Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I love chocolate chip cookies. Not in that I always got to have way, but in the once I eat one, I want more way. There seems to be a big debate over what makes a good chocolate chip cookie. In my opinion, since you asked, lol, the perfect cookie has a soft chewy center and bit of slightly harder outside. Many will say they are best out of the oven (wrong), but I like mine at room temperature. Why go into this deal? Because these bars bring together the best features of the cookie and are much easier to make. No scooping out perfectly sized portions and baking batch after batch, I'm hungry and eating the batter while preparing these (blah blah blah, salmonella from the eggs, whatevs. I'm still living to write this post) only made me want them more. Add a big plus is you don't have to use a mixer! Just combined the ingredients and pour in a baking dish, that's it!

My boyfriend isn't a big fan of chocolate, he's crazy, so next time I make these, I will use white chocolate chips and add some macadamia nuts. I might have to make those tonight since they already sound amazing and he deserves them because he's amazing. I had a friend as work ask me if you could make these with no mix-ins since he agrees that sometimes chocolate is just too much (he's crazy too). I guess you can, but would have to try it out. This recipe took under 10 minutes to prepare and 26 minutes to bake. I cut them into one inch squares, or just a bit bigger, then cut them again on the diagonal; I wanted them to go a long way. You could add any mix-in you want, if you find a good combo, I would love to hear about it!

 Recipe from Real Mom Kitchen

• 2 1/8 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (12 tablespoons), melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups (one 12oz bag) chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan/dish.
3. Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
4. Whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well.
5. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined; do not over mix. 
6. Fold in the chocolate chips and pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.
7. Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, 24-28 minutes. Mine took 26 minutes. Do not over cook or you will lose the chewy center.
8. Let cool at room temperature then cut into 1-inch squares and serve. Cut in again diagonally if you need more servings.

Tips and Tricks

• Use real vanilla, not the imitation stuff. You will taste the difference.
• Use your favorite mix-ins to create your own cookie bars.
• If you use salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe.
• For easy removal from pan, line in foil with an extra 5 inches hanging out on each side of the shorter end. Spray foil before putting batter in.
• Each oven is different, so cook for 24 minutes, then check and cook,if needed, in one minute increments until the edges are cracked.

Sausage Gravy with Biscuits

I love a good ol' southern breakfast and whats more southern then sausage gravy and biscuits? Well maybe chocolate syrup/gravy and biscuits, but that is for another post with some explanation on why the hell you would eat chocolate syrup for breakfast. This recipe is probably the easiest thing that I have posted so far. Now I'm going to tell you up front that I'm not the best southern as I just buy frozen Pillsbury biscuits and don't make my own, at least not yet. Making a good biscuit, one that is flaky, fluffy, and airy takes practice and a good mentor. My Mema was the best biscuit maker, but she pasted away years ago. My mom, bless her, never really picked up on how to make them the way Mema did, so Pillsbury is the way I go.

I'm sure there are many ways that you can sausage gravy, but I have found this to be the quickest, easiest, and oh so tasty. You can use any type of breakfast sausage that you like, and by all means, make your own biscuits if you can. Then, comment on this post with your recipe so I can give them a whirl. I will give you every bit of praise that I can. I hope after eating this you feel a little more southern. Start saying y'all if you don't already and you'll be on your way in no time.

Sausage Gravy

• 1/2 pound (8oz) breakfast sausage (1/2 of the log)
• 2 tbs flour
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 tbs black pepper
• Salt to taste

1. Brown the sausage in a pot until cooked. Do not strain out fat!
2. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes until all the flour is incorporated.
3. Add evaporated milk and pepper.
4. Stir until thickened.
5. Taste and more pepper and/or salt until satisfied. 

Tips and Tricks

• If you like things spicy, use hot breakfast sausage.
• Though I have never tried, turkey sausage might work, though you will have to cook it in some olive oil since it will not render enough fat to make a roux when you add the flour.
• If you find the gravy is too thick, add a bit of milk to thin.
• To double the recipes, use the whole pound of sausage and2 cans evaporated milk.

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Warning! This is not health food. Turn away now if you care about your weight or have no self control. However, this 'ish is A-MAZ-ING! I'm usually not one for potato salad. Down here in the south, or somewhat south since the true south stops at Georgia and Florida is just a big mixing bowl of different people, a true potato salad has eggs, mustard, and pickles. Well, if there is one thing you should really know about me, it's that I HATE eggs. Not all eggs, but most. In the case of potato salad, its hard boiled eggs and those are the worst of the worst. Between the smell, the taste, and the texture, I would almost rather eat horseradish; my #1 most hated food. I really wish I liked eggs, they actually look appealing, but I have tried and tried and have had no luck. Seeing that most potato salads have egg in them, I decided to come up with a recipe that didn't have them anywhere close (well besides the mayo, but that's OK.)

Loaded Baked Potato Salad is exactly what it sounds like. Take a baked potato that you would get with a steak with all the trimmings and turn it into a salad. Bacon, cheese, sour cream, and a secret (well not for long) ingredients make this salad one everyone will be coming back for seconds and asking you for the recipe. Now, I suppose there is a way to lighten this bad boy up using low-fat products, but this was for Memorial Day and you can't gain weight on holiday weekends. It's true, trust me. However, if you don't believe me (I might be lying here), see the Tips and Tricks section below on how to make this a little more figure friendly.

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

• 4 large red skin potatoes
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream
• 6 oz extra sharp cheddar, finely diced or shredded
• 8 pieces bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel and cut up potatoes into one inch cubes. This doesn't have to be perfect, but make sure all your pieces are around the same size so they cook evenly.
2. Boil potatoes in a large pot for 12 minutes or until potatoes are firm to the bit. Strain and run cold water over them until they are cooled. This will stop them from continuing to cook.
3. In a medium size bowl, mix sour mayo, sour cream, and ranch together until blended.
4. Add in cheese and bacon. Stir until blended.
5. Add in potatoes and mix until all potatoes are covered evenly. Taste and add salt and pepper accordingly.
6. Take a big spoon and start to mash the mixture or mix vigorously. You are looking to mash some of the potatoes to make the sauce a bit thicker, but you still want to keep most of the potatoes. 
7. Put in a container a refrigerate 4 hours or over night.

Tips and Tricks

• To make this recipe lower in fat and calories, use fat-free sour cream, low-fat mayonnaise, reduce fat cheese, and turkey bacon. 
• An easy and fast way to make bacon is by placing on a cookie sheet and baking at 400 degrees for 12 minutes or until desired crispiness.
• For extra flavor, add diced green onions.
• The longer it sits, the better it will taste.

Mexican Corn Dip

Post Update!

Since posting this, I have some updates. I tried the dip the next morning, after it had time to party, but I still wasn't 100% satisfied (insert comment about women being hard to please, lol) There seemed to be something missing, probably the jalps that were left out originally from the store not having them. With that being said, I went to the another store and got jalapenos, some more cheese, and a packet of taco seasoning. I added one diced jalapeno with the seeds removed, another half cup of cheese because more cheese always makes things better, and a packet of taco seasoning and boy did that help! Now I was happy to take it to a party. Everyone loved it!  

Yep, another Mexican recipe, but I warned you early on that I love Mexican food. I really wonderful where my love for Mexican food comes from. My mom likes Mexican, but not like I do. My dad, well he will eat anything, and my sister is too damn picky to like half of the Mexican food that's out there. I think it all stems from when I lived in a small ass town in Pennsylvania, like one gas station small, and going to Taco Bell was a treat. I would literally run down the street to my best friends house at the time to tell her we were going to TB if she wanted to go. Yeah, Taco Bell was like going to a 5 star steakhouse for us back in the day, but boy was it good. Well, my tastes have grown a bit, and while TB is still a guilty pleasure, there are many other Mexican restaurants I would rather go to.

This dip is super easy to make, but does need some time in the fridge for the flavors and texture to set up. The store didn't have jalapenos today, WTH, so I had to substitute chili flakes. I like things spicy, but they can be omitted if you do not. Corn chips are definitely the way to go since they bring another flavor to the party, tortilla chips are just to bland for this.

