Cause I Like Food

Cause I Like Coffee Cake

2014-04-02T17:06:00.003-07:00

Scrumptious Coffee Cake with Sugar Glaze Topping

Ever stay up late at night thinking of those awesome days spent at the mall as a teenager? Better yet, the part of the mall experience when you bought a Cinnabon? Ok, perhaps it's just me.

Either way, I know everyone loves a delicious warm cinnamon roll. And this cake tastes exactly like one - but much easier to make. Trust me, this cake will be a crowd pleaser and is perfect for almost any occasion.

This cake will be a bit dense, so make sure you use a springform pan (particularly a 9-inch one that is at least 3 inches high). I baked this cake the night before a picnic and let it sit out all night long - it was a success! Therefore, I recommend letting this cake cool for at least a few hours before serving.

Ingredients:

Cake

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (half of one stick)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping (and a bit for filling)

1/2 cup unsalted soft butter

1 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Sugar Glaze

2-4 tablespoons cream (i used heavy whipping cream)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup+ confectioners' sugar, sifted is ideal

Directions:

Cake - Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a 9-inch springform pan with butter and flour. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, granulated sugar, and cream together until pale, light, and fluffy, about 3 mins on medium-high to high speed. Add the sour cream, eggs, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and beat until smooth and incorporated, about 3 mins on medium-high to high speed. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and beat until just incorporated and batter is smooth, about 1 min on medium speed. Spread batter into prepared pan. Set aside.

Topping - In a medium-microwave safe bowl, add the butter and heat until it just begins to melt, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and beat with a whisk until combined. Spread filling over the top of the cake batter in an even, smooth, flat layer, as if you're frosting a cake. Then, using a table knife, swirl back and forth to marble the filling into the cake batter, going in both directions across the top of the cake. If you swirl aggressively, it will drive the topping deeper into the cake batter, creating a filling. Place pan on a baking sheet (as insurance in case your springform pan doesn't have a perfect seal) and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until topping has set and a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Watch closely at about 35 minutes in, as the topping may have the tendency to burn near the edges. Allow cake to cool in pan and rest on baking sheet for at least an hour.

Glaze - In a medium bowl, mix cream & vanilla and whisk until combined and smooth. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar, whisking to incorporate and until smooth. Because glaze ratio may vary, add in a bit more cream if too thick. Remove cake from pan and drizzle glaze over the cake.

Eat & Enjoy!

Party Treats!

2014-03-07T16:48:00.000-08:00

Whether you're throwing a birthday party for a 5 year old, a 15 year old or a 50 year old, treats are always a fun addition. Especially when there's candy involved. And yes, sometimes there's so much to do that the thought of adding one more item to the list is overwhelming. However, these no-bake treats are easy to do!

All you need to do is add a few more ingredients to your shopping list, a half hour to put it all together and presto! You've got some bright colored fun treats at your party.

Laffy Taffy Cones

Ingredients:

3-4 bags of colored laffy taffy (I purchased mine at TJ's)

(2) 12-pack boxes of colored cones (or 1 24-pack)

Directions:

1. Open packages

2. Insert taffy into cones

3. Arrange cones on a fun platter

White Chocolate Popcorn Sprinkle Cups

Ingredients:

(2) big bags of salted popcorn (already popped - purchased at TJ's)

(2) bags of white chocolate candy melts

Rainbow sprinkles

24 Small cups

Directions:

1. Insert popcorn in a large bowl, set aside.

2. Melt white chocolate on stove or by microwave. Stove: on low heat, keep mixing the chocolate in a pot until completely melted. Microwave: in 15 second intervals, heat up the chocolate in a safe bowl until completely melted. **Once melted, chocolate will harden quickly so use right away.

3. Drizzle chocolate over popcorn in bowl.

4. Immediately after drizzling, pour sprinkles over chocolate covered popcorn.

5. Mix together and place in the fridge

TREATS = SUCCESS

White Pizza Cheese Dip

2013-03-13T16:31:00.003-07:00

DIPS. Everyone loves a good dip. And if you don't, we shouldn't be friends.

As easy as it is to run to the store and pick up a container of pre-made dip, trust me, homemade dips are SO much better. Don't get me wrong, I buy pre-made dips all the time, but making your own is so much better for a special occasion.

When my friends and I had crafts day a few weeks ago, the fatty in my wanted to make something cheesy good. That something cheesy good was this dip. I had a hunch it would be a crowd pleaser.

The result? This dip was gone in about 30 seconds. Ok, maybe 60.

