No-Bake Oreo Bars

It's no secret. I have an insatiable sweet tooth.

Unfortunately, my 27-year-old (how did that happen??) body doesn't metabolize quite as well as my 18-year-old body did, so now I actually have to pay for my food choices.

Screw that.

You see, thanks to Pinterest (the most addictive time-sucker in my life right now), I'm addicted to No-Bake Oreo Bars.

People. You have to make them. They're essentially Rice Krispie Treats made with Oreos instead of the Rice Krispies, so the texture catches you off guard at first. But once you come to grips with the freaky chewy Oreo sensation, your life will never be the same.

And because plagiarism is wrong, the original recipe can be found here. But for those of you who are too lazy to click on the link, here it is:

1 pkg Oreos

1 pkg large marshmallows

4 Tbsp butter

Grind all the Oreos using a food processor (if you're fancy like that; if you're ghetto like us, a Ziplock bag and a rolling pin will do). Melt marshmallows and butter in microwave until puffed (about 1 1/2- 2 minutes).  Remove and pour in ground Oreos.  Stir to combine then transfer to a foil-lined 8×8 inch baking pan.  Let set up for 10 minutes.  Remove bars out of pan with edges of foil and cut into squares. The recipe says it makes 9 bars, but trust me when I tell you that a little bit goes a long way. Cut them into smaller bars and enjoy them for longer. :)

You can repay me by sharing your finished product. I love Oreos.

Domesticity

I've never really been the domestic type. I'm just now at the point that I can cook an edible meal. I've been able to bake decently for awhile, but following and tweaking recipes has just has never been my thing. I married a man who could cook, and I most definitely took advantage of that while we were both working (especially when I was a coach!).

But I ran out of excuses when I became a stay at home mom. There wasn't really a valid reason I couldn't get dinner started before Matt got home from work, so in order to avoid being lazy, I just started cooking. And honestly, the more I did it, the easier it got.

I'm no gourmet chef, but there are nights that I definitely surprise myself with a dang good dinner.

I learned to sew in January, and so now I'm going all Suzy Homemaker and cooking, baking, and sewing as often as I get the chance. I know, it's so unlike me.

Anyway, now to the point of this post.

I would like to let you in on a few of discoveries I've recently made.  You're welcome.

{1} Craftgawker. Y'all, this site will be the death of my free time. I just want to sit and look at all the pretty things and tutorials all day long. If you sew, knit, crochet, scrapbook, or just like DIY projects, you have to check it out. Be sure to start with the "popular" tab so you're not overwhelmed with all the cuteness. It'll show you the the most popular tutorials first, and you can go from there. I've already gotten some great ideas for wedding and baby shower gifts.

{2} Chocolate chip cookie pie. Yum. Really, just yum. It's a mix between a pie and a cookie cake. And you can't go wrong with cookie cake. It's impossible. Be sure to use the oatmeal crust she links to; it's ridiculously easy and tasty (and cheap!).

{3} Okay, this one really isn't a discovery, but I finally mastered the art of sewing velcro! This accomplishment at least deserves a mention. I made my second diapers/wipes case and changing pad, this time for my cousin Kari, and I love the way they turned out! These are seriously so easy to make. Now I just need to make one for myself. Can someone please come and clean my house so I can just sew all day?

Speaking of cleaning the house, I really need to get off my booty and get some work done before Sleeping Beauty decides my time is up.

The Best Chicken Salad in the World

I promised over a week ago that I'd post this recipe and then I completely forgot to do it. Anyway, without further ado, here's the best chicken salad in the world. (And I don't say that lightly; it took a lot for me to rank it above my mom's [sorry, Mom!].) 

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Yield: Makes 4 servings

{Ingredients}

• 1/2  cup  regular mayonnaise (don't even bother with the light stuff; my current favorite mayo is the kind made with olive oil)
• 1/2  cup  regular sour cream
• 1  tablespoon  lemon juice (fresh is probably the best way to go, but I used a bottle and it was still delicious)
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  pepper
• 2  pounds  skinned and boned chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (I just boiled two large chicken breasts and it was plenty)
• 3  cups  red and white seedless grapes, halved (I used all red)
• 1  cup  chopped pecans, toasted (I used more than a cup, but we really like pecans; I also didn't toast them, I just chopped them straight out of the bag)
• Lettuce leaves (optional)

{Preparation}

Stir together 1/2 cup mayonnaise and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chopped chicken and grapes, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Stir in pecans just before serving.

If you're feeling fancy, serve in stemware lined with lettuce leaves. If you're feeling normal, slap the salad on your choice of bread. If you're feeling ravenous, forgo all manners, grab a spoon and dig in. Yummy!

Revenge and jalapenos.

If you've known us for longer than, say, a month, you know that we live behind Mr. and Mrs. Crazy. Long story short, they like to call animal control (and the police) on a regular basis to complain that our dogs bark. (Which, for the record, they don't bark any more than any reasonable dog. We have the notarized letter signed by each of the rest of our neighbors to prove it.) Any time we're in our back yard we see them watching us from their windows. It's more than a little creepy.

So last night I was getting Avery's bath ready, and I heard the dogs bark maybe three times. I filled the tub, but before I set Avery in it I heard Nutmeg start freaking out. I ran to the back door to see Meg standing at the edge of the deck barking her little head off at the Crazies' house. Their blinds were all the way open and I saw Mrs. Crazy standing there staring at us. (Note: I've never seen this woman in the entire 3 years we've lived in our house.) I waved to her to let her know I had the "situation" under control, and she flipped me off. Flipped me off! Um, hello woman. YOU were the one creeping out the window. YOU are the one who has made us bend over backwards for you (i.e. bark collars and minimal time outside). And you flip me off??

