The Chicago Marathon and Chocolate Chip Cookies

After a long weekend running and recovering from the Chicago Marathon, I decided to make some cookies to bring into school.  Now, I decided to make my "famous" Inception Cookies because you cut each cookie in half and you get double the cookies.  It makes baking for my advisory or other classes so much easier! I wanted to celebrate the marathon a little with them and we have a pizza party at the end of the day today and so I figured it was an excellent time to bake some cookies.

A few weeks ago, I decided to try out a new recipe and it was a huge success.  Now, this recipe doesn't have you putting oreos inside of cookies so it's not as cool looking, but it did turn into a really great chocolate chip cookie.  

I found the recipe over at Cook's Country.  I didn't do much to change it up except add a pinch of cinnamon to the dry ingredients.  However, the cookies came out really great! They were chewy with a bit of a crunch, flavorful, and stayed soft for a long time.  Everyone loved them!  Try it out! 

The Chicago Marathon was also a crazy success and a great reason to bake (and eat) some cookies.  It was my third Chicago Marathon and 4th marathon.  I finished with a PR of 4:18:39.  This is 12 minutes faster than my last best time!  I was so excited.  I finished with my best running buddy, Jana, and we were both so happy!  I celebrated with Brian and my family and it was a great day.  

Now, I need to recover and get ready for the New York City Marathon on November 6th!  I'll keep you posted on my ongoing training! 

Wedding Planning Wednesday: Wedding Cake Sugar Cookies and Bridal Shower Gifts

I had my first wedding shower!  It was so fun.  I was super nervous beforehand and it was a great time.  I feel awesome now!

My mom's girlfriends threw the shower and they did an amazing job.  The food was great, there was a yummy and gorgeous cake, and it was wine party themed.  They had 6 wines that spelled out JODIE B.  How awesome is that?  I got some great gifts and it was just wonderful.

To thank my lovely hostesses, I made some gifts!  I got coffee mugs from bed bath and beyond, and then put a Starbucks gift card and a homemade sugar cookie inside.  Then, I printed off a "Thank you a Latte" card and wrapped everything up.  They loved the mugs and the cookies were a huge hit!

Wedding Cake Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
Cookie:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp almond extract
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour (or gluten free flour)
Frosting:
3 cups powdered sugar
2 egg whites
2 tsp lemon juice
optional: food coloring
optional: sprinkles

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with a silpat mat or parchment paper.
2. Beat the butter with the powdered sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the almond extract, vanilla, egg, and salt.  Place in fridge for 20-30 minutes.
3. On a clean surface, sprinkle some powdered sugar.  take the chilled cookie dough and roll it out until it is about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut with the cookie cutter and re-roll as needed.  Place cookies on the prepared cooking sheet.
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes and then let cool completely before frosting.
5. For the frosting, beat everything together.  Then, dye the frosting as needed and frost your cookies!  I used the pearl sprinkles to decorate mine.

Enjoy :)

Clean Out Your Pantry Cookie Bars

I'm moving in THREE days!  I can't believe it!  We are buying our own condo and I couldn't be more excited.  This past week we have been packing up boxes, cleaning, and getting things in order.  I decided that I was going to cook/bake things that I had all the ingredients for already so that I could clean out the pantry/fridge.  This was the inspiration behind these cookie bars and I've gotta say, it was a great plan.

I only had white whole wheat flour left in the pantry so I used that.  I had more brown sugar than regular sugar, so I used more brown sugar.  And, I already had open bags of peanut butter chips and dark chocolate chips.  I figured that with that combo, I really couldn't go wrong.  Then, just for kicks, I threw in some old-fashioned oats as well.  Why not, right?  These cookie bars are super yummy!!!! I may have to host my own edition of chopped: clean-out-your-pantry-style.   It could be the next big reality show!  I would go to different houses of people who are moving and you would have to cook with whatever they had.  The Goal: make something amazing that uses as many ingredients as possible so that the pantry is clean when you are done.  I feel like I am onto something big here.  Feel free to contact my agent...

Anyways, I have been really busy getting ready for the move and I am grateful that I decided to take off half of Thursday and all of Friday so that I can just focus on moving and getting all settled in our new home.  I have an amazing kitchen waiting for me and I can't wait to beak it in!

Clean Out Your Pantry Cookie Bars
(Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars)

Ingredients:
3 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cornstarch
1 cup old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 egg white
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup dark chocolate chips
sea salt

Directions:
1. Lightly grease a 13 by 9 inch pan and preheat the oven to 350.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cornstarch, and oats.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter, oil, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg until well combined.  Beat in the egg white until well combined.  Beat in the vanilla.
4. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined.  Stir in the peanut butter chips and dark chocolate chips.
5. Spread the batter out in your prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.  The cookie bars should be slightly browned around the edge of the pan.  Let cool for 20 minutes.  Cut into bars!

Enjoy :)

Happy Pi Day!

I am such a nerd and this day is the best!

I made mys "famous" inception cookies for all of my students today.  I know this isn't pie, but hear me out.  Pi is the distance around 1/2 of the unit circle:

So, I made the inception cookies because you end up cutting them in half and therefore you have a Pi's worth of the circle. Isn't that cool??? I know, I'm a dork.

My students are raving about the cookies and it makes me so happy to share them with them.  I love to bake and it's so great when I get to share that part of me with my kiddos.

In class today, we watched Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi and then the students ate their cookies while working on Circle Challenges.  It is a nice change of pace and it is a great way to celebrate pi!

Tonight, Bri and I are planning on cooking dinner and, of course, making some sort of pie for dessert!

Brown Sugar Butterscotch Oatmeal Bars

I go through some weird phases.  The most recent one has been a butterscotch phase.  Bri's dad is big fan of butterscotch and it was just his birthday!  So, I made some butterscotch bars.  And now, I am really into butterscotch!

Butterscotch is super weird.  I mean, what is it?  So, my friend and I looked it up and found out that it is a delightful combination of brown sugar and butter! No wonder it is so delicious!

These butterscotch bars are super easy and I adapted them for a previous time by swapping the sugar for light brown sugar.  Brown sugar, butter, and butterscotch all combined in a great oatmeal bar!  You have to make these!

Brown Sugar Butterscotch Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups old-fashioned oats
12 oz butterscotch chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 13 by 9 inch pan
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter with the brown sugar until well combined.  Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.  Add in the flour mixture and slowly mix until just combined.  Add in the oats and chips and stir to combine evenly throughout the mixture.
4. Spread the batter into your prepared pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes.  The edges should be slightly browned.  Let cool completely and then cut into bars.

Enjoy :)

Red Velvet Cookie Dough and Brownie Parfait

It's my birthday! I decided to share this treat today because it is one of my favorite treats that I have made! But first, let me tell you all about the fun birthday events I have been up to!

First, on Saturday, my family and Bri went to dinner at Due Lire.  I had the Tortelli and it was quite delicious.  Then, on Sunday, I ran the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon and afterwards, went to lunch at D4.  Yesterday, Bri and I went for a little picnic for dinner in the park and now today is the big day!  Today, my family is coming downtown and we have reservations at RPM Italian.  I have never been, but I have heard phenomenal things.  I am pretty excited.  I also baked some of my famous Inception Cookies to bring to my staff at camp today.  I sorta feel like I'm in elementary school again; I'm bringing treats for my class :)

So this dessert basically combines all of my favorite things.  It has brownies, red velvet cookie dough dip, and homemade whipped cream.  I LOVE whipping cream.  I think it is just so cool,  Plus the brownies were the beer brownies that Bri and I made with spent grain from brewing.  This dessert was just outrageously delicious.  

Red Velvet Cookie Dough and Brownie Parfait

Ingredients:

(this fills one large mason jar)

2-3 brownies (I used my Beer Brownies)

Red Velvet Cookie Dough Dip:

8 oz low-fat cream cheese

1 cup non-fat, greek yogurt

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp cocoa powder

2-3 tsp red food coloring

Whipped Cream:

4 oz low-fat cream cheese

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Bake the brownies or use your favorite store bought brand.

2. Make the red velvet cookie dough dip: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the greek yogurt.  Beat in both sugars until well combined and then add in the cocoa powder and red food color.  Mix until well combined.

3. Make the whipped cream: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar.  Add in the cream and beat on high until peaks begin to form.  Continue to beat until you have stiff peaks.  

4. Use a mason jar or other container to layer your dessert.  Start with some crumbled brownies, then red velvet dip, and then whipped cream and repeat. 

Enjoy :)

Great Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

These sugar cookies came out great!  I used them to ask my bridesmaids/bridesman to be in our wedding.  Besides looking amazing, they also taste amazing.  So, here is how these came to be:

When I was in college, I met this girl in one of my dance groups who also had a food blog.  At the time, her specialty was making amazing looking cookies.  Now, she also blogs about clean eating and being gluten free.  Please go check her out at: A Dash Of Megnut.  

Of course, I looked to her when I decided that I wanted to bake these cookies.  I adapted her sugar cookie recipe a bit and then I used a different recipe for the royal icing based on the ingredients that I had at home.  Everything turned out amazing!  I mean, look how pretty those dresses are :)

Bridesmaid/Bridesman Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookies:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp almond extract

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

1 egg

2 1/2 cups flour

Royal Icing:

2 egg whites

2 tsp lemon juice

3 cups powdered sugar

food coloring and sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter with the powdered sugar until well combined.  Beat in the almond, vanilla, egg, and salt until well combined.  Mix in the flour gradually until just combined.  Place bowl in the fridge for about 20 minutes to chill.

2. Once chilled, preheat oven to 375 and grease or parchment paper a cookie sheet.  

3. Take the dough out of the fridge and on a clean workspace, sprinkle some powdered sugar.  Place the dough on the powdered space and using a rolling pin, roll the dough out until it is about 1/4 inch in thickness.  Use more powdered sugar as needed so that the dough doesn't stick.  Cut cookies out using cookie cutters and place on prepared baking pan.  

4. Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the cookies just start to turn light brown on the edges.  Remove from oven and cool.  

5.  For the icing, beat the egg whites with the lemon juice until they are light in color and then bean in the powdered sugar until well combined and the mixture looks smooth.  Divide the icing into however many bowls you need based on how many colors you are using to decorate.  I just did purple, black, and white.  Then frost and decorate as you want!

Enjoy :)

Cinnamon Bars with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup!!!!! Oh my gosh, last night was so exciting! My buddy, Lauren, is also a huge hawks fan so she came over to watch the game with us.  We debated going out somewhere to be part of the festivities, but the weather was super horrible (like tornado warning, horrible) so we ended up staying in.  I think this was a good choice because we were able to see the game better and I got to wear comfy clothes :).  

After some sleep, I am ready to start CAMP TRAINING! Woo! Summer job officially starts today and I am pretty pumped.  

To celebrate, I have a yummy recipe for delicious cinnamon bars.  Plus, these cinnamon bars are topped with an amazing cream cheese frosting.  I adore a good cream cheese frosting, and this one has extra cinnamon in it to complement those bars.  Yum! 

Cinnamon Bars with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

(adapted from Something Swanky)

Cinnamon Bars

Ingredients:
Bars:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
Frosting:
16 oz light cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a 13 by 9 inch baking pan with foil.  Grease the foil.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together until well combined.  Beat in the egg and the molasses until well combined.  Beat in the flour mixture until just combined.
4. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and back for about 18 minutes.  Let cool for about 15 and then use the foil to remove the bars from the pan.  Let cool completely.
5. To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar and cinnamon until well combined.  Spread over the cooled bars.

