Taylor Thursday & Nutella & Reese’s Pieces Cookies

Taylor

Does this picture of Taylor remind you of the scene from the movie E.T the Extra Terrestrial where E.T. is hiding in the closet full of stuffed animals?  She has so many stuffed animals – I just couldn’t help photographing her with a few of “friends”.   It took a lot of coaxing to get her to stay still and not be tempted to play with her toys during our photo session!  As you can see she’s a natural in front of the camera. This is obviously not her first photo session.

When I think of E.T. I immediately think of “E.T. phone home” and Reese’s Pieces.  It’s actually one of my favorite candies and in my opinion it was one of the most successful uses of product placement.  The movie was released in 1982 and nearly 30 years later I still remember the little yellow, orange and brown candy coated pieces of peanut butter that lured E.T. into Elliot’s home!  To think that M&Ms was approached first for the movie opportunity, but declined.  Score for the Hershey’s company!  So here’s our nod to E.T. and Taylor Thursday, a Nutella & Reese’s Pieces Cookie.  The cookies are soft and chewy.  They’re not too sweet and the bits of candy coated peanut butter adds a nice crunch and creaminess to the cookies.  They’re great plain or with a smear of Nutella.  These cookies also make a great base for an ice cream sandwich.  Spread Nutella on the bottom of each cookie and place a generous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream in between the cookies for a quick and easy summer treat.  It’s so good!

nutella & reese's pieces cookies collage

 

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Wedding Marshmallow Pops

 wedding pops

Congratulations to Kim and Hong of The Ravenous Couple, who tied the knot on July 31st, 2011!  We were happy to be able to help contribute to their pop themed dessert table and of course we couldn’t wait to sink our teeth into the other treats on the table:  brownie pops & cream puffs by Pinoy Panda, cake pops, sesame ball pops, candy and mini cupcakes by Gastrophoria!  It was quite the dessert spread!

This was my pops’ first wedding debut and I knew I wanted to take it up a notch.  What I usually  do is dip half the marshmallow into chocolate, add sprinkles and then topped with a candy piece to mimic a cupcake.  It’s super easy to make, adorable for baby/bridal showers and make cute favors.  I wanted to create a marshmallow pop that resembled a tiered wedding cake, but I didn’t actually decide to try it out the idea until the night before the wedding… you know around midnight.  That’s just how I roll.  Derrick and I stayed up to 2:30am working on these babies. I’m really not sure why I’m addicted to being in my kitchen in the wee hours in the morning. I guess there’s just never enough hours in the day and I end up sacrificing sleep. Losing a little sleep was no big deal since we wanted to make something extra special for this amazing couple.  They’re the warmest set of people you’ll ever meet… they’re genuine, smart, great cooks and such wonderful friends.   So here’s to Kim & Hong – wishing you two a lifetime of happiness and love!  xoxo!  Oh, and we’ll be patiently waiting for you to add some Ravenous babies to the mix.  Hmm… The Ravenous Family… I like it!

wedding marshmallow pops

I think the pops look great under that dimmed & romantic lighting!

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Taylor Thursday & Lazy Beach Days

beach pup

June and July flew by and we’re wondering what happened to summer.   I think with the longer days we pack in so much more.  I often feel that instead of relaxing I’m trying to recharge from a busy and full summer schedule.  So we’re pushing the “pause button” and taking time to relax.   The dog beach is one of Taylor’s favorite spots and we love taking her there.  It’s gives us a chance to get away from everything and enjoy a beautiful summer’s day.  Taylor, a Golden Retriever mix, is naturally drawn to the water and is super active and sporty.  She especially loves playing Frisbee at the beach.  She is an excellent swimmer and has been known to take a dip in our friend’s pool on her own accord or jump into the lake for a quick swim.  So no recipes today – just photos of Taylor enjoying a gorgeous day at the beach.  It’s too hot to turn on the oven anyways! 

This is how the day at Coronado Beach in San Diego started…

taylor with frisbee

Nice sunny day at the dog beach

Then she gets into the water and decides to run and shake off at the same time…

Taylor

Look at her ears go and her facial expression is priceless!

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Brownie Ice Cream Cake

rich brownie ice cream cake

A couple of weekends ago we had our friends over for a BBQ & ice cream party. Summer gathering are not complete without grilling and ice cream.  Derrick grilled up some beef sliders, hot links and chicken sausages and served it on toasted King’s Hawaiian bread.  I love the slighty  sweet and savory combination of the bread and protein.  We also made homemade French fries as well:  French fries with Roasted Black Sesame Seeds, Sea Salt & Yuzu, Sweet Mesquite BBQ Fries and Chili Lime with Cotija Cheese Fries.  Since it’s national ice cream month, it’s only fitting that we ended the meal with a selection of ice creams, toppings and cones from Smart and Final.  I dipped the sugar ice cream cones in melted chocolate and finished them off with sprinkles, toasted coconut and nuts.  I had also made this rich and decadent ice cream cake to serve to my friends… but the evening flew by and we got full pretty fast so I ended up sharing this cake with my co-workers instead.  I know, I’m terrible… my friends had no idea this cake was hiding out in the freezer.  I forgot to serve it… don’t you hate when that happens?  Well, needless to say my co-workers were all pretty happy that I shared it with them instead.  I guess I’ll have to have everyone over again and I’ll have to make it up to them!

This chocolatey rich ice cream cake is made up of two layers of fudge brownies, 1.5 quarts of Smart of Final’s premium Moose Tracks ice cream, topped with a layer of whipped cream, a drizzle of chocolate syrup and a sprinkle of nuts.  All of the components make for a very decadent cake.   Are you familiar with Moose Tracks ice cream?  It’s vanilla ice cream with mini peanut butter cups and a swirl of “Moose Track” fudge.  Sounds great right?!  You know how much I enjoy peanut butter and brownies together!

brownie ice cream cake

Maybe this should be renamed... death by chocolate... just a thought.

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Chili Lime French Fries with Cotija Cheese

chili lime french fries with cotija cheese

Our 4th Alexia Foods “Reinvent a Classic” French Fry challenge has us exploring Mexican flavors.  It’s a flavor profile that is popular and compliments so many different foods.  Chili and lime is a classic Mexican combination that works.  You get the spicy kick from the tajin and the fresh tang from the lime zest and juice with a touch of saltiness from the sea salt and the mild and crumbly cotija cheese.   The flavors are bright and addicting. 

Tajin (salsa en polvo) is a popular Mexican blend of chili peppers, lime and salt.  It’s commonly sprinkled on fruits such as mangoes and apples. It actually makes my mouthwater thinking about pairing this up with fruit.   It’s also great on cucumbers with a light sprinkle of salt and a squeeze of lime. My co-workers lead me on to this tasty snack. Our friends agree… chili lime French fries with cotija cheese this is a winning flavor combination. 

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