Duo of Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

adapted from Erin's Food Files as well as Perfect Cupcakes

1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I used some crunch type chocolate chopped up and a couple cookies and cream chocolate eggs chopped)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
3 Tablespoons butter, melted or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 6 cupcake liners into tins.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar; then add chocolate chips. In a small mixing bowl, lightly beat the egg, then add milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and stir until just moistened. Divide among the 6 cups.

Bake until the tops spring back when lightly tapped, 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack or counter to cool.

Frosting:

For 3 of the cupcakes I used Oreo Ultimate Icing, it's new.

For the other 3, I melted about 1/3 cup Nutella for about 20 seconds in the microwave and iced the cupcakes, also I sprinkles some chopped cashews on top.

Nutella swirl chocolate chip cookies

(adapted from Kirbie’s Cravings who adapted it from Just Jenn)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup Nutella
• 1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl.
3. In a separate bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar and the brown sugar. Add the eggs and the vanilla and mix on medium speed until combined.
4. Add in the flour mixture on low speed until combined.
   
5. Mix in the chocolate chips. Using a large wooden spoon, stir in the Nutella, letting it swirl throughout the batter. Don’t over stir if you want a marbling effect on your cookies.
6. Scoop dough and roll between your palms to shape into 1 inch balls and drop onto baking sheets about 1 inch apart.
7. Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove cookies from tray and let them cool on wire racks.

NOTE: Made these this morning, Larry isn't even up yet! As you can see from the pictures, I did not use chocolate chips. I used chopped up leftover Palmer's peppermint patties, they were from Easter. Yes, Easter was in April, it's now June, but irregardless.....they were BANGIN'! I thought the peppermint white insides would melt into the batter, but they didn't and held up quite nice.

Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes

This was one of the most easy dessert recipes out there I whipped them out yesterday afternoon after Larry and I went food shopping.

Super impressed with the results. Freakin' phenomenal.

(adapted from 52 Cupcakes, originally from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes)

21 Oreos, 16 left whole, and 5 crumbled by hand
2 8-oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature or microwaved slightly
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 275 F.
Line 12 standard muffin tins with paper liners. I had to whip out a 2nd muffin tin to fit the extra 4 (with liners), luckily both tins fit side by side on the same oven rack.
Place 1 whole Oreo in the bottom of each lined cup.
Beat the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium. Gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla.
Pour in the beaten eggs, a little at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
Beat in the sour cream and salt.
Stir in crumbled cookies by hand.
Pour the batter into the prepared tins, filling each almost to the top.
Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, 22-25 minutes.
Cool in the pans for about 15 minutes, on a wire rack, then transfer to a plate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

A Pot of Sauce

Ingredients:
A couple (like 4-5) tablespoons of butter
olive oil
(2) 28 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes
any cans of diced tomatoes, jars of premade sauce, cans of tomato puree or whole tomatoes - basically anything you can add to the mix.
an onion, minced
a couple cloves of garlic, minced
fresh/dried herbs
white sugar
Optional: red wine, carrot, celery

Place a tablespoon or two of butter and a few "rounds of the pan" of olive oil in a 2 handle pot.
Bring to medium high heat. Once butter has melted, add the onion and cook a couple minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for a couple minutes more. Reduce heat to medium.
If you happen to have any celery or carrots in the fridge, you could mince up a stalk or so of each and add them now too.
Add crushed and diced tomatoes. Simmer on medium low for 30 mins? No really, keep stirring every five minutes. The pot should be bubbling, but not exploding all over the stove.
Add any other tomato products to stretch the quantity out.
Keep simmering for like ever (until you need to serve it) but at least an hour or 2.
During the last half hour, add any herbs you want. I usually put in fresh oregano and basil, even some parsley. Use dried if that's all you have. Maybe a sprinkle of rosemary and/or garlic powder. Salt and Pepper. A dash of red wine if you have a bottle open.
Lastly, add a small handful of white sugar and 2 more tablespoons of butter.
This is crucial if you're in a rush (well hell, if you're in a rush, then you have no right trying to whip out a homemade sauce, but that's besides the point)
Anyway, the sugar and butter at the end cut out any tartness that the tomatoes may still have.
Enjoy!

Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers

Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers

4 Bell Peppers (We prefer yellow or orange, then red, but not green. Get ones that are more tall and vertical and less short and round)
1 Package of Uncle Ben's Jasmine 90 second rice.
1 lb. Lean Ground Turkey
1 small onion or half a large onion, diced small
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
about 1 tsp. dried oregano
Black pepper, no salt
Ketchup
Marinara/Tomato sauce
Frank's Hot Sauce
Butter and Olive Oil
8 slices of Land o Lakes white American deli cheese
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Turn on Crock Pot to High. Put about 3 large spoonfuls of tomato sauce into crock pot with about 1/2 cup of water to thin it out.
Cut off the tops of the bell peppers, save tops and mince and throw out seeds/core.
Place hollowed peppers into crock pot, standing upright on top of watered down tomato liquid.
Cover with lid and cook for an hour or an hour and a half on High. After the hour, water will start to naturally collect and pool in the bottom of each pepper. I used a pair of metal tongs to remove each pepper one at a time and pour out the water in the sink, then replace each pepper.
Meanwhile, in a pan on the stove on medium heat, melt a tablespoon or so of butter and a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add onion and garlic, saute until translucent. Add minced bell pepper tops and cook for 3-4 minutes longer.
Add ground turkey and cook until no longer pink. Drain (I usually put some sheets of paper towel on a newspaper and pour the turkey mixture onto it to absorb the extra liquid/fats)
Place turkey mixture back in pan. Microwave 90 second rice according the package directions, then add to pan.
Add the next items to the mixture (I never measure so these are guesses): Tomato sauce (maybe a half cup), Ketchup (maybe a quarter cup, big squeeze from bottle), Frank's hot sauce (about 8-10 dashes), dried oregano and a few shakes of black pepper.
Mix together, mixture should be moist but not overly wet.
Place one slice of American cheese in each hot empty pepper. (I fold each slice into thirds and line the inside of each pepper, they instantly start to melt and adhere)
Fill each pepper with turkey mixture. Replace lid and cook on low for about 3-4 hours.
The last ten minutes, set crock pot to Warm setting and place an additional cheese slice on top of each pepper with a small handful of shredded cheddar on top of that. Put lid back on to melt.

To serve peppers (a helper is needed)
We use the set of tongs and a spotted spoon technique to lift the peppers, one at a time. The helper brings the plate as close as they can to the crock pot so the pepper doesn't have to go far. You'll see, lol. Oh and never use paper plates, it's kinda disastrous. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chili

Chili Crock Pot Recipe.

Saute 1/2 white onion and 3 cloves of garlic (both minced) in saucepan with olive oil and butter.
Add to crockpot after 8 mins.
In same saucepan (now empty) add ground beef and brown. Drain and add to crock pot.
Add the following items to crock pot also:

• 1 can of Hunts dice tomatoes (the one that includes green peppers, onions and celery)
• a good amount of tomato sauce
  
• 1 tsp of each - garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, paprika, ketchup
  
• a few dashes of each - red pepper flakes, celery seed, salt, black pepper, hot sauce, beer
• a small handful of mini chocolate chips.
• Half a can of black beans added during the last half hour.

Cook on low for 3 hours, then high for 1 hour.
Serve in bowls with a mound of mexican blend shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.......with cornbread muffins.

Sorry no pics!!

:)

Blueberry Muffins!!!

1 c milk

1/2 c butter melted
1 c white sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 c flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 c blueberries (I use entire box)

combine milk butter sugar and eggs in lg bowl
combine flour baking powder and salt
add to wet mixture till just moistened
fold in berries
spoon batter into muffin cups
I add sparkle sugar to the tops
bake in 350 degree preheated oven for 20 min or until tops are golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
cool on wire rack
eat and enjoy.  Larry's Mom's recipe

Cranberry Orange Vodka Martini

And it's really just that.

Double and 2/3 shot cranberry juice
double shot of vodka

shaken with two ice cubes

pour in martini glass.

Take a big sip to make room.

Drizzle orange juice down the center of the glass so it sits on the bottom.

It stays separate as you drinking it with cranberry vodka on top and orange for your bottom lip.

Mexican Pizza

So we all love pizza, but I had an itchin' for some Mexican.
Why not combine both?

First off. Instead of buying one of those 99cent taco seasoning packets, I figured I'd make my own:

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

This is good for 1lb or 2 of meat.

But the actual Mexican pizza went like this.

Ingredients:
1-2 pounds ground beef depending on how beefy you want your meat layer
taco seasoning
1 1/2 cup chunky-style salsa
1 pre-made pizza crust (I do the Boboli ones)
1 1/2 cup shredded Nacho, Taco or Mexican cheese blend. You know those ones they have out there.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put a Boboli crust or premade ready to use crust on a cookie sheet. Bake crust for 4 minutes to get it going.
  
• Brown ground beef, mix in taco seasoning.
• Spread salsa on heated crust, followed by taco meat and cheeses.
• Return to oven, bake additional 7-12 minutes, or until edges of crust are golden brown and cheese is melted.

I serve it with sour cream on the side, if that's your thing.

Apple Carvings as an art form

A while back, one of my students who clearly was skipping another class at this point, comes into my classroom after lunch. With him is an apple he just HAD to show me. He had bitten a face into the apple and was quite impressed with himself. He requested if we could do that as a project during one of the class periods I had his class. Although his class overall is typically disruptive and undeserving of a dime of my money, I agreed. (Probably because I have them three times a week and needed something new to do anyway) So I went to Stop & Shop a Friday morning of 2-3 weeks ago and bought 2 bags of apples....

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

Not gonna lie, I'll give credit where credit is needed.
The following recipe....which just came out of the oven 10 minutes ago was inspired by many:
http://thatwinsomegirl.blogspot.com/
and an elementary school friend really named Laneen.
As soon as I stumbled upon the recipe with help from both of them, I went out immediately and got what I needed. It goes a little something like this:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325°. Butter a 9″-square baking pan. (I used a springform pan because I just moved and that's all I could find) Line pan with parchment paper, leaving enough to extend over the sides. Butter the parchment paper.

Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter until crumbs are moistened. Stir in chocolate chips.

(I bought normal sized ones and chopped them up a bit)

Press crust mixture into bottom of pan and 1 inch up sides. Bake for 6 minutes. Set pan on counter to cool.

Cookie Dough:
(I cheated and bought a roll of cookie dough pre-made, you know, the ones that apparently now have salmonella if you eat them raw..but if you wanted to make it from scratch as I usually would, it goes like this..)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used miniature)

Using an electric mixer , mix butter, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract at medium speed until smooth. Decrease mixer speed to low and add flour. Mix just until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. Shape into teaspoon size balls. Chill while making cheesecake filling.

Filling:
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar just until smooth. (which I didn't have, so I used a wire whisk instead)

Add egg and vanilla extract, beating just until blended.

Pour batter into baked crust. Drop cookie dough balls over the top of the filling.

Bake about 30 minutes, or until set but still wobbly in center. Transfer to counter to cool.

For chocolate topping, melt 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave (I melted them in a ziplock bag in the microwave). Add about 1/2 tablespoon of butter if necessary to make chocolate smooth. Drizzle over top of bars. Once the pan feels cool to the touch, chill the bars completely in the fridge overnight before cutting.

(Not sure if we can wait that long)

Using the edges of the parchment paper, remove bars from pan. Cut into bars and serve.

The beginning

So I guess you could say that I've started a "blog" like everyone else out there and although mine will mostly incorporate food, it's no Julie & Julia by any means. I'm not going to go into lengthy detail all about me, I just simply want to put my food out there. Chances are you'll hear about Larry from time to time. He's my amazing boyfriend whom I've moved in with as of yesterday. The following is a collection of some of my past creations:

Garlic Lamb from Easter

Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower

Strawberry-Apple Pie prior to baking

Cheesecake...obviously

Vanilla cupcakes (from scratch) with Homemade Buttercream Frosting

Sorry their recipes aren't available, but I'm sure I'll revisit some and you can get them then.