Mexican Corn Dip

• 2 11oz can Mexican style corn, drained
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 oz can green chilies
• 12 oz extra sharp cheddar, freshly shredded
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 5 green onions, diced
• 2 jalapenos 
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

1. Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, and taco seasoning together.
2. Mix in the rest of the ingredients.
3. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
4. Serve with corn chips.

Tips and Tricks

• Light or low-fat sour cream, mayonnaise, and cheese can be used to make a bit healthier.
• If you don't like spicy food, omit the jalapenos or chili flakes.
• If you can't find Mexican corn, yellow corn kernels will work just fine.
• You can use pre-shredded cheese if you like or that is what you have on hand, but I seriously despise the stuff. That powder they put on it to keep it from sticking just changes the flavor in my opinion. Fresh is best!

Oatmeal Cream Pies

Now, I'm no Little Debbie, but when I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I knew that I had to give them a whirl. I would now like to be referred to as Little Jenny, lol, and it think I rightfully earned it with as much effort as it took to make these little beauties. It took a good hour to make the cookie dough and the cream filling. And since I left all my big cookie sheets at my sisters, it took awhile to bake all the batches of cookies seeing that I had to use one small tray that only fit 9 cookies on it lol. While this recipe doesn't taste exactly like the ones you can buy from the store, they are damn tasty.

You have to have a mixer in order to make this recipe. If you have a stand mixer, even better...I did not and was cursing the fact that I didn't by the third step of mixing. (Boyfriend, sister, or parents, this is a major hint for Christmas, wink face!) There is some major creaming going on in order to get the desired results. Cream the sugar and butter for the dough, add some stuff and mix again. Add some more stuff, and mix again. Then more sugar and butter get creamed together for what seems like forever. Add a milk and flour mixture (which also took about 5 minutes of straight whisking) to the creamed sugar and butter and cream, cream, cream. To say the least, my forearms got a workout today, which is good, because these aren't exactly health food. I promise you though, if you have the time and give it what it takes, you will be rewarded in the end.

OK, enough talking, you will need to save your energy to complete the recipe. Depending on how big you make the cookies (I did a heaping teaspoon) and how much filling you use for each (this is the best part in my opinion, so a heaping tablespoon), these will make just about 2 dozen sandwiches.

From Stella B's Kitchen

Oatmeal Cream Pies

Cookies

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup Crisco
• 2 whole eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon, heaping
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 Tbsp boiling water
• 1 tsp soda
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 cups quick cooking oats

Filling

• 5 Tbsp flour
• 1 cup milk (skim is fine)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar (not powdered)
• 3/4 cup marshmallow creme

Preparing cookie dough:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream brown sugar, butter and shortening.  
3. Add eggs and mix.  
4. Add salt, cinnamon and baking powder and mix.  
5. Mix boiling water with soda, then add to the bowl and mix.  
6. Add flour and oats and mix well.
7. Scoop teaspoon sized portions as evenly as possible onto a greased baking sheet.  
8. Bake 10 minutes, being careful not to over-bake. 
9. Cool slightly on baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely before filling.

Preparing filling:

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk flour and milk over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is very thick.
2. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Stir in vanilla.  
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. About 4 minutes. 
4. Add the cooled flour/milk mixture to the fluffy butter and sugar. Beat until it combines and resembles whipped cream. About 3 minutes.
5. Beat in 3/4 cup marshmallow creme until smooth.

Assembly

1. Scoop about a tablespoon of frosting on a cookie and sandwich with a similar sized cookie.
2. Try not to stack on on another when storing so the cream doesn't squish out or the cookies not stick together.

Tips and Tricks

• I know that the times stated for creaming the ingredients seems excessive, but the results will show your hard work. If you don't cream the sugar, butter, and shorten enough, your cookies will be flat and dense. If you don't cream the sugar and butter for the filling or the milk/flour mixture with creamed sugar/butter, your filling will not set up right and will be a runny mess.
• Don't over cook the cookies or you will lose the chewy texture and the bottoms will be too crunchy.
• You can use more or less filling in each cookie depending on your tastes. Just know if you use a ton, you might not have enough for all the cookies.
• A heaping teaspoon makes the perfect size for the cookies and keeps the baking time at exactly 10 minutes.

Grilled Chicken Enchiladas with Poblano Cream Sauce

Now, if you have read my post about Shrimp Tacos, you know how much I love Mexican food. If you haven't read it, well shame on you, lol, but I'll fill you in. I LOVE MEXICAN! And while I am horrible with choosing favorites, in any category ( I feel it is limiting, lol), enchiladas are probably my favorite Mexican dish. I absolutely, positively, without a doubt, love them. And if they are topped with some type of sour cream based sauce...well, I can't even put into words how I feel. But know that though I'm still stuffed hours after this evenings dinner (this recipe), if you put an enchilada in front of me, I would eat it.

As my blog grows, you will notice that I have several different recipes for enchiladas. All of them will have a chicken filling and a cream based sauce, but they are all unique in their own way. One of my favorite places to get enchiladas is Cantina Lorado. Not only is the chicken moist and flavorful, their poblano sour cream sauce is addicting and is my inspiration for tonight's recipe. This was the first time I made this sauce, I'm a bit of a creative cook and didn't follow a recipe, but it came out pretty damn well if I do say so myself. To quote my boyfriend, they were "fantastic!" The grilled chicken and sauteed onions and peppers really rounded the dish out and made the sauce pop. Taking the extra time to marinade and grill the chicken will be well worth the trouble, I promise! (Shout out to him for doing this) Recipe makes 6 enchiladas.

Grilled Chicken Enchiladas with Poblano Cream Sauce

• 2 large chicken breast
• 1 packet Citrus Baja Grill Mates marinade or your favorite chicken marinade
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 large red onion, sliced 
• 1/2 large red pepper, sliced
• 1 poblano pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2/3 cup low-fat sour cream
• 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup extra sharp cheddar, shredded; divided
• 6 flour tortillas 
• Salt and pepper

1. In a casserole dish or large bow, prepare marinade according to package directions. Add chicken and marinade for at least 2 hours. The longer, the better.
2. Turn over on to 350 degrees.
3. Turn grill to high and grill poblano until all sides are charred. Remove from grill.
4. Remove poblano's skin and seeds. Cut into one inch pieces. Set aside.
5. Grill chicken for 6 minutes each side or until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove and cover with foil to keep heat in. Set aside.
6. Saute onions and red pepper over medium heat with olive oil. Turn to low once sauteed.
7. Heat butter over medium heat until melted. Add flour and stir constantly for 1 minute until all the flour is incorporated. This is called a roux, pronounced rue.
8. Add chicken broth to roux and stir constantly until broth thickens, about 2 minutes.
9. Add poblano and sour cream to sauce and turn heat to medium-low. Cooking the sauce at a high temperature will make the sauce curdle.
10. Use emulsion blender, blender, or food processor to blend sauce until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Keep on heat over low.
11. Cut the chicken into cubes.
12. Heat tortillas in microwave for 10 seconds to soften.
13. Evenly distribute chicken, onions, peppers and a 3/4 cups cheese between the 6 tortillas and roll into enchiladas.
14. Put enchiladas in a 13x9 baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 10 minutes.
15. Top with sauce and 1/4 cups cheese.

Tips and Tricks

• Like all marinades, the longer it goes, the better it will taste. This marinade was going for 7 hours and you could definitely tell.
• Yes, I use a pre-mixed marinade, I like them and they are convenient, but you can use your own marinade if you are against, or don't like the Citrus Baja marinade. 
• If you are crunched for time, you could use a rotisserie chicken, though this will change the over all taste of the dish.
• If you would like a very spicy sauce, keep the seeds from the poblano and add to sauce.
• 
  

Bruschetta

Brewscetta, Brusheta, Brochettie, however you want to say it, I say yummo! Just don't say it like they are on the new Olive Garden commercial, I swear they make words up for their food. Also, haven't you noticed that every "special" they have is the same thing, just with a different made up name? Sorry, squirrel, but it really gets to me. Bruschetta is how it's spelled on dictionary.com, so it's good enough for me.

Bruschetta is what I like to think of as an Italian salsa, but instead of tortilla chips, its eaten on toasted baguette slices. Also like salsa, you will find that there are many variations of how its made. Now, I like to cook what I like. I happen to like red onions and vinegar, so those go into my recipe. How you make yours is totally up to you. If you have a certain way you make it, I would love to hear about it, so leave a comment! Since I was just making enough for my boyfriend and I, this recipe makes enough for 8 slices of baguette. Double if you need more.

Bruschetta

• 3 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp red onion, finely diced
• 3-4 leaves fresh basil, minced
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp olive oil plus 2 tbsp olive oil (for baguette)
• 1/2 tsp season salt
• 1/3 baguette, sliced into 8 1/4 inch slices

1. Set the oven to broil.
2. In a bowl, mix tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil, 2 tsp olive oil, and season salt. Mix and set aside. Taste it, see if you think it needs more seasoning.
3. Brush 2 tablespoons over the 8 slices of baguette, front and back.
4. Put in oven and broil on both sides until lightly browned.
5. Let the tomato mixture mingle for 20 minutes or longer. The longer it sits, the more the flavors will come together.

Tips and Tricks

• I like to cut my tomatoes in half long ways and spoon out the middles. I find the middle to be too mushy. I would recommend this so your bruschetta doesn't turn into a soupy mess.
• If you like a little spice, add some red chili flakes.
• Fresh buffalo mozzarella diced would be a great addition!
• Use bruschetta to top a baked potato, stir into fresh pasta, or top chicken for a delicious meal.

Sausage Broccoli Bread Bake

I know what you are thinking, what the hell is a sausage broccoli bread bake. Well, its awesome, that's what it is! But I suppose you want a little more explanation then that. Well, its a casserole of sorts and a healthy one at that. It contains sausage, broccoli (duh Jen, that's in the title), sharp cheddar, and caramelized onions, which is probably my favorite part. It's a great way to use up some left over bread, veggies, and cheese you have and makes enough for a couple of meals. And here's the kicker, its a Weight Watchers recipe!!

Now don't go turning your nose up because you hear the words healthy and Weight Watchers in the same post, this 'ish is good! Though it calls for low fat cheese and turkey sausage, you could always use the full fat versions of each, but I promise you that following the recipe as written will be both good for your mouth and your waste line. And if you happened to make the Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Bars, you probably could use a healthy recipe or two. Now this is adapted a bit, so the points aren't going to be the exact same as the original which was 6, but I think my version is probably 9 since I add more bread. 

Adapted from Weight Watchers

Sausage Broccoli Bread Bake

• 3 cups crusty loaf bread, couple days old is perfect, cut in cubes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large red onion, sliced thin
• 3 cups broccoli, uncooked and cut into florets
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 links turkey sausage, hot or sweet, whichever you prefer, casings removed
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup low-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way with water and bring to boil.
3. Cut broccoli into florets if you bought a whole head.  
4. As water comes to a boil, fill a large bowl with water and ice. This will be your ice bath for the broccoli and will stop the cooking process. We don't want soggy broccoli.   
5. Add broccoli to boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Remove and put in ice bath til cook, then strain off water. Set aside. 
6. Cut bread into 1/2 inch cubes. 
7. Once oven is preheated, put bread in oven for 1o minutes until lightly toasted. Remove and set aside.  
8. In a pan, cook onion with olive oil for medium heat until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. 
9. Remove onions and add uncased turkey sausage. Cook until done. 
10. In a large bowl, mix together bread, broccoli, sausage, onions, salt, pepper, and chili flakes until all ingredients are mixed together. Slowly pour the chicken broth over bread mixture making sure to stir constantly to even distribute the broth. 
11. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and put down 1/3 bread mixture and top with 1/3 cheese. Continue until all cheese and bread mixture is used. 
12. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Tips and Tricks 

• You can use any type of sausage you prefer. The turkey sausage works well in this recipe since it doesn't render much fat, so it won't make the bread soggy.
• Bread that is a couple days old is best. If its already crunchy, there is no need to toast in the oven.
• The chili flakes can be omitted if you don't like spicy foods.
• If the bread mixture seems dry, you can add more broth. Just add a little at a time so you don't make it soggy. 

Turkey Tomato Pizza

I call this my summer pizza. Fresh tomatoes, green onion, and a surprise lemon-mayo sauce make this pizza truly unique and great on a hot summer day; or since I live in Florida, any day that isn't in February. I adapted the recipe from one of my favorite healthy cookbooks, Taste of Home - Everyday Light Meals. I promise you though, there is nothing "healthy" tasting about this pizza.

My favorite part is the lemony "sauce" that replaces the usual red tomato sauce. Its a flavor that you wouldn't expect to be on a pizza, but goes very well with the other toppings. My boyfriend isn't nearly the lemon fan that I am and didn't enjoy the pop of lemon nearly as much as I did, but we can't agree on everything. I think if I used less lemon zest next time he would enjoy it more, maybe have 3 slices instead of two ; )

This was a quick and easy recipe to prepare, taking about 30 minutes in total and using ingredients that you might have on hand. Be sure to pre-bake the crust. Its the key in getting that crispy texture that tube dough often lacks.

Adapted from Taste of Home - Everyday Light Meals 

Turkey Tomato Pizza

• 1 tube refrigerated pizza crust
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1 cup Italian blend shredded cheese
• 1 and 1/2  tsp dried basil
• 1/4 pound turkey, cubed
• 2 small Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
• 3 tbsp green onions, thinly sliced

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 15x10 inch cookie sheet and press dough to fill sheet.
2. Take a fork and prick dough all over. Bake for 11 minutes. 
3. Mix mayo, lemon zest, and 1 tsp of basil together. Spread over baked crust.
4. Sprinkle Italian cheese blend over crust. Top with turkey, tomatoes, and green onions.
5. Sprinkle Swiss cheese over top and finish with basil.
6. Bake for 8 minutes.

Tips and Tricks

• You can use home-made dough or store made dough if you wish. Cook on temperature accordingly.
• You more or less lemon rest depending on your tastes.
• You can use whatever cheese you have on hand, however the Swiss really brings outs the flavors in the sauce.

Roasted Tomato Soup

For the longest time, I was never a fan of tomato soup and I never really understood why. I like tomatoes, I like tomato sauce, and yet, tomato soup was just not my thing. I always found it too sweet and I can be pretty particular about savory and sweet. I also thought it was bland and had no texture to it. Well, it took me going to Jason's Deli and having their tomato soup that opened my eyes. It wasn't sweet, it wasn't smooth, it had layers of flavors and seasonings, but most importantly, it WASN'T FROM A CAN!

Finally, the ah ha moment I had been waiting for, all it took was a good bowl of tomato soup! I now realized why I had been so against tomato soup my whole life; all I knew when it came to tomato soup was Campbell's. Sorry Campbell's, its nothing against you, there are other soups of yours I enjoy, but this is just not one of them. My boyfriend says my comments border on blasphemy when it comes to Campbell's, but I think many people would agree with me. Plus this is my blog, so I am sticking to my guns. Pow pow!

Now, my recipe is in no way a healthy tomato soup. It’s loaded with butter and half and half, but I think its damn good and hope you will too. The measurements for the seasonings are give or take. I'm not much on using measuring spoons or cups (I'm trying now that I am starting a blog), so just keep tasting and adding as needed. I happen to like my tomato soup with a little kick, so I add chili flakes. You can omit these if you don’t like your food spicy. Also, I’m usually a fan of fresh herbs, but dried basil just works better in this recipe. However, use whatever you have on hand. My favorite way to eat this is with a grilled cheese, but eat it however you like best! Enjoy.

P.S. The leftovers freeze well, up to 6 months.

Roasted Tomato Soup

• 32 oz can, fire roasted tomatoes, your favorite brand
• 12 oz can, fire roasted tomatoes, your favorite brand
• 32 oz box, chicken stock
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 stick butter
• 2 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp chili flakes
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup half and half

1. Cook diced onions in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until translucent. Do not brown.
2. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, butter, basil, chili flakes, garlic powder, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add chicken stock and cook for 20 minutes, or until flavors come together.
5. Taste time, see if it needs more seasonings.
6. Remove bay leaves, taste and salt and pepper as needed. Take emulsion blender (see tips below if you do not have one) and blend until most the big chunks are gone or until desired smoothness. I like mine to still have texture and some big tomato chunks.
7. Taste again, season if needed.
8. Turn the heat down to a simmer, between lo and medium, and add half and half. Cook for 30 more minutes, or as long as you want. You could eat if now if you wanted, but the longer it cooks, the more the flavors come together.

Tips and Tricks

• If you don't have an emulsion blender, you can use a blender or food processor. Just make sure to vent the blender or the contents will explode due to the heat. Trust me on this, I learned the hard way.
• If you are lactose intolerant, you can omit the half and half.
• The half and half can be substituted with whole milk, heavy cream, fat-free half and half, or any milk you have on hand. However, the more fat in the milk, the richer the soup will be.
• As with most soups, the flavors will build the longer it cooks. If you can go an hour on a nice simmer once blended, you won't be disappointed. Also you will find that it will taste even better the next day.

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Peanut butter and jelly, chips and dip, Cheech and Chong...some things just go together. In my opinion, lemons and blueberries are no exception. These cupcakes celebrate that marriage. I got this recipe off Pinterest and need to give a thumbs up to Annie's Eats for such a great recipe.  Be sure to check out the rest of her blog, there are so amazing eats!

The lemon is subtle, but not lost and the blueberries burst with flavor, but don't overwhelm. Top them with a sweet, lemony, fantastically creamy frosting, and you have the perfect after meal dessert. Of course you can enjoy them any time of the day, but I felt that they have just the right amount of sweetness for an after dinner treat. However, I might have had one for breakfast. What, its basically a fancy muffin with a sugary kick to start your day :)

Adapted from Annie's Eats

Cupcakes

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup cake flour
• 1½ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• Zest of  1 lemon
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• ½ cup plus 2 tbsp. milk, at room temperature
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. 
2. In a medium bowl, combine the ¾ cup all-purpose flour, the cake flour, baking powder and salt; whisk together and set aside. 
3. With a mixer, combine the butter, sugar and lemon zest. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and lemon juice. 
4. With the mixer on low speed, mix in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Blend in the milk. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated.
5. In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Using a spatula gently fold the berries into the cake batter. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners, filling each about ¾ full. 
6. Bake 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

 
Frosting

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Zest of 1 large lemon

1. Combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. 
2. Mix in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth. 
3. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. (I filled a gallon size ziplock bag and cut off the tip)

Tips and Tricks

• I thought some of the blueberries sank to the bottom of the cupcakes. Next time I would place a couple in the empty liners, fill about 1/3 full and place another one or two, then fill the rest of liner and place one or two more. This might help them be disbursed a bit more evenly.
• If you have a problem with your icing being to runny, add a bit more powder sugar or refrigerate for a half hour. 
• If you don't have cake flour, no worries!  Place 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a one cup measure. Fill the rest with all-purpose flour. One cup equals one cup cake flour. Since this recipe only calls for 3/4, make as directed and measure out 3/4 once mixed thoroughly.

Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Bars

Warning! These are highly addictive. I cannot be held responsible for any weight gain you might encounter due to single handily eating the whole pan and I won't bail you out of jail due to killing your roommate or significant other because they ate the last one.

Now that we have the legal disclaimer out of the way, let me introduce you to what will soon be your favorite go to dessert. These puppies are ridiculous! To quote Joey from Friends (improvised to fit recipe), "What's not to like? Cookie, good. Cheesecake, good. Crunchy, sugar topping...GOOOOD!!" Not only are they fan-freakin'-tastic, they are super easy to make. Now, I can't take credit for this recipe, but what I will take credit for is introducing them into your life. Hope you enjoy them as much as my boyfriend and I have.

Recipe from Betty Crocker

• 1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
• 1 box (4-serving size) French vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 eggs plus 3 egg yolks
• 2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup toffee bits, finely crushed 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 glass pan.
2. Mix cake mix, pudding, brown sugar, butter, 1 whole egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla together until combined.
3. Press evenly in pan. Set aside.
4. With mixer on medium, cream together cream cheese, 1 whole egg and 3 egg yolks, sour cream, sugar, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until smooth.
5. Pour cheesecake mixture over crust evenly.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes until center is set. It took mine 33 minutes.
7. Immediately sprinkle toffee bits over top and let cool on counter top for 30 minutes.
8. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until desired coolness.  

Tips and Tricks

• Use a food processor to grind the toffee bits into small pieces. This helps them melt on the top of the bars when they come out of the oven making that perfect crunchy sugar top.
• If you can't find toffee bits, you can use sugar. Just sprinkle evenly over the top, set your oven to broil, and cook for 3 minutes or until nicely browned. Keep an eye on this, it can burn very quickly!
• For easy cutting, run hot water over a sharp knife. The heat will help slice right through the cheesecake layer and the sharp blade will cut through the dense crust.
• If you would like a thinner crust, only use 2/3 of the sugar cookie mixture.
• You can customize this recipe with different cookie types and pudding mixes. Next time I am going to use lemon pudding mix in the crust and replacing 1 teaspoon of the vanilla in the cheesecake mixture with lemon juice, or enough for the lemon to stand out. I'm a sucker for anything lemon.

Shrimp Tacos with Guacamole and Mango Salsa

I love Mexican food! I could seriously eat it once a day and never get tired of it. There is a place up the street from work that has the BEST tacos I have ever had. The shrimp tacos, in particular, are amazing! They use medium size shrimp, butterfly and marinade them, then grill em' up til they're perfect. Put them in a white corn tortilla, and top them with fresh guacamole, or guamoles if you're a Super Troopers fan lol, a bit of mango salsa, and you have the most kick ass taco you have ever eaten...from a restaurant that is. The boyfriend lovessss shrimp and with my love of Mexican, this is a sure fire recipe that never gets old! Of course you can top your tacos with whatever you like, but below is my favorite way to eat them. Muy delicioso! WW points = 8 for one taco with guac and mango salsa.

P.S. Don't forget the Mexican beer!!


Shrimp Tacos

• 1 pound 36-40 shrimp, uncooked
• 1 packet Grill Mates Baja Citrus marinade (follow directions on back)
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
• 1 package white corn tortillas
• 1/4 package or head cabbage, shredded

Clean shrimp if not already done. Cut through shrimp until butterflied. Mix marinade according to package and add liquid smoke. Marinade shrimp for no longer than 30 minutes. Cook shrimp over grill or on a flat top skillet. Heat tortillas on grill or skillet until warm. Place shrimp in tortilla with cabbage, guacamole,  and mango salsa (recipes to follow) or whatever toppings you like.

Guacamole

• 3 ripe avocados
• 1 package Guacamole seasoning or season mix, below
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cayenne pepper
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• Cilantro, minced (as much or as little as you like)
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Remove flesh from avocados and mash up in a bowl. Add seasoning mix, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro. Taste and season with salt and pepper accordingly. Add lime juice and mix until combined.

Mango Salsa

• 2 mangos, cut into small cubes
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• Cilantro, minced (as much or as little as you like)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and salt and pepper accordingly.

Tips and Tricks

• Picking ripe avocados can be tricky. Look for ones that are dark green to black and press on them with your index finger. A ripe avocado will be soft, but not so much that you almost put your finger through it.
• To cut and pit an avocado, place it on the counter. With a sharp knife, with blade parallel to the counter top, cut into avocado, keep in place, and turn it 360 degrees until you have reached the starting point. Twist to open. To pit, take the knife and carefully hit pit the blade, twist slightly and the pit will come out on the knife blade. Use kitchen towel wrapped around hand to remove. Be careful not to cut yourself!
• Dicing an onion can be simple! Cut the onion in half length wise. Lay onion flat on cutting board and cut small strips until you reach the top, but don't go all the way through. Turn onion 90 degrees and cut in opposite direction. Perfect dice!
• Guacamole can turn brown easily. To slow this process, take saran wrap and place directly on top of guacamole. Keeping the air away from the guac will slow the browning process.