Tag Archives: friends

24 Hours

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The other day I had 24 hours with my best friend/college roommate, Rachel

We brunched, we window-shopped, we walked, we pedicured… it was fabulous

And since she was in town from Florida we made a couple of very important stops…. Pinkberry

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…and forty carats

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Best friends don’t let best friends go without fro yo.

And then after a day of running around the city and catching up on months of conversation (I hadn’t seen her since my wedding!) we changed our out-on-the-town evening plans and crashed the husband’s dinner

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We went to this restaurant near my apartment

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Beer sampler anyone?

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Of course the rest of the night was spent catching up some more on life like only best friends do

We were so happy to be reunited, I almost didn’t let her leave!

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What would you do if you had a best friend visit for 24 hours?

Brownies for a Guest

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One of my best friends is coming to town.

Kristen and I have been friends since we were in 2nd grade.  No, that is a lie.  We have known each other since then but actually weren’t really friends until 6th grade.  I don’t really remember why it took so long, but we have been best friends ever since.  She was even a bridesmaid in my wedding.

When given the choice, Kristen requested a dessert with dark chocolate and fruit or dark chocolate and peanut butter.  Well, it’s been almost 2 weeks since I posted a dessert with chocolate and peanut butter so I figure that it was about time to make another one.  I don’t want my readers going through withdrawal or anything.

These Fat Witch Brownies with Peanut Butter Chips are from Lora’s wonderful blog, Cake Duchess. I saw the brownies the other day and couldn’t resist making them.  Besides, brownies are terrifically easy for weeknight baking.  The brownies came out incredibly fudgey and moist with the added texture of peanut butter chips.  Some people might say they are so rich you can only eat a small piece (I am not one of them).brownie 14

I followed Lora’s recipe with very few changes.  I whisked everything together rather than using a mixer and doubled the portion of peanut butter chips.  Check her blog for the specifics and to send her some hugs (she just shared the news of a health scare).  We are thinking about Lora and her family and wish her the best.

Start by melting butter and chocolate together in a saucepan over low heat; set aside

chocolate and butter chocolate and butter melted

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs

eggs

Then whisk in sugar and vanilla

eggs sugar vanilla whisked eggs sugar vanilla

Whisk in chocolate and butter mixture

chocolate and butter added

Whisk flour and salt

add flour flour mixed in

When dry ingredients are completely incorporated, fold in peanut butter chipsadd peanut butter chips

batter in pan

Pour batter into pan and bake for about a half hour or until a knife or toothpick comes out clean

brownie baked

Top brownie with powdered sugar and serve

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What do you bake when you are short on time?

Delicious End to 2010

As I take a look at some of the last month’s activities I guess it shouldn’t be surprising that my pants don’t fit…

We had our 5th annual Thanksgiving with Friends

(the infamous dinner with 8 desserts)

hosts

Had and fulfilled intense cookie cravings

Tried to make the perfect cookie

Baked the Brown Eyed Baker’s Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Not pictured but worth mentioning, made Jessica’s Cookie Dough Dip in Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle and Chocolate Fudge

Went home to visit with family

The sister made chocolate covered pretzels

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pretzels 3

Dad gave me photography lessons

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Mom made a zillion cakes

(Outrageous Brownie with Peanut Butter Icing and Chocolate Ganache)

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(Pumpkin Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream and Cinnamon Whipped Cream)

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(The third cake was a Chocolate Cake with Vanilla and Chocolate Buttercream)

dessert table

Went home again for the 14th Annual Christmas Eve Brunch with my best friends from home

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It snowed, so I rushed to the train to beat the blizzard

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And since it was snowing, I had to make a trifle

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We celebrated New Year’s Eve

With Frozen Yogurt Pie

And Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Sandwiches

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This delicious food and the fun events with family and friends was definitely worth gaining a few pounds.  Better keep reminding myself as I fill up on vegetables over the next few weeks;-)

What memorable food did you eat this holiday season?

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Love

I love peanut butter.  If a day goes by where I don’t have it, I experience withdrawal symptoms.  A few days without it? Don’t mess with me.

peanut butter

As much as I loved being in Italy for my honeymoon this summer, going without peanut butter for almost two weeks may have been enough to convince me that getting back to real life still kind of sucks isn’t so bad after all.

Oatmeal with peanut butter? Good.  Banana and peanut butter? Yum.  Ants on a log? Underrated children’s snack.  Chocolate and peanut butter? The pair should have its own show.

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You may remember that my Thanksgiving with Friends featured eight desserts.  I enjoyed coming up with a fun and delicious variety of pick-up baked goods, but was stuck when it came to THE peanut butter and chocolate item.  You have seen my fan favorite cookie bar and the peanut butter brownies with chocolate ganache.  So have my friends.  Both items were a hit, so I knew when it came to my peanut butter loving friends, I was going to have to outdo myself.

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Well, I did.  If you are human like peanut butter and chocolate, you are going to LOVE these.  The one upside to marrying a crazy wonderful man who DISLIKES peanut butter? More for me!

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These Chewy Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter Filling start with a rich chewy cookie dough, used here, and are slathered with a creamy peanut butter filling that is irresistible.  Salty and sweet, chewy and creamy.  Oh, and these cookies are even good eaten right out of the freezer, not that I would know.  Have I mentioned my pants don’t fit?

Begin by making the cookies

dry ingred 2

Mix together the dry ingredients- flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, and set aside

dry ingred 3

Cream butter and sugar with a mixer

butter and sugar for cookie

Beat until light and fluffy

butter and sugar for cookie 2

Beat in the sugar, eggs and vanilla

adding eggs and vanilla

Mix well

egg mixed in

Gradually add your dry ingredients with mixer on low, then mix at medium speed until well-combined

mixing dry ingred

Next up, milk and semi-sweet chocolate chips

choc chips

Stir in the chips

mixing chips

Use a cookie dough scoop for the most uniform cookiesscooping dough

A tablespoon will also work; beware, the dough will be sticky when shaping into balls

dough to bake

Cookies will flatten while baking, that is expected

cookies baked

Let them cool on wire racks

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While cookies are cooling, make your filling

butter for icing

Cream softened butter until light and smooth

butter creamed

Add peanut butter and cream some more

add peanut butter

Beware of the incredible aromaPB mixed in

Mix in sugar

adding sugar

When mixture is smooth and creamy, it is done

filling done

Time to make your sandwiches

set up

Slather a tablespoon or two onto the bottom of one cookie

filling on cookie

Cover with another cookie and gently press down

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Repeat

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Chewy Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter Filling

Cookie recipe from Hershey’s

Makes ~2 dozen cookie sandwiches

Cookie Ingredients:

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Dash of salt

1 ¼ cup (2 ½ stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

2 cups granulated Sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 3/4 cup salted natural creamy peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

Cookie Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375

Mix together the dry ingredients, except for sugar, and set aside

Cream butter and sugar

Beat in the, eggs and vanilla

Gradually add dry ingredients with mixer on low;  then mix at medium speed until well-combined

Stir in chocolate chips

Drop dough in heaping tablespoons on baking sheets lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart

Bake at 375 for 8 minutes or until cookies are slightly puffy

Let cool on cooling rack

Filling Directions:

Beat butter until light and creamy

Beat in peanut butter

Mix in confectioners sugar on low speed and then beat until light and fluffy

Sandwich Directions:

When cookies are cool, spread one to two tablespoons of filling on the bottom of a cookie

Top with a second cookie and lightly press down

Repeat

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Do you know anyone that can resist peanut butter and chocolate?

Thanks.

Happy almost Thanksgiving! In honor of the holiday, I thought I would take a step back from the craziness of life to think about everything I am thankful for.  Life can be so stressful.  Most people, including myself, take so many of the important things for granted on a daily basis and get stressed about the little things.  Thanksgiving is the perfect time to give thanks for the pieces that are going right!  Here is my list.  What are you thankful for?

  • My health and the health of my loved ones
  • Having a job in a tough economy
  • The ability to blog about my passion
  • Glee because it makes me smile
  • The ability to laugh so hard I can’t stand up
  • Wonderful readers who leave comments that truly make my day
  • Leggings- three cheers for elastic waist pants!
  • Perfect chocolate desserts
  • Books that are so good you can’t put them down but don’t want to finish
  • Dinner parties with too much food
  • Living in an incredible city
  • The first sip of coffee each morning
  • Windows Live Writer 
  • Peanut butter
  • Memories of the days before Blackberries
  • NY bagels
  • Finding a world of bloggers who love food as much as I do
  • Ice cream in brownie or pie form; oh who am I kidding, really ice cream in any form
  • And most of all, special people in my life like these*

My husband that I’ve been with now for seven years

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My family and best parents in the world

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My best friends who all live too far away from me

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My grandmother, husband and sister – the people I love also love each other!

 

My aunt and her perfect puppy, Cole

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New family

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*Even if you aren’t in these pictures, if you are my friend or family member, you still mean the world to me

I’ll be back week with more recipes from my Thanksgiving with Friends!