Thematic Thursdays- Chocolate Chips!!

So encase you didn't know or had forgot, today is National Chocolate Chip day! In honor of this yummy day I am posting some of my favorite recipes using up those tiny treasures:) Again not in any special order:

1. Graham Cracker Brownies. The beauty of these little guys is that you can whip them up in no time and I normally have all the ingredients on hand:)
2. Easy Double Chocolate Chip Brownies   These are SO yummy and easy that I hardly ever use a mix anymore!
3. Peanut Butter Snack Cake. This cake is EASY, so yummy, and soft yet it doesn't even have any frosting.
4. Vanilla Chip Cake  This is a bundt cake that is a nice change of pace because it is like a vanilla pound cake with just a sprinkle of chocolate chips throughout. 
5. German Chocolate Brownies. ENOUGH said! I am sure if you have ever had these there is no doubt they should be on everyone's list of favorite desserts:)
6. Chocolate Chip Pie  I made this pie for Steve one night on a whim and Boy did he LOVE it! It is like the best parts of pecan pie but with the taste of a chocolate chip cookie.
7. Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake. This is my go to cake if I have to take something to a potluck or meeting and don't want to spend much time in the kitchen. It is dense and moist and the ingredients are brainless!

I suppose I shouldn't sign off without mentioning Chocolate Chip Cookies. But to be honest CCC's are such a personal taste thing that the recipes are there range far and wide! I am still looking for my favorite. I prefer a soft fat cookie with a butter taste, but maybe you prefer a flat crisp cookie. Oh well Steve is more than a willing Guinea Pig on my never ending quest for the "just right" recipe:) Hope you bake something chocolate "Chippy" today and think of me. Let me know if you want a recipe for something I couldn't find a link for and I will email it to you.

Tasty Tuesday- Weekly Menu 5-10

So since my recipes are meeting with mixed reviews I thought I would go simpler this Tuesday and share a weekly menu. I actually make my menus up 2 weeks at a time due to military paydays, but I thought that would be to boring of a post.  You may notice that I am only posting 6 meals. This is because I alot one day a week for either eating out or leftovers. So without further ado this is what the Goodmans are eating this week:

Lunches:

Chili Dogs, Grapes, Chips

PBJ, Pretzels, Bananas

Toasted Ravioli, Salad, Oranges

Sandwich Melts, Apples& Dip, Chips

Frito Pie, Fresh Pineapple

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, Chips, Oranges

Dinners:

Blackened Tilapia, Rice Pilaf, Steamed Veggies

Grilled Hot Dogs, Baked Beans, Strawberries

Pizza & Salad

Spatchcocked Chicken, Cucumber Salad, Crash Potatoes

Fake Filet O Fish, Coleslaw, Fries

Sausage Rigatoni Bake, Ceaser Salad, Garlic Bread

                                      

And because life isn't worth living without Dessert, I am making:

Blackberry Cobbler, Banana Cookies, Earthquake Cake.

If any of this sounds yummy and you would like the recipe be sure and leave me a comment and I will either email the recipe or send you the link. I am trying a few new things this week  so hopefully I will have something delicious to blog about next Tuesday:)

Thematic Thursday- Summertime fun

So today was a warm 94 degrees, which made it feel all to much like summer was already here at the beginning of May! So in honor of the summer days to come I am listing off some of my favorite Summer things. As usual these are in no particular order:)

1)Sprinkler/Pool time for my kids! I love being able to shove my guys in the backyard in swimsuits with Popsicles and let them run off their energy!

2)Summer Fruits and Veggies:) I love how fresh fruits and veggies are so much more affordable and plentiful this time of year. We have already been enjoying blackberries, strawberries, watermelon and asparagus on a daily basis! Can't wait for corn, cucumbers and even "tomuckoes" to come in season. I am especially impatient for some of my garden to harvest!

3)I am totally in love with the scent Summer Orchard at Bath&Body Works. It smells so fresh, yet isn't to heavy. I have been burning either my candle or the oil almost everyday.

