Raspberry Blondies? Yes, please

Combining my love of raspberries and the blondie. From Sweet Peas and Saffron via BuzzFeed.

Brown Butter Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Blondies
Prep time 30 mins
Cook time 25 mins
Total time 55 mins
Serves: 9

Ingredients 
Cream Cheese Layer

• 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

Blondies

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all purpose flour (125g, fluffed, spooned & leveled)

Raspberry Swirl

• ¼ cup seedless raspberry jam 

Instructions

Cream Cheese Layer
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth and no lumps remain.

Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally.

Set aside.

Blondies
Line a 9X9 inch pan with aluminum foil, and grease with spray oil.

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Melt the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Allow the butter to simmer gently for 5 or so minutes to brown it. Keep an eye on the butter, as it can go from golden to burned very quickly. As the butter browns, stir frequently, and you will see small brown bits coming off the bottom of the pan.

Pour the browned butter into a large bowl and add the sugar, mixing completely. Allow it to sit 5 minutes or so to cool, before stirring in the egg and vanilla.

Stir in the flour until completely combined.

Raspberry Swirl
Heat the jam in the microwave for 10 seconds, then stir until smooth.

Assembly:
Spread ⅔ of the blondie batter over the bottom of the prepared pan.

Add dollops of the cream cheese mixture randomly over the blondie base.

Add teaspoons of the raspberry jam randomly over the blondie base.

Spread (as best as you can) remaining blondie over the cream cheese and raspberry jam.

Gently run a knife along the length of the pan to swirl the mixture. As you can see from my photos they won't look very pretty at this point, however they will be much prettier when they come out of the oven!

Bake for 20-25 minutes until center is set (it shouldn't jiggle). Mine was perfect in 23 minutes.

Allow to cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.

Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Mini Meatball Casserole

When I'm interested in comfort food I will usually go for my Mom's Beefaroni.  Leave it to the one woman that I might consider leaving Mrs. BA for to provide me with an alternative. Via the Pioneer Woman.

Mini Meatball Pasta Bake
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Cook Time: 1 Hours
Servings: 12 Servings

Ingredients 

• 3/4 pounds Italian Sausage 
• 3/4 pounds Ground Beef 
• 1/2 cup Regular Oats 
• 1 cup Grated Parmesan 
• 1 whole Egg, Beaten 
• 1/4 cup Minced Fresh Parsley 
• Salt And Pepper, to taste 
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced 
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced 
• 1 can (28 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes 
• 1 can (8 Ounces) Tomato Paste 
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar 
• 2 cups Hot Water 
• 12 leaves Basil 
• 12 ounces, weight Ziti Pasta, Cooked To Al Dente 
• 16 ounces, weight Fresh Mozzarella, Cut Into Large Cubes 

Instructions
In a bowl, mix together the sausage, beef, oats, 1/2 of the Parmesan, egg, half the parsley, and salt and pepper until well combined. Form into small meatballs (about 1/2 inch) and brown in batches in a skillet over medium heat. Remove the meatballs from the pan and drain.

Add the onions and garlic to the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, salt and pepper, sugar, and water. Stir and bring to a simmer, then add in the meatballs and continue simmering for 20 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow it to cool. Stir in the basil once cool.

In a casserole dish, add half the pasta, half the mozzarella cubes, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and half the meatball sauce. Repeat with another layer, ending with the meatball sauce. Cover with foil and either refrigerate for up to 2 days, or bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve piping hot!

Vacation Cereal Chicken Strips

The Brave Astronaut Clan is on vacation this week - so there is sure to be some vacation cereal in the beach house - probably Cap'n Crunch or maybe Fruit Loops.  Maybe if SoBA and LBA and their friends don't eat them all, we can make these this week.  From the Pioneer Woman.

Cap'n Crunch Chicken Strips
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Servings: 4 Servings

Ingredients 

• 12 whole Chicken Tenders (strips) 
• 1 cup All-purpose Flour 
• 2 whole Eggs, Beaten 
• Salt And Pepper 
• 2 cups Cap'n Crunch Cereal 
• Vegetable Oil, For Frying 
• Ketchup, For Serving 

Instructions 
Put the flour in a shallow bowl and add some salt and pepper. Put the egg in a second shallow bowl. Crush the cereal in a third bowl, leaving a few larger chunks.

Dip the chicken strips first in the flour, then the egg and then the cereal.

Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the strips in batches until golden brown and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes, turning them so they don't burn. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with extra salt. Serve with ketchup!

Mrs. BA Hits a Big Number

Today is Mrs. BA's birthday - she's hit the 1/2 century mark. I am more and more in love with her every single day.  She is the best wife and mother.  If you see her around today, make sure you wish her a happy birthday. 

Tonight we will gather at the pool (her favorite summer place) to celebrate with friends.  Tomorrow we leave for vacation. 

Doesn't she look great?  And I'm the one younger than she is?

FYI - dear readers, I am unplugging for the week while on vacation.  I am in need of a respite from technology for the week.  I plan to do as little as possible, except sit on the beach, swim in the ocean, and relax.  No Facebook, no games on my phone or other devices.  I'll be back soon!

Road Trip

The Brave Astronaut Clan is heading out for some much needed vacation time.  No, not to Vacationland again this year - we're staying a little closer to home, but still beach bound.

I have always wanted to drive cross country and hit all the sites along the way.  Some day, I will do this.  I have wanted to do this for years.  And hey, you can't tell me that science is wrong.

According To Science, This Is The Perfect And Best Road Trip You Can Possibly Take
(via shareably)
Be honest with yourself: at some point you’ve probably thought about going on a cross-country road trip. Whether it be driving across Canada, United Kingdom, United States, or wherever you’re from, it’s probably crossed your mind at some point.

Luckily, for those in the United States, the “perfect road trip” has finally been planned.

According to the algorithm - it hits all the biggies.  Those that I would be able to take off this list (as I've already been there) - are in bold.

1. Grand Canyon, AZ 
2. Bryce Canyon National Park, UT 
3. Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID 
4. Yellowstone National Park, WY 
5. Pikes Peak, CO
6. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM
7. The Alamo, TX (can you see the basement there?)
8. The Platt Historic District, OK 
9. Toltec Mounds, AR 
10. Elvis Presley’s Graceland, TN 
11. Vicksburg National Military Park, MS 
12. French Quarter, New Orleans, LA 
13. USS Alabama, AL
14. Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL 
15. Okefenokee Swamp Park, GA 
16. Fort Sumter National Monument, SC 
17. Lost World Caverns, WV 
18. Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center, NC 
19. Mount Vernon, VA 
20. White House, Washington, DC 
21. Colonial Annapolis Historic District, MD 
22. New Castle Historic District, Delaware
23. Cape May Historic District, NJ 
24. Liberty Bell, PA 
25. Statue of Liberty, NY 
26. The Mark Twain House & Museum, CT 
27. The Breakers, RI 
28. USS Constitution, MA 
29. Acadia National Park, ME 
30. Mount Washington Hotel, NH 
31. Shelburne Farms, VT 
32. Fox Theater, Detroit, MI 
33. Spring Grove Cemetery, OH 
34. Mammoth Cave National Park, KY 
35. West Baden Springs Hotel, IN 
36. Abraham Lincoln’s Home, IL 
37. Gateway Arch, MO 
38. C. W. Parker Carousel Museum, KS 
39. Terrace Hill Governor’s Mansion, IA 
40. Taliesin, WI 
41. Fort Snelling, MN 
42. Ashfall Fossil Bed, NE 
43. Mount Rushmore, SD 
44. Fort Union Trading Post, ND 
45. Glacier National Park, MT 
46. Hanford Site, WA 
47. Columbia River Highway, OR 
48. San Francisco Cable Cars, CA 
49. San Andreas Fault, CA 
50. Hoover Dam, NV

Toll House Cookie Pie

I like chocolate chip cookies.  I like pie.  Both together would be fine with me. From A Family Feast via BuzzFeed.

Toll House Chocolate Chip Pie
Serves: 8 servings
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 55 mins
Total time: 1 hour 10 mins

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie shell 
• 2 eggs 
• ½ cup all-purpose flour 
• ½ cup granulated sugar 
• ½ cup packed brown sugar 
• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, softened to room temperature 
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 
• 1 cup chopped walnuts 
• Vanilla ice cream (optional but highly recommended, for serving)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a deep dish pie plate with the unbaked pie crust, crimping the edges. Set aside. 
2. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs on high speed until light and foamy. Add the flour and both sugars to the bowl and mix again until combined. Then add the softened butter and mix one more time until completely mixed. 
3. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts and mix until the chocolate and nuts are evenly mixed throughout the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared pie crust. 
4. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a sharp knife inserted halfway between the edge and the center of the pie comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for about 30 minutes. 
5. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Chicken in Tomato Sauce

One of my favorite dishes my mother made growing up was her version of chicken cacciatore.  She would brown some chicken pieces and then smother them in some tomato sauce and serve it up.  Tonight LBA, SoBA, and I had breakfast for dinner (though we were going to have meatloaf until I realized we only had one pound of ground beef in the house).  In learning that I discovered that we need to eat out of the freezer for a while - there's too much in there.

So time for some chicken dishes.  From Cafe Delites, via BuzzFeed.

MOZZARELLA CHICKEN IN TOMATO SAUCE
PREP TIME 1 min
COOK TIME 10 mins
TOTAL TIME 11 mins
Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves 
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley leaves 
• ½ teaspoon ground oregano 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, halved to make 4 fillets 
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
• 1 cup your favourite Marinara tomato sauce 
• 1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (adjust to your tastes) 
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Preheat the broiler/grill to a medium heat setting. 
2. Combine the herbs in a shallow bowl with salt and pepper and oil. Coat both sides of each chicken fillet with the oil. Heat a large heavy oven-proof skillet over high heat. Add the fillets and pan fry on each side until golden (about 3 minutes on each side). 
3. Add the garlic to the same pan and allow to fry until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Spoon the marinara sauce over and around the chicken. Add the Italian seasonings into the sauce and stir them through. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella over each chicken fillet; transfer to the oven and broil / grill until the cheese has melted and the chicken is cooked through (about 3 to 5 minutes). 
4. Garnish with freshly chopped parmesan cheese and serve over zucchini noodles, rice, pasta, steamed vegetables, or with a salad!