We have “Mexican Night” at our house quite frequently. Pretty much anytime I see a commercial for a Mexican restaurant, or if someone is making Mexican food on the Food Network, or maybe the wind blows a certain way…I announce we’ll be having Mexican food for dinner. This happens A LOT. And my hubby loves it; simply because he gets a chance to make his (of course, I offer advice from time to time) homemade salsa. We’ve gotten to the point where we wouldn’t dare eat salsa out of a jar because we’re so spoiled to the homemade stuff. And with it being so darn simple to throw together, that’s an ok thing! We like to change it up a lot, but for the most part, it pretty much stays the same. Addictive, not-too-spicy and it gets better the longer it sits….perfect salsa!

Joel’s Salsa

1 can diced tomatoes
1 Jalapeno or Serrano chile, seeded and roughly chopped
1 handful chopped cilantro (however much you prefer- we like lots!)
juice of 1 or 2 limes, depending on how juicy they are
half an onion, roughly chopped
1 small garlic clove, roughly chopped
salt to taste (start with a teaspoon and go from there)
Tony Chacherie’s Cajun Seasoning, to taste (just a little)
1/2 teaspoon Cumin

Put all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until everything is well mixed. Taste for seasoning and add extra seasoning or lime juice as needed. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours; overnight is best.

*This tastes fantastic with a couple of Chipotle Chilis in Adobo thrown in instead of the fresh Jalapeno – it adds a great smokey flavor!

Now for my personal favorite – the Guacamole! I could seriously sit down and eat an entire bowl of this stuff all by myself…heck, sometimes I do! There’s just something about the creamy, chunky, salty, tanginess that gets me super excited…this girl loves her guac, ok? To be perfectly honest, most of the time, I make my guacamole by throwing in a few spoonfuls of jarred Chipotle salsa, lime juice and garlic salt (don’t judge me, you guacamole snobs!) and it’s perfectly, wonderfully delicious. This time, however, hubby and I wanted to make the real deal. Fresh tomatoes, garlic, onion, lime juice…the whole works. There’s a restaurant we go to with my parents a lot that makes excellent homemade guacamole and this really reminded me of it. It was gooooood.

Amy’s Guacamole

2 ripe avocados, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, grated (I don’t want to bite into a big chunk of garlic or onion…I grate it on my microplane!)
1/4 an onion, grated
juice of 1-2 limes, depending on how juicy they are
handful of cilantro, finely chopped
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl; slightly mash the avocado to make it creamier. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as needed. Serve immediately.
*A drop or two of olive oil will make it extra-creamy!

With all this salsa and guacamole around, make sure you’ve got plenty of chips! The super-thin kind are our absolute favorites!

Exactly one year ago today, we brought home our sweet little Cairn Terrier/Schnauzer, Izzy. I can’t believe an entire year has passed (time flies when you’re trying your best to keep up with a hyperactive dog and loving every minute of it!)- we have all had such an amazing year!

Joel with Izzy, the day we adopted her

Goodness knows it hasn’t exactly been the easiest year – there have been many times I’ve been ready to pull my hair out- including the time she went outside in the rain, got her paws insanely muddy, and as soon as I opened the door, decided dart all over my living room and jump on every single couch cushion and up every single stair; or the time she snatched the Mozart Chocolates I was planning to mail to Jennifer from off our dining room table, dragged them all the way into the living room and ate all but 3 of them – luckily, she was ok ($400 and an overnight hospital stay later…); what can I say, apparently my girl loves chocolate… Sure, we’ve had some…ahem, interesting times, but we wouldn’t trade a single second of it!

Just after bringing her home...

In honor of our little Izzy-Bear’s One Year “Adoptiversary”, I made her favorite treat – frozen yogurt bites with bananas. This dog looooves bananas! I can’t peel one without her running into the kitchen to beg for a taste – I almost always end up sharing my banana with her. So what better treat to make for her than these?

Izzy’s Frozen Yogurt Bites

1/2 cup plain, non-fat yogurt
1 banana
2 or 3 crushed all-natural dog biscuits

In a small bowl, mash the banana, then add in the yogurt and crushed dog biscuits. Mix well and spoon into ice cube trays. Freeze for 3-6 hours, or overnight. Serve when frozen – great for summer!

