Chocolate Cherry Chip Cookies!

Good Thursday morning everyone!!

I gotta make this snappy, both my boys are still sleeping and it's almost 7:30am. A miracle!

Ok, I know I make chocolate cookies often, but trust me when I tell you that you will LOVE this version. I picked up these awesome little cherry chips by Log House in AZ quite a few months ago and wished I would have gotten more bags. They are fabulous in cookies. I got them at Super Walmart, but have found Log House's Online store where you can get 2 bags for a little over $5 bucks. So, if you can't find them at your grocer, check out the link HERE.

Chocolate Cherry Chip Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder)
2 tsps. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 bag of Log House Cherry Chips
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and use a cookie sheet with a silpat liner.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until well combined.

3. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients then stir in white chips and cherry chips. Using a medium cookie scoop, drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.

4. Bake for 9-11 minutes, should still be soft in center. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

3 dozen cookies

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Looks like I made it, the little tykes just woke up and I'm done with my post! Have a great rest of your week! See you all soon.

Hearty Ground Turkey Chili with Green Chili Cheddar Muffins

Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July weekend! We had a fun filled week with my family that was visiting from AZ. I think we've just about convinced them all to move on down to Newport Beach with us. It really was a great weekend. We watched the fireworks at the Newport Dunes and they put on quite the impressive show. I bet we'll make it a tradition to go back there.

Now for some good ol' thick hearty chili. I am a huge chili fan, I think we make it at least once or twice a month. I was so excited to see that Costco now sells 1 lb packs of ground turkey just like their ground beef that I've been buying for years. I've always loved substituting turkey for beef, so maybe I'll be trying it out more often now that it's readily available at Costco. I love this chili because it tastes as though it's been simmering all day when you could actually have it on the table in about 20 minutes. It's thick and full of great chili flavor. Don't forget to make those killer cornbread muffins that I've made before. They are the best I've found. Enjoy!!

Thank you Laurie from Tip Junkie for Interviewing me on your blog. Check it out HERE!

Hearty Ground Turkey Chili with Green Chili Cheddar Muffins

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large white onion, finely diced
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Lawry's Garlic Salt with Parsley
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 14 oz can chicken broth
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
3/4 Cup tomato sauce
3 cans of beans of choice, drained (I used black beans, chili beans and red kidney beans)
1 teaspoon Tabasco hot sauce
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons ground cumin

1. Heat oil into a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in turkey, salt, pepper and garlic salt; cook until browned and no longer pink. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, hot sauce, chili powder and cumin. Reduce heat to low and simmer until ready to serve. Serve with cornbread muffins.

Green Chili Cheddar Cornbread Muffins (click name for recipe)

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Have a great week! See you all soon with a killer chocolate cookie, you won't want to miss it!

Crazy Days Of Summer Favorites!

Happy Tuesday everyone! What a crazy past few weeks it's been around here. Just back home last night from a week in sunny AZ and had a great time with my family and friends despite the wicked heat. It's funny how quickly the boys and I forgot how hot AZ gets in the summer. We've been so spoiled with the mid 70's around here in CA!

With summer as unpredictable as it is, I will occasionally be highlighting some of my past favorite recipes to keep up with everything going on. I've organized a couple of my very favorite summer treats to share with you all today since I haven't stepped foot in my kitchen for a while. Hope you all will enjoy a blast from the past! This little parfait and my raspberry blondies are the perfect way to perk up any summer! Enjoy!

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Honeyed Strawberry Shortcake Yogurt Parfaits

4.5 oz package shortcakes, 4 count, cut into cubes
16 oz reduced fat vanilla yogurt
1 Cup chopped fresh stawberries
8 teaspoons honey
1 package Nature Valley Oats n’ Honey Crunchy Granola Bars (2 in package), crushed

1. Place an even layer of shortcake into 4 little parfait glasses. Top evenly with a couple spoonfuls of yogurt, then about ¼ Cup strawberries. Drizzle each cup with 1 teaspoon honey then top with a Tablespoon of crushed granola bar. Repeat this layering one more time and serve.