Enjoy :)

New and Improved Cookie Dough Frosted Brownies

Happy Friday! Today I have a really fun recipe to share!  I made Cookie Dough Frosted Brownies a while back, but I changed up the recipe a bit this time and they came out even better than before! Last time, I had way too much cookie dough.  Now, I know that typically doesn't sound like a problem, but it actually overpowered the brownies and I love my brownies.  So this time, I cut the recipe in half and cut out a few other things and it was awesome.  I still had plenty cookie dough frosting to cover those brownies, but you got a good balance of brownie and cookie dough in every bite.  

In other news, I have also been having one great food week.  Last night, I went with my family and Bri to the Little Goat Diner.  This place is so good! If you are ever in Chicago and looking for a casual meal that is also incredibly delicious, this is a great place to go.  My mom and I split their Springy Veggie Quesidillas and the Chinese Chicken Sandwich.  Both items were great and it was one amazing meal.  Today, (after a much needed workout and zumba class) I am going to Budacki's Drive-In where I actually LOVE the veggie dogs.  Plus, if you really want to splurge, get cheese fries, do it.  And then, I am headed to Lizzie McNeill's for some drinks with a few of my teaching buddies.  School hasn't even been out for a week and I already miss them like crazy.  It should be a great day! 

Cookie Dough Frosted Brownies

Cookie Dough Frosted Brownies

Ingredients:

1 batch of Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownies

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup powdered sugar

6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

3 tbsp light cream cheese

2 tsp vanilla

skim milk, as needed

pinch of salt

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Make the brownies according to directions and let cool.

2. Make the frosting by beating the melted butter, brown sugar, and powdered sugar together in a bowl.  Beat in the cream cheese and vanilla.  Add in 1 tbsp of milk if the mixture is too thick.  Mix in the salt and the chocolate chips.

3. Frost the cooled brownies with the cookie dough mixture.  Let set in the fridge.  When ready, cut into pieces and serve. 

Enjoy :)

Wedding Planning Wednesday Part 5 and Inception Cookies

I do have some exciting developments to share in our wedding planning extravaganza.  But first:

Happy National Running Day!  I have some new shoes arriving today to help kick off my marathon training for the Chicago Marathon.  Plus, I decided to sign up for ANOTHER marathon.  Jana and I have been looking for a spring marathon so that we can have a "runcation."  We decided to sign up for the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in Nashville!  I am pretty excited about this.  This marathon is not until April 30 so I will have a ton of time after the Chicago one to rest up and train.  Yay running! I know many of you think I am insane, but I just love it :)

Also, it's finals week and you know what that means: COOKIES!!! I made a ton of Inception Cookies for all my kiddos to celebrate finishing the year on a good note.  Currently, I am sitting in my Algebra Advanced final and I am watching them work really hard.  I am pretty proud of these guys and they totally deserve some cookies.  Plus, I found Cookie Dough Oreos! I know, what? Yes, cookie dough! So really these Inception Cookies are like TRIPLE inception: A cookie, within a cookie, within a cookie!

Inception Cookies

And now, the wedding plans.  We (almost) have a DJ!!! I set up two meetings with Style Matters and Toast and Jam to talk about music.  So we have a place, a rabbi, a photographer, and a DJ!!! I am still working on my "ask the bridesmaids" project and I am going to get started on figuring out food and a wedding website as soon as school is out!  Things are getting pretty exciting!  If anyone has advice on DJ's or good recommendations, I would love to hear them!  We are pretty much decided on using a DJ over a band because of finances, but if you know of a great band that is reasonable, I would love to hear that as well!! Thanks for all the advice I have already been getting from you guys! 

Monster Cookie Layer Bars

We just had parent-teacher conferences this past week and I can't believe that this means there are only 6 weeks until finals!!! My second year of teaching has just flown by!  Along with that, I have been having a great year with my co-teacher in Geometry and my Algebra Advance students are pretty awesome.  I can't believe they started off as freshmen and now they are like "grown up" sophomores!  This year has been so much smoother than my first one and I have been working hard to incorporate new lessons that are more investigative and model based.  I love that I feel confident enough to try new things and evaluate if they are successful.  I even brought in a GIANT gummy bear to show my students and talk about similarity ratios between the little gummy bears and the big guy.  Today, I am even presenting one of these lessons to a group of teachers!

Along with school ending, I am also getting ready for camp to begin! This is crazy!  I am so excited that summer is right around the corner.

To celebrate this excitement, I am going to share with you all a recipe for one yummy treat.  I love the idea of Monster Cookies because it means you can basically throw whatever you are craving into a cookie.  This recipe, which I adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything, takes that idea to a whole new level.  Instead of all that work to drop cookies onto a cookie sheet, lets just dump it all into a pan and go with layers! I love combining salty with sweet so I went with some chocolatey things and pretzels and peanut butter.  You can use whatever toppings your little heart desires!

Monster Cookie Layer Bars

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk (I used light)
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups of the toppings you want

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a 9 by 13 inch pan with foil or parchment paper.  Spray the foil of parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter.  Mix the butter and graham cracker crumbs together and press evenly into the bottom of your pan.
3. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the graham cracker crust and then sprinkle the oats and your toppings over the top.  Gently press this down into the sweetened condensed milk layer.
4. Bake for 20 minutes.  Let cool for 20 minutes and then use the foil to take the layers out of the pan to cool completely.

Enjoy :)

Oatmeal Cookie Apple Pie

This is my 500th blog post! Can you believe that?  I can't!  I love posting here and although and don't post as frequently as I used to, I still love documenting a little about my life and all the fun food I make!

Last night, I had a great time with some of my teacher buddies.  We ran a 5K and then hung out after for dinner and drinks.  It was so much fun!  Plus, I cam in first in the 5K for my age group!  That was pretty funny and exciting.  We also played Cards Against Humanity which is just hilarious.

In honor of my 500th post and Thanksgiving being right around the corner, I have a yummy recipe for Apple Pie with an Oatmeal Cookie Crust!  I found the recipe on How Sweet It Is and then adapted it a bit to fit what I wanted.  I hope that you enjoy this amazing recipe and (hopefully) another 500 posts to come.

Oatmeal Cookie Apple Pie

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cubed
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2-3 tbsp ice water
Filling:
6 large apples peeled and sliced thin (I used Granny Smith)
2 1/2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
Topping:
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter

Directions:
1. Make the crust: place flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor.  Let pulse and add in the butter until mixture starts to combine.  Add in the vinegar and then the water, 1 tbsp at a time, until the mixture forms into a ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge to chill.
2. Make the filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the apple cider, brown sugar, butter and vanilla.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 6-7 minutes or until mixture thickens.
3. In a large bowl, toss apple slices with the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  Pour the cider mixture over the top and toss to combine.
4. Once dough has chilled, place on a lightly floured surface and roll out until you have a crust that is about 1/4 inch thick.  Place in a lightly greased pie pan.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
6.  Place apples in the prepared pie pan.
7.  Make the topping: In a large bowl, whisk the oats, flour, cinnamon and salt.  Using a pastry cutter or your hands, cut in the butter until you have a streusel like topping.  Sprinkle the topping over the apples and press down to make sure that it stays in place.
8.  Bake pie for 45-50 minutes.


Enjoy :)

no bourbon- 1 cup apple cider
cinnamon
nutmeg
cloves

Cookie Dough Frosted Brownies

I can't believe I am a month away from race day! I just finished an "easy" 14 miles.  You may be wondering...easy?  Well, after running 18 last week, today seemed like a breeze.  Plus, the weather was chilly and beautiful.  This made the run a whole lot more pleasant than those others that were in 80 degree heat with crazy humidity!  I feel great right now! I can't believe that next week is the 20 mile run! 20 miles is the longest run before the actual marathon and I am only one week away!

I am running for a charity called Access Living and if you would like to read more about the charity and my running journey, you can find all info here:  Jodie-Team Access Living.

Today I figured we should celebrate!  I am pumped about my running going so well, but I am also grateful for an amazing start to the school year.  So far classes have been great, I love my co-workers, and my students have been a joy so far!  (Let's hope it stays that way!)  I'm also excited about the fact that I have finally finished reading all the current Game of Thrones books.  This was a HUGE project as each book is about 1000 pages, but I finally finished and I can't wait for the next book to be released!  All in all, a celebration is in order and what better way to celebrate than with delicious brownies?  I made my typical Dark Chocolate Brownies, but then I topped them with a layer of cookie dough frosting.  YUM!!!! Bri has already asked that I make these for his birthday this year and thats not for another 3 months!

Cookie Dough Frosted Brownies

Ingredients:
Brownie Recipe
Frosting:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
12 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp skim milk
2 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp low-fat cream cheese
pinch of salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Make brownies according to directions (or make your own favorite recipe). Let cool completely.
2. In a large bowl, beat sugar, brown sugar, and melted butter until well combined and sugar starts to dissolve.  Beat in the milk, vanilla, cream cheese, and salt until well combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Spread the frosting over the brownies.  You will have a very thick layer.
3. Cover in tinfoil and place in fridge for a few hours to ensure that the frosting sets.  Once chilled, cut into squares.

Enjoy :)

Sea Salted Caramel Brown Butter Cookie Cups

I feel like I've been slacking.  I know I don't post as much anymore, but what I really mean is that I've been totally skimping on sharing my amazing Chicago experiences.

I've been living in my apartment in Chicago for over a year now, and I really haven't shared all the amazing times I've had around the city.   I will be at an event thinking, "I should totally post about this," and I'll even take pictures so that I'm ready for the post.  But then, I forget, or get busy, or just get lazy.  So, I have ended up with tons of photos of amazing times that have never ended up here.  

This issue ends today.  I am going to start actually informing you all about how great Chicago is.  Starting with: Breweries.  Bri and I are huge fans of going to various breweries to take tours and sample beer.  Chicago is a fantastic place to do that!  So far, we have hit up two spots: Revolution and Half Acre.  Both breweries have great beer and we even had dinner at Revolution which was also fantastic.  If you are ever in town, try to find a brewery tour to take.  There are so many in Chicago and it is a really fun way to spend an afternoon.  

Today I also have an amazing dessert recipe to share!  I made these, brought them to school, and was told they were the best thing I've ever made.  Now, I get told that a lot, but truly these guys are delicious.  They also go along with the theme of amazing things that I am currently into because I am currently obsessed with carmel and sea salt.  I can't get enough.  I just ordered some dark chocolate sea salt caramels to support the school's band, and I bought the Dove ones from the store to keep in my desk.  I can't get enough! Sweet, salty, and delicious, these Sea Salted Caramel Brown Butter Cookie Cups are just divine!  

Sea Salted Caramel Brown Butter Cookie Cups

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp vanilla

1 egg

1 egg white
2 cups mini chocolate chips

24 caramels

sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a mini muffin pan.

2. Place butter in a small sauce pan and melt over medium heat.  Continue to swirl the butter around over medium heat until it browns.  Remove from heat.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  

4. In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar, sugar, and browned butter until well combined.  Beat in the egg and egg white until combined and then the vanilla.  Slowly mix in the flour mixture until just combined.  

5.  Fill each muffin well about halfway with cookie dough.  Press a caramel into each well and sprinkle sea salt over the top of each caramel.  Scoop cookie dough on top of each salted caramel and press into the muffin well.  

6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookie dough just starts to brown. Let cool and remove from muffin pan.

Enjoy :)

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cheesecake Cookie Bars

I just ran 13 miles! I can't believe that I am at this point again.  The last time I did this, I was training for a half marathon and 13 was the goal.  Now, I am only at the half-way point!  I finished my 13 feeling really great, but then thought, "Only 13 more to go!"  I am really enjoying my marathon training.  It has allowed me to become really focused on my health.  I am sleeping better, feeling great, and I've been eating well!  I even lost a few pounds!  It has helped shape my summer into something pretty special.

Now, I know I just said that I've been eating well, but with all this running, sometimes you need to splurge a little!  For example, today I am going to the Highwood Craft Beer Festival and I am really excited to try some good beers and hang out with some good friends.

Also, I have this recipe to share today which just sounds ridiculous.  I mean I could have just made cookie bars or I could have just made oreo cookie bars.  But no, I went and made Chocolate Chip Oreo Cheesecake Cookies Bars.  Cause, why not?

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cheesecake Cookie Bars
(adapted from BruCrew)

Ingredients:
Cookie Dough:
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups oreo chunks
1 cup dark chocolate chips
Cheesecake:
8 oz low-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a 9 by 13 inch pan with foil.  Grease the foil.
2. Cookie Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  In a separate, large bowl, beat the sugar, brown sugar, and butter until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla until well combined.  Slowly beat in the flour mixture until just combined.  Stir in the oreo chunks and chocolate chips.
3. Cheesecake: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sugar until combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.
4. Take half the cookie dough and press it into the bottom of your pan until you have an even layer.  Pour the cream cheese mixture over the cookie dough layer until it is covered.  Crumble the rest of the cookie dough over the cream cheese mixture.  Bake for 30 minutes or until cream cheese layer is no longer wobbly.  Let cool.

Enjoy :)

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

As Winter Break winds down, I have to say I have been so grateful for these two weeks off.  I have slept in, ate when I actually felt hungry, ran almost every day, cooked, played with Benny, watched a ton of Netflix, and read four books! It has been amazing.  Stay-cations really are wonderful!

Last night, I got to have dinner with my mom and saw a ton of my girlfriends at Love's.  It was just like old times and it was great to be with so many wonderful people.  Now that the weekend is here, I have a ton to catch up on for school!

There are two more weeks of first semester which means finals are right around the corner.  I am busy planning lessons to re-teach some of the things we learned right before break (I'm pretty sure I forgot everything over break when I was in high school) and lessons to review before finals.  I can't believe I am nearing the end of my first semester as a teacher.  I have learned so much, gotten to know my students (who are awesome) and have already survived 2 of my 3 evaluations.  I feel like I am well on my way to becoming a pro, but I know I am going to continue to learn for the rest of my career!  For example, I recently went to a co-teaching conference and learned a ton of great strategies to incorporate into my teaching style.  I am excited to try to incorporate a few in the new semester!

And, to celebrate a wonderful break, today I have a recipe that is just delicious.  I know that many of you are trying to eat well and keep to your new years resolutions, but once in a while, it does not hurt to have a little treat!  These White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies are just the trick!  They are chewy, tasty, and comforting!

White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3 tsp cornstarch
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 egg white
1 tbsp vanilla
1 cup macadamia nuts
1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk four, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch.
3. In another large bowl, beat butter with sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg and egg white until well combined.  Beat in vanilla.  Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until just combined.  Stir in macadamia nuts and chocolate chips.
4.  Spoon about 2 tbsp of cookie dough and form into a ball.  Place all cookies on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Enjoy :)

PB Crave: Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

I have found the new perfect peanut butter.  Seriously, this stuff is amazing!  I was lucky to sample 4 different flavors of PB Crave and all of them were delicious!  Of course, being the chocoholic that I am, my favorites were their Cookie Nookie flavor and Choco Choco.

This peanut butter makes any recipe better! I made oatmeal peanut butter cookie cups, but I used Choco Choco flavor and it was amazing!  That hint of cocoa in the peanut butter cookie sent it way over the top.  The cookies were a hit and I fell in love with this peanut butter!  With the holidays ending, and the new year approaching, these cookies are a great way to celebrate or send some love to your friends and family!  When you are done with the cookies, you can then snack on that Cookie Nookie flavor with some pretzels, or my favorite, apple slices!  Head on over to PB Crave to check our all the amazing flavors and products!

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cornstarch
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup creamy, Choco Choco PB Crave
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl, whisk flours, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch.
3. In another large bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined.  Slowly, beat in the flour until just combined.
4.  Scoop cookie dough into a mini muffin pan so that each well is filled about 3/4 of the way up.  Place in oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies have risen and just start to brown.

Enjoy :)

Foodie Friends Friday: Picnic Party!

This week, Foodie Friends Friday is back!  This week is all about Picnics! Picnics during the spring and summer are so much fun! Just follow the rules and link up some recipes that are perfect for this party! Also, host favorites will be featured on Daily Dish!  This week I'm linking up Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownies, Chocolate Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Lemon Brown Butter Pasta Salad with Arugula, Tomatoes and Pine Nuts.

Most Clicks:

1. Rustic Christmas Candle

2. Homemade Christmas Ornaments

3. Old Fashioned Christmas Fudge

And Host Favorites!

Welcome to Foodie Friends Friday!

Please take a moment to read through the rules before getting started, Thank You!

*By linking up you agree that you read these rules and all photos/recipes are original and belong to you. You agree to allow Foodie Friends Friday and any of it's affiliated websites or publications (Social Girls Media, LLC) to use photos, links, and recipes for reprint and/or republishing and distribution without monetary compensation to you. If photos & recipes are used, proper link backs to you will be included.

Adding Links back to Foodie Friends Friday and our Button is our only form of advertising to bring in more people to see YOUR recipes.

Please remember to do this. It benefits you! To thank you, we will continue to feature those with links throughout the year on various outlets.

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An InLinkz Link-up

An InLinkz Link-up

Whole Wheat M&M Mug Cookie

I have a horrible sweet tooth.

Luckily, my mom bought some amazing Phish Food Frozen Yogurt (my favorite) and when I am craving something sweet, I take a scoop.  I try to make that pint last as long as possible since I don't want to pig out, and my mom hardly ever gets it so I want to savor it!

A few weeks ago, my mom didn't have anything sweet in the house!  Gasp! It was so she wouldn't eat anything bad, but I was seriously in need of some sort of dessert like thing.  So, I found a recipe for a mug cookie!  I had never made one before and it was just SCREAMING my name.  I made my "healthy" by using whole wheat flour and I mixed in Mini M&Ms because that just made me happy.  It seriously took me less than 5 minutes and it was awesome!  Check out my mug cookie!

Whole Wheat M&M Mug Cookie
(adapted from The Comfort of Cooking)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
a pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp whole wheat flour
2 tbsp mini m&ms

Directions:
1. Microwave the butter for 30 seconds or until just melted.
2. Using a spoon, stir the sugar and brown sugar into the butter.  Stir in the vanilla and salt.  Next, stir in the egg yolk until completely combined.  Finally, stir in the flour and m&ms until just combined.
3. Microwave for 1 minute.

Enjoy :)

Chocolate Chip Meringues

So I made homemade ice cream for my Dad and ended up with a TON of extra egg whites.  So, to use up these egg whites, I made meringues!  I had never made meringues before and I was excited to give it a try.  Plus, these guys are naturally gluten free and happen to be my favorite treat around Passover time.  I made GIANT meringues with chocolate and white chocolate chips and they were absolutely delicious!  

Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Meringues

Ingredients:

8 egg whites

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

3 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups chocolate and white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixer, beat all the ingredients except for the chocolate chips on high until a stiff peak forms.  Merengue should hold its shape.  This should take a little while, so be patient!  Gently fold in the chocolate chips.  

3. Drop dollops of the mixture on the prepared sheets and place in oven for about 25 minutes or until meringues are lightly browned towards the bottom.  Let cool on the sheets for 20 minutes and then let cool on a cooling rack.  

Enjoy :)