Grilled Poblano Chicken with Melted Monterey Jack

~*Sigh*~... Last week we had a relaxing, too short week at "The Sandy Beach", as my 2 year old excitedly called it. We took a much needed family vacation to San Diego, and had an amazing time! The weather was perfect, we had many fun things to do, and amazing places to dine. My thanks to The Recipe Girl for some really great recommendations, one of which was to visit and dine in Old Town San Diego. You know when your 12 year old son enjoys it, it has to be good- we spent 2 days there! I have to say though, the best breakfast I've truly ever had was in downtown San Diego, at Richard Walker's Pancake House. So good, my family can't stop talking about it! If you ever get a chance to go, it is worth the wait in line.

After a week of dining out though, it was nice to get back into my own kitchen. One of my favorite dishes is grilled poblano chicken with melted Monterey Jack cheese. It's a great idea for company because you can prepare the marinade and roast the chili's the day before, and serve with an easy Spanish rice and salad to complete the meal. Great for the 4th of July!

Personally, I enjoy the flavor of fresh roasted poblano's. They are so easy to prepare. Just grill on all sides till charred, enclose in a paper bag or wrap in a heavy kitchen towel while hot.



After about 30 minutes or so, remove chili's from bag and peel off the outer waxy skin. Remove the seeds and stem. Then you have the most delicious, silky textured chili's.

Grilled Poblano Chicken with Melted Monterey Jack

1/2 c olive oil
2 Tbs white wine vinegar
4 Tbs lime juice
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, grated
1- 1/2 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp pasilla chili powder
Approx 8 medium size chicken breasts
4 roasted poblano chili's (if you can't roast, you can use canned whole green chili's instead)
8 slices monterey jack cheese

Combine everything except chili's and cheese in a large ziploc bag or covered bowl and let marinate 4 to 6 hours.

Grill chicken on medium heat, and just before done, depending on the thickness of chicken you have, place a strip of roasted green chili on top of chicken. Let sit for about a minute, then add slices of monterey jack cheese on top, and let cook until melted and bubbly.


I love the melted cheese on top of the roasted chili... Mmmmmmm.... Enjoy!

Provolone Pesto Terrine

Like every girl, I love beautiful bouquets of flowers. I love the scent, the colors, and the surprise of waking up to a vase full on my counter, from my hubby, for absolutely no reason at all. He has learned though, over time, that it doesn't take a rose to bring a smile to my face. Actually, I've never really been a rose girl. Bring me a bouquet of wildflowers, or a bucket full of dandelions though, and I am a very happy gal... however, bring me a bunch of basil and I'll cook, clean, do your laundry... the scent of basil in my kitchen is pure, absolute heaven.


About 10 years ago my sister gave me this recipe for a Provolone Pesto Terrine, and I absolutely fell in love. A client of hers had given her the recipe, and it's been an appetizer staple at family gatherings ever since. While it has a few steps, and multiple ingredients, it isn't difficult to make at all...


While you could certainly save some steps by purchasing some ready made pesto, I wouldn't recommend it. Fresh, in this case, is best.

With a glass of wine, some crusty bread, and some good friends, this is a fabulous summertime treat.

Provolone Pesto Terrine

1 c fresh lightly packed Basil
1 c fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/2 c olive oil
2 small cloves garlic, minced fine
1/4 c pine nuts

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1/4 c unsalted butter
1 small clove minced garlic
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/4 c roasted salted pistachios, coarsely chopped

1/2 c sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained, blotted, and coarsely chopped
1 lb thin sliced provolone

Italian bread and/ or Table water crackers

Cheesecloth or flour sack towel, to line loaf pan

In a food processor combine until smooth, basil, parmesan, olive oil, garlic, and pine nuts. Place in bowl and refrigerate until needed.

In food processor combine cream cheese, butter, garlic, and white pepper. When smooth and creamy, place in small bowl and fold in pistachios.

Wet cheesecloth and ring dry. Completely line loaf pan, letting excess hang over edges.

Cut provolone slices in half. Slightly overlapping slices, line bottom and sides of loaf pan, extending halfway up. Divide remaining cheese into 3 equal stacks, and set aside.

Spread 1/2 of the pesto mixture over the provolone in bottom of loaf pan. Cover pesto with 1 of the stacks of provolone, overlapping as you go.

Sprinkle cheese with 1/2 of the sun dried tomatoes. On top of that evenly spread all of the cream cheese mixture, then sprinkle on remaining 1/2 of the tomatoes. Cover that with another stack of provolone cheese.

Cover with the remaining pesto, and then cover that with remaining stack of cheese. Fold the cloth over top of cheese, compact slightly, and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours.

To serve, invert onto a serving dish, remove cheesecloth, and garnish with basil and pistachios. Serve with slices of crusty bread or Table water crackers.

**This can be made up to a week in advance. To store, wrap in wax paper and keep in a gallon sized Ziploc bag.

Peach Blueberry Galette

So, how many of you, besides me, have run into the store "just to get a gallon of milk" and walked out instead with the complete opposite and then some..? It's not my fault...really.



I was minding my own business, when some little cartoon wisp of peach scented smoke latched onto my nostrils as I walked in the door, and dragged me clear over to the produce section. Next thing you know, I was in my car with all the ingredients for this Peach Blueberry Galette, and not one drop of milk! Don't you love the scents of summer..?!


I think what I love best about summer is making things simpler, less complicated. Which is why I love the rustic ease of a galette. All of us know people that shy away from anything having to do with a crust, all because they are afraid they can't make it pretty enough. With a galette, the more rustic, the better, for me. In its own messy way, it becomes simple elegance.


The peaches I found smelled like heaven, and were so delicious, that I felt little sugar was needed. Combined with a handful of blueberries, and a sprinkle of almond slivers, it was the best of summer on a plate.

Peach Blueberry Galette

1 single unbaked pie crust recipe, cold- I use Pate Brisee
6 or 7 large peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1 c fresh blueberries
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 Tbs cornstarch
1 tsp Vanilla (I used my homemade Bourbon vanilla, and increased to 2 tsp)
1/8 c slivered almonds

Combine peaches and blueberries in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and nutmeg. Then add cornstarch, and combine well. Pour into bowl with fruit and mix. Add vanilla, and mix. Set aside.

Roll out cold pastry dough between 1/8" and 1/4" thick on a floured surface, depending on size baking sheet or pan you have. No need for a perfect circle... rough edges are best. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you do not have parchment paper, spray pan lightly with non-stick spray.

Place all filling in center of dough. Fold over edges of dough around filling, tucking and crimping where necessary to avoid fruit spilling out, leaving center open. Sprinkle fruit with slivered almonds. If desired, brush pastry with a bit of beaten egg white, then sprinkle with a bit of sugar.

Bake galette at 400 F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 F, and bake an additional 35 to40 minutes, depending on your oven.

You can serve warm or cold, with or without ice cream. I prefer mine cold... as is. Enjoy!

Spicy Grilled Cilantro Lime Coconut Shrimp with Orange and Coconut Milk Rice

Yesterday I was having some seriously bizarre food cravings... and no, I am not expecting. All I know is, that after my exercise class, there were a million different food items blabbing in my head, and they were all speaking at once... I felt like it was a blender of "pick me's" going on in there.

Shrimp seemed to have the most pull, but I was not in the mood for plain shrimp cocktail, or the usual restaurant fare of orange shrimp, or scampi. With this weather we're having, grilling it would be the way to go. So I starting looking for some different kind of dipping sauces, and once I found one on Low Fat Lifestyle that sounded good- Cilantro Lime Sauce- starting prepping all of my ingredients.

I swear, I feel like my mind gets hijacked... I can never stick to an original plan! In this case, however, the hijacking was a good thing. I decided to tweak the recipe some and change the dipping sauce to a marinade, and then coat the shrimp in coconut. Now, I'm not a big fan of coconut shrimp... see, that's where those weird cravings were coming in again... but this just seemed to call for coconut, and I'm really glad I went with it.


Needing a side dish to go with, I did a quick pantry check and found can of unsweetened coconut milk sitting next to a bag of rice. Now I've had that can of coconut milk for awhile- I don't even remember buying it. But I grabbed it, the rice, and started out just adding the rice and coconut milk in a pot. But I realized that ratio wise I didn't have enough liquid. So I ended up adding some fresh squeezed juice from oranges I had in my fruit bowl, a little water so that it wouldn't become too thick, and it turned out perfect.

Everything was really very quick easy to put together. I served it with an additional side of Plantain chips (which I'll post next time). Even my husband, who is not a big fan of coconut shrimp at all, actually loved this dish- So I know I'll be making this one again!

Spicy Grilled Cilantro Lime Coconut Shrimp
marinade adapted from Low Fat Lifestyle

1/2 c stone ground mustard with horseradish
1/2 c fresh squeezed lime juice
zest of 1 lime
2 Tbs finely chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 lbs uncooked fresh or frozen shrimp
8 oz sweetened flaked coconut
skewers

In large Ziploc bag combine the first 5 ingredients. Add shrimp. Let marinate in refrigerator about 2 hours. Remove from refrigerator and place shrimp on skewers. Then, on a flat plate or baking sheet, place coconut. Dip the skewered shrimp in coconut, patting on both sides to make sure a fair amount adheres.

Before lighting grill, make sure to spray grill racks with a non-stick spray. Once heated, place skewers on grill, flipping once, for about a minute to minute and a half at most- just long enough to turn pink- nothing worse than tough shrimp! The coconut will still be slightly soft, and a little toasted.

Orange & Coconut Milk Rice

1 1/2 c white long grain rice
1- 14 oz can of Coconut Milk
3/4 c fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 c water
zest of 1 orange

Place all ingredients into a large pot. stir, and let come to a boil. Reduce heat to a very low simmer, and cover, cooking an additional 20 -25 minutes. Remove from heat, and serve.

Lemon Meringue Pie with homemade crust

Ever since I was a teenager, I've had this obsession with making lemon meringue pie, and making flaky pie crust. My "other mother", affectionately known as "Momma 2", was instrumental in my obsession. I think a lot of teenagers have "other mothers"... you know, the kind you can go talk to when you feel like your own mom is speaking a foreign language. "Momma 2", also known as Cheryl (Serago) Barclay, interpreted that language for me, and helped me to understand why routine, responsibility, and continued education were so important. She was also my introduction to the wonderful world of Greek cuisine.

Cheryl would pay me to clean her home, as well as to babysit her 3 kids now and then. What I loved most though is her letting me use her kitchen to experiment in. She'd pull out all her cookie recipes at Christmas time and let me make them all for her- I was in heaven! My favorites were the Birds Nest cookies with the red or green cream cheese filling...

But during a summer back about 1981, she asked me to make her a lemon meringue pie. I was excited to make a pie, but I I had never made a lemon one before. So I poured over recipe books... back then of course there was no such thing as the internet to quickly pop up a recipe. After all the searching, I paired 2 recipes together, in part because of available ingredients in the cupboard, and my love for a lot of lemon.

I still keep in touch with my "Momma 2", Cheryl, to this day. She was a guiding force that always encouraged me to "think down the road" before I made any rash decisions in my life. I haven't seen her in awhile, but when I do, I think I'll have to make her this pie. I think everyone needs a Momma 2 to make a pie for...

In my opinion, a flaky pie crust is key to an amazing pie. I haven't found one as simple, and as flavorful, as Pate Brisee. You can try all sorts of tricks and a million ingredients to get a flaky crust, but for me nothing does it better than good ol' unsalted pure butter. Although the recipe shown below uses a food processor, I love to make it by hand. I use a an old fashioned pastry blender, sturdy bowl, and my hands. I absolutely love the feel of pie dough!

Another thing that I prefer, is to add a small amount of HOT simple syrup to my meringue. While I will not guarantee that it will pasteurize your egg whites, it does give me a little comfort knowing that between that and the oven browning of the meringue, more of it is cooked than not.

