White Chocolate Snickerdoodle Blondies

It's not real to me that school starts in a little over a week. Summer actually flashed before my eyes, but I actually did quite a lot this summer. I feel like half the summer was spent on driving back and forth between home and school and in the air (now I know what my father's life is like).

It started off with my journey to Italy, then road tripping to New Paltz, then off to Maine then Ohio then finally NYC with various trips home in between and visits from J. On top of all that, took 3 classes, had an internship and a job. I'm tired just thinking about it.

Both J and I headed overseas this summer, me in the beginning and him at the end. He comes home from Israel Sunday (no more 7 hour time difference and only talking when he has wifi..which Israel isn't exactly full of wifi like America) and I thought it would be nice for him to come home to a surprise package, naturally treats would be included. Also, now that I have all this free time, I don't know what to do with myself, it's wonderful.

I wrote this post before I made the blondies and I whipped up a batch this afternoon, super easy and there is two left...Soooo I ran to the store tonight and whipped up a double batch so any snackers that made their way into the kitchen wouldn't eat them all!

White Chocolate Snickerdoodle Blondies
source: Life As A Lofthouse

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon sugar & 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, mixed together

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 baking pan with non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy and light. Beat in salt, egg and vanilla until combined. Stir in flour until combined, and then stir in white chocolate chips. Batter will be very thick like cookie dough.
3. Spread and press batter evenly into pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top.
4. Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until bars are set and edges are lightly browned. Let cool completely before cutting.

Roast Chicken Chimichangas

A few weeks ago J came to visit and usually I am prepared. Prepared as in have the whole menu planned out for his visit, dessert included. This visit I was not prepared in the least, so when it came for dinner on Wednesday night I threw some cookbooks at J and said you pick. It's a good thing I picked a boy who likes food just as much as me and always offers to help me cook, even if I'm a little bossy :-)

Roast Chicken Chimichangas
adapted from: the best of Cooking Light everyday favorites

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups shredded roasted, skinlessm boneless chicken breasts
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled queso fresco cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 (16 ounce) can fat-free refried beans
6 (8-inch) flour tortillas
cooking spray
1/2 cup bottle green salsa
Guacamole

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 500
2. Combine the chicken, cheese, green onions, oregano, garlic and green chiles in a bowl and toss well.
3. Spread 1/4 cup beans down the center of each tortilla. Top each tortilla with 2/3 cup chicken mixture, roll up.
4. Place rolls, seam side down, in a 9 x 13 pan coated with cooking spray. Coat tops with cooking spray and bake for 7 minutes.
5. Top with extra cheese and serve with guacamole and salsa.

(we had guac too, but I forgot it in the picture)