Samoa Popcorn

In case you have been living under a rock or something (or just have a life, whichever) last night was the Season Finale of The Biggest Loser. Please tell me you watch that show. Usually reality TV bores me (I get tired of rolling my eyes at all the drama and bad acting) but for some reason I have this strange addiction to Biggest Loser. I think it's kind of amazing how someone can look like an entirely different person in just a few months, by losing 50, 75, 100+ pounds. In honor of the finale I decided to whip up some fresh-squeezed lemonade, and this Samoa Popcorn for us to snack on.

Recipe slightly adapted from: Cookies & Cups

Read More

Chocolate-Dipped Oreos

These are so much easier than they look. Time consuming, yes. Hard, no. To make these, I would recommend investing in a candy-dipping set. You can find cheap plastic ones at Roberts/Michaels/Hobby Lobby (or Santa if you happen to be me). They look like this.

Read More

Brownie Ice Cream Cupcakes

You might get diabetes just by reading this post. Just so you know... consider yourself warned.

I am not a huge cake fan. Most birthdays I ask for an ice cream cake. A few years ago my awesome husband even made me an ice cream cake. He's not exactly a dessert diva, so I was super impressed (and it was to-die-for too). I think that's when I realized that everything is better with ice cream.

Read More

Pie in a Jar

I KNOW right!? (Did you just start salivating? You're supposed to.) If you are not a pie fan, these will make you one. Seriously. By the way, these were so not my idea, so I feel okay bragging about how delicious they are.

Ever since I discovered these I have been borderline obsessed. I have made about 3 batches and given... ummmm not that many away.

Read More

Oreo Cheesecake Bars

You might not know it, but there is a cheesecake dilemma. And a cake dilemma... and a pie dilemma... Pretty much a dilemma for everything that is round (Yes, I'm discriminating against shapes today).

The problem is it is fairly next to impossible to sneak out a piece before taking it to the neighbors, or a work function, or church social, you catch my drift. I mean, how do you even know if it tastes good?

When I was a kid my mom had baked up three pumpkin pies and sat us three kids down, each with a pie in front of us, and said "Have at it! Eat as much pie as you want!" (It was like a dream come true. ) I probably got five or six bites into my pie before I realized something was wrong. All I tasted was salt, salt, salt! That pie-scarfing session turned into some logical life-lesson about not switching the sugar and the salt in the pantry. PS Mom- Totally wasn't me. And I will swear it to my deathbed. Anyways- good thing she didn't send a pie over to the neighbor's right?

Which brings us back to the cheesecake dilemma. If I'm going to spend three hours making a cheesecake, you can bet I'm going to want a bite. Also kind of want to make sure it doesn't taste like feet. (Unless I'm taking a cheesecake to *those* neighbors. Just kidding. I don't even know my neighbors).

The cheesecake dilemma is solved here, by making cheesecake into little bars. So you can taste-test one. Or three. Or half a pan. Your neighbors will still love you for bringing over delicious treats, and you'll love them because they gave you a good excuse to eat cheesecake. Everyone wins.

Read More

Mix your Own Ice Cream...

I have a newfound resolution to try to blog more, and nothing is more fun to write about than food. So hopefully this blog is going to get some love.

I need to let you know about my latest obsession.

Read More

Chicken Chimichangas with Green Sauce

These are DELICIOUS. Worth the crazy amount of ingredients them. They are baked instead of fried so they're crunchy and crispy without being too greasy. We use a rotisserie chicken and this makes them pretty fast too.

We only use 1/4 of a jalapeno and I think it's the perfect amount- spicy but not overpowering. Tim wishes we'd use 1/2 as called for, but he likes his food pretty spicy.

This is half of the recipe (4 servings) so double it if you need more.

Ingredients:

• (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
• 3 pitted green olives (I use black)
  
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning
• 1/2 pound shredded cooked chicken meat
  
• 4 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 1/2 (8 ounce) container sour cream

1. Pour the cream of chicken soup into a blender along with the green chiles, olives, jalapeno, and lime juice. Puree until smooth, then pour into a saucepan, and warm over medium-low heat while proceeding with the recipe.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and taco seasoning until well blended. Fold in the chicken. Evenly divide mixture among the tortillas. Fold each tortilla into a rectangular packet around the filling.
3. Lightly brush each packet with vegetable oil. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees. (We also broil ours 1 minute per side to get them extra crispy- but watch carefully if you do this so they don't burn!)
   
4. To serve, place a chimichanga on a plate, and ladle the warm sauce overtop. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and green onions. Finish with a dollop of sour cream and sliced olives.

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com

Read More

Freedom Sticks

For the Fourth of July I made Freedom Sticks. Which is my fancy name for Chocolate-Caramel Dipped Pretzels with Red-White-and-Blue Jimmies:

Read More

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Bars that are pretty darn close to Reese's peanut butter cups.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips  (Sometimes I use half milk chocolate chips)
• 4 tablespoons peanut butter

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Read More

Nana's Ultimate Chocolate Frosting/Ganache

So Tim's birthday cake looks pretty, but it didn't turn out very well at all. I'm not going to post the recipe because it tasted like Marzipan instead of Black Forest cake. I'm pretty mad that I made it actually, I was really disappointed.

I am going to post the frosting recipe. My mom has been using this chocolate frosting for years, and it is divine. I almost never make any other chocolate frosting. This one is really fast and I never have to go to the store for ingredients.

-1/2 c. butter
-3 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate (Baker's chocolate)
-1 lb. powdered sugar (1 box or about 3 3/4 c.)
-1/2 tsp. vanilla
-1/2 c. milk*

Directions:

Melt chocolate and butter carefully in the microwave (don't scorch the chocolate!). In a large bowl, combine sugar, vanilla, and most of the milk. Blend in the hot melted chocolate and mix well, allowing the chocolate to melt the sugar. Add remaining milk if needed, a little at a time, until you like the consistency. Let it stand until spreadable (it thickens as it cools).

You can pour this over your cake while it's still hot if you want a glaze/ganache, or let it thicken up for a more traditional icing (great for layer cakes too!)

*Reduce milk to 1/4 cup for a frosting that's great for piping. It will still be thin at first, so let it sit out for about 15 minutes after making, or move to the fridge for a few minutes to thicken up.  This is delicious on chocolate cupcakes!

Read More