chocolate chip peanut butter pretzel cookies with salted caramel drizzle

omg these are amazing! my son has been begging me everyday to make cookies, so i finally gave in today (i had a sweet tooth lol) and i just happened to have all the ingredients that i needed for these ones...

Chocolate chip peanut butter pretzel cookies
adapted from http://sugarcooking.blogspot.com/2010/07/pretzel-cookies-with-chocolate-peanut.html

i used my aunts famous chocolate chip cookie recipe, but you can obviously use your favorite

3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 tbsp creamy peanut butter (i used 2 tbsp because the recipe i got for the pretzel cookies called for peanut butter chips and i didn't have any on hand)
1 cup crisco butter flavor shortening
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (i used a whole bag of mini chips cuz thats what i had and i didnt feel like measuring)
1/2 cup broken pretzel pieces(i probably used more than a 1/2 cup because i really dont like measuring. i just eyeballed it until it looked like a good amount)
salted caramel sauce (recipe follows)

preheat oven to 350 degrees. cream together brown sugar, sugar, vanilla, eggs, peanut butter and crisco. once mixed well, add flour, salt and baking soda. stir in chocolate chips and pretzel pieces.

keep batter in fridge in between batches (I would suggest keeping it in the fridge for about 30 minutes prior to baking just to firm up the dough, but i didnt do that with this batch and they turned out fine... the dough was just a little more crumbly than normal) bake one sheet in middle of oven for 9 minutes or until lightly browned on tips. this is important... take them out when they are browned around the edges, but look like they could still use a few minutes. they will continue to cook on the baking sheet. leave on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then move to cooling rack to completely cool.

Salted Caramel Sauce
from http://www.recipegirl.com/2011/12/17/salted-caramel-sauce-printable-labels/

DISCLAIMER: i suggest going to the above website to look at the recipe that i adapted mine from. this sauce did not turn the color it should have but it is amazing all the same... in fact i keep going up to the jar and smelling it because it is so heavenly.

and i just figured out what this sauce tastes like... werthers original in liquid form

 3/4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup whipping cream
3/4 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt ( i didnt have sea salt so i used table salt...)

1. Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir. Bring the mixture to a boil and shake/swirl the pan very often (the original recipe said not to stir but after 15 minutes of shaking the pan, i finally just stirred it with a spatula) until it turns a medium amber color ( for me it took 20 minutes to get a light amber color. and it started to solidify two times over the course of the 20 minutes. at that point, i added a little bit of water and it bubbled like crazy, but started to change to the amber color it was supposed to...at this point i got impatient and finished). If sugar crystals gather along the sides of the pan during the cooking process, you can use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush the sugar down the sides of the pan so that it becomes incorporated into the boiling mixture.
2. Remove the pan from heat and pour in the cream. It will bubble up like crazy. Give it a whisk, then add in the butter, vanilla and sea salt. Whisk again until everything is nice and smooth. It should be the color of caramel. Cool it in the pan or pour it into a large measuring cup

after 5 minutes of boiling

after 20 minutes of boiling (and a couple extra tablespoons of water)

sorry for poor photo quality and lack of photos... the rest happened too fast for me to take pics lol

 

crispy chicken with honey mustard dressing

i remember making a similar recipe to this when i was i high school and it was a favorite then and its definitely making its way into our regular dinner rotation!

Crispy Chicken from

http://jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com/2011/04/crispy-chicken-with-creamy-italian.html

3 large chicken breasts, each one pounded flat and cut in half

5 cups corn flakes

¾ cup flour

½ tsp salt

½ cup milk

6 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

honey mustard dressing (recipe follows)

1.       Crush corn flakes in either a food processor or in a bag with a rolling pin.

2.       Add salt to flour. Stir to combine.

3.       Place flour, milk and crushed cornflakes each into their own separate bowls.

4.       Dredge the chicken in the flour. Place on pan and put in freezer for about 5 minutes.

5.       Remove chicken from the freezer and dredge each piece in the milk and then directly into the cornflakes.  Be sure both sides of each chicken are coated well.

6.       Add olive oil to hot skillet.

7.       Lay each piece of chicken into the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes or until the underside of each piece is golden brown. Turn the pieces over. If the pan is dry, add a bit more olive oil.

8.       Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Let the chicken cook for about 7 more minutes, being careful not to burn the bottom but chicken is cooked through.

Honey mustard dressing

1/4 cup honey
4 tsp mustard
garlic powder to taste

mix ingredients together and enjoy!

crock pot breakfast casserole

hi! i didn't post yesterday. i spent the afternoon into evening at the zoo with my kids and by the time we got home i was too exhausted to post anything. i havent gotten around to posting this, but this was our christmas morning breakfast. i just through everything into the crockpot whenwe got home from our family party on christmas eve and woke up with breakfast complete!

Breakfast casserole
from http://www.alattewithotta.com/2010/11/crock-pott-recipe-egg-brunch-casserole.html

the recipe i adapted this from has cooked bacon in it. but since i still tend to cook mostly vegetarian and i have two kids that i refuse to eat anything green, i replaced the bacon with broccoli in hopes of hiding it from them (it worked for my one year old, but not so much with my four year old)

1/2 bag frozen hash browns
2 cups cooked broccoli
10 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese
pepper to taste (salt too i guess, but i try to refrain from using salt in almost all of my cooking)

spray crock pot with cookin spray. layer 1/2 of the hash browns on the bottom, top with 1/2 the broccoli and then 1/2 cup of cheese. repeat.

mix eggs and milk together until well combined. pour over top of casserole. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Set crockpot on low and cook for 8 to 10 hours.

biscuits and gravy

i wanted to make christmas morning special so i decided to make something that i rarely make (rarely meaning this i the second time i have ever made biscuits and gravy) i used to think that it was really hard to make and since i didnt eat meat, i didn't even bother to attempt it. well i finally did attempt it for the first time about a month ago and now my husband has been begging me for thm on a daily basis! and its super easy. i would never have thought that!

biscuits and gravy

1 roll sausage (i used pork sausage but if i can find turkey sausage thats what i will go with next time)
2-4 tablespoons flour
1/2 to 1 cup milk
pepper to taste
refrigerated biscuits (i cheated and did this instead of making homemade biscuits becase my husband didnt seem to like mine too much lol)

bake biscuits according to package directions.

while biscuits are in the oven, brown sausage in a pan.

once its completely browned, add flour, a tablespoon at a time, until meat is coated. (the more you add, the thicker the gravy will become)

once the flour has coated the sausage, add milk. stir until gravy forms. add more milk until you get desired consistency of gravy. add pepper to taste.

place gravy on warm biscuits and enjoy!

its really that easy.

the evil chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake

i had a lot of trouble with this one! its my own fault i know. i got ballsy and decided that i was going to throw 3 recips together and create my own. dont get me wong, it turned out amazing... but theroad there wasn't fun. lets just say thank goodness for smoke detectors and fire extinguishers!

Chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake

3 packages cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 packages refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chocolate chips

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

in a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla until well mixed; set aside.

Arrange one package (or more, depending on what you need) of cookie dough squares or slices (if using slices, cut ito 1/4 inch slices) on bottom of springform pan; press together so there are no holes in the dough.

form remaining cookie dough into small balls and place in freezer to firm.

(at this point, if you are like me, you are going to want to put the cookie dough into the oven to bake for a little bit to make sure that its a crust for the cheesecake. don't do this! i did and it made the crust as hard as a rock.)

pour half of the cheesecake mixture into the cookie dough. then take frozen cookie balls and mix them into remaining cheesecake mixture. then pour the rest into the springform pan and smooth top as much as possible. put in oven and bake fo 45 to 50 minutes, until center is firm and springs back.

