The Lucky Monk

Last week we had the most amazing meal.  Mind you, it was completely unhealthy.  But so utterly yummy.

My hubby had to make a quick trip into O'Hare for work, so Bubba and I tagged along.  And any time we get the chance to have a meal out of town, I'm all over figuring out exactly where to go, researching menus and available cuisines.  Thank goodness for the Internet.

Using TripAdvisor, to which I've actually submitted several reviews, I discovered The Lucky Monk.  In the northwest Chicago suburb of South Barrington, it was located right near where we were planning to stay.  It's a unique, local joint (one of our criteria when dining), serving pub-style meals like burgers, pizza, and fish and chips, as well as self-brewed beers (Hubby enjoyed the Solitude Stout).  There were at least five things I could have ordered from their menu and been completely stuffed by.
When I saw Pickle Fries on the menu, I was immediately thrilled.  I've been on a quest for good pickle fries for I don't know how long.  Luckily, Hubby was agreeable to ordering them as an appetizer so we could share.  Perfectly crispy and served with a spicy ranch dressing, I could have eaten an entire order by myself.  Certainly the best pickle fries I've come across yet.

The Lucky Monk is known for their burgers, and rightfully so.  Our main course was a Grilled Cheese Burger, a half-pound USDA Prime Beef burger between two bacon-stuffed grilled cheese sandwiches.  It's served with their hand-cut fries, but we could have substituted Wisconsin cheese curds if we wanted (cholesterol much?).  I die.  Simply incredible.  And easily shared.  Wisely so.

Then, because we hadn't consumed enough calories yet, we decided to go all out and order dessert.  Yes, we did.  We chose the Holy Trio of Mason Jar Sweets and picked Warm Apple Crisp, Peanut Butter Brownie, and Vanilla Raspberry Cheesecake.  Hubby was enamored with the creamy deliciousness of the Peanut Butter Brownie (no shock there), but surprisingly, my favorite was the Warm Apple Crisp.  I'm usually not big on baked apples, but this was perfectly spiced and the apples weren't mushy at all.  Loved!!  I even bought Mason jars at Target later that evening so I could attempt this fantastic-ness myself at home.  Because I don't eat enough dessert already.

Needless to say, through no fault of The Lucky Monk and purely because of my sin of gluttony, I felt a bit ill later that night.  Too.  Much.  Food.  Eek.  Can you imagine if we hadn't split everything?!

I can't wait to go back and try their Warm Pretzel Trio.  And Crispy Fish Tacos.  And Cookie Skillet.  Shared, of course...

Chocolate-Covered Cookie Dough Bites

So remember my goal for 2013?  The blogging every week goal?  Yeah, well, that hasn't turned out like I hoped (i.e., my first post for April is on the LAST day of the month!).  Life happens though.  Like your kid getting sick (again) while your husband is away on business, which can really throw a wrench in your plans.  Catching said sickness from kid and feeling not so hot is a pretty big wrench, too.  Among other things.

So I hope this recipe will make up for my absence.  Now that it's (finally) warming up, it's a great no-bake way to fill your cookie craving.  And I'm trying out Ziplist for the printer-friendly copies of this recipe.  I hope I like it.  And I hope you do, too!

Chocolate-Covered Cookie Dough Bites
Adapted from Picky Palate
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Ingredients:
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, room temperature or softer (but not melted)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 24-oz. package of chocolate Almond Bark (or equivalent amount of preferred variety of chocolate chips)

Directions:
Place butter and sugars in a large bowl.  Using an electric or stand mixer, beat on high for 2-3 minutes, until creamy. Add vanilla and mix until well combined.  Add flour, salt, and chocolate chips and mix.  The dough will be quite crumbly.  Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper.  Use a small cookie scoop to collect the dough.  Place the dough in the palm of your hand and form it into a ball.  Because it is crumbly, you probably won't have luck rolling it into a ball, which is why squeezing seems to work better.  Place the dough ball on the parchment-lined pan and repeat.  The recipe makes 26-28 dough balls.  Place the jelly roll pan in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

While the dough balls are in the freezer, melt the chocolate using a double boiler or equivalent, stirring as necessary until smooth.  Avoid burning or scorching.  Remove the chocolate from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.  Again, stir occasionally as necessary to keep it from setting up.

Remove the dough balls from the freezer.  Dunk the dough bites in the chocolate, one by one, until evenly coated.  Remove and place back on the parchment-lined jelly roll sheet.  Repeat until all the bites are coated.  Place the pan back into the freezer for an additional 30 minutes to solidify the chocolate.

Store the bites in a covered container in the refrigerator.  Remove prior to serving and allow to come to room temperature.

Easter Basket Ideas for a Tween Boy

I always go overboard at Easter when it comes to baskets.  I mean, really overboard.  Not in spending too much money, because the items are just little, essentially stocking stuffers.  But to the point that stuff does not fit into the basket.  At all.  I have to prop up all the extras around the basket.  And I always vow to control myself the next year.  I did a little better this time, partly because I bought Bubba a bigger basket last year.  But it's mostly because Bubba is at that difficult stage.  Not difficult in attitude (yet!), but difficult to buy for.  No longer a little kid (he does still love his stuffed animals), but not entirely a big kid either (not looking forward to THAT day!).  Also difficult in that I'm not exactly sure if he believes in the "Easter Bunny" anymore.  Not that it will matter though. He'll get an Easter basket even when he doesn't believe.  I didn't believe in the bunny when I was 17, but I sure looked forward to that basket!

So even though I tend to buy too many basket stuffers on my own, I still felt like I needed a few ideas.  The seasonal section at Target wasn't much help; the items there are for really little kids or girly or just not right for my boy.  Googling "tween boy Easter basket" didn't help much either.  There were suggestions for teens (who are clearly not believers in the bunny anymore, making gift cards a big addition) or entire baskets available for purchase from Amazon, which really isn't my thing.  I finally decided to use some of the teen suggestions and added some of my own ideas, based on what I know E likes.  And I went overboard.  Again.  But I think it's fun and I hope he likes it.  It's exciting to see his face when he finds the basket (and all the accompanying overflow of loot) on Easter morning!  

If you're looking for a few last-minute Easter basket ideas for your tween boy, this is what I came up with: 
Video Games - E likes video games (what tween doesn't), so when I found a used Nintendo Pirates of the Caribbean 3DS game online for a reasonable price, I built around that.  He needed a new DS car charger (check) and ear buds (check).  Hubby picked up some Angry Birds gummy candy and a Mario Pez-type dispenser to toss in as well.
Books - My boy loves the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, so I included a hardcover copy of the first in the series.  He also likes graphic novels.  I found the Action Bible at Sam's Club, which was perfect, considering it is Easter (after all!).
Art - Ever since he used the Biggie Perler Beads at vacation Bible school a few summers ago, Bubba has been wanting to have some in his art stash to work with.  I also bought a mechanical pencil, a doodle pad, and some water color pencils for my little artist.
Summer Toys - I always used to buy bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and sandbox items for his Easter basket, but I think he's probably outgrown those.  He needs sunglasses that don't have Mickey Mouse or Thomas on them, so those seemed a natural choice!  We have always included a nice kite and I continued that tradition with a fighter plane-style model this year.
Silly Stuff - What 9-year-old boy doesn't love a whoopee cushion?  And a Superman bobblehead?  And glow-in-the-dark bracelets, for that matter?!
Traditions - Candy, of course!  I know he loves gum and KitKats.  Cadbury Eggs.  Peeps.  Life Saver Gummies.  A chocolate bunny.  And I was really excited to find a chocolate CROSS at Walmart (although now I don't know if I feel right about eating the cross...but that's another discussion entirely).  I also put a little cash in a "golden" egg.  Because money burns a hole in my boy's pocket.  I'm sure I'll get it back pretty quick when he decides to buy some Amazon downloads with it!  Oh, and a fun new toothbrush with a new kind of toothpaste.  E hates trying new toothpaste, so maybe if the bunny brings it, it will go over better.  And our dentist won't completely disapprove, either.
I also considered including an Amazon or iTunes gift card and a tennis racket, but I clearly already have purchased enough.  I also thought about swim gear, but I bought him new swim trunks on clearance last summer, he's not a big fan of flip-flops, and we have plenty of beach towels.  I've done DVDs in the past, which always go over well.  In future years, when I'm certain the bunny is absolutely no longer a factor, coupons for privileges and small treats like frozen yogurt or bottles of soda are thoughts, too.

