Chef Mommy

Easy Peasy Ham Mac and Cheesey

2012-01-26T00:17:00.002-05:00

My kids are mac and cheese FANATICS, and they inspired me to come up with this kid-friendly, easy and tasty recipe.

Now, personally, I prefer a baked mac and cheese. However, for this recipe I decided that stove top was the way to go. This way all of the cheese is ooey-gooey and it cooks in much less time...a very important thing with too little hungry ones.

I used Wisconsin Swiss and Wisconsin Cheddar in this recipe along with cubed cooked ham (that I just picked up from my deli) and some frozen peas for color and too sneak in some veggies (hee, hee). The result....a perfect, kid-friendly meal that any grown-up will love too! Both of the kids really loved this dinner and requested it for lunch the next day. My son even exclaimed that it was the BEST mac and cheese he ever had! Endorsed by an expert!

Ingredients:

1 pound mini fusilli pasta (or you may use mini penne or elbow macaroni)
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup flour
3 1/2 cups milk
2 cups (8 ounces) Wisconsin Swiss Cheese, shredded
3 cups (12 ounces) Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup cooked ham, diced
1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

In a large pot, melt the butter and sauté the onions for about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour until well blended. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the milk; stir well. Add in the cheeses, mustard, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Continue to cook and stir until smooth, hot and thickened. Stir in the ham, peas and cooked/drained pasta. Stir well until heated through.

Source: Chef Mommy, developed for the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. I received compensation to create this recipe.

Better Brown Rice

2012-01-11T13:36:00.002-05:00

Everyone knows how healthy brown rice is compared to regular white rice. I have tried for a long time to like it but just could never get over the bland taste and chewy texture. I've tried different recipes and different ways to cook brown rice but still never liked it much.

Then a few weeks ago I stumbled across a different way to cook brown rice (and unfortunately did not bookmark the source- sorry) that actually produces fluffy brown rice.

The method is a bit unusual but it works! Start with 4 parts water and 1 part rice. Then cook it for 30 minutes UNCOVERED, strain and let the rice steam for an additional 10 minutes...voila!

I'm very happy to say that brown rice has become a dinner time staple we ALL are eating and enjoying.

Ingredients:

4 cups of water
1 tsp salt
4 tsp chicken bouillon granules (optional)
1 cup brown rice

Directions:

In a pot, combine water, salt and bouillon (if using). Bring to a boil over med-high heat. Add rice and reduce heat to med (not low!!). Cook UNCOVERED for 30 minutes, stir occasionally.

After 30 minutes, turn off stove, drain all the water from pan. Put a tight fitting lid on pan and let the rice steam cook for an additional 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Source:

Easy Broiled Tilapia

2012-01-02T06:16:00.002-05:00

Happy New Years!!

I know a lot of us have made New Year's resolutions to eat healthier and today I wanted to share with you one of my favorite "go to" healthy meals. It's a simple "skinny" broiled tilapia, brown rice (recipe coming soon) and steamed broccoli.

Not only is this meal healthy, but it's also super easy and quick to prepare, economical, and both of my kids really like it....win, win, win, win!

I usually buy a big bag of individually wrapped frozen tilapia to keep in the freezer. All it needs is a quick thaw and it's ready to go! Just place on an aluminum foil (I'm a huge fan of this non-stick variety) lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with spices and broil.

This is the seasonings I use plus a little salt but you can use any that you like.

Don't forget to squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on top before serving.

Ingredients:

Tilapia
I Can't Believe it's Not Butter spray (ICBINB spray)
Salt
Lemon Pepper seasoning
Garlic powder
Lemon

Directions:

Set oven to broil and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (I like Reynold's non-stick foil).

Place tilapia on foil and spray IBINB spray, then sprinkle with a little salt on both sides of the fish. Sprinkle top side of fish with garlic powder and lemon pepper seasoning.

Broil fish for 8-10 minutes until it flakes and is fully cooked. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top of fish and serve.

Source: Chef Mommy original

Tiramisu

2011-12-30T17:47:00.003-05:00

I made the most AMAZING tiramisu for Christmas dinner and I'm so excited to share this recipe. It's the perfect dessert for any special occasion. In fact, I'm thinking of making it again for a New Years Eve party.

I don't know about you but I always thought tiramisu was really complicated to make, boy was I wrong! It's really easy and just takes a few simple steps.

Doesn't this look good? It was heavenly and we even had a bit for breakfast the next day :)

A traditional recipe calls for mascarpone cheese, but if you can't find it easily regular cream cheese works beautifully. You can also use Cool Whip instead of fresh whipped cream in this recipe. Lastly, if your kids like to help out in the kitchen the way mine do, have them dip the lady fingers in the coffee -Fun!

Ingredients:

8 oz Mascarpone cheese or Cream Cheese –softened
6 Tbsp sugar (divided)
1 1/2 cups fresh whipped cream (see how HERE) (Cool Whip may be used as an instant alternative)
3 Egg Yolks
1 1/2 cups Strong Coffee (mixed with 2 Tbsp Rum (optional))
1 package Lady Fingers
Cocoa Powder

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix softened mascarpone or cream Cheese with 3 Tbsp of sugar until sugar is completely dissolved.
2. In a separate bowl, mix 3 egg yolks with remaining 3 Tbsp of sugar and whisk continuously in a double boiler until eggs are cooked (approx 3-4 minutes). The color of the yolks will turn a lemon yellow when done.
3. Immediately mix the egg mixture into the cream cheese mixture and gently stir.
4. Add 2 Tbsp of the coffee into the mixture and mix.
5. Fold in the whipped cream into the mascarpone/cream cheese mix.
6. Dip each Lady Finger into the coffee (for 1-2 seconds on each side) and place into square or rectangle tray until the bottom is completely covered.
7. Spread 1/2 of the mascarpone filling evenly on top of the fingers.
8. Lightly dust cocoa powder over the filling. Tea strainer works great!
9. Repeat with another layer of coffee dipped fingers.
10. Top with remaining filling.
11. Sprinkle cocoa powder over the top to form a coating.
11. Chill overnight or about 8 hours to set.

Source: Adapted from Show me the Curry

Slow Cooker: Mushroom Chicken (#2)

2011-12-29T20:24:00.002-05:00

OK folks, here it is the recipe for that other slow cooker mushroom chicken. This is probably coming at good time too, since I know most of us are looking for quick, fix-it and forget dinners after all that holiday cooking we've been doing.

This recipe really fits the bill but you may be wondering what the big difference is between mushroom chicken #1 and #2. Mushroom chicken #2 starts with cubed chicken. It also does not use any "cream of ____" soup, which a lot of folks prefer to do without (me, I'm OK with it once in a while).

So the other big question....Which was my favorite? I honestly don't know. I made this one some time ago, so it's hard to compare the two but they were BOTH great. I don't think you could go wrong with either recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
3 boneless,skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 3/4 tsp chicken bouillon granuales
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 water
1 can evaporated milk (5oz)
5 tsp cornstarch

Directions:

1. Combine salt, pepper and paprika in small bowl; sprinkle over chicken

2. Layer chicken, mushrooms, green onions and bouillon in a 4 1/2-quart slow-cooker. Pour wine, water over top. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or 5-6 hours on low. Transfer chiken and vegtables to platter; cover with foil to keep warm.

3. Combine evaportaed milk and corn strach in small pan, stir until smooth. Add 2 cups of cooking liquid from slow-cooker; bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute or until thick, stiring constantly. Serve over chicken.

I served this over brocolli rice.

Source: Betty Crocker

Nutty Reindeer Treats

2011-12-21T11:25:00.002-05:00

Here is another holiday treat I made recently. I saw these on another blog and thought....HOW CUTE!!!

These were made for my daughter's preschool Christmas pageant luncheon. I really would have liked to have taken step-by-step photos but I made these the night before and was in a bit of a rush. They are made with a Nutter Butter cookie that is dipped in chocolate (I brushed on the chocolate), then decorated with a red M&M for the nose, candy eyes* and pretzels for antlers.

Please click HERE for instructions on how to make these.

My little angel (center with the red hairband) performing in the school's annual Christmas pageant.

The kids loved these!!

I individually wrapped each reindeer in a cookie baggie and tied it with a festive ribbon. This kept the cookies fresh and made them an easy take-home treat.

*These are the candy eyes. You can find them at a store like Michaels.

White Snowflake and Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies

2011-12-18T23:51:00.002-05:00

I still owe you all the second slow-cooker mushroom chicken recipe but I'm holding off on that for a bit, so I can bring you some holiday goodies instead :)

I made these snowflake and Christmas tree cookies for my neighbor's annual cookie exchange party. I knew there were going to be some amazing tasting treats at the party, but I decided to good for looks mostly this year...and these fit the bill!

I used my regular sugar cookie and royal icing recipe.

I was given a sample of Dave's Dirty Vanilla to try out and used it in this recipe. So, why is it called "dirty vanilla"? Well, Dave was frustrated with the sub-par vanilla extracts he was using for baking and after much experimenting developed a cold extraction process that yields a vanilla with more subtle flavors and aroma. There is a Madagascar Bourbon vanilla bean in each bottle of Dave's Dirty Vanilla! I loved the "dirty" part....the little specks of vanilla seed! To learn more or buy some of Dave's Dirty Vanilla visit his site HERE.

I think the all white cookies look so pretty and sophisticated but the really reason I made them this way was out of sheer laziness-LOL. I didn't want to have to mess with making several different colors for the frosting.

My daughter appreciated both the look and taste of these cookies :)

Slow Cooker: Mushroom Chicken (#1)

2011-12-07T21:13:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, I posted about a great slow cooker mushroom chicken recipe I had made. I actually have two different slow cooker mushroom chicken recipes to share. This first recipe, I made more recently and really loved it. The mushroom gravy was soooo delicious!! I could have eaten that by itself-Ha!

While dinner cooked in the slow cooker, I took the kids out for a long bike/scooter ride. They sure worked up an appetite!

I served this over mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach (Pictured here with a salad. These are actually my leftovers). This dinner was so easy to prepare and so were the sides. I used Oreida Steam n' Mash potatoes. To make them extra creamy and yummy, prepare the potatoes according to directions on the bag and then add 4oz of onion and chive cream cheese. For the spinach, simply sautee in large pan with a little butter,olive oil and garlic. So good, so easy!

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 pounds)
1 8-oz. pkg. fresh button mushrooms, quartered
1 6-oz. pkg. fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced
1/4 cup butter
1 0.7-oz. pkg. Italian dry salad dressing mix
1 10-3/4-oz. can condensed golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 of an 8-oz. tub cream cheese spread with chives and onion

Directions:

Melt butter in a saucepan. Then add the salad dressing mix. Stir in soup, wine and cream cheese until it combines and melts. Add all the mushrooms to your slow cooker. Place chicken on top and pour sauce over chicken. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 5 hours. Serve over rice, pasta or mashed potatoes.

Source: Cleverly Inspired

Sesame Street Cake and Cupcakes

2011-12-04T11:44:00.028-05:00

I was recently asked to make these Sesame Street cupcakes and "smash" cake for a little boy's first birthday. I couldn't help but say yes. I had tried my hand at these before but it was some time ago (see those HERE) and I knew I wouldn't ever be making them for my own kids again. Sadly, our Sesame Street days are already over. And much too soon for my liking :(

Below are instructions and tips on how I made these. If you have any additional questions, please leave a comment below...Thanks!

The "Smash" Cake

- Bake a 2-layer cake. Use your favorite recipe. This cake was classic vanilla.
- The birthday boy's mom asked for a small cake. The smallest cake pan I had was 5" which I thought might still be bigger than she would like. So, I baked the cake in one 9" cake pan and then used a 4" ring cutter to get the two layers. I thought the cake was the perfect size.
- Dye frosting your favorite color. I used a very pale blue here so I didn't need to add a lot of food coloring.
- Frost the cake with a crumb coat first and then another layer of frosting. Smooth out the frosting. Here is a post on how I smooth out my frosting.
- To make the sign I used Wilton's fondant, dyed it green and yellow. See this post for a few more tips on how to work with fondant.
- Apply the sign to the cake and press gently to have it adhere.
- The use a tiny round tip (this was a Wilton's #3) to write the number and name on the sign.
- Finally add a decorative boarder at the base of the cake and on top to give it a finished look.

Elmo Cupcakes

- Dye the frosting red. You will need A LOT of food coloring to get a true red frosting needed for Elmo.
- Apply frosting to the cupcake using a small star shaped tip.
- Add candy eyes*.
- Add a nose. These are just orange colored peanut M&M's. Buy the big bag of M&M's b/c the single serving bags (that you find near the check out register) will only have 3-4 orange per bag.
- Add a mouth. This mouth is made from an Oreo cookie. I twisted the cookie apart, used a sharp knife to scrape off the white cream center and then cute it in half.

