Tnt-cook

2019-12-03T18:00:00.000-08:00

Fudgy Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting

Last week I made brownies with mint frosting and chocolate gnash. Those were for my husband.
These brownies with peanut butter frosting are for me. I absolutely love peanut butter anything.

You could make these brownies out of a mix if you wanted, but again, I had the time to make them from scratch. You could also make them in a brownie pan and cut them after they are frosted. If you want to kick them up a notch, add the peanut butter cups on top. I didn't have any so I made them without. They turned out fabulous. The brownies were fudgy perfection and the peanut butter frosting was to die for. Not to sweet with a great peanut butter taste. I will definitely be making these again. I found this delightful recipe at Mel's Kitchen Café.

Fudgey Brownies Cupcakes

with the Best Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients

Brownie Cupcakes:

1 cup butter (2 sticks, 8 ounces)
1/2 cup (3 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups (11.25 ounces) lightly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (2.25 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Peanut Butter Frosting:

6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter, softened
3/4 cup (6.75 ounces) creamy peanut butter
2 cups (8 ounces) powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy cream, plus more if needed for consistency
Mini peanut butter cups for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners and set aside (if you only have one muffin tin, you can halve the recipe or bake in two separate batches).
For the cupcakes, in a large microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and chocolate chips. Microwave for one minute intervals, stirring in between, until the mixture is melted and smooth. Add the brown sugar and vanilla and mix (it will appear grainy; that's ok!). Add the eggs and mix until well-combined.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated and no dry streaks remain.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin tins, filling the cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 10-12 minutes until they are no longer jiggly in the center (don't overbake or the texture might be crumbly).
Let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes in the pan before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the frosting, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or whisk attachment or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, whip together the butter and peanut butter until creamy and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until it is mostly incorporated. Add the salt, vanilla and heavy cream and mix until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add additional heavy cream and whip thoroughly if needed for a softer frosting.
Frost the cooled cupcakes and garnish with a peanut butter cup, if desired.

Mint Brownies

2019-11-29T17:00:00.000-08:00

Classic Chocolate Brownies with Mint Frosting

and Chocolate Gnash

These brownies are fudgy, peppermint-y and delicious. A small piece with a big glass of milk is all you will need to satisfy your sweet tooth.

There are a few steps to making these brownies. First the brownie layer, then the mint frosting layer and then the chocolate gnash layer. It might sound like a lot of steps but once you get going it really doesn't take that long.

These brownies are all made from scratch. If you are in a pinch and have boxed brownie mix on hand absolutely use it! I have made many a boxed brownie mix in my day. But this time I opted to make these from scratch as I had the time and all the ingredients.

The mint frosting layer is DELICIOUS. Seriously. You don't have to add the chocolate gnash layer if you don't want to. You could frost the brownies with the mint frosting, add some mini chocolate chips to the top and they would still be perfect.

I wanted to make the gnash. Hubby is a sucker for chocolate, I think it runs thru his veins, so I wanted to give him the full chocolate/mint/more chocolate experience.

I found this recipe at Sally's Baking Addition. I made them exactly as the way the recipe is written. I think they turned out amazing. Hubby liked them also, so much so he decided to share them with his co-workers.

Classic Mint Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

Brownies

1 cup (230g) unsalted butter
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 and 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup + 3 Tablespoons (85g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
1/4 cup (21g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder

Mint Frosting Layer

1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups (240g) confectioners’ sugar
2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk
1 and 1/4 teaspoons peppermint extract*
optional: 1 drop liquid or gel green food coloring

Chocolate Layer

1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
1 heaping cup (around 200g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

For the brownies: Melt the butter and chopped chocolate in a medium saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Or melt in a medium microwave safe bowl in 20 second increments, stirring after each, in the microwave. Remove from the heat, pour into a large mixing bowl, and allow to slightly cool for 10 minutes.

Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking pan* with aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides. Set aside.
Whisk the granulated and brown sugars into the cooled chocolate/butter mixture. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla. Gently fold in the salt, flour, and cocoa powder. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 35-36 minutes or until the brownies begin to pull away from the edges of the pan. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with only a few moist crumbs when the brownies are done. All ovens are different, so keep an eye on them after 30 minutes and use the toothpick test to see when yours are finished. Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Once completely cooled, lift the foil out of the pan using the overhang on the sides. Place the whole thing on a baking sheet as you make the frosting. Do not cut into squares yet.
For the mint frosting layer: In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar and milk. Beat for 2 minutes on low speed, then increase to high speed and beat for 1 additional minute. Add the peppermint extract and food coloring (if using) and beat on high for 1 full minute. Taste and add a drop or two more peppermint extract if desired. Frost cooled brownies, that you placed on the baking sheet, and place the baking sheet in the refrigerator. This allows the frosting to “set” on top of the brownies which makes spreading the chocolate layer easy. Keep in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
For the chocolate layer: Melt the butter and chocolate chips in a medium saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Or melt in a medium microwave safe bowl in 20 second increments, stirring after each, in the microwave. Once melted and smooth, pour over mint layer. Gently spread with a knife or offset spatula. Place the brownies, that are still on the baking sheet, in the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour (and up to 4 hours or even overnight) to set the chocolate.
Once chilled, remove from the refrigerator and cut into squares. For neat cutting, make very quick cuts, using a very sharp large knife, and wiping the knife off with a paper towel between each cut. Brownies are OK at room temperature for a few hours. Cover tightly and keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

2019-11-17T11:42:00.001-08:00

Pumpkin Pie Spiced Oatmeal Cookies

It's that time of year again, pumpkin spice everything. This time I am making a favorite cookie with a pumpkin pie twist, oatmeal cookies.

These cookies are soft and chewy with a hint of pumpkin pie spice. If you're not into pumpkin pie spice you can sub with cinnamon, I have made them with cinnamon many times and they are just as delicious!

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3 cups quick cooking oats

Directions

In a medium bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls, and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Slightly flatten each cookie in a crisscross pattern with a large fork.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cinnamon Streusel Pumpkin Bread

2013-09-30T07:47:00.003-07:00

I love fall. I love to see the leaves turn colors. I love all the mums and pumpkins and fall decorating. I also love fall baking. Pumpkin recipes are at the top of my list. I've made the usual, pumpkin pie and pumpkin muffins so I was searching for something new. I was searching for pumpkin bread.

This recipe was found at Lil Luna. It has a great streusel topping covering moist pumpkin bread. It made two nice sized loaves. The smell of pumpkin filled the house as these were baking, we couldn't wait for the bread to be done.

As soon as the bread was pulled from the oven and still warm, we slathered a few pieces with some butter and devoured it. It was like a little buttered, pumpkiny slice of heaven. The struesel topping was amazing, it was what set this bread apart from other pumpkin bread recipes.

I made a few modifications to the recipe. I used pumpkin pie spice instead of the nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. I also used 1 cup of flour instead of the 1/2 cup called for in the recipe, it just seemed like it needed more to cover the 2 loaves of bread.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup vegetable Oil
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
2/3 cup water
Streusel :
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup walnuts optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
In a large bowl, Mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves; set aside.
In a large bowl, or in your mixer, combine oil and apple sauce. Stir in sugars until combined, add eggs one at a time, mixing between each egg. Stir in pumpkin until combined. Add water. Sprinkle half of your flour mixture over the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Pour batter evenly between the prepared pans and set aside.
Streusel: In a bowl, Whisk the sugar, flour, and cinnamon until combined. Stir in the nuts. Drizzle melted butter over the mix and stir with a spoon until your mixture is like lumpy wet sand, be sure to leave clumps.
Sprinkling streusel over the top of each bread batter and cover completely.
Bake mini loaves for 20 minutes, three at a time on a rimmed baking sheet. Rotate the pans, front to back, and bake for another 20 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. If making large loaves, bake on a rimmed baking sheet for 25 minutes. Rotate the pans, front to back, and bake for another 25 to 27 minutes. Allow to cool at least 15 minutes before you serve.

What are you serving for Sunday football ?

2013-09-20T18:00:00.002-07:00

I hardly ever get a Sunday off, but when I do I have to watch the Packers when it is football season.
Here is what is on the menu this Sunday.....

Steak Quesadillas

Baked Tacos

Hershey Bar Pie

Truly the Best Zucchini Bread

2013-09-17T09:55:00.002-07:00

The Best Zucchini Bread

I got a great zucchini straight from the garden over the weekend. I thought about grilling it up on the grill with some BBQ chicken. Yummy, but then it rained, I mean poured, and my idea of grilling chicken and zucchini went down the drain. Back up plan, zucchini bread.

I have only made zucchini bread one time before and it turned out alright. I mean it wasn't my favorite, but I was willing to give it another try. This time I did a little more research and found a recipe at Allrecipes that sounded good.

Mom's zucchini bread. It is moist and had a great flavor with the cinnamon and walnuts spread through out the bread. I brought a loaf to work and it was literally inhaled by my co-workers. I enjoyed it warmed with a good slathering of real butter. It truly is the best zucchini bread I ever devoured.

Mom's zucchini bread

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/4 cup white sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups grated zucchini

1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Chocolate Fudge Brownie with Cookie Dough Frosting

2013-09-07T07:06:00.001-07:00

Don't you just love making cookie dough and sneaking a few bites while you make it? Who doesn't love chocolate chip cookie dough straight from the bowl? I know we do! When I was on my weekly search for a sweet treat for Mr. Pickypants, I ran across a brownie recipe that had chocolate chip cookie dough as the frosting. WHAT? I have never, in all my years, thought of cookie dough frosting. When I think of the thousands and thousands of cookies I have made through the years and it has never crossed my mind to make frosting out of it. Well, all I can say is that I am glad I know this bit of important information now.

These brownies were delicious, I mean they were DELICIOUS. I want to make these fudgy brownies again and frost them with just a chocolate frosting so the brownies are the star next time. That's how good these brownies are!

The frosting, what can I saw except YUM ! Were have you been all my life? These brownies are going to be made once a month at least, I'm sure a lot more if Mr. Pickypants has anything to say about it.

Fudge Brownies with Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Frosting

Adapted from The Hub of our Home.

Fudge Brownie Batter
1 Cup Butter, melted
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
3 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. In a large mixer bowl add the butter and sugars. Cream together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and the vanilla. Mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix again until well combined. Spread the batter in a greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. Cool completely before frosting.
Cookie Dough Frosting
1/2 Cup Butter, softened
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 1/4 Cup Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
5 Tablespoons Milk
1 Cup Chocolate Chips
Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and mix well. Add the milk a tablespoon at a time until the frosting is fluffy and spreadable. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Spread on cooled brownies. Enjoy with a nice cold glass of milk!

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Cups

2013-09-02T18:38:00.000-07:00

Making breakfast doesn't have to be time consuming. We LOVE breakfast around here, especially pancakes and waffles, but sometimes I don't like slaving over the stove making individual pancakes and waffles. By the time you get a good stack going, the bottom ones are cold. That's why I love these ham and cheese breakfast cups, you can make them and eat them all at the same time!

These breakfast cups are easy and soooooo delicious. You can fill them with just about anything you would put in scrambled eggs. I made these with ham, cheddar cheese and fresh tomatoes.

You could also make these with turkey instead of ham. They would also be great made with sauted onions, green peppers, mushrooms, pepper jack cheese would give them a nice kick.

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Cups

Ingredients

6 eggs

2 tlb. milk

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 small tomato, chopped

24 deli ham slices

A few fresh basil leaves, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with pam. Line each muffin tin with 2 pieces of ham. Divide the grated cheese between the 12 muffin cups layering it on top of the ham. Whisk the eggs with the milk, salt and pepper. Divide the egg mixture between the 12 muffin cups, pouring the mixture over the grated cheese. Top the egg mixture with the chopped tomato and fresh basil. Bake for about 15 minutes. Keep an eye on them, they are done when the egg mixture is set and not runny.

Steakhouse Potato Salad

2013-08-10T05:40:00.002-07:00

Now that the weather is warm and the cook outs are underway, I thought I would share a great potato salad recipe to go with all that grilled meat. Steakhouse potato salad is full of cheddar cheese, sour cream, bacon and chives.

Potatoes are one of Mr. Pickypants favorite foods, but I can't really get him to try potato salad, until he saw this one....I think it was the cheese and bacon that got to him. Who can resist potatoes, cheddar cheese and crispy fried bacon???? Not Mr. Pickypants, he tried one forkful and loved it. This potato salad also works out well with left over baked potatoes, just peel, dice and fold into the mayo sauce mixture! YUMMY!

Ingredients:

4 large Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes

2 Eggs

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (save 1/2 for topping)

1/4 cup freshly chopped chives, divided

8 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled (save 2 for topping)

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

Serves 4 – 6

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, and sour cream. Make sure the two are completely combined and then add half of the chives, cheese, pepper and salt. Cover and let chill in fridge for a bit. Meanwhile, peel and cube your potatoes into bite size pieces. Put in a large pot, cover with water and boil until fork tender, add the 2 eggs to the potatoes so you don't need to dirty another dish. boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes and the eggs for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the potatoes so they don't cook too long or you’ll end up with more of a mashed potato consistency when you mix them with the mayo sauce.

