My Cooking Adventures

I was trying to come up with a good cookie for my little sister. She was heading back to college, and had a nine hour drive. I wanted something that was yummy, but wouldn't melt in the back seat (that is, assuming they made it back to campus ::wink::wink::). A fellow nestie suggested I check out her blog for ideas. In there, I found a recipe that I knew would be perfect, because I could tailor it to my sister's specific candy liking!

M&M Blondies
Source: Blonde Ambition in the Kitchen



8 TBS butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1/2 cup Mini M&Ms


Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8x8 pan with foil and lightly spray with PAM. In a large microwave safe mixing bowl melt the butter. Allow to cool for 5 mintues. Mix the brown sugar with the melted butter and beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla. Add salt, stir in flour. Mix in M&Ms.

Pour into prepared pan and use a greased spatula to evenly spread mixture in pan and level the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set in the middle. (I baked for 22 minutes)Cool on rack before cutting.

You can use other candies or nuts, or almost anything in your Blondies. See the following excerpt from bakingblonde's blog for ideas.

Add in ideas:
1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate or butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds
1/2 cup M&M candies
1/2 chopped Reese's PB cups
1/4 cup toffee pieces
1/2 tsp mint extract in addition to, or in the place of vanilla extract

Super Skins
Source: Kraft Foods



6 medium baking potatoes, baked
2 Tbsp. oil
1 jar (15 oz.) CHEEZ WHIZ Cheese Dip, heated
1/4 cup Bacon Bits
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/4 cup green onion slices

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; scoop out centers, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. (Reserve centers for another use.) Cut shells in half crosswise.
PLACE shells, skin sides down, on baking sheet; brush insides of shells lightly with oil.
BAKE 15 min. or until golden brown. Top evenly with CHEEZ WHIZ, bacon bits, sour cream and onions

I wasn't sure about this at first. I wanted to make some sort of chicken salad, but not the traditional, all-womens-club chicken salad. I wanted to make something that everyone would look at and say, you know, that looks enticing. So when I saw this recipe it looked perfect. I tweaked it just a tiny bit to fit my friends' tastes, and voila! I made a chicken salad that--no lie--everyone could not stop eating!!! It was AWESOME!!

Chicken Spread

1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 small onion, chopped
3 large chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
1 8-oz. cream cheese, softened

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Season the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper to taste. Grill over medium-high heat until cooked throughout. Dice the chicken into small pieces, and place into a large mixing bowl. (You want the pieces to be small enough to fit onto crackers.)

Mix chicken with remaining ingredients, using a large spoon, or an electric beater. Serve with Ritz crackers. Refrigerate any leftovers for sandwiches.

I made these for a little variety on the traditional chocolate chip cookies. I gave the extras to my brother and sister who were home from college!

Mr. Goodbar Cookies
Source: Deborah

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 (11.5 oz) bag milk chocolate chips1 cup dry roasted peanuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Using a handheld mixer beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in milk chocolate chips and peanuts.

3. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto baking sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire baking racks to cool completely.

My neighbor's parents could not stop raving about this! And I know why; it's amazing!! Serve it with Nilla wafers, and you will be the hit of any party!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip
Source: Sugar & Spice

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter1
/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (8-oz) pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
3/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar over medium heat. Stir continuously, until the brown sugar dissolves. (You can also do this in the microwave but watch it closely. The butter/sugar mixture will boil over fast. Stir every 30 seconds or so.)

2. Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla extract and set aside to cool.

3. Beat the cream cheese and confectioner's sugar for 1 minute.

4. Slowly beat in the cooled butter mixture and beat again for another minute.

5. Stir in the chocolate chips.

6. Pour into a serving bowl and refrigerate.

7. Garnish with additional chips, if you choose.Serve with Nilla wafers (my choice) or graham crackers.

**Note: after refrigerating the dip it will be pretty solid and un-dippable so make sure to remove it from the refrigerator about 15-30 minutes before you plan on serving it, so it has time to soften up.

WAR EAGLE!

My neighbors are from Arkansas, and I went to Auburn. So naturally, this past weekend when the two teams matched up in Lafayette, AR, we got together. I took it upon myself to cook up a storm! And cook I did. I made more food than we ever thought we could eat! But luckily, it was all so good, we were able to scarf it all down. :)

I thought about putting all the recipes in one post, but then I realized it might make it harder to find the recipes. It's easier to post each recipe separately. So I'll post each item in it's own post.

Lemon-Mustard Chicken
Adapted from: BH&G Bridal Edition Cookbook


4 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon-pepper seasoning
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1. Place chicken pieces on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat about 20 minutes or until light brown.

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, stire together oil, mustard, lemon juice, lemon-pepper seasoning, oregano, and red pepper. Brush mustard mixture onto chicken. Turn chicken; brush with remaining mixture. Broil for 5 to 15 minutes more or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees).

Nutrition facts:
207 cal, 11 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 77 mg chol., 355 mg sodium, 1 g carbo, 0 g fiber, 25 g protein.
Daily values: 1 % vit A, 2% vit C, 2% calcium, 7% iron.