The Girl Who Ate Everything

Pineapple Sorbet

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Thu, 17 May 2012 03:34:00 +0000

My friend Susanah is tall, leggy, and beautiful. You could try to hate her for that but she's just so down to earth and nice, it's impossible NOT to like her. She also happens to be That Organic Girl.

At first I didn't know if we could be friends. I obviously do not buy all organic unless there are organic Oreos and peanut butter M&Ms out there. And from my experience in the past, those who are organic tend to get a little pushy about their organic-ness.

Not Susanah. She approaches the organic stuff lightly and definitely doesn't shove it down people's throats. Her blog is informative, gives helpful tips, and throws a little humor into the whole mix.

I try to buy some organic produce here and there. Do you guys buy organic? The thing is...knowledge is power. Once you know and understand the difference, it's hard to go back to buying the "other" stuff.

Organic foods are more expensive but it's about making choices that work for your budget and lifestyle. I love her post about the "Dirty Dozen" and the "Clean 15" because it basically told me which foods are more important to buy organic and which ones don't matter as much.

This Pineapple Sorbet recipe comes from her. It's refreshing, tasty, and most importantly non-fat. Did anyone else just realize that summer is seriously almost here? Let's pause a moment while I freak out.

You can cube up your pineapple and save the shell to serve it in!

My pineapple was super ripe and juicy so I hardly had to add any sugar to sweeten it.

Pineapple Sorbet
Source: That Organic Girl

Ingredients:

1/2 Organic Pineapple (about 2 cups)

4 to 8 Tablespoons of Sugar (the more ripe your pineapple is, the less sugar you will need)

1/2 Cup of Water

small squeeze of fresh lemon slice (optional)

Instructions:

Cut up 1/2 fresh Organic Pineapple into cubes (see Note) and place in a quality food processor or blender. Add the sugar, lemon juice, water and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a covered freezer safe container and freeze for at least 1-2 hours.

Remove the mixture from the freezer. At this point if you have an ice cream maker begin using it now and follow manufacturers instructions.

Don't worry, if you don't have an ice cream maker then pour the Pineapple Sorbet back into blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Once that is done, spoon the sorbet into the final container you wish to freeze it in. Put back into freezer for 5 hours.

Note: To jazz it up a bit, save the "shells" of the pineapple by cutting the pineapple in half lengthwise, then cut cubes like you would an avocado. Use a grapefruit spoon and scoop out the pineapple. Freeze the shells and use them as the final container to freeze the sorbet in.

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries and Mother's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:15:00 +0000

I always have mixed emotions on Mother's Day. It's a beautiful day to celebrate and recognize all that moms do. I'm so grateful to be a mother but always feel like there's room for improvement on my part. My own mother is amazing and I can only hope to be half the mom she is.

But then I'm also very sensitive to those who are future moms or want to be moms and can't. Then I think of those, like my nephew, who have moms in heaven watching over them. I'm torn the whole day.

My husband always spoils me on Mother's Day.

He ordered these live lobsters that showed up a day early. So we had to eat them a day early so they didn't die...before we killed them.

We let the kids play with them first.

I know you shouldn't play with your food but the kids have been begging us for a dog and this was our compromise.

After we did a little BTR (build-the-relationship), I couldn't bring myself to cook them. I made my husband do it.

Baby Gracie checking out the grass while the boys fished.

Mother Nature was celebrating Mother's Day too. These baby birds just hatched in our Bougainvillea. Every time I peek my head in they open their mouths for food.

The best part about the day was that my husband cooked dinner. Steaks, crab cakes, potatoes au gratin, and these cheesecake stuffed strawberries that I've seen all over Pinterest. Our strawberries were the size of small apples! In case you want the recipe...it's below.

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
Source: The Sweets Life

Ingredients:
1 lb large strawberries
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3-4 Tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 - 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

Instructions:
1. Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top and clean out with a paring knife, if necessary (some of them are hollow already. Prep all of the strawberries and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or Ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill the strawberries with cheesecake mixture.
3. Once strawberries are filled, sprinkle or dip the tops with graham cracker crumbs. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Sat, 12 May 2012 21:08:00 +0000

As Mother Day approaches I've been thinking about my mom and what I would make her for Mother's day if I lived by her. Whenever we go to a restaurant together and the waiter takes our order, my mom always pretends she's still looking and tells me to order first. I go ahead and order then the waiter turns to my mom and asks, "What will you have tonight?"

"I'll have what she's having," she says with a smirk and motions my way.

Every. Single. Time.

She's the little sister I never had. (Love you mom!)

My mother-in-law, on the other hand, is easy. I could look at any menu and guarantee I know what she will order. If there's a creamy seafood dish on the menu...bam...that's it.

This creamy shrimp and mushroom pasta is just what Sheri would like. Except she might like double the sauce but it tasted great this way as well. This came together really fast so if by chance you are cooking for your mom tomorrow and have no idea what to cook, here you go. It's looks gourmet and impressive even though it's easy.

I accidentally left the tails on my shrimp which isn't a big deal but is a little more work when you're eating. Don't be like me, remember to take your tails off or buy them that way.

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta
Source: adapted from Chaos in the Kitchen
Makes: about 3-4 servings

Ingredients:
4-6 ounces fettuccine or linguine
10 Tablespoons butter, divided
8 ounces fresh, sliced mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (you can substitute 1 teaspoon dried basil if that's all you have)
2/3 cup boiling water (reserved from your noodle pot)
1 pound cooked shrimp, tail off

Instructions:
1. Boil and generously salt a large pot of water and cook your pasta according to the package directions. If you like your pasta loaded with toppings lean towards 4 ounces of pasta or cook 6 ounces if you like moderate toppings.

2. While your pasta is cooking, cook your shrimp if they are raw for a couple of minutes in a pan or until pink.

3. In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat and saute mushrooms until soft and brown. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Reserve cooked mushrooms and melt remaining butter in the skillet. Add minced garlic, cream cheese, and herbs. At this point, the cream cheese will look scary and lumpy. Don't worry, it will smooth out later when we add the water.

5. Simmer cream cheese mixture until well blended. Get a scoop (2/3 cup) of boiling pasta water from your noodle pot and mix it in, stirring quickly to smooth out the sauce.

