Triple Chocolate Banana Milkshake - Secret Recipe Club

This month I had a little help with my Secret Recipe Club Submission.  Perusing Rachel's, The Avid Appetitie, blog (she reminds me SO much of myself some 20 years ago), I had already picked out a few recipes to be narrowed down when a pre-teen voice from over my shoulder yelled, "That one!!  You have to make that one!!"  While I was actually reading Rachel's book review (she has wonderful reviews on all sort of topics!), Liv's eye had spotted whipped cream, chocolate and banana in the form of a Triple Chocolate Banana Milkshake.

As luck would have it, we were in the midst of spring break with no dance or school activities and within minutes our milkshake was in the works.  Making a few substitutions to avoid a trip to the store (mostly to get the milkshake done sooner), Liv substituted chocolate coconut milk ice cream for the pudding and decided to leave out the cocoa powder while adding additional chocolate syrup.  I've recently been informed that one really can not have too much chocolate syrup (Though Liv and I are aware that some of our friends will disagree on this point...).

Blending the concoction took mere minutes and my Liv-in food stylist went to work while I set up the camera.  Carefully styling the whipped cream and adding a decorative slice of banana, Liv proclaimed the shot ready as she lovingly poured even more chocolate syrup over the top for an action food shot.  Having a stylist with an eye for detail make my job so much easier.

10 minutes into the shoot, the milkshake was somewhat melty and the whipped cream began to droop, but Liv dug in without hesitation and proclaimed Miss Rachel's treat a true winner.

Brown Butter Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies - Secret Recipe Club

My March Secret Recipe Club submission has been met with extreme research.   Immediately visiting my assigned blog, Mangia, nearly an entire hour was spent getting caught up in Chelsey's posts on subjects ranging from food, to pins, to photos, to her family and on to her brand new iPhone.  Chelsey is truly an adorable 20-something who reminds me of my own Liv with her passion for Living Life and the happiness she exudes while doing it.

A Texas girl, with similarities to me in her recipe style, Chelsey's blog is filled with healthy recipes in combination with hearty dishes and extremely tempting sweet treats.  A recent grad with a BA in Kinesiology (had to look that one up... the scientific study of human movement) she boasts an Italian heritage that had her making meatballs before riding a bike.  Inspired by her sister who has Celiac Disease, Chelsey works to recreate family favorites in a Gluten-Free fashion, and from my perusing, she succeeds.

With my extensive research interrupted by Liv's dance rehearsal schedule and life in general, the publish date for this SRC assignment was on me before I knew it, and not being a gluten-free baker I didn't have some of the necessary ingredients on hand to attempt one of the GF recipes.  Hence, I turned to a gluten-full recipe featuring my beloved peanut butter -  peanut butter, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, brown sugar and brown butter to be exact.  Ahhhh... I think I'm in heaven!

As such, my second level of research began:  Studying the actual recipe.  Making a few substitutions (simply due to what I had, or rather didn't have, on hand - who runs out of a/p flour??), my dough came out a tad crumbly in my first batch, but was packed with chocolate chips as I may have wonderfully added a few more than required.

Test #1:  The Dough.  Yep... the dough was divine!

Bake and Test #2:  The Warm cookie.  Good, but not as good as the dough.

Cool and Test #3:  The Cooled cookie.  Wow.  Wow!  Did I say, "Wow!!!"?

 

Actual adjectives used by teenage boys and girls who devoured these cookies include:  Extraordinary,  fantastic,  superb,  excellent,  exquisite,  muy bueno,  delicious,  out of this world, awesome, brilliant and totally killer.

Ok, on with the experimentation and research.  Hearing a famous Dr. Seuss rhyme on the radio as I was baking, I figured Today was my Day.  I was off to great places, I was off and away.

But...

Would I like them on a plate?

Absolutely, it must be fate.

Would I like them in the afternoon?

Most definitely as these beauties make me swoon.

Would I like them in the car?

Yep, especially if I have to drive very far.

Would I like them in the morning for brunch?

Without a doubt, I'll have a bunch.

And lastly,

Would I like them in the kitchen?

You bet!  These cookies are **tchen'!

Ok... so I don't really use words like the last one, but I couldn't think of anything else to rhyme with kitchen, and well, the description is apt and it's the word my teenage son used to describe these beauties.

Chelsey, your cookies rock!  We did a taste and critique test at dance the other night, and with 6 thirteen year old girls in my car we went through no less that 20 cookies in no time at all.  I had 3 requests to bring them again next week and 2 request to send the recipes to the girls' mothers.  When asked what they would do differently, the overwhelming response was, "Nothing!  Don't change a thing!".

I'd say we have a winner.

 Mangia!

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies - Secret Recipe Club

Since returning from an Italian Idyllic vacation a few months ago, my attention has been drawn to all things Italy.  I miss the bustle of Rome, the limoncello of Sorrento, and the steaming volcanic islands near Lipari.  The food though, has me more than simply missing it, I crave it.  I crave a simple tomato sauce made with fresh ingredients and served in normal sized portions.  I crave Greek Salads (amazingly they were on every Italian Menu).  And, I crave Nutella.

Imagine my pleasure when opening my Secret Recipe Club assignment email for the month of February, and I found "My Italian Grandmother".  I'd hit the jackpot.

Michele, a native of New York now residing in New Jersey, is about as far away from me, geographically, as one can get and still be in the same country.  Her cooking style, though, is quite the opposite, and more along the lines of being my neighbor.  With numerous recipes by my beloved Giada in addition to a plethora of Italian (and some not  so Italian) themed posts, Michele's blog offers an abundance of choices to help ease my Italian yearnings.

I've actually made two recipes from Michele's blog this week alone, though only one made it to the photo shoot (the other was eaten before a shutter could be pressed).  The first, Pasta e Fagioli, was a hit with our entire family.  Easy to put together, hearty and full of flavor, we substituted tortellini for the elbow pasta (my son's request) and white kidney beans for the red, and everyone was happy.  Hence... no photos. 

For dessert a plate of Giada's and Michele's Nutella Chip Cookies proved to be the perfect finale.  Though my first batch was slightly overcooked and a bit crunchier than I would have liked, everyone reached for seconds and complimented the rich, chocolaty flavors.  Note to baker:  be sure to follow the directions closely, baking only until "lightly golden around the edges".  The centers will still appear somewhat soft, but those somewhat soft centers are absolutely gush-worthy as they melt in your mouth.

Michele, thanks to you and your Italian Grandmother, Emilia, for the wonderful recipes you have to share on your blog.  With my Italian themed cravings still going strong, I'll be visiting often.

Grilled Fish Tacos - Secret Recipe Club

Southern California is a place all its own, chaotically caffeine fueled in some places while just up the road you may find laid back surf towns with more of a Chai Tea flair.  I'm lucky enough to live in one of those simple little surf towns on the coast and my Secret Recipe Club assignment this month is my virtual neighbor.

Allie, of Allie's Clean Plate Club, is a bit north east of me and while not on my slower paced coast she is within a few hours driving distance and lives the Southern California lifestyle.  Missing her home in Illinois, she like me, originally turned up her nose at a SoCal staple... the fish taco.

When I moved from Northern California to Southern (something I said I'd never do, but now I'd never go back) I discovered In N Out and Rubio's.  In N Out was easy to immediately love with its tasty burgers, milkshakes and salty fries, but Rubio's, with the Fist Taco featured on the menu, took a while for me to try.  Venturing like an early era explorer, I eventually made my way to the restaurant and gave the taco a try.  Like Allie, the first fish taco bite was all I needed to have me hopelessly hooked.

Never having actually made my own version I jumped at the chance to try Allie's Grilled Fish Taco recipe and wholeheartedly agree that this recipe is a keeper, I only wish I had made it years ago...

White Chocoalte Macadamia Cookies (Secret Recipe Club)

Once again my Secret Recipe Club assignment has introduced me to another delightful blogger.  Julie, of Julie's Eats and Treats, lives in West Central Minnesota and I feel a little bit of a connection with her as my Dad's family hails from Red Wing, MN, which I'm guessing is not all that far away.  With relatives still in Minneapolis I get occasional winter weather updates and with my San Diego-Sissy skin I'm always somewhat thrilled that I'm not knee deep in snow with wind chills below zero.

Perusing Julie's blog I didn't get far before I stumbled upon her White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies.  Loving of the buttery mac nuts like I do, my hunt for a recipe ended nearly before it began.  Now, that's not to say that there weren't many other recipes that I have tagged to try... just that I couldn't get past this one featuring my favorite Hawaiian nuts.

Remembering Debbie Fields introducing her little cookie shops I have fond memories of discovering how much I love these flavors together.  A job at a department store funded my college education, and I spent many a break popping into Debbie's stores where the cookie I usually purchased was the White Chocolate Macadamia (with the occasional Oatmeal Cookie on the side).

Since those college years I've been on a search for as many mac nut recipes as I can find and I simply couldn't pass this one up.  And... I'm really glad I didn't.  Not really on my pre-vacation diet, I probably shouldn't have made them, but I did cut the recipe in half so as not to overly temp myself with the sweet treats that disappeared from our cookie jar in a flash.

Being a little impatient I have to admit to not following the recipe as I should have and I performed that ever dreaded mistake of reaching for the baking powder in place of the baking soda.  Luckily catching my error before dumping the entire spoonful into the mix, I only dropped about 1/4 of a teaspoon into the dry ingredients.  However, I'm thinking that with the beautiful rise I got out of these guys it may not have been a bad idea.

Slightly crunchy on the outside and chewy inside, these cookies had me reminiscing of afternoons spent with Mrs. Field's.  Julie, truly a pleasure to meet you, I'm so glad you were my assignment!

Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Bacon

I love the Secret Recipe Club!  I've been lucky enough to meet yet another wonderful blogger through my club assignment, and this month I almost feel as though I've met a soulmate (she just doesn't know it yet!).

Chris, from The Cafe Sucré Farine, is a delightful wife, mother and grandmother with a flair for food and photography.  My first visit to her site had me printing recipe after recipe and she is a girl after my heart with her mouth watering grilled dishes.  Immediately catching my eye was the Tequila Citrus Chicken with Grilled Peach and Raspberry Salad.  However, just a few scrolls down I switched gears and found the Peach and Cherry Scone Shortcake quickly followed by a Yeasted Belgium Waffle.

Having taken Spanish while in high school, my understanding of the title of the blog was left as, "Something foodie with coffee and sugar...".  Chris' story however is far more interesting as it is simple.  A set of canisters in her kitchen with the French words for Tea, Coffee, Sugar and Flour (Thé, Café, Sucré, and Farine) led to a family friend (and frequent lucky "enjoyer" of her treat filled kitchen) to say, "That's it, Mrs. S! The name of your restaurant -The Café Sucré Farine"!  After reading much of her blog,  I'm here to say that's a restaurant I'd visit any day.  Chris' smile and friendly way of writing has you feeling like you have been welcomed into her warm kitchen and you are eagerly awaiting the next treat fresh from the oven while enjoying a nice afternoon chat.

With an ever growing stack of printed recipes our choice was narrowed when we got to planning dinner and I stumbled upon a recipe entitled Fabulous Grilled Chicken Kebobs.  The title alone caught my eye, but it was her photo that pushed me over the edge and got to cooking.

At this point I have to admit that I am not really a fan of bacon, however my family adores the cured meat whether it's a simple crispy/chewy piece of bacon or featured in a dish.  The smell alone does me in, but I especially don't like the "feel" of  the uncooked bacon.  This recipe pushed me to the edge with a requirement to actually puree, yes... puree, the bacon and then rub it over the chicken.  Strange and I didn't really like doing it , but after the first taste, I deemed it absolutely and totally worth it!

Two strips of uncooked bacon are indeed pureed with a little sugar, smoked as well as sweet paprika and salt.  Rubbed over the sliced chicken and then threaded onto skewers, the kabobs are then grilled and brushed with BBQ Sauce for a delicious finish.

Tender, juicy, and simply exuding flavor, these kabobs were indeed fabulous.  The entire family reached for seconds and mommy was the star of the evening (I love those kind of nights!).  Most enjoyable though, was watching my dog salivate as I chopped up a little leftover piece to mix in with his kibble.  He literally leaped to his bowl and within minutes had licked it clean.

Chris, what a treat it has been to "meet" you!  I will forever be an ardent follower of The Café Sucré Farine and I look forward to more delightful dishes coming from your kitchen.

Secret Recipe Club - Vegan Blueberry Banana Smoothie and Almost Raw Pesto Guac Salad from The Mommy Bowl

For my second month involvement in Amanda's Secret Recipe Club (where one receives an assigned blog to secretly write about) I eagerly anticipated my assignment email.  Would I bake?  Would I grill?  With our 3 weeks of on and off vacation completed I was ready to head back into the kitchen and pull out my mixing bowls.

Clicking with excitement the link to The Mommy Bowl, my stomach did a bit of a drop when I read that the author blogged about gluten free eating.  Gluten Free??  Heck... I live on gluten.  And to top that, Deanna has recently gone raw... not that there's anything wrong with that. ;)

Diving in, I stopped first at Deanna's "About" section and was immediately caught up in her carefree and entertaining writing.  Amazingly, this gluten free Mom and I have a lot in common.  We are both moms, probably similar ages (though I'm thinking I have a few years on her), enjoyed Gilligan's Island as a kid, and have been addicted to cereal.  Yep, addicted to cereal.  I wholeheartedly identified with Deanna's comments of bowl after bowl of the crunchy goodness, and yes, in my later years I've also switched to wheats and brans over the sugary kind.

Deanna though, has after some 30 years of carting around her special cereal bowl become gluten intolerant.  Reading about her journey into a gluten free world I could see a healthier way of eating and a lifestyle promoting a happier body.

Understanding more of who Deanna, The Mommy Bowl, was I began to peruse her posts in search of a recipe to try.  Caught up in her writing, I spent over an hour pouring over post after post and enjoying her special and enticing way with words.  Smiling frequently along the way, recipe after recipe caught my eye.  Who knew you could make a Triple Chocolate Cherry Pie not only raw, but vegan and grain free as well?  And get this... it sounds and looks awesome. 