Do you give baskets for Easter?  If so, what types of items do you usually include?

Dark Chocolate Cookie-wiches (Cookie Sandwiches)

Have you ever eaten a cookie-wich?  You know, a cookie sandwich.  Like an Oreo, but with better cookies.  Soft, moist cookies.  And LOTS more frosting.  If you haven't, then this is the place to start.  Because these are scrumdeeliumptious!

Dark Chocolate Cookie-wiches
Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction and Beantown Baker
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Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1 bag dark chocolate morsels
Frosting
12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup milk

Directions
Place the softened butter in a large bowl and cream on medium speed.  While the mixer is running, add the sugars and cream until light and fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs and vanilla, and cream until smooth.  Set aside.  In another large bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together.  Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing slowly.  Add the milk and dark chocolate morsels.  When combined, the dough will be thick and very sticky.  Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours.  Preheat oven to 350F degrees.  Using a medium-size cookie scoop, scoop the chilled dough onto baking sheets.  Bake for 12-13 minutes.  Cookies will be very soft, so allow them to cool slightly on the baking sheets for 7-10 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.  While the cookies are cooling, cream the butter and vanilla for the frosting together.  In a separate bowl, sift together the powdered sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder.  Add the milk, a little at a time, as you may not need all of it to reach the desired consistency.  Beat at medium-high speed for 5 minutes.  Once the cookies have cooled completely, use a large cookie scoop and place a dollop of the frosting on one of the cookies.  Place a second cookie on top of the frosting and slowly and gently sandwich the two cookies together.  Store refrigerated in a sealed container.  Allow to warm to room temperature prior to serving.

Servings:  Recipe makes 21 cookie-wiches (42 single cookies) with about 1/2 cup of frosting left over.  You can do like my hubby and smear it on any other single cookies you have sitting around the house!
Calories:  I have no idea because I don't want to know!

Crock Pot Pea-nutty Asian Chicken

So much for my goal.  My blogging goal.  At the beginning of the year, I made it my goal to blog every week, on Tuesday, with a longer term goal of posting twice per week.  Like a real blogger.  January was great; right on target.  But then came February.  One post.  Not so good.  And here it is, almost the middle of March, and this is my first post of the month.  How is time getting away from me?  I'm not sure.  I could make excuses (and believe me, I have some!), but as my mom used to tell me, "Tomorrow is a new day."  Or today is the start of a new month.  Or a new year, for that matter.  Basically, it's never too late to change.  So let's try this one again, 'kay?

Several years ago I was in a Bunco group with a bunch of other moms from my MoPs (Mothers of Preschoolers) group.  We'd get together once a month for a girls night, with the hostess providing dinner, dessert, and snacks.  It was always a great night out, and there was always really good food.  This recipe was one I picked up from a Bunco friend.  I've tweaked it slightly, but it's still the same hearty, tasty meal that's quick and easy to throw together in the morning.  It smells fantastic while it's cooking all day long and tastes even better!

Crock Pot Pea-nutty Asian Chicken
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Ingredients:
1 1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut in bite-size chunks
2 Tbsp. Land O Lakes light butter
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 pkg. fresh sliced white mushrooms
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) 98% fat free condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sliced celery
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup Jasmine rice
1/4 c. House of Tsang Sweet Ginger Sesame Grill Sauce
1/4 cup peanuts (or cashews) (optional)

Directions:
Combine chicken, light butter, green onion, mushrooms, soup, celery, bell pepper, soy sauce, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a Crock Pot or slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.  Just before chicken is ready to serve, cook the rice according to package directions.  Serve the chicken over cooked rice with sauce drizzled over the top.  Garnish with nuts if desired.

Serves:  4
Calories:  433, plus optional nuts