When potatoes and the eggs are ready, drain and let cool. Peel the eggs and slice into bite sized pieces. Put potatoes and eggs in a large bowl and combine with sour cream mixture. Fold in the crumbled bacon. Top with remaining chives, cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon.

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

2013-08-04T07:56:00.001-07:00

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

When you have a few bananas sitting on your counter getting over ripe, what is the first thing you think about making?????? Banana bread of course. We love banana bread around here. I have made a few different kinds of banana bread over the years. Our favorite is peanut butter banana bread and chocolate banana bread, then I ran across this recipe for cinnamon swirl banana bread. Oh my gosh, this bread is right up there with our favorites.

There is a swirl of cinnamon running through this bread and a crunchy cinnamon sugar topping that is heaven. It smells wonderful as it is cooking and tastes even better still warm out of the oven with a slathering of butter.

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread, adapted from Sallys baking addiction

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup light brown sugar, not packed

4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

2 large eggs

1 and 1/2 cups mashed very ripe banana (about 3 bananas)

1/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon Swirl

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a separate large bowl, beat the brown sugar and butter with a stand or handheld mixer on medium speed until well blended – about 1 minute. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With a wooden spoon, stir in the mashed banana, yogurt, and vanilla. Slowly add in the dry ingredients. Do NOT overmix. Batter will be thick.

Spoon half of the batter into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar swirl ingredients. Top with remaining batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan and cool completely on the wire rack. Enjoy!

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

2013-08-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

Wow, just look at that GREAT BIG GIANT COOKIE!

This cookie was made by Taylor and his little helper, his niece Devin.

They sure had a great time measuring ..........

and tasting....

and licking......

They sure made a yummy chocolate chip cookie.

We served it while it was still warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup.

You need to make this cookie (and some memories) with your loved ones this week-end!!!

Skillet Cookie, Adapted from Sweet & Crunchy

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup (6 oz) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1.5 cups chocolate chips
1.5 cups chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and whisk or sift them together. Set this aside for a moment. Place the softened butter and the two sugars in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix them together on medium-high speed using the stand mixer or a hand mixer for about 2 minutes, until they’re light and fluffy. Scrape down the paddle and the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix again until the egg is fully incorporated into the butter. Add those dry ingredients you mixed earlier, and turn the mixer to low speed. Mix it just until the flour disappears into the batter. Stop the mixer as soon as you get to this point, because the more this dough is mixed, the tougher your cookies will be. Add the chocolate chips and the chopped walnuts or pecans, and stir them in by hand. If you’re using a well-seasoned cast iron pan, there’s no need to grease it before you put the cookie dough in. (Trust me, there’s enough butter in these babies to keep them from sticking.) But if your pan’s not very well seasoned, or you’re particularly concerned about getting your skillet cookie out in one piece, go ahead and rub a very thin layer of oil or butter into the pan, then scrape the cookie dough into the pan and smooth it into an even layer.Bake the skillet cookie at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until it is puffed, golden, and the edges have nicely browned. If you’re unsure, it’s better to err on the side of underbaking, because the cookie will continue to cook for a few minutes once it’s out of the oven. Let the skillet cookie cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes, until it’s warm but no longer hot. Use a knife to cut it into wedges (8 if you’re hungry, 12 if you’re feeling more restrained) and serve like a slice of pie.

The Best Chicken Burgers!

2013-07-17T15:38:00.002-07:00

My family loves burgers. We are always cooking burgers around here. Because we love burgers so much, I am always looking for new and different ways to make them.

I ran across a great sale on ground chicken breast, so I packed my freezer full! With our love of burgers and a freezer full of ground chicken, I was on a mission to find a great recipe for chicken burgers.

I found this recipe on the Food Network site, chicken burgers with garlic-rosemary mayo.
Garlic-rosemary mayo sounds delicious. I have been wanting to make a chicken recipe using the rosemary I have been growing on my windowsill for the past year. Boy did this chicken burger satisfy. The mayo and the rosemary made the burger extra moist and flavorful. I will be making these burgers again, and soon!

The Best Chicken Burgers!

Ingredients
Mayonnaise:

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 clove garlic, minced

Burgers:

1 pound ground chicken
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 sandwich rolls or burger buns
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup arugula, divided

Directions

For the mayonnaise: In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, garlic, and rosemary; set aside.

For the burgers: Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or place a grill pan over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 of the mayonnaise mixture. Using clean hands, gently combine the ingredients and form the chicken mixture into 4 patties. Place the burgers on the grill and cook for about 7 minutes on each side. Transfer to paper towels and let rest for a few minutes.

Brush the cut side of each roll with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the mayonnaise mixture. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly golden.

To assemble the burgers: Spread a dollop of the remaining mayonnaise mixture on the tops and bottoms of the toasted buns. Place the chicken burgers on the bottom halves of the buns. Top with your favorite burger toppings and enjoy!

Cheddar Cornbread

2013-06-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love cornbread? Especially cheddar cornbread. These little loaves of golden cheddar goodness were just the right thing to serve with steak and chicken fajitas and homemade Mexican rice for Fathers Day!

Cornbread is one of those foods that can get really dry if not made the proper way or over baked. But don't let that scare you into not giving this great recipe a try. This corn bread nice and moist with just a little cheddar cheese bite to it, but not over powering that you don't get all that great corn meal taste. I made mine cornbread into little loaves. Nice and easy to grab and eat !!!

Adopted from Martha Stewart Cornbread

1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)

1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk

2 large eggs

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, salt, and pepper; make a well in center of flour mixture. Add buttermilk and eggs to well, and whisk to loosen eggs. Gently incorporate dry ingredients, then mix in cheese.
Step 2

Place butter in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet; bake until butter is melted. Remove from oven, and tilt to coat bottom and sides.
Step 3

Pour batter into prepared skillet; bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cornbread cool in skillet at least 15 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature. Wrap completely cooled bread in plastic, and store at room temperature up to 1 day.

Sour Cream Pancakes

2013-05-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

We love pancakes at this house. It is Taylors favorite thing to eat on the weekends. Well, really any morning, but I only have time to make them for him on the weekends that I don't work. I had some sour cream that was sitting in the fridge and needed to be used up so I decided to make my little man pancakes.

This recipe had a cup of sour cream and only a few teaspoons of flour. I was hesitant to make them, but pushed on and got over my fear of pancakes with very little flour.

And since I'm a rebel, I switched out the granulated sugar and substituted brown sugar. Just because.

They cook up beautifully, and taste just as amazing. Light and fluffy and a little tangy from the sour cream. The perfect way to eat them is with a dab of butter and real, warm maple syrup. I love the weekends!

Sour Cream Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

Makes 6 5-inch pancakes
- 7 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/ 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sour cream (Greek Yogurt or light sour cream also work)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Butter
- Maple syrup

DIRECTIONS

Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Let it slowly warm up until it’s really hot.
Stir the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt together in the bottom of a medium bowl. Add the sour cream and stir together very gently; it’s okay to leave the texture a bit uneven. The key to this recipe is to not over-mix! Whisk the eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl, and then stir them into the sour cream mixture—once again, being careful not to over-mix.
Melt a little butter in your skillet or griddle and pour the batter in, 1/4 cup at a time. Cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, or until bubbles appear all over the surface. Flip and cook for about a minute on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.
Serve with butter and a waterfall of maple syrup.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bars

2013-05-10T17:33:00.000-07:00

Here is my latest peanut butter and chocolate bar love. It is soooo good. I am totally in love with this bar. It is a little on the crunchy side, especially the topping, but I guess that is what I love about them. I made these for Mr. Pickypants lunch this week, they didn't last very long. Guess that means I will just have to make another batch........

Ingredients

1/2 package semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups oats, quick cooking

Preparation

Grease and flour a 9x13x2-inch baking pan; set aside. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave or top of a double boiler over hot water.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with peanut butter; beat in sugar, egg, and vanilla.
Combine flour, soda, and salt in a separate bowl; stir into the peanut butter mixture. Stir in oats. Press about 3/4 of the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Spread melted chocolate chips over the top. Crumble remaining peanut butter mixture over the melted chocolate. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for about 20 minutes.

Inside-Out Cheeseburgers

2013-04-28T07:58:00.001-07:00

With this warm weather we are having, I had a craving for burgers, I guess they make me feel like summer and cooking on the grill. I wanted to make cheeseburgers (Mr. Pickypants loves cheeseburgers) but I wanted to make special cheeseburgers. I decided on inside-out cheeseburgers.

They are pretty easy to make. Pretty much your basic hamburger recipe made in to patties with some cheese cubes stuffed in the middle. I have made these burgers before. My favorite is Swiss cheese between the patties with sautéd onions and mushrooms on top. Today I decided on cheddar cheese (I was out of American cheese)

I stuffed cubes of Cheddar cheese in between two hamburger patties and after cooking them I topped them with a special surprise. Remember the homemade BBQ sauce I made last week, well I topped my gorgeous burger with that. SOOOOOOOOO delicious. I think I could drink that sauce right out of the bottle.

Inside-Out Cheeseburgers

INGREDIENTS:

4 slices American cheese
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck (15 to 20 percent fat)
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 (4-inch) hamburger buns, split and toasted
Your favorite burger fixings (onion, pickles, lettuce, tomato, mayo, ketchup, mustard)

DIRECTIONS:

Cut each slice of cheese in half, then in half again to form 4 squares. Stack the pieces on top of each other to form 4 stacks; set aside.
Place the meat in a large bowl and add the salt, garlic powder, Worcestershire, and pepper. Mix with your hands until just evenly combined.
Divide the meat into 8 equal portions and place on a work surface. Using your hands, press 2 portions of the meat into 2 rough 1/4-inch-thick patties that are each about 1 inch wider in diameter than the hamburger buns.
Place 1 stack of cheese in the center of 1 of the patties
Top with the second patty and pinch the edges to form a tight seal.
Cup each patty with your hands to round out the edges, and press on the top to flatten slightly into a single thick patty.
Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining portions of meat and cheese to form 4 patties in total.
Preheat a cast-iron or other heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Cook burgers until well browned, about 4 minutes. It is common for burgers to puff up due to steam from the melting cheese. Turn burgers and prick the top of each to allow steam to escape; cook until browned on the outside and no longer pink on the inside; about 4 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns topped with your favorite burger fixings.

Backyard BBQ Recipes

2013-04-26T17:59:00.002-07:00

Here are some great recipes to get you into the grilling mood this warm weekend.

BBQ Monterey Jack Burgers

Smores Bars

Homemade BBQ Sauce

2013-04-25T16:46:00.002-07:00

We love Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce.

Its our go to sauce when we grill out.

With the weather becoming warmer we grilled out for the first time this year!!!

We grilled pork loin chops.

I love pork chops on the grill.

I like to buy the thicker ones so they don't dry out.

Nobody likes dried out pork chops.

I made this imitation Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce.
It was sweet and not to spicy, just the way we like it. It wasn't exactly Sweet Baby Rays, but it sure was good.......I might even like it better.
Next time I am going to add a little garlic granules and honey to it, just to mix it up a little bit.
I think the honey sauce would be great over grilled chicken next weekend.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cups Dark Brown Sugar, packed
1-1/2 cups Ketchup
1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 cup Water
3 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
2-1/2 teaspoons Ground Mustard
2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
1-1/2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a medium pan over medium-low heat. Whisk well until the sugar has dissolved. Let simmer for 10 minutes stirring as needed so the sauce doesn't scorch. Let cool. Serve immediately or cover and store in the fridge.

Baked Breakfast Burritos

2013-04-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

Breakfast burritos are delicious. I love eggs, cheese and sausage stuffed into a warm tortilla shell. These breakfast burritos are super easy to make, you can even make them the night before so you can sleep in the next morning and have a yummy breakfast with no fuss. The egg mixture is poured over the filled burritos and seeps into the nooks and crannies all night. It bakes up light and fluffy the next day.

I made these for my "Breakfast Club" they were a hit. We devoured them with English muffins, hash browns and fresh brewed coffee with a dash of Kahlua! I just love "Breakfast Club" Saturdays.

Baked Breakfast Burritos

Serves: 8
Ingredients:
1 lb breakfast sausage
3 c shredded cheddar cheese (1 cup set aside)
8 burrito sized flour tortillas
8 eggs
1 T all-purpose flour
2 c half-and-half
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 lb bacon, chopped into bite sized pieces
Directions:
In a skillet over medium high heat, start frying the bacon pieces. When the bacon pieces are about half way done, add the sausage and brown the sausage and bacon together until done. Drain the fat. Let the sausage mixture cool. Set aside 1/8 a cup of the mixture to sprinkle over the top. Place 1/8 of the sausage and 1/8 of the cheese mixture down the center of a tortilla. Roll up and place seem side down in a sprayed 9×13 baking dish. Repeat until all tortillas are filled.
In a large bowl beat eggs, flour, salt, pepper and half and half. Pour over the tortillas in the baking dish. Cover the dish and place in the fridge overnight (or bake it immediately).
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover dish and sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese and the remaining sausage mixture over tortillas, bake 10 minutes longer or until the eggs are set and cheese is melted.

Loaded Potato Wedges

2013-04-10T18:51:00.001-07:00

These potato wedges are incredible.

They are super cheesy, full of bacon and slathered in ranch dressing.

How can you go wrong with cheese, bacon and ranch dressing?

Mr. Pickypants was in potato wedge heaven for two days.
He had the few that were left over for lunch the next day.
He said they were just as good as the first day.

The recipe calls for real bacon bits.
I made mine with crumbled bacon I had left over from a recipe I had made the day before.
It is such an easy recipe, much like potato skins, but less work because you do not have to hollow the potatoes out.
I liked being able to just cut the potatoes into wedges, bake them, top them with all the goodies and eat!

Loaded Potato Wedges

Ingredients:

Wedges:

4-6 Potatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

Sea Salt

Fresh ground pepper

Seasoning salt

Sour Cream/Ranch Sauce:

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup ranch dressing

1/4 cup milk

Toppings:

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup real bacon bits

Handful of chopped Chives,

Instructions:

Cut potatoes into wedges. Place wedges into a deep bowl, drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and seasoning salt. Toss until well coated. Place on foiled baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 40 minutes or until fork tender.

While the wedges are cooking, mix together the sour cream, ranch dressing and milk. When the potatoes are done cooking sprinkle the cheese and bacon over them. Place under the broiler for a few seconds to melt the cheese. Remove from the oven when the cheese is melted and bubbly. Drizzle with the ranch mixture and the chives. Serve immediately.

Strawberry Bannana Smoothies

2013-04-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

Taylor loves smoothies. Give that kid a smoothie and he is in heaven. It doesn't matter what kind of smoothie either, he loves them all, but his favorite is strawberry banana. He has been on a smoothie kick again, especially the smoothies from Orange Julius and you guessed it, his favorite is their strawberry banana.

So being the coolest mom around, I have been making my little man smoothies. Strawberry banana smoothies to be exact. I like to make them with milk, but we have also made them with orange juice. Those are my favorite. Strawberry, banana and a hint of orange is so delicious and refreshing, especially in the morning.

You can mix it up and add any kind of fresh or frozen fruit you love or have hanging around the house that needs to used up. Strawberry, blueberry and pineapple is also a favorite around this house. Oh, and don't forget about mangoes, mangoes are awesome paired with pineapple and strawberries. Such a nice refreshing tropical smoothie. Makes me think of summer. So hurry up and make a smoothie so you to can dream about summer coming soon.

Strawberry Banana Smoothies

Makes 2 smoothies

or 1extra large delicious smoothie if you don't want to share!

Ingredients:

1 cup plain Yogurt
1/2 cup Strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 whole small Banana, sliced
1/4 cup Milk
a squirt of Honey
4-5 Ice Cubes

Instructions:

Place yogurt, strawberries, sliced banana, milk, ice cubes and honey all into a blender. Blend until desired consistency. Taste for sweetness, add more honey if needed. Pour into a nice tall glass and enjoy!

Baked Tacos

2013-04-06T07:54:00.001-07:00

This is another quick and easy dinner recipe. Perfect to make on busy weeknight. The tacos are hot, crispy and cheesy after being baked for a few minutes. Pull them out of the oven and load them up with your favorite toppings.

Look at all that cheesy goodness melting over the beef mixture. Pure yumminess.

I topped mine with taco sauce, onions, tomatoes and more cheese. I just couldn't resist the cheese. You could serve this with a side of Spanish rice or guacamole and chips.

When assembling the tacos for the oven, make sure the ground beef mixture is not soupy or greasy. A soupy or greasy mixture will result in the taco shells having a soggy bottom and fall apart when you try to lift them up and devour them. I didn't have this problem, I simmered my ground beef mixture for a few minutes and it turned out perfect.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 package taco seasoning
1 small can of tomato sauce (you only need about 4 ounces)
2 cups of shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
6 hard taco shells (I like the ones with the flat bottom)
And whatever condiments you love - tomatoes, salsa, lettuce, sour cream, etc.

Directions:
Preheat over to 400 degrees.
In large skillet brown ground beef and onion. Drain off any excess liquid. Return to pan and add tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Mix well. You don't want the mixture to be soupy, keep it simmering. Place tacos in a 9x9 inch backing dish standing up. Spoon the taco meat mixture into the taco shells. Fill them pretty full. the meat mixture will bake down. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat. Place in the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Serve!

Happy Birthday Ashley

2013-04-04T17:24:00.004-07:00

Here is the Birthday cake I made for a friend.

It is chocolate cake,

chocolate frosting,

kit kats,

whoppers,

m&m's

pretzel m&m's

and it is delicious!

Just have a gander at all that chocolate.

To bad it was a surprise

or I would have warned you to have a gallon of milk ready!

Happy Birthday my sweet Ashley and many more to come.

Kit Kat and M&M Cake

Ingredients:

1 (16 1/2 ounce) box cake mix
2 (16 ounce) containers chocolate frosting

36 individual Kit Kat bars (10 packs of 4)
1 (12 ounce) bag m&m's milk chocolate candies (or any variety you like)

Directions:
Prepare cake as directed on package in two 9" cake pans. Let cool completely. Frost cakes generously with chocolate frosting.TIP: Make sure your cake is not higher than a kit kat. Break apart the Kit Kats into 2 piece sections. Place them around the cake, the frosting will help the stick to the cake. Tie with a ribbon to help keep them secure. Top with M&M's of your choice.

BBQ Beef Pie Pockets

2013-04-02T10:05:00.001-07:00

This recipe is soooo easy, so delicious and so fast to make, it perfect for a week night dinner. Who has time after work to come home and make a whole dinner for the hungry family every night???? You do, if the dinner is fast and easy!

Who thought you could feed your family a delicious and hearty dinner on a weeknight. Make this BBQ beef pie pockets served with a simple side salad or your favorite vegetable and dinner is ready lickety split!

BBQ Beef Pie Pockets adapted from

Ingredients

1.5 lbs. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 half green pepper, chopped
1 (18 oz.) bottle BBQ sauce I love Sweet Baby Rays
1 cup shredded cheese divided (I use Cheddar or Colby Jack and Monterey Blend)
1 box refrigerated Pillsbury Pie Crust

Instructions

Cook ground beef, onion and green pepper together in a skillet until browned and cooked through. Drain out juices.
Pour BBQ sauce into pan and stir until ground beef is evenly coated.
Unroll both sheets of refrigerated pie crust dough. Cut each of the round pie crusts into quarters (or smaller if you want smaller sections)
On one quarter of pie crust dough, put 1/4 of ground BBQ beef (about 3/4-1 cup.) Then sprinkle on 1/4 cup shredded cheese over top of the beef. Place a second quarter of pie crust dough over the top (make sure it lines up with bottom quarter) and pinch seams to seal off. You can flute the pie crust edges for a prettier look.
Repeat until you have 4 pie pockets (or more if you cut your pie crusts into smaller sections). Cut about three small slits on the tops of each pie pocket for breathing.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 25 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

Garlic Bread Pizza

2013-03-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

Taylor has become a little chef in the kitchen. He is always thinking up new recipes and trying them out. His specialty is called The Jabba. Grilled cheese stuffed with pepperoni and ranch dressing. He thinks it is delicious,I have to admit, it aint bad!

Today he made garlic bread pizza. It was fast and easy, just the way Taylor like his recipes. We made plain cheese, but the recipes calls for pepperoni. You really could dress these up with any pizza ingredients. Green pepper, black olives, mushrooms, ect.....

Garlic Bread Pizza adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients

1 package (11-1/4 ounces) frozen garlic bread, thawed (We like Texas Toast)
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1 package (3-1/2 ounces) sliced pepperoni
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

Place the garlic bread in a foil-lined 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Spread with pizza sauce; top with pepperoni and cheese. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 4-6 minutes or until cheese is melted. Yield: 8 slices.

Tnt-cook

Ingredients

Brownie Cupcakes:

Peanut Butter Frosting:

Instructions

Mint Brownies

Ingredients

Brownies

Mint Frosting Layer

Chocolate Layer

Instructions

Directions

Cinnamon Streusel Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

Instructions

What are you serving for Sunday football ?

Truly the Best Zucchini Bread

Chocolate Fudge Brownie with Cookie Dough Frosting

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Cups

Steakhouse Potato Salad

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients

Directions

The Best Chicken Burgers!

Cheddar Cornbread

Directions

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Sour Cream Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bars

Inside-Out Cheeseburgers

Backyard BBQ Recipes

Homemade BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

Directions:

Baked Breakfast Burritos

Loaded Potato Wedges

Strawberry Bannana Smoothies

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Baked Tacos

Happy Birthday Ashley

BBQ Beef Pie Pockets

Ingredients

Instructions

Garlic Bread Pizza

Ingredients

Directions