What Katie's Baking

Review: Skinnygirl White Cranberry Cosmo

2012-02-12T23:40:00.000-06:00

I just turned 21 in January, and I waited until then to drink.

Since then, I've only had a few drinks, so it's safe to say I definitely wouldn't classify myself as a drinker.

However, Skinnygirl is a gamechanger.

I was super lucky to receive a whole bottle sample from the wonderful people at Skinnygirl Cocktails. When I opened the package, I almost couldn't wait to drink it. It was night and I had to take some pictures, but I definitely wasn't waiting until the next day to drink it. Which is why the pictures are more "artistic" (taken with my iPhone) than normal.

Anyway, it was love at first sip. Skinnygirl is:

Low calorie (100 calories per serving)
Super tasty
Light and crisp tasting
Perfect for any girl.
Available in the U.S. and Canada
Ready-to-serve

I want to personally thank Bethenny Frankel, a renowned natural foods chef and the creator of Skinnygirl for making the best alcoholic drink ever! I didn't feel gross and weighed down drinking it and it wasn't overly sweet. This isn't just a drink for girls, either. Kellen, my mom, and I finished this in about an hour. Haha!

After we finished drinking it, my mom wanted some more for the next day. Unfortunately, I'm from a small town and I was home for the weekend, and our liquor store was sold out. (Told you it's good.) Anyway, I'm going to have to bring her some home next time I go back. (Don't tell her! ;))

Guys: If you haven't bought your girlfriends/wives/significant others a Valentine's day present yet, this is it. If you already have a present, go ahead and add this to it.

Girls: If you're single this Valentine's day, celebrate with Skinnygirl instead.

Anyone else: Buy this for someone for Valentine's day, or any other occasion, really. Or no occasion. Just buy it. This is my new drink of choice.

I received this complimentary sample from Skinnygirl. I was not asked or influenced to say any of the above statements. This is all personal opinion.

So good, even your cat will like it.

Parmesan Cheddar Quick Bread

2012-02-08T22:44:00.001-06:00

I don't post a lot of savory recipes.

Mainly because I don't make very many, but if you guys want more, I'll give you more.

Would you like to see more savory recipes on What Katie's Baking?

Yes

No

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Parmesan Cheddar Quick Bread
All Recipes

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, leave some to sprinkle on top
1/2 cup parmesan shredded cheese
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cheese.
In another large bowl, beat together egg, milk and oil.
Stir the flour/cheese mixture into the egg mixture, stirring until just moistened.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle extra cheese on top.
Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle- Last Minute Super Bowl Snack

2012-02-05T15:17:00.001-06:00

Sorry for the lack of posts this past week.

It's been super busy and my computer decided to malfunction, so I've been without it this week.

I hope you're all having an awesome Super Bowl Sunday.

If you haven't made any dessert, it's not too late to whip this cookie brittle up before the game. It's super, super good. It's exactly what the title says; a mixture between a chocolate chip cookie and brittle. It's crunchy and thin like brittle, but the taste is like chocolate chip cookies. Seriously the perfect mixture.

Want to impress some guests today? Make this!

What are you doing today for the Super Bowl?

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle
Adapted from: All Recipes

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup white corn syrup
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds

Directions

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and corn syrup.
Gradually add flour; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds.
Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with foil; coat with nonstick cooking spray.
Gently press dough into the pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool in pan on a wire rack. Invert pan and remove foil. Break brittle into pieces; store in an airtight container.

Skinny Super Bowl Snacks

2012-02-01T16:53:00.000-06:00

POM Wonderful

I don't know about you, but I tend to eat super unhealthy on Super Bowl Sunday.
I was pleased to receive an e-mail from POM Wonderful with some healthy snacks that I thought I'd share with you guys.

The following recipes and pictures are courtesy of POM Wonderful.

POM Spinach Dip

Ingredients:
1 cup arils from 1-2 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates or POM POMS fresh pomegranate arils
1 8-oz. package cream cheese or 1 cup cottage cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

Preparation:
Score 1-2 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate underwater to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.).
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Mix together cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic, Swiss cheese, chopped spinach, mayonnaise, artichokes and arils.
Spread into a 1-quart baking dish or 9-inch glass pie pan. Bake until bubbly around the edges and cheese has melted, about 15 minutes.
Serve with fresh vegetables to dip.

POM spinach dip

Pomegranate, Gouda and Pear Quesadilla with POM Salsa

Ingredients:
Quesadilla
1 cup arils from 1-2 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates or POM POMS fresh pomegranate arils
6 8-inch flour tortillas
4 oz. smoked Gouda cheese, thinly sliced
2 large firm pears, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

POM Salsa

Ingredients:

Juice from 1 large POM Wonderful Pomegranate*, or 1/4 cup POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
2 cups arils from 2-3 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates or POM POMS fresh pomegranate arils
3-4 teaspoons chopped jalapeno pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper
4 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar

Preparation:
Quesadilla:
Score 1-2 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate underwater to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.)
Place 2 strips of cheese on each tortilla
Using fingers, press 1 teaspoon of arils into cheese.
Add 2 slices of pear, sprinkle with sugar. Fold tortilla in half.
Add 1/2 teaspoon oil to a nonstick skillet and heat.
Place folded tortillas in the pan and brown lightly; turn over and cook until crisp. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon of oil if needed.
Cut each tortilla into halves and serve with POM Salsa

POM Salsa:
Score 2-3 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate under water to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 2 cups of the arils from the fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.)
Prepare fresh pomegranate juice.*
Thoroughly mix to combine all ingredients. (Salsa will keep covered, in the refrigerator, for 2 to 3 days.)

POM quesadilla

POMojito

Ingredients:
1 oz. POM Cherry 100% juice
1 1/2 oz. light rum
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
3/4 oz. simple syrup (equal parts sugar and cold water dissolved together)
Soda
4 mint leaves
Mint sprig for garnish

Preparation:

In the bottom of a double old-fashioned glass bruise the 4 mint leaves with the fresh lime juice and simple syrup.
Add crushed ice then the POM Cherry and rum.
Top with a splash of soda and stir. Garnish with the mint sprig.

POMojito

POM Velvet Cupcakes with POM Cream Cheese Frosting

Time to Table: 35 Minutes Prep, 20 - 25 Minutes Baking and 20 Minutes Cooling

Servings: 30 regular cupcakes

Ingredients:
POM Cream Cheese Frosting
Juice from 3-4 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates*, or 1-1/2 cups POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
1 cup arils from 1-2 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates or POM POMS fresh pomegranate arils
4 oz. soft unsalted butter
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
14 oz. powdered sugar

POM Velvet Cupcakes
Juice from 6-9 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates*, or 2-1/2 cups POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
16 oz. granulated sugar
12 oz. soft unsalted butter (3 sticks
4 ea large eggs
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
15 oz. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 oz. cocoa powder
3/4 oz. baking soda
pinch salt
1/4 cup heavy cream

Preparation:

POM Cream Cheese Frosting:
Prepare fresh pomegranate juice*, score 1-2 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water, break open the pomegranates under water to free the arils (seed sacs), the arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top, sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside, (refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use), reduce the pomegranate juice, over low heat, down to 3 fl. oz., Allow to cool, place butter into electric mixer bowl with paddle attachment and cream on medium-high speed for 1 minute, add the cream cheese and continue to mix for 2 more minutes, turn the speed down to low and slowly add in the powdered sugar and the pomegranate juice reduction, mix until the sugar is fully combined, remove icing from the mixer and place into a piping bag with a round or star tip.

POM Velvet Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350ºF, reduce the pomegranate juice, over low heat, down to 1/2 cup, place sugar and soft butter in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream on medium-high speed, until the mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, turn the speed down to low and add the eggs in one at a time, in a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, pomegranate juice reduction, white vinegar and vanilla extract, and then slowly add half of this to the mixer, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, and then sift at least two times until well mixed, add half of this to the mixer, add the remaining half of the liquids to the mixer, and then the remaining dry ingredients, finish off with the heavy cream, beat just until combined, place cupcake liners into cupcake pan, and using a spoon, fill with cake batter until it is just about 3/4 full, bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, allow the pan to cool slightly, and then remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool fully, once the cupcakes are cooled completely, they can be iced with the pomegranate cream cheese frosting and topped with fresh pomegranate arils.

{POM}

What are you going to make for Super Bowl Sunday? I'm waiting on samples so I can make the POM cupcakes... yum!

Hearty, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2012-01-30T19:07:00.000-06:00

I like to think of oatmeal cookies as healthy.

I mean, oats are good for you, right? And brown sugar is the best sugar. And eggs? I eat those for breakfast.

I jumped at the chance to make these when Kellen complained, "you never make me anythinggg." (Which, by the way, is not true.)

Knowing that Deb has no-fail, amazing recipes, I barely changed her original recipe. I chilled half of the dough for a couple of hours, and made the rest straight away. Kellen and I both preferred the cookies made with un-chilled dough, so I guess that one's up to you. These are the best oatmeal cookies I've made.

The big debate: Do you like raisins in your oatmeal cookies or not?

Hearty, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Smitten Kitchen

(Makes 24 cookies)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) butter, softened
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt (I often use a half teaspoon, but I like more salt in my baked goods)
1 3/4 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Stir this into the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in the oats and raisins.
At this point you can either chill the dough for a bit in the fridge and then scoop it, or scoop the cookies onto a sheet and then chill the whole tray before baking them. You could also bake them right away, if you’re impatient, but I do find that they end up slighly less thick.
The cookies should be two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes (your baking time will vary, depending on your oven and how cold the cookies were going in), taking them out when golden at the edges but still a little undercooked-looking on top. Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.

Happy National Peanut Butter Day- Stockpile of peanut butter recipes

2012-01-24T16:57:00.000-06:00

Happy National Peanut Butter Day!

What have you done today to celebrate?

I had a bowl of oatmeal with a hugggeee glob of peanut butter on top. As you can see, I'm never short on peanut butter.

I didn't bake anything with peanut butter today, but if you feel like celebrating, here are some of my older recipes:

Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Easy Peasy 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Healthy Coconut Oil Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Vanilla Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting

Mini Peanut Butter and Jelly Hand Pies

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Or you can check out some other yummy peanut butter recipes from around the blogosphere:

Peanut Butter Granola- Peanut Butter Fingers

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins- Delish

Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcakes- The Sweet Life

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars- Baked by Joanna

Peanut Butter Blondies- Brown Eyed Baker

Peanut Butter and Banana Breakfast Cookies- Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy

How are you celebrating National Peanut Butter Day?

Date, Cashew, and Apricot "Brownie" Balls (How to maintain a healthy weight)

2012-01-20T16:46:00.000-06:00

Sometimes people ask me how I keep up with this blog and maintain a healthy weight.

The key, for me, is to incorporate healthy foods and moderate exercise.

I also try to control my portions... most of the time. Yeah, sometimes I'll eat an entire pan of brownies, but mostly I stick to one or two servings (and some tasting throughout the process).

I'm definitely not a crazy exercise-er. I exercise about thirty minutes a day 2-5 days a week. I don't do it to lose weight, I just do it stay healthy. I also go through periods of time when I don't exercise at all. It just depends. What's most important to me is how I feel. If I'm happy, that's all that matters, because what's the point of life if you're miserable?

My main rule is super cliche, but whateva: do what makes you happy. Everyone's ingredients for that are different, so don't compare yourself to others.

When I'm not eating what I'm baking, I'm eating healthy and when I'm not reading baking blogs, I'm reading healthy living blogs. I like to throw in some of my healthy recipes on here every once in a while, so here ya go. This recipe is one of my favs. It proves that you can eat healthy and make it taste good...super good. A lot of "health food" recipes tastes like just that, health food. These are definitely not in that category. Good luck remembering the "everything in moderation" rule with these.

Date and Apricot "Brownie" Balls
Adapted from: Snack-Girl

Ingredients:10 pitted dates
10 dried apricots
1/2 cup cashews (I used YumNuts Coconut Cashews. Omg they're awesomely good.)
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (plus extra for rolling)
1 tablespoon honey
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
2 tablespoons water

Directions:1. Add all ingredients to food processor and pulse until ground.
2. Mix until it just forms a sticky mass.
3. Form dough into balls. (It may need more water to get to the perfect consistency).
4. Put a tablespoon of cocoa in a shallow bowl .
5. Roll balls in cocoa. (or just drop the balls straight into the cocoa can like me)
6. I like to store these in the freezer and eat them frozen...yum! Or you can keep them in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks.

Sweet Cornbread Muffins (and blog changes coming soon!)

2012-01-17T16:46:00.000-06:00

I'm really excited.

Jessica at Southtown Creative is redesigning What Katie's Baking. I will no longer be hosted by Blogger. It'll be all my own, which is really awesome.

I can't wait to show you all, but until then, things might be a little crazy around here for the next couple of weeks.

Until then, here are some muffins. I was in a hurry, so I threw these together in about 45 minutes and got the recipe straight from All Recipes, no adaptations except the addition of an egg.

Because of that, I wasn't going to give you the recipe, but it was too good not to.

Between me, my parents, and Kellen, we devoured the muffins in two days. So. Good. I say sweet, but there is just a hint of sweetness, not an overpoweringly sweet taste. And they're moist and fluffy. So. Good. Make them. Also, they go perfectly with creamy corn soup, which I'll have a recipe up for soon.

Sweet Cornbread Muffins
All Recipes

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray or lightly grease a 9 inch round cake pan (or line 12 muffin tins).
In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in eggs, milk and vegetable oil until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.

21st Birthday and "Peanut" Brittle... with no peanuts

2012-01-12T18:17:00.000-06:00

Today is my 21st birthday!

I celebrated last night like this:

I had never had a drink before, so I only had two drinks last night. It was a lot of fun and I'm really grateful I was able to spend it with good company.

How did you celebrate your 21st birthday? If you're not 21, what was your favorite birthday and how did you celebrate?

