Picky Palate

Crispy Cashew Coconut Tilapia Dinner

2009-08-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Good Thursday!! Lots going on the last couple days. I am in the process of changing my blog over to Wordpress, so lots of great features coming your way!! Same look, just a bit more organized. I'm excited for you all to see it, so stay tuned!

Sunday night we had this delicious tilapia dinner. We don't make a whole lot of fish in our house and I'm not sure why. It is so good. We picked up some great tilapia filets at Sprouts Farmer's Market for pretty inexpensive. Make sure you make the warm tropical salsa I have linked below for the fish. I didn't make it Sunday night and I wished I would have. It would have topped it off really nicely. Hope you'll all enjoy!!

I've been nominated for the "Just Spotted" OC Blog Awards. Vote for me HERE, on the left sidebar of their site under Food/Cooking. Thanks!!

Crispy Cashew Coconut Tilapia Dinner

2 eggs
1 Tablespoon water
1-2 teaspoons tabasco hot sauce

3/4 Cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Lawry's garlic seasoning

1 Cup finely crushed cashew pieces (I pulsed in food processor until fine)
3/4 Cup sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 Cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tilapia filets

Honey Glazed Baby Carrots and Garlic Seasoned Green Beans
Warm Tropical Salsa

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place eggs, water and hot sauce into a bowl; mix to combine. Place flour, salt, pepper and garlic seasoning into a shallow dish. Place cashew, coconut, bread crumbs and salt into another shallow dish. Dip Tilapia into flour, then egg dip and cashew mixture. Make sure fish is coated well with the cashew crust. Place fish onto a baking rack placed over a baking sheet that's been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until fish is easily flaked with a fork and cooked through.

2. Serve with green beans and baby carrots. Dip tilapia in warm tropical salsa if desired.

4 servings

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Have a great rest of your week and weekend!! See you soon.

Blondies With Chocolate And Peanut Butter Cookie Centers

2009-08-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of things here... 1st, quickly grab any leftover cookie dough from my last post and save it for these!! 2nd the lighting was horrific when I was photographing these blondies, so I appolagize for the mediocre pics.

Yum with a capital Y is all I can say here. As I was rummaging through my fridge yesterday, I noticed that I had a little cookie dough left over. As you can see from the pictures, I pressed little cookie dough pieces into these blondies and they are spectacular! What a perfect combination. A little bit of cookie and a little bit of blondie....I'm in heaven! Hope you'll all enjoy!

Blondies With Chocolate And Peanut Butter Cookie Centers

¼ Cup butter

¾ Cup white chocolate chips

½ Cup sugar

¼ Cup brown sugar

1 Cup flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ Cup white chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons sour cream

2 Tablespoons Turbinado sugar

Chocolate Cookie Dough and Peanut Butter Cookie Dough (click link for recipe)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter in microwave safe bowl until hot. Stir in ¾ Cup white chips until melted and smooth. In a large bowl add the sugar, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and ½ Cup white chips. In a small bowl whisk the eggs and sour cream. Pour into the dry ingredient bowl along with the melted white chip mixture. Mix until just combined.

2. Pour into an 8x8 inch baking dish lined with foil that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven and press alternating 1/2 inch pieces of cookie dough into the blondies. Finish baking for an additional 15 minutes or until cooked through and just starting to turn golden around the edges. Let cool completely before digging in!

9 blondies

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Check out my Meet and Greet on "Or So She Says" blog. These ladies have a fabulous blog where you'll find a daily dose of great ideas. Check em' out!

Have a great new week! See you soon.

When The Chocolate Cookie Went Rolling With The Peanut Butter Cookie...

2009-07-29T23:40:00.001-07:00

I LOVE when last minute recipe ideas work out to be so delicious! Shortly before we sat down to watch SYTYCD tonight, I decided we needed cookies to watch with the show. I took two of my favorite cookie dough recipes not to mention one of my favorite flavor combinations and stuck them side by side on a baking sheet. The outcome= pure awesomeness! Talk about simplicity at it's finest. The peanut butter cookie portion consists of only three ingredients, so it really doesn't take that much more time to get these babies in the oven.

If you are a chocolate/peanut butter freak like myself, do not delay make yourself a nice batch today!! Definitely one of my favorite cookies right now, can't wait to dig into these tomorrow. Ok, it's after midnight, and my husband is freaking me out with his sleep talking. Goodnight!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Duo

Peanut Butter Cookie
1 Cup creamy peanut butter
1 Cup granulated sugar
1 egg

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.

Chocolate Chip Cookie
2 sticks softened butter (1 Cup)
1 Cup granulated sugar
3/4 Cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 Cups flour
1 1/4 Cups cocoa powder (I used Hersheys)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream the butter and sugars until well combined. Slowly beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined. Place flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; mix with fork or sift. Add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined.

2. Take a Tablespoon of Peanut Butter Cookie Dough and a Tablespoon of Chocolate Cookie Dough and gently press together forming a "not so perfect" ball. Don't press and roll too much, just stick them together and place onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are cooked through to your liking. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

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Have a wonderful rest of the week!! See you soon.

Garlic Toasted Ciabatta Tuna Melt....Family Fun At Sea

2009-07-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Good Monday morning! Hope everyone had a nice weekend.

We sure had a fun filled weekend. We got to spend some time with my in-laws on a whale watching excursion Saturday at Balboa Island. I posted some pictures below of our day. It was awesome. Even though we didn't see any whales, we got to see lots of dolphins and sea lions. They were so cute, the boys went nuts for it. My husband on the other hand was falling asleep, what a geek. Anyway, I totally recommend it for anyone coming to Newport Beach, it makes for a great afternoon.

Here's a great sandwich I made last week for lunch that tastes like it's right out of a restaurant. Crispy, buttery garlic toasted ciabatta bread smothered with swiss cheese, tasty tuna fish and fresh spinach leaves. So simple and oh so good! Give it a try for lunch this week, you'll love it!

Garlic Toasted Ciabatta Tuna Melt

1 loaf Ciabatta, sliced in half longwise (I picked mine up at Trader Joes, it's wonderful!)
4 Tablespoons soft butter
1 teaspoon Lawry's Garlic Seasoning
2 Slices swiss cheese

2 Cans Albacore tuna, drained
1 Cup mayonnaise (or however much you prefer)
1 Tablespoon mustard
2 Tablespoons dill pickle juice
1/4 cup chopped up dill pickles
Pinch of kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

2 Cups baby spinach leaves, fresh

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place ciabatta slices onto a baking sheet, cut side up. Butter both sides with butter then sprinkle with garlic salt. Top each slice of bread with swiss cheese then bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is crusted. Remove from oven.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the tuna, mayonnaise, mustard, pickle juice, pickles, salt and pepper. Top tuna onto bottom slice of bread, top with spinach leaves then top with other piece of ciabatta. Slice and eat!!

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Have a wonderful week! See you all soon!

Peanut Butter and Mini Chocolate Bar Centered Crescents...

2009-07-23T09:56:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I think I've lost my mind with some of the things I end up making in the kitchen. As I was strolling through the grocery store yesterday, starving of course, I got the bright idea of rolling some crescents with mini Hershey's Chocolate Bars and a dollop of Peanut Butter. This was even after my husband and I worked out together. I've got major sweet tooth issues, that's for sure.

As crazy as these sound, the end result is pure sweet flaky fabulousness! I don't encourage you to eat these babies everyday, but do try them sometime. They were even better than I imagined them to be. It only takes about 10 minutes of prep time and they are ready to bake. 15 minutes later, you've got these beautiful chocolate filled crescents that are truly to die for! Enjoy!!

Here's what's stuffed inside these bad boys. Hershey's Miniatures on top of a dollop of peanut butter. Can I just tell you how much I love these treats!! Simple and so good! (Picture from here)

Peanut Butter and Mini Chocolate Bar Centered Crescents

1 can of Pillsbury reduced fat crescent rolls, 8 count (do you love that I got a reduced fat for these treats!)
8 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
8 Hershey's Mini Chocolate Bar variety
1 egg white whisked with 1 teaspoon water
3 Tablespoons turbinado sugar (or any granulated sugar will do)

1/2 Cup chocolate chips, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unroll crescent rolls and place a dollop of peanut butter onto center of widest end of triangle. Top each dollop of peanut butter with a mini chocolate bar then roll up each crescent starting at widest end. Brush each of the rolled crescents lightly with egg wash then sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes or until crescents are golden brown and cooked through. Melt chocolate chips in microwave until smooth, place into a ziplock baggie, snip one small corner with scissors then drizzle melted chocolate over each crescent. Enjoy warm with milk!!

Here's my little bugaboo enjoying Mommys crescents. He happily posed for some pics with these in hand! Have a great rest of the week and weekend!!! See you all soon.

White and Chocolate Chunk Butterscotch Cookies

2009-07-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Good Monday morning! Why do those weekends have to go so incredibly fast?

Here are those cookies I was talking about last week and this is the dough I stuffed inside the cookie pies. I don't know what it is about this dough, but YUM it is flat out incredible. If you feel like making cookies this week, give this recipe a try. If I were a betting woman, I'd bet you won't be able to stop eating these bad boys, vicious little devils!

Oh and grab some milk with em' too! Enjoy.

White and Chocolate Chunk Butterscotch Cookies

2 sticks softened butter
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
3/4 Cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Cups Chocolate Chunk pieces, I believe my bag was Hersheys
1 Cup white chocolate chips
1 Cup butterscotch chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl; sift of stir to combine. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients along with all the chocolate/chips. Mix until just combined.

3. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet placing about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 9-12 minutes or until edges just barely start to turn golden. Remove and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely. Enjoy!!

About 3 dozen cookies

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Have a wonderful start of your week, see you soon!

Broccoli Cheddar and Sausage Egg Muffin Pull-A-Parts

2009-07-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Good Thursday!! Hope everyone has had a great week so far. I've got a delicious recipe here to share with you all....

We had these fun little Egg Muffins for dinner last night as part of our breakfast dinner we do quite often. I wanted something savory along with the mini pancakes we were having and this turned out to be just perfect. So many great flavors going on, it was bound to be a winner. Kick up your taste buds with a little Cholulla hot sauce on the side for dipping. Next time you are doing a breakfast, brunch or even breakfast dinner I promise you won't be disappointed in these bad boys. We all loved them over here and hope you will too! Enjoy.

Broccoli Cheddar and Sausage Egg Muffin Pull-A-Parts

6 Pillsbury Buttermilk biscuits (from can, 8 count)
Pinches of kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

1 Cup cooked broccoli florets, cut up into small pieces
1/2 Cup cooked sausage links, cut up

4 eggs
3 Tablespoons milk
Pinches of kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cholulla hot sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a texas size 6 Cup muffin tin with cooking spray. You'll have 2 extra biscuits left over. Bake them separately if so desired. Cut each of the 6 biscuits into 8 triangles and place into each muffin tin. Lightly sprinkle each biscuit cup with salt and pepper.

2. Sprinkle broccoli and sausage evenly over each biscuit filled muffin cup.

3. Place eggs, milk, salt and pepper into a mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined. Pour evenly over each cup. With a fork make sure eggs get to the bottom and around each piece of biscuit. Top each with sprinkles of cheddar cheese and bake for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center of biscuits and cheese is golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from muffin cup. Remove and arrange onto serving plate. If you like it spicy serve with a nice hot sauce like Cholulla, it's wonderful!! Pull them apart with your fingers or cut with a fork. Enjoy.

6 servings

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Have a wonderful rest of the week and weekend!! See you soon with that cookie recipe I promised.

Hot Little Chocolate Chip Cookie Pies...

2009-07-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Good Monday morning everyone! Hope you all had a nice weekend. Busy busy over here, but nice. Here we are another Monday. Well, take a look at these little cuties to brighten up any Monday morning blues. They are hot and fresh out of the oven, flaky, sweet and delish!

So basically, you take your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough and place it into pie crust circles, fold over and bake. The outcome is a fun sinful little cookie pie. I will suggest you eat these babies warm out of the oven, absolutely scrumptious this way. I'd even say top them with vanilla ice cream for an extra sweet treat.

Not sure what my deal is with all these cookies lately. Not doing a thing to help my waistline that's for sure! Hope you all enjoy!

Step one, place cookie dough into cute little pie crust circles...

Next, carefully fold pie crust over dough, press edges with a fork...then time to bake!

Out comes a sweet ultra flaky cookie pie that is oh so fabulous!

Mmmm! My Chocolate Chunk Butterscotch Cookie recipe coming soon, stay tuned...

Hot Little Chocolate Chip Cookie Pies

1 roll Pillsbury Pie Crust, thawed and cut into 12 2 1/2 inch circles (I used a cup to press out all the circles)
1 batch of your favorite cookie dough

1 egg white plus 1 teaspoon water
3 Tablespoons Turbinado sugar or normal granulated sugar
Powdered sugar for dusting on top

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place all 12 pie crust circles onto a baking sheet. With a small cookie scoop, place a heaping teaspoon of cookie dough into the center of each pie round, pressing cookie dough down slightly without touching edges of pie crust. DO NOT overfill each pie, if too full the dough breaks through the pie.

2. Dip your finger in water and brush bottom 1/2 of the pie crust edge with water and fold top crust over to seal. Using fork tines, press to seal around edges. Continue until all crusts are sealed. Poke each little pie on top once or twice for steam holes. Lightly brush each pie with egg white whisked with a teaspoon of water then sprinkle with turbinado sugar (normal sugar is also fine). Bake for 20-22 minutes or until pie crust is just barely golden. Note that some of the cookie will escape through the pie crust, if this happens, just cut them in half and no worries. To prevent it, make sure you don't overfill your crusts.

3. Just before serving sprinkle with powdered sugar and even ice cream if desired. Make sure to enjoy these warm, shortly after out of oven!!

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Happy Baking! Have a great week!

Chocolate Cherry Chip Cookies!

2009-07-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Good Thursday morning everyone!!

I gotta make this snappy, both my boys are still sleeping and it's almost 7:30am. A miracle!

Ok, I know I make chocolate cookies often, but trust me when I tell you that you will LOVE this version. I picked up these awesome little cherry chips by Log House in AZ quite a few months ago and wished I would have gotten more bags. They are fabulous in cookies. I got them at Super Walmart, but have found Log House's Online store where you can get 2 bags for a little over $5 bucks. So, if you can't find them at your grocer, check out the link HERE.

Chocolate Cherry Chip Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder)
2 tsps. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 bag of Log House Cherry Chips
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and use a cookie sheet with a silpat liner.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until well combined.

3. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients then stir in white chips and cherry chips. Using a medium cookie scoop, drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.

4. Bake for 9-11 minutes, should still be soft in center. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

3 dozen cookies

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Looks like I made it, the little tykes just woke up and I'm done with my post! Have a great rest of your week! See you all soon.

Hearty Ground Turkey Chili with Green Chili Cheddar Muffins

2009-07-06T07:38:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July weekend! We had a fun filled week with my family that was visiting from AZ. I think we've just about convinced them all to move on down to Newport Beach with us. It really was a great weekend. We watched the fireworks at the Newport Dunes and they put on quite the impressive show. I bet we'll make it a tradition to go back there.

Now for some good ol' thick hearty chili. I am a huge chili fan, I think we make it at least once or twice a month. I was so excited to see that Costco now sells 1 lb packs of ground turkey just like their ground beef that I've been buying for years. I've always loved substituting turkey for beef, so maybe I'll be trying it out more often now that it's readily available at Costco. I love this chili because it tastes as though it's been simmering all day when you could actually have it on the table in about 20 minutes. It's thick and full of great chili flavor. Don't forget to make those killer cornbread muffins that I've made before. They are the best I've found. Enjoy!!

Thank you Laurie from Tip Junkie for Interviewing me on your blog. Check it out HERE!

Hearty Ground Turkey Chili with Green Chili Cheddar Muffins

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large white onion, finely diced
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Lawry's Garlic Salt with Parsley
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 14 oz can chicken broth
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
3/4 Cup tomato sauce
3 cans of beans of choice, drained (I used black beans, chili beans and red kidney beans)
1 teaspoon Tabasco hot sauce
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons ground cumin

1. Heat oil into a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in turkey, salt, pepper and garlic salt; cook until browned and no longer pink. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, hot sauce, chili powder and cumin. Reduce heat to low and simmer until ready to serve. Serve with cornbread muffins.

Green Chili Cheddar Cornbread Muffins (click name for recipe)

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Have a great week! See you all soon with a killer chocolate cookie, you won't want to miss it!

Crazy Days Of Summer Favorites!

2009-06-30T07:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday everyone! What a crazy past few weeks it's been around here. Just back home last night from a week in sunny AZ and had a great time with my family and friends despite the wicked heat. It's funny how quickly the boys and I forgot how hot AZ gets in the summer. We've been so spoiled with the mid 70's around here in CA!

With summer as unpredictable as it is, I will occasionally be highlighting some of my past favorite recipes to keep up with everything going on. I've organized a couple of my very favorite summer treats to share with you all today since I haven't stepped foot in my kitchen for a while. Hope you all will enjoy a blast from the past! This little parfait and my raspberry blondies are the perfect way to perk up any summer! Enjoy!

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Honeyed Strawberry Shortcake Yogurt Parfaits

4.5 oz package shortcakes, 4 count, cut into cubes
16 oz reduced fat vanilla yogurt
1 Cup chopped fresh stawberries
8 teaspoons honey
1 package Nature Valley Oats n’ Honey Crunchy Granola Bars (2 in package), crushed

1. Place an even layer of shortcake into 4 little parfait glasses. Top evenly with a couple spoonfuls of yogurt, then about ¼ Cup strawberries. Drizzle each cup with 1 teaspoon honey then top with a Tablespoon of crushed granola bar. Repeat this layering one more time and serve.

4 servings

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Raspberry White Chocolate Blondies

¼ Cup butter class

¾ Cup white chocolate chips

½ Cup sugar

¼ Cup brown sugar

1 Cup flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ Cup white chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons sour cream

1 Cup fresh or frozen raspberries

½ Cup finely chopped pecans

2 Tablespoons sanding sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter in microwave safe bowl. Stir in ¾ Cup white chips until melted and smooth. In a large bowl add the sugar, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and ½ Cup white chips. In a small bowl whisk the eggs and sour cream. Pour into the dry ingredient bowl along with the melted white chip mixture. Mix until just combined.

2. Pour into an 8x8 inch baking dish lined with foil that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Top evenly with 1 Cup raspberries. Mix the chopped pecans and sanding sugar in a small bowl until combined then sprinkle over top of blondies. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes clean from center.

9 blondies

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Some Summer Snapshots of the last couple weeks

Have a wonderful week, see ya'll soon!!

Double Chipped Cookies Stuffed with 100 Grand!

2009-06-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday! The boys and I drove down to AZ yesterday so we can celebrate my mom's 50th B-day and my nephews baptism this week.

I was so happy with how these cookies turned out. Simple and sinfully fabulous! Basically, cut up pieces of 100 Grand Candy Bars are pressed into the middle of each pre-baked cookie dough before baking. The result is a soft gooey centered buttery crisp heavenly cookie. Give em' a try, you won't be disappointed! Don't get me started on the cookie dough, mmmm!

Double Chipped Cookies Stuffed with 100 Grand

2 sticks softened butter
3/4 Cup light brown sugar
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 Cup chocolate chips
1 Cup white chocolate chips
8 mini size 100 Grand bars, each cut into 4 equal pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add in eggs then vanilla until well combined. In a large bowl sift flour, baking soda and salt; add to wet ingredients on low speed following white and chocolate chips until just combined. Scoop dough onto a parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet with a medium cookie scoop. Press cut pieces of 100 Grand Bars into center of each dough. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until just golden on outer edges. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to cooling rack. Enjoy!!

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Have a wonderful week! I'll be enjoying the AZ sun with the family. See you all early next week!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Covered Brownie Bites...

2009-06-22T03:00:00.000-07:00

Good Monday everyone. We have officially started summer break this week, school is out! How was Father's Day? We had such a sweet morning yesterday. I shared some pics below of my guys. We have had quite the busy last couple weeks with family visiting. It feels nice to be back in the kitchen!

While galavanting around with my family, we stopped in this old fashioned candy shop on Balboa Island where I bought some tiny chocolate covered brownie bites. They were pretty mediocre and I knew I could do much better. Check out my ultra simple, but oh so delicious brownie bites. Another jazzed up brownie mix that will have you smiling from ear to ear. Nothing tricky here, just pure sweetness. Don't be surprised when these bad boys disappear before your eyes. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Covered Brownie Bites

1 brownie mix such as Pillsbury

2 Cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 Cup peanut butter

1. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Bake until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center but still slightly undercooked. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. When you are able to touch brownies comfortably, scoop brownies with a medium cookie scoop, roll tightly into a ball and place onto a wax paper lined baking sheet. Continue rolling until brownies are gone. Freeze brownies until very firm, a couple hours or overnight. No worries if your brownie balls aren't perfect, once frozen reshape them. They are easier to handle when chilled.

2. Place chocolate chips over a double broiler (or heat in microwave until smooth) to melt, then stir in peanut butter until creamy smooth. Roll each frozen brownie ball into chocolate and place onto wax paper to dry. Enjoy room temperature or chilled.

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I caught some pics of my cuties around the table Father's Day morning. I am one lucky Mom to have these guys in my life!! Have a great week everyone, see you soon!!

Father's Day Grilled Chicken Dinner and Summer Fun!

2009-06-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, hope you are all enjoying this fabulous summer! I am still running around with my family that's visiting, so my cooking in the kitchen has been next to none. However, I've pulled one of my very favorite dinners to share for Father's Day. It is hearty and full of great "manly" flavor. I just don't get tired of this one. Fire up the grill and pamper all of those Fathers out there!! See you soon with a sweet treat that I'm just dying to share.

Adobo Peach BBQ Chicken

18 chicken tenders
1 1/4 Cups Peach preserves
¼ Cup adobo sauce (canned chipotle sauce), add more if you like it spicy hot!
½ Cup BBQ sauce
¾ teaspoon salt
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1. Place chicken tenders into a large zip lock bag. Pour in peach preserves, adobo sauce, BBQ sauce, salt and garlic. Marinate for at least 1 hour.

2. Preheat indoor grill pan or outdoor grill to medium high heat. Spray grill with cooking spray. Grill chicken for 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through.

Smoky Mashed Potatoes

5 lbs washed, peeled and cubed potatoes
½ stick butter (4 tablespoons)
1 1/2 Cup milk (more if you like thinner mashed potatoes)
8 oz sour cream
1 ¼ teaspoons salt (or to taste)
¼ teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt (Lawry’s)
4 Tablespoons adobo sauce (from canned chipotles, add more if you like it spicy)

1. Boil potatoes for 12-15 minutes or until fork tender. Transfer drained potatoes to a large stand mixer bowl with the butter. Start to mix on low speed until mashed. Add milk, sour cream, salt, pepper, garlic salt and adobo sauce until well combined. Taste and season accordingly with additional salt/garlic salt if desired.

Sweet Sauteed Corn

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
½ Cup finely diced white onion
4 ears fresh corn, kernels removed
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons honey

1. Heat oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Saute red and green bell pepper with the onion for 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in corn, salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the butter and honey until well combined and melted through. Serve warm.

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Here are some snapshots of the fun we've been having this week. I think I could become a really good tourist guide after this summer! Have a wonderful Father's Day Weekend, come back soon!!

Oozing Chocolate Chip Cookie S'mor Sandwiches...

2009-06-15T00:20:00.000-07:00

Is there anything more fun than oozing marshmallow and chocolate? Hmmm let me think about it, No way. These cookies are so much fun and the whole family can get involved making them. I found the greatest new treat at Target a few weeks ago from Kraft called chocolate covered mini marshmallows (click link for a pic of the package) and let me tell you, try to find them. I mixed them into this cookie dough and what you get is pure magical! No worries if you can't find them, the dough is fabulous with or without them.

Hope you all enjoy these finger licking good cookies as much as we did last night! Take a look!

Oozing Chocolate Chip Cookie S'mor Sandwiches

2 sticks softened butter
3/4 Cups sugar
3/4 Cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 oz package Kraft Chocolate Covered Mini Marshmallows, if you can find them
1/2 Cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 Cups mini baking M&M's

Mini Marshmallows (less than 1 bag full)
Mini Hersey bars

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat butter and sugars in stand or electric mixer until well combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined as well. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, soda and salt. Add to wet ingredients as well as marshmallows, chips and M&M's until just combined. Spread onto a large rimmed baking sheet that's been lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until edges are just turning golden brown. Remove and let cool completely.

2. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Top bottom shapes with a layer of mini marshmallows and place under broiler until puffed. Top with hershey bars to melt. Top with another cookie to close sandwich. Serve warm.

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Caught my husband having a little late night snack right after my photo shoot. I think he liked them!

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I get to have my family for the week!

My mom and I

It is such a treat to have my family here visiting us this week from AZ. We went to watch the sunset last night at the beach, here are some pics I snapped of our evening.

Here's to a great week! Come back soon for more tasty eats!

Birthday Boy Peanut Butter Hidden Chocolate Cupcakes

2009-06-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe my baby turned 4 this week! He is such a little sweetheart. For his birthday I took him and his brother to Disneyland, they had so much fun despite the crazy crowds. Since we have annual passes, Brady was given a $60.00 gift card courtesy of Disney to buy anything he wanted. He had so much fun picking out all of his birthday gifts! Older brother is already counting down the days that he gets to do the same.

Birthday night I made these killer cupcakes with a surprise center that will not disappoint! Peanut buttery delicious to say the least! Take a peek and enjoy, they are oh so bad, but oh so good!

Birthday Boy Peanut Butter Hidden Chocolate Cupcakes

1 devils food cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 Cup water
1/2 Cup canola oil
8 oz sour cream
1 small package chocolate pudding mix (4 serving size)

2 Cups creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 Cups powdered sugar

8 oz softened cream cheese
1 stick softened butter
3 Cups powdered sugar

white non perils for top

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand mixer, mix cake mix, eggs, water, oil, sour cream and pudding mix on medium for 2 minutes. Pour into paper lined cupcake cups 3/4 way full. In a mixing bowl mix peanut butter and powdered sugar until well combined. Form 1/2 inch balls and press into each filled cupcake. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean from center. Let cool completely.

2. Beat cream cheese and butter until creamy and well combined. Slowly beat in powdered sugar until well combined. Spread over cooled cupcakes then sprinkle with non-perils if desired.

24 cupcakes

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Birthday Pictures

Click on the picture so you can see how cute my little guy is!

I love my boys! Have a wonderful rest of the week. See you all soon with more good eatin!

Crockpot Green Chili Chicken and Rice with Blue Corn Chip Crumbles

2009-06-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Good Monday everyone! Hope the weekend treated you all well. Here's the yummy Sunday dinner we had last night that was lickety split simple and delicious. Toss it all in the crock pot and "voila'" done before you know it. It is nice and mild for the whole family, but if you like a little spice like I do, add a little hot sauce over top yours. Yum!

Hope you all enjoy!

Crockpot Green Chili Chicken and Rice with Blue Corn Chip Crumbles

3-4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed
2 cans 98% fat free Cream of Chicken soup
4 0z can chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Lawry's garlic salt with parsley

6 Cups steamed rice of choice
Blue Corn Tortilla Chips, crumbled for garnish

1. Place chicken, soup, cumin, salt, pepper and garlic salt into crockpot on low. Let cook for 6-8 hours or until chicken is fork tender and falls apart easily. With 2 forks, shred chicken in the sauce and season with additional seasonings if desired. Spoon over bowls of rice then garnish with crumbled tortilla chips.

4 servings

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Kindergarten Open House

Last Thursday was one of the biggest nights of the school where they invited all the parents to Open House to see all the wonderful work/projects the children have done all year. My little guy was so proud walking us through his classroom. I just had to post his picture! Crazy that they still have 2 more weeks of school before summer.

I caught this great shot of my husband and 4 year old chasing each other on the way to the car. I love it!

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Enjoy your week! Come back soon for something "Sweet!"

Garlic Toasted Spaghetti Bruschetta, mmmm...

2009-06-04T03:00:00.000-07:00

Here's another easy family pleasin' way to kick up that old spaghetti we all have week after week. You ready for this ultra difficult dinner? Break out a fabulous fresh loaf of bread (I used a nice ciabatta from Trader Joes), lather it up with butter, sprinkle with Lawry's Garlic salt, top with prepared spaghetti and cheese then bake for 20 minutes or so until hot. It is easy, incredible and everyone loves it! It's like having your garlic bread and spaghetti all wrapped up in one cute little package. Enjoy!!

Garlic Toasted Spaghetti Bruschetta

Softened butter
Frehch bread or Ciabatta Bread, cut in half lengthwise
Lawry's Garlic Salt with Parsley
l lb of your favorite prepared spaghetti
Shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spread butter over cut sides of bread. Sprinkle lightly with garlic salt. Top with prepared spaghetti that's been cut into small pieces with kitchen scissors then sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and hot. Let cool for 5 minutes then cut into strips. Serve warm.

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Thanks for stopping by! Come back soon for some sweet treats!

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookie Cups...and Lego Land

2009-06-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Oh man are these cookie cups incredible! I was so excited to receive a wonderful package of goodies from the nice folks at Oh Nuts.com . The second I bit into the Dark Chocolate Covered Dried Cherries I knew just what I'd do with them....and here they are. I chopped up a couple cups and mixed them right into the cookie dough. Chocolate and cherry pieces inside this dough make for a fabulous cookie. I also added in some of the chocolate granola they sent me that added a perfect chocolaty crunch. Love it!

I've also seen those chocolate covered cherries at numerous other places. I believe Costco and Harry and David sell them. You can also substitute any nice crunchy granola in place of the chocolate one I was so lucky to sample. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookie Cups

1 Cup softened butter
3/4 Cup brown sugar
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 1/2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Cup Chocolate Granola
2 Cups chopped Chocolate Covered Cherries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer cream the butter and sugars until well combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; mix then add to wet ingredients along with the granola and cherry pieces. With a cookie scoop, scoop into mini muffin tins or mini cheesecake pan as I have used. Bake for 15 minutes or until just golden around edges. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
*If just making normal cookies, bake for 9 minutes and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

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LEGO LAND FUN

The boys and I had the chance to go to Lego Land last week with some friends and had such a great time. Here are some pics I snapped during our time there. I don't think they'll ever want to leave CA!

Come back soon for another tasty treat! Enjoy your week!

BBQ Ranch Chicken and Cheddar Pizza Roll em' Ups

2009-05-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

BBQ Chicken Pizza is one of those things that just never gets old in my book. I could order it every time we eat at California Pizza Kitchen and be a happy girl. We had some left over BBQ chicken this week and this is what I did with the leftovers. Talk about a fun and tasty lunch yesterday. You can make your own BBQ sauce or just use KC Masterpiece and don't tell anyone! I used Pillsbury's pizza dough in the can, but again feel free to use any ol' pizza dough that floats your boat. It's all delish, enjoy some Roll em' ups!

BBQ Ranch Chicken and Cheddar Pizza Roll em' Ups

1 Roll Pillsbury Pizza dough in can (or use other pizza dough of choice)
1/4 Cup prepared ranch dressing
2 Cups prepared shredded BBQ Chicken
1/4 Cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 1/2 Cups shredded smoked cheddar cheese

Ranch Dressing for dipping

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Open can of dough and press into rectangle. Spread or drizzle ranch dressing evenly over dough then top with evenly with chicken, cilantro and cheddar cheese. Starting at long end roll dough into a log shape. Using a sharp knife, cut 1 inch pieces and place onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a side of ranch dressing for dipping.

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Come back soon for a finger lickin' dessert, see you soon!

Double Chocolate Covered Pretzel Peanut Butter Cookies

2009-05-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone! Hope you are all enjoying a well needed long weekend. We are in AZ enjoying some time with family, it's great to be home for a couple days.

Can I just say that I am in LOVE with these cookies. You all know my obsession with everything peanut butter, it's no secret and I am not ashamed to admit it my love for chocolate too. I recently discovered these Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzel Slims from Trader Joes. They are an incredible treat and you must try them if you are lucky enough to have TJ's near you. Now, no worries, you can also use any old Chocolate covered pretzel and still get an AMAZING cookie here. The chocolate peanut butter cookie dough is completely deadly! Can't wait for you all to try these, bring them to your weekend BBQ and watch them disappear. Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Covered Pretzel Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 Cup creamy peanut Butter
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder)
2 tsps. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
1 Cup Chocolate Covered Pretzels, coarsely crushed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheet. (I used a cookie sheet with a silpat liner)

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until well combined then add peanut butter until combined.

3. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients then stir in white chips and pretzels. Using a medium cookie scoop, drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.

4. Bake for 9-11 minutes, should still be soft in center. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

3 dozen cookies

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Enjoy the rest of your Memorial Day Weekend! Coming next...something tasty, come back soon!

Chorizo and Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells...

2009-05-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Anyone else feel like their tivo is on major overdrive?! American Idol Finale, The new Bachelorette Season and So You Think You Can Dance coming soon.....phew I hope I can keep up! Those are some of my very favorites, should be fun.

Stuffed shells are one of life's greatest pleasures in my humble opinion. I could eat them all the time if my hips could handle them! This is a killer recipe for shells that my whole family loved. For the boys, I cut the shells up a bowl and they thought it was lasagna. Whatever works, right? This recipe feeds a small army, so freeze one batch for later, you'll be glad you did! Enjoy.

Chorizo and Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells

2 boxes jumbo shells

1 lb Sweet Italian Sausage
1 lb chorizo
1 clove garlic
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 26 oz cans whole tomatoes (pulsed in food processor until smooth)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 Cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
Pinch of salt

2 15 oz containers of Ricotta Cheese
1 Cup grated parmesan cheese
1 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
Pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper

2 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and set aside. I brush mine with olive oil to keep them from sticking.

2. Place chorizo and sausage into a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until browned and crumbled. Drain and return back to skillet. Stir in garlic over medium heat for 1 minute then add in red pepper flakes, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer.

3. Place olive oil into a medium skillet over medium heat. Add in spinach and garlic; cook until wilted down. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Stir in Ricotta, Parmesan, Mozzarella, egg, salt and pepper; mix well.

4. Spoon about 1/2 Cup pasta sauce into bottom of 2 9x13 inch baking dishes. Spoon ricotta filling (about 2 Tablespoons) into each cooked shell then place shells seam side down into baking dishes. I think I filled 2 9x13 inch baking dishes plus a 7x11 inch with this recipe. Top shells evenly with sauce then shredded cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and hot. *The shells make great freezer meals*

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Up next are some cookies that will knock your socks off! Come back soon, have a great week!

"Healthier" Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins...

2009-05-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, yes as you can see, I have another banana peanut butter recipe for you and these muffins are so good! I had a friend give me 3 big cases of yogurt last week and I told her I'd make a batch of somewhat healthy muffins to repay the favor. You'll be so happy eating one of these bad boys for breakfast, they are soft and full of fabulous flavor! I baked one muffin in a small ramekin then wrapped it up for my friend. Give it a try, it makes a cute homemade gift!

No worries if you are not a coconut fan, just leave it out. I made half with coconut topping for me and half without to satisfy my picky coconut hating husband! Hope you all enjoy!

"Healthier" Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

4 Tablespoons softened butter
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 Cup plain low-fat vanilla yogurt
2/3 Cup sugar
heaping 1/4 Cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1/2 Cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/4 Cup coarse sugar (I used Turbinado sugar)
1/2 Cup shredded sweetened coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place butter, eggs, bananas, yogurt, sugar and peanut butter into a large mixing bowl. Mix to combine. Place all dry ingredients into a separate large bowl and stir to combine. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with the chocolate chips until just combined. Scoop into muffin tins lined with paper cups 2/3 way full. Sprinkle with coarse sugar and shredded coconut. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center.

12 muffins

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Up next are my newest stuffed shells that will have you stuffed in NO time! Come back soon!

Chocolate Lovin' Cream Centered Cake....Mmmmm!

2009-05-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Just watched the Biggest Loser Finale, what a show! It was such a great season. I won't blow it for those of you who tivo'd it, but I will tell you it went WAY over their time limit, at least 1/2 hour. American Idol was awesome too, can't wait to see the results!

I have to admit that I am a complete sucker every time I step foot into a William Sonoma and/or Sur La Table. I mean come on, it's every cooks toy store. So, a few weeks ago I see this adorable cake pan on the shelf and next thing I knew I was handing over my debit card and taking my new pan home. Let me just say I love it to pieces. It makes an adorable cake and I can't wait to make an ice cream center next time!

It was a cloudy day here in CA when I was desperately trying to get at least one good shot of the cake, so bare with the very mediocre pics below. Trust me, this very simple chocolate cake got reviews such as...."This is the best chocolate cake I've ever had!" I didn't have the heart to admit it was semi-homemade! That's the beauty of it. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Lovin' Cream Centered Cake

1 box devils food cake mix
4 eggs
6 oz vanilla lowfat yogurt
1 pkg chocolate instant pudding mix (small box)
1/2 Cup oil
1/2 Cup water
1 bag Reeses Peanut Butter Cup baking pieces (or use cut up candy pieces or even choc chips)

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz softened cream cheese
1 stick softened butter
2 Cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place cake mix, eggs, yogurt, pudding mix, oil and water into stand mixer. Mix on medium-low for 2 minutes or until well combined. Slowly add in baking chips. Pour into greased Oreo cake pans (or 2 9 inch pans). Bake for 25-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center. Let cool completely, then invert onto wax paper.

2. To prepare frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Slowly add in powdered sugar until smooth. Spread frosting over bottom cake then place second cake on top. Chill until serving.

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Mother's Day Festivities

We couldn't be in AZ with our family for Mother's Day, but I did get to spend the day with my favorite 3 boys! My sweet hubby made breakfast and even slaved over a beautiful penne pasta dinner after church. The boys made me homemade cards that made me cry, they were so sweet. My evening request was to go watch the sunset at Corona Del Mar beach. Here are some of the pics I snapped of our evening.

See you all soon with something mmm good! Have a great rest of your week!

Happy Mother's Day.....Now Let Us Eat Dip!

2009-05-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day ladies! What a special day. As crazy as my children make me at times, and as exhausted as I get some days, I look at these cute little faces and realize this is exactly what I love doing, being a Mom. Wish I could say I was the perfect Mom, but that's not happening any time soon! Hope you all get to enjoy some pampering, good food and sweet cards today from your loved ones!

I am so grateful for my Mom aka "Mona" as I've nicknamed her. She is my best friend and I miss her like crazy! I just wish we could have spent the day together, that would have been perfect. Happy Mother's Day, xoxox!

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Last week I was in pure heaven scarfing down every last bit of my Spinach Artichoke Dip. There is just nothing better than to dip crispy chips into hot and cheesy baked dip full of naughty goodness! You'll find this dip a breeze to whip up and is oh so good. I hope you will treat yourself to a nice little or even better BIG bowl soon, you certainly won't be sorry. Enjoy!

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip, Picky Palate Style!

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 Cups fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped (or 10 oz of frozen spinach, thawed and drained well)
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/2 Cup reduced fat mayonnaise (I felt a little better this way!)
8 oz softened cream cheese
1 teaspoon Tabasco Hot Sauce
Pinch of salt and pepper
1 Cup fresh grated parmesan cheese (go for the real stuff that you grate yourself, it makes a world of difference here, mmm!)
13 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Heat oil into a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook spinach for about 3 minutes or until it's wilted down. Stir in garlic for 1 minute then remove from heat. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, cream cheese, hot sauce, salt, pepper, parmesan and artichokes; mix until well combined. Pour into a small baker or 2 individual smaller bakers. Top with shredded cheese. Bake for 25-3o minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with favorite chips or sourdough bread, enjoy!

See you soon with some sweet treats! Enjoy your Day!

Cookies and Cream Rice Crispy Treats...

2009-05-07T03:00:00.000-07:00

Why oh why do I find it so much fun to play around with Oreo cookies? I would seriously have so much fun writing an Oreo Cookie Cookbook, hmmm maybe someday! I just love adding these darn cookies in all kinds of desserts and this one is no exception. If you've got a girls night, family party, Bunco party or whatever, try these bad boys out on everyone and watch them disappear!

Hope you all will enjoy. No excuses for not trying these folks, they have a whopping 5 ingredients and take a whole 5 minutes to prepare! A word to the wise: save one pretty little treat for yourself and give the rest away or you will find yourself eating the WHOLE pan!

Cookies and Cream Rice Crispy Treats

4 Tablespoons Butter
4 Cups mini marshmallows
8 Cups rice crispy cereal
8 oz bag mini Oreo cookies

1/2 Cup chocolate chips, melted

1. Place butter and marshmallows into a large microwavable bowl. Microwave for a few minutes until marshmallows puff up nice and large. Remove and stir in cereal and Oreos. Pour into a large 9x13 inch baking dish. With the back of a large spoon that's sprayed with cooking spray press and smooth treats. Drizzle melted chocolate over top and let cool. Cut into squares.

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See you soon with another sweet tooth temptation! Have a great rest of your week!

10 Minute Creamy Purse Pasta and Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad...

2009-05-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Good early Monday! Where on earth did this weekend go? Hope you all had a nice one.

Here's another fun fun fun Trader Joe's find that was really good. I was browsing through their refrigerated fresh pasta section and came across this pasta they call Perline. They look like cute little purses, I couldn't resist. Stuffed with Prosciutto and cheeses, this girl was in heaven. Now, I know I sound like a broken record, but if you don't have a Trader Joe's around check your grocery stores fresh pasta section for something similar. They are really tasty. To make the sauce a bit creamy, I added a little buttermilk and let me tell you I am so excited to try using it in more sauces and soups. It's much lower in fat than the heavy cream I ususally use, very exciting! Hope you all enjoy this quick and easy dinner!! Check out the pecan chicken salad below before you go, it's really good too.

Get your hands on this pasta, you'll love it!

10 Minute Creamy Perline Pasta

1 lb Perline Pasta or other pasta of choice

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

26 oz favorite pasta sauce

½ Cup low-fat buttermilk

Salt and pepper to taste

½ Cup fresh grated parmesan cheese for garnish

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Heat oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic for 1 minute then stir in pasta sauce. Heat for 5 minutes then stir in buttermilk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cooked pasta and reduce heat to low until ready to serve. Sprinkle each plate with fresh grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

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This salad could be a dinner in and of itself. It is full of great flavors, you'll hardly realize you are eating a salad. Enjoy!!

Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing

1 ½ Cups Japanese Panko Bread Crumbs

½ Cup fresh grated Parmesan Cheese

½ Cup ground pecans

1 Cup flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons water

4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

Honey Dijon Dressing

1 Cup mayonnaise

Heaping ¼ Cup whole grain mustard

Heaping ¼ Cup honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Mixed greens of choice

Sliced cucumbers

Cherry tomatoes

Crumbled Feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a shallow bowl mix the Panko, parmesan and pecans. Set aside. In another shallow bowl mix the flour, salt and pepper. In a third shallow bowl whisk the egg and water. Dredge each chicken breast into the flour mixture, the egg mixture then press into the pecan crust. Place each chicken breast onto a greased baking rack placed over a baking sheet. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Let cool for 10 minutes then cut into thin strips.

2. To prepare dressing, mix the mayonnaise, mustard and honey into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Place salad greens onto serving plates and top with pecan crusted chicken, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and feta cheese. Drizzle with dressing.

Have a great start of your week, I'll be back soon with some crazy good sweets for your sweet tooth! Check me out at Just-spotted Tuesday, they are spotlighting little ol' me. Thanks ladies!!

Butterfinger, Milky Way Chocolate Chunk Cookies...

2009-04-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know what's wrong with me, I keep making cookies this week. This one in particular is deadly according to my husband. Once you have one, there's no stopping at that point! The Butterfinger chunks give the entire cookie a sweet peanutty flavor and the Milky Way makes them nice and chewy. I had a bunch of candy left over from Easter and am sooo glad I did. Talk about a good cookie! Enjoy everyone!

Butterfinger, Milky Way Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2 sticks softened butter
3/4 Cup brown sugar
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 mini butterfinger (fun size) or 1 1/2 full size candy bars
6 mini milky ways quartered or 1 full size candy bar
1/2 Cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until well combined. Slowly add in eggs and vanilla until well mixed.

2. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; mix to combine. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with the candy bars and chocolate chips until just combined. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a silpat lined baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until done to your liking. I take them out right at 9 minutes for a softer cookie. Let cool for 5-7 minutes on baking sheet to set up. Transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

3 dozen cookies

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My Little Cookie Monster

My little stinker/cookie monster enjoying Mom's latest cookie with his Trader Joe's Stickers all over his shirt. He's my best little kitchen helper!

Up next is a great weeknight pasta dinner that's done in 10 minutes, come back soon!

Dark Chocolate Mint Coconut Macaroon Cookies......and Curtis Stone!!

2009-04-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

What a fun filled weekend I've had. I know all of you ladies know the Take Home Chef, Curtis Stone right? He came right here to Newport Beach's Sur La Table yesterday for a book signing and you better believe I made it in line with all of the other drooling ladies. I waited an hour to get a picture and an autographed book. I'd say it was worth it, what a nice guy! My pics are below of my few minutes with him.

Now for my new favorite cookies.....I recently found a great new product at Trader Joes last week called Dark Chocolate Mint UFO's. They are awesome and I am completely addicted to them. If you are close to a Trader Joes, definitely go get yourself a bag. If you do not have Trader Joes in your town, use dark chocolate chips and a teaspoon or so of mint extract for a similar cookie. The flavor combination here is really good. Even my husband who claims to hate coconut said he really liked these cookies. Hope you all enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Mint Coconut Macaroon Cookies

2 sticks melted butter
3/4 Cup brown sugar
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Cups all purpose flour
1/2 Cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 Cups shredded sweetened coconut
2 Cups Trader Joes Dark Chocolate Mint UFO baking pieces

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, beat melted butter and sugars until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2. Place flours, salt and baking soda into a large bowl then slowly add into wet ingredients along with the coconut and dark chocolate pieces until just combined. Scoop dough with a medium cookie scoop onto a silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until just golden around the edges, but still soft in the center. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to cooling rack.

3 dozen cookies

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Curtis Stone's Book Signing at Sur La Table!

Ya'll jealous?

Have a great week, see you all soon with more good eatin!

Chicken Sausage, Broccoli and Parmesan Brown Rice Dinner

2009-04-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

Phew, with all of the family we've had visiting over the last month, I've felt like I've been on vacation too. It's nice to get back into the swing of things around here. This rice dinner was a huge hit with my guys. It is such a breeze to make on those busy weeknights after the kids get out of school. My boys had a fit over the tiny red bell peppers for a second or two, but after one bite they ate this rather healthy meal with a smile on their faces!

I LOVE Trader Joe's frozen brown rice that you can microwave in 3 minutes. It is so handy, but you can obviously cook up your own brown rice too. Add any of your favorite veggi's to this dish that your family loves. Hope you all enjoy this colorful and tasty rice dinner!

Chicken Sausage, Broccoli and Parmesan Brown Rice Dinner

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb cheese filled chicken sausages, thinly sliced
4 Cups broccoli florets, steamed until fork tender
4 Cups cooked brown rice (I get mine at Trader Joes, microwave for 3 minutes and done!)
1/4 Cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Saute bell pepper for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic; cook for 1 minutes then add chicken slices. Cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is browned on both sides. Add broccoli, rice and parmesan cheese. Cook for 2 minutes or so, then season with salt and pepper to your liking. Serve and enjoy!

6 servings

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Beach Fun with Sis and Fam

My cute stylish sister and I lounging beachside, being geeky as usual. We were at the beach every day they were here in CA, it was great. I miss you cutie, come back soon!

The guys and kids building in the sand. Always fun times at Newport Beach!

See you soon with a sweet treat, have a great week!

Double Chocolate Cheesecake Layered Cake...

2009-04-19T08:29:00.000-07:00

Good Sunday everyone! We are enjoying the weekend with my sister and her family visiting from AZ, we are having a great time.

Here is that crazy chocolate cake from Easter we enjoyed. It is tall, sweet and delicious. It takes a little preparation, but trust me it's well worth it. Chocolate cake, brownie and cheesecake layers make for a winning combo. For your next family party, try this baby on em', it's sure to be a huge hit! Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Cheesecake Layered Cake

2 8 oz packages softened cream cheese
1/2 Cup sugar
2 eggs
1 brownie mix 9x13 inch size
1 chocolate cake mix
Favorite Chocolate Frosting Recipe, prepared (tripled)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place cream cheese and sugar into a stand or electric mixer bowl. Beat until softened. Beat in the eggs until smooth. Pour into a wax paper lined and greased 9 inch springformpan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until middle is set and not jiggly. Remove and let cool completely. Refrigerate overnight or for 2-3 hours. Carefully remove sides and transfer to wax paper (I used a giant spatula to help, it's ok if it breaks a little, just piece it together and freeze cheesecake for 30 minutes to firm).

2. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and divide evenly into a wax paper lined and greased 9 inch cake pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center. Let cool completely then carefully turn over onto wax paper; set aside.

3. Prepare cake mix according to package directions and pour into 2 wax paper lined 9 inch cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center. Let cool completely then carefully turn over onto wax paper; set aside.

4. Place one of the chocolate cake layers onto a cake stand. Spread with a thin layer of chocolate frosting then layer with the brownie. Spread brownie with a thin layer of frosting then top with cheesecake layer. Spread with a thin layer of frosting then layer with remaining chocolate cake layer. Spread entire cake with remaining chocolate frosting. Chill until ready to serve.

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See you soon with a healthy rice dinner that had my boys begging for seconds! Have a great week!

Still Have Easter Ham To Use? Try This Panini!

2009-04-15T14:05:00.000-07:00

There are few things I enjoy more for lunch than a good panini, so when I saw my leftover Easter ham in the fridge I knew just what I'd make. The folks at Ile de France Cheese sent me some of their Brie cheese and it made the perfect grilled sammy today. Creamy and delicious, you all have got to try this sometime. Thank you Ile de France!

If this doesn't float your boat use your leftover ham in scrambled eggs, rice, pasta, a nice chef salad, mac and cheese, scalloped potatoes, pizza, frittata and anything else I may have left out. Sky's the limit! Let's all eat ham!

Ham and Brie Panini with Spinach and Whole Grain Mustard

2-3 Tablespoons whole grain mustard
6 inch ciabatta loaf, cut in half
4-5 slices Ile de France Brie Cheese
slices of leftover Easter ham
Fresh baby spinach leaves

1. Preheat grill pan over medium heat. spread mustard on inside of bread then layer bottom bread with brie cheese, ham, spinach then more cheese. Close with top piece of bread. Brush both sides of ciabatta with extra virgin olive oil and place onto hot grill pan. Press down on sandwich with something heavy like a pan or spatula to melt sandwich together. Grill for 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove and serve.

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Easter Festivities

My boys with their cousins having fun at Great Granna's for their egg coloring and hunt in AZ

My little cutie pie coloring eggs, pre-stitches

Egg hunting in Newport

Brothers helping each other. Had to snap a picture, because it doesn't happen often!

Ahh, the best part, let's see what we got!

My little cutie right after he got his stitches.

My sis, me and Mom hanging together in AZ last week. These are the moments I miss most! These ladies are the best.
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See you all soon with that cake I promised! Have a great week!

Silverdollar Waffle Pancakes with Blackberry Buttermilk Syrup...

2009-04-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Monday already? Hope you all enjoyed a great Easter Weekend. We ate ourselves silly and I am soooo suffering today. My sweet little 3 year old had a pretty bad crash on his bike Saturday morning with another little boy and had to get 10 stitches right under his little chin. It literally broke my heart, but I tell you he is one tough cookie. My husband said he hardly even cried. I don't do hospitals if I don't have to, so I am so grateful that my husband was home! All is well and he is healing very nicely.

Now onto this wonderful breakfast. I know, what's up with my pan fetish these days huh? I had a gift certificate to spend at William Sonoma and I quickly picked up this fun Waffle Pancake pan. I love it and so do the boys. It makes the perfect little pancakes and how cute do they look? The blackberry syrup is an absolute must try. It is pretty near drinkable by itself. Make sure you make a batch for your family! Enjoy!

Be sure to check out some of my friends this week over at Sugarplum Boutique and a wonderful giveaway and great cause over at Zesty Cook!

Here's the cool little pan from William Sonoma

Silverdollar Waffle Pancakes with Blackberry Buttermilk Syrup

Syrup
10 fresh blackberries
2 Tablespoons sugar

1 stick butter
3/4 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Place blackberries and sugar into a small saucepan over medium low heat. Stir occasionally for about 10 minutes. Pour into a sieve placed over a small bowl pressing on berries to extract the rest of the liquid. Set aside; discard smashed berries and seeds.

2. Place butter, sugar and buttermilk into a separate small saucepan over medium heat. Stir and melt until mixture comes to a low boil. Remove from heat and add in baking soda and vanilla. Mixture will foam. Mix in blackberry liquid then pour syrup into a serving dish. Cover to keep warm while preparing waffle pancakes.

Waffle Pancakes
2 eggs
3/4 Cup buttermilk
1/2 stick melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 Cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, butter and vanilla into a medium bowl until well combined. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix into wet ingredients until just combined.

2. Place waffle pancake pan (or large skillet) over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. When hot, pour a couple Tablespoons into each waffle mold. Carefully flip after 1-2 minutes or until browned on bottom. Cook second side until golden brown. Continue to cook until all batter is used.

3. Stack waffle pancakes and pour LOTS of syrup over top, enjoy!

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Have a great start of your week. See you soon with a chocolate layered cake we made for Easter that was crazy good!

Glazed Peanut Butter, Banana and Blackberry Muffins...

2009-04-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Good Wednesday everyone! We are enjoying a nice couple days in AZ this week while my boys are on Spring Break. It's always nice to be back home. My hubby also got his braces off yesterday. Woo Hoo! He looks great.

Here is a great little muffin that has so many incredible tastes going on. The peanut butter and banana combination is an obvious favorite and the blackberries give them that slight peanut butter and jelly flavor. The kids devoured these. I used cute little silicone heart shaped molds I found at William Sonoma a couple years ago on clearance for a buck (love when I find great deals), but any cupcake pan will work just as nice. Hope you all enjoy, don't forget the glaze!

Glazed Peanut Butter, Banana and Blackberry Muffins

1/2 Cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 Cup all purpose flour
1/2 Cup vanilla almond granola
1/4 Cup granulated sugar
1/4 Cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 mashed banana
1/2 Cup creamy peanut butter
1 Cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons melted butter
6 oz fresh blackberries, halved

Glaze
1 1/2 Cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tablespoons heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place both flours, granola, sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix the banana, peanut butter, buttermilk and butter until smooth. Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Slowly stir in halved blackberries. Spoon batter into greased cupcake cups filled 3/4 way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center. Let cool completely. Whisk powdered sugar and heavy cream until smooth. Dip each muffin top into glaze and let dry.

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Have a great week! We are off to the Dinosaur Museum today with the kids, see you all soon with a breakfast recipe you won't want to miss!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Swirled Brownies...

2009-04-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Good Monday everyone!

Here is a brownie treat that makes me happy just typing about it. It's no surprise that I LOVE jazzing up those brownie mixes, so here is another easy easy recipe that gives box mixes a major facelift! I've tried peanut butter and jelly in so many recipes, but had yet to try it swirled into brownies. Talk about heaven sent! You gotta try it. I splurged and bought this really cool chocolate bar brownie pan from William Sonoma last week (scroll down for pic and link). The brownies turned out even cuter than I thought they would, they look just like little chocolate bars. Use any 9x13 inch pan for this recipe if you don't have this particular pan.

Forgive my overabundance of pictures in this post, the brownies were just so photogenic! Take a peek and enjoy!

LOVE this new Chocolate Bar Brownie Pan from William Sonoma!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Swirled Brownies

1 brownie mix of choice 9x13 size
1/2 Cup peanut butter, heated in microwave for 20 seconds or so until softened
3/4 Cup strawberry preserves

1 Cup semisweet chocolate chips
2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions; pour into greased 9x13 inch pan (or cute pan from William Sonoma). Swirl peanut butter evenly over brownies then place dollops of strawberry preserves evenly over top. Take a butter knife and swirl peanut butter and jelly throughout brownie batter without over swirling. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center of pan. Let cool completely then cut into squares.

2. Place chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals until smooth. Stir in cream until shiny and smooth; return back to microwave for 15 seconds if needed. Drizzle over top of brownies.

12 Brownies

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Have a great week! Up next are some cute as a button little muffins that were a huge hit!

Me Oh My Garlic Toasted Spaghetti Pie!

2009-04-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

Yipee, it's Friday! Thanks to those of you who gave me advice on my technical problem yesterday, looks like I am up and running again!

We've got all kinds of Easter festivities at the school this morning, including a crazy raw egg drop from the school's roof, so I will make this short and sweet...

These photos don't do this recipe justice, trust me that this is a great weeknight dinner that the whole family loves! The boys were heckling me during the photo shoot, hence the crappy pictures....they were hungry!

It's garlic bread and spaghetti all in one pretty little pie that is so much fun to eat. Break out your springform pans and jazz up garlic toast and spaghetti! Be sure to try the new Tree Top Trim with your dinner. It's a great new juice that has 50% less sugar, only 60 calories per serving and is available at local Albertsons. We loved it!

Garlic Toasted Spaghetti Pie

1 lb spaghetti noodles

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon Lawry's garlic salt
26 oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce
10 fresh basil leaves stacked, rolled and thinly sliced (chiffonade)
1/4 Cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 Cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4-1/2 teaspoons Lawry's garlic salt
1 roll Pillsbury French Bread Loaf

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions for 5 minutes then add beef, salt, pepper and garlic salt to brown, about 7-9 minutes. Reduce heat to low then stir in sauce, basil leaves and cooked pasta.

3. Open French Bread and unroll it to rectangle. With a knife cut it in 2 equal parts. Take one piece and press into the bottom of a well greased springform pan pressing up the sides slightly. Bake for 10 minutes then remove from oven. Transfer approximately 3/4 of the spaghetti into the pan (or fill about 3/4 way to the top of pan) (save leftover spaghetti for later). Sprinkle top with parmesan and cheddar cheese. Take remaining piece of dough and place it over top of spaghetti trying to cover entire surface. Brush olive oil over top of dough then sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bread is just golden brown. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

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Have a great weeked! See you soon with something tasty!

Naughty Little Cookies and Cream Banana Bread

2009-03-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

Good Tuesday to you!

