So, I like crack.  The treat kind.  Not the life ruining, jail bound, illegal kind.
Although maybe the treat kind should be illegal.  It's easy to make, cheap, addictive, and it just takes one try to get hooked.

So consider yourself warned.  If you would like to become the friendly neighborhood crack dealer, make up a few batches, print out some tags, wrap them up, hand them to  anyone and everyone that could use a new addiction in their lives.  Remember, the first try is always free.  Sharing is caring.

You can find my recipe here, in it's old school, absolutely unpinnable glory, back from the olden days when you just blogged to blog, without the thought or the hopes of going viral on Pinterest.  Sigh... I miss those days.  Don't be alarmed at the bag of Ralph's brand chocolate chips either.  I only use Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips now, because I am not an animal.  Like Oprah says, when you know better, you do better.

So today was fun.  You know that kind of day when you show up for a birthday party that is actually tomorrow?
At least it wasn't yesterday, I suppose.
Still.  I am a grown up who might be taking this whole summer vibes deal too seriously, and might lack a little bit in the whole details on the calendar thing.
Remember last year when I was all cute and organized?
So, ya.  That was last year.
This summer has been pretty much not that.

Summer vibes forever.  Responsibility never.

So tonight I am going to make pulled pork nachos for dinner.  Because it is America and I can do what I want.

I could post a recipe, but I made a totally unrelated printable for you instead.

Glitter and nachos can make any catastrophe of a day awesome.

Well, maybe a sort of recipe would be awesome.  It's not really a recipe.
I am not taking pictures of the process.
Because I don't want to clean the kitchen.
Plus, it is just throwing some ingredients on chips and then sticking them in the oven.

If you need a step by step of that, I think there are some bigger issues at play.  Namely your deprived childhood where clearly you were raised by nacho hating wolves.

In case you are curious here is what you need:

Two of my ingredients are from Trader Joe's.  If you don't have a Trader Joe's nearby I have the number of a great real estate agent.
Chips (hello)
Cheese (duh)
Pulled pork
Plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
Chipotle salsa
Whatever your family likes on their nachos

My family is drama and only likes cheese.  They don't even like the sauce.  So I make them a lame plain pan and I make myself a loaded, spicy, saucy, one.  Jalapenos are my love language.  So is not sharing my nachos.

Prepare pork according to package
Cover a cookie sheet with foil (no scrubbing is awesome)
Throw chips on cookie sheet
Throw pork on top of chips
Add any other awesome ingredients
Top with gobs of cheese

Bake at 400º until cheese is melty

While baking make the chipotle sauce.
Highly complicated recipe:
Stir one part greek yogurt with one part salsa

Take nachos out of oven and drizzle with sauce.
Eat them right off the pan.  Remember.  America.  You can do what you want.  You are a grown up.  Even if you forget birthday parties.

So there you go.
A weird day, a printable, and totally unpinnable recipe all in one.
How awesome did today just get?

I don't even know what to call this salad (is it salad? it is salsa?) It's like Texas Caviar, except it isn't.  California Caviar? It has things like beans and it is served in a salad size bowl and we always eat it at our annual summer couples bunco.  So Bunco Bean Salad is it's current working title and I am going with it.  It is either that or I-Want-To-Marry-Cilantro-Salad.  Because I do.

It doesn't photograph well, it has a questionable name, most dudes won't touch it, but I cannot not stop eating it.  It screams school is almost over and picnics and happy times and kids napping so I can sit in a corner eating and eating and calling it my precious.

Ingredients
(Makes enough to serve a crowd)

Salad:
2 cans corn, drained
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 red onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped fine
3 ripe avocados, diced

Dressing:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup salsa (I use Pace medium)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine all salad ingredients except avocados.
Whisk all dressing ingredients together
Pour dressing over salad
Chill until ready to serve
Add avocados right before serving

Serve with tortilla chips, or just eat with a big old spoon.

My body likes protein.  It hates sugar and flour.
I do not like protein.  I like sugar and flour.
It's a constant battle, knowing that when I eat more protein, less refined carbs, I feel better.  Sometimes feeling better isn't fun.

Would I prefer quiche with a perfect, flaky, buttery, delicious pie crust?
Hello. That is a dumb question.

I also would prefer to have a delicious, protein packed, day fueling, way bigger piece of crustless quiche, which helps me save up my carbs for a cupcake later in the day.

My friend, no-blog Alicia, has drastically turned her eating upside down in the most inspiring of ways, and served this quiche to me as we sat around her table drinking coffee and chatting about life and dreams and the future.
Surprisingly, I didn't miss the crust.  It is flavorful, rich, and seems way more indulgent than it really is.

Ingredients:
7 eggs
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups frozen chopped broccoli (or your favorite veggies)
1/2 cup half & half
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 pieces of bacon cooked and crumbled
Pepper to taste
Whisk eggs, stir in the remaining ingredients, sprinkle the bacon on top.
Pour into a lightly greased (or sprayed with Pam) pie dish
Bake at 375º for 40 minutes.

Serves six.
Approx. 310 calories per hearty slice.

*Also great divided up into twelve cupcake lined muffin tins.
Easy and portable, and quick to heat up in the microwave the next day.
Two muffins per 310 calorie serving.

Yay protein.  And cupcakes. And not making Myfitnesspal mad.

Last year I baked, and ate, and ate, and baked, and fell in love with a cookie.
A simple cookie with way too long of a name.
A cookie that makes me think of snow and pine trees and cozy quilts.
A cookie that isn't going to win any beauty pageants, but has what matters most- it's crazy delicious.
This year was going to be the year to bake White Chocolate Cranberry Cream Cheese Snickerdoodles.
Then my cookie scoop broke. 
Don't go messing with my cookie scoop.
Plan B was stolen right from the mind of Jami Nato.
Cookie dough to go.
Brilliant, right?  Because the homely looking, delicious tasting, too many words in the title, cookie could have been passed over in the vast sea of holiday treats that find their way into our parties, doorsteps, and offices.
Cookie dough to tuck in your fridge or freezer, to bake at your leisure, say when you are in need of eating some Christmas-is-already-over feelings, however would be a welcome delight.

Meet White Chocolate Cranberry Cream Cheese Snickerdoodles version 2.0:

A sleeker name.
A cute package.
Same glorious insides.

You might just feel the need to save a batch for yourself, you know, for quality control, and safety testing issues.
Each snickerdoodle pouch makes three dough rolls.  Each dough roll makes one dozen cookies.
I was able to bust out twelve in one naptime.  With multiple jalapeno Cheeto breaks in between, obviously.
With no cookie scoop, and one oven, baking twelve dozen cookies would have taken me twelve dozen years.
The dough plan is SO MUCH BETTER.

Happy dough rolling.

Download the printable labels here.

I'm a girl.
I get emo.
No getting around that issue.
The last six months have been full of so much change, so much loss, so many decisions, honestly, just so very much of everything.

Sunday I woke up with a cold, and just broke.
After church I shut myself in our room and slept the entire day away, which is something I never ever, ever do.  It was so needed.  I recommend indulging in a little breakdown day here and there.

My emo feelings are usually accompanied by chocolate and peanut butter.  Lots of feelings.  Lots of eating of said feelings.  Making things in the kitchen is how I deal.  Oh how I wish that I was one of those starve through your feelings people.  Sign me up for that coping mechanism.

Two things were on the top of my Eat My Feelings list.  Two things that I wanted to make.
First thing?  Buckeye Bark.  Heather put a pic of her eating said feelings via Buckeye bark a few weeks ago.  Yes please.
Second thing? Buckeye Truffles.
The thing is, my feelings needed to be eaten quickly.  Truffles seemed too labor intensive.
A decision needed to be made.  A new recipe needed to be created.  One that would be like if Buckeye Bark and Buckeye Truffles had a baby, and that baby was an amazing therapist.

Meet that delicious baby.
I named it Emotional Breakdown Bark.

