Chocolate Chip Pie Stuffed with Smores!!

This was brought on due to one of my many Pinterest "adventures". I saw this for a GIANT SMORES STUFFED COOKIE and I of course had to try it! While reading the comments I saw someone mention doing this as bars so I figured why not try a pie!?

CHOCOLATE CHIP PIE STUFFED WITH SMORES
1 package of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
1 cup of Mini Chocolate Chips
1 cup of Marshmallows
Graham Crakers

*In this recipe I used the Mallow Bits but refer to the end of this post to see how well it works with regular marshmallows! YUM!!

Asparagus Wrapped in Bacon

It's been a while since I've posted a recipe! At least it feels like it.

I've been addicted to broccoli and cheese for a while now. I picked up some asparagus the last time I was at the store to get try some other things. Well .. once I got home I was clueless as how I could spruce it up. So I turned to Pinterest, obviously, and saw something similar to this. I also saw something last Thanksgiving at a friend's dinner party but she had used green beans. So with the help of Pinterest and her dish, this is what happens.


ASPARAGUS WRAPPED IN BACON
24 Stems of Asparagus
8 Pieces of Bacon
Olive Oil
Salt
Garlic Pepper

A Picking We Will Go!

I remember, when I was a kid, a family friend taking us to go and pick strawberries. I don't remember it very well, but definitely have the faint memory of us bending over a bush and picking. A week or so ago while on Facebook, I saw a friend's pictures of her family at a local fruits and vegetable farm. After I saw this, I was determined to go.

Yesterday, I woke up early in excitement to go. And of course it being the weekend, so were the kids. I was so excited I was dreaming about it! But I dreamed it was raining and we didn't get to go! Yikes, glad that didn't happen. I forgot I had invited my sister, so after waiting at out local McDonald's for about 2 hours, we were READY to go!!

The fields were located right behind this little store. After going in, and being greeted by DELICIOUS samples of their homemade smoked sausage we headed towards the back. After purchasing a bucket and going over the rules, we were free to go.



The strawberries were beautiful. I'm used to seeing them in the store, where they're about to go bad and have bad spots. These we're just perfect.



There were just rows and rows full of the bushes. It seemed never ending.



And like I said before they had a little store in front. I'm guessing this was like a farmer's market type store, hint the name "fruit & vegetable farm" haha. I wish I was able to browse some more, everything looked so delicious. Huge onions, homemade fried pies, chocolate covered almonds & raisins .. Even a smokehouse just right next door.


Excuse the nail polish! I got smart and tested a polish on my thumb .. have yet to make the effort to clean it off. haha

This was a great way to spend the Sunday. Had I known my mother had the day off, it would've been a full family event.

So PINTERESTING + Recipe

The most easiest, creative way to cook cinnamon rolls?!


SNAGGED FROM PINTEREST

In the WAFFLE IRON! I saw this on pinterest and gave the computer screen the "are you joking me?" look. I tried this out two days ago. I am not even kidding you, that was the fastest I've ever seen ANY cinnamon roll cooked. LOVE it. My kids loved the fact they got a waffle that was a cinnamon roll. And I'm serious! SO EASY! Heat up your waffle iron, place the cinnamon rolls, close the lid and viola!

Also, while on pinterest. I found a recipe for a BUTTERFINGER PIE I love me some butterfingers, but did not have any on hand. So I had to come up with something. Then I had this bright idea ... I have tons of candy canes .. let's use that!

So here, my friends, is a Candy Cane pie!! So good!

CANDY CANE PIE
12oz of Whipped Cream
8oz of Cream Cheese
8 Candy Canes, crushed
Premade pie crust



How easy is this you say?

All you do is mix the ingredients, add it to the crust, smooth it out and let it chill.


YOU'RE DONE!!!

Now a confession! When I ate the first piece, and I was biting into candy canes, every other bite, I thought "oh great!" :/ BUT after I left it in the fridge over night, the candy cane bits had pretty much dissolved and I had me a peppermint-y yummy pie without all the chunks.

So tell me what will your Christmas breakfast and dessert consist of!? ;)

Project Pinterest #2 - White Chicken Chili

Recipe @ heatovento350
PIC SNAGGED FROM PINTEREST

Have I said how much my husband loves soups? When I first saw this, the beans caught my eye at first. Then the avocado and from there I knew I had to make this.

The only things I did to this was I didn't mince the onions and jalapenos .. For one my chopper's broke (*tear*) and second I knew he'd like the chunkiness. Also, I just cooked this on the stove top. I love the concept of the crockpot but there are times when I get the inspiration to cook something (mainly something I find online) and definitely do not have the time for the slow cooker. Oh and used one can less of the beans, which in the end worked out pretty well with the onions and jalapeno chunks.

Husband has yet to come home so I can get an official yay or nay but from the little tastes I had (it had jalapeno!! not my cup of tea) I thought it wasn't that bad!! :) I could tell it was very hearty though! Can't wait to see what he says!

Project Pinterest #1 - Pumpkin Dump Cake

As I said before, I wanted to make it a goal to try - if not all - most of the recipes I found on Pinterest. The recipes on there look so yummy and they make it look so easy.

I started my mission before Thanksgiving with one recipe.
Pumpkin Dump Cake
I love me some dump cake and pumpkin .. well bring it on!


Recipe @ cookiesandcups.com
PIC SNAGGED FROM PINTEREST

When I first tried this recipe, I did not have the pumpkin spice. I figured, and I kid you not, "It's only 3tsp, can't make that much of a difference." Well it did. I was disappointed because this was just bland and not all that great. That spice was definitely needed, because this cake was definitely missing that something and that spice was it!

Well come Thanksgiving, my mom, sister & I went to a family friend's place for dinner. She would rave on Facebook about how her dessert list would consist of everything Pinterest. I was so excited and I couldn't wait to see what she had. Oh no there it was! Pumpkin dump cake!! I had to try it to see just how different it was from mine (you know .. see how essential the spice was! lol) This was awesomeness in a little square. I loved it and was upset when it ran out.

So between then and now, I made sure to search high and low for the pumpkin spice. It apparently was in high demand this holiday season because I could not find it for nothing. The other day I finally made it THE WAY it was supposed to and oh my goodness! Delish!! And with Blue Bell's Homemade Vanilla ice cream and/or whipped cream *drool*

This is great for any day of the week. Not just for the holiday season. And learn from me .. don't skimp on the ingredients!

Ancho Chile Shrimp Soup

While stumbling upon ... well STUMBLE UPON haha, I found this recipe for a shrimp soup.

Hubby has been a tad obsessed with soups lately and Sunday has been branded "Seafood Day" (not really, but it sure does seem like it!) so I figured, when I found myself awake early this morning, I would go out and get the things for this. My only fall back, considering I know little-to-nothing about cooking, was not knowing the difference between ancho chile powder and chili powder. I stood in the seasoning aisle of my local grocery store, just staring down the spices for a good ten minutes. So I grabbed the chili powder in hopes it wouldn't really make a difference and while I was at it, grabbed the ancho chile pepper.

This soup is so delish! I'll be posting the normal recipe, but I tweaked a bit to make a tad more.

ANCHO CHILE SHRIMP SOUP
womansday.com


1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
2 peeled carrots, sliced 1/4” thick wheels
1 green bell pepper, diced 1/2”
1 yellow zucchini, sliced 1/2” thick rounds
1 green zucchini sliced 1/2” thick rounds
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tsp ancho chile powder
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt, to taste
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes in juice
8 C chicken broth
1/2 C corn kernals
1 lb Shrimp, peeled



Now first thing's first, considering I wasn't working with ready made chicken broth, while chopping up the veggies, I put a pot on and for every 2 cups of water I used one cube of chicken bouillon. I brought the water to a boil and let it simmer, til the cubes dissolved. I set it aside and got to working from the beginning.

