Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

❤ Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes ❤ 

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree 
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 3/4 cup evaporated milk 
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour 
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 cup muffin tins with silicone liners, foil liners sprayed with cooking spray or just spray the cups with cooking spray. Any of these three methods will make it easy to take the cupcake out after it’s cooked. Paper liners make it difficult to remove the cupcakes. 

Mix the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and milk. Add the flour, pumpkin spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda to the mixture. Fill each muffin cup with 1/3 cup of the mixture. Bake for twenty minutes and let cool for twenty minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle more pumpkin pie spice on top and serve. Makes 12 cupcakes. 

*Disclaimer, this is not my recipe.  It was passed down to me so original author is unknown.

Mom, really!

This is so true, but at least it was just lunchtime! 

Baked Cheese Dip, Fame Follows!

The Cheese Dip That Will Make You Famous!

I call this The Cheese Dip that will make you famous because it’s guaranteed to be the hit of the party! Serve it at your Super Bowl Party, serve it at a cocktail party, serve it anywhere and you’ll get rave reviews! It’s super easy, and you’ll have everyone asking for the recipe. Try it with jalapeño jack or chipotle seasonings if you like a kick…otherwise, stick to the cheddar.


Ingredients
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
2 cups grated cheddar cheese OR grated jalapeño jack
1 cup mayonnaise
1 small purple onion, diced (you can use chopped green onions as well or omit onions if you don’t like them)
◦Serve with Wheat Thins or Frito’s Scoops for dipping or evenVeggies


Instructions
1. Place all ingredients in a shallow baking dish (a 9″ square pan or round quiche pan will be perfect!)
2. Microwave on high for about 2 minutes or until the ingredients are melted enough to stir together.
3. Stir until combined.
4. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
5. Serve with Wheat Thins or Frito’s Scoops for dipping.

Crock Pot Apple Butter

Ingredients

• 2-3 Pounds (50 oz) unsweetened apple sauce
• 3 Pounds granny smith apples
• 4 Cups sugar
• 1 and 1/2 Cups apple juice
• 2 Teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoons cloves
• 1 Teaspoons allspice

Directions

1. Step One

   Peel and cut apples into small chips.

2. Step Two

   Combine apples and remaining ingredients in the slow cooker and stir.

3. Step Three

   Cover and cook on low overnight (8 to 10 hours).

4. Step Four

   Add more spices or sugar if desired, stir.

5. Step Five

   Continue cooking for a few more hours, uncovered, until some of the liquid has evaporated and the butter has cooked down a bit.

6. Step Six

   Pour into jars and refrigerate.

7. Step Seven

   Serve over hot biscuits, toast, or scones. Makes 12 jars.

Cake For One

Have you ever just wanted a "little" cake?  You don't want to make a whole one because you might be tempted to eat more or it might go bad.  Well here you go, here is a simple recipe for "cake for one"...

Yum...CAKE For One!!

1 box angel food cake mix
1 box cake mix, any flavor

Mix two cake mixes together, and store in large ziplock bag.

These individual little cakes are amazing and ready to eat in one minute!

They are perfect for whenever you feel like a treat without all the fat and calories that cake can have.

Cake for one: Simple to remember the directions 3, 2, 1 because all you need to remember is:

3 tablespoons mix,
2 tablespoons water,
1 minute in the microwave!

Kool-Aid Playdough

Ingredients

1 Cup Flour

¼ Cup Salt

1 Packet Kool-Aid

⅔ Cup Water *You will end up using between ½ and ⅔ cup.

1 Tb. Oil

                                   

Instructions

1. Mix the flour, the salt, and the Kool-Aid together.
2. Boil the water.
3. Add the oil to the water.
4. Pour some of the water into the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon. Keep adding water and work the dough until the color is uniform and feels like playdough.

                                                        

Notes

*Don’t feel like you need to use the full ⅔ Cup water. The amount you’ll use will be between ½ and ⅔ of a cup. Store the playdough in an air tight bag or these small containers. This recipe will fill 6 {2 oz.} mini cups.

