvDOzNbAH85HLhQfYou4W3uPgIf91WSsCRdePC_NrTCre77DTR9SDt5zCEa8sT067fGKQdTrNe3cpFqfnCRjt2U2jvkYaH2P75X7lVJSvW0rbyT/s320/A0031AE5-4ABB-4E39-BF85-2E1C2D73A542.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The first time I made this, I used peppermint candies. It worked, but make the vodka look more like Pepto Bismol!</span></td></tr>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Candy Cane Vodka</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jar or container (with a lid!) large enough to hold the vodka and candy canes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 bottle (750 ml) of your favorite vodka</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">10-12 candy canes (more if you want it really minty, less if you want it not so minty)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pour vodka into a large jar. Unwrap candy canes and place in the jar. Seal the jar and give it a little shake. Let sit for one to two hours, or until candy canes are dissolved. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This candy cane vodka is also amazing in coffee to give it a little bit of extra holiday cheer!</span></i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-72645525147324304982015-12-24T17:24:00.003-08:002015-12-24T17:24:52.825-08:00Overnight Cranberry Eggnog Coffee Cake<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You know it's the holiday season when the eggnog comes out. Creamy, delicious, nutmeggy eggnog. And this overnight cranberry eggnog coffee cake is the perfect holiday morning breakfast treat. There is always something a little extra special about Christmas morning and this coffee cake fits that bill. Even better, you can make it the night before so all you have to do is pop it in the oven before everyone gets up or while everyone is opening gifts. I love anything you can make ahead and this recipe is just perfect. I never ever would have thought to do coffee cake over night, but this recipe has changed my mind. There is something that happens to the batter that makes it so moist and dense. But in a good way of course. It's the perfect holiday coffee cake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To get this coffee cake started, you'll need the basic coffee cake ingredients, plus a few extra special things - eggnog, dried cranberries and orange zest. Those three things take this coffee cake over the top to holiday special goodness. Oh, that and the eggnog glaze that is poured over the crumby top after it has baked to perfection. Mmm, eggnog glaze. Just give me a spoon! Okay, back to coffee cake. Once the batter is made (please try not to eat it all before it goes in the pan), you'll spread it out in to a 9x13 prepared pan. You can use butter and flour to prepare the pan or non-stick spray. I use the latter, but it's up to you and what you like. Once the batter is in the pan and all ready to go, you'll need to prepare the crumb topping. To me, this is the best part, but I am a crumby person. Some people don't like crumbs. Those are strange people. The crumbs are just flour, butter, sugar, cinnamon and nuts. If you don't like nuts or are allergic, you an leave them out. Top the batter with the crumb mixture and then cover with plastic wrap (or a lid, if your pan has one) and place in the fridge overnight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When you wake up in the morning, all you have to do is remove the plastic wrap and/or lid and place in to a 350 degree oven. In about 35 minutes, your home will be filled with the best holiday smell ever. And the best part, you had to do little work in the morning to get it all ready to go and can spend more time with your family and loved ones. Once the cake has baked and cooled for about 20 minutes, then you can pour the glaze all over the top. I doubled my glaze (I really like glaze), but this is up to you. Also, make sure to use teaspoons of eggnog and not tablespoons. I am not sure I was fully away the first time I made this and wondered why the glaze was so darn runny. Oops. Thank goodness I caught it before I poured it all over the top.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once the cake is glazed, it's ready to diving in and enjoying. This coffee cake could not be more perfect and is wonderful for the holiday season or when you have guest over. Easy. Delicious. Wonderful. Now that's my kind of coffee cake. Here's to wishing you wonderful coffee cake a very merry holiday season!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Overnight Cranberry Eggnog Coffee Cake</u> (slightly adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">For the Cake</span>:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />2½ cups all-purpose flour<br />1½ teaspoons baking powder<br />½ teaspoon baking soda<br />½ teaspoon salt<br />1 cup eggnog<br />1 cup sour cream<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />1 cup granulated sugar<br />2 teaspoons grated orange zest<br />½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />2 eggs<br />¾ cup dried cranberries</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">pinch or two of nutmeg (if you want your coffee cake a bit more eggnoggy)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">For the Streusel</span>:<br />⅔ cup granulated sugar<br />2 tablespoons all-purpose flour<br />½ teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />½ cup coarsely chopped pecans (or any nut you prefer)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">For the Glaze</span>:<br />½ cup powdered sugar<br />4 teaspoons eggnog</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">pinch or two of nutmeg (if you want your glaze a bit more eggnoggy)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Prepare a 9x13 baking pan with non stick spray or butter and flour.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the eggnog, sour cream and vanilla extract. In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar with the orange zest. Using your fingers, work the zest into the sugar until all of the sugar is evenly moistened. Add the butter and cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the eggnog mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. (The batter will be thick.) Using a rubber spatula, stir in the cranberries. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and spread into an even layer.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Work the butter into the mixture using your fingertips or a pastry blender until it is completely incorporated, then stir in the chopped pecans. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over batter. Then cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, up to 24 hours.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the pan from the refrigerator while the oven heats. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. While the coffee cake cools, in a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and eggnog until smooth; drizzle over cake. Allow the glaze to set for about 15 minutes, then serve warm or at room temperature. Leftover cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to five days or so. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This coffee cake is sure to become a family holiday favorite!</span></i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-26487986424088229582015-12-23T20:21:00.002-08:002015-12-23T21:12:12.825-08:00Saltine Toffee<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Disclaimer: This saltine toffee is highly addictive.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This saltine toffee is one of the most amazingly strange holiday treats ever known to man. I kid you not. Who would have ever thought that you could make toffee with saltines. Right? Let me just say that once you make this, you won't go back to making toffee any other way. It couldn't be simpler (no candy thermometer needed!) and it takes only 20 minutes to make from start to finish. And depending on your oven size and number of pans you have, you can make two batches at a time!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, so let's get to it. Here is what you will need to make this incredible and addictive toffee - saltines (of course), brown sugar, butter and chocolate chips. As for the saltines, don't use the fat free ones or unsalted ones. I tried that and it just didn't taste right. Go for the regular 'ol saltines in the cracker isle. I also highly recommend using non-stick foil. I know I've mentioned it before, but it's seriously the best thing ever. You can find it right next to the regular aluminum foil. If you don't use this or don't want to buy it, make sure to spray your foil with nonstick spray. Otherwise, you'll never get the toffee off. Maybe you will, but it may have little bits of foil on it and no one wants to eat foil. At least I don't.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once you have all your ingredients ready to go, line your cookie sheet with foil. Make sure the foil goes up the edges just a little as the toffee mixture will bubble up the sides a bit. Once the pan is all ready to go, line up saltines side by side until the entire pan is covered. If you need to break up some of the saltines to fit in the areas that don't have any. Broken up pieces are just fine. It doesn't have to be pretty, just cover up the foil. Then, add the butter and brown sugar to a pan on the stove. Heat until all melted and bubbly. Pour the mixture over the saltines to coat them all. You may need to use a spatula to spread it out a bit, but it does not need to be perfect. Then comes the part where it gets all its toffee goodness - place the pan in the oven for 10 minutes. Once the time is up for the oven, pull the pan out and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let those sit for about five minutes and then spread it all out to coat. At this point, you can leave the toffee as is or add whatever toppings you like. I like to add crushed saltines on top, but you can add toffee chunks, sprinkles, any kind of chopped nuts, or candies such as mini m&m's. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After you've added whatever toppings you like, let the pan cool for 30 minutes and then place in the fridge to harden up for at least an hour. I like to leave mine overnight, but sometimes it's hard to wait that long. I told you this stuff was addictive. Once it's all set and hardened up, remove the foil from the toffee and break up in to chunks. At this point you can just shovel it in to your mouth or place it in tins or bags to give away as a wonderful gift anytime of the year. It's so easy to make and something that is now part of my annual holiday treat making extravaganza. In fact, I am almost certain I've made over 10 pounds of this stuff already this season! What are you waiting for - get in there and make this saltine toffee today!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">So toffee-y, so delicious!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Saltine Toffee</u> (my wonderful coworker, Jan)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">30-45 saltine crackers (or however many you need to fill your cookie sheet)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup (2 sticks) of butter </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup brown sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 cups chocolate chips</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Toppings, as desired (toffee bits, crushed saltines, candies, nuts, etc)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet (or 9x13 pan) with foil. If you are not using non-stick foil, spray your foil with cooking spray. Place the saltine crackers in a single later on the foil and if needed, break some of the crackers to fit the areas where a whole cracker will not fit. Little pieces of cracker are okay, but try not to overlap too much.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once the pan is ready to go, melt the butter and brown sugar in a pan on the stove over medium heat. Once everything is melted, boil the mixture for 1-2 minutes and then pour evenly over the saltine crackers. You may need to spread it over the crackers to get it totally coated. Then, place in the oven for 10 minutes, until hot a bubbly. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Allow the chocolate chips to soften up for about five minutes and then spread in to an even layer. Add toppings at this point, if using.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let the pan cool for about 30 minutes and then place in the fridge for at least an hour or until set. Once toffee is set, remove foil, break up in to pieces and enjoy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>This toffee will last for about two weeks at room temperature or int he fridge for several weeks. But, it will probably be gone before before you can say saltine toffee!</i></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-24628000314048092242015-12-22T20:24:00.000-08:002015-12-22T20:24:10.270-08:00Chicken Pot Pie Soup<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the weather begins to get colder and the rain starts falling, it's time to start pulling out the soup recipes. In fact, the hubby and I have made Sunday "soup Sunday". It's a pretty good winter tradition if you ask me. We've been trying lots of new soups and reinventing some of the ones we love. While browsing through one of my favorite blogs, Handle the Heat, I came across a fabulous Turkey Pot Pie soup. It jumped out at me 1. because it was soup Sunday and 2. my husband has been craving pot pie for weeks. As much as I love a good crust, I wanted to see if this soup would give me all the flavors of pot pie, but without having (or without missing) that flaky and buttery crust. Ooh, that buttery crust. Yum. But I digress.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The best part about this soup is that it takes only 30 minutes to make. No joke. This is super fast soup. Or maybe it's souper fast soup. Now that's funny. Okay, back to the soup. This soup starts off with garlic, onion, celery and carrots in a big pot with a little bit of butter. Once all of the veggies are softened, you add in diced potatoes, fresh sage (mmm!) and then salt and pepper. Give it a good stir and then add in chicken broth and a bit of water. Let all of those flavors do their thing for about 10 minutes while the potatoes get nice and soft. Once the potatoes are cooked, add in the shredded chicken (or turkey if you have it) and half and half. Just a bit to give it some creaminess, but not too much. Of course you can add more, if you want it extra creamy and rich. Give the soup a few more minutes to warm through and you are pretty much ready to go. If you are feeling extra fancy, now is the time to add a few handfuls of frozen peas. If you add them too soon, you'll get pea mush. Yuck. They just need a minute or two to heat up and your soup is ready to enjoy. Pot pie perfection!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This chicken pot pie soup is so flavorful, creamy and souper satisfying. It's literally pot pie in a bowl! The only thing that would make this soup better (if that is possible) would be a cheesy garlic biscuit to dunk in it. Don't worry, I made those too and the recipe is coming soon too! And they are so cheesy delicious and perfect for this soup.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMeeHqhvG0z3qLeGeoRo9Zzyuw6ayA5shahgIzhcq2AA8w1qcWL5NFxFm3hZj01EkJjf6FQXHSTcVaEbYh8KRN4sZNJEvCPP0OtdVbrzP5HkY7ZbDquJOL9TuqndDodH6qzQaTAfF1fLQ/s1600/67E6AF84-6C0A-4289-9A2A-850D10B7E57C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMeeHqhvG0z3qLeGeoRo9Zzyuw6ayA5shahgIzhcq2AA8w1qcWL5NFxFm3hZj01EkJjf6FQXHSTcVaEbYh8KRN4sZNJEvCPP0OtdVbrzP5HkY7ZbDquJOL9TuqndDodH6qzQaTAfF1fLQ/s320/67E6AF84-6C0A-4289-9A2A-850D10B7E57C.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">soup + biscuits = love</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Chicken Pot Pie Soup</u> (slightly adapted from Handle the Heat)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.3;">1 tablespoon butter</span><br />
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; line-height: 1.3; padding: 0px 0px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 small yellow onion, diced<br />3 celery stalks, diced<br />1/4 cup all purpose flour<br />2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced<br />2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage<br />1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />4 cups low sodium chicken broth<br />1/2 cup half-and-half<br />3 carrots, peeled and diced<br />3 cups shredded leftover chicken or turkey meat (rotisserie chickens are great for this soup!)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups frozen peas (optional)<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley<br />1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt</span><br />
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<div style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; line-height: 1.3; padding: 0px 0px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="" style="background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Heat the butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook until softened. About 5-7 minutes. Add in the flour and cook for about one minute. Then add the potatoes, sage, and pepper. Pour in 2 cups water and the chicken broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, for about 10 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and half and half and cook until warmed through, about five minutes. If adding in frozen peas, add them in now and let heat through for 1-2 minutes.</span></span><br />
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Add in the parsley and season with the salt. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary before serving.</div>
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<i>This soup is souper good!</i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-83414010403476645312015-12-21T15:39:00.000-08:002015-12-21T15:39:09.179-08:00Honey Rosemary Roasted Walnuts<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know you all have been wondering where the heck I have been hiding, but let's just say that between grad school, getting married and work that I have not had much time to blog. Or sleep. Or see my husband. I promise to go into all the wonderful details of our wedding soon (I know you want to here all about!), but today is all about walnuts. Yummy, buttery, nutty walnuts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I recently bought a HUGE bag of walnuts and although I usually go through them in a heartbeat with all my holiday baking, I wanted to do something different this year. I wasn't sure how, but I wanted to do something a bit more savory. I love my sweet treats, but you have to have something salty and savory to balance it all out. As my husband would say, it's all about moderation. Maybe that was more about eating the treats. Oops. Nevertheless, these honey rosemary roasted walnuts are a must make and they couldn't be simpler. Let me tell you all about them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All you need is walnuts, olive oil, a little cayenne pepper (just a pinch), honey, rosemary (fresh or dried) and salt and pepper. I ended up using dried rosemary because that's what I had in my pantry. And to be honest, I had already gone to two stores looking for fresh and both were out. Ugh. I was not about to go to a third when I knew I had dried. Also, if you are worried about the the cayenne, it is just a bit. I was worried it might be too much of a kick in the nuts, but you barely noticed it was there. Promise. Once you have gathered all your ingredients, you literally mix everything together and then bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. Your home will fill up with the most heavenly aroma while the nuts bake. A little savory. A little sweet. A lot of deliciousness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once the nuts come out of the oven, you will want them to cool before you enjoy them. Hot nuts are not good nuts because they will burn your tongue. That's not fun. Once the nuts are cooled, you can bag them up for gift giving, enjoy them as a snack or bring them to your next dinner or party for a yummy little appetizer. They are so delicious and are guaranteed to be gobbled up in a jiffy - go nuts!