brown maple crispy bars

I promise the next recipe I post will consist of fruit, and will be much healthier than the mass amounts of chocolate covered this, or double chocolate brownie that recipes I seem to have been obsessed with the past week or so. I guess I have been on quite the chocolate high! It happens every now and then. As for now… here are some really simple, chocolately delicious snacks for all of the other chocolate lovers out there! :)

Brown Maple Crispies

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 almond butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups brown rice crisp cereal

1/2 cup of dark chocolate (optional)

1 tablespoon of butter

Place maple syrup and almond butter in double broiler, and heat until melted and resembles a thick syrup. Add the vanilla, and stir. In a medium size bowl, pour in rice cereal and add in the maple syrup mix. Stir rice cereal until it looks as if 90% or more of rice is covered. Press rice mixture into a pre-greased cake pan. (9by9 works best.) 

If you want a chocolate topping, in a double broiler, once again, melt chocolate and butter together. Once completely melted, pour over the rice mixture and spread evenly.  Place crisps in the refrigerator for an hour or freezer for 30 minutes. 

Cut and serve! 

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daydreams

Two and a half years ago I took my very first and my very favorite trip of all time to San Francisco, courtesy of my amazing boyfriend. Although I could have easily got lost in the architecture, shopping, delectable food (minus our Mexican food meal, blah), very long and strenuous, but fun walks around town, and the perfect piano bar on the corner that I made Jeff attend with me both nights, for much more than 2 days, the 2 days we were there were just perfect. Since then I have yet to cease dreaming about the time we spent there, and the time in which we can return. I never thought I would be in love with San Francisco; This single trip changed everything.

I've got an itch to go somewhere….

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iz

Jeff and I have the best dog ever. Despite her 'excited pee's', her hogging the bed, and her now sparse in-home potty accidents, she is the sweetest, most lovable, darling looking dog, I know, that I have ever seen. :) We really lucked out on this little one.


a fun rainy saturday afternoon; photo credit: our wonderful friend, J. Ponce

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chocolate toffee cake bars

Being that I was away from home the previous weekends, traveling more than 10 miles from my bed this weekend was out of question. Packed with several close dinner outings with friends, a birthday celebration, sweet puppy photos, a chocolate themed baking day, a very spontaneous apartment re-model, and a night of wine, pajamas, my two loves and our couch; these past few days were rich in delight and had left me beaming.

Speaking of rich, these gooey chocolate toffee cake bars that I made over the weekend paired with a scoop of french vanilla ice cream or a cup of coffee, qualify as a premium level richness in my dessert books. They are phenomenal little treats that really don't even need to be paired. If you like chocolate and you like quick, you absolutely cannot go wrong with this dessert bliss. ..I want one, now.

Gooey Chocolate Toffee Cake Bars

Adapted from Paula Deen, herself.

Cake:

1 18.25 box Trader Joe's dark chocolate cake mix

1 egg

1 stick of butter, melted

Filling/Topping:

1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 16-ounce box of confectioners' sugar

1 stick of butter, melted

1 cup of homemade toffee bits (recipe here! just skip the nuts!)

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease 13x9 cake pan. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, egg and butter with an electric mixer; mix well. (You are not using the cake recipe on back of box, only use the cake mix and ingredients I have listed; It will have dry/thicker consistency than a cake batter) Pat into bottom of prepared pan; Set aside.

In another large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth; add eggs and vanilla, mix until well combined. Dump confectioners' sugar into the cream cheese mix, and mix until well combined. Reduce to a low speed, and gently pour in the melted butter. Mix well, then fold in toffee bits.

Pour the filling over the cake mixture and speed evenly. Bake for 40-50 minutes. As ovens' temperatures vary, do not be afraid to pull the plug on this dessert before the allotted baking time requested. You want the center to be a little gooey, so do not over bake.

Allow to cool, cut, and serve! 

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happy things

a

b

c

d

e

f

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cake style cornbread

Since I can remember, or well, since I was in my teenage years, I developed this ardent love for cornbread. During a time when my girlfriends and I would plan monthly girls night, I would willfully try to plan to dine at a restaurant that matter-of-factly served cornbread. A little outlandish wouldn't you say? 

Where this love came from? I could not even begin to tell you, for I believe it was a feeling I randomly awoke with one day. Although my infatuation with this treat has simmered some since then (thankfully, it was a little over the top), I am still very in love with this 'bread of many faces', provided it can be a dessert or dinner savory, and enjoy it thoroughly from time to time. 

I will tell you now, if you do not like cornbread, well, bummer. However, if you don't not like it, or are just a little on the fence about how you feel about it, try this recipe. You will, I warn you, fall in love. Maybe not as deep as I fell, but you will certainly fall.

Maple Cornbread

Adapted from Carly's Comfort Zone

yields 9 servings

1 cup almond flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk, whole, skim or 2%, your choice
1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract
6 tablespoons melted butter
2 large eggs

honey or extra maple syrup

Preheat oven to 425F. Pour 2 tablespoons of the melted butter into 8-9inch pan for greasing. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk milk, maple syrup, remaining butter, and eggs. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture; stir gently until moistened. Pour all of batter into already greased pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Serve with butter and extra maple syrup. Honey is a great topper as well! 

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scenes from Ohio.

1. Beautiful tall standing trees and weather in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. (Please don't ask me to pronounce Cuyahoga. I'll probably fail.)

2. Silly sleeping Oxley.

3. Sweet boyfriend and dog, Tequila.

4. Late night outdoor deck parties.

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the best weekend!

The past four days have been some of the most exciting, loving, happy and life changing days of my life. Being in Ohio to celebrate a wedding of two people whom I adore most with TONS of lovely family was such a wonderful experience and am so so thankful to have been apart of it all. :)

The reception was quite the time, and included a photo booth we didn't fail to take full advantage of.

ps* how great are all of the boys' faces?!
Above: Me, Jeffrey, Greg, Cami, and the beautiful Grandma Dennie.

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mini midwest vacay

From now and on through the weekend I will be in one of my favorite states, Ohio, snuggling with this doggie (my second favorite dog and Izzie's future boyfriend), enjoying this beautiful weather and celebrating a wedding between two of the most wonderful people I know. 

Please remember tomorrow's Blogger's Day of Silence for Japan to raise awareness and acknowledge the tragic events occurring in Japan. Again, if you are a blogger and would like to participate please contact Utterly Engaged and Evers Ours or visit For Japan With Love. You can also visit my Help For Japan post for more ways to show your support for Japan.

Happy Thursday loves!

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Day of Silence for Japan

On Friday, March 18th 2011, I will be partaking in a Blogger's Day of Silence hosted by the ever so lovely Utterly Engaged and Ever Ours to raise awareness and acknowledge this tragedy happening right before our eyes in Japan. In this down time, please visit Shelterbox.com and anything I have posted in my previous blogpost, Help for Japan, to donate anything you can to help Japan! They need our help more than ever right now. 

A little goes a long way. 

Thank you all!

*If you are a blogger and would like to participate, please visit www.forjapanwithlove.com

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help for Japan.

I cannot fathom the events taken/taking place in Japan this moment. There are not enough words to express how deeply saddened I am by this tragedy and how much my heart aches for those people effected by the earthquake and tsunami, many of who lost their homes, friends and other family members. Japan needs our help more than ever right now!! Please help them in their time of need by donating to any of these relief organizations below. There couldn't be simpler or easier ways of doing something that can and will be of incredible help! Nobody can do absolutely everything, but everyone can do something. 

"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little. Do what you can." -Edmund Burke

1) Log into Facebook to donate! Red Cross launched a campaign for Causes to raise money for relief efforts via Facebook! Login to donate and help Tsunami victims and their families.

2) For all of your Farmville, CityVille and FronteirVille players, you can donate just buy purchasing virtual Sweet Potatoes in these games! Zynga has partnered up with Save the Children's Japan Earthquake Tsunami Emergency Fund to get its users to donate through all of these games! 100% of the proceeds from your purchases of Sweet Potatoes in CityVille, Radishes in FarmVille or Kobe Cows in FrontierVille will go towards Save the Children's fund. 

3) "Like" the Facebook page, Dog Bless You. Explore.org is donating $1 for every "like" on this page! 

4) Donate via iTunes! iTunes has created a donation page that makes it very simple to donate anywhere from $5 to $200 to the Red Cross.

5) Redcross.org or text 'REDCROSS' to 90999 to donate $10 from your phone.

6) Save the Children. Please donate to it's Children's Emergency Fund.

7) Internationalmedicalcorps.org, or text 'MED' to 80888 from any phone to donate $10.

8) The Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund was launched at GlobalGiving.org to garner funds that will be given to relief organizations to help victims of this tragedy. It has already raised over $100,000 just from Twitter users alone!

9) Salvationarmyusa.org and designate gift for "Japan Earthquake/Tsunami", or text 'JAPAN' or 'QUAKE' to 8088 and make a $10 donation!

10) Doctorswithoutborders.org, Doctor's Without Borders/MSF is sending two three-person teams to the Iwate and Miyagi prefectures in Japan.

11) Other relief organizations are also sending representatives to disaster sites, such as AmeriCares and Shelterbox. MercyCorps is gathering donations for its overseas partner, Peace Winds Japan, which currently has ground personnel distributing emergent relief.

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tuneday, in a very girly way.

"I'd swim across Lake Michigan, I'd sell my shoes, I'd give my body to be back again, In the rest of the room, To be alone with you"

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coffee cake

Coffee cake, a mug of coffee, still in pajamas at home(!) at 10am, an empty house, my pretty dog, 75 degrees outside, a 5 hour work day followed by a road trip home for a weekend with family; true bliss.  

Coffee Cake

adapted from Martha Stewart, herself

streusel topping

1 cup packed dark-brown sugar

1 cup almond flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled butter, cut into 1/4 pieces

cake

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 3/4 cup almond flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sour cream (this is what the recipe calls for, however I am not a fan so I used (for a healthier alternative) 1 cup plain greek yogurt + 1 teaspoon baking soda)

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs

Confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven 350F. Prepare streusel topping first: In a medium bowl mix brown sugar, flour and salt. Using a beater, add butter slowly and mix until mixture resembles coarse brumes. Place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Butter and flour a cake pan, then set aside. In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and soda; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat butter, sour cream (or yogurt mixture), sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. One at a time, beat in the eggs until well combined. Reduce speed to low, then add in flour mixture.

Pour half of the batter into cake pan, top with half of streusel topping, then pour the remainder of batter, and top with the rest of streusel topping. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean! Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to rack. Dust with confectioners sugar, if you'd like. 

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peanut butter cups

Yes, more peanut butter. I just can't seem to grow sick of the peanut butter and chocolate combo. It is just too delicious! When I decided to make this chocolate candy, I had my doubts. I thought, "I won't be able to succeed the first round through. I am going to need enough ingredients to double batch this." Surprisingly, only one batch was needed and, to me, they didn't turn out so bad looking. (minus the few broken ones) After your first bite, their appearance isn't even a thought in mind. These are a perfect treat to keep a never-ending stock of.  My boyfriend is going to be extremely disappointed when he finds out that they were for a gift and there were none left behind to nibble on. :/ Peanut Butter Cups Peanut Butter Cup: 1/2 cup (125 grams) creamy peanut butter 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup confectioners sugar Chocolate:  9 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped 9 ounces milk chocolate, chopped 1 tablespoon shortening Line a miniature muffin pan with paper or foil liners. Place peanut butter, butter, and salt in a microwavable bowl, and heat in the microwave for about one minute or until soft (not melted). Stir (well) in the confectioner's sugar. Place chocolate in a glass bowl, and set over saucepan full of simmering water (double broiler); Stir continuously until melted. Drop a teaspoon of melted chocolate into the lined muffin cups. Top the chocolate with a teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture. Then, take another teaspoon or two, and pour over peanut butter mixture in the muffin cup. Set muffin pan in refrigerator until set. (about an hour or so)

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lucky day.

He makes me laugh, a lot. 

Just feeling especially lucky today.

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tuneday

Sometimes all you need for a mood improvement is a good tune, or two. Along with many other things, these are some of those tunes that keep me happily floating through life. Some kind of make me want to skip, sway and toss my arms up in the air like how Maria from The Sound of Music does while running through a grassy field full of baby yellow flowers. Hmm, if I could find that field...

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weekend, and a lemon-blueberry yogurt cake

Late nights consisting of casual drinks, music and friends; Sleeping in until 10am; girlfriend time in the Marina; new bikes & bike rides around the alluring city of Long Beach; couple's massage with champagne; group sushi dinner; the best dog and best boyfriend ever; and to top it off, this lemon-blueberry yogurt cake, which is something I suggest you not pass up; I couldn't have asked for more pleasant weekend. 

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt cake

adapted from Ina Garten

1 1/2 cups + a tablespoon of all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup plain greek yogurt

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup coconut oil (you can use vegetable)

1 1/2 cup blueberries

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease loaf/bread pan and line with parchment paper.

In medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Before adding the blueberries (or fruit of your choice), mix fruit with 1 tablespoon of flour, and then gently fold them into the batter. Pour combined batter into the loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes (I did 55), or until tester placed in center of cake comes out clean.

Once finished, allow to cool before flipping out of the pan. While warm, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of confectioners sugar over the top for garnish. 

I was very serious when I suggested you not pass this up. It is beyond words delicious. :)

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white chocolate oatmeal cookies.

Having a boyfriend who absolutely despises raisins, makes it rather difficult to bake some of my favorite dishes without causing him to be left out. Which is never cool. So, to ensure happiness for both of us, I make those dishes while replacing the raisins with something else. :) In my opinion though, raisins are what make the dish and are never as delicious as they could be with raisins. While he's beg to differ, I swear he is missing out!


In hopes of getting him to graduate from the "oatmeal cookie with no raisins"  requests, I decided to go all out with this oatmeal cookie! Substituting white chocolate for the raisins, and topping it off with a sprinkle of sea salt, I am now considering graduating from the raisin addition to these delectable treats. :)


Crispy White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
You will need:
1 cup almond flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups rolled oats

6 ounces white chocolate (either white chocolate chips, or for better quality, white chocolate bar, chopped.)

2 tsp sea salt

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or if you have a Silpat, you can use that.

2) In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and powder, and table salt; Set aside.

3) In large bowl, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until combined. Then gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture until smooth. Add oats and stir until well combined. Lastly, add the white chocolate and mix until combined.

4) Roll about tbsp and a half size balls of dough, then place on lined baking sheet. Leave about 2-inches in-between each ball. Gently press down on each ball. 

5) Sprinkle a few sea salt flakes on top of each dough ball. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until a deeper golden brown. Transfer to wire rack for cooling.

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