Portland with my BFF!

What a short trip! I totally feel like I've never even left but we did SO much in just 2 days. We started our Portland trip meeting at PDX and hoping on the MAX Rail to our hotel. The weather really cooperated and was only slightly cloudy. We got unpacked and was on our way Downtown before noon. Our first stop was the Portland Art Museum, where there was traditional as well as modern art. I really did like a lot of it but some of the modern ones were really confusing. Here is me and Kat having a light lunch at the museum's Cafe. We shared a yummy Cheese and Fruit Plate, a Small Salad and a cup of Tomato Soup.

After some more walking around (and shopping!), we met up with Kat's friends for happy hour at Dragon Fish, where they have Sushi and Drink Specials every afternoon! It was SO much fun to hang out and meet new people! :) By 8 we were both exhausted from waking up at 5am that morning to catch our flights and walking around all afternoon so we took a dip in the Jacuzzi for a bit and called it a night! (I know we're SUCH party animals!) Oh and we also ordered Baby Mama, which I fell asleep about 1 hour into. Oh well, I didn't feel like I was missing out on much! hehe

The next morning, we joined a Walking Tour, where the guide took us through all the different neighborhoods in Downtown Portland and told us a bit about its history. It was REALLY interesting to learn about the city and how "GREEN" and "Public Transportation Friendly" it is compared to every where else! I mean, you could literally take the MAX Rail or bus ANYWHERE easily and you don't need to own a car at all! I know SF is a lot like that but you can't really go anywhere outside of Downtown without a car. Anyway, here we are at the Portland Theater. We were both so bundled up cuz it was pretty cold in the morning, especially standing in the shade listening to our Guide!

The rest of the day consisted of having lunch at Rock Bottom, checking out the Saturday Market and doing some more shopping. We went back to our hotel and had a light dinner there. It was another early night cuz we had another morning flight to catch back home. It was such a short trip but I'm SO glad we took it cuz I really do miss Kat a lot and these short weekend vacations are a perfect way for us to catch up AND explore somewhere new! :) Where to next Kat?

Taco + Pizza = PERFECT

I bought this Bisquick Booklet from Safeway the other day and decided to try out one of the recipes. Of course, my first choice was Deep-Dish Taco Squares! I mean, Pizza AND Taco? How could you get better than this? Of course we ended up with a LOT of left-overs but Greg said they tasted even better the next day! :)

Ingredients: (6 servings)

1/2 lb lean ground beef
2 Tbsp Taco seasoning
1 c Original Bisquick mix
1/4 c cold water
1/2 c sour cream
1/3 c mayonnaise
1 c shredded Mexican style cheese
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 c salsa

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease an 8-inch baking dish.
2. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in taco seasoning mix until blended.
3. In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix and water until soft dough forms. Using fingers dipped in Bisquick mix, pat dough in bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of baking dish.
4. In same bowl, mix sour cream, mayonnaise and cheese until blended.
5. Layer beef mixture, tomato and salsa over dough; spoon sour cream mixture over top.
6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until edges of dough are light golden brown.

Just ONE Apple Left

So I have ONE Gala Apple left from my last apple purchase and it wasn't gonna last long. SO...I decided to make more muffins! These Apple Cheddar Muffins are different from my last ones cuz I didn't use Cheez-It and used Bisquick. They turned out so fluffy and yummy! Maybe I should follow recipes from now on. :) I did sub the sugar for mayo though cuz I wanted my muffins to be more savory. I also didn't need the oil since the mayo made everything moist already.


Ingredients: (6 muffins)

1 egg
2 c Original Bisquick® mix
1 c coarsely chopped peeled cooking apple
1/2 c shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 c mayo
1/3 c milk

Prep:

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Grease bottoms only of 12 regular-size muffin cups with shortening, or line with paper baking cups.
2. In medium bowl, beat egg slightly. Stir in remaining ingredients just until moistened. Divide batter evenly among cups.
3. Bake 17 to 19 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

HERSHEY'S Chocolate Chip Cookies

I usually try not to repeat cookies but a classic like Chocolate Chip, well, that gets a Free Pass. These are slightly different though, cuz they're HERSHEY'S Famous Cookies! Move over, Mrs. Field's! They're fluffier and not as crunchy so if you don't like soft cookies, they're probably not your style. They're yummy though and look how perfectly round they are! You know what the secret is? Well, I used to try to bake a dozen cookies per baking sheet and the cookies would spread and then look all messy. SO this time, I only baked 6 per sheet and Voila...PERFECTLY round cookies! Also, I kept the dough chilled in the fridge, which I think also helped keep the cookies from spreading too much. You learn something new every time right? :)


Ingredients: (5 dozen cookies)

2¼ c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 c (2 sticks) butter, softened
¾ c granulated sugar
¾ c packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 c Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 c chopped nuts (optional)

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Add eggs; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

I Don't Say This Often But...

There are times when I wish I had a kid, like when I see recipes like these (courtesy of Kraft and Betty Crocker):

I mean, seriously, NONE of these are hard to make but even I couldn't justify making them unless there was a kid in the house! :(

Ralph & Cuddles DRUNK!

The Bestest Mommy in the World!

Comfort Food in a MUFFIN!

I had a lot of Macaroni Pasta left over from my Barefoot Blogger Mac and Cheese so I decided to make something creative. What could be cuter than little Mac and Cheese Muffins? I added some Peas and Carrots for color and to sneak in some veggies! The crunchy bread crumb topping was SO yummy and they're just perfect size for appetizers. :)

Ingredients: (6 muffins)

1 c uncooked elbow macaroni
1 c frozen peas and carrots
1 Tbsp butter
½ c milk
1 c shredded Cheddar cheese
½ c shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ c seasoned dry bread crumbs

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or line with foil liners.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for about 4 minutes. Add peas and carrots and cook an additional 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain and return to the pan; stir in butter until melted and pasta is evenly coated.

3. Add both cheeses and milk; stir until cheese is melted. Spoon into the prepared muffin tin and sprinkle bread crumbs over the tops.

4. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the topping is nicely browned. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan.

The Only Condiment I will ever NEED

I realized a while ago that I can NOT live without this single condiment...HEINZ Spicy Brown Mustard. I don't actually know what I would do if they ever took this off the shelves! (OK I'd probably switch to a different brand of spicy mustard but I'd be very sad.) I literally squeeze this on EVERYTHING...veggies, eggs, sandwiches, wraps...EVERYTHING! Yes, I have strange tastebuds. It's kinda like how Greg squeezes HEINZ Ketchup on EVERYTHING! Yes, we are a match made in heaven. :)

Aye Chihuahua!

More Photoshop nerdiness...these are our fav stuff animals, Cuddles and Ralph. (We actually treat them like our kids...no really.)

Super Healthy Strawberry Fiber Bread

I had a LOT of Strawberries left over so I decided to make some Healthy Nutty Bread! I got the idea from the Fiber One Blueberry Orange Bread and basically just used Strawberries instead. I also added some Almonds for that extra crunch! :)

Ingredients:

1½ c High Fiber Trader Joe's Cereal, crushed in food processor
1 c water
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg
2 c all-purpose flour
2 c sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c fresh strawberries, mashed in food processor
1 c chopped almonds
1 Tbsp almond extract

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 9x5-inch loaf pan with shortening or baking spray with flour.

2. In large bowl, stir together cereal and water; let stand 10 minutes.

3. Stir in remaining ingredients except strawberries. Gently stir in strawberries. Spread batter in pan.

4. Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaf; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing.

Yummy Strawberry Muffins

I bought 2 pints of Strawberries at Safeway last night and knew I wasn't gonna eat them all before they went bad. SO...what to do? Make Muffins of course! These were a little softer than I'd liked (and didn't travel very well) probably cuz of the water content in the Strawberries but they tasted yummy and really fresh.

Ingredients: (6 muffins)

½ c all-purpose flour
½ c rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
¼ c milk
2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ c sugar
1 c fresh strawberries, chopped

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease or line 6 muffin cups.

2. In a large bowl, mix flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk, olive oil and sugar. Mix strawberries into oat mixture just until evenly moist. Spoon into prepared muffin cups.

3. Bake 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Mini Asparagus Frittatas

Asparagus were on super special at Safeway so I bought 2 bunches and thought they'd be great in an EGG Dish. I saw this recipe and decided the Mini Frittatas would be just PERFECT! They were so easy to make and you can basically use any combo of veggies, meat and cheese you like. They make a really yummy breakfast or you could turn them into a light meal with a nice cup or soup and a side salad! Ingredients: (6 muffins)

4 large eggs
¼ c half-and-half
½ tsp salt
6 asparagus spears, blanched and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 6-cup muffin pan with foiled liners.

2. Whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, and salt in a medium bowl, then evenly distribute the egg mixture among the muffin cups.

3. Add about 2 tablespoons of asparagus to each cup, then sprinkle on 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese.

4. Bake the frittatas until they are puffy and the edges are golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.

My FIRST Platinum Chef Challenge!

This is my first Platinum Chef Challenge and it was SO much fun to come up with a recipe using this month's ingredients, which were:

Sage
Bacon
Apples
Shallots
Mushrooms

I had originally wanted to make some type of porkchop with a type of Apple Sauce and then some mashed potatoes on the side with bacon (which I may still do!) but I thought this "Breakfast-Themed" meal was more creative. The Frittata and Muffins were both delicious and the savory with the sweet went really well together. I'm so glad we still have 4 muffins left over! :)

Apple Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients: (6 muffins)

½ c all-purpose flour
½ quick oats
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
1/3 c packed brown sugar
1 tsp dried sage
½ c raisins
½ c yogurt
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 c apple, peeled and shredded (I used a food processor)
½ c raisins

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Lightly grease 6 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
3. Stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, sage and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together yogurt, egg and oil. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture just until combined. Fold in apples, raisins and oatmeal.
4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Mushroom Bacon Frittata

Ingredients:

4 large eggs, beaten
5 slices bacon
1 c sliced mushrooms
2 shallots, chopped
½ c sour cream
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 c Mexican cheese blend

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon and reserve 1 Tbsp drippings.
3. Sauté mushrooms and shallots in bacon drippings, stirring occasionally, until shallots are tender and mushroom are lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, sour cream, cheese and seasonings and mix well. Pour egg mixture into small greased baking dish. Stir in onions and mushrooms. Sprinkle evenly with crumbled bacon.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until eggs are completely set.
6. Remove from oven. Allow to cool 5 minutes. Slice in half and serve warm with Apple Oatmeal Muffins.

Oatmeal Scotchies

This is the second time I've ever made these cookies from the Nestle Website and the first time was about a year ago when I pretty much had no idea how to bake! I'm sure they turned out way better this time around since I can pretty much consider myself a regular baker nowadays! I cut the Butterscotch Morsels down to half cuz I didn't want it to overpower the Oatmeal Flavor of the cookie and also cuz I didn't want them to be too sweet. (Hey, Oatmeal Cookies are supposed to be healthy right?) Anyway...they're GOOD!

Ingredients: (48 cookies)

1 ¼ c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 c (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
¾ c granulated sugar
¾ c packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 c quick or old-fashioned oats
1 c Butterscotch Morsels

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

My First Barefoot Blogger!

This is my very FIRST Barefoot Blogger recipe and it turned out SO yummy! I did modify it a little bit though. First of all, I cut the serving size down to half because there's only 2 of us in the house and we didn't wanna be eating left-overs for the rest of the week. I also cooked everything in 1 pot instead of warming the milk in 1 saucepan, making the sauce in another and boiling the pasta in yet ANOTHER pot. (WAY too many dishes for me to wash!) Some of the cheeses were hard to find at our tiny Safeway so I just stuck with the Mexican Blend since it's got a great mixture of Cheddar, Monterery Jack, Asadero and Queso Blanco Cheese. (Plus we ALWAYS have it in our fridge!) I also didn't have any bread in the house (that wasn't moldy!) so I just used Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs, which turned out great! Lastly I added mushrooms because we LOVE mushrooms in our pasta dishes! Here's my modified recipe.

Ingredients: 2 servings

5 slices thick-sliced bacon
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
1 c elbow macaroni
1 c milk
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
8 oz (1 c) shredded Mexican cheese blend
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 c sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp dried basil
½ Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Prep:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven - there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.

3. Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

4. Add mushrooms, butter and milk into drained pot and turn heat down to low. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the cheese, salt, pepper, basil and bacon. Pour into baking dish and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Here it is all bubbling away...

And here it is waiting to go into our tummies!

The Omnivore’s Hundred

I keep reading about This List so I wanted to test it out for myself and see how I did.

These are the directions in case you wanna try it out for yourself.

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Wow...56%! Not bad huh?

Check out my New PINK Shoes!

I FINALLY got new gym shoes! These are Pink New Balance Running Shoes from Marshall's and they are SO comfy! I'm even more excited to go work out now! hehe

Alright D-Vo, what you think?

Cheez-It Quiche!

I always see recipes for Graham Cracker Pie Crust and thought, why not try using Cheez-It crumbs for a savory pie? I know it's not traditional but the concept is the same. Cracker crumbs and butter make a wonderful crust and you can't go wrong with using a CHEEZY crust for a CHEESY Quiche! This is perfect to sneak in some veggies too cuz you REALLY can't taste the Broccoli in here covered in all the ooey gooey CHEESE!

Ingredients:

1 c Cheez-It crackers (I used White Cheddar)
2 Tbsp melted butter
½ c shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 c frozen broccoli florets, thawed, finely chopped in food processor
1 egg
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. In a food processor, combine crackers and melted butter; blend until the texture of coarse meal.

3. Press into a 4-inch pan. Try to make the crust about 1/8 inch evenly all around. If the crumb mixture won't stick where you press them, just add another tablespoon of water to the mix. Even the crumbs up and make sure there are no gaps or holes.

4. Layer broccoli and cheese in crust-lined pan. In medium bowl, beat eggs and milk with fork. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour over broccoli.

5. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Breakfast Cups of the Champions

I haven't made anything new for breakfast in a while so I thought I'd try making these cups I found from Land O Lakes. They looked SO cute on the website but didn't turn out as great as I'd hoped. Basically my bread kind of fell apart as I was stuffing them into the muffin pan so they didn't really hold the "cup" shape coming out of the oven. They still tasted yummy though! I mean, you can't really go wrong with bread, eggs, ham and cheese right? :)

Ingredients: (6 muffins)

6 slices sandwich bread (the thicker the better)
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 c Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 slice American cheese
2 Tbsp water
4 eggs
1 Tbsp butter
2 oz sliced deli ham, chopped
Dash pepper, if desired

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Flatten each bread slice with rolling pin. Make 1-inch lengthwise cut into each corner of bread slice with sharp knife. Lightly brush both sides of bread slices with melted butter. Gently press flattened bread slices into cups of ungreased 6-cup muffin pan, overlapping crust to form cup. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

2. Meanwhile, cut the cheese slice into 12 thin strips.

3. Beat water and eggs in large bowl with wire whisk until well mixed.

4. Melt 1 tablespoons butter in a small skillet. Pour eggs into skillet; sprinkle with ham. Cook over medium heat, gently lifting portions with spatula so uncooked portion flows underneath, until eggs are set (3 to 5 minutes). Sprinkle with shredded cheese pieces and pepper, if desired. Continue cooking, gently stirring, just until cheese is melted (1 minute).

5. Fill each toast cup with about 1/3 cup egg mixture. Place 2 strips cheese on each toast cup.

More Carrot Muffins

I saw this recipe from Land o Lakes and just KNEW I had to make them! They're called Good Morning Muffins and chock FULL of goodness from the carrots and raisins. The best part about these is that you don't even feel like you're eating something healthy! Hey, even Greg liked them cuz they taste like Carrot Cake! :)

Ingredients: (6 muffins)

¼ c firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter, softened
½ c sour cream
1 eggs
¼ c sweetened flaked coconut
¼ c raisins
1 medium (½ c) carrots, shredded
3/4 c all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add sour cream and eggs. Continue beating until well mixed. Stir in coconut, raisins and carrots.

2. Stir together flour and baking soda in medium bowl. Add flour mixture to sour cream mixture; stir just until moistened.

3. Spoon batter into greased or lined 6-cup muffin pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cheez-It Apple Muffins!

Apples and Cheese...what a great couple! I still have about half a box of Cheez-It sitting in my kitchen so I decided to experiment. (AND Gala Apples were on sale at Safeway!) These turned out really yummy with a hint of sweet and savory. I guess there's a lot you can do with Cheez-It huh? I still have these 2 apples left so I'm thinking maybe mini Apple Pies? We'll see...


Ingredients: (6 muffins)

1½ Cheez-It Crackers, crushed in food processor
1 tsp baking powder
½ c Cheddar cheese, shredded
½ tsp salt
1 egg
½ c milk
1 c (1 medium) apple, cored and grated
1 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp butter, softened

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

2. Combine sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Stir in egg. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.

3. Stir in flour mixture just until moistened. Gently stir in apple and cheese. Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin pans.

4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes; remove from pans.

I'm Officially a FOODIE!

Ok we already know that I LOVE to cook and bake but now it's official! Please check out my Foodie Blogroll on the right side. :)

The Lovechild of a Brownie and a Cheesecake

I am a GENIUS! Ok...maybe I'm not Einstein but these are RIDICULOUSLY yummy and addicting! How can you make Brownies even better and more decadent? Well, add Cheesecake to them of course! These are seriously the "Lovechild" of a Brownie and a Cheesecake cuz they're SO cute and small but they've got BIG BIG BIG flavor. These are definitely winners and possibly the best sweets I've made so far...if you can imagine that! :)


Ingredients: (about 6 dozen)

1 box (1 lb 6.5 oz) Betty Crocker® Original Supreme brownie mix
1/3 c vegetable oil
1/3 c water
3 eggs
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/3 c sugar
½ tsp vanilla

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease 48 mini muffin cups with shortening or line with miniature paper baking cups.

2. In medium bowl, stir brownie mix, pouch of chocolate syrup, oil, water and 2 eggs using spoon, until well blended.
3. In another medium bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in vanilla and the last egg just until blended.

4. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full with brownie batter and then top with about 1 tsp cream cheese mixture.

5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until cream cheese mixture begins to brown and toothpick inserted in brownie bites come out clean or almost clean. Cool completely before removing from pan.

Print Page

More Photoshop...Magnifying Glass Effect

Cool huh? I know...I'm such a nerd! Mommy, what do you think? I magnified the important part of this picture! hehe

I'm all Cartoon-y!

I was playing around with Photoshop last night and turned myself into a cartoon! hehe

Peachy Rice Krispie Muffins

Ok I'll admit it, this recipe came about completely because I had so much Rice Krispie Cereal left over from my Rice Krispie Treats! BUT I figured you really can't go wrong with this fluffy cereal mixed with Peaches! I think these muffins are just the perfect amount of sweetness and really good for a light dessert. :)
Ingredients: (6 muffins)

1 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1+1/2 c Rice Krispies®
1 can (8 oz) peaches, drained
1/4 c milk
1 egg white, beaten
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In large bowl combine cereal, peaches and milk. Let stand about 2 minutes or until cereal softens. Add egg and oil. Beat well. Add flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Portion evenly into lined muffin-pan cups. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cereal on top.
4. Bake at about 17 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in muffin pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely.

Cheeze It Corn Muffins!

I LOVE Cheez-It, whether it be the Original, White Cheddar or the new Hot & Spicy Kind! (And how DO they get all that cheesy goodness into every little cracker??? hehe) SO...I decided to make muffins with them! They turned out great! I used some of my left-over Red Bell Peppers and canned Corn and didn't even have to add anymore CHEESE. :)

Ingredients: (6 muffins)

1 c Cheeze It Crackers, crushed in food processor

1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 bell pepper, chopped in food processor

1 c corn, canned

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 egg

1/2 c milk

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, Cheeze It, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper. Add egg and milk. Stir in bell pepper until everything is well mixed.

3. Fill muffin cups all the way to the top and bake for 20 to 25 min or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Stuffed Bell Peppers...Rice A Roni Style!

Red Bell Peppers were on super special at Safeway so I wanted to make something with them. I was searching online and found an easy Stuffed Bell Pepper recipe from Rice-A-Roni. You all know how much I LOVE Pasta Roni so I knew I'd like this! I used Red Bell Peppers instead of the Green and Mexican Rice instead of Long Grain and they turned SO cheesy and yummy! I even had a lot of left over "stuffing" for future burritos! hehe

Ingredients: (4 servings)

1 pkg (4.2 oz) Rice-A-Roni® Mexican Rice
2 large red bell peppers
½ lb 90% lean ground beef
½ c corn kernels (fresh, frozen or canned)
1 c salsa (mild, medium or hot)
1 c shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Prepare Rice-A-Roni according to package directions.
3. Meanwhile, cut peppers in half lengthwise; remove seeds, wash and drain. Place peppers in baking dish. Bake uncovered 12 to 15 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven.
4. In medium skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no pink remains. Drain fat, if necessary.
5. In large bowl, combine corn, salsa and cooked beef. Add cooked rice; mix well.
6. Spoon rice mixture evenly into each of pepper halves. Top each evenly with cheese. Return to oven 10 to 12 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Rice Krispie Treats 3 Ways

For Cookie Friday this week, I decided to make Rice Krispie Treats! I just followed the basic recipe on the back of the box and did 3 different batches; 1 with regular Rice Krispie Cereal, 1 with Cocoa and 1 with a combination of both, which turned out REALLY cute! I also scooped them into individual muffin cups so they'd be easier to take.

Ingredients: (12 balls)

3 Tbsp margarine or butter
1 (10 oz) pkg regular marshmallows or 4 c mini marshmallows
6 c Rice Krispies® or Cocoa Rice Krispies

Prep:

1. Line 12 muffins tins with paper liners.
2. Melt margarine in large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
3. Add Rice Krispies. Stir until well coated.
4. Divide evenly among prepared muffins tins, filling all the way up.

Wordle is SO cool!

I just discovered Wordle! It takes your Blog and makes a word image out of it! Try it for yourself!

Super Cool RED Wine

I've never really shopped at Cost Plus before so me and my mom decided to check it out during our weekly shopping trip. There's one right next to the Target we always go to by SJC. It was AWESOME! They had SO much cool international stuff from sauces to snacks and of course, TONS of different wine! They even had our favorite Tres Agaves Agave Nectar for the same price as Bev Mo! Anyway, I found this XS Red California Cabernet Savignon on sale so I picked up a bottle. I like it! (AND the bottle looks really cool!)