Remember the peanut butter kiss cookies? You know, the holiday peanut butter cookies with Hershey's Kisses plopped right in the middle? Of course you do.  I bet you've even had one (or more, I don't judge!) this year. Maybe you've even eaten one while thinking "You know what this needs? More chocolate!" 

No worries friend, I've got your back. I've pondered before what this classic favorite would be like if the chocolate:peanut butter ratio were flipped, and with the help of Nestlé Toll House Rolled and Ready Cookie Dough, I was able to very quickly give the idea a try. (Spoiler alert: the results are delicious!)









Enjoy...especially while the candy is still melted. Yum!
Seriously, This didn't take me more than 15 minutes. I boxed them up to bring to the office and was quickly greeted with this message:

"Oh my goodness, what have you done? Those cookies are to die for... Thank you!"


So, save yourself some time and be a hero in your office with the help of  Nestle Toll House Rolled and Ready Cookie dough. They also come in sugar and gingerbread flavors...and they are ready for you to make and decorate cutouts if you want to be a little more traditional!

Some time ago, I gave this recipe a try in an effort to use up the green beans that had taken a long residency in my freezer. Sean and I were split; I liked the taste but he did not. I think we both agreed that for a baked dish, it was pretty ugly.

Since he didn't like it, I never made it again...until maybe a month ago. I just haven't had the same time or energy to cook and decided it was about time I gave crock pot meals a try. When Veronica told me baked potatoes could be done in the crock pot (she was right; what an easy go-to!), this recipe came back to mind and I figured, why not give it another try - with my spin on things?

I was nervous serving it to Sean, but I guess he forgot that I'd made this dish once before, because he went back for seconds! We just had these again last night, so I am now declaring my crock pot version the winner of Greek Potatoes and Green Beans. Here you go:


[crock pot] Greek Potatoes & Green Beans

Our new digs are in a Greek neighborhood, so we decided to go Greek in our edible offerings- Greek pastries, Greek booze (ouzo-ginger lemonade, anyone?) and Mediterranean appetizers including one I was more than happy to steal from another friend.

Yum!

She makes this delicious Greek dip at every event she hosts and I just want to devour the entire dish! I know I'm not crazy because people proceeded to ask me for the recipe all weekend long. So, from her to me (with tiny tweaks) to you, here is the star of our weekend:

My name is Bekah and I have an addiction.




Despite the recipe in question today, it isn't to wine. I actually am not the biggest fan of the stuff. Every so often I can tolerate a glass of chardonnay if I'm feeling like it. And red wine? Forget it! Warm and ewww. Nope, not for me. No wine addiction here.

I do, however, have an addiction to Nando's Peri Peri. I wish they paid or gave me free food to say that, but the truth is, I'm hooked. Sean too. It is delicious! One day, I went up to the counter to place my order and saw a pitcher of sangria on the counter behind the cashier.

I don't think anyone was more surprised than me when I said out loud, "That looks so good!" I'd tried sangria before and it wasn't for me. But, I made a mental note to try their sangria on my next visit. I did and I loved it! Unfortunately, I also learned that their sangria recipe involves both sprite and orange soda.

Yikes! That's a lot of sugar for a crunchy girl like me. The wheels started turning in my head as I thought "sprite is just lemon lime soda and orange soda is just orange...I could clean this up at home and still like it!"



One weekend and one empty pitcher later, I knew I had a good thing going. It will also save me both money and calories at my beloved Nando's. Enjoy!

Day eight of twelve

This year Sean and I are hosting my family on Christmas day and made an unconventional (for us) decision to have them over earlier in the day for brunch. This serves two purposes:

1. We see my family first then have time in the evening to spend with his.
2. We don't stress about dinner prep and what is or isn't vegetarian.

It was a last minute decision but one that I'm excited about. Fruits, breads, eggs, tea, juice...mmmm. Nothing beats a hearty morning spread.

I have to admit that my breakfast most mornings is an Arbonne protein shake and a piece of fruit (mmm!). But, when I do cook, one of my favorite recipes has become a simple one: the fritatta. And it just so happens that with the veggies I most often have on hand, it looks a little Christmas-y by default: red and green everywhere!



This is super easy, and like most of my recipes, super customizable. Use this to get inspired and make yours with whatever suits your taste!

Vegetarian Fritatta

by re·solve

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

6069361

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

• 12 eggs
• 2 bell peppers, 1 red, 1 green, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 cup chopped broccoli
• 1-2 roma tomatoes, seeded, juiced, and chopped
• milk
• salt/pepper
• olive oil
• grated cheese (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 9x13 baking dish with olive oil

Steam or saute vegetables while whisking eggs with desired amount of salt/pepper/milk

Mix vegetables (an cheese, if desired) into egg mixture and pour into baking dish

Bake 45-60 minutes or until top is set

Cut into squares and serve

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It was first through my relationship with Sean that I heard of beer bread, and only through this relationship that I tried it. I've never cared for beer, so the thought of baking it into bread?  No, thanks. Still, I baked him a loaf. And I gave it a try... yum!



I never would have thought to share this recipe, but Sean and I found ourselves at a pumpkin beer tasting . We grabbed a six pack—some of it went to share at the tasting, and some of it went into the beer bread to be shared among the guests.

Somewhere during the evening, this happened:


At this point, Sean interjected, assuring her that the beer doesn't really matter (although we do enjoy experimenting, Sean's mom has made the stuff with beers he hates and he still likes the bread!). At this point though, I realized something. Two somethings:

1. There are people who think beer bread comes in a box like cake mix.
2. There are people who think making beer bread is difficult.

Top: Pumpkin IPA Bottom: Pale Ale. Different looks, delicious taste. Use whatever beer you like!