Chocolate Jack-O'-Lantern Bowls

If you haven’t realized it by now, I cannot get enough of these edible chocolate bowls! This is the third occasion that I’ve made them!

The first time I tried making them was 2 years ago for Chocolate Ice Cream Day. Chocolate bowls + chocolate ice cream sounded like a winning combination to me.

Most recently, I made them for Easter. I added cheesecake inside the bowls and a little lemon curd so they looked like eggs. They were pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself.

And now they’re jack-o’-lanterns in my latest creation!

When you finish making the bowls, you can fill them with anything. I wanted them to look a little spooky, so I decided to use dirt pudding with gummy worms! It made for a delicious 2-in-1 treat!

Before you skip down to the recipe READ HERE: Do not, I repeat, DO NOT dip the balloons in the chocolate while it’s still hot. The balloons will explode, causing a huge mess in your kitchen (been there, done that!).

Let the chocolate cool at least 10 minutes and test the temperature of before dipping them. Add oil if you’re worried about the chocolate stiffening too much.

Chocolate Jack-O-Lanterns
Yield: Makes about 8 to 10 bowls
Ingredients

• Pudding mix
• 2 cups milk
• 20 Oreos, crushed
• 4 ounces Challenge cream cheese
• 1/4 cup Challenge butter
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 12 ounces white chocolate, melted
• Orange food coloring
• Oil, as needed
• Chocolate frosting or melted milk chocolate for decorating

Directions

1. Whisk pudding mix with milk for several minutes until non clubs remain and set aside.
2. Put Oreos into gallon bag and crush until they’re in small pieces
3. Mix together cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar until smooth. Add in crushed Oreos and mix until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Melt white chocolate until smooth. Add orange food coloring until chocolate reaches desired color of orange.
5. The chocolate may seize up and not mix well when you add the food coloring. That’s okay! Just make it easier to stir by adding a little oil at a time,
6. This is IMPORTANT: Let chocolate cool for about 15 minutes until you dip the balloons. Otherwise, they’ll explode!
7. Dip balloons in chocolate so bottom portion and part of sides are completely covered. Set on baking sheet covered in wax paper and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
8. Pull bowls out of refrigerator and decorate using melted dark chocolate or brown frosting so they look like jack-o-lanterns. Pop balloons and peel them away from inside of egg.
9. Fill bowls with pudding about halfway. Then add the Oreo dessert and gummy worms.
10. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

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Guaco-tacos

If you could choose only one food to eat for the rest of your life, what would you choose? I always ask people this question, mainly because I’m hoping they’ll ask me the same thing.

If I could only choose one food to eat for the rest of my life, I would choose tacos, and let me tell you why! You see, tacos are very versatile. You can change the shell, the meat, the toppings, etc. There are limitless options.

Also, they’re actually not unhealthy, contrary to what a lot of people believe. They have carbs, protein, and veggies.

I’ve made a lot of taco dishes for my blog over the years (like this taco lasagna), and I’m excited to share another one today.

Let me introduce you to the guaco-taco! It’s essentially a taco in an avocado. But I stopped out the inside of the avocado, made guacamole with it, and added it back to the shells. I then topped it with taco meat, pico de gallo, and cheese. In a weird way, it’s a very similar concept to a twice-baked potato.

You can make the taco meat and veggies ahead of time for this dish, but I recommend waiting to cut into the avocados until you’re ready to serve the meal because avocados generally turn brown quickly.

Guaco-tacos
Yield: Makes 4 tacos (4 avocado halves, 2 whole avocados)
Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground beef or other meat of your choice
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 2 avocados
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/2 jalapeño, diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Additional toppings of your choice, like cheese, pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, and sour cream

Directions

1. Cook ground beef until it is no longer pink. Mix in taco seasoning, and set aside.
2. Cut open avocados and remove pits. Scoop out avocado flesh into bowl and mash. Gently stir in red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice and salt.
3. Add mixture back into avocados so they’re filled halfway. You’ll have some left over.
4. Top with taco meat, and your other favorite toppings like cheese, pico de gallo, and sour cream.

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Apple Cider Pork Chop Skillet

What is brining?

Brining is soaking meat in a liquid solution with salt in it. Brining actually changes the cell structure of the meat. It breaks down some of the muscle tissue, helping the meat draw in moisture. And it also seasons the interior of the meat. Brining does not make your meat salty. It keeps it juicy, and it will taste well-seasoned.

It’s always a good idea to brine lean cuts of meat, even if you only have 15 minutes.

Because brining helps with the flavor of the meat, it’s always good to brine with a solution that’s flavorful.

Apple cider gives it a wonderful subtle flavor. I also added rosemary to the bine since I’ll be using a lot of rosemary in the dish.

The best way to brine is to lay your meat in a single layer in a shallow dish and pour the brine on top.

Let the pork chops sit undisturbed for one half to 2 hours before cooking.

Because this is a fall harvest meal, I’m using fall produce to complete the dish. Sweet potatoes, vidalia onions, and of course, honey crisp apples work really well with the flavors. The pork chops don’t cook that long in the oven, so make sure to cut the produce up in small enough pieces so it becomes tender.

Apple Cider Pork Chop Skillet
Yield: Serves 2 people
Ingredients
Part One: For the brine

• 2 cups apple cider
• 1/4 cup salt
• Rosemary (about 2 sprigs)
• Two (4-ounce) pork chops

Part Two: For the skillet

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 sweet potato, chopped in bite-size pieces
• 1 small sweet onion, chopped in large chunks
• 2 honey crisp apples, chopped and cored
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon rosemary

Part Three: For the gravy

• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 Tablespoon Challenge butter
• 1 Tablespoon flour
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs rosemary

Directions

1. Combine apple cider, salt and rosemary. Pour over two pork chops in a shallow dish. Let sit undisturbed in refrigerator for 1/2 to 2 hours. Discard brine when finished.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Place large cast iron skillet in oven so it heats up while you’re prepping the pork chops.
4. Remove pork chops from brine and pat try.
5. Season pork chops with salt and pepper and rub with olive oil. Set aside.
6. Combine sweet potato, apple and onion in large bowl with olive oil and rosemary. Set aside.
7. Remove skillet from oven and place on stovetop on medium high heat.
8. Add oil to skillet and brown pork chops on one side. Set pork chops aside.
9. Wipe away excess oil with paper towel.
10. Add apple cider, Worcestershire sauce, and dijon mustard to skillet. Simmer for about 2 minutes on medium-high heat.
11. Whisk in butter, flour and bay leaves and simmer for an additional minute.
12. Return pork chops, sweet potato, apples and onion to skillet, and sprinkle with rosemary.
13. Bake about 20 minutes.
14. Remove from oven and serve by first spooning some of the apple cider gravy on top of the pork chops.

Recipe adapted from What Should I Make For...

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Savory Pumpkin Dishes

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

First and foremost, let me come out and say pumpkin is a winter squash.

It has come to my attention that many people don’t realize this, and they think pumpkin is just for pies and lattes. But actually, pumpkin is one of my favorite ingredients for savory dishes this time of year.

The smooth texture is great for sauces and soups, not to mention, it's packed full of nutrients like potassium, Vitamin C, and fiber.

It pairs very well with sage, smoked paprika, ginger, and cayenne, among other spices.

Spicy Sausage Pumpkin Gnocchi
Ingredients

• 2 pounds gnocchi
• 16 ounces spicy sausage
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
• 8 ounces Challenge cream cheese
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup half-and-half (or heavy cream)
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add gnocchi, stirring gently so they don’t all stick together. Cook gnocchi for about 2 minutes, or until they start to rise to the surface.
2. Drain gnocchi. Drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent them from sticking together and set aside.
3. Brown sausage in skillet; drain fat and set aside.
4. Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of saucepan and heat at medium heat. Sauté garlic and sage in saucepan for about 1 minute.
5. Add cream cheese and heat until melted.
6. Add pumpkin puree, half-and-half, parmesan cheese, smoked paprika and chili powder. Stir until thoroughly combined and simmer on low for several minutes.
7. Gently fold gnocchi and sausage into sauce until combined.
8. Serve warm and garnish with toasted walnuts and more parmesan cheese if desired.

Pumpkin Hummus

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup tahini 
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Pulse lemon juice, tahini, garlic, and salt together in a food processor or blender until smooth. 
2. Add garbanzo beans and olive oil and pulse until smooth. 
3. Add pumpkin, smoked paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper; pulse until well blended. Transfer hummus to bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. When ready to serve, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle additional smoked paprika on top.

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Taco Waffle Cones

Let’s taco bout a new trend that’s been popping up across the U.S. — savory dishes in waffle cones! I like this new trend a waffle lot for several reasons. First off, I’m a big fan of savory waffles. I mean really it’s just like a biscuit or bagel or any other bread-like product. Secondly, it’s easily portable. I’ve seen Instagram posts from people across the country stuffing their savory waffle cones with everything from fried chicken and macaroni and cheese to salads to falafels.

If you couldn’t tell by my puns in the first paragraph, this week I’m trying out the trend with tacos! This idea was original to me the. I first started prepping for my segment. However, I have since discovered that the “tacone” was being talked about as early as 2012 by Dude Foods.

I’m not entirely sure why it hasn’t completely taken off. It seems to me like they would be more popular by now. But I posted it on Twitter last night and a lot of people were really turned off by the idea. What is there to get upset about, people?! You’re just replacing the taco shell with a waffle cone. Oh well. As T-Swift, the great lyricist of our generation, would say “The haters are gonna hate hate hate.”

For this recipe, I attempted to make my own waffle cones without a waffle cone maker. The key word in that is attempted because I was unsuccessful. Twice. So you know what I decided to do instead? I bought some waffle cones and seasoned them with spices to make them savory. Waffle cones already aren’t too sweet, so that method worked out well!

Also, I have a few tips for making to most out of each bit of your tacone. 1) Before you stick the waffle cone in the oven to bake on the seasoning, throw some shredded cheese in the cone. It will melt on one side, and you get a nice even distribution of cheese. 2) If you’re going to use sour cream or guacamole, spread it inside of the cone, covering the circumference. Once again, it makes for a more even distribution.

Taco waffle cones
Ingredients

• Waffle cones
• Taco seasoning packet (or your favorite blend of spices)
• 1/4 cup olive oil (vegetable, canola and avocado oil work well too)
• Your favorite taco ingredients (beef, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, guacamole, etc.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Combine taco seasoning with olive oil
3. Brush mixture onto all sides of waffle cone and set on parchment paper. Continue until you have desired amount of waffle cones.
4. Place in oven for 5 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and let cool.
6. Fill with your favorite taco ingredients and enjoy.

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Unique cheese pizza ideas made in a cast iron skillet

So here’s the deal—I switched shifts at work, and the new time is kicking my butt. My manager left last month, so there was some shuffling around in my department. Long story short, I now have to wake up at 3 a.m. every day, and I’m tired!

Last week I did a segment on foil grill packets for Labor Day, and I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t get around to posting the recipe here on my blog. The chemistry class I’m taking as a prerequisite to get into a dietetics program also just started.

Even though I didn’t get around to writing the blog post for my segment, I wanted to share the sweet surprise my co-workers gave me last week!

Now that I’ve said my piece, let’s get onto this week’s topic: cheese pizza! There are well over 1,000 different types of cheeses in the world. So why don’t we branch out more?

That’s why I wanted to share some new ideas! Check out the following list of cheeses… You’ve probably heard of these cheeses, but my guess is you’ve never tried them on pizza. Heck, I hadn’t! But maybe you’ll reconsider now!

Ricotta
Soft cheese, spread it on the pizza
Can act like sauce on white pizza, but also great dolloped on tomato sauce pizza

Fontina
Semi-soft cheese and melts really well
Mild flavor
Pairs well with sage

Goat cheese
Does not melt well
Tangy and creamy

Feta
Salty, tangy and creamy
Great alternative to shredded mozzarella
Kind of melts

Blue cheese 
Semi-soft cheese that doesn’t melt well
Sharp cheese taste, salty

Also, just realized I forgot to mention the most important parts about this cheese pizza recipe—I baked the pizza in a cast iron skillet! Here’s why that’s a good idea (my brain is just working in lists today)!

1. Cast iron skillets get just as hot as pizza stones in the oven, and it happens more quickly. 
2. Most people are more likely to have a cast iron skillet than a pizza stone, thus making it a good suggestion (tootin’ my own horn) 
3. You can finally get a deep dish pizza at home 

Before we depart, I need to give you some tips for baking pizza at home!

1. Handle the dough with care — the pizza dough has all kinds of important gases that can’t be damaged. Don’t throw it around. Don’t put heavy items on top if it. 
2. No rolling pin— using a rolling pin to shape the dough will push out all of the gases and destroy the little air pockets the yeast produced, creating a denser and less airy final product. 
3. Crank the heat as a high as it will go on your oven. You better believe those wood-fired ovens at your favorite pizza place are hot, hot, hot! It’s the key to perfect crust texture. Lower temps translate to lame, limp crusts. 
4. More is not always better. You don’t need 9 different toppings for delicious pizza. Just choose 3 or 4 ingredients that really complement each other. 
5. Pre-bake the crust for about 5 minutes before adding your toppings. This will make the dough a bit firmer and prevent the crust from getting soggy. 
6. If you’re buying dough in a bag at Trader Joe’s, for example, take it out of the bag and shape it into a disc. Then let it rise for at least 20 minutes and up to several hours before you work with it. You’ll prevent the dough from “bouncing back.” 

3-cheese white pizza

Ingredients

• 1/2 pizza dough for skillets less than 12 inches (I used Trader Joe’s, but any brand or homemade version will work)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup Ricotta cheese
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• Fresh basil leaves

Directions

1. Minimum 20 minutes before baking pizza, take dough out of packaging, shape into disc, and let rest. It will increase in size and decrease bounce back*
2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit
3. Sprinkle cornmeal at bottom of cast iron skillet
4. Carefully stretch dough out with hands and form the dough to fit inside the skillet.
5. Once you place dough inside skillet, push sides of dough up around edge about 1 inch to form crust
6. Poke dough with fork to prevent air bubbles
7. Brush olive oil on dough and place in oven. Bake 5 minutes.
8. In the meantime, mix ricotta with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt.
9. Remove skillet from oven and top with ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan.
10. Place skillet back in oven for 12 to 15 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and top with basil and another drizzle of olive oil

Fontina balsamic pizza

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 pizza dough for skillets less than 12 inches (I used Trader Joe’s, but any brand or homemade version will work)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup Fontina cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Minimum 20 minutes before baking pizza, take dough out of packaging, shape into disc, and let rest. It will increase in size and decrease bounce back
2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit
3. Heat balsamic vinegar in small sauce pan over medium heat until it reaches a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until it reduces by half, or about 15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let cool
5. Sprinkle cornmeal at bottom of cast iron skillet
6. Carefully stretch dough out with hands and form the dough to fit inside the skillet.
7. Once you place dough inside skillet, push sides of dough up around edge about 1 inch to form crust
8. Poke dough with fork to prevent air bubbles
9. Brush olive oil on dough and place in oven. Bake 5 minutes.
10. Remove skillet from oven and top with garlic, fontina, and parmesan.
11. Place skillet back in oven for 12 to 15 minutes.
12. Remove from oven and top with balsamic glaze.

Goat cheese pesto pizza
Ingredients

• 1/2 pizza dough for skillets less than 12 inches (Use all of the dough for larger skillets) (I used Trader Joe’s, but any brand or homemade version will work)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup pesto
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles
• Fresh basil

Directions

1. Minimum 20 minutes before baking pizza, take dough out of packaging, shape into disc, and let rest. It will increase in size and decrease bounce back
2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit
3. Sprinkle cornmeal at bottom of cast iron skillet
4. Carefully stretch dough out with hands and form the dough to fit inside the skillet.
5. Once you place dough inside skillet, push sides of dough up around edge about 1 inch to form crust
6. Poke dough with fork to prevent air bubbles
7. Brush olive oil on dough and place in oven. Bake 5 minutes.
8. Remove skillet from oven and top with pesto, mozzarella, and goat cheese.
9. Place skillet back in oven for 12 to 15 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and top with basil.

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Bacon Buffalo Chicken Tachos

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

I am feeling very refreshed this morning after a nice, relaxing weekend. Do you ever just crave ordinary weekends? I often have an Energizer Bunny mentality and “keep going and going and going,” so it felt good to move at a much slower pace on Saturday.

The top item on my “to do” list this weekend was visit a farmers market. I have been guilty of not visiting any of the incredible ones the Indianapolis area has to offer, so William and I biked to the Garfield Park Farmers Market.

Garfield Park is just a little south of Indianapolis, not far from Fountain Square. The park is huge and absolutely beautiful. They also have a beautiful conservatory with an incredible garden.

The farmers market is just past that. They had about 30 vendors, ranging from local farmers to local artisans. We picked up some beet hummus (I like that it’s PINK!) and peach Sriracha jam.

Have you heard of “Tachos”? Essentially, they’re nachos, but tater tots replace the tortilla chips. I’ve seen them popping up more and more lately, and I have been tempted to create my own version.

Since today is Bacon Lover’s Day AND the home opener for the Colts preseason game, I decided to experiment with a bacon buffalo chicken version. Wow. Talk about game day comfort food at its finest.

I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Sometimes my diet is a victim of my creations. But you only live once, right?

Bacon Buffalo Chicken Tachos
Ingredients

• 1 (32-ounce) bag frozen tater tots
• 2 cups shredded chicken (I just used all white meat from one rotisserie chicken)
• 1 cup Buffalo wing sauce
• 1/2 cup Challenge butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup blue cheese dressing (can be replaced with ranch or omitted completely if you don’t like blue cheese)
• 5 slices bacon, chopped
• 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
• Abut 6 green onions, chopped (add more or less depending on taste preference)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying it with nonstick spray.
2. Spread entire bag of tater tots on baking sheet in single layer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
3. While tater tots are cooking, combine shredded chicken with buffalo sauce, butter, and garlic powder.
4. Remove tater tots from oven and place in cast iron skillet, casserole dish or pie dish.
5. Cover with shredded chicken and cheddar cheese. Place back in oven until cheese is melted, or about 5 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and top with blue cheese dressing, bacon, blue cheese crumbles and green onion.

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BBQ Chicken and Peach Quesadillas with Spicy Peach Salsa

August is National Peach Month, and finally the peaches are on sale and actually look good at the stores!

Peaches are full of wonderful healthy nutrients. In fact, they contain salicylates, which are the same compounds in aspirin. It’s believed these compounds may discourage blood clots from forming.

Normally, I use peaches for desserts, but today I wanted to use this for something savory.

This juicy peach salsa tastes great with this BBQ Chicken and Peach Quesadilla!

Spicy Peach Salsa
Ingredients

• 3 peaches, peeled and diced
• 2 jalapeños, diced with ribs and seeds removed
• 1 red pepper diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
• Juice from 1 lime (about 2 Tablespoons)
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Add all ingredients in bowl and stir to combine. 
2. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving with chips, chicken, pork, etc.

BBQ Chicken and Peach Quesadillas
Yield: Makes about 4 quesadillas
Ingredients

• 1 cup chicken, shredded
• 1/2 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 8 large tortillas
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
• 1/2 red inion, deiced
• 1 peach, diced
• Serve with peach salsa (optional)

Directions

1. Combine chicken, BBQ sauce and chili powder
2. Mix together cheddar cheese and pepper jack cheese
3. Heat large non-stick skillet over medium heat
4. Lay tortilla in skillet and sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese mixture on top
5. Add 1/2 cup chicken, red onion, and 1/4 of peach on top of cheese
6. Sprinkle another 1/4 cup of cheese on top
7. Cover with another tortilla to enclose filling
8. Cook until underside is golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes 
9. Flip and continue cooking until other side is golden
10. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling ingredients

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Fruit & Yogurt Parfait Cupcakes

After-school snacks were an essential part of my childhood. I always wanted Little Debbie and Pop-Tarts, but my mom wouldn't allow it. One time she even bough unfrosted Pop-tarts and told me that's how they're made now so I would like them less. (In case you’re curious, the frosting really does make a big difference. Don’t ever buy unfrosted Pop-Tarts.)

So most of the time I ended up with yogurt or fruit. Woe is me, I know. But I tell you what, if the yogurt I ate looked like these fruit and yogurt parfait cupcakes, I would have totally chosen them over Oatmeal Creme Pies or Nutty Bars.

Another fun note about this snack is you can make them ahead of time and keep them in the freezer so they're always available.

While we’re on the topic school, I wanted to share a little story with you all about something that happened recently to me. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m going back to school and taking the prerequisite classes in order to get accepted into a dietetics program. I’ve already screwed up once and taken the wrong chemistry class, a waste of time  and money and honestly it still makes me sick to think about.

But when I tried to sign up for the correct chemistry class this semester, I got an error  message. Apparently, I needed to take a college-level Algebra course before I could take the chemistry course. This was upsetting because it was going to set me back even more.

So I told the advisor there has to be some other way. She said the only other way is for me to take the math Accuplacer test and score well enough to test out of it. But she said it’s very hard and no one ever does. That didn’t stop me. I signed up for the test and committed myself to studying. It was hard. Very hard. I mean, seriously, when is the last time you used SOH CAH TOA and secant and cosine?

This week I took the test, and three hours later, I tested out of the math class and was able to sign up for chemistry! I really want to tell that advisor just how wrong she was.

The point of this story is don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t achieve your dream. They don’t know what you’re capable of.

Fruit & Yogurt Parfait Cupcakes

Yield: Makes about 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup granola
• 2 Tablesooons peanut butter
• 1 Tablesoon honey
• 2 cups Greek yogurt, any flavor
• 1 cup assorted berries
• Whipped cream, if desired

Directions

1. Add silicone baking cup to every cavity in muffin tin (if you don't have silicone, paper will do)
2. Mix together granola, peanut butter, and honey. Add spoonful of mixture to each cup and press down firmly.
3. Add enough yogurt on top of granola base so it comes to top of cup. 
4. Place several berries or desire fruit on top and freeze for minimum of 3 hours. It's best to freeze at least 8 hours.
5. Remove from freezer and add whipped cream if desired before serving.

Recipe adapted from Salty Canary

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Avocado Bacon Wontons

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

If you’ve been walking around planet Earth the past few years, you probably know that avocados are essentially the mascot of millennials. When is the last time you’ve been to a brunch spot and not seen a young person dining on avocado toast?

Fortunately, avocados are incredibly nutritious. Avocado is primarily fat, but it’s healthy fat that reduces inflammation and prevents the negative effects of aging.

My goal this week was to create a recipe that wasn’t a “health food,” but it also wouldn’t ruin your diet. Say hello to my newest creation: Avocado Bacon Wontons.

Some of you may be fans of The Cheesecake Factory’s avocado egg roll appetizers. That was the inspiration behind my ideas for these wontons. Except I knew I wanted to bake (not fry them), add cream cheese like a crab rangoon, and also include bacon because the saltiness is a good compliment to the avocado.

The most fun part of making these wontons is folding the wonton wrapper. The most basic shape is to fold the wrapper into a triangle. But my favorite shape is make a “flower bud.” I think it looks nice and it’s easier to pop the whole thing in your mouth. To do that, you for a triangle after sticking a teaspoon of filling in the center. Then roll the base (hypotenuse) of the triangle up halfway and bring the 2 sides together so they overlap. Squeeze them together so it sticks.

The trick to baking them so they become crispy like a fried wonton is to put a cooling rack over a baking sheet, spray the wontons with avocado oil (high burn point), and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Then take the baking sheet out of the oven, turn the broiler on high, and stick the baking sheet back in for no longer than a minute.

I just so happened to choose a recipe this week that focused on my hands, so I could show off the very special addition to my left ring finger. I am very excited to announce that William proposed to me last week at my favorite place, Mackinac Island. And with that, he has officially sealed the deal as my official taste-tester! It’s a position that lasts ’til death do us part!

Avocado Bacon Wontons
Yield: About 40 wontons
Ingredients

• 2 large avocados, skin and pit removed
• 8 ounces Challenge cream cheese
• 5 pieces of bacon, crumbled
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1 jalapeno, diced with seeds removed
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice (about 1/2 lime)
• Salt to taste or about 1 teaspoon
• 40 wonton wrappers
• Avocado oil spray (or another oil spray)
• Sweet chili or teriyaki sauce for dipping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine avocados, cream cheese, bacon, cup red onion, cheddar cheese, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, and salt in large bowl
3. Take 1 wonton wrapper and position it like a diamond with one point facing you. Dampen edges with water using pastry brush.
4. Put 1 teaspoon (no more!) of avocado filling in center, and fold the wonton wrapper so it’s a triangle. Pinch the edges to seal, making sure to squeeze out any excess air in the process.
5. Fold hypotenuse of wonton triangle up halfway and bring the two edges on either side together. Pinch to close. It may take some practice, but it should look like a flower bud.
6. Position baking rack on top of foil-lined baking sheet, and place wontons on rack. Spray generously with avocado oil spray.
7. Place in oven and bake for about 9 to 10 minutes, or until they start to turn golden brown. Turn on broiler and bake for an additional minute.
8. Remove from oven and serve with sweet chili sauce, teriyaki sauce, or your favorite sauce. They’re best right when they come out of the oven. If you plan to reheat, do so in oven to ensure they retain crispiness.

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Two-ingredient ice cream bread

Have you ever thought, “Wow three ingredients, that is just way too much. One less ingredient would make this way better”? No, I’ve never thought that either. But it is fun to experiment with minimal-ingredient recipes! Like the two-ingredient dough I made last month. It sure was tasty, but it was pretty tricky to work with.

This week I’m trying my hand at another new and trendy two-ingredient recipe: ice cream bread!

As you’re reading this right now, you’re skeptical. I get it. I was skeptical at first too. But if you think about it, there are a lot of ingredients that go into ice cream, like milk, eggs, sugar, etc. Add that to self-rising flour, and you have a very basic quick bread recipe. In fact, the texture is very similar to quick bread as well.

Use it to replace regular bread in mostly any recipe you desire. One important note: despite the fact that ice cream is super sweet, the bread doesn’t really have a strong flavor. So I recommend embellishing it with various extracts, chocolate chips, or chopped nuts.

I think part of the appeal of ice cream bread is the flavors are limitless. Birthday cake, cookie dough, strawberry cheesecake, you name it and it can be turned into a loaf of bread! I can see kids having a lot of fun with this!

Here are some tips for making this zany creation…

1. Use full fat ice cream. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what the scientific reasoning for this is, but you need the fat to get the right consistency.
2. If possible, let the ice cream melt on it’s own. Don’t microwave it.
3. Make sure the ice cream is completely melted. In all honesty, it should look like ice cream soup. If there are still unthawed chunks, the flour won’t mix evenly, and the texture will be funky.

Ice cream bread
Ingredients

• 2 cups (270 grams) melted ice cream, any flavor but make sure it’s melted
• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour (180 grams)
• Optional ingredients for added flavor: 2 teaspoons extract (vanilla, almond, strawberry… whatever your heart desires), 1/4 cup sugar for added sweetness, 1/4 cup chopped pecans, 1/4 cup chocolate chips, sprinkles

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare loaf pan with parchment paper and non-stick cooking spray
2. Allow ice cream to melt in large bowl. Once melted, add flour and whisk to combine.
3. Pour batter into loaf pan and smooth top.
4. Place in oven and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes—stick toothpick in center to check, and if it’s clean, it’s done
5. Let loaf cool before slicing to serve

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