First, I take my pot and drizzle in the olive oil. I take the first batch of ingredients (the veggies) and brown 'em up a bit.



After 2-3 minutes, I go ahead and pour in my seasonings (I ended up adding some of that ancho chile pepper in there, along with the salt), tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat.



Let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Once the veggies are slightly tender, bring it back to a boil and throw in the shrimp and corn. This next step won't take that long. After about 3 minutes, or once the shrimp have gone pink. Once your shrimp is cooked thoroughly you may serve!



Hubby loved it with diced onions & jalapenos and squeezed lime.

I tell you, I just loved eating the veggies and the actual soup itself. All day I was making myself little bowls of it. Yummy!

Chocolate Covered Cherries Milkshake.

While surfing my Twitter today I saw this post from ~lilsugar.



After I saw this, I figured I'd search for a great milkshake recipe. Even though the ones I saw looked tasty, I didn't have half of the ingredients. :( So I figured I'd come up with one of my own milkshakes with the things I already had on hand. This was actually delish! I've never made homemade milkshakes with ice cream (I did once way back when and my blender didn't like it too well) so this was an experiment for me.

CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRIES MILKSHAKE
6 scoops of Cherry Vanilla ice cream
2/3 cup milk
chocolate syrup


I really need a new camera. Or some better lighting in my kitchen.

So go! Go and celebrate Chocolate Milkshake Day!!

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Quick Chicken & Rice

This right here, is my signature dish (well according to my kids) so I had to share this when I happened to make it today for lunch.

There are many ways to cook this and I've tried about each one. I learned this from my mother, and with each time I made it, I had figured out a way to make it quick and easy.

Today, my husband was due home any minute and I couldn't figure out what there was to make that would be ready by the time he got home. When I figured out what I could make, all I had to really worry about was if the chicken would be ready in time.

I'm pretty sure I'm breaking all sorts of cooking rules with this, but it works!

INGREDIENTS
1lb of chicken breast
1/2 small onion
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 cup of water
salt/pepper to taste



Like I said, this was a spur of the moment meal so I didn't have time to cook the chicken. So I took 4 frozen pieces of chicken breast and boiled them in a pot of water on high til cooked. While that's boiling, cut up half of a small onion.



After the chicken is cooked, drain the water leaving very little in the pan and add the onions. As the onions cook, take a pair of tongs and have at it on the chicken, shredding it. Like I said before, this is the quick and easy way. You can take the chicken out and cut it up if you want. Cook chicken and onions until the onions are clear.



Once the mixture is ready, add the 2 soups and water. I usually use half and half on water & milk but my kids had devoured the milk so just water works the same. After mixing everything let cook on medium until the soup thins out. Stirring occasionally so that it doesn't stick/burn on the bottom.



After the soup thins out, you may want to add a bit more water and then add some instant rice. You can cook it separately but I've gotten pretty much the idea of how much to put in .. you just eye ball it. Remove from heat, cover the pot and give about 5-10 minutes for the rice to soften and you're good to go.


My kids love it, works everytime for them!

Mexican Chocolate Brownies!

First off, I'm glad to be able to finally come over and post!! I've been slacking because all I wanted to post was the new recipe I tried out but with the borrowed camera I had, I had no clue how to get the pictures off. But here were are a month or so later and I finally have my camera back and figured out how to get the pictures off the other one. So yay! :)

So as I've said before, my husband's from Mexico. With this, I've been around his family who as well are from Mexico and have learned to eat the authentic Mexican food. Tex-Mex? I can finally say "bleh!" I've also learned about Mexican hot chocolate. At first I can safely say I did not like it all. When I heard "hot chocolate" I got excited and took a sip. Not the best. Ever since then I tried to avoid it.

Come Christmas, each year, we would get goody baskets of fruit and food from his cousin. In the basket was this round bakers chocolate looking things. This is what they'd use for their hot chocolate. My husband wasn't big on it and since my first taste neither was I, but I couldn't bring myself to throw it out and I'd always forget when I would tell a friend I'd bring it to her. So after many years I finally found a recipe that called for this chocolate. My go to in authentic Mexican cooking La Cocina de Leslie had posted a recipe on Mexican Chocolate Brownies .. Had to try it!

INGREDIENTS
6oz butter
2 tablets Mexican chocolate
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)


First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. As that is heating, grease your pan. You can use good ol' butter, but I have a love for my cooking spray!

Now some of these chocolate tablets are easily breakable .. others you're gonna have to saw at it. But once you cut a half-inch into the bar, they'll be easy to break. You'll need to break them into 8 pieces.

In a pan, combine the tablets & 6ox of butter. Now I wasn't all about weighing butter, so I just kept Ms. Paula Dean in mind thinking if I went over, it'd be ok!

With a whisk, on low, cook until the chocolate & butter have melted. Be careful and stir occasionally so that the chocolate will not stick & burn.

After the chocolate is melted, remove from heat. Then whisk in the sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon (if you're using it) & salt to the chocolate til completely combined.

Now add the eggs to the mix, one at a time. I kind of got impatient :(

Now switch from whisk to a wooden spoon (it gets messy & gooey from here!) and GENTLY stir in the flour. I say gently because with me, it went all over!

From here on out my camera died! :( BUT you pour the batter into the pan (considering mine is a 8x8, it all didn't fit-so I had two batches) and make it all even and pop it in for about 20 - 25 minutes or until the brownie springs back when lightly pressed. Let cool for 10 minutes and ENJOY!!! :)

005. Beginning of the Week

Hope everyone had a great 4th. It was ok for us. Just a normal day of running around, the only thing different was R came home early. After cleaning up and some repairs around the house, the kids and I went down to the boardwalk (area) to watch fireworks. I say "area" because the traffic/people was insane, so we park in the Target parking lot down the street and stood at the edge of the street to watch. And I had doubted their size being somewhat far but they still came out gorgeous and big!



And that day was the last day of my precious camera. Granted I wanted desperately to get another one, I at least had a camera. Yesterday, I went to go put the batteries in and use it to take some pictures for a recipe, and the screen comes on shattered. :( I have no clue as to what happened, considering it was right by my desk the whole time, but it doesn't even take pictures. I was so upset.

Speaking of recipes, I wanted to post a how-to on rainbow cakes. I never knew how easy this was until I briefly skimmed over a recipe over at La Cocina de Leslie. Easy, easy!! Now I'll have to warn you on the quality of the pics. I had to use my BlackBerry (great phone, the camera sucks!) so eh ..


I didn't really want to learn a new cake recipe as well, so I just went ahead and used a box cake mix. I just wanted to grasp the concept of this.


After following the instructions on the box, I separated the batter into 4 bowls and added food coloring and mixed it up.


Spraying the dish, I added each color one by one on top of each other and afterward took the dish to give a little shake to even it all out.

Followed baking instructions and came out with this beauty. Ignore the icing. I went a little too far to try a rainbow topping buuut didn't work.


Isn't that awesome!! :) I plan on doing cupcakes for the kids' birthday. Should be a hit! :)

004. Cereal Containers

You know those plastic containers that have the nifty spout, the indention where it is easy to grab and keeps you from having to deal with the boxes & bags of cereal? Well then you know how much they cost right?! Granted you can say "not that much" but when you know the alternative and how much IT costs you'd want to make the switch.

Your run of the mill pitcher. That's right ...



And the best part is .. I got that for 1.00$ at Wal-Mart. Yep! It was in the clearance section with all the other picnic accessories after, I do believe, 4th of July. And all you do is open the cereal, pour it and voila!




Doesn't look that bad does it? Now I do you warn you, with the 2qt pitchers, some of the whole boxes don't fit in one pitcher. The only downside. But my kids eat a TON of cereal, so within a day I can put the remaining bag into the pitcher. It always works out.