With 18 recipes printed I headed to the kitchen and almost immediately my teenaged son popped in proclaiming extreme hunger (it had been nearly an hour since his last Trader Joe's frozen burrito).  I offered, "How about a Blueberry Banana Smoothie?"  He pondered for a few seconds, said, "Yeah", and headed outside.

Admittedly, we do understand intolerances.  Last year my son suddenly became lactose intolerant and Liv struggles with her own lactose issues.  As such do I occasionally search vegan recipes knowing that they will be dairy free.  Frequently I adjust them adding eggs or grains, but with a dairy free base I've got a head start.

Deanna's Blueberry Banana Smoothie uses a few simple ingredients which we had on hand.  Vitamin rich frozen organic blueberries, a banana and coconut milk are enhanced with a handful of spinach for a nutrient rich smoothie packing a flavor enticing punch.

Keeping the handful of spinach a secret, I whizzed the brightly hued ingredients in the blender and served up a beautiful blueberry smoothie with a tropical twist.  Two smiles greeted the first tastes quickly followed by raised eyebrows as I explained that they were indeed drinking blended spinach in their sweet smoothies.  Pausing for a few seconds, both kids shrugged and then continued drinking, draining their glasses within a few minutes and even asking for more.

It seems Deanna is on to something.

Next I thought about myself.  With my husband out of town and the kids no longer hungry, Deanna's Raw Pesto Guac Salad caught my eye.  As eating with abandon on our Trip to San Francisco was quickly followed by Pineapple Rum concoctions on the beaches of the Bahamas I'm a bit over food at the moment.  Even I have been craving good, healthy veggies and a huge reduction in carbs and grains.

Again, all of the required ingredients I happened to have on hand.  Brilliant avocados, bright tomatoes and fragrant basil found their way into my blender along with the juice of a lemon from my dads tree, garlic and a pinch of salt.  I prefer "chunkiness" in my salad, and therefore added additional diced avocado and more chopped tomatoes to the salad part.  But here's where I did alter the recipe a bit... I grilled my zucchini along with a thick slice of onion (I'm just not a raw zucchini girl).  And then I did it, I changed the whole dynamic and added pasta.  I just couldn't help myself, but trying to stick close to the raw/gluten free theme I did only add 1/2 cup of cooked pasta for my serving.

Stirring the brilliant veggies with the whizzed pesto had my mouth watering as the aromas melded together into something special.  Setting myself at the table I dug into my healthy salad and sighed.  Yes... this was the life!  The antidote to eating with abandon and occasional rum drinks was right there in front of me and I loved every part of it.  I topped off the meal with a few nuts (raw and salt free even!) and I was one happy and very content girl.

While I don't think I'll be switching to a gluten free or raw diet anytime soon, I'd really like to thank Deanna for spurring me to explore another healthy way of eating.  My post vacation mode has me filling my plates with a greater percentage of veggies and in an effort to reduce my vacation pounds I've even put away my own cereal bowl.  Well, maybe not every night, but I am cutting way back.

Deanna, I'm your newest fan!  I will be following eagerly and feeling better along the way.  Thank you!

Confetti Corn Salad - Secret Recipe Club

A month ago I stumbled across numerous bloggers who participated in the Secret Recipe Club.  Set up by Amanda at Amanda's Cookin', registrants sign up to participate and are assigned a blogger who they will secretly write about a month later.  I'm so excited to participate this month, and thrilled to announce my first assignment:  May I present Rachel from A Southern Fairlytale!

Rachel describes herself as a "A 32 year old deep fried southern belle and aspiring domestic darling".  She writes with passion about her two adorable little ones and Native Texan husband.  Living in the South has its differences from my Western San Diego Coast, and I've enjoyed the glimpses Rachel gives us of her Southern Life along with her tempting recipes and gorgeous photography.

As Liv and I perused A Southern Fairytale, recipe after recipe jumped off the screen, but with a backyard cookout on our docket we chose Rachel's simple yet dazzling Confetti Corn Salad.  Packed with veggies and a simple vinaigrette featuring my beloved lime, this salad is as versatile as it is bursting with the fresh flavors of summer.  Finding the salad in June, we had the recipe just in time for Father's Day and have made the salad no less than 4 times since then.  It has truly gained a highly rated spot in our regular rotation.

Our first version followed Rachel's recipe to a "T", however, since then we have experimented and added roasted poblano peppers when we had them on hand, grilled Maui onions in place of the market fresh scallions and yesterday's version included quartered cherry tomatoes fresh from our now fruiting tomato plant.

"Meeting" Rachel and her family (albeit "voyeuristicly"!) has been a true treat.  Her Southern charm has brought me to her kitchen table and I look forward to reading more about her adorable children and family as I glimpse life outside of Southern California.  Thanks, Rachel!