Emotional Day May 17, 2012

I have made some pretty big decisions in my life recently.  I started grad school.  It has been time-consuming and difficult at times, but it was definitely the right decision.  I have learned so much and discovered that sports really are my passion.  The first class was a lot of theory, which I wasn’t really that interested in.  After that, I took a class dedicated to sports and now I am in a sports marketing class.  The next one is event planning, which I am really excited for.  After the interview I did with a White Sox staff member, I realized that if I am going to make a career change in my life, now is the time to do it.  As a result, I had to make one really big decision that has been weighing on me for awhile.  I have turned in my resignation as junior high volleyball coach.  I have been thinking about it for a couple of years, but I don’t know that people actually thought I would do it.  It was a difficult decision, but one I finally realized had to come in order to not be tied down.  I will miss all the girls and things that happened in the gym (games & practices), but  I won’t miss all the drama.

We had the athletic banquet on Tuesday and that’s when my resignation became public.  I think it shocked some people, but I know there are plenty of people who are probably excited.  I got emotional when I wrote my letter and it came out again at the end of my speech.  It was finally becoming real.  As much as I know it is the right decision, there is still a part of me that will always be tied to the program and hope it will continue to be successful.  My two assistant coaches said some very nice things, as did the athletic director, so that was cool.  I had a few parents come up afterward and talk about how they were happy I coached their kids.  Two of the 7th graders came and said they were sad I wouldn’t be there for their last year.  That made me a bit sad, but it was really nice that they are going to miss me.  They always say to leave when you are doing well instead of when you are asked to leave!    I think both the 7th and 8th grade teams winning the regional was a great memory to end on.

This is me with my two assistant coaches, Michelle & Christy, after the athletic banquet.  I will definitely miss them as well!  Hopefully they will keep me in the loop about what is going on with the team.  They both will continue to work with the program, which also made it a little easier to step down.  I know they will be great with the girls!

Candy Bar Cake May 16, 2012

Candy Bar Cake

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 oz) package yellow cake mix
1 (12.25 oz) jar caramel ice cream topping
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
2  1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 (2.07 oz) Snickers bars

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare cake mix according to package directions in a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch pan.  Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

2. Gently poke holes in top of cake, using the end of a wooden spoon.  Pour caramel topping slowly over cake.

3. Beat cream cheese, peanut butter, and butter at medium speed of an electric beater until creamy.  Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating at low-speed until smooth; add milk.  Stir in vanilla.  Spread evenly over cake; sprinkle with chopped candy bars.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.  Cut into squares.

Tips: I wanted to cut the cream cheese flavor in the frosting, so I put in a whole cup of peanut butter.  It was a bit greasy, so when I make this again, I will probably leave out the butter.  Otherwise the frosting tasted great.

I was in charge of dessert for Mother’s Day, so of course it gave me the opportunity to try a new recipe.  This went over really well and I will totally make it again.  Thanks to Mr. Food for this recipe.

Chocolate Caramel Brownies May 12, 2012

Chocolate Caramel Brownies

Ingredients:

For the brownies:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate coarsely chopped
1  1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1  1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1  1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped (optional, I didn’t use any)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the caramel filling:
14 ounces caramel candies, unwrapped
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the chopped chocolate and butter until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

3. Stir in sugar, eggs (one at a time), and vanilla until incorporated.

4. Stir in flour and salt until just combined.

5. Spread about half the brownie batter in the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer.

6. Bake for 18 minutes and remove from the oven.  Leave oven on.  Cool for 20 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, add the chopped pecans (if using) to a medium skillet over medium heat.  Toast, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and light golden brown.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

8. To make the caramel filling, combine with caramels and cream in a medium microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave for 30 seconds at 50% power.  Stir.  Repeat the process, keeping a close eye on the mixture as it can burn very easily.  Make sure to use the low heat in the microwave.  Continue process until caramels and cream are combined and smooth.

9. Stir half the pecans into the caramel mixture.  Immediately spread the caramel mixture over the bottom of the brownie layer.

10. Scoop the remaining brownie batter in spoonfuls over the caramel layer.  Sprinkle the chocolate chips and the remaining pecans on top of the final brownie layer.  Bake for 20 minutes.

11. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing and serving.  It is easier to cut the brownies once they have been cooled and refrigerated for an hour or two.  Store in an airtight container.

I made these for Jackie’s birthday.  I love baking and making birthday treats for the office allows me an opportunity to try new recipes and have somewhere to take them.

Tip: Make sure to put at least half, maybe more batter in the first layer.  It is kind of difficult to decide when they are done because the toothpick never comes out clean with the caramel layer.  I baked the second round for about 22 minutes.  When I sliced them after taking them out of the fridge, the outside edges were a little hard.  After they were out for a while, they softened up.  Thanks to pinterest again for this recipe.

Crescent Cinnamon Rolls May 9, 2012

Crescent Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients
1 tube (8 count) crescent rolls, unrolled and separated

Filling
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Glaze
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place the unrolled and separate crescent rolls on an un-greased cookie sheet (one with sides).

Filling

1. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, and cinnamon

Assemble

1. Evenly spread the cinnamon butter over the crescent rolls and roll up.

2. Place tip side down on the cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Glaze

1. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

2. Place in a zip lock bag and snip a tiny corner off.

3. Drizzle the glaze over the cinnamon rolls.

Notes

Some of the cinnamon butter will leak from the crescent rolls while cooking.  This will not affect the taste.  I just used store-bought cinnamon butter instead of making my own and it turned out just fine.

Thanks to Pinterest for this recipe!

Kristie’s Graduation May 8, 2012

Kristie graduated from Olivet Nazarene University on Saturday with her Master’s in Administration.  She hopes to be an athletic director some day, either at a middle or high school or college.  Right now she enjoys teaching and coaching, so time will tell when she is ready for a change.  My brother was home for a short trip, so it was nice to catch up with him.  It is hard to believe he lives so far away because we always pick up where we left off.

Both of my grandmas got to come to this ceremony.  For a variety of reasons, they have never both been able to attend one of our graduations and they were very proud to be there.  Luckily it was close to home and Kristie was able to get enough tickets for everyone to go.  It was a great weekend.

White Chip Chocolate Cookies April 28, 2012

White Chip Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

2  1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (1 12 oz. package) white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a small bowl.  Set aside.



3. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until creamy.



4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.



5. Gradually beat in flour mixture.



6. Stir in white chocolate chips.  Make sure to leave a few to add at the end.  There always seems to be batter without any chips at the end.



7. Drop by well-rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

8. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until centers are set.  Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes.  Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

These are pretty quick to make.  They don’t spread out much on the pan, so you can put quite a few on the baking sheet.  I think it would be great with peanut butter chips as well.  It is our turn to have snacks after church tomorrow, so I was looking for a recipe that used white chocolate chips because I discovered quite a few bags in the freezer.  This was a Nestle Tollhouse recipe.

Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole April 26, 2012

Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole

Ingredients

12 oz spaghetti
1 large (24-28 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp Italian seasoning
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a skillet, brown the ground beef until cooked through; drain fat and stir in spaghetti sauce.  Set aside.

3. Cook spaghetti according to directions on packet.  Drain and place cooked spaghetti in a large bowl (it must be big enough to mix).  Add cream cheese and Italian seasoning.  Stir until cream cheese is melted and the spaghetti is thoroughly coated.

4. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan.  Spread a small amount of the meat sauce in the bottom of the dish.  Put spaghetti on the top of the sauce and top with remaining meat sauce.  Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.

5. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

I would suggest letting the cream cheese sit out for awhile before it is time to use it.  It would make it much easier to mix.  It was a very yummy casserole.

Thanks to Pinterest again for this recipe.  I am addicted to Pinterest and find so many wonderful ideas on there.

