Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Pretzels

by penji1

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Pretzels

I saw this idea on Pinterest but it was a little more involved than I had time for yesterday so I simplified it for my purposes.  I made a 4th of July treat for the girls at church (post to follow) and had some leftover melted Wilton candy melts so I pulled out the bag of Snyder’s Patriotic Pretzels that I bought at the grocery store simply because they looked like fun (flags, bells and stars) and just kind of made it up as I went along.  I spread creamy peanut butter on one pretzel and then topped with another, dipped one edge in the melted candy melts and then topped with sprinkles.  Easy Peasy!  And yummy!

Nutty Chocolate Chip Cereal Cookies

by penji1

Nutty Chocolate Chip Cereal Cookies

I got a new cookbook!  (I know, like I need it, right?)  It’s called “101 Things to do with Chocolate” by Stephanie Ashcraft.  I have several of her “101 Things to do with” cookbooks and I like and use them all frequently.  These were for my friend Jenn who recently lost her dad.  I never know what to do for people in those situations so I just do what I do best, bake for them.

2/3 cup butter flavored shortening (I’m not a huge fan of shortening so I went with butter here)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 chocolate cake mix

1 cup crispy rice cereal

1 cup white, semisweet or milk chocolate chips (I used 1/3 cup of each)

1/2 cup chopped nuts (I usually leave the nuts out when I make things for people just in case someone is allergic)

Preheat oven to 350.

Blend shortening and brown sugar together.  Beat in eggs one at a time and then stir in cake mix.  With a spoon, stir in cereal, chocolate chips and nuts.  Drop heaping teaspoons of dough onto a lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake 9 – 12 minutes or until tops looked cracked.  Do not over bake.  Cool 2 – 3 minutes on baking sheet before removing.

(I got about 3 dozen cookies from this recipe.)

Firecracker Red, White and Blue Cake

by penji1

firecracker cake

I know the 4th of July isn’t until next week but one day just isn’t enough to make all the fun red, white and blue recipes that are out there so I made this cake a little early.  My niece and her family came over for a swim and dinner last night and of course it rained!  They were able to swim for a bit and then we had a yummy dinner of Cafe Rio Sweet Pork and Lime Rice followed up by this cake which for a white cake was surprisingly good!  The recipe comes from the “Betty Crocker” website and it couldn’t be any easier to make.

1 box white cake mix plus ingredients to make cake

red and blue food coloring

1 (12 oz) container whipped fluffy white frosting

1  Heat oven to 325.  Generously grease 12 cup fluted tube pan.  Make cake batter as directed on box.  Pour 1 cup batter into small bowl and stir in red food coloring.  Pour 1 cup batter into another small bowl and stir in blue food coloring.

2  Pour red batter into bottom of pan.  Carefully pour remaining white batter over red batter.  Carefully pour blue batter over white batter.  (Blue batter does not need to cover white batter completely, it looks better if it just forms a ring in center of white batter.)

3  Bake as directed on box or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool cake 5 – 10 minutes before turning out of pan.  Cool cake completely, about 30 minutes.

4  When cake is cool, divide frosting evenly into 3 microwavable bowls.  Microwave 1 bowl uncovered on high a few seconds until smooth enough to drizzle over cake.  With spoon, drizzle all of white frosting back and forth around cake in a striping pattern.  Repeat with other bowls of frosting, adding red to one bowl and blue to another after microwaving then drizzle over cake.  (I didn’t have any canned frosting so I just made my own out of powdered sugar and milk.)

Here’s what the inside looks like:

firecracker cake

Chipotle Lime Chicken Fajita Skewers

by penji1

chipotle lime chicken fajita skewers

Yesterday Bob made these little beauties for us for Sunday dinner, they were awesome and so summery!  They come from a blog called “Little Leopard Book”, so yummy, love the lime!

4 chicken breasts (approx 2 pounds)

5 limes, juiced

1/2 tablespoon sea salt

1/2 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon ground chipotle pepper

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 red bell peppers

2 green bell peppers

1 red onion

1  Juice limes into a small bowl.

2  Mix in salt, cumin, chipotle pepper, cilantro and garlic to make marinade.

3  Chop chicken breasts into cubes and place in large Ziploc bag or plastic container.

4  Pour marinade over chicken.

5  Close and shake well until all chicken is covered.

6  Place in fridge for 30 minutes to marinate.

7  While chicken is marinating, chop bell peppers and onion.

8  After chicken has soaked up marinade, start to skewer chicken, bell peppers and onion.

9  Place skewers on grill over medium heat for 5 – 7 minutes, flip and grill for an additional 5 – 7 minutes.

10  After chicken is cooked through, remove from grill, squeeze last lime over skewers and serve.

Banana Brownie Bread

by penji1

banana brownie bread

I love finding these recipes that just seem too simple and easy to be any good and of course they are awesome like this one for Banana Brownie Bread.  We had a couple of bananas in the fruit bowl that were just perfect for banana bread and while I was out looking at recipes online, as I tend to do, I found this one for banana bread with a brownie mix!  Seriously?  So I had to try it and this was what was left after it cooled enough for the hungry boys at my house to give it a try.  The recipe comes from a blog called “Oh So Shabby By Debbie” and it’s a keeper!

2 very ripe bananas

1 (1 pound, 2.4 oz) brownie mix

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 egg

1  Heat oven to 350.  Spray loaf pan with cooking spray for baking.

2  In medium bowl, mash bananas with fork.  Stir in brownie mix, melted butter and egg just until moistened.  Pour batter into pan.

3  Bake 40 – 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.  Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing.

Spanish Minute Rice

by penji1

Spanish Minute Rice

I spent the last week up at Girls Camp in the mountains with a bunch of awesome and amazing teenage girls!  I got to cook for them and they were so appreciative of the food.  Most of the things that I made for them are already on the blog but I did try this new rice out on them when we had taco salad for dinner one night.  I was looking for quick and easy Spanish Rice and found this recipe on a site called “Group Recipes” and it fit the bill.  To be honest with you, I do not love Minute Rice (I think it’s mushy and not all that tasty) but this recipe was quick and easy and they all seemed to like it in their taco salad so if you like Minute Rice then I encourage you to try it out.

1/2 cup thinly sliced onion (left this out for the girls)

1/3 cup diced green peper (left this out too)

2 cups Minute Rice

1/4 cup oil or butter

2 cups hot water

2 (8 oz each) cans tomato sauce or 2 (2 lb each) cans diced tomatoes and omit 2 cups water (I did the tomato sauce since I knew some of our girls didn’t like tomatoes)

1 teaspoon salt

dash of pepper

picante sauce to taste for heat (she uses 2 tablespoons of medium, I doubled the recipe and used 1 whole jar of mild)

Heat oil in large skillet.  Brown rice, onions and bell pepper.  Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Almond Toffee Bars

by penji1

Almond Toffee Bars

Courtney and Jaren are coming over for dinner tonight before I take off for the week at Girls Camp and so there has to be treats!  (Any excuse really!)  These are from a blog called “Lil’ Luna” and although I haven’t eaten one yet, I can tell that they are going to be awesome, gooey and chocolatey and toffee-ey!  🙂

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup toffee bits

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 cup almonds

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1  Line 8 x 8″ square pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 350.

2  Mix crumbs, oats and salt in bowl then stir in melted butter and mix until well combined.  Press mixture into bottom of pan.

3  Sprinkle with toffee then chips then almonds then pour sweetened condensed milk over the top.  Bake for 30 – 32 minutes.

4  Cool for several hours before cutting.

Chocolate Marble Cake

by penji1

choc marble cake

I got a little carried away with the icing so you can’t really see the marble but it’s in there!  My poor son in law Jaren has shingles, bummer!  I can’t really do much for him but cake makes everyone feel better, right?  So this little beauty was for him and my daughter said it was very good.  The recipe comes from the February 22, 2013 issue of “All You” magazine.

1 3/4 cups cake flour (I didn’t have any cake flour but online it said to substitute 1/4 cup cornstarch plus 3/4 cup regular flour for 1 cup cake flour)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup plain, whole milk yogurt (no yogurt so I used sour cream)

2 tablespoons whole milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs at room temperature

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder (don’t know yet if he likes coffee flavor so I left this out)

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1  Preheat oven to 325.  Mist 9 x 5″ loaf pan with cooking spray.  In small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  In another small bowl, whisk together yogurt, milk and vanilla.

2  Beat butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each and scraping bowl down as needed.  Reduce speed to low.  Add half of flour mixture, then yogurt mixture, then remaining flour mixture, beating well after each addition until nearly combined.  Remove 1/3 of batter (about 1 cup) to a medium bowl.

3  Pour 1/4 cup boiling water into a small bowl.  Whisk in cocoa and coffee powder until smooth, let cool slightly.  Add to batter in medium bowl and stir to combine.

4  Alternate spoonfuls of vanilla and chocolate batters in loaf pan.  Draw a knife through batters for a marbled effect.  Bake cake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.  Cool on rack for 15 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.

5  Place cream in microwave cup or bowl.  Microwave until hot, about 25 seconds.  Add chocolate chips.  Let stand for 2 minutes then stir until smooth.  Let cool to warm room temperature (icing should be pourable).  Drizzle icing over cake, letting it drip down sides.  Let stand until icing is set.

Southwestern Pasta with Bacon

by penji1

sw pasta

Last night was the second episode of “Cooking with Courtney” which is teaching my newly married daughter how to cook some quick, easy and tasty food for her hubby.  I found this recipe on “My Recipes”.  It was pretty good but I would make some changes to the spices the next time I make it which I’ve indicated below in the recipe, that being said, everyone did have 2 helpings (my daughter texted me saying her husband had 3 helpings!).

salt and pepper

12 ounces gemelli or other short pasta (we used tri-colored rotini)

4 slices bacon, chopped (we used a whole package so about 6 slices each but more would have been great)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped or pressed (I’ll use 2 next time)

1/2 teaspoon chili powder (1 teaspoon would have been better)

1/2 cup chicken broth (we ended up using a whole can between the two batches)

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

1 cup frozen or fresh corn

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1  Cook pasta according to package directions.

2  Cook bacon in large skillet.  Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat in skillet, add garlic, chili powder and stir for 30 seconds.  Add broth, beans, corn and tomatoes, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes.

3  Add pasta to skillet, tossing to coat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and shredded Cheddar.

S’mores Cupcakes

by penji1

Smores Cupcakes

Girls Camp is next week!  I’m in charge of the food so I’ve been working on that all last week and now this week too.  Last night we had our last camp activity before we actually head up to the mountains so I thought some S’mores Cupcakes were in order.  I got these cute little cupcake liners from a website called “Pick Your Plum” which has daily specials for good prices and one day these were the special!  The little cupcake stand that the cupcake is sitting on is heart shaped and so cute!  I got those on another website called “Groop Dealz” which you should also check out because they have the cutest things for amazing prices.  Ok, enough about websites with cute things and back to the cupcakes.  I baked a batch of chocolate cupcakes (the liners are a little bigger than regular ones and so I had to bake them in my large cupcake pan although they only hold a regular amount of cupcake batter which is one scoop for me with my Pampered Chef large scoop).  When they were done baking, I took them out of the oven and immediately sprinkled mini marshmallows to cover the surface of the cupcake and then I sprinkled milk chocolate chips over the tops of the marshmallows, put them back in the oven for about 1 minute until both the marshmallows and the chocolate chips were soft, took them back out of the oven and stuck some Teddy Grahams into the tops and then let them cool.  They were super cute and really delicious!