Tag: I Can Cook That

Kourambiethes (Greek Christmas Cookies)

It’s time for my annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap post!

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap hosted is by Lindsay of Love & Olive Oil and Julie of The Little Kitchen. For the past five years, the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap has helped raise money for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a national non-profit organization committed to funding new therapies used in the fight against pediatric cancer, which claims the lives of more children in the US than any other disease.

 

In the past, I’ve made Hot Cocoa Cookies and Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, and Pecan Cookies and Dark Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies. This year, I went for something completely different: Kourambiethes!

Kourambiethes are Greek Christmas Cookies, but also show up for really any celebratory event, so they are an all-year kind of treat. They are nut butter cookies, typically made with almonds or walnuts, which are then rolled in confectioners sugar. The result is a shortbread cookie that melts in your mouth!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups walnuts
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons brandy
  • 1 tablepsoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons orange flower water
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Continue reading Kourambiethes (Greek Christmas Cookies)

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

 This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HolidayWithChobani #CollectiveBias

I come from an Irish family, so mashed potatoes are a very important part of every large family meal. If it was socially acceptable, I’d fill my plate just with mashed potatoes and gravy at holiday meals.

Mashed potatoes are quite a staple in my life, so I now find myself to be a bit of a mashed potato connoisseur. I like mine super creamy, but don’t necessarily want them loaded with butter to achieve that creaminess.

I personally like to add in Chobani® Non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt. Not only does it deliver the creaminess I am looking for, but it is high in protein (44% of your daily value to be exact) and is low in fat. The yogurt contains no artificial flavors or sweeteners and is only made with natural ingredients that are not genetically modified.

Chobani® Non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt is a simple and tasty substitute for any recipes that use sour cream, mayonnaise, or oil, making it a super versatile product. I almost always have a quart in my fridge for smoothies, baking, and creamy dressings.

This recipe is definitely a favorite of mine. It uses minimal ingredients and is really simple to make! You can also snazz it up however you’d like! I picked up all of my ingredients at Walmart; you can find Chobani with the other yogurts in the Dairy section.

 

Ingredients: makes 4 servings. multiply as needed

Main Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs potatoes
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup Chobani® Non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt
  • 1/3 cup milk (I used 1%)

Additional Ingredients:

  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Horseradish cheddar cheese, for garnish
  • 1/4 cup chives, finely chopped, for garnish

Continue reading Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Hemp Seed Basil Pesto

During Choctoberfest, I was sent a pretty sweet package of goodies from Just Hemp Foods, including Hemp Protein Powder (which I used in these muffins), Hemp Seeds, and Hemp Oil.

 

This weekend, I finally cracked into the Hemp Seed Oil. I had a bunch of basil that I knew I couldn’t use up before it wilted, so I made pesto, or more specifically, Hemp Seed Basil Pesto!

 

Hemp Seed Oil delivers a subtle nutty taste, so it’s perfect in a pesto. The oil contains the ideal 3:1 omega-6 to omega-3 ratio which supports heart health. Hemp Seed Oil degrades with light and heat, so it’s best to refrigerate it and use it cold. The oil has a green color to it, so it really makes the basil pop!

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup hemp seed oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Continue reading Hemp Seed Basil Pesto

Dubliner Cheese Toasties with Prosciutto and Tomato

Note: I was sent a coupon for a Kerrygold Product through Cooking Light Bloggers’ Connection. Opinions are mine alone.

We’ve had a rainy few days around Philly. Whenever there is crummy weather, there is only one meal that will suffice: Grilled Cheese!

Kerrygold has a nicely upgraded version of grilled cheese on their website (adorably named “toasties“) made with their Dubliner Cheese, an aged cow’s milk similar to cheddar. These Dubliner Cheese Toasties with Prosciutto and Tomato are topped with prosciutto, arugula, and tomato slices, yum!

Kerrygold products are a favorite of mine, you can always find a bit of gold shimmering from my butter dish. Their cheese is also amazing!  The Kerrygold brand is a line of all-natural, grass-fed cheeses and butters crafted at dairy farms throughout Ireland. The hormone-free cheese and butters are available around the world but still come from milk supplied from independent dairy farmers within the Emerald Isle. (I’ve used Kerrygold’s Garlic and Herb Butter and my trusty Dubliner Cheese before in this post for Spinach-Chive Potato Bites.)

 

Ingredients (makes one sandwich):

  • 2 slices marble rye
  • 2 1/2 ounces Dubliner Cheese, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto
  • 1/4 cup arugula leaves
  • 2 to 3 slices tomato
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 teaspoons Kerrygold Irish Salted Butter, at room temperature

Continue reading Dubliner Cheese Toasties with Prosciutto and Tomato

Homemade Marinara Sauce

I had a sad surprise this weekend. I opened my freezer to grab a quart of tomato sauce only to find I was all out!

Time to make another batch of sauce, so I decided to make Homemade Marinara Sauce!

This time around, I have a nifty new tool to help make my marinara sauce: OXO’s new Illuminating Digital Immersion Blender.

The immersion blender has six digital controls so you can pick the perfect speed for whatever it is you need blended. Just turn the dial at the top of the immersion blender to adjust the speed; a backlit LED indicator clearly shows your speed selection.

To start blending, you just press down on the wide, soft-touch power button located on the top half of the blender. The handle is nonslip, even when hands are wet.

source: oxo.com

The head is made of nylon, which won’t scratch your bowls or cookware while it blends.

source: oxo.com

A really nifty spec is the soft-glow LED headlight that illuminates the pot while you blend, which is super helpful when making a large batch of soup or sauce in a tall pot. A softer version of the light remains on the entire time the blender is plugged in for safety.

The immersion blender comes with a measuring beaker with a silicone lid that holds up to 3 cups. You can blend right in the beaker, then top with the lid to store whatever you don’t use immediately.

When finished using the blender, the cord wraps securely around the blender body for tidy, compact storage, great for my small kitchen!

source: oxo.com

The blender is a super helpful tool when making soups, dips, smoothies, and sauces. I used it to make a smooth marinara sauce made with canned whole plum tomatoes and sauteed carrots, celery and onions.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup red wine
  • 2 (28 oz) cans whole plum tomatoes
  • 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • fresh basil, sliced

Continue reading Homemade Marinara Sauce

Chai Toddy

The Holiday Season is officially upon us! And what better way to begin the season than with a giveaway? This post and giveaway are brought to you by one of my favorite organizations, World Vision.

The World Vision Gift Catalog is filled with beautiful gift options for this gift-giving season and cover every budget ($10 to $5,100) that help children and families in need worldwide.

The World Vision Gift Catalog offers an alternative (or addition to) traditional holiday gift giving. With a financial contribution, the gift giver can select from dozens of items that you will get while helping a person in need. For example, a gardener may enjoy giving hybrid or drought-resistant seeds to a farmer through a donation of just $17 to help one family. Or a child may be the perfect recipient of a donation of $35 which buys new toys such as stuffed animals, dolls, sports equipment, simple games, and more. Because of donations from leading companies, this gift actually goes 12 times further to provide fun-filled toys (it would buy $420 worth of new toys).

I’ve been lucky enough to work with World Vision for the past few years. In past years, I’ve made Star Anise Snickerdoodles to highlight the Prosperity Cinnamon, Couscous with Dried Cranberries and Pine Nuts featuring beautiful Hand-Carved Serving Spoons, and Tiramisu Jars using Fair Trade Coffee. This year, I was sent these gorgeous Capiz Shell Coasters, so I made a yummy Chai Toddy, perfect for cold winter nights! More information on entering the giveaway at the end of this post.

A Chai Toddy is a hot toddy made with chai, which is a tea made with a blend of spices typically including green cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, ground ginger, and black peppercorns.  With the addition of whiskey or bourbon, a Chai Toddy makes for a yummy party beverage, don’t you think?

Ingredients (serves 1, multiply as needed):

  • 6 oz steeped Chai tea
  • 1 oz whiskey or bourbon
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 oz heavy cream
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise

Continue reading Chai Toddy

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SplendaHoliday #CollectiveBias

Can you believe Thanksgiving is this week?? This year has just flown by!

 

Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. It’s a day spent with family and friends over good food, just enjoying each other’s company.

 

We spend Thanksgiving at my aunt and uncle’s house. Every year, I bring a little something up to contribute to the meal. For the past few years, I’ve done desserts. My sister put in a request for a chocolate cake this year because in her words, “there’s not enough chocolate at Thanksgiving.”