This dip is easy make and serves about 6-8 people (or about 4 hungry hippos)

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 pink grape tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 (12 ounces) blocks cream cheese, softened

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, freshly grated

8 ounces provolone cheese, freshly grated

1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese + more for garnish

4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves

1 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves

1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano leaves

Crackers, chips or bread for dipping

Directions:

Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil then place tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt, then roast for 20-25 mins, until bursting. Set aside.

While tomatoes are roasting, mix softened cream cheese with about 7 ounces each of provolone and

mozzarella, then add the parmesan. Stir in fresh herbs, garlic and roasted tomatoes, mixing well to combine.

Transfer mixture to an over-safe baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining provolone and mozzarella. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until top is golden and bubbly. Serve immediately with your choice of crackers chips or bread.

Eat & Enjoy!

'Cause I like CRAFTING

2013-02-19T21:24:00.000-08:00

What is this you ask? It's 'String Art'. What is String Art you ask? Well, let me show you...

If you're intimidated, don't be. This project takes about 2 hours to complete, but it's not too difficult at all. Thanks to Amy (she and I will rule the world one day I'm sure), we decided to have a crafts day and make something decorative. Thank you Presidents Day for giving us the day off!

Our common #obsession with Pinterest led us to this magical piece of art.

What you'll need for this project:

A wooden board, about 12x15 (or any size you wish)

One pack of small nails (I used gold ones)
String, color of your choice (make sure you have a big enough roll of this so you don't run out)

Spray paint

State template

Hammer

Pliers
Good company (*optional*)

This is Amy (and Wilson)

A BIG thanks to Amy who supplied all of these items. She got everything from Michaels, except for the nails - those she got from OSH.

So, invite a few friends over (boyfriends included - see above), make some white pizza cheese dip (blog to follow) and get ready to have some fun!

Let's get started.

1. Once you have all of your supplies, spray paint your wood first. I would recommend doing this outside, cover your area and spray away. You should leave this out to dry for at least an hour.

2. Once your board is completely dry, it's time to outline your state. After you've printed out your chosen state on a piece of paper, cut it out and place it on your board. With a pencil, outline the state onto your board.

3. It's hammer time! This next part is a bit tedious, but not too hard. Actually, I thought it was quite relaxing. Insert one nail into your pliers, place it on the outline and hammer away. You should only hammer about halfway down. Once you've outlined your entire state down with nails, choose a point (I chose to outline a heart in Southern California), and make a small shape with as many nails as you can. This point is where you will loop your string back and forth from.

4. String it out. To start your string, tie a tight knot around whichever nail you're going to start and finish with. You can trim off the excess when you're all finished. Wrap your string back and forth from the state's edge, to your shape, and repeat about 10 times (this number varies on how many nails you use).

***Note, make sure you unravel all of your string so it doesn't turn into this:

5. Once you make it all around the state, knot the string around the same nail you started with. AND NOW, YOU'RE DONE. Order some chinese take-out, play some pong or just admire your beautiful masterpiece- or, be like us and do it all.

Potlucks & Dick-Cup

2012-08-13T14:43:00.001-07:00

I had you at dick-cup, didn't I? Tisk, tisk...are potlucks not that exciting to you? Well, they certainly are for me - but let's be honest, they're extra special when dick-cup is involved.

Definition of Dick-Cup (DC): Dick-Cup is played with an infinite number of people, all of whom have three red solo cups each (must be setup like a pyramid - 2 cups in the back, 1 in the front). Sitting on the floor (in a cross-legged/yoga-like pose), an even number of people must face each other (i.e. 4 people must play against 4 other people). Similar to beer pong, one must throw (or bounce) their ping-pong ball into one of their opponents cups. **Note** The first cup only counts as a made shot if it is bounced in. The back two cups can be made in any fashion. Once an opposite player makes the ball into one of your cups, you must drink the contents before you continue playing. When all of your cups are gone - you are as well. Unlike beer pong, you can throw your ball to any opposite cup, as many times as you have balls. **Note** You're not allowed to block any incoming balls and they can bounce off of any body part to make it in and count. The team to make all their opponents cups first, wins!

*Source: the above definition was written by me with bits and pieces of information that I've gathered from various individuals.

So now you know what DC's all about. It's fun, easy to play and gets everyone in the room involved. (Shout out to Gerkin 2.0!)

POTLUCKS! Not only was DC played all night long last week, but delicious food items set the room up in smoke (literally!) Thank you Alex for hosting this awesome night. Below are some fab recipes that made their way into my tummy-tum-tum.

Mashed Potato Casserole
(Alex Sale)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan (recommended: DiGiorno)
1 (3.6-ounce) packet instant roasted garlic mashed potatoes, made according to package directions and cooled completely
4 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon freshly snipped chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter bottom and sides of a 1 1/2-quart souffle dish. Add Parmesan to dish and roll dish to coat inside; set aside.

In medium bowl, stir to combine cooled potatoes, egg yolks, cream, chives, salt and pepper; set aside.

In another medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Careful not to overbeat.

Stir 1/3 of egg whites into potato mixture. Gently fold in remaining egg whites until just incorporated.

Transfer to prepared souffle dish and bake in preheated oven 60 to 65 minutes, or until puffy and golden brown.

Minced garlic to taste and graded cheddar cheese on top

Artichoke Spinach Dip
(Sarah Ullman)

Step 1: Go to Gelsons, get 2 containers of pre-made dip

Step 2: Add cheese and put in oven

Step 3: Take out of the oven when people arrive so they think you made it.

( ^ reason why I love Sarah)

Homemade Tortilla Chips

(Jason Eric Gordon)

Ingredients

Corn tortillas

Vegetable oil

Salt

Flat fry plan

Directions

Cut the tortillas into the shape you want, you can do triangles but strips tend to cook best. Put a layer of oil in the pan, not so much so that the strips would be swimming, but enough for them to soak. Heat the oil and when hot, put the strips in. When they start turning gold and begin to curl, pull them out and put them on a paper towel. Salt them right away, and give them a minute or two to harden. Then serve. For crisper chips leave them cooking in the oil longer.

And that's all folks! Hope you have a wonderful week :)

TJ's Pizza

PB Frosted Cupcakes

Cookie Butter Chocolate Cake Bars

2012-06-14T22:02:00.002-07:00

COOKIE BUTTER. Ahh, what is cookie butter you ask? It's one of Trader Joe's newest found treasures. Very similar to the consistency of peanut butter, cookie butter is a delicious & irresistible spread that has the taste of gingerbread goodness.

Sitting in my pantry, lonely and desperately looking for something to stick to, the Cookie Butter found its way into a recipe I was whipping up for a work retreat. Never having baked with Cookie Butter before, I had high hopes for it - sure enough, it made my treats to die for.

These treats are simple to make and I guarantee that anyone that has a sweet tooth will undoubtedly love these bars (or you forever).

Ready, set, BAKE!

Ingredients:

1 (18.25oz) package funfetti cake mix

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup cookie butter

2 eggs

1 (12 oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 teaspoons butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Add the cake mix, melted butter, cookie butter and eggs into a bowl and mix together. It will be more cookie dough like than cake batter. Reserve about 1 1/2 cups of the mixture for crumbling on the top. Press the remaining mixture into a 9x13 pan.

Melt the chocolate chips, condensed milk and butter together on medium hear. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour this mixture across the top of the cookie butter mixture in your pan, speeding it around evenly.

Crumble the 1 1/2 cups of reserved cookie butter mixture across the top of the chocolate.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely (overnight is best) before cutting into bars.

Eat & Enjoy!

Mac & Cheese Bites

2012-04-02T16:25:00.000-07:00

Summer. Is. Almost. Here.

Okay, not really...but, I'm hoping my positive thinking will make it get here quicker. We're already in April, which means let's get rid of those showers and start jumping into those flowers!

Don't judge me.

Anywho, besides the crazy wind yesterday (that happened to break the glass doors at my gym), it was a beautiful sunny day. What made the day even better was a bbq at my friends place (thanks Angie!) in Manhattan Beach. Gorgeous place, amazing location, delicious food.

I decided to make these things bites for the shindig...they were simple and oh so delicious! Definitely a great finger food to have at your next party.

Mac & Cheese Bites

(makes 12 bites/"muffins")

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, olive oil and salt; set aside.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for about 8 minutes, it should still be a little bit firm. Remove from the heat, drain and return to the pan; stir in the butter and egg until pasta is evenly coated. Reserve 1/2 cup of sharp Cheddar cheese and stir the remaining Cheddar cheese, milk and mozzarella cheese into the pasta. Spoon into the prepared muffin/cupcake tin. Sprinkle the reserved cheese and the bread crumb mixture over the tops.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the topping is nicely browned. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan. This will allow the cheese to set and they will hold their muffin shape.

Thank you AllRecipes.com for this delicious recipe!

Eat & Enjoy!

7-Layer Dip

2012-02-27T15:28:00.001-08:00

hi.

hello.

it's me, remember me? the brunette girl that sits in the corner - in front of the large window? keep thinking...there you go, it's SHABBY.

I have a delicious and EASY recipe for you today. Drum roll...

7-Layer Dip...Mmmmm.

This dip is a great crowd pleaser and super simple to whip up. Total prep time was only about 30 minutes and that's only because I wanted to make my layers perfect.

What are you waiting for? Make this NOW.

Ingredients:

1 can (16 oz.) refried beans

2 medium avocados

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/4 cups sour cream

1 package taco season mix (I only used half)

1 small onion, chopped

3 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup sliced olives

16 oz. grated cheddar cheese

Tortilla chips

Directions:

Spread refried beans on a large plate (I used a 9" baking dish). Mash avocados in a separate bowl. Add lemon juice and pepper. Mix well and then spread over refried beans.

Combine sour cream and taco seasoning mix. Spread over refried bean mixture. Top with tomatoes, onions, olives and cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.

Eat & Enjoy!

One last thing.. I'd like to make a shout-out to my super friend Jacob Welshans; Mr. Sundays With Jake. Thank you for making my awesome new logo!! It's a work in progress, but it's looking fab so far!

Coachella FOOD

2012-01-19T14:51:00.000-08:00

Woah. If you thought you were excited for the announcement of the Coachella lineup last week, just wait until the food lineup is released.

Being a Coachella virgin, I'm suuper excited to attend Indio this year. Florence? Radio Head? The Shins...David Guetta! The list goes on and on. Suffice it to say, it's going to be one heck of a FUN weekend.

What's even more exciting is the mass amount of food choices that will accompany the great music. At least - that's what I'm hoping for. I mean, there has to be some interesting and wacky food options there, right? If not, i'm banking on the campers to supply me with some smores.

If you're impatient like me, just look above to get a "glimpse" of what to expect this year...

Eeeee...can't wait!!

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

2012-01-16T12:21:00.000-08:00

Yum da dum, dum, dum! That is the sound you hear when you bite into ones of these treats. Well - that's the sound I hear at least. If you're a fan of the salty and sweet combo, then you'll definitely be a fan of these.

These bites are very easy to make (seriously, there is no baking involved). I've made them a couple times recently and they were a hit every time. Whether you're throwing a party, going to a potluck or celebrating a friend's birthday, these treats are great for it all!

This recipe makes about 40-50 treats...the perfect amount to serve to others (while sneaking a few for yourself too!)

Ingredients:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 bag of mini pretzels
2 cups milk chocolate chips
Sea Salt for spinkling (optional)

Directions:
Line two baking sheets with wax paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the butter and peanut butter until combined. Scrape down the bowl, add sugars and beat until combined. You should be able to roll the mixture into balls without it sticking to your hands. Add more powdered sugar until you reach a consistency that is easy to roll.

Roll the mixture into small balls, about 1 teaspoon of mixture for each ball, and place on the lined baking sheet. Sandwich the balls between two pretzels and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 minutes increments. Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat. Dip each pretzel bite halfway into the melted chocolate and place on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt before the chocolate hardens. Chill in refrigerator until chocolate is set. These melt quickly so store them in the refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to serve.

Eat & Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cookie Treats

2011-12-21T11:07:00.000-08:00

Wooowwweee. Apologies for falling off the wagon and taking a very long time to get back on. It was a really tall wagon. Ok, ok...December has just been a busy month! And - it's not quite over yet.

Holidays, holidays, and wait, more holidays! I have a love/hate relationship with this time of the year. I love all the excuses to make sweet treats, love the holiday spirit and love my new found appreciation for cider (yes - I just tried it for the first time about a week ago). Things I do not like: the cold (what can I say, I'll forever be a California girl) & daylight savings...I want more sun in my day!

Since I'll be on break from work over the next week and a half, I promise to post as many posts as I can - starting with this one. A few weeks back I baked some delicious treats for my kickball peeps...thank you Joe for the inspiration!

Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

Ingredients

(makes about 40 cookies)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F . Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an un-greased mini muffin pan or cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

(recipe adapted from allrecipes.com)

Eat & Enjoy!

Chocolate Covered Sprinkled Oreos

2011-11-16T23:31:00.001-08:00

This may be a tough question for you folks. What's better than Oreo Cookies? I'll give you a few seconds...

Ok, chocolate covered sprinkled Oreos!! Seriously, they're delicious. Ask Rachel, she ate a handful of them. Sorry for doing that to you, lady.

But in her defense, it was her birthday. Hence the reason for making these treats.

All you need to make these snacks are 3 ingredients:

- 1 package of Oreo cookies

- 1 package of candy melts (any color of your choice - I went with white)

- any sprinkles of your choice.

The process is super simple.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave (in 30 second intervals) until fully melted, or if you have a double broiler, that works too.

You can either dip each Oreo straight into your bowl of melted chocolate, or you can use a knife to spread the chocolate on the cookie.

Once fully covered, place your creation on a cookie sheet (lined with wax paper) and leave to dry. Candy melts dry pretty quickly so you should be good to go within 20 minutes. If you're in a rush, stick them in the fridge and they'll harden even quicker.

Eat and Enjoy!

2011-10-25T21:35:00.000-07:00

fruute - tart unordinary

Tarts, tarts, tarts!!! Thank you to my awesome friend Joanna, I got the opportunity to indulge in massive amounts of tarts. Okay, yes they were mini tarts, but there were a ton.

Being the dessert foodie that I am, I was extremely excited to attend this tarts tasting with Joanna. Fruute is a small, but fabulous tart shop in West Hollywood. Whether you're looking for a sweet bite after a meal or a unique dessert for a dinner party, fruute offers a one of a kind tart experience.

I had a handful of favorite flavors, but my top two picks (two because you can never have just one) were the Three Berries and the Pumpkin Spice.

Not only are these tarts oh so savory, but they are rich, colorful and just plain beautiful. This experience wouldn't be complete without fruute's extremely friendly and pleasant employees. Thank you for hooking us up with extra take-home treats :). And thank you again Joanna for bringing me with you!!

So many to choose from!

Apple Crumble and Pumpkin Spice

Three Berries

Black Pepper

That's gold!

Sea Salt Caramel

Pumpkin Spice

Waiting patiently for our take home treats...

fruute - http://www.fruute.com/

hours

Sunday - Thursday 11am - 8pm
Friday + Saturday 11am - 9pm

location

8951 Santa Monica Blvd.
Suite A
West Hollywood, CA 90069

contact

(310) 786-9983

Peanut Butter Candy Bar Squares

2011-10-03T16:21:00.000-07:00

ATTENTION ALL PEANUT BUTTER FANS (not you Ben, sorry)!

This recipe has more peanut butter than you can imagine...nutter butter crust, peanut butter cups, butterfingers and of course good 'ole peanut butter.

With a kickball championship in hands reach, I knew I had to make something sweet for our victory. I searched for the most delicious sounding recipe and my drool landed on this one. Don't worry, I wiped my screen.

I love bars, partly because they're easy to make, and you can have multiple layers of yum. ~~Four bites~~ One bite is enough to satisfy your sweet craving. CRUNCH.

Ingredients:

1 16-ounce package Nutter Butter cookies, crushed
1/2 cup butter, melted
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
7 & 1/2 ounces peanut butter cups (about 25 miniature cups), coarsely chopped
4 ounces Butterfinger candy bars (about 7 small candy bars), coarsely chopped
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13″x 9″pan with aluminum foil, allowing it to extend over edges of pan. Grease/spray foil.

Combine crushed cookies and butter. Press mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 6-8 minutes.

Combine condensed milk, peanut butter, and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Set aside.

Sprinkle chopped candy bars, chocolate morsels, and peanuts over crust. Drizzle condensed milk mixture over toppings.

Bake for 25-27 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in pan on wire rack. Using foil, lift out of pan. Peel foil away, and cut into bars.

Optional: Top with chocolate and vanilla sprinkles.

Makes 28 small or 18 larger bars.

Thank you Bake or Break for your inspiration.

xoxo,
Shabby

Tater Tot Casserole

2011-09-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

Randy: Napoleon, give me some of your tots.

Napoleon: No, go find your own.

Since Napoleon wouldn't share his tots with me either, I went and bought a bag of my own. Instead of making ordinary tots, I decided to go a little crazy. Cheesy, beefy, tater tot casserole! This simple recipe has only 4 ingredients...less fingers than you have on one hand!

This dish is perfect for an afternoon bqq or a casual dinner at home. Prep & cook time is only about an hour, most of which is spent in the oven. This is cheeeeeeesy good.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

4 cups frozen tater tots (or as many fit in your dish)

1 can of cream or chicken or celery soup (condensed)

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef and chop a medium white onion.

2. Transfer meat mixture into a shallow 2 quart baking dish

3. Cover meat with undiluted soup.

4. Top with a single layer of tater tots.

5. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes.

Eat & Enjoy!

xoxo,

Shabby

Birthday Cupcakes!

2011-09-01T16:25:00.000-07:00

Cupcakes! They are one of my favorite things in life. Well those and bagels. But, back to cupcakes...they come in an endless amount of options with new ones surprising me every day!

Birthdays! Another favorite of mine. A few weeks ago we celebrated Joanna's (one of our amazing kickball captains) birthdays. Of course I baked cupcakes. I decided to be creative with this recipe. M&M's, OREO's, CHOCOLATE FROSTING. I heard Joanna was a fan of chocolate...

My favorite part of this recipe was the surprise cream frosting. You won't know it's there until you take a few bites. It's so easy to do too!

Cupcake Ingredients:

(makes 12 cupcakes)

1 box of Triple Chocolate Decadent Duncan Hines Cupcake Mix

3 large eggs

1/3 cup of vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups of milk (optional)

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Filling Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (7.5-ounce jar) marshmallow cream

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Toppings:

1 bag of M&M's, cut into small pieces

1 box of Oreo's, cut in half

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease muffin pans or line with paper baking cups.

2. Blend dry mix, water, oil and eggs (optional milk) in large bowl at low speed until moistened (about 30 seconds). Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.

3. Spoon the batter into lined muffin pan. Bake for 18 minuets. Allow to cool.

4. While the cupcakes are baking, In a medium bowl, whisk marshmallow cream and butter until smooth. Chill until slightly firm, 15 to 30 minutes. Transfer mixture to a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag, and seal; cut off one corner of the bag to make a 1/8-inch opening.

5. Once cooled, cut a cone shape out of center of cupcake and fill with tablespoon of filling.

Frosting:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat, with an electric mixer, until frosting is creamy, 3-5 minutes. Add additional powdered sugar as needed to achieve a thick, but not stiff, frosting that is easy to spread. Add additional milk, if necessary, to thin the frosting if it gets too thick.

2. Frost cupcakes, once cooled and cream filled.

Eat & Enoy!

xoxo,

Shabby

Tzatziki (Greek Cucumber Yogurt Dip)

2011-08-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

Dips! I loove dips. Frankly, a chip is no chip without some added flavor. I keep at least 2-3 different dips in my fridge at one time. Speaking of which, there's this amazing (AHHMAZING) dip that Tali (my roommate) and I are addicted to. Caramelized Onion Dip from TJ's. I love it so much that I can't go a week without it (don't judge me). Try it, you'll thank me.

Another dip which I'm quite fond of is Tzatziki; Greek Cucumber Dip. I usually buy Tzatziki ready to go but I decided to make my own batch this time around. Growing up, my mom would make this dip almost every Sunday morning for breakfast so I knew it would be a piece of cake to whip up. Not literally of course.

I found this delicious recipe on Cookbook Archeology. I changed it slightly:

Ingredients:
6 Persian cucumbers, peeled and chopped
2 (6-oz) containers of plain Greek yogurt
2 tsp. white vinegar or lemon juice
1 tsp. mint flakes
2 scallions (green part only), chopped
1/2 tsp. honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients and serve chilled. (SO easy!)

Eat & Enjoy!

Cinnamon Chocolate Gluten Free Cupcakes

2011-08-09T16:02:00.000-07:00

To some, gluten free is the way to be. However, baking something gluten free is somewhat of a challenge. Fortunately, Whole Foods makes it easy to bake something sans gluten if your short on time.

Since I didn't make the cupcakes completely from scratch, I decided to make the frosting from scratch. To make things a little more exciting, I added cinnamon and chocolate chips to the mix.

Total prep/bake time was only about an hour. These are simple to make and you can be as creative as you want to be!

Cupcake Ingredients:

- 1 package Yummy Yellow Cake Mix

- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

- 2 cups sugar (to substitute agave for sugar, use 1 1/2 cups agave and reduce milk to 4 Tbsp. Cupcakes will bake in approx half the time)

- 6 large eggs, room temperature

- 2/3 cup milk

Frosting Ingredients:

- 1 bag of Pamela's Dark Chocolate Frosting Mix
- 6 tbsp butter or margarine, room temp/not melted
- 4 tbsp water

Cupcake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Line cupcake pans with 24 cupcake wrappers.

2. Place butter and sugar in bowl. Beat well until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well.

3. Add cake mix and milk (or substitute) to bowl. Mix until smooth. Scrape sides and bottom of mixing bowl with spatula. Mix again until light and fluffy (approx 3 minutes).

4. Pour mixture into prepared pans. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (approx 22 minutes). Baking times may vary with different appliances.

5. Let cool in pan for approx15 minutes. Carefully remove cake(s). Cool cakes completely before frosting.

Frosting Directions:

1. Soften butter or margarine with a mixer on medium speed.

2. Add water and Pamela's Dark Chocolate Frosting Mix, blend together on medium for 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth. Scrap down bowl during mixing. If frosting is too thick, add more water one teaspoon at a time.

3. Add 2 tbsp cinnamon and a cup of mini chocolate chips.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles

2011-07-24T17:14:00.000-07:00

Love peanut butter? How about pretzels? If you answered yes to both questions, today is your lucky day. Introducing peanut butter pretzel truffles! With only 3 ingredients (which you may already have in your cabinets), these truffles are pretty simple to make. The hardest part was dipping the balls in the chocolate. I'm still trying to find the perfect way.

If you end up with extra chocolate & pretzels (like I did), I suggest making some chocolate covered pretzels too! They're just as delicious.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup chopped/crushed pretzels (I used the long skinny ones)

1/2 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate melts

Recipe:

(Adapted from Eating Well)

Combine the peanut butter and pretzels in a bowl until well combined. Place the bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes, or until firm enough to handle. Roll the mixture into about 16-20 balls (1 tsp each). Place on a pan lined with wax or parchment paper and place in the freezer for about an hour or until very firm.

Melt the chocolate and then remove the balls from the freezer. Dip the frozen balls into the melted chocolate and then refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Eat & Enjoy!

xoxo - Shabby

Marshmallow Pops!

2011-07-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

Snap, crackle, POP!

Okay - so these don't exactly make a noise when your chew, however these pops are delicious and extremely easy to make. I would give yourself an hour window to make sure there's enough time for the chocolate to harden.

I made these last week for my fellow kickballers, in honor of making it to the semi-finals. I figured they'd be great for a loss or a win - but alas, we lost. Regardless, it was a great season and we had a great time!

When making these pops, make sure to have something for the pops to sit in while they dry. You can either use a foam block or do what I did and fill up mini mason jars with candy (whoppers or big jelly beans are great).

Ingredients:

20 large marshmallows

20 lollipop Sticks

20 mini clear lollipop bags (courtesy of Michael's)

1 bag of blue candy melts (courtesy of Michael's)

1 package of white sprinkles
2 boxes of Whoppers

2 bags of big jelly beans

6 mini mason jars

Directions:

Insert lollipop sticks about 3/4 into large marshmallow and set aside.
Place the candy melts in a microwavable bowl and heat 30 seconds on 1/2 power, stir until smooth. If it needs more time, put back into the microwave and heat for another 15 seconds on 1/2 power). (Make sure not to reheat too many times as the candy melts will become too hard to work with)
Dip marshmallow into candy melts about half way and gently twist the marshmallow to evenly coat the top half of the marshmallow.
Decorate with sprinkles.
Stick finished pop into a foam block to dry and set.

Eat & Enjoy!

xoxo - Shabs

A Tea Party!

2011-06-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

My best-est friend in the entire world (yes, sometimes I'm 5 years old) is getting married in just a few weeks! Words can't begin to describe how happy I am for her. Most people hope to find their soul mate in life and I can honestly say that Anna has found hers; John.

John & Anna - I wish you a life full of happiness and love...you both are amazing people who inspire all of us each and every day.

With weddings, come other fun gatherings...especially for the ladies! Anna's sister, Sherry, helped to throw her an amazing wedding shower last weekend. The theme? A tea party of course! It was seriously the cutest party, ever. Little mini finger foods (enough to feed an entire army), followed by an array of delicious desserts and a variety of teas made this shower amazing.

Take a look at some of the goodies below...

And here is the fun that followed the food...

Anna-Banana.....love you forever!

PB & Jelly Bars

2011-06-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches are one of those universal favorite sandwiches. If you're not a fan, it's time to jump on the bandwagon. They're deliiiicccious.

What's even better is PB & J in a ready to go square! These bars are great to eat at any time of the day.. especially for you late night snackers.

I made these for an amazing brunch last weekend. However, the host's scrumptious french toast filled up everyone's bellies before they got to enjoy these. I didn't fret though because these bars hold up extremely well in the refrigerator!

Ingredients:

(recipe adapted from Forgiving Martha)

Nonstick spray

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup grape jelly or other jelly or jam (you can use 3/4 if you really like jelly!)

2/3 cup coarsely chopped salted dry-roasted peanuts

(*optional: 1/4 cup PB or chocolate chips)

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with heavy-duty foil, leaving 2-inch overhang around edges and pressing firmly into corners and up sides of pan. Coat foil with nonstick spray.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in small bowl.

3. Using electric mixer, beat peanut butter, sugar, and butter in large bowl until smooth. Add egg and vanilla; beat on low-speed until smooth.

4. Add flour mixture; beat on low-speed just to blend.

5. Transfer half of dough to prepared pan (about 1 1/2 cups). Place remaining dough in freezer for 10 minutes. Using fingertips, press dough evenly onto bottom of pan. Spread jelly over in even layer. On top of the jelly, sprinkle PB or chocolate chips.

6. Remove dough from freezer; using fingertips, break into grape-size pieces and scatter over jelly layer. Sprinkle chopped nuts over the top.

7. Bake bars until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool bars completely in pan.

8. Using foil overhang as aid, lift bars from pan. Gently peel foil from edges. Cut into about 16 squares.

PB & Jelly time...PB & Jelly time...PB & Jelly time

Rosemary Lemon Mustard Chicken

2011-05-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

3 day weekend, 3 day weekend, 3 day weekend! Oh and a half day today too. I smell a fun weekend in the air...do you?! I certainly hope so.

I wanted to share this delicious recipe with you folks before I signed off. Now that I think about it, I probably should have made this post Memorial Day related, oops. Ah well, a good recipe can come in handy during any time of the year.

This recipe was great because I already had all the ingredients in my refrigerator. The prep time is only a few minutes and the cooking time just a few more. Unfortunately I didn't have enough time to marinate the chicken, but it still came out tasting great. However if you have the time, marinate the chicken for several hours for maximum flavor.

Rosemary Lemon Mustard Chicken
Adapted from Handle the Heat

Ingredients:

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup stoneground mustard
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Make several small, shallow slits going down the length of each chicken breast to increase marinade's flavor.

Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag or dish. Add prepared chicken breasts. Optional: let marinate for a few hours.

Grill chicken over medium-high heat until well browned, about 15-20 minutes.

Eat as is or add to a delicious vegetable salad!

Happy Weekend....be safe and eat well :)!

COOKIE SWAP

2011-05-26T14:08:00.000-07:00

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

I like to bake and I like to eat. Further, I like my friends and I like my apartment (roommate included). All these likes led me to conjure up an idea which included all the above.

A Cookie Swap!

What's a Cookie Swap you ask? Well, it's an excuse to sit around, eat cookies and chit chat. Tals and I invited some friends over last weekend, all of whom brought delicious homemade cookies with them. We laid the cookies out around our apartment and had an assortment of milk to wash them down with.

A key ingredient in hosting a Cookie Swap is making sure you have doggy bags to stuff with all the remaining cookies. Your loved ones at home will thank you!

I chose to make Strawberry Shortcake cookies for this Swap...they were made with fresh strawberries and had the perfect amount of sweetness. Thank you Martha for this recipe!

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies:

Ingredients:

12 ounces strawberries, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons, cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and remaining 7 tablespoons of granulated sugar in a large bowl.

Cut the butter or rub in with your fingers, until mixture is crumby.

Stir in cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture.

Using a spoon, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with wax paper, spacing evenly apart.

Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Let it cool and enjoy!

More pics from the Cookie Swap:

Mrs. Dash Baked Chicken

2011-05-18T17:42:00.000-07:00

When did Wednesday get here?!

Ever have one of those weeks that fly by so quickly you don't even remember what you had for dinner the night before. Well it's definitely one of those for me. Although I do know that my dinner last night consisted of 20 (or so) large, deep fried tortilla chips dunked in guacamole & salsa...oh ya and some delicious french fries too. Super healthy, I know.

Can't complain though, the busy has been fun. But when week's like these take over our life, it's nice to turn to an easy recipe for dinner instead of filling yourself up with grease and potatoes. This chicken bake recipe doesn't require too many ingredients and basically does all the cooking itself!

Mrs. Dash Baked Chicken

(adapted from Mrs. Dash's website)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash® Original Blend
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 garlic cloves, slivered
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 red onion, sliced
1/2 cup artichoke hearts
1/2 cup baby mushrooms
cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

2. Cover the chicken breasts with the olive oil and Mrs. Dash® Original Blend. Set aside.

3. Add the mushrooms, artichoke hearts, onions & garlic to an 8-9 inch skillet. Add the seasoned chicken. Cover lightly with foil and place in oven. Cook 15 minutes.

4. Increase heat to 375° F. Uncover skillet and turn chicken. Cook 10 minutes.

5. Remove and cover lightly with foil. Let it cool for 5 minutes.

EAT & ENJOY!