4)I probably don't even need to mention my forever continuing obsession with flops, but I can't help it. I cover my feet up as few months of the year as possible and then bask in the glory of painted toenails and flip-flops all the rest of the year! As you can see from my flip flop holder I cleaned house a little in order to make room for the new ones I am sure to find and fall in love with this summer:)

5)Grilling!!! I have been making my husband grill about every other day here lately. I love how it feels like I didn't have to "cook" when all I do is throw together a fresh side dish and prepare a big pitcher of iced tea. We have grilled everything here lately except fish. I think we are going to tackle that one though before the summer is over.  One of my very favorites is just good ole burgers. Wish I had a pic of the tasty ones Steve made the other day, but didn't think of it at the time.

Well ladies that wraps it up for today. Jot a short comment letting me know what your favorite thing about summer is! P.S. Had to include a close up of the cute garden markers my kids decorated for our little garden. Thought they did such a good job with their veggies:)

Tasty Tuesday-Poke Cupcakes

If your stores are anything like around here you are finding an abundance of cheap strawberries! Here is one of my husbands favorite ways to eat up those red berries. This is a take on one my mother in laws recipes. Recipe is a loose term, really it is more like a few directions! 

Whatcha ya need:

1. Boxed White Cake Mix and ingredients to make it (egg whites, oil, water)
2. Small box of instant strawberry jello
3. Strawberries, sliced and sprinkled with sugar so that they form a small amount of juice.
4. One small Container of cool whip ( I actually used a can of spray whip, I bought several at Sam's cheap and I needed to use them up!)

Start by preparing and baking the cupcakes according to box directions. Let the cupcakes cool slightly. Prepare strawberry jello by mixing ONLY with 1 cup boiling water. Proceed to poke several holes in the top of your cupcakes with a fork or toothpick.

Once your cupcakes are poked take your strawberry jello and pour right on top of cupcakes. The slower you do this the better the absorption of the jello. I also recommend doing this over your sink. I made a HUGE mess during this step!

Allow cupcakes to set and cool completely before topping with cool whip and strawberries. I also recommend only topping the amount you plan to eat. The cupcakes don't save so well with cool whip and strawberries already on them unless you keep them in the Fridge, and I don't know about you but I rarely have room to store 2 dozen cupcakes in my fridge!

Hope you enjoy these easy seasonal treats! If you don't want all the hassle of cupcakes this recipe is EVEN easier made as a 9x13 cake! Either way I don't want any comments telling me this recipe has to many steps for you all!;)

Manic Monday- Happiness Is...

Short but Sweet today! Here are a few things that are making me smile lately.

Flowers from my Honey for NO GOOD REASON! Aren't they pretty? He said he just wanted to brighten my day!

Beautiful! Cheap! Big Blackberries! I have been putting these in the yummiest smoothies. Gets my morning off to such a good start:)

The Yummy Smoothie previously mentioned. Easy Peasy! Blend the following together in a blender till smooth:

• 1 Container thick vanilla yogurt
• 8-12 fresh blackberries
• 1/4 cup OJ (more if needed to thin to taste)
• 1 scoop vanilla ice cream (about 1/4 a cup)
• 4-6 ice cubes
• Dash of vanilla

Makes 2 generous smoothies! I always start with the smaller amount and add more as I eyeball the consistency.

   The hoard of wild Roses right outside my kitchen window. Who wouldn't smile to see a hundred blooms everyday?

They aren't always grins and giggles but I do so love these smiling faces!

Hope your Monday was filled with Happiness and Smiles.

Tasty Tuesday-Milk Dud Cupcakes

SO I have this fetish for this particular straws that can only be had in a grocery store found in Texas. I happened to know that a friend of ours was going house hunting down in Texas and in order to bribe him into buying said straws I promised him baked goods of his choice. His exact words for his choice were " I want a chocolate cupcake with something to do with caramel". So I looked all over the web for chocolate caramel cupcakes. There were like 2 whole recipes and they looked pretty intense. So I decided to get creative. What I came up with is these: Milk Dud Cupcakes.

Now don't get to excited. In my opinion they looked better than they actually were. However I am not a huge frosting person and the caramel frosting was super on the sweet side! The guy I baked them for LOVED them though. Therefore you must all bake these and give me your professional opinions;)

OK enough background info, onto the recipe!

For the actual cupcake portion you will need: 

• Chocolate Cake mix of your choice. I used Duncan Hines Devils Food.
• Ingredients to make Cake mix according to package. (Eggs, Oil, Water...)
• 24 unwrapped caramels
• Not necessary but I highly recommend FOIL cupcake liners.

Prepare Cake mix according to package directions. Then fill cupcake liners not even half full. Put in oven for 5 mins only! Take out and insert one upwrapped caramel into each cake and cover with enough cake mix to make liners 2/3 full. Bake about 18 minutes more or until toothpick inserted into actual cake part (not the caramel!) comes out clean. What you will have when you pull these out is a cakey milk dud! The caramel will have sunk to the bottom and become chewy, hence the name:) This is where the foil liners come in handy. The caramel has a tendency to stick to the bottom of the liner, the foil ones are more non stick.

Now for the Caramel Frosting to ice these guys you will need:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 cup packed brown sugar ( I used Dark brown. DON'T recommend this, made them to sweet!)
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons half & half

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 * Extra Ingredient: Box of Milk Dud Candies.

Here is what you want to do:

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter then add the milk and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and beat in 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar. Cool slightly, then at medium to almost high speed beat in the remaining 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar.You may need a little more or less powdered sugar depending on the consistency you like to work with for frosting. I had to refrigerate my frosting to get it to set up right and it was still a little on the runny side, so if you have better success let me know what you did! This step may not be neccassary and if so go right to icing your cupcakes. After you make them pretty:) be sure to top each one with a milk dud!

So go! Bake these and make me world famous. Or bake these and when they are horrible pretend you have no idea what went wrong, cause you know I would never bake something like that!;)

Manic Monday-Toilet Paper, Teeth and other Tidbits

SO since I said I can post whatever I want on Mondays, and I didn't post a Family Friday, I am going to post a few tidbits from our family over the last week. 

Starting with the big news for our big boy. My favorite six year old in the world lost his first tooth last week! Funny enough on the same day his six year old uncle did:) He actually lost another tooth over the weekend so here is the timeline in pictures:

Next in Family News: I have two little Monsters! Literally! See I have this basket in the Main Bathroom, it holds toilet paper, it looks like this:

So I go into that bathroom last week and I see this:

Now it is not unusual for me to find 1 roll missing, but to find 2!!? So I immediately holler for my children and ask "does anyone know what happened to the toilet paper?" Gilly scampers off to return holding a raggy, dirty, looks like may have been chewed on 1/3 of a roll of toilet paper. She hands it to me and says matter of factly " My brother and I were trying to be mummies yesterday and the blankets wouldn't stay wound up so good. But the toilet paper worked great!" Wish I had seen that! Don't ask where I was or what I was doing apparently my children run the show around here. Also wish I had taken pic of gnarly TP or little tiny mummies but no such luck:(

And finally because somehow she always gets the shaft since her brother is such a ham, I thought I would share a pic of my little sous chef:

She takes her job so seriously! But she is such a joy to me, and has really become a big help in the kitchen.

Well Folks that's all I have for today! 

P.S. I heard some of you don't prefer to be emailed my posts. If this is the case please leave me a comment telling me so and I will take you off the list. NO Biggie!:)

Thematic Thursday- Going Green

Since today is Earth Day I am posting my favorite "green" items. These are in no particular order:)

• My Patty Reed reusable totes! These are SO pretty and sturdy. I get TONS of compliments on them. I hardly ever shop with out them anymore. If you would like to pick some up and don't happen to have a Fred Meyer store available, go to her website. Totally worth the money, had lots of reusable shopping bags, these are tops!   

• My reusable Starbucks cups. I own both the cool beverage and hot beverage cups. They both look exactly like the disposable version but are totally reusable down to the straw! Plus they keep my drink warm/cold for hours longer than the paper ones.

                                             

• My Garden! I planted a little square foot garden this year. And due to limited growing time (we move 1st of July) I could only plant fast things. Therefore I basically planted salsa:) you know tomatoes, jalapenos, green peppers, and cilantro. The only thing I won't be putting in my salsa is my cucumbers! I couldn't take a pic because it was to dark. But I will probably post about my garden another day anyway.

Well sadly enough I am obviously not very "green" cause I really couldn't think of anything else earth friendly that I do. We used to recycle but since we moved this lil ole town doesn't offer it. I guess I will have to strive a little harder to be reduce/reuse friendly. In the mean time I will be content with  looking cool with my reusable tote and Starbucks cup!;)