recipe: snickerdoodles

i love little snickerdoodle cookies. classier than a sugar cookie, but too silly to be fancy. and usually they can be made without having to run to the store for any ingredients, so they're a good lil go-to. i also made these last weekend, and they were delish as per usual. if you follow the recipe to a T, taken from Mrs Sigg's Snickerdoodles recipe on allrecipes.com, you can't go wrong.  

ingredients list: 

• - 1/2 cup butter, softened
• - 1/2 cup shortening
• - 1 & 1/2 cups white sugar
• - 2 eggs
• - 2 tsp vanilla 
• - 2 & 3/4 cups  flour
• - 2 tsp cream of tartar
• - 1 tsp baking soda
• - 1/4 tspn salt
• - 2 tbsp white sugar
• - 2 tsp cinnamon

to make: preheat oven to 400 degrees. cream together butter, shortening, 1 & 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and vanilla. blend in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls, about 1 inch big.

mix the 2 tbsp sugar and the cinnamon, then roll balls of dough into the cinna-sugar mixture. place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. bake 8-10 minutes until set but not too hard. remove to wire racks to cool. 

recipe: s'mores brownie bars

i was looking but a quick but comfort-foodie dessert to make for last weekend, and the s'mores brownie bar recipe from Serious Eats.com was a perfect lil fit. i had attempted s'mores brownies once before (i want to say 2 years ago), and when it came time to broil the marshmallows on top, 1 minute on the oven was 1 minute too many... i kind of lit the whole tray on fire. after letting them burn out and leaving me with a tray of char, i had put that idea aside for a while until this past weekend. seemed like a good time to try a new kind and give them a go. 

they came out really yummy, which was a very pleasant surprise for how quick/easy they were.

ingredients list:
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (10 whole rectangular crackers)
- 1/4 cup (or less) graham crackers, roughly crushed
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar
- salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips, plus more for topping
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp instant expresso powder
- 1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3 cups mini-marshmallows

to make: preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease an 8 in square baking pan and set aside. 

grind graham crackers in a food processor until they become fine crumbs. melt 4 tbsp butter. add melted butter, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt to crumbs and pulse to combine. press into bottom of prepared pan.

melt chocolate chips and remaining 4 tbsp butter in a small bowl in the microwave, stopping every 15-20 seconds to stir. allow to cool, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

in a large bowl, mix melted chocolate, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, espresso powder, vanilla, and 1/4 tsp salt. add flower and baking powder and mix until smooth. pour batter into prepared pan. bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes up with a few moist crumbs attached (being careful not to over bake). 

top with marshmallows, additional chocolate chips, and crushed graham crackers. return to oven for an additional 3-5 minutes, until marshmallows start to get a little golden brown. 

allow to cool about 1 hour before serving, cutting with a very sharp knife as the marshmallow topping will be very sticky. 

recipe: red skinned potato salad

this was the potato salad i used for last weekend's bbq - it's taken from allrecipes.com, the Red Skinned Potato Salad recipe. i modified it slightly, omitting the eggs and adding in a little extra seasoning than what it calls for. i don't eat potato salad, but it seemed like it went over pretty well and is a good repeater recipe.

ingredients list: 
- 2 lbs new red potatoes
- 1 lb bacon
- 1-2 green onions, diced (green & white parts)
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 2 cups mayo
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1 tbsp pickle juice
- 1/2 tsp paprika

to make: bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. add potatoes and cook until tender but still a bit firm, about 15 minutes. drain and set in fridge to cool. 

place bacon in a large skillet, and cook over medium high eat until medium brown. drain*, crumble and set aside (note: CRISPY bacon works best in this recipe). 

chop the cooled potatoes into small cubes (roughly 1/2 in), leaving skin on. in a large bowl, mix together the bacon, onion, celery, mayo, salt & pepper, mustard powder, pickle juice, and paprika, carefully fold in the potatoes, being careful not to mash them up.  chill for a least an hour before serving.  

*i had reserved my bacon grease to add it into my burger patties... um YUM.

recipe: enchilada stuffed mushrooms

labor day weekend we had a bbq and i made a bunch of new recipes, but i was so busy i took hardly any pics so probably won't be posting them... booooo. i took a quick (poorly taken!) shot of one of the apps, enchilada stuffed mushrooms. i had taken this recipe from Lauren's Latest, found through foodgawker.com. they were very easy to make and quite tasty... something i would def make again - they're a good pep to normal stuffed shrooms. 

ingredients list: 

- 20-24 baby bella mushrooms

- 6 oz cream cheese, softened

- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

- 1 tsp taco seasoning

- 1 green onion, sliced 

- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, divided

- 1 cup red enchilada sauce

- salt & pepper

to make: lightly grease baking dish and set aside. preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

rinse mushrooms, and remove stems. place into baking dish.

in a small bowl, stir cream cheese, parmesan cheese, taco seasoning, green onion, 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, and salt & pepper. spoon filling into the mushroom caps, then pour the enchilada sauce over the top. sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, then bake 20 minutes until brown & toasty. serve!

recipe: lobster bisque

there was a raging lobster sale going on @ Price Chopper this week, so the boy thought it was a good idea if we i cook up some lobster bisque for lunch. i've never bisqued before since i just started eating seafood not that  all long ago, but was pleasantly surprised at how absolutely yum this turned out. (clearly i have nothing to compare it to, but after making it i would definitely not be opposed to ordering it out). i used the recipe from food.com, which was simple but still had more / better ingredients than many of the other recipes out there, as well as very well rated. solid.

ingredients list:
- 1/2 lb lobster meat, cut into chunks
- 2 tbsp minced shallots
- 2 tbsp chopped green onions
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 tsp worchestershire sauce
- 2 tsp tabasco sauce
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 6 tbsp dry sherry
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 tsp lobster base
- 4 oz tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 4 tbsp butter
- olive oil (i used garlic EVOO)

to make: in a saute pan, heat a little olive oil over medium-high heat and saute shallots, onions, and garlic for 1 minute. deglaze pan with the white wine. add the worcestershire, tabasco, and thyme, and saute for 1 more minute. deglaze the pan with the sherry.

add the paprika, hot water, and lobster base and mix well. stir in the tomato paste and add the bay leaves. simmer for 10 minutes. remove bay leaves, then pour mixture into a blender, blending for 1-2 minutes until all chunks are gone. return to pan.

whisk in the heavy cream and butter and bring to a boil. add the lobster and simmer until cooked through, then serve. 

recipe: basil pesto (without nuts)

trying to use up the mass amount of basil in our garden... i didn't have pine nuts (and don't really care if i do or do not have them personally) but decided to whip up some pesto anyway. perfect little condiment for mini grilled chicken caprese sliders. i snagged the recipe from instructables.com, followed verbatim.

ingredients list:
- 1/3 cup parmesan
- 1 bunch basil
- 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 to 2 tsp lemon juice
- salt & fresh black pepper to taste

to make: add to blender. blend : ) allow to sit for at least an hour before serving.

druther's brewing co

this weekend we were in saratoga and ended up having din at druther's brewing co. who would have known they have one of THE best burgers i've had in a while. circus cafe was known to have the best rated burger in saratoga (had it, liked  it), but this hands down has it beat. i went halvsies w/ kyle and had the "if i had my druthers burger"(blend of chuck, short rib, and smoked pork belly, local aged cheddar, pickled green tomato, lettuce, pickled shallot, and druthers sauce) and the "something spicy burger" (blend of chuck, short rib, and smoked pork belly, havarti cheese, pickled spicy and sweet peppers, baby greens, and smoked chipotle aioli). pattys were AMAZING tasty & juicy. cooked perfectly medium rare as requested. preference went to the druthers burger since the spicy drowned out the meat a little bit (although it wasn't super spicy). fries were those super skinny lil guys that have been popping up on menus lately (like half the width of a shoestring little effers), weren't mind blowing but still enjoyable. will definitely be back.

for the record, the point is still my fav albany burger joint, but this is eeking toward the top of the list for the area.  

recipe: french toast stuffed with strawberries & cream cheese

this was kyle's b-day breakfast i had made. i'm not a big fan of french toast (for no reason in particular), but it was his special request so so be it. i used the Strawberry Stuffed French Toast recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything, modifying it slightly since i didn't have the ingredients to make the crunchy breading she adds to the outside.

ingredients list:
filling:
2 tbsp butter, melted, & a little more for cooking the toast
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 & 1/2 tbsp strawberry jam
1 cup diced strawberries
6 thick slices bread
powdered sugar

egg batter:
4 eggs
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup milk

to make: in a small boxl, add the 2 tbsp of butter, cream cheese, & strawberry jam and mix until combined. fold  in the diced strawberries into the cream cheese mixture. gently spoon 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture onto 3 of the slices of bread, sandwiching together with the remaining  3 slices. refridgerate the stuffed slices while you prepare the batter.

ror the egg batter, add the eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, vanilla, and milk to a medium shallow bowl and mix well. dip the bread slices in the egg batter making sure to let each side soak for about 20 seconds. 
put a large skillet on medium-high heat and add a couple of tablespoons of butter. when the butter has melted add the stuffed sandwiches and brown on each side for 2-3 minutes.

remove from skillet and serve immediately. top with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, fresh sliced strawberries, and syrup if desired.
***
i didn't eat this myself (i made plain french toast for myself), but it got 2 thumbs up from the boy for a hearty, big-ass breakfast. if i was in the mood for something sugary, it did look quite delish.

Farmer Boy Diner

Farmer Boy Diner had been on my list of must-visit Albany restaurants ever since the Mac & Cheese Festival - of all the many (30?) mac & cheeses, Farmer Boy was the stand out winner to me. perfect cheesey flavor and gooey texture. their menu is a little less jam-packed than a normal diner,  and pride themselves on fresh-made food. MMM-MMM.

i believe at one point i had also read they had a good burger, because i was dead-set on testing it before we even got there. when it was served, it was a fairly thin patty served with lettuce, tomato, and my requested add-ons of cheddar, bacon & sauteed onions, on a plain-old bun. we suspect, though actually couldn't confirm, that it was a frozen patty. it still was very juicy (and cooked medium rare as requested, not easy for a thin burger), and had a great char-broiled/grilled flavor. it tasted very straight up- kind of like a simple backyard good burger. it makes it a bit hard to rate... i wasn't BLOWN AWAY (and wanted to knock off points for potentially frozen meat... no-no there), but i did have a good old time eating it. maybe i'll pop it a 6... yes it would lift my spirits on a bad day, but it wouldn't be my ultimate go-to.

the fries were crisp & delish, and dipped in a side of horseradish ranch dressing perfection.

recipe: shrimp alfredo pizza

even though i'm not a major shrimp person, the shrimp pizza from Pepe's Pizza is SO good even i like it. the other night we decided on an impromptu DIY version for dinner... it's so simple, but something about it is so damn good. it tastes like a really good garlicy white pizza, but the shrimp that cooks down into it melds to become some whole other delicious animal... MM' MMM! (and it's not in a very fishy way... it just works perfectly with the garlic and creamy alfredo/cheese). don't worry about adding the raw shrimp to this... the high heat / pizza timing are actually just right for shrimp prep.

ingredients list:- 12-15 uncooked raw shrimp (i used small-medium sized)
- 1 recipe for pizza dough or fresh store-bought
- 1 cup alfredo sauce
- 1 tomato, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1.5 - 2 cups mozz cheese
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp garlic powder, divided
- 1/2 tsp parsley
- pinch salt
- olive oil

to make: mix 1-2 tbsp olive oil, salt, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and parsley in small bowl and set aside. preheat the oven (with pizza stone in the oven also) to 450 degrees; and heat outdoor grill over medium heat (only do this last step if you are finishing the pizza on the grill). 

roll out pizza dough on lightly floured surface. lightly flour the hot pizza stone, then carefully transfer the dough to the hot stone. spread alfredo sauce onto the dough along with the minced garlic, then pile on first some cheese, the shrimp, tomato, more cheese, fresh basil, and some garlic powder and black pepper (and any other desired seasonings). bake in preheated oven for about 12-13 minutes.

you can fully cook the pizza in the oven for a total of 14-16 minutes, or if you want to grill it, carefully transfer it to the preheated grill and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, until the bottom of the crust starts to get a nice char to it. brush the crust with the garlic olive oil mixture within the last few minutes of cooking.

recipe: dr pepper spicy pulled pork with jalapeno cilantro slaw

i've made this pulled pork recipe from Pioneer Woman before and was a big fan. since San Fran when i first tried slaw, i've been a tad curious. since Pioneer Woman's is a little different with the jalapeno and the cilantro kicks, it seemed like a good started recipe since i'm a huge fan of both of those ingredients. with a spicy slice of colby jack cheese, these were a pretty fun 4th of July 'wich.

ingredients list (pulled pork):
- 1/2 large onion, cut into thin strips
- 1 pork butt (shoulder), about 5 lbs
- salt & freshly ground pepper
- 1 (11oz) can chipolte peppers in adobo sauce
- 2 cans dr pepper
- 2 tbsp brown sugar

to make (pulled pork): heat slow cooker on high heat, then add onion to bottom of slow cooker. (generously) salt & pepper the pork roast on all sides, then set on top of onions in the cooker. pour in the chipolte peppers, both cans of dr depper, and stir in the brown sugar.

reduce heat to low after 1-2 hours, then allow to cook for an additional 4-5 hours. turn the pork 2 or 3 times during the cooking process. when it's done (about 6 hrs  total), the meat should be falling apart when stabbed with a fork (if it's not, keep cooking it).

remove meat from pot, and place on cutting board or large plate, and shred it apart with 2 forks. pour out 50% of the liquid in the slow cooker, then return the meat to the cooker, stir, and keep warm until ready to serve. top with cheese (i used jalapeno colby jack to go w/ the zesty theme), cole slaw, and serve on buns.

ingredients list (slaw):
- 1/2 head cabbage, sliced thin
- 1/2 head purple cabbage, sliced thin
- 1 whole jalapeno, minced
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 cups cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

to make: combine shredded cabbage and jalapeno in a large bowl. in a separate bowl, mix milk, mayo, vinegar, sugar, salt, and cayenne. pour over cabbage and stir until combined. cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. right before serving, toss in cilantro.

recipe: margarita cupcakes

pre-july 4 birthday bbq snack... cake, booze & fruit all in one, can't go wrong. i was short on time so used a doctored box cake mix for the base, but they tasted so yum i didn't miss making them from scratch. the icing recipe was from Brown Eyed Baker, and they legit ended up tasting just like a margarita. cupcake + booze = winner.

ingredients list:
- 1 box lemon cake mix
- water (amnt called for on box)
- eggs (amnt called for on box)
- vegetable oil (amnt called for on box)
- margarita mix, divided
- 1 cup butter, at room temp
- 2 & 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tbsp lime juice, divided
- pinch of coarse salt
- 3 tsp zested lime, divided

to make: preheat oven to 350 degrees. prepare lemon cake mix according to package directions. add 1-2 tbsp margarita mix, 1 tbsp lime juice, and 1 tsp lime zest to batter. pour into cupcake cups about 3/4 full, and bake 15-23 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. allow to cool 5-10 minutes, then brush each cake with margarita mix.

to make frosting, whip the butter with an electric mixer for 5 minutes on medium-high speed reduce to low, then gradually add in the powdered sugar until fully incorporated. mix for about 30 seconds additional, then add in the remaining lime juice, 1-2 tbsp margarita mix, and remaining zested lime. mix on high speed until incorporated andn fully - if it is too thin, add in additional sugar.

allow cupcakes to fully cool before frosting, and garnish with lime wedges, coarse salt, and whatever else you wish.
.

recipe: cookies & cream cookies

these are a perfect cookie if you're in the mood for baking in the middle of summer (and only have about 30 minutes before you need to leave)... they are quick & easy but abs delish. i found the recipe on foodgawker.com, and copied it exactly from Kirbie Cravings (with a tad extra vanilla & oreos). they come out SO delish, and good if you want to switch up from traditional choc chip.

ingredients list:

2 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 & 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
20 oreo cookies, divided

to make: preheat oven to 350. in a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder & set aside. grind 6 oreo cookies in a food chopper until they form fine crumbs, and set aide.

in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. beat in egg and vanilla. gradually blend in the dry ingredients until dough is formed. add 14 oreos directly into batter & beat on medium high speed until the oreos are crushed thoroughly into dough. roll dough into balls about 1 inch to 1 1/2 inch in diameter, roll into the oreo crumbs until totally covered, and place onto parchment paperlined cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.

bake about 9-11 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden around the edges. cool on wire racks.