A New Breakfast Routine

As a kid I hated breakfast and as an adult I still kind of do. Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love breakfast food and eating a scrumptious breakfast on the weekend is no problem. I just can't eat food right after I wake up which poses a problem on school/work mornings when you have to get your butt out the door. I literally grew up on Instant Breakfast Shakes. Except for that period in high school where I had a Coke every morning (I know my parents were horrible right?! Or I was a lovely teenager...) I can handle some soupy oatmeal but it can't be thick at all. And now I have these yummy breakfast shakes that I'm experimenting with.

I made my first one yesterday and stuck to the recipe. It was delicious. I really loved the combination of peanut butter and cinnamon. Today I swapped the peanut butter for Nutella and omitted the cinnamon. Still yummy but the Nutella flavor isn't strong. In an effort to be more healthy I omitted the added honey/sugar the second time around and really couldn't tell. I'm thinking the next step would be to throw in some Instant Breakfast mix? The shake is pretty filling too. I had one before I left for work and wasn't hungry for lunch but still ate by regular granola/fiber bar at school and wasn't dying for my after school snack on my drive home like I normally am. So success in my book!

Banana Breakfast Shake

(from the Mother Unit)

Ingredients:
1 banana, frozen (freeze without the peel)
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon peanut butter (or Nutella!)
1 tablespoon honey (or sugar)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (I just did a couple good shakes)
Directions:
1. The night before peel a banana, wrap in plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer.
2. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend. If you want a thicker shake you can add in a couple ice cubes.
3. Add whip cream, it's always better with whip cream.

Banana-Nutella Shake

Peanut Butter Nutella Swirl Cookies

My kitchen has been relatively quiet the first few days of April. There was leftover night, fend for yourself night (I had Parent-Teacher's Night), we are both exhausted and going to eat an entire box of mac and cheese night, and I'm on vacation and not meal planning night. However I did make these bad boys for my histobee goodie bags and they were delicious! Absolute heaven. They combine two of my favorite things: Peanut Butter and Nutella. Can't go wrong there. They were a hit with everyone: Mr. Lawyer, my kids, my principal, the rest of the staff. I can't wait to make them again!

Peanut Butter Nutella Swirled Cookies 

(found on pinterest)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup Nutella
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat together butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low, slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined.
5. Microwave Nutella for 20 seconds and then drizzle over the dough. Fold in Nutella with a spatula until well-distributed throughout the dough.
6. Chill the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes and then roll small balls by hand. Place about an inch apart on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and use a fork to press down the balls slightly.
7. Bake until the edges are lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 2 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

My Histobee Goodie Bags

Each bag had 4 cookies, 2 of my Apple Cinnamon Muffins, 2 granola bars, a bottle of water, and some peppermint candy. My kids rocked the competition. Period.

Some like it Spicy!

You need to make this dish. It's hard to have a favorite but this might be a favorite. I use to make huge batches all the time in Syracuse and then eat it all week. It's delicious. I had Mr. Lawyer over one time and he ate it politely and then told me that he wasn't a huge fan of peanut sauces so I had held off on making it on Philly....which is why I had Amanda over tonight because she appreciates peanut sauces! (and brings me crescent rolls and cookies) Then lo and behold Mr. Lawyer marches through the door, grabs a plate and devours it! He has now decided that this batch wasn't as peanut-y or that he might now like peanut sauces. Silly boys. Anyway, peanut sauce, spiciness, and shrimp! All on noodles! What's not to be in love with?
Recipe notes: I always double the sauce because if you save some, the noodles so it all up. I also keep the sauce and noodles separate for leftover purposes so I don't run into that soaked up all the sauce noodle problem. Watch your jalapenos! The first time I made this it was hot hot hot! Which is good because I'm kind of a glutton for punishment when it comes to things like this but not everyone likes having to take a drink or bite of roll in between ever forkful. Speaking of which Pillsbury Crescent Rolls go amazingly well with this dish. It must be the texture but I highly recommend them. I also like to use pre-cooked shrimp (medium size) because it's less gross than raw shrimp and I normally just add the whole bag of frozen shrimp because life is more fun with shrimp.

Linguine with Spicy Shrimp Sauce

(from the Mother Unit)

Ingredients:
8 oz linguine
12 oz shrimp (de-tailed)
2 red peppers
3 scallions
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1-2 tablespoons sesame oil (I always use 2)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce (I always use low sodium)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Directions:
1. Prepare pasta according to directions.
2. Cut peppers into bite sized pieces (for less spice, seed the jalapeno)
3. Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pan, cover and simmer on low heat (stirring occasionally) until shrimp is cooked.

Girl Scout Cookies!

Every year G-Babe's dad would load us up with Girl Scout Cookies in college. Then it was Nyk's dad in grad school. Now I'm a broke big kid but I was a Girl Scout and they taught me to be resourceful and thrifty so now I make my own Girl Scout Cookies! Behold the glorious mess of Jenni the Kitchen Hurricane and her homemade Girl Scout Cookies!

I decided to go with two of my top three cookies (Caramel deLites, Thin Mints, and Peanut Butter Patties. Side note: Samoas and Tagalongs for all you lame people). The deLites and Patties use the same cookie dough so it seemed like the easiest way to have variety in my cookie stash. I was worried about the caramel as I have never made it before but it came out well and was easy to clean up (much to my surprise). However, the darn chocolate was a disastrous mess! It got all over including but not limited to: my wine glass, inside the fridge, all cabinet knobs, my camera and the bottom of my computer mouse. Surprising enough there was very little of it on my apron. Shocker I know since I am a messy messy hurricane in the kitchen.
The result: Some very yummy cookies that are only moderately pretty (as in the Jenni M.O.) The Caramel deLites were great (and larger then those puny things they sell nowadays!). I think the Peanut Butter cookies need a little tweaking but Mr. Lawyer said they were all fine and wonderful. I would double the peanut butter filling and add a bit more in addition to switching the chocolate topping. I used the semi-sweet chips it called for but it is very sweet and overpowering. There's just so much of it! Maybe next time I'll use milk chocolate or a mix or just drizzle the chocolate over it instead of dunking it.
Also: Parchment Paper is your best friend.

Homemade Caramel deLites and Peanut Butter Patties

(Recipe from the Mother Unit)

Cookie Dough Ingredients:
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup superfine sugar (or granulated)

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour


Directions:
1. Cream together butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add in egg and beat well. Add in vanilla. Beat until smooth. With mixer on low, add in salt and flour. Mix until completely incorporated and dough is uniform. Pull dough together and shape into a cylinder with a diameter of about 2 1/2 inches. Wrap in parchment paper and freeze for at least 25 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice dough into 1/8 inch disks and place on baking sheets, about an inch apart. For deLites use a tiny circle shaped cookie cutter or a large round cake decorating tip to cut a hole in the center of each disk.  (I used my cupcake corer to make the holes for the deLites and it was glorious!) for patties just leave the circle along. Refrigerate for an additional 10 minutes. Bake for 8 minutes, or until crisp. Let cool completely.

Cooling Cookies!

Caramel deLite toppings:

Dipping Caramel

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
12 ounces of chocolate chips 

Dipping Caramel:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 tablespoons corn syrup

6 tablespoons water
pinch of salt

6 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Caramel Directions:
1. In a heavy bottomed saucepan with high sides, combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt. Whisk until combined, and set over medium-low heat. Swirl the pan every now and then to help distribute the heat. Use can use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush the sugar crystals down the sides of the saucepan. When the sugar dissolves completely, raise the heat to medium. When it comes to a boil, watch very carefully for the bubbles to become more viscous (this means that the water has evaporated and that it is ready to go through the candy stages). As it is bubbling away, you want it to turn a deep amber color. When it does, remove the heat and, working quickly, use the spoon to scoop up a small amount of the candy and drop it into the small glass of water. If the blob turns hard like lollipop, then it is ready. If the blob is still soft, put the pan back on the heat. Keep testing until the candy is hard. Remove from heat.
2. Whisk in butter, 6 tablespoons of cream, and vanilla (Careful here, as the mixture should bubble violently for about 10 seconds). If the caramel isn’t smooth right away, return the pan to low heat and whisk until smooth.

Making the Caramel and Melted Chocolate

Caramel deLite Directions:

1. Add coconut into the caramel. Warm the caramel in the microwave for about 10 seconds if necessary. Take cooled cookies and gently dip them completely in the caramel. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Freeze until set, about 5 minutes.
2. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals, stirring well after each interval, until fully melted (or in a ghetto double boiler like a real cookie chef!). Place the caramel coated cookies in the chocolate. Use a fork to pull them out of the chocolate and place them on a parchment line cookie sheet. Use the chocolate still on the fork to drizzle stripes over the top of the cookies. Refrigerate until set. 

Gooey Caramel!

Peanut Butter Patty Toppings:
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Peanut Butter Patty Directions:
1. Mix together peanut butter and powdered sugar. Form into small disks and press onto cookies. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for 30 second intervals, and mix well after each interval. Coat cookies completely in chocolate and lift out with a fork. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and let set, or freeze to speed up the process.

Peanut Butter!

The Final Product!