Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Bars

This is my favorite blondie brownie recipe. I like to use half semi sweet half peanut butter chips, but any kind of chip or nut would be good in these. I would recommend letting them cool, cutting them, and then storing in an airtight container. They are definitely the best the same day you make them, but will last 2 or 3 days in a container.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Bars
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

*Makes a 9X13-inch pan of bars

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/8 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
1 cup (7 ounces) light brown sugar
1/2 (3 1/2 ounces) cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips (use your preference of semisweet, bittersweet, milk, white, peanut butter…the options are endless!)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan by about 1 inch so you can grab those edges and pull the brownies from the pan after they have baked. Spray the foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.

Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, 24-28 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Remove the bars from the pan by lifting the foil overhang and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Mini Lasagnas

This recipe was so good and so easy! It took me about 20 minutes to put them together and another 20 to bake. You can make them in a muffin tin, or a petite loaf pan like I did here. I used Trader Joe's Organic Marinara sauce and they turned out great, I will definitely be adding this recipe to my dinner menus.

Mini Lasagnas

1 jar marinara sauce
1 lb. ground beef
12 wonton wrappers (for muffin tin, or 8 egg roll wrappes for petite loaf pan)
8 oz. shredded mozzarella
4 oz. parmesan cheese
4 oz. ricotta cheese
basil or flat leaf parsley for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.
Brown ground beef in skillet, drain and return to pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour in marinara sauce and heat on low while cutting the wonton wrappers.
If using the muffin tin, cut wonton wrappers with the top of a drinking glass or biscuit cutter, just so it's about the right size to fit in the muffin cup. There will be two layers of the wonton wrapper so you will need to cut 24 circles, or 16 rectangles if using the petite loaf pan.
Spray pan with cooking spray. Beginning from bottom, layer one wonton wrapper, mozzarella, ricotta (I just grabbed the ricotta with my fingertips and pressed into pan), parmesan, meat sauce, wonton wrapper, mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan, meat sauce, a little more mozzarella and parmesan. Bake 18-20 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted.

Peanut Butter Cheese Ball

I loved this because it was fun and different, not to mention oh so yummy. I made mine the night before and froze it. I took it out 20 minutes before serving and it was perfect. This is great slathered on apples and graham crackers. I bought those butter waffle cookies at Trader Joes.

Peanut Butter Cheese Ball
from The Girl Who Ate Everything

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (not all-natural)
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter chips
Graham cracker sticks, teddy grahams, and/or apple slices for dipping

Directions:
Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until blended.

Spoon onto a large piece of plastic wrap; bring up all four corners and twist tightly forming into a ball shape.

Freeze for 1 hour 30 minutes or until firm enough to keep its shape. Place peanut butter and chocolate chips in flat dish. Remove plastic wrap from ball and roll ball into morsels to completely cover, pressing morsels into the ball if necessary.

Place ball on serving dish; cover and freeze for 2 hours or until almost firm. (Can be made ahead. If frozen overnight, thaw at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.) Serve with graham cracker sticks, teddy grahams, or apple slices for dipping or spreading.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry

I love this sweet and sour chicken, it has just the right amount of sweetness. I also really like this recipe because I hardly had to buy anything for it, most everything I had in my pantry so it was a really low cost meal.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry
adapted from Our Best Bites

1 cup rice
2 1/2 c. water
1 chicken bouillon cube

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1 8 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained and juices reserved
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon rice vinegar

3-4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs diced into 1 inch pieces
(you could also use pork tenderloin, or sliced boneless pork chops)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
about 1 cup snow peas
1/2 medium bell pepper, stemmed , seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch squares
1/2 large onion, or 1 small onion cut into 1/2 inch squares


Instructions
Rinse rice in colander. Place rice, water, and crumbled chicken bouillon cube in medium saucepan. Cover with lid and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and cook 20 minutes or until rice is soft and cooked through.

While rice is cooking...

Combine cornstarch and water in a medium sized bowl and stir to dissolve. Add the reserved pineapple juice*, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar to the bowl and stir to combine.

*If you’re using a stainless steel pan, save pineapple juice for de-glazing it

heat 2-3 teaspoons of the oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, salt, pepper, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry until the chicken is cooked and no longer pink, 3-4 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and cover to keep warm.

Add the remaining 1-2 teaspoons oil to the pan and add the broccoli and bell pepper. Stir-fry over medium-high heat until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the broccoli is bright green, 3-5 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pan and add the pineapple chunks and sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook until everything is heated through and the sauce has thickened, 1-2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve over the hot cooked rice. If desired, top with sesame seeds and chopped fresh cilantro or parsley.

Serves 4 or 5

Homemade Sloppy Joes

I've recently found the blog Our Best Bites and I've been having so much trying out their recipes! This is one that is so good, I've already made it 3 times. I serve the meat mixture on homemade rolls, but any good, soft roll will do. I've used ground hamburger and ground turkey and they both taste great! I also like to add in at the end before serving about half a cup of sliced black olives (slice them yourself, the ones that come sliced already have a really funny taste) and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.

Homemade Sloppy Joes
adapted from Our Best Bites

1 lb. lean ground beef or ground turkey
Seasoning salt to taste
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 green pepper, minced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3/4 c. ketchup
1 tsp. mustard
3 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/3-1/2 c. water to reach desired consistency
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 hamburger buns or homemade rolls

Stovetop Instructions:
Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Add in mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Combine tomato paste and water and add to hamburger mixture. Add more water if desired. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on hamburger buns.

Crockpot Instructions:
Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Transfer to slow cooker. Add in remaining ingredients and combine well. Cook on low for 3-4 hours and serve on hamburger buns.

Freezer Instructions:
Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Transfer to a freezer-safe container. Add in remaining ingredients and combine well. Freeze. When ready to cook, transfer to a slow cooker and cook on low to 3-5 hours. Serve on hamburger buns.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

My new love is whoopie pies, they are just like rearranged cupcakes, cake like cookies on the outside, and frosting in the middle! I found this recipe on the Martha Stewart website and these pumpkin whoopie pies are to die for! I love the ginger in the batter, it really adds a nice spiciness to the cookies. I think, maybe, I like these more than my pumpkin cupcakes...

For the cookies:

3 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 Tbs ground cinnamon
2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 c. firmly packed DARK brown sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
3 c. pumpkin puree, like Libby's
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.
Line two baking sheets with parchment or non stick baking mat.

In large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside.
In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.

Using a 1 Tbs. scoop (I use the smallest scoop from Pampered Chef), drop Tablespoon size dollops of batter onto baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Batter will be smooth and little runny, this is ok. Bake until cookies just start to crack on top, about 12-15 minutes. Let cool completely.

For filling:

3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, beat until just smooth. Assemble the whoopie pies by placing about a Tablespoon of cream cheese filling onto one cookie, and then top with another cookie. Makes three dozen whoopie pies.

Banana Carrot Bread (or muffins)

Why I never thought of this combination before I don't know. These are super moist and delicious, I love eating them straight from the oven with a little butter! I baked the batter in petite loaf pans because they are so dang cute! The recipe will make 1 regular size loaf, 12 muffins, or 8 petite loaves. I got the idea for this recipe from the King Arthur Baking Sheet, I baked their recipe, but decided to try just adding carrots to my standby banana bread recipe and I liked it even better. If you would like to try making my banana bread, just omit the carrots and add one more mashed banana. Oh, and next time I will drizzle cream cheese icing over the top, just because.

Banana Carrot Bread

1/2 c. butter softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 mashed ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla
2 c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
1 c. finely shredded carrots

Preheat oven to 325. Spray pan with cooking spray.

Cream together the butter and sugars for 2 minutes. Slowly add the eggs and vanilla, beat until well combined. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the nuts and carrots. For the petite loaf pans it took 24 minutes to bake, a large loaf would take approximately 50 minutes, and I'm guessing muffins about 18-20 minutes.

Dark Chocolate Cookies

One lone little cookie...that was all that was left of the batch this morning, I had to snatch it to take a pic before my husband ate it! These cookies are perfect, soft, chewy, fudgey, need I go on? I added Reeses chips to these, they would be good with anything, I think next time I'll try chopped almonds and white chocolate chips. Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Cookies

2 c. flour
3/4 c. unsweetened baking cocoa (I used Hershey's)
2 Tbs dutch process cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 c. butter (I used salted)
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 bag peanut butter chips (or whatever add in you would like)

Preheat oven to 350.
In medium sized bowl whisk together flour, cocoas, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In mixing bowl cream butter and sugars together for 2 minutes. With mixer on low, add in eggs and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture. Stir in chips. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cracks appear on top and centers are puffed up. Cool on rack.

Chocolate Cream Filled Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Here is another alternative for the vanilla cupcake recipe, the chocolate cream filling really puts these over the top!

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

1 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
2 Madagascar vanilla beans, scraped using seeds only
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 c. cake flour, NOT self rising
1 1/4 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325. Line 2 cupcake pans with liners.

Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla beans together for 3 minutes, until very light. Add eggs, on at a time, scraping down bowl after each addition. Add vanilla extract. In a separate bowl whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make sure when you measure your flour that you gently stir it first to aerate it, and then spoon it into the measuring cups and level to prevent adding too much flour and having a dry cupcake. Add half of flour mixture to batter and mix, add buttermilk and mix, add the the remaining flour just until combined, do not overmix.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool.

Chocolate Cream Filling

2 Tbs hot water
7 oz container marshmallow creme
1/2 c. shortening
6 Tbs. powdered sugar
5 Tbs. Dutch processed cocoa
1 tsp vanilla

Beat together all ingredients until combined. Use a pastry bag with a large star tip to fill cupcakes. I cut an X in the middle of each cupcake with a sharp knife, then I inserted the tip of the bag into the middle of the cupcake. Fill each cupcake with about a tablespoon of chocolate cream.

Vanilla Bean Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 vanilla beans, scraped using seeds only
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
about 6 cups powdered sugar
enough milk to reach correct consistency

Beat together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla beans until creamy. Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Add enough milk to reach correct consistency, I usually end up adding about 1/2 cup. I also used the large star tip to frost these.

Orange Cream Cupcakes

These are a delicious, citrusy alternative to your standard cupcake flavors, they end up tasting like an orange creamsicle! I've been going crazy trying to find a really good vanilla cupcake recipe, so after trying 5 different recipes and changing a few measurements, I came up with this one. I purchased the Madagascar vanilla beans off of Amazon.com, 16 for only $9.00, and free shipping! I would highly recommend purchasing vanilla beans on the internet, the grocery stores charge way too much. If you don't have vanilla beans, just add a little extra vanilla extract.

Orange Cream Cupcakes

1 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
2 vanilla beans (seeds only)
1 Tbs. orange zest
1/4 c. fresh orange juice
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 c. cake flour, NOT self rising
1 1/4 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325 and line 2 cupcake pans with liners.

In the bowl of a mixer, cream together butter, sugar, vanilla bean seeds, orange zest, and orange juice for 3 minutes, until very light.
Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Add vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
When measuring the flour, make sure to aerate it first (gently stir) and then spoon into measuring cup and then level. It's very important that you not put too much flour in the batter, otherwise the cupcakes will be dry. With the mixer on low speed, add half of flour mixture, add buttermilk, and then the remaining flour. Mix until just combined, do not overmix.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool.

Orange Cream Frosting

6 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 Tbs. butter, softened
1 vanilla bean, seeds only
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp orange zest
1/4 c. fresh squeezed orange juice
5-6 c. powdered sugar
enough milk to reach the correct consistency

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla bean seeds until smooth. Add vanilla extract, orange zest, orange juice, and 4 cups of powdered sugar. Add remaining powdered sugar, and enough milk to reach the correct consistency. I used a large star tip to pipe on the frosting. Makes 24 cupcakes.