3 Ingredient Nutella Brownies

Happy Baking!

Super Simple Jello Snacks!

How awesome is this?!  I love it - super simple to make, just hollow out some oranges, and fill with jello!

easy, peasy!  

Easiest Bread Recipe Ever

I never knew how easy it was to make your own bread (without a machine).  That task was always reserved for the Big Mama's and the Nana's of the family.  It seemed to me that it took them days to make it.  Once it was done and the house was filled with the smell of fresh baked bread, and I'd just about lose my senses.  

Now that I'm older, I realize the power they wielded.  They wanted us to think it took them days and days and that baking bread required some sort of magic not given out so readily to little snots like me.  So, when I happened upon a 5 minute Artisan Bread recipe, I grabbed it up greedily.  Surely, no one could make bread so easily.  

I'm happy to say this was the easiest.recipe.ever.  And yummy too.  These pictures are from the very first batch I made a couple of months ago.  Since then, I've started adding all sorts of things to my bread; cheese, onions, poppy seeds, dried fruit, etc.  It's truly versatile and tastes really good too!  

Oh, I have also since bought a really good bread pan - so now my loaves are normal looking (as my children say..).

 

33 Days of Cupcakes!

If I eat cake - I want it to be a cupcake.  When done right, they are little bites of heaven!  Ming Makes Cupcakes brings together flavors in such a way, the outcome is quite memorable.  I haven't tried ALL of these yet but I'm working on it.  Here's a few of my faves. 

Mango Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting and Coconut

Oh dear heaven!  I love, love, love these cupcakes.  The bright, cheery flavor of the mango blends beautifully with the buttercream.  And the coconut on the top?  Well, it's divine.  Of all the recipes I've tried, this is my go-to when the family wants something different.  :)

Sour Cream Fig Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Thanks to a very old fig tree in my mother-in-laws yard, I have an endless supply of fig preserves (also thanks to my mother-in-law).   After a couple of weeks of having the same ol', same ol', Mr. Wonderful requested something different.  This was as different as I dared to go...and for us, putting figs in our cupcakes was daring!  lol  

But, oh my goodness.  Really yummy & not too sweet.  The cream cheese frosting cuts the sweetness of the fig making each bite delightful.  

Apple Cupcake with Caramel Frosting

This is the Family's favorite.  This recipe doesn't list a specific apple to use, so we use our most favorite apple in the world, Harvest Crisp.  A fall apple, the Harvest Crisp variety have a exceptionally crisp & juicy texture unlike other apples.  

Happy Baking!

Marlboro Man Sandwiches

I can still remember the glorious days of my single-hood when I could go out and eat the most delicious and decadent meals.  Meals like, pasta with cream sauce.  Okay, okay, maybe pasta isn't decadent but it is when your husband refuses to eat ANYTHING except for meat and potatoes.


He loves all sorts of meats.  And he loves potatoes.  That's it!  I happen to think it's unhealthy to eat the same thing over and over and over and over (and I make mention of this every time I'm slaving over a hot stove making meat!).  Okay, maybe it's not unhealthy in the proper sense but let's be honest - we need variety.


Enter The Pioneer Woman.  She literally SAVED my culinary life!  I have followed her blog for some time now and was soo happy when The Food Network opted to give her her own show (which I DVR every Saturday morning)!


She has tons of 'real food' ideas and I think I've made just about all of them.  And...I started with this one:  The Marlboro Man Sandwich!

I only have 3 words to say about this sandwich - oh my lord!  Even though it lacks potatoes, the hubs doesn't seem to mind.  Super simple to make and takes literally minutes.  I promise you'll love it.  :)


Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs cube steak
Onion
Butter
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Worcestershire Sauce 
Tabasco


See, I told you it was easy!  Now, slice your onions in strips.  Melt 1/4 stick of butter in a cast iron skillet and add onions.  Cook onions till soft and light brown (about 7 minutes).  Slice cube steak in strips (going against the grain).  Season cube steaks strips with Lawry's Seasoned Salt.  Remove onions from skillet and add steak strips along with 2 tbsp of butter.  Let meat cook for a minute - without stirring, then flip.  Cook another couple of minutes, then add the Worcestershire Sauce to taste.  I use about 1/2 cup.  :)   Shake in a little Tabasco for some added heat.  Lastly, toast a couple of french rolls, pile the meat on and voila!  A dinner fit for any Marlboro Man (and woman!).  

Happy Eating!

Fresh Ginger Root

I happen to think fresh ginger is one swanky spice!  The flavor is tangy and aromatic, it's a wonderful addition to all sorts of dishes and drinks.  Ginger doesn't look very welcoming to most people but, don't let it intimidate you, ginger is a big ol' teddy bear and really simple to peel and chop once you've done it a time or two.

First, you want to look for 'hands' that feel heavy for their size.  Make sure the skin is smooth, unwrinkled and dry.  In my store, there are all sorts of sizes - from the really big to the tiniest ones.  If you're just getting enough for a couple of recipes, buy a smaller size and place it in a paper bag, storing it in the refrigerator.  This method will keep your ginger fresh for about a week.

If you want to store your ginger, it's pretty easy.  Separate the knobs from the hand and peel with a vegetable peeler.  Put in a sterilized jar and cover with vodka.  Screw the lid on tighter and store in the fridge for up to 3 months.  After 3 months, you will have ginger vodka too!  yummy.  

Recipes

Mango Chicken

Mango Chicken

A couple of weeks ago, my neighborhood Winn-Dixie had a fantastic sale on chicken.  Needless to say, I went a little overboard.  Even if a person likes chicken, it's hard to eat for every meal - especially when those meals consist of the same tired recipes...over and over and over again.  

I needed a pick me up so off to swagbucks I went!  I found what seemed to be a tasty recipe called Mango Chicken.  I love Mangoes.  And, I have all this chicken...so why not, right?!  

Well, I'm so glad I did.  The kids are glad I did and the hubs...well, he's glad I did too!  yay me!  

It started out simple enough...

Chicken, Sugar Snap Peas, & Mango.  :)

Here's the rest...

2 tsp of chopped ginger
3 green onions chopped
1/2 – 2/3 cup of soy sauce
a few dashes of teriyaki sauce
a dash of sweet rice cooking wine (optional)

1. Combine soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, chopped ginger and scallions in a ziplock bag.   

2. Add chicken cubes or strips to sauce and refrigerate overnight (or at least a couple of hours).

3. When ready to cook, place a nonstick over med-high heat adding a couple of tablespoons to the pan.

4. When chicken is cooked through, stir in the snap peas and mango.  Don’t stir too much - we don't want bruised mangoes!  :)

Cook about 10 minutes.  Super delicious - if you make this, please come back and let us know how it turned out!!  Happy eating!

*sorry, I actually forgot to take a pic after - but next time, I promise!  

Kit Kat Cake!

So pretty and perfect for any occasion!  It's very simple to make - a regular cake, baked and iced.  Place Kit Kats around the outside all along the side of the cake and fill in the top with small candies.  Voila!  A perfectly swanky cake.  Enjoy!

*I think this cake would be quite nice using other candies and candy bars.  What candies and candy bars would you choose?  Comment below.  :)

No-Cook Oatmeal

I was so excited when I saw this post at The Yummy Life!  First of all, there's NO cooking involved!  <happy dance>  Second, you can fix this before bed, pop it in the fridge and voila!  Done!

This recipe calls for Chia Seeds.  Now, I had NO idea what these were but the tutorial listed here explains it perfectly.  In a nutshell, Chia Seeds are very high in Omega-3's which promote heart health and packed with vitamins and protien.  They also have a nuetral flavor (kinda like tofu) and are able to take on a myriad of flavors.  Yes, I think this is a keeper for sure!  For a full tutorial, please click here.