• Matcha Cookies @ bestwithchocolate.com

    countdown to new years: matcha shortbread cookies;

    December 30, 2015bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

    So today was a flurry of shopping, baking, and cooking!  I’m exhausted but excited.  It was lucky that I took the day off from work so I had enough time to do everything that needed to be done for our kick-ass New Year’s Eve Party!  We pulled out all the stops.  I’ve got a whole trivia game about 2015 ready, set with prizes;  I made some props for us to use in a makeshift “photobooth” (more like a golden photo corner);  and of course, the drinks — a mimosa bar!  I’m super excited about it all but especially the mimosa…

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  • Crab Mac N' Cheese @ tipsychocochip.com

    crab mac ‘n cheese; roasted caesar broccoli;

    December 28, 2015bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

    If you’ve clicked this link you’ve got good taste.  I’m just putting that up front!  This recipe was born from a grocery store sale!  I love those.  Browsing ads for some great deals helps me to narrow down what I might want to make.  If chicken’s on sale, then it’s chicken for dinner; if there’s a good price on salmon, then we’re having salmon for dinner!  And in this case … crab meat was on sale and I was craving some comfort food, so crab mac ‘n cheese it is! T and I are trying eat healthier now that the…

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  • Philly Cheesesteak Eggrolls @ bestwithchocolate.com

    philly cheesesteak egg rolls;

    December 22, 2015bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

    So you might have noticed something:  I like using egg roll and wonton wrappers for things other than Asian foods.  My mom did teach me how to make wontons growing up so you’ll have to look out for when I actually post that recipe!  But in the meantime … the recent crazy weeks I’ve had have forced me to get creative as I attempt to use up as many of the random ingredients I have lying around in my fridge.  So, voila, philly cheesesteak egg rolls! These goodies are exactly what they sound like — thinly sliced steak with onions…

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  • Cake Batter Truffles @ bestwithchocolate.com

    cake batter truffles;

    December 16, 2015bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

    So here comes the wonderful-ness of cake batter and chocolate.  Seriously, who needs an oven?  Basically this is cake batter cookie dough wrapped in the sweet shell of chocolate. I made these truffles for a co-worker’s birthday.  He really wanted me to make this awesome birthday cake recipe from momofuku’s milkbar, however, since this is the week before Christmas, there was no way I was going to slave over that recipe on the busiest week I’ve had in a while (which includes the ones around Thanksgiving that I whined about in my last post.  <3).  I’ve been up late every…

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  • Bloomin' Baked Apples @ tipsychocochip.com

    bloomin’ baked apples;

    December 10, 2015bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

    So let’s go with:  I’m going to whip these out again one day and impress someone.  They look amazing.  They taste even more amazing.  And you can pretend that they’re healthy (they’re not).  I did forget to add that extra drizzle of caramel, but you know, that’s how these things go.   I used McIntosh apples because that’s what I had lying around the house, and I wasn’t able to make the nice rings that the gunny sack described.  Because my apples were softer, I just cut out from the center instead, making sure not to cut through the base.…

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  • Chicken Caesar Tortellini @ bestwithchocolate.com

    caesar chicken tortellini;

    December 9, 2015bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

    This past week was a struggle.  Actually, all (two) weeks since Thanksgiving.  Even with the Hello Fresh meals eliminating some meal planning and grocery shopping, I’ve felt like a crazy person.  Just this past weekend there was our company holiday party, a LAN party with the guys at work, a visit to a Shiba inu adoption event, brunch with friends, and an entire day driving to and advising for my sorority.  While all those things were fun, needless to say, it’s been a little crazy.  I could have used a weekend break from the weekend! I remember when I was…

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  • Garlic Monkey Bread @ bestwithchocolate.com

    garlic monkey bread;

    December 7, 2015bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

    So we made individual garlic monkey breads as a quick side to caesar chicken tortellini the other other night!  They were quite tasty, and simple to boot, considering I pretty much always have some biscuit dough floating around in my refrigerator.  At the grocery store I had only been focused on picking up ingredients for the tortellini, so side dishes didn’t really cross my mind.  But I got home and was thinking, you know what goes great with caesar salad and tortellini?  Garlic bread!   But alas, no fresh crusty bread, so what’s a girl to do to get her garlic…

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  • Dijon Walnut Salmon @ bestwithchocolate.com

    first hello fresh meal: dijon walnut salmon & couscous;

    December 2, 2015bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

    So a friend sent me a Hello Fresh discount code for 1/2 off a week’s delivery and I forgot about it for months until I got a reminder e-mail from Hello Fresh (guess those reminder e-mails do work!).  And it was almost Thanksgiving, so I figured I’d have an order delivered the week following; that way I wouldn’t have to go grocery shopping when I got home after traveling for the holiday.  I’ve only made one recipe so far and here’s my conclusion on Hello Fresh: it’s convenient, but I see no need to have a weekly or even a…

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