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8SjQjuVjgNNG2q9TceA0RBIzeWxfqjHBdOx71teGD3SqB52u9q1EMDSups0D1pxp0zM1sk4hx39zSBYjRhjqcUUKUaRYgo1YXZ4oJR8umkhlMkh-zyldOhroPOv69mBMzCGoeUQ8KSIw/s1600/8C21C7A2-2C8C-440C-9DB3-2F1BCE4C00AA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8SjQjuVjgNNG2q9TceA0RBIzeWxfqjHBdOx71teGD3SqB52u9q1EMDSups0D1pxp0zM1sk4hx39zSBYjRhjqcUUKUaRYgo1YXZ4oJR8umkhlMkh-zyldOhroPOv69mBMzCGoeUQ8KSIw/s320/8C21C7A2-2C8C-440C-9DB3-2F1BCE4C00AA.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">feeling nutty?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Honey Rosemary Roasted Walnuts</u> (Alaska from Scratch)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 tablespoons olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 tablespoons honey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon dried rosemary (or 2 tablespoons of fresh, minced)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon cayenne</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon kosher salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 cups walnut halves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, rosemary, cayenne, pepper and salt. Add the walnuts in to a larger mixing bowl (enough to hold the nuts) and then pour over the oil and spice mixture. Mix enough to coat all the nuts well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Line a cookie sheet with non-stick foil (if you use regular foil, make sure to spray it with non-stick spray such as Pam). Then spread the walnut mixture in a single later. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the nuts are hot, golden brown and your home is filled with the delicious scent of honey and rosemary.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Serve the nuts warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you allergic to walnuts, pecans, almonds or cashews can be substituted. This recipe also doubles and triples really well!</span></i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-75831553473902616302015-09-13T19:19:00.001-07:002015-09-13T19:19:39.047-07:00Nutella Brownies<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dear lordy, has it really been almost three months since I blogged? </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's embarrassing. Really embarrassing. But then again, I am hoping ya'll can forgive me because I've been exhausted from last semester (I still feel like I am trying to catch up on sleep), work has been crazy (but good!) and I've also been planning my wedding. On top of that, we are still working on our house and my last year of grad school started. I guess you could say that I've been a little busy. Nevertheless, I have still made time for cooking and baking, but you already knew that. So get ready. Here we go!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I will be the first to admit that there hasn't been a brownie that I have met and didn't like. And trust me, I've eaten and made a lot of brownies in my lifetime. Here are just some of the ones I have made:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ghiradelli brownies (only the best boxed brownie ever - and my sister would agree!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Protein Brownies (made with PB2!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cadberry creme egg brownies (layered with creme egg filling and topped with chocolate!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Knock you naked brownies (a bunch of caramel and a surprise ingredient make these over the top)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Salted caramel brownies (there is something about that salt!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Raspberry truffle brownies (there are chocolate truffles folded right into the batter - dangerous!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cookie dough stuffed brownies (enough said)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">German chocolate brownies - (like your favorite cake, but in brownie form!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Irish creme brownies (not just for St. Patty's day!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Espresso brownies (don't eat these late at night!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Brownies made in the crock pot (yes, you heard me right - crock pot!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Roasted cherry brownies (seriously, so good!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Black bean brownies (you'd never know they were made with beans)</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's all I can remember for now, but I am sure there are more. I told you I like brownies. You can make them in so many forms, there is a brownie for everyone! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I recently came across a coupon sent by one of my local grocery stores for $2.00 off a jar of Nutella. I first contemplated even buying it. Why you may ask? Well, every time I opened the pantry, that jar would be saying, "eat me, Christina, eat meeeee!". As long as the jar isn't opened, I am good, but still, there are some days where I just want to stick a spoon in there. For all of you that have had Nutella, you know what I am talking about. I knew that $2.00 coupon was too good to waste and since it was already on sale, I had to get a jar. Seemed like a logical reason to me, no? Then came the hard part - what to make with it. Of course you can eat it right from the jar (which I am sure most people do), but I wanted to try to add it to something. And not just slapping it on to a piece of warm toast. Boy does that sound good though.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It finally came to me - Nutella brownie. Duh. Why did not think of this sooner?! Especially considering I had a bite of one just a few weeks ago. So good! These are a must make. Especially if you can avoid eating the whole jar of Nutella with a spoon. And no, I don't do that. Maybe just a spoonful or two. Maybe. Maybe not. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u><b>Nutella Brownies</b> </u>(Just Add Sprinkles)</span></div>
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<div class="recipe-section ingredient brown-text-nh" style="margin-bottom: 2em;">
<ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 1em 0px; padding-left: 0px;">
<li style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><div class="text">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8 ounces Semi Sweet Chocolate (chips or if you use a bar, chop it up!)</span></div>
</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><div class="text">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 cup Butter, cut into chunks (makes for easier melting!)</span></div>
</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><div class="text">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup sugar</span></div>
</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><div class="text">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 Eggs </span></div>
</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><div class="text">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 teaspoons vanilla extract</span></div>
</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><div class="text">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder</span></div>
</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><div class="text">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup Flour</span></div>
</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><div class="text">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon Salt</span></div>
</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><div class="text">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup Nutella</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 1em 0px; padding-left: 0px;">
<li style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><div class="text" style="margin-left: 2em;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8x8 inch or 9x9 inch baking dish with parchment paper (or non-stick foil), set aside.</span></div>
</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="text" style="margin-left: 2em;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Using a microwave (or double boiler, if you want) on low setting, combine chopped semi sweet chocolate and butter. Allow chocolate and butter to melt completely, stirring regularly to get the chocolate and butter to fully combine. Once chocolate mixture is completely melted and combined, stick chocolate in the fridge (keep it in the same bowl) for a few minutes to cool the chocolate.</span></div>
</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="text" style="margin-left: 2em;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a separate bowl, combine cocoa powder, flour and salt. Whisk or sift ingredients together so there are no clumps of dry ingredients. Set aside.</span></div>
</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="text" style="margin-left: 2em;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Remove chocolate mixture from fridge. Add in sugar, mixing until thoroughly combined. Chocolate may be gritty from sugar. Add in eggs and vanilla extract, mixing completely. Slowly add in dry mixture and continue stirring. Batter should pull away from the sides of the bowl as it thickens up. Add in Nutella and fold it into the batter until fully combined. Be patient, this may take a few minutes and arm muscles!</span></div>
</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="text" style="margin-left: 2em;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pour batter into the prepared baking dish and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes. Brownies are down when a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Brownies may seem super soft but will set as they cool. Allow at least 20-30 minutes of cooling time before serving and remember, these brownies are extremely moist, thick & fudgy (the best kind of brownie!). When ready to serve lift up sides of the parchment paper and transfer to a cool surface to cut into squares. </span></div>
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</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><div class="text" style="margin-left: 2em; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Want to take these brownies to the next level? Serve them with vanilla ice cream, chocolate drizzle and fresh berries. YUM!</span></i></div>
</li>
</ul>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-23827591182971657382015-06-05T19:32:00.000-07:002015-06-05T19:32:01.992-07:00Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake Cookies<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As soon as I laid eyes on these Texas chocolate sheet cake cookies, I knew I had to make them. In fact, I could not get them off my mind. I'm not even kidding. One of my favorite bloggers, Christina Lane over at Dessert for Two, posted a picture of her making these on her Instagram page and I was hooked. Like, I ran to the kitchen, made sure I had everything to make them (of course I did) and starting whipping them out. I kid you not. I don't joke around about cookies. Especially chocolaty cookies. Chocolaty cake like cookies with thick chocolate icing. Oh my my. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These cookies could not be easier or faster to make. They may be the bestest, fastest cookie ever! Don't trust me. Well fine then. You'll be missing out and don't come crying to me. Was that mean? My bad. Nevertheless, to make these cookies, you'll just need a few simple pantry staples - butter, flour, salt, an egg, baking powder, vanilla and chocolate chips. See, told you. Simple. You'll also need powdered sugar, milk, cocoa powder and a dab of butter for the ooey gooey icing. I am literally salivating just thinking about it. To start on the cookies, you cream the sugar and butter (just like any other cookie recipe), add the egg and all the other ingredients. Lastly, you'll drizzle in the melted chocolate. At this point, the batter will be thick. You'll want to take a big spoon to it, but please try to resist. It will be all gone if you start. Trust me. You'll scoop out the batter (I used my 1.5 tablespoon scoop, but you can use whatever scoop you have or just eyeball it) and bake for 7-8 minutes. It's VERY important to not over bake these cookies. You want them to look just about set and then pull them out. If you cook them any longer, they will be dry. And no one likes dry cookies. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once the cookies are all made and cooled, now it's time for the icing. It's almost as easy to make as the cookies, if not easier. I was not kidding when I told you these cookies were easy to make. Here goes the frosting. In a medium size pan, combine the butter, cocoa powder and milk over medium heat. Once everything is melted together and mixed well, stir in the powdered sugar until combined. You'll want to eat this with a spoon too, but again, try to resist. Remove the pan from the heat and drop spoonfuls of the frosting over each cookie. As you drop the icing on, the cookies should be coated as it drips over the top. Oh so good! The cookies take a bit to set up, but once they do, they are amazing. They are tender, cakey (but not dry!) and that icing just takes them over the top. I can't even begin to explain how good they are. You just have to make them for yourself to find out. Once you do, you'll be hooked like I am.