Rice Krispie Christmas Ornaments

I made these cute Rice Krispie Treat Christmas ornaments to take to my sister's house for Christmas day.  

I chose these to take for two reasons.  

1)  They're Rice Krispie Treats, so they're going to be super fast and easy.  

2)  What kid doesn't love Rice Krispie Treats?  

As it turned out, they weren't exactly what I'd call super fast, but they were cute.  And the kids did love them.  And I only used part of the bag of Rolos so I had plenty left over for me to eat later.

Here's the link to the original recipe with instructions, but it took me a little bit of trial and error to figure them out so I thought I'd do an updated recipe.

Rice Krispie Treat Christmas Ornaments A La Flossie

-1/4 cup butter
-10oz package of marshmallows  Use the mini marshmallows so they melt faster!
-1 tsp vanilla
-6 cups Rice Krispies cereal You can get 2 batches from 1 box of cereal.
-food coloring of your choice  I know the original recipe calls for sprinkles to roll the ball in, but I thought this was was much easier.
-Rolo candy
-toothpicks

Melt the butter in a large saucepan.  Add the marshmallows & stir until melted.  Add food coloring a few drops at a time until the desired depth of color is achieved.  Note--make it just a few shades darker than you actually want your treats to be.  Notice that my "red" ornaments are really pink?  They were my first batch.  I learned my lesson with the green.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla then quickly stir in the cereal. 

This part is important!!!  Allow the mixture to cool for 5-7 minutes.  If they are too warm, they will fall apart, and you will keep having to reshape them.  (Not that I did that, or anything.)  Butter your hands well (I sprayed Pam pretty generously on mine) and start to shape the mixture into balls.  If they will not hold their form, allow them to cool a bit more. 

Cut a toothpick in half.  Insert one end into the Rolo, then insert the other end into the Rice Krispie ball. 

 

Smooth Operator

We've been on a smoothie kick at our house lately.  It all started with this recipe for a pumpkin pie smoothie.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  (I modified it just a bit...)  Seriously, I might have a little bit of a cooking crush on the Pioneer Woman.  I want to go visit her ranch.  And eat her food.  And rub Charlie's belly.  And then eat some more food.

Right before Thanksgiving, I was going through my kitchen cabinets trying to get rid of a few things that I never use.  I found an immersion blender that I got for Christmas a couple of years ago and decided rather than giving it away I needed to put it to good use.  

Hmmm...what could I do with an immersion blender?  SMOOTHIES!

Just a day or two after that this little gem of a recipe unexpectedly plopped itself into my lap and we were set.  Shawn wasn't a huge fan of the pumpkin pie flavor (although he does like pumpkin pie...weird), but Sam and I were in love.  I convinced myself that it was a healthy recipe since I used lowfat yogurt and skim milk.  Hey...it's better than a donut, right?   

That got me wanting to try other flavors.  Those bananas that are turning brown?  Throw 'em in!  That little piece of a bag of frozen strawberries that have been sitting in my freezer for who knows how long?  Perfect! 

I have these reusable tumblers with a straw that I LOVE! 

Why do I love them?  Well, they were obviously invented by a mom of a two-year-old.  The straw has a little ridge on the bottom so a certain little boy can't pull the straw out and make a mess.  They're great to have.  This is just about all I use at home right now.  And they're just perfect for drinking smoothies, because everybody knows you have to have a straw to drink a smoothie properly. 

One afternoon this week Sam woke up from his nap & I fixed him a smoothie for a snack.  I was in the kitchen putting dinner together, and Sydney was on her little play mat in the living room.  I heard Sam say, "Bite..." and I looked in there just in time to see him shoving the straw into Sydney's mouth.  Have mercy...

