Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

by penji1
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Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

I swear to you, if you don’t tell people there is zucchini in these muffins, they will never know!!  They are so chocolatey!!

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cup ground zucchini

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 bag chocolate chips

1  Preheat oven to 350.  Line 2 (12 count) muffin pans with paper liners.

2  Mix together eggs, oil, sugars and vanilla then add in zucchini and mix well.

3  Combine dry ingredients and slowly add to wet ingredients.  Stir in chocolate chips.

4  Scoop into muffin pans.  Bake for 20 – 25 minutes.

recipe from Passion For Savings

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Mexican Pizzas

by penji1
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Mexican Pizzas

Here is a pretty quick and easy dinner idea for you, not to mention yummy!

1 pound hamburger or 1 (12 oz) package Hormel Beef Taco Meats

1 (1.25 oz) envelope taco seasoning

6 – 12 tortillas, depending on size, mine were large so I only used 6

1 (16 oz) can refried beans

1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

toppings – green onions, black olives, tomatoes, etc

1  Preheat oven to 500.

2  Brown hamburger, drain grease, add taco seasoning and 3/4 cup water and cook an additional 5 minutes or open bag of Hormel taco meat,  which is precooked, and warm in microwave according to package directions.

3  Divide and spread refried beans evenly on half the tortillas, 3 – 6 depending on size.  Top beans with beef, again dividing between tortillas.  Top each bean/beef tortilla with a plain tortilla.

4  Heat large skillet or griddle to medium high, place pizzas on skillet and cook for 3 – 5 minutes or until golden brown.  Flip and repeat on other side.  Place on large baking sheets.

5  Top each pizza with enchilada sauce, sprinkle with cheese  and top with desired toppings.  Bake pizzas for 3 – 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and pizza is heated through.

6  Slice pizzas into 4ths with pizza cutter and serve with sour cream and salsa.

recipe from Love Bakes Good Cakes

Bakery Style Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting

by penji1
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Bakery Style Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting

These were delicious!  I ate way too many.  It also made a lot, like 7 dozen or more, I lost count.  And they were also pretty easy to make.

cookies

2 cups butter, softened

2 1/4 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup milk

7 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1  Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs, then milk and mix well.

2  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Dough will be soft and sticky but should pull away from sides of bowl,  add more flour if needed until it does.

3  Roll out dough on floured surface about 1/2″ thick.  Cut out as desired and place on parchment paper or silicone mat lined cookie sheets.

4  Bake at 325 for 14 minutes or just until edges are starting to change color.  Cool completely before frosting.

frosting

1 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons milk

2 cups powdered sugar

pinch of salt

food coloring, if desired

Beat butter until smooth then add vanilla and milk and beat until well incorporated.  Add salt then start adding powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.  Frost cookies.

recipe from Tips from a Typical Mom

 

Spinach Artichoke Dip Chicken Casserole

by penji1
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Spinach Artichoke Dip Chicken Casserole

Who doesn’t love Spinach Artichoke Dip?  Who wouldn’t love it for dinner?  With pasta?  And chicken?  YUM!!!

1 pound pasta, cooked according to package directions

1 (24 oz) jar Alfredo sauce

1 (10 oz) container Spinach Artichoke and Parmesan Dip and Spread (I used the La Terra Fina brand that you can find at Costco)

1 large can chicken, drained and flaked

1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend

1  Preheat oven to 350.  Spray bottom of 9 x 13″ dish with cooking spray.

2  Mix cooked pasta and Alfredo sauce together.  Pour half the pasta in the dish, spreading to cover bottom, top with half the dip, half the chicken and half the cheese.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.

3  Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes.  Remove foil and broil until top is golden brown, about 5 minutes.

recipe from La Terra Fina

Thing 1 and Thing 2 Mini Smash Cakes

by penji1
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Thing 1 and Thing 2 Mini Smash Cakes

My neighbor Teresa texted and asked if I would make some mini smash cakes for her twin grandson’s first birthday.  She said it was totally up to me as to what I wanted to do, oh the pressure!  For some reason Thing 1 and Thing 2 came to mind and I knew that I was on to something.  I baked two 6″ round chocolate cake layers using my favorite White Almond Sour Cream Cake recipe, I whipped up a batch of my favorite Buttercream Icing and tinted it a Thing 1 and Thing 2 blue using my new Wilton Color Right Performance Color System which I got at Michaels and which worked like a dream and frosted the cakes.  Next I made a strip of Wilton red fondant and wrapped the sides of each cake with it.  I went to Dollar Tree and found cotton candy for the hair which just makes me laugh and then I cut some circles out of some Wilton white fondant and using Wilton Edible Markers, I labeled them Thing 1 and Thing 2.  I think these cakes are so adorable!  Happy 1st Birthday to Payton and Makai!

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Mini Heart Shaped 8 Cake

by penji1
Mini Heart Shaped 8 Cake

Mini Heart Shaped 8 Cake

Here is the final treat from Morgan’s Baptism Luncheon, a mini heart shaped 8 cake for Morgan, simple but cute.  It’s a 6″ one layer chocolate cake made from the White Almond Sour Cream Cake recipe, frosted with my favorite Buttercream Icing and then covered with Wilton white fondant.  Finished with a ribbon in Morgan’s favorite color around the base and an 8 on top.  Congratulations to Morgan for choosing to be baptized!

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Watermelon “Pops”

by penji1
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Watermelon Pops

Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that bring a smile to your face, isn’t it?  Like these Watermelon Pops brought a smile to the faces of the little kids at the baptism luncheon.  So easy and yet so cute, and it makes eating watermelon a little less messy.  Just slice your watermelon into some nice wedges and insert a Popsicle stick in the rind (it helps to make a slit with a knife first then the stick slides right in) and presto!  Happy kids!

Edible Veggie Cups with Dip

by penji1
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Edible Veggie Cups with Dip

Here is another fun little yummy we did for the baptism luncheon, these edible veggie cups.  I used both cucumbers and zucchini from my garden for the cups.  All you do is cut the zucchini or cucumbers into 1 1/2″ – 2″ chunks, take a melon ball scoop and make an indentation in each cup, making sure to leave an edge around each one and also to not scoop down all the way through the cup.  Then you just fill the cup with your preferred dip (we used Ranch dressing), be sure to leave room for the veggies which will go in right after the dip (we went with sugar snap peas, baby carrots and celery).

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Caprese Salad Bites

by penji1
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Caprese Salad Bites

My friend Alisha and I are embarking on a little catering adventure and our first gig was doing a buffet luncheon for our friend Diana’s daughter Morgan’s baptism.  This was one of the nibbles we put together for it and apparently they were a hit, can’t imagine why!  🙂

2 pounds grape tomatoes

2 pounds mozzarella rounds, each slice cut into 4 pieces

handful of basil leaves, cut into strips if large

drizzle of olive oil

drizzle of balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

1  Push a toothpick into a grape tomato until it is all the way at one end of the toothpick, follow this with a piece of mozzarella then top with a basil leaf or a piece of a basil leaf.

2  Layer bites in a bowl or platter and when finished assembling all, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar then grind fresh salt and pepper over the top.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Strawberry Slab Pie

by penji1
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Strawberry Slab Pie

I think this was the hit of the 4th of July BBQ.  It was almost completely gone by the end of the night and it made a huge pan, 18 x 12″.

crust

2 1/4 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup cold butter, cut into cubes

filling

1 (6 oz) box strawberry jello

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

20 oz (2 1/2 cups) Sprite

32 oz strawberries, washed and tops removed

handful of blueberries for a red, white and blue dessert if desired

Cool Whip and/or vanilla ice cream

1  For the crust, preheat oven to 350.  Combine all crust ingredients in bowl of food processor and pulse until crumbly.  Press into bottom of half sheet pan, 18 x 12″.

2  Bake 15 – 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

3  For the filling, cook jello, sugar, cornstarch, salt and Sprite over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and whisk until thickened.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

4  Slice strawberries and arrange over crust.  (I added a handful of blueberries because I wanted red (strawberries), white (Cool Whip or vanilla ice cream) and blue (blueberries) for the 4th of July.  Pour jello mixture over berries.  Refrigerate 2 hours or until set.

5  Serve with the Cool Whip and/or vanilla ice cream.

recipe from Miss in the Kitchen