Best EVER Sugar Cookies!!!!!

Because I am sure that it is not public knowledge that I like to bake, I feel as though I am doing a huge disservice by not sharing the news…….I like to bake, wait let me rephrase that I LOVE to bake. I use to bake for the entire town of Tulsa until the cost just got too much for me. You may think I am kidding, but my friends I am here to tell you I am not. I baked for all my gym friends, I baked for my church groups, I baked for my co-workers, I baked and was not happy with the outcome so I wanted to give my baked goods to my homeless neighbors but was advised not to, probably wise! I love to bake and anyone within a 50 mile radius of Tulsa has probably been given a slice of sweetness from my kitchen. Because I have a sweet tooth the size of Texas I hunt high and low for scrumptious bites of heaven and I am certain I could hear angles sing when I took a taste of my new favorite sugar cookies.

Here is what you will need:
• 2 whole Large Eggs
• 1 cup Canola Oil
• 2 sticks Butter, Softened
• 1 cup Sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 4 cups Plus 2 Tablespoons, All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together eggs, oil, butter, sugars and vanilla.
Add dry ingredients and mix and blended well. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least one hour.
Using a cooking scoop, drop balls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Smear a dab of butter all over the bottom of a glass, and then dip the glass in granulated sugar. Use the glass bottom to flatten each ball of dough, dipping again into the sugar before flatten each ball. Repeat until all are flattened.
Bake for 9-11 minutes, until cookies are just barely turning brown.




Be prepared these little delights are going to knock your socks off!!!

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Since everyone got to look at a picture of a yummy yummy cupcake for days, well more like weeks before I was able to get back and update my blog, I figure I should share with you how to make the little bites of sunshine.

A few weeks ago I was craving cake, I am not really sure why because I rarely crave anything. However, I thought I better give into the craving or I may end up on the 6pm news for storming Reesor’s bakery. I had no idea what I wanted to bake, I just knew I wanted cake, so I enlisted the help of Matt’s sweet tooth, but not much to my surprise his response was “my sweet tooth is not picky (although not a fan of coconut). I’ve sampled your goodies, so I’m sure whatever you make will be fab-u-lous.” So he was of no help in uncovering the perfect cake treat to make.

After much deliberation I settled on Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes. I would just like to state for the record, these may be my new favorite cupcakes.



You will need:
• 1 box Strawberry Cake Mix (18 Ounce Box)
• 1 box Lemon Cake Mix (18 Ounce Box)
• 6 whole Eggs, Divided Use, For The Above Cake Mixes
• ⅔ cups Vegetable Or Olive Oil, Divided Use, For The Above Cake Mixes
• 4-½ cups Water, Divided Use, For The Above Cake Mixes
• 2 tubs Store Bought Strawberry Cake Frosting, 12 Ounce Tubs
• ¼ cups Decorative Sprinkling Sugar Pink, Yellow, Or White
• ½ cups Dry Lemonade Mix
• 36 whole Fresh Strawberries

Preparation:
• Prepare both cake mixes according to instructions on the box and put them into separate Ziploc or piping bags.

• Fill cupcake pan with cupcake papers and pipe both batters into each cup to create a mixed color cupcake – Make sure each paper cup is only 2/3 of the way full to prevent overflow when baked.

• Bake according to box directions at 350 degrees for 18 to 25 minutes and allow baked cupcakes to cool completely.

• Pipe strawberry frosting onto cupcakes.

• Mix 1 part sprinkling sugar with 2 parts dry lemonade mix and sprinkle onto frosting.

• Place washed and sliced or whole small fresh strawberries onto cupcakes and sprinkle again with sugar/lemonade mix and serve.

• Cupcakes can be refrigerated after preparation, and strawberries re-sprinkled with sugar and lemonade mixture just before serving


Make these cupcakes today, you will be glad you did!!
Jen



Recipe: Mommy Topics

Tomatillo Avocado Salsa

My best friend……

She is turning a year older this Friday the 13th of August and to avoid the tears shed because I can’t be with her on her big day I turned to food all weekend, because that is what I do when I am sad I eat Mexican food and lots of it. My Mexican love handles and backside are a stark reminders why I really need to find a different outlet than eating Mexican food for comfort. However, this past weekend there was no time for thinking of different outlets…….I needed to fill the Nicole’s birthday void with something PRONTO!!!

That void was slightly filled with Tomatillo Avocado Salsa. I do have to admit I forgot about the world around me as I took that first sample bite. In fact I thought maybe I had died and this was the food served at God’s banquet table. But then I opened my eyes and saw the huge mess of dirty dishes in the kitchen sink and quickly realized……..no I was still in Oklahoma with a mound of dishes that needed to be washed. However, I will admit this yummy appetizer…..well it became my meal for dinner, yes it was that good.

Ingredients:
• ½ pound Tomatillos; quartered (about 4 medium Tomatillos)
• ½ cup Cilantro; loosely packed
• 2 whole Serrano peppers; roughly chopped
• ¼ cup water
• 1 whole Avocado; diced ¼ inch
• ½ whole medium sized White Onion; diced ¼ inch
• ½ teaspoons Salt; or to taste

Preparation:
Place tomatillos, cilantro, Serrano pepper and water in a food processor. Pulse until it is a slightly chunky puree. Toss the avocado into the processor and pulse a second or two. Make sure to keep the avocado in good sized chunks. Place the diced onion in a colander and give it a good rinse in cold water to rid the onion of the sulfur flavor and then add it to the salsa and stir, season with salt.

Eat till you belly hurts, you won’t regret it I promise. I would never steer you wrong when it comes to food.

Love ya,
JB

**recipe courtesy Sweet Savory Planet.

Confetti Cakeballs

I am often asked the question: “do you like to cook”? Now to me this question is loaded with way too many variables. My regular response is “could you specify ‘cook’”. If we are talking Ramon noodles……I am the queen, if the reference is made to any meat dish…...you are better off making a deal with the devil than expecting some dish of that caliber to come out my kitchen, if it is high carb low protein entrées..... that is doable, but if you were a gambln’ man you would do best to wager on anything encompassing sugar. Cook=questionable at best………baking=extraordinary!!

A couple weeks ago an amazing young woman, a great friend, and spunky college senior turned 21 and I made cakeballs for the celebration.


They were beyond a hit and I promised I would put the secret recipe out on my blog…….so after weeks I finally come through on my promise here you go Kristi and Dana.



You will need:
1 box of confetti cake (bake as directed)
1 can cream cheese frosting
1 tube birthday sprinkles
1 package candy quick coating

To prepare:
Bake cake according to package directions.
Let cake cool completely.
Crumble cake into a large mixing bowl.
Add 2/3 can of cream cheese frosting to crumbled cake.
Combine completely.
Roll into balls (the size is up to you).
Place balls in freezer for 30 mins or until firm.
Coat with candy quick and immediately add sprinkles.

Enjoy,
Jennifer

Fettuccini with Tomato Basil Cream sauce

Because it was Sunday, because it was so hot outside I was doing anything to avoid stepping even my big toe out the front door, because if I am going to try my hand at cooking it is only going to be on Sunday’s.….I made a pasta dish that quite possibly may be my new favorite entrée.

This dish encompasses everything that makes my heart skip a beat. Fresh tomatoes, basil, cream, balsamic vinegar the yummy list goes on and on and I will share it right here with you.

Fettuccini with Tomato Basil Cream sauce



You will need:
1 ½ pound Fresh Plum Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
½ teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Sugar
¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme Leaves
2 Tablespoons Fresh Minced Basil Leaves
1/3 cup Heavy Cream
8 oz, weight Fettuccine (or pasta of your choice), Cooked Al Dente
Parmesan Cheese and fresh basil for garnish

Instructions:
Peel and seed the tomatoes, making sure the tomato juice is reserved. Discard the seeds. Once peeled chop tomatoes or pulse quickly in a food processor.
Heat 2 Tbs oil in a large skillet over medium high heat; add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.

Add chopped tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, salt, sugar, red pepper, balsamic vinegar, thyme and basil and bring to a low boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and cook just till heated through.

Serve over Fettuccine or your choice of pasta, and garnish with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Note: You can substitute a 28 ounce can of crushed Italian tomatoes if desired.

Enjoy,
Jen

Scrumptious

I made an oh so scrumptious pizza a couple days ago. It was piled high with everything I love, cheese, green & yellow peppers, spinach, tomatoes, basil, crushed red pepper, cheese…….Oh did I already mention cheese, well it is my favorite part of pizza and the main contributor to the size of my backside.

Here is what you need:

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 lb fresh spinach leaves
1 yellow pepper
1 green pepper
Crushed red pepper (for taste)
½ cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup Mozzarella cheese
3 ¼ cup All-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water (120-130 degrees)

Here is what you do:
Pizza Dough-
1) In large bowl combine 1 ¼ cups flour, yeast, and ¼ teaspoon salt; add warm water and oil. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat on high speed 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
2) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic.
3) Divide dough in half. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes
4) Spread dough out onto baking stone or pizza pan.
5) Sprinkle dough with olive oil, crushed red pepper, and ¼ cup parmesan cheese.

