Another Year Over

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Mine? Well, it was magic, you see. Everything worked out! Really. It wasn't 100% what I wanted but it was an 8/10 and honestly, I'll take it. I got a pretty banging candy basket, for one. And two, watching Jeff play with Cocoa was hilarious. She loves him.

Looking back on this year, it's a lot to take in. So much has happened. Up and down. But here I find myself, two days from the New Year, not having any major regrets. I can't remember the last time I thought that. Sure, I might change a thing here or there but nothing life changing.

I grew this year. Learned this year. And loved this year. First, I'll start with love. Of course I was in love before. It's not that I wasn't. I just wasn't loving with all of the faith and abandon one dreams of when they are a little girl. I promised myself this year, I would never settle for a love anything less than what my mother and step father had. What no movie, book, or song tell you is how much work really goes into a good relationship. But it is sooo worth it. Below are my favorite pictures of them.

I learned a lot this year, too. I learned I am stronger than I give myself credit for. I mean, hey, I'm still here. I learned that I have waaay more control over my emotions and actions than I would like to pretend. I haven't yet learned how to fully apply this knowledge, lol. Practice makes perfect, right? And I learned that honesty really is the best policy. No matter what happens or how bad things get, if you are honest, you can hold onto that and know you did all you could.

As for growing, well, I think that explains itself. You can't go through what I've gone through and come out the other side still willing to love, and learn, and live with hope unless you grow. I haven't moved on yet. I haven't forgotten it or accepted it or even to a point where I understand it yet but... I have grown. For I know now, that life whether you like or not, does go on. And so will I, in a New Year, with new friends, new goals, new hopes, and better confidence in myself. I hope and wish all the same for you and yours.

Happy New Year all and God bless.

Day Ten: Oatmeal Chocoalte Chip Cookies

Hooray!! I didn't think I would make it to the end of this project. I usually quit things halfway through. I'm proud. And tired of baking. And my body is probably worse for the wear but it was nice. I woke up this morning early and finished my shopping and wrapping. I made my breakfast casserole to take to the boy's mom's tomorrow. I even did a load of laundry and I'm blogging. I love the fullness of the day. It's keeping me calm.

I always remember this day being calm during my childhood. We would snack all day on goodies and watch Christmas movies. And every year after we returned home from our car trip tradition, we would watch Dr. Suess' How The Grinch Stole Christmas. I love it dearly and I can recite every word. :) And no, I haven't seen the Jim Carrey version and probably never will. I recorded it this year on my dvr and plan to watch it tonight before bed. It always bittersweet now. Maybe when I have kids of my own, the joy would return in spades.

However, since I am so busy, eating a real meal until Christmas Eve dinner tonight is not likely. Luckily last night I made some seriously delicious and what I tell myself is nutritious, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. I loaded one batch up with Ghiradelli White Chocolate chips, dried Cranberries, and pecans. The other batch I threw in Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate chips, Dried Cherries, and walnuts. They could not have been better. The cinnamon with the chocolate does something amazing and you can even taste the salt which is fabulous! The oustides are crispy and the inside is so so soft.

I think they are my best cookie this year. Enjoy everyone and have a Merry Christmas!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

NOTES:

1. Once I started making these I noticed I only had 1/2 cup of brown sugar in the house. I substituted regular granulated white sugar and it turned out just fine.
2. I didn't follow the baking time exactly. I pulled them out when the edges looked a light brown color and the centers looked a bit wet.

Day 9: Christmas Morning Casserole

Breakfast is far and away my favorite meal of the day. In my house weekdays were cereal and toast. All kinds of toast. With melted butter, sweet cinnamon sugar, or my favortie, creamy peanut butter. Always with hot tea. The weekends were eggs and sausage and oatmeal and all the jazzy things you go to Bob Evans for. At least at home you can avoid all the old people. (Take a look around sometime. It's creepy.) Sometimes, we would even have breakfast for dinner. I didn't know there was such a thing as ready to go pancake mix until I was at least fifteen. Mom always made them from scratch.

But now older and somewhat wiser, I always look for ways to cut corners to have more than just toast or cereal on a regular basis. A great way to do this is make a breakfast casserole. There are hundreds of variations on these things but as long as you follow the steps of the recipe, you can add anything you like. However, as it comes below was the house favorite. And just in case savory doesn't make the cut on your holiday morning I've included a sweet one, too. I've made it many times on the fly using raspberries more often than blueberries. I thought they would make nice additions to the holiday recipe list as a last minute idea that you can make Christmas Eve and pop in the oven on Christmas morning. No hassle. Just King/Queen of Christmas Delight and Deliciousness.

And really, it should sit over night if possible. It does this wonderful thing to the flavors and texture. Serve it with something hot to drink and maybe a nice fruit salad to keep up appearances that you are "watching my figure". Happy Christmas Eve all.

 Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

Blueberry Cream Cheese Freach Toast Casserole

My Ghosts of Christmases Past... With a Recipe Thrown In

Hi guys! Sorry, I didn't post yesterday. The day started out innocently enough but soon began a free fall into unhappiness. First, my friend time got cut out. No big deal, really. I was just so looking forward to it. Second, my furnace went all psycho on me. I had to have a repair man come fix it. I paid $200 for a $5 part and his time. (Grrr!!)  And once I finally got warm again, I got sick. By 3 PM, I was starting to feel like death warmed over. (We will take yesterday as a blessing, Adrienne!)

To top it all off, I'm just not looking forward to Christmas yet and it's less than 72 hours away. I haven't bought a single gift. I don't even know if I have any plans yet! And what sucks is that 99% of it seems totally out of my hands. I don't know what make me more sad. Not having plans yet OR me just wishing Christmas were already over. And with that bah hum-bug sentiment... how did I rope myself into this festive baking project, anyways???

All it's been doing is reminding me of mom and dad and holidays past and all the things I no longer have and that I'm missing out on. Christmas dinners, excitement, a family! Ughhhh!! I honestly feel like a crazy person. I needed and still need a break and to relax. So, today I made two easy recipes to catch up for missing yesterday and to keep my sanity in tack.

The first one is Peppermint Bark. One of my favorite things. I could eat it all year and probably will now that I know how simple it is to make. The second is something my mother used to make just whenever we needed a snack around the house and they are called Haystacks. They are a super easy, candy-like treat that even a 10 year old could whip up mostly on their own. 

I only have one note and it's regarding the Haystacks so I'll just put it here. Instead of using Butterscotch chips, you can substitute Chocolate chips. Also, I left out the nuts. I just used a tiny bit more noodles in their place. Now I can go back to my bed and to Netflix and pretend like Christmas isn't happening for another 3 days! Or... at least I can try. I have a special post tomorrow! :)


Peppermint Bark

Haystacks

Day 6: Snickerdoodles

Well, I took a day off yesterday because when I sat down and began to blog I realized a was a day ahead. Which was perfect because I needed a day to just chill. I've been doing this whole baking thing to put me into the holiday spirit but it hasn't really worked quite yet. Not the way I had hoped and everything was kind of building up and yesterday it finally happened... I had my breakdown about Christmas.

Don't feel bad. It was inevitable. I'd been shoving it to the back of my mind, baking away my pain, and going into numb mode for as long as I could. Everything started out fine yesterday unitl I started watching Home Alone 2, and then thinking of dad (he LOVED this movie), and then thinking of mom and I just couldn't take it anymore. I just needed to cry it out, proclaim how "really unfair" this all is, and have a pity party.

I emerged from it thankfully because of having a great, easy, breezy, unexpected conversation with a friend on facebook chat last night. (And a glass of booze) It was a friendship I had let slip away for many years after mom and dad had passed because everything reminded me of them. And it's one that's been hard to rebuild. But last night, it just seemed... right. I've missed it and I've needed it. It's funny the blame you place on other people until you start hearing the same complaints from other people and you finally begin to think... maybe it's me.

This is true of me and  A LOT of things but, mostly people. I rarely make new friendships. Despite writing a blog... I'm pretty clammed up to new things, experiences, and people. But over the past week I have made a new friend. At least I hope. And what's better is I think we've had some similar experiences. Which, while everyone I know is sympathetic to what I've been through, they don't have the same perspective. I think I've been needing that for awhile.

So, Saturday, I sucked up my nerves and made dinner and a brand new cookie I've never made before and headed on over to my new friend's house. She is a new mommy with a delightfully helpful husband whom I went to school with. (Caiti, is it who, whom? I think you would know, lol) I brought over some games with the intention to just play them and break the ice but instead we talked. About a lot of things. And it was great. In fact, I'm seeing her again on Tuesday. Do you think I'd look fat in my new sweater? LOL (I always akin making new friends to being set up on a blind date.)


Anywho, this new friend opportunity gave me the one last recipe I couldn't hone in on for my baking project. Snickerdoodles! Say it again because its funny and you know. I have never had them before let alone made them but I do know that my real father, Ron, loved them. And so does my new friend's husband so I attempted them and BOY... oh... am I glad I did!!! They are like... the best sugar cookies ever!! But with Cinnamon. And to boot? They are so easy... I didn't have to change anything about the recipe at all. You can bet these will be my go to anytime cookies when I need something sweet.

Snickerdoodles

NOTES:

1. I did the Cream of Tartar variation located in the back story of Snickerdoodles because I was curious. It was easy to do. I had trouble finding Cream of Tartar but now worries, it's in the SPICE section. Not leavening. I get it now.
2. I didn't use parchment paper on my pans. Just grease, butter, or spray them.
3. The first batch I backed too long at nine mintues. The second-fourth, I reduced the bake time by two minute and they came out perfect. Oven times will vary. You do not want these cookies to brown. I also found you want to remove them from the cookie sheet almost immediately. This should not be a problem
4.The last batch, spread really thin on the pan and were not even salvageable. I suggest you refrigerate your dough in between batches.

Day 5: No Bake Cookies

Okay, I'm just going to say this because I am obsessive and it has always bothered me. These are NOT cookies!! Imagine me stamping my foot right now and about five years old because that's how that conversation went down annually at my house. My mother would make these things for my brother all willy nilly whenever he so desired but my beloved Hungarian cookies were rudely cast aside until the last minute of Christmas never to see the light of day again until 365 days later...

 I was a.... special child. :) Really, these are delicious but they are more of a candy. And a great first attempt at baking if you aren't up close and personal with it yet because they are indeed a breeze to make. The only part I really like about them being made was that in the winter, mom would put the cookies sheets outside so they would set up faster. I always thought that was sooo cool. I would have done that myself but we have a huge opossum problem in my neighborhood and the last thing I want to be doing in the middle of this baking project is wrestling a fanged super mutant rat for my cookies.

Somewhere along the way, my mother's recipe has been lost. I had a mini meltdown over it.  But this being the digital age and all I eventually pulled myself out of my funk and started searching online. Since all ten recipes I looked at were exactly the same, I went for it.

And they turned out pretty darn good. Not quite what I remember but that's probably me all up in my own head about losing her recipe. They weren't as chocolaty as hers and a bit grainy in texture Although, looking at it now... I did use a 1/4 of a cup too much of sugar for some reason. *duh!* So... there it is folks. LoL. Just follow the recipe and I'm sure they will turn out even more fabulous than my batch.

 No Bake Cookies


NOTES:

1. I would STILL probably use 1 more tablespoon of cocoa powder. Too much chocolate is not something I understand
2. I had to add more oatmeal to this as the mixture looked a bit wet. It could have been my using too much sugar. The mixture should be thick and a bit hard to stir. If you think yours is to runny, just add more oatmeal. It won't affect the taste.
3. You can make them as small or as big as you like. I used a 1/8 cup measuring cup to spoon them out onto foil. Wax paper works, too.

Day 4: Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

For those of you who don't know, I live right down the street from Jungle Jims. The only thing non fabulous about this is that on a clear, perfect spring day... you can hear the jungle sounds and "Welcome to Jungle Jim's! Hahaha!". Everything else rules. It's close, has everything you can never find anywhere else and on a Saturday you can make the rounds of the store and have what I like to call a "sample lunch".

As a teenager my best friend and I would frequently walk up there with our allowance money and just wander for hours. I can't count how many times I've seen that Jungle Jim's movie in the makeshift theater in the back of the store. I've seriously considered applying there to give store tours. I'd be waay more entertaining than the man who looks like Santa.

Anywho, every time I go there I meander around the store like I don't know everything they have and search for that thing... that one perfect bite to fit my mood. Many times that thing has been something they call Brownie Cookies. They are on a center table between the candy/meat area and the caramel apples/pastries. They are moist, fudgey, covered in powdered sugar, and made fresh in house.

Now separately, I've always been fascinated by Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. The dark rich chocolate against the white powdered sugar. And when I got to thinking about my baking project I remarked at how similar the two things looked, right down to the ingredients. Well, there really wasn't a choice any more was there? I had to make them. So, I did.

I'm sad to report that while tasty, they were very different. My cookies were fluffy and light and didn't have that fudgy goodness I was so craving. The chocolate flavor didn't really shine through. I thought that if I baked the second batch less (9 minutes instead of 11) this might remedy the problem and it did to a degree. But it still wasn't quite right. I searched online to see if anyone had had similar results or had found a way to get the result I wanted but, no luck. I was on my own. And I've come to some conclusions.

1. I used cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate. One can be substituted for the other in most recipes with the proper adjustments but it will show its difference in the taste.
2. The recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of baking powder. Hence the fluffiness. I'm betting that if the amount were reduced to 1 1/2 teaspoons, the cookies would be more dense. 

One last thing you should know. This dough is really more of a batter. It looks like and is the same texture as brownie batter. Don't be alarmed. Just do as the recipe says and when you scoop out the dough, immediately drop into the powdered sugar. Have fun with this part and don't be too prissy because no matter what you do, the powdered sugar will make a mess. :)


Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Day 3: Kiffles/ Kolacky

Strange sounding, right? Don't worry, they are delicious. A wonderful addition to any holiday get together or change up to your normal cookie routine but warning... they are a pain in the ass. Why bother then? Because the combination of creamy cream cheese, rich butter, and sweet fruit filling (Raspberry in my case) can't be beat! Especially when they are covered in powdered sugar. :)

Kiffles were my childhood favorite. They stem from Eastern Europe during a time when sugar was a luxury but things like butter, cream, and fruit were just what you had laying around. Every year I would beg for them and every year mom would moan and groan, "do I have to?".  But I was spoiled so I got them. LoL. I never understood her hesitation. It was just another cookie. I... was soooo wrong.

While delicious they are a labor of love. And blood. And sweat. And possibly a tear. The extremely high fat content makes the dough so hard to work with. You are supposed to chill and roll. Chill and cut. Chill and fill. Fold and chill and then bake. And with seven other recipes to make, this girl just didn't have it in her. So, I decided to experiment and fudge the process a bit. My method? Roll by hand, press my thumb in the middle and fill the hole. Fantastic I thought.

But even that was a pain. The holes were hard to make. With my finger, with the back of a spoon, etc. But I pressed on. I really hate rolling cookies. I pushed through it, slapped em in the oven, and eleven minutes later... SUCCESS! Sort of...

While they were delicious, they weren't the same. They were dense and decadent rather than light but rich. And if I were to take another go at it, I would man up and roll, fill, and fold. But if you don't want to do all that work, rest assured, they will come out delicious my way. Just make the dough as suggested, chill for a couple hours, scoop and roll into balls, make a depression in the center, and fill. Bake per the recipe and instructions and that's that.

 Kiffles/ Kolacky

 NOTES:

The recipe has excellent notes! I only have three notes.
1.While the recipe is rich, it's not sweet exactly. I believe this is because I made them thumbprints and therefor thicker. Less fruit to dough ratio so normally it wouldn't be an issue. If following the recipe word for word, have no fears. If you make them thumbprints add one half cup of granulated sugar.
2. These cookies don't really brown. They are done, no matter what you think, pull them out when suggested.
3. Jungle Jim's sells Solo brand filling in many flavors

Day 2: A Health Conscious Peanut Butter Cookie?

Well, I did start out thinking about the health impact of this cookie. One, it's a cookie. Two, it's a peanut butter cookie. And three, I'm doing ten DAYS of cookies so... yeah. Healthful eating isn't on my mind. And really, I shouldn't mislead you too much, that's not nice of me. By healthy I mean gluten free. Why you ask? The answer is, I didn't know.

Years ago, when I was 14 or 15, I stayed the night at a friend's house. The next morning when we awoke, her mother was making peanut butter cookies for work. She let us each have one and it was like the clouds parted and rays of sunshine beat down on our faces and the angels sang! Soft and super peanut buttery and rich. Everything I ever wanted a cookie to be.

When I asked her how she made them, she said just three things. 1 Egg, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1 cup of peanut butter. That's it! No flour, no butter, no leavening. Now I realize she was gluten intolerant but at the time I thought it was genius. I immediately made a batch as soon as I arrived home for my parents and proudly showed them off. My step-dad loved peanut butter cookies best of all and every year after that, I was responsible with keeping him in good supply.

It's impossible to forget how to make these. The ingredients are probably always on hand. And they are soooo quick to throw together. And they always stay soft. So again. This is the entire recipe:

Combine one extra large egg with one cup granulated sugar until the sugar starts to dissolve. Mix in one cup of whatever peanut butter you enjoy. (I've never tried crunchy). Chill for 10 minutes to help the dough firm. Scoop out two tablespoon size cookies and roll into balls. Roll in more granulated sugar and place on cookie sheet about two inches apart. They do spread. Pat down with hands. (This is important to ensure a good texture) Cook for 10-12 minutes on 350 degrees. Cool and eat.

Day 1: Homemade Chocolate Truffles

Okay, I give. It's time I say it. It's been long enough. No need to be ashamed, right? Together, I think we can make it through this. I'm ready. Here it is.... I am a Chocoholic. Don't laugh! It's a real thing. And a real problem. It started long ago when I was a kid.

My step-dad worked for a trucking company that shipped luxury and high end products. Every so often a box or crate would fall off of the truck and in such an event, the product could no longer be shipped and the trucking company had to pay for the damaged goods. On one such occasion my step-dad brought home a box of none other than Godiva chocolates. Now, before I go on, let me say I am NOT a chocolate snob. I can eat a King size Hershey Bar in about the time it takes you sing Happy Birthday and would be perfectly happy for the opportunity to to so. But... Godiva! Ooooo. You just.. don't.. know..

Godiva is this great preservative and chemical free untainted chocolate. It doesn't just melt in your hand. It melts pretty much at room temperature. It's smooth and creamy on your tongue and rich like things you could only dream of. One bite and I was hooked. And the best? Their truffles! Things of legend and lore. Perfect soft bites of chocolate, wrapped up in a silky chocolate blanket, and often flavored with fruits and nut. But me? I go for the simple, honest milk chocolate covered, bittersweet cored truffle. No frills. And guess what? After one, I'm satisfied. And thank God for that because truffles are expensive!

Or are they? Once again, the Barefoot Contessa Ina saves the day and for one, my wallet! Homemade chocolate truffles. I was nervous at first to attempt this recipe. First, no one wants to spend money on good quality ingredients for the recipe to just be a dud. Second, they are a more time consuming process. Chilling and rolling and chilling and dipping and more chilling. Lastly, Ina recommends you wait until the next morning to eat them. I'm assuming to let the flavors meld and set but honestly, that wasn't happening in my house so I didn't fool myself.

The result? Perfection. Honestly, not missing a thing on expensive store of boutique bought truffles. Three people who have tried them so far agree. They were a bit of a hassle but one bite and all was forgiven. I followed Ina recipe pretty closely, only changing a few things the second testing. Below is the link and also some quick recipe notes to hopefully make your first attempt easier. Don't walk, run, to the store and make these for your holiday party. People will still be talking about them on New Years.

I almost forgot! The BEST part! All of the ingredient only cost $8.00 and they made 28 truffles! Thats $.29 a truffle! A box of 24 from Godiva costs 24 dollars. How's that economical for you!

Homemade Chocoalte Truffles

NOTES:

1. I used 2 tablespoons LESS of cream then the recipe called for because the first time they didn't set as I was hoping and were difficult to work with.
2. After I poured the cream over the chocolate, I had to microwave the mixture for ONLY twenty seconds to make sure all the bits were melted.
3. I had to chill the mixture way longer than suggested but it is necessary the ganache be well chilled.
4. I didn't use any of the liquor or coffee in my recipe. I wanted pure chocolate for my first attempt. If you do, you might want to reduce you cream a smidgen to make sure the ganache sets.
5. I scooped mine with a spoon and rolled them in my hands, about a tablespoon size each. This was messy, time consuming, and frustrating. In the future, I will but the 1 1/4 inch ice cream scoop Ina reccommends. No rolling necessary with this
6. I dipped mine in chocolate. To do this is easy.
  - First, melt 6 ounces good quality baking chocolate, whatever sweetness you desire, for thirty seconds at a  time until JUST melted, no longer. Stir in between thoroughly to ensure this.
- Then let the chocolate cool to the touch slightly so your ganache centers do not melt.
- To cover them I found that putting them on a FINE mesh cooling rack and spooning them over the centers worked best. You can get both the cooling rack and the ice cream scoop at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and other like retailers.
7. Let them rest five minutes on the cooling rack and then transfer them to a baking pan with a fork slid underneath them. let them cool and set in the fridge for an hour and then pack them up.

KEEP THEM STORED IN THE FRIDGE! Oh, and enjoy!























 

The Great Bake Escape/ 10 Treats of Christmas

So, its 3 AM and as usual I can't sleep. It tends to be that way this time of year for me. Or right before any big holiday, birthday, or life event, now. Consciously, it's never in the forefront of my mind but, we all know it's there. Like that word that's on the tip of your tongue. I miss my parents. It's not that the holidays are bad or anything now. Or that my birthdays have been huge suckfests. Its just that they are different. Very different.

You see, my brother and his family live in Toldeo. Which isn't far from here but far enough that with Jeff wanting to be with his family on holidays and us only having one car, it would be no small task. My mom's brother lives in Atlanta, GA and I can't afford a plane ticket. And my grandparents? Well they CAN afford plane tickets and are going to Georgia this year. I'm happy for them, really. It just sucks for me.

And my Christmas plans are sketchy at best. I don't want to go into it right now. I'm trying to see how it all plays out. But, obviously, I'm not feeling very cheerful this year and I've been trying to think of ways to distract myself. So, I decided to put out this little nativity scene that my uncle made in woodshop in high school that my mom cherished to fill some of my time. And there they were in the back of the closet stacked neatly just so as mom did everything, caked with dust. Mom's cookie tins. And that's when it hit me. I'll bake.

Baking is my go to distraction. There is a recipe and steps to follow. It's structured and organized and the end result almost never disappoints. Every Christmas mom and dad would bake up a storm. They would get out these old cookies tins, line them with wax paper, and fill them to the brim with cookies, bars, and candies. And every Christmas Eve mom and dad would make hot chocolate in these travel cups, pile us kids in the car with blankets and drive around looking at the lights and handing out cookie tins to friends, family, and neighbors. 

It's been really hard for me to let that go. As it should be. But at some point I know I need to move on from it and live a full life for myself. So, instead of letting the sadness get the better of me, I decided to honor my parents, and this year I am going to pick up the family Christmas tradition again. Starting today, for the next ten days, I am going to bake a different cookie, or candy, or goodie and blog about the recipe and memories attached to it.

And on Christmas Eve I will go around town and deliver them to unsuspecting people. The people who have made my life this year better than I could have ever hoped. Also, because having a project is making me feel giddy and antsy, if you request one, I might take it into consideration. I would post the first recipe I tried now but this is a long entry and it's getting late. Tomorrow when I wake, I'll put it up. It's killer. :)

Peanut Butter Jelly Time!!

Hey guys! So, I'm sitting here on a Friday night totally wasting my time playing those silly games on Facebook. Isn't it sad how you sit down with innocent intentions to "only play for a few minutes" and the next thing you know its two hours later and you can't remember how long your foot has been asleep? Yeah, guilty. And this isn't the first time. (Shame)

I found myself in a similar situation last Friday. I live an exciting life, huh? Either way, it always leads me to wanting to do something productive. But, it's was 11 PM and in Fairfield, that means everything is closing. Totally lame. And since I'm crazy, the house was spotless and the laundry was done and I wasn't quite sure I was ready to pull out Moby Dick again. So, I looked up from my keyboard and there in front of me lay the answer. Ina Garten's Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars!

First, let me say, Ina Garten is sensational. Her recipes are easy, accessible for the novice baker/ chef, and tested rigorously. I have never had a bad result cooking something of hers. Second, they are ALWAYS delicious! no, seriously, words can't describe. But best of all, you never fail to look like a star! She has a roast Chicken Recipe that is now referred to as "Engagement Chicken". How's that for you?

Anywho, I've been wanting to make these things forever. Even my grandparents were tempted. I was worried, however, for two reasons. One, whenever I hear the words bar I hope for soft, chewy goodness. All too often, the result is a dry sponge. Two, I have never actually has a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I hear the gasps and save your shock. I wasn't deprived, just a picky eater. And I'm glad. Because that meant I got to judge these bars bias free.


And O M G! They were Heaven!! And easy. Seriously. The entire house smelled like a dream. They were so, so soft and chewy. I ate them warm out of the oven with a huge glass of cold milk. (I couldn't wait) And the entire 13x9 pan was gone in 48. My grandma said she couldn't have done better herself. My heart swells! (Sighs)  Below is a link for the recipe. I recommend making them immediately and sharing them with everyone you know.

I do have a couple of tips not included by Ina. One, once you mix the wet ingredients, stir in the dry by hand. Unless you have a stand mixer that is. The "batter" is more like a dough and very thick. My hand mixer threatened to break up with me. Two, spread the dough with your hands. Its much easier. Three, any kind of jelly works but do use the amount it says. I used a 12oz jar instead of an 18oz jar and it was lacking. Lastly, I used Jif peanut butter. And while they were great for me, my grandpa thought they were a little rich. Don't use less! If peanut butter or richness is something you don't jive on, just use Skippy like Ina suggets.

Enjoy and happy eatings!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

P.S. When I looked for this recipe online (I got my recipe from her book Barefoot Contessa At Home), I look and found it was the exact same as Martha Stewart's. Food Network's Chefography noted that Ina Garten was chiefly mentored by Stewart.

Testing The Waters

Hi, I'm Stefanie. Well, Stephanie, actually. (Something I recently found out) But, I'll explain that some other time. I'm 25 years old and live in Fairfield, Ohio. As far as I  can remember, I always have. My mother (Catherine) moved my brother (Ronnie) and I here in 1986 from Toledo and then promptly divorced my father (Ron). To this day, I don't really know why and due to circumstances I will elaborate on soon, I doubt I ever will.

My childhood was about as normal and ideal as one could ever hope for. My mom remarried in 1987. According to my mother, my stepfather (Ted) proposed to her before he even met us kids. Romantic, isn't it?  I had great parents. Really, great parents. Ted worked 60 hours a week most times. He left for work at 5 AM and rarely made it home before 6 PM. My mom babysat until I went into school and then cleaned houses during school hours once I did. She was always home when I got home and 6 nights a week, dinner was made at home and ate at the dining room table.

As I grew up as I had unconditional love and support from my parents. No matter what I did, I was never really punished. ( This kind of became a problem later, lol.)  And I was given infinite freedom to run around with my best friend. (Nick, since 1988) I was, as my mother would say, given enough rope to hang myself. Luckily for her, I didn't Not until she was gone that is. Which leads me to my purpose and intentions for writing this blog.

In September 2005 my real father passed away. In September 2006, my mom and step-father passed away as well. It was sudden and unexpected and as one could guess, completely Earth shattering. I would give you all of the details here but I've already written a lot today. Another post, another day, I promise. Anywho, my therapist that I've been seeing for quite some time since then suggested that since I love to write, that I blog. She seems thinks the feedback I might receive will be, in her favorite word, beneficial. We'll see.

Hopefully it helps. Not just me but some one else from time to time. Thanks for reading. Hopefully someone continues to, lol. Until next time....