David's Chocolate Chip Cookies

     It has been way to long since I have posted anything! I guess that's what happens when the semester is over and blogging was not a "priority" anymore. Since my last post I have been pretty busy with working and having some time for myself. Yes, I know that may sound a little selfish, but hey sometimes a girl has to have a little alone time. I am sure some of you girls know what I am talking about?

     Anyways, this post is going to be dedicated to my lovely boyfriend David! For Christmas my Grandma gave David a tin full of chocolate chip cookies. The cookies were from David's Cookies that is located in New York. My Grandma knows that I love to cook/bake and thought it would be a cool idea to get David these cookies so I could make him more and store them in the tin. I thought it was a cool idea as well! So, the recipe that I used to make the cookies was the Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies.

 The yummy cookies from David's Cookies.

 

 

    As you can see the cookies were very YUMMY!

 

Ingredients: 

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

What you will need.

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 375F.


2. In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt.

 

Flour, baking soda and salt

3. In a large mixer bowl beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy.

Butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract

4. Add eggs and beat into batter.

Add eggs

5. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts.

Add chips and nuts (optional)

6. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.


 7. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

So good!

Recipe credit to: Original NESTLE TOLL HOUSE Chocolate Chip Cookies


Photo credit to: Amanda Del Toro



Interview with Chef Alli

I had the opportunity to interview Chef Alli. I was so honored that Chef Alli was able to do this interview for my podcast. Chef Alli and I had a great time together! I hope you find this interview interesting in knowing how Chef Alli became who she is today. Also, below are two recipes that she mentions in the interview if you would like to try them this Thanksgiving.





Chef Alli's Sweet Potato Crisp

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4-5 large sweet potatoes, peeled, chunked and cooked until fork-tender
1/4 cup brown sugar + 1 Tbs. brown sugar, divided use
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 Granny Smith apple, skin on, diced
2/3 cup chopped fresh cranberries, smashed
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup whole oats
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
1 tsp. orange zest

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth; beat in sweet potatoes, 1/4 cup brown sugar, & pumpkin pie spice. Spread sweet potato mixture into a greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Top sweet potato mixture with chopped apple, cranberries; sprinkle 1 Tbs. brown sugar over apples and cranberries. In same large mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar and pecans; cut butter into this mixture until crumbly. Crumble butter mixture over top of mixture in pan and spread out evenly. Zest orange and sprinkle zest over oat mixture. Bake uncovered, in preheated 350 degree over for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and hot throughout.


Chef Alli's Cranberry Walnut Dressing

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 Tbs. dried parsley
3/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts, toasted
1 lb. cubed bread or cornbread, dried or toasted
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 cups strong vegetable broth, divided use

Instructions:

In a large sauté pan over medium low heat, bloom spices for a few seconds, just until fragrant. Add butter to sauté pan and melt, stirring to incorporate with spices; add onions and celery and cook until tender, approx. 8-10 minutes. Stir in raisins, cranberries, walnuts, ad bread cubes; season with salt and  pepper to taste. Place dressing into greased baking dish; pour 2 cups broth over all and toss to incorporate. Back, covered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, adding more broth during baking time if needed. Remove cover during last 10 minutes of baking time.

Recipe credit to:
Chef Alli

Amanda's Fiesta Blend

I am constantly on the go and sometimes I don't have enough time to think about making dinner. So, whenever I come across something very quick and easy to make then that is what I end up making for dinner. This recipe (Amanda's Fiesta Blend) is something that I created myself one day because this is all that I had in the pantry and I was not going to go to the store.

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs of meat (I used hamburger)
Minced onion
Parsley
Black Pepper
Cumin
1 pkg of shredded cheese (I used Mozzarella and Colby Jack and Monterey)
Tortilla Chips
1 can of Rotel
1 can of Black Beans

(what you will need)

Instructions:

1. In a large pot or skillet brown hamburger. Sprinkle minced onion, parsley, black pepper and cumin. Once the hamburger is finished browning drain it.

(brown hamburger with minced onion, parsley, black pepper and cumin)

2. While the hamburger is browning, drain black beans.

(drain black beans)

3. After draining the hamburger, return it to the pot or skillet. Pour in Rotel and cheese. Mix well.

(mix hamburger, rotel and cheese together)

4. Next, crush tortilla chips and sprinkle more cheese over the top.

(crush tortilla chips)

 

 

(sprinkle more cheese)

 

 

5. Allow everything to melt together before serving.

 



(Enjoy!)

 

Cooking Tip:

 

I serve this with the extra chips and Velveeta cheese.

 

Recipe credit to:
Amanda Del Toro

Photo credit to:
Amanda Del Toro

Lemon Square Bars

People have always called me weird because I like to eat lemons. I can't tell you exactly why I like them so much but for some reason I just like them. Lemon Square Bars are so delicious. This recipe is a recipe that is very simple and quick to make.

Ingredients:

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter, melted (2 sticks of butter)
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5/8 cup lemon juice

 (What you will need)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups sifted flour and confectioners' sugar. Blend in the melted butter.

(blend together Flour and sugar)

 

 

(Blend in melted butter)

3. Next, press mixture into a greased 9x13 pan.

(press into greased 9x13 pan)

 

4. Bake in over for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

5. In a small bowl, beat eggs until light. In a separate large bowl, combine sugar, baking powder, and 1/4 cup flour.

(combine sugar, baking powder and flour)

 

 

6. Pour in eggs and lemon juice. Mix together.

(Pour in eggs and lemon juice)

 

 

(mix together)

 

7. Pour over prepared crust and bake for another 30 minutes or until bars are set. Allow to cool and sprinkle confectioners' sugar over the top.

(Enjoy!)

 

 

Recipe credit to:

Amanda Del Toro

 

Photo credit to:

Amanda Del Toro

Crock Pot Chicken and Noodle Soup

Chicken and Noodle is one of my favorite soup. What I like so much about Chicken and Noodles is serving it on top of mashed potatoes. However, what I made for this post was not served with mashed potatoes because I forgot about making them. The other thing that I like about Chicken and Noodles is that it is very simple, quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:

4 cups of water
Half of a bag of carrots (I used already cut carrots)
8 teaspoons of bouillon
1 pkg of egg noodles
Chicken (I used already cooked chicken)

(What you will need)

Instructions:

1. If your using already cooked chicken and it is sliced into strips, then you will need to thaw them and cut them into cubes.

2. Dump in half of the bag carrots and thawed chicken into the crock pot.

(Dump in carrots and chicken)

 

3. Sprinkle bouillon, minced onion and parsley.

(Sprinkle bouillon, minced onion and parsley)

 

4. Pour in water and mix well. Cook on high for about 3 hours.

(Pour in water and mix well)

 

 

5. About 1 1/2 hours before serving pour in egg noodles and mix well.

 

(Pour in noodles)

 

 

(Mix well)

 

 

6. Once the noodles are done allow to cool a little and serve.

 

(Enjoy!)

 

 

Recipe credit to:

Amanda Del Toro

 

Photo credit to:

Amanda Del Toro

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Traditions

Before today I had never done a podcast and to be honest I was a little nervous about it too. However, thanks to my partner, Liz, it was a great success and I had a great experience as well. Our podcast is about Thanksgiving Traditions. We talk about what our favorite dish and dessert are and what Thanksgiving reminds us about. I hope you enjoy our segment on Thanksgiving Traditions.

Crock Pot Ham and Potato Soup

When the weather changes from summer to fall that is the best time to make a pot of soup. I love it when I can make soup especially in the crock pot. There is just something about cooking soup in the crock pot that makes the soup taste so good. The other day I made Ham and Potato Soup in the crock pot and it was very yummy!

Ingredients:

1 cup of diced ham (can also use bacon)
1/4 cup finely chopped sautéed onion
2 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed chicken broth
2 cups water
5 large potatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper (I used ground black pepper)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half cream
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

(What you will need)

Instructions:

1. Sauté the onion.

(sauté the onion) 

2. Dice the potatoes and ham into small cubes

(cube the potatoes)

 

(dice the ham)

3. Once the onion is sautéed and the potatoes and ham are cubed, place the ham, potatoes, salt, dried dill weed, black pepper and flour into the crock pot.

(place all dry ingredients into crock pot)

 

4. Next pour in chicken broth, water, half-and-half and evaporated milk. Mix together.

(pour all liquid ingredients into crock pot)

5. Sprinkle over the top a little parsley. This just makes it look pretty is all.

(Sprinkle parsley over the top)

6. Cook on high for about 3-4 hours or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

(Enjoy!)

Cooking Tip:

As you can see I changed a few things that this recipe called for since I did have them. Also, I did add a little more flour when the soup was finished cooking in order to make it a little thicker.

Recipe credit to:
www.allrecipes.com

Photo credit to:
Amanda Del Toro