White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie

So, I have never made white chocolate macadamia nut cookies before...and I actually didn't even realize how much I LOVED them, until my husband got one the other day from Subway. I took a bite of his cookie and oh my gosh, it was sooo good! I decided that I needed to bake some...so, I did...and they were amazing!! One of my new favorite cookies right now. I love the creamy and silkiness of the white chocolate  and the salty crunch from the macadamia nut. YUMMY!

Ingredients:

- 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened

- 1 cup sugar

- 3/4 cup brown sugar

- 2 eggs

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1 tsp baking soda

- 2 1/2 cups flour

- 1 cup white chocolate chips (or more)

- 1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

In an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs, mix well. Gradually add flour and baking soda, mix until well combined. Stir in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.

This cookie dough was the best stuff ever!! As you can see :)

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350' for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool before removing from cookie sheet. 

AMAZING!! Eat a whole bunch of them with some ice cold milk and enjoy :)

Layered Salad

Here is my version of a layered salad, well my mom taught it to me (of course) so I guess you can call it her version. :) You can add or omit ANY ingredients you would like with this salad. Sometimes I add crispy, crumbled bacon and tomatoes on top, other times I leave it out and just top with fresh parmesan shavings. This salad is so yummy and versatile!

Ingredients:

-  1 head of iceberg lettuce, chopped

- 2  celery stalks, chopped

- 1/2 small red onion, chopped

- 1 small green pepper, finely chopped

- 3/4 to 1 cup frozen young green peas, partially thawed

- 1 cup mayonnaise

- 1 tablespoon sugar

- salt & pepper to taste

- fresh parmesan, shaved

Add a little salt and pepper to chopped lettuce. Start layering lettuce, celery, onion, green pepper and peas in a large bowl. (Glass looks best, so you can see all the layers.) Mix mayo and sugar together. Spread over salad to seal. Top with parmesan shavings. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

*Top with any additional ingredients you would like. (croutons, bacon, cheddar cheese, green onions, tomatoes, etc...it's all up to you! ENJOY!

Strawberry Banana Green Smoothie

Sometimes in the morning I do not have much of an appetite, but I am hungry...just nothing sounds good. (yes, even being 8 months pregnant!)  So, I decided to make a green smoothie this morning and it was amazing! I LOVE spinach and arugula in my smoothies, I know it sounds a little weird if you haven't tried it...but trust me, it really is so good! Just give it a try. This smoothie is pretty healthy, no added sugars...just fresh fruit and some veggies and a little milk. You can add anything you like and make it your own.

YUM!!

Ingredients:

- 1 banana

- 3 or 4 strawberries

- a couple handfuls of baby spinach & arugula

- about a cup of milk

- handful of ice

Mix all ingredients together in a blender and that's it! 

The arugula and spinach gives it such a nice, fresh and spicy taste. I can't tell you enough how much I love this green smoothie!! Leaves me feeling great and refreshed. (Unlike some days when I eat a egg and cheese biscuit or other fatty foods for breakfast, that leave me feeling sluggish and tired all morning.)

Garlic Roasted Cauliflower

I'm sure everyone probably knows how to cook cauliflower...but just in case, I wanted to share this easy and yummy way of roasting cauliflower. I hardly think to buy or cook it, but I bought a fresh head of cauliflower the other day and roasted it last night with some garlic and parmesan cheese and it turned out great. Simple and healthy recipe, my kids loved it too!

Ingredients:

- 1 head of fresh cauliflower, trimmed and cut into chunks

- olive oil

- garlic salt

- black pepper

- parmesan cheese

Toss together cauliflower, some olive oil, garlic salt and black pepper in a baking or roasting pan. Bake at 375' for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.  Top with a handful of parmesan cheese and broil for 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown. 

Honey Garlic Crunch Chicken

I have seen this double crunch honey garlic chicken floating around Pinterest for a while now...and I have finally gotten around to trying it out for myself. I made a couple small adjustments to make it my own and it turned out fabulous! It was such a tender, moist chicken with a nice spicy crunch and yummy sauce. Such a simple recipe, you have to try it!

Ingredients: (for the chicken)

- 2 chicken breasts

- flour

- garlic salt

- black pepper

- ground thyme

- ground nutmeg

- cayenne pepper

 Mix seasonings together with flour.

Cut your chicken breasts in half, making 4 chicken cutlets. If chicken is still thick, place between plastic wrap and pound thin using a meat mallet. (this makes really tender chicken)

Make an egg wash using 1 to 2 eggs and a splash of milk. 

Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dip chicken in spice and flour mixture. Dip chicken in egg wash, and then back into flour mixture once more, coating well.

Heat a skillet to a medium heat with some vegetable oil, covering the bottom. 

Fry on both sides about 4 to 5 minutes each, turning once, until you get a nice golden brown color.

Ingredients: (For the sauce)

- 3 garlic cloves, minced

- 3/4 cup honey

- 1/4 cup soy sauce

- 2 green onions, chopped

- 1 tsp ginger (fresh or ground)

- a little crushed red pepper (if you like spicy)

Saute minced garlic in olive oil on medium heat until softened. Add honey, soy sauce, green onions, ginger and crushed red pepper. Simmer together for 5 to 10 minutes. 

Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

 I served with white rice and garlic roasted cauliflower. It was delicious!

Twice Baked Potatoes

I have had a request to post about my twice baked potatoes. These are awesome and easy to make; perfect pairing with a nice grilled steak. I love to make these when I have a big crowd  for dinner, because it's just as easy to make 8 (or more) if you're already making 2. You can make them in advance and store in the refrigerator until it's time to twice bake them and serve...that way you aren't scrambling to make everything at once while you have guests and other things to cook. Another good thing about these potatoes is, nothing has to be exact. You can add any ingredients you like and however much you want. My secret to making these twice baked potatoes taste amazing is adding a little mayonnaise and some creamy Velveeta cheese. YUM!

Ingredients:

- 4 baking potatoes

- 1/2 stick of butter

- 1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise

- 1/4 to 1/2 cup sour cream

- splash of half n half (milk or heavy cream is fine too, whatever you have on hand)

- season salt (Lawry's is the best, and I use this stuff on everything...get some!)

- garlic salt

- black pepper

- 1/2 to 3/4 cup Velveeta cheese 

- handful of cheddar cheese for topping 

*You can add green onions, bacon bits, etc..anything you want!

Wrap your potatoes individually in aluminum foil. I like to rub a little olive oil, salt and pepper on my potatoes before wrapping in foil. (it makes for a tasty potato skin). Bake at 400' for about 1 hour or until done. (You can test for doneness by gently squeezing the middle of the potato, using a pot holder. If it gives in easily to your touch, it is done.)

Let potatoes cool, before slicing them lengthwise and gently scooping out the potato flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch of potato on the skin. (careful not to tear or pierce the shell)

In a bowl mash potato flesh, butter, mayonnaise, sour cream and a little half n half together, mix well. (If seems a little dry add more half n half.) Add seasonings to taste. Add your Velveeta cheese, I used the block  kind and cut small chunks or you could get the shredded. Add as much as you desire. Stir together. Spoon fillings into the potato shells. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.  Bake at 350' for 20 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are heated through and cheese is nice and bubbly. 

Baked Stuffed Tomatoes

Stuffed tomatoes are such a great side dish to pair with any meal. These are so yummy and filling they could even be a meal in itself! I have finally narrowed down the best ingredients to make these stuffed tomatoes taste wonderful and very simple to prepare.

Ingredients:

- 3 tomatoes

- 3 to 4 tbsp bread crumbs

- 2 tbsp mayonnaise

- 3 tbsp cream cheese

- garlic salt

- black pepper

- pinch of cayenne pepper

- handful of 6 cheese italian

- handful of mozzarella cheese 

Cut the very top off of your tomatoes and gently scoop out the insides into a bowl. Add all of the ingredients into the bowl with the tomato pulp and mix well. (I didn't measure the seasonings, just add and season to your liking.) If there is a lot of juice from the tomatoes, you can add more bread crumbs to soak up some of the juices.

Pour your mixture back into your hollowed tomatoes and top with more cheese. Bake at 350' for 30 to 45 minutes. Let cool and set before cutting into them. 

These are awesome, you will have to try them!

* 1 tomato per serving, you can adjust the ingredients to make as many or as little as you want.