It's Halloween!!!

It's Halloween, y'all!!

My Halloween weekend was pretty amazing. There was candy. Dancing. And general frivolity.

That's me in the middle...getting my Rachel Berry on :D

What were you guys for Halloween?! I can't wait to hear all of your costumes!!

Costumes and Halloween Candy Bark

I lloooovvveee Halloween. Yes, I may be 20. And does this mean I should be a bit more mature? Sure. But I am still dressing up!

The costumes?

Well, since I am terrible at keeping secrets I'll just let it slip:

Rachel Berry (Glee)

AND Lucy Ricardo

Two costumes for a weekend of spook-tastic entertainment ;-)

My original idea was Rachel Berry but I went costume shopping with a friend and when I saw the Lucy costume I just couldn't say no. I mean, it has a red wig that will completely clash with my brown eyebrows. How could I say no?

Anyway, since I am in the Halloween spirit I wanted to make some treats to bring to my friends and I found the perfect thing!

Halloween Candy Bark

Ingredients:

1 lb semisweet chocolate

4 Butterfingers coarsely chopped

4 Heath bars coarsely chopped

8 Reeses Peanut Butter Cups chopped

3 oz Peanut M&Ms

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with foil. In a microwave safe bowl melt the chocolate in 20 second increments. Makes sure to watch it so that it doesn't burn!

Pour the chocolate onto the prepared baking sheet and smooth out with a spoon. Sprinkle the chopped candy over the chocolate, pressing it down gently so it will adhere.

Put in the refrigerator and let it set for at least one hour. When it is hardened peel off the foil and break into irregular pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Question: What are you going as for Halloween?? I want to hear all of your costume ideas!

Chicken Florentine

Chicago is supposed to be hit with a storm being heralded as the worse in 70 years. Right now, though, all I am seeing are blue skies. Some clouds. I think they are cumulous. I could be wrong. (Probably am).

I'm not too worried about the whole storm thing, though.

You see, I've got some chicken. Some wine. And a whole season of Glee waiting for me to sing along with it. So, epic storm, bring it on. I'm ready for you.

Chicken Florentine

Ingredients:

4 chicken breast halves

salt/pepper

flour (for dredging)

2 tbsp chopped shallots

2 cloves minced garlic

1 1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup heavy cream

6 tbsp butter

2 10 oz boxes of frozen spinach (defrosted and drained)

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Next, put flour into a shallow bowl and dredge the chicken in it. Make sure to get an even coating, shaking off the excess.

In a large saute pan, melt 2 tbsp of butter and add the chicken. Cook for five minutes on each side until the chicken is browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and add another 2 tbsp of butter and the shallots and garlic. Cook until the shallots are translucent-about one minute.

Add the white wine and bring to a boil, cooking until the liquid is reduced by half-about three minutes. Next, add the cream and cook until the liquid reduces again by half-about three minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the cooked chicken breasts and coat in the sauce.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a separate saute pan and add the spinach, cooking until it is heated. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the spinach on a serving platter and lay the chicken on top. Mangia!

Typical

Being in college has taught me something about eating and exercising--it is difficult around those who do not practice the same things you do. (This conversation suddenly sounds religious...) Fortunately, I feel I'm pretty lucky to have my friend Christina also known as CC, participate in a healthy lifestyle as well. I think having a friend is extremely important especially because they will push you.

So while pursuing my healthy lifestyle my meals have been pretty much consisting of the following:

Breakfast:

Lately I've been loving anything that resemble oatmeal products like Live Laugh Eat's Oatmeal Pancakes as well as greek yogurt with a sandwich thin slabbed in almond butter with topped with some form of fruit.

Lunch has been everything from wraps to salads.

Dinner has fortunately consisted of a little bit of cooking; a little bit of pasta tossed with some

vegetables, a homemade pizza from the book, Hungry Girl. As well as veggie burgers with sweet potato fries and veggies. Simple, healthy and easy. Perfect on an on the go college girl.

Hopefully today I'll be able to post one more time :)

Byeeee for now.

Warm Apple Crisp

It is a Saturday night and my roommate and I are sitting watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding while eating homemade Apple Crisp.

And before that we watched When Harry Met Sally...

We are so cool.

Baked Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

4 red apples peeled, cored, and sliced

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp butter

1 egg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare the apples and then mix them in the baking dish with the brown sugar. In a separate bowl mix the sugar, salt, flour, and cinnamon together. Add the wet ingredients and then pour over the apples.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the top turns golden brown.

In honor of my romantic comedy filled night: What's your favorite romantic comedy? Mine is definitely When Harry Met Sally... It gets me every time!

Salted Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Every Thursday I have lunch with some friends from high school. Last week my friend Amanda said, "Liz, you should bring us cookies every Thursday."

It was a joke, but I never pass up an opportunity to pass my baking adventures onto my friends. Besides, I get to sample a few myself which totally makes it all worthwhile. So, this morning I ventured into my kitchen and set out to make some cookies.

But not just any cookies, my friends.

These are double chocolate chunk cookies with not a bit of cocoa powder in them. You know that means? Twenty ounces of semi-sweet chocolate.

I blanched at the grocery bill for this one-luckily the results are pretty fan-freaking-tastic.

Salted Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients:

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped coarsely

4 tbsp unsalted butter

2/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp sea salt (plus more for sprinkling)

2 large eggs at room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped coarsely

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine 8 oz of chocolate and the butter. Microwave at 30 seconds increments until the chocolate and butter are completely melted. Make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar and eggs with a handheld mixer until the sugar is completely dissolved, roughly 4-5 minutes. With the mixer on low, add the chocolate and mix until well-combined. Using a spatula, mix in the flour. Make sure to scrape down the sides. Fold in the remaining 12 oz chocolate with a spatula.

Either spray your cookie sheets with cooking spray or use parchment paper. Scoop heaping tablespoons of the batter onto the cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. The cookies should have crackly tops and be slightly soft in the center when done.

Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the cookie sheets for ten minutes. Sprinkle the cookies with extra salt.

Source: Annie's Eats

Vegan Pumpkin-Banana Bread

I think the definition of Monday should just read: blah. I don't even have class until late afternoon on Mondays but it still gets me every week.

And this morning I had to do my laundry, which just put me in a splendid mood. The funny thing is, I put off laundry all weekend so I knew I had to do it this morning, yet when I looked at my full hamper I still went: Really?!

That is why this pumpkin-banana bread is necessary. It is necessary because laundry is stupid. And Mondays are icky. And my vocabulary has become that of a five year old.

Vegan Pumpkin-Banana Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (which I never seem to have)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

3/4 cup canola oil

4 very ripe bananas

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the first set of ingredients (flour to pumpkin pie spice) in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine the second set of ingredients (brown sugar to the canola oil) and then add to the flour mixture. Combine with an electric mixer until the batter is smooth. Next, add the bananas and mix. Make sure not to overcombine because you want to see some chunks of banana.

Bake for one hour, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Or if you are like me and lack proper baking items like toothpicks, take out after an hour, wish for the best, and be very (extremely) happy that the lack of eggs means no possible salmonella.

Source: The Weekly Bite