Red Velvet Treat Pops

by penji1

Red Velvet Treat Pops

I was so excited when I found these Wilton treat pop containers on the after Christmas clearance rack at ShopKo for 50% off!  I’d been wanting some so I could experiment with making treat pops but didn’t want to pay full price.  Last night our group was in charge of the activity for Young Women so we did “speed friending”, wrote letters to the missionaries and then we ate these treat pops!  Here’s how I made them:

1  I mixed up a box of Betty Crocker Red Velvet cake mix according to the package directions and baked them in my mini muffin pans to make mini cupcakes.  (It made almost 4 dozen mini cupcakes.)

2  Next, I mixed up a batch of my favorite buttercream icing which I loaded into a pastry bag fitted with a #2D tip.

3  Then I started layering – a mini cupcake, a swirl of icing, another mini cupcake, another swirl of icing topped with some pink, red and heart shaped sprinkles.

I only had 20 treat pop containers so here’s what I did with the rest of the cupcakes and icing using disposable mini shot glasses:

Red Velvet Treat Pops

Cute, easy, fun and yummy!

Taco Joe Nachos

by penji1

Taco Joe Nachos I decided to do nachos and quesadillas for the Super Bowl Party, along with all the dips and dipables that were leftover from the neighborhood party on Friday so there was a lot of food!  I was going to make nachos from a different recipe but then I thought why not just use the Taco Joe dip?  So that’s what I did.  I lined my pizza stone with foil and sprayed it lightly with cooking spray then placed a hug pile of tortilla chips on the stone.  Next I sprinkled a thin layer of a Mexican cheese blend over the chips.  On top of the cheese, I dropped spoonfuls of the Taco Joe dip then I dropped spoonfuls of Lloyds barbeque beef over the dip (I bought a tub each of Lloyds barbeque beef, chicken and pork.  Everyone wanted beef on the nachos and then I made cheese and chicken or pork quesadillas.) and then finished with a thick layer of cheese.  I put it into a 400 degree oven and baked for maybe 15 – 20 minutes, until the cheese was melted and everything was hot and just starting to bubble and sizzle.  They were delicious!

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

by penji1

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Finally have a minute to post some Super Bowl food from our Super Bowl party.  I made these brownies for my son in law Jaren who loves Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and football.  This is the only one that ended up looking somewhat like a football as they were just too gooey to cut out, I don’t think I baked them long enough.  They were yummy though, in whatever shape they ended up in.  The recipe comes from “My Recipes”.

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used chocolate chips)

20 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use all natural)

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

5 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1  Preheat oven to 350.  Line 9 x 13″ pan with foil, mist foil with cooking spray.  In small saucepan, over low heat, melt chocolate and 2 sticks butter, stirring until smooth.  Pour into a large bowl and let cool to room temperature.

2  Beat peanut butter, brown sugar, cream cheese and remaining 1/2 stick butter until well combined, about 3 minutes.  Beat in 1 egg.

3  Whisk 4 eggs, sugar and vanilla into bowl with chocolate, mix well.  Stir in flour and salt.  Pour batter into pan.  Spoon reserved peanut butter mixture on top and use a knife to swirl mixtures together.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 50 minutes.  Let cool.

4  Stir 1 – 2 teaspoons cold water into powdered sugar until mixture forms thick, smooth paste.  Spoon into pastry bag fitted with small plain tip.  Using a 1 – 2″ cookie cutter, cut 12 football shapes out of brownies.  Pipe laces onto brownies and allow to set before serving.

Cinnamon Apple Cupcakes

by penji1

Cinnamon Apple Cupcakes

And, finally, the last recipe from the neighborhood party last night, one last cupcake recipe.  This one comes from the inside of the Duncan Hines cake mix box but you can find it here at “Duncan Hines”.  I haven’t tried one of these and probably won’t, I will always choose chocolate over any other type of cupcake!  🙂  But they smelled delicious while baking so I’m sure they’re good if you’re not as into chocolate as I am!

1 box yellow cake mix

3 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1 1/3 cups water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 (21 oz) can Apple Pie Filling

1 can Duncan Hines Frosting Creations Frosting Starter

1 packet Duncan Hines Frosting Creations Cinnamon Roll Flavor Mix

ground cinnamon

1  Preheat oven to 350.  Place cupcake liners in muffin pans.

2  Prepare cake batter as directed on box.  Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and mix well.

3  Pour batter into cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 full.

4  Place 1 – 2 slices of apple from the pie filling on top of each filled cupcake liner.  (Some of the slices of apple were really big so I had to cut them in half to get them to fit on the cupcakes.)

5  Bake 18 – 21 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean.

6  Let cupcakes cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans.

7  Pour packet of flavor mix into can of frosting and stir until well blended.

8  Frost cupcakes with frosting and garnish with sprinkle of cinnamon.

*I couldn’t find their frosting at Winco so I frosted the cupcakes with my buttercream icing and then topped them with my Alison’s Pantry Cinnamon Vanilla French Toast Sugar.

Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes

by penji1

Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes

I also made a bunch of cupcakes for the party last night.  This is one that I just kind of came up with on my own.  I got a lot of those Lindt Lindor truffles for Christmas, probably because everyone knows how much I love chocolate, but I just can’t eat them all and keep the pounds off so I decided to use them in cupcakes!  The recipe for the cupcakes, called “Making a box cake taste like it’s from a bakery”, comes from a website called “Bronze Budget Brides” and the rest of the process is from me.  Here’s the cake/cupcake recipe:

1  Look at the directions on the cake mix

2  Add 1 more egg (or add 2 if you want it to be very rich)

3  Use melted butter instead of oil and double the amount

4  Instead of water, use milk

5  Mix well and bake for the time recommended on the box

I followed the above instructions and then right when the cupcakes came out of the oven, I cut an “X” into the top of each one with my kitchen shears, pushed an unwrapped truffle into that “X” until the truffle was flush with the top of the cupcake, and let them cool completely.

Courtney frosted them for me with our favorite buttercream icing to look like flowers and then finished them with White Sanding Sugar to give them a bit of sparkle.  Pretty and delicious!

Taco Joe Dip/Soup

by penji1

Taco Joe Dip

Another dip for the party, another easy one too as this one is made in a crock pot.  It was really easy and also really yummy, another one that would be great for a Super Bowl party.  It’s a “Taste of Home” recipe.

1 (16 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 1/4 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14 1/2 oz) can stewed tomatoes, undrained (it didn’t say to do this but I cut up some of the bigger chunks of tomato)

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies, drained (I forgot to drain these but it seemed to be fine)

1 envelope taco seasoning (1/4 cup if you’re using bulk seasoning)

1/2 cup chopped onion (I used 2 tablespoons dried chopped onion)

tortilla chips

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients except tortilla chips.  Cover and cook on low for 5 – 6 hours.  Serve with chips.

*The recipe said you could turn this into soup by adding one (29 oz) can of tomato sauce.  I bet it would be tasty!

Five Star Buffalo Chicken Dip

by penji1

Five Star Buffalo Chicken Dip

Made a bunch of dips for a neighborhood party last night, this one was a big hit, too spicy for me but my husband Bob loved it as well as others at the party.  It comes from a website called “KITCHME”.  It was easy to put together especially since it makes use of a crock pot.  It would be great for a Super Bowl party too.

2 (10 oz each) cans chunk chicken, drained

3/4 cup pepper sauce, such as Frank’s Red Hot

2 (8 oz each) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup Ranch dressing

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4″ pieces

1 (8 oz) box chicken flavored crackers

Heat chicken and hot sauce in skillet over medium heat, until heated through.  Stir in cream cheese and Ranch.  Cook, stirring until well blended and warm.  Mix in half the cheese and transfer to slow cooker.  Sprinkle remaining cheese over top, cover and cook on low until hot and bubbly, about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.  Serve with celery and crackers.

Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes with Marshmallow

by penji1

Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes with Marshmallow

Neighborhood party tonight and I get to make food for it!  Woo Hoo!  I’m making a lot of things so I’m going to try and post throughout the day so that I can keep up.  I’m doing a whole dips and dipables bar and then several different kinds of cupcakes for dessert.  These look like a winner, I haven’t tried one so I can’t tell you how they taste yet but I can tell you that they smell divine!  It’s a “Six Sisters’ Stuff” recipe which I modified a bit, you’ll see how when you get down to the marshmallow part.  Speaking of the Six Sisters, next weekend I get to go to their “Build Your Blog Conference” and I couldn’t be more excited about it!  One of my goals this year is to try and grow my blog a bit so the conference is my first step towards that goal.  Anybody out there who subscribes to my blog and is going to the conference?  Find me!  I would love to meet you and hang out as I will be there all alone!  🙂  OK, back to the good stuff, the chocolately recipe!

Cupcakes

1 cup butter

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk (if you need to, you can make your own by adding 2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice to 1/2 cup milk then let sit for a minute or two before adding to recipe)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 bag miniature marshmallows, if desired

1  Preheat oven to 350.  Place 24 cupcake liners into muffin pans.

2  Bring butter, water and cocoa to boil in small saucepan.  Turn off and set aside.

3  Combine flour, sugar and baking soda in large bowl.  Add egg, buttermilk, vanilla and cocoa mixture.  Stir until well blended.

4 Pour batter into cupcake liners, about 2/3 full.  Bake 18 – 20 minutes or until done.  Cool completely.

Frosting

6 tablespoons milk

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup butter

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine milk, cocoa and butter in saucepan.  Bring to a boil then remove from heat.  Add vanilla and powdered sugar.  Stir until it starts to thicken slightly, 3 – 4 minutes.  Drop a tablespoon full onto center of each cupcake.  Frosting will thicken quickly, so do not make frosting until ready to frost cupcakes and then frost quickly.

(OK, here’s the deal with the marshmallows, the horrible truth, my cupcakes sunk in the middle!  BOO!  Sometimes that happens so when they came out of the oven, I put a pile of mini marshmallows into the sunken hole of each cupcake and then put them back in the oven for 1 – 2 minutes until the marshmallows were all puffy and soft and then I just put the frosting on top of the marshmallows.  If I hadn’t told you they’d sunk, you’d probably think that’s how they were supposed to be or that I am a baking genius!  Is anybody still reading this?  If you are, let me know by commenting on this post with your address, I might just send you a surprise in the mail for reading a post all the way to the end!)

Slow Cooker Vegetable Minestrone

by penji1

Slow Cooker Vegetable Minestrone

Bob and I are trying to work off some of our extra holiday weight so I’m on the hunt for recipes that are tasty and filling but also low calorie and this one certainly fits that bill.  It is from Betty Crocker and at just over 100 calories a cup, it makes a hearty and filling and, most importantly, tasty meal.  Can’t wait to have a bowl of the leftovers for lunch today!

4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth

4 cups tomato juice

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 medium carrots, sliced (1 cup)

2 medium celery stalks, chopped (1 cup)

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (3 oz)

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (this was not included in the original recipe but I added it in for a little protein)

1 1/2 cups uncooked rotini pasta (4 1/2 oz)

shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired

1  In 4 – 5 quart slow cooker, mix all ingredients except pasta and cheese.

2  Cover and cook on low for 7 – 8 hours.

3  Stir in pasta, increase setting to high, cover and cook 15 – 20 minutes longer or until pasta is tender.  Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Mississippi Mud Cake

by penji1

Mississippi Mud Cake

Can’t have a big family dinner without a big chocolate dessert!  This one comes from a blog called “Joyful Momma’s Kitchen” and it was delicious!  In fact, there is a little left over and I am just dying for another piece but I’m trying to hold off as long as possible so that I don’t eat two pieces today!

cake

1 cup melted butter

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

10.5 oz bag mini  marshmallows

frosting

16 oz powdered sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1  In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, cocoa, eggs, vanilla and salt.

2  Stir in flour and chopped pecans.

3  Pour into a foil lined and greased 15 x 10″ jelly roll pan.

4  Bake at 350 for 20 – 25 minute, until center is done.

5  Remove cake from oven and sprinkle marshmallows on top.  Return to oven for 4 – 5 more minutes.

6  Drizzle chocolate frosting over warm cake.  Allow to cool completely before cutting.