S'more Cupcakes..

The Batter:: 1 cup room temp butter, 2 cups of sugar, 6 eggs at room temperature, 2 cups of milk, 2 cups of flour, 3 cups of graham cracker crumbs, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt.

1) Beat the butter until well creamed about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and mix for about 3 min.

2) Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for about 30 sec after each one.

3) Put the graham crackers in a plastic bag, food processor, or blender, and crush into small crumbs.

4) Sift together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add about 1/4th of the powder mixture to the creamed mixture, then add some of the milk. Continue adding in a dry-wet-dry-wet-dry order ending with dry. Continue until just combined.

5) Scoop into cupcake liners and bake for 15-18 min until toothpick comes out clean.

FYI~ Batter will be thick~

Once cooled use a 1/4 teaspoon and scoop a hole into the center of each cupcake.

The Filling: 12 oz bag of chocolate chips, 1/4 cup chocolate syrup, 1/2 cup of milk
Place in a pot and melt all together. Then fill each center with chocolate filling

The Topping: 3 large egg whites, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

In a large metal bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup of water, sugar,egg whites, and salt. Set bowl over a pot of simmering water, and mix with electric hand mixer at low speed. Gradually increase speed to high. Beat until stiff peaks form about 5 min.

Remove from heat and add vanilla. Beat for about 2 min until cool

Put a dallop in each cupcake.

These are a delicious treat. They were pretty simple and ultra delicious.

I toasted each with a lighter, it gave it that over the fire taste..

Creamy Chicken over Rice (haystack style)

I am finally contributing my first recipe to the blog!

If you have ever had anything called "Hawaiian haystacks", this is sort of a spin on that.

• 5-6 chicken breasts (frozen or thawed) in crock pot, cover with water.

• 2 packets of Italian seasoning (dry seasoning packets used to make Italian salad dressing); stir into water.

Turn crock pot on high for 2 hours or so.
Take chicken out and shred after cooked.
Set aside 3/4 of the brothy water from the crock pot.

Add the following to the remaining 1/4 water in the crock pot and whisk:

• 1 1/2 C. sour cream

• 1 8 oz pkg. cream cheese

• 2 cans cream of mushroom

Put shredded chicken back in the crock pot; slowly add brothy water back in until at desired consistency. (I didn't even need to add any water, because it was already liquidy and creamy and wasn't too thick.)

• Serve over rice.

Toppings:

• Pineapple chunks
• Cheese
• Chow Mein Noodles

Before yesterday, I didn't like to make rice because I can never make it as fluffy as I would like.
I finally bought a rice cooker ($13.88 at Wal-Mart that I can use to steam veggies also) and it made the most beautiful rice ever! I know rice can be pretty healthy and now I might actually make it a little more often!

Enjoy!

Lemon Cream Pasta with Chicken

Okay, so I kid you not when I say that this pasta is absolutely DIVINE! It may just be the BEST PASTA I HAVE EVER HAD!! It is creamy, cheesy, lemony, and completely delicious. And it was very easy to prepare. This is definitely my new favorite recipe!

Courtesy of mykitchencafe.blogspot.com and allrecipes.com

3 cups cubed Lemon Garlic Chicken (see below)
1 ts garlic powder
1/2 ts black pepper
4 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
1/2 c lemon juice
1 (16oz.) pkg rigatoni
2 c heavy cream
2 ts lemon zest
1/2 c parmesan

In large saucepan, season chicken broth with garlic powder and pepper. Bring to a boil and add lemon juice and pasta. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all liquid is absorbed, about 25 min.
Stir cooked chicken into cooked pasta, along with cream, parmesan cheese, and lemon zest. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Let stand 5 minutes off heat. Stir well before serving.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

3 Tb lemon juice
3 Tb olive oil
1 ts minced garlic
1 ts salt
1/4 ts pepper
1/2 ts oregano

Mix all ingredients and put in a ziploc bag. Marinade chicken overnight. Or, if cut into small piece, 5-6 hrs. Cook in a frying pan or grill before adding to pasta.

Raspberry lemon bars

These are super yummy!! I think raspberry and lemon taste amazing together!

CRUST:
3 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. Baking soda
1/2 t. grated lemon peel
1 c. butter
1 egg-slightly beaten

FILLING:
1 pkg. frozen raspberries (12 oz)
1 1/2 C. sugar
1/4 c. water
3 T. cornstarch
1/2 t. grated lemon peel
1/2 t. vanilla

ICING:
1 1/4 c. powdered sugar
1-2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T. butter-softened

Heat oven to 350. Mix flour, 1 1/2 c. sugar, baking soda, and lemon peel. Cut in butter and egg. Reserve 2 c. of this crust mixture. Press remaining crust mixture into an ungreased jelly roll size pan and bake for 8 min.
Meanwhile in a med. saucepan combine filling ingredients and cook over med-high heat till raspberries are defrosted and filling it thickened, stirring often.
Spread filling over crust. Sprinkle reserved flour mixture over filling. Bake for another 15-20 min. or until golden brown. Cool.
In a small bowl combine icing ingredients. Stir until smooth and drizzle over bars. Enjoy
*make sure you cool completely before icing and cutting!

Floating hamburgers

1 lb. burger
1 t. onion powder
1 bread slice-crumbled
1 egg-beaten
1/8 c. milk
salt and pepper

SAUCE:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can water

Mix everything except for sauce and form into mini hamburgers. Brown in frying pan and place in baking dish. Mix soup and water together and pour over top of burgers. Cover pan and bake at 350 for about an hour. Serve over rice. This is a super easy yummy dinner!!

Chocolate Mint Cookies

Ingredients:

~1 cup of butter softened

~1 cup powdered sugar

~1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract

~2 egg yolks

~16 drops of green food coloring

~2 1/2 cups flour

~1/2 tsp baking powder

~1/4 tsp salt

~3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

~3 Tbsp Whipping Cream

~3 Tbsp butter

~18 Andes Mints, cut diagonally in half

Preheat oven to 350* and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl beat 1 cup of butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in egg yolks and food coloring until well mixed

On low speed add the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Shape into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

Using the end of a wooden spoon, press a deep well into the center of each cookie

Bake about 10 min. or until set

reshape wells if needed

cool completely

Melt the chocolate chips, whipping cream, and 3 tbsp of butter until smooth

Fill each well with chocolate mix

Garnish with the Andes mints.

Enjoy....

Sesame Chicken

1 lb. chicken tenderloins
flour
oil
salt & pepper
2-3 eggs

Heat oil in saute pan. Cut chicken into bitesize chunks (or whatever size you prefer). Mix flour with salt & pepper. Dip chicken in eggs and coat in flour. Brown chicken in hot oil. Place in 9x13 baking dish.

1 t. ginger root(finely chopped)
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. oil
1 clove garlic
sesame seeds (optional)

Brint to boil the ginger root, soy sauce, garlic, honey & oil in pan. Pour over chicken. Top with sesame seeds. Bake at 350` for 20 minutes.
Serve with rice & veggies.


This is a family favorite and super easy to make. If the ginger seems a little stong don't add quite as much. Enjoy!!!