Straight up Brownies

Another Brownie Recipe! Can you tell what we like? Mmmmmmmm!



Last night we had a weather advisory so we didn't plan a thing for the weekend. That lack of planning left me intensely stir crazy! So today was play, bake, shop, laundry, bake, eat, clean day. I made some pretty epic brownies today so I think I'll share those. What made them so cool was adding peanut butter cups right before baking but I'll share the Betty Crocker recipe as well. I wish I would have remembered Andrea's recipe on this site because I had all of the ingredients and would not have had to venture out to the store today. But I forgot and so I had to go out and get baking chocolate. I bought Ghirardelli 70% Cacao Extra Bittersweet Baking Chocolate instead of using Unsweetened and then added two tablespoons Ghirardelli cocoa powder to make it super chocolatey!

Here's the recipe: Betty Crocker Ultimate Brownie Recipe

Here's what else: I didn't put nuts in it - we don't eat them in anything at our house so I pretty much always omit them. Instead I chopped up a bunch of (6-7) mini peanut butter cups and sprinkled those on top before I baked. I think marshmallows, m&ms, chopped up caramels, chocolate chips, oreos, coconut or any mixture of them would be awesome too!

Word to the wise - don't count on your non-stick pans for these (I had to throw away a whole pan of mini brownies because of lazy greasing).

"S" is for Soup!!!

Over the two weeks I also made two types of soups...one delicous and one that was eh' just okay.  I'll post it anyways bc I'm sure someone out there would like it.  It wasn't a bad soup it's just that me and my family are pretty particular when it comes to tomato soup...basically we like this one- and that's about it:

I have tried all different types of store bought versons, made a few myself, like last summer when we had so many tomatoes from our garden I didn't know what to do with them!!  And yup, that soup was not anywhere close to being as tastey as this boxed version.  Last week I saw this recipe Creamy Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup  and figured, "what the heck, let's try it....maybe this will be one that works for our family!"  What is the definition of insanity again?  Doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result?  or something like that?  Well yeah, this one didn't work for us either, but maybe it will work for you.

Creamy Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup 

Ingredients for the soup:
1 quart chicken stock
1 can of crushed Italian tomatoes
1 cup light cream
1 can cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
6-8 large basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bulb roasted garlic
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
sea salt, black pepper to taste

Directions:
Place all soup ingredients except cream into a large pot over medium-high heat until it boils.
Once it boils, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for about 15-20 min, stirring every few min to prevent burning of tomatoes.
Add cream, then use a submersion hand blender to blend ingredients into a creamy texture.
Let come to a simmer again, being careful not to boil cream.  Just reheat all ingredients together, about another 5 minutes, while whisking cream into soup.

We had this soup along with the pesto, roasted red pepper, spinach panini noted below so luckily our dinner was not a total bust!

Source: Food Buzz 

 

 

Pasta e Fagioli

 

The second of the two soups was quite the opposite of the first- for me anyways.  This is one of my all time favorite soups in the world...and I am a soup lover...this recipe was delicious and filling and nutritious, and warm!! everything you could ever ask for in a soup! 

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 carrots, in medium dice
1/2 large red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
2 (14.5 oz) cans or 1 (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
2Tbs Sugar
1 Parmesan rind, plus additional freshly grated Parmesan for serving
1 cup whole grain shells, or other small pasta
1 (15.5 oz) can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained **I used two cans***
I cup coarsely chopped fresh baby spinach, stems removed

Directions

In a good sized heavy pot, such as a Dutch Oven or casserole, heat oil over medium. Add celery, carrots, onion and garlic. Season with oregano, a few pinches of salt and several grinds of pepper. Cook stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes, broth, sugar and Parmesan rind. Increase heat to high and simmer rapidly until liquid thickens slightly, 5 minutes. Stir in pasta and cook, partially covered, until pasta is just shy of al dente (for my pasta, this took about 10 minutes).  ***note- I cooked my pasta separately, and added with the beans below**Add beans and continue to cook for a few minutes, until they are warmed through and pasta is al dente. Remove from heat and stir in chopped spinach. Serve topped with grated parmesan. 

 Enjoy!

Andrea 

"P" is for Panini!!

As the executive chef of a vegetarian family I often get asked "what do you feed your family for dinner????"  you know....bc there is nothing else on the planet to feed your family besides meat and potatoes??? Don't worry...I won't get all PETA on your a$$...however I will share these two cute little buttons..bc well they are cute and if somehow posting these two cute buttons in this one little post encourages just one person to go meat free for even one day that will make me happy. 

Now aren't they cute??? 










I'm done, I promise!!  Now...where were we??  Oh, Paninis!  So over the past two weeks I've made two versions of a panini.  I'll start with last weeks- please bare with me...as both of these masterpieces on a plate are my own "creations" and I use that word in quotes bc I am positive I am not the first or only person to make this sandwich...I just didn't lift these off a cooking blog, or even use a recipe when making them.  Therefore, I don't have real measurements....but they are so easy you really do not need measurements...just ingredients and assemble and voila'!  You have yourself a Panini!!

Spinach, Pesto, Mozzarella & Roasted Red Pepper Panini

Ingredients
bread (ciabatta, Focaccia, sandwich rolls, Everyday Bread, etc)
basil pesto
mozzarella (fresh I find is the best!) but regular works too
baby spinach
sliced roasted red peppers
whatever else you think would taste yummy, some versions I have made in the past included broiled eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, roasted broccoli, caramelized onions, etc, etc.)

Directions

1. Slice bread/rolls/ etc.
2. Smear pesto on one (or both) sides of sandwich
3. layer a handful of baby spinach, sliced roasted red peppers and a few slices of cheese, top with top half of roll/bread etc.
4. Cook in fancy panini press...or if you are like me, place on grill pan over med/high heat.  This is where it starts to get tricky...so pay attention...place a tea kettle filled with water on top of sandwiches...see illustration below as this is an extremely advanced technique but works wonderfully!  Smushes the sandwhich down nice and thin while making those panini lines that add so much flavor (haha!)  Check after a few minutes, flip sandwich which should be decently pressed at this point and place tea kettle back on top.
5. Once both sides are grilled and insides are nice and ooey gooey take off grill pan, slice and enjoy!

taken w/  cell phone camera- fancy...as fancy as this panini press-don't be jealous

Grilled Pepper & Onion Panini w. Garlic Aioli and Feta

I have been making this sandwich for so long...I know I got it from somewhere but I cannot for the life of me remember where, possibly allrecipes.com but I don't know the name of the sandwich and at this point I'm pretty sure I'm not following the original recipe anyways :)

Ingredients
bread (ciabatta, Focaccia, sandwich rolls, Everyday Bread, etc)
red bell pepper
yellow bell pepper
orange bell pepper
green bell pepper
red or yellow onion
crumbled feta
garlic, minced
lemon juice
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper

Directions

1. Slice bell peppers and onions, sprinkle with a little EVOO (hellooooo Rachel Ray!) salt and pepper, mix to cover all the veggies
2. Grill onions and peppers on grill pan over med/high heat until they are at your desired done-ness, like black and charred? great!  like them barely cooked nice and crispy?  fantastic!!  Get distracted and forget about them so they end up black and charred?? no biggie...you meant to do that.
3. While veggies are grilling time to make the garlic aioli... put a few spoonfulls of mayo in a small bowl.  Mix in lemon juice and garlic.  Taste it, add more of whatever you think will make it better, I tend to like it more garlicy then lemony but whatever floats your boat.
4. Spread garlic aioli on one or both sides of bread, top with mounds of grilled veggies, sprinkle on crumbled feta...top with the other half of bread and smush down a bit so it stays in place.
5.  Place sandwich on fancy panini press or grill pan over med/high heat (I use the same pan as I used for grilling the veggies)  and top sandwich's with tea kettle filled with water. 
6. Flip panini- place tea kettle on again.
7. Once both sides are grilled and panini is pressed nice and thin take off pan, slice and serve!



Enjoy!
xoxo
Andrea

crack in cake form....Nutella Goey Butter Cake

I should be contacting Nutella at this point asking for my pay-check with the amount of advertising I do for this product....if you follow me on facebook you know I go through phases where every single status update is about me dipping something in nutella.  I cannot count how many people have contacted me saying "I ate nutella on a _____ and thought of you!"  or "I was in the store and saw Nutella and had to buy it bc of you!"  or some variation of those two statements....put it this way, I had to perform a Nutella intervention on myself at the end of the summer due to the 5lbs I gained due to my addiction.  So...since then I have been doing okay...I slip up every now and then, allow an indulgence and move on...until Christmas when my Uncle, after seeing my multitude of Facebook posts gave me a nice big jar of crackNutella all wrapped up in a pretty bow. 

A while back during one of my "clean" periods I came across this recipe for Nutella Gooey Butter Cake.  I knew I could NOT make this just for us unless I wanted to crumble into a full relapse...if I was going to make this I needed a purpose...somewhere to bring it...or else I would be a goner.  Fast forward to last week...One of my dear friends (or as I refer to her, one of my "breast friends"  you'll see why in a second) was preparing for major surgery..you guessed it, breast surgery, and not the elective kind.  This friend is also super super tiny in need of a little more meat on her bones....she asked that if anyone wanted to visit her before/during/after the surgery to please bring a fattening snack....and then...that magic moment happened where the light bulb went off in my head...."I could make this cake and bring it to her!!!!" 

So last Sunday, Liv and I baked our cracke.  And to be honest I was a little disappointed...but ONLY bc of me...don't get me wrong, this cake was super...but it would have been extra-super-duper if I just followed directions!!!  As you can see in the recipe below, it clearly states "Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey."  Well 40min came and the center of the cake was JIGGLY!!  Not anywhere close to being set....50min came and the same thing, maybe a little firmer but still very very very jiggly.  I should have just trusted the recipe and taken it out...but nooooo...I had to keep it in for a few more 10min intervals until the middle was still gooey but not resembling a bowl full of jelly.  Bad move.  Should have taken it out at the 45min mark.  If you decide to bake this, and really you should...trust me, trust the recipe...take it out between 40-50min.  You will thank me for making this mistake for you so you don't have to!

Ingredients

Cake:
1 package devil's food cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup Nutella
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16 oz.) box powdered sugar
DirectionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 baking pan.  To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and Nutella until smooth. Mix in the eggs, vanilla, and butter. Add the powdered sugar and mix until well combined. Spread the Nutella mixture over the cake batter.  Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Recipe and Photo taken from: Let's Dish

I did take a photo of this masterpeice, however, that photo is on my digital camera....with no laptop to upload it to...so here's a photo from the blog lifted the recipe from-

Enjoy!
xoxo
Andrea

playing catch-up

You guessed it...it's been another "event-filled" (again, another word I use in place of "crazy") week here.  Let's see...we've had numerous snow-days; some justified, some not-so-much...a still-broken car, a laptop out being repaired another laptop which decided this week was the week to FRY and DIE....a finger (mine) that was slammed in the non-broken car door....etc. etc. etc.) So while I had quite a few recipes I wanted to share one thing or another came up and stole the few free minutes I have to post away.  So today...what is it? the 8th school snow-day we've had since January?? I will be playing catch up with our little baby blog.  Some posts will be just that....a post, no picture, bc even though we now have a digital camera and glorious beautiful, pictures were taken we no longer have a computer to upload them to...Agghhh...this is my life :)  I think I'm long over-due for a nice tropical vacation, no??

So throughout the day I plan to post everything I wanted to post since my last entry...I'm filled with wish-ful thinking today!

xo
Andrea

Pumpkin Fluff

Hi! I have a great idea (totally not mine) for a low calorie treat. Everyone was talking about it at a Weight Watchers meeting a while back and I finally tried it out. It's good! And it's made with pumpkin and dairy and it's sugar free and Dino likes it too! Bonus!

Here's how easy it is:

1 small package sugar free pudding - cheesecake flavor but I want to try vanilla or chocolate too.

1 cup milk - I used 2%

1 can pumpkin puree

1 container cool whip free

In a medium bowl whisk together the pudding and milk until combined. Add pumpkin and whisk again. Put away the whisk. With a spatula fold in cool whip. Put in the fridge for at least 2 hours but it's even more awesome overnight. It should come out to about 2 WW points per serving and it makes 4 giant servings. I prefer lots of smaller servings so you could probably plan on 8 servings.

We ate it plain and then dipped vanilla wafers in it. I think I want to try dipping green apples in it - seriously, they're on my list for today! I also thought that gingersnaps, graham crackers, grapes and pineapple would be a hit.

Oh! And most importantly. It cured my craving for sweets! Win!

not quite a success- yet not a failure: Nana's Italian Knot Cookies

It's been another fun-filled (that's the word I use in place of "crazy" to make myself feel better) week here at the Venittelli House.  I had such grand intentions to post more frequently but with everything going on I just haven't made anything post-worthy!  ayiah!  And this one thing I did make didn't come out that great....boo!

Monday Ian took Trevor and Liv down to visit his Nana for the afternoon.  I think one of the main reasons Ian likes visiting his Nana is these cookies...Nana knows this and never disappoints.  Ian came home with an entire tray full of these Italian Knot Cookies...probably over two dozen.  We all nibbled on them Monday night...Tuesday came and Ian went back to work...but the rest of us were home- Snowday (#6 of the winter!)  Around 11am I realized the tray was looking a little sparse...so I looked closer and sure enough, there were about three left!  The kids must have been sneaking into the kitchen, taking cookies more often then I realized...sneaky little monsters!  

I felt a bit bad that there were so few left of Ian's favorite cookies for when he got home...and then it dawned on me...."Ian's Nana gave me this recipe back when we first got married!  I can make more!!"  Now I have never made these before...which is why I am not completely heart-broken that they did not turn out perfectly.  

Ingredients:

(cookies)

3 3/4c flour

3/4c sugar

5 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

1/4c vegetable oil

1/4c milk

1tsp vanilla extract

1 stick butter melted

(Butter Icing) 
1/4lb butter softened
1tsp vanilla
1 box (~3-4c) confectioners sugar

Directions

1. Sift flour, sugar and baking powder into a large bowl.  Make a well in the middle of this flour mixture. 

we used a bowl big enough to fit over Liv's head...don't worry- we washed it.

  2-in a separate bowl lightly beat eggs.  Add the eggs to the well of the dry ingredients.  Add melted butter, milk and the rest of the wet ingredients to the eggs in the well.  Mix well.

3. take the dough  out of the bowl and knead until it's smooth.  Add more flour if the dough is too sticky, you should be able to handle the dough without it sticking to your fingers.

4. Take a small amt of dough and roll in the palms of your hand like you are making a rope.  This was my first mistake.  I used a cookie scooper...waaaay too big!!  Next time I will use the cookie scoop, one scoop per 2 cookies.. once the rope is formed twist or tie into a knot and place on a cookie sheet.

5-Bake for 10-15min (I avg about 11-12) @ 350.  Tops should be light golden, bottoms may be a bit darker.  Once done take out and let cool on cooling rack.

these were about double the size they *should* be..now I know!

Now to make the butter icing-

Mix the three ingredients using an electric mixer, add more powdered sugar if too wet, add a little milk if too dry.  Icing should be spreadable but not too thin that's it's dripping from a spoon.  Once the right consistancy is reached either dip cookies in or spread icing on cookie to coat.

 So even though they did not come out aesthetically perfect, they were still tasty...tasty enough that they are completely gone in less than 24hrs.  Oh my god...now that I just typed that out I realized my kids and husband ate a lot of cookies the past two days!!!  okay, I had a few too.

source- Nana Rose

Enjoy!
xoxo
Andrea

Tomato Spinach Tortellini Soup

I started a Biggest Loser Challenge at work today and wanted to make something special for day 1. I've seen lots of Tomato Tortellini Soup and Spinach Tortellini Soup recipes that looked really good so I made myself a combo! I wish I would have taken a photo while it was still in the pot but I was very anxious to try some so here is what the individual lunch portion looks like.

Here's how I did it. It's really easy but trust me it's great! And perfect for how cold it is right now.

2 14 oz cans vegetable broth
2 10.5 oz cans tomato soup (condensed)
1 teaspoon onion flakes
9 oz package cheese tortellini
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 big handfuls of clean fresh spinach, stems removed and chopped roughly
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste

Boil the broth, soup, onion flakes, salt and pepper.
Add the tortellini and cook for 12 minutes
Add spinach and parmesan and cook for about 5 more minutes until the spinach is wilted.
Makes 4 servings 1.5 cups each

spaghetti and wheatballs

yes, you read that right...and no spell check didn't auto-correct the title...this week we had spaghetti and WHEATballs for dinner...and as odd as they sound they were actually really really good, easy to make and super healthy.  We rarely have spaghetti and meatballs only bc I'm not a huge fan of faux-meat products in general, their taste, or their texture, or the fact that some have an ingredient list that is a little too long for my liking.  So when I saw this recipe on a one of the blogs I regularly stalk check I added it to my "recipes to try" list, and I'm very happy I did.   So next time you say...."hmmm....I would really go for a nice big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs" think to yourself next..."wait...andrea posted that recipe for wheatballs, let me try them instead!

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup chopped white button mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for cooking
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

spaghetti

sauce 

(I bought the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast and oat bran from Whole Foods bulk bins in case you are thinking to yourself "where can you buy that????")

Directions

-Combine the chickpeas, mushrooms, garlic, and parsley in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. 
-Dump pulsed mixture into a large bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine.
-Heat about 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 
-Roll about 2 tbsp of the chickpea-mushroom mixture in your hands to make a (wheat)ball and place in the skillet. 
-Repeat with the rest of the mixture, and cook, shaking the pan to roll the (wheat)balls around until browned on all sides.

-Toss with a little marinara and serve over cooked pasta.

source- cates world kitchen

enjoy!

xoxoxo

Andrea

Facebake

There's a post going around Facebook along the lines of: The first five people who comment on this post will receive something handmade by me in 2011. In turn they must post this as their status.

At first I wasn't so keen on the idea...but then I saw the cutest little Sculpey pets made for this by my friend Jeanette. They're really super adorable and I wanted in on it! So I took the bait and within minutes had 5 people who wanted handmade stuff.

Since I just learned to knit and it would take me a century to make 5 of something (not to mention that I'm very selfishly knitting myself a blanket right now) I decided to do what I do best (no, not talk!) BAKE!

Parallel to this Facebook thing I am also in an unofficial and very one sided (mine) baking competition with the wife of a guy who works with my husband. My husband messaged me at work the other day that he had just tasted the best brownies. Seriously? The best? I doubt it but just in case I'd better make some and make them more awesome than anyone else can make them!

I decided to make Cranberry Cinnamon Chip bar cookies from

Our Best Bites and brownie covered Oreos from Picky Palate and they both turned out awesome!

I couldn't find cinnamon chips for the Cranberry Cinnamon Chip Bars so I used double the white chocolate chips suggested and then dusted the coconut layer with cinnamon. Also, I couldn't find cranberries quick enough in the grocery store (Dino was with me and fading fast!) so I bought dried mixed berries and last I substituted almonds for the nuts because that's what we like around here. With all of those changes they still turned out great!

The brownie covered Oreos were the greatest brownies ever that my husband told me about. They're really easy and fun to make. Since I'm shipping them I made them in cupcake wrappers and I used Double Stuff Oreos. I've gotten the thumbs up by both guys tonight so I do believe I win!

Sunday was a perfect day to bake a loaf of "Everyday Bread"

The kids and I were heading down to visit my parent's house on Sunday for dinner and ...well just visiting.  It was bitter cold...and snowy and we were again stuck in the house until the afternoon without a car.  A perfect day to make "Everyday Bread" to take with us for dinner.  (and a perfect day to test out our new digital camera!! woohoo!!! I have yet to teach the camera that i'm the boss so bear with it until it learns)  

I realize I have said this about each of the recipes I've posted so far but this is really really good and so easy to make.  It's also a fun recipe to make with kids since it involves weighing ingredients (and other random kitchen utensils)

and yes I realize my kids are dressed like it's the middle of july.  they do not feel the cold and dress completely inapprorpiatly for the temperature that the house is at despite my pleading to "put some clothes on!!!"


as well as reading the temperature of the water

And ooohhhh....does it smell absolutely fabulous when it's baking...now that I'm typing this out I'm thinking today just might be a perfect day to make another loaf...turns out you can bake Everyday Bread...EVERYDAY!!

Everyday Bread

Ingredients: 

400 g all purpose flour (roughly 2 1/4c)
1 tsp salt
240 g water at 115F (roughly 1c)
1 tsp active yeast
1 tablespoon honey

For topping (Optional, and can be modified based on what you would like)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried Italian herb mix

Directions: 


Whisk flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.  

Heat water to 115F (I used hot hot tap water) and add yeast and honey, swirl to combine.

Pour the water mixture into the flour and knead with the dough hook for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. It shouldn't be very sticky - if it is, knead in a bit more flour until the dough is still soft and only very slightly sticky.

Drizzle a large bowl with olive oil and place the dough inside.  Turn the dough to make sure the entire surface is coated with the olive oil.  Cover and let rise in a warm, draft free place (in our house the only place that fits those criteria is the oven on 'warm' setting) until doubles in size, for about an hour.

Before:

 
During the hour we battled beyblades....

and watched "princess on ice" shows

After that fascinating hour the bread looked like this:

Preheat the oven to 450F.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape the dough into a loaf.  I made ours round and sliced a cross through the middle.


Combine olive oil, crushed garlic and herbs. (I can imagine a slew of different combinations, asiago, chopped sun dried tomatoes, etc...I'm looking forward to coming up with different varieties)

Place the loaf in a cast iron, a dutch oven or a baking sheet (I used a 9" round cake pan w/ a layer of parchment on the bottom) Brush the bread with about 3/4 of the mixture. 

Bake for about 25-30 minutes. The crust should be a deep golden color and the bread should sound hollow when tapped from the side. 

Immediately upon taking the bread out of the oven, brush again with the olive oil/garlic mixture and let cool to room temperature. 

YUM!

Source: Confessions of a Tart


Enjoy!
xoxo
Andrea

Mango Skype Sparkle

.....and now for the very first vodka event!

We're starting to Skype around here. That means setting it up and then testing it a bit and then hopefully having a fun and exciting face to face call with your loved ones. Add a 2 year old to this recipe. Did you know that if you talk during Skype while someone else is talking that you can't hear the other person? Also, did you know that a 2 year old is capable of exactly that type of filibuster? Yep. So we got the video from our end and we got the audio from our end. Then we hung up because you can't really help someone out who can see you but you can't see them and you can't hear them...unless you're really good at charades. So no Skype but instead a delicious cocktail to cheer us up. Introducing the Mango Skype Sparkle!

In a wine glass (that I just got from my mom) with 2/3 ice:

1 shot of vodka (I used Absolut Pears)
2 shots of Mango Nectar
Fill the rest with sparkling wine (I used Yellow Tail Sparkling White)
Stir with something cute

mommy's loosing her mind-chocolate brownies

this week has been *a* week...and by *a* I do not mean "good" like an A+....no...not at all... It involved man-sick..which if you have experienced "man-sick" you know how rough this is... on everyone besides the man involved... a son spurting blood like a fountain, a husband passing out literally on me.. ER visits, stitches, kids being home from school for two days (after a full week of being home for winter break) a car that isn't necessarily drive-able...


Today, day 2 of kids being home...at about 1pm I was about to loose the very last little shred of what I consider to be my "mind"...so I figured..."lets make BROWNIES!!!"  bc really...when do brownies not make everything better?  

So here is my go-to recipe for chocolate brownies...they are really really really good...good enough to (almost) make the blood, and dry-heaving, and passing out husbands and not so nice polish ER drs, and being trapped in my house w/ no car and a mind that is slowly fading smaller and smaller.... go away.

Ingredients 

1/2 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.
2.	In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
3.	Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook					.

Let me stress the last three lines of this recipe...they are probably the most important three words out of ALL the words in the entire recipe...I bake for about 20min...I like them nice and gooey....YUM! The recipe my version is based on also calls for frosting..which I think is over-kill and have never made.   However, by all means add the frosting if it's a "frosting on brownies" kind of day.  I promise you- these brownies alone do not need it.  A scoop if ice cream on top? sure...the frosting, eh not so much. source- Best Brownies- Allrecipes.com Enjoy! xoxo andrea

A time and a place for Snickerdoodles

Dino suggested cookies tonight - because he's a toddler and he always wants cookies! So I decided to pick one of the cutest blogs that I know to make my first blog recipe. I've never had or made Snickerdoodles before so today was as good as any to try Candra and DJ's Snickerdoodle recipe on Our Recipe Box. After reading on I found that they gave the credit for the recipe to Sisters Cafe. A stalker's dream come true! Okay - but quickly back to Our Recipe Box blog. It is a weekly meal plan with recipes and links to other recipes. Brilliant use of food blog stalking! A blogger after my own heart!

Notice the cookie in the background. He needed it for inspiration!

Realizing that the measuring spoons can be used for an awesome oddball mirror.

Snickerdoodles baby!

Kinda cute, not too sweet, a blast to make and really really fun to say!

fashionably late is how I roll - NYE recap

so I figure why not extend this lifestyle choice to our little blog??  that way it's perfectly acceptable to post recipes from New Years Eve...a week later, right?  So lets get started.

This NYE we were invited to our friends Michelle and Fedele's home for a "momtourage NYE PJ Party"  You might be asking what on earth is "momtourage??" well - that' s just a super cool name for a group of super cool women with whom I am honored to know.  Between us there are six women/husbands and 15 kids.  We, the momtourage, adore one another, the husbands get get along famously and the kids...well they haven't complained yet :)   It was probably one of our best New Years Eves we have had in a long time...the kids ran around like lunatics , put on shows, made up routines,  played with new Christmas toys while the adults, ate, drank, chatted, laughed...some managed to bust out a little Michael Jackson Wii singing/dancing...by about 9pm most of the adults were ready to pass out while kids continued to run around like lunatics.  As the adults got more tired the kids got more energy?  Why does it always work out that way??? 

I did mention that it was a PJ party...what I didn't mention is that I don't own proper pajmas and I was not about to inflict my sleep wardrobe on my dear friends...or their children that surely would have needed therapy upon viewing this spectacle.   I wore, what I thought could possibly resemble a silk bathrobe (a silk black dress w/ lacey inserts  and a silky black belt...) others did not agree and yes, I did get some alot of flack...over and over and over through the night.  Now at least I know what to put on my Christmas list for next year.

I should add...not only do I not own proper pajamas...I also do not own a digital camera.  I tossed ours into our wash machine along with a basket full of dirty clothes this past spring...if there is one common theme I can promise you will see running through my posts is that I am almost always trying to do about five things at once, I loose things, ruin things, forget things...and on this lovely mothers day weekend it was our camera who suffered it's untimely death.  So...for the time being I use my cell phone to take pictures...therefore you will not see any beautiful, artsy, well lit photos of my food...I will add a camera right next to pajamas on my wish list.

Anyways, on to the part that I  should be talking about here...what I brought to the 2010 Momtourage + Families PJ New Years Eve Party-

Hot Artichoke and Feta Dip

This recipe was shared with me by one of Kenyson's and my co-workers.    She served this hot dish of heaven during our department's Christmas Party which she hosted at her home three years ago.   I have made this dish numerous times...it has become my most requested dishes by others...it is no short of a-maz-ing. 

Ingredients
2 cans artichoke hearts, drained, chopped (I squeeze to make sure they are really drained)
8 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1 cup mayonnaise (I use light bc that is what I usually have on hand)
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 jar (4 oz.) diced pimentos, drained
3-4 clove garlic, minced

vessels for scooping

Directions
MIX all ingredients.
SPOON into 9-inch pie plate or 3-cup shallow baking dish.
BAKE at 350 F for 30 to 45 minutes or until lightly browned, lovely and bubbly.   Garnish with chopped tomato and sliced green onion, if desired- (I typically do not add anything extra...for some reason I just think the cold onions/tomato would ruin the warm deliciousness that is this dip, but that's just me.)   Serve with sliced baguette, pita chips, chopped veggies, etc etc.... Seriously...this is so good it would probably make chicken livers taste heavenly...so serve with whatever your little heart desires.

Source- Co-worker who will be named once she give me the OK.

Jalapeño Popper Dip 

What can I say, I love dip.  And this one makes loving dips very very easy.  

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise (I use light bc that is what I usually have on hand)
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 (4 oz.) can diced jalapeño peppers, drained
½ cup shredded Mexican style cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
sliced bagguettes, pita chips, bread sticks, veggies, or other scooping device

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  In a medium bowl,combine the softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, green chiles, jalapeños, and shredded cheeses.  Mix thoroughly with a spoon or spatula, or if you are like I usually am, running around like maniac trying to get everything done, an electric mixer, until smooth and evenly combined.  Spread this deliciousness into a 9 x 9 baking dish, pie plate or the like.

In a second bowl, combine the Panko and Parmesan and stir with a fork/whisk/your hands, whatever...until combined.   Sprinkle over the cream cheese mixture.    Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and the topping is golden and bubbling with love.  Serve warm with baguette slices, pita chips, tortilla chips, etc etc. 

Source: Annie's Eats

Buckeyes 

These little balls of nirvana were my dessert contribution to the party.  I have grown up with my mother making these by the hundred every Christmas.  Therefore I thought every one's mother made these by the hundred each Christmas and am always surprised every time I make these and people nearly drop dead with pure delight after tasting them for the first time.  They are so easy to make....and eat.  Due to how easy it is to pop just one in your mouth every.single.time you walk past the fridge I typically make/roll the balls and stick them in the freezer.  I dip/coat in chocolate as I need them.  The very last thing I need in my house is a fridge/freezer full of buckeyes calling my name, so if you do not want to have to pry your hands off the freezer handle every single time you walk by it I suggest you do the same.

Please note this recipe makes TWO.HUNDRED so please halve/half?? or quarter as needed.  Also note, I do not have a written recipe/method for these...I'm pretty sure my mother doesn't either... so bear with my descriptions.

Ingredients:

2lbs creamy (the un-natural kind) peanut butter

1lb  butter

2- 3lbs powdered sugar

2lbs chocolate chips - both milk and semi-sweet are equally as delicious

Directions:

Add butter and peanut butter to a large bowl, I typically soften in the microwave to make the two ingredients more combine-able(is that a word?)  Using an electric or stand mixer beat the P.B. and butter until somewhat combined.  Add powdered sugar 1lb at a time.   I typically add 2lbs then add bit by bit until it looks like just one more bit will take the mixture from creamy to crumbly.  If it does become too dry add either more P.B. or butter to soften it up.

Roll small handfuls of the mixture into bite sized balls then place on a cookie sheet lined with either parchment or waxed paper.  Place cookie sheets in freezer.  Once the balls are hard enough to handle I put them all in tupperware containers, separating the rows of balls with the wax/parchment.

When you are ready to unleash these puppies it's time to melt the chocolate chips.  I use a double boiler (aka a pyrex bowl over a pot of simmering water)  I find using this method as opposed to melting the chocolate in the microwave, keeps the chocolate evenly melted for as long as I need to dip.  Using a toothpick dip the balls into the melted chocolate and roll/swirel to cover.  Place dipped balls on cookie sheets lined with wax/parchment paper.  Place cookie sheets in fridge (or freezer...if you are like I usually am....running around like a lunatic bc you were supposed to be wherever you are going 15min ago and need these to harden as fast as possible.)  

Once the chocolate is hardened they are ready to go.  Place on serving dish and be prepared to be loved.

Source: my mom, Lizbeth Zinze (she doesn't have a blog...but I still wanted to give her formal credit)

I think I just gained 10lbs just typing these recipes out.   They are not in any way, shape or form, healthful...but they are good.   Lucky for me I had a drink in my hand most of the night which left only one hand to eat-haha!

Enjoy!

xoxo

andrea

Kenyson

Hello, I’m Kenyson…and I stalk food blogs. Wait. Back the truck up. I’m not apologizing for this! I rule at stalking food blogs! Let’s get things straight here, Andrea and I aren’t critics, we’re STALKERS. The stalking and not critiquing is born from the fact that we are both full time working moms and we only want to spend time on the good stuff like our kids, food, shopping, music and (oh did I forget to mention) vodka! If we don’t like it we sure as heck aren’t going to take a photo of it or put it on this site. This should be a pretty interesting mix. Andrea not only has a plethora of awesome appetizer recipes but a saucy demeanor as well. She also makes dinners that sound restaurant worthy. I can’t wait to stalk her recipes! I on the other hand am pretty limited by a toddler who goes through phases (this week is noodles and pretzels) and a husband who won’t eat things that grow in the ground, under ground or on a tree. That leaves me with desserts, noodlish things and cocktails. Now back to stalking....

If You Wanna Be Happy for the Rest of Your Lives.....

open this link (in a new window...i promise it's "safe" it's youtube for gods sake)....then go back and read this post while the happy song plays...please forgive me for not knowing how to play songs in our new baby blog.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAciyg8SyrE&NR=1

ahem ahem...clink clink.

hello.  our names are andrea and kenyson and contradicting the current song of choice we are indeed very pretty women...yet we are addicted to food blogs....so here goes our story.....

ahem, ahem....let us start our uncomfortable Food Blog Anonymous  introductions.....

(andrea) 

Hello, my name is Andrea and I am addicted to food blogs....I cannot get enough.   I read food blogs, food magazines, Cook Books, watch Food Channels on TV like they are going out of style...at a very fast and furious pace (remember z. cavaricci anyone??? and I am positive anyone reading this who is ages 29-41 and grew up in NJ/NY area absolutely knows what z. cavaricci is!!!! don't kid yourselves people)   

The reward I receive from the enormous amount of hours I spend on these food blog/tv show/book etc????  when a friend says "are you some super chef that we didn't realize??? everything you make is fabulous."  (thank you Michelle G who inspired this grand blog idea NYE of 2010/2011) And that my friend is e-nough....I eat it up like the eager to please puppy getting treats for sitting like the "good girl" that I am. 

So...basically I stalk peruse the many food blogs/magazines, TV shows, websites. etc that are available to the mass public on a semi/multi/regular daily basis...I pick what would best suit my vegetarian, full time working-from home mama who is slowly but surely loosing what is left of her mind, with two small-ish children and a husband who complains that "he never eats the same meal twice" (waaah waaaah) family-- and I replicate and tweak when needed....and.....un-tooting my own shiny bright Kelly green/mustard yellow (my favorite two colors or the moment) horn...they usually turn out quite fabulously.

I admit,my "upper of choice" would have to be appetizers...they are my FAAAAAAVORITE food.  If I had to choose ONE type of drug food to live on for the remainder of my years it would absolutely, 100%, no questions asked..... be appetizers....can you feel the addiction love?  I am like Cher in the movie "mermaids" circa 1990- with her "appetizers only menus."  This realization inspired my choice for the opening song to our blog...bc really...who doesn't want to be happy for the rest of their lives????  And let me warn you....kenyson and I have our fare share of HAPPY songs to un-leash on your a$$....so be warned.

not only does she hold a pocketful of happy songs she also holds an artillery of super sweet, sugary, oh so yummy recipes to share she also has, what I consider a super sweet mid-western accent...so hold on to your seats ladies and gents....here my is my friend and co-worker, and most importantly.... the only person on the face of the earth who shares my love of food blogs the way only I (we) do ..drum roll please....Kenyson...introduce your sweet sugary goodness to our following...as I sit down and have a bite of my brie en croute smothered in sweet honey....

xoxo
andrea

 

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