My main blog has always been my food blog but as any of you who read my blog have noticed, the family portion is a huge part of it now as well. Most of my posts relate somehow back to my personal life and often my kids. My “mommy” blog is often very neglected as I have found that it is easier for me to just work with the one blog and combine the two categories.

Over the next several weeks, you are going to see a lot more of my mommy side coming out in my posts as I have been chosen to be a part of a really fun blogging opportunity. I’ll share more about it next week, but wanted to give you fair warning up front! Don’t worry – Dine & Dish will remain a food blog and you will still continue to get a dose of my foodie side with each post.

Speaking of combining things, are you one of those people who likes to add things into your brownies or do you prefer to just go with the simple chocolate fudge version? I typically like my brownies as plain as can be, so I would consider myself to be a brownie purist in that regard. No mix-ins or toppings needed because then I think it becomes too much of a good thing, which really can ruin a good recipe sometimes. This was my firm belief until I recently tried the Black-and-White Cheesecake Square recipe from the Easter issue of Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Holy heaven on earth – these little squares are soooo good. The chocolate brownie batter is incredibly thick and rich. It is topped with a layer of delicious cheesecake and finished off with dollops of more fudgy brownie batter.  I have now discovered that sometimes, combining the right amount of two really good things turns out great!

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Black & White Cheesecake Squares

Black-and-White Cheesecake Squares (from Martha Stewart Living Magazine)

Author Dine & Dish

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 ounces 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 21/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line dish with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both long sides, then spray parchment.
• Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Cream butter and granulated sugar with a mixer until smooth. Add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla, and beat until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture. Increase speed to medium; beat until incorporated.
• Reserve 1 cup of dough; cover, and refrigerate. Press remaining dough into bottom of prepared dish. Refrigerate for 30 minutes (I eliminated the refrigeration step). Bake until base is set and edges are puffed, about 25 minutes. Let cool in dish on a wire rack.
• Mix cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and remaining egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl. Spread over cooled base; crumble reserved dough on top. Bake until filling is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in dish on wire rack, then lift out using overhang. Cut into 24 squares. Squares will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

The post The Fall of a Brownie Purist (Recipe: Black & White Cheesecake Squares) appeared first on Dine and Dish.

S’Mores Galore

I am bound and determined to get it in gear this week. My goal is to get back on the Fly Lady bandwagon, gain control of my diet/exercise program, and to commit to menu planning again.

I used to participate in Menu Planning Monday over at the Organizing Junkie. There is something about putting your weekly menu plan out there for all to see that makes you a little more committed to sticking to it each week.  For your viewing pleasure, here is what is on the menu at the Dine & Dish household this week.

• Monday: Chicken Chilaquiles from Cooking Light (using leftover rotisserie chicken from Sunday)
• Tuesday: Steak with Golden Zucchini from Real Simple Magazine
• Wednesday: Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Thursday: Fajita Skillet from Simple & Delicious Magazine
• Friday: Homemade Pizza
• Saturday: Sausage and Pepper Calzones from Cooking Light Magazine
• Sunday: Beef & Veggie Stir Fry (lunch), Tilapia Piccata (dinner)

Earlier in the day yesterday, we had told the kids that in the evening we would light the outdoor fire pit and make S’Mores. It had been fairly cool all week, but of course last night it turned out to be sticky and warm, so my hubby felt like it was too warm to light the fire pit. I had a couple of disappointed kids when they heard the news that there would be no marshmallow roasting. When we came inside, I looked at all the S’mores ingredients laying out and suddenly remembered the cookbook I borrowed from my sisters house this summer. It was a Pampered Chef cookbook called Delightful Desserts. The recipe that I remembered was for oven S’mores, called S’mores Galore. I adapted the recipe to fit a 9×13 casserole dish and just played things a little by ear. As gooey as campfire s’mores with the same roasted flavor, this is one dessert that will turn disappointed tears into cheers.

S’Mores Galore from the Delightful Desserts Pampered Chef Cookbook

10 whole honey graham crackers — (about 5 x 2″), divided
6 bars milk chocolate — (1.55 ounces each), coarsley
chopped
1 package mini marshmallows — (16 ounces), divided
6 tablespoons butter or margarine — divided
3 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350º.
Arrange a single layer of graham crackers to completely cover bottom of bar
pan, breaking crackers to fit. Toast in oven 2 minutes. Remove pan to
cooling rack.
Coarsely break remaining graham crackers into large bowl. Set aside.
Combine 3 cups of marshmallows, 3 tablespoons of the butter and milk,
microwave on high 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Add half of the chopped
chocolate. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
Spread marshmallow mixture evenly over graham crackers in pan.
Melt remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Toss with remaining graham crackers.
Add remaining marshmallows and chopped chocolate. Toss lightly.
Spoon mixture evenly in pan.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until marshmallows are lightly browned. Cool 15
minutes. Cut into bars.
Serve warm or cool.

S’Mores are so popular! Check out what our fellow food bloggers do with some of the most simple S’Mores ingredients:

• S’Mores Cupcakes from Cupcake Bakeshop
• South of the Border S’Mores from Kids Cuisine
• S’More Pie from Smitten Kitchen
• S’Mores Pancakes from Baking Delights

A Little Bit of Housekeeping

The post Back to School…Back to Menu Planning! appeared first on Dine and Dish.