pretty in pink

I recently found a new blog to follow - My Baking Addiction.  I happened by this blog when searching for a recipe for raspberry lemon cupcakes.  At a local bakery in my hometown I had the pleasure of enjoying a cupcake I wanted to replicate.  This recipe is very close.  Like a friend and taste-taster told me - I needed just a little more raspberry taste to the icing.  I think I have a quick fix for that next time I make these.  Not only do these cupcakes taste great, but they are also very pretty.  My daughter's words were "OMG!" when she provided me with her review. 
Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes

makes approximately 24 cupcakes

For the Cake
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
lemon zest from two lemons
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
Read more »

Cupcakes, Glorious Cupcakes

I have the itch to make more cupcakes!
 Recipe for these in a future post....Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes.

healthy start to the day

I got out some pretty antique glassware to serve this layered, crunchy treat.  I love McDonald's Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait.  I have tried to replicate this several times without luck.  Finding the right yogurt has been the issue.  When I saw this recipe for Strawberry Yogurt Crunch, in yet another children's cookbook, it caught my eye for it's appearance and ease.  I have to say this is the closest I have gotten to the McDonald's version.  The yogurt is still not what I'm looking for.  Honey really adds the sweetness you need.  I substituted almonds for the pumpkin seeds.  You could swap strawberries for favorite fruits such as blackberries, blueberries, bananas and peaches.  These parfaits would also be delicious for dessert!



Ingredients:
1 cup whole strawberries
4 tbsp fresh orange juice
2/3 cup whole oats
3 tbsp sunflower seeds
3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2-3 tbsp clear honey
12 tsp thick plain yogurt

Cut stems and leaves from strawberries.
Thinly slice the fruit.
Put strawberries in a bowl and add orange juice.
Set aside.

Put oats in a non-stick skillet.
Toast over a medium-low heat for 3 minutes.
Turn oats occasionally with a wooden spoon.

Add sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
Substitute, as desired.
Toast mixture for 2 minutes or until light golden.
Take care-the pumpkin seeds may pop a little.

Take pan off the heat.
Stir in the honey-it will sizzle at first.

Keep stirring until the oats and seeds are coated.
Allow to cool slightly.

Put a layer of oats in the bottom of each glass.

Add 2 heaped spoonfuls of yogurt.
Add fruit.

Add another layer of each.



SOURCE:  Graimes, Nicola. "Strawberry Yogurt Crunch." Recipe. Kid's Fun and Healthy Cookbook. New York: DK Publishing, 2007. 24-25.

Last

                Kids' Fun and Healthy Cookbook, is a wonderful collection of recipes, quick lessons to make healthy kids’ food and interesting food facts. The cookbook includes food group basics, up to date information about healthy foods and nutrients, and pointers for planning healthy diets for kids. The book will make a great addition to a household looking for preschooler-friendly meals that also happen to be healthy.                  

dirty rice

This is one of those recipes I've had tucked in my collection for many years.  It's been prepared and enjoyed many times.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure who I can give credit to for this delicious and simple dish....Dirty Rice.  I asked my sister, Debbie, tonight if she knew where it came from because I vaguely remember her sharing it with me.  Debbie is fairly certain that this recipe for Dirty Rice was on the back of the Zatarain's box at one time.  Presently or in the near distant past, the recipe has not been on the back of the box.  Well, I might never know where this Dirty Rice recipe came from, but I am certain it is worthy of sharing with you, my blog readers.  Serve it as the main course or as a side dish.  With the upcoming Super Bowl...Dirty Rice would also make a great snack.  The one thing you need to do for sure is serve it with tortilla chips.  You decide if you want to dip the chip or crush the chips and mix with the dirty rice mixture.  

Dirty Rice
1 box New Orleans Style (Zatarain's) Dirty Rice Mix
1 pound ground beef
1 can diced rotel
1 can black beans, drained
In a large skillet, cook ground beef and drain.  Prepare rice according to directions on the back of the box.  When rice is cooked, add the diced rotel and black beans.  Simmer until liquid is absorbed.  Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Sticky Buns

The first time I had these Sticky Buns was at school several years ago.  My friend, Marla, brought these to share in the teacher's lounge and luckily she shared the recipe.  These Sticky Buns have made numerous appearances at my house since that day!  They are unbelievably easy!  You make these rolls the night before...leave them out and covered to rise...bake the next morning.  The original recipe does not include the raisins.  I added these to the mix because my husband loves raisins! 

• 24 frozen Rhodes rolls
• 1 box butterscotch pudding---NOT instant kind
• 1 1/2 sticks margarine
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• nuts, optional

Place frozen rolls in a greased, bottom only, 9x13 pan. Sprinkle dry pudding mix over rolls. 

Combine margarine, brown sugar and cinnamon in saucepan.  Boil until sugar is dissolved.  Pour over rolls.  Add nuts or other ingredients such as raisins.

Cover with plastic wrap and leave on counter overnight.

The next morning, bake rolls at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Invert pan onto serving tray immediately after removing pan from oven.

NOTE:  I spray the plastic wrap with cooking spray before covering rolls.



cheeseburger soup

It was a perfect day for soup.  We had seven inches of snow in the last 24 hours so school was called off.  I had to travel to town for errands but wanted to make it quick so I decided the grocery store would not be one of my stops.  The question was - "What soup can I make with the ingredients I already have in my pantry and freezer?"  I looked through the Big Book of Soup to discover I had all the ingredients to make Cheeseburger Soup.  I also had the ingredients to make homemade corn muffins - a perfect compliment to the soup. 

Cheeseburger Soup

1/2 pound ground beef

3/4 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup shredded carrots

3/4 cup diced celery

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

4 tablespoons butter, divided

3 cups chicken broth

4 cups diced peeled potatoes

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 ounces process cheese (Velveeta), cubed

1 1/2 cups milk

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup sour cream

In a 3-qt. saucepan, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside.  In the same saucepan, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.



Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.



Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter.  Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly.  Add to soup; bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to low.  Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts.  Remove from the heat; blend in sour cream. 

SOURCE: Taste of Home. "Cheeseburger Soup." Recipe. Big Book of Soup. St. Greendale: Reiman Media Group, Inc., 2008. 69.

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pizza party

The grandchildren and I made homemade miniature pizzas recently.  It was a surprise dinner for Pa Pa one evening.  They had a blast!  We made a mess and had a few arguments about who was going next but overall the "pizza party" was a success!  The recipe came from a kid's cookbook, you, my blog readers have read about before...Williams-Sonoma-Cooking Together.

PIZZA PARTY
-------------------------
for the dough
Lukewarm water  1 1/4 cups
Active dry yeast  1 package (2 1/2 teaspoons)
Sugar  1 tablespoon
All-purpose flour  3 cups, plus extra for sprinkling
Salt  1 tablespoon
Olive oil  2 tablespoons, plus extra for the bowl

for the toppings 
Jarred tomato sauce  15-ounce jar
Fresh mozzarella cheese  16 ounces
Sliced salami, mushrooms, bell peppers,
and olives, and basil leaves
------------------------------------
Makes 4-6 pizzas


PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 500 DEGREE F.  TO MAKE THE DOUGH, POUR THE WATER INTO THE BOWL OF A STAND MIXER, SPRINKLE WITH THE YEAST AND SUGAR, AND LET STAND UNTIL FOAMY, ABOUT 5 MINUTES.  ADD THE FLOUR, SALT, AND OLIVE OIL AND BEAT ON LOW SPEED UNTIL A ROUGH, SHAGGY DOUGH FORMS, ABOUT 5 MINUTES.

--Sprinkle a work surface with a little flour and dump the dough onto the surface. 
Knead with your hands until the dough is smooth and not sticky, about 5 minutes.
Shape the dough into a ball.  Oil a bowl with olive oil, put the dough in the bowl,
and turn it to coat it with the oil.  Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel.  Let the dough
rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

--Punch down the dough.  Divide it into 4 fist-sized balls.  Sprinkle a baking sheet with
flour, place the balls on it, and cover with a kitchen towel.  Let rise until doubled in
size, about 30 minutes.  Sprinkle the work surface with four.  Press each ball to deflate,
then flatten and stretch it into a 10-inch round.  Transfer the rounds to 2 rimmed baking
sheets.  Spread each with tomato sauce and top with cheese and other toppings of your
choice.

BAKE UNTIL THE CHEESE HAS MELTED AND THE CRUST IS CRISP AND GOLDEN,
10-15 MINUTES.  CUT INTO WEDGES AND SERVE.

