What's Cooking, Love?

Garlic and Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

2012-03-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

This month I decided to join the Improv Challenge, where we have to come up with a recipe using two given ingredients. This months ingredients were potatoes and cheese. I knew right away what I was going to make. These mashed potatoes are my go to mashed potatoes and they are so good.

I really like mashed potatoes that are made with red potatoes, I find that the red potato skins give the mashed potatoes so much texture and flavor. I love this recipe because the garlic is cooked with the potatoes and then mashed with them, giving the potatoes so much garlic flavor. The added Parmesan Cheese also gives it great taste.

We make this recipe any time we have mashed potatoes and make it with pork tenderloin or burgers or anything else that goes well with mashed potatoes. This is a great upgrade to standard mashed potatoes and adds great flavor and makes for a tasty side dish!!

Garlic and Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

(Recipe adapted from Food.com)

3 pounds red potatoes, unpeeled and quartered

3 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup soy milk (can substitute regular milk)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

1. Put the potatoes and garlic in a large pan and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil.

2. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Remove from heat and drain the potatoes.

3. Mash the potatoes and garlic with the butter, milk, and salt. Then stir in the Parmesan Cheese.

*Alyssa*

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Whet Your Appetite Wednesday {20 Recipes Using Girl Scout Cookies}

2012-03-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

I never knew that there were so many recipes that used Girl Scout Cookies as ingredients. Since it is Girl Scout Cookie time, I thought that I would post a collection of recipes using Girl Scout Cookies as ingredients. These desserts sure do look delicious!! They can also be made anytime of year with similar cookies. Enjoy!!

Thin Mints

Ultimate Thin Mint Brownies

{The Traveling Spoon}

Thin Mint Truffles

{Cookin' Cowgirl}

Thin Mint Muddy Buddies

{Fantastical Sharing of Recipes}

Thin Mint Cupcakes

{BruCrew Life}

Thin Mint Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

{Sweet Pea's Kitchen}

Thin Mint Popcorn

{Dip It in Chocolate}

Thin Mint Mousse
{Peanut Butter and Peppers}

Thin Mint Oreo Ice Cream Cake
{Kristin's kNook}

Double Thin Mint Ice Cream
{Erin Cooks}

Samoas

Samoa and Thin Mint Truffles
{Lucy's Table}

Samoa Stuffed Brownies
{Shaken Together}

Samoa Popcorn
{Dip It in Chocolate}

Frozen Samoan Cookie Dessert
{Six Sisters' Stuff}

Samoa Cupcakes
{Oh, Just Put a Cupcake In It}

Tagalongs

Tagalong Peanut Butter Trifle
{What's Cooking, Love?}

Tagalong Bread with Peanut Butter Spread
{Something Swanky}

Tagalong Cupcakes
{BruCrew Life}

Tagalong Dip
{Something Swanky}

Do-Si-Dos

Cheesecake Bars with Do-Si-Do Crust
{Katie Rannou}

Trefoils

Banana Cheesecakes with Shortbread Crust
{Shaken Together}

If you have been featured, feel free to grab a button on my sidebar. I have pinned all of these recipes. Enjoy!!

*Alyssa*

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Tagalong Peanut Butter Trifle

2012-03-12T19:45:00.000-07:00

You probably didn't know this, but I used to be a Girl Scout.

I was in Girl Scouts until I was about 15. At that point I was only in Girl Scouts because of the friends that I made in it. When everyone decided to stop, I decided to stop as well.

For awhile, my mom was the Cookie Mom. She would have to pick up all the cookies and store them at our house until all the girls picked up their orders. It was always hard to stare at all the boxes of cookies in our garage and not eat a bunch of them. Not to worry though, my mom would order at least 10 boxes of cookies.

Unfortunately, even though we live in a neighborhood with a lot of kids, nobody ever comes and asks us to order Girl Scout Cookies. So, I usually buy a couple of boxes when the Girl Scouts are selling them outside the grocery store.

My favorite Girl Scout Cookie is probably Samoas, but since my husband doesn't like coconut and I can't justify eating a whole box by myself, we usually get my next favorite and my husband's favorite, Tagalongs.

Since I am a big fan of Peanut Butter and Chocolate, these cookies are perfect. I found these trifles on Pinterest and had to make them.

These trifles were so so good!!! It was like eating a slice of peanut butter pie in a cup! These trifles are mini because they are very rich. I just used mini plastic cups to make them. These also can be made any time of year using any chocolate and peanut butter cookies.

These trifles are so decadent and tasty, I definitely recommend that you try them!

Tagalong Peanut Butter Trifle

(Recipe adapted from My Baking Addiction)

Peanut Butter Mousse

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup heavy cream

1. In a large bowl, beat all ingredients until thoroughly combined and fluffy, for about 3 minutes.

Trifle

Mini parfait glasses

20 Tagalong cookies, chopped (There may be only about 15 cookies in a box, so you can use less cookies and use one box or substitute any other chocolate peanut butter cookie)

Hot Fudge Sauce (warmed slightly so that it is easier to spoon)

Cool Whip

1. Place about 1 chopped Tagalong into the bottom of each parfait glass.

2. Then spoon a layer of peanut butter mousse on top of the Tagalongs.

3. Add a layer of hot fudge sauce and then a layer of whipped cream on top of the hot fudge sauce.

4. Repeat each layer and then top with chopped Tagalong cookies. This makes 8 mini trifles.

*Alyssa*

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Pot of Gold Cookies

2012-03-09T19:34:00.004-08:00

I have been really into making cookies lately. These cookies are really easy and are a great St. Patrick's Day treat. The cookies were baked in a cupcake tin, but for some reason the cupcake tin I decided to use didn't make it into as much of a cup shape as my other cupcake tin. Usually there is an indent, in which I planned on filling with the Reese's Pieces. Since the cookie did not indent, I just pushed the Reese's Pieces into the cookie cup.

For the "gold," I used Reese's Pieces and added peanut butter chips to the cookies because I love chocolate chips and peanut butter chips together. You could also use yellow or gold M&M's. These could also be made any time of the year with any color of Reese's Pieces or any color of M&M's. These cookies were great and are a fun cookie for St. Patrick's Day.

Other St. Patrick's Day Recipes:
* Irish Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

* Chocolate Mint Oreo Fudge

* Mint Chocolate Chip Kisses

Pot of Gold Cookies

1 pouch Chocolate Chip Cookie mix
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 egg
3 tablespoons peanut butter chips

10 yellow Reese's Pieces (per cookie)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Stir the chocolate chip cookie mix, butter, and egg together in a large bowl until soft dough forms. Then add the peanut butter chips and stir to combine.

3. Roll the dough into a rounded teaspoonful and place one ball in an ungreased muffin tin pan. Repeat for the rest of the cookie dough balls. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes, then gently press 10 yellow Reese's Pieces into the cup of each cookie. Cool for an additional 5 minutes then gently remove from the cookie sheet onto a cooling rack.

*Alyssa*

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Whet Your Appetite Wednesday {20 St. Patrick's Day Desserts}

2012-03-07T17:22:00.000-08:00

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I decided to post a collection of St. Patrick's Day desserts. These desserts are perfect for celebrating St. Patrick's Day or for any time of the year. Enjoy these desserts and have fun on St. Patrick's Day!!

Cut Out Clover Cupcakes

{Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons}

Leprechaun Cookies

{The Terrace Housewife}

Snazzy Shamrock Shake Recipe

{It's Overflowing}

Grasshopper Mint Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies