Something Saturdays (10/31/15)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Last weekend was a nice weekend with my boy, I loved it :) This weekend was another mostly boring one, just getting things done. My brother and I did hang out on Wednesday-we went to eat and watched Jurassic World together. Friday Michael and his coworkers were allowed to dress up for Halloween and he was Randy Marsh from South Park....and....yeah. The pictures speak for themselves:

This post understands my feelings about the soundtrack to A Goofy Movie.

For anyone who's had braces.

ALSO-today is the last day you can enter the PB&CO and Bob's Red Mill giveaway!!! So hurry over and enter if you haven't already!

The Baked Brownie

I SWEAR these brownies are fully baked. They're just crazy dense and decadent. And famous. The Baked Brownie is probably one of the most well known brownie recipes and it hails from a famous bakery in Brooklyn called Baked (that I did get the chance to visit once prior to moving). Now, I've been meaning to try it out for a whiiile. But...I needed instant espresso powder so I had to wait until I actually got some.  I was able to try the actual brownie from the Baked and...honestly was underwhelmed. But it was packaged and not even a little bit warm. I had higher hopes for making it at home. And I was RIGHT!

These are 100% in my top 3 favorite {basic} brownies I've ever made. They're actually sort of the perfect combination of the other two, decadence-wise. They're not quite as outlandishly rich as these but they're more gooey and over the top than these. They're soft and chewy (like to a melts-in-your-mouth level) but have that crackly top that brownie dreams are made of...and so packed full of chocolate flavor that oooooooh! Remember how I wished those cookies I shared Monday had been more chocolatey? These brownies delivered on that and THEN SOME! Now, as I mentioned earlier, there are instant espresso granules in this recipe--if you don't like coffee DON'T WORRY. I don't like coffee....at all. But you totally don't taste it, it just helps boost the chocolate flavor and add a little extra nuance that you won't be able to put your finger on (unless you're the one who made them, then you can obviously guess it was the espresso). Honestly...these live up to the hype. They're outstanding. You need the Baked Brownie in your life!

Giant Double Chocolate Cookies

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHOCOLAAAAATE!!! I love it. You love it. We all love it. And this week's recipes are both full of chocolatey goodness. Huzzah!

But today is today and we're gonna focus on these chocolatey treats: giant, chewy, chocolate cookies with chocolate chips (and sea salt on top because duh)!

To be honest (or "tbh" as the kids say) I kiiind of feel like these could have been chocolatey-er...like...if I'd added more cocoa powder maybe? They were just a touch not rich enough. But I'm also sort of a chocoholic to extreme levels. It's like that super dangerous bad boy that you know isn't good for you but you can't help yourself from being drawn to it...

...sorry. High school me had a bit of a bad boy obsession. I know better now.

About the boys. Not the cookies. If loving decadent cookies is wrong I don't wanna be right! Anyway, other people insisted these had plenty of chocolate, and after eating enough of them I was inclined to agree that they were probably right. And I certainly had no problems with continuing to eat lots of 'em. So there you have it.

Something Saturdays (10/24/15)

This week has been pretty boring and busy. Michael had midterms so that's always fun and a bunch of tragedies hit at once this week (a few people we knew passed away and a couple personal concerns and such) so yeah. I'd say I'm ready for next week.

On happier notes, let's share some of the stuff I'm loving this week:

IF YOU ARE A GILMORE GIRLS FAN--OMGOMGOMGOMG

Robin Williams was a genius </3

This little girl's Halloween costumes are just the cutest!!

Hahahaaaaa this is my liiiife.

As someone who just planned a wedding...these charts are super accurate! Lol

Music news: This song has been my jam this week. Also....ADELE IS BACK and holy God she's as amazing as ever.

Coffee Chocolate Chip Ice Cream {No Cook, Egg-free}

Michael's about to get spoiled by ice cream again, now that I've gotten the hang of my ice cream maker. Almost immediately after polishing off his strawberry ice cream, he requested coffee ice cream with chocolate chips. And I, being the nice wife that I am, obliged. Luckily this is another super easy, no cook, recipe! Hooray!

