White Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cookies

I've made these a few times and every time they get better.

Today would be a good day for cookies.

Since I can't bake right now, I thought I'd share the recipe.

Ingredients:

* 1 cup butter, softened

* 2 cups white sugar

* 2 eggs

* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

* 2 cups all-purpose flour

* 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1 2/3 cups white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Fold in the white chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until cookies are set. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. Mail me some.

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Live a Little, Love a Lot

That was the theme of this weekend.

Live a little, love a lot.

Friday night was Kenny Chesney so I left work early to prepare.

(It takes time to figure out what to wear for Kenny...)

Here are some shots from that night.

Hi Uncle Kracker.

Hi Natalie!

Hi Everyone!

Billy Currington was there so we had to take our picture with him...Look real close, he's the one singing.

Billy is always in my heart.

Mmmm...he's singing about dark blue eyes.

Yes, Billy and Kenny, we're single.

And, we like you singing to us.

Hi Kenny!

We're happy to be here to see you!

Thanks for a great show!

I love concerts.

I love country music.

I love country music concerts.

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Paula Deen's Southern Cornbread Salad

I decided to put my body through torture last night and go to kickboxing.

After I wobbled home from not being able to move my body, I ate a healthy supper and hopped into bed to catch up on some magazine reading.

This is when my phones beeps with a text from my dear, sweet cousin Shannon. She sends me a picture of her making Paula Deen's Southern Cornbread Salad.

She's losing her title of dear, sweet cousin.

Then, this morning, she sends me the picture of the finished product.

Nothing says good morning than a picture of this on your phone. So, I have bugged her all day until she sent me the recipe. 

Here it is: Paula Deen's Southern Cornbread Salad

  

Cornbread:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus 1/4 cup for greasing pan
• 1 cup self-rising cornmeal
• 3/4 cup self-rising flour
• 1 cup cream-style corn
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Generously season a cast iron skillet with up to 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Preheat the pan either in the oven or on the stove over medium-high heat.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, stirring with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined. Pour batter into the preheated cast iron skillet. Place skillet in the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes.

 

 Salad Ingredients:

• 1 batch cornbread, cut into 1-inch cubes, recipe follows
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can niblet corn, drained
• 1 medium Vidalia onion, finely chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 3 large tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
• 1 (8-ounce) bottle ranch dressing
• Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish  

Directions:

In the bottom of a large glass bowl, place cornbread cubes. Layer beans, corn, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, and cheese on top of cornbread. Spread ranch dressing evenly over cheese. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.

Shannon's Notes: 

The only thing I changed was substituting the bell peppers for broccoli - personal preference.  I also made a double batch of ranch dressing to ensure I had enough.  I didn't use bottled... Hidden Valley Ranch mix.

Thank you, Shannon for sharing your and Paula's recipe.  

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Asian Turkey Burgers with Wasabi Ketchup

I love to read. I love to read books. But I don't have time or the commitment to read books. So. I read magazines. 

Lots and lots and lots and lots of magazines. 

I have enough subscriptions to magazines to start my own library. 

One of these subscriptions is to Shape magazine. It makes me feel like I am doing something good for myself, even if I am just reading it.

About 3-4 years ago, they had a recipe for Asian Turkey Burgers with Wasabi Ketchup. I tried it and have been making these burgers ever since.

How I make them:

First...let's grab what we need.

Ground turkey, cumin, garlic, cilantro, soy sauce and worcestershire.

(The recipe doesn't call for the worcestershire, but I add it because I like it.)

1. Add cilantro.

2. Then your garlic.

(There have been plenty of times I didn't have fresh garlic on hand, I just used the canned stuff. Works just as well.)

3. Then add some soy sauce.

4. How about a little Worcestershire.

5. Some cumin.

6. A little pepper

7. And of course salt.

8. Mix it well. I use my hands. Works best.

9. Now, usually I'll cut up a sweet potato, but tonight I was crunched for time. So I used the bagged stuff. These have a little kick to them.

(They are good, and aren't that bad for you. Win.)

10. Getcha George ready.

And there you have it. Asian Turkey Burgers. 

(I was out of wasabi for the wasabi ketchup... sorry.)

Shape Magazine recipe: Asian Turkey Burgers

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken or turkey breast
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 clv garlic, minced
• 1 t reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 t ground cumin
• 1 t salt
• 1 t black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 4 T ketchup
• 1 t wasabi paste
• 4 whole-wheat rolls

Directions

In a large bowl, combine first 7 ingredients well. Shape mixture into 4 patties, each about 1 inch thick.
Coat a large grill pan or griddle with cooking spray and set pan over medium heat. When pan is hot, add burgers and cook 5–6 minutes per side, until cooked through.
Meanwhile, mix ketchup and wasabi paste well in a small bowl.
Place burgers on whole- wheat rolls and top with ketchup mixture.

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Sunsets

"Sunsets are so beautiful that they almost seem as if we were looking through the gates of Heaven."

To know me, is to know that I will stop whatever I am doing if there is a sunset anywhere near me. 

It's true. I've pulled over the car before just to take a picture of a sunset. 

These are the most recent sunsets that I have taken on my phone.  

There is peace in natural beauty.

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