Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

So I've decided to jump on the bandwagon again and try another recipe that I've been seeing all over the internet lately.  This one was a bit disappointing though.  Not that it wasn't good, but it wasn't as amazing as I expected based on all the accounts I read.  It tasted like sweet hummus, not cookie dough.  Maybe if I didn't know it was made out of chickpeas, I wouldn't have thought that, but I did.

Even though I generally like to make healthy alternatives whenever possible, I think this is one of those times the real deal with all the unhealthiness is worth it.

Ingredients:
- Chickpeas
- Peanut butter
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Sugar
- Honey
- Chocolate chips


Directions:
- I used canned chickpeas, so I drained 2 cans of chickpeas while reserving the liquid from the can.
- Put the chickpeas in a food processor along with the peanut butter (about 2 tbs), vanilla extract (2 tsp), salt (a pinch), sugar and honey (I don't know how much I used because I just kept adding it until it tasted like I wanted it to).
- Puree the mixture until sooth and creamy.  I found it to be a bit dry, so I added a bit of the liquid from the can until I got the desired consistency.
- Stir in chocolate chips and then top it with a few more as a garnish.
- Serve with graham crackers or vanilla wafers.

Crash Hot Potatoes

This is my version of those crash hot potatoes that are all over the internet.

Even though it seems that everyone out there is in love with it, I was resistant to believe the hype.  While I do love potatoes, potatoes are potatoes, right?  And the recipe is so darn simple, can it really make that much of a difference?  Apparently so!  It's darn tasty!  So tasty in fact, that Mr. Gaga requested it again for  dinner the next night and asked "Why don't we do this more often?!?!?!"  The answer is because I didn't know that it was so easy and so tasty and we will do this more often in the future, and so should you!  :)

Ingredients:
- Potatoes (I used red potatoes, but I'm sure you can use any and it'll still be good)
- Olive oil
- Salt (I used kosher)
- Pepper
- Rosemary or your favorite herb or none at all


Directions:
- Wash and scrub the potatoes.  Put them in a large bowl and microwave until cooked through.  For me it took about 5 minutes for 10'ish potatoes.  You can also boil the potatoes, but microwaves are much faster and easier.
- Lay out the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Using a potato masher (or fork or bottom of a pan/plate/cup) and smush each potato.  If necessary, flip the potatoes over so that the potato innards are face up.  You'll get better crispiness out of it that way.
- Drizzle olive oil over the tops, sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs.
- Pop the potatoes in the oven until the tops are crispy.  The first night I made them, I put them in for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees and the second night I tried it for 15-20 minutes are 425 degrees.  They both turned out just fine.
- Eat.