Super Bowl Recipe Ideas

Hey! So...um...the Super Bowl is this Sunday?!

Right?

...Yeah, thought so. I'll just be doing what I normally do, because at my house the Super Bowl isn't really a thang. But I'll sum up for you what I know about this year's big game: 

1. Seahawks (right?) are playing the Broncos. I know the Broncos because they're my brother's favorite team.
2. I think the game is going down in the general vicinity of where I am?  (just checked: yepp, Jersey tech.)
3. People have been making a lot of pot/ super bowl comments. I'm not super into em. Not into that kinda stuff sooo...yeah I dunno.
4. There's some sort of puppy bowl that goes on as well....involving...puppies. Dogs? Idk.

Yeahhh that's pretty much it. There IS one other thing I know, though: some GREAT ideas for food to serve. Oh yeah, consider this your one stop shop for the best recipes to serve (yourself, your S.O. your pals, your whole neighborhood, whateva) during the game:

(Recipes in order, top to bottom, left to right)

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Parmesan Breadsticks (Pizza Hut Copy Cat)

Homemade Cheddar Cheese Crackers (Cheez-its)

Sour Cream, Spinach, and Onion Dip (Lightened Up)

Cheesy Chicken Dip

Garlic Cheese Bread

Lightened Up Spinach Artichoke Dip

Whole Wheat Garlic Knots

Spinach & Brie Puff Pastries

Guacamole and Homemade Baked Tortilla Chips

Swiss Bacon Crostini with Truffle Oil

Homemade, Baked, Tater Tots

Gravy Cheese Fries Poutine

Spinach, Onion, and Swiss Dip

GO {insert favorite team here}!

Mashed Potato Soup

It's been cooooolddddddd. My Ohio peeps had a -10 degree day yesterday. In NYC we don't usually get quite that cold, but back during the first polar vortex whatever, we did have a 10 degree day. Which is still pretty darned cold. That is the day I made this soup. And...finished this soup. I ate 3/4 of it by myself before Michael came home. I recommend doubling this recipe or you'll end up with a fiance heckling you for being a "hungry hungry hippo".

 This is my first time posting a soup recipe on the blog, and there are a couple reasons for this:

1. I don't eat a lot of soup. I like it, but not like A TON (with the exception of my grandma's chicken-endive AKA wedding soup. But I don't have the skills to make that yet. And also, this soup is a major exception. I think I'll be making it a lot.)
2. Before this recipe, my homemade soup attempts did NOT work out. I made a couple atrociously bland soups that poor Michael had to choke down and they sort of scarred me and made me scared of making soup.

Like...let's just wrap our minds around this concept: Mashed Potato SOUP. I loooove mashed potatoes, AND I like pierogies, and with the addition of onions and cheese to this soup, it's also kind of pierogi-like.

It is a luscious, creamy, hearty soup (Michael said he could imagine Ivan Denisovich eating this. He really liked that book from Senior English...anyway...). It tastes like you're eating soup-y mashed potatoes BUT kicked up a notch by the nearly caramelized onions, and cheese--cheese makes all things better.

Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chunk Brownies

These brownies get the Michael stamp of approval.

When I first mentioned I was whipping brownies up he was like...not super excited....but then he ate one.

After eating the final brownie of the batch, Michael texted me: "These brownies were sooo good. I already miss them." Poor dear. #firstworldproblems #foodbloggerhubbyproblems

But for serious....they ARE really good. Just the right amount of firmness and fudginess in the texture. And a delightful crunch from the toffee and hunks of decadent chocolate...mmmm...

You wanna know a delicious AND dangerous fact? These are really quick and easy to whip up (quicker and easier if you don't brown the butter but...you should really brown the butter. Trust me.) So it'll be awfully easy to convince yourself, "Oh hey, maybe today I should just make some 'o' those yummy brownies..." and then you and your fiance are sitting there, trying to remember what it was like before you were fat. And telling yourself that when you have a fitness center, you guys are totally gonna work out there together...

...probably.

Whatever. You do whatcha gotta do to continue eating intensely chocolatey brownies that have the extra boost of yumminess given via browned butter & toffee. Priorities people.