Pie Crust
(as found on MarthaStewart.com)

Makes 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9- to 10-inch pies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add cubed butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.

With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

Using 1/2 of the dough, roll out on floured surface and place in pie pan, fluting edges as you desire. Dock dough (prick with fork on bottom portion) Place a sheet of foil in pan over dough, and place pie weights or smaller pan on top. Place in 375 degree oven and blind bake for about 25 minutes, until crust is light golden brown and cooked thoroughly. Let cool.

Lemon Filling

1/3 c cornstarch
1-1/3 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 c cold water
4 egg yolks (save whites for meringue)
1/2 c lemon juice (approx 3-4 lemons)
Zest of all juiced lemons
3 Tbs unsalted butter

In small saucepan combine cornstarch, sugar, salt, and cold water. Over medium heat, while stirring constantly, bring to a slight boil. Turn down heat to low and cook until mixture is slightly clear and thick. Add lemon juice, cooking for another minute. Remove from heat.

Remove one cup of the cooked mixture, and add to egg yolks while whisking quickly, to temper the eggs so they do not 'cook'. Return yolk mixture to the saucepan, and continue cooking on low for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon zest and butter. Set aside and let cool.

Meringue

4 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 c HOT simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water heated until sugar dissolves)
3 tablespoons sugar

Beat the egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. With mixer running, add the cream of tartar and sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and beat until firm peaks form but are not dry. Then gradually add the hot simple syrup until peaks stand on own and do not fall.

To assemble: Pour lemon filling in cooked crust. Take 1/3 of meringue and completely cover lemon filling, completely covering, sealing filling to edges of crust. With remaining meringue, using a pastry bag (or spoon) make decorative peaks over entire surface of pie.

Place in 400 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, watching carefully, until meringue is nicely and evenly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack. Pie is best served when cold.

Homemade pasta- nothing better!

Ever since I saw Pastor Ryan's "recipe" for homemade pasta over on The Pioneer Woman's site, I have been looking for any opportunity to make it. Well, opportunity presented itself at a farewell dinner for my oldest daughter, when she felt that a change of scenery was in order, and decided that the windy city of Chicago was in her future- 1700 miles away. As I write this, she is still on the road. Gone less than 24 hours, I truly do miss her already...

{Insert joyful smile here}

I can't believe how easy this pasta is to make! Any other time I have made pasta, it had numerous ingredients, and the end result never seemed to justify the effort. But this only requires 2 ingredients- 1 cup of flour and 2 eggs- and I always have those on hand, don't you? All you do is mix the two together, let the dough rest about 20 minutes (rest is critical to the end result), roll with a floured rolling pin super thin, and then cut with a pizza cutter into your desired shape (or use your pasta roller, however, I love the rustic look of hand cut), and boil for 2-3 minutes. It couldn't be any simpler. Just remember that the thinner the dough, the nicer the end result, and if you have a wood surface to roll your dough out on, that performs much better than a smooth surface.


Originally, I had intended on making a Bolognese sauce that Pastor Ryan had also made to partner with this recipe. But it seems that no one else in my family was feelin' it... they wanted something a bit lighter. So, I sliced up about 3 cloves of garlic, and added them to about a 1/2 c of olive oil, and warmed the oil on low heat for about twenty minutes, so as not to burn and turn bitter. I turned off the heat and set it aside. It smelled amazing...

Then, I remembered that Patsy over at Family, Friends, and Food, had made some amazing roasted tomatoes, and thought how wonderful they'd be with fresh pasta. So I roasted a pint of cherry tomatoes I had on hand...


I grabbed a large handful of fresh basil and sliced into a chiffonade...



And then combined the garlic oil, basil, and roasted tomatoes (with all the roasted juices) in a bowl with some kosher salt and pepper to taste...



Then enjoyed an absolutely delicious dish...



I love finding a recipe here and a recipe there, and combining them to make a simple, yet fabulous dish. This was an easy, yet fun recipe to make... a great one to involve your children in! I absolutely loved the chewiness of the pasta, and the fresh flavors of the garlic, basil, and tomatoes.

You know, making this pasta was so easy, it will definitely be a staple in my kitchen from now on. Seriously- 2 ingredients for the pasta..? Sweet...

Dark Chocolate Texas sheet cake: sin on a plate...

This has been yet another crazy week, filled with graduations, parties, illnesses, and a proliferating laundry pile. I attacked it today, wrestled it to the ground, and tried to beat it into submission. A whole lotta good that'll do, though- it only laughs in my face and starts multiplying again. It's pure evil in a basket...



Why laundry makes me crave chocolate though, I'll never know. But crave it did, and that's when the ingredients started flying on the counter. It had to be quick and easy. A rich chocolate Texas sheet cake. The recipe I based it off of was given to me by a gal I had worked with years ago, and even though it was a very good one, I wanted an even richer, more moist, cake. So over time I have adapted this recipe to cure my cravings, and send me into a blissful chocolate coma... be very careful though. One slice can lead to another, and you could end up with thighs like my great aunt...

Dark Chocolate Texas Sheet cake

2 c sugar
2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 heaping c sour cream
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 c water
4 Tbs Dark cocoa powder

Dark chocolate glaze

1 stick unsalted butter
5 Tbs heavy cream
4 Tbs Dark cocoa powder
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
2 tsp Bourbon Vanilla (tastes best but regular ok)
1 lb box powdered sugar, sifted

In a large bowl combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl combine the sour cream, eggs, and baking soda. Set aside. In a 2 qt saucepan add 2 sticks unsalted butter, water, and 4 Tbs dark cocoa powder. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add to flour mixture, blending well, then add the sour cream mixture, making sure all is combined. Spray a large jelly roll or large rimmed baking sheet pan with non-stick spray, and pour all batter into pan. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and keep cake in pan.

While cooling, add remaining stick of butter, heavy cream, and dark cocoa powder into a 2 qt saucepan. Bring to a slight boil and remove from heat. Add in cream cheese, whisking well until melted, then add bourbon vanilla, and lastly, powdered sugar in small increments until well blended and smooth. Pour all on top of cake (if cake is still warm that's ok) , spread and smooth with an offset spatula. Let cake cool until glaze is set.

Cake should serve many... but depending on your mood, could be a large serving for one :-)

Ice Cream topped with Raspberry Mango Salsa in Cinnamon Sugar Bowls

Sometimes I think the naming part of recipes is the hardest part of all. I mean, what else can you possibly call this..? Compote, maybe, except that it wasn't cooked... whatever. This is yummy stuff so who cares about the name?

So for the the ending of our Get Fit Challenge BBQ bash tomorrow, I signed up to bring a dessert. And while the old me really wanted to bring a chocolate something in it's most sinful form, I thought it best to exercise some restraint, and bring something that only tasted sinful.

A few years ago I went to a Pampered Chef party, and a recipe, similar to this, was made to demonstrate how to use the catalog products. I've seen different variations of this all over the place, each one claiming it as their own. I really don't know who or where it originated from. All I can tell you is that it is delicious... refreshing... and not too unhealthy!

While I added my favorite fruits, I'm sure you could adapt it to whatever is available in your area. What I have done differently (from what I remember at the demonstration) is to add my homemade bourbon vanilla to the fruit, as well as some brown sugar, and to create flowered cinnamon sugar bowls rather than chips for the fruit. To make a little healthier, I also coated my tortilla's in PAM Baking Spray rather than butter, prior to dredging in cinnamon and sugar.







This is a really simple recipe that can be adapted to what is available, and casual or elegant, it's perfect for any summer occasion.

Ice Cream topped with Raspberry Mango Salsa in Cinnamon Sugar Bowls

1 small container raspberries
2 mango's, peeled and diced
2 kiwi's, peeled and diced
2 peaches, peeled and diced (canned ok if fresh not available)
Juice of 2 limes
2 tsp Bourbon Vanilla (regular ok)
2 Tbs packed brown sugar
1 dozen flour tortilla's
1 cup cinnamon sugar mixture to taste
PAM Baking spray
Vanilla ice cream

Fruit Salsa

In small bowl, mix together fruits, lime juice, vanilla, and brown sugar. Stir and set aside.

Cinnamon Sugar Bowls

Using a cookie cutter, cut desired shapes out of flour tortillas that are large enough to hold a scoop of ice cream later.


Once all tortillas are cut, spray each cut out shape on both sides with Pam Baking Spray. Pour 1 cup cinnamon sugar onto a dinner plate, and dredge both sides of cut tortilla into mixture.

Once all are coated they can be baked, in batches, on the bottom side of a PAM sprayed cupcake pan. I preferred this method rather than putting inside the cupcake tin, to get the shape that I preferred. Shape is entirely up to you though...

I baked them 7 minutes covered with a small pyrex bowl to shape, and 5 minutes uncovered to crisp, at 375 F degrees.


Once all are baked, cool completely. If not serving till later, bowls can be kept in a covered container or sealed Ziploc bag to keep crispy.

To serve, place one scoop of vanilla ice cream in center of tortilla bowl, add desired amount of fruit salsa on top, and enjoy!

It's that time again!

Yup, 3 months have passed already- it was weigh in time again for my Get Fit Challenge this Saturday! I was actually excited about this, because I knew that the scale was going to go down, rather than up, for a change.

Having the flu bug going through this house the past 2 weeks, though, derailed me just a bit. I actually did not work out for a whole week- that felt SO bizarre. Once you incorporate something into your daily life (that doesn't have a pastry bag attached) and make it part of your life... well, I felt aimless... lost... a wee bit schleppy... I know I had the flu (no, I didn't oink), but I still felt like a bad girl not getting out there and wheezing through a workout.


So once again, I donned my little black tank and sexy black shorts (a new a teeny swimsuit to be my prize once all my goal weight is lost)...

Blew out all the air bubbles I could possibly blow...

thought of all the goodies that brought me here to begin with...



then found more air bubbles in there to blow up to the surface...



So that this chiseled stud, who is perfecting his "I do not notice your scantily clad body" look...

could tell me that I've just lost a total of 21.7 lbs!! And even though I've been sick, and knew that I had lost 22, I was happy to see that I had only gained back about 8 oz while fighting this flu. Not bad!

Next Saturday is the big "Reveal" party ... the winner of our Get Fit Challenge will be announced. So I can't post here what my fat percentage lost is, as that is what truly determines who wins in our group, and we have to keep that part a secret. But it really doesn't matter to me whether I "win" the challenge or not. I feel so good at having accomplished what I have, working out with the most amazing group of gals, I feel like I've won so much already.

Spinach, Gorgonzola and Lemon Rice

With my youngest and I both being sick this past week and a half, I haven't been able to get out and about, buying the scores of food magazines that I usually do. That really is a good thing. I've had plenty of time, while not running around, to open up my many cookbooks and give them a good read. What a novel idea... to actually read the cookbooks I have!

One that I found so many delicious sounding recipes in was Red, White, and Blue Ribbon, 2004 by Melissa Craven, published by 3D Press. It has 230 prize winning recipes from recipe contests and cook-offs from the previous year. I love cookbooks like this- people like you and I doing what they love most!

One in particular that appealed to me was the Spinach, Gorgonzola and Lemon Rice, by Kelly Mapes, the runner up in the USA Rice Federation's Rice to the Rescue Recipe Contest. I had such a huge bag of fresh spinach already in the fridge, and was just really tired of spinach salads. The combination of flavors sounded interesting. I wasn't overly convinced, but figured I'd give it a try- not like I was really going anywhere this week, so why not..?

I absolutely loved this! I am crazy for Gorgonzola, but yet never thought to partner it up with lemon, let alone spinach! Each flavor distinctively stood out, yet married well with each other. The rice was creamy, rich in flavor, and with the addition of lemon, a nice bright ending.

Spinach, Gorgonzola and Lemon Rice

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh mushrooms
1 (4-ounce) package Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups cooked rice
2 cups lightly-packed torn fresh spinach leaves
2 teaspoons lemon zest

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in cheese and continue to stir frequently until cheese melts, about 3 minutes. Stir in cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir in rice and heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Toss in spinach just before serving. Garnish with lemon zest.

Adopt a Blogger #3

I love hanging out over at Dine & Dish. Kristen has some of the tastiest recipes I've seen, always complete with a story or two. Definitely a great morning read for me over a cup of coffee!

In addition to the anticipation of baby #4 (!) due any day now, she is once again hosting Adopt a Blogger. How I wish I had known about this when I first started blogging about food! It gives the opportunity for a more seasoned food blogger to mentor to a new kid on the block. What a great idea!

So I am thrilled to introduce all of you to Sophia from over at Burp and Slurp! Honestly, I think she should be mentoring me... she has wonderful recipes, incredible wit, is well traveled, and seems to have this blogging thing already "down". What I am admiring most about her though, is her honesty in creating her blog in the first place... to conquer her battle with an eating disorder, one bite at a time. She has made me realize that food bloggers inspire in many, many ways. So go over and visit, say hi, let her know what a true family of foodies we are!

C'mon in. Sit. Have some coffee...

In an effort to stay in the kitchen, yet back away from the food this week, I borrowed an idea from Stacey over at Stacey Snacks (with her blessing, of course). And if you haven't been over to her place yet- go! You will always learn much, leave inspired, and never be disappointed.

While we bought our home 10 months ago, there are still a few boxes left to unpack, window treatments to make, and decorating to be done. This will be our home till we're old and gray, so I guess I don't have to be in too big a hurry.

With the exception of the range, we did purchase all new LG appliances. We love them, especially our three door LG refrigerator, except for the "silent" series LG dishwasher. It isn't very silent, and it's on it's second sump replacement (thank God for warranties), and it doesn't dry worth a darn. Our next purchase will be a new range, and we are looking at the Maytag Gemini. Without rearranging the kitchen, it's the closest I will get to a double oven for awhile. While our house has gas heat and water, for some reason the gas line was not run to the kitchen, so we are stuck with electric, unless we want to foot the bill to run the gas line to the kitchen. We are seriously considering it, but the tree in the backyard is just running out of bills...

Definitely, one of the reasons we decided to buy our home was the size of the kitchen, and the open feel it had relating to our family room. I love being able to have people over, relaxing in our family room, and still being able to speak to them from the kitchen, or, having them in the kitchen and not feeling like I have to ask anyone to get out of my way.

There was an awful, little gold light fixture above the table, that my hubby replaced with this one instead...


Our home is about 7 years old, and we knew when we bought it, despite it's newness, that some day, cabinets would need to be replaced. I definitely love the amount we have, but I guess the previous owners used this home solely for income property, and the cabinets were not "loved" as ones own. So, someday... maybe some a bit darker, with a bunch of nice, deep drawers and slide out shelving. In the meantime, I am absolutely in love with having a pantry...


An entire room to store a million things I don't need (I swear, I do not eat 90% of the things in there while I've been on this diet).


And all the cookbooks I have to have


With enough dishes and silverware to feed 40, because I hate paper plates for company.

I love having a counter at my every turn.


With even more to set up a buffet now and then.


I finally have a great kitchen "triangle"


And places to decorate with "all that clutter" as my hubby likes to call it.




The only thing I'm probably a bit weird about is how things are put into my kitchen drawers. I hate digging for things. Especially when baking, I want to open a drawer and find what I need right away. So when you open mine, you see this...


But I swear, my bedroom closets are trashed, and the laundry pile huge, I promise. No pics there though. I ain't that crazy to post pics of my dirty laundry. I did seven loads today- and there is still more.

And at the end of the day, when I want to unwind, have a glass of wine, and share my treats with you, this is where I am perched.


It's my formal dining "slash" living room. But having a couch right next to my table looked odd, so I opted for a nice desk instead.

So this is it... my "crib".

I feel very, very, blessed. ..

Pomegranate Sangria

Well I'd like to make a toast- to the ending of a week that belongs in parts waaaaay south of here, and definitely hotter than where I'm at right now. Yup, straight out of the pages of Craptasticville, Mayored, I'm sure, by that Murphy guy, every recipe my hands touched this week took a dive. I decided though, that with the good recipes I share, must come the bad, and I will fess up to my failures. Besides, it was the only lead in I could think of for tonight's post...

A few weeks ago the folks at POM Wonderful sent me a case of pomegranate juice. I was like a kid in a candy store- I LOVE pomegranate juice and POM Wonderful has the best. So I immediately started thinking of all the mouthwatering things I could create. My mind wouldn't stop. Still hasn't.

I love spicy foods, and I especially love the combination of spicy and fruity. So when I saw these gorgeous looking Pasilla Peppers at my local farmer's market, I knew right away they'd be perfect with pomegranate. Thinking I had everything else I needed at home, I hurried back there so I could quickly make the dish I had in mind- Chicken stuffed roasted pasilla peppers, deep fried with seasoned Panko bread crumbs, with a pomegranate Jalapeno sauce. I was so excited! But when I got home, the roasted chicken I already had in the fridge was nothing more than a carcass... I guess someone else had plans for my chicken.


So I went to "plan B". I had 3 cans of canned chicken in my pantry, and that was going to keep my meal excitement going... ok, really, I said a few things I shouldn't have said once I saw the roasted chicken gone, and then when I found the canned chicken, my excitement returned.

Meal made... and as always, photo's first. I was trying to hurry so I could dig in, I was so hungry. While the flavors were really good, I really should have waited, or run back up to the store and just bought an already roasted chicken. The texture from the canned chicken was awful. All the preparation, all the excitement, totally down the tubes. So while I was able to get a pic to post, I thought I'd wait until I have all the ingredients I need, and make it again, before I share with everyone.


This past week I had also been thinking quite a bit about my aunt. As a child I remember her making this incredible strawberry cake with the most delicious strawberry icing. She also had the best pound cake recipe ever. The more I thought, the more I craved, and I knew I had to make this cake. I got even more excited when I thought that if I replaced the strawberry juice with pomegranate juice, and maybe combined the two recipes, that I would truly have an amazing cake. But as I went to pull the recipes out of my box, they were no where to be found. Trying to find something similar, I looked in all of my cookbooks, and found two recipes I thought would merge well... but they didn't. I really should have researched a bit, and realized that there is a reason cake is cake, and a reason pound cake is, well, pound cake. The cake, while big on flavor, was like eating a dense pomegranate sponge. So, like my meal experiment above, I think I'll wait till I figure this one out before I post a cake recipe destined for disaster.


I was bent, though, on ending this week with a Pomegranate recipe to share. But I was sick of cooking, and baking, so a drink it is- Pomegranate Sangria for all!

Pomegranate Sangria

1 bottle Chianti
1 bottle semi sparkling wine
1/3 c brandy
1/2 c simple syrup
2 c POM Wonderful pomegranate juice
1 lemon, cut into thin rounds
1 orange, cut into thin rounds
1 pear, cut into thin wedges
ice, if desired

Mix all ingredients and chill. Makes 1 large pitcher.

Serve. Drink. Repeat.

Lemon Souffle

I always laugh a bit when I hear the weather men talk about the "Official beginning of summer". Here, in the Phoenix area, our weather knows no stinking dates. It gets hot when it wants to, and hot is what it was today- mid 90's. I caved. My air conditioner is officially on. I, am a wimp. I grew up on Long Island, and while I moved here in high school, I have yet to get used to the heat. Last week I was wearing sweats and a coat, this week, stick a fork in me, I'm done.






While I love a great stack of pancakes now and then, the heat definitely gets me looking for lighter breakfast fare. I was looking through a cookbook I have, From a French Country Kitchen~ The Culinary Tradition of la Madeleine French Bakery & Cafe, by Monique Esquerre and Patrick Esquerre, when I came across this recipe for Lemon Souffle. Surrounded by a neighborhood full of citrus tree's, I thought it an easy and perfect brunch idea. Start to finish was 30 minutes, and that was with a 2 year old "helping".

Lemon Souffle or Souffle au Citron

4 large lemons
4 eggs, separated
4 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs lemon juice
Juice of one orange
1 tsp Grand Marnier (optional- I only had, and used, Caravella Limoncello)
1 tsp lemon zest (optional)
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Slice off the top of each lemon. Also cut a small sliver off the bottom of each so that they will stand easily in baking dish. If desired, cut a small decorative pattern around each top portion. Remove pulp from lemons, reserving 1 Tbs for recipe, and reserve remaining for another use. Preheat oven to 375 F. Place lemons in baking dish. They will serve as souffle molds.

In a medium bowl, mix together the egg yolks and sugar, using a wooden spoon, till creamy. Add lemon juice, orange juice, Grand Marnier, and lemon zest. In another bowl, with a mixer, beat egg whites to stiff peaks, and fold gently into yolk mixture. Fill each lemon with mixture. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve immediately.

*** You will have more filling than lemons. I took the remaining filling and added to a buttered, sugared, small souffle dish, and baked alongside the lemons. You could also use small ramekins, or additional lemons.

Marian Antoinette DeCicco's cheesecake

Guess what?! I lost 20 lbs!! So let's celebrate, and make a cheesecake, y'all! I know, my last post was my Easter pie, but I had some left over ricotta and Lord knows, you never let good ricotta go to waste. So, I figured I'd get the cheesecake thing out of my system, and then move on to losing my next, and final, 20 lbs before my weight loss challenge ends.

Funny name for a cheesecake, huh? I just couldn't think of any other name for it, so, since the recipe came from mom, moms name (maiden) to it I gave. She's going to kill me. She hates her middle name. I think it was her baptismal name, or something like that... she never uses it. She won't be reading this probably for a few weeks or so, so I'm safe for the time being. I love picking on my mom...

Marian Antoinette DeCicco's cheesecake

Pasta Frolla (Pastry Crust)

2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
pinch salt
1/4 c unsalted butter
3 egg yolks
1 Tbs (or more, if too thick) milk

Sift flour, salt, and sugar into a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork, until the mixture resembles small peas or crumbs. Stir in the yolks, one at a time, until well blended. Add milk, and mix with spoon (or hands) until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, adding more milk if necessary. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough till smooth. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface, thin and large enough to fit the bottom and sides of a 12" spring form pan.

Cheesecake filling

2 lbs ricotta (I used Polly-O), WELL DRAINED
2 -8 oz pkgs cream cheese

2 c sugar
1/2 c sifted flour
8 egg yolks
grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c heavy cream, whipped
8 egg whites

Beat ricotta and cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually add 1-1/2 cups of the sugar, and egg yolks, beating after each addition. Beat in the sifted flour, lemon zest, and vanilla.

Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl with the remaining 1/2 c of sugar, until slightly stiff peaks form. Fold the beaten heavy cream into the egg whites, and then fold into the ricotta mixture.

Pour the batter into the pastry crust- lined spring form pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, and then lower oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake for 1 hour. Turn off heat, and let cheesecake cool, in oven, undisturbed, for at least 2 hours.

Prior to serving, lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar.

***The whole idea of letting it cool in the oven is so that the top of your cheesecake doesn't collapse, like mine did, by cooling down gradually in the oven. I only have one oven, as do most, and needed to bake other things that evening. So I sacrificed a pretty and smooth cheesecake top by letting it cool outside the oven- but it does not affect the taste. I still think it looks kind of pretty, cracks and all...

Oh, and mom, you know I love you, right..?

Easter Pie, or Pastiera Di Grano

I had thoughts of elegant pictures, and a post rich in history to accompany my recipe today. But as the evening progressed, I find myself giving in to the aches and pains of today's double workout.

Our daily work out is at 9:30 a.m., and then one at 3:00 p.m. for those in our Get Fit Challenge, where we go above and beyond what our morning class does. OMG... I am a hurtin' girl. It hurts to type. It hurts to sit. It hurts to walk. It hurt to stir the batter in my pan today! I seriously think my friend, and instructor, Kelly, giggles like crazy when she plans these routines, because she loves hearing us moan as we do them. And we do. But I really wanted to share this with you before the weekend, so if you'll pardon my lack of holiday history, I think you'll enjoy this recipe none the less. I'd also normally post the prettiest of lattice crusts, but I was seriously, so sore, that I couldn't get the strips to cooperate with me, so that will explain the "slapped together" look.





To have an Easter without and Easter Pie, or Pastiera Di Grano as it is also known, in an Italian family, is a rare one. When I was younger, I had it with rice rather than wheat, as it was much quicker to assemble that way. What I hear from other's is that the wheat grain wasn't available in many areas, necessitating the use of rice or barley. It's delicious though, whichever grain is used. I prefer to buy the hulled grain myself, soak, and cook, a few days before I make the pie. The pie also calls for the use of Orange Blossom Water, which if you can't find, can use Orange Extract, or Orange Oil in a pinch.

Easter Pie, or Pastiera Di Grano

Pasta Frolla (crust)

2 c AP flour
1/2 c sugar
zest of 1 lemon
12 Tbs unsalted butter
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 Tbs milk

Ricotta filling

1/2 c hulled wheat (or prepared jarred or canned wheat grain from an Italian specialty store),
with enough water to cover wheat in pan
1 c whole milk
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 c sugar
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 1 orange
2 c whole milk ricotta cheese
5 egg yolks
1- 1/2 Tbs Orange Blossom Water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 c candied Citron, chopped
4 egg whites
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Sift together the flour and sugar. Add in the lemon zest. With pastry cutter or your fingers, cut in the butter until it is like the size of peas. Make a well in the center and add the egg yolks and milk. Gradually mix the flour into the egg and milk, just until combined. Form dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and put in fridge for at least an hour, or overnight.

In 2 qt saucepan add wheat with enough water to cover top. Bring to a boil, and then simmer, uncovered, until grains are tender, and water is mostly gone. Then add milk, salt, 2 Tbs sugar (of the 2/3 c), and the zest of both the lemon and the orange. Bring to almost a boil, then let simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is almost completely absorbed. Let cool.

Mix the ricotta with the rest of the sugar. Beat in the egg yolks, cooled grain mixture, Orange Blossom Water, and cinnamon. Add in the chopped Citron. In another bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff. Fold into the ricotta mixture.

Butter and flour a 9" springform pan. Take 2/3 of the crust and roll out big enough to cover the bottom and sides of pan. Pour in the filling, and smooth. With the remaining dough, roll out and cut into 3/4" strips, and weave into a lattice top crust. Bake at 350 for about 50- 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and then gently run knife around edge of pan. Un-latch springform pan and remove outer pan. Let cool completely on wire rack before serving. Dust with confectioners sugar just prior to serving.

Bourdain Declares Three Little Pigs Sandwich ‘Greatest Sandwich in America’

All I can say is, after this Get Fit Challenge is over, I'm on this...

more about "Bourdain Declares Three Little Pigs S...", posted with vodpod

Strawberry Bread

We love Strawberries in our house. I love them all the more when I can buy 4 lbs for $4.77. My 2 year old eats them like an apple. My hubby loves Strawberry shortcake in his lunch. I put them on my salads. But even after all that we still had a lot to eat. So out of what was left, I flash froze half, and then with the other half decided to make some Strawberry bread. I've had this recipe in my files for awhile... you know, the "someday" file. As I was looking it over though, I knew I had to make some adjustments to cut out some fat and cholesterol, add some fiber, and make up for some missing ingredients.


I wish I had a better camera (or maybe if I'd read the instruction manual once in a while) to take some nicer pics. There is something, well, very internal looking in them there slices... Makes ya really want to make this something bad now, huh?

This bread really did taste pretty good. My hubby said it tasted even better with what looked like a pound of butter on his slice... ok, yes, I admit, I was envious of the butter! When I do make this again, I think that I may change out the cinnamon for cardamom. I'm one of those weird people, that after December 31st passes, just feels a little OD'd on cinnamon. I'm thinking the cardamom may pair well, or better, with the strawberries. If any one of you does this, please, let me know how it tastes. By the time I thought of it though, I had already added the cinnamon. (For those who just want to try the original version, just click on the pic above and it should enlarge enough to see the original recipe)

As I was making this, I thought it funny that creating one loaf of bread took up this much space.

Strawberry Bread

2 c sliced strawberries
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar, packed
3/4 c AP flour
3/4 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 large egg whites
1/4 c melted margarine
1/3 c non-fat plain Greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray loaf pan with non-stick spray and flour pan.

Place strawberries in small bowl and mix with brown sugar.

In a large bowl, blend together the remaining sugar, both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, with a whisk, beat the egg whites until foamy, then beat in melted margarine, and Greek yogurt. Add to dry ingredients, blending until moist. Stir in the strawberries.

Scrape batter into loaf pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, depending on your oven, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a rack about 10 minutes before removing from pan. Makes 1 loaf.

Check this out- I've been cooking and baking like crazy, and have still managed (with exercise) to finally wear me a pair of baggy pants- 18 lbs down and only 22 more to go!

I know, I need a manicure, bad...

Gâteau de Crêpes with Green Tea Cream

The day I opened my copy of Chocolate Epiphany , by Francois Payard, I knew I had to make this cake. While there are so many amazing recipes inside, this one just spoke to me. I love layers- and this one had 20 mouth watering layers of chocolate crepes, infused with orange zest, filled with a luscious green tea (Matcha) pastry cream. Not something this dieting gal could just make and leave lying around though ~*sigh*~ . A perfect opportunity presented itself though, with the celebration of both my Mother-in-law and Sister-in-laws birthday yesterday.

I enjoyed this so much better than a traditional birthday cake. Despite its use of chocolate and pastry cream, this cake was light in texture, the green tea and orange zest a perfect pairing.

I was a very good girl, you'd all be proud- I only had a sliver. Even with all of the baking I've been doing this past week, I've still managed to lose 16 lbs so far since this get fit challenge began. But I have to admit, I battle thoughts daily of immersing myself in pastry cream, painting myself with chocolate and sprinkling myself with bacon bits... an odd combination, I know, but when you go without for so long, the combination just sounds so irresistibly sexy.

Gâteau de Crêpes with Green Tea Cream
by Francois Payard

Chocolate Crêpes
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (220g) all purpose flour
1/3 cup (30g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
Pinch of salt
8 large eggs
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon (500g) whole milk
Grated zest of 2 oranges
10 tablespoons (5 oz. or 150g) unsalted butter, browned
1 cup (250g) heavy cream
Vegetable oil, for the pan

Green Tea Pastry Cream
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon (500 g) whole milk
2 teaspoons (10g) powdered green tea
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (120g) sugar
5 tablespoons (40g) cornstarch
6 large egg yolks
4 tablespoons (2oz.; 60g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup (250g) heavy cream

Make the crêpes: Combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and orange zest. Incorporate them gradually into the dry ingredients, whisking constantly with one hand as you pour them with the other. Doing this slowly will prevent lumps from forming. Whisk in the butter, then the cream. Strain the batter over a bowl to make sure that it is smooth, then whisk it again so that it is thoroughly combined. Cover the batter, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Whisk the batter well. Place a small crêpe pan or nonstick skillet (about 8 inches in diameter) over medium heat. Pour about 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in the pan to grease it. Once it is hot, use a 1/4 cup measuring cup or a small ladle to pour a little less than 1/4 cup of batter in the pan. There should be just enough batter in the pan to coat the bottom in a thin layer. Tilt the pan in a circular motion so that the batter is evenly spread in the pan.

After about 2 minutes, the edges of the crêpe should start firming up. Use a spatula to lift a side of the crêpe and flip it over. Cook on the other side for about 1 minute, then remove the crêpe to a plate. Repeat the process until all of the batter is used, piling the crêpes one on top of the other as they are cooked. If the crêpes start to stick to the pan, add a little more oil. Cover the stack of crêpes with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cool, up to 1 day.

Make the Pastry Cream: Line a shallow pan, such as a 9-inch square cake pan or a small rimmed baking sheet, with plastic wrap. Bring the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the green tea powder.

Meanwhile, combine the sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl, and whisk in the yolks. Continue whisking until the yolks turn a very pale yellow. Slowly pour a fourth of the milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to keep the yolks from curdling. Once the milk is well incorporated, return the mixture to the saucepan over medium heat, and cook, whisking constantly and scraping the bottom and sides of the pot with the whisk to prevent lumps from forming, until it becomes very thick and bubbles start popping from the center of the pan for at least 20 seconds. You need to bring it to a boil so that the cornstarch gets activated.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Pour the pastry cream in the prepared pan and cover it with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate it until it is completely cool, up to 1 day ahead.

Whip the heavy cream at medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until it holds soft peaks. Whisk the pastry cream to a creamy texture, then gently fold in the whipped cream with spatula.

Assemble the Cake: Place one of the cooled crepes on a serving platter. With a small offset spatula, spread a very thin layer (about 1/16 inch) of the green tea pastry cream over the crepe, going all the way to the edges. Place another crepe on top and repeat the process until the cake is 2 to 3 inches tall. Refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving, up to 6 hours ahead, so that the cake has time to set.

Makes one 8-inch cake; serves 8

18, already..?!

A few weeks ago, my oldest daughter turned 24. That, for some reason, was easier to swallow than my oldest son turning 18 this past weekend. Wow. Come August, he'll be getting settled into his dorm room, loving his new found freedom, and starting the next chapter in his life... excuse me while I cry...

For reasons we haven't quite figured out, he requested MC Hammer's Greatest Hit's emblem to adorn his cake. He doesn't listen to him. He doesn't even like him. He just thought it would be a cool thing to have on a cake. If any of you out there have any clue's, please, fill me in, because I am seriously lost... Still, I started coloring fondant and tried my best at recreating the emblem he so desired. He was happy, and that's all that mattered.

One thing we are clear on, though, is his love of Architecture. He has a natural, God given gift- amazing artistic talent, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for him.
This kid's gonna be big... he's gonna go far... everyone's gonna know his name.

For now, though, his baby sister is going to finish off his cake, hoping no one will notice...


On another note, I was over at Patsy's blog- Family, Friends, and Food. She had a post with THE most scrumptious looking brownie, titled "Brownies to Rock Your World". How can you possibly ignore something like that?! Now, I trust Patsy's judgment completely, and felt that our family needed some good "world rocking" this weekend, as we have a potluck party to attend tomorrow, so I followed the recipe link included in her post, and spent the day baking away. I'm glad I did. These are OMG good! As I plated them up for tomorrows party, I shared some with my hubby (and I stole a bite!), while he just rolled his eyes in his head and gave a contented ~*sigh*~. Yup, Patsy, worth every dirty dish!

If you don't want to follow the link above, here is the recipe I followed, from Nosh With Me.

Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars

Brownie Ingredients
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping Ingredients
7 ounces mini marshmallows
1 ½ cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup Jif peanut butter
1 TBSP unsalted butter
1 ½ cups Rice Krispies

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.

In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate, butter, and ¾ cup of the semisweet chocolate chips on medium heat. Stir occasionally while melting. Set aside and cool for 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, place the eggs and whisk thoroughly. Add in the sugar and vanilla. Stir the melted ingredients into the egg mixture, mixing well. Stir in the dry sifted ingredients and mix well. Fold in the remaining ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and even with a spatula. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the corner of the pan comes out with moist crumbs.

Remove the brownies from the oven, and immediately sprinkle the marshmallows over them. Return the pan to the oven for 3 more minutes.

While the brownies are baking, place the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat, add the cereal,and mix well. Allow this to cool for 3 minutes or so.

Spread the mixture evenly over the marshmallow layer. Refrigerate until chilled before cutting.

Makes 12 3×3-inch bars.