weekend indulgence

well, almost weekend. 

my brain kicks in to weekend mode come Thursday afternoon....I can't help it!

Let's talk about cheese. And chocolate. 

chocolate and cheese!

Two of my very favorite things to eat. and talk about. and dream about. and eat.

Two things that also, tend to get a bad rap--especially this time of year, with all of the resolutions that have yet to be broken. They are sworn off, thrown out, and shoved to a hiding place where someone will eventually find them and binge themselves into a tummy ache full of regret (and old chocolate).

Seriously though, maybe it's just me, but anytime I have sworn I wouldn't eat something (say, sugar) I end up depriving myself of it, and eventually giving in and eating waaaaaaaay too much. right? right. 

So we don't deprive around here. We don't swear off food. We just eat healthy healthy healthy most of the time, live very active lives, and that way we are not afraid to indulge in our favorites from time to time.

Take this giant plate of cheese for example. 

Do we eat this every day. no.
(but do I wish we could.....yes!)

I put this together on Christmas Eve day. 

We love cheese, and wanted the kids to be able to try a few different kinds at once. 

I had no idea really how to pair what with what....so I was happy to find this post
over at Sprouted Kitchen. 

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP

Parmigiano Reggiano-loved this with pears

crackers

Goat Cheese (Chevre)--rolled in fresh chives, thyme, and lemon zest

peach jam--perfect for spreading on a toasted baguette and topped with manchego

sliced pears

Manchego--a sheep's cheese, loved it with the peach jam or cranberry sauce

toasted baguette slices

more crackers, but you knew that

a quick homemade cranberry sauce: whole cranberries, pure maple syrup, orange zest, and a squeeze of orange juice simmered until cranberries soften and mixture starts to thicken.

grapes.

not pictured: pickles. my kids do not believe in any appetizer that does not somehow involve pickles.....so we set them off to the side....away from the delicious cheese.

let the cheese sit at room temperature for a bit before you dive in.

have fun with it! 

see what kind of creations and combinations your kids come up with (some of which may involve pickles) .....and try not to gag. 

Moving on to dessert......chocolate style of course.

Reason #972 I love the weekend: we usually end up snuggled on the couch eating some kind of treat. We've worked hard and eaten well all week.....we deserve it! 

I made these last weekend--I haven't had blondies forever! They were a favorite when I was little--in fact, this recipe came from my mom! I just browned the butter.

Brown Butter Blondies

6TBS browned butter*

1 1/2 c brown sugar

2 eggs 

1 1/8 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c chocolate chips

*to brown butter:

Heat pan on medium heat.
Cut butter in to pieces and melt in pan.
Stir continuously. Butter will foam up.
After foam subsides, small brown flecks will start to appear in bottom of pan.
Continue stirring, until butter has reached a nice brown color, and nutty aroma.
Remove from heat.

Blend brown butter, sugar and eggs until well mixed.

Stir in dry ingredients.

Pour batter into greased 8x8 pan, sprinkle top with chocolate chips, and bake at  350° for 25-30 minutes, until just done around the edges and on top (don't over bake). These are awesomely gooey in the middle.
They are perfect hot out of the oven with ice cream.

Have a happy weekend! 
Get out and do something active.....and then come home and indulge in something delicious! 


What is your favorite way to indulge?

day seven

How was your Monday? Are you looking for things to be thankful for?
So many things today....

I am thankful to have woken up to a little bit of light in the sky. 

I am thankful we were out the door this morning with time to spare (still unsure how it happened).....a Monday miracle!

I am thankful for warm coats and mittens that keep us warm on our morning drive to school.

I am thankful for blankets and slippers and boots and layers and layers (I like to be warm)

I am thankful for an afternoon movie on the couch with my Littles. 

Rediscovering old favorites, and seeing them watch movies like 

The Princess Bride for the first time is so much fun. 
so.
much.
fun.
"No more rhyming now, I mean it!"
"Anybody want a peanut?" 
they were rolling!

I am thankful for cookies.

How they chase all your worries away, with just a bite (er....lots and lots of bites) 

I love everything from dreaming them up, to making them, to eating them. 
And I have declared my love for brown butter before.....but I will say it again. 
I am thankful for brown butter, and how it makes everything it touches exactly one bazillion times better.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
This is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe (posted here) with the regular butter swapped out for brown butter.
Original cookie recipe adapted from Ashley's blog

2 sticks of butter (1c), at room temp
1/2 c white sugar
1 3/4 c brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 lb chocolate chips/chunks
1 cup chopped pecans


To brown butter:
Heat pan on medium heat.
Cut butter in to pieces and melt in pan.
Stir continuously. Butter will foam up.
After foam subsides, small brown flecks will start to appear in bottom of pan.
Continue stirring, until butter has reached a nice brown color, and nutty aroma.
Turn the heat all the way down.
Pour into a bowl and and refrigerate until solid again.


Cream the (solid) brown butter and the sugars until mixed well. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Continue mixing while adding the eggs one at time. Make sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla. Mix well for a few minutes until batter it light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Combine the flour, soda and salt in another bowl. With a whisk, stir to combine. With the machine on low, slowly add the flour. Mix until just combined, taking care not to over mix. With a spatula fold in the chocolate and pecans.


Eat this dough. Lots and lots of it.


When you are done consuming, drop by spoonful onto parchment lined cookie sheet.


Bake at 350° for 11-13 minutes. They should be lightly golden on the outside but still look gooey on the inside.

enjoy!


What are YOU thankful for on this Monday?

the weekend. in food.

pretty big weekend in food around here. 

why, you ask? wellll.... I had my first big [trail] race of the year! (more on that to come) 

I had to make sure my body was fueled properly before hand, and gorged appropriately afterward.

 I've gotten a lot of questions in the past about what I eat pre-run, so I thought I'd share everything.....hold on tight, pretty exciting stuff here.

*I load up on protein (eggs, beans, lean meats Monday-Wednesday of a race week, and then cut back Thurs and Fri....I've just found that is what works best for me*

Friday, day before race:

Breakfast: Raw Oatmeal w/ strawberries, bananas, and almonds.

Lunch: Giant salad with 2 parts greens, 1 part awesome rosemary garlic bread, (toasted and cubed), radishes, 1/2 avocado, red onion and a simple honey mustard dressing (olive oil, white wine vinegar, dijon, honey, s&p)

Snacks: banana + almond butter, odwalla bar, gatorade

Dinner: pasta w/ marinara, LOTS more bread:), simple salad

lots and lots and lots of water all day

Morning of race (about 2 hours before): whole wheat toast w/ peanut butter and honey. Banana. OJ.

Hour before: Gatorade. Water. A few Sport Beans.

During run: water. gatorade. 2 GUs. Water.

Post run. Water. water. water. water. gatorade.

Let my stomach settle and then have whole wheat toast w/ extra avocado and salt. 

 Super chocolatey milk (in my opinion, the BEST recovery drink you can have:) 

Apple + peanut butter.

Dinner at Lone Star Taqueria for the beeeeeeest fish tacos + rice and beans + coke w/lime.

Sunday was a pretty typical day--whatever we can hurry and eat as we rush out to church (pb toast), our traditional after church snack of cheese and crackers, and and early dinner of soup, salad, and bread.

This soup is called "whatever I got, goes in to the pot." oh! she can rhyme!

I basically dig through the fridge and dump any veggies I have into some chicken stock, let it simmer for a few hours, and VWALLA! soup! perfect for all this crazy rain that is never, ever, ending.

garlic +onion +carrots+celery+sweet potato+green beans+diced tomatoes+collard greens+cannellini beans+chicken stock+oregano, basil, thyme, bay leaves=soup.

And then of course.....dessert. I needed something super rich, and extra indulgent.

I saw this recipe for brownies with peanut butter frosting on Ashley's blog and knew I had to have them.

Because I am in love with browned butter, I opted to brown the butter in this recipe.

If you like to brown butter too, I encourage you to play around with it a bit. I've learned I like to lightly brown it for use in pasta or veggie dishes, or in vanilla-y breads or cupcakes (like these). But I like to brown it a bit more when adding it to chocolate dishes--I think it makes the chocolate flavor more intense.

Browned Butter Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting

recipe adapted from Not without Salt

10 TBS butter

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup flour
2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

Heat oven to 325°

To brown butter:

Heat pan on medium heat.

Cut butter in to pieces and melt in pan.

Stir continuously. Butter will foam up.

After foam subsides, small brown flecks will start to appear in bottom of pan.

Continue stirring, until butter has reached a nice brown color, and nutty aroma.

When you want to lick the spoon, you know it's ready.

Turn the heat all the way down.

Add sugar to browned butter and stir until well combined.

taste this. it is insane.

Add the cocoa and stir until well combined.

Remove from heat and let it cool down a bit (not cold, not hot, just warm:)

Add the vanilla.

Add the eggs, one at a time.

Continue to stir--the mixture will be thick and shiny.

Add flour and salt and stir until just combined.

Pour batter into a 10" tart pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (You can also bake them in an 8x8 and bake for a few minutes more)

Peanut Butter Frosting

6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) softened butter

¾ cup peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp kosher salt 

Cream the butter and the peanut butter until combined. Slowly stir in the powdered sugar until completely incorporated. Spread over cooled brownies.

happy eating!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Biscotti

I cannot get enough of this stuff. 

My sister found the recipe a few years back and knocked our socks off with it--and it was my first time experiencing the magic of browned butter. I usually make it around Christmas, and I think I ran out of time last year..... it's been a while, since I've basked it's tasty glory.

So I had a happy little reunion with this stuff last night....I might have accidentally had it for dinner. 

I was in the middle of wrapping them up two by two for teacher gifts and I had to sample every few perfect little cookies. 

whoops.

Please make them! They are so so good! They are a bit time consuming, but really easy to do. Your family will love you forever.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Recipe from Food Network

10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons), browned

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup smooth natural peanut butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cups dry roasted peanuts

1 1/4 cups chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips

Position racks evenly in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. 

Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Melt the butter over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally. Continue to cook until the butter browns and gets a nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until light and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar while beating. Then slowly add the butter and vanilla until evenly mixed, about 30 seconds more. Add the peanut butter and mix until combined.

While mixing slowly, add the dry ingredients to the wet, in 2 additions, mixing just until absorbed. Fold in the peanuts and chocolate pieces.

Divide the dough evenly into thirds, and put each portion in the center of a baking sheet. Shape the dough with slightly wet hands into logs about 2-inches wide and 15 inches long. Bake until set and brown around the edges, about 25 to 30 minutes. (For even baking take care to rotate the pans-- top to bottom and front to back--about half way though.) Cool logs on the baking sheets for about 10 minutes.

Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Carefully transfer the logs to a cutting board. (I cut mine right on the pan)

 Cut logs crosswise, with a long serrated knife at about a 45 degree angle, into 1/2-inch thick cookies (I made mine thicker)

 Place cookies cut side down on the baking sheets. Bake until crisp, about 8 minutes. Flip the cookies over and bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes more. Cool biscotti on the baking sheets.

Perfect for dipping in milk or hot cocoa!

enjoy!

browned butter cupcakes with chocolate buttercream

browned butter again?!! I know! I can't get enough....but the flavor is so warm and perfect....and just what fall calls for.

Browned Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
(this recipe also halves perfectly for 12 cupcakes)

2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup  milk
3/4 cup  browned butter*
1 tsp vanilla ( I like mexican vanilla in these:)
2-1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
2-1/4 tsp baking powder


*To brown butter:
Heat pan on medium heat.
Cut butter in to pieces and melt in pan.
Stir continuously. Butter will foam up.
After foam subsides, small brown flecks will start to appear in bottom of pan.
Continue stirring, until butter has reached a nice brown color, and nutty aroma.
When you want to lick the spoon, you know it's ready.
Turn the heat all the way down.



Preheat oven to 350°
Prepare cupcake pans with liners.
Beat sugar and eggs together until slightly thickened, about a minute.
Add  milk, browned butter, and vanilla, stirring just until combined.
Add flour and baking powder, beating until well mixed--about a minute. Don't over mix.

Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, until tops are springy to the touch or a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean.
Remove from cupcake pan and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream
5oz good quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
8 TBS butter, at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
2TBS baking cocoa
4-8 TBS milk

Melt chocolate in a double boiler and allow to cool to room temperature.
Beat in butter until creamy.
Add powdered sugar and baking cocoa.
Slowly beat in milk 1TBS at a time until you reach desired consistency.

enjoy!

sweet and simple

very sweet.

Last week was a cake week.

You know.....an extra long, extra busy week, that you knew you'd only get through with the promise of cake over the weekend.

I like to reward myself like that.

I love cake. Chocolate cake. Chocolaty chocolate cake.

I am always on the hunt for THE BEST chocolate cake recipe.....and I think this one comes close. I made it a few weeks back--half of it made into cupcakes with whipped chocolate ganache (which might have almost killed us they were so wickedly rich), and the other half baked in a cake round and sent into hibernation in the freezer for whenever a cake week rolled around.

I also like to be prepared.

I pulled my sleeping cake out of the freezer this weekend, left it in the pan, topped it wish some super easy frosting....and we dug in.

Double Chocolate Cake

recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

recipe is for two cake rounds.....I made mine into 12 cupcakes and 1 round:)

3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups hot water

3/4 c butter

3 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease pans.

Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.

Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot water and cocoa powder. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Into a large bowl sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until combined. Add eggs (adding one at a time) until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add flour mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well.

Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

Browned Butter Frosting

enough to frost one cake round or 12 cupcakes

The sugar in this frosting is uncooked--which some people might find weird, but I actually really liked the grittiness of the brown sugar paired with the soft fudgey chocolate cake.

The funny thing about this frosting, is that I was going for not too sweet, seeing as though the cake is so perfectly fudgey. Turns out that, it was an equally rich frosting, so make sure you have a tall glass of milk handy.....or your Dr's number nearby in case you slip into some kind of coma. Totally worth it though.

1 stick (1/2 c) of butter

1/2c-3/4c brown sugar, depending on how sweet you want it

a few tablespoons of milk

To brown butter:

Heat pan on medium heat.

Cut butter in to pieces and melt in pan.

Stir continuously. Butter will foam up.

After foam subsides, small brown flecks will start to appear in bottom of pan.

Continue stirring, until butter has reached a nice brown color, and nutty aroma.

When you want to lick the spoon, you know it's ready.

Turn the heat all the way down.

Allow butter to cool in the fridge until it is soft, but no longer a liquid.

Mix with a hand mixer until butter becomes fluffy.

Add brown sugar and milk, a bit at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

Leave your cake in the pan, because its a cake week and you want it easy, sloppily schmear frosting on top, and grab a fork and dig in.

enjoy.

browned butter brownies

(or browndies? just doesn't sound right)

It's still reeeeally hot.

But I also reeeeally needed some brownies.

(and you know I like them fancy)

Browned Butter Brownies

10 TBS butter

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I used Mexican vanilla)

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

Heat oven to 325°

To brown butter:
Heat pan on medium heat.
Cut butter in to pieces and melt in pan.
Stir continuously. Butter will foam up.
After foam subsides, small brown flecks will start to appear in bottom of pan.
Continue stirring, until butter has reached a nice brown color, and nutty aroma.
When you want to lick the spoon, you know it's ready.
Turn the heat all the way down.

Add sugar to browned butter and stir until well combined.

taste this. it is insane.

Add the cocoa and stir until well combined.

Remove from heat and let it cool down a bit (not cold, not hot, just warm:)

Add the vanilla.

Add the eggs, one at a time.

Continue to stir--the mixture will be thick and shiny.

Add flour and salt and stir until just combined.

Pour batter into a 10" tart pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (You can also bake them in an 8x8 and bake for a few minutes more)

Top with vanilla bean ice cream and fresh berries!

enjoy!

browned butter chocolate chip pizookies

I loved browned butter.

Please tell me you've tried it??

I really think it might be one of my favorite flavors....

...ever.

I love it so much, I'm always trying to sneak it into recipes....and I thought,

"why not a cookie?"

But then I remembered that we had vanilla bean ice cream, so I thought,

"why not a pizookie?"

Do you like hearing these conversations I have in my head?

enough chit chat.

let's get on with the recipe, shall we?

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Pizookie

makes 6-8 pizookies

1 1/2c flour

1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
3/4 c brown sugar
1 stick butter, browned
1 egg
1 t vanilla (I used mexican vanilla in these...yum!)
3/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
chopped pecans

Mix flour, soda and salt. Set aside

To brown butter:

Heat pan on medium heat.

Cut butter in to pieces and melt in pan.

Stir continuously. Butter will foam up.

After foam subsides, small brown flecks will start to appear in bottom of pan.

Continue stirring, until butter has reached a nice brown color, and nutty aroma.

When you want to lick the spoon, you know it's ready.

Remove from heat--don't burn it!!

Add browned butter and sugar to stand mixer. Mix. (you will want to eat this up!)

Mix in egg and vanilla.

Slowly mix in flour mixture.

Mix in chocolate chips.

Scoop dough into individual ramekins. Sprinkle some pecans on top (they get all toasty in the oven!)

Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes....remember you want the edges set, and the center nice and gooey!

Top with your favorite vanilla icecream.....and enjoy!