Cookie's n' Cream Cupcakes

Everyone loves an Oreo.

And that's about all I have to say about that.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

• 24 Oreo halves, with cream-center attached
• 2-1/4 c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 1-2/3 c. sugar
• 3 egg whites
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 c. milk
• 24 Oreo halves, without cream-center (quartered)

Frosting:

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 4 c. powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp. heavy cream
• Garnish with Oreo crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners. Place one Oreo half with cream-filling in the bottom of each liner, cream side up. 
3. In bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. 
4. In mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
5. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each.
6. Add vanilla extract.
7. Mix in half of the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Add milk and mix again. 
8. Mix in remaining dry ingredients until just incorporated.
9. Gently fold in quartered Oreo pieces.
10. Divide batter into prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes. 
11. To make frosting, combine cream cheese and butter and beat until smooth. Add vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Add heavy cream and mix well. Then whip on medium-high for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Frost cooled cupcakes and garnish with Oreo cookie crumbs.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

These bars are so healthy, low fat, low calorie, low sugar. You'll be able to eat them all day! Okay, so I'm joking. These are anything but good for you, but I was telling the truth about one thing...you will still be able to eat them all day. Filled with everything delicious - butter, cream cheese, caramel - you'll be looking for seconds for sure.

These are some of my favorite bars. Clearly... Come on...caramel apple CHEESECAKE? Yum. I think these are some of Curtis's favorite bars too. I'm not sure what I like the most...the buttery crust, the cheesecake filling, the soft apple pieces, or the caramely streusel topping. It's all so, soo good.

Though these bars do take a bit of patience and time, I promise you they will be worth it. And people will beg you to make them again. They are a perfect way to put your fall apples to good use! 

Ingredients:

Crust: 

• 2 c. flour
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1 c. butter

Cheesecake filling:

• 3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 c. + 2 tbsp. sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Apples:

• 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Streusel Topping

• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 c. flour
• 1/2 c. oats
• 1/2 c. butter, softened

Drizzle

• 1/2 c. caramel topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine flour and brown sugar and work in butter with pastry cutter until mixture is crumbly. Press mixture evenly into 9x13 pan lined with heavy duty aluminum foil.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
4. In large bowl, beat cream cheese and 3/4 cup of sugar with electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs one at a time and mix in vanilla. 
5. Pour mixture over warm crust.
6. In small bowl, stir together chopped apples, 2 tbsp. sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
7. Sprinkle over cream cheese mixture. 
8. For streusel topping, combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Mix thoroughly until crumbly. 
9. Sprinkle streusel topping over apples.
10. Bake for 40-45 minutes. 
11. Drizzle with caramel topping and allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Reese's Peanut Butter Bars

Easy peasy. These bars are perfect for when you're in a pinch. They take all but 5 or 10 minutes to make... And who doesn't love peanut butter and chocolate (ahem, Katie Sasse *cough*). Wherever you bring these bars, you'll make new friends...cause these...are so yummy. 

You don't even have to turn your oven on! No-bake.

There's not much more to say about this recipe, cause it'd be a pretty hard one to mess up. Peanut butter + chocolate = a never fail. One thing I will say though, is that I bet these things would taste super good if they were frozen. 

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 c. butter, melted
• 2 c. graham cracker crumbs 
• 2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 c. + 4 tbsp. peanut butter
• 1-1/2 c. chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Mix together melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and 1 c. of peanut butter until well blended. 
2. Press mixture evenly into a 9x13 pan.
3. Melt chocolate chips and 4 tbsp. of peanut butter until smooth. (* Note: Though some people suggest using a double boiler for this, I just used the microwave at 50% power, stirring after every 30-60 seconds. Do not overheat.)
4. Spread chocolate over peanut butter in pan. 
5. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares.

Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

Apparently it's become a Friday thing to bake breakfast for people. Or an anytime thing, really...to bake anything...for anyone. It's a little out of control. BUT, nonetheless...here's a pretty easy recipe for something that looks complicated. 

CINNAMON ROLLS.

I've really had a lot of luck with these things, though I have really learned a lot along the way.

#1... When mixing the brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter, do NOT melt your butter, it creates a ridiculously soupy mess...and your "filling" will no longer be inside of your dough as it should be. Use softened butter ONLY.

#2... When dividing your prepared dough into 12 rolls, don't use a knife... Instead, use a piece of dental floss. Slide the floss underneath the middle of  the 12" roll, take one side of the floss with each hand and pull tight to make a clean cut. Repeat until you have 12, pretty neatly, divided rolls. 

So there you have it. A recipe and some advice. You can dooo it.

Ingredients:

Rolls:

• 3/4 c. milk
• 1/4 c. butter, softened
• 3-1/4 c. flour
• 1 package instant yeast (2-1/4 tsp.)
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 egg
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 c. butter, softened

Icing:

• 3 c. powdered sugar
• 6 tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 5 tbsp. milk (more or less)

Directions:

1. In small saucepan, heat milk until it begins to bubble. Remove from heat and mix in butter until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.
2. In large bowl, mix 2-1/4 cups of flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix well with dough hook.
3. Add water, egg, and milk mixture. Mix well.
4. Add remaining cup of flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well.
5. When dough has just begun to pull together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and form into ball.
6. Cover dough in oiled bowl with a damp cloth. Let rest for 10 minutes.
7. In the meantime, In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, and softened butter. 
8. Roll out dough into a rectangle approximately 12" by 9". Spread dough with brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. 
9. Roll dough, and pinch seam to seal. Use dental floss to cut roll into 12 1" rolls. Place in a lightly greased 9x13 pan. 
10. Cover with a warm damp cloth and allow to rise until the rolls have doubled in size. (* Note: With any dough that needs to rise, I like to heat a pot of water until boiling and then place the pot of water in the oven on a shelf beneath the covered dough. Cover This allows the heat and moisture stay inside and helps the dough rise a bit better.)
11. Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to  375 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes, or until browned. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
12. When the rolls have cooled for a while, mix together ingredients for icing. Drizzle over rolls.
13. Serve immediately, or later...but make sure you serve them warm. MMM.

Beer Cheese Dip

This dip sounds like it's straight outta Wisconsin. Cheese, beer, bacon, and more cheese. I'd say that makes this recipe a real winner. And it's so easy! So, whip it up for a Packer game. You'll eat the whole darn thing, I promise you that. But make sure you give yourself at least a day before, because given a night to sit...this dip only gets better in taste.

You can serve this up with pretty much anything, I am sure...crackers, pretzels sticks, chips, veggies (if you're into that healthy thing). BUT, perhaps my most favorite thing to eat this with are homemade pretzel bites. 

If you'd like to be ambitious and make mini pretzel bites on top of the dip, you can use the recipe I've posted before for Homemade Pretzel Rolls. Clearly instead of forming the dough into large rolls, you'll want to make tinier pieces. You can do this by rolling your dough into long strips and cutting them into small bites with either a kitchen scissors or knife. You'd then continue the preparation/baking as you would with the rolls. I'm not gonna lie, it's a pretty putzy process to make pretzel bites, but with all the time you save on making this dip, you'll have so much time on your hands that you'll want to make these little guys too.

Alright, here we go.

Ingredients:

• 2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, slightly softened
• 1 (8 oz.) container of sour cream
• 1 package of Dry Mix - Ranch Dressing 
• 1/2 to 3/4 can of beer (* Note: For best results, use a full-bodied beer, such as a lager.)
• 2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Bacon bits
• Green onions

Directions:

1. Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and dressing mix.
2. Add beer until you reach your desired creamy consistency.
3. Mix in shredded cheese. 
4. Refrigerate for one day, or at least 3 hours before serving.
5. Before serving, mix in bacon bits and green onions.

Punkin' Pie

If you haven't already had enough pie after that last recipe post, here's another one for ya...of the pumpkin variety. And would you believe it? It's easy as pie to make...and also pretty delicious.

 

Crazy enough, I used to hate pumpkin pie. I thought the texture was weird...and the color was even weirder. Now, pumpkin pie - as well as pumpkin ANYTHING - is one of my favorite kinds of desserts. Only one of the reasons why fall is so great - it gives you an excuse to buy cans upon cans of Libby's Pure Pumpkin. I swear, I could spread that stuff on toast (given a few additives).

So, with another one of Chris Ryan's pie crust perfections, this pie will surely be some of the tastiest pumpkin pie you've ever made.

