Cookies and Cream Bars

Hello friends, it's been awhile. I took a little unplanned three month sabbatical while exploring my new city. I wish I could say I've got a beautifully decorated home and a ton of new recipes ready...but I don't. Instead, I've been drinking a lot of local beer, eating some really amazing food, and seeing some beautiful places. San Antonio had a handful of gems but this city is FULL of them. Now that the weather has cooled off I can turn on the oven without making the entire house unbearably hot. The change in the weather is making me crave all the fall things and I can't wait to get back in the kitchen.

When I saw Trader Joe's new cookies and cream cookie butter I had no doubt that it would be as good as it's speculoos counterpart. Trashing up some bars with it was my first thought and these guys are the result. They have a fudgy brownie-like bottom and gooeyness on top. You can also enjoy the cookie butter on it's own with your choice of dippers. This new cookies and cream flavor got me thinking about making my own homemade cookie butter, which I'm going to have to try out next. Try my Chocolate Cookie Butter Bars if you love the original speculoos flavor. 

All-in-One Cake & Frosting

Good things come to those who wait…

Or so they say…I…on the other hand, am sort of impatient. Something I need to work on now that we've moved to Portland, OR. It doesn't seem like they are in a hurry to do anything. Thankfully I don’t know where the heck I am going so I blend into traffic pretty well. I’m ready to take on the more laid back approach to life. Why be in a hurry, what are we in a hurry to do anyway. We need to enjoy our surroundings and the people we're with as much as we can.

So I was waiting…in a waiting area when I decided to pick up a Family Circle magazine to flip through to pass the time, when I came across this recipe, All-in-One Cake and Frosting. You make the frosting first and reserve some and then in the same bowl with the rest of the frosting you make the cake….what!? I don't know if this was proper etiquette or not but I ripped the recipe out because I just had to try it.

The original recipe was basically just a vanilla cake with a cream cheese frosting…which is good…but I had to tweak it a little. First of all I am not a big fan of overly sweet frostings and I could tell that this was going to be one of them. So I turned it into a chocolate cake with a chocolate frosting instead. I added some melted bittersweet chocolate, cocoa powder, and subbed chocolate milk for regular. Looking back I would probably add even more chocolate. You can never have too much chocolate! I think this would also be amazing as a lemon or an orange cake as well. The cream cheese lends to a very moist cake. The other half says it's dense like a pound cake. Anyway you decide to do it, I'm sure it will turn out wonderful. This is one of those recipes just waiting to be played around with.

Missing in action, but I have a good excuse....

I have to apologize for my recent absence. I promise, I have a good excuse….

I moved! The other half and I picked up and moved to Portland, OR. We were tired of the heat in San Antonio and were looking for a change so we took the plunge. Luckily, his company transferred us here and now we have an incredible new city to explore.

We took our time driving up here and made a little trip out of it. We saw so many beautiful places on the way.

We spent our first night in New Mexico, visiting family, and eating Mexican food.

Our second night was spent in Arizona, where we visited the Petrified Forest, the gorgeous city of Sedona, and of course the breathtaking Grand Canyon.

We ended up staying one night in Vegas! Cause who could blame us? I may or may not have had a few cocktails in that picture.

The next day ended in Lake Tahoe, which is beautiful, but the casinos there, the other half and I both agreed, is like old people Vegas. Which is not bad cause I don't think you would really go there for the casinos, it's just like a perk. I'd love to go back in winter though because I bet it would be amazing.

Then on the last leg of our trip we had to stop at Crater Lake in OR. Wow! It was amazing...so beautiful.  BUT. OMG the hugest mosquitos I have ever seen in my entire life. Like dinosaur mosquitos...and it wasn't just one or two...the other half turned around and there was like 20 hanging off the back of his shirt. Needless to say we enjoyed the rest of the views from inside the car.

It was a wonderful, fun, exciting trip and now we are super excited to be in Portland. 

So stay tuned....yummy treats will be coming soon! 

Black and White Cookies

The other half and I went on trip to New York and Boston last fall and I swore I was going to try all the desserts, but I'll be damned if I forgot one until it was too late. We had cannolis and torrone in little Italy. One of my favorites was Momofuku Milk Bar, we stuffed our faces with crack pie and cereal milk milkshake, it was glorious! On the last night of our trip, we were walking around downtown in Boston, after traveling all day from New York when it hit me, I forgot to try a black and white cookie! So we visited a handful of bakeries in Boston with no luck. I knew then that I had missed my chance so my only option would be to recreate them.

I looked for recipes here and there and bookmarked a few to try out but just never got around to it. Luckily I have this wonderful, sweet, beautiful friend, Ashley. She was sweet enough to sent me a lovely little cookbook, Sweet Chic by Rachel Schifter Thebault of Tribeca Treats. Thanks Ash! :)

This cute little cookbook had a foreword written by Isaac Mizrahi and all of the sweets were compared to fashion. As I was flipping through I came across buttermilk cookies, the pearl earrings, and lo and behold there was a recipe for black and white cookies! I knew when I saw it I had to make them! Now I don't know how true to NYC these little cookies are compared to their larger big city equivalent, but they were pretty darn good, and super cute as well.

Weekly Wrap-up

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So I found out this week that I am not good at working 60+ hours a week. I thought I was going to die or kill myself, one or the other. That being said I didn't quite have enough time to bake. Although I did have time to have a drink when I got home before passing out from utter exhaustion.

Got my first Birchbox this week. I signed up late in the month so this is February's box. It's $10 a month and they send you beauty samples to try.

This box had Beauty Protector - Protect & Oil, Dr. Brandt - Pores No More - Pore Refiner, Joan Vass - L'eau de Cristal, OPI - Sheer Tints in Don't Violet Me Down, and a couple of Harney & Sons Fine Teas.


Haven't gotten a chance to try them out yet, but will let you know if it's something I can't live without.

Every Sunday as the sun starts to go down I start getting that uneasy feeling thinking about how soon my weekend is going to be over, and then I realize that The Walking Dead is about to come on! I am so glad it airs on Sunday night or it wouldn't have anything to keep it from sucking. Maybe it's the thought of facing a zombie apocalypse that makes facing the work week not so bad.

Had a friend come and stay with us this weekend from out of town and got to enjoy some time catching up, drinking, and eating. We ended up making some pulled pork tacos and skillet pizzas and a few cocktails. We made cherry old fashioned cocktails and this moonshine cocktail, where we saw on all places, bar rescue.

One of my girlfriends was sweet enough to send me this cute little cookbook. I can't wait to try out some of the recipes. I think she deserves some cookies for thinking of me.

Hopefully in the coming week I will have a little more free time to bake and experiment. I hope you all have a good week!

Weekly Wrap-up

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For the month of February I vowed to get more organized. I wanted to feel better, eat better, exercise more frequently, and for the most part I have been sticking to it. I've been making lists and writing everything down and even created a little inspiration board on Pinterest to look at when I was feeling less motivated. Then the other half went out of town this week and it's like leaving a teenager at home alone. Happy hours and take out are not good for my healthy, organized self.

Digging this beer brewed with dandelion from Magic Hat. I'm also a big fan of their #9.










Been catching up on House of Cards this week. Oh my lawd it's hard to stop. Watched 3 episodes in a row today before making myself turn it off.

I started reading Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain and oh man, is he a great story teller. My first job and all through my twenties I was working in the restaurant and bar industry. I love his view on food.

I made these Bloody Hell cocktails from the Beeroness. Blood oranges, bourbon, jalapeños, and beer. What?! So good!!

Also made some skillet pizzas. Love this method!! Learned from How Sweet It Is, I made pulled pork and pineapple, but tried the original recipe first, which was brussel sprouts and bacon. Holy yum!

I posted Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake on the blog this week. I got from an old 70's home town cookbook.









I started running again this week and I want to work on gaining some mileage. Work is going to be extremely stressful this coming week, software upgrade, so I plan on hitting the gym to clear my mind.

Hope you all have a great week!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

This cake is simply delicious. Perfect for snacking.

I have this old hometown cookbook from the city I grew up in. I grew up in a really small town in New Mexico and this cookbook is full of recipes from the women there. The cookbook was put together in the 70’s and I have been loving flipping through all the classic recipes. I found it interesting that in reading the directions they really didn’t go into too much detail. It’s more like just mix all this together and the pour it in the pan. It makes me wonder, was this because there was just an understanding that everyone knew the technique to use, or were they just not aware that different techniques would yield different results. Maybe they didn’t care, maybe the recipes were written to just throw it all together. I love the simplicity of it all. Now the recipe that I chose to try I did re-write the directions and added a couple things, but it was still pretty easy. The cake just got better as it sat, it almost got moister, if that's even possible. Very happy with the recipe! More retro recipes to come. :)

Pumpkin Spice Cappuccino Cookies

This year hasn't started off with a bang for me...more of a fizzle. You see where I live there is this thing they call "cedar fever." Sure we don't have twenty below temperatures or three feet of snow in our front yards but guys, cedar sucks! It's like living with a forever cold, it's totally zapped my energy, but I was craving cookies. Sometimes even if you're a little under the weather you just can't fight a craving! I think they actually did me some good. :)

I had a big bag of cappuccino mix sitting in my pantry that just wasn't getting used and I think I made a good decision throwing some into these cookies. It gives them a great spicy flavor base, and add the cinnamon chips and pecans and you have one great comforting cookie. Now I used a pumpkin spice mix, but if you or not a fan or have a different kind on hand, try a different flavor and play with the mix ins.

Goodbye 2013, Welcome 2014

Whew! That year just flew right by didn't it!?

I had a lot of fun experimenting with new recipes on the blog and can’t wait to try out some new ideas. The year was full of fun, a few new places, and of course a ton of sweets. I was lucky to get to visit and eat and drink my way through New Orleans, Seattle, Portland, Boston, and New York this year. They were all such beautiful and interesting places it would be hard to pick a favorite.

For the upcoming year I hope to travel, write more, pick up a new hobby, and work on my lack of photography skills. :) I really need work on my time management and using each day to its fullest potential. What do you guys want to accomplish in the new year?

Many thanks to those of you that take the time out of your day to read and comment on my posts. It really puts a smile on my face to hear from you.

Here is to an exciting, beautiful, wonderful 2014!! Cheers!

Most Popular Posts of 2013

1. Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

2. Chocolate Cookie Butter Bars

3. Brown Butter Cupcakes with Fig Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Fig Filling

4. Cinnamon Chip Pumpkin Cookies

5. Gooey Snickerdoodle  Peaches and Cream Bars *Vegan*

My Favorite Recipes of 2013

1. Cinnamon Chip Pumpkin Cookies

2. Chocolate Cookie Butter Bars

3. Browned Butter Cupcakes with Fig Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Fig Filling

4. Truffle Stuffed Amaretto Peanut Butter Cookies

5. Pineapple Mango Cobbler