Chocolate Chip Muffins

i was a guest blogger today on Bright Copper Kettles and shared my recipe for these ridiculously delicious chocolate chip muffins.  Head on over there and check it out.  Try them...you'll love 'em! :)

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Caramel Apple Cake

this is must try.  it is beyond ridiculously delicious!



ingredients:
1 package yellow cake mix
1 package (4 serving size) Vanilla or French Vanilla flavor instant pudding and pie filling
ground cinnamon to taste (optional)
1 cup water
4 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 medium Granny Smith Apples, peeled and coarsely chopped
20 Kraft Caramels, unwrapped
3 tablespoons milk

how to make it:
pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan.  Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, cinnamon (optional), water, eggs, and oil in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until blended.  Beat on high speed 2 minutes.  Gently stir in apples.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes; remove from pan.  Cool completely on wire rack. 

microwave caramels and milk in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 - 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until blended.  Cool 10 minutes until slightly thickened.  Drizzle over cake.


**this recipe can also be found here... KRAFT.

Caramel Apple Cake

Mini Tortilla Pizzas

i first off want to apologize for the sloppiness of these pizzas.  I was in a hurry when making these and just threw them together one night for the kids before heading out to a birthday dinner for a friend.  the kids didn't seem to mind that they were so messily put together, because they said they tasted great! Gotta love non-picky kids!

These pizzas are just a little invention of mine that I tried one night with some left over ingredients I had in my fridge.  They are perfect for a quick meal for the kids or an after school snack.

What you need:
Tortillas
Spaghetti or pizza sauce
Favorite pizza topping
Shredded cheese

Place your tortillas on a baking pan, add some sauce, pepperoni, ham or any other desired topping, finish it off with some shredded cheese and pop into a 350 degree pre-heated oven and bake until cheese is melted.

I almost always have these ingredients in my fridge and love that I can whip these up in just a few minutes.

Mini Tortilla Pizzas

Menu for the week of Jan. 10, 2011

i almost didn't blog about our menu this week as it really didn't change from last week, due to a few reasons such as, we ate left overs, i was sick a couple of days so the boys fixed mac & cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches for themselves, and with dad out of town we had left over ingredients and will be able to repeat the meals this week! went grocery shopping last night and only spent $58.00 for the week, and that included toilet paper, diapers, wipes, some cleaning supplies and extra food! the budget is loving this week!!

this week meals include:

BLT sandwiches (left over ingredients so we can repeat this one!)

Mac and Cheese

Chips

Homemade mini pizzas with Spanish Rice (SUPER EASY KID FRIENDLY MEAL) **will blog this one!

Fish sticks with mashed sweet potatoes and whole kernel corn

Spaghetti with meat sauce, green  beans and french bread

Chicken swiss bundles **will blog this  one!

Chicken Alfredo, salad, and french bread

***Meal out (picking husband up from the airport and will dine in Dallas)

Menu for the week of Jan. 10, 2011

Peppermint Pound Cake

i made this Christmas eve for my family and it was absolutely fabulous! such a great festive flavor that everyone seemed to enjoy!

a few facts:
Prep: about 35 minutes.     Bake: 1 hour + cooling     Yield:  12 servings

ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup cutter-flavored shortening
2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup finely crushed peppermint candies

GLAZE:
1-1/2 cups confectoners' sugar
1 tsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
4-5 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
Additional crushed peppermint candies

How to make it!
In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in extracts.  Combine flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with whipping cream.  Fold in candies.

Transfer to a well-greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 1 to 1/4 hours or until a tootpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, vanilla and salt.  Stir in enough cream to achieve a drizzling consistency.  Drizzle over cake.  Sprinkle with additional candies.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Beautiful, festive, and delicious!!

Peppermint Pound Cake

Meal Planning in 2011

In 2010 I began weekly meal planning, which really helped with eliminating the big "what's for dinner?" question that I was being asked by my husband, my kids and even more importantly, myself !  It also helped me organize our pantry and made grocery shopping trips more productive and efficient, as we actually started saving money because we were sticking to our very detailed list and only buying what we needed for the weeks menu. So, for 2011 I thought I would start sharing our weekly menus and then blogging some recipes that are on the menu for the week after we prepare them.  As my husband will be in Alaska off and on over the next few months, you may notice that the kids and I resort to more "kid friendly" meals while dad is away.  These are fun for the kids and easy for me as playing the role of  mom and dad can some days be totally exhausting!

