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Sunday, July 29, 2012

Sweet Sunday: Oreo Stuffed Brownies

For those of you who know me well....I have a crazy sweet tooth. I could live off of sweets. I used to never be this way, but when I got pregnant with little E all of that changed. I crave cookies and dream of donuts. Oh its pretty awful :)...well maybe only for my waistline.
I cannot believe it is almost August. This means that the birthday festivities are about to begin! Some of my most favorite people have August birthdays...including myself. So Happy Birthday to all my friends, family, and everyone else who are awesome August babies. If you have time treat your favorite person to these delicious brownies....even if it isn't their birthday they will feel special after eating these.

 Oreo Stuffed Brownies 
1 box dark chocolate brownie mix
1 package Oreos (you will probably only use about 10-12)
Sprinkles (if desired)


Prepare brownies according to package. Pour half of the mix into your brownie pan. Layer Oreos on top of batter. Top with the rest of the batter. Bake and Enjoy! 



 Delicious!


I think next time I will use double stuffed Oreos.





Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Strawberry Peach Jalapeno BBQ Sauce

One thing that I am not very good at is gauging how much food I need to buy to make a meal or dish. I have never been really great at following recipes and I like to improvise, this causes me to buy enough food to feed 8 rather than 4. When I was buying ingredients for my Mini Fruit Pizzas, I totally over shot the amount of fruit I needed. I also went nuts and bought a ton of locally grown jalapenos for a different recipe. The result? Too much unused strawberries, peaches, and jalapenos. All of them together sound pretty awesome. I thought maybe a strawberry peach pico de gallo, or maybe a peach version of a Chupacabra. (I am obsessed with this cocktail!)
Well since I have made a different fruited BBQ sauces in the past I thought i might try my hand at it again. I cooked down the strawberries, peaches and jalapenos with a little apple cider vinegar, sugar and a tiny bit of water. I then added all the other sauce ingredients, simmered and used my hand blender to smooth it all out. I chose to serve it on chicken but I think it would be delicious served on ribs or even grilled shrimp. Overall I thought it was a success! Enjoy!

Strawberry Peach Jalapeno BBQ Sauce

1 quart strawberries, stemmed and halved
3 peaches, peeled pitted and halved
2 jalapenos, halved and seeded
1 cup ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a large sauce pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 2 hours. When sauce has reduced, pulse in food processor or use hand blender and strain through a sieve. Salt and Pepper to taste Use immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks.

 The fruity spicy awesomeness that was the beginning of my sauce!


 I ended up putting the sauce on chicken but I am pretty sure I would be happy licking it off my fingers!


So yeah...I accidentally cut my chicken before plating.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Mini Fruit Pizzas

As I have stated before, the Hubby and I do not do too much on the weekends. We work pretty hard throughout the week and our weekends are all about rest and relaxation. But that doesn't mean we don't like to spend some time with friends at BBQ's! The best part about going to a barbecue or a picnic is getting to try all the good food people make. I tend to hover around the dessert table since I have a horrible sweet tooth.Yeah, I am totally that creepy person.
When J told me his workplace was having a picnic I was more than excited to take advantage of all the fresh fruit I had just bought. I am a huge fan of fruit pizza but I really wanted to make it easier to eat and sometimes the sugar cookie crust it hard to roll in a square. The solution? Mini Fruit Pizzas! They were really tasty and pretty easy to make. I don't use the typical frosting you find in most fruit pizza recipes. I use and adaptation of a really good fruit dip I have been making and eating for years. These little guys are perfect for showers and picnics. I highly recommend taking advantage of all the great fruit available right now and making these. Enjoy!

Marshmallow Frosting Topping

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme

Using an electric mixer, blend cream cheese and marshmallow creme until mixed thoroughly.  (Its that easy!!) Will frost 12 cookies.

 The delicious fruit I scored for the mini pizzas!


 Finished Product


Ready for a picnic!

Recipe adapted from Pilsbury

Thursday, July 19, 2012

My New Toy....That I Am Afraid Of

So my new toy came in the mail....like a week ago. I have yet to remove it from the box. To be completely honest I have no idea where to start with this thing. What is this thing, you ask? Well it is a Silhouette Cameo Electric Cutter. I bought it to help out with the details of Little E's first birthday party. Bring on the Mustache Bash! I am so excited!!! I am so scared!!!


Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Sunday Brunch Casserole

I am not a breakfast for breakfast person. I like breakfast for lunch and I am all for breakfast for dinner...but the thought of actually eating breakfast for breakfast sorta makes me queasy. I will choose a slice of cold pizza over eggs and bacon anyday! Well luckily my husband is as much of a morning person as I am a breakfast person so our weekends are usually all about some brunch. It usually consists of some biscuits, gravy, sausage, and eggs. Occasionally we will throw some pancakes in the mix or even some omelets. Since we were both feeling like we were in a brunch rut, the hubby suggested that I make a breakfast casserole. I am not a casserole lady either....hmmm I suppose I am realizing a lot about my self lately. Well I found a decent recipe for a breakfast casserole and decided to have a go at it. Well 45 minuted longer than the listed cooking time, a few tears and a hungry tummy grumbles later I came out with a pretty decent casserole.


And of course no casserole is complete without a little extra extra bacon...and of course homemade sausage gravy. mmmmmm! Enjoy!

Adapted from Bob Evans