Brown Sugar and Balsamic Pork

Picture from C+C Marriage Factory

A couple months ago there was a sale on pork roast. This is something we like, but don't buy often.. mainly because I don't have many recipes that aren't boring and plain pork roast. When I saw this on Pinterest (yes, again!), I decided to give it a shot. It was delicious... but definitely looked NOTHING like the picture on the original website (doesn't her picture above look amazing?)! The pictures actually came out kinda gross looking.. even though it tasted good! I think I didn't make enough glaze to pour over when I served it.


Serves: 4

Ingredients:
  ~ 2 pound boneless pork loin
  ~ 1 teaspoon ground rosemary
  ~ 1/2 teaspoon salt
  ~ 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  ~ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  ~ 1/2 cup water
  ~ 1/2 cup brown sugar
  ~ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  ~ 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  ~ 1/2 cup water
  ~ 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:
1.  In a small bowl, combine rosemary, salt, pepper, and garlic. Rub over roast and place in Crockpot with 1/2 cup of water in the bottom. Cook on low for 6 hours.

2. About 75 minutes before the roast is done, combine the last 5 ingredients in a small saucepan on medium heat; stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Brush glaze over roast 2 or 3 times in the last hour of cooking.

3. You should have some glaze leftover (you may need to make more than shown above.. it wasn't enough for me). Pour this over the sliced roast when you serve it.




Source: candcmarriagefactory.com

Brownie Cupcakes

My new, favorite, go-to dessert recipe. I don't think I'll ever make "normal" cupcakes ever again! This was another dessert picture that caught my eye on Pinterest. I decided to make them for Valentine's Day with strawberry cake mix and white buttercream frosting (and, of course, heart sprinkles). They were a huge hit! I'm making them again for a party tomorrow with lemon cake mix and chocolate frosting, combining my favorite cupcake combination with brownies. My mouth is already drooling..

Makes: About 42 cupcakes

Ingredients:
  ~ 1 box of cake mix (any flavor) (Duncan Hines is dairy-free)
  ~ 1 box of brownie mix (again, Duncan Hines is dairy-free)
  ~ Ingredients necessary to prepare cake and brownie mixes

Directions:
1.  Pre-heat oven to 350°.

2. In one bowl, prepare cake mix according to box. In another bowl, prepare brownie mix according to box.

3. Line cupcake pans with papers.

4. Fill cupcake papers 1/3 full with brownie batter and another 1/3 full with cake mix (I used about 1 spoonful of brownie and 2 spoonfuls of cake because I was running out of brownie batter).

5. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the top of the cupcake bounces back when you touch it. You want to be careful not to over-bake them because the brownie will get too hard and stick to the paper.

6. Frost with your favorite frosting. I used my recipe for Decorator's Frosting.


Source: iheart2stamp.com

Lazy "Sunday" Casserole

I have been on a roll with new recipes lately!! And all of them have been amazing! This one I found through Pinterest (a GREAT place to find new, different recipes). I have been very busy with work lately, so the main thing that appealed to me about this recipe was that it was called a "lazy" casserole. And it lived up to that name. I cut potatoes in quarters and cooked some sausage in a frying pan. That's all I had to do for a delicious dinner. Another appealing thing about this recipe is that all of the ingredients are staples that I always have on hand.. so it's a quick, easy dinner any night!


Serves: 2

Ingredients:
  ~ 2 or 3 large potatoes
  ~ 1/2 pound baby carrots
  ~ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  ~ 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  ~ 1/2 cup chicken broth
  ~ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  ~ black pepper
  ~ salt (I used Sicilian salt.. my favorite)
  ~ 4 tablespoons balsamic or apple cider vinegar
  ~ 4 Italian sausages

Directions:
1.  Peel, wash and quarter potatoes. Place in bottom of 11x17 glass baking pan with the baby carrots.

2. In a glass bowl, combine oil, Italian seasoning, broth and garlic powder. Combine using a whisk. Pour over potatoes and carrots (mix using a spoon, ensuring that potatoes and carrots are fully coated).

