Skillet Cornbread

We got some snow yesterday.  Like a foot.  For most working adults, a foot of snow means shoveling the car out of the driveway and navigating treacherous roads.  For those of us who work in the school system, a foot of snow means you can hit the snooze button because it's a snow day!  And if you're a foodie who has a snow day, that means spending all day in the kitchen.  And staying in your pajamas as long as humanly possible.  Maybe that last one's just me. I love wearing my PJ's.

Wardrobe aside, I think it should be a law that if you have the day off of work due to a massive snowstorm, you should be required to make soup.  Write your congressmen and women.  On this particular snow day, I chose my delicious very veggie beef and bean chili as my soup du jour (it's the soup of the day [and that's a Dumb and Dumber reference]).  I also think it should be a law that when you make chili, you must make cornbread.  With all these great ideas, maybe I should run for Congress!  I have a great go-to low fat cornbread recipe.  But yesterday, I felt like trying something new.  I've had skillet cornbread on my radar for a while, so it seemed like the day to give it a shot.  Could I have a new favorite cornbread recipe?

Congo Bars

Congo bars?  What the heck is that?  That's what I thought the first time I saw a recipe for Congo bars somewhere out there in internet-land.  For some reason, it just makes me think of something a gorilla would eat.  Do gorillas live in the Congo?  I think weird things.  Anyway, I kept seeing these Congo bars come up here and there.  So I figured they must be good.  Since everyone else was doing it, I decided to do it too.  I'm like that when it comes to baking.  

So what are Congo bars?  My assessment is that they are a little bit of everything good you could imagine to put into a cookie-type bar, actually put into a cookie-type bar.  These are a soft, chewy bar featuring shredded coconut, chopped toasted pecans, chocolate chips, and even white chocolate!  I don't know how these bars came to be, or why they are called Congo bars, but I am thankful for the person who came up with this idea!

Makeover Monday: Pancake Squares

It doesn't take much time browsing my blog to figure out that I like love pancakes.  They are one of my favorite weekend breakfast dishes and I enjoy trying different varieties and exploring all the fun things you can add to a plain ole pancake.  But despite all the kinds of pancakes I have made, such as oatmeal cinnamon roll, pumpkin, strawberry poppy seed, and even sweet potato to name just a few, I have never even thought about changing the way I make pancakes.  That changed about two weeks ago.

That was when I saw a pin on Pinterest for these pancake squares.  This is basically just regular pancake batter, but instead of pouring individual pancakes on a skillet and watching, waiting, flipping, watching, waiting, and repeating over and over, all you do is pour the batter into a baking dish and bake it.  Then you cut it, eat it, and love it.  One look at that pin, and my mind was blown!  Why did I not think of that?

Butter Rum Quick Bread Sticky Buns

Today is a great day when we share our love with those special people in our lives.  I am a lucky lady today because I have the day off work!  That means I didn't have to get out of bed this morning before the sun did, I get to have lunch with my husband (bonus, our town's roadside BBQ master is in business this week!), and I have plenty of time to prepare a delicious Valentine's dinner for tonight.  It's going to be a great day!

And while we are celebrating the ones we love today, I'm going to share with you something that I love--sticky buns.  What's not to love about sticky buns?  A sweet bread rolled up with cinnamon, sugar, and butter then outlandishly topped with gooey, buttery caramel is enough to steal anyone's heart!  The only hang up is that they take so darn long to make.  Until now!

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

In case you haven't been able to tell by all the cheesy jewelry store and Russell Stover's commercials on TV, or you haven't noticed that everything in every single store is either pink or red, tomorrow is Valentine's Day!  And all you ladies out there know that food really truly is the way to a man's heart.  And what better way to treat your sweetheart than with a sweet treat?  

These pretty red velvet crinkle cookies are perfect for Valentine's Day.  They are soft and chewy with the rich, delicious red velvet taste that is sweeping internet-land.  One taste, and you will certainly be love-struck!  And if you have a busy Valentine's Day planned, possibly the best thing about these delectable treats is that they are quick and easy to make.  Yes, these are a cheater's cookie.  But they taste so good, no one will know they took almost no effort!