6. Keep sauce hot and add shrimp and mushrooms, mix well and simmer (stirring often) until everything is hot and thickened, about 5-6 minutes.

7. Toss sauce with cooked noodles and serve.

Monster Cookie Dough Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Thu, 10 May 2012 03:40:00 +0000

Wow. Honestly...that's all I can say.

They say a person's true character is revealed by what he does when no one is watching...

I guess I'm a self-indulgent, ravenous Monster.

A Monster Cookie Dough Dip eating fool...

I made this dip around lunch time and could not stop eating it. I ate so much I just decided to call it lunch. Hey...peanut butter has protein in it.

I managed to save a little but for my husband to try after he came home from golfing.

My husband, the personification of self-control said, "Why can't I stop eating this?!!"

You can customize it to be thinner like an actual dip or thicker like cookie dough which is how I like it. Serve it will graham crackers, apples, pretzels, or just a spoon (again...how I like it).

Monster Cookie Dough Dip

Source: slightly adapted from Something Swanky

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter, slightly softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups rolled oats, old fashioned or quick (see Note)
2/3 cup plain M&Ms (give or take)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter until smooth.
2. Add in the powdered sugar, brown sugar, flour, and vanilla.
3. Using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer or just a wooden spoon, mix in the oats. You may want to use more or less here. I really like the oats in it and a thicker dip so I added a lot. Remember that the dip will also firm up a bit in the fridge.
4. Add the M&Ms and chocolate chips.
5. Store in the refrigerator until serving. Serve with pretzels, graham crackers, or apple slices. You can dip or spread this depending on how thick you made your dip. Try not to eat it all like I did!
6. Note: You can use more or less oats to adjust the thickness of your dip. If you use quick oats you might use less since it's finer and will make the dough thicker.

Chicken In Basil Cream Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Sun, 06 May 2012 13:23:00 +0000

My husband took my boys on an overnight camping trip for our church's father-and-sons outing leaving me home alone with my baby girl. I can't remember the last time I was alone in my house. It was a little weird. The house felt so quiet. I guess the quiet was an early Mother's Day present.

I was stuck in between wanting to do a million things I needed to get done and just lounging on the couch doing absolutely nothing. The house was begging to be cleaned so I did that first and it actually stayed clean for more than ten minutes. I soaked the cleanliness in for a while then Gracie and I headed out shopping.

It was a much needed break from the marathon of responsibilities as a mother. It gave me a chance to recharge and the distance made me miss my boys. They came back reeking of campfire smoke with remnants of s'mores smeared on their clothes and their smiling faces. I asked them what their favorite part about camping was and they said seeing an alligator while canoeing. True story...yikes.

They're funny. I missed them.

I would love if someone made this chicken for me for Mother's Day (*wink*). The chicken all by itself is go-ood. But I guarantee that you will be licking this creamy sun-dried tomato basil sauce off your plate.

Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce

Source: adapted from Allrecipes

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup dried Italian bread crumbs

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

3 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic (1/2 teaspoon minced)

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Ingredients:

Place milk and bread crumbs in separate, shallow bowls. Make sure your chicken breasts are thin. I usually buy chicken from Costco and the breasts are really thick so I fillet each breast in half lengthwise so they are thinner. You can also pound your breasts with a meat mallet to make them thinner.

In skillet, heat butter to medium heat. Dip chicken in milk, then coat with crumbs. Cook chicken in butter, on both sides, until juices run clear (about 10 minutes). Remove and keep warm.

Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds over medium heat. Add the chicken broth to the skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and stir to loosen browned bits from pan. Stir in cream and sun-dried tomatoes; boil and stir for 1 minute. Reduce heat.

Add Parmesan cheese, basil and pepper. Stir sauce and cook until heated through. Remember that for a thicker sauce all you have to do is cook it longer. I like my sauce on the thick side so I cooked it for a while (3-5 minutes).

Serve chicken with sauce poured over the top.

White Texas Sheet Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Thu, 03 May 2012 18:17:00 +0000

I'm in a bit of an identity crisis. Remember when I felt like I was meant to be Greek? Well I also feel deep down that I'm a Texan at heart.

A Greek Texan...it could happen.

And no, I've never actually lived there but from what I hear, I would fit in.

Everything's BIG in Texas and this girl loves huge trucks, tall men (my husband's 6'6"), and big furniture.

And the HAIR! Anyone who knows me knows I'm a little obsessed with BIG hair. The bigger the better. Big hair is hard and next to impossible to achieve in the humidity of Florida, but I try. I curl and tease the crap out of it. But I always want it bigger. Bigger is better, right?

I haven't quite mastered the draawwl, but Texas, oh Texas - I'll come home someday.

Until then, I'll turn to food as I usually do and make Texas themed food to make me feel at "home". I love the traditional chocolate Texas Sheet Cake but this buttery white sheet cake has been calling to me for months. I've had it bookmarked at Life as a Lofthouse forever. It has almond flavoring but you could use vanilla as well. It would be pretty with some sprinkles on it or just plain.

White Texas Sheet Cake

Source: AllRecipes via Life as a Lofthouse

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup water
2 cups all-purpose four
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup milk
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium saucepan bring butter and water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large bowl add flour and sugar and mix. Then add in eggs, sour cream, extract, baking soda and salt. Slowly pour in the boiling butter/water mixture. Stir with a spatula until well combined and smooth. No need to use an electric mixer. Batter will be very thin.

Pour into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Your cake will be flat and not very tall (it's a sheet cake). Cool for about 10 minutes. You still want your cake a little warm when you add the frosting so that it spreads well.

For the frosting: In a large saucepan, combine butter and milk. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, and then stir in the powdered sugar and extract. Stir until smooth and all combined. Spread immediately over warm cake. Decorate cake with sprinkles, if desired.

Ranch Roasted Red Potatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 20:49:00 +0000

My husband's friends often come over to go fishing on our little boat in the water behind our house. It seems like it's always around dinner time so I usually invite them over for dinner afterwards and sometimes they stay and sometimes they don't. But I always try to have some items on hand that I can fix quickly to add some bulk and variety to our dinner just in case. That's how these potatoes came about.

