S'more Cookies

S'mores are high on the list of items that are loved in the summer time.  They are such a simple desert and the hands-on aspect make them a lot of fun for kids and adults alike.  Blake discovered the gloriousness  (yeah I made that word up) of using a Resee's peanut butter cup in exchange for a Hershey's bar.  You could definitely do that for this recipe as well if you are daring enough.  Although we all love our s'mores, there isn't always a bonfire handy, and making them in the microwave just isn't the same.  This is a wonderful adaptation of the traditional s'more and they are much easier to transport for parties or birthdays. 

I'm not going to post much about this recipe as I did nothing special and used the chocolate chip recipe from the back of the chocolate chip bag.  I asked my mother (who I think makes the best cookies, obviously), what the secret was for her chocolate chip cookies.  To my horror as well as my delight, she informed me that the Tollhouse chocolate chip bag is the recipe she uses.  Don't knock it until you try it.  

Simple Salad Dressing

My friend over at Victor Axe + Tool inspired this post.  Victor went to high school with Blake and I, and we have always been very interested in supporting small local companies, especially those we actually know.  When Victor first opened shop, Blake didn't hesitate to order an axe, and I must say that it is beautiful.  The axes are all hand crafted and they are so gorgeous, we've displayed it in our house as a piece of art work.  Victor is running a "Give Away" contest on his Instagram account where you had to post a photo of an item that will 'Live On.'  The photo I chose to take was of my grandmothers juicer.  My mother just passed this down to me, and I love it! Many of the recipes I post on here include marinades or salad dressings, and so this beautiful and vintage juicer gets used a lot now that I have it.  Since the summer time usually involves a lot of salads and grilling, I decided to post the basics to making a simple but delicious vinaigrette. Once you have the basics then you can start adding in your own unique flavors depending on what you're in the mood for. I do not buy salad dressings from the grocery store any more.  They are filled with far too many ingredients that are not necessary and God knows there is so much sugar in them, it defeats the purpose of eating a salad.  If I want to consume a 1/2 cup of sugar, I'll eat some Haribo candy (which happens far too often). 

Chicken Gyros

Surprise.... I'm alive!!!!! I know it's hard to believe because I haven't posted anything in months, but I'm back.  Work and the house caught up with me and it seemed that every last free minute I've had has gone to prepping the yard for spring while simultaneously finishing up projects we started over the winter.  

My family has always had a special spot in our hearts for Coney Island restaurants, and they are on every corner here in South East Michigan.  I was so sad when I left for college only to find out they didn't exist on the West side of the state.  I've always shied away from making my own tzatziki sauce because it seemed like it would be labor intensive, but I was surprised by the fact that it was so easy and so delicious.  I will never buy it again.  

Braised Short Ribs

This recipe is from the show The Sandwich King on Food Network.  I never thought about cooking short ribs, honestly I'm not sure I even knew they existed.  The Sandwich King made it look effortless and easy, and overall it was.  It was a perfect excuse to use my new casserole dish I got last week, and it was fun trying something new.  I'm not a huge pot roast or stew kind of person, but Blake is and I knew he'd like this recipe.  I had to adapt the recipe a bit because of not having an item or two, but it still turned out great.  You can find the recipe below or check out the link above. 

Bacon & Gouda Sandwich

Bacon.  It's the answer to many questions in life.  What should we do for dinner tonight? Bacon.  What do you think would make this recipe even better? Bacon.  Not only is bacon delicious, but it's all the rage lately.  We see bacon band aids, mints, toothpaste, and air fresheners, so you know your significant other/friends will love you if you make them this sandwich.  Blake and I rarely eat a normal BLT sandwich, and when we do it's usually done to highlight our fresh tomatoes from the garden and not the bacon (weird).  I wanted to make an updated version of the bacon sandwich, where all the elements added to the bacon without taking attention away from it (that's better).  While prepping the bacon I kept thinking about how I wished I had peppered bacon and so then this happened.....

Apple Pie Empanadas

Not many people spend their spring break cooking homemade desserts, but I'm not surprised that's what I did today.  After an hour of researching how to convert CR2 files into JPEG files, I finally got to post this delicious dessert.  This dessert was inspired by two of the best fast food restaurants out there... McDonalds and Taco Bell.  I saw a guy eating one of those microwaveable apple pies while running errands and I was thinking of how to update the idea of a hand held dessert.  In the process of making it, I realized it also reminded me of the empanadas my dad loves from Taco Bell.  Either way, it most likely has far less sugar and preservatives than both of its fast food counterparts.  Also, you can easily make them ahead of time and heat them shortly before serving. 

Take Time Tuesday: It's Spring Time!

I've been trying to get blogging these past couple of weeks, and somehow something always gets in the way.  I was sad when the Little Things linkup ended that used to be every Friday through Hello Hue, but amazingly a friend of mine at Live Half Full  just started a Take Time Tuesday linkup that I am excited to have been invited to! It's basically the same concept of taking a moment to be thankful in the little things that make us smile.  Mine have been from the past couple of weeks and I'm excited to share them with you!