We have had a couple of snow days here recently and I thoroughly enjoyed spending the days being lazy and watching movies all day with my daughter. It really is nice to just leave everything behind every now and then and just do nothing. But all those movies can make a girl hungry so I found some milk chocolate & peanut butter chips hiding out in the cabinet and just had to have some cookies. Not sure why I even bought these because we usually only use dark chocolate chips in our cookies.

Now you have to understand that I am NOT a baker. All the exact science and measurements make me nervous. So I start creaming the butter and the sugars and go to add the eggs and discover that I only have ONE egg. Now I’m getting frustrated and wondering how I’m going to figure this one out without running to the store. (Lesson here is get all ingredients out BEFORE you start preparing)

So my darling daughter (the real baker in our house) suggests to maybe make a half recipe or substitute something for the egg. In my frustration, I sat the mixer down against the bowl and it falls over knocking a portion of the sugar mixture into the floor. What now?? No way to figure out what percentage is lost.

Not to be defeated, we started experimenting. Added the one egg, a little bit of milk to replace the egg and proceeded with the dry ingredients. Wasn’t sure what the result would be but they turned out really good.

So here is the recipe (my version in parentheses).

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 sticks of butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 12 ounce package peanut butter & milk chocolate chips

Combine flour, soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside

Cream butter and sugars in mixing bowl until well combined and creamy. Add eggs one at a time and vanilla, mixing well. (Or add one egg and approximately ¼ cup milk). Stir in chips.

Drop by tablespoon onto baking sheet (I use a baking stone) and bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes until golden brown. (Now here was a big difference, I had to keep baking them for about 15-18 minutes before they were done. So was this because of the lack of egg? You bakers/scientists probably know the answer to this)

So I’m pretty proud of the accomplishment into experimental baker, but don’t think I’ll be trying this too often. Too stressful for me. I do love all the bakery creations though, would just rather eat than prepare.

But when you have a lot of them what is the best way to store them? First of all, if you are planning on using them within a week DO NOT put them in the fridge! Chilling will cause them to lose almost all of their flavor and also turn them mushy. So when you bring those beautiful tomatoes in from the garden or farmers market, leave them on the kitchen counter or window sill until you get ready to use them. They should be good for at least a week this way. Store bought tomatoes will have a shorter life since they are already a few days old by the time you get them.

Now I know some of you have LOTS of tomatoes and there is no way to eat them all in a week. For long term storage you can either freeze or can them and have great tasting tomatoes well into fall or winter. My kitchen skills haven’t progressed that far so I just keep making salsa until they are gone. Patience, I’ll get to the salsa recipe soon, I promise.

Keep it simple and savor all the tastes of summer!

But there is one jewel that hits it’s prime right in the middle the hottest part of summer. Homegrown tomatoes are the BEST!

I haven’t grown any myself in the last couple of years but my friend (thanks Sandy) blessed me with some right out of her garden last week and they are a little slice of heaven.

My favorite summer sandwich is the classic BLT. I could literally eat one every day if I have really good home grown tomatoes. The ones in Walmart can’t even come close. The perfect combination of saltiness, acidity, sweetness & crunch)

So today, I’ve been slaving over my computer in my wonderful air conditioned house (no humidity here, although a couple of flies seem to always somehow sneak in. How do they do that?) and for my lunch break I indulged. The perfect BLT.

If it makes you hungry, never fear. Easy to make and oh so satisfying.

BLT (Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich)

2 slices of lightly toasted bread
Mayonnaise (but I prefer Miracle Whip)
4-5 slices of crisp bacon
2-3 thin slices tomato
2 leaves of lettuce

It is important to toast the bread for this sandwich. Keeps it from becoming quite so soggy from those juicy tomatoes.

Spread both bread slices with mayo (or Miracle Whip).

Layer bacon slices, tomato and lettuce then enjoy each delicious bite.

I have found that it is important to layer the tomato between the bacon and the lettuce to again prevent the juiciness of the tomato from soaking up the bread. So if this is the process I think we should change the name to “BTL”. What do you think?

I like this recipe because I can add a little extra heat and the honey balances it out. Although they were still too hot for the son. Guess I should just leave his naked. And you can adjust to the heat you prefer by the amount of cayenne you add.

They are great for a weekend dinner or double it up for party finger food.

Enjoy!

Honey Buffalo Chicken Wings

3-4 pounds Chicken wings
1 stick butter
1 cup hot sauce
1/2 cup honey
Salt
Cayenne pepper

Cut off the tips of the wings and discard. Using a sharp heavy duty knife separate the wings at the joints and cut off any loose skin. This process isn’t too difficult once you determine where the joint is.

Preheat the grill to high heat and lightly oil the grate. You could also deep fry or oven bake them but I prefer the outdoor grill method for less mess and better flavor.

Grill the wings over medium high heat for 15-20 minutes, turning often, until done and the juices run clear. I also make sure the skin is crispy (don’t want any chewiness here).

While the wings are cooking, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add hot sauce, honey, salt & cayenne. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes until well combined and heated through.

Remove wings from the grill to a large bowl with lid. Pour sauce over wings. Secure the lid and give a vigorous shake to coat.

Serve with raw veggies and Bleu Cheese or Ranch dressing.

Since purchasing my Keurig Single-Cup Home-Brewing System this spring I rarely make the Starbucks trip anymore. And after experimenting I have finally mastered the perfect Iced Coffee that, in my opinion, is even better than Starbucks.

My husband just doesn’t get cold coffee but it is oh so refreshing for summer.

Ingredients:
One cup of very strong brewed coffee
Shaker full of ice
Splash of cream (optional)*
Sweetener or flavored syrup*

There are several varieties of K-cup bold blends. The three that I use most are Green Mountain Nantucket Blend Iced Coffee
, Timothy’s Rainforest Extra Bold Espresso
, and Coffee People Black Tiger
. The Black Tiger blend is really bold and a little bitter for me as hot coffee but is delicious over ice. I’m sure there are other great ones but these are the best I’ve tried so far. Would love your recommendations of others you may have tried.

1. Brew your favorite k-cup blend on either the small or medium setting. This is essential because even though they are bold flavors by pouring the hot coffee over ice you will be quickly diluting it.

2. I allow mine to sit for a few minutes after brewing so it doesn’t totally melt the ice when poured over it.

3. Fill a shaker** with ice. Add a splash of cream and sweetener, if desired.

4. Pour the coffee over the ice. Do a quick shake to blend. Pour into glass to serve.

*My personal favorite is just the cream. I think you lose the coffee flavor when you sweeten it, but that’s just my opinion.

**I’ve had this shaker sitting around for a few months without using it but WOW I’ve discovered how much I love it. This one is great too because it is double walled so no condensation. And dishwasher safe too. And the matching ice bucket ROCKS!!

Hope you enjoy. And if you’ve never tried Iced Coffee before, indulge yourself this summer!!

And this makes a huge casserole. Makes two meals for my family of four. I’ve served it the second day as leftovers. Or better yet divide into 2 square casseroles and freeze one for a quick and easy meal a few weeks later. Sorry for the imperfect picture. Forgot to take one before I took the first spoonful out. Guess I was hungry.

3-4 Chicken Breast halves, cooked
1 pound thin spaghetti
1 small diced green chiles
1/2 of a onion, finely diced
Half of a red bell pepper, finely diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups chicken broth (you can use the broth from the chicken or canned stock)
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon Southwestern Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Fill a large sauce pan 2/3 full with water and bring to a boil. Cook chicken breasts in boiling water until done, 10-15 minutes. Remove chicken to cutting board to cool.

Add spaghetti to same water you cooked the chicken in. Add more if needed. Cook until al dente. Drain.

While spaghetti is cooking, finely dice the onion and bell pepper and shred the chicken breasts.

In a large mixing bowl, combine spaghetti, green chiles, onion, bell pepper, soups, chicken broth, 2 cups of the cheese, and seasonings. For a spicer casserole add more Southwestern seasoning.

Put spaghetti mixture in a 9×13 casserole dish or two 8×8 square casseroles.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Add remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake for additional 15 minutes until cheese is melted.

Serve with salad and crusty bread. Or Parmesan-Garlic Crescent Wheels.

One of these days I’ll indulge though. After all it is fruit. Should make a good lunch and then follow it up with dessert all in one prep.

1 package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 package (8 ozs) cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 lemon
Your choice of fruit (My favorites are berries and grapes but think color when topping it and it will be beautiful)
1 container (8 ozs) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Preheat oven to 350. Press cookie dough out onto Large Round Baking Stone. Using Roller roll evenly to cover stone. (Note: To prevent dough from sticking to roller cover with wax or parchment before rolling) Trim edges ½ inch from edge of stone with Pizza Cutter. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Do not overbake. Cookie will continue to cook some more as it cools. Put on Cooling Rack; cool completely. Using Large Spreader, loosen cookie from stone.

Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar in mixing bowl. Zest lemon to measure 1 teaspoon zest. Juice lemon to measure 1 teaspoon juice. Add zest and juice to cream cheese mixture; mix until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over crust.

Top with your favorite fruits and pipe on whipped topping if desired.

This is a great brewing system for those of us who like to experiment with different varieties and flavors. My hubby on the other hand wasn’t so impressed. He likes his regular brewed coffee. I was able to justify it further since Keurig offers a filter cup that you can add your own ground coffee to. I do need a bit of advice on this one though. When I tried using it, it didn’t flow through very well. Anyone have any tips so I can make him happy too?

I Need Your Help Too – PLEASE!!

Also since I’m a newbie with this system, I would love to know your favorites in the K-Cups. I normally like my coffee bold and on occasion a flavored blend. The husband likes his one the mild side. Suggestions are welcome along with the most economical place to purchase them.

And then I’m in Walmart a few weeks ago and discover that they now make crescent Rounds to make the preparation even easier. What will they come up with next?

So here are my two favorite “Dress up Your Crescents” recipes. One savory and one sweet. Hope you love them as much as I do.

Parmesan-Garlic Crescents

1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
Butter or margarine
Garlic Powder or fresh garlic finely minced
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

1. Unroll the crescent dough into 2 rectangles. If using regular crescents, press the seams together to seal. If using the new crescent rounds, this step isn’t necessary.

2. Spread a thin layer of butter over the dough.

3. Sprinkle with garlic powder or fresh minced garlic. Grate Parmesan cheese over the dough.

4. Roll up the dough press the edge of the dough to seal. With a serrated knife, cut into 8 rolls. If using the crescent rounds, simply break apart at the perforations.

5. Bake for 13-14 minutes until golden brown.

Cinnamon Crescents

1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
Butter or margarine
Cinnamon Sugar mixture

1 cup powdered sugar
2-4 tablespoons milk

Prepare rolls as above in steps 1 & 2
Sprinkle with prepared cinnamon sugar mixture as you would for cinnamon toast.
Roll up and cut and bake as in step 4 & 5 above.

Prepare icing by adding milk 1 tablespoon at a time to powdered sugar until it reaches desired consistency. Spread or drizzle over baked rolls.

As a substitute for the cinnamon sugar I have discovered these great sprinkle mixtures. They make awesome sweet rolls and I can mix and match the flavors or try a different one each time depending on my mood. Check them out. I know you will love them too.

So if you love Mexican this is simple, simple, simple. And goes great with the salsa & guac.

2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup diced onion
1 garlic cloves, pressed
Salt
Pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoons oregano
1 can chopped green chilies
1/2 cup taco sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup melted butter
7-8 flour tortillas
Cheddar cheese
Salsa

In a large skillet, brown ground beef with onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until no longer pink. Drain liquid.

Add green chilies, taco sauce and sour cream. Mix well. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly grease large baking pan.

Microwave tortillas wrapped in kitchen or paper towel for about 1 minute to soften. Place 1/3 cup of beef mixture on center of tortilla. Fold tortilla over to resemble envelope and place on pan seam side down. Repeat on remaining tortillas until all beef mixture is used.

Liberally brush to coat tortillas with melted butter.

Bake at 500 degrees until crispy, about 15 minutes. It is recommended to lay a piece of foil over the top to prevent butter from splattering.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese return until melted. Serve with salsa if desired.