Archives for August 2012

Birthday Cake Oreo Truffles- SRC

August 27, 2012

When I got my assignment for my Secret Recipe Club post this month I did a little dance and clap!! I got from Laura from A Heathly Jalapeno. We are both from Connecticut, root for NY based football teams (me- Giants, Laura- Jets), and have great guys in our life. She recently got engaged & had her bridal shower so I wish her luck on her wedding and lots of happiness in her marriage. Laura blogs about healthy living and healthy recipes. She does like to indulge as well so I did find some great sweets recipes to make. I have been on a crazy baking/sweets kick lately so while I loved some savory dishes (Asparagus and Bacon Eggs Benedict– duh!!) I decided to make the Oreo Truffles that Laura posted.

I have been on an Oreo kick lately. I have 3 varieties at home right now. (Thankfully, I have been good about using them in recipes and not eating them otherwise) Since Oreo is celebrating their 100 year birthday they created a birthday cake Oreo. I die. So decided to make these truffles with the Birthday Cake Oreos. They sell in smaller packages (of course) so I had to use 1 1/2 packages to get to the correct amount of Oreos needed (15.5 oz). The rest of this was super easy and a lot of fun, which insprired the S’mores Truffles I made recently as well.

I don’t think my coworkers would have known they were Birthday Cake Oreo Truffles had I not told them since that flavor was pretty subtle once it was combined with the cream cheese and covered in choclate. I am thinking about making these again with the Strawberry Milkshake Oreos.

*The birthday cake oreos are a limited edition. Get them ASAP!*

Birthday Cake Oreo Truffles

Makes 48 truffles

Ingredients

1 1/2 packages (15.5 oz) of Birthday Cake Oreos
8oz of cream cheese
3 cups white chocolate or semi sweet chocolate chips
sprinkles

Process

Crush the Oreo Cookies in a food processor.
Combine the cream cheese and crushed Oreos together.
Divide the dough into 4 sections. And then roll a total of 48 1″ balls. Place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
While the balls are freezing, melt the chocolate.
Drop each ball into the chocolate and completely coat. Remove excess chocolate as you remove the truffle. Place on wax paper and immediately put a pinch of sprinkles on top. Put back into freezer to firm up the chocolate.
Store in the refrigerator up to a week.

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Check out my previous Secret Recipe Club Posts:

July: Tropical Pork Pineapple Kebabs

June: Cheesy Garlic Knots

May: Berry Brownie Torte

April: Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

March: Sauteed Green Beans with Lemon and Almonds

February: Fried Pickles

Jan: No SRC postings

December: Shrimp Sriracha Stir Fry

November: Vegetable Enchiladas

October: Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Check out the rest of the reveal day posts!

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Thanks for visiting. Please leave me a comment to provide some feedback. I appreciate all the comments I receive.

S’mores Cocktail

August 24, 2012

It’s the last day of our S’mores Week!

It is time to celebrate with a cocktail!

…

S’mores Cinnamon Rolls

August 23, 2012

It is Day 4 of S’mores Week! Are you sick of Amanda and I yet? Hope not! Just one more day of great s’mores recipes. hint hint… I have a cocktail for you tomorrow!

Anyway, I originally planned on making mini cheesecakes today but then at the very last minute decided to change my mind resulting in some late night and early morning baking. how early? well this dumb-dumb got up at 4.30a.m. I am crazy. obvi.

I’m so glad that I put in the extra effort to make these because they are incredible. I honestly would not eat them for breakfast but I think they are perfect for a fun, different kind of dessert. It would totally shock someone if you served this for dessert. A big rich cinnamon roll jam packed full of s’mores goodness. The marshmallows get toasty, the chocolate chips get melty, and the graham adds a fun different crunch to it all. Addicting!

You need to go over and check out Amanda’s S’mores Ice Cream recipe. The post is hilarious and totally relate-able. Plus, the recipe is drool worthy. That ice cream is trouble with a capital T!

