Strawberry Orange Muffins

Wow!!! Sorry for my lack of posting! Spring Break has just been too much fun. I was determined to make this week super fun for my kids (and cheap) and it has been a blast! Can't say I even touched my Spring Cleaning. Oh well...there is always next week, right? I can't do it all...I am not Martha.

Speaking of the devil...My mom is a little like Martha Stewart. (besides the jail thing, and the blond thing, and the men's shirt thing...) We always tease her about her perfectionism. Last summer, during our family reunion, the Keith Family Amazing Race #5 (more details about this to come), she made these muffins. My mom can turn a quick brunch into a five star feast. She experimented with these healthy muffins...and they were a HIT!! The second I got back home to Colorado I called her requesting this recipe. The streusal topping is amazing!! These are worth the long list of ingredients and the extra effort...don't let the recipe intimidate you....

Strawberry Orange Muffins

Source: Eating Well Magazine

Throw the following ingredients into your cart...

3 tablespoons almonds

2 tablespoons plus 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided

2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup brown sugar, divided

3 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest, divided (see Variation)

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup canola oil, divided

1 cup white whole-wheat flour , or whole-wheat pastry flour (see Note)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup nonfat or low-fat buttermilk

1/4 cup orange juice

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh or frozen (not thawed) strawberries , (about 8 ounces)

Put your apron on and ...

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

Process almonds, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon orange zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl, drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and stir to combine.

Whisk the remaining 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons orange zest and 1/4 cup oil in a medium bowl with buttermilk, orange juice, egg and vanilla extract until well combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients; stir until just combined. Add strawberries; stir just to combine. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with the almond topping, gently pressing into the batter.

Bake the muffins until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 5 minutes more before serving. juice.

Chicken Pesto Calzones

Ok! Calling all fellow bloggers!!! How do you keep up with the cooking and baking without getting the baker's belly?! I just started this little hobby and wowza (yes...that is a word...) I have decided I better start running. I am short and climb up on the counters to reach the top shelf. Today after performing said feat...there was a jiggle in my mid section that could not be denied. Better get back on my clean eating path...at least once a week, right?! Please send any and all suggestions my way.

Made these for dinner last week. Not terrible for ya. And not bad either. Last summer I made a bunch of pesto with my basil from the garden. It freezes beautifully. This recipe is my favorite way to use it. I have included the dough and calzone instructions and will post the pesto recipe later this week with some picts. Till then, look at these and anticipate when YOU will make these bad boys! Chicken Pesto Calzones Source: My Kitchen Addiction dough from The Pioneer Woman

Toss the following ingredients into your cart...

For the dough...

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

1 teaspoon dry active yeast

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour

2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

To finish the calzones:

1 cup pesto

3 cups cooked shredded chicken

4 ounces Provolone Stravecchio cheese, shredded(or substitute any provolone or mozzarella)

Extra virgin olive oil (to drizzle on top)

Italian seasoning

To prepare the dough, combine the lukewarm water, yeast, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk until the yeast and sugar are dissolved in the water. Add the olive oil, salt, and bread flour. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Gradually add the whole wheat flour, stirring with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to pull from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and continue to knead in the rest of the whole wheat flour (or just knead in the bowl, if you prefer) until the dough is smooth. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.

Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 475°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside. Divide the dough into four portions and spread each portion of the dough into a rectangle/oval on a lightly floured surface. In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken and the pesto. Spoon 1/4 of the chicken pesto mixture onto half of each piece of dough. Top with the provolone cheese. Fold the dough over the filling and pinch the edges to seal the calzone. Transfer each calzone to a cookie sheet and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. I brushed mine with a little parmesan cheese also. Bake for about 12-14 minutes unto golden.

Tow Mater Cupcakes

I feel like everyone I talk to and everywhere I look lately is mentioning Bakerella. If you have never visited her site...do now. She is creative and pretty much is the idea behind the cake pop sensation.

She is sick right now, in the need of a kidney transplant. I know everyone is pulling for her and everyones thoughts are with her. I was grateful for her creative genius a few weeks ago when I made these Tow Mater cupcakes for a friend's sons birthday. They were so fun! And they didn't require fancy knowledge or equipment. Just cake, frosting and candy. Anybody could do it. Check out her instructions for these here. My pictures and personal tips are below.

Tip #1. To keep these affordable...be willing to veer from the candy Bakerella suggests. I bought small generic chocolate cookies instead of the 100 cal packs she used. Mine were cheaper and look the same. Also, a package of white M & Ms were $4. Ouch. I got Peppermint Patty hard candy coated candies for $1.50. Just browse your candy Aisle and see what you can find.

I used my homemade chocolate cake recipe and tried a new frosting recipe. Best chocolate frosting yet folks and I will share it with you tomorrow.

Buttermilk Syrup

While Paul and I were on Christmas vacation in Utah a few months ago, we left the kids with Grandma and Grandpa and met with all of Paul's siblings (and spouses) for brunch. We had a blast. It was such fun to catch up with each other WITHOUT kids interrupting every few seconds. Sometimes, driving back to Colorado after a few days with family, Paul and I will look at each other and wonder how everyone is REALLY doing. Entertaining the kids, breaking up fights, keeping every one safe, naps, bedtimes...etc. on vacation seem to over power befriending the grownups in our lives. Have you experienced this? I think, now, we are going to insist on this precious adult-only time.

Whoa!!! I got a little off track there. Anyways, we met at a great breakfast joint called Maglebys Fresh. DE-LI-CIOUS! I had french toast with their homemade syrup. It was amazing. All of us were gushing over the warm, caramel-y, syrup. I was excited to try this recipe in hopes that it would compare. It does! Try it next time you make pancakes. And, really, probably not much worse for you than the preservative- filled- maple- syrup- with -corn -syrup- as- the -first- ingredient-that-we-all-buy....right?! Don't mind the dog in the background of the photo...just our chocolate lab Libby...Hey Girl! She wanted pancakes too!

Buttermilk Caramel Syrup
Source: Our Best Bites cookbook

3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 Tab. corn syrup
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Put your apron on and get busy... combining buttermilk, sugar, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda in a saucepan.

Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to low-just make sure it's still bubbling. Cook, stirring constantly for 7-9 minutes or until the syrup reaches a golden brown. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

This syrup lasted my family or four about three mornings, just re-heated it each time and kept it in the fridge.

Whole Wheat Sour Cream Pancakes

There is something so therapeutic about Spring. I mean, really!!! Sitting outside and feeling the warmth of the sun...there is NOTHING better after a long winter. I did just that this morning...rolled my pants up, watched my kids play (and the three others I have here today), and tried to let my pastey white legs catch some rays. Truly...they are scarey (my legs that is, not the kids).

And then you have all the fun holidays to get ready for...Easter, 4th of July, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and 2 of my boys' birthdays. Fun in store for me!! And don't forget Mexico around the corner...ohhh baby! Life is good! Can't wait to bake and blog.

Eat these healthy, homemade pancakes and think about what fun is in store for you this Spring! Why don't you leave me a comment and let me know what you are looking forward to.

P.S. I will share the buttermilk syrup recipe with you guys manana (practicing my espanol for the upcoming vaca...!)

Whole Wheat Sour Cream Pancakes
Source: Can You Stay for Dinner?

Makes 8-10 3 " pancakes

1/2 cup whole wheat pancakes
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
3 Tab. sour cream


Put your apron on and...

whisk the flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Separately, whisk the egg into the milk. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.

Spoon about a quarter cup of batter onto a griddle over medium, and heat that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray. Flip after 3-4 minutes, just as you notice bubbles forming around the edges of each pancake, and cook 2 minutes more.

I served mine with homemade buttermilk syrup.

No Wait Breadsticks

I have said it before, and I am sure I will say it again...my boys are bread LOVERS. Heck?! Who isn't?! Another quick and easy bread recipe that doesn't require rising...and they are GOO- OOD (pronounced in two syllablles...) I sprinkle mine with garlic bread seasoning (recipe below) and whatever shredded cheese I have on hand. I saw the idea of stretching the breadsticks and shaping them in a Semi-Homemade magazine.In case you can't tell in the picture...I shaped them into hearts and spirals. I served them in the mason jars going down the center of the table. So...cute...yet easy...and YUM! (Do I overuse the ...?)

No Wait Breadsticks
Source: The Sisters Cafe

Toss the following ingredients into your cart...

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tab. yeast
2 Tab. sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt


Put your apron on and get busy...

mixing your dough! Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in your mixer. Add sugar and let it sit and bubble for a few minutes. Add salt and flour and knead in mixer for about 3 minutes. Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes in the mixer. On a sprayed cookies sheet, spread dough out to cover sheet. Cut to desired width. Then you can twist, keep flat, shape, whatever. Brush with butter and any of the following: cheese, garlic salt, parsley, italian seasoning, parmesan...etc... I use the garlic bread seasoning below. You can roll them out to fit the cookie sheet and they will be puffy and soft. If you prefer a thinner, cruncy breadstick roll them out to fit a cookie sheet and a half.

Preheat your oven to 375. While it warms, your breadsticks will rise for 10-20 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden.

Garlic Bread Seasoning
Source: Our Best Bites

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2 tsp. Kosher salt

2 Tab. garlic powder

2 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. basil

2 tsp. marjoram

2 tsp. parsley

Dinosaur Topped Cupcakes

My oldest son Ben and I had a blast at a friend's birthday party last weekend! Nicest people in the world, great food, great company, and cute dinos everywhere. The birthday boy is one of my daycare kids that I LOVE dearly. Seriously, I have contemplated kidnapping him. Don't call the authorities...I won't. I have more kids than I can handle as it is!!!! ANYWAYS.... they hired me to do all the cupcakes and I had so much fun. I will tell you what I did... First I asked the mom of the birthday boy for a napkin/plate/something from the decorations to match colors and dino shapes. I bought dinosaur cookie cutters. They seemed a little too big for the cupcakes so I ended up using an Xacto knife to cut the shapes. I bought Wilton ready to roll fondant in neon and primary colors. 1 week before party day I rolled the fondant out and started cutting. I used wax paper to trace the dino shapes from the napkin and made one shape a little big and one a little smaller, till I felt like they were perfect size. Then I cut the wax paper template out, placed it on the fondant, and traced with an edible marker. Last, I carved each shape out with an Xacto knife. I made 24 shapes start to finish in 2.5 hours...time consuming!! I would recommend finding the right size and shape cookie cutter on line and ordering it. They are cheap and just plan ahead!!! I would make the dinos at least three days ahead so that they are plenty dry and stiff for party day.

The night before I used royal icing and tinted it a shade lighter than the dinos to outline and add spots and eyes. The black speck in the eye is a food writer marker. The dinos dried over night. And I baked chocolate chip cupcakes and oreo cupcakes. In the morning I piped on grass with a multi-opening grass tip. #233 Wilton tip. I used cream cheese frosting tinted green. Don't put your dinos in the grass til party time. Mine had delicate little legs that snapped sitting in the frosting. (Luckily, I tested this out with only one...that would have been a disaster!) I added a rock candy that I wanted to look like a rock. My candies were a little large and looked like dino eggs...but it worked!! Such a fun, inexpensive, easy project...with little stress because the dinos can be made so far ahead of time.

These dino fondant toppers were easy. No creative molding needed. Try them for a little guy you love!!! Or use the concept for another shape/theme!!!

Chicken Mushroom Asparagus Pasta

WHEW!!! Looking back over the last weeks my blog is screaming for something healthy!!! I used to belong to a recipe exchange group. This was one of my favorite recipes I inherited. I remember my sister bringing a big pot of this to the hospital for me when my last baby was born. SOOO much better than hospital food. Now all my sisters make it. Guess it was a hit?!(Well...the ones that cook.) Sometimes I use a rottisserie chicken for this and that makes it that much easier. I use a creamy Caesar version that is light to rid us of some calories... I need all the help I can get. And we ALWAYS use whole wheat pasta. We are used to it now and love it! I reccommend the Barilla brand.



Chicken Mushroom Asparagus Pasta
Source: Rebecca Jones - friend with a goooood recipe

Throw the following ingredients into your shopping cart...

1 lb. fresh asparagus
16 oz. penne pasta
2 Tab. olive oil
2 cloves
8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 Tab. fresh parsley, chopped
2 chicken breasts halved, cooked and cubed
1 cup Caesar dressing
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Put your apron on and get busy...

Cooking your pasta according to the package directions. Cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces. When the pasta has 2 minutes remaining, add asparagus. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add EVOO , garlic, and chicken. Add mushrooms and parsley. Stir fry until mushrooms are tender.

Add dressing and cook 2 more minutes.

Add pasta and asparagus. Season to taste. Top with shredded cheese.

Holy Moly Cannoli! My first Award!

Well, it isn't an Oscar...but I love it anyways. Thanks to Calamity Kate for her encouragement! She passed this award on to little 'ol me. She was also like, my second follower. What a gal! To receive it, I must list 7 things about myself. I will try to make them interesting...



1. I speak ...well... used to speak Romanian. Now...it would probably be pretty bad. But, I used to be fluent.



2. I was born in Germany. My dad was in the army and we lived all over the states. I call San Antonio, Texas home really. That is where I have most of my childhood/teen memories.



3. 4 colleges/universities, lots of money and time, no degree. Someday...



4. I come up with business ideas and money-making schemes daily. SERIOUSLY!!! I have a problem! I just love to be busy and push myself.



5. If I could travel anywhere it would probably be to the white cities on the Greece coast.



6. I am a morning person. I wake up rearing to go and slow down as the day goes on. By the time my kids are in bed...I can barely keep my head up to watch TV.



7. I have seen every episode of Friends a couple times and still think it is a riot!!!



Now... I am supposed to pass this on to some blogs I have been checking out recently/admire greatly.



Garden of Yum- Raina

Kitchen in the Rockies- Kirsten

Cakes, Kids, and a Lens- Heather

Ladle of Love -Robin

Sweet as Sugar Cookies-Lisa

Fletch Word-John

Made Famous By -Heather





Here is your award!!!! Email me at mendenhall.lindsey@gmail.com and I will send it back to you! Oh...and don't forget to pass it on to your favs...and link back to the person you received it from ... ME!

Race Car Inspired Cookies and Big News!!

No, I am not pregnant... I was featured on another blog! Check out Connie. She share tips on her great blog every Tuesday. Yesterday she posted my rainbow cupcakes. Thanks Connie. Everybody,
Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Oh! And take a look at these cookies I just made for a customer. White royal icing. Black food writer for the squares, and then I piped the lettering. She was throwing a race car party for her girlfriends. The perfect take home treat.

.

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes ...

Are you lucky enough to get one for St. Patrick's Day?!

I know, I just posted a cupcake recipe yesterday, but I HAD to share these with you for the holiday on Thursday. I know I say this about everything...but these were so YUMMY!

I loved the filling recipe. It was so light and fluffy...not to rich. I will be trying this combo of ingredients with different cookies or fruits...I will let you know what works. The Grasshopper cookies worked! The recipe called for this to just be a filling and frost with buttercream. I cored the center of the cupcake and piped in the filling and just let it overflow on the top. Glad I did. I think the buttercream would make it richer but I LOVED the lightness of these. Your call though. I used this recipe, for the cakes, my fav....but boxed cake mix would be just dandy.

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

Source: I found these on a blog, googled it and can't refind it...sorry source...but I love your recipe

24 chocolate cupcakes (if you are just filling them) or 12 choc. cupcakes if you are filling and frosting like my photo above

Filling:

8 oz. cool whip

8 oz. cream cheese, room temp.

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

20 Keebler Grasshopper Mint Cookies, crushed

Green food coloring

Cream Cream cheese and condensed milk together. Stir in cookie crumbs slowly then fold in cool whip. Add green food coloring as you fold in the cool whip. Let filling set up in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Or put in freezer for about five. You are ready to fill and frost. I use a decorating tip to core my cupcakes out. I also sometime use a baby spoon. Any way you want works! I topped mine with cookie halves.

Pot of Gold at the end of the Rainbow Cupcake

I made these last year for St. Patrick's Day. My boys talked all year about the rainbow cupcakes. St. Patty's is here again...and here are the rainbow cuppy cakes. Think it will be a tradition like the green leprechaun pee they found in the toilet last year and eating Lucky Charms for breakfast! These do take a little bit of effort, patience, and love. Give yourself time to smooth the colored layers out or you will end up with a tie dye effect instead of a striped effect. (Which works). You can do these any colors you want. Or choose two colors and stripe them...whatever works. Me? I used red, orange, yellow, green and blue. Practice filling up one cup first and figure out what works. 1 tsp. , 2 tsp...of each color...etc. Then move on to factory style to finish faster. Fill up all the blue, then green, etc. You can use a cake mix or homemade batter. I doctored up a cake mix. I also rolled out store-bought Wilton ready to roll fondant (bought mine at Walmart for $8 in the cake craft area. I have enough to do quite a few more projects...) and cut out little hearts with a cookie cutter. I did this a few days in advance so they had plenty of time to harden up. Took a little pre-planning and ten extra minutes....but made a big impact on the top of the cupcakes. See the cake recipe and instructions below from Christy who got it first here. Rainbow Cupcakes

Throw the following ingredients into your cart...

1 white cake mix (I used lemon cake mix...came out delish!)

2 eggs

1 C sour cream

1/2 C milk

1/3 C vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients until mixed thoroughly. Divide batter according to how many colors you are using. I used 5 colors and it worked out to a little over 1 cup for each color. Use food coloring to color batter to desired intensity. Gel colors have the brightest colors and won't thin your batter. They can be found at Walmart or Michaels. Never buy liquid food coloring again. Swear to me!!!

To get a layered stripe like above, you'll want to put a spoonful of each color in the cupcake one at a time. The batter is thick, so it won't spread on it's own. A great tip is to set out a little bowl of water where you're working. Dip your finger in the water and then gently spread the batter out. The water will make it so the batter doesn't stick to your fingers. Another tip is to use a measuring spoon and some water to measure out how many teaspoons/tablespoons are going to fit in your cupcake. Then divide that by how many colors you have so you know how much of each color to use for each cupcake. For my 5 colors, it worked out perfectly with 2 t of each color in each cupcake. So I put in 2 t of blue in the bottom of each cupcake and spread it out with my finger. Then I put in 2 t of green on top of that, then yellow, etc. (I did use yellow food coloring to brighten up the already yellow cake batter)

Bake them according to the package directions, until a toothpick comes out dry. Makes around 15 cupcakes. Frost with your favorite frosting. I used my cream cheese frosting recipe.

Sugar Cookie Truffles - For St. Patty's Day

These truffles were the perfect solution for an excess of stale sugar cookies I had this week. They were easy and would be a great, kid activity. I know my boys love rolling things into balls. You can dye these any color. I chose green for St. Patrick's Day this week! Yum! They are light and not too rich. I could pop a couple before the satisfaction came. Unlike rich chocolate truffles where one a day will do ya. Anyways, what a fun St. Patrick's Day treat for teachers, neighbors, friends, co-workers, etc. Bag them up in clear treat bags, tie with a green ribbon and attach a scrapbook Shamrock with a note.

Sugar Cookie Truffles
Source: Cookies and Cups

Toss the following ingredients into your shopping cart

1 16 oz. package of sugar cookie dough or homemade (see notes below)
1.5 oz room temp cream cheese
4 oz white melting chocolate OR 1 cup white chips
1 T. shortening
sprinkles for garnish

Put your apron on and ...

Bake cookies according to package directions...BUT baking until cookies are crisp, but NOT burned. The original recipe says to bake at 325, but I baked at 350 for a few extra minutes and got good results. Cool cookies completely on wire rack before moving on to the next step. I had extra leftover homemade sugar cookies. I used about 15 medium sized cookies of various shapes. I added more cream cheese. I just kept adding cream cheese until the mixture could be rolled into a ball and it kept its shape.

Line baking sheet with wax paper or silicon baking mat. Crumble the cookies into the food processor. Process until the cookies are a fine crumb. Add the cream cheese and process until the mixture starts to hold together. Don't worry it won't be too sticky. Roll mixture into 1" balls placing on prepared baking sheet and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour. * or freeze for 10-15 minutes.

Melt white chocolate and shortening on medium power in 30 second intervals until just melted, stirring well after each interval. Dip each ball into white chocolate with a fork tapping off the excess. Return to baking sheet to set. Sprinkle with sprinkles while white chocolate is still wet. Let set and enjoy!

March Give- Away!!

This month I am giving away your choice of my favorite cookbooks. I have the choices listed on the left sidebar of my blog in the Amazon box. Your choice...what will it be...Lion House? Martha? The Happy Baker? What's New Cupcake? How will you choose?!!!!

What do you have to do to be entered? Get me two followers. Call up your pals, send out an email, put it on facebook, send out a text...whatever...but you must get two people to take two seconds and click the follow me tab on the left sidebar.

Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.

DO IT and email me or leave me a comment letting me know who you got to follow me.

Contest ends Sunday night! Good luck...

Clean Eating Thursdays- Cilantro Lime Rice (Cafe Rio Rice)

This rice is all over blog world. It is a favorite among all my friends now. And my sister just requested the recipe...so I decided, why not. It is recipe for the Clean Eating Thursday fans and my Countdown to Mexico fans... I use the term "fan" loosely. This rice is sticky, savory, and the lime juice gives it a twist of ...something wonderful!!!! I make mine is my rice cooker and it works great. I add the cilantro half way through the cook time so it doesn't over-wilt. You will never make Uncle Ben's again. (No offense Uncle Ben)Café Rio Lime Cilantro Rice

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

(Double this for large crowd)

Throw the following ingredients into your shopping cart

2 Tb. Butter

pepper to taste

1 ¼ rice

juice and zest 1 large or 2 small limes

2 ¼ cups chicken broth

2 Tb. chopped cilantro

¾ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. cumin

Put your apron on and ...

In a skillet melt butter with rice, add liquid, and other ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Like I said above, I use my rice cooker. Mine requires a little more liquid. Also, add the cilantro towards the end.

Recipe Box is Up!!-- Phew!!

Sometimes in life it is best to realize when you are defeated. I am not a computer person. I can screw up something so simple, get pissed, and quit...almost every time I sit down at the computer. This was my Recipe Box tab. (Dum, dum, dum... (spooky music in the background)) . Every time I sat down to do it, I got frustrated and quit. Best thing I ever did was pay my pal to do it for. It is done. Please click on the Recipe Box tab above and see the recipes you might have missed. Let me know if you hit a glitch. Thanks again Wylie!

St. Patty's Creamy Mint Fudge

Hello again Winter! I sure didn't miss you! Where did Mr. Sun go?! I hate this back and forth time of the year here in Colorado where you are literally guessing every day whether or not to wear a coat. Brrr! I think I will have to do another countdown to Mexico post tomorrow to warm back up!

I have been obsessing lately over what to bake for Easter. But...this week...I am baking for St. Patty's Day. Get ready for some green treats over the next week.

This fudge was EASY and delish. Creamy and light. I WILL be making this again...next time adding more mint extract...I want them a little mintier. The sky is the limit with these bad boys. Change the color to yellow and substitute lemon extract for the mint. Change the color to a rosy red and substitute the mint extract for raspberry extract or cherry. Let me know what you discover...

Creamy Mint Fudge
Source: Celebrating Candy cookbook

Throw the following ingredients into your shopping cart...

2 6 oz. packages white baking chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 teaspoon mint extract
10 to 15 drops green food coloring (I used one dip of the back of a spoon of gel paste coloring)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Put your apron on and ...

Line an 8 inch pan with aluminum foil.

Combine white chocolate and sw. condensed milk in a medium saucepan. Stirring constantly, cook over low heat; stir until chocolate melts. Stir in extracts, food coloring, and powdered sugar. Spread evenly into pan. Chill 30 minutes until firm and set.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave stirring every 30 seconds or so til melted. Spread over fudge and chill until set at least 15 minutes.

Makes about 40 1 inch squares.

Family Night Treats-March 7th

Thought I would get starting on some treats for St. Patrick's Day by making some for family night tonight. Tonight you can order Green Mint Fudge for the fam. Also, I am offering Green Sugar Cookie Truffles. Yum! Click on the weekly menu tab. for pricing and pick up details.

Happy Monday!

Brazilian Lemonade!!

The Countdown to Mexico continues...just had this bit of heaven with our dinner a few minutes ago. I rushed downstairs to blog about it. Here is a confession about little 'ol me. I have a Diet Coke problem. There, I said it. I do. I am addicted to the dark bubbly liquid of pure joy. I always think about it. We don't shop on Sunday so on Saturday I carefully remember to buy a 20 ouncer for the following day. Yeh....sad. I have been talking for ages about quitting the hard stuff and going to lemonade for a while now. Well, this stuff could be the secret to my detox. Smoothies, lemonade, etc. are all so full of calories. However, got to substitute the Diet Coke for something, right? Look forward to lots of drink recipes coming your way. I am serious this time about quitting...really...

Brazilian Lemonade
Source: Our Best Bites Cookbook

Toss the following ingredients into your cart...

1 cup sugar

6 cups cold water

4 juicy limes

6 Tab. sweetened condensed milk

Put your apron on and get busy ...

washing limes! Wash your limes with gentle hand soap because the whole lime goes in the blender. After they are clean, cut off both ends of each lime. Cut each lime in eighths.

Mix cold water and sugar in a big bowl, not the pitcher you want everything to end in. Add half of your lime slices and half of the sugar water in blender. Pulse blender 5 times. You still want plenty of chunks. Pour blender contents through a fine mesh strainer into your final pitcher. Repeat with the remaining lime slices and sugar water.

Whisk in sweetened condensed milk. Serve immediately over lots of ice. This doesn't keep well without separating, so, make when you are ready to serve!

Peanut Butter Toffee Bars

I am having a week where my little blog here is cursed. I have the sidebar issue that I am working on and now I seem to have deleted a whole bunch of pictures I wanted to blog. Dang it!! Both of these problems are due to my computer retardedness. Oh well! In the grand scheme of things...little problems in life. So, I will share with you these scrum-diddly-umptious bars I made for a Christmas party. They were different than any other bar cookie I have ever made. Next time I would up the toffee quantity...but that is just me...Peanut Butter Toffee Bars
Source: Paula Dean

Put the following ingredients in your cart...

2 cups rolled oats
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup toffee pieces

Put your apron on and ...

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 13x9 pan with foil. Spray with cooking spray. In large bowl,combine oats,flour,brown sugar,peanuts and baking soda. Using a pastry blender,cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Press half of the oat mixture firmly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl,beat cream cheese,peanut butter,sugar and egg at medium speed with a mixer until combined. Spoon mixture over prepared crust,spreading to edges. Sprinkle evenly with toffee bits. Cover evenly with remaining half of oat mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before serving.

Breakfast Quiches

Paul and I have decided to try working out in the morning now. We are going to wake up at 6 a.m. and just get it over with. Working out at night sucks. Who has the energy for that in the evening?! All I want to do every night is sit on my butt and clean the house up for the next day during commercials. We will see how it goes! I need a little more clean eating and a little less cookies and cuppycakes also. So, maybe I will start after tomorrow night. We are going to a fancy shmancy restaurant with some friends and eating a ton. And then Friday, we have company coming into town. Maybe we start eating better on Monday. Yeah...Monday...

These breakfast delights aren't that horrible...

Mini Breakfast Quiches / Baked Ham and Egg Cups
Recipe by Our Best Bites

4 eggs
1 C egg substitute* (or an additional 4 whole eggs instead)
3/4 C shredded low-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 C shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 C cottage cheese
5 oz frozen spinach, defrosted, water squeezed out and roughly chopped
(that's half a standard frozen box of spinach)
1/3 C roasted red peppers, diced
1 oz finely diced ham, canadian bacon, or crumbled bacon (about 1/4-1/3 C)
1/4 C sliced green onions
1/4 t kosher salt
1/8 t black pepper1/2 t hot sauce
foil muffin tin liners OR 12 slices ham
*1/4 egg substitute = 1 whole egg, so if you're using all eggs, or some eggs and some egg whites, you can adjust accordingly.

Put your apron on and ...

Preheat oven to 350
In a bowl, combine all ingredients (except ham slices) and stir well.
If using ham slices, spray muffin tin with non cook spray and place one piece of ham in each well to form a bowl.
If using foil muffin liners, spray the insides of the liners with non-stick spray.
Evenly divide egg mixture between the 12 muffin wells (about 1/4 C each), being careful to keep ingredients well dispersed. You want them to fill right up to the top.

Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. The tops should be puffed and just barely set on top. Eggs will sink after cooling.
Store them in an airtight container in the fridge, or freeze them. When reheating in the microwave, make sure to take off the foil liner! And if you're reheating from frozen, I try to take them out the night before so they can thaw in the fridge. Then when you microwave them, set them on a folded paper towel to drain excess moisture.
Eat them alone, or for a well-rounded breakfast crumble on top of a piece of whole grain toast along with a glass of milk and a piece of fruit. Makes 12.