Monday, September 28, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Carb Fuel Fridays project 2: Blondies
INGREDIENTS
1 | cup pecans or walnuts (4 ounces) |
1 1/2 | cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces) |
1 | teaspoon baking powder |
1/2 | teaspoon table salt |
12 | tablespoons unsalted butter ( 1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled |
1 1/2 | cups packed light brown sugar (10 1/2 ounces) |
2 | large eggs , lightly beaten |
4 | teaspoons vanilla extract |
6 | ounces white chocolate chips (1 cup) or chopped bar, or 3 ounces each white chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips |
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts on large rimmed baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer nuts to cutting board to cool; chop coarsely and set aside.
Nuts, pre- roasted.
Nuts, post-roasted.
pecans, chopped
2. While nuts toast, cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet (if using extra-wide foil, fold second sheet lengthwise to 12-inch width). Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.
4. Whisk melted butter and brown sugar together in medium bowl until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in chocolate and nuts and turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with rubber spatula.
Prebaked blondie.
5. Bake until top is shiny, cracked, and light golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes; do not overbake. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove bars from pan by lifting foil overhang and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.
When it looks a little something like this, take it out.
See, that's more like it! I really think of blondies more as a cookie bar than a brownie, but they certainly aren't very cakey. Too much fat. Try this recipe and love it!
Wednesday Night Dinner: Jessica's Broccoli-Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Garlic Butter
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Favorite Things Tuesdays: Post workout food, Tomato and Mozzarella Salad Recipe
Today I'm heading to Bridge Street Town Centre to sample the new self-serve frozen yogurt bar, Orange Tree Frozen Yogurt. I'm a frequent visitor of Cefiore, a frozen yogurt place closer to my house. So it'll be nice to be able to have a place to go that is a tad bit closer to school. As an athlete, I love frozen yogurt. There is no doubt about it, it can be the best light fuel before and after a workout. Here some of my favorite things to eat after a hard workout to help me recover.
1.) Mt. Olive Hot and Spicy dill pickles- I often crave these suckers with crunchy peanut butter. No, I'm not pregnant. Your body craves things it needs to replace after a workout.... and vinegar is one of the best things for an athlete to ingest to reduce cramps. In case you didn't know, pickle juice is basically just vinegar that the pickles have been soaking in. That explains the kick... and why I love pickle juice and mustard so much!
2.) Luna Sport Recovery Smoothie- there are a few obvious reasons why I drink this stuff to recover from a tough workout. Aside from it being NCAA legal, which means I can ingest it without penalties on my eligibility, it's formulated specifically for women. It's low calorie too, only 120 calories per serving... but I mix it with milk and it's delicious. The strawberry banana flavor is good, but I like dark chocolate better.
3.) Frozen Yogurt- There are a lot of health benefits to eating frozen yogurt. The probiotics it contains helps keep you regular, helps women not get yeast infections, reduces inflammations and pain, and keeps bad bacteria from growing. But the reason why I like frozen yogurt after a workout has nothing to do with its health benefits... I mean I feel less guilty than going to get Ice cream of course, but frozen yogurt is just plain downright refreshing. Simple as that. It's wholesome and filling and I don't go home and do my usual after-workout binge afterwards.
4.) Mozzarella and Tomato Salad with Olive Oil and Basil-
Done Jessica's Way:
Ingredients:
1 medium sized tomato, very ripe
about 3 ounces bulk mozzarella, cut into 4 1/2 in thick slices
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons dried sweet basil
Wash tomato, cut into four slices horizontally. Lay slices flat on plate. Lay 1/2 in thick mozzarella slices on top of each tomato slice. Drizzle each slice evenly with olive oil, sprinkle with dried sweet basil, and voila! you've got the a tasty, perfect mix of protien, calcium, and carbs to help you recover from a workout.
Okay, so those are my top four after workout foods... tomorrow I'll be back with details of my wednesday night dinner, featuring a foolproof and easy recipe that makes for a beautiful presentation and a decadent meal... perfect for guests!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Carb fuel Fridays project 1: Hot Fudge Brownies.
New: Carb Fuel Fridays
I'd like to think of myself as a hero, providing these teammates of mine with free, delightful mounds of carbs that surely we will need to get through the many months of imminent torture. In return, they provide me with necessary criticsm (although they might not be the best critics... I mean, a group of 40 kids who haven't had a home cooked meal in weeks? I'm sure they'll love everything I bring them). Last year, I brought over 100 fully decorated, iced, 4 x 4 inch sugar cookies to the team christmas party. I'd say about 75% of them were eaten, the other 25% were basically smuggled out... and not by me. So this year, provided that I don't have any orders, I have been thinking about conducting a season-long experiment... Carb fuel Fridays. Every Thursday that I'm not swamped with cake orders, I will be providing my teammates with a new and experimental treat. Although cookies would probably be the easiest to transport, I'll try some other things as well. My cupcake courier.... the other love of my life... will be a great help in making that happen. Every Saturday I'll have posts about the stuff I brought the team... pictures, and what they thought about it! I am so excited.