recipe:raw peanut butter oatmeal bites

so let's be honest.
the holidays were rough on my will power.
i know i'm not alone on this one.
with outings, and family gatherings, and vacation..
it get's rough to stay sugar & gluten free.
i feel for those who are truly allergic or diabetic.
it's slim pickings.
so, i faltered a little. it took me until mid-february to get back on track.
i'm not guilting myself, i'm just going to pick up where i left off.
it takes a loonnng time to break 32 years of bad habits.

but let's be honest.
i like sweets.
and even cutting my addiction to sugar, doesn't kill that.
it's in my dna. it's a genetic thing.
my oma had a sign in her house forever that said 'a chocoholic lives here'.
i never knew what it meant until i was a teenager.
my dad? total chocoholic too.
and lucky me got the sweet gene.
my brother would pass over a candy bar for a big juicy rib any day.
so would my mom. i wonder sometimes if i'm not adopted...
then i remember that my mom always has a bag of dark chocolate peanut m&ms in the drawer for dad to snack on.
and that dad was the only other person in the house who would reach in & grab a piece of frozen cookie dough out of the freezer & eat it.

yep. that's me. my father's daughter 100%.
cookie dough is far better than the actual cookie in my opinion.
and it doesn't even matter what flavor the dough is.
peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chip, chocolate mint, you name it..
i eat my share before they get baked.
(same goes for cake & brownie batter, they are much more alluring to me raw than cooked)

so anyways,
as a self confessed sweet tooth, it was absolutely necessary to find alternatives to refined sugar.
because if i'm going to be successful, i have to find a way to eat what i'm craving.
in walks these babies:

raw peanut butter oatmeal bites via triumph wellness
(i slightly altered this to my own tastes & what i had on hand)

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats (be sure to check labels for gluten free if you are allergic)
• dash sea salt
• 1/2 cup raisins
• *3/4 cup pitted Medjool dates
• *2 Tbsp crunchy peanut butter (OK to leave out to make nut-free)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Put oats and salt in food processor.
2. Process until finely ground.
3. Add remaining ingredients and process until fully combined.
4. Add a few drops of water if needed to form balls.
5. Form into balls or press into a square pan and cut into squares.

i LOVED them. LOVED.

the hubs said they tasted like raw oatmeal cookie dough, and didn't like them.

uhm, hello? that's the best part!

anytime i make a new recipe i use this nutrition calculator @ spark recipes to figure out the calories

never in a million years did i think i'd be a calorie counter, but it's what is working for me.

that + cutting gluten & sugar, and minimizing the processed foods.

i use the 'lose it' app on my iphone to keep me in check.

i can pretty much guesstimate how many calories are in my meals now, but i still use it to keep me on track.

anyways, i thought i'd share this recipe.

i keep them in the fridge and pop one anytime i'm craving a little something sweet after dinner.

give 'em a try, even if you aren't dieting or cutting carbs & sugar, i promise, they are good!

have a great week!

xo-k

ps. i have never been diagnosed as having a gluten allergy. last april i did a 7 day fast, and after doing lots of research, i decided to try cutting gluten from my diet, as just counting calories wasn't working for me. i found that as soon as i worked back up to solid foods, and ate something with gluten in it, i felt awful after eating it. bloated, sluggish, and miserable. since then, i've opted for gluten free foods whenever possible. i've always tried to be carb-free cause it worked for me in the past, but now gluten free is working fabulous. i skip most carbs anyways, but when i want pasta, or a tortilla chip with dinner, i can have it using gluten free products. it's a win win, cause most of the time the gluten free stuff has less processed ingredients in it. and i don't have to miss out on french fries or sweet potato pancakes. i just eat them in moderation & with a protein.

pss. i don't think sugar is the devil. i was diagnosed long ago as having Hyperinsulinemia, which is often a precursor to type 2 diabetes, something that runs rampant in my family. i never really took the time to educate myself on it, but just tried to avoid the carbs & sugar, again thinking that was the problem. i took time last year to learn about alternatives to sugar, because cutting it out altogether was making me yoyo diet unsuccessfully. i love sweets, and i would fail miserably at trying to go without them. i mean, who wants savory oatmeal? i've learned how to mimic sweetness without the sugar, and couldn't be happier. i use coconut sugar, & honey mostly, but still in moderation. it's what works for me.



tasty tuesday: granny's pound cake

Did ya miss me last week? Did you notice I was gone? :)

It was a busy week, and by the time it was over I didn't even realize I had forgotten to post!

But I'm back today with another sweet treat (it's that time of year ya know!)

This time it's my grandmother's pound cake recipe.

My mom, one of her sisters, and I got together this weekend for our 7th annual memorial pound cake baking.

We've been baking pound cakes every Christmas since 2005.

It's a twist on an old tradition, that it just wouldn't feel like Christmas without.

My granny never had much money, and with 6 kids, and 15 grandkids, she turned to her baking talents for Christmas gifts.

Every Christmas she would spend days, weeks probably, baking a minimum of 2 pound cakes for each family..

and then extras for friends & family.

It was a definite labor of love.

In 2005 when she passed away my mom & aunts decided to carry on making them in her memory.

Her birthday was December 15th and she LOVED Christmas.

So we do this to celebrate her life & her memory.



plain pound cake:-1 cup crisco
-1 stick butter
-3 cups sugar
-5 eggs
-3 cups flour
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 cup milk
-3 tsp vanilla

preheat oven to 300.

1. mix flour, baking powder & salt. set aside
2. in separate bowl cream crisco, butter & sugar. add eggs, one at a time.
3. combine dry mixture with wet mixture.
4. add milk & vanilla.
5. pour into greased loaf pan. bake 1 hour & 15 minutes.


chocolate pound cake

-1 cup crisco
-1 stick butter
-3 cups sugar
-5 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 1/2 cups milk
-3 cups flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1/2 tsp baking powder

preheat oven to 300.

1. mix flour, salt, cocoa powder & baking powder. set aside.
2. in separate bowl cream crisco, butter & sugar. add eggs.
3. combine wet mixture & dry mixture.
4. add milk & vanilla.
5. pour into greased loaf pan. bake 1 hour & 15 minutes.

marbled pound cake:

1. make one of each of the above recipes.
2. in greased loaf pan alternate dropping batter by spoonfuls in bottom of pan. (should look like a checkerboard)
3. for the next layer drop alternating colors on top of the first layer.
4. once pan is full, take butter knife & insert into pan swirling batters. DO NOT OVER MIX!
5. bake @ 300 for 1 hour & 15 minutes.
We typically make one of each batch. Then mix them together. Each batch makes of Vanilla & Chocolate makes two loafs, together they make four. Enjoy!

Happy Holidays!!
xo-k

tasty tuesday: coffee mug cake

 (image via prudent baby)

holy cow.
sometimes you have to have something sweet.
and sometimes you gotta give in...
and when you gotta give in, you need something good, and fast.
this coffee mug cake is the ticket.

i shared prudent baby's picture, because, well it's just better than mine.
my coffee cake looked homely, but man it hit the spot this morning.
here's a link to the recipe.
take a look, you won't regret it.

happy tuesday!
xo-k

ps. i've done the egg, and eggless version. both are good, but for a more 'cake-like' experience, go for 1/2 a scrambled egg!

tasty tuesday: apple fritter cake

looks good doesn't it?
i can tell you, it was!
it's an apple fritter cake.. and man,  it was like a giant donut in a pan.
crazy good.
like a cinnamon bun & apple fritter had a baby & put glaze on it.
i made it for my family for our thanksgiving get together.
i am one of the go-to dessert people, and i LOVE it.
this year, a few people had already beat me to deciding what they were bringing..
and as i like to make sure we have a variety
(read: dad doesn't like cheesecake, the hubs doesn't like coconut, and mom usually skips the chocolate)
i had to contend with a german chocolate cake, and an oreo cheesecake dessert this year.
so i decided on something fall-ish, and sans chocolate.

i stumbled on this apple fritter cake on pinterest (of course)
and followed the link to cookies & cups blog, and after reading the ingredients, decided to go for it.
the only thing that i had trouble with was the batter...
it was a thick batter, and spreading it out in a greased pan was a NIGHTMARE.
in the end i managed to use more than 1/2 of the batter which meant that i didn't have enough for the top cake layer,
but that didn't seem to make a difference to anyone else, and it tasted just as good.
i also think i might skip the dark brown sugar & go for light brown next time, as the flavor wasn't my favorite.

check out cookies & cups blog for this awesome recipe!

what new recipes have you tried lately?

happy tuesday!
xo-k

recipe: lace cornbread

i consider myself southern.
i was born & raised in florida.
most of my life has been spent in a small town who's teenage population adds slo- as a prefix to the name.
(with the exception of the first year of our marriage, where the hubs was in the military & we were in savannah)
we are considered the horse capital of the world.
that to me doesn't scream big-city life.
but, the hubs says i'm not southern.
(he's from georgia)
he says i'm a city girl.
and i admit, i have some very un-southern characteristics.
primarily where food is concerned.

i don't like greens...collard greens. turnip greens. you can keep them.
i don't like sweet tea. or tea at all for that matter. shocking right?
i'm not really all that crazy about fried okra..
but the hubs biggest beef is with the fact i like jiffy cornbread.
it's pretty much a sin to like your cornbread sweet in his eyes.
what's worse (to him) is i don't like my cornbread to be savory.. nor do i want actual CORN in it.
my mom made jiffy cornbread when i was a kid.. i didn't know any different.
until i met him.
until i moved to georgia & really learned about southern cooking.
(apparently even though my mom grew up eating that kind of food, it didn't fly in our house)

the small town the hubs hails from in georgia had this little family run restaurant in the heart of town.
it was a hopping joint most days, as it was one of maybe two or three places on the short stretch of road that made up the city limits.
they served all the traditional southern fare.
fried catfish.
collard greens.
turnip greens.
corn.
fried chicken.
biscuits & gravy.
cracklins'
fat back
& lace cornbread.

lace cornbread?!
yep. lace cornbread.
it's easy. it's good. it's cheap. & you won't regret making it.

lace cornbread:
3 cups yellow cornmeal
1 tbsp. flour (this particular batch i used gluten-free all purpose flour & it worked great)
1 egg
salt & pepper to taste
water
oil for frying

1. heat oil in a pan. i use a skillet with about a 1/2 inch of oil in the bottom.
2. mix all ingredients except water together in a bowl.
3. add enough water to make it a little more runny than cake batter, but not soupy. there isn't an exact measurement, but i promise you can't really mess it up.
4. drop spoonfuls of the batter into the oil, and spread it out into a circle as you would pancake batter. make sure your oil is very hot, according to my mother in law, this is what makes the bubbles around the edges that gives this particular style of cornbread it's name.
5. eat & enjoy!

hope you have a happy hump day! :)
xo-k

recipe: creamy baked chicken taquitos

your eyes are not decieving you.
this makes three posts in three days..
can i get a woot! woot!

<insert awkward silence>

alright then. moving on.
so i scored another home run in the dinner department last night
& thought i'd share.
seems i've been on roll as of late.

saturday night was buttermilk biscuits & sausage gravy per the hubs request
courtesy of the other lady in his life... mrs. paula deen.

monday night was this becker bbq shrimp recipe via budget bytes.

and last night it was creamy baked chicken taquitos via chef in training.
i didn't make enough changes to the recipe that i feel comfortable re posting it here,
so just follow the link to get it please :)

i will tell you this. i cooked my chicken in the crockpot on high for 4 hours with some chicken broth.
i removed them & as i started into shredding them with forks,
remembered the method i saw on pinterest.
i loaded the chicken into the mixer & in LESS than 10 seconds they were completely shredded.
people, it is SO worth the few extra dishes not to have to shred that stuff by hand!

i subbed regular salsa for green salsa.
i subbed garlic powder for minced garlic.
i didn't have any limes, cilantro or green onions, so those all got left out.
i also used regular white sharp cheddar in place of the mexican cheese.

even with all that, my guys DEVOURED these.
the hubs was worried when he sat down...
which he normally is when i cook something new.. (it's mostly an act to give me a hard time)
he ate about half of one, and said 'okay, are you going to tell me what's in it now?!'
so i spilled the beans & then asked him if he liked them.
he said, 'ya.. actually they are REALLY good.'

DUH?! i made them :)
kidding!!!
he's had taquitos before.. i've just never attempted them myself.
and the dude was quite clear he wasn't eating chicken with cream cheese.
so i lied & told him i left it out because he didn't want to eat it.
after he inhaled his first one, i let the cat outta the bag.
to which he replied 'oh ya, silly me, it's blue cheese i don't like!'

my only advice, if you are a novice taquito maker like me..
as they cook, the insides gush out the ends..
and if you OVER stuff, the shell will explode before it's hardened..
so go with small lines of the mixture, that don't spread quite to the end.
lesson learned on this end for next time :)

what are you up to today?
it's still raining around these parts, and we are going absolutely stir crazy.
i'm off to look up indoor activities to keep these kids happy & outta my hair!

happy wednesday!
xo-k

recipe: becker bbq shrimp

for whatever reason, fasting makes me want to try new recipes.
i know, it makes NO sense whatsoever, but it's true.
i think it's mostly because i try out recipes that i wouldn't really want to eat.
i tend to cater more towards the hubs taste buds, or the treat him with 'less' healthy dishes.

i don't do spicy.
he favors savory, and doesn't do sweet dishes, like say... this hawaiian pineapple chicken dish i keep wanting to try.
the dude usually won't eat any vegetables & slathers his meat with ketchup, mustard, or ranch dressing.

makes dinner time LOTS of fun.
(hear the sarcasm?!)

i wanted to find something quick for dinner last night..
something that i hadn't made before
& that i had all the ingredients already on hand for.

i came across this becker bbq shrimp recipe on one of my pinterest boards
& decided to give it a try.

it's from the blog 'budget bytes' and as i've tried a few of her recipes already,
i knew it wouldn't disappoint.

rice, shrimp, garlic, butter, rosemary, oregano, red pepper flakes, paprika, salt, whole peppercorns, beer & chicken broth.

all ingredients i typically have on hand. although this time i didn't have rosemary or paprika, but a tone's pre-mix of rosemary & garlic, that had paprika in it.... so i nixed the paprika & just added the amount called for of rosemary.

i didn't really READ the part on budget bytes where it stated this was a spicy recipe... and i didn't think about the fact i was adding a teaspoon of red pepper flakes.. but it didn't really matter, because, like i said.. i'm fasting/juicing..

about 1/2 through his bowl the hubs was sighing & wiping his brow..
he said it was SPICY.
SPICY, but VERY good.
said it was full of flavor, and definitely got a thumbs up on the possibility of a repeat performance..
(although i may have to chill out on the red pepper flakes to handle it myself!)

if you haven't checked out 'budget bytes', you totally should.
she has some really great inexpensive meals on her blog.
she prices out each ingredient for you & how much each serving is, as well as the total meal.
and it's GOOD food.

what are you cooking these days?
any good food blogs you frequent?

happy tuesday!
xo-k

linking to:
i heart naptime
tatertots & jello

recipe: strawberry yogurt cake

i learned last year that my husband despised chocolate cake.
yes, during 12 years of marriage that was a tidbit i apparently failed to glean from him.
call me crazy, but for someone who dives face first into a pan a brownies, you'd think they'd be down for chocolate cake.

'tis not the case with the hubs.
so after i picked my shattered ego up off the floor last year, and fed the rest of his cake to my chocoholic family..
i decided the next cake was going to knock his socks off.

so i DO know at least a little about this guy i married.
and, next to a hot pan of brownies, anything with strawberries make his knees go weak.
(ok. maybe that's not the right phrase for a big hulking man, but you get the idea)
so i set my sites on some fruit filled decadence this year.

i settled on this strawberry yogurt cake from a spicy perspective, found via pinterest. (of course)

unfortunately i can't tell you first hand how it tasted,
because it's been almost 2 1/2 months since i've eaten sugar..
BUT, i badgered my family until they gave me some good descriptions.

my hubs just claimed it was good. REALLY good. and went in for seconds.
(SOOO  much better than the chocolate cake which, by the way, EVERYONE else loved!)
the dude loved it.
once i force fed the babe a piece, he scarfed his down.
my mom said it reminded her of those sour cream donuts from the grocery store my dad used to pick up every weekend when we were kids.
and my dad just ate in silence... and that's typical for him.

i can tell ya this though... it smelled amazing
& it was most definitely moist by the way it stuck to everything.
and the glaze was sinful too, i'm guessing. ;)

i feel like i've lost my drive to blog in the last few months.
and i'm sorry to those of you sticking around hoping to see something interesting.
i'm hoping summer crafting & adventures will bring back the want.

xo-k

ps. click the recipe link above for a printable version from a spicy perspective.

linking to:
beauty & bedlam
abc&123
someday crafts
733 crafts

recipe: crockpot lasagna soup

it's been hard for me lately to share recipes..

i've tried to have everything we eat follow along the lines of clean eating

as well as being gluten free.

neither of which is a particularly easy task.

planning our meals takes up much more time than it used to..

and coming up with clean & gluten free alternatives is somewhat exhausting..

especially for someone like me who doesn't particularly care for the food planning bit as it is.

but i've managed to keep us pretty close on the clean eating..

learning what to avoid & how to replace..

some meals you just have to know what to substitute..

and then sometimes..

i just gotta say..

this is as good as i can get..

take this lasagna soup.

SOO good,  by the way.

here's a link to the original..from 'a farmgirl's dabbles' 

and then below i've shown the changes i made.

Lasagna Soup:

adapted from a farmgirl's dabbles

(*my adjustments)

for the soup:
2 tsp. olive oil
*1 lb of turkey sausage

*1 onion, cut into slivers

4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 T. tomato paste
*1 28-oz. can organic crushed tomatoes

2 bay leaves
*4c. organic low-sodium chicken stock

*2c. water
*2c. tinkyada brown rice fusilli pasta (gluten free)

*4T. dried basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the cheesy yum:
*8 oz. skim-milk ricotta
*1/4 tsp. garlic salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes.

2. Add garlic, oregano. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

3. While the above is cooking, add crushed tomato, bay leaves, chicken stock, basil & water to crockpot. Stir to combine. Simmer in crockpot for 2-4 hours.

4. Right before serving, boil pasta according to package directions & add to crockpot.

5. For the cheesy yum, combine ingredients & serve dollop on top of soup, sprinkle with small amount of mozzarella.

like i said this soup was mmm, GOOD!

good enough to eat two nights in a row.

and the gluten free pasta, in case you are curious..

is GOOD.

you can't even tell the difference.

honest.

and truth be told.. it probably held up better the second night than regular pasta would have.

xo-k

recipe: peppermint brownie bites

i think i can count on one hand the amount of times the dude has ASKED me to make something for him.

he's a picky eater, to the max.

like most kids, i'd imagine, he'd live on pizza, chicken nuggets & fruit if we let him.

along with an occasional pb & j sandwich.

so when he practically begged me to make brownies for his class christmas party, i had to oblige.

but the thought of trying to cut up brownies to serve to a class of 7 year olds..

well i just imagined whines of who's piece was bigger

& having to wield a knife with a hoard of kids on the brink of a sugar-coma looming over me.

sounds scary right?

add to that a baby who was missing his morning nap 

& a mama who was up until 2am finishing his teacher's present..

& you just about have a clear picture of my stress level come 11am!

so i put my mini muffin tin to work.

i dropped a heaping tablespoon of batter into each cup

& then baked them off.

but plain ol' brownies are pretty lame.

and everything is better with peppermint..

especially at christmas time right?

so i found this recipe for peppermint cookies on craftaholics anonymous

& used just the icing recipe

thinning it out a bit with more milk so i could just dunk the tops of the brownies in the icing.

added some crushed peppermint to the top

& hauled them in for kiddie approval.

they LOVED them (of course)

and most of the kids came back for seconds..

some for thirds & fourths!

i used the brownie recipe i posted here

& it made about 52 mini brownies!

so good, and a pretty festive & simple way to dress up regular brownies! :)

xo-k

ps-2 days left until christmas! are you ready?! :) 

linking to:
tidymom
whipperberry

christmas: memorial pound cake baking

each year it gets a little less sad...

it gets a little easier..

it grows to be a little more tradition.

you may remember my post last year about our annual christmas pound cake baking..

or, you may be a new follower (hello! :) & have no clue what i'm talking about.

in february 2005 my granny passed away.

she was my mom's mother, a mother of six children... and was a single parent no less.

she sacrificed a great deal during her life for her children..

more than i'm sure even my mom & her siblings know about.

she has a sad story.. but that's not the story i want to share tonight.

the one i want to tell you is about a woman who was more filled with the christmas spirit every year than anyone i've ever known.

her family grew from six children to include their spouses & 12 grandkids..

and she never failed to have at least one present under the tree for each.

i can't remember a time when those presents didn't include if one

& most of the time, two of her famous pound cakes.

multiply two by six & add the all the neighbors & co-workers she baked for..

and you can understand why one person would have to start two weeks before christmas just to get it all done.

the point is, she loved christmas.

the lights, the songs, the decorations, the baking, the time with family..

and most of all.. giving.

so, when that first christmas after she passed came around..

it was difficult for anyone to imagine what it would be like..

the hole she left in our lives seemed to grow exponentially at christmas time.

we were really grasping at anything to help bring back some christmas spirit that first year...

and somehow we came around to the idea to carry on baking pound cake, just as she had...

that first year we got together was a real eye opener.

we baked ALL DAY.

and i mean ALL DAY.

i think we made something like 30 pound cakes.

it was insane to think one person did all of it alone.

but we laughed.

and we reminisced.

and i'm sure there were a few tears as well.

but we made it through the grief together...

and we created a new tradition, to carry on her memory.

this year was our 7th year making pound cake in her memory.

it's almost hard to imagine that mason was just 19 months old that first year,

running around getting into everything..

and this year it was rance up underneath everyone's feet,

while mason rode the 4 wheeler with his uncle ricky..

i don't think it's ever easy to let go of a loved one..

i'm just glad we have something to bring us together to remember her by..

plain pound cake:

-1 cup crisco
-1 stick butter
-3 cups sugar
-5 eggs
-3 cups flour
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 cup milk
-3 tsp vanilla

preheat oven to 300.

1. mix flour, baking powder & salt. set aside
2. in separate bowl cream crisco, butter & sugar. add eggs, one at a time.
3. combine dry mixture with wet mixture.
4. add milk & vanilla.
5. pour into greased loaf pan. bake 1 hour & 15 minutes.


chocolate pound cake

-1 cup crisco
-1 stick butter
-3 cups sugar
-5 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 1/2 cups milk
-3 cups flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1/2 tsp baking powder

preheat oven to 300.

1. mix flour, salt, cocoa powder & baking powder. set aside.
2. in separate bowl cream crisco, butter & sugar. add eggs.
3. combine wet mixture & dry mixture.
4. add milk & vanilla.
5. pour into greased loaf pan. bake 1 hour & 15 minutes.

you can certainly stop here.. but our favorite is marbled pound cake...

marbled pound cake:

1. make one of each of the above recipes.
2. in greased loaf pan alternate dropping batter by spoonfuls in bottom of pan. (should look like a checkerboard)
3. for the next layer drop alternating colors on top of the first layer.
4. once pan is full, take butter knife & insert into pan swirling batters. DO NOT OVER MIX!
5. bake @ 300 for 1 hour & 15 minutes.

(i just realized... in all our years,

i apparently have never managed a picture of an actual BAKED pound cake!)

only three more days until christmas,

are you ready?! :)

xo-k

linking to:
fireflies & jellybeans
house of hepworth
tales from bloggeritaville
ladybug blessings

recipe: chocolate brownies with peanut butter fudge icing

i don't know that there has ever been a better marriage than that of chocolate to peanut butter.

(see: reeses peanut butter cups, reeses pieces, peanut butter m&ms, snickers peanut butter squared)

it definitely has stood the test of time..

(unlike the marriage of kim kardashian to chris whateverhisnamewas)

and yes.. i just spent a good 5 minutes figuring out how to stick that dig in there.

i hate reality tv, and it annoys me that people are famous for NOTHING.

(see: snooki & 'the situation' i mean really?!?! how are people like this famous?!?!)

but, like i was saying.

peanut butter + chocolate = sweet heaven
i know you'll agree, because you wouldn't want to disappoint me so close to christmas! :)

i ended up with a new 9x13 pan a few weeks ago after failing miserably at
 baking up some from-scratch scalloped potatoes (the hubs fav)

& proclaiming it to be the pans fault.

yep. i blamed the pan.

because i didn't have a 9x13 which is what the recipe called for.

i also may have claimed his favorite brownies would be thicker if i had the right pan.

it's all about how you sell the purchase ladies & gents! :)

so i figured i had to christen my new baking pan

& what better way to do it then marrying together two different brownie recipes my hubs loves

(he is kinda a brownie snob)

the brownie recipe is from a scrapbooking friend.

she has been blessing us with her AMAZING brownies at our retreats for a few years..

and they are always irresistible.

ALWAYS.

i begged the recipe off her because i knew the hubs would be in heaven.

she uses all top of the line goods in hers, which make them divine..

but i use good ol' hershey's cocoa & the hubs is still in love with them.

the peanut butter icing recipe is from that southern charity cook book i have in my possession.
(i looked for an online source, & found this very similiar recipe from southernplate, i'm thinking every grandma has their own variation on this stovetop peanut butter icing recipe! :)

i made the peanut butter brownies it was intended for, and while they very good

& certainly eaten up at a fair rate..

it was a little too much peanut butter in one bite for our taste..

but the icing was SOO good, i couldn't wait to find something else to put it on! :)

brownies (my adjustments in parenthesis):

-2 cups sugar

-1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

-1/2 cup cocoa powder (i've upped mine to 3/4 cup)

-1 tsp salt

-4 eggs

-1 c canola oil (increase to 1 1/4 if you increase the cocoa)

-2 tsp vanilla extract

-1/2 c walnuts (i usually leave these out)

1. preheat oven 350.

2. mix all ingredients together until well blended. pour into 9x13 pan.

3. bake for 24 minutes. (we like ours a little underdone, so i typically take them out at about 22 minutes)

4. cool completely.

peanut butter fudge icing:

-1 1/2 cups sugar

-6 TB milk

-2 TB shortening

-2 TB butter

-1/4 tsp salt

-1 1/2 tsp vanilla

-3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1. mix sugar, milk, shortening, butter & salt in a small saucepan over medium heat.

2. stir constantly to prevent scorching, until mixture comes to a rolling boil.

3. once boil starts, allow to boil for 1-2 minutes WITHOUT stirring.

4. remove from heat & immediately add vanilla & peanut butter, stirring until smooth.

5. pour over cooled brownies & let set.

feeling refreshed after a trip to ikea yesterday

(am i the only one who feels like a kid in a candy shop in that place?)

i managed to come out only spending $26, which is the most i've ever spent there at one time..

but certainly not what i COULD have spent!

then dinner last night with my brother & his wife at an amazing little greek restuarant in orlando.

(ps. love the shops & food, hate the traffic big city!)

off to start/finish our gifts for family!

let the crafting commence! :)

xo-k

linking to:
fireflies & jellybeans
tales from bloggeritaville
house of hepworths

recipe: beer bread

i have a confession.

i'm currently obsessed with beer infused foods.

i've managed to put together a few meals using the golden goodness in the last few weeks...

i've even worked it into a few breads.

i should mention...

I DESPISE BEER.

well, drinking it anyways.

i've tried to like it. honest.

because i see labels on bottles & think, gosh that must taste good.

but NOPE.

i'm just one of those girls who's always going to have a fruity drink in her hand, if anything.

but i will most definitely raid my husbands beer stash, when he has one...

to add to food.

because beer + food = heaven.

(if you haven't ever had anything made with beer, you'll just have to trust me on this!)

so i've made no less than 3 loaves of beer bread over the last month.

and each one of them was gone in less than 48 hrs.

i made this honey beer bread recipe first via gimme some oven. 

adapted from the original recipe below from ezra poundcake.

(it tasted amazing)

but this recipe from ezra poundcake (found via pinterest, of course) has become the go-to.

because it tastes just as good & doesn't require the honey which i never seem to have!

beer bread:

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 bottle (12 ounces) beer

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted (Note: Feel free to reduce to 1/4 cup)

i used the whole stick (salted). it's bread with beer, why skimp on the calories now?!

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-x-5-x-3-inch loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer into the dry ingredients until just mixed.
4. Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then spoon the batter into the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter. Slide a baking sheet onto a lower rack to catch any butter that might overflow from the loaf pan.
5. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately.

yum. yum. yum.

it's even good the next day toasted with some butter on it.

really, there is no WRONG way to eat this. trust me! :)

i'm thinking this would be a great non-sweet treat to make & take to someone as a christmas gift.
wrap a little cellophane around it & call it good!

xo-k

linking to:
tidy mom
fingerprints on the fridge
whipperberry
tatertots & jello

recipe: crockpot bbq pulled pork

i should warn you...

this COULD be a bad thing..

well, maybe.. if you have a sonny's addict in the house.

what's sonny's you ask?

well, if you live anywhere in the southeastern party of the good ol' USA..

you'd know that's a bbq joint..

some swear it's the best bbq ever.

(my grandfather, a florida native, eats sonny's EVERY SINGLE NIGHT of his visits from up north)

 i am NOT one of those people..

i am also NOT the sonny's addict in the house.

after probably close to 20 years of my mama working there..

i still just 'tolerate' it.

don't get me wrong.. it's not that they have BAD bbq..

i am just not a bbq person. period.

it just doesn't do anything for me.

i'd settle for a heaping helping of pretty much anything over bbq.

(i think it's the smoke flavor honestly)

but... i do love there pulled pork.

i prefer more... latin inspired pulled pork..

but i can handle bbq pulled pork in small & infrequent doses...

and because i can't always make chicken & pasta for dinner..

(because the hubs would surely boycott my cooking on night two of that regimen)

and because i HAD to figure out what in the heck to do with the 50 (kidding) 2lb pork loins i have in the freezer from the loins the hubs cuts up into chops...

AND because crock pot meals on soccer practice nights are good..

i found this little recipe nestled in amongst other crock pot recipes on my pinterest board.

it's from 'the girl who ate everything'.

it's simple. which is good.

and has everyday, ordinary, CHEAP ingredients.

that's a triple bangarang in my book.

i have no idea where that phrase just came from.

i'm going to blame it on too many viewings of 'hook' lately

moving on..

did you know i'm NOT a food photographer/stylist?

if you didn't, you do now..

but i'm gonna go on the theory that the ugliest food, sometimes tastes the best.

just trust me okay? :)

if you are a sonny's fan.. it tastes just like their pulled pork simmered in their sweet sauce.

if you have no idea, or could care less about sonny's bbq... you will still like it.

pinky promise.

it's SO easy.

3 ingredients.

here's the link for the printable recipe.

but you REALLY won't need it.

you just pour a can of root beer over a 2 lb pork loin in a crock pot. turn it on low for 6 hrs (mine actually cooked for 10). once done, remove the loin, & drain off the root beer. put the pork back in the crock pot & shred with two forks. dump an 18 oz bottle of bbq sauce over the top, stir to combine, & give it a few minutes to warm if you had the bbq sauce in the fridge (like me). serve on buns. (have buns okay? don't be like me & scramble to find ingredients to make a quasi-acceptable bun at 730 @ night!)

viola.

our magical combination, lest you think you need primo ingredients... a .50 cent chek root beer from winn dixie & a bottle of kraft honey hickory smoked bbq sauce.

 the cheap kind. no fancy schmancy bbq sauce here.

AND if you ARE one of those sonny's addicts, well, then you can measure out

& pour 18 oz of sonny's sweet bbq sauce out of your GINORMUS bottle of bbq from sam's club.

or open up the equivalent of single serving packets you have hoarded away in a drawer in your kitchen.

'cause you KNOW you do.

(see, i have lived with addicts all my life. i know the tell tale signs!)

xo-k

linking to:

somewhat simple

recipe: chocolate peppermint cookies

these cookies..

ohh.. these cookies could get someone into REAL trouble..

someone like.. oh.. ME.

aaaand maybe you too.

it's like my aunt susan said 'look out thin mints, there is a new cookie in town'

well, maybe that's not EXACTLY what she said...

but i'm thinking your pockets just may love you if you kick your girl scout cookie addiction

& make these instead! :)

i woke up saturday morning with a fire under my butt.

i am on this kick... and i'm not sure how long it'll last.. but i'm going to ride it out.

but more about the actual 'kick' in another post.

because these cookies...

these cookies here...

good Lord they deserve their own post.

i'm going to call them:

chocolate peppermint-with-out-the-patty cookies

(or just damn good cookies, m'kay?)

and because i was in the thick of cookie making

& not really thinking about blogging

i have no 'in the process' pictures

just think of it this way...

i've spared you all the tempting-drool-inducing photos if you're determined to stick hard-core to that diet of yours..

(although i'm sure my mama could find something about how peppermint is good for you in SOME way)

Chocolate Peppermint-with-out-the-patty Cookies

(adapted from Hershey's)

- 1 c (2 sticks) salted butter, softened

-1 c sugar

-3/4 c packed light brown sugar

-2 tsp peppermint extract

-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

-1/2 tsp salt

-2 eggs

-2 c all purpose flour

-1/2 c Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder

- 1 tsp baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, peppermint extract, vanilla, & salt in large bowl until creamy. Add eggs & beat well.

3. In seperate bowl mix flour, cocoa powder & baking soda. Gradually add to butter mix. Beat until well blended.

4. Place mixture covered in freezer for 10 minutes. Remove & drop rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

5. Bake 8-10 minutes or until just set. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely & place in fridge.

okay.. placing in the fridge is optional. sort of. but you're gonna want them cool. PROMISE. oh sure they were good fresh outta the oven, but there is something about a cool chocolate peppermint cookie. it's MUCH better!

and the overbaking? not good. well, for me anyways. go ahead & cook them until they are set.. but you will miss out on the fudgy peppermint goodness if you do :)

xo-k

ps. working on that dr. seuss party blog.. and some others.. stay tuned :)

linking to:
somewhat simple

recipe: gooey mug cake

THREE ingredient gooey mug cake no less.

and did i mention one of those ingredients was chocolate?!

ya...

this is WAY easy and TOTALLY sinful stuff we are talking about here..

found this recipe on pinterest..

('cause if you've stuck around here long enough.. you'll know i hardly come up with them on my own!)

it's so easy...

an egg, some powdered sugar, & a little cocoa powder.

50 seconds in the microwave in a coffee cup..

HEAVEN..

i'm telling you..

so.. uhm.. why are you still here?

you should be eating this chocolate gooey cake by now.

go forth and get plump.

(and then promptly blame pinterest for your expanding waist size.. 'cause i totally am!)

xo-k

linking to:

tidy mom

whipperberry

tatertots and jello