Lemon Crisps - FAIL

A few weeks back, Chris had a food day at work. Of course, he didn't remember this until 9:00 PM the night before. I just can't bear the thought of taking in baked goods from the grocery store, so I was determined to whip something up with ingredients that I have on hand. It was slim pickins from my baking pantry, but I did happen to have some lemon cake mix and Rice Krispies that I got for close to free with coupons (yippee!). I've read some delicious-sounding recipes using cake mixes, so I decided to go on the hunt for a recipe which used a lemon-flavored one. I came across a recipe which only used four ingredients:

1. Lemon Cake Mix....check!

2. Rice Krispies....check!

3. Eggs....check!

4. Butter....check!

Lemon Crisps

From: AllRecipes.com

1 package lemon cake mix with pudding

1 cup crisp rice cereal

1/2 cup butter

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter; stir in all ingredients and mix well. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place them about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Press flat with thumb. Bake for 9 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool on cookie sheets one minute, then remove to wire racks to cool.

Sounds easy enough, right? Well, let's play "Guess What Kylee Did Wrong." Perhaps you've already caught my mistake from the picture above. I wish I would have! The batter seemed pretty greasy, especially seeing a pool of oil around the cookies after I placed them on the sheet.

Even though they didn't look right, I proceeded to bake them "until the edges were golden." It only took a few minutes until I smelled burning. Out came these beauties:

Sadly, the whole batch got tossed in the trash can. I tried to sample just the center of the cookies, but they weren't cooked at all. In case you didn't notice from above, 1/2 cup butter is ONE stick! Grrrr! Although the recipe sounds weird even if it were to come out right, I might give these another try only because it got such great reviews. Let me know if you test these out and get better results!

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake and Cavan

Last week we finally had a get-together with some friends that we see far too infrequently. It's not like they live a few states away, but rather a few miles! We agreed that once you have kids, it's a little difficult to force yourself out of your nighttime routine. Luckily for us, we did, as we were able to enjoy some delicious cheesecake and cute moments with the kiddos.

I now have an extensive collection of magazines due to all the great free to $5 per year subscriptions that I find (like here). I scoured my large pile of food magazines and came across a recipe which I thought looked particularly delicious.

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups oreo crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 9 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
• 1/2 cup raspberry jam
• 1/4 cup fresh raspberries, pureed

Directions:

• Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan. Combine cookie crumbs and butter; press onto the bottom of prepared pan.

• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Set aside 1-1/2 cups; pour remaining batter over crust.
• In a microwave, melt chocolate; stir in jam and puree until blended. Stir in reserved batter just until blended. Drop by tablespoonfuls over the plain batter and gently smooth across the top. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.
• Bake at 325° for 65-75 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

Enjoy with a scoop of whipped cream, fresh berries, and cute babies.

Back to Work

Monday marked the beginning of my first full week back at work. It was a bittersweet event. Obviously I would miss Azra during the day, but I was also longing to get out of the house and be around people again. I missed my coffee breaks with co-workers and actually stepping foot outside to get some fresh air. Late fall is just not a great time to be home with a newborn. There were only a handful of days that weren't too windy, cold, or rainy in which to take Azra outside.

I eased into the transition back to work by going in part time last week. It was so nice to be back, that I actually had to remind myself to miss Azra. That sounds terrible, I know, but it was a much needed break after three months. However, now I'm no longer forgetting to miss her, but rather remembering how great it was to be around her all of the time. I could barely pull myself away from kissing her squishy little cheeks before I dropped her off!

But then again, who couldn't resist those big blue eyes and silky soft cheeks?!

Now that I'm back, the guys were pestering me to bring in treats to mark my return. I had every intention of bringing something delectable into work. So much intention that I actually baked something and boxed it up to bring the next morning. Only problem? It never made it out the front door!

Andes Creamy Mint Brownies

Photo and Recipe Courtesy of Tootsie.com

Brownies:

1 pkg fudge brownie mix (eggs, oil and water, according to package)

1/2 cup Andes Mints, chopped

Topping:

4 squares white baking chocolate, chopped

1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, divided

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 cup chopped Andes Mints, divided

Directions

Preheat the oven according to brownie box. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan. Prepare the brownie mix as directed; stir in chopped Andes Mints. Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake according to package directions. Cool in baking pan completely.

In a saucepan, combine white chocolate and 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Refrigerate 30-40 minutes or until chilled. In a mixing bowl, beat heavy cream, gradually adding the 2 Tbsp sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the chocolate mixture then add 1/4 cup Andes Mints. Spread over the brownies and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of Andes Mints. Refrigerate.

I must warn you that the last part is vital to the taste of the brownies. For some reason, neither Chris nor I were wowed by the brownies when they were complete. However, after letting them sit in the fridge for a few hours definitely did them good. The homemade whipped cream and the fudge with a hint of mint really stood out once it was chilled. Someday I might make these again to take into work, but this batch is staying right here with me.

Homemade Hot Chocolate

Des Moines is being hit by a snow storm tonight, and being bundled up all day left me craving hot chocolate. We usually buy the packaged stuff that you mix with water, which is hardly appealing come to think of it. I didn't have any on hand, and I wasn't about to head back out and brave the weather. How about homemade?! It's cheap, easy, and tastes even better than the super-sugary packet stuff. Here's what I came up with:

Peppermint Hot Cocoa
(serves 2)

4 Tbsp water
4 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp peppermint extract
2 cups milk

Whisk the first four ingredients over low heat in a small saucepan until the sugar and cocoa is dissolved. Pour in the milk and heat until hot. Enjoy - it's that easy!


I played around with it a bit, with the above being my favorite version so far. I think I might try melting some chocolate chips in it to make it a little thicker, or even swapping cinnamon for the peppermint. The main goal was to have something simple that is made from ingredients I always have on hand. I'll now be adding hot chocolate to my list of things I'll only make homemade.

Orange You Glad You Tried It?!

Okay, that's a super corny title - but fitting! Last week I decided to try picking up a few new-to-me vegetables. I'm trying to remember to buy what's in season in order to keep my grocery bill down (read here for some other helpful hints from Sarah). So, I came home with a spaghetti squash and butternut squash in my ugly reusable grocery bag. The only problem: I had no idea what to do with them! After a few searches, I found a butternut squash recipe that I just happened to have all of the ingredients to, so of course I had to try it!

Mashed Butternut Squash and Pears

Adapted from: Food Network

1 large butternut squash

2 Anjou pears

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp ground ginger

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Peel the pears, cut in half and remove the core. Place the pears and squash, cut side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet.

In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the vanilla extract, brown sugar and ginger, and remove from the heat. Brush this mixture onto the squash and pears, then season with salt and pepper. Set the remaining mixture back over low heat. Roast the squash and pears until soft, about 45-60 min (mine went 55 min), when a knife can be inserted easily into the flesh. Scoop out the flesh of the squash and place into a large bowl with the pears. Mash them with a fork and stir in the remaining butter mixture.

So, the mash may not look all that appetizing, but I promise it was delicious! It had the sweetness from the brown sugar, but all of the nutrients of the squash that you just can't find in a regular old potato. The pears added a nice and unexpected touch. I could eat this stuff every night!

And while I was waiting for the squash in the oven, I decided to try another recipe that would help clean out my fridge. I saw cream cheese frosting (which I never have on hand, but I had a coupon that made it free!) and some leftover carrots. Carrot cupcakes? I think so!! Only problem? The recipe called for whole-wheat pastry flour. What the heck is that? I did have some healthy flours leftover from my homemade protein bars. However, I have yet to label my fancy flour containers, so regrettably I cannot tell you what I added! I'm guessing that it was spelt flour. Lesson here - it seems that any wheat flour will do as they turned out delicious!

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted From: Food Network

3/4 cup spelt flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon (I love this stuff!)

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup natural applesauce

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups. Sift together the first 6 ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar and eggs until well combined. Whisk in the applesauce, vanilla and carrots. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in the walnuts. Divide the batter between the muffin cups and bake about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool.

Panera-Inspired Chicken Salad

Azra and I met Chris for lunch at Panera last week. I wasn't too hungry, so I was just going to get a bagel until I saw the poster for this:

Photo Courtesy Panera Bread

It is the Napa Almond Chicken Salad and is made with "pepper-mustard chicken, fresh celery, seedless grapes, almonds & special dressing." It was absolutely fantastic and I knew that it was something that I'd love to have all of the time, just not for the $6.00 price tag. So I thought, why not make it at home? Now I'm no Paula Deen, but I figured that I could handle a chicken salad. All of the ingredients except the dressing are things that I usually have on hand, so I could justify spending the $5.00 on a really good dressing since I'd be saving so much by eating it at home. I bought Marzetti poppyseed dressing (the stuff found in the produce section by the pre-packaged lettuce) because it's light, creamy and gives a subtle flavor similar to their "special dressing."

Des Moines Almond Chicken Salad

(clever, I know)

2 chicken breast

2 celery stalks, chopped

red grapes, halved

sliced almonds

Marzetti Poppyseed dressing

rosemary

salt & pepper

(Forewarning: My directions lose points for lack of detail.)

Throw some rosemary, salt and pepper into a pot. Add the chicken breast and fill with water until it just covers the chicken. Cover and place over high heat until it reaches a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the baby stops demanding your attention. Remove from heat and let cool during the diaper change. Shred the chicken and place in a mixing bowl. Pour a good amount of dressing into the bowl, then add the grapes, celery and almonds. Mix well and add more dressing if needed. Place over some yummy bread or a thin bun. Enjoy and go back for seconds!

Who needs a bread machine??

I ran across an interesting recipe the other day for a 5-minute artisan bread. I never buy bread because the loaves are green with mold before I even get to finishing it off. However, this recipe is EASY! Throw the ingredients in the mixer, pop it in the fridge, and tear of pieces of dough to bake at your leisure. Simple as that! Plus, it promised me a bread that would be crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, so I knew that I must try it.

Artisan Loaf

(Makes four 1 lb loaves)

3 c lukewarm water

1 1/2 T yeast (1 1/2 packets)

1 1/2 T coarse salt (I only had regular old table salt, but hope to try coarse next time)

6 1/2 c flour - unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour (I used 100% whole wheat)

Add yeast and salt to the lukewarm water in the mixer bowl. Using the dough hook attachment, add the flour while mixing on medium speed until uniformly moist. Cover the bowl loosely. Rise at room temperature for about two hours. Pop it in the fridge.

After returning from a long day at work, take out a handful of dough and sprinkle with flour. Stretch all four sides of the dough around the bottom. Rest for 40 minutes on a well floured pizza peel (I just used a cutting board. After 20 minutes, preheat the oven to 450 with a baking stone in the middle rack and a broiler pan beneath it. Once the 40 minutes is up, sprinkle the top of the loaf with flour and slash the top of the bread. Slide the loaf onto the baking stone. Pour 1 cup of hot water into the broiling pan and quickly close the door (to keep the bread moist). Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is browned and firm to the touch. Cool completely on a wire rack and you will end up with this yummy bread:

The bread wasn't yet European bakery quality, but it has strong potential! Next time I will use the coarse sea salt and try playing around with different flavors - maybe the addition of herbs, honey, etc to kick it up a notch. Anyone know how to add the whole grain texture??

The dough lasts up to two weeks in the fridge, and the longer it sits the more flavorful it becomes. It can be used for a variety of meals and since Friday is Pizza Night at the Brock household (as Chris is obsessed with pizza), tomorrow I'm trying it as a pizza crust!

Once a Month Cooking

Last week Chris and I decided to partake in some "nesting" before the baby arrived. We made sure the bags were packed, cameras charged, house cleaned, and freezer stocked just in case the little one decided to make an appearance sometime soon (which doesn't seem to be the case - getting impatient!). I found a website dedicated to the art of "once a month cooking" and I decided to give it a try and drag Chris along for the ride.

The site is Once a Month Mom. An amazing lady plans and posts her menus, recipes, and shopping lists for these once a month adventures in the kitchen - I don't think I'd even have an ounce of energy to do it without her direction. For the month of August, she had fifteen different recipes posted - we decided to trim it down a bit for our first attempt and only make nine of them. However, many of the recipes were enough for more than one meal, so they should last us quite some time.

After four hours in the kitchen, my sous chef and I had a stocked freezer that looked like this:


You'll notice that we also have a lot of pre-portioned veggies such as zucchini, onions, celery, etc that can easily be added to any meal instead of having to take the time to prepare these items that we don't regularly have on hand. Additionally, that delicious pink concoction to the right is my egg-free homemade ice cream which I will be sharing the recipe for later this week. As of last night, the container is now empty!

Thanks to Once a Month Mom, Chris and I now have the following meals at our disposal for all of those nights when we're just too tired to cook after the baby arrives:

• Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches
• Garden Chowder
• Chilaquile Casserole
• Hubby's Favorite Casserole
• Baked Rigatoni
• Chili Cheese Potato Casserole
• Lemon Chicken with Veggies
• King Ranch Chicken
• Creamy Rigatoni with Chunky Tomato Vinaigrette
  

Thus far we've tried the Garden Chowder as well as Roast Beef Sandwiches with a homemade Au Jus (and using the left over beef to make yummy Beef Taco Salads). Tonight we're trying the King Ranch Chicken. I have to say that it was kind of fun cooking all of these meals together, and I foresee this being something we continue to do in the future (provided that Chris is willing!). It makes it a lot easier to shop, cook and plan meals when doing it all at once. Plus, I only spent $45 for all of the groceries to make these meals, which evens out to $3 per meal (some recipes made more than one pan) which is pretty darn good in my book. After a long day we can just thaw, pop in the oven and enjoy!

Mom's 50th Birthday

Can you believe that my lovely mother is now half a century old? I remember the days when I thought that 50 was a couple of years shy from life in a nursing home, but now it seems like a vibrant and fun age when you actually begin envisioning the reality of the fun you'll have during retirement (unlike the 30 years of dreaming I have left to go). I mean, heck, my Grandma is over 70 and she's still out-running us. Okay, maybe walking, but she even manages to do a load of laundry, cook, and clean while us youngsters are rubbing our feet afterwards.

Lucky for me, my parents still have the spunk to drive six hours round trip to visit us for the day. To top it off, it took more like 7-8 hours due to the crazy RAGBRAI (annual bike ride across Iowa - a huge event here) traffic. They arrived around 11:30, which gave me plenty of time to hit up a few garage sales as well as the grocery store before their arrival. While I was at the store I saw a beautiful, unique floral arrangement. I just had to bring it home with me for my mom, even though I knew it was kind of a weird gift for someone driving three hours back home. Though she loved it, she was gracious enough to leave it with us to bring some much needed color into our great room. Aren't these flowers just awesome - I love the lime green ones, and isn't the big pink one just to die for?

The one thing that I wanted to be sure to do was to make her a cake. I don't ever remember her having a birthday cake, but she always made sure to have one for us! I searched long and hard for the perfect homemade recipe before stumbling upon a delectable cake at my friend's bridal shower the night before. I made sure to get the recipe, and it was semi-homemade - even better! It was a super moist yellow cake topped with a light and creamy frosting.

I wanted to make a beautiful display, so I made two round cakes instead of a sheet cake in order to put it atop my pretty cake stand. However, I neglected to note that the light and creamy frosting would not bode well for a stacked cake. My gorgeous two-tiered cake quickly looked like Mt. Everest on a 100 degree day - it all came falling down. My luscious white frosting starting sliding down the sides into a gooey blob along with the perfectly placed pineapple topping. And like a mom to her 5-yr old cake decorating daughter would say, she told me it was great....only I'm a 24-yr old! It was delicious nonetheless, and I didn't need her confirmation as my tummy voted itself -- I ate the leftover half of the cake in two days. :) So, without further ado, I give you The 50th Birthday Cake (I don't have the name for it, so someone should help me come up with one!):

(I told you it was ugly - and this was before the rest of the pineapple and frosting fell!)

1 box yellow cake mix (and whatever other ingredients it calls for)

1 box white chocolate pudding

1 tub Cool Whip

Prepare and bake yellow cake mix according to package. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. With a toothpick, make multiple pokes throughout the cake (without poking through all the way to the bottom).

Prepare pudding according to directions. Before it thickens, pour enough over the cake to cover it. Use a spatula to spread evenly in order to ensure that it gets to all of the toothpick holes. After the remaining pudding has thickened, gently fold in the Cool Whip with a spatula. Spread over the cake and top with fruit, if desired.

I also added about 1/2-3/4 cup coconut (I eyeballed it) to my cake mix before baking to give it a little extra yumminess. I topped mine with pineapple, but strawberries, kiwi and banana would also be delish!

**I think it would be best to use recently thawed Cool Whip as I believe that the creamy consistency of the cool whip was one of the culprits in my sliding frosting goo. Better yet, stick to a sheet cake for this one so it has nowhere to go but in your tummy!

