Recipe Review - Cream Cheese Cookie Bars

It seems that I am always trying to find recipes to use up odd amounts of leftovers in my pantry or refrigerator. I don't like to waste (especially food!). I had a half a block of cream cheese that has been in the fridge and I've been trying to find something in which to use it. I was also craving something chocolate. Never mind that this particular day I had already had two mini cappuccino chocolate chuck muffins for breakfast (oh my were they warm and yummy - but in my defense they were very small) and a chocolate chip cookie at lunch. Before that I had not had chocolate for quite a while... at least several days, so I was due some catching up.

Enter this Cream Cheese Cookie Bars recipe. After searching the internet for cream cheese recipes that included chocolate I came across these beauties via this Six Sisters Stuff post (I found quite a few interesting looking recipes there!). I was intrigued. I only had half a block of cream cheese and this recipe called for a whole block, but I've never been one to let details like that stop me. Especially if they are standing between me and chocolate. Not happening.

I had a pouch of Betty Crocker oatmeal chocolate chip cookie mix in the pantry and since that was the only cookie dough around, that is what we used. I did notice the original recipe appeared to use an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough as well, so hey we were doing good there!

I was very pleased with how they turned out. In fact, I think I liked this better than I would have with the whole block of cream cheese. I think it would have been too much for me. I was more interested in the chocolate and cookie parts so this turned out just right for us. You could always go by the original recipe and use the whole block if you're more of a cream cheese than chocolate fan.

The lighting in my kitchen is no bueno and I didn't think to take a picture until we had eaten a few, but you get the general idea. You will notice that several are already gone and we'd only eaten them once at this point... ahem. Please remember this is a judgment free zone. Oh you didn't know? Why yes this is definitely a judgement free zone, especially when it comes to chocolate. Grace extends to all areas of life. ;-)

The consistency was nice and gooey without being too gooey (is that even really a word?). I recommend eating them warm. We've just popped them in the microwave for a few seconds on our subsequent helpings. A nice glass of milk or some ice cream would also be yummy if you're into that sort of thing. I had milk with mine since no ice cream was on hand and it was quite good. Below is the recipe for our take on these yummy treats. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Cookie Bars 
Ingredients
4 ounce (1/2 brick) cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar was in original recipe so I just filled my 1/3 cup half full on this part
1/2 t. vanilla
1 egg
1 package of oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough (prepared according to package directions)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Using a mixer, mix the first four ingredients on med-high speed until light and fluffy. (This took a little longer than I expected and I was concerned that a whole egg was too much, but eventually it got to a consistency I felt good about. Might have taken slightly longer than the 2 minutes in the original recipe). Into an 8×8 inch greased baking dish, evenly press cookie dough to cover the bottom with a thick layer - we probably used a little over half the package. Pour cream cheese mixture over top and spread to edges of dish. Break the remaining dough into small pieces and sprinkle over top of cream cheese mixture. Lower oven heat to 325° and bake bars for 35-40 minutes or until tester comes out (almost) clean. Let cool completely before cutting into bars. Refrigerate any leftovers.

What's Up Wednesday (9/28/16)

Today I thought I'd give the What's Up Wednesday link up a whirl. I've never done one of these before so we'll see if I can figure out how to make it work. :) One of the hosts is Shay at the Mix and Match Mama (one of my favorite places to find recipe inspiration) and I always enjoy the fun answers to the monthly questions. I found as I answered these questions that I am not a very interesting person it would seem, but here it goes anyway.

1. What we’re eating this week
Monday we had homemade pizza. Homemade pizza dough is super easy. I used this recipe from the Pioneer Woman to make about 6 batches a few weeks back to freeze. We pulled two out (we like having leftovers for lunches), added some seasoned tomato sauce to one and BBQ sauce on the other, browned and seasoned some ground turkey, added spinach, sliced tomatoes, cheeses and made some veggies to go along with it. Other dinners this week (if all goes according to plan) will be: spinach and feta meatballs with risotto (planning to post that recipe soon!), baked chicken with veggies, and one yet to be determined meal with chicken. I really need to be better at menu planning. We fly by the seat of our pants a lot. Friday will probably be a restaurant meal to celebrate the end of the work week. 

