chocolate mint dessert

a friend & coworker made this amazing dessert last week and i just got the recipe.

Hershey's Double Chocolate Mint Dessert

trust me... HEAVENLY! as we all agree, you can't go wrong with mint & chocolate! and the presentation is super nice. unfortunately no picture on this site. sorry.

oh, just kidding. found it on the hershey's site with a picture! :o)
hershey's site recipe

valentines pb smores

made the pb smores again last night... for our 'soup day' valentines luncheon at work today.

I want to...

I really want to make THIS recipe!

But I doubt I will (anytime soon).

"Why" you ask?

It's not the healthiest of recipes AND I'm pretty sure Ryan and Riley would find it disgusting.

*Sigh*

But it looks so good!!

peanut butter smores

thanks to BAKED PERFECTION.... peanut butter smores
these are just as heavenly - if not more so- than they look. my new favorite dessert.

and tim enjoyed them as well... which is amazing b/c he is not a dessert person!

chicken, green bean, and cucumber salad

recipe from FOOD everyday (martha stewart magazine)

Jan/Feb 2010 issue

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon each finely chopped fresh parsley and basil, and 1 tablespoon capers [didn't use], drained and chopped.

Boil 4 ounces green beans, trimmed, in salted water until crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Rinse with cold water; drain and add to bowl along with 1 poached chicken breast half (recipe below), cooled and torn, 1 small cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced, and 2 tablespoons chopped toasted almonds [i used slivered almonds].

Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. SERVES 4.

per serv: 134 calories; 6.7 g fat (1.1 g sat fat), 14.7 g protein, 4 g carb, 1.7 g fiber

my thoughts: i served this with brown rice. i think its a great summer dish. i made the mistake of trying this out on a winter day. its definitely tasty, but i'll wait to make it again until its a nice warm day & i'm in the mood for a chilled main dish.

BASIC POACHED CHICKEN recipe (from same source as above)

1/2 medium yellow onion, halved

1 medium carrot, cut into thirds

1 celery stalk, cut into thirds

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 lemon, sliced (optional)

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

3 sprigs thyme or parsley

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each)

In a large, straight-sided skillet or pot, combine all ingredients except chicken; cover with water by 1/2 inch. Bring to a boil over high. Add chicken and return to a boil. Cook 3 minutes, then cover skillet and remove from heat. Let stand until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove chicken from poaching liquid immediately.

tip: i don't think i cut the chicken breasts... and probably should have so it soaked in more flavor.

BBQ ckn pizza

this is so super simple. i used the 50 cent package of pizza crust (yes, the just add warm water). make/bake as directed. i cooked for about 10 minutes before adding topping because i like it crispier.

spread about 1/3 cup bbq sauce. i LOVE sweet baby ray's bbq sauce, but any should do.
thinly slice 1/4 medium red onion (use as much or little as you'd like). i cook on the stove for a couple minutes to soften them up. you can also add thinly sliced red peppers but i didn't have any on hand. cook 1 to 1.5 thinly sliced chicken breasts, then place on top of the sauce. sprinkle with ~1 cup mozzarella 2% cheese. bake as directed on packet above. yes... this really is kind of a throw it together kind of pizza... but we love it. one tip would be to go lighter on the bbq sauce than you might think.

omelet

i know i've mentioned it before, but i LOVE breakfast for dinner. the other day we didn't really have anything in the house. then i saw eggs... milk and cheese.

crack 3 eggs into a small bowl, add 3 tablespoons milk (i never measure - i just see how it mixes). add a couple dashes of Mrs. Dash - original. put this into an omelet pan... greased or sprayed with PAM. once the eggs start to set, sprinkle about 1/3 cup shredded cheese (usually use mild cheddar or monterey jack). the throw in about 1/4 cup diced red/yellow/green peppers and onion. cook for about 2-3 minutes on stove beforehand for softer-cooked taste.

cook until your desired doneness... mine is ALWAYS super done. if you have breakfast potatoes on hand, throw some of those in the omelet. that makes it extra tasty!

I'M RATHER EXCITED. TIM & I finally bought real pans. non-stick pans/pots. these omelets actually turn out now (unlike the picture above!) we have used the cheaper pans that we got from our wedding back in 2001. they've been beat to hell and back though...so we are super excited to cook because things are turning out now! :o)

okay, enough vague recipes... one 'real' one coming up.