The Un-Valentine Dessert: Chocolate Broken Heart Treats

Valentine's Day is coming up on Monday the 14th but not everyone has a special someone.  Or perhaps you're just not in a loving, romantic mood this year.  Or maybe, just maybe.... you're sick of seeing all the fancy, cutesy, festive, decorative and beautiful-looking food out there because you know you can't make it or emulate it!!!  I know I can't!  I am NOT a neat and clean kind of baker or cook!  I will prove that with several example photos tomorrow actually. 


Therefore, when your attempts to make heart-shaped cereal treats fall apart, I mean LITERALLY fall apart.... don't get upset!  Just go with it!  In fact, do what I did.....  make a broken heart treat!  Be original.  Be different.  Be candid.  How many recipes will you see for an un-valentine?  Huh?  Huh?  Yeah, that's what I thought!


So don't go for the best looking desserts during this romantic season.... go for the most creative and simple instead.  Just tell your friends and family that your heart is broken and it's up to them to put it back together (or make you feel and look whole again)!   :-)


And please enjoy this recipe and idea of mine.  It doesn't get much easier than this which I why I love it and had to share it here!  :-)





Chocolate Broken Heart Treats

(Makes 15 - 18)

3 cups of rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies
1 bag (11 oz) of chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli milk chocolate)
a heart shaped cookie cutter


Generously spray an 11x7 inch baking pan (or an 8x8 inch size pan) with cooking spray.  Set aside.  In a medium size sauce pan, melt the chocolate chips at medium heat on the stove.  Stir continually until smooth.  Remove from heat.  Add in the 3 cups of rice cereal.  Gently mix until all rice is incorporated and covered in the chocolate liquid.  Spoon out the chocolate rice cereal into the greased baking pan.  Press down firmly and evenly throughout the pan.  Place in the fridge for at least two hours before cutting. 




To make the broken hearts, I first cut the chocolate rice cereal into 15 squares.  I then used a heart-shaped cookie cutter to form a heart out of the square, like the below photo: 




Since the rice breaks apart easily, the "heart" may actually "break" on its own.  Or you can use a knife to cut a slit down the center and "break" it apart yourself. 


Have fun with this dessert and telling your friends and loved ones what they can do with it or how they can "fix" your "broken heart."!  Serve them with a knife or fork through them as well. 


Keep them chilled in the fridge until ready to eat so the chocolate won't begin to melt.  Or you can let them melt a little so they'll become really ugly and look like the heart is pooping or bleeding brown goop.  How's that for a Valentine?  ;-)




Enjoy!  And I hope your heart isn't breaking over how silly this recipe and my post is today!  :-)  Have a Happy Un-Valentine's Day or a regular Valentine's Day, whatever you choose to celebrate! 

Sausage and Black Bean Soup

I was feeling sick for several days last week so I changed my meal plan to include a new soup recipe.  For convenience (and due to sheer lack of energy), I wanted to use my slow cooker so I could just throw in a bunch of items and not think about it for eight hours. 


So I looked in my pantry for foods I had on hand and decided to adapt this recipe I found for a black bean and sausage soup.  The original recipe called for andouille sausage which I didn't have.  However, I always have turkey sausage in my freezer.  So I pulled some out along with some pureed veggies for my own healthier and not-as-spicy soup.  I hoped that it would make my cough and stuffy nose go away.  It did help by the way.



I really enjoyed the soup. It reminded me of all the ingredients I use in my chili except this had a broth and lighter texture to it of course.  Since my husband Kirk doesn't really like or eat too many soups, I have tons of it leftover that I froze and will enjoy again in the future.  (Insert wicked, selfish laugh!)



Here is the recipe that I think is worth trying if you enjoy soups, sausage, beans and a combination of them all!






Sausage and Black Bean Soup
(Serves 10-12)

Adapted from Food.com
4 cups of chicken broth, all natural
2 cans (15 oz each) of black beans, drained but not rinsed
1 can (15 oz) light red kidney beans, drained but not rinsed
1 cup of pureed or shredded carrots
1/2 cup of pureed or chopped spinach (optional)
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 onion, diced
1 sweet red pepper, diced
1 can (14 oz) of diced Italian tomatoes, undrained
2 large links (1 lb) of sausage, whatever you like (I use turkey sausage)
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp crushed bay leaves
salt and pepper - a dash of each



Turn on the heat to your slow cooker as you open up all the cans and your other ingredients.  Combine all ingredients and stir.  Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours.  Taste and see if you need to add any additional seasonings.  Mine was perfect.   Note: I chose to cook mine on low for about 9 hours.





Does your family enjoy soups?  What is your favorite kind?

Morning After Smoothie

Whew, my stomach is still aching from all the foods I ate on Sunday for my non-Superbowl party!  We stuffed ourselves with chips and dip, grilled steak and chicken and more.  I'm not even in the mood to look at things to eat this morning.  So I thought I'd share my "Morning After Smoothie" recipe.  This is great when you may have eaten too much the day before or if you drank too much too (and perhaps have a headache). 


And forgive me for mentioning this too but I can't help it..... if you're also having trouble with digestion or going to the bathroom, then this recipe is good for that too.  Every time I drink a smoothie like this one, I'm making a trip to the "potty" and feeling a lot lighter real soon.  :-)   :-)


So enjoy this drink today for whatever reasons you have.  Or simply because it's easy and tasty!





Mandy's Morning After Smoothie

(Serves 2,  or makes about 32-40 oz)

2 ripe bananas, peeled
1 and 1/2 cups of berries of your choice, rinsed (I used blueberries I had in the freezer)
1 cup of crushed ice
3/4 cup of reduced fat milk OR Greek plain yogurt (I used vanilla flavored Greek yogurt this time!)
3 tbsp honey (or sugar or agave nectar)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract


Place all ingredients in a blender.  Mix until smooth.  Add water or milk if needed until you have your desired thickness level.  Pour into two glasses.  Serve. 


I will often make my smoothie the night before and leave it in the fridge.  Therefore, I can just wake up and grab it in the morning. 




When you overeat or have a tummy ache, what do you do?  What are the foods and/or drinks that make you feel better again?

What's Cookin' This Week (Feb. 7-13, 2011)?

Today we're having a non-Superbowl party with friends of ours!  We're barbecuing steaks, chicken, sausage and hotdogs.  We're having chips and dips, macaroni and cheese and I made three desserts.  We will laugh and carry on just like we were watching the big game.  But we'll probably just listen to music, talk, drink beer and play video games instead.  I don't even know what time the game comes on television or what channel it is on.  But that's okay!  All I really care about is being hostess to my friends today.  Plus all the highlights will be replayed about the game, the commercials and more tomorrow anyway!  I hope you have a fun day planned ahead, whether you are rooting for one of the teams or just doing your own thing like me.


This week I'm starting off with a few new recipes.  Then I will end it with some comfortable, stand-by favorites.  My husband reminded me that I don't need to cook new every day or every week.  The recipes that are printed in my cookbook are there for a reason - they're some of our absolute favorites!  So I'm going to start incorporating more of our family's best into my meal plan each week.



The plus side to including my stand-bys is that I can then free myself up to try an assortment of new desserts and snacks for upcoming Valentine's Day.  If I find enough good ones, I may even do an entire "sweet treat" week for you!  We shall see what happens though! 



Monday, Feb. 7 - Tofu Sloppy Joes with corn and salad - I'm hopeful to try this out - my first ever tofu dish!


Tuesday, Feb. 8 - Potato Pizza with side salad - I'm going to use REAL potatoes for this of course, NOT the instant kind!


Wednesday, Feb. 9 - Leftovers or eat from freezer


Thursday, Feb. 10 - Chicken Spaghetti with green beans


Friday, Feb. 11 - Breakfast for dinner: German Pancakes with homemade syrup, will serve with a side of turkey bacon and grits


Saturday, Feb. 12 - Cheater Enchiladas from my cookbook


Sunday, Feb. 13 - Ham and Potatoes Casserole from my cookbook


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Here are the fun, festive Valentine's snacks and desserts I hope to make this coming week:


(1) Red Velvet Marble Cupcakes - adorable and it only makes 12, perfect!



(2)  Chocolate Hearts - kid friendly!



(3)  Conversation Heart Fudge - kid friendly and cute!



(4) White Chocolate Cranberry "I Love You" bark - my own personal recipe (coming soon)!



(5) Granola fruit cake - well, I need something healthy to help offset all the sugary items above!



What's on your meal plan this week?  Anything special that you are looking forward to making or baking?

When In Doubt, Do You Order Out?

Are there some foods that you just prefer to order out instead of make because of the trouble or the cost or some other reason?   As I try to learn and experiment with cooking new foods, I'm sometimes disappointed with the end result. 


Like this week for example, I attemped another chicken tenders recipe.  I found this simple almond chicken strips dish and it sounded very tasty.   I should mention that this is my third time making my own, at-home chicken tenders or nuggets.  And just like the first and second times I made them, these didn't turn out so great.  They weren't awful but they weren't wonderful either.  I would NOT serve them to a crowd of friends or strangers. 


