B Serendipitous: Frrrozen Hot Chocolate

ser·en·dip·i·ty (srn-dp-t)

n. pl. ser·en·dip·i·ties

1. The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.

2. The fact or occurrence of such discoveries.

3. An instance of making such a discovery.

 You've either seen the movie or visited in New York, New York. I used my Saturday to bring the special treat to me {melting in the desert.}

 Chop 6.5 oz of your favorite chocolate. I mixed milk with dark for variety.

Using a double boiler {or my creative college student low on cooking utensils way: glass bowl over a boiling pot of water.}

Once melted. Add teaspoon of hot cocoa mix, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 cup of milk. {mix well then take off to cool}

In the blender. Mix chocolate, 1 cup of milk, and 3 cups of ice. {Grown ups: try a bit of Bailey's.}

Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. {Straw color open to preference.}

My biggest concern for this recipe was finding a goblet for presentation purposes. With no luck in my cupboards, I reached out to use a left over mason jar. Loved it more than the cookbook picture. {How serendipitous, don't you think?}

B Sweet

Tis' the season for everything to be PUMPKIN! I can't get enough of pumpkin spiced lattes at Starbucks, I almost died trying Cheesecake Factory's pumpkin cheesecake and now (in between workouts) I managed to bake pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! I found the recipe from the Food Network's website and have been anxiously waiting to try it out for a few weeks now. So finally I got a try and found them a great success. If you are a fan of pumpkin you will love these, not a fan of pumpkin? I urge you try them anyways! They have a great taste with all the spices of the season and would make a great gift to a host or hostess this Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, not semisweet
• Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.

B Domestic

I love cooking but sadly don't have enough people to cook for all the time. And I am pretty sure everyone has had the same experience when cooking for one. I am glad to say though that I am finding those gourmet recipes on my own that I can tweak to my one person meal or two that only take no more than 20 minutes! I found the following recipe below and it has become one of my favorites and go to recipe when I am exhausted after a long day of school or work but really want/need something healthy and delicious. I choose to make it without the bacon and use one chicken breast and cut everything else in half. Try it out and let me know how you like!

Grilled Chicken with Brie and Baby Spinach Salad

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, about 5 ounces each
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Salt-free garlic and herb seasoning
• 4 to 8 slices Brie cheese, about 1/2-inch thick
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

Directions

Heat a stove-top grill pan or griddle with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat to preheat.

Season both sides of chicken with salt, black pepper, and garlic and herb seasoning. Add chicken to hot pan and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through. Remove from heat. Place 1 to 2 slices of Brie on top of chicken, cover with foil and place back on grill pan for another 1 minute, until cheese melts.

Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and chopped shallots to the pan and saute. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, honey and salt and pepper, to taste. Add the mixture to the skillet and stir to combine. Pour the warm vinaigrette over the spinach and toss to coat.

Transfer chicken to a serving plate or plate with spinach salad.

Original recipe found at FoodNetwork.com