Whole Wheat Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars. What a mouthful!

I know, the name of this recipe is quite long. But really, I don't think there's any easier way to describe it! This is yet another recipe from Andrea's Recipes for her Whole Wheat Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars. They are indeed as tasty as they sound!!! It's like a Reese's peanut butter cup melted on top of an oatmeal cookie crust. Amazing!!

I kind of screwed up the recipe at first... when making the cookie crust, I forgot to add the eggs and peanut butter (oops!). In Andrea's recipe, she makes a note that the dough for the cookie is really really sticky. Well, mine wasn't so sticky and I thought, "hmm that's funny..." So, just before throwing it in the oven, I took another glance at the recipe and realized, EEK! I forgot to add the egg and peanut butter, the ingredients that would indeed make the dough sticky. Phew!

Anyway, I creamed the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together. Then added the egg and peanut butter (after I screwed it up initially). In a separate bowl, I combined the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt, and then added this to the wet mixture.


See, this is how it looked before I added the egg and peanut butter... it's not sticky!!


You may realize by now, my love for Smart Balance. Oh yes, it even extends beyond buttery spread. I used Smart Balance peanut butter for this recipe, with omega-3s!!


Once I corrected my mistake, I pressed the dough into a 9x13 pan (greased).


While it was baking, I put together the glaze.... peanut butter, confectioner's sugar, and milk. Oooh, look how it drizzles...


After the cookie came out of the oven...


I added a 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips on top... they started to melt!!



Then, I drizzled the glaze on top.... or in my case, globbed it on.


At this point, the chocolate chips were melting all over the cookie, the glaze was dripping everywhere, it smelled amazing, and I just wanted to dig in right there!!!


I had to wait for it to cool before cutting into it.... I HAD TO!!!!! But could I? Really?


I decided to actually stick it in the fridge so the chocolate and glaze would cool down enough to make it easier to cut. I couldn't wait any longer!!! If you're a fan of peanut butter at all, this will be your favorite dessert. And with the whole wheat flour and oats, plus the omega-3s in the peanut butter, it can't be THAT bad for you, right??? Yeah... riiiight...



Whole Wheat Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
from Andrea's Recipes

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup quick oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3-4 Tbsp milk (depending on how much it takes to make a drizzle-able glaze consistency)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add the egg and peanut butter. Stir to ensure everything is incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the butter mixture and stir until completely combined.
4. Press the dough into a greased 9x13 pan using wet fingers. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.
5. While it is baking, make the glaze by combining the last three ingredients, adjusting the amount of milk to make a smooth consistency that can be drizzled.
6. Remove pan from oven, and add the chocolate chips to the top. They will start melting!!
7. Drizzle the glaze on top of the chocolate chip layer.
8. Let it cool completely before cutting into pieces. THEN YOU WILL DIE AND GO TO HEAVEN!

Chicken, black bean, and corn chili

I know it's not winter anymore, but here in Boston, it still feels cold! This warrants some soup/stew/chili. I found this fantastic recipe from A Good Appetite that has many of my favorite ingredients -- beans, corn, cumin -- and it's for Chicken, Black Bean, & Corn Chili.

The recipe calls for a poblano pepper, but my local Whole Foods was fresh out of them! I did not know what to use as an alternative, so I got a cubanelle pepper. I think it still worked out okay!


In a large stockpot, I heated up some olive oil, and added the cumin and chili powder.


I added the chopped onion, cubanelle pepper, and some garlic, and cooked until the onion was translucent (which was difficult to tell with all the spices coating them!).


I added some tomato paste (from the tube, my favorite kind!)...


Then I added 2 cans of black beans, a can of fire-roasted tomatoes, chopped cooked chicken, and chicken stock.





I brought this to a boil, then allowed it to simmer for about 30 minutes. Then, I added a can of corn.


And it was ready! It is a rich, smoky, slightly spicy, super flavorful soup, thick with beans and corn. Super easy and quick to come together. And of course, very very tasty!!



Chicken, black bean, and corn chili
from A Good Appetite

Ingredients:
olive oil
1 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 large onion, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 poblano or cubanelle pepper, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cans black beans, drained
1 can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 cups chicken broth
1 can corn, drained

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in large stock pot. Add cumin and chili powder, cook for 1 minute.
2. Add onion, pepper, garlic, and cook until onion is translucent.
3. Add tomato paste, stir, cook for 1 minute.
4. Add beans, tomatoes, chicken, and chicken broth.
5. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Stir in corn, and it is ready to serve!!
7. Enjoy with chili toppings -- sour cream, cilantro, or maybe some crusty bread!

Welcome to Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox!

Ok, so this it the second non-food-related post in just a few days. And it is the second Boston-themed posting. I blogged about the Boston Marathon a few days ago, and that is a very "Boston" event. Now I'm blogging about Fenway Park and the Red Sox, which are perhaps even more "Boston" than the marathon!

I love Fenway Park. Sure, it's a lot older and smaller than most other ballparks in the country. But, boy, does this place have charm and character! Not to mention, history.


My dear friend, Alissa, invited me to a game with her (how could I refuse any opportunity to a Sox game? They're always sold-out!). But tonight, it was cold and rainy, and of course, there was a rain delay.


But, thankfully, they played the Bruins vs. Canadiens NHL playoff game, and we were able to watch another Boston sports team play. Then, they announced the game would begin just 45 minutes late at 7:55pm. So, we watched them take the tarps off the field...



What would a trip to Fenway be without the classic ballpark food? It's all about the Fenway Franks here (for a mere $4.50!).


But, I opted for a more "gourmet" ballpark item, the cubano panini sandwich (with Boar's Head deli meats!).


For ballpark food, this sandwich was quite good!!!


Okay, back to the game. We were playing the Minnesota Twins. Jeff Bailey was called up from AAA today, and hit his first home run of of the season in his first major league at-bat of the season! Well done, newbie! Raise your plastic beer cups!


Of course, the famous green monster, which now has seating, as of a few seasons ago.


Can you see the Sox players are wearing green hats? This is in honor of Earth Day. Way to be GREEN, Sox!


During the 7th inning stretch, a little song...




One of my faves, Hideki Okajima came out to relieve Brad Penny.


Then, the Fenway tradition during the 8th.... "Sweet Caroline," sung by the entire crowd!!


Warming up in the bullpen...


And the crowd favorite, Jonathan Papelbon runs out to close the game out.



And a success it was!! We won 7-3. And it didn't rain another drop the whole night! Go Red Sox!

More food postings coming soon, I promise!!

Brownieees!

Ah, brownies. Quite possibly my absolute most craved dessert. I love a brownie with a rich chocolate flavor, moist, cake-like, with a nice crispy top. I especially like the end pieces, but who doesn't? I've been making this brownie recipe from the very talented Slow Like Honey since she posted it this past Valentine's Day, and I am confident to say that this, yes this exact recipe, yields my ideal brownie. They are, in fact, Bittersweet Brownies, as they utilize 70% bittersweet chocolate. This time around, I got 60%, but they still came out just bittersweet enough.


I started by melting the chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Or a makeshift double boiler like this one...


Ooh, it comes out so smooth and creamy when it's all melted.


I beat the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla together in a separate bowl, until fluffy (again, by hand since I lack a hand or stand mixer... a good workout for my guns).


Once the chocolate cooled just a bit, I poured and scraped it into the egg and sugar mixture.


And mixed it together...


Then added the flour.


I poured the batter into a greased pan that was dusted with cocoa powder, spreading evenly. The recipe below is for a 9x9 pan, but I made a 1.5 recipe, which is why I'm using a 9x13 pan.


I baked in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, until a chopstick came out clean.


Make sure you let it cool completely before cutting! If you're anything like me (and also like Slow Like Honey), you have a pet peeve with the top crust crumbling and falling apart when cutting, and being unable to get a nice clean slice of brownie. Well, too bad! It's going to happen! It tastes the same anyway!


Not too sweet, not too fudgey, not too chewy, not too crumbly, and in the words of Goldilocks, this one is just right! With a nice glass of milk, or served warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, this brownie is sure to become your favorite too.


Bittersweet Brownies
from Slow Like Honey

Ingredients:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, 60% or higher, coarsely chopped
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
scant 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp (1.2 oz) all-purpose flour

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, and place over a saucepan of just simmering water (not boiling!). Or just use a double boiler.
3. Stir frequently until everything is melted and smooth. Resist temptation to stop making brownies and just consume chocolate/butter. Remove bowl from heat and allow to cool just a bit.
4. In a bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla until eggs are thick and light-colored, maybe about 2 minutes.
5. Whisk in the warm chocolate.
6. Stir in the flour.
7. Scrape the batter into a 9x9 pan that has been greased with butter and dusted with cocoa powder. (Or line the pan with foil, as Slow Like Honey does).
8. Lick the bowl and spoon. Wipe your face.
9. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick/chopstick comes out clean.
10. Allow to cool. Slice into pieces, or just dig in with a big spoon. You will be in heaven!