Peanut Butter Treasures

I totally made up the name of these cookies. I really have no idea what their name is, if they even have a name at all. I almost called them "Peanut Butter Blossoms," but aren't those the peanut butter cookies with the Hershey Kiss on top?

Similar cookie, but different. And different in a way that matters.

Instead of a boring Hershey Kiss (sorry to all you Hershey's Kiss fans out there; I've just never developed a taste for them), I use mini Reese's peanut butter cups. Now those I have developed a taste for!!

Patrick loves these cookies. With the combo of peanut butter cookie and peanut butter/chocolate candy, what's not to love?

And -- dare I say -- these are EASY. And fast. And, really, my "recipe" is more a "how to assemble" list than a recipe, but still.

Take 10 minutes out of your day and try these little gems.


Peanut Butter Treasures
1 recipe peanut butter cookie dough (or, if you are like me, you take the very easy way out and buy peanut butter cookie dough from the store. I'm not too ashamed to admit that I do that ...)
1 bag of Reese's mini peanut butter cups
Sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan, or use mini cupcake liners. I used mini cupcake liners for the first time a few weeks ago and will always use them from now on. They make removal of the cookies and the subsequent cleanup so much easier. I found them at Wal-Mart, of all places (oddly, though, not with the regular size cupcake liners. I found them in the party supply area, where they had some Wilton items). I think Michael's carries them, too.

After your mini cupcake pan is all ready to go, roll your cookie dough into small balls (1-inch balls or so). Have a bowl of sugar nearby, and roll your cookie dough ball into the sugar. Place in one compartment of the muffin tin. Repeat until cookie dough is gone or all compartments are filled.

Bake for 10 minutes.

While the cookies are baking, unwrap the mini Reese's cups. They need to be unwrapped and ready as soon as the cookies are done baking.

When the cookies are done, take them out of the oven and immediately place one mini Reese's cup in the center of each cookie. Place back in the 350-degree oven for two minutes.

Remove the cookies and let cool in pan.

Enjoy!

Monkey bread

I'm back!!

Well, sort of. Patrick might dispute that statement, seeing as how he has yet to reap many benefits of my culinary adventures of late, but I have been using the kitchen for more than a workspace these days.

I made a chicken pot pie and cookies yesterday for some friends who just had a baby, (I made a double batch of cookies for Patrick, too, so don't feel too sorry for him), I made fruit dip (recipe coming soon) and monkey bread for a baby shower last weekend, and I also whipped up some cranberry "stuff" for Thanksgiving (that recipe is coming soon, too).

See, I've been cooking! But, did you happen to notice the glaring absence of dinners? Hmm... perhaps I should get back on that track?

But first -- MONKEY BREAD!!

This is one of my absolute favorite holiday season recipes. It just takes me back to my childhood. Plus, who can resist biscuits, butter, cinnamon and sugar? What a winning combo! I know that everyone and their mama has a monkey bread recipe, but I needed a recipe for the blog, so here's mine (actually, it's my mom's). It's the recipe I grew up on, and it never fails. In fact, I'm making it again tomorrow morning for our breakfast (I can get away with that because Patrick and I only got to enjoy a bite or two from the baby shower leftovers).

Monkey Bread
Courtesy of Mauri Norman, a.k.a. Mom
3 cans buttermilk biscuits (I actually use the handy four-pack that comes bundled together because it's easier to just grab it than three individual cans, and it works out perfectly.)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Topping:
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Cut biscuits into quarters. Combine 1 cup sugar, 2 T. cinnamon and nutmeg in a large Ziploc bag. Drop biscuits into bag and shake till coated (I do them in six-piece increments to ensure that they all get coated well, but you could also save time and drop them in all at once). Stack into a well-greased bundt pan (I like to sprinkle some of the sugar/cinnamon mixture in between each layer).

In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and 2 t. cinnamon. Heat until sugar dissolves. Pour over biscuits.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a serving plate and enjoy!

I've got a bun in the oven!

I have a little explaining to do here, what with my lack of posts and recipes lately and all. It's just that I haven't been doing much cooking, period, let alone trying out new recipes.

And it's all due to the fact that I'm DUE!

Yup, I'm cooking, all right, just not in the kitchen! I've got a bun in the oven, and we're due to have our first little one on May 20.

I won't turn this into a baby blog, but since this is a food blog, I do have to share with you that Baby W is the size of a lime this week (I'm 12 weeks pregnant).



Hopefully in the next few weeks the nausea and food aversions will subside and I'll get back to cooking in the kitchen. Until then, I'll just try to live on 5 Guys burgers -- Baby W's current fave food.

Cheese Manicotti

Sorry - again - for my lack of posts/recipes lately. I've been in town ... just not cooking as much as I'd like! Please stick with me though; I promise it will get better soon!

This recipe is one I grew up eating, and it's sort of a comfort food to me. And, it's an Italian meal, which I adore. I tend to gravitate towards the delicious combo of pasta and cheese!

Again, I don't have a photo because (let's all say it together) we ate it too fast and by the time I remembered all I had left on my plate were a few blobs of marinara sauce. But y'all know what manicotti looks like, right? I paired this with garlic bread and a salad (with my favorite Italian dressing - Good Seasons - the mix that you combine with oil, red wine vinegar and water).

Delizioso!

Cheese Manicotti
Recipe passed down to my mom from a dear family friend, Mamie Coffey
8 oz. (2 cups) diced or shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 slightly beaten eggs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Marinara sauce (I use a whole jar store-bought sauce for this recipe)
Approximately 8-10 uncooked manicotti noodles

Preheat oven to 35o degrees. Mix the first seven ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour a small amount of marinara sauce in the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 baking dish. Fill uncooked manicotti noodles with cheese mixture and place in dish on top of marinara sauce. Pour the remaining sauce on top of the cheese-filled noodles. Top with extra Parmesan cheese, if desired. Cover dish with foil and bake, covered, for approximately 45 minutes (at 350 degrees).

Penne with Butternut Squash & Italian Sausage

Also known as one of my very favorite fall meals.

This recipe is delicious. The combination of sweet and tender butternut squash, sage, sweet Italian sausage and garlic is sublime. Patrick made me smile last week when he saw the recipe card laying on the kitchen counter and said, with a sigh, "I miss that meal..."

He was in for a treat last week because it was on the menu. I made it for our weekly Thursday night dinner with the Akins family and all of us - including the two kiddos - liked it (although, I do think the kids liked the penne and sausage part of the meal a little more than the squash part).

All this coming from someone who rarely eats squash. I LOVE this meal, and it's perfect to help usher in the fall season. Hope you enjoy!

Sorry for the lack of photo. I was so looking forward to eating that I forgot to snap a picture until my plate was clean.

Penne with Butternut Squash & Italian Sausage
Recipe courtesy of a dear family friend, Joan Coffey
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/4 lb. sweet Italian sausage, crumbled (remove casings first)*
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Pinch of crushed red pepper - optional
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
8 ounces penne pasta
2 ounces (1/2 cup) shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat; add olive oil and swirl to coat pan. Add squash and cook until browned. Transfer to a bowl. Cook sausage until well browned and drain. Stir in garlic and red pepper and cook 1 minute. Add wine and simmer 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Return squash to pan; add chicken broth and sage. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer until squash is very tender, 10-12 minutes (stir occasionally). Cook pasta al dente. Gently combine pasta and squash/sausage mixture. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serves 6.

*At first, I had the hardest time finding sweet Italian sausage. I once broke down and bought it at this fancy-schmancy gourmet grocery store on the Island and paid something like $20 for it. Never again! (By the way, with prices like that, the store is now out of business.) I have found, thankfully, Johnsonville's sweet Italian sausage in the freezer case at Publix. It's nowhere near $20.

Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with Carrots & Potatoes

Sorry for the lack of recipes lately. Patrick and I were out of town for a while (as in 10 days) to welcome my brother home from Afghanistan. Good excuse, eh? We drove to Illinois with my parents (and their lab) and stayed with family there. We had a great time. And, I only cooked once. The other nights we were treated to delicious meals by my aunt Susan, and we also went out to eat a few times (Italian Village pizza ... heavenly).

The one night I did make dinner -- for 17 family members -- I made two pans of baked spaghetti. I think it was a hit.

But now we're back to the real world where I cook.

Today I branched out of my comfort zone and pulled the never-been-used-in-two-years-0f-marriage Crock Pot down from the pantry. As I was flipping through the latest issue of Southern Living the other day I came across a tasty looking slow cooker recipe and decided that I'd give it a whirl. Now, the reason I have never used a Crock Pot before is that frankly, none of the recipes I've seen look too tempting. I'm not a huge fan of stew, and why would I want to brown meat before putting it in the slow cooker? Isn't the entire point of the appliance so that I don't have to do that?

This recipe, however, looked easy (no browning meat!) and had two of my favorite cooked veggies in it - potatoes and carrots. And, I didn't even let the fact that it called for chicken thighs (dark meat, never cooked/eaten before) deter me. So, today I gave it a try and folks, we have a winner.

The prep took all of 20 minutes, and six hours later we had a tasty, fall-ish meal in front of us. We declared it a keeper.


Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Potatoes
Courtesy of Southern Living
1 medium onion
4 medium-size new potatoes (about 1 lb.)
2 cups baby carrots
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 teaspoon paprika
6 skinned, bone-in chicken thighs*

Halve onion lengthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place onion in a lightly greased 6-quart slow cooker; top with potatoes and carrots.

Combine broth, next three ingredients, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour over vegetables.

Combine paprika and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; rub over chicken. Arrange chicken on top of vegetables.

Cover and cook on LOW 6 hours or until chicken is done and vegetables are tender.

*I apparently have a poor memory because I came home from Publix with skinless, boneless chicken thighs, not the bone-in kind. I don't think it affected the taste at all, and was probably easier to eat.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love fall. I love spring and summer, too, but I do love fall. I love the crisp air, the cooler weather, baseball playoff games, SEC football, and the delicious food.

(I would also add that I love how the leaves change colors, but sadly, they don't really change here in coastal Georgia. The marsh does change color, though, and it's beautiful, but I do miss seeing the leaves change.)

Now that it's officially fall (although it doesn't feel like it yet, at least not here), I am ready to start cooking and baking with some of my favorite fall foods. I can't wait to make butternut squash/sweet Italian sausage penne pasta (recipe coming soon), apple desserts and pumpkin treats.

So, in honor of the new season (and to satisfy my sweet tooth), I whipped up a batch of my favorite fall cookie. They were inspired by some that my mother-in-law found at her local Kroger a few years ago. I think we ate all of them in a day or two. I just knew that I had to find a way to make them myself.

These cookies are soft and cake-like, and are full of pumpkin and spice flavors, and chocolate chips. What's not to love about that combo?

My house smells delicious right now ...


Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
I think I got this recipe from allrecipes.com
Bake at 375 degrees
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 (15 oz.) cans pumpkin
4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 pinch nutmeg
2 cups chocolate chips*

In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla and pumpkin until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg; stir into pumpkin mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Makes about 7 dozen cookies.

*I use dark chocolate chips because I love dark chocolate and love the contrast between the dark chocolate and the pumpkin.

Note: these cookies will bake pretty much exactly how you drop them on the cookie sheet. They don't really expand or rise too much, so if there are peaks in your cookie batter when they're on the sheet, you'll have crunchy little peaks in your baked cookies.

The World's Best Scrambled Eggs

Okay, I fully realize that you're probably reading this and saying, "using a recipe for scrambled eggs is kinda lame. I mean, who doesn't know how to make scrambled eggs, anyway?"

Well, even though I knew how to make decent scrambled eggs back in the day, I wanted to see what the "experts," a.k.a. the folks from America's Test Kitchen, had to say about them. Plus, I'm a recipe nazi. What can I say?

These are, hands down, the best scrambled eggs I have ever made (or tasted, frankly). From this recipe, I learned that using milk (or half-and-half, as the recipe calls for) instead of water makes a big difference. And the way you fold the eggs while they're cooking makes a huge difference. HUGE.

We eat these eggs frequently (like, once a week), and even Patrick agrees that they are the bomb. And, of course, they're easy.

(Sorry I don't have a photo ... maybe one day I'll take one, but then my eggs would get cold. Hot eggs are so much better than lukewarm eggs. Plus, y'all all know what scrambled eggs look like.)

Scrambled Eggs
Recipe courtesy America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
8 large eggs
1/4 cup half-and-half*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, salt, and pepper. Melt the butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the pan. Add the eggs and cook while gently pushing, lifting, and folding them from one side of the pan to the other until they are nicely clumped, shiny, and wet, about 2 minutes. Remove the cooked eggs from the pan quickly.

We sometimes like to add shredded cheese to our eggs (while they're cooking) and then sprinkle some Tabasco sauce on them when they're on our plate. Yummy. They're also perfectly delicious a natural.

*Whole, lowfat or skim milk can be substituted for the half-and-half, but the eggs will not be as creamy. I usually use skim milk unless I happen to have half-and-half on hand, and they are still creamy. DO NOT USE WATER!!

The key to fluffy scrambled eggs:
Do not stir the eggs!! If you push the eggs with a spatula instead of stirring them, you will end up with large, airy, fluffy eggs. Gently push, lift and fold them from one side of the pan to the other, until large, airy curds have formed. This is critical, folks.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

I love Mexican food. Burritos, enchiladas, nachos, tacos, queso dip ... pretty much all Mexican food is my friend (as long as it's the fresh Tex-Mex kind and not the kind from Orlando's ... I am not a fan of Orlando's-type food for some reason. Patrick, however, is a fan...). Plus, when you cover something in cheese, it's bound to be good!

My mom sent me this recipe from her Barbara Jean's cookbook. Now, Barbara Jean is known for her AMAZING crab cakes (the best I've ever tasted), but she has a cookbook chock full of seafood and non-seafood recipes alike. And come on, when it's from Barbara Jean, you know it's going to be tasty!

In addition to tasty, these enchiladas are so, so easy. They're the perfect weeknight meal. You can also easily cut the recipe in half, which is what I did for Patrick and me. This was definitely rated a "keeper" in our house.


Barbara Jean's Chicken Enchiladas
Recipe from Barbara Jean's cookbook
3 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 cup picante sauce (or salsa)
4 cups shredded cheese (I use the Mexican blend)
2 cups heavy cream*
8 flour tortillas
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

In a small bowl, mix together the chicken and picante sauce. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Warm tortillas briefly (I microwave them in wet paper towels for 30-40 seconds). Place 1/2 cup chicken mixture and 2 tablespoons of cheese down the center of each tortilla. Roll and place in pan seam side down. Pour the heavy cream on top and cover with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4 (8 enchiladas).

For an extra kick to your taste buds, sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro before serving.

*I actually used half-and-half because it's what I had on hand, and it turned out great.

Spicy Black Bean Salad

This is, hands down, one of my favorite side dishes. Ever.

I will admit that all the chopping of veggies is a little time consuming, especially for someone as anal as I, but the end result is SO worth it. It's so fresh tasting, and is a wonderful accompaniment to burgers, BBQ, grilled chicken ... almost anything, really!

This dish is actually more a side dish than a salad, but it is chock full of veggies, so call it what you want. I call it delicious. It's a family favorite.

I made this Saturday to take to a church potluck/picnic on Sunday, and by the time I got through the line there was only about one spoonful left, so Patrick and I split it so we could each get a little tiny taste. I wish I had more...


Spicy Black Bean Salad
My mom's recipe
3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red onion, minced
2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (wear gloves!)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Rinse and drain beans. Combine all ingredients and refrigerate. Stir before serving. Enjoy! (We think this tastes best made the day prior to eating; it gives all of the flavors time to meld.)

Marinated pork chops, roasted corn & potatoes

A few weekends ago we had a smidge of sunshine in the forecast, so I asked Patrick to fire up the grill. We love to grill, but we've been getting such amazing amounts of rain lately that it seems almost impossible to find a dry time to grill. Thankfully, the rain held off until about five minutes after Patrick got done grilling our dinner that evening.

Sidenote: we have a charcoal grill, and while we love the flavor it imparts on food, we don't like how stinking long it takes to heat the coals. It makes weeknight grilling impossible. So, we're thinking about a future purchase of a gas grill. My family is partial to Weber grills. Anyone have suggestions?

I don't make pork too often for some reason, but when I do, this marinade is my go-to marinade of choice for tasty grilled pork chops. And, of course, it's easy. (That is, if you're not the one grilling. If I were grilling, we'd end up with undercooked meat or overdone meat. Thankfully Patrick likes to grill.)

Oh, and how can I forget -- the CORN. Oh my goodness gracious. The corn is so yummy!! I grew up eating boiled corn-on-the-cob, and man alive, this blows it out of the water (sorry, Mom). It's also healthy, with about 109 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving.

The potatoes are roasted rosemary-onion potatoes. I love roasted potatoes, and addition of rosemary and onion gives these nice flavor.



Pork Chop Marinade
My mom's recipe
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons corn or vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
2 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon dry mustard (or regular yellow mustard, both work great)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Dash of pepper

Combine all ingredients in a dish large enough to accommodate all of your meat. Score meat deeply and place in dish with marinade. Marinate for two hours in the fridge, turning frequently.

I'm not going to pretend that I know anything about grilling, but from what I've read, grill your pork chop until it registers 135 degrees in the center and then let it stand for 10-15 minutes. The heat will continue to cook the pork, but will leave it juicy instead of dry and overcooked.

Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob
Weight Watchers recipe - 2 points per serving
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon water
4 ears of corn on the cob, shucked

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Tear off 4 (12-inch-square) sheets of heavy-duty foil.

In a shallow bowl (I use a glass pie plate), combine the cilantro, lime juice, oil and water. Roll the corn in the cilantro oil, then place on the foil; brush with any remaining cilantro oil. Wrap the foil around the corn securely, then place directly on an oven rack. Bake, turning occasionally, until tender, about 25 minutes.

Roasted Rosemary-Onion Potatoes
4 medium russet potatoes
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a jelly roll pan (15 1/2" x 10 1/2" x 1). Cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Mix onion, oil, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add potatoes; toss to coat. Spread potatoes in single layer on pan.

Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until potatoes are light brown and tender when pierced with a fork.

Note: Be careful not to do what I often do when making these. We like our potatoes darker and crunchier, but the onion does tend to burn when I leave these in for much longer than the 20-25 minutes, and then you're left with little black specs of burned onion instead of nicely browned onion. The potatoes are still good, but you miss out on the onion and have to pick through the burned bits to get to the potatoes. Not fun.

Chicken Pot Pie, the ultimate comfort food

Chicken pot pie is such a comfort food. I love the flaky crust and the hot chicken-y goodness. (Really, anything baked in a crust sounds good to me.)

If you have never made chicken pot pie before, or if you've been making it with a concoction of cream-of-something soups, this recipe will rock your world. (I can say that cause I didn't write the recipe.) Never again should you make chicken pot pie with soup! This recipe is way too easy not to make. It's become a staple at our house, and it's often what I make and give when taking dinner to a friend who has just had a baby.

Oh, and if you live here in Coastal Georgia and are looking for the best pie plate ever, look for a pottery pie plate made by local potter Debbie Craig. It makes the best pies, hands down. My mom and I swear by them (and they're beautiful, too, which is a nice bonus). If you want contact info for her, lemme know. She works out of the St. Simons pottery studio. Debbie's stuff is awesome (she makes lots of stuff - bowls, casserole dishes, cups, baskets, etc.); they also make great birthday and Christmas presents.


Kara's Chicken Pot Pie
Really, my mom's recipe, adapted from the red-checkered Better Homes & Gardens cookbook
1/4 cup butter
2 shakes of onion powder
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups water
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon instant chicken bouillon granules
3 cups cooked chicken, cubed*
1 cup vegetables or 1 can Veg-All (optional)
Pastry for double-crust pie

Place bottom pastry crust in bottom of 9-inch pie plate; trim edges as needed.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add two shakes of onion powder and stir. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Add water, milk and chicken bouillon granules all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in cooked chicken and heat until bubbly. Add vegetables, if desired, and heat until bubbly. Cool slightly and pour into pie plate. Place top pastry crust on top of chicken mixture, trim as needed, and flute edges. Cut slits in top for ventilation. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

*Okay, so I feel sort of ... less of a real cook for divulging this bit of info, but if you want to make this an even easier and quicker recipe, use two large cans of chicken (the all-white meat chicken). It's totally what I do. (Cause y'all know how I feel about cooking chicken. And it's even worse when it comes to boiling it. I just haven't mastered that yet.)

Paula Deen's Baked Spaghetti

Patrick's grandmother is known for her baked spaghetti, and it's made at family reunions and other family get-togethers and was a staple in Patrick's life while he was growing up. Needless to say, my baked spaghetti will never measure up to his grandmother's (nor will I try to compete!), but since I know that it's right on up there on the list of "Patrick's favorite foods," I wanted to try to make it.

Thankfully, Paula Deen, southern cook extraordinaire, came to my rescue. I found her recipe for baked spaghetti and knew that if it's from Paula, it had to be good. I mean, how can you go wrong with two pounds of cheese? (Okay, maybe not quite two pounds, but there's a lot of cheese in this. And it's soooo good.)

Do make sure that you are cooking for a crowd when you make this. This is not a recipe for two (I made it for just the two of us one night and then took the 3/4 of the pan of leftovers to Suzanne and Carter's. Her parents were in town and I knew her dad loves baked spaghetti -- and wouldn't mind our leftovers -- so they were able to finish it. We like leftovers, but really didn't want to eat it for six days). I think the recipe says it serves 10. I'd say 8-10 depending on how hungry folks are, but it does feed quite a few people. (Okay, I just realized that this can easily be cut in half for those of us who don't have eight people to feed. So, next time, when I'm just cooking for the two of us, I will be halving this recipe.)

Oh, and according to Paula, "Fodor's Travel Guide" calls this "The best baked spaghetti in the South."

Try it and I think you'll agree.


Paula Deen's Baked Spaghetti
2 cups canned diced tomatoes
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced green bell peppers
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons The Lady's House Seasoning*
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 small bay leaves
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
8 ounces uncooked angelhair pasta
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

To make the sauce, in a stockpot, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, sugar, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Crumble the ground beef into a saucepan. Cook until no pink remains, then drain off the fat. Aff the ground beef to the stockpot. Simmer for another 20 minutes. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Cover the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch pan with sauce. Add a layer of pasta, then half the cheese; repeat the layers, ending with the sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with the remaining cheese, return to the oven, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Cut into squares before serving.

*To make 1 1/2 cups of The Lady's House Seasoning, stir together:
1 cup of salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

This is a good, all-purpose seasoning to have on hand.

Beth Moore's Texas Sheet Cake

I went to a Beth Moore simulcast this weekend at my church, and man alive, Beth Moore brought the Word. It was just what I needed. It was an amazing two days of truth, Biblical teaching, worship and fellowship. And it was like a little slice of heaven seeing almost 400 women worshiping together for a weekend. Glory, it was GOOD.

You know what else I got this weekend that was like a little slice of heaven? The recipe to Beth Moore's Texas sheet cake. Oh, girl, it's good. She told a funny story about how she's not necessarily known as the cook of her family, but that she is known for her Texas sheet cake. And, of course, she shared it with the 90,000 or so of us who were taking part in the simulcast. Bless her.

And I, in turn, am going to share it with you.

The timing of receiving this recipe was quite perfect, actually, because I needed to make a dessert for a lunch meeting at church the day after the simulcast. I tend to try new recipes out on unsuspecting people, and decided that this would be no different. I have made cakes in the past, why would this be any different? Well ... it was easy enough to make, but for some reason the middle part of the cake took a good bit longer to bake than the outer edges. I rigged some foil to try to shield the already-done part from the heat of the oven while the center cooked, but I have no idea whether the edges were overcooked and dry or not ... hopefully the fudgy icing covered up any flaws.

I can tell you that the piece I had was nice and moist and very, very chocolaty and rich. And, it's always a good sign when this is the only picture you can get of what you made.


Beth Moore's Texas Sheet Cake
Grease a 9x13 sheet cake pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sift together:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar

Bring to a boil:
2 sticks butter
1 cup water
1/4 cup cocoa

Pour over dry mixture and mix in:
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Icing
Heat together:
1 stick butter
1/4 cup cocoa
6 tablespoons (1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp.) milk
(I added 1 tsp. vanilla)

Add anywhere from 1/2 to 1 box of powdered sugar to achieve desired consistency (Beth prefers close to 1 box)* and 1 cup pecans. Spread on cake while it's hot.

*I used 16 oz (1 lb.) of powered sugar

If you like P.F. Chang's lettuce wraps, you'll love these

A few years ago, right after I moved back to Brunswick, Patrick and I were a part of a group of folks that got together every Thursday night for dinner. Each couple brought appetizers, and we'd all sit around eating, laughing and enjoying the fellowship. For fun, our evenings were often themed, and we would each make a dish that corresponded to the night's theme.

One night we were assigned to bring something Asian inspired, and for the life of me I couldn't decide what to make. I don't fry (at least not yet - this blog may inspire me to step outside my comfort zone one day), so egg rolls were out of the question. Fried rice wasn't "appetizer-ish" enough. Then it dawned on me. I love the lettuce wraps from P.F. Changs. Perhaps I could find a way to recreate them ... so, of course, I turned to the internet for help.

My ever faithful and trusty friend Southern Living came to the rescue, and I found a strikingly similar recipe made with turkey, of all things.

I will be the first to admit how surprised I was at how delicious this turned out. It is good. Don't let the bad photo and perhaps strange-sounding ingredients turn you off of this recipe. Just give it a try. It's different, but it's a good kind of different. It's one of those dinners that you'll make and eat, and go, "Man, this is good, and so different than what I usually eat. Why haven't I made this in four months?" And then two months later your husband will ask for it again because he really, really likes it, too.

Plus, those random ingredients -- they last forever, either in your pantry or in your fridge. So it's okay if you don't cook this once a month, cause they'll last. But it's so good you'll want to!

(Please forgive my photography skills; I know I desperately need to work on them. Just don't judge the food by the photo. The food really is good. The photo ... notsomuch. And I know that.)

Crispy Ginger-and-Garlic Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Recipe courtesy of Southern Living
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup water
1 (20-ounce) package lean ground turkey
1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 head iceberg lettuce, separated into leaves
Hoisin sauce (optional)

Cook carrots and 1/2 cup water in a large nonstick skillet over high heat, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes or until carrots are softened and water is evaporated. Remove from skillet.

Reduce heat to medium. Cook turkey in skillet about 5 minutes, stirring until turkey crumbles and is no longer pink. Add carrots, mushrooms, and next 8 ingredients. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring constantly, 4 minutes. Add green onions, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Spoon mixture evenly onto lettuce leaves; roll up. Serve with hoisin sauce, if desired.

Sun Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Pasta

Y'all know what a fan I am of fast, easy, and delicious meals. This recipe has it all, folks, plus veggies, too! A hometown friend of mine, Dawn, created this fab dish and was gracious enough to share it with me.

The first two words I saw in the recipe were "goat cheese." SOLD!! I love goat cheese, but rarely have the opportunity to eat it, much less cook with it. The rest of the recipe could have included sardines and sauerkraut (two foods I wouldn't cook or eat), and I would still have made it, just for the goat cheese. Thankfully, Dawn's recipe included yummy ingredients like sun dried tomatoes, broccoli, Alfredo sauce and mushrooms. Mmmmm!! And did I mention this takes no time at all to make? 30 minutes, and you're sitting at the table, enjoying a scrumptious meal!




Sun Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Pasta
Recipe courtesy Dawn Norris
2/3 box of penne rigatte (must use the rigatte…it soaks up the sauce better)
1 package of broccoli-in-the-bag
1 tablespoon butter
Olive oil
½ of medium onion, diced
1 package of sliced mushrooms (if you're like my husband, you can pick these out or omit them. I happen to think mushrooms are quite yummy)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 jar (or more if you love sun dried tomatoes) of sun dried tomatoes, julienned (I couldn't find a jar, so I just used the package from the produce section)
½ of roasted chicken, cut up in big chunks, or 1 package of the precooked Tyson chicken strips
1 jar of Sun dried Tomato Alfredo pasta sauce (Classico is best)
Salt
Pepper
Container of goat cheese crumbles
1/3 cup of parmesan (optional)

Boil your pasta. Use about 2/3 the box of penne for about six people.

While pasta is boiling (that is literally all the time it takes to make this dish), put “broccoli in the bag” to steam.

Put butter and about two turns of olive oil (I always use some of the oil from the sun dried tomato jar) in LARGE sauté pan on medium to high heat. Begin sautéing onions. Once onions start to soften, place the mushrooms into the pan and begin cooking. When mushrooms are beginning to brown, add the garlic, sun dried tomatoes, chicken, broccoli, and jar of sun dried tomato Alfredo sauce. Add salt & pepper to your liking. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Lower heat to very low.

At this point, the noodles should be done. Add the noodles to the sauce pan directly from the pot using a slotted spoon or strainer (you want a little of the pasta water to get into the sauce mix—it helps the sauce stick to the pasta better).

Pour into a big pasta bowl (this feeds at least 6 people). Mix in the container of goat cheese crumbles and sprinkle on parmesan (optional).

Enjoy!

In season - fresh tomatoes

One of Patrick's friends and co-workers, Dennis, gave us some beautiful tomatoes last week. They were red, ripe, and ready to eat. They would have been delicious on tomato sandwiches. But, no one in our household eats tomato sandwiches. Or raw tomatoes. Or any food with large tomato chunks. Caprese pizza is the closest thing to a "real" tomato that we'll eat, and they were on the menu a week or two ago.

So ... what was a girl to do with five ready-to-eat tomatoes? I couldn't let them go to waste.

I did what any technologically savvy girl would do -- I turned to the internet.

We do like tomato soup here at the Witherow house (no chunks, please), and I found a recipe on foodnetwork.com that looked like it had potential, so I decided to give it a try, even though eating soup in the middle of August while it's 90+ degrees outside is a little ridiculous.

Side note - is it weird that I had never tasted tomato soup until college? Or maybe I had graduated college ... anyway, it was not a soup I ate growing up. It is a recently acquired taste of mine. And we don't eat the Campbell's Tomato Soup, either - we go for the good stuff - Wolfgang Puck's Tomato-Basil Soup (I can only find it at Publix). Yum.


Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa's recipe on foodnetwork.com
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped red onions
2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped and seeded (about 5 large)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream (I used half & half instead)
Croutons, for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well.

Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender. Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill* into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that's left. Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves and/or croutons.

*I don't own a food mill, so I just pureed everything in a blender until smooth and it was the perfect consistency.

What to do with overripe bananas - Banana Muffins

I am finicky when it comes to bananas -- I will only eat them when they are greenish. If I see too much yellow, or even a hint of ripeness coming to them, I won't eat them straight out of the peel. For me, once a banana is ripe and yellow (which, to most normal humans, is perfection), they have to be baked for me to even consider consuming them.

Thus, many a "good" banana goes uneaten in our household.

I learned long ago that instead of wasting these sweet treats, freezing them was the solution, so that when I want to bake, they're ready to go (after, of course, a short defrost). The other day I had four frozen bananas, and an itch to bake. So I whipped up these little lovelies, and they are delectable with or without the frosting.

I love banana bread, but there's something about this recipe that takes them beyond your basic banana bread recipe, in my opinion. It haven't put my finger on it yet ... there's a depth in flavor to these that other recipes I've tried don't have. Maybe it's the extra vanilla? Whatever it is, we like them a lot; I think Patrick ate three or four straight out of the oven!

Banana Muffins with Mascarpone Cream Frosting
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis - Food Network
Muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas, peeled and coarsely mashed

Frosting:
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl to blend. Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the banana. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake the muffins on the middle rack until the tops are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out with no crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a rack and cool slightly. The muffins may be eaten warm or cooled completely and frosted.

To frost the cupcakes: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the mascarpone cheese and then beat in the honey. Spread the frosting over the muffins. Sprinkle with the walnuts.

Quick weeknight meal - Beef Teriyaki

When perusing cookbooks, magazines and websites for recipes, I tend to find myself drawn to Italian and Mexican-influenced dishes for some reason. Perhaps the fact that they tend to be coated in cheese has something to do with it.

I've been trying to broaden my cooking repertoire lately, and while thumbing through my trusty "America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook," found an Asian-inspired dish that looked tasty. It was also labeled "fast." That, of course, caught my eye. It wasn't labeled "will make your stove a mess," though. But my stove, oh, it was a mess when I was done. Something to do with popping oil and such leaves a stove all messy. Oh well, nothing a little stove cleaner and elbow grease can't fix. And, even though I overcooked the meat just a smidge, the dinner was still great. I even ate rice (a lot of it), and I'm not usually a fan of rice. Broadening my horizons folks, broadening my horizons. We ate it with some steamed broccoli, too, which is always a good side dish for Asian-beefy type dishes, in my opinion.

We give this recipe two thumbs up and will definitely be making it again.


Beef Teriyaki
From America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons mirin, sherry, or white wine
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 pounds top blade steak, trimmed and sliced 1/4" thick (you can also used 1 1/2 pounds of flank steak if you can't find top blade steak)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 scallions, sliced thin

Whisk the soy sauce, sugar, mirin (sherry/wine), ginger, garlic, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes together and set aside.

Pat the meat dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the meat, about 5 minutes, then transfer to a clean bowl. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and meat.

Briefly re-whisk the soy sauce mixture to recombine, then add to the skillet. Simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

Return the meat with any accumulated juice to the skillet and toss to warm through. Transfer the meat and sauce to a serving platter and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and scallions.

(In the interest of total disclosure, I couldn't find sesame seeds or scallions during my weekly grocery run - I went to Wal-Mart, need I say more? - so I went without. I don't think it hurt the recipe at all, but I suppose they would have added two more levels of flavor that my dish was lacking. Oh well. I hate when I can't find what I want at the grocery store.)

Quite possibly the best meal I have ever made. If I do say so myself.

After last week's success with the chicken parmesan, I decided to give chicken another whirl this week. I've had this recipe in my files for about a year but it's just sat there, intimidating me. Had I known then how EASY and OH, SO TASTY it was, I would have brushed aside my chicken fears and made this long ago.

Oh my goodness. If tooting my own horn wasn't looked down upon, I would toot away. This was, quite possibly, one of the best meals I have ever made. It was beyond delicious, in my oh-so-humble opinion. The meat was tender and juicy, and so, so flavorful. The rosemary, lemon and garlic all came together to make this a company-worthy meal. It will definitely be a staple on our menu rotation. I'm telling you - do not wait a year to make this - try it tonight!!

Roasted Chicken Breast with Lemon, Garlic, Rosemary, and Potatoes
Recipe from www.goodthingscatered.blogspot.com
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but not melted
Zest of 1/2 large lemon, lemon reserved
2 large cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 russet potatoes, washed thoroughly and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
Kosher salt
Ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line large baking pan with foil for easy cleanup.
Pat chicken breasts dry, season liberally with salt and ground pepper, and place breast-side up at least one to two inches apart in pan. In small bowl combine butter, lemon zest, garlic, and rosemary and stir with spoon to thoroughly combine. With back of spoon, spread butter mixture on top of chicken breasts evenly. Slice reserved lemon and place slices in pan around the chicken.

In medium bowl place cubed potato and toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil, parsley and salt and pepper. Scatter potatoes around chicken breasts. Place baking dish in oven and cook about 30-40 minutes or until thickest portion of chicken breast has reached 175 degrees. Remove from oven, take chicken breasts out of pan onto a warm serving platter and tent with foil. Take one pinch more of Kosher salt to sprinkle over potatoes, toss and place back in oven for 5-10 minutes. Remove potatoes and serve with chicken.

Don't be a chicken

I am fairly skittish when it comes to cooking chicken. I have a fear that my husband, whom I love dearly, will die a slow and painful death of salmonella poisoning. (That, or the chicken will be tough and rubbery and dry, which although not nearly as tragic as death-by-salmonella-poisoning, it runs a close second.) Thus, I usually steer clear of recipes that call for cooking chicken, roasting chicken, boiling chicken, and the like. Unless, of course, I can use the ever-popular rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, Purdue Shortcuts, or something of the like.

But y'all make me adventurous and want to live life on the edge.

Last week, I cooked us some chicken. And lived to tell about it. (Patrick is alive and well, too.)

I have to say, it was good. (My photo doesn't do it justice - it tasted much better than it looks. I need to work on my photography skills.)


Oven-Baked Chicken Parmesan
Recipe from goodthingscatered.blogspot.com
4 large chicken breasts (about 3 lbs.)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups of bread crumbs (I used Panko bread crumbs)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups pomodoro/marinara sauce (make your own, defrost what you have or store bought is just as delicious)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Cooked pasta of your choice (I used spaghetti)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a shallow dish mix together egg and milk.
In separate shallow dish mix together bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, garlic powder, paprika, and salt.
Rinse and pat chicken breasts dry.
Pound to tenderize chicken breasts to about 1 inch thickness throughout.
Preheat olive oil in a oven proof skillet over medium heat.
Dip chicken breasts into egg/milk mixture and then cover in breadcrumb mixture.
Place coated chicken breast in hot oil and saute each side until lightly browned (about 1 minute per side).
Place skillet directly into oven.
When internal temperature of chicken reaches 160 degrees, carefully remove pan from oven and place a spoonfull of sauce and 1/4 of the cheese on top of each.
Place skillet back into the oven and bake until internal temperate reaches 170 degrees (about 15 minutes total).
Remove from oven and serve on top of pasta.

Sausage something-or-other and cinnamon apples

The original recipe title of this recipe is "Sausage braid," but it sounds too much like a meat headpiece to me, so I decided to rename it. And then I couldn't think of anything snappy. But, regardless of the name, it's a scrumptious meal.

Now, I'm not typically a sausage eater. At all. But I will eat anything that Suzanne and Carter dish up when it's their turn to cook on Thursday night. Well, this little humdinger of a meal is what they served one evening, and it, folks, is a winner. Even for this self-professed non-sausage-eating person. Something about the way the cream cheese and the veggies and the crescent rolls all combine together with the sausage just makes it work. Oh, and this is another one of those versatile foods; we eat it for dinner here at our house, but I made it for brunch at my parent's house one morning and it was perfect then, too.

Sausage Braid
12 ounces bulk pork sausage*
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
3 ounces cream cheese, cubed
2 tablespoons chopped green onion tops
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (I used 2 teaspoons dried parsley instead)
1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg, lightly beaten

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, onion, celery, green pepper and garlic until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain. Add cream cheese, green onion and parsley. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted; set aside.

Unroll crescent dough on a greased baking sheet; seal perforations. Roll into a 12-inch x 10-inch rectangle. Spoon sausage mixture to within 3 inches of long sides and to within 1 inch of ends. On each long side, cut 3/4 inch-wide strips 3 inches into center. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle, forming a braid.

Brush dough with egg. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. Refrigerate leftovers.

*I can't find 12 ounce bulk pork sausage, so I just use the full 16 ounces that I can find.


Cinnamon Apples
4 apples, peeled and cored
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon butter

Toss the first four ingredients in a large Ziploc bag to coat the apples. Pour the apple/sugar mixture into a medium saucepan and add the water and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender. (Cooking time depends on how tender you like your apples - and probably on the type of apple you have; Patrick likes them very tender, so I cook them for at least 25 minutes.)

If this icing were on a piece of cardboard, I'd eat it.

I feel slightly dumb posting this recipe here because, well, it comes from the back of a cocoa box and I really should just put a big ole sign on here that says "Y'ALL GO BUY SOME HERSHEY'S COCOA AND MAKE THE BEST CHOCOLATE ICING EVER" and my point would be made. But, brevity is not typically my strong point, so, here we go. (Plus, it's pretty much all we ate here at the Witherow house this past weekend.)

Y'all have probably learned by now how much I like, along with the quick and the easy, desserts. If I had my choice between breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert, I would always, always, always choose dessert.

Did I mention that I like dessert?

So, on Friday, I got a craving for some chocolate, and three Little Debbie Fudge Rounds did little to satisfy said craving. (You think I'm kidding? I'm not. And no, I'm not pregnant. Just pathetic.) So, I dug through the pantry and lo and behold, found a box of chocolate cake mix. Now, after making the yummy not-from-a-box chocolate cake (recipe below) a week or so ago, I had vowed to never make a cake from a mix again, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I ripped that box open faster than you could say "Hershey's."

Now, this post is not about the cake. The cake is just an average, run-of-the-mill cake-mix cake. I don't even know what brand it is. It's the icing that is its saving grace. Oh, the icing. Two words - butter (one whole stick) and cocoa. Need I say more? Divine.

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting
Ripped right off the back of the Hershey's Cocoa box
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on medium speed of an electric mixer to spreading consistency. Add more milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. Makes about 2 cups.

Seriously. You could just skip the cake and eat this icing. It's that good.