3. Cover with tin foil and bake at 450° for 45 minutes.

4. About a half hour later, brown the sausage in a frying pan. They don't need to be fully cooked. Slice in half.

5.  After 45 minutes the potatoes should be fork tender (If not, put back in the oven for another 5 minutes or so). Add the sausages to the pan. My potatoes had started to stick to the bottom of the pan, so I loosened them and mixed everything up so that everything would cook consistently.  Pour the vinegar over the top of the pan, and put it back in the oven, uncovered, for another 20-25 minutes.


Source: kayotic.nl

Coconut Chicken

We loved this! Serve it with Tropical Rice.
Serves: 3

Ingredients:
  ~ 1 pound boneless chicken breasts
  ~ 1 egg
  ~ 1/4 cup flour
  ~ 1/4 teaspoon salt 
  ~ 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  ~ 1/2 cup shredded coconut
  ~ 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
1.  Cut each chicken breast into strips.

2. In one bowl, combine flour and salt. In a second bowl, beat egg. In a third bowl, combine bread crumbs and coconut. Bread each piece of chicken in this order.

3. Place breaded chicken in a pre-heated skillet with the vegetable oil. Fry strips for approximately 6 minutes, making sure each side is browned. Once chicken is done, place them on a paper towel lined dish to drain the oil.

Source: Budget Bytes

Broccoli in a Sweet Garlic Sauce

I made this to go with our Chinese New Year dinner last night (Sweet and Sour Chicken). It's delicious, quick and healthy. Can't go wrong. You could also use the sauce with different vegetables. I'm planning on using broccoli and carrots next time.

Serves: 6 

Ingredients:
  ~ 2 cups chicken broth
  ~ 1 clove garlic, minced
  ~ 1/4 cup soy sauce
  ~ 1 teaspoon ginger
  ~ 1/4 cup sugar
  ~ 2 bunches of broccoli, chopped 
  ~ 2 tablespoons olive oil
  ~ 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:
1.  Bring the broth to a boil in a sauce pan. Add the garlic, soy sauce, ginger and sugar.  Stir well, until combined.

2. In a large skillet, saute the broccoli in the olive oil until just barely tender. Add the broth mixture and cornstarch to the skillet. Be sure to stir very well to avoid lumps (I used a whisk).

3. Allow to cook for approximately 6 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Serve over rice.

Source: vegetarian.about.com

Sweet and Sour Chicken

We love Chinese food in this house (which is shocking seeing as I had never had Chinese take-out before we started dating). We occasionally treat ourselves and order take-out, but lately I've been trying to re-create our favorite recipes at home. This is by far our favorite! Not only was it a great dinner, it would also make a great appetizer at a party.


Serves: 4 

Ingredients:
  ~ 4 boneless chicken breasts
  ~ Salt and pepper
  ~ 1 cup cornstarch
  ~ 2 eggs
  ~ 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  ~ 3/4 cup sugar
  ~ 4 tablespoons ketchup
  ~ 1/2 cup vinegar
  ~ 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  ~ 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
1.  Pre-heat oven to 325°.

2. Heat a medium pan over medium heat. Add vegetable oil.

3. Set up a bowl with the eggs (beaten) and a bowl with the cornstarch. Cut chicken into small chunks and coat in cornsarch then egg.

4. Add chicken to heated pan and brown. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn.

5. Place the chicken in a 9x13 baking dish.

6. In a separate bowl, combine last 5 ingredients, and pour over chicken in the baking dish. Make sure all sides of each piece of chicken are coated in the sauce.

7. Bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken ever 15 minutes.


Source: Brown Eyed Baker

Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese

We were in Whole Foods for the first time 2 weeks ago buying a Christmas gift. While there, we decided to check it out because a vegan friend of mine has often raved about their dairy-free selection. After being in the store for about 5 minutes, I was sold. A woman had a table set up with cookie samples. I usually go to these tables, listen to what they have to say, then look at the ingredients and take a sample. If it's "safe", I'll eat it. If not, the hubby gets it. The woman saw me looking at the ingredients and was like "it's gluten free, dairy free and casein free.." and I said "I'm sold!" It was a delicious cookie :) I ended up leaving the store with dairy-free whipped cream in a can, dairy free boxed mac and cheese, Blue Diamond almond milk (which my friend has been saying for months is a million times better than soy milk.. btw, it is), and Daiya cheddar style shreds.

I promised Ryan that when I attempted to make mac and cheese I'd make him, the cheese lover, his own, with real cheese. However, I was feeling very defiant yesterday and also in the mood for mac and cheese. So I made just one. With the Daiya cheese. He walked in the door commenting on how good it smelled. I had rehearsed in my head "just give it a shot", but I didn't even have a chance to finish my sentence before he said he'd eat it. In the end, I loved it and he said while it wasn't the best (he compared it to having lite mayo instead of the real stuff) mac and cheese he'd ever had, it was better than Kraft boxed mac and cheese and it definitely looked and smelled like cheese.

Serves: 6 

Ingredients:
  ~ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  ~ 1 pound chicken breast tenders, chopped (I used about half of this)
  ~ Salt and pepper
  ~ 1 pound macaroni elbows
  ~ 2 1/2 cups frozen raw broccoli florets
  ~ 3 tablespoons Fleischmann's unsalted margarine
  ~ 4 tablespoons flour
  ~ 1 teaspoon paprika
  ~ 3 cups Blue Diamond almond milk
  ~ 1 cup chicken broth
  ~ 3 cups Daiya cheddar style shreds

Directions:
1. Boil a pot of water for the macaroni. Sprinkle a little salt in the water.

2. Heat a medium pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and chicken and season with salt and pepper. Saute for a couple minutes and cook until cooked through. Turn off heat and reserve.

3. Add pasta to boiling water. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the broccoli. Cook for another 3 minutes or so, until both the pasta and broccoli are cooked.

4. While the pasta cooks, heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add butter and melt. Then add the flour and paprika, whisking together until small bubbles appear. Cook for about another minute or so. Whisk in the milk and broth, raising the heat slightly, to bring it to a boil. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat and simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes.

5. Drain the macaroni and broccoli. Add back to the same pot and stir in the chicken.


6. Add the cheese to the milk sauce pan and stir until it is melted and a cheese sauce has formed. Pour the sauce into the chicken/macaroni/broccoli pot and stir until everything is covered. Serve.


Source: A modified version of Rachel Ray's recipe

Hawaiian Chicken

Seriously one of the easiest dinners ever! I served it with a steam-in-the-bag veggies and wild rice. Prep time? About 2 minutes.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
  ~ 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  ~ barbecue sauce
  ~ 1 can crushed pineapple (diced pineapple also works)

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350°.

2. In a bowl, combine the barbecue sauce (I didn't measure), pineapple and about half of the juice in the can (drink the rest).

3. Place chicken in a baking dish.

4. Pour barbecue/pineapple mixture over the chicken.

5. Cover with foil and bake until the chicken is completely cooked... about 40 minutes.

Ginger Pineapple Chicken

Three of my favorite ingredients.. chicken, pineapple, and my new favorite, ginger. This is the perfect busy weeknight dinner. It took less than 5 minutes to prepare (the oven took longer heating up), dirtied 2 things (a bowl and the pan), and you most likely have all the ingredients already. To me, that is weeknight perfection.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
  ~ 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
  ~ 1-2 teaspoons rosemary
  ~ salt (to taste)
  ~ pepper (to taste)
  ~ 1 can of sliced pineapple
  ~ frozen broccoli or thinly sliced green onions
  ~ 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375°.

2. Combine the salt, pepper and rosemary in a bowl, then use to coat the chicken breasts.

3. Place the chicken in a 9x13 glass pan and sprinkle the broccoli or onions around the chicken (we don't eat onions, which the original recipe called for. I used frozen chopped broccoli).

4. In a small bowl, combine the juice from the can of pineapple with the ground ginger. Beat until the ginger is completely dissolved. Pour over the chicken. It will look like a lot of juice, but you need to use all of it.

5. Bake, uncovered, for about 35 minutes. Baste with juices several times.

6. After 35 minutes, add the pineapple slices on top of the chicken (half the can would be sufficient. We like pineapple so I used all of them).

7. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, depending on your oven. Serve over rice, with the juices drizzled on top.


Source: southernfood.about.com

Chinese Honey Chicken

We've been in the mood for some really good Chinese food lately, but we're trying to save money and not go out to eat. While looking online for something to make for dinner tonight, I came across this and thought it would be perfect. It came out really good.. like something you'd find in a restaurant.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
  ~ 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins
Batter
  ~ 4 tablespoons cornstarch
  ~ 1/4 cup flour
  ~ 1 teaspoon baking powder
  ~ 1/2 cup water
  ~ 1/2 teaspoon salt
  ~ 2 eggs
Sauce
  ~ 1 1/2 teaspoons oil
  ~ 2 teaspoons ginger
  ~ 3 tablespoons garlic (I used about 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
  ~ 1 teaspoon salt
  ~ 3 tablespoons honey
  ~ 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
  ~ 1/2 cup water
  ~ 1 teaspoon cornstarch (mixed with 1 teaspoon water)
  ~ sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:
1. Beat all batter ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth. Cover and put in refrigerator for at least a half hour.

2. Heat a deep fryer (or oil in a large frying pan) to 350 degrees.

3. Cut chicken into 1" chunks and add to batter bowl, making sure each piece is completely coated.

4. Add chicken to pan and fry until batter becomes firm and crispy. Drain on a paper towel.

5. In another frying pan, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil, garlic and ginger. Stir fry for about 30 seconds, then add the salt, honey, vinegar and water. Mix well (I used a whisk).

6. Combine 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of water and add to the sauce. Allow sauce to simmer for 2 minutes or until it looks thick.

7. Add chicken to sauce pan and make sure each piece gets completely coated. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.



Source: blogchef.net

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberries are one of my favorite fruits. It's like potato chips.. you eat one and before you know it you've eaten all of them. Blueberries were crazy cheap at our favorite grocery store last week so I bought a bunch... and what better to make than blueberry muffins!

Makes: 1 dozen (I doubled the recipe and made 12 big muffins and 24 mini muffins)

Ingredients:
  ~ 1 3/4 cup flour
  ~ 1/3 cup sugar
  ~ 2 teaspoons baking powder
  ~ 1/4 teaspoon salt
  ~ 1 egg, beaten
  ~ 3/4 cup soy milk
  ~ 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  ~ 3/4 cup blueberries, washed (I used the whole container when I doubled it)

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400°.

2. In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt with a wooden spoon.

3. Using the spoon, create a bowl out of the dry mixture.

4. In a separate bowl combine egg, soy milk and oil. Pour wet mixture into the dry mixture "bowl".

5. Stir until moistened... not too much though. Lumps are good. Fold in blueberries.

6. Spoon batter using an ice cream scoop into muffin pan (if you're not using muffin papers, spray the pan with cooking spray). Each muffin cup should be approximately 2/3 full. Sprinkle a little sugar on top of each muffin.

7. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a cake tester/toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8. Allow the muffins to cool for about 5 minutes and serve warm with butter.


Source: Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book: Bridal Edition

Teriyaki Tuna Bowl

I'm always looking for healthier dinners.. and inexpensive dinners. A year ago I tried "Meatless Mondays", but I started slacking after a couple weeks. Sometimes I found I was just too tired on Monday to plan a special meal and it has historically been a day of a go-to easy quick meal. But I would still try to do a meatless meal every once in awhile. It's tough because we're both big meat eaters.. so for us to feel full and happy after a meatless meal, it better be good. I've found that tuna is a good substitute. Sometimes I can put it in stuff and it tastes just like chicken.

Today was a really really hot day.. not only too hot to cook, but too hot to eat a hot dinner. I bookmarked this recipe back during my Meatless Mondays days, and it's basically a cold dinner, so I gave it a shot.

I liked it. I liked how long it took to make. I liked that it wasn't burning hot. And I liked the taste. Not the best dinner ever, but good. Ryan didn't agree. He ate all of his, but he said it wasn't one of his favorites. It reminded me of these tuna packets that Bumblebee used to make a couple years ago with a couple large pieces of teriyaki marinated tuna. Ryan liked those... this wasn't that different.

And it's healthy! According to the Bumblebee website, only 230 calories per serving. And I made half as much rice as they did, so it was probably a little bit less than that.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
  ~ 1 can of tuna, drained
  ~ 3 carrots, julienned
  ~ 1 cup broccoli
  ~ 2 cups rice, cooked
  ~ 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce (or a little less.. depends on how strong of a flavor you want)

Directions:
1. Prepare rice according to package directions.

2. In a sauce pan, boil or steam broccoli and carrots.

3. When the vegetables are cooked, spoon the rice into the bottom of a bowl or dish. Top with the vegetables and tuna.

4. In a microwave dish, heat up teriyaki sauce for 15-20 seconds... just until slightly warm. Drizzle over bowl.


Source: BumbleBee.com

Double Chocolate Oreo Chunk Cookies

I made these for a couple bbq's over 4th of July weekend. They went over really really well.. as in they disappeared within minutes! And of course, like the blogger I got the recipe from, I also taste tested them while I was making them. Seriously delicious cookies!

One of the bbq's was also for my aunt's birthday, and she is the biggest Oreo fan I've ever met, so they were perfect for her party! They were Oreo fan approved!

Makes: 3 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
  ~ 2 1/2 cups flour
  ~ 1 teaspoon baking soda
  ~ 1/4 teaspoon salt
  ~ 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
  ~ 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  ~ 2 cups granulated sugar
  ~ 2 eggs
  ~ 2 teaspoons vanilla
  ~ 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  ~ 1 cup chopped (or crushed) Oreo cookies (about 8 Oreos)

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375°.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa.


3. In a mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix until well blended.


4. Gradually add flour-cocoa mixture until everything is well combined.


5. With a wooden spoon, mix in Oreos and chocolate chips.


6. Using a tablespoon, drop cookies onto a cookie sheet (I usually use an ice cream scoop to get evenly sized cookies).


7. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack (I played around with these times and found that 9 minutes in the oven and 3 minutes cooling worked the best for me).


8. Eat a couple, just to test them before anyone else gets their hands on them!

Source: Two Peas and Their Pod

Glazed Lemon Chicken and Rice

I love anything lemon, and while this was really good, it didn't have enough lemon for me. The glaze smelled amazing though!! Next time I make it I'll be adding more lemon juice.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
  ~ 1/3 cup water
  ~ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  ~ 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  ~ 2 tablespoons honey
  ~ 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
  ~ 1 cup uncooked instant white rice
  ~ 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  ~ 1/2 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
  ~ 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Combine water, lemon juice, cornstarch, honey and lemon peel. Stir until cornstarch is dissolved.

2. Cook rice according to package (for me it was 1 cup of water for 1 cup of dry rice, cooked in the microwave for 5 minutes).

3. In a medium-sized skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Add the cubed chicken when the oil is hot enough. Cook until brown.

4. Stir glaze mixture again (in case anything settled while you were cooking the chicken), then pour into the skillet.

5. Constantly stir the glaze until all of the chicken is coated and the glaze has thickened.

6. Serve over rice.


Source: Betty Crocker

Chocolate and Berries Yogurt Dessert

This was a huge hit at a recent bbq I went to! Yummy, sugary, frozen dessert topped with fresh fruit!

Ingredients:
  ~ Chocolate chip cookie base (I used this recipe, but you can use any double chocolate chip recipe)
  ~ 1/2 cup fresh strawberries (or raspberries)
  ~ 4 containers Yoplait Whips strawberry mist yogurt (or raspberry mist) **I'm pretty sure this has "bad" dairy in it. Yogurt is okay for people allergic to milk, but there are some additional lactose ingredients in the "Whips". I made a dairy-free version using regular Yoplait strawberry yogurt and it still worked.**
  ~ 1 cup whipped cream (or this dairy-free version)
  ~ 2 tablespoons hot fudge topping (I used Hershey's chocolate syrup)
  ~ 1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:
1. Prepare cookie recipe.

2. On a greased cookie sheet, drop cookie dough by tablespoonfuls to make 6 cookies. Bake according to recipe. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on a cooling rack.

3. Press the remaining cookie dough into the bottom of a springform/cheesecake pan. Bake for approximately 15 minutes (because it is thicker than a normal cookie the cooking time can vary). Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

4. In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup raspberries or strawberries and yogurt. Spread evenly over cooled cookie crust.

5. Crumble the 6 cookies and sprinkle over the yogurt layer.

6. Carefully spread the whipped cream over the cookie crumbs (I found that using a frosting spreader worked really well).

7. Freeze covered for 4 to 5 hours, or until firm. Will also freeze well overnight.

8. About a half hour before you plan on serving, remove from freezer and remove the sides of the pan.

9. Drizzle some chocolate sauce over the top of the whipped cream. Top with blueberries and remaining raspberries/strawberries. Drizzle with more chocolate sauce.


Source: Betty Crocker

Amazingly Delicious Dairy Free Whipped Cream

After many many trials, I finally found a dairy-free whipped cream recipe that actually tastes really good. The one I posted on here before tasted good mixed in with other things, but not by itself. This one I was having a hard time not eating it with a spoon!

Ingredients:
  ~ 1/2 cup soy milk
  ~ 1 cup powdered sugar
  ~ 1 teaspoon vanilla
  ~ 3/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Combine soy milk, powdered sugar, vanilla and 1/2 cup vegetable oil in blender. 

2. Add remaining (1/4 cup) vegetable oil.

3. Blend until it has a consistency similar to "real" whipped cream.

4. Taste it to make sure that it is sweet enough, and add more of necessary ingredients. Depending on the soy milk you use, you may need to add more sugar and/or vanilla.

Jello Frosting

Very very easy frosting recipe. Great because you can make any flavor you want (I can't wait to try it with some fun Jello flavors like Peach or Pina Colada). Doesn't keep well though, so make it the day you're planning on serving it. It starts to separate when it's refrigerated. Tastes a little like meringue.

Ingredients:
  ~ 1 3oz. package of Jello
  ~ 2/3 cup sugar
  ~ 1 egg white
  ~ 1 teaspoon vanilla
  ~ 1/2 cup boiling water

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients except water into a metal mixing bowl.

2. Turn the mixer on high at the same time as you add the boiling water.

3. Whip on high for 5 minutes, no more, no less. The frosting won't look like frosting until it has been whipped for 5 minutes.


Source: Coleen's Recipes

Jello Infused Cupcakes

Very simple and delicious! Good way to dress up a boxed cake mix.

Ingredients:
  ~ 1 box white cake mix (plus eggs, water and oil required by mix)
  ~ 1 3oz. box of flavored Jello
  ~ 1 cup boiling water

Directions:

1. Prepare cupcakes according to box.

2. Allow cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes in pan.

3. Using a straw or fork, poke a hole (or holes) in the top of the cupcakes.

4. In a separate bowl, mix Jello powder and boiling water until the power is completely dissolved.

5. Pour Jello liquid into holes, being careful not to spill any (it will set like regular Jello and will get sticky and messy).

6. Put cupcake pans in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

7. Frost with whatever frosting you prefer (I used this frosting).

Sausage Stuffing for a Turkey

This recipe has been passed down from my grandmother to my mom to me.. It's not your typical Thanksgiving stuffing..

Ingredients:
  ~ 2 1/2 sticks unsalted margarine
  ~ 4 stalks of celery, chopped
  ~ 1 onion, chopped
  ~ salt
  ~ pepper
  ~ poultry seasoning
  ~ 2 cups chicken broth
  ~ 1 box Bell stuffing
  ~ 2 lbs ground beef
  ~ 1 roll of sausage

Directions:
1. Melt 1 stick of butter in a large frying pan.

2. Chop the celery and onion and add to the melted butter. Allow them to cook for a minute or two, to soak up some of the butter.

3. Add the meat, using a wooden spatula to break the beef and sausage into small-ish pieces. Sprinkle salt, pepper and poultry seasoning over the pan.

