Date Squares

I'm back! I know you have all missed me. (haha!) I have a handful of tasty recipes that are husband approved to share. I must apologize for by absence as the last few weeks have just flown by!

Today I bring you a recipe for Date Squares. After leaving Costco with a tub of dates, I knew immediately that I wanted to bake something with them. I scoured a bunch of recipes but never really found one that would be AWESOME. Then I turned to my faithful King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion. Goodness, I adore that book. Well, they had a recipe for date squares, but alas it also wasn't quite what I wanted. What is a girl to do? Make up her own recipe! And here we are. :)

These bars are sweet, crumbly and everything that is good in the world. With my constant need to snack (34 weeks tomorrow) I wanted something that was at least somewhat good for me. These don't have a whole lot of sugar, so I do let myself feel good about eating them. :) Plus! The crumbly yumminess consists largely of flour and oats. Good things, indeed.

Date Squares
recipe by me!

Filling:
4 c. (loosely filled- no cramming!) chopped dates
1 c. water
1/2 c. brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbl. lemon juice

Crumbly Crust:
2 c. oats
2 c. flour (all purpose or whole wheat or combo)
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
pinch of salt
2 sticks of butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease your baking dish. (I used a 7.5" x 11.75" pan- but a 9x13 will work in a pinch- may need a little less time baking)
To make our filling, combine all filling ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to distribute everything evenly. Once it reaches a boil, turn down the heat so that it is just simmering. Stir occasionally until all of the liquid seems to be sucked up and you have a lovely glob of sticky dates. Set aside to cool while making the crust.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the first six ingredients until thoroughly combined. Pour the butter over the dry ingredients and gently stir with a fork. Think about how you toss a salad, coming from the bottom of the bowl and moving up, gently. We don't want one huge chunk, but rather streusel consistency where all of the dry ingredients seem to be moistened.
Dump half of the crust into your greased pan and press into an even layer across the bottom. Spread the date filling over the bottom crust, evenly. Now sprinkle the remaining crust over top the dates. Do not press this layer down. It ensures a tasty crumbly top!
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top is turning golden (a little less for those 9x13 pans!). Once done baking, let cool for a little while before cutting into it so that it doesn't all fall apart completely. I was able to wait an hour. That gave it time to firm up a little, but still was warm and gooey. Enjoy!

Linked up at:

• Tuesdays at the Table at All the Small Stuff
• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
• Monday Blog Hop at Santa's Gift Shoppe
• Hearth & Soul Hop at The 21st Century Housewife

Coffee BBQ Rub

Grilling season is upon us. At least it is here, in California. I just graduated college last week and am working on a couple projects that need to be finished this month. Otherwise I have been having more free time.
My pregnancy cravings vary from day to day. I wouldn't even call them all "cravings" really. It's more of what sounds tasty versus what gives me the dry heeves (spelling?). Grilling has been a great way to get some flavors I haven't had a ton of lately (although let's face it, I married the BBQ master and he grills any month of the year).
For our first meal cooked entirely on the grill, hubby made shish-a-bobs. Well, I strung them up and he cooked them. My mom used to make these a lot and I LOVE the marinade she used. So I called my parents house to realize I didn't have all of the ingredients nor the time to marinate the meat. I was hungry NOW. Not later. :)
Plan B was to find a nice rub for the meat. I whipped up a rub loosely inspired by one I saw in a recent Woman's Day magazine and it was delicious. I really had no idea that I could play with flavors like this so well. I consider myself more of a sweet tooth. And you will see that it totally shines through in my rub. :D
I don't have a name for it (yet). But I wanted to share it amyways. Any name ideas are more than welcome!


BBQ Rub

2 tbl. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground coffee
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Combine everything and rub it on the meat. This recipe doesn't create much, so scale it up if necessary.
It's really nice to let the rub sit on the meat for a half hour or so in the fridge before cooking if you have the time. Then grill it up! Enjoy!


Linked up with:
Tasty Tuesday! at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Make Mine Chocolate

Since I am still sick and starting to regain the ability to smell and taste (there was about a week there where I couldn't smell or taste a darn thing- really makes food blogging difficult!) I want to write about something very close to my heart.
Rabbits.
I realize this may sound weird for some of you, so let me give you a little history about me. Time to open up on the world wide web (kinda freaky).....
Growing up, I always had cats. I loved cats and I still love cats. Animals were always treated as a part of the family. They were spoiled, they went to the doctor and above everything else, they were and are loved.
Having pets always filled my heart with happiness. I know I'm not the only one that feels this way because as I got involved with the veterinary field I got to meet others that felt the same way I do about their pets- dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, yada yada yada.
I cannot wait until I can work in a veterinary setting to improve the life of animals, and by doing that, improve the life of the people who love them.
Okay, so how does all of this relate to rabbits you ask?
This story begins May of 2009. My at the time boyfriend and I were taking a walk around his neighborhood when he spotted a little brown rabbit- definitely not a wild jack rabbit- hoping along in someones yard next to a small family walking in the opposite direction of us. He asked if it was their rabbit, but it wasn't They had no clue it was even following them. So I walked up and scooped up the bunny into my arms. He didn't try to flee. He wasn't all skin and bones. Just a cute little rabbit that didn't know what was going on, probably looking for something to eat. Boyfriend and I walked around the entire neighborhood knocking on doors to see if anyone was missing a bunny- but those that answered declined. At this point it was getting dark and there was no way I was going to just set the little rabbit back down on the ground and walk away. I was instantly attached.


Just relaxing on the floor



Sammy grooming me







We brought the bunny back to my boyfriend's house because I had cats back at my parents place where I lived and I knew that predator animal wouldn't mix with prey animal very well. At least not initially.

We decided to keep Sammy and as soon as possible brought him to the vet. He was about 4 months old or so. Quite possibly someones baby Easter bunny that they decided they didn't want anymore and just set "free". I began studying up about rabbits immediately. I wanted to make sure that I was able to give our new little rabbit everything that it needed. Growing up with cats is a lot different than rabbits.

I have since learned so much about rabbits and how good of a house pet they really can make. But one thing has always been a soft spot for me- people that buy rabbits for young children, only to realize that a rabbit actually does requite some work and usually DON'T like to be held and then surrender them to a shelter to be euthanized or just set free in the backyard. It frustrates me to no end.
I see my little Sammy, and now also my little Daisy Marie and can't imagine how someone would not want to learn about and give them a great home. Sammy is very loyal. The little boy follows me around when he is out during play time. He gets back into his hutch with ease when it's bed time, and even likes to play chase.
Daisy is a little feisty girl. She loves her play time, but is still a little shy.
Here is where Make Mine Chocolate comes in. This website helps to inform anyone who is thinking of becoming a rabbit owner for the first, or third, or whatever time a little about what you are actually getting yourself into. Then the reader can decide if they would rather just have a chocolate bunny for Easter than a real life one.
Rabbits really do make wonderful pets. They each have different personalities like cats and dogs. Speaking of, they can (with some training and supervision) get along just fine with most cats and dogs.
Now that I have two bunnies of my own, I honestly can't imagine life without rabbits!
If you, or anyone you know is thinking about bringing a cute little bunny into your home for Easter, or for whatever reason, please check out Make Mine Chocolate and really think about the decision! :)

Other great rabbit resources:
My House Rabbit
House Rabbit Society
Rabbits Online- Forum

If you have any rabbit related questions, please send me an email. I'm not a vet, so I don't have all of the answers, but I would love to help if I can. :)



Baby Daisy next to a mug



Something Special From Overstock.com!

This year I think I did most of my Christmas shopping online. It's also usually my preferred method of getting other gifts and various things year-round.
I know some people out there like to shop in the stores because they don't think internet retailers are that much more affordable, or maybe because they think shipping the item alone will cost an arm and a leg. I am here to say, or rather, type, that Overstock.com really doesn't fall into either of those catagories!
I know this from oh so personal experience. When looking for a nice wedding band for my husband just last year and earlier this year we looked ALL over. We looked in jewelry stores, both online and in person, and any other possible place else we could think of. The best ring we found was in Overstock's selection of Wedding Rings. The band we ended up choosing looks great on him, and more importantly really stands up to being worn by someone who works with his hands a lot. We had such a pleasant experience shopping for and purchasing that ring that Overstock is now one of the first places we always look online when shopping for just about anything.

When looking for a gift for my parents this year, I spent a lot of time online just looking for something that they will both enjoy, of course I looked at Overstock.com. This site has low prices on just about anything you could be looking for, and what's best is that the entire order ships for just $2.95, no matter how big your order may be.
I can't say what I did order for my parents because it's not Christmas yet, and I don't want to spoil it. :)
I can tell you that I did look in Bedding & Bath and Bedding Ensembles for their gift initially.

I am a big fan of Gift Baskets. All of the themed items in a basket (or some other creative container) wrapped up in cellophane just looks so nice and presentable! I definitely considered some of these when shopping for a certain man in my life. There are more than just the traditonal options here, Overstock also has dinner of the month, dinner and movie of the month and pasta of the month gift options. How fun is that!?

Overstock.com will also ship certain items in time for Christmas if you order by noontime EST on the 23rd. Just look for the red gift box below an item on the website to know what will make it home in time.

And as a nice holiday time bonus, Overstock would like to offer my readers a 10% discount on all items* using the code 121745 at checkout. The code doesn't expire, however is only good once, so make sure you order everything you need!
For those interested in purchasing electronics there is also something special for you. Use promo code 202234 to get free shipping.
*The 10% discount does not apply for movies, books or electronics

All the ideas and opinions expressed are my own. No monetary compensation was received for doing this post, however, I was provided with a discount code.

Apple Chips

Tis the season for apples! So many varieties appear at the grocery store. Tourist spots like Apple Hill get a mad rush of people that loves apples (or so I hear).
Hubby's parents dropped off a couple paper grocery sacks of apples from their yard. Wanting to preserve them, I stumbled upon this recipe by Food Network's Alex Guarnaschelli.
Yes, we do have a food dehydrator. I had no problem drying these out in the oven since it only gets up to 200 degrees F. Plus, I don't much care for cleaning the dehydrator's racks.
These apple chips were really easy to make. The hardest part is waiting for them to soak in the sugar water then wait for the oven to cool off and them to be ready. Good flavor, and good color all remains. I'm not sure how it would be with less sugar, but with apples on sale, it couldn't hurt to try!

Apple Chips
(recipe by Alex Guarnaschelli)

2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 or 3 lemons
2 small- medium apples washed and tried(I used one small and one medium, filled my cookie sheets perfectly)

In a small pot, bring the water and sugar to a slow boil, stir to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and let it cool.
Core the apples and then slice them thinly with a mandoline. Leave those skins on! It adds a nice pop of color to the finished chip.
As you slice the apples, dribble some lemon juice over them to keep from browning (oxidizing). Once they are all sliced and the sugar syrup has cooled off, pour the syrup into a baking dish (I used one a little smaller than my 9x13in. Place the apples in gently, make sure they are covered by the sugar syrup. They will have to overlap, that's fine, just make sure there is syrup between the pieces.
Let them sit for a few hours- or overnight.
The next morning, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Very lightly dry the apple slices on a paper towel then lay them out in one layer- not touching. Bake for 1 hour, or until crispy. Turn off the oven and leave the apple chips in there until everything has cooled off. This will ensure they have dried out.
Store in an airtight container, or just eat them! Enjoy!


This wonderful recipe is linked up at:

• Made By You Monday at Skip to My Lou
• Tuesday Night Supper Club at Fudge Ripple
• Delicious Dishes at It's a Blog Party
• Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday at WhoIsLaura.com
• Tasty Tuesday at A Beautiful Mess
• Tuesdays at the Table at All The Small Stuff
• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Taco Seasoning

My husband made guac several days ago, and to eat guac, one uses tortilla chips. Well, now we are left with half a bag of tortilla chips. What is a person to do? The first thing I thought of was taco salad. I haven't had it in a while, but the parts list is pretty simple and flexible. We used tortilla chips, kidney beans, romaine lettuce, a mexican salad dressing, sauteed onions and bell peppers, sour cream and of course, ground beef.
The ground beef needed to be seasoned, that much was certain. So while scouring the internet yesterday for taco salad recipes to see if there were any parts I missed, I noticed several used taco seasoning packets. After making my own ranch dressing mix, I knew there had to be a homemade version that would be both delicious and wallet friendly.
I finally found one with superb ratings here. Let me just say right here that I really like Food.com (formerly recipezaar.com) partially because of ratings that other people like me post. Lots of people will post about any changes they made, or if the recipe was just all around horrible. I know not everybody has the same tastes, but when 20 people all comment saying they added one thing, you have to go with it. :)
I took my taco seasoning recipe to the kitchen and scaled it down to 1/4 of the original. I left all of the ratios the same except using 2 teaspoons of cumin because I was far too lazy to figure out what a quarter of 3 tablespoons was, and try to measure it with standard measuring spoons. It was still delicious, I assure you.
So, if you are one of those people that uses a lot of taco seasoning, feel free to make the whole recipe. I didn't want to use the last of the paprika in the house, so I scaled it down. Either way, it's tasty.
I feel that how much you add to ground meat is up to you too, I did about a teaspoon to almost a pound of ground beef and it was just perfect for us. You may like it kicked up a bit more. Whatever makes you happy.

3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon     4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup

Taco Seasoning
recipe from food.com

1/2 tbl. paprika
1/2 tbl. dried onion flakes (ground down in a mortar and pestel
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tbl. (about 3/4 tsp) garlic powder
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
heaping 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. coriander

Combine all of the ingredients and add as much or as little as prefered to the ground meat of your choice.


I linked this recipe up at:

• Friday Favorites at Simply Sweet Home
• Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum
• Tuesday Night Supper Club at Fudge Ripple
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace
• Hearth and Soul Hop #16 at Frugality and Crunchiness with Christy

Beautiful Blogger Award

Jasey over at Crazy Daisy gave me the Beautiful Blogger Award! I am touched to recieve my first award out here on blog-land! Thank you, Jasey for thinking of me! It makes my day! :)
Everybody else- you should check out Crazy Daisy. She posts a weekly party, Tuesday Tastes for all of you cooks out there. Each week we vote for our favorite recipe, and one tasty dish walks away the winner!

Anywho- onto the rules for this award:
1. Thank the person who gave you this award.

2. Share 10 things about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 10 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic!
4. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

So ten things about myself-
1- I am newly married and LOVING it!
2- Hubby and I have 2 pet rabbits. They are my babies. No joke.
3- I love cooking- but dessert is my favorite thing to make.
4- I am addicted to crafts. Sewing. Cross Stitch. Knitting. Scrapbooking.
5- I am seriously thinking about adding quilling to my list of crafts.
6- I am the 2nd oldest in my family. And somehow the 2nd shortest.
7- Blogger is the first thing I sign onto when I get on the computer.
8- I don't like coconut. I also don't care for most cheese. So far ricotta, mozarella and jack are fine by me.
9- One of my pet peeves is open blinds or curtains after sunset. It just irks me.
10- I am by no means a green thumb. It's frustrating. And yet- I consider myself to be great with animals. Go figure.

I would like to pass the Beautiful Blogger Award onto some of my fellow bloggers that I think are just great!
1- Kristin at Delightful Country Cookin' (She currently has a great giveaway going down. Check it out!)
2- Dawn at Beat Until Fluffy
3- Cinnamon Girl at Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice
4- Megan & Steph over at Crazy Domestic
5- SnoWhite atFinding Joy in My Kitchen
6- Rachel at A Southern Fairytale
7- How Does She?
8- Jerri at Simply Sweet Home
9- University of Cookie
10- Cindy at Skip To My Lou

Thanks everyone!