I technically used instant espresso powder in this recipe, so I wasn't sure if I should call it Espresso Ice Cream but....it's a kind of coffee so...whatever. Anyway this recipe turned out super gorgeously creamy and smooth. The coffee flavor is very present without being too overwhelming, and it has just the right amount of sweetness (sort of like a cup of coffee with a good amount of sugar and cream--just the way Michael likes it, lol.) And even when it had been in the freezer for days it was still super easy to scoop and never got too hard! I'm really pleased with how it turned out, and Michael is obsessed with it. Extra bonus-it makes a good amount of ice cream so he can happily eat it without running out for awhile. And I can focus on making cookies. Everyone wins :)

(Yes...there's a cookie recipe coming soon.)

Salted Caramel Pecan Pie

I love pie. It makes it acceptable to eat things that-on their own-people would maybe judge you a bit for eating--you just throw it in a pie crust, call it pie, and everyone's cool with it! Like with this pie...it's pretty much just caramel (and a ton of tasty pecans) in a pie crust. If I had told people "I made salted caramel and am eating a huge chunk of it!" they'd be like "KAYLE NEEDS AN INTERVENTION!" but in pie form...everyone's cool. Everyone wants a piece. The magic of pie.

Um...so yeah. There's really nothing else to say to describe this pie--it's delicious salted caramel and pecans in a pie crust. With beautiful flecks of sea salt on top. It's pretty epic. Oooh! AND I actually think the pie got even more delicious the more days it had been in my refrigerator-it got exponentially harder to cut (I think the caramel was soaking into the crust?) but also the caramel flavor got more and more developed and it's gooey and wonderful and you all need some. Kay?

Something Saturdays (10/17/15)

OMG...this detail about Disney characters is gonna blow your mind, lol.

I'm 5 feet tall sooo...this list.

Um....wha? Um.....

This week's happenings: Saturday we got Mexican food for dinner with Michael's dad and stepmom-and I discovered that I LOVE flautas (the ones I got were filled with potatoes...mmm!) I also officially signed with the Docherty Agency (for acting and print work) in Cleveland so that's exciting! Other than that we've mostly been just getting stuff done! Thursday we got together with Michael's coworkers for "Taco Thursday" and it was fun :) This weekend is just work and Michael doing homework. Booooring.

Mom's Pot Roast

I wish I could properly type out a cry of victory.

Maybe like this?: "EEEEEEEEEEE AHAHAHAHAAAAA YAYYYY YES YES!!"

Meh. It'll do. The important fact to take away is this: I love my mom's pot roast. And I have been unable to replicate it myself. UNTIL NOW! YIPPEE!

This pot roast recipe has been my white whale for YEARS now, and what's funny is....IT'S NOT EVEN HARD TO MAKE. Like....it's kind of insanely easy (you don't even need to sear the meat--the only dish you're gonna dirty is the crockpot! And cutting board...but still.) So why did I have problems? I didn't have the correct kind of slow cooker--I had a super old one that didn't have low and high settings-it had temperatures. And it seems like it couldn't cook it slow enough. I don't know, but what I do know is that I now have a real, beautiful, crock-pot and I took my mom's roast and made it my own. 

This was the recipe that my mom would always make for my birthday, or when I came to visit. And apparently the fact that I love roast caught on because then my mothers in law also started to make me their recipes. And they're ALL good. But...you know. There's something about the recipe that you grew up with...it's special. So I'm a bit partial. But...you know...I also am pretty into this whole cooking/baking thing. So I very slightly improved upon the recipe. But in minuscule ways (namely I added onions and I cut the potatoes smaller so they would cook all the way through, as my mom's tend to be hard and uncooked in the middle sometimes because they're too big of chunks).

Anyway. Let me tell you about this roast--it falls apart. Like...insanely tender. SO flavorful. And you can really add any veggies you want (like carrots, for example) but I'm a big fan of potatoes and onions (yes...those orange veggies are potatoes--cooking in the juices turns them that color. And makes them melt in your mouth delicious). This is gonna be your new fave. I'm so excited. It was so good.

Pinch of Yum's Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know...I've shared so many chocolate chip cookie recipes. Why share more?

Um...if you're asking that question...why are you on my website? That's crazy talk! OF COURSE we always need more chocolate chip cookies! ALWAYS! You silly, I'm glad you've seen the error of your ways. Now we can talk about these cookies in peace and happiness.

Full disclosure--these are not my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. They're not even that high up on the list. BUT I do like them...a lot. And they come from one of my favorite blogs, Pinch of Yum, and when she raves about a recipe like she did about this one I HAD to give it a try. And I have NO REGRETS. Because...I've made a lot of outstanding cookies. It's not these cookies fault that I have insanely high cookie standards. And they were also really really delicious so...like I said. No regrets.

They're soft. Yet crunchy (thanks to the raw sugar). And complex. And chewy. And gooey. And sweet-but with just enough of that saltiness that I love with my desserts. Yes....I definitely am happy that I was able to enjoy these. And I know you will be too!

Something Saturdays (10/10/15)

More fun this week! Sunday we had a great time mini-golfing with my friend Angela and her boyfriend Brendon (Brendon won, Michael came in 2nd place, me 3rd, and Angela 4th--the boys were only 1 stroke apart and Angela and I were only 2...but there was a fairly sizeable gap between the boys and girls lol) and then we got ICE CREAM! Yay and yum! Monday I got to catch up with my friend Jenna (her mom lived in my neighborhood growing up so we played and hung out a lot as kids and teens and such--but we haven't seen each other since her graduation party, over 6 years ago!) and we ate at my cousin Tim's restaurant, Savor. I had spaghetti and meatballs (super tasty but I def. think there are other things I'd want to try next time) and Jenna had the chicken marsala-which she said she's super picky about and that this was the best she's had! And then we shared a couple cannoli for dessert-which is good because apparently those won't be on the menu much longer, lol! Tim is always trying to keep things fresh and new, which is great. It was so fun :) Tuesday I had an audition (my first in over a year!) and I think it went really well-at the very least I had fun and it was nice to act again. (I also just found out I'm getting signed to the biggest acting agency in Cleveland!) I then got a haircut (and Michael stared at me like I was a stranger--it's my same haircut as always, I just always get it kinda shortish--shoulder length--so I can go longer in between hair cuts. But because of the wedding I hadn't been going as short so it's been awhile since it's been this length lol.) Thursday I went to another rehearsal for my old high school's fall play (it's coming along!) and then Michael and I went to dinner at Craft Beer Co.-it was so nice :) He also got transferred over to my mom's phone plan (he'd been on his dad's but it's cheaper on my mom's) so...I don't know...that's neat lol. This weekend is just work-blech. And dinner with Michael's dad and stepmom tonight!

And uhhh...even though I was only alive for 2 months of the 80's, somehow I still relate to 90% of these.

WHAT?! This is so weird....I want to read it but....I feel like it's gonna be weird, WHY CAN'T YOU JUST GIVE US MIDNIGHT SUN?!

This video may have made me cry.

Lol little Barbara is adorable!

Don't forget--right now I have TWO GIVEAWAYS going on! Click here to enter for free peanut butter and oats (this is going on through the rest of October) and click here to win a 6 month subscription to RawSpiceBar (this giveaway ends next week!)

RawSpiceBar Giveaway (CLOSED)

I have something exciting for you today! I want to tell you about RawSpiceBar!-a new subscription service that ships 3 different spice blends to your home, every month, for only $6/month! (Update: they have quarterly spice collections available for $26/quarter or $88/year!)

What makes RawSpiceBar special?

Their spices are whole toasted, ground, and blended just a few days before they ship them to you-which means they're fresh! They're also perfectly portioned to create a dish that serves 6-10 (so they don't just sit on your shelf for-evahhhh) and each blend comes with at least 4-5 different recipe ideas that the folks over at RawSpiceBar have tested (and they also always include options for vegans, carnivores, AND vegetarians)!

I was lucky enough to get a shipment sent to my house with a lot of fun and unique spice blends and one of you lucky readers has the opportunity to win a 6 MONTH subscription!! Enter away!

Just Chicken Pot Pie Pizza

One of my oldest recipes on this blog is still one of my favorites: Just Chicken Pot Pie. It's all the rich yumminess of pot pie without all those yucky vegetables (hehe...). Sooo when I saw the idea of a pot pie pizza I immediately got excited to try it--but a "Just Chicken Pot Pie" version!

Soooo-what is this pizza, exactly? It's a delicious chicken-y pot pie filling (made from onions, butter, chicken broth, and milk-mostly.), shredded cooked chicken, and cheeeeeese. All on a pizza crust. It's actually super simple and is def. a great option for any picky eaters in your house! I

I was super due for a new pizza recipe, so this could not have come at a better time. Plus Michael was only luke-warm about it (he felt like it was too bland, which is a common complaint when I make foods that I like lol)---which you may think is a bad thing but NO because it meant MORE PIZZA FOR ME! It's cheesy and rich and chicken-y and just mmmmmmmm mmmmm! (I'm very eloquent about my food, as you can see!)

Strawberries & Cream Chocolate Chip Ice Cream {Easy, No Cook, Egg-free}

This ice cream is extra special for a couple reasons.

1. Michael requested it as his birthday treat.
2. It was my first time using my ice cream maker!
3. It's insanely easy and super pretty and was the perfect way to finish out summer (mind you--I don't care that it's October. Strawberry ice cream should be enjoyed all the time.)

I'm so glad this was the recipe I started with for my first foray into real ice cream--it was kind of insanely easy. Like...you blend a bunch of stuff together and then you put it in the ice cream maker. Then you add in some mashed strawberries and chocolate chips and...yeah. The end! And seriously...how pretty is it? No food coloring here-just naturally pink strawberry-liciousness! It's also super creamy, thanks to the cream cheese. I will make a small note that if you freeze this extra long/store it in the freezer-it does get quite hard so I suggest taking it out for a bit to soften prior to serving (unless you gobble it all up straight out of the ice cream maker, that's cool too!) Also, this recipe doesn't make a bunch but I actually made another batch almost immediately after-so you can totally double the recipe if you have a hungry Michael type person in your house.

It's ok if that hungry person is you. It means we'd probably be friends. #facts

Something Saturdays (10/3/15)

Alllllrighty. Hiya folks! Let's chat.

Last weekend my mom came over and we hung out with her and my brother, which was fun! Mostly we just relaxed during the weekend. Monday I also hung out with my brother-we got food, went grocery shopping, worked out, and watched The Amazing Spiderman (I'd been meaning to watch it for awhile). Tuesday I finally conquered my mom's pot roast, which is one of my faves. I'll be sharing that recipe in a couple weeks. Wednesday we had my cousin Audrey (you may remember my cousin Emily who lives in NY--this is her sister) and her girlfriend Kylie over for Michael to interview them for school. I baked them cookies in gratitude. And then we had so much fun that they stayed for wine and board games until like 2am. Hehe oops! Yesterday we saw Audrey again at a party that her sister Emily had (she was visiting and figured it was a good way to see a bunch of friends and family at one time!) We had SO MUCH FUN! Their friends and family are a blast and I taught everyone how to play salad bowl! :)

Today I'm working, boo, but tomorrow we're going mini-golfing with my friend Angela and her boyfriend! Wee!

Oh yeah, and don't forget you have all of October to enter my giveaway for some free peanut butter and oats!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Granola ~ #Oatober with PB & Co and Bob's Red Mill

Disclaimer-I was provided with oats and peanut butter from Bob's Red Mill and Pb & Co to use for this recipe. I received no further compensation and was under no obligation to review or host a giveaway. All opinions are, as always, my own. This post also contains Amazon affiliate links.

Guys...I am so excited to help ring in #Oatober with this recipe! Oh, what is Oatober, you ask? It's October....but Peanut Butter & Co. and Bob's Red Mill have teamed up to make this month all about hearty, versatile oats + delicious and flavorful peanut butter! And I'm so stoked because these are two of my favorite brands-I legit. use them all the time!

Now....there are a bjillion ways you can pair oats and peanut butter (oatmeal, cookies, fruit crisp desserts, etc.) but one of my favorites in GRANOLA. I just love granola. It's such a tasty and easy breakfast or snack and it can even be used in other things (granola waffles? granola cookies? etc.) So...I decided that was the perfect thing to share with you guys today!

Something really cool and unique about this recipe is the whole wheat flour-it creates little clumps and is part of what adds to the "cookie" sort of feeling this granola has. Oh and be prepared-it will 100% smell like you're baking delicious cookies when it's in the oven. But that's ok because, even though this granola is healthy and wholesome and filling, it's also insanely delicious. Dark Chocolate Dreams is my pb bestie-chocolatey and peanut buttery goodness. Then we have crunchy peanuts and subtly sweet honey and the chewiness that you get courtesy of oats. Perfection. Guiltless indulgence!

Oh yeah and...continue on past the recipe for a GIVEAWAY! :D