Citrus White Chocolate & Macadamia Cookies

• 1/2 c. butter
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/2 t. lemon extract*
• 1/2 t. lime extract*
• 1 egg
• 1 c. flour
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 c. white chocolate chips
• 1 c. chopped macadamia nuts

1. Beat the butter, sugar and extracts together until creamy fluffy. Add the egg and beat until combined.

2. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the mixing bowl and beat just until combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts by hand. (Note: you may have to use your hands to get the chips and nuts thoroughly incorporated into the dough.)

3. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes, until set and lightly golden brown on the bottoms. Cool on a wire rack, if you can wait that long.

We ended up with 20 cookies, which if I’m being honest, is not nearly enough, so you may want to double the recipe.

*Ordinarily the extracts wouldn’t be my go-to as I’d prefer to use freshly squeezed juice. However, since I was baking with a 6 year old who really wanted her cookies to turn out, I didn’t feel like doing too much experimenting. If I was going to use the juice, I’d probably do a 1/4 cup of each and up the dry ingredients a bit. Feel free to experiment…and if you do, please let me know what worked for you!

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…on grilling vegetables: George likes grilling zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplant with the skin removed.  Spray the vegetable chunks or thick slices with PAM® and throw on the grill long enough to get grill marks on them, then remove and  season with salt, pepper and a splash of olive oil. Avoid thin veggies that fall through the grates, like asparagus spears. George also recommended using a grill mat by Cookina that he’s discovered for grilling veggies.

…on what fish to grill: Definitely try grilling salmon or other fish with skin. Lay skin side directly on the grill. Because it’s fatty, it won’t really stick, and you won’t be eating the skin, but it will help keep the fish moist.  Tilapia is also great to grill. It cooks quickly. Because tilapia fillets are typically skinless, be sure to use more PAM® non-stick spray to prevent sticking.

…on making burgers to please adults and kids: Put a twist on a classic cheeseburger by stuffing a cube of cheese inside a burger. To keep the cheese from melting and oozing out of the middle of your ground beef or turkey, freeze the cheese cubes before putting them inside the meat.

…on the best foods for grilling novices to try (besides hot dogs and burgers): Try thick chunks of veggies, and chicken breasts. Marinate thin-cut chicken, or use a dry rub and grill quickly on both sides.

…on cooking corn on the cob: George grills his corn with husks on, after trimming the ends of the husks. Don’t bother to soak; there’s plenty of moisture already inside the husk. Grill until husks are burnt, let cool for 5 minutes, and corn will be perfectly cooked.

…on cooking steak perfectly: Stick with grass-fed, organic beef. George says to sear the beef over direct heat, then finish cooking it over indirect heat. Use a meat thermometer to test doneness.  Digital or standard meat thermometer is fine.

…on grilling veggie burgers: Use your PAM® non-stick spray to prevent more burger sticking to your grill than ends up on your bun.  Toast the buns, too.

…on whether meat should come to room temp before grilling: George says, never, never, NEVER! A lot of bacteria can grow, and it’s totally unnecessary to have room-temperature meat for proper cooking. Sometimes George will even freeze thin cuts of meat before grilling so they have time to caramelize on the outside without overcooking on the inside.

…on grilling dessert: George says you can bake a cake on the grill using indirect heat (you can even do this on a campfire). Also recommended: Grilled Banana Split Sundae, in which pound cake, bananas, and cherries are skewered and grilled before the sundae is assembled. Grilling the ice cream is not recommended.

…on cleaning your grill grates: Have a very good, big, metal grill brush and replace it every year. Also have an adjustable spray bottle of water handy. After grilling, mist the grill, which creates steam, and scrub with your brush. Straight streams of water are good for taking care of flare-ups.

Click over to The Motherhood to watch the video and see George in action. Also, check out ReadySetEat for some great grilling recipes.

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What: A virtual cooking school class called Firing Up the Grill: New Recipes, Flavors and Ingredients to Kick-Start Barbeque Season. The class is part of the Cooking Connections series on The Motherhood.  You can check out great easy grilling recipes ahead of time on recipe website Ready Set Eat here.

When: Thursday, April 5, at 1 p.m. ET.  It will last 30 minutes.

Where: TheMotherhood – here is the link to the page where the class will be held: http://bit.ly/Ha4xnV

About the class: It’s been a warm spring, giving us a head start on grilling season! Join celebrity chefGeorge Duran, coming to us via live video feed from his own backyard, as he shares his top grilling techniques and new flavor twists on old favorites.

Giveaway! We are also giving away two summer grilling gift baskets for class participation – don’t miss out!  There are TWO methods of entry if you’d like to get involved:

1) post your own idea for a hot dog or hamburger recipe in the text chat on this page: http://bit.ly/Ha4xnV. You must use one of these required ingredients in your recipe: Hebrew National, Ro*Tel, Hunt’s Ketchup, Hunt’s Canned Tomatoes, Gulden’s Mustard or Wolf Chili.

2) go to ReadySetEat.com ( http://bit.ly/HPon8R ), pick a recipe you’d like to try the next time you grill or host a barbecue, and post the name of the recipe in the text chat on this page: http://bit.ly/Ha4xnV

The class is sponsored by ReadySetEat.com and ConAgra Foods, and it is hosted by TheMotherhood.  I’ll be there with nine other bloggers to co-host the class, and I hope you’ll join us:

• Amy, Cajun Inspired Living
• Caryn, Rockin’ Mama
• Faith, An Edible Mosaic
• Jennifer, Mom Spotted
• Kelly, Kansas City Mamas
• Lisa, Life with Lisa
• Monet, Anecdotes and Apple Cores
• Vanessa, The Sew*er, The Caker, The Copycat-Maker
• Victoria, Veep Veep

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• When turning from the stove to the sink to drain a boiling pot of pasta, I stumbled over Jill who had been all the way on the other side of the room just moments before. My feet tripped, but luckily my hands held firm to the handle of the pot and not even a single drop splashed out of the pan.
• I was baking cookies and realized just before I got ready to put them in the oven that I had completely forgotten to add the brown sugar that was called for. Luckily I was able to salvage them with a little tweaking and delicious cookies were enjoyed by all!
• Every year I make Eric a corned beef and cabbage dinner for his birthday. And every year, he uses enough mustard during that dinner to cover the entire state of Michigan. One year, we ran out of mustard, which was definitely sad news to him. This year, as I was getting ready to take the Birthday Dinner dishes down to the table, I grabbed the mustard and realized it was dangerously low. I rushed to the pantry to find the extra bottle that I knew was there. Except when I opened the door, I couldn’t find any mustard. Then Alex and Olivia said they knew where it was and saved the day. The mustard had somehow (who knows how) ended up with their toys. Luckily, it had never been opened and was completely full. Whew…birthday dinner saved!

Those are just a few recent experiences with good luck in the kitchen that I’ve encountered. How about you? What’s your kitchen-luck like? International Delight also wants to hear about your good luck with their Luck of the Irish contest.

Now, tell me about the last time good luck was on your side?

For your chance to win a Keurig coffee maker and a one year’s supply of International Delight creamer, complete these two steps:

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight.  The opinions expressed by me do not necessarily reflect the view of the International Delight Brand. Official Contest Rules. Official International Delight Facebook Contest Rules.

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The balsamic flavor, with just a touch of dijon mustard, it a great compliment to the spinach and the water chestnuts add a great crunch. It’s not creamed spinach, that’s for sure, but it’s still delicious!

Balsamic Spinach & Water Chestnuts

• 1 T. olive oil
• 1/2 Vidalia onion, diced
• 1 16 oz. bag frozen spinach (or about 1 1/2-2 pounds fresh spinach)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 can sliced water chestnuts
• 1/3 c. balsamic vinegar
• 2 t. sugar
• 2 t. dijon mustard
• 1/2 t. each salt, pepper, garlic powder

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add spinach and water chestnuts; season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook an additional 5 minutes.

2. While the spinach cooks, whisk together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Pour into the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Enjoy!

Now, as I mentioned above, I have been working to lighten things up a bit because 2012 is the year when I finally lose some weight and get fit! Since I started in early January, I’ve lost 15 pounds and have about 20-25 more to go. This will only minimally affect the content here because there are 6 other people in this house that have to eat and none of them are trying to lose 40 pounds. (Plus honestly, they’ve all come to expect eating a certain way and I’m all for that!)

But, if you’d like to follow along on my weight loss journey, I’m blogging all about it for HealthyWage. You can check out my first post here if you’d like.  Anyone else working on losing weight this year?

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Crockpot Italian Chicken

• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
• 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 c. chicken stock
• 1 can sliced black olives, drained
• 2 t. dried oregano
• 1 t. dried basil
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. black pepper
• Cooked pasta, optional

2. Pour cooked veggies into a large crock pot. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

3. Before serving, remove chicken and shred or cut into cubes. Stir back into the sauce. Serve over pasta, if desired.

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Easiest Mac & Cheese Ever

• 1 lb. elbow macaroni, fully cooked, divided
• 2 c. shredded Sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 c. milk

1. Grease a 13×9 casserole dish. Spread 1/4 of the noodles into the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 c. cheese and add some salt and pepper. Continue repeating the layers until you’re done, ending with the cheese on top. Pour in the milk.

2. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is fully melted. Stir well, season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Enjoy!

I did add some frozen peas to two layers and that was a great addition. But you can definitely skip those or replace with broccoli if you want. (Adding veggies to mac and cheese equals healthy foods for kids, at least in my eyes!)

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Rueben Dip

Taco Skins

Buffalo Chicken Puffs

Piled High Chicken Melts

Black Bean & Mango Salsa

Queso Fresco & Sausage Dip

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatballs

Pizza Pie Bites

Chicken Ranch Quesadillas

And here are a few dessert options for you. Afterall, what’s a party without dessert?!?

Bacon Maple Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Squares with Sea Salt

S’Mores Topped Brownies

Cream Puffs filled with Chocolate Pots de Creme

Peach & Blueberry Cobbler

Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies

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