Lemon Bars

Last night I was on Pinterest as usual, and came across a lemon bar recipe....now this mama to be can't see certain foods without wanting them! After getting all inspired to bake setting up my mixer and gathering ingredients, I realized I was missing a few key ones for the Pinterest recipe. BUT I was determined so I turned to my BFF Google and found this super easy recipe from The Barefoot Contessa, it got 5 stars so I figured it has to be good....and let me tell you, they are DELICIOUS, I am using this as my new lemon bar go to recipe.

Lemon Bars

Total Time:1 hr 35 min
Prep: 10 min
Inactive: 30 min
Cook: 55 min
Yields: 20 squares or 40 triangles
Level: Intermediate

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

• 6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup flour
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Today I am linking up with:

Easy Chow Mein

I was looking for an easy recipe to make chow mein for lunch, I happened to be on the phone with my Mom and she sent me a recipe for chow mein using spaghetti noodles. So after some edits of the original recipe here is my version. Now when I cook I like to have leftovers so this does make a lot!

Easy Chow Mein 

1 pkg spaghetti noodles

1 lb chicken

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 lb sliced mushrooms

6 green onions (sliced)

3 cloves of garlic (minced)

1/2 large carrot (shredded)

2 celery ribs

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

Cook spaghetti noodles according to the package. Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil, add the chicken and sauté until cooked. Add the mushrooms, celery and carrots and cook until tender. Add the spaghetti  and toss with soy sauce and sugar. 

It's Over!

It's over! That's right you read it, today is the last day of my Christmas vacation and that means back to work tomorrow. I am not going to lie I am so not looking forward to waking up in the morning!! Once I'm at work I know that those adorable smiling faces will remind me that it was so worth waking up to see them.

I was reflecting back on these last two weeks and feel so thankful becuase it was as if God stretched that time out to feel so much longer :) I did a lot! I spent very little time at home since most of that time I spent out with my husband. We went to the movies twice, shopped for our son multiple times, bought new phones, took maternity photos (which I can't wait to see), saw our son twice in 3D...amazing experience, and visited with family and friends. While at home we slept in and actually had breakfast together which honestly never happens due to our work schedules, watched the Batman trilogy, shopped online for more stuff, and got the furniture assembled in the nursery.

After coming home from Chutch today I decided that it was going to be a lazy day! It is gloomy and super cold outside so the perfect way to end this fantastic vacation was on the couch with my dog watching TV and pinning things on Pinterest. He was way more comfortable than me but he is really warm! 

King of the Couch

So I after lots of pinning I am craving fish so for dinner. On the menu for this evening is panko breaded tilapia with rosemary potatoes and broccoli. As I decided this I just so happened to look outside and saw this beauty....the first lemon from our tree!!!! I have been patiently waiting for a lemon since we bought the tree last year. I am so excited to use it tonight with dinner :)

FIRST LEMON!!!

Panko Breaded Tilapia 

(this is my made up go to recipe, I will double check the measurements tonight)

2 cups panko bread crumbs

1 tbsp italian seasoning

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup flour + salt/pepper

3 pieces of tilapia

1. In a ziplock combine the first 3 ingredients and set aside
2. Dredge the fish into the flour 
3. Dip into egg 
4. Toss in bag
5. Fry on medium using olive oil (I am not a fan of frying so I use very little oil and almost just brown them until my husband steps in and finishing the frying for me)

Bella's Rosemary Potatoes 

(http://allrecipes.com/recipe/bellas-rosemary-red-potatoes/)

credit

6 red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges

3 tablespoons butter, melted

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Mix together melted butter and oil, then pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place the potatoes into the dish, and stir until coated. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt, and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Stir the potatoes occasionally to ensure even cooking.

Speaking of dinner I should get started, I will update this post after I eat with pictures of the fish and the correct measurements :)

Delicious and Easy Christmas Treat

Last weekend I was going to make this delicious Christmas Crunch recipe that found on Pinterest however, I got really busy and didn't. So today I was determined to make it....and I succeeded!!

I made a few changes to the recipe. I am not big on things being overly sweetened by candy melt so I increased the amount of popcorn, substituted the M & M's for milk chocolate chips and used sourdough pretzels because they are really salty and wanted to make a noticeable salty/sweet contrast. It was a hit so I edited the recipe :)

Christmas Crunch

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup popping popcorn kernels, or 2 bags tender white popcorn

1 (12 oz) bag Vanilla Candy Melts (such as Wilton Candy Melts)

1 1/3 cups broken sour dough pretzel pieces 

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Red, green and white Sprinkles (I used Jingle Mix Nonpareils)

Directions:

1. Pop the popcorn using an air popper into a bowl (or in the microwave if using microwave popcorn)

2.Toss in broken pretzel pieces and chocolate chips.

3. Melt the candy melts in a microwave safe bowl on 50% power in 30 second intervals. Stir in between each interval until melted and smooth.  

4. Pour half of melted chips over the popcorn mixture and toss gently with your hands. (using a rubber spatula casued a big mess) 

5. Drizzle the remaining half of melted chips over popcorn, and toss again until evenly coated. Don't over mix or the sprinkles won't stick.  

6. Pour the mix onto a single layer of wax paper and coat evenly with as many sprinkles as you would like before vanilla chips set.  

7. Allow to cool and harden, then gently break into pieces and store in an airtight container. 

***I filled 10 treat bags 3/4 full 

Pollo Fricassee My Way

So I have mentioned before that I LOVE to cook, the only problem is that more often then not, I forget to plan ahead. Defrosting meat the night before would be the smart thing to do and actually glancing over the recipe I'm going to make would be brilliant so that I can pick up any missing ingredients. I am no chef,  (my husband may say otherwise) but, I have mastered how to make the ingredients I have on hand work!

Tonight I was craving Pollo Fricassee (my husband loves it when I crave/cook Puerto Rican food) and surprise surprise I was out of a couple of things. I have not made it to the grocery store this week since I have been really busy. Even though I was missing a few things I must say it came out delicious and satisfied my craving! 

FYI I am the worst about measuring things, I usually just eyeball it but I am going to make it a point to write down exact measurements from now on. 

12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 tsp olive oil

3 tsp sofrito*

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 cups chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 pkgs Sazon Goya Con Azafran

1 tbsp alcaparrado (green olives stuffed with Pimentos) 

salt/pepper to taste

*Sofrito- pureed cilantro, green bell pepper, onion, garlic and olive oil ( I make this ahead of time in a big batch and freeze it in ice cube trays. It is a staple in Puerto Rican cooking)

**I use Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base 

1. Rinse and pat dry chicken thighs and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Brown the chicken for a few minutes or until all the pink is gone. Remove chicken from the pan.

3. Turn the heat down to medium and add sofrito and tomato sauce to the pan, let it cook for about a minute. Then add chicken broth, bay leaves, oregano, sazon and olives. Let simmer for about 5 minutes.

4. Add the chicken back to the pan and cook over medium for about 30 minutes. 

5. Serve with white rice

Linking up with:

Yes I Love to Bake

Today I am linking up with Morgan for Saturday Morning Coffee.

One of my favorite things to do is bake. For a while I was completely obsessed everything cupcakes. I even entered a few cupcake competitions and won! I usually forget to take pictures of what I what I bake, I seemed to remember this time...

I bake at least every other week, sometimes it is one of my favorites, a random one from a recipe book or even one that I have found on Pinterest. On the agenda for this Saturday I will be making one that I found on Pinterest, goodness I love that site!!! I have made my shopping list and will be starting in the afternoon :)

Photo Credit & Recipe

Christmas Crunch

Ingredients:

1/2 cup popping popcorn kernels, or 2 bags tender white popcorn

1 (12 oz) bag Vanilla Candy Melts (such as Wilton Candy Melts)

1 1/3 cups broken pretzel pieces

1 (12 oz) bag green and red Milk Chocolate or Mint M&Ms

Red, green and white Sprinkles (I used Jingle Mix Nonpareils)

Directions:

Pop popcorn in a popcorn popper into a large bowl (or alternately in the microwave if using microwave bags of popcorn) according to manufactures directions.  Remove any unpopped popcorn kernels.  Toss in broken pretzel pieces and M&Ms.  

Melt Vanilla Candy Melts in a microwave safe bowl on 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth.  Drizzle half of melted chips over popcorn mixture, then stir, tossing gently a few times with a rubber spatula.  Then drizzle remaining half of melted chips over popcorn, and gently stir mixture until evenly coated (don't over stir though or your sprinkles wont stick if the white chips begin to set and harden).  Pour mixture into a single layer onto wax paper.  Sprinkle entire mixture evenly with sprinkles (as many as you'd like) before vanilla chips set.  Allow to cool and harden, then gently break into pieces and store in an airtight container.