Showing posts with label dessert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dessert. Show all posts

3.28.2014

Foodie Fridays : Chili Colorado Burritos , Frozen Banana Bites

Pin It!
Is it just me or is stew a hearty fall meal ? I had stew meat in the freezer the other day and was totally not into stew so instead I figured I'd try making Chili Colorado . Mmmm mmm good! I basically threw it together so bear with me on the measurements .

Ingredients : 
2 pounds if stew meat
19 oz can of enchilada sauce 
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 - 2 teaspoons of chili powder depending on how spicy you want it 
2 beef bullion cubes
2 tablespoons of flour 
Shredded cheese 

Directions : 
1. Combine all ingredients except cheese and flour in a crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours 
2. When meat is fully cooked thicken the sauce by sprinkling flour into sauce and stir well . Make sure you sprinkle it on top instead of dumping the flour in by the spoonful to avoid lumps of flour .
3. Full tortillas with meat mixture and shredded cheese . I also put beans in mine as well but it's totally up to you . 
4. Top burrito with sauce and cheese and melt cheese on top .

Pin It!
These chocolate covered banana bites hit the spot when I'm craving a sweet treat. Although they are covered in chocolate for some reason I feel slightly less guilty eating these since fruit is included lol

Ingredients :
2 bananas
1 cup dark chocolate meltables 
Cookie sheet lines w wax paper 

Directions : 
1. Slice bananas into about 1/2 inch thick rounds 
2. Melt chocolate in the microwave according to package . A good rule of thumb is about 30 seconds, stir , and repeat until chocolate is fully melted 
3. Dip bananas into chocolate and place of wax paper lined cookie sheet.
4 . Place cookie sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes or more until chocolate and bananas are semi frozen 




Hope you enjoy the recipes! Let me know what you think :) While you are here check out the awesome BEAUTY BAG GOODIE SWAP Boy oh Mamas Boys! and I  are hosting ! This is round two of our beauty bag swap and we are looking forward to meeting some new ladies and reuniting with our first beauty bag goodie swap friends !Hurry sign ups end on Sunday!
   
As always, its Friday and time to Back That Azz Up with Whit. This week in honor of my birthday tomorrow I've gotta go with a club classic!Although this bday will be low key and spent at home, I will always be in da club at heart hahaha
In Da Club by 50 Cent on Grooveshark


Eat Drink & Be Mary

2.07.2014

Foodie Friday: Garlic Parmesan Knots,Reeses Cupcakes

If you keep track of my Foodie Fridays it's probably pretty evident that I'm a sucker for all things Italian. Last week I whipped up a quick pot of Spaghetti and didn't have any garlic bread which is a total must have when eating Italian. I mean seriously, I can't eat spaghetti with out bread I'm a glutton I know :/ We did have some biscuits  in the fridge so I decided to do something a little different. I had seen the idea on pinterest to tie crescent rolls in a knot to make a prettier side dish and I figured it'd work just as well with biscuits so I dreamt up a little garlic mixture and gave it a shot. Delish! I mean you can't really go wrong with garlic, parm, and flaky biscuits can ya?
Pin It!

Ingredients:

1 can of Pillsbury layers flaky biscuits
4 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
enough melted butter to brush on biscuits

Directions:

1. Roll each biscuit into a log and stretch out to about 6 inches or so
2. Tie a basic knot then take one end and fold into the center of the knot and do the same with the other end ( sorry about my blogging fail I totally forgot to take a photo of this step!)
3. Bake at 425 for about 10 min 
4. Mix all of your spices and cheese in a bowl
5. Pull biscuits out, brush with butter and sprinkle generously with your cheesy spice mix
6. Put bake in the oven and cook until golden brown ( about 5 more minutes) keep an eye on them so they don't burn

Pin It! Last Sunday we celebrated my brothers 18th birthday and I made a few of his favorite treats for the occasion one of them being these sinful Reeses cupcakes. A basic chocolate cake with a Peanut Butter Cream Cheese frosting topped with a chocolate drizzle and chopped Reeses .

Cupcakes:

Ingredients :

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
1/4 chopped dark choc or mini dark choc chips

Directions:

1. preheat oven to 350 and line with muffin tins with liners
2. stir flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt,in a bowl
3. add in eggs, oil,vanilla extract, and milk and beat on medium high for 2 minutes
4. add boiling water and stir in choc chips (FYI your batter should be pretty liquidy so dont freak out ;)
5.fill cupcake tins about 2/3 full and make for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted
6. cool completely before frosting

Frosting:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
8 oz cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon of half and half or milk
Garnish : melted chocolate and mini peanut butter cups

Directions:

1.Beat butter until smooth
2. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth and mixed well with butter
3. Add peanut butter and beat until smooth and mixed well
4. Add in powdered sugar one cup at a time and beat until creamy
5. Add in half and half or milk and beat for 45 seconds
6. Frost using a piping bag
7.Optional : drizzle melted chocolate on frosted cupcake. Chop mini peanut butter cup in thirds and set on top 





Key to a successful friday
Step 1: Get your ass in the kitchen

Step 2:bake up these cupcakes

Step 3:devour this delicious chocolately TREASURE

Step 4:cue music

Step 5: Proceed to Back That Azz Up!

Treasure by Bruno Mars on Grooveshark

1.31.2014

Foodie Friday: Chicken Pot Pie Casserole, Lemon Meringue Cookies

              Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

Pin It! What screams rich,creamy, delicious comfort food more than Chicken Pot Pie? This recipe is for a casserole style pot pie, throw it together , add the crust, pop it in the over and voila chicken pot pie on the fly! This meal tasted as good as I imagined.I recommend making a second batch of plain crescent rolls to eat along side the casserole so you can have something to dip in your saucy mixture

Ingredients
2 cans (10.75 ounces) cream of chicken soup
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2-3 large breasts worth of cooked shredded or diced chicken
2  cups frozen mixed vegetables I used the mix with corn ,peas,and carrots-defrosted so your mix doesn't get watered down
2 cups southern style cubed frozen hash browns -defrosted to avoid  a watery mixture
1 can (8 ounces) crescent rolls (I bought a second can to cook on the side just for extra bread to dip in my pot pie casserole )
Instructions
1.Preheat oven to 350 .In a bowl whisk together soup, milk, sour cream,chicken stock, black pepper, parsley and thyme.
2. Stir in chicken, veggies and potatoes. Spray  a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish and pour mixture into dish
3.Unroll your crescent rolls (pinch perforations together so that it's seamless) Use a pizza cutter to cut 1/2 strips.Lay them in a lattice pattern on top of your mixture
4. Bake uncovered in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes or until bubbly and golden.


                Lemon Meringue Cookies

Pin It! Have you ever tried a meringue cookie and loved it but you were too intimidated to try making them? Ya, that was me.The just look so pretty and complicated but I finally gave it a shot and they were pretty simple .I used fresh lemons that needed to be used up but you could use any flavor that you like . I am slightly ashamed yet impressed that my family ate this whole batch in one day haha
Ingredients
4 egg whites at room temperature
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 cup sugar
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Zest of 1 large lemon

Instructions
1.Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2.Beat room temp egg whites and salt for 2 minutes until they are frothy. If your using a Kitchenaid ,use the whisk attachment. If not beat with an electric mixer
3.Add sugar in one tablespoon at a time while mixer is on med -high
4.Add lemon juice and vanilla extract
5.Turn up the mixer to high and beat for about 7 minutes until mixture holds stiff peaks.
6.Gently fold in lemon zest until combined.
7.Spoon meringue mixture into pastry bag with a large star tip and pipe meringues onto a parchment lined baking sheet.TIP: DO NOT FILL BAG TO THE TOP! The meringue is full of air and when you squeeze the piping bag the mixture will expand and spill out of the top, I learned this the hard way ....duh Brittany!
8. Bake for 2 hours at 200 .At the end of the 2 hours turn the oven off and let the cookies sit for about 15 min in the oven until the meringues are dried out and have reached the perfect crispy texture

You can find these recipes and other great blog posts on The Freedom Fridays Link Up
Love Bakes Good Cakes

1.17.2014

Foodie Friday: Creamed Corn, Arroz Con Gandules,Orange Creamsicle Cookies

This weeks Foodie Friday is all about side dishes. Im a carb junkie and a side dish queen. If the sides are good enough chances are I will skip the main course.The first recipe on this weeks feature is for Creamed Corn...yum ! and to top off your excitement its a crock pot dish ---simple, comfort food!I know you are into it already,unless you are still on your "New Years Resolution" diet, if so sorry to entice you :( If not please join me in over indulging so I don't feel like I'm the only one haha

Creamed Corn 

Pin It! Ingredients:

3  cans whole kernel corn-drained
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried parsley ( plus more for garnish)
8 ounces cream cheese cubed
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into thin slices


Instructions:


  1. Place corn into a slow cooker with milk, sugar , pepper, and parsley . Stir to combine
  2. Top the corn with butter and cream cheese but do not Stir
  3. Cover and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours
  4. Uncover and stir until butter and cream cheese are well combined 
  5. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 15 minutes
  6. Garnish with parsley 
You've prob figured out by now that I LOVE mexican food, well not just mexican but any type of Latin food Spanish, Peruvian,Cuban, and especially Puerto Rican. I grew up with a very good friend who is Puerto Rican and I kinda weaseled my way into the family years ago and haven't left since. I mean who doesn't love big families and huge parties with tons of good food?!As I said before I am kinda obsessed with side dishes, especially carby ones.This is my absolute favorite Puerto Rican dish and luckily I am spoiled and Grandma makes it for me every time I visit! I have finally got it down and can make it for myself when I'm missing my Puerto Rican Fam so I thought I'd share it with you.You can get all the ingredients at your local Mexican market.

Arroz Con Gandules
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Ingredients:

2 cups grain rice (rinsed)
4-5 cups beef broth
½ cup sofrito 
16 ounce can of gandules 
1 tablespoon capers

1 tablespoon green olives (sliced)
2 packets of Sazon with achiote
1 can tomato sauce 
3 tablespoons  olive oil 
1 1/2  teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

1. In a largepot or deep pan add oil ,tomato sauce, sofrito, sazon, capers, and olives and cook on high heat for about 3-5 minutes2. Add  rice, gandules, salt, pepper and enough beef broth to cover the rice about 1 inch over the rice line Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until most of the broth is absorbed ( about 10 min)3. Once the broth has been absorbed, stir gently from bottom to top - once or twice only( if you stir more it will get too mushy) .Some of the rice will be stuck to the bottom on the pan and will be a little crispy. Puerto Ricans call that Pegao its really flavorful so at this point scrape it off the bottom with your spoon and stir well  
4. Turn heat to low ,cover, and cook for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.


This weeks sweet treat ORANGE CREAMSICLE COOKIES was really good as is and didn't need any tweaking so here is the link to the original recipe on Six Sisters Stuff .Check them out they have some great recipes.











While you're here don't forget to check out the Beauty Bag Nail Polish Swap that Kayla from Boy oh Mamas Boys and I are hosting. Its going to be a fun swap and a great way to get to know some new bloggers! Help us spread the word by sharing our link
Link Up

1.03.2014

Foodie Friday: Rainbow Cupcakes , Dark Chocolate Merlot Cupcakes








My Christmas present this year was my gorgeous boysenberry colored Kitchenaid Mixer which means lots and lots of upcoming baking .I've never been the New Years resolution type and especially not the "eat healthier in the new year" type . I'm a dessert junkie and that's just the way it is ;)









Needless to say,this Foodie Friday includes two delicious cupcake recipes that I whipped up for New Years Eve with the help of my trusty Sous Chef.She helped me bake up a batch of Rainbow cupcakes for the kids to eat and I mixed up some special cupcakes for the adults. The "grown up cupcakes " were dark chocolate & Merlot ..... It's ok to drool, they were as good as they sound!
 The base for the rainbow cupcakes is a basic vanilla cupcake.Once the batter is made up distribute evenly into 6 bowls . I have ramekins that are the perfect size so that's what I used. Add food coloring to each bowl of batter to make one bowl of each color of the rainbow: red,orange,yellow,green,blue,purple. Use cupcake liners in your cupcake pan and spoon small amounts of each colored batter into each cupcake liner. We started backwards (purple first and red last) so that when they baked up they would follow the colors of the rainbow. If you want even layers of each color I suggest using a piping bag to ensure uniformity. We went with the easy way and when we didn't get them perfect they turned into "tie-dye" cupcakes :) Here is the Vanilla cake recipe that we used. 

             Dark Chocolate Merlot Cupcakes

Ingredients:

cupcakes

1 1/8 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup milk (2% or higher)
3 tablespoons merlot
8 ounces of high-quality dark chocolate chips  



                                                           frosting

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
7 tablespoons merlot
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
melted chocolate for drizzle
chocolate sprinkles for topping
Instructions:
cupcakes
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees 

2.Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, powder and salt. Set aside. Line a cupcake tin with liners.
3.In a bowl, whisk egg, oil and sugar until together until smooth and no lumps remain.
4. Add melted butter, merlot and vanilla and mix until combined.
5. Add half of the dry ingredients, stirring to combine.
6. Add the milk then the remaining dry ingredients. Mix until batter until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips. 
7.Fill cupcake tins 3/4 of the way full and bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.
frosting
1.Beat butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy

2. Add in powdered sugar gradually (about 1/2 cup at a time) with the mixer on low speed, slowly increasing the speed until it's combined. 
3.Add in vanilla extract and merlot, then beat on medium-high speed until thick and fluffy ( about 5 min) 
4. Frost cupcakes and finish with chocolate sprinkles.
The flavor of the Merlot is delicious but not too strong so you could indulge in a glass of Merlot while enjoying your cupcakes ;)

Thank you for checking out this week's Foodie Friday post. If you try any of these recipes be sure to leave me a comment and let me know how you like it:)

12.06.2013

Foodie Friday: Crock-Pot Carnitas , Panini , Snickerdoodle Cookies

                       Crockpot Carnitas


This recipe for crock-pot carnitas is one of my families favorites. When I was working I would season and brown the roast at night, stick it in the fridge and put it all together in the morning , come home from work, shred the pork and voila dinner is served! We usually use the carnitas to make tacos or burritos but it would also make good quesadillas or enchiladas. Lime and cilantro are good toppings for these tacos the flavors compliment the pork very well.

Ingredients

2.5 lb pork roast ( trim all the fat off)
6 cloves of garlic cut in half
Cumin
Dry adobo seasoning
Garlic powder
1 cup chicken broth
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce ( omit if your family doesn't like spicy)
2 bay leaves

Instructions

1.Season pork with salt and pepper
2.Heat oil in a skillet and brown all sides of the roast ( usually about 10 minutes total)
   remove from heat and allow to cool
3.Season the pork with adobo, cumin, and garlic powder-I season pretty generously and then rub into the meat
4.Cut holes with the tip of the knife and insert the halved garlic cloves into the slits all over the roast
5.Add chicken broth, peppers, and bay leaves to the crock pot and set the roast on top cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours
6.Shred the pork using two forks
7.Remove the bay leaves and peppers and adjust seasoning as needed
8.Cook for an additional 15-30 minutes

             Last Minute Meal :Panini

Being stuck in a hotel for two weeks means a lot of eating out and frozen foods. We are stuck in the hotel for the next few days due to a crazy ice storm brrr!Rather than resorting to 3 days of hot pockets I whipped up a little panini for lunch. I have made these for dinner before with whatever ingredients I can scrounge up .
Earlier this week we bought some artichoke dip and pita chips so I substituted the dip for the pesto that I usually use. I have also used Italian dressing in the past when I was out of pesto. This is an easy meal and there are about a thousand different variations you can come up with.

Ingredients

Bread
Provolone cheese
Sliced tomato
Italian Seasoning
Pesto
Deli Meat ( I like chicken or turkey from the deli)

Instructions

1. Butter two slices of bread
2. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on the buttered side of the bread
3. Spread pesto on each piece of bread ( un-buttered side)
4. Place one piece of bread ( butter down ) in a skillet
5. Layer bread with provolone cheese,tomato, meat bread
6. Cover the bottom of a smaller pan with foil and place the pan directly on top of the sandwich ( this is your     make shift panini maker)
7. Cook for a few minutes until bread is golden brown then flip sandwich and cook until golden brown

              Snickerdoodle Cookies

 I love snickerdoodles and this is the best recipe I've tried so far.They are nice and chewy and the cinnamon sugar balance is perfect !

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For rolling:
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with an electric mixer on high speed. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth
  2. In another bowl, combine the flour, salt ,and baking soda
  3. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well
  4. Preheat oven to 300 degrees while you let the dough rest for 30 to 60 minutes in the refrigerator
  5. In a small bowl, combine the sugar with the cinnamon for the topping
  6. Take about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the dough and roll it into a ball. Roll this dough in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and press it onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat for the remaining cookies
  7. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes and no more.The cookies may seem undercooked, but will continue to develop after they are removed from the oven. When the cookies have cooled they should be soft and chewy in the middle


Thank you for checking out this week's Foodie Friday post. If you try any of these recipes be sure to leave me a comment and let me know how you like it:)








11.15.2013

Foodie Friday: Chicken Rollatini, Stuffed Spaghetti Squash,Lemon Ricotta Cookies

As you can probably tell based on last weeks Foodie Friday recipes, I'm pretty much obsessed with any type of cheesy ,buttery dish (I'm pretty sure I was meant to be a southern belle), This week I tried out this Chicken Rollatini recipe which is basically an inside out Chicken Parm minus the frying . It was a big hit with the whole family. This would be a good way to disguise veggies for those of you that have picky eaters to cook for :)

INGREDIENTS:

4 chicken breasts pounded thin
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
3 egg whites
1 package frozen spinach(squeeze out all of the water)
6 tbsp ricotta cheese
6 oz shredded Mozzarella
1 cup marinara sauce or fresh tomato topping

FRESH TOMATO TOPPING:
2 cups cherry tomato sliced in half
2 cups fresh spinach
1 tbsp chopped garlic

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Pound chicken breasts until they are thin enough to roll ( wrap them in saran wrap when you pound them to avoid the mess) and sprinkle with salt and pepper
2. Mix breadcrumbs and 2 tbsp of Parmesan cheese in a bowl and set aside
3. Whisk egg whites in a separate bowl and set aside
4. In a third bowl mix frozen spinach( with all of the water drained out of it),1/4 cup parmesan cheese,mozzarella cheese,ricotta cheese, and 3 tablespoons of your egg whites
5. spread mixture on the chicken breasts (thin and evenly)
6. Fold chicken breast over and secure with a 3 toothpicks ( each end and the middle)
7. Dipped the rolled up chicken into the egg mixture then into the bread crumbs
8. Bake at 450 for 25 minutes
9. Remove from oven and cover with sauce and more cheese if wanted . Broil until cheese is bubbly

I skipped the jar sauce and made a tomato mixture while the chicken was cooking
1. Heat a little bit of olive oil in a skillet
2. Add chopped garlic and tomato
3. Once the tomatoes have cooked down ( about 4 minutes) add the spinach and stir together so the spinach can wilt. Top your chicken with this mixture for a fresher alternative to marinara sauce


The  later part of the week I was having a pretty bad POTS flare up and didn't feel like being creative or having to cook an elaborate meal. Plus I had a few leftover ingredients from the chicken that I made earlier in the week. I've been wanting to try out Spaghetti squash for a while and bought one last week . So since I had the spaghetti squash and leftover cheese, sauce, and tomato I decided to try to throw something together. Here's a picture of my little concoction which turned out pretty good I must say :) It's so weird how much this squash looks like a bowl of pasta when you serve it

INGREDIENTS:
1 spaghetti squash cut in half
cherry tomatoes cut in half ( I prob used about 2 cups)
mozzarella cheese-as much as you want to top it with ( you've prob already figured out that my philosophy is the more the better)
a few tablespoons of marinara sauce
dry italian seasoning
garlic powder

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Cut the squash in half  . I cut it across the middle but I think it would cook faster if you cut it length wise ( top to bottom)
2. Drizzle each half with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
3. Place halves flesh side down in a pan with a few inches of water
4. Bake for 30-45 min at 350 . the squash should feel soft and it will be easy to scrape the "noodles" out of the squash with a fork
5. Mix the tomato, Italian seasoning, and marina into the squash (it'd prob be even better with fresh basil or oregano)
6. Top with cheese and broil til bubbly


A few years ago for Christmas I put together a Family Cookbook for my Great Grandma. I collected recipes from all the women in my family and used www.tastebook.com . The book is bound in a beautiful hardcover  and the format is really cool because you can insert photos and stories for each recipe. For example every year we go to my Great Grandparents and the boys pick the apples with Grandpa and the girls spend the day in the kitchen with GG (great-Grandma)baking  lots of goodies ; pies, breads, applesauce, apple crisp ect. So when I put my Great Grandma's apple pie recipe in the book I mentioned this tradition and inserted a photo of her baking and next to the apple sauce recipe there is a photo of my brother climbing the apple tree to get the highest apple. It turned out to be a great gift that we all still use. I would definitely checkout the website if you have a mom, aunt, sister or grandma that you want to give something special and sentimental to for Christmas. 

So the purpose of the long ramble about the cookbook is that I remembered my cousin putting in a recipe for lemon ricotta cookies and since I had ricotta left from the chicken recipe and some lemons on hand I decided to try them. I will admit I was a little leery of how ricotta in a cookie would turn out...imagine a lemony Madeline with a glaze on time...yummmm!


INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
15 oz ricotta cheese
4-5 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon zested
1 stick of butter softened

GLAZE:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon zested

INSTRUCTIONS:
1.In a bowl mix flour, baking powder, and salt. set aside
2. In a large bowl combine butter and sugar and mix with an electric mixture until fluffy
3. Beat in eggs one at a time
4. beat in ricotta, lemon zest, and lemon juice
5. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients
6. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop spoonfuls of batter onto cookie sheet
7. Bake @375 for 20-25 minutes until edges are golden brown
8. Leave cookies on hot baking sheets for about 20 minutes before transferring to cooling rack
9. Apply glaze to cookies using the back of a spoon

GLAZE INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Mix lemon juice, lemon zest, and powdered sugar in a bowl with a whisk.


