LEMON BARS

Lemon Bars are always so refreshing. My mom was on a baking spree so we decided to make lemon bars. The recipe that we used is very similar if not identical to my grandma's. But we got the recipe from Trisha Yearwood.

The Crust:

• 2 sticks of butter 
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar

Filling:

• 4 large eggs
• 5 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
• 2 Tablespoons of grated lemon zest or the zest of 3 lemons
• 2 cups of granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
2. Melt the 2 sticks of butter in a saucepan
3. Combine the flour and confectioners' sugar then add melted butter
4. When the dough is combined, press evenly into a 9x13 pan.
5. Bake the crust for 25 minutes
6. For the filling, combine the eggs, lemon zest and juice together until smooth with an electric mixer
7. Add the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt into the mixture until smooth
8. Do not over mix
9. Then pour the mixture onto the baked crust then cook for another 20 minutes
10. Enjoy!

* A tip is to refrigerate the lemon bars so they are firm*

xo. Laur

CHICKEN CURRY

I absolutely hated curry for as long as I could remember up until I met my boyfriend. Oddly, he loved curry. He forced me to give it another shot and I fell in love with it. Now curry is one of my top favorite foods. Since today was a flash flood watch and it was rather nippy, I decided to make curry for dinner.

Chicken Curry

• 1 T Butter
• 1-1.5 lb Chicken
• 4-5 Carrots
• 1 large Potato
• S&B Curry Mix (I like Medium Hot)
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 1/2 - 3 Cups water

1. Cut chicken into little pieces and season with salt and pepper
2. Put butter and garlic in a large pot or saucepan on medium high heat then add chicken
3. After the chicken browns, add 1 cube of curry mix and cook for a minute
4. Then add 1 1/2 cup of water and let the chicken boil for 5-10 minutes
5. After chicken has boiled, add the rest of the curry mix and water and combine well
6. Add the cut carrots and potatoes and cook for 20-35 minutes on medium high heat or until the vegetables are soft
7. Then Enjoy!

xo. Laur

Peanut Butter Nom Noms

These past few weeks I have tried to eat healthier and make healthier choices. The key word in that sentence is tried. It is definitely hard when I am craving sweets. So I have found the perfect solution to this little situation i'm in, which is Peanut Butter Nom Noms. Peanut Butter Nom Noms are a healthy treat that tastes deliciously unhealthy. It reminds me of cookie dough. These babies are very easy to make and are a great snack to have in your fridge for the week. 

Peanut Butter Nom Noms

• 1 cup of Quick Oats
• 1 cup of Shredded Coconut Flakes
• 1/2 cup Mini Chocolate Chips (Optional)
• 1/2 cup Flaxseed
• 1/2 cup Peanut Butter
• 1/3 cup Honey
• 1 tsp Vanilla

1. Combine all of the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix together.
2. Combine the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together well until everything sticks. 
3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes so it is easy to roll into balls.
4. Roll dough into balls and keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
5. Enjoy!

Tips:

• Healthier Substitutes:
• Agave instead of honey
• Reduced fat peanut butter or raw peanut butter
• Dark chocolate chips instead of milk
• Unsweetened Coconut instead of sweetened
• Sometimes instead of flaxseed, i'll add Chia Seeds to change it up a bit. Even chopped nuts work as well. 
• I normally put half crunchy peanut butter and half creamy peanut butter to have that creamy and crunchy texture. 

xo. Laur