Marshmallows, Chocolate, and Graham Oh My!

Hello Sweets,

You know what I hate about this time of year?  Doing taxes!!  Now don't get me wrong, we buy Turbotax to make things easier, because lets face it the paper packages are too confusing.  But they're still annoying as heck, and I don't just do mine but my grandparents too.  So that is what I spent this afternoon doing, and then they surprised me by taking me out to Swiss Chalet for dinner :)  Win!!  Now I am tired and sore >_<  But on the bright side I can now kick my feet up and relax, that is once this post is done ;)

So I clearly didn't get to make my muffins yesterday, but that's because not only did I have a sore throat but I also had no eggs.  Since I was already out and about this morning, I managed to get to my butt to the grocery store and get my eggs!  Once I was ready to actually get into the kitchen (lol lazy), I had to figure out exactly what I was going to make.  As I was sitting on the couch sifting through recipes and eating a marshmallow, it dawned on me, I really want s'mores.  However, I do not have a fireplace or BBQ and didn't want to make them in the oven :(  Then I figured why not s'more muffins?!?  The idea was so delicious I was not going to give up, and that's when the perfect recipe, care of Bakerella, arrived.  Now technically these are classified as a cupcake, but I left out the icing so it's a muffin to me :p

S'more or Less (Bakerella)

Ingredients

(muffin)

1 1/2C flour

1 1/2C sugar

1tsp baking powder

1tsp baking soda

3/4C cocoa

3/4C graham crumbs

1C milk

2 eggs

2tsp vanilla

1/2C olive oil

9 jumbo marshmallows, cut in half

(graham cracker crumb topping)

1/2C brown sugar

1/2C graham crumbs

1/4C butter, melted

 

 

Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to 350F.  In a bowl mix; flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda together with a whisk.  Separate the mixture in half into two bowls. 

 

2)  Stir in cocoa into one bowl, and the graham cracker crumbs into the other.

 

 

3)  Add 1/2C milk, 1 egg, 1tsp vanilla, and 1/4C oil to the graham cracker mixture.  Beat until just combined.

 

 

4)  Repeat adding the same ingredients to the cocoa flour mixture.

 

 

5)  Prepare the graham cracker crumb topping.  Add the brown sugar and crumbs in a small bowl, and pour on the melted butter.  Stir until just combined.

 

 

6)  Pour a little graham cracker cake batter into the bottom of the baking cups, and then sprinkle the topping mixture lightly on the surface.

 

I accidentally used all the topping in the middle lol

  

7)  Place a marshmallow half on top, then cover the marshmallow with the chocolate cake batter until it's about 3/4 full.  Sprinkle with more topping.

     

 

8)  Bake cupcakes for about 15 minutes.  Place a cookie sheet underneath when you bake just in case. 

  

This recipe will make at least 12 cupcakes, I got 18 :)  My apartment smells like a golden marshmallow that's been wrapped in a graham blanket.  Yummy yummy!!  Since I am still full from dinner,  I haven't tried them just yet.  I'll let you know the full flavor spectrum on tomorrows post, I promise :D

Now I'm going to go and do absolutely nothing, and boy does that sound glorious!!!  Until next time....

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo 

The Granola Goddess

Hello Sweets,

I guess all the productiveness from yesterday made for a sore body today :(  Not to mention the migraine I had was a little ridiculous, lol my poor landlord had to stop by and felt horrible.  I told her it was okay that she stopped by as I knew it was going to be quick, and that I was also going back to bed :p  Thankfully I had leftovers from yesterday, so at least I didn't have to strain to make sure I ate.  Although I haven't eaten any of it yet, but I managed to get a banana and some crackers down so far...yayyy!  I'm going to try eating some soup here soon, so let's think positively lol.

Thankfully I did make something last night after I finished my post :D  Unfortunately I forget that I didn't pick up any eggs yet, so I couldn't make any muffins.  So obviously that made figuring out another recipe a bit of a challenge, until I made a snack that is.  Probably one of my favorite snacks right now is yogurt and granola, it makes me happy lol.  So that got me thinking, why haven't I made my own granola yet?  Clearly I had no good reason, so that made my decision to make some that much easier.  I looked at some recipes to determine whether or not I had everything I needed, and although I didn't have some things I had some other interesting substitutions :)

Canuckette's Granola

Ingredients

6C rolled oats

1/4C dark brown sugar

1/2C olive oil

1/3C honey

2tsp vanilla

1/4C coconut flakes

1/2C raisins

1/2C dried cherries

1C pecans, chopped

 

Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix rolled oats and brown sugar together. 

                          

2)  In a separate bowl; whisk together the oil, honey, and vanilla. 

3)  Pour over dry mixture, stirring well to coat thoroughly.

 

4)  Add in chopped nuts (and seeds if you want) at this point.

 

5)  Spread on a sprayed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.  Stir frequently (every 5 mins) to ensure even baking.  It should be golden brown when done.

 

6)  Add dried fruit and coconut once it's done cooking.

7)  Let cool on baking sheet, then break up any large pieces.  Store in an airtight container.  Stores for 3 weeks.

Not only did my house smell amazing, but it tastes great too!

Not only do you know exactly what goes into it, but it tastes a million times better because it's fresh.  You can also personalize it for everyone in your family :)  Don't like coconut, leave it out!  Big fan of flax seed, add it in!  You could even add in chocolate chips to it if you're a chocoholic.  What ever you do make it your own, that way you'll enjoy eating it.

First thing I'm doing tomorrow is getting some eggs, lol let's face it I'm going to need them.  As long as I do that the sky's the limit tomorrow!  Now to make that limitless list, a little shorter ;)  For the rest of tonight I'll be relaxing and talking to the love of my life, and if my migraine will permit it maybe a little painting too!  Until next time....

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo

Only Good Crumbs About

Hello Sweets,

So lately I have been having pretty "crumby" luck with my health, although I should never be surprised.  Which means my baking and cooking have been sporadic at least, but today is the first part of the very special dessert I made for Nathan for our jointly cooked dinner to celebrate our two year anniversary.  Normally if I asked Nathan what he'd prefer as our dessert he would request his favorite, coconut meringue pie.  However, for our anniversary he decided for something a little more unconventional........normally this is where I would tell you what it is, but I'm not lol.  That is for tomorrows post, until then we will lay the foundation for this tempting treat ;)

You know what some of my favorite commercials are focused on selling?  Oreo's, lol but seriously they're always cute little windows into the imagination of children.  The last one I saw was of two little boys, one of whom had just moved not only into the neighborhood but the country as well.  To the amazement of the other little boy, even though he was from half way around the globe he still knew how to eat Oreos the go to way for years (twist and dunk).  I personally am not a huge Oreo fan, that is until they brought out golden Oreo's with chocolate filling.  I have a serious addiction to those bad boys, to make matters worse I cannot for the life of me find them in Canadia, and this makes me very sad :(

Our anniversary dessert is chocolate based, no chocolate themed.  This was something new for me to make so  I had my challenges during construction, but now I know what to do differently next time.  For now we prepare the base and assembly will begin tomorrow :)

Oreo Cookie Crust

Ingredients

24 whole Oreo cookies, crushed into meal texture

1/4C butter, melted

 

Directions:
1)  In a medium sized bowl or food processor; add the Oreos and blend until it becomes the texture of coarse meal or crumbs.  I put them all in a freezer bag and smashed them to bits!  I guess you could say cheap therapy lol.

2)  Add the melted butter and blend until well combined.

 

 3)  Place the ground crumb mixture in to a 9" pie dish and press onto the bottom and sides evenly.  Try to make the crust about 1/8" thick evenly all the way around.  *If you find the mixture to be a little dry, just add a little bit more of butter*

 

4)  Refrigerate for at least one hour before continuing with your dessert, this will prevent cracking when you cut it :)

 

It was funny while we were walking through the grocery store Nathan said "you know they make pre made Oreo crusts right?".  That's when I turned around and said "yea, but they won't taste as good as a fresh one", not to mention I will be able to control the cracking easier.  Needless to say when the whole thing was put together he agreed that mine most likely did taste better, I already knew that but still love to hear it from him lol!

I wanted to share a sneak-peak photo from the date half of our anniversary celebration, Nathan took me on a sunrise flight over Texas.  Getting up at 6am is well worth it when you have the right company and a pretty view to look at ;)  Until next time.........................................................................

3

I Love You a Waffle Lot!

Hallo Snoep/Hallo Süßigkeiten/Bonbons Hello,

In other words, hello sweets!  Are you ready to take a trip across the pond (the North Atlantic Ocean that is)?  If you haven't already guessed, we're on our way to Belgium, courtesy of our imaginations :)  I did a little research on Belgium and discovered a few fun facts; 1) they have 3 official languages dutch, German, and french 2)  they're government is similar to the UK monarchy and 3) they're a very artistic culture.

Okay enough history :) I'm pretty sure y'all know what I made.  It's both good as breakfast or a dessert, with syrup or with whipped cream and strawberries.  If you guessed waffles you'd be correct and not just any old waffle, a buttermilk waffle.  Did you know they have five varying types of waffles in Belgium and Belgian waffles isn't one of them?  They can be soft or crispy, topped with confectioner's sugar or syrup, and some are even heart shaped with cherries on top (sounds like my kind of waffle).  So even though the recipe I'll be sharing today isn't from Belgium, that is where the idea was born and thus we give thanks.  Another fun fact about waffles, they've been around since medieval times (9th-10th century).  Although back then the waffle iron usually depicted Jesus and his crucifixion, that would make for an interesting breakfast.  I know I said no more history, but that was applicable to Belgium not waffles (sneaky sneaky) lol.  In the 14th-15th century waffles were made with wine (sign me up lol), from then on they continued to evolve and still do to this day.

About a year ago Nathans dad bought a waffle iron and we had waffles all the time, and then of course the fad died and it rarely was used.  Well Nathan and I had to be up early one morning, knowing Nathan is much less of a morning person than I am, I offered to make him waffles (that got a smile).  So I looked at different recipes, and then came across the cutest named blog, Smitten Kitten.  She creates comfort food that reminds you of home but with a dash of new and exciting, you should check it out there is lots to see and read (although probably best to look when you're not hungry).  Since I still had buttermilk leftover from Dave's Chocolate Cola Cake I decided that buttermilk will be the shining star.

Buttermilk Waffles (via Smitten Kitten)

Ingredients

2C all-purpose flour

1/2Tsp salt

2Tbs sugar

1 1/2Tsp baking soda

1 3/4C buttermilk

2 eggs, separated

4Tbs butter, melted and cooled

1/2Tsp vanilla

cooking spray for the waffle iron

 

Directions:

1)  Combine the dry ingredients.

  

2)  Mix together the buttermilk and egg yolks.  Stir in the butter and vanilla.

3)  Brush the waffle iron with your cooking spray and preheat it.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

 

4)  Beat the egg whites with the whisk until they hold soft peaks.  Stir them gently into the batter.

 

5)  Spread a ladle full or so of the batter onto the waffle iron and bake for 3-5 minutes.

 

yum!

These waffles are light and fluffy, but super filling, I could only eat about 3/4 of it before I was way too full.  This is now my go to waffle recipe for Nathan, because as with everything else once I find a good recipe I no longer use boxed mixes.  Nathan really liked them, he managed to eat a whole one faster than I could eat half of mine lol he's too cute.

Well I am almost out of past recipes to post, which is pretty much divine timing because soon I'll be back in Texas *happy dance* !!  That means I can make all sorts of goodies and there are plenty of happy mouths down to help devour them :)  Until next time.......................................................

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxoxo

No Monkey Business....well maybe a little

Hello Sweets,

I know I've been MIA again, but this crazy weather has been wreaking havoc on my head and body :(   I don't mean like ouch I've got a headache, more like someone has put my head in a vice and keeps screwing it tighter and tighter, which makes me one sad little girl.  But the blog must go on right?  Which is why I've decided to start teasing your sweet tooth tonight with the first of many cookie recipes.

As you may or may not know my little sister is getting married (actually it's tomorrow), and I offered to make cookies for the reception.  In all honesty I'm regretting doing that, I know that doesn't sound very sisterly but I always overreach with my capabilities and this has been very painful for me.  Standing in the kitchen to make one batch of cookies wouldn't be so bad, but I've had to triple each batch and shape them into their initials four different times.  I've probably spent upwards of twelve hours in the kitchen and my body has screamed loud each and every time, but before anyone questions I did break it up over five days, unfortunately that didn't seem to help much at all :(

I figured I would start with my favorite persons cookie, that being my little cutie of a nephew :)

 An old pic but his cuteness hasn't faded!

So when I had to decide what type of cookie the "m" would be I knew it was pretty obvious, my little monkey loves banana bread so why not a cookie?  That meant I'd have to research to see what I could find, I've made banana bread and muffins but never a cookie.  In the midst of my searching I took a break to relax by checking my Facebook, earlier that week I had started following a page of recipes and what was on my news feed?  Banana bites!!  If you have Facebook check out the page "recipes" it's a closed group but they will add you shortly, they are full of yummy recipes and people are constantly sharing new ones :)

Banana Bites

Ingredients

1C white sugar

1/2C butter, softened

2 eggs

1 1/2 ripe banana, mashed

1Tsp vanilla

2C all-purpose flour

1Tsp baking soda

1/4Tsp salt

1/2Tsp cinnamon (my addition)

Directions:
1)  Preheat oven to 350F.  Coat baking sheets with cooking spray, I like to use coconut oil personally :)  In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy.

2)  Add eggs and beat thoroughly.  Beat in mashed bananas and vanilla until well combined.

3)  Gradually blend in flour, baking soda, and salt.  Mix until just combined.

4)  Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheet (I made mine into letters), baking for 12-15 minutes.  Remove to wire racks to cool.

 

I didn't like the way they looked all blob like, so I cut them once cooled with the cookie cutter again :)

Well there you have it lovely readers, cookie number one complete and not a moment too soon because my shoulder and low back are starting to bug me :/  I probably won't be posting tomorrow obviously because of the wedding, hopefully I'll be back Sunday with another cookie recipe and maybe even a few wedding pictures.  Until next time...................

Stay sweet,



Jennifer xoxoxo

Little Bites of Love for My Monkey

Hello Sweets,

Ugh I've been having one of those weeks that makes it tough for me to get anything done, including my passion of creating in the kitchen, but let's take a detour for just a moment shall we? One good thing that happened to me this week was I got a new bed! Lol I know it seems like a mundane thing to be excited about, but with my health (and everyone else for that matter) a good night sleep makes a world of a difference. I went from having an old small , no make that tiny bed (not by my choice GRRRR), and now I have a over sized double bed with an extra mattress topper to make it that more comfortable! The funny part of this whole story is that as a child my mother always read and referred to me as "the princess and the pea", and now I have a bed that I may need to buy a step stool since its so much higher lol. You make think I'm over reacting but I'm 5'8" and when I sit on the side of the bed my feet don't even touch the ground lol, true story :)

Okay enough of my comfy new bed lets get to the tasty and fun stuff, as I mentioned in my last few posts I have been given the honor to create signature cookies for my sisters wedding. Now Nathan will confirm I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my baking, and you could imagine the pressure I'm putting on myself for this. I'm not sure if I explained what my vision is for the cookies with all of y'all so I'll do so now ;) My sister wanted them done with their initials, so I took it even further and this is my game plan by making the cookies their favorite types;
The letter A (for Asha my sister) - chocolate chip cookies
The letter J (for Josè my brother in-law) - peanut butter cookies
The letter M (for Miguel my cutie nephew) - banana cookies
The letter Z (for their last name) - I'm doing a combination of all three to signify them coming together in marriage.

I know I'm going a little crazy but it's my little sisters wedding so I wanted to do something nice for them :) The one cookie I was slightly worried about was Miguel's cookie, as I have never had or seen a banana cookie, but divine intervention worked its magic and on my news feed on Facebook (I think :/) was a recipe for cookies known as banana bites ! Now I know one of my nephews favorite snacks are bear paws which are basically soft banana cookie breads, so I figured I would make some tweaks to the recipe and hopefully it would be kid and bride approved :) I'll share with you my take on the recipe, and show you how difficult it was to make the dough cooperate in to the letter "M".

Banana Bites

Ingredients

1C sugar

1/2C butter

2 eggs

1 1/2C bananas, mashed (I used 3)

1Tsp vanilla

2C all-purpose flour

1Tsp baking soda

1/4Tsp salt

1 1/2Tsp cinnamon

Directions:
1)  Preheat oven to 350F.  Coat cookie sheets with cooking spray (I used coconut oil).  In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

2)  Add eggs and beat thoroughly.  Beat in mashed bananas and vanilla until well combined.

3)  Gradually blend in flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Mixing until just combined.

4)  Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls on to baking sheet.  I used my "m" cookie cutter and spooned the batter into it.

5)  Bake for 10-15 minutes (mine were closer to 10), or until lightly golden.  Remove to wire racks to cool.

As you can see my "m"'s actually look like crazy blobs of cookie, and of course I was panicking, so I threw the remainder of the batter in the fridge to see if that would help them hold more.  It didn't :( so I decided to sleep on it and think about how I was going to remedy the problem.  The next day I decided to go over them blobs with the cookie cutter again and it cleaned them up perfectly :D

 

aren't they perdy lol 

All that was left to do was the taste test.  Tereza my roommate tried them the night I made them and she said they were good and different.  Normally when someone hears different you think it's not that good, but I knew exactly what she was talking about.  If banana bread and cookies had a baby this would be it lol!  Next I texted my sister to come and try them to see if she liked the taste and look, and of course she brought the real judge along too Miguel :)  She liked the look and she even liked the taste (success!), and when we went to see if Miguel liked them too we saw that he had gobbled the cookie up.  I think it's safe to say that this will be the recipe to represent my cutie nephew, so that's one down only three more to go!

I am very happy that this turned out exactly like I had envisioned it :) now to create the others and make sure they are just as spectacular as these were.  So I am in full on research and creating mode, how much am I into this you ask?  So much that I am in full on study mode with my chic geek glasses lol.  Until next time.................

hehe cutest nerd around ;)

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo