Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Filling

Chocolate and peanut butter go together like..........well John and I ♥
I liked this recipe, but next time instead of trying to dip the cupcake tops into a chocolate ganache mixture, I would just make a regular dark chocolate frosting recipe and use a spatula to spread it and then pipe the peanut butter dollop on top of that.

3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup buttermilk
1 3/4 cup flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks plus 3 Tbsp butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin cups with paper liners.
Place cocoa powder in med bowl. Add boiling water and whisk until a paste forms. Whisk in the buttermilk until combined.
In a med bowl, sift the flour with the baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat 1 1/2 sticks of the butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Beat in the dry ingredients and the cocoa mixture. Spoon the batter into paper lined muffin tins, about 2/3 full. Bake for 16- 20 min or until toothpick inserted in center, comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

In a med bowl, beat peanut butter with remaining 3 Tbsp butter until creamy. Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl and beat until light and fluffy. (this is where I had to add a tiny bit of heavy cream to give it a more fluffy filling type consistency, so if you need to do that go ahead). Spoon all but 3 Tbsp of the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip. (reserve the 3 Tbsp for later) Plunge the tip into the cake and squeeze a small amount of filling into each cupcake.

In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer. Take it off the heat and add the semisweet chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes. No need to stir. After 5 minutes, whisk together the chocolate and cream. Let stand until cool and thickened, about 15 minutes.  Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the chocolate mixture and place back on the cooling rack for approx 5 minutes. Re-dip the tops again into the chocolate and place on rack for 5-10 minutes again. Spoon the remaining 3 Tbsp peanut butter mixture into the pastry bag and pipe tiny rosettes onto the top of each cupcake.

Fluer De Sel Caramels

Fluer De Sel is just a fancy name for sea salt. So if you like sweet and salty together, then you might like these caramels. The texture reminds me of Werthers Candies, in that it's hard on the outside, but after it's been in your mouth for a couple minutes it softens up to a chewy caramel. There is a link to the recipe below the picture. Mine didn't turn out as pretty as hers, but oh well, I am also not a professional cook. In the recipe, she says to "roll" the caramel....mine wouldn't roll, so I broke it into pieces.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/fleur-de-sel-caramels-recipe/index.html

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll

Who doesn't love pumpkin this time of year? Carved pumpkins, pumpkin candles, pumpkin pie...but my all time favorite is pumpkin cream cheese rolls. I haven't made these in a couple of years and was surprised at how easy it came back to me. It takes a little work to get them rolled just right, but I think they are well worth the effort.
This was the dessert that I took to a friends house and then wound up having her friend order some from me for Thanksgiving!

Fish Sandwich with Jalapeno Slaw

After hiking about 5 miles today, John and I were very hungry. I wanted to make something filling and yet light. I got a new Food Network Magazine a couple of days ago and this recipe was in it. Wow...it really turned out great. John loved it and I would most definitely make it again. We also tried "mashed cauliflower" (which is what you see beside the sandwich). It's supposed to be like mashed potatoes but much better for you. It was really good too. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised. I have decided not to post this recipe unless someone requests it, because it's a lot to type and most people don't like seafood enough to be brave enough to try it in a sandwich. So if you want the recipe, just ask and I'll type it up!

Cheese and Fruit "Turkey" Appetizer

My daughter Kylie made this today for Thanksgiving and I just had to share it on my blog. It was super cute and looked great on the table. She is super creative and always makes her things look so good!

For  the body use a honeydew melon. For the tail feathers, place cheese and grapes on skewers and insert them into the melon. For side feathers, cut red and yellow pepper slices and place in with toothpicks. The head is a bosc pear and the nose is a cube of cheese. The eyes are cranberries and the "gobble" was cut out of a red pepper also. Attach with toothpicks!

Quite a few months ago, she also made this baby carriage stroller for my other daughters baby shower. I thought this post would be a good place to put this picture too! Isn't it adorable???

Cupcake "Pies"

My friend Tammy and I got together to bake the other day. We were attempting to make "pie cakes". They are cupcakes decorated to look like pies. They were actually fairly simple, but we were lacking the right decorating tip to make the lattice tops for the pies. We had to get really creative with the tips we had. I think we accomplished it fairly well, but next time I will definitely buy the right tip before trying these again. I hope they were a hit with her family!!
All you do is bake vanilla cupcakes. Frost the top of the cupcake lightly with butter cream frosting. Place any color M&M you want to use for "fruit" on the top of the cupcake. Do not get too close to the edges as it makes it very difficult to pipe on the "crust". Tammy and I learned that the hard way! Pipe a "crust" around the edges of the cupcake. Next pipe a "lattice" over the top. Enjoy!! * I know  these don't look the greatest, but for our first try and without the right decorating tips....I think we did a pretty good job!

7 Layer Jello

Today is Thanksgiving. I made a 7 layer jello to take to my mom's house. Everyone loved it! My sister Janet was the first person I know to make this jello and ever since she shared the recipe with me, I have been making it.

1 small box black cherry jello
1 small box lemon jello
1 small box lime jello
1 small box cherry jello
1 small box orange jello
1 small box peach jello
1 small box strawberry jello
1 can evaporated milk


*If you can't find the small boxes of jello, just use half of the large box. Also, if you can't find the black cherry, just substitute raspberry. (That's what I had to use for the top layer in this picture)


Method # 1
Mix jello with one cup boiling water. Stir to dissolve sugar completely. Pour in half a cup of cold water.

Method # 2
Mix jello with one cup boiling water. Stir to dissolve sugar completely. Pour in a half a cup of evaporated milk.

Alternate method one and method two for all layers. Make one layer, pour it into a bundt pan and refrigerate it until completely set. (about a half hour or so). In the meantime, make the next layer of jello in a bowl so it can be cooling down before you pour it over the last layer. Pour it over the previous layer, only when cooled down on counter and the first layer is completely firm in the refrigerator. Continue to do this until last layer is poured on. After all the jello layers are completely firm, put some tepid water in the sink, just high enough to come to the top of the bundt pan, but not over the top edge. Hold onto the pan and let the water sit around it for a minute or so. Maybe less, depending on the water. Pick up the pan and tilt it to the side gently to see if the sides of the jello loosen from the edges of the pan. Continue to soak and check the edges. Once the edges loosen from the side of the bundt pan, place a flat round dish on the top of the bundt pan and flip the entire bundt pan over. The jello should loosen and come out onto the plate. Fill the center with whipped cream!

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Frosting

These cupcakes are super yummy. They taste a little like Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies. I had a similar recipe I used last week in a vanilla cupcake, but I was trying to be a bit more creative this time around. Everyone that tasted the vanilla ones did say they liked them though!
Oh...the frosting is also green on these cupcakes, but the flash on my camera made it look white :(

CUPCAKES
1 Chocolate Cake Mix
1 Bag Oreos with mint filling
2 Tbsp flour


FROSTING
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cube butter, softened
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/4 tsp mint flavoring ( you can add as much as you like to suit your taste)
3-4 cups sifted powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Place paper liners into your muffin tins. Twist 24 Mint Oreos apart. Place the Oreo half with the filling, filling side up into the bottom of the muffin tins. Cut the other unfilled Oreo halves in half with a sharp knife. Save half of the cut up halves for crushing for the garnish and the other half to stick in the top of finished cupcakes. Follow the instructions on the cake mix and prepare the batter. Cut or break the whole Oreos  that are left in the package into quarters or eighths. ( I cut mine into eighths...you don't have to be precise, they are only going in the batter and won't really show). Mix the cut up sections of cookies in a small bowl with 2 Tbsp flour. (this  keeps them from sinking in the cupcake) Stir the floured Oreos into the batter. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full. Bake at 350 for about 16-20 min. When toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, they are done. Remove from oven and let cool until they are completely cool.

For the frosting: Mix together the cream cheese and butter until blended well. Mix in vanilla and peppermint flavorings. Add sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time and blend well after each cup. You can use 3-4 cups depending on the frosting texture that you want. I tend to use closer to 4 cups because I like the piping consistency of thicker frostings.

Grind up half of the Oreos that you halved earlier. Dust the top of frosted cupcakes with the Oreo powdered crumbs. Place the other half of the saved Oreo halves into the cupcake for decoration.

Broiled Greek Scampi

The rain is falling lightly outside. Sounds of water flowing through the dishwasher are competing with the rumbling of the washing machine. Both dogs are in  a state of contentment, breathing heavily on the carpet next to me. The sugar cookie candle is flickering in the kitchen, casting an eerie glow on the kitchen blinds. The Television is turned off, the phone is silent and I can hear the "tap tap" of the keyboard as I type. All of these sights and sounds are captivating me as they attest to a home that is no longer filled with the laughter and chatter that comes with raising children, but is now a home filled with quiet contentment.
This morning I was busy making pumpkin, cream cheese rolls and this afternoon I made John and I a wonderful dinner. Tonight's dinner was Greek Scamp, Basil Cheese bread and brocolli with mozzarella cheese.

This recipe for Greek Scampi is quite easy to make and for anyone that thinks they are just a "beginner" cook but wants to make something that looks fancy, this would be a good one!

1/2 stick butter (4 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp dried dill
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp Panko bread crumbs (Japanese bread crumbs, sold at the grocery store)
1 Tbsp fresh, shredded parmesan cheese ( not the kind in the shaker tub)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
10-12 extra large shrimp ( I used medium shrimp), peeled, deveined and tails left on


1. Preheat broiler with oven rack 6-8 inches from the top.

2. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave in a small bowl. Stir in the lemon juice, garlic,   dill, salt and pepper. Put aside.

3. Combine bread crumbs, parmesan, oregano and paprika in small bowl. Set aside.

4. Coat 2 small casserole dishes (approx 6 oz each) with Pam. Place the dishes on a baking sheet. Arrange shrimp evenly in each dish. Divide butter mixture evenly between dishes, drizzling it over the shrimp in each dish. Top with the bread crumb mixture. 

5. Broil until shrimp are cooked and bread crumbs are golden brown. (5min for ex large shrimp and 4 min for medium shrimp).

Italian Margherita Pasta

I'm so thankful as I sit here typing this tonight. God is so good to me and has blessed me beyond what I can comprehend. I actually had my first "order" for an item today. A friend from work ordered a pumpkin cream cheese roll. I took it to her house and she had a friend visiting and that friend then ordered 4 more! What a blessing! Anyway, tonight for dinner I made an Italian Margherita Pasta with chicken. It was so good and so filling. My pine nuts got a little too toasted, but they still tasted great! Lesson learned....do not try to cook on all 4 burners at once while you are on the phone ;)

For the Pasta:
8 oz dry spaghetti ( I used wheat spaghetti)
3 cups halved grape tomatoes
2 cups diced mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup thinly sliced, fresh basil
Salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
Toasted Pine Nuts


For the Chicken:
2-3 boneless, skinless  chicken breasts
Olive oil, dried oregano, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to taste

*Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
*While spaghetti is cooking, combine tomatoes and mozzarella in a large bowl. Set aside.
*Coat chicken with oil, oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook in skillet or grill until cooked through. Slice into thin strips.
* Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a skillet over med heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
* Pour oil into tomato/cheese mixture. Add the cooked pasta and stir.
* Stir in basil, season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.
Divide pasta onto plates and top with chicken and toasted pine nuts.
** To toast pine nuts, place nuts in a small skillet with a little bit of olive oil. Turn fire to low- med and continue stirring till pine nuts are golden brown and toasty

Polsa Kielbasa

Most of the time I am posting my fancy pictures of dinners and desserts that I make. Today's posting is definitely NOT fancy! I had a very busy day and only had time to make a quick and easy dinner. I know you are probably looking at this picture and thinking "oh my goodness that is not coke I see with meat is it?" Yes, it sure is!!

My sister Janet told me about this recipe years ago. I'm not sure if she thought it up or if someone gave it to her, but when she told me about it I thought she was crazy! She made it for me and asked me to try it. I loved it. I have since, over the years, made this many times for my family. Whenever I tell people about it they think I'm nuts, but then they try it and love it. The sweetness of the coke blends perfectly with the hint of spice in the Polsa Kielbasa. The Coca Cola caramelizes as it cooks, and coats the outside of the meat.

All you have to do is cut a piece of Polsa Kielbasa into bite size rounds. Place the cut up sausage into a skillet. Pour one 12 oz can of Coca Cola Classic (it has to be reg. coke...you cannot use diet and Coca Cola is the best for it's taste) over the cut up sausage. Turn fire onto high. Cook for approx. 25-50 min, (stirring every now and then), to fully caramelize the Coke. The liquid will evaporate off and you will see the coca cola thicken up. Stir by scraping the caramelized soda off the bottom of the skillet. Enjoy!!!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Banana Buttercream Frosting and Milk Chocolate Topping

I have come to the conclusion that for me, sharing food and desserts I have made, is like sharing a piece of my heart with others. Every time I share something I have baked or made,  I want it to be that I am showing others love in a different way than just saying "I love you" or "I was thinking about you." I love making things and others generally love eating them. So tonight I decided at the last minute to make a batch of cupcakes to take to work tomorrow to share. I truly cheated tonight though and used a chocolate cupcake mix. I rarely use boxed mixes, but since I decided so late to make these and I knew I would still have to make frosting, I cheated and used a mix...but ssshh...don't tell anyone! lol

I used a boxed chocolate cake mix for the cupcakes. I then followed a recipe for banana buttercream frosting and it was way too thin, so I added a can of buttercream frosting from the store and added 2 more mashed bananas and a little bit of lemon juice (so the bananas won't turn brown). I then piped the frosting on and froze the cupcakes for about 40  min to firm up the frosting for dipping. I melted 1 cup milk chocolate chips with one Tbsp oil and stirred it together. When the chocolate mixture cools down some, dip the top of each cupcake in the melted chocolate.
**So I'm thinking you could just buy a tub of buttercream frosting and add a couple, very mashed, bananas and a tsp or so of lemon juice for your frosting!

Tomato Tarts with Goat Cheese and Basil

Leftovers? When you are a person that genuinely loves to cook, leftovers are not your most exciting foods to deal with. Today my dilemma was how to make leftovers more appealing. I don't like leftovers and usually I don't have to decide what to do with them because I pack them up for John to take to work so he has a nice lunch. It works for both of us, he gets a nice lunch and I don't have to eat leftovers! From last nights dinner, I had leftover roasted chicken and spiced couscous. I wanted something to have something nice to go with it, so I decided to try making Tomato Tarts with Goat Cheese and Basil. I have only had Goat Cheese once before and wasn't sure if I would like it in this particular way, but it turned out to be really good. The flavors of the tomato and the cheese blended so well with the flaky pastry.
* I could not find yellow tomatoes as the recipe called for so it's made with all red tomatoes. It would sure be pretty if you could find both color tomatoes.
** I also could not find herbed goat cheese, so I bought regular goat cheese and seasoned it myself with oregano, basil, sage, garlic powder and pepper.

2 sheets frozen puff pastry

1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 Tbsp water

2 oz herb goat cheese, softened

2 Tbsp milk

8 each, red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

Salt and Pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp minced, fresh basil

Thaw puff pastry according to package directions. Preheat oven to 400.

Cut on pastry sheet into 4 even squares. Place squares on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cut remaining pastry sheet into 8 strips (3/4 inch wide each). (you will have a little pastry dough leftover, you can save it for a different time or just toss it). Cut the 8 strips in half crosswise, to make 16 strips. Place 4 strips around the edge of each pastry square, overlapping corners (over and under on each corner). Lightly brush the 4 strips around the edges and the corners of each pastry, with the egg wash. Bake until puffed and brown 22-24 minutes. Whisk together the goat cheese and the milk. Divide cheese mixture among the center of 4 tarts, spreading with a spatula and pressing lightly to gently deflate the centers. Top cheese mixture with red and yellow tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake tarts 5 minutes more. Remove from oven and garnish with basil. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Coconut Lime Fish with Lime Dijon Dipping Sauce

I love seafood!! I used to cook fish about 3-4 nights a week. I got out of the habit and started cooing a ton of chicken dishes. So tonight I made a fish that John and I have enjoyed many times. It's really easy to prepare and light and yummy! The coconut gives it a little sweetness and the lime gives it a little tang.

1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 tsp finely shredded lime peel
3-4 Tilapia filets (or your favorite whitefish)
1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet
2. Combine beaten egg and coconut milk in a shallow dish
3. In another shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, coconut and lime peel. Mix together.
4. Dip fillets into coconut milk mixture and then dredge into the coconut mixture.
5. Arrange fish onto baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
6. Whisk mayonnaise, mustard and lime juice together in a small bowl. Serve alongside fish

Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad

Fall is officially in the air. It's a chilly night outside and I can smell my neighbors fireplace burning. I am in my winter pajamas and I am still cold in the house! You would think that I would be posting a winter type "hot" meal, but nope....I was hungry for Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad. My sister-in-law Denise, that I love dearly, gave me this recipe a few years back. I loved it then and I still love it! Tonight after dinner, John could not stop telling me how much he loved this salad tonight. It's got a crunch from the celery, a light and refreshing dressing, a sweet taste from the sugared almonds and a little bit of tang from the mandarin oranges.

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped

Mix above ingredients together in a large salad bowl.Set aside.

3/4 cup almonds
3 Tbsp sugar
3 tsp sugar

Place above ingredients in a saucepan over low heat and stir constantly until almonds become coated with sugar and it "sticks" to them and the almonds turn light golden brown. Spread them out onto waxed paper to cool.
*If the sugar does not seem to be "cooking" (sticking)...then sprinkle a few (and I seriously mean ONLY a few) drops of water over the sugar almond mixture while cooking.

1 can mandarin oranges, drained. Set aside.

Dressing:
4 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp white vinegar (I use rice vinegar)
1 tsp salt
2 dashes pepper
2 dashes tobasco sauce ( I use a sauce called Red Hot and I also use about a 1/2 tsp)
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix the first two ingredients together until sugar is dissolved. After those two ingredients are blended well, add all other dressing ingredients.

*To assemble salad:
Place greens on plate. Top with chicken. Top with oranges. Top with almonds and spoon well stirred dressing over the top!!

Fish Tacos and Spanish Rice

Woo Hoo Fish Tacos. No...not Wahoos fish tacos, but just as good!! I was craving fish tacos all day long today. I love to order them when we go out (which truly is not often since I love to cook so much) and I also love to make them at home. They don't take much cooking skills at all to put together, it's just time consuming. Add a little Spanish rice on the side and it all equals YUM!!!

4 Tilapia fillets (or any of your favorite white fish) *cut each fillet in half to fit better in tortilla
8 Corn Tortillas

Beer Batter
1 cup flour
1 cup beer
Garlic powder, pepper, to taste ( I add a little cayenne pepper for a little bit of spice)

*Oil for deep frying

White Sauce
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup plain yogurt

Salsa
1 garlic clove, minced
4-6 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 jalapeno chilies, seeded and diced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Garnish
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
3 limes, cut into wedges

Directions: Mix flour with spices and stir the beer into the flour mixture. Mix until blended. Wash fish and dry. Be sure fish is completely dry.

Prepare Salsa and set aside.

Put  the oil into a deep skillet and when oil is very hot, place battered fish in a single layer and do not let the fish touch each other. Cook fish until batter  is crispy and golden brown.

Heat corn tortillas lightly in a skillet until they are soft and hot.

To assemble the taco: On each corn tortilla, layer the fish, white sauce, salsa and cabbage. Squeeze the lime juice over it.


Spanish Rice
2 cups rice (long grain)
Oil
4 cups water
3/4 - 1 Tbsp chicken bullion

Salsa: 1/4 small onion
2 regular size tomatoes
1 tsp garlic
Salt
Prepare salsa by placing all salsa ingredients in blender and blend until it is a liquid. Set aside.

Brown rice in oil. When rice is browned, drain off any extra oil. Pour salsa over browned rice. Stir for a min or two. Pour hot water over the rice. After it boils, put in chicken bullion. Mix once through. Put on lid. Turn fire to low. Do NOT remove lid. Cook for 25 min without removing the lid. Turn off the fire and let the rice sit covered for 5-10 min.

Cuban Mojo Chicken and Duchess Potatoes

Tonight I wanted to make a really special dinner. I've made this chicken before and we both really enjoy it.  He was pretty surprised at my fancy potatoes and he thought the entire meal was awesome! The flavors in this chicken blend so well together. Let me know if any of you ever make this as I'd like to see if you like it as much as we did. I forgot to put our chopped cilantro on top of our chicken. It would have tasted much better and probably would have made the chicken look nicer in the picture with more color presentation!

Cuban Mojo Chicken

Chicken Prep Ing:
1 tsp cumin
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 red chili stemmed
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp orange juice
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
2 large boneless chicken breasts

For the avocado,mango sauce:
2 Tbsp chicken drippings (or olive oil)
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp grated lime peel
1 tsp honey
2 tsp thick, sweet terryaki sauce
4 Tbsp butter (cut into 1 tbsp portions)
1/2 firm, (but ripe) mango, peeled and diced
1/2 ripe avocado, diced
freshly chopped cilantro

To make the marinade: Place cumin, garlic, red chili and salt into the food processor. Grind into a coarse paste. Place into a med bowl.
Heat olive oil in a skillet until it's very hot and then pour over the coarse paste you just made in the food processor. Stir to blend. Let stand for 15  min. Whisk in the orange juice and lime juice. Pour the marinade into a pan and add the chicken to marinate it. Turn to coat all sides of the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours.
Preheat oven to 350. Remove chicken from the marinade. In a heavy skillet, over med high heat, brown the chicken on both sides (about 2-3 min per side). Finish the chicken in the oven (7-10 min depending on the thickness of your chicken). Cover with foil and allow to rest for 3-5 min. While the chicken is baking, whisk together the chicken drippings (or olive oil) orange juice, lime peel, honey and terryaki sauce in a saucepan over med heat. Bring to a boil and reduce (approx 6-8 min). Remove from heat and whisk in each tbsp of butter one at a time. Combine the mango and avocado in a med bowl. Scatter the mango and avocado around the chicken. Drizzle  with sauce and sprinkle on chopped cilantro.


Duchess Potatoes

Make mashed potatoes using 6 potatoes. (add all your reg. ingredients, butter, milk, salt, pepper etc)
Make them a little bit "thicker" than you might normally. Beat 2 eggs in a bowl and then add them into your mashed potatoes. Blend until completely smooth. Heat oven to 425. Place your mashed potatoes into a cake decorating bag with a fancy decorating tip inside ( or a baggie with a corner cut off and place the decorating tip inside there) and "pipe" them out onto an ungreased cookie sheet into a rosette. Drizzle melted butter over all the rosettes and bake uncovered for 15 min or until light brown.

Hamburger Cupcakes and Almond Shortbread Fries

As you know, Kylie and I made the hamburger cupcakes for today's pot luck at church. Well on the way home from church today I decided to make a little something to go with it and make it even more "fun" than it already was. I made almond shortbread shaped like "fries". They are ssssoooo yummy!! Since I don't eat red meat, I have now decided that each time I'm craving a hamburger and fries, I'll just have one of these haha.....

Hamburger Cupcakes

Today, Kylie and I made "hamburger cupcakes" for a church ministry pot luck tomorrow. We had so much fun baking and decorating them together. I'm glad she was helping me as this took awhile. We made a mess, but made some adorable looking "hamburgers" in the process.

Bun: Vanilla cupcake cut in half
Meat Patty: Chocolate cupcake with the top cut off
Condiments: Buttercream frosting dyed yellow (mustard), red (ketchup) and green (lettuce)
Sesame seeds for topping

Santa Fe Chicken Chili

We were invited to have dinner at a friends house not too long ago. After contemplating what to make, Colleen finally decided on making Santa Fe Chicken Chili. Oh my goodness, it was so wonderful. She took a recipe she had found and "tweaked" it to her liking. I have made it a few times since that night and it's become one of my favorites. I just finished cooking a large pot of it on the stove and thought this would be a good recipe to share. So thank you Colleen!! :)

2 chicken breasts, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1  red pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 can diced tomatoes (approx 15 oz)
1 can chicken broth (approx 15 oz)
1 can kidney beans (approx 15 oz), rinsed
5 oz frozen corn
Salt and Pepper to taste

 1) Saute chicken, jalapeno, red pepper, garlic and onion  in olive oil over med. heat until chicken is no        longer pink and vegetables are semi tender

2) Add chili, cumin and cayenne pepper. Stir and cook for 1 minute.

3) Add tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered for about 15 min.

4) Add beans, corn, salt and pepper. Turn up heat and return to a boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered for 15 min. 

* This is best when eaten later or the next day so the flavors have a chance to really sink into the chili

Dark Chocolate Bowl with Vanilla and Raspberry

Today I was really hungry for something sweet to eat after lunch! I wanted something super small and not too, too many calories. This picture really makes this look large, but it was very small.  I decided to  make a dark chocolate edible bowl and fill it with sugar free vanilla pudding and top it with fresh raspberries. Not too shabby for an amateur cook I guess ;)

First I melted dark chocolate and poured it into my candy mold. Then I froze it until it was ready to release from the mold. Next I filled it with sugar free vanilla pudding and topped it with 3 fresh raspberries! YUMMY! The sugar free pudding had hardly any calories. The fresh raspberries were healthy. The dark chocolate was fairly thin, so I'm thinking it might not have been too bad overall. A girl can dream can't she?????? Hey I only ate half....doesn't that count for something?

Asian Noodle Salad

So after yesterday being fairly cold, and soup sounding wonderful, today is very warm and anything light and easy sounds wonderful for dinner. I prepared Asian Noodle Salad and now it is sitting in the refrigerator cooling off and letting all the flavors mesh together by dinner time. This is a cold asian noodle salad and it's very light and refreshing!

