Thursday, March 21, 2013

Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Pecan Cookies

A lot of the great things in life were made by accident.  Post-It notes and about half of our population come to mind.  And now, these cookies.  Between you and me, these were totally meant to be something else.  These cookies are the product of one of those "oh-crap" kitchen moments.  

They were supposed to be turtle cookies with chocolate chips, pecans, and caramel bits.  I actually made them for a tailgate party last fall.  The day I was to make them, I sent my husband to the store (which almost never happens) with a very specific list, including caramel bits.  I told him the brand I wanted and everything.  He shortly returned home and reported to me that our small town grocery store doesn't have caramel bits.  "Oh crap" might not have been all that was going through my head at that moment, but I put my thinking cap on and came up with something that was delicious in its own right.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Crock Pot Cocktail Meatballs

The Madness has officially begun.  Last night the reigning NCAA basketball champs, the Kentucky Wildcats, saw their season go down in flames in the first round of, get this, the NIT.  They were defeated by Robert Morris (anyone ever heard of them?) whose fans then proceeded to storm the court.  Again, keep in mind we're talking about the first round of the NIT.  For those of you who don't follow basketball and have no idea what I'm talking about, let me compare this to Arnold Schwarzenegger losing to, let's say....me, in an arm wrestling competition.  Epic fail.

For those of you who are basketball fans, be jealous of me.  I am on Spring Break for the rest of the week, which means I get to watch those daytime tournament games from the comfort of my own couch, instead of clandestinely streaming games onto a smartphone while pretending work like the rest of you.  This includes my beloved K-State Wildcats on Friday afternoon.  Ah, I love my job!  

So anyway, I like watching sports.  I like eating good food while watching sports.  Crock Pot cocktail meatballs are good food, especially for watching sports.  

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

White Castle Slider Wannabes

March Madness is upon us.  It's yet another opportunity to gather 'round the couch with your friends and drink a few cold ones while eating junk, all in the name of sports.  I love America!  And what is more American than a cheeseburger?

While "bigger is better" is typically the American mindset, sliders have managed to find a nice, miniature, spot in our hearts.  And why not?  They're a fun change up from a standard burger, they can be eaten one handed, and you can eat multiple of them guilt-free.  Plus, they make great party food because your guests can enjoy a cheeseburger without filling up, allowing them to enjoy the rest of the delicious food you have worked so hard to prepare.  And one of the best things about this slider recipe is that these particular mini-burgers are the easiest burgers I have ever made!

Saturday, March 9, 2013

St. Louis-Style Cheese Pizza (with no-yeast crust!)

Just when I start getting the hang of this yeast thing, I start coming up with all these yeast-less recipes.  I guess I am finding myself attracted to these type of recipes because I no longer have all day to sit around and watch yeast rise.  Most days.  I still like me some good yeast action on a weekend, snow day, or just random day off work.  

I already have a fantastic recipe for pizza crust that is easy and delicious.  But I was instantly intrigued when I saw this recipe in Cook's Country for a yeast-free pizza crust.  I loved the idea of being able to make my own delicious pizza at home on a whim.  Pizza whims happen to me quite frequently.