 Rarely do I complain on the blog about my new living situation here in Mississippi. I’m not even sure I have shared much about it with you. Here’s the long story made short: We owned a newer 2,600 square foot home in California, located in a safe cookie cutter neighborhood. The house had a large kitchen, walk-in pantry, island, etc, then we sold it at a loss when we moved to Mississippi. In order to be able to save money and recover from that loss, we are now temporarily renting a 1300 square foot townhome, that is owned by the seminary where Ben teaches. The location isn’t very appealing since on one side of the street you have to watch out for pot holes and the other side be aware of bullet holes. And, I have the tiniest kitchen ever.
I’m not telling you this to complain about it, because it has been a surprisingly pleasant experience and such a blessing. I forgot how nice it is to pay cheap rent. I also forgot how nice it is to live in a neighborhood with such great community! We are outside everyday playing with the seminary students’ kids, and I’ve made invaluable friendships with their moms. So, no complaints (to share with you, at least) on the living situation…
…up until a few weeks ago, when I checked out the local farmers market.
I found out that our town has a farmers market, and we went. Downtown Clinton is actually very cute and kind of college town-ish, so we really enjoyed just the atmosphere of walking around the store fronts. After our enjoyable day, guess what I found out? The farmers market is only once per month.  What a tease! That is my complaint.
 At my one time visit to the once-a-month farmers market, we bought some locally produced honey. I actually don’t like honey. I’ll eat it mixed into recipes, but not by itself or drizzled and spread on biscuits, toast, etc. Bleh. I keep trying it, and it gets me every time. But, since the hubs loves it, I promised him I would make some fluffy buttermilk biscuits to accompany his honey.
Everyone has their preference on biscuits. Some like them flat, some like them 10 feet tall (okay, a bit of an exaggeration) and some like them just from a refrigerated can. This recipe is the favorite in our household, where the biscuit just crumbles on the outside yet somehow holds together from the fluffiness of the inside. They are completely buttery and so light and flaky, which just makes them unparalleled to any other recipe I’ve tried. My only complaint here is they disappear too quickly!
Buttery Buttermilk Biscuits
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 Tablespoons cold butter, diced right before using
- 1 cup cold buttermilk
Arrange the oven rack in the center of the oven, preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet with butter, oil, or cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender, your hands, or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal and none of the pieces of butter is bigger than the size of a pea. Be careful not to overwork. Using a rubber spatula, fold the buttermilk into the flour mixture just until all of the flour is moistened.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead lightly two or three times until the dough comes together (but should still be somewhat crumbly.) Gently pat the dough out until it's a 6-inch square. Cut the dough into 9 squares.
Place the biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet and bake until light golden brown and firm to the touch, about 12 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Store in a zipper bag on the counter. Reheat in a 350 degree preheated oven until warm for optimal texture the next day.
Source: Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible 2.0 http://penniesonaplatter.com/2012/05/16/buttery-buttermilk-biscuits/ Copyright Pennies on a Platter 2007
 Earlier this year, when I was in Orlando, I fell in love. In fact, it was love at first bite. I’m talking about the Mediterranean wrap I ate at Au Bon Pain in the Orlando airport. I ordered it for lunch when I arrived at the airport, and I ordered it again when I was leaving a few days later. Immediately, I knew I had to recreate it at home and here it is.
If you like biting through a soft tortilla or flatbread, into a mouthful of flavor, then you will absolutely love this. The wrap is filled with fresh ingredients and a zingy pesto, then finished off with a sprinkle of my favorite…feta cheese. And, if you have all of the ingredients on hand, you can easily put this together for a fast lunch or healthy dinner, within minutes.
- 4 soft tortillas or flatbread (I use sun-dried tomato flavored flatbread)
- Sun-dried tomato pesto
- Hummus
- Field greens (lettuce)
- 1/4 seedless cucumber, diced
- Grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- Kalamata olives, sliced in half
- Roasted red pepper strips (from a jar)
- Feta cheese, crumbled
Lay the tortilla or flatbread on a clean counter. Spread about a tablespoon of sun-dried tomato pesto over the surface of the bread, leaving about a 1/2-inch at the edges. Repeat with a tablespoon or two of the hummus. Top with a small handful of field greens, followed by an even layer of the cucumber, tomatoes, olives, roasted peppers and finally the feta cheese. Tightly roll the wrap and lightly press to secure. Carefully slice in half with a slightly diagonal cut. Repeat with the remaining bread and ingredients. Serve immediately. 2.0 http://penniesonaplatter.com/2012/05/14/mediterranean-wrap/ Copyright Pennies on a Platter 2007
 I have big plans for these cookies. Not only are chocolate wafers amazing as is, they can be used in many variations. My first batch of these were kept in the freezer, waiting for me to munch on them…pretty much daily…until they were gone. Then, I went crazy and made these…
 The hubs gets excited when he comes home from work and finds something like this in the freezer. Homemade vanilla ice cream sandwiched in between chocolate wafers? I won his heart all over again. He ate all three of them, leaving me not even a crumb, but then told me they were goo-ood.
The store-bought chocolate wafers can be pretty pricey, so I’m ecstatic to have a homemade recipe. Next week I’ll share another way I put these cookies to use. But, until then, consider making these soon and mashing them up into your ice cream, dunking them in some coffee or milk, or go the extra step and make an icebox cake! Then, again, you can just do what I did and savor them slowly one by one.
Homemade Chocolate Wafers
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup milk
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
Combine the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir until incorporated. Pour in the milk and mix until just combined.
Transfer the dough to a clean workspace and form into two 1+1/2-inch logs. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat. Use a serrated knife to slice the cookie dough into 1/8-inch discs, working with one log at a time and keeping the other in the fridge until ready to slice and bake. Place the discs on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 8 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Allow the cookies to cool on the pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Note: These cookies can be frozen.
Source: Adapted from Zoe Bakes 2.0 http://penniesonaplatter.com/2012/05/11/diy-homemade-chocolate-wafers/ Copyright Pennies on a Platter 2007
 When I came across this recipe to test, I didn’t have high expectations. A pizza that was heavily topped with olives? Hmmmm…it didn’t sound all that amusing. But, was I proven wrong! Surprisingly, the combination of the pepper jack cheese, two different kinds of olives, and a sprinkling of diced bell peppers really works into one great olive pizza!
The original recipe calls for a thin crust pizza dough, but I couldn’t steer my mind away from making individual sized pizzas over some homemade pita bread. Plus, what a great use of the pita bread that was starting to get a little too old in my freezer! You can definitely use store-bought pita bread, too. These little pizzas are thrown together within minutes and appear on your table-top in no time!
Pepper Jack and Double Olive Pita Pizza
- 4 pita breads
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
- 1/2 cup green olives, sliced
- 1/2 yellow or orange bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
- 4 basil leaves, thinly sliced (optional)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Spread the pizza sauce over the surface of each of the pita breads. Top with the olives, peppers and cheese. Bake on a baking sheet or stone for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with basil, if desired.
Source: Adapted from Sargento 2.0 http://penniesonaplatter.com/2012/05/09/pepper-jack-and-double-olive-pita-pizza/ Copyright Pennies on a Platter 2007
Full Disclosure: Although I’m in partnership to test and review Sargento recipes, I only share with you the ones that I truly enjoy and will make again. This post was sponsored by Sargento, but the opinions expressed about this recipe are my own.
 This, my friends, is one of our favorite desserts. It’s a favorite for Ben, because he is in love with anything that has to do with chocolate and peanut butter. It’s a favorite for me, because I also share a love for the chocolate and peanut butter combo, but more importantly, this is one heck-uhva easy, yet impressive, dessert!
Living in a community with many young families, TONS of children and even single men and women who live on the seminary campus, we often entertain or are invited for dinner. Typically, I like to be in charge of dessert. Being in the south now, I feel I need to have a dessert ready that grabs at anyone’s sweet tooth. With our busy schedule, I do not always have time to spend an hour or two in the kitchen, baking up a treat, so it’s nice to have quick and easy recipes like this on hand. But, the thing about this one is that everyone is super impressed! I sometimes don’t want to tell them how easy it is!
 You can go all-the-way homemade with this, but then that takes away from what I love most about it. With the use of ice cream sandwiches, chocolate syrup, peanut butter and COOL WHIP whipped topping, this dessert fixes up in a jiffy! Just two layers of these ingredients, placed into an 8×8 pan and then frozen for 1 hour, will provide you with a spectacular chocolaty treat and gain back minutes for you to spend with your family.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Bar Dessert
- 8-ounces chocolate syrup
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 12 - 18 store-bought (rectangle) ice cream sandwiches
- 8-ounces frozen COOL WHIP whipped topping, thawed
- 1/2 cup chopped peanut butter cups
Heat the chocolate syrup in a microwave-safe bowl for about 1 minute. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth; set aside.
Layer half of the ice cream sandwiches on the bottom of an 8x8 square baking dish. Evenly pour half of the chocolate-peanut butter sauce over the top. Spread with an even layer of half of the COOL WHIP, then sprinkle with half of the peanut butter cups. Repeat the layers (sandwiches, chocolate sauce, COOL WHIP) ending with another sprinkle of peanut butter cups. Cover loosely with foil and freeze for at least 1 hour. To serve, cut into squares.
*Note: This recipe can be doubled, using a 9x13-inch pan.
Source: Recipe inspired from AllRecipes 2.0 http://penniesonaplatter.com/2012/05/07/chocolate-peanut-butter-ice-cream-bar-dessert/ Copyright Pennies on a Platter 2007
Full Disclosure: As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received coupons for free COOL WHIP Whipped Topping and a stipend. Sponsored posts are purely editorial content that we are pleased to have presented by a participating sponsor. Advertisers do not produce the content.
 What you add makes it. #coolwhipmoms
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