• Spicy Cream Tomato Sauce @ bestwithchocolate.com

    spicy cream tomato sauce pasta;

    July 24, 2016bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

    This recipe came from one of those long-week, long-days, need to throw something together evening meals.  But it was surprisingly tasty and actually elevated, and not at all “from-a-jar”.  And it really only takes a little bit of cream!  Well, not quite.  I’ve mentioned it before, but even as a self-proclaimed “foodie”, I feel like canned and jarred items have their place.  They’re perfect when you’re tired and lazy, or can’t get up the effort to run to the grocery store.  Don’t underestimate those easy cheats!  They come in handy when you’re having last-minute company, or you need to impress the…

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  • Fish & Chips at Mad Fox Brewery review @ bestwithchocolate.com

    happy hour review: mad fox brewery;

    July 22, 2016bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

    It’s funny that sometimes I look at my own posts, and I realize that my favorites–either recipes, or reviews–don’t have posts yet. It makes sense in the grand scheme of things since I only started less than a year ago, but it’s funny to me that some of T’s and my’s favorite places don’t have dedicated posts. On the one hand they’re fun and local, but on the other we go there often enough that I feel like I shouldn’t take pictures every single time. So today, you get a post about a local hangout of ours–Mad Fox Brewery!  It’s…

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  • Softbatch M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies @ bestwithchocolate.com

    softbatch m&m chocolate chip cookies;

    July 20, 2016bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

    Sometimes I’m skeptical of advertised “softbatch” cookies, because I’ve had hit or miss experiences with whether they actually turn out as advertised.  This recipe really was a good softbatch cookie recipe though!  They weren’t quite as puffy as I usually prefer, but they were soft, and definitely a good chewy. The original recipe from Kim on The ChocolaTess uses pudding mix, and typically I’m a huge fan of using this secret ingredient in cookies.  Just see my pudding sprinkle cookies, and my cookies and creme cookies recipes from some ah-mazingly tasty examples.  However, since this recipe didn’t specify using a whole packet, I decided to…

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  • Chicken Waffle Sandwich @ bestwithchocolate.com

    chicken and waffles sandwich;

    July 16, 2016bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

    I hope that a lot of things on my blog look tasty.  But if you’re feeling ambitious, THIS IS THE RECIPE FOR YOU.  Note that with all the different components, it’s not really what I would consider an “easy” recipe.  It’s definitely less stressful if tackled with a kitchen partner, or having made some of the ingredients in advance.  A bunch of components can be made for other recipes earlier in the week, so this can be an awesome clean out the fridge recipe.  Make the juicy lucy burger earlier in the week and save up the bacon jam.  Make a tasty salami…

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  • Buffalo Chicken Mac n' Cheese @ tipsychocochip.com

    buffalo mac ‘n cheese;

    July 9, 2016bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

      I feel like I’ve been on a spicy kick recently. Between my jalapeño popper bread and trying some spicy BBQ sauces at Smoqued in Chicago (see my culinary adventure), I’ve been eating a bit more spicy food than I normally do, and I made buffalo mac ‘n cheese for dinner tonight!  So I’m coming up in the spice world, apparently. I like this recipe because it’s really easy and simple, adapted from andiemitchell.com Perfect for making around playing Pokemon Go!  Hahaha, yes, I am newly obsessed with the game, like pretty much everyone everywhere. I got a sweet vaporeon last…

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  • greek rice (spanakorizo);

    July 4, 2016bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

    Happy Fourth of July!  I know you all will probably be spammed by social media with red, white, and blue galore!  So here’s some green to mix it up!  =D  I wanted to share this because it’s an easy recipe to make for company!  If you prep the ingredients before cooking and then just add to a pot to simmer away, it works quite nicely.  Let me know if you try this method!  I am in Chicago for a family vacation until Wednesday, so I wanted to make sure I shared a recipe at least and didn’t leave you all hanging.…

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  • Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Bread @ bestwithchocolate.com

    jalapeno popper stuffed bread;

    July 1, 2016bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

    This bread is ooey, gooey deliciousness.  And I really do mean that, so watch out for some falling dip when you’re stuffing your face!  My friends and I had a splat or two on the floor by the time we were done!  But it was gobbled up in pretty much no time flat, let me tell you.  It really is a quintessential appetizer recipe, and wouldn’t be a horrible pot luck recipe if you had access to a toaster oven, but it’s not really a make-and-carry recipe.  It’s definitely better warm and fresh from the oven.   We did another “Pokewine”…

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  • Pineapple Vodka Slush @ bestwithchocolate.com

    pineapple vodka slush;

    June 29, 2016bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

    From the lady that brought you strawberry shortcake vodka slush, here’s the pineapple cousin, pineapple vodka slush!  It’s pretty much the exact same thing, but swap out the strawberries for pineapple.  Or even combine the two!  Make a strawberry-pineapple vodka slush! Be sure to stock up on your friend Cake Vodka, because that ish is delish!  I suggest approx. 3 c. cubed pineapple, 3-4 shots of cake vodka, and 2 c. of ice.  Add more ice if it needs to be thicker, add more vodka to thin it out (or for fun), or add more pineapple to make the texture smoother.…

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  • Miso Glazed Chicken Wings

    miso glazed chicken wings;

    June 18, 2016bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

    This was the third and final recipe from blue apron!  And definitely a keeper.  I want to make this for my mom–a little less on the spice for her though!  She loooooves chicken wings, and I’ve always been hesitant to try making them.  Somehow I always assume they’re hard to make, but this recipe was surprisingly easy!  I have one other recipe from a friend who made some really great wings for a party, and I loved them.  It was a great recipe, but it was a fried chicken wings recipe, so it involved a lot of spices and flour and oil.…

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  • Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars @ bestwithchocolate.com

    peanut butter pretzel bars;

    June 17, 2016bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

    Cooooookies in bar form!  My desire to make this recipe really came from the fact that peanut butter cups were on sale, and I loooove me some fresh PB cups.  Have you ever had the really old PB cups that are like dried out and crumbly?  It’s not the same.  Have you ever had fresh off the Hershey’s press PB cups?  I actually have, and they’re AMAZING.  The peanut butter is creamier and as sugary as ever, and did I mention–it’s amazing?  I did a summer program called Institute of Leadership, Technology, and Management (ILTM) my junior year of college, and got…

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  • Huevos Rancheros Quesadillas

    blue apron: huevos rancheros quesadillas;

    June 14, 2016bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

    Blue apron is the second order-by-meal service that I’ve used, the first being hello fresh.  Feel free to revisit the recipe for dijon walnut salmon and couscous for my list of pros/cons on hello fresh.  At some point I will compile a nice list about all the different services, but I’m keeping with the past format for now. Pros As compared to hello fresh, I like the recipes more.  They seem a little more exotic, with an occasional ingredient that I wouldn’t have probably picked up otherwise.  I relish the opportunity to be nudged out of my comfort zone without being overwhelmed by new…

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  • Marinated Kabobs @ bestwithchocolate.com

    marinated kabobs;

    June 9, 2016bestwithchocolate@gmail.com

    Today, T made dinner!  Like whole hog, from shopping to marinating to grilling.  I mean, to be fair, I guess I made a rice side from a bag, but it was the kind where you just add water and boil.  So it doesn’t count, and this meal was suuuuper tasty!  Super flavorful, and not too hard.  T estimated he spent less than 30 minutes total working on this, though start to finish is a little longer, since you have the marinating time in there. I will say that we did forget to throw in a few extra vegetables.  We did only…

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