Chocolate, Need I Say More?

Hello Sweets,

Well it has been a long weekend of moving but it's finally complete, and again I am sleepy lol.  However, Nathan was in Canadia to help me with everything, he actually went above and beyond anything you'd expect!  He not only put up every shelf, and picture, he also assembled furniture and bought me a new tv :D  Seriously I am one lucky girl, well except he is now on his way home :(  The hardest part of our relationship has to be the "see you soon" goodbyes, it never gets any easier.  He was a HUGE help in making my new apartment a home, and even though it's almost done it just isn't the same.  I now consider this apartment "our" apartment because we did so much together, he'll be back sooner than later and until then I'll complete the look and it will be a home!

Even though I had lots of help on Saturday, it still was quite difficult for me.  On the bright side, this whole ordeal is almost over.  This process has been wreaking havoc on my body :(  Since I had family and some friends helping me move, I decided to give them food as thanks :)  Nathan and I marinaded a roast Friday night to serve Saturday, and I will threw it in the oven while all the moving hoopla took place so it wouldn't be long before we could eat.  Of course there were plenty of sweet treats as well.  The pumpkin pie bars made their debut appearance, the oh so delicious pumpkin spice cupcakes (happy accident not intentional for there to be a pumpkin theme), and of course today's recipe.  No today is not a pumpkin recipe, although with the left over pumpkin from the cupcakes I could have made something.  Nathan requested I bake these though, so I thought I would make sure there was something sweet for him when he got here.

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

2C flour

1/2tsp baking soda

1/2tsp salt

3/4C butter, melted

1C brown sugar, packed

1/2C sugar

1Tbs vanilla

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2C semi sweet chocolate chips

 

Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to 325F.  Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.  Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

 

2)  In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until well blended.

 

3)  Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy.

 

4)  Mix in sifter ingredients until just blended.

 

5)  Sift in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.

 

6)  Drop cookie dough 1/4C at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets.  Cookies should be about 3" apart.

 

7)  Bake for 15-17 minutes in the oven, or until edges are lightly toasted.  Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

 

  

These little bad boys are perfectly soft, not so soft it crumbles apart in your hand but that perfect way that I remember my high school cafeteria serving.  Normally this is not my first choice of cookie, but this recipe is so yummy even I can't stop from eating a couple.  The dough even reminds me of the cookies my mom used to make, and I love me some cookie dough.  It was hard to not eat all of them before Saturday lol.

Well I've got a few more things to try and tackle tonight, but to be honest I really just want to have a nap lol.  If Nathan was here he would tell me to take one, maybe I will since everything isn't going anywhere :p  Hopefully afterwards I will be more energetic and can tackle yet another good chunk organization done.  Until next time....

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo

I Feel Like Chicken Tonight, Chicken Tonight!!

Hello Sweets,

Well I am officially back on Canadian soil :(, which is precisely why I didn't have a post for y'all yesterday.  Since I got an extra night with Nathan we spent a lot of time talking and enjoying our final night together :)  When I finally made it back to my home I had to run to the grocery store, because let's face it a girls gotta eat ;)  Since I am finally back on a somewhat normal schedule, I figured I would share a yummy treat with my lovely readers.  I have to say it feels really good to be writing again, I guess every once in a while a writer has to take a step back to put things into perspective.

As I am writing this post, I realize I have just dated myself lol.  The title of this post is from a catchy little jingle from the 1990's, even though the brand (Chicken Tonight) is still around you don't ever see their commercials.  The inspiration for the title came to me literally while looking at the pictures for tonight's post, I love when things just fall into place with little to no effort :)  A few months back Nathan came up to visit me for a few days, and we planned to go visit my mom and her husband.  Since we had an early flight the next morning, a red eye what fun lol, they offered for us to sleep at their house.  This lovely act of kindness would easily shave an hour off our drive to the airport, and with a red eye an extra hour of sleep is soooo worth it.  My mom makes pretty amazing chicken wings, but I haven't had them since I was younger and that was when she used to fry them.  Now she bakes them in the oven, they're crispy and not overly greasy.  What more can you ask for in a chicken wing?

Mommas Chicken Wings

Ingredients

Chicken wings (as many as you need)

Butter (you have to use it sparingly), melted

Ketchup (I used both regular and spicy)

Hot sauce, I used two types to kick it up a notch (use the spice level you're comfortable with)

Flour

pinch of salt

dash of pepper

dash of seasoning salt

 

Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to 400F.  In a large Ziploc bag, add the dry ingredients.  Use enough flour to completely coat every chicken wing, I used more than necessary so I didn't have to re-adjust the spices.  Shake until wings are completely coated, shake off any excess before placing on baking sheet.

 

2)  Place chicken wings on a tinfoil lined (I forgot to do that and they stuck a bit) baking sheet, bake until crispy (oops forgot to write the time down :/ )

 

3)  While chicken is cooking, melt butter (not too much or the sauce will just slide off).  Add enough ketchup to thicken the sauce, then add your hot sauce.  Taste test the sauce as you go, making adjustments until you reach you desired flavor.

 

 

4)  Once the chicken wings are crispy, gently toss them in your sauce.  Serve immediately, you can even dress it up with carrots and celery.

 

These were so simple to make, and they tasted better than the ones you get at the bar!  Well at least that is what I took from Nathan gobbling them up lol.  I am actually excited to expand to new and different flavors, I am very partial to honey garlic or anything with a sweet heat kick to it.  The only way you get good at flavor combinations is by trail and error, so if at first you don't succeed.... well you know the rest.  Basically what I'm trying to say is just go for it, and follow your taste buds.

I should take a moment to thank my momma for not only sharing her recipe with me, but also for teaching me how to cook with my senses and not a recipe ;)  I know this post isn't a sweet treat, but you know me I like to mix it up.  However, tomorrow's post is going right back to the sweets so get ready for something delicious and holiday appropriate!  Yes I know the main holidays are over, but I'm back logged :p  So consider the next few posts like a time machine, "once this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're going to see some serious s%*t!".  If you like Marty McFly, you'll know what I'm talking about ;)  Until next time....

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo

My Perfect Birthday

Hello Sweets,

So this post is wayyyyyy over due lol, by two and a half months!  But since it's about my birthday I figured better late than never right?  I am going to write yet another short post, but only because I'm having bouts of writers block, so instead of not writing at all I figured 'short and sweet' until I get my groove back ;)

As usual Nathan chose to keep my birthday celebration to himself, he loves surprises lol.  So I was wondering all sorts of things, but what he actually did I didn't even consider.
If I come to Texas for any holiday (that is specific to Nathan and I), you can bet that I won't know much, if anything about it lol.  Of course my birthday was no different, thankfully I am okay with this fact and don't get frustrated.  All Nathan told me was that I could get dressed up, because I don't ever have a reason to do so lol (thank you chiari/fibro!).  We got into his truck and started to drive, and I was still in the dark about where we were going.  Then we made a turn that I recognized and said "I think I know where we are going!".  He let me guess and when I did he told me I was correct :)  What Nathan did was so thoughtful and amazing, he recreated one of our first and very romantic dates.  We went out to P.F. Chang's, and just talked and laughed all night long.  And this time was no different, here's a few shots of our food, drinks, and fun!

My delicious drink, mmm tropical

Salt and Pepper Calamari

Delicious Wonton Soup, Nathan's favorite!

Yummy Seafood Pad Thai, extra spicy lol

 Nathan's Mongolian Beef, yummy!

If you've never been to P.F. Chang's, you should check it out.  The atmosphere, service, and food are amazing.  When the dinner was all said and done, the waitress asked if we wanted dessert.  Now their fried banana's with coconut pineapple ice cream is to die for, but I had a delicious 'The Cheesecake Factory' original cheesecake waiting at home.  She seemed to understand lol, all in all it was a great couple of hours.  Then we came home to watch a movie and cuddle, yes we're cheesy and okay with it lol.

Happy birthday to me!!

Birthday kisses!!

All in all a great way to spend a milestone birthday!  Which birthday you ask?  Well, you never ask a lady that lol!  Until next time....

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo

Eh, What's Up Doc?

Hello Sweets,

You've made it to the middle of the week :) and now I'm sure most of you are counting down the days until the weekend right?  I'm honestly excited for tomorrow, and I am sure you are thinking to yourself what's so special about Thursday?  Well firstly it's the night a new episode of The Big Bang Theory is shown, secondly when I'm in Texas on a Thursday it's steak night (YUM!!) and when it's Nathan behind the grill it's guaranteed deliciousness, and thirdly I'm getting a hair cut!!  I know normally a hair cut is nothing big, but it's been well over a year since I've had a haircut and I am so over due that I am trusting the good reviewers on Yelp to help me find a fantastic salon here in Texas, and most girls will tell you trying a hairdresser you know nothing about can be kind of scary, so send positive vibes for me tomorrow :)

Any who, you guys don't come here for tales of new hair adventures, but you do come for good eats and that is exactly what I have for you today, I'm actually spoiling you with two recipes instead of just one (I love you guys that much!).  I'm not sure if you remember but a few weeks ago I was talking about doing some posts about revamped food from our childhood, only problem was I never got around to it :(   But today I am bringing you a recipe that I used to have all the time as a child, but with a sweet little twist to it.  I even brought it to a luncheon I had that same week and needless to say there wasn't anything to bring home, but the best part was no one could put their finger on what the mystery ingredient and when I told them they were pleasantly surprised.  Now enough talk, lets get you in the kitchen and creating with another great recipe inspired by the wonderful app AllRecipes (seriously if you haven't gotten it yet you really should).

Carrot Pineapple Cake

Ingredients

 2C all-purpose flour

2Tsp baking soda

1 Tsp baking powder

1 Tsp salt

2Tsp cinnamon

1 3/4C sugar

1C extra virgin olive oil

3 eggs

1 Tsp vanilla extract

2C carrots, shredded

1C coconut, shredded

1C pecans, chopped

1C pineapple, crushed and drained

Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to  350F.  Grease a 9"x13" baking pan and set aside.  Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

 2)  Make a well in the center and add sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla.  Mix with wooden spoon until smooth.

the well was over"whelmed" lol

3)  Stir in carrots, coconut, pecans, and pineapple.

4)   Pour into baking pan and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Don't panic as the center will sink slightly.  Allow to cool before icing.

Cinnamon Coconut Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients

8oz cream cheese

1/4C butter, softened

2C powdered sugar

1 Tsp cinnamon

dash of allspice

1/2C pecans, chopped

cinnamon and allspice not pictured :/

Directions:

1)  Cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.  Add the spices and icing sugar and beat until creamy.

2)  Ice the cake and top with the chopped pecans.

Forgot to take a pic and only this tiny piece remained

This is very moist and has a wonderful sweetness that is created by the pineapple.  I like carrot cake, but I don't think regular carrot cake will cut it anymore, lol.  This is definitely a keeper and will be made again.  If you decided to make it you can change (or even omit) the nuts, and play with the spices a little I didn't follow the measurements to a t, but that is just how I bake :)

So there you have it, the final recipe that was waiting to be published, and it's good timing too, because when I'm here in Texas I do nothing but spoil my sweetheart with sweet and delectable treats ;)  Tomorrow I think I will blog about our dinner, he is making the steak and I am in charge of the veggies so it is a joint meal, and maybe I can even get him to write a little about his marinating techniques if we're lucky!  And be on the lookout for a delicious chocolate peanut butter duet that is sure to be a hit, I say that because as soon as I saw the idea I had to make it a reality.  Until next time............

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo

The End of The World?

Hello Sweets,

After all the hoopla about December 21st being the day the world ends, nothing happened.  Of course there are many people who will tell you the day is not over yet, and they are correct, but I'm not sure where I really stand on this whole situation.  Which is why I am choosing to do a small post today and why I didn't post one yesterday.

You see, if the world is really going to end I would like to spend my last bit of time with the ones I love.  So last night I made Nathan and his dad some tandoori chicken for dinner (one last meal cooked for him :p), and then I enjoyed a nice glass of expensive wine :)  Not to mention I probably told Nathan a million times that I love him more then anything in the world, yes I know I'm cheesy.
For those of you who are curious about my tandoori chicken, I use a tandoori sauce and add red pepper flakes and garlic powder to the chicken breasts :)

 Sorry no pics of the finished product

I think this whole ordeal makes you think about who and what are really important to you, and what you want them to know if it's really going to be the last time you speak to them.  Although this is really something we should be doing everyday already right?  Since this maybe the last day I can bake ;) lol I'm going to make shortbread from scratch :)  And if all goes right for the world, I'll share pictures and post with you tomorrow.  Until next time..........



Stay sweet,




Jennifer xoxoxoxo