For those of you who plan on someday getting a dog – let me just take a second to highly recommend adopting. There is no way to even begin to describe the joy that comes along with saving a dog’s life. It’s such a wonderful, fulfilling feeling, knowing that you’ve given a sweet dog a loving home. There are millions and millions of homeless dogs out there who need someone to take care of them and love them. So before you go out and spend a fortune on a brand new puppy, please consider adopting – I promise you’ll be so very glad you did – and the dog who’s life you just saved will too. Who knows, you may just end up with a little sweetheart like Izzy!

Chances are, most of you have heard all about these already. The “Million Dollar Peanut Butter Cookies” that won the Pillsbury Bake-Off a couple of years back. It seems crazy to me that a store-bought cookie dough filled with peanut butter could be worth a million smackaroos, but as usual, I’ve been proven wrong. I’d been seeing these cookies pop up all over the food blogging community and every single person that tried them gave the same review: totally worth a million. So naturally, I was intrigued. I decided to try these out on my most willing guinea pigs: my family. The verdict? Yep – totally worth a million bucks. I have to agree. The gooey peanut buttery centers had me at the first bite – I couldn’t stop eating them! They’re so simple and quick to make – all you need is a roll of store-bought peanut butter cookie dough, peanut butter, a little powdered sugar and some cinnamon/sugar. Simple as that! The next time I make these (and believe me, there will be a next time!) I’m definitely doubling the recipe – these disappear mighty quickly!

Carolyn Gurtz’s Pillsbury Bake-Off Million-Dollar Double Delight Peanut Butter Cookies
- makes 24 cookies -

1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, finely chopped (I left these out)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 cup confectioners’ powdered sugar
1 roll Pillsbury refrigerated peanut butter cookies, well chilled.

Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix chopped peanuts, granulated sugar, and cinnamon; set aside.
In another small bowl, stir peanut butter and powdered sugar until completely blended. Shape mixture into 24 (1-inch) balls.
Cut roll of cookie dough into 12 slices. Cut each slice in half crosswise to make 24 pieces; flatten slightly. Shape 1 cookie dough piece around 1 peanut butter ball, covering completely. Repeat with remaining dough and balls.
Roll each covered ball in peanut mixture; gently pat mixture completely onto balls. On ungreased large cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart. Spray bottom of drinking glass with Crisco original no-stick cooking spray; press into remaining peanut mixture. Flatten each ball to 1/4-inch thickness with bottom of glass. Sprinkle any remaining peanut mixture evenly on tops of cookies; gently press into dough.
Bake 7 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Store tightly covered.

Now here’s a little something different! We’re all aware of the popularity of the ‘Whoopie Pie’ – they’re popping up everywhere in the food blogging community! I’d say the most popular right now is probably the red velvet whoopie pies; those seem to really be making the rounds. However, I’m not a huge fan of ‘red velvet’….all that food coloring makes me uneasy. But goodness knows I love a good whoopie, so these turned out to be the perfect solution – Jalapeno Cornbread Whoopie Pies with Goat Cheese, Bacon and Scallion Filling. Doesn’t that sound just delicious?? Well it is!

These are just wonderful alongside a big bowl of stew; the perfect combination! Definitely a nice change of pace from regular old cornbread. And don’t get me started on the goat cheese filling….oh MAN, was it good!! I’d suggest making extra filling, as it is completely delicious spread on a cracker. So, the moral of the story is, if you’re tired of the same old sweet whoopie pies – try savory! You won’t be sorry!

Jalapeño Cornbread Whoopie Pies
Makes about 10-12 pies

For the Cornbread:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking  powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter , at room temperature
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and finely chopped
Goat cheese filling (recipe follows)

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar , baking powder, and salt. In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the buttermilk, butter, and egg on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until thoroughly combined, about 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture and the chopped jalapeno to the batter and beat on low until just combined.
Using a spoon, drop about 2 tablespoons of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 12 minutes each or until the cakes begin to brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

To assemble: Spread filling onto the flat side of one cake using a knife or spoon. Top it with another cake, flat-side down. Repeat with the rest of the cakes and filling. You can also use a pastry bag with a round tip to pipe the filling onto the cakes, which will give you a smoother, neater presentation.

Goat Cheese, Bacon and Scallion Filling:
6 slices bacon
4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh scallions

In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain and cool. When cool, crumble into small pieces.
In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together goat cheese, cream cheese and milk on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the crumbled bacon and the scallions and beat on low until combined.

-Adapted from the Star Telegram Newspaper

This weekend, in honor of Mardi Gras in New Orleans (laissez les bon temps rouler!), I decided to make a whole Mardi Gras-themed meal to celebrate. We both loooove Cajun food and love the city of New Orleans, so we really enjoyed the whole ordeal! I started off with grilled shrimp Po’ Boys with a spicy remoulade and ended the meal with…wait for it……..a King Cake! Yep, that’s right, I made a King Cake, but more on that later! I found the recipe for the Po’ Boys on Closet Cooking, who found it on Ezra Pound Cake. Now, normally, you’d see a Po’ Boy sandwich with some form of fried seafood, but this recipe looked so good with the grilled shrimp that I had to give it a try. Plus, I’m not big on frying. I can’t tell you how simple and fast this whole process was – it takes mere minutes to grill your shrimp and the remoulade comes together equally as fast. Although I would (naturally) prefer mine with fried oysters, these were SO good – we literally devoured them in no time! Give these a try….you absolutely won’t be sorry!

Grilled Shrimp Po’ Boys
Makes 2

1 pound shrimp, shelled and deviened (I only used a 1/2 pound and it was perfect)
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon creole seasoning (see below)
1 baguette
1 cup lettuce, shredded
2 large tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup remoulade sauce (see below)

Toss the shrimp in the oil and creole seasoning to coat.
Grill the shrimp until cooked, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Assemble sandwich.

Remoulade Sauce
makes 1/2 cup

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon creole mustard
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon horseradish
1 small clove garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon capers
1 green onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
hot sauce to taste

Blend everything in a food processor until smooth.

Creole Spice Blend (I actually didn’t use this- I just used my Tony Chachere’s Cajun Spice)
makes 4 tablespoons

2 1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
1 teaspoon dried leaf thyme

And now…on to the King Cake!! Ok, for those of you who don’t know what a King Cake is, HERE is a little history. As far as the actual taste – the dough is almost identical to cinnamon roll dough – very light and chewy (yum). There is a layer of cinnamon and brown sugar in the center and it’s topped with a lemony glaze and colored sugars. Perfect for breakfast, really. The dough contains yeast, therefore it’s a total pain in the butt to make, especially for someone who has chronic problems with yeast. You let it rise, then punch it down…then let it sit for 2 hours, then punch it down…then roll out the dough and braid it…then let it rise again….*sigh*. Anyway, it’s completely delicious and worth every bit of the trouble. I mean, just look at it…

Yum. Isn’t that beautiful??  Only thing is….that isn’t mine. This….

….is mine. Yes, it’s in the trash. Yes, it’s completely disgusting-looking. Yes, it was a total and complete DIS-AS-TER. Welcome to my world. A world in which baked goods with yeast just don’t stand a chance. My kitchen is where yeasted treats go to die.

Now, I realize I could’ve just shown you the picture above (the beautiful, pristine store-bought version) and taken 100% of the credit – Lord knows I worked hard enough! – BUT, that’s what having this food blog is all about. My adventures and misadventures. Therefore, I choose to be honest and tell you that although I worked my rear end off on this stupid dough, and followed the instructions to a TEE, it just didn’t turn out (the dough didn’t rise. At all. It came out tasting like a really dense, hard biscuit). That happens. Especially to me. Of course I’ll keep trying, and eventually I’m sure I’ll make a darn beautiful King Cake…just not for a while. For now, that beautiful store-bought version is still in my kitchen, and it’ll do just fine for the time being. *sigh*……… Here is the recipe, for those of you who don’t have my problem.

Lemon-Glazed King Cake
seen on Peanut Butter and Julie

Makes 1 cake
For the dough
1/2 cup whole milk
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
6 ounces butter, softened
4 large eggs
Zest from one orange
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 whole almond or large dried bean

For the glaze
2 large egg whites
1 pound confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Green, yellow/gold, and purple decorative sugars

Prepare the dough: In a small saucepan, heat the milk to about 110F degrees.  Pour the milk into a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the surface.  Add 1 teaspoon of the sugar and stir to combine.  Set the mixture aside until the yeast is foamy, 10 minutes.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the remaining sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Add the yeast mixture and mix for 1 minute.  Add an egg and mix thoroughly; follow with a third of the flour.  Repeat with the remaining eggs and flour.  Add the orange zest, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt, and continue to mix on low speed for 7-8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic, and it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.  If the dough is too soft, add up to 1/2 cup of flour.
Scrape the dough from the bowl and lightly knead to form into a ball.  Butter or oil the inside of a medium size bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, turning to coat with the butter.  Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
When the dough has risen, turn it out of the bowl, punch it down, and knead it lightly to form a ball.  Put the dough back in the bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Form the cake:  Flour a clean work surface.  Roll the dough into a 10 by 20-inch rectangle, keeping the thickness consistent throughout.  Cut the dough lengthwise into 3 strips.  Paint each strip of the dough with the melted butter, leaving a 1/2-inch border clean along the length of each strip.  Reserve any leftover butter.  Sprinkle the strips with the brown sugar and cinnamon.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Fold each strip over lengthwise toward the clean edges to enclose the cinnamon sugar, and pinch the seam to seal the dough closed.  Snugly braid the three pieces together.  Transfer the braid to the baking sheet and form the braid into a wreath, pressing the ends together.  Cover the wreath with a clean towel and set aside to rise for 40 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
Brush the cake with the reserved melted butter and bake for 18 minutes, until golden brown.  Cover the cake loosely with foil and continue to bake for 20-25 minutes more, until baked through.  Keep the cake on the baking sheet and allow to cool completely.  After the cake has cooled, carefully tuck the almond into the underside of the cake.
Prepare the glaze:  Place the egg whites and the confectioner’s sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on low speed until combined.  Add the corn syrup, vanilla, and lemon juice, and continue to mix until smooth, adding more lemon juice if necessary to achieve your desired glaze consistency.
Drizzle the glaze over the cake, spreading with an offset spatula to coat.  Cover with alternating colored sugars, and allow to set before serving.

Don’t be afraid to try this recipe after what happened to me. Really. I’m sure it will turn out just fine for you. Whatever you’re celebrating this week, be it Mardi Gras, the Olympics, or whatever – enjoy it!

Aaaand, we’re up and running again. Sheesh! What a long couple of days it’s been – our hosting service (WebHost4Life – don’t use them unless you want all KINDS of trouble…along with workers who don’t give a crap about helping you) changed platforms or something and it screwed everything up. Thank goodness for my sweet, selfless hubby, who has spent every bit of his weekend fixing it for me! On top of that, I got beautiful pink tulips delivered to me and a set of Crate & Barrell juice glasses! What a sweetheart! To thank him for such hard work and such wonderful gifts, I made him one of his favorite things on earth – a giant cookie cake. I used to make them for him in high school before our band contests (yes, we were both “band nerds”) and he always loved them! Of course, he loved this one – I made sure to use plenty of frosting and giant sprinkles. Just a small token of my love.

There’s nothing to making a giant cookie cake…all you need is a round (or in my case, heart shaped) pan, some cookie dough (homemade or store-bought) and a little vanilla frosting. Just press the cookie dough into the pan, bake and decorate. Voila! Cookie cake and happy husband!

I’m really sorry my blog was out of commission for so long…hopefully now that we have a new web hosting service, this problem won’t happen again. I hope you all enjoy a wonderful, romantic evening! The hubby and I are about to enjoy cheese and chocolate fondues with lots of champagne! HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!!

We’re expected to get some snow and ice tomorrow, apparently. I don’t know what it is about me, but everytime I hear that there’s snow or bad weather in the forecast, I automatically think “soup”. I guess a lot of people do, really. In my opinion, really bad weather calls for really good soup. In this case, Mexican Soup.  It’s one of those convenient “throw it all in” types. I saw this recipe in the newspaper recently and knew it would be just delicious. Sure enough….it really was!

Mexican Soup

1 cup water
1 cup instant rice
1 10-ounce can Rotel tomatoes
1 14-ounce can chili beans
1 14-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 14-ounce can chicken broth
1 package fajita seasoning
2 cups cooked chopped chicken
Bunch of cilantro, chopped
Shredded Mexican cheese blend, for garnish

Heat water in a large pot over stove and add rice. Turn down heat to low while preparing other ingredients.
Add all other ingredients except cheese and heat thoroughly. Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheese and more cilantro, if desired.

*I boiled my chicken (I used 3 breasts) for about 30-45 minutes, until the meat was extremely tender; then used the cooking liquid instead of the water called for in the recipe. I also added a few tablespoons of Velveeta cheese for extra cheesiness.

This was a really good, thick, cheesy soup – and super easy, to boot! We really, really enjoyed it and thought it seemed to get even better the next day! If you’ve got bad weather in your forecast, or maybe you just need something comforting, give this soup a try – you won’t be disappointed!

I realize that there’s really only so much you can learn about a person through their food blog – what kind of foods they like best, their general age, marital status, kids vs. no kids…basic stuff like that. But is that really enough? I guess it may be for some people, but I want my readers to know me a little better than that, ya know? We’ll have plenty of time along the way for all the details, so for now, let me just share with you a few things that make me happy. Really happy. I realize some of you are just here for the recipes, so by all means, scroll down to the bottom….you won’t hurt my feelings.

The King Arthur Flour website. Not only do I love digging through their recipes (which always turn out great), the site in general is just a fun place to be, in my opinion. Fun things to order, fun things to look at…it’s a happy place.

Pearls. I love pearls – they make me very happy. I wore pearls on my wedding day, I wear them with day-to-day outfits, and I always, always wear them when I’m auditioning (opera stuff).  And for good reason – they never go out of style, they’re ever-so-classy, and they always seem to make me feel happy. Which is why they’re on my happy list.

Izzy. Our sweet, hyper, and always entertaining Cairn Terrier/Schnauzer. Sure, she eats my Girl Scout cookies and occasionally waits until we’re gone then poops upstairs; but by golly, if she isn’t the sweetest, funniest, most lovable dog in the whole wide world. It’s been just about a year since we adopted her, and we both agree that we couldn’t have possibly found a more perfect dog.

Cheese. Any kind. Anywhere. Heck, I love the stuff so much, my (sweet, adorable) hubby put cheese in my stocking this Christmas! Imagine waking up to a big ‘ol hunk of Manchego under the tree! Perfection. Really.

My piano. When I was getting ready to graduate from college (and soon after, get married), my grandparents gave me some money as a gift. I took that money and bought myself a beautiful upright piano (second hand) – it was the very first piece of furniture I ever bought and I love it (even though my piano skills barely go beyond “chopsticks”…).

My Great-Grandmother’s Peach Cobbler. Very few things in life make me as happy. When my sister and I were little, one year for our birthdays (or possibly Christmas…I can’t quite remember), Baba, our Great-Grandmother, made us our very own dish of peach cobbler – an entire 9×9 dish ALL to myself!! I didn’t share with anybody, and it was blissful. I still have the dish she gave me and I use it all the time.

Funny socks. I can’t wear plain ‘ol white socks. I like colorful socks – ones with hearts or cupcakes or Santa Clause. In my opinion, one can never own too many funny socks. My personal favorites are my Nightmare Before Christmas Jack and Sally socks….perfect for Christmas or Halloween!

And finally….Chocolate Chip Cookies. I have made probably, 10 different recipes or more. Not just because I’ve been on a 3 year quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie, but because one of my very favorite things on the entire planet is a warm chocolate chip cookie and a glass of milk. I ask you, is there anything better??? I’ll take just about any kind – I’m an equal opportunity chocolate chip cookie eater. Maybe even an addict, but hey, I can stop anytime I want, ok?

But here’s something big. I mean really big. Are you ready? I’ve found it. The perfect chocolate chip cookie. Yep. It does exist. In fact, it exists in a little plastic baggie in my kitchen right now. Beckoning me. Calling out to me. Sure, I’ve already had 17 ½, but when you’ve found the perfect chocolate chip cookie, all rules and etiquette go out the window. I bet you’re wondering which recipe it is…well, chances are, you won’t be a bit surprised. Yep, the NYTimes Chocolate Chip Cookies. Last July, the New York Times published this recipe, and since then just about every food blogger on the planet has tried them and declared them to be the best. I’m officially joining the bandwagon. They make me very, very happy.

THE NYTimes Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate chips (I threw in some milk chocolate chips too)
Sea salt

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.
Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

*I didn’t make huge cookies – I used a small cookie scoop and got somewhere around 40. I baked them for about 9 minutes and they were perfectly crisp on the edges and gooey and chewy in the center. Perfect, in my opinion.

So, there you have it. A few silly things that make me happy. And one step closer to getting to know a little more about the weird lady who’s blog you read. Thanks for humoring me! And obviously, my husband, Joel makes me extremely happy. The most happy I could ever hope to be. But I figured you all probably knew that, so I didn’t list him. Plus, I was trying to keep the list “non-human”.

Oh and by the way, if you’ll look over to your right (and up a ways), on my sidebar, you’ll notice now you have the option of “Becoming a Fan” of Sing For Your Supper on Facebook. Just a little fun thing those of you Facebookers can do if you want! Happy baking!

Super Bowl season is seriously one of my favorite times of year. Around New Year’s Eve I start craving football food- buffalo wings, dips, fried stuff, etc. I thought it might be helpful to some of you who might be preparing for a Super Bowl party if I posted a few of my favorite snack-type foods. Give you some ideas, maybe.

Starting with my favorite: I love buffalo sauce – I would seriously eat just about anything dipped in buffalo sauce! So naturally, my all-time favorite Super Bowl food is “Crack Dip” (click for recipe). Yeah, it’s fattening; it’s tacky; and let’s be honest- it sounds kinda gross; but you can’t argue with the fact that it’s down-right delicious. And yes, there are a few “snoots” out there who have a real problem with this recipe; to them, I say….bite me. Please. And thank you.

Number 2, my Chicken Enchilada Dip (click for recipe), which can also be rolled into tortillas and sliced, which make excellent finger foods for football parties! I make this stuff, ALL the time and we never get tired of it. It’s totally addicting!

Number 3, the best darn chili (click for recipe) I ever ate. Sure, it takes a lot of preparation, but if you have a big strong man handy to dice up your meat for you, the hard part’s over! And trust me, it’s worth every bit of the hard work – you won’t be sorry!

Number 4, Chewy Chex Mix (click for recipe). This makes a GINORMOUS batch, so it’s perfect for large crowds. Plus, it’s really hard to stop eating the stuff…so it’s good to have lots. It’s chewy, salty, not too sweet, and like I mentioned before- completely addictive!

Number 5: You’ll definitely need sweets at your Super Bowl party. Personally, I think cookies are the way to go – they’re portable, easy to eat, and really, who doesn’t love a cookie?? Really. My favorites – my winning Toasted Oatmeal Cookies, really, really good M&M Cookies, or everybody’s personal favorite, the BFCCCC’s (that’s Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies -click for recipe and scroll down a ways). I love a good, chewy chocolate chip cookie and these really fit the bill. Everyone absolutely loves them.

So there you have it; my personal favorite football-approved recipes. Nothing fancy or difficult; just really simple, really good recipes that I guarantee everyone will really love. Everybody ENJOY your Super Bowl festivities!! Go Saints!

You remember how I won that cookie contest back in November? And as my prize, my cookies were sold at a well-known bakery for a couple of weeks and the profits went to a local charity? Remember all that?? Well, turns out, the cookies were so successful the bakery couldn’t keep them on the shelves- they were selling out every single day! Wahooooo! And, they brought in over $1,200 for the charity! How awesome is that??!

So here’s the great news: the bakery owner (Catherine Ruehl, who was recently on the Food Network Cake Challenge) loved my cookies so much, they’re going to continue selling them the rest of the year and give the proceeds to charity! I’m beyond flattered… The best part is, they offer nation-wide shipping, so if you want to taste my cookies and decide for yourself if they really are “award-winning” or not you can have them delivered to your house! NEAT!! Or for those of you who live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, just waltz in and pick some up! Here’s the bakery info:

Sublime Bakery
Country Day Plaza
5512 Bellaire Dr. South
Fort Worth, Texas 76109
817-570-9630
www.sublimebakery.com

Anyway, I just wanted to share this cool piece of news with you all- I’m pretty excited! If any of you actually do get to try some of these, please let me know what you think – I’d love to hear from you (unless it’s negative…in which case, just feed them to your cat and keep it to yourself)