CuteKittyPunk

I wanted to make something that was easy to make, fun to make and really delicious... and also something that Mark would like - or at least I hope he will like it. Last week I took stroopwafels and dipped them in dark chocolate and white chocolate and sprinkled them with sprinkles. I wanted to try sugar waffles this time because Mark likes sugar waffles and he doesn't really like stroopwafels. He also likes white chocolate the best. It's also something the kids can help out with - would make a nice FHE treat :)  I got to use my Speculoos hagel , too! To make 'em. Gather your supplies: sugar waffles aka suikerwafels aka Luiksewafels aka waffles from Liège, Luik or Lüttich (it's a town in Belgium) your favorite brand white chocolate (about 200g for 8 waffles) candy sprinkles, hagel, funfetti, chocolate pieces, chopped nuts, you name it. a bowl to melt the chocolate in a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper Melt chocolate in microwave safe bowl - 30

Gooey in the middle and crispy on the outside, just the way a cookie should be! I discovered this recipe some years ago. I used to bake it nearly every month, that's how good it is. I've tried many, many peanut butter cookie recipes and this is the best by far! You don't really need to add chocolate chips... but I just happen to get a bag full of goodies from a lady who bought all these baking supplies - American style baking supplies - from the BX, and the stuff she didn't use up before she moved back to the U.S. - was gifted to me. So the best way to show my gratitude - was to use it up! There was a half open bag of white chocolate chips and a half open bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips... Did I mention... I love this recipe for peanut butter cookies and I threw in the chocolate chips as well. It was very yummy. This recipe is originally vegan believe it or not. You don't really need eggs in most baked goods anyway. But then I went and poured in all t

In my previous post - No second helpings , I revealed that I'm starting this new thing. It's not so new really - just new to me. New because, I'm just now doing it for the first time ever. I did Weight Watchers online a few years ago and I had some success with that but it just didn't hold really. And then, last week on Wednesday I ate a big fat lovely piece of lasagna - three cheese lasagna and it was so fattening and good. And then, I ate a second piece. And then later that night I felt really gassy - to be honest, I did. Then Thursday came, and I ate leftovers - another half serving of lasagna and then a wicked whipped cream butterscotch dessert. It was very wicked. I felt like eating that was a sin. Then I started noticing that I eat a lot. I mean I snack all day long. I graze like a cow. I'm constantly in the kitchen every hour or so looking for something to eat. It finally hit me and I could no longer make excuses. So Friday morning I woke up - and I m

Today went well - because I set some rules for myself and I kept them - and I'm very proud of myself. Only 3 meals per day - NO SNACKING in between meals. No second helpings. I can eat a small treat/dessert together with the meal - at the end of the meal . Some things that helped me achieve my goals: I think it helped in the morning for breakfast that I started the day with a Green Monster with extra protein added. It was a very cold day today so I ate a warm lunch. I just kept reminding myself of the rules and told myself that "I don't want to be fat" I told myself - if I "feel" hungry - drink water besides I'm not really hungry, I'm not going to starve - my body is getting enough to eat and those "feelings" are just sugar withdrawals or just out of habit of eating all the time. And here it is - the end of the day - I'm proud of myself and I have NO REGRETS! Me and my girls - one on each hip - cuz I'm so hip ;) 

If you've been following this blog - you know that I've got a thing for Brussels sprouts. We never ate them when I was a kid, probably because my Dad got it in his head that they are yucky. But he's totally wrong! And actually I think a lot of people got that idea in their heads... it's just not true. They are really good. I've tried them several ways and I like them everytime. This particular recipe was a new and different way to eat them... and guess what? They taste even better the next day! Coconut Curried Brussels Sprouts served with Omelet Spirals (Spruitjescurry met omeletreepjes) source: SMAK school uigave 2010/2011 1 onion 1 clove garlic 600 grams Brussels sprouts 1/2 - 1 tablespoon mild green curry paste 1 tablespoon olive oil 200 ml coconut milk 100 ml water 6 eggs 50 ml milk 1 tablespoon margarine soy sauce lemon juice coriander Clean the vegetables. Finely chopped the onions and garlic. Cut the sprouts in half. Fry the onion and ga

