Hey, Hey, Blondie!

Ahhhhhhh, Spring!

And let's not forget the upcoming hide-those-eggs holiday!

It's time for fresh food to tickle those hibernating taste buds.

How about a dessert that's from scratch, but so easy you'll

forget you skipped the boxed mix?

 Blondies fit the bill.

What's a blondie?

It's a chewy, moist, delicious brownie sans the cocoa,

which allows the add-ins to shine,

and this one showcases dark chocolate-mint M&M's.

Ready to do some baking?

Preheat that oven to 325 and grab an apron!

Sunny's Blondie Bars

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

12 Tbsp butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 tsps vanilla extract

1 bag of Dark Chocolate Mint M&M’s, divided

This is super easy. Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl and set it out of the reach of the cat.

Cream the butter and sugars in another bowl, add the eggs, and then the vanilla. Mix in the flour and combine until moist. Now add half of the M&M's. 

Take a 9x13" baking pan and slather it but good with cooking spray.

Press the batter into it. Try not to lick your fingers.

Now press the remaining M&M's into the surface and pop that sucker in the oven

for 45 minutes. You want the edges just golden. Don't overdo it.

Remove and cool completely, Then loosen the edges, turn it out onto a cutting

board, slice into absolutely perfect squares

and garnish with fresh mint for presentation;

that way your guests have something to flick off of their plates.

Or don't tell anyone they're ready, make yourself some tea,

and curl up with your own slice of Spring, enjoying the quiet,

which probably won't last any longer than your dessert.

Enjoy!

Get Your Irish On!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

 It's time for a little wearing o'the green!

Nothing wrong with that, right?

 Okay, maybe there are a few things wrong.

However there's nothing wrong with the following recipe,

straight from my BFF, Michael, owner of the blog
Diabetes Done Right. 

Making soda bread with a little twist will surprise and delight your family,

and the prep time is under 15 minutes.

Lord Reilly’s Irish Soda Bread

  

3 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

16 oz. container sour cream

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 cup Craisins…. YES CRAISINS!!!

  

Mix all dry ingredients well. Add egg and sour cream. Fold ingredients with floured hands until well combined, but not overly mixed. Bake at 375 degrees in greased 9” cake pan for about 50-60 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Enjoy!

Do yourself a favor and double this...you're going to want some for breakfast! 

For more of my favorite Irish recipes, click HERE.

So meanwhile, wanna have a little fun?

I went to one of those sites where you supply your on-hand ingredients

 and they give you a recipe using them:

Pineapple

Insecticide

Adobo

Window cleaner

Crystal doorknob

I've never seen automated profanity before. 

And I appear to have been blocked.

Emergency Romance!

 Is your dessert menu for tonight as empty as this bowl???

It's okay, Besties, we're here for you.

If you have 20 minutes, I can have a spread as decadent as original sin in your

fridge waiting to spark romance!

Easy and inexpensive, this will become your go to dessert spread!

 You'll need 5 packages of semi sweet baking chocolate.

Unwrap two and break them up into a microwave safe bowl.

Take one can of this stuff...

Pour it over the chocolate.

Microwave this for 1 1/2 minutes, stir it thoroughly,

 then zap it for 30 more seconds.

Stir it until smooth.

This is my new best friend.

Available in the craft section at Walmart, this is flavoring on steroids.

Pour one of these suckers in and mix it up.

Toss in two cups of shredded coconut, blending thoroughly.

Scrape the whole mess into a 9x9 greased pan and refrigerate.

You just made my Sunshine State Fudge.

Don't wash that bowl yet!

 You're about to use it again.

 Bust up the next 3 boxes of chocolate,

 Pour one cup of this stuff over it and nuke...er...MICROWAVE it for two minutes.

It'll look like this.

Don't panic.

Stir until it looks more like this.

This is a basic truffle recipe.

 You'll need one of these bad boys.

Yes, you could make your own, but the clock is ticking!

 There's no time!

 Pour the chocolate into the shell.

Remove the plastic first.

I shouldn't have to say that, but there's a reason curling irons

are marked "For External Use Only."

I want to meet the person that made that necessary.

Seriously.

 Now grab a jar of this.

Glop it on the pie with an ordinary spoon.

 Use the spoon to swirl it in loosely.

 Garnish with something non-poisonous.

Again, I should not have to tell you that.

I used fresh mint.

Pop it in the fridge til set.

That would be Sunny's Raspberry Truffle Pie.

Notice, you have a bowl, a spatula, and a spoon to wash,

and two gourmet desserts in the fridge.

When both are chilled, cut the fudge into squares and amaze your Valentines!

The kids are coming home tonight, and I'm soooo ready!

For a heart healthy and diabetes friendly start to your night,

visit my real life BFF Michael's blog for some delicious entrees 

that might just counteract what I just made.

Sweet Equations: Brownie Bottom Cheesecake

How do you whip up a special dessert fast?