Cookie Monster Cupcakes

- Dye the frosting blue. You will not need a lot of food coloring to get the right shade. So start with just a little and add more as needed.
- Apply frosting to the cupcake using a small star shaped tip. I used the same tip that I used for Elmo.
- Add candy eyes*.
- Add a cookie. These cookies are the Famous Amos mini cookies (cut in half). They were the perfect size, not too big, not too little.

Oscar the Grouch Cupcakes

- Dye the frosting green. I added just a tiny bit of brown food coloring here too to give green a bit more of an olive hue.
- Apply frosting to the cupcake using a grass shaped tip.
- Add candy eyes*.
- Add a mouth. This mouth is made from an Oreo cookie also.
- Add a tongue. Just pipe a small amount of red frosting into the center of the mouth. I used leftover frosting from the Elmo cupcakes
- Add eyebrows around the top half of the eyeballs. Use brown frosting for this and a very small star shaped tip.

More Tips:
- *I cheated and bought candy eyeballs from a local cake supply store to save time. There are a few ways to make these at home but that is a post all on it's own. If anyone wants to see that, please let me know and I will post a tutorial.
- Give yourself some time to make these, at least two days. Try baking the cake and cupcakes one day. Then make the frosting and decorate the next.
- I used coordinating greaseproof liners (red, blue and green) to match the cupcakes.
- Making several different frosting colors it is helpful to use this plastic wrap technique (aka..."the frosting condom") to save pastry bags and make clean-up easier.

Here is the birthday boy enjoying his first taste of cake. How cute is he??!! Happy 1st birthday Maddox!

Thanksgiving Food Favorites

2011-11-22T04:25:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post today....

Hope you all have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING....gobble gobble!!

Sweet Potato Brulee

Turkey Cupcake Bites

Honey-Poppyseed Butter

Cranberry Sauce

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-17T10:09:00.000-05:00

What I'm thankful for this week:

1. Fall'Yall

I love everything Fall related....apple picking, pumpkin picking, the leaves, sweaters & jeans,boots, baking, fall decor, the colors...salted caramel lattes ;)

2. Running

It's cheaper than therapy- Ha! I love running outdoors and am looking forward to my run this weekend along one of my favorite trails with one of my best friends.

3. My Crockpot

Can you believe I actually did not like my Crockpot a year ago? Now I can't use it enough. I'll be sharing the recipe for this mushroom chicken dish soon.

4. Free Stuff

One of the perks of blogging :)

What are you thankful for this week?

Cashew Chicken

2011-11-14T20:28:00.010-05:00

OK, time to post a few more recipes. It's been awhile, I know :)

This recipe for cashew chicken is really terrific. It tastes just like it came from your favorite Chinese take-out restaurant--only better! It's comes together fairly quickly and I'm sure is a healthier version too. The only change I would make next time, would be to add some red or orange bell pepper for color and more crunch. Other than that, it is really spot on!

If you are going to serve a small side salad with this (like your local Chinese place might), it's usually just romaine lettuce and some shredded carrots with a soy-ginger dressing. This Trader Joe's Goddess dressing is perfect for such a salad. My son and I are slightly OBSESSED with this dressing....it is that good!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons dry sherry (or cooking wine, or leave out)
2 tsp. minced, peeled, fresh ginger
3 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
coarse salt
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2/3 cup unsalted cashews, toasted
2 green onions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced

Directions:

In a medium bowl, toss chicken with sherry, ginger, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch; season with salt. Refrigerate 30 minutes. In another bowl, combine broth, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Set sauce aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken and cook until golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a covered plate. Add 1 teaspoon oil to skillet and cook remaining chicken (reduce heat if chicken is over-browning). Transfer to plate.

To same skillet, add 1 teaspoon oil, garlic, cashews, and green onion whites. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic begins to soften, about 30 seconds. Whisk sauce and add to skillet along with chicken. Cook until sauce thickens, about 30 seconds. Top with green onion greens and serve with rice or noodles.

Source: The Bitten Word, originally from Everyday Food (September 2009)

Hi there....

2011-11-10T11:54:00.017-05:00

I just wanted to post a quick entry today to let you know that I have not forgotten about this blog. Life has just been busy. I hope to get back to more regular posting soon. But in the meantime, I wanted to share some pictures I took earlier this week.

The weather was picture perfect here so, I packed up my camera bag and the kids for an impromptu holiday card photo session. Here are the results....

*If you have left me a message or question here or via email, I apologize for not yet replying. I hope to get to those soon but am just a bit backlogged with emails. Thanks in advnance for your patience.

Green Monster Smoothie

2011-10-26T21:28:00.014-04:00

What the heck is a Green Monster smoothie? It's simply a smoothie made with spinach and fruit. This super healthy drink has been all over the food blogosphere and I finally gave it a try last week. I'm sorry I waited so long. Not only is it good for you but it is also super yummy!

The spinach adds a ton of nutrients (great if your kids don't like eating veggies) and gives it it's bright green color. The spinach flavor is so mild that you can barely taste it and doesn't really compete with the fruit. For the fruit, use any you like that is light in color. We love bananas, mango, peaches and pineapples. If you use a dark colored fruit like strawberries, your smoothie will still taste great but it will be a "brown monster" instead of a "green monster".

Since it is almost Halloween, here is a fun way you could serve these to the kids. Give them a permanent marker and a clear, disposable cup. Then have them draw a monster face on the cup.

I did this with the kids and a playmate this week. While they were busy drawing on their cups, I whipped up the smoothies and snuck in the spinach (hee, hee)...they loved these and had no idea they were drinking spinach!!

Ingredients:

Handful of baby spinach
1 frozen banana, peeled
3/4 cup frozen fruit (pineapple, mango or peach)
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp sugar (optional)

Directions:

Add all of the ingredients into a blender. Blend until everything is well combined and you reach desired consistence. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Source: Inspired by OhSheGlows

Hasselback Potatoes

2011-10-07T00:10:00.002-04:00

I had seen Hasselback potatoes for some time on other food blogs and finally got around to trying them this week for dinner. So glad I did....they turned out great!

Theses came out crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, plus they are super simple to make. Just cut the potatoes into the "accordian" shape and season with the usual characters (salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil and butter).

The name apparent comes from the Stockholm restaurant that first featured these. Now I have two things to thank Sweden for...Ikea and pretty, tasty baked potatoes :)

What a good way to dress up a simple steak and baked potato dinner, right?

Ingredients:

5-6 medium baking potatoes
4 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic pressed or finely minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425. Put the potato on a cutting board, flat side down. Start from one end of the potato, cut almost all the way through, making thin slices.

Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet and sprinkle the garlic in between the slits. Scatter some butter on top of each potato (it doest’t have to be exact – I just pinched off pieces of butter and put them on top of the potato and in random slices). Then drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle some salt and freshly ground black pepper over the potatoes.

Bake the potatoes for about one hour or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh is soft.

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-09-24T18:14:00.001-04:00

I should probably have called these "The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever" or "My Favorite Cookie" because these really are that good....really!

What makes them so good? The fact that they taste like the perfect chocolate chip cookie and they are SOFT! What makes them soft? The surprise ingredient is vanilla pudding. Most CCC recipes will produce cookies that might be soft just after baking, but after a few hours they will become crispy. These stay soft not only for hours but also till the next day (remember to keep in a sealed Tupperware container to keep fresh like any other cookies though). I'm sure they would stay soft for a few days, but these didn't last that long in my house :)

I have to share with you my "behind the scenes" look at how I got the above photos. The day I baked these it was very rainy and cloudy. There was very little natural light shining through the window. I had to try and get them as close to the window as possible if I wanted a decent shot. So, while one would assume from the pictures above the cookies are sitting on a table, they are actually on top of my kids chair and a dinning room chair. I have a feeling I'll be using this set-up a lot more as it continues to get darker out.

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

Source: AllRecipes.com

THANKFUL THURSDAY

2011-09-22T10:48:00.001-04:00

What I am thankful for this week:

1. Brotherly/Sisterly Love:

I found this old picture the other day and think it's so sweet :) My kids really do love each other. Of course they fight like cats and dogs at times, usually b/c my daughter is being a sneaky-Pete and stealing one of his toys but at the end of the day they are bestfriends. I always wanted them to be close and am so thankful that they are....and hope that they will always be. Siblings are truly a life long gift.....I'm very lucky and thankful to have two wonderful brothers myself.

2. VIP, Baby!

I was so excited to be given two VIP passes to a local consignment sale by a friend who is one of the organizers. This consignment sale is awesome b/c it's HUGE! In the past, I have been able to score toys, books and other kid items for a fraction of their retail cost. This year, I'm hoping to find winter coats for the kids. The sale opens to the public at 7:30 AM on Saturday and in the past my friend "D" and I would make a morning of it. We would get in line early before the doors open (with a lot of other people), then formulate our game plan...once inside we would go our separate way and communicate via text when we spotted something the other needed....it was always crazy and fun! Afterwards, we'd go to the local bagel shop to chat about our great finds and catch up on life. Since D's daughter is having surgery next week and we haven't caught up in a while, the chance to go to the consignment sale together a day early is kind of a big deal for us. We joked how funny this is....we are treating these tickets like they are for the hottest concert of the year...Ha! How life has changed....welcome to motherhood! Love it!!

What are you thankful for this week?

From The Mail Bag: How To Make Fondant Legos

2011-09-16T00:58:00.023-04:00

Hi Maria,

Thanks for all you do for the rest of us! Just inspiring!

I wanted to ask how you made the Lego blocks out of fondant. Did you have a mold of some sort? They look so good. And are the ninja guys out of fondant as well? I assume they are, but they look nice and "soft" somehow... mine never look that good. :)

Thanks so much for any guidance. I have my son's Lego Ninjago themed party next month and really need to get a plan in place.

~ Ansley

Hi Ansley,

Thank you so much your kind words and the great question. When I first wanted to make fondant Legos, I looked on the Internet for Lego molds or something similar that would make them. Unfortunately, I was never able to find any and I decided to try and make my own. This is what I came up with and I think they look pretty good.

I hope these directions are clear and show that they are pretty doable. All you need are a few basic tools, some fondant and a bit of time. A very happy birthday to your little guy. I'm sure he will love his Ninjago birthday party---what a fun idea! Enjoy!!

Best,

Maria

WHAT YOU NEED:

Vinyl Gloves I always use vinyl gloves when working with fondant. Not only does it keep thing hygienic but it makes handling the fondant easier b/c it will not stick to your hands.

Fondant You could use homemade, a professional grade or Wilton's. I prefer the Wilton's for the Legos, because it holds color very well.
Rolling Pin
Small Square Cutter
Med/Sm Piping Tip (this is a #10 Wilton's)
Fine Tip Pastry Brush
Small Amount of Water

TO MAKE THE LEGOS:

1. Place desired amount of fondant in a plastic baggie or loosely wrapped in plastic wrap. Microwave for 4-5 seconds to make fondant soft and pliable. Add desired color to your fondant and kneed well. You may use pre-colored fondant to save time.

2. Roll fondant to desired Lego thickness.

3. Use the square cutter to cut out a piece of fondant.

4. Use the square cutter to cut the fondant again, making it a rectangular Lego shape.

5. Roll some more fondant about half the thickness of the Lego base (rectangle). Then use the tip of your piping tip to cut out the Lego "nubs". You may need to use the end of your pastry brush to push them out of the tip.

6. Dip the pastry brush in a TINY bit of water and brush lines on the rectangle piece where you want to attach the nubs. The water acts as a glue but be careful of adding too much b/c it will mess up the fondant.

7. Attach the nubs and press down gently to help them stick and look more realistic.

8. Fondant Lego complete!! Let them air dry for about an hour then store in a Tupperware container (single layer) till ready to use.

As you can see, these are fairly easy to make. However, chances are that you will need several and that can be a little time consuming. I recommend making these a week in advance of when you need them.

Here are what the Legos look like when placed on a cake.

Pretty realistic, no?

Finally, to make the ninja "Ninago" Lego, I first found a picture on the Lego website to use as a reference. This is the photo I used to make the ninja below.

Then, I started cunstructing the piece by building the larger body party (head, body, arms, legs) first, followed by the smaller parts (belt, hands, head/face mask). Finally, I added the facial details. I used a fine tip black food color marker to draw the eyes and nonparelis to act as eyeballs.

Shrimp Avacado Tostada

2011-09-15T00:20:00.001-04:00

Well, better late than never right?

Sorry, it has taken so long to get this recipe up. I did want to share it though, b/c if you love tex/mex, salsa, avocado and shrimp you will enjoy this dish.

Plus, it sure is pretty isn't it? I love the look of all the different layers.

The original calls for frying the tortilla but I made it healthier by baking. I also used frozen corn for ease and pico de gallo instead of red bell pepper. Feel free to change things up to your liking...you really can't go wrong here.

Ingredients:

4 whole Small Corn Tortillas
Olive oil cooking spray

2 whole Avocados, Peeled And Pitted
3 Tablespoons Chopped red onion, divided
1 whole Lime, Juiced
½ pounds Medium Sized Shrimp, Peeled And De-veined
1 teaspoon Cayenne
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 cup Refried Beans
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 tomato, seeded and finely chopped
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp. grapeseed or canola oil
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray tortillas with olive oil cooking spray and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until tortillas are crispy. Turn tortillas over half way through. Remove from oven and keep warm.

Prepare avocado mixture by placing avocado, 1 tablespoon of lime juice and a pinch of salt and mix together. Cover the avocado with plastic wrap to prevent it from browning,

Prepare the pico de gallo by combining the chopped tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine ingredients and set aside.

Prepare the refried beans according to can directions and keep warm.

In a medium size bowl, toss the shrimp with the cayenne and garlic powder as well as salt and pepper. Saute in a medium skillet over medium heat with 2 Tablespoons of the grapeseed or canola oil for 2-3 minutes on each side until shrimp are pink and cooked. Remove from pan and keep warm. Wipe pan down with a paper towel and a little more oil (1 tsp). Cook corn until slightly charred (3-4 minutes).

Spread the 1/4 cup of refried beans on top of each tortilla. Sprinkle on the charred corn. Spread a layer of the mashed avocado mixture on top. Top the mashed avocado with the pico de gallo. Finish with a few shrimp. Season with salt and pepper if needed and garnish with cilantro.

Source: Inspired by TastyKitchen

THANKFUL THURSDAY

2011-09-08T09:57:00.004-04:00

What I am thankful for this week...

1. School

Both kids are back in school (YAY!!). My son started 1st grade and my daughter her second year of preschool. There could not be two more excited kids and for me that brings me great joy! They both love school and their teachers!! In fact, after my son's first day, he exclaimed that it was the "best first day EVER!....even better than kindergarten!!"

2. Dunkin Donuts

A brand spankin' new DD opened up in our neighborhood. This has been life changing for me :) Plus, they sell DD K-cups...Can it get any better?

3. The nice folks at the Apple store

My macbook is almost two years old and I really haven't had many problems with it till recently. This past month the trackpad broke and two weeks after that the keyboard went. However, instead of having to ship my computer off somewhere, I just took it in to my local Apple store at the mall and they fixed it (for free...thanks extended warranty protection). I love the fact that I can go in to the store and speak to a live human being...who is always knowledgeable and helpful...they have a customer for life!

So, what are you thankful for this week?

Slow-Cooker Favorites

2011-08-31T23:57:00.014-04:00

I know that I said I was going to be taking a break from blogging for a bit but when I saw the link-up on Kelly's blog for "Crockpotapalooza"...I was in!

Here are a few of my tried and true favs...

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Salsa Chicken

Classic Chili (Weight Watchers recipe)

White Bean Chicken Chili

Me and my two loves :)

Taking a break....

2011-08-12T23:38:00.003-04:00

I am going to give myself an official break and take some time off from blogging. Life has been a bit crazy lately and I can't do it all. This blog is a hobby and one I really enjoy ....but right now I need to focus on other things in my life.

I won't be gone forever though....just a week or two or three...I'll be back soon.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are all enjoying the rest of this summer, wonderful food and time with your loved ones.

:)
Maria

From the Mail Bag: Cake Frosting Questions

2011-08-05T16:43:00.025-04:00

Hi Maria!

Thank you for sharing great ideas and recipes with all of us...I am not very talented in the baking department, but you have inspired me to take on the baking of my niece's birthday cake. I ABSOLUTELY ADORE how smooth and beautiful you cakes look without being over the top. So i wanted to ask you,
1. Where can i find a 'foolproof' vanilla cake? I want to make it from scratch
2. Which of your frosting would you say its the tastiest? Which one is the smoothest for decorating cakes?
3. HOW DO YOU MAKE THEM LOOK SO CLEAN? Please, please share with us your frosting techniques. I read your post about how to fill a piping bag and noticed you had a ginormous tip on the bag you were using...which tip is that? is that all you use or do you also use a spatula?

I guess if in the future you are looking for a topic to do a blog, please keep CAKE FROSTING on your mind.

Also, for us rookie beginners in baking, which would you say is a good source of information to have?

Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR TIPS AND IDEAS..I enjoy watching your blog and Happy Blogverssary!

Best,

From Sunny Miami, FL

Naia :)

Naia,

Thank you so much for the nice comments and for your patience. This message is more than a week old and I'm just getting around to posting it now. I'm not sure if you've already made your cake or not but I hope the tips below are still helpful.

-Maria

1. Where can i find a 'foolproof' vanilla cake? I want to make it from scratch
My favorite foolproof vanilla cake recipe is Perfect Party cake by Dorie Greenspan. My neighbor, Polly, also likes this All Butter cake by Martha Stewart. I don't think you could go wrong with either one of these recipes.

2. Which of your frosting would you say its the tastiest? Which one is the smoothest for decorating cakes?
I typically make either an American-style buttercream or a Swiss Meringue buttercream. I like both but they do have a different taste and texture. The American style buttercream is very sweet and some complain about it tasting too sugary, however it is very easy to make. The Swiss meringue by contrast is not overly sweet, has a very silky texture and wonderful buttery taste. It can be a little tricky to make though b/c it requires working with egg whites.

They both smooth well on cakes. Here are two cakes with different butterceams.

This cake is made with Swiss meringue buttercream

This cake is made with American style buttercream.

3. HOW DO YOU MAKE THEM LOOK SO CLEAN? Please, please share with us your frosting techniques. I read your post about how to fill a piping bag and noticed you had a ginormous tip on the bag you were using...which tip is that? is that all you use or do you also use a spatula?

My biggest tip for making a cake look clean is...to NOT bake your cake and decorate it on the same day!! Why? Because making a cake from scratch takes several hours (prepping the batter, baking the cake, letting it cool fully, torting, making the buttercream,etc.) and since frosting the cake is the last step, you will often be rushing and not give yourself enough time to do it properly. I almost always bake my cakes the night before, wrap them in plastic wrap and then frost and decorate the next day.

The first step to getting smooth frosting is to give the cake a "crumb coat". A crumb coat is basically a thin layer of frosting applied to the cake that will seal in crumbs. I do try and smooth out the crumb coat as much as possible, then pop the cake in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to let the frosting firm up.

Other helpful tools:

Cake Icer Tip
Icing Smoother
Angled Spatula
Rotating Cake Stand
Viva Paper Towels
Fondant Smoother

Once the crumb coat is set I add a generous amount to the top and sides of the cake. The large icer tip and rotating cake stand make the job easier.

Once the cake is completely covered, I use an angled spatula and/or the icing smoother to smooth and remove excess frosting. Always remembering to wipe off the spatula or smoother in between swipes.

Now, when I am working with American style buttercream, I will do one final step. I will use a Viva brand paper towel (this brand has no quilting!!) and a fondant smoother to smooth it even further.

To do this I must first make sure the cake has "crusted". To test this I will touch it lightly with my fingers. If no icing comes off, it is ready to go.

Then I will lay my paper towel on top of the cake and using a gentle but firm motion I will smooth out the cake with the fondant smoother.

Viola!

(Slow Cooker) Meatballs with Sauce

2011-08-04T00:04:00.001-04:00

From meatball cupcakes to Crockpot meatballs....Enjoy (and sorry for the delay in posting. It's been a busy week!).

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:
3/4 lb ground beef
1 sweet Italian sausage link (casing removed)
1 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg, beaten

Remaining Ingredients:
½ large onion, chopped
16 oz (2 cups) of your favorite homemade or store-bought marinara sauce

Directions:

Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl using your hands. Do not over mix. Roll the mixture into balls roughly the size of a golf ball.

Scatter the onion over the base of your slow cooker.

In a nonstick skillet on med-high heat, add the meatballs (but don't overcrowd) and cook for about 1 minute, until they sear slightly. Add your meatballs to the slow cooker. Pour the sauce evenly over the top, making sure to coat everything.

Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Serve with pasta, grated Parmesan and basil.

And the winner is....

2011-07-26T20:51:00.004-04:00

Thank you all so, so very much for participating in my very first giveaway.
The winner was randomly selected using Random.org...and the winner is Amanda Aubrey!

As for the winning cupcake, the butterfly and meatball tied for favorite.

Thank you all once again for participating. I will try to do more giveaways in the future.....happy baking!!

Snickerdoodles

2011-07-19T00:11:00.006-04:00

It has been a busy, busy week and not much time for blogging. However, I did want to share this quick cookie recipe with you all.

These were terrific and I can't wait to make them again....YUM!!!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets.

Source: AllRecipes.com

Chef Mommy is 2 and my first giveaway!!

2011-07-17T08:35:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday to me!!! Chef Mommy is turning 2 (Yahoo!!)....I feel like such a big girl :)

So, to celebrate my second blogiversary and apparent love of exclamation marks (smile), I am also doing my first (mini) giveaway.

As some of you know, I love cupcakes... and I really love a cute cupcake. When I first started getting into baking Hello Cupcake was a great source of inspiration. The cupcakes pictured below are from this book and there are a ton more super cute ideas in Hello Cupcake.

So, today I would love to give a copy to someone else. All you have to do is let me know which cupcake you like best (sort of a cupcake beauty contest) and you will be entered to win the book.

To enter:

1. Vote for your favorite cupcake by leaving me a comment below and you are entered.

2. If you are a fan of Chef Mommy on Facebook let me know and you'll be entered twice!

3. You will have until Friday, July 22, 2011, 11:00PM EST to enter. Winner be randomly selected and announced on Monday, July 25th.

4. Anyone can vote, but giveaway is limited to continental USA (sorry, international friends).

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE CUPCAKE

1. Butterfly Cupcakes

2. Alligator Cupcake Cake

3. Spaghetti and Meatball Cupcakes

Iced Coffee

2011-07-14T21:41:00.013-04:00

I was at the grocery store the other day and overheard the woman behind me tell her two young children the following, "Mommy needs to get some coffee so she can be a nice person again". I couldn't help but chuckle because I'm that mom too!!

I need my coffee in the morning (and some times in the afternoon too). When I make a Starbucks run (more often than I should) I always get the same drink, an iced vanilla latte. I love coffee and I love iced coffee even more!!

I've been trying to recreate this drink at home for quite some time without much success.

I even purchased these iced coffee K-cups for my Kuerig but they were so disappointing and I was back to the drawing board.

Then I saw that Pioneer Woman had posted a tutorial on her preferred method for iced coffee and I was intrigued. I gave it a try and it works great! The recipe is listed below but I do recommend you visit PW site HERE for step-by-step directions and information why this method works the best.

On a side note, I found this tonight and thought I would share. (click to enlarge)

Ingredients:

1 pound Ground Coffee (good, Rich Roast)
8 quarts Cold Water
Half-and-half (healthy Splash Per Serving)
Sweetened condensed milk (optional)
Note: Can Use Skim Milk, 2% Milk, Whole Milk, Sugar, Artificial Sweeteners, Syrups...adapt To Your Liking!

Preparation Instructions:

In a large container, mix ground coffee with water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature eight hours or overnight.
Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a pitcher or other container. Pour coffee/water mixture through the strainer, allowing all liquid to run through. Discard grounds. Place coffee liquid in the fridge and allow to cool. Use as needed.

To make iced coffee, pack a glass full of ice cubes. Fill glass 2/3 full with coffee liquid. Add healthy splash of half-and-half. Add 2-3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (can use plain sugar instead) and stir to combine. Taste and adjust half-and-half and/or sweetened condensed milk as needed.

Source: Pioneer Woman
Poem: Ohmyhandmade.com

Let's Share: My Favorite Cupcake

2011-07-11T19:00:00.004-04:00

S'mores Cupcakes

Hi everyone!

I love participating in Kelly's Korner link-up and have decided to start my own. Each week, I'd like to do a link-up so we can share our favorite recipes and cooking tips. Today's link-up is just to test things out and see how this format will work.

It's very easy to participate. Just click on the link below and follow the instructions. When you have successfully added your info, others will be able to click on the link and be directed to your blog.

OK, here we go....share your favorite cupcake recipe with us....

THANKS!!

SUYL: Side Dish

2011-07-08T19:29:00.004-04:00

This week for Kelly's Korner SUYL (Show Us Your Life) we are talking side dishes. Here is one of my favorites. Have a great weekend everyone!!

Sweet Potato- Banana Brulee (click for recipe)

Daisy Cookie Basket

2011-07-07T23:02:00.001-04:00

You might have noticed that I've developed a thing for cookie baskets. I first made THIS one and shortly thereafter THIS other one. Yep, I love'em :)

I made these simple daisy baskets as a little Thank You gift for my son's kindergarten teachers. One had mentioned to me recently how he was always telling them about the things I was baking. I couldn't resist baking a little something for them also, especially since they were all such amazing teachers.

I had purchased the galvanized pails at Michael's back in the Spring but I didn't actually start on the cookies till 9:30 the night before I dropped them off---eeks! It worked out OK though. I made 4 of these cookie bouquets (teacher, assistant teacher, special ed. teacher and OT) and it took me about 2.5 hours total from start to finish.

Sugar Cookie Recipe (I cut down on the vanilla extract and added lemon extract and a tsp. of fresh lemon zest)

Royal Icing Recipe (also flavored with lemon extract)

Cookie Basket Instructions

Printable "Thank You" tags (curtesy of Skiptomylou.org)

Fourth of July Fireworks Cookies

2011-07-02T11:40:00.007-04:00

Do these cookies look familiar? You might have seen them at the checkout counter recently. They are on the cover of the Martha Stewart Living magazine July issue. I think they are really cute and festive. I made these in advance for a BBQ I'm going to on Monday.

I also made a few simple stars outlined in red and blue with a little sanding sugar on top.

BTW, here is how I use and store my royal icing. I love these piping bottles from CK. I buy mine at a local bakery supply shop but you can also purchase them through Amazon. Also, so the tips don't dry out, I store the bottles upside down in a large cup with a damp paper towel on the bottom when I'm decorating the cookies.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy JULY 4TH!!!

Ingredients:

FOR THE COOKIES
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1 teaspoon baking powder
Coarse salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

FOR DECORATING THE COOKIES
Red, White, and Blue Royal Icing (HERE is my royal icing recipe)

Directions:

Make the cookies: Sift flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a large bowl.

Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, then vanilla. Refrigerate dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough to a scant 1/2-inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut out cookies using a 1 3/4-, 2 1/4-, 2 3/4-, or 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, rerolling scraps once. Transfer to a baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Bake until edges just start to brown, 10 to 12 minutes or until edges become golden. Transfer cookies to a wire rack, and let cool completely.

Decorate the cookies: Pipe an outline of white icing around edge of 1 cookie, leaving a 1/4-inch border, then "flood" with more white icing to cover.

Immediately pipe a red or blue dot in the center of cookie. Then pipe concentric rings of colors around the center dot (using the same color as the dot, or alternating colors).

Immediately drag a toothpick through the colors to create bursts, starting from the center dot and working toward the edge, then alternate dragging inward and outward as you work around the cookie. (Or drag around the cookie in 1 direction or curve the lines for a pinwheel effect.) Let dry. Repeat with remaining cookies and icings.

Source: Slightly adapted fromMartha Stewart

SUYL: Breakfast

2011-07-01T08:13:00.001-04:00

The theme for Kelly's Korner SUYL (Show Us Your Life) this week is breakfast. When I saw that I knew right away what recipe I wanted to share.

BROWN SUGAR BACON WAFFLES...yeah, these taste as good as they sound. Treat yourself (and those you love) by making these this weekend!!

You can find the recipe in this POST. For more tasty breakfast ideas see the sidebar labeled "breakfast". Enjoy :)

2011-06-29T22:05:00.003-04:00

Hello? Remember me??....Sorry, I know it's been a while. My kids have both been out of school since last week and as you can imagine my days have gotten a bit busier because of that. Also, I've had 4 cake and cupcake orders within 4 days of each other, so it's been a little crazy. I hope to get back to regular blogging next week( my regular seems to be 3 posts/per week) but in the meantime I wanted to show you some of the things I have been making.

These cute monkey and lion cupcakes were for the same order. Vanilla cake with my new favorite vanilla buttercream and chocolate buttercream frosting.

This was for a surprise birthday party. The person ordering this cake requested the cat and pink ball of yarn, which was a family joke. They loved it!

Last but not least, my first doll cake! This Cinderella (covered in fondant) actually ended up being covered in just buttercream. Let me know if you would like to see a tutorial. I learned a lot making this cake and can't wait to make another one soon.

I also made a Hello Kitty candy shop cake but didn't get to photograph it :( Next time...

What have you all been cooking and baking up??

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

2011-06-21T12:14:00.003-04:00

I think I have mentioned before that I don't really have a problem using a cake mix from a box. However, when it comes to frosting it has to be made from scratch. The canned stuff just tastes plain gross to me.

The basic homemade frosting typically involves powdered sugar, butter (and/or shortening), vanilla and cream (or milk). This makes a traditional American style buttercream and you can find the recipe HERE. One complaint with this recipe though is that it produces a very sugary, sweet taste....a little too sweet for some people's liking.

Swiss meringue buttercream (SMBC) on the other hand produces a very silky, buttery buttercream. It definitely has a more sophisticated taste and is just plain AMAZING!

It is a little more involved to make though but with a little know-how, it's really pretty easy and definitely worth the effort.

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of butter (3 sticks)
1 tsp vanilla
food coloring (if desired)

Directions:

Step 1: Bring a pot with a bit of water up to a simmer on the stove top. In you mixer bowl add the egg whites and a pinch of salt. Start whisking the egg whites. Then add the sugar and whisk some more.
Make sure your bowl is spotless and there is no yolk in with the egg whites. Both of these things will not allow for the ehh whites to get big and frothy.

Step 2: Place the bowl over the pot of simmering water and whisk continuously for about 5 minutes, or until the temperature reaches 150-160 degrees (test with a digital thermometer) .
This is the hardest part of making the frosting b/c of the constant whisking.

Step 3: Now transfer the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Start the mixer on medium for about 30 seconds and then bring it up to high. Whisk the meringue for 8-10 minutes. It will be ready when the sides of the bowl have cooled to room temp and the meringue is glossy.

Step 4: Make sure your butter has softened up. Then slice it to 1 inch chunks. With the mixer on medium speed, add the butter chunks one at a time. Make sure each chunk gets almost completely incorporated before each addition.

Step 5: Add your flavoring extract and coloring. Bring the mixer on to high until fully incorporated.

Step 6: You may notice that your buttercream has gotten a little soupy or curdled looking at this point....DON"T PANIC!! Just stick it in the fridge for about 5 minutes and the whisk on high for a few minutes until it comes together again.

That's it...you just made a beautiful and creamy buttercream. Enjoy!!

The video below by Dyann Bakes is really great tutorial. You will notice some small differences in the way she makes her SMBC and the directions the I wrote above. However, the basic steps are the same and I found this video very helpful when I was first learning to make this type of buttercream, so I hope you do too.

How to Make a Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Source: SMBC adapted from Martha Stewart, video courtesy of Dyann Bakes

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

2011-06-15T13:39:00.006-04:00

Is it just me or are enchiladas a hard food to photograph? I feel every picture I've ever taken of enchiladas does not do the dish justice. That is the case here too. So, please excuse the less than stellar photo because this dish was terrific!

I adapted this recipe that was titled "Easy Enchiladas" from Woman's Day. The recipe is easy,mainly because it uses a prepared green salsa but it is still a very from scratch dish too thanks to the fresh veggies and poached chicken. You could of course make things easier by using prepared cubed chicken or even rotisserie chicken in place of the poached chicken.

Ready for the oven!!

Ingredients:

salt and pepper
2 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 poblano or green bell pepper, thinly sliced crosswise
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup lowfat sour cream
1/4 cup 1/3 fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 oz Muenster or Jack cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1 cup mild salsa verde (green salsa)
6 6-in. corn tortillas, microwaved on high until pliable

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450°F. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and broth. Bring to a boil; add 3/4 tsp salt. Add the chicken, reduce heat and simmer until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool; shred.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, pepper, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the corn, cream cheese and sour cream. Fold in the chicken, cilantro and 1/2 cup of the cheese.

3. Spread 1/2 cup of the salsa in a 13 x 9-in. baking dish. Roll the chicken mixture in the tortillas (about 1/2 cup per tortilla) and place seamside down in the dish. Top with the remaining salsa and cheese. Bake until beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Source: Adapted from Woman's Day

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2011-06-08T21:24:00.013-04:00

Have you ever been to a California Pizza Kitchen and had their signature BBQ Chicken pizza? Isn't it the best?? So, when I found this recipe online I had to try it!

How yummy is this...grilled chicken, gooey cheese, red onion and sweet BBQ sauce on a PIZZA. This recipe is a great copycat version but feel free to swap out the Parmesan for smoked Gouda which is on the original.

This BBQ sauce was perfect for the pizza. It has just the right amount of sweetness. I don't buy BBQ sauce that often but I easily found this one at my local Super Target.

Above: homemade BBQ chicken pizza
Below: CPK's original BBQ chicken pizza

Ingredients:

1 batch of pizza dough (store bought or homemade)
1 cup grilled chicken strips, chopped
3/4 cup Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup red onion, sliced
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Place a pizza stone in the oven and turn on to 475 degrees.
2. Roll out your pizza dough onto a pizza peel.
3. Pour the Sweet Baby Ray's over the top of the crust.
4. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the top of the sauce.
5. Then the chicken...
6. Then the onions...
7. Then the rest of the mozzarella and all of the Parmesan cheese.
8. Dot the top with a little bit more of the Sweet Baby Ray's.
9. Bake at 450 for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the underside of the crust is golden.
10. Sprinkle the cilantro over the top and enjoy.

Source: JamieCooksItUp

Friendship Muffins

2011-06-07T21:58:00.005-04:00

This is a wonderful muffin recipe that I've dubbed the "friendship muffin" because I made it a few weeks ago with my daughter and one of her very best friends.

The girls are crazy about each other but being both strong willed 3 year-olds can sometimes cause for a bumpy play-date. So, last time they had a play-date, I had this muffin recipe ready to go. The girls loved making these and worked so well taking turns adding ingredients and stirring the batter.

The muffins also served as their snack and they both devoured these!!

It really was so cute to see these two little munchkins working cooperatively. They were so proud of themselves too :) I know my daughter is really going to miss her good friend when she moves to Alabama this summer (and I'm really going to miss her mommy- boo).

This wholesome muffin recipe is loaded with fruit (apple), vegetable (carrot) and healthy grains (whole wheat flour and rain bran cereal), a perfect "kid" muffin but tasty enough for grown-ups to enjoy (as I did with a big cup of coffee!!).

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups raisin bran cereal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup finely chopped peeled tart apple
3/4 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In a small bowl, beat the egg, buttermilk and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apple, carrots and walnuts. Fill paper-lined muffin cups or cups coated with nonstick cooking spray three-fourths full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.

Source: Adapted from AllRecipes.com

SUYL: Favorite Appetizer

2011-06-03T10:07:00.004-04:00

I knew I had to share this recipe for "Bang Bang Shrimp" again for Kelly's Show Us Your Life post. This is a copycat recipe of the uber-popular Bonefish Grill appetizer and it is also one of the top searches on this blog.

For the recipe, click HERE.

Enjoy and have a great weekend everyone!!

Salmon with Strawberry Salsa

2011-06-01T16:55:00.000-04:00

This is what I call summer food re-defined. Take a simple piece salmon and top it with a fresh and bright strawberry salsa, then serve it along with some beautiful grilled asparagus...looove it!

Now, I know the idea of strawberry and salmon sounds weird but the salsa has balsamic vinegar, tomatoes and green onions that really help tie everything together. This is a really delicious dish and I can't wait to make it again.

Ingredients:

For the salsa:
2 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 scallions, white and green portions, sliced thin
1 tsp. fresh parsley, minced
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Drizzle of olive oil
Drizzle of honey
Salt and pepper, to taste

4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz. each)
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
To make the salsa, combine the strawberries, tomatoes, scallions, parsley, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Mix well to blend, then cover and refrigerate while you prepare the salmon.

Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the salmon fillets on the foil. Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over each fillet, and season with salt and pepper. Broil about 6-8 inches away from heat source (in my oven, this is upper middle rack). Cook about 10-12 minutes, depending on your oven and the size of the fillets, checking for doneness. Transfer the salmon to serving plates and top with strawberry salsa. Serve warm.

Source: Annie’s Eats

Graham Cracker Ice Cream Pie Sundae with a Strawberry-Rhubarb Vanilla Sauce

2011-05-31T15:53:00.002-04:00

I was struck by the gorgeous photos of this dish on the blog, Savoring the Thyme and couldn't wait to use the big, bright strawberries we had picked to make this.

I have to say, this was a really lovely dessert and so much easier than you might imagine. In fact, you can make the graham cracker ice cream, fresh whipped cream and sauce all ahead of time and just assembly when ready to serve.