I was invited to a birthday lunch surprise... and I managed to keep a secret! Boo-yah! Yeah, everyone was actually surprised that I kept a secret - but I can keep secrets when they are important like that :) My friend and her family often eat gluten free - and they try to eat as organically as they can afford to because not only is it good for you, they also do it for her young son that is overcoming autism. So I asked if I could bake something and bring it to the party and they said Yes! Yippee. This comes from " At Tiffany's Table " by Tiffany Perez. Tiffany suffered from Crohn's Disease and healed her illness with food! Ultimately, she gave up refined sugar completely. She does eat desserts though - made with honey or maple syrup. She mainly uses raw honey and raw milk. She also bakes with her own freshly ground wheat. I'm looking forward to trying many recipes in this book (I'll just have to adapt them to my circumstances - i.e. regular milk, regula

  I couldn't think of a better way to use an old egg carton then to have it hold yummy delicious double dipped stroopwafels. The idea is not really so new. Just a few months ago I saw Kristan from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen do the same thing with graham crackers for a quick holiday treat. The stroopwafel is not really equavalent to a graham cracker though... it is so much better. It's really one of the best cookies to come out of the Netherlands. You can find them everywhere here. Every grocery store carries them in many different price ranges. And there is a difference. That "E" brand that is really cheap - really sucks . The brand from the Lidl is a great price and one of the best tasting ones I've found. They have them made with real butter or with glucose-syrup. I personally like the real butter caramel flavored ones. Yum-yum. A stroopwafel is simply translated as syrup waffle. It's a thin waffle like cookie with syrup in the middle... much be

This is just a note-to-self post really... a way for me to find link backs to other Brussels Sprouts recipes that I want to try or that friends have asked for... Fresh Brussels sprouts - all cut up and ready to be cooked! Brussels Sprouts Lardons - one to try Cinnamon Cider Brussels Sprouts, Apples and Pears *this one I've made a few times and it's really good. I've even made it with cranberries once in place of the pear - tart but good. Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts -one to try Autumn Mac and Cheese (with all kinds of things added - including Brussels Sprouts) -one to try - although I don't know when I'll ever get to try this one because it includes cheese and I can never make that for a dinner to serve Punk Papa - he's such a punk he won't eat cheese :(  but me thinks it looks really good! Warm Autumn Salad -another one with cheese, but I think I'll leave it out when I try it ;) Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts *thi

You know what? Normally when I think of Belgium - I think of those cute little sea shell chocolates - those are so dang good. I always bring a few boxes of those when I go home to America. Everyone likes those a lot! You are instantly popular and everyone's best friend if you are carrying a box of those. But Belgium is also known for other things - like waffles and Brussels sprouts. And if they aren't known for Speculaas - they should be. Speculaas is a small spice cookie. It's very yummy and often served with coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Lotus is all over it; it's a name brand and they got it made with the Speculaas. Not only do they know how to make a great little cookie. They've turned it into a creamy sandwich spread... and now into a crunchy sandwich sprinkle. I love it. It's brilliant. And you know what - it would work great as any cake or cupcake topper. Forget those disco sprinkles - Lotus Speculoos Hagel is it!   Luckily for living here, I don

Do you like brownies? Me, too. Do you like white chocolate? Me, too. I've had this cake in the original dark chocolate brownie form and in the white chocolate blondie form... and I liked it way better in white chocolate blondie form. Oh my gosh, it is so good... like fudge. White fudge from heaven! I might even dare say - that's it's better than Death by Chocolate cake... it's Death by White Chocolate and by golly it's GOOD! My good friend Cat likes to bake - lucky me. She baked me the original for my birthday - it had a chocolate ganache topping - very heavy cake - Punk Papa ate most of it. It was just so chocolatey, that I couldn't handle it... but the white chocolate - oh my - I couldn't stop. So, if you are going to bake these in cake form or cupcakes - do share - or else - don't blame me if you gain 5 pounds ;) Top any way you like. Cat made them for me topped with cocoa-frosting. She told me her recipe from memory (included below) -