Party Popcorn

On my late night Target shopping trip to get all our 2nd Annual Cinco/Cam's 2! party supplies I got a little overzealous. At one point I had the makings for about 5 or 6 other food items in addition to the stuff we actually served. Once I realized this I had to stop and make some editing decisions. Sadly, funfetti cake batter dip didn't make the cut because I was worried about keeping it cool, but thankfully party popcorn fit the bill for an outdoor shindig!


To make this recipe you will need:

1 bag of microwaveable popcorn
1 cup of Nestle (or whatever brand you like) white chocolate chips
1/2 tsp of vegetable oil
Sprinkles or whatever you want to jazz your party popcorn up with!

Put 1 cup of white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.  

Microwave for 1 minute. Remove, stir, add 1/2 tsp of vegetable oil. Return to microwave for 20 seconds. Stir until smooth.


Pop 1 bag of popcorn following the instructions on the bag. Place in a separate mixing bowl.

While the popcorn is still warm spread the melted chocolate over the top. Using your hands carefully mix the popcorn until evenly coated with the chocolate.

Cover with sprinkles and carefully mix one more time.

Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy!  For the party I actually doubled the recipe, but I made them in two separate batches.  There was only a bit leftover at the end but I divvied it into some ziploc bags for quick afternoon snacks for my kiddos this week.

Weekly Menu

We're in the final week until summer vacation. Let me just say...

WAHOO!

So this week's menu is a little, blase, because I need simple around here peeps. Simple, quick, not a lot of work involved, or thought, because at the end of the day coherent thought is hard to come by.

Sunday: Pioneer Woman's Braised Short Ribs with Rice and Corn on the Cob
Monday: Pigs in a blanket with Kraft's Homestyle Mac and Cheese
Tuesday: Rotel dip with tortilla chips and quesadillas
Wednesday: Date night with Twinnie
Thursday: Chicken in Wine Sauce with Asparagus
Friday: Grilled hamburgers and Hot Dogs with Steak Fries
Saturday: Spaghetti with Bruschetta

I was supposed to make the Braised Short Ribs last week, but we ended up having an impromptu meal out. I pushed the meal to Sunday night and let me just tell you, Pioneer Woman did not disappoint.

First of all, if you have never heard of Pioneer Woman, get your self over to her website. Immediately.

Ree, (Notice I like to refer to her by her first name like we're friends), is among other things, an amazing chef, who not only shares her delicious recipes, but in a user friendly step by step (with photos) format!

I've tried several of her recipes and that woman seriously works magic in the kitchen. I was a little nervous about making short ribs because I've never made them before, but she was right. They were melted meat heaven on a plate.

I won't retype her whole recipe, it doesn't do her justice. Just next time you're at the grocery store buy some short ribs and go here.

Weekly Menu

I'm thinking about getting hard core into couponing again. That could be a whole post entirely, but with summer coming and freedom for work I think it's an attainable goal. Anyone have good couponing sites, plans, or tips they want to share? I'm listening. Anyone want to join me in this adventure and we can go it together, perhaps splitting the work? Email me! Now, on to the menu!

This week I planned some tasty meals. I love when I'm excited about our meals because in turn I'm more motivated to cook them. Except for Tuesday night, when TG might have had to step in and rescue our poor family from being dinnerless because I was too exhausted to even formulate coherent thought much less be operating a stove burner.

So here's what we've got going this week.

Monday: Neighborhood Pizzeria deal after a trip to the swimming pool
Tuesday: BBQ sloppy joes - usually Tuesday is my crock pot night (which might explain why I was too tired to get up and cook!), but a sale at the grocery store prompted a last minute change
Wednesday: Date night with Twinnie
Thursday: Chicken salad on croissants with pasta salad and fresh strawberry shortcake
Friday: Grilled beef tenderloin and veggies
Saturday: Pioneer Woman's Braised Short Ribs with whipped potatoes and roasted root veggies
Sunday: Four Cheese Chicken Pasta

I may have already shared this week's recipe on here, but it's so good it is worth posting again. I received a premade dish from my husband's secret santa three years ago with a copy of the recipe on top. At the time I was very pregnant with Riley, exhausted and just giddy with a meal that I didn't have to cook. Then I tasted it and the rest is history.

Trust me, this is my go to meal. Pot lucks, birthdays, dinners for new moms or sick friends, picky kids? This is a crowd pleaser folks, so if you love pasta, and seriously who doesn't, print this out and put it in your files. Your taste buds will thank you.

Four Cheese Chicken Pasta
8 oz uncooked pasta (I prefer mini farfalle/bowtie pasta)
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (you can go with the low sodium, or low fat option)
1 8 oz. pkg of cream cheese, cubed
1 4.5 oz. jar of sliced mushrooms (you could use fresh)
1 8 oz. carton of heavy cream
1 stick butter
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 C shredded Swiss cheese
2 1/2 C cubed cooked chicken (I usually get a rotisserie chicken and use the white meat only for this dish)

Topping:
1/3 C seasoned bread crumbs
2 T butter, melted
2 T grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350.

Cook pasta al dente per package instructions. I usually take about 2 minutes off the suggested cook time because this is going to go in the oven when all is said and done and you don't want soggy pasta.

While pasta is cooking combine the soup, cream cheese, mushrooms, cream, butter and garlic powder in a large kettle on medium heat, stirring frequently until the cream cheese is melted. Add Parmesan and Swiss cheese, continue to stir until melted. Add the chicken and heat through.

Drain your pasta and then add to the sauce pot. Stir until all the pasta is coated.

Now for the topping! Pour your breadcrumbs, melted butter and Parm in a bowl and mix until well combined.

Transfer pasta to a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle your topping over the entire dish (I prefer to use my hands to get it spread evenly).

Cover and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until the delicious topping is golden brown.

ENJOY!!! I usually serve mine with a bit of fresh parsley or a green vegetable like peas or asparagus.

Weekly Menu

I missed posting last week's menu, but trust me you didn't miss much other than some grilled chicken and grilled cheese. It was a busy week, as the end of the school year weeks usually are and I'm TIRED. However, I'm trying to pull it together and march on for these last 3 weeks and planning is the key.

Monday: Grilled Rosemary Merlot Flank Steak with roasted veggies
Tuesday: Loose Meat Sandwiches (Crock pot meal)
Wednesday: Date night with Twinnie
Thursday: Spaghetti
Friday: Taco Bake
Saturday: Classic Italian Panini with Prosciutto and Fresh Mozzarella
Sunday: Grilled hot dogs and corn

This week's recipe comes from my Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2009 cookbook. I decided to make this recipe when TG commented on how out of control my container herb garden basil is growing. You can't make this sandwich without the fresh stuff so if you don't have it, get to your grocery store and buy some!



Classic Italian Panini with Prosciutto and Fresh Mozzarella

1 (12 oz.) loaf French bread, cut in half horizontally (I use a baguette from Harris Teeter)
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 T chopped fresh basil
1 C (4 oz) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese, divided (you can use the packaged stuff but the fresh mozzi gives it the best flavor)
2 oz. very thin slices prosciutto (I've subbed bacon before and that is just as delicious)
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced (It's tomato season!!!)
Cooking spray

1. Hollow out top and bottom halves of bread, leaving 1/2 inch thick shells; reserve torn bread for another use. Spread 2 T mayo over cut side of each bread half. Sprinkle basil and 1/2 C cheese on bottom half of loaf. Top evenly with prosciutto, tomato, and remaining 1/2 C cheese. Cover with top half of loaf. Cut filled loaf crosswise into 4 equal pieces.

2. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray (I use EVOO in a Misto). Add sandwiches to pan. Place a cast-iron or other heavy skillet on top of sandwiches (I usually just use a small pan with two cans of food in it). Cook 3 minutes on each side or until bread is toasted (leave skillet on sandwiches while they cook).

It makes 4 servings of a tasty, easy and perfect summertime sandwich. We love this with grilled veggies or a romaine salad with a balsamic vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Weekly Menu

I'm slacking again.

Truth is I'm cheating on my blog.

With my scrapbook. I used to scrapbook when I was a newlywed, but I never finished it. Twinnie is a hard core scrapbooker and I've jumped back on board. As I type this we're sitting at Panera, I'm using their free wifi, she's scrapping and I'm giving the blog some much needed attention.

Oh wait, you were here just for the meal plan and weekly recipe?

Monday: Crockpot chili with five cheese bread
Tuesday: American Flatbread to support All for Aidan and JDRF
Wednesday: Date night with Twinnie
Thursday: Grilled steak and parmesan cheese pasta salad
Friday: Grilled hot dogs with grilled corn on the cob
Saturday: Pulled beef BBQ sandwiches with baked beans
Sunday: Grilled chicken with grilled veggies (squash and zucchini)

Obviously we're obsessed with our new grill. And I'm so involved with scrapping again that I attended my second scrapbooking crop this past weekend. The hostess served this absolutely delicious pulled beef BBQ with a homemade cole slaw. My mouth is watering just typing it again. She inspired me to make that for my own family this week.

Once again I default to FramedCooks. She came up with a pulled pork recipe inspired by Taste Of The South. I'm changing it up myself so it's my version of Framed's version of Taste's version. Got that, doesn't really matter just prepare yourself for some tasty BBQ.

Shredded Beef BBQ Sandwiches
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground red pepper
2 cloves garlic, smashed (she used 4, but hubs isn't a huge garlic fan so I halved it)
1 medium onion, finely diced (I changed this to a smaller dice and from 2 large to 1 medium)
1 3 lb beef brisket (she used a 5 lb pork roast)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Water
Hamburger rolls
Your favorite coleslaw
Your favorite barbecue sauce, warmed - KC Masterpiece, duh


1. Combine salt, paprika and pepper in a small bowl. Rub brisket with oil, and then rub spice mixture on, coating it all over.
2. Place roast in a slow cooker with garlic and onions. Add enough water to come three-quarters up the side of the beef.
3. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours. Save about a cup of the liquid and take out the beef. Remove any fat and bones, and then use two forks to shred it.
4. Mix sandwich-size portions with warmed bbq sauce and place on hamburger buns. Top with coleslaw and serve.

Framed says you can freeze the leftover BBQ and warm it whenever you want more - which in my house would probably be the next day. :) Happy eating friends!

Weekly Menu

Ever since we got back from our vacation my shopping and menu planning schedule has been off. We flew home on a Tuesday night with a 6 hour time change and picked up right where we left off with work and commitments on Wednesday morning. So now, my new shopping day is Sunday and I plan my 7 days starting then.

You will notice an upswing in grilled dinners. We hosted our first Cinco de Mayo party last Thursday and realized 30 minutes prior to the party that our old grill had gone kaput. I raced to Home Depot and got a new one (already assembled) and now we're putting it to good use!

Also, I've been asked a few times about Wednesday date night. No, sadly it's not with my hubs. My friend and I both have husbands who have regular gym time on Wednesdays. Instead of managing entertainment and dinner for the kids by ourselves we decided to join forces. We usually hit up a park or our local play gym followed by dinner out.

Sunday: Mother's Day dinner out!
Monday: Grilled hamburgers and hot dogs with grilled corn on the cob
Tuesday: Chicken salad sandwiches with grilled veggies
Wednesday: Date night with Twinnie!
Thursday: Taco soup
Friday: Chili
Saturday: Grilled steaks and baked potatoes

This week's recipe is courtesy of my sister, Tata. She had it at some sort of holiday party and I made it for the first time this fall and fell in love. Easy and delicious!!!

Taco Soup

Ingredients:
1 ½ lb. Ground beef – browned and drained
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can Pinto beans
1 can Kidney beans
1 can Garbonza beans
1 can Yellow hominy
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 – 16 oz. Can chopped tomatoes
1 pkg. Taco seasoning
1 pkg. Dry hidden valley ranch dressing mix


Directions:
Mix everything in crockpot. Use the juices from the cans (do not drain). Cook in crockpot on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. Serve with tortilla chips and shredded cheese, if desired. I also get avocados and sour cream for mine. YUM YUM!

Weekly Menu

I've been bloggy MIA for a month due to stomach bug stage 2, ear infection #7, a big and wonderful family vacation and little man's first birthday. Eesh. It pained me just to type all that.

That said we've been home almost a week now and I'm finally getting back into the swing of things. We lived 4 1/2 days on what was still good in our refrigerator and pantry before I planned our menu and made it to the Teeter. Let's just say there were some creative meals going on, but I didn't have to resort to ketchup sandwiches which I may or may not have been known to eat before.

This week I'm keeping it simple style since I'm still readjusting to life with 5 kiddos during the day.

Monday: Chicken in wine sauce
Tuesday: Spaghetti
Wednesday: Date night with twinnie
Thursday: Cinco de Mayo! Beef and chicken fajitas
Friday: BBQ chicken sandwiches
Saturday: Breakfast for dinner
Sunday: Grilled hamburgers

This week's recipe is one I got from my MIL, but I've seen it around on other sites too. What's not to love? Chicken, cheese, wine?!? You had me at hello.

It's a simple and delicious recipe that my whole family loves. I make it even easier for myself by getting a rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken. This way I only have to bake it long enough to cook the rice and melt the cheese - good food on the table fast = happy in my family.

Chicken in Wine Sauce

Ingredients:
1 can of cream of mushroom (I use cream of chicken and mushroom)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1-2 cups rice (if you use two cups you need to adjust your liquid accordingly)
4 chicken breasts (or breasts and other meat from rotisserie chicken)
4 slices swiss cheese (or a milder cheese if you like)
Dash of paprika

Mix cream of mushroom with wine and chicken broth.
Pour rice into a casserole dish. Dump in soup mixture, stir rice well.
Place chicken breasts on top of rice and push down until they are halfway submerged in liquid.
Top each piece with a slice of swiss cheese.
Sprinkle paprika on each piece.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked thru. If you go the rotisserie route I cook mine for about 20 minutes just to melt the cheese and cook the rice.

Serve with your favorite veggie or a salad!

Weekly Menu

I'm keeping it real this week. I'm back to watching 4 children ages 3 and under during the day and we just all caught the same nasty springtime cold. This means that I need recipes that TG can step in and do if I'm down for the count.

The chicken parmesan rollatini's were good, but I should have stuck with my gut instinct, which was Pioneer Woman knows best. Enough said. As for the polenta, well I liked it because I like grits, but TG who is a traditionalist was not a fan. Live and learn. To be fair to polenta I used the instant kind and it was my first go so I told TG not to judge by his wife's surely subpar version of what is thought to be a pretty tasty side dish. Anyone out there have a foolproof recipe that will make my hubs go weak in the knees?

I started my herb garden just in time for Mother Nature to decide that she was going to give us one last wintry blast complete with snow and 20 degree temps all week long. Thankfully, all of my little plants except the parsley (I have bad luck with parsley, why is that???) are doing just fine with some daytime sunshine and the warmth of the garage at night. Thank God I planted them in containers that were small enough for me to move each day.

Enough of my blabbing. On to the menu!

Wednesday: Date Night!
Thursday: Chili with Fritos (my version)
Friday: Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas (my version)
Saturday: Kid's birthday party - we'll probably eat out
Sunday: Pulled Chicken BBQ Sliders with Ranch "Slaw" and potato salad (Framed Cooks)
Monday: Pan Fried Chicken with Baked Potatoes and Corn (shout out Twinnie!)
Tuesday: Outback Steakhouse's Alice Springs Chicken (Big Oven)

This week's recipe is courtesy of Framed Cooks, who uses recipes from multiple sources and shares her version and notes. You have to check out her blog if you haven't before.

This particular recipe was in the Southern Living's Christmas 2010 magazine. Look at the picture Framed took of her sliders....ahem...sorry I just had to wipe the drool from my mouth.



Tasty as I'm sure the original version is, I had to alter it to meet the picky tastes of my household. I don't much care for pork bbq (I know it's a crying shame), TG doesn't like blue cheese, and none of us like coleslaw.

Ingredients:
3 C shredded coleslaw mix (I'm subbing just shredded lettuce)
1/2 C ranch dressing
1/4 C blue cheese crumbles (I'm subbing cheddar crumbles)
1/8 tsp pepper
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 C warm pulled pork BBQ (I'm subbing a shredded rotisserie chicken)
1 pkg mini slider buns or hot dog buns
1/2 C warmed BBQ sauce (KC Masterpiece all the way!)
Dill pickles

1. Combine first five ingredients in a bowl and mix well
2. Mix meat with BBQ sauce
3. Put 1/4 C BBQ mixture on bottom half of bun, top with 1/4 C "slaw", garnish with pickle slices, top with bun.

What's not to love? Simple ingredient list, yummy BBQ, and NO ACTUAL COOKING TIME? That's the way to a busy working mom's heart!

Weekly Menu

Woohoo! I managed to get this one lined up in the posting queue on time this week!

I should tell you, the truth is that while I do plan the menu every week I don't always stick to it 100%. For example on Monday I realized that an entire gallon of milk had leaked into my vegetable drawer in the fridge. In addition to the nauseating stench that was permeating our house all my veggies were ruined. So we improvised and TG hit up our local pizza joint for their sweet Monday take out deal; a large NY style pizza for only $6.99. YUM.

With that confession made, here's the plan for this week:

Tuesday: Roast Chicken with Spring Veggies (pushed over from last week's menu)
Wednesday: date night
Thursday: Carbonara with Asparagus
Friday: Egg and Prosciutto Panini
Saturday: Roast chicken with spring veggies
Sunday: Chicken Milanese with spinach salad
Monday: IKEA's swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberry preserves
Tuesday: Chicken Parm Rollatini with Polenta

This week's recipe is from the JAN/FEB 2011 issue of Food Network Magazine. I'm a purist when it comes to chicken parmesan and if you haven't made Pioneer Woman's version yet, well then you just haven't lived. However, I also like to try new things and this recipe seemed fun!

Chicken Parmesan Rollatini- Food Network magazine April 2011

Ingredients
1 C fat free/low sodium chicken broth
1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
1 14.5 oz. can crushed San marzano or fire roasted tomatoes
5-6 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 thin (1/8 in. thick) chicken cutlets (about 4 oz. each)
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
1 C shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 C grated parmesan cheese
1/4 C breadcrumbs
1 large egg white
Cooking spray
Instant polenta, for serving (optional)

1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450. Cook the broth, garlic, tomatoes, and basil in a skillet over med-high heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper; place smooth-side down on a work surface. Sprinkle with the parsley and mozzarella. Starting at the short end, roll up to enclose the filling. Secure with a toothpick.
3. Mix the parmesan and breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Put the egg white in another dish and beat until foamy.
4. Mist a skillet with cooking spray. Dip the chicken rolls in the egg white, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place in the skillet, seam-side down. Sprinkle with any remaining breadcrumbs and mist with cooking spray. Bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Serve with the tomato sauce, and polenta.

I should also note that I love fresh herbs and now that it's warmer weather where I live I am starting planter pots of herbs that I purchased from Wal-Mart that will hopefully last me all spring and summer long!

Weekly Menu

I would rather do my St. Patrick's Day post, but it's late and I dont have the energy to upload those pics just yet. So in order to off set my laziness a little I figured I would do my weekly menu post albeit almost a week late.

Tuesday: Beef tostadas with a homemade smoothies dessert - yummo!
Wednesday: date night
Thursday: Turkey club sandwiches with chips and smoothies
Friday: Spaghetti with salad
Saturday: Roast chicken with spring veggies
Sunday: Ravioli with artichoke sauce
Monday: Eggs hollandaise with asparagus
Tuesday: Taco bake

Another blog I read also does a weekly menu post and she had the brilliant idea of sharing one of her weekly recipes every time. I love this idea so I am going to follow in her footsteps and try to post one per week, but if there is ever a recipe you see on here and want please leave a comment and I'll be happy to email it to you!

Beef Tostadas - Food Network magazine April 2011

Ingredients
2T vegetable oil
1/2 small red onion
2 cloves of garlic
3/4 lb ground beef
Kosher salt
2T tomato paste
1 T chili powder
1 15 oz. can refrained beans
8 corn tostadas (flat taco shells)
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey jack
Shredded lettuce, salsa, avocado and/or cilantro for topping

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the beef and 1/2 tsp salt and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and chili powder and cook, stirring, about 2 more minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the refried beans in a small saucepan. Thin the sour cream with about 2T water in a small bowl.
3. Spread the beans on the toastadas, then top with the beef and cheese. Drizzle with the sour cream. Top with lettuce, fresh avocaco, salsa and/or cilantro.

Weekly Menu And Meal Planning

An IRL friend of mine, who is the amazing Momma to twins (seriously she has time to work, blog, menu plan, cook, clean and more with twin babies?!?) writes a weekly menu post. I love reading it because I am always looking for new ideas for our dinners.

After we had Camden I started using a weekly refrigerator magnet menu planner to plan a week worth of dinners and then shop to the menu.

Here's my beauty in all her glory on my very cluttered and messy fridge. The bottom left is my gallon sized ziplock bag of coupons. On the far left you can see just a peek at my weekly cleaning schedule too, but that's another post entirely.


I found my lil planner a couple years ago in the $1 section at Target, I wish I had gotten more. Part of the reason I started planning was to keep me organized, the other part is to help me stick to our $150/week grocery budget. Some weeks I'm way under and some weeks I'm right at the $150 because that amount includes EVERYTHING - not just food, but toiletries, diapers, cleaning supplies, everything!

In order to stick to that budget I shop the sales, use coupons, and visit more than one store to get the best prices on things. On the weeks when I know it will be tighter (which are the weeks where we need diapers, detergent, pull ups, wipes, paper products and more at the same time) I just get creative with the menu. I try to make recipes that use the same ingredients so specialty ingredients don't go to waste. I also use rotisserie chickens A LOT because I can get two meals worth out of the chicken for only $4 and I don't have to cook chicken which kinds of grosses me out.

I do my planning and shopping on Tuesdays, but I try to write recipes into my little menu as I find ones I want to make during the week. I get my recipes from all sorts of places including Food Network and Cooking Light magazine, some food blogs, friends and google searches.

So with all that said, here's the meals for our week!

Tuesday: Portobella parmesan from Food Network magazine - it was DELICIOUS
Wednesday: Weekly date night with twinnie and her kids
Thursday: Chicken in wine sauce with brown butter green beans
Friday: Turkey club sandwiches with fruit salad
Saturday: Cheeseburger chili mac an old Rachael Ray standby
Sunday: Chicken and mushroom alfredo with peas
Monday: Eggs over toast with hollandaise and bacon
Tuesday: Chicken taquitos with black beans and rice

If you write a weekly menu post leave me a comment so I can add you to my blogs I read for recipe inspiration! Or if you have an amazing recipe I just have to try leave me a comment!

Worth The Heavy Lifting

Look, I'm all about easy and delicious. So I don't hesitate to buy bake and break cookies (UMM HELLO?? anyone else tried the Target brand white chocolate, cranberry, walnut ones???), instant brownies and use cake mix to make tasty treats. Less ingredients, less dishes, less time, still perfectly yummy.

But sometimes I'll come across a recipe that is worth all that AND the heavy lifting.

Heavy lifting as in the lugging out of my Kitchen Aid mixer that Gigi and Papa gave me 5 years ago for Christmas.

I saw this dessert on a blog I read and instantly knew I would make them someday so I copied and pasted the recipe, e-mailed it to myself and then stored it in my recipes folder in gmail.

It's been a long back to work week for TG and I couldn't think of a better day to surprise him with a delicious treat. TGIF people.

And, without further ado I present to you...



(The blogger found this recipe on Martha and instead of using Crisco which she hates, and I do too she substituted butter. I have to say I think they turned out perfectly delicious.)

For the Cookies:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, not Dutch-process
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Filling:
1 1/4 cup natural, creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

To make cookies: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl; set aside.
Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla. Mix in remaining flour mixture.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies spring back when lightly touched, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.

To make filling: Put peanut butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add confectioners' sugar; mix until combined. Raise speed to high, and mix until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes.

Assemble cookies: Spread 1 scant tablespoon filling on the bottom of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Cookies can be refrigerated in single layers in airtight containers up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

MMMMM. Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies...totally worth the heavy lifting.

Deceptively Delicious!

For Christmas, Riley's Great Aunt gave me a cookbook called Deceptively Delicious. The idea behind the book is "hiding" veggies and other very healthy things in foods that kids like to eat. Now, Riley doesn't have a problem eating her fruits and veggies these days, but I know it's coming so I want to be prepared! Yesterday I tried one of the recipes in the book for the first time and made applesauce muffins (with carrots and squash). Riley LOVED them, so I'm sure we'll be trying more of the recipes soon.




They smell like apple pie and you can't even see the vegetables can you? E-mail me if you want the recipe.