Toasted Marshmallow Brownies

One night, recently, while sitting on the couch watching the Hawks play some awful hockey, I suddenly got a craving for toasted marshmallows. And brownies. As I said this aloud to my husband, the concept came together in my mind: I can have BOTH!

Toasted Marshmallow Brownies

2 sticks butter (no substitutes)
1 c. cocoa
2 c. sugar
2 t. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk/cream
1 1/4 c. flour
1 t. salt
8 or 9 large marshmallows
1 c. chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350˚. Grease an 8x8 baking pan. (you can also use a 7x11 pan, for thinner brownies)

Melt butter in a medium saucepan...

...add cocoa and stir to combine.


Make sure the butter is completely melted and the mixture looks like chocolate sauce, and your house smells wonderful....
Remove pan from heat!

Stir in sugar and vanilla; blend well.
Mix in eggs...

...mix in milk, salt and flour.
Pour into prepared pan.
Toast marshmallows over open flame of gas range one at a time, and stir into pan of brownie batter as you see fit.


I added what was left of a package of both milk chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chunks; it was approximately one cup when combined. And I admit that if I'd had a package of mini marshmallows handy, I would have sprinkled some on top, too. Yes, the hockey was THAT BAD!

Set the spoon aside and save it for Casey. He will be available to come to your house and clean it thoroughly. :-)

Bake for 30-40 minutes until edges of brownies begin to pull away from the pan.

NOTE: during baking, the marshmallows will puff up considerably, so be sure your oven rack is in the center of the oven with no rack above the pan. Allow to cool and cut into squares.


Ooey-gooey chocolatey deliciousness!!!!


Yes, they are as good as they look. The final result is very fudgey and still somewhat gooey in the center. But I don't see anything wrong with that at all. In fact, I'd be willing to fight with anyone who disagrees with me on that particular point.


NOTE:
Amy, I'm sorry!!! I know this does NOT fall into the "low carb" category. We will start the Strength in Numbers features on Monday.

random amusements

I have a confession...I'm a bookworm.

I love books. Always have. Ever since I was a kid, I have collected books. It has gotten more serious over the years, too.

Now, I'm not one of those types like you see on that "Hoarders" tv show—I do possess the ability to sort through my books and edit what's in my library. There are certain things which hold no personal, historical, sentimental, or literary value, and I get rid of those unneeded things. Especially just prior to moving! But I do have a nice collection of books.



I don't go crazy with purchases, as I am not the typical "impulsive buyer." But Barnes & Noble just had a sale where I was able to purchase several hard-cover books for $3.99 each. There were a few more on my booklist, too.



I'm not strictly loyal to Barnes & Noble, either; if Borders has a sale, I'll browse their shelves or website, and maybe make a purchase. But B&N had a better selection for a better price, and price was the deciding factor.

I only do this about once per year, I'd estimate. I doubt that makes me a full-fledged addict. Or does it...?

Chicken Two Ways

Chicken with teriyaki marinade, and plan salt-n-pepper chicken; with a side of veggies.

Chicken Two Ways

3 or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 T. olive oil
teriyaki marinade (either store-bought or your own recipe)
salt and pepper

Strategy:
The idea of this "recipe" is to prep and cook a bunch of chicken which you will then consume over the next few days. If it is available and handy, perhaps you will be less inclined to snack on crackers and cheese, or other carb type snacky foods. You don't have to do plain and teriyaki—that was just the way it worked out for me. And if you want to do a larger quantity of chicken, then have at it!

1. Trim any fat or "yucky bits" off of the chicken. Cut into bite-sized pieces, or into strips. Whatever you prefer.
2. Divide up the chicken into separate batches, if you want to flavor it in different ways for different purposes. (for instance, I wanted plain chicken to put on a salad, and my husband had a taste for teriyaki chicken.) Season as you like.
3. In a frying pan, sauté the chicken—I did the plain chicken first—in olive oil until cooked through. Set aside in a container to cool, or use for your dinner tonight; saving leftovers. Cook the next batch. Use as you prefer.


My dinner—some steamed veggies and the salt-n-pepper chicken over mixed greens:

Mushrooms Pork Chops

This is one of my all-time favorite dinners.

Mushroom Pork Chops

4 boneless pork chops
1 T. olive oil
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 c. milk or cream
seasonings: celery salt, black pepper, onion powder, marjoram

1. In a large frypan, brown the pork chops in olive oil over medium-high heat.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine soup with milk/cream; whisk together well. Add seasonings; whisk.
3. Add mushrooms to pan.

4. Pour soup mixture over mushrooms and pork chops.

5. Turn down heat, cover with lid, and allow to simmer for 35-45 minutes.


Sorry I didn't get a photo on the plate, but we were too damned hungry on this particular night. Plus, my camera has been...well, pissing me off quite a bit lately. Batteries go dead too quickly, and I have to reset the date every time I open the battery compartment to replace them or swap out the photo card. Grrrr...I need a new camera!

Lobster Dinner

I can't believe that I didn't take more photos of this, but I guess I just got distracted and set the camera down. Well, at least I have a few... I made this several weeks ago and am just now getting around to posting it.

Lobster Dinner

2 lobster tails (NOTE: Thaw frozen lobster tails before cooking—they'll be more tender than cooked frozen.)
melted butter for dipping

equipment needed:
metal colander
pot wide enough to set the colander on
lid to fit the pot
2 skewers

1. Fill pan with about 2" of water; heat to boiling.

2. Set the colander on top.

3. Skewer the lobster tails through the center—this is supposed to stop them from curling up as they cook. Place them in the colander and put the lid on.

4. Allow the lobster tails to steam for 2 minutes per ounce; watch for the shell to turn red and the flesh will look white. Once cooked, lift colander and run cold water over the lobster tails—this stops cooking process so they will not over-cook.

5. Cut the shell up the center with kitchen shears and place on plate with a side of melted butter.




On the side:

Bacon, Zucchini and Sweet Potato Sauté

1. Peel, halve, and slice 3 or 4 baby zucchini.

2. Cook 3 or 4 slices of bacon; chop bacon. (I used turkey bacon)

3. Sauté zucchini in a little butter, or in the leftover bacon grease.

4. Add in 1/2 a can of yams, or 1 small sweet potato that you cooked in the microwave.

(I had the leftover yams from the Sweet Potato Bread that I had made earlier in the week. No, these recipes are not posted in chronological order; nor promptly!)

5. Cook until the yams are heated through. Serve as a side with the lobster tails.

Low Carb Bites 1

This begins the low carb diet. (You're welcome, Amy!) Today I have a representation of the first round of tasty items created using one of a dieter's best friends: the mini muffin pan.

Tuna Egg and Cheese Bites

1 can tuna
1 egg
1/2 c. cheese, shredded
dash of: celery salt, black pepper, dill

equipment needed:

mini muffin pan(s)
non-stick cooking spray

1. Mix tuna, egg, and cheese in a small mixing bowl. Add seasonings.

2. Spray pan with cooking spray; press mixture into mini muffin pan.
NOTE: I came up with a little leftover tuna-egg-cheese mixture, so I added 2 more eggs to it and filled part of a second mini muffin pan.
3. Bake at 350˚ for about 20 minutes; until cheese looks bubbly.





Turkey and Cheese Bites

1 lb. ground turkey
1 c. shredded cheese
dash of: salt, garlic, poultry seasoning, black pepper

1. Mix turkey and cheese in a small mixing bowl. Add seasonings.

2. Spray pan with cooking spray; press mixture into mini muffin pan. (One pound of turkey, plus the cheese, filled two mini muffin pans exactly.)

3. Bake at 350˚ for about 20 minutes; until cheese looks bubbly.

Serve with ketchup or BBQ sauce, as you like.

random amusements

"The new way"?

Is this a joke?

No, really. I mean, if you can't crack an egg without getting pieces of shell in the bowl, how likely is it that you're going to be separating the whites and whipping up a lemon meringue pie? I don't think so, Scooter!

LMAO at this product...and anyone who buys one.