Chocolate & Cherries {SMS}

Another great cookie by Melissa Murphy. The recipe for this week, Double Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies was chosen by Megan of My Baking Adventures. Click here for the recipe & a link to her Brownie Project blog that's filled with tons of chocolate morsels that you can sink your teeth into.

Tart cherries was the only item that I needed to purchase for this recipe. I always try to keep a stash of Scharffen Berger cocoa powder on hand in case I'm craving a pavlova, or a nice cup of hot chocolate during the winter months.

The cherries took this cookie to another level.
Tip: Resist the urge to cut the cherries. Leave them whole. It makes for a tasty, chewy surprise when you bite into a plump cherry.

I used Green & Black Organic 70% Dark Chocolate bar, chopped, instead of the semisweet chocolate chips that the recipe called for. It melted beautifully.

The next time that I make this cookie, oh, believe me, there will be a next time, I'll use a chocolate bar with Espresso. Mmmmm.....can't wait!

What to do with Left-over Chicken?

There are plenty of things, but today I decided to make Chicken Fajita Nachos!



It's 12:30 in the afternoon, and I'm getting hungry. I found this quick, easy recipe that happens to be the perfect remedy. I'll be able to use some ingredients that are already in my kitchen. It would have been so much tastier with chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream, but I didn't those. My nachos still turned out well. Beats fast food (Taco Bell) any day!

The recipe can be found on
My Kitchen Addiction.

Mama's Little Baby Loves Shortnin' Bread

Put on the Skillet
Put on the Lead
Mamas little baby loves shortnin bread
Does anyone know that song?

My late mother used to sing that song to me when I was a child. It would be nice if I get all of the words to the song, maybe pass it down to my children (when I become a mommy) someday. One of her favorite recipes was for shortnin bread. She'd allow me to poke holes into the dough with a fork before going into the oven. Happy Father's Day to you mommy - because you raised me. I miss you!

Today is Father's Day. I hope that everyone is enjoying the day by celebrating fathers. My dad used to crack whole walnuts with his teeth! Superdad - with jawls of steel! Happy Father's Day daddy, I love you!

Lavender Festival

Three of My Favorite Things

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toasted Almonds,
A Glass of Milk & My Nephew!
Since I spent the entire day Sunday listening to jazz and stuffing my face with all the delicious food from the buffet at Spaghettini Bar & Grill, I decided to hold off on making this weeks SMS challenge until today.
Today my 13 year old, 6'2" nephew will be graduating from Jr. High School. I've decided to gift him Chocolate Chip Cookies w Toasted Almonds, a greeting card, containing $100. I think that he'll be happy. He wants to be a professional athlete when he grows up. Tyler, continue to do well in school & reach for the stars. I'm so proud of you.



This weeks challenge was chosen by a very special celebrity guest, Melissa Murphy. That's right, the creator of SMS recipes herself. I almost didn't believe it at first and was quite confused, wondering if by chance there just happened to be a SMS Baker who shared the same name as the fabulous cookbook author, baker extraordinaire. No, it's her! That's so cool and gracious of her to take the time and blog along with us this week. Thanks Melissa! I'm going to reach for my mixing bowl and measuring spoons because I want to be like you when I grow up.

FDA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Nestle Toll House Prepackaged, Refrigerated Cookie Dough

Smooth Jazz & Champagne Brunch

I spent this lovely day at
Spaghettini Italian Grill and Jazz Club. The entertaintment was excellent.

I ordered the New Zeland rack of lamb with buttermilk mashed potatoes, Port reduction and market fresh vegtables. It was delish!


The menu consisted of
free flowing Domaine St. Michelle Champagne and Robert Mondavi Woodbridge Wines.
BRUNCH BUFFET and ENTREE
Lush california salads, authentic Italian pastas, traditional breakfast dishes, waffles, fresh caught seafood station homemade desserts.

A Bear's Peach Cobbler To Go {SMS}

This weeks Sweet Melissa Sunday's challenge was hosted by Andrea from
The Nummy Kitchen.

Usually my eldest sister is the cobbler maker of the family. When ever there is a potluck, or a holiday meal being served we ask that she bring her peach cobbler. Not only because it's good, but because she always arrives unfashionably late, 2-3 hours after everyone has already eaten and is ready for dessert.

des-sert
–noun
1.cake, pie, fruit, pudding, ice cream, etc., served as the final course of a meal.

I enjoy baking peach cobblers a few times through out the year. A couple of times during the summer months with fresh peaches from the farmer's market and again during the holiday season (December), using frozen peaches.

When I'm lazy, I'll pick up a bag of Louisiana Fish Fry's Cobbler Mix. It's a cross between a batter cobbler & Bear's Peach Cobbler.

When I'm really lazy I'll stop off at the famous (thanks to Oprah) Mommie Helen's Bakery for a peach cobbler and a sweet potato pie. Her pies taste the closest to what I was raised eating.

This weeks recipe differs quite a bit from my recipe. Instead of topping the cobbler with a lattice crust, the recipe called for a lemon zested biscuit, which was a refreshing change.

On a scale of scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best), I rate this cobbler a 7, but that's only because I'm comparing it to my own version. It was NUMMY!

Unlike Mrs. Dubois', all of the
SMS Baker's peach cobblers look FANTASTIC!