As found on:

http://www.the36thavenue.com/2013/03/kool-aid-playdough-recipe.html

Icebox Pickles

How to Make Icebox Pickles

6 cups sliced, unpeeled cucumbers

1 cup sliced red onion

1 cup sliced green bell pepper

1 Tablespoon celery seed

1 Tablespoon salt

2 cups white sugar

1 cup white vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a glass jar or crock. Cover with water and refrigerate. You can eat them immediately, but I will tell you that the pickles are much, much tastier if you let them sit in the refrigerator for a few weeks. They will keep up to 3 months in the fridge.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites ~ No Egg ~ Easy ~


1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons of half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

For the coating:
2 cups of chocolate chips (melted)
1 tablespoon shortening

Cream butter and sugar together.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well -- use your hands to get it together the best.
Roll into 1-inch balls.
Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Dip in chocolate, drizzle with chocolate or eat as is -- equally delicious no matter what!
Let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.
Store in the refrigerator.

Skinny Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium-sized spaghetti squash

1 Tablespoon butter

3 cloves of garlic, finely minced

2 Tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups milk(I used fat-free)

1 Tablespoon cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 Tablespoons extra for topping

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Crushed red pepper flakes and fresh parsley, for optional garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

First, prep the squash. Cut spaghetti squash in half using a large sharp knife, scoop out the seeds and place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet covered with water. Bake until tender, about an hour.

As an alternate way of baking: Poke a few holes deep into the whole squash with a paring knife. Bake for 60 minutes, remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes before slicing in half with a large serrated knife. Scoop out the seedy inside leaving the spaghetti strands.

Once squash is cooked, use a fork to gently scrape the “spaghetti” strands into the center.

For the sauce, melt butter in a small pot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in flour, cooking for another minute while stirring. Whisk in milk until no lumps remain. Once hot, add cream cheese and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat. Stir in Parmesan, salt and pepper.

Spoon sauce equally into each spaghetti squash half. Gently pull up the spaghetti strands to coat as much as possible with the sauce. Top with extra Parmesan and place under the broiler of your oven for 2-3 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.

Top each half with a pinch of red pepper flakes and fresh chopped parsley, if desired. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Recipe shared from: http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com

Oven-Baked Zucchini Fries

3 zucchini (approx. 1 lb.)
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese1 packet Shake & Bake Coating Mix
1 small egg

Heat oven to 450ºF. Trim the zucchini -cut crosswise in half, then cut each piece into 1/4-inch sticks. Add cheese to coating mix in shaker bag; shake gently to combine. Whisk egg in medium bowl. Add zucchini; toss to coat. Use tongs to place 1/4 of the zucchini in shaker bag; close bag and shake to evenly coat. Spread onto baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining zucchini. Bake for 12 to 13 min. or until golden brown, turning the baking tray 180 degrees after 7 min to facilitate even baking. Meanwhile, mix remaining ingredients. Remove the baked fries from the oven, and serve them with your favorite dipping sauce.

Jalapeno Popper Wontons

Jalapeno Popper Wontons
( Just look for the lowest carb wontons wrappers)
1 package refrigerated square wonton wrappers
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened (or light cream cheese)
3 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Vegetable oil for frying
Coarse salt

1. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, jalapenos, and cheddar cheese. Arrange wontons in a single layer on a baking sheet.

2. Add 1 teaspoon of the filling to the center of each wonton (don't overfill them). Dip your fingers in a bowl of water and run your wet fingers around all edges of each wonton. Fold the wontons over the filling, pinching the edges to seal to make a triangle and removing any air bubbles.

3. Fry wontons in batches in hot oil until browned and cripsy. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with coarse salt. Serve warm.

Easy Apple Pie Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars

~ Apple Pie Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars ~


Only Three Ingredients  Unbelievably Easy & Delicious

These bars are the best of both worlds … apple pie and cookies with no utensils required! These are a great dessert to pack up for a summer picnic. Or, warm up a cookie bar and top it with vanilla ice cream for an a la mode treat! 

Ingredients
One 16.5 oz tube of Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough
One 20 oz. can of apple pie filling
Cinnamon sugar (1/4 cup of granulated sugar & 4 teaspoons of ground cinnamon)

InstructionsPress 2/3 of the cookie dough into the bottom of an 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan.
Sprinkle with 2/3 of the cinnamon sugar.
Spread the apple pie filling over the cookie base.
Take small amounts of the remaining cookie dough, flatten it slightly and place over the pie filling. It will not cover the pie filling completely.
Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture.
Bake in a 350* oven until the cookie dough is baked - mine took about 35-40 minutes.
Allow bars to cool and cut into squares.

Grilling Goodness

We are always wanting to try something different.  We get into ruts and seem to eat the same thing week after week.  We have really gotten into grilling the past few weeks and have a had a great time trying different dishes.  This one was really good, liked by all with no known complaints, lol. We started out by grilling ALL of the ingredients, the chicken was grilled until completely cooked, followed by adding the pineapples, then the peppers and onions.  The peppers and onions were just grilled enough to get some good grill lines going.

After grilling, all the items were cut into bite sized pieces.  I mixed up the pineapple juice from the canned pineapple with some soy sauce, brown sugar and a hint of garlic powder, cheyenne powder, crushed red and black pepper and sea salt to taste.  I made foil packets and placed equal amounts of food items in each packet.  I then divided up the liquid into the packets and tightly closed each one.  I threw them back on the grill for about 10 minutes to let the heat help marinate the packet contents. The chicken stayed moist and the veggies still had some crisp to them.

The results were a slightly tangy spicy with the salty sweet mix.  The grilled pineapple burst with flavor and made me feel like I got dessert with my deal!  It was yummy, fairly healthy and super easy to make.  

Pink Champagne Cupcakes

Pink Champagne Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist white cake mix 

1 1/4 cups champagne

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 egg whites

4 to 5 drops red food color


Champagne Frosting

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup champagne

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 to 5 drops red food color

Garnishes
Betty Crocker pink decorating sugar Edible pink pearls

Preparation

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.

1. In large bowl, mix dry cake mix and champagne. Add oil, egg whites and food color. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed

2. minutes. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

3. Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

4. In medium bowl, beat frosting ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Sprinkle with garnishes. Store loosely covered.


Expert Tips
Champagne is a sparkling wine, and while many expensive champagnes are available, this is one time you might choose less expensive champagne. Have the champagne at room temperature when preparing the cake.

For pink decorator sugar crystals, edible pink pearls and decorative cupcake liners, check out fancyflours.com.

Sprinkle garnishes on cupcakes just before serving to maximize sparkle and keep them from absorbing moisture and melting into frosting.

Fried Pickles

I LOVE fried pickles!

1 jar dill pickle spears

1 cup flour

1/2 cup plain yellow corn meal

1 tablespoon seasoned salt

1 cup milk

Vegetable Oil to cook in

Ranch Dressing for dipping

Pour vegetable oil to a depth of at least 1/2 inch in medium sized skillet and place over medium high heat. Drain pickles and place spears on paper towel lined plate to absorb moisture while you prepare breading.

Place corn meal in small bowl. Add 1/2 cup flour and seasoned salt. Stir until well combined. In separate bowl, pour remaining flour and place milk in third bowl.

Using your hands, dip a pickle into milk, then flour, then milk, then cornmeal breading. Repeat until all pickles are breaded.

Carefully place pickles into hot oil and cook until browned, stirring once if needed, about ten minutes.

Remove from skillet and place on paper towel lined plate. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving with ranch dressing.

These are extremely hot inside for several minutes after cooking.

Makes about 8

Panda Bread and Panda Cupcakes

I am a sucker for a cute little character, and this panda cupcake is no exception.  It may look complicated, but it's not as hard as you would think.  I found the recipe on several sights and all had the same picture I used here, lol.  Here is the general consensus on how they are made:  

-the flavor is up to you, I chose vanilla so I just had to use one mix (make them large!)

-make the same amount of small (mini size) cupcakes

-Chocolate, white vanilla and black frosting (use the small store bought tube of gel frosting.

-package of regular Oreos

-package of Mini Oreos

-mini chocolate chips

Directions:

-Each panda needs 2 regular sized Oreos cut in half

-frost the mini cupcakes with vanilla frosting for the head

-paint eyes and mouth with black frosting (use chocolate chip, large side out to add to eyes

-use the mini chocolate chips for the nose

-use 2 halves of the mini Oreos for the ears

-Scrape the white filling off of some Oreos and place the cookies in a baggie to crush

-Frost the large cupcakes with the chocolate frosting

-Coat the top of the big cupcake (by dipping it in) the cookie crumbs

-Attach each head to the body, (use toothpicks to keep in place)

-Use 2 halves of reg. Oreos for the arms, use a bit of the chocolate frosting to attach

-Paint the nails on, (can be helpful to use a toothpick)

-Set the feet at the base, (no need to attach)

ENJOY!!!!

