Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake

This is an easy coffee cake made with a standard vanilla cake mix, dressed up with a swirl of cinnamon, brown sugar and walnuts in the middle. The addition of instant pudding mix makes it super moist.

CINNAMON SWIRL COFFEE CAKE

INGREDIENTS:
1 (18.25 oz) box Golden Vanilla cake mix
1 (3.5 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup applesauce
1 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray a 10-cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, applesauce and sour cream. Using a handheld mixer, beat until well combined.

3. In a small mixing bowl combine brown sugar, cinnamon and walnuts.

4. Spoon half of cake mix mixture into bundt pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over cake layer, and top evenly with remaining cake mix. Bake for 50 minutes until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto serving platter. Garnish with powdered sugar glaze and chopped walnuts if desired.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

According to my hubby Jeremy, few things are more perfect than the combo of chocolate and peanut butter. So I thought it'd be yummy to take a chocolate cookie base and add peanut butter chips. After tasting these Jeremy said he'd marry me all over again. :) Be advised this is a stiff batter and doesn't spread out much - keep the cookies a full rounded teaspoon size, any bigger and they'll be too gooey inside (although a little gooey is fine with me!).

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CHIP COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Reeses peanut butter chips


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl using a handheld mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and add eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Add vanilla extract and beat until blended. Gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined. Fold in peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto prepared baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool 2 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Cake

Boy, I've been on a roll with all the pumpkin recipes lately! This is a pumpkin version of a chocolate cheesecake swirl cake I made earlier. I gotta say this turned out pretty amazing. It's super moist - it tastes like a combo between a pumpkin bread, a pumpkin pie, and a pumpkin cheesecake all in one. :)

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE SWIRL CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

1 (18.25 oz) package Spice cake mix

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin

1/2 cup applesauce

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 eggs
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl combine cake mix, pumpkin, applesauce, water, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and eggs. Blend with a handheld mixer until combined. Spoon into prepared baking pan.

3. In a medium bowl combine softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir until smooth and well combined. Drop by heaping tablespoons across top of cake batter. Use a knife to swirl cream cheese mixture into cake batter. Bake cake for 40-45 minutes until set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Ahh, I love this time of year! The weather is getting chilly, the holidays are fast approaching, and it's time for pumpkin goodies! This is a pumpkin bread with chocolate chips - might sound like an odd combination if you've never had it before, but the flavors actually work really well together. I made this with applesauce instead of oil and it came out incredibly moist, and I think using mini chocolate chips really makes the chocolate flavor go far throughout the bread.

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP BREAD

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup water
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9"x5"x3" loaf pans.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat sugar, pumpkin, eggs, applesauce and water until well combined.

3. In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture until just combined - do not overmix. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour evenly into prepared loaf pans and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of bread comes out clean.

Chocolate Cheesecake Swirl Cake

aI've been experimenting a lot with cake mixes in an effort to satisfy my hubby's sweet tooth but not ruin our efforts to eat a little healthier. It's interesting finding out that you don't have to have oil and eggs in a cake in order to come up with something yummy. This is a chocolate cake made with skim milk and applesauce (you won't taste the apple, I promise!), with swirls of a light cheesecake batter on top. It turned out great! I would definitely undercook the cake so it's just slightly gooey inside for maximum decadence. :)

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE SWIRL CAKE

INGREDIENTS:
1 (18.25 oz) package chocolate cake mix
2/3 cup skim milk
3/4 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (8 oz) light cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup Splenda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl combine cake mix, milk, applesauce and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir until just combined. Spoon into prepared baking pan.

3. In a medium bowl combine softened cream cheese, Splenda and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir until well combined. Drop by heaping tablespoons evenly across top of cake batter. Use a butter knife to swirl cream cheese mixture into cake batter. Bake cake for 25 minutes until just set - cake is best if slightly underbaked.

Chocolate Banana Cake

Jeremy and I recently returned from a cruise to Alaska - it was beautiful and we had a fabulous time! One of the things they had during the cruise was a midnight chocolate buffet - omg, so many chocolate desserts, it was ridiculous. Funny enough one of my favorite things at the buffet was very simple: chocolate dipped bananas. This is a cake version of that. Since we're on a "post-cruise" diet, I tried to lighten it up by using applesauce and egg whites. I didn't add the optional chocolate chips but I thought the finished cake could benefit with an extra punch of chocolate, so if you're able to indulge, definitely add the chocolate chips! :)

CHOCOLATE BANANA CAKE

INGREDIENTS:
1 (18.25 oz) box chocolate cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup applesauce
2 egg whites
1 cup banana, mashed
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10 cup bundt cake pan with nonstick spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients and beat until combined. Pour into bundt cake pan, spreading evenly. Bake for 40-45 minutes until a wooden skewer comes out clean. Allow to cook for 10 minutes before inverting onto serving dish. Garnish with whipped cream if desired.

Flourless Peanut Butter Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm not usually a big fan of flourless peanut butter cookies. The texture just doesn't do much for me. But I wanted to whip up a quick batch of peanut butter cookies for my hubby and thought I would try a basic flourless recipe but use crunchy peanut butter and add coconut flakes for texture, and of course everything is better with some chocolate chips! :)

FLOURLESS PEANUT BUTTER COCONUT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl combine peanut butter, granulated sugar and egg until well combined. Stir in coconut and chocolate chips. Spoon by heaping tablespoons onto lined baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Apple Raisin Oatmeal Crisp

This weekend we went up to my sister Linda's house for a family BBQ at her new home. It's a great house, and she and her husband seem quite happy there. She mentioned she'd be making some homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert, and asked if I wanted to bring something to go along with it. This is an apple and raisin crisp with a crunchy oatmeal topping - it's great served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

APPLE RAISIN OATMEAL CRISP

INGREDIENTS:

For topping:
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces

For filling:
6 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Prepare topping - in a medium bowl combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

3. Prepare filling - in a large bowl combine apples and lemon juice and toss to coat. Add raisins, granulated sugar, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg, stirring to coat. Spoon into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with topping mixture.

4. Bake for 30 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.

Lemon Chicken Piccata

I watch cooking shows on the Foodnetwork, a LOT. My poor husband has to suffer thru it a lot of the time, although I think he's starting to like them. One of the shows he doesn't mind watching is "Everyday Italian" with Giada DeLaurentis. I'll include a pic of Giada - I don't think I need to explain WHY he doesn't mind the show. And yes, on each episode she usually shows a good amount of cleavage without any concern for splattering oil, God bless her! :)~

This is Giada's recipe for chicken piccata from foodnetwork.com. I made the recipe as-is, except I added sauteed mushrooms and unfortunately forgot about the parsley - oops! The dish has a ton of flavor - very tart from the lemons and salty from the capers, and it was fairly easy to make.

LEMON CHICKEN PICCATA

INGREDIENTS:
2 chicken breasts, boneless/skinless, butterflied then cut in half
salt & pepper to taste
Flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate.

3. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

4. Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter.

5. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread

The last time I went to my friend Elizabeth's house she made some fabulous zucchini bread. I was searching for a recipe on-line and came across one that uses pumpkin and zucchini from allrecipes.com. I used it as a base and made a few adjustments to the measurements, and substituted applesauce for the butter to make it a little more healthy. It was still incredibly moist despite the lack of butter, and the smell of pumpkin and spices filled my house while it was baking - it reminded me of Christmas, in August! :)

PUMPKIN ZUCCHINI BREAD

INGREDIENTS:

3 eggs, beaten

2 cups granulated sugar

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree

1 cup applesauce

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup zucchini, grated

1 cup walnuts, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9"x5"x3" loaf pans.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat eggs and sugar. Beat in pumpkin, applesauce and vanilla extract.

3. In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Gradually add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture until just combined - do not overmix. Fold in zucchini and walnuts. Pour evenly into prepared loaf pans and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of bread comes out clean.

Mr. Goodbar Cookies

It's been awhile since I've baked some cookies so I decided to make a batch for my hubby to take to work. I was browsing at the grocery store trying to figure out what kind of cookies to make when I saw a bar of Mr. Goodbar chocolate - a simple mix of milk chocolate and peanuts. I thought those flavors might make for a yummy cookie, so here's my version. I think the sweetness of the milk chocolate balances really well against the salt and peanuts in the cookie.

MR. GOODBAR COOKIES

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


DIRECTIONS:

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

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

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

Tropical Coconut Trifle

Last weekend we were invited to a company party for Jeremy's summer surveying job. It was at the owner's house right on the water - the view was beautiful! I've sent Jeremy to work with cookies and other treats before so they asked if we could bring a dessert to the party. Since it was an outdoor BBQ I decided to make something light and summery - a tropical coconut trifle. It might seem like a lot of steps but it really wasn't difficult, and the result went over VERY well at the party. White cake baked with coconut (I used the diet soda method, but feel free to bake according to package directions) then soaked in sweetened coconut milk, and layered with tropical fruit, pudding and whipped topping. Yum!

TROPICAL COCONUT TRIFLE

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups sweetened coconut flakes, for toasting

1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 (18.25 oz) box white cake mix
1 (12 oz) can Sprite Zero soda
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes

4 Jell-o vanilla prepared pudding cups
2 (8 oz) tubs Cool Whip Lite whipped topping.
1 mango, peeled/seeded and diced
4 kiwis, peeled and sliced
2 (11 oz) cans pineapple chunks
1 (15 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained


DIRECTIONS:
1. To prepare coconut milk - in a small sauce pan combine coconut milk and granulated sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and reduces to about half the original volume. Pour into a storage container and place in refrigerator to cool.

2. To toast coconut - preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange 3 cups coconut flakes on shallow baking pan and bake for 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Store in a ziplock bag until ready for use.

3. To prepare cake - preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 baking pan with nonstick spray. In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix and Sprite Zero soda. Using a handheld mixer, mix on low speed until moistened. Scrape bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in 1/2 cup reserved coconut flakes (not toasted) and transfer batter to baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until sides pull away and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

3. Approximately 4 hours before serving. use a skewer or the handle of a spoon to poke holes across the top of the cake every 1-2 inches. Slowly pour cooled coconut milk mixture evenly over the top of the cake, letting it sink into the holes. Cover and refrigerate.

4. To assemble trifle - cut cake into chunks and layer evenly across the bottom of bowl, then alternate cake layer with layers of Cool Whip, toasted coconut, vanilla pudding and mango/kiwi/pineapple/mandarin oranges - repeat layers, ending with Cool Whip and sprinkling top with toasted coconut. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until serving.

Strawberry Poppyseed Pasta Salad

This weekend we went to the 1st birthday party for our friend Tina's daughter, Kiera. I can't believe it's been a year since she was born! I was asked to bring a side dish and this was a big twist on your regular ol' pasta salad. This version has a sweet & tangy poppyseed dressing with sliced strawberries and mandarin oranges, and the crunch of chopped pecans. I got a lot of compliments on this one! :)

STRAWBERRY POPPYSEED PASTA SALAD

INGREDIENTS:
1 (16oz) box Campanelle pasta
1/2 cup Kraft creamy poppyseed dressing
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 sliced green onions
1 (15 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup pecans, chopped


DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat a large pot of water on stovetop over high heat until boiling. Add pasta and boil until cooked but still slightly firm (al dente), about 11 minutes. Pour into colander and run under cold water until cooled. Set aside to drain.

2. In a medium bowl combine poppyseed dressing and mayonnaise. Add pasta and green onions, toss to coat. Gently stir in mandarin oranges, strawberries and pecans. Serve immediately or cover and chill.

Pesto Pasta Salad

This weekend we went to a BBQ for my best friend's birthday - happy birthday Melody! I was asked to bring a side dish so I made my trusty pesto pasta salad. It's a little different than the usual pasta salad and super simple to make. It's also perfect for outdoor events since there's no mayo to go bad. :)

PESTO PASTA SALAD

INGREDIENTS:
1 (16 oz) box pasta - recommended Farfalle (bowtie) or Penne
1 (7 oz) package pesto sauce
1 (5 oz) package Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil, if necessary


DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat a large pot of water on stovetop over high heat until boiling. Add pasta and boil until cooked but still slightly firm (al dente), about 11 minutes. Pour into colander and run under cold water until cooled. Set aside to drain.

2. In a large bowl combine pasta, pesto sauce and Gorgonzola. Sprinkle with garlic powder and salt. Stir until pasta is thoroughly coated - if sauce is too dry, add additional olive oil as needed. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Banana Cream Pie

My dad is a real meat and potatoes kind of guy. Nothing makes him happier than stick-to-your-ribs stuff like pot roast and mac & cheese. To him, gravy is a condiment to be used liberally! And as far as desserts go, there's nothing more classic than pie, right? This is a very easy, quick version of banana cream pie I made for dessert when we had dinner recently with my parents. Since my dad is a diabetic and has a few other health issues I used mostly sugarfree/low cal products, but feel free to use the sugary/full fat products if you prefer. ;)

BANANA CREAM PIE

INGREDIENTS:
3 medium bananas, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 (9 inch) premade graham cracker crust
1 (.9oz) box instant sugarfree/fatfree banana pudding mix
1 (.9oz) box instant sugarfree/fatfree vanilla pudding mix
3 cups skim milk
1/2 cup Cool Whip Light, for filling
2 cups Cool Whip Light, for topping

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl combine bananas and lemon juice and toss to coat. Spoon evenly into graham cracker crust.

2. In a medium bowl combine banana pudding mix and vanilla pudding mix. Gradually add skim milk, whisking briskly until thoroughly combined. Fold in 1/2 cup of Cool Whip Light. Spoon into pie over banana layer until graham cracker crust is filled (you may not use all of the pie filling). Chill in fridge at 4 hours or overnight. Top pie with remaining 2 cups of Cool Whip before serving.

Potato Salad with Gorgonzola, Parmesan and Bacon

How can you even begin to reinvent a good ol' fashioned potato salad? Add cheese and bacon of course! I love the flavors of gorgonzola and bacon together so I decided to try adding those flavors to a potato salad for a twist. Gorgonzola cheese can be pretty strong, so I also added some grated Parmesan cheese to balance out the flavors. It's a creamy, tangy, cheesy, smoky rendition of the classic potato salad. :)

POTATO SALAD WITH GORGONZOLA, PARMESAN AND BACON

INGREDIENTS:
5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
4 slices thick bacon, diced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon dill
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper


DIRECTIONS:

1. Fill a large saucepan 2/3 full of water and set to boil over high heat. Cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces and drop into boiling water. Cook until tender and a knife easily pierces the potatoes. Remove potatoes from water and either plunge into an ice bath or run under cold water to stop cooking process. Drain and set aside.

2. In a small frypan cook bacon over medium heat until crispy, stirring frequently. Remove from pan and drain bacon onto paper towels.

3. In a large mixing bowl combine mayonnaise, Gorgonzola cheese, Parmesan cheese, dill, salt and pepper. Add cooled potatoes and bacon and gently stir to coat. Cover and store in fridge at least 2 hours before serving.

Mini Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

So there's this chain of grocery stores called Trader Joe's. People who shop there are generally really, really fantatical about how much they love the place. There's actually a Trader Joe's about 2 minutes from my house, but ironically I hardly ever shop there. It's growing on me though, and one thing I've found is they make the best peanut butter cups I've ever had. They also make them in a mini version and I thought it'd be fun to make a cookie using the mini peanut butter cups instead of chocolate chips. I ended up giving a tin of these as part of a birthday gift for my brother-in-law, who loves peanut butter almost as much as my hubby does. :)

MINI PEANUT BUTTER CUP COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups mini peanut butter cups (recommended - Trader Joe's brand)



DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar with a handheld mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well incorporated. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Carefully stir in mini peanut butter cups. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets.

4. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until just golden brown. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Pecan Monkeybread

I made this for a brunch treat when my hubby had his friends over on Saturday morning. I had left to run some errands, figuring I'd have a sample when I got back. Surely they couldn't eat the ENTIRE thing in just a couple hours, right? Wrong. It was devoured, with just a few sad crumbs left as evidence it ever existed. Oh well, at least they enjoyed it! :)

PECAN MONKEYBREAD

INGREDIENTS:
2 packages Pillsbury Grands extra large biscuits
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter



DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Remove biscuits from packaging and cut each biscuit into quarters. Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a large resealable freezer bag. Drop biscuits about 8 pieces at time into sugar mix, seal bag and shake to coat, repeating until all biscuit pieces are coated. Layer biscuit pieces and pecans loosely in bundt pan - do not press down.

3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar, stirring constantly until mixture reaches a boil. Boil one minute, then remove from heat and pour evenly over biscuits.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto serving tray. Do not cut, just pull apart to eat.

Curried Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I made these sandwiches for a Southern style tea party I had with friends. The ingredients might sound like an odd combo, but the savory chicken and tangy curry contrast really well with the sweetness of the fruit. The flavors only get better when they've had a chance to sit together, so I'd recommend chilling it overnight before assembling the sandwiches and serving. My husband already requested I make this again sometime! :)

CURRIED CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICHES

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups chicken breast, cooked and diced
1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
1 cup red grapes, halved
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Bread - sliced thin with crusts removed

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper. Fold in chicken, apple, grapes, raisins and almonds. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Spread between slices of bread and cut diagonally into triangles.