So this got me thinking..... perhaps there are just some foods that most of us average cooks (like me) should just order out instead?  They're just not worth the trouble, especially if they don't turn out as great-tasting!  Chicken tenders is one of them for me.  Sushi is another one.  Although I haven't actually tried to make my own yet, it sure seems like a world of trouble to make the rolls, to form the rice in just the right consistency and to have the freshest, best fish on hand. 


Fancy cakes and desserts are another hangup of mine.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the sweet stuff but you'll notice that many of my posts are for simple desserts, things like bars, brownies, simple cakes and bite size items.  When I read a recipe and it has 50 steps or more than 20 ingredients, I just get overwhelmed.  I don't want to bother with layers and lots of fillings.  Typically, I will only spend an hour or less on prepwork for any food item, no matter what that is. 


Perhaps when my 3-year old daughter is older and can actually help me out in the kitchen, I'll tackle more difficult or time-consuming projects.  Or when she's out of the house and can't distract me for a potty break or snack item, I will venture above and beyond.  But for now, since it's just me, I like to keep things simple and less than an hour.  When I am full of doubt, I throw up my hands and then start dialing for take-out.   What about you?

Are there some foods that you avoid making and prefer to have while at restaurants?  When in doubt, do you order out?


Good luck with your parties and Superbowl events this weekend!  I hope I've given you some new ideas that you may try out for your guests. 


But as this post suggests, sometimes you may want to order out -things like chicken wings or football-shaped cakes- if you don't have the time or want to go through the trouble of doing it yourself.  Make the simple stuff, like my ham and ranch roll-ups and my pretzel party mix!  Then let someone else stress over the rest!  Enjoy, that's what life is about! 

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cereal Treats (And A Love Letter)

Whoever thought of combining peanut butter and chocolate deserves a trophy!  I mean, really.....is that just not the perfect pair?  In fact, I think that person deserves a love letter from me.  Here you go:


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Dear Inventor of combining Peanut Butter and Chocolate,

You're a genius, first of all.  You should have your photo up there with the rest of the presidents of Mount Rushmore!  You deserve a Nobel Peace Prize!  I bet if terrorists took a bite of you before going out on a mission, they'd rethink their anger then just sit and want a glass of milk instead. 

I know I can always count on you to make me feel better.  You're better than chicken noodle soup when it comes to comfort. 

What did people do before you came along?  Eat chocolate and peanut butter separately??  What a crazy notion!  They need each other.  They belong together.  Even more so than jam or jelly with peanut butter! 

And now I will write you a poem expressing my gratitude for your amazing invention:


You've changed my life in more ways than I can say. 
You always brighten my day.

You're a gift I love to eat.
A real delicious treat.

I know this very clearly
I love you, oh so dearly!

Will you always be around?
To get rid of my frown?

Say you'll be mine.
My forever valentine!

I hope you enjoyed the above lines.  I will be thinking of your perfect combination and counting down the moments until I can enjoy you together again....

With Love,
Your humble servant
Mandy of Learn, Laugh, Cook


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Okay, okay, enough of that love fest!!  Here is a dessert that inspired the above love letter....  A dessert that combines those two wonderful foods - chocolate and peanut butter.  This is easy-to-make snack will surely be a hit at your parties and events.  I hope you enjoy it!






Chocolate Peanut Butter Cereal Treats

(Makes 32)

Adapted from Rice Krispies

1 cup of creamy peanut butter (I used a reduced fat kind)
1/4 cup of light butter, softened
1 cup of powdered sugar
2 cups of Rice Krispie Cereal or other rice brand cereal
1 and 1/3 cup (10 oz bag) of milk chocolate chips
2 tbsp canola oil
muffin paper cups (I needed 32)


First, beat the peanut butter, powdered sugar and butter in a large bowl with a hand mixer.  Blend at medium speed until incorporated.  Add in the rice cereal and blend with a spoon.  Shape the mixture into round balls.  Place each one in a muffin paper cup.  Refrigerate for at least an hour. 





After the peanut butter cereal has hardened, prepare the chocolate topping.  Do this by melting your chocolate chips with the oil in a small sauce pan on the stove.  Use low heat and stir continually until smooth.  Remove from heat and grab the peanut butter balls from the fridge.  Pour approximately 1 tsp of the chocolate liquid over each peanut butter ball.  Repeat this for each one.  Then place treats back in the fridge so the chocolate can harden.  This will take 1-2 hours. 


Once the chocolate has hardened, you can place each of the cereal treats in a plastic container for easier storage.  Chocolate-peanut butter treats should remain in the fridge until ready to serve. 


This is very easy to make and the impact of this dessert is powerful!  I made this for a meeting I attended last week and a half-dozen people were foaming at the mouth over these!   Sooo good!





Do you love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate?  What's your favorite sweet and salty pair?  Have you ever wanted to write a love letter to food before OR is that just me? :-)

Party Pretzel Mix and Mexican "Soup" Dip



Woo-hoo!  Today is a two for one!  Don't you love a good "BOGO" (buy one, get one free)?  Well here are two recipes in one post just because I like you and I want you to have more food ideas for the upcoming game weekend. 


Here are two very simple snack recipes for your parties and gatherings.  First is a party pretzel mix.  This one is an easy, throw together before you go to bed the night before mix that adds some deep flavor to just your typically salty bag of pretzels.   The other one is a healthier Mexican dip, which my husband dubbed as "soup" dip.  You probably could serve it as soup with chips on top.  But I served it as a thick dip with chips to dunk into.  Either way, it's very tasty.


I would suggest serving both of these items separately but perhaps at the same event to "wow" your guests!




Pretzel Party Mix
(Serves enough for a good crowd!)

1 bag (16 oz) of pretzels
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 package of dry envelope Ranch dressing mix
1 tsp ground basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground dill weed


In a large plastic container or bowl, pour the olive oil.  Then toss in the entire bag of pretzels and coat them in the oil.  Sprinkle the ranch dressing mix, basil, garlic powder and dill weed.  Mix well with a large spoon or your hands.  Cover the bowl or container.  Shake the pretzels up and then leave overnight to coat and soak up seasonings.  The next day, shake up the pretzels again.  Then serve to guests. 


Note: You can make this one several days in advance and just keep it in an air-tight safe container.  If you forget to make ahead and need a last-minute fix, then you can bake in the oven for 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  Let them cool for two minutes and serve.  Enjoy!



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Mexican "Soup" Dip

(Serves 12 - 15)

1 can (15 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained except for about 2 tbsp of juice
1 can (15 oz) of diced tomatoes, undrained
1 large avocado, mashed
1/4 cup of salsa
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup of shredded, reduced fat Mexican cheese (such as 2%)


Place all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl.  Stir and heat on high for five minutes.  Stir again and serve with baked tortilla chips or crackers.   Or if you think it's too "soup" like, just eat it as is and serve the chips on top.  Both ways are worth a try!  


Tomorrow I'll share a delicious dessert that will be great to share with guests for game day or any party you have!  I'll also reveal my love letter for a very special combination of foods that I adore!  Stay tuned!

Heartier Ham and Ranch Roll-ups

These ham and cream cheese filled sandwiches are sure to award you a "touchdown" at your sports parties, brunches or baby shower events!   I saw them originally posted at Taste of Home but knew I wanted to make them better for my family.  I even managed to sneak in some pureed cauliflower which you can't even taste!  The ranch flavoring is key and dominant on your taste buds, causing your guests to cheer and want more! 

Try them out on your "team" members!  I bet you'll "score" big!   :-)





Heartier Ham and Ranch Roll-ups

(Makes 40 mini sandwiches)

Adapted from Taste of Home

12 oz of cream cheese (I used 8 oz of light and 4 oz of fat-free)
1/2 cup of pureed cauliflower
1 envelope of dry ranch salad dressing mix
1/3 cup of green onions
8 whole wheat flour tortillas
8 oz of diced ham (mine was julienne style) or use 16 slices of deli ham meat


Mix the first three ingredients together.  You may need to soften the cream cheese slightly first.  Stir well.  Add in the green onions.  Gently blend.



Spread about 3 tablespoons of the ranch cream cheese mixture onto the whole wheat flour tortilla.  Then top with a portion of your diced (or deli thin sliced) ham.  Use about 2 tablespoons of diced ham or enough to cover the cream cheese mixture, like this: 





Then wrap and roll your tortilla tightly.  Repeat with each of the remaining ingredients and whole wheat tortillas.  I had the perfect amount to fill 8 of them.






Place the tortillas in the fridge for at least an hour before slicing and serving.  This will give the ham and cream cheese a change to fuse together more firmly. 


I sliced each tortilla into five mini roll-ups.  You can make more or less, depending on how you slice them or how thick or thin you wish them to be. 


Serve and enjoy.  Save a bite for yourself!



I wish this was a prettier picture for you.  But I promise you, they do taste great despite what they look like here.  Perhaps the deli ham would have made a better photo!?


What I love about this recipe is that it is so easy to throw together and I almost always have these simple ingredients on hand. 

You could opt to leave the cauliflower out.  But I'm telling you - it blends in right with the sandwich and rounds out the rest of the ingredients nicely!  Try it!