Black Bean Roll-ups with Salsa

Well it's been a little while since I've posted. I haven't forgotten,  just been a little bit busy and a little challenged at finding good times to sit down and blog.

I've still been cooking a lot for the holiday season, parties at work, and football. ROLL TIDE! :)

Here is a quick football snack I threw together the other day. It's the first time we've tried this version of roll-ups and they were gone pretty quickly. I think you could mix and match a lot of different varieties. This one is pretty basic.

Black Bean Roll-ups served with salsa

Ingredients
1 can or about a cup of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup (about 4 oz) Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded (you could use pepper jack if you like it a little spicier)
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt, onion, pepper, or whatever seasonings your heart desires
3-6 flour tortillas, depending on tortilla size and how thick you want the inside layers

Directions
Mix together cream cheese, Monterrey jack cheese, sour cream. I threw in a little onion and salt, but you could season with a lot of different things and it would give it a whole different twist each time.

Use a food processor to blend the black beans to a smooth consistency. I started to add a little olive oil to help with this part. I didn't, but I might try it next time.

Spread the smooth black beans on a tortilla, leaving about an inch around the edge. Then spread the cheese mixture on top of the black beans.

Roll up tightly and secure with a toothpick or wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate about 20 minutes. You can leave in the fridge longer if you like too.

Remove from fridge and cut (I use a serrated knife) into about 1/4-1/2 inch slices. Serve with salsa of your choice! I was very excited to use my Christmas dishes for this. First use of the season. You can't really see the pattern with the food in it, but trust me, it was pretty and festive!

Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Pretty much as soon as I made this Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake Cake I knew that I had to try the two parts separately.

It's been hard to convince others in the family to let me separate them because they liked it so much together!

I threw out making peanut butter cheesecake as a suggestion for my dessert contribution on Thanksgiving this year and it was met with a quick and resounding "YES!" Now they may or may not have understood that I meant I was just making a cheesecake, not this entire cheesecake cake, but I'm going with it anyway. :)

I'm pretty sure they won't complain too much since the cheesecake is so.darn.good.

It's peanut butter and chocolate, so really can you go wrong with that? I think not!

Ingredients
CRUST
1.5 cups Graham crackers crumbs
3 Tbsp sugar
1/3 cup melted butter

CHEESECAKE 
2 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

GANACHE
15 Dove Dark Chooclate Promises (about 4 oz)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Dove Peanut Butter and Milk Chocolate Promise for garnish

WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar 

Directions
CHEESECAKE:
Preheat oven to 325. Fill a shallow pan with about 1 inch of water and place on bottom rack of oven.

First mix together crust. Mix Graham crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar and butter together and press on to bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

I didn't feel like dragging out my heavy food processor so I thought I'd give my blender a try for this. It didn't work so well I ended up mixing it in a bowl and having to clean up my blender to boot. Oh well I tried.

In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes until creamy.
Add peanut butter, salt, and eggs. Beat well.
Beat in sour cream and heavy cream, scraping sides as needed. Allow to mix on high for two minutes until thick and creamy.

Pour into prepared springform pan and place in bottom 2/3 of oven above pan of water.

Bake for 45 minutes then turn oven off and let cheesecake sit in oven for additional 25-30 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack then store in refrigerator.

GANACHE:

Unwrap 15 Dove Dark Chocolate PROMISES and place in microwave safe glass bowl. Add cream and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir then heat for additional 30 seconds. Use a whisk to quickly stir until smooth. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes. 

WHIPPED TOPPING:

Place metal bowl and whisk in freezer for 10-15 minutes. Then whisk together cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. 

 

Pour the cooled ganache over top of set cheesecake and let it run over and down the sides. Then garnish with whipped cream as desired.

What's Up Wednesday 11/23/16

Today it is time for What's Up Wednesday with Mix and Match Mama, The Larson Lingo and Sheaffer Told Me To. Thanks ladies for hosting a fun link up!

1. What we’re eating this week
Monday night was baked chicken, brussel sprouts with pecans and cranberries (recipe post may be coming soon) and sweet potatoes. Last night was BBQ meatballs, couscous and veggies. Honestly I don't know what we'll do most of the week. Thursday of course is Thanksgiving so we'll be eating way too much with both sides of the family all day long. I imagine Friday will be leftovers. 

2. What I’m reminiscing about
It's getting close to our anniversary so I'm reminiscing about the days leading up to our wedding. Fall engagement parties, engagement pictures, last minute planning. Sweet times. 

3. What I’m loving
The holidays! Christmas movies on Hallmark Channel, which I finally get at home this year. Lots of baking and cooking. Family gatherings. Christmas music. This is my favorite time of the year. 

4. What we’ve been up to
Trying to stay warm! We seem to have skipped right over fall and gone straight from summer to winter, which isn't unusual around here. Getting ready for Thanksgiving, making doctor's appointments that we need to get done before the end of the year, figuring out Christmas shopping lists, plus all the usual stuff. 

