Monday, February 28, 2011

10 Minute Cupcakes [update]

Thanks To Cupcake Project for a quick treat!

With the exception of me fussing with a P&S camera instead of my usual DSLR, it really only took ten minutes to make these cupcakes.

Hubs and I needed some dessert after yet another delicious evening of sliced steak sandwiches.  We've been on a kick with those. But they are so darn GOOD!

I really need to invest in some of these silicone baking cups.  My options were pretty limited and the results were tasty but looked NOTHING like these!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Chocolate Chip Scones

I've been wanting to make these for a while.  I had several recipes for Chocolate Chip Scones book marked so that when the ingredients I had on hand matched one recipe I'd be all over that!  I made the recipe that I found on Evil Shenanigans.  Thanks for a great recipe! They only lasted two days because I told Hubs they were for company and he was only allowed the ones I burnt on the first batch! Wow I'm so mean but even the ones with the burnt bottoms were awesome!!



Thursday, February 24, 2011

Cheddar & Crazy Salt Crackers

I was hankering for something to snack on. I already have lots of sweets on hand.  I just had PB MM Cookies, Butterscotch Banana Cupcakes and some Chocolate Chip Scones this past week.  Time for something savory. I'm not a chips person but I occasionally go on sweet overload and need to cleanse the palate. Haha.   I enjoy some wheat thins and cheese from time to time but Wheat Thins are on my expensive list of snacks for the house.  Hey with all this 'Betty Crocker-ness' maybe there's a cracker recipe out there.  The list of ingredients on the box isn't that terribly impossible looking.  Google me up something. How did I never think of this before?? There are TONS of cracker recipes. OMG. DUH. Oooh I'm excited now. NEW SNACKS! Both without chocolate AND Toddler friendly. BONUS.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Mmmm.  Buttermilk Pancakes definitely had that extra yummyness my normal pancakes seem to now be missing.  How will I ever go back now?? Ugh! For the price point it's definitely a treat. That's right up there with trying to buy fresh fruit [top dollar$$] in the middle of winter in the North East.  That is something that I can't wait for. Farm Stand season.  They don't call it the Garden State for nothin. The Toddler knows the difference, canned peaches are just not the same!!  We get lots of local apples in September which is great but by February I'm dying for some fresh berries and melon or anything that doesn't cost $4 a pound.

Banana Butterscotch Cupcakes

So my brother requested NO chocolate for his birthday cake/treat.  I obliged, but it was so hard NOT to find something chocolate. But Broooo?! I have SO many GREAT chocolate ideas. Ok well this comes as no surprise to me but still...  This is why Halloween always worked so well for us as kids. He got all the Reese's and Smarties.  I got pretty much every thing else chocolate and the ones neither of us deemed fit went to my dad whom thoroughly enjoyed all those wierd candies that were in those non descript yellow, black or orange wrappers. You know, before everyone was PETRIFIED to take actual candy from strangers.  Before razor blades were in apples and Halloween didn't get rescheduled to a different day and there was no 'town curfews' oh and there was this thing called GOOSEY NIGHT.

Ah yes, back in the day.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Updates SOON!

Banana Butterscotch Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting.

Buttermilk Pancakes.

Chocolate Chip Scones.

Cheddar & Crazy Salt Crackers!


I'm SO behind with posting but I can promise you at least these 4 Recipes so far!

Monday, February 14, 2011

V-Day Cookies

Thanks to Baked Bree for her Peanut Butter Cookies!  I only really 'discovered' Peanut Butter during pregnancy.  Before that I'd have my customary Reeses PB Cup or two on Halloween and maybe Easter and that's it for the year.  I took a few liberties with the recipe but thats par for the course on what's available in my pantry.  Yesterday we went grocery shopping and I picked up ALL kinds of tasty goodies.
I'm so anxious to share these! I immediately FB'd my diabetic friend and shamelessly told her I'm making cookies that would kill her. God I'm a great friend aren't I? haha

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Oreos & Pancakes



But I absolutely picked the wrong day to bake.
It has been one of those weeks.
Everything that could have gone wrong basically did.
Superbowl Sunday kicked off the week from
H. E. Double Hockey Sticks.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Like a kid in a candy store!

Only WORSE than a kid in a candy store. ME visiting Beth's Dove Chocolate Discoveries.
I'm like freaking out. BFOL thanks for making me drool.  Nothing I eat, or create in the kitchen today will compare.  I'm already sad. I need to sample some all of these treats!!!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

BFOL 21 Day Challenge

Thank You A Bowl Full of Lemons.  This 21 Day Challenge has really pointed out how lazy I am. ;)
It also inspires me to fix up my disaster zone.  I seem to be skipping around on your challenges and I also half started a Landing Zone. Now if I could finish it and teach Hubs how to use it and keep it neat, along with everything else.  Am I asking too much here? haha  I'll update this post as I go. Check back for updates! There's no chance of me doing these things in order. I have to go by what I feel I can actually accomplish while both kids are napping. Timing is EVERYTHING!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Cappuccino Muffins

This recipe is from Tuesdays with Dorie and Tracey's Culinary Adventures has the recipe posted. I used the espresso in the milk method and only used a teaspoon of Cinnamon in the batter instead of a tablespoon.  I also went the muffin route. Per suggestion of The Way the Cookie Crumbles, one of my favorite blogs. Good Choice. Only minor flop was that I left them in the oven like 3-4 minutes too long. They were just on the verge of being over done. We enjoyed them regardless.  A bit of powdered sugar on top. Perfect!  Recipe makes 12 standard size muffins.  I also opted out of the frosting.  Didn't need it.  Next time I will sprinkle a  few more mini chocolate chips on top.  I tested it on half to see if the chocolate was overwhelming but it wasn't.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Another?! Snowday.... Part 2

Enchiladas require lots of photos.
Quite the process.



















Another?! Snowday....

Since Hubs was home I decided it would be the perfect time to make some Enchiladas to freeze for a later date & Banana Bread.  Great combo I know. For dinner we actually had sliced steak sandwiches with lots of butter and garlic. Mmmmm heaven.
I swear, sometime this week I will get to that 21 day challenge by BFOL.
I really enjoyed the Enchilada photos and recipe from Pioneer Woman but I did some tweaking.  Added shredded chicken and used colby jack cheese instead of cheddar and a bit more cayenne. We can handle it. Again I used Emeril's sauce recipe. Yum.
Enchiladas could probably be a much easier process in my house if I made sauce ahead of time or just purchased it.  But I seem to have most of the sauce ingredients on hand and a can of tomato paste is under a buck.  I can't believe of all the spices I've owned that chili powder has been the one I've actually had to replace due to becoming empty!  Hubs dislikes spice therefore this is a shocking discovery and a pleasant one, I'm wearing him down! Not just a meat & potato man anymore.  SOMETIMES he even puts lettuce on his tacos! HA