Sweet & Salty

Yesterday, Aunt Flo and her buddy Cramps decided to show up a few days early. I was NOT ready for them. And by not ready, I mean I had nothing sweet (at least nothing that sounded good) to eat and no cheap wine. 

*Jeremy just came in the room and our conversation went a little like this: Jeremy - "Are you blogging?" Me - "yep" Jeremy - "Are you blogging about my toots?" Me (laughing) - "Yep" Jeremy - "My big, scary ones?" Me (laughing harder) - "Yep" Jeremy - "Oooh, I want to read it later!". Mind you, Jeremy is my 35 year old husband, not some 4 year old boy. So, here you go Jeremy, I blogged about your toots.* 

I sent Jeremy a text that said, "I want something sweet to eat and wine. Yes, definitely wine. And something sweet. And wine!" Is it obvious that I wanted something sweet and WINE? I don't know about you, but for at least the first two days of my period, I want to eat everything in sight! Usually the things that sound the best are something sweet with something salty to go along with it. And wine, we can't forget the wine. I say it helps my cramps. Too be honest, it probably just makes me forget I have cramps. Either way, it works! 

Anyway, I took a trip to the store to get some cheap wine and to find something to curb my sweet tooth. I scanned the cookie aisle and nothing jumped right off the shelf and screamed BUY ME! So, I came home and baked myself some cookies. Not just any cookies, the PERFECT cookies! I say these cookies are perfect because they are both sweet and salty! Two birds killed with one stone, BAM! And, I don't like birds, so the less stones I have to use the better! So, I decided to share this wonderfully, perfect cookie recipe with you. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped pretzels

3/4 cup chocolate chips

3/4 cup peanut butter chips

sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt

3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds). Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until all combined

4. Slowly add in the flour mixture and beat until well mixed

5. Add in the pretzel and chocolate/peanut butter chips and stir until mixed

6. Scoop out well rounded tablespoons of the dough onto a greased cookie sheet and then gently press the dough with the back of the spoon to flatten. Place flattened dough about 1 inch apart and then sprinkle with sea salt. 

7. Bake approximately 12-14 minutes or until the edges are nicely browned. 

 8. Remove from oven and let cool on the pan for a couple minutes then transfer to cooling rack

9. ENJOY!!! 

Goodbye sweet and salty craving! Just try not to eat too many! If it's that time of the month, Aunt Flo says it's ok to eat as many as you want and go ahead and finish off that bottle of wine. 

I don't know if it was the cookies or the wine (probably the wine), but I had a dream last night that I met Johnny Depp in Vegas and I asked him to take a picture with me to send to my mom. He said sure and we proceeded to have a little photo shoot complete with kissy face pictures. Who doesn't want a kissy face picture with Johnny Depp?!? Too bad it was just a dream! 

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a custom canvas, $20 store credit to adie's lovelies and a green and purple pattern makeup/jewelry pouch here.

Sunday Social

Blogging on Sunday, whaaaaaat?!? I'm not sure I've ever blogged on the weekend before. But, I decided to hop on to blogger and do a little blog stalking reading. While stalking reading, I came across this lovely link-up, Sunday Social, and decided I might as well participate. 

This weeks questions: All about food!!!

1. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? Cheese!!! I LOOOOVE cheese. It is the one food that I'm pretty sure I could not live without. There is no such thing as too much cheese.

2. What's your guilty pleasure/comfort food? Macaroni and cheese with hot dogs. I don't care if this is supposedly a kids meal, I love it! Part of me is still 5 years old.

3. What's the weirdest/craziest thing you've ever eaten? Hmm... probably shark or alligator. I ate both on my senior trip to Panama City Beach, FL. We won't talk about how long ago that way. 

4. What foods do you avoid at all costs? Beans!!! I hate beans! Something about the texture....Blech!!! 

5. What meal reminds you of your childhood? Fish sticks and macaroni and cheese. My mom didn't cook much when I was growing up since it was usually just me and her, so our easy go to meal was always fish sticks and mac and cheese. 

5. Share one of your favorite recipes and the story behind it.  Spaghetti casserole. It was one of the first things I really made on my own that I considered a meal. It's easy peasy, but super delicious! 

Spaghetti Casserole

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey

1 1/2 cans tomato soup

1 1/2 cans cream of mushroom soup

Spaghetti noodles

Shredded Cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Boil spaghetti noodles as directed on package. Brown meat and drain. Add the tomato soup and cream of mushroom soup to the drained meat and mix well. Mix spaghetti noodles and meat mixture and put in a casserole dish. Top with shredded cheese and bake until the cheese is melted. 

Serve with salad and bread and you have a complete meal. 

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!!!  

 

Peanut Butter Reese's Cup Cookies (Heaven)

I recently posted a picture of some cookies I made and a couple people asked for the recipe, so I figured I would share it with the blog world.

The peanut butter cookie recipe is my grandma's recipe and I just added a little twist with the reese's cups.  Who doesn't like peanut butter and chocolate?!?

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 bag miniature reese's cups

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl
3. Grease a mini muffin pan
4. Roll dough in a small ball and put in muffin pan (filled about 3/4 full)
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes
6. While the cookies are baking, unwrap the reese's cups.
7. Take out of the oven and push a miniature reese's cup in each one

Warning: This recipe makes about 72 cookies and they are HIGHLY addictive!!! Enjoy!

Easy Mini Pizzas

1 can biscuits (not the flakey kind)

Pizza sauce

Mozarella cheese

Desired toppings (I chose hamburger, hubby chose black olives)

1. Preheat oven to 375

  -if using hamburger, brown hamburger and drain (I add italian seasoning)

2. Flatten out biscuits in your hands

3. Place flattened biscuits on pan

4. Add pizza sauce

5. Add mozarella

6. Add desired toppings

7. Bake for approximately 13-15 minutes or until edges of biscuits are turning golden brown

8. Enjoy!

This is a great meal to make with kiddos. Put all the toppings in separate bowls, let the kids flatten out their biscuits in their hands and then let them add whatever toppings they choose. 

recipe.

I have decided that once a week I am going to post a recipe. I am doing this more for myself to make sure that I'm cooking at least one "home cooked" meal per week. This blog is a little late as I actually cooked this meal on Saturday, I just haven't had much time to post.

Spaghetti Casserole
1 lb hamburger meat
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (I used cream of chicken this time. Bro-in-law hates mushrooms.)
2 cans tomato soup
1/2 pkg spaghetti noodles
2 cups shredded cheese (I use a blend of cheddar, monterey jack and mozarella)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Boil spaghetti noodles as directed
3. Brown hamburger while spaghetti noodles are boiling
4. Drain grease from hamburger. Put back on burner and add soups. Mix well
5. Drain spaghetti noodles. Add to hamburger mixture.
6. Mix together well
7. Pour in 2 qt casserole dish
8. Sprinkle cheese on top
9. Bake until cheese is melted

Cheesy Bread
Ciabatta bread
Olive oil
Mozarella cheese
Fresh parmesan cheese
Garlic salt
Seasonings

1. Cut ciabatta bread in half
2. Drizzle olive oil on each half
3. Add garlic salt and seasonings (I use the 21 seasoning mix from Trader Joe's.)
4. Add mozarella cheese
5. Sprinkle with parmesan
6. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until the corners of the bread start turning golden brown.

This is such an easy, delicious meal. I was hoping to get pictures, but hubby and brother-in-law tore into it before I got the chance.