I quickly scanned Pinterest for a red potato recipe to make a filler for our dinner and spotted these. They took less than 5 minutes to prep. They're roasted with a dry ranch seasoning mix. I'm not much of a potato girl and I loved these perfectly seasoned potatoes. Super easy and inexpensive!

Ranch Roasted Potatoes

Source: adapted from LaaLoosh

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 lbs red potatoes, washed and quartered

1 (.4 ounce) packet Ranch salad dressing and dry seasoning mix

Olive oil cooking spray or olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl add potatoes and spray lightly with the cooking spray or drizzle with a little olive oil if you don't have olive oil cooking spray. Then, add in the Ranch dressing mix and salt. Toss well to coat each potato piece evenly.

Line a baking sheet with foil or spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Pour potatoes onto the baking sheet and spread out potatoes evenly.

Bake in oven until potatoes are cooked through, and edges start to turn very dark brown, approximately 20-25 minutes. To check to see if they are done, pierce one of the larger pieces of potato with a fork to see if it is soft.

Serve immediately.

Double Decker Taco Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:32:00 +0000

Remember these Lasagna Cupcakes, well here's the Mexican version of those.

Wonton wrappers make for perfectly sized pasta squares that can be layered in muffin tins with taco meat, beans, cheese, and crushed chips.

Seriously yummy, cute, and super fast.

I'm posting these over at Tablespoon today in honor of the Munchies which are the People's Choice Food Awards.

Brownie Pudding

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 14:51:00 +0000

On April 20th my son had his 5th birthday. April 20th doesn't have the best track record. The day has a history of events like the Columbine shootings, National Pot Smoking Day, and Hitler's birthday to just list a few.

I like to think that my beautiful son being born on that day was heaven's way of evening the score.

My son takes after me because he loves chocolate just as much as I do, if not more. For his birthday party with his friends he really wanted to pick out a cake at the store. Ugh. I wanted to make this Brownie Pudding that my friend Jenn told me about, so it was the perfect excuse for us to make it for my chocolate lovin' son at home on his birthday.

I don't know if Brownie pudding is the best name for it. It's more like Brownie Crack. The top has a hard layer that I let my son "crack" with a big spoon. Inside is a gooey, chewy center.

There was a man was on my neighbor's roof pressuring cleaning it when we were in the backyard "cracking" and eating this dessert. I'm not sure if he was staring in horror or jealously as we went to town on it, but he definitely kept staring. Not my best moment and to have a stranger witness my lack of self control, even worse.

You must eat this with a scoop of ice cream or some fresh whipped cream. It's really rich but worth every calorie.

Brownie Pudding

Source: Ina Garten via my friend Jenn Neville

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup good cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter a 2-quart (9 by 12 by 2-inch) oval baking dish or a 9x13 baking dish. Note: You will need a slightly bigger dish to place this dish in while you cook it with a water bath so keep that in mind. I placed a 9x13 inside a 15X17 baking dish.

Melt the 2 sticks (1 cup) of butter and set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside (I'm very guilty of never sifting).

When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla, and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined.

Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. A cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out 3/4 clean. The center will appear very under-baked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding.
Allow to cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 02:57:00 +0000

It's starting. Florida is beautiful in the early months of the year. So beautiful that when I'm running I often pull out my phone and try to capture the gorgeous scene in front of me. But we're just rounding the corner where the warm sunshine turns into hot, sticky, why-did-I-even-shower-today heat.

The neighborhood boys are starting to trickle into our house everyday. I'm not sure if it's the Otter Pops or the guaranteed game of tag awaiting that lures them in, but every afternoon it seems like my house is filled with a gaggle of boys who smell like little puppy dogs from running around the yard.

Or maybe since I already have three boys, they just multiply out of thin air like Sea Monkeys.

Yep. That's definitely it.

Warmer weather means swimsuit season. Ugh.

We eat really healthy around here but then my husband will show up with not one, but two pieces of Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake at 10:00 at night. But that's secretly one of the reasons why I love him.

We don't eat a ton of shrimp, but it's a great way to switch it up and a good source of lean protein. This Cilantro Lime Shrimp is really good and can literally be made in under 5 minutes. We ate ours over salad with lots of homemade pico de gallo. This shrimp would be excellent over this Cilantro Lime Rice but that would defeat it's low calorie-ness.

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Source: adapted slightly from SkinnyTaste

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 pounds fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 lime
salt and pepper

Instructions:
Heat a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add oil to the pan, when the oil is hot add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper. When the shrimp is cooked on one side, about 2 minutes, turn over and add the garlic and red pepper flakes.

Sauté another minute or two until shrimp is cooked and pink, careful not to overcook. Remove from heat. Squeeze lime all over shrimp and toss with cilantro.

Serve hot over rice or a salad. Makes 4 servings at 197 calories a serving.

"She's Ready to Pop" Baby Shower...

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:33:00 +0000

This past weekend I threw a "She's Ready to Pop" shower for my friend Alison. Thanks to my friend Crystal for the idea! First I made sure Alison was okay with the theme since I was a little sensitive about my "ready to pop"ness when I was pregnant.

...But Alison's probably the smallest pregnant woman I know, so she was okay with it. Did I mention this is her fourth child? She looks great! Alison is one of those genuine, salt of the earth type people that I'm lucky to have as a friend.

(Kim, Alison, me)

My friend Kim had just thrown a baby shower with a similar theme so I picked her brain for ideas. Of course if you're going to have a "She's Ready to Pop" theme, you have to make food that goes along with it.

We had a sweets table made up of all "Things That Pop". I know cake pops are the obvious here but I didn't make them because I'm not a huge fan.

And to balance all that sugar out, some savory "Things That Pop". I had to get a little creative with the savory food. "Pop"ular was my go to for anything I couldn't figure out a name for. My friend Lynda brought this "Pop"ular Cheese Ball.

These were the cutest. Cookies with a "POP" of milk.

Of course these Oreo Truffle Pops were one of the first things to go.

Kim made these Mini Blow "POP Martinis. She found little martini glasses and filled them with Sprite. Unwrap your blow pop and stick it in. The blow pop colors and flavors the drink. Genius!!

We had a great time. We even had a table with a bow making station to make a bow for her baby. I didn't get any pics because I was too busy mingling and eating.

The Sweets

A candy stand with Blow Pops, Ring Pops, and Pop Rocks

Oreo Truffle Pops

Fruit Pops

Cake Batter Rice Crispie Pops

Cookies with a "POP" of milk (I made small versions of these cookies)

Cinnabon popcorn

The Food

"Pop"ular Cheese Ball

Orzo Salad with "Pop"s of Color

Spinach Salad with Poppyseed dressing

Mushroom Poppers

Ham and Cheese Poppyseed Sliders

The Drinks:

Pop

Water

Mini Blow Pop Martinis (non-alcoholic)

Grilled Caprese Sandwich

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 01:25:00 +0000

How was your Easter? Easter was a week long holiday for us filled with what seemed like an egg hunt everyday. We attended our city egg hunt on Saturday and it was unbelievably crowded. In all the madness all we had to show for it was a sad half of a plastic pink egg. It was a bust. I didn't feel too bad because my kids scored plenty of candy in their other hunts that week. Total sugar overload to say the least.

Saturday afternoon, after a sugar induced hyper-hypo misbehaving episode by my kids, my husband told them he was shooting the Easter bunny and that he wasn't coming the next day.

Aren't we nice parents?

It's really our fault for letting them eat their candy at full throttle. Next year, I'll be extra careful to ~~eat~~ confiscate their candy and ration it out.

I recently ordered a panini press and when I received it, the instruction pamphlet had a picture of what looked like a Caprese salad stuffed in a sandwich. I love caprese salad and the thought of tomato, fresh mozzarella, and basil all melted and gooey in a sandwich sounded delicious. Tomorrow is National Grilled Cheese Day and this is my way of celebrating.

So I tried it. It was good but was missing something. Garlic? More basil? I immediately made another one with a dollop of basil pesto inside and it was perfect. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar on the outside is all you need to make this out of this world.

Grilled Caprese Sandwich

Makes 1 sandwich

Ingredients:

2 slices sliced Italian bread, French bread, or sourdough bread

2 slices of a fresh mozzarella cheese, about 1/4 inch thick (you can find fresh mozzarella balls in your speciality cheese section of your grocery store)

2 slices of tomato, about 1/4 inch thick

2 basil leaves

2 teaspoons basil pesto

olive oil or butter

salt and pepper

balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

Heat your skillet to medium high heat or heat your panini press. Brush the outside of your bread with olive oil or butter. Flip over and spread about 1 teaspoon of basil pesto on the inside of each slice of bread.

Place your mozzarella slices on top of the pesto on one piece of bread. Next, layer your tomato slices and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Top with the basil leaves and your other piece of bread.

Cook sandwiches in a pan or panini press for a 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and the mozzarella has melted. Serve with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar on the side or over the top.

My Easter Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 03:48:00 +0000

Sorry, that you're subject to my late night cravings right now. My friend is having us over for Easter dinner this year so I'm actually only making these Loaded Mashed Potatoes and Lion House Rolls to bring to her house.

I'm so glad I'm not cooking the entire Easter dinner because my dishwasher is still broken. And no, I'm not referring to myself as the dishwasher.

But if I was planning on cooking brunch and Easter dinner from start to finish, here are some dishes from my blog that definitely would be in the running:

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Overnight French Toast Casserole

Broccoli Blue Cheese Bake

Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Lion House Rolls

Italian Pound Cake

Carrot Cake

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

And in case you want a cute roll recipe, check out these Easter Bunny Buns I posted over at Tablespoon.

Lemon Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 03:21:00 +0000

We headed to the west coast of Florida for my husband's work function for the last leg our vacation. We spent a week in Naples and after the first night trying to go to bed with four kids in one small hotel room, I told myself I was going home. It was one of the worst nights of sleep I've had and as a mother of a newborn, that's saying a lot.

But the next day we played hard at the beach and pool, and from that night on everyone hit their pillows with a resounding nod of exhaustion. There's something comforting in knowing that all of my kids are safe and sound in the same room as me.

Of all the exciting things to do in Naples, the most exciting event a the day for my kids was the race down the hallway to see who could push the elevator button.

One day on the sprint to the elevator, I paused to straighten a wonky wheel on my baby stroller and before I knew it my 2 year old, who was a couple of steps in front of me, slipped through the crack of the elevator doors just as it was closing. And just like that, he was gone to heaven knows where.

My first reaction was to chuckle to myself, making a mental note that yes, he definitely was my naughtiest kid and just proved it.

And then the horror...the "holy crap what just happened?!" took over and I realized how bad the situation was. The elevators in the hotel were in clusters of four, so with eleven floors that meant my son had at least 44 possible ways he could be lost.

All I could think was 44 reasons why I would not be Mother of the Year (not that I was ever in the running). My husband stayed to track the elevator my son was on while I immediately jumped on the elevator behind me down to 1st floor since I knew that was my son's favorite button to push.

The stupid elevator kept stopping at every floor for people to get on with me impatiently pushing the door close button as soon as they loaded. This was looking bad. I finally made it to the first floor and there was no sign of him. Curses.

By the time I made it back up to our floor, my husband had the little devil. Luckily, a nice man on the elevator had watched the whole thing happen and brought our son back down to us. What could have seriously been a horrible scenario, ended with a happy ending.

My friend Brittany told me about these lemon bars on an early morning run together. Ironically food is often a topic of conversation during my runs. She gave me the recipe and told me I would eat the whole pan.

Not me, the poster child of self control. *cough*

I ate half the pan.

But then my husband ate the other half and I didn't feel as bad.

Lemon Bars

Source: Brittany from Seriously So Cute

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

3 cups flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar

For the filling:

2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons flour
4 eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper (for easier removal) or spray it with cooking spray.

For the crust, combine butter, flour, and powdered sugar until combined. You can use a food processor or mixer for this until it comes together. It may seem dry at first but it will come together. Press into the bottom of the pan and bake for 13-15 minutes.

For the filling, mix the sugar, baking powder, flour, eggs, and lemon juice until combined. Beat for 2-3 minutes. Poor over crust and bake for 23-25 minutes or until filling is set. Remove from oven and let cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar for serving.

Store in the refrigerator. Before serving remove from fridge for about 10 minutes to let the crust soften. Makes about 20 bars.

Broccoli Blue Cheese Bake

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:23:00 +0000

We've been on vacation for three weeks. Three weeks! We've had fun but we're glad to be home living in our piles of laundry. And did I mention that my dishwasher is broken? It's amazing how I take modern technology for granted but I really cannot wait to get that thing fixed.

Our first stop was in Colorado to hit the slopes. I've always thought I was pretty coordinated until I married my husband who is freakishly good at everything from Words with Friends to wakeboarding. Snowboarding is the one thing we can do together that I can actually hang with him on. Of course he's really good at that too...but now with a family and job, he's not pulling any Shaun White type jumps. Here's an ice castle we took the family to...

I'm still nursing so I boarded half a day at Copper Mountain while my MIL and SIL Kristy (Sweet Treats and More), watched my baby for me. Does anyone else get anxiety every single time they get off the lift? I'm so scared I'm going to fall and be THAT person that they have to stop the entire lift for.

We had good intentions to eat healthy. We did p90x in the morning...and then it was a downward spiral from there ending with Taffy truffles at night while playing cards. Dang you Kristy for making those!

This broccoli blue cheese bake isn't exactly healthy but is a great side dish for those broccoli lovers like me. The broccoli is combined with a creamy sauce and topped with buttery Ritz crackers. I asked my husband to guess what kind of cheese was in this and he couldn't put his finger on it. So the blue cheese flavor isn't terribly strong; it just adds flavor and richness. This would be a great side dish for Easter.

Broccoli Blue Cheese Bake
Source: Kittencal's Kitchen

Ingredients:
4 cups fresh small broccoli florets
2 tablespoons butter
1-2 large garlic cloves, minced (if you love garlic use 2 cloves)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbled (for a milder blue cheese flavor reduce to 1/3 cup)
1 cup milk or light cream
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups Ritz butter cracker crumbs (a little shy of two sleeves of crackers)
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a medium cooking dish with cooking spray.

Steam broccoli florets until firm but tender for about 2-3 minutes. I put my broccoli in a microwave safe bowl with 2 inches of water and microwaved it for 3 minutes. Drain well then pat dry with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible.

In a large saucepan melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat; add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and stir for 1 minute.

Add the cream cheese, blue cheese and milk or cream; stir over low heat until melted and smooth then stir in the broccoli florets.

In a bowl combine the cracker crumbs with 6 tablespoons melted butter until well combined. Remove 1 cup of the cracker mixture and stir it into the broccoli mixture. Season with black pepper.
Transfer mixture into a casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining cracker crumbs. Return to oven and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 4-5 servings.

Chocolate Covered Bacon...Man Candy

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 04:04:00 +0000

Chocolate covered bacon...yum or ew?

I thought it could go either way. But it's yum. Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum.

Let's call it Man Candy. How could salty crisp bacon dipped in gooey milk chocolate not draw the men in? Or anyone for that matter.

My husband thought it tasted like a Heath bar? What???

It's the perfect little snack for March Madness. Whether your enduring it...or actually enjoying the games...

You can dip just half of your bacon strip in the chocolate or use a fork to dunk it all the way.

It's amazing how melted chocolate draws the kids into the kitchen.

No man....NO MAN, will complain that their chocolate covered bacon doesn't look pretty enough. But if they do, drizzle some white chocolate on it and then don't give him any anyway because he doesn't deserve it for complaining. :)

Chocolate Covered Bacon

Source: slightly adapted from Down Home With the Neely's

Ingredients:

16 slices applewood smoked bacon, thick cut

12 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate, chopped

4 ounces white chocolate or almond bark, chopped

Instructions:

Cook bacon until crisp. You can either cook it in a pan on the stove until crisp or on a foil lined pan in the oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Place cooked bacon on paper towels to drain and cool. Cut each bacon strip in half.

Melt your semi-sweet/milk chocolate. You can either melt it in a double boiler or in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval. You can add about a teaspoon of shortening to thin out the chocolate even more if you want a thinner consistency. Whisk until completely smooth.

Lay the bacon on a fork and dunk the bacon into the semisweet chocolate and make sure it is completely coated. Gently tap the fork against the side of the bowl letting the excess drip off and lay on a parchment or waxed paper lined quarter sheet tray. Repeat with all the bacon slices.

Melt the white chocolate/almond bark in the microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Be careful not to heat it too much or it will seize. Drizzle over the chocolate covered bacon. Put the sheet tray in the refrigerator to set, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the sheet tray to a serving dish and serve.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:09:00 +0000

We've been eating a whole lot of chicken, fish, and veggies at our house lately. When my 7 year old son asked what was for dinner last night and I told him grilled chicken and broccoli, he about started crying. I wanted to join him. I realized we needed a little break from the same old and started browsing the Internet.

Last time I was in a major dinner rut I stumbled upon this Taco Pasta and heard nothing but praises at the dinner table. It was then that I decided the marriage of Mexican and Italian needed to happen again. Stuffed shells with a Mexican twist? Bingo. I love these Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells...but these Mexican Stuffed Shells are WAY easier and better for a busy day.

These were just what I was hoping they would be.

After you cook your pasta shells place them on a baking sheet so that don't stick in one big glob at the bottom of your colander. Ahem...guilty here.

After you stuff your shells with the meat mixture, pour some taco sauce on top. I used both mild salsa and taco sauce in this recipe because my kids were eating and they allergic to spicy...so they say.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Source: The Way to His Heart

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey)

1 package low-sodium taco seasoning
4 ounces cream cheese
20 jumbo pasta shells
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup Monterrey jack cheese

For toppings:

3 green onions

Sour cream

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

In a pan brown the ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Stir together and mix well. Set aside and cool completely.

While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to package directions; drain. Set shells out individually on cutting board or baking sheet so that they don’t stick together.

Pour salsa on bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Stuff each shell with 1-2 tablespoons of the meat mixture. Place shells in 9×13 pan open side up. Evenly cover shells with taco sauce. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes with the foil removed. Top with green onions or olives if desired. Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa.

Oreo Lovin'

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 03:21:00 +0000

"Oreo, Eoh-ah; Oreo, Eoh-ah....". Was anyone else convinced that the witch's guards in the movie The Wizard of Oz were chanting "Oreo"?!! I've always thought the movie producers had an underlying deal with the Oreo people.

