DIY Candy Bar Taste Test

Halloween is over, but if your sweet tooth still remains intact after all of the candy consuming, then I've got just the thing for you!

I recently wrote two articles which were published on Lydia, a new lifestyle site for women. Check out my candy bar taste tests to see if the homemade version stacks up to the original, and then be sure to browse around the rest of the site while you're at it!

Unwrapped: Homemade Twix

 

 

Unwrapped: Homemade Snickers

 

 

Enjoy, my fellow sweets-eaters! 

 



Fall Baking: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today I realized it's been two months since I've posted anything, and this makes me sad. There just haven't been a whole lot of new developments with our house, despite the fact that our unfinished basement keeps taunting me every time I go downstairs to do laundry.

One thing I've found myself doing a lot of lately, however, is baking. Since it's officially fall (albeit unseasonably warm), I felt the need to use some of the canned pumpkin that's been patiently waiting in my pantry since last year. In search of a recipe containing ingredients I already had on hand, I found one on Pinterest for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (via fifteenspatulas).

Since I followed the recipe word for word, you can just head to the original source for the instructions. Basically, all I'm here to say is that they're delicious! The combination of the spices with the gooey chocolatey goodness was perfect. I had one (or three) fresh out of the oven with a glass of milk, and I was a happy girl. They're also probably the softest cookies I have ever made, and they stayed soft even after a couple days. (Although I'd recommend popping them in the microwave for a few seconds to make them warm and melty again.)

One thing worth mentioning is that the original recipe states one batch makes one dozen cookies. Since I felt this was not nearly enough, I doubled the batch. Well, I found myself putting cookies in my oven all evening until I ended up with about 50 of these babies. They were big, too. Don't get me wrong, you can never have too many cookies. Just be forewarned.

So in order to avoid temptation and premature winter weight, I sent some with my husband to take to his office and also stuck some in the freezer to be enjoyed later. And since I only used one cup of pumpkin for these cookies, I still have quite a bit left to try out another recipe!

What's your favorite fall treat? Pumpkin recipes welcome!

Summer Cooking: Philly Chicken Sandwiches to the Rescue

I like cooking, but I don't like cooking in the summer. It's just too hot, and there are other things I'd rather be doing. Sometimes this means we end up scrounging around and dining on culinary delights such as cereal or yogurt parfaits (which are actually quite tasty). Other times we might get really lazy and just go out to eat (although I hate spending money on that). 

This weekend I decided it was time to be a responsible adult and make an actual meal. Since I refuse to turn on the oven in 90+ degree heat, I turned instead to my Pinterest board just for crockpot meals. My interest was sparked by a recipe I had recently pinned for Philly chicken sandwiches. It required tossing only 5 ingredients in the slow cooker, so how can you go wrong?

Well, you can't. It's that easy. And that good. Which is why I felt compelled to spread the Philly chicken goodness and share it with you. 

In fact, in re-reading the recipe a little closer right now, I realized that I used dry steak seasoning instead of the liquid steak seasoning that was specified -- and it was still delicious. I also used Swiss cheese instead of mozzarella.  And, I even got crazy and toasted our hoagie buns by spreading butter on them and putting them on a griddle for a few minutes. Totally not necessary, but I think it made the end result even better.

I managed to snap a picture before I scarfed it down 

(because I'm also an obsessive Instagrammer now).

My husband even raved about these sandwiches, even though he usually gives me a hard time for making too many chicken dishes and not enough steak (he's a red meat kind of guy, aren't they all?). The chicken mixture had great flavor, and it was just as yummy left over the next day. Would Philadelphians approve of this non-steak version? I'm not sure. But if Philly chicken sandwiches are wrong, I don't wanna be right.

I would definitely try these sandwiches out if you're looking for an easy meal this summer (or anytime). Check out the recipe from Cat at Food Family & Finds! Oh, and I haven't tried it myself, but I'm willing to bet that if you weren't in the mood for a hoagie, this would make a pretty tasty Philly chicken pizza, too!

Patriotic Fruit Pizzas

When was the last time you had a fruit pizza? No matter what your answer to that question is, it's probably been too long! A 4th of July pool party this week gave me the perfect excuse to make these delightful mini fruit pizzas, which were a big hit. There's just something about this fun dessert that makes you feel like a kid again--especially when it's bite-size.

I got the inspiration from this recipe, except I substituted the Cool Whip frosting with this recipe for creamy fruit dip (thank you, Pinterest). The result was definitely worth turning on the oven on a 100-degree day.

Recipe of the Week: Delicious Trifle

Ok, so I haven't had a "Recipe of the Week" in, oh, a couple months. Oops. But it's back (at least for this week)!

We recently stumbled upon this recipe while searching for a wine & food pairing to bring to a party. According to the recipe, this "Delicious Trifle" pairs well with Apothic Red (which is a good bottle of wine for about $10-12).

I had actually never made any type of trifle before, but I took advantage of the excuse to go out and buy a trifle bowl, which I found at Walmart for only $7. Score!

Here's the recipe, via The Barrel Room:

Delicious Trifle
1 large angel food cake, cut in cubes
1 small package instant vanilla pudding
8 oz. sour cream
10 oz. frozen whipped topping
1 pint fresh strawberries
1 pint fresh blueberries
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
1 peach, peeled and sliced
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
 
In a bowl, mix pudding mix, sour cream, and fold into the whipped topping.
 
In a large glass bowl, place 1/2 of the cake cubes. Add half of the strawberries, blueberries, bananas, kiwis, peaches, and pineapple. Cover with half of the whipped topping mixture. Add a second layer in the same order. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with fruit from recipe or use mint leaves or edible flowers.

Notes: I made my angel food cake from a box mix and just tore it into pieces with my hands. But to save time you could buy one that's already baked (I saw them in the produce section next to strawberries). Also, this would be a great summertime recipe when all the fruits are in season and cheaper (I couldn't even find any peaches this time of year).

FYI - the original recipe doesn't have a picture with it. You're welcome.

Sure, it looks yummy, but did the Delicious Trifle live up to its name? You betcha! In fact, it could almost be called the Dangerously Delicious Trifle... it's so light and fluffy and fruity, you can eat a lot of it without realizing it. The trifle bowl makes a really pretty presentation too, so I'll definitely need to start trying more trifles!

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Recipe of the Week: Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I recently had the urge to make some chocolate chip cookies, but not just any chocolate chip cookie. The recipe off the back of the chocolate chip bag (although good) wasn't going to cut it this time. So I started searching for some new adaptations and happened to stumble upon Lisa's quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. After perusing a few of the recipes she had tried out (bless her heart!), I settled on this King Arthur Flour recipe, below. I think I was drawn to it because it uses vinegar, which I hadn't seen before in a CCC recipe.

2/3 c. light brown sugar, firmly packed

2/3 c. white sugar

1/2 c. unsalted butter, right from the fridge, or at room temperature
1/2 c. vegetable shortening (like Crisco)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. vinegar, cider or white (I used cider)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 large egg
2 c. all-purpose flour (no, I did not use King Arthur brand)
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets. (I just used my baking stone.)

In a large bowl, combine the sugars, butter, salt, vanilla, vinegar, and baking soda, beating until smooth and creamy. Beat in the egg, again beating until smooth. Mix in the flour (use a sifter!), and then the chips.

Use a spoon (or a tablespoon cookie scoop) to scoop 1 1/4" balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2" between them on all sides; they'll spread.

Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes, till their edges are chestnut brown and their tops are light golden brown, almost blonde. Remove them from the oven, and cool on the pan till they've set enough to move without breaking. Repeat with the remaining dough.

NOTE: Upon reading the original recipe from King Arthur Flour, I chilled the dough for about 48 hours before baking. Apparently this is supposed to deepen the flavors or something like that. (Side note: Roll the dough into a log before refrigerating, like I did below, so you can just cut it in slices when you're ready. This is also a great gift idea for anyone who loves freshly-baked cookies... and who doesn't?!)

Just look at these gorgeous, perfectly-shaped cookies!

As you would expect, they were amazing fresh out of the oven -- nice, uniformly thick, and chewy -- but still delicious even after they'd cooled off later on. I think chilling the dough also keeps them from spreading out as much, so they stay thicker. The texture and color are just about perfect, too. If you want a really good detailed review, check out Lisa's post over at Sweet as Sugar Cookies. I really admire this girl for all of her baking endeavors (which we get to benefit from)!

Another thing I like about this recipe is that it only uses one bowl for all the ingredients. (Normally, I'm used to mixing the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry ingredients in another bowl, then mixing those two together.) As far as I'm concerned, this is my new go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies.

On the subject of cookies, did you know that putting a slice of bread in your jar/container of cookies will keep them from drying out and getting hard? I had heard it before but just tried it for the first time with these. The next day, the bread was hard and dry, but the cookies were still soft and chewy. Amazing!

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Recipe of the Week: Fruit Salsa

Now that it's officially summer, I thought it quite appropriate to post this great summer-time recipe, which I happened to make this past weekend. It’s so easy and so delicious - especially during strawberry season!

Fresh Fruit Salsa
1 lb. strawberries
1 cup raspberries
2 golden apples
4 kiwis
2 tbsp. sugar (or more to taste)

Dice all fruits and mix together in large bowl. Add sugar and stir well. Chill at least 15 minutes.  (I have also used a food processor to pulse the fruit on low speed a few times until it’s not quite pureed but still chunky.) You could also add any other type of fruit you want (peaches, mango, papaya, pineapple, etc.)

Sweet Tortilla Chips
10-inch flour tortillas
Butter spray (I used Parkay)
Sugar with cinnamon mixed in to taste

Spray tortilla shells one at a time with butter spray. Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture over tortilla shell. Coverage can be thick or thin, depending on personal taste (I use a lot). Spray again with butter spray (this will give them a nice crusty yumminess). Use a pizza cutter to cut tortillas into wedges or strips. Spread on single layer on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes (or until golden brown and crispy). Cool slightly before serving.

The chips are good enough to eat on their own, but dip them in the salsa and oh my! Everyone loves this stuff. And that’s about all I have to say about that. The pictures speak for themselves!

What are your favorite summer-time snacks?

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Coconut caramel ice cream sundae, anyone?

I thought that might get your attention.

Every once in awhile, I’ll come across a recipe in Bon Appetit magazine that doesn’t intimidate me with fancy, expensive, hard-to-pronounce, and/or obscure ingredients. And so far, the few that I’ve actually tried have turned out pretty good. Or in the case of this particular recipe (from the June 2009 issue), freakin’ delicious!

photo via bonappetit.com

I had been wanting to try this Toasted-Coconut Caramel Sauce for quite awhile and finally got around to it a couple of weeks ago. (Since then, I’ve actually made it a second time.) The great thing is that it uses basic ingredients that you probably already have on hand, and if not, they’re easy to find at the store. Here’s my experience:

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup sweetened cream of coconut* (Coco Lopez brand is the best in my opinion)
1 ¼ cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 ½ pints purchased French vanilla ice cream (any style of vanilla ice cream will do… just make sure it's a quality brand!)

* found in the liquor section of the supermarket

Directions
Place sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy deep medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high. Boil until mixture turns dark amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 9 minutes. The 9 minutes seems to be pretty reliable, so set a timer or watch the clock. You’ll be able to tell when it’s the right color. Remove from heat. Immediately add cream and sweetened cream of coconut (mixture will bubble vigorously). If you’re like me, you might end up with a big glob of sticky caramel right away. Don’t freak out. Whisk over low heat until caramel sauce is blended and smooth and any caramel bits dissolve. It takes several minutes of stirring and breaking apart the glob into smaller pieces, but it will all dissolve eventually. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm slightly over medium heat, stirring often, before using.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread coconut evenly on small baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes, about 12 minutes. Cool. I’ve learned to watch the coconut closely while it’s baking, so it doesn’t end up burnt. The coconut on the outer edges tends to get darker quicker in my experience. DO AHEAD Toasted coconut can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Scoop ice cream into bowls. Spoon some of warm caramel sauce over. Sprinkle toasted coconut over and serve immediately.

I was amazed that this sauce turned out so good the very first time I tried it. It actually looked and tasted like caramel (with a slight coconut flavor from the cream of coconut). We took it over to a friend’s house and everyone raved about it. One of our friends also happens to be a really good cook, so his positive review was even more appreciated! He was also impressed that it didn’t require a candy thermometer. I guess that’s why the 9 minutes is really important. Even Luke, who isn’t a coconut fan, really liked the toasted coconut on top. Along with the yummy taste, it adds a nice crunchy texture (and makes a pretty presentation!)

 I’m sure there are lots of other sinfully delicious ways this caramel sauce could be put to good use (drizzled on brownies? a dipping sauce for apples?), although the ice cream topping has to be one of the best. I’m thinking it would even make a great homemade gift idea – just make a couple batches and put it in cute little jars (as long as the jars get refrigerated right away).

If all the sauce doesn’t get devoured immediately, it keeps well in the fridge for several days. You can reheat it slowly on the stove or in the microwave on low power.

As far as desserts go, this one is pretty easy and is sure to be a hit! Take my word for it, everyone will be impressed with your caramel-making skills. So…is your mouth watering yet?

         

Recipe of the Week: Fish Tacos

I like fish and I like tacos; however, I have never branched out and tried fish tacos. For some reason, that just seemed weird to me. Luke has raved about the ones he's tried at restaurants though, so when I saw this super-easy recipe in my Better Homes & Gardens magazine, I had to give it a shot.

Fish Tacos with Lime Sauce
1 lb. fresh tilapia or catfish fillets (I used frozen tilapia fillets from Sam's Club)
3 limes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. chili powder
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
8 small (6- to 7-inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 small carrots, peeled & shredded (1/2 cup)
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, thinly sliced

1. Rinse fish and pat dry. Cut into 1-inch pieces.
2. For Lime Sauce, juice two of the limes into a bowl (cut remaining lime into wedges for serving). Stir mayonnaise and chili powder into juice. Remove 1/3 cup sauce and toss fish in it.
3. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons cooking oil over medium heat. In shallow dish combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Working with about a third of the fish at a time, toss in flour mixture and add to hot oil. Cook 2 to 4 minutes or until fish flakes, turning to brown evenly and adding additional oil as needed. Drain on paper towels
4. Wrap tortillas in paper towels; heat in microwave 30 seconds. Top tortillas with fish, cabbage, carrots, and jalapeno. Drizzle with Lime Sauce. Pass lime wedges. Makes 4 servings.

(Check out the BHG recipe for a prettier picture, complete with lime wedges.)

I was pleasantly surprised with how these tacos turned out! The tilapia isn't very "fishy" tasting, and the breading was light. The cabbage and carrots add a nice crunchy texture as well as lots of color. The simple, creamy lime sauce is a good balance of citrus-y and spicy. And if you like your food hotter, you can just add more jalapenos. Frying the fish was the most time-consuming part, so next time we might try grilling it instead. When I made this over the weekend, it was already a balmy 80 degrees inside our house, so heating up the kitchen didn't help matters.

All in all, this is a tasty -- and economical -- summer meal that I would recommend if you want to try something a little different!





Recipe of the week: Slow-cooker Vegetarian Chili

If you’re hoping for another basement update, sorry, not this time! Hopefully soon, though. For now, I do have another yummy recipe to hold you over. Aren’t you excited?!

In an effort to explore some other meat-free meals during Lent (don't get me wrong; I love my Tuna Helper and mac & cheese), I decided to try a recipe that my mom had made for us when we went home over Christmas. This one’s a winner, folks!


Slow-cooker Vegetarian Chili
1 medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves
1 28-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 medium sweet potato, diced
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
water as desired

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook until vegetables are tender.

I love any recipe where the instructions are only one sentence long, don’t you? Truly, it doesn’t get much easier than this. Chopping the veggies was the only time-consuming part (and amazingly enough, I didn’t even slice my finger as I’m prone to do when wielding the kitchen knife). But I digress…


Some other notes from my experience:


- I used two sweet potatoes, simply because I felt like one wasn’t enough.
- I mixed in some red peppers with the green peppers (wild woman!). You could pretty much throw in whatever you want into this soup.
- I probably added about 3-4 cups of water
- It took about 5 to 5 ½ hours until the veggies were tender (not mushy though). I had the crockpot on high most of the time.


The recipe ended up making more than I thought it would, so I’m going to try freezing some of it. Oh yeah, in case you’re interested in how it tastes… yummy!! It's obviously missing the flavor you would get from having a meat, but it's not bland. It has slightly smoky flavor from the cumin and fire-roasted tomatoes. I’m also going to go out on a limb and say that this “chili” is a pretty healthy meal, too. Bonus points for that! Oh, and it easily costs under $10 to make. Double bonus points!