Valentine's Day treat idea

Hey all! So I'm doing sooooo well on this whole "blogging more" thing, aren't I? Ha. Ha ha. Oh well. I write when I have something to say or share. I use the same excuse for using the phone. "Sorry Mom, I don't call unless I have something to talk about." (I don't like awkward silences). Excuse me while I go take the clothes out of the washer. (Ten minutes later...)

I made cookies this weekend and thought I'd share the recipe with all of you, my friends. Cause who can't use just ONE more cookie recipe. Right? And, just in time for Valentine's Day (for those of us who don't loathe it cause it's useless and if someone loves you they can say it on ANY day). ANYWAY, they are double chocolate cookies; cocoa powder in the batter and then chocolate chips. I did one better, though, and used two kinds of chips. I used semi sweet chips and semi sweet chunks. Cause I had them. And this seemed like a better way to consume them than just by eating handfuls of them at 1am. I kid about the 1am part. So here's the recipe. They are really called Twin Chocolate Delights, but I think that title is silly, so I renamed them to what they really are. Feel free to do the same.

Twin Chocolate Delights
Preheat oven to 350

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)-melted
• 2 ½ cups white sugar
• ½ cup cocoa
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 4 beaten eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Melt butter in large microwave safe bowl, add sugar and mix. Add cocoa, soda, salt and vanilla and stir until smooth. Add eggs and stir thoroughly. Mix in the flour, nuts and then chocolate chips.

Place rounded teaspoons of dough on greased cookie sheet. 12 dough balls to a standard sized sheet.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Now. I didn't add nuts because I only had walnuts and the husband is allergs. (That's allergic for those of you who don't abbrev. (abbreviate). Ok, enough). So I left out the nuts. I don't really like nuts in my cookies anyhow. But I digress. Credit to Joanne Fluke, who writes the Hannah Swenson mysteries, which is where I got this recipe. And many others. Just thought I'd give credit where credit is due. Don't want to get sued here, people.
 
This cookie dough is kinda runny. Like, could be brownie batter kinda runny. So, being super concerned about the outcome of my cookies, I made one test cookie to see how much they might spread out. I did one "rounded teaspoon full" of dough on a greased cookie sheet, and baked it for 10 min. And did that cookie spread out! Super flat and really crispy. Don't think that's how it was supposed to be. So the ones I made on Friday (finished baking them today), I made into much smaller balls. And I used two spoons. Then I refrigerated the rest of the dough to finish another day (today) and it was much easier to work with the dough today. I bent the spoon. Beware. But easier to form into balls! You could just refrigerate for an hour, which would also work. I highly recommend. Here's a few pics:

Twelve dough balls to a standard sized cookie sheet (grease your pans first,yo! you'll be happy you did). Or use parchment. I'm fresh out.

Mmmm. Delicious freshly baked cookies. I'll sell 'em to ya. $6 per dozen. No? Fine. Make them yourself and then give to your hunny on V-day. Better than a box of chocolates. And cheaper too.

Updates and a Recipe

Hello internet friends! A few things have happened since I've posted last. A few weeks ago President Obama was on campus and I was one of 3 elected managers to help work at the event. Yay. There was so much work involved just for us to sell some snacks, but I got to meet some people that work with the President in the White House, some secret service agents, and I got to see him live, even though he wasn't much bigger than my pinkie finger for as far away as we were from him. But it was the first time a sitting president was on our campus in 100 years, so it was kind of cool to be a part of history.

Husband started working at a former job of his again. They called him, I'll have you know. Apparently they let the 18 year old shift manager go (reason Husband quit in the first place) and because they were idiots to let him leave in the first place, they offered him a job again. Yay! More money in our pockets!

I was 3 feet away from Paul Molitor last Saturday. Shame on you if you don't know who that is. Google it if you don't. Psh.

Work is incredibly frustrating lately. I was thisclose to shoving a Bic in someone's ear today.

My friend Julie asked me for a bread recipe that I make in my bread machine - this was after she mocked me for not already owning a countertop mixer. Poor people can't afford expensive appliances! And the bread maker was a Christmas gift about 3 years ago....anyway. Here's the recipe cause I think she's just dying to get her hands on it! I use the bread machine to knead and rise the dough and then I finish it off in the oven.

Rosemary Bread
1 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp dried rosemary
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Place ingredients in pan of bread maker in the order shown. The yeast can not touch the liquid before it starts to mix! Follow the directions that come with your bread maker. Select the white bread cycle. Start.

Mine beeps 3 times when it's time to remove the paddle, and this is when I remove the dough from the bread machine pan. Then I place it into a bread pan and put it into a preheated 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

It makes a cute little loaf of bread and is mighty tasty. Just ask my sister.

It's as Easy as Chicken Pot Pie...

...Which is what I made for dinner tonight. From scratch. Oh yeah. Booyah! I have a super easy recipe (thank you, Martha) and Husband loves. Which is a score, cause he can be a picky eater. I also made Peanut Butter Fudge cake - see post below for recipe- and it was fan-freaking-tastic.

Dinner was a nice cap to a nice Sunday. I slept in until 11, when my Mom called and woke me up, which was fine because I quite enjoy phone calls from my Mom. Then I did some laundry, got gas and picked up some groceries for which to make our tasty dinner. And for the first time ever, I ordered meat from the meat man at the meat counter. I felt like such an adult! Which means tomorrow, we're having pork chops. Which is weird to say because when Husband and I met, he was a vegetarian. And when we got married, he was a vegetarian. Then pretty much out of nowhere, Husband became a carnivore again. AND IT'S FANTASTIC! You have no idea how much easier making dinner is now. I used to have to make two dinners, and now I only have to make one. Magical!

Now we're just chilling out after chicken pot pies and p.b. fudge cake. Listening to the cats snore and chase squirrels (and maybe the neighbors dog) in their sleep. And not looking forward to tomorrow and another looooooooooong work week. Oh well. Such is life.

What did you do today?

Chicken Enchiladas

Per request from my friend, Amy, I'm going to start posting recipes of things I make for Husband (and me, obvs) for dinner. She's a newlywed and is looking for easy and I'm guessing filling recipes (her hubs is a big eater :) that she can make. I'll try to include pictures as well, if I can find the cord for my camera. OK! So, tonight I'm making chicken enchiladas! Yum! Super easy and done in about 45 minutes (including your prep time).



What you'll need:

• 3-4 chicken breasts (depending on size and how much you want in each enchilada). Thawed, and fully cooked.
• One 4 ounce can diced green chili's
• One 15 ounce can enchilada sauce
• Cheese. Tonight I'm using 4 cheese blend and colby jack blend, but it's good with plain 'ol Monteray Jack cheese or pepperjack. You can use the already shredded stuff or grate it yourself. Guess that depends on how domestic you really want to be that day (I've done it either way).
• 1 package of 6 inch FLOUR tortillas. Corn tortillas might work, but flour ones fold easier and taste better (but that's my opinion). 10 to a package, you'll use all 10.

So while you're chicken is cooking, you can put your cheese and diced chili's in a bowl. This is for the filling. How much cheese you want to use is totally up to you. Mix together.
You'll use a 13x9 inch pan for this, glass or metal, doesn't really matter. Put a layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan. Not too much, you'll use the rest for the top.

Once your chicken is done, let it cool for about 5 minutes, chop it up (here's where you can use your Pampered Chef food chopper! What, you don't have one? I know where you can get one. Wink, wink...) Ok, back to the food. So after your chicken is chopped, add it to the bowl with the cheese and chili's. Mix.


Throw the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds, just to warm them up. Makes them easier to roll. Fill each tortilla with a large spoon full of chicken mixture, or however full you want them. Roll, then place in your dish. Don't worry about tucking in the sides. I do mine horizontally, 2 columns, 5 rows. That's 10. Yay, math!
Now, once you've filled and rolled all your tortillas, cover with the rest of the sauce, then top with cheese (again, how much is up to you. Go crazy if you wanna).


Put into preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. All you're doing now is melting the cheese inside and on top, so it doesn't need to bake for all that long (remember, your chicken is already cooked). When it's done and the cheese is all melty goodness, remove from oven, and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Now is when you can marvel at the beauty you just created.
Dish it up and top with sour cream, tomatoes, cheese, whatever. I usually serve my enchiladas with Mexican Rice as a side, but I didn't have any today, oh well. Tonight I had leftover filling. I save that and use it in a quesadilla for lunch another day (or rather, Husband does).


Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cake with Fudge Frosting

Oh...My...Gah. This cake is so freakin' good! Made it tonight when Husband complained because I ate the last of the Red Velvet cookies (which after 1 day got kind of sticky, quickly remedied by putting them in the fridge, so much better cold!).

ANYWAY. This cake is awesome! Really moist and the frosting isn't super thick. And it was really easy to make! (If you could hear me now, I just sang that last sentence). So without further a-do, here's the recipe. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 9x13" cake pan

• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 cups white flour
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 eggs, beaten

Mix flour and sugar in large bowl (you can use a countertop mixer if you're lucky enough to own one- and I'm jealous of you for that)
Put butter, peanut butter and water in medium sauce pan. Turn burner onto medium heat and bring mixture almost to a boil (stirring pretty much constantly or the mixture will burn). When it sends up whiffs of steam and starts to bubble on the edges, take it off the heat.
Pour peanut butter mixture over flour/sugar mixture and mix it all together. (It's going to look funny, but it'll become creamy when you add the cream and eggs).
Whisk the cream, vanilla, baking soda and eggs together and pour slowly (no one wants scrambled eggs) over the peanut butter mixture. Mix well.
Pour batter into cake pan
Bake for 30-35 min (mine took 30). When cake begins to shrink away from sides and toothpick or knife inserted into center comes out clean, the cake is done.
Let it cool before you frost it (mine was still a little warm, and it was really good that way).
Never Fail Fudge Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

Place butter, sugar and cream into sauce pan. Bring mixture to boil, stirring constantly. Then turn down heat and cook for 2 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips and stir until melted. Remove saucepan from heat.
Stir in the vanilla
Pour frosting over the cake and spread quickly with a spatula.
Top with nuts (if you so desire).

Red Velvet Cookies

Red Velvet Cake is huge in our family. And I mean HUGE. But, for whatever reason we only have it once a year- on Dad's birthday because it's his favorite- or if someone specifically requests it, which never happens. Not sure why.
Anyway...we love when we have the chance to eat it because it's SO delicious (again, why do we not make this more often?). So during my adventures at the library looking for something interesting to read, I stumbled upon this mystery series. The titles of the books are all "insert some kind of food here MURDER." My eye lands on the bright orange one that's entitled "The Carrot Cake Murder." OOOOOOO! Death by carrot cake, SCARRRRRY! So I grab that one and a couple others and check out. Upon closer inspection of bright orange book I see that it has recipes in it. Yay! A dorky mystery novel AND recipes?! It must be fate! Now I'll go ahead and tell you that I own and entire series of books where a Siamese cat and his 50 some year old owner solve crimes. And I love that series. And I'm sad that the author no longer writes those books. *tear*. Moving on!
So it's no surprise that I might like this book. And I did. Not only because it has recipes, but because I'm a dork and it was an easy read. Good beach book. So. Not only was there a recipe for carrot cake (which I'll make one day here and post if it's good) but there was a recipe for Red Velvet Cookies! Aaaaaand NOW you see where I was going with this whole rant. So I made these cookies earlier (mostly to take to my Pampered Chef meeting tonight) and they turned out pretty well so I'm sharing the recipe with you! Aren't you excited?! I know you are. Calm down. They also call for cream cheese frosting (!!!!), which seems kinda weird to have frosting on a cookie, but I think they'd be missing something if they didn't have it. They weren't as chewy as I was hoping they'd be (maybe I cooked them a minute too long) so mine ended up kind of fluffy inside. But still good. Husband said they were an 8 out of 10 (awwww) but he'd eat anything sweet I gave him, so his opinion doesn't count.
So, to make a long story short (too late, they scream!) here's the recipe for Red Velvet Cookies & Cream Cheese Frosting:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, rack in middle position

• 2- 1 oz squares unsweetened baking chocolate
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temp
• 2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp red food coloring
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 2 cups flour, firmly packed
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil (recipe says to spray with Pam, but I don't think it's terribly necessary).
Unwrap squares of chocolate and place in microwave safe dish. Microwave for 90 seconds, then stir until smooth and set aside to cool.
Combine butter, brown sugar and sugar together in a bowl (or bowl of countertop mixer). Mix until smooth.
Add baking soda and salt and mix until combined.
Add the egg and mix until smooth. Add food coloring and mix.
Add melted chocolate and mix until thoroughly combined.
Add 1 cup (the first cup) of flour and mix until combined.
Add the sour cream. Mix.
Add the rest of the flour (that's the second cup) and mix until incorporated.
Mix in chocolate chips.
Use a teaspoon to spoon the dough onto the parchment paper lined cookie sheets (12 cookies to a standard sheet). If the dough is sticky, chill for 1/2 hour. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the cookies rise and become firm. Mine took the full 11 min.
To cool, slide paper off cookie sheet onto wire rack and let cool. Then frost!
Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter
• 4 oz softened cream cheese
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Mix butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Add in powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments until frosting is of proper spreading consistency.
Enjoy! And I'd love to know how yours turned out! Did you like them? I've got more recipes from that book to post...Next up, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake. Yum!