Death by Chocolate Cheesecake

crust:
9 ounces chocolate cookies (I used chocolate cat cookies from Trader Joe's but you could use graham crackers or teddy grahams as well)
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
filling:
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used semisweet chocolate chips)
4 8-ounce packages of cream cheese (I used Neufchatel cheese)
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 4 large eggs
topping:
3/4 cup whipping cream
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 or 10 inch springform pan. Crush the chocolate cookies in a food processor (or by pounding them flat in a plastic bag). Put them in a small bowl and mix with sugar and melted butter, then press the mixture into the bottom of the springform pan. Bake 5 minutes, then let cool while preparing the filling.

Melt the 10 ounces of chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler until smooth. Cool slightly. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together cream cheese, sugar, and cocoa powder until smooth. Mix in the eggs one at a time, blending until smooth. Fold in melted chocolate and mix until blended. Pour over crust and smooth (I used an offset spatula). Bake about one hour, or until the center is set and appears dry. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes. Run a plastic knife or spatula around the edges of the springform pan to release the cheesecake. Cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To make the topping, melt the whipping cream, 6 ounces chocolate, and sugar together in a small saucepan over low heat, until smooth. Pour over the top of the cheesecake and spread so it covers smoothly. Chill until the topping is set, about one hour.

Chex Scotcharoos

6 cups Chex cereal

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

2 cups butterscotch chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Butter a large bowl, and measure out 6 cups of Chex cereal. Set aside. Butter a 9x13 dish, OR line a baking sheet with wax paper if you would like freeform scotcharoo's.
In a small saucepan, combine the corn syrup and sugar over medium heat. Once boiling, immediately remove from heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter. Pour over cereal and fold together. Pour cereal into the 9x13 dish, or use a large cookie scoop to drop cereal onto wax paper, and use your hands to press together and form them.
Using a microwave safe dish or a double boiler, melt together chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, 1/2 cup of peanut butter and vanilla. If microwaving, heat in 10 second intervals, stirring in between to prevent the chocolate from burning.
Once smooth, pour over cereal, or scoop onto the piles you have created.
Allow to cool completely at room temperature.

Pesto Ranch Chicken Thighs

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
6 ounce jar of pesto
1 package Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix
1/2 cup chicken broth

• dump everything into the crock pot & stir
• cook on High 3-4 hours or Low 6-8 hours

Farmer's Market Spaghetti

4 cups cherry tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, smashed 4 sprigs fresh thyme 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette (I use this recipe) 3/4 lb spaghetti noodles 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

• In a medium bowl, toss together tomatoes, garlic, thyme, and olive oil.
• Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until tomatoes have burst.
• Meanwhile, cook and drain spaghetti reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.
• Add the water back in with the drained spaghetti along with the balsamic vinaigrette and 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese.
• When the tomatoes are finished roasting, remove from oven and discard thyme.
• Add tomatoes and garlic to the spaghetti, scraping the baking sheet to make sure all the juices and flavored bits get all in there.
• Toss to combine well, serve with remaining parmesan cheese sprinkled over top.

 

Whole Wheat Pizza

3 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. yeast

1 1/3 cups cold water

1 Tbsp olive oil

Pizza sauce

Cheese

Toppings

• In a large mixing bowl add the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Mix to combine.
• Add the cold water and oil and mix until a soft dough forms. The dough will be sticky to the touch and a lot wetter than a traditional yeast bread dough. This is how it's supposed to be.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 3 days. The dough will not rise much in the fridge and that's ok.
• Pull the dough out the the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for one hour before using. While the dough is resting preheat your oven to 500 degrees.
• If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven to heat, too.
• When the oven is hot, cut your dough in half. Place half of the dough on a piece of parchment paper that is 18 inches long. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough (on top of the parchment paper) into a 12 to 14 inch circle.
• Top with 1 cup of pizza sauce, 1/4 cup grate Parmesan, 1 to 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella, and toppings of your choice.
• Bake pizza on the parchment paper for 10 minutes.

Pizza Sauce

2 T. olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

• In a small sauce pan cook the oil and garlic together over medium heat until the garlic starts to smell good.
• Add the tomatoes and simmer until it thickens a bit, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. DONE!

Ricotta, Tomato & Spinach Frittata

1 tbsp olive oil

cherry tomatoes

handful spinach leaves

small handful basil leaves

ricotta

6 eggs, beaten

• Heat oven to 375. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan and cook the tomatoes and toss for 1 min to soften.
• Remove from the heat, add the spinach leaves and basil, and toss together to wilt a little. Transfer all the ingredients to a greased 11 x 7 rectangular baking dish. Take small scoops of the ricotta and dot over the vegetables.
• Season the eggs and beat well, then pour over the vegetables and cheese. Cook in the oven for 20-25 mins until pale golden and set. Serve with salad.

Baked Oatmeal

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups applesauce, unsweetened

½ cup or 1 banana, mashed

6 packets of Sweetleaf Stevia or 1½ teaspoons stevia powder or use ½ cup honey

5 cups, Old Fashioned rolled oats { I used Bob’s Red Mill}

2 tablespoons flaxseed meal*

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

3 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2¼ cups milk (I used 1%)

Optional toppings: raisins, walnuts, chocolate chips

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana and Stevia together in a bowl.
• Add in oats, flax, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and mix well with wet ingredients.
• Finally pour in milk and combine.
• Spray a 12 and 6 capacity muffin tin with cooking spray or use cupcake liners. Pour mixture evenly into muffin tin cups.
• If using toppings add them onto the tops of muffins now. If using fresh or frozen fruit, drop it right into the batter.
• Bake 30 minutes until a toothpick in center comes out clean.
• Cool and enjoy or freeze them in gallon freezer bags.