Toppings-
1) Cover bottom of skillet with thin layer of olive oil and pressed garlic clove.
2) Begin sautéing spinach.
3) Cut yellow and green peppers into choice shape and add to spinach.
4) Sauté for 5-7 minutes.
5) Spoon mixture onto dough; add sliced tomatoes, basil, and a combination of mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 425 degrees.



Enjoy,
Jen

The memories

So I had this roommate in college, she was extraordinary, an amazing sister in Christ, my rock, my encourager, my shoulder to cry on when men were being men, my sounding board when my professors were causing me gray hair, we had each other’s back no matter the circumstance, she was and is my best friend. I think I may have mentioned her from time to time here in my blog. Nicole and I don’t live as close in geographical terms as we did in college, so every now and then I must, for my own sanity do some things that remind me of her. Tonight was one of those nights.

You see when we resided at Jefferson Commons in Stillwater, more years ago than I would like to admit to the world I would make no-bake cookies…….very often. I remain in shock today that Nicole and I were not the size of a small country following our senior year. More no-bake cookies were consumed during that year between the two of us, than bread is consumed by the entire United States military.

I have not made no-bake cookies since college that is until today. I have my last Financial Peace class tomorrow and we were encouraged to bring a sugary or salty treat. This college tradition was the choice of goodies for me, and the memories that came flooding back in my kitchen tonight were priceless.

You will need:
½ cup butter
2 cups sugar
¼ cup milk
¼ cup coco powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ peanut butter
3 cups quick cooking oats

Preparation:
Bring the first 4 ingredients to boil, boil for 3 min.. Remove from heat and immediately add vanilla and peanut butter. Stir until peanut butter is completely melted. Add oats and stir thoroughly. While still hot scoop out by tablespoons and place on wax paper to cool completely.



Enjoy,
Jen

Spinach & Peppers Lasagna

This past Sunday I made a lasagna dish. If I must be honest……it quite possibly was the best lasagna EVER!! In fact I was not able to use all the ingredients, subsequently there are left over’s and I have been contemplating making the dish again this Sunday evening and freezing it. I need to give a shout out to my dear friend Bethany who emailed this AMAZING lasagna recipe along to me; thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Here is what you will need:

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ pound baby spinach leaves
1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 large orange bell pepper, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
42 ounces tomato sauce
Sea salt & pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 large fresh lasagna noodles or cooked lasagna noodles
3 cups low fat cottage cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Preparation:

In large skillet, heat olive oil and sauté spinach for 2 minutes. Add bell peppers and garlic. Saute until just tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 5 minutes then remove from heat.

Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil cooking spray and set aside.

In medium bowl, mix the cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and ¾ cup of the mozzarella cheese together. Season with pepper, if desired.

Ladle about 1 cup of sauce in bottom of prepared baking dish. Top with one layer of lasagna noodles. Spread one third of the cottage cheese mixture over noodles. Evenly spread another cup of sauce over that. Repeat the process until all of the noodles are used, ending with the last of the sauce. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese over the top. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until cheese is browned and the lasagna is bubbly.

Enjoy!!!

What trying to multitask will get ya….

I set out a couple days ago to conquer Tomato Basil Mozzarella pizza. I am quite positive I could eat this combination of ingredients at every meal of every day, I love it!! I love it on sandwiches, pizzas, paninis, you name it. The fresh basil is the key in my book.

I started out by making the pizza dough…………

1pkg. dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 ½ cups flour

I dissolve the yeast in warm water then stirred in the remaining ingredients. After letting the dough stand for 5 minutes, I spread out the sticky dough on a pizza stone, drizzled olive oil on the dough, pilled on the cheese, fresh basil, and tomatoes. I then baked the pizza at 400F for 10-12 minutes.



Well, let me be honest for a minute. The above description is how the preparation and baking of the pizza was supposed to go. However, I was on the phone with one of my really good guy friends when I was preparing this, with luck, monumentally amazing pizza. My friend was providing me a slight lecture on dating and how I need to put the pain of my past relationships behind me and look beyond the fear I have regarding letting people get close to me. I pulled the salt out of the cabinet to add to the dough recipe when I heard this “Jennifer you are great, I want you”. I nervously continued tossing the ingredients into the dough bowl, and found I was completely speechless. I listened to him for a bit longer when I said “I need to go, I need to get dinner made and eaten, it is getting late”. So we said good bye, I finished the pizza, put it in the oven and began to replay in my mind the conversation I just had. I was not sure what to think, and I have to say 6 days after the conversation I still don’t know what to think or feel.

Back to the pizza…….I pulled it out of the oven as the timer went off.



I could not wait to take that first bite. That anticipating first bite was not quite what I was hoping to find, it did not ignite my taste buds into an exciting frenzy. It actually tasted a bit metallic, and I did not uncover the reason until I spoke to my mother a couple days later. I mentioned the pizza and she asked how I made it, I gave her the list of ingredients, and her response was “what is salt substitute and how much did you say you added?” The case was cracked wide open, rather than the recommended 1 teaspoon of salt, I added 1 tablespoon of salt substitute. I am not sure how that happened; after all I was completely focused on what I was doing. I will not be multitasking next time I make this dish.

Love,
Jen

Bitten

Last night as I was cooking the awesome tortellini dish, I got bitten, bitten by the cooking bug. I suppose this bug knew I had been slacking in the department of recipe posts on this blog, because after cooking dinner I had the urge to bake something. I am not sure if it was poison from the bug or that I may have been experiencing sympathy cravings for my best buddy, either way I could not kick the life threatening need for something sweet. So I scrounged, I dug, I ravaged my kitchen and found enough ingredients to make Creamy Carmel-Pecan Rolls.



You will need:
1 ¼ cups sifted powdered sugar
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 16-ounce loaves frozen white bread dough or sweet roll dough, thawed
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
¾ cup raisins (optional)

Preparation:
1) Grease two 9x1 ½ inch round baking pans; set pans aside. For topping, in a small bowl stir together powdered sugar and whipping cream; divide evenly between prepared baking pans. Sprinkle pecans evenly over sugar mixture.
2) In another small bowl stir together brown sugar and cinnamon; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll each loaf of dough into a 12x8-inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter; sprinkle with brown sugar-cinnamon mixture. If desired, sprinkle with raisins.
3) Roll up each rectangle starting from a long side. Seal seams. Slice each roll into 12 pieces. Place pieces, cut sides down, on topping in pans.
4) Cover; let rise in a warm place until nearly double (about 30 minutes). Break any surface bubbles with a greased toothpick.
5) Bake in a 375o oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown (if necessary, cover rolls with foil the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent over browning). Cool in pans on wire rack for 5 minutes. Carefully invert rolls onto a serving platter. Serve warm.



I promise this ooy gooy goodness with take care of any sweet tooth.

Love ya,
Jen

Yummy recipe…..and other important matters.

A couple important matters to address………..

1) My best friend in the whole wide world told the world yesterday that she is going to be a mommy for the second time. Aunt Jennifer is going to have another little tike to spoil....I can't wait!!



2) A number of you have inquired as to how my daddy is doing. I first would like to thank you all for the prayers, thoughts, and concerns regarding my daddy. I feel blessed to pass the news along that he is doing great!! He is still weak and can’t do as much physically as he would like, no yard work, or hikes, or anything really…..but that is to be expected. He simply needs to rest, which is hard for anyone in our family to do and he is no exception. But if doctor's orders are followed he will gain more strength each day, and be as good as new in no time.

Okay now that we have address two of the happiest pieces of info in my life at the moment I can now focus on the rest of the post.

With training season in high gear and the marathon being only 6 week away I figure I should begin focusing on my diet more than I typically do. I was not one that use to be madly and deeply in love with carbohydrates, when encountering foods high in carbs I certainly did not throws my arms around them in a loving embrace, quite the contrary really, I would run far and fast in the opposite direction. However, once I discovered how much I loved running, my relationship with carbs changed, it had to in order for me to be successful and not kill over during a race.

Carbohydrates are necessary for general good health; they supply energy to keep your heart, brain, and vital organs operating. In other words carbs are the fuel for your body, and during marathon training we use A LOT of fuel. Research indicates that the average runner burns approximately 110 calories per mile and about 75% of those calories are from carbohydrates. It has been mentioned that runners training for a marathon (or a half in my case) should have a diet that allows for the consumption of 65%-70% carbohydrates. Now that you know more than you ever wanted to know about carbs, I have a scrumptious stick to your bones carb rich recipe to share with you.

This evening I made Tortellini with Rosemary-Tomato Sauce, oh my goodness was it ever good.



You will need:

2 9-ounce packages refrigerated cheese filled tortellini
2 14.5-ounce cans pasta-style tomatoes, undrained
¼ cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon snipped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
½ cup sliced pitted ripe olives

Preparation:
1) Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain; keep warm.
2) Meanwhile, for sauce, in a medium saucepan stir together undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, and rosemary. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until desired consistency. Stir in olives; heat through. Spoon sauce over tortellini.



Enjoy,
Jen

Zucchini with a zip

With all these thought of hearts and daddy and life in general running around in my disorganized mess of a brain I realized…..I need to post a recipe! See what I mean disorganized, no rhyme or reason behind my line of thinking at all.

I have not posted any sort of yummy goodness in quite a while. As I have been thumbing through the American Heart Association (AHA) website and searching for heart healthy foods the past two days I have heard the same thing over and over….

Fruits….more than 4.5 cups a day (check)

Vegetables….again more than 4.5 cups a day (check)

Small amounts of added sugar…..less than 450 calories/week (check, that is unless you count eating an entire birthday cake all by myself…but, we won’t count that)

Small amounts of sodium….less than 1,500 mg/day (check)

Fiber-rich whole grains….more than 3 one oz servings/day (check)

Oily fish….2 or more 3.5 oz servings/week (Wait one second!!! Who do they think they are talking to, this chicka is a vegetarian doesn’t the AHA know that? Am I really going to have to add ucky yucky fish into my diet just for my heart health, oh yicks scary!!!).

Adding fish to my diet………..well the jury is still out on that one, so in the mean time I am going to let you in on this oh so yummy side dish that does not include any sort of animal, but will make you dance a gig in your kitchen when you take that first bite……..it is that scrumptious.

South of the boarder Zucchini

You will need a host of heart healthy ingredients to make this dish sizzle.



1 tablespoon light margarine
2 small zucchini (approximately 6 oz each)
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 medium fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon pepper

Let’s get started…….before you fire up the stove top make sure all your veggies are cut up, measured, and ready to be added to a warm margarine glazed skillet.

Slice the two zucchini crosswise into ¼ inch pieces and set aside. Measure out the corn and set aside with the zucchini. Cut the jalapeno, discard the seeds and rid and finish chopping it up.

In a medium nonstick skillet, melt the margarine over medium-high heat.



If you are feeling a little wild shake the skillet a bit as the margarine rolls around, if you are a dainty cook in the kitchen gentle swirl the margarine with a wooden spoon, and still yet if you are a disorganized mess find whatever means suite your fancy just make sure the melted margarine coats the bottom of the skillet in its entirety.

Add the zucchini,


garlic, jalapeno,


green chiles,


and corn.


Stir regularly to blend the ingredients and flavors. Cook for 7-9 mins. until the zucchini is slightly tender and lightly browned.

Sprinkle with cumin and pepper, stir gently.


Serve as a side to any chosen creature of the sea your eating as a main dish. I on the other hand add it to a serving of brown rice.



Enjoy,
Jen

Potato and Corn Chowder.

I woke up this morning thinking “when did I move to Antarctica and HOW do I not remember such an irrational decision”. Yes……….I do enjoy cooler weather, but good golly this snow and ice and super cold wind chills seems to be even too much for the Eskimo around here.

Because it is chill ya to the bone cold here I chose to make a hearty potato and corn soup. Okay, so I made the soup because it is cold outside, like so cold my blood is starting to freeze, but more importantly because I love soup!! I love everything about soup, all the savory flavors, all the veggies, and how it makes me feel warm and cozy inside. This soup I made today did not fail me in the least.

Here is what you will need:



4 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped Onion
1 cup Diced Red Bell Pepper
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 can (4 oz) Diced Green Chiles
5 cups Vegetable Broth
2 cups Peeled & Diced Russet Potatoes
1 cup Frozen Whole Corn Kernels
1 can (14 oz) Creamed Corn
½ cup All-purpose Flour
2 cups Skim Milk
1 ½ cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Place a stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat and melt 4 tablespoon butter. When butter is melted add the onion, red bell pepper and garlic. Cook and stir occasionally for 5 minutes. Add diced green chiles and cook for an additional minute. Once the onion begins to gain color add vegetable broth and potatoes. Bring to boil then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Add frozen whole-kernel corn and creamed corn, stir well.

While the soup is simmering, pour flour into a medium bowl and gradually whisk in skim milk. Add the milk mixture to the soup and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in grated sharp Cheddar cheese and cayenne pepper. At your choice season with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with a small amount of additional grated Cheddar cheese.

Mint Chocolate Cake Balls

So for anyone that knows me well, you all know I love to bake, let us not confuse baking with cooking! Coking can at times be a disaster in my kitchen. It is a 50/50 shot as to whether something I try to cook is going to come out eatable. But baking, now I have mastered that craft. I like to specialize in cupcakes for two reasons, one I simply love to bake them and two my most precious 8th grade small group girls love cupcakes. Yesterday however I put a twist on cake and made cake balls rather than cupcakes, and let me tell you they were a hit. I got the idea from Bakerella’s website. For all of you that love baking and have not visited her site go take a gander, I promise you will fall in love.
Okay, I need to get back on track. I made mint chocolate chip cupcakes for my company Christmas party last month and people seemed to enjoy them so I thought why not make mint chocolate cake balls….and that is how this little piece of ymminess was born.

Mint Chocolate Cake Balls
1 box milk chocolate cake mix
1 splash of mint extract (sorry for the lack of being exact, but I never measure I simply add until it tastes just right).
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz)
1 package vanilla bark
Wax paper



1) Bake chocolate cake according to direction on the box (add a splash of mint extract for taste).
2) After the cake has cooked and cooled completely, crumble into a large bowl.
3) Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting.
4) Chill for several hours (I put them in the freezer for a few hours).
5) Melt vanilla bark according the package directions
6) Roll the cake balls into the vanilla bark (I find a spoon is a great addition to this process. Use the spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra) and lay on wax paper until firm.
7) I added the finishing touch of coloring the remaining bark green and drizzled it over the top, to give the extra mint flare.



Sit back, hold on to your hat, and enjoy your mint chocolate cake balls. I am not sure you will be able to have just one.

Love,
Jen

Green Chili Soup

Because it is suppose to be -3 tonight,
Because I love it,
Because I miss being at home in Oregon with my family,
Because a little boy in the produce section of the store looked up at me with his big brown eyes and said "it's like Antarctica outside",
Because it is spicy,
Because it is Thursday night,
Because I need to eat,
Because I love it (oh I think I mentioned that already),
I made Green Chili Soup. And I promise if you like a little slice of Mexico in your soups you will love this low calorie high flavor put a zip in your step soup.



You will need:

8 cups Vegetarian No Chicken Chicken broth (if you choose the carnivore way of life feel free to use regular chicken broth)

1 onion, finely chopped

2 packages Roasted Chicken Gray Mix

3 cans (7 oz each) mild chopped green chilies

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

2 can (28 oz) white hominy, drained


Optional Additional Ingredients:

1 can Ro-Tel

8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Cheese

How to:

In a large pot, combine vegetarian broth (or chicken broth) and onion. Over high heat bring to boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 mins.




Use a whisk to blend gravy mix into the broth.



Once completely blended add chilies,



garlic,



cilantro,



cumin,



jalapenos,



and hominy.



Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; once to boil reduce heat to low.

Scoop into a soup bowl, add a garnish of sour cream, cheese, or whatever your little heart desires, serve, and enjoy!!!!

First of many holiday treats!!

Raise your hand if you gravitate towards all those scrumptious holiday goodies. You know the ones I am referring to…those treats that if we don’t watch ourselves we could devour enough to feed a small country in 5 seconds flat. I knew that would ring a bell with you and help me to realize I am not the only one that looses all self control during the Christmas season. I love busting out all of my holiday favorites from Cheesecakes, to sugar cookies, to Eggnog flavored taffy; oh I could sit here and name 100 of my “favorite” treats. However, I also love trying all the new creations baked by family and friends. Which leads me to the point of this post, a to die for plate of awesomeness……Winter Wonderland Brittle. Oh gracious, my mouth is watering just thinking about this delish combination of sweet and salty with a hint of crunch and a melt in your mouth almond flavor. Would you like to know how to make this chunk of heaven? Should I let the secret out………………of course, I love you all too much to deprive you of something so amazing!!

You will need:
1 can of Original Pringles
1 can of Roasted Spanish Nuts (salted)
3 pkg. of Almond Bark

The steps you will need to take:
Crush enough Pringles to make 1 cup
1 cup nuts

Melt the almond bark on low heat until melted. Continue by mixing in the crushed Pringles and nuts, stir until well blended.
Spread a layer of tin foil on your counter top or table. While hot spread the blended mixture onto the tin foil to about peanut height.
Let the mixture cool, break into large pieces and serve.




Thank you Cindy, for sharing this great Christmas treat!!