Author: longdistancebaking

Chocolate Chunk Peanut M&M Cookies

Chocolate Chunk Peanut M&M Cookies

We had a bag of Peanut M&Ms lying around so naturally I had to make cookies. Also, I didn’t want to devour the entire bag of M&Ms while watching Bachelor in Paradise. Because let’s be honest for a moment, that definitely would have happened. Speaking 

Welcome to Louisiana: Black Bayou Lake

Welcome to Louisiana: Black Bayou Lake

Well I’ve been in Louisiana for a couple months now, and I still don’t understand what a bayou is. To me, it just looks the same as a river. Except there are trees growing in it? And alligators. And snakes. And who knows what else 

Caramel Pretzel Brownies

Caramel Pretzel Brownies

Let me start out with a confession: I originally only made these brownies because I had leftover caramel and pretzels from the Everything Cookie BarsBut, they resulted in the best brownies I have ever made!

Caramel Pretzel Brownies | longdistancebaking.com

Now, there is a time and place for a boxed brownie mix. I can admit that. However this is not that time or that place. You need these homemade brownies because they are rich, and thick, and fudgy chocolate deliciousness.

Caramel Pretzel Brownies | longdistancebaking.com

I don’t think I need to explain the perfection that is the salty sweet combo between the pretzels and chocolate, and the caramel adds that extra layer of sweetness.

Caramel Pretzel Brownies | longdistancebaking.com

No surprise, these brownies didn’t last long. I took a batch to work and the majority were gone before lunch! Trust me. Homemade brownies are worth the extra bit of effort and the addition of caramel and pretzels mean these babies are irresistible.

~Stephanie

Caramel Pretzel Brownies | longdistancebaking.com

Caramel Pretzel Brownies (adapted from Turtle Brownies)

  • 3/4 c flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 c cocoa powder
  • 1/2 c butter
  • 1 c sugar
  • 1 c chocolate chips
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • 1 c chopped pretzels + whole pretzels for topping
  • 1 c caramel bits (I used Kraft)
  1. In mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and cocoa powder. Set aside.
  2. In small sauce pan, melt butter, sugar and chocolate chips, stirring continuously.
  3. Transfer ingredients to mixer and beat in eggs and vanilla.
  4. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
  5. Mix in chopped pretzels and caramel bits by hand.
  6. Pour into a greased (or parchment lined) 9×9 baking pan.
  7. Press extra pretzels into top of brownies.
  8. Bake at 350 for ~20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
  9. Let cool completely, then cut into squares.
Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Smoothie

Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Smoothie

I’m on a health kick… again. Remember, I strive for progress not perfection blah, blah, blah… but with this smoothie, I don’t feel like I have to give anything up! This is the summer of oatmeal and coconut. Lately, I can’t seem to make a recipe 

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

Coconut and chocolate- now that’s a winning combination right there! I’ve had a hankering for coconut desserts lately. Ever since I made these Haystack Energy Bites (which I’ve made 3 times in the last month and plan on making another batch this weekend…), I have been craving all 

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

If you haven’t noticed, we have quite the ice cream obsession around here. But can you blame us?! It’s summer! And ice cream is delicious.

When I was growing up we got to have “treat” each night before bed. It could be anything: cookies and milk, a popsicle, a piece of pie. Mine was always a bowl of ice cream. Always.

Oreo Cookies and Cream Ice Cream | longdistancebaking.com

I ate ice cream so often my relatives would buy extra when I was coming to town. I had an ice cream cone charm for my Italian charm bracelet (remember those??) When I went on a mission trip to Mexico my youth pastor’s emailed my parents saying “Don’t worry, Stephanie got some ice cream”.

 

My addiction stalled for a few years after I moved out of the house, but then my fiancé got me an ice cream maker for my birthday! Granted I’m pretty sure it’s more a gift for himself, I was excited.

Oreo Cookies and Cream Ice Cream | longdistancebaking.com

This Oreo cookies and cream ice cream is hands down the best ice cream I’ve made. Not only is it incredibly easy (can you say 5 ingredient vanilla ice cream + oreos?) but it was sweet and creamy and just enough Oreos to get your chocolate fix.

Trust me. You need this ice cream in your life! You’re only 30 minutes away from this delicious summer treat.

Oreo Cookies and Cream Ice Cream | longdistancebaking.com

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream (adapted from Toasted Almond Ice Cream)

  • 2 c heavy cream
  • 1 c whole milk
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 c crushed Oreos

Directions:

  • In medium saucepan, heat 1 cup cream and the sugar, stirring continually until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Remove from heat and add remaining cream, milk and vanilla.
  • Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
  • Churn ice cream according to ice cream maker directions, about 20-25 minutes. In the last 3-5 minutes, add the crushed Oreos.
  • Freeze in an airtight container.
Everything Cookie Bars

Everything Cookie Bars

Sometimes you move to a new city and have to make new friends. And sometimes these new friends invite you over and tell you to bring dessert. Being a food blogger, you feel like you need something impressive. As usual, your other half suggest “those 

Strawberry Sorbet

Strawberry Sorbet

What’s the weather been like where you’re at lately? It seems like everywhere is hot, hot, hot! I’m a firm believer that the only way to beat the heat is frozen desserts. And I also just really like ice cream. Sometimes though, it’s even too 

Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis, Tennessee

Before I’d moved to Louisiana, the furthest south I’d ever been was Washington, D.C. Does that count!? Is D.C. even considered to be in the South?? Now that we’re down here, we plan on making the most of our time in a new area and traveling as much as we can. Case in point, of the first three weekends after I moved here I was only in town for one of them. There’s too much to see!

While Memphis may seem like a random first destination, it was close enough we could leave after work on Friday and because BBQ. Obviously. It was a quick 48 hour trip, but I think we found plenty to eat, drink and do to pass on my recommendations.

What to do in Memphis | longdistancebaking.com

To Eat

Brother Juniper’s
I know I just mentioned the whole point of eating in Memphis was to get BBQ, but you can’t have that for breakfast! I guess technically you could, but we opted for Brother Juniper’s and it was well worth the hour long wait to be seated. Matt had a sausage omelet, I had scrambled eggs with pesto, roasted red peppers and mozzarella cheese, and we had quite possibly the most delicious biscuits I’ve ever tasted. Prepare for a bit of a line for Saturday brunch, but this place is not to be missed.

What to do in Memphis - Brother Juniper's | longdistancebaking.com

Huey’s Restaurant
We happened to be in Memphis the day of the Belmont Stakes and knew we had to watch it somewhere. We picked Huey’s to have some appetizers and it ended up being the perfect atmosphere to watch American Pharaoh win the Triple Crown!! Good food and a lot of great local beer options.

What to do in Memphis - Huey's | longdistancebaking.com

Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous
This is one of the top BBQ joints in Memphis. Also, just so you’re prepared, traditional Memphis BBQ is dry rub. This is my personal favorite kind of BBQ, so I was more than ok with that. We saved our appetites all day so we could stuff our faces at Rendezvous and it did not disappoint! I’m not even sure we talked during our meal, we were too busy devouring rib after rib. A must go!

What to do in Memphis - Charles Vergos' Rendezvous | longdistancebaking.comWhat to do in Memphis - Charles Vergos' Rendezvous | longdistancebaking.com What to do in Memphis - Charles Vergos' Rendezvous | longdistancebaking.com

To Drink

Bluff City Coffee
Located in the adorable South Main Historic District, Bluff City Coffee is a fun little coffee shop. They pride themselves in their espresso, but I was partial to my nutella danish. Grab yourself a coffee and explore this cute, historic neighborhood.

What to do in Memphis - Bluff City Coffee | longdistancebaking.com What to do in Memphis | longdistancebaking.com

Bardog
We found Bardog when we were just walking around downtown from our hotel. It’s a cute neighborhood bar and was surprisingly full for early on a Friday night. This was just the kind of spot we were looking for, somewhere fun for tourists but a popular spot for the locals too. We didn’t eat anything here, but the food looked (and smelled) absolutely amazing! Not just your local bar fare, either. I saw people eating spaghetti with homemade meatballs, mussels and calamari…what kind of bar is this?! My only complaint was that smoking was allowed upstairs. I realize this is a personal preference, but smoking has been illegal in Idaho bars for years now, so it just came as a surprise to me.

Beale Street
The beauty of Beale Street is that there are no open container laws, meaning you can grab your drink to go and wander up and down the street. Because of this I didn’t really pay attention to any of the specific bars and restaurants! Oops. Beale Street stretches almost 2 miles though, so there is bound to be a place for everyone to enjoy. There is also plenty of live music and entertainment on the streets themselves, so make sure to walk around and catch it all.

What to do in Memphis - Beale Street | longdistancebaking.com What to do in Memphis - Beale Street | longdistancebaking.com

To Do

Memphis Farmers Market
I’m a huge sucker for farmers markets. In the middle of road trips I’ve even stopped in small towns along the way just to check out the stands. I love the fresh and local produce and it’s so fun to see what different vendors are selling. I limited myself to only buying a handful of peaches from the Memphis Farmers Market, but it was in such a cute location and had so much variety, I would be there weekly if I was a local. The market is open every Saturday, April-October, from 7am-1pm.

What to do in Memphis - Memphis Farmers Market | longdistancebaking.com

See the Peabody Ducks
Yes, I know this is cheesy. But how can you go to Memphis and not see the ducks?! Oh…you don’t know about the ducks? Let me give you the brief history. Rumor has it, friends of the hotel owner showed up at the hotel drunk after a night of hunting. They thought it would be funny to leave their live duck decoys in the lobby fountain for the owner to find in the morning. Well, not only did the owner find the ducks swimming in the fountain the next day, he found a crowd of people watching and thoroughly enjoying them. Since then, a group of ducks now live on the roof of the Peabody and are escorted (yes, escorted) down to the fountain to swim each day, then escorted back up to the roof at night. The ducks march at 11am and 5pm. Make sure you go early to get a good seat!

What to do in Memphis - Peabody Ducks | longdistancebaking.com What to do in Memphis - Peabody Ducks | longdistancebaking.com

Mud Island River Park
The park is located on a peninsula between Wolf River Harbor and the Mississippi River. We just happened to walk across the bridge to get a better view of the river, then looked down and saw the main attraction of the park: an exact scale replica of the Mississippi! I realize this may not sound very cool, but just trust me. The entire structure extends 5 city blocks and the “river” empties into an acre size “Gulf of Mexico”. We bought ice creams from the concessions and spent the afternoon walking around enjoying the park and the Memphis skyline in the background.

What to do in Memphis - Mud Island River Park | longdistancebaking.com

What to do in Memphis | longdistancebaking.comIf you haven’t been to Memphis, I strongly recommend it! We lucked out with perfect weather, not yet too hot and humid, and it was a great weekend getaway.

~Stephanie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

One major perk of the fiancé’s new job is that we both get memberships to the athletic club in town. I attempted to get into running a few summer’s ago, when Kelly and I did the San Francisco Half Marathon, buuuuttt after we ran that race