This recipe might be a little tricky, but I used Google Translate to make some sense of it.  Here is the link: http://cookpad.com/recipe/349795   It was too cute to not pass along.  It would make a little one's lunch interesting and fun.  Plus, who doesn't like Pandas?!  This actually opens up a whole new idea for me.  It has me wondering what else I can make like this.  You don't even have to use the green tea, lol...you can use food coloring and let your imagination run wild.  Just watch that it looks eatable, lol.

Pineapple Strawberry Cheesecake

Pineapple Cheesecake

2 pkgs cream cheese (8 oz each)

½ cup sugar

1 can crushed pineapple, drained (20 oz)

1 carton frozen whipped topping (8 oz)

2 pkgs lady fingers (3 oz each)

1 pkg of Strawberries, sliced

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Stir in pineapple. Fold in whipped topping. Place ladyfingers around the sides and on the bottom of a greased 9 in spring-foam pan. Pour filling into pan. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Remove sides of the pan and top with sliced strawberries.

Light, tasty and oh so delicious...perfect summer time treat!  The lady fingers dress it up enough for a formal get together, or make it fun for a casual after dinner dessert. 

Love the Lunchbox

My youngest is the only one left in school and by far my easiest to please when it comes to food.  I have to admit, his school does a terrific job providing a lunch for $2.  They have multiple choices, very healthy and no sub grade anything!  But there are just some days he really wants to do his own thing and bring something made at home. We try to keep it interesting, it's a way to get him to eat the good stuff and he actually sees it as s type of reward.  Yes, I reward my kid with veggies, lol...and he loves it!  Here are a few ideas we have come across.  They are not all easy, but with a little patience and practice it turns out pretty neat!

They might get a little messed up in transit to school, but they have fun putting it back together before they eat it!  Of course some items get wrapped to separate from the more moist ingredients to keep them from getting soggy.  It's not nearly as much work as it looks and it makes my kiddo a happy luncher!  I might even get a mention or two during lunch... 

                                                                            

This one is just too cute and contains many of my son's favorite things.  Packaging will be your biggest hurdle to get over.  I reuse the heck out containers from anywhere and everywhere.  To go boxes, deli container and I have a slight addiction to buying the ones that catch my eye.  It's cheaper than a shoe addiction and they stack better when stored! :)

These are also fun for lunches at home, and it takes away the chance of it getting messed up in the containers!  Finger food are fun to throw in and fun for the little ones.  I have even made my own up like these for work, lol.  It gets a few questions asked, but really I do it to see how well it travels before sending it with my son.  Trial and error, I'll make that sacrifice in the name of a good lunch!

Making lunch fun is a easy and healthy reward for kids.  The more fun you make it the more likely they are to eat it.  Healthy in disguise and gone before you know it!

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

My husband's favorite candy is Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and his favorite cookie is Peanut Butter...so what would be a better treat to make for him than these! I can combine his two favorite sweets and  hopefully he'll like them.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, slightly softened
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Sift flour, soda and salt with a wire whisk and set aside.

Beat butter and peanut butter

Add sugar and beat until fluffy.

Add egg and vanilla.

Add flour mixture and combine.

Roll dough into 1 to 1-1/2 inch balls and then roll the balls in sugar to coat.

  

                                                             

 Press rolled balls into the cavities of a mini muffin tray.

Place an unwrapped Reese’s peanut butter cup into each.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Remove. Let cool and then drizzle with chocolate if desired.

Bunny Rolls

These were too cute to pass up!  And how easy is this!  Bite size bunnies will appeal to the kids and the kids at heart.  I guarantee you will get one or more of these comments, "Ahhhh!  How Cute!"

"Oh, look at the cute little bunnies!" 

"Oh my, those must have taken so long!"

In reality, they are as easy as can be, cute as can be and will make a great addition to you Easter meal, (or any meal you want to make them for).  I am sure they will get some attention and be the hit of the buffet!  Enjoy!

Works best with homemade dough, can be done with frozen and it's possible with the canned stuff...just a little more tricky.