Here's the recipe with my changes:

Wonderfully Delicious Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
-canned pumpkin pie mix  (make sure to get pumpkin pie MIX...not the plain pumpkin)
-3/4 cup milk  (more or less, depending on how thick you like yours)
-1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
-dash of cinnamon
-graham cracker, crumbled

Freeze the pumpkin pie mix.  I froze mine in an ice cube tray.  After it's frozen, pop the cubes out and store them in a ziplock bag.  I like about 3 to 4 cubes in my smoothie.  Throw everything except for the graham crackers in a big cup (the big plastic cups that you get at the UK football games are just perfect!) and blend with an immersion blender.  Transfer to one of your handy, dandy reusable plastic tumblers and sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs on top.  Run and hide so you can drink it all without having to share.

To make other flavors, I just kept the same basic milk to yogurt ratio and changed up the flavors.  Sam and Shawn are also quite fond of the strawberry-banana combo.  I'm thinking about experimenting with peanut butter and banana.  What flavor combinations would you try?

A Cuppa Joe

Come sit and have a cuppa joe with me!  If we were chatting over coffee (or tea...or Diet Coke...whatever your poison is), I would tell you:

-I am in the midst of enjoying twelve. entire. weeks. at home.  I cannot fully describe how much I have enjoyed being a stay at home mom this summer.  I'm so thankful that I've had the opportunity to do this.  And it's not just me--I think the kids seem happier, and even Shawn admitted a few nights ago that things seem to be going much more smoothly.  So I'm sending up prayers every chance I get for God to show us what His plan is for our family.  I can't wait to see what He's got in mind.

-My blogging time has been pretty much nonexistent lately.  I'm reading and keeping up with the blogs I follow---that's pretty easy to do on a smart phone while I'm feeding a baby.  (And let me just tell you---this baby LOOOOVES  to eat!  She's got the prettiest little rolls to prove it.)  But I'm not able to actually write much lately.  And I kinda miss it.  I love recording our memories here, and we've made plenty of memories this summer.  But I'm becoming more aware that there has to be balance.  And I don't want to spend so much time RECORDING memories that I miss out on a chance to MAKE memories.  So I'm making more of an effort to put the computer down, turn the television off and just really be present with my family.

-These fall-esque temperatures that we've been having lately are spoiling me rotten.  And while I'm always a little sad to see summer drawing to a close, the cooler days have me thinking of sweaters and long sleeved t-shirts, jewel-toned leaves, football games and hot chocolate.  We're making big plans for fall this year including a visit to the pumpkin patch, a hayride, and trick or treating in our neighborhood.  And I know a certain little boy who will probably go to a football game or two with Daddy.

-And since we're talking over a cup of cyber-coffee, let me just say I've never enjoyed cold coffee.  I just didn't get everyone's obsession with iced coffee.  And I really wanted to like it because who wants to drink a hot beverage when it's 100 degrees outside?  Then a few weeks ago I tried a mocha coconut frappuccino from Starbucks, and I threw my no-cold-coffee policy out the window.  (And I realize that's not really coffee, but probably more accurately a milkshake with about 2 drops of coffee mixed in, but still...)  I highly recommend that you try one before summer is over and they take it off of their menu.

-I've already started my Christmas shopping.  I am both embarrassed and proud of this fact.  And I'm thinking of doing some homemade gifts this year.  I know...right?  The non-crafter is gonna craft???  Say whaaaaat?  But I've been pinning some ideas on pinterest, and I think I might actually be able to pull off some pretty cute gifts.  Now to just find the time to do them.

-And speaking of pinterest, I've been burning up the recipes since I've been home.  This is one of my new favorite throw-together dinners.  I've made these a couple of times.  They're a great way to use up some of that zucchini that I STILL have frozen from last summer.  We grilled out a couple of weekends ago, and these made an awesome side dish.  And I think we might give this ice cream a try before summer is gone for good.  I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Pizza Rolls

I have a new blog that I absolutely love.  I recently started following The Girl Who Ate Everything, and I haven't seen a single recipe on her website that doesn't look delicious.  One thing I love about her is that she cooks real food.  While I love spending hours and hours at a time in the kitchen, I've accepted that it's just not practical for this season of my life.  That's why these little pizza rolls are perfect.  (Actually, The Girl called them pepperoni cheese stick roll ups, but I like my name better.)  Not only were they yummy, I literally threw them together in the time it took Shawn to take a shower one Saturday.  Plus, there weren't any wacky ingredients, so I already had everything I needed without making a trip to the grocery. 