S’mores Cinnamon Rolls

makes 12 rolls

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup warm milk (skim works)
1 packet dry active yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
4 cups bread flour, 1/2 cup reserved
1 teaspoon salt

Filling

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
4 cinnamon graham crackers, broken into small pieces
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Glaze

4 ounces marshmallow Fluff
1/4 cup milk

Process

To prepare the dough, sift together the flours and salt, set aside. Heat the milk per yeast instructions. Once the milk has reached the right temperature (between 100-110F) add the yeast and let proof per instructions. In a large bowl or using a stand mixer, beat 2 eggs. Mix in the sugar and melted butter into the eggs. Gently pour the milk into the bowl. In half cup intervals mix in the bread flour until 3 1/2 cups has been incorporated. With the remaining 1/2 cup, dust a clean smooth surface and coat your hands. Kneed the dough into a ball incorporating the remaining flour. Place into a greased bowl, cover, and let double in size (several hours).
While your dough is rising prepare the filing by combining the cinnamon and sugars together in a bowl and the marshmallows, chocolate chips, and graham cracker pieces. in another bowl.
Preheat oven to 350 and grease baking pans.
Roll out dough into a 16 by 21 inch rectangle. Spread the melted butter evenly over dough. First add the sugar mixture to the cover the dough, then add the s’mores mixture. Roll up dough jelly roll style and, cut in half, then cut each section into 6 pieces. Arrange evenly in pan
Bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown.
While rolls are baking combine the fluff and milk. Spread frosting over warm rolls before serving.

S’mores Week

S’mores Campfire Banana Boats

August 22, 2012

When I was growing up I used to go to sleep away camp at Camp Hazen in central Connecticut.

I have some of my best memories from the fun times I had during the 30 weeks I spent at camp over 5 years. It was such a blast with swimming, horse back riding (the horse I rode was named Cadallic), playing rounds and rounds of the cup game in the mess hall, eating fresh baked bread, and staying up way too late.

I won’t even get into the time my friend and I got in trouble for dying our hair there… obviously I would get in trouble for that!

Endless amounts of fun, which was often focused around the campfire singing J J Coolay and doing skits.

Other great things to do around a campfire is to roast marshmallows, make s’mores, ‘bake’ orange cakes, and make campfire banana splits. So I combined s’mores and campfire banana splits to make these s’mores campfire banana splits.

Sadly, I was not sitting on a log around a campfire when I made these S’mores Campfire Banana Splits. I made these in the oven but you can easily make them on your grill after dinner as well.

They are so simple but so good. Which is perfect for the kid in all of us.

Be sure to stop by Amanda’s blog to check out her S’mores Cheesecake Bars as we continue our S’mores Week!!

S’mores Campfire Banana Boats

Makes 2

Ingredients

2 bananas
2 fudge covered graham crackers
2 dozen mini marshmallows

Process

Preheat oven or grill to 425 degrees. Prepare 2 pieces of aluminum foil (approx 12″x12″) by spraying with cooking spray.
Slice each banana peel length wise. Carefully open the banana peel and slice the banana diagonially and lenthwise. Spread out the banana with your knife.
Stuff broken peices of 1 graham cracker and a dozen mini marshmallows in each banana.
Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the marshmallows have melted. Carefully unwrap and enjoy!!

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S’mores Week 2012!!

Day 1

S’mores Chex Mix and S’mores Ice Cream Sandwiches

Day 2

S’mores Truffles and Microwave S’more Turtles

S’mores Truffles

August 21, 2012

Day 2 of our most amazing, super special s’mores week! I’m so excited to share this truffle recipe, as well as the other 3 that I have planned for the rest of the week. Just you wait!

When I was thinking about what recipes to make this week I also had to think about how I would make them. In this case once I thought of making a S’mores Truffle I began to think about how to do that. I looked at other truffle recipes, specifically Oreo truffles, to create a recipe for these truffles.

I shared these with the guys on my job site and with the contractors working on residing he house next to ours. These were enjoyed very quickly. They did not linger around on the job sites. I highly suggest these for guys with huge appetites or for anyone at all!

Please be sure to head over to Amanda’s blog and check her Microwave S’more Turtles! A quick, easy recipe that had me looking around for more s’mores supplies to try myself!

S’mores Truffles

makes 4 dozen truffles

Ingredients

4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
3 cups of Graham Cracker Crumbs
12 oz of fluff marshmallow spread
2 cups of milk chocolate chips
2 to 4 oz cup cream
cooking spray

Process

Spray your bowl and mixer with cooking spray. Add the cream cheese, graham cracker crumbs, and marshmallow spread to the bowl. Mix until all the ingredients are combined. The mixture should be held together pretty, but don’t worry if it is a bit crumbly.
Spray your hands with cooking spray. Pinch pieces of the mixture off and roll in your hands to form 1″ balls. Place on wax paper lined cooking sheets. Put in the freezer for at least 4 hours.
When you are ready to coat the graham truffle balls, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a microwave. Slowly add the cream to the mixture until the chocolate is smooth and the consistency is loose enough to be able to drop a ball in and shake the chocolate off . If you chocolate breaks in the process, then continue to add cream until the chocolate becomes smooth again.
Drop the balls in the chocolate to completely coat. Using 2 forks or a Candy Dipping Tool remove the truffle and tap and shake off extra chocolate. Place on a waxed lined baking sheet. Chill until ready to enjoy!
Find some fun dip-able things like cookies, pretzels, or fruit to use up the any remaining of the chocolate.

S’mores Week

Day 1

S’mores Chex Mix and S’mores Ice Cream Sandwiches

S’mores Chex Mix

August 20, 2012

You know those times on twitter when are you DMing someone about your shared love of s’mores so you guys come up with the idea to do a week of s’mores recipes on your blogs?

Yep, those moments are pure genius.

And that is exactly what happened between Amanda and I after I was complaining to her how I could not stop thinking about the baked s’mores bars that I made after she posted s’mores bars on her blog and the new s’mores pizza she just posted.

So many s’mores, so little time? I don’t think so!!

So that became a springboard for us to post different s’mores themed recipes on our blog everyday this week.

So here I am bringing you a S’mores Chex Mix while Amanda shares S’mores Ice Cream Sandwiches.

The S’mores Chex Mix is so addictive that you can’t stop munching on and the S’mores Ice Cream Sandwiches are the perfect summer time treat to change up the roasted, toasted routine.

I loved when I made muddy buddies and biscoff muddy buddies before so I used them to inspire me to make this S’mores Chex Mix. I love the texture of muddy buddies with the cereal being coated with a chocolate based mixture and then coated again with powdered sugar so I wanted to do that same for this S’mores Chex Mix. I made a mixture of milk chocolate and marshmallows to coat the cereals before the powered sugar. Then I added more milk chocolate chips and mini marshmallows to the mix for an extra s’mores flavored kick!

I hope that you enjoy my S’mores Chex Mix and Amanda’s S’mores Ice Cream Sandwiches as much as the rest of the ones we have planned for the rest of the week!!!

S’mores Chex Mix

Makes 18 servings

Ingredients

4 cups of Corn Chex (120 grams)
5 cups of Golden Grahams (206 grams)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups of milk chocolate chips, divided in 1 cup portions (123 grams)
mini marshmallows, divided
2 cups powdered sugar

Process

Measure out the Golden Grahams and Corn Chex cereals. Pour the cereal out on a large sheet tray.
Combine the butter, 1 cup of milk chocolate chips, and 3/4 cup mini marshmallow in a bowl. Microwave in 15 second increments and mix until the ingredients every time until the mixture is melted together.
Pour the melted chocolate mixture onto the cereals. Gently mix until all the cereals are evenly coated. Sift the powdered sugar in small batches on the cereals and mix every time to incorporate.
Once the coated cereals have cooled, mix in the remaining mini marshmallows and chocolate chips.

Crab Cake Eggs Benedict @ Christie’s, Newport RI

August 17, 2012

When Price and I were wandering around Newport we spotted a pretty nonchalant sign for brunch but there was something that caught my attention on it. Their Bacon Bloody Mary. Yuu had me at bacon. So we hop, skipped, and jumped into Christie’s for brunch. Obviously I got Eggs Benedict! I can’t pass up an opportunity to enjoy it! And enjoy it I did, just like the rest of our meal!

Bacon Bloody Mary – so completely bacony. I love bloody mary’s so I love trying different kinds. Our awesome waitress told us that they make their own bacon infused vodka. I like their dedication to making the best- like making a bacon salt mixture to use on the rim on the glass. As a bloody mary lover I really liked this because it was a great balance of tomato, vodka, and seasonings. However, I don’t like smokey bacon and this was made with a smokey bacon so I didn’t love it. ($10)

Tomato Bruchetta – Such a great starter. Simple, fresh, flavorful. The tomato bruchetta was fresh and lightly dressed so the tomatoes were really on show instead of being overpowered with garlic, oil, and S&P. The mozzarella was milky and very soft. The greens on top was a nice change from the typical basil. ($4)

Christie’s Burger- Price had the burger and really enjoyed it. It stood tall on a cutting board with a burger, lettuce, tomato, and a tempura onion ring. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare. The fries that accompanied the burger reminded me of fries that I used to get at the beach growing up. The reminded me of summer. ($12)

Crab Cakes and Poached Eggs– This is such a great version of Eggs Benedict with it’s large crab cakes, poached eggs, and a tomato hollandaise sauce. The crab cake base was very good with tender, moist crab cakes that were not stuffed with filled. The crab cake was full of crab and tender vegetables like red pepper. The crab cake was seasoned well that it was good alone. I would have preferred for a bit more larger pieces of crab- maybe this was just mixed too much? The eggs were oozey and delightful. The tomato hollandaise sauce was like a typical hollandaise sauce but with a punch of extra flavor. The slight tint from the tomato made the sauce more orange than yellow, which went to well with the green from the herbs in the sauce. The biggest disappointment was the hash-browns. They were so crispy but under-salted so very bland. ($12)

The service here was fantastic from the moment we walked in. Our waitress was kind, informative, and attentive. The place was pretty quiet which is disappointing since we had great food, drink, and service so I hope that people take a step off the street to get into Christie’s. Enjoy the deck and have fun!

Rating

Crab cake– 34 pts

Poached Egg– 25 pts

Hollandaise Sauce– 25 pts

Hash-brown and Greens– 6 points

Total: 90/100

Christie’s

351 Thames Street

Newport, Rhode Island 02840

401-846-8018

A summer day in Newport RI

August 16, 2012

I can’t think of a better way of spending a day than leisurely strolling around a beautiful New England town. So when it was my turn for our July Surprise Date I decided that we would spend a day in the beautiful town of Newport, RI. I have been to Newport many times but it would be Price’s first time. I find that Newport is fun, relaxing, friendly, and all around beautiful. And that is exactly why I wanted to spend the day down there together.

It was a beautiful, sunny day making this the perfect Sunday. We parked in a lot by The Barking Crab ($15- my advice is to keep looking & you’ll find a $10 lot) and started to stroll around the piers & shops. While walking down America’s Cup Ave we saw a stand for a boat tour around the harbor. I’ve been on several so I could probably give a tour myself but it doesn’t matter at all since I learn something new every time and an hour on the water looking at beautiful mansions does not get old. So we bought our tickets and headed out on the Amazing Grace.

The Amazing Grace took us all around the harbour with our informative tour guide poiunted out several moared America’s Cup competitors and winning sail boats. In addition to all the beautiful sail boats and yacht, we were able to see Castle Hill Inn, Fort Adams, New York Yacht Club- Harbour Court, and all the mansions that line the harbor. One of my favorites is Hammersmith Farm (top right small photo), where Jackie Kennedy Onassis grew up and where JFK and Jackie were married.

After the harbor tour we had brunch at Christie’s. So incredible! Loved the view of the harbor and the food. More to come on our great meal in a later post.

And then after we stuffed our selves we walked all around and peeked into the shops browsing things like rugs, wine glasses, prints, and lots of things stamped with ‘Newport’ on it. We grabbed an elephant ear Country Kettle Fudge to munch on while we walked back to the car. One last stop was to Humidor Cigar World for some cigars for Pricer.

Perfect day together in Newport!

Mini Creamsicle Cheesecakes with Creamsicle Oreo Cookie Crusts

August 14, 2012

Today is National Creamsicle Day. I love creamsicles just as much as I love these wacky holidays. I used to go to the Jersey Shore when I was growing up and I loved going on the boardwalk and having a creamsicle soft serve ice cream. Hot day, fun boardwalk, and a yummy ice cream… perfection at the shore.

So when I saw the limited edition Oreo Creamsicle Cookies recently I immediately tossed them in my basket. They are a vanilla cookie with an orange flavored cream filling. I knew that I would love dunking them in some milk and just eating them as well as making mini cheesecakes with them.

These mini cheesecakes are easy to whip up which is perfect since I have been so busy all summer that making something complicated is a big deterrent. Plus turning on the oven on a hot summer night for a long perod of time is just not going to happen. So these just take 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to bake so I can totally deal with that. The end result is a cute marbled cheesecake that

Mini Creamsicle Cheesecakes with Creamsicle Oreo Cookie Crusts

Serves 12

Ingredients

12 ounces (1 1/2 packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon orange extract
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup plain yogurt
red and yellow food coloring
12 Oreo Creamsicle Cookies

Process

Preheat the oven to 325. Line a 12-muffin pan with cupcake liners and then place 1 Oreo Creamsicle Cookie in each liner.
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat cream cheese until creamy. Gradually add the sugar, salt, and orange extract; beat well. Add eggs one at a time, mixing just until blended. Stir in yogurt until the cheesecake filling is evenly mixed.
Remove a 1/2 cup of the cheescake filling and set aside in a bowl. Add 1 drop red and 3 drops yellow to the filling and mix until the color is even.
Evenly divide the batter into liners, then add the orange colored filling among the cheesecakes. Using a toothpick swirl the cheesecake batters together for a marbled effect.
Bake for 15 minutes or until tops of cheesecakes are puffed and only slightly jiggly in the very center. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for at least a couple hours, preferably overnight, until serving.