5. What I’m dreading
Tackling all my Christmas shopping. Dread is a strong word though. I love giving gifts that people want and/or need, but figuring out what that is and then finding it can be less than fun sometimes. Praying for some direction HA! I love it when it's all done though. 

6. What I’m working on

Decorating for the holidays, shopping, cooking, baking.

7. What I’m excited about

Thanksgiving!! It's one of my favorite holidays of the year. A time to spend with family being thankful, relaxing and eating way too much good food. 

8. What I’m watching/reading

Still lots of football. Plus I picked up (finally) NCIS season 13 so we can finish watching it. I have a feeling we'll be binge watching the next few days. :)

9. What I’m listening to

I'm letting the Christmas music in finally. It's getting close enough to Thanksgiving that I will allow it. Not 24/7 but a little here and there. 

10. What I’m wearing

Layers. Lots and lots of layers. Monday and Tuesday this week I've had three plus a scarf. Of course I had to shed them all once I reached my office. The rest of the week is vacation and holiday time so who knows what I'll be wearing, right now it's sweatshirt and fuzzy pajama pants, but likely sweaters and boots for family gatherings on Thursday. 

11. What I’m doing this weekend

I'm not really sure. Definitely watching the Iron Bowl but I don't know where yet. Also probably doing some Christmas decorating around the house.

12. What I’m looking forward to next month

I love December. It's full of yummy food, Christmas music, Christmas movies, events, parties, family get together, giving gifts, time off. What's not to look forward to!

13. What else is new

Not a whole lot

Bonus question: What is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition?
Thanksgivings have changed over the years as our families have changed, but I think just getting together with my family for dinner and everything that goes along with that is always special and my favorite part of the holiday.

Hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

Life, Love and Other Mysteries

It's been quite busy around here lately. I guess that is probably the case for everyone getting ready for the holiday season and such. This is my favorite time of year so I'm planning to enjoy every minute of it!

It has been colder and more colorful lately. I just love to see fall colors. As dry as it has been I wasn't sure we'd really see any, but they have come through a little anyway.

In addition to getting ready for the holidays I've been cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, etc. The usual work and life routine. Along with lots of prayer for this country. 

With Veterans Day last week I'm always reminded of how much others have sacrificed for our freedom and I don't take that for granted. I'm so appreciative of them on Veteran's Day but also the whole year through. I think people often forget that this is one incredibly blessed nation. 

I see so much that bothers me when I look around and it can be very frustrating if I let it. I want to, and too often do, complain about all the things I see and how they don't even begin to make sense. Then I hear the Holy Spirit reminding me that the roots of our problems aren't in people or government. Those are only the visible results of what is happening on a spiritual level. 

I've seen several different quotes floating around about how no particular person or party can solve our problems, only Jesus can, and that is so true. If we would just refocus our attention on walking in the love that He has shed abroad in our hearts so much would start to change. 

Instead the enemy wants to divide and conquer, to amplify every difference small or large and every misunderstanding. We have to start attacking the root of the problems we see if we ever want to see a change and the way to do that is through God and sharing His love with everyone we come in contact with day in and day out. 

I know this is easier said than done and we will all no doubt fail multiple times. Each time though we have to get back up and keep moving forward, walking in love and grace and peace, and seeing things through the eyes of the Spirit. I believe if we can do that, not only will we make a change on a spiritual level it will start to manifest in the things we see all around us. 

Among other things more people, churches, and communities will start realizing that it is our privilege to help lift up those in need and get them back on their feet. It's not the governments job and it was never intended to be. The government needs to stop spending money it doesn't have on things it was never intended to do, and the church needs to step up and start doing more of what we are intended to do; sharing the love of Jesus through word and deed. 

I pray we can all come back to the principles and freedoms this nation was founded on and realize where we've strayed from that path and how to correct it. More importantly though I pray we as a people turn to the only true answer and look to Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith. 

I hope everyone has a happy and blessed Thanksgiving week and takes a few moments to be thankful for God's blessings in your life, whatever they may be.

Saltine Toffee

This dessert is so simple, but never fails to generate multiple recipe requests when I make it. I had not heard of making toffee with saltine crackers until sometime over the last few years when my mother-in-law brought it to a family gathering.

I asked her how she made it and I literally probably asked if she really meant saltine crackers at least five times, okay maybe more like three, but I just couldn't believe it. How could saltine crackers turn into this melt in your mouth deliciousness that I couldn't keep my hands out of?!

Since then I've seen similar recipes all over the internet in one form or another. This one is my favorite version though and never stays long in our house when we make it. You could get creative and use all kinds of topping combinations though, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, then top it with chopped candy bars, crushed cookies, you name it.

Ingredients
Approximately one sleeve of saltine crackers (depends on size of your baking sheet)
1 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
2 cups of chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate)

Directions
Line a large cooking/baking sheet with foil. I like using one that has a slight rim on it to contain all of the sauce.
Lay out saltine crackers in a single layer, covering every inch of the cookie sheet. (You can break them off if needed to fit all the way to the edges.)