Enjoy these fun recipes and if you get a chance to try them let me know what you think  
<3 Share your thoughts <3 Follow me on Bloglovin <3 Share your blog <3Thanks for reading <3



11.08.2013

Foodie Friday: Creamy Spinach & Sausage Pasta, Resurrection Rolls, Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

In honor of all of those "I really could use a nice hot meal but am too busy,sick, or tired" days I decided to dedicate my Friday posts to delicious meals that are quick and easy ! Because lets face it, most of the time we just don't have time or feel like slaving over the stove for hours ! This weeks post features a hot hearty meal and a couple of fall sweet treats :)                                                             




I tried out this Sausage and Spinach Skillet dish last night. Super simple one pot wonder that I will definitely be making again ....who doesn't love only having to wash one pan?!
Ingredients
  • 6 oz. smoked sausage 
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil 
  • 1 medium onion 
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes w/chiles 
  • 2 cups chicken broth 
  • 8 oz. pasta 
  • 3 cups fresh spinach 
  • 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded monterrey jack 
  • 1 whole green onion
Instructions
  1. Thinly slice the smoked sausage and add it to a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the sausage over medium heat until it is nicely browned (about 5-7 minutes). Drain off the excess fat.
  2. Dice the onion and add it to the skillet. Continue to saute until the onion has softened (about 5 minutes). Add the can of diced tomatoes with chiles and the chicken broth. Stir to combine and dissolve any browned bits off of the bottom of the skillet.
  3. Add the uncooked pasta to the skillet and make sure it is all submerged under the liquid. Place a lid on the skillet and allow the mixture to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about ten minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Stir once or twice while the pasta cooks to keep it from sticking.
  4. Stir in the fresh spinach, one cup at a time, until wilted. If you add it all at once, the skillet will be too full to stir. Keep the heat on while adding the spinach, so the liquid will continue to simmer and thicken.
  5. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top,i love ooey gooey cheesey goodness so i may have doubled that part ;) replace the lid, and let it sit for a few minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Slice the green onions and sprinkle them over top. Serve hot!

                                 CAN'T FORGET THE SWEET TREATS!

These Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies are to die for! They are the perfect fall treat and they are pretty simple to mix up.

Ingredients
3 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
½ teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 cup Butter, Softened
1 cup Sugar
½ teaspoons Salt
10 packages (.74 Oz Each) Apple Cider Drink Mix
2 whole Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
14 ounces, weight Package Of Caramel Squares

Instructions
In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside.
With your mixer, cream together butter, sugar, salt and all 10 packages of apple cider drink mix powder, until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well. Gradually add flour mixture into the butter/egg mixture, continuing to mix as you go. (I had to add a teeny bit more flour to make the dough less sticky). Mix until just combined.
Refrigerate dough for about an hour. It makes the dough SO much easier to work with.
When you are ready to bake, unwrap your caramels, and preheat oven to 350° F. Line cookie sheets with parchment. (You really need the parchment!).
Scoop out cookie dough balls that are about the size of a walnut. Flatten the ball of dough slightly in the palm of your hand. Press the unwrapped caramel into the center of your dough and seal the dough around it, covering it completely. Place the balls on the parchment covered cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
Bake 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges. Please don’t over-bake! Once the cookies are done, slide the parchment off of the baking sheet right out onto the counter. Allow cookies to partially cool on the parchment. When cookies are cool enough to be firm but still slightly warm, carefully twist them off of the parchment and allow them to finish cooling upside down (either on the parchment or on a rack.)
Makes roughly 4 dozen.

This is the perfect treat to have to kids help with. I've also heard to these being called "Rabbit in the Hat Rolls" and "Hocus Pocus Buns". The names all come from the magic that happens during the baking process. I personally love the resurrection rolls because it serves as a fun and delicious way to share scripture with little ones in a tangible way that they can understand and remember.

Ingredients
  • 1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
  • 8 large marshmallows
  • Melted butter
  • Cinnamon
  • Sugar

Instructions:

1.Dip a marshmallow in melted butter ( represents the body of Christ)
2.Roll the buttery marshmallow in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar (The oils and spices to prepare Jesus for burial)
3.Wrap the marshmallow in one triangle of Crescent Roll(The tomb) Seal really well. I also sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top
4.Bake according to the package directions
5. When the kids open the tomb Jesus is no longer there!

Enjoy these fun recipes and if you get a chance to try them let me know what you think  xoxo Britt

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