(at this point in my cheescake adventure, my oven caught on fire... this may or may not be the reason for the hard as rock cookie crust but i cant be sure. dont worry though, i pulled the cheesecake out and got the fire extinguished rather quickly. the only thing i had to deal with was the horrible smell of burning throughout my house... and clothes... for the rest of the day and into the night. that, and of course, my 4 year old, oliver, wouldn't let me forget that i managed to set the oven on fire and smoke up the entire house)

let the cheesecake cool.

once the cheesecake has cooled, melt the chocolate chips and whipping cream in a saucepan until it turns into a chocolate sauce. pour over cheesecake and let cool overnight.

full disclosure: my husband and i tasted the cheesecake (this was my first time trying this recipe so  i made a mini one to taste before bringing the large one to a party). it as really good... except for the hard crust. since i made this for a party, i had to fix that! i couldnt let people think that i am a horrible baker! everyone makes mistakes right?! i am in the process of making another crust (an oreo one this time since thats all i had on hand lol) i intend to cut the top of the cheesecake off the cookie crust and place it onto the oreo crust. wish me luck people! i may have to stop at the store and pick up a dessert before going to the xmas eve party!

UPDATE: after removing the top of the cheesecake, i checked the cookie crust only to find that it WASNT as hard as a rock... of course! oh well. i didnt want to take that chance. i will update again with how the oreo crust turned out.

kris kringle cookies

YUM! my sister, gina and i came across this recipe a couple of years ago and they have definitely become a christmas staple in my house! my son, oliver and i made this batch for santa (if they last through the night lol)

Kris Kringle Cookies
from http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/big-batch-kris-kringle-cookies-57539.aspx

*this picture does not do these cookies justice!

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup  granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2   eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2-1/4 cups  flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp.  salt

1 package white chocolate chips

2 cups  chopped Pecans

2 cups dried cranberries

 

HEAT oven to 350ºF.
BEAT butter and sugars in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Stir in chocolate, nuts and cranberries.
DROP rounded tablespoonfuls of dough, 1-1/2 inches apart, onto baking sheets. * i find that for best results you should put the dough in the fridge in between batches going in the oven (does that make sense?)
BAKE 9 to 11 min. or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 3 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

cream cheese spaghetti casserole

I found this recipe on pinterest (of course) and thought it looked amazing so i decided to give it a whirl. i have two young kids and a husband who refuses to touch vegetables so i have to hide them in anything that i can. i thought that this recipe was the perfect opportunity to hide zucchini and carrots. Also i should add here that i have been a vegetarian for 10 years (minus my 2 pregnancies). i just recently started eating meat again, so most of my recipes leave meat out of them out of habit.

Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole
This recipe was adapted from http://www.plainchicken.com/2011/11/baked-cream-cheese-spaghetti-casserole.html

Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casseroleadapted from Food.com and salad-in-a-jar.com
(Printable Recipe)

12 oz spaghetti
1 (28 ounce) jars prepared spaghetti sauce (i used homemade tomato sauce. see bottom of  http://ifounditonpinterest-camamamacho.blogspot.com/2011/12/zucchini-parmesan.html for recipe)
1 zucchini
3 carrots
8 ounces cream cheese
garlic powder to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

Shave carrots into strips. Shave zucchini into strips until you get to the seeds. Once you get to the seeds, you want to stop because it becomes too watery.

Cook spaghetti according to directions on packet.  After spaghetti has started to soften, add zucchini ad carrot shavings to water. Cook for a few more minutes.

 Drain and place cooked in bowl.  Add cream cheese and seasonings.

Stir until cream cheese is melted and the spaghetti is thoroughly coated.

Lightly grease a 9x13" pan.  Spread a small amount of meat sauce in the bottom of the dish.  Put spaghetti on top of sauce and top with remaining sauce.  (my son helped with this part)

Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

Cut into squares once it has time to cool. Enjoy! I know my whole family did! (even my husband ate it, knowing that there was zucchini and carrots in it!... im excited... this is quite an accomplishment!)

zucchini parmesan

i had a zucchini that was on its last days and i had this recipe in my 'recipes i cant wait to try' board so i figured i might as well whip it together today since i also had some homemade tomato sauce on hand (recipe follows). this recipe calls for two or three zucchinis but i only used one so i obviously cut down the recipe to suit. and the best thing about this recipe is that its  great alternative to breaded zucchini that adds alot more calories. i think next time i make this, i will add a couple dollops of ricotta into the mix before i throw it in the oven

zucchini parmesan recipe
from http://gimmesomeoven.com/zucchini-parmesan/

Zucchini Parmesan Recipe
Ingredients:

• 2-3 zucchini, ends trimmed, sliced into 1/3″ discs
• coarse salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
• 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
• vegetable or canola oil
• 2/3 cup of your favorite tomato sauce
• 1 large ball or block fresh mozzarella (about 4 1/2 ounces)
• 1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan (about 3 ounces)

Sprinkle slices of zucchini with a small pinch of coarse salt and freshly-cracked black pepper on each side.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, lightly dredge the zucchini slices in the flour, tapping them on the side of the bowl to shake off excess flour. Heat oil in a large skillet(i used a griddle pan) over high heat. When a pinch of flour sizzles on contact, add the zucchini slices in a single layer, turn the heat to medium-high and cook for about one and a half minutes on each side or until dark golden brown.

Transfer the zucchini to paper towels to drain.  Repeat in batches until all of your zucchini it is cooked, adding more oil as necessary.
In a 13″ x 9″ baking dish (or oven-proof skillet), arrange as many slices of zucchini as can fit snugly in a single layer. Top each slice with a small spoonful of tomato sauce, a few small pieces of torn mozzarella, a bit of basil and a dusting of parmesan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted and begun to turn a golden color.  Remove from oven, and garnish with additional torn basil.  Serve immediately.

homemade tomato sauce:
from http://www.food52.com/blog/2380_marcella_hazans_tomato_sauce_with_onion_and_butter

For the Sauce:

2 pounds fresh, ripe tomatoes- blanched and peeled or 2 cups canned tomatoes, cut up with their juice
5 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half
Salt to taste

let's start with crockpot buffalo chicken

so last week i made crockpot buffalo chicken.
sooo good! i plan to make this again but in nacho form!

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

from http://mykitchenapron.blogspot.com/2011/07/crock-pot-buffalo-chicken.html

• 3 lb. bag of frozen chicken breasts
• 1 bottle Frank's Wings Buffalo Sauce
• 1 packet Ranch Dip Mix
• 2 TBSP butter

1. Put frozen chicken, wing sauce, and ranch dip mix into crock pot.
2. Cook on low at least 6 to 7 hours
3. Using two forks, shred chicken & return to crock pot.
4. Add butter.
5. Cook on low for an additional hour.
6. Enjoy!

for this recipe, i used sweet baby rays buffalo wing sauce and homemade ranch seasoning mix that i made from a recipe that i found somewhere (sorry i cant remember... but i bet that you can find one on pinterest very easily)

i wasn't feeling it on a bun, so i decided to put it on a romaine lettuce leaf. i topped that off with homemade blue cheese dressing

Blue cheese dressing:

from  http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/04/low-fat-creamy-blue-cheese-dressing.html

• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 6 oz fat free yogurt
• 1 tbsp light mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, mash blue cheese and yogurt together with a fork. Stir in mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, and garlic powder until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 1 cup

so i recently was turned onto pinterest...

on a girls weekend about a month ago, my cousin ashley told my sister and me about a website that she found called pinterest. well i forgot all about it until my sister said she became a member and invited me to join because she was newly 'obsessed' with it. so, after she sent me an invitation, i signed up to see what all the fuss was about. i wasn't impressed... and now here i am, a few weeks later, obsessed. i find myself on pinterest periodically throughout the day. and i build my weekly menu from recipes that i have found. i find myself sending pictures of what i made to my sister and bragging about my nightly dinner menu.

i figured that i might as well brag to more than just my sister. hence the creation of this blog. i am going to try (i have two kids and babysit my niece so i dont know if i can guarantee) atleast one recipe i found on pinterest daily. (maybe not just recipes, seeing as people often pin amazing craft ideas)