Mini Breakfast Bites

Mini Breakfast Bites

Adapted from: Kalyns Kitchen

Ingredients:

12 Eggs

1 Cup Cheddar Cheese

4 Sausage Patties, cooked and crumbled

1/4 Cup Green Onions, chopped

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375.
Spray muffin tins with cooking spray.  Fill bottom of each with sausage crumbles and green onions.
Mix eggs and cheese together and scrambled.  Add egg mixture to each muffin tin.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until tops begin to brown.
Serve warm or refrigerate and microwave to warm before serving.

Botanic Garden and Ben's Chili Bowl

After an entire week of cold wind and rain, 55 and sunny this weekend felt pretty amazing so of course we had to get outside and enjoy it.  Our day started with delicious chocolate chip banana pancakes and only went up from there.  We headed to the United States Botanic Garden and were totally stunned by the gorgeous place.  The botanic garden is located right next to the Capitol and has incredible views both inside and out.



Can you believe this place is FREE?!





Although we have tried a half smoke at Nationals stadium, we still had not been to Ben's Chili Bowl.  We joined the ranks of Barack Obama, Bill Cosby, Paula Dean, and all of the other and finally had burgers, sausages, and fries covered in cheese and delicious spicy chili.  Ben's Chili Bowl is a DC must try and I totally get the appeal -- the food is so yummy, the place is colorful and fun, and even with a long line they get you through quickly.  You really feel like you are somewhere special looking at the pictures of all of the people who have eaten in the same exact place.



We finished out our DC day date eating fresh pastries and walking around the Eastern Market (a giant Flea Market and Farmers Market).  Next time we go, we will definitely be prepared with bags to keep food cold because I could have bought almost every single thing there!

Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies

What to do when a special occasion is tomorrow and you haven't made any sweet treats yet...cake mix cookies!  Last week, I totally forgot to make something for Rob's roommates for Valentine's Day so I was raiding my pantry for anything simple to make.   I did NOT want to go to the store for any extra ingredients so I made these cookies.  They turned out better than I could have even hoped...quick, easy, and so yummy.  In my hurry, I just snapped a picture of them cooling in my kitchen but I promise they really were pretty and pink in person ;)

Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies
Adapted from: Taste and Tell

Ingredients:

1 Box Strawberry Cake Mix

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/2 Cup Coconut

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350.
Mix all ingredients together.
Roll tablespoon sized balls of batter and place on baking stone.
Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Tip: The batter feels super oily...like really oily.  BUT I promise you did not do anything wrong and the cookies turn out delicious and not oily at all.  They actually come out nice and chewy!

Potomac Point Winery

My best friend and roommate from college, Molly, came into town for a visit this weekend with her boyfriend.  It was the first time Molly had been to Stafford AND our first overnight guests!  Rob and I had such a great time showing them our favorite things to do here. We took them wine tasting at Potomac Point, gave them the tour of the town, went out for drinks at Capital Ale House, and had brunch at Foode. It was great seeing her and being back to our old antics! It is also nice to have today off for an extra day to recover ;)

Pearmund Vineyard

Rob and I spent Sunday crossing a few more wineries off of our list.  We headed to Pearmund and Vint Hill to enjoy the gorgeous sunshine and a few glasses of vino.  These two took our winery count to 36! We had a wonderful tasting at Pearmund with an extremely knowledgeable pourer, which makes everything better.  Chardonnay is their claim to fame (the only grapes they grow on property) however we loved the Collaboration (a red blend).  We had a glass (or two!) with delicious onion soup out on the patio next to the fire pit.  It was the perfect end to our weekend.

The onion soup reminded me of a recipe for french onion soup that I made in a hurry last week and didn't have any pictures of.  I love french onion soup on cold days and I think it is truly worth the extra effort to make it homemade.  We ate it with grilled cheese and it was the perfect winter meal!  The best part for me was being able to make it and not have to worry about timing it to when Rob would be getting home...I just left it simmering and it was ready whenever he got home.  Plus being meat-free, it is perfect for Fridays during lent!

French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

1 Onion, thinly sliced

1 t Garlic, minced

7 cups Beef Broth

1 T Soy Sauce

1 t Thyme

1 t Flour

4 Slices Bread (I like something thick and crusty)

4 T Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated

2 Slices of Provolone Cheese

Directions:
Add onions, garlic, and one cup of beef broth to a medium sized pot and cook over medium heat, stirring regularly for about 20 minutes until all broth is gone and onions are brown and caramelized.
Add the rest of the beef broth, soy sauce, thyme, and flour to the pot and stir.  Simmer covered for at least two hours.
Cut two slices of bread into small cubes.
Spoon soup into oven safe bowls.  Stir in parmesan cheese and bread cubes then top with slices bread covered in provolone cheese.  Bake in oven for 10 minutes until cheese is melted and brown.

Cheddar Bacon Beer Muffins

Cheddar Bacon Beer Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup Heart Smart Bisquick

4 oz Beer

1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese

3 slices Bacon, crumbled

1 T Butter, melted

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 425 and spray muffin tins with cooking spray.
Mix all ingredients together and spoon into muffin tins.
Bake at 425 for 9 - 12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Salted Caramel Whoopie Pies

Salted Caramel Whoopie Pies

Adapted from: Land O'Lakes

Ingredients:

Cookies

1 Box Devil's Food Cake

1/2 Cup Butter, melted

1/2 Cup Water

3 Eggs

Sea Salt

Filling

1 Cup Butter, softened

3 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar

1/3 Caramel Sauce

1 t Vanilla

1 t Sea Salt

Directions:
Cookies - Combine cake mix, butter, water and eggs; beat at medium speed until smooth.
Cover and place in fridge for 15 minutes to rest.

Heat oven to 400 degrees and cover cookie sheets or baking stones with parchment paper.

Drop heaping teaspoons full of batter onto tray.  Gently press into desired shape with fingers (Cookies will not change much from initial shape after being baked)
Sprinkle with sea salt and bake for 5-7 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.

Filling - Beat butter at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low; gradually add powdered sugar. Beat until well mixed. Add caramel sauce, salt and vanilla. Beat until well mixed.

Pipe filling onto flat side of 1 cookie; place second cookie, flat-side down over filling. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling.

D O :: Indoor Shooting Range

Rob got home from his first FEX late on Thursday night and was more than ready to catch up on some much needed sleep.  I was just glad to have him home!  He got a little bit of every type of weather over the four days; only in Virginia does it snow, rain, and hit 70 degrees all in the same week.  I can't imagine sleeping outside in the rain, I don't know how they do it. I came across a couple of pictures of him doing some field first aid.  How about those "bloody" hands!


On Saturday, Rob took me to the range to shoot the pistol.  Rob practically shoots guns for a living and my family has always had guns but this was my first time ever shooting one.  I was really excited to go so it was completely shocking when I got in there and almost started crying.  I have no idea why but I was just so scared.  It was loud and shells were flying everywhere and I started doubting that I was even brave enough to try it.  I could not get my hands to stop shaking!  Rob was great and helped me a ton.  He is so strict about gun safety (I swear I heard "finger off the trigger" a thousand times) which was exactly what I needed being nervous.  I think I need a lot more practice, but at least now I know what it feels like.




Let's just say I plan on leaving the protecting to Rob. No wonder I sleep so much better when he is home ;)