Meatball and Garlic Bread

I really love these savory meatballs. Toothpicks were only inserted to help with the mess. The garlic bread was very useful for placing the meatball and complemented very well with the marinara sauce. You might ask why I didn't opt with spaghetti... well, it's definitely something I'd like to do but I still need to figure out how to hold it together.

Serves 3: Ground beef, ground pork, garlic clove, salt & pepper, breadcrumbs, and egg

The garlic bread was store bought but goes great with the rest of the ingredients. Normally there are two long loaves of garlic bread in a packaged box that is already pre-cut for you. I only used one loaf and each slice was big enough to cut in half. I made a total of 20 meatballs and paired 16 garlic breads to each one. I could've made at least 32 which would have been nice to take to a party!

To lessen the mess, I poured warm marinara in a sauce bowl for dipping. This method is the preferred option since you can dip however much marinara you'd like without the mess. One problem I had with the garlic bread was that I left it in the toaster-oven a little too long and it turned out a little hard, but I still enjoyed the crunchiness!

Cilantro Caprese Salad

This is my very own version of a Caprese Salad. Typically, Caprese salads are made with basil, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil, but I didn't have those ingredients laying around the house. You can finely chop the cilantro or cut the stems and use the leafy green part for garnishing and enhanced flavoring.
Serves 3: Tomatoes, Mozzarella Cheese, Cilantro, Salt & Pepper

The sliced tomatoes should be the bottom layer and the mozzarella cheese would be placed on top of that. You can add any amount of the other ingredients depending on your preference. If you want a balance of all the flavors, just sprinkle a little of salt and pepper and drizzle the balsamic vinegar and olive oil. This was such an easy and refreshing appetizer or side dish for summertime. Buon Appetito!

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Every time I stare at these chocolate chip pancakes, I just want to run into my kitchen and make these breakfast staple regardless of what time it is. I know I can scarf down these stacked pancakes in a second knowing that one of my favorite ingredients is thrown in the mix: chocolate!

Serves 3: 1 1/2 cup of pancake mix, 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup of chocolate chips

I use butter primarily to keep the pancake mixture from sticking onto the frying pan. Once it is warm enough to melt the butter, I would spread the butter around the pan with my spatula. It is also helpful to rub butter inside the edges of the cookie cutters. Next, I carefully scooped one in half tablespoon of pancake batter into the cookie cutters - thinly enough to coat the base. When the edges of the pancake mix looks dry and the top stops bubbling, take out the cookie cutter with precaution and using your spatula, flip the pancake over to cook the other side. Stack all the mini pancakes on top of each other, sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar, and drizzle maple syrup for a sweet and savory finish.

Rice Krispies Lollipops

Special occasions always inspire creative creations in the kitchen or elsewhere. While I was planning my birthday celebration, I knew I was going to feel appreciative towards the people that showed up to my party. As a nice gesture, I wanted my guests to take home something special. The heart and circle shaped cookie cutters that I found lying in my mom's pantry was a fine discovery and the best tool to use when you don't want your hands to be doing 100% of the work.

Serves 25: 2 large boxes of rice krispies cereal, 4 bags of marshmallows, 2 sticks of butter.

I have grown very fond of microwavable chocolate chips. Due to many failed attempts to melt regular chocolate chips in a pot over boiling water, I needed a quick and simple alternative solution. Using a butter knife and small spoon, the melted white chocolate is spread over the heart-shaped rice krispies after a 2 minute cool down. I carefully dipped one side of the remaining circle-shaped rice krispies halfway into the melted milk chocolate and sprinkled finely chopped peanuts for an added crunch.

Skewers came in handy when making these treats resemble a lollipop. It is recommended to insert the skewers or lollipop sticks before refrigeration or else it would be tougher to get them in when it hardens.

I made a stop to the craft store and found candy wrappers to cover the finished treats. The candy wrappers came with wire twist-ties, which was useful and easy for unwrapping the treats. Lastly, ribbons are always a great touch to the complete look!