Oreo Cookie Dough Brownies

It is a commonly known fact that Andy and I met through a mutual friend, Michael, while they were playing kickball together in the spring of 2010.  (Read about our first date here).  Every Thursday night for the next year and a half, you could find Andy on the kickball field in one of his many WAKA colorful kickball t-shirts .  Every Thursday night you could find me on the sideline, cheering both him and his team on.  Last season, everyone was a little burned out on kickball, and most of our friends dropped their Thursday night tradition.

Annalise, Jennifer, me, and Elise (all dinner club gals!)
at Ryan & Ashley's Wedding

In lieu of kickball, our friend, Elise (read about her and her husband, Sean's, wedding here), suggested we get a group together for a monthly dinner club.  How grown up of us! We came up with a start date and a plan.  Each week, whoever is hosting the dinner club also prepares dinner for the group.  The list of people interested who could attend regularly included me, Andy, Jennifer, Annalise, Michael, Ashley, Ryan, Leo, Katie, Sean, & Elise.  We also periodically have had Devin, Mallory, Holly, and Jason join us.  The first week, we met at Elise & Sean's, where we had Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork- hopefully Sean will send that recipe to me soon!  Everyone had fun catching up, and it was nice to be in the air conditioner instead of sweating it out on the fields of Z Boaz Park.

Ashley & Me at Beerfest on So7th

The next month was March, and we had dinner club at my little sis, Jennifer, and her roommate, Annalise's, house.  This dinner club was right after my throat & sinus surgery (the details of which you are sure to be blessed with in a future post), so I wasn't really able to truly enjoy the Italian spread, but the main dish was chicken lasagna, and it looked and smelled amazing!  I was able to suck on 1/8th of a lasagna noodle, but that was about it.  I'll have to convince Jennifer to make that meal for me again sometime! (Or, you could be a guest post on the blog- hint, hint!)

Katie & Leo at their engagement party at Mira Vista Country Club

The next week was my week, and I made Candied Almond Salad with Baked Ziti.  For dessert, I made a Pinterest recipe of Oreo Cookie Dough Brownies.  Andy and I cleared out the living room to make way for two tables with chairs to set up for the spread while the cookies' sugary bliss wafted through my house.  They turned out absolutely decadent- a layer of cookie dough, a layer of Oreo's, and a layer of brownies... pass the milk.  This oreo one was more of a cookie consistency than when I made it again later for a co-worker's birthday (post to come next).  The ones layered with Reese's instead of Oreo's are more of a brownie/fudge-like texture and taste, versus the cookie/cake bar taste of this one.  But don't get me wrong- we still finished the pan without a problem!

Me and Michael at a TCU game

Oreo Cookie Dough Brownies
Pinterest.com

• 1 tub Nestlé Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (or make your own, but this is just as easy), room temperature
• 1 package brownie mix
• 1 package oreos

1. Spread a piece of parchment paper in a 9x13 baking dish
2. Spread cookie dough in bottom of dish
3. Even place a layer of Oreo cookies atop the cookie dough
4. Prepare brownie batter as indicated on box but do not bake
5. Pour brownie batter atop cookie dough/Oreos
6. Cover with foil
7. Bake at 350 for 30 mins
8. Uncover and continue baking for another 20 mins

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Italian Style Chicken and Potatoes

Jessica, Annalise, Jennifer, me, Elise, and Natalie after Ashley & Ryan McCollum's Wedding

I found this recipe on the Weight Watchers website, and I have been wanting to try it ever since.  With my and Andy's conflicting and busy schedules, we did not have much time for homemade meals last week.  I continuously pushed back and pushed back the night I was going to make Italian Style Chicken and Potatoes, and finally was able to make it this past week.

Andy and me at Ashley & Ryan's wedding

This weekend was just about as busy as our week last week.  Our friends, Ryan McCollum and Ashley Meyka, got married on Saturday.  Ashley is my little sis from Delta Gamma, Jennifer,'s cousin.  Jennifer invited Ashley and Ashley's (at the time- boyfriend, now husband), Ryan, to play on their kickball team last year.  Andy and I got to know them pretty well, and we have seen them going from dating to being engaged, and now they are married! I had an 11:00am hair appointment to have my hair cut and colored- both of which were long-since past due.  After that, I went with my mom to get manicures and pedicures.  My mom had given me a Groupon for Valentine's Day to a new salon here in Fort Worth.  When I called to make our appointments, the receptionist told me that they had sold over 1,500 Groupons and were booked every Saturday until June 30th! So we nixed that idea, and instead went to E-Nails by my house. 

Jennifer and me at Ryan & Ashley's wedding

A small group of my friends decided to meet up at my parents' house because they live pretty close to the church where Ryan and Ashley's wedding was.  We met over there, had a glass of wine, and then carpooled to St. Paul Lutheran Church.  Ashley looked stunning, and even though Ryan had seen her when they took pictures before the wedding, I definitely saw his "Wow, she looks beautiful," reaction when the church doors swung open. 

Andy and me at Ryan & Ashley's reception at Chateau Forrest Park

After the wedding, we drove down the street to The Chateau at Forrest Park where the reception took place.  There was a nice cheese and cracker starter, then a buffet, and of course the cakes.  Ryan's cake was chocolate with chocolate covered strawberries, and Ashley's cake had a layer of white cake but also a layer of funfetti cake! Very fun, and very Ashley.  The bride's cake even had an anchor and the Delta Gamma greek letters on it- nice touch, sis.

Holly and me grabbing late night drinks at The Usual 

We took crazy photobooth pictures and danced the night away, and sent the couple off with sparklers at 11:00.  For a night cap, Andy and I headed to The Usual with Michael and his date where we met up with my co-worker, Holly, and her husband, Jason.  Thank you, Ryan and Ashley, for including us in your big day! I was honored to be a part of the celebration, and congratulations on your new marriage.  I hope they're having fun in the Dominican Republic- they sure deserve a break after both wedding planning and remodeling a house for the past few months!

Italian-Style Chicken and Potatoes
Weight Watchers
Servings: 4, Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 7

• 2 sprays cooking spray
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 in. pieces
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 large sweet red pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 lb uncooked Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 3/4-1 in pieces
• 1/2 c dry red wine
• 1 1/2 c marinara sauce (store bought, from the jar)
• 1/2 c water

1. Coat a nonstick pan with cooking oil and heat over medium-high heat
2. Sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper
3. Add chicken to skillet; saute until golden brown, and almost cooked through (4-6 mins)
4. Move from skillet to a plate
5. Off heat, coat pan with cooking oil again
6. Add peppers & potatoes; saute until veggies are lightly browned (4-6 mins)
7. Add wine; simmer for 1 min
8. Add marinara & water to skillet; increase heat to high & bring to a boil
9. Reduce heat to low; cover & simmer until potatoes are almost tender (about 15 mins)
10. Stir in chicken and juices
11. Cover & cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through (about 7 mins)
12. Add salt & pepper to taste, if desired.

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Strawberry Shortcake

My boyfriend, Andy, and I met at one of his kickball games.  We had a lot of mutual friends who were on the team, and I always joined the fun on Thursdays for a little R&R.  Andy and my best guy friend, Michael, were fast friends, and one night Michael invited him to come to the Wade Bowen concert at Billy Bob's with us.  I didn't know Andy's name at the time, but when Michael told me that "a couple of the kickball players would be joining us," I kept my fingers crossed that "Cute Catcher" as I thought of him, would be one of the crew.  Lucky me, there he was at dinner before the show.  I was trying to get to know a bit more about him at dinner so I asked him where he was from.  "Wichita Falls," he said.  "Great," I thought.  "We're probably cousins..."  There are about 4 big families who are all related to each other in Wichita, and my mom's family happens to be one of them.  Quick text to my Aunt Rhonda who lives in Wichita Falls, "Hey! Met a cute boy from Wichita Falls... we aren't related to any of the Jenningses are we?"  Ding! A reply. "Nope! I do know them though." (Duh). "Great family- so sweet!"  