Gruyere....a fan!

I'm not a big fan of white sauce, but when a friend recently shared this recipe with me...I quickly became a fan.  I had never heard of the cheese...Gruyere.  If there is one thing I have learned lately - I have a lot to learn about all the different cheeses on the market.  When I peruse the shelves in the Sam's Warehouse, I'm always amazed at all the different varieties.  You can usually find American, Mozzarella, Pepper Jack, Baby Swiss and Monterrey Jack - and of course Velveeta in our refrigerator but it would be a surprise to find Gruyere.  I was shocked to see the price of this cheese but it goes along way.  My friend, who is the principal at the elementary school where I teach, shared this recipe with me after the holiday.  Her approach was a recipe to make using left-over ham.  Luckily, I had put some ham in the freezer so I was ready last evening when my husband and I prepared this dish together.  We had leftovers tonight and will have our last chance to enjoy this delicious pasta dish at lunch tomorrow.  We prepared too much pasta during the first batch so tonight we made another pan of sauce to mix with our leftovers.  It was perfect!

Gruyere and Ham Pasta
(SOURCE:  Della Bell)

2 tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp each dried thyme and pepper
2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 cups milk
1-1/2cups shredded Gruyere cheese
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 package bowtie pasta
2 cups cubed ham
1 small package frozen peas, thawed


 

 Sprinkle with flour; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Whisk in milk; cook, whisking, until thick enough to coat spoon,

 about 7 minutes.

Stir in cheese and mustard; cook, stirring, until melted. 

  Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta
 until tender but firm, about 8 minutes. Drain and return to pot.

Add sauce, peas, and ham and tomatoes; toss to combine.

You can add 2 cups of chopped, fresh spinach and

halved, grape tomatoes in the final step.

little kids and little frittatas

Williams-Sonoma Cooking Together Cookbook

To inspire creativity in cooks of all ages, author Erin Quon developed and taste-tested a medley of kid-pleasing recipes with an enthusiastic young chef: her five-year-old daughter, Tatum. The playful result is a cookbook featuring 37 delicious recipes that kids aged four to eight can prepare with just a little help from their favorite adults. Teaching children to cook as part of an efficient team, recipes are divided into grownup and kid-appropriate tasks that can be adapted to suit your child's age and skill level. Whimsical illustrations and icons engage little cooks' imaginations while helping them to clearly understand steps and ingredients. Recipe highlights include French toast skewers with blueberry sauce; mini burgers with sweet potato fries; apple-peanut butter pizzas; and frosty orange yogurt pops. (Source: Quon, Erin & Tatum. "Little Frittatas." Recipe. Cooking Together: Williams-Sonoma. Menio Park: Oxmoor House, 2009. 19-20.)


My two year old granddaughter and 4 year old grandson made "Little Frittatas" on page 19.  Elmo came along for the fun!  The best part was enjoying our breakfast together.  This is the second thing we've made from "Cooking Together" cookbook and my grandchildren have loved both.  Check later for a post about Pizza Party where we made individual pizzas using a recipe from this same cookbook.

little frittatas
makes 12 mini frittatas
Olive Oil
2 tablespoons
Small baking potatoes
2, peeled and diced
Breakfast sausage
10-ounces, casings removed
large eggs
4
milk
1/4 cup
grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup

-Preheat oven to 375 degree F.
-Line a 12-cup mini-muffin pan with paper liners.
-In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil.  Add the potatoes and saute' until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Crumble in the sausage meat and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 6 minutes.  Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool slightly.
-In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and cheese until blended.  Stir in the cooled sausage and potatoes.
-Scoop the mixture into the lined muffin cups, dividing it evenly.
-Bake until firm and doubled in size, 10-15 minutes.  Let cool slightly in the pan before serving.

OUR NOTES:  I had some southern hash browns on hand so we substituted those for the small baking potatoes.  This made it a little easier with small kids.  We used regular sausage instead of links.  I set the oven timer for 10 minutes and checked at 8 minutes.  The little frittatas were finished.  My advice...watch the baking time closely. 

Whisk eggs.

Fry sausage and potatoes in olive oil.

Take turns with the help of Elmo.

 Add milk and whisk some more.   

Scoop into lined muffin cups.  He did an awesome job!

Finished product!  They are yummy according
to my grandchildren.  I agree!