Happy Halloween!

It's Funfetti® Cookies to the rescue again! I bought the box of mix a couple of weeks ago at Target and was just WAITING for Halloween! Aren't they cute? I made faces out of left-over Reese's Pieces and Candy Corn. All you have to do is stick them on while the cookies are still hot from the oven. Happy Halloween everyone! :)

Exercise TV is AWESOME!

TWD: Mini Chocolate Candy Corn Cupcakes

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie, we're making Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes. SO I thought I'd try to incorporate those into my Cookie Fridays by making Mini Chocolate Cupcakes! AND since it's almost Halloween, I added some Candy Corn so they'd be more festive. I also didn't top them with icing cuz I didn't want them to be too messy to bring to work. How cute right?


Ingredients: (24 mini cupcakes)

1 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 c sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c buttermilk
48 Candy Corns

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line or grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin.

2. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. Working with a stand mixer or hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat until it is blended into the butter. Add the egg, then the yolk, beating after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

4. Beat in the vanilla, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients, mixing until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and add the buttermilk, mixing until incorporated, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients.

5. Divid batter evenly among the muffin cups and bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the tops of the cakes are dry and springy to the touch and a knife inserted into their centers comes out clean. Immediately press 2 Candy Corns into the tops of each cake.

Pizza Pizza!

I've been meaning to blog about this Philly Cheesesteak Pizza from Trader Joe's for a while now but Greg keeps eating them before I get the chance! It's from the frozen section and costs only $4.99! It takes just 20 minutes to heat up in the oven and is SO yummy! I wish we had a bigger freezer so I can totally stock up on them! :)

I Couldn't Resist the BOTTLE!

I bought this bottle of wine from Trader Joe's today and couldn't WAIT to open it! I just LOVE the picture of the Parrot on the bottle. The whole illustration just looks so artsy and cool! I went online and read up on Capolan Merlot and it's supposed to be a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Tempranillo. What does all that mean? I have NO idea but I LOVED the wine! It's dry but very light, not like most of the Merlot I've tasted, which can be REALLY strong! I'm definitely gonna pick up some more bottles from Trader Joe's this weekend!

Potato Overload

We had some mini potatoes in the fridge so I decided to make Potato Muffins! They're basically like mashed potatoes with some ham and cheese, then baked in the oven so they're portable. SO cute and yummy! :)

Ingredients: (6 muffins)

10 baby potatoes
2 Tbsp butter
1 c all-purpose flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1 c shredded cheese

1 c chopped ham

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. In pot of boiling salted water, cover and cook potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes, drain and return to pot.

3. Mash in a medium bowl with butter, let cool for 5 minutes.

4. Add flour, eggs, baking powder, salt and pepper; stir until smooth. Stir in cheese and ham.
lined muffin cups.

6. Bake for 40 minutes, until golden brown.

BB: Veggie, No CHICKEN Pot Pie!

This time, our Barefoot Blogger recipe was Vegetable Pot Pie, but I knew Greg wasn't about to eat something with absolutely no meat in it! SO...I improvised and made Chicken Pot Pie instead! I've never even CONSIDERED making my own pot pie before but this was pretty easy! Of course, I cheated and used Bisquick instead of making the pastry from scratch and cooked chicken but, hey, I'm a working girl and this seriously beats the frozen Marie Callendar pies! :)



Ingredients: (4 servings)

12 Tbsp unsalted butter (1½ sticks)
½ c all-purpose flour
2½ c chicken broth
1½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 c frozen peas and carrots
1 c cubed cooked chicken
1 c Bisquick mix
¾ c milk

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. In 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, reduce heat to low, and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the stock, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickens. Add chicken, peas and carrots; cook until hot and bubbly.

3. Spoon mixture into a 1½-quart casserole.

4. In small bowl, stir together Bisquick mix and milk until well blended. Pour evenly over filling mixture.

5. Bake 30 minutes or until light brown.