Citrus Marinated Chicken

by penji1

Citrus Marinated Chicken

Still trying to get the food from our Memorial Day barbecue posted, this chicken was great, from a website called Bubblews.  They baked it but I figured it would work just as well on the grill which it did.

1/3 cup orange juice

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated (I used 1/2 teaspoon ground)

1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

12 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in (I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

1  Combine all ingredients except chicken in a large ziploc bag or resealable container and shake to combine.  Add chicken and marinate in fridge for 4 – 6 hours.  Turn bag or container at least once while marinating.

2  Preheat oven to 350.  Place chicken in baking dish and pour a bit of the marinade over the top.  Bake for 45 – 55 minutes or until done.

OR you can grill it like we did!

College Survival Kit Graduation Gift

by penji1

College Survival Kit

So here’s a cute little idea that I found on Pinterest for a high school graduation gift.  I found multiple variations of this idea so this one is pulled from about 4 different kits.  Here’s what’s inside and a list to go with it:

College Survival Kit

Hugs and Kisses (Hersheys) – to remind you that you are loved

Starbursts – for an extra burst of energy for late night studying

Extra gum – for extra motivation and to help you stick to it

Kit Kat – for when you need a break

Icebreakers – to help start conversations with new people

Smarties – to help get good grades

Tootsie Rolls – to roll with the punches

Twizzlers – for life’s little twists

sponge – to soak up knowledge

rubber band – to stretch beyond your limits

paper clip – to hold it all together when it feels like it’s falling apart

eraser – to make little mistakes disappear

penny – so you’re never completely broke

smiley face (I used stickers) – to remember to smile

Bandaid – for when things get rough

battery – to keep going and going and going

candle – for burning the midnight oil when studying

tissues – for when your day just blows

air freshener – for when life stinks

a container of some kind

Most of these things I found at the dollar store and the rest at the grocery store.  I used labels to print off all the sayings and then just stuck them right on and for the smaller items, I put them in small clear gift bags and then stuck the label on those.  Super cute and super easy for a high school graduate like two of my Young Women, Bailey and Melia, love you guys!

Circus Animal Cupcakes

by penji1

Circus Animal Cupcakes

We had a fun Mother/Daughter Activity Night here on Wednesday night with our Young Women from church and I wanted to make something fun for the treats so I found this idea on Pinterest, of course, from “House of Yumm”.  They are so adorable and so delicious.  The crushed up cookies in the cupcakes tasted like yummy chocolate chips.  They are super easy to make, all you do is prepare a cake mix of your choice according to package directions and then add 1 – 2 cups of broken up circus animal cookies to the batter (she used 1 cup, I decided to add another).  Bake as directed on box then frost with your choice of frosting, I used my favorite “Basic Buttercream Icing”.  I used a pink and white chevron cupcake liner with a matching flag which I got from Pick Your Plum.

Circus Animal Cupcakes

So I did one batch with a Pink Lemonade cake mix, frosted with the buttercream icing left white, a pink Circus Animal Cookie on top and then finished with multicolored round sprinkles to match the sprinkles on the cookies.

Circus Animal Cookies

Then I did a second batch with a white cake mix, the same buttercream icing this time dyed pink, a white circus animal cookie and the same sprinkles.  So cute and so yummy!

No Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

by penji1

No Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

I’ve been working this week on a commercial so I’m a little behind, still haven’t posted all the goods from our Memorial Day barbeque like this one which was super easy and super yummy (although next time I’ll use semisweet chips instead of milk chocolate!), no bake so perfect for a summer treat, recipe from Six Sisters’ Stuff.

2 cups creamy peanut butter, divided into 3/4 cup and 1 1/2 cups

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

4 cups pretzels, broken into roughly 1/2″ pieces, divided into 3 cups and 1 cup

2 cups milk chocolate chips, divided into 1/2 cup and 1 1/2 cups

1  Line 9 x 9″ pan with foil leaving an overhang on 2 sides.  Lightly spray foil with cooking spray.

2  Beat 1 1/2 cups peanut butter and butter until creamy.  Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar.  Stir in remaining powdered sugar, 3 cups pretzel pieces and 1/2 cup chocolate chips.  Press evenly into prepared pan.

3  Microwave remaining 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips and 3/4 cup peanut butter for 45 seconds, stir.  If necessary, microwave at additional 10 – 15 second intervals, stirring just until chips are melted.  Spread chocolate peanut butter mixture evenly over powdered sugar mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining pretzel pieces, pressing down lightly.  Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until firm.  Lift from pan, peel off foil and cut into pieces.  Store covered in fridge.

Slow Cooker Bacon Cheese Potatoes

by penji1

Slow Cooker Bacon Cheese Potatoes

Courtney and Jaren came over on Monday and we had a big Memorial Day barbecue and so I decided to give these potatoes a try.  It’s a “Six Sisters’ Stuff” recipe and while they tasted really good, they were really greasy so perhaps a little less butter?  Also I didn’t cook the bacon before putting it in which they said you could do but maybe if you cooked that and then added it in that might cut down on some of the grease.  Like I said they tasted great, just a little too much oil.

1/4 pound bacon, diced (cooked or not before adding, your choice)

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

4 medium potatoes, cut into large cubes

1/2 pound cheddar cheese, shredded

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons butter

green onion, thinly sliced (optional)

1  Line slow cooker/crock pot with foil, leaving enough to overlap top of potatoes when finished.  (This keep potatoes from sticking, helps them steam and keeps them from getting mushy.)

2  Layer half each of bacon, onions, potatoes and cheese.  Season with salt and pepper and dot with butter.  Repeat layers.

