The Life & Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch

Coconut Lime Cheese Crepes with Brandied Cherry Topping #SundaySupper

2015-06-07T04:29:00.000-04:00

Homemade Crepes filled with a low-fat Coconut-Lime Ricotta Cream and topped off with some fresh Cherries that have been cooked down with a little juice and sweetener. A delicious dish to serve as a dessert or even a weekend brunch!

This post is sponsored by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC.All opinions are my own.

If there was one food I would not want to live without, it would be cheese, I grew up in a family of farmers and my dad was one of those farmers. Milk was essential to our life for nourishment and income and without milk, there would be no cheese. If you were to open my refrigerator, you would find copious amounts of cheese. I guess you can say the same about my freezer!

I had my first experience with flavored ricotta cheese several years ago when I was following a low-carbohydrate diet. I learned to flavor it with extracts and sugar substitute and would eat it for breakfast. I absolutely loved it and when I thought about making these crepes, I remembered making those flavored ricotta cheese blends. Wisconsin Cheese is an excellent source of protein and calcium not to mention the low fat varieties make it a great choice for those who are watching their diets. Two crepes with a tablespoon of filling and topping are only 204 calories, 27 carbs, 7 grams of fat and 7 grams of protein!

You can make your crepes, topping and filling ahead of time so when it is serving time you don't have to do much for assembly - or create a crepe bar and create a fun time with your family/guests as they assemble their own. Just give the topping a slight warm up prior to serving.

Do you have a great Wisconsin Cheese recipe? If so, consider submitting it to the Wisconsin Cheese Recipe Contest!

Follow Wisconsin Cheese through these social media channels:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WisconsinCheese
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wisconsincheese
Instagram: https://instagram.com/wisconsincheesetalk/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/wisconsincheese/

Looking for more inspiration and Wisconsin Cheese Recipes? Follow the #SundaySupper Pinterest Board!

Follow Sunday Supper's board Wisconsin Cheese Recipes on Pinterest.

Coconut Lime Crepes with Brandied Cherry Topping

By Shelby Law Ruttan

Note: If you prefer to use regular sugar, increase the amount to be doubled.

Ingredients

Basic Crepes for sweet filling:
3/4 cup fat free milk
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar substitute (or 2 tablespoons regular sugar or 2 tablespoons cherry brandy)
1 cup flour
Coconut Lime Ricotta Cream filling:
1-15 ounce container Low-Fat Ricotta Cheese
1/2 tablespoon lime zest
2 tablespoons fat free milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
2 tablespoons sugar substitute
Cherry Topping:
3 cups fresh cherries, pitted and quartered
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Cherry-Cranberry Juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
pinch of ground cinnamon
1-1/2 tablespoon sugar substitute

Instructions

Prep Ricotta filling by placing ricotta cheese in food processor along with lime zest, extracts, sugar substitute and milk. Process until smooth. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Make Cherry Topping: place cranberry-cherry juice and cornstarch in saucepan and stir to combine. Add Cherries, cinnamon and sugar substitute. Stir and cook over medium heat until Cherries are thickened, About 7-10 minutes. If using this later, keep in refrigerator until ready to serve. When ready to serve, heat in microwave about 30 seconds to remove chill.
In a blender, combine all crepe ingredients and process for 4-5 seconds. Put batter in refrigerator for 1 hour to allow bubbles to settle.
Heat non-stick skillet and coat with cooking spray. Pour just a little less than 1/4 cup batter in center of crepe pan and swirl to coat pan with batter. Cook over medium heat until crepe moved around in pan when giving it a swirl. Flip crepe and cook another 30 seconds. Transfer to wooden cutting board and allow to cool. Stack crepes with parchment paper between each crepe to make them easy to separate. Store uneaten crepes in refrigerator.
To serve: Place 1 tablespoon ricotta filling on 1/4 of crepe. Fold in half, then fold in half again. Top with 1 tablespoon cherry topping.

Tags: Wisconsin Cheese, Crepes, Dessert, Cherries, Ricotta, Lime, Coconut
204 calories, 27 carbs, 7 grams of fat and 7 grams of protein.

Want more? Be sure to check out all the other Sunday Supper posts!
Cheese Appetizers:

Cheese Crispies by Shockingly Delicious
Cheese Fondue by Recipes Food and Cooking
Prosciutto Havarti Spinach Bundles by Daily Dish Recipes

Cheese Bread:

Parmesan Pull Apart Bread by Magnolia Days
Spicy Cheese Twists by The Wimpy Vegetarian

Main Dishes with Cheese:

Cheese Curd Stuffed Meatball Sliders by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Cheesy Crab Stuffed Peppers by FoodieTots
Cheesy Skillet Lasagna by Life Tastes Good
Cheesy Vegetable Enchiladas by Alida's Kitchen
Fontina Chorizo Spinach Quiche by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
Ham, Blackberry Ricotta, and Fresh Mozzarella Grilled Cheese by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Korean-style Poutine 2.0 by kimchi MOM
Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil Couscous Salad with Arugula by Ruffles & Truffles
Pimento Cheese Potato Soup by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
Sausage and Burrata Pasta by Family Foodie

Cheese Side Dishes:

Cheesy Jalapeno and Bacon Potato Au Gratin by Peanut Butter and Peppers
Chipotle Beer Mac & Cheese by One Sweet Mess
White Mac and Cheese by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen

Desserts:

Coconut Lime Cheese Crepes with Brandied Cherry Topping by The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
Ricotta Cheesecake Brownies by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
10 Ideas for Cheese Dip Dippers by Sunday Supper Movement

Moments for Me and how I enjoy them!

2015-06-04T05:32:00.000-04:00

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ArtisanFlavors #CollectiveBias

Today I am sharing with you some Moments for Me and HÄAGEN-DAZS® Artisan Collection Tres Leches Brigadeiro Ice Cream. There will also be an opportunity for you to enter their contest later in this post!

Sometimes it feels like my life is so overwhelming. You know the old saying "be careful what you wish for?" This is very true for me! For years, I was a stay at home mom. The years the kids were at home were great years. Then they went to school and I wished for something to add to my day to make me feel more fulfilled. Life changes happened, I ended up having to take a full time job, which felt wonderful. Twenty some years later, I'm now having that feeling that I wish I had more time for myself at home!

I work a day job in the finance world that can really be stressful at times. To top off my 8 hour work day, I have a good 45 minute commute just one way. This can make for a very tired me! We bought a home just south of the NY Capital and country living is great to go home too after you spend a day in the city working. That said, it is really hard to find some me time. Its something that is rare but much looked forward to when I get it! I thought I would share some of my favorite me moments with you today. Our home is in the foothills of the Catskill mountains and our home and the little town of Catskill are two places I love to be for moments for me.

These moments are when I can come up with some of my ideas for the blog. Its time for me to think, reflect, get creative and plan. You can be creative also in your own moment and submit your own original idea for your signature ice cream as well as enter to win some great prizes in the HÄAGEN-DAZS® ArtisanFlavors Contest!

I do have the best of both worlds - the convenience of city life yet pleasure of quiet country living at the same time! Catskill is so cool and I love the park where you can sit and get a great view of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge. It's a great place to visit when I want to just relax and read a book in the park or sit on the water and have a nice quiet lunch.

On my way home from work I stopped at Wal-mart and picked up some HÄAGEN-DAZS® Artisan Collection Tres Leches Brigadeiro Ice Cream. This particular ice cream was crated by HÄAGEN-DAZS® in collaboration with Paula Barbosa of My Sweet Brigadeiro to create a delicious twist on a Brazilian tradition. This ice cream is a great go to for my rare moments of "me time." You might even constitute some of my me time as "silly me" time. Oh the faces a girl can make when she gets her hands on something delicious!

Look what I found! Just for me! I love you HÄAGEN-DAZS® Artisan Collection Tres Leches Brigadeiro Ice Cream!

I found the HÄAGEN-DAZS® Artisan Collection Tres Leches Brigadeiro Ice Cream at Wal-mart in the Ice Cream aisle. Wouldn't this be a great time to enjoy some of your own me moments with this ice cream? Make sure you make some silly faces of your own and have some fun!

Below are photos of some other Moments for Me.

I love to go for walks, enjoying nature and just making myself feel good.

as well as enjoying a gorgeous sunrise from my deck

or a gorgeous full moon from the same deck!

Quiet times are my definite times to enjoy my own moments. After the hassle of work and the commute, There is just something relaxing about these special moments.

What are some of your favorite Moments for Me?

Follow Häagen Dazs in their social channels!

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Magic Pudding Dessert for #SundaySupper

2015-05-31T00:00:00.000-04:00

A 4-Ingredient creamy chocolate dessert with a surprise ingredient that magically seems like puff pastry! Saltine crackers are layered between chocolate pudding and topped off with some whipped topping making this easy, no bake dessert a perfect summer treat when your wanting to beat the heat and not turn on that stove!

Thank you to T.R. of Gluten Free Crumbley who is hosting our #SundaySupper event this week!

This week the we are bringing you recipes with 5 ingredients or less. As soon as I read that I knew I was making this dessert. This is a recipe that was shared with me years ago. I have made it for Grumpy, and now this is one of Grumpy's favorite desserts! I don't mind making this for him and I don't even mind when he eats more than one serving because I use sugar-free pudding and whipped topping however, if you are not into the sugar free scene, then regular pudding works just as well!

This really is one of the easiest desserts ever. Saltine crackers, instant pudding mix and the milk to make the pudding then the cool whip topping. That makes this quick and easy dessert only 4 ingredients! The hardest part of the whole recipe is the wait. It needs to sit overnight in the refrigerator for the pudding and crackers to work their magic.

This is easy to change flavors just by changing your pudding. Grumpy is a huge fan of pistachio pudding also so my next recipe will probably be with the pistachio!

What would your flavor of pudding be for this dessert?

Magic Pudding Dessert

Published 05/31/2015

A quick and easy 4 ingredient dessert!

Ingredients

1- .9 oz box instant sugar free chocolate pudding
2 cups fat free milk
1- 8 oz container sugar-free cool whip
36 saltine crackers

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk pudding with milk until pudding begins to thicken (according to package directions)
Layer 16 crackers in the bottom of an 9x9 square pan. Pour 1/2 of the pudding over top of crackers

Yield: 9 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.

Cook time: 12 hrs. 00 mins.
Total time: 12 hrs. 10 mins.
Tags: quick and easy, 4 ingredient recipe, chocolate, dessert, pudding, cool whip

Drinks

2 Ingredient Orange Juice Frosty Drink by The Educators' Spin On It
Five Ingredient Sangria by Our Good Life
Pina Colada Summer Smoothie by Cosmopolitan Cornbread

Appetizers and Snacks

5-Ingredient Creamy Avocado Dressing by Take A Bite Out of Boca
Crescent Jalapeno Poppers by The Weekend Gourmet
Crockpot Chicken Chili Dip by The Crumby Cupcake
Gluten Free Peach Salsa by Gluten Free Crumbley
Grilled Zucchini and Goat Cheese Roll Ups by Food Done Light
Marinated Feta Tomato Skewers by Noshing with the Nolands
Roasted Chili-Lime Peanuts by Casa de Crews
Strawberry Coconut Soup with Mint by The Wimpy Vegetarian

Main Dish

3 Ingredient Steak Marinade by MealDiva
Baked Fajita Chicken by Recipes Food and Cooking
Crab Pasta by Caroline's Cooking
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms by Palatable Pastime
Healthy Chocolate Protein Pancakes by Momma's Meals
Homemade Porcini Almond Pasta by The Joyful Foodie
Abruzzo Style Cannellini Beans with Fennel & Chicken by Delaware Girl Eats
Nutella BLT Sandwich by Brunch with Joy
Salmon in Puff Pastry by Sew You Think You Can Cook
Simple Brined Roast Chicken with Herbs and Garlic by Crazy Foodie Stunts
Simple Grilled Tilapia by Cooking Chat
Simple Summer Shrimp and Asparagus by eating in instead
Skirt Steak and Grilled Potatoes for a Crowd by Family Foodie
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken by Nosh My Way
Slowcooker Ravioli Lasagne by Jane's Adventures in Dinner

Side Dish

Brazilian Black Beans by Curious Cuisiniere
Korean Seasoned Dried Squid (Ojingeochae muchim) by kimchi MOM
Mashed Cauliflower with Parmesan by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Sauerkraut and Apple Salad by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Sesame Lime Edamame by Magnolia Days
Southern Style Squash Casserole by Recipe for Perfection
Tomato, Avocado and Bacon Salad by Peanut Butter and Peppers

Desserts

Apple Drop Candy by What Smells So Good?
Chocolate Toffee Cookies by NinjaBaker.com
Coconut White Chocolate Truffles by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Easy No Churn Peach Frozen Yogurt by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
Fluffernutter Cookies by Pies and Plots
Magic Pudding Dessert by Grumpy's Honeybunch
No-Churn Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Rhubarb Crumble by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Creamy Coconut, Roasted Strawberry Chocolate Chip Popsicles by Simply Health Family
Recipe Substitution Tips by Sunday Supper

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Classic Rhubarb Custard Pie

2015-05-24T11:15:00.000-04:00

Classic Rhubarb Custard Pie is the perfect treat to make after those stalks start sprouting up in the spring! Flaky layers of pie crust surrounding a sweet/tart filling giving you a perfect bite!

Rhubarb is one of the first plants to pop up from the ground in the early spring months. I remember when I was just starting out on my own, my cousin Michelle and I were living in her dad's little brown farm house that was just across the road from where I grew up. Along the outside shed there was an abundant amount of rhubarb just dying to be made into all kinds of treats. The first pie I made on my own was a Rhubarb Custard pie, homemade crust and all! I was all of 19 years old and when I served a piece to Nanny, her proclamation was "that was the best Rhubarb Pie I have ever eaten!" She proceeded to tell everyone going forward what an excellent pie maker I was. Needless to say, I got my baking genes from my Nanny and Mom however as I got older I got a little lazier about wanting to put the effort into a pie crust. That laziness may have disappeared after the results I got with this pie!

My children grew up on Rhubarb Pie the same as I did and both of them love it just as much as I do. and my son Justin is the reason I am sharing this with you as he suggested I make it and post the recipe here on my blog. It is a yearly treat that I hate to go without. I don't have my own rhubarb anymore and what I do get is either bought at a local stand or given to me from my parents. This year I was lucky enough to get just enough rhubarb for one pie from my parents on my recent visit home.

Rhubarb has a lot of different varieties. Some stalks are more red and some are more green. The greener variety is the heartier variety which is what I received this year when I visited my parents. A lot of people think that the red stalks are "sweeter" however, that is not a correct assumption as there is no such thing as sweet rhubarb. Less tart maybe, but not sweet. Green stalks tend to be thicker whereas red stalks tend to be more tender and thinner. I like getting the red stalks because I do like the color better, but the green stalks work just as great in a recipe as the red, your product just doesn't have the prettier color to it even though it is just as tasty!

I decided to experiment a little and go with shortening and butter. I do use Crisco for my solid shortening and I highly recommend that is what you use also as I believe it gives the best results. I also used salted butter for the crust and put a few little extra pats of butter on top of the pie before covering it with the top crust. This is a personal preference and you do not need to do it but I wanted to tell you since that is what I do no matter what kind of fresh fruit pie I make.

Are you a pie person? What is your favorite pie?

Classic Rhubarb Custard Pie

By Shelby Law Ruttan
Published 05/24/2015

Ingredients

For the crust:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons salted butter, cold and cubed
1/4 to 1/3 cup ice water
For the filling:
6 cups rhubarb, washed and cut into slices
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup flour
1-2 pats of salted butter to top the filling before placing top crust on pie

Instructions

Place flour, salt, and sugar in food processor. Pulse a couple of times to combine. Place shortening and butter in food processor on top of flour mixture. Pulse flour crumbles start to form. Do not over pulse. Add the ice water a little at a time, pulsing food processor a couple of times after each addition. Once dough begins to form into a ball remove from food processor and place on well floured surface (such as a pastry mat). Bring dough together to form a ball being careful not to handle dough too much. Divide dough into two pieces and flatten out into a circle. Roll dough out on a floured surface until about 10-11 inch circle in diameter. Place 1 circle in bottom of pie pan and form to shape. Place other disc of dough in refrigerator until ready to top the pie.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Toss together rhubarb, flour, sugar, and cinnamon until rhubarb is coated. Stir in beaten egg until combined. Place filling in well of pie crust in your pie pan.
Roll out 2nd disc of dough, fold in half and cut slits in center of dough. Carefully transfer dough to cover top of pie. Gently pick up folded half and bring to cover the pie. Pinch edges of pie together removing any excess dough around the edges of the pie*.
Crimp edged as desired. Brush top of dough with non-fat milk and sprinkle with sugar 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Cover pie with pie guard or aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove guard/foil and continue baking for another 20-30 minutes until filling is bubbly and pastry is golden. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting. Store leftovers in a cool, dry place.

Banana Rum Coconut Raisin Cookies

2015-05-18T05:47:00.000-04:00

A cookie made with no butter, chock full of banana, coconut, and raisins and flavored with rum. These Banana Rum Coconut Raisin cookies have a special ingredient that is the cause of their success and nobody will ever guess that is what you put in your cookies!

I'm always game for finding new recipes that include bananas. I almost always have them around the house and more likely than not, they will get overripe before we eat them all. That has been especially true lately because we have been gone the last couple of weekends visiting Grumpy's family. The second weekend we went back to help deliver the new living room furniture we bought for Grumpy's mom!

I originally wasn't going to blog these, even though I had taken a zillion photos of them. Grumpy raved about these cookies and I have to admit, they really are worth raving about! They are so good, that I actually made another batch and while I kept some here, we did take some to share with his mom.

I found the recipe in a Cooking Light magazine. The testers over at Cooking Light used light mayonnaise in their recipe. I, on the other hand, never have that stuff in my house. While I like to eat healthy, I prefer to eat what is also tasty and I don't care for the flavor or texture of light mayonnaise. I felt it was not going to hurt to use the real deal in my recipe and I wasn't wrong. I also omitted the ginger the recipe called for and rather than quick oats, I used whole oats and a brown sugar blend (Truvia) and I didn't see that it affected the recipe in a negative way. My motto is, eat what you want as long as your eating good, nutritious food in moderation. Also, a little bit of a treat once in a while is not going to hurt you. These cookies, I would consider them my treat as I would any sweet, but I would also consider they have some good nutritional value also. After all, there is oatmeal, coconut, raisins and walnuts in these delicious cookies!

Banana Rum Coconut Cookies

Published 05/18/2015
slightly adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

Ingredients

1/3 cup Brown Sugar Blend (I used Truvia)
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon rum
3/4 cup flour
1 cup whole oats
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, add brown sugar, banana, mayonnaise, and rum and mix with a hand mixer until well blended.
In a medium sized bowl combine flour, oats, coconut, raisins, walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredient mixture and stir until just combined.
Drop dough using large cookie scoop (about 1/4 cup of dough) on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 19-22 minutes. Cool completely.

Yield: 20 cookies
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.
Total time: 30 mins.
Tags: baking, Cookies, dessert, mayonnaise, oatmeal, raisin, snacks, Spice, Walnut

Slow Cooker Clam Chowder

2015-04-28T06:29:00.002-04:00

This fuss free, easy to make Slow Cooker Clam Chowder is thick, creamy, and full of delicious clams making it a perfect comfort food and chilly evening meal! Thanks to my fellow blogging friend Sarah Olson and her new cookbook The Magical Slow Cooker I have discovered that there is more to slow cooking than just roast with carrots, onions, and potatoes!

I am very happy and grateful to be a part of Sarah's blog tour for her cookbook The Magical Slow Cooker. I have been a fan of Sarah's blog for quite a while now and I love everything she has to offer! She has opened my eyes and helped me see that not only can you make delicious food from breakfast to dessert in the slow cooker, but it can also be beautiful! I love that her cookbook is easy to read and has a photo of every recipe!

I remember when I was younger my dad loved to eat oyster stew or clam chowder and the only way he ever had it was from the can. With mom not eating seafood, she probably never felt inspired to make this type of soup from scratch. So, other than a restaurant experience, all I have ever had for clam chowder is from a can. Until this last weekend. I made a few little changes to the recipe itself to suit our tastes and Grumpy's desire! I steamed some extra clams for our Spaghetti with Pino Grigio and used those clams in this chowder rather than the clams from a can, and added a few less potatoes than the recipe called for. Grumpy informed me not to do that the "next time" I make this recipe. So, this is a real keeper folks since I was told "next time!"

I learned several things from this experience. For instance, did you know you could roast nuts in your slow cooker? Sarah has a recipe for Rosemary Party Nuts (page 35) that I must try! What a perfect way to make some holiday treats for your friends. I also must try the Italian Beef Sliders (page 45) and Caramel Apple Crisp (page 190) would be perfect to take to a potluck function! You could take it still warm and wouldn't people love you for that! Come to think of it The Magical Slow Cooker would be a perfect gift for your busy friends!

Thank you Sarah for asking me to be a part of your blog tour! If you would like to follow Sarah on Social Media you can find her on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Slow Cooker Clam Chowder

By slightly adapted from The Magical Slow Cooker
Published 04/27/2015

Thick, creamy, and fuss free, this flavorful clam chowder is the perfect comfort food!

Ingredients

1-32 ounce container chicken broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup diced leeks
5 cups peeled and diced white potatoes
1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme
1-8 ounce package reduced fat cream cheese, cut into chunks
2-6.5 ounce cans minced clams, drained OR 1 lb fresh steamed clams
Salt and Pepper to taste
Oyster Crackers, Paprika, and fresh thyme leaves for serving

Instructions

Combine the chicken broth and cornstartch in a 6-quart slow cooker until smooth. Add the potatoes, thyme, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours without removing the lid during cooking time.
Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add 1/2 of the potato mixture and broth to blender (secure lid well and cover with towel to prevent burning or explosions!) Pulse until smooth. Add this mixture back to the slow cooker. Add clams and stir. Keep on warm until ready to serve. Serve with Oyster crackers, sprinkles of paprika and fresh thyme leaves.

Yield: 5 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.

Cook time: 08 hrs. 00 mins.
Total time: 8 hrs. 15 mins.
Tags: Seafood, Soups and Stews, Clams, Comfort Food, slow cooker, Cookbook review, blog tour

Spaghetti with Pinot Grigio and Seafood

2015-04-26T09:40:00.000-04:00

Spaghetti tossed with clams and shrimp simmered with garlic, onion and sun dried tomato infusing amazing flavor in this lovely Italian dish! It is quick and easy and you can have this dinner on your table in less than 30 minutes!

I don't know how pretty this dish is. I mean, when I compare it to the photo on the Food Network site, I feel very inadequate. The clams I bought had dark shells (I honestly know nothing about clams) and the reason I bought these specific clams was because the only other clams in the store were these humongous ones!

All in all, this was a pretty darn tasty dish. Grumpy was very happy with this meal as he is a huge fan of clams. The recipe is very easy to put together. It was stated on the site (or on Giada's show, not sure where now) that this didn't have a lot of sauce to it, but let me tell you, I certainly had enough and I'm a saucy kind of girl! I didn't have arugula and couldn't find any so I went with spinach, and that was good enough for me. The flavor was awesome and I would definitely make this dish again. It also stated it served 4 people, but I think that was an understatement! I believe this could easily serve 6! I definitely say this is a dish to try and if you don't like clams, just add more shrimp!

Spaghetti with Pinot Grigio and Seafood

By slightly adapted from Food Network (Giada DeLaurentis)
Originally published on 03/25/2010

Spaghetti tossed with clams and shrimp simmered with garlic, onion and sun dried tomato infusing amazing flavor in this lovely Italian dish! It is quick and easy and you can have this dinner on your table in less than 30 minutes!

Ingredients

1 lb spaghetti
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1-1/2 cup Pino Grigio
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 pounds clams washed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups spinach

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain Pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, until tender but not brown. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for another minute. Add the wine, shrimp, and clams. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the shrimp are pink and the clams have opened, about 7 minutes.
Add the spaghetti to the seafood mixture. Add the salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add the spinach. Stir gently and place on a serving platter. Serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Total time: 30 mins.
Tags: Pasta, Seafood, shrimp, Clams, sun-dried tomato, garlic, Italian, Quick and Easy,

Lemon Marscapone Muffins

2015-04-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

This Lemon Marscapone Muffin is simple, delicious and full of lemon and cheese flavor with a tender crumb that is soft but still holds together well. It is a perfect spring morning muffin to serve with your family on a sunny Sunday morning brunch!

Its been a while since I've made a muffin. You may think, well, she just made the Lemon-Strawberry Chia Seed Muffins. Yes, I did post those recently but I can promise you its still been a while since I've made a muffin! These are the first muffins I have made since I made the Strawberry Chia Seed Muffins. For me, that is a long time. I used to be well known for bringing muffins to the office on a regular basis when I was working at Clarkson. I strayed away from making them when we moved to Albany. Mostly because I had gotten tired of them. Yes, I got tired of muffins. They started to get boring for me.

Lately, Grumpy has been making Long Island Iced Tea's for a drink. Everytime he makes one I smell the lemon as he's cutting it and I absolutely love the smell of a fresh cut lemon. I'm also a huge fan of lemon curd. When I was browsing through some lemon recipes I came across a muffin from Cooking Light that was made with ricotta cheese. I wasn't sure if I had ricotta or not but I was pretty sure I had some marscapone. By no means are these two "cheeses" in any way the same, but I figured that the marsapone would work so I gave it a shot. I also added some lemon extract to the muffin although the original recipe did not call for it. I just wanted a muffin saturated with lemon!

Just a few notes about these muffins should you decide to make them. First and foremost, let them cool completely before removing them from the muffin pan. Because these are such a tender muffin, if you try to remove them from the pan when they are still warm you will have your muffins fall apart. Trust me, I know because I tried. Once the muffins have cooled then you will have a muffin that stays together. The muffin are delicious as is, but because I am such a lemon freak, I served mine with some Lemon Curd. I do like to make my own, but I also am not against buying it from the store as you can tell from my photos! There is no lemon curd in the recipe itself, I used it as a condiment to help amplify my lemon love.

Don't these muffins just scream "sunshine" to you? I know this much, I am ready for some sun and warmth. To me, this recipe just gives me a little promise that its coming!

Lemon Marscapone Muffins

slightly adapted from Cooking Light
Published 04/20/2015

A muffin bursting with lemon and cheese flavor. Excellent with some lemon curd spread!

Ingredients

7.9 ounces flour (or 1-3/4 cup)
3/4 cup sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces Marscapone Cheese
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 egg
yellow sanding sugar (optional)

Instructions

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
With a hand held mixer, blend the marscapone cheese, olive oil, lemon rind, lemon extract, lemon juice, and egg together until well blended. Gradually add the water and blend on low until well combined.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the cheese mixture and mix with hand mixer until combined.
Divide batter evenly between 18 muffin cups. Sprinkle with sanding sugar if desired. Bake at 375 for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean after inserted into center of muffin.

Yield: 18 muffins
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 16 mins.
Total time: 31 mins.
Tags: lemon, cheese, marscapone, lemon zest, muffins, breakfast, brunch, snack

Chipotle Chicken and Waffled Fries with Cilantro Lime Gravy

2015-04-15T00:00:00.000-04:00

The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch was compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser for this post. For more more recipe ideas visit Spring Into Flavor with Alexia. #SpringIntoFlavor #CollectiveBias

Alexia Spicy Sweet Potato Fries are made into a cheesy waffle and topped with a baked Chipotle Seasoned Chicken Tender, buried in Cilantro Lime Gravy. A quick and easy dinner to put on your table that will make your family feel like you've treated them to dinner out!

Sometimes I really can get in a rut when it comes to dinner and usually with a good reason: I'm super busy all the time. I am on the go from the moment I wake up until the moment I lie down to go to sleep at night. This sometimes makes for some pretty boring dinners on work nights. Alexia Sweet Potato Fries can help make my weeknights so much easier! The high quality and versatility of the Alexia products not only give me peace of mind but allow me to go outside of the box to create recipes that are tasty!

I was racking my brain what I wanted to make for dinner on my way home one evening and decided to make a pit-stop at Walmart to grab something that would be quick to put together. I saw the Alexia product and the Alexia Spicy Sweet Potato Fries and became inspired with the recipe I am sharing with you today! I went with a "gravy" made with nonfat Greek yogurt, a small amount of honey and fresh cilantro. The perfect cooling match for the spicy fries and chicken tenders. (I also came home with a bag of onion rings and regular sweet potato fries!)

I got busy as soon as I got home and started putting everything together. Watch the step by step slideshow below to see how easy it was and then grab the recipe below to make this yourself!

This turned out to be a super delicious meal and one I will definitely make again. If you are looking for more mealtime inspiration, be sure to follow Alexia on Facebook and Pinterest!

What would these fries do to inspire you to get creative? Leave a comment below and let me know!

Chipotle Chicken and Waffled Fries with Cilantro Lime Gravy

By Shelby Law Ruttan
Published 04/15/2015

Ingredients

For the waffles:
1/2 bag Alexia Spicy Sweet Potato Fries, thawed
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 egg white, beaten
For the chicken:
1 lb chicken tenders, each tender cut in half
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup panko
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1 egg
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon honey
cooking spray
For the Cilantro Lime Gravy:
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup non fat Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
juice of 1 lime

Instructions

Prep your fries by chopping them into smaller pieces and tossing in a large mixing bowl with the beaten egg and cheddar cheese. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Place breadcrumbs, panko, paprika, garlic powder, and chipotle chili powder in a small mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Next, place the egg, honey, and lime juice in another mixing bowl and whisk well.
Dip each piece of chicken in the egg mixture, then dip in breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat. Place on baking stone or cookie sheet. (If using cookie sheet, be sure to spray with non-stick cooking spray first). Spray top of chicken pieces with cooking spray.
Bake chicken at 425 for 10 minutes. Flip pieces over and bake 3-4 minutes more.
While chicken is baking, mix your gravy together in a food processor. Add cilantro, lime juice, Greek yogurt, and honey. Process for 1 minute or less until gravy is well combined.
Scoop some of the fry mixture onto a hot waffle iron that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Close lid and let cook 3-4 minutes, until lightly browned.
Assemble meal by placing waffle on a plate, top with a piece or two of chicken and a spoonful of the Cilantro Lime Gravy. Enjoy!

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 12 mins.
Total time: 32 mins.
Tags: Alexia Spicy Chipotle Fries, all natural, chicken, chipotle, SoFab, dinner, quick and easy, cilantro, lime, greek yogurt, honey

A Hungry HoneyBunch is a Grumpy HoneyBunch!

2015-04-14T05:32:00.002-04:00

The Life and Love's of Grumpy's Honeybunch has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WhenImHungry #CollectiveBias

I work a full day (8-5) and have a good 40-50 minute commute one way depending on traffic. Most of the time I don't get home until after 6 pm and still have to make dinner, eat, and clean up which can make it 7:30 pm before I'm ready to do something I want to do to relax or have fun. In order to keep my steam going, I have been known to stop at the local Family Dollar before getting home and grab myself a SNICKERS® to hold me off until dinner can be ready. Otherwise I can be very grumpy!

I'm not the only one who can get grumpy when I'm hungry. Just look at that face below. Miss Kitty, our oldest kitty. As soon as I walk in the door that girl is at me with her meowing to feed her and she doesn't stop until that dish is in her face! She can be pretty grumpy when she's hungry too and two grumpy girls under one roof is not a good thing which is why I really need to take that edge off on my ride home. I basically feed the cats first thing when I walk in that door and if I'm hungry, I have no desire to think of them first. Yeah. Selfish. I know.

Everybody knows that Grumpy can be well, grumpy. That is kind of a given. I am here today to admit though that I can match Grumpy's grumpiness 100% if not more when I am hungry. (No Way! Right?!) When Grumpy and I were first together he made a comment about me that pretty much sums me up. It was early on a Sunday morning and I had made our coffee when started making coffee after he woke up. He must have been observing me for a little bit because he all of a sudden came out with "I've never known anyone who could be so "chipper" in the morning!" He took me back a little because I just never thought about being any other way. I am just a natural morning person. However, now, 15 years later, he can call me less than chipper at certain times...now that he knows me better!

#WhenImHungry

I find my SNICKERS® just as I walk in the front door in the center aisle at Family Dollar.

Now that I've told you how I am and what I do when I get hungry how about you?

How are you when you get hungry?

SNICKERS® wants to know! Enter the SNICKERS® "Who are you when you're hungry?" contest by uploading a personal photo or video from your Computer, Facebook, Instagram or use the SNICKERS® Meme Generator to create something new! Voting begins at Noon on 5/11/15 and ends at 11:59:59AM ET on 7/15/15.

Find great SNICKERS® recipes and fun stories on the SNICKERS® social hub!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Trifle

2015-04-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

This Strawberry Rhubarb Trifle is a quick and easy dessert to put together for any of your spring gatherings and would be a perfect addition to your Easter table! Layers of Angel Food Cake with fresh strawberry slices, slightly sweet and tangy rhubarb sauce and homemade custard cream all topped with some whipped topping. Your friends and family will be asking for the recipe as soon as they take one bite!

This month the Virtual Supper Club is sharing with you recipes for April's fool. While this isn't a "real" fool (a fool traditionally combines custard and pureed fruit), its close enough as there is rhubarb sauce and custard, they are just layered, not combined!

As a young girl I loved rhubarb, but I hated Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. For me, it was too sweet. I liked the sourness of the rhubarb with a little bit of sweet. The first pie I ever made on my own was a Rhubarb Custard Pie and I will never forget how Nanny went on and on about what an amazing pie that was. I guess that was probably the best compliment a girl could get since I considered my Nanny to be the best baker ever!

The strawberries in this dessert are not sweetened and the sugar in the rhubarb is minimal and has some cranberry juice in it rather than the orange juice called for in the original recipe. The rhubarb sauce itself was so good that I stirred it in with some of my plain Greek Yogurt for breakfast! I may make some of that sauce just to have for my Greek yogurt and top with a little bit of granola for my morning meal!

The recipe (slightly adapted by me) comes from Cooking Light Magazine. The magazine that inspired this group's supper club years ago! Be sure to read what the rest of the Virtual Supper Club as their "April Fool" go share with you today!

Jerry – A Life, Lived - Spicy Shrimp and Grits

Sandi – Whistlestop Cafe - Appetizers/Hors d’Oeuvres – Creamy Baked Eggs with Asparagus and Pecorino

Val – More than Burnt Toast - Chicken BLT Salad

Sarah – Zucchini Boats with Basil Mousse

Strawberry-Rhubarb Trifle

Slightly adapted from Cooking Light Magazine
Published 04/01/2015

Angel Food Cake layered with fresh strawberry slices, slightly sweet and tangy rhubarb sauce and homemade custard cream all topped with creamy whipped topping!

Ingredients

For the Custard:
2 cups reduced fat milk
1/3 cup sugar, divided
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 large egg
3 large egg yolks
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Rhubarb Sauce:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cranberry sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (12 ounce) package frozen rhubarb, thawed and undrained
Remaining ingredients:
1- 15 ounce prebaked angel food cake, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 pound strawberries, sliced
2 cups reduced fat frozen whipped topping, thawed

Instructions

To make the custard: Heat milk, 3 tablespoons sugar, salt in a heavy bottom saucepan and heat until bubbles just form around the edge of the saucepan. Whisk egg and remaining 2-1/2 tablespoons of sugar, cornstarch, egg and egg yolks until smooth. Gradually whisk in 1 cup hot milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Whisk egg yolk/milk mixture back into the hot milk mixture, stirring constantly. Cook over medium low heat until thick and bubbly (about 4 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Place in a bowl and cover top of pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.
To make the Rhubarb Sauce, place 1/4 cup sugar, cranberry juice, salt and unthawed frozen rhubarb with the liquid in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes or until rhubarb breaks down and mixture thickens. Cool to room temperature.
I used individual trifle bowls to serve my dessert however you can also make this as 1 large trifle. Layer the dessert as follows. Begin with cake, place strawberries around edge and over top of cake. Spoon rhubarb sauce over the strawberries. Spoon custard over rhubarb. Repeat layers 2 more times. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Spread whipped topping over top just prior to serving.

Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 45 mins.

Cook time: 04 hrs. 45 mins.
Total time: 4 hrs. 90 mins.
Tags: strawberry, rhubarb, trifle, custard, cake, dessert, cooking light, spring desserts, easter

Baked Chocolate Mocha Doughnuts

2015-03-27T05:30:00.000-04:00

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and it's advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #McCafeMyWay #CollectiveBias

A chocolate baked doughnut enhanced with McCafé Colombian Coffee and then dipped in a chocolate mocha glaze for that double chocolate mocha effect creating a drool worthy treat to enjoy with your morning cup!

Do you have a friend who will do anything to help you out no matter what? Are you that kind of friend? I have to admit that I am probably one of those lucky people who has a friend like that. I met her when we first moved to Albany 4-1/2 years ago and have been best of friends ever since. Because of the time of day that we would meet up, I must admit, that we have always been the friends who have a glass of wine together, but, if I didn't have to get up and go to the office on a daily basis, I bet we would have been that morning cup of coffee friends too because we both love our coffee! Jill faithfully babysits our three kitties whenever Grumpy and I have to be away from home for more than a full day. She talks to them like they are her own kitties and I know she gives them a lot of treats and they certainly love her right back! Because Jill is so special to us, I decided that I was going to treat her to doughnuts and some McCafé Colombian Coffee
.

I am a pretty picky girl when it comes to my coffee. I like a medium to dark roast best. What is funny is that I never was a "real" coffee drinker until I met Grumpy. After we started living together I had to put to use that coffee pot that I usually only pulled out when Dad was around. I remember many evenings on the front porch with a hot cup of cappuccino and Grumpy and every morning since we've been together has been a fresh brewed cup or two of coffee.

When I found the McCafé coffee made with 100% Arabica Beans in my local Wal-mart I decided that I was going to have to give it a try. I will admit, the packaging certainly attracted me, however, my affection of coffee, the fact that there were 8 different flavors made me decide I just had to try it! Kind of funny how that works isn't it? However even better, the coffee sold me once I tried it. I picked out two bags, one of the Colombian (medium to dark roast) and a French Vanilla. Every once in a while Grumpy will like a flavored coffee and French Vanilla is always his choice.

I found my McCafé Coffee in the same aisle you would find the tea, hot cocoa and creamer at my local Wal-Mart.

The McCafé Coffee also comes in coffee pods which would be my choice for my friend Jill's gift! Because Jill loves our kitties so much and is such a great friend for taking care of them for us, I thought it would be great to put together a gift basket that included some McCafé Coffee Pods for her the next time we visited.

After I came home with my coffee the first thing I thought of was doughnuts! I absolutely love my Mom's Fry Cakes but because I don't care to deep fry too often, I tend to bake my doughnuts. I started thinking dark chocolate baked doughnuts enhanced with the Colombian coffee I had just bought. I also thought about how dark and delicious Nanny's Mayonnaise Cake was and how I could perhaps make some baked doughnuts that combined the coffee and mayonnaise with the chocolate to get this wonderful deep, dark chocolate doughnut. I am very happy to say that I succeeded and the result was exactly what I was looking for and perfect to go with that cup of McCafé Coffee!

Watch this pretty cool animation of my process in making the doughnuts!

What would you do for your best friend who would go above and beyond to do something for you?

Baked Chocolate Mocha Doughnuts

By Shelby Law Ruttan
Published 03/27/2015

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
3 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons coffee
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze ingredients:
2 tablespoons brewed McCafé Colombian Coffee
2 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1-2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and spray a doughnut baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Mix flour through salt together to combine. Add milk, mayonnaise, coffee, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until smooth.
Fill each doughnut cavity 1/2 full with batter and bake 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool doughnuts in pan for 5 minutes, then remove to cooling rack.
Assemble glaze by stirring together coffee, milk, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth and of dipping consistency. Add more powdered sugar or milk as needed.
Dip doughnuts top half in glaze then sit back on cookie rack to allow to dry. Top with sprinkles if desired.

Yield: 1 dozen
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 14 mins.
Total time: 29 mins.
Tags: chocolate, coffee, doughnuts, baking, dessert, snack, breakfast, brunch, mocha

Lemon-Strawberry Chia Seed Muffins

2015-03-21T12:23:00.000-04:00

An egg-free muffin flavored with Lemon and Strawberries and the added benefit of white whole wheat flour and Chia Seeds! This Lemon-Strawberry Chia Seed Muffin is low-carb, low sugar, and absolutely delicious!

Did you know that Chia Seeds were good for diabetics? I knew they were good for you in general, full of omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins, but I did not realize that they also help the body to regulate carbohydrates. Once the seeds are ingested, they form a barrier in the stomach which in turn slows the ingestion of sugar in the bloodstream. Another benefit is continued energy, not just a burst! This is great news for me to have come across for Grumpy's sake!

After learning this, I decided that Grumpy needed to get over his chia seed aversion and it started with these muffins!

I look so forward to the Diabetic Living magazine showing up on my nook and the most recent issue had this recipe in it. Usually, when I get my magazine, the first thing I do is go through it and bookmark recipes I find interesting and that I want to try. It had only been a couple of days since the magazine showed up on my bookshelf and I couldn't wait any longer, I had to make these delicious muffins!

This recipe calls for ground Chia seeds. Grumpy is always telling me that he thinks my Chia seeds are disgusting. So another plus to this recipe was he would't know there were chia seeds in the muffins! I ground the seeds in my coffee grinder which made it very easy. Chia Seeds thicken and gel up when added with wet ingredients and when I was mixing all of the liquid together, it kind of made me think of an egg the way the seeds got jelly like in the mixture and it likely acted as the binding agent since these muffins are also egg free.

I also would suggest with the arrival of spring and spring ingredients that you add some rhubarb to this mixture or top the muffin with a little rhubarb jam or sauce!

Lemon-Strawberry Chia Seed Muffins
slightly adapted from Diabetic Living Magazine

Ingredients

2 tablespoons ground chia seeds
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup fat free milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup whole oats
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Truvia Brown Sugar Blend
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1/2 cup chopped strawberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium sized mixing bowl, Stir together Chia seeds, water, fat free milk, canola oil, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
In another medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together white whole wheat flour, whole oats, Truvia Brown Sugar Blend, baking powder, and grated lemon peel.
Add flour mixture to chia seed mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in Strawberries.
Divide between muffin tins and bake for 15-18 minutes.

Yield: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 18 mins.
Total time: 38 mins.

Nutrition

Calories: 144
Totalcarbs: 19
Dietaryfiber: 2
Fat: 6

Tags: eating healthy, heart healthy, chia seed, lemon, strawberries, Diabetic Friendly, Diabetic recipe, Low Carb, Low Sugar, Muffins, Breakfast, Brunch, Snack,

Cookie Butter Crispy Creme Bars

2015-03-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CrispyIsBack #CollectiveBias

A brownie/oatmeal base, smothered in chocolate cookie butter and topped with a cookie butter creme, decorated prettily with M&M's® Crispy! These Cookie Butter Crispy Creme Bars are a mouthful of comfort with the chewy base and creamy fudge like cookie butter cream combination and the M&M's® Crispy give them that crunch factor!

Do you remember the M&M's® Crispy? I know I do and I am super happy they are back! There were two reasons I love this M&M's® product. I love the crispy part and I loved the fact I could have a candy that was a lower calorie per snack bag (only 180 calories per serving!) and I could have a treat that wouldn't dig into my calorie allotment for the day too deep.

I have to tell you that these M&M's® caused a slight altercation between Grumpy and me. Yup, we had a little bit of an unsettling moment between us because of them. I made my recipe more than once. That meant I needed more than one bag around the house. See that jar full of candy in the photo above? I filled that jar and happily left if for Grumpy to munch on while I was at my Food Blog Conference. You would have thought that would have been enough for him. I bet you can guess where I am going with this, right? A food blogger's worst nightmare is finding a product or finished recipe gone before they can make the recipe or photograph the final product. I had that nightmare last weekend as I prepared to do a final run of my recipe! I went to the pantry where I had put the bag of M&M's® Crispy only to find that there was only about a cup of them left in the bag! Bad, bad Grumpy. I have a feeling that won't happen again any time soon! Being a seasoned blogger, he knows that for the most part, certain items are "untouchable" until I say so. I think the fact he tasted the candy the week before, "thought" I was done baking, and liked the candy, well, I guess I can't entirely blame him for digging in!

Two rules that should always be enforced in a food blogger home: 1.)Never do you ever eat anything without asking first and 2.) Hide whatever you don't want someone to find and sneak into on you! The effect of following those two rules? Nobody, and I mean nobody has to have any tears over the situation and yes. I did cry. I'm not ashamed to admit it. I only had enough left to make this recipe and no snacking for me while I was doing it. Do you have any idea how much that hurt? Oh, that was so hard to do!

That said, I have to say that when I saw that my local Walmart had a big M&M's® display back in their candy aisle, I about went crazy. Everything we love and want in one spot! Grumpy's favorite choices have always been the almond and peanut, where mine has always been the crispy choice. I have a feeling after the "situation" I just told you about that Grumpy loves those crispy one just about as much as I do! I think when we go out shopping next weekend I may have to stockpile and "hide".

I found my M&M's® Crispy in a big display in the candy aisle at my local Walmart

I was in a mood for something chocolate, chewy, creamy and crunchy. I was inspired by a few different recipes I had seen on the internet and came up with this particular outcome. A bottom layer made with chocolate, chocolate cookie butter, and oatmeal as the main flavors. I then spread some chocolate cookie butter over the bottom layer when it was nice and hot (so it would melt) and let it cool for my final part of the recipe - the creamy, fudge like (uncooked) cookie butter layer.

Need to slip the finished product out of the pan to cut into perfect squares? No problem! I used both a ceramic baking dish and a glass baking dish in testing of this recipe. I only sprayed with cooking spray and these bars slid out very easily when I wanted to cut them. They need to be completely cooled and sit a few hours after completion of the entire recipe, so if you can wait that long, you can cut them just like I did!

What would you do with these M&M's® Crispy? Would you create a recipe with them or would you be tempted to just eat them out of the bag (like Grumpy did!). I would tend to do both! If your looking for more great ideas for recipes or party ideas with M&M's® Crispy be sure to check out their social hub!

Optional ingredient suggestions: If you do not have or can't find chocolate cookie butter or regular cookie butter, feel free to use a hazelnut spread or regular peanut butter in place of cookie butter in my recipe. I'm sure the results will be just as tasty!

Cookie Butter Crispy Creme Bars

Ingredients

Cookie Base
1-1/2 cup whole oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup chocolate swirled cookie butter plus 1/3 cup for spreading on baked dough
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup toffee bits
Creme Base
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup regular cookie butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup (or more if "someone" hasn't eaten them on you!) M&M's® Crispy
Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and toffee bits. Set aside
In another medium mixing bowl, mix together the butter, cookie butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla extract until creamy.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mixed until well combined.
Press the cookie base into the bottom of your 9x13 pan covering the entire bottom of pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately spread with 1/3 cup of chocolate cookie butter. Set aside and let cool completely.
Make the creme base by mixing together the butter, cookie butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract until well combined and creamy. Gradually add the flour to the butter mixture mixing well until thoroughly combined. Spread creme base over top of cookie base.
Decorate with M&M's® Crispy and drizzle with melted cookie butter (about 2 tablespoons can be melted in the microwave up to 1-1/2 minutes).
Cut bars into small squares and serve. Store in airtight container.

Makes 36 bars.

Jello Poke Cake for #SundaySupper

2015-03-08T06:44:00.000-04:00

An easy way to make an elegant retro recipe dessert using white cake mix drizzled with Black Cherry and Lime Jello over each round of cake. The jello seeps down into the poke holes in the cake making the pretty design, the end result frosted with Cool Whip for a super easy and pretty dessert that impresses!

Want to learn how to make the perfect poke holes for your cake? Be sure to read on to find out my secret!

This week's #SundaySupper Event is being hosted by Heather of Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks

Jello Poke Cake was a really popular recipe when I was a young girl in the 70's. It seems Jello itself was a huge ingredient back in the day! My mom made this cake, my Nanny made it and Grumpy tells me his mom it also. I have a feeling that back in the "day" there weren't too many homes that didn't have this cake grace their table at one point in time. It also happens to be one of Grumpy's favorite recipes!

To get the desired effect, I suggest that you use the wider end of a chopstick to make your poke holes, and make a lot of them. I would also not "pour" the jello over the cake, I would use a tablespoon and gently spoon it over top, being sure to spoon right over those poke holes so the jello will seep down through them. Just look at those beautiful lines in that cake!

I have never been a big cake mix from a box fan, however, when it comes to making this recipe, I truly recommend it. There is something about the texture of the boxed mix that differs in the way the jello soaks through the cake compared to a homemade cake. Yes my friends, there is a time and place for everything, and the time and place for a cake mix, in my book, is definitely for this recipe.

Be sure to check out the other "Retro Recipe's" for this week's Sunday Supper Event at the end of this post!

Jello Poke Cake

A Retro Recipe
Published 03/08/2015

Easy to make with a white cake mix! Baked into rounds, drizzled with jello and frosted with cool whip!

Ingredients

1 box white cake mix
1 box black cherry jello
1 box lime jello
2 cups hot boiling water
1-8 ounce container cool whip, thawed in refrigerator

Instructions

Make the white cake mix per box instructions, following directions for baking in round cake pans. Let cakes cool completeley. Poke holes in cake using the wide end of a chop stick. Push the chop stick through the cake all the way to the bottom of the cake. Repeat several times on cake layer. Set cakes aside.
Place black cherry jello powder and lime jello powder in two separate mixing bowls. Pour 1 cup hot boiling water over each bowl of jello powder, stirring until jello has dissolved. Let cool slightly (about 10 minutes).
With a tablespoon, spoon the black cherry jello over 1 round of cake and then the lime jello over the second round. Cover cake with plastic wrap and store overnight in the refrigerator to allow jello to set.
At least an hour before serving, layer and frost cake with cool whip. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve. Store any leftovers in refrigerator. The cake will store for several days in the refrigerator.

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 30 mins.

Refrigeration time: 12 hrs. 00 mins.
Total time: 12 hrs. 30 mins.
Tags: retro recipe, jello, cake mix, cool whip, easy recipe

Bodacious Breakfasts and Appetizers:

Classic Chex Party Mix from Peanut Butter and Peppers
Healthy Green Goddess Dip from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
Homemade Doughnuts from Cosmopolitan Cornbread

Made in the Shade Main Dishes:

Bacon Wrapped Individual Meatloaf from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Chicken ala King from Recipes Food and Cooking
Chicken Rice Casserole from Curious Cuisiniere
Chicken in a Basket from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Chicken Parisienne from Carrie's Experimental Kitchen
Chicken Pot Pie from Whole Food | Real Families
Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast from FoodieTots
Creamy Baked Pork Chops from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Individual Beef Wellingtons from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
Mom's Chicken Pot Pie with Cheddar Biscuits from Simply Healthy Family
Mom's Shepherd's Pie from Momma's Meals
Ravioli di Magro from Manu's Menu
Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy from Webicurean
Sweet and Sour Pork Meatballs from Palatable Pastime
Tuna Noodle Casserole from Sew You Think You Can Cook
Uptown Goulash from Family Foodie

Swell Side Dishes:

Creamy Lime Gelatin Salad from Magnolia Days
Harvard Beets from Take A Bite Out Of Boca
Retro Crock Pot Crabby Soup from Seduction in the Kitchen
Roasted Broccoli Cheese Casserole from NeighborFood
Seven Layer Salad from Lifestyle Food Artistry
Wedge Salad from Our Good Life

Dreamy Desserts:

Bananas Foster from The Redhead Baker
Creamsicle Jello Mold from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Frosty Chocolate Dream Bites from Wallflour Girl
Hummingbird Cream Cheese Cookies from Dandelion Greens
Jello Poke Cake from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
Mom's Heath Bar Cake from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
Old Fashioned Banana Pudding from Pies and Plots
One, Two, Three Jello from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Original Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake with No Cook Fudge Frosting from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Pineapple Upside Down Cake from Eat, Drink and be Tracy
Raspberry Crunch from Peaceful Cooking
Tunnel of Fudge Cake from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks

The Bee's Knees Beverages:

Blood Orange Sidecar from Nosh My Way
Crème de Menthe Parfait from Food Lust People Love
Vanilla Bean Old Fashioned from The Texan New Yorker

Sweet and Salty Popcorn Ball Bites #SundaySupper

2015-02-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

These Sweet and Salty Popcorn Ball Bites are the easiest popcorn ball you will ever make, and that is a promise! The caramel is nice and chewy and the salty peanuts, toffee bits, and white chocolate in the recipe put this one at the top of all its competitors in the popcorn ball world. Its really hard to mess this one up and I know because I'm the biggest candy messer-upper of all time!

This week, the Sunday Supper family is celebrating the Oscars with food that will put you in a party mood. Well, when it comes to movies, who doesn't think popcorn? I decided I would make something special with my popcorn, something that always been a favorite of mine since my young days of trick or treating when our neighbor would give us homemade popcorn balls for our treat. This made popcorn balls a special occasion food for me because we never had them any other time when I was growing up.

This week our #SundaySupper event is being hosted by Katie of Ruffles & Truffles

These were so easy. You don't need a candy thermometer, you will just slowly boil the syrup on the stove for 5 minutes, stirring while boiling so it doesn't burn. I think the secret ingredient is the karo syrup and sweetened condensed milk. The latter being the ingredient that made it super successful. You need to let this mixture cool a little bit after pouring over the popcorn because it needs to cool down enough to not melt the white chocolate chips your adding to the mix. I found that after cooling, the chips still melted some, but that wasn't a big deal. They still turned out so yummy I had a hard time leaving them alone!

Be sure to check out the other party foods that the #SundaySupper family is bringing to you this week at the end of this post!

Sweet and Salty Popcorn Ball Bites

By a Cooking Light recipe - slightly adapted
Published 02/22/2015

Sweet, salty, chewy, crunchy all filling your senses with these perfect little bites!

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
5 ounces sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 cups air popped popcorn
1/2 cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

Place popcorn in a large bowl. Set aside until syrup is ready.
Combine butter, sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, add condensed milk and continue to boil for 5 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Pour butter mixture over popcorn and stir gently to coat completely. Set mixture aside to cool about 5 minutes. Toss in peanuts and white chocolate chips.
Scoop out about 1/4 cup measure of popcorn mixture and shape into balls. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Prep Time: 00 hrs. 25 mins.

Total time: 25 mins.

Nominees for Best Supporting Appetizers:

Beef Sliders with Sautéed Mushrooms, Onions, Bleu Cheese and Bacon by Crazy Foodie Stunts
Black and White Olive Cheese Puffs by Peaceful Cooking
Cheddar Olives by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
Chicken Boursin by Recipes Food and Cooking
Citrus Avocado Shrimp Cocktail by Seduction in the Kitchen
French Onion Sliders by Momma's Meals
Herbed Butter and Cheese Popcorn by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
Italian Guacamole with Pesto by Food Done Light
Lobster Bruschetta by The Texan New Yorker
Melon and Prosciutto Skewers by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Mini Cheese Balls by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Moroccan Beef Kefta Briouat by Manu's Menu
Mushroom Pate by Lifestyle Food Artistry
Oysters Rockfeller by Noshing With The Nolands
Pea Pesto Crostini by Ruffles & Truffes
Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp by Casa de Crews
Raspberry Brie Bites by Love and Confections
Roasted Red Pepper Pinwheels by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Smoked Trout Stuffed Baby New Potatoes by Food Lust People Love
Spinach Bites by Shockingly Delicious
Sweet Chili Chicken Skewers by Nosh My Way

Nominees for Best Course in a Leading Role:

Broccoli Calzones by eating in instead
Bow Ties and Tails Galore by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Chicken Oscar by Palatable Pastime
Indulgent Lobster-Champagne Risotto by The Weekend Gourmet
Oscar Worthy Cantonese Lobster with Coconut-Ginger Rice by Confessions of a Culinary Diva

Nominees for Best Supporting Sips:

Apple Ginger Martini by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Blood Orange Rosemary Spritzer by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Cherry Almond Sparklers by Magnolia Days
Iced Espresso Martini by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
Mixed Berry Martini by The Messy Baker
Oscartini by Family Foodie
Red Carpet Sparkler by Rhubarb and Honey
Thank You Peary Much by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Nominees for Best Delectable Desserts:

7-Layer Bark by Take A Bite Out of Boca
Caramel-Almond Latte Ricotta Cookies by What Smells So Good?
Champagne Truffles by Brunch with Joy
Chocolate Covered Cherries by Peanut Butter and Peppers
Decadent Flourless Brownies by Recipe for Perfection
Edible Oscars Envelopes by Sunday Supper Movement
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Crumble Peanut Butter Mousse Parfait Cups by Wallflour Girl
Imitation Game Guinness Brownies by NinjaBaker.com
Mini Strawberry Galette by Basic N Delicious
Mini Strawberry & Chocolate Cheesecakes by Happy Baking Days
No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake Shooters by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Popcorn Puppy Chow by Pies and Plots
Sweet and Salty Popcorn Ball Bites by The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
Tuxedo Cake by The Redhead Baker

Nominees for Best Dressed Table:

DIY Glitter Vases by Sunday Supper Movement

Cherry-Blueberry Trifle for #SundaySupper

2015-02-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

I love it when I make a recipe that tastes great and is healthy for you too. This Cherry-Blueberry Trifle fits the bill for both of those aspects! The creamy vanilla flavored yogurt with just the right amount of sweetness combined with the fruit and crunchy nuts and just a couple little ladyfingers fill that craving for a dessert without killing that diet!

This week the folks over at #SundaySupper are presenting you with Heart Healthy Recipes in honor of American Heart Month. Thank you to Ethel of eating in instead and Lori of Foxes Love Lemons for hosting this week.

