Food tricks

Fair warning... This is not one of my "healthier" posts..... *****(Coaches... If you read this, I swear I made it over the summer)**** It is freaking phenomenal though.... So there's that. I made it as an appetizer for my last night BBQ with my friends at home. Despite the fact that I was also filling myself up on chips and bruschetta, and I knew how (not) good it was for me, I couldn't help from eating half of the loaf by myself... The mass of melty cheesy goodness was too good to resist and everyone there echoed my sentiment... It did not last too long once it was set out.  Just thinking about it is making my mouth water. Bloomin� Onion Bread Recipe from  The Girl Who Ate Everything Ingredients: 1 unsliced loaf sourdough bread 12-16 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, thinly sliced 1/2 cup butter, melted 1/2 cup finely diced green onion 2 teaspoons poppy seeds (Ya.. I didn't do this part.) Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. The original recipe suggested cutting ...

So you know how I mentioned that my friend Alexa has a neighbor with an awesome garden? Well I went over for a visit today, and we decided we needed to do a little something-something with her zucchini surplus. Conveniently, she had just found an excellent Healthy Zucchini Muffin recipe on Pinterest .  I almost messed it up by just reading down the ingredients list instead of following the directions... luckily caught myself before things got too out of hand (I re-ordered the ingredients for you in this edition, but make sure you still follow the directions). I was always a really picky eater growing up, and never would have tried zucchini anything, but college has really expanded my palate. Good thing, cause these muffins were the BOMB. Even after stuffing my face with Olive Garden it was hard to limit myself to just one... and even though we used oil instead of applesauce, they aren't THAT bad for you. ......At least that's what I keep telling myself. ;) Healthy Zucchini Muf...

Puppy Chow... Muddy Buddies... Whatever you want to call them, they are delicious. Made it through my final preseason of college volleyball... I know it is only the first week of the season but I feel accomplished after sitting out for two years for ACL reconstructions.  Every year during preseason we go on a retreat (every other year it is a trip, but this year it was a one-night stay at a camp about an hour from campus). On the retreat, we get teamed up into meal groups and have a little friendly competition making the different meals for everyone. It was actually during last year's competition that I kind of conceptualized the idea for this blog (My group made this awesome lemon garlic-roasted chicken with green beans that I have been meaning to post for a while... Promise I'll get to it). This is my fifth preseason (man, I'm getting old), and it has pretty much always ended up that I've been placed in the dinner group (usually for dessert my group would make fruit p...

Maybe this is a sign of maturity... Or maybe just of getting older (and poorer)... But instead of meeting friends out for dinner at a restaurant, I've been really into meeting at someone's house, everyone bringing a part of the meal, and cooking together.  Not only is it a great way to hang out and make a healthy meal, it's also an awesome excuse to pick their minds on different recipes and try new things (without the risk of not liking something but still having to fork over the cash when the check comes).   Going into my final preseason, I've really been trying to find nutritious food options.   Unfortunately, when it comes to veggies, I've always been extremely picky (you may have noticed my main choices in vegetable related recipes are usually onions and bell peppers).   Meet Alexa My best friend Alexa just moved into a new apartment and one of her neighbors has a massive garden.  She lucked out because he puts out a bucket every day with the extra fres...

This is a new family favorite. My mom has me making it for bunko parties and dinner parties, I even made it one night just to bring into work and surprise everyone because it was so easy. My sister calls this "Cookie Crack" and after a few bites you will probably agree... It is so good and super easy, even though it looks (and tastes) gourmet. I actually have a mixer while I'm here at home, but whisking quickly can be substituted for beating on high speed. ;) The original recipe can be found at  Jasey's Crazy Daisy . Snickerdoodle Bars Ingredients 2 1/3 cups flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla Cinnamon Filling 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon Glaze 1 cup powdered sugar 1-2 tablespoons milk 1/4 teaspoon vanilla Directions Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or grease the bottom only of a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spr...