Cocoa Pebble Marshmallow Treats

I was recently looking at the traffic on my blog and realized that many people were interested in my Fruity Pebble Marshmallow Treats!  Because of that I decided I'd give another type of chewy treat a try this weekend.

I've done the traditional Rice Krispy ones numerous times and even tried Apple Jacks once too.  This time I was in the mood for something chocolaty though, so I went with Cocoa Pebble Marshmallow Treats!

The Cocoa Pebbles

The Marshmallows

All mixed up!

It was so hard to let it cool, but I managed to wait long enough.

How were they?

Mouthwatering!!!

The marshmallow in a way tasted like the milk if you'd eaten the Cocoa Pebbles the traditional way. 

These babies will absolutely be made again in the future!

Hope you all enjoy these as much as you seemed to enjoy the Fruity Pebble ones. :)

The Jalapeno Hunt of 2011!

Ever since my jalapeno plant died, I knew I'd replace it with a new one. I had a little extra time on Sunday afternoon and figured what better time than now to get a replacement!

I went to Target because I knew I'd seen them in the garden center there before. When I got there, I found out that the garden center was closed! :( Bummer.  

There is an OSH very close and I decided I'd try there next. They have a HUGE garden section, so I thought I'd have no problem finding one there. Turns out I was wrong! They seemed to have every pepper BUT the jalapeno. Double Bummer!

There's a local farm on the way home that I've purchased produce at numerous times. I knew they sold flowers and a few other plants  and I had nothing to lose, so I stopped there for my final attempt at finding a jalapeno plant today! Womp womp...no such luck. Triple bummer! Strike three - I was done for the day!

I guess next weekend I may need to make a trip to Sperling, who hasn't let me down so far!

Enough of my complaining...now onto talking about plants I actually do have. :)

The tomato plant is doing exactly as I wanted and expected. It's getting bigger every day and the blossoms just continue to pop up. It's still a tiny little guy, but I'm sure it'll be huge in no time! 

The lime tree is doing amazing too. It keeps getting bigger and is staring to fill out now.

Thankfully the strawberries are liking their recent transplant. They seem to be doing well in their new planter and there are SO many little berries!

The herbs are all doing well - except for the mint, which I've completely taken out for the time being. Mint is like weed so I know it'll be back in no time. Why is it gone though you may be wondering. Well...I just wasn't happy with it's condition and thought I was best to start from scratch! We'll see how it goes.

And as mentioned above, the other herbs are all thriving!

Basil

Chives

Rosemary

Thyme

Flat Leaf Parsley

So tiny but coming back from almost nothing!

Even though the radishes got beat up not once, but twice, they are doing quite well! I can't wait to see what happens with the lil guys.

The garlic is growing like crazy. It just keeps getting bigger and bigger. The ones I grew last year didn't flower, but I'm wondering if these will this year.

Just like the garlic, the shallots are doing extremely well. I cannot believe how well they are doing actually. I am so excited for them too.

And finally... last but not least, the Dahlia tubers have now ALL sprouted. I've been waiting for what seems like FOREVER for them to sprout and now they have. Their daily progress is amazing and it's so noticeable too. I can't wait to see what happens and will be sure to updated with all the exciting stuff!

Sunday Night Dinner: Take 8!

It's Sunday, Sunday

Gonna make dinner on Sunday

Everybody's lookin' forward to the foooooooood, foooooooood

Sunday, Sunday

Makin' dinner on Sunday

Everybody's lookin' forward to foooooooood

That's my rendition to Rebecca Black's wonderful song "Friday". And by wonderful, I meant catchy, yet annoyingly horrible! 

My version is much better because it's about food. Really good food too, but I may be a lil biased... 

Anyway - onto what really matters! What I made for dinner on tonight for my traditional Sunday Night Dinner. 

I'm trying to find more chicken recipes to throw into the rotation because I make chicken SO often. While looking for new chicken recipes I ran across one that didn't initially jump out at me, but after reading into it, I realized I might really enjoy it!  I made Roasted Chicken with Caramelized Shallots, but used boneless, skinless chicken unlike the original recipe.

The meal was tied together with two sides. One I've made multiple times and one I tried for the first time tonight, but will absolutely be made again!

Delicious green beans with bacon.

Sautéing in a lil olive oil. 

All done and tossed with crispy bacon!

And the to-die-for Potato Bites I recently wrote about. 

You can read all about their amazingness HERE!

While the new chicken recipe was good, both the green beans and potatoes outshine the main course.  

Delicious Potato Bites

While browsing many different cooking blogs, I find numerous recipes I want to make. I save them on my computer in a file called "Recipes To Try" and once I try them - if I like them - I add them to a different file called "Recipes Tried And Liked". Creative, I know! 

Anyway - it usually takes me awhile to get around to make these recipes because I have so many! Recently I found a recipe I knew I had to try and I knew I had to try it soon! 

POTATO BITES!

Heavenly potato bites is more accurate. I couldn't believe how amazing they were. I've made many different kinds of twice baked potato before, but there was just something different about these. And I can't put my finger on it either so just trust me! 

And now - the process to heavenly potato goodness captured for all too see:

The cleaned lil potatoes. 

The original recipe called for red potatoes, but I used golden because I'm a rebel like that!

Not really - I had them and needed to use them up! 

Hehehe.

The potatoes all oiled up, bottom sliced off and ready for baking!

Bacon - for this recipe and another. 

I like bacon. I like bacon a lot actually.

But I'd NEVER put that much back into twelve tiny potatoes!

Bacon frying up while potatoes bake.

Scooped out potatoes.

The filling after scooping them out.

Filled and ready for second baking!

Halfway through baking.

Annnnnnnnnnnnn done!

Ready for my tummy! I had a couple...okay maybe I had four, but they were tiny! 

Now go make them. They're AMAZING. You'll wish you made more to freeze and bake later. I wish I'd made double the recipe, so I suggest you do it and avoid my regret! 

Sunday Night Dinner: Take 7!

It's Sunday, so that means it's time for another Sunday Night Dinner! I know, you're so excited and you just can't hide it! I don't blame you either because tonight's dinner was A-MAZING!

I recently ran across this recipe for Garlic Mustard Chicken Skewers and knew I wanted to try it. I saved it in my "Recipes To Try" file on my trusty Macbook. I couldn't wait any longer and had to try this recipe that called for whole grain mustard! I love mustard and I don't think I've ever had this kind, but that changed tonight!

The ingredients for the glaze.

The chicken beginning to cook.

As the recipe says, it is very mustardy. But I expected that and I didn't care because remember, I love mustard! :) I will, without a doubt, be making the recipe again. I'd also be interested in trying the "glaze" on other type of grilled food.  

I love basmati rice, but have never made it myself. I've just enjoyed it from take out restaurants mostly. Tonight I decided I'd give it a whirl and found a great recipe. It's so fresh and delicious - perfect for Spring AND for the chicken!

Lastly, I made one of my old favorites - roasted asparagus with garlic and shallots. 

I love Spring and Summer because of the crisp fresh fruits and veggies!

Goodbye Jalapenos, Hello Strawberries

Last week I said my Jalapenos were a little droopy and I hoped they'd be okay, but I'm sad to report that they aren't. In fact, they've been put to rest in a white plastic trash bag and place gently into the trash. RIP little plant. I'm sure the soon to be replacement will be just as great as you were! 

In happier news, with the Jalapeno plant leaving the garden, I had an extra planter and could now transplant the strawberries. They recently fell from the hanging planter and I'd been waiting to transplant them. Now was the prefect time!

The last of this week's excitment is the fact that my Dahlia tubers are FINALLLLLLLLY sprouting. I can't even remember how long it's been since I planted them, but I do know it's been well over a month. I have two of the three ones I planted sprouting from the soil. Yeah! :) 

Sorry for the awful, blurry photo quality.

There's a sprout there. I'm not lying!

And now onto the rest of the garden...

All of herbs except the Flat Leaf Parsley are doing great. I really wish that the Parsley was doing well and I could actually use it because I cook with it on a regular basis. So often that I broke down and bought a tiny little bunch of it from Trader Joe's today for a recipe that I wanted to make for dinner.  (Look for that post next!)

Thyme

Basil

Chives

Mint

Rosemary

...was the forgotten herb to photograph this week. :(

I'm sorry - I'm not doing this on purpose!

The garlic and shallots continue to do great. I use them in cooking very often and can't wait to use ones that I've grown myself. Soon, but not THAT soon!

Garlic

Shallots

The radishes were the final victim of the rain and wind from a few weeks ago, but they seem to be doing fine now. I'm really glad that I didn't lose them too and can't wait to get my first harvest from the spicy lil suckers.

My little lime tree keeps on thriving and making me happy. It sure loved all the rain we've gotten recently. I'm still super scared I'm going to kill it somehow though!

And lastly - the tomato plant. I'm so dumb and somehow forgot to take a picture of the wonderful plant too, but I assure you that it's doing well. In fact, there are abfew little yellow blossoms waiting to turn into tomatoes. I can't wait until they start popping up like last year!

Surprise Birthday Party Food!

My friend's birthday is April 4th, but to celebrate we had a SURPRISE party for them on Saturday. They had no idea and were quite surprised. It's always great when the surprise actually works.

It was a tiny gathering and many of the guests contributed to the meal, which was made up numerous different hors d'oeuvres.

I contributed two dishes - one vegetarian option and one meat option as requested.

For the vegetarian I went with a caesar salad. That sounds like a cop out, but it's not! I did what I always do and made my own croutons. I've tried bagged ones and they're just not the same. So dry and hard and stale. Bleh! Mine...mine are spicy and crisp and flavorful!

Homemade Croutons

(NOTE: This is an old photo and not of the actual birthday croutons.)

I don't normally make my own caesar dressing, but for the special occasion I did! The birthday girl makes a mean caesar dressing, so a week or so before the surprise I said I wanted to make her dressing for dinner - I just didn't say WHAT dinner! She told me what she did. I followed directions and I'm told it was on par. Woo Hoo! Glad I didn't disappoint the birthday girl. 

The dressing ingredients.

The dressed salad!

Now onto the meat dish. The oh so amazing BACON WRAPPED JALAPENO POPPERS! 

All prepped and ready for the party!

Before baking.

Ready for waiting party guests.

Holy wow these babies are amazing. I've made them a couple times before, but somehow I seem to forget how ooyey and gooey and delicious they are until I make them again. And then I eat three, or maybe more than three. Who was counting? :)