Scrumptious Wednesday {Double Chocolate Walnut Cookies}

When ever I make cookies, I love adding extra goodies to experiment. 

For these babies, I adapted my favorite recipe. 

And they were so delicious! 

Ingredients 

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons corn starch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk chocolate chunks

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy and light in color. 

Add egg and vanilla and blend in.

3.  Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chunks and walnuts.

4.  Using a standard-sized cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto a prepared baking sheet.  

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. 

5.  Let cool, on the sheet, on a wire rack for five minutes.

  Remove from baking sheet and let cool completely.   

 Don't they look Scrumptious?

Scrumptious Wednesday {Funfetti Cake Balls}

Remember when I made these cake balls?

I figured Easter was the perfect holiday to make them again. 

Don't worry, these ones are the easy version. 

These babies are made with funfetti cake and lots of sprinkles!

Ingredients

1 funfetti cake box

1 funfetti frosting mix

1 bag white chocolate chips

oil

sprinkles

Directions

1. Bake the cake. Let it cool. Crumble it all up into pieces. 

2. Mix in 3/4 of the frosting container. 

3. Use a cookie scooper to grab a ball of cake/frosting mix and roll it so it is really dense. 

4. Cool the cake balls in the fridge overnight. 

5. Melt the white chocolate and add canola oil to make it thinner (I added about 1/2 cup)

6. Dip cake ball into the chocolate, put it on wax paper, sprinkle. 

7. Let cool in the fridge before serving. 

Good luck trying to have just 1!

Scrumptious Wednesday {Taco Casserole}

I tried taking several photos of my version of this dish and none of them look as pretty as this one!

via

This is seriously our new favorite dish. 

It is really easy, inexpensive and delicious. 

And Dave loves it, so that helps!

I found the original recipe here but I have tweaked a few things. 

Taco Casserole

Ingredients

1 can refried beans

1/2 can black beans

1/2 pound hamburger beef

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup salsa

1/4 cup cheese (I use mozzarella but any will work)

1 tablespoon taco seasoning

Shredded lettuce

crushed tortilla chips

ranch dressing

Directions

In a small baking dish (I use 8 inch round flex pan), spread refried beans all over the bottom. 

Cook beef, with added taco seasoning and spread it over the beans. 

Add black beans, chopped onions, salsa and cheese. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 

When you pull it out of the oven, spread lettuce and tortilla chips on top. 

Add ranch dressing for additional flavor. 

(I add lettuce after I have served it so we can save left overs for the next day)

Enjoy!

Scrumptious Wednesday: {What's for Lunch?}

I had this for lunch every single day last week. 

It was so delicious and I was seriously so excited to eat lunch every day. 

A Chicken Salad sandwich is a favorite of mine. 

Pair it with:

Chobani yogurt

carrots

wheat thins

strawberries and grapes

And I am one happy girl. 

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Ingredients

1 can shredded chicken

4 oz plain greek yogurt

2 celery stalks

1/2 cup grapes

1/4 cup crushed walnuts

Directions

Make sure chicken is shredded really well, I use canned chicken because it is easier but you can boil and shred your own too. Put it in a bowl. Cut grapes in half and cut up slices off of 2 stalks of celery. Add crushed walnuts and greek yogurt. Mix it all together. 

I like to eat mine on 'good' bread, which means anything more dense. 

This past week I got a loaf of sour dough from Trader Joe's and it was delicious.

This recipe should be good for about 4 sandwiches. 

Enjoy!

What is your go-to lunch?

Scrumptious Wednesday: Homemade Mac & Cheese

Macaroni & Cheese is a favorite of mine. 

And it is even better when you make it homemade. 

I found this delicious recipe 

and I adapted it just a little bit. 

The result was delicious. 

Ingredients

1.5 cups elbow macaroni

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

3 tbsp skim milk

1 egg

salt & pepper

dash of garlic powder

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup monterey jack cheese

dash of paprika 

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Boil macaroni, drain and put 1/3 of macaroni into a baking dish. 

In a bowl, mix together evaporated milk, skim milk and eggs. 

Add salt, garlic powder, pepper.

Poor 1/3 of milk mixture over the noodles in the baking dish. 

Add 1/3 of the cheese. 

Repeat with the rest of the noodles, milk mixture and cheese. 

Sprinkle the top with paprika. 

Bake for about 30-40 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Scrumptious Wednesday: 'Utah' Scones

Apparently these are 'Utah' scones but they are the only scones in my mind. 

And they are delicious. 

I found the recipe here. 

Ingredients

1 cup warm water

1 cup warm milk

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon yeast

1/4 cup melted butter

5-6 cups flour

vegetable oil

Directions

Combine water, milk and sugar. Stir and add yeast. 

Allow yeast to activate for about 10 minutes. 

Pour milk mixture into mixer and add cooled melted butter. 

Add salt and stir ingredients together.

Add flour 1 cup at a time, mixing the dough with a dough hook. 

Once the dough is mixed well, let dough rise to double in size (about an hour in a warm place)

Roll dough out flat and cut into large rectangles or triangles. 

Heat oil in frying pan and cook each piece for about 5-10 seconds on each side. 

Careful not to burn. 

Top them with any delicious toppings that meet your fancy.

Scrumptious Wednesday: Homemade Taquitos

Remember last week when I gave you the most delicious Roast Recipe?

Well now I am going to tell you what to do with all those leftovers. 

My mom is genius. 

She seriously is the most incredible cook that I know. 

She usually just makes up a meal as she goes and it always tastes AMAZING!

She taught me how to make the roast that I told you about last week... 

and these taquitos are hers too.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

Left over shredded roast (about 2 cups shredded)

10 flour tortillas

1 can black beans

1 can corn

Shredded Pepper jack cheese

Salsa

Sour cream

Directions

Basically you do not need step by step directions... 

All you need to do is fry the tortilla up in some hot oil, 3-5 seconds on each side.

Then just pile everything (minus the sour cream) in the middle and wrap up the tortilla.

Like so...

I usually wrap them up and freeze them. 

They are the perfect thing for a quick lunch or dinner. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes

I like mine crispier so I lean toward 20 minutes. 

Then I dip each bite in a little bit of sour cream. 

so delicious. 

ENJOY!

Scrumptious Wednesday: Crockpot Roast

My mom's roast is one of my favorite Sunday dinners. 

Luckily, when my parents were in town, my mom taught me how to make one. 

I was completely fooled because I thought it would be really hard... it is so easy!

This is definitely going to turn into a regular at our place.

Ingredients

1 chuck roast (whatever size you'd like, just remember how big your crockpot is)

2-3 potatoes

1 cup carrots

salt and pepper

Directions

First you want to sear both sides of the roast in a frying pan for about 10 seconds.

Next, put the roast in the bottom of the crockpot. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top. 

Last, cut the potatoes and carrots to the size of your liking and put them on top of the roast. 

Maybe sprinkle a little more salt and pepper after too. 

Cook on low for about 10 hours or high for about 6 hours.

(depending on the size of your roast)

Be sure to check back next wednesday so I can tell you the best recipe for all the leftover roast. 

YUMMMY!

Scrumptious Wednesday: Homemade Cake balls {Recipe}

I have been wanting to make homemade cake balls for a long time

but I haven't had a good opportunity to. 

It ended up being the perfect treat for Superbowl Sunday

and I even decorated mine to look like footballs.

To make this recipe even easier, you can use a cake box and store bought frosting

but I like to go homemade...

I found this fabulous recipe on pinterest for Chocolate cake:

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

¾ cup cocoa

2 teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

½ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Directions:

pre heat oven to 350 degrees

1. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.
2. Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.
3. Pour cake batter into a 9x13 pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

After the cake cools for about 15 minutes, crumble the cake with your hands.

I made a simple buttercream frosting:

 (but you can use whatever sounds good to you)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup softened butter

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup milk

Pour all of the ingredients into a bowl and whip them. 

Combine the cake crumbles and the frosting in a big bowl

warning- this gets really messy!

Grab a chunk of the cake/frosting mix and roll it into a ball. 

Make sure to roll them really tight and compact. 

My recipe yielded about 40 cake balls. 

I used a whole package of milk chocolate chips for the outer chocolate shell. 

We are old fashioned and don't have a microwave. 

If you are melting on the stove, you can boil water and put the chocolate chips in a glass bowl. 

Stir in a little bit of vegetable oil with the chocolate in order to make it a little thinner. 

Insert a toothpick into each ball before submerging it in the melted chocolate. 

Make sure to tap the excess chocolate back into the bowl.

You can decorate them however you would like. 

I used melted white chocolate to make the threads of a football. 

yummmmmmmy. 

Enjoy!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

Scrumptious Wednesday {my favorite green smoothie}

One of my new year's goals is to eat a more balanced diet. 

Basically I want to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in my day.

So in order to fulfill this, I have been making delicious green smoothies for lunch everyday. 

The specific recipe I use equals about 24 oz. and is pretty filling because I use it as a lunch substitute. 

It really is delicious so I hope you will give it a try!

Ingredients

3ish cups of spinach

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1/2 lemon 

1/2 apple

1 banana

1 tbsp ground flax seed

1/4 cup raspberries

1/4 backberries

1/2 cup water

All these measurements are estimates because I usually just thrown in whatever looks about right. 

You really can put in as much as you want of anything on the list but these amounts seem to work 

great if you still want a delicious taste. 

I really love it so much, now all I need to is get Dave to taste it.

Let me know what you think!

Satchels.

Pizza is my family's favorite food. 

All four children in my family have worked at a local SLC pizzeria. 

My dad eats there a couple times a week. 

We love it. 

Naturally, I had to find something comparable in Gainesville. 

I think I found my match. 

Satchel's Pizzeria. 

If you are ever near Gainesville, this restaurant is a must. 

The decor is so creative, they basically take loads of junk and make it look really incredible. 

They have a regular restaurant section, yes you can eat in that Volkswagen bus in the picture below

And they have a section outback that you can get take out and eat on tables back there. 

They have live music too. 

Obviously, taking my parents there was a must. 

And they loved it...

This is the back takeout area...

They have a little children's play area,

Horse shoes and hammocks to lay in too!

This fence is decorated with car lights... I love it!

They have this little shop area with so many fun nick-nacks.

My dad loved it because it reminded him so much of his childhood. 

He even bought a mini rubber chicken. 

They have the most amazing cream soda that has ever touched my tongue. 

Seriously, I haven't seen it anywhere else... have you?

Please tell me where to find it, I am an addict and I don't even really like soda.

This is a door inside the takeout area. 

It basically has a million cool little things glued to it to make it look cool. 

I love it, don't you?

A fountain is outback in the parking lot. 

It basically is a bunch of things cemented together. . .

this is where their creative is so incredible. 

It looks way more amazing in person.

My parents liked it so much that we went back for lunch yesterday too. 

Don't forget to try it if you are ever in Gainesville!

Scrumptious Wednesday: The best homemade icecream cake

As promised, I am sharing the recipe for the delicious ice cream cake I make for Dave every year on his birthday. Before I share, I must give credit to my sister because she found the recipe somewhere and created it first for my niece's birthday years ago. Be careful, it is to die for and will be your newest birthday tradition. Or you will make it any time you ever need cake...

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

3/4 cup boiling water

6 tbsp butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 gallon icecream

3 cups cool whip

*Oreos

*Sprinkles

Directions

-Coat 2 (8 inch) round cake pans with cooking spray & wax paper. (I use the rubber ones)

-Combine cocoa, water, and butter with whisk. Cool. 

-Combine sugars. Add egg ( beat until creamy) Add Cocoa mixture.

-Combine flour, baking powder, soda & salt. Gradually add to mixture. Stir in vanilla. 

-Pour into 2 pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes. 

-Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Take our of pans and wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 2 hours.

-Let ice cream (flavor is optional, I love it with mint chocolate chip) sit out for about 30 minutes. 

-Spread softened ice cream in 8 inch pan, lined in plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 3 hours. 

-Assemble three layers of cake: cake, ice cream, cake.

-Spread cool whip all over the top and sides of cake. 

*I use sprinkles to write out the numbers of the age of the birthday, if it is for a birthday cake. 

*I also crush oreos and spread them all around the top and sides.

You can combine whatever flavors you would like- peppermint ice cream & candy canes, Heath ice cream & crushed heath bar. The options are endless :)

Birthday fail.

Birthday's are my absolute favorite holiday!

It all started with the traditional breakfast in bed...

Dave is impossible to wake up on Sunday mornings 

So I knew I could surprise him. 

Except for he all of sudden woke up and came into the kitchen. 

First time ever that he was awake before 8:15 am on a Sunday!

After church we went on a fun little bike ride around campus. 

Sounds silly but I haven't really ridden around campus to see everything yet. 

I definitely got another photo with the gator...

The University of Florida campus is so pretty. 

Palm trees everywhere and all the buildings are red brick which makes it feel more unified I think. 

We went out last night to Carrabbas for Dave' real birthday dinner

But I decided to make him something special for his actual birthday. 

Salmon. homemade bread. Garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. 

It was all fabulous until the Salmon didn't cook right and we had to throw it away. 

Yes it was raw and cold in the middle when Dave took his first bite. 

fail.

I made the traditional ice cream cake again this year. 

It was delicious, yes I had two pieces to prove it. 

Recipe to come later this week :)

We had a little get together with some of Dave's friends from school. 

The candles on the cake were trick candles. 

Love those. Made me feel like a kid again.

                

Overall, I think he had a pretty fabulous birthday. 

He even lied to me and said dinner turned out 'great'

He is the best. 

Have you ever had a birthday fail??

What is your go to birthday cake??

Scrumptious Wednesday {Banoffee Pie}

recipe via

My dad used to visit England once or twice a year for work. One of his favorite foods he would rave about over there is Banoffee pie. My dad is a fabulous chef and loves to try new recipes. A while back he stumbled upon this fabulous recipe for his favorite banoffee pie. He has adapted it a little over the times he has made it but it always turns out incredible. Bananas, toffee and whip cream? How could you go wrong? He made it for our Christmas Eve celebrations this year so I thought I would share the recipe. ..

Ingredients

For biscuit base:
 2 1/4 cups crushed graham cracker (pulse in food processor)
 1/2 cup melted butter
 3 tbsp sugar

For toffee filling:
 1/2 cup melted butter
 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
 2 tsp vanilla extract
 1 10 oz can sweetened condensed milk

Banana cream topping:
 2 cups whipping cream
 3 tbsp icing sugar
 1 tsp vanilla extract
 4 ripe bananas, sliced

Directions

For biscuit base:
Mix together ingredients for the biscuit base. Press into the bottom and sides of a lightly greased 9 inch spring form pan, about an inch and a half up the sides of the pan will do. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack.

For Toffee Filling: 
In a small saucepan combine melted butter, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Bring to a slow boil until foamy, then add condensed milk. Bring back to a slow boil over medium low heat. and cook stiffen continuously for another 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture darkens slightly. Remove from heat and pour into the prepared cookie crumb crust. Chill for 2 hours or more until thoroughly cooled.

For banana cream topping:
Add whipping cream, icing sugar and vanilla extract to the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat together until soft peaks form, then gently fold in bananas.

Spread the banana cream topping over the toffee filling and garnish the top of the pie with chocolate shavings if desired. Chill for about another hour before serving.

What is your favorite homemade pie?

A seventeen day vacation.

We had the most wonderful time in Utah for the Holidays!

We were able to spend two and a half weeks with our family and friends.

We jam packed our schedules so we could see everybody and do everything we wanted to.  

There is just something about being with family that makes life great. 

I hadn't seen my parents since August and that was far longer than I had ever gone without seeing them. 

So yes, I loved it!

Our trip was filled with so many fabulous things, including:

birthday parties

haircuts (finally for this guy)

Rock climbing, rock climbing and more rock climbing

Parties with friends and dates with more friends. 

Family. 

Presents. 

Shopping a LOT. 

Anniversary celebrations. 

Multiple feet of snow. 

Airport lotteries.

delicious goodies.  

Lunches with friends.

Giggles with niece and nephews. 

and lots love from everyone we have missed so much. 

I didn't take pictures of everything but I did get a few good ones...

We had a fun little birthday party for my favorite niece.

This little man has the best giggles!

And this little man could make anyone smile, he is the happiest baby!

We say the lights on temple square a couple times.

My heavens, it is a MUST do if you are in Utah at Christmas time. 

They light up almost every tree on Temple square and through most of downtown. 

I was able to go to the temple a couple times, which was fabulous!

I miss being so close to so many temples.

This is my mom's amazing nativity that wipes out all the other nativities I talked about here. 

Yes, that is a frog playing the guitar in the background. haha. 

We ate a lot of my mother's amazing toffee, recipe here. 

We had a fabulous meal.

I miss my parents cooking so much!

                                                                        

This is my sister's traditional Christmas salad, it is so good!

My Dad has become a rock star at Banoffee pie.  

Recipe to come soon!

I had to post this adorable photo. His face cracks me up!

My sister made this adorable Santa hat with a matching diaper cover..

I told her she should start an Etsy shop! 

These kiddies loved playing 'Tails' with Uncle Dave. 

They run around and chase each other in order to grab each other's tails. 

It is hilarious. 

This was all I wanted for Christmas!

He is such a sweetheart.

The grandkids... Yes it took all 10 of us to get them all to smile!

The best siblings in the world!

I miss all of them so much!

This photo captures my favorite, most suspenseful moment of Christmas!

My dad bought himself and my mom tickets to fly to Florida in January to visit.

I have known they were coming since October and I have been dying to tell her.

This was her face when she opened up the gift... priceless!

Cannot wait for them to visit!

As you can see, we had a wonderful time. 

I wish I would have taken more photos with all the fabulous people we go to see. 

But it is much more important to enjoy the experience.