4 servings

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Raspberry White Chocolate Blondies

¼ Cup butter class

¾ Cup white chocolate chips

½ Cup sugar

¼ Cup brown sugar

1 Cup flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ Cup white chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons sour cream

1 Cup fresh or frozen raspberries

½ Cup finely chopped pecans

2 Tablespoons sanding sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter in microwave safe bowl. Stir in ¾ Cup white chips until melted and smooth. In a large bowl add the sugar, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and ½ Cup white chips. In a small bowl whisk the eggs and sour cream. Pour into the dry ingredient bowl along with the melted white chip mixture. Mix until just combined.

2. Pour into an 8x8 inch baking dish lined with foil that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Top evenly with 1 Cup raspberries. Mix the chopped pecans and sanding sugar in a small bowl until combined then sprinkle over top of blondies. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes clean from center.

9 blondies

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Some Summer Snapshots of the last couple weeks

Have a wonderful week, see ya'll soon!!

Double Chipped Cookies Stuffed with 100 Grand!

Happy Thursday! The boys and I drove down to AZ yesterday so we can celebrate my mom's 50th B-day and my nephews baptism this week.

I was so happy with how these cookies turned out. Simple and sinfully fabulous! Basically, cut up pieces of 100 Grand Candy Bars are pressed into the middle of each pre-baked cookie dough before baking. The result is a soft gooey centered buttery crisp heavenly cookie. Give em' a try, you won't be disappointed! Don't get me started on the cookie dough, mmmm!

Double Chipped Cookies Stuffed with 100 Grand

2 sticks softened butter
3/4 Cup light brown sugar
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 Cup chocolate chips
1 Cup white chocolate chips
8 mini size 100 Grand bars, each cut into 4 equal pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add in eggs then vanilla until well combined. In a large bowl sift flour, baking soda and salt; add to wet ingredients on low speed following white and chocolate chips until just combined. Scoop dough onto a parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet with a medium cookie scoop. Press cut pieces of 100 Grand Bars into center of each dough. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until just golden on outer edges. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to cooling rack. Enjoy!!

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Have a wonderful week! I'll be enjoying the AZ sun with the family. See you all early next week!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Covered Brownie Bites...

Good Monday everyone. We have officially started summer break this week, school is out! How was Father's Day? We had such a sweet morning yesterday. I shared some pics below of my guys. We have had quite the busy last couple weeks with family visiting. It feels nice to be back in the kitchen!

While galavanting around with my family, we stopped in this old fashioned candy shop on Balboa Island where I bought some tiny chocolate covered brownie bites. They were pretty mediocre and I knew I could do much better. Check out my ultra simple, but oh so delicious brownie bites. Another jazzed up brownie mix that will have you smiling from ear to ear. Nothing tricky here, just pure sweetness. Don't be surprised when these bad boys disappear before your eyes. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Covered Brownie Bites

1 brownie mix such as Pillsbury

2 Cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 Cup peanut butter

1. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Bake until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center but still slightly undercooked. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. When you are able to touch brownies comfortably, scoop brownies with a medium cookie scoop, roll tightly into a ball and place onto a wax paper lined baking sheet. Continue rolling until brownies are gone. Freeze brownies until very firm, a couple hours or overnight. No worries if your brownie balls aren't perfect, once frozen reshape them. They are easier to handle when chilled.

2. Place chocolate chips over a double broiler (or heat in microwave until smooth) to melt, then stir in peanut butter until creamy smooth. Roll each frozen brownie ball into chocolate and place onto wax paper to dry. Enjoy room temperature or chilled.

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I caught some pics of my cuties around the table Father's Day morning. I am one lucky Mom to have these guys in my life!! Have a great week everyone, see you soon!!