Karen B's Cooking Made Easy!

SuperBowl Cherry Bliss Brownies

2012-01-23T11:31:00.000-08:00

Over the Holidays I needed something to make for two classroom parties at my Kids school. I needed a bite size treat that every one would love. So I made these Cherry Bliss Brownies. They were a hit and talk of the parties!

I used a basic brownies mix by Ghiradelli with those huge chocolate chips and Lucky Leaf Premium Pie Filling.

These brownies are so easy to make and they are the best I have ever had! We are planning on making them for our Superbowl Party this year. All my Friends keep asking me for the recipe since I brought them to several dinner parties last month.

This recipe is definitely a keeper!

Ingredients

1 19.5-ounce package brownie mix

½ cup vegetable oil

3 eggs, lightly beaten

¼ cup water

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

5 Tablespoons butter, softened

1/3 cup sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon vanilla

1 21-ounce can Lucky Leaf or Premium Cherry Pie Filling

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a large bowl prepare brownie mix according to package directions, using oil, eggs, and water. Spread batter in a 13”x9” greased baking pan. Set aside.

Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add sugar. Beat in additional 2 eggs, flour, and vanilla. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture over brownie batter in pan. Use a knife to gently cut through batters to create a marble pattern.

Spoon Lucky Leaf Cherry Pie Filling over top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool completely before serving.

Servings: 24

Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Enjoy!

Moving Is A Hassle

2012-01-01T08:02:00.001-08:00

Thanks for the guest post by Eugene Fulton

Moving is such a hassle as everyone knows but it was even worse for us because we’ve got three kids. I love the idea that we’re moving into a great big house with room for everyone but for me it’s more about getting everyone in and settled in the shortest time possible. I love my family but being the matriarch is exhausting at times and between thewww.SatelliteTVFamily.com and the movers and the boxes upon boxes I’ve got my hands full. I’m still working part time but my husband’s working 12 hour days wrapping things up on hi project before we move so he hasn’t been able to help all that much. I love him to death but it’s almost like I’d rather have him move out of the way than try to help…he always makes things worse rather than better! I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like waking up in our new homebut I guess it’s only a matter of time until I find it out!

Internet Rate Plans

2012-01-01T07:45:00.000-08:00

Guest post by Jewel Cole

So I just recently moved out of the city in to a more rural area so that I can have a taste of, as I call it, the country life. I really loved living in the city and everything it had to offer. Takeout food delivered at whatever time of day or night I wanted it. I was within walking distance to my favorite coffee shop and boutiques. It was time for me to make a change though, so I decided to head out to the country where I can live for a while and clear my head of all the city noise. When I moved out there I found out that my utilities are not the same as they were in the city. For instance I am on well water instead of city water. The other thing that changed for me was my internet connection. It was important for me to really check out the prices and compare and see what I could find that was a good deal. I have to have the internet but I don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for it. I used this linkhttp://www.satellitestarinternet.com/hughesnet_plans_pricing.html to find out the most recent rate plans for the internet in my area. Check it out.

Espresso Supplies and Kitchen Supplies

2011-11-06T13:55:00.000-08:00

In my last post I wrote about purchasing an Espresso Machine. When you do purchase one you will need some items to go along with your new shiny machine.

Cups are the top priority. You have to get the right ones. The come in many shapes and sizes and from all over the world. You can get italian cappuccino cups in the Demi size which will hold a single shot serving of espresso or a cappuccino cup which are larger and come in many shapes and sizes. The larger cups can hold lattes as well. Something to consider before purchasing. You may want to just purchase a few of the Demi's for those who just want a shot of espresso.

If you have guests over the choice of after dinner drinks may be either coffee, wine or cordial. You can also purchase glasses from all over the world. You may prefer an italian wine glass verses something made in China. Which tend to be a lot nicer and more costly but well worth it. What ever you choose make sure it's something you love and you won't regret your purchase where ever it came from.

