RECIPE #367: Cookie Dough Truffles... the LAST RECIPE

*UPDATE: Someone (as in ME) messed up counting some recipes and I actually ended up TWO recipes ahead! Yep folks...367 recipes tried out this year!...Except of course I messed up somewhere way back when and I am actually more behind.
I think the point overall is. I tried a lot of recipes, and it was a fun ride! :)

The end is finally here. June 1st, 2011 I decided to set a goal of 365 recipes in a year. It began with a quiche and is ending with this glorious dessert that I found here. Throughout this year I have branched out in the world of bread making, and some pizza dough mixed in. I have learned what kind of wrappers to use or not use for egg rolls, and have attempted many of my favorite Japanese foods (see here, here, and here for a few). I did not attempt a couple recipes (for instance my mother-in-law's lasagna, nor did I try a lot of fish or Indian recipes like I wanted to when i was half way through the challenge.) Alex also went from baby food to eating almost everything we put in front of him!
But I am so proud of myself for making it through. Even with a crazy job, a on-the-go son, and a husband whose coaching job keeps him out late. often. I did it. :) It is kind of fitting that it should end with the school year.

so here is the one last recipe for 365 Recipes in a year!

You need:
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 bag mini reese's cups, chopped into fourths
3-4 cups chocolate chips

• cream together butter and sugars
• add milk and vanilla
• stir in salt and flour
• add in chopped mini reese's cups
• refrigerate for an hour (or while you are at the fifth grade promotion ceremony! :) )
• using a cookie dough scoop make one inch balls and place on a a wax covered cookie sheet
• freeze dough balls for 30 minutes
• Heat 3 cups of chocolate chips in the microwave for 30 sec intervals until softened. 
• dip balls into chocolate until coated then tap off extra chocolate
• put back on tray and refrigerate too keep cool.

store in airtight container or give some away so you don't eat them all! :)


stay tuned for a new look on the blog tomorrow because June 1st starts the new the new 365 challenge! :)

Recipe #366: Grilled Pork Chops

This afternoon/evening was one that felt like summer vacation has already started...it almost has! Two half days and some more cleaning and packing up the room to do and I am free for the summer!
Of course, these evenings have been perfect for outdoor cooking!

We have a grown up picnic table, but one of us always seems to end up sitting with Alex!

Deliciousness on a plate! 

I think I could just grill vegetables and be content! 

Alex too...he was eating his ear of corn--one half in each hand--and was still begging for bites from my ear!

I asked Will this afternoon chicken or pork. He chose pork so I took it out of the freezer and let it defrost while we went out and ran some errands. Once we got back I looked for a recipe in my Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine (she has the best photo indexes in the front of the magazine) and found a great grilled pork chop recipe that was fast and easy!

You need:

3-4 bone in pork chops

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp oregano

2 Tbsp olive oil (the recipe actually called for 2 tsp...read that wrong!)

1/2 Tbsp honey

• mix together vinegar, oregano, olive oil and honey
• pour into a large ziploc bag. 
• add pork chops and massage to coat
• refrigerate for 20 minutes before grilling.
• add your favorite veggies to the grill as well and enjoy a fresh and tasty meal!

Recipe #365: Southwestern Egg Rolls

These were AMAZING! I loved the filling. You could use it with anything. I found the recipe on pinterest and the recipe is originally found here. I made just a couple of changes...

You need:
1 can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans of southwestern styled corn, drained
1 cup of fresh spinach cut into thin slices
1 chicken breast plus 2 Tbsp taco seasoning
1 cup cheddar
1/2 cup mozzarella
4 green onions chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp taco seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 package of spring roll wrappers

• first stick the chicken in some water mixed with the 2 tbsp taco seasoning and boil. when cooked through shred chicken and put in a large bowl
• mix in the remaining ingredients (except the wrappers!)
• heat oven to 425 and spray a baking sheet with non stick spray
• lay out one wrapper, with point facing you.
• place 1/4 cup of filling in the point of the wrapper and start to roll up, when you get half way, fold in 2 outside corners to the middle and tightly continue to roll up. 
• wet the tip of the remaining corner to make sure it sticks to the roll
• place rolls on the prepared baking sheet ( I did about 12 on a sheet) and bake for 15-20 minutes or until wrapper gets golden brown. Turn the rolls half way through baking

they tasted amazing with some taco ranch dressing...mix some cumin, taco seasoning, and a pinch of cayenne pepper with about a half cup of ranch. work out the measurements until if is the flavor you want. It was a pretty yummy dipping sauce!

Recipe #364: Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

I thought I would try another kind of pizza dough. The whole wheat was amazing and when I did it "blind" on the grill (see directions here) it actually turned out better then the bread dough I had used earlier. It puffed up and then was the perfect crispness when it was done!
I love grilling pizza this way now. I put the dough on the grill. go back in and get the ingredients together, pick some herbs, turn the pizza, add the toppings and wait 5 more minutes! So easy and such fresh delicious pizza!

the whole wheat dough was really delicious and not heavy like I expected it to be! I got the recipe from my favorite book, Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day
 It only lasts seven days in the fridge, but you can freeze for longer it in 1/2 lb portions.

You need:
3 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp olive oil
7 cups whole wheat flour

• mix together water, yeast, salt, honey, and olive oil.
• add in flour then mix until evenly moistened.
• cover and let it rise for at least two hours.
• stick in fridge until you are ready to use!

Recipe #363: Angel Food cake with fruit layers

Now I am sure this dessert would have been more delicious had I had some whipped cream to go in the layers and on top, but lets just say this MUCH lower calorie version did just fine to hit the spot after some amazing Memorial day hamburgers.

You need:
angel food cake mix and water
strawberries
blueberries
1 Tbsp sugar
optional: whipped cream

• make the angel food cake according to package directions
• cut up strawberries, mix blueberries in and add 1 Tbsp sugar. Mix up and refrigerate
• once it has cooled, remove from pan.
• cut sideways into three pieces. put bottom third on a nice plate and then layer with fruit. (and whipped cream if you have it!)
• put middle third on top and layer with more fruit and whipped cream
• put top third on and top with remaining whipped cream then fruit.

Recipe #362: Rainbow Cupcakes

This was something else I pinned a long time ago (but you can find the original idea here) and decided it would be a fun treat for our picnic tomorrow. It is not a total surprise because you can see some of the colors through the cupcake liner and then it got mixed in to the frosting a bit as well!

You need:
2 boxes of white cake mix and related ingredients
1 pack of GEL food coloring
frosting

• mix up cake mixes according to package directions.
• put about 2 cups of batter into four bowls
• add one gel coloring to each bowl and mix up.
• place a large spoonful of each color in each liner (in any order you want) 
• it make about 30 cupcakes
• bake according to box directions.
• cook on a wire rack then frost! 

Recipe #361: Trixie Treats

Today was a busy baking day! Tomorrow I am having a picnic with my kiddos after our awards ceremony so I decided to make some sweet treats to celebrate the year. I had pinned some things on pinterest that I thought would be perfect for a fun picnic party because of the colors...The first one I found here. I just loved the colors and though of making the trix cereal into treats! I am going to call it Trixie Treats though because anything like trix will always make me think of Trixie, the character in Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, one of my and my kiddos favorite books and authors. (don't get me started on some of my weird word associations!)

Anyhow, this was a super easy treat that I made quite easily with Alex wandering around my feed waiting to be picked up. (which really, this whole time, should have been my rating system for how easy or difficult a recipe was!)

You need:
1/2 bag of mini marshmallows
10 cups Trix cereal
1/4 cup of butter

• spray the sides of a pot with non stick spray. 
• heat butter in pot until melted
• add in marshmallows and stir until they are melted. (i also coated the bottom of the spoon with no stick spray)
• take off heat and add in trix slowly, mix occasionally 
• mix together until well blended
• spread in a greased 9x13 pan. spread out evenly with a spoon then let it cool
• cut into the size you want! I think I got 24 squares! 

Recipe #360: Energy Bites

I am such a snacker, but have to really watch myself because it is so easy to snack on unhealthy things. So most times I really don't keep much of anything in my house to avoid temptation. But I came across these a while ago on pinterest and followed it to a recipe found here. It is nice to have an option sometimes that will fill you up in a good way!

You need:
1 cup oats
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup butterscotch chips
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

• mix all ingredients together
• chill for 30 minutes
• roll into small balls (I used a cookie dough scoop to help.) I made about 30 balls.
• store in container in the fridge. should last for about a week!

the recipe called for 2/3 cup toasted coconut but since Will doesn't like coconut, I put the sunflower seeds and butterscotch chips in instead. One little ball was the perfect snack for me. I haven't down a calorie check on it yet, but you definitely only need one or two to fill you up! :)

Recipe #359: Spring Rolls take 2!

I had spring roll take one a while back and they did not turn out well at all! I had the wrong kind of wrappers and not the best recipe. But I was not going to give up, so I did some research and found a better recipe, got the right ingredients and oh. my. goodness.

I found a winner.

I found the recipe here. I changed up the ingredients just a bit, but she has great step by step directions for rolling. I still need to work on getting mine the same size and shape, but they turned out so well! It is kind of a long process, but I broke it up so that most of the prep I did during Alex's nap time and then it was really easy to fry them up before dinner! I stuck over half of what I rolled in the freezer, so we already have a meal ready for another time!

You need:

1 package of spring roll wrappers. (I found mine in the frozen section of an asian food store.) get the ones that are a white 8x8 square

1 lb ground pork. 

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp corn starch

1/4 tsp sugar

1 bag of cole slaw (I used about 2/3 of it)

spring onions, sliced 

garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp mirin

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sesame oil

• take wrappers out of the freezer so they are thawed out by the time you want to start.
• first mix pork, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, corn starch, and 1/4 tsp sugar together. marinate for 10 minutes
• in a large fry pan, brown pork until no longer pink, push to side of pan and then add cole slaw, onions, and garlic. stir fry for a couple minutes until veggies soften. 
• then add mirin, soy sauce, sugar, salt and sesame oil (I actually mixed these together in a small bowl first and then dumped it in)
• mix everything together.
• spread out on a cookie sheet tilted up so that the extra juices drain down. Remove access juice and then bloat with a paper towel

*if you are visual like me be sure to check out these great picture directions!

• take off one sheet and place it on flat surface with a corner facing you.
• place a tablespoon full of meat mixture in the bottom portion of the wrapper. roll up half way and then fold two corners tightly into the middle. 
• continue to roll up making sure it is tightly staying together.
• dab water on the last corner to make sure it sticks to the roll.
• as you make them layer on a cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap.
• take out what you need then put the rest in the freezer. I froze them on a cookie sheet first then put it in a bag after if was frozen
• in a small sauce pan, pour in about 2 inches of oil and heat until it is about 350.
• add in 2-3 spring rolls at a time. I had really long chopsticks that were perfect for placing them in, then turning each slightly so that it browns evenly. 
• after a minute or two take them out and place on a wire rack to cool.
• enjoy with sweet chili sauce or your favorite dipping sauce! :)

Recipe #358: Taco Salad Bowls

I made another taco salad found here, but in this one everything is combined and it comes with a taco bowl! ;)

You need:
lettuce
half of a tomato
shredded cheese
1/2 lb of ground beef
taco seasoning
1 cup salsa more or less
couple tablespoons ranch dressing (we didn't have sour cream!)
soft tacos
chips, crushed

• find a small bowl that is oven safe. set the soft taco inside to make it form a bowl shape. (you may need to heat the taco in the microwave for a couple seconds to make it soft enough to shape
• heat oven to 350 and set bowls inside for about 5 minutes or until taco is hard around the edges
• once they are done take out and put on a small plate
• meanwhile, brown ground beef and add in taco seasoning and necessary water.
• prepare vegetables and put in a large bowl.
• mix in taco meat, cheese, salsa, and ranch
• mix in chips
• spoon into taco shell bowls

Recipe #357: Cinnabon Scones

my younger sister made these for mother's day and sent the recipe on so I thought I would try them! She found the recipe here. I didn't get to take a picture, but have been enjoying them for breakfast in the mornings!

You need:
2 cups all-purpose flour 
1 cup rolled oats 
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder 
1/4 tsp salt 
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, chilled and cut into pieces 
3/4 cup whole or low-fat milk 
1 egg, lightly beaten 
1 tsp vanilla 
1/2 cup toasted chopped almonds
2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3-4 Tbsp orange juice or milk.

• mix together flour, oats, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt
• add in butter and mix until mixture is crumbly
• in a small bowl mix together milk, egg, and vanilla
• add to dry mixture and mix until everything is evenly moistened
• in a separate bowl mix together almonds, cinnamon, and 2 Tbsp sugar
• mix into dough so it is swirled together, but not completely mixed in.
• drop by rounded 1/4 cup fulls onto greased cookie sheets.
• bake at 425 for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown
• let it cool on a rack for 5 minutes
• mix together powdered sugar and juice or milk to make a glaze for the top. add to scones before serving warm

Recipe #356: Alfredo pizza

This was my first try baking dough directly on grill...it was pretty delicious and I will be doing it again to get it right! i followed the directions for how to do it on the grill from the Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day

You need:
dough (I actually used bread dough this time)
white sauce with mozzarella mixed in (found here or use leftovers from this recipe)
shredded chicken
mozzarella

• heat grill on high for about 5 minutes
• clean grates and then oil (we misted it with our olive oil bottle)
• while it it heating up, roll out dough into a thin layer.
• prepare toppings and take outside
• carefully slide crust onto the grill grates and cover. let it grill for about 3-4 minutes or until the bottom is starting to brown (try not to open the cover too early to check)
• turn over
• immediately spread the alfredo sauce on, then top with shredded chicken and cheese
• grill for another 5 minutes, until cheese is melted and before the bottom burns! 

delicious! 

Recipe #355: Grilled Zucchini with Feta

summer vegetables on the grill are my favorite!
You need:
2-3 zucchinis
feta cheese
olive oil
lemon juice

• cut zucchini into thick slices
• spray with olive oil and grill about 5 minutes on a side.
• take off grill top with feta
• drizzle on some lemon juice and olive oil

Recipe #354: Thai Basil Rolls

This was a very "fresh" meal...full of vegetables...but honestly not a favorite. I probably messed up the recipe terribly or something. I found the recipe here but didn't have much meat on hand so i added some shrimp to a couple but honestly i couldn't taste it at all!

You need:
spring roll wrappers (the see through ones)
basil
rice noodles
bean sprouts
cucumber
cilantro

• first boil water and heat the rice noodles for about 5-7 minutes. drain then run water through them
• get a bowl of warm water.
• place a wrapper in the water and let it soften for about 30 sec.
• in the middle of the wrapper place a basil leaf, then add some shrimp, cucumber, rice noodles, cilantro and bean sprouts.
• continue this process until you have made enough!
• I made the sauce that the original recipe had (hoisin sauce and peanut butter mixture) but it seemed really heavy for the rolls so I used my sesame dressing instead! 

Like I said...it was fresh and tasty, but I think I really needed a meat filled meal today! :)

Recipe #353: Grilled Corn and Avovado Salsa

I had an avocado that was about to go bad so I decided that I needed to use it up quick! I did a quick search and found a recipe here that I loosely followed. It was also a perfect way to use up the leftover corn and zucchini I had from last night!

You need:
1 avocado
1 ear of  grilled corn
slice or two of grilled zucchini
lemon juice
olive oil
crushed red pepper

• open avocado and cut into large pieces
• cut corn of the ear and mix with avocado
• add in small pieces of zucchini
• sprinkle in some crushed red pepper
• stir in two spoonfuls of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil

Recipe #352: Grilled Banana S'mores

This was a pinterest find, or you can find the original here. It was an amazing, rich, delicious, quick and easy dessert (is that enough adjectives for you!)


You need:
2 bananas

handful of chocolate chips, mini marshmallows and cinnamon toast crunch cereal

• split open a banana long ways
• stuff some chocolate chips and mini marshmallows
• wrap in aluminum foil around banana
• stick on grill for 3-5 minutes, or a little more if on indirect heat 
• open up when ready to eat, sprinkle some crushed cereal on top
• eat up quickly before your child tries to steal too many bites!

Recipe #351: Spice-Rubbed Pork Chops

This recipe came from an everyday food magazine. I didn't thoroughly read the directions about 30 minutes before I wanted to put it on the grill, so it didn't marinate in the rub that much but it still was very tasty!

You need:
3-4 bone in pork chops
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil

• in a large ziploc, pour in sugar, coriander, cumin, and a little salt and pepper.
• toss up then add pork and oil. shake up until everything is well coated.
• let it sit in the fridge for 20 minutes (at least-- the magazine said 8 hours or more!)
• grill it until done, about 5 minutes on a side! 

amazing with grilled corn and zucchini too!

Recipe #350: Meat Doria

I must have been subconsciously missing Japan more than normal this weekend because I tried out several recipes that remind me of food in Japan...coffee jelly, milk coffee and now meat doria. This is like a gratin, but with rice instead. and I had a ton of rice to use up so this worked perfectly. I copied the doria I often got at Gusto's, a restaurant we went to occasionally in Japan.
I made four single serving dishes.

You need:
4 cups cooked rice
white sauce (recipe found here, take out the chicken bullion and use water instead of chicken broth)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
2 Tbsp grated parmesan
1/2 lb ground beef
1 cup pasta sauce

•  preheat oven to 450
• make white sauce according to recipe directions
• add cheeses to the sauce and mix well. turn off heat once it is mixed together.
• meanwhile brown the beef and then add pasta sauce to it.
• in the bottom of oven safe dishes, put a layer of rice
• ladle on some of the white sauce and mix in with rice. smooth out rice and then add a little more white sauce on top. 
• put a couple spoonfuls of the meat sauce in the middle of each dish.
• arrange dishes on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 min
• in the last 5 minutes, put the oven up to 500 to help the cheese on top brown a bit.

Enjoy!

Recipe #349: Perfect Iced Coffee!

I had pinned this a while ago on pinterest and now that summer is upon us I decided that this would be a perfect drink to have on hand. So I checked out the recipe found here, got the necessary ingredients (coffee and water!) and got strarted! :) Cold brewing is supposed to help it be less acidic.

You need:
1 gallon of water
1 lb bag of ground coffee
half and half

• in a large pot, dump the bag of coffee then add the gallon of water make sure the coffee is submerged
• cover and let it sit overnight
• get a big pitcher, a strainer and some coffee filters.
• place the strainer in the pitcher, make sure the bottom fits well in the pitcher (this was a problem i had!) line the strainer with a coffee filter.
• ladle the coffee into the strainer. you will need several coffee filters! 

This concentrate should last about a month! I mixed about 2/3 of a cup with the iced coffee and then about 1/4 half and half and a bunch of ice!

Recipe #348: Stuffed Burgers

Alas...no picture of this deliciousness. I think my camera is about dead. I am hoping it last me through the summer though so I can take my time deciding on a new one!
Last night we had stuffed burgers...it ended up being a kitchen meal because when Will went out to turn on the grill we realized that we were out of gas! (And we had JUST gotten back from the store!)
Although it would have been so much better on the grill, it was pretty delicious!

You need:
1 lb ground beef
3-4 strips of bacon
shredded mozzarella
basil, torn into small pieces

• dry up bacon and tear into small pieces
• form ground beef into 6 thin patties
• on three patties, place some bacon, mozzarella and basil 
• put another patty on top and shape so that sides are closed and pinched together
• heat on medium on stove on each side for 5-7 minutes

i could only eat half of mine it was so huge! but every delicious. :)