Lemon Zucchini Muffins

Found this recipe on allrecipes.com 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 zucchini, shredded 1 (8 ounce) container lemon yogurt

6 tablespoons butter, melted 1 egg, beaten 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1/3 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup white sugar 2 teaspoons lemon zest

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.
2.	Mix flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Mix zucchini, yogurt, butter, egg, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon lemon zest in a separate bowl; pour yogurt mixture into well. Gently stir yogurt, slowly incorporating the flour mixture until just blended. Batter may be slightly lumpy. Pour batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.
3.	Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
4.	While muffins are baking, whisk 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup sugar, and 2 teaspoons lemon zest together in a saucepan over medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer and sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Cover and keep glaze warm over low heat.
5.	Poke each muffin several times with a toothpick; spoon glaze over muffins. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. *Some suggestions: Instead of 6 T butter use: half oil and half butter, use half oil and half applesauce, or use 5-6T of applesauce and 1/8 c (flaxseed) oil Add 1 t baking powder to rise more Use 2 cups of zucchini

Hot Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

Time: 45 minutes start to finish
Yield: 24 pinwheels
Recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up!

1 1/2 C warm water
2 T sugar
1 T yeast
1/2 t salt
4-4 1/2 C flour
1 pound deli ham, sliced thin
2 C cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Pour 1 1/2 C warm water into your stand mixer and preheat your oven to 170 degrees. (You read it right...170 degrees is all you need.)

2.  Add 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon yeast. Turn the mixer on low for about 30 seconds allowing the ingredients to combine. Let it rest for 5 minutes, or until it gets all bubbly.

3. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 cups flour. Turn the mixer on to low and let the flour mix in. Add the rest of the flour (2 1/2 cups worth) one cup at a time. When the dough pulls itself away from the side of the bowl, you have enough flour.

4. Turn the mixer to medium speed and allow it to mix for 5 minutes.

5. Spray your counter with cooking spray, divide the dough into two equal parts and allow them to rest on the counter for 5 minutes. Don't skip this step, ok? If you don't let the dough rest it won't roll out nicely and then you might start to cry and then your kids would think you have lost you mind. Thanks for your cooperation.

6. After the dough has rested roll the old girl out into a large rectangle.

7. Cover it with half of the ham and sprinkle it with 1 cup of cheddar cheese.

8. Roll the dough up starting at the longer end.

9. Spray a large knife with cooking spray and slice the roll into 12 rounds.

10. Place each pinwheel onto a large cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

11. Repeat steps 6-10 with the other half of the dough.

12. Place both pans into your warm 170 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until they start to rise just a bit. You don't want them to get super puffy, you just want the dough to have the chance to expand a little, like you see in the picture above.

13. Turn the oven up to 350 degrees (don't take the pans out of the oven) and let the pinwheels bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown along the top and bottom. 

14. Take the pans out of the oven and let the pinwheels rest for about 5 minutes...then gobble them up.

Enjoy!

Creamy Baked Potato Soup

I found this recipe via pinterest.   I was looking at one recipe that was pinned by someone and then I saw this one on the site.  It looks yummy!  Here's the website.

Creamy Baked Potato Soup

ingredients:

5 large baking potatoes
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup flour, depending on how thick you like it (I used 1/4 cup)
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
4 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper or to taste
6 green onions, chopped & divided
1/2 pound bacon, cooked & crumbled
2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded & divided
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon dried or 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon dried parsley

directions:

1. Wash, dry & bake potatoes at 400 degrees for one hour or until done. I just put the potatoes right on the oven rack. Allow to cool. Cut into half lengthwise and scoop out pulp. Cut potato pulp into bite sized pieces; set aside. Use skins for something else like stuffed potato skins.

2. Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add white onion & celery & saute for a couple of minutes. Add flour, whisking until smooth. Cook 1 minute stirring constantly.

3. Gradually whisk in milk and chicken broth & cook over medium heat, until mixture thickens a bit and is slightly bubbly. Don't boil.

4. Add potato pulp, salt, pepper, herbs, half of the chopped green onions & 1 1/2 cups cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated. Whisk in sour cream & remove from heat.

5. Serve with remaining green onions, bacon & cheese.

Author's endnotes:
Potato soup is so versatile, here are a few ideas for you: add chopped cooked carrots, omit celery, add a tablespoon or 2 of bacon grease with the butter, stir in half the cooked bacon instead of using as garnish or prepare the soup vegetarian using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

Slow Cooker Black Beans

I found this at budgetbytes.blogspot.com.

This worked really well, the last time I did this.  I love that I can freeze them and they are ready to use when I need them and I don't have to use salt-infused canned beans from the store.

Here is how it's done:

STEP 1: Pour one pound (2 cups of dry black beans) (or two for an extra large batch) of beans out onto a baking sheet and sort through to remove any stones or debris. Transfer the beans to a colander to rinse off any dust.

STEP 2: Place the cleaned and sorted beans in a slow cooker and add 6 cups of water for every pound of beans. Put the lid on, set the cooker to HIGH and let her go. Beans that have not been presoaked will take 4-6 hours to cook on HIGH.

STEP 3: Once the beans are tender, pour them into a colander and give them a quick rinse. Divide the beans into containers (re-sealable or zip top freezer bags), label, date and freeze until ready to use! Easy as that.

One pound of dry beans will yield about 6 cups of cooked beans, equal to about 3 cans.

*one comment recommended adding 1/8th tsp of baking soda if your water is heavily calcified to help soften them.  I didn't do that one time and the beans never became soft and I have added the baking soda in my last two batches and the beans were perfect.  So I will be doing that from now on!

Sweet Baby Rays Slow Cooker Chicken

I found this recipe on Pinterest on this website forkinit.blogspot.com.  I love pinterest!  Its fun place to find ideas for ALL kinds of things, not just recipes!

4-6 pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts (i threw them in frozen... even easier!)
1 bottle BBQ sauce (sweet baby ray's all the way!)
1/4 c vinegar
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp. garlic powder

Mix BBQ sauce with all ingredients listed under it. Place chicken in slow cooker. Pour sauce over it and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.

*I bet this would freeze wonderfully!  I guess I'll to try it and let you know!

REVIEW: oh my! YUM! YUM! YUM!  My chicken didn't look like that picture.  I don't know where they would of gotten the crispy looking parts.  However, it was very yummy.  We shredded the chicken b/c the sauce so thin that the chicken seemed to soak it up a bit more.  We had it was baked beans, mac and cheese and some veggies.  The next day I cooked up some rice and ate it on top of that.  I bet it would be good on a sub or roll.  Definitely recommend this and must use Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce. So yum!

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Found this recipe on smells-like-home.com .


3/4 cup mayonnaise (I use light mayo)
3/4 cup sour cream (I use light sour cream)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 to 1 cup buttermilk
1 small bunch of chives or 2 scallions, roughly chopped
Small handful of parsley
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

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 or pizza “sauce”, more for dressing. Store in an air-tight jar in the fridge.  Leftovers will keep 2-3 weeks.

Baked Apple Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal

This recipe is from smells-like-home.com .


Ingredients:

• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup maple syrup, plus more for serving
• 1 cup milk (I used skim but any kind will work)
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 apple (any kind), peeled, cored, and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup raisins

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease or spray a 2-quart casserole dish with either butter or cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, toss together the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  In a separate small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, milk, egg, the melted butter, and the vanilla.
3. Place the diced apples in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.  Sprinkle about two-thirds of the raisins over the top of the apples, then cover the fruit with the oat mixture.  Drizzle the milk mixture over the oats, making sure to distribute the milk as evenly as possible.  Sprinkle the remaining raisins over the top of the oats.  Bake the oatmeal for 35-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the oats have set.
4. Remove the oatmeal from the oven and serve hot with more maple syrup.

Homemade Taco Seasoing

I've been making homemade taco seasoning for a while now.  I thought I'd give a different recipe a try.  Found this recipe on smells-like-home.com.

1/4 cup ancho chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp paprika
2 tbsp ground cumin
3 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.

To use: Use 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons of taco seasoning in place of a packet of store-bought taco seasoning. Combine 2 tbsp cornstarch with 1 cup cold water and stir to dissolve cornstarch. In a large saute pan set over medium-high heat, brown 1lb ground beef, turkey or chicken, add seasoning and cornstarch-water mixture, and simmer over low heat until liquid has thickened.

White Chocolate topped Gingerbread Cookies

White Chocolate topped Gingerbread Cookies

found on www.culinaryconcoctionsbypeabody.com
3 cups flour
2 tsp. Ginger, Ground
1 tsp. Cinnamon, Ground
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg, Ground (I used fresh)
1/4 tap salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 cup white chocolate chips

Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl.
Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add molasses, egg and vanilla; beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Immediately press about 5-6 white chocolate chips into center of each cookie. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Store cookies in airtight container up to 5 days.

Lofthouse Style Frosted Sugar Cookies

Found at: authenticsuburbangourmet.blogspot.com



Lofthouse Style Frosted Sugar Cookies


Cookies:

6 cups all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 c. butter, at room temperature
2 c. granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. sour cream

Frosting:

1 c. butter, room temperature
1 t. vanilla extract
4 c. powdered sugar
6 T. heavy cream
Several drops food coloring
Multi-colored Sprinkles

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the flat beater attached, cream the butter and granulated sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla and sour cream and beat at low speed until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Dough will be a bit “sticky”. Divide dough into two sections. Flatten into rectangles about 1 1/2 inches thick, then wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator overnight or at least two hours until firm.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.

Use the plastic wrap that you chilled the dough in. Dust the top of the dough and then flip and flour the other side, keeping it on the plastic wrap. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes, until pale golden. Immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and vanilla. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar. Once smooth and creamy, add in heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired spreading consistency is achieved. If desired, add food coloring and beat until combined.

Once cookies have cooled completely, frost and add sprinkles. Allow frosting to set, then store in an air-tight container. Let cookies sit for several hours before serving to allow the flavors to develop.

Makes approximately: 5 to 6 dozen cookies (will vary on the thickness of the dough)

Sweet Tortilla Snowflake

This fun recipe/activity to do with your kids is found on http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/12/sweet-tortilla-snowflakes/

Sweet Tortilla Snowflakes

flour torillas
melted butter
coarse sugar sprinkles

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Warm tortillas in microwave until soft and pliable.  Fold into quarters or eighths.  Use scissors to cut out shapes and then unfold.  Place tortillas on foil-lined baking sheet and brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar sprinkles.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.  Cool until easy to handle and eat up.  Eat plain or dip in yogurt, whipped cream, or fruit dip.

Beef Stew

Original recipe found on allrecipes.com.

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound beef for stew, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 of yellow onion, chopped

1 (10.5 ounce) can Beef Broth

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning

1 bay leaf

3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 medium potatoes, cut into quarters

1.	Stir the flour and black pepper on a plate. Coat the beef with the flour mixture.
2.	Heat the oil in a 6-quart saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until well browned, stirring often. Remove the beef from the saucepot. Pour off any fat.  Saute onions in a little bit of olive oil until translucent.
3.	Stir the broth, water, Italian seasoning, and bay leaf in the saucepot and heat to a boil. Return the beef to the saucepot. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
4.	Add the carrots and potatoes to the saucepot. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Suggestions: -Cook diced onions when browning beef. -Add frozen peas at the last moment. -Use olive oil instead of vegetable oil. -Add cornstarch to thicken. -Cook in slow cooker after browning beef. REVIEW:  Made this recipe tonight and it was great!  I did however make some changes, so I changed the recipe to reflect that, mostly.  I left the potatoes the way the original recipe had them b/c maybe in the future I will try it that way.  But this time i made the potatoes like one reviewer suggested on allrecipes and served it over mashed potatoes.  I also sauteed some mushrooms and added them to the stew with the carrots.  I made the broth from some stuff saying it was better than boullion.  I did also add 16 oz of broth, not the 10.5 oz.  Truthfully, I just wasn't paying attention and I thought that's what it said.   I thought it was just fine, but maybe a little too much juice.  I also add about 1T of cornstarch at the end to see if it would thicken it up.  I don't think it did much.  Maybe I need to add it at the beginning of the 1 1/2 hrs or maybe it wasn't enough cornstarch to do anything.  I will play around next time to see if I can get different results.  and oh the biggest change I made was use my hubby's deer meat that we butchered ourselves!  So the recipe is definitely a keeper and will be going into my recipebook!