Caramel Marshmallow Popcorn

There are some days where you just need a treat. You know those super long, frustrating, I've had it with life kind of days? Yep. One of those. With two small children, I've had my fair share of frustrating days. Once I get my little munchkins down for bed, occasionally I'll make a quick batch of this tasty popcorn and sit down with my hubby and watch a show and snuggle on the couch. It's the perfect quick treat. Thank you pinterest for the recipe!

Caramel Marshmallow Popcorn

(Recipe originally found on Pinterest. I tried to locate the actual site that the recipe had come from, but couldn't find it. I found a lot of similar ones, but not quite the same...)

Ingredients


12 cups popped popcorn (1 regular sized bag of microwave popcorn)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
10 large marshmallows (not those new super sized, as large as my face ones ... just the old large ones)


Directions: 
(Microwave times may vary depending on your microwave. These are what worked for me)



1. Pop the popcorn
2. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and brown sugar for 2 minutes. It should be bubbly and looking like caramel.
3. Add the marshmallows and cook until melted. My microwave only took 1 minute, but the recipe said 2-2 1/2 minutes. Just keep your eye on it. You don't want to over cook the marshmallow and have it super tough
4. Pour over popcorn and mix well. Try to avoid kernels when you put the popcorn in a bowl, they aren't very fun to randomly bite into. :)
5. Wait about 5 or so minutes and dig in!

Vegetarian (or not) Tin Foil Dinners

When camping in the summer, or even quick dinners at home, I love tin foil dinners! They are so easy and you can easily customize them per person. As a vegetarian, I'm always looking for delicious and filling ideas for tin foil dinners. Most of them I've seen are pretty basic meat and potato varieties. While looking around, we stumbled across this recipe. I've made them a few different times, and they are pretty tasty!




Gourmet Vegetarian (or not) Tin Foil Dinners
(Original recipe found at theveggie-fullkitchen.blogspot.com. The recipe can be found here)

Basil Balsamic Marinade
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:
Combine ingredients and whisk until incorporated.

Tin Foil Dinners
Basil Balsamic Marinade
1 red bell peppers, chopped into bit sized pieces
1 zucchini, sliced into bite sized pieces
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced (or white button mushrooms work well too)
1/2 large onion, diced
16 ounce bag of frozen, southern style hash browns, thawed
Salt and pepper to taste
**Optional: Chicken, cubed. (My husband and children like chicken in theirs, so I double the basil marinade when I make it and marinate the chicken in one bag and the mushrooms in another)

Directions:
1. Combine the marinade and the mushrooms (and chicken if you want it) and allow to sit in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
2. Tear approximately 12 inch sheets of aluminum foil
3. On the dull side, layer the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the bell peppers, zucchini, onion and mushrooms (and cubed marinated chicken if you want it).
4. Drizzle a little of the leftover marinade over the top.
5. Fold the aluminum foil in half and roll it down tightly to keep any steam in. Do the same on the remaining two sides.
6. Cook in a fire pit on coals or briquettes. 
7. Cook for about 20 minutes or until they are cooked through. The time will vary depending on how hot your coals are and how full your packets are.
8. If you want to bake your foil dinner in the oven, bake it in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes.
9. Enjoy!

Stuffed Zucchini

Zucchini season is just about here, and I know I need all the zucchini recipes that I can get my hands on! I know this isn't the best picture, but these were really tasty!

Stuffed Zucchini 
(Original recipe on www.kayotic.nl/blog. The recipe can be found here)

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp sour cream
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
Mesquite seasoning
1/2 tomato
1 tsp thyme
2 zucchini's
1 onion
cheese
pepper

Optional: Bacon

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Give the zucchini a good scrub and then slice them in half lengthwise. You can trim the ends if you like. I didn't, I like them to stay whole. They hold together better.

Scoop out the zucchini guts and set aside. Leave about 1/2" of the flesh inside, or they will get pretty flimsy. 
  
Chop up the zucchini pulp, onion and half a tomato. The recipe uses the tomato more for the color than the flavor. If you use too much of the tomato, it might get a little too runny.

Saute the onions in about a tablespoon of butter or olive oil. When the onions are nearly finished, add the mesquite seasoning and cook everything for an additional 30 seconds. I would go easy on the seasoning, a little goes a long way. You can always add more! When they are done, transfer them to a big bowl. 

If you wanted to add bacon, cook that now in the pan you just used for the onions. If you would rather not, then just skip this step. The original blogger said she liked the crunch and saltiness that the bacon added.

Now add the remaining ingredients (minus the cheese) to the onions. 1 tsp dried thyme, 1/4-1/2 tsp salt, 1 heaping tablespoon sour cream, a good pinch of pepper, the zucchini pulp, the tomato and crumble the bacon in if you cooked some.

Lightly butter or spray a baking dish and put the zucchini boats in the dish. Grab a spoon and fill the shells with the mixture. Sprinkle some cheese on top.

Put them in the preheated oven and give them about 20 minutes and then turn on the broiler until the cheese is golden brown. Sprinkle some parsley on top and you are done!

Triple Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Sadly, a couple of weeks ago my hard drive crashed taking with it all of my email (which had a folder full of recipes!) and everything else I needed to work. Luckily, all of my photos were saved on my external hard drive! I just got it back up and running again, it needed a new hard drive, and it is much happier now! To celebrate, I thought I'd post a recipe for some DELICIOUS cupcakes! Seriously, if you like caramel, you will love these. They are amazing. They are a little time consuming, but well worth the effort!

Triple Salted Caramel Cupcakes
(original recipe can be found at www.sprinklebakes.com)

Cupcakes: 
 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin tins with papers.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Cream butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until pale fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add vanilla. Mix and scrape down sides of bowl as needed.

Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about halfway full. Bake for about 25 minutes. When done, transfer pans to wire racks and cool 10 minutes. Turn cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.

Salted Caramel Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons salted butter, cubed
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream, at room temperature

Melt the sugar over medium high heat in large pot. Whisk the sugar as it melts and cook until it becomes a deep amber color. Add the butter and stir it in until melted. Pour in the heavy cream (mixture will foam) and whisk until you get a smooth sauce. You may have some lumps, but keep stirring until they have melted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. 

Cut a small round piece out of the tops of each cooled cupcake and pour in 1 teaspoon of caramel. Replace the cake piece and set cupcakes aside. 
 




Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 stick salted butter
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a saucepan, stir together granulated sugar and water.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Cook without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color.  Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until very smooth.  Let caramel cool for about 20 minutes, until it is just barely warm and still pourable.

In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and salt together until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the caramel. Beat on medium high speed until light and airy, and completely mixed (about 2 minutes). Mixture should be ready to use without refrigeration. If your caramel was too hot when added, it will cause your icing to be runny. If this happens refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. 

Top caramel-filled cupcakes with frosting. 

Grilled Balsamic-Garlic Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Grilled Balsamic-Garlic Marinated Pork Tenderloin

(Original recipe found at www.kitchenconfidante.com. The recipe can be found here)

 Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp canola oil (if preparing in oven)

Directions:

Stir together garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl. Put in large ziplock bag and all the pork. If you have the time, marinate overnight. If not, let it marinate for at least an hour. It will still be great!

Grill preparation:
Sear the tenderloins on all sides, then grill for about 20-30 minutes, rotating every 10 minutes, until the internal temperature is 145-150 degrees. Let it rest for a minimum of 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Oven preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat canola oil in a large, heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Add pork, and brown all over, about 4 minutes.
Transfer pan to oven. Roast pork, turning occasionally, until the internal temperature is 145-150 degrees, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board, and let it rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.

 

Here it is sliced ... 

   

Ingredients:

Roasted Cabbage

Throughout the year, my bountiful basket comes with a lot of cabbage. I try and go through it as quickly as I can, but I can only make so many cabbage salads and cabbage slaw's before I get bored. I decided to make it as a plain old vegetable side dish. I chopped it up in large chunks and left the core to hold it together. I put it on a baking dish and roasted it until it was just barely crispy. It was delicious! Even my husband loved it. I will definitely be making more with my plentiful cabbage heads in my baskets this year.

Roasted Cabbage

Ingredients:

1 head cabbage
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper
Garlic powder

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Chop up the cabbage in large chunks. Make sure to leave the core so the cabbage doesn't fall apart.
3. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Toss to coat.
4. Arrange cabbage on a baking sheet and roast until the edges are just crispy, roughly 20 or so minutes. Just keep checking on it.
Serve warm!

Seriously Delicious, Extreme Chocolate Chunk Brownies

 Okay, I need to admit something. I prefer boxed brownies over homemade. There, I said it. Every homemade brownie I've ever had has sadly just been a little dry and disappointing. It just doesn't make me want to eat a second one. I stumbled across this recipe and the original blogger posted that she also prefers boxed brownies, but fell in love with these! I knew at that point, I had to try them.

I kid you not, these (remember, I don't generally like homemade brownies) are so good! They beat out boxed brownies, by a LOT!

I've made them a few times now, and each time I've served them, they've been a huge hit. If you like chocolate, try them. You'll like them.

 

 "Good Ol' Homemade Brownies"

(Recipe found at bunsinmyoven.com. Original recipe can be found here)

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

2 1/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter or spray a 9x13 baking dish.

2. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter completely. Stir in sugar and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not allow sugar mixture to boil. 

3. Pour butter mixture into a large bowl or stand mixer, beat in cocoa powder, eggs, salt, baking powder and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. 

4. Stir in the flour and chocolate chips until well combined.

5. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, until a tester comes out mostly clean. (Sometimes mine can take up to 10 minutes longer). The edges should be set and the center should still look slightly moist, but not uncooked. Cool on a wire rack.  

6. Top with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Disney's Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I guess I should get back to this blogging business! It's been a long time, and I've sort of been stuck in a cooking rut. I've made a few new things here and there, but nothing felt blog worthy. I will play catch up to what I've missed and hopefully now that it's getting warmer, I'll get excited to try new things again!

After a week long vacation to Disneyland with my family, I thought I would share some tasty Disneyland favorites!



Disney's Loaded Baked Potato Soup
(Thank you Disney Parks Blog! Original recipe can be found here)

Serves 6

1 pound bacon, roughly chopped (I found this to be optional. Maybe because I am a vegetarian. :) I just cooked some on the side for my husband and kids and let it be a topping)
**4 Tbsp butter ** (Because I omitted the bacon from the actual recipe and used it as a topping instead, I needed a fat for the veggies to cook in and the flour to combine with to make a roux. I used butter instead.)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
3/4 cup celery, diced
4 large Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 medium red potatoes, diced
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Coarse salt and pepper to taste
4 cups heavy whipping cream (Okay...I did try this the first time, but had a hard time eating it knowing how much cream was in it. The next time I went down one step and used half and half and couldn't even tell the difference. Next time I am just going to use milk. It has a roux in it so it will thicken up nicely)

Optional garnishes: chopped chives, bacon bits, sour cream, shredded cheese and scallions

1. In a 6-8 quart stock pot over medium heat, fry bacon until crisp (or melt butter if using butter instead)
2. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving half for garnish. In bacon fat, cook onions, carrots and celery until the onions are translucent. Add potatoes and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Whisk in flour and stir constantly over low heat until the flour is cooked and the mixture has thickened slightly, (about 5-7 minutes). Add stock and half the bacon. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Over medium-high heat, bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Mash some of the potatoes for a thicker, creamier texture. Add the cream (or half and half/milk) and simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust thickness by adding water or stock. Soup should have a creamy consistency.
6. Season to taste and garnish with toppings.

Buca Di Beppo Apple Gorgonzola Salad with Italian Vinaigrette

I am a vegetarian. I love vegetables. I like salads when they are made well, but I rarely LOVE salads. I eat them on a regular basis, but don't make them very often. I think they taste better when someone else makes them. :) I also am a little funny when it comes to putting fruit on salads. I'm just not usually a big fan. I don't like to mix sweet and savory. I like them better separate. I don't like the sweet potatoes with marshmallows served at Thanksgiving. Weird, I know. I'd probably like them if they were savory roasted sweet potatoes or something along those lines. I'm weird. As my husband would say "wonderfully weird" (Thanks 'Friends'!)

Back to the salad ... I went to Buca Di Beppo (we don't have one where I live, the closest one is 80 or so miles away) with my family and my mom ordered a salad. Not just any salad. This salad. I was hesitant, but tried it. I LOVED it! I think it's one of my favorite salads, hands down! It's delicious. Even my husband who doesn't eat salad very often craved it for dinner one night, so I had to look up a copycat recipe online. (Thank you Google!) It tasted exactly the same. Try it! You won't be disappointed. If you are. . . sorry in advance.



