Iced Strawberry Lemonade

 Slushy Strawberry Lemonade
source: http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/05/18/iced-strawberry-lemonade/

10 strawberries
2/3 c sugar
4 whole lemons, with rinds cut off (only the flesh should be left)
3 c ice
1 1/2 c water

Cut the hull (the green part) off of the strawberries.  Place them in a blender with 1/3 c sugar, 1/2 c of ice, and 1/2 c of water.  Pulverize!  You want the ice to turn into Slurpee texture.  Pour this into the bottom of four 8 oz glasses.

Rinse out the blender.  Place the flesh of the lemon, 2 1/2 c ice, and 1 c water in the blender and mix it up.  You've got to have a pretty powerful blender for this to work.  Again, you want the ice to be snow cone-esque.  Pour the lemon slush on top of the strawberry slush.

Sip.  Preferably on a hot summer day, by a pool, with a little paper umbrella sticking out of the side.

Sorry for the bad pictures.  My family was starving, and I can feel the heat of their glare when I'm trying to take the perfect picture instead of serving up a tasty meal.

Identity Crisis Brownies

Pop quiz time! I know you're excited.

1. How do you know that it is the first week of school? (keep in mind that I work for an online public school)

A. Someone stops by my house at 3:45 in the afternoon, and I'm still in my pajamas.

B. The dinners around here generally consist of something that can be purchased in a drive-thru while I'm still wearing my pajamas.

C. The bag of Oreos in the cupboard disappeared alarmingly fast.

D. When my kids draw a picture of me, I'm stuck behind the screen of a computer.

E. The majority of the recipes on here are sweets because if I don't have a constant supply of sweets, I'm crazy.  

F. All of the above

Correct answer is... drumroll... F!  It's been an insanely busy week, and I have had my fair share of sweets.  Someone once said that man cannot live off of bread alone. Probably not.  Can woman live off of sweets alone?  Absolutely.  I browsed through a bunch of recipes hunting for something to satisfy my insatiable sweet tooth, and I found this brownie.  Now, it's original name is not "identity crisis brownies."  I named it that because one second they seemed more fudgy than cakey.  They next minute they seemed more cakey than fudgy.  The darn brownies can't make up their minds.  Either way, they are delicious.   They didn't go stale for days!  I was amazed that they still were good to eat on day 4, but I'm not sure how they lasted that long.

Identity Crisis Brownies

source: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/10/08/the-baked-brownie/

1 1/4 c flour

1 t salt

2 T cocoa powder

11 oz dark chocolate, chopped

1 c (2 sticks) butter, cut into one inch pieces

1 1/2 c sugar

1/2 c brown sugar

5 eggs, at room temperature

2 t vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 pan.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.

Place the chocolate (I actually used 2 oz unsweetened chocolate, 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, and 6 oz milk chocolate.  Not because I think it is some magical combination but because it was what I had on hand) and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and place in the microwave for one minute, stirring after 30 seconds.  Continue to microwave in 30 second intervals until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Add the sugars to the chocolate mixture.  Stir well.  Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to get to room temperature.

Add three eggs to the chocolate mixture and mix until well combined.  Add the remaining two eggs, mixing well.  Don't overbeat the brownies.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture.  Using a rubber spatula, fold together until the flour is barely incorporated.    

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 30 minutes, rotating after 15 minutes.  

When they come out, there should be a few moist crumbs on a toothpick that has been inserted into the middle.  Let them cool for as long as you can.  :)  We only last about ten minutes round here, although the recipes always say "cool completely."  Right.  That's like placing a nice pile of garbage in front of a goat and telling it not eat it.  Not gonna happen!

Serve with a nice, tall glass of milk.

World's Best Dinner Rolls

Any recipe you have for rolls needs to be incinerated.  Have a bonfire, make s'mores, and laugh while your great-grandmother's roll recipe goes up in flames.  This recipe makes the softest, most delicious rolls.  Ever.  Sorry to all the Mabels, Bettys, Margories, and Ethels out there that had a recipe passed down for 10 generations.  This recipe has officially trumped yours- for good.  These rolls are a-maz-ing. 

World's Best Dinner Rolls

source: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/10/worlds-best-dinner-rolls/

2 c whole milk

1/2 c + 1 T sugar, divided

1/3 c butter

2 t kosher salt

2 pkgs instant dry yeast (4 1/2 t)

2/3 c warm water (105-115 degrees)

8-9 c flour

3 beaten eggs

Combine milk, butter, 1/2 c sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts.  Pour the mixture into a bowl and place in the fridge to cool down while you prepare the yeast mixture.  

Dissolve the yeast and 1 T of sugar in the warm water.  Let it sit for ten minutes.  The yeast mixture should foam and bubble up.  If it doesn't get all big and poofy, the water was probably too hot.  This step is important.  If the yeast doesn't rise, the bread won't either.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 c of flour and the cooled milk mixture.  Beat on low for 30 seconds, scraping down the sides often.

Add yeast mixture and beat on high for 3 minutes.  Add the beaten eggs. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.  Don't add too much flour or the rolls will be dense.  The dough will be very soft.  

Place the dough in a warm place to let rise for 30 minutes.  I always boil water in a pyrex glass measuring cup in the microwave and leave it in there.  I add the bowl with the dough in the microwave and let it rise in there. It stays nice and warm in there from the boiling water.  Works like a charm.

Once it has doubled in size, roll it into a rectangle about an inch thick.  Use a pizza cutter to cut it into 12 pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball and place it in a greased 9x13 pan.  

Boil more water and leave it in the microwave.  Add the pan of rolls and let it rise for 30 minutes.  

About ten minutes before they are done rising, preheat the oven to 375.

Bake them for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on top.  

Rub a stick of cold butter on top of the rolls.  Buttery, golden, delicious puffs of floury goodness.

Again, sorry Grandmothers all over the world in heaven above.  You ain't got nothing on this!

Zupa Toscana Soup

Please pardon my neglect of blogging.  My husband took my kids up to go camping for four nights recently, and I savored every moment of that solitude.  Granted, I did have plenty of time to blog, but my husband had my camera with all my pictures on it.  So, here I am.  Refreshed and ready to share some tasty recipes.

Let me say a quick word on this soup.  I didn't have plans for dinner, but after August rains in Las Vegas all day, there is nothing like a good bowl of soup.  I was browsing through a cookbook and stumbled upon this recipe.  Normally, anything that has some crazy ingredient like kale, I would skip right over it.  However, I had kale on hand from my most recent Bountiful Basket.  Boy, am I glad I tried this recipe!  The spiciness from the sausage, and the smoothness from the cream is amazing.  My husband said that it was the best soup he'd ever had!  The flavor is dynamite!

Zupa Toscano Soup

source: Worldwide Ward Cookbook by Deanna Buxton

1 lb mild Italian sausage

1/2 lb bacon, chopped

1 quart water

2 14.5 oz cans chicken broth

2 lg russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

2 c kale or Swiss chard, chopped

1 c heavy whipping cream

salt and pepper to taste

Brown the Italian sausage in a skillet.  As it cooks, break it into small pieces.  Once it is fully cooked, rinse it and set aside.  (The original recipe said that if it isn't rinsed, the soup would have a red tint to it.)  Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel. Over medium-high heat, cook the bacon.  Drain and set aside. 

Place the water, broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion in soup pot.  (One side note- I totally forgot to put in the water; however, I put in four c of chicken broth.  It turned out very smooth and creamy. I don't think I'd change a thing.)

Simmer this mixture over medium heat until the potatoes are tender, about ten minutes.  Add the sausage and bacon and simmer for another ten minutes.  Add the kale or Swiss chard and the cream.  Season it with the salt and pepper and warm through.  Serve.

