We have had an inexplicable bout of cool weather lately. Yesterday (July 29th!) our high temperature was 68 degrees. It has been unbelievable and totally awesome! I have to remind myself that it isn't fall and we are going to see 90 degrees again this week.
Since it's not actually fall, it's not really chili season. This is the season where I like something I can throw together quickly, and stove top recipes fit the bill. But thanks to this chili macaroni recipe, I can enjoy the flavors of chili (tomatoes, beans, spices, oh my!) without waiting for hours, and without a ending up with a hot bowl of soup. Chili, meet summer. I think you guys are going to like each other!
Is there a better guilty food pleasure than cookie dough? I think not. It is so delicious! Most people would even probably agree with me that the cookie dough is actually better than the finished cookie product. But it is taboo to eat cookie dough, or at least more than simply licking the spoon. Maybe that's part of what makes it so delicious. Don't we love things we're not supposed to have?
But with this recipe, eating cookie dough doesn't have to be taboo. Because it doesn't contain raw eggs, it is perfectly safe for anyone to eat. And you definitely won't be able to stop yourself at just a lick of the spoon with this stuff! Fortunately, these chocolate chip cookie dough bars aren't just safer to eat with the absence of eggs. They are also healthier to eat. I made a few tweaks to this recipe to cut some serious calories. And even though they are now less of a guilty pleasure, they are definitely still a pleasure!
I have a culinary confession to make. I honestly don't know much about Asian food. We have a Chinese buffet in my little hometown, but we almost never went there when I was growing up. It had a less than stellar reputation. I'm talking about rumors of cats in freezers kind of reputation. We would occasionally have Chinese food when we went out of town and my dad would pick where we ate. And I never thought I liked Chinese food until I tried Panda Express, which I imagine is about as authentic Chinese as a Big Mac. But who doesn't love that sweet and sticky orange chicken?
I didn't have Thai food until college, and I could probably count on one hand the number of times I have had it since. Because of my lack of experience with Asian cuisine, I couldn't really tell Chinese food from Thai food from Vietnamese food from my elbow. My understanding of Thai food is that it is spicy and it often has a peanut sauce. That's it. With that being said, I can't really tell you if this spicy Thai beef dish is actually good Thai food. But I can tell you that it is good food! It is easy and delicious with a little kick of spice and a little tang thanks to lime juice and ginger.
Today my wonderful husband turns 28. Happy birthday! As I have mentioned before, it is tradition in my family to make pancakes on someone's birthday. And when my husband married me, he married my family traditions. That means birthday pancakes and deodorant in your Christmas stocking. These are actually the pancakes I made him last year on his birthday. I have been selfishly holding onto this recipe, but I think today is the perfect time to share.
As the big day approached last year, I pondered over what kind of pancakes I should make. They had to be perfect for his special day. I had already decided on a red velvet cake for later in the day, so a festive, cake-like, pancake seemed like a fun way to start the day. I have come across recipes for pancakes that actually use cake mix for the batter. While that sounded delicious, and I was willing to splurge a bit, I couldn't bring myself to have cake twice in one day. My solution was to take my favorite basic pancake recipe and tweak it slightly to make it a birthday worthy pancake that didn't put my whole day off track (I'd save that for the cake!). What I came up with was a delicious pancake that is worth celebrating!
It is still summer. Therefore, I still am boycotting my oven. And, I am trying to eat a little healthier. And I still have a sweet tooth. Fortunately, I have found an awesome recipe that meets all my needs, especially my need for delicious!
This is one of those Pinterest posts I pinned thinking I might make it "some day." It had peanut butter, oatmeal, and butterscotch chips, and is eaten in it's delicious cookie dough form. And it doesn't have any butter or white sugar. I had to pin that! When it started getting hot outside, my "some day" finally came. So I tried it out, and it was absolutely delicious!
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