peppermint pattie brownies

just opened a bag of york peppermint patties to add to the candy jar i stock in my office.  on the back i noticed they've got a brownie recipe so i thought why not share.

Sensational Peppermint Pattie Brownies

24 small (1-1/2 inch) YORK peppermint patties
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter or margarine, melted
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup HERSHEY'S cocoa
1teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.(325°F. for glass baking dish). Remove wrappers from peppermint patties. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
2. 2 Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl. Add eggs; beat until well blended. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; blend well. Reserve 2 cups batter. Spread remaining batter in prepared pan. Arrange peppermint patties about 1/2 inch apart in single layer over batter. Spread reserved 2 cups batter over patties.
3. 3 Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack; cut into squares. Makes 24 to 36 brownies.

turkey pot pie

in need of a fun recipe to make with that boring leftover turkey??  look no further friends cause this is not only tasty but it's easy.  i looked up a few chicken pot pie recipes in the cookbooks i had at my house but i didn't have time to put in the extra energy and time tonight after work so here is what i did.  oh i also made 2 full pies so these measurements will need to be decreased if you don't want or need this much.

ingredients:

 

• 2 packages of the pillsbury pie crust (it's in the refrigerator section and it includes both the top and bottom crust).  i used 2 because i used crust on the bottom as well as the top.
• chopped turkey leftovers 2 - 2 1/2 pounds
• assorted spices
• 32 oz assorted frozen vegetable (peas, carrots, green beans or whatever you prefer)
• 26 oz cream of chicken soup
• 14.5 oz chicken broth

directions:

• preheat oven to 425°F.
• saute chopped chicken with butter and spices (i used salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary and cumin)
• in same pan add chicken broth and cream of chicken soup and mix thoroughly.  then add frozen vegetables.  simmer and stir until vegetables are cooked.
• while your turkey and veggies are heating place the bottom to your pie crusts and give them a quick toss into the oven for a few minutes depending on how done you like your bottom layer (if you do not pre-cook the bottom crust your pie will still be good but the dough doesn't get a chance to fully crisp as it should).
• after you remove the bottom crusts from the oven add half the turkey veggie soup mixture to each pie.  before topping your pies with the remaining layer of pie crust remember to cut holes to allow the pie to breath and steam.  once you've topped the pies place them back into the oven for 15-18 minutes or until the crust has turned to a nice golden brown.

even though i was happy with the outcome of my pot pies here are a few things that i wish i had done slightly different.

1. next time i would add onions to my pan while i was sauteing the turkey in butter.
2. when i make this again i will try brushing melted butter on top of the pie crusts to help with the browning.  just my thoughts but i guess i'll have to make them again to see if they actually help.
3. i will pre-cook the bottom pie crust.

kim basinger sandwich

i LOVE city bistro!  every time i go i love my food and every time i introduce someone else to it they love it too.  it's a tad pricey compared to the price of most sandwiches you'd order at lunch but well worth a few extra bucks.  these sandwiches will blow you away with all the flavor and taste packed between their already wonderful bread.  plus the owners run the show and they are super nice.  go support a small business and leave with a happy belly.

mongolian bbq

please do attempt this at home, we did and we loved it!

we created our own bowl and filled them with sauces of our own choosing just like at a mongolian bbq restaurant.  in fact this was better than some of the places i've tried and i will be making this happen again.