I usually prefer to bake from scratch, but sometimes, you just know

your day is over scheduled.

Boxed mixes to the rescue!

First, prepare your favorite brownie mix as directed,

going for the fudge-like brownie option.

Bake this in an 11x13 pan.

Wait until your brownies are completely cool'

Sorry, we couldn't resist.

Now take some of your favorite candy bars, chilled or frozen.

Unwrap them.

I shouldn't have to say that, buuuuuuuut...

Cut them into small pieces.

Scatter them evenly over the top of the brownie.

Now get 2 packages of this stuff.

 Whip it up according to...say it with me...the package directions.
Don't make the crust.
Hang onto that.
We'll make a chocolate cream pie later this week.

 Pour the cheesecake stuff over the brownie and candy bars.
(Note: instead of candy bars, you can always sandwich
in a layer of cherry topping, caramel, or your personal favorite.)

 Spread the cheesy goop evenly.

 Now pop it in the fridge for an hour.
Please wait until you've finished your vegetables to indulge.

Not to tease, but there's a dining chair makeover on the way.
No, really, I'm going to do a tutorial that does NOT involve
drywall and 2x4s!

The Hard Hearted Chef: Lightening Sauce

 So this happened.

 My lovely tool-toting youngest is now a high school graduate with Honors.

In tandem, she has earned her AA and will be headed for a university in August

as an 18 year old Junior on a full honor's scholarship.

As in, I still won't be paying for college for anyone.

 Darn right I sprang for some bling.

College Academy Class of 2013:

 100% graduated with Honors
100% received the Bright Futures Scholarship for Outstanding Community Service
The class of 176 split nearly $12,000,000 in scholarships
100% of this high school class now have their Associate Degrees
 

 Take a bow, Savannah Helene Pritchard-Torres.

It was a hectic day, which I was ready for, but even though we'd celebrated the 

night before, I still needed something satisfying that would be servable from 4:00

in the afternoon to 10:00 at night.

Not to mention, Samwow was flying out in the middle of the day, 

so between graduation, airport runs, Dad being in a coding workshop,

and getting debit cards for my busy brood,

my culinary time was limited.

And my cholesterol still had to be considered.

What can I make in 15 minutes from scratch that's vegetarian??? 

Sunny's Lightening Sauce

 1 large onion
8 oz. fresh mushrooms
2 tsp minced garlic 
olive oil
1 tbsp Roasted Garlic Chicken Seasoning
8 leaves of fresh basil
1 can small pitted black olives
3 cans diced tomatoes 
1 cup cabernet
1 pound of your favorite pasta, prepared according to the package
Shredded cheese is desired.

Heat a large a large, heavy bottom saute pan on medium.

Coat the bottom lightly with a little olive oil.

Add the onion and saute until slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the mushrooms...

...the garlic...

...and the basil...

...and keep stirring.

Looking good!

Add this...

...these guys...

...and all of these...

...plus the splash of wine.

Stir until everything is hot.

15 minutes flat

Cover, turn to simmer, and allow everyone to serve themselves in between running like crazy.

Yeah, THOSE nights!

Feel free to to serve a little salad or garlic bread on the side,

or even add some zucchini in the mix,

but this will keep even the usual carnivores pretty busy.

And this is healthy, low cholesterol, and guilt free!

The guilt part, however, comes next.

Savannah's favorite flavor is strawberry,

so as long as we're cheating today, as

 a little bonus, let's whip up a special cake in no time flat.

You'll need a box of strawberry cake mix, plus the oil, water and eggs on the package,

2 eight serving boxes of strawberry gelatine dessert mix, 

two pints of fresh strawberries

and a can of strawberry frosting.

Phone it in, people, and

fire up that oven to 350.

Prepare 1 box of strawberry cake as directed...

... as soon as you get back from

dropping your oldest son off at the airport on his way to visit his serious

girlfriend for two weeks while your daughter is dressing for graduation rehearsal...

...yeah. THOSE days.

Slice up 2 pints of fresh strawberries.

Slather up two cake pans with cooking spray.

Arrange the strawberries on the bottoms of both pans.

Sprinkle a box of strawberry gelatine over each pan.

Pour the cake batter evenly over the strawberry stuff.

Bake.

When a toothpick comes out clean, put the pans on a wire rack

and cool for 15 minutes.

Carefully turn both out onto the rack, strawberry side up

and cool completely.

How's that for the easiest glaze you ever made?

Assemble by sandwiching the strawberry glazed sides together

Frost and stand back.

Make sure everyone gets some of the pasta and sauce first.

 

I always try to make balanced, from-scratch meals and get everyone to sit down together,

but there are some nights just making sure they eat is a challenge,

We all need a little fast trick or two in our repertoire to maintain

our Super Mom status and not just throw fast food out buffet style.

Now if only I could slow down long enough to get a decent shot of a cake...