Samoa Bars

Samoa/Samoas/Caramel deLites, whatever you want to call them, they are one of my favorite Girl Scout Cookies. While I always manage to eat a few (or a few boxes) every year, I love that are are so many recipes out there that play homage to these little guys. Here are a few of favorites that I've come across on pinterest lately:

Mini Baked Samoa Donuts
Samoa Popcorn
And finally my favorite, Samoa Bars. Foodologie's picture was so drool worthy that I needed to try to bake some!

Cookie, Caramel, Coconut, and Chocolate, these 4 C words combine to create one pretty amazing bar. The process of making them is somewhat time consuming as you have to wait for the cookies to cool before you top them with the caramel, then you have to wait for the caramel/coconut mixture to set before you cut them, and then finally as your patience is running out and your stomach is screaming at you to just shove one in your mouth already, you have to wait for the damn chocolate to harden. Is it worth it? Absolutely! The soft cookie base combines with the chewy caramels and the smooth chocolate drizzle to create an overly decadent treat.  I cut my bars as small as I could without them crumbling as they are so rich. One cookie goes a long way, even for a sugar junkie like myself.

If you're feeling ambitious and have a hankering for Girl Scout Cookies give this recipe a try! I give these 4 1/2 noms out of 5! (1/2 a star was taken off as they give me wicked bad heartburn. Maybe I'm just getting old and can't handle the same amount of sugar I used to!)

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

I am always on the lookout for crockpot recipes. Dump some ingredients in a pot, and bada bing, you have a meal ready for dinner time, and usually leftovers for the next day as well. I've seen these crockpot chicken tacos floating around pinterest for awhile and thought I'd give them a shot. I liked that these used something other than ground beef.

Key ingredient to any crockpot meal: electricity. Unfortunately ours went out the second I had stirred all the ingredients together as a heavy snow storm made it's way in. Mac, Mike, and I made our way outside to shovel and distract ourselves from the taunting uncooked meat. (Well, let's be realistic. Mike shoveled and I played in the snow with the pup). The electricity came on a few hours later and I cranked that pot up to ensure we had a meal ready for dinner. Building a snowman really builds up an appetite. The chicken cooked up within 3 hours and fell apart with ease. It absorbed the salsa and taco flavoring and provided a great base for additional toppings. My favorites: sour cream, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. This recipe was a breeze, and despite it's simplicity, is easily adaptable. With the eclectic range of taco seasonings and salsas available, the options are endless. I give this 4 noms out of 5 and recommend this pin for a weekday meal or a large gathering.

Banana Nutella Muffins

The kitchen in the new house is pretty great. Lots of counter space to make a mess on! Mike and I also went with a double oven so I can make dinner and dessert at the same time. I need my sweet treat right after I finish my meal! I've been putting the kitchen and oven to good use as the cold weather has been forcing me to spend so much time inside.

Pinterest led me to a recipe for Banana Nutella Muffins from the Novice Chef. Drool.

The hardest part of this recipe was waiting for the bananas to ripen! I must have bought extra green ones, because I had to wait about two weeks for the darn things to get even slightly spotty! It was pretty much smooth sailing after that. This is your basic banana muffin recipe spruced up with nutella and hazelnuts. These two ingredients however do not disappoint. They add at that smooth chocolate taste and a nice crunch, reminding me of a ferrero rocher. They only other bump I came across was swirling the nuttela into the muffins. I don’t know if my jar was just a little cold from sitting in the rather chilly pantry or what, but it didn’t mix as easily as I wanted. I reswirled the batter after the muffins had sat in the oven for a minute, which somewhat helped. I would try possibly microwaving the nutella in a cup next time before adding it into each muffin cup.

These were great with a cup of coffee in the morning, but also delicious enough for a sweet treat at night. Pin and bake for your next brunch!

Knit Cable Pillow

The Pin-Up Girl is back after a prolonged and unannounced hiatus. Mike, Macaroni, and I spent the summer building a house, a process that proved to be consuming both time wise and mentally. We are moved in and somewhat settled, so it’s back to blogging and now I can put all of those wonderful house ideas on pinterest to use!

I am not much of winter person, and this year seems to be especially harsh. -10 degrees? No thank you. I have pretty much been hibernating. This has given me plenty of time to do one of my favorite winter hobbies, knit! I taught myself a few years ago after finishing Graduate School. I needed something to keep my mind occupied while waiting to hear back on job applications! It’s often hard to find patterns online that aren't  well grandma-y. After much digging on pinterest, I came across AOK Corral’s Knit Cable Pillow Pattern that I thought would match my living room décor.

The pattern is easy to follow, even for a novice knitter. The size 10 needles give the fabric a nice stretch as well, so I didn’t worry too much about measuring an exact gauge. I made a few adjustments. I did not knit two separate pieces. I instead knit one large piece that measured 27 inches to avoid having to knit an extra seam. I also used a mattress stitch instead of a running stitch on the sides of the pillow. If you’re unfamiliar with this or need a reminder, head over to knitty, the tutorial has great visual aids. I thought this looked nicer and less visible than the running stitch. This took me about 2 weeks of on-and-off nightly knitting to complete and Mac now has a new favorite place on the couch to sit! Pin and knit up during the next blizzard!

S'mores Trail Mix

I haven't been blogging enough lately, but rest assured that I have still been pinning and creating! I've got a bit of a backlog going. The weather has finally heated up in New Hampshire, so I'm attempting to spend more time outside and less by my computer. It'll be winter again and I'll be subjected to the apartment with Mac, Mike, and a snuggie soon enough. Lots of granola activities until then. Fishing, hiking, and swimming require snacks. I knew a hike up Mount Elmore in Vermont would require some munchies, so I found a s'mores trail mix to make and bring along.

The Verdict: With just five ingredients, this is the easiest snack to assemble to ensure you don't pass out half way up a mountain. The almonds are the redeeming factor to this not so healthy trail mix. But with my logic, if you're going on four hour hike, you can afford to chow down on sugary goodies. The original recipe calls for chocolate covered pretzels, but I substituted with chocolate animal crackers. Not a bad idea when enjoying in 80+ degree weather. I also doubled it for Mike and Mac to bring along fishing. This is best enjoyed on the same day you make it as the marshmallows can go a bit stale when combined with the other ingredients. This is winner though, so pin and bring this along on your next summer activity. 

Homemade Mallomar Bars

My obsession with S'mores-like treats continues. My sister sneakily pinned a recipe for Homemade Mallomar Bars from Serious Eats thinking she could get to these bad boys before me! Well I repinned these quicker than lightning, and whipped up a batch to take with me for dinner with a friend over the weekend.

The Verdict:  These are the perfect treat for a s'mores enthusiast. The Mallomar Bars are comprised of a graham cracker crust, marshmallow middle, and topped off with a layer of chocolate ganache to make a rich, yet light and airy dessert. This ensures you can eat a rather large portion at dessert time (or snack or breakfast time. Hey, no judging here). Don't be scared of whipping up the marshmallow if you've never done so before. It's easier than it looks granted you have a stand or hand mixer. I wouldn't attempt this part by hand. The chocolate you use will make or break these bars, so splurge and get your favorite kind. I went with Ghirardelli 60% dark chocolate, which helped cut the sweetness of the middle layer. If milk chocolate is more your thing though, go for it!

Now is the perfect time to pin these as Nabisco's version is generally unavailable from May to September. Bring these with you to your next dinner party to ensure you'll be invited back!

Wave your dog in the air like you don't care. Fly around little pup as they start to look and stare. Eat your treat, eat your treat, eat your treat quick mamma. Come on puppy, tell me what's the word.

Raspberry Beer Cocktail

Despite working in various bars through my college years, I am not a big cocktail maker. It's not that I don't enjoy them, but going to school in London turned me into a beer drinker. The fanciest I got during my days in England were Pimms + Lemonade, and I rarely have those anymore as they are not common in New England. I came across a Raspberry Beer Cocktail recipe while surfing Pinterest that I thought would be perfect for a play date with my friend and a way to traverse into the world of summer cocktails.

The Verdict: This is the perfect summer drink for the not so girly girl as they are largely made out of beer, though you would never guess by just the taste. The original recipe calls for raspberry lemonade concentrate, but we used a pink lemonade concentrate with no complaints. You can add your favorite or cheapest beer too!  The tartness of the frozen raspberries and lemonade concentrate mix well with the beer to create a refreshing and not overly sweet fruity drink. Be warned: these are potent and easy to drink. So enjoy somewhat responsibly. Feel free to experiment too! I am trying this cocktail with lemonade concentrate and blueberries next. Pin these and double the recipe for your next get together!

P.S - Mac had a play date with his friend Barkley too. No doggy cocktails, but plenty of toys and treats.