4. In a separate pan, melt the remaining butter.

5. In a large bowl, combine the stuffing mix, butter and chicken broth.
 
6. Gradually add to the pan of meat and mix well.

7. Cool completely before putting in the turkey.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
  ~ 2 1/4 cups flour
  ~ 1 teaspoon salt
  ~ 1 teaspoon baking soda
  ~ 2 sticks unsalted margarine, softened
  ~ 1 cup sugar
  ~ 1 cup packed brown sugar
  ~ 2 eggs
  ~ 1 tablespoon vanilla
  ~ 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
  ~ 1 bag of chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda.

3. Using a mixer, combine butter, both sugars, eggs, vanilla and cocoa. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until well combined.

4. Stir in chocolate chips using a wooden spoon. 

5. Drop cookies on cookie sheet using a spoon.

6. Bake for 8-10 minutes and cool on a baking rack.


Source: Food Network

Dairy-Free Whipped Cream

I've never been able to have Whipped Cream... but whenever it is at a family gathering, I love to smell it. I know that sounds weird, but it just smells amazing! Out of all of the dairy things that I've never been able to have, the only one I've ever really wanted was whipped cream. Cheese? Eck. Milk? Eck. Whipped cream? mmmmm I didn't think that this recipe was over the top delicious, and neither did my real whipped cream loving husband, but I think it's okay mixed with other things, or on top of fruit. By itself, it leaves a kinda strange aftertaste..

Serves: Not very many..

Ingredients:
  ~ 1/4 cup soy milk
  ~ 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  ~ 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  ~ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Pour soy milk and 1/4 cup of vegetable oil in a blender. Combine on highest speed.

2. Drizzle remaining (1/4 cup) vegetable oil in, and continue blending.

3. Add maple syrup and vanilla (original recipe said to only add vanilla if you weren't using vanilla soy milk. I used vanilla soy milk and still thought it needed it.)

4. If it isn't thick enough, you can add more vegetable oil. It doesn't get all fluffy and thick like regular whipped cream though because soy milk doesn't have the fat that regular milk/cream does.

Ooh La La Peanut Butter Pie (For Dogs)

Today is our beautiful little girl (who just happens to be a dog)'s fourth birthday. We can't believe it has already been four years!! But at the same time, we can't even remember life before her!

So when her birthday comes around, she always gets a big special doggie treat. She doesn't eat any people food (aside from a couple fruits and vegetables that she loves), so something different is always special. Something that to her is "people food". Last year she got Carrot Muffins. This year Peanut Butter Pie. (Carrots and Peanut Butter are two of her favorite things!)

Ingredients:
Crust
  ~ 1 1/2 cups of flour
  ~ 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  ~ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  ~ 2 tablespoons cold water
Filling
  ~ 1 1/2 teaspoons flour
  ~ 1 cup milk (I used soy milk because that was all we had)
  ~ 2 egg yolks
  ~ 1 cup peanut butter
  ~ 1 tablespoon minced mint, plus whole-leaf mint for garnish (I omitted because I didn't have any)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour and shortening until dough forms 1/4" balls. Sprinkle in cinnamon.

3. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of water at a time over mixture and gently toss with a fork until a crust forms into a ball. (The original recipe said 4-5 tablespoons, but I did 3 and it was too watery.. I had to add more flour.)

4. Flatten pastry ball on a lightly floured surface and roll to a 1/8" thickness.

5. If you want to make mini-pies, cut five 6" crust rounds and fit into 4" mini pie pans and trim excess. I made one large pie, in a regular sized pie pan. 

6. Bake 10-12 minutes and cool.

7. Place all filling ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

8. Pour into a saucepan and cook over medium heat until mixture thickens. Do not let mixture boil!!

9. Cool and pour into pie shell(s). Refrigerate until set.

10. Before serving, you could garnish with a bit of cream cheese and fresh mint.

Source: The Good Treats Cookbook for Dogs 

Hot Dog and Potato Skillet Dinner

Sometimes I make things up. Especially when I didn't have time to get to the grocery store all week and the only form of meat we have in the house is a bag of hot dogs in the freezer and three cans of tuna fish. It's summertime, so my husband would have been perfectly content having hot dogs on the grill and some macaroni salad, but frankly, it's only the beginning of June and I'm already getting sick of that. After a very intensive search of "hot dog recipes", I finally came across one that didn't seem entirely gross. And I could make it happen (somewhat) with the few things I had on hand. I did make a couple changes though. Here's the original recipe from Betty Crocker. As strange as it looked (and as strange as the ingredients sound), it was incredibly easy and pretty yummy.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
~ One can of sliced potatoes (healthy, I know.. but I didn't have any "real" potatoes)
~ 1/2 cup soy milk
~ 2-3 tablespoons of flour
~ Salt
~ Frozen green peas
~ 3 hot dogs (uncooked, but not frozen)

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, combine can of potatoes, soy milk, salt (as little or as much as you'd like. I don't like a lot.) and flour. Stir until the potatoes are completely coated and the flour is completely combined (not clumpy).

2. Add the peas (again... as many or as few as you'd like. Here I like a lot.) and stir until they are separated from each other and coated in the "cream" sauce.

3. Allow it to simmer on medium heat for a couple minutes.

4. Slice the hot dogs into 1/4" slices. Add to the skillet.

5. Stir until everything is coated by the sauce.

6. Serve. (and field questions from your husband about what this weird dinner you're serving him is).

Tropical Rice

I absolutely love rice! I eat a lot of it. And this is one of my favorite ways to make it. It combines rice with two of my other favorite foods, pineapple and coconut, and is incredibly simple! I always make much more than we can possibly eat for dinner, just to make sure that I have leftovers for lunch the next day.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
  ~ 2 cups of uncooked rice (regular or instant)
  ~ 1 can of crushed pineapple (roughly 20 ounces)
  ~ 1/4 cup of shredded coconut

Directions:
1. Cook the rice. Doesn't matter if you do this on the stovetop or in the microwave. Just prepare it however you usually do.

2. In a large baking dish (I use a large Corningware dish), mix the cooked rice, coconut and pineapple. You don't have to use the amounts of coconut and pineapple that I listed above. Add as much or as little as you'd like.

3. Bake in a pre-heated oven for roughly 15-20 minutes. I never cook it at the same temperature or for the same amount of time. I usually make this when I'm cooking something else in the oven, and just keep checking on it to make sure it isn't burning. You do want the top to look a little crispy though.. that's what adds to the amazing taste!

Oven French Fries

Source: food.com

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

• 8 potatoes
• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
• salt
• Cooking spray

Directions: 

1. Wash potatoes and cut them into french fry sized strips.
2. Put the strips in a bowl of cool water to wash some of the starch out of them.
3. Drain the potatoes well, then add the olive oil and a little bit of salt to the bowl.
4. Mix well, until all of the potatoes are coated.
5. Spray a cookie sheet with the cooking spray and place the potatoes flat on top.
6. Cook at 350° for 20-25 minutes. For the last 5 minutes or so, cook under the broiler.

Crunchy Nacho Dogs

Source: Betty Crocker

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls
• 4 slices American cheese
• 4 hot dogs
• 1 tablespoon milk (I omitted)
• 1/2 cup crushed nacho cheese-flavored tortilla chips (I used regular tortilla chips)

Directions: 

1. Pre-heat oven to 375°. Lightly grease cookie sheet, or cover sheet with tin foil.
2. Unroll crescent rolls. Separate dough into 4 rectangles (each rectangle will be 2 crescent rolls). Firmly press perforations to seal.
3. Place cheese slices on rectangles if you want.
4. Place hot dog close to the end of a rectangle and roll up the dough. Press edges to seal. 
5. Brush rolls with milk (I didn't do this.. they stuck fine without the milk). Roll in crushed tortilla chips.
6. Place the rolls, seam side down, on the cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 15-22 minutes or until a deep golden brown.

We only ate one hot dog each, and put the other two (already cooked) in the refrigerator. They were a great, easy lunch the next day and tasted just as good as the previous night.