This dessert really reminds me of something you might find in a fancy restaurant and I think it would make a wonderful summer time treat for guests.

Ingredients:

Graham Cracker Ice Cream Pie Sundae
3 scoops of real, good quality ice cream (I used Haagen Daz)
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (place a few graham crackers in bag and smash em or pulse in a processor)
1 cup of heavy cream
1 tablespoon of sugar

Strawberry-Rhubarb Vanilla Sauce
1 cup of chopped rhubarb
2 cups of organic strawberries, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Directions:

For the ice cream:
1. Place the graham cracker crumbs onto a plate. Using an ice cream scoop, obtain 3 scoops of ice cream, roll each into a ball and then roll through the graham cracker crumbs until covered. Place onto a plate and put in the freezer until ready to top with sauce and consume.

2. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, combine cream and sugar. Whisk them on medium speed for about 2 to 3 minutes until soft peaks form. Place into the refrigerator until ready to use.

For the sauce:
1. Place all of the ingredients into a pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool and store in the refrigerator until ready to devour.

2. On a new plate, place a dollop of the whipped cream, place the ice cream balls on top and then drizzle the sauce on top. Enjoy!

Source: SavoringTheThyme

SUYL: Favorite Dessert

2011-05-26T21:10:00.016-04:00

I'm loving Kelly's Show Us Your Life Fridays. What a great way for people to share useful info and their favorite things. Last week, this week and next week are all food related which is right up my alley and I'm so excited to share with you one of my favorite desserts, S'mores Cupcakes!

These are just fantastic!! They start with a graham cracker crust, followed by a rich chocolate cake, topped with a yummy marshmallow meringue frosting and garnished with a piece of Hershey's chocolate and graham cracker. Perfection!

Another favorite dessert, are these Butterfly Cupcakes. You can use any kind of cake or frosting you like but top them with one of these lovely chocolate butterflies and get ready to knock everyone's socks off.

The last dessert I want to share is this rich and creamy White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake. This is a copycat recipe of one of the most popular dessert at the Cheesecake Factory... sooooo good!

Banana-Sweet Potato Brulee

2011-05-24T01:00:00.001-04:00

Bananas and sweet potatoes, huh? OK, I know it sounds like a weird combo but trust me on this, it totally works. The banana and sweet potato are actually very complementary flavors. There is also some fresh orange juice and zest that really makes this side dish shine.

This is definitely a Thanksgiving day worthy recipe but I decided to make it one night last week for dinner. I am not a huge fan of sweet potatoes myself but in order to keep my kids eating their veggies, I can't limit them to just my tastes. Of course, I still wanted to enjoy this myself and hence came the idea to brulee the top.

The caramelized sugar on top gives this dish a nice textural touch and an excuse to use that creme brulee torch again!

My mix-and-match dinner: a store bought rotisserie chicken and made from scratch banana-sweet potato brulee.

Ingredients

2-3 (med-large) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 stick unsalted butter
1 banana, sliced
1/2 orange, zested and juiced
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
pinch grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
turbinado sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set aside 4 ramekins.

Boil potatoes until tender, drain and reserve.

In another pot over medium heat, add butter and bananas to the pot. Cook bananas 3-5 minutes and add the orange juice, zest, potatoes cream, nutmeg and sugar. Mash potatoes, banana, and other ingredients together until well combined. Season with , salt, pepper to your taste. Mash to combine spices and spoon into the ramekins.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the tops with 1-2 tablespoons of turbniado sugar. Using a creme brulee torch or your broiler (watch carefully!) caramelize the top. serve and enjoy!

Source: Inspired by Rachel Ray

Thank You Teacher Cookies

2011-05-23T10:46:00.001-04:00

Here we are in May and another school year is quickly coming to a close. My daughter actually finishes preschool this week and my son will be done in three short weeks. They have both had a great year and wonderful teachers. I am so grateful for all the hard work, dedication and patients they have showed my children. We have been very blessed. Both of my kids have learned and grown so much!

For example, here is my daughter singing the "Continents" song. My 3-year old can name the continents....love it!

Every year, I give the teachers an end-of-the- year thank you gift. This year I think I will make them some personalized sugar cookies that they can enjoy and share with their families. These apple cookies are similar to what I will be making. I actually made these a few weeks ago for a teacher appreciation week order.

The cookies were green apples (instead of red) because the school colors are yellow and green.

I also made 6 dozen cupcakes for this order. Aren't the school themed toppers cute?

SUYL: Family Friendly Dinners

2011-05-18T23:48:00.033-04:00

This week's edition of Show Us Your Life on Kelly's blog is all about favorite main course meals. It's really hard for me to pick just one favorite dinner and I thought listing a few option might be really helpful to others.
Click on each dish for the recipe. ENJOY!

Chicken

Chicken Parmesan

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Chicken with Sour Cream Mushroom Sauce

Meat

Ground Beef Tacos with Homemade Shells

Steak Salad

BBQ Meatballs

Seafood

Baked Tilapia

Shrimp Fried Rice

Catfish Po'Boys

Pasta

Penne Rosa

Classic Lasagna

Turkey Taco Mac

Pizza

Basic Homemade Pizza How-to: Tools, Dough and Baking Instructions

Broccoli and Mushroom White Pizza

Pizza Margherita

Slow Cooker

Salsa Chicken

Classic Chili

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ruffle Cake

2011-05-18T00:02:00.001-04:00

Hello All!

Well Blogger had some issues last week as some of you know and I lost the text I had written for this post. I'm feeling too lazy to re-write it, plus I really hope to post some new recipes soon. So, here are some pictures and if you have any specific questions just leave them in the comment box.

Thanks!,
Maria

Three layers of rich chocolate cake, surrounded by sweet peachy-pink perfection....YUM!

Child labor at it's cutest...LOL. (Thanks Christine for the adorable apron!!)

This cake would be perfect for a bridal or baby shower, birthday or any special occasion!

Source: Martha Stewart

Ground Beef Tacos and Homemade Shells

2011-05-09T22:43:00.002-04:00

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo last week by having "assemble your own" tacos for dinner. As popular as tacos are for a family dinner (easy to make,quick and an inexpensive meal) a lot of us don't get very excited by the idea and I think it all has to do with what type of taco shell typically used.

I am not a fan of store-bought taco shells at all. Too me they taste like stale tortilla chips--yuck! The homemade version are 100x better with a nice crispness and fresh taste. They are also surprisingly easy to make. All you will need is small (6 inch) corn tortillas, a pan and some canola oil.

Here...I'll show you how:

In a pan, pour about a 1/2 inch of oil and heat until very hot. Then place a tortilla in the oil and cook on both sides, for 30 sec- 1 minute per side. You will see the tortilla bubble and that's when you turn it over.

Then fold it in half again and cook it on both sides until lightly browned. When you are ready to remove the tortilla shell, lift out with tongs and let the excess oil drip onto the pan.

Then place tortilla shells on a stack of paper towels to blot excess oil.

See, wasn't that easy? And trust me, once you have these you won't be going back to those Ortega shells.

The recipe for the taco meat is how I typically make it. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1-2 tbsp taco seasoning, depending on how much spiciness you like (store bought or homemade)
1/2 cup salsa

Directions:

Heat a nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add the ground beef and season with salt. Start breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. When the meat is about half way cooked add the onions and continue cooking. When the meat is fully browned and no longer pink, drain any excess fat. Return skillet to the heat and add the taco seasoning and salsa. Cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring often.
To serve, spoon taco meat into a tortilla shell and add your favorite toppings. We like cheddar and/or Colby-jack cheese, pico de gallo, lettuce and sour cream

Source: Chef Mommy

SUYL: Walt Disney World

2011-05-05T23:00:00.009-04:00

This week Kelly's Show Us Your Life post is all about "favorite vacation spots". While we've taken some fun trips in the past few years, Walt Disney World is probably one of my favorite spots to visit.

Now, I'm not one of these crazy Disney people, whose home is filled with Disney memrobelia and has several Mickey Mouse sweatshirts in her closet (not that there is anything wrong with that) but with young kids it really can't be beat.

Since this is a food blog, I'm going to post the links I did after our last trip to WDW that has a info on where we ate and what we ate. If anyone has any specific questions about where we like to stay, what we like to do, $$ saving tips, please leave a comment below. Enjoy!

Magic Kingdom

Epcot/Future World

Epcot/World's Showcase

Animal Kingdom

Downtown Disney

Epcot Resort Dining

Tip: The Best Tip EVER for filling a pastry bag!!

2011-05-03T19:28:00.004-04:00

Edited on 7/17/11: Enter to win a copy of Hello Cupcake book HERE!

Since Mother's Day is coming up this weekend and some of you might be making cakes, cupcakes or cookies, I thought I would share this great tip for filling a pastry bag with icing (either buttercream or royal icing). I've been using this technique now for a few months and have managed to save a ton of $$ on bags and just made things a lot easier on myself.

Here is how it work:

You need a plastic pastry bag, tip and coupler.

You also need plastic wrap

First step is to cut a sheet of plastic wrap.

Then, plop some frosting right in the center.

Starting on one side, carefully roll up the frosting. Another great thing about using this method is that the plastic wrap hugs the frosting and eliminates air pockets.

Now, twist both ends tightly.

Pull back the pastry bag and insert the plastic wrapped frosting.

Gently pull the plastic wrap taut.

Snip off the excessive plastic wrap at the base of the coupler.

Screw on the tip.

Add a pastry bag tie thingy if desired (but not necessary)

TADA!! You are now ready to pipe and frost.

When you are done, clean up is a breeze. Simple remove plastic wrapped frosting and save or discard. Wash the frosting tip and rinse out the pasty bag if needed. Mess free....got to LOVE it!!

Source: SweetSugarBelle

Strawberry Scones

2011-05-02T13:45:00.001-04:00

What surprising news we all heard last night or woke up to this morning. Of course last Friday, another very big event was making news worldwide...the highly anticipated wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton!

Like so many others, I thought it would be fun to get up early (but not THAT early) and watch the royal nuptials. Also, it was the perfect excuse to make these yummy strawberry scones :)

This recipe was really wonderful! The scones were tender and buttery. The recipe calls for plain or vanilla yogurt and I used my favorite vanilla yogurt from Trader Joe's. I buy this primarily for my daughter but I love it too. Thick and creamy...it's so good!

Of course, you don't have to wait for the next royal wedding to enjoy these. Go ahead and make them this weekend. They would be perfect for a Mother's Day brunch!

I loved Kate's dress! It was prefect and she truly looked like a princess. Congrats to the new Duke and Duchess!!

Ingredients:
1 large egg
¼ cup plain or vanilla yogurt
½ cup milk
1 tsp. orange or lemon zest
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 heaping cup diced fresh strawberries

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, milk and citrus zest until blended; set aside. In the bowl of a food processor combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pulse briefly to blend. Add the butter pieces to the bowl with the dry ingredients and pulse several times to cut the butter into the flour, until the largest butter pieces are the size of small peas. (If you don't have a food processor, you can just as easily mix up the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and cut in the butter using a pastry blender or two knives or forks.) Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Add the strawberries to the flour mixture and toss to coat. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and gently fold together with a fork or spatula until a sticky dough has formed. Knead just a few times to ensure that all the dry ingredients are incorporated and the dough is cohesive. (Only if absolutely necessary, add more milk 1 tablespoon at a time to hydrate the remaining dry ingredients.)

Transfer the dough to a well floured work surface and pat into a disc about 7-8 inches in diameter. Sprinkle lightly with additional sugar. Slice the disc into 8 wedges.

To bake the scones, preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Place the shaped scones on the prepared baking sheet and bake until lightly browned on top, about 15 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before serving.

To freeze, transfer the baking sheet with the shaped scones to the freezer and let them chill until they are firm, 30-60 minutes. Wrap the scones individually and store in a freezer-safe bag until ready to bake. Bake as originally indicated, adding a few minutes to the baking time (usually about 18-20 minutes for me.)

Source: Annie's Eats

Tuna Salad

2011-04-26T11:59:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone had a very nice Easter holiday.

Today's recipe is for a simple tuna salad. I know everyone has a particular way of making tuna salad and while I do change it up from time to time, this is the way I make it most often. It's light, fresh and not drenched in mayo.

This recipe was inspired by the tuna salad I used to get from this one bagel shop I used to frequent when I lived in Chatham, NJ. For the life of me, I can not remember the name of the place now....Aack! My memory is really going in my old age.
Anyway, what I really loved about their recipes is that they included very finely chopped carrots mixed in with the celery and onion. That extra crunch really works perfect in a sandwich like this.

