New ice cream for me???

Dear Alicia Silverstone and Oprah, you were right! Rice Dream cookie sandwiches dipped in chocolate is AMAZING!! I never would have guessed it was made with brown rice instead of cream/milk! So happy about this, though it is still not that healthy for you at 330 calories. I shared though so I think that it even outs.

On a side note made one of Rachael Ray's slow cooker recipes for dinner today, the Lemon Sage one. It was GROSS, and it was so dry and now my stomach and I are not doing well at all. I need to figure out how to fix it for tomorrow's dinner. I am not all about wasting food.

Thank you Martha!

Thank you Martha Stewart for having a recipe for Chewy Cherry-Oatmeal Cookies! I can't wait to make them, people on the reviews all love them. I will let you know how they turn out, hopefully this weekend.

New Books on the way!

This book isn't that new, 2008 but I have a feeling it is going to help tons along the lines of redoing my whole kitchen supplies. I sneaked a peak at it yesterday and that is why we got the Kitchenaid food processor! So happy about that one!

I also got Ali Vincent's book Believe It, Be It. Ali is season 5? Biggest Loser and I love her! I almost got to meet her, but times just didn't work out. I had to go to a wedding in Phoenix at the same time she was doing her book signing there. I'm not going to have time to get to this for a bit. I have an amazing book that my friend wrote that I am working on. I am sad because I don't have enough time to read it as much as I would like to these past couple of weeks. Next week though it will be done, that is my goal. I have to know what happens!!

Cookies this week!

On Sunday we were in the high 70's tomorrow there is a chance of snow, no lie! Texas weather is crazy, but I feel it is that way everywhere this year. I have 3 cookies that are my goal to make this week, depending on how tomorrow at work goes we will see if I get them all done.

Cookie One is....

Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies, yes people cookies with bacon in them. How could you not want to try them just once. This comes from a new blog I found and LOVE called Joy the Baker :)

adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

makes 15 cookies about the size of your palm

Print this Recipe!

1 cup all-natural chunky or smooth peanut butter

1 cup sugar (1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar)

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

about 6 slices of bacon, cooked, cooled and dices

In a skillet over medium high heat, fry up bacon until cooked through and let cool on paper towels until cool enough to dice. Dice up and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a baking sheet with butter and set aside. In a mixer combine peanut butter and sugars until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add egg and baking soda and mix for another 2 minutes. Fold in cooked bacon. Roll into large walnut sized balls and create a cris-cross pattern with a fork. If you’d like, roll the dough balls in granulated sugar before making the cris-cross pattern. Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on a baking sheet for five minutes, then transfer to… your mouth.

The second cookie is another adventure! This one is from Good Eats, which we have been watching everyday for almost 2 weeks now. It's called The Chewy Gluten Free Recipe. It's tons of ingredients that I have never worked with/never heard of before. Whole foods had them all though.

The last recipe is going to be my favorite one I feel. I had to buy Butter Crisco for a recipe a while back and have some left over. I also have a WHOLE bag of chocolate chips and you know what that means! It's Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Time people!! I can't wait for this one.

Best part is that I also get to try out my new toys, the kitchenaid and I got an awesome hand held shifter.

Really?! I must make these!

We went to whole foods yesterday and I saw this in the frozen aisle. I didn't buy it because I figured that I could totally make it, now I really wish that I would have gotten it. Has anyone tried this yet? It sounds AMAZING!!!

I love my Keurig

For any of you that know me in the least bit, you know that I don't drink coffee at all! So you are asking yourself, why do you love your Keurig one cup coffee maker. See the ball jars, they are filled with tea and the top spinner is full of Chai Tea, both which I can not live without anymore. They are all I drink besides water now a days. I have to tell you that when I drink tons of tea (blackberry cherry is my fav.) I feel so much better. Now if you look at the bottom of the spinner, that really is chocolate donut coffee got to love it! If you have a k-cup system I have to tell you to hit up bigcatcoffees.com! You can make your own 25 pack and it's not that much more then the one flavor packs you have to pick from at the stores.

Kitchenaid Love

Yesterday here in Texas it was a beautiful warm and sunny day. What did we do on our day off together? We went shopping everywhere for a 9 cup kitchenaid food processor. I know that you are asking yourself why?? Why didn't you hangout outside and enjoy the day. I will show you why!

Edamame Dip Recipe from the show Good Eats with Alton Brown. I am HOOKED on Edamame, if I could eat them everyday I probably would. They are so yummy and yet so healthy for you too! I feel that is always a bonus, let me tell you.

We haven't made it yet, but I will let you know how it goes. I feel it is on the list for this weekend after the Home and Garden show!! I can't wait, but isn't she so pretty. We are now only missing the blender and the super mixer which will both be bought before summer comes. I so need a margarita like there is no tomorrow.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces shelled, cooked, and cooled edamame, about 2 cups, recipe follows
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro or parsley leaves
• 1 large garlic clove, sliced
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon brown miso
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon red chili paste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Place the edamame, onion, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, miso, salt, chili paste and pepper into the bowl of a food processor and process for 15 seconds. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl and process for another 15 to 20 seconds. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Once all of the oil has been added, stop, scrape down the bowl and then process another 5 to 10 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning, as desired. Serve with chips or crackers. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Dinner Last Night

Last night for dinner I did the Chicken PotPie Casserole from the December Rachael Ray Everyday magazine. It was amazing! I changed it up a bit with Texas garlic toast on top, and I crockpoted the chicken a couple days ago and J.T. de boned it. He is amazing! I came home yesterday to almost all the wash done and the dishwasher ran! How much does that rock.

Muffin Love!

From one of my Favorite sites, Cookiemadness comes High rising sour cream muffins! They are so moist and yummy! I did homemade streusel on top and it rocked! If you click on muffin love it will take you to her website.

Tonight I am off to Gold's Gym to meet with a trainer and see how I like it. I really miss my gang of ladies from Florida that we would all go to Bally's together and workout after work. I need that system of other people and classes. I am very excited for the classes, I really want to try spin. I am happy to be meeting with a trainer, I feel it would help me alot in my many different goals for my body. I would like to lose some of the fat from my hips to right above my knees, I need to be more flexible, and I want kick butt arms. Is that so much to ask for? I am sure that all the baking I do isn't helping either, though I am still losing weight from eating healthy a good amount of the time.

Away!

Sorry that I haven't written so far this week. I haven't been feeling good, my new b.c. meds are kicking my butt and I am only getting about 4 to 5 hours of sleep a night. Let me tell you I am 8 hour a night kind of girl, that makes J.T. laugh all the time. I will be wide away *lalalalala* then out of no where my voice changes and I just have to say "I am tired" then I stomp off to bed. I will hopefully be home early tomorrow and update if not on Thursday. Hope you all stay warm and safe these next couple of days.

Bruschetta

So the picture isn't the best, but this Bruschetta is so good!! This is recipe number one from the book, and it is compared to Carrabba's Grilled Bruschette for 1,119 calories. Cook this has 240 calories and all fresh yummy ingredients. This makes four servings just a heads up!

You will need:

1 baguette, cut into 1/2" pieces

2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and bake until light brown (but still soft in the middle) *We did for 5 mins*

While the bread bakes, mix the tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Remove the bread from the oven and arrange on a large serving plate, and top with the tomatoes mixture.

Cook This NOT That

This is my newest cookbook! I love this series very much and it is worth the price, though I would buy it from Amazon for sure.

Yoga for Bed Time part 2!

Last night I went through all my favorite podcast and came across another really wonderful one for bed time. Chaz from Yogamazing has a great podcast that is about 30 mins long. I have to tell you that at first I thought my legs were going to hurt the whole time because they were up against the wall, but after a while it felt really good. Last night was one of the best nights of sleep that I have gotten in a really long time. If you are looking for help sleeping at night, try this out for sure.

Carrot and Zucchini Bars!

My goal for the day was to make wedding cookies or my Mom's Christmas cookies as I know them, I am going to see how I feel after making dinner and pictures will be up don't worry. It's all going to be from scratch! So after lunch today I made these wonderful bars, best part they are only 125 calories each and are full of yummy healthy stuff! I had to have one for my snack today and it was amazing! I will be making these again for sure. Hopefully tomorrow I am getting my girl scout cookies too.

Here are the ingredients

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1-1/2 cups shredded carrot
• 1 medium zucchini, shredded (1 cup)
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 recipe Citrus-Cream Cheese Frosting

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, ginger, and baking soda. In another large bowl stir together eggs, carrot, zucchini, brown sugar, raisins, walnuts, oil, honey, and vanilla. Add carrot mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Spread batter into an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Frost with Citrus-Cream Cheese Frosting. Cut into bars.

3. Makes 36 bars

4. Citrus-Cream Cheese Frosting: In a medium mixing bowl beat one 8-ounce package softened cream cheese and 1 cup powdered sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. If desired, stir in 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel or orange peel.

nutrition facts

• Calories 125,
• Total Fat (g) 7,
• Saturated Fat (g) 2,
• Monounsaturated Fat (g) 2,
• Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 3,
• Cholesterol (mg) 19,
• Sodium (mg) 44,
• Carbohydrate (g) 16,
• Total Sugar (g) 11,
• Fiber (g) 1,
• Protein (g) 2,
• Vitamin A (DV%) 0,
• Vitamin C (DV%) 1,
• Calcium (DV%) 18,
• Iron (DV%) 1,
• Other Carbohydrates (d.e.) 1,
• Fat (d.e.) 1,
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet