Butterfinger Brownie Cookies

This recipe follows the Chocolate Mint Brownie Cookie Recipe but substitutes crushed Butterfingers in place of the Andes Mints. It was so good I thought I would share it as a separate recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups chopped Butterfingers candy bars (7.8 oz - 2 of the 6 packs you find on the candy aisle worked perfectly) (food processor or bag and hammer method work to obtain the chopped pieces)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper/baking sheets
2. Place butter and chocolate chips in glass microwave safe bowl/measuring cup.
3. Microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds, stir, then microwave an additional 15 to 20 seconds if needed until the mixture is melted and smooth. (or if you want to go old school, you can use the double boiler method to melt the chocolate and butter)
4. Stir in sugar, salt and vanilla into the chocolate mixture.
5. Add 1 egg, stir in completely, then add the 2nd egg and stir in completely.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Blend flour mixture in the chocolate mixture.
7. Stir vigorously (or use the hand mixer on low) for 2-3 minutes until thick, glossy, and smooth. 
8. Once batter has cooled, stir in the Butterfingers.
9. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter onto cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. 
10. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until they look crackled but still soft and gooey. 
11. Transfer onto cooling rack after they have sat on cookie sheet for a few minutes to finish cooling.

Courtesy of Butterfinger Brownie Cookies

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Chocolate Mint Brownie Cookies

Yields ~ 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 5 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1 pkg Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper/baking sheets
2. Place butter and chocolate chips in glass microwave safe bowl/measuring cup.
3. Microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds, stir, then microwave an additional 15 to 20 seconds if needed until the mixture is melted and smooth. (or if you want to go old school, you can use the double boiler method to melt the chocolate and butter)
4. Stir in sugar, salt and vanilla into the chocolate mixture.
5. Add 1 egg, stir in completely, then add the 2nd egg and stir in completely.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Blend flour mixture in the chocolate mixture.
7. Stir vigorously (or use the hand mixer on low) for 2-3 minutes until thick, glossy, and smooth. 
8. Once batter has cooled, stir in the Andes Mints.
9. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter onto cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. 
10. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until they look crackled but still soft and gooey. 
11. Transfer onto cooling rack after they have sat on cookie sheet for a few minutes to finish cooling.

Inspired from Butterfinger Brownie Cookies

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Montreal Steak Seasoning - MSG-Free

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons crushed black pepper
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon granulated onion
• 1 tablespoon crushed coriander
• 1 tablespoon dill
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container.

Courtesy of Chow.com

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Cream Cheese Sausage Balls

Ingredients:

• 1 lb hot breakfast sausage, uncooked - good luck finding a MSG-Free version :(
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups Bisquick
• 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (feel free to be a little on the generous side)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients until well combined.- easier to use hand or stand mixer with dough hook attachment.
3. Roll into 1-inch balls and place onto lined (I used Reynolds non-stick aluminum foil - they slid right off!) baking sheet. 
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until brown.
5. Prepping for a party? These may be frozen if left uncooked. Just add a few minutes to the baking time.

Recipe courtesy of Plain Chicken

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Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

Makes ~28 servings

Ingredients:

• 7 cups instant non-fat dry milk
• 1 lb confectioners sugar, sifted
• 2 cups cocoa powder, sifted twice
• 2 cups dry non-dairy creamer (french vanilla or your personal favorite will work!)
• 2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1 cup (or use the whole bag!) mini chocolate chips
• 1 cup (or use the whole bag!) mini white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Sift cocoa powder into a large seal-able storage container.
2. Add the rest of the dry powder ingredients and chocolate chips.
3. Place lid securely on the container and SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE!, SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE! (Make sure you do a little dance while shaking)
4. Store in air tight container if you are keeping it for yourself or this makes a perfect inexpensive Christmas gift to be given in those cute little mason jars! 
5. If using as Christmas gift Mason jar: Place mix in the bottom of the jar (I would recommend measuring out in 1/3 cup intervals since this is a serving) - leave enough room for the marshmallows. Place marshmallows on top of the mix, then place the lid on the jar. Make sure you make it cute with  ribbon/fabric/tag etc!