Ingredients:

1 Loaf of Sliced Sandwich Bread
Green Leaf Lettuce, washed and dried

Tuna Salad
2 Can (142g/5 oz each) Solid White Tuna In Water, drained and flaked
1/3 cup of Small Red Onion, very finely diced
1/3 cup celery, very finely diced
1/3 cup carrot, very finely diced
1/2 Lemon, juiced or to taste
5 Tbsp Mayonnaise
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the tuna, onion, carrot, celery,carrot, lemon juice, mayonnaise, and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the tuna salad rest for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld together.

To serve, lay a piece of green lettuce on the bread and spread some tuna salad over it. Top with another piece of bread. Serve immediately.

Easter (Bunny) Cake

2011-04-22T00:38:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to share with you all a sweet, kid-friendly Easter cake I made recently.

This was a lemon cake with lemon buttercream and fondant bunny on top. The bottom border was covered in buttercream grass and simple, colorful jelly beans!

Although I am not artistically gifted, fondant is very forgiving and I think this little guy came out pretty cute.

Happy Easter

Funfetti Waffles

2011-04-20T11:54:00.004-04:00

I think I've mentioned this before on the blog, but we tend to have pretty boring breakfasts most weekday mornings. So, with the kids on Spring Break this week and our morning not so hectic, I decided to treat them with something other than cold cereal and milk. First up, funfetti waffles!

This recipe starts with a great basic waffle recipe and includes the addition of colorful sprinkles. A surefire hit with any kid or kid at heart :)

Being off from school also gave us a chance for some fun field trips. This day we hit the farm!

A trip to the farm is always great of course but we also went there b/c my son's teacher gave each child a disposable camera and the assignment to document something fun they did during their break. My son took this assignment pretty seriously and enjoyed taking pictures of all the animals.

Of course, my daughter wanted to take pictures too so I reluctantly handed her my point and shoot. You don't know just how scary that can be in the hands of a three year old on a bumpy wagon ride who is determined to photograph EVERYTHING!!
It was fun to see what she captured at the end of the trip. She took close to 40 pictures (and had a few good ones) but most were of feet and knees :)

We all had a blast! We saw all the farm animals, went on a wagon ride, had a picnic lunch and played on the playground but the best was running into so many friends who had the same idea.

At the end, we grabbed some ice cream with our friends....I *heart* Spring Break!!

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups warm milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sprinkles

Directions
In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; set aside. Preheat waffle iron to desired temperature.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk, butter and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture; beat until blended.
Ladle the batter into a preheated waffle iron. Add the sprinkles on top. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Serve with whipped cream and additional sprinkles on top.

Source: waffle recipe adapted from All Recipes

Ballerina Cupcakes

2011-04-19T21:11:00.001-04:00

Here is a cute way to personalize cupcakes for the little princess in your life. I made these recently for a play date my daughter had with her 3 best friends. The girls are all in the same preschool and ballet class together. They love ballet so much, that I thought these would make for an extra special treat.

This was a simple homemade vanilla cake (yes, I do use cake mix from a box too) with a simple vanilla Swiss meringue frosting.

To make the ballerina cupcake toppers, I used card stock, a lollipop stick, ribbon and letter stickers.

First, cut out two leotards out of heavy card stock. Click HERE for the template. Then add a lollipop stick to the middle of the leotard (tape in place) and glue both pieces together. The tutu's were made out of wide wire rimmed ribbon and finally a sticker with each girl's initials completed the look.

The girls having fun in ballet class.

Source: Inspired by Glorious Treats

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2011-04-17T21:52:00.001-04:00

My daughter has a typical picky preschooler palette but my six year old is the complete opposite. He is quite adventures with foods. He's been know to order salmon instead of chicken fingers at restaurants, enthusiastically tries all ethnic foods and recently fell in love with spicy Buffalo wings.

He loved when I made these for a Super Bowl party. Of course, I can't make Buffalo wings all the time (plus, cutting apart the wings is not exactly my idea of fun) so I decided to make him this (new) classic Buffalo style dip.

Serve it up with crisp celery, carrots or tortilla chips...your guests will love it!

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded or chopped,cooked chicken
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup pepper sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot®)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp blue cheese crumbles

Directions:

Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly. Serve with crumbled blue cheese on top carrot, celery sticks and tortilla chips.

Source: Adapted from All Recipes.com

Princess Crown and Magic Wand Sugar Cookies

2011-04-11T10:56:00.002-04:00

Along with the princess castle cake, I also made these sugar cookies for the birthday party.

Here is the sugar cookie and the royal icing recipe I use.

Sweet and simple!

Princess Castle Cake

2011-04-09T21:17:00.012-04:00

I decorated this princess castle cake for my neighbor (and great friend) daughter's "princess and knights" themed 5th birthday party.

The inspiration for the cake came from the brilliant Glory Albin from Glorious Treats. The birthday girl's only request was that the cake be her favorite color, light blue.

While I did the decorating, my friend Polly (who is also my baking partner for Sugar Lane Sweets) baked the cakes. Both the 6 inch round and the 10 inch square cakes were lemon.

The birthday girl and guests loved it. But I'm not going to lie, this was a bit of a challenging project for me. I was getting a little frustrated during some of the decorating and rushed through a bit of it. There were a few of sloppy mistakes but I think all together it came out nice.

The birthday girl (in blue dress and crown) and her princess friends.

My daughter didn't want to dress up as a princess or wear a crown but she still had lots of fun at the party.

Tip: My Easy Way To Fill A Pastry Bag

2011-04-02T21:12:00.007-04:00

I've gotten several request to do some blog posts on how I ice my cakes and make them smooth. I'm still working on those posts and a few others related to baking. In the meantime, I thought I would share this one tip I have to make filling an icing bag a little easier.

I use this method primarily b/c I find that I often need two hands to get my icing out of the mixer bowl. Using a clean vase like this one makes things a little easier. Plus, if you are like me you probably have about a half dozen vases like this in your house already. Here is how it works:

Step 1:
You will need icing bags and tips (a 12x16 inch bag works best for this size vase, for a 12x12 inch bags use a smaller vase or tall drinking glass) and a clean vase with a lip.

Step 2:
Place your icing bag into the vase and fold the top over the lip of the vase.

Step 3:
Fill the bag with frosting. Use the lip of the vase to clean off you spatula and to help push down the frosting.

Step 4:
When you have enough frosting in the bag, simple lift up the sides of the bag and remove from the vase.

Frost your cake or cupcakes as desired:)

Source: Chef Mommy Original

Flower and Butterfly Cookie Bouquet

2011-03-31T20:45:00.019-04:00

I'm excited to share this cookie and butterfly bouquet I just made for a fundraiser at my daughter's preschool. It came out just as I had hoped and now I'm itching to make more cookie bouquets!

Here are the steps to recreate this bright and tasty dessert/display:

Step 1.
Bake a batch of your favorite sugar cookies (here is mine) with long lollipop sticks attached. Decorate with royal icing (here is the recipe and link to instructions) and let dry completely.

Step 2.
Wrap each cookie in a cookie bag and tie with a ribbon. I went with green to imitate leaves on a flower.

Step 3.
Fit Styrofoam rounds into a pot or vase. You will want a snug fit, so you may need additional materials or need to trim Styrofoam to achieve this. Insert a wooden skewer into the center of the Styrofoam and push all the way down to secure each round (my pot had 3 rounds).

Step 4.
Add Easter grass in between the pot and Styrofoam gaps.

Step 5:
Starting from the back, insert flowers pushing down through the Styrofoam. Finally, add more grass to cover the Styrofoam.

Tada...you did it!

I love this polka-dot butterfly :)

Finally, you can wrap the entire bouquet in a clear gift bag and finish off with a pretty bow.

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

2011-03-29T18:44:00.017-04:00

Here is another great recipe to use up some of those fresh chives that have grown back from last year. This fresh buttermilk ranch dressing is so easy to make and tastes delish! I love it on salad, with chicken, for dipping french fries and carrot sticks...on lots of things!

As I mentioned in my last post, both of my kids LOVE to help me in the kitchen. So, I had them combine all of the dressing ingredients in a bowl before I gave it a quick pulse in the food processor.

Having them be actively part of the cooking process really helps me with dinner time pickyness. They are generally eager to eat (or at least try) something they helped make...even when there are vegetables involved!

"We love carrots and lettuce with homemade ranch!!!!"

"YUM!!"

Ingredients:

3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 to 1 cup buttermilk (depending on how thick you want it, I used 3/4 cup)
1 small bunch of chives
Small handful of parsley
1 clove garlic
salt, pepper

Directions:

Place all ingredients with 1/4 cup of buttermilk in a blender and blend for 10 seconds. Check consistency and blend in additional buttermilk if desired. Less buttermilk for dipping, more for dressing. Store in an air-tight jar in the fridge.

Source: adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride, originally from The Gourmet Cookbook, 2004

Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Poatoes

2011-03-29T00:08:00.011-04:00

Are you tired of the same old boring mashed potatoes? If so, here is a quick and easy update that not only tastes great but looks pretty on your plate too.

I decided to make sour cream and chive mashed potatoes earlier this week and I'm glad I did! This creamy, velvety side dish was delicious and so easy to make.

(excuse the blurry picture)

The simple recipe just requires you to add sour cream, milk, a little butter and the chives to boiled, fork tender potatoes. If you have kids who love to help in the kitchen (I have two excellent and enthusiastic helpers) this is a great recipe for them. My son was so proud of making these with me and said that they tasted like they came from a restaurant...:)

Ingredients:

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place potatoes in a large pot with enough water to come up 2 inches from the bottom. Bring to a boil, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until fork tender. Drain, and mash. Mix in the milk using a potato masher or an electric mixer until fluffy. Stir in the sour cream, butter and chives, and season with salt and pepper.

Source: Adapted from All Recipes

Cupcake Challenge

2011-03-27T11:54:00.007-04:00

What a fun weekend I had! This past Saturday, I competed in a "Cupcake Challenge" as part of the National Capital Area Cake Show. The challenge featured 50 bakers (both professional and amtuer) and almost 200 different varieties of cupcakes.

The theme for this year's challenge was "cocktail" inspired cupcakes. Here is what I made:

Grasshopper Cupcake (rich chocolate cake with creme de menthe buttercream)

Blue Hawaiian Cupcake (coconut cake with a rum buttercream frosting, graham cracker "sand" and a fondant flip flop garnish)

Shirley Temple Cupcake (lemon-lime cake with a cherry grenadine buttercream)

I'm glad I took some pictures at home before the show b/c we were so busy and didn't get to take many while there.

My neighbor, Polly, also competed in the challenge. Polly and I both love to bake and since we often get requests for baked goods we've decided to join forces and start a home baking business. This is our website, Sugar Lane Sweets*.

These were Polly's cupcakes:

Orange Blossom Cupcake (my favorite...loved these!)

Irish Cream Cupcake

Chocolate Cherry Cordial Cupcake

This event was sold out about a week before the show. When the doors opened at 7PM hundreds of people filed in to purchase cupcakes. It was crazy, busy, overwhelming and a lot of fun!

Polly working her table.

I didn't get a chance to snap any pictures of my set-up before the show. I took this picture half-way through the event. By this point, my grasshopper cupcakes were almost gone and 15 minutes later my Shirley Temple cupcakes were also sold out.

Some people had some pretty neat displays.

And there were a lot of creative and amazing cupcakes.

The Washington DC area loves cupcakes!

Look at these cute "Tartini" cupcakes.

Another great display.

* Polly's husband, CJ, built our site. If you would like to contact him about any website work, feel free to send me (mbrandao0508@gmail.com) and I will forward his info.

Salsa Chicken (Slow Cooker)

2011-03-23T20:07:00.010-04:00

I know this dish probably doesn't look that appetizing but you have trust me on this one. In fact, I think you should bookmark this page if you like the following: chicken, Mexican flavors and your slow-cooker. This is the very popular (at least in the food blog world) SALSA CHICKEN!

Who knew chicken breasts + can of cream of chicken soup+ taco seasonings + sour cream could be so good. I know I sure didn't. I had seen this recipe so many times but it just did not sound that appealing. Of course, everyone raved about it, hence it's popularity.

Well, I'm so glad I tried it too b/c it really is so tasty....and easy!! If you have already made this dish, please feel free to leave your review below. THANKS!

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup (I used the cream of chicken)
1 cup salsa
1 package taco seasoning (I used 1 Tbsp of my homemade taco seasoning)
1 cup sour cream
cilantro, for serving (optional) (I also added a little shredded cheddar-jack, black beans and scallion on top)

Directions:

Put chicken, soup, and salsa in slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over everything. Cook on low for 6 hours. If shredding the chicken, pull the breasts out and shred; return back to slow cooker. Stir in sour cream and heat just until everything is combined.

Source: Fake Ginger

Rustic Roasted Tomato and Garlic Salsa

2011-03-21T15:35:00.004-04:00

I spotted this recipe on another blog early last week and couldn't wait to try it. My regular go-to salsa is AWESOME but I wanted to try this one because of the technique of pan roasting the jalapeno pepper and garlic.

This salsa did need a little adjusting for me, mainly because of the spiciness. I've realized I'm more of a mild salsa kind of girl. But that is the great thing about salsa. If you make a batch following a recipe and it isn't to your tasting, simply add a little more of what is missing. If too much spice is the problem, just add a little more tomato to mellow out the heat. Chances are you will not have a problem with the extra amount of salsa you just made :)

Homemade salsa is so much better than anything you can buy in a jar. The fresh cilantro makes it so good! Which reminds me... I can't wait to start planting my herbs this season. I actually know very little about gardening but I sure do love having fresh herbs on hand. I typically grow cilantro, basil, parsley, mint, rosemary,chives, oregano and dill.

Here are some pictures from last year's mini harvest.

basil

mint

chives

parsley

I love flat leaf parsley. I use it in so many recipes and as a garnish. Plus, this hearty plant usually lasts for me till mid-December...not bad for a little packet of seeds.

Ingredients:

2 fresh jalapeño chiles (or 4 serranos, 1 or 2 habaneros or practically any fresh chiles)
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fired-roasted)
1/3 cup (loosely packed) roughly chopped cilantro
Lime juice to taste
Salt

Directions:

Set a small skillet over medium heat. Lay the chiles and garlic in the skillet and dry-roast until soft and blotchy black in spots, about 10 minutes for the chiles, about 15 minutes for the garlic.

While the chiles and garlic are roasting, scoop the chopped onion into a strainer and rinse under cold water. Shake off the excess water and pour into a medium bowl.

Pull the stems off the chiles and peel the papery skins off the garlic. Scoop them into a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped. Add the tomatoes, with their juice, re-cover and pulse a few more times, until the mixture is as coarse or smooth as you want your salsa to be.

Pour the tomato mixture into the bowl with the onion. Add the cilantro and stir thoroughly. Thin with a little water if necessary to give the salsa an easily spoonable consistency. Taste and season with the lime juice and salt (usually about 1/2 tsp). If not serving within an hour or two, cover and refrigerate. If you don’t plan to serve it within a few hours, wait until you’re ready to serve the salsa before adding the onions and cilantro.

Source: Smells Like Home, originally from Rick Bayless, Mexican Everyday

My Little Pony Cake (s)

2011-03-16T05:42:00.000-04:00

My daughter celebrated her birthday with friends at our local My Gym (which we LOVE, LOVE!). This was actually a joint party for her and one of her best friends. The girls are in the same preschool class, her mom and I are good friends and their actual birthdays are only a day apart. So, doing a joint party worked out perfectly!

We decided to make a My Little Pony cake for the girls because they play with the ponies at school all the time. I was inspired to make two cakes joined together by a rainbow from this picture on Flickr.

Most of the cake was pretty simple to make but the rainbow gave me some trouble. The final rainbow I used was version #4!

The birthday girls sharing a giggle :)

And blowing out their candles.

The inside of this basic vanilla cake was a chocolate mousse filling. Next time I will definitely add some more because it was yummy!!

To see more pictures of this cake and the party, check out my Facebook page....the link is on the right-hand side bar.

Strawberry Shortcake Cake

2011-03-15T00:39:00.001-04:00

My daughter really wanted a Strawberry Shortcake cake for her birthday and this is the cake I created. We had this cake at home the night of her actually birthday.

I found the Strawberry Shortcake figures on clearance at my local grocery store a few months ago and knew these would be perfect!

She loved it just like she loved last year's cake. You can check that one out HERE. She still talks about that Belle cake today!

A close up of Orange Blossom. Yes, Strawberry and her friends have gotten a bit of a makeover since we were kids...they're quite sassy looking these days, huh?

It's a little hard to tell the scale of this cake from the pictures but it was actually pretty small. Since it was only going to be a few of us eating it I used the smallest cake pans I had, a 4 inch and a 6 inch. I learned that frosting such small cakes is much harder than frosting a big cake.

After cake, she got to open her gifts. My dad got her this "big girl" bike...she was so excited!

Birthday Mini Cupakes

2011-03-14T05:35:00.003-04:00

This week's posts are going to be all about my daughter's birthday treats. Thats right, she gets multiple cupcakes/cakes (as does her brother) for her birthday. We always end up celebrating the kid's birthdays 3 times. Once at school, then at home for a family party on their actual birthday and finally with a big party on the weekend with their friends. It's a lot but both kids truly love it and for me it's worth the trouble.

So, here are the mini cupcakes with number "3" fondant toppers I made for my her preschool class. The teachers at her school do not like parents to bring in treats with a lot of frosting (especially colored frosting) because the kids usually make a huge mess with these. And I agree. Plus, they don't really need to be eating that much sugar at 10 AM. These minis were a great way to celebrate without going overboard.

Yum! Here she is enjoying her treat with her good friends.

I can't believe she is three...it seems like this was only the other day-sigh...

Recipe Re-Post: St. Patty's Soup

2011-03-12T21:41:00.003-05:00

Are you menu planning for the week and need an idea for St. Patrick's Day? HERE is a fun and healthy broccoli soup with cheesy shamrock crostini that I made last year. It was a hit with everyone!!

Baked Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

2011-03-11T00:50:00.006-05:00

Earlier in the week, I really wanted to make baked chicken with some sort of a mushroom sauce. I started searching online but was dissapointed to find almost all the recipes started with a can of soup:( Now, I'm OK with using a can of soup from time to time but for this recipe I really thought I could do without.

So, since I couldn't find a recipe I liked, I just made my own. It turned out just as I had hoped. This dish was so warm and inviting. The mushroom sauce was creamy and a little tangy....so good over mashed potatoes. The chicken inself was tender and flavorful. YUM!

I think this dish is nice enough to serve to company and it comes together relativly quickly too. I served this with mashed potatoes and green beans but it would would also be perfect over egg noodles.

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
salt
pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 tablespoon butter
4 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon of lemon zest
2 tablespoons all-purpse butter
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly, spray a 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.

Flatten each chicken breast half to 1/2-in. thickness. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Place flour, paprika and garlic powder in a resealable plastic bag; add chicken, a few pieces at a time. Seal and shake to coat.

In a large pan over med-high heat, add the butter and olive oil. Once pan is very hot, add the chicken (make sure to shake off excess flour!) and brown for 2 minutes on each both side. Transfer to the baking dish.

In the same skillet, add the rest of the butter and saute mushrooms for about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a seperate bowl combine the broth,sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, 2 Tbsp flour, salt and pepper, whisk to combine. Add the mixture to the saute pan with the mushrooms and stir to combine. Cook the mushroom mixture for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightley.

Then add the mushroom mixture to the top of the chicken and bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Serve with a little parsley and fresh cracked pepper on top.

Source: Chef Mommy Original

Funfetti Cake and Cupcakes

2011-03-09T22:58:00.003-05:00

I know it's been a while since my last post but unfortunately we all got hit with a nasty cold bug here. I am so happy we are all healthy again!

This is of course a birthday cake. I made it for my son's birthday party ( which we held it at a local inflatables play place). I used a box funfetti cake and just added in an extra 1/4 cup of sprinkles for more color.

A homemade, bakery-style buttercream and fondant Lego pieces went on top. The kids didn't realize these weren't real and I had to tell them that, Yes...they could it them!

I also made a small 6-inch cake out of the same batter.

I had a originally planned a completely different cake, but after the week I had this was about all I could muster. And you know what...it was just fine :)

Candy Birthday Cake

2011-02-24T20:56:00.011-05:00

Six years ago, I welcomed the sweetest little boy into this world and today we celebrated his 6th birthday (holy cow that went fast!!).

I made my son this fun "candy" cake because he loves....CANDY! I mean really, really loves all types of candy. In fact, the two Christmas's before last he asked Santa to bring him a lollipop and a candy cane....no toys, just candy!! Now, any time he loses a tooth and the tooth fairy leaves him a dollar or two, guess what he always wants to buy...yep, candy :)

The cake itself was funfetti which worked perfectly with the colorful assortment of candies on the outside. The frosting...my favorite Swiss meringue buttercream.

Then.

and Now :)

I surprised him with this cake and he loved it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART! I LOVE YOU!!

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

2011-02-23T00:29:00.012-05:00

**UPDATED ON 1/22/12 based on comments left**

Last week we had 2 days with the temperature in the high 60's. Then this week starts out with the temperture in the 30's and a small amount of snow. Honestly, I didn't mind it a bit because it gave me the excuse to make this wonderful soup that I've had bookmarked for a while.

This soup is of course easy (as most slow cooker meals are) but also really delicious. It was creamy, flavorful and loaded with fresh veggies. The best part.... BOTH of my kids eagerly ate it up.

The base for this soup is this package of Rice-A-Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice. This is easy to find in almost all major grocery store's rice aisle.

Serve this up with a crusty roll...can we say comfort food?

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package of Rice-a-Roni long grain and wild rice
1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
2 cups half and half (I used fat-free half and half)
1 cup grated carrots (I diced mine)
1 cup diced celery

Directions:

Combine broth, water, carrots, celery, chicken and rice (along with seasoning packet) in a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours. Take out chicken and shred with two forks and then add back into slow cooker. In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, and flour. In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour mixture by tablespoon to form a roux. Whisk in cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Stir cream mixture into slow cooker and then let cook on low for 15 more minutes.

Source: 365daysofcrockpot

Neapolitan Cupcakes

2011-02-19T19:25:00.003-05:00

I have some dinner recipes ready to go but instead of those, I'm going to show you cupcakes today....yes, I'm a bad influence :)

OK, so about a week ago I got the brilliant idea of making a Neapolitan cupcake. I started searching online but couldn't find the type of recipe I was looking for. Most of the Neapolitan cupcake recipes consisted of a marble cake with some pink frosting. I knew that wasn't exactly what I was looking for and decided to just whip up what I had in mind using my favorite vanilla cake as a base.

I really like Dorie Greenspan's perfect party cake recipe and decided to pair that with a chocolate mousse filling. Then topped it off with a luscious strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream....Oh, YEAH!

The cake and buttercream where made from scratch, the chocolate mousse came from a box. It was perfect not to mention a huge time saver.

Cupcakes are best shared and a brought these over to my neighbor's who was kind enough to let me use her washer b/c mine had just died. BTW, isn't this box cute? I got a couple of these from a friend for Christmas. Thanks again Jen--they are so cute!!

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

Buttercream:
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup fresh strawberry puree (puree fresh strawberries into a very fine consistency)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice
pink food coloring (tiny amount, just to bring out the color of the frosting)

Filling:
1 box of chocolate mousse mix (and the additional ingredients needed to make the mousse)

Toppings:
white and brown sprinkles

Directions:

1. Prepare chocolate mousse according to box instructions. Refrigerate for at least an hour or until ready to use.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with 24 cupcake liners, set aside.

3. For the Cake: Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

4. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.

5. Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.

6. Add the butter and, working with the paddle or whisk attachment, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one-third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.

7. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.

8. Finally, give the batter a good 2-minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Divide the batter between the muffin pan.

9. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the cupcakes are well risen and springy to the tough – a toothpick inserted into the centers should come out clean. Transfer the cupcakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then remove from pan and continue cooling on the rack.

9. For the Buttercream: Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or other large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 8 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the temperature should be around 150 degrees. Remove the bowl from the heat.

10. Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 8 minutes. Add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth.

11. Once all the butter is in, and the strawberry puree and vanilla. Beat the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6 to 10 minutes. Then add in the lemon juice and a tiny bit of food coloring and continue beating for 1-2 minutes. During this time, the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again.

12. To Assemble the cupcakes: Put a some chocolate mousse in a piping bag fitted with a tip like THIS. Insert the tip into the cupcake and gently squeeze in the chocolate mousse filling. Then place frosting in another piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe frosting on top of the cupcake and put white and chocolate sprinkles on top.

Source: Cake: Dorie Greenspan, Inspiration Chef Mommy

Heart Shaped Rice Krispie Treats

2011-02-15T10:33:00.006-05:00

I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day.

I just wanted to share these treats I made for my daughter's preschool class. It's the basic Rice Krispie treat recipe cut with a heart shaped cutter and decorated with mini heart sprinkles and white candy melts. It's an easy and cute treat for the little ones!

I also made this simple "kid-patizer" for an afternoon snack yesterday.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies®
Red or pink food coloring (very small amount)

2/3 white candy melts (found at Walmart or Michael's)
Valentine sprinkles

* heart shaped cookie cutter

Directions:

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir. When the marshmallows are 80% melted add a small amount of food coloring and mix until completely melted. Remove from heat.
2. Add rice krispies cereal. Stir until well coated.
3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool.
4. Cut out heart shaped rice krispie treats
5. Melt the candy melts according to package instructions. Pour melted "melts" into a squeeze bottle.
6. Draw a heart shape on top of the treats with the melts.
7. Sprinkle mini heart-shaped sprinkles on top

Best served the same day.

Source: Chef Mommy Original

Heart Shaped Cinnamon Crisps with Fresh Fruit Salad in a Poppy Seed Dressing

2011-02-13T08:44:00.003-05:00

Here is an easy, healthy snack idea for the kids on Valentine's day. These heart shaped cinnamon crisps with fresh fruit salsa in a light lemon-poppy seed dressing is tasty and fun to make.

This is definitely a snack to involve the kids in. My kids love to help me out in the kitchen. I also find that they actually eat better the more they are involved in the actual process. Case in point, my daughter is pretty picky and had has always refused to eat melon but she actually ate it this time!

My daughter took sprinkling the cinnamon-sugar on the crisps very seriously :)

Ingredients:

Fresh Fruit Salsa
Fresh fruit, chopped (any combo: strawberries, grapes, melon, raspberries or kiwi)
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp. poppy seeds

In a medium bowl, combine all the fruit. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, sugar, and poppy seeds. Drizzle, the lemon sugar over the fruit and stir gently to coat all the fruit. You only want the fruit to be lightly coated with the lemon sugar.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Cinnamon Crisps

Flour tortillas
vegetable cooking spray
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

*heart shaped cookie cuter*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Firmly press cookie cutters into the tortillas and place the tortilla cut-outs onto a foil lined baking sheet. Lightly spray with the cooking spray, then sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the tortilla cut-outs. Bake for 6-8 min or until lightly browned. Cool and serve with the fruit salsa.

Source: Inspired by THIS recipe, originally from Southern Living Kid's Cookbook

Ninja Lego Cake

2011-02-11T17:12:00.000-05:00

YAY! It's the weekend-Yahoo!!

Just wanted to share this Lego Ninja cake I made for a birthday last week. The cake was chocolate and the frosting classic vanilla buttercream.

The edible Legos were made of fondant and I used most of them to border the bottom of the cake.

I also made the edible Lego ninjas for the top of the cake. I had originally wanted to do an entire Lego ninja scene on top but realized that my decorating abilities are not quite at that level yet and decided to keep it simple.

Overall, I was pretty happy with how it turned out. A few days later, I got a note saying that the birthday boy loved it...which totally made my day.

Shrimp Fried Rice

2011-02-09T17:34:00.013-05:00

Shrimp fried rice has always been one of my favorite Chinese take-out items. That is why I bookmarked this recipe a while back. This week I found myself with some leftover plain white rice one night and I knew it was time to give it a try.

How did it compare to my local take-out place? While it didn't taste exactly like their shrimp fried rice (less greasy- which is a good thing) it did taste very good (and fresh!). I will definitely be using this recipe again!

If you have some extra time, why don't you try to make these homemade fortune cookies too!

Ingredients:

1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil, divided
3 eggs, beaten
2 stalks green onions, minced (I was out of green onions and used white onions instead)
4 cups leftover rice (DO NOT USE FRESHLY COOKED RICE!)
¾ cup frozen peas and carrots, defrosted
1 tbsp. soy sauce
Few drops sesame oil

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the shrimp, salt, pepper and cornstarch, and toss well to coat the shrimp. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. When a drop of water immediately sizzles and evaporates, the pan is hot enough to add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Swirl to coat the pan well.

Add the shrimp to the hot pan and quickly spread them out so that they are in a single layer, and all touching the pan surface. (You may need to do this in two batches to ensure even cooking.) Let them cook untouched for 30 seconds, then flip over (tongs work well for this) and let cook for 30 more seconds, so that the shrimp are about 80% cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Lower the heat on the pan to medium. Add the eggs to the pan and stir quickly, to break up and scramble the eggs. When the eggs are almost cooked through but still slightly runny in the middle, remove from the pan to the same plate as the shrimp.

Use paper towels to wipe the pan clean and return the pan to high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, swirling to coat. Once the oil is very hot, add the green onions to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the rice to the pan and mix well to combine with the green onions. Spread the rice out evenly over the pan and let cook without stirring, until you hear the rice grains sizzle, about 1 to 2 minutes. Toss the rice a bit with your spatula, and again spread it out over the cooking surface.

Drizzle the soy sauce all over the rice, and toss again. Add the peas and carrots, the cooked shrimp and eggs, and the sesame oil to the pan. Toss to combine all the ingredients well with the rice. Let everything heat back up again until the rice grains are sizzling again. Add additional soy sauce to taste, if needed. Serve.

Source: adapted from Annie's Eats , originally from Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen via Simply Recipes

Football Rice Krispie Treats

2011-02-08T22:33:00.002-05:00

Here are the other treats I made for my neighbor's Super Bowl party. I had originally planned to make oatmeal sandwich cookies but when I pulled the ingredients out of the pantry, I noticed that I only had 1/2 cup of oatmeal left...oops! So, on to plan B:)

I remembered Annie's blog had football rice krispies treats and after a quick survey of the pantry I decided those would work perfectly. They are of course themed for the occasion but I also liked them because this was a family friendly party and the rice krispie treats are always a hit with the kids.

I don't think Annie actually posted the recipe for these but I assume it was something like this. I just whipped up a batch of rice krispie treats and topped them off with melted chocolate, then piped the lines with white candy melts. Btw, I used the candy melts because melting white chocolat can be tricky.

The chocolate on my cookies was still wet in this picture but it did firm up after about 2 hours. You could always put them it in the refrigerator to firm up a little faster.

These were a hit at the party!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
- OR -
4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies®

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 white candy melts

* football shaped, oval or round cookie cutter

Directions:

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
2. Add rice krispies cereal. Stir until well coated.
3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool.
4. Melt chocolate chips in a small bowl according to package instructions.
5. Melt the candy melts according to package instructions. Pour melted "melts" into a squeeze bottle.
6. Cut out rice krispie football shapes using cookie cutters (I used a round biscuit cutter b/c I didn't have a football shaped cutter)
7. Dip rice krispie footballs into the melted chocolate or spoon and spread the melted chocolate on top.
8. Pipe white melts on in the shape of football laces.

Best served the same day.

Source: inspired by Annie's Eats

Buffalo Wings

2011-02-06T22:24:00.016-05:00

I know that this post is a little after the fact but I just have to share it. These are the ultimate, perfect Buffalo wings!! Even if your not going to be making these soon, bookmark this recipe because it is simple, authentic and makes unbelievably good wings!!

My son has recently become obsessed with Buffalo wings and when we got invited to my neighbor's annual Super Bowl party, I quickly volunteered to bring the wings.

I got the instructions and recipe for one of my favorite video food blogs, Food Wishes. Chef John is a genius!!

These wings are oven fried to perfection and then coated in an authentic Buffalo sauce recipe. I served these along with celery, carrot sticks and blue cheese dressing for dipping.

The blue cheese dressing was just a store bought bottled brand (Ken's to be exact) but I did sprinkle in a little bit of fresh blue cheese crumbles because....well, I love my blue cheese crumbly :)

I am not even going to post the recipe here because Chef John's videos are so well done and I think you really need to view them to make these correctly. The video was especially helpful in explaining how to cut apart the wing pieces. I would never have figured it out on my own.

So....
Click HERE for the basic chicken wing recipe and click HERE for the buffalo sauce recipe.

Source: Food Wishes

Giddy Up Cake

2011-02-04T17:10:00.007-05:00

Here is the cute "Giddy Up" horse cake I made for a 9 year old girl's birthday party this weekend. I posted a "sneak peek" of the horse topper last week and this is how it looked on the completed cake.

This cake is a classic yellow vanilla cake and frosted in both Swiss meringue and traditionally buttercream. The decorations are all made of fondant.

I was pleased with how it turned out but next time I would add some type of border to the top of the cake. Since this cake is just covered in buttercream it does not have that seamless smoothness that a cake covered in fondant would have. I think the edges look a little rough to me because of it and a border might have given it a nice finishing touch. What do you think...border, yay or NEIGH??

Another Sneak Peek...

2011-02-01T21:43:00.003-05:00

Fondant pieces for a Lego ninja cake. My inspiration below.

Shrimp Roll

2011-01-31T00:03:00.000-05:00

Aren't we all looking for quick dinner ideas? This one goes from prep to table in less than 20 minutes! I served this with baked kettle chips, a dill pickle and dinner was done.

This is a great recipe if you are a shrimp lover. Not only is shrimp tasty but it is of course very low in fat and a snap to prepare. I always have a bag of frozen, uncooked shrimp in the freezer ready to go.

Ingredients:

1 lb uncooked frozen shrimp, thawed, cleaned and deviened
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper

1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 green onions, chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh dill, finely chopped

4 hot dog buns or kaiser rolls, split (I used steak rolls)
1-2 tablespoons of butter, softened
4 Boston or bibb lettuce leaves

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine the mayo, lemon juice, celery and dill. Set aside.

Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up. Place the shrimp on the baking sheets and drizzle with olive oil (making sure all the shrimp are lightly coated). Sprinkle with salt and a small amount of pepper. Bake for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes.

Lightly butter the insides of the buns or rolls and toast them until golden brown. Then line with lettuce leaves. Set aside.

Add the shrimp to the mayo mix and gently fold until all of the shrimp are coated. Stuff the shrimp filling into the buns and serve immediately.

Source: Chef Mommy Original

2011-01-28T15:39:00.000-05:00

French Breadfast Puffs

2011-01-27T16:02:00.013-05:00

I found these French breakfast puffs on another blog this week and was immediately drawn in by the beauty and simplicity of this recipe.

This is basically a very simple muffin that is topped off with a wonderful cinnamon sugar. We have had a couple of snow days here on the east coast and no school, so these were perfect for a relaxed morning breakfast. The best part is that you have all the ingredients in your pantry right now...so go make some!!

This was a wonderful way to start the morning for me. A fresh, out of the oven breakfast puff and a cup of my favorite coffee. Bring on the day!

Ingredients:

204 g flour (1 1/2 c)
95 g sugar (1/2 c)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
121 g milk (1/2 c)
76 g melted butter (1/3 c)
51 g sugar (1/4 c)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
76 g melted butter (1/3 c)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, 95 g sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl combine vanilla, egg, milk and melted butter. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and mix just until blended.

Lightly grease muffin cups or line with muffin papers. Fill 2/3 full with batter. Bake 20-25 minutes.

In the meantime, melt butter. In a separate bowl combine sugar and cinnamon.

Allow muffins to cool for at least 10 minutes. Roll muffin tops in butter, then sugar.

Source: Fresh

Sneak Peek....Horse Cake

2011-01-26T12:06:00.002-05:00

Fondant cake topper I made for an upcoming cake order.

Steak Salad

2011-01-24T17:12:00.002-05:00

When I got out to a nice restaurant, I often crave and order a steak (either a filet mignon or a ribeye). And when I don't order a steak, I usually order a steak salad. I really do love the deliciousness of a juicy, tender steak on top of a big bed of lettuce and veggies. Although, I only cook steak maybe 1 or 2 times (tops!) in a month...steak salads make an appearance pretty often.

This salad is pretty classic. You can certainly jazz it up by adding more veggies such as sliced mushrooms or peppers. The only extra I added was some crumbled blue cheese. Now, I know a lot of people are not blue cheese fans, so feel free to substitute it for feta cheese or skip it all together. One thing not to skip....this dressing! The addition of Worcestershire sauce brings out the natural yumminess of the steak and it's perfect for this salad.

Here are my 4 "must do" tips for grilling a great steak:

* Start with a great cut of meat. For this salad, I used a boneless ribeye.

* Remove your steaks from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you plan to cook them - sometimes as long as 60 minutes (depending on size).

* Make sure your grill or grill pan in very hot before placing steaks on to cook. When it is very hot, it will sear the outside of the meat and lock in the juices.

* Once you are done cooking your steak, take it off the heat source and let it "rest" for at least five minutes. This will allow the juices to spread out.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Ribeye steaks
course salt
pepper
seasoning blend (such as Lowery's)

3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
8 cups romaine lettuce or mixed greens- rinsed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup sliced red onion

Directions:

Preheat grill or grill pan for high heat and lightly oil grates or pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Mix in the cheese. Cover and place dressing in refrigerator.

Season the steak with salt, pepper and seasoning salt. Place steak on grill or grill pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side or until desired doneness is reached. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak.

Onto chilled plates arrange the lettuce, tomato, and onion. Top with steak, drizzle with dressing and sprinkle blue cheese (if using). Serve with crusty grilled French bread. Enjoy!

Source: adapted from All Recipes