Check out my other Mini Cheesecakes!

Mini Cheesecakes with an Oreo Crust

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes with an Oreo Cookie Crust

Big Ballin’ LO: Day 5- KP’s Sketchbook 4

August 8, 2012

{Day 5}

Well, finally! I’m finally posting scrapbooking posts again and more diligently working scrapbooking- specifially project life. I got up this morning about 45 min earlier than I had to be able to give the buns to extra love and attention as well as work on PL. It was nice to carve out a bit of me time to scrapbook. I often don’t get to do that at night as I get busy making dinner, laundry, and vegging out with a glass of wine. Totally ADD attack at night.

So here is my take on Day 5 from Kelly Purkey’s Sketchbook 4 class that I took eariler this year. I seriously loved the intial sketch since here are so many ways it can used as a spring board for layouts. I did keep it pretty basic and allowed the pretty papers to do all the work for me. Plus, a few brads for embellishments for good measure! 🙂

Monday Munchies: Bob’s Clam Hut- Kittery, ME

August 6, 2012

As part of my Monday Munchies series, I will feature a different eatery for a review on the first and third Monday of every month. Hope you enjoy!

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Our yearly trip to ‘gma’s house at Maine’ ends with a meal Bob’s Clam Hut in Kittery, Maine. And not ones to break tradition, we stopped off there today for our late lunch/early dinner.

The menu is large but easy to navigate. Basically, just about everything is fried, but everything is fresh. Don’t let the price’s intimidate you as they are really large portions. The dinner we get always end up being 2 meals. I don’t think it would hurt to share or to order 1 less meal if you are a large party.

Besides the great food one of the things I really love about Bob’s is it’s green initiative. They serve their food and drinks in green containers and even collect rain water for their landscaping. Please just sort your trash in the correct containers for their composting, trash, and recycling!

A ‘Bob & Betty’ dinner with butterflied shrimp and chicken fingers. Several pieces of chicken fingers and several pieces of butterflied shrimp accompany a large serving of fries, cole slaw, and a roll.

A ‘Bob & Betty’ with scallops and clam strips. I often go to a lobster roll but after eating more than my fill of delicious lobster this long weekend I decided to go with a dinner of scallops of clams strips. I do enjoy whole belly clams but I figured Price would be more likely to try the clam strips… ‘they taste like calamari, I swear’. The scallops are cut in half and are perfect size for dipping into a container of cocktail sauce or tartar sauce. Yum!

Whether you are spending your day shopping at the outlets in Kittery or just passing through Maine on 95, you have to stop by Bob’s Clam Hut for a great New England experience.

Bob’s Clam Hut

315 US Route 1

Kittery, Maine 03904

207-439-4233

Hash Benedict @ Deluxe Town Diner, Watertown MA

August 3, 2012

As much as I reviewed the Hash Benedict at Deluxe Station Diner I am sharing with you my thoughts about the Hash Benedict from the Deluxe Town Diner, the sister restaurant of DSD. For the most part these diners’ menus are similar but our heart belongs to Deluxe Town Diner. Years and Years ago I was addicted to watching ‘The Best Of…” on Food Network. ‘The Best of…‘ was a toned down version of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. It was hosted by Marc Silverstein and Jill Cordes and I loved watching it to learn about different places that had great food.* They featured the Deluxe Town Diner since they are so well known for their pancakes. We went the next day.

Since out first time going we have been countless times to enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our favorite is breakfast is the menu is so vast

While both Hast Benedict from Deluxe Town and Deluxe Station were awesome, the Deluxe Town Diner is the winner. The hash was on point again with large chunks of fresh corned beef. The egg was cooked better resulting in a perfectly poached egg- set whites and a super bright runny yolk. The hollandiase sauce was velvety and so rich. Perfect indulgent brunch item to carry you through the day (of errands!).

As much as I love the eggs benny on top of the hash the real star of the show is their corned beef hash. It is such a good quality and so fresh. I love that their hash is not just meat and potatoes but there are vegetables, like carrots, in there too. It seems like a great compliment to the potatoes and the salty meat. Lastly, I love that they take the time to shred the corned beef instad of just chopping it up. Shredding it is best as it naturally breaks apart along the gaining in the meat. (If you also really enjoy hash you should check out this Boston Globe article. yum!)