Menu for the week of January 3, 2011

Monday 1/3/11
BLT sandwiches
Spanish Rice
Tortilla Chips and Salsa

Tuesday 1/4/11
Chili Dogs
Mac and Cheese
Green Beans

Wednesday 1/5/11
Fish Sticks
Whole Kernel Corn
Sweet Potatoes - Mashed

Thursday 1/6/11
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Green Beans
Garlic Bread

Friday 1/7/11
Dinner out or Left overs (Dillon has a basketball tournament)

Saturday 1/8/11
Lunch: Frozen Pizza
Dinner: Chicken Swiss Bundles (will blog this recipe)

Sunday 1/9/11
Fettuccine Chicken Alfredo
Green Beans
Garlic Bread

Meal Planning in 2011

Cheesy BBQ Sloppy Joes

Kids love these, and sometimes that's all that matters!!  This is a great twist to the classic sloppy joe that whole family is sure to enjoy!

the slop you need:
1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup bottled barbecue sauce
1 TBsp. Worcestershire suace
2 TBsp. chopped pickled jalapeno peppers (optional)
1 (11.25 oz) package frozen garlic Texas toast (or french bread if you have that on hand)
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

how to make them:
1.  Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 8-10 minutes or until beef crumbles and is no longer pink; drain well.  Return to skillet. Stir in tomatoes, next 3 ingredients, and, if desired, jalapeno peppers.  Cover and cook 10 minutes.
2.  Meanwhile, prepare Texas toast according to package directions.  Serve beef mixture over Texas toast; sprinkle with cheese.

Quick, easy and basic ingredients make this sloppy joe a lunchtime favorite in our home!

Enjoy! 

Cheesy BBQ Sloppy Joes

Oatmeal Banana Nut Bread

This is one of the best banana nut breads I have ever made.  I sometimes double the recipe and make a pan of muffins as well, which is an easy breakfast to send with the hubby to work or with the kids to school!

What you need to make these:
1/2 cup of shortening or butter (I will use butter flavored shortening if I have this on hand)
3/4 cup white sugar (brown sugar can be substituted)
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (i use about 3 bananas)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
*Rasins, cinnamon, nutmeg to taste are optional

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2.  In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the banana and vanilla.
3.  In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.  Beat into creamed mixture.  Stir in oats and nuts.  At this point I also choose to stir in about 1/2 cup of raisins and some cinnamon and/or nutmeg to taste.  Pour into prepared pan.  (If desired, mix together some additional dry oats and brown sugar and spread on top of the loaf before baking). 
4.  Bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

**If baking muffins instead of the loaf, follow the same directions as above and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

This is a delicious and easy bread to make and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Happy Holidays!

Oatmeal Banana Nut Bread

Slow Cooker Chicken Dressing

Who would have thought that you could make dressing in the slow cooker?

But you can, and it is Ridiculously Delicious!!

**I have a personal note on my recipe to cut the liquids in half.  I start off with one can of soup and one can of broth and then add the remaining cans as needed depending on the consistency that I desire.  I also make two pans of cornbread instead of one just in case I need it, as I am cooking for six people.  Any leftover cornbread I have, I serve with the meal.

PRINTABLE VERSION
Ingredients:

5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 (9 x 9) pan cornbread, cooled and crumbled

8 slices day-old bread, torn into small pieces

4 eggs, beaten

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 teaspoon, salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons dried sage

2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup

2 tablespoons margarine

Directions:

1.  Place chicken in a pot with water to cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Boil 20 minutes, or until cooked through.  Cool, and cut into pieces

2.  In a slow cooker, stir together chicken, cornbread, bread, eggs, onion, salt and pepper, sage, chicken broth, and chicken soup.  Stir until well blended.  Dot with margarine.

3.  Before placing the lid on the slow cooker, lay a paper towel over the opening of the pot and then place the lid.  This will keep moisture from dripping down off the lid into the dressing and making it soggy.

4.  Cook on Low for 3 to 4 hours.  Remove lid, and fluff with fork.  Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Fabulous dinner for the family.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chicken Dressing

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

2 eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups grated fresh zucchini
2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
2 teaspoons baking soda
pinch salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries or raisins (optional)

Method:
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 F.  In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Mix in the grated zucchini and then the melted butter.  Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in.  Add the flour, a third at a time.  Sprinkle in the cinnamon and nutmeg and mix.  Fold in the nuts and dried cranberries or raisins if using.

2.  Divide the batter equally between 2 buttered 5 x 9 inch loaf pans.  Bake for 1 hour (check for doneness at 50 minutes) or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes.  Turn out onto wire racks to cool thoroughly. 

Makes two loaves.

I made this bread with zucchini from the local Farmer's Market at my husband's request and it was one of the best breads I have ever eaten.  First time baking and eating Zucchini bread and didn't realize what I have been missing out on for the past 33 years!  And of course, my kids loved it!

Enjoy!

Zucchini Bread