Decadently Different Chocolate Pudding

I'm not going to lie... I made this the other night for myself and ate the wholllllle thing. It's supposed to serve two people. But if you're a woman who needs chocolate, this is the perfect serving size just for you! I loved it so much, I decided to make it for Jack to see if he could tell that it wasn't traditional chocolate pudding. His words were, "This is the finest chocolate pudding I've ever had." And then he kept going on about how amazing it was. I'd say he liked it ;-)

If you want to be decadently different, trying adding extra salt and to turn it into a salted chocolate pudding. Seriously... it's my new favorite thing.

- Erin


Decadently Different Chocolate Pudding

1 ripe avocado, peeled and pit removed
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup real maple syrup (or agave)
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt (helps bring out the chocolate flavor)

Put in a food processor and blend until completely smooth. Best if it's had the chance to sit in the fridge for at least an hour and get cold... if you can wait that long. Serves 2.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dip

"This stuff is awesome! It's like eating peanut butter frosting!" Jack said as he popped a second bite of the peanut butter cookie dough dip in his mouth.

"So you really like it?" I asked him as I was gearing up to break the news to him.

"Definitely."

"GOOD!" I clapped my hands. "Because now I'll tell you what's in it."

Jack's face froze.

"It's got dates that soaked to release their sweet juiciness... and garbanzo beans. And natural peanut butter!"

Jack's face started to lose color, "I can taste the beans now. I feel like I've been hoodwinked."

"You cannot taste the beans," I chided him. "It's awesome. You loved it. It's OK to admit it."

He rolled his eyes and admitted that he would never have known this dip was actually healthy if I hadn't told him. Tee-hee!

This deliciousness passed the Jack test. I'm sure it'll pass your family's taste test too. You will seriously never guess the base of this dip is protein and fiber packed garbanzo beans. For reals. But you don't have to take my word for it... :-D


--Erin


Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dip
recipe adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie

1 15oz can of garbanzo beans (also called chick peas), drained and rinsed
1 1/4 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup water
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Place dates in a small bowl and cover with water. Let sit for 6-8 hours (or overnight).

In the bowl of a food processor, place the dates and liquid. Process for 30 seconds. Add garbanzo beans, vanilla extract, and peanut butter and process until very smooth. Spoon mixture into a bowl and stir in chocolate chips.

Serve with apple slices, cookies, crackers, or just eat straight up outta the bowl!

Puffed Cereal Bars

Have you ever looked at the ingredients listed in the boxed granola bars? Even the healthy ones? It seems like it should be much simpler than what's listed. I just want ingredients I can pronounce. I've been playing around with some recipes to try to find something that would cure the snacky/sweet craving that the healthy granola bars cure.

This recipe is completely adaptable and forgivable. You can truly make this your own concoction. When I made this recipe, I used almond butter, honey, puffed millet, oat bran flakes, wheat germ, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds. The bars received two thumbs up from everyone here at the station... and it only took around 5 minutes to put these together! Winner!

Puffed Cereal Bars

recipe adapted from here

Combine the following in a large bowl:
1 1/4 cup puffed cereal (rice, wheat, millet, kamut, etc)
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
2 Tablespoons quinoa flakes (or wheat bran flakes, oat bran flakes) - optional
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed (or wheat germ) - optional
1/3 cup dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, cherries, blueberries, etc)
1/4 cup cup chopped nuts or seeds (pecans, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, sunflower seeds, etc)


Combine the following ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until melted and the edges begin to bubble:
1/3 cup liquid sweetener (honey, agave, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, etc)
1/2 cup nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, soy butter, hazelnut butter, etc)

Pour liquid mixture of dry mixture and stir until completely coated. Press mixture firmly into a greased 8 inch square pan. Cool in pan and then chill for 30 minutes so bars can set. Cut into 16 bars, wrap bars in plastic wrap, and store in refrigerator... if they last that long!

Ravens Game Day Menu

It's the playoffs.

Therefore, special food is essential.

So, in honor of today's Ravens game, I decided to make myself a Baltimore Ravens lunch: Haloti Hawaiian BBQ, Flaco Fennel Salad, Purple & Gold Roasted Potatoes, and Black Bean Brownies.

Now that the Ravens get to play another week... I've got to figure out next week's menu. And, yes, thanks to everyone's suggestions, Ray Rice Pudding WILL be on the menu.







Haloti Hawaiian BBQ
recipe slightly adapted from here

3lbs chicken breasts or thighs
1 18oz bottle of BBQ sauce (Jack Daniels is my fave)
1 20oz can crushed pineapple
1 cup chopped onion (frozen or fresh)

In a slow cooker, layer the ingredients in this order: chicken, diced onion, BBQ sauce, crushed pineapple. Place the lid on top and cook on high 4-6 hours or low 8-10 hours. About an hour before serving, pull chicken out, shred, return to sauce, and cook until the shredded chicken has absorbed the sauce.



Flacco Fennel Salad

1 fennel bulb
1 small apple
1 naval orange

Thinly slice fennel and place into a small bowl. Core, halve, and thinly slice apple and add to fennel. Use a sharp knife to cut away orange pith and cut the orange into horizontal slices. Reserve two orange slices and squeeze over fennel and apples. Cut remaining orange slices into fourths. Add to the fennel and apple. Toss together and serve.



Purple & Gold Roasted Potatoes

1lb Purple Majesty potatoes (or any purple potato)
1lb Yukon Gold potatoes
1-2 Tbls olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a large sheet pan with foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Wash and dry potatoes and cut into bite sized chunks. Place on prepared sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Toss together to mix. Arrange the potatoes so they are in a single layer. Place in oven and bake for 25-35 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown.



Black Bean Brownies
recipe adapted from here

15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans)
2 ripe bananas
3 large eggs
1/3 cup agave or honey
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 Tbls instant coffee granules
1/4 cup instant/quick oats
2 Tbls mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with non-stick cook spray. In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth (you may see some flecks of black bean skins). Fill muffin tins with mixture until muffin tins are almost full (this makes 16 brownies, so you won't use all the mix the first time around). Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove from muffin tin when cool.

Yield: 16 brownies

Lemon Cream

Three ingredients and 5 minutes.

That's all it takes.

Three ingredients, 5 minutes, and you'll get a lifetime of compliments if you make this recipe.

Promise.

Every time my mom or I make lemon cream people rave. They BEG for the recipe. You know the mark of a great recipe when people hand you paper and pen to write it down. This, my friend, is one of those recipes. Try it out for yourself. We'll be enjoying it over fresh strawberries and blueberries this 4th of July :-)


Erin

--------------------

LEMON CREAM

1 lemon (zest and 1/4 cup lemon juice)
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 8oz container Cool Whip

Directions:
Zest the lemon into a medium sized bowl.

Juice the lemon to equal 1/4 cup juice.

Stir in can of sweetened condensed milk until the mixture becomes thick.

Fold in Cool Whip.

Chill in the fridge for an hour and serve over fresh fruit.

Resurrection Rolls

I introduced Resurrection Rolls to Jack last year and he's decided they are going to be an Easter tradition for his family. Kids AND adults will have fun making them! My parents' home church made them, and it was a fun way to retell the story of Christ's sacrifice. You can find the original post here, but I'll repost it to make life easy :-).

Enjoy!

- Erin (and Jack too)

--------------------------------------

Resurrection Rolls

1 package crescent rolls
8 large marshmallows
2 TBLS melted butter
1/4 cup cinnamon sugar (mix 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon together for homemade cinnamon sugar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper (it will make clean up soooo much easier!).

Give each child a triangle of crescent rolls (you'll want to flatten the wide end slightly).
The crescent roll represents the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in.

Give each child a marshmallow.
This represents Jesus and His purity.

Have your child dip the marshmallow in melted butter.
This represents the oils of embalming.

Roll the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon and sugar.
This represents the spices used to anoint the body of Jesus.

Wrap the coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll by folding up the sides to seal the marshmallow up tight.
This represents the wrapping of Jesus' body after death.

Place in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. The marshmallow may ooze out the side!
The oven represents the tomb (pretend like it was 3 days and nights!)

While the rolls are baking, you can read Matthew 27:57-61 and Matthew 28:5-8.

When the rolls have cooled slightly, the children can open their rolls (cloths) and discover that Jesus is no longer there. HE IS RISEN! The marshmallow melts and the cresent roll is puffed up, but like the tomb - IT IS EMPTY!

The Elvis {Oatmeal}

A few years ago, breakfast wasn't even on my radar screen. I didn't like it, it took too much effort, and I wasn't hungry. Why eat if I'm not hungry?? Um...hello...calories saved for something better! At least that was my philosophy. Then I decided to start training for a 5K, so in January of last year, I made a change. I decided to start eating breakfast to help fuel my system. It took some getting used to. I actually felt sick after eating breakfast, so I would just have a piece of fruit. Eventually, my body began craving breakfast. REAL breakfast. Whole grains, protein, fresh fruit...the real stuff. Now, over a year later, I'm still doing breakfast, and it's helped me eat better throughout the day, and I FEEL better.

One of my staples has been oatmeal. It's cheap, it's easy to make, it's filling, but it's boring. Who wants to eat food that looks boring or ugly? Not me!

I've been playing around my oatmeal to make it more fun. I discovered freeze dried fruit at Trader Joe's (Target also has some under their Archer's Farm label - you can find them next to the nuts and granola mixes). It's great for a little snack, but I decided to add it to my oatmeal and it's just plain awesome. It makes me feel like I'm eating gourmet oatmeal. The other day I was mixing some freeze dried bananas into my oatmeal and it occurred to me that I like peanut butter on my bananas, so why not stir some in? And it was awesome. And then I thought, "Heeeeeey, didn't Elvis like peanut butter, banana, and bacon sandwiches?" And so I added a piece of bacon to my oatmeal.

