Chocolate and Peanut Butter Blondies
I found this recipe from my former co-worker at Southern Living and good friend Madoline who also is an avid foodie and has a food blog called Maple Macaroni. She adapted the recipe from Dorie Greenspan and it is out of this world. And, it’s really easy! Madoline’s recipe called for nuts and coconut but I was craving the always wonderful combo of chocolate and peanut butter so I added the chips instead. The recipe is basically a standard recipe for chocolate chip cookies and you could add anything you like to it. Once they bake the butter makes this gooey and moist and tempting to eat the entire pan. Thank you Madoline for loving to bake as much as I do and for this wonderful recipe that will be a go-to in my household from now on. 🙂
Recipe:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (packed) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 ounces chocolate chips
- 6 ounces peanut butter chips
Preheat the oven to 325F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan and put it on a baking sheet.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Working in a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add both sugars and beat for another 3 minutes, or until well incorporated. Add the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing just until they disappear into the batter. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate, nuts and coconut. Scrape the batter into the buttered pan and use the spatula to even the top as best as you can.
Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the blondies comes out clean. The cake should pull away from the sides of the pan a little and the top should be a nice honey brown. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for about 15 minutes. You can now invert the cake onto another rack, and then turn it over onto a rack and cool to room temperature. Alternatively, you can keep the blondies in the pan. Cut the blondies into bars.
Orzo Salad With Green Beans and Herbs
I don’t know what the weather is like in your neck of the woods but down in New Orleans its perfect picnic weather. It’s that wonderful time of year down here where the humidity hasn’t set in, the average is 80 degrees and the sun seems to be constantly shining. I know I sound cheesy but its the kind of weather where you just want to live outdoors and that means, picnics, barbecues and eating on the patio. This recipe is perfect for any of those occasions and feeds a crowd but is just as good if you cut it in half. The combination of feta, black olives, basil and parsley give is a Greek flair and the green beans add a nice crunch. You can sub any pasta or even faro if you prefer. Even if your weather is not as beautiful as New Orleans at the moment, you can make it as a side or put it i your back pocket and save it for a sunny day.
Recipe:
- 2 cups Orzo Pasta
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 pound Green Beans
- 1/2 cup Pitted Black Olives
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook under al dente. Drain the  orzo but to not rinse. Let cool.
Meanwhile, trim and cut the green beans in half. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a saute pan on med-high heat and add the beans. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes or until the garlic starts to turn slightly brown. Do not overcook the garlic, it will burn. remove from heat and let cool.
When the pasta has started to cool, toss it with 1 tbsp of olive oil and let cool completely. Once the pasta is cool, add the green bean and garlic mixture and the remaining ingredients. Toss well and serve or chill for one hour. T
Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
I made these cupcakes from Martha Stewarts’ Cupcakes book this past Valentine’s day and I’ll admit I never got around to posting them. However, with Spring here and all the baby showers, wedding showers, and Easter, I think they provide the perfect palette for creating beautiful desserts for entertaining. They are also delicious! The cream cheese frosting is rich and decadent but it also makes a great canvas for piping flowers or adding pastel sprinkles. As you can see, I used them to accompany my adorable heart-covered cupcake wrappers, but I think they will look gorgeous with pastel or white wrappers as well.
The spice cake is very dense and more like a pound cake consistency and it it so aromatic that you can’t help but taste test the batter before they are finished. They also make your house smell incredible!
Recipe:
Whole-Wheat Pasta with Spring Vegetables
When it comes to food trends, whole-wheat pasta is definitely “In” right now and I’m always trying to find new flavors to pair it with. It’s true, for a lot of dishes, regular pasta is the way to go, but this dish really brings out all the qualities of whole wheat. The creamy ricotta cheese sticks to the noodles and gives it a almost cream-based sauce kind of feeling but is much lighter on the calories. The fresh cherry tomatoes and crispy green beans are great additions but you can add any veggie of your liking or even chicken or shrimp.
Oh – and I can’t help it, but this is another Giada De Laurentiis-inspired dish with my own twists. I love this dish on a warm spring evening and its packed with fiber and the more veggies you add, the more nutrients you will get. You can also sub any type of whole wheat pasta. I made it once with whole-wheat penne and its just as good and fun to eat.
Recipe: (Serves 4-6)
- 1 lb. Whole Wheat Linguine
- 1/2 Cup Skim Ricotta Cheese
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1/2 lb. Haricot Verts or Green Beans
- 1 Garlic Clove
- 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta, cooking until al dente (about 8-10 min.) Drain, pasta reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Place the pasta in a large bowl and add the ricotta.
Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a pan at medium-high heat. Add green beans, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for 4 minutes. Add the pasta water and continue cooking until the beans are tender for another 4 minutes. Remove the green bean mixture from heat and add to the pasta with the cherry tomatoes. Stir all together gently and sprinkle with lemon zest and parmesan cheese to serve.
Pot Roast with Rosemary Potatoes
In cold weather, there’s nothing I enjoy more than preparing classic comfort food. Well – I guess there is one thing that I enjoy more – eating it! I don’t know how the weather has been in your neck of the woods, but here in New Orleans it has been cold and rainy. The perfect weather for a pot roast.
This pot roast recipe us from Giada De Laurentiis, only her recipe includes red wine and I didn’t have any one hand so I left it out. I would recommend including the wine if you have it because it will only add more depth of flavor and moisture to the meat. But with or without it the recipe is rich, hearty, and budget-friendly. I also left out the porcini mushrooms but they would make a nice addition. It takes some time but the good news it that your oven does the majority of the work. After 3 hours, you have a tender, flavorful roast that flakes apart and melts in your mouth.
As a side, I used some pantry staples and roasted some Rosemary Idaho potatoes. Since rosemary is such a hearty herb that holds up in cold weather, I cook with it frequently during the winter.
My boyfriend had a great idea of taking the drippings from the meat and turning it into a thick gravy by putting it in the food processor. I’d never done this before but it’s a quick and easy way to make gravy and made for a decadent sauce to smother the meat and potatoes in.
We added steamed artichokes to create a complete, comforting winter meal.
Train Cake for Christmas
While I was home for Christmas visiting my family, my sister-in-law made an adorable railroad cake from a mold. I have a 3-year-old nephew who is obsessed with trains right now so I had to make another one for him for Christmas day. This cake is so easy to make and is really a crowd pleaser. It took some time to decorate but was worth the look on my nephew’s face when I showed it to him. I used candy like Twizzlers, M&M’s, Red Hots, gumdrops, and chocolate chips and then pressed them on with frosting using a piping kit. The mold comes with a photo for decorating inspiration and a recipe but I just used a boxed yellow cake mix and it turned out fine. This is a great idea for a family activity where the kids can decorate with candy and frosting. It’s great for the holidays, a birthday party, or just because you love your nephew.
Halloween Apron!
Halloween is probably my favorite holidays or it’s at least evenly tied with Christmas and I LOVE decorating for it! I have been moving a lot in the past few years so most of my decorations are back home in California, but I still try to add to the collection wherever I go. And the collection definitely includes home goods like dish towels, place mats, and of course, aprons.
I have an annual tradition of baking Halloween cookies decked out with sparkly sprinkles and spooky/cheesy designs, so when I found this adorable apron I couldn’t resist. I like that it’s kind of ironic given that the apron has a gravestone and says R.I.P. when the person wearing it will most likely be a well-mannered domesticated lady. I love the sparkly belt, and the frills below the bats. I admit it’s more cutsey than scary but hey, sometimes housewives and domestic wannabes can be very scary too…
Where to get it: T.J.Maxx stores
Stay tuned for more of my awesome aprons to come.
Design Inspiration: Sophisticated Kitchen
Even though I don’t exactly have a house to call my own – one that I can renovate and style to my exact liking, a girl can still dream. And for me, it’s not only dreaming but finding ideas and saving them for the day I do have my very own house.
I love the mother of pearl tile and the mosaic design on the back splash. It adds so much to the room without having to hang tons of art and fixtures. I also think the metallic fixtures and hood create a nice modern touch and enhance the upscale look of the whole room. This kitchen as a whole is not as warm and inviting as I want my dream kitchen to be, but it is so beautiful I have to add it to my design book.
* Photo by Tria Giovan; From Coastal Living Magazine
Earthbound Farm Stand
A few weeks ago I flew back to California for by brother’s wedding in Carmel Valley and while I was out there, I stopped by The Earthbound Farm Stand because I’ve been dying to check it out. I’ve written reviews on “Earthbound Cook” and “Food to Live By,” cookbooks written by the owner of Earthbound Organic Farms, Myra Goodman. Myra suggested that I stop by and try out the cafe at the farm stand where you can order soups and sandwiches, and create your own salad from their beautiful salad bar. It’s culinary experiences like this that make me truly miss the central coast of California and all its fresh and delicious produce.
Earthbound Farm is the largest grower of organic produce that was started by Myra and her husband in Carmel Valley near the farm stand location. Today, you can visit the farm stand where they sell organic groceries and offer fresh fare to eat at the picnic area outside or take to go. The best part is, most of the produce is grown locally and all of the breads, frozen yogurt, and dressings are made fresh, on site.
I started with this beautiful salad bar. Heirloom lettuces, beets and tomatoes were like little jewels that had my mouth watering as I loaded my plate. If you haven’t tried baby heilroom lettuce, I suggest adding it to your bucket list. It has so much more depth and flavor than regular lettuce and adds a terrific bite to your salad.
My boyfriend had the vegetable panini made on foccacia bread with eggplant, goat cheese and basil and we shared the sweet potato soup. Everything was fresh and delicious.
The Earthbound Farm Stand is truly a great culinary experience and not just because of the groceries and food. The site has a large herb garden where you can clip your own herbs and buy them by the ounce, a very economical way to buy herbs since they often go to waste when you buy them by the bunch. Â There is an alphabet garden and a labyrinth for children year-round, and a corn maze, pumpkins and family activities each fall. I was smitten and I don’t even have kids! If you are ever in the area, you should definitely check this place out.
Two Peas in a Pod
Meet my cats (and my pride and joy) Whiskers and Tuna. Tuna is the half calico, half tiger stripe and Whiskers is the full tiger stripe. They are both rescues from New Orleans who have fallen into a life of love and luxury. I created this page to share entertaining and endearing pictures of pets and the tips and facts I learn in my pet-owning adventures.
Domestic Wannabe 