Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars & a Virtual Baby Shower

It was only three months ago that I woke up and became a teary mess to my own virtual baby shower from my fabulous group of blogging.  It was such a special sweet moment for me that when the chance came to repeat that for Christina from Strawberries for Supper I couldn't wait to do the same.  Christina is a sweetheart and if you have ever read her posts has a brilliant sense of humor.
friends. We all can't wait for her little bundle to arrive.  My little girl is anxious to meet her new boyfriend.

Surprise!  

In the spring the group of us took a trip to Elora, to walk around, have lunch but mainly to buy bread from the Elora Bread Company.   We all pretty much walked out of there with a minimum three loaves.  They were all delicious.   My bread became even better thanks to a jar of honey plum jam from Christina.  YUM! Since I know she has mad skills and likes to make her own jams, I thought what better dessert for the shower than one that involves jam.    What goes good with jam, Peanut butter of course.   Let's consider this the sandwich aspect of the shower.

Happy Virtual Baby Shower!!  Hope you had the same reaction as me.



Check out what her other incredible bloggy friends are bringing to this party:

Planet Byn - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Caramel Squares

The Brunette Baker - Apple Custard Pie

Living Lou - Baklava

The Tasty Gardener - Apple Bread Pudding

My Daily Randomness - Grilled Peach Pavlova 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

(Adapted from Ina Garten)

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups peanut butter
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups jam of your choosing
• 1/2 cups peanuts

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Preheat your oven to 350F.  Grease or spray with non stick a 10 x 10 pan. Line it with parchment paper or tin foil, then grease or spray and flour the pan.
2 In a large bowl or your mixer bowl cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, a couple minutes.
Add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix on low until all ingredients are combined.
3. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.

Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread over the bottom with a knife or offset spatula. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don't worry if all the jam isn't covered; it will spread in the oven. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.

If you also happen to miss all the scrumptious posts from my shower as I failed to give them a proper post of shout outs... Please check them out now as well.

Robyn from Whats Cooking on Planet Byn : Strawberry Sprinkle Ice Cream Sandwiches
Christina from Strawberries for Supper: Fudgey Teff Brownies
Heather from The Tasty Gardener: Banana Bundt Cake with Pecan, Banana, Caramel Sauce
Jenny from The Brunette Baker: Bananas Foster Banana Bread
Lou from Living Lou: Easy Banana Cupcakes

Banana Recipe Round up

Did you get any pregnancy cravings while you were pregnant?    I don't remember too many with my first.   I did enjoy a few more things that I would have normally ate, like a few more poutines and nachos but otherwise I still ate quite healthy.

For baby #2 it is pretty much the same, I am having a few indulgences but still aiming to stay on track.    My craving this time around though is banana baked goods.  I could literally eat banana bread every day.  Oddly,  I am not actually craving real bananas, just banana baked goods.  I have never been a pure banana lover.  Even now I really only eat the excess of what my little one doesn't it to give baby #2 some potassium.
There is a cafeteria in a building across the street from my work and I swear they make the best banana bread I have EVER had!  I can guarantee it is not healthy and potentially soaked in melted butter after it is baked but honestly BEST EVER! It is dangerous really.   I tend to treat myself maybe once a week with it and for the rest of my cravings I go to recipes that are a bit more figure friendly like my Gluten Free Almond Banana Bread.

Since I need to mix up my banana baking and try some new recipes I have asked some blogging friends and scoured the web for some delicious banana baked goods and created this round up for you.  Some healthy, some not, but all 30 Banana recipes will satisfy any banana craving.

Enjoy!

Banana Nut Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting	Chocolate Malt Banana Cakes	Brown Sugar Banana Bread
Banana Fluffernutter Muffins	Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache	kinny Nutella Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Banana Spice Oatmeal-Walnut Streusel Muffins	Gluten Free Almond Banana Bread	Brown Butter Banana Peanut Butter Cookies
Honey Banana Poppy Seed Bread	Banana Bread Waffles	Super Soft Banana Bread
Peanut Butter Banana Brownies	Banana Lentil Muffins	Banana Pancakes
Brownie Crumble Banana Bread	Chocolate Banana Cake Bars (Vegan + Gluten-free)	Blueberry Banana Almond Baked Oatmeal
Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting	Double Chocolate Muffins with Banana Cream	Banana Chocolate Chip Bars
Brown Butter Banana Donuts	Healthy Banana Bread	Purple Ribbon Banana Bread
Biscoff Banana Bread	Banana Split Cheesecake	Easiest Banana Bread Ever
Strawberry Banana Bread	Healthy Banana Bread Recipe *Egg Free	(Almost!) Fat-Free Pumpkin, Banana & Butterscotch Whole Wheat Bread

InLinkz.com

Cookie Butter Heart Blossom Cookies

I have some sad news.  Okay, sad for me, maybe not for most people.  One of the my favorite kitchen gadgets is dying. A few pieces have started to break and it is barely hanging on and has lost its vigor.  It is the one tool I probably use as much as my mixer. It is so handy, small and quick.  I just love it.   It is my mini processor attachment to my hand blender.  I have had this for years now, so I am hoping I can still find a replacement.  New fancier models have come out since this one but I don't need a new one I just need a new base/bowl.   Right now the little rod that holds the blade in place doesn't stay in place very well and it can be tricky to even get the lid on.  I am also just worried I am going to lose the little rod, since I almost have twice and my mind is baby mush.  I have tried to find it online but of course shipping it to Canada is not going to be an easy task.   I will figure out a way to get my replacement bowl, I must.  I need my mini processor!

Brown Butter Heath Cookies

So far I have survived my first couple weeks back at work.   The little one loves her daycare which has made this transition easy.  The hubby drops her off and she is simply "Bye Bye Dada"  No tears, just runs to play. She is making new friends, getting active and getting tired out. I think my favorite part of my day is when I pick her up and she smiles and runs for a hug.  (Insert heart melting).  It's just so sweet.

I was worried about coming back after a year, thinking I wouldn't remember how to do things and  how to use the system.   We had just implemented a new system the year I was leaving and there were so many changes and a lot of learning.   I did pick up the system pretty quickly as I was pretty heavily involved with its transition and creating new report so I knew I had a good base in my head some where.   I also conducted several training sessions before I left to help others get up to speed. Still, a year of not even looking at it had me worried.
Turns out, I was worried for nothing.  After a week of being back it honestly felt like I never left.  Everything I had ever done just came back to me.  A bonus, because I had to rebuild several reports after a year of system tweaks and changes caused them not to work anymore.  Three weeks in now and despite a lack of sleep I am grooving along.


Brown Butter People! Brown butter in my opinion is a form of liquid gold.  Just the smell of it is so wonderful.  Nutty and rich, Drool!  It requires way more experimentation than I have tried thus far.

I have made brown butter cookies before and honestly they are worth making again and again.

Salted Caramel Macaroons

Oh right,  I am food blogger.  I am supposed to be bringing you delicious desserts a lot more often than I have been.   Weekends away, Christmas parties, shopping, a sick little one etc etc have seem to gotten in the way.

These cookies were actually meant for a neighbour in exchange for a favor while we were away for a few days.  Unfortunately he never got the message from his son and never got the cookies.  Instead they were were sent to my husbands work for a potluck party.  Still well enjoyed.

I stopped into my work this past week to discuss my return post mat leave.  While there they happened to mention that there has been a significant decline in work treats since I left.   They seem pretty excited to have me back.  Not sure if it is for the treats or for my work but I suspect they are hoping for a new increase in desserts.   I don't mind, bringing treats into work means less I eat and more experimenting.   *Sneaky, Sneaky*

Chocolate Apricot Crinkles

I have spent the last three days decorating my house for the holidays.   I love when my house is all decorated.  I love my Christmas trees, well one more than other.  Yes, I have two.   One is 9 ft tall, only red, white and silver.   My other one is about 6 ft and is gold, green and red.  The later was basically my husbands tree before me, that I have expanded and improved.   My red and white tree is my baby.  I could stare at it forever.  Last year we used it as distraction when the little one was crying.   For some reason though I feel like it has more holes than normal.  The only good solution, buy more decorations, of course.



I went to the Season's Christmas Show on Friday and this is the first year I didn't buy anything.  Nothing seemed to jump out at me like normal.  I saw a few decorations that were maybes but I decided to wait.   This weekend we are going to Ottawa and another blogger I know from Ottawa was kind enough to tell me about Tinsel Town.  This store might be solution to fill the tree, it looks like a Christmas wonderland.  I am very picky about my ornaments though.  It must go with my themes and well I obviously just have to like it.  Nothing overly flashy.

Any online stores you could recommend for Ornaments or other fun Christmas decor?  Please tell me!

So for the last two years I have done 12 days of Christmas cookies.   It is never 12 days straight in a row but I aim to get 12 cookies done from the beginning of December to now.  Last year I didn't even finish.  My little one was only weeks old and I totally dropped the ball.   Since I feel I am slacking with giving my readers some recipes I am going to try again.   Here is day 1.

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends!!!

Kid Friendly Chocolate Chip Cookies

Before I say anything, Thank you to everyone that entered the Good Things Come in 3s Giveaway.  The winner was Courtney Duffy.  Congratulations.  I will get your goods sent to you by the end of the week.

Sorry I have been a little MIA lately. I was super busy the last two weekends.  I was working on a wedding cake Thursday/Friday/Saturday and then had birthday festivities two weekends ago.  Then this past weekend was Canadian Thanksgiving.  I did get it lots of baking though so I should have several posts coming.   Last last Thursday my mom, sister and I went to see "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"  Did you ever watch the show?  It is hilarious and so was this.  It was the fastest 90 minutes ever.  I was sad when it was over, I wanted more.  I highly recommend going to check it out if it is in your city.  You will be laughing constantly for 90 minutes.

I honestly don't know where the last week has gone? I missed an entire week of blogging.  Last Wednesday I went apple picking.  I love apple picking.  I will probably even go back one more time.  This was my first chance to take the little one apple picking as well.  Although I know she can't really pick off the tree and honestly did really care.  I loved it.   I pulled her around in the wagon, tried to make her pick an apple, plopped her in the middle of the pumpkin patch for photos and let her play in the play area.  It was such a fun afternoon.

Butterscotch Pudding Cashew Cookies

Today was a big day in the Sweet Twist of Blogging household.  The little one moved out of the bucket baby sit and into a big girl car seat.   Yep, that is a big day in my life.   The cliche of time flies is sad and true.  We did run into a bit of a stumble though.  Since the seat needs to be rear facing, it is on a special angle and pretty much makes it impossible for anyone to sit in front of it.  Who makes these chairs?  So after spending a couple hundred on a car seat, we had to spend more money to get this special angle adjuster to give us 4 extra inches of chair room so someone could sit in the front seat.   Seriously?  You add a wedge to tilt it back and then another one to tilt it forward?  Other then that, the chair is great.

With moving to the big girl seat I also get to test out my skills on the "sleeping transfer"  I can no longer just let her sleep in the car seat when I get home.  Pretty sure leaving her in the car would be frowned upon.  (Please sense my sarcasm!!)   So, of course on Day 1 in the new seat she falls asleep 10 minutes from the house.   So I slowly unbuckled the legs, then gently unbuckled the chest strap, softly pulling out the right arm, softly pulling out the left.   I leaned in, slowly moved her head on to my chest and then gently scooped her little body.  One eye peaked open, sshh sshh.  Closed. Phew.  Slowly walking from the car to the house, one eye peaked open, sshh, sshh, closed, phew.  I seriously though about just sitting on the couch with her cuddled in my arms and do nothing for an hour.  Before I know it those days will be long gone but I decided to be good and let her have a proper crib nap.  I went upstairs and did a successful crib transfer.  Sweet!

Pumpkin Ginger Cookies with Cinnamon Chips

 Pumpkin is here!  Are you excited?  I certainly am.  I bake with pumpkin all year round but this time of year it is just so much more fun.  Yes it is everywhere but pumpkin baking signifies the beginning of so many great things.  Perfect fall weather,  upcoming birthdays for myself, my hubby and my daughter.  Not to mention, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  They are all on the horizon. Unfortunately as we move into the fall and year-end so approaches my back to work date. (Sad Face).  That is something I am not looking forward to yet, so let's not talk about it right now.

Let's focus on what I am going to look forward to.   All the fun things that are going to happen in the next couple months.  On top of all the events above, there will be one last trip to the trailer,  fall hikes, apple picking, a food truck event, mom and baby swimming lessons, baby music class and lots of baking.  Not to mention, the changes in the little one, more teeth,  walking on her own and her first Birthday.  I am sure you will hear lots about this as I start to plan things.   We are getting close on the walking but not quite there yet.  It is just a matter of time for her to get her balance in check.   Then she will be off and running and so will I.

When these cookies came to be I was craving ginger cookies.  I was also anxious to get the pumpkin baking started so figured the combination of these two could only lead to good things.
The cinnamon chips are the real kicker though, they were made to go with pumpkin.   On their own - okay.  In these cookies - AMAZING!

Pumpkin Ginger Cookies with Cinnamon Chips

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp molasses
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup pure pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup cinnamon chips

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt
2. In a large bowl or mixer bowl, beat together butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
3. Add egg and vanilla beat to combine. Add pumpkin and molasses and mix in.
4. Add dry mixture, beating on low until almost combined. Add cinnamon chips until just combined and flour incorporated.
5. Cover the mixture and place in the fridge for a minimum of 20 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or silpat. Add 1/3 cup of granulated sugar to a plate or bowl. Scoop out heaping tablespoon rounds and roll in sugar. Place on baking sheet.
7. Bake for about 10-12 minutes. Cookie will be lightly browned. Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then move to wire rack.

Entered in the Eat In Eat Out Christmas Cookie in July Contest