It's Patrick's birthday, again...

DEAR LORD I AM GETTING OLDER. My brother is turning 23 on Monday. Maybe I don't wanna talk about it.... ;)

Anyway, I'm making his birthday cake, as per usual, and he's requested a chocolate cheesecake. Thanks to the kind Hershey's people, I had an easy recipe on hand that always rules.



Fudge truffle cheesecake(you can find the recipe on the Hershey's website)

Ingredients:

* CHOCOLATE CRUMB CRUST(recipe follows)
* 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
* 3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
* 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
* 4 eggs
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Directions:
1. Prepare CHOCOLATE CRUMB CRUST; set aside. Heat oven to 300°F.

2. Place chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1-1/2 minutes; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted when stirred.

3. Beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add melted chips, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Pour into prepared crust.

4. Bake 1 hour and 5 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven to wire rack. With knife, loosen cake from side of pan. Cool completely; remove side of pan. Refrigerate several hours before serving. Garnish as desired. Cover; refrigerate leftover cheesecake. 10 to 12 servings.

CHOCOLATE CRUMB CRUST: Stir together 1-1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (about 45 wafers, crushed), 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa and 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine in medium bowl. Press firmly onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.


This cheesecake always kills, I'm a huge fan (with a jiggly butt to prove it!). Now, my brother's wife is not a chocolate fan, and I'm not one to disenfranchise at the dessert table. So, I'll be making her a plain cheesecake, the recipe for which is found at Tasty Kitchen.

FOR THE CHEESECAKE:
* 2 packages (5 Oz. Package Or Sleeve) Graham Crackers (crushed)
* 1 stick Unsalted Butter, melted
* 32 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
* 1-¼ cup Granulated Sugar
* 4 whole Eggs
* 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
* 2 teaspoons Vanilla

FOR THE TOPPING:
* 16 ounces, weight Sour Cream
* ¼ cups Granulated Sugar
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla

Preparation Instructions

Combine crushed graham crackers and melted butter; press into the bottom of an 8 or 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

Combine cream cheese, sugar, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla and beat together thoroughly. Pour into prepared crust.

At 350 degrees, bake 40-45 minutes for an 8-inch pan, or 50-55 minutes for a 9-inch pan (cake will crack on top).

Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes.

Mix and then spread sour cream, sugar and vanilla over cheesecake and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Cool and refrigerate at least 24 hours.

I'll let you know how this one rates when we eat it. :)

***UPDATE*** It was smooth and delicious, not overly sweet. I was packing the leftovers to go and dropped 1/4 of the cheesecake on the kitchen floor and into the air register on the floor. Wah! In retrospect, it was pretty darn hilarious. :) That is all.

Happy Birthday, you goof ball!
<3 Jen

FEESH TACOOOOOOOOS

I made fish tacos. Man, they were awesome. I was a little skeptical, but then I figured, "If Big Truck and Pink Elephant can do it, so can I." lol Here's how I did it (thanks, Tasty Kitchen!)

Fish Tacos

* 1 ear Fresh Corn
* 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
* 1 whole Lime, Juiced
* ½ cups Chopped Purple Onion
* 1 whole Tomato
* ¼ cups Chopped Fresh Cilantro
* 1 whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Minced
* 1 peeled and pitted avocado, diced
* Oil, To Cook Fish (peanut oil has a high heat tolerance)
* 6 whole Fillets Of White Fish (Cod Or Tilapia Work Best)
* Salt And Pepper, to taste
* 8 whole Tortillas

Preparation Instructions

Slice corn off the cob. In a bowl, combine corn, lime juice, purple onion, tomato, cilantro and jalapeno. Sprinkle a bit of salt, pepper, and chili powder on top to get the flavors to come out a little.

In a hot skillet, drizzle a bit of oil. Place fish into skillet and season with salt, pepper, and chili powder. “Fry” on each side for 2-5 minutes, depending on how thick your fillets are. Fish is done when it flakes upon being gently pricked with a fork.

Roughly chop cooked fish. Add fish to a warmed tortilla and top it with the corn salsa. Serve and enjoy!


The salsa is good by itself, too. I put it on some rice and that was magical. Probably didn't hurt that I had a peach daiquiri to go with it. lol :)

Eat well!
<3 Jen

Oh. My. Sweet. Everything.

As usual, her excellent sassiness, The Pioneer Woman, has snared me with one of her tasty recipes. I altered it to suit our dinner needs, although the original would've been equally mindblowing. :) You can find the original recipe HERE.

Portobello Prosciutto Burgers

-1/3 cups mayonnaise
-1 1/2 tbsp pesto
-2 whole large portobello mushrooms
-2 slices provolone cheese
-2 slices prosciutto
-2 mini ciabatta squares, split
-fresh spinach, tomato slices and avocado

mushroom marinade:
-1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
-2 tbsp red wine vinegar
-2 tbsp olive oil
-1 teaspoon basil
-salt & pepper, to taste

Preparation Instructions

Rinse mushrooms thoroughly. Soak in marinade for at least 30 minutes.

Combine mayonnaise and pesto. Set aside.

Grill mushrooms in a grill pan/charcoal grill/George Foreman Grill. Remove mushrooms from grill and melt provolone cheese over the mushrooms.

Drizzle griddle with olive oil. Toast bread over medium-low heat until crispy and toasted.

Spread pesto mayonnaise generously on both the top and bottom halves of the bread. Place the mushroom on the bottom half, then place the prosciutto slice on top. Finally, top with spinach, tomato slices and avocado wedges, and the other half of the roll. Press lightly so some of the juices from the mushrooms will run into the bottom half of the roll.

I served this sassy beast right alongside some corn on the cob. Here's how I made the corn boil:

-1/2 cup sugar
-3/4 tbsp cayenne pepper
-healthy dash each of seasoned salt, black pepper, cumin
-bay leaf, if you wanna
-spoonful of minced garlic (3-4 cloves worth)
-2 tbsp butter

Fill a good-sized pot with water. Add all ingredients, heat to a boil. Add corn, boil until tender (about 5 minutes). Eat it up. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM


Not kidding, this was one of the best dinners we've made in the last month. Or maybe I was hungry after our bike ride. You'll just have to make it and find out!

Eat well!!!
<3 Jen

I love cool evenings, it's official.

I was a lazy ol' lard most of the day, but in my defense, I've been exhausted since last Thursday or before. lol Evenings are usually when my magic comes in to play anyway.

I made a tasty lentil soup(based on the lentil soup recipe from The Moosewood Cookbook) and a chocolate cobbler tonight!

Lentil soup:

2 cups dry lentils (rinse 'em if they look dirty, after all, they are a ground-dwelling legume)
6ish cups water
2-3 mid-sized tomatoes (I'll tell ya what they're doing in a sec)
2 carrots, sliced or diced, your call
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 biggish yellow onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced with seeds and membranes cut out
6-8 cloves of minced garlic
spices of your choosing (I used 1 teaspoon basil, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, a buttload of black pepper, salt and cayenne)


Put your water on to boil in a reasonably big pot. While you wait, rinse and core your tomatoes, then when the water is boiling, put the whole tomatoes into the water for about 15-20 seconds. The skin will split a little and the flesh will soften a smidge. Take 'em out of the water, peel the skin off, and then squeeze the excess juice and the seeds out. Dice up the emptied, softened tomatoes and set them aside.

Put your lentils and about 2 tsp salt into your water you used on the tomatoes. Let it get back up to a boil, then turn it down to a low simmer and cover is partially, let it cook for about 30 minutes.

Now, you have plenty of time to prep the other veggies! Get everything rinsed, diced and ready! Once the 30 minutes of solitude for the lentils is up, put your veggies and garlic (BUT NOT THE TOMATOES!!!) in the pot, along with most of your spices. Don't go crazy on the salt just yet, I added most of mine right before serving. I also adjusted the spice level before serving. Let all the veggie/spice/lentil goodness simmer for 20-30 minutes, partially covered. When that time is up, PUT IN THE TOMATOES! Let it cook for 5 more minutes, then adjust flavor levels as you see fit. Guess what? You just made a vegetarian soup!!! I served mine up with a corn muffin and topped with a spoonful of plain yogurt. Mmm-hmm!

Chocolate Cobbler(aka Hot Fudge Pudding Cake):

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk (I used soymilk, it tasted just fine)
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1-1/4 cups hot water
Whipped cream

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, flour, 1/4 cup cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, butter and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Pour batter into ungreased 9-inch square baking pan. Stir together remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar and remaining 1/4 cup cocoa. Sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. Pour hot water over top, and DO NOT STIR IT. DON'T EVEN CONSIDER IT!!!

Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until center is almost set (not jiggly). Remove from oven. Let stand 15 minutes. Serve it up, being sure to get both the crusty top and the saucy underbelly in there. Garnish with whipped cream and enjoy it with some friends!

I'm glad dinner was so healthy, because dessert was ultra-decadent. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM all-around. :D

Enjoy the cool week, and eat well!!!

<3Jen

What a weekend!!!

First off, my chorus's 20th anniversary show on Saturday night was magical, to say the least. All the sweat and hard work definitely paid off. :) After the final bow, there was cleanup, a glorious night's sleep, then off to Tulsa for some sightseeing and relaxation.

First stop was Leon's for a quick bite before heading out to The Philbrook Museum. I soooooooo wish we would've had more time there, we only saw the ground floor before they closed up! Breathtaking artwork, gorgeous place. We will definitely go back to see the rest and check out the giant landscaped gardens.

After begrudgingly leaving the museum, we made our way to The Victorian Lady in Jenks to check in. It was a smidge hard to find, since it was amidst a neighborhood, but that ended up being a great asset. It made for a very peaceful and tranquil stay(the fact that we were the only guests Sunday night didn't hurt!). Jetted tub for two? Check. Ridiculously plush bed with giant pillows and million threadcount sheets? Check. Amazing homemade 3 course breakfast with freshly squeezed juice? Check. The innkeeper, Deena's, major attention to every detail and more hospitality than you can shake a stick at? CHECK. Definitely check this place out. It's worth every cent.

For dinner, we moseyed back to Brookside and ended up at Fuji. Little did we know, we had stumbled upon "Tulsa's #1 Sushi Since 1986." We ordered a Yokohama combination platter, which has salad, soup, tempura shrimp and assorted tempura veggies, 6 pieces of Makizushi (we chose spicy salmon), and 7 Nigirizushi of the chef's choosing(the fresh and smoked salmons were my fave, followed closely by the bluefin tuna). We rounded it out with an additional roll and made very happy plates! It always feels weird to say I got full at a sushi restaurant, but I did. lol

To work off our big ol' bellies, we went to walk by the river. There's a giant path along the eastern shore of the Arkansas River that's miles long. We were about 3/4 of a mile from the nearest restroom and I developed an urgent need to GO. I'm pretty sure I've never walked that far, that fast before. LOL

Then, it was back to the inn to take a soak in the tub and sleep so we could get to that amazing breakfast! After we were fed and rested up this morning, we headed out to the Oklahoma Aquarium. I had heard about it, but was definitely blown away by how cool it was! So many different animals to check out! I can say with confidence that I have now petted a sea cucumber. :D Sadly, we had to leave before they fed the sharks, but maybe next time we can watch that.

On the way back to Norman, we had lunch at Be Le, which is a vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant. MAN OH MAN IT WAS TASTY! I got a fried tofu and black mushroom dish. I wanted to marry those mushrooms... The service was great, though unexpectedly funny. Our server, whom I have dubbed Be Le Man, has the power to be hilariously frank. Be Le Man brought another patron one of those drip coffees with the condensed milk that brews into the cup, then is stirred and poured over the ice. The patron asks Be Le Man, "What is this?" to which Be Le Man replies, "Coffee," in an almost exasperated tone. He then gives the patron what sounds like dating advice. lol Zach ordered the aforementioned coffee at the end of the meal. While he was drinking it, Be Le Man asks him, "Hey! Are you going to let her have any?" I drank some to make Be Le Man feel better. It was strong. :) So, in short, great food at a great price, and unexpected hilarity.

This evening, after having dinner at Pepe's, we drove toward home, only to find a dachshund puppy wandering down Duffy. We scooped her up, parked the car at home, then set out to find her family. After about 10 minutes of walking and a series of helpful tips from neighbors, we got little Gretchen back to her dog friend Maggie and their owner Marge. Happy day! :D


PHEW! I'm pooped, how about you? I think I may turn in a little early tonight!
Never fear, I'm off work tomorrow, so maybe I'll make a little something for dinner!

Eat well(and have fun adventures, too!)!

<3Jen