Cupcake flavored Pebbles rice krispie treat

My colleague was having a birthday and every one wanted something different……so I thought who in this world doesn’t love rice krispie treats! I know…right! I was walking down the cereal isle and I found cupcake flavored pebbles!! Yummy. I had the most brilliant idea ever (only later to find out I wasn’t the only one, darn) make rice krispie treats into cupcakes….get it? Cupcake flavored cupcakes?? How clever you may say…well…they thought so! LOL!!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
- OR -
4 cups miniature marshmallows
whole box of Cupcake Pebbles

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
2. Add  cereal. Stir until well coated.
3. Coat muffin tins with cooking spray and put cereal marshmallow mixture in muffin cups.  After cooled decorate as you would cupcakes.

Spinach-Mushroom Quesadilla

My husband and I have a favorite Mexican restaurant that we frequent at least once a week it called Torero's. They are the best people and the best food in town hands down! I can’t tell you what my favorite there is I LOVE IT ALL!!! Especially the margaritas and fried cheesecake! They don’t even hand us a menu and we have our usual booth and they always know what we want to order. How AWESOME is that! Anyways…yes I was dreaming of margaritas and lost my train of thought. When I want something light I order their Baja Quesadilla (spinach, shrimp, mushrooms, cheese) it is PERFECT! Well, the other evening I was craving spinach, mushrooms, and shrimp. We live out in the county so when your home your home no quick drive to the city. I found a recipe for spinach-mushroom quesadilla in my inbox courtesy of Martha Stewart.   It tasted great but I will leave the quesadilla making to Torero's

Ingredients

Serves 4

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 medium red onions, thinly sliced

8 ounces (2 1/4 cups) button or cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

6 ounces (about 8 cups) prewashed spinach, shredded

Coarse salt and ground pepper

8 flour tortillas (8-inch)

8 ounces (2 cups) pepper Jack cheese, shredded

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon oil. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until they're tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

2.Add spinach in two batches, letting the first batch wilt slightly before adding the next; cook until spinach is completely wilted and mixture is dry, 2 to 3 minutes total. Season with salt and pepper.

3.Brush one side of tortillas with remaining tablespoon oil. Place 4 tortillas, oiled sides down, on two baking sheets. Layer each tortilla with cheese, spinach mixture, and more cheese, dividing evenly. Top with the remaining 4 tortillas, oiled sides up, and lightly press to seal.

4.Bake until cheese has melted and tortillas are golden brown, turning them once, about 10 minutes. To serve, cut quesadillas into quarters.

From Everyday Food, March 2004
 
**If you are ever in the area don't miss Torero's Fine Mexican Food located 2088 Lowe's Dr Clarksville, TN 37040

Bourbon Chicken

I know I’m a little late posting this but we had a Mardi Gras party last month and it was an absolute blast. I have been to New Orleans a few times and there is always a party to be had. I wanted to make something different other than your traditional red beans and rice and dirty rice, my favorite. I came across Woman’s World magazine while I was waiting in line at the grocery store and they had a Mardi Gras dinner menu. Perfect!!! The chicken was so tender and juicy my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Ingredients:

1-1/4cups bourbon whisky

1 cup packed light brown sugar

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup salt

1 roasting chicken, 6-7lbs

4 onions, cut into 8 wedges each

2 heads garlic, top 1/3 cut off

1 TBSP olive oil

1 tsp. dried majoram ( I used oregano)

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup apple jelly

Directions:

• 
  
  In large, deep pot, combine 1 qt. water with 1 cup whisky, sugar, minced garlic and salt.  Add chicken to mixture.  Cover; refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 8 hours.
• 
  
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large roasting pan, toss together onions, garlic heads,oil and 1/4 tsp. marjoram and 1/8tsp pepper. Push mixture to sides of pan.
• 
  
  Drain chicken, discarding marinade.  Pat chicken dry with paper towels.  Place in center of roasting pan so that it is surrounded by onion mixture.  Sprinkle chicken with remaining 3/4tsp majoram and 1/8tsp pepper.  Roast until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180 degrees F, about 1 hour, 40 minutes.
• 
  
  Meanwhile, in small ot over medium-high heat, bring apple jelly and remaining 1/4 cup whisky to boil.  Reduce heat to medium low; simmer until thickened and reduced to 1/3 cup, about 10 minutes.  Brush glaze over chicken during last 10 minutes of cooking time. 

Happy Mardi Gras!

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls

 

I have been craving cinnamon rolls for two weeks now. It would have been so easy to buy a can of Pillsbury or go to the Wal-mart Bakery but I resisted instant gratification and made my own. Honestly, I could not wait to make something out of my new cookbook (The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond pgs 36-39) my wonderful hubby gave me for Christmas. It was too cold to go any where and my honey was home. Today was the perfect day to make them. I like to visit one of my favorite music sites, Pandora I love listening to Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Sammy Davis Jr. I think I was born in the wrong time period. So here in my kitchen I was serenaded by fabulous men on Valentine’s Day and my husband popping in the kitchen to dance with me occasionally I made MY cinnamon rolls.