Also remember, if you do make that special purchase make sure you have room in your kitchen pantry cabinets. Storage is very important so that you don't over stack, crack or chip your new glasses or cups.

I hope this information helps you with deciding what you need. Enjoy making your own Espresso right in your own home for Friends and Family.

Happy Coffee Break!

Buying A Espresso Machine?

2011-11-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

Looking for a new Espresso Machine? It isn't as easy as you may think to purchase one these days. Espresso Machines come in many sizes, colors, capabilities and prices.

The first thing to do is your homework. You will need to figure out what type of machine you need. Ask your self how many cups of cappuccino or espresso do you drink a week? Where do you normally have it? At home or from a coffee bar. After you have decided what your needs are then it's time to shop.

You can purchase a single cup serving machine or multiple. Plastic, stainless steal, copper, the lists go on as to what is available. The prices range from a couple hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. So if you'r looking to make only a cup or so a week or bring out your Espresso Machines at a dinner party I recommend you purchase an inexpensive model. You will also need accessories as well such as grinder, roaster, coffee and cups.

Restaurants need a more expensive versions of Espresso Machines for their high demand of coffee from their customers. Barista's will make hundreds of Cappuccino's an hour and need a machine that will handle the demand. For example you may only need a 1 group machine. The 1 group will make one cup at a time. For larger quantities quicker you may need as a restaurant would need is at least a 3 group machine that has the capability of brewing three cups at once.

I would also recommend you purchase from a company that backs it product, has a warranty set up and has parts that can be replaced as needed.

There is nothing better than a fresh brewed cappuccino or espresso so why not get it right from your house! As always, do your homework first and you will not be disappointed.

Enjoy!

Tiling The Kitchen

2011-11-06T13:11:00.000-08:00

Contribution by Saul Martin

When we moved into our house six years ago, there were several things that I wanted to change. My husband did not want to change anything because he was convinced that we would only be in this house for a short time before we got a good deal on a bigger house and move. Now that it has been six years and the real estate market is so poor, it looks like we will be here for a while before we move. I convinced my husband that we need to make some changes to the house since we are still here. The first thing that I wanted to do was to place tile in our kitchen. I am so glad we have direct tv because I actually learned how to retile the kitchen from start to finish by myself from the Do It Yourself Network. My husband was so impressed when I told him about my plans to do it myself. He of course said he would help. I just did not want to pay someone to do something that I had learned to do myself.

Leigh - on - Sea Sole | Jamie Oliver Recipes (UK)

2011-11-03T06:06:00.000-07:00

Recipe of the day from Jamie Oliver! Leigh - on - Sea Sole.

Scrolling through Facebook this morning I found this link on Jamie's post. It looks great!

Let's check it out Leigh - on - Sea Sole | Jamie Oliver Recipes (UK)

Happy Cooking!

Halloween Graveyard Brownie Bite Some Mores!

2011-10-31T07:37:00.000-07:00

Need a last minute treat for your kids class or Halloween party? Here is so easy recipe and it just takes a few minutes.

Ingredients

Store bought brownie bites
Graham Crackers - smashed
Marshmallow fluff (or mini marshmallows)
Gummy worms or bugs

Place your brownie bites on a baking sheet. Top each brownie with some smashed graham crackers.

Heat the marshmallow fluff in micro for 30 seconds. Using two spoons spoon some fluff on top of each graham cracker topped brownie. Or, top with three to four mini marshmallow's.

Place under broiler until marshmallow is toasted, turning tray if needed.

Cool. Top with gummy worms.

Enjoy!

Halloween Candy Corn Cocktail

2011-10-23T06:06:00.000-07:00

A Friend of mine Amy Kanarios tagged me in a Face Book post. She said this one's for me! Yay! I am having a Halloween party this week and this Cocktail is on my Menu!

Candy Corn infused Vodka with Pineapple Juice! Oh, and of course Candy Corn! What a perfect fit for my party!

The recipe came from a Betty Crocker site Candy Corn Cocktail.

Ingredients:

Vodka

Candy Corn

Pineapple Juice

In a large jar with a lid add a cup of Candy Corn to vodka seal and let stand for at least four (4) hours. The longer you let stand the better :)

In a shaker add 1/2 cup Candy Corn infused Vodka and 1/4 C Pineapple Juice, ice, shake and serve, garnish with Candy Corn.

Yum...yum. Enjoy! :)

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Up Date!

2011-10-21T05:08:00.000-07:00

Jamie Oliver's up date on his Food Revolution! Something worth keeping up with if you have kids!

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

Happy Cooking!

It's Time For Wine!

2011-10-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

Wine. With Holiday time here once again it's time for some wine. So let's talk about getting that wine.

You have several choices. The grocery store, party store, liqueur store, gourmet market, wine shop the list goes on. You probably have your favorite place to purchase wine. I do have mine and it does not all come from the same place believe it or not. I do shop around for a good bottle and the best price.

You can join wine clubs, purchase online and get great wines from around the world now at your fingertips.

For example serenatawines.com in house Sommelier will hand pick the wines for you. In this case they will pick it and ship it in a beautiful wooden box. They have every type of wine available, Chardonnay, Bordeaux, Chablis, Burgundy, Champagne, Chianti, full bodied, lighter bodied as well as Organic. You can get great Italian, French, Australian and many more from all over the world.

Look for Holiday specials, gift ideas for both the red and white wine lover. In most cases the company will give you tasting notes, a brief history and the type of grape the wine is made from. You can actually learn a lot from poking around the websites. The best part is you can usually get a good price and have the opportunity to try something new.

This is a great idea for that hard to buy for person. Your Boss, Secretary, Father In Law the list goes on. If they like wine they will love this gift.

Shop around, do your wine homework and most of all have some fun. Happy Holidays!!

Enjoy! :)

Pillsbury's Apron Runway Challenge

2011-10-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

Pillsbury is having their annual Pillsbury Bake Off competition in March of 2012. You as my readers can participate in voting for a apron designed for the finalists while they try to win $1 a million dollars!

You can vote here Pillsbury Bake Off Page

Althea Harper, Kara Janx and Carol Hannah Whitfield have each designed an apron to potentially be worn by the 100 finalists on the contest floor at the Pillsbury Bake-Of Contest finals which take place in March 25027, 2012 in Orlando FL.

Have fun :)

Low Calorie Cocktails From Look Better Naked!

2011-08-10T07:48:00.000-07:00

Found this from Look Better Naked! Some cocktails that will not add on those extra pounds if you drink them in moderation of course!

Enjoy!

blue sky Kids Collection

2011-07-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Blue Sky once again for sharing their wonderful products with me so I can bring them to you!

They are the one stop shop for all your uniform needs. The fun thing I just found poking around their site is the blue sky Kids Collection. For Boys, Girls and Baby, how adorable is that!

Blue Sky also carries a line of http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/ little mini scrubs for baby.

Last Halloween a Friend of mine had to make her own scrub outfit for her Daughter who wanted to dress up as a Doctor. She couldn't find anything that she liked that would fit so off to the fabric store she went to get some material and made her own. Whether it be for play dress up, costume parties or just to be like Mom or Dad your kids will have fun and look very cute wearing these from Blue Sky.

They also carry a full line of all your uniform needs from scrubs to hats. Be sure to check them out while your shopping around ;)

Happy Shopping!

Perfect Valentine's lunch date outfit

2011-06-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

Guest post written by: Chelsea Pearce

My boyfriend and I are going to have a lunch date for Valentine's Day because he has to go on a business trip at the crack of dawn early next morning and therefore a dinner date like we had originally planed just isn't in the books for us. But I still want to look my best for the date like I would if it was for a dinner date. I'll be at work though so i need to make sure that I can wear something that's appropriate for the office.

Lucky for me, our office has a really casual dress code, which makes dressing for my date a little bit easier. I've gotten a few ideas from my satellitestarinternet.com/ as to what I'm going to wear.

I've narrowed it down to a few different dresses that I have and cardigans. I'm leaning towards a black dress and a red cardigan. Then of course I'll wear it with tights and heels. I may even curl instead of straighten my hair for the date since he likes it when I do that.

Fresh Tasting Homemade Easy No Cook BBQ Sauce

2011-06-08T12:18:00.000-07:00

If you have a couple minutes why not make your own BBQ Sauce! This recipe is easy and you may just have all the ingredients in your pantry all ready! It takes a couple minutes and you end up with a "fresh tasting" homemade no cook BBQ Sauce!

1 1/2 C Ketchup
1/2 C Molasses
1 1/2 tsp Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Hot Sauce
1 tsp Liquid Smoke (it's all natural too!)
Salt
Pepper

Combine in a mixing bowl and whisk to incorporate flavors! No cooking needed. Go ahead and taste it! You will be surprised ;)

You can also be brave and ad you own flavors for that special touch. Rosemary, Garlic, more hot sauce the list is endless.... beer!

Have fun ;)

Enjoy!

Top Five BBQ Winners From Country Looks Magazine

2011-06-08T12:04:00.000-07:00

For all you home Cooks that love to grill outdoors or in, here is the Top 5 BBQ Sauce Winners from Country Looks Magazine.

They have tested and tasted tons of brands to come up with a Top 5 list.

Number 1 Choice: Bulls-Eye Original - for the best sweetness & smokey taste.

Number 2: KC Masterpiece - for robust spice, smoke and smoothness.

Number 3: Sweet Baby Rays - for the sweetest of the bunch.

Number 4: Hunt's Mild - for tastes mild like ketchup, kids love it.

Number 5: Kraft Original - for best smoke.

So here are the Top 5 BBQ Sauces for any taste preference.

Click here to make your own Fresh Tasting Homemade Easy No Cook BBQ Sauce

Enjoy :)

Wine Pick Of The Day! Black Stallion Napa Valley Chardonnay

2011-05-09T08:05:00.000-07:00

Running off to Papa Joes to grab some things for dinner and a bottle of wine I could not find my old stand by, Kendall Jackson Chardonnay!

So standing trying to decide the Sommelier asked if he could help. I explained that my usual was missing on the shelf. By that time I had already had a bottle that was on special in my hand.

Stunned, he said that they would never run out of Kendall Jackson again! He also went on to talk about Kendall Jackson and how it is a poo pooed wine by many and shouldn't be. I told him I like the smooth buttery oaky taste, not too fruity. He agreed and went on to say that Kendall Jackson has been around a very very long time and they can afford to use oak barrels, which other winery's may not have that luxury. He also went on to say that Kendall Jackson puts out some amazing fabulous wines. He isn't sure why the name may turn some off.

So okay, here were are the wine in hand, which he said was an excellent choice, is similar to my favorite so I won't be disappointed!

He was right..... LOVE it! Will purchase again. Smooth with a soft oak flavor, not too fruity.

Black Stallion Estate Winery

Napa Valley

2009 Chardonnay

$15.99

Black Stallion Estate Winery located on Silverado Trail, Napa Valley is a Boutique Winery, wonderful wines worth trying.

Happy Tasting ;)

Soak Veggies In Lemon Water To Help Wash Off Pesticides

2011-05-09T07:54:00.001-07:00

If you cannot buy organic or do and also purchase non organic fruits and vegetables here is a tip to help remove all the pesticides.

Soak fruits and vegetables in lemon water for 20 minutes before using.

I used to just wash with soap and water so yesterday I read to soak in lemon water to help remove pesticides found on the skin.

Take a gallon container fill with water and add lemon juice, I have that big ol bottle of lemon juice that never gets used up, so I used that. I just poured in about three tablespoons or so.

While I was preparing dinner I tossed in the cucumber, yellow squash, zucchini, and my tomatoes (I also still rinsed with soap and water).

This morning I knew our grapes I bought were not organic so I soaked them before putting them in the kids lunches.

Happy Springtime :)

Wine Pick Of The Day! Domaine Chandon Vintage Brut

2011-05-01T14:49:00.000-07:00

The review from Wine Enthusiast was on point. The hazelnut is exactly what I tasted and couldn't pin point it until I looked it up! Happy, happy!

Average cost: $15.99

Reviews of N.V. Domaine Chandon Vintage Brut

90 points, Wine Enthusiast
December 2006
On the sweet side, but so nicely acidified and delicious in fruit that you hardly notice the sugar, which just gives the wine a round softness. Beautiful hazelnut, peaches-and-cream and vanilla flavors, with a touch of raspberry zest. — S.H.

Recovering from Cheating on Your Low Carb Diet

2011-05-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

Being on a diet is hard enough. Keeping your self esteem up during dieting is even harder. Falling off the diet pulls one down into a even deeper hole which is sometimes hard to climb out of.

Here is an interesting article for you to read.

Recovering from Cheating on Your Low Carb Diet

I have been trying to get ready for bikini season.... well not so many bikini's for me anymore at my age :/ Anyway, I have been on a low carb diet. Lot's of protein the first week, then slowly introducing carbs, the healthy ones the second week. I have found out that by cutting carbs made me hungry within about four hours. So the article mentions carrying some low carbs snacks with you which makes sense. I get so hungry I couldn't stand it. It was like I haven't eaten in days. My stomach would growl and I would race to the kitchen as soon as I walked in the door.

After I figured this out I now eat more often. No more skipping a breakfast and eat at noon like I used to be able to do when I was younger.

I have also noticed that I eat less at dinner. I get fuller faster and can push my plate aside and not sit there and continue to shovel it in.

Don't be so hard on your self. Don't weigh yourself every day. Some Dr. said once a month. Your weight fluctuates up and down with water weight and can tend to chew away at your self esteem.

Happy Spring ;)

Tip Of The Day: Cooking Chick Peas

2011-04-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

Chick Peas are a healthy addition to your diet. Cooking them yourself vs. purchasing them in the can is much healthier, no preservatives and you control the sodium ;)

The Tip Of The Day: Don't Cook Chick Peas With Salt, It Makes Them Tough!

Soak Chick Peas over night in water. This helps them cook faster.

Add some aromatics to the water, onion quartered, and a bay leaf.

Cover with water and cook until tender. Peas are done when you can squish them.

1/2 cup green olives pitted and slice

2 garlic cloves chopped

1 lemon - zest lemon set aside, reserve juice

Salt

Fresh ground pepper

Fresh parsley

Saute garlic in olive oil for a minute or so, add chick peas and mash with potato masher, heat through, add olives, lemon zest, lemon juice from 1/2 lemon, salt, pepper and fresh parsley.

Serve.

Housewives Bethany Frankel Sells Skinny Girl Brand

2011-04-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

Bethany Frankel Sells her Skinnygirl Brand for Millions. Former Housewive of NYC Bethaney has been very busy writing cookbooks and concocting her Skinnygirl Margarita mix that has only 100 calories per serving.

Read more from CNN Bethenny Frankel Sells Skinnygirl Brand

Happy Cooking ;)

The One Item In Your Purse Covered With Germs & Bacteria

2011-04-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

The one item in your purse that has the most Germs and Bacteria is:

Your Car Keys!

Do not let your Baby chew on them!

Be sure to sanitize them regularly! Think about it. Where have your keys been? When was the last time they had a bath?

Happy Cooking!

Recipes with Bacon, Bacon, Bacon!

2011-04-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

To get a wonder recipe made with everyone's favorite meat "Bacon" click here: Bacon

Happy Cooking :)