A Cooking Baker

I don't bake a ton, but when I do.... ...it better be REALLY tasty if I'm going to splurge on the calories.  I'm not usually tempted by sweets, but I do keep coming back to the pan for these.  I love the salty sweet contrast, and of course almonds and dark chocolate together.  So good! Dark Chocolate Almond Blondies 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. kosher salt 2 c. packed brown sugar (light or dark is fine) 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 2 large eggs 1 1/2 c. dark chocolate chips (or chunks), divided 1 c. whole almonds, chopped, divided Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl, set aside.  In mixer bowl, beat together brown sugar, butter and vanilla extract until creamy. Add eggs; beat until light and fluffy. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Stir in 3/4 cup chips and 1/2 cup chopped almonds. Spread into prepared pan. Sprinkle with re

OK, we're winging it a lot this week with lots of evening activities (4 of 7 nights!), so we'll be doing some reheating, slow cooking, and sandwiches.  Here are a few things I've got planned based on what's in the fridge & freezer: Chicken, Veggie & Quinoa Skillet - I made some quinoa yesterday, grilled some chicken, and I've got lots of sliced veggies in the fridge - bell peppers, onions, zucchini, and asparagus.  I'm going to toss the veggies in my pan with a teeny bit of evoo and some fresh minced garlic, then add the quinoa nd chicken, heat through, and then sprinkle in some diced Roma tomatoes, and maybe chop up a handful of baby spinach leaves and toss it in, too.  I've also got a teen bit of fresh basil, so I'll probably add it.  Why not?!  Baked Potatoes - topped with steamed broccoli, Canadian bacon, shredded cheese and plain yogurt - again, stuff we've got in the fridge to use up.   I've got some fresh pineapple to finish o

Ever grill your food in a foil packet? It's an easy way to grill things quickly, and with minimal mess.  I purchased a big box of pre-cut foil sheets at Sam's a long time ago, since I use foil a lot in my freezer meals and such, so I can just pull out a 12" x 12" sheet, which is perfect for making a foil packet.  You can do a packet of veggies, potatoes, meat, etc.  Here's one combination (a full meal all in one!) to try - then get creative and see what happens!  I'll post a photo soon - we always end up eating the goods before I remember to whip out the camera... 1-1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces 2 c. brown rice or quinoa, cooked 1/4 c. onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 c. tomato, diced (Roma, or whatever you have) 1/2 c. bell pepper, diced (any color works - red, yellow, green, orange) 1/4 c. fresh basil, chopped 1/4 c. of your favorite dressing - Caesar, Greek, Italian (make your own - even better!) Kosher s

Need to feed a crowd? I made this one for a luncheon for my husband's co-workers - they were my guinea pigs - and it went over well.  I decided to scale back the juice and add some water or broth instead for larger crowds, in case some didn't care for the heat.  You can make this as a freezer meal - either combine all of the ingredients with the roast in a freezer bag, and cook as directed (after thawing in fridge), or cook the meat, and then freeze the meat, and warm it on the stove before serving.  Pepperoncini Beef 1 (3 lb.) beef chuck roast 1 (16 oz.) jar pepperoncini peppers 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, thinly sliced 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper Brown the roast if you feel like it, and then put it in your slow cooker.  Cover the roast with the garlic, onions and seasoning.  Add entire contents of the jar of pepperoncini peppers - just use half of the liquid at first (add it all if you like it really hot) and a cup of water or b