Mint Chips

The brownie bites I tried making were a failure yesterday.  On the brighter side, I did make some tasty mint chocolate!  I wanted to bake with them to make a blast from the past recipe called Chocolate Goodies. It wasn't meant to be...

One cup semi sweet chocolate chips
6-8 drops oil of peppermint

Put the chocolate in a small saucepan.  Add the peppermint.  Stir to completely coat each chip with oil.  Make sure they are all shiny and wet.

Melt gently over low heat stirring constantly and thoroughly.  Remove from heat when still slightly unmelted.  Stir until smooth.

Spread onto parchment.  Cool completely.  Cut into pieces.


If you have candy molds, that would be great.  I do have some and will use them next time!  I made these to use as mint chips in recipes.  The first recipe wasted almost all of them!

Chewbacca Chewies

In celebration of May the Fourth Be With You, and get well to my Jennie, I made some "Chewy" sugar cookies.  Jennie ❤'s that Chewbacca!

Embrace your inner Wookie, give a battle cry, and eat a cookie!

Oh.  And watch Episode II.  It is the best Star Wars movie.

1/4 cup Earth Balance margarine, softened
1/4 cup Smart Balance Light margarine
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon tapioca or potato (or I guess corn) starch
1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cup GF baking mix
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Tiny pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 375 and line cookie sheet with parchment.

Combine 1-1/2 cups baking mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.

Cream margarines and sugar until light.  Sprinkle the tapioca starch evenly over mixture and mix again.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until somewhat stiff and not sticky dough forms. You may need to stir in more baking mix.  Roll into 1" balls and place 3" apart on lined cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes until puffed in center.  Remove from oven and cool on pan 2 minutes.

It's Just Chicken on the Grill

I knew boneless, skinless chicken thighs were on the boys menu tonight but no one had any requests. Shocking.  I know.  As usual, I'm pulling ideas out of my head on the way home from work.

In a gallon sized zip top bag put the following:

2 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos
2 tablespoons Coke
1 tablespoon olive oil
Black pepper
Garlic
Turmeric
Ground mustard
Ginger

Add 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs.  Zip the top and coat the meat.  Flip the bag often over the course of an hour or so.  I made the potatoes while the meat was marinating.

Fire up your grill and cook these juicy little beauties!

I mashed some skin on Yukon golds and made some spinach.  Spinach is green and they both will eat it!

Cinnamon Ice Cream

I'm trying to recreate icream magic without actually going to icream and without the use of liquid nitrogen.  I luuurve their cinnamon ice cream!

Add 2 tablespoons of cinnamon to my Vair Velvet Very Vanilla Ice Cream for a little taste of summer in Bucktown.

Vair Velvet Very Vanilla Ice Cream