Week Off!

Hi everyone,

This is my only week off of work all summer so I'm taking advantage and not even doing a blog post :)

I'll be back next week with something delicious- and in the meantime make something else and enjoy the warm weather!

Whatever it is, Savor it!
love, rue

Snickers Layer Bars

Hi everybody!

These are super sweet, super rich bars, so you'll want to cut them into smaller pieces. They are also super easy and super quick to make, so be careful! You could use any chocolate bars here in place of snickers bites- just chop up and use your favorite. Be creative and make it however you think you'd like it best!

Here are your super easy and simple ingredients! Just 6 things you probably already have!

After baking your crust, pour the sweetened condensed milk over it.

Layer your other ingredients on top of the sweetened condensed milk- easy as pie! (easier probably)

Here are your bars after baking- I didn't chop the snickers bites, but crushed a little afterwards, but chopping would solve that for you.

Snickers Layer Bars
-1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
-1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
-1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
-1 1/2 cups (1 12 oz. pkg.) chocolate chips
-1 cup snickers bites, chopped (any other chopped chocolate bar works!!)
-1 cup chopped or sliced nuts
Mix butter and graham cracker crumbs, pat into a greased or parchment lined and greased pan, and bake at 325 F for 8 minutes.
Pour sweetened condensed milk over cooled crust.
Sprinkle chocolate chips, snickers bites, and nuts over top.
Bake at 325 F for 20-25 minutes.

Refrigerate your bars, then pop them off the parchment paper and cut into squares. Enjoy!

Savor it!
love, rue

Kettle Corn

Hi everyone. I can't believe I've never made my own kettle corn before- I love it at the fair, but I'm not a huge fan of what comes out of the microwave. Well I finally got around to doing it (with Jordan's help!) and it is so EASY and delicious I can't believe it. So make sure you give it a shot- I'll show you how! Let's go.

Your SUPER simple arsenal- popcorn, oil, sugar, and salt.

Heat your oil for just under 5 minutes or so covered on medium (a little higher heat/time for nonstick).

The rest of the operation: pan to pour the kettle corn onto, and the sugar an popcorn, and salt for finishing.

After you have heated your oil, quickly and thoroughly stir in the sugar and popcorn kernels, then cover.

Shake well in a circular motion for 5 or so minutes, until popping slows down. And I couldn't pass up sharing this- Jordan's solution to not having to hold the pot awkwardly to hold the lid on- fantastic!

Then pour out the corn onto a greased or lined sheet, sprinkle with salt, and let cool!

Kettle Corn
-1/2 cup sugar
-1/2 cup popcorn kernels
-1/3 cup oil (vegetable, corn, canola)
-1/2 teaspoon salt
Pour oil into a pot that is at least 4 quarts, and that you have a lid for. Heat on medium for 3-4 minutes (if you are using nonstick, heat for a few more minutes).
Add in the popcorn and sugar and stir well, then cover, and shake the pot in a mostly circular motion. Hold the lid on, you don’t want popcorn popping it off! Popping should take 4-5 minutes, a few more for nonstick.
When popcorn has popped, pour out onto a greased pan, wax paper, or parchment paper, and sprinkle with salt to your taste.
Store in an airtight container/bag. Enjoy!

Your finished product!! Delicious, I may have eaten all of it rather quickly...

Savor it!
love, rue

Cotton Candy Rice Krispie Treats

Hi all!!

This recipe/idea is totally not from me. I bet a lot of people have done it different ways, but the BF brought this idea to my attention and we decided to go for it- because of course! They are delicious. And super easy! Let me show you:

Your super simple arsenal- cereal, butter, marshmallows, and flavoring.

Melt your butter then add in the flavoring packet.

You'll get nice blue butter like this!

Add your marshmallows and microwave while watching closely, just until they are all puffy and stir-able.

Quickly, stir together your marshmallows and butter mixture.

Add your cereal (I find it useful to measure it out ahead of time so the marshmallow mixture does not harden while I am measuring cups out).

Stir well!!

Here they are- your blue cotton candy rice krispies. You could even ice them if you wanted!

Cotton Candy Rice Krispie Treats
-3 tablespoons butter
-1 packet cotton candy flavored icing mix
-1 package marshmallows (about 40 large ones or the equivalent in mini ones)
-6 cups crisp rice cereal
Melt your butter, then stir in the icing packet.
Pour in your marshmallows and microwave until all soft and puffy. Stir together well.
Stir in cereal well and quickly.
Pat into a greased 9x13’’ pan. (It really helps to wet your hands to pat them out flat if you don't want to use a spatula- keeps your hands from sticking!)
Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour or two to firm up!

The color is hard to capture, but these are pretty fun treats! Aren't they lovely and springy, too? Yum!

Savor it!
love, rue

Fiesta Shrimp/Chicken

Hey there!

My family's been making this recipe ever since I can remember, I don't know where the recipe came from. We used to always make it on the grill in foil packets, but recently had the revelation come from other family members that you can- lo and behold - make it in a pan in the oven! So easy, and so delicious. So Jordan and I made it the other weekend for his family, the night before mother's day, so his mom didn't have to make dinner. It was delish! Let's do this.

Onions (I didn't cook them before this time, sorry!), beans, and corn, then throw in a little olive oil and a lot of Old Bay.

Here's your basic mix! So easy and quick.

Put it in a pan, and you can top with basically anything- some people wanted chicken and some shrimp, so we made both!

And here's the shrimp one! and now just pop it in the oven!

Fiesta Shrimp/Chicken
-olive oil
-1 chopped onion
-1 can black beans, rinsed (15 oz)
-1 cup + canned or frozen corn
- lots of Old Bay spice- to taste
- lots of cheese to top then to top again after cooking
- chicken or shrimp (peeled and deveined!) (about 2 lb.)
Saute the onions in a little olive oil until just starting to soften.
Mix together your onion, black beans, corn, a couple drizzles of olive oil, and old bay.
Grease a 9 x 13’’ pan (or largish pieces of foil if grilling), then pour the beans/corn/onions in.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Put your chicken or shrimp on top, and sprinkle with cheese.
Cover tightly with foil.
Cook at 350-380 F until the meat is done: If using shrimp, timing depends on how large your shrimp are, but it won’t take longer than 20 minutes, and it’s done when the shrimp are opaque and firm. If you are using chicken (large pieces), it’ll take 45+ minutes most likely- cook until the internal temperature is 165 F.
Leave cheese and Old Bay out for people to top their portions.

OPTIONAL! Jordan pulled out his torch and we crisped up the top of the cheese and shrimp.

Your finished dish- dig in! Serve with a salad or rice to make it heartier.

Savor it!
love, rue

p.s. sorry no finished pic of the chicken- it wasn't done until a few minutes after we started dinner, and I was too busy eating (so selfish I know!) to go get a pic before it was dug into. Rave reviews all around, though!