Another Apple Cake

This cake turned out much better than the last apple cake I made, and it was far simpler.

What you'll need:

2 cups Sugar

1 & 1/2 cups Oil

2 Eggs

2 teaspoons Vanilla

3 cups Apples, diced

3 cups Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

What you'll do:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees

2. Combine sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl

3. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl

4. Add the flour mixture to the large bowl, alternating with the apples

5. Bake in a 9x13" pan for an hour or until a toothpick inserted down the center comes out clean

I'm caught up with my most recent recipes...I won't even bother with the ones from Christmas Break yet.

But more to come soon, I promise!!

NO BAKE COOKIES.

I made some very slight adjustments to the original recipe, but they made a world of difference in my opinion.

What you'll need:

1/2 cup Butter

2 cups Sugar

1/2 cup Milk

4 tablespoons Cocoa Powder

1/2 cup Peanut Butter (creamy or crunchy)

4 cups Oats

2 teaspoons Vanilla

2/3 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

What you'll do:

1. Combine the butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil, boiling for 2-3 minutes

2. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth

3. Add oats and chocolate chips, and drop on wax paper by spoonfuls

4. Let cool until firm, then enjoy :)

Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken

This was a hit with all the friends and family who tried it...

What you'll need:

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Italian Dressing

Garlic Powder

Italian Seasoning

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Halves

What you'll do:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2. Spread cheese on a plate and sprinkle with garlic powder and Italian seasoning

3. Coat chicken in Italian dressing and roll in cheese mixture, coating evenly

4. Place chicken in a shallow baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through

Roasted Lemon Garlic Herb Shrimp

I made this for dinner a couple weeks ago, and it was probably the best shrimp I've made to date.

What you'll need:

1/3 cup Olive Oil

1 Lemon

Thyme (to taste)

Italian Seasoning (to taste)

Sea Salt & Fresh Black Pepper

1 pound Fresh Shrimp, deveined with tails off

5 cloves Garlic

What you'll do:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2. Combine olive oil, juice from 1/2 of the lemon, Italian seasoning, and thyme.

3. Season with salt and pepper, then bake for 10 minutes

4. Remove pan from oven, add shrimp, and cover with garlic and remaining lemon (cut into wedges)

5. Toss pan and bake for 8-10 more minutes or until shrimp is cooked

6. Serve over pasta or rice with lemon wedges for a full effect:)

Normally, I would have pictures, but I haven't been thinking about my blog while cooking lately, so bear with me for now.

Catching up.

Well, as much as I'm loving senior year, the fact of the matter is that it's stressful. Between sports, school, and extracurriculars, I have approximately 30 minutes a week to myself. And those 30 minutes are usually spent in the kitchen. Thankfully, I have a few things to balance my sanity when I start to fall off the edge.

First and foremost would be my broken nose. While most would think that this would add to the stress, it actually makes me laugh from time to time and keeps me sane in those moments. Especially considering that it occurred not during a sporting event, but a New Year's Party.

::my lovely nose guard::

::5 minutes after it happened::

Second, cooking has kept me balanced. When I have time, I'm able to turn on my Adele Pandora radio station and escape for a little while enjoying the freedom of experimenting with food.

Third, puppies :) Yes, I said it, puppies. While my dogs drive me up the wall, when I need something warm and comforting to cuddle with, my dogs are always available. 

::my baby::

On top of those things, I have some of the most amazing friends on planet Earth who somehow know how to make me laugh, cry, and everything in between at just the right times to keep me functional.

Anyways, I have about 4 or 5 recipes to upload, so I'll get on that tonight :)

guilt-free

Cookies, cakes, pies, casseroles, pastas...too much food. I cook to eat, and I've been cooking a lot lately. So one would think I should feel guilty when I get up to pull a batch of cookies out of the oven in 5...4...3...2.....
Okay, these things smell good. As I was saying...guilty...yeah, not so much. Not at all, actually, because most of the stuff I make is pretty tasty. And, on top of that, my experiments benefit the four of you who actually read this thing. Now that I have justified my shameless indulgence, here's my next recipe :)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

What you'll need:

3/4 cup Butter, softened

3/4 cup creamy Peanut Butter, softened

1 & 1/2 cups packed Brown Sugar

3/4 cup Sugar

3 Eggs

3 tablespoons Light Corn Syrup

3 tablespoons Water

1 tablespoon Vanilla

3 & 3/4 cups Flour

1 & 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda

3/4 teaspoon Salt

3 cups semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

What you'll do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Cream together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and sugar until smooth

3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, add the corn syrup, water, & vanilla, and then the rest of the dry ingredients

4. Fold in the chocolate chips and drop onto lightly greased baking sheets

5. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown

>>Lemme just tell ya, sometimes that moment on your lips is worth the lifetime on your hips...this is one of those occasions<<

'tis {ALMOST} the season

Thanksgiving:
noun
1. the act of giving thanks; grateful acknowledgement of benefits or favors, especially to God
2. an expression of thanks, especially to God
3. a public celebration in acknowledgement of divine favor or kindness
4. a day set apart for giving thanks to God


As much as I've been complaining lately about the busyness, stress, and chaos in my life, I am so incredibly blessed. I've been thinking of my stress and sleep deprivation as a bad thing, but I'm reminded that it's all self-induced and it's how I thrive. I have the opportunity to strive for excellence in a challenging school, the ability to play sports, and the privilege to overbook myself at will. So this Thanksgiving season, while I'm so incredibly thankful for the generally accepted answers of: "family, friends, a roof over my head, a warm bed, clothing, sufficient nutrition...", there are so many other benefits that I take for granted on a weekly, daily, and even hourly basis. Sports, friends, books, music...the list goes on. All that to say, am I the only one who takes nearly everything I've got for granted from time to time?