In a medium sauce pan melt the butter and then add the brown sugar and bring to a boil.

Continue on a gentle boil until sauce is thick and bubbly. (Basically you are making caramel here.)
Pour the sauce over the crackers and spread it out evenly, covering the entire sheet. I use a spatula for this. You will want to work fairly quickly to keep the sauce from setting up and becoming too sticky.
Place in a 400 degree oven for about 5-8 minutes. Watch it carefully to avoid burning. When you see it all bubbly you want to take it out for the next step.

(At this point I was apparently overcome with excitement by the smell of chocolate and took zero additional photos. Sigh. I'll try to add some later.)
Remove from oven and sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips.
Return to oven for 2-3 minutes or until chips are softened enough to spread.
Spread chocolate out evenly over entire cookie sheet.
Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or longer until firm.
Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.
We usually store it in the fridge to keep it from melting, but we like to pull it out and let it come to room temperature before serving. YUM!!!

Peanut Butter and Brownie Trifle

This is one of many in a long line of desserts that my brother-in-law has named "heavenly delights". :) It started years ago when I made a four layer dessert that he thought was just heavenly so he renamed it then and there.

Over the years as I've made various desserts for family gatherings he has found several others than have been awarded the distinction of heavenly delight 2.0 or other versions of the title.

I believe the second was my chocolate chip pound cake which is high on the list of most requested desserts in my family. After that came a few others here and there. I think we've lost track of the numbering system at this point though and they are just known as one of the heavenly delights.

I love to bake and when others really enjoy something I've made it makes the joy of baking all the better.

I think this one may be more one of my sister's favorites since she often requests it, but it seems pretty popular across the board. It's also really simple to put together so that is a great thing too!

Make it for any peanut butter and chocolate lovers in your family or circle of friends and I'm pretty sure they will thank you and ask you to make it over and over again.

Another fun thing is that you can customize this so many different ways. Use a cake instead of brownies, Add different layers or toppings like fruit or chopped up candies and nuts. Change the flavor of the pudding. The possibilities are endless!

Ingredients
1 box of brownies prepared (or you could make a batch from scratch if you're so inclined)
1 large box of instead chocolate pudding (you could make some from scratch here too if you wanted)
8oz cream cheese softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3-4 Tbsp granulated sugar

Directions
Make the pudding according to the directions and place in fridge to set.

With an electric mixer beat together the heavy cream and the granulated sugar on med-high until stiff peaks form. (Tip: put your mixing bowl and beater in the fridge to get cold first). Store whipped cream in fridge until you're ready to assemble.

Beat together peanut butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add in powdered sugar and mix until combined (make sure you start out on low speed so you don't get covered in the sugar dust!). Add in 2 Tbsp of milk and mix well.

Add 1 cup of the whipped cream to the peanut butter mixture and fold in until combined.

Layer all of the yumminess into your trifle dish. I start with a layer of crumbled up brownies, followed by peanut butter mixture, then chocolate pudding, then whipped cream and then repeat it so everything is layered twice. There is really no wrong way to do it though!

I finish with the top layer being whipped cream and then will usually sprinkle some more brownie crumbs on top for decoration, or maybe even a peanut butter cup or other candies I have on hand.

Once you've layered it to your liking, refrigerate until ready to serve and then watch it disappear!

Simple Swedish Meatballs

I  have tried over the years various ways of making Swedish meatballs but none have ever really stuck with me. This one came out of my cookbook meal planning. We did change just a few things, but overall kept it close to the original from Pioneer Woman's Dinnertime cookbook.

This simple recipe was easy to make and had a good flavor. When I asked the hubby if it was a keep it or coaster, he said it was a keeper. :) So here it is.

Ingredients
1/4 cup brown mustard (we only had yellow on hand so that is what I used, and it was slightly less than 1/4 cup)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 1/4 cups beef broth
Pinch ground allspice
1 Tbsp cornstarch (we didn't have any so I used AP flour)
1/4 cup heavy cream
Meatballs (recipe below)
Noodles

Directions
In large skillet over med-high heat, add mustard, Worcestershire and 2 cups of beef broth and bring to boil. Add allspice.

Make a slurry with cornstarch (or flour in my case) and remaining broth. Whisk until smooth and then whisk into skillet. When mixture begins to boil again slowly add cream.

Whisk and let it thicken. Add meatballs, cover and cook until sauce thickens and meatballs are heated through. (8-10 minutes) I think at this point I let ours simmer a little too long because we weren't ready to eat yet and too much of the sauce cooked off. I would have liked a little bit more.

We served with bowtie pasta because that is what we had in the pantry and it worked great!

Meatballs
For the meatballs I kind of just threw them together. I used about a pound of meat and combined it with 1 egg, some crushed Ritz crackers and crushed saltines (we had an odd assortment already opened), a splash of milk, some salt, pepper and garlic powder.

I didn't want to go overboard with the flavors in the meatballs since I wasn't sure how the sauce was going to turn out. This little throw together mixture worked out just fine.

After mixing all the ingredients and forming into meatballs I placed them evenly distributed onto a foil covered baking sheet and cooked in a 375 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes until they were completely done. Your cooking time should vary based on your oven and the size of your meatballs. Mine were what I'd call medium-large.

Once they were done I just added them to the sauce on the stovetop and let them simmer.

Ground Beef Risotto

This easy one pan recipe is quick and a great option for a weeknight dinner. The method is basically the same as I used for my weeknight risotto side dish. 

First I just brown some ground beef in a 12 inch non-stick skillet. Adding in some garlic and onions and black pepper (or in this case garlic powder and minced onions).

Then after that is nice and browned over med-high heat I drained it and returned to the skillet and stirred in about 1 cup of rice. I let that cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring the whole time.

Then I stir in about 3.5 cups of beef broth (I've used chicken broth before too) and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, I reduced the heat to med-low and covered to let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.
After that I stir in some fresh, chopped veggies. This time I used a zucchini, but I've also used squash, carrots, whatever floats your boat!

I let that cook uncovered for about 7-10 minutes or until it's nice and tender. Or nice and crunchy if you aren't a fan of tender veggies. :)

Once the veggies have reached your desired level of doneness, remove from heat and stir in about 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese. 

Serve and Enjoy!

Ingredients 

1 lb ground beef (you could substitute other ground meat too)
1 small onion chopped (or equivalent minced onions)
2 cloves garlic, chopped (or equivalent garlic powder)
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup uncooked rice (I used regular long-grain, you could use Arborio too)
3.5 cups beef broth (or other broth)
1/2 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 - 1 cup of your favorite fresh veggies, chopped

Directions
In 12 inch non-stick skillet, cook meat, onion, garlic, and pepper over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly browned. Drain if desired.
Stir in uncooked rice and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Stir in broth and heat to boiling.
Reduce heat to medium-low.
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
Stir in veggies and cook 7-10 minutes or until done.
Remove from heat and stir in cheese.
Cover and let stand several minutes then serve and enjoy!

Window Project Finished... Maybe?

So I finished painting my fall window project. I'm just trying to decide if it needs anything else and where to put it. 

The lighting isn't the best. I need to take it outside to get a good photo of it. Overall I was pretty happy with how it turned out though.

I just used some various colors for the leaves. Orange pumpkin on some green grass and did a little two toned paint job on the letters. Now if I don't decide to add anything to it I just need to find it a home. :) Hard to believe it's almost Thanksgiving!

Monday

Whew, what a weekend.


I baked two cakes, one cheesecake, made a pot of chili, a pot of green beans, a pot of meatballs, two lasagnas and a salad.


Thankfully the lasagnas at least had been put together ahead of time or I don't think it all would have gotten done.


We had one side of the family Halloween party and a birthday party on the other side, so between those two things and church, we didn't really stop all weekend. I'm almost glad it's Monday so I can rest tonight. ALMOST, not quite because that whole being back at work thing puts a damper on things. :)


I am looking forward to going home this evening and just making dinner and wearing my PJs around the house. There will be other things I have to do, but nowhere I have to be at a specific time with a bunch of people. So I think that qualifies as resting.


I hope everyone has a fantastic day and lots of safe and fun trick or treating tonight for those who will be going out. I'll be the one with no porch light on.


Not because I'm not welcoming the little costumed kiddos, but because it burned out and we haven't replaced it yet. Tsk, tsk, tsk. I really need to make a honey do list. Maybe I'll do that this afternoon, but then again there is no candy at my house soooo, maybe we shouldn't be in a rush to change the light bulb just yet. HA!


Have fun out there!

Recipe Review - Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake Cake

Oh. my. goodness. Peanut butter, chocolate, cheesecake, chocolate... I mean need I say more?

I saw this recipe from Shugary Sweets while cruising Pinterest and knew I had to find an opportunity to try it. It seemed a little over the top, but looked oh so good and doable. Then when I saw Dove chocolates on sale, it was like a sign. I needed to make this recipe.

Since it is football season, gameday seemed like the perfect time to make this yummy dessert to share.

I actually followed the recipe exactly (well except the frosting) and made sure I had all the ingredients for this one. Go me!

I even took pictures all along the way. Double go me!

The recipe looks like a lot and might seem a little overwhelming at first, but it was surprisingly simple and easy to follow. It even turned out really pretty instead of like one of those "nailed it" photos you see. You know the ones I'm talking about.

I read through all of the tips before starting the cake and I felt like they were helpful, although besides making sure your cheesecake has time to chill and set I think you probably could make this alright without reading them as thoroughly as I did.

I started with the peanut butter cheesecake section and Oh.My. The smell that filled my kitchen was almost enough to make me want to start eating things with raw eggs... almost mind you, I'm still firmly in the don't eat raw eggs camp thanks to my momma. (Hi mom!) So the cheesecake batter all made it to the pan without being tested. I mean just look at this yumminess.

