1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme
Assorted apple wedges
In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter and pie spice until blended; fold in marshmallow creme. (or you can do what i did and throw everything in a bowl and blend) Serve with apple wedges.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Fattoush
Dressing Ingredients
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cups Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar (can Substitute White Vinegar)
2 teaspoons Dried Mint
2 cloves Garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Fresh Gound Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Sumac (I bought mine online)
1/4 cups Loosley Packed Fresh Parsley
approximately 10 mint leaves (more or less depending on your taste)
Place all of the dressing ingredients in a blender and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow all of the flavors to blend together.
For the salad, use Romaine lettuce, cucumbers, green onions and tomatoes. I also add feta.
Top the salad with Pita Chips that you can make. Take some very thin pita bread (Arabic if you can find it), cut into 1-inch strips by about 2 inches long and fry in some olive oil until crispy. (You don’t need a lot of oil to fry these in, just enough to crisp them. I also use a nonstick skillet when frying these). Sprinkle on top of the salad and enjoy!
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cups Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar (can Substitute White Vinegar)
2 teaspoons Dried Mint
2 cloves Garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Fresh Gound Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Sumac (I bought mine online)
1/4 cups Loosley Packed Fresh Parsley
approximately 10 mint leaves (more or less depending on your taste)
Place all of the dressing ingredients in a blender and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow all of the flavors to blend together.
For the salad, use Romaine lettuce, cucumbers, green onions and tomatoes. I also add feta.
Top the salad with Pita Chips that you can make. Take some very thin pita bread (Arabic if you can find it), cut into 1-inch strips by about 2 inches long and fry in some olive oil until crispy. (You don’t need a lot of oil to fry these in, just enough to crisp them. I also use a nonstick skillet when frying these). Sprinkle on top of the salad and enjoy!
Friday, September 17, 2010
5 Soup Chicken
•8 pieces Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breast
•1 can (10.75 Oz. Can) Cheddar Cheese Soup
•1 can (10.5 Oz. Can) French Onion Soup
•1 can (10.75 Oz. Can) Cream Of Mushroom Soup
•1 can (10.75 Oz. Can) Cream Of Celery Soup
•1 can (10.75 Oz. Can) Cream Of Chicken Soup
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place chicken in a large baking dish. It should be large enough to hold the chicken with room to spare. If necessary, you can split it up into two containers. Combine all soups in a bowl and pour over the chicken. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 4 hours. Remove foil and continue cooking for another hour. Serve with rice or potatoes.
Note: You can speed up the cooking time by cooking at 325 degrees for 3 hours, but I think it tastes better if you cook it for 5 hours. Also, if you don’t have all the soups, you can do a 3-soup version—use the cheddar cheese, French onion and one of the “cream of” soups. A crock pot can be used with this recipe if you can find one large enough.
•1 can (10.75 Oz. Can) Cheddar Cheese Soup
•1 can (10.5 Oz. Can) French Onion Soup
•1 can (10.75 Oz. Can) Cream Of Mushroom Soup
•1 can (10.75 Oz. Can) Cream Of Celery Soup
•1 can (10.75 Oz. Can) Cream Of Chicken Soup
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place chicken in a large baking dish. It should be large enough to hold the chicken with room to spare. If necessary, you can split it up into two containers. Combine all soups in a bowl and pour over the chicken. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 4 hours. Remove foil and continue cooking for another hour. Serve with rice or potatoes.
Note: You can speed up the cooking time by cooking at 325 degrees for 3 hours, but I think it tastes better if you cook it for 5 hours. Also, if you don’t have all the soups, you can do a 3-soup version—use the cheddar cheese, French onion and one of the “cream of” soups. A crock pot can be used with this recipe if you can find one large enough.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Red Velvet Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
24 paper liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2 –inch size)
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain German chocolate cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 bottle (1 ounce) red food coloring
3 large eggs
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)
Note: Use reduced-fat sour cream, and you’ll sacrifice only fat and calories, not flavor. If you can’t find plain German chocolate cake mix, buy the pudding in the mix version and forgo the added pudding. For more chocolate flavor, use chocolate pudding mix instead of vanilla, but the cake won’t be as red in color.
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.
2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, water, oil, food coloring, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look thick and well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Place the pans in the oven.
3. Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.
5. Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread with a short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely. Place these cupcakes, uncovered or in a cake server, in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, 20 minutes. The cupcakes are ready to serve.
White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
6 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 ounces (half an 8-ounce package) reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
2 to 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1. Place the white chocolate in a small glass bowl in the microwave oven on high power for 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the oven and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until it is smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool.
2. Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the melted white chocolate and blend on low speed until just combined, 30 seconds. Add the 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar and blend on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 30 seconds more. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the frosting is fluffy, 1 minute more, adding up to 1/2 cup more sugar if needed to make a spreadable consistency.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Chicken Lemon Rice Soup
•8 cups Chicken Broth
•½ cups Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
•4 Tablespoons Chicken Base Granules
•½ teaspoons Ground White Pepper
•½ cups Butter, Separated
•½ cups Finely Chopped Yellow Onion
•½ cups All-purpose Flour
•6 whole Egg Yolks
•½ cups Whole Milk Or Heavy Cream
•1-½ cup Cooked White Rice
•1 cup Finely Diced Chicken Meat
•6 slices Lemon
1. In a large pot, combine the chicken broth, lemon juice, soup base and pepper. Bring to a boil on high, then simmer for 20 minutes.
2. In a separate frying pan, melt 1/4 of the butter and saute the onions until translucent. Empty into the stockpot. Then add the rest of the butter to the hot frying pan that you just cooked the onions in. Stir in flour to make a roux, keeping over medium heat (and stirring frequently) for about 10-15 minutes. Gradually add the roux to the soup mixture in the stock pot. Simmer for 10 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks until light in color. Then beat in cream/milk. Gradually add some of the hot soup to the egg yolks, stirring constantly (about a cup or so). Return the egg/milk mixture to the soup pot and heat through. Lastly, add the cooked rice and chicken and simmer for another ten minutes. Garnish with lemon slices, and add salt/pepper to taste.
•½ cups Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
•4 Tablespoons Chicken Base Granules
•½ teaspoons Ground White Pepper
•½ cups Butter, Separated
•½ cups Finely Chopped Yellow Onion
•½ cups All-purpose Flour
•6 whole Egg Yolks
•½ cups Whole Milk Or Heavy Cream
•1-½ cup Cooked White Rice
•1 cup Finely Diced Chicken Meat
•6 slices Lemon
1. In a large pot, combine the chicken broth, lemon juice, soup base and pepper. Bring to a boil on high, then simmer for 20 minutes.
2. In a separate frying pan, melt 1/4 of the butter and saute the onions until translucent. Empty into the stockpot. Then add the rest of the butter to the hot frying pan that you just cooked the onions in. Stir in flour to make a roux, keeping over medium heat (and stirring frequently) for about 10-15 minutes. Gradually add the roux to the soup mixture in the stock pot. Simmer for 10 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks until light in color. Then beat in cream/milk. Gradually add some of the hot soup to the egg yolks, stirring constantly (about a cup or so). Return the egg/milk mixture to the soup pot and heat through. Lastly, add the cooked rice and chicken and simmer for another ten minutes. Garnish with lemon slices, and add salt/pepper to taste.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Malted Milk Ball Cupcakes
24 cupcake liners
1 package (18.25 oz) plain yellow cake mix
1 box (3.8 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk chocolate chips
Malted Milk Buttercream (see recipe below)
40 malted milk balls, coarsely crushed, for garnish
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.
Place cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, oil, water, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds until the ingredients are well blended, then stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look smooth and thickened. Fold in the chocolate chips, making sure they are well distributed throughout the batter. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (You will get between 22-24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Place the pans in the oven.
Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18-20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners. Lift the cupcakes from the bottoms of the cups using the end of a knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.
Meanwhile, prepare the Malted Milk Buttercream. Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out with a short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely. Garnish with crushed malted milk balls.
Malted Milk Buttercream
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
3-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
5 tablespoons malted milk powder (the author of Sweetnicks used chocolate syrup instead)
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the confectioner’s sugar, malted milk powder, milk and vanilla. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more.
1 package (18.25 oz) plain yellow cake mix
1 box (3.8 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk chocolate chips
Malted Milk Buttercream (see recipe below)
40 malted milk balls, coarsely crushed, for garnish
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.
Place cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, oil, water, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds until the ingredients are well blended, then stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look smooth and thickened. Fold in the chocolate chips, making sure they are well distributed throughout the batter. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (You will get between 22-24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Place the pans in the oven.
Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18-20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners. Lift the cupcakes from the bottoms of the cups using the end of a knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.
Meanwhile, prepare the Malted Milk Buttercream. Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out with a short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely. Garnish with crushed malted milk balls.
Malted Milk Buttercream
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
3-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
5 tablespoons malted milk powder (the author of Sweetnicks used chocolate syrup instead)
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the confectioner’s sugar, malted milk powder, milk and vanilla. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more.
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