Sooo I get this a lot...

The typical A) how can you really be a "health freak" and B) how the askl;dfj do you stay in shape and bake like you do...[this is mainly from my mother, sister, people close within the kitchen's proximity]...you see it's complicated really. Here food can be a tool, we have it readily available and spend time perplexing over that ad we saw last night on the www.com about Organic Yummy Chocolate Truffles (only 100 calories), don't get me wrong it's not that the internet is a terrible thing. I'm really going to attempt to take the time to navigate myself around it [I have pop ups people...is this a bad thing?]. I'm just saying you have to make sure you trust where you're getting your infoinfo from. I'll admit it food freaks me out. There. Not scarred to say it, food freaks me out because there are things in it I don't want in my body, chemicals like the new corn sugar [aka high fructose corn syrup]. Food freaks me out because if you're lucky you can eat whatever you want, and if you're not so lucky...well that can be even worse, you'll eat what's around and what's cheap [that's not a bad thing, it's just that what's cheap is not good for you, we all know that when Taco Bell or a Ronald MacDonald I'm A Scary Clown Guy with fries sounds betta than anything else in the world at that particular moment]...guilty as charged...def not perfect over here. I dunno, guess what I'm really trying to say (personal Michael Pollan style) is, "Eat food, in the right amount". The smartest man I know once told me that everything is good in moderation. I believe him for sursies. I think that's what the Italians would say to this bomb Americanized-lets-add-strawberry-extract cannoli...eat 1 daily (QD,,,medical slang) or if you are PMSing 1.5.

Random Odds N' Ends

So figuring that I'm new to this whole blog thing I think I should be entitled 2 posts on my first night... this post features a bunch of baked goods I have made in the past...maybe it will inspire you to keep reading and stay tuned for when my next "I wanna bake" strike happens [don't worry I can't go more than a week without spending some quality time in the kitchen].

Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake

Chicken Marsala Pizza [Nick's Specialty], Espresso Swirl Cheesecake & Vino!

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake [Made this for Thanksgiving and the eggs were over a month old...we're still alive!]

Blueberry Compote Cheesecake

Handmade Mini Chocolate Chip Cannolis--->Italiano!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake [This one was HUGE!]

Blueberry Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

So tomorrow is officially Valentine's Day....I used to groan every time this holiday rolled around as I found myself in the depths of lamo relationship-less blues. However, this Valentine's Day is special because I find myself actually in a relationship, a gooooooodddd one at that:)...did you know that chocolate contains phenylalanine, aka the human body's natural antidepressant. No wonder almost everyone I know is obsessed with it...so in lou of these two concepts I decided to go ahead and make blueberry cheesecake chocolate chip brownies. YUM... I didn't really follow a recipe, but I'm hoping they turn out anyways. Oh btw the whole "I didn't follow a recipe" will be a pretty common posting in this blog but I will do my best to provide you with some sort of guideline for each post...so here goes.../also get yourself a new playlist to make these guys it's kinda time consuming and don't forget to dance folks:

For the Blueberry Cream Cheese Part:
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup of granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2-4 Tablespoons of blood orange zest (depends on how tangy you want this)
8 oz. fresh blueberries
2 Tablespoons of brown sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour

Kiah n' Cody Secretly Love Me

So first for the blueberry juice base; start by mashing the blueberries in a tupperware bowl with your hands or a fork (if hands freak you out). When blueberries are sufficiently mashed add brown sugar and orange zest, mix well then strain this mixture to separate out the juice. Refrigerate.
Next beat cream cheese until smooth, add your granulated sugar, mix well on a high speed for about 2-3 minutes. Then add your vanilla and egg mixing on a lower speed so as not to incorporate air (this will contribute to cracking your cheesecake). Finally add your flour and mix, then add the blueberry juice and stir to incorporate fully. Refrigerate.

Brownie mixture:
4 eggs
8 oz. semisweet baker's chocolate
1 and 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate
8 oz. salted butter
2 teaspoons salt
2 and 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 and 1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons vanilla

Otay first things first melt the butter and bakers chocolate in a saucepan stirring the entire time over medium low heat. Pour this mixture into a bowl, add your granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt...mix about 2 minutes until completely blended together. Then add your eggs one at a time mixing after each addition. Add baking soda, baking powder and flour and mix until everything is together without lumps. Finally, add your semisweet chocolate chips to this mixture. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cover a 9 by 13 (or a little bigger if you have it...poor college kid=lack of proper sized pan) with tinfoil up the sides (this prevents sticking). Pour batter into pan and even out. Then dollop blueberry cheesecake mixture in circles around the pan and swirl with a knife [I messed this up hence the lack of proper swirl in the photos]. Bake in oven for about an 60 minutes until knife in center comes out clean. YUUUUMMMMM!!!!!!

Addition of chocolate milk courtesy Cody

So I'm supposed to bring these to school...I don't want to though!