Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted on June 17, 2013 by virginiabloggers

Today’s post is from the bloggers over at CookingShorts, as husband and wife team “designed to bring short recipes and good food to your table.” We love that mission!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies – who can resist this classic “milk and cookie” treat? A friend recently asked us for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. We must admit we were ashamed not to have a recipe to give, nor any advice on how to make them. So, we spent the last couple of weekends in the kitchen perfecting our own Chocolate Chip cookie recipe. We did some research and found that there are literally a hundred different ways you can make this classic cookie. We never thought such a simple cookie could be so hard to perfect! At last, we did it! Don’t buy into those chocolate chip cookie recipes you find on the back of sugar boxes. Those recipes just fall flat, so try ours instead!

Ingredients:
◾2 cups all purpose flour
◾1/2 tsp baking soda
◾1/2 tsp salt
◾1 1/2 sticks butter, soften at room temp
◾1 cup brown sugar
◾1/2 cup sugar
◾1 large egg
◾1 egg yolk
◾2 tsp vanilla extract
◾1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

Directions:
Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium prep bowl; set aside. With a hand mixer, blend the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended and creamy. Beat in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla until combined and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients 1/3 at a time on low speed just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Using a medium sized cookie scoop, form dough into balls, rolling them with your palms. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown – 15 to 18 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet. Transfer the cooled cookies to a cooling rack. Enjoy with a tall glass of milk.

Corn and Blueberry Salad

Posted on June 10, 2013 by virginiabloggers

Today’s guest post comes from Krissy @ Make it Naked, where she shares her love for good food. And that’s it. Just food. Nothing fake. Real, whole, organic, gluten free food. We love that!

Corn and Blueberry Salad

Blueberries with corn? No thanks. But after one bite I found myself going back for more. And before I knew it, it was gone! This salad is really different and even more flavorful with your farmers’ market’s crunchiest produce. Corn, blueberries, cucumbers and red onion are tossed in a simple lime dressing with fresh cilantro. It’s my new favorite summer salad.

Ingredients:

6 ears fresh sweet corn, husked
1-1.5 cups blueberries
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice and zest of 1/2 the lime
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Pinch of kosher salt Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large pot bring salted water to a boil. Add the husked corn cobs. Cook, covered for about 15 minutes. Remove the cobs and let cool. Cut the corn off the cob (see note 2 below).
In a large bowl combine the corn, berries, cucumber, onion, cilantro and jalapeno.
In a small bowl mix together the lime juice, olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper. Pour over the salad.
Cover and store refrigerated until ready to serve.

Chicken Caprese Skewers

Posted on June 3, 2013 by virginiabloggers

Today’s post is from the bloggers over at CookingShorts, as husband and wife team “designed to bring short recipes and good food to your table.” We love that mission!

Chicken Caprese Skewers

Taylor and Trevor, our niece and nephew, are two kids we love to have in the kitchen with us. Food is our passion and we love sharing that with these two cuties. Taylor is 11 and she’s a sponge when it comes to learning. She adapts so well in the kitchen that we have no doubt that she could be an amazing chef one day. Trevor loves to help (and loves to get messy). His favorite thing is to crack eggs, so we always make sure to have a recipe ready that needs eggs.

We created this recipe for a fun picnic at the park. It was quick and easy, and gave us plenty of energy to keep up with these two crazy kids.

This recipe would be perfect for a summer time BBQ, a pool side snack or just a quick weeknight dinner.

Ingredients
◾2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed into bite-sized pieces
◾1/2 cup flour
◾1 egg, beaten
◾1 cup panko breadcrumbs
◾1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
◾salt and pepper
◾8 cherry tomatoes
◾8 small cubes mozzarella
◾vegetable oil

Directions:
Heat 1 inch of oil to 350 in a large skillet. Place flour, egg and breadcrumbs into 3 separate bowls. Create an assembly line: chicken station, egg station and a breading station. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Toss chicken in flour, then dip in egg, then in breadcrumbs, turning to coat. Cook the chicken in batches in the hot oil until golden brown. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel to drain and cool.

Thread chicken onto skewers, alternating with tomatoes and cheese. Chill until ready to serve.

Guest Blogger: Classy Chic & Chardonnay

Posted on May 20, 2013 by virginiabloggers

Happy Monday! Today’s guest blogger, Chelsea, has a gorgeous recipe to share with you all. Her cake decorating skills are crazy impressive, and her blog is awesome! Enjoy! -Liz

Hi! I’m Chelsea from Classy Chic & Chardonnay and I have a confession to make: I love baking… almost as much as shopping! To me it’s relaxing, allows you to be a little creative and furnishes results that you can enjoy! I love trying new recipes and thanks to Pinterest (follow me here) there are endless recipes that are on my “to-make” list! I wanted to make a bake that had spring like flavors and when I came across this Triple Berry Lemon cake I knew it was the one
I used my go-to website for baking (Martha Stewart) and found the lemon cake recipe. I added Trader Joe’s frozen berries (which includes strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries) into the cake batter. I wanted there to be three layers so in the top and bottom layer berries were added, the middle layer was just lemon cake.

For the filling between the layers of cake I made a lemon pudding from a jello mix. (Who the heck knows how to make pudding from scratch?!)

The icing was a normal butter icing however I added some lemon zest to give it a little extra zing. (Also, if you’re going to make anything from scratch make your icing! It is super easy, hardly takes any ingredients and you can add just about any flavor to it!) I added a little bit of pink food coloring to give it more of a spring time look.

For the icing of the cake, I piped these roses. I’ve seen it done a bunch of times before, read a quick tutorial of it and was astonished at how easy it is! It was my first time too, so next time I’ll learn from my mistakes.

(You can read the tutorial that I used here via I am Baker!)

Chelsea @ Classy Chic & Chardonnay

Things To Do With Your Dog in VA Beach

Posted on May 13, 2013 by virginiabloggers

Hey all! Today’s guest post is from Aimee over at Irresistible Pets and Irresistible Icing and she has some great ideas for taking your pooch out this summer! Enjoy! -Liz

Hi VA Bloggers! My name is Aimee and I blog at Irresistible Pets and Irresistible Icing. I was born and raised and still live in Virginia Beach and couldn’t imagine living away from the water! I have a Chihuahua named Chuy that I love spending time with, especially at the beach. I put together a list of some of my favorite things to do with your dog in Virginia Beach!

Take a Stroll on the Boardwalk

Virginia Beach has been voted for having one of the best boardwalks in the country. We love going to the boardwalk for bike rides or just a relaxing walk. If your dog needs help with socialization, the boardwalk is perfect! There’s so many different types of people, sounds, and smells.

Play on the Beach

Chuy has been going to the beach since he was 9 weeks old! He loves running in the sand! After you walk along the boardwalk, be sure to let your dog check out the beach!

PS – Dogs aren’t allowed on the beach between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Boo! You can read the full policy from the city here.

Take a Pic by King Neptune!

The King Neptune statue has become iconic to Virginia Beach, so you have to snap a pic! I recommend getting a pic during the “off” season. Otherwise, Mr. Neptune is always surrounded by tourists during the summer. Chuy is in there somewhere lol.

Walk, Run, and Play at Mt. Trashmore

Mt. Trashmore was the first landfill park created in the entire world! Yes, that means it was created with trash! It rises over 60 feet high and you can see it from the interstate! The park itself has tons of trails, lakes, playgrounds, and even a skate park. Chuy and I often go after work to get in a nice long walk. He even loves running up the “mountain!”

If you are ever in Virginia Beach, be sure to say hello on Twitter @MyIcing or Instagram.

Love + Paws,

Aimee

Bread Craft- A Roanoke Restaurant Review

Posted on April 24, 2013 by virginiabloggers

Hey Roanoke bloggers! Today’s guest post is from David who blogs at From Ballparks to BBQ. If you find yourself in Roanoke, be sure to check out this local bakery! If you’re interested in submitting a guest post, click here.

When a place calls itself an “artisanal bakery,” I get skeptical. Everyone is now making sandwiches on artisan bread and I don’t even know what it means anymore. I think some restaurants take store bought bread and let it get stale and hard and then voila – “Artisan!” When I saw Bread Craft in Downtown Roanoke and the phrase “artisanal bakery” on the window, I figured “yeah right.” Well…I was wrong.

I have now been to Bread Craft on three different occasions, and the baking has been impressive each time. For my first visit, I had breakfast with a co-worker and tried the croissant with spinach, feta, and artichoke. The croissant was light, flaky, buttery and delicious. My previous two visits have been for lunch and I’ve ordered paninis both times, which were both very good. The Turkey Florentine Panini was my favorite of the two. It comes with turkey, bacon, spinach, artichokes, feta, and fresh mozzarella on flatbread. I don’t even like artichokes but I guess I do when I’m ordering them at Bread Craft. The other panini I’ve tried is the Roast Beef, which was also good, but I would recommend the Turkey Florentine if I had to choose between the two. It makes such a difference when the bread is one of the highlights of a sandwich, and that’s what you get at Bread Craft. Sandwiches are around $6.50 and are served with a side of a salad I don’t really know how to describe. I think it’s pickled cauliflower and mixed with a couple other vegetables.

The atmosphere at Bread Craft is great because it feels like an authentic, European café. It reminds me of the cafes I’ve visited in France and Switzerland. The fresh pastries on display, baskets of fresh baguettes, unique loaves that are only made on certain days of the week, and a friendly staff that knows its customers by name all help create this unique vibe. Even the touch of having small, round tables that are designed for parties of two help create the European café ambiance. It’s something people probably would have laughed at in Downtown Roanoke 15 years ago, but it now appears to be thriving.

Between On the Rise and Bread Craft, Downtown Roanoke has two great bakeries. And the fresh baked breads and pastries at Bread Craft help it meet the description of a true artisanal bakery.

Bread Craft
106 South Jefferson Street, Roanoke, VA 24011
540.562.4112
www.breadcraftbakery.com

Guest Post: Buttoned and Bustled

Posted on March 25, 2013 by virginiabloggers

Hello everyone. I just joined the VA Blogger group and I am so excited to be a part of this group! Please stop over at my blog, Buttoned and Bustled, to say hello! Would love to meet you.
engaged 2
I wanted to share my 6 tips to the newly engaged since we are just passed Valentine’s Day, New Year’s and Christmas and many of you may be NEWLY engaged. The Holidays are a popular time to get engaged! My hubby proposed to me the day after Christmas…I am a difficult person to surprise so a Christmas Day proposal would have been highly anticipated by yours truly.

Congrats to everyone that is newly engaged! Here are my Six tips for the newly engaged:
engaged
Enjoy the Moment. Our first instinct as soon as we get engaged, is to start planning. We’re usually calling the church to get their availability the moment we say yes! Enjoy that sparkly rock that now resides on your finger. Kiss and hug your hubby-to-be a few more times. Celebrate with your family and friends. Relish in the excitement.

Be Organized. Planning Books that you can find at Barnes and Noble or Target will be your best friend. They will keep you organized. A reminder of all the little things that you need to think about and plan for your wedding day. You can also make your own binder if you’re on a stricter budget. Save your favorite photos from magazine’s and pintrest for inspiration and to add to your planner. I also think that a wedding website is the best way to keep you and your guests organized. It’s a one stop shop for them to find the information they need.

Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or take your friend up on her offer to help you. Most of the people offering their help; your bridal party, your mother, your mother in-law to be, your high school friend, truly want to be of help to you. Whether it’s helping you stamp and lick all 200 tasty envelopes or decorating the church the day before, they want to be there. It’s how they feel more involved in your special day and because they love you. Plus, you won’t be running around like a chicken with your head cut off.

Have fun. Don’t get too caught up in the stress of planning. It can and will be stressful. Just remember that this is usually a once in a lifetime event. Enjoy this time with your hubby-to-be as you begin to plan your life together. Get to know each other’s family better. Celebrate. SOAK it up!

Do the Research & Collect Information. Before you set a date, be sure to talk with all your family members and closest friends. Also, know your budget from the beginning. You don’t want to book that winery in Northern, VA on the last Saturday in June to find your parents will be going on vacation that same weekend and they won’t have any extra money to spend!

Be yourself. Let your own personality be present when planning your wedding. It’s easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing or has done for their wedding. Don’t get me wrong, find inspiration in other’s weddings. Remember that this is your wedding day and to reflect on the personality of you and your fiance’s. It will only make your wedding day that much personal and enjoyable.

Do you have any tips to share?

Guest Post via Tiny n Fit: True Gratitude

Posted on March 18, 2013 by virginiabloggers

Today’s guest post is from Krista of Tiny n Fit, and it’s all about gratitude!

I think there comes a time where you lose yourself in the chaos that is life. Family reunions, student loans, car troubles, bad hair days,
spouse annoyances, dishes, workouts, grocery shopping, daycare, commute, rent… I haven’t even mentioned work stress yet! Factor in loss, grief, anxiety, worry and you begin to wonder if happiness will ever make an appearance again.

Piggybacking off a recent post I did about remembering to savor the little joys in life, I’ve recently been thinking a lot about being grateful not only for the those little things in life, but much more. Life can be so hectic that we end up zeroing in on only the chaos and what we are missing in life that we forget to be grateful for what we do have. I think gratitude is so much more than just being thankful for having a job and working car. Though gratitude can be different for every person, I feel true gratitude is a deep-seated, encompassing, touches-the-soul appreciation for what keeps up sane, keeps us grounded, and keeps us going in life. I think true gratitude can really affect the outlook you have on life and can really cultivate the happiness we envy of those that naturally exude it.

I myself am guilty of forgetting to be grateful. After my father passed, it was hard to feel anything other than sadness and despair. The profound void his absence left affected so many other areas in my life-relationships with family, friends, my passion for fitness and even my love for baking goodies for coworkers. It was hard to find happiness in most everything that used to being me joy. It was even
hard to be happy for others. But after awhile I grew tired of not being my formal-happy self. I knew I couldn’t flip the switch from sad to happy, so I simply willed it. Even today when I feel sick of being stressed out, I will a better outlook. It’s kind of a mantra I silently repeat to myself throughout the day and at any point stress gets out of hand: It will be a good day, I will not let stress overwhelm me, I will have fun. It took years of practice, but on really bad days it works. Having this outlook helped me to see the good things I was missing as well as a new appreciation that, with a bit of practice and awareness, I can be happy again, that life does go on, and the gratitude for this knowledge is priceless.

Color Run on my Birthday!

An interesting article I found online noted that gratitude can make it easier to cope with stress and trauma, even after such a traumatic event like 9/11. “A positive perspective allows you to obtain a better grasp on suffering. ‘Expressing gratefulness during personal adversity like loss or chronic illness, as hard as that might be, can help you adjust, move on, and perhaps begin anew,’ Lyubomirsky says. In the days following September 11, 2001, gratitude was found to be the second most commonly held emotion.” That is pretty amazing, don’t you think? A long-held belief of mine is that without suffering there can be no compassion. I feel that without gratitude there can be no contentment. With most things in life, anything worth having is worth fighting for. I think this is especially true for complete happiness. I believe true happiness is worth fighting for, and I am so grateful I have the opportunity to strive for happiness every day. I am grateful to have a wonderful and loving mom, sister, and niece and nephew:

Christmas at Disney

I am grateful for my amazingly supportive friends:

Tubing!

I am grateful for my incredibly patient, kind, and adoring boyfriend:

Love

And lastly, I am so grateful for this one life I was granted to fill with hope, wonder, laughter, memories, experiences, and love.

Wee!

What are you truly grateful for in life? Do you practice gratitude?

Krista @ Tiny n Fit

From CookingShorts: No-Bake Cookie Dough Truffles

Posted on February 25, 2013 by virginiabloggers

Today’s guest post is from the bloggers over at CookingShorts, as husband and wife team “designed to bring short recipes and good food to your table.” We love that mission! Here’s a delicious recipe they wanted to share with you all. Enjoy!

Chocolate chip cookie dough. Is there anything better? How many times have you eaten raw cookie dough before placing them in the oven to bake? My husband seems to think I only make chocolate chip cookies so that I can eat half the batch raw. And each time I do so, he restates the risks of eating those raw eggs in every delicious bite.
Now my husband no longer needs to worry. I’ve come up with an egg-less and non-bake Cookie Dough Truffle recipe that curbs my craving for that raw dough. If you’re a fan like me, try this simple recipe. It literally takes 5 minutes to make and you can keep them in your freezer for easy access whenever you need to beat that craving.

Cookie Dough Truffles

2/3 cup raw almonds
2/3 cup raw walnuts
2/3 cup plain instant oatmeal
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup agave nectar or honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:
In a food processor, blend the almonds, walnuts, oats, cinnamon and salt to the consistency of dry sand.

Add the agave nectar and vanilla and pulse to combine until a dough forms. Gently fold in chocolate chips. Scoop sections of the dough with a small cookie scoop or melon baller. Place the cookie dough into the center of your palms, rolling them into the shape of a ball. You might want to wet your hands and the scooper because the dough will be very sticky. Place them on a cookie pan lined with parchment paper. Place the pan in the freezer for about an hour to firm up. Store balls in a tightly covered container in the freezer.

Check out more great recipes from CookingShorts!

Beef Stroganoff from Jennifer @ 86 Carrots

Posted on January 17, 2013 by virginiabloggers

Today’s guest post is from Jennifer, from 86carrots.com, sharing a delicious looking recipe!

This past weekend I went to my local library and checked out the American Heart Association’s new cookbook. I copied a few recipes and have thus far tried two. The first was Chicken Scallop al Limone but that was just ok, so I didn’t want to waste your time with it. But tonight, ooooooo-eeeeee, Ground Beef Stroganoff. It is fantastic and uses ground beef which I prefer highly over hunks o’beef.

It is quick, easy and oh so delicious! Great for a quick meal on a work night.

Ground Beef Stroganoff

(Courtesy of The New American Heart Association Cookbook)

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

5 oz Dried No-Yolk Noodles (no seriously, they mean only 5 oz)
Cooking Spray (I nixed this)
1 lb. Extra Lean Ground Beef
1/2 cup Chopped Onion (I had to puree’ this for Garrett)
2 medium Garlic Cloves, minced
4 to 6 oz of Button Mushrooms, sliced (I used 8 oz. of regular mushrooms sliced)
1/2 cup Fat-Free, No-Salt added Beef Broth
1 cup Evaporated Milk
2 teaspoons All-Purpose Flour
2 tablespoons Light Chive and Onion Cream Cheese
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce, lowest sodium available
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1 – Prepare egg noodles using the package directions, omitting salt. Drain well in a colander. Set aside.

2 – Meanwhile, lightly spray a Dutch Oven or large skillet with cooking spray. Cook the beef over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until no longer pink, stirring frequently to turn and break up the beef. Drain if necessary.

3 – Stir in the onion and garlic. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft, stirring occassionally.

4 – Stir in the mushrooms and broth. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occassionally.

5 – In a small bowl, whisk together the evaporated milk and flour until smooth. Stir into the beef mixture. Increase the heat to medium. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly.

6 – Stir in the cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and salt until well blended.

7 – Serve over the noodles.

Oooooooh yeah! NOM NOM NOM. If you make it, let me know what you think!

-Jennifer via 86carrots.com

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