Summer Bean Dip

Here is a delicious dip that will not make you feel guilty for scarfing down a bag of greasy chips and a tub of sour cream and onion dip at the beach (whilst wearing a bikini, no less).  I first tried this as a store-bought dip, from Costco.  I basically devoured a tub of it and tried to figure out what the heck it contained while I was wolfing it down. I ended up finding the recipe online (don't kill me but I have absolutely no idea where) and decided to make it for Cinco de Mayo. It was a hit, and I've made it a few times since then. :)
It's always a great dip to take to a summer get-together and like I said, you don't feel guilty if you eat too much of it (I can't say the same for the chips).  You can alter it in a few ways to your personal preference, and it is another cook-free recipe - just mix, refrigerate, and serve. I'm pretty sure it would also make a delicious topping for fish, tacos, on a salad, etc.


Summer Bean Dip

Ingredients

1 15.5 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.5 oz can of yellow corn, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 red tomato, chopped
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup packed cilantro, chopped
1/2 bunch of scallions, thinly sliced

Directions


Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and serve with tortilla chips.

Happy Independence Day!

So I'm lucky... I get to share my birthday month with one amazing little lady... Lady Liberty and this great place we call the USA. My birthday is at the end of the month, but this weekend I'm celebrating America's birthday with family and friends at the beach. :)
I'm working on my tan, taking some fabulous photos, and straight up... Relaxing. I'm actually writing this on my phone right now, while sitting in a beach chair, watching my brothers in the ocean. I could do this forever.

I go home tonight, after fireworks, so I will post some photos hopefully (I did a mini photo shot with some friends' daughters). I should also have a recipe or two for you this week. :)

Till then... Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

Xoxo

Jen

Summer Slump? I Wish....

Ok so I know that I have been terrible about posting in the last few... ummm... months.  I'm sorry! It has been absolute chaos! So I'm giving you a little update! I will be posting a recipe or two before I leave on vacation next week (I hope).

First... My grandpa... he's doing great, thank goodness! We had a rough going at first (he couldn't receive chemo due to blood pressure problems), but everything was finally regulated and he is now on a set chemo schedule for a couple months. He is feeling great, has regained his appetite, and is back to being my "viejo". (See previous posts for background info on all this)

Second - I'm a teacher, so there's no possible way I could be so busy at the beginning of summer, right??? WRONG! :/ The end of the school year was absolutely insane! It was nonstop craziness for over a month.  And then, so much for a summer vacation! I decided I would sign up for a three day teaching workshop on my first three days of vaycay (Yes, I'm a masochist!).  So I had a quick little two days off that week, and then the following Monday I began at my annual creative writing enrichment program (more on that in my next entry).  That was last Monday, and I have until this Friday. :)
This weekend is Fourth of July weekend, so we will be at the beach with family, and next week we leave on a 10-day European vacation!  I am ecstatic about going to Spain and Italy and all these fabulous places, but I think I overbooked myself at the beginning of my summer...

But I'm not complaining, because everything has been really fun so far, and because I am blessed to have a job, and great co-workers, and the luxury of going on an incredible trip with my amazing husband!

Thanks for staying true and continuing to follow, even though I've been a terrible blogger! :(
I'll leave you with a couple photos of recent events!

Hubby & I at a Gala. We clean up nice, huh?

Visiting the Liberty Bell... We were in Philadelphia
for my brother-in-law's MBA Graduation. 

XoXo, 

Jen

Chocolate Whiskey Cupcakes

So my previous post did not have a recipe, but there was a picture there, and in that picture are some cupcakes.  My grandfather's birthday is in March, and we usually celebrate at my parents' house by having dinner and cutting a little cake. Since I now actually enjoy being in the kitchen, I offered to make his birthday treat.  While perusing the plethora of cupcake recipes out there on the blogosphere, I came across the recipe for Chocolate Whiskey cupcakes.  You see, my grandfather loves his daily drink. He's usually a Chivas man, but will really take whatever whiskey is around. ;)  Every day, he has his drink. Sundays before lunch he sits with my dad, my hubby, and sometimes my brother, and they talk and all enjoy their whiskey together.  (Cue Anchorman: Scotch, Scotch, Scotch, Scotchety Scotch... in my belly... lol)

Naturally, when I saw this recipe, I knew that it would be absolutely the perfect thing to make for my darling little grandpa.  I didn't even care if anyone else cared for the flavors - I knew he was going to LOVE them! And he did!

I made the cupcakes the way the recipe originally said, except without espresso powder (I had none on hand).  I made a simple buttercream frosting and mixed in the whiskey syrup. I'm not a huge fan of whiskey, and I'm really not a huge fan of chocolate cake (I know - I'm nuts).  However, this combination was absolutely incredible.  They were delicious without being overly decadent.  They were pretty, and they had a surprising kick.  Of all the cupcakes I've made, these might actually be one of my favorites. Everything just came together perfectly, and the combination was definitely a winner!

P.S. I used Johnnie Walker Black Label for these.

Chocolate Whiskey Cupcakes

You have to admit, the do look pretty, right? ;)

Yield: About 24 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes: 
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
16 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs

For the whiskey syrup:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp whiskey

For the frosting: 
12 tbsp unsalted butter
4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
7-8 tbsp whiskey
2 tbsp heavy cream

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total).  In a small bowl, pour the cocoa powder. Pour in the boiling water and whisk until the mixture is smooth.  Set aside and cool to room temperature. Once cool, whisk in the sour cream and vanilla extract.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Stir together to combine; set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as necessary.

With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in three additions, alternately with the cocoa-sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat each addition until just incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then trandfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the simple syrup, combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is warm and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the whiskey. Set aside and let cool until ready to use.

To make the frosting, beat the butter in the bowl of a mixer until smooth and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Mix in the confectioner's sugar until incorporated. Add in the whiskey and beat on medium speed until well blended. Add in the heavy cream and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes).

To assemble the cupcakes, brush the cooled cupcakes with the whiskey syrup (You can also inject some into the center of the cupcake, which will give it more of the flavor). Pipe the frosting on the cupcakes using a pastry bag. *Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*Remember, this recipe has sour cream and heavy cream in it - it NEEDS to be refrigerated - you don't want those going bad.

Cupcake recipe adapted from Annie's Eats.
Frosting adapted from Annie's Eats.

A Special Request

My Abito & I on his birthday in March.

So this post is a little emotional for me. No recipe today, sorry.  I don't even know how to go about this... This post is about a very very special man in my life. My grandfather.  His name is Pedro, but I call him Abito.  He's the sweetest, most wonderful man in the world, and he's so special to me. He's the kind of grandfather I can call in the middle of the day, tell him that my car needs fixing, and he'll get it fixed for me, no questions asked.  He loves us all unconditionally, even if we don't always show our complete appreciation for him. He's got everything a girl could ever ask for... brains, a heart, faith, and everything else. Good things come in small packages, right?  ;)  He's my "viejo" (That's "old man" in Spanish for all my non-Spanish speaking followers).

Last year, just around this time, my grandfather had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his bladder.  He underwent a pretty major surgery and subsequently had to use a colostomy bag and an ostemy bag. He then underwent a more minor surgery a few months later to reverse the colostomy. He's had a great recovery and after having lost a ton of weight and not looking like himself, was finally back to being my "viejo". He was cleared for his 6-month check up and everything was roses, right?

Wrong. At the one year check up, they found that the cancer was back, in his abdominal area.  Surgery can't fix it, so there were not really a whole lot of options. Just today, he had a port put in and next Monday, May 9, my grandfather will begin chemotherapy.  It's no big deal, right? That's what I keep telling myself. Except, it is a big deal. It's HUGE. This is my grandfather. As much as I want to keep positive, and I want to just blow it off and pretend it will all be okay, I know the odds. And I know that because of his age, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. Things can go right, too.  But I guess our minds always stray towards the worst case scenario huh?

I don't even know why I'm writing this. I guess I want to document the way I'm feeling. I'm not looking for pity - I can find that in a million other places. I guess what I really want from you, my wonderful readers, is prayers. As many as you can give, as often as you can give them. I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I know that the more people we have praying for him and asking the big guy for help, the better his chances will be.

Thanks in advance...

Lots of love,

Jen

Teriyaki Salmon with Mushrooms

I'm happy that my computer is back up and running. I have a few things going on and the month of May is a crazy month in the world of teachers, but I promise that I will try and update as often as possible.  

Before I begin with the recipe - here's a photo I wanted to share of a friend of mine.  Her name is Jenna, and she came over this weekend and made Guava Dip.  It was absolutely delicious, and she wanted to be sure that I posted her photo on the blog!  That is probably her favorite recipe and she goes crazy every time I make it! ;) I'm really excited that so many of my friends like the blog and follow it! I hope I can continue to make you guys happy and keep you as readers!

So today's recipe comes from a Cooking Light cookbook, and to be totally honest, every recipe I have made from here has been absolutely phenomenal. They are light, and really quick to make.  This one in particular was really fast. There's not a whole lot to say about it. I love seafood - all kinds, in almost any way, shape, or form. So I had this recipe tagged to try, and I'm very glad that I did! 

Teriyaki Salmon with Mushrooms

Ingredients 

1/8 cup red cooking wine

1/8 cup low-sodium teriyaki sauce

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 teaspoon olive oil

4 oz presliced baby portobello mushrooms

2 skinless salmon fillets (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick)

Combine wine, teriyaki sauce, and brown sugar in a small bowl; stir to dissolve sugar. 

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add mushrooms, and saute 4 minutes or until tender. Add 1/3 of the teriyaki mixture to mushrooms. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 to 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Spoon mushroom mixture into a bowl; set aside. 

Heat pan over medium-high heat; add fillets. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until browned on all sides. Add mushrooms and remaining teriyaki mixture into the pan; cook 2 minutes. Transfer fillets to a serving platter, and top with sauce and mushrooms. Yield: 2 servings. 

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light: Fresh Food Fast Weeknight Meals

Amazing, Ginormous Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'M SOOOOO SOOOOOORRRRYYYYYY!  I know some of my loyal readers have been asking me why the heck I haven't been posting recipes... so before the recipe for today - here's the sad, painful explanation.

So two weeks ago, my computer decided that it no longer gets along with me... after a wonderful 4 year relationship, my most faithful, favorite techie gadget has decided that it has had enough of me and my photography and all my shenanigans.  Monday was fine. Tuesday, Safari would not open. Not "it wouldn't load the webpages" - no. It wouldn't open. Period. I'd click on it, it'd bounce around some, and go right back to being stagnant on the dock at the bottom of my homepage. So THANK GOODNESS I had backed up my hard drive the week prior. Otherwise I might have been in VERY big trouble and might have lost a large number of photos and information. Anyway, to make a long story short, I basically could not use the photos I had taken of anything, therefore making a recipe blog completely useless since recipes are absolutely no good without photos (IMHO).

On to today's recipe... my whole life, I loved to bake cookies. But I liked to bake cookies that were made with store bought dough. I'd add my own stuff to the dough - cinnamon and sugar, chocolate chips, sprinkles, etc.  They would taste great, they really would. But I was kind of scared to try and make my own. And I have no idea why. This was about the easiest thing I could have done. I promised my brother-in-law something for his birthday, and I didn't have the ingredients I needed for cupcakes on hand, but I did have everything for cookies, so I decided to go ahead and try my hand at them. Boy were they good.

However, I wasn't altogether completely happy with them.  I misread the instructions and mixed up a few of the steps (duh, first rule of baking) and they were a little grainier than I would have liked them to be. So last week, because the hubby was craving cookies, I decided to try again, following the steps correctly, and making one teeny weeny little addition to them.  The original recipe didn't call for almond extract.  But lately, I've been craving almond... so I snuck some in!  And they were AMAZING!  If you aren't a huge fan of almond, cut it out, no problem.  The taste is not prominent, but it's definitely there. :)  I hope you and yours enjoy them as much as we did!

Another tip - make the dough and freeze it for later use. I tossed about half the dough in a ziploc and used it a couple days later. All you have to do it let it thaw, scoop it out, and bake it! Cookies in a jiffy!!!!

Ginormous Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups + 2 tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

12 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg + 1 egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I found some for Ghirardelli that are toooooo diiiieeeee for!)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. 

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Beat in egg, yolk, vanilla, and almond until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. 

Scoop out approximately 2 tbsp of dough and place on cookie sheet, leaving room between each scoop. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until the cookies are light golden brown. The outer edges should harden, while the centers should be soft and puffy. (Approximately 12-15 minutes)

Cool the cookies on the sheets until you can lift them without breaking. Enjoy!!!

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats