Easy S'mores Dip

The boys love s'mores, and to be fair, so do I.  What I don't love, though, are all the steps involved.  The toasting, the roasting ,the assembling...  It's fine for campfire time but sort of a lot of trouble for a random snow day afternoon.

So I improvised.

And my new favorite thing was born.

  

Printable Recipe

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 cup chocolate chips (milk chocolate chips make it more authentic tasting, but I prefer semi-sweet)

2 tablespoons milk or cream

1 cup marshmallows (mini ones work best, but I was out so I used the big ones cut in half)

graham crackers, teddy grahams, pretzels or animal crackers for dipping

WHAT YOU DO:

Preheat the broiler on your oven to the highest setting.

Put the chocolate chips and milk in a microwave and oven safe dish, and microwave in 15 second increments, stirring between, until the chips are melted and it stirs smooth (about 45 seconds total).

Top the chocolate mixture with the marshmallows and pop into the preheated broiler for just a minute.  Watch it closely.  It really just takes a minute for the marshmallows to toast.  As you can see in my pic above it's really easy to let it go just a little too long.  Oops.

Serve with graham crackers, teddy grahams, pretzels or animal crackers for dipping.

YUM.

Last year.

What were you blogging about a year ago today? What has changed?

One year ago today I posted this recipe/tutorial:

Click here for recipe.

If you look over in my sidebar under my "Favorites" heading, you can see that this has been my most popular post.  EVER.  

It's been pinned and re-pinned on Pinterest.   Google searches for "vodka gummy bears" bring all the boys to my yard.  

In other words, a quick tutorial about how to pour liquor over candy and give it away as a Christmas gift is - according to the internet - the best thing I've ever written.

But I'm not bitter. Sigh...

Last year for the entire month of December, I was busy posting holiday recipes and craft tutorials and all kinds of goodness and cheer.  Did you see my tutorial for this adorable little tissue pack cover last year?  Did you?  Or this post about all the awesome ornaments we made last year?   Or this super easy last minute stocking stuffer idea?

This year, I haven't managed an entire holiday or Christmas themed post AT ALL, unless you count the one I wrote yesterday which was all about how I don't have any Christmas spirit this year.

I keep waiting for some Christmas magic to appear and make my heart grow three sizes so I can resume my regularly scheduled life.

Until then, though, you can find me right here.  Being all Grinchy and stuff.

Campbell's is helping me make dinnertime easy!

 

 

My kids aren't terribly picky eaters.

 

Well, unless I'm serving anything that isn't chicken nuggets.  Or mac and cheese.  Or PB&J.  Their taste in food is really one of life's greatest mysteries.  Yesterday's favorites are systematically rejected today due to whatever arbitrary reason they can dream up.

 

"But MAMA," they whine.  "It's GREEN!  And SMUSHY!" Never mind that yesterday they ate two helpings and licked the plate. 

 

Sigh.

 

If this sounds like dinnertime at you're house, you're in luck.

 

Your picky eaters have finally met their match!  With the help of The Wisest Kid in the WorldTM, Campbell's soup is offering delicious recipes that your kids won't be able to refuse.

 

But what?  Your kids refuse everything (like mine do sometimes)?  You can find even more fun, quick meal ideas your kids will love at Wisestkid.com, and if you're cooking dinner for your whole family, Campbell's can give you the inspiration you need it at Campbellskitchen.com. 

 

For more that 144 years, Campbell Soup Company has been making meals fun and delicious, and that's just what I need when my kids suddenly decide that they hate every meal I prepare.  I have a backup plan, though.  When I make my famous Chicken Pot Pie, everyone eats it and no one complains, because it's just that good.

 

 

 

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 package of two refrigerated pie crusts 
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup 
1 can chicken broth
1 cup diced cooked chicken (I usually use rotisserie, pulled from the bone)
1 can homestyle mixed vegetables, drained
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon dried parsley

 

 

WHAT YOU DO:

Allow the pie crusts to come to room temperature.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Line a deep pie plate or other baking dish (I usually use a large bowl to make mine more rustic looking) with one of the pie crusts, then in a separate bowl, mix the Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, broth, chicken, vegetables and spices together, then slowly pour into the pie crust.  Top with the second pie crust, crimping the edges to the bottom crust.  Make a few slashes across the top crust to allow steam to escape, then bake for approximately 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

 

Serve with a side salad and you just made a fabulous dinner that even the pickiest eaters in your house will love! 

 

Cheesy grits with bacon avocado salsa.

I have a confession - I'm a late in life grits convert.

You'd think that my southern country upbringing would have ensured that I grew up on a steady diet of grits for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but it just wasn't something our family ate.

As a matter of fact, it was my city-slicker husband who introduced me to grits for the first time, and I've never looked back.  My boys love them too, and now they're a regular part of our breakfast menu.  I remember a quote from the book The Help where Aibileen says "Grits is just a vehicle for what you really want to eat, anyways," and I take that to heart every time I make them.  They can be sweet or savory, bland and comforting or spicy and energizing, and they're perfect and hearty and filling for the cooler fall weather we're (finally) having. 

When I saw that Kristen at Dine and Dish was hosting a Wake Up Breakfast with California Avocados, I knew I needed to enter my favorite grits recipe in the giveaway.

Although I'm not a food blogger by ANY stretch of the imagination and although that picture you see was taken with my iPhone just seconds before I devoured it - it really was my breakfast for the day - I thought this was too good not to share with avocado lovers of the world.

[Printable Recipe]

WHAT YOU NEED: 

(makes 4 individual servings)

For a quick salsa (or you can use salsa from a jar - I won't judge you) :

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1 small white onion, diced

1/8 cup fresh cilantro, diced

2-4 slices of jalapeno pepper, finely diced 

1 teaspoon lime juice

salt to taste

You will also need: 

4 cups water

1 cup quick (not instant) grits

salt

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated, divided

2 tablespoons butter

4 slices of bacon, fried and crumbled

2 California Avocados, diced

WHAT YOU DO:

Mix all your salsa ingredients and set aside.  Next in a medium pot, bring the four cups of water to a boil.  Add a couple dashes of salt, then slowly stir in the grits.  Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat your broiler to 450 degrees.

After the grits are done, stir in the butter and half the cheese, until melted.  Divide the grits into four oven/broiler safe dishes, and top each one with 2 tablespoons of salsa, 1 slice of crumbled bacon, and 1/2 of a diced California Avocado.  Top with the remaining cheese and place in the broiler for 3-5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Super easy crab rangoon.

So I've never made any secret of the fact that I hate seafood.

Hate.

HATE.

But my loathing has not at all deterred my boys from loving it.  They love fish, shrimp, lobster, whatever.  Oh, and crab legs.  They will knock you down to get to some crab legs.

Since I'm not made of money crab legs are a rare treat, but whenever we are at an Asian restaurant, R will often get them an order of crab rangoon, which neither Zachary nor Cooper can ever remember what to call.

They ask for Crab Puffs.

Or Fish Crunches.

Or Lobster Bits.

Or Crab, ya know, Thingies.

So In order to save myself a few bucks, I learned how to make these myself.

And whatever you want to call them, my boys ate them up.

[Printable Recipe]


WHAT YOU NEED:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
4. oz. crab meat - real or imitation, I've used both and none of the crab-eating boys in my house could tell a difference
3 green onions
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
25-30 wonton wrappers
oil for frying

WHAT YOU DO:

Put the cream cheese, green onions, Worcestershire and sugar in the food processor and pulse until the onions are chopped and blended into the cream cheese.  Now add the crab meat and pulse a couple times.  You don't want the crab fully incorporated, just chopped a bit.

Place one teaspoon of the mixture in the center of a wonton wrapper.  Moisten the outer edges with water, then fold it over in the shape of a triangle.  This isn't a traditional shape for crab rangoon, but I can tell you from experience they fry up MUCH better this way.

Repeat until all the mixture is used.  This usually makes around 25-30 for me.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and fry in small batches, a minute or two on each side, just until golden.

Drain on paper towels.

Enjoy!

Easy Coconut Curry Chicken and Vegetables

Ever since R and I went out to eat at the Indian restaurant a couple weeks ago, I have been craving curry like nobody's business.

So I made some.

Although it was no where NEAR as good as restaurant quality, it was still pretty darn tasty, and super easy.

On most days, that's good enough for me.

[Printable Recipe]

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 cans of coconut milk

2 tablespoons of curry powder

1 medium onion, diced

1 lb. chicken breast, diced into 1 inch cubes

2 cups chopped vegetables of choice.  I used potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash and carrots. 

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

WHAT YOU DO:

Preheat your over to 400 degrees.

In a large dutch oven or other oven/stovetop proof dish, heat approximately 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, then add the onion and chicken.  Season the onion/chicken mixture with salt and pepper, then stir until the onion is softened.    In a small bowl, stir curry powder into the coconut milk.  Add the vegetables to the chicken mixture, pour the coconut milk and curry powder over all of it, and place in your oven.

Cook approximately 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until it reaches your preferred consistency. 

Serve over rice.

Let me tell you about my Spicy Black Bean, Corn and Guacamole Dip

I am obsessed with avocados right now.

OBSESSED.

Here's the truth - I love the things all the time, but I refuse to pay more than $1 each for them, so that usually means I get about a three-four month window to enjoy them.

Now is my window.

I'm taking full avantage of it.

I made a batch of this the other day and decided to taste of it.  Then 15 minutes later when I came out of my guacamole eating trance, I saw the vestiges of a bag of tortilla chips and two lonely black beans in the bottom of my bowl.

I've made it twice this week.

Give it a try.  You'll be glad you did.  And if for some reason you're NOT glad, bring it to my house and I will eat it all up.

[Printable Recipe]

WHAT YOU NEED:

6 ripe avocados, diced
1 can Hot Rotel, drained
1 can Mexicorn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
4-5 green onions, thinly sliced
fresh cilantro, about 1/3 cup, chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
one teaspoon coarse salt

WHAT YOU DO:
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Mash about half the avocados with a fork and stir well.Refrigerate and allow flavors to mix for at least an hour before serving.

 Eat it all with tortilla chips.  DON'T SHARE!

You can store it in the fridge for a day or two, but the avocados will turn brown.  It still tastes the same, though.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

So I'm linking up once again to Mama Kat, and this week's prompt is right up my alley.

What are you eating? Share a yummy summery recipe.

I'm not a food blogger.

To be honest, I just don't have the patience, with food or with pretty much anything else.  I don't do "test runs" of recipes, and my food photography consists of whichever plate I can snap a picture of with my iPhone in the minutes before my hungry family starts to devour it. 

But over the four-ish years I've been blogging here, I've shared dozens and dozens and dozens of recipes.  Why?  Because I love to cook, and I love to eat, and sharing recipes is a time-honored tradition that goes back through generations and generations of women, and I like the feeling that I belong to that.

Also, quite interestingly, the recipes I've posted are the single thing that seems to bring traffic to my blog.  From my Chocolate Covered Brandy Cherries to my Almond Flour Berry Muffins to my Kahlua Almond Ripple Fudge Ice Cream to my Fried Green Tomatoes, people come to this blog to see the recipes I've posted.   

That makes me happy.  Really, really happy.

So here's another recipe to add to the archives.  I made this for the first time this week, and it was a hit.  I served it alone, without any side dishes, and it was plenty - and perfect -for a light summery dinner.

[PRINTABLE RECIPE]

WHAT YOU NEED:

Olive oil

1 lb. ground chicken

1 8 oz can water chestnuts

1 cup bean sprouts

1/2 cup carrots

1 cup rice noodles, soaked in water for 30 minutes

1 4 oz. can mushrooms, or equivalent fresh

1 bunch green onions

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil

3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 cloves of garlic

1 inch piece of fresh ginger

Sriracha, to your taste

Lettuce leaves of your choice, washed and patted dry

WHAT YOU DO:

In a food processor or blender, dice the water chestnuts, bean sprouts, carrots, rice noodles, mushrooms and green onions.  Remove from food processor and set aside.  

Now put the soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and Sriracha (I used about a tablespoon, because we like spicy) into the food processor (YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO WASH IT FIRST! HOW COOL IS THAT?) and blend until all the garlic and ginger is incorporated.

In a large skillet, add a little olive oil, then begin to brown and break up the ground chicken.  After no pink remains, add in the vegetable mixture and cook over  medium heat, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened.  Now add in the soy sauce mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is absorbed.

Serve with lettuce leaves for wrapping.

Ok, all together now - YUM!

Frozen Sangria

I've been looking back over my blog posts for the last few weeks, and they're all serious and angst-y and fretful, and my response is SCREW ALL THAT SHIT.  LET'S MAKE SOME COCKTAILS, SHALL WE?

The other day I made some delightful homemade spaghetti sauce, and I was really craving a big pitcher of sangria, but the only, and I mean ONLY fruit in the house was a questionable banana and a couple strawberries covered in green fuzz - (Note to self: go to the grocery this week.  Or next.) so I decided to see what I could come up with that was still sangria-ish without having to put on pants and drive to the store.

And?

Oh my yum.

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 cups sweet red wine

1 cup juice of your choice (I have used both grapefruit and orange.  Both are yummy.)

2 cups ice

1 shot peach schnapps *

1 shot triple sec

1 shot pineapple schnapps

1 shot blueberry schnapps

WHAT YOU DO:

Blend all ingredients in the blender until it is the consistency of a margarita. 

Drink it all up.

*I'm thinking that any kind of fruity schnapps you have on hand would substitute nicely for these.  If you want to mail me a bottle I'll try it out and let you know. 

Orange Creamsicle Vodka Slushes

Why isn't it summer yet? Or at least consistently spring!?!?! Here in Kentucky we have had a longer-than-normal winter, followed by a just-can't-maintain spring, and I am done. DONE. DONE! with it. I'm ready for warm sunny days that I can spend outside, slushy adult beverage in hand, watching the kids play while reading my book in the sunshine.

As I write this, it is 42 degrees and overcast.

But at least I have my drink.


WHAT YOU NEED:
1 cup of orange juice
1 cup of ice
1 shot of whipped cream flavored vodka (I like Pinnacle)
1 shot of triple sec
1 teaspoon of sugar

WHAT YOU DO:
Put all ingredients in the blender and blend to the desired slushy consistency.

Enjoy!

Hearty Beef Stroganoff Stew

Yes, I know it's technically spring and therefore past the time for making up fabulous new soup recipes.

But...

I had some leftover steak in my fridge PLUS it snowed last week PLUS I haven't been to the grocery store in weeks PLUS I'm lazy and soup is really easy.

So there.

[Printable Recipe]

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 lb. of leftover steak.  It doesn't HAVE to be leftover, but if it's not, cut it up and grill it first.  Or use stew meat.  Hunks of beef of some sort are what you are going for here.
1 8 oz. pack of fresh sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, shredded
1 tablespoon butter
62 ounces (2 boxes) beef broth
1 tablespoon grill seasoning
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 tablespoons corn starch plus 3 tablespoons water
2 cups wide egg noodles
sour cream, for serving


WHAT YOU DO:

In a large pot or dutch oven, melt the butter, then add the onions, mushrooms and steak.  Cook in the butter over medium heat until the onions are translucent, the mushrooms are softened and the steak is no longer pink.
Add the carrot, broth, grill seasoning and parsley and bring to a boil.  In a small bowl, mix the corn starch and water together, then add it to the boiling soup.
Cook over medium heat for at least 30 minutes - longer is fine.  Fifteen minutes before you plan to serve, add the egg noodles.
Garnish with sour cream before serving.

This was a really hearty soup that only needed a crusty piece of bread to make it into a meal.

Enjoy!

Crockpot to oven shredded beef enchiladas.

Mexican is my very favorite kind of food to eat when we eat out.

Really, the absence of gravy and biscuits is the only thing that keeps Mexican food from being absolutely perfect in every way.

My experience with cooking it, however, isn't vast.  I usually rely on a steady stream of tacos, burritos, guacamole  and margaritas to see me through until my next Mexican restaurant fix.

But lately I've been on a cooking rampage, and I'm determined to re-create some of my restaurant favorites at home, where nobody stares at me or thinks it's at all odd when I dance on the table after my fourth or fifth margarita.

Also, the fact that I can eat these in my pajamas is a huge plus.

[Printable Recipe]

WHAT YOU NEED:
(makes 4 enchiladas)

1 lb. beef.  I had a small chuck roast so I used that.  I suspect stew meat, skirt steak or any manner of beef would work well here
2 beef bullion cubes
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less if you're kind of a wimp)
water
1 can enchilada sauce
4 flour or corn tortillas (6 inch)
1 cup shredded cheese (I used a colby/monterey jack blend)

WHAT YOU DO:
Put the beef in the bottom of the crockpot, along with the bullion cubes.  Sprinkle on the cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne.  Cover (just barely) with water.  Cook on low for 6 hours.

When you're ready to serve it, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, then remove the meat from the crockpot (keep the cooking liquid!) and shred with two forks.  In a bowl, mix the enchilada sauce and the cooking liquid together.  Add about 1/4 cup of the mixture back into the shredded meat.

Divide the meat into four portions and roll it into the tortillas.  Put 1/4 cup sauce in the bottom of your baking dish, then place the enchiladas into the dish.  Top with the remainder of the sauce and the cheese.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Seriously, I could have just eaten the meat alone with a fork straight out of the crockpot and called it a meal (it was SO good!) but it's worth the effort - such as it is - to go ahead and make enchiladas out of it.  I served it with a side of shredded lettuce and some tortilla chips and queso dip.

And I've already gone out to get the ingredients to make it again.  Soon. Very, very soon.

Cherry Vodka Gummy Cokes. Oh yes I did.

One of my most visited blog posts ever is this one about vodka gummy bears that I posted right before Christmas, in an effort to keep you drunk and jolly for the holiday season.

In truth, this doesn't really surprise me, because vodka laced candy sounds just exactly like what people would expect from and love about me.

But now?  Well now, I have outdone myself.

I am so excited about this that I can barely contain my excitement...  So hold on, here it goes:

I MADE CHERRY VODKA GUMMY COKES!!!!!!!!

And O.M.G. they were good.

Move in closer, grasshopper, and I will tell you more.

I used exactly the same method that I did for the vodka gummy bears, but (and here's where it gets interesting) instead of plain vodka I used UV Cherry Vodka, and instead of gummy bears I used gummy cokes.

This is revolutionary, people.

I filled a couple glass jars (with lids) about 2/3 full with gummy cokes, then I covered them just barely with the cherry vodka. I let them sit in the fridge for a couple days, then i added enough cherry vodka to cover them again. Then I left them alone for about a week in the fridge, occasionally taking the jars out to shake then up.

They were ready to eat after a week.

And oh my word. They were delightful, and they were dangerous. They had zero alcohol taste at all, and they tasted just like a cherry coke.

Honestly, I'm a fan any time I'm able to get drunk off my snack.

So get yourself up off the couch, put on some pants and go get some gummy cokes and some cherry vodka and make some of these things.

Then you can sing my praises, and tell me how smart and ingenious and funny and cute I am.

Really, I don't mind a bit.

15 minute, seven ingredient pasta dinner

I love to cook, and I love to eat, but I have a repertoire of only about a dozen meals that I deem a) reasonably priced b) liked by everyone c) easy to prepare and d) good in my mouth and I tend to make those things over and over and over.

I'm always searching for and experimenting with things so that I can add one more interesting dish to that list.

This one fits the bill on all counts.

[Printable Recipe]

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 lb. pasta, any type

1 lb. smoked sausage, diced

1 8 oz. package of fresh sliced mushrooms

1 10 oz. box frozen spinach, thawed, drained

1 jar marinara sauce

1 jar alfredo sauce

1 8 oz. package shredded Italian blend cheese

WHAT YOU DO:

Boil your pasta according to package directions, 10-12 minutes until al dente.  While the pasta is boiling, dice the sausage, then in a large pot, quickly brown it.  Add the mushrooms and spinach and continue to cook over medium heat while the pasta finishes.  Drain and rinse the pasta, then stir it into the sausage/mushroom/spinach mixture.  Add both jars of sauce and the cheese.  Stir over medium heat until cheese is melted and it is warmed through.

Disclaimer:  Ok, maybe it really took 17 minutes instead of 15.  But that just doesn't have the same ring to it, now does it?  We will call it "creative license." 

I served it with a side of crusty bread that I had spread with my homemade garlic butter and called it a meal.

And it was good.  It was so, so good.

Easy Prep Ahead Monkey Bread

I'm a poet and didn't know it.  Huh huh.

We now return to your regularly scheduled blog post.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, I saw a blue million posts on Pinterest about Christmas morning monkey bread.

I read through them all and decided that I would do it my way.

See, the recipes I saw all used canned biscuits or frozen biscuits or some other plain-ish bread dough.

And while that sounds great, delicious even, I thought I could quite possibly kick the sugar factor (and deliciousness) up a few notches.

So I made it on Christmas.  And I made it again the next week.  And I've made it about a dozen times since then.  While it is doing absolutely nothing for the size of my a$$, it is probable one of the best things I have ever eaten.

It's totally worth all the miles I've run in order to try to burn it off.

Totally.

[Printable Recipe]

WHAT YOU NEED:

 2 tubes refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing, like Pillsbury
1 cup of nuts, chopped (I've used both walnuts and pecans and they were both delicious.  Almonds would be good too.)
1 stick of butter
1 cup of brown sugar
a splash of water (maybe 1/8 cup or so)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
cooking spray


WHAT YOU DO:
Spray the heck out of your bundt panwith cooking spray.  Then spray it again.

Evenly distribute the nuts in the bottom of the pan.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan on the stove, melt the butter, then add in the brown sugar, cinnamon and water and bring it to a boil.  Allow it to boil for 3-4 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly.

After you remove your sugar/butter mixture from the heat, open your two tubes of cinnamon rolls and set the icing aside for later.  Cut each roll in quarters, then pull apart the pieces and spread them evenly around the pan.

Next, pour your butter/sugar mixture evenly over the top.

This is the really cool "prep ahead" part. At this point, you can either proceed with the recipe and bake it right away, or you can cover your pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight (or up to 2 days - maybe longer, but that's as far as my knowledge has taken me).

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, then allow to cool for 10 minutes. After cooling, invert your pan over your serving plate, then top with the icing reserved from your cinnamon rolls.

Did I mention that this stuff is ridiculously good? And addictive? And NOT on my diet plan? And totally worth it?

Homemade restaurant style garlic butter

If I weren't so lazy I'd Photoshop the plate where I smeared butter all around with my 

fingers while trying to lick up every bit of it's goodness.  

I love eating out.  R and I are "eating out" kinds of people.

The problem with eating out, though, is you can totally blow through the week's grocery budget on one nice dinner, and by "nice dinner" I mean "overpriced buffet for four."  The other problem with eating out is that typically, I am expected to put on pants before going out, and this screws with my life force in terrible, terrible ways.

So we eat in mostly.

And I am a passable, even decent, heck, even GOOD cook on most days.

So when occasionally I realize that I have been missing out on something that is totally easy and totally yummy for the past, oh lifetime or so, I get kind of angry with myself.

That is so true of this yummy garlic butter.

Who knew it would be so easy?

Not me, obviously.

[Printable Recipe]

WHAT YOU NEED:
1 stick of salted butter, softened
3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
a couple dashes each of salt, paprika and garlic powder

WHAT YOU DO:
Put everything in the food processor or blender and pulse it a few times until everything is incorporated.    Be careful not to over mix.  You can store it in the fridge in a covered container indefinitely, just like plain butter.  Serve it on hot, crusty bread.  Yum.

Easy Mongolian Beef

My mother-in-law and I have a... complicated relationship.  

And that's enough on that topic.

However, when she praised my Mongolin Beef a while back, and even - GASP! - asked for the recipe, I was sincerely flattered. 

Then I was slightly embarrassed to tell her how easy it was.  I MAY have exaggerated just a bit and added in false details like "Oh, I grew my own ginger root, of course," and "Oh, I grew my own cow, of course."  But no matter how easy it is, it has been a crowd pleaser every single time I've made it.

[Printable Recipe]

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 lb. flank or other lean steak, sliced 
1⁄4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. cornstarch, divided 
1⁄2 cup soy sauce
1⁄2 cup brown sugar
1⁄4 inch fresh ginger root
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
1⁄4 to 1⁄2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes water
canola or vegetable oil 


WHAT YOU DO:

Toss the sliced steak with 1⁄4 cup cornstarch and allow it to sit.

In the food processor or blender, put the soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic and pulse until totally incorporated.

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet or wok, then brown the steak until it's no longer pink. 

Add 1 cup water and red pepper flakes to the sauce and stir, then pour into the skillet with the steak and bring it to a boil. Allow it to cook at a low boil for 5 minutes. 

You can thicken the sauce with 2 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with a couple splashes of water. 

I serve it over white rice and with a side of Asian-style vegetables.  

Give it a shot.  

I mean seriously, even my mother-in-law likes it.  

Sugar free, low carb almond flour berry muffins

My brother-in-law is diabetic.

Actually, let me back up a minute.

I've known and loved this man pretty much all my life.  He and my sister started dating when I was six or so, and he has been a constant fixture since then. He's family in all the ways that matter, so to stick an "in-law" on our relationship tag seems wrong somehow.

Let me try again.

A member of my family is diabetic.

Over the past few years, my sisters and I have slowly, slowly begun to increase our repertoire of diabetic-friendly recipes for family gatherings and such, but it was totally by accident (in my Runner's World magazine) that I stumbled across some information about almond flour.

Apparently it's really good for you.  It's nothing more than ground up almonds, and it can be used in place of flour in many recipes.  It has negligible sugar, low carbs and high fiber, so it's a great alternative for diabetic friendly recipes and cooking.

And more importantly, I found it in the gluten-free section at my local grocery, so I didn't have to make a special trip to the city to get some.

Yes, I said "the city." It's the boonies out here, y'all.

Anyway, these were deemed "really good" but "not very sweet," so if you prefer your muffins sweet, you might want to up the sweetener a bit.

[Printable Recipe]

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 cup of berries.  I used blackberries, but blueberries, strawberries or a mixture would be just fine
2 cups of almond flour
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup Splenda or other sugar free sweetener
3 eggs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
a couple pinches of salt


WHAT YOU DO:

Pour 1/3 cup Splenda over the berries and let them sit for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Grease or place paper muffin cups in your muffin pan. This amount made 9 full sized muffins for me.

Next, mix the almond flour, 1/2 cup of Splenda (or more if you prefer sweeter muffins), eggs, melted butter, vanilla, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until fully incorporated.  Fold the berries into the batter, being careful not to over stir.

Divide evenly among the nine muffin cups.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until springy to the touch.

Coconut Rum Balls - a Tipsy Recipe

I love cooking and baking at Christmas time, when it is somewhat socially acceptable to pour liquor into just about every single dish I make.  For some reason, if you use a half gallon of rum to cook with in April you're called an alcoholic, but in December you're just called festive.

I also really love coconut candy but I seldom make it, mostly because I have never had a really great recipe.

Well, before now anyway.

Printable Recipe

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 (12 oz) package of vanilla wafers

1 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1 cup pecans 

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup rum

1 cup powdered sugar

WHAT YOU DO:

Place the vanilla wafers and the pecans in the food processor or blender and pulse for a few seconds at a time until they form a coarse powder (think breadcrumbs, not flour).  Pour the crumbs into a large mixing bowl and add the coconut, sweetened condensed milk and rum and stir thoroughly.  It will be be a sticky mess.

Refrigerate it for several hours.

Roll the refrigerated dough into 1 inch balls and drop into the powdered sugar, one at a time, to coat.  

Store in a covered container for at least a day or two before serving.  Like many candies, these get better with age. 

Just like me, I guess.

Tipsy Chocolate Cherry Sheet Cake

Welcome to (almost) December, which is also known as the time of year that I dump a bunch of liquor in a box of cake mix and call it a recipe.

On the menu today is Tipsy Chocolate Cherry Sheet Cake.  I think cherries and chocolate are quite possibly one of my favorite food combinations, and any time you throw a bunch of liquor at anything, I'm going to be a fan.  One of the top visited recipes on my blog is for these chocolate covered brandy cherries, and these chocolate covered cherry cookies aren't too far behind, so I guess I'm not the only person who things chocolate and cherries and alcohol play nicely together.

I've been making variations of this cake forever but this is the first time I made it in sheet cake form,  and I'll have to say I'm a fan.  It was ever so much easier to disguise the fact that my oven doesn't heat evenly so one side of my cakes is always two inches higher than the other.

[Printable Recipe]

WHAT YOU NEED:
1 chocolate cake mix of your choice
1 10 oz. jar of maraschino cherries
1 can of cream cheese frosting
1 can of chocolate frosting of your choice
eggs and oil to the cake mix directions
1/4 teaspoon cherry extract
1 cup (approximate) cherry flavored liquor.  I have used cherry brandy, but I was out this time so I used UV Cherry Vodka, and it was yummy.  Yummy.  Yummy.


WHAT YOU DO:
At least two to three hours before you plan to bake your cake, drain the juice from the cherries and reserve it in a separate container.  Then fill the container (with the cherries still inside) back up with cherry flavored liquor.  I usually do this the day before I'm baking the cake, if I remember to.

Prepare the cake batter according to package directions, EXCEPT replace any water needed with a combo of the reserved cherry juice and the cherry liquor your drain from the cherries, up to the amount of water the directions call for.

Bake in a 9x11 or 9x13 sheet pan according to the directions on the mix.

Allow the cake to cool completely.

Add 1/4 teaspoon of cherry extract to the chocolate frosting and stir well.  Frost the cake.  Use the cream cheese frosting to frost around the edges.  When I make a layer cake, I use the cream cheese between the layers.  Top with the liquor soaked, drained cherries.

Eat up!