• Blind Bake your pie crust according to my tips. (SEE NOTE)
• Place baking chocolate in a small bowl and microwave according to package directions until melted and smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes.
• Beat cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth, then mix in melted chocolate until smooth. Add vanilla and mix until combined, then stir in half of the Cool Whip (8 ounces).
• Place mixture in pie. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving. Before serving, top with the rest of the whipped topping or whipped cream and chocolate shavings or a dusting of cocoa powder. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.
• Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
• Mix in eggs, almond extract, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Slowly mix in flour until cookie dough comes together.
• Scoop 2 tablespoon sized cookie dough balls onto cookie sheet, spaced 2-inches apart. Using the bottom of a drinking glass or similar flat object, press the cookies to flatten. (To avoid the dough sticking, spray the bottom of the glass with nonstick cooking spray).
• Bake cookies 10-13 minutes, or until they just lose their glossy sheen. Cool before frosting.
• To make frosting, mix butter and sugar until crumbly, then add almond extract, salt and 2 tablespoons milk. Mix until smooth, adding more milk as needed for spreadable consistency.
• Tint frosting pink with a few drops of food coloring.
• Frost cookies as desired. Store loosely covered.

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line muffin tins with liners.
• Stir pumpkin, oil, and sugar together in a large bowl. Do this by hand – don’t use a mixer. Stir in eggs, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda. Stir in 1 cup flour, then stir in milk, then stir in remaining 1 cup flour.
• Divide evenly among muffin pans, filling each liner 1/2 full. Make a small indentation in the top of the muffin with the back of a spoon, a little holder for the cream cheese filling.
• Stir together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.
• Drop 1 tablespoon onto the top of each muffin. Use the back of a spoon to spread the cheesecake mixture into the little indentation you made and adhere it to the muffin batter. Sprinkle with 4-5 pumpkin seeds, optional.
• Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the muffin part comes out with just a few crumbs stuck too it.
• Cool at least 5 minutes before serving. Store in refrigerator. Muffins can be frozen for quick breakfasts!

• Line a 9×9″ square pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• Beat together peanut butter, butter, salt, and 1 ½ cups (160g) of powdered sugar with a hand mixer until smooth. The mixture will be crumbly. Test the mixture – it should not be sticky and should form a ball easily without falling apart. If needed, add up to ½ cup (57g) more powdered sugar. (I used 1 ¾ total cups (203g).)
• Place chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth.
• Place half the graham crackers on the bottom of the prepared pan in a single layer. Spread ⅓ of the melted chocolate (113g) over the top. Scoop out balls of the peanut butter mixture, flatten between your hands and place evenly over the chocolate. Smooth out carefully with your fingers so it's as even as possible.
• Spread another ⅓ of the chocolate mixture (113g) over the top of the peanut butter, then layer with another layer of graham crackers. Spread the rest of the remaining chocolate over the top.
• Chill to set, at least 1 hour. Slice into bars. Store in refrigerator.

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with Reynolds Kitchens Parchment Paper with SmartGrid.
• Mix butter, sugar, and sour cream in a hand or a stand mixer until smooth. Mix in egg, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and vanilla. Mix in flour until cookie dough forms, being sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl.
• Scoop two tablespoons of dough per cookie, placing on the guides on the parchment paper so they are at least 2 inches apart. Use the bottom of a glass to press the cookies flat. (If the cookie dough sticks to the glass, spray it first with nonstick cooking spray for easy removal.)
• Bake cookies for 7-9 minutes or until they JUST loose the glossy sheen and are barely light golden around the edges. Do not over bake these! Err on the side of underdone.
• Make the frosting: mix the butter and powdered sugar with a hand or stand mixer slowly until crumbly. Add vanilla, salt, and 1 tablespoon of milk and mix until frosting is smooth, adding more milk as needed for spreadable consistency. Tint with food coloring, if desired.
• Top each cookie with about 1 tablespoon of frosting. Smooth and sprinkle with sprinkles, if desired.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
• Slice chicken breasts into bite sized pieces.
• Place breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper into a gallon size resealable bag. Add the chicken pieces, seal, then shake to coat. Place the chicken pieces in a single layer on the cookie sheet.
• Bake about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through, flipping the pieces after 10 minutes.
• While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. Place water, honey, orange juice, soy sauce, garlic, orange zest, ginger, and pepper flakes to a medium saucepan. Whisk to combine and heat over medium heat until boiling. Add the green onions. Taste the sauce to see if it needs any adjustments: if it’s too sweet, add a bit more soy, or add a few more pepper flakes if you want it a bit spicier.
• Stir together cornstarch and cold water until it is smooth. Make sure there are no lumps! Pour the cornstarch slurry into the boiling sauce while whisking. Cook until thick, which will happen fast.
• Once the chicken is done, add it to the pot of sauce and stir to coat. Serve hot over rice with a garnish of green onions and sesame seeds.

To make the PB&J:

• Preheat your waffle maker to medium-high.
• Open the can of biscuits and cut each biscuit in half like you’re making a sandwich. Place about 1 tablespoon of peanut butter on one side of the raw biscuit dough. If desired, top with some jam or honey. Place the top raw half of the biscuit on top and pinch the edges to seal. (The sealing is important or peanut butter will leak all over your waffle maker!)
• Depending on the size of your waffle maker, cook one sandwich at a time. (My waffle maker is a standard round size and I make one in the center.) Cook about 2-5 minutes until golden. Time will vary depending on your waffle maker, so just watch the first few and see how long they take.
• Cool slightly (or completely) before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month. To reheat, simply microwave until warm. You can also toast them to make them crunchy. Or just place a frozen sandwich in a lunch box the night before and it’ll be defrosted by lunch the next day!

To make the Pizza:

• Preheat your waffle maker to medium-high.
• Open the can of biscuits and cut each biscuit in half like you’re making a sandwich. Place about 2 teaspoons of pizza sauce on one side of the raw biscuit dough. If desired, top with some cheese and toppings. Place the top raw half of the biscuit on top and pinch the edges to seal.
• Depending on the size of your waffle maker, cook one sandwich at a time. (My waffle maker is a standard round size and I make one in the center.) Cook about 2-5 minutes until golden. Time will vary depending on your waffle maker, so just watch the first few and see how long they take.
• Cool slightly (or completely) before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month. To reheat, simply microwave until warm. You can also toast them to make them crunchy. Or just place a frozen sandwich in a lunch box the night before and it’ll be defrosted by lunch the next day!

• Add orange and pineapple juice, cream of coconut and rum to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and pour over ice in tall glass. Garnish with a slice of pineapple, slice of lime and a cherry.
• Substitution: if you don't have the cream of coconut, substitute coconut rum for the spiced rum.
• Want to make a pitcher? Omit cream of coocnut and use coocnut rum in place of spiced rum. Mix 1 1/2 cups each orange and pineapple juices with 2 cups rum and 2 dashes bitters in a pitcher over ice.

• Place a 3 quart pan or stock pot over medium heat. Add the oil and heat.
• Add the onion, red pepper, and jalapeno to the pan. Cook until they start to soften, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute.
• Add the black beans with their liquid, the salt, pepper cumin and stock. Stir and cover. Bring to a boil and cook 15-20 minutes or until flavors are combined. Stir in corn and cook just until the corn is heated through.
• Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with cilantro.

• If you’re using frozen berries, make sure to let them defrost and drain well before adding them to the muffins.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans with paper baking cups.
• Make the topping by stirring together all topping ingredients with a fork in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
• Using a hand mixer, mix eggs with electric mixer about 1-2 minutes until thick and frothy. Mix in sugar and oil, beat until creamy. Mix vanilla, vinegar, baking soda, and salt. Mix in sour cream then stir in flour using a wooden spoon. (Batter may be slightly lumpy.) Stir in blueberries.
• Fill muffin cups with about 1/4 cup muffin batter. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the top of the muffins.
• Bake for 15-22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of a muffin. Cool 5 minutes in pan then remove to a rack to cool completely.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month.