Cookie Butter Cookies to Share!

Recipe: Cookie Butter Cookies
Song: Cookie Monster's "Share it Maybe"


Many months ago, my friend introduced me to Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter and I both loved and hated her for it. Once you get a jar of your own, you just can't stop eating it. And now I work close to a Trader Joe's so it's easier and more convenient for me to visit the spectacular grocery store.

Soon I realized that the delicious cookie butter actually has a twin called "Biscoff Spread," which I found at Stop and Shop. I tried it, and it was just as good as the Trader Joe's brand. The problem with these cookie butters is finding foods and recipes to use it with. It's so good that it's like Nutella where you want to eat it right out of the jar!

When I realized that I had an unopened jar of it sitting in my pantry, I knew I had to use it quick-especially since it would expire at the end of the month. Obviously I didn't want to eat it all by myself, so I looked up cookie recipes that would feature it. The more cookies I could make, the more cookies I would be able to give away. The recipe I used was adapted from this one, featured on Courtney ODell's blog, Sweet C's Designs. I know that this recipe might be similar to the Nutella cookies I made, but so what?


Cookie Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

6 Tbs butter
1/2 c almond milk
1 1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c Crunch Biscoff Spread
2 Tsp Vanilla
3 1/4 c quick-cooking oatmeal (I used Quaker Oats)

Directions:

1. Mix butter, milk, cookie butter, and sugar in a large saucepan. Stir the mixture occasionally until it comes to a boil.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Add the vanilla to the warm mixture and mix.
4. Add the oats and stir well. You might need to add more oats or milk depending on the ingredients you use. The cookies should end up thick and gooey, and stay in the shape you mold them into when they're placed on the wax paper.
5. Place the mixture in rounded spoonfulls on the wax paper, and refrigerate them until they're cool and firm.
6. Enjoy!

*Please note that I made the cookies small, and cut the recipe in half. Because I didn't have a car available that night, I couldn't go to the store and had to work with the ingredients I had. You know I love cooking and baking, but I wasn't about to walk a mile in the pouring rain to get Oatmeal! I had even tried getting some at CVS earlier in the day because it was on sale, but they ran out of it. Figures.

I kept a few cookies for my family. The rest went to work with me and my brother!

The song I decided to pair with this recipe is a bit goofy, but because cookies are for sharing, I thought it would be appropriate. I grew up with Sesame Street, and although I don't watch it anymore, I still have a lot respect for the show! Click here to see Cookie Monster sing "Share it Maybe." When "Call Me Maybe" first came out, I hated it because one of my roommates played it practically five times a day. I did grow to like the song, and thought that Cookie Monster had a funny parody of it.

*All credit for the original recipe goes to Courtney ODell of at Sweet C's Designs.
*All rights to the song "Share it Maybe" go to the Sesame Street Workshop

Everything is awesome with this lego cake!

Song: Everything is Awesome
Recipe: Lego cake

My mom, her friend Barbara, and I visited my mom's Godmother (Hilda), during the summer. While we were there, Hilda's granddaughters also came over and watched Rosanna Pansino's channel "Nerdy Nummies." Pansino makes interesting baked goods, and we ended up watching this video of Pansino making a lego cake. After we saw her make the cake, my mom turned to me and said "Are we going to make this for Chris's birthday?"

For those of you who are new to my blog, Chris is my brother. His birthday was earlier this month, and I figured I would make this cake. Pansino says in her video that this cake is easy to make, but I should tell you that it makes a mess, and creating it takes a LOT of patience. I practically spent half the party slaving over the cake-and my brother was very grateful. Chris must've thanked me a dozen times for making it, and devoting some of the party to it's creation.

I like this cake because it's divided into a bunch of sections, and anyone can choose whatever color they want. I also loooooooove marshmallows. However, because it makes a mess and takes a lot of time, I probably won't make this dessert for a long time.

Anyway, I'll stop talking and give you the recipe. You can also find it Betty Crocker's version of the recipe here.

I'm not the artistic one in my family so this came out a bit sloppy lol

LEGO Cake!

What you'll need:

• 1 box of white cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Since they're the best brand in my opinion)
• Ingredients for the cake mix
• Red, yellow, and blue food-dye drops
• About 2 containers of vanilla frosting
• 12 Marshmallows cut in half

Directions:

1. Bake the cake according to box instructions.
2. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan before placing it on a cooling rack.
3. Cool the cake for an hour, before placing the cake in the fridge or freezer for an additional hour. I froze the cake overnight because I work full-time now, and had to make the cake late a night.
4. Cut the cake so that there are two rectangular pieces, and two square pieces.
5. Grab three small bowls to color the frosting. Make 1 cup of the frosting red, 1 cup of the frosting yellow, and 2/3 of the frosting blue. Leave the remaining frosting white.
6. In order to seal in the crumbs, you need to frost each piece of cake with a thin layer of frosting. Frost one square white, and another square blue. Frost one rectangular peice with yellow frosting. and the remaining rectangular piece with red frosting.
7. Rerigerate or freeze the cake for 30-60 minutes before giving the cakes their final coating of frosting.
8. Frost 4 marshmallow halves blue, and four marshamallows halves white. Frost eight marshmallow halves yellow, and the remaining eight marshmallows red.
9. When the marshmallows are done, put them on their respective places on each cake.

*Note: Betty Crocker and Pansino tell you to level the cake but I skipped that part because I was in a hurry. The marshmallows still stayed on the cake! I also ended up making one cake pink instead of red because red is hard to make-says my mom! If you're hosting a party where children of both genders are present, having a pink section of the cake is a good idea!



As for this recipe's song, I chose "everything is Awesome" from The Lego Movie. The song may not be about Legos, but everyone who knows the movie knows the song. And even if you've never seen the movie, many shirts will portray the main character with the caption "EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!" If you don't know the song, listen to it on Youtube.

Cornbread muffins made from Trader Joe's Cornbread mix!

Hey guys!

I'll admit that I can get lazy sometimes, but then again, a lot of people can! That being said, I thought that I would create a new section of my blog titled "Jenna's Cheats." Here is where I'll be rating different packaged products (such as cake mix) from time to time. Sometimes with a busy schedule, a lot of us don't have time to cook everything from scratch. We all need to take the easy way out once in a while!

Love always,

Jenna

Whip yourselves into shape with this shake!

Song: Whip it, by Devo

Recipe: Jenna's Peanut Butter and Chocolate Protein shake

Wheeeeeeeee! I'm back. I'm sorry guys-I know I've disappeared for a while but things have been hectic. But hey, at least I'm blogging again! And this recipe that I have for you is simple, and it's gotten many likes on Instagram. Why? Because it's a good thing to have if you're trying to stay in shape, or get in shape.

Yes, this week's recipe is a protein shake.  I'll admit that I didn't really try to make shakes that often until earlier this year. You see, my brother (Chris) surprised me with a HUGE jug of it for Christmas. Chris's wanted to get me a huge jug because he knew I wanted to try using protein powder, and he didn't want me to run out of it for a long time. Because it's so huge, he'll use it sometimes, too. He keeps saying he wants to get his own since it was my Christmas gift, but I don't mind. I'll have that thing for a year!

Personally, I’ve been very into eating healthy and working out for the past couple of years. Everyone knows that getting a lot of protein is very important to your health-especially when you work out and you need the strength and energy. I believe that protein is also great, because it can make you stay fuller longer, and not want to snack as much.

There are many different types of shakes that you can make with vanilla whey protein, but I like this shake because it's delicious. It’s smooth, and creamy texture makes it taste like something you would get from a diner, and it’s practically a dessert! Who doesn’t like to have dessert for breakfast?

Anyway, I'll stop talking about this shake and actually give you the recipe.

Jenna's Peanut Butter And Chocolate Protein Shake:

What you’ll need:

1 c. Vanilla Almond Milk

2 tbs Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup

1 scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
1 tbs Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter

Directions:

1. Place the above ingredients in a blender, and blend them on whatever settings you like until the 

          shake gets to your desired texture. (I did the whip and the puree settings).

2    2. When the shake is ready, pour it into a large glass (like a beer glass) because the

    texture will make the drink rise a lot!

MMmmmmmmm

*This sugar free chocolate syrup tastes terrible, unsurprisingly. If I wasn't trying to lose weight and cut back on my sugar, I wouldn't have bought it. But I do want to mention that this syrup tastes fine with this shake because of the vanilla almond milk, peanut butter, and vanilla whey. Also, when I used the sugar free chocolate syrup in a different shake later that week (it had the same ingredients minus the peanut butter), the flavors
from the protein powder and vanilla almond milk were enough to make the chocolate syrup not taste too bad.

I chose the song "Whip It" by Devo for this recipe. I like this song because it can be inspiring for getting into shape. It’s catchy tune, and lyrics “now whip it, into shape, shape it up, get straight, go forward, move ahead…” make a good work out song. And I believe that the perfect recipe for this song would be none other but a protein shake.  Visit this link to see Devo perform this song live.

Have a wonderful labor day weekend! Mom and I will be making more recipes this weekend because of our Labor Day Barbeque. You will definitely be seeing them here!

*All rights to the song "Whip it" belong to Devo.

Incredible Veggies and Protein!

Recipe: Vegetable Salad With Chicken
Song: The League of Incredible Vegetables Theme Song by The Newsboys


I once heard of someone who didn't like fruits and vegetables and decided not to eat any. How can that be possible? There are so many different types of vegetables and fruits out there, how could you not like at least one?

Since I started eating healthier a few years ago, fruits and vegetables became my best friends. I used to be on Weight Watchers, and they were zero

points (except for the avocado, but that didn't matter to me). Even after I was off of Weight Watchers, vegetables were obviously and important part of my eating habits. I love them because they're a "feel-good food." They have a small amount of calories, they're fresh, and they're filled with water so they fill you up. I can go on and on about the benefits of vegetables but I'm not here to do that. Instead, I'll just cut to the point and tell you this week's recipe. By the way, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post something on this blog! I was on vacation two weeks ago, and I just started a new full-time job (whoo-hoo!) so I'm not used to being on a new schedule just yet!



This week's recipe is a vegetable salad with chicken. It's a perfect lunch to bring to work because it's fast to make, it's portable, and it contains protein so you'll get energy and be full for a long time. Here's the recipe below:

This recipe is perfect for lunch when you're at the office!

Vegetable Salad With Chicken:

What you'll need:

1 fully-grilled chicken breast
1 cup of salad
1 small tomato
A few slices of cucumber
1 tablespoon Nakano Vinegar (or some type of rice vinegar)



Instructions:

1. Toss together all of the vegetables.
2. Add the rice vinegar and toss the salad again. Note: If you don't want your salad to be drenched in the dressing for a while before you eat it, simply put it in a small and portable dressing container so that you can add it later. My mom got me a cheap one at The Christmas Tree Shops!



The song that I decided to pair with this recipe is a bit cheesy, but I ultimately decided on "The League of Incredible Vegetables"-the theme song for the well-known children's cartoon. This song is by a band called The Newsboys. I heard it once and since it sounded good, I thought that it would be nice for my blog. Besides, it's a song about vegetables so it goes perfect with this recipe! Check out the song at the link below. Have a a great rest of the weekend!

Click here to see The Newsboys perform "The League of Incredible Vegetables."

*All rights to the song "The League of Incredible Vegetables" goes to The Newsboys.

The Declaration of Indpendence...and amazing chocolate buttermilk cookies!

Recipe: Chocolate Buttermilk Cookies
Song: Jimi Hendrix's cover of "The Star Spangled Banner"

As you know, I wasn't able to make myself a cake for my birthday. That meant that I was left with all of the ingredients to make the yellow cake with chocolate buttercream icing. One of those ingredients was buttermilk, and I had to use it before it went bad.

Let me just say that Google is amazing. It's always come in handy for me, and it came to the rescue once again by giving me Kadie's  chocolate buttermilk cookies, that were featured on her blog, Barefoot and Baking. You see, I didn't want to waste a full carton of Buttermilk, so I googled "cookies to make with buttermilk." And that's how I came across Kadie's blog. This recipe was so good that even though I was short on cocoa powder the first time, and had 3/4 c less of chocolate chips the second time, the taste of the cookies were still amazing! I went to two 4th of July Parties last weekend, so I ended up baking two batches of them. And guess what? The cookies vanished both times! Once you have one of these cookies, you'll want to have another one. In fact, one of my friends ate five of them, and someone else I know ate three! Anyway, here's the recipe I adapted from Kadie's below. I made some changes to it to make it a little bit healthier.

This platter wasn't full for long!

Buttermilk Chocolate Cookies

These are just as good as they look!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup butter
a little bit less than 3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1 t vanilla
1 egg
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. (Every recipe tells you to do this first, but I usually do this once I'm sure
    everything's measured out because I move slow sometimes!)

2.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together baking soda, flour, and salt.

4. Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl (about 30 seconds to a minute).

5. In a large bowl, combine the warm melted butter with the cocoa powder, and whisk everything
    until the mixture is very smooth.

6. Once the mixture is smooth, whisk in the egg, buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla. Gradually stir in the
    flour mixture until no streaks of flour are present.

7. Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips, or divide the dough in half to make two different kinds of
    cookies. I would've experimented by using two different types of chocolate chips for this recipe,
    but I was in a hurry!

8. Drop by spoonful onto the prepared pan about 2 inches apart. This is important because these
    cookies really spread!

9. Bake the cookies for about 10-15 minutes, until they are set on the edges.  The middle will be
    doughy but firm up as they cool.

10. Once the cookies are removed from the oven, they should cool for a few minutes on the pan
      before cooling completely on a wire rack. 



Because I baked these cookies for the 4th of July, I decided that a patriotic song would go perfect with them. That's why I chose Jimi Hendrix's cover of "The Star Spangled Banner." Click here to watch him play it!

If a ton of people (myself included!) enjoyed these cookies, I'm sure you will, too! Happy belated 4th of July!

*All rights to the original recipe go to Kadie of "Barefoot and Baking."
*All rights to the song "The Star Spangled Banner" go to Jimi Hendrix

Snap. Crackle. Pop. Happy Birthday to Me!

Song: "Birthday" by The Beatles

Recipe: Rice Krispie Treat Cupcakes (or Rice Krispie Treats in Cupcake form)

I loooooove making Rice Krispie Treats. They're quick, they're easy, and they're better for you than many other desserts! I'm also a huge fan of marshmallows, and love crunchy foods.

Now I'll admit that I really wanted to make myself a cake for my birthday, but I was just too lazy to do it. I'm also trying to eat healthy and wanted to make better choices since I was eating out twice that week-once with my family, and once with my friends. I also wanted something that was liked by many people, so that I wasn't stuck with a lot of leftovers. That being said, Rice Krispie Treats are the perfect thing to make since everyone loves them. My little cupcakes were so good that some of my friends even had two of them! I even brought the leftovers to work on my last day (which is a whole different story). One of my managers ate four of them for lunch-there's nothing wrong with that!

Basically what I did was shape the warm Rice Krispie Treat mixture into cupcake shapes, instead of just pressing it into the pan. I should tell you that this was challenging, and you need to move quickly before the mixture sticks to the saucepan, but if you want to be creative and try something new, definitely go for it! I've posted the recipe that I adapted from Kadie's blog, "Barefoot and Baking" below:

They taste just as good without the icing!

Rice Krispie Treats:

What you'll need:

6 cups of Rice Krispies Cereal
1 tsp vanilla extract                                 
5 c. miniature marshmallows
4 Tbs. butter


How to make them: 

1. Place cupcake liners into muffin tin.
2. Melt the marshmallows and butter in a LARGE saucepan over medium-low heat.
3. As soon as the mixture is smooth, add the vanilla and stir the mixture until it's combined.
4. Now add the Rice Krispies and stir until the cereal is coated well. 
5. Quickly take a spoon and drop the mixture into the cupcake liners. You can also shape the mixture with your hands if you 
    like once it's in the liner.
6. Decorate the treats if you please. I originally bought a pink, glittery Betty Crocker decorative icing tube for my cake, so I 
    just put dots of it all over the cupcakes.
7. Share and enjoy!



Obviously, the song that will go with this recipe is a birthday song. I decided to use "Birthday" by The Beatles. Here's a clip of the famous British band performing it.


*All rights to the original recipe go to Kadie of "Barefoot and Baking."
*All rights to the song "Birthday" go to The Beatles.