Please note the information below is what research I have done on the health benefits of the ingredients I used and my interpretation of these benefits. All thoughts and opinions in this post are my own and are the reason I choose to include these foods in my diet.

Blueberries happen to be my favorite fruit and you really couldn't choose a better one for your health either as far as I am concerned! They are rich in antioxidants, a good source of fiber and vitamin C as well as good for your memory. Lord knows I can use all the help I can get with my memory!

Cherries are right up there with blueberries on my likeness factor! As a little girl I was always happy if there was cherry pie around. Cherries are linked to lowering risk factors to heart disease and are also related to reducing inflammation, cholesterol, and belly fat!

I absolutely love Greek yogurt and am happy to know that it is one of the best healthy foods I am eating. It is an excellent source of calcium and protein. Two of the nutrients I track daily!

Nuts can be tricky, but eaten in moderation they are great for your health. The fats you get from nuts are unsaturated fats which is the better for you fat and may lower cholesterol.

It is my opinion that this trifle is not just for dessert. Hey, Grumpy and I ate this for breakfast! I love the thick creamy yogurt combined with the fruits and ladyfingers. It is probably a good thing this only made two because I probably would have overindulged and ate more than one for breakfast that day.

It has been my goal since the beginning of the year to track my nutrition, to drop some pounds, to exercise more and to be healthier. Knowing that I can have a treat like this gives me that feeling of satisfaction and I'm not craving the bad for you treats! I'm doing great, starting to rehab my knee and able to add a little bit of exercise to my routine at this point in time. Hopefully within the next few weeks I can be back to a normal exercise schedule. It really helps that I am eating healthy even though I am not able to exercise much at this point in time. I have still lost some weight and have been keeping my nutrition plan on point while doing so!

What do you do to treat your heart and health better? Are you following a nutrition plan? (sounds so much better than diet, don't you agree?) Be sure to check out the other Heart Healthy recipes linked up below from the #SundaySupper Family!

Cherry-Blueberry Trifle

Published 02/15/2015

You can use fresh, frozen, or canned cherries for this recipe. Fresh or frozen blueberries work also. I used Canned Dark Morello cherries I found at Trader Joe's. If you don't want to sweeten with splenda, feel free to use a sweetener of your choice. Nutrition counts will be different depending on what you use.

Ingredients

1 cup non-fat greek yogurt
4 teaspoons splenda
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup blueberries
3/4 cup cherries
6 lady fingers, cut into thirds
1/2 tablespoon splenda brown sugar
2 teaspoons chopped roasted pecans

Instructions

Toss blueberries and cherries with the 1/2 tablespoon splenda brown sugar. Set aside.
Mix yogurt, 4 teaspoons splenda, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until well combined.
Place approximately 1/4 cup fruit in bottom of trifle bowl. Top fruit with approximately 2 tablespoons yogurt mixture. Layer with lady fingers.
Repeat layers topping with the last bit of yogurt. Cover and refrigerate up to 12 hours.
Prior to serving, sprinkle each parfait with 1 teaspoon pecan pieces.

Yield: 2 mini trifles
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.

Refrigeration time: 12 hrs. 00 mins.
Total time: 12 hrs. 15 mins.

Nutrition

Calories: 288
Fat: 4
Totalcarbs: 48
Dietaryfiber: 2
Protein: 14
WW Points Plus: 7
Nutrition facts calculated using MyFitnessPal.com

Tags: cherries, blueberries, pecans, yogurt, greek yogurt, dessert, snack, trifle #SundaySupper, heart healthy, healthy eating, WW Points Plus

Better for you breakfasts:

Apple Pie Oatmeal by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Scones by Brunch with Joy
Create-Your-Own Overnight Oatmeal by Rhubarb and Honey
Orange, Mango, Lime & Ginger Smoothie by The Wimpy Vegetarian
Pear Bran Muffins by Magnolia Days
Stovetop Fruit & Honey Granola by What Smells So Good?

Jump start your health with these appetizers and snacks:

Almond Crusted Chicken Nuggets by Momma's Meals
Chipotle Black Bean Dip by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
Lemon Aioli with Spring Vegetables by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
Mala Baked Tofu Bites by Palatable Pastime
Parmesan Pistachio Kale Chips by The Texan New Yorker

Soups that'll win your heart:

Asian Soba Noodle Broth Bowl by Hip Foodie Mom
Kale, Spinach, and Bean Soup by Ruffles & Truffles
Mushroom Quinoa Soup by Pies and Plots
Quinoa Chickpea Soup with Roasted Garlic & Veggies by Sue's Nutrition Buzz
Turkey and Black-Eyed Peas Soup by Cindy's Recipes and Writings

Veggies, Sides, & Salads your heart will thank you for:

Collard Greens with Cumin and Paprika by Nik Snacks
Salmon Caesar Salad by Casa de Crews
Kale Roasted Beet Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing by Noshing with the Nolands
Lightened-Up Creamed Spinach au Gratin by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Roasted Teriyaki Green Beans and Mushrooms by NeighborFood
Salmon Salad Niçoise by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Seasoned Spinach & Bok Choy by Nosh My Way
Spinach Berry Salad by Country Girl in the Village
Sweet & Smokey Cauliflower Salad by Take a Bite Out of Boca
Winter Citrus Salad with Avocado-Basil Dressing by Foxes Love Lemons

Healthy is the center of attention in these main courses:

Baked Eggplant Parmesan by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
Celeriac Noodles with Mushroom Ragu by The Joyful Foodie
Gluten Free Roasted Chicken and Kale by Gluten Free Crumbley
Heart Healthy Salmon Bento by The Ninja Baker
Lemony Grilled Chicken by Peaceful Cooking
Moroccan Salmon Tagine by Curious Cuisiniere
Olive Oil-Poached Salmon with Pickled Cherry Salsa by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
One Pot Mexican Quinoa by Have Fun Saving
Oven Baked Tilapia Tacos by Sew You Think You Can Cook
Piperies Yemistes me Pligouri - Bulgur Stuffed Peppers by Food Lust People Love
Salmon with Mango Salsa by Cooking Chat
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Quinoa Bake by Food Done Light
Vegetable and Ginger Congee by eating in instead
Vegetarian Cuban-Style Black Beans & Rice by MealDiva
White Bean, Corn, Tomato and Rice Skillet by Family Foodie

Staying healthy doesn't mean giving up desserts!

Baked Figs with Vanilla and Honey by Happy Baking Days
Caramelized Pear Tart by PancakeWarriors
Cherry-Blueberry Trifles by The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch

We heart wine.

Wine Pairing Recommendations for Heart Healthy #SundaySupper by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Chocolate Dipped Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies

2015-02-10T07:55:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I get this craving for a good old fashioned Homemade Peanut Butter Cookie and today I have dipped them in chocolate for you! Ok, well I made them for me too. I love a chewy center, crispy around the edge cookie and dipping it in chocolate took these over the top. After all, chocolate and peanut butter naturally go together! These would be great as a special Valentine gift for the one you love.

This time my peanut butter and chocolate craving wasn't going to be satisfied with one of those candy bars. You know what I mean! I needed something homemade that gave me that good comforting feeling and nostalgia. I always think of my Nanny when I have a homemade cookie and remember the cookie box she kept in her cupboard and in the one she kept as a back up stash in her freezer!

Someday, hopefully I will have grandchildren who will visit me and I can share my love of baking cookies with them and they will remember me for having cookies stashed away just for them too :) For now I'll settle with my own children visiting and having treats for them in the meantime.

Do you have special memories attached to food that you always think about when you have a certain recipe?

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup Crisco
1 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
Dark Chocolate Candy Wafers for dipping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a small bowl mix flour, soda, and salt. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer, mix Crisco, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy. Mix in vanilla.
With a mixing spoon, stir in flour mixture.
Set in refrigerator approximately 1 hour. Portion cookies using small cookie scoop. Roll dough into balls, then roll in granulated sugar. Place sugar coated dough balls on cookie sheet about 1" apart. Press with tines of a fork to make crisscross design.
Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 1-2 minutes before moving cookies to cooling rack.
When cookies have cooled, melt dipping chocolate per package instructions. Dip a portion of the cookie in the chocolate and place cookie on cookie sheet lined with wax paper to cool. Immediately sprinkle with sprinkles if desired.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 01 hrs. 20 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Total time: 1 hrs. 30 mins.
Tags: chocolate, Cookies, heart, Love, peanut butter, Valentine,

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf Muffins

2015-02-09T00:00:00.002-05:00

These Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf Muffins are low in fat and calories, high in lean protein (venison), and super tasty! An easy recipe to add to your dinner rotation and the leftovers are great for sandwiches the next day (provided you have any)!

This recipe makes 9 meatloaf muffins. I use ground venison so the nutrition facts are for venison, however, if you prefer to use beef or turkey that would work with this recipe however the nutrition facts would change. We always have a good supply of venison in our freezer, thanks to Grumpy and his awesome hunting skills!

Venison is usually my first choice for a red meat and I choose it over beef any day! That's saying a lot considering when I was a little girl I did not like the ground venison that my mom would use in recipes. My dad was a hunter too and I remember many Thanksgivings where dad, my uncle and all the boys (my brothers and cousins) would go out hunting on Thanksgiving mornings. I found out once I married Grumpy that the reason I like his venison is because he has his mixed with a ratio of pork, adding another layer of flavor and a little added fat to all that lean venison meat! Because my mom did not eat pork, my dad did not have it added to his ground venison.

Grumpy loved this recipe. He even commented that he liked it better than my regular meatloaf recipe in my loaf pan! However, he did not admit this until he came out to the kitchen, picked one of the meatloaf muffins up, looked at me and said "these were terrible," then shoved a big bite into his mouth and continued with bad manners to talk with his mouth full stating "never make these again!" Ha ha! Gotta love his way of telling me he loves something.

These Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf Muffins will be making it in our regular meal rotation plan. I love the fact that they are so high in protein per serving (37 grams!). Definitely give these a try, even if you don't use venison, I'm sure you will love them too!

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf Muffins

By Shelby Law Ruttan

If you do not like game meat or have access to it, feel free to substitute lean ground beef or turkey. Nutrition counts will vary with substitution.

Ingredients

1/2 pound ground venison
2 pickle slices, diced
2 tablespoons pickle juice
1/2 cup onion, chopped fine
2 slices light bread (90 calories for 2 slices)
1 egg, large
3/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 slices pre-cooked thick cut bacon (such as Oscar Meyer), cut into 18 pieces

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Prep muffin tin by spraying 9 cups with cooking spray.
Mix together ground meat, pickle slices, pickle juice, onion, bread, egg and cheese until well combined.
Fill muffin cup with approximately 1/2 cup of meatloaf mixture and press down to pack well.
Place 1 teaspoon ketchup atop of each meatloaf muffin and top with each muffin with 2 pieces of bacon.
Bake 30-40 minutes or until internal temperature of meat is 160 degrees.

Yield: 3 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 40 mins.
Total time: 60 mins.

Nutrition

Calories: 172
Fat: 10
Totalcarbs: 14
Dietaryfiber: 2
Protein: 37
WW Points Plus: 7

Pimento Cheese Tea Sandwiches

2015-02-04T07:01:00.000-05:00

This month the Virtual Supper Club is taking a trip to the Oscars. I chose to represent one of my favorite movies of all time, The Help. While I would have loved to made,eaten, and shared with you an amazing recipe for Fried Chicken or a Chocolate Pie, alas, I had to go with something that would not kill my diet. These Pimento Cheese Tea Sandwiches were just the right bite and a southern favorite for sure!

My Aunt Ann and I went to watch "The Help" when the movie was out in theaters. We never laughed nor cried so much at one movie so much. It was a perfect afternoon movie date with my Aunt and the movie really was heart touching to me. When Minny brought that Chocolate Pie to Miss Hilly and watched her eat it and then promptly told her what to eat, I about died laughing! If you haven't seen this movie, then I highly recommend you watch it!

The rest of the Virtual Supper Club members are bringing you some really delicious treats relating to their favorite movies also! Be sure to check them all out!

Jerry of A Life, Lived chose the movie "Into the Woods" with our soup course of North Woods Bean Soup.

Sarah of All Our Fingers in the Pie brought us Pigonau Fermier aux Epices Douces based on the French cuisine of the movie "The One Hundred Foot Journey."

Sandi of The Whistlestop Cafe Cooking with a side dish of Fontal Polenta with Sautéed Mushrooms. honoring "Eat, Pray, Love."

Val of More than Burnt Toast chose the movie "The Queen" and brought to our table our dessert of Cranberry-Orange Trifle and beverage of Pimm's Cup.

Pimento Cheese Tea Sandwiches

adapted from Cooking Light
Published 02/04/2015

Ingredients

1 tablespoon bottled diced pimentos, drained
1/2 tablespoon grated peeled shallots
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 ounces 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese
3/4 ounce freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 slices light whole wheat bread

Instructions

Mix pimentos thru parmesan cheese together until well combined. Spread 3 tablespoon on 1 slice of bread, cover with 2nd slice. Repeat with other two slices.
Cut crusts from sandwiches then cut sandwiches into triangles.

Yield: 2 sandwiches
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.

Total time: 10 mins.

Nutrition

Calories: 245
Fat: 12
Totalcarbs: 19
Protein: 19
Dietaryfiber: 5
WW Points Plus: 7

Tags: cheese, pimento, sandwiches, tea sandwiches, virtual supper club, lunches, snacks

Easy Fudge Brownie Pops

2015-02-02T07:24:00.001-05:00

A Fudgy Brownie Pop coated in chocolate and walnuts and diet friendly! This recipe was so quick and easy to make and the brownie recipe is one of the best brownie recipes I have come across. These would be a great way to get romantic with chocolate on Valentine's day and show the one you love just how much you do with all your heart!

The brownie itself would be great to eat just as brownies rather than the pop if you decided you didn't want to go the extra effort, but I promise you, the extra effort is worth it! This was the easiest pop recipe I have ever made. I was happy with how the balls formed and didn't break when dipping in the chocolate. That has been such a pain in the past for me and part of the reason I don't make cake pops often. With this recipe however, I feel you cannot go wrong! These would be a great treat wrapped up as a valentine for your loved one!

When I first saw the recipe for these in the November 2014 issue of Cooking Light magazine, I knew that I would make them. A "healthier" recipe for a brownie pop? Oh yeah! Not only better for you calorie and fat wise, they were so darned cute, how could I not make them! I ~~promptly~~ "last minute charlie'd" a batch of these pops to ship off to Christopher and his girlfriend M and her little girl at Christmas. It made my heart melt to have M send me a photo of her daughter taking a bite of one of these pops!

These pops can lend themselves to so many different ways of coating them. These would be a unique and cool treat to send with your child to give as Valentines at school and instead of walnuts (since so many have allergies) you can use toffee bits or sprinkles! You would be the coolest mom in the class! Don't like dark chocolate swap out the dark chocolate coating for milk or white chocolate coating. The size of this brownie pop is quite impressive and all for just 155 calories and just under 7 grams of fat per serving. If your counting points these are just 4 weight watcher points plus! I will definitely make these again. I love being able to give awesome treats that are not devastating to the diet and that I can have a little of also.

How would you decorate these adorable pops?

Easy Fudge Brownie Pops

By Cooking Light (Nov 2014 issue) with slight adaptations
Published 02/02/2015

The recipe originally calls for using the same bittersweet chocolate for coating. Since I have issues with even, smooth coating when making pops, I found a candy coating made by Giradelli that is smooth and so easy to use when dipping pops! If you can find this, I highly recommend it!

Ingredients

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg plus 1 large egg white
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
cooking spray
1-1/2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
16 lollipop sticks
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts, toffee bits or sprinkles
1/2 cup candy coating, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Combine bittersweet chocolate and butter in microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 30 second, or until mixture melts, stirring after 15 seconds. Add sugar, vanilla, egg, and egg white, mixing until well blended.
Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup leveling with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt and add to chocolate mixture, stirring until just blended. Spoon batter into 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cool completely in dish.
Crumble cooled brownies and place in a food processor. Process into fine crumbs. Add corn syrup and process until mixture forms a ball. Scoop brownie mixture using tablespoon (1 brownie pop = 2 tablespoons mixture). Roll into a ball. Insert stick into center of each ball. Place brownie pop in freezer for up to 30 minutes.
Place candy coating in microwaveable bowl and microwave per package instructions. Dip pops into melted chocolate and dredge in nuts or desired coating. Refrigerate until set.
Nutrition information calculated using MyFitnessPal.com recipe builder. My calculations differ from Cooking Light due to changes made in the recipe. Points Plus calculated using Weight Watcher's online calculator.

Yield: 16 pops
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 30 mins. (includes mixing, shaping, and dipping time)

Cook time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.
Total time: 50 mins.

Nutrition

Calories: 183
Fat: 5
Totalcarbs: 33
Dietaryfiber: 0
Protein: 2
WW Points Plus: 5

Tags: chocolate, brownie, cake pops, valentine, walnuts, cooking light, WW Points Plus, eating healthy, party food, Walnut,

Open-Face Elvis Sandwich - lightened up!

2015-01-29T07:31:00.000-05:00

I was craving peanut butter and bacon. I had some bananas that were not "too" ripe just yet and had recently purchased Bobby Deen's new cookbook where he shared an Open Face Elvis Sandwich. My craving for that salty, sweet, creamy, and crunchy mouth comfort was about to be fulfilled, all without killing my diet!

I have faithfully been tracking my nutrition since the beginning of the year as well as tracking my activity. While my activity hasn't been high due to my knee problem, I hope it will be getting better within the next few weeks! I've been home recovering from a new procedure done on the knee called Subchrondoplasty so being home when food is readily available can at times be challenging. I admit I easily ate 10 Hershey Hugs one afternoon recently, and could have eaten more but forced myself to stop. The secret to not doing that is to first of all, not have it in your house, however if you must, then the next best solution (if you must have chocolate stash) is to not even have one to begin with if you know you can't stop at just one!

Right now I have a lot of time on my hands, but not a lot of ability to move. So, when these cravings hit me, I must find a way to do it and make it fit in my own personal nutrition plan and likes. I have to say I did this and not only was I satisfied with my breakfast, I was under 400 calories and that included my orange! While its true that loaded up sandwiches look absolutely delicious, its also true that sometimes less can be better. I think that probably that is the case with this sandwich. If you haven't tried this combination, I highly recommend it. The salty, smoky bacon contrast with the nutty peanut butter, creamy banana and sweet hit of broiled and crystallized brown sugar is a perfect solution to satisfaction and extremely comforting!

Bobby Deen uses low-fat peanut butter in his recipe, I do not. If you were to open my fridge, you would see that I do not buy much that is low-fat or no-fat unless it's yogurt and sometimes cream cheese. I don't like the taste of low-fat condiments in any way whatsoever, the biggest exception being cheese. I don't mind low-fat cheeses. Because of this, I make sure to measure what I do use so I can keep control of it. I used Truvia Brown Sugar blend in place of brown sugar and Bobby's recipe calls for regular sugar and went with light bread so I could have two slices rather than regular bread and only one. For the pre-cooked bacon I used Oscar Meyer thick cut. I felt like I was eating more and paying less for it calorie and nutrition wise by making my sandwich this way!

What do you do to make your favorite non-diet friendly recipes diet friendly?

Looking for more diet friendly recipes? Be sure to follow my Weight Watcher Recipe Pinterest Board!

Follow The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch's board Weight Watcher Recipes on Pinterest.

Open-Face Elvis Sandwich

adapted from Bobby Deen
Published 01/28/2015

A breakfast to fill your senses with all that comforts! Salty bacon, crunchy peanut butter, creamy bananas, and sweet brown sugar all for Weight Watcher 9 points plus!

Ingredients

2 slices light whole wheat bread (2 slices = approximately 90 calories)
1/2 medium banana, sliced
1 tablespoon crunchy peanut butter
2 slices fully cooked thick cut bacon (like Oscar Meyer)
1 teaspoon Truvia Brown Sugar Blend

Instructions

Place oven rack in center of oven and turn oven to broil on high.
Spread 1/2 tablespoon peanut butter on 1 slice of bread. Repeat with other slice. Evenly distribute banana over both slices.
Microwave bacon 15 seconds. Cut into smaller pieces and place 1 slice bacon over each slice of bread. Sprinkle each slice of bread with 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
Broil 2-3 minutes or until bread begins to toast and brown sugar begins to bubble. Do not leave unattended while cooking.

Yield: 1 serving
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 03 mins.
Total time: 8 mins.

Nutrition

Calories: 310
Totalcarbs: 41
Fat: 14
Protein: 16
Dietaryfiber: 8

Tags: banana, bacon, peanut butter, sandwiches, breakfast, snack,

Cherry Oroblanco Martini

2015-01-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

Cherries, chocolate, romance, those are things I think of when I think of Valentine Day. This year I decided to create a drink for this special day. Something with a little tart and little sweet. While I didn't add chocolate to the drink, you certainly could give it a drizzle inside the glass before pouring!

I received product from Frieda's Specialty Produce. Some of this product was used in the making of this recipe. I was not required to blog about their product and all opinions are soley my own.

I do believe I created the perfect beverage to celebrate our Valentine Day! Its hard to believe I am on my 8th Valentine celebration since I began blogging! My first Valentine after I started blogging was in 2009. That year Grumpy really surprised me and put a necklace in his lunchbox for me to find! Every Valentine day with Grumpy has been very special even the years we didn't do anything. However, I will never forget the year he bought me an iPod and wrapped the package up in duct tape!

Since we bought our home last year, we had a huge chain of events that really turned our life upside down. Grumpy lost his job. The job that brought us to the area we are living in, away from both of our families and the kids. Grumpy was devastated and me, I was angry. Angry that we were brought 4 hours away from our home and families and I left a job of 14 years only to 4 years later let him go.

One of my followers who writes resume's for a living offered to do Grumpy's resume and we took her up on it. We contribute her participation in his job search to a large part of his success in finding a job. Grumpy went from feeling like a failure to being wanted by 3 different companies at the same time. What major flux of emotions that went on in our home since last June! We've had a lot of other things going on, but the job loss was the one that was the most devastating. Seeing him go to the lowest low when he lost his job was so hard to do. I'm so happy that other's saw the potential in him and wanted him badly enough to feel very disappointed when he had to make his decision and tell some of his offers no. We never knew that would be such a hard thing to do! Thankfully we are on track for a better future for us both now and this Valentine's Day we can just stay home and spend special time together. I look forward to many more Valentine's Day celebrations with my Grumpy. He definitely has my heart for the long term :)

Looking for more Valentine Recipes and Ideas? Be sure to follow my pinterest board!

Follow The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch's board Valentine Recipes and Ideas on Pinterest.

Cherry Oroblanco Martini

Published 01/26/2015

Ingredients

2 ounces vodka
2 ounces oroblanco juice
1 ounces marachino cherry juice
1 ounce triple sec
ice

Instructions

Place ice in beverage shaker. Pour vodka, oroblanco juice, and maraschino cherry juice in over ice. Shake well. Strain into martini glass and drop a cherry or two in the glass. Garnish with oroblanco and maraschino cherries.

Yield: 1 beverage
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.

Total time: 5 mins.

Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti made with Truvia® Baking Blend and served with Earl Grey Bigelow Tea

2015-01-19T10:39:00.001-05:00

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SweetWarmUp #CollectiveBias

Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti made with Truvia® Baking Blend and a steamy cup of Bigelow Earl Gray Tea is my grown up way of enjoying myself while cozied up on my couch with my reading material!

I love it when I am on vacation and have a few days to pamper myself and do what I want. I have always loved to read and always loved to have a snack when I'm doing it! Back in my younger days my friend Tracy and I would read a book and eat candy bars and cheese curls. Yeah, not really the healthiest thing to do! As I've gotten older I have moved to more natural ways to sweeten my reading time incorporating less sugar in my snacking. Savoring this biscotti with my tea while getting into my novel being one of them!

The first time I ever had Bigelow Tea was at my friend Phyllis' home. She had a beverage bar and it included several flavors of Bigelow Tea. My favorite became the Plantation Mint with Earl Gray being a close second! I have continued on with my love of Bigelow Tea by drinking it through out the day at work, a much better alternative than sugar laden soda! Everyone that knows me well at the office, knows I have a drawer full of tea. I'm basically the go to person for just about anything anyone needs in the office, and I'm not just talking job duties!

With Grumpy being diabetic, I like to try to find ways to make recipes that are going to allow me to make it diabetic friendly and using a natural sweetener like Truvia® Baking Blend is a good way to do so. Making smarter choices with my baking by cutting sugars in my baking without losing the taste of the sweet treat is a win/win situation when I can please Grumpy and myself at the same time!

The dark chocolate and almond flavors come through in this cookie with no bitter aftertaste from the sweetener. These biscotti also turned out crunchy, but not break your teeth crunchy.

To get started with my novel adventure, I went to Target and picked up a few boxes of Bigelow Tea and some Truvia® Baking Blend. I even was able to save 10% on my Truvia purchase by using my Cartwheel app! (If you want to try Truvia® before you buy it you can request a free sample.)

Now your ready to get started with your baking! I have to tell you, I absolutely love the convenient pouring spout on the Truvia bag, Not only is it much easier to measure what you want, but you have a much more secure seal to close the bag and not worry about spilling sugar all over.

Get all your ingredients in place.

Mix your wet ingredients

Mix your dry ingredients

Then mix the wet and dry together! My dough was pretty crumbly as you can see, but I was able to pull it all together into logs.

Shape into logs and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.

Give the logs a bath with egg wash then bake.

Once the first baking is done, you will want to take the logs out to cool about 15 minutes. Then slice the logs on a diagonal cut to prep for the second baking.

When second baking is done, cool completely and dip in chocolate (if desired) and enjoy with a good book and cup of Bigelow Earl Gray Tea!

If you would like to connect with Bigelow Tea and Truvia you can do so on their Social Platforms. Bigelow Tea on Twitter, Truvia on Twitter, Bigelow Tea on Facebook, and Truvia on Facebook. You can also follow Truvia on Pinterest and Instagram!

What do you like to do to pamper yourself? Are you incorporating smarter choices in your diet for the new year?

Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti

Published 01/19/2015
recipe adapted from David Lebovitz

Ingredients

2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup Truvia® Baking Blend
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
chocolate candy coating (optional)
1 large egg (for the egg wash)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat the 3 eggs, Truvia® Baking Blend, and almond extract. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients. Mix in the almonds and mini chocolate chips until the dough comes together. Your dough may be a little crumbly. If you think its too crumbly to work with and shape into a log, add another egg.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper and divide dough in half. On lightly floured surface, roll dough into two logs. Transfer to baking sheet, evenly spaced apart.
Gently flatten tops of logs. Beat remaining egg and brush tops of logs liberally with egg. Place in oven and bake 25 minutes, until dough is firm to the touch.
Remove logs from oven and cool 15 minutes. On cutting board, using serrated edge knife, diagonally cut cookies into 1/2 inch slices. Lay cookies cut side down on baking sheet and return to oven for 20 minutes, turning cookies over halfway during baking.
Once baked, cool completely and store in airtight container. If desired, dip half of the cookie in melted chocolate and cool until hardens.

Prep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 40 mins.
Total time: 60 mins.

Roasted Tomato Soup Shooters with Brie Grilled Cheese Bites paired with Sauvignon Blanc

2015-01-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

Roasted Tomato Soup Shooters with Brie Grilled Cheese Bites are a homemade gourmet grilled cheese and soup appetizer recipe filled with flavor. You have sweet, creamy, salty, and crunchy filling your senses for pure satisfaction. Paired with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc puts it right over the top perfect!

For the month of January, the Virtual Supper Club group decided to celebrate "A Late Night Tapas with Beverage Pairing". At first I wanted to make a beverage to go with my tapa but in the end decided that the best drink to serve with these shooters and grilled cheese bites would be a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Tapas, appetizers, small plates, this is the way I absolutely love to eat. Small bites of a little bit of everything giving me variety and the ability to try everything I want to without over stuffing myself. Personally, I think this is how we should eat all the time!

My recipe I am sharing is an adaptation of Cooking Light's Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup recipe. I found this made the soup super creamy and think I prefer it this way myself. Grumpy on the other hand loves tomato soup with rice, so I now have a recipe I can use to make for his liking for future reference and will not blend it all together for him.

Want to pin to Pinterest for later! Click the Pin below!

Be sure to hop over to the other members of our Virtual Supper Club and see what they brought to our "little" celebration!

Susan - at The Spice Garden - Chicken, Raisin and Pine Nut Salad paired with ProseccoSarah – at All our Fingers in the Pie - Smoked Salmon Spread with Cucumber Saketini
Shelby – (that be me!) Roasted Tomato Soup Shooters with Brie Grilled Cheese Bites paired with Sauvignon Blanc
Jerry – at A Life Lived - Ginger-Shrimp Pot Stickers with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce and Satsuma Vodka-tini
Sandi - at Whistle Stop Cafe Cooking - gingered creme brulee -
Val – at More than Burnt Toast - Kibbeh Meatballs with Spiced Yogurt Sauce and a Pomegranate Gin Sling

Roasted Tomato Soup Shooters with Grilled Brie Cheese Bites

soup recipe adapted from Cooking Light
Published 01/07/2015

Ingredients

3 large beefsteak tomatoes, halved
8 garlic cloves
cooking spray
1-1/2 teaspoons butter
1/4 cup uncooked jasmine rice
2 cups chicken stock
1 (14.5 ounce can) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
3/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons fat free half and half
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
ciabatta bread cut into 1-inch squares (40 squares)
20 sliced brie cheese pieces (cut into 1-inch squares)
I Can't Believe it's not Butter spray

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice tomatoes in half and squeeze to remove seeds and reserving juice. Set juice aside for later use.
Place tomatoes cut side down on foil lined cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Add garlic cloves and roast for 40 minutes or until tomatoes are charred and garlic is softened. Be sure to not burn or too deeply brown the garlic as this will give a bitter taste.
Melt butter in large dutch oven over medium heat until bubbly. Add rice and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes, toasting the rice. Add reserved tomato juice, tomatoes, garlic, canned tomatoes and salt to pan. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 40 minutes.
Place soup mixture in blender. Remove center piece of blender lid to allow steam to escape. Secure blender lid on blender, cover lid with a towel and pulse mixture until smooth.
Pour soup back into stock pot, stir in half and half and pepper. Keep warm while making grilled cheese. Serve in single serve shooter glasses sprinkled with chives.
To make grilled cheese bites, spray large hot skillet with butter spray. Lay 20 pieces of bread in skillet, top with cheese and remaining bread pieces to make sandwiches. Spray top of sandwiches with butter spray. Once bottoms are crispy and brown, turn sandwiches over and brown other side. Serve with soup shooters.

Yield: 20 Soup Appetizer Shots with accompanying sandwiches
Tags: appetizer, cheese, party food, sandwiches, Small plates, Soup, tapas, Tomato, Virtual Supper Club, food and drink pairing,

The Life & Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch

Coconut Lime Cheese Crepes with Brandied Cherry Topping #SundaySupper

Homemade Crepes filled with a low-fat Coconut-Lime Ricotta Cream and topped off with some fresh Cherries that have been cooked down with a little juice and sweetener. A delicious dish to serve as a dessert or even a weekend brunch!

Coconut Lime Crepes with Brandied Cherry Topping

Ingredients

Instructions

Moments for Me and how I enjoy them!

Magic Pudding Dessert for #SundaySupper

Magic Pudding Dessert

Ingredients

Instructions

Classic Rhubarb Custard Pie

Classic Rhubarb Custard Pie is the perfect treat to make after those stalks start sprouting up in the spring! Flaky layers of pie crust surrounding a sweet/tart filling giving you a perfect bite!

Classic Rhubarb Custard Pie

Ingredients

Instructions

Banana Rum Coconut Raisin Cookies

A cookie made with no butter, chock full of banana, coconut, and raisins and flavored with rum. These Banana Rum Coconut Raisin cookies have a special ingredient that is the cause of their success and nobody will ever guess that is what you put in your cookies!

Banana Rum Coconut Cookies

Ingredients

Instructions

Slow Cooker Clam Chowder

Slow Cooker Clam Chowder

Ingredients

Instructions

Spaghetti with Pinot Grigio and Seafood

Spaghetti tossed with clams and shrimp simmered with garlic, onion and sun dried tomato infusing amazing flavor in this lovely Italian dish! It is quick and easy and you can have this dinner on your table in less than 30 minutes!

Spaghetti with Pinot Grigio and Seafood

Ingredients

Instructions

Lemon Marscapone Muffins

This Lemon Marscapone Muffin is simple, delicious and full of lemon and cheese flavor with a tender crumb that is soft but still holds together well. It is a perfect spring morning muffin to serve with your family on a sunny Sunday morning brunch!

Lemon Marscapone Muffins

Ingredients

Instructions

Chipotle Chicken and Waffled Fries with Cilantro Lime Gravy

Alexia Spicy Sweet Potato Fries are made into a cheesy waffle and topped with a baked Chipotle Seasoned Chicken Tender, buried in Cilantro Lime Gravy. A quick and easy dinner to put on your table that will make your family feel like you've treated them to dinner out!

Chipotle Chicken and Waffled Fries with Cilantro Lime Gravy

Ingredients

Instructions

A Hungry HoneyBunch is a Grumpy HoneyBunch!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Trifle

Strawberry-Rhubarb Trifle

Ingredients

Instructions

Baked Chocolate Mocha Doughnuts

A chocolate baked doughnut enhanced with McCafé Colombian Coffee and then dipped in a chocolate mocha glaze for that double chocolate mocha effect creating a drool worthy treat to enjoy with your morning cup!

Baked Chocolate Mocha Doughnuts

Ingredients

Instructions

Lemon-Strawberry Chia Seed Muffins

An egg-free muffin flavored with Lemon and Strawberries and the added benefit of white whole wheat flour and Chia Seeds! This Lemon-Strawberry Chia Seed Muffin is low-carb, low sugar, and absolutely delicious!

Lemon-Strawberry Chia Seed Muffinsslightly adapted from Diabetic Living Magazine

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition

Cookie Butter Crispy Creme Bars

Cookie Butter Crispy Creme Bars

Ingredients

Instructions

Jello Poke Cake for #SundaySupper

Want to learn how to make the perfect poke holes for your cake? Be sure to read on to find out my secret!

Jello Poke Cake

Ingredients

Instructions

Sweet and Salty Popcorn Ball Bites #SundaySupper

Sweet and Salty Popcorn Ball Bites

Ingredients

Instructions

Cherry-Blueberry Trifle for #SundaySupper

Cherry-Blueberry Trifle

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition

Chocolate Dipped Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

Instructions

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf Muffins

These Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf Muffins are low in fat and calories, high in lean protein (venison), and super tasty! An easy recipe to add to your dinner rotation and the leftovers are great for sandwiches the next day (provided you have any)!

Lemon-Strawberry Chia Seed Muffins
slightly adapted from Diabetic Living Magazine