Cheese Balls and a Sugar Overload

Jell-O salads look delicious. They're colorful and creamy looking, and just waiting to be eaten. They're the most good-looking food with not-so-good ingredients hidden inside. I love the green ones with pineapple, but sometimes those Grandmas can be tricky and throw you a curve ball. I imagine that everyone hesitates, as do I, not for the first spoonful to hit your tongue, but for the chewing that follows in fear of biting down on something crunchy that you just weren't expecting. It's Jell-O, for the love of Pete! Keep it denture friendly and sans whatever nasty crunchy items that you have lurking inside.

But Jell-O salads are hardly the most ominous item on the buffet table. What's with the cheese balls? And I'm not talking these cheese balls:

Although, I do have a bone to pick with its creators as well. Chris brought these home last week for his B-Ball-B-B-Q (his name, not mine). I'm not normally a fan of Cheetos, but these bring back memories of the long lost Planters Cheese Balls that my Grandma always seemed to have in stock. Speaking of which, I found a petition to bring them back! Anyway, these are abnormally large and threaten lock-jaw if you have too many. Verdict: Trade these in for a bag of Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips - delish!

But the real cheese balls in question are the ones adorned with crackers and other dippables.

I don't know why, but they've always scared me so I've actually never tried one. Perhaps it's like the Jell-O salads - you never know what's inside, but I think the real issue is the fact that it's rolled up into a ball. I guess foods lose their appeal when molded. However, I held a game night party at our house last night, and in consideration of the extreme heat, I didn't want to add to it by baking anything. So, I went to my tried-and-true resource for crowd pleasing recipes: Stephanie. I've gone to her for many an idea and have yet to be disappointed. Lo and behold, I stumbled upon a true crowd pleaser - Crowd Pleasing Cheese Ball - and decided to go for it. Once again, I wasn't disappointed. It called for seasoned salt, and I wasn't quite sure what that meant, so I just used Lawry's seasoning. Plus, I added some shredded cheese because eating cream cheese on it's own made me feel awkward. Everyone loved it, and I must say that I even dug in and enjoyed it as well!

Crowd Pleasing Cheese Ball
Adapted from Stephanie’s Recipe
Ingredients
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened
¼ cup chopped celery
¼ cup chopped onion
½ tsp Lawry’s seasoning
½ cup chopped walnuts, plus ¾ cup extra for topping
¾ cup Monterrey Jack shredded cheese

Directions
Mix in celery, onion, Lawry’s and nuts with the cream cheese. Roll into a ball and cover with the extra chopped walnuts. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer for 10 minutes, then move to the fridge until ready to serve.

And I'll bet you never thought you'd get the chance to read a page on cheese balls.

You're welcome.

SUNDAY - Post #1

Yes, I realize that it's not Sunday, but as in with the underwear, these could be read any day of the week, so pretend that I wrote this on Sunday and you're reading it on Tuesday! This weekend was full of events and spring cleaning, so I didn't get around to starting on time. I began the spring cleaning festivities on Friday night and had so much fun deep cleaning (yes, I'm sure I'm in the minority with my love for cleaning) that I stayed up past midnight only to arise early Saturday morning to continue the good times. The cleaning only could have gone better had I found my mp3 player (I lost it in the move) so I could listen to some music.

Sunday was the big day. Our friends Ben and Smita and Chris and I threw a couple's shower for our good friends Dane and Jessie. Smita and I cooked all of the food and had fun doing so. We should have started a little earlier as we weren't quite done with the last appetizer by the time people began showing up. Everyone raved about the food though, so we were quite excited that it went over so well. Our menu was as follows:

Appetizers
Veggie tray with a homemade basil-yogurt dip
Potato chips for "the men" (per Chris' request)
Boursin and roasted red pepper crostinis

Dinner
Chris' secret-recipe grilled burgers
Pasta salad
Swiss and cashew salad with homemade poppy seed dressing

Dessert
Kylee & Nora's Fruit Pizza
Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pops*

Overall the party was great. The weather wasn't too cooperative, so we moved the party inside just in case it decided to rain as it had been doing off-and-on throughout the day. Thanks to our large great room, we were able to set up the two eight foot cafeteria tables and chairs and comfortably seat all 20 of us inside. It never did rain, but it was a little chilly, so everyone stayed indoors until after dinner. After dinner, the party really began. The girls took to the horseballs set (or ladderballs, or whatever else you call it) while the men got a pretty heated basketball game going. The night ended with the lowering of the hoop to kick off a slam-dunk competition. Some of the guys were pretty good, while some could use some work, and one only never had to leave the ground (he's 6'5").

