Recipe: Chocolate Coconut Bars

Chocolate Coconut Bars

Often called 7 layer bars, this recipe is from Martha Stewart. They were great!

Ingredients

3 cups finely ground cookies (grahams or chocolate wafers)

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly splash a 15 by 10 rimmed baking sheet with water, then line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together cookie crumbs, sugar and butter. Evenly press onto bottom and up sides of baking sheet. Bake, rotating halfway through, until firm, about 8-10 minutes. Cool for about 20 minutes.

Sprinkle cooled crust evenly with butterscotch and chocolate chips. Pour condensed milk over the top, spreading to cover completely. Sprinkle with coconut.

Bake until coconut is toasted, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely and cut into bars.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Eggnog Cheesecake Bars

Eggnog Cheesecake Bars

I love Eggnog!! These bars were delicious but incredibly rich! Luckily for us, we have many people we were able to share these treats with!

Ingredients

4 cups vanilla wafer cookies

1 1/2 cup & 1/3 cup Sugar

1 stick (8 TBS) Butter

4 bricks (32 oz) room temp cream cheese

6 large eggs (4 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks)

1 1/2 cup eggnog

4 TBS flour

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp nutmeg

2 pinches salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a food processor, crush the vanilla wafers, add 1/3 cup sugar and cut in the butter until well mixed (will look like tiny pebbles)

In a sprayed 9x11 baking dish, press the mixture into the bottom of the pan to form the crust

Bake until crust is just browning around edges, about 12 minutes

In a large stand mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add 1 1/2 cup sugar, 4 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks, eggnog, flour, vanilla, nutmeg and salt. Beat until silky smooth

Pour the filling mix over the crust

Set pan in a high edged baking sheet. Add enough hot water to cover up to about 1/2 the side

Bake until set for 1 hour

Remove from water bath and allow to cool for 45 minutes

Transfer to a refrigerator and allow to cool for several hours before cutting into bars

Serve chilled

Enjoy!

Recipe: Bacon & Asparagus Penne

Bacon & Asparagus Penne

Finally! A non-pumpkin recipe! We love this recipe! It is easy and delicious! 

Ingredients

1 box penne

12 slices of bacon (chopped)

1 bunch asparagus (cut into 1 inch pieces)

2 tomatoes (diced)

1 cup shredded parmesan

2 Tbsp olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook penne according to instructions on box

Fry bacon in olive oil until crispy

Add asparagus to bacon and cook until tender

Add bacon/asparagus to penne then add tomatoes, cheese, salt and pepper.

Mix well

Put on low heat until cheese is melted

Enjoy!

Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifle

Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifle

I know! Another pumpkin recipe! I swear we make other things and the next recipe will not be pumpkin! I made this recipe to take to my in-laws house for dinner on Tuesday. I love making trifles because they're usually pretty quick and easy and they look nice without having to look perfect!

Ingredients

1 Angel Food Cake (I used store bought)

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 8oz packages of cream cheese

1 15 oz can pure pumpkin

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 tsp pumpkin pie spice (plus extra for dusting the top)

Instructions

• Beat cream and powdered sugar together until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  In another bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy.
  Add pumpkin, brown sugar, vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice and continue beating until thoroughly combined.
  Fold in one third of the whipped cream.
  Cut Angel Food Cake into small pieces and line the bottom of your trifle dish with one third of the cake.
  Layer with one third of the pumpkin mixture followed by one third of the remaining whipped cream.
  Repeat layers twice, finishing with remaining whipped cream.
  Sprinkle with additional pumpkin pie spice, if desired.
  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cafe Francesca

Cafe Francesca

757 W Center St

West Bridgewater, MA

CafeFrancesca.com

We decided to try Cafe Francesca this past weekend while we were up in the area doing some shopping and I had a $10 restaurant.com certificate. We pulled up and saw a yellow sign and a few diners inside. Jason seemed hesitant thinking it was an average take out place but boy was he wrong!
We went inside to find a small window seat area and less than 10 tables. We were quickly greeted by our server and she took our drink order. (They have bottled soda, water, iced teas and a limited beer and wine menu)
She returned and had bread for us with butter and dipping oil. (yum)
We decided to share the caprese salad

Caprese Salad

The salad was fresh and delicious! The waitress also told us the many specials including a shrimp and scallop risotto, harvest chicken, tortilla soup and an artisan grilled cheese. I opted for the Eggplant Parmesan and Jason chose the Harvest Chicken Special.

Eggplant Parmesan

The entrees came out fast and were delicious! I loved the sauce which tasted homemade and the eggplant was cooked to perfection! I even enjoyed it for lunch the following day!

Harvest Chicken

Jason loved his Harvest Chicken which was butternut squash ravioli with sauteed chicken breast, cherries, apples, and walnuts in a sherry cream sauce with harvest spices. He said that it should have been served with a straw because he could have drank the sauce!

Needless to say, we enjoyed our meals and would definitely go back! And lesson learned- you can't judge a book by it's cover!

                                                                                Jen
                                                                                  xo

Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Angel Food Cake

Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Angel Food Cake

It's Fall! Which means the Fazzina's are in pumpkin mode! And we can't get enough! This was a yummy recipe! The prep was easy and we had most of the ingredients already on hand!

Happy Fall!

(I borrowed this picture from pinterest. I deleted my pics before uploading them!)

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1 box of angel food cake mix
• 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

For the cinnamon cream cheese frosting

• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 oz of cream cheese, softened
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cake

In a large bowl, whisk together the angel food cake mix and the pumpkin pie spice. Then  stir in the pumpkin puree until well combined. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until edges of the cake are slightly golden brown and the center springs back to the touch.

Allow to cool completely.

Frosting

Using a mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese until well combined and fluffy. Add in the vanilla. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar and then the cinnamon. Continue to beat until everything is mixed well and frosting is fluffy.

Frost cake by squares or spread frosting over the entire cake.

Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days.

Lansdowne Irish Pub

Lansdowne Irish Pub
Mohegan Sun
Uncasville, CT

http://mohegansun.com/poi/dining/the-lansdowne-irish-pub-and-music-house.html

   

We ate at the Lansdowne at Mohegan Sun this past Sunday before the Frankie Valli Concert (Jason's pick of concerts. Jen's pick of restaurant) We arrived about 5pm and had to wait to put our name in. They said it would be a 30-45 minute wait but took our cell phone number and said they'd call us when the table was ready. We decided to go downstairs and try our luck at the slots. They called just 20 minutes later.  We went back upstairs and were seated at a table by the window(overlooking the casino) Our waitress came over quickly and introduced herself as Angela. She took our drink order and gave us a few minutes to look over the menu. We decided on the corned beef and cabbage spring rolls as an app and we both wanted fish & chips as our entree. 

Angela came back fast with our appetizer.

Corned beef and cabbage spring rolls

I'm not a fan of corned beef so I just ate the outside but Jason said he liked them but wasn't a fan of the sauce(supposed to be russian dressing). Our waitress took the plate away when we were done and said our food should be up soon. We waited. And waited. We started to notice that other tables that had sat a while after us were receiving their entrees. Angela must have noticed too because she came over and apologized and said that while she puts both the appetizer and entree in at the same time, the kitchen messed up and never made our fish & chips! She apologized and said the manager would be out to speak with us.

The manager came out a few minutes later with our meals. He apologized and said that our meals were on him. I get it. People make mistakes and they were really busy! I was really impressed that we didn't have to complain but were taken care of. And the fish & chips were good! The waitress must have sensed that we were going to the show because after she cleared our plates, she brought our check without offering dessert. I really wanted the bread pudding but wouldn't have had the time.. I did end up with Ben & Jerry's after the show so it all worked out! =)

Fish & Chips 

(Don't mind the fry covering a piece of eaten fish. I just couldn't wait!!)

We would definitely eat at the Lansdowne Irish Pub again!

Jen                 

xo                 

Recipe: Pumpkin Crunch

Pumpkin Crunch

I found this recipe on Pinterest a while ago and it's been waiting patiently to be made in my 

"Cozy Fall" board. We decided to give it a shot last night and I'm glad we did! The prep was so easy!

It made the house smell like Fall and the end result was delicious! It is crunchy on top and reminded me of a bread pudding on the bottom. We had it hot out of the oven with whipped cream last night and I had a bit cold this morning. It was good both times but I prefer it warm!

Happy Baking!

1 15oz. can pumpkin

1 12oz. can evaporated milk

1 1/2 C. sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 t. cinnamon

Combine above ingredients and pour into greased 9×13 pan.

1 Yellow Cake Mix

1 C. melted butter

Sprinkle cake mix on top of pumpkin mixture and pour melted butter over top.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Welcome!!

Welcome to our new blog!! We've decided to start this blog because at the beginning of this year (2014) I started a challenge to make 100 new recipes! It's been both fun and challenging! I was encouraged to start a blog then but never got around to it.. I thought that maybe I would start it now as a place to keep my thoughts on the process and the recipes together! We have also decided to talk about some of our new food finds and restaurants that we've been to! We've been known to drive a few hours for a good meal or treat and thought it would be fun to share it! We hope you enjoy our blog!
Cheers!