Snickerdoodles

Aaron's favorite cookie!

Snickerdoodles

2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Cream together the shortening, sugar and eggs at low speed. Gradually mix in the flour mixture until the batter becomes dough-like. Chill dough until easy to handle.

Mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough into balls and roll the balls in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place balls on a cookie sheet and flatten slightly.

Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes.

Gooey Butter Cake

Based on the name of this cake you ought to know whose recipe it is. Paula Deen's. It is definitely gooey and buttery. A rich treat!

Gooey Butter Cakes
From The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook

For the cake:
1 box of yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter, melted

Combine ingredients and mix well. Pat into a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Prepare filling.

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 stick butter, melted
16 oz. (or 3 3/4 cups) powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla. Add butter; beat. Add powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over cake mixture. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes. You want the center to be a little gooey, so do not overbake.

Notes and Variations:
1. You can leave out the butter (all of it) in the filling. It still tastes great but isn't quite as rich and gooey.
2. Add a can of pumpkin and some pumpkin pie spice to the filling.
3. Use chocolate cake mix and add chocolate chips to the filling.
4. Use chocolate cake mix and add 3/4 to 1 cup peanut butter to the filling.

Ebelskiver (Filled Pancakes)

This is one of the coolest things I know how to make. Have you ever heard of Ebelskiver? I hadn't either until several years ago when I saw this really cool pan at Williams-Sonoma and had to know what it was for. Turns out it makes fluffy little pancakes stuffed with whatever deliciousness you can dream up (fruit, jam, chocolate, etc.). Today I filled them with baked cinnamon apples. I make neither Ebelskiver nor baked apples very often, and each time I make either one I wonder why I don't make them more. Neither is that difficult and both are so tasty. See if you can get your hands on one of these pans and try them out!
 

Here they are cooking before being flipped.

And after being flipped.

And here are the tiny spatulas my mom bought to go along with them. Aren't they cute?

Ebelskiver (Filled Pancakes)
From Williams Sonoma

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 eggs, separated
2 cups milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for cooking
Fillings such as jam, peanut butter, chocolate or fruit
Syrup or whipped cream for serving

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in the milk and the melted butter. Whisk the yolk mixture into the flour mixture until well combined; the batter will be lumpy.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir the whites into the batter in 2 additions.

Put 1/4 teaspoon butter in each well of the pan. Set over medium high heat and heat until butter begins to bubble. Pour 1 tablespoon batter into each well. Put 1 teaspoon of the filling of your choice in the center of each pancake and top with 1 tablespoon batter. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Using 2 wooden skewers (or spatulas), flip the pancakes over and cook until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling. Serve immediately with syrup or whipped cream. Makes about 40.

Note: This makes a lot. You could easily halve the recipe.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

There are 2 things I really love about this recipe. First, it's a casserole that doesn't have any cream-of-whatever soup. I make plenty of recipes that do have canned cream soups in them, but to find a casserole that doesn't have any is a win. Second, it's really versatile. I'm already imagining how I can play around with the flavors of this dish. Ham and cheddar. Chicken-bacon-ranch. Taco seasoning and Rotel.

Chicken and Rice Casserole
From Culinary.net

• 2 cups cooked rice
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 1/2 cups cooked, chopped chicken breast meat
• 1 can (12 fluid ounces) Nestlé Carnation Evaporated Milk
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 1 tablespoon diced jalapeños
• Salt

Combine all ingredients; stir well. Pour into lightly greased 2-qt. casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Another Pinterest success story! I've declared my love of PB and chocolate before, and these did not disappoint. You can really taste the PB, and the chocolate layer has the perfect fudgy consistency. I don't know why I waited so long to make these. A definite keeper!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
From The Girl Who Ate Everything

1 box of yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 12 oz. package of chocolate chips
1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix the cake mix, melted butter, peanut butter and eggs in a mixing bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of the mixture and press the rest into a 9"x13" baking dish.

In a small pan melt the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and butter. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Spread the chocolate mixture over the peanut butter dough. Take clumps of the reserved peanut butter mixture and smash them into thin pieces. Place evenly over the top of the chocolate layer.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 325. Cool completely before cutting.

Coffee Creamer

Why buy expensive coffee creamer with strange chemicals in it when you can make your own in just minutes for 1/2 the cost?

Coffee Creamer
From Mrs. Happy Homemaker

14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
14 oz. milk, half-and-half or cream (I used milk)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a container with a tight lid. Shake vigorously to combine.

Notes:
1. I saved a store-bought creamer container, washed it in the dishwasher and used it to store my homemade creamer.
2. The expiration date of your creamer is the same as the expiration date of your milk/cream.
3. You'll need to shake this very well each time you use it.
4. Check out the link to the original recipe above. She posts a link to over a dozen different flavor variations. I tried the basic version first, but some of the variations sound delish!

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

Here's a little something I whipped up for girls' night. I can hardly call it a recipe - just a few yummy sweets dumped in a dish that taste super delish when combined.

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

1 box ice cream sandwiches (I used about 10)
1 jar hot fudge sauce
1 tub Cool Whip (I used the reduced fat store brand)
Crushed Oreos or other other cookies/candy

Line the bottom of a 9x13" dish with ice cream sandwiches. Pour hot fudge sauce over sandwiches and spread evenly. Spread Cool Whip over fudge sauce. Sprinkle crushed cookies over the top. Freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

Quiche

Aaron doesn't like recipes with baked eggs. So when he was going out of town I decided it was the perfect time to bake a quiche! I love quiche. Breakfast food in pie crust...what's not to love?

Quiche
From Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book

1 pie crust
4 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half, light cream or milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup chopped cooked ham (I used some ham and some bacon)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Prepare and roll out pie crust. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry. Trim; crimp edge as desired. Line unpricked pastry with a double thickness of foil. Bake at 450 for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 4-5 minutes more or until pastry is set and dry. Remove from oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 325.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl stir together eggs, half-and-half, salt and pepper. Stir in ham. In a small bowl toss together the cheese and flour. Add to egg mixture; mix well.

Pour egg mixture into hot, baked pastry shell. Bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Easiest Muffins Ever

I pinned this recipe on Pinterest ages ago and finally made these for breakfast last week. You couldn't ask for it to be any easier! There's no oil, butter or eggs in these. I think this is even a well-known Weight Watchers treat. Also, you can experiment with different cake flavors and add-ins. I used spice cake and added cinnamon chips.

Easiest Muffins Ever

1 box cake mix
1 can pumpkin
Add-ins such as chocolate or cinnamon chips or nuts

Thoroughly combine cake mix and pumpkin. Mix in add-ins. Spoon into paper-lined muffin tins. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until done.

Corn and Avocado Salad

I took this salad to a going-away lunch for a friend today. It was even yummier than I'd hoped it would be! This is my new favorite pot luck dish!

Corn and Avocado Salad
Adapted slightly from Picky Palate

5 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 lb. frozen corn, thawed (original recipe calls for kernels from 4 ears of fresh corn but I couldn't get fresh corn)
2 oz. cotija or feta cheese, crumbled
fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 large or 2 small avocados
kosher salt
pepper

After cooking bacon, remove all but about 1 tablespoon of the grease. Add corn to the pan. Cook over medium-high heat until slightly golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the cheese, cilantro (to taste), lime juice, bacon and salt and pepper (to taste). Stir to combine. Dice avocado and add to salad. Toss gently. If not serving immediately wait to add the avocado. Can be prepared beforehand (up until adding avocado) and stored in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

I think this recipe came into our family through my grandmother on my dad's side. However it arrived, I'm happy it did. It's delicious, rich and so simple. As this cake bakes, the cake rises to the top and a thick fudge pudding forms on the bottom.

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 3/4 cups hot water

Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar (white, not brown) and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder. Add milk and butter and stir until combined. Spread into an 8" square pan. Sprinkle the batter with the brown sugar and remaining cocoa powder. Pour the water over all. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Mona's Brownies

So legend has it that there was a beauty queen named Mona. I believe she was Miss Louisiana...or something like that. She was beautiful, but she couldn't cook worth a lick. But the one thing she could make were these scrumptious brownies. And so they became known as Mona's Brownies. They're perfect.

This is what Ezra thought of them...

And then all the sugar inspired him to hold a 15-minute dance party like this...

That's how good they are. The best.

Mona's Brownies

Cake:
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3 round tablespoons cocoa powder
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

Icing:
1/4 cup butter, melted
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/3 cup milk
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all cake ingredients together. Bake in a 9"x13" pan at 300 for 30 minutes. Mix all icing ingredients together and ice brownies while hot.

Salmon Dry Rub

Since I've forced myself to start eating (and, surprisingly, liking!) fish, we eat salmon for dinner about once a week for about 3 out of 4 weeks. Usually we Aaron grills it on a cedar plank. This recipe came on the wrapper of the plank and has quickly become our favorite. It's the perfect combo of salty and sweet and pairs perfectly with the cedar smoke flavor.

Salmon Dry Rub

2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon dried tarragon (optional, I left it out)

Place salmon, skin side down, on plank. Season with 3 tablespoons dry rub. Set plank on preheated grill and close lid. Grill 10-20 minutes or until salmon flakes easily.

Note: Store extra dry rub in pantry.

Hot Ham and Cheddar Sliders

I'm baaaaaaack!  Between tax season and a lack of cooking inspiration (trying to feed a picky toddler will do that to ya') I haven't posted a recipe in over 2 months! This is a good one to come back with.

I've seen these little sandwiches on several food blogs and they all rave about how tasty they are and great for parties. We were having some friends over for lunch after church a few Sundays ago and I was trying to find something that would be easy to pop in the oven as soon as we got home. I made these sandwiches the night before and then threw the sauce together right before cooking. They are really delicious and so simple. So good that I made some more for MOPS the next Friday and they were long gone before everyone made it through the serving line. Next time you need a good party food you should whip these babies up!

Hot Ham and Cheddar Sliders
Adapted from The Two Bite Club

12 Hawaiian rolls
sliced deli ham
sliced cheddar cheese
3/4 tablespoon mustard
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds

Slice rolls in half. (I left them all together and sliced at once.) Place the bottoms of the rolls in a 9x13 pan. Top with ham and then cheddar. Cover with tops of rolls. Mix remaining ingredients together in a small bowl. Spoon sauce over rolls and spread to cover. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake 2-3 more minutes.

Cincinnati Chili

This recipe popped up in my Food Network magazine this month. Back when we had cable and I watched Food Network constantly I would see them talk about Cincinnati chili from time to time. It always looked delicious, and the idea of chili over pasta intrigued me. I hope I'm not betraying my Texas roots, where chili is heavy on the chili powder and you might be excommunicated for putting beans in it. I still love Texas chili, but I wanted to branch out and give this a try. I really liked it! The unique spices made it different, and it was great comfort food on a chilly (pun intended) night.

Cincinnati Chili
From Food Network Magazine

Note: I only made half.

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 sweet onions, finely chopped, plus more for topping
2 pounds ground beef chuck
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound spaghetti, cooked
Pinto beans and grated cheddar cheese, for topping (I threw the beans into the chili while it cooked)
Oyster crackers, for serving (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the ground beef to the pot, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and return the cooked onions to the pot; stir in the garlic.

Combine the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, vinegar, chili powder, paprika, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, cloves and cayenne in a bowl; add to the pot along with 1 cup water and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until the chili is slightly thickened, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Serve the chili over the spaghetti; top with chopped onion, pinto beans and grated cheddar and serve with oyster crackers on the side. 

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Cookies

Once again I have Pinterest and MOPS to thank for this yummy recipe.  Pinterest for the inspiration, and MOPS for the excuse to bake.  These are the perfect amount of sweetness.  Enough to satisfy a craving, but not so sweet that you feel bad about eating them.  These are good any time of day, but especially for breakfast/brunch.

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Cookies
From Cookies and Cups

1 can crescent rolls (seamless, if you can find it)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar (I used powdered)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used the mini ones)

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until well mixed and creamy.  Set aside.

Unroll crescent rolls into a flat sheet.  Use your hands to pinch the seams together (if not seamless) and press it out to enlarge the rectangle just a bit.

Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over crescent dough.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Roll up the crescent dough and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

Unwrap roll of dough.  Slice into 1/4" slices and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.     

Shredded Beef Burritos

This is one of my mama's specialties.  Doesn't food always taste better when someone who loves you cooks it?  But mine turned out pretty fantastic cooking them all on my own.  You should definitely give these a try.

And can I take a moment to step on my soap box and talk about one of my food pet peeves?  Burritos are made with flour tortillas.  Enchiladas are made with corn tortillas.  Know the difference, people!  Especially if you call yourself a Texan.

Shredded Beef Burritos
From Joanna Knox via Jackie Adams

2-3 lbs. beef chuck roast
1 cup water
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced (or about 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 1/2 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 can Rotel tomatoes
burrito-size flour tortillas
cheddar cheese, grated
1 can enchilada sauce

Brown meat in dutch oven.  Add water, tomatoes, vinegar and spices.  Cook (covered) until meat begins to fall apart (about 3 hours).  Remove lid and let the water cook out, stirring occasionally (about 30 min - 1 hr).  Shred meat with forks.  Stir meat back into the dutch oven with the remaining juices and seasonings (don't let that good flavor go to waste!).  Wrap meat and a little cheese in tortillas.  Place burritos in a greased baking dish.  Cover with enchilada sauce and sprinkle with more cheese.  Bake at 350 until hot and bubbly.   

BBQ Pot Roast

I've had this recipe pinned for a long time.  What was I waiting for?  This was delicious!  I really loved the BBQ sauce.  Perfectly sweet and tangy.  This came from one of my fave food blogs - Plain Chicken.  She served this with cheddar ranch grits.  That sounds pretty fantastic to me, but Aaron isn't a fan of grits, so I opted for cheddar ranch mashed potatoes instead.  I don't have a recipe for that.  I just mashed potatoes with butter (duh!), sour cream, ranch dressing mix and grated cheddar.

BBQ Pot Roast
From Plain Chicken

garlic powder
salt
pepper
1 4-5 lb. roast
1 12 oz. can of Coke
1 12 oz. bottle of chili sauce
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons hot sauce (I used chipotle flavored)
3 tablespoons cornstarch    
1/4 cup milk

Place roast in slow cooker and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Combine Coke, chili sauce, worcestershire sauce and hot sauce in a bowl.  Pour sauce over roast.  Cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 8-9 hours.

Remove roast from slow cooker, reserving juices in slow cooker.  Cover roast with foil to keep warm.

Dissolve corn starch in milk.  Stir mixture into reserved juices in slow cooker.  Cook on high for 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.  Serve sauce over roast.   

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

My first ever Pioneer Woman recipe!  Probably not as good as her famous cinnamon rolls, but probably not near as bad for you either.  This recipe looked delicious in her pics and it looked easy to make.  Win, win!  It made for a quick supper and was pretty tasty to boot.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake
Adapted very slightly from The Pioneer Woman

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomato (I used fire roasted)
8 oz. egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream (I use light)
1 1/4 cups cottage cheese (I use light)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Brown beef with the onion.  Drain off the fat.  Add tomato sauce and diced tomato to the beef.  Add salt, pepper and whatever other spices you like as well.  Stir well.  Simmer while you prepare the noodles.  Cook the noodles according to package directions.  Combine sour cream and cottage cheese.  Mix sour cream mixture into the noodles once cooked and drained.  Layer 1/2 of the noodles in a greased casserole dish.  Top with 1/2 the meat mixture and 1/2 the cheese.  Repeat layers.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Breakfast Cookies

Here's another Pinterest success story!  Ezra has decided to go on strike against oatmeal.  Well, he never ate real oatmeal, just baby oatmeal.  I tried stirring a few spoonfuls of my regular oatmeal into his, hoping that the idea would catch on.  Instead he decided he wouldn't have any of it.  So I decided to go ahead and try this recipe that I pinned a while back.  Thankfully he loved these and can't get enough! 

Breakfast Cookies
Adapted from Watching What I Eat

2 ripe bananas, mashed (or pureed in the food processor - easier!)
1/3 cup peanut butter, creamy or chunky
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups quick oatmeal, uncooked
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Mix the banana and peanut butter until completely combined.  Add the applesauce and vanilla and mix again.  Stir in the remaining ingredients.  Let dough rest for 10 minutes.  Drop dough by spoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.  Flatten cookies a little bit.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, give or take depending on how done you'd like them.  Allow to cool 5 minutes before removing.  Store in an air-tight container.

Note: One of the comments on the original recipe said you could use a can of pure pumpkin instead of banana.  You may need to add a little more oats.  Also, try adding some cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.    

Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots

I saw this idea on Pinterest and thought I would try it out with my lunch today.  I was hopeful that Ezra would like them since they look very similar to sweet potato fries, which he loves, but he wouldn't try them.  Boo.  I'll try again later.

Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots

I'm not going to give measurements because it's really all to your own taste and depends on how much you want to make.

carrots
olive oil
salt
balsamic vinegar
honey

Toss carrots in oil and salt.  Place on baking sheet.  Roast at 400 for 20 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice so they don't stick and all sides roast evenly.  Remove from oven and drizzle with vinegar and honey.  Stir to coat evenly.  Return to the oven for about 5 minutes.

Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes with Cookies and Cream Frosting

I made these cookies for Ezra's 2nd birthday last Friday!  I can't believe my tiny baby is already 2!  The way he eats cupcakes really hasn't changed much since his first birthday.  He looks at it for a minute, deciding if it's ok to eat, and then he stuffs it all in his face and slowly works it into his mouth.  Funny kid!  There was no doubt he enjoyed these, and his daddy and I did too!

Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes with Cookies and Cream Frosting
From Baked Perfection

For the cupcakes:
1 package chocolate cake mix
1 package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream (I used 2% Greek yogurt instead)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups chopped Oreo cookies

In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mix, sour cream/yogurt, oil, vanilla extract, eggs, and water. Gently stir in the Oreos and divide batter into 24 lined muffin cups.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before icing.

For the frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
12 Oreo cookies, finely chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Beat butter and cream cheese with until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add salt and vanilla; mix until smooth. Gently stir Oreos into the frosting. Frost cupcakes as desired. Store any remaining frosting in the fridge.   

Breakfast Pizza

This is a nice little recipe because you can change it to suit your own taste and it works for breakfast, lunch or dinner! 

Breakfast Pizza
Adapted from Cooking Light

1 package reduced-fat crescent roll dough
1 cup chopped ham
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup shredded frozen hash browns, thawed
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup egg substitute

Open crescent rolls.  Press all seams together to form a large rectangle.  Fold up the edges to form a crust.  Top with ham, pepper, hash browns and cheese.  Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl.  Pour egg mixture over pizza.  Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Is it any surprise that I would try this recipe?  No.  And is it any surprise that the next time I make these I will definitely be adding more peanut butter?  No.  What is surprising is that there is still dough left in my refrigerator to bake later and that I haven't eaten it all yet.  (I only made half a batch!)

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
From The Girl Who Ate Everything

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (I would add more, maybe cut back a smidge on the butter)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips     

In a small bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

Cream butter, sugar and peanut butter until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.  Slowly add flour mixture and mix until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips. 

Roll cookie dough into balls.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. 
 

Sesame Chicken

Happy New Year!  Yes, I realize I'm a week late.  I don't really do resolutions, but I hope to get back to trying more new recipes.  Here's one that I tore out of my Food Network Magazine ages ago and finally got around to trying.  I don't cook Asian food very often at all, so this was a nice change!

Sesame Chicken
Adapted from Food Network Magazine

5 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
4 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 1/4 lbs. chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
3 teaspoons canola oil
1 green onion, thinly sliced (original recipe calls for more)
1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons sugar
3-4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon chili paste (all I could find was chili sauce in the Asian food section - don't know if this is the same or not, it could have used more to be a little spicier)
cooked brown rice, for serving (optional)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (I left these out because I didn't want to spend $5 for a huge container just to get 2 tablespoons)

Whisk 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil the honey in a bowl. Toss in the chicken and marinate 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the marinade using a slotted spoon. Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in 2 batches, turning once or twice, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Heat the remaining teaspoon canola oil in the skillet. Add the green onion and the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Whisk the broth, sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, chili paste and the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce in a bowl; add to the skillet and cook, stirring, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil.

Return the chicken to the skillet with the sauce and heat through. Serve the chicken over brown rice, if desired. Top with the sesame seeds.