Andy, me, and Whitney at Wade Bowen 

Okay, so I'm not related to the Cute Catcher, he's talking back to me, offered to buy me a beer, and we have a lot of Wichita Falls friends in common.  Things seemed to be going well!  The concert was a lot of fun, and I asked my friend for Cute Catcher's phone number so I could "thank him for the beers."  Turns out he had a real name, Andy.   We texted a lot over the next few days, and he came to Mayfest with a lot of our friends.  After looking at pictures from my cousin, Kameron's, fourth birthday party, Andy texted me and said, "Hey so I do know someone else who you know from Wichita Falls."  Thinking he's going to say my cousin who is about our age or any one of her thirty friends in the birthday pictures, Andy threw me for a loop.  "How do you know Rosella Kemnitz?" Excuse me... Rewind.  Back up.  How do you know Rosella?  She is 70-something, and my Aunt Rhonda's mom.  She's practically my other grandma.  Turns out, Rosella used to keep Andy and his sister in their church nursery.  Wow, small world, right?  Of course I immediately text my Aunt Rhonda.  Rhonda's reply?  "Well it is a small world!  But that's not even the craziest connection with that family.  His dad is a social worker, and when your Uncle Richard adopted Chris (my cousin, Rhonda's son), his dad did the adoption!"  What! I'm still glad we weren't related, but it is pretty crazy that we just happened to meet at a kickball game in Fort Worth and had all of this in common.

May 4, 2010, was Andy and my's first date.  In between two of my classes, we met at Yucatan Taco Stand- a delicious little restaurant in Fort Worth known for their potent Frozen Screwdrivers.  It's kind of a cross between Fuzzy's Taco Shop's food and a Pei Wei atmosphere.  I was really nervous and probably way too chatty in an effort to overcompensate.  Considering I had to go to class after dinner, I couldn't have a frozen screwdriver to ease my nerves, and I know I was probably a total spaz.  Andy was leaving to go to Wichita Falls the next day because his sister, Carly, was going to have her baby, Greyson.  I asked Andy if he was planning to stay in Wichita Falls for the night, and his response was "No, I'm going to come home.  There is a pretty cute girl I'd like to hang out with, and I'm anxious to see again."  (Insert can't-stop-beaming-smile here!  Looks like my spaz-self hadn't scared him away!)   The rest, as they say, is history.  Well- one year of history, anyway.

Greyson's First Christmas, December 2010

On Saturday, Andy's parents hosted Greyson's first birthday party.  The theme was barnyard- there was a barnyard/farm cake, sheep and cow and pig cupcakes, and barnyard plates and napkins.  Mr. Jennings had the grill fired up and was cooking hamburgers and hot dogs for all of the guests- family and friends of Carly and Slate (Andy's brother-in-law) and Greyson.  There were two year olds and 80 year olds- it was nice seeing everyone together and celebrating such a sweet boy's birthday.  Greyson is absolutely adorable, and he just started crawling.  He was moving around that party like an ant on a mission.  He wasn't too crazy about the cake part of his cake, but he sure did like the icing.  I think he ate about 3 tablespoons of it off of my finger.  Oh and also, to add to the small world concept- turns out Andy's stepgrandmother went to church at Our Lady Queen of Peace with my Granny Poirot.  Her children and my mom and aunts and uncles were all friends.

We ended the weekend by celebrating Mothers Day at our lakehouse.  Per tradition (see post here), we stopped to watch the sunset and remember the moms who couldn't be with us.  After the sunset, we had dessert- Strawberry Shortcake.  I love this dessert because it is light, low fat, and low calorie- not to mention, super easy to make.  Whether you're celebrating a first date, birthday, or Mothers Day, try it the next time you need a quick and easy dessert.

Strawberry Shortcake
Servings: 4

• 1 package of strawberries (appr. 4 cups), sliced 
• 4 bowls/saucers
• 4 Angel Food (or likeness) dessert cups
• 2 c Cool Whip
• 2 tbsp sugar (optional)

1. Place one dessert cup in each of 4 bowls
2. Top with strawberries (as desired)
3. Top with Cool Whip (as desired)
4. Optional: Sprinkle sugar on top (as desired- strawberries may be a bit tart until around June or July, so the sugar helps cut the bite, but I prefer to leave it off)