Caramel Apple Milky Way Cheesecake Bars

Oh hi! So I've been super busy with a few things these days.... Finishing up with my writing (my book that is), tending to the brood, being wicked lazy out of my mind busy. Oh and cooking a new baby. Yeah and then there's that! I'm almost five months pregnant, kinda big news. My bad, so so busy with appointments etc... a toddler... yada yada, life it gets in the way of all the fun stuff, dagnabbit!! I'm over thirty five so my doctors have me doing all kinds of tests the young uns don't have to go through ::sigh:: Advanced Maternal Age. {sounds like I'm wicked old. I don't feel old??} Meh...

This Friday is the big ultrasound when we find out the gender! ::eeeeeeeee::  I am hoping for a girl, since I have three boys and if I don't get a whole bunch of pink dust sprinkled my way... this will be my last shot at a little girl. Of course, I will be estatic with a boy, but Oh how I would love to shop down the pink aisles at Babies R' Us and Target oh and buy Princess outfits! My family has ALL boys, this will be the seventh grandson on my side {that's if it's a boy}. My husband has two super adorb nieces.... lucky. So to all my readers, sprinkle me with tons of pink dust please!!! ty~

I don't know about you guys, but I love love love this time of year!!! I love Halloween, so much fun! Comfort food is awesome, apple picking is a blast {well, for me. my boys think it's lame. so does my husband. i make him stifle and deal}. Scary movies are the bomb, although I'm nearly certain the fetus doesn't appreciate it, since I jump out of my skin. TV is bearable again in the fall!! Yah for non crappy TV! Hoodies and sweatpants to wear, which is good after those comfort meals. Also, I am thankful for being pregnant in the fall/winter this time around, rather than the summer. Not fun at all. Being pregnant in the summer is grounds for justifiable homicide. seriously.  So yep I'm due in March,  the 15th. Last time I delivered two weeks early... but I'm a patient lady. 

Oh and we had our yearly family photos done last week. I will post a few under my about me section, since I've been uber lazy about updating. Click Here: to see my new "About Me" section. For now... here's a lil' preview:

Left to Right, Myles, Jim @ Jameson, Moi & Cob

 So how bout them yummo bars?? I thought you'd never ask... ::ahem:: i will give you fair warning, they are super evil! So very very apropos for the upcoming holiday. Scary good!!! boo.

Adapted from: Inside BruCrew Life

Ingredients: 

Cookie Layer:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

2 Tblspns sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup of brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp of pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup of graham cracker crumbs

2 cups of Caramel Apple Milky Way Candy Bars (you can use the regular Milky Way if you cannot find Caramel Apple flavor)

Cheesecake Layer: 

1 pkg. cream cheese (8 ounces)

1/2 cup of sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup of caramel ice cream topping

2 Tblspns of Flour

Topping: 

4 ounces of caramel candies (about 14 squares)

4 Tblspns of heavy cream

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/2 tsp. shortening 

Instructions: 

 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter, shortening, sour cream and sugars until creamy. Then add in the eggs and vanilla. 

2. Sift together the flour, crumbs, baking soda, and salt and then slowly add in the candies by hand. 

3. Press HALF of the mixture into a greased 8 inch pan. 

4. Beat the cream cheese and sugar together until creamy and then add in the egg and caramel ice cream topping and beat again. Stir in the flour and then pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the cookie dough in the pan. 

5. Take the other Half of the left over cookie mixture and gently drop the rest of the dough by the spoonfuls on top of the cream cheese layer. 

6. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool completely before adding the toppings. (also watch the color on the top of the bars... toward the end I added a little tin foil to avoid over browning)

7. While the bars are cooling, place the caramels and the heavy cream in a small saucepan. Heat and stir until melted and creamy. In a microwave safe bowl, place the chocolate chips and shortening. Heat the chocolate for a full minute at HALF the power, then stir. After the minute heat at 20 second intervals, stirring each time until smooth. Drizzle the caramel and chocolate over the top of the bars after they are cooled. 

Details: Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes Total Time: About 1 hour Yield: 1 dozen bars (depending on how big you cut them.)

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Apple & Cheese Danish {and a product review}

 

Hello all my tomato friends! I've missed you so! I've taken a summer hiatus {as most of you know} to finish up my book.... -still not finished, but I work on it everyday. I'm very close. So close I can smell it....-  Much like the smell of this danish tantalizing my senses and crippling my last shred of willpower. ::insert lamentable sigh::

the reason for breaking my silence {aside from a much needed break} is twofold. One... I had to share this insanely easy and delicious recipe with everyone, and Two I wanted to tell you about a great product I was asked to review.

A company called Firmoo.com contacted me and asked, "Yo, what up girl? Want a free pair of prescription glasses? Then I responded with a resounding, "Hellz ya peeps! Sign me up!"

ok, maybe it didn't go down just like that....so what's up?

Let me first start by saying, I am absolutely in LOVE with my new glasses. They are trendy {like funky fresh fat -with a PH- yo.}. The color and shape, so so pretty; and they are high quality and durable. These glasses have survived the fleeting tenacious grip of my toddler's chubby fingers; now THAT is the ultimate test of durability folks. Honestly, when I saw the price of these glasses, I thought.... "Oh man, these are going to be super crappy quality". Let's be honest, we all expect to pay more for a high quality product. Hence the old adage, you get what you pay for. Coincidentally, the frames are a steal at $49.95. They have that expensive "hipster" look.

Yeah, you know the look: "Hey, I look cool by accident. Totally not on purpose...I'm just that intense." Or something like that. get at em'

Great for the days I want to look like a lawyer {which is never}, and the days I wanna look like a sexy beast. grrrr...

Truthfully, I spend most of my days, writing or elbow deep in dishes and laundry {not my favorite}. But on the rare occasion I break free from the shackles of maternal servitude,  I like to get all fancy. When you're a mom and a reclusive writer, trips to the grocery store take on a whole new meaning. So I strut my stuff on the catwalk {a.k.a. the produce section}. I like to put on makeup and stuff, it makes me feel like a girl.

Now I have these sexy glasses to complete my look. yah! That's another thing I love about these glasses; they work for a casual look, a sexy look or a business look. they just work. that is all. what more do you want?

Glasses include a hard case, a cleaning cloth, extra screws, an eyeglass screwdriver and a soft carrying case.

Ok Bridge, so where do I get these glasses? Oh, I'm so glad you asked. Just click here: Firmoo.com tadahhh! now you're well on your way to new glasses. ::sparkle sparkle:: Oh and the first pair is FREE for first time customers.

Once you're there, check out their collection of 300+ glasses. Another really cool feature, upload your own picture and virtually try on the frames of your choice. So you will know how your glasses look before they show up in the mail! Genius and fun! Heck, try em' all on! {pssst.... don't tell anyone. I uploaded a picture of my cat and then fancied him up with some specs. don't judge.} So once your done trying on frames for yourself, go grab fluffy or rex. I promise I won't tell anyone.

Want some more good news?! of course you do! Good news is like an ice cream cone for the soul. As a first time customer of Firmoo.com you will receive your first pair of glasses for FREE. Yep, free... the most beautiful word in the world. Of course I've had an unpleasant experience or two with the word "free" {mostly when it's veiled with the word "pro bono"}. Lawyer joke. ::ahem:: Otherwise, FREE is normally a delightful word. Don't need glasses? How bout sunglasses? Those are free too,  so do it. Safety glasses? Just do it baby, cuz those are free too. Yeah, that's what I'm talking bout.

Go here:  Free glasses. Get at em'. Thank me later....

Now how bout that recipe? A tomato original. I promise you'll love it. It's easy, quick and super delish. Oh and it has warm gooey apples. mmmmm.....apples. Apples in the fall make me feel all warm and fuzzy. enjoy!

ciao my tomato friends ~

Apple & Cheese Danish

Ingredients:

1 tube of crescent rolls (8 count)
1 can of apple pie filling
6 ounces of softened cream cheese
2 Tblspns of flour
1 Tspn of pure vanilla extract 
1/3 cup of sugar

Glaze: 

1 cup of powdered sugar
Splash of pure vanilla extract
4 Tblspns of heavy cream

Directions:

 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix together softened cream cheese with the flour, vanilla and the sugar. Once the mixture is creamy and smooth set aside. 

2. Open the can of crescent rolls, seperate them into squares leaving a pair of triangles in tact. Lay each rectangle down on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press them all together side by side to form a long rectangle.  Like so: 

 3. Open the can of apple pie filling and spoon out about 3/4 of the apple pie filling down the center of the rectangle. Leaving room on the sides, making about a one inch wide strip of apples down the center. 

4. Now take the cheese mixture and drop tablespoons of cheese along the top of the apples. 

5. Spread the cheese mixture along the apples with a knife. Carefully run the knife along the cheese mixture evenly distributing it on top of the apples.

6. Cut even strips into the crescent dough along the side of the filling. Trying to make sure the strips are about the same width on each side. 

7. Wrap the strips around the top of the filling pinching each strip together at the center. 

8. Place the danish in the oven and bake for 17-20 minutes or until golden brown.

9. While the danish is baking make the glaze.

10. Carefully transfer the danish to a serving platter and cover with the glaze.

Details: Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 17 Minutes Total Time: 27 Minutes Yields: 8-10 servings

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Break Time...

Hello everyone!! Sorry it's been a while since my last post. But then wait there's more bad news, I have decided I need to take a small break from the food blog. Which makes me a little sad, because I love it so soooo sooo much. I love baking, cooking, grilling, boiling.....well, anything that involves creating food and then sharing it with my friends and family.

I'm not sure I've told any of you, but I am working on a book deal and working hard to wrap things up with a publisher. A book I have been writing/editing for almost a year now. Which is now consuming a great majority of my time, along with being a full time mom and a sprinkling of lawyer on top {from time to time}. Oh yeah, and i'm a lawyer, for those of you who didn't know. Basically, I'm stretching myself too thin and I just wish there were more hours in the day.

I'm not going away for good, so no worries. I'll be back soon enough, probably by the end of the summer. I hope you all have a wonderful fun filled summer and enjoy it with your friends and family! See you all very soon! ciao ~b

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Frozen Almond Joy Mini Pies

mini pies. just those words alone conjure up feelings of unadulterated bliss. no? ummm, ::ahem::

So I found these fabulous creations over at Crazy For Crust. As soon as I saw these, i was thought: "dear merciful lord in heaven, i must make these immediately and post haste"

and so it was. I tried a little bit with my h-bee. I find these delightful for the summer, because it's "mini". this means we can eat one without too much guilt. I share everything with the baby, as he demands it....therefore even less is thrown down my gullet. plus it's floppy hat and tank top season. got to show off the guns, right?! and my floppy hat. ::eeeeeeee:: floppy hats are awesome, hence making summertime awesome. i love it so much i may even wear this to the super market.

floppy hat time.

"Oh did you want this all to yourself big brother? Are thou dreaming?"

enjoy tomato friends and happy memorial day weekend! ciao ~b

Ingredients:

12 Almond Cookies (I used the Stella D'ora Almond Toast)
5 Tblspns of melted butter
1/3 cup of heavy cream
3/4 cups of semi sweet chocolate morsels
2 cups of Cool Whip
3/4 cups of cream of coconut (not coconut milk, and you can find this in the Asian food aisle)
1/2 cup of toasted coconut

Directions:

1. Grind up 12 Almond Cookies until they are a fine powder like substance. Then place them in a medium sized bowl. Add the melted butter to the crumbs and mix together well. Set the crumbs aside.

2. In a small bowl warm the semi sweet chocolate morsels in the microwave. Microwave on high for a minute at HALF the power then microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring in between until the chocolate is smooth. Then add the heavy cream and stir the chocolate until creamy and smooth.

3. Line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake liners. Then to each cupcake liner add the almond cookie crumb mixture, distributing it evenly among the cupcake liners. Then press down the mixture with the bottom of a shot glass.

3. Now add the chocolate mixture to each liner, distributing the chocolate evenly between the cups. Then freeze the chocolate for about 10 minutes until hardened.

4. In a medium bowl add the cool whip and coconut cream and mix together well. Then distribute the cool whip mixture evenly among the cups, then top with toasted coconut and freeze the mini pies until they are frozen. About 1 1/2 hours. Store the cupcakes in the freezer until ready to serve . When ready to eat, microwave individual mini pies for about 20-30 seconds so it's easier to put your fork through.

Details: Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooling Time: 1 hour 40 minutes Total Time: 1 Hour & 55 Minutes Yield: 12 Mini Pies

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Skinny Pasta Primavera with Grilled Chicken and Veggies

in the spirit of trying to "be good", I developed my very own "Skinny" version of Pasta Primavera with a little grilled Chicken. I know Primavera is typically a vegetarian dish, but if I served up a main course sans meat, I'm certain there would be a lynching {leaving me as the guest of honor for said lynching}....

anywho, this dish really isn't difficult to make, I would just suggest measuring and slicing then setting aside your ingredients in advance prior to cooking. {it just makes life easier} The sauce is light because I made it with light butter and skim milk, oh and Parmesan cheese. The herbs, spices, garlic and olive oil give this dish plenty of flavor... yummo

i hope everyone enjoys! have a wonderful weekend! ~ciao my tomato friends...

Ingredients:

1 box of pasta of your choice
1/2 cup of olive oil and a little extra for stir frying.
3 Cloves of minced garlic
3 cups of grilled chicken fresh or pre-cooked1 cup of shredded carrots
1 small container of fresh mushrooms slices
1 red pepper sliced 
1 summer squash sliced into thin/medium slices
1 zucchini sliced into thin/medium slices
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Salt
Dried Parsley

Parmesan Cream Sauce:

2 cups of skim milk
1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves of minced garlic
3 tblspns of light butter or margarine
3 tblspns of flour
1 tsp of Salt
1 tblspn of freshly chopped cilantro

 

Directions:

1. Slice your grilled chicken if you have not purchased pre-cooked chicken (pre-cooked makes it a bit easier but fresh is always better), once the chicken is sliced set aside. (Also remember marinades add a little bit of calories and this recipe adds flavor with the sauce and herbs). Then prepare your zucchini and summer squash by slicing them into thin/medium slices, but not too thin. Then place them in a medium sized bowl and pour half a cup of olive oil on them, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon of garlic salt, about 1/2 teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of pepper and 1 tablespoon of parsley. Mix together well then set aside.

2. Now cut up your red pepper into thin slices and make sure the fresh mushrooms are not too large and to cut in half if need be. Then set aside.

3. In a large pot warm up the water for your pasta, while the water is warming up in a medium sized skillet put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and warm over medium heat for about two minutes. First add the fresh shredded carrots. Stir the carrots around for a few minutes and until slightly tender then add the mushrooms, red peppers, 1/2 a teaspoon of salt, 1/2 a tsp of garlic salt and 1 tablespoon of dried parsley. Stir the ingredients until all the seasonings are mixed thoroughly then cover and move the skillet to a back burner and turn the heat to low. (check on them occasionally stirring, but keep on low heat to keep them warm)

4. (DO NOT throw away the oil the zucchini and summer squash was marinating in, set it aside) Warm your grill skillet (I used a George Foreman Grill). This is to cook your zucchini and summer squash. Once the Foreman Grill or Grill Skillet is preheated add the zucchini and summer squash to its surface and press down on the top or with a spatula to make good contact and make "grill marks". The olive oil the pieces were marinating in should be adequate to prevent sticking but a light non stick spray coat won't hurt. Make sure to watch closely so as not to burn, they only need a few minutes to cook through. Remove pieces from Grill and then set aside.

5. Add the pasta of your choice to the boiling water (it should be boiling by now) and cook for about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and then place in a large serving dish, now pour olive oil mixture over the pasta that you reserved from the zucchini and summer squash mix. Stir well and then set aside.

Parmesan Cream Sauce:

1. In a medium sauce pan add 3 Tablespoons of light butter and melt over medium heat. Add 3 Tablespoons of minced garlic and stir together until soft for a couple minutes, but do not allow the butter to burn. Then add 3 Tablespoons of flour stir together till thick and clumpy. Add in one cup of skim milk keeping the pan over medium heat and whisk continuously until blended. Then add in the remaining cup of skim milk continuously whisking until the mixture becomes slightly thickened over medium heat. Make sure to prevent sticking or scalding the milk. Once the mixture is thickened remove it from the heat and then add 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon of fresh Cilantro and 1 teaspoon of salt.

2. Place the Cream Sauce in a serving dish and serve on the side to pour on top of the pasta, chicken & veggies. This way people can regulate how much sauce they want on their dish. Drain any extra olive oil from the peppers and mushrooms (they should still be over low heat on your range).

3. Place a small amount of the pasta mixture on each plate, then the grilled chicken ( you may need to reheat it prior to serving), then place the pepper and mushroom mixture and then add some zucchini and summer squash. Serve with cream sauce on the side, and serve with grated Parmesan for topping if desired.

Details: Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time 15 Minutes Total Time: 35 Minutes Yield: 6-7 Servings

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Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

like me, i'm sure most of you shy away from foods that involve too much prep and hassle. i'm no professional chef....but i think i'm pretty nifty nonetheless. ::ahem:: things like chicken cordon bleu and braciole require things such as rolling, toothpicks or cooking twine, and ingredients spilling here there and everywhere as they bake.  shenanigans i tell ya! well my friends, with this easy recipe you will no longer be running to the hills in terror by the sheer mention of chicken cordon bleu. i mean aside from the utter hassle of traditional cordon bleu, i find that it is usually a bit on the dry side. this particular recipe... it does not come out dry. it is just super moist, delish and best of all easy to make. NO ROLLING REQUIRED! yay!

i did make fresh bread crumbs for this recipe, you may use regular bread crumbs, if you do use regular bread crumbs then use a little less than 4 tablspoons of butter. fyi.... i will say this, fresh bread crumbs look and taste better. it's worth the few extra minutes of work. trust me. 

also, last but not least..... wait for it.....parmesan dijon cream sauce. it puts the yum factor out of this world, it literally sends it sailing into the vast uncharted depths of the universe. {and this all happens in your very own mouth as it sours into your belly, which conjures up smiles and that all too familiar warm fuzzy feeling}. or something like that. 

my kids love it. my ketchup obsessed tween, Myles did not add ketchup. that my friends is what we call a miracle in my house. he literally put ketchup on chicken piccata last week, that's some seriously ketchup love right there. lemon + ketchup = gross, in my book at least. 

ciao my tomato friends, happy baking! have a wonderful weekend. 

Adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything. {i simply adore her foodie blog}

Ingredients: 

3 thick boneless chicken breasts

12 slices of good quality deli ham

1-2 cup of bread crumbs (made from fresh bread, I used 4 slices of toasted bread)

4 tablespoons of melted butter (use less butter if you used regular bread crumbs)

6 slices of provolone cheese (if you use swiss cheese you will need about 1/2 a pound of thinly sliced swiss cheese)

Garlic Salt or Adobo all purpose seasoning

Parsley

Salt & Pepper

Italian Seasonings

Parmesan-Dijon Cream Sauce: 

2 tblspns of butter

2 tblspns of flour

1 cup of milk (I used a little more milk as it was a little thick)

1 tsp of chicken bouillon granules (one bouillon cube, crushed)

1/2 tsp of salt

1 tblspn of Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp of worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Toast four slices of bread then tear up the pieces into smaller pieces like so: 

2. Place the toast pieces in the food processor to make the toast into fine bread crumbs. Then pour the bread crumbs into a medium sized bowl. 

3. Melt two tablespoons of butter and then add it to the bread crumbs. Then on a cutting board cut your three chicken breasts in half making 6 chicken breasts. 

4. Sprinkle your chicken with Garlic Salt or Adobo, salt & pepper, dried parsley flakes and a little Italian Seasoning. Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan or line the baking pan with non stick baking paper. 

5. On top of each piece of chicken add a slice of provolone or swiss cheese, then on top of the cheese add the ham, making sure that the ham completely covers the chicken. Tucking the ham underneath the sides of the chicken, kind of like a little chicken pocket. Place all the ham covered chicken pieces in the baking pan and then sprinkle the bread crumbs on top of the chicken. Place the chicken in the oven and bake for about 35 minutes. The juices from the chicken should run clear and the bread crumbs will be a golden brown.

wrap that chicken with the ham like a lil' burrito. 

i did make 8 servings just using an extra chicken breast.

6. While the chicken is baking make the Dijon/Parmesan sauce a few minutes before the chicken is done. In a medium sized sauce pan melt 2 tablspoons of butter, once the butter is melted add in the flour and then stir until thick. Slowly whisk in the cup of milk, making sure to constantly stir over medium heat. Stir in the chicken bouillon and salt, whisk all these ingredients over heat for about 3-4 minutes. The mixture will thicken gradually. 

7. Once the ingredients are thickened remove from the heat and add the Worcestershire sauce, Parmesan Cheese and the Dijon mustard. Stir the sauce until the cheese is melted. If the mixture is too thick add in a splash of milk to thin it out a little. Serve the sauce warm on the side with the chicken. Serve the Chicken Cordon Bleu with a rice or pasta for a side.

Details: Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes Total Time: 55 Minutes Yield: 6 servings

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Cool kitchen gadget and $25.00 {twenty-five dollars} Target gift card giveaway!!!

So i was thinking the other day.... it's been a little while since i did a giveaway. since my target gift card giveaway was so popular last time, i figured..... i should do that again. this time i am including a couple of extra kitchen gadgets that are wicked le awesome.

here's what you are entering to win: 

the monkey peeler! he's so cool.

nested doll dry measuring cups. adorable

 and last but not least a twenty-five dollar target gift card:

NOW HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN!

* Every like, share or follow is eligible for you to comment. Therefore, leave a separate comment on this blog post for each one of your likes, shares or follows.  You see, each comment on this blog post counts as one entry. Therefore, the more you share/follow or like, the more you may enter an additional comment and be that much more eligible to win. (read details below) easy peasy lemon squeezy. bamm, done.*

1. "Like" Happy Little Tomato on Facebook, then leave me a comment in the comment section below telling me you did so (the comment section of my blog, not on facebook) . Your comment on this blog post will count as 1 (one) entry.

2.  IF you are already a fan of Happy Little Tomato, simply share my facebook page on your wall. Then leave me a comment in the comment section of this blog post telling me you did so. Your comment will count as 1 (one) entry.

3. IF you are already a fan of Happy Little Tomato, you may follow my blog by clicking "Join this Site" under the Heading "Followers". Then leave me a comment in the comment section of this blog post telling me you did so. Your comment will count as 1 (one) entry.

4. IF you would like you may also share a link for this giveaway on Facebook. Then leave me a comment in the comment section of this blog post telling me  you did so. Your comment will count as 1 (one) entry.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. THANKS FOR ENTERING AND FOR BEING A FAN OF HLT!!! CONGRATS TO ASHLEY POIRIER, AND PLEASE SEND ME YOUR INFO WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS OTHERWISE YOU FORFEIT YOUR PRIZE AND I WILL HAVE TO RESELECT ANOTHER WINNER. THANKS AGAIN TOMATO FANS!

You have three weeks to enter for your chance to win, good luck! This giveaway will close on May 29th at Midnight E.S.T. A winner will be announced by May 30th 2012 no later than noon.

 A winner was selected randomly using http://www.random.org/

*I have not received any monetary compensation for this gift card mention nor is it sponsored or endorsed by Target or Facebook.  I have purchased all of these products on my own.

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