Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies! (from Family, Friends and Food)

I made these decadent, brownie-like, chocolate cookies over this past week end and they were an instant hit! Actually, they were a hit before they even made it to the oven. You see, I have a couple of grown kids that like to steal bites of cookie dough when it is first mixed in the bowl. Well, these kids just happened to be here, and the stealing continued even after the dough was put into the refrigerator to firm up! And I must confess, that even I gave into their wayward temptations! Yes, this dough is to die for! The cookies are to die for! This recipe is supposed to make about 60 cookies, but believe me, it didn't in this house. This addictive cookie recipe came from Patsy at Family, Friends and Food, who is my mentor in the Adopt a Blogger program. This program, started by Kristen, from Dine and Dish, is to help the novice blogger (me), by pairing them with an experienced blogger (Patsy). Patsy has been wonderfully patient as I've asked a lot of questions and she has been able to answer them all, or find an answer for me through some blogging friends. Thanks, Patsy! Thanks for putting up with me! Anyway, I found this recipe on Patsy's blog and knew I'd have to make them as most of my family are chocoholics! These Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies are rich, chewy and deliver big time on the chocolate flavor. These are going on my list for the holidays and will be made throughout the year as well. Let's get to the recipe-I'm eating one as I type!

Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies- from Family, Friends and Food

3/4 cup butter

4 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

2 cups(12 ounces) Semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

2 tsp. shortening

DIRECTIONS:

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate together.Cool. Transfer melted chocolate to a large bowl; add sugar and eggs and beat until smooth. In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture and stir well. Add 1 1/2 cups chocolate chops to the dough and combine well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight until dough is easy to handle. Drop dough by the tablespoon full onto greased cookies sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 7-9 minutes, until edges are set and the tops are slightly cracked. Cool cookies on the pans for about 2 minutes and then remove to wire racks. After all cookies are cool, heat 2 tsp. of shortening with the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips until melted. Stir well and drizzle over the cookies. Let cookies stand 30 minutes until the chocolate has is set. Store in a covered container.

Patsy's cookies were actually prettier than mine, as she used white chocolate to drizzle over the tops of the cookies. But I had plenty of the semi-sweet on hand, so that is what I used. Check out Patsy's blog; she has lots of great recipes to please the palate! Make these cookies and take a plateful to your neighbor; they'll love you for it!

Avocado, Cucumber and Tomato Salad

My mother-in-law was a great cook. This is my version of a salad that she used to make that I absolutely loved, but I've not been able to make the dressing like she did. So, I changed it a bit and it worked great! My MIL was a very frugal shopper and cook, but she always made well balanced meals. This salad was a favorite in the summer when the tomatoes and cucumbers were ready in her garden. She cut all the veggies very thin and used more dressing, but I have cut these in a large dice and used minimal dressing. The result is a very delicious salad with crisp vegetables, creamy avocado and a simple, tangy dressing. This salad dresses up any summer meal. I've made a small salad here, as the avocados won't keep well, so you will need to double it for a larger group. However, I kept eating this after I made it and now there's not much left! I'll have to make more of this delicious and healthy salad!

AVOCADO, CUCUMBER and TOMATO SALAD

1 avocado, skin and seed removed, cut in a large dice

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/2 of a green bell pepper, diced

1 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut in half, (or, 1 cup of diced tomatoes)

1 cucumber, peeled and seeded, if desired and cut into chunks, I had a little over 1 cup

Put all veggies and avocado in a bowl. Make dressing.

Dressing ingredients:

2 T. olive oil

4 tsp. red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. sugar, if desired (I always use it; sorry, I omitted this when first posted!)

pinch of sea salt

dash of pepper

Mix well and pour over salad. Stir lightly with a wooden spoon so you won't tear up the avocado.

Best served the day it's made. The dressing may seem too tangy if you taste it before adding it to the salad, but it mellows out after it is stirred into the veggies. Enjoy!

Basic Barbecue Sauce ( from Steven Raichlen)

I actually made homemade barbecue sauce for the Grilled Baby Back Ribs that I made over the weekend! I've not tried that before, which is too bad because it is sooo easy and sooo delicious! The only extra advice I can give is to be sure to make it in a deep pot as the sauce is thick and as it simmers it pops out of the pan! This recipe is from Steven Raichlen's book, "How To Grill", and it is tangy, spicy, sweet and delicious! I loved it! However, a couple of family members requested that next time I leave out the Tabasco sauce, so you may want to taste the sauce before you add the Tabasco!
BASIC BARBECUE SAUCE
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 T. molasses
2 T. prepared mustard
1 T. Tabasco sauce-optional  (I don't use the Tabasco anymore when I make this sauce)
1 T. of your favorite barbecue rub (I used this Basic Barbecue Rub)
2 tsp. liquid smoke
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a non reactive sauce pan and bring slowly to a simmer. Reduce heat to slow-simmer for about 20minutes until thick and rich.Transfer to a clean jar and store in the fridge. It's good for several months according to the book. Enjoy!

I'm going to share a few pics from my flower bed a couple of weeks ago when these flowers first burst forth. I am in no way a professional gardener, I just like to grow things and hopefully they will cooperate! The whole flower bed was not that great looking, rather patchy actually, but separately these beauties look great!
This is the second year for these pretty, pink lilies! They should multiply every year and be quite
plentiful in a couple more years. They certainly had lots of blooms. I just wish they would last all summer, but they are perennials, so they only bloom for a time. I also had a pretty pink Astilbe

blooming by the house. It's soft pink fronds are next to some Columbine which had just a few blooms left. I think I must have planted last years Easter Lily too deep, as here it is blooming next to the Shasta Daisies! Very strange indeed, but they were pretty together!

Next week I hope to show you some more and maybe some veggies too. My tomatoes, green beans and peppers are at least still alive! I did pick my first cherry tomatoes this week and they taste so good! How about you, do you plant flowers or vegetables?

Grilled Baby Back Ribs

My family loves ribs and I have made them in the oven and on the grill and both taste great! Our sons love grilled ribs so I have been experimenting the last couple of years. For one thing, I love to watch Steven Raichlen, author of the "Barbecue Bible", and other books, on PBS when ever he is on. If you have ever watched his show, you know how good his food looks! It's very drool worthy! Last summer, I made his Baby Back ribs and followed the directions perfectly and had very smokey, spicy, delicious ribs. They could have been a little more tender, so, I am experimenting to find the most flavorful and tender way to do them. Our oldest sons birthday is tomorrow, so this past weekend we did a birthday dinner with ribs. I wrapped them in foil which produced the most tender and moist ribs ever! They didn't pick up as much smoke flavoring as I wanted, but they were really good and received high praises from everyone at the table. They are easy to do, you just need to plan ahead. Steven Raichlen suggests putting the rub on the ribs the day before and letting them marinate for a day, but I have done it just a few hours ahead and they are still delicious. So, lets start these mouth watering ribs!

The ribs have a membrane on the back and it really needs to come off as it is rather tough and the spices can't penetrate it. Take a small knife or screwdriver and loosen the corner and pull up and back to pull it off. You may need to use a paper towel or kitchen towel to hold onto it. Pull it completely off. Mix up your rub recipe or use a prepared on. I used one of Raichlen's, adapted.

I rinsed the ribs with water and dried well with paper towels. Spread the rub over both sides of the ribs and gently rub so that it will adhere to the meat. Wrap the ribs in heavy duty aluminum foil and refrigerate until ready to grill. We have a charcoal grill, so I set it up for indirect grilling, with a grill pan in the middle and coals on either side, so that the meat will not burn over the coals. Place foil wrapped ribs on hot grill and close grill lid and grill for two hours. Pull the foil back, brush with BBQ sauce if desired, and grill for about 20 more minutes. Remove ribs from grill. Oh, the aroma of these tender and moist pork ribs! Just sink your teeth into one of these ribs and your taste buds will thank you, and family and friends will love you! No kidding!

BASIC BARBECUE RUB ( slightly adapted from Steven Raichlen

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sweet paprika

2 T.black pepper

3 T. kosher salt

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. onion powder

2 tsp. celery seed

1 tsp.cayenne pepper

Mix spices. I used about 3 T. of rub on each rack of ribs, but you can use less, or more. Keep what you don't use in an air tight container. Remove the membrane from the ribs and apply spice rub to both sides. Wrap each slab of ribs in heavy duty foil. Lay on grill over indirect heat. Cover grill with lid and cook for two hours. Peel back the foil and check ribs; they should be tender when poked with a fork. Apply BBQ sauce, if desired and grill for another 20 minutes will grill lid closed. I cooked 2 racks of ribs and only used BBQ sauce on 1 rack. Some people prefer just the dry rub. Remove ribs to a pan cool slightly, and cut into serving pieces.

Arrange on a serving platter and get ready for some lip smackin and finger lickin compliments!

These were so tender and moist! These can also be done in your oven- just prepare the same way and wrap in foil and bake for 2 hours at about 350. But, grilled is my favorite. Enjoy!

Barbecue Beef Sandwiches - Slow Cooker Recipe

It has been 98-100 degrees this week here in my small part of the USA! Of course, I was doing my jury duty thing, so I wasn't outside much, but I didn't want to heat up the kitchen when I got home either. I would have been fine with salads in the evening, but my husband and grown son think they still need filling food! So, I pulled out my slow-cooker, bought about 4 pounds of beef round roast, put the meat in the cooker and let it cook for hours until it was tender. It didn't heat up the kitchen at all. This time, I somewhat based this recipe from one in Southern Living's "Secrets of the South's Best Barbecue" cookbook. I browned the roast, added spices and a tangy sauce and let the cooker do the rest! It resulted in tender and very tasty BQ sandwiches, which lasted several days! A perfect meal for busy days.

BARBECUE BEEF SANDWICHES

1 (31/2- 4 Lb.) round roast or chuck roast

spices of choice- I used salt, pepper, garlic powder and chili powder

1 onion, small diced

1- 1 1/2 cups beef broth

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 T lemon juice- recipe calls for 1/2 cup

3 T steak sauce- I used Country Bob's sauce

1 tsp. black pepper

1 T Worcestershire sauce

sandwich rolls

In a dutch oven in hot oil, brown roast on all sides. Season well with spices of choice and place meat in slow-cooker. Add in the minced onion. Mix the sauce ingredients together and taste. Pour beef broth and sauce over the meat and cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours until the meat is tender and shreds easily with a fork. You may not need all of the liquid in the slow-cooker, so I removed the meat to a cutting board to shred and I also skimmed any fat from the sauce. Add desired amount of sauce to beef and serve on some nice sandwich rolls. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Brown Rice, Tomatoes, and Basil (adapted from Ina Garten)

Well, I've been missing for about a week now and I hope everyone hasn't given up on me cuz, I'm back! I didn't go on vacation, but have had a lot going on, plus I had jury duty! I had never served on a jury before, so I found it interesting, very interesting. It was all this week and I was released last evening. I haven't cooked much this week, but I have this yummy recipe that I tried today. I've been looking for more brown rice recipes,and found this Brown Rice, Tomatoes and Basil recipe from Ina Garten on Food Network. It's a delicious and refreshing dish that is supposed to be served room temperature, but it's yummy cold too. Made with fresh, home grown tomatoes gives it amazing flavor! I used half of the basil called for as I thought it would be too strong. I also added some fresh chopped chives, and next time I'm going to add some green onions, as I like a bit of crunch in my food! This is a delicious and healthy dish, so try it!

Brown Rice, Tomatoes and Basil (adapted from Ina Garten)

1 cup brown rice

2 tsp. kosher salt, divided

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar or champagne vinegar

2 tsp. sugar.

1 T. olive oil

black pepper

1 pound of ripe diced tomatoes, large dice

1/2 cup packed fresh basil, chopped (recipe calls for 1 cup)

2 T. chopped fresh chives, or use sliced green onions, if desired

Bring 2 1/4 cups water to a boil. Add 1 tsp. kosher salt and brown rice and bring to a boil again. Cover pan and simmer rice on low heat for about 30-40 minutes until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Mix together vinegar, sugar, olive oil, 1 tsp. kosher salt and a pinch of black pepper. Pour dressing over rice; add chopped basil and chives and mix well. taste to check seasonings. Serve at room temperature. Serves 6. Enjoy!

Cocoa Fudge Sauce

Do you ever make your own chocolate fudge sauce for ice cream? I've made this yummy sauce for years, since my kids were young. My whole family loves this with ice cream and many times I make brownies so we can have brownie sundaes! Or, instead of brownies, make Toll House Pan Cookies. Yum! Cocoa Fudge Sauce is not hard to make-it takes less than 10 minutes and it's made with ingredients you probably have on hand.

Put all the ingredients in a sauce pan, and bring to a boil. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Let cool then use for sundaes with your choice of toppings! It's so rich and decadent and perfect for for summer get-togethers as everyone can build their own sundae! How easy is that!

COCOA FUDGE SAUCE ( from the revised Hershey's 1934 Cookbook)

1/4 cup of cocoa

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 T. cornstarch

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup milk

2 T. butter

2 tsp.. vanilla

Combine dry ingredients in a large sauce pan. . Add corn syrup and milk and blend well. Bring to a boil and boil for 5-7 minutes and then remove from the heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla. Cool completely and serve over ice cream. Boil for 5 minutes and this sauce will be similar to Hershey's Syrup, so if you would like it a little thicker, boil for about 7 minutes,(I boiled it for 7 min.). Let cool completely and refrigerate, where it will thicken up. In the top photo, I used the sauce straight from the fridge, which made it thick and fudgy! Enjoy!

If you need some ideas to round out your 4th of July celebrations, I may be able to help! Sundaes with the fudge sauce above would be great for dessert, as would my Sour Cream Pound Cake, especially if it's topped with fresh fruit or berries! Or how about my Pineapple Sheet Cake? It feeds quite a few people. Or Red Velvet Cupcakes with some red, white and blue sprinkles on top. For the grill, we have Grilled Ginger Peach Glazed Chicken, California Kabobs or Grilled Spice Rubbed Pork Chops. Need some ideas for side dishes? How about Lynda's Baked Beans, my Red Skinned Potato Salad, or my Quick Pasta Salad. Spring Macaroni Salad with Peas is a real favorite too. Don't forget the Black Bean, Corn and Tomato Salsa, or my Guacamole dip. These are both crowd pleasers! Hope that gives you some ideas! Happy 4th of July everyone!