Macaroni Salad

Nothing pleases me more than to have a go-to recipe. A recipe that works perfectly, tastes unbelievable and is so simple you can make it on the fly if you wanted to. Perfect for the warm spring and summer days ahead. Bring it to potlucks and BBQs, on a picnic or as a side to something grilled at home on the patio. This is that recipe.

Elise at Simply Recipes posted this last summer and the first time I made it, I was so ecstatic to be able to replace the store bought, not-very-good-for-you stuff. If you like cold pasta salads, you are going to love this macaroni salad.

Macaroni Salad
Simply Recipes
Serves 4

2 cups dry macaroni pasta
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped red, yellow or white onion
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
few pinches paprika
ground black pepper to taste

Cook macaroni in a pot of salted water. When al dente, remove from the heat, drain and rinse with cool water until room temperature.

Place chopped onions in a bowl and pour lemon juice or vinegar over them - this takes the edge off.

Add remaining ingredients including pasta and combine. Season to taste and refrigerate till quite cool. Serve.

Macaroni Salad

Eggs In Bacon Cups

So. Bacon: cupcakes, doughnuts, pancakes and waffles, breakfast rolls, candied bacon, bacon caramels, bacon-wrapped-asparagus-bundles...oh! And cookies. We wanted breakfast.

I made cups.

Well, cups of bacon, and in all honesty, there's not really a recipe. You just line the sides of a greased muffin tin with bacon (not on the bottoms, however). And crack an egg into each bacon lined muffin cup, sprinkle with a bit of ground black pepper and coarse salt - then bake till however you like your eggs.

And there it is. Bacon with breakfast.

Eggs In Bacon Cups

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Over at Gotta Little Space, I have a 100 Things To Make list. When I first created that list, I asked for suggestions from friends and blog readers. My husband requested peanut butter chocolate chip cookies - and here they are.

I love them. They are just barely peanut buttery and combined with the dark chocolate chips I used, make for a delicious cookie. Their texture is similar to that of a traditional peanut butter cookie - almost crumbly but held together by a bit of chewy.

My husband feels they need more of the peanut butter flavor so the next time I make them I'll be upping the peanut butter content, but I think they're perfect just the way they are.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipezaar
Makes 3 to 4 dozen

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325F. Line at least 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Cream butter till smooth. Add peanut butter and both sugars; beat until well combined. Add eggs and beat well. Add flour and baking soda gradually till combined. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

Scoop cookie dough onto parchment lined baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each cookie. Bake about 15 minutes or until cookies are just firm around the edges - do not overbake or brown the tops, they will be too crunchy. Cool completely on wire racks.

Repeat with remaining dough.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies