Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

I know when I have a cookie craving, it can often come late and night. (Ok, maybe while I'm watching some housewives...) I don't really feel like turning on the oven and waiting around while I get my butter to room temperature, chill my dough, and bake several batches of cookies. No Bake Cookies are the perfect solution for that. These are a great "one pot" treat and are ready in minutes. This particular recipe has a great depth of flavor from the dark chocolate pieces, and a nice salty bite from the peanut butter. It's also got a great chewy texture from the oats. You will love it. 

Make sure you set out a large sheet of wax paper because you will want that ready once your ingredients are combined. 

1 stick of butter
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons dutch processed cocoa powder
1 cup white sugar
3 pieces dark chocolate melting wafers (or you can use any dark chocolate you have on hand)
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla 
1/4 tsp salt
4-5 cups of oats depending on your chocolate to oat preference 

Melt your stick of butter. I LOVE the taste of brown butter in this recipe, so if you feel ambitious, you can let your butter heat up until brown pieces begin to form and it turns a deep golden color. If you are in a hurry, you can just melt it quickly. Then add your milk slowly so you don't scald it. Mix in your cocoa powder and sugar. Bring all of this goodness to a boil for about 1 minute, make sure you stir it the entire time so nothing burns. Reduce the heat to low. Then add in your dark chocolate pieces, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir until everything is combined. Remove from the heat and add your oats. I would start with 4 cups and keep adding until it looks like everything is coated well and there is no extra chocolate on the bottom of the pan. Then drizzle your wax paper with clumps of the oat mixture. Wait until they cool and you (and the cookies) are all set!

Carmelized Mushroom Quesadillas with Arugula

I usually feel like I am shirking my home maker duties when I serve quesadillas for dinner. They are simple, boring, and easy. Well this quesadilla recipe is none of those things. When my husband tasted this, his reaction was like "wow, this is a keeper!" and I totally agree. The onions in these quesadillas are packed full with this deep rich flavor. You get the subtle bite of the arugula, the thick herby mushrooms, the melty cheese. It's even vegetarian! So so good, you won't believe your mouth. 

The downside? You'll need to dirty 2 pans, and caramelized onions aren't quick. But these babies are worth it. Total cook time is about 20 minutes.  
Serves 2 adults + 1 toddler :) 

Ingredients: 

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp packed brown sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
1 pkg baby portabellos, thinly sliced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh stripped thyme
salt & pepper
10 corn tortillas
1 cup melty white cheese
2 cups arugula 

In one pan, some heat some olive oil and begin to caramelize your onions on medium heat. (Don't forget to add salt and pepper to your onions.) 

In another pan, melt your butter and a bit of olive oil and begin to cook your mushrooms. (Don't forget to salt and pepper your mushrooms.) 

Stir both pans occasionally, let everything reduce and get golden. 

To your onions add your sugar and vinegar. Let the liquid reduce down and get absorbed by the onions. Remove from pan. 

To your mushrooms add your garlic and thyme. When the garlic is fragrant and a bit soft, remove the mushrooms from the pan. 

Make sure both your pans still have a good coating of oil. Place your tortillas down, cover with a layer of onions, mushrooms, cheese, arugula, and another layer of tortilla. Cook until the tortilla is golden and crispy, then flip and do the same on the other side. 

Cut into quarters and serve immediately. You will seriously be blown away by the amazing unforgettable flavors of these quesadillas! I am already dreaming of what I can whip up with these flavorful onions next!

French Bread Pizza

We are a pizza house over here. After a long day of chasing a toddler, throwing a pizza in the oven is easy. Pizza is a cheesy, carby delight, what's not to love? Well my husband recently introduced me to a super simple cheater way of making last minute pizza. It's super delicious, and takes less than 3 minutes to put together! 

What's the secret? Using a loaf of french bread rather than making homemade dough! In this particular photo I used a delicious seeded honey wheat loaf, but we've had lots of success using everything from plain french bread to asiago cheese loafs! The best part is you can buy a bunch of loafs and simply freeze them. That way they are waiting for you whenever you are having a "I'm feeling lazy and I don't want to cook tonight" moment. It will save you from running to get take out, and its way more delicious! I promise. 

Ingredients:

Any loaf type bread 
Fresh mozzarella cheese
Your favorite jarred pasta sauce
Fresh Basil 
Balsamic Glaze 

Simply slice your loaf in half, cover each side with sauce, top with cheese, basil, and your glaze. Pop it in a 400 degree oven until the cheese is nice and golden and bubbly. Tada! A super simple, super satisfying meal that you can whip up in less than 3 minutes. If you don't have baslamic glaze, you could just do regular balsamic as a drizzle. We also add pepperoni, chicken, olives, whatever pizza toppings you have laying around. This is a super flexible dinner idea. We hope you enjoy!