Christmas Goodies #3

Peanut Butter Balls

Ingredients:

2 cups creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup unsalted butter (room temp)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

9 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

2 tbls shortening

Line baking sheet with wax paper.

Place peanut butter, butter, and salt in a bowl and microwave till soft. Add vanilla and confectioners sugar and use your hands to mix untill the consistency is of dough. You can add more confectioners sugar if you want.

Roll into balls and place on cookie sheet and refrigerate until firm.

In a double boiler, melt chocolate and shortening. Stir till smooth.

Use the melted chocolate to dollop on top of the peanut butter balls or to coat them completely. Place the balls in the fridge till the chocolate is set.

Christmas Goodies #2

Oatmeal Raspberry Squares


Ingredients:

1/2c unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup raspberry jam (or preserves, but I don't like the seeds)


Preheat oven to 350 degress and spray a 9x9 in pan. Set aside.


Cream the butter and sugar (it helps if the butter is soft) untill fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until mixed. In a seperate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.


Add the dry ingredietns to butter mix and mix untill combined. Fold in 1 3/4 cup of oats. I like to do this with my hands as oposed to using a spoon or spatula, but you can do it however you like.

Press 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of the pan making sure you have an even layer. Spread the jam evenly over the oatmeal base.


Add the rest of the oats to remainder of the dough and mix together. Crumble the mix over the pan to provide a topping. Bake until nicely browned and the jam just starts to bubble at the edges. Let cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes then cut with a clean knife into squares. Let the squares cool an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

Christmas Goodies #1

White Chocolate Drops



Ingredients:

12 oz white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup salted chopped nuts (I like walnuts or almonds)

In a microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips on high for 45 seconds. Take out and stir. If the chips are not completely melted, heat for 10 to 15 second intervals until smooth.

Stir in the fruit and nuts. Drop heaping spoonfulls onto wax paper (parchment paper works too). Allow to set in fridge or in room temperature (room temp takes longer).

Kahlua Chocolate Cake

Courtesy of my mom...I'm not sure where she got it from but it has always been my go-to dessert at Potlucks and dinners. I actually just made the cake tonight as a Christmas Present for a friend of mine and as always, thumbs up and stomach rubbing all around! :)

--Ingredients:

1 package Devil's Food Chocolate Cake Mix

1 package Chocolate Pudding Mix

2 cups Sour Cream

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

1/3 cup Kahlua Liqueur or other Coffee flavored liqueur (optional)

6 oz (usually half a package) of semi sweet mini chocolate chips

--optional sour cream frosting:

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup sour cream

1/4 cup shortening

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

or you can just sprinkle the top of the cake with powdered sugar and garnish with edible flowers, berries etc.

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-Combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, oil, and kahlua and stir together in a big bowl until well blended

-Stir in chocolate chips

-Ladle into well oiled Bundt pan (ladle in big scoops then smooth out the top, but dont compact into the pan, it will settle as it bakes)

-Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, checking often with a skewer (till the skewer comes out clean)

-Let cool for 15 minutes in the pan before inverting onto plate. Let cool for another 10 to 15 minutes before sprinkling with sugar or frosting.

Gotta respect something different...

Out of respect to a person known as PB who got said initials because of how they like their hotdogs, I did a search for something a little out of the ordinary. I think it's time to try some new things & open my eyes to the variety.

So as such, I present to you -- Peanut butter & Mayo Sandwich. Before you all run to the bathroom gagging, from what I have uncovered, it is an amazing sandwich. I will blog about this subject in the near future after I make one to let you know my views on it after the fact. But I will be trying this!

INGREDIENTS

* 2 slices bread
* 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
* 2 tablespoons peanut butter
* 2 lettuce leaves
* Cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Spread one slice of bread with mayonnaise.
2. Spread the other slice with peanut butter.
3. Place lettuce leaves on top of the peanut butter
4. (optional) Place Cheese on top of lettuce
5. Top with the mayonnaise-side of the other piece of bread to make a sandwich.

Enjoy!

mmm Puppy Chow

Since we're getting into the holiday season, it's time to post some good stuff here! This is a childhood favorite of mine and tastes amazing!

Ingredients:
1 pkg of chocolate chips
1 cup of peanut butter
1 stick of butter / margarine
1 box of Crispex
3 cups of powdered sugar

Directions:

• Melt peanut butter, chocolate chips, butter.
• Pour over cereal, stirring to coat.
• Put coated cereal in bag, add powdered sugar, shake to coat.
• Refrigerate (optional)

French Toast

Here is my fabulous french toast recipe!

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
  
• 2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
  
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• your favorite flavor bread slices
  

In a small bowl, combine, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar and set aside briefly.

Warm frying pan, using spray, olive oil or butter to keep the toast from sticking... Whisk together cinnamon mixture, eggs, milk, and vanilla and pour into a shallow container such as a pie plate or Tupperware bowl.. Dip bread in egg mixture. Fry slices until golden brown, then flip to cook the other side. Top however you like your french toast... ideas: butter & syrup; peanut butter & syrup; butter & sugar; butter & strawberries; you get the point!

From Dinner tonight...

Complete pictures. Now, I didn't follow a recipe for any of these. I kinda just figured out what was in the house and threw things together so if you want to know how to cook them, leave a comment and I'll try my best to figure it out for you.

#1: Porkchops with onions and carrots and a homemade reduction gravy.

#2: Pork sauteed with onions, garlic, and cabbages

#3: Baked apple slices with raisins and homemade vanilla-apple caramel sauce

The Ultimate Pancake Recipe

Ok, here ya go. I stole the original recipe from Food Network then I tweaked it to fit my needs. I know it looks weird but trust me on this.

Ultimate Pancake Recipe

-2 cups ready made pancake mix
-1/2c grated apples (tart)
-1 1/4c apple juice
-1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
-8 oz container of whipped cream cheese
-1 tblsp honey
-1 stick of softened butter

Whisk pancake mix, apple juice, grated apples, and cinnamon in a bowl

In a seperate bowl, combine whipped cream cheese and butter and honey

Measure out 1/3 cup of pancake batter and cook on both sides till golden brown (about 2 to 3 minutes on each side depending on the heat of your burner). Let cool.

Spread honey butter in between two pancakes and garnish with cinnamon sugar.

Peanut butter cookies!

A+ recipe! Simple yet very delicious.

PB Cookies

1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter.

Mix all together and roll into 1 inch balls. Flatten with fork and
place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes or
till golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes and then place on wire rack to
finish cooling.

Baked Chicken in Mushroom Sauce...

Woohoo! I got the first real post! Notice how we didn't call it "Good Eats"? One because that name is already copyrighted and we don't have the money for drawn out lawsuits...and Two because we don't like to raise expectations ;) Ok, since I've cooked this dish before and it's always gotten rave reviews (and please remember that I used to hate to cook when I came up with this) I think it's the perfect starter for this so-new-it-practically-squeaks blog.

Tried and true, and guaranteed not to kill you!

Baked Chicken in Mushroom Sauce
(prep time: 20 mins. cook time: 30 to 45 mins. serves 4)

-4 chicken breasts rinsed and patted dry
-2 cups buttermilk (or normal whole milk)
-2 cups of all purpous flour
-1 tbsp paprika
-1 tbsp salt
-2 cloves garlic sliced
-1/4 cup cooking oil
-1 can cream of mushroom soup
-1 cup mushrooms sliced thinly (button mushrooms or shiitake or baby portabellas work best)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, paprika and salt in one tray and pour the buttermilk in another tray. Dip each chicken breast into the buttermilk and then lightly coat with the flour mixture. Heat the mushroom soup in a small pot (low heat).

Lightly sautee the garlic in the oil until the garlic is golden brown then take all garlic pieces out. Fry each chicken piece until halfway done. This should take about 2 to 3 minutes per side depending on how fat the breasts are. Set each piece aside on a paper towel to soak up the excess oil.

Place the chicken on a baking dish (the square pyrex dishes work really well) then layer the sliced mushrooms on top. Pour the mushroom soup over the chicken and mushrooms then bake for 30 to 45 minutes untill chicken is no longer pink in the middle.

Good serving suggestions: wild rice with a side of asparagus and then fried apple compote for dessert.

Coming soon...

.. as the layout gets finished, recipes will be posted to this site shortly. Thanks for visiting!