recipes

You can’t really go wrong with chocolate and peanut-butter, can you? If you disagree, just stop reading now.

These are my favorite sweets to make mostly because they’re easy and Ian loves them. (Let’s be honest, I do too.)

Bonus: The dough is amazing.

Want to make ’em? Here’s the recipe.

– Chocolate Chip Peanut-Butter Bites –

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 cup peanut butter (I use crunchy Jif)

1/2 teas. salt

1/2 teas. baking soda

1/2 teas. vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

handful (or 2!) of chocolate chips

Nestle semi-sweet chunks are my favorite, but chocolate chips work just as well.

Combine all of your ingredients in a mixing bowl, there’s really no rhyme or reason to it, I just throw everything in, chocolate last.

Form balls and bake at 350 for 9 minutes. (The actual recipe says 10, but I find that 9 makes them perfectly doughy).

They can be made into cookies too by pressing them with a fork as soon as they come out of the oven, but we prefer the bites around our house.

Pour yourself a glass of milk and enjoy

…as if you can after all the dough you’ll most likely consume while preparing them.

So my sister-in-law pretty much makes the most bomb salsa ever (and no matter how many times I make it, it never turns out as good as hers).

Here’s what you need:

– Hayley’s Homemade Salsa –

1 pack grape tomatoes, rinsed and thoroughly dried

1 bunch cilantro

juice of 1 lime

1/2 onion

3-5 cloves garlic (I sometimes add more)

2-3 large avocados

garlic salt

salt

pepper

oregano

Combine all ingredients except for avocado, garlic salt, salt, pepper, and oregano, in a food processor.

>>Make sure your tomatoes are completely dry after rinsing, otherwise you will end up with a lot of extra juice in your salsa and it will be too runny <<

Pulse until you have a consistency you like and everything is well-blended (I prefer mine a little chunky so I only do it a few quick times).

Add garlic salt, salt, pepper, and oregano to taste.

Chop avocado into small, bite-size pieces and add just before serving.

Dip your favorite chips and enjoy!

P.S. It’s also delish served over enchiladas, mixed in a taco salad, or served on a corn tortilla with shredded chicken, rice, and beans. Trust me, I’ve tried all 3.

Enjoy!

I have a few go-to recipes that have yet to fail me, one of which is this one that my sister-in-law shared with me the last time I visited. They’re simple muffins that can be modified depending on the berries available, and have one surprising ingredient that makes them moist.

– For the muffins –

1 1/2 c. flour

1 c. sugar

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. milk

1 t. apple cider vinegar

1 t. vanilla

4 T applesauce (here’s the secret ingredient I mentioned!)

1/2 c. oil

1 c. berries (I used blueberries)

– For the topping –

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 t. cinnamon

1 or 2 T melted butter

Begin by mixing flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add remaining ingredients.

Mix just until the batter is just combined (your batter will be slightly goopy).

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine ingredients for topping and set aside.

Scoop your batter into lined muffin tins. These have a tendency to stick really bad (even in a greased pan), so I always use liners.

Place a spoonful of topping into each tin, then firmly press with the back of a spoon to keep the topping in place.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Allow to cool.

Enjoy!