Peanut Butter Bars

Today was the worst storm Kansas City has seen in quite a while.  Blue Valley cancelled school last night and at 4pm even cancelled school for tomorrow!  Derrick planned to work from home, thank goodness, because the roads are incredibly dangerous.  Although I was dreading this late February storm (ready for spring!!), it turned out to be a fun, relaxing day at home.  Derrick was working most of the day, but it was still nice to be snowed in together.  I just love living with Derrick!  When he went out to shovel the foot of snow off the driveway, I felt incredibly grateful to him!  I did NOT want to go out in the frozen tundra! 

So I wanted to do a little something for him after he nearly froze and broke his back out there.  I am hoping these peanut butter bars will do the trick.  They are a recipe from a coworker, Jenny Kleinmann.  I remember making them quite a few years ago at the lake, and they were a big hit with the family.  Derrick loves peanut butter and Reese's, so I'm hoping he will like these!  I also had to find something that we had all the ingredients for.  I guess I should have stocked up before the storm.  It turns out this is a Jenny Kleinmann recipe day because I am also making her Pizza Roll for dinner!

2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup butter, melted

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 3/4 cups powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, melted butter, and powdered sugar.  Press firmly into 9x13 pan.  (I halved the recipe and used an 8x8 pan.)

Melt chocolate chips in microwave.  Zap them for one minute, stir, then repeat in 15 second intervals.  Spread melted chocolate over the crumb crust.  Chill for about 5 minutes, then cut into bars before the chocolate is completely set, then chill until ready to serve.

Shrimp and Pesto Pizza with Goat Cheese

After a packed day of checking things off our wedding to-do list, this was a quick and delicious recipe I adapted from pinterest.  This will now be one of our regulars!  I think it would also be good on a premade Freschetta crust.

Ingredients:

Pillsbury pizza crust
about 1/4 cup pesto spread (enough to spread a thin layer over crust)

1 pound small-medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or garlic powder

salt and pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 ounces crumbled goat cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spread crust on greased baking sheet. Spread the pesto over crust in a thin layer.  Heat olive oil in a medium pan.  Add shrimp and sprinkle with garlic powder, pepper, and salt.  Cook shrimp for about 2 minutes until pink. 

Spread shrimp over pesto.  Sprinkle with mozzarella and goat cheese. Bake for 13-15 minutes.  In the convection oven I baked it for 11 minutes.  Let cool for just a minute or so, cut, and serve.

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake

Happy Birthday, Gwen!
All of the specialists (ESL teachers, Special Ed teachers, gifted,
nurse, speech) got together last Thursday morning to celebrate this fabulous
lady's birthday!  I made this coffee cake, and I think everyone agreed that it is rich and a little buttery - almost always a big hit!

1 package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
4 eggs, divided
8 ounces cream cheese
1 pound (16 ounces) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix cake mix, butter, and two eggs together.  Spread into greased 13x9 inch pan.  With an electric mixer beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, 2 eggs, and vanilla.  Pour over top of first mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  I think I baked it right about 32 minutes in the convection oven.

Honey Lime Shrimp

Another pinterest recipe!  I did not think anything could beat the cilantro lime shrimp, but this was pretty good!  It has a slightly sweet flavor without a strong honey taste.  I can't wait to make it again!

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

juice of one small lime (2-3 tablespoons)

zest of one small lime
2 cloves garlic, smashed or some garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1.) In a large Ziploc bag, combine all the marinade ingredients. When everything is well combined add the shrimp, squeeze as much air as possible out of the bag, and close it up. Place it in the fridge.

2.) Let the shrimp marinate for 30-60 minutes, flipping the bag around once or twice during that time so that all the shrimp stay evenly covered in the marinade.

3.) When you’re ready to cook, take the shrimp out of the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; there is no need to add any oil or butter to the pan, as the marinade has enough oil in it to keep the shrimp from sticking to the pan. (If you would prefer to use the grill for these, you can thread them onto skewers and toss them on the grill at this point.)

4.) Add your shrimp to the pan in a single layer, making sure they are not too crowded; you can always cook them in more than one batch. Let them cook on one side for about a minute, until they curl up and start to turn pink. Flip them over, and cook for another 30 seconds or so, until the shrimp are opaque. Remove from the pan, and serve immediately!

Pasted from <http://thedoughwillriseagain.wordpress.com/2012/07/31/honey-lime-shrimp/>

Tuna Salad

Derrick had been requesting Tuna Salad, and my mom has a great recipe.  I adjusted it a little including adding a special ingredient, honey mustard.

3 7 ounce cans tuna in water
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
4 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon spicy mustard
1 tablespoon honey mustard
spices - I used pepper, Lowry's seasoning salt, garlic powder, Cajon seasoning, parsley
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped

Flake tuna and combine with other ingredients.  Add eggs last so they don't get mushy.  Serve on bread, toast, crackers, croissants, or any bread of your choice.

Beef and Vegetable Soup

This is one of Derrick's mom's specialties.  Derrick and I love it when she makes it when we are over.  When Derrick wanted to back track to Topeka to pick up leftovers, I knew I needed to learn how to make it!  I thought it would be really difficult to make.  To be honest, the first time didn't go very well.  I cooked the potatoes and carrots too long and they got very mushy.  Derrick was so sweet - he said he still liked it and even ate leftovers!  I did not like it so much.  The second time I made it was much better!

Make sure you have plenty of time because the meat takes 2 hours to cook.  Cutting the vegetables and meat takes awhile, but it is not difficult like I thought!

Ingredients:

Chuck or arm roast

2 cubes Beef Bouillon

1 package Beef Stew seasoning mix

package of baby carrots

Celery or cabbage (optional)

enough potatoes to fill the pan

spices: salt, pepper, celery salt

2 tablespoons parsley flakes

Put beef in a large pot.  Cover with water and bouillon cubes and seasoning mix.  Boil for 2 hours until tender.  Cut up baby carrots and celery.  Peel and cut up potatoes.  Remove meat when tender and cut into cubes.  Return to pot.  Add carrots and cook for a little while.  Then add potatoes.  The carrots take a little longer to cook than the potatoes (5-10 minutes).  Cook the potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes.  Add salt, pepper, celery salt, and parsley flakes.

Mrs. Field's Chocolate Chip Cookies



Michelle recently moved into an awesome downtown apartment!  I am so jealous - I have always wanted to live downtown!  She is walking distance from a really fun bar district, Martini Corner, and she's only about half a mile from our reception venue, The Madrid Theatre.  That will come in handy in April!  Her apartment is SO cute.  She really went all out getting new stuff to decorate and furnish it.  I am so excited for her to have her own place!
She had the entire family over for dinner recently.  It was a great time - we had wine, and she made a delicious pasta with spinach and artichokes.  It reminded me of Spinach Artichoke dip, but a pasta!  She also made biscuits just like Red Lobster.  I have to make them for Derrick, since he loves them.

Speaking of what Derrick loves - Michelle made these cookies for dessert, and I think they are now one of Derrick's all time favorites.  She even sent some home with each of us - a party favor!

I have to say, I am so lucky to have Michelle as my sister.  She is always there for me, and is an amazing Maid-of-honor!  She planned a shower for me that's coming up in a week - I can't wait!  She has helped me the entire engagement with all the wedding planning.  And she is always there to listen when I need someone!  I am so glad to have her by my side on my big day!

1 c (2 sticks butter)
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
12 oz choc chips

Cream butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Mix flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Combine dry ingredients with butter/sugar mix.

Stir in chocolate chips. Place golf ball size dough portions 2" apart on cookie sheet. Bake 9ish minutes at 350 degrees. In the convection oven I baked them 8 minutes.