Ingredients:

• 1 of Chris Ryan's Never Fail Pie Crusts
• 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 eggs

 

Directions:

1. In medium sauce pan, heat and mix together pumpkin, spices, and salt until smooth. This shouldn't take too long, just enough time to get the "canned" taste out of the pumpkin and meld the spices together. A few minutes should be fine.
2. Set the pan aside and allow to cool for a bit.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
4. Add sweetened condensed milk and eggs to pumpkin mixture.
5. Pour into crust that has been prepared in a 9" round pan. 
6. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes before reducing the temperature to 350. Allow to bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted into pie comes out clean.
7. Cool completely and store leftovers covered in the refrigerator

Falling into Apple Pie

MORE apple deliciousness! Fall's good for that. I've been trying for forever to perfect Chris Ryan's pie crust, and although I haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet, I still think this pie was pretty darn good. 

Like most pies, the filling was pretty easy - I adapted the recipe from All Recipes. If I could bake pies every day, I would...cause they make my apartment smell soo yummy. I do wish I had someone to peel, core, and cut up all my apples though; for some reason this has always been something I find irritatingly time-consuming, but it's worth it! 

For this crust, I used Curtis's mom's Never Fail Pie Crust. It is...SO. GOOD. You'll probably never want to use a different pie crust recipe ever again. 

I think it's high time for pie time.

Ingredients:

• 2 of Chris Ryan's Never Fail Pie Crusts 
• 1/2 c. unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 8 apples (peeled, cored, sliced)

 (* Note: This recipe calls for Granny Smith, but once again, I just used the apples that I got from apples in Curtis's parent's yard.) 

• 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp. water
• Dash of sugar

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Melt butter in sauce pan, whisk in flour to form a paste.
3. Add water, white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
4. Place one prepared pie crust in the bottom of 9" round pan. Fill with apples, mounding them slightly.
5. Pour sugar and butter liquid carefully over apples. 
6. Place second prepared pie crust on top of the apples and seal edges. Cut a few slits in the top of the pie to allow pie to breathe.
7. Whisk egg whit and water and spread over pie crust with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with sugar.
8. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Then, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and apples are soft.

Apple Turnovers

Much to do with apples. 

These little guys make for some pretty decent looking breakfast munchies. MMM. If I had more time, I would have attempted to make the puff pastry from scratch, but I will save that for  another day. These turn-overs are so easy to make, which is great because your friends will think they took some hard work. 

And that's all I have to say about that.

Breakfast. Is. Served.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 4 c. water
• 4 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tbsp. water
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions: 

1. Combine lemon juice and water in large bowl. Prepare apples and place in water to keep them from browning.
2. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Drain apples and add to the hot skillet. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes.
3. Add brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook and stir for another 2 minutes.
4. Stir together cornstarch and water. Add to skillet and mix well. Cook for another minute, or until the sauce has thickened. (* Note: I ended up adding a bit more cornstarch, as the apples mixture did not thicken as much as I would have liked with only 1 tablespoon.)
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
7. Unfold puff pastry sheets. Cut each sheet into 4 smaller squares. Spoon (slightly) cooled apples onto the center of each square. Fold pastry over from corner to corner to form a triangle shape. Press edges together to seal. 
8. Place turnovers onto baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, or until turnovers are puffed and lightly browned.
9. Cool completely before glazing.
10. For glaze, mix together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Adjust thickness by adding more sugar or milk as necessary. Drizzle glaze over cooled turnovers.

Simple Hummus

A weird thing, hummus. Lots of people make a face when they hear that hummus is on the menu, but I can pretty much guarantee...if you try it, you'll like it. 

Here's a pretty simple recipe that's sure to impress because I'm pretty sure people don't expect hummus to be so easy to make. You just have to find some tahini (sesame seed paste), which can usually be found somewhere in the ethnic food section of the grocery store. 

This dip tastes great with fresh pita chips, veggies, with pretzels, in a wrap...pretty much with anything I am sure. You can even add your own ingredients to appeal to your own taste. If you like, you could add some red pepper, jalapeno pepper, basil, or even some sriracha. 

Trust me, you'll approve.

Ingredients:

• 2 c. canned garbanzo beans, drained
• 1/3 c. tahini 
• 1/4 c. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cloves garlic, halved
• Pinch paprka
• Pinch parsley

Directions: 

1.  Place garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, salt, and garlic in food processor (a blender works fine too). Blend until smooth.
2. Transfer to serving bowl, sprinkle with paprika and parsley. 
3. Serve with fresh vegetables, pita chips, etc. (* Note: See below for fresh pita chips instructions.)

____________________

 Pita Chips

Simply buy a bag of pita bread. This can be pita bread thins, pita pockets...anything will work. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut bread into triangles and place on baking sheet. Spray/drizzle with olive oil and season as desired. Usually I use basil and garlic salt. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes.

Pineapple Jalapeno Turkey Burgers

Oh baby. These are one of my favorite things to make for dinner. Easy and healthy (that is, before you load on the BACON). Eh, whatever. This is a great summer recipe if you want to switch things up from your typical burgers on the grill, especially with the added grilled pineapple. YUM.

The original recipe calls for red pepper, but I think the spice of jalapeno pepper pairs better with the pineapple. These burgers are surprisingly juicy and full of flavor. Top them off with some pepper jack cheese, a couple slices of bacon, and some grilled onions and you've got yourself one tasty sammich. Oh, and BBQ sauce. You must add the Sweet Baby Rays. (I'm obsessed with BBQ sauce, but...you probably knew that already.)

Serve some roasted or grilled asparagus on the side, and you're set.

 Ingredients:

• 1 (20 oz.) pkg. extra lean ground turkey
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/4 c. jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 1/4 c. red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 4 FRESH pineapple slices (approximately 1/2" thick)

* Edited: Add 1/4 c. of bread crumbs and 1 egg to allow burgers to bind together better. 

Directions:

1. Combine turkey, soy sauce, pepper, onion, and spices in large bowl and mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well distributed.
2. Divide turkey into 4 equal portions and form into patties.
3. Place burgers and pineapple slices on the grill.
4. After approximately 8 minutes, flip the burgers and the pineapple slices.
5. After about 4 minutes, place one pineapple slice onto the top of each burger.
6. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until burgers are cooked through.

White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

I'm sitting writing this as I breathe in the fantastic smell of pumpkin. SIGH. Fall IS in the air in Cabbage Kitchen.

This is a recipe I got from a close friend of Curtis's family, Trish. Everything she makes is SO delicious, and these cookies don't disappoint. It says at the bottom of the recipe she gave me that her mom always doubled it...so yes, that is what I did. 

The recipe she gave me calls for semi-sweet chocolate chips, but I prefer them with white chocolate chips. I think this lets the pumpkin flavor really stand out above the chocolate, which is good because let's face it, the pumpkin is the main even. 

The recipe also states that you can use butter or margarine. I happened to have margarine on hand, so I used that; however, I am wondering if the cookies would have turned out a bit better if I would have used butter instead. I suppose the choice is up to you! Either way, you're sure to enjoy these cookies. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. margarine (or butter)
• 1/2 c. Crisco
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 c. white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 c. flour
• 1 c. quick oats
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. Libby's Solid Pack Pumpkin
• 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (* Note: this is where I used white chocolate chips instead)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter and gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy.
3. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well.
4. In separate bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. 
5. Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin to wet mixture, mixing well after each addition.
6. Stir in chocolate chips.
7. Drop onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until firm and lightly browned. 

Pumpkin Crumb Cake

'Tis the season for all things pumpkin. Everyone knows that fall is my absolute favorite time of the year... Colorful trees, the smell of leaves, sweaters, apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and best of all...fall treats! I might as well invest in pumpkin puree. 

Anything pumpkin makes me want to drool...and this recipe did not fail. It's incredibly moist, crumbly, and delicious...like most pumpkin desserts tend to be. It's like a warm hug for your mouth. Yeah, I guess I just said that.

I'm typing this at just after 5 in the morning and all I want for breakfast is pumpkin crumb cake! The key to making this dessert extra fantastic is to choose a delicious ice cream to go along with it. I paired mine with maple nut ice cream, and let me tell you...it was to die for.

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1-3/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. unsalted butter
• 1-1/4 c. sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 c. canned pumpkin puree
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1/3 c. milk
• 3/4 c. chopped walnuts

Topping:

• 2/3 c. + 1 tbsp. rolled oats
• 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease 9x9 baking pan.
3. Sift flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in bowl.
4. In separate bowl, beat butter until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar and eggs, one egg at a time.
5. Add pumpkin puree and vanilla to wet batter mix
6. Gradually mix in dry ingredients.
7. Slowly add milk.
8. Stir in walnuts.
9. For the topping, combine 2/3 of the oats, four, sugar, and cinnamon in processor. Add butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in remaining 2 tbsp. oats. Spread cake with topping.
10. Bake for 55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool.

Thanks to Mommy? I'm Hungry! for the recipe.

Cranberry Almond Biscotti

This...is my most favorite thing I've ever made. No joke. I have an obsession with Craisins and pretty much anything that has these little morsels in them, I will devour. Yum.

I decided to make my dad some biscotti for Father's Day this year to along with the coffee I bought at a local coffee shop. My dad loves his afternoon coffee with his "snicky-snacks." I had recently had a cranberry orange scone at Starbucks that was to. die. for. so this recipe was already a keeper.

Though I know I am no pro to the biscotti world yet (mine always turn out to be more on the scone-side than anything), I think I'll keep trying new biscotti recipes after this one. If I had more patience, I could probably achieve the biscotti consistency if I added more bake time. 

Needless to say, I'll eat it however it comes out of the oven.

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. light olive oil
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1 tbsp. orange zest
• 2 eggs
• 1-3/4 c. flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 c. dried cranberries
• 1 c. slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. In large bowl, mix together oil and sugar until well blended. Mix in vanilla, almond extract, and orange zest. Beat in the eggs.
3. In separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder; gradually stir into wet ingredients.
4. Mix in cranberries and nuts by hand.
5. Divide dough in half. Form two logs (about 12x2 inches) on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. (* Tip: The dough will be very sticky. Have a glass of water set aside to dip hands in as needed as you form the dough.)
6. Bake for 35 minutes in preheated oven, or until logs are light brown. 
7. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275 degrees.
8. Cut logs into 3/4 inch thick slices. Lay on sides on parchment-lined cookie sheet.
9. Bake for approximately 8 to 10 more minutes, or until dry. 
10. Remove from oven and cool slowly by placing a flour sack towel over the entire cookie sheet.

Holy Guacamole

Summer is coming to an end, but the veggies just keep on coming. Who doesn't love themselves some guacamole. I know I do! With fresh vegetables and other ingredients, this recipe is worth the extra work for the taste it has in comparison to the guacamole seasoning packets you can buy at the store.

Ingredients

• 3 avocados, peeled, pitted, and mashed
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. onion, diced
• 3 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mash together avocados, lime juice, and salt. 
2. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic.
3. Stir in cayenne pepper.
4. Refrigerate for 1 hour for best flavor.

* Note: For those of you with more self-control than myself - who don't eat the entire batch in one sitting - for better leftovers, store guacamole in an air-tight container with the pits from the avocados. This will prevent the guacamole from turning brown. 

Norwegian Almond Bread

Because my Norwegian friend is visiting and this bread is always, always a hit, I'm going to post this extremely easy recipe. This is a staple of mine when I am in a hurry to get something made because I always have the ingredients on hand. You're going to be surprised at how easy this is to make...

Typically this bread is made using a pan like the one here; however, you don't HAVE to have one of these pans to enjoy it's deliciousness. You could probably make it in a 9x5 loaf pan, or double the recipe and make it in a 9x13 pan (I have done this before), OR you could even be ambitious and make cupcakes instead. 

Now, I used to have one of those fancy 12" half round loaf pans myself, but my grandma stuck it in the dishwasher and no matter what I do, the bread no longer comes out pretty and clean, and instead comes out in chunks (which still taste delicious). Nonetheless, I have had to resort to the alternative bake-ware I mentioned above. 

On to the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 c. sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
• 2/3 c. milk
• 1-1/4 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c. margarine (melted)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat sugar, egg, almond extract, and milk. 
3. Add flour and baking powder.
4. Add margarine.
5. Bake in prepared pan for 40-50 minutes until edges are golden brown. (* Optional: sprinkle sliced almonds on the bottom of the pan.)
6. Cool in pan before removing.
7. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

See. Told you it was easy. Enjoy!