Triple Layer Peanut Butter Brownies

For my birthday, a dear friend brought me over a plate of these triple-layer brownies from a local bakery.  The brownies were huge, and I honestly think that I ate one of those rich, decadent, gigantic brownies in one sitting.  And I didn't regret it for one second.  They were amazing!  Well, she asked me if I could recreate something similar.  I love when someone gives me a mission!  I scavenged around looking at peanut butter filling recipes until I found one that seemed like it would be right.  I already had a brownie recipe that I thought would be perfect for the base.  One trip to the grocery store later, I was ready to try it.  After a couple hours in the kitchen, I had almost recreated them.  I'm sure it's not exact, but it's pretty darn close!  I took some to her, and she loved them.  I took them to a pool party tonight, and one person said, "I'm pretty sure these are going to be in heaven."  Well, if I make it there, I'd be happy to be the official Heaven brownie baker.  Let's just hope that the peanut allergy is sorted out up there so everyone can enjoy these. I don't need angels walking around with swollen heads due to a peanut allergy. Thanks for the brownies, Paula!  You're too good to me!  If you bring me some next year, be sure to include a ThighMaster or something because this could get really out of hand!  

 Triple layer Peanut Butter Brownies
source: brownie layer- my blog, Peanut butter layer- bakersedge.com



Brownies layer:
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 c butter (2 sticks)
4 eggs
2 c sugar
1 T vanilla
1/4 t salt
1 c flour

Peanut Butter Layer:
1 c Peanut Butter (I used crunchy but smooth would be fine, too)
4 T butter, room temperature
3/4 c powdered sugar
1/4 t salt
1 T milk
1 t vanilla

Chocolate Ganache Topping:
1 bag 11 oz (ish) chocolate chips
1/2 c heavy cream

mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a sauce pan over low heat, melt the 4 oz unsweetened chocolate and butter.  Occasionally stir.  Once is all all melted, remove it from the heat.  Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Mix in the sugar, salt, and vanilla.  Finally, add the flour and stir until combined.

Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.  Let the brownies cool for about an hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the peanut butter layer.  Beat the peanut butter and butter in your mixing bowl until it's light and fluffy.  Add the powdered sugar, salt, milk, and vanilla.  I beat mine for another couple of minutes on high to get it nice and fluffy.

Spread the peanut butter mixture onto the cooled brownies.

Finally, heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat just until it's barely boiling.  Turn off the heat.  Add the bag of chocolate chips to the cream.  Do not stir.  Let it sit for five minutes.  Now stir.  The chocolate chips should melt right down into a nice, smooth chocolate glaze.  if the chocolate chips don't completely melt, put the saucepan over low heat and stir until they are melted completely.

Pour the ganache over the peanut butter layer.

Sprinkle with the mini chocolate chips.

Little.  Slice.  Of.  Heaven... and a lot of calories and fat grams.  :)

Homemade Crunch Wrap Supreme

I have a confession to make.  When I eat a sandwich from Subway, Port of Subs, Jimmy Johns, or any other sandwich shop, I always get a bag of Cheetos.  They are my favorite kind of chip. In fact, growing up, I'm sure that every article of clothing and blanket I owned had a Cheeto smudge on it at some point.  Not only do I get the Cheetos to go along with the sandwich, but I actually put them on the sandwich.  There is something about a crunchy chip in a sandwich that just makes my heart all a-flutter.  Well, I saw this recipe, and I have never had one of these from Taco Bell; however, the fact that it had a little extra crunch in there was very appealing.  It's no Cheeto, but I figured a regular ol' tortilla chip would be good.  Sure enough!  I loved it!  This recipe was great.  It's like a Mexican Calzone thing.  An added bonus- You make it yourself instead of going to Taco Bell, where I'm pretty sure their "beef" isn't beef at all.  This is great for kids since you don't have to worry about every ounce of taco meat and shredded cheese ending up on the kitchen chairs when your four-year-old tries to pick up a regular taco.  It's all contained.  Nice!  I wonder if I could wrap up their toys in one of these things.  

 Homemade Crunch Wrap Supreme
source: http://culinaryxcouture.blogspot.com/2012/02/homemade-crunchwrap-supreme.html

6 extra large burrito flour tortillas
tortilla chips
1 pound ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning
sour cream
nacho cheese (I used Tostitos Salsa con Queso dip)
shredded lettuce
diced tomatoes

Brown the ground beef in a skillet.  Drain the grease.  Add the taco seasoning according to package directions.

Place the large tortilla on a plate.

 Put about 1/2 c ground beef in the middle.

 Top with some of the nacho cheese.

 Put some tortilla chips on top of that.  If you have tostada shells, you can use those as well.

 Add a few dollops of sour cream.  Don't you love the word "dollop?"

 Top with shredded lettuce and tomatoes.

 Fold up one of the sides and hold it in place.

 Fold up the next side.  Hold in place.

 Fold up the next side.  Seeing a pattern?  :)

 Fold and hold.

 Fold up the last side.  If you still have some in the middle that is not covered up, break off a piece of tortilla from another one and place it in the middle.

 See?  It'll be nice and enclosed.

 Maybe put  small plate on top of it until you are ready to toast is on the griddle.

Once you've folded them all, lightly spray a griddle or skillet with cooking spray.  Heat over medium-high heat.  Place the Crunch Wraps onto the skillet, folded side down.  Cook until it is golden brown.  Flip and cook the other side.

 There it is, folks!  A lovely, toasted Crunch Wrap Supreme.  I was multi-tasking while trying to cook, so it got a little too toasty on the top.  It was still delicious!

 Here is a quick picture of the inside.  It looks messy, but boy, was it delicious!

 Yum.  I loved this.

S'more Peanut Butter Pizza

Everyone knows that the best thing about camping is sleeping on a cold, hard ground with rocks jabbing into your ribs every time you try to move around in a sleeping bag.  No?  Oh wait- It's when you have to pee in the middle of the night and have to stumble around trying to find your flashlight then running across eight campgrounds to get to the bathrooms.  Wait- that's not it either.  I know!  It's when you're sleeping in a tent in Yellowstone and are terrified to move because you hear a noise that could only be a bear outside your tent only to realize after five minutes of not breathing that it's your husband snoring.  Nope.  Not that.  It's S'mores!  Everyone loves a S'more.  Anyone who doesn't clearly has no soul.  This recipe wasn't originally called S'more Peanut Butter Pizza, but it should be!  Look at those golden roasted marshmallows.  Delicious! I loved this dessert.  I can't wait to make it over and over again so I can eat half of it all to myself.  :)

S'more Peanut Butter Pizza

source: Worldwide Ward Cookbook by Deanna Buxton

1/2 c peanut butter

1/2 c butter

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 t vanilla

2 c mini marshmallows

1 c chocolate chips

1 c M&Ms (I didn't have on hand, so I left them off)

Preheat the oven to 375.

In a mixing bowl, cream the peanut butter and butter on medium speed for about 1 minute.  Add the flour, sugars, egg, and vanilla.  

Just a warning- it will look like a dry mess until you add the egg.  Once that goes in, the dough really comes together.

 Next, tilt your head to the side to see how to pat the dough into a greased 12-inch pizza pan.  I'm sure this would work in a 9x13 pan as well.

 Bake it for 10 minutes.

 Add the marshmallows.  I just realized that I only used half the amount that the recipe called for.  hmph.  Go for the gold and add the full 2 cups!

 Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

 Return to the oven and cook for an additional 5-8 minutes.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle on the M&Ms, if using.  If not, enjoy the bubbly goodness of the toasty golden marshmallows.

 Let it cool for about ten minutes and serve!

I seriously gobbled up about three slices of this one day.  The peanut butter cookie base stays soft the next day.  I'm not sure about the third day because I had my way with it before it could last that long.  I will be making this for several years to come.  It was a delicious, quick dessert.  Gobble.  Gobble.

Double Crunch Honey Garlic Chicken

Is there a difference between Panko bread crumbs and regular bread crumbs?  Well, my friends.  Yes. Yes, there is.  It's like asking if there is a difference between The Beatles and a Kidzbop version of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand."  Or if there is a difference between freshly carved turkey breast and Carl Budding Lunch Substance.  Or if there is a difference between bath towels from the dollar store vs. some from Nordstrom.  Panko bread crumbs will revolutionize your cooking.  They make crunchy chicken crunchier.  Who doesn't love crunchy chicken?!  If you have never made chicken parmesan at home, follow this recipe, omitting the spices in the flour mixture for your chicken.  Your family will cry tears of joy.  

I found this recipe on pinterest, and I thought it was great.  The original recipe called for plain ol' flour as the second coating.  I know better!  The panko does wonders.  This is a really quick meal, and it is delicious.  I really liked the garlic-honey sauce atop the golden, crunchy goodness of the chicken.  

Double Crunch Honey Garlic Chicken

source: http://www.nlrockrecipes.com/2012/04/doube-crunch-honey-garic-chicken.html

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 c flour

2 t salt

2 t black pepper

1 1/2 T ground ginger

1 1/2 t nutmeg

1 t thyme

1 t sage

1 T paprika

1/2 t cayenne

2 eggs

1/4 c water

1 c Panko bread crumbs

Honey-Garlic Sauce:

2 T olive oil

3-4 cloves garlic

1/2 c honey

2 T soy sauce

1/2 t pepper

green onions

Slice the chicken breasts horizontally in half.  Don't skip this step!  You want the breasts nice and thin so they cook up evenly.

 Combine the flour and spices in a Ziplock.

 Combine the eggs and water in a bowl and stir to combine.

 Put the Panko breadcrumbs on a plate.  I added a small handful of the flour mixture with this as well just to season it a bit.

 Plop the chicken breasts in the Ziplock bag.  Seal it and shake the dickens out of it.  It'll come out coated perfectly.  This is my favorite way to coat chicken breasts.

 Next, dip the flour-coated chicken breasts into the egg wash.

 Finally, dip the chicken into the Panko bread crumbs, making sure to coat completely.

 Set them aside while you heat some Canola oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Make sure the oil is hot before you put the chicken in there.  If it isn't hot enough, the oil will soak into the Panko crumbs and make it soggy instead of crispy.  Cook on both sides for about 4-5 minutes or until crispy and golden on the bottom.

 While they are frying up, put the olive oil in a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add the honey, soy sauce, and pepper.  Simmer it for 5-10 minutes.

 When the chicken is done, let it drain on a wire rack or paper towels.

 Place the chicken on a serving dish and pour some of the sauce over it.  Top with cut green onions.c

Oh geez... I just now noticed that there is a time stamp on all of the pictures.  I'll have to take that setting off of my camera.  Sorry, folks!

Honey Ginger Grilled Chicken with Asian Rice Pilaf

We were grocery shopping at Winco recently, and I took the kids for a bathroom break while my husband was shopping off the list.  He had to hunt for the brand of rice for this recipe, but he found it!  As far as I know, it is carried in all stores.  Anywho- while I was coming back from the bathroom break with my kids I see this old, gray-haired grandma walking quite disgruntled toward the cashier.  As I walk past her, I hear her say, "This is one crazy a** store!"  I about died laughing.  She was right, but to hear that coming from a member of the AARP really tickled my funny bone.  

I was pretty impressed with this recipe.  I found it in a cookbook I checked out from the library, but we all really liked it.  It doesn't even hold a match to the Cajun Chicken Alfredo, but it would be a good one to throw into the mix every couple of months.  It's healthy, too!  Look at me!  I can even make some recipes that don't require a pound of butter or a deep-fat fryer!

 

 Honey Ginger Grilled Chicken with Asian Rice Pilaf
source: All Recipes All-Time Favorite Best Brand Recipes cookbook

Chicken:
1 t ground ginger
1 t garlic powder
1/3 c soy sauce (I prefer low sodium)
1/3 c orange juice
1/4 c honey
1 green onion, chopped
3 chicken breasts

Rice Pilaf:
1 pkg Near East Rice Pilaf Mix
1 T olive oil
1 T soy sauce
1 cove garlic, minced
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 c diced carrots (I used frozen ones)
1/4 c chopped peanuts
1/4 c chopped green onions
2 T diced red bell pepper

In a large Ziplock bag, combine the first six ingredients for the chicken.  Shake to mix well.  Add the chicken. Marinate in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.  Flip the bag occasionally to evenly distribute the flavor.

While it is marinating, prepare the rice according to package directions, omitting the butter or olive oil.

Prepare the remaining ingredients for the rice and set aside until the rice is finished.

Lightly grease the cold oven rack.  Preheat the grill to medium heat.  Grill the chicken for about 7-10 minutes per side.

When the rice is done, add the remaining ingredients to the rice.  Keep warm on low heat.

Once the chicken is done, serve it atop the rice.  Top it all off with some diced green onion.