Boom.

I felt daring for putting bacon in my oatmeal.

Rawr.

I still feel slightly rebellious.

And my tummy is happy.

You think it's weird, but deep down inside you want to try it. Unless you're vegetarian. Then you're repulsed, and I can feel you judging me.

So I will share my Elvis Oatmeal recipe with you (even the vegetarians because they can drop the bacon from the recipe like it's hot!). It's totally non-complicated, easy, breakfast awesomeness.

Microwave a piece of bacon on high for about 35 seconds until it's crispy. That gets crumbled over the oatmeal at the very end but it needs to be cool enough to crumble.

I use the quick cooking oats, because, well, they're quick. If you've got time for the longer cooking ones, go for it.

Measure out 1/3 cup into a large bowl. Nothing's worse than cooking oatmeal and it bubbling up over the bowl and making a ginormous mess in the microwave. Yuck.

Meet my friend Freeze Dried Banana. I could eat these guys straight out the bag. Wait. That sounds weird. Does that sound like I eat my friends? I gave that up a long time ago. Promise.

Measure out a heaping 1/3 cup of freeze dried bananas. You could also use the same amount of the real thing. Pour on 2/3 cup water or milk and microwave for 1:30-1:45 or until it's done. You know your microwave. It may need more or less time.

Now stir in 2 tsps peanut butter. The heat of the oatmeal melts the peanut butter so you get peanut butter swirly goodness. Yum.

Once the peanut butter is swirled in, crumble the bacon on top, and enjoy.

Warning: if you eat this, it may be difficult not to say, "Thank you...thank you very much" to everyone you meet.









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The Elvis {Oatmeal}

1/3 cup quick cooking oats
2/3 cup water or milk
1/3 cup freeze dried bananas (or fresh)
2 tsps peanut butter
1 slice pre-cooked bacon

Microwave pre-cooked bacon according to package directions to crisp the bacon. Let bacon cool while assembling oatmeal.

In a large bowl, combine oats and freeze dried bananas. Stir in water. Microwave for 1:30 until done. Your microwave may need more or less time.

Stir in peanut butter.

Crumble bacon on top.

Devour.

Key Lime Pie

We like to celebrate birthdays here at SHINE-FM! We used to celebrate every birthday with cake, but as we've grown in staff so did the amount of birthdays. Funny how that works. Now, we all sign a card and surprise the person with a special rendition of Happy Birthday. I say "special" because you never know who will decide to sing harmony...or sing off key on purpose.

Today, we had a special celebration because one of our staff members turned 50! This person is a lime fan, so I made a couple of key lime pies. Jack couldn't make it so we saved this last slice for him.

When I was in Key West, Florida, key lime pies by a guy named Kermit were the thang. Kermit's pies were everywhere...served by the slice, dipped in chocolate, you name it, it was there. And it was DELICIOUS. I searched online and wouldn't you know...I found a copy cat recipe. This pie tastes just like the one I had in Key West...and you don't even have to go anywhere. I do recommend eating this outside in the sunshine though. It'll give you the full Florida effect :-)

Kermit's Key Lime Pie

1 9in prepared graham cracker crust (I used Keebler's Ready Crust)
2 14oz cans sweetened condensed milk
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup key lime juice (I used Nellie & Joe's Famous Lime Juice )

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix sweetened condensed milk with egg yolks.

Add key lime juice and finish blending.

Pour into piecrust.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cool pie 20 minutes before refrigerating.

Serve chilled pie with whipped cream!

Serves 8

Slow Cooker Cheesy Potato Soup

Betty Crocker offered this free online cookbook last year called Soups, Stews, and Chilies. I bookmarked it last year and decided to revisit it to try some new soups for the fall/winter. And then I remembered...the baked potato soup on page 11.

Um.

Wow.

It's seriously the easiest, most delicious potato soup I have ever made! I should almost mention that it's one of the cheapest soups I've ever made...per serving it comes out to something like $1 per person. I'm planning on making it again this fall/winter. It's going to be one of my crock pot staples. Thought I'd share the recipe with you...it is National Potato day after all!


--Erin :-D

SLOW COOKER CHEESY POTATO SOUP from Betty Crocker
1 bag (32 oz) frozen southern-style diced hash brown potatoes, thawed (make sure to use Southern-style hash brown potatoes that are diced instead of shredded. These work best in this recipe.)
1/2 cup frozen chopped onion (from 12-oz bag), thawed
1 medium stalk celery, diced (1/2 cup)
1 carton (32-oz) Progresso® chicken broth
1 cup water
3 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 bag (8 oz) shredded American-Cheddar cheese blend (2 cups)
1/4 cup real bacon pieces (from 2.8-oz package) (or 2 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled)
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)


1. In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix potatoes, onion, celery, broth and water.

2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours.

3. In small bowl, mix flour into milk; stir into potato mixture. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook 20 to 30 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish individual servings with bacon and green onions. Sprinkle with pepper if desired.

Makes 6, 1 1/2cup servings

Call A Man?? I Don't Think So! (Roasted Red Pepper Soup)

I was this close to giving up. It really should have been so simple. But it wasn't. We had already spent five minutes wrestling with one another. Fine, it was probably two minutes, but it felt like five.

I looked at it.

It looked at me.

"What's the matter?" it whispered. "Am I too tough for you, girly? I know...why don't you call on a man? Hmmm??"

My pride was beginning to crumble. It made me angry.

I looked around me and spied the rubber kitchen gloves. I slipped the gloves on and gave them a dramatic snap. "Oh, yeah? Call on a man, you say?" I said in defiance. "Try to stop me nowwwww!"

I grabbed the jar of roasted red peppers, and we went at it again.

"YOU ARE MINEEEEEE!!!" I said through clenched teeth as I struggled with the lid. Suddenly, I felt the lid begin to give. The jar was crumbling under my awesome kitchen prowess.

*POP*

"Ha! Ha! I told you! I told you! You are mineeeee!" I whispered to the jar. "Call on a man, huh? You thought you could take me down! You were wrong!! WRONG!! HA!"

I stood back, took the gloves off, smoothed my hair, straightened my shirt, and made this soup with my head held high. The jar of roasted red peppers did not get the best of me today. Not. At. All.

Rawr.

--Erin :)


PS. Jack has a tip for opening jars. He says to tap the perimeter of the lid with a knife to break the seal. The lid should pop off after that. If that doesn't work, wrap a piece of duct tape around your hand - sticky side out - and it will give you some traction.

This a super easy, elegant soup that's full of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and fiber. To garnish, you could simply crack some black pepper over top; sprinkle on a teaspoon of grated parmesan cheese; or toss on some finely chopped fresh basil or oregano from the garden.


Roasted Red Pepper Soup
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 cup chopped carrots
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 12oz jar roasted red peppers, drained, rinsed, and lightly chopped
1 14.5oz can Hunts Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic
1 14.5oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano


Directions:
Heat the oil in a medium/large pot over medium heat.

Saute the onions and carrots until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add a splash of chicken broth if the pan gets too dry. Once the onions are tender (the carrots will be bright orange but will still be firm), add in the minced garlic.

Stir in the red peppers, tomatoes, beans, herbs, and broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat and puree using a hand blender or a blender (be careful not splatter it on yourself - HOT!).

Ladle into bowls and serve.

Enjoy!



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Serves: 6 | Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 137 | Fat: 2 | Carbs: 18 | Fiber: 7
Weight Watchers Points: 2

Too Much Zucchini?

It's the biggest disappointment of my summer.

We bought 6 zucchini plants and not a single one has produced a zucchini.

I know, you're probably rolling your eyes. You've probably got zucchini coming out of your ears!

Thankfully, a farmer that works near my mom's job was going door to door passing off his zucchini abundance, so we happily took some off his hands.

I love zucchini. It's the only time of the year I use my food processor and I love my food processor. Seriously. The food processor is a remarkable gadget. We have a bajillion zucchini recipes and it almost seems criminal to go through summer without having to eat it morning, noon, and night just to get rid of it. I love watching my brother's faces when my mom and I plunk a baked good on the counter and they eye it suspiciously. "Is this really chocolate cake? Or does it have that zucchini stuff in it?" they ask. Sometimes we sneak it by them. Most of the time they catch on. How about your family? Do you try to sneak it in to their food?

One of our favorite recipes to sneak zucchini is "Mock Apple Crisp." The zucchini is peeled, seeded, and diced and sauteed with cinnamon and sugar, poured over a shortbread crust, and baked. It's delicious. My brothers ate the whole thing before they realized it was zucchini!

Mock Apple Crisp
8 cups peeled, chopped zucchini
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, chilled

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Directions
In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook and stir zucchini and lemon juice until zucchini is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg and cook one minute more. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 10x15 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, combine flour and 2 cups sugar. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Stir 1/2 cup of butter mixture into zucchini mixture.

Press half of remaining butter mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Spread zucchini mixture over top of crust, and sprinkle remaining butter mixture over zucchini. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top is golden. Serve warm or cold.

Another favorite recipe is to make a carrot zucchini cake using a boxed carrot cake mix. You could totally switch up the cake mix and do a spice cake, yellow, or even a chocolate cake. Try different extracts too. We've done a spice cake with rum extract and it was delicious.

Easy Carrot Zucchini Cake
1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist Carrot Cake Mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce (or 1/2 cup oil
1 Tbls vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup golden raisins


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13x9 inch pan or two 8x8 inch pans.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, apple sauce, and vanilla on low speed for 30 seconds or until combined. Turn the speed up to high and beat for 2 minutes. Stir in zucchini and raisins. Pour into pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.

But if you feel like something savory, this is my absolute favorite. I think my mom found this in a Pillsbury catalog a few years ago. It is delicious! Consider using fresh herbs from your garden in place of the dried herbs.

Zucchini Crescent Pie
2 Tbls butter
4 cups thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup chopped onions
2 Tbls dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried basil leaves
1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups shredded Muenster or mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
2 tsps yellow mustard


Directions
Heat oven to 375°F. In 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and onions; cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in parsley flakes, salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil and oregano.

In large bowl, mix eggs and cheese. Add cooked vegetable mixture; stir gently to mix.

Separate dough into 8 triangles. Place in ungreased 10-inch glass pie plate, 12x8-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish or 11-inch quiche pan; press over bottom and up sides to form crust. Firmly press perforations to seal. Spread crust with mustard. Pour egg mixture evenly into crust-lined pie plate.

Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. If necessary, cover edge of crust with strips of foil during last 10 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

So how about you? Everyone has a zucchini recipe. Got a great recipe to share with another poor person overwhelmed with zucchini? Feel free to share in the comments section!


--Erin :)

Got Basil? Hello Pesto!

There's been a silent duel over the backyard for years.

Years, I tell you.

Some day he decided the backyard was his.

And that was it.

No contest.

The backyard has been my big brother's since that point. He's done a good job, I'll give him that. Except for the blackberries. He kinda lets them die. But it's not like he hasn't been busy being a police officer and all.

My dreams of planting my own veggies, fruits, herbs in the ground have gone unfulfilled. I've worked around not being able to plant in the ground. I've been planting my herbs in containers. They've survived, but there is something about planting directly in the ground that is so...so...earthy.

When he bought a house this spring, my first thought was, "The backyard is miiiiiiine!!!"

I swooped in faster than a seagull on a french fry at the boardwalk. That plot of land was mine. I hoed that thing. I tilled that thing. I weeded that thing. I poured myself into that plot of land and pulled a hamstring in the process. But it was beautiful. By the time I was finished, I had the most gorgeous herb garden. Not Martha Stewart gorgeous - it's my first year - but it's on its way. I planted 4 varieties of basil (sweet, cinnamon, thai, and globe), parsley, cilantro, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and peppermint. I haven't checked on it for a few days, and I nearly fell over when I saw my basil had grown to small bushes. So THAT'S what happens when you plant herbs in the ground...they explode!

The only thing I know of that uses up that amount of basil is...pesto.

I've never made pesto before, but the one drawback for me is the amount of oil. Even though it's good, healthy oil, it's still a lot of fat if you're trying to lose weight. After reading through a number of recipes, I decided to pick my favorite parts of the recipes, smoosh them together, and create my own. I used three varieties of basil from my garden: Sweet Basil, Thai Basil, and Cinnamon Basil. I'm calling this "Trois Pesto de Basilic," which means "Three Basil Pesto." See why I went with the French? Yeah.

I still have a TON Of basil left - if you've got any suggestions, feel free to pass them along!

-- Erin :-)

Trois Pesto de Basilic
8 cups loosely packed basil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup grated Romano
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup walnuts
3 Tbls minced garlic
1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

In a food processor, chop the walnuts and pine nuts together. Add in the paremesan, romano, garlic, and a handful of basil. Turn the processor on and slowly drizzle in half the olive oil. Keep adding basil and drizzling in olive oil until everything is processed and smooth.

I packaged my pesto in little 4oz jars that I got from WalMart for $8 (I used 9 of the 12 jars in the box) and gave them away to my co-workers. If you want to freeze the pesto, don't add the cheeses (the cheese doesn't do so well frozen). Line an ice cube tray with plastic wrap, fill each ice cube hole with pesto. Freeze and then put the little pesto cubes in a freezer bag. When you're ready to use the pesto cubes, thaw as many as you need and stir some grated parmesan/romano cheese.

Use the pesto over hot pasta, on a sandwich, mixed in with some mayo as a dip, on pizza dough in place of pizza sauce...so many yummy possibilities!

The Waffle Maker

I don't even know how it came up in conversation. Maybe Jack, Engineer John, and I were bemoaning the hot weather and we were thinking of snow to cool us off. Somehow, we got on the topic of being snowed in at the station. With the exception of one, maybe two, snow storms, I've spent every storm at the station for the past 5 years. I've become rather adept at making breakfast for the snow team while answering the snow closings hotline, if I may say so myself. Since we can't be home with our families when it's snowing, I do my best make it homey and fun for the team. During the blizzards, Jack, Engineer John, Board Operator John, and I were snowed in for almost six days together.

"You know, guys, for our next snow storm I'm thinking we need a waffle maker," I thought out loud.

I don't really remember Jack or Engineer John saying much. That's the tricky thing with guys. Sometimes, it's hard to tell when they're tuning you out and when they're actually listening and not responding. This time, Jack and John were listening all right. My birthday was Saturday and Friday, Jack and John presented me with...A WAFFLE MAKER! Not only the waffle maker, but everything I needed to make waffles.

For them.

For dinner.

That night.

Classic!

If I was smart, I would have made them make ME waffles, but then I wouldn't have been able to play with the waffle maker. I've got to say...this thing is pretty cool. The handle rotates and everything. As far as gadgets go, this one is pretty sweet and user friendly. I made waffles using recipe on the Bisquick box for the first batch. This morning, I made waffles for my family. I found a recipe for chocolate waffles that I tweaked to get in some more fiber and whole grains. The verdict from my family? They heart the waffle maker and these waffles in a big way. We topped our chocolate waffles with a berry syrup that we made while the waffles were cooking, plus some more fresh berries and whipped topping. YUM. Here's the recipe for the chocolate waffles and the berry syrup to go over them.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Waffles

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup flax seeds (optional)
1/4 cup wheat germ (optional)
1/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbls vegetable oil (or melted butter)
1/4 cup sour cream

Directions
Sift the flour, salt, cocoa, cinnamon and baking powder into a bowl. Stir in the sugar, flax seeds, and wheat germ. Add in remaining ingredients and stir until combined and smooth. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.

Make waffles according to your waffle maker's instructions. Waffles should cook for 3-5 minutes. Serve with fresh berry syrup or desired toppings.

Fresh Berry Syrup
2 pints berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, etc)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp water

Cook on medium high heat for 5 minutes until berries break down and release their natural juices. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with water and add to bubbling berries. Cook until thickened.

Crabs and Bacon Cheddar Chicken Salad

"Guys. I feel like we need to go out and bond or do dinner or something," says Jack.

"Hey - why don't we go see a movie?" asks Engineer John.

Jack looks at John like he has three eyes. "A movie? I don't want to stare at a screen. We can't bond that way. I want us to talk and share our feelings!"

John and I looked at each other and then looked at Jack.

Blink.

"That sounded really weird, didn't it?" Jack says.

John and I just nodded.

You can spend five hours a day with two people in a small, enclosed room (pray for us! ha!) and not have the opportunity to really talk to one another. Considering I'm the female and the one geared towards relationships, Jack's comment made me laugh out loud, but I'm glad he made the suggestion that we do something outside of the studio.

What a better way to "bond and share our feelings" than over some crabs? Since Jack is still new to Baltimore (he's been here 9 months), he hasn't had them yet. So tonight, Engineer John and I are going to introduce Jack to the crab. After we get off the air we're heading over to my place. I've already called in the order - a half bushel of #1 males. I've been saving up the Sun Paper for a week (remember when all you needed was one day's Sun Paper to cover the table?). I've got Coke Zeros getting cold in the fridge, paper towels and mallets on the counter ready to go. My aunt always puts dishes of melted butter and vinegar & onions on the table, so I'll take a cue from her and do the same.

I don't know about your family, but we always have food prepared for after the crabs. The boys are making side dishes (yes, MAKING...and not "making" in the sense of "whatever's at the deli counter"). Jack's making a summer corn salad and John is going to make a caesar salad. I know Jack and John are fans of bacon and cheese, so I came up with a bacon cheddar chicken salad and I figured I'd share it with you. Enjoy!

Bacon Cheddar Chicken Salad

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
15 slices of crisp bacon, crumbled (I used one Oscar Meyer "Ready To Eat" bacon package)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup lite mayo
3/4 cup lite sour cream
2 Tbls finely chopped onion
1 Tbls Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning Mix (find it in the salad dressing aisle or make your own)

DIRECTIONS:
Place the boneless skinless chicken breasts in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook 20 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove from water and let cool. Once chicken is cool, dice or shred meat into a large bowl.

If using the "Ready To Eat" bacon strips, lay on a paper plate, cover with a towel, and heat in the microwave until bacon strips are crispy. Once cooled, break up the bacon strips into bite sized pieces.

In a bowl, combine the chicken, bacon, and remaining ingredients. Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving so the flavors have a chance to marry.

Serve and enjoy!

---

Update! Jack's contribution to tonight's feast is a summer corn salad. Here's the recipe:

Jack's Corn Salad That Was Stolen from Allrecipes.com
Ingredients
* 6 ears corn, husked and cleaned
* 3 large tomatoes, diced
* 1 large onion, diced
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 2 tablespoons white vinegar
* salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook corn in boiling water for 7 to 10 minutes, or until desired tenderness. Drain, cool, and cut kernels off the cob with a sharp knife.

2. In a large bowl, toss together the corn, tomatoes, onion, basil, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Chill until serving.

Homemade Cake Batter Ice Cream

Today we are celebrating John Yi's birthday! John engineers the show for us - that's the fancy way of saying he pushes all of the buttons to make us sound good. We appreciate him so much!

To celebrate John's birthday, I decided to get out my ice cream maker (it's one of those ones where you don't have to worry about using rock salt). I found a recipe for cake flavored ice cream.

Out. Of. This. World.

If you like the cake flavored ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery, you will LOVE this. It's first time I've made ice cream (I usually make sorbet) and I have to say it was pretty easy.

- Erin


Cake Batter Ice Cream
1 cup milk
1/2 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup white cake mix, sifted


Directions

1. Whisk together milk, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, cream, and cake mix in a saucepan until well blended. Cook over medium-low heat until mixture reaches 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), stirring frequently. Remove from heat and place in the refrigerator or freezer until liquid is cold.

2. Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions until it reaches "soft-serve" consistency. Transfer ice cream to a one- or two-quart lidded plastic container; cover surface with plastic wrap and seal. For best results, ice cream should ripen in the freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Deconstructed Pizza Bites

I finally have feeling back in my feet.

Yesterday, I helped my mom cater the pre-graduation run through party for our home-school group. We cooked food for somewhere around 130 people, and by the end of the day I felt like I had been run over by a truck.

In a good way.

In a happy way.

I loved seeing how excited these young men and women are to be graduating. What does life hold for them? Who is the person they will grow into?

Do you remember what you wanted to do when graduated from high school? Are you doing what you wanted?

When I graduated, I had thought about going into the Baltimore International College to study culinary arts, but I really didn't know what I wanted to do. I started working at a flower shop and learned that I loved working with people. Eventually I changed jobs and began working in a Christian bookstore where I learned that I loved working with Christian people. Christians are notorious for being difficult people (sadly) but I enjoyed the challenge. I also loved being surrounded by Christian literature and especially the music. During that time, I still felt the pull of culinary arts so I decided to do catering on the side for family and friends. I learned that I didn't enjoy it was much as I thought I would. I figured out that I enjoyed the art of food...not necessarily all the dishes and equipment that went with catering! I think God saved me - I know I would have failed culinary school. So, I still enjoy the art of food and cooking and creating new recipes...on my own terms, whenever I want. The best part is, God brought me to a job that never entered my radar showing He is TOTALLY in control of my destiny...and I have amazing co-workers who willing try my latest, crazy recipe!

For this party, we did all finger foods. I call this little appetizer "Deconstructed Pizza Bites." On a party sized toothpick (I can only find them at party stores), thread a marinated mozzarella ball (pre-done or put some mozzarella balls in a container and add bruised flat leaf parsley, cracked garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, cover the balls with olive oil, and marinate over night), a piece of basil, 3 slices of pepperoni, and one grape tomato. That's it. Done. Easy peasy. There's something about the richness of the mozzarella, the spiciness of the pepperoni, the licorice flavor of the basil, and then the *pop* of the grape tomato that is just ridiculously yummy.

Enjoy!

Rhubarb Berry Pie

The pie fanatic in me has been unleashed.

The idea of making pies has always scared me.

Cookies? No problem-o!

Cakes? Piece of cake (hardy-har-har).

Pies? Nope. I can never get the crust right, and no matter what I do, the filling is never consistent. Too thick, too watery...mostly it's too watery.

My grandmother grows rhubarb every year in her spring garden, and I've been fascinated by it. It's probably because my mom doesn't like rhubarb and therefore never made it for us. Granny gave me some rhubarb from her garden and I had every intention of making a pie, but I chickened out at the last minute and made a crisp. I have to say, that crisp made me become a fan of the rhubarb. Tart, yet definitely worth trying again.

Last week I was wandering through the PA Dutch Market in Cockeysville and found some beautiful, local rhubarb and strawberries. I decided to get some and make the classic strawberry rhubarb pie. It was a success. I have no idea what I did...other than follow the recipe. The slight success I had with that pie has made me want to try again. Since my grandmother and my grandfather are rhubarb fans and we were going up to their house for a Memorial Day cookout, I decided to try again. I couldn't find fresh rhubarb, but I did find it frozen. Right next to the frozen rhubarb were some frozen cherries and raspberries. I tossed 'em in my cart, picked up a box of Pillsbury "Just Unroll" Pie Crusts, and I was ready to make a pie. The verdict from the family...including my non-rhubarb loving mother...it was great. Holla! Here's my final recipe:


Rhubarb Cherry Berry Pie
Yield: 8 generous slices

INGREDIENTS
1 10oz bag frozen rhubarb
2 10oz bag frozen raspberries
1 10oz bag frozen cherries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbls corn starch
1 Tbls vanilla extract
1 Pillsbury "Just Unroll" Pie Crust, or your favorite pie dough recipe for 2 crusts
1 egg yolk
1 tsp water
additional sugar for dusting


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together the first 7 ingredients (rhubarb through vanilla extract) and set aside.

Unroll one pie crust, and use a rolling pin to stretch it out a bit more so it will leave a 1/2" - 1" overhang when placed in the bottom of a 9" deep dish pie plate. Once rolled out, line the deep dish pie plate with the dough.

Dump the frozen berry mixture into the lined pie plate.

Unroll the second crust, and use a rolling pin to stretch it out a bit more to cover the top. Feel free to make a lattice crust or use mini cookie cutters to punch out portions of the dough (like this). Lay the dough over the frozen berry mixture and crimp the edges to seal.

Beat the egg yolk with the tsp of water. Brush over the crust and sprinkle with sugar.

Place the pie in the pre-heated oven and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350, place a pie shield or foil over the crimped edges, and bake for 1 hour longer or until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown.

Let cool and enjoy!

Rhubarb Pie

My mom and dad introduced the Pennsylvania Dutch Market in Cockeysville (next to Valley View Farms). Have you been there? It's...it's...a land of utter and completely happiness! The fresh baked donuts (first place I've found that makes marshmallow donuts with marshmallow fluff just like the old Hollywood Bakery in Arbutus used to make!), hot pretzels, fresh meats and cheeses are just incredible.

One of the counters had local produce, so I picked up some local rhubarb and strawberries. I've never cooked with rhubarb before, but I figured I could learn how with help from the internet. You can find anything on the internet, right? I learned that rhubarb is considered a fruit but is really a vegetable. Only the stalks should be eaten. It requires a good deal of sugar to stand up to the rhubarb's tartness and rhubarb aficionados generally prefer the tartness.

Now, for the recipe, I went to one my favorite sites - Epicurious.com. They have great, no-fail recipes and lots of reviews for users.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Pie crust for a 2 crust pie (I used Pillsbury's Unroll and Fill)
3 1/2 cups 1/2-inch-thick slices trimmed rhubarb (1 1/2 pounds untrimmed)
3 1/2 cups strawberries, halved
1/2 cup, plus 2 TBLS sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg yolk beaten to blend with 1 teaspoon water (for glaze)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Toss gently to blend.

Roll out 1 dough disk on floured work surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter flass pie dish. Trim excess dough, leaving 3/4-inch overhang.

Roll out second dough disk on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Create a lattice crust or use a mini-cookie cutter and punch out portions of the the dough (like in the picture above). Spoon filling into crust. Crimp edges decoratively.

Brush glaze over crust and transfer pie to a baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake pie until golden and filling thickens, about 1 hour 25 minutes total. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely.

Check out the original recipe here.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pecan Muffins

Last week, Jimmy Page (he's the Executive Director of Health & Fitness for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes) dropped by the station for our health and wellness meeting. Jimmy gave us a pretty encouraging message about taking care of our bodies and watching the things we put in them. Let's just say that it motivated me to reconsider eating breakfast again. I'm not a big breakfast person, but I recognize that my body needs fuel to get it going...the question is what fuel to put in. Breakfast muffins are easy to make and even easier to grab and go, so I decided to start messing around with recipes for them. Here's the first of a few that I've tried out. The original recipe can be found here...I'm posting my tweaks :-)

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pecan Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup raw wheat germ
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 Tbls baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup blueberries


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir together dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a different bowl mix together egg, milk, and applesauce, then add to the dry ingredients and mix lightly. Gently fold in bluberries.

Spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray, and fill cups about 2/3- 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20- 25 minutes until edges are brown and muffin tops bounce back when pressed lightly.

Makes 12 muffins.

Martha Stewart's Homemade Marshmallows

The fight began in our house this weekend. Artificial or real tree? Multi-colored or white lights? My mother and I have been wanting a real tree for years...but, alas, my father wins out every year. He says real trees are a fire hazard. I'm the one who wants white lights. We've got white twinkle lights every where except on the tree...I'm just trying to go for a little consistency here. Oh well! Each year, the outcome is the same: artificial tree with multi-colored lights. The argument has almost become tradition in itself!

While my mom and my little brother decorated the tree, I was busy in the kitchen making marshmallows. I only make marshmallows at Christmas...they're a special treat best served at the holidays. Put 'em in hot cocoa, roast 'em over a fire, schmear some peanut butter on 'em...they're soft, they're squishy, they're a happy thing. If you decide to make them, make sure you are using a sturdy stand mixer, like KitchenAid. It takes some power to whip these things. Also, feel free to vary the extract. Try lemon, strawberry, almond, mint, etc., in place of the vanilla. One year I used peppermint extract and a few drops of red food coloring. They tasted delicious!


Martha Stewart's Homemade Marshmallows

3 envelopes unflavored gelatin (approx. 2 1/2 TBLS)
1 cup cold water, divided
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Powdered sugar for dusting

1. Combine gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment. Let it stand for 30 minutes.

2. Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup of water in a small heavy saucepan; place over low heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to dissolve sugar crystals.

3. Clip on a candy thermometer; raise heat to high. Cook syrup without stirring until it reaches 244 degrees (firm-ball stage). Immediately remove pan from heat.

4. With mixer on low speed, slowly and carefully pour syrup into the softened gelatin. Increase speed to high; beat until mixture is very thick and white and has almost tripled in volume, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla; beat to incorporate.

5. Generously dust an 8 x 12-inch glass baking pan with confectioners' sugar. Pour marshmallow mixture into pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar; let stand overnight, uncovered, to dry out.

6. Slice into desired size. Use powdered sugar to coat knife to make cutting easier. Dredge marshmallows in powdered sugar. Knock off excess.

7. Store in an airtight container.