Monday, May 25, 2009

Pecan Pie Cupcakes

Now these are good. And easy. I love it when I can make cookies or cupcakes and don't have to break out the mixer. And they taste like pecan pie. The only change I will make is the next time, I won't bake them quite so long. Other than that though, they are perfect! So yummy!

Ingredients:
1 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. flour
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 c. butter, melted
2 eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and line a mini muffin tin.

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Fill muffin tins 3/4 full.

Bake 18 minutes.

Yield: 24 mini muffins

Source:
http://www.bakedperfection.com/

Oreo Decadence Bars

I started baking today for next weekend already. The boy is hosting a golf tournament and a few guys will be staying at his house all weekend. So, being the good girlfriend that I am, I am going to supply him with some cookies, muffins, etc. The first thing on my list to make were these oreo bars. Now, in theory, these were a good idea. And they are super yummy. BUT, they are kind of messy and don't hold their shape very well. I stuck them in the fridge to see if that will help a bit. But they are good. :)

Edited to add: refrigerating them totally helped! The boy actually said he preferred them cold and they were gone in less than 16 hours. :)

Ingredients:
23 oreo cookies, coarsely chopped (not sure who came up with the number 23!?) :P
2 tbsp. butter, melted
3/4 c. white chocolate chips
3/4 c. mini marshmallows
3/4 c. peanuts, chopped
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350; line an 8x8 pan with foil and grease the foil.

Mix cookies and butter. Sprinkle 1 c. into pan.

Sprinkle with chocolate chips, marshmallows and peanuts.

Top with remaining oreos.

Pour condensed milk over the top of everything.

Bake 25-30 minutes.

Yield: 12 servings

Source: http://www.kraftfoods.com/

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

These cookies are so delicious and they are super easy, too! I am the person who always chooses vanilla bean ice cream over chocolate, so when I saw this recipe, I wanted to run right out and buy some vanilla beans and make these right away! Of course, I had to go to three stores before I found vanilla beans. Totally worth it though! Next time I won't bake them for quite as long though - I like my cookies kinda doughy in the middle! :)

Ingredients:
1 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 c. flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.

Cream butter and sugar; add vanilla, eggs and vanilla bean seeds.

Sift baking powder and flour together and then add to wet ingredients.

Shape into balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Press slightly to flatten. NOTE: I didn't do this. I am lazy and I just dropped spoonfuls of dough on the cookie sheet :)

Bake 8 minutes.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Source: www.sugarlaws.com



Chocolate Cream Fruit Dip

For dessert yesterday, I made chocolate cream dip and vanilla bean sugar cookies (up next!). This was so easy to make and it was yummy. Plus, I was able to make it in advance and just pop it in the fridge until I was ready for it!

Ingredients:
1 package cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. chocolate syrup
1 7 oz. jar marshmallow fluff

Directions:
Beat cream cheese and syrup.

Fold in fluff.

Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Serve with fruit, pound cake, angel food cake, or just eat it with a spoon... :)

Yield: 2 cups

Source: Taste of Home's "Quick Cooking Annual Recipes" 2002 edition

Mrs. Yoder's Baked Beans

Next on the Memorial Day dinner was baked beans - again from my sister's mother in law. This is another super easy recipe. And the best part is - both the corn pudding and baked beans are baked in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. That just makes it even easier :)

Ingredients:
2 cans pork and beans
2 cans kidney beans, partially drained
2 cans baby lima beans, partially drained
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/8 c. vinegar
1/2 c. ketchup
1 1/2 tsp. mustard
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire
6-8 pieces of bacon, fried and crumbled

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350.

Combine all ingredients into a 9x13 casserole dish.

Bake uncovered for 1 hour, or in a crockpot for 12 hours.

Yield: 9-12 servings

Source: Mrs. Yoder, my sister's mother in law

Mrs. Yoder's Corn Pudding

We did all of our Memorial Day stuff yesterday. The boy and I had my parents and my sister and her family over to his house. We grilled hot dogs and bbq chicken, as well as some vegetables. For the side dishes, I made corn pudding and baked beans. In a foil pan. So the pictures aren't pretty. This is a recipe from my sister's mother in law and it is one of my favorites. I could eat this everyday!

Ingredients:
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
2/3 stick butter, melted
1 box jiffy corn muffin mix
1 c. sour cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Combine all in a 9x13 casserole dish.

Bake uncovered for 1 hour.

Yield: 9-12 servings

Source: Mrs. Yoder, my sister's mother in law


Saturday, May 23, 2009

One of my very favorite things is PF Changs lettuce wraps. If only we had a PF Changs that wasn't over an hour away! So, when I saw lettuce on sale, I thought - hey! I should make lettuce wraps, since I already had some leftover chicken! I did a lot of searching on the internet for a recipe and in the end, I combined a couple different ones. I didn't want to try and re-create PF Changs lettuce wraps, because I knew that we would be disappointed.

So, the chicken part of these turned out pretty good. It turns out that I'm a tard and I bought cabbage instead of lettuce. We both had our second "lettuce wrap" in a tortilla. :)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. garlic
1 tbsp. ginger
1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1/3 c. sweet chili sauce
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, minced
1/4 c. chopped peanuts
1 c. grated carrots
head of lettuce

Directions:
Heat oil in a pan (or wok, if you have a wok). Stir fry garlic, ginger and carrots.

Add chicken.

Stir in soy sauce and chili sauce.

Add cilantro and peanuts.

Serve. :)

Yield: 2-3 servings

Sources: www.recipegirl.com & www.pillsbury.com

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

If you haven't noticed, I love buffalo anything. It is just so good! And I also like pizza. One of my favorite things is different kinds of pizza - Thai pizza, BBQ chicken pizza, etc. So, I had a little bit of leftover chicken, a little bit of leftover buffalo sauce and then when I cleaned out my freezer last weekend, I found an extra pizza dough! Decision made! So, totally easy and perfect for Friday night!

Ingredients:
1 pizza dough
1/2 c. bleu cheese dressing (or ranch - next time I will use ranch instead!)
1/2 c. buffalo sauce
1.5 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 c. cheese (I used mozzarella)

Directions:
Preheat oven and prepare pizza dough according to package directions (and if you make your own, I figure you already know what to do!)

Spread dressing over pizza dough.

Toss chicken in buffalo sauce and spread on top of dressing.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Cook according to directions.

Yield: 3-4 servings

Cookie Dough Pops

So, I totally should've taken the time to take a better picture of these. I don't know what I was thinking. These were so easy to make. I love recipes like this - where it looks like I took hours and hours to make something, but it really only took me like, 30 minutes! Always a big plus in my book! I took some of these to work, and so I did take the time to make eggless cookie dough. I must say though, if it was just for me, I would make regular cookie dough or buy some in a tube :) I'll take my chances at salmonella poisoning. These were awesome though! I mean, how could they not be? Raw cookie dough. Covered in chocolate. On a stick. How in the world did it take someone so long to think of this??? My only change (since I even copied Risa's colors!) is that I would leave out the cinnamon next time. No one else noticed it, but the flavor was overpowering for me. Oh, and I need to figure out how to not have a flat side after chilling these :)

Ingredients:
1 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash cinnamon
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. chocolate chips
1/2 package chocolate candy melts
1/4 c. blue candy melts

Directions:
Combine flour, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl.

In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add in vanilla.

Add flour mixture. Then stir in chocolate chips.

Roll into balls and insert lollipop sticks. Chill for several hours or stick in the freezer for about 20 minutes.

Melt candy melts according to directions on package.

Dip cookie dough balls into chocolate, tapping and rolling to remove excess chocolate and bubbles.

Place in a styrofoam block to dry.

Then, drizzle with an alternate color of candy melts.

Yield: 20ish. Depends on how big your balls are.

Source: www.bakedperfection.com

Chicken & Black Bean Flautas

I have been cooking up a storm the last week or so... I just haven't posted anything :) So, get ready. It is my mission today to get caught up, since I will have some Memorial Day recipes to post next week! These chicken and black bean flautas were a quick and easy lunch last weekend. It definitely satisfied my Mexican craving, and it only took a few minutes to make! This is definitely a 30 minute meal - and 20 minutes of that is oven time! And, you could put whatever you want in these, depending on what you feel like eating :)

Ingredients:
1 small can Rotel tomatoes with green chilis
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. chicken, cooked and shredded
1 c. shredded cheese
4 small flour tortillas
Salsa

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Coat a baking sheet with non-stick spray

Place tomatoes, beans, chicken and cheese in a tortilla. Roll tightly and set seam side down on the baking sheet.

Spray tops of each flauta with olive oil cooking spray.

Bake 10 minutes, then flip and bake 10 more minutes.

Dip in salsa :)

Yield: 2 servings

Source: Adapted from http://www.fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/




Thursday, May 14, 2009

Potato Quiche

For some reason, when I saw this recipe, I wanted to make it almost immediately. I have no idea why. Because I don't really like quiche. I am picky about how I'll eat my eggs, and this is not the way I like them. I think maybe I was won over by the potato crust. I thought that was a really neat idea. Anyway, the boy said he loves quiche, so I figured, why not!? Even if I hate it, I can have a slice of cheese and be full. My main goal in cooking is to feed him! :)

So, I made quiche. The boy said it was bland. This definitely wasn't hard though, except for grating the swiss cheese, because, for the life of me, I could NOT find shredded swiss cheese in a bag. And I know that some people swear by grating their own cheese, but I don't see the value, quite honestly. I'm lazy like that though. I modified the recipe a bit because I don't eat ham, plus I added some spinach since we both like it and for the color. This was BY FAR one of the prettiest dishes I have ever made! That says a lot! If I can figure out what spices to add to it to give it a little more pizazz, it is something I would totally make for other people, or take to potlucks and stuff like that!

Ingredients:
2 c. shredded hash browns
3 eggs
1 c. milk
1 tsp. seasoning salt
1 c. turkey bacon, chopped and cooked
1 c. shredded Swiss cheese
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. frozen chopped spinach, thawed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Spray a pie plate with non-stick spray. Press the potatoes into the pie plate and up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are brown.

While that is baking, beat together eggs, milk and salt. Then stir in remaining ingredients.

Pour into the potato crust.

Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Source: Adapted from http://www.recipeshoebox.blogspot.com/

Sweet & Spicy Chili Chicken

So, as much as I would love for everyone to think that all of my recipes turn out perfect, they don't. Here is one that didn't. And I was SO excited about it too, because it seemed like such a great idea. This wasn't sweet or spicy or even flavorful. I might as well have you used cornflakes. Quite honestly, this was blah enough that I ate maybe 5 or 6 bites and then decided to just eat ice cream instead. If you have any suggestions as to what I could've done differently to make it better, I would really appreciate it!!

Ingredients:
1 c. crushed Sweet & Spicy Chili Doritos
2 chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp. milk
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.

Combine egg and milk.

Salt and pepper chicken. Dip into egg mixture and then coat with crushed chips.

Place in baking dish and bake 30-40 minutes, depending on size of chicken breasts.

Yield: 2 servings

Source: me! No wonder it wasn't good!

Monday, May 11, 2009

Dad's Famous Cheese Eggs

First of all, eggs are really hard to make pretty. They just aren't really photogenic, you know? Second, these really aren't famous, but it sounded better than just "Cheese Eggs." This is one of my go to meals when I am busy and don't have time to cook. If I am cooking for more than just me, I usually make some bacon or sausage, too.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1-2 tbsp. milk
3 slices of cheese
2 tsp. honey mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Spray a bowl with non-stick spray. Crack eggs into bowl and whisk until blended.

Add milk, salt, pepper and honey mustard. Whisk again.

Tear up cheese and add. NOTE: If you are using Kraft Singles (or something similar), use 1.5 slices per egg. If you are using something thicker, like Velveeta, just use 1 thick slice per egg. This is very important. You need the right cheese to egg ratio. Even though, really, you can never have too much cheese.

Stir again. Pop into the microwave for 30 second increments. If you are making more than 1 serving, you can do 1 minute increments.

Serve with toast or biscuits!

Yield: 1 serving

Source: my dad :)

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Cinco De Mayo Tacos with Margarita Slaw

Happy Cinco De Mayo!! In celebration, I made tacos! There was nothing extraordinary about the tacos - I did, however, make my own taco seasoning. Not only was it super easy, but I had all the ingredients on hand! To go with the tacos, I made Margarita Slaw instead of lettuce. I didn't particularly enjoy it, but I am picky and like things the way I am used to them! The boy thought it was good though. I did leave the Tequila out - I don't really like Tequila and I didn't have any and I didn't want to buy a whole bottle for one shot. If I was making it for company, I would probably include it.

Anyways, I'm just now getting over a terrible cold and cough and we don't have any vacations or anything planned, so I am hoping to get back into the cooking groove! My boyfriend is hosting an annual boys golf tournament (including his dad) at his house in a few weeks, and I am hoping to make a whole bunch of snacks and goodies for them, so we that to look forward to! :)

Taco Seasoning

Ingredients:
2 tsp. minced onion
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (I used cayenne pepper instead)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Directions:
Combine all ingredients.

When ready to use, this is enough for 1 lb of meat. Add to meat and then add about 2/3 c. water.

Source: www.fabulousfoods.com

Margarita Slow

Ingredients:
12 oz. coleslaw mix
1/3 c. chopped cilantro
1/4 c. vegetable oil
Dash of sesame oil
3 tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. lime zest
1 tbsp. orange juice
1 shot Tequila
Dash of Tabasco
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Place cabbage and cilantro in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients, except salt and pepper.

Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve cold.

Source: www.jasonandshawnda.com/foodiebride

Friday, May 1, 2009

Finest Foodie Fridays!!!!

Okay, I know I am a big fat dork, but when I got an email this morning that I was going to be featured on Finest Foodie Fridays, I about wet my pants! I know, you needed to know that.

So, no recipe today - sorry for the lack of posts. I just got back from vacation and now I have an awful cold, but I am hoping to be back next week in full force!

In case you didn't see it, here is the link to Finest Foodie Fridays: http://www.foodieblogroll.com/finestfoodiesfriday/finest-foodies-friday-picks-for-may-1-2009

Yay! This is so exciting!!!!!!