Ingredients:
1 lb spaghetti noodles ( I use whole wheat)
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup cilantro, chopped
8 green onion stalks, thinly sliced
3 fresh jalapeno peppers, diced ( you can remove the seeds, it will make it less spicy)
1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts (chopped or whole)

Cook spaghetti until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Transfer to large bowl. In a small bowl, combine: sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, salt and balsamic vinegar. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add to noodles and mix well. Add chopped cilantro, green onions and jalapenos. Mix well again. Serve with peanuts on top.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Filling

Can I just say I love Red Velvet Cupcakes? They are probably one of my favorites. I filled these with a vanilla filling and frosted them with a vanilla buttercream frosting. This one cupcake is what started my passion of baking lately. I made these one weekend and from that, my passion for baking was sparked. I have always enjoyed baking, but now I truly LOVE it. I would love to open a bakery, but that's just a dream.

Garden of Brownie Pops

Awhile back I was asked to bring something to a family get together. I wanted to make brownies, but wanted to be more creative than just bringing a pan of brownies. I made these brownie pops. I made my homeade brownie batter, then poured it into brownie pop pans. Some were flower shaped and some were just regular brownie pops. I made butter cream frosting and tinted it many colors. This required a lot of bowls haha!! I then frosted some with peanut butter, some with carmael and nuts and some with frosting and sprinkles and/or coconut. I was pleased with the outcome. It took a lot of time, but family is always worth the time it takes to do anything!

Lime Vinaigrette Shrimp w/ Pineapple and Avocado

As you all know, I am a seafood junkie. I love seafood and try to make it as often as possible. I made this a couple months ago and can't wait to make it again. It's so good and has such great textures. The lime shrimp sits on a bed of avocado and pineapple. The tartness of the vinaigrette sauce blends great with the sweetness of the pineapple.




For the Vinaigrette:1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp lime zest. minced
Salt to taste

For the Shrimp:
16 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp coarse, black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
8 slices fresh pineapple
2 avocados, pitted, peeled and cut into chunks

Whisk all ingredients for the vinegarette together in a bowl. Set aside.
Toss shrimp with pepper, paprika, salt and cayenne.
Heat oil in a large skillet on high. Add shrimp and cook until brown on one side, about 1 minute. Turn shrimp, saute another 30 seconds. Add 2 Tbsp vinegarette sauce and cook until shrimp are cooked through.
To serve: Arrange 2 pineapple slices and some of the avocado on each serving plate. Drizzle with vinaigrette and top with 4  shrimp. Drizzle any extra vinaigrette sauce over the top of the shrimp.

Chocolate Cracker Jacks

The other day I posted a chocolate popcorn recipe. It was very good, but I didn't get to eat any, as it was a gift for someone else. So today, I tried a different recipe that did not use marshmallows, but used Karo Syrup instead. This recipe also called for peanuts. I like this recipe better, because the consistency was more like "caramel corn" and the salty peanuts helped cut down on the sweetness. Fortunately I had all the ingredients handy in my pantry and didn't need to buy anything to make this.

Ingredients

• 2 quarts popped popcorn
• 1 cup peanuts
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees
2. Spray Pam into a large baking pan with sides.
3. Place popcorn and peanuts into a large bowl, and set aside.
4. Stir together the sugar, corn syrup, cocoa powder, and butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla, then pour over the popcorn. Stir until the popcorn is well coated. Spread the popcorn into the prepared pan.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven, and cool to room temperature. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Chicken and Rice Soup

Today was a cool rainy day, so I made a big pot of chicken and rice soup. It has always been one of John's favorites and once again, he loved it! There is nothing like homeade hot soup on a cool evening. Served with hot buttered french bread and some vegetables, it was the perfect end to a great day.

  Chicken and Rice Soup

1 whole chicken
1 whole stalk chopped celery ( Yes, the entire bundle of celery)
Shredded Carrots ( I buy the pre shredded carrots in the bag and I use about 3/4 of the bag)
1 whole onion, chopped
1/2 cup Rice (or more) (use long grain rice, not minute rice)
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Place whole chicken in a large pot. Cover with water. Boil for at least 45 min to an hour until done. Make sure you keep it covered with water while it's boiling. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. In the chicken stock, place celery, carrots, onion, rice, salt and pepper. Shred up the chicken and place the shredded chicken meat back into the soup pot. Cook until vegetables are tender and serve!

Chocolate Popcorn

I needed to make a quick, sweet snack to pack into a gift for bosses day. The teacher I work for only eats sugary snacks on weekends. It was only Wednesday, so I knew I had to come up with something that would stay fresh longer than the typical cupcake or cookies. I found a recipe for chocolate popcorn on cooks.com and tried it out. It turned out really good, almost like a chocolate caramel popcorn.

4 qts popped corn**

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup choc chips

40 large marshmallows

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

** I used Kettle Corn that you cook in the microwave since it's all I had available in my pantry. 

Place popped corn in greased 13 X 9 inch pan. Melt the butter, choc chips and marshmallows together in a large pot. Stir till smooth. Stir in vanilla and salt. Pour over popped corn and stir. Bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. After it's done baking, give it a good stir to "pick up" the chocolate that has settled to the bottom of the pan and coat the popcorn better. Pour out onto waxed paper and let cool. Enjoy!

Strawberry Champagne Cupcakes

I'm getting ready for company this afternoon and wanted to make something yummy for dessert, so I decided on these cupcakes. These are definitely not cupcakes you could pass out to the neighborhood kids. ;)
I like the fact that they are not super sweet and have that champagne taste in the background of the sweetness. Just to make them a little more grown up, there are edible pearls on the top with the pink colored sugar!

Strawberry Champagne Cupcake Recipe:

1 box Betty Crocker Strawbery Cake Mix
1 1/4 cups Andre Pink Champagne
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 egg whites

Champagne Frosting:
1/2 cup softened butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup Andre Pink Champagne
1 tsp vanilla
5-6 drops red food coloring

Garnish:
Pink decorator sugar
Edible pearls

Directions:
Heat oven to 350. Place paper baking cups into muffin tins. In a large bowl combine cake mix and champagne. Add oil and egg whites. Beat with mixer on med speed for 2 minutes. Divide batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake 17-22 min. or until toothpick inserted in center, comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

For Frosting:In a med. bowl beat frosting ingredients with mixer on med speed until smooth. Frost Cupcakes and sprinkle with pink sugar and pearls.

Mayan Chili Chocolate Brownies

For those of you who like chocolate and spicy chili together, you would love these brownies. I was making brownies for dessert tonight, (from scratch of course) and I decided I wanted to try something a little different. So I baked half the mix plain for my husband and the other half I baked by adding some hot mexican chili powder, some cayenne pepper and some cinnamon. They really came out great!

Crispy Orange Chicken over Almond Rice Pilaf

Did you ever stop to notice how the onset of the Fall season begins to change our attitude toward food? Suddenly the grill is no longer appealing and the easy stovetop foods get pushed aside to make room for good old comfort food!! All my senses were being engaged in cooking tonight. I was smelling wonderful orange sauce cooking for my chicken and tasting it as I sampled it. My sense of sight was appealed to as the chilly and  moist air on the outside of the house, met with the steamy, warmth arising from my stove and my oven and produced a fogged up and misty kitchen window. I was so mesmerized with the the steamed up window as it reminds me of the fact that in my life the worldy influences (the cold moist air on the window) will come into contact daily with the spiritual influences (God's word, prayer etc) and when they meet, God will certainly cover me with a mist of His grace and block the worldy influences from being seen (the fogged up window) in my life if I allow Him to!! Yes....Fall is here and I love it!!!

Some people think I'm crazy because I actually wanted to cook on my birthday today! John took me out for a wonderful dinner last night to celebrate. So tonight I attempted a new recipe! It was really good. When you love to cook it's not seen as a chore but as a way to express yourself and give and show love to the people around you.
So here is my dinner. I will try to get around to posting the recipe as it's a LONG recipe to type up for you.
Crispy Orange Chicken over Almond Rice Pilaf

Spicy Polynesian Wraps

This is a recipe I have made many times for family and friends. Each time I make it, everyone loves it. I got a request to post this on my blog and I wanted to give credit to the site that originally posted the recipe. I got it from http://www.allrecipes.com/
They have amazing recipes, you should try some of them!!
So here is the recipe straight from their site.
* I add quite a bit of cayenne pepper to the flour mixture to give it a little spice*

 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch strips
• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
• 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic salt
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 limes
• 10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions

Directions

1. Place the chicken and coconut milk in a bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator 1 hour.
2. In a pot, bring the rice and water to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, mix the flour, curry powder, and garlic salt. Drain the chicken, and discard marinade. Dredge chicken in the flour mixture to coat.
4. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the coated chicken strips 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and juices run clear. Squeeze lime juice over chicken, and discard limes.
5. On each tortilla, place equal amounts of rice, chicken, coconut, and green onions. Wrap burrito style.

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Strawberry Pizza

Awhile back I attempted to make a strawberry pizza. I found this wonderful recipe in my Cuisine at Home Magazine. Oh my goodness, it was mouth watering yummy! I took some to friends at work and to my daughter and son in laws house. The feedback I got was great!! This is most definitely NOT a diet pizza.....

* I used chopped, dark choc chips for the top and next time I will definitely follow the recipe and use a grater to shave curls off a dark chocolate bar for the top. It comes out much nicer

Strawberry Pizza

For the shortbread crust:
2 cups flour
3/4 cup chopped pecans
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened ( use real butter, not margarine)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

For the topping:
1/2 cup strawberry preserves
1/4 cup orange juice or orange liqueur
1 lb fresh strawberries, sliced
8 oz Marscapone cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Dark Chocolate
Whipped Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
 Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together flour, pecans, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer on med speed, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 5 min)
Add half the flour mixture to the creamed mixture; beat on low until ingredients are combined.
Add remaining flour and beat ONLY until flour is incoorporated into the dough.
Turn dough onto prepared cookie sheet. Pat dough evenly into an 11 inch wide circle.
Bake shortbread crust until edges are firm and beginning to brown, 20-25 min.
Cool shortbread on a rack till thoroughly cooled.
Puree preserves and liqueur in a blender.
Bring preserve mixture to a boil in a pot over high heat and cook for 1 min.
Transfer preserve mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until cool.
Combine cooked preserves with sliced strawberries.
Using a hand mixer, on med speed, cream marscapone, powdered sugar and vanilla for the topping just until it is light and fluffy (1 min). (avoid overbeating as it can seperate)
To assemble pizza: Spread marscapone mixture evenly onto crust with a spatula. Arrange glazed strawberries (without the extra juice) onto the marscapone layer. Completely cover the top with berries.
Use a vegetable peeler to shave curls of dark chocolate over top of the pizza.
Slice and serve

Strawberry Spring Salad with Candied Pecans

A friend sent me a sweet message tonight asking me to post a few recipes that she had tried at my house recently. So here goes....
This one is Strawberry Spring Salad. Simple and oh so fresh and light!!! John and I like to have this on summer days for lunch or for dinner.

1 Pkg Spring Salad Mix (from grocery store produce section)
1 Pkg frozen strawberries, thawed
16 oz pecans
2 egg whites
2 tsp cold water
2 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp salt

To candy your pecans: Heat oven to 250 degrees. Beat egg whites with water until fluffy. Fold pecans into egg whites. Stire until well coated. In a bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon and salt. Fold coated pecans into sugar mixture. Place pecans on cookie sheet (try to only have one layer of them, don't stack them on top of one another). Cook for one hour. Remove from oven and place pecans on waxed paper. Break them apart to make sure they don't stick together.
To assemble salad: Place greens on your plate. Use the thawed strawberries and the juice as the salad dressing. Place a few pecans on top of the salad and enjoy!!

Super Easy and Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Well...this is my favorite weather and my favorite time of year. It's a cold, overcast day and it makes me feel warm and cozy inside. The pumpkin scented candle flickers as it burns in the kitchen window and the smell of pumpkin wafts through the air. I sit snuggled on the couch under a blanket reading. The happiness that the Fall season brings me is nothing compared to the joy my Heavenly Father bestows upon me everyday!!
Just the fact that we as Americans not only have money to buy food, but we have the ability to make all these food choices is simply amazing. So as I sit and write this blog, I am simply humbled by the fact that God has instilled in me not only the desrire to cook and bake, but He alone has provided the means to do those things. So, on to the food part of my blog.....
Tonight I made a simple Chicken Tortilla Soup for dinner. It's so easy that anyone could do it and it provides a lot of protein. Let me know if any of you ever try it. I also would love any suggestions on how it could be made different or better!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 (16 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
1 Can Rotel Tomatoes
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilis
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn
1 can chicken broth
2-3 cooked and diced chicken breasts
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 packet Lawrys taco seasoning powder
1/2 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Powder
Grated Cheese
Tortilla Chips

Combine all ingredients except chips and cheese. Heat over a medium fire till heated through, stirring occassionaly. Pour into bowls and top with cheese and toritlla chips. The cheese should melt quickly on top of the hot soup. Enjoy!!!

Coca Cola Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting

Tonight is Calvary Chapel's cooking club. I needed to make something I have never made before. Hhhmm..what to make?? I scoured the internet looking for recipes. I stumbled upon Coca Cola Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting. They also have a piece of homeade salted caramel on top. After spending hours in the kitchen, do I like them? Eh...they are ok. But believe it or not, I am NOT a cupcake lover. So why do I make cupcakes you ask...because I like to try to make them pretty ;)   The key word in that last sentence is TRY!! I am not sure I'll ever succeed, but I'll keep on trying. I also made a Caramel Peanut Crunch Apple Pie. Yum Yum! I'm not a pie eater either, but this one sounds good. At least tonight as I am eating this pie, I can close my eyes and pretend it's fall outside and time for apples, since it's still in the 90's and it's Mid October!
* My cooking tip: When you are making cupcakes, and you find it messy to spoon the batter into the paper cups....try putting all the batter into a gallon size ziplock bag. Cut a corner off and squeeze the batter into the cups. Not nearly as messy! Have fun!!!

Pie Pops

A sweet friend asked me to blog about my "Pie Pops". Five adorable young ladies came to my house a couple of months ago and I used them as my pie pop guinea pigs! I think they liked them. So here goes....

First you buy a Pillsbury All Ready Pie Crust (the kind in the deli section that you just roll out)

Next you make or buy your favorite pie filling (or you can fill it with cookie dough, homeade or store bought)

Roll out the pie dough and cut into circles using a biscuit cutter or any round object that works for you!

On half of the circles, place a small amount of your chosen filling.

 Insert a lollipop stick into the middle of each filled circle.

 Place an unfilled circle on top of each filled circle.

Use a fork or an extra lollipop stick to "flute" the edges of the pie pop. Make sure it is tightly sealed where the stick extends or else the filling will leak out.

To make the egg wash : In a bowl, whisk one egg white.

Using a pastry brush, brush the top of each pie pop with the egg wash.

Bake at 375 for approx. 10-15 min or until golden brown

Voila...here is the pie pop!!!

Brazilian Lemonade Cupcakes

I would love to give credit to the person that e mailed me this recipe, but I printed the recipe right when I got it and deleted the e mail. So I have no way to say "thank you" to this person. These are Brazillian Lemonade Cupcakes. They have a lime filling and I like that they are not over the top sweet, but I'm not sure I like the consistency of the whipped cream topping, after adding the lime juice. It doesn't affect the flavor, just the piping consistency. Also...the dark sugar is plain colored sugar. The light green sugar is green apple sugar (because I couldn't find lime).