Today is Oreo's 100th birthday. I can't imagine my life without Oreos. That may seem a little dramatic but if you haven't noticed, food is a big part of my life. I find myself having to pull back the reigns on the number of recipes Oreo recipes I post here.

Here's to you...Oreo.

Oreo Pudding Cookies

Oreo Truffles

Mini Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes

Oreo Cheesecake Ice Cream

Oreo Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies

Cookies and Cream Brownies

Chocolate Mint Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:26:00 +0000

I love chocolate and mint together. I have a Mint Brownie recipe from my college days but these brownies have a super thick mint filling and a thick chocolate layer on top of that. They're rich but that didn't stop me from eating more than I should. The recipe itself is easy but each layer does need time to set up so plan accordingly.

Laundry Mondays are perfect for these. Make the brownies...do a load of laundry. Make the filling...fold the laundry (I hate this part). You get the picture...

You could make them plain for any other occasion but I decided to dress mine up for St. Patty's.

My husband liked them chilled but I like them after they've sat out of the fridge for about 15 minutes so they're nice and soft.

Chocolate Mint Brownies

Source: BettyCrocker

Makes 20 brownies

Ingredients:
Brownie Base: (or make a homemade brownie base)
1 box (1 lb 2.4 oz) Betty Crocker Original Supreme Premium brownie mix
Water, vegetable oil and egg called for on brownie mix box

Filling:

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons butter, softened

3 tablespoons whipping cream

2 oz cream cheese, softened

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon mint extract

2 drops green food color

Topping:

1/3 cup whipping cream
1 1/3 cups (8 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup butter (do not use margarine)

Optional: green gumdrops

Instructions:

1) Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of 9-inch square pan with shortening or cooking spray. (For easier cutting, line pan with foil, then grease foil on bottom only of pan.) Make and bake brownie mix as directed on box. Cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours

2) In large bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread over cooled brownies. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until set.

3) 3 Meanwhile, in 2-quart nonstick saucepan, heat topping ingredients over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Cool about 10 minutes or until lukewarm.

4) Pour topping over filling; spread to cover. Refrigerate uncovered about 2 hours or until set. Before cutting into bars, let stand 10-15 minutes at room temperature. Use a wet knife for easier cutting making sure to wipe knife between each cut so that you have clean lines. For bars, cut into 5 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

For the Gumdrop Shamrocks: I used 2 1/4 green gumdrops for each brownie. Cut 2 gumdrops in half for the four leaf clovers and cut one gumdrop in fourths and use 1/4 for the stem.

Cake Batter Muddy Buddies

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:09:00 +0000

I have a hard time saying no. You know when you're at the grocery store checking out and they ask if you want to donate money to a charity, I can't say no. Even though sometimes it's my third trip to the store that day (I always seem to forget one thing on my list).

Although we donate through our church, I feel like I get a judgemental stare from the checker if I say no. Like as she's scanning she's subconsciously thinking, "Look at this girl, buying all these groceries and she can't give $3 to those in need?" So, I just avoid it all together and say yes every time.

But it doesn't stop there.

"Do you want to buy five boxes of Girl Scout cookies?" Yes.
"Will you watch my five kids for the weekend (when I'm nine months pregnant)?" Sure.
"Can you make 400 cookies for the school fundraiser?" No problem.

It's like I literally can't control the words from coming out of my mouth.

And honestly, I don't mind saying yes half the time - especially the Girl Scout cookie part. But the other half, I probably need to take a moment and evaluate what's realistic and what will make me lose my every lovin' mind.

I really tried not to make these cake batter muddy buddies.

I really wanted to say NO to these.

Last time I spent all day in the kitchen coming up with something cake batter flavored - these Cake Batter Truffles, I earned myself a month in the gym and was literally sick from taste testing trying to get it all just right. I knew these Cake Batter Muddy Buddies would be just as addicting.

I saw them first here, but before I could get to making them I saw them all over Pinterest by Chef n' Training. So I thought...eh...I'll just skip this one and the number it will do on my waistline.

But then I couldn't stop thinking about how I needed these. Yes, I'm glad I did. Yes, because they really are fabulous.

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My grocery store only sells Almond bark around Christmas, but both Target and Walmart had it by their chocolate chips. You'll want to add the sprinkles here when you add your almond bark so they stick to the cereal.

My only issue with this recipe was that I had a TON of cake mix/powdered sugar left over. So the only logical thing was to make another batch. I adjusted the measurements in the recipe below for one batch. But just in case you want to double it, one box of Rice Chex happens to be just enough for a double batch.

You could use any flavor of cake mix, but I think yellow has the strongest cake batter flavor. That may all be in my head, but that's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

Once you add the cake mix to the almond bark covered Chex mix, put it in a covered container or a large bag and shake it like a Polaroid picture. This is a great recipe to get your kids in the kitchen with you shaking and stirring.

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Cake Batter Muddy Buddies

Source: slightly adapted from So Very Blessed and Chef n' Training

Makes 5 cups

Ingredients:
5 cups Rice Chex cereal
10 ounces (5 squares) vanilla flavored Almond Bark

3/4 cup yellow cake mix

1/4 cup powdered sugar

colored sprinkles

vegetable shortening, optional

Instructions:

1. Pour 5 cups of Chex Cereal into a large bowl.
2. Melt Almond Bark according to the package directions, adding vegetable shortening to thin if desired.
3. Pour Almond Bark over cereal, stirring and folding until the cereal is completely covered. Generously shake sprinkles over mixture and fold them in as well. so they stick to the Almond Bark.
4. In a large bag or covered container such as Tupperware, put cake mix and powdered sugar and shake to mix evenly.
5. Pour the Almond Bark covered cereal into the large bag or container containing cake mix and powdered sugar. Seal the bag or container and shake until all the cereal is coated with the powdered mixture.
6. Discard excess powder and enjoy!

Banana Stuffed French Toast

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:28:00 +0000

I was blessed with a really good memory when it comes to names. For example, I can name everyone in my kindergarten class along with a random fact about each person. Somehow I continued to accurately fill the slots in this computer brain of mine over the years with dates, names, and people.

Now...on any given day, I automatically start spewing the birthdays and anniversaries of random people from my past.

But...then I had kids. And they sucked the brain cells out of my head. I'm lucky if I can remember their names.

When I do something like book a flight for the wrong day or forget where I hid birthday presents, my husband will say, "Honey, your poor brain."

Because he knew me as the girl who could remember his cousin's best friend's boyfriend and the names of everyone that came to our wedding...from his side.

The good news is that anything I had stored in my brain before kids, is still there. And I can still access it when I'm back in my hometown at Cafe Rio and run into half of my high school. Even if we weren't friends, I probably know your name and your birthday. But it's not really something I'll let on, because from experience I found it freaks people out when you know everything about them when you hardly know them. It comes off a bit stalkerish, I guess.

I still remember this stuffed banana french toast on an episode of Down Home with the Neelys on the Food Network back in 2008. I was drooling the whole time. You've got to smell this one cooking. Unbelieveable.

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Cook the bananas with brown sugar and butter. Add some cream cheese and then stuff it inside a thick piece of French bread that has a slit cut in it. I actually used challah bread because my bakery was out of French bread. I prefer French bread because it holds up better.

Then the stuffed bread is soaked in an egg/milk mixture that is seasoned with cinnamon and rum extract.

Bake it off in the oven for a perfectly crisp french toast with a gooey filling inside.

Banana Stuffed French Toast

Source: Down Home With the Neelys

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup light brown sugar

Pinch ground cinnamon

3 ripe bananas, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 large unsliced loaf French bread, bread cut into 8 slices that are about 2 inches thick (See Note)

4 large eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups whole milk

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon rum extract

Nonstick cooking spray

Confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Maple syrup, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Once butter is melted add the brown sugar and pinch of cinnamon. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts into the butter and becomes a sauce. Add bananas and toss together. Let cook until the bananas are soft and incorporated into the sauce. Remove to a bowl and let cool completely. Once cool, add cream cheese and mash lightly with a wooden spoon.

Using a paring knife, cut a 2-inch-long slits in 1 side of each bread slice (or croissant), cutting 3/4 of way through bread and creating pocket that leaves 3 sides of bread intact. Divide banana mixture equally among the bread pockets.

In a large bowl, add eggs, heavy cream, milk, cinnamon and rum and whisk to combine. Pour mixture into a 13 by 9-inch casserole dish. Put the bread into the egg mixture and let soak for 3 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove the bread from egg mixture, using a spatula, letting the excess drain off.

Spray a wire rack with nonstick spray and put the rack on a baking sheet. Put the bread on the rack and transfer to the oven.

Bake the French toast until it is golden brown and filling is hot, about 25 minutes. Transfer the toast on a serving platter and garnish with confectioners' sugar and maple syrup.

Note: I like the suggestion that Heather mentioned. She said croissants are amazing in this recipe.

Olive Garden $100 Gift Card Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:58:00 +0000

This giveaway is closed and a winner has been chosen!

Congrats Tara Pittman.

Let’s just say I’ve been a little terrified to venture out to eat now that we have four kids. Our two year old is a ticking time bomb anywhere we go, and my six week old baby wants to eat all the time. Sure we’ve hit up the fast food joints, but I was craving some really good food and wanted to eat in a place that didn’t smell like feet. My husband’s parents were in town visiting so with man-on- man coverage we figured we could handle it. A little apprehensive about our first outing to a “real” restaurant, we headed to Olive Garden, a family friendly place that pleases both kids and adults.

I knew exactly what I wanted to order. I went for the 3 Course Italian Dinner for $12.95 because we all know I like to eat. We all started off with salad and breadsticks. I think I could eat my weight in breadsticks especially when I can dip them in Olive Garden's Alfredo dipping sauce. I ordered the Smoked Mozzarella Chicken which was to die for and so big I had plenty to take home. We’re the type of family who pass around our dinner entrees so we all can try a variety of dishes, and I loved my mother-in-law’s Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo. Yum!

The best thing about Olive Garden is that their Kid’s Menu offers healthy choices such as grapes and broccoli along with pasta. My oldest son is a bottomless pit these days and was stoked when we told him we were going to Olive Garden because he knew he would actually get full.

We ended the meal with mini desserts which are really all you need after such a big meal. There are five Dolcini desserts to choose from, and I went for something other than chocolate for once. I ordered the Limoncello Mousse, and it turned out to be a good choice...creamy, light, and delicious.

Our first outing with a newborn baby girl and three crazy boys was a success. We may even try it again soon…without grandparent reinforcements.

The 3 Course Italian Dinner special is going on till March 18th and I’m craving breadsticks as we speak. The nice people at Olive Garden and BlogHer want you to enjoy their yummy food as well so they are giving away a $100 Olive Garden gift card to one of you!

To be entered for a chance to win, leave a comment telling me your favorite part of dinner at Olive Garden-breadsticks, the main course, or dessert!

Here are the rules...
Rules:
No duplicate comments.
This sweepstakes runs from 2/21/12 - 3/18/12.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment (see question above in bold)
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
Also, visit the Olive Garden page on BlogHer.com to check out the other blogger reviews and more chances to win!

Boston Cream Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:48:00 +0000

For everyone who entered the giveaway, thank you! I read every single comment and love hearing your feedback. I had a lot of comments from you saying that you were new cooks just starting out in the kitchen. This Boston Cream Pie is the perfect dessert for you because it's a semi-homemade dessert that looks impressive but really is a cinch. Usually I think from scratch recipes taste way better than the semi-homemade option but this is one of those that you really cannot tell the difference. Creamy custard mix is sandwiched between fluffy cake layers and topped with a decadent chocolate sauce.

This dessert comes from my friend Bridian who shares the same love for food and baking that I do. When I first moved to Florida I had just my oldest son and had never used a babysitter besides my family. I was super anxious when my husband had a work function and I needed a sitter. Bridian came to my rescue. She was 14 years old at the time but was used to tending and cooking for her family of eight. I called her probably five times to check on him in the two hours we were gone but of course, he was fine.

Seven years later, Bridian's off experiencing college life. We've recently been bonded by some of the same life experiences. She has quite the story. I love reading about her college life and all night baking escapades here. She's one of those people that just has a way with words and I can't stop reading. Thanks Bridian for this recipe.

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Yes, it tastes as good as it looks.