Expiration: 1 year if kept in an air tight container

Directions for Reconstitution:

1. Place 1/3 cup mix into 8-10 ounces of hot milk. Stir until dissolved. Add marshmallows or whipped cream to the top. Then enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of my wonderful aunt! (not sure where she got it from)

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Fresh Tzatzaki Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Greek yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• juice of 1 lemon (3 tbsp)
• 2 medium cucumbers, seeded and diced
• 1 tbsp kosher salt (for salting cucumbers)
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Peel cucumbers and slice lengthwise. Take a spoon and scoop seeds out of the middle (it should look like a little boat when you're through).
2. Cut cucumbers into 1/4" slices and place in colander.
3. Sprinkle 1 tbsp kosher salt over cucumbers and let stand for at least 30 minutes (to draw out the water).
4. Drain and wipe cucumbers with a paper towel.
5. In a food processor, place cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and black pepper. Process until well blended.
6. Blend mixture into Greek yogurt. 
7. Place into refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

Courtesy of: Kayln's Kitchen

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Vegetable Gratin a la Goat Cheese

This recipe is a hybrid of 2 recipes I found online and decided to tweak a little bit. I must say the results did turn out quite tasty, especially if you like the unique tangy flavor of goat cheese. I omitted the potatoes from the original recipe because we were already having 2 carb heavy dishes in our Thanksgiving meal - feel free to add them back in if you want.

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-2 zucchini, 1/4 inch sliced
• 2-4 yellow squash, 1/4 inch sliced
• 3-4 large Roma tomatoes, 1/4 inch sliced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a baking dish with olive oil cooking spray. 
2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 60 seconds. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the greased baking dish.
3. Layer ½ of the goat cheese on top of the onions.
4. Slice the zucchini, squash and tomatoes in 1/4 inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly into a spiral, making only one layer. 
5. Season with sea salt, black pepper and dried thyme, to taste. 
6. Drizzle the last tablespoon of olive oil over the top.
7. Pour the milk over the entire dish.
8. Cover the dish with tin foil and bake for 35 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Uncover and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until browned. Enjoy.

Inspired from :

• Potato, Squash, & Goat Cheese Gratin
• Vegetable Tian

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Cocktail Meatballs or Little Smokies

This is a super easy appetizer to put out at a party that is delicious! I added the lemon juice to help cut the excessive sweetness of the grape jelly - its your call.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag frozen original meatballs or 2 packages of little smokies cocktail sausages (watch for MSG) or homemade meatballs if you are feeling adventurous!
• 2 bottles chili sauce
• 2 cups grape jelly
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. Bake meatballs as directed on package (normally 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees).
2. While those are baking, combine chili sauce, grape jelly & lemon juice in a pot. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. 
3. Add meatballs and continue to simmer for the next hour. 
4. Serve with toothpicks!

• Option: combine all into crockpot and let simmer on high for an hour. (FYI - I tried this on low overnight and it burned the sausages beyond recognition; hence why the pic is of round 2 -> meatballs)

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Super Easy Banana Pudding

I love finding old recipes I had forgotten about! I came across this recipe I found back in college that I used to fix for potluck dinners for my fraternity (For those of you who are wondering: yes, it is a fraternity, and yes I'm a girl, and yes it is a co-ed professional fraternity). Any-who, I only had to collect my dish at the end of the night and not worry about leftovers (well, it would have been nice if there were a little left over). This was super easy and delicious! I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces sour cream
• 1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 (5 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 (16 oz) package vanilla wafer cookies
• 4 bananas, peeled and sliced

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine sour cream, whipped topping, pudding mix and milk. Mix well.
2. In the bottom of a glass serving dish, place a layer of cookies, then a layer of pudding mixture, then a layer of bananas. 
3. Repeat until all ingredients are used.
4. Refrigerate before serving.

Courtesy of: Uncooked Banana Pudding at Allrecipes

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Launching PharmCreations - an Etsy Shop

In addition to cooking, I have always had a passion for crafting and photography. The photography part I indulge in on a regular basis. Crafting inspiration (and now Pinterestspiration :) - I'm sure most of you can relate) I have gone through in spurts in the past, largely due to time constraints from work and school. 

The main reason I developed this blog was to have an online paperless resource for recipes I want to keep in my own "recipe book". Now that I have 60 published posts, I'm starting to miss have a good ole recipe book in the kitchen. I don't like printing recipes that I am fixing for the 3rd+ time; that's a waste of paper. Dragging a laptop or dealing with my phone is doable but can be frustrating as how my hands will be in raw meat and the phone turns off - grrr!!! Wash hands, turn back on/hit page down, get hands dirty again, repeat in a few minutes. 

So that got me thinking: I want a recipe book that I can add to easily and something that won't get disgusting if food gets dripped on it. Ideas start running through my head... My perfect recipe book needs to be bind-able and printable. That eliminates the old fashioned recipe box - I've always disliked those for some reason. 3 ring binders come to mind. Great idea - I can add to that, page protectors will keep the pages clean. Now to make it cute. Looking around Pinterest, I found fabric covered binders. Hmm... interesting. Why don't I check out Etsy and see what's out there for these fabric covered binders?? Cruise on over to Etsy... start checking it out... there are some great looking fabric binders that these sellers offer! Adorable!! BUT what happens if my beloved fabric covered binder is on the counter and something spills or I don't see that little puddle of water on the counter? Gross!! There's really no good way to disinfect/clean the fabric if it gets either stained or splattered with raw meat or something else that could grow bacteria. Ewww! Those thoughts turn my stomach. Ok, so what about vinyl? I can put disinfectant on that without a problem and it should wipe clean since it's waterproof. Great! Search on Etsy again...nothing really comes up. Have I come across the undiscovered country of Waterproof binders?? Surely, I'm not the only one who thinks this way about recipe books. Hmmm, the crafter in me starts thinking again. This could be dangerous. I could make this myself. 

So off to Joann's I go, to see what has surfaced in the fabric world since I have last bought fabric (Which has probably been about 5-10 years since my sewing machine has surfaced. College kept me busy most of the 2000's). Wow! I forgot how much I love that store! It was even better than I remember and the crafter in me started coming out even more. I collected a couple of sample materials to work with and returned home. In my pinterest adventures, I saw posts on how wonderful this Mod Podge stuff is for gluing/decoupage-ing/waterproofing. I had never used it in the past, but it claims to be the best thing since the invention of the wheel and Swiss cheese so I thought I would give it a whirl on some fabric. I wish I had saved the swatch of fabric I Mod Podged and submitted it to one of those Pinterest Fail sights. It was not pretty. Yeah, it may have sealed the fabric to some degree, but it was the roughest, stiffest fabric I have ever felt. It could have doubled as sandpaper. I was disappointed that the wonderful patterns of cotton fabric had not become an option for this project.Very sad. 

Onto the next experiment. I had also bought a remnant of vinyl tablecloth type material. This may work better. I grabbed some spray adhesive and went to work on adhering it to my binder. This is going great. It's smooth, waterproof, cute and cooperating! I then cut and adhered coordinating scrapbook paper to the inner cover. This looks wonderful! Now onto cover design. I got to learn more about Adobe Photoshop Elements in designing the graphic art for the front cover. Oh, the custom options are limitless! I adhered my design to the same color scrapbook paper as for a border. Hmm, how to make this waterproof. I didn't really want to get into the laminating business, that would require an even bigger investment and another trip into town. Let's try the Mod Podge again. It worked so much better on paper than fabric! Two coats dried later, I sealed it with some clear acrylic for good measure. I then adhered it to my binder. Voilà!  I was quite impressed with myself. That wasn't too bad either. Back to my original thought, the undiscovered country of waterproof binders. I could sell these. And so, PharmCreations was born! 

Take a look at my final product!

Water Resistant Fabric Covered 1 Inch 3 Ring Recipe Binder

            

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