Something Saturdays (5/4/13)

This is what happens when I try to workout. Sans dogs.

Huh. Turns out facebook did something again-they're hiding pages you like from you.
Luckily, it's super easy to work around. Just check out this short post on it.

Do you like Law & Order: SVU? Do you like the show I'm in, Rock-Star Cafe?

Yes?

Then have I got a treat for you:

Homemade Cheddar Cheese Crackers (Cheez-Its)

MY NEW FAVORITE SNACK.

Imagine buttery, cheesy, crisp, yet flaky, little bites of heaven.

Imagine cheez-its but...like...a million times tastier.

Imagine Kayle eating 80 crackers over the coarse of like..2 days.

I'm sorry about that last one. You guys didn't need that mental picture. 

The point is: these crackers are the shiz-nit. 

Oddly enough, cheese was never a big part of my diet until the last few years (I know, shocking). And cheese crackers were no exception: I thought they were OK, but they were never my go to.

Fast forward to the last time my mom visited. She brought um...about 10 different kinds of snacks with her (a few varieties of potato chips, pretzels, chex mix, and-Cheez-Its). You see, my mom is a salty snack kind of gal. She rarely finds herself wanting a sweet (and when she does she's satisfied with a few ropes of red licorice). Obviously we are very different people. Anyway, from her snack peer pressure I had some of the stuff she brought. And then I was like "Um...Cheez-Its are like yummier than I remember." But I still wasn't going to buy them for myself because, um, super bad for you and stuff. (In spite of their ever so reassuring "made with real cheese" promise *eye roll*).

Then I got into making homemade crackers. And saw a few copy cat recipes on the interwebs. In the end, this recipe won out because it was the simplest. Just pure, cheddar cracker goodness. And it delivered. These are like...pretty easy to make, and just taste incredible. So flavorful. So wonderfully cheesy. They're definitely best, texture-wise, the day they're made, but don't let that deter you from leftovers. They still hold up. They're pretty much the only non-sweet snack that I think I need in this life. Perhaps you'll agree?

*Note: Don't be alarmed that in the pictures my dough is pretty much white--I used white cheddar. They still turned out a gorgeous, almost orange color after baking. You can totally use orange cheddar if that's what you have. Don't fret about it.

S'mores Cakes in Jars

We're in the midst of my favorite time of year, particularly in NY. The weather is 60's and 70's. The flowering trees have blossomed. It's warm and sunny and happy. *sigh* Beautiful. But, spring is fleeting. Over before it even really begins. And then we have summer.

But that's totally OK, because I love summer too.

Summer is shorts, flip flops, tank tops, and pure, embracing, sunny heat. It's long days and warm nights. It's green grass and yellow sun and blue skies. Growing up it meant spending all my time swimming at my grandma's pool, playing with my cousins. It meant running around with my friends as the sun went down, catching fireflies and watching flickering flames of the bonfires our dads would have. It meant family and friends and fun and lazy days.

It also meant s'mores.

I've gotten all gooey (figuratively and literally) about s'mores with you guys before. 

Suffice it to say: I love em.

So, in preparation for all the summer fun to come, I've got a fun (and portable) s'mores treat for ya. These are ideal for picnics, barbecues, parties, and such. Or, if you're me, just sitting in your apartment with a spoon. S'mores cakes in jars! Yes yes yes. Fabulously buttery graham cracker crust layered under moist chocolate cake, then topped with sweet, toasty marshmallows. Then ya dig in with a spoon and get messy. They're pretty darn easy to throw together-and they're really yummy leftover too (seriously, pop em in the microwave for 1 minute and you're good, or you could even just eat em room temp. Your call.)

These are about to be one of your new favorite things.

And...you may end up with some extra batter.

I made a cute little loaf cake with crumbled graham crackers on top.

You could make cupcakes.

Or just eat it.

You know me, I don't judge.