real lemon bars

Remember when I was telling you way back when that I was craving a really good, tart lemon bar? Well, I decided to make up my own recipe because all the ones I came across were just to much sugar and not enough lemon for me. So here is my real lemon bar recipe.

Real Lemon Bars

Crust: 

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Optional: lavender and lemon zest

 Topping:

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 Tbsp flour

juice and zest of 2 lemons (part of the zest could be in the crust)

Preheat oven to 350*F. Cream together butter and sugar.

Add 1 cup flour and lavender/lemon zest if using them. Add second cup flour.

Press into a lightly greased 9x13 pan.

Bake at 350* for about 14 minutes or until light golden brown.

While the crust is baking, mix together all the ingredients for the topping.

Look at that beautiful crust!

Pour the topping over the crust and bake at 350* for about 15 minutes. Watch it carefully because the topping will burn very easily. If it looks a little runny that is okay as they will set more as they cool.

Enjoy your tart slice of lemon-y goodness!

tatzaki

I have a special love for Greek things. I'm not sure where exactly this love came from because my family is not Greek. I have never been to Greece (although it is on my list of top places I would like to go next). I think it is because my name is Greek in origin, and I love my name. I don't remember the first time I had tatzaki sauce, but I feel in love with it. It has a slightly tangy flavor along with the freshness of cucumber. I always think it is perfect for summer, but I will eat it any time of the year. I serve this sauce with Greek food as well as with Chicken Tikka Masala which is an Indian dish, but I like the way the flavors combine. You could also serve this with pita bread as an appetizer or dip at a gathering.

Tatzaki

1/2 cucumber, chopped into small cubes

1/4 small onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, finely diced

 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 cups plain yogurt (I use greek yogurt)

salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 tsp paprika, to garnish

Combine all the ingredients and garnish with the paprika. Cover and allow to chill for at least an hour, but honestly the longer you let it sit the better the flavors will mingle and combine and be delicious. 

chocolate "crack" cookies

I have two kinds of crack cookies that I make. One is ginger molasses crack and the other is chocolate crack. Why do I call the crack cookies? Well, because you just can't stop eating them. It is nearly impossible once you have had one you have to have another. Especially fresh out of the oven these are irresistible. My recipe is adapted from Alice's Tea Cup's recipe.

Chocolate Crack Cookies

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup dark brown sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup dark chocolate chips (this isn't a repeat)

Raw sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350*F. Combine the flour, cocoa, soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Melt the first cup of dark chocolate chips in the microwave (you can also use a double boiler on the stove top) being careful to make sure you don't burn the chocolate. Use a mixer to cream together the butter and sugar. On low beat in one at a time the chocolate, eggs, vanilla extract and dry ingredients. Mix until fully combined and smooth. Mix in the second cup of dark chocolate chips by hand. Scoop out dough and place on a non-stick cookie sheet. Sprinkle tops with raw sugar and bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet for just a little bit and enjoy! Try not to eat them all at once!    

salted caramel chocolate cupcakes

I found this recipe on pinterest. Yes, I do have a pinterest, and yes, I do actually make recipes that I find on there. I love these cupcakes because they are just heavenly. Salted caramel, chocolate and did I mention salted caramel. Yum!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs (you could easily substitute applesauce here)

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup sour cream

2/3 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350*F. Begin by creaming together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Mix in the eggs, one at a time and then the vanilla, beating well.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Add this mixture alternately with the sour cream, mixing on low until just combined. Mix in the water.

Pour batter into cupcake liners* and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Allow the cupcakes to cool while you make the salted caramel filling. This is the salted caramel recipe that I use, although you will find a different one on the original cupcake recipe.

Then cut little divets in the top of the cupcakes using a small, sharp knife. Pour the salted caramel sauce into this divets.

Top with salted caramel cream cheese frosting.

Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened

1/2 stick butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

salted caramel sauce to taste

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in butter until smooth. Add in powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Beat in salted caramel.

These cupcakes are so delicious. I'm serious. My mouth is watering right now as I am thinking about them, and I'm thinking it has been too long since I last made them. Please make and love! :)

*A helpful hint that my sister shared to help with pouring cupcakes is to use an  ice cream scoop. It is super easy and all of your cupcakes come out very uniform.

salted caramel

I am obsessed with salted caramel. I love it. I crave it. I keep a jar in my fridge at all times. I especially love how easy it is to make. Now the first time I tried, I did not succeed, but I have since made several perfect batches of salted caramel, and I feel quiet comfortable with it. This is my favorite recipe I have found, and I don't think it's a coincidence that it's from a blog called Brown Eyed Baker. I was meant to find it. We were meant to be together. It's a beautiful friendship we have going on.

Salted Caramel

2 cups granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

 1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 tablespoon sea salt

Start by putting the sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat, and whisk as it begins to melt. The sugar will form little clumps, just keep whisking. When the sugar has melted stop whisking and just swirl the pan. You want all the sugar clumps to melt down before you proceed. Be careful to watch it though because it will burn very quickly. When it has achieved a nice caramel color and all the sugar clumps are melted, add the butter in and whisk as it combines. It will bubble up, so be careful and make sure you use a big enough pan. Then add the cream slowly. Again it will bubble, whisk until smooth. At this point I leave it on the heat for just a little while. Then remove from the heat and add the salt. Honestly, I don't measure the salt. I just add salt and taste until it achieves the amount of salty-sweetness that I desire. Besides it gives me a chance to make sure it is perfect. 

Again, don't get discouraged if you don't get it the first time!! Just keep trying! Because trust me, the result is well worth the effort!

Pumpkin Lovin'

Please, try these today. They are amazing! And you will love me forever for telling you to make them. A sweet friend who is getting married and moving out of the country in 3 weeks came over tonight so we could have a baking date one more time. I saw this recipe and wanted to try it, so I thought this would been the perfect opportunity to try it out. It's super easy, and you should have everything to make them in your pantry.

Pumpkin Poppers 

(Because you will want to pop them all in your mouth) 

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup pumpkin

1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves and stir to combine. 

In a separate bowl combine oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk and whisk. 

Pour the dry ingredients into the liquid ingredients and mix until combined. 

Fill a mini muffin tin cups until almost full. Bake about 10 minutes. Allow to cool for a little bit.

Melt 1 stick butter. In a separate bowl combine 2/3 cup sugar and 2 Tbsp. cinnamon. Dip the poppers in the butter and then in the cinnamon/sugar mix and try not to eat each one you dip. Enjoy!!

P.S. I finally got an SD card reader, so there will be blog posts in the near future whenever my life calms down enough for me to post some.

feeling lemon-y

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been busy and on top of that I got a new computer last month and have yet to get an sd card adapter to download my pics (my old computer had one built in). I love my bright shiny macbook, so I will be okay with getting an adapter. :)

Well, I just ate my first fresh blueberries of the season. . .yum!. . .but I've been feeling very lemon-y lately. I've been searching for a great lemon bar recipe, one that will satisfy my desire for tart, lemon-y flavor with just a hint of sweet, but I have been unfruitful as of yet. I'm hoping to adjust a recipe and try it tonight.

In the meantime, you have some cupcake recipes to look forward to (once I have procured the sd card adapter that is). So stay tuned for deliciousness coming your way soon!

Another Daniel Fast Meal

This was an incredibly filling meal and again made a large pan of food that feed my roommate and I for several days. This was two separate dishes. It is a black bean chili bake served with broiled polenta squares. I started by making the polenta because it needs to sit in the fridge to set up.

Broiled Polenta Squares

6 cups water

1/2 Tbsp garlic salt

2 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal

1 tsp dried basil

Bring water to boiling in a large saucepan. Add the garlic salt. Reduce heat to simmering and slowly pour the cornmeal and basil into the pan in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Continue to stir until the polenta is thick and pulls away from the sides of the pan. With a paper towel rub the sides and bottom of a 9x13 pan with water to prevent sticking. Press the polenta into the pan until well packed. Cover and allow to sit in the fridge for 2 hours or until completely cooled. 

When ready to serve, cut the polenta into squares and place on an oiled cookie sheet under a high broiler (a toaster oven will also work) until they are slightly browned and crispy on the outside. 

 Black Bean Chili Bake

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 large can chunky tomato sauce

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 can corn kernels, drained

1/2 cup diced onion

1 Tbsp chili powder

sprinkle cayenne pepper

sprinkle garlic salt

sprinkle cinnamon

Put beans in a large bowl and mash until they are about half crushed. Add remaining ingredients and stir until will combined. Put in a 9x13 that has been lightly rubbed with olive oil. Bake in a 350*F oven for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through. I served this with avocado on top and some green bell pepper on the side.

Baked Oatmeal

I recently went on a Daniel Fast. For anyone who doesn't know what that is I will describe it briefly for you. Basically you eat fruits, veggies, whole grains (like brown rice and oats), and beans. So for someone who enjoys food as much as I do, this can be incredibly difficult. The plus side is that I feel awesome! I feel spiritually, mentally, and physically very clean and focused. I am however, looking forward to enjoying foods that I wasn't able to eat, but I thought I would share a few recipes that I tried while on the fast with you.

This baked oatmeal is divine. It is seriously so delicious, nutritious and makes a whole 9x13 pan (which my roommate and I ate in 2 days).

Baked Oatmeal

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

3 cups unsweetened almond milk

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup dried fruit*

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

*You can use apricots, raisins, dates, cherries. Whatever suits your fancy. Just make sure to get dried fruit that does not have sugar added to it. You might have to go to a health foods store to find it.

Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a 9x13 that has been lightly greased with olive oil. Bake at 350*F for 40-50 minutes or until slightly browned on top. Serve warm with some peanut or almond butter on top. You could also serve this with some baked apple slices or fresh fruit like pineapple.

Stir Fry

I had a friend over for lunch the other day, and by the other day I mean it was probably 2 months ago now. My how time flies! When I asked if there was anything specific that she wanted to eat, she said that she had really enjoyed the curry I made, so maybe something like that. I decided to make stir fry, mostly because I hadn't made it in a rather long time, and it sounded good to me.

Stir fry is super easy to make and can be altered so easily to fit different dietary needs. It is also super healthy and delicious.

Start by setting your rice to cooking because that will take the longest. I made sushi rice with coconut milk.  Next cook a couple of chicken breasts that have been cut into chunks. I cooked these in a little coconut oil and seasoned with curry powder, turmeric, cayenne pepper, garlic salt, cinnamon, and pepper. When the chicken is finished cooking set aside and keep warm.

Add to the wok cut up veggies of your choice. I think I used onion, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, asparagus. It is best to use fresh veggies. You can also use bell peppers, zucchini or yellow squash, green beans, peas, really any vegetables you like. Allow these to cook until they are a little soft, but not all the way cooked. This gives you a nice crunch. Add the chicken back in and cook just a little longer.

Serve with the rice and eat right away. You can also use some soy sauce if you want that flavor.

This is a really great meal to make because it is fast and easy, but can be easily modified to suit almost anyone's taste buds. It is also really easy to make this a vegetarian meal.