Author Archives for Shannon

Quick Banana and Milk Chocolate S’Mores

A little over three years ago, I bought my first home, a condo. A month later, this blog was born. I was so excited to finally own a place after renting so many apartments. I searched design blogs and poured over websites looking at furniture and paint colors. Well, this past weekend, I spent every minute cleaning every nook and cranny because I’ll be putting my sweet little condo on the market. I accepted a job in Atlanta about three weeks ago which I’m really excited about but getting a home ready to list for sale is purely exhausting. I passed up on a concert, barely ate any meals and drank way too much coffee. Late Saturday after realizing I’d eaten nothing all day, I picked up Chinese food and almost fell asleep eating it. Yesterday I decided I needed to make something for the blog so instead of making something healthy and sustaining, I made these Quick Banana and Milk Chocolate S’Mores. Only because they were quick.

Graham crackers are topped with milk chocolate, banana slices and marshmallow which is then toasted under the broiler for a quick minute and a half when everything becomes soft and gooey. Eating these s’mores reminded me of when my friend Lori and I used to make s’mores in the toaster oven at work. The smell would waft throughout the office and at one point our CFO came over and asked what we made that smelled so good. Everything about these s’mores takes me back to that time. The milk chocolate is creamy, the marshmallow is oozing, and the banana is toasted and mellowed out. Yes, this was my dinner last night. And considering I still have a little more to do, it just might be my dinner tonight.

Have some left over marshmallows? Try this Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake!

photo 4

Preheat broiler to high. Place graham cracker squares on a foil-lined baking sheet. Divide chocolate evenly among 4 squares; top evenly with banana slices. Spread 1 tablespoon marshmallow crème (or place 1 marshmallow) on each of 4 remaining squares.

photo 2 (3)

Broil 1 1/2 minutes or until chocolate just begins to melt and marshmallow creme lightly browns.

photo 3

Carefully top banana with the marshmallow-topped squares.

photo 1

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

  • Whole marshmallows

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light magazine

Seaside Sunrise

I spent all of last week in Chicago and, despite battling an allergic eye infection that forced me to wear my glasses all week, I used the opportunity to rest, relax, and read. I took long walks along the water and spent the warm (and warm-ish) days at the beach on the lake. I slept in a lot which was different from my last trip to Chicago in May where I was awoken every morning at 6am by a happy dog named Abigail eager to go outside. Watching the sun come up over Lake Michigan is enchanting and I was able to get up early enough once last week to catch it. The way the sun glistens over the water, making the lake look silver and glossy, is a sight that I never tire of. This Seaside Sunrise seems appropriate.

Pineapple, orange-mango, and cranberry juices are mixed with passion fruit rum, a little grenadine (which I left out) and topped with sparkling wine and fruit slices. Any of your favorite rum could be added here but the flavor of the passion fruit combined with the different fruit juices really makes this a perfect little summer cocktail. Whether you are seaside or landlocked, make a batch of this and enjoy our last days of summer.

DSC05110

Combine pineapple juice, mango-orange juice, passion fruit rum, cranberry juice, and grenadine in a large pitcher.

DSC05106

Pour into ice-filled glasses, and top with sparkling wine, if desired.

DSC05107

DSC05108

Garnish, if desired.

DSC05109

Additions: None

Omissions:

  • Grenadine

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Coastal Living magazine

Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers

I’m in a fruit and veggies state of mind (sorry I just saw Billy Joel in concert over the weekend). I used to be diligent about going to the local produce stand (which isn’t all that close to me) each weekend and stocking up on fresh fruits and veggies. Up until this past weekend, I don’t think I’ve been there all year. Pathetic. And then when I go to my sad grocery store, I complain each and every time because the produce section is inevitably out of something I specifically went there to get and I wonder why I didn’t go the extra few miles to the produce stand. The peppers in these Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers were one such missing item from my grocery store after having seen bags of them for weeks. Then poof! They were gone.  Along with the purple cauliflower and the bags of cherries the store had advertised as being a special price in their circular. But I had my heart set on making these little snacks so I hopped in Zelda (my car) and drove to another grocery store farther away which I knew had a better produce department. The store stinks (literally, P.U.) …but the produce is good. And I walked away, satisfied, with a huge bag of these baby bells.

Baby bell peppers are blistered in a skillet before being halved and stuffed with a mixture of cooked ground meat (I used turkey but the recipe calls for pork), poblano pepper, onion, garlic, spices, fresh cilantro and Muenster cheese. After a quick trip to the oven, the cheese melts and these guys are ready to go. Sure, stuffing the peppers is the most time consuming part but when it’s all said and done, these peppers are the perfect one or two bites. The poblano gives a subtle kick and the ancho and chile powders add a punch of flavor. Make these as an appetizer or as a unique little lunch. People will walk by and wonder what colorful lunch you are having.

If you like these, definitely try Sausage-and-Feta Cheese-Stuffed Peppers.

DSC05164

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the baby bell peppers in a single layer and cook, turning, until the skins blister and start browning, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

DSC05160

Add the onion, poblano, garlic, cumin, oregano, ancho and chipotle chile powders and 1 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until the onion and poblano are tender, about 8 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high and add the turkey. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink and thoroughly cooked. Remove from the heat; let cool.

DSC05161

DSC05162

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Make a slit in each baby bell pepper with a paring knife, cutting from stem to tip. Crumble the meat mixture into small bits, then stir in the cilantro and cheese. Stuff 2 to 3 teaspoons of the meat mixture into each pepper using your fingers or a small spoon; transfer to a baking sheet.

DSC05163

Bake until the peppers are hot and the cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.

DSC05165

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Ground turkey

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Food Network magazine

1 … 25 26 27 … 147
Blog at WordPress.com.