"Peanut" Brittle... with no peanuts
All Recipes
This recipe isn't very sweet, but super crunchy and perfect for people with a peanut allergy. It also makes a great gift!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup white corn syrup (I used white, but next time I'd probably use dark)
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions

Spray two cookie sheets with non-stick spray coating.
In a 4 quart saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Heat to boiling (300 degrees, or until the mixture beads when dropped into water).
Take from heat and quickly mix in the salt and baking soda until well blended.
Pour the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheets. Allow mixture to spread on it's own. Cool completely, and break into pieces. Store in air-tight container or plastic bag.

Cinnamon Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Toffee Pecan Buttercream Frosting

2012-01-10T01:23:00.000-06:00

Every once in a while, creativity strikes.

This was one of those times.

These cupcakes are cinnamon-y sweet cups of decadence topped off with huge globs of crunchy, sugary frosting...and they're gorgeous.

I'm just gonna leave it at that and let the pictures speak for themselves.

Cinnamon Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Toffee Pecan Buttercream Frosting
Adapted from: Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
Cupcake:

1 ½ cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking power
½ tsp salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
½ cup milk

Frosting:

5 tablespoons butter
1 cup powered sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup toffee bits (Heath bits)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
Whisk dry ingredients (except for sugar) in a large bowl.
Cream butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.
Reduce speed to low. Mix in milk.
Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk and ending with dry. Scrape sides of bowl.
Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.
Bake cupcakes until testers inserted into centers come out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks.
When cool, make the frosting:
Cream the butter in a small bowl with the brown sugar.
Slowly add in the powdered sugar.
Beat with an electric mixer, until the desired texture is achieved.
Fold in pecans and toffee bits.
Frost cupcakes.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Made With Coconut Flour (Gluten Free)

2012-01-06T01:01:00.000-06:00

I've had coconut flour sitting up in the cabinet for about 6 months now. I bought it because it's good for you, it's gluten-free, high in fiber and protein, and I wanted to bake with it.

I hadn't done a thing with it, so I looked up "Recipes using coconut flour" and got some pretty good results, but in the end I went with these delicious muffins. I normally associate lemon with summer time, but since the weather has been ridiculously nice lately, I figured these were appropriate.

The consistency of the muffins was really thick and dense. I didn't know what to expect since I had never baked with coconut flour before, but I was pleasantly surprised. The coconut flavor is pretty predominant in these, but I think that's a good thing.

Have you baked with coconut flour before? What did you think of it?

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Made With Coconut Flour
Elana's Pantry

Ingredients:
¼ cup coconut flour
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
¼ cup honey
¼ cup oil
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine coconut flour, salt and baking soda
In a large bowl, blend together eggs, honey, oil and lemon zest
Blend dry ingredients into wet.
Fold in poppy seeds.
Spoon 1 tablespoon of batter into each greased mini muffin cup.
Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes.
Cool and serve.

Sweet and Salty White Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Snack Mix

2012-01-02T14:18:00.002-06:00

I'm not usually the biggest fan of salty and sweet combinations.

I'll eat them, but I don't crave them.

Until now.

I was going to make caramel corn, only to find out that we were out of popcorn, but we did have a bag of pretzels, so I swapped the popcorn for the pretzels.

This is the best combination of salty and sweet I've ever had. There isn't much caramel to cover the entire 1 pound bag of pretzels, so it's just a light and crunchy glaze that isn't too sweet, but then you add the white chocolate and it makes it just sweet enough. Trust me. When can you ever go wrong with white chocolate pretzels, anyway? You can't, but add caramel and you definitely can't.

What's your favorite salty sweet combination?

P.s. I have a pair of Nike's selling on ebay if anyone's interested: Women's Nike 6.0.

Sweet and Salty White Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Snack Mix
Adapted from: Karan's Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 pound bag pretzel twists
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
12 oz white chocolate

2 tsp oil

Directions:

Combine butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave (high) for 1 1/2 minutes; whisk until smooth and slightly thickened.
Drizzle over pretzels; stir until pretzels are coated.
Transfer to a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
Bake in 350 degree oven, stirring every 3 minutes during baking, until coating is dry, about 10 - 12 minutes.
Spread onto foil-lined tray to cool.
Melt white chocolate with oil. (About 1-2 minutes in the microwave)
Drizzle over pretzels, mix to coat.

Happy New Year! Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-12-31T19:39:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year's Eve!

I hope that you all have some festivities planned for tonight. Mine are unclear, and I don't get to spend New Year's Eve with Kellen this year, but I'm going to make the best of it.

This year has been wonderful and so many things have happened. I traveled to New York, Portland, Arkansas, Chicago, and many other places. I took a photography class and improved my food photos big time. (Take a look for yourself. This is my post from last New Year's Eve: Cranberry Walnut Bread.) I transferred to a new school that I love and made lots of great new friends. I got a new kitten and named him Francis. I went to KanRocksas, my first concert. Kellen got me my very first Tiffany's necklace. I baked a lot. There are many, many more things and all in all, it was a wonderful year. I hope 2012 is just as good.

I don't have any resolutions this year, only to be grateful for what I do have instead of trying to change.

Do you have any resolutions? If so, what are they?

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very soft
1 cup (7 1/2 ounces) packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 3/4 cups (11 5/8 ounces) All-Purpose Flour
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt1/2 cup peanut butter

Directions:

Place the very soft butter in a medium-large mixing bowl. Add the sugars, salt, vanilla, and stir well. Add the egg and stir until well blended. Add the baking soda and flour, mixing until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and peanut butter.
Scoop rounded teaspoons of dough onto light-colored baking sheets. Flatten into disks, using gentle pressure from your fingers. You can also flatten with the bottom of a cup or something. Sprinkle a little pinch of salt on each of the cookies.
Bake the cookies in a preheated 375°F oven for 10-12 minutes, until the bottoms and edges are lightly browned; the tops shouldn't brown, they should still be slightly gooey. Remove the cookies from the oven, let them rest on the pan for 5 minutes, then slide them onto a rack to cool completely.

Lifesaver Stained Glass Rolled Sugar Cookies

2011-12-29T16:07:00.002-06:00

As I said before, I received a complimentary box of goodies from Wrigley's and I've been using the candy for recipes ever since.

I was intrigued when I saw these stained glass cookies. The recipe called for 'hard candies' and I had just gotten some Lifesaver's in my box, so it was perfect.

They're really pretty and will definitely impress a crowd. They could even be used as ornaments if you can resist eating them. Good luck with that.

The sugar cookies were some of the best I've ever had. I normally overload sugar cookies with frosting, but these didn't even need frosting. You can add frosting if you want, but you won't need it. They kind of melt in your mouth and they're just sweet enough without being overpowering. And then you get to the center for a crunch from the melted Lifesaver's.

I received free product courtesy of Wrigley, but that it did not influence any opinions expressed in my post.

What's your favorite sugar cookie recipe?

Lifesaver Stained Glass Rolled Sugar Cookies
From: All Recipes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 packs hard Lifesaver's

Directions

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Use a small circular cut-out (I used a bottle cap) to form circles in the middle of each cookie.
Crush up Lifesavers into small pieces. Fill each circle with crushed Lifesaver's. Make sure it's completely filled to the edges.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Cherry White Chocolate Skittle and Lifesaver Bark {DIY Creations with Wrigley Candy for the Holiday}

2011-12-26T09:16:00.001-06:00

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas/happy holiday.

I had 3 Christmas' this year and I'm sad it's over, but I'm so lucky that I was able to celebrate with all the people I love.

I asked Santa for money this year so I could have some reconstruction done to my site by Southtown Creative. I highly recommend it!

Anyway, sorry for the short hiatus, but it's been a busy week. Since I'm sure you all have, too, I'm posting an easy recipe today.

Wrigley kindly sent me a humongous box of candy (this did not influence any opinions) and asked, “How do YOU use Wrigley gum and confections in your entertaining, celebrating, or DIY-ing?"

Amy Atlas is an amazing sweets stylist, so I've got nothing on her, but I made some bark. It was a long shot, but it ended up tasted really good and the kids in my family really enjoyed it. I really think it was the addition of the cherry flavoring. Without it, the chocolate would have been too overpowering.

If you want to see some awesome creations, go check out Amy's site.

Cherry White Chocolate Skittle and Lifesaver Bark

Ingredients:
1 package Vanilla Almond Bark
2 teaspoons oil
1 teaspoon cherry extract
2 cups skittles
2 packages crushed up lifesavers
Optional: Colored sugars

Directions:
1. Melt the vanilla almond bark with the oil in the microwave. (About 2 minutes)
2. Poor almond bark on a nonstick surface and spread a thin layer. (I used parchment paper)
3. Layer skittles, lifesavers, and sugars over the melted chocolate.
4. Let cool until hardened, break apart and serve.

Vanilla Protein Powder Granola with Dates (Baking Christmas Gift Ideas)

2011-12-18T15:15:00.004-06:00

With Christmas being less than a week away, I'm sure I'm not the only one scrambling to get gifts together for people.

Food is the way to people's heart, and when it's homemade, that just makes it even better.

Here are some delicious recipes from some of my favorite blogs (photos below are not mine):

Pomegranate Vanilla Sangria- Jessica @ How Sweet it Is

Pemmermint Whoopie Pies- Michelle @ Brown Eyed Baker

Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cookies- Karly @ Buns in My Oven

Bite-sized Baked Brie- Joy @ Joy the Baker

Salted Caramel Lollipops- Cindy @ Hungry Girl Por Vida

Nutmeg Maple Butter Cookies- Deb @ Smitten Kitchen

Mini Eggnog Spice Cake- Katie @ Chocolate Covered Katie

Coconut Cherry Chip Cookies- Biren @ Roti n Rice

Cake Lemon Cardamom- Gen @ Oh Yummy

Cocoa Brownies- Katie @ Honeycomb

White Chocolate Truffles- Sarah @ The Hedonista

Lastly, click here (Julie @ PB Fingers) to help make a little kid's Christmas wish come true. It's the easiest act of kindness you could do today.

