browned butter is the best idea.

Look at that delicious blondie.  Yes that's a topping of caramel, peanuts and pretzels.  Bon appetit knew what they were doing when they published this recipe.  It was super easy to convert to gluten free.  I made it for Justin and my 2 year anniversary yesterday.  We may have eaten some before we even ate supper.  But that's ok.  

Butterscotch Blondie Bars with Peanut-Pretzel Caramel (de-glutenified)

[Bars]

1 1/2 cup gluten free flour blend

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt 

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup butter

1 Tbl. vanilla

Brown the butter in a sauce pan until it smells just like you'd imagine heaven will smell like, then take it off the heat and beat (or whisk if you don't own an electric mixer) in the brown sugar "until it looks like sand".  Beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth and then add the dry ingredients.  Pour into a 9X13 pan that has been lined with parchment paper (honestly that was the most difficult step of this recipe).  Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350.

[Caramel topping]

-At this point you're supposed to have roasted off 4 cups of peanuts which I didn't do.  A. Because I do NOT love peanuts 4 cups worth, and B. I was running out of pans in which to roast things what with all the roasting I did for supper as well.  Though you definitely don't need 4 cups of peanuts, I'm betting the roasting them was a good idea, so if you have time and pans do that step.

2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla (not in the original version)

Peanuts (as you see fit)

1 1/2 cup "chopped" (broken by hand because I'm not wasting my time chopping) gluten free pretzels

Combine sugar and water on low heat until sugar dissolves and then crank up the heat to medium and let cook 12-15 minutes until golden brown.  You're not supposed to stir it while it cooks, but I can never resist stirring a little.  Once it's caramel brown and bubbling, stir in the honey and cook it for another minute.  You'll be smacked in the face by another amazing smell.  Remove from heat then throw in the butter and enjoy yourself as you stir it in and it bubbles.  Same with the cream and vanilla. In the end you'll have created something beautiful, but you're going to make it even more amazing.  Stir in the peanuts and pretzels.  Holy smokes.  Now spread it on the blondies and wait for it to cool.  (In the fridge is the fastest way).  Bon Appetit gluten free style!!

beautiful.

maybe, just maybe, I purposely didn't spread all of this goodness over the bars so that I could eat it/burn my mouth on it.  worth it.

I might have to go have another one.  I just got hungry.

Additionally, Justin and I visited Reflections in the Park.

Here are the highlights:

excited...

A breakdancing guy

downtown+cycling santa

reindeer training!!

gotta represent all religions in the park!

Red Star

Did you ever, when you were little, go up to a man who you thought was your dad.  Maybe you were in a hardware store, looking at wrenches or by those bins with all the washers and nails.  Or at the library, looking for a book about antique rifles or something that dads like.  And you saw a pair of jeans.  Just like your dad's.  And you grabbed onto his leg and just hugged.  And then you see your dad.  Over there.  Not the man you're hugging.  And you feel freaked out?

I did that tonight a little bit.  I was at the grocery store with J.  Feeling proud of myself for planning on making bread.  So I waltzed down the aisle.  And then I nonchalantly tossed the yeast into our cart.  And then I hear "WRONG CART!!"  Really the strange man was quite nice, and said it quietly.  But of course I looked up at him awkwardly and said, just so loud, "I don't know you!!" Then Justin laughed at me whilst I blushed and kinda hid in the canned food aisle.  The man didn't even look like Justin.  And he didn't have the same type of cart as us.  Yikes.  

Grumpin' continued

Seriously? Still no fridge.  More weight lost.  So. Hungry.

On a lighter and brighter note, J and I get to go house hunting tonight.  Only houses with excellent refrigeration situations need apply.

Grumpin'

Sometimes things just go wrong.

Like when the refrigerator dies.  And you live in a rental.  And are at the mercy of your landlord.  And the repairman can't come until tomorrow.  And the fridge died on Saturday.  And you're just so hungry.  Cinnamon chex just isn't cutting it.

Thanksgiving

My Thanksgiving turned out wonderful.  I got to go home for more than 24 hours, which was nice considering it's a 250 mile drive to my home from this wonderful town.  One of the best parts of being home for more than 24 hours was that I got to help make our Thanksgiving meal.  Most importantly, green bean casserole.  Gluten-free of course.

The weekend was full of exciting surprises.  J ended up coming up to my parent's so we got to celebrate together.  Plus my little brother's girlfriend joined us.  It was a good crowd, even if it wasn't the whole family.  Plus I got to snug my parent's animals.  There's nothing like cats and dogs to make your heart feel happy.  I really need a pup or a kitten.  Soon.

Green Bean Casserole

2 cans of green beans 

(cans are the best because they're like the original version)

1 onion cut into thin rings

1/3 cup gluten-free flour or rice flour

1/4 cup almond milk (or soy or regular)

pinch of cayenne

1/4 tsp. salt

pepper

2 Tbl butter

2 Tbl gluten-free flour

2 cups chicken stock

Cut up the onions and combine them with the flour/almond milk mixture so the rings are all coated.

Heat the oil on medium high until it sizzles when you drip in some batter. Then fry them rings until they're golden brown and delicious.

Sample a few.  You'll still have enough for the casserole.

Melt your butter and make a roux with the remaining flour.

Slowly add in the chicken stock and whisk until thickened.

Now combine half the fried onions in a baking dish with the green beans and the thickened chicken stock.

Then arrange the left over onions on top. 

Bake at 350 until it's bubbly.  Around 30 minutes.  And enjoy that just-like-it-should-be green bean casserole whilst reveling in the fact that it's gluten-free.  Yum.

Then you might need to lay out on the couch and grump at the camera.

Or snuggle the most handsome cat in the world.

Yay.  What a good Thanksgiving!

Lovely

This week Jon Cochrane (our wonderful photographer) dropped off our engagement picture disc.  We were nervous to get it since both of us (some more than others) have a history of being not so photogenic.  Jon worked magic though and there are a bunch that we love.  These are my favies:

  

Brownie Love

I love brownies.  I don't necessarily have a favorite recipe.  I love them all.  I love Betty Crocker's gluten free brownie mix.  I love the cakey mint brownies my mom makes.  I even love blondies because they remind me of brownies.  This particular brownie recipe I stumbled upon and decided to convert to gluten-free goodness.  I found it on Brown Eyed Baker's blog.  I'm not comfortable saying I'll never use another brownie recipe again, because that's not true.  But this is a solid gluten free brownie.  If I ate ice cream I would have poured an entire carton out over the brownie pan with some hot fudge and whipped cream and curled up on the couch with it.

Fudgey Gluten-Free Brownies

1/3 cup cocoa

1/2 cup + 2 Tbl Boiling water

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate chopped

4 Tbl melted butter

1/2 cup + 2 Tbl vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cup sugar

1 3/4 cup gf flour blend

3/4 tsp salt

6 oz 60% chocolate chunks

All the chocolates.  My favorite cocoa powder is from Penzey's.

Chop the unsweetened chocolate and toss in a bowl with the cocoa powder.  Pour the boiling water over and whisk, whisk, whisk!

Yes, that's a Pampered Chef avocado masher.  I have limited resources right now.

Add in the butter and oil then mix in the eggs, yolks and vanilla until it's glossy and beautiful like this:

Then mix in the dry ingredients and chocolate chunks/chips.

Pour in a greased 9X13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  Whilst your brownies bake, do this:

Lick those fingers! It's a shame to waste good brownie batter.  My mother taught me well.

Now just try and make them last more than 2 days.  That's the hard part.  Enjoy!

Look at that fudgey goodness.  

Hooray!!

I got my Whey Low shipment today after a week of waiting!  Now I can make delicious goodies!

If you don't know about Whey Low products click here.

I'm gonna go make brownies.

My favorite flavor is taco.

A weekend without work is the best type.  J and I cram them full of as many activities as we possibly can since we don't have time to spend together during the week.  We looked at houses, went grocery shopping, ate a ton, organized, went to church (I'm proud of this one), watched the republican debate, ate some more, watched Harry Potter, had serious discussions, J got a hair cut, and of course, went on the River Walk!!  It was cold.  And windy.  Justin provided the commentary for the art that lined the walk, which was hilarious and probably shouldn't be shared due to the nature of the language and subject matter.

The mighty Mississippi!

This picture looks as chilly as it was.

Proof that we went on the River Walk.  I can't wait to do it again when it's a wee bit warmer.

And now onto the star of today.  Taco Soup!  I did not make it this weekend because it's too easy for a weekend when you don't have to work.  It takes 30 minutes max.  And it's delightful.  So delightful that it was gone in less than 24 hours.  [We really do eat a lot].

Taco Soup:

1 lb ground beef 

1 can pinto, kidney or black beans

1 cup frozen corn

1 can (14 oz.) petite diced tomatoes

1 little can diced green chiles

4 heaping Tbl. taco seasoning (I use Penzey's) or 1 packet of taco seasoning

1 32 oz. bottle of tomato juice

Garnish with: green onions, sour cream, cheese, or black olives if that's how you roll.

Eat with tortilla chips.  

Brown the meat and add in the tomatos and taco seasoning.  Then proceed to dump in everything else in the order of your choosing because you can't mess it up.  Let simmer until everything is heated through.  Grab your bag of chips and garnishes of your choosing [everything but cheese for me] and go crazy.

This is what happens when you love taco anything as much as we do...

Less than 24 hours.  I'll double or triple it next time so we can freeze it for lunches.

My list of 10 happy things

It's Friday!  And I am so excited that I'm practically jumping out of my pants. Because:

10.) I don't have to work this weekend!!
9.) I finally found out where the "nice" part of the river walk is in this tricky town.  Justy and I are going to go on it and it will be romantic and magical and beautiful!
8.) I'm making chicken tacos right now.  I love chicken tacos.
7.) I got to spend an hour on the phone catching up with one of my besties from way back in the days of white eyeliner and passing notes secretly in science class.  Oh those good old days.  I've still never forgotten the difference between mitosis and meiosis....
6.) I'm going to make something yummy this weekend.
5.) J and I are going jean shopping (for him) and this time, it will be a success!!  [Your prayers would be appreciated]
4.) My neighbor is replaying the same song and has been for 4 hours a day for the last 4 days.  That wouldn't be a negative, but I'm so happy that the ridiculousness of it makes me feel a little giddy.
3.) This weekend is going to be organizational heaven.  We're getting our crap together up in hurr.
2.) Wait for it....
1.) 11/11/2011 folks, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART TWO!!!

Look at that goomba.  I can't wait to spend the weekend with him flapping his arms and singing Lady Gaga's "You and I" at the top of his lungs.

Justin's Chicken

My fiance is not a picky eater.  He hates mustard.  And olives.  And cucumbers.  And he just informed me the other day that he doesn't like snickerdoodles.  Who doesn't like snickerdoodles??  Other than that, he really seems to like what I make him.  I make this once a week though and he loses his brain waiting to come home from work to eat it.  [I'm guessing].

Justin's Chicken:

2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 lemon

4 Tbl. Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Sprinkling of oregano

3 slices gluten free bread (toasted and ground in food processor)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

I cut my chicken boobs breasts in half so it looks like I'm making 4 instead of only two.  Even though we still eat it all...  Juice the lemon in a bowl, add olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano.  You could add garlic powder at this point too, but I only remember that about 50% of the time.  Throw the chicken in the olive oil/lemon juice to absorb delicious lemony goodness.  Then toast the bread in the oven.  Or toaster.  But I don't believe in toasters.  And grind it up in the food processor.  Then combine on a plate with parmesan cheese.

Next just dip the chicken in the crumb mixture and lay it in a baking dish.  For extra crunchy deliciousness, I put the left over crumbs on top of the chicken once it's all been dredged.  Finally you take the left over marinade and drizzle it over the chicken.  Bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes depending on how thick the chicken is.  I ate mine with a healthy salad, but I would have liked it with lemon broccoli pasta.  Yum.  

P.S. I bet this would be amazing with fish.

Food for the lonely heart.

Friday I had the day off.  Sometimes I have fun on days off.  But it was cold.  My neighbor's dog barked for 4 hours straight starting at 6:45 am.  And I missed my mom.  It's been 49 days since I moved away from home for good.  For good for good.  I've moved away from home 5 times before, but I always ended up back.  During the summer.  On weekends.  I kept half my wardrobe there and half at whatever residence I hung my hat that year.  [Side note, I don't know that I ever hang my hats, usually I leave them wherever I've taken them off, often the floor or shoved into a drawer in the bathroom].  In conclusion.  I now have all my underwear under one roof.  And it happens to be 250 miles from my mom.

In order to soothe my lonely heart.  I made these:

Not a culinary feat by any means.  Not even something to be proud of.  I melted chocolate chips, drizzled them on pretzels and ate.  Like a glutton.  Crying a little.  Until I called my mom and told her about my snack.  Then we did like we used to.  We shared a horrible idea of a snack together.  I crunching my chocolate covered pretzels on one side of the phone, whilst she crunched potato chips on the other.  My mom is the best.

Also the best you ask?  These: