Blogs and Such

Every amazing blogger must follow amazing blogs.  Here are some of my favorite websites and blogs I LOVE to go on.  They give me inspiration for my own blog and teach me something new everyday!

1) Bakerella 
Bakerella is a blog about a woman who loves to bake creative treats.  She is more into the modern baking flare with the bright colors and lots and lots of sugar!  I've looked through her book cake pops 
many times and enjoy it every time.  It's probably one of my favorite modern cake pop recipe book.
Click here to check out Bakerella!

2) The Pioneer Woman
This blog is so much fun!  Maybe your not into cooking as much as I am and would rather learn about the home and garden, homeschooling, photography, and stories from a woman named Ree Drummond.  This little chef lives with her family on a big ranch.  She is new on the food network and has her very own show.  I love her new show on the Foodnetwork.  The pioneer woman knows her stuff.  Welcome to her Frontier! 
Click here to check out The Pioneer Woman 

3) Giada at Home
Giada de Laurentiis is no doubt my favorite chef ever.  She is so good on screen and is very beautiful.  Giada gives me hope because she is so skinny!  I keep telling myself, I will not get fat being a chef.... I will not get fat..... I will not get fat....  I'm so jealous of her amazing kitchen!  It's white with flogged cabinets and ahhhh I just love it.  The only sad part is that she doesn't actually have a blog or website of her own, her (sorta kinda) website is linked on food network.  I still like it a lot because they have videos, her recipes, show times, photography, biography...ect.
P.S. Giada named her daughter Jade!  Her daughter and I have the same name!  
Click here to see Giada's Website

4) Jacques Torres Chocolate
Chocolate!  Chocolate!  Chocolate!  
This website is all about chocoloate.  How can you not love it already?  I would start scanning down to the bottom now and find the link and skip reading all of this!  Oh?  You decided to keep reading?  Thank you.  He has a recipe for anything and everything chocolate.  His chocolate chip cookies are THE BEST!!  
Click here to see Jacques Torres Chocolate  

5) Little Mrs.Robinson  
Little Mrs. Robinson is a blog about an everyday woman, Sarah, who lives daily in God's grace.  She shares her life with us.  Sarah has cute ideas and crafts for the home, recipes, and funny learning about life stories.  Her blog refreshes me and is an inspiration for me as a blogger and as a young woman. 
Click here to see Little Mrs.Robinson's Blog 

 



6) Emily Renee
This is my best friends blog.  She also blogs about her everyday life and is new to blogging!  She is a fantastic writer and cracks me up!  Check out her blog!
Click here to see Emily Renee's Blog  

  








Check them out and keep reading my blog!  Love you! 

                             I got flour all over my shirt while I was baking! 

~Love Jade~

Lemon Garlic Cheese Midnight Pasta

It’s a eleven o clock at night.  I’m hungry.  I scurry around the kitchen and open our wide pantry and examine all the choices.  Hmm...

Pasta.

Pasta?

Yes, Pasta.  Call me insane.  I was in the mood for pasta and wasn’t stopping.  Even though there was that little voice in my head saying:

“It’s 11 at night.  Your gonna regret this tomorrow morning.   Pasta gonna go to your hips!”

 “ You usually stay up for another hour anyway.  Tomorrow? Sleep in.  It’s Whole Grain!"

This little debate went on but it turned out, voice number 2 won.  Which I was very happy about.  So there I was filling up a pot of water to boil pasta in.  A pinch of salt add in the pasta.  Easy.

Now for the sauce,

As a matter of fact I wasn’t in the mood for regular old tomato sauce.  I was in my chef mood so I wanted to go all out.  I wanted something…

Wait, I think the pasta is done.  Let me go check.

*Meanwhile checking the pasta to see if its alienate*

Okay back, yup the pasta is done.  Now, back to the sauce.  I grated some fresh Romano cheese.  FRESH!  Not the powder stuff you buy in a containor that’s already grated.  Eww no.  Fresh.  It taste SO much better.   Place the cooked pasta in a pan on low heat.  Add olive oil (for that Italian flair) and butter (cause it taste good!) and melt it down.  Add in your cheese, garlic, and lemon.  Salt and Pepper for taste. 

Easy, Right?

                           Add the cheese!

                                                 Pretend that's a real lemon.
                                                 I would go out and buy a lemon but again,
                                                  it was eleven 'o' clock at night....

                                Seeeeeeeeee?  I told you it was whole grain!

                       Top it with Parsley.  DONE!  Now, let it cool for.... No, I'm just kidding.   DIG IN!

~Love Jade~

Homemade Thin Mints

You know how every year in front of Publix they have the girl scouts selling cookies?   I always happen to look at them and consider all my options and always fall in love with the wonderful minty chocolate covered cookies called “Thin mints”

So of course, I had to investigate these amazing little cookies.  What do you know?  A recipe!  For thin mints!  My curiosity took over and guess what happened?  Guess, c’mon, Guess!   Ok, I’m so excited I’ll just spill it all out to you.  I made thin mints!  Isn’t that great, (jumping up and down) the cookies are ahhhh-mazing!

Yes, I guess this time I’m a little overly excited about this recipe but I can’t help it.  THEY ARE SO GOOD and now that I know how to make them I can make them 24/7!  Which, I won’t be doing unless I want to weigh 100,000,000,000 pounds.  Well maybe I’m exaggerating…but you get the point.  That’s how good they are.   You know what the best part is?  They are so easy! 

Homemade Thin Mints

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup milk (any kind)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Dark chocolate coating:
10-oz dark or semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. With the mixer on low speed, add in the milk and the extracts. Mixture will look curdled. Gradually, add in the flour mixture until fully incorporated.
3. Shape dough into two logs, about 1 1/2 inches (or about 4 cm) in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1-2 hours, until dough is very firm.
4. Preheat oven to 375F. Slice dough into rounds not more than 1/4 inch thick – if they are too thick, they will not be as crisp – and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until cookies are firm at the edges. Cool cookies completely on a wire rack before dipping in chocolate.
6. In a double boiler, combine chocolate and butter. Melt until chocolate is smooth. Chocolate should have a consistency somewhere between chocolate syrup and fudge for a thin coating. (you can use the microwave for this step, just take care not to burn the chocolate)
7. Dip each cookie in melted chocolate, turn with a fork to coat, then transfer to a piece of parchment paper or wax paper to set up for at least 30 minutes, or until chocolate is cool and firm.
Reheat chocolate as needed to keep it smooth and easy to dip into.

Makes 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies.


~Love Jade~

Oreos!

I love oreos.  I could eat a whole packet of oreos in 2-3 days...myself.  That's the reason why my mom doesn't buy me oreos... So one day and I was on pinterest I saw a recipe for homemade oreos.
I just had to try it.
I mean, Homemade oreos?
What gets better than that?

~Homemade Oreos~
(Makes approximately 3 dozen)
Ingredients 

For the cookies:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 cups Flour
• 3/4 cup of dutch processed cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt

For the icing:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 2 tablespoons of half & half
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 3-3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar 

Instructions 
 For the cookies:

 1. Beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy

 2. Add egg and vanilla mix until incorporated

 3. Slowly add flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt

 4. Contuine mixing until well incorporated

 5. Divide dough in half and refrigerated for 1 hour
 6. Take cooled dough and roll out on a floured surface, roll out 1/4-1/8 inch thick.
 7. Cut dough with a cookie cutter (approximately 2 in in diameter) 

 8. Place cut dough unto a baking sheet.    
 9. Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees
10. Cool cookies

For the Icing:
 1. Combine softened butter, half &half, vanilla and salt and beat until well combined. 

 2. Add powdered sugar 1/2 at a time

 3. Add frosting unto cooled cookies

 4. Eat! 

                                                     Yummy Icing!!!
 

                ~Love Jade~

Scalloped Potatoes

Today I'm making a family favorite with my grandma, Scallop Potatoes.  This One pot simple meal is Delicious and everyone in my family loves it.  Basically it's potatoes,cheese, and ham layered in a pan.  It's my Dad's favorite meal! 

Ingredients:  (4-6 servings)
6-8 Medium Potatoes
1 (8 oz) pound  Ham
8 oz. Velvetta Cheese
3 tbs. Flour
1 can (12 oz) Evaporated Milk
3 tbs. Butter
Salt and Pepper

Instructions:
1. Peel potatoes.
2. Slice potatoes, 1/8 in. thick
3. Cube Ham,
4. Slice Cheese,

5. Layer potatoes first, ham, than cheese

6. Salt and Pepper

7. Sprinkle flour
8. Repeat Layers, end top layer with potatoes,

9. Pour evaporated milk over layers
10. Top with chunks of butter
11. Bake for 45-60 minutes at 400 degrees
12. Serve and Enjoy!!!

                                                    ~Love Jade~