Vanilla Pudding White Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you are in the market for a really great cookie recipe, head over to Two Peas & Their Pod and look around. Cookies are her bread and butter. The first cookie recipe I made from her blog was Banana Pudding Cookies (here), need I say more except I still dream about them! 

I needed a white chocolate chip cookie recipe, and so naturally I looked there first. If you have never added an instant pudding mix to a cookie recipe, have no fear. The cookies are moist, soft, and delicious. 

Vanilla Pudding White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter (room temp)

¾ cup brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 (3.4oz) package vanilla instant pudding mix

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 cups white chocolate chips (can also make with semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.

2.     Using a mixer, beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add the pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla extract. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips.

3.     Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden. Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Katie-Ritas

Here is our go-to margarita recipe. I will not disclose how many pitchers we have made, or whether we keep the ingredients in stock at all times for emergencies. Losing power in the summer heat does not seem like a burden when you have frozen limeade and tequila on hand. You can substitute bud light for corona and use water in place of sprite, though the recipe below is tops. 

Though most good things in my life come from the South, this recipe is an exception and was brought down to us from Ohio! 

Katie - Ritas

1 (12 oz can) frozen limeade concentrate

1 (12 oz) bottle corona light

12oz good tequila (I like cuervo silver)

12 oz sprite zero

ice

lime wedges

Combine limeade, tequila, corona light, and sprite in a pitcher. Stir until well combined, and limeade has melted. Pour over a glasses with ice (and salt on the rim if desired) and garnish with lime wedge. Cheers! 

mexican corn salad

mexican corn salad

Ingredients:

4 cups frozen corn (thawed)

¼ cup red onion, chopped

¼ cup green bell pepper, chopped

¼ cup red bell pepper, chopped

1 large tomato, seeded and chopped

2 tsp garlic, chopped

¼ cup basil leaves, chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp red pepper sauce (optional)

1/3 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)

Directions: 

1. Thaw frozen corn.
2.  Place corn, red onion, green and red bell peppers, tomato, garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper sauce, olive oil, lime juice, and rice wine vinegar in bowl. Toss until combined.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Scoop into festive platter and serve immediately or refrigerate. 

Paul McCartney's refried bean tacos

There is a reason that I have an entire page on Pinterest dedicated to Mexican food and margaritas. (click here) While I once loved heading over to our local El Rodeo for a jumbo margarita and veggie quesadilla, I have changed my tune, and now look forward to making great Mexican food at home. 

This recipe is the perfect complement to a cold negra modelo or a margarita on-the-rocks. 
In fact, I'll throw in THE margarita recipe from my friend Katie, which Josh and I have fondly nicknamed Katie-Ritas. Happy Friday, friends! I served this with Mexican corn salad. 

Paul McCartney's refried bean tacos

Ingredients:
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
15 oz can refried beans
4 medium tomatoes (I used Italian plum tomatoes)
salt
package of whole grain corn tortillas (I use La Tortilla Factory low-carb)
grated cheese for topping (I use Monterey jack)
2-3 limes

Toppings - slices avocado, cilantro, hot sauce, sour cream, sliced jalapeno peppers

Directions:

1. Chop onion. De-seed and chop tomatoes.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion for 5 mins until soft. 
3. Stir in refried beans. Add chopped tomatoes and cook until heated through. Season to taste with salt. Add 1-2 tsp hot sauce if desired (I like tobasco)
4. Heat up tortillas (grill or stovetop)
5. Top each tortilla with bean mixture, grated cheese, and add toppings (avocado/cilantro/sour cream). Squeeze fresh lime juice over each taco and serve immediately. 

Cashew Oatmeal Drops

This recipe was found on the cashew butter label that I bought at the Fresh Market last week (Once Again Nut Butter). I wanted to try a variation to my favorite Quinoa Trail Mix Balls, and this recipe is much faster to prepare! I am now a devout fan of cashew butter and am going to look at my favorite blogs tonight for more ideas. 

I think these drops would make the perfect hiking snack, or healthy breakfast on-the-go, and are even hard enough to cause a minor concussion if you have the finesse to hit your target right on the noggin. 

I brought half the batch to work tonight, and so far all the nurses have loved them! 

1. 1 and 1/2 cups rolled oats

2. 1/4 cup Organic Cashew Butter (by Once Again)

3. 3/4 cup chopped cashews

4. 1/2 cup honey 

5. 1 tsp cinnamon

6. 1 egg

7. 1/2 cup raisins 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Blend all ingredients in order given. 
3. Drop from teaspoon on oiled baking sheet or Silpat baking mat. 
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until browned.

photo of the week

The beautiful tulips I found on the kitchen island on Valentine's Day this year! 

Hummus Vow

I vow to you, dear readers, (deep breath in, shoulders back, chin up), to never again buy store-bought hummus.

Goodbye athenos, goodbye sabra, goodbye white bean trader's joes hummus.  I am tired of settling for bland, boring hummus, out of general laziness. I have a food processor, and hummus only takes a couple of minutes to make. No excuses.

This basic hummus recipe is from one of my very favorite blogs, Smitten Kitchen. If Deb says to peel the skin off of chickpeas, as crazy and time consuming as it sounds, I'll at least try it once. I think this recipe is a winner, as I had to smack Josh's hands away so I would have some left for my work friends! After tasting it at work today, I would recommend adding a little more olive oil before serving as mine got a little dry. Also, the quality of the tahini really makes the hummus, and some brands of tahini have a more toasted flavor, so find one that you like. As always, bon appetite! 

Ethereally Smooth Hummus

From Smitten Kitchen

Makes  1¾ cups hummus (recipe doubles easily)

1 can chickpeas (15oz), I use Goya brand

½ cup tahini paste

2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 small cloves garlic, minced

¾ tsp salt

¼ cup water

topping – olive oil, paprika

Snacks for dipping – carrots, celery, homemade pita chips, etc.

1. Rinse and peel your chickpeas.  Just take a chickpea between your thumb and next two fingers, arranging the pointy end in towards your palm, and “pop!” the naked chickpea out. Discard the skin.

2. In a food processor, blend the chickpeas until powdery clumps form, a full minute, scraping down the sides. Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt and blend until pureed. With the machine running, drizzle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you get very smooth, light and creamy mixture. I find I need about 4 tablespoons for this volume, but you may need slightly more or less.

3. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt or lemon if needed. Transfer the hummus to a bowl and rest it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, longer if you can. To serve, drizzle it with a little olive oil, and sprinkle it with paprika. Serve with dipping snacks.