This vanilla protein powder granola was my favorite granola I've ever made. The vanilla protein powder just made it sweet enough and it was super crunchy. It kept well in the freezer for 2 weeks and would be the perfect Christmas present. Just pour it in a mason jar and add a bow... easy!

Vanilla Protein Powder Granola with Dates

Adapted from: AllRecipes

Ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup chopped dates
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, wheat germ, flax seed meal, brown sugar, dates, cinnamon and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, and vanilla.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry, and mix until evenly blended. Spread in a greased 9x13 or 11x7 inch baking pan.
Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, stirring every 20 minutes, or until toasted.
Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Eggnog Snickerdoodles (with eggnog in the batter)

2011-12-14T16:01:00.009-06:00

I've come to find out that eggnog is pretty hit and miss with people.

Eggnog Types:

There are the people who say, "Yes, it's the best drink ever." These are the die-hard eggnog fans.

There are the people who say, "Yes, it's pretty good." These are the eggnog likers.

There are the people who say, "No, it's disgusting." These are the eggnog haters.

There are the people who say, "I've never tried it." These are the eggnots.

There are the people who say, "Yes, but I can't drink it because I'm on a diet." These are the eggnog avoiders.

There are the people who say, "Yes, but I only like my eggnog with whiskey." These are the alcoholics. Just kidding! (But really.)

Lastly, there are the people who say, "Only in baked goods." These are the people who will like this recipe.

Where do you rank on the list? I'm an eggnog liker.

Eggnog Snickerdoodles (with eggnog in the batter)
Smitten Kitchen
I searched high and low for an eggnog snickerdoodle recipe that actually used eggnog in it. When I couldn't find one, I made my own using Deb's snickerdoodle recipe. This is an easy eggnog recipe. These are the fluffiest, lightest cookies I've ever made. It was like eating a cloud. So good! The eggnog flavor wasn't overpowering, but shined through just enough... and let me just tell you that eggnog snickerdoodle cookie dough is the best cookie dough ever.

Ingredients

1 ½ c flour

½ stick butter

½ cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup eggnog (I used Soy Nog)

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 cup sugar + 1 tbsp cinnamon for rolling

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and 1/2 cup sugar.
Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Add egg and eggnog, and beat to combine.
Add dry ingredients, and beat to combine. Don't overmix.
At this point, you can chill the dough for an hour or overnight to make the dough easier to scoop, but I was too impatient for this part and they turned out fine.
Once dough has chilled (or not), in a small bowl, combine 1/8 cup sugar and 1 tbsp ground cinnamon.
Use a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon to form balls of the dough, and roll in cinnamon sugar.
Place about two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack, about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets after five minutes. The cookies will feel a little doughy when you touch them, but trust me, they're finished.
Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool about five minutes before transferring the cookies to the rack. In theory, they can be stored in an airtight container up to one week.

http://verygoodrecipes.com/white-christmas-challenge

(http://verygoodrecipes.com/white-christmas-challenge)

Smorgie- The easy way to keep track of restaurants

2011-12-12T23:43:00.003-06:00

Have you ever eaten somewhere that was amazing and then you go to tell your friends about it or try to find it again and you can't because you forgot the name?

Yeah, I do that all the time.

How about a restaurant that a friend told you about that you really wanted to try, but, once again, you forgot the name so you can't?

Yep, I do that all the time, too.

If you haven't heard of Smorgie (www.smorgie.com) and you suffer from brain farts, definitely check out this site. It's pretty sweet.

What is it? You can create lists and add restaurants where you've eaten or want to eat and then add a description about the restaurant. It's basically a restaurant diary. You eat somewhere, sign in to Smorgie, write a description about the place where you just ate, you add it to a list, and repeat. Or, you're dying to eat at a restaurant, and so you don't forget, you log it on Smorgie so you don't forget about it.

For example, I created a list called "Places I'd Like to Visit Again."

In that category, I created a place: Magnolia Bakery.

Super simple to use, super helpful, and it's freeeee!

And they have an iPhone app, too, which makes it the perfect website for traveling. When I visited New York and Portland, I ate at so many restaurants and had so much amazing food, but there's no way that I could remember them all. I really wish I would've had Smorgie then.

Have you used Smorgie? What do you think about it?

Apple Pie with Pecan Pie Filling and Streusel Topping

2011-12-12T00:06:00.003-06:00

I love pecan pie.

Buuuttt I always pick off the pecans... what's the point, right? The ooey, gooey, caramel-y filling is the point.

Now that I've gotten older, I really kind of like the pecans, but the habit of picking them off when I was little is just ingrained in me now.

Since I didn't want to waste any expensive pecans, I figured I'd just sub them for apples.

I'll admit that it was kind of a long shot, but oh so worth it. It didn't turn out like I thought it would, but it was pretty amazing. *I was expecting the filling to be gooey like it is in pecan pie, but I made a mistake and I mixed the apples in instead of layering the filling and then the apples, so learn from me and don't do that if you want the gooeyness. If you just want a sweet and sticky overflowing apple pie, then mix it.

Sorry for all the pictures... I kind of went a little crazy, but the pie was just so gorgeous, I couldn't resist.

What's your opinion on pecan pie?
Do you have any eating habits that are ingrained in you from childhood?

Apple Pie with Pecan Pie Filling and Streusel Topping
Adapted from: All Recipes and Karly @ Buns in My Oven

Ingredients

Pie:

1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 apples of choice, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced
1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell

Streusel:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
8 tbsp butter, cubed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy, and stir in melted butter.
Stir in the brown sugar, white sugar and the flour; mix well. Last add the milk and vanilla.
Pour into your unbaked pie shell.
*Layer the apple slices on top, or fold in.
In a medium bowl, combine the streusel ingredients except the butter.
Cut in the butter until well combined and you have small pea sized lumps.
Sprinkle this over the pie. There will be a lot of topping, but use it all.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until done.

One Bowl Brownies with Almond-Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

2011-12-08T20:10:00.003-06:00

Want to hear how big of a dummy I am?

Kellen and I recently had our two year anniversary, so I thought I'd make him something sweet. My plan was to make a layered heart brownie cake. You might be wondering why the brownie in the picture is only one layer.

Let me tell you what you should probably never do.

You should probably never use plastic cookie cutters as molds in a 350 degree oven.

They might melt.

Just one of my many kitchen failures. It happens!

Luckily, part of it was salvaged and the brownies are not faulty like their baker. The recipe is actually one of my favorite brownie recipes out there. They're almost fudge-like, but still a bit crunchy. And it only takes one bowl to make them. Perfection if you ask me.

Please share your kitchen disaster stories so I don't feel alone.

One Bowl Brownies with Almond-Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Recipe from: All Recipes

Ingredients

4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Microwave chocolate and butter or margarine in large bowl at high for 2 minutes or until butter or margarine is melted.
Stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour.
Spread in greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake for 35 minutes (do not overbake).
Frost with this frosting.

Easy Peasy 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-12-04T20:51:00.002-06:00

Thanksgiving is over and that means you deserve a break from cooking and baking.

These are the easiest cookies to make ever. You'll barely have to move.

When I saw the recipe, I did a double-take, because seriously, what kind of cookie would turn out well with only 3 ingredients? These cookies. Not only are these good, they're daaang good. I can't go to a party empty-handed, so I whipped these up real quick and 20 minutes later I had little bites of heaven. The outside is crisp and the inside is chewy. The only thing I would change next time is reducing the sugar. Not that they were too sweet, but I think I could've reduced it a little bit. These babies are delicious. I guess it's true that simple is better.

Easy Peasy 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

All Recipes

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 egg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine the peanut butter, white sugar and egg. Mix until smooth.
Drop spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 6 to 8 minutes. Do not overbake! These cookies are best when they are still soft and just barely brown on the bottoms.

WIAW + Healthy Coconut Oil Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

2011-11-30T21:31:00.006-06:00

I decided to do a "WIAW" post.
If you've ever wondered what I eat on a daily basis, be curious no more: (This is from last week and, for the record, I didn't wake up until 12... woops.)Breakfast: Banana soft serve- 2 small bananas + 1 tbsp wheat germ + 1 scoop protein powder blended
1 coconut oil Reese's (recipe below)

Snack 1:

Peanut butter cookie (recipe soon)

Lunch:
Salad- Lettuce, 1/2 cup pinto beans, 1/2 cup morningstar farms meat crumbles, 1/4 cup shredded cheese, ranch dressing

Snack 2:
Cup of Chai Latte
1 (unpictured) Reese's cup

Dinner:
Tortilla wrap- 1/2 sweet potato, lettuce, 1/2 cup pinto beans, 1/4 cup morningstar meat crumbles
Green beans

Snack 3:
1 honey-on-the-bottom greek yogurt
Homemade granola (recipe also coming soon)

So, there ya have it. Now, here's the Reese's cup recipe. I like them so much better than the original ones. They don't taste processed and maybe knowing that they're good for me helps the taste, too.
Healthy Coconut Oil Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Ingredients:Chocolate:1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup honeyPeanut butter:1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:1. Mix chocolate ingredients until well blended and pour half of the mixture into a mini muffin tin.2. Let cool in freezer for 5 minutes.3. Add about a teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture to each of the hardened chocolate.4. Evenly distribute and pour the rest of the chocolate mixture onto the top of each dollop of peanut butter.5. Refrigerate until hardened and enjoy. Keep refrigerated.

Twist Essence Water {Product Review}

2011-11-28T18:14:00.003-06:00

I was lucky enough to receive some samples of Twist Essence Water.

I saved them for after Thanksgiving because I know I was going to be stuffed and I'd need a detox drink. These were perfect for just that.

They've changed their product and it's not as sweet as it used to be, so I had to add a packet of Splenda to the drink, but other than that I thought it was light and refreshing. Being 0 calories and not having aspartame is a big feat for a product, but Twist does it.

I'm a big fan of the Clear American waters, but they're full of aspartame, so I'm going to start drinking Twist as a healthy alternative.

I tried Pomegranate Blueberry and West Indies Lime. I preferred the West Indies Lime, which was surprising. I thought it had more flavor and the perfect amount of citrus.

What are your 'healthy' drinks? I drink a loootttt of tea.

Homemade Vanilla Chai Tea Latte {Giving Thanks}

2011-11-24T07:05:00.001-06:00

A typical Thanksgiving in my family includes a huge turkey dinner held at my brother's house.

This year, however, things are different. It's just me and my parents this year. My dad, not wanting the hassle on Thanksgiving day and wanting to spend more time enjoying each other's company, figured that since we wouldn't be having company, we didn't have anybody we needed to impress. He ordered a Thanksgiving dinner.

So tomorrow will be spent with my mom and dad, relaxing. I have so much to be thankful for. Sometimes I think it's sad that we have to set aside a day to remember to be grateful for everything we have, but then I realize the holiday is a good thing, because it's so easy to forget.

I mean, how many times have you gotten angry about your coffee shop being out of your favorite coffee, or getting stuck in traffic for an hour, or walking all the way to your 8 o'clock class in the freezing cold all the way across campus only to realize that it was cancelled, or that you only get to see your boyfriend once every two weeks, or that your Thanksgiving isn't how it is every other year?

I have. So, this year I'm thankful that we even have coffee shops, that I'm even able to drive, that I can even afford college, that I even have a loving boyfriend, that I can even celebrate Thanksgiving with abundant amounts of food and people I love. All of that and much more. I'm blessed and so overfilled with gratitude.

What are you thankful for?

This Chai Tea Latte is the perfect way to wake up on Thanksgiving morning. Have you ever had a Chai Tea Latte? It's like a holiday in a cup. It's creamy and spicy and warm. Perfection. I had one for the first time a couple of weeks ago and I was hooked, but they're expensive. Now that I know I can make them at home and alter them however I want, I don't think I'll be buying them anymore. I tripled the recipe so I can just heat it up in the morning.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends.

Homemade Vanilla Chai Tea Latte
Instructables

Ingredients:
2 Regular Tea Bags (I used Vanilla Chai)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 Splenda packets or 1/4 cup Sugar
2 1/2 C. Milk

Directions:
1. Mix tea and spices in a pan on the stove.
2. Boil for 5 minutes.

3. Add sweetener and mix.

4. Add the milk and wait for the mixture to return to a boil. Watch it closely, it will boil over quickly!

5. Strain the tea and enjoy!

No-Bake Adaptable Fluffer Nutter Granola Bars

2011-11-20T21:50:00.002-06:00

Store-bought granola bars are good, yes, but they aren't good for you. So why buy them when you can make your own healthy granola bars in under 10 minutes?

These granola bars are the best thing ever. They're good for you and I'm not kidding when I say they take under 10 minutes to make. And you can put whatever you want in them. However, the Fluffer Nutter version I made is pretty awesome. If you're in a hurry and you want a snack or a crowd-pleaser, then make these. I've honestly made these 5 times in the past 2 weeks.

Fluffer Nutter Granola Bars

Ingredients:

½ cup peanut butter, melted

½ cup marshmallow fluff, melted

1 banana, mashed

2 ½ cups oats

¾ cups coconut flakes

¼ cup brown sugar

*optional: raisins, chocolate chips, nuts

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients.

2. Press into an 8x10 glass dish.

3. Refrigerate.

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Cherry White Chocolate Skittle and Lifesaver Bark {DIY Creations with Wrigley Candy for the Holiday}

Vanilla Protein Powder Granola with Dates (Baking Christmas Gift Ideas)

Eggnog Snickerdoodles (with eggnog in the batter)

Smorgie- The easy way to keep track of restaurants

Apple Pie with Pecan Pie Filling and Streusel Topping

One Bowl Brownies with Almond-Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

Directions

Easy Peasy 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

Directions

WIAW + Healthy Coconut Oil Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Twist Essence Water {Product Review}

Homemade Vanilla Chai Tea Latte {Giving Thanks}

No-Bake Adaptable Fluffer Nutter Granola Bars

Date and Apricot "Brownie" Balls
Adapted from: Snack-Girl