We have a pretty nice set up in the backyard for basketball (about 1/3 of a court) which is perfect for a game of 3-on-3. Chris and I originally wanted to tear it out as it takes up a lot of our yard, but we've found ourselves getting a game of Horse or Around the World on nearly every night. For the record, I'm the current champion of Horse. I think Chris is jealous of my mad skill, or at least was until he started dominating me in Around the World.

*The Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pops (what a long name!) actually never made it out to the guests. Smita and I neglected to notice that it needed to set for 8 hours in the fridge, topped by one hour in the freezer before being served. However, Chris and I ended up trying them last night (and by trying, I mean eating half the pan - whoops!). They were quite delicious, so I thought I'd share the recipe.


Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pops
Adapted from Food Network

Ingredients

Cheesecake:
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter (the original recipe calls for 1 3/4 cups, but I thought this was the perfect amount to save it from being overpowering)

Chocolate:
5 tablespoons vegetable shortening
12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
Directions
Wooden pop sticks

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325F. Line an 8"x8" baking pan with foil letting long flaps overlap on each side. Spray foil with nonstick spray.
Break up the brown sugar to remove all lumps. In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until very smooth. Add the cream and beat slowly; then add the yolks and vanilla mixing until just combined. Gently stir in peanut butter. Take care not to over beat the mixture; this incorporates too much air and causes the cheesecake to crack.
Pour and evenly spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Open the oven to release some heat, then lower the temperature to 200 degrees F. Continue to bake the cheesecake until the outside is set but the center is still loose, for about 45 minutes. Turn off the oven, and cool cheesecake in the oven for 45 more minutes. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
Lift cheesecake from the pan by lifting up the foil. Transfer to a cutting board. Cut into
1 1/2-inch cubes. Stick a wooden pop stick halfway into each bar and freeze for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, put the shortening and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. (Alternatively, put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue to heat until completely melted, about 1 minute more.)
Dip the pops into the chocolate mixture, and stand on waxed paper to set, about 5 minutes. Serve cold (straight from the fridge), or freeze up to 2 weeks. Frozen pops make a cool summer treat, or can be allowed to temper for 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.
Upgrade: Coat the pops with chopped nuts or candies for a really decadent finish. To do this let the dipped pops drip over a bowl for 15 seconds before rolling them.

I forgot to line the pan with foil, so mine were very difficult to remove from the pan in neat squares. They came out pretty lumpy looking, hence the stock photo instead of one of my own. However ugly they may have been, they were still delicious to eat!

And Baby Makes Three!

I've been keeping a private blog for Chris and myself (the modern day journal, no doubt) and would like to share our first entry from it. After many looooooooooooooooooooong weeks of keeping a secret, I can finally spread the good news!

And so it begins. After two pregnancy tests (one analog, one digital - for more accuracy!), it still hasn't settled in. I'm still thinking that they might be wrong, so I'm looking forward to the doctor's face when she tells me it's just too many Doritos and not baby weight. I stuck the tests in a baggie and hid them in the store room, as I thought it'd be fun to put in a scrapbook someday. Although, now that I think of it, that'd just be gross. No more than an hour after finding out, I get a call from Grandma. Grandma and I call each other often, but her comment after I answered the phone was a little eerie. She told me that "something hit her that she should call me." How weird is that?! I wish I could have told her just how weird it really was, but I'll just have to remember to let her know when the time is right!

Yes, Chris and I are indeed expecting our first child! We couldn't be more excited - and nervous! :) Our parents finally came up last weekend to celebrate what they thought was Chris' birthday. Little did they know that they'd also be celebrating their new Grandparent status. We found the cutest Valentine's Day card that had Grandma & Grandpa written above a dog and cat on the front - just to throw them off and think it was from our animal babies. Surprise! The inside was signed "Baby Brock." My mom went crazy, of course!

**Update**
It was indeed a baby and not too many Doritos after all! I've been feeling great, but not at all pregnant, so I was excited to hear the heartbeat for confirmation that the little dude/dudette really exists. No morning sickness, no weird cravings, just an expanding belly!

