We also got two kitties from the Newburgh, NY SPCA. I had originally wanted kittens to raise together. I love kittens. But walking into the SPCA changed that. There we met Hamlet and Neil. Hamlet is Jon's black terror, who likes to reach up and hug you, rubbing noses. Neil is my short, pudgy, squishy faced lazy bum who walks around meowing all day. This place used to be a kill shelter and thankfully the SPCA took over and the killing stopped. It was a good thing too because my big fat Neil would have been killed as he'd been there over a year. Poor thing was abandoned in an apartment when his owner moved out. He's about three years old and while certainly not a "baby" by any means, he surely acts like it. He bites your nose and fingers when he's happy to show love, though he particularly like to bite my chin when I hold him. He is just adorable. Hamlet, thanks in no part to Jon, likes to attack feet now and swats at you whenever you walk by. He has a wee mousie he runs around the house with, flipping and flopping about like a maniac. He is a riot. Now if I could just train them to stay OFF my table and counters....
Since moving though, I have a new HUGE kitchen with a *ton* of cabinets. I was so excited by this because at my old house in my closet sized kitchen, I had small cabinets and appliances were out everywhere on my counters. It was so cluttered two people could barely fit in there. This new kitchen, even with its glorious, copious amounts of cabinets has little counter space and I don't know about you but I need prep areas. Its been very frustrating trying to prepare a meal and chop stuff on this wee tiny bit o' counter. So, I am soon on the search for a roll cart or some kind of island thing. Its just ridiculous honestly. But I have my beloved gas stove back and a broiler that is to die for. I am all together thrilled except for the counter bit.
I have been experimenting alot these past few weeks with recipes from Tasty Kitchen. You just get in these ruts of cooking the same thing week after week - ya know what I mean? So far I've made a pork stew that was to die for, some creamy dreamy escalloped potatoes, udon noodles with chicken and leeks, toffee bars (see below) that tasted like a bar form of Pay Day candy bars and a ton more. It has been really fun trying out all this new stuff. I have a ton more printed out to try this next week as well. I'm a constant magazine ripper-outter and have a pile of stuff to make one of these days. I am particularly looking forward to making Food Network magazine's clone version of Olive Garden's breadsticks. Tell when do you ever get enough of those babies?! (nevah!)
In any event...here is my take on the toffee bar recipe. I'm not sure why they're called toffee bars when they have no toffee in them nor taste like it but they ARE quite enjoyable.
Toffee Bars
1 cup Butter Flavored Shortening
½ cups Brown Sugar, Packed
½ cups White Sugar
1 whole Egg
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
1-½ cup Quick Oats
FOR THE TOPPING:
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
¾ cups Chopped Nuts
Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly grease cookie sheet.
Cream shortening, sugars, egg and vanilla on medium speed, until smooth. Add flour and oats, mixing well. Press mixture onto cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
While cookie is cooling, melt chocolate and butter in microwave on high, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth and creamy. Be careful not to overcook it in the microwave. Spread over the warm cookie crust, then sprinkle with nuts.
Let cool until chocolate is almost firm, then cut into serving sizes. The best tool for cutting is a pizza cutter, however, a sharp knife will work well, too. Store in an airtight container.
No comments:
Post a Comment