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>Texas Sheet Cake Cookies</u> (Cookies and Cups and Dessert for Two)</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Makes approximately 20 cookies</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cookies </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">½ cup butter, room temperature </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">⅓ cup granulated sugar </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 egg </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tsp vanilla </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tsp baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> ½ tsp salt </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1⅓ cup flour </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">½ cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Icing</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> ½ cup butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 2 Tbsp cocoa powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 3 Tbsp milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 2½ cups powdered sugar</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 350° </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Line baking sheet with parchment or silicone mat, set aside. In bowl of stand mixer beat butter and sugar together until light, scraping sides frequently. Add in egg and vanilla and continue mixing until incorporated. Mix in baking powder and salt. Turn mixer to low and slowly add in flour. Dough will be thick. In a microwave safe bowl heat chocolate chips on high in 30 second increments until melted, stirring after every
30 seconds. Mix melted chocolate directly into cookie dough until evenly mixed. Drop dough by a measured tablespoonish sized mounds onto baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes until cookies just
appear set. They will still be very soft on the inside. DO NOT over bake!! Transfer to a wire rack to cool.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a medium saucepan combine butter, cocoa powder and milk over medium heat, whisking until melted
together. Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar. Pour icing over cookies and allow icing to set before serving. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Everything is <strike>bigger </strike>better in Texas. </span></i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-15573955437830105442015-06-04T19:16:00.000-07:002015-06-04T19:16:00.666-07:00Great Grandma's Mandarin Cake<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A couple of weeks ago, my mom, sister and I set out on an adventure to visit my grandma and great grandma in New Mexico. It was kind of a last minute trip, but I was so excited to go - not only because school was done for the semester, but to see family who I had not seen in over 15 years. Ya, I know that's bad and far too long to not see your grandma or great grandma. Nevertheless, the trip was just a few short days, but we got lots of family time in, took lots of pictures and saw a lot of long roads in New Mexico - it was a three and half hour drive to where they lived from the Albuquerque airport! </span><br />
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Besides hearing all the great stories my great grandma told us, I knew I had to ask her - what is your favorite dessert. I knew she love (and I mean LOVES ice cream), but I knew there had to be something else. As soon as I asked her, she stated without hesitation, mandarin cake! I had no idea what in the world that was. Of course I could guess. A cake with mandarins, right? Well, I was partially right. Great grandma didn't have a recipe, but she knew exactly what was in it. I looked it up on my phone, because that's how I look up everything these days, and bam. There is was. Mandarin cake. Just how she described it and all of the ingredients she mentioned. Darn is she good. And boy was she shocked on how I could find it in just a few seconds. Thank you iPhone.</span><br />
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Now, I am about to tell you all about this recipe and how to make it. Be warned - it comes from boxes and cans. I was kind of against it at first, considering how I like to make things from scratch, but I knew I couldn't fight it. I had to make it the same way great grandma had made it. Here is what you'll need:</span><br />
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1. One box of yellow cake mix</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Eggs and oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. A can of mandarin oranges</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. A can of crushed pineapple</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5. A large container of Cool Whip</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6. One box instant (must be instant!) vanilla pudding</span><br />
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See what I mean by the ingredients. Boxes and cans. But, I guess that's how they did it in the 50's! The best part about this cake (besides it tasting so good!) it's literally dump and go. Seriously! You mix the yellow cake mix, eggs, oil and whole can of mandarins (juice and all - no draining here). At this point, you can make it easy on yourself and just pour in to a 9x13 pan or, if you want to get fancy, into two 9 inch cake rounds. No matter how you bake it, the cake will be just as delicious. Once the cake is baked and cooled, you then whip up the "frosting". You dump the can of crushed pineapple (juice and all!) into a bowl and then mix in the vanilla pudding. The most important part here is that you must let it sit for at least five minutes. This will allow the pudding and pineapple juices to do their thing. AKA thicken up. If you leave it for a little longer, that is fine too. Once you've let it sit for about five minutes, then fold in the cool whip. Just make sure the cool whip is soft and has defrosted in the fridge. You can not mix it all in smoothly if it's still frozen. Just a heads up. The "frosting" will be a bit soft and loose, but don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong. That's how it should be! If you are frosting a 9x13 pan, just spread it all on over the top. If you are frosting the two rounds, put some in the middle, top with the other round and then cover the whole thing up with the rest. There may be extra frosting left over, but that's okay. you don't have to use it all. And if there is extra, it goes really well as a dip for nilla wafers or graham crackers. I did not just tell you that.</span><br />
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The only hard part about this cake is the waiting. Once you've frosted it, the cake must go to the fridge to chill and firm up for at least two hours or overnight. I say overnight is best, but if you want to dig in after two hours, by all mean, you go for it. This cake is so simple to make and everyone (and I mean everyone) has raved about it. I've made it two times in the past week and people go crazy for it. It's light, slightly fruity and so delicious. Next time you are looking for a quick and easy cake or something to bring to that summer get together, keep this cake in mind. You won't regret it and your friends and family will love you for it!</span><br />
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<u>Mandarin Cake</u> (the one, the only, Great Grandma)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">10 oz box of yellow cake mix</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">11 oz can mandarin oranges, with juice </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/3 cup vegetable oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">16 oz container of frozen whipped topping, such as Cool Whip</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">20 oz can crushed pineapple, with juice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3.4 oz box of instant vanilla pudding (not cook and serve!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Great and flour (or use non-stick spray!) two 9 inch cake pans or one 9x13 baking pan. In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, mandarin oranges (and juice, don't drain!), eggs and oil. Mix well for two minutes and then pour in to your desired baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. If using 9 inch cake pans, cool for five minutes and then turn out cakes on a cooling rack. If using a 9x13 pan, let cake fully cool in pan.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.38;">While the cake is cooling, mix the canned pineapple (juice and all!) and vanilla pudding mix. Let the mixture sit for five minutes to allow it all to thicken up. After five minutes, gently fold in the whipped topping. Just make sure it's </span><span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px;">defrosted</span><span style="line-height: 1.38;"> so it's easy to mix in. You'll have too many lumps if you try to fold it in frozen. Once the frosting is ready, frost the cake as desired. Once the cake is frosted, place it in the fridge for at least two hours, or even better overnight, to firm up and let the flavors combine. Enjoy!</span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am willing to bet that this cake will become a summer favorite!</span></i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-24418048241743173012015-05-07T18:14:00.000-07:002015-05-07T18:15:48.625-07:00Weeknight Bolognese<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I recently came across this weeknight bolognese recipe while looking through my stack of cookbooks trying to find something new to make for dinner. Hello Barefoot Contessa! Her cookbooks are the best, especially her "How Easy is That?" cookbook. If you don't have it, you should definitely should. Ryan is always challenging me to use my cookbooks (since I have so many and I keep buying more, oops), but sometimes I just get stuck in the rut of making the same thing or a slightly different version of something I have made before. Although those are all great meals, they can get boring over and over again. At least I think so. Here comes weeknight bolognese to the dinner rut rescue! This dish takes about thirty minutes to make from start to finish, yet your family or friends will think you spent hours making it. Trust me here. It's that good. This dish starts off with browning ground beef (simple, right?) and then adding in garlic, oregano, and wine to get all those brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Still simple, right? Don't let those brown bits go to waste! You'll then stir in tomatoes and tomato paste and let simmer for just a few minutes. Just don't drink all the wine before you get to making the dish. I know that can happen. And no, I did not do that. At least not this time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While the sauce is simmering, bring a pot of water to boil (with plenty of salt - just think salty like the ocean!) so that you can cook your noodles while you finish the bolognese. Once the mixture has simmered and the flavors have started to come together, add a splash of cream, a little more wine and fresh chopped basil to the sauce. Let the sauce simmer a little more while the pasta finishes cooking and then toss both the sauce and the pasta together. Oh, and don't forget to mix in some fresh parmi cheese too. That totally makes the dish. Not that it wasn't amazing before. This just makes it that much better. I promise.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The best part about this 30 minute meal is that you can make this any day of the week. Just because it says "weeknight", doesn't mean you can't make it on the weekend. Just saying. I have been known to make this during the week and on the weekend. I've made it for just Ryan and I and I've made it for family and friends when they come over. It's so versatile! Serve this pasta dish with a simple salad and big glass of red wine and you are good to go. Simple. Easy. Delicious. Keep this recipe in your back pocket for those times when you need a quick and easy, super yummy dish in under 30 minutes!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Weeknight Bolognese</u> (Barefoot Contessa)</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.3600006103516px;">2 tbsp. olive oil</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.3600006103516px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.3600006103516px;">1 lb. lean ground beef </span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.3600006103516px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.3600006103516px;">5 cloves garlic, minced</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.3600006103516px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.3600006103516px;">1 tbsp. dried oregano</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.3600006103516px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.3600006103516px;">¼ tsp. red pepper flakes</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.3600006103516px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.3600006103516px;">1¼ cups dry red wine, divided</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.3600006103516px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.3600006103516px;">1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.3600006103516px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.3600006103516px;">2 tbsp. tomato paste</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.3600006103516px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.3600006103516px;">1 