Now that the family knew, we could finally tell everyone at work. I think all of my friends were starting to suspect something anyway just due to me not drinking when we went out, wearing baggier clothes to work (I've even had to retire a few dress pants already!), and so on. The tradition at work is to bring in chocolate chip cookies to announce your pregnancy, so of course Chris and I had to make some delectable ones to bring in today! For a little twist, we made Snickers-stuffed chocolate chip cookies. Regretfully, I forgot to take a picture of them in their glory, but I will state for the record that they were a hit! I even had a few comments from co-workers that they were the best chocolate chip cookies they've ever had. Sadly, they were all gone before I had a chance to have one at work. Luckily I downed a few fresh from the oven last night!

Snickers-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Source: Joelen

2 Snickers bars, each cut into sixths

Your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe

Directions: Take one piece of Snickers and envelope it with the prepared cookie dough. Place on lined baking sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes at 350.

My cookies baked for 13 minutes at 335 as I like to cook mine at a slightly lower temp and higher time in order to get the soft texture that everyone loves. Now, I have everyone asking me for my top-secret chocolate chip cookie recipe, but I'm not so sure that I can part with it! I will consider it upon your offer of an equally delicious recipe!

Man, I love cookies!

My new purchase of a buffet for the old dining room has prompted me to bake goodies every weekend so I can fill my pretty glass cake stand adorning the buffet. This weekend I made some yummy grapefruit cookies per Stephanie's recommendation.

Pink Grapefruit Sandwich Cookies

Original Source: Martha Stewart

Ingredients
Grated zest of 1 Ruby Red grapefruit, plus 1/4 cup freshly squeezed juice
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
3/4 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large egg yolks
Pink Grapefruit Cream Filling (see recipe below)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine zest with 1 tablespoon sugar; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and remaining sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
Add egg yolks, and beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
Beat in reserved zest-sugar mixture.
Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the juice, and beat to combine.
Turn out dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, and shape into a 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out disk to 1/8 inch thick using a lightly floured rolling pin. Using a lightly floured 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds and place about 1 inch apart on prepared sheet. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until edges are golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes. Transfer parchment paper and cookies to rack to cool completely.
Using an offset spatula, spread 1 tablespoon filling onto flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, keeping flat sides down. Once filled, cookies can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.


Pink Grapefruit Cream Filling

Ingredients
Makes enough to fill 15 sandwich cookies.
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed Ruby Red grapefruit juice

Directions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in honey. Add juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, until filling holds together and is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and set aside until ready to use.


They were meant to be sandwiched, but having only a star cookie cutter, I decided to just slather them with extra icing. I think they would have been a little more soft and chewy had they been circles, but they were delicious nonetheless. They had a tartness like a lemon cookie, but they were still sweet and the buttery frosting was the perfect finishing touch. Obviously, the bulk of them had to be sent away to Chris' work so I couldn't get my hands on them. Of course they all had rave reviews, which would explain the fiasco at home. After five minutes of being home on Monday, the beautiful cookies went from looking like this:


To this:


Update: The last two cookies were eaten shortly after this picture was taken. :) I just can't help myself when my two favorite foods - fruit and cookies - come together to form a yummy goodness.


My other obsession? Seltzer water. I buy out the stock at Hy-Vee every time it's available. However, Hy-Vee is often out of seltzer water. I can't help but think that I'm the only one buying this stuff, so they must not get it in stock very often. I go through about a 2-litre per day if it's available and often carry it around the house as if it were a 20-oz bottle of water. I also carry them around in my purse, stock them in the study room fridge at work, and bring them in the car with me when I'm out and about. So, if you're ever at Hy-Vee and they have this stuff in stock, then be sure to pick me up a few bottles!

Cookie Obsessed

I love to bake. I also love to eat, which doesn't quite go hand-in-hand with my love for sitting on the couch. To battle temptations, I set aside around a dozen cookies for us to eat and then freeze all of the rest. It works out really well because then they're out of sight and out of mind.
The big plus: I now have a collection of cookies to take to Christmas without having to work hard just before the holidays.

The cookies I made on Monday did not quite make it to the freezer. They were just that good. Chris exclaimed that they were some of the best cookies he's had, as well as a friend of mine. That should be enough assurance for you to all put this recipe at the top of your "To Bake" list.

CHOCO-CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/3 cup cocoa
2 Tbsp milk
1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Cream the butter, sugars and vanilla extract. Add the egg, mix well. Add the cocoa and incorporate thoroughly. Mix in the milk. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture, little by little, to the dough. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Place rounded spoonfuls on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of a cookie. Let set for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Enjoy!