Ingredients:

Dough

1 qt whole milk

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

2 pkgs (4-1/2 tsps) active dry yeast

9 cups  all-purpose flour

1 heaping tsp baking powder

1 scant tsp baking soda

1 TBSP salt

• 
  
  For the dough, heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat; do not allow the mixture to boil.  Set aside and cool to lukewarm. 
• 
  
  Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute. (Make sure milk is lukewarm if its hot it will kill the yeast and it won't rise)
• 
  
  Add 8 cups of the flour, stir until just combined, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour.  (I put mine in the microwave)

 

It has RISEN, Allelujah!!!

I don't have the best of luck when it comes to yeast!  I can't tell you how many times I have tried.  This was exciting and yes I did pray.

• Remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the remaining 1 cup flour.  Stir thoroughly to combine.  Use the dough right away, or place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to three days, punching down if it rises to the top of the bowl.

Filling:
2 cups melted butter, plus more as needed
1/4 cup ground cinnamon for sprinkling
2 cups sugar, plus more as needed.

• To assemble the rolls, remove half the dough from the pan.  On a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30x10 inches.
• To make filling, pour 1 cup of melted butter over the surface of the dough.  Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly.
• Generously sprinkle half of the ground cinnamon and I cup of sugar (I also added chopped walnuts)
• Now, beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly toward you.  Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight.  Don't worry if the filling oozes as you work.
• when you reach the end, pinch the seam together. 
• Transfer to a cutting board and with a sharp knife, make 1-1/2 inch slices.  One log will produce 20-25 rolls.
• Pour a couple of tablespoons of melted butter into the desired pie pans or baking dishes and swirl to coat.
• Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd them.
• Repeat the rolling/sugar/butter process with the other half of the dough and more pans.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Cover the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the countertop for a t least 20 minutes before baking.  Remove the towel and bake for 13 to 17 minutes, until golden brown.  Don't allow the rolls to become overly brown.

While the rolls are baking, make the icing.

Maple Icing
2 pounds powdered sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
6 TBS (3/4 stick) butter, melted
1/4 cup strongly brewed coffee
dash of salt
1 TBS maple flavoring or extract.

• In a large bowl, whist together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee and salt. 
• Splash in maple flavoring,
• Whisk until very smooth.  The icing should be thick but still pourable.
• While the rolls are still warm, generously drizzle icing over the top. Be sure to get it all around the edges and over the top.

Notes:

• Add finely chopped pecans to the rolls after sprinkling on the cinnamon and sugar.
• Subsitute 8 Tbs. of orange marmalade and 1 cup brown sugar (per half batch of dough) for the cinnamon and white sugar, then substitute orange juice for the maple and coffee in the icing.
• ( I used cinnamon, sugar, and chopped walnuts.  For the icing I used OJ)
• Cinnamon rolls can be frozen in the pan, unbaked.  Just cover with foil after you place them in the pan but before they rise.  Then when your ready to bake, allow them to thaw and rise befoe baking , ice as directed. 
• An easier method is simply freeze the baked, iced cinnamon rolls after they've cooled slightly.  Then just pull them out of freezer and warm them in a 250degree f oven for 15 min. 

I used 6 disposable aluminum pie plates.  I thought I was going to freeze them but when hubby saw them he asked if he could take them to work in the morning how could I say no. I was surprised he ate two! My husband very seldom eats sweets. I can’t wait to share them with my friends. Have a wonderful evening and Happy Valentine's Day!

Homemade Girl Scout Samoa Bars

It has been awhile since I have  made anything sweet.  I was craving Samoa cookies from the Girl Scouts and  searching the web for a "knock off".  I finally found one courtesty of Nicole Weston of Baking Bites (http://www.bakingbites.com/) and by the way she has an awesome food blog.  She did a whole series on Girl Scout cookies and they all look amazing.  Fortunately for me she had a recipe for a Samoas Bar it wasn't as time consumming as making the cookies.  I made them and they were good but I believe I will be leaving the cookie making to the Girl Scouts.  It must of been a sign from above my neice ( yes, she is my cookie supplier) brought my order today!!! 

For the recipe just click on the url below.

 http://bakingbites.com/2009/02/homemade-girl-scout-cookies-samoas-bars/ 

Pasta Piselli

Growing up in an Italian household this was a winter staple and it was mom's quickest meal.  My mother, I love her to death has no concept of fast food or short cuts.  Everything she makes is a formal meal.  We all get together at mom and dad's at least once a month and you always know one you will never leave hungry, two my sister and I fight over who takes the leftovers home, three you will be there for a least a few hours so do not plan anything the rest of the day.  I made it for the first time ( I know shame on me) last night it was so cold here in Tennessee I wanted something quick, easy, and hot.   Now there a different variations of this recipe but this is the one I grew up with.

1 box Barilla ditalini pasta (cooked a dente)

chopped onions

1 cup of frozen peas or 1 can of peas

Cook pasta according to directions on the box.  While the pasta is cooking saute onions until soft then add peas cook together until pasta is done.  Drain only have the water from the pasta (some like it souper than others)  add onion and pea mixture to the pasta.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Enjoy.

Sweet Beer Bread

This is the easiest quick bread recipe I have ever made.  Only 4 ingredients and 45 minutes later and you have a delicious loaf of bread.

Ingredients:

3 cups self rising flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 (12oz) bottle beer (I used Landshark)*

1/4 cup butter,melted

Directions:  1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stir together first three ingredients; pour into a lightly greased 9x5" loaf pan.

2) Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Pour melted butter over top. 

*non-alcoholic or light bear may be substituted.

adapted from southern living "our test kitchen secret"