tbsp. kosher salt</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.3600006103516px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.3600006103516px;">1½ tsp. ground black pepper</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.3600006103516px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.3600006103516px;">1 lb. dried pasta (I love </span></span><span style="line-height: 20.2222232818604px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Orecchiette)</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.3600006103516px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.3600006103516px;">Pinch of ground nutmeg</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.3600006103516px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.3600006103516px;">¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.3600006103516px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.3600006103516px;">¼ cup heavy cream</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 18.3600006103516px;" /><span style="line-height: 18.3600006103516px;">½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving!</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground meat into the pan. Cook until no longer pink and starting to brown, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the wine to the pan and stir, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: initial; line-height: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt, a splash of oil, and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the box.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: initial; line-height: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While the pasta cooks, finish the sauce. Add the nutmeg, basil, cream, and the remaining ¼ cup wine to the sauce and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into a large serving bowl. Add the sauce and ½ cup Parmesan and toss well. Serve hot with Parmesan on the side.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; line-height: 19.4400005340576px;"><i style="background-color: black;">So easy. So delicious. How easy was that?!</i></span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3141686575501516636.post-62708154786057860562015-04-28T19:10:00.000-07:002015-05-05T07:36:55.390-07:00Red Wine Brownies<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These red wine brownies are the richest, fudgiest (is this even a word?) brownies you will ever have. I am not kidding you. I recently had half a bottle of red wine left over from making another recipe (weeknight bolognese coming soon!) and I needed to do something with it. Of course I could have had a glass or two of wine, but you know me. I wanted to cook something with it! Call me strange, but it's true. I've had my eye on red wine and chocolate cupcakes, but I just didn't want to have a dozen cupcakes calling my name and saying "eat meeee". Because I would so eat them. I'd eat them all. Okay, not all of them, but more than I should have. I have a wedding dress to fit in for peets sake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These brownies are a nice change from your favorite brownie. There is just something about the wine and chocolate that make you go "hmmm". You don't really know it's there (unless you told someone), but there is something different about them. Good different, of course. They are super easy to mix up for a quick dessert or if you are craving brownies, but they are fancy enough for a special occasion or to give away as a gift. You know me, I am always gifting treats and one that has wine, even better! Just make sure you do not over bake these. If you do, they lose their fudgy goodness and be a little dry. No one wants a dry brownie. At least I don't. I'm sure you don't either. The next time you are looking for a super yummy (and quick and easy!) dessert, promise me you'll try these. Red wine + chocolate = heaven.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Red Wine Brownies</u> (Butter Me Up Brooklyn)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />1/4 cup red wine<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></strong><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />2 eggs<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />1/2 cup brown sugar<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />1/4 cup sugar<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />1/2 teaspoon vanilla<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />1/2 cup flour<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />1/2 teaspoon salt<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />1/2 cup chocolate chips (mini or regular can be used)<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></strong></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">For the glaze:</span><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />1 tablespoon butter<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />2 tablespoons red wine<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />pinch of salt</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.9939994812012px;">Preheat the oven to 350. Butter an 8×8 pan and spray with non stick spray or line with nonstick foil. Set aside.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Melt the chocolate and the butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.9939994812012px;">In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, sugars and vanilla. Whisk in the chocolate mixture and then the wine. Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and stir until the batter is smooth and has thickened slightly. Fold in the chocolate chips.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.9939994812012px;">Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a tester comes ou<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></strong>t mostly clean with just a few crumbs attached. You may need to bake the brownies for a few minutes more, but set your timer for 15 minutes and then hang out in your kitchen for the last few minutes of baking time just to make sure they don’t over bake. An under baked brownie is better than an over baked one.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.9939994812012px;">While the brownies are baking make the glaze. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water until melted. Add the butter, wine and salt and whisk until smooth. Pour the glaze over the warm brownies and spread it to the corners so the top is evenly coated. Cool completely and enjoy!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; line-height: 19.9939994812012px;"><i style="background-color: black;">These red wine brownies will change your life.</i></span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0