I made these a couple of weekends ago when we were getting ready to watch the Cats play.  I thought they would make the perfect gametime snack.  They were a hit! 

You start out by spreading out all of the necessities.  I know--it looks a little overwhelming, but you can do it! 

Put a few pieces of pepperoni on the crescent roll...

...then plop your piece of string cheese in the middle...

...and roll them up.

And that's it!  You can bake them like that or you can get extra fancy and melt a few tablespoons of butter and sprinkle in some pizza seasoning (or Italian seasoning...whatever you have on hand).

Bake them according to the package directions of the crescent rolls and try not to eat the entire pan all at once.  (It's harder than it sounds.)

Pizza Rolls

- 1 can refrigerated crecent rolls

- 4 slices string cheese (cut in half)

- pepperoni

- 2 Tbsp butter

- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Lay out the crescent rolls in a triangle.  Place 3 or 4 pepperoni slices and a slice of cheese on each crescent roll on the widest part of the triangle.  Roll up.  Melt butter and Italian seasoning together and brush tops of crescent rolls.  Bake according to package directions on the crescent rolls.  Cool for about 5 minutes before eating--CHEESE WILL BE HOT!!!

I Confess...

I've been having an affair.  It started years ago, but lately it's gotten a little out of control.  Shawn has known about it for a while, but I haven't  heard him complain.  I mean, it honestly makes life a little easier around our house.  Lately, I've decided to get really serious about my affair and I'm trying to make it at least a once-a-week habit. 

I'm talking about my CrockPot.

I'm trying to cook supper once a week in the CrockPot.  That's one less supper during the week that Shawn has to worry about.  And let's just be honest--any time you throw a bunch of stuff in a crock and cook it on low for a long time, it just HAS to be good, right?

Pinterest has been my accomplice in my affair.  It encourages my little trysts with new recipes, like this potato soup that I made last week.

(Recipe)

I tweaked the recipe just a bit--I used a can of cream of mushroom and a can of cream of celery instead of cream of chicken.  Also, I'd probably substitute 1/2 of the chicken stock for water next time.  I thought it was just a tad on the salty side.  (But still totally edible.)  Basically I just copied the idea to use the shredded hash browns instead of peeling and dicing a pot full of potatoes.  I will NEVER do that again.  And I made ours EXTRA good by creaming it up with the immersion blender just prior to serving it.  This one is definitely going to become a regular around here.  

This CrockPot beef stroganoff is another one of my Pinterest finds:



(Recipe)

Shawn LOVES beef stroganoff, and I cannot say enough how easy this is.  I literally threw it together in 5 minutes.  I will be doubling the recipe next time so we have plenty of leftovers. 

I think this jambalaya is on deck to be my next CrockPot adventure.



(Recipe)

Of course, not all of my CrockPot recipes have been successes.  Hello, chicken and dumplings.  Ick.  But for the most part, we're enjoying the simplicity of throwing everything in a big pot the night before then pulling it out of the fridge in the morning, plugging it in and walking into a house in the evening that smells just heavenly. 

I'm going to have to expand my horizons just a little, too.  I mean, CrockPot cooking isn't just for soups and stews anymore.  Wouldn't it be fun to throw these little brownies in a mug together on a cold day then snuggle up for a movie night with them? 



(Recipe)

 And I just love the idea of throwing a bunch of stuff in there and waking up to breakfast, like this breakfast risotto, ready and waiting for me in the morning.

(Recipe)

So what are some of your favorite CrockPot recipes?  Leave me a comment with the recipe so I can give it a try.

Valentine's Day

Shawn and I have always been pretty low-key about Valentine's Day.  I honestly cannot think of a single time in our entire existence as a couple that we have done the whole get-dressed-up-and-go-out-to-eat thing.  We usually just have a quiet dinner at home.  (In our early married years when we were both still in school, it was probably take-out and a night full of studying.)  I do, at least, try to bake some special, sweet treat that I know Shawn likes (you can see the cookies I made for him a couple of years ago).

