No Bake Three Layer Chocolate Pudding Pie. Oh My!!

I swear I'm not a sugar addict, and I don't often have dessert around. But when the Hubby is coming home for the weekend after two weeks on a job, you gotta indulge. And this sexy piece of pie is certainly indulgent (and my own creation I might add).
Now you can always use the FF versions of many of the ingredients, but keep in mind that research shows that the occasional, moderate indulgence can keep you from swaying off your diet plan.
So lets get started on my Three Layer Chocolate Pudding Pie!

Non Edibles:
Spoons, knife, a mixing bowl, whisk, an electric mixer, and optional cutting board.

Edibles:
Pie crust
2 packages of chocolate pudding mix
2 cups of milk
5 strawberries
6 oz (about 2/3 cup) of cool whip
2 oz cream cheese

Directions:
The first layer is the chocolate goodness. Easy peasy, just mix two packages of pudding mix with the whisk according do the directions. Just reduce the amount of milk you use by about half. This makes the pudding a more pie filling like consistency. Add this first layer to your pie. It should be mostly full as this is the major portion of the dessert.
Next is the strawberries. Just slice 5 fresh and yummy berries and arrange evenly atop the chocolate.
Now for the coup de gras. The final layer that brings it all together. Rinse out your mixing bowl (or grab another) and blend the cool whip and cream cheese together. If the cool whip has been in the freezer, let it warm up a bit first. Take your time and let the topping get nice and whippy smooth. Add the topping to the pie. Of course you can make more than I did (I made a fairly thin layer) but keep the ratio the same for the ingredients. Too much cream cheese will make it too thick and not as whipped as you'd want.
Once its assembled, just let it set in the freezer and enjoy! Just not too much.

No baking involved! What could be better than that huh? And these aphrodisiac ingredients are perfect for impressing a date or, in my case, for a special evening with your spouse.
And as always, happy cooking!!

Sweet-n-Salty Chocolate Pretzels

Aaaah sweet and salty. An unlikely combination that, when done right, is a complex and delicious balance of flavor, reminiscent of snack time and theater fare. And one of my favorite movie time concessions are chocolate covered pretzles. Oh man I go crazy for these. So this week I bring my very easy chocolate covered pretzels that will surely leave your wallet and your stomach happier than anything you could buy at the concession stand. No complicated melting required! Just a microwave.
That's right, I said microwave.
Sacred yet? Well you shouldn't be. You don't have to slave over a melting pot of chocolate to create delicious treats that I promise will deliver. So...lights, camera, kitchen!

Non Edibles:

You'll need a microwave safe(!!!) bowl, spoon, wax paper, and a cookie sheet.

Edibles:

1 bag of chocolate chips (I prefer semi sweet, but they do offer dark and milk varieties)
1 bag of pretzels
2 tbs of coco powder
2 tbs of Crisco

Duh-rections:

First you'll add the chocolate chips into your bowl along with the Crisco (some evoo will work in a pinch) and toss in the microwave for about 45 seconds or until melted. It won't take long!
Once all the chocolate is sufficiently melted, add your coco powder. This is preferred though I always have Ovaltine in the pantry (the Hubby's favourite drink!) and works just as well. Do NOT add the powder beforehand. It WILL burn. I learned this the hard way.
Now that that's mixed, you can start covering your pretzels. There's many ways to do this; none are right, and all are messy. You can fold a few in the chocolate at at time with your spoon, dip one by one, spoon the chocolate, however. Just have fun! Place the generously coated pretzels on a wax paper covered cookie sheet and place in the fridge (or freezer) until nice and hard. You can finish with a drizzle of white icing if your feeling advanced. Just be sure the chocolate is cold when you add it, and that you return the pretzels to the cold so the icing sets.

And that's it! Sneak in your purse when you see your next flick and enjoy!!

Note: I have to give credit for this to my dear Lindsay Jacobs. First time I made (a similar version of) these was with her showing me how.

Fruity Tooty Berry Smoothie

Back to food this week! Well, smoothies actually. What better way to cool down in summer, and give yourself a fruity energy boost. I even include an alcoholic version for the grownups in the kitchen.
Per my usual, this isn't real precise, and you can make it your own by adding more or less of a certain component. So rev your blenders folks, its smoothie time!

Non edibles:
All you'll need is a spoon, your blender, and a cup to serve in.

Edibles:
1 cupish of wild strawberry sorbet
1 handful of frozen mixed berries
1 banana
2 cups of your favorite fruit juice (for the adult version, I used most of a bottle of blueberry lemonade Smirnoff Ice)

Directions:
Simple, simply combine and blend! You can add more juice or Smirnoff if you like your smoothies on the thinner side, more sorbet if you like them creamer, or more fruit for more body. You can also choose to highlight a certain berry if you want. It's up to you. This is just close to what I normally whip up. Another note: your welcome to use fresh rather than frozen berries. However, I prefer frozen simply because it provides the chill factor and I don't need to use ice.

Now sit back, sip away, and enjoy! And as always, happy blending!

(Confession: The picture isn't exactly what is described. Usually the smoothie will turn out a bit more purple. I forgot I didn't have any mixed berries, but I needed a picture...)

Herbal Alchemy: Luscious Lavender

Something different today! Oh my! I want to do an "Herbal Alchemy" post once a month or so. After all, you can't be a kitchen witch without having some herbal knowledge right? I will tackle different blends for soaps, bathsalts, lotions, ect. We will also discuss the health and spiritual benifits of the various herbs used. For our first venture in the land of herbal goodness, a relaxing bathsalt with some of my favorite herbs.
Herbs can come in many forms and we will discus these as needed. Of course, there are fresh, dried, powdered, and so on, but for today, we will need essential oils. Personally, oils are my favourite form of herb to work with so far. But be warned, they can be expensive. However they will last quite a while, and some can be found in the spice isle of your grocer. And really, if you enjoy working with them, oils are a great investment; for instance, homemade bath and body goodies are wonderful gifts and a great way to save on Holiday shopping. Who doesn't like that idea, right?
Now, without further delay, my Luscious Lavender Relaxing Bathsalt.

Instruments:

You'll need a mixing bowl, a smaller bowl to mix your oils, an eyedropper is optional, and a spoon.

Components:

Epsom salt
Sea salt
Baking powder
Lavender essential oil
Vanilla oil or extract (make sure it's genuine!)
Chamomile oil
Vitamin E oil
Food coloring (optional)

Transmutation!

In the big mixing bowl combine your Epsom salt and sea salt at a 2:1 ratio and add just a pinch or two of the baking powder (just to help keep it dry and usable and retains the smells).
Now you'll want to get your oil mixture right before adding it to your salt. Lets discuss these one by one.
5 parts Lavender: This is great for cleansing body and mind, relaxing, and dreams. It has a wonderful, unique earthly floral smell.
2 parts Vanilla: This is great for comfort and bringing back good memories and thoughts of home and is also a good moisturizer I've found. We all know what vanilla smells like.
1 part chamomile: Chamomile is great in tea and has long been used to induce sleep and has a long range of other health benefits. It has also has a floral earthy smell.
1 part Vitamin E oil: No smell here. Vitamin E is just great for skin. Sometimes it can be sticky though, so be careful.
When you mix these, be sure if your using a universal dropper that its thoroughly washed after each oil. You don't want to contaminate your oils with the smell of another oil. Typically, you can find bottles of oils that allow you to dispense individual drops slowly without the need for separate equipment. Smell constantly, and don't be afraid to tinker with the ratios to your liking.
If your making a big batch you may need a carrier oil like evoo or jabooba oil to put the essential oil mixture in. I typically don't do this for salts though.
Now that your oils are mixed, you can add it to the salts, mixing thoroughly. Once satisfied, you can add color if you want, or leave it white. Just allow to dry and store in a cool place in an air tight container or divide into little bags.
Bathe and enjoy!!!

I hope you learn to love herbs like I do. Once you get familiar with them, they offer such a wide variety of uses, you will use them everywhere.

Belt Busting BBQ Ranch Bacon Burgers

First off, a huge shout out to our guys and gals overseas and at home, serving our country. This country is forever in your debt. 
You might think the grill is typically a man's domain. Not today loveys! This chick was Grill Mistress this memorial day with an old American standby. McDonald's beware. These Belt Busting BBQ Ranch Bacon Burgers are full of flavor and simple enough to manage easily during your grilling season celebrations.
Before we get started, quick note about grills. I have always used charcoal. My dad uses it, my father in law and husband use it, and I use it. It just gives that special smokey flavor you can't get with electric or propane. If you don't have a chimney starter, just stack the charcoal fairly neatly and soak with your choice of charcoal starter for about 10, 15 minutes. Then go ahead, spread them out, and light. Let them burn down to a nice smoulder before cooking so your grill is nice and hot. Always start with a hot surface when cooking with meat, even indoors on a griddle. Everyone has their own methods and such, but this is what I've learned from my grill loving family.
Now, let the dogs or kiddos out, grab some sweet tea, and it's on to the grill!

NON EDIBLES:
Grill and the usual grilling necessities (or you can use a griddle on the stove), spatula, mixing bowl, tin foil (optional), plate.

EDIBLES:
2 lbs of beef
1/2 cup or so of BBQ Sauce
2 tbs of Ranch Dressing
Salt-n-Peppah
Dash of Tony's (yeah, I use it a lot. So what?)
8 strips of Bacon
Buns
Standard Hamburger Topping Goodness

HOW TO:
Easy enough, just mix all the ingredients together- sans the bacon- and mix carefully. You don't want to handle your meat too much (LOL). You can customize the flavor by using which ever BBQ sauce or type of ranch dressing you prefer. This time, I used a new find that's absolutely amazing; Brother's Gold! These people are awesome at what they do and they are all homemade, award winning, true Texas BBQ sauce. I had the pleasure of meeting them at Fresh By Brookshires in Tyler, but if your not in Texas, they have a blogspot, facebook, and website where you can order from.
Okay, ending the product placement, you should now have a bowl of ground beef mixture ready to go. Form into 1/4 patties. If you have trouble with measuring, just think that 2lbs of meat should yield 8 patties. You can make them bigger, but it will extend your cooking time, and if you do go bigger, don't make them too thick, they won't cook evenly. Patties formed, wrap a strip of bacon around each one.
Once you have the patties at the ready, head out to your already heated grill. You can slap the bacon on the grill first for just a few moments to grease up and flavor the grill, but it's not necessary. If you do this, just wrap the bacon around your patties just before they really start cooking.
Now just cook until your desired doneness is reached. Flip occasionally (but not before each side has been allowed to cook a good 4 minutes), and whatever you do, don't press the burgers. This just makes the juices leave the patties and cover your charcoal. If you find your grill isn't cooking quite hot enough after about 45 minutes, you can feel free to finish them in the oven at 350*. Be sure, once they are done, that you allow them to rest just a couple of minutes to let the juices back into the burger.
We all have our favorite toppings. Me, I can't have a hamburger without cheese. My cheese of choice for this burger is pepper jack cheese. It compliments the spicy sweentess of the BBQ sauce nicely. Once your patties are close to ready, slap your cheese on there, allowing it to melt. These were also good with a nice alvacado sauce my Father In Law made, I'll have to get that recipe and post it here.
AND ENJOY!

I hope this grilling season gives you readers lots of fun, lots of extra good food, and family time.

LINKS FOR BROTHER'S SAUCES:
Website: http://brotherssauces.com/index.html
Blogspot: http://brotherssauces.blogspot.com/

Mac-n-Cheese Madness!

First off, Happy Geek Pride/Towel/Tarot Day!
Today we tackle what is possibly one of my favorite foods, Macaroni and Cheese! More specifically, Beefy Mac-n-Cheese. Meat, cheese, and noodle goodness. What could be better!
Now I know what your thinking, seems kinda low brow. But believe me, this goes beyond the normal Kraft powdered box stuff (though we will talk about that a bit later), and once you taste this, you won't get enough!
Onto the kitchen!

Non Edibles:
You'll need a pot, large spoon, pan, a strainer, and a spatula.

Edibles:
Elbow Noodles
Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Velveeta
Milk
Butter
1 lb of ground beef
Salt
Pepper
Pesto

THE FUN:
This is a recipe that I usually eyeball and isn't really specific. But that's part of the beauty.
First, bring to boil some generously salted water and add your noodles (usually, I use about half of a standard package). If your brave, whole wheat noodles go great with the sharp Cheddar and pesto.
While that cooks, start your beef to browning in your pan at a medium high heat. I like to season my beef with salt, pepper, and sometimes a.dash of Tony's. It just adds that little something more.
Don't forget those noodles! Usually around 8 minutes gets them nice and just al dente. Once strained and back in the pot, it's time for the cheesey goodness.
Start by adding milk and butter to the noodles (this isn't baking so just eyeball it). Usually about 2 tbs of butter and 1/2 cup of milk to start with works best. Now keep your pot on a medium low heat and start adding your cheese to your hearts content! Just grate the Cheddar and parm directly into the pot, stirring frequently so it melts. Then just a few cubes of velveeta will give it that extra melty goodness. Add more milk as needed. Once your happy with your cheese mix, throw a couple of tbs of pesto for that herby flavor. Now go ahead and add the beef and shred just a bit more Cheddar on top for good measure and enjoy.

Tips:
For some variation, use your favorite chilli and add corn instead of pesto.
If you must use a box mix, always add your own extra cheese to the mix. It will be worth it.

Okay readers, hope you like it. And as always; eat, drink, and be cheesey!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

On the table today is my 3 flavor baked chicken legs! A quick and easy way to spice up the typical 9 piece chicken leg package if you don't want to fry them. I took some inspiration from Buffalo wings, and who doesn't like those!? We have Garlic Parmesan, BBQ, and Lemon Pepper! Talk about adding some choice and variety without much extra work. So, without further adieu...to the kitchen!

NON EDIBLES: Roasting dish or baking pan, tin foil, bear hands

EDIBLES: 9 chicken legs (usually they come 9 to a package in the frozen section)
Salt and Pepper
Veggie oil
Parmesan Cheese
Garlic salt
BBQ sauce
Tony Chachere (you know the stuff) Chilli Powder
Lemon juice
Lemon pepper

THE FUN
Defrost the chicken and preheat your oven to 350*. For less cleanup, just place your thawed legs directly on the baking pan. Toss some salt and pepper over the chicken to taste. Now, the first two you'll brush with some olive oil and then sprinkle with the parmesan and garlic salt (garlic pepper or garlic powder works as well). The next two slather with your favorite BBQ sauce (Heinz makes a good one) and some exta pepper, Tony's, and a bit of chilli power. And the last two add your lemon pepper and douse with some lemon juice. Put just a small amount of water in the bottom of the pan to keep moist and cove with tin foil. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour, it's very important the chicken gets done.

And its a meal! I like to serve this with some rice and veggies. Yummy. Chicken is a pretty blank slate flavor wise which maks it so versatile so don't be afraid to bring the flavor! Happy cooking!

Zaden