You can make this as easy or as hard as you want. You could use Cool Whip but since we're already using a boxed cake mix I thought why not use homemade whipped cream. It might seem like a lot of filling and you may feel entitled to eat it all but trust me, you're going to want all that filling in there. Gently fold it in and spread over the bottom cake layer then place the top layer on top and press down slightly.

Pour the warm chocolate glaze over the top and slightly spread it to the edges and let it drip. Hurry, because it cools quickly. I'm a chocolate girl so I might make 1.5x the chocolate next time just to make sure I have enough.

Boston Cream Pie

Source: my friend Bridian at bmor

Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 yellow cake mix (and ingredients called for on the package)

Filling:

1 cup cold milk

1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding

1 1/2 cups Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream

Chocolate Glaze: (If you want a thicker layer you could double this)

1 square unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

Instructions:
Preheat oven and prepare cake mix according to package directions. Line two 9-inch round pans with parchment paper or spray thoroughly with cooking spray. The only way you can mess up this cake is if your cake sticks to the pans so make sure that doesn't happen. Bake cake according to package directions; until golden brown and center passes the toothpick test. Once done, let cakes cool and invert on a wire rack to cool further.

Beat 1 cup of milk and pudding with a whisk or mixer for 2 minutes. Gently fold in whipped cream. Let stand 5 minutes. Stack cake layers on serving plate, spreading pudding mixture between layers.

For the glaze: Microwave chocolate and butter on high for one minute in a small microwave safe bowl. Stir until chocolate is melted. Add powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons milk; mix well until smooth. Spread over the top of the cake immediately letting drip down the sides. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Chipotle Salmon

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:43:00 +0000

For those of you who had an unexpected surprise from my site on Valentine's Day, I apologize. As I was walking into the gym my phone started blowing up with texts and calls that my site had been taked over by a porn site!

My domain expired and as a default page they had a provocatively dressed woman with links to all kinds of naughty things. My domain was set to automatically renew but the credit card they had on file was stolen last year and we had to replace it so it didn't renew. A little heads up would have been nice. It gives a whole new meaning to food porn. Yikes!

How was your Valentine's Day? We actually went out to dinner the night before with friends then had a family dinner the day of. We made pizza and sugar cookies with the kids and then John and I made steak and crab legs together all while juggling babies and kids.

For us Valentine's Day is more about spending time together and small love tokens like a homemade card or chocolate. My love language is definitely not gifts. I hear "I love you" more when does small things like untangling the cords to my blow dryer, straightener, and curling iron. Somehow after a while they get mangled into one huge mass and never find the time to undo it all.

Or when he takes the kids out on a predinner boat ride in the backyard so that me, Pandora, and Diet. Dr. Pepper can get dinner ready. Yeah, those little things make me love him just that much more.

After crab dripping in butter and a LOT of chocolate, I'm rededicated to eating healthy...again. This Chipotle Salmon is really easy and healthy. I like getting my salmon at Costco so that it's preportioned and has the skin removed. You can use your leftover adobo sauce for these or these. I made the kids without the sauce because adobo sauce is pretty spicy. The sweet and spicy combination is a great way to eat salmon. Yum!

Chipotle Salmon

Source: Weight Watchers five-ingredient 15 Minute Recipes

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons adobo sauce (see Note)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets (1 1/2 inches thick)
2 tablespoons chopped green onions

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Combine brown sugar, adobo sauce, and salt in a small bowl. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Place fish on baking sheet and brush with adobo mixture.
3. Bake at 450 degrees for 13 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Sprinkle with onions before serving. Makes 4 servings. Serving size 1 fillet.

Note: Adobo sauce comes from a can of chipotle chilies. Chipotle chilies can usually be found in the Mexican aisle. You can store the remaining chipotle chilies and sauce in an airtight container for up to one month. Also, I like to use the salmon fillets from Costco because they are prepacked into perfect serving sizes and have the skin removed.

Points Plus value: 8

Calories: 318 per serving

A Kitchen Aid Mixer or $200 Visa Giftcard Giveaway and how it all began...

noreply@blogger.com (Christy {The Girl Who Ate Everything}) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:01:00 +0000

This giveaway is now closed.

The winner is #389: Rockin Robin - "Omg! Your blog describes me to a t! I also am a girl, 47yrs young, that loves food and the comfort it brings. My motto, I'll try it at least once. Love your blog! Thanks for everything! Happy V day and have a Blessed day!"

*****************************

The beginning. People often ask why I started this blog. I've always kind of hem and hawed around the subject because the real reason wasn't probably what they were expecting to hear. I know food blogs aren't the place to talk about serious and sad things like death...but the truth is what it is.

My sister had just died and I was in Florida thousands of miles away from all my family. While my family had each other to cope, I found myself all alone grasping to find my own source of comfort. I was in the kitchen one day making this cherry cheese pie, (which my sisters and I usually gathered in the kitchen to eat with just forks; giggling, and convincing ourselves that the men didn't appreciate it like we did so we didn't have to share) when I realized something. Being in the kitchen making family recipes made me feel like my family was in my kitchen with me.

I had found my comfort.

That's how it started.

The name. I brainstormed several names for this blog but nothing stuck out in my mind. Then I was browsing books on Amazon and I ran across a book called The Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffrey Steingarten. I stopped in my tracks and said, "Oh my gosh, that's me!"

Well, except for the whole man part of course.

It got me thinking. Maybe I could be The Woman Who Ate Everything or The Lady Who Ate Everything.

Scratch that. I couldn't be the "Woman" or the "Lady". Sounds like I'm 80 years old.

Hmm. The Girl Who Ate Everything. I liked it. Summed it all up in five words.

Thank you. Thank you for reading and leaving me nice comments. Although I may cook more than the average person, I'm just a cook like you guys. And I really, really, love food just like you. Or you wouldn't be reading this.

But I'm definitely anything but gourmet. Those who have been over for dinner know that. And my poor friends are usually on the receiving end of my food experiments which are often not that great.

Thanks for stopping by, for giving me your best recipes, and for making me smile.

So on this day of love, I want to show my love for you. I'm giving away a Kitchen Aid Mixer OR if you happen to already have one, a $200 Visa Gift Card.

To Enter: Just leave a comment on this post and your email address so I can contact you. The giveaway ends Friday, February 17th, 8PM EST. One entry per person. The winner will be chosen by random.org.

Thanks for everything!