Corn Salsa

This has to be my favorite thing to make. I could eat this for every meal and never get tired of it. It is refreshing, sweet, savory...and not so bad for you!

The list:
4 ears fresh corn, or 3 cans sweet corn, drained
1 12oz jar roasted red peppers, chopped
2 avacados
2 green onions, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 jalapeno
3 tbsp minced cilantro
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cumin

If I am using fresh corn, I like to boil it for a few minutes first, to get the bright yellow color, but not too much so it gets soggy. You still want that bite to it. If it is not corn season, go ahead and use about 3 cans of sweet corn. (Let the corn cool completely before cutting it off the cobb

Mix the corn with all the other ingrediants. Chill for a few hours. Serve with chips.

I dont use the jalepenos....too spicy for me. That, and I have an obsession with avacados. So I usually add one more. I like to have a piece with every bite!

Death by Brownie

Oh. My. Word. Where do people come up with these things? I have been seeing a "brownie" floating around the  blog world and finally gave the recipe a try. Layers of chocolate chip cookie, Oreo cookie, and brownie. Yes. Seriously. I do not know who the original founder is, but they created a true monster. I have gotten pretty good about being able to stay away from my baking if it isn't gluten free. But this, I had to try. I could not resist. So worth it. I know that I will be in pain all week, sick as a dog, and probably come down with the cold or flu, but I had to. And oh, it was so worth it.....

(picture from whatsgabycooking.com)

This can be easy, or it can be time consuming....guess which route I took?
You can make your own cookie dough and your own brownie batter, but I went with the store bought method. Besides, I wasn't going to eat it anyway, right? I did....and it was still delicious. When you can cheat, go for it.

1 1/2 rolls Pillsbury chocolate chip cookie dough
1 pack Oreo cookies
1 box brownie mix

Coat a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Press cookie dough down covering entire pan. Place Oreos across the pan. Mix brownie mix according to box, and pour over top. Bake 350 for 35 minutes.
Now, the good part. You can just take the pan out of the oven, let cool for a few hours, cut into bars and eat like a cookie/brownie.
OR, you can take the pan out of the oven, get a heaping scoop of warm, gooey goodness into a bowl, and serve with ice cream. And then curse me for making you gain 5 lbs. Sorry.

Breakfast Quinoa

I was introduced to quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) a little over a year ago. Well, I should say I tried it for the first time. I have always heard about it, but never tried it. It is a grain, most typically prepared like a rice dish with veggies and such. It is small, round and when cooked becomes transparent. But, the wonderful thing about this is that it is an amazing protein superfood. This stuff is packed with protein. So, for vegetarians this stuff is great.
I, being one who does not like breakfast, is allergic to eggs, and the only real thing I enjoy to eat, oatmeal, I have to be careful of unless it is certified gluten free, needed to try something. What if I cooked this grain and prepared it like I would my oatmeal? I mean, it works with rice, right? Rice pudding is delish, by the way. So, I cooked it and instead of water, used milk, and added some brown sugar, and fresh berries. And, it was amazing. My new favorite breakfast. Bonus, packed with that protein so with my busy schedule, it keeps me going until lunch time!
Breakfast Quinoa
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups milk
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Bring milk to a boil in a small pot, add quinoa and cook for about 8 minutes. Add brown sugar and cinnamon. Continue to cook until the quinoa has soaked up all the milk and it is cooked through. Serve with added milk, brown sugar, or fresh berries....or all of the above.
Makes 4 servings
(I make a batch and keep the left-overs in the fridge for the rest of the week)

Red Velvet Cupcakes

This is a re-post...just for you for the upcoming holiday. I make them every year, so I feel like I have to re-post it. Go HERE to get the easy delicious recipe!

Holiday Sticky Buns

Christmas is full of traditions. One that I love is Christmas morning breakfast. Growing up, my dad always made eggs benedict. Since our kids were little, I have always made Monkey Bread. Until this past year. Bryan and I came across a recipe for sticky buns seen on Barefoot Contessa- Barefoot in London. They looked so good and it seemed simple enough to make, so we decided to try it. Let me tell you....EASY. And, you could easily substitute any of the add-ins. I used regular raisins instead of white raisins. You could omit them all together if you want, even. I did not get to eat any, but they looked amazing and the family loved them. Looks like this is our new Christmas morning breakfast tradition!

• 
  
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces
• 1 package (17.3 ounces/ 2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

For the filling:

• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup cranberries
• 1/2 cup white raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees f. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 12 tablespoons of butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, 1/4 cup of the cranberries and 1/4 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam-side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2 inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, about 1 1/2 inches each. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

Valentine Chex Mix

While making red velvet cookies over the weekend I decided it was time to find a sweet valentines treat for myself (like I could use the extra calories). Betty Crocker website has some great gluten free chex mix recipes. And this one was one I had to try. So I did. And it was beyond delicious. A different take on the "puppy chow"...And easy.

9 cups Rice Chex® cereal (gluten free)
1 cup white almond bark
1/2 cup peanut butter 
3/4 cup powdered sugar
/21 cup red, white and pink candy-coated chocolate candies
1/4 cup red or pink jimmies sprinkles

• In large bowl, place cereal. In small microwavable bowl, microwave almond bark and peanut butter uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.
• Place 1/2 of the cereal mixture in 1-gallon food-storage plastic bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir candies and sprinkles into remaining cereal mixture. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool, about 15 minutes.
• In serving bowl, mix both cereal mixtures. Store in airtight container.
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Puppy Chow

Growing up, my aunt used to make this for all the family get-togethers. She always had little bowls of it just perfectly placed around the living room so that when we all sat around talking as a family, we had something to snack on. And, as kids, all of us used to devour it. I do not make it that often anymore because I could honestly eat an entire batch, and not feel guilty at all...until I step on the scale the next day. It is addicting and so delicious. The perfect blend of chocolate, peanut butter, and salty crunch.

9          cups Rice Chex®, Corn Chex®, Chocolate Chex® or Honey Nut Chex® cereal

1

cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2

cup peanut butter

1/4

cup butter or margarine

1

teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2

cups powdered sugar

• Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
• In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
• Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.