Cheesy Party Burgers

http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/cheesy-party-burgers-aka-diamond-burgers.html
We are currently in the middle of Week 3 NFL football and postseason push for MLB (go cubs go!). In my house if I'm not playing somewhere we are watching some sporting event on TV. Who doesn't love game day styled foods and appetizers for dinner. Last Sunday was nachos and this week was burgers, if this doesn't scream Sunday sports day then I don't know what does. This aren't your regular burgers but are different the perfect thing to try on lazy days.
Imagine me for a second, walking up and down the isles of the grocery stores by myself, sprinting to get in and out as fast I possibly can, I get to the bread isle and just pick something. I found this Sliders buns with I thought would work perfectly since they are about half the size of regular hamburger buns. In the recipe they said to use dinner rolls, but I was in such a hurry that day I just grabbed those and they worked. My philosophy is bread is bread, they both work. Also I didn't add mustard powder because we don't own any, and we didn't feel the need to go out and buy some. The burgers were still delicious without! Instead of adding tomatoes with green chilies, I just added tomatoes without since I'm favorite food isn't green chilies. Another scenario, you're out for dinner and you order a burger, bacon or not. Who doesn't love bacon, so I deiced to add it since it was a loaded burger recipe. Since there are five people living in my house right now, I decided to make two pounds of beef rather than one just so we would all be filled up to watch football or the Cubs. The glaze that is drizzled on top, is the most delightful thing I have ever tasted. That doubtlessly transformed the burgers into something spectacular.
This recipe was so good, and something different that is definitely going to be made again. Don't expect to pick it up and eat, you will have to use a fork. It almost is like a sloppy joe but I was still impressed.  It was so quick and easy, I could quickly get back to the game that was on and kept updated with the score. This recipe left everyone reaching for more food.

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

http://picky-palate.com/2011/01/06/oreo-stuffed-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Craving sweets and in that baking mood to create these distinctive delights. This triple layer cookie made of cookies and the best thing since sliced bread. You without a doubt will be reaching for more and more. Truly, you are only eating one cookie not three so justify your hankering with that.
I love these cookies, previously I have made cupcakes with Oreos and are the most appetizing things ever. So I figured that these cookies won't be half bad either. And my gut was right, they were so delicious. Over the past three days I consumed numerous amounts of them and the first one I had was just out of the oven, and was gooey and soft. And there is nothing better than fresh, soft cookies that you don't need an axe to bite into. The only negative things for about these cookies are the presentation. When I opened the oven after they baked, they look like a cookie cake.

When baking there is little margin for error. The first problem I faced was instead of measuring in teaspoons, I measured in tablespoons. So I had to start all over and was starting to get really mad and anxious. When I went sandwich the cookies and roll them into a ball, I found that I couldn't because they were really sticky and got all over my hands. So I got crafty and used two spoons, but it didn't really work out.
This recipe makes two dozen monstrous cookies. In the instructions it also says serve with a glass of milk, I recommend that just because these cookies are chocolate overload and very rich, it might be nice to have something to wash them down with. Either way they were still a huge hit at my house, and arguments were had about who got the last cookie. Everyone kept sneaking over to the box to see snatch one up if there were some there.

DIY Slurpees? (hack or a whack)

http://www.cleanandscentsible.com/2014/05/diy-slurpees.html
Attempt number one: The first time I tried this, it completely failed. I don't drink pop (New Year's Resolution) so I tried one with a Sparkling Ice and one with a Diet Coke (I did it for science). I came home school and quickly rushed to try to get this done. I took my drinks from the refrigerator and shook them for ten seconds each and placed them in the freezer.  In the instructions it says to place in freezer between 3 1/2 hours and 4 hours. Mine completely froze in an hour. I went back to the instructions and found that I was doing some of the steps incorrectly. When opening the bottle I didn't aggressively open it in one motion. Then close back up and place upside down. What I had was a huge mess and was really disappointed that it didn't work out. As summer is coming to an end and the hot weather no longer exists, I was hoping for a last chance of summer. The first attempt was a huge whack and just made a huge mess for me to clean up.
Attempt number two: This time I only used a Diet Coke and started from room temperature rather than from a fridge. For starters, this turned out a lot better than the first attempt, but it still wasn't perfect like the website I got the recipe from. Since I started from room temperature, it took longer to chill and I did end up freezing it again, but I figured it out. This time I also opened the pop in one motion, closed it and put it upside down. This time I also opened it over the sink, rather than the counter. It still ended up being somewhat slushie but not completely slush-like. I ended up keeping the pop in the freezer for three to four hours. having the magic number a little closer to four hours.
I think this a cute idea to keep the summer vibe around for a little longer, but we are going to have to face it sometime that its fall now. Rather than reaching for making these, I would much rather drive to a gas station or an ice cream store and buy them that way. That way it will be completely frozen and not mostly liquids with a little bit of ice that melts within two seconds of being out of the cold.

Spicy Foods and Taste Buds

Jalapenos, Chilies, Hot Sauce. Aren't my favorite things in the world and frankly I can't stand the burning of my mouth after I eat them and beg for milk to soothe the burning of my lips. But I went out of my comfort zone and tried a jalapeño with my nachos tonight while watching a football game. I made sure to have a glass of milk just incase I couldn't handle it. I also kind of loaded up my chip with lots of cheese, chicken, sour cream, and salsa. I took the bite and didn't find it bad at all, so I'm thinking that my taste buds might have matured or I just loaded it up enough to not taste it as much. But either way that got me thinking about the genetics of taste buds, because my mom and sister love spicy foods, but my dad isn't as much of a fan.
There are different types of tasters that determine how you taste, there are "supertasters," "regular tasters," and "non-tasters." These are determined on genetics, what type of tasters your family and your age. When you are younger you have more taste buds and this can explain sensitivity to spice. (http://www.nutritionatc.hawaii.edu/HO/1998/19.htm). Phenylthiocarbamide is a chemical substance that is in your taste buds, that is transferred through genetics. PTC establishes what type of foods create sensitivity to you are don't.
If you ever wonder why your one parent likes spicy or a certain food, but the other isn't the biggest fan of that food is because of genetics. Even if both your parents like a certain type of food but you don't it could be because of the maturity of your taste buds, and you may come to like that same food when you get older.

Crock Pot Chicken Santa Fe

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/02/crock-pot-santa-fe-chicken-425-pts.html
As I walked into the house after an exhausting day of school, something smelled DELICIOUS! This something was Chicken Santa Fe. With a busy week of school and softball and other commitments, I took the opportunity on a Sunday night to prep for the week ahead. This ended up being a functional, quick meal that I could easily figure out and make. Cooking is more an estimation rather than baking where you need exact measure. I sprinkled spices and sauces and was able to produce a scrumptious meal bringing Mexican cuisine a little closer to home.
This recipe is a calorie friendly meal, having only 190 calories per one cup. Not to mention how easy it is, all you have to do is throw in some veggies into a pot and you're good to go. When dumping in your can goods, the tomatoes and green chilies you don't need to drain the juices out, because you need some liquid while cooking the chicken in the crock pot. When working with black beans, make sure to drain and wash the beans in the can. If you don't your meal may be a little salty, but I prefer black beans drained. When I made this I didn't have any fresh cilantro, so I used dried cilantro that comes in the spice container. While making this recipe I learned what scallions are! all they are, are green onions *laughing emoji*. Now you just shake some spices on top of your veggies, and maybe do a little dance while you do it. Lastly you put the chicken on top, at my house we like to sprinkle fajita seasoning on top of the chicken to add appetizing flavor.  If not cooking right away put the crock in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook. 
Now all you have to is turn on your crock pot in the morning, go to work or school, and magic is brewing all day. Chicken Santa Fe is best over rice. Just quickly make minute rice and you're good to go. I also like to put cheese, sour cream, and salsa over top of it. I love this meal and always look forward to eating it.

Chocolate Chip Danish

http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/chocolate-chip-danish/b113dc9e-ab73-48fe-a614-c1c71785e504

The other day I took procrastinating to a whole new level, I decide to bake rather than doing my AP U.S. History homework. I was looking at Pinterest and found the Chocolate Chip Danish, I thought it looked good and easy to make. As my mom said "anything with chocolate chips in it has to be good." Most of the ingredients that the recipe calls for is found in most homes, I only needed to get two items we didn't have, crescent rolls and cream cheese. So I jumped in my car and took a trip to Hy-Vee. This recipe is also super cost effective, I only spent four dollars on the two items I needed, and total it would cost no more than ten dollars and found it was totally worth it.

While making this wonderful creation, I found out some helpful hints that could change the outcome. For starters, the pan I had was a smaller pan than what was mentioned to use. When laying the dough out it was really hard to create a smooth surface, meaning that where the dough was pre-cut it started to tear and come apart. When making this recipe I recommend using a rolling pin or something similar in nature that can create a smoother surface to work with. When looking at the recipe I neglected to see that the cream cheese should be sitting out and at room temperature. This created a little agitation but I figured it out and just put it in the microwave for thirty seconds to melt it. Using an entire block of cream cheese, I found to be a little much. If you want to cut a few calories, I would suggest only use four to six ounces rather than all eight. So don't panic if, like me, you need to make it in a hurry and don't have time to let it sit for a while. The recipe calls for 1/4 cup of chocolate chips, but if like me, and who doesn't like chocolate, I recommend doubling that and adding 1/2 cup on top of the cream cheese that you spread on. Last helpful hint, is cooking time. The recipe says cook 20-22 minutes, I set a timer for twenty-one minutes and made sure to keep an eye on it. I took the Danish out of the oven with three minutes to go, much more than that it would've burnt, and no one wants a burnt dessert.

Finally you get to eat this delightful creation. Before cutting, I would take a spatula and make sure the bottom isn't stuck to the pan. The recipe mentions that its best served the day it was made, so I put that to the test. The night I made it, it was warm and chocolaty. The next morning, I warmed it up it the toaster oven. I found it to taste more like a croissant in the morning. The six family members I fed this experiment to all really enjoyed it. It's quick, it's easy, and it's cheap!