French Hot Chocolate

Since I won't be drinking any alcohol this Christmas, I thought hot chocolate would be a nice treat. And everyone else added some peppermint liquor to their cup. I also have whipped cream, snowmen shapped vanilla marshmallows, and mini chocolate chips to top things off. This recipe is basically chocolate mousse mixed with hot milk. 

1 cup chocolate chips (I used a combination of semisweet and milk chocolate)

1 cup corn syrup 

1/4 cup water

2 cups whipping cream, very cold

2 quarts milk 

In a small saucepan heat chocolate chips, corn syrup, and water.  Heat while stirring until chocolate chips have melted. Remove from heat to cool. 

Beat the cream in a large mixing bowl until it forms peaks. Slowly add the chocolate sauce in a steady stream while beating (Derrick helped me with this part). Continue beating until it is thick. Refrigerate. 

To serve, heat milk until steaming. Place a few tablespoons of mouse into the bottom of a mug. Add hot milk to fill the cup.  Stir to mix. Top with whipped cream, marshmallows, and chocolate chips or shavings.

 These snowman vanilla marshmallows were delicious!

Creamy Chicken Chili

It has been too long since my last blog post! My new job and morning sickness has kept me from cooking and posting like I used to, but hopefully I will get back on track!

This creamy chicken chili recipe is from a coworker who made it for chili lunch day at work. I can't believe it is so easy. This will become a regular meal at our house this winter.

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1-2 cans corn, undrained

2 1/2 cans diced tomatoes or rotell, undrained

1-1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts

1 package Ranch dressing mix

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 8 ounce package cream cheese

Add chicken to crock pot. Top with beans, corn, and tomatoes. Add Ranch packet and chili powder. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. One hour before serving shred chicken and add cream cheese and stir. Serve when cream cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips.

Funfetti Blondies

We has a bast when Keith and Marcie came to visit. They stayed one night at our new house. We took them to Brewbaker's for a beer flight, and for dinner I made gnocchi, cheesy biscuit bombs, and these Funfetti cake bars. Keith loves Funfetti, so when I found this recipe on Sally's Baking Addiction, one of my favorite blogs, I knew I wanted to make it for him. The following night our parents took us to the Royals game. We miss Keith and Marcie so much! Can't wait to see them again at Christmas!

1 box yellow cake mix

1/4 cup oil

1 large egg

1/3-1/2 cup milk (less is better)

1/2 cup sprinkles (Do not use black sprinkles or the batter will turn black)

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x9 pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together the first four ingredients. Slowly add the milk. The batter should be as thick as possible. Stir in the sprinkles and white chocolate chips. Spread into prepared pan. Add more sprinkles to the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are just turning brown. The center will still look gooey.  Cool for 30 minutes before cutting so that the center sets.

Our First Anniversary

I know I am several months late posting this, but I had to mention we have been married for ONE YEAR!  It has truly been the best year of my life!  I have never been happier as I am married to Derrick.  We had a great anniversary.  We started off the weekend Friday with a chilly tailgating party for Opening Day at the K followed by an even chillier Royals WIN!

Saturday we headed to the Plaza for one of my other favorite things - wine tasting.  We stopped in Cooper's Hawk to sample their current best.

Then we walked over to The Melting Pot where we had our very own intimate, romantic room in which we had many courses of delicious fondue combined with more wine.  :)

Sunday was our actual anniversary, April 6.  We drank wine (we are winos rather than champagne-os) out of our toasting flutes from our wedding which are beautiful and very special as they were a gift from my wonderful mother-in-law. 

Then together we cooked Chicken A La Mer which has significant meaning to us since we fell in love with its deliciousness on a date at Jazz.  Then on Valentine's Day Derrick surprised me by cooking it for me from scratch.  It was unbelievably delicious yet again.  Cooking with my husband was the perfect end to a perfect anniversary weekend.  Here's to another great year!

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bars

In one of my last blog entries I mentioned that I have been searching for some new, fresh, healthy, summery recipes.  While searching I have also found and tried a bunch of delicious, unhealthy desserts.  You have to balance it out, right?  This one is from my favorite blog, The Girl Who Ate Everything.  Our friends, Greg and Tara, had a party Saturday and smoked delectable pulled pork.  It was perfectly seasoned and melt-in-your-mouth.  This dessert was one of the sides we brought, and it very well might be my new favorite dessert.  It has all the deliciousness of cookie dough combined with peanut butter without the raw eggs.  Add this to your summer recipe list.  It will be a big hit, I promise.

I realize if I ever want to be a serious food blogger, I need to improve my photography skills.  Here is my effort at capturing the blending together of melted chocolate and peanut butter.

For the cookie dough:

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

2 cups mini chocolate chip morsels

For the frosting:

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

In a large bowl, beat butter with brown sugar until combined.  Add vanilla and peanut butter.  Beat until fluffy.  Add flour and sweetened condensed milk.  Beat until everything is well blended.  Fold in the mini chocolate chip morsels.  Try not to eat it all with a spoon.

Press into an 8x8 pan.  I lined the pan with foil and sprayed it with cooking spray.  It was easier to cut because you can just lift it out by the foil.  Stick it in the fridge while making the frosting.

In a microwave safe bowl, add frosting ingredients (peanut butter and chocolate chips).  Melt for one minute.  Stir and spread over the cookie dough.  Refrigerate for 3 hours or longer.  Cut into bite sized pieces.  Store in a covered container in the fridge.

Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad



I. Love. Summer.  Doesn't everyone?  How can anyone not wish that it was summer all year long??  I have been looking for some new, fresh, summer recipes.  I found this Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad on one of the healthy blogs I follow, Gina's Skinny Recipes.  It has all the flavors I love - lime, cilantro, avocado, and shrimp of course.  This recipe is also very versatile.  It can be an appetizer, lunch, or dinner.  It can be served over lettuce, on tostadas, in tortillas, or scooped up with tortilla chips.

1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, chopped

3/4 cup chopped tomato (I used cherry tomatoes, chopped)

1 avocado, diced

1 jalapeno, diced

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 large lime, juice of

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

salt and fresh cracked pepper

In a small bowl combine lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, and onion.  Stir and let sit about 5 minutes for the flavors to combine.

In a medium to large bowl, combine chopped shrimp, avocado, tomato, and jalapeno.  Add cilantro and gently toss.  Add salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

Makes 3 1/2 cups

Toffee

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

40 saltine crackers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Spread crackers across entire pan in a flat layer. Melt butter and sugar on the stovetop and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until sugar is completely dissolved (5-6 minutes). Pour over crackers and spread evenly. Bake 8-10 minutes until bubbly. Remove from oven and sit 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate chips over toffee. When they are melty, spread in an even layer. Cool at room temperature or in refrigerator. When hardened, break into desired size chunks.

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar