mmmm....these were so good...


Danielle, you started this up by sending me your burger recipe (thanks again!). I altered it a bit with the cheese and they were soooo good. A must in everyone's summer meal planning!

Hamburgers Stuffed with Cheese

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
Cheese of choice; crumbled into pieces (blue cheese, old cheddar, whatever your heart desires!)

Freeze crumbled cheese for at least two hours. While you're heating up the Barbecue, do the following:

Mix ground beef with bread crumbs and BBQ sauce. Form into patties. Make a divot in the middle of each patty. Stick some frozen cheese in there. Reform patty so that divot is completely covered. Grill 4-6 minutes per side.

Serve on buns (I like those new multi-grain skinny buns - they're great!) with desired condiments. And don't forget the pickles. You gotta' have the pickles!

Serve alongside sweet potatoe fries; even better.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

photo by fivecatsonedognokids on flickr

Okay, this isn't good. I've found another cookie to smother with love. Yet another food item to add to the craving list!

I made these today and passed samples out at the school to be Mom-Approved. They were met with the appropriate oooh's and ahh's that give this cookie thumbs up for Cookies and Catwalks. They are very comparable to the Mint Girl Guide Cookies. Sorry, girls! Looks like you've got competition!

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cups unsalted butter
1/2 cup refined white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used half semisweet, half milk chocolate)

Melt butter then put in electric mixer. Add white and brown sugars. Cream together then add remaining ingredients. Drop cookie sized portions of dough on sheet and bake for 10 minutes in 350 degree oven.

So my daughter boots me out of the kitchen the other night so she can bake. That's my cue to take off and let her do her magic. She whipped up these delicious orange thingies that really impressed me! They were gone by the next morning. Because she's very kind-hearted, Sam is willing to share her recipe with all of you. Even if she isn't willing to share kitchen space.

Samantha's Orange Biscuits

SYRUP
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. grated orange peel

BISCUITS
2 cups white flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
7/8 cup skim milk

2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Syrup: Mix all 5 ingredients into small saucepan. Heat and stir until butter is melted. Pour into greased 9" x 9" pan. (Samantha used a circular pie pan for this).

Biscuits: Measure first three ingredients into large bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Make a well in the middle. Pour milk into well. Stir until moistened and mixture forms a ball of dough.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead 6 times. Roll out into rectangle.

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in small cup. Sprinkle over dough. Roll up, jelly roll style, beginning at long end. Cut into 1" thick slices. With cut side up, place on top of syrup mixture in pan.

Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

The Wall Pasta

Now that biking season is back in full force, I contend with my nemesis: The Wall.

This climb located in Durham Forest is known to many riders and I throw myself at its mercy at the beginning of every season; using it as my measuring stick to see just how badly my body has withered over winter hibernation (and egg nog, and rum balls, and New Year's chocolate fountains...).

Well, I'm happy to say that I climbed that @#!# hill last night while riding with some very encouraging women - I couldn't have done it without you, girls! You reminded me that giving up right at the end would leave me with a feeling much worse than the burning in my legs.

So this page is dedicated to said wall. Even though I despise you, you're good for me. And you give me a great excuse to splurge on carbs - after all, that hard work deserves a reward!


photo by annamatic3000 on flickr

Pasta à la Wall

1 box whole wheat spaghetti
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teasponn crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 - 1/2 cup cold pressed olive oil

In large pot, boil salted water then add spaghetti until al dente. Drain. Meanwhile, in large skillet, saute garlic, parsley and red pepper with olive oil over medium heat. Cook until fragrant and garlic turns golden; about ten minutes. Toss infused olive oil with spaghetti.

Super Easy BBQ Chicken Calzones

photo by meghanrmurphy on flickr

Who doesn't love a good calzone? Throw some leftover BBQ chicken in the mix and I dare you to walk away from this one! A winner with my hubby and super easy to make (hence the title)!

3-4 BBQ'd chicken breasts; sliced thin
2 cups barbecue sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
chopped fresh cilantro
2 tins Pillsbury pizza dough

Add sliced chicken to a large skillet on medium high heat. Add barbecue sauce and stir. Cook until heated through. Meanwhile, roll out one tin of pizza dough. Slice dough in half to create dough for two calzones.

Spoon 1/4 of the chicken mixture (piled high) on one half of each dough section. Top both with 1/4 of the shredded mozzarella, then top each with cilantro. Fold dough over toppings and seal edges. Repeat with remaining tin and ingredients.

Place in oven at 400 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes until brown and heated through.

Fish Tacos

Ever since the film, "I Love You, Man", I've been wanting to try fish tacos. Peter Klaven and Sydney Fife make them sound so good as they're gulping down pints during their first man-date.

While in New York, I ordered these up at a little Mexican Cantina. They were so simple; not drowning in sauce. These fish tacos just lived on the simplicity of fresh cilantro and squeezed limes. I recreated this at home and was very happy to succeed.



Fish Tacos

Olive Oil
3 - 6 fillets of Tilapia
Generous supply of Lime Juice
Generous supply of Fresh Cilantro; chopped
Salt
Soft Tortillas

Heat olive oil in skillet on medium high heat. Add fish fillets. Fry fish until it is no longer opaque; breaking up the fillets until flaked apart. 5-10 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer.

Squeeze some of the fresh lime juice all over fish and add some of the chopped cilantro. Mix together. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

Place fish on one half of soft shell tortilla. Top with heaping amount of fresh cilantro. Squeeze generous portion of lime juice. Fold the other half of shell over the toppings so it is now in the shape of a taco. Cram this baby into your mouth. Repeat as many times as desired.

Olé!