Mojitos

Yes, I'm still alive! I took a much needed break from blogging as I started up school again and some personal matters. But, I'm back and have a fantastic recipe I hope makes up for my absence! Mojitos! I had never tried them before I made my first one. I was reading reviews and I couldn't imagine a sweet, alcoholic drink being refreshing. Obviously, I my mind is changed forever. Using real mint leaves give this recipe the edge over most other recipes.

Mojitos

Two Cocktails

Juice of two lime (I used bottled)

6-8 mint leaves

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup white rum

1/4 cup club soda to taste (I used lime flavored)

Mint and slices of lime to garnish

Directions:

In the bottle of a glass, muddle the juice, mint leaves, and sugar together. This helps release the mint oils. I don't have a muddle so I used a fat ended wooden spatula. I also splashed a little bit of hot water on the sugar so it melted somewhat and blended together better. After 30 seconds, add the rum and some ice but leave some room at the top for the club soda. Put a splash of club soda and garnish with mint and lime, if desired.

I have made these both in a pitcher for a party and individually. I personally think the ones made individually are far better than served from a pitcher. And, I was heavy handed on the mint which I think really makes this drink so spectacular. Enjoy!

Source: Food.com's Rita "Refreshing Mojito By the Pitcher"

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

I hosted a party and really wanted to serve something that was light yet filling. This was just the thing. It looked a little fancy and prosciutto is basically bacon and bacon is always good.

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 bundle of asparagus

12 slices of prosciutto

olive oil

garlic powder

salt and pepper

Directions:

Wash asparagus and cut off white ends. Lay prosciutto one piece out at a time and place four asparagus spears at the edge of the prosciutto and roll up tightly. Repeat until all the asparagus is wrapped up. Place wrapped asparagus on a plate and brush with olive oil that you can season with garlic, salt, and pepper.

Place asparagus seam down on a preheated grill. Cook for 3-4 minutes then flip over and grill for another 3-4 minutes or until grill marks form. Serve promptly.

Inspired from Annie's Eats

Corn Bread

Growing, I would visit my grandma and she would make this corn bread with beans and caramelized pearl onions. She would use crisco but I have found that butter makes it ten times better (doesn't it always?). It is a sweet corn bread which I think is the best and it isn't dry unlike a box mix. Although, I've noticed it dries out faster after you cut it so I always make it the before or the day of eating it.

Corn Bread

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter at room temperature or Crisco

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 egg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425*. Using an electric mixer (hand or stand), cream butter and sugar together. Beat in egg. Sift together dry ingredients and stir in cornmeal. Slowly add dry ingredients and milk to the butter mixture by alternating between the two (about a 1/3 of each per addition). Do not over mix. Just beat enough until combined. Bake for about 15 minutes in a greased 9 x 9 pan until slightly brown around the edges and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

Source: Family Recipe

Watermelon Limeade

I normally do not look through Paula Deen recipes but I was headed to a cookout and I was desperate to find a yummy drink that would fill a pitcher and be light. I adjusted it quite a bit and I must say, I find my version simply better.

Watermelon Limeade

Yields 8 Cups (16, 1/2 cup servings)

Ingredients

6 cups seedless watermelon

3 cups water

1/2 cup sugar

1 can frozen limeade concentrate

Directions:

Working in batches, place watermelon, water, sugar, and limeade concentrate in a blender and process until smooth. Press mixture through a fine-mesh sieve over a pitcher. I also placed cheese cloth over the mesh to make sure my drink was not gritty (you can also use paper towels). Add slices of lime to the pitcher and chill until ready to serve.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies contain crack. Okay so maybe they don't but I have become addicted to them. They aren't too sweet and by far the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons butter*

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 sugar

1 egg plus one egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

*I used salted but the original recipe calls for unsalted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325* and cover two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Combine dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and set aside. Cream together butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Thoroughly, beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Slowly add dry ingredients while mixing. Stir in chocolate chips.

Roll a scant half cup of dough into a ball. Break ball in half and place jagged surface facing up onto cookie sheets. Leave plenty of space between balls of dough. Bake until cookies are a light, golden brown with the edges of the cookies slightly hardened while the centers remain soft (11-14 minutes). Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.

Source: Annie's Eats "Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies"

Coffee Ice Cream

Coffee ice cream has been on my to do list since I got my ice cream maker. It is National Ice Cream month so that's why you're going to see a bunch of ice cream pop up on the blog. After trying this, I can't wait to add chocolate to this recipe to make it mocha ice cream!

Coffee Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups coffee beans

pinch of salt

1 cup heavy cream, divided

5 large egg yokes

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon espresso powder or finely ground coffee

Directions:

Combine milk, sugar, coffee beans, salt, 1/2 cup heavy cream in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir to combine until it is warm and the mixture starts to bubble. Turn off heat and let the beans seep for one hour at room temperature.

Return mixture to medium heat. In a medium bowl whisk egg yokes. Once the coffee mixture is warm, pour it over the yokes and whisk constantly. Return the coffee and egg mixture back to the saucepan.

Cook on medium heat. Stir constantly and scrape the bottom until mixture thickens or reaches 170*-175*. Mixture should be able to coat the spoon. In a medium bowl, pour the remaining 1/2 cup of cream and place a strainer on top. Pour mixture through the strainer.

Press on coffee beans to extract all the liquid with a heavy bottom glass. Discard coffee beans. Mix vanilla and espresso into the custard. Chill for about one hour in refrigerator. Freeze in cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Keep in an airtight container in the freezer.

Source: Annie's Eats "Coffee Ice Cream"

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

This is by far my favorite pizza to make and eat. It is spicy and flavorful. My mouth is watering just thinking about this pizza. It literally tastes like buffalo wings and a pizza had a baby. You must try this very, very soon.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

one homemade pizza crust, thawed if frozen

1/4 cup ranch dressing

3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup cheddar cheese

four green onions, diced

1 tablespoon white onion, diced

1 cup chicken, cooked and shredded (I use some from my crockpot chicken)

1 handful of cherry tomatoes

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup hot sauce*

*I use Franks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450*. Combine hot sauce and butter in a medium bowl. Toss chicken in the hot sauce mixture to coat. Next, roll out pizza dough and spread ranch dressing over pizza. In this order, sprinkle the onion, mozzarella cheese, chicken with half of excess sauce, cheddar cheese, tomatoes and green onions.

Bake for 10-12 minutes in preheated oven. I use the excess buffalo sauce to dip my pizza crusts in. Yum!