Red Velvet Cookies

Posted in Christmas Baking, Cookies, Dessert by

Normally I like to make things from scratch, but sometimes even I am not in the mood to get a ton of ingredients out. This is where these cookies come into play. All you need is a cake mix, eggs, oil, vanilla extract and a little extra flour. You can easily make them with a hand mixer or go ahead and pull out your stand mixer.

Originally I was hoping to make these like the recipe, which are red velvet crinkle cookies. But my dough was very oily and sucked up the powdered sugar so the first batch didn’t look like crinkles. I decided to do the rest of the cookies without rolling them in the powdered sugar. When I tasted them I decided they needed a little extra something, so I whipped up a glaze of powdered sugar and water. I drizzled that over the cookies and they looked beautiful and tasted great. These are quick and easy to whip up for your Valentines.

Red Velvet Cookies:

  • 1 box red velvet cake mix
  • 2 tbs all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Powdered sugar, for rolling the cookies or for glazing
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and flour. Whisk until clumps disappear. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, mix together cake mix, flour, eggs, oil and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Take about 1 tablespoon of cookie dough and form into a ball. *NOTE* If your cookies look oily and shiny, omit the rolling in the powdered sugar and place cookie dough balls on prepared baking sheet, flatten slightly with your palm. Bake for 10-12 minutes. 
  3. Roll the ball in powdered sugar until fully coated. Place cookie dough balls on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until edges are set and cookies begin to crack.
  4. Let cookies sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely.
  5. If wanting to use glaze… Take 1 cup of powdered sugar and add 1 tsp of water. Whisk till it’s smooth and it’s at a drizzle consistency. You may need to add a bit more water or powdered sugar to get the right consistency. You really can’t mess it up.

Source: Slightly adapted from Two Peas and their Pod

Baked Penne with Chicken and Kale

Posted in Chicken, Healthy, Main Dish, Pasta by

Lately, I’ve been all about healthier eating. I am feeling a lot better and even losing weight. But I have to admit that I can’t cut everything out, I must have my baked pasta’s! But who’s to say you can’t eat baked pasta? As long as it’s healthy, go for it! That’s where this recipe comes in.

We really loved this dish. I was so happy to see my kids eat everything including the Kale. Kale is one of those greens that has many nutrients and vitamins. I don’t make it often, but I think that will change. I did omit the red bell pepper, but that’s because my husband can’t eat them. I’m leaving it in the recipe because I’m sure it tastes great in the dish. The recipe also calls for leftover chicken but I didn’t have any. I took chicken breasts and roasted them in an oven for 35 minutes, till they were done and shredded that. All in all, it’s a dish I do plan to make again. I really think you and your family will enjoy this meal.

Baked Penne with Chicken and Kale:

  • 13.25 oz box whole wheat penne pasta
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 large carrot, grated
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
  • 2 bunches kale, stems removed and chopped
  • 48 oz ricotta, part skim
  • 1 tsp Tabasco sauce
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 oz Parmesan, finely grated (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1 1/2 cups leftover chicken, shredded. (you can roast 2 chicken breasts in the oven at 375 degrees for about 35-45 minutes, till done)
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot pot.
  3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add onion and red bell pepper, cooking until softened, about 5 minutes. Add grated carrot and garlic, cooking another 2 minutes. Add kale, toss, and cover, turning off the heat and letting sit for 5 minutes. Transfer to the pot with pasta.
  4. Stir in ricotta, lemon zest and juice, hot sauce, 1/2 cup Parmesan, chicken, and reserved pasta water. Season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to baking dish. Top with remaining Parmesan. Bake until bubbly and the top golden brown, 30 minutes.

Source: Slightly adapted from Foodie Bride

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Posted in Cookies, Fruit by

I am so happy to be back blogging. My husband is doing great and we got the news we were looking for on his tumor, it was benign! A weight has been lifted off our shoulders and I am back in the kitchen cooking good stuff. I originally had planned to share another recipe with you, but I just made these cookies and had to give them to you right away.

During the winter months we get together with our neighbors the first Wednesday of the month for soup night. One of our neighbors graciously cooks up two different soups and the rest of us will bring breads or desserts. It’s a great time to get together with everyone and enjoy great food. This past soup night really snuck up on me. I realized the night before that I had not thought about what to bring. So I started researching all my saved recipes for something. I like to try and do something that fits the month or the season. This is the time of year I love going to the grocery store and getting fresh strawberries from my home state of Florida. It takes me back to going to the Strawberry Festival in February. So, when I was looking through my saved recipes, I saw these strawberry shortcake cookies and knew this was what I was making.

The cookies are very delicate and should be eaten the day they are made. Strawberries are very juicy and the cookies will become soggy after sitting for more than a day. The taste of strawberry shortcake in cookie form is pure heaven and makes me miss Florida this time of year. Enjoy!

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies:

  • 12 ounces strawberries, hulled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
  • 1-2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 6 tbs cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • Sanding sugar, for sprinkling
  1. Preheat the oven to 375.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar in a medium bowl.  Set aside.
  3. Whisk together the flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.  Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut in the butter to the flour mixture until coarse crumbs are formed. Stir in the heavy cream until the dough starts to come together, then gently fold in strawberries. (The dough will not be smooth but a bit crumbly)
  4. Using a 1-1/2 inch cookie scoop, drop dough onto cookie sheets, evenly spaced apart.  Sprinkle with coarse sugar.  Bake for 22-27 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown. (Mine were done at 20 minutes) Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy the day of baking.

Source: Pink Parsley via Martha Stewart Living June 2009

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Posted in Dips, Entertaining, Football Food by

If you are planning a Super Bowl party, this dip has to be on the menu! Sadly, my Tampa Bay Buccaneers self destructed this season so my team is nowhere near the playoff season. But, I am cheering on the New England Patriots because their Offensive Coordinator is now the head coach for my beloved Penn State Nittany Lions. I am very excited about Coach O’Brien and hopes he does well throughout the playoffs.

Let me get back to the food, if you love jalapeno poppers you are going to LOVE this dip. I wasn’t sure how much of the flavor of regular poppers would come out in the dip, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was strong. You will think you are eating poppers. I think they are best served with tortilla chips but you could use crackers too. You can up the amount of heat by using another jalapeno and the stems and ribs (the white part inside). With not knowing how much heat my guests would like, I took out the seeds and ribs on the jalapeno’s. I also added more cheese because life is better with more cheese. Anyway you make this, your guests will love it!

Jalapeno Popper Dip:

  • 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
  • 3 jalapenos, minced finely
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican style cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • nonstick cooking spray
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  2. Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, green chiles, jalapenos, and both shredded cheeses in a medium bowl. Stir together until thoroughly combined and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a 9×9 baking dish.
  3. Mix the Panko and Parmesan together in a small bowl using a fork. Sprinkle evenly over the dip in the baking dish. Spray the topping lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the dip is hot. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

Slightly adapted from Tracey’s culinary adventures via My Baking Addiction (via Annie’s Eats)

Lean Mean Green Smoothie

Posted in Drinks, Healthy by

Can you believe that all those ingredients above can make a delicious smoothie? I know I couldn’t when I had seen versions of it pop up all over the blogosphere. I finally decided it was time to try it. I have always needed more iron in my diet and figured this would be a good way to get it. I was very surprised at how great it tasted, it was more like an orange and banana smoothie than a spinach tasting one. I do think the smoothie tastes better once it’s really chilled. I ended up shoving the smoothie into the freezer for about 10-15 as I cleaned up my mess. It was nice and cold when I was done and I downed it in no time. I really think you will enjoy this drink!

Green Smoothie:

Yield: 2 servings

  • 2 cups cold water
  • 1 banana, cut into chunks
  • 1 orange, peeled and separated into segments
  • 1/2 apple (your favorite variety), peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
  • 1/2 lemon, peeled and separated into segments
  • 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  1. Add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth and completely combined.
  2. Drink all at once, or separate into two servings. The smoothie can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one day. It will be thick when coming out of the refrigerator, whisk/stir before drinking.

Source: Brown Eyed Baker

2011 Year In Review

Posted in Entertaining by

2011 has been a pretty decent year for us. The beginning of the year brought us new and exciting changes. We have been having a wonderful time in our new home and I’ve had fun in my kitchen. I look forward to 2012 and all the things I hope it brings. I will admit that the beginning of 2012 is going to be a bit shaky, my husband will be having surgery to have part of his thyroid removed and checked for cancer. We are very hopeful that it will all work out. I will apologize right now for any lack of postings in the month of January. I will try to not let the downtime be for too long. But if there is, you will understand what is going on.

This past year has been great for the blog. Particularly for the #1 most looked at post of the year. I must thank Pinterest for help with that. For those unsure of Pinterest, it’s a site you can pin your favorite things around the web to. It’s fun and addicting and you must give it a try.

I’ve composed the top ten posts of 2011. Enjoy and have a safe and Happy New Year! Love you all!

#10

 
Baked Ravioli is a family favorite. It’s like an easy lasagna.

#9

Loaded Baked Potato Dip is a perfect party dip. It tastes just like baked potatoes.

#8

 
Cupcake Tower with Ganache filled Cupcakes I have a link to how to make a cupcake tower and the recipe for some really yummy chocolate cupcakes

#7

Stuffed Strawberries is a favorite of mine not just because it was my first ever post on the blog. It’s also very delicious!

#6

Onesie Sugar Cookies were so much fun to make. I made them for my sister-in-law’s baby shower. She gave me a beautiful niece in return for these cookies.

#5

Easter Lamb Cake is a family tradition. I can’t wait to make it this year because I got the cast iron lamb mold that my great-great grandfather made.

#4

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Feta and Spinach is something I created a long time ago. It’s one of the only ways I can get my son to eat pork.

#3

French Toast Bread Pudding would be perfect to serve for breakfast on New Years Day

#2

Coconut Cupcakes with Pineapple Filling is a great combination of flavors.

#1

The number one post this year is Hot Corn Dip. I make this a lot because it’s easy to throw together and it’s a real crowd pleaser.

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

Posted in Dips by

I was rushing out the door on Christmas Eve to get to a friends house for dinner and realized that I had not taken a photo of this dip. I had to quickly snap a photo so I do apologize that the lighting is a bit off. But I can honestly tell you that this dip is just as good as it sounds and I don’t think the photo will take you away from wanting to make it. When I saw this on my Google Reader a few days before Christmas Eve, I was very thankful that I hadn’t quite finished my grocery shopping. I added all the ingredients to list so I could make it.

It tastes just like cookie dough! Serve it with Nilla wafers and graham crackers, or do as I do and eat it with a spoon. Before you start eating healthy when 2012 rolls around, make this dip for New Years Eve and let this be your last indulgence for a couple weeks.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip:

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 8-ounce block of cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, plus extra for sprinkling
  1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar until it dissolves and the mixture starts to bubble. Stir in vanilla and set aside to cool.
  2. In a separate bowl, cream the cream cheese and powdered sugar together for 60 seconds. With the mixer on low speed, add in brown sugar and butter mixture, then the salt. Mix until combined. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
  3. Garnish with additional mini chocolate chips. Serve with animal crackers, Nilla wafers or graham crackers.

Source: Sing for your Supper