 

 

We usually have quite a few desserts for the taking, so I decided to make the cake with less added sugar with the help of SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend.

 

SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend works just like regular brown sugar, but with half the calories. I picked up a bag at Walmart (it can be found in the baking aisle with the other sweeteners, or on Walmart.com).

 

I love the flavors of Hazelnut and Chocolate together, so I tested out a recipe for chocolate hazelnut cake with chocolate frosting this past weekend.

 

The cake uses ground hazelnut in the batter to add a nutty, buttery flavor as well as a really nice texture to the cake.

 

Ingredients:

Hazelnut Cake:

  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup ground hazelnut (hazelnut meal)
  • 1 cup SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend
  • 3/4 cups cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon hazelnut extract
  • 1 cup brewed coffee, at room temperature

Chocolate Frosting:

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon hazelnut extract
  • 5 tablespoons milk

Continue reading Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

Mexican Spaghetti Squash Egg Boats

Every Sunday night is pasta night in my house. Most of the time, that means taking out a batch of tomato sauce from the freezer and cooking whatever dry pasta we have one hand, but it’s nice to switch it up every now and then, like making this recipe for Mexican Spaghetti Squash Egg Boats.

I have never worked with spaghetti squash before, so I thought Sunday night would be a great time to try it.

This recipe for Mexican Spaghetti Squash Egg Boats tops the spaghetti squash with a flavorful chunky salsa, plus an egg that is cooked to over-easy (slightly runny), and then (if you are in the mood) topped with cheese and avocado slices.

These Mexican Spaghetti Squash Egg Boatss are very hearty without being too heavy. They take some time to prepare, so these are good for a weekend meal rather than trying to make these on a busy weeknight.

Ingredients:

  • 2 spaghetti squash, halved
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 2 plum tomatoes, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 jalapeno, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, optional
  • 2 avocados, sliced
  • Cilantro, to taste
  • 2 limes, halved

Continue reading Mexican Spaghetti Squash Egg Boats

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Spice French Toast Casserole #DelightfulMoments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DelightfulMoments #CollectiveBias

It’s no secret that I love all things Pumpkin. I have over 20 posts on my blog including pumpkin/pumpkin spice, but haven’t posted a pumpkin-themed recipe yet this year, what an oversight!

To make up for my lack of pumpkin posts, I’ve got a pret-ty awesome recipe for you today that can be used as a super decadent breakfast (perfect for snow days or holiday mornings with family!) or a really delicious dessert.

This recipe for Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Spice French Toast Casserole is flavored with International Delight’s Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer, which I picked up at my local Walmart. (It can be found in refrigerated bins near the milk, or at the end of an aisle in a refrigerated case.) The creamer adds a swirl of seasonal spice flavors into your coffee (and recipes), inspired by pumpkin pie. Yum!

This recipe pairs wonderfully with a cup of hot coffee flavored with International Delight’s Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer; Walmart also sells single creamers as well. I picked up some of the French Vanilla Single Creamers, which I added to my coffee to enjoy with this breakfast.

As family gathers for the holidays, this recipe is the perfect addition to breakfast or brunch. It’s simple to make and uses the slow cooker to keep your oven and stove free for preparing the main holiday meal!

International Delight wants to hear about your holiday spirit by sharing a video, photo or story through their website. You can win a $5,000 holiday brunch  with all your favorite International Delight products! Learn more here.

 

Ingredients:

French Toast Casserole:

  • 1 lb challah bread, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 cups almond milk (or regular milk)
  • 1 cup International Delight Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer
  • 1 (8 oz) can pumpkin puree

Crumble:

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted margarine or butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Continue reading Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Spice French Toast Casserole #DelightfulMoments

Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Chili

Note: I was sent a Rubbermaid’s Easy Find Lids 20-Piece Storage Set to review. All opinions are mine alone.

 

We have had a pretty moderate fall so far, but the cold weather isn’t too far off. This time of year, I like to fill my freezer with different meals so I always have comfort food on hand for busy weeknights. One of my favorites, of course, is chili.

 

I was sent Rubbermaid’s Easy Find Lids 20-Piece Storage Set to try out, so it was the perfect time to make my annual batch of chili!

 

Rubbermaid Easy Find Lids are a life saver – I typically just keep the containers from take out and they are all just shoved into a cabinet net to my stove, with no organization to them whatsoever. So i spend a good 10 minutes finding the right top to go with whatever container I’ve chosen. Rubbermaid’s storage set takes the annoyance out of trying to find the right top — the Lids snap on to the bottom of their respective containers so you can find them in no time! The containers also nest inside each other so you can have a small stack of all of your containers and lids in one spot.

 

The 20-piece set comes with  3 (0.5 Cup), 3 (1.25 Cup), 1 (2 Cup), 2 (3 Cup), 1 (5 Cup), and 10  respective Easy Find Lids. The plastic is dishwasher, freezer, and microwave safe and is also BPA-free.

 

On to the recipe! This time around, I went for a classic – ground beef and beans with some bratwurst meat for additional flavor (I used beef bratwurst, but you can use any type you’d like).

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (omit for dairy free)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 pound bratwurst, removed from its casing
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1  onion, chopped
  • 1 chipotle from can of chipotles in adobo sauce, finely chopped (seeds removed if preferred)
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from can of chipotles in adobo
  • 2 red bell peppers, chopped (or whatever color you prefer)
  • 2 (15.5 oz) cans red kidney beans, drained
  • 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, drained
  • 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon ground chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 tablespoon espresso grounds
  • For garnish: 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped; 4 oz sour cream; 4 oz cheddar or pepper Jack cheese, shredded

Continue reading Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Chili

Shakshuka

Shakshuka (or shakshouka) is an Israeli breakfast dish of eggs poached in a chunky tomato sauce with spices. It’s a favorite of mine, and easily works as a “breakfast for dinner” option for a busy weeknight.

This recipe can be easily customized to suit your tastes. My version below, adapted from a Cooking Light recipe, has a bit of a Middle Eastern take to it, but could also be made more Mediterranean by adding in olives and  fresh basil.

Shakshuka is awesome on it’s own, but is even better with pita or crusty bread, or spooned over rice to soak up the flavors of the dish.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper cut into thin strips
  • 1 green bell pepper cut into thin strips
  • 1 yellow or orange bell pepper cut into thin strips
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 (29 oz can) tomato puree
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • a few drops hot sauce, or to taste
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese (omit to make dairy free)
  • 2 cups prepared white rice (optional)
  • pita or crusty bread for dipping (optional)

(note: this recipe is gluten free if served with rice rather than bread)

 

Continue reading Shakshuka

Spiced Oatmeal M&Ms Cookies

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MemoriesInTheBaking #CollectiveBias

As the holiday season approaches, I have been thinking about all of the holiday traditions my family has, from decorating the tree together to opening one gift on Christmas Eve. My sister and I still don’t live too far from our parents, so we keep up most of our traditions to the day. One of my favorites (and I’m sure this comes as no surprise) is food-related: assembling trifles and baking cookies with my mom.

 

For as long as I can remember, a few Saturdays before the holidays, my mom would turn on Christmas carols and call us into the kitchen to help bake dozens of cookies – chocolate chip, peanut butter, and oatmeal were always on the list.

So even though I haven’t lived home in years, I still go over to my parent’s house to bake cookies. They don’t seem to mind it too much. 🙂

 

My mom and I did a test run this weekend (you can never have too many cookie baking weekends!) and made some Oatmeal Cookies with M&M’S® Holiday Baking Minis.

We usually deliver the baked goods to neighbors, so using Glad® Holiday Packaging adds a nice touch.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 cups Instant Oats
  • 1/2 cup M&M’S® Holiday Baking Minis

Continue reading Spiced Oatmeal M&Ms Cookies

Dairy-Free Frozen Treat Sandwiches #DairyFree4All

 This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DairyFree4All #CollectiveBias

 

I love frozen dessert. No dinner is complete without a little treat from the freezer!

 

So Delicious® Dairy Free Frozen Desserts are the perfect solution for me. Their frozen treats are made from cashew milk, coconut milk, and almond milk and are so tasty!

The So Delicious® Dairy Free Frozen Desserts are certified vegan, dairy-free and egg-free, and non-GMO Project verified with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives and no high-fructose corn syrup. They are also cholesterol-free and certified Kosher.

So Delicious® Dairy Free has been developing yummy desserts for over 25 years, using only the highest quality ingredients with many product being made with organic ingredients. Products are always 100% plant-based, and the company is committed to doing the right things for people and the planet. You can learn more at www.sodeliciousdairyfree.com.

I wanted to make a little treat this weekend, so I went to Walmart to pick up some of So Delicious® Dairy Free’s Frozen Treats: Cashew Salted Caramel Cluster, Cashew Dark Chocolate Truffle, and Coconut Vanilla Bean.

I made dairy-free cookies to make frozen treat sandwiches with these yummy flavors — Dark Chocolate Cookies for the Cashew Salted Caramel Cluster and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Cashew Dark Chocolate Truffle. I threw in some Coconut Vanilla Bean sandwiches for the purists out there as well 🙂

 

Ingredients:

Dark Chocolate Cookies:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine, softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder (or regular cocoa powder)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • (optional) 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 pint So Delicious® Dairy Free Cashew Salted Caramel Cluster Frozen Treat

 

Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies:

  •  1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine, softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (dairy-free)
  • 1 pint So Delicious® Dairy Free Cashew Dark Chocolate Truffler Frozen Treat

Continue reading Dairy-Free Frozen Treat Sandwiches #DairyFree4All

Beer and Cheddar Soup with Grilled Polska Kielbasa

Messaging below is intended for ages 21+ and is intended to be enjoyed responsibly, in moderation. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #OktoberOnTheFarm #CollectiveBias

I’m celebrating Oktoberfest a bit late on my blog, but the weather has just starting feeling fall-like this week! Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival held in Munich, Germany at the end of September/beginning of October that is famously known for its beer drinking and accompanying eats.

 

When I think of Oktoberfest, I immediately imagine beer, pretzels, and yummy wursts (or sausages). One of my favorite sausages (although it’s not German) is Kielbasa, especially when grilled.

 

 

Hillshire Farm® Polska Kielbasa is made with beef, pork, and turkey with a blend of natural spices to really bring the flavor. I wanted to play off of the smoky flavor as well as pay tribute to Oktoberfest with a Beer and Cheddar Soup to pair with the Grilled Polska Kielbasa. I found Hillshire Farm Polska Kielbasa in my local Walmart.

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 leek, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
  • 12 oz Oktoberfest beer
  • 1 1/2 cups half and half
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon smoked hot sauce (can also use liquid smoke)
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 12 oz extra sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 Hillshire Farm® Polska Kielbasa
  • the juice of 1 lemon, optional
  • olive oil for drizzling, optional
  • chives, finely chopped, for garnish

Continue reading Beer and Cheddar Soup with Grilled Polska Kielbasa

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies #OXOGoodCookies

Each year in the fall, OXO adds a little sticker to select baking items to help spread the word and raise money for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. A portion of the proceeds from each product sold with the sticker is donated to the cause.

 

Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is a recognized 501c(3) public charity duly incorporated under the laws of the state of New Jersey. Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. 100% of proceeds raised by Cookies for Kids’ Cancer fund pediatric cancer research.

 

 

In addition to the proceeds from sold stickered products, OXO will be donating $100 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer for each blog post dedicated to this campaign in October (up to our $100,000 commitment*.)

*In 2015, OXO will donate up to $100,000 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer through product proceeds, bake sale matches and other fundraising efforts

 

I’ve done posts the past couple of years, including a recipe for Spritz Butter Cookies and Vegan Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies.

OXO was kind enough to send me a “cookie kit” to help me make another batch of cookies for this cause. The kit included:

 

So, here is this year’s blog post for #OXOGoodCookies! I have been in a chocolatey mood since participating in #Choctoberfest last week, so why not add a bit more chocolate to our lives?

 

These cookies really bring the chocolate: dark chocolate cocoa powder gives the cookies their dark color, espresso granules enhance the chocolate flavor, and chopped hazelnuts add some crunch!

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick butter (8 tablespoons), at room temperature
  • 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (or light brown sugar with 1 tablespoon molasses added)
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2/3 cup dark cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon instant espresso granules
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (I used mini)

Continue reading Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies #OXOGoodCookies

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