Breakfast Trail Mix Bars

My husband Jeremy is working at a Surveying job during his summer break from school. It's a pretty physically demanding job, and we found that the store bought breakfast bars he was taking for breakfast just weren't filling him up. So I did a little searching on-line for different versions of breakfast/energy bars and pieced together a recipe of my own. These are really moist and chewy, and with all the fiber and protein my hubby says they keep him full for hours.

BREAKFAST TRAIL MIX BARS

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups trail mix
1 (7oz) bag Sun-maid dried mixed fruit, coarsely chopped
7 cups high fiber cereal flakes (recommended - Smart Start)
1 (18oz) jar all natural peanut butter
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered milk


DIRECTIONS:

1. Spray a 9x13 baking pan lightly with nonstick spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine trail mix, dried fruit and cereal. In a medium microwave-safe bowl combine peanut butter, corn syrup and granulated sugar. Heat in microwave until warmed thru, about 2 minutes, stopping to stir frequently. Add vanilla extract and powdered milk, stirring until thoroughly combined.

3. Add peanut butter mixture to cereal mixture - mix thoroughly until coated. Spoon into prepared baking pan and press evenly. Allow to cool before cutting into bars - store in refrigerator.

Blueberry Almond Cake

What?! A blueberry recipe, on my blog?? Gasp! What can I say - I love my husband, he loves blueberries, hence I bake with a lot of blueberries. Plus it's a great time of year for them - they're fresh and inexpensive! This is a dense poundcake type of blueberry cake with a little crunch from sliced almonds, frosted with whipped cream cheese frosting.

BLUEBERRY ALMOND CAKE

INGREDIENTS:
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 cup blueberries

1 can Duncan Hines whipped cream cheese frosting



DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8x8 baking pan.

2. In a large bowl combine melted butter and granulated sugar, beat until smooth. Beat in egg, sour cream, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Add flour, baking powder and salt and mix until combined. Fold in almonds and blueberries then pour into baking pan - spread evenly.

3. Bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean. Allow to cool before frosting with cream cheese frosting and cutting into squares.

Krispy Chocolate Caramel Bars

Ahh, who doesn't love Rice Krispy treats? These are basically chocolate Rice Krispy treats on steroids - a chocolatey cereal layer topped with marshmallows, almonds, caramel and more chocolate! :)

KRISPY CHOCOLATE CARAMEL BARS

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons margarine
40 large marshmallows
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk chocolate chips
8 cups cocoa rice cereal
3 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup sliced almonds

Caramel ice cream topping, for drizzling
Milk chocolate chips, melted, for drizzling

DIRECTIONS:

1. Spray two 12x8 disposible aluminum trays with nonstick cooking spray. In a large stockpot, melt margarine and 40 large marshmallows over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Add vanilla extract and 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips - stir until chocolate is melted. Add cocoa rice cereal and stir until thoroughly coated. Divide mixture in half and spoon into prepared trays. Press evenly into pan (you may find it easier to use your hands - spray your fingertips with nonstick spray to prevent sticking).

2. Sprinkle mini marshmallows and sliced almonds evenly over cereal layers. Drizzle lightly with caramel topping, then drizzle with melted milk chocolate. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Hodge Podge Blondies

Blondies are kind of like brownies, only not chocolate. So I guess they're really not like brownies at all. Hmm... well, if nothing else I found that they're a great way to clean up your pantry. This recipe was adapted from BakingBlonde's basic blondie recipe - a very simple recipe (and I loved that it uses melted butter so you can make it right away and don't have to wait for the butter to soften like most recipes). I added a little baking powder to give it some lift, and stirred in basically just leftovers from my baking pantry - roughly a quarter cup each of semi-sweet chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, toffee chips, walnuts and pecans. You can add any combo of your favorite baking goodies. I just slightly underbaked them for a soft gooey middle - fabulous served slightly warm with a glass of cold milk! :)

HODGE PODGE BLONDIES

INGREDIENTS:
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspooon salt
Additional mix-ins of your choice (chocolate chips, candies, nuts, etc.)


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8x8 baking pan.

2. In a large bowl combine melted butter and brown sugar, beat until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Add flour, baking powder and salt and mix until combined. Fold in any additional mix-ins and pour into baking pan - spread evenly.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes until set in the middle. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Talk about a simple recipe! This is the easiest way to make pulled pork sandwiches I've ever tried - just a crockpot of pork (I used boneless top loin) with, of all things, a can of root beer! Start it in the morning and by dinnertime the meat is amazingly moist and just falls apart. This is a recipe from allrecipes.com. Use a really good BBQ sauce and feel free to add some seasonings and spices as well.

SLOW COOKER PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

INGREDIENTS:
1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
1 (12 oz) can or bottle root beer
1 (18 oz) bottle your favorite barbecue sauce
8 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted


DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours.

2. Drain liquids and stir in barbecue sauce to taste. Serve on hamburger buns.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This one is for my girl Natalie. She had a simple request: oatmeal cookies, with raisins, no nuts. So I whipped these up and made half the batch without walnuts and half with for the nutty folks. Hope you like 'em Nat!

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla with a hand held mixer until well blended. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, stirring until just combined.

3. Fold in rolled oats, raisin and walnuts (if desired). Drop dough by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes and remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cookies

I'm in a very "cookie baking" place right now. Things are a bit hectic at work, and I think the precision of measuring and mixing and baking cookies is almost soothing and mellows me out. Or it could just be because cookies are freakin' good. Either way as long as it's comforting for me to do, and as long as my friends and co-workers (and my hubby's friends and co-workers, and pretty soon random people on the street) are willing guinea pigs for my creations, a-cookie bakin' I will do! One of my favorite things to do is to take the flavors or components of a dessert and make a cookie version of it, and here's my interpretation of a turtle candy. It's a buttery thumbprint cookie filled with caramel and pecans and drizzled with melted chocolate. Note this makes a LOT of cookies, at least 4 dozen, so you may want to cut the recipe in half for a smaller batch.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL TURTLE COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

For cookie dough:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 sticks butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For topping:

1 (14oz) bag of individual caramel candies, unwrapped

2 tablespoons water

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 teaspoons Crisco shortening

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with a handheld mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Form dough into a flat disc, wrap with plastic wrap and chill in fridge until firm, at least 4 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. In a medium saucepan combine caramel candies and water over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until caramel is melted and mixture is smooth. Reduce heat to low.

4. To prepare cookies - take heaping teaspoons of chilled cookie dough and form loosely into balls. Place on baking sheet 2 inches apart. Return remaining dough to fridge to stay chilled until ready for the next batch. Using a small spoon or your fingertip, make an indentation in the middle of each cookie and spoon 1 teaspoon of caramel sauce into each indentation. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

5. Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on sheets 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

6. In a small bowl combine chocolate chips and shortening. Microwave for 15-30 seconds, stopping to stir once halfway thru. Drizzle chocolate across surface of cookies and allow to cool until chocolate is set.

Toffee Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

For some reason cookies were always a difficult thing for me to bake. They're such a basic concept, yet they always seemed to come out "eh" for me - too flat, cooked too long/not enough, just less than spectacular. I gave up for awhile and just figured I wasn't a cookie baker. Then slowly but surely I started to try baking cookies again, and thanks to my husband (who was very supportive despite some disappointing batches in the beginning) I do believe I'm getting the hang of this! This is a recipe for a chocolate chip cookie dressed up with toffee bits, coconut and rolled oats. Be sure to use good quality vanilla as it's a big part of the flavor of this cookie.

TOFFEE COCONUT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup toffee bits
3/4 cup dark (or semi-sweet) chocolate chips
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla with a hand held mixer until well blended. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture, beating well between additions.

3. Add rolled oats, toffee bits, chocolate chips and coconut. Stir until well combined. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute and remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Peach Blueberry Cobbler

My hubby asked, very sweetly, if I could make a fruit cobbler so he could have some for dessert after lunch at work. An excuse to cook? For him and his co-workers - a captive audience?? Sure! I thought I'd try a slightly different combination of fruit this time so I combined peaches and blueberries with a sweet crunchy topping of rolled oats and pecans.

PEACH BLUEBERRY COBBLER

INGREDIENTS:

For topping:
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, coarsely chopped
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup pecans, chopped

For filling:
4 cups peaches, peeled and pits removed, sliced 1/2" thick
4 cups blueberries, frozen or fresh
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl prepare topping: stir together white and brown sugars, baking powder, flour, salt and cinnamon. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter, egg and vanilla. Add rolled oats and pecans - mix thoroughly. Dough will be crumbly. Set aside.

3. In another bowl prepare filling: combine peaches and blueberries. Add sugar and cornstarch, stirring to coat. Spoon into 9x13 baking pan, spreading evenly. Crumble reserved topping evenly over the fruit layer.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Hunk-a Hunk-a Elvis Cake

I have a cookbook called "Are You Hungry Tonight? Elvis' Favorite Recipes". I love the fact that such a thing even exists. It's full of good ol' Southern comfort food, with an extensive section on exactly how Elvis liked his bacon cooked (well done, please). Of course there's a recipe for the infamous peanut butter banana sandwich he so dearly loved. It got me thinking that those flavors might make for a tastey cake. This one's for you, King...

HUNK-A HUNK-A ELVIS CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

For Peanut Butter Fluff frosting:
1 (1.5oz) package Jello sugar free/fat free instant Vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 (12oz) container Cool Whip Light

For cake:
1 (18.25oz) box Golden Vanilla flavor cake mix
1 1/3 cups bananas, mashed
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup peanut butter chips

For garnish:
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts


DIRECTIONS:

1. To prepare frosting - in a medium bowl using a handheld mixer gradually blend instant pudding mix and skim milk until well incorporated. Add peanut butter and mix until well combined. Add Cool Whip light and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

3. In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix, bananas, 1/3 cup peanut butter, eggs and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined. Fold in peanut butter chips. Spoon into bundt pan, spreading evenly.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

5. Invert cooled cake onto serving dish and frost top with Peanut Butter Fluff frosting. For garnish, warm peanut butter in microwave for 15 seconds - stir and drizzle in zigzag pattern across cake. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Happy Father's Day everyone! I hope those who had a chance to spend some time with their dads took advantage of it and had a great day. Recently my husband's family sadly lost a few close family members and it's really reminded me how precious life is and what a small amount of time we have with the people we love. Although I had to work on Father's Day, I was bound and determined to see my dad so I made dinner the night before to bring down to my parent's house after work. Nothing says, "I love you Dad!" like a ginormous lasagna and a dessert you know he'll love, I say! Everyone has their favorite way to make lasagna so I won't bother posting a recipe, but here's a pic for your viewing pleasure. Mine was made with beef and Italian sausage in a burgundy wine marinara, with lots of Ricotta, Mozzarella and Provolone cheeses. We had breadsticks and Ceasar salad as well:

For dessert I wanted to make something I knew my dad would really like. He's always loved rhubarb so I decided to make a strawberry rhubarb cobbler with a sweet oatmeal topping. It has a great sweet/tangy flavor and the topping is like an oatmeal cookie!

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB COBBLER

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 cups sliced fresh strawberries
4 cups diced rhubarb

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl mix granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, strawberries and rhubarb. Place the mixture in a 9x13 inch baking dish.

3. In a medium bowl (using a pastry blender) mix flour, brown sugar, butter, oats, cinnamon and nutmeg until crumbly. Stir in chopped walnuts. Crumble evenly on top of the rhubarb and strawberry mixture.

4. Place pan on middle rack of oven and place a separate baking sheet on the rack below to protect in case of overflow. Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until topping is crisp and lightly browned. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.

White Chocolate Banana Cake

This was something I whipped up during a "oh crap I have a bunch of bananas that are about to go bad" moment - you all know what I'm talking about. I have an ever growing appreciation for white chocolate and thought it would be an interesting combo with bananas. It turned out pretty yummy!

WHITE CHOCOLATE BANANA CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

1 (18.25oz) box white cake mix
1 cup bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

For glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Water, as needed

White chocolate chips for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix, bananas, eggs, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir until well combined. Fold in white chocolate chips. Spoon into prepared baking pan, spreading evenly.


3. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

4. In a small mixing bowl combine powdered sugar and water, a teaspoon at a time, until it creates a smooth glaze with a consistency for drizzling. Top cooled cake with glaze in a zig zag pattern and garnish with white chocolate chips if desired.

Parmesan Honey Mustard Chicken

I've had a longstanding hatred of mustard for as long as I can remember. My husband however loves the stuff. So I'm taking baby steps towards a place where mustard and I can live harmoniously together. This is a simple recipe of honey mustard coated chicken with a crispy Parmesan and Italian bread crumb crust.

PARMESAN HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded 1/2" thick
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a small bowl combine mustard, honey and lemon juice and stir until well combined. Brush both sides of each chicken breasts liberally with mustard sauce.

3. In a medium bowl combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Dip chicken breasts in bread crumb mixture, thoroughly coating both sides. Place in a shallow baking pan and spray surface of chicken lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Turn chicken breasts over and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until chicken breast is done.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Today was the last day of the school year for my hubby Jeremy - he's going to school to be a Land Surveyor and I wanted to make him a little breakfast treat to say congrats. He absolutely loves blueberries so I decided to whip up some blueberry muffins and "Debbie-fy" them by topping the muffins with a sweetened cream cheese filling. This makes a pretty rich, moist muffin - feel free to use fresh or frozen blueberries if you like.

BLUEBERRY CREAM CHEESE MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS:

For filling:

1 (8oz) block cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2/3 cup powdered sugar

For muffins:
4 eggs
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sour cream
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups blueberries

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two 12 muffin cup baking pan with paper liners, or grease with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a small bowl combine cream cheese, vanilla, lemon juice and egg. Mix thoroughly with a handheld mixer. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until well combined. Set aside in fridge to chill.

3. In a large bowl beat eggs, gradually adding sugar while beating. Continue beating while slowly pouring in vegetable oil and vanilla. Add sour cream and mix until thoroughly combined and smooth.

4. In a medium bowl combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and stir until dry ingredients are ust combined - do not overmix, batter will be slightly lumpy. Gently fold in blueberries.

5. Place two heaping tablespoons of muffin batter into prepared muffin cups - cups should be approximately 3/4 of the way full. Add one heaping teaspoon of cream cheese filling onto the center of each muffin cup. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Grilled Caramelized Bananas

Something about summertime makes me want to grill anything that will hold still. This is a very simple dessert idea for grilled bananas - it's best to use bananas that are firm to hold up to the heat. This could easily be done on an outdoor grill or inside using a grill pan. Serve warm with your favorite flavor of ice cream.

GRILLED CARAMELIZED BANANAS

INGREDIENTS:
2 bananas
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Ice cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat a nonstick grill pan on the stovetop over medium heat.

2. Peel bananas and slice lengthwise in half. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle evenly with granulated sugar.

3. Place bananas on grill pan at a 45 degree angle. Cook 1-2 minutes, then rotate another 45 degrees to create crosshatch marks. Cook an additional 1-2 minutes. If desired, flip bananas and repeat process on the other side. Serve immediately with a scoop of ice cream.

Better Than Sex Trifle

Note: I did not name this dessert, you be the judge. This is a trifle I made for a Memorial Day BBQ - it's layers of chocolate cake soaked in a creamy caramel sauce, topped with chocolate toffee candy bits and whipped topping. By the way, for those who aren't sure what a trifle is here's the traditional definition: "a dessert typically consisting of plain or sponge cake often soaked with wine or spirits (as brandy or rum) and topped with layers of preserves, custard, and cream". These days a trifle usually applies to anything with layers of cake and filling, usually served in a glass pedestal container. For the cake portion I used the trusty ol' diet soda method but feel free to bake it according to package directions with eggs/oil/water if you prefer.

BETTER THAN SEX TRIFLE

INGREDIENTS:

1 (18.25 oz) box chocolate cake mix
12 oz Coke Zero soda
1/4 cup semi sweet mini chocolate chips
7 oz sweetened condensed milk
7 oz caramel ice cream topping (plus additional for garnish if desired)
4 Skor or Heath candy bars, chopped
2 (8 oz) tubs Cool Whip Lite whipped topping.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 baking pan with nonstick spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix and Coke Zero soda. Using a handheld mixer, mix on low speed until moistened. Scrape bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in semi sweet chocolate chips and transfer to baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until sides pull away and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

3. In a saucepan over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping, stirring until smooth and blended. Using a skewer or the handle of a spoon poke holes across the top of the cake every 1-2 inches. Slowly pour the warm caramel topping mixture over the top of the cake, letting it sink into the holes. Cover and refrigerate until just before serving (I would recommend storing cake no more than a 6-8 hours if possible).

4. Just before serving assemble dessert in a large glass trifle or serving bowl. Cut cake into chunks and layer evenly across the bottom of bowl, top with a layer of Cool Whip and a small amount of chopped candy bars (reserve some for garnish) - repeat layers, ending with Cool Whip topping. Top with reserved chopped candy bars and drizzle with caramel topping if desired.

Dark Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons

One of my favorite chefs is Ina Garten, aka "Barefoot Contessa". I envy her beautiful house in Hamptons and gaggle of adoring friends. This is Ina's coconut macaroon recipe that I took a bit further by dipping half the cookie in dark chocolate - because most things can benefit from being dipped in chocolate. :) The cookies spread out a bit more than I would have liked, so I think next time I will try adding a bit of cream of tartar to the egg whites to help stabilize them a bit more.

DARK CHOCOLATE-DIPPED COCONUT MACAROONS

INGREDIENTS:

14 oz sweetened shredded coconut

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 extra large egg whites, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 tablespoon Crisco shortening

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

3. Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper, about two teaspoons per cookie. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until just light golden brown. Allow to cool a few minutes on cookie sheet, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

4. Melt dark chocolate and shortening using double boiler method, stirring frequently, until smooth and creamy. Carefully dip half of each macaroon in chocolate and place on parchment paper until chocolate is cool and firm. Serve immediately or store in airtight container.

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

My father got me a bundt cake pan last Christmas, and I always feel a bit like June Cleaver when I use it. But bundt is back, dang it! This is a lemon blueberry bundt cake, made quick and easy with a boxed lemon cake mix. It's very moist and has a lot of lemon flavor going on, so make sure you like lemon before you proceed! I used applesauce instead of oil to lighten it up a bit so feel free to eat twice as much. ;)

LEMON BLUEBERRY BUNDT CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:
1 (18.25 oz) package lemon cake mix
1 (3.4 oz) package instant lemon pudding mix
1 cup water
1/2 cup applesauce
4 eggs
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 cups blueberries
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon flour

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Water, as necessary

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 inch Bundt pan.

2. In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and pudding mix. Make a well in the center and pour in water, applesauce, eggs, lemon juice and lemon zest. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. In a small bowl combine blueberries, granulated sugar and flour - toss to coat. Fold blueberries into cake batter. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely before inverting onto serving platter.

4. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add water a teaspoon at a time, mixing thoroughly, until desired consistency. Drizzle over cake.

Gorgonzola and Bacon Stuffed Burgers

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who like gorgonzola cheese, and those who don't. We do. This is a standard burger stuffed with gorgonzola cheese and bacon and grilled to meaty cheesey goodness.

GORGONZOLA AND BACON STUFFED BURGERS

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon A-1 steak sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup finely diced sweet onion
1 teaspoon oil
crumbled gorgonzola cheese
4 strips bacon, browned and coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large mixing bowl combine ground beef, Worcestershire, A-1, garlic powder, salt and black pepper until well combined. In a small saucepan, cook diced onion in oil over medium heat until lightly browned and soft. Add onion to meat mixture and stir to combine.

2. Divide meat into quarters (or halves if you prefer a half pound burger). Take each quarter and divide that in half, and form each half into flat disks. Place 2 tablespoons of gorgonzola cheese and 1 strip of chopped bacon into the center of one disk and place second disk on top. Seal the edges by pinching all the way around with your fingertips. Repeat until all burgers are stuffed. Chill in fridge until ready to grill.

3. Grill approximately 6-8 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Serve on buns with toppings of your choice.

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

My husband is cheating on me... and her name is "Peanut Butter". It is a love affair so deep, so absolute, I will never completely grasp the depths of his feelings. So when he comes to me and says, "What if you made a cupcake and stuck a Reeses peanut butter cup INSIDE IT??" all I can do is give it a go. These are delicious and wrong on so many levels...

PEANUT BUTTER CUP CUPCAKES

INGREDIENTS:

For cupcakes:
1 box (18.25oz) Devils Food cake mix
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 (12oz) bag Reeses mini peanut butter cups, unwrapped

For frosting:
2 sticks (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk, as needed

Mini semisweet chocolate chips for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12 muffin baking pans with paper cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl combine cake mix, eggs, water and oil until moistened. Using a handheld mixer beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in semisweet chocolate chips. Place a heaping tablespoon of cake batter into each muffin cup. Place one Reeses mini peanut butter cup into each muffin cup, and top with an additional tablespoon of cake batter to cover - muffin cups should be about 2/3 full.

3. Bake in preheated oven 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted along the edge of the cupcake comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.

4. To prepare frosting: place butter and peanut butter in a medium bowl and beat with a handheld mixer until fluffy and thoroughly combined. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined. Gradually mix in powdered sugar until well incorporated- if mixture becomes too thick, add milk a tablespoon at a time as needed until desired consistency. Beat for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Frost cupcakes and if desired, garnish with mini semisweet chocolate chips.

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake

Oh, Paula Deen, you buttery vixen! I love watching her show on Foodnetwork (c'mon, the woman says mayo is her favorite condiment and I think she loves cream cheese more than I do!). Here's a slight variation of her infamous gooey butter cake. It tastes like a dense brownie with a layer of fluffy, gooey yumminess on top. :)

CHOCOLATE GOOEY BUTTER CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

2 sticks butter, melted
1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 egg, plus 2 eggs
1/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
1 teaspoon all purpose flour
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips, melted
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts

Powder sugar for dusting

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 egg, and 8 tablespoons (1 stick) melted butter, and stir until well blended. In a small bowl combine mini chocolate chips and flour and toss to coat. Stir chocolate chips into cake batter. Pat mixture into prepared baking pan and set aside.

3. In a large bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth using a hand mixer. Add the remaining 2 eggs, and the melted semisweet chocolate and mix thoroughly. Lower the speed of the mixer, and gradually add the powdered sugar. Continue beating until ingredients are well mixed. Slowly add the remaining 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of melted butter and the vanilla extract, continuing to beat the mixture until smooth. Stir in walnuts. Spread filling evenly over cake mixture in pan.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the cake; the center should still be a little gooey when finished baking. Let cake partially cool on a wire rack before cutting into pieces. Dust with powdered sugar if desired, or if you're feeling really decadent, serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Lemon Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies

The weather in Seattle has been gorgeous the last few days, and it has me in a summertime mood. My husband has been asking me to make lemon bars for awhile, but I thought it'd be fun to make a cookie with same type of flavor. I loved these cookies - the dough is light and buttery and not too sweet, and cream cheese layer mellows out the tartness of the lemon curd.

LEMON CREAM CHEESE THUMBPRINT COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

For cookie dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

For filling:
1 (8oz) package light cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Jar of lemon curd

Powdered sugar for dusting


DIRECTIONS:

1. Into a medium bowl sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. In a large bowl using a handheld mixer, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest and beat until combined well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until mixture just forms a dough. Form dough into a flat disc and wrap with saran wrap. Chill in fridge until firm, at least 4 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet.

3. To make cream cheese filling: in a medium bowl beat cream cheese with a handheld mixer until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, egg, vanilla and lemon juice and beat until thoroughly combined.

4. To make cookies: take heaping teaspoons of chilled cookie dough and form loosely into balls - work quickly to keep dough as cold as possible. Place on baking sheet 1/2 inch apart. Using a small spoon or your finger, make an indentation in the middle of each cookie. Spoon approximately 1 teaspoon of cream cheese mixture evenly into indentation and top with 1/2 teaspoon lemon preserves. Bake cookies 8-10 minutes until cookies are just slightly golden around the edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. When cooled, dust top of cookies with powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container.

Candy Bar Brownies

Ahh, nothing like taking something that's already bad for you and making it even worse. This is just a plain boxed brownie mix jazzed up with some extra candy goodness. I've experimented with a few different types of candies and this combo is definitely my favorite.

CANDY BAR BROWNIES

INGREDIENTS:

1 box Duncan Hines Family Style Chewy Fudge brownies
3 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 personal bags M&M's plain milk chocolate candies
1 King Size Reeses Peanut Butter cups (4 pack), coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 baking pan with nonstick spray.

2. In a large bowl, stir together brownie mix, eggs, water and oil until just blended - do not overmix. Fold in M&M's and chopped Reeses Peanut Butter cups.

3. Spread into baking pan and bake for 27-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool and cut into squares to serve.

Rocky Road Bars

Someone pointed out to me the other day that my blog is like 99% desserts. Guilty! When it comes to cooking I mostly enjoy making the cute stuff - desserts and appetizers. Plus I somehow got the role of "dessert maker" in my circle when we have potlucks and dinner parties, so it's what I tend to make the most. This is a pretty decadent bar recipe that I made for a get together with some friends. Girls + chocolate = happiness!

ROCKY ROAD BARS

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup butter
2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a 9 x 13 inch baking pan combine melted butter and graham cracker crumbs. Mix together and press evenly onto bottom of the pan.

3. Layer coconut, walnuts, chocolate chips and marshmallows over crust. Drizzle the condensed milk evenly over ingredients.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or marshmallows are golden brown. Remove from oven and drizzle with the melted chocolate chips. Cool completely and cut into squares.

Apple Pie Cheesecake Squares

My husband usually has his friends over every Saturday morning for some guy bonding time. They say they're playing games, but I have a feeling they're just doing boy stuff like drinking lots of beer and worshiping Jessica Alba. It does however give me a captive audience to cook for so I'm not left with a kitchen full of sinful goodies to tempt me. For this dessert I took a basic recipe that had a layer of cream cheese baked in between layers of crescent roll dough and I tweaked it a bit, adding apple pie filling and a cinnamon sugar topping. You can use any kind of fruit filling - blueberry, cherry, peach, or even a layer of jam would be good.

APPLE PIE CHEESECAKE SQUARES

INGREDIENTS:

2 (8oz) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
8 oz light cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 (20oz) can apple pie filling

2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Press one can of crescent roll dough evenly into the bottom of the baking pan. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar, egg, vanilla and lemon juice until smooth. Spread evenly over crescent roll layer, stopping 1/2 inch from edges. Spoon apple pie filling over cream cheese layer. Unroll second can of crescent roll dough and and lay on top of of apple pie layer - pinch seams together but do not press down.

3. Brush the top layer of crescent dough with melted butter. In a small bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon - sprinkle evenly over the top of the butter layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes until top is crisp and golden. Allow to cool before cutting into squares and serving - top with whipped cream and dust with cinnamon if desired. Store in refrigerator.

Herb Cheese Stuffed Chicken with Artichoke Lemon Sauce

It's almost summertime, woo hoo! I wanted to try a chicken dish with a fresh lemon and here's what I came up with. Overall I thought it was good, but it was a little too zesty for me. Jeremy really liked it, but he really likes lemon and artichokes, so he liked the tang of the dish. If you like tangy flavors and lemon/artichoke try the recipe as-is. Next time I might try omitting the artichokes and just having a mushroom lemon sauce. The chicken was awesome though, I'm now in love with Laughing Cow Light cheese! The dish probably would have been fine with just grilling the chicken without stuffing and topping with the sauce, but any chance I get to stuff something with cheese, well you know... :)

HERB CHEESE STUFFED CHICKEN WITH ARTICHOKE LEMON SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 wedges Laughing Cow Light Herb & Garlic cheese
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup white mushrooms, cleaned and chopped in quarters
1 cup artichoke hearts, drained
2 tablespoons I Can't Believe It's Not Butter (or regular butter if you prefer)
Juice from 1 fresh lemon
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Place each chicken breast half in a ziploc freezer bag and pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Remove chicken from bag and season chicken with salt & pepper. Place 1 wedge of Laughing Cow cheese in the center of each chicken breast and roll up jelly-roll fashion. Tuck in sides and secure each chicken roll with wooden picks.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and add chicken to pan, and cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Transfer to shallow baking pan and bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is done.

5. Meanwhile, heat large skillet over medium high heat. Add remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and mushrooms to skillet and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes. Add artichoke hearts , butter, lemon juice and lemon zest and toss to coat - simmer until sauce has thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. To serve, remove toothpicks from chicken breast and arrange on plate, topping with a generous spoonful of mushroom artichoke mixture. Serves 2.