Let's call a spade a spade.  If you are going to eat your feelings- EAT YOUR FEELINGS WELL.

Ingredients:
2 bags chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk, whatever is your fave)
Shortening
1 cup crushed pretzels
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Directions:
Peanut butter drizzle:
Cut into squares using a very sharp big knife.

I couldn't get the mint brownies out of my head and when I saw the fudge covered coconut Oreos, I knew that I needed them in my life, and that they were going to be this month's Pintertest.  (As if I needed a reason to make them... plus I had a rough day, and while brownies don't fix everything, they sure don't hurt.)  In case you are a weirdo who likes coconut flavor, but not coconut texture these are the treats for you.  Zero coconut flakes.  Zero texture.  All the yummy flavor.  Maybe the best Oreos in the history of Oreos.  Although the birthday cake ones were something special.  I miss those bad boys.


You will need:
1 box brownie mix plus ingredients to prepare it (NOT the 9x13 family size)
1 package fudge covered coconut Oreos (I found them at Walmart)
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
2 tablespoons coconut milk (or half & half, whole milk, or evaporated milk)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla

Make brownie mix according to package. Chop half the package of Oreos and stir them into the brownie batter. Pour batter into a greased 9x9 pan. Bake according to brownie mix directions. 
Once your brownies are done let them cool for an hour. With an electric beater, mix together 1/4 cup butter, powdered sugar, coconut milk, and coconut extract until fluffy. 
Spread frosting over brownies. 
To make chocolate glaze, combine 1/4 cup butter, chocolate chips and heat in the microwave in thirty second intervals, stirring in between, until melted. After chocolate chips are melted, stir in vanilla. 
Pour over frosting and spread with a rubber spatula. Chop remainder of Oreos and scatter on top of frosting. Chill one hour before cutting.

I love monkey bread.  LOVE it. 
I love brinner.
I love to bring people meals.  I love for those meals to be the unexpected treat of brinner.
Because there is just so much pasta/ chicken randomness/ that someone can take.

The thing is, monkey bread is sort of time consuming, not difficult, but it does take a while to prep, plus it really only tastes good when baked in a bundt pan.
The world has yet to invent a disposable bundt pan, and since our crazy schedule often means that I often drop off the meals early for the family to bake at their leisure, the monkey bread situation has been complicated.

Thankfully, my friend Amanda had a blueberry version, served in a normal baking dish, at a bridal shower and instagrammed the recipe card.

In my excitement, I didn't really pay attention to the ingredients and accidentally mad my own little version.  Mine has more brown sugar and eliminates the step of rolling the Grands in cinnamon sugar. 
More brown sugar and less steps?  Yes please.

Here is what you will need:

1 can buttermilk Grands biscuits
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar
1/2 cup quick oats
2 cups blueberries

Grease 9x12 pan (If you are taking it to a friend, consider sending it in a disposable foil pan. I stock up at Costco.)
Tear Grands into pieces, place in pan
Melt butter and brown sugar together over low heat until bubbly, stirring frequently

Pour over Grands

Mix together rinsed blueberries, cinnamon sugar, and  oats
Spread on top of Grands/ brown sugar mixture
Bake at 375º for 20-30 minutes until Grands are golden brown.

It is a perfect accompaniment to Make Ahead Breakfast Bake.
Now I want brinner.

I'm a tortilla chip snob.  My favorite place to buy them is closed on Sunday.  Many a sad Sunday has been spent chipless.  Hobby Lobby, Chick-fil-a, and the chip store, all break my heart on Sunday.

More than anything I am a salsa snob.
Not in the whole Pace Picante MADE IN NEW YORK CITY kind of way either.

When Drew made this salsa I fell in love.  It became known to us as Pilgrim salsa, just so we could find a way to deem it appropriate to make for Thanksgiving.  For sure it was in the larder on the Mayflower.  FOR SURE.  It is that good.

However, Pilgrim salsa is sort of labor intensive.

Then she got me hooked on Trader Joe's Salsa Especial.  It's unreal how good it tastes.  I can and eat a whole container with no chips- just a spoon, in one sitting.

My newest love, Salsa Especial, ain't cheap.

What is a girl who needs salsa, almost as much as she needs oxygen, to do?

Find an easy recipe, and then tweak it obvs.  In my beloved Ninja.  That thing is working overtime lately.  Smoothies by day.  Salsa and Awesomesauce by night.  (Please ignore the cupcakes.  They are evil to this whole fasting from sugar nonsense.)




Kim gets it.  Who needs the dumb chips?
Just throw a straw in that action.
Or pour it in a bowl, gazpacho style.
Mmmmmmmmm.
MyFitnessPal approved.

 Pineapple cake mix, some doctored up buttercream, plus sweeteened coconut with a tan.  That's it.

The pineapple cake mix can be hard to find.  It is hit or miss for me.  Depends on the season, depends on the grocery store.  I always stock up when I do find it.  If it isn't in your hood, Amazon has it here.

Bake cupcakes according to box directions.
I always make 18 instead of the recommended 24.  I like my cupcakes big and rounded.
I also bake them at 325º for a few more minutes.  It seems to help them from flattening out.



 Sweetened coconut is delicious, but toasted coconut is CRAZY DELICIOUS, and also easy and fancy.

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Nutella for stuffing
White sugar for rolling

Cream together butter and peanut butter.  Add both sugars and beat together until fluffy.  Add in egg, milk, vanilla and mix until smooth.  Sift together flour, baking powder and soda, then add slowly to wet ingredients.  Mix until combined.
Place in fridge for thirty minutes.

When dough is chilled, using a cookie scoop, roll each ball of dough in white sugar before placing on a cookie sheet.  Don't have a cookie scoop?  Stop what you are doing right now and order one.  After living my whole life without one, I am pretty sure that I physically cannot make cookies without one.  If you like cookies to look all janky, and for your life to be way harder, don't get one.  But if you like pretty, uniform cookies, faster and with less mess, treat yo'self.

Speaking of treats, I recently treated myself to a silicone baking mat after wondering what the big deal with them was.  I mean how great could they really be?
I GET IT.  I get the big deal.  The cookies bake evenly, and slide off easier.  Everything about it is awesome. Except for the fact that I only have one.  Now I have to wait for it to cool between batches.
Sigh... pesky rich people problems.   It might be time to treat myself to a few more.

Next, take an additional sugar rolled, cookie scooped ball of dough, flatten it out slightly between your hands, then press it on top of the Nutella mountain.  Smash down the lot of them.

Bake at 350º for 11-14 minutes.  (My oven runs an exact 13 minutes.)
They won't look totally done.  Take them out anyway.  Trust me on this one.  You want them to be soft and chewy.  Let them chill out on the cookie sheet for five minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire cooling rack.

Then eat.  And eat.  Repeat.  Then get them the heck out of your house, because they are evil and addictive.  Plus, cookies shared, are the best kind of cookies.

Makes 18 big, beautiful, magical, willpower destroying, cookies.

Make these.
Now.
Go to Target, walk back to the holiday baking section.
Buy every single pouch of Betty Crocker snickerdoodle mix that they have.
Trust me.  It is the unicorn of cookie mixes.  Difficult to find, but so magical when you do.

Then rush home.
Preheat your oven to 375º

Ingredients:
1 pouch Betty Crocker snickerdoodle cookie mix
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon water
1 egg
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips

Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth.
Open cookie mix.
Set aside cinnamon sugar packet.

Add water, egg and cookie mix to cream cheese mixture.
Stir until soft dough forms.
Add in cranberries and white chocolate chips.

Cover & refrigerate 30 minutes.

After that horrible 30 minutes is over, drop rounded spoonfuls of dough into cinnamon sugar.
(Have I told you lately how much I am in love with my cookie scoop?  How did I wait so long to finally buy one?)
Roll to coat.

Place two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake a 375º for 8-9 minutes until edges are set.
Cool one minute then transfer to cooling rack.

Cool completely then gobble them up.
Or share them with your neighbors and friends.
Totally up to you.  But I won't judge you if you don't.
Because it is super hard.  They are way too good.

{adapted from my fave Betty Crocker.}

*When I run out of my snickerdoodle stockpile I am going to try making these with the easier to obtain sugar cookie mix and cinnamon sugar.  I'll let you know how they compare.

So it is as hot as the face of the sun, this week flew by, I am feeling better since our car crash adventure, and fall is making it's way into my summer loving heart.

How was your week?
Don't tell me that you wore a scarf.  Because that is just plain mean.

Checking one thing off of my Less Pinning.  More Doing. list.
{Sort of.}  I am a great starter of projects.  Pretty poor finisher.  This little leaf garland would be finished and hanging someplace festive if I bought the proper needle.  Don't grab the crochet needle in the yarn section.  It will only poke through thin air.  You will lose a thumb or other important digit if you ask it to go through a simple piece of lowly felt.  The nerve.  As soon as I get a sharp, weapon-y needle, a rainbowesque cascade of felt leaves will greet me each day.  For now the dumb dull needle is just taunting me.  Jerk.

BTDubs, or "by the way" for you people that like using proper English...
The app I use to make little collages for Instagram is called PicFrame.  It is super easy and has tons of cool options.

While in my frosting snobbery, I never think that store bought frosting is acceptable, I do have a soft spot in my heart for the wonder that is Cool Whip.  In fact I just pulled a batch of Puffs out of the oven for a graduation party, and had to hold myself back from licking the beaters clean from their delicious cool whippiness.
But there comes a time and a place to make the real deal.

Fresh real whipped cream.  There is nothing like it.  Nothing.  If by chance you have never tried making it, for fear that it is difficult, you will be pleasantly surprised.  It is pretty much as easy as it gets.  Promise.
You don't need a Kitchenaid (although that would be nice), you just need a basic hand held mixer.  A whisk attachment is handy, but not necessary.
Freeze a metal bowl and your beaters, follow the instructions on the carton and be amazed.
(Be warned, if you buy this brand, there are no instructions on the carton.  Major fail.  Google will have to step in and help.)
I give you to the end of June to take on this challenge.  I will be checking on your progress and sharing some of my favorite uses for the whipped magic.

As my Aqua Apron Sisters and I get ready for our annual Mother's Day Brunch, I wanted to share with you one of our most favorite girlie treats.  A party just isn't a party without them.  Lots and lots of them.

Why?  No clue.  They are not puffy, do not involve any ingredients that have involve the word puff, yet that is the name and we are sticking with it.
They are sweet and cute and bite sized and happiness all in one little cup.

What do you need for these super easy non-puffy little Puffs?


Ingredients:
Makes 48
2 packages break and bake sugar cookie dough
1 tub whipped cream cheese
1 tub Cool Whip
1/4 cup sugar
Your favorite berries


If you have a 24 piece cookie dough pack, place one of each in a mini muffin pan.
If it is a 12 piece dough, break each one in half.
I happen to have a silicone mini muffin tin which I love.  They pop out super easy.  But if you have a regular metal mini muffin tin, be sure to Pam or grease it well first.

Have you ever been invited to a Pampered Chef party and didn't know what to buy?
Now you do.  You NEED this little wood handled wonder, the magical Tart Shaper.
I don't use it much, but I am so very glad that I have it.  When it comes out of the drawer it means it is Puff time.  Puff time equals happy time.

Pull the cookies out when they are almost done.
I usually shave a few minutes off of what the package recommends, so they are soft enough to press little indents with the tart shaper.
Be quick.  As soon as they start to cool, they will crack as you press them down.
After they have cooled in the muffin pan, transfer them to a cooling rack.

While the happy cookie cups are cooling, combine the cream cheese, Cool Whip and sugar in a bowl.  Whip together with an electric mixer on high.
Pipe mixture into each cup with a pastry bag or Ziploc bag with a snipped corner (my fancy method of choice.)
Top with sliced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or your favorite combination.

Then try to eat just one.  Dozen.

Happy Puff time!