Something Saturdays (1/25/14)

Soooooooooooooo.....

....I don't really know what to say this week, all. Um...I've got stuff in the works but nothing really to share so...um...yeah.

See you all on Monday?

Posts from this week

Swiss Bacon Crostini with Truffle Oil

Spinach, Onion, and Swiss Dip

Chicken and Swiss Sandwich with Roasted Garlic Aioli

Recipes from the blog that I made this week
Chocolate Wafer Cookies

Butter Cream Chicken

Cheesy Chicken Noodles

Movies/TV Talk (assume there'll be spoilers)
Dracula-I've decided to just comment on Dracula even though I'll always be 1 week behind: I'm liking it more and more, especially now that Alexander and Mina's relationship is kinda going somewhere. And I LOVED the moment where he turned Lucy because "if you insist on behaving like a monster I'll make you one" YESSS! (of course now I'm finding out the episode from yesterday-which I haven't seen yet-is the season finale and may be the series finale if it doesn't get picked up. *sad sigh*)

How I Met Your Mother-sooo good!!! I loved asking Barney all the questions (and his vengeance!!! Legen-waitforitforasuperlongtime-DARY!) and all of the stuff with the Mother being in labor with Luke (!!!-does this mean the daughter is named Leia?) I do not like Lily's behavior over the whole Rome vs. Judge issue (although Marshall did make a very harsh comment-may or may not be true, either way-harsh.)

Teen Wolf-What is Kira? I hope Scott lets the twins into his pack. What did Derek's mom say? Even though I want Allison and Scott together I do adore Isaac. And...yepp.

Supernatural-I LOVED this episode. Some super good (and quotable) moments with Crowley and Cas (all the PB&J stuff in particular). Some lovely thoughtful moments. And I really enjoyed all the stuff with Cain, it's sad, but cool. I'm curious about what the price of having the mark of Cain will be for Dean, though.

Pretty Little Liars-Gahhhh nooo I want Caleb back buut...I mean...Travis is nice too....gosh darn it, leave it to PLL to make every single guy option awesome. There are not nearly that many perfect guys in such a close radius to each other in the real world. Aaand...I've said it once and I'll say it again...I know that apparently Ezra is bad or whatever but I still like him! And I am just so unsure of where the storyline with Ali is going...this is just so ridiculously far from the books at this point...

The Originals-I'm super sad about the poor dead little witches (esp. Davina) and that Elijah and Hayley didn't kiss. I'm very intrigued and confused by the witches that WERE risen and WHY IN THE HECK CELESTE IS APPARENTLY SIOBHAN?!

Criminal Minds-JJ!! WHAT IS GOING ON?!

Law & Order: SVU-I like Olivia as sergeant but I am getting annoyyyed with Rollins and Amaro's crap.

Parenthood-So much crying. I really want the distance to make Joel miss home and come baaaack!

The Vampire Diaries-Things I liked: Caroline and Klaus getting it onnn. Alaric and Vicky checking in via the other side. Stefan and Elena being all forgive-y and such. Things I did not like: Damon and Elena seeming like they're gonna get back together/Stefan and Elena making no moves to getting back together, and KATHERINE EFFING HIJACKING ELENA'S BODY!! Just when ya think she's dead....grr

Instagram Lately (a few highlights from this week on Instagram)

Chicken and Swiss Sandwich with Roasted Garlic Aioli for #SwissWeek

Here we are, the final recipe of #SwissWeek with Lorraine cheese!

(you should totally check out the crostini and healthified dip I've already shared)

It's a party, so we've gotta have a sandwich, amiright?

Sandwiches always make me think of my brother, Josh, (and countless other boys) demanding "Woman, make me a sammich!" Michael stopped doing this because...well...I would go to make him a sandwich. Apparently this took all the fun out of it.

But this was a time no one needed to tell me to make a "sammich". I just did it. And it is good! And a lot of that is attributed to that gorgeous melty Swiss you see up there (AKA the best Swiss I've ever tasted!) It's absolutely PERFECT for sandwiches. I've been using it for all of the sammies I've been making Michael for his lunch as of late. But this sandwich...is SO much more than those little things I throw together usually.

This is like...a serious sandwich.

I intended to make the hoagie myself, from scratch. But...well...I got busy. So I bought hoagie bread. But feel free to do whatever appeals to you! And then I made a fantastic roasted garlic aioli, which has just the right punch of garlic flavor. And I made one of my fave, easy, chicken recipes: it tastes like fried chicken but it's baked! Hooray! And then, obv. Lorraine Swiss and some lovely arugula to add some pretty green. Viola! Sandwich! I really enjoyed this sandwich, and I think Michael might have liked it even more. We were both happily munching away for awhile.

So do yourself a favor. Endear yourself to others and bring some of these sammies to your next party (or, if you're hosting, set them out). You're gonna get yourself a WHOLE BUNCH of new best friends.

And for more Swiss goodness, check out Lorraine Cheese's facebook page and pinterest!

Spinach, Onion, and Swiss Dip for #SwissWeek

We're back with recipe 2 of my Lorraine Cheese #SwissWeek! (Click here to check out the delish crostini I shared on Monday.) All good parties require some kind of dip, right? And you want it to be a delicious, cheesy, makes you feel like you just gained 10 lbs. kind of dip, yeah? What if I made a dip that is all of that but, in fact, WON'T make you gain 10 lbs*?

*(probably)

I've already talked about the outstanding quality and taste of Lorraine Swiss cheese BUT did you know that, at only 75 mg per serving, it's also naturally low in sodium?! Woot wooot!

The idea for this recipe is from my healthified version of spinach artichoke dip. But no artichokes. And only Swiss cheese. And some onions for flavor. All in all pretty decent for ya (especially if you decide to use veggies to dip.)

And everrrr so YUMMY! Michael and I both attacked this baby. I mean, really, just look at that top layer of cheesy goodness. And it's chock full of spinach and just the right amount of flavor via the onions (which count as vegetables, right?). If you make a big batch of this and serve it, not one person will believe it's anything less than deliciously bad for them. And if you don't wanna tell 'em, that's fine with me. Our little secret ;).

And for more Swiss goodness, check out Lorraine Cheese's facebook page and pinterest!

Swiss Bacon Crostini with Truffle Oil for #SwissWeek

So, it's football season!

...right?

You all probably know by now I'm not so much into the sports, especially football. HOWEVER I can get down with just about any excuse to eat, and I know a lot of people have football viewing parties with copious amounts of noms. This I support. In fact, this week I've teamed up with Lorraine Cheese to share 3 recipes that are perfect for any party (whether it is Game Day or otherwise) featuring, you guessed it, Lorraine Swiss cheese!

Lorraine® is a premium specialty cheese with a perfectly creamy flavor and a lacy, light texture that stacks wonderfully on deli platters, sandwiches, and crackers. AND it melts absolutely beautifully. I like Swiss cheese and Michael reaaaally likes it, so I was so excited to play around with Lorraine's cheese's amazing quality. It did NOT disappoint! By far, the most delicious Swiss I've ever tried, and definitely the prettiest I've ever seen!

A good party's gotta have some good apps. All the better if those apps are little, crunchy, and can be eaten with your fingers.

Oh yeah...and when there's bacon involved. And cheese. And bread. And TRUFFLE OIL!

Yeaaaaah.

Let me break this down: crunchy, toasty, bread. Topped with melted Swiss cheese. And some crumbled crispy bacon. And a little bit of pepper. And a drizzle of the nectar of the gods, truffle oil.

soooooo tasty! These'll be a complete hit at any gathering, and will probably disappear in the blink of an eye!

So hurry up, don't blink, and go grab some before Uncle Jeff gets to 'em!

And for more Swiss goodness, check out Lorraine Cheese's facebook page and pinterest!

Something Saturday (1/18/14)

Hey...do you ever just find yourself, at the end of the week, wondering what the prettiest/tastiest food from various blogs were? One awesome post I love to read (and drool over) every week is a little thing called "Food Fetish Fridays"--you should def. check it out!

Alsoooo.....I finally got myself a ring holder and I LOVE IT! It is sooo beautiful. I got it off of etsy (from dgordon) and here it is in all its loveliness (with a slight filter from instagram :P):

Ooooh and this coming week is gonna be fun--it's all about the game day recipes (or general entertaining, if you're not a fan of football, like me) and all the recipes feature Swiss cheese! I am declaring it #SwissWeek!

Flourless Peanut Butter & Nutella Oatmeal Cookies

Soooo, ya know, I've heard a lot of things about how wheat is not good for our bellies etc etc.

And I get it. I could see where that might make sense. BUT...I just....I cannot live my life without carbs. Do you have ANY idea how much of my diet is carbs?! WAY TOO MUCH! I know it but I can't help it! I need breads and pastas and potatoes! Neeeed em!

*cough* but um anyway...maybe sometimes it's nice to cut back. But ya know...with cookies.

I'm not sure if you know this. I've been super tight lipped about it and am definitely not uncontrollably talking and thinking and planning about this all the time* but...I'm getting married. And I'd like to be in decent shape for that big day. Um...but I still wanna eat cookies.

*(lies)

So, what all this lead up is well...leading...to is THIS: cookies. Cookies made with oats instead of flour. Cookies with a surprisingly small amount of sugar. Cookies where the only fat is in the forms of peanut butter (I used homemade, so-healthy!) and nutella (you can probably use homemade, but this time around I used the safer for baking yet still healthier option of Nocciolata Organic Hazelnut Spread). Cookies that actually taste a lot like those no-bake cookies that I LOVED as a kid. Cookies that are chewy and delicious and satisfying.

So um...when am I coming over?

I presume you're making these for me.

Nutella "Candy" Bars

Can you remember the first time you tried Nutella (or some kind of chocolate hazelnut spread)?

I can.

I was living in Brooklyn with my soon-to-be estranged roommates, but at this stage we were still getting along. One of these girls had a container of nutella and told me to try it, and I was hesitant. Like "umm...I don't think I like hazelnuts." (WHAT? I LOVE HAZELNUTS! Stupid past Kayle) But I tried it because...well...chocolate. And then I was like "Oh this pretty much just tastes like chocolate." (IS YOUR PALATE SO UNREFINED PAST KAYLE?! CAN'T YOU TASTE THE DIFFERENCE?!)

Anyway, so, I ate more of it over time, and my love grew and grew. The end.

Anyway. These bars. They've got a serious punch of chocolate hazelnutty flavor. 

But, for me anyway, they were meessssyyy. So ya know, keep that in mind. I was going to give a few of these to my aunt, but by the time I got them to her, they were so mushed she literally thought they WERE my homemade chocolate hazelnut butter. I had to inform her that they used to be candy bars. Oops.

Whatevs. Still tasty. Very sweet but very tasty and crunchy!

Exceptional Chocolate Chip Cookies

So, you know...I like cookies. Particularly chocolate chip cookies.

I'm quite picky about them. To the point that I rarely, if ever, buy cookies (especially if I'm in Ohio) because they-with very few exceptions-never live up to the grand majority of the cookies that come out of my very own kitchen. And even within the spectrum of chocolate chip cookies I've made...I could not tell you my favorite recipe. I love each of them in different ways for different reasons. They're all delicious. So, I don't really like to categorize any of my recipes as the "best". But I can definitely use the word "exceptional".

Kristin, AKA Baker Bettie, is just as much as a cookie fiend as I am. Actually, I'd call her an expert. She's had her own cookie baking business and she is amazing when it comes to delving into the science of baking (particularly with cookies). This recipe is from her, and she has called it "the best".

And I totally get it.

One of the big things that makes these cookies exceptional is the quality of ingredients. The better the quality, the better the cookie. Then we've gotten rid of that silly granulated sugar and just use all brown sugar (which is pretty much the source of all things delicious in a CCC. It makes them complex and adds to the chewiness and texture). Oat flour is just...so good. And, of course, browned butter, toasted pecans, and sea salt reign supreme in making things taste AHHHMAZING.

Funny story: At Christmas the topic of sweet and salty food came up with one of Michael's cousins. And I told him how much I love to put salt on chocolate chip cookies. And he was like...shocked. He did not like the sound of that. Michael jumped in, telling him "No....it works. It's good. Trust me."

Ok, Steve? Trust us!

Something Saturday (1/11/14)

Ok, so, everyone says once you're engaged you need to have extra pretty nails and stuff BUT...I fail at having my nails done. They're just so aggravating! I'm too broke to pay for manicures and doing them yourself takes forever and then they chip like RIGHT AWAY (this is true, for me, even when manicured. I had a gel mani once and it lasted for 5 days, which is less than half the time it's supposed to). And I just feel like it makes cooking and baking harder. I dunno I like how pretty nails look I just can't seem to have them myself. If anyone has tips or tricks (that won't break my already essentially empty bank account) please share!

Michael and I have been doing some more detail work on the wedding. We've agreed on what we want flowers to look like for bouquets and centerpieces, and that we want the table #'s to be named after movies. And...*gulp*...we made our first draft of the guest list (using the list from Michael's brother's wedding which had already been cut down, and lists I got from my parents) and we were at 350. YIKES! We're not inviting more than 300 (the venue can only hold 325, and I'd prefer to have about 275 show up) so that means we are in the process of making some extreme cuts and it is hard and stressful. We knew this would be the hardest part. I always knew I had a pretty big family, but compared to Michael's mine is downright tiny. So..yeah...lots of work. But lots of fun stuff is happening too!

Tomorrow my mom and MoH are going to a local bridal show (since I'm in NYC and can't be there) I'm so jealous but hope they get me some good info and maybe some freeeebies!

And, on the funny side of wedding planning: I was just looking around at some registry stuff, just for ideas, and I saw on Target's website the EXACT flatware set I grew up with (and now currently own, I was given them when I moved out, since my mom has since updated her flatware). Seriously...it's freaky. How are these still being sold like 20 years later? Hilarious.

XL Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie

Sooo uh....in case you all haven't noticed....I'm going a bit wedding crazy. I'm aware. I apologize to everyone around me.

Only one of my bridesmaids lives in NYC, so she got a little bit of a different "will you be my bridesmaid" request than the others....she got a giant cookie:

See, I figure, if someone asked ME a question written on a giant, browned butter, salted chocolate chip cookie, I'd probs. say yes. My diabolical plan worked, and my cousin Emily accepted! Then later, when she was home, she texted me:

"Omg this cookie I AM GOING TO EAT THE WHOLE THING DAMNIT KAYLE"

She also asked if I was trying to make her the fatty for my wedding...hehehee

So. Technically....I didn't taste this cookie. Because I gave it to Emily. But I know the ingredients that went in it, I know they're delicious, and I mean...you read what she said...sounds like it was pretty good to meeee!

I mean...giant chocolate chip cookie....browned butter....just...like...

it doesn't get much better, amiright?

Healthiest Recipes from 2013

Tis the season for New Year's Resolutions.

and topping most people's resolutions lists are promises to be healthier, lose weight, etc.

sooo to help you all out a smidge, I've got a little round up here of the healthiest recipes from 2013 to give 2014 a great start! And hopefully I'll have lots more to share in this new year, especially now that I've got a wedding to prepare for!

(these recipes are in order, left to right, top to bottom)

Over EASY Eggs

Heart Healthy Waffles

Chocolate Peanut Butter Green Monster Smoothie

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Whole Wheat Brown Butter Pancakes

Roasted Skillet Potatoes

Soft, 100% Whole Wheat Rolls

100% Whole Wheat Bread

Homemade Nutella (Chocolate Hazelnut Butter)

Homemade Wheat Thin Crackers

English Muffin Bread

Basil Pesto

Spinach and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Roasted Garlic, Chicken, and Herb White Pizza

"The" Meatballs

Breadcrumb Crusted Cod

One Pan Chicken Alfredo

Baked Fish Sticks

Avocado Brownies

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Banana Pops

Olive Oil Brownies

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Popsicles

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Pecan Truffles

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Pie with Whole Wheat Crust

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check out this post to see all my healthiest recipes prior to 2013!

Homemade Ranch Dressing

I'm such an annoying lady sometimes. I know it. I just can't leave poor Michael in peace. All he wants is to eat his pizza rolls and spaghetti-o's, and I can't stop trying to take food he likes and make it from scratch.

But liiike....a girl's gotta try, right?

I really don't give the boy enough credit. He actually eats, probably, healthier than me. He's much better about eating his veggies. And he's a total champ at eating salads. Sometimes...when at a restaurant...he'll even order one...AS HIS MEAL *gasp* I can't even fathom that. A salad...for a meal? Does not compute in Kayle's brain.

Anyway, since we tend to have little side salads fairly frequently around our lil home, I was really excited about the idea of tackling a homemade ranch dressing recipe for Michael (I don't mind ranch but I'm more of an Italian/oil based dressing gal myself).

and I did.

Was it a success?

Sort of. Maybe. 

On the first attempt of making this recipe, it was entirely too garlicky for Michael's tastes (so I've adjusted the garlic/scallion amounts below) and seemed to be missing something. I researched ranch dressing a bit and determined we needed dill. So I added that and it definitely helped. So Michael kind of likes it. But not as much as storebought. BUT I haven't attempted it with less garlic yet. I'll keep ya posted on that.

Anyway, all that said...

I like garlic.

I actually like this dressing better than the kind you buy. And you don't have to stress about what you're putting on your salad and whether or not that's negating any healthiness you're getting (which...if you're me...is the entire reason you're eating the green things in the first place). You should def. give it a shot, and maybe customize it a bit to your taste! PLUS hey it's a new year, and I'm sure many of us have resolutions for healthiness or some such, am I right?

What sort of storebought recipes do you want to/like to try to recreate/replace with homemade?

Something Saturdays (1/4/14)

So, after many pros and cons lists and in depth discussions, we've decided to have our reception at Occasions Party Centre! It is absolutely beautiful, very light and open and romantic, and I really love the atmosphere and people there (plus the grounds are stunning as well, there's a lake and gazebos, etc.) The picture above is a little different than what it will look like for us (red instead of pink napkins and different centerpieces) but it's the room that we'll have! I'm getting reeeeally excited!

Speaking of excited, it was so nice to get back in the kitchen. I hate leaving home, but it's also nice to get back into my routine.

Did you all have a great New Year's? I spent NYE babysitting and New Year's Day just chilling with Michael. Can't really complain. :)

And on a humorous note, my favorite search term that brought some poor soul to this blog is: "crazy couple photo facebook" soo...yes...you've obviously come to the right place. I am one half of a crazy couple that does put photos on fb sometimes...yepps...:P

Pesto Chicken Pizza-Guest Post at Sarcastic Cooking

Bloggy friends are precious. And when they are in need and ask you to guest post for them you say "OF COURSE!" especially when that friend just had her 1st baby AND you participated in her virtual baby shower.

Yepp...I'm talkin' about Stef from Sarcastic Cooking.

That hilarious, fun, witty, genius in the kitchen who has great taste in TV. And less than a month ago gave birth to her little man, Andy. And today I'm taking over Sarcastic Cooking with this pizza!

THIS. PIZZA. A total fave. It uses my new fave crust (the Neapolitan style), pesto, tomatoes, and chicken to create a little variety in my pizza liiiife. So crisp and delicious.

But hey...if you wanna hear more (and GET THE RECIPE) jump on over to Sarcastic Cooking!

Go on, get your tushes over there!

Chocolate Cobbler

Happy New Year!!

I'm a mean woman and am sharing a truly sinful treat on the first day of the new year, I apologize in advance for all the broken new years resolutions. 

Still friends?

Soooometimes you just need something chocolatey, warm, and gooey. You just need to like....sit down, and eat a decadent treat. Maybe with ice cream on top. Because for some reason warm stuff and cold stuff is like...a fascinating combo. And it makes your belly happy. This chocolate cobbler (why is it cobbler? it's not fruit?) will make your belly happy.

And if you put a scoop of salted caramel ice cream on top, all the better.

Now, this isn't my MOST favorites. It actually looks more chocolatey than it tastes.

I NEED MORE CHOCOLATE!

But it tastes super warm and filling and the fact that it essentially creates its' own hot fudge is like magic.