Buca Di Beppo Copycat Apple Gorgonzola Salad with Italian Vinaigrette
(Thank you meemoskitchen.blogspot.com!!)

Ingredients:
1 granny smith apple (chopped, and sliced for garnish)
8 oz romaine lettuce (washed and chopped)
2 Tb Gorgonzola cheese (crumbled)
2 oz Spiced California Walnuts (chopped .. recipe below)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup Italian vinaigrette (recipe below)

Preparation:
Make spiced walnuts. (They take roughly an hour) While waiting for walnuts, make the vinaigrette. (This will be best if it sits for at least a half hour) While waiting for walnuts and vinaigrette to sit, slice and chop apple. Chop lettuce and crumble cheese.

Once everything is ready, mix vinaigrette into lettuce. Add chopped apples, 3/4 of the walnuts and 3/4 of the Gorgonzola cheese. Toss well. Plate and garnish with remaining walnuts, cranberries, apples and cheese. Serve immediately.

Buca Di Beppo Italian Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1 pinch black pepper
1/8 cup red onion, chopped fine
1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
3/4 cup olive oil

Combine the vinegar, oregano, dry mustard, salt and pepper in a blender. Add the onion and garlic. Blend together while slowly adding the olive oil. By adding the olive oil slowly, it will emulsify with the other ingredients creating a thicker vinaigrette. Let vinaigrette sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. This is best made shortly before using.

Spiced California Walnuts
(Recipe from the California Walnut Board)

Ingredients:
1 egg white
1 Tbsp water
2 cups California walnuts (halves and pieces)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice

Preheat oven to 225 and line a large shallow baking pan with foil.
Combine egg white and water. Beat until foamy. Add walnut halves and pieces and toss to coat. Pour the mixture into a strainer and let drain 2-3 minutes.
Combine sugar, cinnamon and allspice in a plastic or paper bag. Shake to mix.
Add the walnuts; hold the bag shut and shake vigorously to coat the nuts.
Spread the nuts in one layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Cool completely, stirring occasionally and breaking nuts apart if stuck together. Don't worry if they stick to the foil, it's easy to peel them off.

Store in a tightly-capped jar.
Makes 2 cups.

Vegetarian Chili

As cold, rainy, perfectly crisp fall weather approaches, I tend to want more soups and warming comfort foods. Last night just happened to be a "I think we should have chili and cornbread" day. This chili was delicious and totally filling! You won't even miss the meat.




Vegetarian Chili
(Adapted from Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch's "Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking"

Makes 6-8 servings

2 Tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (about 3 small onions)
1 cup chopped red bell peppers
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2-3 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 medium zucchini, stem ends trimmed and cut into small dice
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (about 3 ears)
1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms (about 5 large), stemmed, wiped clean and cubed {I only used 2 and it turned out really good}
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped {Honestly, I wasn't in the mood to peel my tomatoes, so I just seeded and chopped them and they worked fine for me}
3 cups cooked black beans (or 2 15-ounce cans of black beans), rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup vegetable stock or water
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (Do not add to the pot if you're planning to freeze chili)

**Optional toppings: cooked brown rice, sour cream, greek yogurt, cheese, diced avocado, chopped green onions (scallions)**

1. In a large, heavy pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic and serrano peppers, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the zucchini, corn and mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables give off their liquid and start to brown around the edges, about 6 minutes.
4. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Stir in the tomatoes.
6. Add the black beans, tomato sauce and vegetable stock, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes.
7. Remove from the heat, and stir in the cilantro. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
8. To serve, place 1/4 cup of brown rice in the bottom of each bowl. Ladle the chili over the rice and top with whatever garnishes you choose.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

Garlic Scallion Noodles

There are some days where all I want are noodles. It doesn't matter what flavor, what type of noodle ... just noodles. I tell my husband all the time that I should have been born Italian. :) One day for lunch I was looking online for a quick and simple noodle recipe for lunch that I had all the ingredients for already. This is what I found and it didn't disappoint. They were quick and quite tasty! Even my picky 3 year old ate a bowl full (and that's saying something!).



Garlic Scallion Noodles
(Recipe from weekofmenus.blogspot.com)

Ingredients:
8oz (half a box) of angel hair or thin spaghetti noodles
4 Tbsp (half a stick) butter
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2-4 scallions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1-2 Tbsp of brown sugar (based on your own personal preference of sweetness)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse.

In a heavy skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add scallions and garlic. Stir and cook, without browning the garlic. Cook until the garlic smell is fragrant and filling the room, about 5 minutes. Add sugar and soy sauce, and cook for another minute. Increase the heat a bit and throw in the noodles. Quickly saute the noodles until they are all coated with the garlicky butter mixture.

Serve immediately. Garnish with additional scallions if desired.

Spaghetti Sauce

I love spaghetti, but jarred sauce is expensive and not nearly as good as homemade sauce. Here is a sauce that is very good that doesn't need to cook all day long. It takes as long as the noodles take to cook.


Kelsie's Awesome Spaghetti Sauce:

1 large can crushed tomatoes in puree
1 small can tomato sauce
1/2 large onion, diced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
Basil (fresh is best, dried works fine)
Oregano
Dried parsley
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese
1lb spaghetti noodles

Also good with mushrooms, or ground beef if you want to add them. Add anything you like, but I leave mine as a simple tomato and basil sauce.

Pour a little olive oil into a large sauce pan or a tall sided frying pan. Add diced onion and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until onion is tender. Add a palm full of parsley, a palm full of dried basil and a few pinches of oregano. Oregano is pretty strong, don't add too much. If you are using fresh basil, add a handful of fresh leaves now and save a handful for the very end. Once the herbs are added and mixed in dump in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Mix well. Simmer covered (so it doesn't pop all over your stove) until noodles are finished. Taste. If it is missing any salt, pepper or any other seasonings add them. If you are using fresh basil, throw the second handful in right before you add to the noodles.

Once the noodles are finished cooking, drain and put back into pot. Pour sauce over noodles and toss to coat. Put some freshly grated parmesan cheese on top and toss again.

Enjoy!

Cake Pops

Cake pops have exploded all over the internet! One day I had never heard of them, and the next day I saw them everywhere! Some of them are so cute and creative (you should definitely google cake pops and look at some of the images for ideas!). I decided to try my hand at them and see if I liked them or not. I tried them two ways, with the stick pointing into the air (cake down on the pan) and the stick going down (like an actual sucker). Putting the cake on the pan was a lot easier for me. If you want them to be like actual suckers, put them in a piece of styrofoam to keep their shape.

My husband totally loves these! He asks me to make them all the time. I mean who doesn't love cake? And little tiny bite size pieces on a stick? Can't get much better than that! These are perfect for any sort of celebration. A party, wedding, baby shower, bridal shower ... you name it.




Cake Pops

Ingredients:
1 box cake mix (cook as directed on box) - I made two batches, one was chocolate and one was red velvet
1 16oz tub frosting (I used chocolate for the chocolate cake and cream cheese for the red velvet)
1 package of chocolate bark or candy melts (if you want to drizzle with additional colors, choose as many as you'd like)

Sucker sticks

Directions:
1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl. Break apart either with hands or my kitchen aid mixer was really fast!
2. Mix thoroughly with 1/2-1 tub frosting. (I used about 3/4 of a tub of frosting). Again, you can mix with your hands...or a kitchen aid mixer works really well!
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. I used my cookie scooper to get a consistent size and I ended up with 48)
4. Chill
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Insert about 1/4" of one end of the sucker stick into the chocolate and then insert the sucker stick into the ball. (This will hold the sucker sticks in like glue and makes it easier when you start to coat the cake).


7. Chill again
6. Reheat chocolate if needed. Roll balls in chocolate and place on wax paper until firm. Drizzle with additional colors if you choose and decorate as desired!

**If your melted chocolate is a little too thick and weighs too much for your cake pop, you can thin it out a little with a little bit of vegetable oil**

White Chocolate Orange Cookies

White Chocolate Orange Cookies
(Recipe found at www.landeeseelandeedo.com)

1 cup butter (not margarine), softened to room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp orange zest
2 cups white chocolate chips

Mix butter and sugars until creamy. Beat in egg. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix in. When you have a good dough consistency, add the orange zest and the white chocolate. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350. Cool on wire racks.

Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes with a Whipped Ganache Frosting

I have a friend who along with her 4 year old son, has Celiac Disease. They cannot process gluten, which means most baked goods are off limits. I have been wanting to take them treats but didn't want either her or her son to be left out, so I looked for a recipe that the entire family could enjoy. People at school had made flourless chocolate cakes with a poured ganache over the top, so I took that idea and just made it into smaller portions. Instead of a poured ganache, I whipped mine and then I was able to frost them instead. They turned out delicious. They are a very rich dessert and one that is a must have for any chocolate lover.



Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes (Gluten Free)
(Recipe found at glutenfreecooking.about.com, submitted by Teri Gruss)

**This recipe will make 24 cupcakes**

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs (or 7 medium eggs)
1 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350

1. Melt chocolate and butter in a saucepan over medium low heat until melted and smooth.
2. Add sugar and salt and reduce heat to low. Cook while stirring for about one minute, or until sugar starts to dissolve. (The mixture will still be grainy, the sugar will not fully dissolve until they are baked)
3. Remove pan from heat. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. (Mixture will look smooth and glossy)
4. Use a mesh hand sieve to sift cocoa into mixture. This will prevent lumps. Whisk until the cake batter is smooth.
5. Pour batter into cupcake liners OR you can butter and dust the cupcake pan with cocoa powder if you do not want to use liners.
6. Bake for 15+ minutes. Honestly, you will have to keep checking it. You do not want to overcook these cupcakes. I think mine went for about 18-20 minutes.
7. Pull out and let cool to room temperature. (I cooled mine off in the fridge)
8. Frost with whipped ganache (recipe to follow).

(These are also delicious topped with fresh strawberries!)

Reminder: Always make sure your work surfaces, utensils, pans and tools are free of gluten. Always read product labels. Manufacturers can change product formulations without notice. When in doubt, do not buy or use a product before contacting the manufacturer for verification that the product is free of gluten.

Whipped Ganache Frosting
(Recipe found on foodnetwork.com, submitted by Alton Brown)

You will use equal parts chocolate to heavy cream. So, if your bag of chocolate is 10 oz... you will use 10 oz of heavy cream. :)

1 bag bittersweet chocolate chips (My bag was 10 oz)
10 oz heavy cream (or more/less if your bag is bigger/smaller)

1. Place the chocolate into a bowl and set aside.
2. Heat the heavy cream in a microwavable container for 3-4 minutes on high, or in a saucepan on the stove top until it just begins to simmer. Be careful not to let the cream boil over.
3. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand for about 2 minutes.
4. Mix well until chocolate is melted and it's just syrupy (is that a word?) goodness
5. Put mixture into fridge for about an hour or until setup and chilled.
6. Whip the mixture until light and fluffy.
7. Frost the cupcakes and enjoy!

Grilled steak with a caramelized onion and gorgonzola cheese sauce

Here is yet another steak recipe. I am still looking for the "perfect" one for my steak loving husband. I had made this one night for him and then learned that he was stuck at work until 11pm so I took it to him so he could eat something. Because he was starving, tired and still at work, he just ate it as fast as he could and went back to work. He said it was good, but I'm guessing he couldn't really taste a whole lot. I will definitely try it again. The sauce was totally delicious!




Grilled Steak with a caramelized onion and gorgonzola cheese sauce
(Sauce recipe is by the Pioneer Woman)

2 steaks
Butter, room temperature
Outback rub (see recipe below)
Sauce:
4 Tbsp butter
1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
3/4-1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

1. Butter each side of each steak and season with outback rub. Rub the seasoning in and grill until desired doneness. (My husband likes medium or medium-rare)
2. Saute onion in 4 Tbsp butter over high heat until dark and caramelized. Reduce heat to simmer and pour in heavy cream. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until reduced by half. Stir in cheese until melted. Pour over steak and serve!


Outback Rub:
(Recipe found on becomingbetty.blogspot.com)

4 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp coarse, black pepper
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric

Mix together and rub on meat before grilling or baking. Store in airtight container.

Kale Chips

I'll admit that kale is not one of my favorite vegetables, so when I received it in my bountiful basket I wanted to find a way to make it that I would like, but also that my 3 year old picky eater son would like. I had heard that making kale into chips was delicious so we decided to give it a try.

Kale Chips

A bunch of kale
Olive oil
Salt to taste


Preheat oven to 350. Clean and trim up the kale. I should have removed more of the stalk, it was a bit tough when it was cooked. I will do that next time. Put all the leaves in a large ziplock bag and add just enough oil to lightly coat the greens. You don't want them dripping in oil. Toss well. Add to cookie sheet, making sure not to overlap them.


Bake until crispy (roughly 15-20 minutes??). Once crispy, remove from oven and salt. If you salt them before you put them in the oven, it will draw out all the moisture and they will be soggy and won't get crisp.

Cabbage Slaw

Normally, I don't care for cole slaw. I think it's bland and just overall not very good. The only thing I like about it is the crunch of the fresh cabbage. This past weekend when I received my bountiful basket it had 2 huge heads of cabbage in it, combine that with the 1 already in my fridge, and well ... I needed to figure out something to do with all of that cabbage. I decided to make a slaw that I actually liked and would want to eat again. My attempt was successful. Not only was this slaw crunchy, it was delicious! I would totally make it again, and probably will with the ever ending supply of cabbage in my fridge.



Cabbage Slaw

2 lbs cabbage, sliced thin
1 small onion, sliced thin and then diced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
3/4 cup mayo (I made fresh mayo for this slaw, I will post the recipe)
1 tsp celery salt
2 Tbsp white vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp hot sauce (I used Franks Red Hot)
Salt and pepper to taste

Shred the cabbage and put in large bowl. Add onion, beans and corn. Toss.

In a small bowl, combine the mayo, celery salt, vinegar, sugar and hot sauce. Mix well. Pour over cabbage and toss again. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Put in fridge to let the flavors mingle for about 30 minutes.

Serve!

Homemade Mayo
(Recipe found in KitchenAid, Great Baking and More)

3 egg yolks
2 cups vegetable or olive oil
1 lemon, juiced (I just poured a little bottled lemon juice in)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 Tbsp cider vinegar

Place egg yolks in a bowl and whip for about 3 minutes on high, until yolks are stiff and pale yellow. Reduce speed to med-high and slowly add the oil in a thin stream. If the mixture becomes too thick, thin with a little lemon juice. Continue to add oil until completely absorbed.

Reduce speed to medium and add lemon juice, salt, dry mustard and vinegar and whip until blended.

Store in the refrigerator.

Pizza Sauce

I don't make homemade pizza very often, but when I do, I never know what sauce to use. Jared sauce is just not very good, spaghetti sauce ... well, tastes like spaghetti. :) This sauce was simple, but very good. I will definitely be making this again.



Simple Pizza Sauce
(Recipe from cooksillustrated.com)

2 cans (14oz) crushed tomatoes in puree
2 Tbsp olive oil
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in pan. Add garlic and cook until it starts to simmer (only like 30 seconds). Add in tomatoes and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the sauce is thick enough to lump up on a spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Grilled Flank Steak

For this flank steak I just used the same marinade recipe as the steak I made a while back, and just added a couple extra ingredients.


Ingredients:
1 flank steak (mine was just under a pound and a half, and it fed 3 adults and 1 child)
Kosher salt and pepper

Marinade:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
4 large cloves fresh garlic, minced
pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp liquid smoke (mesquite)

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients and whisk well.
2. Using a dinner fork, poke steak about 20 times on each side. Season with salt and pepper and place in a gallon size ziplock bag. Pour marinade over the top and put in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
3. Preheat grill
4. Using paper towels, wipe marinade off steak. Grill steak directly on grill until well browned 4-6 minutes. Using tongs, flip steak; grill until second side is well browned, 3-4 minutes. Cook until the internal temperature is 125 degrees. It will continue to cook as it rests. You do not want to over cook a flank steak! It is a meat that needs to be cooked rare or medium rare.
4. Cover steak with foil and let rest at least 15 minutes to let the juice redistribute.
5. Using a sharp chef's knife or a carving knife, slice steak about 1/4" thick against the grain and on a bias. Serve immediately.

Below is a drawing, it will show where you need to cut your meat to make it so it doesn't end up super tough and chewy. The grains on a flank steak all run the same direction so we need to cut against the grain and on a bias to give the slices a bigger surface area.