Crispy Chewy Chocolate Powdered Sugar Cookies

I have been on a mission to find a recipe for these cookies a certain bakery on Ventura Blvd makes. No such luck. When I try to recreate them, they turn out funky. So after many tries... this recipe is not at all like them but an excellent substitute. These turn out similar to the Chocolate Crackle Cookie variety.

Crispy Chewy Chocolate Powdered Sugar Cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

1 box Brownie mix, milk or dark chocolate (whatever you prefer)
1 cup flour
a few shakes cinnamon

In your mixing bowl combine dry ingredients and mix. Then add the following wet ingredients. Mixing after each addition.

1/2 cup water or milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 bag chocolate chips
1/4 cup coconut flakes (optional)
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Powdered sugar

The dough will be sticky using a teaspoon drop spoonfulls of dough into powdered sugar. Roll until dough ball is covered in powdered sugar. Place cookie on parchment covered cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until edges are set. Edges should be a bit crispy and centers chewy and browine like.

I took these to work and no one complained!

What To Do With Hot Dogs and Hot Dog Buns Leftover From Camping

Rob did the shopping for the Thanksgiving Weekend Camp Trip to California City. He always buys loads of hot dogs in many varieties and loads of Hot dog buns. We always come home with lots of hot dogs and lots of buns. So, below is a list of uses for such leftovers.

Uses for Hot Dogs

1. Chop hot dogs and make hot dog soup
2. Slice hot dogs and use in place of pepperoni on a pizza (Thanks, Mom!)
3. Fry sliced hot dogs or hot links and use as an appetizer served on a tray with mustard
4. Freeze them, for later use.
5. Using chopped hot dogs and hot dog buns make dressing! (Recipe to follow)

Uses for Hot Dog Buns

1. Make garlic cheese buns!
2. Use instead or hamburger buns for sloppy joes!
3. Use as the bread in bread pudding!
4. Chop and use to make croutons!
5. Use along with chopped hot dogs and make dressing!

Mint Fudge

Starbucks has their Peppermint Mocha. Baskin Robbins has Mint 'n Chip Ice Cream. I have my Mint Chip Fudge.

Mint Chip Fudge

1 7 Oz. Jar Marshmallow Creme
1 tsp Vanilla
12 oz bag Guittard Green Mint Chips

Put these ingrediants in a large mixing bowl.

One stick butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
5 Oz. Lowfat 2% Evaporated milk

Mini Chocolate chips (frozen)

In a large saucepan, combine 1 tsp butter, sugar and E. milk. Set remaining butter aside. Bring to a boil on medium heat until candy thermometer reads 233 degrees F. Stir continuously. Once the thermometer reads 233 degrees F, add the remaining butter and stir. Bring the mixture back to a boil and stir continuously. Once bubbled up, take off heat and carefully pour mixture into your large bowl of marshmallow, chips and vanilla. Stir until all chips are melted and the mixture becomes a lovely light shade of mint green.

Pour into a lightly greased 8 x 8 square pan. Level fudge out with a spoon and let sit for a minute or two. Sprinkle frozen chocolate chips on top of fudge. Using the palm of your hand, lightly press the mini chips into the top surface of the fudge. So the mini chocolate chips don't melt put fudge in the freezer for about ten minutes. Remove from freezer and set on counter and allow fudge to set. Once cooled, cut and put in bags for gifting.

Pecan or Walnut Bars

Any time is a good time for sweets! I am not so much the fan of walnuts, but as an adult I have acquired the taste for Pecans. Add them to cookies, Great. Make a crust out of them for cheesecake, Delish!

For these bars you can use Pecans or Walnuts. Both would be tasty in these bars. You could even do both!

Pecan Or Walnut Bars

For the Crust

2 cups flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1/8 tsp salt
a couple shakes cinnamon
2/3 cup salted butter

For the Pecan or Walnut Part

3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tbs. melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs, white thingies removed
2 cups pecan or walnut pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the crust ingredients until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pat the crust into a greased 13x9" pan or into smaller pans or greased mini muffin tins. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown. While the crust is baking mix sugars, butter, vanilla and eggs. Once well combined, fold in the nuts. Pour over warm crust and bake for 30 minutes.

Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Yams, sweet potatoes... whatever you want to call them. I am NOT a fan. Never have been. The thought of a potato being sweet, eww. My Mom never made the Sweet Potato Casserole with brown sugar and spice topped with mini marshmallows. As a wee youngster I remember listening and watching Oaklahoma! wondering why in the heck would anyone make a pie out of potatoes and sweet ones? Ga-Ross!

In my previous post I made a tri tip roast in the crockpot with beer. It was one of the best crockpot meals I have had in a LONG time. Robby even truly enjoyed. Maybe because it cooked in Bud Light all day, and included Meat and Taters. Anyway, he said he did not want any of the yams on his plate. I certainly didn't either, until I tasted one little bit of it on a fork. The taste was amazing. The sweet potates were not sweet. Instead they were savory and garlicy and beefy. They were awesome. I was then inspired to mash them. And mash them I did and I actually enjoyed them tremendously!!!

If I were to make the Yams/Sweet Potatoes again, this is what I would do.

Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes
makes 6 servings

3 yams or sweet potatoes (each chopped in 3 or 4 pieces)
Water to cover potates
3 tbs beef base
1 tbs minced garlic
1 tsp italian seasonings
1/2 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt
a few good shakes ground red pepper
1 can Bud Light beer
1/4 cup butter in slabs

Boil potatoes in beef broth and Bud Light with Italian Seasonings and garlic, over high heat until potato chunks are fork tender. Remove potato pieces from pot. Place in your mixing bowl. Mix until blended adding a slab of butter and mixing a bit after each addition. Add a little of the broth to make the mashed consistancy to your liking. Sprinkle a little salt and red pepper over mashed taters and mix again. Enjoy!

You are Welcome!

Drunken Crockpot Tri Tip Roast

At Ralphs, I found a nice little tri tip. The price was right, I bought it. Tonight we will dine on a meal cooked in the Crockpot.

Drunken Crockpot Tri Tip Roast

One 1 1/2 pound Tri Tip
3 Red Potatoes
2 Butter White Potatoes
1 Yam cut in thirds or quartered
2 Carrots, cut into 2 inch chunks
Italian Seasoning
Lawrys Seasoning Salt
Ground Red Pepper
1/2 Cup Water
1 Tbs. Beef Base
1/2 tsp. Minced Garlic
1 12 oz. can Bud Light beer

Season the bottom of crockpot with the seasonings. Place Tri Tip on top of seasoned bottom. Sprinkle the top with seasonings. Place potatoes and yam pieces over meat. Place carrots around potatoes and over meat. Sprinkle the tops with Italian Seasonings. In a small bowl mix water, beef base and garlic. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir. Pour beer in the bowl, stir again. Pour Beef and Beer mixture over the contents of crockpot. Depending on when you are serving your meal, put the cover on the pot and set on high for 4-6 hours of low 6-8 hours.

Serve the Meat and Potatoes to your Man with Buttered Wheat toast and a Bud Light!

My List From Popper

Popper was Robby's Maternal Grandfather. What a guy! We think of him often and miss him dearly. He was one in a million. One of the most intelligent and wise men ever. He could have written the questions to at least 4 Trivial Pursuit games without having to do any research.

Memories of Popper often revolve around food. I found a special paper this week, on it a list, dictated to me by our beloved Popper from many years ago. The note paper has little angels on it and reads...

Some days, the only place to go is UP!
Until Heaven is ready, I'll just send a note.

This list has all of the things any good Italian Family would need in their refrigerator or home.

Bottles and Packages of things

Genoa Salami
Hot ham (has red pepper edges)
Proscuitini (has black pepper edges)
Sliced Provolone
Wedges of sharp cheese
Salamette (regular)
Pepperoni
black olives
greek olives
breads and rolls
regular italian provolone
Pecorino (sheep) Parmesan Cheese (at least 3 pounds)
wine

He also told me the best places to by these items.

Monte Carlo in Burbank on Magnolia
Romano's in the Valley