This year, I actually had the day off for Valentine's Day, so Sam and I spent the morning putting together our surprise, "We Love You" dinner.  My sous chef was eager to help at first.

But it wasn't long before he decided that cooking was pretty hard work and he'd better save his energy for later in the day.

So what was our special dinner, you ask?  Steak and baked potatoes?  Some decadent pasta dish?

Nope...none of that around here.  We spell romance B-B-Q....or at least we did this year.  I had been wanting to try this recipe and also this one from the Pioneer Woman, so we decided to give them a whirl.  I used Coke instead of Dr. Pepper for the pork.  We normally only have Diet Coke in the house, but I figured the pork might need the sugar, so I bought the real deal for this.  Also, at the last minute, I altered the recipe to only use 1/2 of the can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and I'm so glad I did.  It gave the meat a really good flavor, but there was just a hint of heat, too.  The whole can would probably have been too much for me, and it most certainly would have been too much for Sam.  As it was, a little barbecue sauce disguised the heat just fine for him, and he ate it like a champ. 

Of course, no self-respectin' Southerner eats a pulled pork sandwich without a little coleslaw on top. 

Shawn decreed that the potatoes must become a regular at our house.  I have to admit, they were really easy to throw together.  I think the only thing I might change next time is to mix the cheese in with the milk mixture instead of just topping them.  Or maybe even melt some Velveeta in with the milk mixture before pouring it over the top.  Cheese just makes everything better, doesn't it?

For our sweet treat, I decided to keep things simple and do some chocolate dipped strawberries.  Shawn and I both love them, and I was pretty sure Sam would be excited about them too.  I ended up with some extra chocolate, so I went digging through the pantry for something else to dip and came up with vanilla wafers.  Oh yeah, Sam is TOTALLY going to be excited about this.

I arranged everything on a plate so it would look pretty when Shawn got home.  But wait a minute...is one of my vanilla wafers missing from the outside edge???

Ummm....EXCUSE ME?!

The dirty little rat stole a strawberry and put the whole thing--stem and all--in his mouth before I could stop him.

Doing his best to look innocent.

Leaving the scene of the crime.

Hey Sam--just a tip:  you should probably destroy all of the evidence if you're going to steal dessert before supper.

Shawn wasn't the only one who got a surprise.  I got these lovely tulips.  I just love tulips.  Some day I will grow them and have flower beds that are overflowing with them.  I will be the envy of all of our neighbors.  For now, I will just have them on my kitchen table when my sweet husband brings them home from the local Kroger.

Oh...Pinterest!

I actually made something I saw on Pinterest.  Did I mention that I've fallen in love with that website?  Because I have.  I really have. 

I'm not entirely sure what to call these things.  Oh-My-Gosh-These-Are-So-Good Bars just doesn't seem to have the right ring to it.  Here's the original source.  And here's how you make them: 

You start out by layering a cake pan with wax paper, greasing it, and pressing chocolate chip cookie dough in the bottom.  You could make your own like in the original, or you can be like me and cheat with the store bought stuff.

Then you add a layer of Oreo cookies.  Double Stuffed, of course.

Then you mix up a box of brownie mix.

You might be saying, "Oh, no, she didn't!"  Oh, yes, I did!

Then you bake the whole concoction at 350 for about 50 minutes.  (Actually, I think I ended up baking mine closer to an hour, but my oven does weird things with temperatures and times.)  When you take it out, you have this lovely, layered chocolate explosion.

As you can imagine, this is REALLY rich.  So I put a scoop of ice cream and some Hershey's syrup on top of mine, just to balance it out.  Totally worth every calorie.

Now I'm thinking about a variation with peanut butter cookie dough and Nutter Butters.  Hmmmmm....

Acorn Squash

I love all of the colorful squashes of fall.  I always think they're so pretty in the store.  But to be honest, other than pumpkin, I don't think I had ever actually tasted any of them.  Did you know these things aren't just for decorating with?  You can actually cook them too! 

We have been in a food rut lately.  It feels like we eat the same things over and over again, so I hit my cookbooks for some inspiration on how to shake things up a bit.  When I saw a recipe for acorn squash, I felt like it would be a fun, seasonal dish to try.

To be honest, I figured Shawn would turn his nose up at this because it doesn't look as pretty as what I had hoped.  I really thought the "sauce" would bake down into the squash a bit more.  Maybe my squash wasn't big enough?  I'm not sure, but it was still pretty good, and he was actually pretty impressed.

Acorn Squash

-1 acorn squash

-2 Tbsp butter (I may or may not have used just a teensy bit more)

-2 Tbsp brown sugar or 1/3 cup maple syrup (I couldn't make up my mind so I went 1/2 on each)

-1/8 tsp cinnamon

-1/2 tsp orange zest (I forgot to buy an orange so I used just a drop of orange extract that I already had)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Cut the squash in half and scoop out the guts.  Bake it skin side up for 40 minutes then remove the squash and flip it over (so the halves make little bowls).

Mix all of the other ingredients and pour it into the squash bowls.  Baste the sides with the glaze.  Put them back in the oven and bake for another 25 minutes, basting frequently.

As you can imagine, this is really sweet.  It almost reminded me of a sweet potato.  I would probably omit the orange next time...I didn't really feel like it had to be there, but other than that I would make this again. 

What fall recipes are you whipping up this year?



Caprese Salad

My tomato plants are gasping their last breath.  I'm sad to see them go, but we had a HUGE success this year.  I'm so glad I decided to have my little garden.  I almost chickened out, thinking that I wouldn't put the time into it that it required.  And while there are some changes that will have to be made next year (Hello, zucchini plants that took over the entire space), I think we'll be having fresh veggies on our table again for years to come.

Last week, I thawed out some spaghetti sauce I had frozen for a quick dinner.  I wanted to do something with a few of our last tomatoes, but I didn't have any good bread, so bruschetta was out.  Caprese salad, anyone? 

This is something really great to serve if you're having someone over for dinner.  It's super easy, and it looks really pretty on a plate.  Everything in my salad was fresh from our little garden...except for the mozzarella cheese.  I think Lowe's must have been out of the cheese seeds the day that I picked out my plants. 

Anyway, here's what you do:

Caprese Salad
-2 or 3 large tomatoes, sliced in thick slices
-log of mozzarella cheese, sliced
-fresh basil (I left the leaves whole because I thought it was pretty that way)
-fresh parsley, chopped
-extra virgin olive oil

Arrange the tomatoes on a plate, then place the cheese slices over it.  Sprinkle with basil and parsley.  Just before serving, drizzle lightly with olive oil. 

Sam was literally bucking in his highchair because I wasn't cutting it up fast enough for him.  Sorry, Molly...there will be no sharing this one with you.

Two Healthy Recipes

I didn't make it to the grocery this week. On my day off, I took a couple of pictures to Hobby Lobby to have them framed, and by the time Sam and I finished browsing their 50% off shelves, he was ready for a nap. So I decided that it would be easier to get creative with the food already in our fridge and pantry than to try and keep him occupied in Kroger while he was sleepy.

Shawn always gets a little nervous when I use the words "get creative" and "cook" in the same sentence. He walked into the kitchen, took the lid off of the pan, and saw this:



(Remind me to get some tips from my cooking buddies on how to take more appetizing pictures of the stuff we make.)

I added some roasted carrots to the plate for a little extra color.

Joe's Chicken Couscous Concoction
-1 pkg chicken breasts
-1 bag frozen broccoli (the kind you steam in the bag)
-1 box couscous (I used the Parmesan flavored)
-1 can stock (vegetable is what I had on hand, but I usually keep chicken)
-Greek seasoning to taste

Here's what I did. I would describe this as just okay. It definitely has potential because it's quick and healthy, but I would be open to comments and suggestions for how to improve it.

Boil the chicken until there is no pink in the center. Cube it into 1 inch pieces, then saute it in a large pan just until browned on the outside. (I just like boiling the chicken because I think it's more tender that way.)

Steam the broccoli in the microwave while the chicken sautes.

Add the stock, 1/2 can of water, broccoli and couscous to chicken in the pan. Remove from heat, cover with a lid and let sit until the liquid is absorbed. Season to taste.

Easy enough?

For those of you who are interested, this makes about 3 very generous servings and it's about 8 points per serving.

I was also cruising through a Weight Watchers cookbook that I have had forever and probably never used and came across a recipe for salad dressing that looked promising.

Greek Salad A La Joe with Weight Watchers Citrus Dressing
-lettuce
-grapes, cut in half
-cucumbers, diced
-Italian cheese blend (although Feta would be nice...I just didn't have any)

Dressing
-1/2 cup orange juice
-4 tsp lemon juice
-4 tsp lime juice
-1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
-1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
-I added 2 packets of Splenda...this is pretty tart. If you're not into artificial sweeteners, give it a little sugar

The dressing is a bit complicated to make. Here are the directions:

Pour everything together and mix.

I mixed it in one of Sam's bottles so I could shake it up without making a mess.

I would absolutely make sure I had fruit on my salad when using the dressing because even with the Splenda, it has a bite to it. You need the sweetness from the fruit to balance the tartness of the dressing.

This got two thumbs up from Shawn.

Vegetarian Chili

Shawn (walking into the kitchen): What are you making?

Me: Vegetarian chili.

(From the look on Shawn's face, I may as well have said "wing of bat & eye of newt stew.")

Shawn: Why???

Me: For a potluck at work.

Shawn: Okay...but...vegetarian???

Me: Our clinic director is a vegetarian.

Shawn: You should let him fend for himself.

Me: Oh for crying out loud...just think of it as bean soup!

Shawn: Well, if there's any "bean soup" left over, send it home with your vegetarian friend.

Vegetarian Chili

Sorry...no picture. If you can get past the fact that it's *gasp* VEGETARIAN, this is actually pretty good. This is adapted from a vegetarian chili recipe from The Food Network's Robin Miller. It's very colorful & pretty...and for a bonus it's an easy slow cooker recipe.

-28oz can diced tomatoes
-I added 28oz can tomato sauce for consistency, but with the couscous you probably don't really need this

-4 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth I used 3 cans
-1 can black beans, rinsed

-1 can white beans, rinsed

-1 can kidney beans rinsed I used 2...1 light red & 1 dark red

-1 cup frozen lima beans I omitted

-1 onion, chopped

-1 green bell pepper, seeded & chopped I omitted

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-1 Tbsp pickled jalapeno I used plain jalapeno & it was probably more like 2 to 3 Tbsp

-2 Tbsp chili powder Probably 3 or 4...to taste

-2 Tbsp Mexican or regular orageno I would probably omit in the future

-2 tsp ground cumin I used 3 tsp

-1 tsp ground coriander I omitted

-1 to 2 tsp hot sauce

-1/3 cup couscous

-salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except couscous in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for about 4 hours. Five to 10 minutes before serving, add couscous. Cover & continue cooking until couscous is tender. Top with cheese before serving.

Shawn's Birthday Pie

I decided to make Shawn a birthday pie instead of birthday cake this year. He loves chocolate pie, so Paula and I decided to whip up one for him. You just can't go wrong with Paula Deen. This chocolate pie is from her Paula Deen Celebrates cookbook, and I tweaked the recipe just a bit. The meringue is just shy of overdone...one of the hazards of baking while taking care of an almost-5-month-old, I guess. No matter...the pie was a success!









Paula's Double Chocolate Cream Pie

-1 cup sugar

- 1/4 cup cocoa (I used nearly 1/2 cup to make it DARK chocolate)

-1/4 cup corn starch

-pinch of salt

-3 cups whole milk (I did 2 cups whole, 1 cup skim)

-3 egg yolks

-1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

-1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

-1 deep dish pie crust





Meringue

-3 egg whites

-1/4 tsp cream of tartar

-4 Tbsp sugar



In a heavy-bottomed 1-quart saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Stir with a spoon to mix. Combine the milk and egg yolks and whisk until well-blended. Slowly begin adding the milk and egg mixture to the chocolate mixture, blending well. Cook the mixture over medium heat until it thickens, stirring constantly (about 5 minutes). It actually took me a little closer to 10 minutes. When it is quite thick (about pudding consistency), add the vanilla and chocolate chips. Stir until completely blended. Pour into the pie crust and allow to cool. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form, then add the sugar slowly while continuing to beat. Spread the meringue over the pie and bake in a 350 degree oven just until the peaks are browned. Serve chilled.

Bruschetta

I love dishes that use fresh, in-season ingredients. I guess that's one reason I love bruschetta so much. That, and it's fun to say it the way they do on Food Network: broosh-kett-a. A couple of years ago, I grew my own herbs and tomatoes for this, but that didn't happen this year. No matter, it's good just the same.

Bruschetta
4-6 Roma tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes
fresh basil
fresh parsley
about 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

bread

Dice the tomatoes, chop the herbs and add to taste (I like about equal parts), and drizzle with olive oil. Stir to combine. Season to taste. Serve on toasted bread. In the past, we have cut out bread long-ways, brush it with fresh garlic, sprinkled it with mozzarella cheese, and put it on the grill just long enough to melt the cheese and get grill marks on the bread. Super good!



Sorry for the vagueness in the ingredients, but this what I call a "Grandmother Recipe." It's just one of those things you want taste and add a little more or a little less as you see fit.

Puff Pastry--My New Friend in the Kitchen

How have I been baking all this time & NOT discovered Puff Pastry? I must admit, I've shied away from using it in the past because I was a bit intimidated by it. I have no idea why--it's so easy to use!

I saw Paula make these wonderful little treats for Michael & decided to give them a try. After making them one time, I've been thinking that the possibilities are endless!

You just cut the puff pastry into squares, brush them with egg wash, put some little candy treats in them & twist them up like a little purse. Brush the outside with egg wash & bake them until the pastry is done. How simple is that?!

I used dark chocolate Hershey Kisses & added a few frozen raspberries to some of them, but my mind is already working for next time. I guess they don't really have to be sweet--you could make cute little appetizers with chicken, veggies & some cream cheese. You could do just fruit in them. You could make little pizza things with them. I haven't even glanced at the nutritional information on puff pastry because I'm pretty sure I just don't want to know. It's so flaky & fluffy that it's bound to be butter-laden. If I'm ignorant to the calories, they don't count, right?

I still need a name for these little goodies. Suggestions???

Shawn's Valentine's Treat

Shawn loves chocolate covered cherries. I honestly don't care for them all that much; it never really tempts me to have them lying around (unlike other sweets). While they are really not one of my favorite treats, these cookies kick some serious butt! This recipe is originally from allrecipes.com, but I altered it just a bit. I think next time I'll use frozen raspberries instead of cherries. Oh my...

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 (10 oz) jar maraschino cherries (juice reserved)

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat the butter & sugar together. Add egg & vanilla & beat until smooth. Add flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda & baking powder. I added about 1/4 cup of maraschino cherry juice to make the dough more manageable. It was still very stiff.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls & place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press center of each ball with thumb. Tip: roll all of the balls out, then spray your thumb with cooking spray & make the indentation because the dough is a bit sticky.

Drain the cherries & place one in the indentation of each cookie.

In a saucepan, heat condensed milk & chocolate chips until the chips are melted. Stir in a bit of cherry juice. The recipe calls for 4 tsp but I ended up using about 9 tsp. Just get it to a spreading consistency. Spoon 1/2 to 1 tsp of this mixture over each cherry enough to cover it.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. This makes a soft, chewy cookie. For a more firm cookie (although I'm not sure why you'd want one), bake for about 2 minutes longer.

As an aside, the glaze makes way more than you'll need for the cookies. I kept the extra & am saving it for an ice cream sundae at some point. Just a thought...