Matt marched over to their house to find out what the heck their problem is, but of course they don't answer their door. Ever. (We're told they don't even answer the door for neighbors who bring misdelivered mail. Antisocial much?) They do have two video cameras on their front porch. So James Bond.

I suppose we will just have to "love our enemies" and "turn the other cheek" and all those other Biblical directives that are really hard to do when the flesh just wants revenge.

And now to change subjects completely.

I made some super yummy BBQ Beef Casserole (Don't knock it. I told you it's yummy. Either believe me or try it yourself.) tonight. Matt devoured his because he had to go to a meeting and I'm a slow cook (and, I think, because it was incredibly delicious), and Avery was shoveling it in as well. She still eats with her fingers (mostly because I lack patience and the desire to clean the mess that would prevail after her use of utensils), so it was a little messy. Did I mention yet that it was more than just a little spicy? Jalapenos, meet Avery's eyes. Let's just say that when Matt left, dinner got a little chaotic. I wiped down Avery's hands and face, finished feeding her with a spoon, and promptly took her to the tub.

Seriously, where has the time gone? She's not my helpless little baby anymore. She's a little girl with a gigantic personality and ever-growing independence. When did that happen?? I let her have an extra-long playtime in the tub tonight because I was so caught up in watching her read her book, figure out the logistics of bath splashing, and fill up and dump out the rinsing cup. It really doesn't seem like it's been that long since we were fumbling around trying to figure out how to bathe a newborn who hated the water. 

My hope and prayer is that I won't waste time letting the frustrations of life rob me of the joy that is found in the life that Christ gave me through His Son.

Meatless Monday on a Thursday

I try to eat healthy foods, really I do. But Oreos, ice cream, and pizza just call to me. I can't help myself.

But in an effort to reduce our meat consumption (thank you, Food, Inc.) and our grocery bill, I've added Meatless Monday to the menu (much to my husband's chagrin). In case you're wondering, we also have breakfast for dinner on Wednesdays and Mexican food Fridays. But you probably weren't wondering. I digress.

This past  Monday was Labor Day (duh), so Matt had the day off and we ended up going on an impromptu happy hour date (translation: fried food and sodas at TGI Fridays. YUM.) We were still stuffed by dinner time, so we just ate sandwiches. All that to say, I moved Monday's dinner to tonight (lest all that food go bad), and I felt the need to share the deliciousness.

This is not a cooking blog. In fact, I'm not even a very good cook. But hey, I'm getting better since I have plenty of time to practice these days. I digress again.

Back to my point. You have GOT to try this recipe. It is easy easy easy and soverygood. You can thank me later.

Quick Quesadillas

 

Makes 8 servings

• Nonstick olive oil spray
• 2 zucchini, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced (I left this out)
• 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 16 (6-inch) flour tortillas
• 8 oz shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Drain and rinse the canned beans. Put in a large mixing bowl. Grate the zucchini. Toss the grated zucchini with a teaspoon of salt in a colander, then squeeze out excess water. Combine the zucchini with the beans, spices, grated cheese, and scallions. Spritz one side of each tortilla with olive oil spray. Place eight tortillas oil-side down on a baking sheet. Spread some filling on each tortilla then top with another tortilla (oil-side up). Broil 1-2 minutes (until golden) and flip. Broil the flip side another 1-2 minutes.

Movies, Mother's Day Out, Meatballs, and Muffins

I like alliteration. Sue me.

The Back-up Plan was dumb. Ugh, I had such high hopes for it to be a fun chick flick that I wasted the number one spot on our Netflix on it. Jennifer Lopez should not be allowed in movies, with the exception of The Wedding Planner. And even then, Matthew McConaughey, Justin Chambers, and Judy Greer were the ones who made it amazing, not ol' Jenny from the Block. Okay, so consider yourself warned if you decide to watch this poorly acted, obnoxiously written, completely far-fetched romantic "comedy."

Avery started Mother's Day Out today! She wasn't even a little sad to leave me all day (I mean, come on, Avery. Is one tear too much to ask?), and I had to literally pick her up off the floor to get her to leave the room to go home. Mommy Fail of the day: not packing enough lunch. That's my girl. She's an eater. And when I got there to pick her up, her teachers asked me if she talks a lot at home because apparently she wouldn't stop talking all day. Again, we might be related. I think it's safe to say she had fun, and I got lots of work done at church. Everybody wins. Oh, and today was free lattes for the parents, so I might have won a little more.

Tonight's (delayed-because-I-overestimated-my-cooking-abilities) dinner: BBQ Meatballs a la Pioneer Woman. I am SO on a PW kick. And so is my waistline, thankyouverymuch. So so so so so good. However, (and I feel blasphemous for saying this because Ree and I are tight like that) our associate pastor's wife, Julie, makes better meatballs (and sauce). There, I said it. Please don't hate me, P-Dub. I still love you.

Tomorrow's (breakfast for) dinner: Make-Ahead Muffin Melts.They're pretty much a heart attack on an English muffin. But we'll have fruit, too, so that makes it okay, right? Right? Just humor me, okay?


My neck hurts. It's probably because I have worked from sunrise (okay, so maybe not that early but it felt like it) to sunset (and beyond!), and a good portion of the day was battling a copy machine that wants to see me die (or at least burn off my fingers). Now would be a good time to end this random little note and head to bed.

So. Goodnight.