3  Overlap with foil.  Cover and cook on low 6 – 8 hours or on high 4 hours.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Pizza

by penji1

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Pizza

Treats for the neighbors!  It’s a Pillsbury recipe, can’t tell you how it tasted as it went straight to the neighbor’s house, smelled good though.

cookie crust:

1 (16.5 oz) roll refrigerated sugar cookies

1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

(I used 1 {17.5 oz} bag Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix plus ingredients to make cookies in place of the above.)

toppings:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup hot fudge topping (I used Hershey’s syrup instead)

1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

12 (I used about 17) mini Reeses Peanut Butter cups, unwrapped

3/4 teaspoon sea salt, if desired

1  Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour 12″ pizza pan.  (I used my Pampered Chef pizza stone and lined it with parchment paper.)  In large bowl, break up cookie dough.  Stir or knead in cocoa and melted chocolate until well blended.  With floured fingers, press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust.  (I mixed up the cookie dough according to the package directions and then pressed it into a circle in the middle of my stone, leaving plenty of room for the cookie to expand while it baked which it did.)

2  Bake 14 – 16 minutes until set but not firm.  Cool on cooling rack 20 minutes.  Beat cream cheese and sugar on medium until fluffy.  Spread over cooled crust.

3  Beat peanut butter, milk and sugar with whisk until smooth.  Drizzle over filling from outside edge of filling to center of crust, using small spoon.  (I put it into a ziploc sandwich bag and snipped a corner off to drizzle it on.)  Microwave fudge topping uncovered on high about 20 seconds or until thin enough to drizzle.  Drizzle over peanut butter.  (If using the Hershey’s syrup, you don’t need to heat it up just drizzle it on.)

4  Spoon 12 dollops of whipped topping around edge of crust.  (I used my Pampered Chef Easy Accent Decorator to make little dollops around the edge and I made more so that there would be more candy on the pizza.  I did 16 around the edge and then 1 in the middle.)  Place candies in dollops.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Store covered in fridge.

White Fondant Wedding Cake with Turquoise and Coral Accents

by penji1

Turquoise and Coral Wedding Cake

Courtney and I don’t have a lot of time to do cakes much these days but every now and then we are able to fit one in.  This one was for Cort’s friend Michelle and when we were done with it, we both decided that it was one of our favorites.  It’s a smaller cake (bottom 8″, top 6″), just for cutting really, not for serving.  It’s chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream icing and then Wilton’s new fondant in white which is so much better than their old fondant, tastes better and rolls out smoother also goes on smoother too.  The ribbon in a light turquoise and coral in a random pattern and then the coral flowers topped with the Mr & Mrs sign, so cute.  We were really proud of it!

Oatmeal Scotchies Muffins

by penji1

Oatmeal Scotchies Muffins

Another muffin recipe from the muffin kick day, this one from “Six Sisters’ Stuff”, who I love by the way (not that I know them personally but I love their recipes and I went to their blog conference earlier this year and they seemed just as nice and fun in person as they do on their blog!).  This one is easy and super yummy, if you love Oatmeal Scotchie bars then you’ll love these muffins too.

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cup vanilla Greek yogurt

1/4 cup light sour cream

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 cup low fat milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 egg

1 cup butterscotch chips

1  Preheat oven to 375.

2  Combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and brown sugar and set aside.

3  Mix yogurt, sour cream, melted butter, milk and vanilla until well blended.  Add egg and mix to combine.l

4  Combine wet and dry ingredients.  Fold in butterscotch chips, but do not overmix.

5  Scoop batter into greased or paper lined muffin tins.  (The recipe said it would yield 12 muffins but I got about 22.)  Bake 15 – 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Chocolate Almond Muffins

by penji1

Chocolate Almond Muffins

I was on another muffins kick yesterday, I just love muffins, I wish I could eat them everyday for breakfast.  I decided to make some for some friends and, of course, a few for us.  This recipe comes from a blog called “Dine and Dish” and they are chocolatey goodness.  I added the Nutella drizzle to the top because what makes a chocolate muffin better?  More chocolate!

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup sour cream

2/3 cup chocolate milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup slivered almonds

2 tablespoons powdered sugar (or 1/4 cup Nutella)

1  Preheat oven to 400 (or 375 if your pans are dark).

2  Mix dry ingredients (except almonds and powdered sugar).

3  Stir in sour cream, chocolate milk and vanilla, blending until well incorporated and combined.

4  Spray muffin pan or line with cupcake liners.  (She said the recipe would make 12, I got about 14.)

5  Fill each cup about 3/4 full.

6  Bake 12 minutes and remove from oven.  (I thought this was too long so when I make them again, I’d take them out around 8 minutes.)

7  Sprinkle each muffin with slivered almonds, pressing them into top gently, then return to oven for additional 5 – 7 minutes or until almonds are toasty and muffins are cooked entirely.

8  Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes before removing from pan.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar (or warm Nutella up in microwave for 15 – 30 seconds and drizzle over muffins).

Brown Sugar Fruit Dip

by penji1

Brown Sugar Fruit Dip

This was disappearing quickly at our Monday night dinner with Alyse, Kenna and the boys so I had to snap a quick pic with my phone before it was all gone, so yummy!  It’s a Six Sisters’ Stuff recipe which I modified a bit.  It’s quick and easy to put together, another great recipe for an outdoor barbeque if you’re looking for a light and tasty dessert.

1 block cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

Mix ingredients together until smooth.

That’s the original recipe but I love this Creamy Fruit Dip recipe so I decided to blend the two recipe together:

1 block cream cheese, softened

1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow cream

1 cup packed brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together until smooth.