Let’s call it a . . . mutual relationship.

Speaking of mutual relationship’s, that is how Mr. How Sweet’s best man described their relationship at our wedding. Yes. That was kind of odd, and I’m so glad I have the video footage to forever remind them of that.

Dried cherries remind me of vacationing in Northern Michigan. We would always get a large bag of dried cherries at American Spoon, and they would be devoured within days.

And yes, I was the one who was doing the devouring.

Now that my tastebud’s have matured a bit, I couldn’t think of any better to go with dried cherries than chocolate.

Dark chocolate especially.

I don’t often enjoy dark chocolate. I prefer chocolate in the milk variety – you know, the kind that clogs arteries and adds bulk to your waistline.

But dark chocolate fits the bill for these tart cherries.

Plus, it’s the healthy kind of chocolate. So you can eats lots of it. Which equals eating lots of these cookies.

I made the cookies specifically with my dad in mind. He loves dried cherries, too, and chocolate. And northern Michigan, so I knew these would be a hit.

I gave him almost the entire batch, leaving 4-5 cookies on the counter at home to finish cooling.

It wasn’t 5 minutes later that I got a picture message from Mr. How Sweet. He asked ‘what is in these cookies that I wouldn’t like? They look weird. Don’t fib.’

I knew Mr. How Sweet wouldn’t like the cookies. He didn’t even try one. They hint of cherry peeking through the chocolate top was enough to turn him away.

He has that darn, 5 year-old palate.

You know, he is always looking for ways to be more like my dad, since my dad does everything perfectly. You’d think he would eat these cookies.

Maybe he will learn in time.

The chocolate cookie recipe comes from Mother Lovett’s recipe vault, and it is the same one I used for cookies at Christmas.

They dough is similar to crack – you can’t stop eating it. And once you do stop eating it and get it on the baking sheet, the most incredible, moist, chocolatey cookies are born.

These cookies melt in your mouth. The rich chocolate combined with the tart, sweet cherries is a perfect combination.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and mix until combined.

Fold in chocolate chips and cherries. Roll into balls and set on baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

I am super excited to go to Fitbloggin’ this weekend.

I’m a little worried about Mr. How Sweet. He will probably be a shriveled bag of bones when I return home Sunday evening since he is incapable of cooking.

Who will check up on him?

A few months ago, I went through a blue corn chip addiction. I sent myself to rehab, otherwise know as ‘winter’ here in Pittsburgh.

See, the blue corn chip addiction was exacerbated by fresh, ripe avocados made into delicious guacamole.

And since avocado’s cost an arm and a leg here during the winter, I kicked the habit.

I’m not a chips-and-salsa gal, unless we are at a Mexican restaurant with homemade chips and I’m 4 margarita’s deep.

I had a half-full bag of blue corn chips that were most likely a bit stale and a few months old. In true Mother Lovett fashion, I didn’t let them go to waste and created this concoction to dip them in.

Unlike Mother Lovett, they weren’t 6 years expired. Yes, folks. That was perfectly acceptable.

I love corn. I love sweet corn.

If corn was the only vegetable on earth, I would love vegetables.

Speaking of those treacherous things, I ate a few veggies yesterday. Sandwiched in between some wheat bread and goat cheese, I chomped down a few roasted sweet peppers.

They were . . . eh, alright. I kind of enjoyed them. But I’m not ready to go back for more yet. It is a brand new relationship, and I’m not ready to jump in the sack yet.

See a trend here? All veggies I eat must be sweet.

This salsa is sweet, but also has a nice tang from the crisp, red onion.

Sweet Corn and Avocado Salsa

1 cup sweet, yellow corn

1/2 avocado, chopped

1/4 red onion, chopped

1/4 plum tomato, chopped

1 teaspoon chopped cilantro

spritz of fresh lemon juice

salt & pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together and season with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.

Serve with tortilla or pita chips.

This salsa is deliciously addicting. My issue with blue corn chips is back, and with avocado’s coming into season, it will be back with a vengeance. Someone please stop me.

I binged on peanut butter and jelly in my preschool and kindergarten years. For years after, any combination of peanut butter + jelly was extremely unappealing.

I grew out of that phase at some point in highschool, rediscovering that joy that is peanut butter and jelly.

And then I rediscovered it again last night. Just check out how stacked these bars are.

The thick peanut butter layer on the bottom just melts in your mouth.

These bars are not for the faint of heart. You have to love peanut butter.

Mr. How Sweet agreed – they are super peanut-buttery. After we both decided that they were only ‘ok,’ we each closet-ate about 3 more bars.

When Mr. How Sweet is in the kitchen and I cannot hear a peep, I know he is shoveling cookies into his mouth while standing over the sink. He usually is also chugging some diet coke.

At that point I love to ask ‘what the heck are you doing in there that you are so quiet?!’ To which I know he cannot respond since he has a mouthful of cookies.

‘Twas the situation last night, but I joined in on the fun.

The final verdict? These bars are amazing.

At first we thought they may need more jelly, but after multiple tastings, we decided that they have the perfect amount.

A third of the dough gets crumbled on top of the jelly before baking, which gives the dense bar a nice crumbly top.

Topped with a sprinkling of peanuts, this bar is a must-have.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

from Martha Stewart

2 sticks butter, softened

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups jam (I used grape)

1 cup peanuts

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan – I used Pam baking spray and it worked perfectly.

Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs and peanut butter until combined, about 2 minutes. Whisk together dry ingredients, adding to the butter mixture until just combined. Add vanilla.

Transfer two-thirds of mixture into baking dish, spreading evenly. Top with jam and spread to coat peanut butter mixture. Crumble remaining peanut butter mix on top. Sprinkle peanuts on top.

Bake until golden brown, 45-60 minutes. I baked for 45, tenting with foil after 20 minutes since the top was getting brown. Allow to cool for a few hours before cutting.

If you have a chance this week, give these bars a try. I think kids would love them, but I don’t know much about kids besides the lack of patience I have for them.

I know Mr. How Sweet loved them, and he is kind of like a big kid.

Luckily, I didn’t have to worry about peanut butter crumble crumbs getting stuck in his moustache, because he shaved it.

I went against every single thing I believe in and posted a picture. Hope you have a strong stomach.

I apologize for taking so long to upload them – however, they make me physically ill.

For those of you that somehow may not know, Mr. How Sweet and his friends decided it would be fun to grow moustache’s a few weeks ago. Thank goodness Mr. How Sweet caved after a week.

Granted, I was not feeding him. His hot, delicious meals were no longer on the table when he got home each evening. However, I don’t think that was a dealbreaker.

Even he realized that he looked like a cross between a crusty 1970’s redneck and a dirty, 1980’s adult film star.

This is an idea of how Mr. How Sweet normally looks.

Well, when we are out in public, that is.

At home, he resigns to lounging around, eating, and doing chores in his shorts alone. His peaches and cream skin can rival any character of Twilight or True Blood.

I shouldn’t be talking though, since my skin is so pasty it is practically translucent.

Someday we will have pale, freckled, red-headed ginger kids. If that isn’t a recipe for bullying, I don’t know what is.

If you don’t mind, I’m going to enter counseling now.

Mr. How Sweet’s moustache grossed me out beyond belief. He looked…old. And crusty. And like someone I didn’t even know. And with the way Mr. How Sweet eats, I was just waiting for some crumbs to be stuck in that ’stache.

Gag me with a spoon.

So are you ready?

Take a deep breath.

And you might want to have a bucket near by in case this induces vomiting.

This is what Mr. How Sweet looked like with the ’stache . . .

I know.

You don’t need to say it.

Last Friday when I arrived home, not only did he have a smooth face, he also had a bag of Godiva truffles.

He knew he owed me bigtime.

Thank goodness this phase is over.

I didn’t cheat on my Lenten promise to give up bacon.

Although I’m about THIS.CLOSE.

Especially since I have came up with some incredible bacon recipes in the past week. Since I am not eating it, my mind is on bacon overload.

I made this flatbread pizza a few weeks ago, at the same time when I made the roasted veggie and goat cheese flatbread pizza. If you don’t believe me, ask Caitlin – her pretty, little face ate some with me.

I have been wanting more ever since. I am a true glutton.

The best part was seasoning the dough and slightly baking it before adding the toppings. It’s a tiny bit ‘puffy’ for being a flatbread, but I’m calling it what I want.

It’s my dough and I’ll cry if I want to.

Before I added the chicken and the bacon, I made the most sinful, delicious spinach mix. I whipped cream cheese, fresh, sauteed spinach and garlic, and a tons of parmesan cheese together to create a ’sauce.’

Mr. How Sweet took one look at the green cream and insisted that ‘that stuff’ better not be going on his pizza. Clearly, this one was his pizza since, heaven forbid, he eat pizza with only vegetables and no meat. We have sharing issues in this house. It’s preparing me for motherhood.

I used some of my good ole’ trickery, and told him that ‘of course it was going on the vegetable pizza’.  (Ha. I knew I had him. He wouldn’t pass up bacon + chicken.)

As usual, I was correct. One bite in, he exclaimed how delicious it was, never even asking about the spinach mixture.

This pizza was incredibly hearty and filling, with a vast array of flavors.

Loaded with grilled chicken, crispy bacon, and lots of bubbly, golden cheese – you just can’t go wrong.

Flatbread Pizza Dough

1 packet active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

~ 3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

2 tablespoons olive oil

Mix yeast with warm water and allow to get foamy – about 15 minutes. In a large bowl, mix flour (about 2 1/2 cups to start), salt, and seasoning, making sure it is well combined. Once yeast is foamy, add to dough and mix with hand. If more flour is needed, add it. Cover and let rise in a cool, dark place for 2 hours.

Grilled Chicken, Bacon and Spinach Flatbread Pizza

Serves 2-3

6 oz grilled chicken, shredded

6 slices bacon, fried and torn apart

4 cups spinach

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove

1/2 block (4 oz) cream cheese

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated smoked cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375.

Divide pizza dough in half and spread out on a round pan or baking sheet. Bake alone for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Sautee spinach in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, with one minced garlic clove until it is cooked down. While it is still warm, combine it with cream cheese and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Brush dough with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread spinach mix on dough. Top with 1/2 cup mozzarella. Add on grilled chicken and bacon. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan, cheddar, and mozzarella cheeses.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.