This is one of those recipes that is just going to make you happy. When I was putting it together last week, I just knew it would be a star. Sure enough I was right, it is just perfect. With a giant mouthful, my little 3 year old kitchen helper mumbled, "Mom, you make the best bread ever!" With this recipe, I'm not going to argue with him!

The Oreos get nice and soft, so you get little bites of chocolate cookie and sweet cream on top that is irresistible. It's a combination that was really meant for each other. I am looking forward to you guys trying it and letting me know what you think.

Take a peek and give it a whirl!

Cookies and Cream Banana Bread

1 1/2 sticks butter
1 Cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
4 medium size ripe bananas (or 3 Large bananas)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
15 Oreo cookies, broken into pieces

1 Cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until well combined. Slowly beat in egg, bananas and vanilla until combined. Place flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl. Slowly add to wet ingredients. Stir in Oreos until just combined.

2. Scoop dough into 16 very mini loaf pans or 2 bread pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Muffin tins would work great too. Bake for 28-35 minutes if you are using the mini pan or 45-55 minutes for the normal bread pan. Toothpick comes clean from center.

3. Whisk powdered sugar and cream in a medium bowl until a nice drizzling consistency is reached. Drizzle over top of each bread and serve. Makes 16 mini loaves or 2 full loaves.

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I leave you with my little helper enjoying some of the batter, I can't blame the kid! Have a great rest of the week! See you soon with another tasty recipe!

Pasta Sauce Winners....

2009-03-30T02:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks for everyone who participated in the Mezzetta Pasta Sauce giveaway. Now, for our winners......Congrats to......

Commenter #199 Brandi who said:
Our latest fav is a whole wheat pita with meatballs, red sauce and mozzarella cheese! Yum!

Commenter #21 Matt & Heidi
Oh dear...I use pasta sauce for everything, but our top favorites are a deep dish pizza and a cheese-loaded baked spaghetti dish.
YUM! This looks great!
-Heidi

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Congrats ladies. Please email me (jcflake@hotmail.com) with your addresses ASAP by Wednesday morning to claim your sauces.

Happy Monday! I'll see you all first thing in the morning for a treat that you will not want to miss!

Mezzetta Pasta Sauce Giveaway, 2 Winners!

2009-03-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Good Saturday everyone!

I have thoroughly been enjoying the new line of Mezzetta Napa Valley Bistro Pasta Sauces. I'm telling you they are the closest thing to a homemade tasting sauce that I've tried. I used this sauce to make my latest soup and just made an awesome recipe with it last night that I'll be sharing soon.

The folks at Mezzetta are offering 2 lucky Picky Palate readers 2 jars each of their new line of sauces. They retail for $5.99 each. “We want Napa Valley Bistro products to bring the experience of dining in a Napa Valley restaurant right to your own table,” explains Jeff Mezzetta.

The Marinara Collection — four pasta sauces based on Italian imported plum tomatoes — were created to satisfy consumer demand for elegantly simple sauces which let the flavor of the tomatoes shine through. The Marinara Collection is an elegant complement to the original “Classic Combinations,” that features robust flavors in traditional combinations made with California plum tomatoes. Both lines are made with Napa Valley wine. Serving suggestions on each jar suggest different ways to use each sauce beyond pouring on pasta.
Here's how to enter: Leave a comment and tell us about one of your favorite recipes that includes pasta sauce. You don't have to write the recipe here, just tell us about it, I'd love to hear it! Tough choice for me, but I'm going with a classic cheesy lasagna with a nice red sauce. That's hard to beat!

Contest ends Sunday night, Midnight PST. I'll pick the 2 winners randomly and post them first thing Monday morning!

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Good Luck everyone, see you all Monday Morning with the winners!

Creamy Tomato Basil and Italian Sausage Soup in 10 Minutes?!! Yes!

2009-03-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Good Thursday everyone! The folks at Mezzetta Napa Valley Bistro Pasta Sauce sent me some of their wonderful sauces to try. Let me tell you they are incredible! So incredible that I used one to create this zippity do da soup that's done in practically no time at all.

If you are looking for a quick weeknight dinner that won't keep you in the kitchen long (I hope you can handle 10 minutes), you'll love this. I'm not just saying that this soup tastes like it's been simmering all day, it really does. My whole family had the entire pot eaten without any leftovers the next day. I even caught my 3 year old picking up his bowl to drink the very last drop. Trust me this one is tasty! Make sure to enjoy this soup with some good garlic bread and a salad too.

Creamy Tomato Basil and Italian Sausage Soup

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lb Italian Sausage
10 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (stacked, rolled and thinly sliced)
1 26 oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce or homemade sauce (click red link to see the Mezzetta sauce I used)
1 Cup water
1 1/2 Cups half and half
Pinch of salt and pepper

1. Place olive oil into a medium sized dutch oven over medium heat. Cook sausage until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in basil leaves, pasta sauce, water, half and half, salt and pepper. Cook until warm then reduce heat to low. Simmer until ready to serve. It's that easy!

4 servings

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After we enjoyed our soup, we had a fun little family night where I had little cakes for the boys to decorate and here's a glimpse of how the night turned out. A total mess thanks to the above big kid himself. You better believe when the boys saw Dad do it, there was no stopping them. So much for the decorating! I couldn't help but snap some pics of these cake mangling goofballs.

Have a great rest of the week. Happy Cooking!

Peanut Butter-Finger Mini Cheesecakes

2009-03-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's another peanut butter recipe, but can we really have too many of them? I think not! This is another delicious little cheesecake that was inspired by my last trip to Cheesecake Factory with my family last week. We all got a different slice of cheesecake and sampled each one savoring each and every bite. With all of their candy bar cheesecakes showcased so nicely for all to see, I couldn't help but make one of my own. So here you have it, little bites of heaven!

Take a peek and make some for yourself! If I haven't sold you on the mini cheesecake pan from William Sonoma yet, go get one so you can make these! Absolutely worth the $30, I use it all the time. Enjoy.

Peanut Butter-Finger Mini Cheesecakes

1 Cup ground Vanilla Wafers
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons butter
1/8 teaspoon salt

8 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 Cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 Cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 Fun Size Butterfinger Candy Bars, crushed

1 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream

2 Fun Size Butterfinger, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place cookie crumbs, sugar, butter and salt into a bowl; mix to combine. Spoon mixture into bottoms of mini cheese cake pan or mini cupcake pan and press. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven.

2. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, beat cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Beat sugar, egg, cream and salt until well combined. Slowly stir in crushed Butterfinger. Evenly pour batter over baked crust. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until cheesecake is set. Let cool for 2 hours, then remove from pan.

3. Melt chocolate chips in microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth. Stir in cream until smooth and glossy. If needed, return back to microwave for 15 seconds or so until smooth. Spoon over tops of cakes then sprinkle crushed butterfinger over top.

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Have a great week, I'll catch you soon with a tempting soup that won't keep you in the kitchen all day. Stay tuned!

Sara Lee Cookbook Winners!

2009-03-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all of you who participated in the Sara Lee Cookbook giveaway. I really enjoyed reading everyone's favorite healthy snacks, heaven knows I need to snack better! Here are the 3 winners....

Comment # 339 Miss Niss who said:
mmm..my favorite snacks...there's so many to choose from! celery and REAL peanut butter, apples, strawberries...any fruit and veggies!! and i also love munching on raw almonds! yum!

Comment# 4 Nicole who said:
My kids are big trail mix eaters, but don't like the almonds or the cashews. They end up with me and I love them. But I think my favorite snack is a home grown orange from my grandparents front yard. California oranges are my favorite!

Comment #195 Jacob&amp:Angie who said:
I absolutely LOVE baby carrots. I could eat them by the handful.

Winners please email me with your address ASAP by Wednesday morning to claim your book. Congrats!!

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Happy Monday, see you all tomorrow with a fun and tasty little dessert!

New Sara Lee Cookbook Giveaway, 3 Winners!

2009-03-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, check out this great new cookbook up for grabs to 3 lucky Picky Palate readers by Sara Lee. I have spent the last few days flipping through the book and it is incredible! It's a beautiful hardcover cookbook, full of great photography and health conscious recipes. Here's some info on the book:

Sara Lee is partnering with The Heart Truth Campaign to raise awareness of heart disease among women and encourage them to make heart healthy food choices every day to take care of their bodies and their families. One of the best things a mom can do for her family is take care of herself. One of the easiest ways to take care of herself is to establish a heart healthy eating routine.

Here's how to enter: Leave a comment and tell us all what your favorite healthy snack is. Fruit, veggi's or whatever you can enjoy that's healthy, let us know!

Contest ends Sunday night, midnight PST. I'll post the 3 random winners first thing Monday morning.

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Best of luck everyone! Have a great rest of your weekend!! See you Monday morning for the winners.

BBQ Chicken Crusted Smoked Cheddar Mac

2009-03-19T06:31:00.000-07:00

Good Thursday morning all! It has been such a great week here in CA. I've had my family from AZ visiting and we've been running around all over the place. We went to Knotts Berry Farm, the Zoo and I think 4 beaches in the last couple days not to mention all the food we've consumed. It's been great. I'm trying to talk them into moving to CA with us! We'll see what I can do!

So, I made this mac last week when I had that leftover BBQ chicken and what a terrific combo! Cheddar and BBQ is so great together so it was really a no brainer when I topped this mac with a nice thick layer of BBQ. I baked half the recipe in individual bakers as shown above and half in a normal baking dish, bake it how you'd like. The whole family really enjoyed this dinner and I'll bet you will will too! Off to the beach again, have a great day!

BBQ Chicken Crusted Smoked Cheddar Mac

1 lb mini farfalle pasta (use any pasta of choice)

5 Tablespoons butter
5 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
4 Cups milk, I used 2%
5 Cups shredded Tillamook smoked cheddar cheese (you could use any cheddar cheese)

2 Cups shredded BBQ Chicken HERE is the recipe
1 Cup shredded Tillamook smoked cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

2. Melt butter into a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper; cook for 1 minute stirring. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Increase heat to medium high, stir continuously until liquid thickens and comes to a low boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheddar cheese until smooth then add cooked pasta. Pour mixture into a large baking dish then top evenly with BBQ chicken. Sprinkle with additional cheddar cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

3. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and serve.

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See you all soon with more good cookin! Have a good one!

Roasted Banana Bread Brownie Bites...

2009-03-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! Imagine brownies that taste like banana bread. That's just what these little guys taste like. Let me tell you, they are incredible. I gladly shared these with the neighbors because I couldn't stop eating them!

There's something so exciting when I'm experimenting with brownie mixes. There are so many great things to do with them including this recipe. It's no surprise I love to roast bananas and put them in my recipes and that's what gives these brownies their incredible banana bread flavor. They even replace the oil in the brownie mix, so they are totally fat free, well maybe not but close enough!

I used my mini cheesecake pan from William Sonoma for the cute shape of these bites, but you could certainly use a mini cupcake pan for a very similar effect. You've probably got all of the ingredients right in your pantry to make this recipe, get baking, you'll love these!

Roasted Banana Bread Brownie Bites

3 large ripe bananas, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
3 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
3 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1 brownie mix, 9x13 inch size
1/4 Cup water
3 eggs

1/2 Cup chocolate chips
2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream (or coconut oil works and tastes great too)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place sliced bananas into a baking dish. Place butter evenly over bananas and sprinkle brown sugar on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes.

2. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F. Place brownie mix, water, eggs and bananas into a large mixing bowl. Mix until just combined. Scoop mixture into mini cupcake pan or mini cheesecake pan about 3/4 way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center.

3. Melt chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl. Stir to smooth then add heavy cream until glossy and smooth. Dip brownie bites into chocolate and place an M&M in the center. Serve warm or room temperature. Enjoy!

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Have a great week, see you soon with a homemade mac and cheese that we all LOVE!

Cookbook Winners!

2009-03-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

Good Morning everyone! Thanks for all who participated in my Giveaway extravaganza this weekend. It was fun. Here are the 2 winners for the Trader Joes Cookbook......

Commenter # 134 Megan who said:
My very favorite Trader Joe's product is their Tuscan White Bean Hummus. Mix that with the Sea Salt & Pepper Rice Crisps and you have my very favorite snack.

Commenter # 25 Amy Snell who said:
Trader Joe's is one of my fav stores!! Their tuna eaten with their sesame rice crackers are to die for...were all about snacks in this house.

Congrats ladies! Please email me ASAP with your addresses by Wednesday morning so I can get your books sent out. Thanks!

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(picture from google images)

Anyone making Green Eggs and Ham tomorrow?! My son's Kindergarten class enjoyed this dish for Dr. Seuss's Birthday a couple weeks ago. Surprisingly they all devoured it! Happy St. Patty's Day tomorrow!! Have a great Monday, I'll see you tomorrow with my newest dessert creation. I LOVE it!

Winner of Cake Giveaway and Trader Joe's Cookbook Giveaway! 2 Winners!

2009-03-15T02:00:00.000-07:00

Before I get to the next giveaway, it's time to announce the CAKE AND FROSTING FOR A YEAR WINNER:

COMMENTER #11, RACHELLE @ Mommy I'm Hungry, WHO SAID: All natural cake mixes! How nice! :) The cookie cookie with chocolate frosting sounds yummy!

Congrats to Rachelle! Please email me ASAP, by Monday night before midnight with your address.

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This next giveaway is also so much fun! It is no secret that I am a Trader Joe's Fanatic. I LOVE it and could shop there everyday and be so happy. 2 Picky Palate readers will win this brand new Cooking With All Things Trader Joe's Cookbook! Here's a little information about the book....

Mortal beings can now create the stuff of chefs, in minutes, using ingredients all from Trader Joe's. Use Trader Joe's as your "prep kitchen" to make delicious home-cooked meals in just minutes.

From quinoa to capers, Marsala to Masala, tofu to turkey, it's all here. Each recipe features Trader Joe's products, easy steps, and mouth-watering photos.

Here's how to enter:

Leave a comment and tell us what your favorite Trader Joe's product is. If you do not have a Trader Joe's in your area, I feel very sad for you, so you can just tell us your favorite quick and easy to make dinner using convenient foods from the grocery store. It's a hard choice, but my favorite Trader Joe's product is the frozen brown rice that can be microwaved in 3 minutes and then of course the sesame ginger almonds, mmm! Ok I LOVE it all!

Contest ends Monday morning at 9:00am PST. I'll announce the winner shortly after. Good luck everyone!!!

Free Cake Mixes And Frosting For A Year Giveaway!

2009-03-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, hope you are all having a great weekend. Hurry quick, you've got until Saturday night, this is an AWESOME giveaway check it out...

Naturally Nora has developed her own line of All-Natural Baking Mixes. Let me tell you first hand they are FANTASTIC and have a very homemade taste. My family is enjoying trying each and every flavor. Check out Nora's website to see all of her great products.

Nora is graciously offering one lucky Picky Palate reader a YEAR'S supply of her cake mixes and frostings. That's 12 mixes and 12 frostings in a mixed variety. How fun huh?

To enter, leave a comment and tell us all what cake mix and frosting you'd want to try first from Nora's website. They are all so yummy, but I am craving more of the classic chocolate with chocolate frosting, it was so good!

Contest ends Saturday night, the 14th at midnight PST. Winner will be announced Sunday Morning.

Good luck everyone, you will love these cake mixes and frostings. Nora has a terrific line of products! See you all Sunday morning for the winner!

I'll Take My Salad, Straight Up Please...

2009-03-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

I swear BBQ chicken salad never gets old, especially when you have some fun stacking it on top of some sinful little puff pastry squares. I had some leftover BBQ chicken and thought this would be a great way to jazz up an old favorite. It's kind of like having your bread and salad piled high in one fun little plate.

I am so excited to be visiting AZ the rest of this week. I get to spend some time with my family that I miss like crazy and then of course go to the Dental Convention I'm not so excited about. Any excuse to go back home is fine by me! Thanks to my sweet husband for being so understanding.

So, now that I've rambled, have some fun playing with your food this week and try these fabulous Salad Stackers!

BBQ Chicken Salad Puff Stackers

2 sheets thawed puff pastry, each sheet cut into 16 squares

Homemade BBQ Sauce

1 ¼ Cups ketchup

3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

4 Tablespoons worstershire sauce

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon honey

Pinch of salt

1 Rotisserie Chicken, shredded

4 Cups Baby Arugula, or salad of choice

4 Tablespoons prepared Ranch Dressing

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place squares 1 inch apart on a large baking sheets sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until puffed and slightly golden.

2. Combine all BBQ Sauce ingredients into a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and stir in shredded chicken. Let simmer.

3. In a medium bowl, toss salad with ranch dressing. Spoon a bit of salad onto a puff pastry square then top with a spoonful of chicken. Top with another puff square and repeat layering. Serve warm.

10 stackers

Have a great week, come back soon for some giveaways this weekend!!

Apple Dippin' Peanut Butter Cookies

2009-03-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

Good Sunday morning! I am so excited to share this little gem of a cookie with you all today. One of my all time favorite flavor combinations is apples and peanut butter, alright just about anything with peanut butter is fantastic. It's ridiculous the amount of peanut butter we go through in this house! I remember dipping apples with peanut butter as a kid and have recently introduced it to my little rugrats. They seem to love it as much as I do.

In celebration of my love for this mighty fine combo I created a cookie that is hands down Fabulous! Make sure you find yourself some Turbinado Sugar at your grocery store. It gives the best sweet little crunch to each bite. I've seen it in quite a few grocery stores, so look a little closer down the baking isle and pick some up for these cookies.

Next time you feel like making a batch of cookies, you gotta try these babies, just try not to eat all the dough so you have some cookies to make! Enjoy!

Apple Dippin' Peanut Butter Cookies

1 stick softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 Cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 Cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
3/4 Cup vanilla flavored granola clusters
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Cup diced apples, about 1/4 inch, I used fuji

1/2 Cup turbinado sugar, or other sugar of choice to roll cookies in

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until light mixed well. Beat in peanut butter until combined then add the egg and vanilla until well combined.

2. In a large bowl mix together the flour, granola, baking soda and salt. Slowly mix into the wet ingredients following the apples until just combined. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough, roll into sugar then place onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. With tines of a fork, press down slightly making an X on top of each cookie. Bake for 8-9 minutes, cookies should look somewhat soft inside when you take them out. Let cool/finish baking out of oven for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

3. Grab some milk and dig in!

3 dozen cookies

Here's to a great new week and great new recipes to come. See you soon!

Roasted Butternut Squash, Red Potato and Asiago Soup

2009-03-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, hope this week is treating you all well. Yesterday I took the boys to their first Disneyland Day since we've been here in CA and it was well, interesting. The cool thing was that we basically walked right on the rides, which NEVER happens, however it was pretty rainy for about half the time. I think I'd rather deal with the rain than the hundreds of thousands of people though. We had a great time, I just need to remind my children that they do not get toys every time we visit or Mom goes broke!

Here's that soup I was talking about in the last post. It is warm, hearty, packed full of vegetables and just perfect. I LOVE a good baked potato soup and this time I added roasted butternut squash. Wait until you try it, you are going to love it!

Roasted Butternut Squash, Red Potato and Asiago Soup

2 lbs cubed butternut squash (you can buy this already cut for you in the produce dept)
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Lawry's garlic salt with parsley

5 lbs baby red potatoes, cut into fourths (I left the skin on)
5 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon Lawry's garlic salt with parsley
1 1/2 Cups milk

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch of celery, diced
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced (optional, but so good)
1 large onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
4 oz diced pancetta
4 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 14 oz cans chicken broth
1 Cup shredded Asiago Cheese (you can also use Parmesan)
1 1/2- 2 1/2 Cups milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place butternut squash onto a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Use hands to coat all ingredients together. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and fork tender. Remove.

2. Place potatoes into a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 10-12 minutes or until fork tender. Remove and transfer to a stand or electric mixer. Mix on slow until smashed, then add butter, salt, pepper, garlic salt and milk.

3. Place olive oil into a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add in celery, carrots, fennel, onion and red bell pepper. Add pancetta to vegetables as well. Cook and stir occasionally for about 10 minutes, until vegetables are softened and pancetta is browned. Sprinkle in flour and stir, will be thick. Slowly add in chicken broth and increase heat slightly; cook until hot and thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Reduce heat and stir in mashed potatoes in batches. Stir in Asiago cheese until melted. At this point add additional milk until it is your desired consistency. I like my soup pretty thick, so I add less milk, but it is completely up to you. Right before serving, stir in roasted butternut squash. Enjoy.

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I wasn't very good about taking pictures yesterday because of the rain, but here is my little guy who got chosen for the jedi training. It was so cute, he loved it and got to fight the bad guys. Below is my little stinker sitting with me trying to knock the camera out of my hand while taking pictures of brother!

Have a great rest of your week. See you soon with something tasty!

Pizza Book Winners...

2009-03-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all of you who participated in this great giveaway and thanks to Chronicle Books for offering this to us. Sounds like there are some great pizza places calling my name. Maybe I can talk my husband into a little pizza vacation, sounds delicious! Without further ado here are our winners.....

Commenter #205 thecummardfamily who said:
oh my gosh. pizza is my passion. no health kick or diet can keep me from indulging in a slice, or 5 of delicious pizza. i don't discriminate in any way shape or form. thin or thick, stuffed or topped, home-made or delivery. i truly LOVE pizza. it makes me happy, inside and out. little ceasers $5 is a quick fix, but if i'm going all out, le grande orange, or oreagon's for their thin crust either white or wheat, with any imaginable topping. my mouth is watering, and it's 8am. it's wrong that pizza's not served for breakfast. my favorite 3 toppings, which you can order anywhere is pepperoni, tomato and onion. they taste so well together. i can't wait to try the sauce recipe!

Commenter #19 Katee who said:
We just moved but my fav place in previous home was Pizza Express and favorite pizza was their Big Cheese--Wisconsin cheese, pecans, and a ricotta type sauce. Oh and it had to be on their multigrain crust.

Commenter #180 JustKelly who said:
PIZZA IS MY LIFE!
The Pierogi pizza (mashed potatoes on NY style pizza dough and topped with thin sliced onions, cheddar & mozzerella cheese and a liberal sprikling of crisp bacon) from Pizza Man's Pizza in Johnstown, PA!
I know for a fact they are the best pizza because my husband and I own the place! If you are ever in town Jenny, let me know and you can stop by for a free pie

Winners, email me ASAP by Thursday morning at 9:00am with your addresses so I can get your books shipped. Congrats!!

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Ok, tell me I'm not the only fool that still watches the Bachelor? How crazy was that finale Monday night?! Poor Melissa, my heart goest out to that girl, yikes.

I'm taking the boys to Disneyland today!! This will be our first venture to Disney since our move, so we are all excited. Have a great day, I'll be back very soon with one of my newest soup creations that I am in love with!

Adorable Children's Book Giveaway! 3 Winners!

2009-03-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, hope you all had a great weekend. Check out this fun, hot off the press giveaway for the kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews etc.. in your life. Chronicle Books is offering 3 Picky Palate readers a copy of Tony Gemignani's newest children's book, Tony and the Pizza Champions. Here's a little info on the book...

Tony and the Pizza Champions invites readers to join in the dough-flying fun as Tony and his team of talented pizza-tossers travel to Italy to compete in an international competition. Also included are his famous pizza recipes and step-by-step dough-tossing instructions for those kids-and parents-who want to get into the act.

An eight-time world champion pizza thrower, world champion pizza maker, Guinness World Record holder, and Food Network gold medalist, Tony has truly made his mark on the pizza world, and the media has taken note. He's made appearances on major shows such as Oprah, The Rachael Ray Show, the Food Network, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show, CNN, the Travel Channel, and numerous others both here and abroad.

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Here's how to enter: Leave a comment and tell all of us your favorite kind of pizza AND favorite pizza place. Before we moved, our favorite place to get pizza was from Patsy Grimaldi's. My favorite was their pepperoni, fresh tomatoes and basil. YUM!

Contest ENDS late Tuesday night at midnight PST. GOOD LUCK!

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TONY’S PIZZA SAUCE

Recipe courtesy of Tony Gemignani, author of Tony and the Pizza Champions from Chronicle Books

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice

2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt, or 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 basil leaf

1. In a medium bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and sugar.

Mix well, and then add the basil leaf.

2. Use the sauce immediately, or store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze it for up to 2 months. Let it warm to room temperature before using.

Makes enough sauce for at least five pizzas

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Check back first thing Wednesday morning for the 3 winners. I've got some tasty recipes coming up too, see you soon!

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

2009-02-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

This is one of those recipes where I will tell you, Don't judge the book by it's cover. This is a very misleading dish because appearance wise it doesn't look all that exciting, but trust me, it makes up for it all in taste!

Every time I break out the ol' crock pot I always think to myself, why don't I use this baby more often?! It's about the easiest form of cooking out there and it never fails to produce incredible flavorful dishes. There's something about a meal that's been slow cooked all day that is so appealing. Give this comforting stick to your ribs good dinner a shot, it's embarrassingly easy and your family will love it!

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

6 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning
10 oz can Cream of Chicken Soup

4 lbs peeled, cubed potatoes
5 Tablespoons real butter
1 Cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
6 cloves roasted garlic (click for directions how to roast garlic)
1- 1 1/2 Cups warm skim milk (any milk will do, I just happened to use skim)
1 Tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste

1. Place pork chops, Ranch seasoning and soup into a medium sized crock pot over high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6 hours.

2. Place potatoes into a large pot of cold water. Place onto stovetop over high heat and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, cook for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to the work bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Mix on low until potatoes are mashed then add butter, parmesan, garlic, milk, salt and pepper. Season to taste if needed. For thinner mashed potatoes add more milk, slowly until your desired consitency.

3. Scoop mashed potatoes onto serving plates and top with pork chops and soup gravy from crock pot. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend ya'll. Up next is fun giveaway you won't want to miss!

Oatmeal Raisinet Cookies...

2009-02-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

It was great getting back in the kitchen since my little AZ vacation last week. It's always nice to have others do the cooking from time to time and of course eat out (which I did way too much of)!

I picked up a couple boxes of Raisinets at the grocery store yesterday while my 3 year old asked for EVERYTHING in sight, and decided they would make a fantastic cookie. Let me tell you they did not dissapoint! This is a fun spin on the traditional oatmeal raisin cookie and we loved them. I'm always looking for something fun to add into my cookies. Next time you are at the grocery store pick up a couple boxes, you'll love these!

Oatmeal Raisinet Cookies

1 stick softened butter
1/2 Cup packed brown sugar
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
1 1/2 Cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Cup quick oats
2 3.5 oz boxes Raisinets

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place butter and sugars into a stand or electric mixer; beat until light and fluffy. With mixer on medium add egg and vanilla until well combined. Place flour, soda, salt and oats into a large bowl. Slowly add to wet ingredients until just combined. Add raisinets; stir to combine.

2. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Yield: almost 3 dozen cookies

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Enjoy the rest of your week! I've got a finger licking weeknight dinner that you'll love, so come back soon!

Talking to a Top Chef!

2009-02-23T21:31:00.001-08:00

Finally back home tonight from a fun filled week in AZ visiting family. It makes my transition in CA easier when I get to see my family often like this!

I don't know about all of you, but I am a faithful Top Chef watcher! Last Friday I had the opportunity to chat on the phone with Stephanie Izard, winner of Top Chef Season 4. I am a huge fan of the show, so it was so much fun talking with her and she couldn't have been nicer. She was at the Food and Wine Festival in Miami during our talk saying how great the festival was rubbing elbows with chefs from all over the country.

She said she is finishing up her new restaurant hoping to open early summer of this year. "It's sort of a Mediterranean-inspired gastropub," she says. "Fun and casual is what I'm going for." I asked Stephanie if the Quickfire Challenges are as crazy as they seem on the show and she said yes, the time goes so fast so everyone is running around like crazy.

She also said she will start blogging on Bravo.com about the show and will be a part of the new Quaker Oats Viewer Quickfire Challenge that Bravo is hosting.

I know we talked about more, but my brain is tired and I wish I would have taken notes! I have loved all of the great opportunities that have come from writing Picky Palate. I'll be sure to continue sharing them with all of you!

Stephanie Izard

It's great to be back home, I'll see you all soon with some good cookin!

Sweet Chili Glazed and Walnut Crusted Tilapia with Roasted Asparagus

2009-02-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody, I am so excited to be enjoying the week here in AZ with my family. My boys had the week off of school for "ski week" in CA, so what a perfect opportunity to visit home.

Before we left, I made this fabulous fish dinner and we all devoured it, even the kids loved it with a little side of ketchup. For some reason that I can't quite put my finger on, I've been afraid of cooking and eating fish in the past, but I've decided to grow up and start experimenting more with it. I know how healthy it is for you and for heaven sakes it's delicious! So, for any of you who have been like me and have been a little stand offish towards fish....don't be. It cooks up in minutes and is so delicious, I can't wait to make more of it. Hope you all enjoy!

Sweet Chili Glazed and Walnut Crusted Tilapia with Roasted Asparagus

1 bunch of asparagus

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

¼ teaspoon garlic salt

3 Tablespoons honey

¼ teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon warm water

¾ Cup Panko Bread Crumbs

½ Cup ground walnuts (I ground them in food processor)

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

4 tilapia fillets

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Place asparagus onto a edge rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Roast in oven for 12-15 minutes or until fork tender, turning half way through. Remove and keep warm.

2. Place the honey, chili powder and warm water in a small bowl; mix to combine. Place crumbs, walnuts, salt, chili powder and pepper into a shallow dish; mix to combine. Season both sides of tilapia fillets with pinches of salt and pepper. With a pastry brush, brush honey glaze on both sides of tilapia then press into crumb mix. Continue until all fillets are coated.

3. Heat oil into a large skillet over medium heat. When hot place coated tilapia fillets into skillet; cook 2-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and fish flakes easy with a fork. Remove and serve warm.

4 servings

Have a great rest of your week, I'll be enjoying AZ and will catch up with ya'll early next week!!

Good Old Fashion Hearty Beef Stew...And Giveaway Winners

2009-02-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

Monday results! Congrats to the following 3 WINNERS of the "Tote-ally" Cool Giveaway....please email me, jcflake@hotmail.com ASAP with your address and I'll get your prizes out! LOVED reading everyone's perfect dinners. I am hungry thinking of all the good stuff ya'll wrote!

Commenter #215: Katie's Blog who said:

My perfect dinner would be a seafood feast with a luscious pasta side dish and fresh wilted spinach for my veggie. My dinner would be perfect if my hubby and kids were eating dinner with me.

Commenter #24: Nancy who said:
Well if I really get to pick the perfect dinner it would have to be all my favorite desserts. Creme Brulee,donuts, mint oreo ice cream, white chocolate macadamian nut cookies. This list would go on and on.

Commenter #187: Mamawags who said:
My perfect dinner would be a perfectly grilled tri-tip steak, parmesan couscous, green salad with all the veggies it could hold, topped with homemade ranch dressing! Dessert would be cheesecake with raspberries!! Delish!!

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Some of my fondest memories of college was coming home to my Granna’s house (she graciously let my husband and I live with her and my Bunka when we were going to school) and sitting down to a 3 course meal EVERYNIGHT when we’d come home from a long day at school. I’m talking salad, bread with lots of butter and some fabulous main dish that was as fattening as could be. My beautiful French grandmother is a wonderful cook and has taught me so much. My husband and I look back at our photos of those couple years and we were so chubby, and I totally know why….granna’s home cooking! I am so lucky to have her and my grandpa (Bunka) in my life and I miss seeing them now that we are in CA.

I created this beef stew in honor of my sweet grandma, because it reminds me of those days eating dinner in her comfy kitchen. Although beef stew isn't the prettiest dish to photograph, it's as tasty as can be. I hope you will all enjoy a little old fashion comfort food!

Good Old Fashion Hearty Beef Stew

1 Cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 lb beef stew meat

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

3 celery ribs, cut into ½ inch pieces

3 peeled carrots, cut into ½ inch pieces

6 oz package sliced white mushrooms

1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 ½ Cups pearl onions, peeled

2 Cups peeled and diced turnips

4 medium potatoes of choice, cut into ½ inch chunks

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

32 oz beef broth

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place the flour, salt, pepper and stew meat into a large ziplock bag. Shake around to coat the beef, then remove beef shaking off excess flour.

2. Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil into a large dutch oven over medium heat. Place flour coated beef into pot and brown all sides, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil into pot and add carrots, mushrooms, fennel, onions, turnips, potatoes and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally then add broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Cover with oven safe lid and place in oven for 2-2 ½ hours or until beef is fork tender. Remove from oven and season to taste as desired. Serve with soft rolls and enjoy!

6 servings

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Here is a picture of my sweet "Granna" and I. I love her to pieces!

Check back Monday morning on this post for the 3 winners from the giveaway!!

Giveaway Time Again, 3 Prizes "Tote-ally" Cool!

2009-02-12T17:15:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, here’s another fun giveaway courtesy of the folks at MyBlogSpark. Up for grabs are 3 great prizes: 3 Winners will receive a Yoplait Cooler Tote Bag, a Free 4-Pack of the new Blueberry Acai Yo-Plus Yogurt, a sporty water bottle (great for the gym) and a nutrition journal. Just got mine in the mail and LOVE it all. The bag is nice and big and I look forward to packing all of our beach gear inside. My 3 year old has already claimed the water bottle and journal, so I guess I get the yogurt all to myself! This is a great prize pack.

Here’s how to enter….Leave a comment telling us all what your perfect dinner would be, sky is the limit, let’s here it! Mine: A 7 course fondue dinner with all the fixins ending with chocolate and fruit, I am totally drooling.

Contest ends Sunday night when the clock strikes midnight, PST. I’ll pick 3 random winners and post them first thing Monday morning. Good Luck Everyone!!

Good Luck and Happy Valentine's Day!!! Coming soon are those darn Comfort Food recipes I keep promising!!

My Two Sweet Desserts From Ultimate Recipe Showdown!

2009-02-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

Even with with the outcome of the show not in my favor Sunday night, I will say that being on the show was the experience of a lifetime. Being in NYC and in the Food Network Studios is such a prize in itself and I’ll never forget it. Guy Fierri is exactly how he is on tv, so cool and down to earth.

All in all, both of my recipes turned out great while cooking on the show. My doughnuts are so much fun. I put a lot of TLC into creating that recipe and will treasure it for years to come. Do give them a try sometime. The peaches are a beautiful dessert as well, simple and delicious with only a few ingredients. It was great to hear comments from the judges, they only showed a few seconds of it on the show, but they spent a good 10 plus minutes talking with each of us. I was happy with what they said about both of my recipes.

Thanks for all of your thoughtful emails, comments and facebook notes. You all are wonderful. Are you ready to give the show a try this year? We’ve got just a couple weeks left to enter I highly recommend the experience to every one, you’ll have an amazing time! Check out Foodnetwork.com for all the details.

Hope you’ll all enjoy some pics and links for my recipes from the show.

Click HERE for my recipe, "Caramelized Roasted Banana Bread Doughnuts"
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Click HERE for my recipe, "Sweet Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Bean Mascarpone and Walnut Sugar"

Click HERE to see the FN Dish "Dessert" After show Video

See ya'll soon! More comfort food coming right up!