love and butter

peanut butter + chocolate whoopie pies

2012-01-24T08:25:00.001-05:00

Fun fact: two years ago today, I made my very first post on this blog!

Today, we're taking two old recipes and making something new:

peanut butter + chocolate whoopie pies.

Start by mixing up a batch of batter for peanut butter cake.

The recipe as is will be perfect for 12 whoopie pies.

Fun fact #2: peanut butter + chocolate is one of the world's greatest combinations. EVER.

Drop 1 1/2 tablespoons batter into each well of a whoopie pie pan,

or parchment paper covered baking sheet.

Bake at 325 for 18-20 minutes. Let cool on the pan briefly, then transfer to a wire rack.

I took the easy route on the frosting: a simple box mix that you add butter and water to.

I also went easy on dispensing: fill frosting into a plastic bag and snip off a corner.

Swirl a healthy amount of frosting onto one inverted cake.

Top with another cake, mushing down the frosting.

Fun fact #3: Husband lost a bet with a student.

[The bet was for peanut butter cake.]

Enjoy!

instagram and other things

2012-01-22T18:32:00.000-05:00

I've had a few emails about how I edited the photos in my egg muffin post.

They looked kindof like this...

Well, it's not a secret; it's instagram! instagram is an app for iPhone [and I think iPod touch] that lets you take square-format photos and edit using an array of filters and then posts to whatever social media you send it to: twitter, flickr, facebook, tumblr, etc.

Sometimes, I'm too lazy to use my DSLR, so I snap shots with my iPhone instead.

I use instagram to post all kinds of random things: kittens, crafts, coffee, snacks, shoes...

You can find me on instagram @jamiethewalker,

or follow my tweets if you don't have an iPhone.

[And if you are social media obsessed like me, you can also check out

the blog's page on Facebook, my Pinterest boards, and my personal blog.]

breakfast egg muffins

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Happy 2012! Let's start the year off right with a good breakfast.

These egg muffins are super easy and super versatile.

[Not to mention super tasty.]

I made this batch with swiss cheese, mushrooms, onions, and cooked breakfast sausage.

Start with 6 eggs and a splash of milk, pour into a 6-muffin tin sprayed with non stick.

Add in whatever you like, and bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

I always top mine with hot sauce.

These make for a great breakfast on the go, since you can refridgerate or freeze

and reheat. We've started making a batch every Sunday to last us through the week.

Tasty.

This also works great with cooked bacon, peppers, really anything you

would throw in an omelette. Happy breakfast experimenting!

Christmas Cookie Round-Up

2011-12-15T07:30:00.000-05:00

With only 10 days until Christmas I thought it would be nice to round up all the

cookies of Christmas past for easy baking reference. [The holidays kinda snuck up

on me this year, but last December I was a cookie-baking fiend.]

chocolate gooey butter cookies

dried cherry and almond cookies

vanilla spritz

candy cane cookies

traditional thumbprint cookies

spiced gumdrop slice cookies

and: candy cane oreo truffles

[technically not a cookie, but made with cookies]

Happy Holiday baking!

pumpkin pecan cheesecake chocolate pie

2011-12-11T14:31:00.000-05:00

Husband and I wanted to make pie for Thanksgiving.

We decided regular pumpkin pie just wasn't enough, so we added a

layer of cheesecake and topped it with pecans and chocolate.

We used the graham cracker crust recipe from my strawberry pie and a variation on Bakerella's pumpkin cheesecake recipe. I made her version a few years ago, and while it was tasty, it was verrrrry sweet. I like my pumpkin pie and my cheesecake to be closer to savory, so I altered the recipe a bit:

Crust:

1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers

1/4 cup granulated sugar

6 tablespoons melted butter

Cheesecake layer:

8oz softened cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Pumpkin layer:

1 15oz can pumpkin

1/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

Topping:

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Start by mixing you crust, pressing it into the pan, and baking for 10 min at 375F.

Layer in the cheesecake mixture followed by the pumpkin.

Bake for 20 minutes, then remove and add the topping.

Put back in the over for another 25-30 minutes.

The most difficult part is letting it cool all the way before cutting.

We couldn't wait, so the layers mixed a little when we sliced it up.

[if you don't care about pretty pie, then go ahead and dive right in!]

The crunchy graham crust and salty pecans are the perfect complement for the

creamy pumpkin and cheesecake. And the chocolate adds a little bit of bitter.

seven layer salad

2011-12-04T16:07:00.001-05:00

The Holidays are fast approaching, and so is the season of holiday parties.

Husband and I attended a potluck party this weekend, and [since dessert was spoken for]

decided to bring a "traditional" potluck dish: seven layer salad.

Everyone has their own version of seven layer salad. It's a great canvas

for mixing and matching different vegetables and cheeses. You can pick and choose

the layers according to your [or your guests'] taste. In my opinion, there are

only 2 "must-haves": frozen peas, and a mayo dressing. Everything else is up for grabs!

Here's the anatomy of MY version of seven layer salad:

For the dressing, I used 3/4 cup mayo and 1/4 cup sour cream mixed with

a tablespoon of dijon mustard and a squirt of hot sauce for a tangy kick.

Layer everything in, spread the dressing on top, cover and chill.

Works best in a big glass bowl so everyone can see how pretty your work is.

Mix right before serving, collect complements all evening :)

turkey cake pops

2011-11-22T20:38:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone is stuffed full of turkey and gratitude, watching football, enjoying

a slice of pie and a tasty beverage. [That's my plan for the rest of the day anyway.]

I can't take credit for making these turkey pops, but they were too cute not to share.

My Mom teaches preschool and Tuesday was her class Thanksgiving feast. One of her

students has a Mom who is into making cake pops- she brought in turkeys for the kids!

She used candy corn for the tail, M+Ms for the head, candy coated mini chips for the beaks,

and a variety of sprinkles for the feet, eyes, and gobbler.

Aren't they just adorable? I'm so making these next year.

fall colors leaf cookies

2011-11-13T17:56:00.001-05:00

The fall colors are starting to die down here, but these festive cookies

are a great way to keep the season going just a little bit longer.

[I'm so not ready for winter!]

I started off drawing designs with cookie icing.

You can always make your own, but the bottled stuff is easy:

just microwave and start decorating.

But my icing was too hot and a few cookies got a little bit messy...

so I started swirling the icing with toothpicks.

After some trial and error, I created some really neat designs.

Enjoy the rest of your autumn [while it lasts!]

Happy Halloween + mummy cake pops

2011-10-31T18:31:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween everyone!

Just popping in to show you these adorable mummy cake pops

I made [a la Bakerella] and wish you lots of treats tonight!

pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

2011-10-27T21:52:00.000-04:00

It's just about the perfect time of year for pumpkin baked goods, don't you think?

These muffins couldn't be easier. Just mix up the ingredients all in one bowl,

spoon into a greased muffin pan, and bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

Seriously.

Here's what you need:

1 box of cake mix

1 can of pumpkin

3 whole eggs

3/4 cup chocolate chips

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

pinch of salt

And this is what you get.

[Or at least when the chocolate is still kinda melty and you add butter.]

Which brings me to my next point: butter.

Did you know they make cinnamon sugar butter?

And that it tastes amazing on these muffins? [And probably everything else]

Yes. Cinnamon. Sugar. Butter. On your muffins. Do it.

[Also, this recipe works great with a box of gluten-free cake mix!]

candy corn cookies

2011-10-18T18:48:00.000-04:00

Raise your hand if you've heard of Pinterest.

OK, keep your hand up if you are [like me] completely addicted to Pinterest.

Good. Now I'm going to show you a recipe idea I found on Pinterest.
I've been pinning ideas like crazy, but this is the first recipe I've actually made:

Candy Corn Cookies! I used my own vanilla cookie recipe instead of
the lemon one in the original post, but I followed her basic instructions.

What you'll need:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 whole large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Yellow and Red food coloring

Makes about 10 dozen bite-sized cookies.

NOTE: If you want to make bigger cookies,
double the recipe and increase the baking time.

Beat room temperature butter until creamy, then add in sugar.
Mix well and add the egg and vanilla, then the flour and salt. Divide dough
into 3 equal parts. Take 1 ball and mix in yellow food coloring,
then add orange [yellow + red] to the second.

Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper and press in your dough.

Layer with white on the bottom, then orange, and yellow on top.

Pop in the fridge for at least 30 min, or up to 2 days.
This will make the cookies easier to slice.

Turn your dough out of the pan onto some parchment paper.

Slice lengthwise, then cut each strip into triangular corn shapes.

Place on parchment paper lined sheets and bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes.
You want to pull them out just before they start to brown.

These cookies turned out so adorable, and they would be great for a Haloween
party or even to hand out as "treats"! I know people either love or hate candy corn,
but everyone loves cookies :) I'm definitely going to have to start trying more
of the ideas I've found on Pinterest.

Want to know a secret? These cookies are gluten free. That's right, no gluten.
I've been trying to cut back on my gluten intake. It seems I may be gluten-intolerant
the same way I am lactose-intolerant. Meaning: I'm not allergic to gluten, but I feel a
lot better when I don't eat it. I'm not giving it up forever [and this isn't turning into a
gluten free only blog]. I'll just be posting some "dual" recipes.

The only thing in the recipe I changed was to use a gluten free flour blend.
You sub in the same amount as you use of regular flour. I found this gluten free blend
by Namaste at Whole Foods and it worked really well. I've tried gluten free blends
before and the cookies did not hold their shape... these did!
[Plus I took the cookies into my office and everyone deemed them delicious]

home made apple sauce

2011-10-10T23:05:00.000-04:00

Husband and I have started a new tradition.

Every fall, we head to the local orchard to pick apples.

And then we make apple sauce.

It's ~~as easy as~~ easier than pie.

Start with a few pounds of apples, cored and sliced, in a big pot.

No sugar or water, just apples. A little bit of cinnamon and nutmeg is ok.

Heat until they get mushy, stirring often.

Put them in a food mill and crank away.

And you get this: sauce.

Thick, sweet, delicious apple sauce.

See... WAY easier than pie.

asian pork tacos

2011-09-26T21:49:00.000-04:00

So I showed you how to make spicy pickled onions.

Now I want to show you something to put them on:

Asian pork tacos.

Start with a nice cut of pork, about 1 pound- we used country style boneless ribs.

Poke some holes in it so that the marinade can get all up in there and work it's magic.

Let the pork soak overnight in the fridge in a mixture of:

4-5 cloves garlic, chopped

3 thumb-sized pcs ginger, peeled and chopped

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sugar

juice of 1/2 a lime

healthy squirt sriracha hot sauce

coarse ground black pepper

Sear the roast in a dutch oven, or other deep pot with a lid.

Pour in a beer to deglaze all the tasty pan bits.

Then drop in a few tablespoons of barbecue sauce.

Cover and cook in the oven at 375F for an hour or two, or until the internal temperature

of the roast is at least 170F and the meat is tender enough to shred with a fork.

Toss the meat in a skillet with a little more barbecue sauce.

And then it's time to assemble the tacos.

Tortilla, barbecue sauce, chopped napa cabbage, and pork.

Top with some spicy pickled onions.

spicy pickled onions

2011-09-12T21:07:00.000-04:00

Have you ever pickled anything? You can pickle just about anything.

And it's easy... you let time [and vinegar] do the work.

Pickled onions have a lovely tangy bite.

But they're even better with a little added spice...

Thinly slice:

3 large jalapenos

3 medium red onions

Cover with liquid:

1 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup cold water

2 teaspoons sugar

splash of hot sauce

juice of 2 limes

pinch kosher salt

Refrigerate and let sit 8-24 hours [the longer the better]

Now you have spicy and tangy onions ready to snack on or use to top other dishes.

[We used them on Asian BBQ pork tacos... recipe coming soon!]

game day mexican layer dip

2011-09-05T11:11:00.000-04:00

College football season has officially begun! For those of you who don't know,

I cheer for the Michigan State Spartans. I graduated from MSU a few years ago.

I met my Husband there. My Grandfather both attended graduate school and taught there.

And many many of my Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins from both sides of my family

attended as well. [including my brother who is a sophomore there this year- Hi Eric!]

One game day tradition I have when hosting a tailgate is to make mexican layer dip.

And I've discovered a fun way to make it even more football appropriate.

By turning it into a football field!

Assembling this dip is ridiculously easy. Here's what you need:

1 16oz can refried beans (black or pinto)
12-16oz creamy guacamole

6oz grated cheddar cheese

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1 16oz jar of your favorite salsa

1 16oz container sour cream

1 tablespoon taco sauce

cumin, paprika, garlic powder to taste

[or pre-made taco seasoning]

Start with the beans as your base layer, spreading with the back of a spoon. I used a big

rectangular tupperware container so I could snap a lid on for storing in the fridge.

Layer on the cheese and onions. Normally I would put these two on last, but today

we want the green guacamole field is going to be on top.

Salsa comes next. I would recommend a chunky salsa vs one that's watery.

Mix 3/4 of the sour cream with the taco sauce and seasonings and spread on.

Save the rest for decorating your "field" later.

Then comes the guacamole.

Let's just stop for a moment to appreciate all the beautiful layers here:

YUM.

Spoon the leftover sour cream into a plastic baggie.

Snip off a corner and pipe some lines on your field.

Serve with tortilla chips and let your guests dig in for a touchdown!

toffee brownie bites

2011-08-31T16:00:00.000-04:00

What do you do when there's a hurricane about to roll through your state,

you have limited supplies in your cupboard, and no idea how long your power will last?

Bake something of course...

Lucky for me, this is what I found in my cabinet.

Chocolate + toffee = true love forever.

Take your favorite brownie mix or scratch recipe.

Mix according to directions, then stir in the toffee bits.

Little golden nuggets of deliciousness.

I decided to use these adorable mini cupcake wrappers

so I wouldn't have to clean out the pan. Also, they're just adorable.

Spoon the batter into the cups [or directly into the pan]

and sprinkle a few more toffee bits on top.

Bake at 325 F for 18 to 20 minutes.

Unwrap and enjoy!

I know I won't be waiting until the next East Coast hurricane to make these again...

hello!

2011-08-28T12:57:00.000-04:00

Hi, Friends! What did you do with your summer vacation?

Obviously some of us [ahem, me] spent our time outside of the kitchen.

Now that the weather is starting to cool down and the East Coast is [hopefully!] done with

earthquakes and hurricanes for the summer, it's time to get back to the baking.

And since I'm breaking out all the pots and pans again, I figured it was time for a new look!

Stay tuned this fall for posts about brownies, beer, cookies, cake pops,

and plenty of tailgate food [hooray for college football season!]

firecracker cake pops and other 4th of July goodies!

2011-06-21T18:34:00.001-04:00

4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays. Growing up I spent the 4th at my family's cabin in northern Michigan. We celebrated with sparklers, fireworks over the lake, and of course: the boat parade. This year Husband and I aren't able to make it back to "the mitten", but we are taking a short trip to Maine. I thought it would be fun to share some great holiday baking ideas. Feel free to leave a link in the comments if you have something delicious you want to share :)

Firecracker Cake Pops

This is basically just a reincarnation of the Pop Rock Cake Pops I posted last January. [In fact, I even said they would be coming back in July!] The color variations on these would be endless... red velvet cake or blue candy melts? Pop Rocks come in both red and blue, so you could even mix them together on white candy.

Patriotic Flag Cake from 17 and Baking

How cool would it be to bring this cake to a 4th of July picnic? It looks all plain and innocent from the outside, but once you cut in: FLAG SURPRISE! The instructions seem a little complicated, but you basically bake 3 layers of a round cake [one red, one white, one blue], carve a circle out of the blue layer, and fill it with shorter red and white layers. Hmm... I bet your could use the extra cake scraps to make cake pops!

Fourth of July Cupcakes from Baking Bites

If carving out a layered cake sounds like too much work, you can just mix the batters together in a festive cupcake wrapper. You simple divide the batter into 3 separate bowls and add coloring to 2 portions. [I've also seen this done with 7 colors to make rainbow cupcakes... amazing!] Top with white frosting and fresh blueberries and strawberries to continue the red white and blue theme.

Strawberry Jello Pie

And if cake isn't your thing, but berries are... here's another recipe from the archives that would make a great 4th of July dessert. Since this strawberry pie came straight from my Grandmother's recipe box [and the recipe came straight from a neighbor at our family's cabin] it's fairly safe to say this pie has been made during several of my family's 4th celebrations!

make your own: fresh salsa

2011-06-14T20:58:00.001-04:00

Husband and I cook Mexican food... a lot. Usually once or twice [or three times] a week.

His enchiladas are to die for, and I make a pretty mean layer dip.

We do burritos, tostadas, nachos, tacos, you name it. But the easiest recipe we have?

Fresh Salsa.

3 ripe tomatoes, diced into 1/4" cubes

1/2 white onion, diced into 1/4" cubes

1 small jalapeno pepper finely diced

juice of 1/2 lime

fresh cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper

Mix tomato and onion in a medium bowl. Add diced peppers and cilantro to taste.

Top with salt, pepper, lime juice, and stir. Let sit for an hour or so, all the flavors will combine.

Serve with tortilla chips or on top of your favorite Mexican Cuisine.

That's it! Delicious, fresh, tasty salsa : )

margarita cake pops

2011-06-07T18:45:00.001-04:00

I can't tell you how excited I am to share this recipe.

Two of my favorite things: Margaritas and Cake Pops.

Finally combined into one little edible heavenly bite on a stick.

I've been dreaming of margarita cake pops for a long time,

and when I saw Bridget from Bake at 350 post these lemon cake pops,

shortly followed by Pioneer Woman's link to these margarita cupcakes...

I knew it was time to take the plunge.

Unfortunately I made these for a party and they were

completely devoured before I could get too many photos.

Inspiration comes from the above recipes, with a few tweaks. Mostly... I added more tequila!

Margarita Cake

3 cups flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, at room temp

5 limes, zested and juiced

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup tequila

Mix together dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Cream butter and sugar,

then add eggs one at a time. Add dry mix and buttermilk in alternating portions. Add in lime zest,

juice, and tequila and mix well. Bake at 350 F for about 40 minutes, or until done.

Tequila-Lime Frosting

3/4 stick butter

2 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

juice 1/2 lime

1 tsp tequila

Crumble cake and mix in just enough frosting to hold the cake together when squished into a ball.

Make cake balls. Dip the end of a paper lollipop stick into candy coating, then insert into cake ball.

Let set, then dip entire ball into candy coating and top as desired.

I had some pops that were topped with sea salt, but as those were the favorite,

they escaped without having their photo taken.

The rest [including the few pictured] were topped with candied lime zest.

Delicious, but a bit elaborate for just a cake pop topping!

Next time I will stick with the sea salt.

Still, they were a huge hit at the party- even Beau couldn't resist!

I highly recommend these if you are a margarita lover

[or I suppose they would be good with just the lime too.]

Fried Chicken at Lady and Son's

2011-05-31T18:24:00.001-04:00

Y'all know who Paula Deen is, right?

And y'all know she has a restaurant in Savannah, GA?

Well of course I had to go while I was there on vacation!

I started with an unsweet tea to drink. Sorry to all you sweet tea diehards.

I drink my coffee black, and I drink my tea unsweetened. Even in the South.

The lemon and the mint were a nice touch though.

While we looked over the menu, they brought us out a biscuit and a cornbread pancake thing.

I'm still not sure what it was, but darn was it good!

I had a long and serious debate over what to order. The whole menu looked amazing,

but I settled on the Southern Buffet so that I could get the fried chicken.

I don't eat fried chicken often- Husband tells me not to learn how to make it,

because then he will make me cook it all the time and we would eat nothing but fried chicken.

The chicken was amazing! The mashed potatoes and other sides were good,

but nothing out of the ordinary. I think a made-to-order dish would have been a little better,

but I'm glad I got the fried chicken. [I can't believe it wasn't on the main menu!]

All in all it was a fun experience, and one I would recommend trying!

bake sale!

2011-05-16T07:21:00.000-04:00

The bake sale over at Carrots 'N' Cake has begun!

Head on over to check out all the delicious goodness... you can find my cake pops on page three : )

updates and a bake sale!

2011-05-13T16:55:00.000-04:00

Hi friends! Just popping in to let you know Blogger had been having some issues this week.

You may have seen a post or two disappear, or even reappear... it's not me, I swear!

I won't repost anything for a bit, hopefully it will all work out and reset itself

[and this post won't go anywhere!]

BUT I did want to take the chance of posting to let you know some exciting news...

I've donated a dozen of my chocolate-dipped peanut butter cake pops

to be part of a bake sale fundraiser over on Carrots N Cake next Monday May 16th!

So please head on over next Monday... you can bid on my cake pops

or any of the other "donated" baked goods to help raise money for Team in Training.

I will post the link to the sale once it's up... Happy Weekend!

Savannah Pralines and River Street Sweets

2011-05-11T18:56:00.002-04:00

Have you ever been to Savannah, Georgia? It's a lovely town.

Near the ocean, just oozing with Southern charm.

They have beautiful historic homes and 22 green squares decorating their streets.

I could totally move there and spend my life lounging on a sprawling porch, reading a book,

while I drink [un]sweet tea with mint and lemon. And of course eating pralines.

Pralines. Buttery, salty, sweet, crunchy, and loaded with Georgia pecans.

Someone I work with recommended I check out River Street Sweets while I was in town.

They claim to be "World Famous" pralines. I certainly won't be the one to dispute that claim.

My only complaint is that when I carried these back with me on the plane, I got stuck in security.

I was stopped for a half hour because apparently pralines look suspicious in the X-ray machine.

They had to put my stuff through FIVE times! Eventually I made it though, with the pralines.

I mean really, how bad would it have been to be stuck in Savannah indefinitely with a box of these?

I also had to pick up some bear claws, cashew and caramel-loving girl that I am.

I'm happy to report they were also phenomenal.

Stay tuned for another bit of my trip- a meal at a true Southern institution!

Coconut Easter Egg Candies

2011-04-18T23:27:00.001-04:00

A few posts ago, I made a joke about making these candies as Easter eggs.

Well, joke's on me, because I couldn't stop thinking about making them.

I dug deep into my baking cabinet and pulled out a rainbow of sugar sprinkles.

I mixed and rolled and wound up with a rainbow army of delicious little eggs taking over my life.

I deviated a little from Joy's recipe, but not by much.

Here's what I used [makes about 55-60 eggs ]:

1/4 cup (half a stick) unsalted softened butter

4 oz softened cream cheese

4 cups powdered sugar

pinch of salt

3 1/4 cups unsweetened coconut

3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Start by spreading the coconut on a baking sheet to toast. 5 minutes at 375 F should do it.

Don't let it go for too long- you just want to dry it out a little, not burn it.

I had a 14oz package so I used "a little more than half" and measured it after it was toasted.

And after I had snacked on it. Oops.

Mix everything together, starting with the butter and cream cheese,

then slowly adding the sugar and coconut.

This is what happens when you aren't careful with the powdered sugar.

Dig out your sugar sprinkles and get ready to roll!

1: Scoop 2: Shape 3: Roll 4: Done!

Place your little rainbow bites on a parchment covered baking sheet and pop them in the fridge.

Then do something adorable like this to serve them!

[I found this stuff at Target and couldn't resist.]

Happy Easter!

birthday cake pops

2011-04-02T14:09:00.001-04:00

I've had a bit of an internet problem lately... meaning, I had none.
Now that that pesky little problem [ha!] has been dealt with,
I'm back to catch you up on all my recent kitchen activities.

A few weeks ago I went out to a birthday celebration for my friend Lisa.
Last year I brought chocolate-dipped peanut butter cake pops to her birthday.

Of course, I had to bring cake pops again this year!

I baked a vanilla cake the night before and crumbled it.
I found these large rectangular ziploc containers that hold 1 whole crumbled cake.
Perfect for overnight storage, or even freezing half a cake when you don't need a full one.

The next day I mixed in vanilla frosting and dipped into bright orange candy melts.
I took some yellow candy and melted it in a ziplock bag, then drizzled over the tops.

I let them set up and wrapped them in plastic bags with twist ties.
I find these bags at Michael's and they come with the ties.
Perfect for when you need to transport a few pops!

Here's the birthday girl with a cake pop bouquet!
Lisa always gets super excited when she hears I'm making cake pops.
Come to think of it... most people do!

We all had a great time hanging out, drinking beers, eating stromboli, and of course cake pops.
[I bet you didn't know that cake pops and beer went well together!]

Until next time...

fresh inspiration

2011-03-21T18:51:00.001-04:00

Hi, Friends! I wanted to let you know that I've updated my "sites I love" page with some new links. I've been browsing through foodgawker and the interwebs lately looking for fresh inspiration. I'm pretty picky about what I keep in my blogroll, but these sites have been added to my reading list [and I thought you might enjoy reading them too!] For a blog to keep me coming back, the photos have to be gorgeous, the recipes have to be drool-worthy, and the writing has to be entertaining. These blogs deliver on all 3 points. Below is a sampling of recipes I'm itching to try out...

Ginger, Orange, and Chocolate Biscotti from Emma at Poires au Chocolat. I've never attempted biscotti before, but I love the flavors of orange and dark chocolate together. And I love ginger. And I love biscotti. So I'm pretty sure I would love these.

One-Bowl Vanilla Cupcakes for Two from Jessica at How Sweet It Is. Seriously, how many times do you want cupcakes but don't want the hassle of making a full batch? [That will just sit around your house and beg to be eaten... all by you?]

Irish Potato Candy from Joy the Baker: I've lived near Philadelphia for over 3 years now, but have never heard of these traditional St Patty's treats before. I know the holiday has passed, but these little coconut candies rolled in cocoa and powdered sugar look too good to wait a full year to try. Maybe I'll make them pink and call them Easter Eggs?

Speaking of eggs... check out these Dippy Eggs and Soldiers from G at Kiss my Spatula: Eggs and toast never looked so classy. Usually I prefer my eggs over-easy, but the idea of dipping my toast into a little egg cup just sounds worth the trouble of figuring out how to soft-boil an egg.

And finally... Broccoli Salad from Mary the Food Librarian. Yes, I know. Broccoli. Not what you would expect to find me lusting after. Let me explain: this salad looks like the same recipe as the broccoli salad I eat at Whole Foods nearly every time I go there. And it has bacon. And onions. And mayo. Girl cannot live on cake pops alone! [And don't worry... Mary has many delectable baked goods as well, and can do some pretty amazing things with jello!]

Happy reading!

minty shamrock cookies

2011-03-16T20:48:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure why St. Patrick's Day reads "green and minty baked goods" to me.

Maybe because mint is the only naturally green flavor I think I'd want in a cookie?

[OK, limes... but March is too chilly out for limes just yet]

I used my handy dandy cookie press to make the shamrock shape, but this recipe

will work for rolled cookies as well. Just chill the dough before rolling and cutting,

and reduce baking time so they don't get too brown on the edges.

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp

1 cup granulated sugar

1 whole egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons peppermint extract

green food coloring

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar, then add egg and extracts [and food coloring!].

Add flour and shape dough into shamrocks using cookie press or cutters.

Bake at 375 F until edges just turn golden, about 10 minutes.

Let cool completely, then decorate with a touch of cookie icing [easy button].

Having a few extra decorative shamrocks on hand never hurts either.

I used both green and white icings for a little variety. I love how they turned out!

The leaves look like tiny little hearts...

And the small bit of vanilla icing helps balance the mint flavor...

so it's more like eating a cookie, not a breath mint!

And if mint just isn't your thing, I understand.

Check out the Irish Car Bomb Brownie Bites I made last year.

[Chocolate + Guinness with a Baileys + Jameson glaze is pretty much everyone's thing.]

oatmeal cookies with walnuts, cherries, and chocolate chips

2011-03-13T08:29:00.006-04:00

I know that sounds like a mouthful, but I was cleaning out the cupboard

and decided to mix some extras in to make the cookies more delicious and healthy!

Oatmeal = Fiber

Cherries and Dark Chocolate = Antioxidants

Walnuts = Omega-3s

So, healthy! [Right?]

The dough for this recipe can get pretty thick, so a mixer is recommended.

Start by creaming your butter and sugar, then add in the rest of the wet ingredients.

2 sticks (1 cup) softened butter

1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

Combine your dry ingredients first, then slowly add to the bowl.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

5 cups oats

And then add in your extras! I went with:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped

1 cup walnuts

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350, on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Recipe as above yields about 50 medium sized cookies.

I like to make them on the medium/small side.
So, you know, I can eat more of them... since they're healthy.

Happy "healthy" baking!

chocolate cake pops and...

2011-03-06T11:42:00.001-05:00

Hello, friends! Life outside the kitchen has been pretty busy as of late.

[Which, inevitably, results in less life IN the kitchen]

The other week, I did find time to help Husband out in making some cake pops for his students.

We made a few different flavors and color combos, but I thought these chocolate-covered chocolate ones with big rainbow confetti sprinkles were just adorable.

bacon chive cheese dip

2011-02-16T17:57:00.002-05:00

I thought that after all the Valentine's sweets,

we could use something savory.

And cheesy. And garlicky. And... bacon-y.

Enter, the bacon chive cheese dip.

I made this dip for our Superbowl party a few weeks ago.

It's delightful hot or cold.

It can be eaten with tortilla chips.

It can be eaten on a bagel.

It can be eaten with pretzels or pita chips.

It can be eaten with ~~a spoon~~ crackers.

This easy to assemble dip packs a lot of flavor...

8oz softened cream cheese

6 to 8oz shredded cheddar

4 slices of bacon, cooked and cooled

1 to 2 cloves of garlic

1/3 cup chopped chives

salt and pepper to taste

Start by mixing your cheeses.

Then add in your bacon [yum] and garlic [yum]

and chives and salt and pepper [also all yum].

I split my batch in two, and filled these tiny casseroles.

Because they are adorable. And Le Creuset.

Refrigerate for an hour or two to let the flavors combine.

If you want to serve it cold, just dig right in.

If you want to serve it warm [and I think you do]

just pop in the microwave and stir every 30 seconds

until it's melty and your party guests descend on you

like a pack of cracker-wielding animals who don't

let you take a better picture than the below.

But seriously. See all those bits of goodness in there?

Just waiting for you to scoop them up with your ~~finger~~ chip?

Bacon. Chive. Cheese. Garlic. YUM.

mocha love brownies

2011-02-12T11:07:00.001-05:00

So Valentine's Day is just around the corner,

and you need a delicious [but easy] idea of what to bake your loved ones.

Your answer:

Mocha Love Brownies

These are so easy, they are practically cheating.

Why? Because I made them with a box mix.

[If you're a purist, you can sub in your fave scratch recipe]

In addition to your usual brownie fixins, you need:

1/2 cup STRONG black coffee

1 cup chocolate chips

and... sprinkles!

I found these adorable sweetheart sprinkles at Williams Sonoma.
They are teeny-tiny and adorable.

Start by brewing your coffee up way stronger than usual.

Let it cool to room temp [so we don't fry the egg!]

Mix up your batter as ususal, subbing in the coffee
where you would normally use water.

Add in half of your chocolate chips and mix into the batter.

Pour into your sprayed pan.

Sprinkle the remainder of the chips on top.

And then... Sprinkle on some love!

[Sorry, I couldn't help myself.]

Bake as directed, usually 40-50 minutes.

Slice and serve to someone you love.

food photography tips

2011-02-09T18:00:00.001-05:00

Hi! Just popping in to let you know I wrote a guest post on food photography

over at the 52 Week Project site. If you've ever been interested in

food photography but found it a little intimidating, or just want a look

into how I shoot my photos here, you might want to take a peek!

Also, the 52 Week Project site is pretty cool itself : )

Enjoy!

valentine cupcake bites

2011-02-07T17:38:00.001-05:00

Ever since I discovered cake pops, I've wanted to try my hand

at the cupcake-shaped ones that Bakerella posted long ago.

But once I started rolling, I decided to make these 'bites' without the stick.

I used rainbow sprinkles from Williams Sonoma

[I just love their color combo!]

and cherry cordial M&Ms to decorate.

And I piled them up in my white Fiesta gravy boat to serve.

Who wouldn't love these cute little cupcakes for a Valentine treat?

super bowl bites

2011-02-02T21:41:00.000-05:00

It's that time again, friends!

Everyone [Husband and myself included]

is planning their SuperBowl party menus.

Last year, I whipped up some football cake pops.

And a few extras with the team logos

[it was Colts vs Saints if you don't recall...]

While Husband made his famous five-alarm Chili...

I spiced things up with some cheddar jalapeno cornbread bites.

This year, however, we want to try some new recipes...

Husband has his sights set on turkey meatballs.

I'm contemplating the best way to execute football-shaped brownies.

One friend is bringing her family's legendary Chex Mix.

Another is making authentic enchiladas... uh, yum.

What are your favorite football foods?

To me, it's not football without mexican layer dip!

vanilla extract: make your own!

2011-01-30T19:52:00.002-05:00

I have a small confession to make.

When I'm baking anything from a recipe that includes vanilla extract,

I always add a little extra. Sometimes... a whole teaspoon extra.

Which means I go through vanilla extract pretty quick around here.

[I just really love the warm, homey, sweetness vanilla adds.]

But as anyone who bakes knows, good vanilla can be pricey.

A few weeks ago, I found the perfect economical solution:

how to make your own vanilla extract!

Cathy from bright bakes posted this "recipe", which is incredibly simple.

How did I not think of doing this sooner?

All you need are some vanilla beans, a jar, and some booze.

Well, and a little patience...

Homemade vanilla takes 2 months to age.

I decided to use rum, but Cathy says bourbon or vodka would work too.

I just so happened to have some of The Kraken [how awesome is their site?]

on hand and figured since it has a nice spicy, vanilla flavor to it already,

it would be the perfect thing to use for extract.

Even if you aren't in the market to make your own vanilla,

I would suggest trying this stuff out. It's delicious.

Hot rum and cider? A-mazing.

Anyway, back to the vanilla extract...

Start by slicing your beans lengthwise

Place them in a mason jar or other container with a lid that will seal tight.

I picked up this cute little jar from IKEA for just $2.99!

[I may or may not have specifically bought it just to be my vanilla jar.]

Pour in your rum/bourbon/vodka.

And that's it. [No, seriously.]

Just let it sit on your shelf and give it a little shake now and then.

I ended up using more beans than the 2 pictured above.

Cathy suggests using 6 beans per pint of alcohol, which is what my jar is.

[Note: I don't actually have webbed fingers. No, seriously.]

Sadly, the extract won't be finished aging until mid-March.

But it already smells incredible! I can't wait to start using it.

it's my blog birthday!

2011-01-24T21:15:00.001-05:00

Today, my blog is one year old!

(And yes, I made a paper birthday crown to celebrate.)

One year ago today, I posted my first recipe:

chocolate chip cookies with dark chocolate and nutmeg.

A lot has happened since that first post!

Peanut butter cupcakes were featured in a Tasty Kitchen post.

Bakerella added my football cake pops to her Pop Stars gallery.

(and they've become my most popular post... ever!)

And just last week, Gourmet Live, the blog for Conde Nast's Gourmet Magazine,

featured pop rock cake pops as their image of the day!

I got married, and thanks to my wonderful family and friends,

my kitchen became 127351725 times more awesome.

I've been through several site re-designs and added a ton of features like

post categories, a search box, email subscriptions, a mobile template for

viewing on your supercool smartphone, and some "about me" type pages.

(I'd love to hear your ideas for other improvements though!)

I also started a foodgawker account and a twitter account

and created a Facebook page to stay more connected to my readers.

Because really, I owe all of this to YOU, my readers!

Thank you so much for following the blog, and for your comments

and encouragement. I never imagined that a few images and recipes

could have such a huge impact on my life.

I truly love sharing my photos, food, and life with you all,

and look forward to the next year of deliciousness!

xoxo

Jamie

date night at Parc

2011-01-20T19:30:00.001-05:00

Husband and I did a lot of cleaning and organizing last weekend, and decided to reward ourselves with a date night at a fancy restaurant. (In case you are wondering, fancy restaurant = any place other than our 2 staple restaurants that are a 5 minute drive away.)

A few weeks ago, we saw Parc mentioned on Food Network's "Best Thing I Ever Ate" show. Chef Robert Irvine was raving about their mashed potatoes, of all things. Since we are only an hour's drive to downtown Philadelphia, we decided we needed to try it out.

Parc is a French-style bistro, right on the edge of Rittenhouse Square. The decor is phenomenal. I have never been to France, so I can't vow that it was authentic. But I felt as if I had stepped into exactly what I imagine a French bistro to be. Every last detail was well planned and true to their theme. It was like dining on a movie set. Unfortunately, my camera situation that night was less than ideal, as you are about to see. The photos don't do it justice. It's ok though, we've already decided we need to go back (during daylight hours).

We started with cocktails. Husband tried a basil, cucumber, and citrus vodka concoction that our server enthusiastically recommended.

I stuck with a nice pino noir. Please also note that Husband can't

hold a camera still. I mentioned this to him and asked for a re-take.

He told me "beggars can't be choosers." Ah, love.

The French bread loaf was -surprise, surprise- to die for.

I started with the salade verte. I love dishes like this that are so simple yet so delicious. The greens were crisp and buttery, and the dressing was tangy, and the green beans added the perfect little bite of texture.

Husband had the onion soup gratinee. Otherwise known as French onion soup.

I was only able to steal a few spoonfuls, but it was delish. Not too salty like some soups can be. The sweetness of the onions really came through in the broth.

I ordered the beef bourguignon... figured I couldn't go wrong with a classic.

I wasn't dissapointed! The beef was so tender it just fell apart. The carrots were perfectly done. The turnips... ok so I don't like turnips. I pushed them to the side of my plate and ate everything else instead.

Husband opted for the 1/2 roast chicken, the dish Chef Irvine was raving about.

He shared a few bites with me and wow! It was tender, and well-seasoned,

and (Chef was right) the mashed potatoes were out of this world! They were smooth
and creamy, and delightfully buttery. Husband refused to wait for me to take
a picture before he dug in (hence the blurry hand/fork on the right)

Unfortunately, we were too full for dessert. Just another reason to go back!
Everything was delightful... from the food, to the decor to our enthusiastic server.

All in all, date night at Parc was a delicious success!

funfetti pop rock cake pops

2011-01-17T19:04:00.003-05:00

funfetti pop rock cake pops.

Bet you can't say that 3 times fast!

Over the holidays, my siblings requested that I make cake pops.

I, of course, happily obliged.

In case you are new around here, let me tell you that I will use just about any occasion as an excuse to make cake pops. I make them for birthdays, for sporting events, for holidays, for random seasonal outings with friends... I even made them as favors at my own wedding! You might say I'm a little cake pop obsessed.

My brother made the executive decision that we should have funfetti cake pops.

I mean... who doesn't love funfetti cake?

It looked so pretty when I crumbled it up.

They even stayed speckled after I mixed in the frosting.

We decided to dip them into Wilton's Colorburst candy melts.

Hard to see, but it's white candy with rainbow flecks- like funfetti!

And then- credit goes to Husband for the idea-

we sprinkled some pop rocks on top while the candy was still wet.

The pop rocks didn't "pop" in the candy melts.

They waited until they made it into your mouth when you took a bite.

It was a great way to add interest to the cake pop,

and super fun to eat! It was like being a kid again.

I have a feeling these will be showing up again in July...

firecracker pops anyone?

update: this post was featured on Gourmet Live
as the Image of the Day on 1.19.11

chewy chocolate peanut butter cookies

2011-01-10T19:32:00.001-05:00

Don't freak out, you're on the right page!
I just did a little bit of redesign this weekend...

I also did some baking. Husband has been complaining that I never bake
anything for him anymore (which is completely UNtrue, as he samples
everything that comes out of the kitchen.)
But a good marriage means having to compromise sometimes,
so I decided to make something I knew he would love
using two of his favorite things: chocolate and peanut butter.

I started with a bag of Reeses' Peanut Butter Chips. They have their own recipe.

Here is mine (which, in my somewhat biased opinion, is better):

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 whole eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups peanut butter chips

(or one 10oz package, less whatever your husband steals to snack on)

Cream the butter and sugars, then add in in the eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine your dry ingredients.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture,
then stir in the peanut butter chips.

Drop the dough by rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased baking sheet.
Try to keep your Husband from stealing the dough before
it makes it to the oven... I was not successful.

Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.
You want them to be done, but still chewy.

Chocolatey dough, peanut butter chips, chewy texture...
these are really really good. (Husband agrees!)

Here's to chocolate, peanut butter, and marital bliss.

ebelskivers

2011-01-03T19:40:00.004-05:00

Ebelskiver. Isn't that a fun word?

And ebelskivers aren't just fun to say, they're fun to eat!

But what exactly is an ebelskiver?
A delicious spherical pancake with a filling inside...

My sister gave me a special ebelskiver pan for Christmas along with some
pancake mix. The surface is wonderfully non-stick. I didn't even spray it.

The mix is chocolate raspberry, and I filled them with a few chocolate chips
before flipping. The first batch I didn't push the chocolate into the batter, so it kindof
melted and crisped on the outside.

(But I didn't have to scrub the pan, and they were still delicious!)

I'm already dreaming of more filled treats to try...

apple and walnut with caramel filling

chocolate pancakes with berries inside

or for a savory treat: ham and brie

Could you imagine setting all those out together for a brunch? Perfect.

Thanks for the great gift Kelsey!

Did anyone else get any great kitchen goodies over the holidays?

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-27T08:34:00.001-05:00

I hope that everyone's Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, winter solstice, etc, was very merry and bright!

Wishing you all a safe and wonderful New Year, see you in 2011!

vanilla spritz (kindof)

2010-12-23T23:05:00.002-05:00

Well, I had one last cookie recipe to post before Christmas: traditional vanilla spritz.

Unfortunately, I left the recipe back on the east coast

and I'm already home for the holidays!

If you Google "vanilla spritz", there are plenty of recipes out there,

and if you have a cookie press it may have even come with some recipes (mine did!)

So today I will leave the recipe to you, and just share the photos...

Mix your dough and fill into the press' reservoir.

Place flat on a baking sheet and pull the trigger.

And perfect little cookies will soon fill up your sheet.

Just bake, and decorate!

My friends and I had a lot of fun decking out our little trees and wreathes.

I have a pretty serious sprinkle collection, and we put it to good use.

(And we got to the decorating part a lot faster than rolling and
cutting out sugar cookie dough.)

The cookies came out crisp and full of vanilla flavor, and were delicious even plain.

But with a bit of sweet frosting they make a great complement to a cup of coffee.

candy cane oreo truffles

2010-12-20T22:29:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure how this blog went almost a full year without Oreo truffles.

These decadent cookie bites are so delicious, and SO easy.

And with a little candy cane... a perfect treat for holiday entertaining.

These little guys pack a great chocolatey taste that's like Oreo on steroids. In a good way.

The recipe comes from... well all over the internet to be honest.
I first saw it on Bakerella. But it may have originated at Kraft.
And I just picked up a Ziploc flyer at the grocery store that had the recipe.

Regardless of where it started, now it's here...

1 package Oreo cookies

1 8oz bar softened cream cheese

1 bag of Wilton's candy melts

(or Baker's chocolate, or your favorite candy bark)

The most difficult part of this recipe?

Keeping yourself from eating any of the Oreos when you open the package.

Why not? Because it will mess up your Oreo-to-cream cheese-ratio.

Start by crushing your cookies in a large plastic bag or between wax paper sheets.
Then mix in the cream cheese with the wooden spoon.

I would highly advise against leaving this mixture unattended while you melt your candy.

Roll the cookie mixture into small balls and dip into melted chocolate or candy coating.
You could be finished at this point, and your truffles would be delicious.
Set them on wax paper and pop in the fridge to set.

OR.

You could add a minty holiday twist.

Take 3 or 4 candy canes and crush in a food processor or by other means.

Just be careful of your fingers when smashing candy with heavy stuff.

Then take a freshly coated truffle, and sprinkle it with crushed candy cane.

It adds some interesting texture, a nice minty flavor, and just looks pretty!

For variety, you can use candy cane flavored candy melts (the white with red flecks in the middle),

add mint flavor to your chocolate or candy, or even try using mint flavored Oreos.

Make these for your holiday party. Take them to the office. Take them to your in-law's.

I'm serious. People will 'oooh' and 'ahhh' and 'mmmm'. People will love you.

And I'll leave it up to you to decide to tell them how easy they were to make. Or not.

spice gumdrop slice cookies

2010-12-17T18:51:00.001-05:00

I had this idea for a recipe that would be visually stunning:
Beautiful jelly pieces studded in a crisp spiced dough.
(If anyone remembers the jellybean blunder... same idea, different candy.)

They didn't turn out quite how I'd imagined, but with a few alterations this recipe has potential:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cup spice drops

Spice drops, in case you didn't know, are basically gumdrops that taste like "spice" instead of fruit.
The red ones taste like cinnamon, the green ones taste like spearmint.

Start by beating the butter, sugar, extract, and spices. Add in the eggs, then flour, and spice drops.

Take your dough and shape into a log on a sheet of parchment paper. Wrap and refrigerate
for at least 2 hours, up to 3 days. Then slice carefully with a sharp knife into 1/4" thick slices.

When you slice them, you'll see this gorgeous stained-glass-window effect.

Place the slices on a parchement paper covered baking sheet.

Bake at 350 F for about 15 minutes.

I used both the red and green in my cookies, but next time I may just use the red cinnamon drops.
The flavor combo of spice and mint just didn't work for me.

The spice dough base, however, was delicious!
I think with only red/cinnamon drops this could be a winner...

candy cane cookies

2010-12-13T23:29:00.001-05:00

I love candy canes!

But these are more than just candy canes... they're COOKIES!

These are inspired (once again) byt the Betty Crocker Cooky Book.

Her recipe uses shortening and crushed candy cane topping instead of mint extract.

I found that the extract really gives the cookies a great minty flavor- just like the real thing!

Here's what you need:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons peppermint extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

red food coloring

Start by mixing the butter, sugar, egg, and flavorings together.

Stir in flour an salt, then divide dough in half.

Add red food coloring to half of the dough and mix thoroughly.

Take about 1 teaspoon of red dough and roll into a rope about 4 inches long.

Take about 1 teaspoon of uncolored dough and roll into a rope about 4 inches long.

Then twist the two ropes together and give another roll to mush together:

Take the rope and place onto an ungreased baking sheet, curving the top to look like a cane.

Bake for about 8 minutes (more or less depending on thickness) at 375 degrees F.

When they're done, you'll have wonderfully sweet and minty candy canes

These cookies are pretty labor intensive, but make a fun group activity for kids for all ages.

In fact, I bet Santa would love to come down the chimney to a plate of these...

IF you leave him any!

thumbprint cookies

2010-12-06T20:04:00.002-05:00

This past weekend I had a cookie baking marathon with some friends,

so prepare yourself for a flood of cookie recipes over the next few weeks!

Thumbprint cookies are an old classic, and super fun to make.

When else are you encouraged to literally stick your fingers in your food?

This version is adapted from the Betty Crocker Cooky Book.

Here is what you'll need:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg, separated (keep the yolk)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped nuts

jelly, jam, or preserves of your choice

The recipe claims it makes 3 dozen cookies, but that must be a type-o. I only got 15!

I used blackberry jam, and a mix of walnuts and pecans for my nuts!

Beat together the butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla. Slowly add in the flour and salt.

Roll dough into small balls, then roll into chopped nuts, pressing nuts into dough.

Form a depression in each cookie using your thumb, and spoon in your preserves.

Bake at 350 F for about 12 minutes.

The cookie part of this cookie is a little dry, very light and crunchy.

The jam in the middle adds a nice contrast and a punch of flavor.

chocolate gooey butter cookies

2010-12-01T20:37:00.002-05:00

Today, I bring you another recipe from Food Network's 12 days of cookies:

Paula Deen's Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

I love Paula Deen, which probably doesn't come as a surprise given my feelings on butter.

I knew I had to try this recipe as soon as I saw the ingredient list:

1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 whole egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (18-ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix

about 1 cup Confectioners' sugar

To start, use a mixer to cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.

OK pause... Aren't those the most beautiful words you've ever heard in a recipe?

Once your butter and cream cheese are smooth, beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Add the cake

mix slowly and in small batches. The dough will get really thick, really fast. I thought about

adding some liquid but decided if Paula can power through, so can I.

Cover and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours (or overnight) to firm up.

When you are ready to go, pull dough out of the fridge and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll the dough into tablespoon sized balls. If the batter starts to get sticky while you are rolling,

throw back in the fridge for a few minutes. Put your powdered sugar into a shallow bowl.

Roll the balls into the powdered sugar until coated.

Place onto and ungreased baking sheet, and bake for 12 minutes.

The cookies will come out soft and light... kindof like cake and kindof like doughnuts.

They taste a little like chocolate cake, and a little like Oreos, and a little like chocolate doughnuts.

In other words, delicious!

And if you want a little doughnut-like presentation tip...

The cookies will come out of the oven like this, with the sugar mostly melted.

Just plop them face down into your powdered sugar!

Ta-dah! Gorgeous snowy dusted goodness.

As usual, Paula doesn't disappoint!

Christmas is coming!

2010-11-27T17:11:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Now that Turkey Day has come and gone,

I can officially start celebrating Christmas! (I refuse to be one of those people who starts at

Halloween, I enjoy Thanksgiving too much to let it disappear.) However, I did a little early

holiday shopping, and I'm already really excited to start baking Christmas cookies and treats!

I realize not everyone celebrates Christmas (you can still bake cookies though!) and not everyone

gets absurdly excited for the holidays like I do... for instance, my cat Beau:

His favorite part of the holidays is knocking ornaments off my tree.

(Found the antlers at Target for $5 and couldn't resist!)

BUT, here are some things that have me excited and inspired to try out some holiday recipes:

My cookie gun! Picked this up at a Williams Sonoma sale this summer with wedding gift cards.

It comes with a TON of shapes that require no rolling and cutting.

You just make the dough, load the gun, pull the trigger, bake and decorate!

Cookie frosting in an easy to use bottle.

My trusty Betty Crocker Cooky Book for more conventional cookie inspiration...

And... Candy Cane flavored candy melts!

SO many great ideas, I need to start baking NOW.

What is your favorite part of the holiday season?

Decorating cookies? Pumpkin pie? Fruit cake?

I can't wait to start baking, but some people may be a little tired from all this excitement.

dried cherry and almond cookies

2010-11-21T16:00:00.003-05:00

Earlier this week, I received and email from Food Network that the 12 days of cookies are coming! A friend sent me a link to the promotion last year, and being a lover of cookies, I signed right up. Starting in late November, they email you 1 cookie recipe every day, for 12 days.

Last year, I received the recipe for these dried cherry and almond cookies with vanilla glaze, and they have become one of my favorite cookies. Of all time. Seriously, they're that good.

The first time I made these (last December) I took pictures with my little point and shoot. So those are what you see here... throwback photos! After trying these a few times, I made some minor adjustments to fix the cookie/glaze ratio. I've also made them without the glaze, and with other fruits and nuts. It's a great base recipe.

Here's what you'll need:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries
1/2 cup chopped almonds

and for the glaze...
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons water

Start by beating the butter, sugar, extracts, salt and cinnamon. Add in the eggs, then flour, and finally stir in your almonds and cherries. Giada calls for toasted, slivered almonds, but I just crunched up some whole raw almonds and it worked fine for me.

Take your dough and shape into a log on a sheet of parchement paper. Mine came out square. Oops! Wrap and refridgerate for at least 2 hours, up to 3 days.

Slice your cookies about 1/4" thick, using a sharp knife. I got about 24 cookies out of the log.

Place the slices on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Bake at 350 F for about 15 minutes.

They look pretty delicious already, but we aren't done yet! While the cookies cool, whisk the glaze ingredients together.

You want it to be runny but not watery. Add extra water or sugar as needed, then drizzle the cookies.

The icing needs to sit for about an hour to set. I dare you to wait that long before trying one.

They turn out nice and crisp, perfect to dip into a nice cup of hot black coffee. A little crunch from the nuts, a little tart from the cherries, and just the right amount of sweet from the glaze. YUM.

for coffee and camera lovers

2010-11-18T21:39:00.000-05:00

I came across these in my DPS newsletter today and had to share...

Travel coffee mugs disguised as camera lenses!

(or maybe they are camera lenses disguised as coffee mugs?)

Either way, these would be an awesome holiday gift for the coffee-loving photography nerd

in your life. Ahem... are you reading, Husband?

They come in two "models": Canon and Nikon zoom.

Both have twisting rubber grips, manual/auto focus switches, and lens cap lids!

(I'm totally geeking out over this, can you tell?)

I'm a Canon girl myself, but the Nikon version actually "zooms" when you twist it!

Are any of my readers photography geeks like me? Which one would you want?

Click here to buy The Camera Lens Mug at the Photojojo Store!

p.s. - this is not a paid advertisement/endorsement!

I just thought they were really fun and wanted to share :) Recipe coming this weekend!

English Tea at the Met

2010-11-14T20:32:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I took a trip into New York City to walk through Central Park and visit the

Metropolitan Museum of Art with a friend. The Park and the Met are two of my favorite places

in New York, and we spent hours wandering along paths and through exhibits. After all that

walking around, we decided to take a break for English Tea at the Petrie Cafe in the Met.

We each started with our own little pot of English Breakfast.

And then, this arrived:

I'm not sure what the proper way to do tea is, so we started from the bottom up.

We had tarragon egg salad, chicken and apple salad...

Cucumber and watercress sandwiches on cranberry walnut bread... yum!

(These were my favorite sandwiches we had with our tea.)

And then they brought out our Croque Monsieur

(Which were basically just little delicious grilled ham and cheese sandwiches.)

Then we moved up to the middle level:

tiny fruit tarts (lemon and raspberry)

frosted poppyseed cake

and some delicious soft roll thing with a walnut buttercream filling

We finished with the currant scones.

I cut mine into thirds so I could try it with all the accouterments. The blueberry preserves

were pretty good, and the apricot preserves were delicious (and full of apricot chunks!)

but the lemon curd was my favorite... sweet and tangy.

Overall, it was a lovely and refreshing experience!

I would definitely go again, but might brush up on my etiquitte first...

Cheers!

gourmet pumpkin seeds: cajun and garlic-thyme

2010-11-08T20:16:00.003-05:00

I love snacking on pumpkin seeds. Today, we are going to "kick things up a notch"

and take pumpkin seeds to (a shamelessly easy) gourmet level.

First things first: you need a pumpkin.

I happened to buy one at the orchard this year when we went to pick apples. And I never got around

to carving it for Halloween. (oops!) So if you are like me, and have an extraneous decorative

pumpkin lying around on your porch, this is a great way to get rid of it without "wasting".

Chop her open, and scoop out the guts.

Separate the muck from the seeds as best as you can, then boil in a pot of water for 10 minutes.

I know it sounds weird, but my internet research told me this was the best way.

(If you are against boiling the seeds, just skip this step!)

Dry your seeds with a paper towel, then coat them in olive oil and seasonings.

For the first batch, I went cajun!

I picked up a can of this stuff when I was in Florida last month. I have to tell you: delicious.

Spread the seasoned seeds on a baking sheet, and bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes.

You will want to stir them occasionally, and pull them out if they get too toasty.

Let cool on the sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a bowl and serve!

Since each pumpkin will yield a different amount of seeds,

here are my measurements for about 1 cup:

1 cup(ish) fresh pumpkin seeds, boiled

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 to 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning

The second batch was just as delicious, but slightly more sophisticated:

1 cup(ish) fresh pumpkin seeds, boiled

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground thyme

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

These would be a great snack for a holiday party! More festive and flavorful than a bowl of nuts!

pumpkin pecan chocolate chip cookies

2010-10-31T11:39:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween everyone! The treat I have for you today is one of my favorite recipes

from Bakerella's blog: pumpkin pecan chcolate chip cookies!

I actually pre-measured and packed up all my ingredients ahead of time, since I baked these at

a friend's house. (Thanks Dave and Juan for letting me borrow your kitchen!)

I did adapt the recipe a small bit, so here are my measurements:

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 tsp pumpkin pie spice

3/4 cup butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Start with the butter. Cream it, and add the sugars.

Side note: I would like you all to know that I creamed this butter, by hand, with a wooden spoon.

I have a new appreciation for anyone who used to bake before the hand mixer was invented.

Then the vanilla and (blurry... think my hand was still tired) eggs, one at a time.

Mix in your dry ingredients, alternating with the pumpkin.

Stir in your pecans and most of the chocolate chips. (Save a handful of chips on the side.)

Drop onto a baking sheet, and toss a few chips on top to make them pretty when they bake.

Bakerella calls for parchment paper, but I had none. They came out just fine without.

Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes.

Let cool and dig in.

The recipe makes about 4 dozen, which is a good thing because these cookies are addictive.

Pumpkin and chocolate make a great combination. (Chocolate and anything, really!)

The pumpkin makes the cookies come out soft and chewy, almost cake-like. ENJOY!

punkin ale and pumpkin cake pops

2010-10-24T22:14:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite things about fall is the abundance of pumpkin flavored things.

And one of my favorite pumpkin flavored things is: pumpkin beer!

AND my favorite pumpkin beer... Dogfish Head's Punkin Ale.

I love a lot of their beers, but this one became a fall favorite the first time I tried it.

The pumpkin taste is right on, not too weak and not overwhelming.

And the finish is clean... no funky aftertaste like some other pumpkin ales.

Plus, it says "punk" on the bottle in a cute little pumpkin and it makes me smile!

The cute little punkin inspired me to make some cute little pumpkins...

Cake pops! Pumpkins were super easy: round cake balls slightly flattened with a green tic-tac stem.

These would be great for a Halloween party!

I also tried making some Jack 'o Lanterns, but the Wilton's food writer I bought was way

to hard to write on candy coating. These two were the only decent ones I got out of the whole bunch.

Has anyone ever tried edible pens/markers? I am open to suggestions!

These mostly just scraped off the candy. I think next time I will use a black candy writer pen...

cheesy bacon and onion quiche

2010-10-20T22:32:00.002-04:00

Quiche is an awesome breakfast. Or Brunch. Or lunch. Or even dinner.

It's warm and savory and full of whatever ingredients you have on hand. The recipe I made

here uses bacon, spinach, onion, and cheddar cheese... but the variations are endless

depending on your tastes and the contents of your pantry!

What you'll need:

4-6 slices of bacon

1/2 white onion (or to taste)

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 to 2 handfulls of chopped spinach

3 eggs

1 cup heavy cream

1 pie crust

I recently invested in a tart dish, so that is what I made my quiche in. It's a gorgeous cobalt

blue from Le Creuset. (I might have a small obsession.) But you could use a pie dish

or even a 9x9 glass baking dish. Don't feel like you need a tart dish to make this!

Start by lining your dish with a rolled out pie crust, and poking some fork holes in the bottom.

I decided to go the easy route and use refrigerated pie crust that you can

buy in the grocery store, but feel free to make your own if you're ambitious.

Line the pie crust with tinfoil and pour in some pie weights or dry beans. This will keep the

crust from getting too brown, or from puffing up too much.

Pre-bake your crust for about 10 minutes at 450 degrees (or whatever your

package/recipe calls for) and carefully remove the beans and foil.

In the meantime, fry up 4-6 slices of bacon in a large skillet until they are good and crispy.

Let cool then chop into dime or quarter sized bits. Layer them in the bottom of your crust.

In the same skillet you used to cook the bacon, sautee some onion until it picks up all the

delicious bacon flavor left in the pan. Trust me. Layer the onions on top of the bacon.

And because it's the only thing you can add to bacon and onion to make it more delicious...

grate some cheddar cheese, and add a layer on top of the onion.

Sautee some chopped spinach in your bacon/onion pan just until it starts to wilt,

and layer on top of the cheese.

Finally, mix together 3 eggs with 1 cup of heavy cream, salt and pepper, a pinch of nutmeg. You can also add some cumin, paprika, thyme... whatever spices you like.

Pour the mixture into you dish. Tilt the dish to spread the egg mixture into all the nooks and crannies.

Bake at 375 degrees F for about 45 minutes.

Your quiche should be firm and just a little golden on top.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then slice and serve!

The recipe is great for entertaining or weekends. Plus the leftovers microwave really well!

Feel free to change up the ingredients to suit your mood or your meal.

I'm making a batch of quiches this weekend and will let you know what combos I try!

how to: make apple-shaped cake pops

2010-10-13T22:07:00.002-04:00

I wanted to post some detailed instructions about the apple cake pops I made when we

went to the orchard a few weeks ago. That was not the first time I had made apple cake pops.

Last fall I made them as my first cake pops ever, and took photos step-by-step.

Instead of re-taking all the photos, I thought I would post them so you can see how much

your photography can improve with a year's practice :)

Start by baking a cake, letting it cool, and crumbling into a large bowl.

I used white cake so the apples would be more realistic when you bit into them.

Mix in 1/2 to 3/4 can of frosting until you reach moldable, "cookie dough" consistency.

Shape into apples: round balls that are narrower at the bottom and have a dimple on top.

You can also pre-poke holes for your stems at this point.

Flip the apples over, and poke a candy-dipped stick about halfway in.

Let the candy set, then dip the whole apple into melted candy coating.

Push the stick into a styrofoam block to dry.

Before the candy sets, you can add a stem and leaf. I used a broken end of a small pretzel stick

for a stem, and a green star sprinkle as a leaf. You could use whatever you have on hand.

The apples are adorable in both red and green, and probably yellow too!

These would be great for your favorite teacher, student, or fall activity.

coming soon!

2010-10-06T22:26:00.001-04:00

I've got a ton of fall recipes, photos, and adventures to share with you, but I'm a little backed up on editing right now. So, I thought I'd let you have a sneak peek of what's coming in the next few weeks:

Pumpkins, and lots of 'em!

Pumpkin beer, pumpkin cake pops, pumpkin seeds, possibly pumpkin pie,

and most definitely pumpkin pecan chocolate chip cookies. yum.

I'll also show you a super versatile quiche recipe that can be used for breakfast.

Or brunch. Or lunch. Or dinner.

and last but not least... more apples! I have a "drunken apple cake" recipe from after the

orchard trip, and step by step instructions on how I made the apple cake pops.

a day at the orchard

2010-09-29T22:21:00.002-04:00

Once a year, our local orchard/farm hosts an "apple day". They have cider, doughnuts,

live music, a corn maze, and pick-your-own apples! The perfect way to spend a fall afternoon.

They grow several different varieties at the orchard: Honey Crisp, Stayman Winesap,

Gala, and Red Delicious. A few varieties had been harvested already (since we are at the end

of the season) but there were plenty of apples left that were ripe for the picking.

And we weren't the only ones after the apples...

We also checked out the gourd patch, where some of the most adorable

small and warty things I had ever seen were growing:

I kindof wanted to bring a whole bucket of them home with me, but I resisted.

Instead, I fulfilled my need for cuteness with apple-shaped cake pops!

how to: eat a pomegranate

2010-09-22T21:40:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite fall foods is pomegranate.

It's sweet and tart and crunchy and actually really good for you.

It's also somewhat difficult to get to the part you can eat. But you can save a lot of money

and get fresher fruit by buying pomegranates whole and harvesting the seeds yourself.

Start by slicing the top off of the pomegranate- don't throw it away though- there's seeds in there!

Break open the husk into bits, so that all the seeds are exposed. Use the knife if you need to.

Fill a large bowl with water and set your husk pieces in it to soak for an hour or two.

This will soften the husk and make the seeds easier to remove.

When the husk is soft, just pull the seeds out with your fingers and let them fall in the bowl.

If you have a strainer or a colander, pour the seeds in there and rinse with water.

You'll be left with tasty little jewels of tart deliciousness!

white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies

2010-09-13T18:49:00.001-04:00

I was going through my cupboard and found a package of macadamia nuts that Husband and I

brought home from our honeymoon in Hawaii...

I also happened to have a bag of white chocolate chips.

(and we all know there's nothing better than white chocolate and macadamia nuts! )

So I decided to whip up a batch of cookies:

Makes 36- 48 cookies:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 sticks (1 cup) softened butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Start by chopping your nuts and preheating your oven to 375 F.

Cream butter and sugars. Mix in eggs and vanilla, followed by dry ingredients.

Stir in your nuts and chocolate.

Drop rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased baking sheet.

(look at those beautiful chunks!)

Bake about 10 minutes or until they start to brown.

Sit back, enjoy, and pretend you're somewhere tropical and delicious!

it's finally here!

2010-09-09T19:38:00.002-04:00

After some difficulties with my online order, it finally arrived:

Bakerella's Cake Pops Book!

Here's a peek...

Bakerella starts the book with pages of tip and tricks and basic cake ball and cake pop

instructions, including how-to photos. Then she goes into detail on how to assemble more than 40

adorable cake treats... some familiar from her website, some we've never seen before.

One other great feature most people don't think about: the book is spiral-bound

so it will actually lay flat when you've got your hands full of cake!

AND she dedicates an entire page to sprinkles!

How can you not love this book?

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some reading to do!

peach cobbler, two ways

2010-09-06T20:45:00.002-04:00

I grew up having a peach tree in my backyard. Every year at the end of August, half of our

family room would be covered in tablecloths covered with ripe peaches. We ate them whole,

we canned them, we froze them... but my favorite way to eat peaches is in a cobbler.

Husband and I picked up a big bag of peaches from the local orchard. We've been eating

peaches for breakfast and dessert all week, but still haven't managed to finish off the bag.

So of course, I called up my Mom for her cobbler recipe...

Unfortunately, my Mom uses Jiffy Mix in her cobbler. Which they don't sell on the east coast.

So, I had to get creative. The Jiffy recipe my Mom uses has a cakey biscuit-like dough that is

dropped on top of the fruit. However, we had a lot of peaches. So I also tried altering the topping to make it sweeter and more crusty, like the kind Husband grew up on.

I still don't think either of these are a good as Mom's, but I had trouble deciding between these two:

Filling: (same for both recipes)

5 cups sliced ripe peaches

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

"biscuit" topping:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 whole egg

1/2 cup of milk

3 tablespoons melted butter

"crusty" topping:

1 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 whole egg

1/2 cup of milk

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 additional tablespoon sugar to sprinkle on top

Start by slicing up the peaches.You can use more or less than 5 cups, depending on how many

peaches you are trying to get rid of. I like a high fruit-to-topping ratio.

Put the peaches in a bowl or baking dish and sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon. Mix well,

then spoon into a 9x9 or 8x6 glass baking dish. Let sit while you make the topping.

For the topping, combine the egg and milk, then slowly add in the melted butter.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and sugar.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined. The dough will be lumpy and sticky.

Or if you used less flour, more smooth and spreadable.

Drop the dough onto the peaches in large spoonfuls.

Smooth over the top with a spatula and sprinkle with sugar.

Place the baking dish onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes, or until the

filling is bubbly and the topping starts to turn golden brown.

Make sure you dig into the topping with a spoon to check that it's baked through.

Let cool for as long as you can resist the smell, then scoop into a bowl.

Top with vanilla ice cream, and ponder the great cobbler topping mysteries of the universe...

easy weeknight pizza

2010-09-01T19:26:00.002-04:00

Pizza is one of my favorite things to eat. Ever.
But ordering delivery can sometimes mean a long wait, a big bill, and lots of grease.
(Plus, Husband and I don't always agree on toppings)

So I put my mind to learning how to make pizza at home, the easy way.

Yep, that came out of my oven... and it only took 30 minutes to make from start to finish!

The secret? Pizza Crust Yeast.

They sell this stuff for cheap at the grocery store. It comes in a 3-pack strip.

Each pack contains enough yeast for one large regular crust pizza, or for 2 medium thin crust pizzas.

Everything else you need to make it should be in your cupboard already!

1 envelope pizza crust yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup very warm tap water

3 tablespoons oil

1 3/4 to 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

(you can use whole wheat flour if you like)

Start by combining 1 cup of flour with the rest of the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Add in your hot water and olive oil, stir until all ingredients have been moistened.

Then add in 3/4 to 1 1/4 additional cups of flour, 1/2 cup at a time.

Mix until a dough ball forms. If it is too sticky, add more flour. If it is too dry, add more oil.

Knead the dough ball for 4 or 5 minutes on a floured surface. Split in 2 if you plan to make 2 pizzas,

then shape into a disc. Roll out into a round shape of desired thickness with a rolling pin.

Preheat your oven to 425 F. If you have a pizza stone (we got one from our registry

and it's awesome) let that pre-heat in your oven as well. If not, a round pan will work just fine.

Here's a hint if you have trouble with your dough not being cooked all the way through:

pre-bake the pizza crust for 5 to 10 minutes before you add the toppings!

Start with a layer of sauce- since this is easy pizza I used jar sauce!

Pile on whatever toppings you're hungry for or have in the fridge...

this one has hot pepper spread, red onions, and prosciutto.

Top with fresh mozzarella! or other cheese...

(Also note that you can put the toppings on over the sauce and cheese if you like)

Bake 12-15 minutes until the cheese is melty and delicious.

Here's a peek at the second pizza baking on the stone...

This one had olive oil, red onion, goat cheese, and a balsamic-fig mixture we found at the store.

The key to making this an easy dinner is using whatever you have on hand! I've started keeping

yeast packets, pizza sauce, and mozzarella on hand at all times. That way, no matter what meats

or veggies we have in the fridge can me transformed into dinner.

Other great combinations we've tried:

pepperoni, onion, red and green peppers with mozzarella

olive oil, artichoke, and parmesan

chicken or turkey, barbecue sauce, jalapenos, onions

What are your favorite pizza topping combinations?

the french press review

2010-08-23T20:16:00.001-04:00

I've had my french press for a little over a week and I'm in love!

Making coffee in the french press takes a little longer than using a single-serve machines,

but it's totally worth it. First, you grind the beans...

You could always buy your beans pre-ground, but grinding them fresh brings out the best flavor.

Just be sure to use coarse grounds, so they don't get stuck in the mesh screen of your press.

Put the grounds in the press, add hot water, stir, and place the lid on but don't press it down yet.

Then comes the most difficult part: waiting.

After 4 or 5 minutes, push the press down. It will take all the grounds with it.

My press also has a filter over the pour spout to catch any stray grounds.

Now the coffee is ready! Pour, sip, and enjoy!