Oh so tempting...

Then I remember these

I didn't have the same size cake pans and springform pan as she suggests using so I knew from the start I would have to do some trimming. That turned out to not be difficult at all and resulted in some yummy cheesecake snack pieces. Bonus!

In order to get the parchment paper to stay, which I always seem to have a hard time with, I tucked it around the bottom of the pan and then attached the sides as a way to hold it in. I trimmed off the excess paper underneath and was ready to go. This did take a few tries to get the pan put together right, but I think it made the process of filling it with batter much simpler for me.

I baked the cheesecake the day before I was going to serve this and then I went ahead and baked the cake too. I am a passionate non-coffee lover. I mean like I don't love it or even like it a little, so adding coffee to the batter took some gusto for me but with some encouragement from the coffee drinking hubby I did it. I must say, the original recipe notes were right, you really couldn't taste it in the end. (I neglected to take photos of the cake baking process, boo)

The next day I pulled out the cheesecake and cake layers and went to work assembling. One cake layer, topped with the cheesecake, topped with the other cake layer. I could have stopped there and been pretty happy! HA!

After assembling and centering them all up as best I could I grabbed a serrated knife and went to work trimming down the cheesecake to the same size as the cake layers. I might or might not have tried a few pieces of the cheesecake shavings as I went.. and there may or may not have been noises of yumminess coming from my kitchen table around this time.

After assembling and trimming I whipped up the frosting and grabbed a spatula and an offset spatula to slather on a nice layer all around the cake.

Here is where I varied from the recipe just slightly. I only made a half recipe of frosting.

I know any frosting lovers out there are gasping and your jaws have just dropped. See the thing is, I've never been a fan of massive amounts of frosting. Even this incredibly yummy frosting which I totally licked off the spatula when I was done.

I like it but I don't want it overwhelming everything else and in my experience almost all frosting recipes leave me with way too much for my liking. So there you have it. For us a half recipe was perfect. I generously frosted the cake and still had some left over for decorating. Even after decorating, I'd say a few tablespoons were still leftover.

Making the ganache was a new experience for me, but it was so simple and really cool to see it all melt together after whisking it. It poured so smoothly over the chilled cake too. I have a feeling I will be making this ganache again for other recipes.

 

After the ganache was set I did a little decorating. I don't have a decorating bag so for that part I just used a quart sized zipper storage bag with the corner cut off.

Overall I would give this recipe 5 stars. Surprisingly easy (Multiple steps but they're easy to follow) and very yummy. My only complaint was I wish the cake had not dried out quite so much after being in the fridge. My solution was to pop each piece in the microwave for about 7-10 seconds before eating. That made it a little better to me.

If you think you can't make desserts that look like this I encourage you to give this one a try. If I can do it, you can do it!

Ingredients

CHEESECAKE
2 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
Pinch of salt (kosher or sea salt)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

CAKE
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1.5 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1.5 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled (or use 1 cup milk instead of 1/2 cup each)
1/2 cup milk

FROSTING
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2.5 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk

GANACHE
15 Dove Dark Chocolate PROMISES (about 4 oz)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Dove Peanut Butter and Milk Chocolate PROMISES for garnish

Directions

CHEESECAKE:

Preheat oven to 325. Fill a shallow pan with about 1 inch of water and place on bottom rack of oven.

Line a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper (see above for how I did mine).

In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes until creamy. Add peanut butter, salt, and eggs. Beat well

Beat in sour cream and heavy cream, scraping sides as needed. Allow to mix on high for two minutes until thick and creamy and try to refrain from eating it.

Pour into prepared springform pan and place in bottom 2/3 of oven (just above pan with water). Bake for 45 minutes then turn oven off and let cheesecake sit in oven for additional 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack. Once cool, refrigerate in pan until ready to assemble. Or you can remove from pan and freeze for later use (Thaw in fridge if frozen

CHOCOLATE CAKE:
Spray two 9 inch (or 8 inch if you're like me) pans with baking spray (or grease and flour). Set aside and preheat oven to 350.

In bowl combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

In measuring cup combine cooled coffee with milk (or use 1 cup of milk instead of using coffee at all). Set aside. 

In large bowl beat butter and sugar for 5 minutes with electric mixer. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Slowly alternate adding dry ingredients and coffee/milk mixture (about 3 additions of each).

Once all ingredients added, beat mixture for about 2-3 minutes until fluffy, scraping sides of bowl as needed.

Divide cake batter into two pans. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove and cool about 10 minutes in pan. Invert onto wire rack and cool completely. And again try not to eat them right then and there. mmm warm cake.

FROSTING:
Beat butter for about 3 minutes with electric mixer until pale in color, scraping sides of bowl as needed. 
Add in peanut butter, sugar and milk. Beat additional 3-5 minutes until frosting is fluffy and well blended.
Frost cake with generous layer, reserving a little for decorating. 
Refrigerate frosted cake while making ganache. 

GANACHE:
Unwrap 15 Dove Dark Chocolate PROMISES and place in microwave safe glass bowl. Add cream and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir then heat for additional 30 seconds. Use a whisk to quickly stir until smooth.
Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.

ASSEMBLY:
On cake plate, place one layer of chocolate cake. Add cheesecake on top, then top with second layer of chocolate cake. (If you were like me and had different size pans, get out your serrated knife and commence to carving away the yummy pieces of extra cheesecake until the edges of all three layers are the same size. Be sure to have a container on hand to store them for snacks later!)
Spread frosting on sides and top of cake in thick layer and refrigerate while preparing ganache.
Pour cooled ganache over center of cake and smooth out to edges, allowing to drip down sides of cake.
Use reserved frosting to pipe swirl or other decorations on top and around bottom of cake. If you don't have decorating tools on hand just use a small plastic food storage bag with the corner cut off.
Use unwrapped Chocolate/Peanut Butter PROMISES to decorate if desired.
Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. Enjoy!

What's Up Wednesday - 10/26/16

Today it is time for What's Up Wednesday with Mix and Match Mama, The Larson Lingo and Sheaffer Told Me To. Thanks ladies for hosting a fun link up!


1. What we’re eating this week
Monday was a late dinner night so we ate Mexican chicken, beans and veggies. Other nights will be some kind of ground beef, more chicken and probably some fish or more chicken. It's a bit of a crazy week, so we're just doing the best we can to get something on the table, BUT I am putting my new meal planning idea into action starting next week so hopefully I'll be a bit more organized then!

2. What I’m reminiscing about
Nothing really at the moment. I'm just enjoying the fall.  

3. What I’m loving
Cooler weather! YAY! We're still having some days in the mid to upper 80s but we've also had a few where highs were only upper 60s and low 70s so it has actually felt like fall.

4. What we’ve been up to
We traveled to the beach for a wedding. It was a short weekend, but some much needed time away. I've been working on my window art project, trying out new recipes, getting ready for fall family gatherings. I  just finished helping with a charity golf tournament. We've had a lot going on this month! Then there is the usual work and life routine too.

5. What I’m dreading
As much as I love the weather getting cooler, I'm dreading when it goes past that cool point straight to cold and icy feeling. Brrrrr

6. What I’m working on
Window project, cooking, meal planning... pretty much same as my answer to the what we've been up to section.

7. What I’m excited about

My new cookbook meal planning idea! I'm super pumped about this. I've been trying to figure out a meal planning plan that would work for us, and I think this one might just do the trick. Plus it feeds my love of cookbooks. Bonus!

Fall! I love the fall weather, the soups, chili, sweaters, sweatshirts. Plus it's the start of the holiday season, which is always my favorite time of year. 


8. What I’m watching/reading

Football, lots and lots of football. Reading my Bible as always, but not much else at the moment.


9. What I’m listening to

Nothing in particular.

10. What I’m wearing

Layers. Lots and lots of layers. It gets chilly in the morning, but I'm usually sweating by the middle of the day, then it's chilly again or it's not and I just keep right on sweating. Gotta love the south.

11. What I’m doing this weekend
We have a big family costume party with lots of food and craziness. Then I'll be recovering from eating all that food and listening to all the craziness. HA! Then of course there is football :)


12. What I’m looking forward to next month

Wow it's hard to believe next month is November already! Where has this year gone? I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving and spending that special time with family. Eating all the delicious food you only get during the holiday season. I think Thanksgiving may very well be my favorite holiday of all. No pressure for gift giving, just quality time with family and friends and great food!

13. What else is new
Mmmm not much that I can think of at the moment. :)

Bonus question: What is your favorite Halloween memory/picture/tradition?
I didn't have to think about this long at all. Even though I'm really not a Halloween person. (It just never has been my thing, but I do love the fall.) For a number of years now we get together with my sister and her family at our parents house and have a pumpkin carving night. We've done it since my husband and I were dating and it is always lots of fun. We get together and eat and then make a big, fat mess carving up some pumpkins on their dining room table. Then we take pictures with our pumpkins and take them home to decorate our porches. Fun times. :)

Window Project Update

I told you a while back about this new project I was starting.


Well since then I've made a little progress just working on it in the evenings or on the weekends when I have a few minutes. I decided to do a fall theme. I sanded down the rough edges and some bad spots, then put a fresh coat of white paint on the window frame. I let that dry and then I painted on the outline of the design I decided on, a pumpkin with some leaves and the words "Give Thanks" written above it.

You can't tell a lot from the photos. The shadows and the fact that it is glass kind of messes with the eyes.

Funny story. I thought I'd be all exact and try to measure letter spacing exactly and all that jazz. Yeah, that was a bit of a mess. I actually ended up cleaning off what I did and then free handing it, just spot checking the sizes as I went and making minor adjustments as needed. Turned out way better that way. Reminded me that I really need to just learn to let go sometimes. lol

Then I started painting in the various objects. I need to get some orange paint so I can keep going. Hopefully I will have this all done this week and get it sealed.

I used acrylic paint because that is what I had on hand and I don't plan on this being an outdoor decoration really. Hopefully I can seal it and it will work just fine. If not, it's a learning experience and I can do it over I suppose! :)

 

Cookbook Meal Planning

Today I am so excited about my new meal planning idea!

I seem to constantly be trying to figure out what to make for dinner. (Like millions of other people right!?)  The first title I had for this post was "The Saga of Meal Planning". I'm always saying that I need to meal plan in advance, do more freezer cooking, etc. I just never quite seem to get it done. I mean I have shining moments here and there, but for the most part I just seem to fail miserably at it and I'm scrambling to figure out what to cook each night.

At the same time, I am a cookbook lover. I mean I have a lot of them, like a whole lot. A few I've bought myself over the years, some I inherited from family, but the majority of them have been gifts because my family knows how much I love cookbooks. I started getting them probably as a teenager, or in college, and I get super excited about each one I receive.

I love looking through them and seeing all the delicious possibilities I could make. And while I have gotten use out of them (a good bit out of some) I never use them quite as much as I'd like. There are still TONS of yummy recipes waiting for me to give them their turn in my kitchen.


Then Pinterest came along and I started gathering tons of recipes there too which left my cookbooks even more neglected. I love Pinterest for finding recipes and all sorts of other things, but I'm really not a fan of having my nose stuck to my phone searching through the internet which in our neck of the woods is spotty at best and often frustrating. Doing this as you need to be getting dinner going is even more frustrating.


So, while these cookbooks sit around waiting to get some love, we make the same old standbys for dinner over and over again. Sigh.


Well, I recently had an idea that would help me address not one but both of these dilemmas! I pulled out a few of my favorite cookbooks one afternoon when I had a few minutes to spare and started looking for inspiration for dinners. While I was thumbing through, seeing once again all the great possibilities there were for getting me out of my dinnertime rut, a light bulb went off!


So here it is. (Drumroll please!) My cookbook meal planning plan. (Did that sentence even make sense?)


I'm going to take a few minutes to sit down and go through a cookbook. I'll make a note of the recipe titles and page numbers that look particularly interesting (and doable easy for weeknight dinners). Then each week I'll go over that list and pick out a few for dinner the next week. I'll go to the page numbers and make a list of ingredients to purchase at the grocery store, make a plan for food prep, and viola menu plan for the week and I finally make use of my cookbooks!


As I make it through one cookbook I'll start with another. Or perhaps I'll end up adding the list for each cookbook as I have the time and just choose recipes across all of them whether I've finished the first list or not. I'm still working out the details, but hey I have a starting point!

Of course I'm sure we will still make some of the standbys and favorites, but this will at least give me something new and different on a couple of nights each week. I plan to mark new favorites we find along the way too. That way we can put them in the "rotation" or if we find out something is not really our thing, we can make note of that too. But at least we'll have tried it!


I have tried for a long time to come up with a way of menu planning that works for me, so I am hoping this one does the trick. Plus bonus it will help me finally make better use of all my cookbooks! Then I won't have to feel so guilty for seeing new cookbooks in the store and wanting them too. I can stop seeing them and having to tell myself "No, no, no, you have shelves full already that you don't use. You can't buy yourself another cookbook!"


I'll let you know how it goes and what new favorites we find. I'm so excited to have a plan that I feel like I can actually do. It really is the little things in life! :)

Recipe Review - Old Time Ice Cream

A while back I bought one of those inexpensive little ice cream freezers... and by a while back I mean over a year ago and by inexpensive I mean off brand and dirt cheap. This isn't one of the nice ones like my sister (who usually makes the ice cream for family gatherings) has, but I thought it was worth a try for a starter.


I kept meaning to try it but for the longest there wasn't room in the freezer to store the bowl. After recently inheriting a deep freeze I finally had room. So the other day we wanted some ice cream but were trying to stick to the budget so I didn't want to buy any and I thought it would be the perfect time to try it out. I already had all of the ingredients at home for this recipe I found online. It looked promising and creamy in this photo so we gave it a whirl.

I will say that I wasn't sure the little freezer was going to be able to make it at first but I also didn't refrigerate the mixture for anywhere near as long as the machine instructions suggested. It said four hours and I did maybe 30 minutes. Finally after about 35 minutes of churning it started looking like ice cream. Good thing too since the machine instructions also said not to run it for over 40 minutes. Next time I'll try it the way it suggests. This time I was too far into the process when I read that part, so we just went with it.

Overall this recipe tasted pretty good but like most other homemade ice creams I've tried it leaves something to be desired in the consistency department if you, like me, are a fan of creamy ice cream. It wasn't super icy but it also wasn't very creamy. Very soft serve like when we first made it, then it hardened after being stored in the freezer for a day or so. (I neglected to take any photos before it was all gone - I'll get the hang of that one of these days) It did soften back up nicely as we dipped it out and let it warm up a little bit, but still not what I would classify as creamy. I'll keep trying and let you know if I find one that meets my expectations in the creaminess factor.

At this point I don't think my love for Blue Bell is in any danger. Ahhh Blue Bell, such a wonderful indulgence.

Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
Pinch of salt

Directions
Whisk all ingredients together until sugar dissolves. At this point I put it in the refrigerator for a while to get nice and cold. Then later we turned the ice cream freezer on and poured in the mixture (a very messy task it turns out, at least for us and this particular machine). Freeze according to your machines instructions. After ice cream is ready transfer to an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.

You could add some extras in toward the last five minutes or so of the churning process too but we just went with vanilla this time.

Overall I give it 4 stars for ease and taste. I'm still looking for that last star on creaminess though. :)

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

I don't make chicken pot pies very often. There just seems to be so much crust and sauce involved, and we usually try to keep our meals fairly healthy and balanced so I try not to go there too often. I like almost all things in moderation though, so don't get me wrong... I like a good chicken pot pie complete with flaky crust and creamy filling. There is no judgment of a good pot pie here!

So every once in a while when a nice hot chicken pot pie sounds like a great idea for dinner and I always seem to be scrambling around to find a recipe I want to use. This time I decided to make my own and write it down so next time I'll have it.

I don't really like using the canned cream soups. I prefer to make it from scratch. It's really simple with just some butter, flour, chicken broth and/or milk and salt, pepper, etc.

From there I just added in canned veggies for ease, chicken and a few other things. This recipe turned out very well except I think the onions were a little strong for my taste. Next time I might decrease the amount or just leave them out altogether.

I started with this super easy perfect pie crust from Pioneer Woman. I just love Pioneer Woman. I started reading her blog way back in the beginning when there were only two sections, Confessions and Pioneer Woman Cooks. Before she had even finished the Black Heels to Tractor Wheels series of posts. I can't believe how long ago that was now...but I digress!

I've been using this pie crust for years but since I don't use it very often, I always seem to forget just how simple it is to make.

I had boiled the chicken the night before while making dinner so I would have a head start. I just took about a pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut them up and brought them to a boil then let them cook over low heat until done. When I took them out the next night to make the chicken pot pie I pulled any larger pieces apart to make sure I had good bite sized pieces throughout.

I also made the pie crust the night before and stored it in the freezer, pulling it out a little while before dinner to thaw. I pulled it out maybe 30 minutes before since the instructions say thaw for 20 minutes, but I wish I'd done it a little sooner so it would have been easier to work with.

In a medium sized sauce pan I melted about 2 Tbsp of butter. Then stirred in about 3 Tbsp of AP flour and let it cook for several minutes to start making my roux.

Then I slowly added in about 1.5 cups of chicken broth, stirring until smooth. I let this cook until thick and bubbly. I think I also added about 1/2 a cup of milk, but I didn't write that down so I wouldn't swear to it. Oops.

I added about 1/4 of a medium sized onion, diced. Some garlic powder, because I still have no fresh garlic on hand, and stirred that around letting it cook for several minutes.

Then I added 2 cans of mixed vegetables and the previously cooked, cubed chicken, about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. I let this all heat up and get bubbly while I worked on the pie crusts.

In a standard glass pie pan I took one of the crusts that I had thawed and rolled out and lined the bottom, tucking in any edges.

The I filled the crust with the chicken filling and topped with a second pie crust.

I used one recipe to make both crusts. PW notes that you can get three thinner crusts or two generous. I've always gone with two, but I think next time I might take a walk on the wild side and divide it into thirds. Making a batch of several pie crusts to go in the freezer is on my to do list. I hope you enjoy this simple dinner. At least now I'll know where to go for a recipe when I'm ready to bake one of these.

Ingredients
1 perfect pie crust divided into two halves (or thirds and save a third for later use)
About 2 cups or 1 lb cooked, cubed chicken
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
~1.5 cups chicken broth
~1/2 cup milk
1/4 medium onion diced (or less if you want less onion flavor)
2 cans of mixed vegetables drained (you could also use the equivalent amount of frozen or fresh)
Garlic to taste
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Directions
Roll out pie crust into a top and bottom crust following instructions in recipe.
In a medium sized sauce pan melt butter.
Stir in flour and let it cook for several minutes until smooth and lightly browned, stirring constantly.
Slowly add chicken broth (and milk if using), stirring until thick, bubbly, and smooth.
Add onion, garlic and any other seasonings, stir and cook for several minutes.
Add vegetables and chicken along with salt and pepper.
Let mixture simmer while you line pie pan with crusts.
Line bottom of pie pan with one crust, tucking in edges as needed.
Pour chicken mixture into pie crust and top with second pie crust, again tucking in edges as needed.
Bake on about 375 until crust is golden brown. (I placed a baking sheet under mine to catch any drips but it actually didn't spill over this time!)
Serve and enjoy!