White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Blondies

These are a mouthful for a couple reasons: the name is super long, and they are so tasty you'll keep shoveling them into your mouth :) I made these for a co-worker's birthday and they were quickly eaten up.  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, slightly leaving the paper overhang on the sides. Spray the parchment with non-stick spray.  In a microwave safe bowl melt the white chocolate with the butter.  Melt until until smooth, make sure you don't overcook! 

Once melted, add in the sugars. 

Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 25 minutes.  The top and edges will slightly brown.  Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

While the blondies are cooling make the cookie dough topping.  Beat the butter and sugars together until creamed, light and fluffy.  Add the cream and vanilla beating until just combined.  

With a spatula fold in the nuts and white chocolate chips.  

Spread the cookie dough mix on top of the cooled blondies evenly.

For the icing, melt white chocolate chips and put in a zip lock baggie.  Snip a small piece of the corner of the baggie off and drizzle the chocolate on top of the cookie dough layer.  Refrigerate until cookie dough is firm and white chocolate drizzle is set, around 30 minutes.

I must admit, I'm not a huge macadamia nut fan, but these bars were really fantastic.  The blondies are soft and the cookie dough layer on top is a real treat!  Adds a different texture to the blondie than normally you would expect.  Perfect for a birthday treat, or just to treat yourself.  Enjoy! 

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Blondies

Adapted from Handle the Heat

Serves 16 blondes (ha)

Blondies:

5 oz white chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup unsalted butter

1/4 sugar

1/2 lightly packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cookie Dough:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup salted macadamia nuts, chopped

4 oz. melted white chocolate - for drizzle

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  

Line a 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, slightly leaving the paper overhang on the sides. 

Spray the parchment with non-stick spray.  

In a microwave safe bowl melt the white chocolate with the butter.

Once melted, add in the sugars. 

Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 25 minutes.  

The top and edges will slightly brown.  

Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

For the cookie dough: Beat the butter and sugars together until creamed, light and fluffy.  

Add the cream and vanilla beating until just combined.

With a spatula fold in the nuts and white chocolate chips.  

Spread the cookie dough mix on top of the cooled blondies evenly.

For the icing: melt white chocolate chips and put in a zip lock baggie.  

Snip a small piece of the corner of the baggie off and drizzle the chocolate on top of the cookie dough layer.

Refrigerate until cookie dough is firm and white chocolate drizzle is set, around 30 minutes.

Atria - Martha's Vineyard, MA

Our last official dinner on Martha's Vineyard was at Atria.  It was a very short walk (across the street) from the Hob's Knob; but if it had been clear across the island I would have biked there for the amazing food!  I started out with the calamari, wok fried and crispy, they came with an aoili that was awesome.

For my entree I had the swordfish.  It came served with watercress, dill whipped potatoes, red onion and capers.  And a whole lot of flavor that wouldn't let me stop eating it!  It was delicious, I couldn't have picked a better dish for my last night on the island.

Before the dessert came I wanted to snap a picture of the whole group.  Usually the dinners were all of us between 6-7 tables, but tonight we had the whole room!  With just two tables, we were really able to enjoy every one's company. 

My table :)

They gave us a dessert tray with two of every dessert on their menu - more than generous.  

Chocolate gelato was one of my favorites.  Key word being ONE.  I would highly recommend Atria to anyone that visits the island, it's a very quiet and relaxing spot to eat and enjoy yourself.  Their patio (although a little too chilly when we were there) looked like it would be a blast in the summer too.  

Thanks for the great meal Atria, and all of the Backroads folks!

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Not to be too bossy, but I think you need some spice in you life.  We all need something to add some extra spice in our lives every once and a while, and this recipe is perfect for just that.  It'll knock your socks off... or boots, or sandals, or wooden shoes - depending where ya live of course! 

Gather up all these great spices and get ready.

Place all the ingredients except the chicken in a food processor, or high speed blender.  Process until well combined. 

Rub the marinade all over the chicken.  I used chicken breasts but you can also use drumsticks. 

Place chicken in a plastic bag and marinade in the fridge for at least 6 hours, I did this overnight.  When ready to make, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray a cooking dish with non-stick spray, and place chicken in the dish.  Bake for around 45 minutes, or until cooked through.  

I served with green beans but other great sides would be mashed sweet potatoes, rice or even beans.  This dish was so flavorful.  The marinade kind of creates a crust, and is very spicy.  I had to take water breaks, just to warn you!  Enjoy :)

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Serves 2

2 8oz chicken breasts

4 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 tablespoons allspice

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 

3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3 tablespoons dried thyme

1 green pepper, or jalapeno, seeded and cut

juice of one lime

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

Place all the ingredients except the chicken in a food processor, or high speed blender.  

Process until well combined. 

Rub the marinade all over the chicken.

Place chicken in a plastic bag and marinade in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or overnight.  

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  

Spray a cooking dish with non-stick spray, and place chicken in the dish.  

Bake for around 45 minutes, or until cooked through.  

Serve with whatever side you'd like!

Martha's Vineyard Part II

Welcome to Monday - and to Hob's Knob in Martha's Vineyard.  We stayed at this comfy B&B while we were on the island.  The whole place was so relaxing.  Especially the porch, which made me want a huge porch like this on whatever house I end up in one day. 

Yes, please! 

One the last day we rode our bikes from Hob's Knob in Edgartown to Vineyard Haven.  All along the water again.  This is the bridge where parts of Jaws were filmed.  Snapped a quick photo for ya!

Loved this picture.  Old little boat just hanging out in the water, very peaceful looking. 

We also rode our bikes through the Tisbury area, where all the houses look like gingerbread houses. It was really cute and made you feel like you were in some kind of fairytale. 

After a great trip, we took a ferry back to the mainland and headed to Boston to spend a few more days with my brother.  One of the major successes of the trip was teaching my Mom how to play Words with Friends.  Here she is concentrating very hard! ;) 

Hope you have a great first day of the week. 

Chesca's Restaurant - Martha's Vineyard, MA

We had one night in MV without the whole group to go out to dinner on our own.  There are so many options, it's really hard to pick one! We settled on Chesca's Restaurant , and Italian place in Edgartown that was just the right place!  We started with some wine and cocktails.

They serve warm bread and this awesome garlic butter to start out with.  Yum!

My Mom ordered the spinach and garlic tortoloni.  It had  asparagus and mushrooms with a brown butter sauce, it was rich and delicious.

I ordered the lobster ravioli with seared sea scallops.  I was in the mood for some great seafood and that's exactly what I got.  I am pretty picky when it comes to scallops, but these were really good ones and I enjoyed every bite.

Their deserts were way too great sounding to pass up.  We chose the salted caramel chocolate fudge cake with vanilla ice cream.  Wow, we were both full yet ate every bite of this dessert, it was amazing.  Salted caramel might be one of my new favorite things. 

If you're ever in the Edgartown area on the island, give Chesca's a try.  It's a relaxing restaurant, with really great food.  Don't forget dessert too!

Have a great weekend everyone... see you back here on Monday. 

Sweet Potato Dog Treats

I've started making all Mia's dog treats at home as opposed to buying them.  Just like with human food it's hard to tell sometimes what ingredients are really used and what's in them.  I found this recipe, it's simple and they turn out great!  It's one ingredient only, and any dog will love them.

I bought three organic sweet potatoes.  Cut them in slices, I got around 7-8 slicer per potato.   I made them a little thicker, as they dry they get a lot smaller.

Place them on a baking sheet and bake at the lowest temperature your oven will go, mine was 270.  Bake for around 8 hours, then let sit in the cooling oven for a couple more hours.  I baked them all day long then let them sit in the oven overnight.

They dry and shrink, and Mia loved them!  As I was taking pictures for the blog she kept getting her nose all up in my business.  Finally I let her indulge, she's one lucky dog :)

Sweet Potato Dog Treats
Makes ~24

3 large sweet potatoes

Preheat oven to the lowest temperature it will go, 270 degrees F.
Slice the potatoes into 7-8 pieces per potato.
Place on baking sheet and bake for around 8 hours.
Turn the oven off and let sit for another couple hours. 
Remove and let your dog eat them up!

Chappaquiddick, MA

We took a break from biking to take a tour of the island right off Martha's Vineyard, Chappaquiddick.  There's a lot of history and drama about the island, which you can google if you're curious, but there's a lot more to offer than that.  Right off the bat though, we crossed the infamous bridge and I snapped a quick picture...very small.

Part of our group in the truck ready to go!

There are no commercial properties on the island, it is very quiet and remote, and beautiful.

Many people fish or hang out on the beach, you can drive your car right up to the water and hang out.

The island's light house, which has been moved a couple times and hopefully found it's permanent home.

It's amazing inside.. the stairs on the way up!  One of my favorite pictures.

My Mom and I on top of the light house - where the view was hard to beat.  

The island is perfect for a day trip - lots to look at and learn about! 

Creamy Tomato Soup

A few weeks ago C and I were both very sick, and it was time for a delicious soup.  This is For The Glow's version of Tomato soup, it's healthy and really tasty.

Heat all ingredients except the avocado in a large skillet over medium heat.

Cover and let simmer for around 30 minutes.

Once heated through blend all the ingredients using a high speed blender or a Vitamix.  Add the avocado and blend until smooth and creamy.

Garnish with a piece of fresh basil and enjoy.  This soup really hit the spot, and when you use fresh ingredients you can really taste the difference.  Hope you like it! 

Creamy Tomato Soup

Adapted from For The Glow

5 large tomatoes, quartered

1 cup water

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 cup spinach

1 cup fresh basil

1 avocado, scooped

sea salt and pepper to taste

Heat all ingredients except the avocado in a large skillet over medium heat.

Cover and let simmer for around 30 minutes.

Once heated through blend all the ingredients using a high speed blender or a Vitamix.  

Add the avocado and blend until smooth and creamy.

Garnish with basil, sea salt and pepper to your taste.