Prosciutto and Melon salad

My mom believes she has some clever concoction of prosciutto and cantalope and was incessant that I try it.  It took me a while to because I figured I knew what it would taste like.  Well I decided to play those two flavors up in a salad...basically I just added lettuce.  But it was a good little salad and I enjoyed it.  I mean I love pretty much everything in a salad, which can be dangerous.  Some words of advice: never mix pickles with mandarin oranges! BLEHHH

Ingredients:

1 head Romaine Lettuce

1/2 small cantaloupe, cubed

3 slices of Prosciutto, 

Kraft Tuscan House Italian dressing, drizzled

Directions:

Wash and chop the head romaine.  Cut up the prosciutto and cantaloupe. Toss all ingredients together and serve.

Three-Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I made this for my dad for lunch and he said that there were so many flavors but they all melded well.

Three-Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 slices Sourdough Bread

2 slices Swiss Cheese

2 slices Muenster Cheese

2 slices Provolone Cheese

Directions:

Spread butter on the outside of the bread. Stack the cheeses on the inside. Cook on the stovetop until a light brown perfection.

Blogging

If there is any outside source reading this besides my friends who sometimes check or just make and account so I have subscriptions (I know, pathetic lol), then please let me know how I can obtain followers! I know my blog isn't that bountiful, but I subscribe to yours and draw inspiration. I realized maybe it was because I barely had any posts, and am an amateur. But then I decided that I don't really care if anybody does look at this. I enjoy cooking and baking, and if any body happens to stumble upon this, then good. Basically, I need tips how to become a successful blogger! The first food blog I ever saw was velvet lava. On the blog was a chocolate chip cookie recipe and I just dreamed I could make cookies with such goo and consistency  as the ones I drooled over and oogled at. I think that this was also one of the first recipes I tried to make from scratch. Before, i enjoyed baking, but stuck to the simple boxes and easy to follow kraft 1-2-3 step recipes. I never really thought of making my own blog until winter break when I decided it would be a good way to document what I make; to serve as a reminder of which recipes I liked and which ones failed miserably. This was also to serve as a digital database of previous experiences, which my dad could easily access to recall recipes as well.  Now as my postings just consist of sweets or sandwiches, I'm planning on expanding my abilities.  Equipped with a George Foreman grill and a Crock Pot, I'm now ready to cook away come fall, and say goodbye to cafeteria food and unreliable ovens.

Sausage Pasta

I made this pasta dish with random ingredients I found in my fridge and pantry. Even though it was random, my family still liked it. My dad and brother enjoyed it because it had small amount of heat (they like everything hot to the extreme, but this wasn't too bad). I brought some over to Julian, who isn't very fond of spice, but he ate it just the same.

Ingredients (for the sauce):

1 can tomato paste

1 can diced tomatoes with garlic and mushrooms

2/3 cup milk

4 chicken sausages with chipotle peppers

1/3 cup sliced green olives with pimento

Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Drain the can of tomatoes and start heating over medium heat on stove. Add tomato paste and milk, and stir. Chop the sausages and add them to the pot along with the olives. Boil your choice of noodles, and mix with this sauce. Top with parmesan cheese to taste.

spaghetti sandwich

Hmm kind of like a meatball sandwich, minus massive meatballs.  Kind of like spaghetti, minus the huge factor of spaghetti noodles.  This sandwich was slightly soggy, but I blame it on the weak bread!  I should have used some real sturdy sourdough, or at least pre-toasted this limp and sorry excuse for substance (jk on bread comment, not on pre-toasting).  I made this for Julian for lunch, and he asked why it was soggy.  Could have been travel time (5 min? haha), the bread, or the heavy duty sauce.  The sauce is good though, my dad made it and I ate it minus noodles.  Pretty much anything in the crockpot I will eat, but that's usually because it's beans!

Spaghetti Sandwich

Ingredients:

Dad's Spaghetti Sauce

2 slices Mozzarella Cheese

2 slices Sourdough Bread

Directions:

Spread the outside of the 2 slices of bread with butter.  On the inside, spread the spaghetti sauce and layer with the cheese.  On the stove top, proceed to cook the sandwich as you would a grilled cheese sandwich.

Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

This recipe has been long awaited (by me at least) since I purchased the white chocolate Reeses over spring break but have not had the chance to make them until now.

Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

From Bake or Break

Ingredients:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling dough

36 mini peanut butter cups, chilled and unwrapped (I used white chocolate Reeses)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, mix peanut butter and butter until smooth. Add brown sugar and beat until combined. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until combined. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing just until combined.

Scoop dough by tablespoons and roll into balls. Roll balls in granulated sugar to coat completely. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets.

Bake about 7 minutes, or until cookies begin to puff slightly. Remove from oven, and press one peanut butter cup in the center of each cookie. Bake for about 6 minutes, or until golden brown and chocolate has begun to melt.

Cool 10 minutes on pans. Then, transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Morning Delights

We've had these Betty Crocker Warm Delights sitting in our pantry for forever, so I decided to make them for my brother and jazz them up a bit.  When I was cooking (or microwaving) them, my brother commented it smelled like pancakes.  I made two blueberry vanilla chip warm delights according to the directions, then topped them with a sliced white peach, a dollop of cool whip and some Just bunches crumbles for a garnish.

This time I used two caramel warm delights, cooked them, drizzled the packaged caramel on top, top it with cool whip, drizzled chocolate syrup and garnished it with chocolate cookie crisp cereal.

Spicy Chicken Tender Wrap

Spicy Chicken Tender Wrap

Ingredients:

1 Jalepeno Cheddar Wrap

2 slices Jalepeno Havarti Cheese

1 tbsp. Southwestern Ranch

2 Tomato slices

5 Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Directions:

For this wrap I heated 5 buffalo chicken tenders in the microwave.  Then I layed out a jalepeno cheddar wrap and spread a stripe of southwestern ranch.  Then I placed the chicken tenders on top of the ranch, added some sliced tomatoes and jalepeno havarti cheese.  I grilled this on the stove until brown, then served.

Veggie Burger Salad

Veggie Burger Salad

Ingredients:

1 MorningStar Veggie Medley Burger Patty

1 Head Romaine Lettuce

5 small Emeril's Romanito Tomatoes

1/2 Avocado

Crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, sprinkled

Roasted Garlic Balsamic dressing

Directions:

Wash and chop head of romaine.  Grill the veggie patty on the stove.  Removed when cooked, and slice.  Cut up the tomatoes and slice the avocado into chunks.  Top with roasted garlic balsamic dressing and toss all ingredients together.

Granola Cookies with Chocolate and Roasted Almonds

These turned out kind of dry, but the type of dry that just makes you want to pair it with a glass of milk.

Granola Cookies with Chocolate and Roasted Almonds

adapated from Bake or Break

Ingredients:                 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 & 1/2 cups granola (I used barenaked granola that i broiled in the oven to make it crunchier)

1 cup sliced roasted almonds

3/4 cup coarsely chopped chocolate

Directions

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth (about 2 minutes).  Mix in egg and vanilla, beating well. 

Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing until thoroughly blended.  Stir in granola, almonds and chocolate.  Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookies sheets.  

Leave several inches between cookies.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit.  Bake 12-14 minutes.  Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes.

Mint Chocolate Chunk Cookies

My boyfriend requested something minty, so I did another rendition of the Chock-Full of Chip Cookies by substituting the vanilla extract for peppermint extract and using chocolate chunks instead of chips.  These turned out well, the mint is not too overwhelming, resembles the flavor of mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Mint Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

6 squares of Baker's Chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electic mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smoothly blended (one minute).  Add the egg and peppermint extract and mix until blended (one minute).  On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing until it is incorporated.  Mix in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

Use a tablespoon to drop heaping spoonfuls of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies 3 inches apart.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the edges are lightly browned and the centers are golden, about 15 minutes.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 10 minutes.  

Peanut Butter Chock-Full of Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter Chock-Full of Chip Cookies

I used the same recipe as before, but instead used 24 oz. of mixed peanut butter and milk chocolate chips. I think the last time I only used about 12 oz. or a little more of chips. This batch made about 24 cookies, where the other one only made about 19. The more chips the better!

Brownie Bottom Ice Cream Pie

Brownie Bottom Ice Cream Pie

You will need:

1 box of Ghiradelli Ultimate Fudge Brownie, or any boxed brownie (+ fudge or chocolate syrup)

Ice cream (any flavor, your choice)

4 oz. Cool Whip

Cocoa Powder, to taste

Cookie topping (Optional)

I made this for my boyfriend's parents' anniversary. I was kind of winging it, but it turned out pretty good. For this recipe I cheated and used a boxed Ghiradelli Ultimate Fudge Brownie mix. I followed the instructions and baked it in a 9' pie pan. After I removed it from the oven, I dug out the center, leaving a brownie crust. Then I used the fudge that came in the box to coat the bottom where I had removed some of the brownie. 

I let this cool, and put it in the freezer to speed up the process. When it was cool enough, I used vanilla and chocolate swirled ice cream to fill in the center. I freezed this for a couple hours. Right before I was going to serve or present this, I used 4 oz. of cool whip, mixed with enough cocoa powder until the cool whip had a light brown tint and a slight cocoa flavor. Then I crumpled the fresh cookies I made using the Chock-Full of Chip Cookie recipe (with peanut butter and chocolate chips).

Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait

This is kind of a no-brainer, but it's my favorite morning concoction.  I cut up a peach, or nectarine or fruit of some sort, layer it with yogurt that has either been frozen overnight and slightly thawed, or frozen for an hour prior.  I don't like it to be chunky, but I find it's really satisfying when the yogurt is really cold.  Then I top it with granola, or Honey Bunches of Oats, Just Bunches, and voilá!

Mexican Ensalada

Mexican Ensalada

Ingredients:

1 head of romaine

1 can black beans

1/2 can whole kernel corn

4 small Emeril's romanito tomatoes

1 half avocado

handful of tortilla chips, crumbled

tropical mango vinaigrette, to taste

Directions:

Chop the romaine, cut the tomatoes, slice the avocado, and drain the black beans and corn. Toss ingredients together and top it off with dressing and tortilla chips for croutons. 

I really like this mango vinaigrette; the flavor pairs really well with the black beans and the whole mexican aspect of the salad.

Using the same ingredients (minus the lettuce, tortilla chips and dressing), plus a slice of smoked cheddar cheese, I put the beans, corn, tomatoes and avocado in a Jalepeno Cheddar Wrap Tortilla and grilled it on the stove.

Chock-Full of Chip Cookies

This used to be my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe before I had tried many others.  It comes from one of my favorite cookbooks called "The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook."  I found this cookbook in the bookstore in Coronado, and based on the pictures I had to buy it.  Today, instead of using chocolate chips, I used some butterscotch, white chocolate and a few milk chocolate chips that were leftovers from previous recipes.  I highly recommend this mixture of chips.  The taste feels like a warm hug.

Chock-Full of Chocolate Chip Cookies

from The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon aking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups (24 ounces) semisweet (or any kind of chip) chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electic mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smoothly blended (one minute).  Add the egg and vanilla and mix until blended (one minute).  On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing until it is incorporated.  Mix in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

Use a tablespoon to drop heaping spoonfuls of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies 3 inches apart.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the edges are lightly browned and the centers are golden, about 15 minutes.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 10 minutes.