Got Milk 2: Flourless Peanutbutter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

So.
There's no question I like to bake.  I was updating the index today and discovered how much cake I seem to make.  I also make a lot of cupcakes.  But cookies, not so much anymore.  My mother always had a full cookie jar.  I'm not exactly sure why I don't.  But whatever the reason, I don't often make cookies all that often.
When I saw these in the March 2005 issue of Everyday Food, I thought they sounded a lot like the recipe on the peanut butter jar.  I have made those cookies without success in the past, so I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting.  But, I had lots of peanuts and a package of good chocolate chunks, so they were worth a shot.
J would tell you that these are great with a glass of milk while watching the news.  I would tell you the texture is such that you don't miss the flour.  I don't know if these qualify as gluten free, but with quality ingredients comes a quality product.
From the March 2005 issue of Everyday Food, I present to you now Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies:

Magazine Challenge: Vietnamese Steak Sandwiches

So.
You know what I've learned?  If I plan to make stuff for the Magazine Challenge, it goes better if I get to it fast and right after I've gone through the magazine to make my list.  I'm still excited at that point about what I've found.  I'm also more likely to remember that I was excited about it.  That's not because I'm going to be 40 this year, I just get excited about other recipes.  Really.
I think one of the things about the Magazine Challenge this year has been that we've tried things that we wouldn't otherwise try.  Often, I'd look at a recipe like this and wonder if we'd really like it.  Now, I've decided to go for it.  I'm glad I did.  This was lovely.
This is actually 2 recipes in one.  The July/Aug 2005 issue of Everyday Food is the grilling issue, which included steak recipes.  There are rubs and marinades for a variety of cuts of beef.  Then to go with the flank steak marinade, was a recipe for these sandwiches.  I would eat the carrot slaw alone for lunch.  True story.  It makes these sandwiches, which are filling.
I present to you now from the July/Aug 2005 EDF, Flank Steak with Lime Marinade in Vietnamese Steak Sandwiches:

Planning: July 6 - 11, 2013

So.
J and I are leaving for New York City soon.  For a whole week.  I'm so excited.  I was browsing Groupon today, and there's a dessert walking tour in Hell's Kitchen I want to take.  6 stops of dessert.  6 of them.  So exciting.  And it's on our anniversary too.  How could there possibly be a better thing to do for our anniversary, seeing as the roller disco in Central Park that I so desperately wanted to see is cancelled for the New York Triathlon.
But - from now until then, J and I still need to eat.  I should have a nice queue of recipes lined up for while we're gone.  As well, stay tuned for the 11th, when I will have another Pintester Movement post.  This month's challenge is to make one of Sonia's pins.  Oy.  I've been looking, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do.
And then, when we get back, we should be close to the start of the kitchen reno.  Hopefully I'll have a chance to do a little cooking before it starts so there are some things lurking in the freezer for the time that I won't be able to use the kitchen.  That's what I'm most not looking forward to.
Anyway, we still have a few days until we go.  And we need to eat during that time.  So here are the plans from Saturday until Tuesday or Wednesday lunch:

Saturday:  Leftovers for lunch, Grilled Steak and Potato Salad with Blue Cheese.
Sunday:  Ham and Potato Frittata for lunch with salad, and Grilled Pork Tenderloin for dinner. 
Monday: Leftover frittata for lunch, Pork Fried Rice for dinner.
Tuesday:  Pork Fried Rice for lunch, dinner out - we're taking the cat to the "spa" with my friend while we're away.  She's going to cry all the way there in the car.  Sigh.
Wednesday:  If we're here for lunch, probably Bake Thing.  If not, something on the road.

Beyond that, I've got everything for Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Strawberry-Orange Sorbet, and Nutella Poundcake.  I'll make some, if not all of those as well. 
Sounds like a good week, and then we're off for some fun!  Let's see what happens!

Pintertest Kitchen: Pecan Pie Muffins

So.
I'm a day late on Pintertest Kitchen.  I decided it didn't matter.  Summer and all.  I'm running behind.
But whatever.  I spent a day cooking this week.  It was awesome.  I haven't spent a day like that in a while, and it was totally worth it.  One thing I made was this pin:

I am still using the pecans my father bought me before he died.  Dad would stop at Adcock's in Georgia and stock up for mom and me.  I keep them in the freezer and use them often.  I still have halves, meal, and pieces in my freezer.  These are a perfect way to use them.
I present to you now Southern Living's Pecan Pie Muffins:

Yummy Side: Twice Baked Potatoes

So.
J has been asking for a few weeks if we could have Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches and Twice Baked Potatoes.  I've been putting him off.  It's not that either of these things are difficult or things I don't like, I've just been putting him off.  That finally changed when I realized how much we've been spending eating out while work was crazy.  I finally got around to making these for dinner.
A few years ago, I was part of a cookbook exchange where I received a couple of books that I use quite a bit:  Tom LaCalamita's Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook and Rachel Ray's 30-Minute Meals 2.  This recipe is a riff on Rachel's recipe.
I have a love/hate relationship with Rachel Ray.  Her stupid little cutesy words bug me, and her smoker's voice gets to me.  I do, however, use some of her recipes regularly.  We love her Italian Wedding Soup, and her suggestions around mise en place are fantastic.  We love these potatoes too.  I need to get that cookbook out.  There are some fun menus.
This is a take out at home menu of twice baked potatoes (Super Stuffed Potatoes), buffalo chicken sandwiches and orange sherbet freezes.  I've never made the drinks, and I have followed the recipe for the sandwiches (which are great), but I make them faster and easier:  Cook a small chicken breast for each person in a frying pan, cutting in half to make more like cutlets.  When mostly cooked, pour Frank's Red Hot Sauce over the chicken, coating well.  Continue to cook, allowing the sauce to thicken.  Turn several times.  Slice fresh crusty rolls and place 1 breast per bun.  Drizzle with ranch or bleu cheese salad dressing.
But the side.  Yum.  I present to you now my adaptation Rachel Ray's Super Stuffed Potatoes:

Magazine Challenge: July/August Planning

So.
It's just as well that I have 2 months to do some catching up on the magazine challenge.  We've put down the deposit on our kitchen reno, and are planning that to start in late July or early August.  Now that I have some time to cook, I'm hoping to make a few things from previous months as well. 
The July/August 2005 issue of EDF is a good one.  It's the first one from this year that I've made anything from as well.  I've made the Double Blueberry Muffins from the In Season feature.  They're good, but I like Bonnie's Blueberry Muffins better.  However, they were made with cornmeal and have a nice crunch to them.  So I chose 6 other things that looked interesting.
I didn't pick 12 things.  I'm not sure I could have come up with 12.  6 will do.  Here's this issue's standouts that I want to make:

1. Moroccan Chicken
2. Red, White and Blueberry Trifle
3. Barbeque Sauce
4. Flank Steak with Lime Marinade
5. Vietnamese Steak Sandwiches
6. Butter Pecan Pie

With those 2 desserts, we obviously need to have people in this summer.  Now that the pool is open and the patio furniture is set up, we need to do exactly that.

Planning: June 30 - July 5, 2013

So June sucked.
I have been in the throes of many things, including a decision to move me to a new school, and the wrap up of the current school year.  I have been at work late, eating poorly, and packing.  I hate packing.
But good news!  School's out!  I have a little time again!  Monday is Canada Day and we're going to Toronto for the day to watch the Bluejays play and probably go to the fireworks.  So many possibilities!
Here's a rundown of some of the things we're eating around the mountain this week, now that I'm cooking again:

• Southwestern Breakfast Scramble for a couple of lunches
• Grilled Steak and Potato Salad
• Moroccan Chicken with Couscous
• Flank Steak with Lime Marinade
• Vietnamese Steak Sandwiches

Plus, I have lots of things on Pinterest that I'm interested in trying of the ice cream and muffin variety.

Here's to a new month, a different pace, and good eating!

Breakfast Treat: Bonnie's Blueberry Muffins

So.
The last time I was home for a holiday, we decided to have brunch.  I made the Southwest Scramble that I used for the Pintertest Kitchen last week.  J decided it wasn't enough.  He felt that just the scramble wouldn't be enough to be a meal.  He decided this about an hour before I was going to make the scramble.  On a holiday.  So we were stuck with what I could find in the house.
When you're looking for something that you probably have all the ingredients to make, Taste of Home is a pretty safe place to look.  The recipes are easy, accessible, and yummy.  I went there to search for blueberry muffins when I decided that they would be the easiest thing to make fast on a holiday morning.
I like blueberry muffins, other than they always seem to turn grey because I use frozen fruit.  These are no exception.  But they baked up golden brown and delicious.  They were wonderful warm.
I present to you now from Taste of Home, Bonnie's Blueberry Muffins:

New and Different Side: Crispy Parmesan Asparagus Sticks

So.
I haven't been cooking.  The past couple of weeks have had me losing my mind, and I'm pretty sure the roller coaster is going to continue until school is over.  My back yard is all torn up as we have stairs installed in our pool, along with a new liner.  My cat is shedding like there's no tomorrow, and it's cold.  Bah.
But the last nice weekend that we had, we used our new grilling toys and I needed a side.  I chose this off of Pinterest as something different to go with the kebabs.
J and I both like asparagus.  Usually, I roast it in the oven in a little olive oil, or grill it with a little olive oil.  I'm not super creative when it comes to side or vegetables.  Sometimes, I make the asparagus saute with sausage.  Then asparagus season ends, and we wait until the price is reasonable again.  I will need to add this to the rotation.  Next year.  When the asparagus sprouts again.
I present to you now How Sweet Eats' Crispy Parmesan Asparagus Sticks:

A Bowlful of Deliciousness: Southwestern Breakfast Scramble (The Pintertest Kitchen)

So.
There is no question that J and I love Mexican food.  I've never really strayed out of the dinner realm before, but ohhhhhhhhh.  I read this on Budget Bytes, pinned it immediately, and thought, "how could this possibly be bad?  But...TORTILLA CHIPS??"
I don't know why I question Beth's recipes.  They work, they're easy, and they're freaking tasty.  Once again, I pinned a winner from one of my favourite places to draw inspiration from on the web.
Here's the pin:

From Budget Bytes, I present to you the Southwest Breakfast Scramble: