Author: Julie

Snickers Cheesecake Brownies

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My husband had a stressful week in St. Louis and his favorite candy bar is snickers and he adores cheesecake so………….Oh heavenly welcome home day! These are divine. You should definitely NOT skip the ice water bath for the brownie layer. It makes for a very fudgy experience. This is super easy to make. Enjoy!

Preparation: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cover 8×8 pan with baking spray.
Ingredients:
Brownie Layer:
8 T. unsalted butter
4 0z. unsweetened chocolate
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup flour
Cheesecake Layer:
1 large egg
1 T. vanilla
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup plus 2 T. powdered sugar
8 fun size snickers, coarsely chopped*
Directions:
1. Place butter and chocolate in a double boiler or a bowl over simmering water. Stir frequently until mixture is melted. Remove chocolate mixture from heat and stir in sugar, vanilla and salt.
2. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring until each is incorporated before adding the next. Stir in flour and beat with a wooden spoon until mixture is glossy about 1 minute.
3. Scrape the batter into the pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until the brownie starts to pull away from the sides of pan. While brownies are baking prepare ice bath. Fill a pan with ice cubes and water 3/4 inch deep. When the brownies are done baking, remove the pan from the oven and place it in the water bath. Allow brownies to cool completely in the water bath.
4. Place cheesecake ingredients (except snickers) in a bowl and mix to combine. Pour on top of cooled brownie and bake for 25-30 minutes or until set. Cool to warm then press chopped snickers into cheesecake layer. Keep refrigerated.
*I used 13 bars for complete coverage.
Source: Brownie portion adapted from Alice Medrich, Pinterest

Lazy Lasagna

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This is actually a baked ziti recipe, but at my house it has been dubbed “Lazy Lasagna.” Who wants to spend all that time carefully layering delicate noodles and filling? Not Me! This tastes just like a lasagna. In fact, take this basic recipe and mix in your favorite lasagna veggies for real kick! You could try zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, and/or peppers. This is a great make-ahead dish and can be frozen for a future dinner.
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

1 lb. bag or box of uncooked ziti
15 oz. ricotta cheese
3 C. shredded mozzarella, divided
28 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 C. parmesan cheese
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the ziti as directed on the package. Place ziti in a large bowl. Add ricotta cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella. Grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Spread half the spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the pan. Add the ziti mixture and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and the remaining mozzarella. Bake covered with foil for 20-30 min. Remove foil and bake another 5-10 minutes til cheese is bubbly on top.

Happy Pi Day: Nutella Pie

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I love Pi Day.  I mean, who wouldn’t love an excuse to eat pie?  March 3.14 is for both geeks and gastronomists alike.

I just happen to be both.

Ingredients:
For the Crust:*
about 2 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs**
1/4 cup melted butter
1/3-1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
_______

For the Filling:
16 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, softened (the 1/3 less fat “cream cheese”)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup Nutella
1/2 cup whipping cream
_______

For the Nutella Ganache:
1/4 cup Nutella
1/4 cup whipping cream

1.  Spray your pie plate with non-stick cooking spray (or butter it) and set aside.
2.  Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, and peanut butter (I do this in the food processor since I usually use that to make the crumbs).  Make sure the mixture is combined well.  (When you press some of the mixture together, it should hold its shape.)
3.  Pour crumb mixture into pie plate, spreading evenly on the bottom.  Then, using the bottom of a straight-sided measuring cup, start pressing the crumb mixture down.  Work your way from the center of the pie plate out to the edge.  Use the measuring cup to coax the mixture firmly into the bottom edge of the pie plate (where the bottom meets the sides).  Then use your fingers to press the mixture up the sides.  Place in the fridge to chill.
4.  Whip the cream cheese and sugar together until well blended.  Stir in the vanilla and Nutella.  Scrape the sides down, then stir in the cream.  Increase the speed of the mixer and whip the mixture for about 3 minutes or until very thick.
5.  Pour filling into pie crust, smoothing the top.  Refrigerate about 2 hours to set.
6.  When ready to serve, microwave the Nutella and cream together in a small bowl for about 30 seconds.  Whisk with a fork until completely mixed together.  Drizzle this lovely ganache over the slices of pie.  Enjoy!

Source:  slightly adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Notes:
*Original recipe uses 24 Nutter Butter Cookies and 1/4 cup melted butter for the crust.  Grind the cookies up in a food processor and then add the melted butter.
**I say “about 2 1/2 cups” because I don’t really measure here.  I don’t normally buy graham cracker crumbs; I just crush regular graham crackers.  I kind of eyeball it, then add the butter and peanut butter and adjust the amounts until it will hold its shape when pressed.

Looking Through Windows

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I remember hearing President Thomas S. Monson tell this story at a recent General Conference.  I remember feeling both sides of it too.  I have been “in the kitchen”, looking through the dirty window…not knowing I had cleaning to do on my side of things.  I have also been “hanging laundry”, working hard but being misunderstood.

I think we have probably all “been there” on both sides.  But even when we have been the laundry hangers and have felt what it is like to be misjudged, we still struggle sometimes to not be the woman peering through the kitchen window.

Being aware of our own imperfections and weaknesses (being humble) can help us to overcome unrighteous judgement.  We all have our pet peeves and we are quick to find those pet peeves alive and well in others; but we fail to realize, sometimes, that others have pet peeves too.  And we are probably poster children for those pet peeves!

It’s interesting to me that the woman in the story would have found out very quickly that her dirty windows were to blame if she had simply gone next door to visit her neighbor….

My Best Brownies

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I’ve been in search of a great brownie recipe for years.  A few of them made the cut, but none satisfied my yearning when it came to texture.  I don’t know why, but for some reason nothing beats the texture of a store-bought brownie mix.  Okay, maybe you don’t agree, but I love them there mixes!

Recently, I decided that even though my brownie search had left me jaded and disillusioned (drama queen?  I don’t know what you’re talking about), I would open up my heart to yet another brownie recipe.

And this time….wait for it….I found LOVE!

This recipe comes the closest by far to duplicating (or at least closely mimicking) that elusive brownie-mix texture I’ve come to know and love.  And, as with so many brownie recipes, they get better with age.  (Yes, I appreciate brownies more as a middle-aged woman but I’m talking about the brownies‘ age, not mine…they are better the next day.)

So, now that I’ve found it, this recipe will now be named (at least in my house) My Best Brownies!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
11 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped*
1 cup butter, cut into 1″ pieces
2 cups sugar
5 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter sides and bottom of a 9×13-inch glass pan.  Line with parchment paper (you will use the ends of the parchment to lift out the brownies later).
2.  In medium bowl whisk together:  flour, salt, cocoa.
3.  Put chocolate and butter in a large bowl set over a saucepan of simmer water.  Stir occasionally until completely melted and smooth.  Turn the heat off, but keep the bowl over the pan and add the sugars.  Whisk until thoroughly combined.  Remove bowl from pan and set aside to cool to room temperature.
4.  Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined.  Add remaining eggs and whisk until combined.  Add vanilla and stir until combined, being careful not to over-mix.**
5.  Sprinkle flour mixture over chocolate mixture.  Use a rubber spatula (not a whisk) to fold in the flour mixture.  There should be just a bit of flour visible when you STOP mixing.
6.  Pour batter into pan and smooth the top.  Bake for 30 minutes, but rotate the pan halfway through the baking time.  Brownies are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs sticking to it.  Let the brownies cool completely.  Lift them out using the parchment paper.  Cut and serve.

Makes 24 brownies; serve with ice cream, warmed up peanut butter (as a sauce), and Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

Notes:
*I didn’t have enough dark chocolate so I mixed what I had:  some German chocolate, plain ol’ baking chocolate, and some dark chocolate.
**Over-mixing will result in cake-y brownies.

Source:  slightly adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Something Little

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“What holds us back from helping another?

I have thought about this and realized that I tend to make grandiose plans, and it is hard for me to settle for “something little”. I don’t want to just send one valentine, I want to send everyone a valentine. I don’t want to just stop by for a 10 minute visit to my widow neighbor, I want to bake bread and take it over to her when I visit and stay an hour. In the process of daily life, and being realistic about what I can manage, I end up losing heart and doing . . . nothing! Sad, huh?

Today I thought about the little things. Don’t they make a huge difference in your life? As I entered church this morning, a leader up in the front smiled and nodded at me. That was little. But I felt so much better, as it had been a discouraging morning. I know that took hardly any effort, and no forethought. But it made a difference to me! A big difference. I think it changed the outcome of my day.

Just think! If everyone just did something, no matter how small, what a enormous wave of good works it would create. If we all followed through on even 1/10th of our good intentions, it would transform our neighborhood, church or community. When I was a young mother, we lived in Holland. The Dutch housewives would come out in the mornings and wash their porches with a mop and a bucket of suds. They had a saying: “If each wife washes her own porch, the whole world will be clean”. How true! Each of us doing something small would have an tremendous effect! Doing something little reminds me of the children’s picture book—Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed—about how one ordinary little girl’s small act of kindness actually multiplied to touch everyone on the planet!

If you are like me, with idealistic plans that end up sabotaging your good intentions to love and serve others, let’s work on this together. Can you manage just a very small act every single day this week? Just one valentine to someone who might be lonely. Just one short visit, minus the homemade bread. A phone call. Even just a smile and a nod really matters! Something little. Loving kindness administered in small enough doses that you don’t overwhelm yourself and wear yourself out.
Are you up to the challenge?
Just something little.”

Source: entire quote taken from Diane Hopkins

I just couldn’t have said it better myself. This morsel really spoke to me. It pretty much IS me. I LOVE to serve and little things have always meant so much to me. I forget though, sometimes, how much a single kind word or gesture can literally saves someone’s day. I have seen it happen and have had it happen to me. Be always on guard to serve someone “a little something”.
Amy

Image from Google. 

Ham, Cheddar and Red Onion Bread Pudding

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That’s right, it’s a savory bread pudding! You could serve this during a brunch or have it for dinner. I served this to some kids I was babysitting, and they gobbled it up and asked for seconds (they did pick out the onions, but hey, I still count it as a win)! Here’s the recipe:
 
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
 
Oil for the dish
4 large eggs
1 1/2 C. whole milk
1 T. Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp freshly grated or ground nutmeg
2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 12 oz. loaf French or Italian bread, cut into 1-in. pieces
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-in.-thick wedges (go ahead and leave the layers together, imagine you are slicing an apple)
1 crisp, tart apple, cut into 1/4-in.-thick wedges (the original recipe calls for a red apple like gala or braeburn, but we found it to not have much flavor after baking, so try a tart apple like granny smith.)
4 oz. sliced ham, torn into pieces (I bought a packaged ham steak, so the ham was nice a thick)
2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
 
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a 2 1/2- 3 quart baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, nutmeg, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper.

3. Add the bread and let sit, tossing occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
 
Before soaking:
After soaking:

4. Fold the onion, apple, ham, cheese and the rest of the salt and pepper into the bread mixture.

5.Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil or lid. Bake 30 minutes then remove foil or lid. Bake another 15-20 minutes until set (a knife inserted in the center comes out clean) and top is browned.
 
Source: adapted from Women’s Day Magazine

Cottage Ranch Dip

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In an attempt to eat healthier and also to sneak some more protein in my diet, I came up with the recipe for veggie dip.  It’s easy and even cottage cheese haters (like my husband) will be fooled that it’s not a traditional fatty dip.

It helps tremendously to have a Magic Bullet-type blender thingy, but you can use a regular blender too.

Ingredients:
16-ounce container small curd cottage cheese (lowfat)
1 envelop ranch dip or dressing mix (I used Hidden Valley Harvest Dill Dips Mix)
sour cream to taste (I used about 1/4 cup)
milk to thin

1.  Place ingredients in a blender, adding milk to thin to the desired consistency.  (With the Magic Bullet type blender, you may have to place half the cottage cheese in, blend, then add the rest, and blend.)
2.  Refrigerate for a few hours for flavors to blend.  Serve with your choice of veggies.

Makes about 2 1/4 cups

Source:  a Julie original

Love: The Lodestar of Life

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“Love, like faith, is a gift of God. It is also the most enduring and most powerful virtue.”

“Love is the only force that can erase the differences between people or bridge the chasms of bitterness.”

“Love is the very essence of life. It is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Yet it is not found only at the end of the rainbow. Love is at the beginning also, and from it springs the beauty that arches across the sky on a stormy day. Love is the security for which children weep, the yearning of youth, the adhesive that binds marriage, and the lubricant that prevents devastating friction in the home; it is the peace of old age, the sunlight of hope shining through death. How rich are those who enjoy it in their associations with family, friends, and neighbors!” (President Gordon B. Hinckley, Standing For Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Our Homes, pg 3.)

I am thankful for the love my Heavenly Father has shown me through those around me. Love shown through the countless acts of kindness rendered in my, and my family’s behalf–each appreciated immensely. I hope that I can repay those kindnesses by serving those around me with love and compassion. With Charity. For isn’t this why we’re here on earth? To buoy one another up?

For “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40)

Nutella Fruit Dip

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Yummy Nutella Fruit Dip

I love Nutella.  Any recipe I see anywhere that has Nutella in it, I’m interested!  And this one is so quick and easy.  Great for breakfast or for dessert.  Seriously.  Dessert!

Ingredients:
1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt (I used Fage)
1/2 cup Nutella

1.  Combine ingredients in a bowl and stir till smooth.
2.  Serve with your favorite fruit!

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Source:  Babble