Sweet Substitutions: Chocolate Chip Cookies

So welcome, welcome to my newest feature on the blog.  The sweet substitution posts will be done with the help of my sister.  Between the two of us she bakes far more than I do.  Between tending to not have the patience for the measuring (as readers of this blog have no doubt noticed) and not having a whole lot of sugar in my diet I just don't seem to make delicious desserts, which is a shame.  However, with a group of sorority sisters and fraternity boys at her disposal, my sister isn't lacking people to try the sweets that she makes.  The ones posted here make substitutions to the typical oil, egg, and sugars to make the desserts a bit healthier without being any less delicious.  She said that the texture and flavor were just as good, and that the applesauce and banana played very nicely off of the chocolate.

100th Post: Steak and Sweet Potato Empanadas

Wow, a year really goes by fast.  I can't believe I started this blog last February and that one year later I'm on my 100th post.  I want to thank everyone who has read my blog, commented, shared, or otherwise been a part of this journey.  I hope that you continue to enjoy the recipes that are still to come.

Today's recipe really hits both the cheap and easy portions of the blog.  While it may not be entirely traditional it is incredibly versatile.  I used diced sweet potato and beef.  If you don't have that on hand, scour the fridge: taco meat, shredded chicken, roasted veggies, anything with tomato sauce (boom calzones), chicken or tuna salad.  The only other ingredient you need is a package of thin crust pizza dough.  Plus, these are baked instead of fried and still turn a lovely golden, crispy brown.

P.S. It may seem like a lot of steps, but if you have the filling leftover from something you can skip to the stuffing phase which will cut down prep time considerably.

Dessert: Key Lime Fudge

As I move towards my 100th post (wow, can't believe it will be the next one!) I thought I'd share one of the few desserts that I make.  This fudge, simply put, is phenomenal.  It combines all the things that I love about good food: easy to make, pretty easy on the wallet, and absolutely delicious.  The bright acidity of the limes sets off the more muted tones of the white chocolate...and that is not even getting into the pretty pop of color of the green on white.   It has been a go-to best seller for me at bake sales this year.  I got the idea from the blog  Dozen Flours , which is a beautifully designed dessert blog (trust me, go look at some of the pictures).  I've played around with the ingredients and lime amount to find a variation that I like.