Gooey Chocolate Chip Sandwich Bars April 23, 2012

Gooey Chocolate Chip Sandwich Bars

Gooey Chocolate Filling
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups, all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats or old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly butter a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper, allowing enough overhang on the long side to lift the bars from the pan.

2. Prepare the gooey chocolate filling.  Place the chocolate chips and condensed milk in a small saucepan over the lowest possible heat and cook stirring constantly, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture has thickened.  3 to 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat, add vanilla, and stir until smooth.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.

3. Prepare the cookie dough.  Place the butter and sugars in the bowl of your stand mixer and beat until smooth and creamy.  Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.  Beat well.  Whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  Add to the butter mixture.  Beat until everything is well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. Prepare the bars.  Using half the batch of cookie dough, place dollops into the prepared pan and press down lightly to even it out.  Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the dough and then add small dollops of the remaining dough on the top.  Don’t worry if the dollops don’t completely cover the chocolate mixture.  Just spread it together as much as you can, and let some chocolate peek through.

5. Bake until lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.  Set aside to cool completely.  Then cut into bars.

Tip: They are easier to cut after they have chilled a bit.  They will soften up as they come to room temperature.

I lined the pan with wax paper, only to realize that it is not the same as parchment paper.  It burns/smokes in the oven when it is not covered.  Don’t make the same mistake.  Luckily I remembered reading that somewhere and transferred them to another pan before they burned.

They were pretty easy to get out of the pan without the parchment paper and pretty good.  Very rich, though.  Thanks to Pinterest for this recipe.

Amazing Day April 22, 2012

For my class, I had to interview someone in the sports industry.  My sister and I had went on some road trips with the White Sox a couple of years ago.  I have kept in touch with the coordinator of the trip and she agreed to meet with me.

This is Jo and I in the reception area of US Cellular Field.  We are posing with the 2005 World Series Trophy, American League Championship Trophy, World Series Ring, and Commissioner’s Trophy for Philanthropic Excellence.

         

Jo showed me around the stadium.  We went out on to the field during Orioles batting practice to see some of the promotions.

              

The hallways were lined with photos of players, 2005 memorabilia, framed photos of guest musical acts, and autographed home plates from guests.

                      

After the interview, Kristie and I got to enjoy the game from the Gold Coast suite.  It was free food and drink all night.  Yum!

Enjoying the game.

In the middle of the game they brought out the dessert buffet.

Kristie & I enjoying the game from our awesome seats.  The only downer was that the Sox lost 3-2.

I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to do the interview and all the perks that went with it.  It confirmed that I am on the right track for my life and I am excited about the future!

Taco Stuffed Shells April 16, 2012

Taco Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

1 pound jumbo shells
1 pound ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder (optional)
1/4 cup water
4 oz. cream cheese
1 can corn
4 oz diced green chiles
1/2 cup cheddar, grated
1/2 cup monterey jack, grated
1 cup salsa
cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the pasta shells.  Cook one minutes less than package directions state.  Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.

2. Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat.  Drain fat.

3. Return ground beef to the skillet and turn the heat to low.  Stir in the taco seasoning, chipotle powder, and water.  Simmer for 2 minutes.

4. Stir in the cream cheese until completely melted

5. Stir in the corn and green chiles and remove pan from the heat.

6. Pour the salsa into a 9 x 13 baking dish and spread to cover the pan evenly.

7. Fill each pasta shell with the ground beef mixture and place in the baking dish.

8. Top each pasta shell with a mixture of the grated cheddar and monterey jack cheese.

9. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

10. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro before serving.

* I did not put in the corn or green chiles, but substituted a drained can of mild Rotel.  I used the whole 12 oz. jar of salsa.  Jars of salsa seem to sit in the fridge at my house.  It didn’t have too much liquid, so this is fine to do.  I omitted the cilantro, so I don’t know what it ads for flavor.  I had a 12 oz. box of pasta shells and cooked all of them.  I probably only used 1/2 to 3/4 of the box in the recipe.

This recipe was adapted from www.bunsinmyoven.com and was very tasty.