2. What I’m reminiscing about

Our trip to California several years back. A friend is flying out today to visit Sacramento and it is bringing back all sorts of fun memories of our trip. My husband ran the CIM and qualified for the Boston Marathon and then we packed in lots of sight-seeing with friends. Those same friends actually got engaged on that trip, married soon after and are now the proud parents of two kiddos. A lot has happened since then but it doesn't seem like that long ago. 

3. What I’m loving

We are FINALLY getting a little bit of cooler weather around here. And when I say cooler I mean highs in the upper 80s instead of having temperatures in the high 90s like we have for most of the month of September. They are actually forecasting highs in the upper 80s and lows in the 50s! It’s finally starting to feel a little more like fall and football weather! You know you live in the South when 89 degrees in September is considered a wave of cool air. I still love it here though.

4. What we’ve been up to

Just the usual. Working, tackling projects around the house, cooking, cleaning, decorating for fall (although when the temperature is 97 and the heat index is over 100 it’s hard to get in the mood to decorate for fall so that has been slow going), watching football.   

5. What I’m dreading

Hmmm does going to work every day qualify? :)

6. What I’m working on

Ottoman makeover, window project, and a few other little odds and ends. Also, I should really get on that fall decorating since next week is October already. I’m also working on finding a place to stay at the beach for a cousin’s wedding.

7. What I’m excited about

Going to the beach for a weekend. The upcoming holiday season. Cooler weather!

8. What I’m watching/reading

Right now I’m not reading much other than my Bible. I need to find a good book. Any suggestions? I’m not watching much at the moment either, but I do have the last season of NCIS on hold at the local library because we missed the second half of it and are trying to catch up. Also looking forward to the new season of Fixer Upper starting soon. I am ready for some Chip and JoJo.

9. What I’m listening to

Way too much political talk. Every station it seems is recapping the debate. I'm ready to vote already. On that topic though, remember it's important to get out there and vote people!! No matter how tired we are of hearing all of this. The future of the country is at stake. Sorry, end of soapbox. 

10. What I’m wearing

Same old work clothes during the week. On the weekends Alabama gear and shorts for game day, shorts and sleeveless tops or t-shirts the rest of the weekend along with summer dresses for church (remember upper 90s). Looking forward to pulling out the jeans, sweaters and boots for the fall weather over the next few months though.  

11. What I’m doing this weekend

Watching football, catching up on housework, hopefully getting some time outdoors and enjoying some cooler weather and spending some time with family.

12. What I’m looking forward to next month

More cooler weather, fall food, and of course more football. Roll Tide! :)

13. What else is new

Not much else.

Bonus question: What is your favorite fall recipe? I have so many but the first one that came to mind was my White Chicken Chili. I make it for pretty much every fall or winter potluck, chili supper, etc. and it always goes over well. 

Well that's it, my first What's Up Wednesday in the books! Thanks to The Larson Lingo, Mix and Match Mama, and Sheaffer Told Me To and for hosting. 

White Chicken Chili

I was working on my What's Up Wednesday post for tomorrow and decided it would be a good time to share this recipe since the bonus question was "What is your favorite fall food?".

This yummy recipe is one I got from a friend I worked with years ago. It was one of her family's favorites and it has become one of ours as well. We've done a little tweaking over the years based on our own taste but the basic recipe remains the same. I have made this so many times, often substituting ingredients like garlic powder or onion powder when I didn't have the real thing on hand, and it still turns out great. I've also made it with more or less beans or chicken to adjust the size and I've made it without some of the spices when I didn't have them on hand. In fact I rarely if ever use the red pepper anymore. So basically what I'm saying is it is very forgiving and I love things that are forgiving. I make this every year for chili suppers, potlucks, football parties, you name it and it always goes over well. It is super easy and travels well in the crock pot so that wins big bonus points in my book too.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients
4-6 cans great white northern beans
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions chopped
4 garlic cloves minced
2 (4 oz) cans chopped green chiles (I usually leave this out)
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp red pepper
1 can chicken broth
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (I just use 1 whole block)

Directions
Simmer chicken in large pot 15 minutes or until done. Drain and cube. Saute all other items in same pot in olive oil, except beans and cheese, for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken broth and stir. Add beans, chicken and cheese. Stir and turn to simmer. Once heated through serve topped with additional cheese, green onions, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, corn chips or whatever your heart desires. The longer you let it simmer the yummier it gets, but you can also eat it as soon as it gets warm. This chili also freezes well and is great reheated!

*For a shortcut you could use store bought rotisserie chicken

** If you're using a crock pot to cook and not just transport I normally drop in the chicken broth, beans, and cheese first and then add the chicken and other items. You can either saute them in a separate pan before adding in or if you're in a pinch leave out the olive oil and just substitute garlic powder and onion powder, etc. and drop it right in the crock pot with the beans, broth, cheese and chicken. (Make sure you cook the chicken first or use an already cooked one from the store). Once it is nice and hot serve and enjoy!

New Project - Window art

I should really learn to finish projects before starting new ones, but I just can't seem to help myself. Here is my latest. I've been eyeing this window in a pile of old used windows out by the garage. I finally went and got it from the pile and cleaned it up. (pardon the fact that there is a folding table behind it - I  haven't taken many photos of it yet)

It had one section with some broken wood, from where it had been removed from it's original home I'm guessing. I had the handy hubby use his saw skills to get it all nice and even for me. It is now awaiting a fresh coat of paint.Once I paint it I'm thinking I'll distress the edges a little and then paint something on the actual glass. Maybe a fun seasonal decoration. I'm thinking fall maybe?

It is starting to look like fall a little bit. Although my car is still saying it is over 100 degrees when I get in it in the afternoons, so I'm thinking those brown leaves on the ground are not because it is fall but more likely that they've just given up on the heat ending at this point, turned brown, and jumped off the trees! It's really only mid to upper 90s but still, that ain't exactly fall weather. I mean my boots and sweaters are no.where.in.sight.

For now, I'm still gathering ideas but I'll post some more on this project when I figure out what exactly I'm doing with it. That's always a nice thing to know, isn't it?

Whitewashing wood

Here is a little project I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to do. My sweet husband made me a piece of wall decor for our anniversary. He cut our last inititial out of wood and then built a frame for it to hang on. The letter he painted black but he left the wood unfinished so I could decide how I wanted it to look. I decided I wanted a whitewashed / antique looking finish but it took me a little while to decide how to achieve that. I did a little research (thank you Google) and decided I would try a dry brush technique. It sounded much cleaner and easier than the other methods and I thought it would work well with the porous wood of the frame. So I grabbed a brush and some white paint and went to work.

I put some white paint on a paper plate and got just a little bit on the tip of the brush, then blotted it off on the plate and started applying it to the wood. I proceeded cautiously, taking my time and making sure I didn't apply too much but spreading it out in a thin layer as I went. After a few minutes I got the feel of how it would go on. I was very pleased with the look once I'd finished and with how simple it was. I'll try to do another project and actually document it step by step, but here is how the finish came out.

I think it will look great with the black letter mounted on it. We just have to get that attached and hang it on the wall!

Ottoman Update

So things have been pretty busy around here lately. I'm reminding myself to be thankful in the midst of so much going on that I might not necessarily be enjoying. For example, I'm thankful I share an office with a co-worker who helps remind me to be thankful and trust God even when we are frustrated or tired of things going on around us. That's just a small thing, I'm thankful for so much more like my family and all the many ways that God blesses us daily. I think it's helpful sometimes though to purposefully be thankful for something small that you might not pay much attention to normally. That's a lot of thankful for one paragraph, but I don't think you can ever have too much of it. 

I did find some time over the last week or so to turn my attention back to the ottoman project. I knew it would be a slow moving project that I would do in stages, but it took me a little longer to get back to it than I had planned! I have picked out a material for it which I plan to order soon, but in the meantime I painted the legs white to go with the new look. I was trying to figure out exactly how to paint them and then let them dry since they don't exactly stand on their own. I was thinking of using some sort of clamp to hold the metal portion of each leg, but my creative husband found some wire and nails and hung them from the ceiling for me to paint.

  

I covered the metal with some basic blue painters tape and then painted on two coats of white. Hopefully this will go well with the new material. If not, I can always sand them down and start over! You can see the shape the ottoman was in when I rescued it here. I have to believe anything will be an improvement but since this is my first ottoman to recover or restore I am looking forward to seeing how it all turns out. I'll post after photos once it is complete. Even if it doesn't turn out well, maybe I'll try to let everyone else know what not to do if they tackle such a project!

For now, it's back to daily life and finding things to be thankful for along the way. Remember no matter what everyone has something to be thankful for, you just have to find it. 

Recipe Review - Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream

So the other day there were two bananas sitting on my counter on their last leg. I mean these babies were not going to last another day. I started to make my usual banana bread recipe that is my go to for perishing bananas, but decided I wanted to try something different. I did a few searches on the internet and toyed around with a couple of ideas. Then I saw the latest issue of Southern Living sitting on the kitchen table and thought to myself "what if there is a nice banana recipe in there, how cool would that be". So I open it up and it almost immediately went to the page containing these treats.

Now, I did not have exactly all of the ingredients called for, but I didn't have the luxury of waiting until I got them (remember bananas perishing on the counter) so I pressed forward. Let's face it, I like to be rebel sometimes anyway.

They didn't turn out looking anywhere near as lovely as the photos in the magazine, but then again I never really expect my food to turn out looking like food that has a staff of stylists working on it. I could look that good if I had stylists working on me every day, but that's another story.

Overall, they turned out pretty well (I'd give them 3 stars) even with the substitutions I made so I imagine using the actual ingredients it calls for they'd be great! But who has time for such nonsense as that when languishing bananas are at stake HA! I noted below where I exchanged ingredients and what I used in it's place. I just love Southern Living Magazine. I feel like I could cook anything when I read their recipes.

Original recipe from Southern Living September 2016:

Ingredients 

BANANA CREAM FILLING

1 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana (about 2 small)

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (all I had was the good ole bottled variety)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons heavy cream (none of this either so I just used milk and it was only 2% at that)

CUPCAKES

1 1/2 cups (about 6 3/8 oz.) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup (4 oz.) salted butter, softened

1/4 cup whole milk (again only had 2%)

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

PEANUT BUTTER BUTTERCREAM

6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup salted butter, softened

3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon table salt

3 cups (about 12 oz.) powdered sugar

3 to 4 Tbsp. heavy cream (2% milk here again too)

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted (I used some chocolate chips I had on hand, but that really didn't work. Get the good melting chocolate!)

Preparation

1. Prepare the Banana Cream Filling: Stir together banana and lemon juice in a small bowl. Beat 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 3 ounces cream cheese, and 2 tablespoons heavy cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer at low speed until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup of the banana-lemon mixture, reserving the remaining 3/4 cup banana-lemon mixture for the batter.

2. Prepare the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Place baking cup liners in a 12-cup muffin pan; lightly coat liners with cooking spray. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup butter at medium speed in a large bowl until well combined, about 3 minutes. Add milk, eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; beat at low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. (Mixture may look curdled.) Gradually add flour mixture, beating at medium-low speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Stir reserved 3/4 cup banana-lemon mixture into batter.

3. Spoon about 1 tablespoon cupcake batter into each muffin cup; top evenly with Banana Cream Filling. Top evenly with remaining cupcake batter, and bake in preheated oven until tops are golden brown and cupcakes spring back when lightly touched, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes to a wire rack, and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

4. Prepare the Peanut Butter Buttercream: Beat peanut butter, 1/4 cup butter, 3 tablespoons cream cheese, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl at medium-low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add 3 cups powdered sugar alternately with 3 tablespoons of the cream, beating at low speed until smooth after each addition. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed, to reach desired consistency. Spoon frosting into a ziplock plastic freezer bag. Snip 1 corner of bag to make a small hole. Pipe about 3 tablespoons buttercream onto each cupcake. Drizzle melted chocolate evenly over buttercream.

Bookshelf Makeover Part II

It's been a while, but I'm FINALLY back to post about the completed bookshelf makeover. It's been done for a little bit but life got busy and I'm just now getting back to post about it. So to recap we had this bookshelf we saved from the trash heap and have been working on it for a little while to give it a new life. Well, I'm happy to say that it is now done and wait for it... housing books! YAY! Forgive my picture taking below that makes the scale look a little odd but at least you get the idea. 

Before

After

 A quick breakdown of how we got from point A to point B...

First we took off the back and doors, which were just thin pieces of press-board (I think that is what it's called) with fake wood paper on it. We replaced the back with bead board which I talked about way back in my first post on this project. (note: there was actually a period of several months in between these posts originally, but I'm moving old posts from a separate platform so they aren't that far apart here in their new home - ok continue reading) 

#demoday

We painted the bead board a sort of seafoam green color which we made by mixing some dark green and white paint we had on hand and then cut it down to size for the back. 

Then I gave everything a light sanding and we took it all apart for paint. ​(The hubby ended up replacing several of the shelves with some sturdier scrap pieces of wood he had around the garage because he can't stand weakness HA - at least not in wood.)

Bead board painted for back

Painting

It was a bit of a long process with sanding, painting, sanding, painting, until we got enough coats on for him to be happy with it. Then he added some pretty details around the top with some scrap pieces of trim we had around and created some new more decorative legs, also from scrap trim pieces. (I don't seem to have a great photo of the legs right now. I'll update later if I can find one.) His creative skills once again impressed me with designing legs for it from scratch with scraps! 

Legs made from scraps!

Pretty trim work for top

After all of that it was time for the new doors. We decided to make some doors with a contrasting inset piece on each. We decided matching it to the back by using some of the leftover green bead board would be nice. Getting all of the cuts just right and everything attached took a little bit of time and effort, but as usual his finished product turned out beautifully.

So there you have it, the bookshelf makeover is finally complete. The cost was minimal since all we really bought was the bead board for around $20 (and we still have some left over that we can use on some future project) and the hardware for probably less than $10. Now some of our books have been pulled out of the rubbermaid containers they've lived in for so long and sit on a proper bookshelf. I just have to figure out where on earth the rest of our books are!? I mean I have a lot more than this...somewhere.

So, even though it took a while we finally have a bookshelf, we saved a little something from going to the trash and got to work together using our creative skills on a project at the same time. I call that a success! 

*Originally posted on a separate platform August 2016*

Reclaimed

My uber talented woodworking husband loves taking old wood and making something new out of it. (We are a good match. :))

Being in the business of building things often means taking down old things first. Most of the time, or at least I'd venture to guess for most builders, those old things go in a dumpster to make way for the new. My husband being the creative woodworker that he is though, often sees something headed for the trash and instead of sending it to a landfill somewhere decides to give it a new life.

Like this pile of old wooden pieces that once made a lath (I'll admit I had to google how to spell that) for plaster.

The wood came from a house that was built almost 100 years ago which is pretty cool in itself. Here is a photo of it before #demoday happened and it became the wood pile above.

And here is what it looks like today after pouring some love, sweat and creative skills into it. 

When he first told me his plan of making so many tiny little pieces and then fitting them together to make this design, I wasn't quite sure what I thought of it. It seemed like a whole lot of work, but his finished product exceeded my expectations as always. (see my previous post about four legs and a top :)).

Once again this shows me how something so many view as old, and write off as having no value, can be taken by someone with vision and turned into something beautiful. I'm thankful I get to witness it and be reminded that redemption and a new life is possible.

*Note: This post was originally posted on a separate platform June 2016*

Ottoman Rescue

(Updates: here and here and here)
Final update here

The bookshelf project is still underway and I have hopes it will be done soon. There was a small problem with one of the doors and we got a little busy with other things, but it should be done any day now (I hope). In the meantime, I've had this other little project going too. A neglected old ottoman that was in desperate need of attention. It narrowly escaped the load of trash that went to the dump.

So far, I've removed the old fabric and given the legs a good sanding to remove some of the rust from the metal tips and the top layers of the wood. Next up, purchase some material to recover, paint (or maybe stain) the legs, and figure out how to preserve the "patina" on the metal parts to keep some character and give it that vintage look, but prevent future rusting. You can see the legs in the photo below, the un-sanded ones are at the top and the one at the bottom has been sanded some already.

Hopefully it will turn out like I picture in my head, but we will see. I have an idea of what I want the finished ottoman to look like, but as long as it turns out nice I think I'll be happy. Even if it is different from my original vision. 

*Note: This post was moved from separate blog platform, originally posted May 2016*

Bookshelf Makover Part I

Note: see here for the update!

So we started this project because we needed a bookshelf and this little beauty was going in the goodwill/trash pile unless someone saved it. (don't you just love the overload of 1970's wood paneling in the background? sigh)

The hubby was indifferent to the beat up little bookshelf, but I felt sure with a little paint we could make something out of it. Plus if it all went downhill and turned out badly we hadn't really lost anything but a little paint and time because it was going to the trash anyway. Of course anytime my husband is involved in a project there is no halfway about it. I present exhibit A... "four legs and a top"

I needed a place to set water, a lamp, books, or other items at night and we only had one nightstand so knowing his inclination to overachieve on building and all other projects, I asked for (and I quote) "four legs and a top". My thought was surely this could be done in one day to at most a week and if I asked for literally "four legs and a top" surely by the time he took it several notches above and beyond it would be a nice, simple nightstand. 

In true craftsman fashion, approximately six months later he completed the masterpiece pictured above (the picture doesn't show all of the details and inner workings). Yes, it is a beautiful piece made from several different types of wood and I will treasure it forever, but I still had no place to sit my water for 6 months... and let's be honest it might have been closer to a year, it all blurs together looking back. 

He was a little busy with other things at the time. In the end, I love it, but it is a perfect illustration of the fact that no matter what you ask for he will go a few dozen steps above to exceed it. I love that about him, but it does make for a long time with no place to put your water at night. :)

So, back to the bookshelf... My idea was to replace the very cheap, thin back board with a stronger but still inexpensive piece of wood and give the whole thing a new paint job. I knew I was leaning toward white for the main body and wanted the backing to have a pop of color, probably in the blue or green family like teal. I was also contemplating a different texture for the back, maybe bead board or some kind of wood planks. I thought we might could add trim across the top to make it a little prettier too. 

I showed the hubby a few ideas and we discussed and then took a trip to the local home improvement stores to scout out some wood. His suggestion was it would look better with bead board instead of just plain plywood and as usual he has good taste on such matters. He used his super powers to determine the type of wood needed and after going through every.single.piece (and no I am not exaggerating) on the stack found a suitable piece of bead board.

We've been working on it some in the evenings and on the weekends and we're getting close. I think all that is left at this point is finishing up and installing the new doors. Of course the project has had some details added along the way as is usually the case. Will follow up soon with the finished product and some along the way photos.

*Note: this post was moved from a previous blog platform, originally posted May 2016*