Cookie Butter Waffles

Real breakfasts are a rarity in this house.  We both work full time with a bit of a commute, so hubs usually has some cereal in the morning and I hurriedly grab some Greek yogurt and fruit to take with me to work.

Real exciting, right?  Weekend breakfasts are the only time we can have real breakfasts.  You know what I mean; the ones that take longer than 3 minutes to throw together.  The ones we don't have to eat over the sink because we're running late (just me?) 

Weekend breakfasts usually consist of savory things involving eggs, cheese, and bacon/sausage or sweet ingredients that are in the waffle, pancake or french toast family.  I rarely make the same thing because there are so many delicious breakfast recipes out there and I keep finding more.  Prime example: Alaina at Fabtastic Eats has the most delicious waffle recipe I found on Pinterest and just had to try this weekend... I'm so happy I did!  These are Cookie Butter Waffles drizzled in their very own complimentary Cookie Butter White Chocolate Syrup.  You guys - the syrup for these waffles is ridiculous.  It's an extra step, but don't skimp out and use regular because it's totally worth getting an extra pan dirty.  Do it.  I'm being bossy.

If anyone out there has NOT yet been exposed to Cookie Butter, this is the perfect opportunity to try it out.  However, I do recommend tasting it directly from the jar with a spoon first if you haven't tasted it plain already.  Think peanut butter consistency + gingerbread-y goodness from crushed Speculoos biscuits = out of this world.  On a related note, I used the last bit of my Cookie Butter for this recipe and there are no Trader Joe's in my area to replenish my stock*... who wants to send me some?!

*If you can't find Cookie Butter or don't live near a Trader Joe's, you can use Biscoff Spread which I can always find locally at my regular grocery store.

Cookie Butter Waffles with Cookie Butter White Chocolate Syrup:
Recipe from Fabtastic Eats
Makes about 5 waffles

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk (I used Skim)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cookie butter

2 tablespoons white chocolate
1 tablespoon cookie butter
1/2 cup pure maple syrup

In a large bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.  In the bowl of your mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla.  Stir in cookie butter until combined.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.  Add batter to your waffle iron and cook according to your manufacturer's instructions. 

For the syrup: combine the white chocolate, cookie butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium low heat.  Whisk until melted.  Serve over hot cookie butter waffles.

 

Monthly Mix-Ins

1.  We went to our friend Bob's lake house a few weekends ago and we were bummed because it poured all night and we couldn't have a bonfire. All was redeemed the next morning when we woke up and it was gloriously sun-shiny and beautiful! Check out that InstaNature.

2.  I went back to one of my old high school's football games for the first time in a few years and was immediately depressed at how much younger everyone looked than me.  It wasn't that long ago.... right?  It totally was.

3.  These Caramel Apple Bars from Inside BruCrew Life look amazing, and much easier to eat than  actual caramel apples.  Win.

4.  Anybody catch the Blacklist premiere on NBC?  James Spader is born to play super creepy bad guys and I love it.  I think we'll be hooked in a few episodes as it gets going.

5.  I try not to overdo it for the people that get pumpkin'd out (although I never could) but if you are ready to dive right into the pumpkin baking season, then go check out Brown Eyed Baker's 20 Pumpkin Recipe list.  They all look amazing.

6.  Gahhhh.... these cookies.  Rainbow sprinkles + glaze + sugar cookies = sugar overload AND I LOVE IT.  Try being sad when holding something covered in sprinkles... try.

7. Annnnd in honor of my beloved Eagles losing yet another game this past Sunday, I bring you 13 Pointless Observations Every Football Fan Makes About Their Team When It's Losing.  Except the Eagles should be listed under more than just #12.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I am going to Jamaica over my one-year anniversary weekend (side note: how has it been one year?!?!) in just a few short weeks.  My boss brought in his wife's world-famous-ridiculously-amazing-drool-inducing German chocolate cake last Tuesday.  On Friday, I walk in and find two different kinds of pumpkin donuts sitting on my desk.  I brought in my usual plain Greek yogurt with blueberries for breakfast... but guess what prevailed?  Pumpkin donuts; no contest.

I swear the entire world knows when I'm trying to eat a bit healthier and kick my workouts up a notch and it just starts magically throwing baked goods in my face. Sigh. 

But I digress... what I really wanted to talk about was the fact that I made some cupcakes for an adorable coral and teal themed baby shower last weekend.  How awesome is that color scheme?  I think her nursery is modeled after these same colors, which I love.  Here were the invitations (I did some digging for you and found the same design on Etsy):

I made classic vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and some devil's food cupcakes with a rich chocolate buttercream.  I had a picture of the invitation beforehand, so I searched online and found adorable wrappers that matched the chevron and coral dots perfectly!  God bless the Internet.  I decided to pipe a little girly coral ruffle on the vanilla cupcakes to add some color and tie in the scheme.  Finally, I made cute little chevron toppers for the chocolate cupcakes with "Baby M" since they are still deciding on a name for their new little lady.  I had so much fun doing these!  I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to share my go-to chocolate buttercream.  Try using Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa with heavy cream in this recipe - it's to die for!

Chocolate Buttercream:
Makes enough to frost about 24 cupcakes

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 

1 pound bag powdered sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder (you can use Special Dark cocoa powder as well!)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream

Cream the butter for a few minutes in a mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa to the mixing bowl.  Turn your mixer on the lowest speed until the sugar and cocoa are completely absorbed by the butter.

Add the vanilla, salt and milk/cream and beat on medium speed for about three minutes.  If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency for piping, add a little more powdered sugar. 

Glacé Icing

I am a firm believe that all baked goods should look and taste great (hint: they do not need to be mutually exclusive). 

Nobody really cares how pretty your cupcakes look if they have a flat (but pretty!) piece of fondant on top with no icing or, you know, flavor.  The same goes for cookies with icing that dries pretty but will break your teeth or ruins the flavor of the cookie itself.  Royal icing is notorious for looking gorgeous but tasting like.... nothing.  Hard, crusty, nothing.  I used to prefer icing my sugar cookies with buttercream to avoid this, but it's not as precise and much harder to stack if you need to transport them.  One day, I discovered glacé icing - a sweet glaze-like frosting that dries hard, can be used for detailed designs and actually tastes amazing! 

Our friends have a little guy named Kieran who had his first birthday a few weeks ago, so I took the opportunity to create some star-shaped and sports themed cookies that matched the tablecloth his mom picked out. The great thing about this icing is that one batch can make an unlimited amount of colors.  You just have to separate into smaller bowls and use gel food coloring and mix with a spoon - it's as easy as that!  If you are piping a border or plan to pipe on top of your background icing (like the football/baseball laces or the "K"'s and "1"'s) it's best to let them dry overnight in between steps so the icing doesn't run or smudge.  This recipe is pretty forgiving once you get the hang of it.  If you need more help or want some step-by-step pictures, Our Best Bites has the best tutorial ever for this technique!

Glacé Icing

1 pound bag of powdered sugar
6 tablespoons whole milk
6 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla, if you prefer)

Combine the milk and sugar with a whisk attachment in the bowl of your stand mixer until no lumps remain.  Stir in corn syrup and almond extract.  Use this to glaze (for your background colors).  This is most easily done spreading the icing onto the cookie using the back of a spoon.  For piping letters or accents, I generally add another 1/2 cup to 1 cup of powdered sugar and stir until combined.  This increases the thickness of the icing and makes it easier to pipe. Remember to let the glaze dry before piping on top of it!  Use a pastry bag with a small circle tip to make this even easier.

*Remember to let them dry completely overnight before stacking!*

Monthly Mix-Ins

August's Monthly Mix-Ins are a few days late.  No excuses, it was just a holiday weekend and I was feeling a bit lazy.  Do I get points for honesty?

1.  Since Greg and I are in our mid/late twenties and everyone around us is having babies, we will be surrounded by great advice when the time comes for us.  However, this article tops any advice we've heard so far: 24 People Who Are Really Nailing This Parenting Thing.  Number 7 and number 24 just about made me pee my pants.  Does BuzzFeed ever get tiring? No. No, it doesn't.

2.  This Strawberry and Whipped Cream Cake.  I made it for my Mom's birthday earlier this month and YUM.  Plus, it's purrrrty.

3.  Not even going to touch Miley's VMA performance because 1) too easy and 2) I don't like to acknowledge it was actually a thing.  What happened to Hannah Montana?

4.  How amazing do these Milky Way Double Fudge Brownies from Aimee at Shugary Sweets look?  Somebody make these for me soon so that I can die happy.

5.  Hubs and my Dad installed my new farmhouse sink in our kitchen last month.  I had a super shallow sink that would allow me to wash, oh I don't know, exactly one cereal bowl at a time and now I have this glorious masterpiece.  Heaven!  You know you're getting old when you're this excited about a sink.  Sorry I'm not sorry.

6.  Football is here!! Which makes me happy for two reasons:  1) I genuinely love watching football and 2) FOOD. Hello!? Food! Game day food is the best. And Jessica put some of the best football recipes ever all in one place for you. She's the bestest.

7.  It's supposed to drop to 49 degrees overnight this week.  I need a smoother transition from summer, please.

8.  I know I'm about 2 years late to this party, but how amazing is the beauty blog MaskCara?! I need her to come renovate my beauty "routine", considering I am a total hair and make-up tragedy. Unless boring straight hair and chapstick are involved.  Cara: fix me, pleaseeee.

9.  Last food item I've been craving lately:  Pizza Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Chicken.  Not even fair.

Fluffernutter Sandwich Cookies

It's no secret I'm a fluffernutter fiend. <-- Make those cupcakes and you'll see why.

I lived in Spain for four months during my junior year of college.  For those who may be unfamiliar, they don't really eat peanut butter in Spain (or anywhere in Europe that I visited for that matter).  I didn't really consider this before moving or I probably would have packed about 26 jars in my luggage.  No friends, this was a lesson learned the hard way.  The funny part is, I brought my host family a gift that included Reese's Peanut Butter Cups when I arrived and my 19-year old host brother literally ate the entire bag in two days.  So I guess he didn't hate them.

After about my first month there, I discovered a little tiny store run by an expat that sold international foods, teas, and trinkets.  Lo and behold.... peanut butter.  I think it was like 8 or 9 euros a jar but obviously it was a no-brainer.  I would have asked the shop owner to procure me some marshmallow fluff, but I didn't want to push my luck.

Fluffernutter Sandwich Cookies
Makes about 10 sandwiches (20 cookies)
Cookie recipe from Bakers Royale; frosting adapted from How Sweet Eats

1 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

For the cookies: place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low until combined.  Using a cookie dough scoop or a rounded tablespoon, place about a tablespoon and a half of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheet.  Use a fork to flatten the dough using a criss-cross design.  Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until they begin to turn golden brown around the edges.  Let the cookies rest on the sheets for a few minutes before transferring to cooling racks to cool completely.

For the frosting: beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy.  Add the fluff and beat again until combined.  Scrape the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.  Stir in the vanilla. Finally, stir in the powdered sugar a little bit at a time and then beat until creamy.

To assemble: spread the marshmallow buttercream between two (completely cooled!) cookies to make a sandwich.  Enjoy!



Pumpkin Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage

Before you say it, I am not wishing these last few weeks of summer away.  I'm eating tons of fresh summer produce while it's still available, wearing the heck out of my white pants and soaking up all the sun I can.

I'm not ready to start up on the fall recipes quite yet... I just love putting pumpkin in stuff.  Soups, desserts, main dishes, everything.  And I've never been one of those people that eats pumpkin dishes only in the fall.  Especially dishes that taste restaurant quality like this one.  I mean, something magical happens when you swirl sage in brown butter until it's crispy.  It's transcendent.

Most of the ingredients are pantry items so I find myself making this quite a bit throughout the year.  It can be a quick weeknight meal for the hubs and me, but it's also fancy enough to impress company.  Do yourself a favor and go get some pumpkin just a bit early if you haven't yet.  Fall will be here soon whether we like it or not!

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage
Serves 2
Recipe from Foodess.com

1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups flour (or a little more)
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sage leaves, roughly chopped
sea salt
Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving

Boil a large pot of water.  In a medium bowl, mix pumpkin, egg, salt and nutmeg to combine.  Stir the flour into the pumpkin mixture in several additions.  If the dough is still sticky, add a bit more flour.  On a floured work surface and with floured hands, separate the dough into quarters.  Roll one of the quarters into a long rope about one inch thick on the work surface.  Using a pastry cutter or bench scraper, cut the rope into small pieces.  Repeat with the remaining dough. 

Drop the gnocchi into the boiling pot and cook until they rise to the surface, about 4-5 minutes.  While the gnocchi cooks, melt the butter in a large pan.  Add the sage leaves and swirl frequently until the butter turns golden in color.  Remove from heat.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked gnocchi onto paper towels to drain, then add to the brown butter and sage mixture and toss.  Transfer to serving dishes and sprinkle with sea salt and Parmesan cheese.  Serve immediately.

Smokey Kale Chips

I know.  I knowwwww.  S'mores cupcakes are much more tempting than kale.  I must be losing my mind.  But stay with me for a second.

Some of you might not even know what kale is.  According to the blogosphere lately, kale is superfood and everybody is eating it and it's trendy and awesome and blahblah.  Kale is really high in fiber, iron, calcium, antioxidants and it's low in calories with 0 fat. 

It is also the most polarizing vegetable on the planet.  There are people who love kale in all forms (me) and those who would rather take their last breath than even look in its direction (my husband and comedian Jim Gaffigan).  I'm not going to lie, this snack isn't for everybody... but if you are interested in getting on the kale train or you overindulged this weekend and you need to get back on track, then this recipe is a good place to start.  When these are baked in the oven they crisp up like super thin potato chips, but they satisfy a salt craving in a healthy way.  They can be seasoned in all different combinations - I've seen one that calls for Sriacha that I'm dying to try - but this is a good basic recipe.  I'm not trying to convince anybody these are better than cookies or anything, but give them a try!

Smokey Kale Chips

1 bunch kale
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
sea salt, to taste

Wash the kale thoroughly and let it dry completely.  When the kale is dry, preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Cut the kale into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces and remove the stems and tough center ribs.  Place in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil and seasonings.  Spread the kale in a single layer on two cookie sheets.  Bake for 25 minutes or until crisp. 

Monthly Mix-Ins

1.  This was my breakfast last Sunday at the Tomcat Café.  I present to you the Fluff -N-Stuff.  As you can see, I went the healthy route.   How this place is not world famous I have no idea, but it definitely deserves the local notoriety, wait time and long lines every weekend.  I'd wait forever to eat here.

2.  It's no secret I love red velvet.  I've been drooling over this ice cream all week.

3.  I was dying last night over this:  23 Dogs Who Are Too Adorably Stupid For Their Own Good.  Espeically numbers 2, 7, and 22.  Cuteness overload.

4.  How gorgeous is this cake?  I did not even know chocolate pearls were a thing.  I'm so behind.

5.  Does anybody else watch Suits?  I'm glad Harvey and Mike are back together with their whole Batman and Robin gig, but how bad did you feel for Louis?!  More importantly, who throws away a cake??  And somebody please make Rachel Zane's wardrobe appear in my closet, stat.

6.  23 People Who Are Permanently Remembering The ’90s.  That is a male with the Hanson tattoo, correct?  Umm.  I'm not going to lie, though.... the Fresh Prince and George Costanza ones are legit.

7.  Tomorrow is August and that's weird.  However, there are some super fun events coming up for me in August including:  two weddings, a concert with my best, going to see a comedian, making cupcakes for a bridal shower, judging cheerleading tryouts for a university, and soaking up all the sun that is physically possible before my summer disappears.  How about you??

Parmesan Grilled Corn

I hate to admit it, but I'm still kind afraid of my grill.  There are too many knobs.  And I always envision there being some sort of gas leak explosion when I turn it on.  Oh, oh... and when I opened it this most recent time?  SPIDER IN THE GRILL.  Inside of it, directly where I wanted to put my food.  It was a traumatic experience.  Dramatic?  Perhaps. 

But still disgusting. 

This corn, however, is amazing.  I may be weary of the grill but I never miss a chance to give a vegetable a good trashin' up.  Sweet corn is aplenty right now where I live (not to mention dirt cheap) and I've been partial to grilling it in aluminum foil to keep it nice and juicy.  It's delicious plain with some salt and pepper, but what isn't better covered in melted butter and cheese?  Throw some garlic and fresh parsley in the mix and you have a super easy/delicious side for your next cookout. 

Parmesan Grilled Corn:
Makes 6 servings

6 ears of fresh corn
4 tablespoons of butter
2 cloves of garlic, grated or minced
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.  If corn is still in the husk, remove and discard the husk and silks.  Wrap each ear of corn in aluminum foil (don't make the foil too thick - one layer between the corn and the grill is enough).  Grill the corn for about 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes or so to ensure even grilling.  While corn is grilling, melt butter and garlic together in a small bowl in the microwave.  When corn is finished, brush the garlic butter over each ear of corn.  Immediately sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and then garnish with the fresh parsley.  Devour.

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

I was under a cookie curse for about a month before my wedding.

No matter what recipe I tried to make in those few weeks, they were epic fails.  I burned one batch.  Another batch spread way too much to form one big jumbled mega-cookie.  My Silpat slipped and I dropped a different batch on my open oven door before I could bake them.  The oven door was hot so they immediately started cooking and it took like 20 minutes to scrape off and clean up.  Point being - there was some serious bad cookie juju going on.  The thing is... up until that point, I had NEVER screwed up cookies.  Some of these were tried and true recipes I've made a million times before.  I chalk it up to wedding brain and trying to focus on a million other things, but to this day I have not figured it out. 

The greatest part of these particular cookies?  No baking!  They're fast, there is no oven involved (perfect for summer if you don't want to heat up your house) and they're gluten free.  These come together in about 20 minutes total and are totally foolproof.  Take that, bad cookie juju.

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies:
Heavily adapted from Brown Eyed Baker
Makes about 30 cookies


1 stick butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa powder
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups quick cooking oats
peanut butter chips

In a medium saucepan, combine butter, sugar, milk and cocoa powder over medium heat.  Bring to a boil while whisking smooth, and let boil for about a minute.  Remove from heat.  Stir in peanut butter and vanilla extract, and stir until the peanut butter melts.  Add the oats and stir to coat.  Drop by rounded tablespoons onto wax covered baking sheets.  Individually press peanut butter chips into the tops of the cookies, if desired.  Let cookies cool on baking sheets until they are set.

S'mores Cupcakes

Well, helloooooooo summer love.

To me, summer means a few things.  I am unfortunately not a kid anymore so summers off is not one of them.  But summer does mean the days are longer, the colors seem brighter, and I seem to be able to eat my body weight in fresh watermelon and cantaloupe.  Summer also screams for the classic combination of chocolate, graham cracker and marshmallow.  I've been looking for the perfect s'mores cupcake recipe for awhile now, but I couldn't find anything that fit my vision.  Most of the recipes I found had a chocolate cake base with a marshmallow frosting, and the graham sort of took a backseat with either a little square on top or some crumbs as the base.  Finally, I decided to take bits and pieces of other recipes to create my perfect Frankenstein s'mores cupcake.  These babies have a dense graham cracker cake, a milk chocolate filling, and a rich and fluffy marshmallow buttercream.  I rolled the outside in extra graham cracker crumbs and garnished with some chocolate pieces, mini marshmallows, a chocolate covered-graham cracker and a drizzle of ganache.  Ohmygoodness.  It's pretty safe to say these didn't make it two full days in our house.  They did, however, make it into my top 3 cupcake recipes of all time.  Allow me to introduce you to your new summer love (a la Justin Timberlake circa 2006).

S'mores Cupcakes:
Makes 12 cupcakes

Graham Cracker Cupcake (source: Vanilla Garlic)
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature

Monthly Mix-Ins

1.  Soooo these S'mores cupcakes happened this weekend.  They were pretty much devoured in one day.  Stay tuned for this one, folks.

2.  I want to meet whoever wrote 22 Excellent Reasons to Drink More Whiskey.  I feel like we would be the very best of friends.

3.  I have been dying over these super festive July 4th Layered Drinks ever since I saw them on In Katrina's Kitchen a few days ago.  Somebody come over so I can make these for us. 

4.  Sometimes... I think I'm pretty tough.  Then I see new stories like this and think nope.  Not tough at all.

5.   Jessica from How Sweet Eats shared this in her latest edition of Tuesday Things and I've been mass e-mailing the link ever since:  If Kids Tweeted About TV Shows Like Adults Do.

6.   Dairy Queen had a S'mores Blizzard for June and I'm just now realizing it's gone.  I had one last week and it was really good!  The fact I may never eat one is making me horrifically sad.  Someone tell me they're not gone forever?

7.  I'm not going to touch the whole Kim/Kanye baby name thing because... no.  It's just too easy.

8.  So sooo happy that my summer shows are back on, but Michael and Fi really need to just get back together on Burn Notice already.  Stop messing with their relationship, because it is really damaging my overall real life well-being. 

9.   How cute are these mini mason jar lanterns for a 4th of July party or any other summer barbeque?!  Dying of cute DIY-ness.  They make me feel like I need to seriously step up my craft game.

Caesar Chicken Tortellini Dinner Salad

I may have overdone it a bit in Vegas.  How many people do you think have said that before?  Cliché.

But this wasn't in the gambling or typical Sin City way.  While traveling for work (apparently it is possible to work while in Vegas... who knew), I perhaps went a little overboard in the eating department.  The restaurants there are just sooo good.  We were lucky enough to discover Pub 1842 on their 8th day of business.  The burger you see above is their Peanut Butter Crunch burger, which consists of the best prepared patty I've ever had, crunchy peanut butter, bacon jam and a potato chip topping.  Pause for effect.  It was insanely good and I will have food dreams about it for years to come.  To drink I had "The Heist" with Bulleit bourbon, strawberry-pepper syrup, vanilla and fresh lemon juice.  Needless to say, I called my husband and told him we'd be stopping here every Vegas trip we will ever make for the rest of our lives.

After a few days of overdoing it, I always crave something quick, fresh and easy to make at home while I detox.  This Caesar Chicken Tortellini Dinner Salad fits the bill.  It's super easy and quick for a weeknight, tasty and filling enough to leave you satisfied and pretty cheap to make.  I use light Caesar dressing so it's not horrible in the calorie department, which makes this a great option when trying to recover from a particularly damaging weekend (or week in Vegas).  The cheesy pasta and chicken are served warm with a Caesar dressing and the crisp lettuce and crunchy croutons all work together to create interest and texture. 

Caesar Chicken Tortellini Dinner Salad:
Serves 2-4

1 (8.8 oz) package of cheese and spinach or three cheese tortellini
Fresh romaine lettuce, washed and ready to use
3/4 cup fat-free herb seasoned croutons
2/3 cup bottled light Caesar dressing, divided
2 chicken breasts, diced and seasoned with salt and pepper

Cook tortellini according to package directions. At the same time, cook diced chicken in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  While your pasta and chicken are cooking, toss salad greens in a bowl with half the salad dressing.  Drain pasta when done.  In another bowl, toss remaining dressing with the hot pasta until it is well coated.  To assemble each serving: place the lettuce on each plate, top with pasta mixture and then cooked chicken.  Sprinkle croutons on top and serve with fruit or crusty bread.

Cape May Restaurant Snapshot

Serious case of post-vacation blues, right here.

Cape May, NJ is one of my favorite places ever.  I fell in love it when when hubs and I went for the first time together in 2006 during our first summer of dating.  The beach, the charming Victorian houses and B&B's, the shopping, and the FOOD.  Goodness, the food.  There are pretty much more restaurants than people in Cape May... and it's glorious.  We just returned from a heavenly week and I wanted to share some of my favorite dishes from the trip. 

To the left is my gargantuan strawberry shortcake sundae from Duffer's Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor and my ensuing (extremely unflattering) reaction to the monstrosity.  Duffer's is actually a short drive from Cape May in Wildwood, but we go every year because it is worth the trip.  The sundaes are huge, creative, and delicious.  If you have little ones, there is an arcade and a mini-golf course attached to the restaurant.  My only advice: eat a light dinner before heading out to this place so you have room for all of the ice cream!




A new addition to our trip this year was dinner at Sea Salt, located inside the Ocean Club Hotel.  This is a unique find in Cape May because it's a modern, chic, urban-style seafood restaurant in a Victorian town.  I had the grilled veal chop, which came with a fine herb ricotta gnocchi and sautéed cherry tomatoes (below left).  Hubs had the Seafood Fra Diavolo (below right).  Both dishes were extremely well made.  I had no problem finishing off my generous portion, and while our experience was a bit pricey, I definitely wouldn't mind going back.

I got to pick the restaurant for the night of my birthday, and the easy choice was Fresco's Seafood Trattoria.  We've frequented this restaurant for the past few years because this restaurant is the epitome of fine Italian dining with a twist of fresh Cape May seafood.  I ordered a salmon special that came with a delicious creamy sweet corn risotto and asparagus (below left).  There was a buttery sauce over the fish that was to die for!  And it's no secret we really keep coming back to Fresco's for the tiramisu (below right).  Tiramisu is Greg's favorite dessert and I have to admit, Fresco's version ranks as some of the best I've ever had.

Okay, let's get serious for a second.  If you want fine dining in Cape May, and don't mind paying a bit more for service, atmosphere and mouth-wateringly delicious food, you have to go to The Washington Inn.  It's built in a 1840 Plantation home, with five unique dining rooms to serve guests.  Your water glass will never be empty and you can be certain that whatever you order will be perfectly done.  They used to have fluke with jumbo lump crab in a brown butter passion fruit glaze with slivered almonds that is out of this world, but they sadly removed it from the menu this year!  So instead, I ordered a salmon special (typical) with asparagus, roasted radishes, veggies and mashed potatoes (bottom left).  Hubs got the seafood cioppino with clams, shrimp, scallops & fish in a spicy tomato broth served with garlic aioli focaccia (bottom right).   Both were fabulously done!

Finally, I have to talk about Oyster Bay.  I really can only speak for one dish at this menu, along with everyone else in my husbands family - because we pretty much all order the same thing.  Their Veal San Marco (below) is amazing - tender medallions of veal, breaded and pan-fried, then topped with marinated tomatoes and melted Fontina cheese.  It's heaven.  If they ever take it off the menu, we may revolt.  I'm being dramatic of course, but it really is fabulous!

Needless to say, I had to majorly detox this past week from all the rich food - but it was totally worth it!  I'm already counting down the days until I can return to my favorite seaside town at Exit 0.

Birthday Funfetti Cake Batter Recipe Round-up

Today is a very special day... it's my birthday! Woooo hooooo!  When I think birthdays, I think cake (duh) and I think rainbow sprinkles.  Lots and lots of sprinkles. Even though I am currently far away from my computer and enjoying life at the beach, I didn't want to leave you guys hanging. So here is a list of some of my favorite cake batter recipes from around the web to celebrate.  Enjoy!

My birthday martini flight!

Cake Batter White Chocolate Fudge - Sally's Baking Addiction

Funfetti Cupcakes - The Cake Blog

Funfetti Cake Batter Puppy Chow - Adventures in Food

Funfetti Icebox Cake - How Sweet It Is

Funfetti Cake Batter Smoothie - The Spiffy Cookie

Cake Batter Ice Cream - Food.com

Funfetti Layer Cake with Whipped Vanilla Frosting - Sweetapolita

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream

Happy Friday! I, for one, am super excited for this day.  We leave for the beach and I am wayyy overdue for some sand & sun.  This is richly evidenced by my dramatic "oh, woe is me... I'm so overworked" attitude lately and my Casper-the-Ghost-like appearance.  But that all changes today!

Hubs and I on Sunset Beach in Cape May (Tina Markoe Photography)

We go to Cape May every year and let me tell you it is one of the best food towns around.  They have everything from casual sit-down restaurants to white tablecloth fine dining.  It also happens to be the tail end of restaurant week, with some fixed price menus that let me taste a few courses more than I normally might. Yum!  What more could a girl want?  I will have to update you guys on some of my fabulous meals when I get home.

Before I go, I wanted to share this amazing recipe with you from Shugary Sweets.  Lemon is a flavor I just don't get tired of.  My husband will eat chocolate til he's sick, and I sort of feel that way about lemons.  While normal, well-adjusted people order lemon slices for their water at a restaurant, I usually grab them and just suck on them while I wait for my food.  Normally, I'll top my lemon cupcakes with a lemon cream cheese frosting, but Aimee adds this amaaaahzing lemon buttercream to her cakes that is so good it should pretty much be illegal.  You can find her original recipe here.  Make these ASAP for the favorite lemon-lover in your life!

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream:
Recipe by Shugary Sweets
Makes 24 cupcakes

5 egg whites, room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 lemons, zested
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 T heavy cream

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare two muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.  Mix together the egg whites, 1/4 cup of the buttermilk and the lemon zest in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup.  Set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Slowly mix in dry ingredients until well combined.  Slowly add in egg white mixture and mix again.  Add remaining buttermilk and combine one final time.  Fill cupcake liners half full and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool in the pans for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

For the frosting, beat butter for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add lemon juice and zest, heavy cream, and powdered sugar (slowly, so the sugar doesn't fly everywhere!) until fully combined.  Beat on high for 3-5 minutes until fluffy.  Pipe frosting onto cupcakes when they are completely cooled.