April 2010

Brownie Overload.

April 30, 2010 · 68 comments

Brownies are so versatile.

They can turn a boring, old, boxed-mix dessert into an impressive, rich treat with just a few add-in’s or decadent frosting. And yes, sometimes I use a boxed mix. They are delicious!

 

Brownies are easy to whip up and usually a crowd pleaser. I mean, who doesn’t like brownies?

 

Bailey’s brownies will put some pep in your step and make it easier for you to tell your husband that you really just don’t care who wins the Kentucky Derby this year, and that you’d rather stay home and drink mint julep’s on your own couch while wearing a big goofy hat.

Really, you just cant bear being seen with him one more time in his Dale Earnhart, Jr t-shirt, smell horse you-know-what all day at the local track, or sit in the car listening to Waylon-you-make-my-ears-bleed-Jennings. I don’t even know care who that is.

 

While booze in a baked good is never a bad thing, these cookies and cream brownies are so tasty that they may make you loopy.

This means that you can eat them and simultaneously ignore your that-person-you-live-with’s bodily functions and jet-engine snoring. You also won’t realize when he watches Oceans Thirteen or Urban Cowboy for the 27th time. Or when he starves to death because you haven’t cooked anything in the past 16 minutes.

 

It doesn’t get much better than the peanut butter brownies, especially when you can trick your significant other into eating them because there is protein in peanut butter.

So what if he tops them with chicken breast or some gag-inducing pepperoni for an extra boost?

 

The s’mores brownies might be your absolute favorite.

I can tell you one thing: they definitely will become your favorite when after the 2 hours you spent making them, your husband casually mentions that he ‘doesn’t really like s’mores.‘ They might become your thighs’ favorite, too.

 

Cappuccino brownies make all right in the world.

With one bite, they make you forget about all of the cowboy boots and hats in the love-of-your-life’s closet. And the plethora of 90′s grunge CDs.

And maybe. . .just maybe, that giant stuffed turkey.

 

And that, my friends, is why you should have a brownie.

{ 68 comments }

Mocha Granola.

April 29, 2010 · 91 comments

I don’t like coffee.

I want to like coffee. I really do.

But why would I want to like something that is seen as a vice to so many people?

 

I can just see myself sitting cozily on a couch in a local coffee shop, ‘meeting someone for coffee’ and feeling sophisticated as my grubby little fingers envelop the warm mug.

I would probably be wearing some cute skinny jeans, too.

 

In reality, ‘stuffed sausage’ would be the more appropriate way to describe skinny jeans on my thighs, and because I’ve spent all of my money on shoes, I have nothing left to buy coffee.

Thank goodness I don’t like it.

 

This also would insinuate that we have a local coffee shop and that I have a friend to meet there.

Wrong again.

 

The fact is, I don’t like many warm drinks at all. They feel weird going down the pipe. The only warm drinks I consider a staple in my life are usually laced with a touch of whiskey or rum.

However, I really enjoy mocha or coffee-flavored foods.

 

Coffee ice cream. Tiramisu. Cappuccino truffles.

In case you were wondering, actual coffee doesn’t taste like this. In fact, actual coffee tastes like dirty water. It is easy to be fooled by the flavors. I have come home bearing bags stuffed to the brim of coconut macaroon and french toast flavored coffee. I’ve tried cinnamon swirl cream and vanilla pecan. I’ve bought chocolate truffle and mocha-I-taste-nothing-like-chocolate coffee.

I’ve sold my first born child all in the hopes of finding a coffee I love.

I do love the occasional iced or frozen coffee loaded with a gallon of cream, sugary syrups, whipped topping, and cinnamon. While we’re at it, throw a few scoops of ice cream in there, too. Why not? I’m not ever going to look good in those skinny jeans anyway.

 

Basically, I love any drink that tastes more like chocolate and barely resembles coffee.

 

Since granola ranks up there on the list of foods-I-can’t-stop-eating-even-when-my-pant-buttons-pop, I figured a mocha flavor would be perfect. I added some coconut in there too, because in my mind, the world is happier with coconut.

Mr. How Sweet disagrees. He’d probably put chicken breast in his granola.

 

As soon as the granola came out of the oven, I sprinkled it with chocolate chips. They melted just slightly, resulting in a delicious, chocolate granola that had a crunchy and creamy texture.

So much better than coffee.

 

Mocha Granola

2 cups rolled oats, uncooked

1/4 cup wheat germ

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

1/4 cup chopped almonds

1/2 teaspoon instant coffee powder

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 tablespoons honey

chocolate morsels

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine all ingredients together and mix until wet. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 1o minutes. Flip the granola and bake for another 5 minutes. Flip again and bake for a final 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top.

 

 

Perhaps if they made a bacon-flavored coffee I would enjoy it?

{ 91 comments }

Blueberry Soup.

April 28, 2010 · 65 comments

I am easily excited.

Give me 4-inch heels, a chocolate bacon bar, elastic-waistband sweatpants, and a large dumpster in which I can toss Mr. How Sweet’s 90′s CD’s and stuffed turkey out the window, and I am more than a happy camper.

 

Give me a unique, exciting, sweet recipe, and I am thrilled.

The only thing that makes it better, is adding ‘easy’ to the list.

This one-pot soup can be made in 15 minutes, and is ready to serve in an hour. It is perfect for dessert!

Mr. How Sweet took one look at this soup and was intrigued.

You can’t help but be intrigued by the vibrant color.

It is sayin’ something though, since Mr. How Sweet is selective in the foods he chooses to eat.

He isn’t picky. He just selects what he thinks is appropriate to eat.

 

For example, mall chinese food is high on his list. He claims since it is full of protein, he can eat a lot of it.

Meat lovers pizza? More protein. Bring it on.

Whole wheat berry muffins? Whole wheat + fruit = healthy, so he can eat 14 of them.

Avocado? Not on the list. It’s green.

Anything labeled ‘vegan?’ Also doesn’t make the cut.

Low-sugar creamsicles? He’s eaten 5 of them since I started this post.

Perhaps he should write a book on his rationale?

 

To think that this pureed bowl of fruity goodness did make the cut?

Well, its a pretty big deal.

A big, delicious deal.

I can only describe this soup with one word – delightful.

It’s not too sweet and just bursts with blueberry flavor. I have rarely eaten a cold soup, and I must say that I loved it.

 

It makes for an impressive, fabulous, light dessert.

And not to mention, it is very versatile. Serve it with a side of ice cream!

 

Blueberry Soup

from epicurious

1 1-pound bag frozen unsweetened blueberries
1 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 lemon, cut in wedges

Add all ingredients in a saucepan and let come to a bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves. Reduce to a simmer and let thicken and blueberries get soft.

Remove lemon wedges and blend soup – I used an immersion blender, but you can also transfer it to a blender. Refrigerate for at least once hour until chilled.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or over ice cream.

 

 

Mr. How Sweet says ‘blueberries are good for you. They are full of antioxidants. Eat the soup.’

You heard him. Eat the soup.

{ 65 comments }

Very Berry Whole Wheat Muffins.

These are a fabulous, heart-healthy replacement for the usual, artery-clogging blueberry muffin. I’m all for clogged arteries and everything, but sometimes eating a fruity whole wheat muffin just makes me feel better.   Clearly, I am suffering from a muffin-making binge. After those coconut-banana muffins, I just had to make some more. I think they were tastier than any other muffin I’ve ever tried. Until these. There is nothing like a warm blueberry muffin. Except a warm blueberry muffin loaded with strawberries. There are specific mornings that just call for muffins.   Mornings when you wake up to your husband vacuuming and clanging dishes loudly because his OCD has taken over. At 5am. (Hey, someone has to clean.)   Mornings where you step on 16 dyecast Nascar cars before making it out of your bedroom and screaming more obscenities than ever thought possible. It’s not just kids that leave toy cars on the floor.   Mornings when your house smells so strongly of wet grass you may vomit, because your husband decided to cut the lawn immediately following a torrential downpour. He likes the scent of wet grass because it smells like hay. Hay! Why would I want my house smelling like [...]

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Crispy Honey-Ginger Chicken.

Mr. How Sweet is always begging for ‘healthy’ chicken fingers. The key is crispiness. The chicken has to be crispy and crunchy and good for the heart. And here, we have clue #27 that shows how Mr. How Sweet’s actions resemble those of a child: I must decipher the phrase ‘I want healthy chicken fingers,’ to mean that they ‘must be healthy, yet taste like chicken that has been battered and deep fried. That is the only way I will eat them. ‘   Mission accomplished. Inspiration from this dish came from Active Foodie’s buffalo chicken strips, which Mr. How Sweet requests almost every single weekend. I am telling you – the man would eat the exact same thing forever if I was not around. The chicken tenders are super tasty, but they take a lot of patience – it takes a while to coat each chicken tender with breading. Patience I do not have. It would not take as long if Mr. How Sweet didn’t require 16 tenders per feast.   I knew that Mr. How Sweet really loved ginger, so I thought this would be the perfect treat for him. Honey and ginger are such a delicious combination. [...]

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Fruit Pizza

My mom has always made vegetable pizza. Everyone loves it. I’m sure you all know how I feel about that. Years ago, I remember her making a fruit pizza and being absolutely obsessed with it. I’m talking years ago – maybe 15? She still had the recipe, and I was thrilled. This dessert is extremely decadent because the crust is made out of sugar cookies. I know – how incredible is that? While it is packed with calories, if you keep the crust and cream cheese layer thin, it becomes a very refreshing treat. You can use any fruit you like, too. Everyone goes wild for this, so it is a must-try! Plus, since it is loaded with fruit, it is very healthy. It also has coconut rum in it. Enough said. Fruit Pizza 1 Pillsbury sugar cookie dough 4 oz cream cheese, softened 1 tub Cool Whip 2 tablespoons coconut rum 1 cup sliced strawberries 3/4 cup blueberries 2 kiwis, sliced 1 banana, sliced Preheat oven to 350 (or whatever temp the dough calls for). Let the dough come to room temperature, and press it into a cookie sheet – make sure it is thin. Bake for about 10 [...]

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Mother Lovett’s Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Sunday marks one year since Mother Lovett passed away. Some days it feels like it has been years, other days it feels like minutes. A year ago at this time, we were holding vigil in her hospital room. There were consistently about 7-8 of us there at all times. And while she only regained consciousness every few hours, she knew we were there. She died just like she did everything else in life – stubbornly. It began on a Tuesday. We all knew it was the end, and so did she – she had the mind of a 30 year old. We figured it would be over by Wednesday. So did the nurses. As the friends poured in to the hospital room, we all waited patiently – just like we always did for her. If anyone taught me patience, it was her. (Ok, her and Mr. How Sweet – he drives me batty). Just a few hours later, we knew that she wouldn’t let go easily. Or quickly. So, that’s when the party started. We were lucky enough to have a large hospice room with an adjoining private lounge, refrigerator, and table. The next logical step was to bring in [...]

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Lightened-Up Chicken Parmesan.

I rarely cook Italian food. I’m not Italian, and while my dark hair may fool you, I assure you that my pasty, sickly-pale, so-white-it’s-pink skin gives it away. The truth is, I don’t really like Italian cuisine. I really don’t like tomato sauce. Italian’s, please cover your eyes: I use tomato sauce from a jar.   I see no sense in making it if I don’t like it, and Mr. How Sweet has eaten sauce from a jar since his bachelor days. He doesn’t know the difference. Maybe it’s the acidity that I don’t really enjoy? Or maybe, just maybe, it’s the fact that tomato sauce is made with vegetables.   Naturally, I love alfredo sauce. I love it so much I could bathe in it. Come on – we’re talking cheese, cheese and more cheese. But that’s neither here nor there.   Many days, Mr. How Sweet asks for a manly meal. I usually need to prepare it, unless I want to watch him stand in front of the fridge for an hour and whine ‘…but…how do I make stuff??’   I tend to consider chicken parmesan a man’s meal. It may stem from dating guys who used to order [...]

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Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles.

These truffles might be life-changing. They are so fabulously delicious, that when I look at them I can barely think straight. And dare I say, they aren’t exactly terrible for you? I mean, I used natural peanut butter. And a sprinkling of pretzels. And you could use dark chocolate as a coating. I, of course, used the milkiest of milk chocolates I could find. Mr. How Sweet thoroughly enjoyed the truffles. He took down a few plate-ful’s of them, in an effort to gain back the small person he lost last week when he was sick. Men. If only I needed to eat truffles to gain weight. My life would be so much more exciting. And decadent. My brother loved the truffles, too. He took down about 6 of them before dinner. Which isn’t saying much, since he lives in one of those bachelor pads where consuming beer and chicken wings is required before chocolate and peanut butter. These truffles satisfy the sweet and salty craving all in one. Is there a better combination that peanut butter and chocolate? If so, it must only be peanut butter, chocolate, and salt. Salt in the form of crunchy pretzels. Peanut Butter Pretzel [...]

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Asiago Baked Salmon.

This salmon was the classiest thing happenin’ in our home this weekend. Especially when you have a husband who spent his Sunday lounging in plaid pajama pants and a George Strait t-shirt. He had a good excuse – recovering from his sickness. But I can’t fool you guys. To say that such t-shirt’s,  Nascar-inspired sweat shirts, cowboy boots and WWF figurines don’t make a frequent appearance in our house would be a blatant lie.   Thank goodness I can live my faux-elegant and classy life entirely through food. Things like seafood and filet are a common occurence in our home. That is normal for newlywed’s, right? Good thing we bought the house with the money tree in the back yard.   I like my seafood with a little pizazz. While I do think most fish is delicious alone, there is nothing like adding a little flavor – especially in the form of cheese. Cheese makes my world go ’round.   The topping is a mixture of greek yogurt, asiago cheese, parsley, shallots, and garlic. It came out light and tasty. The only thing that could have made it better is bacon. Bacon makes everything better.   Asiago Baked Salmon Serves [...]

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