tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65627390016875052512024-03-13T06:59:43.552-07:00Tablespoons & Tasting Forks"This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!" - Julia Childbleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-8296003191624046152015-07-05T11:20:00.001-07:002015-07-05T11:21:41.414-07:00Independence Day with Friends, Food, FireworksI love holidays. I love making themed food, I love spending time with friends and family, and I love celebrating! This comes from a childhood of my mom always decorating the house for every holiday, making us breakfast toast that looked like an American flag or cakes in the shape of a heart, and always getting to eat the leftover dessert for breakfast the next day (or few days). To me it is tradition and I wouldn't have it any other way. However, this Fourth of July get together was a bit last minute and I have to say it worked out great. The weather even held off for us to truly cook out! Started the day off with a soggy run, enjoyed food and friends, and ended the day with fireworks, I'd say it was a successful Independence Day! On to the menu...<br />
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<strong><em><u><span style="color: red;">Menu</span></u></em></strong></div>
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<em><span style="color: blue;">Red, White, and Blue Sangria</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: red;">Watermelon Salsa</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: blue;">Strawberry Pretzel Salad</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: red;">Blueberry, Strawberry, & Banana Skewers</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: blue;">Watermelon</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: red;">Hamburgers</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: blue;">Hotdogs</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: red;">Baked Beans</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: blue;">Olives</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: red;">Red Velvet Cake</span></em></div>
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<strong><em><span style="color: blue;">Red, White, and Blue Sangria</span></em></strong></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">This was a pinterest find from <a href="http://xoimagine.com/red-white-and-blue-sangria-drink-recipe/">Imagine</a>!</span></em></div>
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<u><span style="color: blue;">Ingredients</span></u></div>
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2 bottles of white wine</div>
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1 cup triple sec</div>
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1/2 cup berry flavored vodka</div>
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1/2 cup lemon juice</div>
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1/2 cup simple syrup <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">I may have left this out, simply because I didn't have it, I don't recommend skipping it- it makes for a strong sangria if you do!</span></em></div>
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Strawberries, blueberries and pineapple cut into stars (I didn't get to cut mine into stars but wish I could have)</div>
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<u><span style="color: blue;">Steps</span></u></div>
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Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher, chill and serve. </div>
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<em><strong><span style="color: red;">Watermelon Salsa</span> </strong></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">This was a Pinterest find from <a href="http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2012/08/watermelon-blueberry-salsa.html">Love and Olive Oil</a> and I have to say it will definitely be a repeat!! It is an easy recipe and so tasty!</span></em></div>
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<u><span style="color: red;">Ingredients</span></u></div>
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4 small Roma tomatoes, chopped</div>
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1/2 onion, chopped</div>
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1 jalapeno, <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">I actually did not include the jalapeno this time. Original recipe recommends discarding the seeds for a milder salsa.</span></em></div>
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1 cup diced watermelon</div>
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1/2 cup fresh blueberries</div>
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3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">I used cilantro paste this time</span></em></div>
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3 tablespoons lime juice</div>
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1/4 teaspoon salt</div>
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<u><span style="color: red;">Steps</span></u></div>
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1. Add tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno to a food processor and chop finely, do not fully liquefy.</div>
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2. Transfer tomato mixture to a medium bowl and mix in watermelon, blueberries, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. </div>
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3. Cover and put in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. </div>
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<em><strong><span style="color: blue;">Strawberry Pretzel Salad</span></strong></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">This recipe came from my mom's cookbook and we've been making it my entire life! I was floored when a woman at Bed, Bath, and Beyond was describing this new dish (strawberry pretzel salad) she had just eaten at friends, I was shocked she had never had it before, she was shocked I knew what it was! </span></em></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;"><u></u></span><u></u></strong><u><span style="color: blue;">Ingredients</span></u></div>
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Bottom Layer</div>
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2 1/2 cups pretzels, crushed</div>
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3/4 cup margarine, melted</div>
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1/4 cup brown sugar</div>
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Middle Layer</div>
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1 cup sugar</div>
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8 ounces cream cheese, softened</div>
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8 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed</div>
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Top Layer</div>
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6 ounces strawberry gelatin</div>
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2 cups boiling water</div>
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10 ounces frozen strawberries</div>
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<u><span style="color: blue;">Steps</span></u></div>
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Bottom Layer</div>
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1. Combine pretzels, margarine and brown sugar.</div>
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2. Mix well and pat into a buttered 9 x 13 baking dish.</div>
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3. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.</div>
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4. Let cool.</div>
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Middle Layer</div>
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1. Cream the sugar and cream cheese.</div>
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2. Fold in whipped topping.</div>
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3. Spread this mixture over the cooled crust, make sure the crust is sealed well with the mixture.</div>
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Top Layer</div>
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1. Dissolve gelatin in water while still warm.</div>
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2. Add frozen strawberries, stirring slightly to break up the strawberries.</div>
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3. Cool in refrigerator until mixture begins to set, do not let it completely set or it will be lumpy when transferred.</div>
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4. When gelatin mixture begins to set, pour over the dish. Chill until firm, Serve.</div>
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<strong><em><span style="color: red;">Blueberry, Strawberry, and Banana Skewers</span></em></strong></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Another Pinterest find</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></em> </div>
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There really is no recipe for this dish but it was a fun Fourth of July themed Pinterest find. I made six skewers with blueberries, strawberries, and bananas and 7 skewers with strawberries and bananas. You lay them out in a flag design!</div>
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<em><strong><span style="color: blue;">Red Velvet Cake</span></strong></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">For this special themed dessert you need to make two recipes of the Red Velvet.</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></em> </div>
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<u><span style="color: blue;">Ingredients</span></u></div>
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2 1/2 cups cake flour</div>
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1 1/2 cup sugar</div>
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1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 tablespoon cocoa powder<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil<br />
1 cup buttermilk<br />
2 tablespoon (1 oz.) liquid red food coloring / <em>for second recipe you will need blue food coloring</em><br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar</div>
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<u><span style="color: blue;">Steps</span></u></div>
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1. Preheat oven to 350. <br />
2. Combine cake flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt; whisk to blend.<br />
3. With electric mixer, combine eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar. Beat on medium speed until well blended. <em>For second recipe, do not add food coloring at this time.</em><br />
4. Mix in dry ingredients on low and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. <br />
5. Divide batter evenly among two circular baking pans. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool in pans for 5-10 minutes then cool completely on a wire rack. Slice each cake in half to make 2 layers from each pan.</div>
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<em>For the second recipe, combine dry and wet ingredients and take out 1/3 batter. In 2/3 batter mix in red food coloring, in 1/3 batter mix in blue food coloring. Bake for 30 minutes. Once cooled, cute the red cake in 3 layers. In each layer take cut out the center (I use a Margarita glass as my cookie cutter pattern) and lay the outer rim on top of the frosted cake, for the blue layer cut out the center and place inside the red. </em></div>
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<u><span style="color: blue;">Frosting</span></u></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">In the end I made about 3x this recipe for the entire cake. The ingredients below are for 1 original recipe. </span></em></div>
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<u><span style="color: blue;">Ingredients</span></u></div>
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8 oz cream cheese<br />
5 tbsp unsalted butter<br />
2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted</div>
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<u><span style="color: blue;">Steps</span></u></div>
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1. Combine cream cheese and butter with electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in vanilla extract. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Increase speed and beat until smooth. </div>
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I hope everyone had a great day celebrating our country and remembering our freedom! Happy Birthday America! Independence Day! Fourth of July! </div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><em>Happy <span style="color: red;">Fourth</span> of <span style="color: red;">July</span>!<span style="color: red;">!</span>!</em></span></div>
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bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-46538398561918189742015-05-11T19:54:00.002-07:002015-05-11T19:54:10.808-07:00Talk Derby to Me - Kentucky Derby PartyI've decided I'm a Derby girl at heart. Sundresses, big hats, beautiful weather, getting friends together to enjoy delicious food and drinks and watch the race - I can't find a thing wrong with it! So until I can check off "Going to the Kentucky Derby" from my bucket list I will be hosting a derby party, starting this year with my housewarming Derby party! I planned this for months - mostly because I was just so excited about it and I changed my mind on the menu a few times before locking it in for the big day, if you can imagine I just couldn't pick which cupcakes to make for the party (I finally settled on three flavors - Mint Julep, Chocolate and Vanilla). In true Derby style, most of the dishes included Bourbon (okay that's not true - only 3 recipes included Bourbon)! A few more notes before we move on to the recipes, I took to Pinterest for a little inspiration but also just pulled out some of my own ideas to complete the party. I've often said my mom was the original Pinterest, she was always so creative with every birthday party, school function, wedding shower she ever threw so I gather a lot of ideas from her when planning anything themed! I wanted to go with a rustic/burlap theme for that little bit of Southern charm and of course placed fresh red roses around my house in honor of the Derby (sidenote - I really like having fresh flowers around my house). Also, we enjoyed our drinks from Mason jars. Enough about the decor and planning I know you are ready for the menu and recipes! <br />
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<em><span style="color: #bf9000;">Welcome <span style="color: #bf9000;">to the</span> Derby!</span></em></div>
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<em><strong><span style="color: #bf9000;">Menu</span></strong></em></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d;">Roast Beef Goodness</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d;">Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d;">Bourbon Meatballs</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d;">Broccoli Salad</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d;"></span> </div>
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<em><strong><span style="color: #bf9000;">Desserts</span></strong></em></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d;">Mint Julep Cupcakes</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d;">Chocolate Cupcakes</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d;">Vanilla Cupcakes</span></div>
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<strong><em><span style="color: #93c47d;"></span></em></strong> </div>
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<strong><em><span style="color: #bf9000;">Drinks</span></em></strong></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d;">Mint Juleps</span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #bf9000;">Roast Beef Goodness</span></strong> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Years ago my mom put together a cookbook "Going to Carole's" of all of our favorite recipes growing up. At the time I received the cookbook I was 12 and really had little use for it but now I reference this cookbook all the time. All this to say, my mom has a recipe we call Ham Goodness <em>if you are looking in the actual cookbook it is called Ham and Cheese Sandwiches</em>, I adapted this recipe for Derby day to include Roast Beef instead.</span> <br />
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
1/2 cup margarine, softened<br />
1 tablespoon mustard<br />
1 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds<br />
1 tablespoon steak sauce<br />
1 pound sliced roast beef<br />
8 slices Swiss Cheese <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">you can use more than 8 slices</span></em><br />
1 package of dinner rolls <span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>usually the Hawaiian dinner rolls</em></span><br />
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<u>Steps</u><br />
1. Mix together margarine, mustard, poppy seeds, and steak sauce.<br />
2. Leave dinner rolls connected but slice entire package in half.<br />
3. Spread the sauce mixture on both sides of the rolls.<br />
4. Layer with roast beef and cheese.<br />
5. Heat at 400 for 10 minutes.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #93c47d;">Pimento Cheese Sandwiches</span></strong> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>this was my first time making Pimento Cheese but I would say it was a hit! I found this recipe from </em></span><a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/died-went-to-pimento-cheese-heaven-pimiento-167613"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>food.com</em></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em> after a simple google search!</em></span><br />
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Makes about 3 1/2 cups<br />
<u>Ingredients</u><br />
6 ounces cream cheese<br />
1/2 cup extra sharp white cheddar cheese, grated<br />
3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated<br />
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated<br />
1/2 cup mayonnaise<br />
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar<br />
4 ounces pimientos, chopped<br />
1/2 teaspoon onion powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon paprika<br />
1 dash hot sauce <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">I actually didn't have any hot sauce but it didn't affect it too much</span></em><br />
fresh ground black pepper to taste<br />
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<u>Steps</u><br />
1. Beat cream cheese until soft.<br />
2. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until combined and creamy. <br />
3. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.<br />
4. Spread on bread for sandwiches and serve (or serve with crackers).<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #bf9000;">Bourbon Meatballs</span></strong> <span style="font-size: x-small;">this was a Pinterest find from <a href="http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/126439145/meatballs-bourbon-whisky/">Key Ingredient</a></span><br />
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<u>Ingredients</u> <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">I doubled or tripled the recipe but below are the original ingredient amounts for one recipe</span></em><br />
1 pound bag frozen meatballs<br />
1/2 cup Ketchup<br />
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed<br />
1/4 cup Bourbon<br />
1 teaspoon lemon juice<br />
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce <br />
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<u>Steps</u><br />
1. Combine all ingredients but the meatballs in a mixing bowl.<br />
2. Place meatballs in the crockpot and pour the whiskey sauce mixture on top. Mix it all up so each meatball is coated with the sauce. <br />
3. Turn the heat up to high for about an hour, stirring a couple of times. <br />
4. Once meatballs have thawed, turn the crockpot on low for a few hours until ready to serve. <br />
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<strong><span style="color: #93c47d;">Broccoli Salad</span></strong> <span style="font-size: x-small;">A<em>nother recipe from my mama's cookbook. Can be prepared a day ahead.</em></span><br />
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
2 heads broccoli<br />
1 cup raisins<br />
1 cup sunflower seed kernels<br />
1 small onion, diced finely<br />
12 bacon strips, cooked crisp<br />
<br />
<u>Steps</u><br />
1. Cut broccoli into small pieces.<br />
2. Cook and drain bracon.<br />
3. Mix broccoli, raisins, sunflower seeds, onion and bacon.<br />
<br />
Ingredients for Dressing<br />
1 cup mayonnaise<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1 teaspoon white vinegar<br />
<br />
Steps<br />
1. Blend mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar.<br />
2. Mix dressing in salad. <br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #bf9000;">Desserts </span></em></strong><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong><span style="color: #93c47d;">Mint Julep Cupcakes</span></strong> <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">a Pinterest find from </span><a href="http://www.mythirtyspot.com/mint-julep-cupcakes/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">My Thirty Spot</span></a></em><br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u><br />
1 cup butter<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
1/2 teaspoon mint extract<br />
4 eggs<br />
2 3/4 cups flour<br />
3 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1 cup milk<br />
1/2 cup bourbon<br />
1/2 cup Creme de Menthe<br />
<br />
<u>Steps</u><br />
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />
2. Line 24 cupcake cups.<br />
3. Combine salt, baking powder and 1 3/4 cups of flour.<br />
4. In a separate bowl, beat sugar, eggs and vanilla and mint extract until creamy.<br />
5. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Add the milk and liquors to the batter, then add the remaining flour (1 cup) to the batter. Mix just until the batter is combined, do not overbeat.<br />
6. Spoon batter into each cupcake tin, bake for 25-30 minutes. <br />
7. Cool before frosting.<br />
<br />
Ingredients for Icing <em>if using a piping tool, double the following recipe</em><br />
3 cups powdered sugar<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon mint extract<br />
2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1 stick unsalted butter, melted<br />
Heavy Whipping Cream <br />
<br />
<u>Steps for Frosting</u><br />
1. Combine powdered sugar, salt, vanilla and mint extract and melted butter and beat until creamy.<br />
2. Gradually add heavy whipping cream until desired texture.<br />
3. Pipe icing on cooled cupcakes. <br />
4. Garnish with sprinkles, mint leaves, and a straw (trimmed to size). <br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #bf9000;">Chocolate Cupcakes</span> </strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">originally from Glorious Treats</span><br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u><br />
2 cups sugar<br />
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour<br />
3/4 cups cocoa<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 cup whole milk<br />
1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
1 cup boiling water<br />
<br />
<u>Steps</u><br />
1. Line muffin tin and preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />
2. In a large bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.<br />
3. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute.<br />
4. Stir in boiling water, your batter will be thin, this is correct<br />
5. Fill liners about 2/3 full.<br />
6. Bake for 22-24 minutes, turning the pan halfway through baking.<br />
7. Cool completely before frosting.<br />
<br />
<u>Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting</u> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>I finally think I've found the chocolate frosting that will be my new go-to chocolate icing from </em></span><a href="http://livelikeyouarerich.com/the-best-chocolate-cream-cheese-frosting-recipe/#2hxPU1YGft3hMSKx.32"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Live Like you are Rich... on any income</em></span></a><br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u><br />
1/4 cup salted butter<br />
8 oz. cream cheese<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
4 cups powdered sugar<br />
1/4 - 1/3 cup cocoa baking powder (start with 1/4 and add as desired)<br />
<br />
<u>Steps</u><br />
1. Soften butter and cream cheese in microwave. <br />
2. Add all of the ingredients and only 1 cup powdered sugar to a mixing bowl. Mix on low speed adding the rest of the powdered sugar slowly until it is all added.<br />
3. Mix on high for 1-2 minutes until the frosting is smooth.<br />
4. Decorate cupcakes as desired.<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #93c47d;">Vanilla Cupcakes</span></strong> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>I chose to use the recipe that was the base of my Banana Pudding cupcakes from Spicy Southern Kitchen</em></span><br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u><br />
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature<br />
1/2 cup sour cream<br />
1 egg, room temperature<br />
2 egg yolks, room temperature<br />
2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
<br />
<u>Steps</u><br />
1. Preheat oven to 350, line cupcake tin with paper liners.<br />
2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large mixing bowl.<br />
3. Add butter, sour cream, egg, egg yolks, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds, until smooth.<br />
4. Divid batter equally among the cupcake tins and bake 18-22 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool before frosting.<br />
<br />
<strong>Cream Cheese Frosting</strong> <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">taken from my mom's cookbook</span></em><br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u><br />
1/2 cup softened butter<br />
8 ounces cream cheese, softened<br />
1 lb powdered sugar<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
<br />
<u>Steps</u><br />
1. Cream butter and cream cheese.<br />
2. Blend in sugar and vanilla and beat until creamy. <br />
3. Frost cupcakes.<br />
<br />
I added a little spin to my chocolate and vanilla cupcakes and laid them out in the shape of a horse, <em>I found a template on Pinterest and eyeballed it as I laid them out</em>. Most of the cupcakes will be frosted with chocolate cream cheese frosting but the tail and some of the upper main will be spotted with vanilla cream cheese frosting. I then added a black twizzler as the horse's rein. I was quite happy with how the horse cupcake display turned out! <br />
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My sister made the Mint Juleps for the party so I don't have an exact recipe but she made a simple syrup with sugar, mint, and boiled water. Added bourbon over crushed ice, simple syrup, and a mint sprig. <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kNPXVTi89sM/VVFhIGgLYmI/AAAAAAAAAr4/TMvaLHw85fM/s288/1431395970.253751.jpg"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kNPXVTi89sM/VVFhIGgLYmI/AAAAAAAAAr4/TMvaLHw85fM/s288/1431395970.253751.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="210" /></a></center>
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<em>A glance at the drink station, mark your mugs, mix your Mint Juleps, enjoy!</em></div>
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<em>Harrison and I are Derby ready</em></div>
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<em>My dapper puppy,</em> <em>he loved the party because apparently he is really good at talking people into sharing, however he is not a huge horse fan so that made for an interesting party trick!</em></div>
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<em>She is counting her winnings, because yes the 13-month old picked the winning horse</em></center>
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Now I have to wait a whole year for another 90-second horse race and the fun that comes with that! From this Derby girl at heart I hope you've enjoyed reading my recap and found a new recipe or two to try <em>nothing says you have to wait until Derby to make these recipes</em>. Thank you to those that made my first Kentucky Derby party such a success! <br />
bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-13361147799974650692015-04-27T19:53:00.002-07:002015-04-27T19:53:50.626-07:00Banana Pudding CupcakesI bake because I love it and lately I have been in a baking funk. Ask my friends there are two funks that you don't want me to be in-a baking funk and a running funk (however, they probably hate the baking funk more because they get a grumpy Brittany AND they don't get baked goods). All I needed was to mix it up a little and try a new recipe - enter a banana pudding cupcake recipe for a co-worker's birthday! I was told her favorite dessert was banana pudding so I took to pinterest to find the perfect new recipe to try out and I have to say pinterest did not let me down. I think it is safe to say the banana pudding cupcakes were a hit! The only thing I would change next time would be to make more than one batch. No worries this will be a REPEAT recipe throughout the summer!<br />
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<br /></div>
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<b>Banana Pudding Cupcakes</b> recipe originally from<a href="http://spicysouthernkitchen.com/banana-pudding-cupcakes/"> Spicy Southern Kitchen</a></div>
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Makes 12 cupcakes</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>Ingredients</u></b></div>
<div>
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour</div>
<div>
1 cup sugar</div>
<div>
1 1/2 tsp baking powder</div>
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1/2 tsp salt</div>
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1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature</div>
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1/2 cup sour cream</div>
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1 egg, room temperature</div>
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2 eggs yolks, room temperature</div>
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2 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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1/3 cup vanilla wafer crumbs</div>
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Whip Cream <i>the recipe called for 1 container of frozen whipped topping but I chose to make it fresh, recipe below</i></div>
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12 whole vanilla wafers</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><u>Pudding Filling Ingredients</u></b></div>
<div>
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature</div>
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1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk</div>
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3/4 cup whole milk</div>
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1 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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1 (3.4 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix</div>
<div>
1 ripe banana, cut into thin slices and then diced</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>Whipped Cream Frosting Ingredients</u></b></div>
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1 1/4 cups heavy cream</div>
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1/3 cup powdered sugar</div>
<div>
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><u>Steps</u></b></div>
<div>
1. Pre-heat oven to 350, line cupcake tin with paper liners.</div>
<div>
2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.</div>
<div>
3. Add butter, sour cream, egg, egg yolks, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds, until smooth.</div>
<div>
4. Divide batter equally among the cupcake tins and bake for 18-22 minutes <i>I turn the pan halfway through baking. </i> Let the cupcakes cool before proceeding.</div>
<div>
5. Create a hollowed out portion in each cupcake, be careful to leave a layer of cupcake across the bottom <i>I used a cupcake corer to make my holes, very helpful!</i></div>
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6. Sprinkle vanilla wafer crumbs in each cupcake hole.</div>
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7. Beat together cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk for 2-3 minutes, scrape down the sides of the bowl.</div>
8. Add milk, vanilla extract and pudding mix and beat until mixed together. Stir in bananas by hand. Immediately spoon into cupcakes <i>I used my icing gun with the piping attachment to fill the cupcakes, a huge help and allowed me to not only fill the cupcakes but also add a layer on top before topping with whipped cream.</i><br />
9. Beat heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until whipped cream is thick enough to stand.<br />
10. Using a pastry bag or an icing gun frost the cupcakes with whipped cream and garnish with vanilla wafer crumbs and a full wafer.<br />
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Enjoy!</div>
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<i><br /></i>bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-87308667248714231692015-03-23T18:35:00.001-07:002015-03-23T18:42:20.908-07:00Pupcakes get two paws upToday is National Puppy Day and that calls for a celebration (or a write up of a previous celebration). Our furry friends are family too and they deserve special treats every now and then too. December marked one year since I adopted Harrison so we officially celebrated his "Gotcha Day" with pupcakes! Pupcakes were a HIT with Harrison and all of his furry friends! I mean Harry Bear will eat ANYTHING but his friends all gave their stamp of approval too. Next year, we will have a Gotcha Day party but this year we paw delivered them to everyone!<br />
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So don't forget to celebrate your furry family members with this easy recipe!<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Pupcakes</u> </strong><em>Recipe from <a href="http://jenwoodhouse.com/blog/2014/02/07/birthday-treat-watson-homemade-pupcakes/">The Wood House</a></em><br />
<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
1 large egg<br />
1 banana<br />
1 cup shredded carrots<br />
1/3 cup peanut butter<br />
1/4 cup vegetable oil<br />
1/4 cup honey<br />
1 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1/3 cup 1-minute oats<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
<br />
<strong>Steps</strong><br />
1. Mix dry ingredients.<br />
2. Mix wet ingredients.<br />
3. Mix them all together. <br />
4. Fill each cupcake tin 2/3 full <em>I chose to bake without liners so that I would not have to remember to remove them before Harrison devoured the pupcake</em>.<br />
5. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.<br />
6. Choose your favorite icing tip and use peanut butter to frost your pupcakes.<br />
7. Share with your furry buddy and all their friends! <br />
<br />
<strong><u>Homemade Bones </u></strong><em>recipe from <u>You Bake 'Em Dog Biscuits Cookbook</u> by Janine Adams</em><br />
<em>You can always use Milkbone treats to top the pupcakes but these are easy to whip out too!</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 cup oat bran<br />
1 cup milk<br />
1/2 cup peanut butter<br />
1 egg<br />
<br />
<strong>Steps</strong><br />
1. Preheat oven to 350.<br />
2. Combine the dry ingredients. In a food processor, combine milk and peanut butter and process to liquefy. Add the egg and process until mixed in. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir into dough.<br />
3. Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut into your desired shape <em>I used my small bone cookie cutter!</em><br />
4. Place biscuits on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.<br />
5. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container <em>that is those that aren't used on the pupcakes!</em><br />
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Excuse the blurriness of any photos below, do you know how hard it is to capture dogs with a picture of your treat WITHOUT them eating it???<br />
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<em>Pupcakes ready to be enjoyed by our furry friends</em></div>
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<em>Really Mom? You are going to hold that in front of me? What a tease!!</em></div>
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<em>Happy Gotcha Day Harrison!</em></div>
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<em>Fritz and Ruger enjoying their treats</em></div>
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Georgia & Dixie</div>
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Sweet Maggie enjoying her pupcake</div>
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Finally remembered to catch Harrison on video enjoying his pupcake!</div>
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<em>Not Pictured: Max & Aubie, Sebastian & Penny, and sweet Ana</em></div>
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<em>Happy National Puppy Day to all of our sweet fur babies!</em></div>
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bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-63763868000995133692015-02-14T13:07:00.000-08:002015-02-14T13:07:06.817-08:00Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip CookiesToday I want to share the love - my love for baking, my love for new recipes, and my love for blogging. <em>Also, I really love to list things in threes, if you haven't noticed. </em>Last week a coworker sent me a recipe for red velvet white chocolate chip cookies and looking over the recipe I had ALL the ingredients so why wouldn't I make them for Valentine's Day week?!?! However, I didn't read the entire recipe before starting and therefore did not allow myself enough time to make these cookies earlier in the week and have this recipe posted to the blog before today so everyone could make them for Valentine's Day- the dough needs to sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours <em>meaning you do still have time to make them today</em>. I went ahead and made the dough Wednesday night and finished up baking them Thursday, allowing me to take them into work on Friday to bring a smile to everyone's face. I have to say this recipe got RAVE reviews (even from my CEO - yes, this made my day)! I doubled the recipe because I knew that 18 would not be enough for me and my friends and like I said I did want to share the love and not eat them ALL! Doubling the recipe made more than 36 but we had no problem taking care of the extras. On to the recipe - hope you enjoy it, I will definitely be repeating it!<br />
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<u><strong><span style="color: red;">Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies-</span> </strong></u><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Recipe was featured on People.com from baker Sally Quinn of </span><a href="http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sally's Baking Addiction</span></a></em><br />
<em>Makes 18 cookies (double if you would like more)</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
1 1/2 cups + 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour<br />
1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder<br />
1 tsp. baking soda<br />
1/4 tsp. salt<br />
1/2 cup unsalted butter, <em>softened</em><br />
3/4 cup light brown sugar<br />
1/4 cup granulated sugar<br />
1 large egg<br />
1 tbsp. milk<br />
2 tsp. vanilla extract<br />
1 1/2 tbsp. liquid red food coloring<br />
1 cup white chocolate chips <em>plus a few extra for after baking</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<strong>Steps</strong><br />
1. Toss flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, & salt together in a large bowl and set aside.<br />
2. Beat the butter on high until creamy. Scrap down the sides of the bowl and beat in the brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed until combined. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Once mixed, add the food coloring and beat until combined. Pour in the dry ingredients and mix on low until a soft dough is formed. If you want the dough redder, add in more food coloring. Beat in the white chocolate chips.<br />
3. Cover the dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours up to 4 or 5 days. <em>If you let it chill for over a day, let it sit for 45 minutes before baking.</em><br />
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.<br />
5. Scoop 1 1/2 tbsp. of dough and roll into a ball and place on baking sheets. Bake each batch for 10-11 minutes. Take a spoon and press down on the warm cookies to flatten. <em>I used a <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/1938604/?catalogId=21&sku=1938604&cm_ven=Google_PLA&cm_cat=Shopping&cm_pla=default&cm_ite=default&gclid=CjwKEAiAgfymBRCEhpTR8NXpx1USJAAV0dQyCZqJfm9tTCGU85AjzKN4aDIA2XVIyn1zaAs32nEdGxoCAxrw_wcB&kwid=productads-plaid^83090268103-sku^1938604-adType^PLA-device^c-adid^42798158623">cookie scoop</a> to divide out my dough, this may have made my cookies a bit smaller but that allowed for more cookies to share. </em><br />
6. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before you transfer to a wire rack. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days <em>I doubt they will last that long (definitely didn't in my case).</em><br />
<em></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: red;">Happy Valentine's Day!!</span></em></div>
bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-77421514572379701002015-02-09T19:02:00.001-08:002015-02-09T19:02:10.671-08:00Zucchini Noodles with Turkey MeatballsI can officially say I am obsessed with zucchini noodles! I love pasta, not only because it is delicious but it is usually easy to make for one. But in an effort to eat healthier I am diving into some pasta alternatives and I am pleasantly surprised with my newfound obsession. Tonight's meal took a little more time than the <a href="http://www.bleighgo.blogspot.com/2015/02/skinny-shrimp-scampi.html">shrimp scampi</a> but it was still an easy weeknight meal for me to whip up. I found this recipe on pinterest after searching for some more zucchini noodle recipes, it originally comes from <a href="http://acozykitchen.com/zucchini-noodles-meatballs/">A Cozy Kitchen</a> and it did not disappoint. I prepped the tomato sauce and the meatballs at the same time, they both take about 20-30 minutes and are the longest part of the meal prep so I did them simultaneously. After my last zucchini noodle adventure, I bought a spiralizer (<em>from Bed Bath & Beyond) </em>because I knew that would not be the last time I made zucchini noodles. I have to say, the spiralizer takes it a step further, the noodles actually looked like beautiful noodles this time. <br />
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Okay, I have gabbed enough about my love for zucchini noodles and this recipe, it is time to share the actual recipe with everyone!!</div>
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<strong><u>Turkey Meatballs</u></strong></div>
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<em>This was the first time I made homemade meatballs, they were delicious and easy to make! Yes, they have a little bread crumbs and a little cheese added in but it is all about balance right?! </em></div>
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<strong>Ingredients</strong></div>
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1 pound ground turkey</div>
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2 tablespoons dried fine bread crumbs</div>
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2 tablespoons grated parmesan</div>
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1 large egg</div>
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1 teaspoon salt</div>
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Olive oil</div>
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1/2 yellow onion, diced</div>
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3 garlic cloves, minced</div>
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3 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley</div>
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2 tablespoons freshly chopped sage</div>
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1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper</div>
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<strong>Steps</strong></div>
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1. To a large bowl, add ground turkey, bread crumbs, parmesan, egg and salt.</div>
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2. In a medium saute pan over medium heat, add a teaspoon of olive oil. Once oil is hot, add diced onion and cook until translucent and soft, roughly 5-7 minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low, add the minced garlic, parsley, sage and crushed red pepper. </div>
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3. Add onion mixture to the bowl of meat and combine completely but do not overmix. </div>
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4. Scoop out two tablespoons of the turkey mixture and roll into balls. Repeat until all the meatballs are formed. </div>
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5. To sear the meatballs add a few tablespoons of olive oil to the saute pan. When the oil is hot, gently add the meatballs and sear on all sides 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Repeat until all meatballs are seared.</div>
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<em>Turkey meatballs ready to be seared</em></div>
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<em>Searing turkey meatballs</em></div>
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<strong><u>Classic Tomato Sauce</u></strong></div>
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<strong>Ingredients</strong></div>
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2 teaspoons olive oil</div>
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1/4 yellow onion, diced</div>
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3 garlic cloves</div>
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2-3 sage leaves, chopped</div>
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1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper</div>
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1 28-ounce can of tomatoes <em>I used San Marzano</em></div>
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<em></em> </div>
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<strong>Steps</strong></div>
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1. Add olive oil to a medium pot, when hot add the diced onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.</div>
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2. Add the garlic, sage leaves and crushed red pepper, cook for an additional minute, until fragrant. </div>
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3. Pour in can of tomatoes; mix and cover the pot, allow the tomato sauce to simmer, over low heat, for 20 minutes.</div>
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4. Using a blender, puree the tomato sauce until smooth. Transfer back to the pot and salt to taste.</div>
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5. Add seared meatballs to the tomato sauce and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes.</div>
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<strong><u>Zucchini Noodles</u></strong></div>
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<strong>Ingredients</strong></div>
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4 medium zucchinis</div>
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<strong>Steps</strong></div>
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1. Using spiralizer, cut zucchinis. </div>
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2. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to a saute pan, when the oil is hot, add the zucchini noodles and cook for 3-5 minutes. </div>
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3. Toss with a few tablespoons of tomato sauce, top with meatballs and garnish with a little parmesan cheese and parsley. Enjoy!!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aoRthc-9IJs/VNlxpuYcy2I/AAAAAAAAAoU/yLJaDpaDwXI/s1600/Zucchini%2Bnoodles%2Bwith%2BTurkey%2Bmeatballs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aoRthc-9IJs/VNlxpuYcy2I/AAAAAAAAAoU/yLJaDpaDwXI/s1600/Zucchini%2Bnoodles%2Bwith%2BTurkey%2Bmeatballs.jpg" height="320" width="230" /></a></div>
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<em>The finished product</em></div>
bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-83148088997539699232015-02-06T15:55:00.001-08:002015-02-06T15:56:01.891-08:00Skinny Shrimp ScampiI am trying to cook more and to incorporate some healthier recipes into the mix - don't worry the cupcakes are NOT going away <em>in person or on the blog. </em>This recipe needs to be added to your week's meal plan immediately!! <em>For me cooking more means trying to plan my meals ahead of time.</em> A friend shared this recipe with me and I couldn't wait to try it. I won't lie, I was a little skeptical simply because I love pasta but I have to say this recipe was delicious and a healthy alternative to a classic pasta dish. What makes it even better is that it is so easy to prepare! Clearly, I'm slightly obsessed with this recipe and turns out I'm not the only one, I've already shared the recipe with several friends and they had already tried it and loved it as well! On to the recipe so that you can add it to your meals for the upcoming week! Enjoy!!<br />
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<strong><u>Skinny Shrimp Scampi</u></strong><em> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(originally from <a href="http://www.justataste.com/2014/07/skinny-shrimp-scampi-zucchini-noodles-recipe/">Just a Taste</a>)</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></em><br />
<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
2 tbsp. olive oil<br />
1 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined <em>I went ahead and used frozen shrimp and used just enough for my meal so this can be your call on how much shrimp</em><br />
1 tbsp. minced garlic<br />
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper <br />
1/4 cup white wine<br />
2 tbsp. lemon juice<br />
2 medium zucchini <em>cut into noodles- there are several different tools that you can use, but because I did not have the correct tool this week I used a regular vegetable peeler and it gave me wider noodles but they still tasted great</em><br />
Parsley<em>, for garnish</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<strong><u>Steps</u></strong><br />
1. Add olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook them for 1 minute, stirring constantly.<br />
2. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook them thoroughly until they are pink on all sides. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper then with a slotted spoon transfer the shrimp to a bowl. Leave all liquid in the pan.<br />
3. Increase the heat to medium and add the white wine and lemon juice. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add the zucchini noodles to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. <br />
4. Return the shrimp to the pan and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></strong><br />bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-15892900705877117182014-12-21T20:57:00.001-08:002014-12-21T20:57:05.616-08:00Spread Christmas Cheer by Baking for All to EatIn the last post, I told you that I had only baked ONCE all of December- well, I have corrected that...I now have baked an additional 9 dozen cupcakes! Seven dozen of those being in one night...I get so excited about my baking plans they just tend to explode. This year I really wanted to test out some new Christmas cupcake recipes instead of my standard Chocolate with Peppermint (don't worry I still made this flavor too just added some new ones to the mix). Everyone seemed to love these new flavors! <br />
<br />
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I finally settled on these four cupcakes:</div>
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<span style="color: red;">Gingerbread</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d;">Eggnog</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;">Chocolate with Peppermint</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d;">Snickerdoodle</span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: red;"><u>Gingerbread Cupcakes -</u> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>originally from </em><a href="http://www.imperialsugar.com/recipes/desserts/cupcakes/Gingerbread-Cupcakes-Gingerbread-Buttercream-Frosting"><em>Imperial Sugar</em></a></span></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Makes 12 cupcakes</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></strong><br />
5 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1/2 cup molasses<br />
1 egg <br />
1 egg yolk<br />
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour <br />
1 tablespoon cocoa powder<br />
1 teaspoon ground ginger<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 cup buttermilk<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Steps</u></strong><br />
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake tin and set aside.<br />
2. Mix butter and sugar with electric mixer about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.<br />
3. Add molasses and then the egg and egg yolk, stir to combine.<br />
4. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon and baking soda. Add to the butter/sugar/molasses mixture alternating with the buttermilk.<br />
5. Mix until just combined.<br />
6. Divide the batter between the 12 cupcake cups about 2/3 cups full.<br />
7. Bake for 20 minutes <em>I turn the pan halfway through baking</em><br />
8. Cool completely before frosting. <br />
<br />
<strong><u>Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing</u> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Originally from </em><a href="http://lecremedelacrumb.com/2013/12/gingerbread-cupcakes-cinnamon-cream-cheese-frosting.html#_a5y_p=1282377"><em>Creme de la Crumb</em></a></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">I got this recipe from a different post because well, cinnamon and cream cheese how can you go wrong?!</span></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></em></strong><br />
<strong><u>Ingredients for Icing</u></strong><br />
4 cups powdered sugar<br />
4 ounces cream cheese, softened<br />
1 tablespoon cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla<br />
2-4 teaspoons heavy cream<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Steps </u></strong><br />
1. Beat the cream cheese until fluffy.<br />
2. Add vanilla, cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and mix until smooth.<br />
3. Gradually add in powdered sugar. Add 1-2 more tablespoons of heavy cream until you get the consistency you want for the icing. <br />
4. Frost your cooled cupcakes and enjoy! <em>I used the star tip for these cupcakes</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<strong><span style="color: #38761d;"><u>Eggnog Cupcakes</u> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Originally from </em><a href="http://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/2014/11/24/eggnog-cupcakes/"><em>Life, Love & Sugar</em></a></span></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">Makes 24 cupcakes</span></strong><br />
I was quite honestly the most worried about these cupcakes, they didn't turn out as pretty and almost "caramelized" in the oven BUT everyone LOVED them so please don't discard them because they might not be pretty!<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Ingredients</u></strong><br />
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder<br />
3/4 cup butter, room temperature<br />
3 egg whites<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1/2-3/4 teaspoon nutmeg<br />
3/4 cup eggnog <em>I just bought Barber's Eggnog</em><br />
1/4 cup milk<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Steps</u></strong><br />
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake tins and set aside.<br />
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder in a large mixing bowl.<br />
3. Add butter, egg whites, vanilla, nutmeg, eggnog and milk and mix on medium speed until just combined. Do not overbeat.<br />
4. Divide batter among the cupcake tins.<br />
5. Bake 18 - 20 mins <em>again turning halfway through baking</em><br />
6. Cool completely before frosting. <br />
<br />
<strong><u>Ingredients for Eggnog Icing <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">unfortunately, I can't find the exact eggnog frosting recipe that I used but I will share the one that came with the cupcake recipe</span></em></u></strong><br />
<em>If using a piping tip, double the recipe.</em> <br />
1/2 cup butter<br />
1/2 cup shortening<br />
4 cups powdered sugar<br />
4 tablespoons eggnog<br />
1/4 teaspoon rum extract<br />
1 teaspoon nutmeg<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Steps</u></strong><br />
1. Combine butter and shortening until smooth.<br />
2. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.<br />
3. Add eggnog, rum extract and nutmeg, combine until smooth.<br />
4. Add remaining powdered sugar and mix in until smooth.<br />
5. Add a little more eggnog and mixed until desired consistency.<br />
6. Decorate your cupcakes and enjoy!<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: red;"><u>Chocolate with Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting,</u><em> <span style="font-size: x-small;">originally from </span><a href="http://glorioustreats.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Glorious Treats</span></a></em></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Makes 24 cupcakes</span><br />
<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour<br />
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 cup whole milk<br />
1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
1 cup boiling water<br />
<br />
<strong>Steps</strong><br />
1. Line muffin tin and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. <br />
2. In a large bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. <br />
3. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute. <br />
4. Stir in boiling water <em>your batter will be thin, this is correct</em>.<br />
5. Fill liners about 2/3 full. <br />
6. Bake for 22-24 minutes, <em>turning the pan halfway through</em>. <br />
7. Cool completely before frosting. <br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients for Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting</b><br />
1/2 cup butter<br />
6 oz. cream cheese<br />
4 cups of powdered sugar<br />
1 teaspoon peppermint extract<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream<br />
<br />
<strong>Steps</strong><br />
1. Place butter in a mixing bowl and blend slightly. Add cream cheese and blend until combined. <br />
2. Add powdered sugar, a little bit at a time, and blend on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed until fluffy. <br />
3. Add vanilla and peppermint extracts. <br />
4. Slowly add cream, a little at a time until desired consistency is reached. <br />
5. Beat about a minute, until fluffy. <br />
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<i>Because I use a piping tool to frost I usually 1 1/2 the icing recipe, the ingredients above are the original ingredients</i><br />
<br />
Before filling the piping bag or tool, take some of the icing and color it with red food coloring and get a good bit on a knife and drag it down two sides of the piping tool then fill with the white frosting. This works best if every time you refill you make sure you apply plenty of red frosting all the way down the side of the tool. Once you frost the cupcakes add a Hershey's peppermint kiss on top, I tend to only put the kisses on half the cupcakes in case some prefer them without. Enjoy! <br />
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<strong><span style="color: #38761d;"><u>Snickerdoodle Cupcakes</u> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>originally from </em><a href="http://readit-and-eat.blogspot.com/"><em>Read it & eat</em></a></span></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">Makes 24 cupcakes</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></strong><br />
<u><strong>Ingredients</strong></u><br />
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 cups cake flour<br />
1 tablespoon baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon<br />
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature<br />
1 3/4 cups sugar<br />
4 eggs<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
1 1/4 cups milk<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Steps</u></strong><br />
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake tins and set aside.<br />
2. Combine flour, cake flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and whisk to combine. <br />
3. In a separate bowl beat with an electric mixer, butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.<br />
4. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg.<br />
5. Blend in the vanilla.<br />
6. On low speed, add in the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the milk <em>beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat after each addition until well mixed.</em><br />
7. Divide batter equally among the cupcake tins. Bake 18-20 minutes, rotating halfway through. <br />
8. Cool completely before frosting.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Ingredients for Frosting</u></strong><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>If piping double the recipe</em></span><br />
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature<br />
1 stick butter, room temperature<br />
1 tablespoon vanilla extract<br />
3-4 cups powdered sugar<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Ingredients for Garnish </u></strong><br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
2 tablespoons sugar<br />
<em>Stir together and dust on top of each cupcake</em><br />
<br />
<strong><u>Steps</u></strong><br />
1. Combine cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add vanilla extract. Slowly add powdered sugar, mix well. <br />
2. Frost the cooled cupcakes and add garnish to each cupcake.<br />
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Seven dozen cupcakes distributed among co-workers, friends, and my Pi Phi sisters <em>and I still don't think that covered everyone <span style="font-size: xx-small;">sorry if you missed out on this go-round, promise it wasn't intentional!</span></em></div>
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One final recipe for today- I love when friends send me a link to a recipe or video or article that they just know I'm going to love and have to try <em>(yes, this is a hint that you should send me over recipes that you'd like for me to try)</em>. This is exactly what happened yesterday, Amanda sent me a video of how to make your own Peppermint tray. (It was on The Chew originally, thank you Clinton Kelly). This was SO easy to make and such a fun way to display my cupcakes at a recent Christmas party! I took pretty close to step by step pictures because I really didn't know how it was going to turn out, it turned out great!<br />
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You will need a cookie tray, wax paper, and a bag of peppermints. <br />
<br />
1. Line your cookie tray with wax paper <em>if you have any extra wax paper trim it so it doesn't hang over the tray.</em><br />
2. Line up your peppermint candies with a little space in between each one.<br />
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3. Put it in the oven at 350 for 5-7 minutes- until the peppermints start to touch, once they are all touching remove the tray. <br />
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4. Let it cool for about 30 seconds and then trim off the edges with a knife to make it nice and clean cut.<br />
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5. Use as a serving tray/statement piece at your next party!<br />
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<em><span style="color: red;">Happy Holiday Baking!!!</span></em></div>
bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-33135741263173412722014-12-15T18:02:00.001-08:002014-12-15T18:02:47.100-08:00Hot Cocoa Cupcakes - the Holidays are here!December is <em>usually </em>a busy baking month for me...I say usually because we are halfway through December and I have only baked ONCE!!! Don't worry, I'll be at it again shortly and will make up for my lack of baking at the beginning of the month. My go-to cupcake recipe during December <em>usually</em> is a Chocolate cupcake with a Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting but I wanted to try something different this year so I made Hot Cocoa cupcakes that I found on pinterest over a year ago. I have to admit I chose this recipe mostly for appearance but everyone raved on the taste too so I can't complain. I think the homemade whipped cream was what won so many over for this cupcake. When you are done, the cupcakes look like little cups of hot cocoa! Many have asked for the recipe so I won't make you wait any longer. <br />
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<strong><u>Hot Cocoa Cupcakes</u> <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">originally from <a href="http://lickthebowlgood.blogspot.com/2012/12/hot-cocoa-cupcakes-for-peoplecom.html">Lick the Bowl Good</a> - makes 18 cupcakes</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></em></strong><br />
<strong>Ingredients for Cupcakes</strong><br />
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 1/4 cups sugar<br />
1/4 cup cocoa powder<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1/3 cup canola oil<br />
1 cup prepared hot cocoa, cooled<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
2 eggs, lightly beaten<br />
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips<br />
<br />
<strong>Ingredients for Whipped Cream</strong><br />
1 1/4 cups heavy cream<br />
1/3 cup powdered sugar<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
<br />
<strong>Garnishes</strong><br />
Mini marshmallows<br />
Mini chocolate chips<br />
Crushed peppermints - <em>I actually used crushed peppermint bark, a delicious topping</em><br />
18 mini candy canes<br />
<br />
<strong>Steps for the Cupcakes</strong><br />
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with 18 liners.<br />
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk dry ingredients thoroughly.<br />
3. Add oil, prepared hot cocoa, vanilla and eggs to the dry ingredients. Whisk until well incorporated and no lumps, stir in the chocolate chips.<br />
4. Evenly divide the batter among the lined cupcake tins.<br />
5. Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes <em>until a toothpick comes out clean</em>. <em>I still turn my pan halfway through baking.</em> Allow to cool completely before frosting.<br />
<br />
<strong>Steps for the Whipped Cream</strong><br />
1. Combine heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer on medium speed and beat until thick, creamy, and slightly stiff. <em>You want the whipped cream to be able to stand but you don't want to overbeat but make sure that it isn't still runny.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<strong>Assembling the Cupcakes</strong><br />
1. Pipe the whipped cream onto the cooled cupcakes.<br />
2. Garnish with mini marshmallows, mini chocolate chips, and crushed peppermint.<br />
3. Add a mini candy cane tucked into the side of the cupcake to make the handle of the hot cocoa "mug".<br />
4. You can make ahead and cover and refrigerate but I do recommend saving the mini candy cane until right before you serve the cupcake! <em>The original recipe blog suggested covering and refrigerating <strong>leftovers</strong>....but leftover cupcakes are a foreign concept to me! </em><br />
<em><strong></strong></em><br />
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<strong><em>'Tis the Season</em></strong></div>
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It doesn't take a lot for me to find a <em>reason </em>to bake so the reason I decided to make these adorable cupcakes was that some of my running buddies and I were getting together to run and look at Christmas lights and after we enjoyed Hot Cocoa, cookies, and these hot cocoa cupcakes! I would say they were a hit and we have started an annual tradition! <em>Yes...we may run because we really love food! Below is a picture of us from our Christmas Light Run!</em></div>
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bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-63650521216725120662014-12-04T21:22:00.001-08:002014-12-04T21:22:19.473-08:00Holiday TraditionsI love this time of year, Christmastime! We have so many family traditions around the holidays and that is what makes this time of year so special to me! I would love to hear some of your favorite family traditions. I <strike>have always been</strike> use to be a stickler for NO Christmas decorations until after our Thanksgiving meal, however that seems to be harder each year to wait until after Thanksgiving. I do my best to still wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate but may sneak some Christmas music here and there. One of our traditions is a real Christmas tree and my mom has a very special way of putting lights on the tree to make it look amazing, I'm happy to say for the first time in the four years I've been decorating my very own tree I think I may have gotten it close to Mama Gordon standards! She was in town and helped instruct me but I put all the lights on my tree and am very happy with them <em>minus a few bare spots that my OCD self can't quite handle but I'm getting there</em>. Overall, I am very happy with my tree this year and love that I'm typing this blog post while sitting next to my beautifully lit tree with a Sparkling Snow candle burning - may I say 'Tis the Season!<br />
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One tradition we have always had growing up is that we make Stromboli while we decorate the house for Christmas! This recipe is easy to make ahead, freeze, and heat when needed!<br />
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<strong><u>Ingredients for Meat Mixture</u></strong><br />
1 pound ground beef<br />
1 tablespoon fine chopped onion<br />
1/2 cup tomato sauce<br />
1/2 cup ketchup<br />
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese<br />
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed<br />
1/8 teaspoon oregano<br />
6 slices mozzarella cheese<br />
<em>This year we added pepperoni and salami slices</em><br />
<br />
<strong><u>Steps</u></strong><br />
1. Brown beef and onion in a skillet.<br />
2. Add tomato sauce, ketchup, Parmesan cheese, garlic and spices.<br />
3. Cook for 20 minutes.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Ingredients for Bread Preparation</u></strong><br />
6 sub buns<br />
2 tablespoons butter<br />
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon paprika<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Steps</u></strong><br />
1. Mix butter, garlic powder and paprika. Split buns and spread on butter mixture.<br />
2. Put mozzarella cheese on bun. Put pepperoni and salami slices on bun. Spread on meat mixture. <br />
3. Wrap individually in tin foil.<br />
4. Bake in tin foil at 350 for 15-20 minutes. <em>If you freeze, take out a day before and bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
Enjoy your Stromboli, Christmas music and get ready to decorate your home!<br />
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Another family tradition is that each year on Christmas Eve we received matching Christmas pajamas! A few years ago my mom took that special tradition and made it into something that I will always cherish - a beautiful quilt with some of our past pajamas. It is BEAUTIFUL and one of my favorite Christmas decorations to pull out each year. <br />
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There will be plenty of baking posts around the holidays but I just wanted to start off the season with some of my favorite traditions - don't forget to send me some of your holiday traditions <a href="mailto:tablespoonsandtastingforks@gmail.com"><em>tablespoonsandtastingforks@gmail.com</em></a><br />
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One last photo to leave you with, this is Harrison first Christmas tree and he seems to like it! <br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Merry</span> <span style="color: red;">Christmas</span></div>
bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-62863118190003068482014-12-04T20:42:00.001-08:002014-12-04T20:42:42.261-08:00Thanksgiving BlessingsI love Thanksgiving for the time spent with loved ones and the time in the kitchen but I'm going to go ahead and open this blog post with a confession, I'm not a huge fan of Thanksgiving food but it is Thanksgiving so I do enjoy the traditional dishes each year. This year I was thankful that I was able to host a small Thanksgiving meal for my mom and aunt. It was a wonderful way to spend the day and I hope that each of you were able to spend the day with your family and friends! <br />
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Now on to the prep of Thanksgiving- if you have ever hosted Thanksgiving you know it is not something you can throw together in an hour (and if it is, I want to know your secret). I know I still have lots to learn about hosting the perfect Thanksgiving but each year I learn something new! Thanksgiving prep begins days before Thanksgiving with making the menu, grocery shopping, cleaning, and prepping some of the dishes the night before. Thankfully if your mom comes into town for Thanksgiving you may just be able to convince her to do the grocery shopping! After we had all the ingredients I made the desserts the night before Thanksgiving and prepped the Cornbread for the dressing and made my time schedule for Thursday! My time schedule included anything and everything, even if I thought it was a given it went down on the schedule and am I thankful it did! Okay, enough babbling about my routine for Thanksgiving this year let's get straight to the menu!<br />
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<strong><u><em>Menu</em></u></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>Honey-Garlic Infused Turkey</em></div>
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<em>Creamed Corn</em></div>
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<em>Sweet Potato Casserole</em></div>
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<em>Cornbread Dressing</em></div>
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<em>Sautéed Spinach</em></div>
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<em>Cranberry Sauce</em></div>
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<em></em> </div>
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<strong><u><em>Desserts</em></u></strong></div>
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<em>Hummingbird Cake</em></div>
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<em>Cheesecake</em></div>
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<em>Pumpkin Cream Cheese Truffles</em></div>
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I won't go into much detail about the turkey, corn, or cranberry sauce but will give the recipes for everything else! In the past we have brined the turkey and this year we bought a honey-garlic seasoning that I injected into the turkey before putting it in the oven. Creamed corn is my favorite, growing up we had my corn (creamed corn) and my siblings' corn (Corn pudding), while I've learned to like Corn Pudding it still isn't my first pick. I usually get the frozen creamed corn put a little butter in a pan on the stove and heat the corn through. Finally, with the cranberry sauce we cheated and got the canned cranberry-it served the purpose!<br />
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<strong>Sweet Potato Casserole- <span style="font-size: x-small;">recipe originally from </span><a href="http://www.bakedinaz.com/2013/11/sweet-potato-casserole.html"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Baked in Arizona</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
<strong><u>Ingredients</u></strong><br />
3 1/2 to 4 cups sweet potatoes, mashed (I cheated and used canned sweet potatoes)<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
1/4 cup buttermilk<br />
1/2 cup butter, melted<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></strong><br />
<strong>For the topping:</strong><br />
1/3 cup flour<br />
1 cup pecans, chopped<br />
1/3 cup butter, melted<br />
1 cup brown sugar, packed<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Steps</u></strong><br />
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a casserole dish<br />
2. Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and butter in a medium bowl. <br />
3. Pour into casserole dish and bake for 25-30 minutes. <br />
<br />
<em>If you would like to make this dish ahead, mix everything up, cover and put it in the fridge. When ready take it out and bake uncovered, it can be made up to 2 days before.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
While the casserole is baking make the topping. Combine flour, pecans, butter and brown sugar in a small bowl. When casserole is done baking remove from oven and evenly sprinkle topping over it. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. The topping should be lightly browned and crunchy. Let it sit for 30 minutes before serving. <br />
<br />
<strong>Cornbread Dressing - <span style="font-size: x-small;">this is my GranMary's recipe</span> </strong><br />
<strong><u>Ingredients</u></strong><br />
1 recipe of cornbread, baked and crumbled<br />
6-8 slices of bread<br />
Salt <br />
Pepper<br />
Celery Seed<br />
Onion, chopped<br />
Green pepper, chopped<br />
1 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning<br />
4 eggs<br />
Lots of turkey juice, use Chicken Broth if you do not have enough juice from the turkey - <em>you want it as moist as possible before you bake it</em><br />
<br />
<strong><u>Steps</u></strong><br />
1. Break up cornbread and bread into crumbs.<br />
2. Add all other ingredients and stir well.<br />
3. Bake at 400 until brown - about 45 minutes<br />
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<strong>Sautéed Spinach- <span style="font-size: x-small;">found through </span><a href="http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipes/everyday-meals/garlic-inspired-recipes#slide-3"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pinterest</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <em>this is not a traditional Thanksgiving side for me but it was delicious and will definitely be repeated as an everyday side</em></span></strong><br />
<strong><em></em></strong><br />
<strong><u>Ingredients</u></strong><br />
1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
2 bags spinach, rinsed<br />
1 tablespoon lemon juice <em>I was out of lemon juice so substituted lime juice</em><br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Steps</u></strong><br />
1. Heat oil in saucepan on medium-high until hot, add garlic and cook 1 minute or until golden.<br />
2. Add spinach, in 2 - 3 batches. Cook 2 minutes or until all spinach is in the pot. Cover and cook 2 to 3 more minutes stirring once. <br />
3. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and salt.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Finally, it is dessert time!!</em></strong><br />
<strong><em></em></strong><br />
<strong>Hummingbird Cake <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">I have a difficult time explaining this recipe to friends but after several friends tried it and fell in love with it this week I don't think it needs much of a description...it is covered in Cream Cheese Frosting, enough said! This cake recipe is one of my favorites from my mom's cookbook compilation of our favorite recipes. </span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></em></strong><br />
<strong><u>Cake Ingredients</u></strong><br />
3 cups all purpose flour<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
3 eggs, beaten<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil<br />
8 ounces crushed pineapple, undrained<br />
1 cup chopped pecans<br />
2 cups chopped bananas <br />
<br />
<strong><u>Steps</u></strong><br />
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />
2. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. <br />
3. Add eggs, vanilla, and oil.<br />
4. Stir in pineapple, pecans, and bananas.<br />
5. Pour mixture in greased cake pans. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. <em>This recipe made 3 layers.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<strong><u>Cake Frosting Ingredients</u></strong><br />
1/2 cup margarine, softened<br />
8 ounces cream cheese, softened<br />
16 ounces powdered sugar<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Steps for Frosting</u></strong><br />
1. Cream margarine and cream cheese together.<br />
2. Blend in sugar and vanilla.<br />
3. Frost on the cake.<br />
<br />
<em>Hummingbird cake is best each day after baking and the cake needs to be refrigerated after baking but served closer to room temperature.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<u><strong>Pumpkin Cream Cheese Truffles -</strong></u> <span style="font-size: x-small;">I told you it was my new favorite fall dessert and in case you didn't make it after the first blog post I'm <a href="http://bleighgo.blogspot.com/2014/11/pumpkin-cream-cheese-truffles.html">reposting the recipe</a></span><br />
<br />
<strong><u>Ingredients</u></strong><br />
1/2 cup of white chocolate chips<br />
1/3 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs<br />
1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree<br />
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, plus more for garnish<br />
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar<br />
1/2 teaspoon orange zest<br />
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
Pinch of fine salt<br />
2 ounces cream cheese, softened<br />
2 cups white chocolate almond bark <em>I used 3 cubes</em><br />
<br />
<strong><u>Steps</u></strong><br />
1. Melt the 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips, stir often to avoiding burning. Transfer to mixing bowl.<br />
2. Add gingersnap crumbs, pumpkin, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, zest, cinnamon, salt and cream cheese and beat with electric mixer until smooth.<br />
3. Cover and chill in fridge for about 2 hours or until solid enough to roll into balls.<br />
4. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and work on rolling mixture into balls (about 1 teaspoon). I then put the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 30 minutes. <br />
5. Melt almond bark, <em>at no more than 30 second intervals</em>, stirring often until melted. Dip truffle in chocolate and place back on cookie sheet and refrigerate until completely set, about 1 hour.<br />
6. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs and ENJOY! <br />
<br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: orange;">Happy Thanksgiving</span></em></strong></div>
<em></em><br />
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I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and maybe next year can add some of these recipes to your table!<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></strong><br />bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-75651954405819374742014-11-24T20:28:00.001-08:002014-11-24T20:28:43.035-08:00Pumpkin Cream Cheese TrufflesHave I mentioned I really love all things pumpkin? Add in cream cheese and white chocolate <span style="font-size: x-small;">(and a few other ingredients)</span> and I'm 100% certain you have my new favorite fall dessert! A few days ago, I pinned a pumpkin cream cheese cake ball recipe which connected me to <a href="http://www.erinsfoodfiles.com/2008/10/pumpkin-cream-cheese-truffles.html">this recipe</a> for <span style="color: orange;">pumpkin cream cheese truffles</span> and I decided this weekend was the perfect time to test it out. I find Pinterest to be a blessing and a curse, <em>blessing-</em>I find so many new recipes to try, <em>curse-</em> finding the time to make all of these new recipes. Let's just say, this recipe was a hit and I'm officially obsessed!<br />
<br />
<em>I suggest making this recipe a day before you need it, so that you are not rushed for time, it is an easy recipe but not one that can be done in a pinch. The "dough" needs to set before you roll it into balls and before you dip it in the chocolate.</em><br />
<br />
<strong><u>Ingredients</u></strong><br />
1/2 cup of white chocolate chips<br />
1/3 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs<br />
1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree<br />
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, plus more for garnish<br />
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar<br />
1/2 teaspoon orange zest<br />
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
Pinch of fine salt<br />
2 ounces cream cheese, softened<br />
2 cups white chocolate almond bark <em>I used 3 cubes</em><br />
<br />
<strong><u>Steps</u></strong><br />
1. Melt the 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips, stir often to avoiding burning. Transfer to mixing bowl.<br />
2. Add gingersnap crumbs, pumpkin, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, zest, cinnamon, salt and cream cheese and beat with electric mixer until smooth.<br />
3. Cover and chill in fridge for about 2 hours or until solid enough to roll into balls.<br />
4. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and work on rolling mixture into balls (about 1 teaspoon). I then put the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 30 minutes. <br />
5. Melt almond bark, <em>at no more than 30 second intervals</em>, stirring often until melted. Dip truffle in chocolate and place back on cookie sheet and refrigerate until completely set, about 1 hour.<br />
6. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs and ENJOY! <br />
<em></em><br />
<em></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: orange;">Happy Fall Baking!</span> </em></div>
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<br />bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-51633914216475508292014-11-16T14:54:00.000-08:002014-11-16T14:54:12.314-08:00Football games call for Dessert - Crimson Velvet vs Mississippi (State) MudFor the Alabama game this weekend I made themed dessert! Crimson Velvet cupcakes and Mississippi (State) Mud! Red Velvet is one of my most requested flavors to bake for my friends- it is definitely a frequent repeat. And lately I've really been wanting to make Mississippi Mud so what better reason than a football game that I can cleverly word the teams' names into my dessert!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong><u>Red Velvet</u></strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">Ingredients</span></strong><br />
2 1/2 cups cake flour <br />1 1/2 cups sugar <br />1 tsp baking soda<br />1 tbsp cocoa powder<br />1 tsp salt<br />2 large eggs<br />1 1/2 cups vegetable oil<br />1 cup buttermilk<br />2 tbsp (1 oz.) liquid red food coloring <br />1 tsp vanilla extract<br />1 tsp distilled white vinegar<br />
<strong>Steps</strong><br />
1. Preheat oven to 350. <br />2. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.<br />3. Combine cake flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt; whisk to blend.<br />4. With electric mixer, combine eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar. Beat on medium speed until well blended. <br />5. Mix in dry ingredients on low and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. <br />6. Divide batter evenly. Bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let cool in pans for 5-10 minutes then cool completely on a wire rack before icing. <br />
<br />
<strong>Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting</strong><br />
8 oz cream cheese<br />5 tbsp unsalted butter<br />2 tsp vanilla extract<br />2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted<br />
<br />
<strong>Steps for Frosting</strong><br />
1. Combine cream cheese and butter with electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in vanilla extract. Gradually best in powdered sugar. Increase speed and beat until smooth. <br />2. If using an icing tip for the cupcakes, make 1.5 to 2x the original recipe above!<br />
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<strong><u><span style="color: #660000;">Mississippi Mud</span></u></strong></div>
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</div>
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<strong><span style="color: black;">Ingredients</span></strong></div>
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</div>
1 cup butter<br />
1/2 cup cocoa<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
4 eggs slightly beaten<br />
1 1/2 cup flour<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
Miniature marshmallows<br />
<br />
<strong>Ingredients for Chocolate Frosting</strong><br />
16 ounces powdered sugar<br />
1/2 cup milk<br />
1/3 cup cocoa<br />
4 tablespoons butter, softened<br />
Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth!<br />
<br />
<strong>Steps</strong><br />
1. Preheat oven to 350.<br />
2. Melt butter and cocoa. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs - mix well.<br />
3. Add flour, salt, pecans, vanilla and mix well.<br />
4. Spoon batter into greased 13 x 9 pan and bake for 35-45 minutes.<br />
5. Sprinkle Marshmallows on warm cake and cover with chocolate frosting.<br />
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<em>Tear into the Mississippi (State) Mud and Celebrate with the Crimson Velvet!</em></div>
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<em>If you frosting melts like this- add more powdered sugar.</em></div>
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<strong><em>Happy Baking!</em></strong></div>
bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-25528660007985802032014-10-14T20:47:00.000-07:002014-10-14T20:53:00.096-07:00Pumpkin Fest 2.0If you know me at all or if you've read the blog for a while you've probably heard once or twice that I LOVE Pumpkin! All things pumpkin! Last year my friends and I gathered to share our love of pumpkin and coined our dinner party "Pumpkin Fest". We decided it would be an annual event and starting planning this year's Pumpkin Fest (aka Pumpkin Fest 2.0) at the beginning of September, it was that important we could not miss it this year and finally set the date for this past Saturday, October 11th. I truly believe this year was an even bigger hit. We had an amazing menu that could not have been possible without the help of everyone! <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><em>Menu</em></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good <em>recipe included</em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Biscuits and Pumpkin Butter</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Pumpkin Sausage Pasta <em>recipe included</em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Pumpkin Bourbon Sangria <em>recipe included</em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel <em>recipe included</em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sweet Pumpkin dip with graham crackers</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Coffee with Pumpkin Creamer</div>
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Enough blabbering, on to the recipes!<br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good</span> </strong>-Daly made this dish and it was absolutely FANTASTIC! She got the recipe originally from <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Stuffed-with-Everything-Good-361169">Epicurious,</a> she made two pumpkins - one with bacon and one without - you can't go wrong! Since I didn't make this dish I am going based off the directions on the blog, no worries I will be making this SOON and can update any notes as needed but I think this will cover you completely. </em><br />
<em></em><br />
<strong><em>Ingredients</em></strong><br />
<li class="ingredient"><span itemprop="ingredients">1 pumpkin, about 3 pounds</span></li>
<li class="ingredient"><span itemprop="ingredients">Salt and freshly ground pepper</span></li>
<li class="ingredient"><span itemprop="ingredients">1/4 pound stale bread, thinly sliced and cut into 1/2-inch chunks</span></li>
<li class="ingredient"><span itemprop="ingredients">1/4 pound cheese, such as Gruyère, Emmenthal, cheddar, or a combination, cut into 1/2-inch chunks</span></li>
<li class="ingredient"><span itemprop="ingredients">2–4 garlic cloves (to taste), split, germ removed, and coarsely chopped</span></li>
<li class="ingredient"><span itemprop="ingredients">4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, drained, and chopped </span></li>
<li class="ingredient"><span itemprop="ingredients">About 1/4 cup snipped fresh chives or sliced scallions </span></li>
<li class="ingredient"><span itemprop="ingredients">1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme </span></li>
<li class="ingredient"><span itemprop="ingredients">About 1/3 cup heavy cream</span></li>
<li class="ingredient"><span itemprop="ingredients">Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg</span></li>
<br />
<div class="ingredient">
<span itemprop="ingredients"></span> </div>
<div class="ingredient">
<span itemprop="ingredients"><strong><em>Steps</em></strong></span></div>
<div class="ingredient">
<span itemprop="ingredients"><strong>1.</strong> Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</span></div>
<div class="ingredient">
<span itemprop="ingredients"><strong>2.</strong> Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.</span></div>
<div class="ingredient">
<span itemprop="ingredients"><strong>3.</strong> Cut a cap out of the top of the pumpkin, clear away the seeds and strings from the cap and inside of the pumpkin.</span></div>
<div class="ingredient">
<span itemprop="ingredients"><strong>4.</strong> Season inside of pumpkin with salt and pepper and put it on the baking sheet.</span></div>
<div class="ingredient">
<span itemprop="ingredients"><strong>5.</strong> Toss the bread, cheese, bacon and herbs together in a bowl. Season with pepper and pack into the pumpkin. The pumpkin should be well filled.</span></div>
<div class="ingredient">
<span itemprop="ingredients"><strong>6.</strong> Stir the cream with the nutmeg and some salt and pepper and pour into the pumpkin. You want the ingredients nicely moistened but not swimming in the cream. </span></div>
<div class="ingredient">
<span itemprop="ingredients"><strong>7.</strong> Put the cap in place and bake the pumpkin for about 2 hours - check after 90 minutes - until everything inside the pumpkin is bubbling and flesh of the pumpkin is tender enough to be pierced with the tip of a knife.</span></div>
<div class="ingredient">
<span itemprop="ingredients"><strong>8.</strong> Remove the cap during the last 20 minutes of baking and let the liquid bake away and the stuffing brown a little.</span></div>
<div class="ingredient">
<span itemprop="ingredients"><strong>9.</strong> Transfer very carefully to a platter for presentation.</span></div>
<div class="ingredient">
<span itemprop="ingredients"><strong><em></em></strong></span> </div>
<div class="ingredient">
<span itemprop="ingredients"><em>You can either spoon out portions of the filling or cut it in slices so everyone will get ample amounts of pumpkin. We were a little nervous about slicing Saturday night but it worked out perfectly. It is best served as soon as it is ready. </em></span></div>
<div class="ingredient">
<span itemprop="ingredients"><em></em></span> </div>
<div class="ingredient">
<span itemprop="ingredients"><em>Thank you Daly for this great new pumpkin recipe! I can't wait to make it sometime this fall. </em></span></div>
<div class="ingredient">
<span itemprop="ingredients"><em></em></span> </div>
<div class="ingredient">
<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">Pumpkin Sausage Pasta</span> </strong>- If you've been reading my blog lately you know that this is my new go-to fall recipe! I mixed it up a little this weekend and made it with Turkey Sausage. Just as a reminder I originally got this recipe from <a href="http://www.mixandmatchmama.blogspot.com/search?q=pumpkin+sausage">Mix and Match Mama</a>.</em></div>
<em></em><br />
<strong><em>Ingredients</em></strong><br />
1 pound pasta (I used whole wheat penne)<br />
1 pound sausage (I used turkey sausage this time- yum!)<br />
3 garlic cloves, chopped (I used 1 1/2 tsp of minced garlic)<br />
1 onion, chopped <br />
1 cup chicken broth<br />
1 cup of pumpkin<br />
Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese<br />
Extra Virgin Olive Oil<br />
Salt and Pepper to taste (I actually didn't add either of these, I don't think it needed it but that could be your choice)<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Steps</em></strong><br />
<strong>1.</strong> Bring one large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Cook pasta until cooked completely.<br />
<strong>2.</strong> In another large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown and crumble the sausage.<br />
<strong>3.</strong> After the sausage has browned, add in onion and garlic and sauté 4-5 minutes.<br />
<strong>4.</strong> Once sausage and onion mixture is sautéed, add in the chicken broth, lower heat to low and let chicken broth simmer 2-3 minutes.<br />
<strong>5.</strong> Stir in pumpkin and heat through about 3 minutes.<br />
<strong>6.</strong> Drain your pasta and add to the sausage pan.<br />
<strong>7.</strong> Stir in cheese and enjoy!<br />
<br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Pumpkin Bourbon Sangria</span> </em>- </strong><em>A little background on why I chose this drink choice to include in our Pumpkin Fest, October 11th was 18 years since my dad passed away and usually on his birthday and the day he passed my sister and I like to do things that remind us of him - donuts are a MUST and usually pizza and bourbon in his honor. So I wanted to incorporate a bourbon drink into our Pumpkin Fest and found Pumpkin Bourbon Sangria - It won my vote by a landslide! I highly recommend actually making this 24 hours before serving it (a step I missed), but that gives it plenty of time to chill and the flavors to set. I found this recipe off the one and only Pinterest from <a href="http://kirantarun.com/food/2013/10/25/apple-bourbon-pumpkin-sangria/">Kiran Tarun.</a></em><br />
<em></em><br />
<strong><em>Ingredients</em></strong><br />
<li>2 small honeycrisp apples, thinly sliced</li>
<li>1 orange, thinly sliced</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>1/2 tsp ginger powder</li>
<li>1 tsp whole cloves</li>
<li>3 cinnamon sticks</li>
<li>2 tbsp pumpkin butter or puree</li>
<li>1 cup apple or pumpkin flavored bourbon <em>(I went with straight bourbon- had an impossible time finding pumpkin bourbon!)</em></li>
<li>2 cups apple cider</li>
<li>1 bottle of pink rosé wine</li>
<br />
<strong><em>Steps</em></strong><br />
<strong>1.</strong> Add all ingredients into a tall large pitcher. Stir to combine and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.<em> If you are reading this with only 6 hours until your event, do not worry, you can still make this drink!</em><br />
<strong>2.</strong> Serve over ice! Enjoy!<br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting</span></em> </strong><em>- another</em><em> fall favorite! I kept saying I was going to try a different pumpkin recipe but when you find a tried and true one it is hard to stray from it! I originally got this recipe from Made in Melissa's Kitchen and it has been a few years since I posted it so we could all use a refresher!</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em><strong>Ingredients for Pumpkin Cupcakes</strong></em><br />
2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon coarse salt<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1 teaspoon ground ginger<br />
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice<br />
1 cup packed brown sugar<br />
1 cup granulated sugar<br />
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, <em>melted and cooled</em><br />
4 large eggs, <em>lightly beaten</em><br />
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree <br />
<br />
<strong><em>Steps</em></strong><br />
<strong>1.</strong> Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line cupcake pans and set aside.<br />
<strong>2.</strong> In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice; set aside.<br />
<strong>3.</strong> In another bowl combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter and eggs. Beat on medium speed until well combined. Add dry ingredients and beat on low until smooth. Fold in the pumpkin puree.<br />
<strong>4.</strong> Fill each cupcake liner about halfway and bake for 20-25 minutes, rotate the pans once halfway through baking. Transfer to wire rack and let cool completely.<br />
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<strong><em>Ingredients for Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting</em></strong><br />
1/4 cup granulated sugar<br />
2 tablespoons water<br />
1/4 cup heavy cream<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1 stick salted butter<br />
1 stick unsalted butter<br />
1/2 teaspoon sea salt<br />
2 cups powdered sugar<br />
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<strong><em>Steps</em></strong><br />
<strong>1.</strong> In a saucepan stir granulated sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color, about 10 minutes (<em>but watch it closely and don't just go by the time, it can burn easily</em>). Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Let caramel cool for about 20 minutes until it is just barely warm and still pourable.<br />
<strong>2.</strong> In a medium bowl, beat butter and salt together until light and fluffy. Reduce to low speed and add powdered sugar. Mix until well combined.<br />
<strong>3.</strong> Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add caramel. Beat on medium speed until light and airy and completely mixed, about 2 minutes. You should be ready to frost your cupcakes! <em>If the caramel was too warm when you added it, your icing will be runny and should refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. </em><br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<em>I hope you all enjoyed this review of Pumpkin Fest 2.0, I'm sure it will not be the last pumpkin related post for the fall season but it is the most pumpkin packed! Happy Fall!</em>bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-20334389567054341332014-09-24T19:21:00.001-07:002014-09-24T19:22:15.979-07:00It's Fall Y'allWe welcomed the first day of fall this week and that means cooler weather, football, boots, and of course PUMPKIN! I love fall! So tonight I'm writing this entry with an Autumn Harvest candle burning and a delicious fall recipe to share. If you look back at past entries (and I'm sure there will be more in the future) you know that I love pumpkin - pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin stuffed shells, pumpkin beer, and of course pumpkin cupcakes! <br />
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In anticipation of fall I started searching Pinterest weeks ago for some new pumpkin recipes and stumbled across this Pumpkin-Sausage Pasta recipe, some of my favorite things in one recipe how could I not try it?! I have to say, this recipe is so simple to make and will definitely be repeated lots this fall. Okay, I've rambled enough about my love for fall and my love for this new dish let me get to the recipe! Enjoy!!<br />
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<strong><u>Pumpkin-Sausage Pasta <span style="font-size: x-small;">(originally from </span><a href="http://mixandmatchmama.blogspot.com/2012/09/dinner-tonight-pumpkin-sausage-pasta.html"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mix and Match Mama</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">)</span></u></strong><br />
<strong><u><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></u></strong><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Ingredients</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1 pound pasta <em>(I used whole wheat penne)</em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1 pound sausage <em>(I used pork but you can use chicken or turkey-will try with turkey next time)</em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">3 garlic cloves, chopped <em>(I used 1 1/2 tsp of minced garlic)</em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1 onion, chopped <em>(make this easy on yourself and get the pre-chopped onion)</em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1 cup chicken broth</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1 cup of pumpkin <em>(not pumpkin pie filling, I used canned Libby's pumpkin)</em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Freshly Grated Parmesan cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Extra Virgin Olive Oil</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Salt and Pepper to taste <em>(I actually didn't add either of these, don't think it needed it)</em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></em><br />
<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">Steps</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1. Bring one large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Cook pasta until cooked completely.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">2. In another large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown and crumble the sausage.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">3. After sausage has browned, add in onion and garlic and sauté 4-5 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">4. Once sausage and onion mixture is sautéed add in chicken broth, lower heat to low and let chicken broth simmer 2-3 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">5. Stir in pumpkin and heat through about 3 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">6. Drain your pasta and add to the sausage pan. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">7. Stir in cheese and enjoy!!</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Happy Fall Y'all!</span></em></strong></div>
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bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-60265454418690694362014-09-13T14:21:00.000-07:002014-09-13T17:07:33.831-07:00Dinner's Ready...for weeks!I think we can all agree if dinner isn't prepped it is far too easy to make an excuse not to eat at home. I'm trying to be better about cooking and prepping my meals ahead of time, so today I took a few hours (really less than 2), and prepped some freezer meals for the coming weeks! Also helps if you get together with friends, it makes the meal prep more fun and go by in no time. Nancy and I got together today as she prepped her meals to have ready when her baby girl arrives in a month. We had such success today we are definitely thinking of making it a regular thing and I have even heard of a "Freezer Meal Club", where 4-5 friends get together and everyone brings a copy of one dish for everyone so you walk away with 5 different meals! <br />
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I focused on a lot of Crockpot recipes and walked away with 7 different recipes and multiple batches! Especially since the recipes are meant for families I will have plenty to eat off of but I don't mind, it will make it last longer. So I did a lot of Pinterest searching and narrowed down the recipes I wanted to try, made my grocery list, got all the ingredients and labeled my Ziploc bags with the recipe names and cooking instructions, all was set for our preparation today. I did make one recipe that is not intended for the crockpot but still a great freezer meal. On to the recipes! <br />
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<strong>Chicken Teriyaki </strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(found on <a href="http://www.mommysfabulousfinds.com/2013/05/5-easy-crock-pot-recipes.html">Mommy's Fabulous Finds</a> obviously from a Pinterest search)</span></em><br />
<strong><em>Ingredients</em></strong><br />
Large bag of baby carrots<br />
Red Onion sliced into large chunks<br />
2 cans (20 oz each) Crushed Pineapple (un-drained)<br />
4 garlic cloves (I used 2 tsp. of minced garlic)<br />
4-6 boneless chicken breasts<br />
1 cup Teriyaki sauce<br />
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<strong><em>Directions</em></strong><br />
Split ingredients in half, place all ingredients in 2 resealable gallon Ziploc bags, mix together and zip closed.<br />
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge overnight. Cook in crockpot on Low for 6-7 hours.<br />
Serve over rice.<br />
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<strong>Cilantro Lime Chicken</strong> <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(found on <a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/">Six Sisters' Stuff</a>)</span></em><br />
<strong><em>Ingredients</em></strong><br />
1.5 lbs chicken breasts<br />
Juice from 2 limes<br />
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped <br />
1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn<br />
2 minced garlic cloves<br />
1/2 red onion, chopped<br />
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed<br />
1 tsp cumin<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
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<strong><em>Directions</em></strong><br />
Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon Ziploc bag. Mix together and zip bag closed.<br />
When ready to eat, remove from the freezer and thaw in the fridge for 24 hours. Cook in the crockpot, on High for 4 hours, Low for 8 hours.<br />
Serve with tortillas and toppings such as sour cream, guacamole, salsa, and cheese.<br />
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<strong>Maple Dijon Glazed Chicken</strong> <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(found on <a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/">Six Sisters' Stuff</a>)</span></em><br />
<em><strong>Ingredients</strong></em><br />
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts<br />
1 cup Dijon mustard<br />
1/2 cup Maple syrup <br />
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar<br />
Salt and Pepper to taste<br />
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<strong><em>Directions</em></strong><br />
Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon sized Ziploc bag. Mix together and zip closed.<br />
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in the fridge for 24 hours. Cook in the crockpot on high for 4 hours, low for 8. Sprinkle with fresh or dried rosemary. <br />
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<strong>BBQ Cranberry Chicken</strong> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>(found on </em><em><a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/">Six Sisters' Stuff</a>)</em></span><br />
<strong><em>Ingredients</em></strong><br />
2 lbs chicken breasts<br />
1/4 cup dried minced onion<br />
1 (16 oz.) can whole cranberry sauce<br />
1 cup barbeque sauce<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Directions</em></strong><br />
Combine all ingredients in a resealable gallon size Ziploc bag and zip closed, air tight and freeze.<br />
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook in the crockpot on High for 3-4 hours or Low for 6-7 hours.<br />
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<strong>Honey Lime Chicken </strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(found on <a href="http://claireshealthyhome.com/">Claire's Healthy Home</a>)</span></em><br />
<em><strong>Ingredients</strong></em><br />
1/2 cup honey<br />
1/3 cup soy sauce<br />
1/4 cup lime juice<br />
6 chicken breasts<br />
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<strong><em>Directions</em></strong><br />
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge overnight. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.<br />
Can be served with baked sweet potatoes and vegetables.<br />
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<strong>Creamy Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes</strong> <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(found on <a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/">Six Sisters' Stuff</a>)</span></em><br />
<strong><em>Ingredients</em></strong><br />
1 1/2 lbs pork chops, boneless (about 4-6, thick sliced)<br />
6-8 medium potatoes, chopped into large pieces<br />
2 (10.75 oz each) cans Cream of Chicken soup<br />
2 (1 oz each) dry Ranch dressing mix<br />
1 cup milk (I used Almond milk)<br />
Dried parsley to sprinkle on top (optional)<br />
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<strong><em>Directions</em></strong><br />
In a bowl mix together soups, milk and ranch dressing mixes and pour into a resealable gallon Ziploc bag. Combine all ingredients and zip closed.<br />
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook in the crockpot on High for 3-4 hours or Low for 6-7 hours. <br />
Use the extra sauce in the crockpot as a gravy for the potatoes and pork chops. Sprinkle with dried parsley if you want.<br />
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<strong>Pineapple Glazed Ham</strong> <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(found on <a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/">Six Sisters' Stuff</a>)</span></em><br />
<strong><em>Ingredients</em></strong><br />
4 thick slices of ham, fully cooked<br />
1/3 cup brown sugar<br />
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple (do not drain)<br />
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard (optional)<br />
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<strong><em>Directions</em></strong><br />
Mix together brown sugar, pineapple and mustard in a resealable gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Place ham slices inside bag and zip closed.<br />
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook in the Crockpot on High for 3 hours or Low for 5-6 hours.<br />
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<strong>Ziploc Bag Preparation <em>(remember to write cooking instructions on each bag)</em></strong></div>
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<strong>A little action shot of preparation</strong></div>
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<strong>Meals prepped and ready to be stored in the freezer!</strong></div>
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Eliminate a lot of stress about what's for dinner by setting aside a few hours on the weekend to get things ready for the weeks ahead! Happy Meal Planning!<br />
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<br />bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-80518676305686956202014-09-10T19:17:00.001-07:002014-09-10T19:17:11.463-07:00Chile and Lime Roasted SalmonSalmon! I love it, it is so easy to make and healthy for you in a number of ways. I keep a big bag of frozen salmon in the freezer and that way I can take a few fillets out in the morning and whip up a seasoning before putting it in the oven for a little bit. <br />
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So, my most recent salmon recipe try was Chile and Lime Roasted Salmon served with Blueberry Corn and Basil Salsa, yum! I was originally directed to this recipe from <a href="http://www.sweetlittlebluebird.com/">Sweet Little Bluebird's</a> blog (can we pause and just say how this blog was meant for me?!?!) On Sweet Little Bluebird, she mentioned this entire receipt combo and directed me to <a href="http://heatherchristo.com/cooks/2014/08/12/chili-and-lime-roasted-salmon-with-blueberry-corn-salsa/">Heather Christo's blog</a> for the recipes! Before I dive into the recipes let me just say, this was so easy to put together and delicious. I played around with the ingredients a bit since my salmon fillets weren't quite as big as Heather's portions. Below are the recipes for the Chile and Lime Roasted Salmon and Blueberry Corn and Basil Salsa, recipes are as is, not with my modifications! Enjoy!<br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: black;">Chile and Lime Roasted Salmon</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(originally from </span><a href="http://heatherchristo.com/cooks/2014/08/12/chili-and-lime-roasted-salmon-with-blueberry-corn-salsa/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Heather Christo's blog)</span></a></em></strong><br />
<h4 class="ingredients">
Ingredients</h4>
<ul class="ingredients">
<li class="ingredient">1 side of salmon, about 3.5 pounds <em>(I used a couple of fillets)</em></li>
<li class="ingredient">2 tablespoons olive oil</li>
<li class="ingredient">2 limes, zested</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 jalapeno</li>
<li class="ingredient">kosher salt to taste</li>
</ul>
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<strong>Steps</strong></div>
<div class="ingredient">
1. Preheat oven to 350. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.</div>
<div class="ingredient">
2. Place salmon on baking sheet.</div>
<div class="ingredient">
3. Drizzle salmon with 2 tablespoons of olive oil then sprinkle with lime zest. Finely grate the jalapeno over the salmon. Squeeze the juice of one lime over the fish and season with kosher salt.</div>
<div class="ingredient">
4. Once the oven is hot, place the salmon in the oven and roast for 10 minutes. </div>
<div class="ingredient">
5. Serve salmon hot with the Blueberry Corn Salsa.</div>
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<strong></strong> </div>
<div class="ingredient">
<strong><em><span style="color: black;">Blueberry Corn and Basil Salsa</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(also from Heather Christo's blog)</span></em></strong></div>
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<strong></strong> </div>
<div class="ingredient">
<strong>Ingredients</strong></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="ingredient">
1 ear fresh raw corn, cut off the cob</div>
</li>
<li><div class="ingredient">
1 cup blueberries</div>
</li>
<li><div class="ingredient">
1/2 red onion, finely diced</div>
</li>
<li><div class="ingredient">
1 red chili, thinly sliced</div>
</li>
<li><div class="ingredient">
1/2 cup basil, thinly sliced</div>
</li>
<li><div class="ingredient">
1 tablespoon olive oil</div>
</li>
<li><div class="ingredient">
1 lime zested and juiced</div>
</li>
<li><div class="ingredient">
kosher salt to taste</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="ingredient">
<strong>Steps</strong></div>
<div class="ingredient">
1. In a Medium bowl, toss together the corn, blueberries, onion, chili and basil. Drizzle with olive oil and add the lime zest and juice. Salt to taste. </div>
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<em><strong>Chili and Lime Roasted Salmon with Blueberry Corn and Basil Salsa</strong></em></div>
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I served with a side salad and loved it. Happy Cooking!</div>
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bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-3402679951469758032014-08-10T20:17:00.001-07:002014-08-10T20:17:50.160-07:00Tablespoons & Tasting Forks AnnouncementTablespoons & Tasting Forks has an updated email address!! So if you have questions about blog entries, recipes to recommend, or would like to order cupcakes for a special occasion, email <a href="mailto:tablespoonsandtastingforks@gmail.com">Tablespoons & Tasting Forks</a> now! Sweet and simple announcement but I'm excited about having a direct email connection to my blog and love for baking and cooking and everything in between! bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-14586602906057919022014-07-23T20:38:00.000-07:002014-08-12T19:39:36.563-07:00Black Bean ChickenOccasionally I do make something that doesn't contain sugar and cream cheese frosting...but only occasionally! :) Unfortunately I don't have a picture of this meal but that's okay, you'll get the picture with just the recipe. I found this recipe on <a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=16385">SparkRecipes</a> and absolutely love it for a few reasons 1)It is a crockpot meal, 2) It has FOUR ingredients and 3)you can eat it several different ways!<br />
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<strong><u>Ingredients</u></strong><br />
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken<br />
2 cans of Black Beans<br />
1 jar of salsa (16 oz)<br />
1/2 cup of uncooked brown rice<br />
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<strong><u>Steps</u></strong><br />
1. Place uncooked chicken in crockpot<br />
2. Pour black beans (undrained), salsa, and uncooked rice on top of chicken.<br />
3. Cook on low for 8-10 hours and serve.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Ideas of how to eat this delicious meal</u></strong><br />
* As is, delicious!<br />
* Topped with a little shredded cheese.<br />
* In a tortilla.<br />
<br />
I hope you enjoy this meal, you can also freeze it and heat it up later! Did I mention because it is a crockpot meal you come home to an AMAZING smelling house?! Also, I challenge you to share some of your favorite go-to recipes with me, always looking for something new to try!bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-38903167794330360802014-07-21T19:16:00.002-07:002014-07-21T19:21:26.354-07:00I do...CupcakesIt has been a while since I've updated the blog and I have missed it and my followers OH SO MUCH! I use my blog mostly as my go-to cookbook, so when I realize I am making the same recipe over and over again and it isn't on the blog I know it is time for a new post!<br />
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I was asked to make cupcakes for a friend's wedding this past weekend, I was honored she asked me to make her wedding cupcakes! We met up and talked about what flavors she wanted and how many and the details of it all! The one flavor Daly knew she wanted was my Salted Caramel frosting, which I usually do with a Pumpkin Spice cupcake, but her wedding was in July, there was no way I could do pumpkin! So we decided chocolate would pair very well with Salted Caramel frosting. The other cupcake flavor that we decided on for her big day was Champagne! I truly had so much fun being a part of this wedding and getting to share my cupcakes for the big day!! <br />
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Let's start with the Champagne recipe since that is the one I realize is no where on the blog (and VERY far back on my Pinterest board). This recipe is originally from <a href="http://thedoctorsdishesdessertsdecor.blogspot.com/2011/01/champagne-cupcakes.html">The Doctor's Dishes, Desserts & Décor.</a> <br />
<br />
<em><strong>Champagne Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream (makes 18)</strong></em><br />
<strong><em></em></strong><br />
<strong><u>Ingredients for Cake</u></strong><br />
1/2 cup butter, room temperature<br />
1 cup granulated sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 tsp
vanilla<br />
1 3/4 cups flour<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1/4 tsp baking
powder<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1/2 cup sour cream<br />
1/2 cup champagne<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Steps for Cupcakes</u></strong><br />
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. <br />
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Add vanilla and mix.<br />
3. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside. <br />
4. Whisk together champagne and sour cream (mixture will fizz a little).<br />
5. Add flour and champagne mixture to butter and sugar, alternating, beginning and ending with flour. Batter will be thick.<br />
6. Fill cupcake tin 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes. <br />
<br />
<strong><u>Ingredients for Champagne Buttercream</u></strong><br />
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon champagne<br />
1 cup butter, at room temperature<br />
3-4 cups powdered sugar<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Steps for Frosting</u></strong><br />
1. Place 1 cup of champagne in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.<br />
2. Mix butter and powdered sugar together. Once frosting is thick and fluff, pour in the reduced 2 tbsp. champagne plus 1 tbsp. champagne from bottle and mix well.<br />
3. Frost cupcakes with desired cake tip (I use the star tip for this frosting and dust with edible pearls). <br />
<em>I typically double this recipe when using the icing guns (note that the above ingredients are NOT doubled).</em><br />
<em></em><br />
Now, on to the Chocolate with Salted Caramel! Both of these recipes are previously on the blog but I'm going to post them again!<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Chocolate Cupcakes (makes 24) <span style="font-size: x-small;">originally from <a href="http://www.glorioustreats.com/2010/12/chocolate-peppermint-cupcakes.html">Glorious Treats</a></span></em></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><u>Ingredients for Cake</u></strong><br />
2 cups sugar<br />
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour<br />
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 cup whole milk<br />
1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
1 cup boiling water<br />
<strong><em></em></strong><br />
<strong><u>Steps for the Cupcakes</u></strong><br />
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. <br />
2. In a large bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. <br />
3. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute. <br />
4. Stir in boiling water (your batter will be thin, this is correct).<br />
5. Fill liners about 2/3 full. <br />
6. Bake for 22-24 minutes, I still turn the pan halfway through. <br />
7. Cool completely before frosting. <br />
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<strong><em>Salted Caramel Frosting <span style="font-size: x-small;">originally from <a href="http://www.madeinmelskitchen.com/2010/10/pumpkin-cupcakes-with-salted-caramel-buttercrea/">Made in Melissa's Kitchen</a></span></em></strong><br />
<strong><u>Ingredients </u></strong><br />
1/4 cup granulated sugar<br />
2 tablespoons water<br />
1/4 cup heavy cream<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1 stick salted butter<br />
1 stick unsalted butter<br />
1/2 teaspoon sea salt<br />
2 cups powdered sugar<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Steps for Frosting</u></strong><br />
<strong>1.</strong> In a saucepan stir granulated sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color, watch it closely (very easy to burn the caramel). Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Let caramel cool for about 20 minutes until it is just barely warm and still pourable. <br />
<strong>2.</strong> In a medium bowl, beat butter and salt together until lightened and fluffy. Reduce to low speed and add powdered sugar. Mix until well combined. <br />
<strong>3.</strong> Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add caramel. Beat on medium speed until light and airy and completely mixed, about 2 minutes. You should be ready to frost your cupcakes! <i>If the caramel was too warm when you added it your icing will be runny and you should refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.</i> <br />
<strong>4.</strong> I used a round tip to ice these cupcakes. <em>Again, I double this recipe and amounts listed above the original portions not the doubled portion. </em><br />
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<em>Best Wishes to Daly and Riley!</em></div>
bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-61006702333266060452013-05-19T10:27:00.000-07:002013-05-19T10:27:31.380-07:00Camo CupcakesThis is by far one of my favorite cupcakes that I've made so far, it just turned out so cute! Beware there will be another batch made for the premiere of the next season of Duck Dynasty! It takes a little time to put it all together but definitely worth it in the end! My mom actually found this recipe on Pinterest and forwarded it to me, it originally came from <a href="http://www.thecraftymamablog.wordpress.com/">Crafty Mama's blog</a>! <br />
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Here we go! <br />
<br />
<strong>Ingredients for Cake</strong><br />
1 box white mix<br />
1 box chocolate mix<br />
Eggs <br />
Oil<br />
Green Food Coloring<br />
<br />
<strong>Steps</strong><br />
1. Make up each batter from the mix and divide into four bowls: 1)White Batter, 2)White Batter with green food coloring and a dash of chocolate batter, 3)Equal parts chocolate and white batter, and 4) Chocolate batter.<br />
2. Mix the batters until you get the colors you want (you may have more chocolate batter than the rest) This can be used for a few extra plain chocolate cupcakes!<br />
3. Line a cupcake tin with paper liners.<br />
4. I put each of the four batters into separate Ziploc bags (use pastry bags if you have them). If you use Ziploc bags cut one corner of each bag. Drop a blob into each wrapper until the wrappers are 3/4 of the way full. <br />
5. Bake according to the directions on the box.<br />
6. Once the cupcakes are done, cool completely.<br />
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Here are a few in process shots!<br />
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I paired it with a buttercream frosting, I found this to be the most difficult part to get three colors on the cupcakes!<br />
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<strong>Ingredients for Frosting</strong><br />
3 cups Powdered Sugar<br />
1 cup Salted Butter (2 sticks)<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
Dash of Heavy Whipping Cream<br />
<br />
Green Food Coloring <br />
Cocoa Powder<br />
<br />
<strong>Steps</strong><br />
1. Soften butter. Mix it with a handheld mixer for about 30 seconds. <br />
2. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Once the powdered sugar is incorporated, turn your mixer on a high setting and whip the mixture for about 3 minutes. <br />
3. Scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl, and add the vanilla. Whip it another minute. Add a small dash of cream, whip for another minute.<br />
4. Divide the icing into 3 bowls. 1)Keep this batch ivory, 2)Add a little bit of green food coloring and a little bit of cocoa powder, and 3)Add cocoa powder until it is the desired color brown.<br />
<br />
<em>Remember when using a tip to frost your cupcakes you might want to increase the recipe to about 1.5x the original recipe!</em><br />
<em></em><br />
Put each frosting in a pastry bag (or a Ziploc bag) and combine into one large pastry bag to use the star tip. Making sure all three frosting bags were distributed through the star tip was the hardest part, but made for a fantastic camo cupcake!! <br />
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These can be made for a hunter in your family, a Duck dynasty premiere, OR you just want a fancy new cupcake! Enjoy!<br />
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bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-37652979518510637912013-05-19T10:04:00.000-07:002013-05-19T10:04:23.094-07:00Vanilla Bean CupcakesI think this recipe may quickly be making its way to my favorite cupcake flavor! The vanilla bean just adds a little something more than a traditional vanilla cupcake. I think I've included this recipe before but I thought it was a good time to highlight it again! The recipe can be found in my previous post, <a href="http://www.bleighgo.blogspot.com/2013/04/upcakes.html">UPcakes</a>! I color the frosting to be light blue (or more of a mint color, a theme in my life!) and edible pearls for a bit of flair! <br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-65260371141954475032013-05-19T09:51:00.000-07:002013-05-19T09:51:26.592-07:00Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal CookiesDo you have a sweet tooth but are really trying to eat healthier? Let me introduce to you this recipe for peanut butter oatmeal cookies! :) These cookies have no oil, no flour, no added sugar and no eggs, have I convinced you yet that these cookies are the way to go?! I found this recipe through a friend who raved on how easier they were to make and how good they tasted, so I headed over to her Pinterest page to find the recipe!<br />
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The original recipe comes from <a href="http://www.theskinnyfork.com/blog/2013/3/18/healthy-peanut-butter-oatmeal-cookies">The Skinny Fork</a>. Thank you for sharing your delicious cookie recipe with us!<br />
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These cookies TRULY are so easy to make and enjoyed by ALL! In fact, your friends might eat 3 before dinner! :) <br />
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Nutritional Facts per Cookie (entire recipe yields 18 cookies):<br />
Calories: 88<br />
Carbs: 13g<br />
Fat: 4g<br />
Protein: 3g<br />
Sodium: 168<br />
Sugar: 4g<br />
<br />
Let's get to the good stuff! The recipe!<br />
<br />
<strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />
<br />
2 ripe bananas, mashed<br />
1/3 cup reduced fat peanut butter<br />
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
Dash of ground cloves<br />
Dash of ground nutmeg<br />
1 1/2 cup quick or old fashioned oats<br />
1/4 cup nuts (dry unsalted peanuts)<br />
1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips<br />
1/4 cup reduced fat unsweetened shredded coconut optional (I didn't use in this batch, but definitely next time around)<br />
<br />
<strong>Steps:</strong><br />
1. Preheat Oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.<br />
2. Mix together the bananas, peanut butter, applesauce, vanilla, and spices. Add in the oats, nuts, chocolate chips, and coconut; stir until well combined.<br />
3. Spoon a rounded 2 tbsp. of the cookie mixture onto the lined baking sheet, leaving an inch or two between each and flatten slightly. <br />
4. Bake for 20-30 minutes and allow to cool slightly!<br />
<br />
Enjoy for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert! Okay, maybe not for every meal but they do make you feel a little better than eating a typical sugar cookie for every meal! <br />
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bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-81074123998380574192013-05-19T09:32:00.000-07:002013-05-19T09:32:20.476-07:00Crab RangoonI found this recipe on a My Fitness Pal forum, and was so eager to try it out! Each piece is 41 calories! Sign me up. Now I had in my mind they would taste like Surin's Crab Angels and they weren't quite as creamy but definitely delicious. <br />
<br />
The original recipe says it makes 24 but I was able to get about 32 out of the recipe!<br />
<br />
Nutrition Info (per piece):<br />
41 calories<br />
1.1g fat<br />
2.7g protein<br />
<br />
<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
24 wonton wrappers<br />
Olive oil cooking spray<br />
8 oz lump crab meat<br />
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce<br />
2.5 tsp curry powder (could probably use a little less of this)<br />
1 tsp ground ginger<br />
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)<br />
1/2 cup reduced fat cream cheese<br />
<br />
<strong>Steps</strong><br />
Preheat Oven to 375<br />
1. Spray a mini muffin tin with olive oil spray. Push a wonton wrapper into each muffin tin.<br />
2. In a mixing bowl, combine crab, Worcestershire sauce, curry, ginger, and cayenne pepper.<br />
3. Mix with a fork, breaking up large chunks of crab.<br />
4. Add cream cheese, mashing with a fork until fully incorporated.<br />
5. Using a teaspoon, spoon filling mixture into wontons.<br />
6. Fold ends of wonton wrappers over mixture, wet finger to seal.<br />
7. Bake for 10 minutes, until ends are slightly browned.<br />
8. Serve hot (garnished with scallions if you wish).<br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
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Before sealing the edges over the mixture.</div>
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Ready to Serve!</div>
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bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6562739001687505251.post-20389320271214081752013-05-19T07:24:00.000-07:002013-05-19T10:32:07.446-07:00Mexican Chicken LasagnaI recently went to my first Pampered Chef party and for those of you who know me I know you are shocked that it was my first Pampered Chef party! I ordered the round baker which can serve as a crockpot for your microwave! Last week I tried my first recipe, Mexican Chicken "Lasagna", it was fantastic! I will be working towards adapting this recipe for the oven so it is more universal for my followers but if you have been searching for a dish to use in the microwave and make a fantastic meal contact <a href="http://www.pamperedchef.biz/carriehendrix">Carrie with Pampered Chef</a> for the round baker! The thing I love about the deep covered baker is makes prepping your meal very easy and the cook time is so quick! On to the recipe, if you have the regular deep covered baker please double the following. This recipe was provided from Pampered Chef. <br />
<br />
<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
1/8 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves<br />
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided<br />
1/2 can (14 oz) enchilada sauce<br />
1.5 cups diced cooked chicken<br />
1/2 package (4 oz) cream cheese<br />
1/3 chopped onion<br />
6 corn tortillas<br />
Additional chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional)<br />
<br />
<strong>Steps</strong><br />
1. Cook the chicken on the stove top with a little bit of olive oil until cooked through, dice, and set aside ready for assembly.<br />
2. Chop cilantro leaves. Place cream cheese in a bowl and microwave for 30-45 seconds, enough to soften it. Add cilantro and 1/2 cup of the Monterrey Jack cheese. Mix well.<br />
3. Chop onion and set aside.<br />
4. Spread 1/3 cup of Enchilada sauce on the bottom of the baker and the rest into a mixing bowl.<br />
5. Assemble the lasagna, dip two tortillas into the enchilada sauce in the mixing bowl, line on the bottom of the baker, scoop half of the cream cheese mixture over the tortillas and spread evenly. Top with 1/2 cup of chicken and 1/3 of the onion. Repeat layers one time. Dip the remaining tortillas in the sauce, arrange over the second layer. Top with the remaining chicken and onion. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the lasagna and sprinkle with remaining cheese.<br />
6. Microwave, covered, for 6-8 minutes. <br />
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This yields 4 servings and has 390 Calories per serving!!<br />
<br />
Enjoy this twist on Mexican night!<br />
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<br />bleighgohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667936755483650397noreply@blogger.com0