I received an email over the weekend describing a link with an infographic for an adorable recipe inspired by Walking Dead. I did an actual double-take. Walking Dead? Recipe? ADORABLE? But when I looked at the image, it was true. It was all true.
Whether you’re a Walking Dead fan or are just looking for a nice pesto recipe, you’ll be pleased with this infographic made by the same author who created the unauthorized Doctor Who cookbook:
Prepare yourself. The time is near. Time for the streets to fill with adorable children tempting you with cookies. Will you give in? (Umm, yes. Cause they’re delicious and also because last time I said no to children selling me something outside of a store, I got a flat tire on my way home. Don’t mess with kids and karma.)
So you bought your boxes. And they’re all delicious on their own, but you’ve run into a dilemma. You want a Thin Mint and a Samoa and a Tagalong at the same time. What to do? Bake them into a single cookie, of course. Because excess is fine if it’s for the kids. (Right?)
This recipe is for a nice, chewy, chocolate chip-style cookie, but instead of chocolate chips, you’re putting in your favorite Girl Scout cookies. Win-win. The cookie ends up having a great mix of textures between the crunch of the Thin Mints, the chewiness of the Samoas, and the melty chocolate and crispy bit of the Tagalongs. And surprisingly, the cookie isn’t overpoweringly minty–the flavors actually play really nicely with each other.
Ingredients:
Directions:
This recipe was created for the Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Contest, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite events of the year. Last year I made Shortbread Oven-Fried Chicken.
Girl Scout cookies will be here March 1-17, and you can use a cookie locator (or a mobile app when you really need a fix) to find the closest seller to you.
What’s your favorite Girl Scout cookie? And how many boxes will you be picking up this year?
I’m in the middle of Barre3′s “28 to Great” challenge and even though I feel amazing and enjoy the food I’m making, I’ve found myself giving longing looks to McDonald’s and other fast food restaurants as I drive by.
If like me, you’re trying to eat whole foods and make most of your meals at home, here’s a nice video from McDonald’s on how to make a Big Mac. Now if I just replace the buns, sauce, cheese and one of the patties with veggies, I may actually get to eat this!
Breakfast more your thing? Here’s a video on how to make their Egg McMuffin.
Thanksgiving’s coming up, and this year, I wanted to try something a bit ambitious. I wanted to roast a pumpkin. From scratch. Like a big kid.
You see, bringing a side dish to Thanksgiving is one thing, but bringing roasted pumpkin (instead of say, sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes) allows you to have a smug “Autumn Goddess” smile about you all evening. It’s not quick, but it’s worth it. The result is a comfort food-like treat that most folks don’t get.
Follow the recipe below, and see if you can use all parts of the pumpkin. The seeds are excellent roasted (use a low heat for a long period of time, essentially drying them out) and the stem could make a jaunty Thanksgiving-Day hat. Also make sure you enter the contest at the bottom of this post–you could win some sweet gear to get you in a pumpkin-roasting mood!
Start with a pumpkin that is meant for baking. I purchased mine from Top Foods, and it was a “Delicata” pumpkin. This list will tell you a bit about the various types out there, and can help you check if yours is right.
Pro Tip: If your husband sticks a mustache on your pumpkin, you will feel bad cutting it open.
Roasted Pumpkin
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a baking sheet by covering it with aluminum foil.
Rinse the pumpkin.
Core the pumpkin (as you would if you were going to carve it) and de-seed and de-”gut” it. Keep the seeds if you want to roast them later!
Slice the pumpkin into quarters, finish scraping out the “guts”. A spoon works wonders here.
Cut the pumpkin into smaller slices–I cut it into three for every quarter.
Cut the slices into cubes and slice off the rind. Think of it like a cantaloupe.
Place the cubes in a large mixing bowl, and pour 1/3 cup of melted Country Crock over the top.
Season with the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and/or pumpkin pie mix to your tastes. I did a quick shake of everything.
Using your hands, mix together until the pumpkin pieces are thoroughly coated.
Pour the pumpkin pieces out on the baking sheet, and make sure they’re all laying flat in one layer.
Pour the remaining Country Crock from the bowl onto the tops of the pumpkin, and salt once more.
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the pumpkin is golden and a bit crispy on the edges, and tender on the inside.
Serve with a bit of Country Crock and salt or nutmeg to taste.
Plan on making roasted pumpkin for Thanksgiving? Hosting Thanksgiving dinner yourself? Enter this contest to win a Thanksgiving Kit that includes the following:
Check out more great recipes at CrockCountry.com and let me know what you’ll be making for Thanksgiving!
Thank you to Country Crock for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.
(Cookies decorated by Mr. Geek!)
When someone asks you if you’re a god, you say “yes.” And when someone asks you where to find cookie cakes in Seattle, you say “my kitchen.”
I had the pleasure of making cookie cakes for the one year anniversary of Hacker News Meetup Seattle, a great monthly networking event in the Seattle area. It was my first time making cookie cakes, but definitely not my last. They’re super easy and every piece was gobbled up quickly.
Want to give cookie cakes a try at your home? Check out this recipe, inspired by Emeril Lagasse:
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a pizza pan with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs, beating well after the addition of each.
In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix with a whisk.
Add to the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and then add the vanilla.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Spread across the bottom of the pizza pan and bake until the edges are golden and the cookie is set but the center is still slightly soft, 20 to 25 minutes.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate the cookie as you wish. I used icing, you may also want to try candy, sprinkles, powdered sugar, smaller cookies…
Enjoy!
Staying fit and active can be a tough, but necessary, part of everyone’s life. Having a job that has me sitting from 9-5 plus a blog that has me making a lot of amazing baked goods makes it extra tough to fit into that cosplay outfit or cute nerdy tee.
In the summer, I’m a big fan of protein-packed smoothies for breakfast to help stay healthy and fit, but my smoothies always turn out a bit less than perfect. I always put in way too much fruit and protein powder and not enough liquid, which turns it into delicious-but-difficult-to-eat sludge. Luckily, Silk (the soy milk company) has put together a bunch of fun summer drinks including a Strawberry-Banana smoothie they’ve named the “Straw-Nana Flip.” The smoothie has the perfect mix of liquid and fruit, plus an added dash of vanilla and sugar (my sweetener of choice). Add a dollop of protein powder, and you’ll be feeling better than Wonder Woman. Find this recipe and more on the Slkology Facebook page.
I’d love to work this smoothie into a morning workout party with some of my favorite geeky ladies. Maybe as a good break between “Just Dance” sessions?
Because they’re awesome, Silk is giving away a chance to win Silk for a year and an entertaining set. Whether you use it for a workout sesh like me, or for another summertime party, you’ll be in good hands. Just answer this question below: How can you reinvent your favorite summertime gathering? Is there something new you want to try? (Bringing smoothies instead of cupcakes would sure be a change for me!)
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.
I hope you’re ready for stew, because two different Game of Thrones-inspired cookbooks are available for pre-order. A Feast of Ice and Fire
Neither book will be out in time for the second season premiere of Game of Thrones on April 1st, so this recipe from The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook will have to hold you over:
Pre-order your books now!
The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook
A Feast of Ice and Fire
This past weekend, I put together a little party for a small group of friends. We’ve all been super busy and stressed out lately, so I chose a mellow theme: Come over in the late morning in your pajamas and enjoy some breakfast while watching the cartoons you loved as a kid. It was the perfect excuse for everyone to just veg out for a couple hours!
Food:
-Sugary Breakfast Cereal. Ask everyone for their favorites. I pre-opened the boxes and hid small prizes in the cereal–folks got pretty excited when they found them! Bowls and milk were available for traditionalists, and cups were available for those who wanted to mix n’ match cereal and munch on it like popcorn.
-Toaster Treats. I am a huge fan of Toaster Strudels, so I made sure we had some on hand as well as some Eggos.
-Scrambled Egg Cups. These are a super easy snack or breakfast to have on hand–you can even make them in advance and throw one in the microwave for 20 seconds on your way out the door. See the recipe below.
Drink:
-Tea, Coffee, Cocoa, Milk, and Orange Juice. Because we’re no longer children, I also provided champagne for those who wanted to make mimosas.
Entertainment:
In the invite, I asked each guest to provide me with the name of their favorite nostalgic cartoon. Netflix has a lot available to get you started, including Rugrats, X-Men, Rocko’s Modern Life, and Invader Zim. We watched an episode of each cartoon we had available, which made for a fun trip down memory lane. It also introduced a lot of people to cartoons they’d never seen before!
Suggestions for your own Saturday Morning Cartoon Party:
-Block out 3+ hours for this. I scheduled 2, and once we started watching cartoons, we kept wanting to watch more. The party would have gone on for 6 hours if I let it.
-2 words: Blanket Forts.
-Encourage people to take boxes of cereal home with them. I am currently enjoying cereal for breakfast, snacks, and dessert. I expect I will be doing this for at least a month.
Make your own Super-Easy Scrambled Egg Cups (Makes 9):
Ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prep muffin tins by spraying with cooking oil.
Whisk Together eggs and milk. Add in salt, pepper, and parsley. Mix.
Mix in cheddar cheese.
Scoop mixture into the muffin tins, filling each 2/3 of the way. Top with crumbled bacon.
Bake in the oven for 13 minutes (or until the eggs are cooked through).
Enjoy!
What was your favorite cartoon growing up? And did you have a Saturday morning breakfast ritual?
International Delights approached me about creating a post and recipe around one of my favorite holiday treats.
While thinking about holiday goodies, I was instantly transported back to Christmas mornings as a kid. The presents were open, the initial sugar rush from the stocking was starting to wear off, and I was digging into a warm, gooey cinnamon roll. Every time I walk past Cinnabon I’m reminded of Christmas. So this year when I’m requested to bring some cupcakes down to my family, I’ll be making these cinnamon roll-inspired goodies.
Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix (I used Betty Crocker’s Super Moist Yellow)
Ingredients as listed on the back of the cake mix box (mine included:
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs)
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat oven as specified on the cake mix box (mine was 350 degrees).
Mix together cake mix ingredients.
Fill lined cupcake tins 1/3 of the way with cake mix.
Combine brown sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle some above each partially filled cupcake tin, just covering the mix.
Add more cake mix in, filling 2/3 of the way.
Pour more of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture on top. With a butter knife, swirl the sugar on top.
Bake as directed on the cake mix box (mine was 18-23 minutes), or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool completely.
Pour glaze on top and serve!
Cinnamon Roll Glaze
Ingredients:
2 TBS International Delight’s Cinnabon flavored coffee creamer (this stuff is like liquid Cinnabons. It’ll give your glaze a more well-rounded cinnamon roll taste)
1 cup powdered sugar
Dash of cinnamon
Directions:
Whisk together all ingredients until glaze is smooth and slightly thick. Add more powdered sugar to increase thickness, and add more cinnamon to taste.
Using a spoon, gently pour glaze over cooled cupcakes. Enjoy!
These cupcakes turned out like a light, fluffy version of a cinnamon roll or coffee cake. It makes a great morning treat with a cup of coffee and some fruit!
Feeling inspired? Tell International Delight what your favorite holiday treat is for a chance to win a $200 Walmart gift card.
Capture the flavors of the holidays in every cup of coffee with International Delight Creamers. Available in a variety of flavors, such as, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Vanilla Spiced Rum and White Chocolate Raspberry.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions expressed by me do not necessarily reflect the view of the International Delight Brand.
Fall doesn’t start for me until I enjoy my first pumpkin beer. This year, I connected with Dikla from Have Growler, Will Travel, and we created our own pumpkin beer tasting event. Naturally, that meant I needed to create some pumpkin beer cupcakes. These cupcakes are moist, dense, extremely pumpkiny, and very easy to make. The recipe is based on one from Snappy Gourmet, with a few changes.
Pumpkin Beer Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup pumpkin ale (I used Dogfish Head’s Punkin Ale)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
Spoon batter into cupcake liners until 2/3 full.
Bake cupcakes for 19-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Cool completely.
Frost and decorate!
Pumpkin Spice-Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, cold
5 TBS unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsps vanilla
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsps pumpkin spice (more or less as desired)
Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add in 1/3 of the powdered sugar at a time, mixing until smooth.
Add in pumpkin spice, mixing until fully blended.
This recipe will give you stiff frosting that is easily piped onto a cupcake. Cut a hole in the bottom corner of a plastic bag, and fill with the frosting. Frost cupcakes then top with a quick shake of pumpkin spice.
