Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Afternoon Delight


It's hot out! And sticky...and muggy. But I sort of love it! I dream of summer all winter long so I make myself appreciate all of it....even the really, really, REALLY hot days!

This summer, while in search of something filling yet refreshing to snack on, I came across this awesome dish. White bean dip with pita chips....super yum! It comes together in a flash and gives you plenty of time to chat with friends, drink a glass of wine, or catch up on the lastest episode of "The Bachelorette".

But, before I share the recipe with you...I want to share with you the newest addition to our family! Meet Roxy!! She is our new silver lab puppy and we just love her to pieces. The eery thing is that she reminds us an awful lot of our sweet Hershey. We just know she is still looking after us!

Roxy loves to play and loves to nap and is just about the cutest puppy ever! She has brought so much laughter and light back into our lives!









Alright....on to the recipe....that I promise you will love!!


White Bean Dip with Pita Chips
from Giada De Laurentiis


Ingredients
1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons
1/4 cup, loosely packed, fresh flat parsley leaves
Salt and Pepper
6 pitas
1 teaspoon dried oregano


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley into a food processor. Pulse until mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Transfer puree to a small serving bowl.
4. Cut each pita into 8 wedges. Arrange wedges on a large baking sheet and pour remaining oil over them. Toss and spread out evenly. Sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper.
5. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until toasted and golden.


Last Bite: The lemon and fresh parsley really make this dip come alive. Take it to a party or just make it as a side for dinner one night. Either way, you won't be disappointed!

Monday, June 7, 2010

Who doesn't want cake that has been frosted AND dipped in chocolate???


Sorry for the real lack of blogging lately. We lost Hersh and then I was finishing up my last class before break for school and there was so much going on that I simply failed to blog. And quite honestly, I failed to even cook for awhile. But, I have 6 weeks off of school which I am very excited about and I'm ready to get back at it!

Last week was our monthly Girls Night held at our friend Julie's house. The very first time I met Julie she was telling me about these Cake Balls she had tried to make once. They sounded so good so I decided to do some investigating and came up with the recipe. Although, there really isn't much to the recipe. I would say it's more method than anything. But I am sure that they are delicious to make and oh so easy. And as one of the girls put it last week, "Who doesn't want cake that has been frosted AND dipped in chocolate???"

They are also fun becuase you can experiment with them. The first time I made them it was chocolate all around, chocolate cake, chocolate frosting and chocolate, well, chocolate. This time however, I made a red velvet cake, used cream cheese frosting and dipped them in chocolate. So be creative and let your taste buds guide you!

Cake Balls
from Bakerella

Ingredients

1 box of your favorite cake mix (plus ingredients the mix calls for)
1 can of frosting
2 boxes of bakers chocolate squares

Directions

1. Bake cake according to package instructions and let cool completely. (Most times I am too impatient and only let it cool to the point where it doesn't burn my fingers)
2. Crumble cooled (or slightly warm) cake into a big bowl.
3. Add a can a frosting to the cake and work through with your hands (this is messy!!)
4. Once combined, roll the cake into tiny balls and place on a baking sheet. To prevent the cake from sticking to you, keep a small bowl of water handy and wet your hands slightly before rolling the cake.
5. Let the balls chill in the refridgerator for 4-5 hours or in the freezer for 1-2 hours.
6. Melt chocolate squares in a microwave proof bowl, watching to make sure you don't burn your cholcolate.
7. Dip the chilled balls in the melted chocolate using spoons and then remove once coated and place on wax paper to cool.
8. Let sit overnight or until hardened.
9. Die from happiness once you eat them!

Last Bite: These will be a hit no matter where you go. Make sure you save enough for yourself too! Also, I heard that you can freeze these and bring out just a few at a time...if you have that kind of willpower!!