Peanut Butter Waffles

I'm on vacation.  But I haven't gone anywhere.  So what this means, for my children anyway, is that instead of having a stale granola bar thrown at them on the way out of the door in the morning, I might actually get out of bed and lovingly make them a real live breakfast.  And for the past two days that's been waffles.

 it's blurry, but just pretend you're just getting up to eat waffles and your eyes aren't quite awake yet

Last night I was thinking of my ongoing love of peanut butter, and then a thought of waffles, so the logical next step was peanut butter waffles.  With bananas and chocolate syrup of course.  

The recipe is from Martha Stewart.  It makes a light textured waffle that's a bit crispy on the outside...just like I like it.  The little darlings had better enjoy, next week it's back to slinging granola bars at their heads.

• • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)  umm, sure Martha
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing waffle iron
  • 6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 bananas, sliced, for serving
  • 3/4 cup pure maple syrup, for serving  OR Chocolate, perhaps

Directions

1. Heat waffle iron and preheat oven to 275 degrees; set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a blender, blend butter and peanut butter until smooth, 1 minute. Add buttermilk and eggs and blend until combined, 1 minute. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir just until batter is combined.
2. Brush waffle iron with butter and pour in 1/2 to 3/4 cup batter, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Close iron and cook until waffles are golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer waffles to rack in oven to keep warm; repeat with remaining batter. Serve with bananas and maple syrup.

Cranberry Bliss Bars

It's the much lauded Cranberry Bliss Bar made famous by Starbucks, as I understand.  I've aspired to make them quite some time now, thinking their sophistication would launch me into the upper echelon of people who eat mature desserts.  

So, am I there?  Is this what it's like?  Feels...kinda the same as before.  While they were pretty yummy, I'm more of an un-sophisticated chocolate- covered, messy, gooey dessert person.  I guess what I'm saying is they're good, but I didn't feel the bliss.

If you think it's something that might bring you bliss, here's the recipe:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, cubed
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 ounces white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

Frosting:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 ounces white baking chocolate, melted
1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon grated orange zest (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper.
2. Prepare the blondie layer: In a medium bowl, melt butter for one minute in the microwave or until melted; stir in brown sugar. Pour the butter and sugar into a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Use an electric mixer to beat in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; gradually add the dry mixture to the butter mixture. Stir in the cranberries and chopped chocolate (batter will be thick).
3. Spread the blondie batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool completely on a wire rack.
4. Prepare the frosting: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until combined. Gradually add half of the melted white chocolate; beat until blended. Frost brownies. Sprinkle with chopped cranberries. Drizzle with remaining melted white chocolate. Let the frosting set then cut into bars- square or triangle-shaped. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa

There's nothing not to love about this delicious side dish.  It's easy and wonderful...go make some.  Now!  (I don't know why I'm feeling so bossy today, sorry)

Recipe (from Epicurious)

2 teaspoons grated lime zest

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup quinoa

1 (14- to 15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 medium tomatoes, diced

4 scallions, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk together lime zest and juice, butter, oil, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.

Wash quinoa in 3 changes of cold water in a bowl, draining in a sieve each time.

Cook quinoa in a medium pot of boiling salted water (1 tablespoon salt for 2 quarts water), uncovered, until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Drain in sieve, then set sieve in same pot with 1 inch of simmering water (water should not touch bottom of sieve). Cover quinoa with a folded kitchen towel, then cover sieve with a lid (don't worry if lid doesn't fit tightly) and steam over medium heat until tender, fluffy, and dry, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat and remove lid. Let stand, still covered with towel, 5 minutes.  *I didn't do all this, I just cooked the quinoa according to package directions*

Add quinoa to dressing and toss until dressing is absorbed, then stir in remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste.

I was wondering if there might be some way to decrease the butter/oil content of the dressing.  Any ideas?

Raspberry Icebox Cake

It's time for me to confess to anyone reading this that I have an addiction.  I'm addicted to downloading free books for my Kindle.  I just can't stop.  I have more books on there than I will ever read in my lifetime...not even sure if any of them are worth reading.  But one of the books I downloaded is called "30 Delicious Refrigerator Cake Recipes".  I like when a title just says what it means :)

Anyway, this book is comprised of desserts that are put together quickly then set in the refrigerator to meld together and do delicious things.  Some of them have a cookie base, or graham crackers.  Some of them require you to bake a cake or buy some type of cake and use it to soak up other good things.  I was drawn to this one because it has raspberries and marshmallows, both things that my son enjoys.

sorry for such cruddy pics, took them at 9pm

Basically it's a graham cracker crust on bottom, topped with raspberries combined with jello, and a whipped cream/marshmallow topping.  I had a little trouble with the proportions.  When they say "24 graham crackers" I think they mean the squares, not the rectangles, as I had way too much cracker crumbs.  And I think in the jello part I would have used a little more water to bulk up the amount of filling it makes up.  But otherwise it was quite delicious, and not as labor intensive as it sounds.  My daughter how usually doesn't care for any berries even liked it.  

Here's the recipe:

24 graham crackers, crushed

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 pkg raspberry gelatin (6 oz)

1 cup boiling water

15 oz frozen raspberries

20 large marshmallows

1/3 cup milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Mix butter, brown sugar, and graham cracker crumbs.  Reserve 1/4 cup for the topping.  Use the remainder to create a crust by pressing it into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

2. Bake at 350 for 10 mins then set aside to cool.

3.  Dissolve raspberry gelatin in boiling water.  Add the frozen raspberries and stir until melted.  Chill until partially set, then spread the mixture over the crust.

4.  Place the milk and marshmallow into a pan.  Slowly heat until marshmallows melt.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.  When cool fold into the whipped cream and spread on top of raspberry mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining crumbs.

5.  Chill for 3-4 hours before serving.

Speaking of berries, I was recently the winner of a whole pantload of Driscoll berry coupons from Emily at Sugar Plum!  Can't wait to load up on all kinds of berries to make more yummy things :)

  

Food That I Didn't Make

I don't know if you know this about me but I LOVE Mexican food!  And I'm fortunate enough to live in the mecca of fine Mexican cuisine (that'd be Arizona, not Mexico).  One of my favorite places is just around the corner, and their salsa is just the absolute best.  I could eat it with a spoon.  But I'd hate to make the chips feel bad by leaving them out.  We recently realized they do brunch on the weekend and I met this beautiful dish...

I think it's beautiful, anyway.  It's an omelet stuffed with spinach and bacon and covered with some sort of cheesy goodness.  It's heaven on a plate my friends.  

I haven't been cooking too many interesting things lately, hence the lack of blogging.  However, we just bought a juicer last week and we're having tons of fun with that.  I saw a documentary called "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" and was really inspired to get more fruits and veggies in my diet by juicing.

  The guy in the movie did a complete juice fast (doctor supervised) for maybe 2 or 3 months and lost a ton of weight. I'm thinking upwards of 90, can't remember for sure.  I don't think I could ever completely give up eating but I do think I can replace some of the processed fried meals I eat with juice now and then.  Today I had a combo of apple, orange, spinach, carrot, beet, and green pepper!   Watch the documentary if you get a chance, it's really interesting.  It's on Netflix and Amazon Prime.    

In other news, a couple of weeks ago I was the happy winner a very snazzy apron from Shabby Apple courtesy of Monica from Lick the Bowl Good.  I haven't had a chance to snap a picture but you can go here to see it.  Thanks Monica :)

Prayers Needed

I haven't been blogging much but have still been visiting other's sites, and just read that one of my favorite bloggers (ok, you're all my favorites) has a crisis in her family.  Lara of Recipe Shoebox has a son who has been recently diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.  I know any prayers and words of kindness will be appreciated.  Thanks!

Christmas Food

Is it just me or is the day after Christmas just kind of....blah?  I guess so much anticipation and preparation, and then it's over.  But at least it left behind wrapping paper bits here and there and dishes that I still don't want to clean.  Oh well...I will reminisce about the food....

I made a cranberry cake I had seen several months back at Real Mom Kitchen.  As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to make it for Christmas.

She mentions in her comments the cake was just a little dry, so I just increased the amounts of oil and sour cream by a bit and didn't find it dry at all.  The butter cream sauce really makes it special. Here's the recipe...

Cake:

3 Cups Flour

1 ½ Cups Sugar

4 teaspoons Baking Powder

¼ teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Milk

2 Eggs

¼ Cup Oil

½ teaspoon Almond Flavoring

½ Cup Sour Cream

3 Cups Fresh Cranberries

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; sift together.
2. In a separate bowl combine milk, eggs, oil, almond flavoring and sour cream; whisk together.
3. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and stir together.(this batter will be very thick) When liquid and dry ingredients are completely incorporated together, stir in cranberries.
4. Pour cake batter into a well-greased Bundt cake pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes; until toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes in Bundt pan, remove cake from pan and place on serving plate.
5. Allow cake to cool completely on serving plate. Cut into slices and serve slice topped with sauce recipe below.

Butter Cream Sauce:

• ½ Cup Butter
• 1 Cup Sugar
• ¾ Cup Half & Half 

1. Melt butter in a medium sized sauce pan over medium-low heat.
2. Mix in sugar until well combined, then mix in the half & half and bring heat up to medium-high heat.
3. Wisk continually until mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat.
4. Drizzle butter cream sauce over each individual slice of cranberry pudding cake and ENJOY!

We also had Green Bean Bundles, which I had always wanted to try.  Pretty yummy, of course can't go wrong with bacon!.

 

We also had this Chocolate Wafer Cookie Cake that I've been wanting to try for some time.  Although I did mine more as a trifle than a cake, just figured it would be easier.  

 

This is over the top delicious!  I loved the crushed candy canes sprinkled on top, give it just a little bit of mint.  Those wafers can be a little hard to find, but it's worth the effort.  

So I hope none of you are feeling as ho-hum as I am.  I'm sure I'll be back to my chipper self in no time!