Grubarazzi

Some people dream of being President. Other people dream of saving the world. My dream: To have nonstop access to chocolate all day and all night. I’m not proud of this. I should really want more out of life. But I lose a mass of brain cells and lots of stamina when chocolate is around, especially these brownies.   Avocado Brownies with Chocolate Glaze look and taste like fudge made with lots of butter. But guess what! There is no butter. Not a trace. And they are gluten free. True story. Make these and you’ll give up that dream of being President one day. Who has time to save the world when you have a dozen brownies to eat? Avocado Brownies with Chocolate Glaze Inspired by Dr. Oz Time in Kitchen: 45 minutes Servings: 12 (or 6 large brownies) Ingredients: 4 eggs ½ cup white sugar ½ cup light brown sugar 10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted 1/2 cup cacao powder 1/2 cup rice flour (or almond flour) 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ...

Ya’ll! I named a cookie after myself. The name, Grubarazzi, elicits really good feelings about food. It also explains the feeding frenzy that takes place when you mush a lot of yummy things in to cookie dough. So I named these cookies filled with Snickers, Reese’s, M&M’s, and all things chocolate after me. Grubarazzi Cookies: a new treat using classic ingredients. The cookie dough is perfectly soft and chewy a la Martha Stewart. She knows a thing or two about making the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I’m going to refrain from sharing my opinion about Martha as a human being, but I will say I hope my food pictures are better than hers, and I hope my cookies turn out like hers. It’s a love/hate relationship.  These cookies are a great way to get rid of the leftover Halloween candy you are having a hard time resisting. Bring them to the office, or reserve them for your husband who never gains weight. They are great served warm and dipped in to a tall glass of cold milk. Gru...

I want cookies lots and lots of cookies. I want the pie in the skyyy. I’m channeling Calloway and the Cookie Monster today. It’s a half delusional notion, but please hang in there with me. I started a new job two weeks ago and I’m feeling winded from climbing the corporate ladder. This means less time at home, and less time doing the thing I really love to do; cooking. Besides last weekend’s catering gig, this weekend was the first time in a long time that I utilized my kitchen to nourish mind, body, and soul. I dug it. I missed it. I danced all up on it. Life felt right again. I made chicken noodle soup from scratch, and baked about 4 dozen cookies in an attempt to reclaim my sanity. It worked… I think… At least these cookies worked. In my mouth. Chunkin Punkin Cookies are soft and slightly chewy, and the crushed up graham crackers running through the batter provide a sweet crunch that will make you happy on the inside. I added graham crackers because I like cookies s...

The day I discovered Tate’s Bakeshop Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies was the day my life started anew. They are thin, crispy, chewy, buttery perfection.  And want to know a secret? They are better than regular chocolate chip cookies. For serious. I don’t know how they did it, but they did it hard.  I recently had a BBQ for friends and one of them was gluten intolerant. Instead of torturing her and making ice cream cookie sandwiches with regular cookies, I decided to use Tate’s gluten free cookies for everyone to rave reviews. The comment heard most "I would have never known these were gluten free! They are the best cookie sandwiches I've ever had." And who doesn't want to feel like a kid again and chow down on an old fashioned ice cream cookie sandwich? I know I do. If you don't, well, maybe you should go back to where you came from. Mars, most likely.  I rarely post recipes I don’t make from scratch...but they were just so good! Take...

My mom makes a mean fruit crumble. She might not know this, but as a child I loved when she made it for us. I could never figure out why hers was so much better than anyone else's, until we made it together during her last visit to Baltimore. Her mantra is simple: double the crumble. No one ever puts enough crumble on top. My father and I are known as the cooks in our family, but this is only because my mother, who is a great cook, prefers to clean our mess and critique our meals rather than get her cute little hands dirty. But when she cooks it's always great and comforting. I guess that is the Irish in her. She'll whip up meat and potatoes, cheesy casseroles, delicious refrigerator cookies, quick shepherd’s pie, and perfect mushroomy beef stroganoff like nobody's business. She'll have you know. During her visit to Baltimore, we were sitting at my kitchen table giggling like fools and drinking wine (as only we can do when we are together) while mom was thum...

My life is like a really messy kitchen. The sink is filled to the brim with full-time school, full-time work, and marathon training. The cabinets are stuffed with making time for my husband and taking care of my poor home which always seems to end up last on the list. Adding a hobby to the mix is daunting at times, but I would not have it any other way. I love Grubarazzi. She’s a friend of mine. Like an extremely selfish but loveable BFF. During my first year of food blogging I was certain of very few things. I wanted to share my recipes, fiddle with my camera, write, and soak in all of the information I could about all of the above. What I didn’t want to deal with was a “vision”. It felt like a nuisance to have a reason for writing this blog other than simply doing what I love. Can’t a woman just cook? I chucked the food blogging rule book out the window on plenty of occasions opting for simplicity in its place. Unfortunately, the rule book is there for a reason. After...

The journey to Smith Island began the moment we climbed aboard the ferry from Crisfield to Tylerton, the smallest and least populated village of the island. An admirably tan and unfussy man named Larry guided us on to the rustic vessel filled with locals carrying supplies from the mainland, and bags of expensive camera equipment belonging to a photography workshop. The Chesapeake can be as violent as the sea with high winds and variable waters. There are only a handful of ferrymen that go back and forth to the island, which is a 45 minute ride, taking passengers deep in to the Chesapeake just out of view from the modern world and pleasantly tranquil for a weekend getaway. When we stepped on to the dock at Tylerton, we were immediately taken back in time. Smith Island is a close knit community of watermen, their hardworking crab picking wives, and a few outsiders who were seduced by the island’s charm. Smith Island is tenderly poetic yet disarmingly poignant due to its dwindli...

Sometimes a girl needs something sweet. But not too sweet... Something nutty, rich, and decadent that goes well with a glass of wine after a long week. Something that helps you kick up your feet and hum a show tune in your head. Cocoa nib and peanut butter macaroons are a perfect blend of natural ingredients that make you feel naughty even though you are being super nice to your body. Slightly sweetened with a hint of raw honey, these macaroons are mostly shredded coconut with the bitter-sweet bite of roasted cocoa nibs and creamy natural peanut butter. No egg whites or baking is required for this macaroon recipe. I would have labeled them raw but that is not entirely true since some ingredients are roasted and toasted. Make a batch of these to satisfy that naughty sweet tooth.   Cocoa Nib & Peanut Butter Macaroons Time in kitchen: 1 hour Servings per recipe: 30 Nutrition information per serving: 65 calories, 5 grams fat, 2 grams fiber, 4 carbohydrates (1 gram...

Dear Dairy,  We have endured a strong yet tragic relationship for many years. Doctors tell me not to devour even a morsel of your charms, but you always find a way back in to my life. Whether you linger on a cracker, curl up snugly to some macaroni, stand tall in a breakfast glass or sprinkle yourself on salads, your charm is undeniable. I swoon your way time and time again. But you are not good for me. When you are in my daily life I get too many colds, my skin turns pink and rashy, my bones ache, my hair gets dull, my tummy hurts, and my brain fogs over slowly until I eventually forget the names of even the simplest things. Not only does your presence affect me physically, but I am emotionally and mentally damaged by you. This is not a healthy relationship. If you see me on a crowded street or in a seedy café, please turn the other way. I am not strong enough to say no. Not yet. You will not hear from me again until I have the power to be in your presence without su...