tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29551845737999328262024-03-13T11:52:54.701-07:00Awesome Ends In 'Me'Its'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955184573799932826.post-76169171778218172232011-08-14T12:37:00.000-07:002011-08-14T12:37:10.454-07:00Oysters PhillippeSo this recipe has been in my family forever. I've only made them once myself (as I leave it to my dad to make them for me when I'm home - I'm spoiled like that). While they are likely HORRIBLE for your waistline (okay, not likely), your mouth will thank you!<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Oysters Phillippe</i></span><br />
Makes approx 18 oysters<br />
<br />
(There are no measurements for these first ingredients because you are simply sprinkling them over the oysters)<br />
<br />
Lemon Juice<br />
Worcestershire Sauce<br />
Butter (okay, so you can't really sprinkle this. Use about 1/8 t per oyster)<br />
Garlic Powder<br />
Parmesan Cheese<br />
Bread Crumbs<br />
<br />
** Use washed oyster shells or decorative shells that can be put in the oven. When using decorative shells, spray lightly with cooking spray for easy clean up. Put rock salt on the bottom of a baking dish to keep shells from tipping over**<br />
<br />
1. Preheat broiler in oven. Place one raw oyster in each shell. Sprinkle with lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, butter, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese.<br />
<br />
2. Broil oysters until they curl. Remove from broiler and top with a heaping teaspoon of Phillippe's Dressing (see below). Sprinkle with bread crumbs and broil again until lightly brown and bubbly.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>Phillippe's Dressing</i></span><br />
<br />
8 oz cream cheese<br />
4 oz bleu cheese<br />
3/4 c mayonnaise (the original recipe calls for 1 c + 2 T of mayo, but start with 3/4 c and add more, a couple Tbsp at a time, if needed)<br />
1 1/2 t worcestershire sauce<br />
<br />
1. Mix all ingredients for dressing together with a hand mixer and leave lumpy.<br />
<br />
<br />
ENJOY!!! These things are AMAZING! They're nice and creamy and very rich. They make great appetizers too!<br />
<br />
<br />
Nutrition Info per oyster (approx): Calories: 180, Fat: 15g, Carbs: 5g, Fiber: 0g, Protein: 7gIts'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955184573799932826.post-44243391294931249382011-08-13T22:43:00.000-07:002011-08-13T22:50:28.746-07:00Blueberry Coffee CakeThis coffee cake is absolutely amazing. My boyfriend sent me the recipe (from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/">allrecipes.com</a>). He wanted me to make it and send it to him in Iraq. Being the great girlfriend I am, I obliged. I put it in a plastic container with a piece of bread (that's the trick to keeping baked goods moist when you ship them) and off it went. He loved it (but even if he didn't, it would be totally his fault since he's the one who sent me the recipe - haha). The moistness is from the addition of sour cream, which I like to add to cupcakes too. So, without further ado...<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Blueberry Coffee Cake</span></i><br />
Serves 12 people<br />
<br />
1 c butter<br />
2 c white sugar<br />
2 eggs, room temperature<br />
1 c light sour cream<br />
1 t vanilla extract<br />
1 5/8 c all-purpose flour (that would be 1 1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp)<br />
1 t baking powder<br />
1/4 t salt<br />
1 1/2 c fresh blueberries<br />
<br />
1/2 c raw turbinado sugar or brown sugar<br />
1 t ground cinnamon<br />
1 T powdered sugar<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9 inch bundt pan.<br />
<br />
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and white sugar until light and fluffy (this will take a few minutes). Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each egg. Then blend in the sour cream and vanilla.<br />
<br />
3. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients a little at a time (about a 1/4 c) until just blended. Fold in blueberries (gently, you don't want to pop them because then you will end up with purple/blue batter).<br />
<br />
4. Spoon half of the batter into prepared pan. In a small bowl combine the raw/brown sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle half the mixture over the batter in the pan. Spoon remaining batter on top and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Use a knife, or the like, to "swirl" the cinnamon sugar into the cake.<br />
<br />
5. Bake for 55 minutes to an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Once cool, invert onto a serving platter and dust with powdered sugar.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzaRqWKV54esXybsy5vC9uvO5y86ndUvdQBoK2ep9TMJBhUDPdN12Das2lHggm_6JXtrv0v_ZJyu1k9VGNMiA0DF7KWWs5xx56f8imo_Bk_4rqsxHad5oEv1QoudgHCWfeigBihXovQM/s1600/blueberry+sour+cream+coffee+cake4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzaRqWKV54esXybsy5vC9uvO5y86ndUvdQBoK2ep9TMJBhUDPdN12Das2lHggm_6JXtrv0v_ZJyu1k9VGNMiA0DF7KWWs5xx56f8imo_Bk_4rqsxHad5oEv1QoudgHCWfeigBihXovQM/s320/blueberry+sour+cream+coffee+cake4.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shame on me, I forgot to take a pic, so this is courtesy of<br />
<a href="http://moon-pie.blogspot.com/">http://moon-pie.blogspot.com/</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Nutrition Info Per Serving (if you REALLY must know. I would personally divert my eyes from this): Calories: 428, Fat: 18g, Carbs: 68g, Fiber: 1g, Protein: 5gIts'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955184573799932826.post-77836475840533403902011-05-30T20:12:00.000-07:002011-05-30T22:52:28.268-07:00Mediterranean Style CouscousOkay, so I promised my friend Courtney a recipe because her daughter will NOT eat meat anymore. This is really easy to make and is absolutely meat free. While its a good main course, you could serve it alongside chicken as well...for all you meat eaters.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mediterranean Style Couscous</span></i><br />
Serves 4 people<br />
<br />
One package of Near East garlic and olive oil couscous<br />
1/4 c sundried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped<br />
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped<br />
1 can Garbanzo beans/chickpeas, drained and rinsed<br />
<br />
<br />
Cook the couscous according to package directions (super easy - it involves water with olive oil & the seasoning packet, bringing it to a boil, then adding the couscous, covering, and taking it off the stove. The couscous is ready in like 5 minutes)<br />
<br />
Combine the rest of the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 45 seconds (just to heat them through) and add them to the couscous. Done.<br />
<br />
You could add a little feta too if you wanted...or a bit of spinach. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgF1ix5JNbbfLmT7xVDliHUri5l9uE9SmebTAjy1efAEgACisKJLAXhXMy0PvGx-Q0QkDU0_i87tc1Tg8uYLJeoXY44D-LLEV4my7UHh-TwGAnYG9pGkfzE9MYyS44DcBX5Tk44kpNTM/s1600/IMAG0603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgF1ix5JNbbfLmT7xVDliHUri5l9uE9SmebTAjy1efAEgACisKJLAXhXMy0PvGx-Q0QkDU0_i87tc1Tg8uYLJeoXY44D-LLEV4my7UHh-TwGAnYG9pGkfzE9MYyS44DcBX5Tk44kpNTM/s400/IMAG0603.jpg" width="322" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Nutrition Info Per Serving: Calories: 358, Fat: 7g, Carbs: 57g, Fiber: 11g, Protein: 15g<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couscous">FUN FACTS</a>: Couscous is one of the healthiest grain-based products. It has a really low glycemic load and has a superior vitamin profile to pasta, containing twice as much riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, and folate, and containing four times as much thiamine and pantothenic acid.<br />
<br />
In terms of protein, couscous has 3.6 g for every 100 calories, equivalent to pasta, and well above the 2.6 g for every 100 calories of white rice. Furthermore, couscous contains a 1% fat-to-calorie ratio, compared to 3% for white rice, 5% for pasta, and 11.3% for rice pilaf.<br />
You'll also get a good dose of protein from the garbanzo beans.Its'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955184573799932826.post-58419742282809254302011-05-26T20:24:00.000-07:002011-05-26T20:51:13.361-07:00Crock Pot 13 Bean ChiliSorry for the looooonnngggg delay in writing. I'm a horrible person, I know...I had a lot going on in my life recently, but I do apologize. ANYWAY - I've been on a "diet" as of late...and I use the quotes cause it's more like a lifestyle change...and have been trying to find or make up tasty recipes that are low in calories. I recently made some delicious 13 bean chili that was SUPER easy to make. It all started because I wanted to use the 13 bean soup mix I had in my pantry...and this is what it became. All you need is a crock pot and a few ingredients. I had to share it...so without further ado:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>13 BEAN CHILI</i></span><br />
Serves 20; 1 cup servings<br />
<br />
1 (27 oz) package Bob's Red Mill - 13 Bean Soup Mix<br />
1 bunch Green Onions, (7 stalks chopped)<br />
1 (9.8 oz) package Bear Creek Darn Good Chili Mix<br />
1 (12 oz) package Morningstar Farms Grillers Recipe Crumbles<br />
1 (14.5 oz) can Organic Diced Tomatoes (do not drain - you need the juice)<br />
1 cup water<br />
<br />
Whatever other seasonings you would like. I started with 1 Tbsp cayenne, 4 Tbsp chili powder, and 2 Tbsp garlic powder, plus salt and pepper.<br />
<br />
1) Throw the 13 Bean Soup Mix in a crock pot and cover with water. Add green onion and seasonings. Cook on low for 10 hours.<br />
2) At the 8.5 hour point (when I got home from work), I added the rest of the ingredients and let it finish cooking. Taste and season accordingly.<br />
<br />
See? Easy. You could also let it cook the full 10 hours and then put the rest of the ingredients in there. After you throw in the chili mix, it only needs about 45 additional minutes to cook.<br />
<br />
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Calories: 156; Fat: 1g; Carbs: 29g; Protein: 12g<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyySR4gvAm8J02wSkME9DQeXb_VPa39ArJyNZcmkBL874T_WLB0b3ZfawzzgfLDWAcDIvoVZItNCI2o9mgbK9q_3wq6CL9J_cE0vb37RUmJfe1Cfp6aw0_M9MP_3j4OmBysZ7USetnPx4/s1600/IMAG0592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyySR4gvAm8J02wSkME9DQeXb_VPa39ArJyNZcmkBL874T_WLB0b3ZfawzzgfLDWAcDIvoVZItNCI2o9mgbK9q_3wq6CL9J_cE0vb37RUmJfe1Cfp6aw0_M9MP_3j4OmBysZ7USetnPx4/s400/IMAG0592.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>Its'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955184573799932826.post-59753005856776861152011-02-18T20:36:00.000-08:002011-08-13T22:46:30.427-07:00Valentine's CupcakesSo...in honor of Valentine's day I made cupcakes (big surprise right?). These weren't fancy or anything, but they ended up being really good. I used a regular boxed white cake mix, divided into thirds, and used red & pink food coloring to dye it (leaving 1/3 white). After I baked them, I cored the center (a <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/cuisipro-cupcake-corer/">cupcake corer</a> is essential to life I think) and added a teaspoon of strawberry preserves. Then I topped them with...get ready for it....meringue! I had never really thought about topping a cupcake with meringue...but it turned out pretty good. It was very gooey at first, but once they stay out for a bit the meringue kinda crusts a little. So you had the slight hardness of the outside of the meringue, which was still soft and fluffy in the center, then the moistness of the cake, and the fruity strawberry preserves.<br />
<br />
Meringue is definitely a big pain in the ass to make...especially if you don't have a stand mixer. I would have never attempted it had I not received that Kitchenaid. It took about 15 minutes to get the egg whites and sugar to the consistency I needed (and that's AFTER I dissolved the sugar in the egg whites over a pseudo double broiler). Nope, not doing that with a hand mixer....don't care that much. Anyway....here's the recipe for the meringue. It says it makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes...WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! I decided that I would need to double the recipe since I was frosting 24 cupcakes...and ended up with almost an entire mixer bowl FULL of meringue. I had enough left to make a couple dozen meringue cookies and still had almost 1/4 bowl of meringue left.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>WHITE MERINGUE FROSTING</i></span><br />
<sub>Courtesy of <a href="http://cakejournal.com/">CakeJournal.com</a></sub><br />
<br />
2 3/8 c granulated white sugar<br />
6 egg whites<br />
1 1/2 t vanilla extract<br />
<br />
It is best to make this frosting in a metal bowl from a kitchen mixer. But if you don't have one you can make it in a double boiler, using a hand mixer.<br />
<br />
1. Place all ingredients in the mixer bowl and whisk until well combined. Fill a saucepan with water about (2-3 cups). The saucepan should be large enough for the mixer bowl to “rest in it” but without touching the bottom of the saucepan.<br />
<br />
2. When the water is simmering place the bowl in the sauce pan and whisk the mixture. <b style="color: #cc0000;">The mixture must not boil</b> (or you'll have hella sweet scrambled eggs). Whisk until all the sugar is dissolved or you will end up with a grainy looking frosting. Check to see if it has reached a temperature of 160-170° F (to reduce the risk of salmonella). Remove from the saucepan.<br />
<br />
3. Place the bowl in the kitchen mixer with the whisk attachment on. Whisk the meringue frosting until stiff peaks forms and has a glossy look. This can take up to 12 -15 minutes or more.<br />
<br />
4. When the frosting is ready, you can use it as is or color it with food gel colors. This frosting will crust over time but the center of the frosting swirl will still be thick and fluffy.<br />
<br />
Cakes and cupcakes with white meringue frosting can be stored in the refrigerator for two days.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZ080OFK3s8zkZxVYfEl5m_HmAlFfbZ2eyLCGx6dLYa7kFyj876I0xinS3ON8QtorayHr-vvPM9yh8ASqboXtktYX1TsTR4HIf-9DngGGKJ5VqeTiS3c4rR8LCaFVRj-7B9N7Q4VJ5os/s1600/175288_1889531522381_1364272390_32236897_6395190_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZ080OFK3s8zkZxVYfEl5m_HmAlFfbZ2eyLCGx6dLYa7kFyj876I0xinS3ON8QtorayHr-vvPM9yh8ASqboXtktYX1TsTR4HIf-9DngGGKJ5VqeTiS3c4rR8LCaFVRj-7B9N7Q4VJ5os/s640/175288_1889531522381_1364272390_32236897_6395190_o.jpg" width="496" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJGX8azpSrcSSOui6-nm6oY4stRDfiuegmSU3CQfAQXUg6uW6XJ-zp5j11m4YDi9DfMo749nyQNSqzPUIWolwo4L4VQq_u3jULFfqpo61p4m-HhHvMk5-0jHV1K_VIi6X7KONogLVfnc/s1600/172336_1889541922641_1364272390_32236921_3693180_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJGX8azpSrcSSOui6-nm6oY4stRDfiuegmSU3CQfAQXUg6uW6XJ-zp5j11m4YDi9DfMo749nyQNSqzPUIWolwo4L4VQq_u3jULFfqpo61p4m-HhHvMk5-0jHV1K_VIi6X7KONogLVfnc/s640/172336_1889541922641_1364272390_32236921_3693180_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gooeiness was short lived</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
OH - for <i style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: large;">meringue cookies</span></i>...I found an awesome "no bake" recipe.<br />
<br />
Pre-heat oven to 350°. Line a cookie sheet (or two) with foil. Pipe cookies onto foil and place in oven...then turn the oven OFF. Let the cookies sit in the oven until it cools. I let them sit over night and they were good by morning.Its'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955184573799932826.post-69079960409247396412011-02-12T20:53:00.000-08:002011-02-12T21:43:36.204-08:00Happy Valentine's Day to me...So this Valentines Day my oh so wonderful bf surprised me with a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer!!!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-hz44uridyUnYCRpBJq-OdbJHT8sJxKkCTXK4hjMq3V53-Vz8fiCloCLP0dGJmDotQd2lY_eVeBS1dCZriHLPUeZSbWryeh6xgPEMYDDvtfh4X0Sb1IoSnAe4hV9JWD-97cWCRCTvfg/s1600/Kicthenaid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-hz44uridyUnYCRpBJq-OdbJHT8sJxKkCTXK4hjMq3V53-Vz8fiCloCLP0dGJmDotQd2lY_eVeBS1dCZriHLPUeZSbWryeh6xgPEMYDDvtfh4X0Sb1IoSnAe4hV9JWD-97cWCRCTvfg/s400/Kicthenaid.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah...it's like that</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
I've been wanting one of these things forever...but even more so recently with all the cupcakery (is that even a word?) I've been doing. I got it on Friday and have been itching to use it, BUT I only tend to bake on Sundays. This is because I don't actually eat anything I bake. Hahaha....I take it all to work. I like the baking part, but not the fatness that tends to come with eating what you make. Really, as my bf has pointed out many times, it's all part of my diabolical plan to make everyone around me fat. Haha...but ya know, they enjoy it. I've already been told my food needs to come with a diabetes warning label...yet people still mow through it like they haven't seen baked goods in years. Co-workers have even gotten upset when they come down to my office and all the cupcakes are gone. It reminds me of Woody Harrelson in Zombieland looking for the ever elusive twinkies. No lie.<br />
<br />
But I digress...since there isn't going to be any baking in my kitchen until tomorrow, yet I can't wait any longer to use this damn mixer...I decided to make whipped cream. I've never made whipped cream from scratch before. I always thought it would be a pain in the ass. Alas, it was SO super simple with this mixer. It took less than 5 minutes and I only needed 2 ingredients. I'm sure most people know how to make whipped cream, but I know I was unsure of the ratio of cream to sugar...so I'm gonna go ahead and post this "recipe" anyway.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Whipped Cream</span></i><br />
<br />
1 1/2 c heavy whipping cream<br />
3 T sugar<br />
<br />
1) Pour the cream into the mixing bowl and stick it in the fridge for a few minutes (to make sure both the bowl and the liquid are chilled). Once chilled, place bowl back on the mixer and use the wire whisk attachment. Start on a lower setting and slowly work up to a medium/high setting. Once soft peaks start to form, add sugar slowly, one tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form. Done.<br />
<br />
See how easy? And it's mighty tasty...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMV10dQV0F46MYQTbbSORWAdMNSxUJbzagY-4q9DQtbHKGsRg3nBQacR0COoyG96CjhxQFMnQZCR1xy-I8LYD9oe5JsQ8lVRSuVJ3hxMWGnsg72XRO7WUq0r9BdPx8sHz72jT9Iea35FU/s1600/176523_1887403389179_1364272390_32231300_8034142_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMV10dQV0F46MYQTbbSORWAdMNSxUJbzagY-4q9DQtbHKGsRg3nBQacR0COoyG96CjhxQFMnQZCR1xy-I8LYD9oe5JsQ8lVRSuVJ3hxMWGnsg72XRO7WUq0r9BdPx8sHz72jT9Iea35FU/s400/176523_1887403389179_1364272390_32231300_8034142_o.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>Its'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955184573799932826.post-64504673368094451062011-02-09T21:49:00.000-08:002011-08-13T22:47:39.710-07:00Electric CupcakesSo you can call these whatever you like...I've seen them called inside out cupcakes, rainbow cupcakes, fireworks cupcakes, etc...I called these Electric because...well...the colors were. They are really simple to make, but look AMAZING! I suggest using a white paper liner so you can see the cupcake's colors through it. That's my plan for next time.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">ELECTRIC CUPCAKES</span></i><br />
<br />
1 vanilla box cake mix (I used Duncan Hines French Vanilla)<br />
1 c sour cream<br />
1/3 c oil<br />
1/2 c milk (I used Vanilla Almond Milk)<br />
2 eggs<br />
Food coloring of your choice (I suggest gel coloring. I used <a href="http://www.michaels.com/Duff%E2%84%A2-Color-Gels/bk0408,default,pd.html?cgid=products-bakeware-duffgoldman&start=3">Duff Electric Gel colors</a> - hence the name)<br />
Small bowl of water<br />
<br />
1) Preheat oven to 325° or 350° depending on your box directions. Prepare box cake mix with all ingredients except food coloring and water. Once the mix is blended well, separate the batter into however many colors you plan on using (I used 4 colors, so I separated the batter into 4 bowls) - NOTE: This is going to be a thick batter.<br />
<br />
2) Drop in food coloring until you reach desired color (do this with all bowls - duh)<br />
<br />
This is the only tricky part...finding out how much of each color batter you need to fill the cupcake pan. What I did was experiment with the first cupcake. I tested out how much of each batter I would need to fill the cup 2/3 - 3/4 full. For four colors I needed a little over 2 t of each color batter. <br />
<br />
NOTE: Another good trick is to use water see how many teaspoons or tablespoons it takes to fill your liner. Then use that measurement for your batter.<br />
<br />
3) Using a measuring spoon, scoop desired color batter and using a WET finger (that's what the bowl of water is for) slide the batter into the cupcake liner. Using the same wet finger, spread the batter to the edges of the liner. Repeat with all other colors. <br />
<br />
4) Bake until done. Mine took about 18-20 minutes. Let them sit in the pan about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate as desired.<br />
<br />
THEY ARE AMAZING!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsKVIPCXPbql-NeUOSEF8yh3SUakCPeSC_f_YIkb9kcgodMvI77B7B68ZXgPwylsnL7m5sB8MV3EUtXglkpPwjf2gEVticKFoStEX-4AgCG5Ro5lxL9VB61e-tKgYbamIWczbSqTpIYg/s1600/P1220513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsKVIPCXPbql-NeUOSEF8yh3SUakCPeSC_f_YIkb9kcgodMvI77B7B68ZXgPwylsnL7m5sB8MV3EUtXglkpPwjf2gEVticKFoStEX-4AgCG5Ro5lxL9VB61e-tKgYbamIWczbSqTpIYg/s640/P1220513.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_y6yL_xKJLXfPCCChaygJVH-G_m2J2q1UsrTfgWJmAK62x8SJJz0b63eRJsAKtVX73ADHngO1QAAvY04Pp5mEQSzsp6stS4bsCRB5mABXNI6v2MAEDbBN5i_ku3nOMr8FfOHb34mkd8/s1600/P1220533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_y6yL_xKJLXfPCCChaygJVH-G_m2J2q1UsrTfgWJmAK62x8SJJz0b63eRJsAKtVX73ADHngO1QAAvY04Pp5mEQSzsp6stS4bsCRB5mABXNI6v2MAEDbBN5i_ku3nOMr8FfOHb34mkd8/s320/P1220533.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvNg6wuws4n_QpdW5j2EPSzP-vrgYYjOzBuCia2xF7Ph2L2j40wo9jsICezvTdXm8HdnPU6tS_NQwVCqTzygCn5U7vY7hehXSNXt_D3JmWO6uo9AgIIH9f3qCUW_c97LuOGZ58vajviw/s1600/Colorburst.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvNg6wuws4n_QpdW5j2EPSzP-vrgYYjOzBuCia2xF7Ph2L2j40wo9jsICezvTdXm8HdnPU6tS_NQwVCqTzygCn5U7vY7hehXSNXt_D3JmWO6uo9AgIIH9f3qCUW_c97LuOGZ58vajviw/s400/Colorburst.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
<sub>Nutrition content based on cake portion only - NO frosting. I used the <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/">LIVESTRONG</a> recipe calculator.<br />
Idea courtesy of <a href="http://www.ourbestbites.com/">Our Best Bites</a></sub>Its'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955184573799932826.post-14261463135027639872011-02-06T21:56:00.000-08:002011-08-13T22:48:05.067-07:00Caramel Apple CupcakesMmmm...caramel apples. A tasty fair treat made even better by replacing the healthy apple with a sugar laden cupcake...haha. These are actually made in a mini cupcake pan, so the batter produces somewhere around 48 mini cupcakes. Whether or not you make ALL of those into "caramel apples" is up to you. You would just have to double the amount of caramel and crushed peanuts that the recipe calls for. Honestly, these things are a total pain in the ass to make...but they're worth it...at least occasionally. You could even use the batter to make your 24 mini cupcakes and then use whatever is left to make some regular sized muffins. (Yes, I said muffins...the only real difference between the two is whether or not there's frosting right?) Those would be pretty good for breakfast.<br />
<br />
<sub>From the book Fun Stuff Cupcakes - Taffy Apple Cupcakes</sub><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">CARAMEL APPLE CUPCAKES</span></i><br />
<sub>Makes 24, maybe up to 48 if you so please</sub><br />
<br />
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour (I actually used 3/4 c whole wheat all-purpose flour and 1 c regular all-purpose flour)<br />
1 t baking soda<br />
1 t ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 t salt<br />
1 c applesauce<br />
3/4 sugar (I used raw turbinado sugar)<br />
1/2 canola oil<br />
1 egg<br />
1 1/2 c chopped roasted peanuts (I actually threw these bad boys in my food processor cause I'm lazy like that)<br />
20 wooden craft sticks (I got these at Michael's. I suggest using the flat ones as opposed to the round ones I used. My cupcakes had a tendency to rotate when I tried to coat them with the caramel)<br />
2 packages (14 oz each) of caramels - unwrapped (now you see why this is already starting out as a pain in the ass?)<br />
5 T milk (I used vanilla almond milk)<br />
<br />
1) Preheat oven to 350°. Spray pan with nonstick cooking spray (I like Baker's Joy). Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, stir together applesauce, sugar, oil, and egg until well blended. Add flour mixture a little at a time; stir until blended. Don't use a hand mixer for this...you want to be gentle. Spoon into prepared cupcake pan, filling about 3/4 full.<br />
<br />
2)Bake about 16 minutes. Do the toothpick or the finger test for doneness. Cool in pan about 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to finish cooling.<br />
<br />
3) Line baking sheet with waxed paper; spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place peanuts in a shallow dish. Insert craft sticks into the 24 mini cupcakes.<br />
<br />
4) Place unwrapped caramels and milk in a large microwaveable bowl and microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring after each minute. Now comes the pain in the ass part: Working with one cupcake at a time, hold over bowl and spoon caramel over the cupcake, rotating the stick until the cupcake is completely coated. Immediately roll in peanuts to coat the cupcake, pressing nuts lightly with your fingertips (so to speak) to adhere them to the caramel. Stand cupcake (stick side up obviously) on prepared baking sheet. Repeat. Caramel may need to be reheated a few times if it becomes to thick. Let stand at least 20 minutes until caramel is set.<br />
<br />
I then moved these to mini cupcake liners. I will forewarn you that the caramel and peanuts will probably slide down the cupcake a bit, pooling at the bottom. If you see this happening, press the caramel up the cupcake a little. You'll still have the pool of caramel at the bottom of the cupcake, but eh...it still looks pretty good and tastes even better.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFeMZKFScx0Drox-k3HTG82s4ND6fEJyFvHJgeJ5cILqP8DM3rj81fC2MSuFCNkuDfaATSPiD0jL_vwnq90x-974Yx0Xu2qnJGdk-z2EhvmAll-VJDXmjbZm_tB2KJB8XBA9IzQdZjTo/s1600/168730_1863295106487_1364272390_32185833_5730482_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFeMZKFScx0Drox-k3HTG82s4ND6fEJyFvHJgeJ5cILqP8DM3rj81fC2MSuFCNkuDfaATSPiD0jL_vwnq90x-974Yx0Xu2qnJGdk-z2EhvmAll-VJDXmjbZm_tB2KJB8XBA9IzQdZjTo/s640/168730_1863295106487_1364272390_32185833_5730482_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See that sneaky little hand...he only thought he was gonna steal one</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJ_agGfnkQ7wcML7ZdKJvo15Q6jiHNu4bWHOhh3LeaEwlJyb2_LBEGlzV-2ZQRYtW7GCPCHhmsSixKVVOouexO6C5fGdgbDzzU2c9HBB5L0eC2Yv6K3UFpnLFmG5QFY_a2M8nzO0ZoFU/s1600/P1300518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJ_agGfnkQ7wcML7ZdKJvo15Q6jiHNu4bWHOhh3LeaEwlJyb2_LBEGlzV-2ZQRYtW7GCPCHhmsSixKVVOouexO6C5fGdgbDzzU2c9HBB5L0eC2Yv6K3UFpnLFmG5QFY_a2M8nzO0ZoFU/s640/P1300518.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Its'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955184573799932826.post-19039095132401406002011-02-06T20:50:00.000-08:002011-08-13T22:48:16.892-07:00Mt Dew CupcakesYep...you read that right. Mt Dew cupcakes. I've seen a TON of recipes for Mt Dew cupcakes...but most don't really cut it for that authentic Mt Dewey flavor. I found one on food.com that looked promising and tweaked it a bit. The result was pretty damn good...the cupcake itself wasn't very sweet at all, but the frosting - wow..it was the sugary "I feel like my teeth are going to rot out of my mouth this instant" goodness that you expect from regular Mt Dew. So they complement each other well. I wouldn't suggest eating one or the other strictly by itself...but together...deliciousness.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>MT DEW CUPCAKES</i></span><br />
<sub>Makes 12 cupcakes</sub><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="color: yellow;">For the cupcakes</i></span></span><br />
<br />
1/2 c unsalted butter, room temp<br />
3/4 c sugar<br />
2 large eggs, room temp<br />
1/4 c Mt Dew soda<br />
2 T Mt Dew syrup (I'll explain in a minute)<br />
2 T frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed<br />
Zest from half a lemon and half a lime<br />
1 1/4 c + 2 T all-purpose flour<br />
3/4 t baking powder<br />
1/8 t salt<br />
<br />
FIRST AND FOREMOST: Pour about 2 1/2 cups of Mt Dew into a pot and place on the stove. Bring to a boil and then turn to low and let it condense/evaporate. It took me about 20-30 minutes to get a syrup. Please note that it won't be sticky like maple syrup, but it will be thicker than the non-condensed soda. You'll need this for both the cupcake and the frosting.<br />
<br />
1) Preheat oven to 325° and prepare a cupcake pan with liners.<br />
<br />
2) In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.<br />
<br />
3) Combine Mt. Dew and orange juice concentrate in a cup and set aside.<br />
<br />
4) In a separate bowl, use a hand mixer and cream butter and sugar. Scrape sides and add zest, blend. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg and then scraping sides of bowl.<br />
<br />
5) Add dry mixture to sugar/butter bowl, alternating with Mt Dew mixture. So add flour, blend on low, scrape sides, add Mt Dew, blend, scrape sides, add flour, blend, scrape sides...blah, blah, blah...try to add dry ingredients in three batches and liquid in two.<br />
<br />
6) Pour the batter in the lined cupcake pan (about 2/3 full) and bake for 16-18 minutes. You can do the toothpick test or just touch the tops of the cupcakes. If the cake bounces back, it's done. Let them sit in the pan about 5 minutes and then cool them on wire racks.<br />
<br />
<i style="color: lime;"><span style="font-size: large;">For the frosting</span></i><br />
<br />
1/4 c Mt Dew syrup<br />
1/2 c unsalted butter, room temp<br />
2 1/4 c powdered sugar<br />
2 T Heavy cream<br />
2 t frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed<br />
Zest of half a lemon and half a lime<br />
Food coloring (Optional of course. I used both yellow and green)<br />
<br />
1) Using a hand mixer, cream butter and sugar in a bowl. Add heavy cream and Mt Dew syrup. Beat until fluffy. Add OJ and zest and blend again. At this point you can either use the frosting as is OR add the food coloring. I divided the frosting into 2 bowls and colored one with yellow and one with green. Just add a few drops of food coloring at a time and beat with the mixer until combined.<br />
<br />
To use two colors, take a piping bag and fill one side with one color and the other side with the other color. Squeeze the bag until both colors start coming out of the tip. I used a Wilton 1M Star tip with these (it's my new favorite). Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSm1Xh6afjufcOz8Dj0C5Ckclj1UIO41a_lXWLkPU_tdndCskDViRcC3pgcGEJtEX-cbx8z25m5_8__hwdW1lxGkzXHeYqjVAA_wgbhVWPaMA7WKKP6wUBdU-kqS5V7weAHGuU1U3LpKo/s1600/168651_1863361748153_1364272390_32186007_8190147_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSm1Xh6afjufcOz8Dj0C5Ckclj1UIO41a_lXWLkPU_tdndCskDViRcC3pgcGEJtEX-cbx8z25m5_8__hwdW1lxGkzXHeYqjVAA_wgbhVWPaMA7WKKP6wUBdU-kqS5V7weAHGuU1U3LpKo/s640/168651_1863361748153_1364272390_32186007_8190147_n.jpg" width="358" /></a></div>Its'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955184573799932826.post-69646856781417214072011-02-06T17:45:00.000-08:002011-08-13T22:48:29.520-07:00Reese's Peanut Butter Cup CupcakesOkay...so I know it's been years or something...but I just haven't found the time to write...or really, I just didn't feel like writing. It happens I spose. Anyway...as of recently I've been baking up a storm. Generally one new type of cupcake every weekend (during the week is almost impossible seeing as I have kids and all). BUT, while I will post all the other recipes for the deliciousness I've been baking up...I wanna start with the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes I just made. Who doesn't like peanut butter and chocolate? Anyway...here it is - serve with a nice tall glass of your dairy or non-dairy beverage of choice:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUP CUPCAKES</i></span><br />
<sub>Makes 24 cupcakes</sub><br />
<br />
<div style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>For the cake</i></span></div><br />
1 Box chocolate cake mix (I used Devil's Food)<br />
1 c sour cream<br />
1/3 cup oil<br />
1/2 cup milk (I used vanilla almond milk)<br />
2 eggs<br />
24 Reese's Peanut butter cup miniatures - unwrapped<br />
<br />
1) Preheat oven to 325<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">° and prepare cupcake pans with liners.</span><br />
<br />
2) Combine all cake ingredients except candies. Spray a measuring tablespoon with cooking spray (the batter will be thick and will stick if you don't) and plop 1 T of batter in each cupcake liner. Wet your finger with some water and spread batter to edges of cup. Place a Reese's miniature in the center of all the liners (upside down works best). Next spoon approx 2 more tablespoons of batter over each candy, making sure it covers it completely.<br />
<br />
3) Bake in oven for approx 25 minutes. So, the toothpick test won't work with this cupcake because of the PB cup in the middle...so the easiest way to know if they're done is to touch the top of the cupcake. If it springs back up, it's done.<br />
<br />
<div style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>For the frosting</i></span></div><br />
1 1/4 cup + 2 T peanut butter (for me that was about an entire 16 oz jar)<br />
3/4 stick butter, about 6 T (room temp)<br />
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar<br />
Heavy cream (about 3 - 5 T depending on what consistency you'd like. I used 4 T)<br />
<br />
1) In a bowl use a hand mixer, or fancy stand mixer, and cream sugar and butter. Scrape down the sides and then add peanut butter and 1 T of cream. Blend everything together. Add more cream as you're blending until you reach desired consistency.<br />
<br />
2) Frost as desired! I used a 1M tip from Wilton and a pastry bag. I also topped each cupcake with chocolate sprinkles and a Reese's mini...no, not miniature...mini. They come unwrapped in the bag and are about the size of a dime...PERFECT for topping cupcakes! You could also cut the miniatures in half or chop them up and sprinkle them on top.<br />
<br />
<sub>NOTE: You may have a lot of frosting left depending on how much you use for the cupcakes</sub><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QGlOLIvjrw-wBZ8obwa6FF-EMmlNtmX2LBCVCRj61KhPjctifrfgwS_lSevbw4Gx87GpUZxjYmHKY9TTh63PB_-35lbFY_Dbd-Nwd6oSGdINLJYd-nDp6TmRqZ3slDd51LkoQ7MyMXs/s1600/P2060521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QGlOLIvjrw-wBZ8obwa6FF-EMmlNtmX2LBCVCRj61KhPjctifrfgwS_lSevbw4Gx87GpUZxjYmHKY9TTh63PB_-35lbFY_Dbd-Nwd6oSGdINLJYd-nDp6TmRqZ3slDd51LkoQ7MyMXs/s640/P2060521.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDbzNpDg3HUFW82xc-9SkU44moPfNUdwAox1HGqJxUZq_EO2SYcwdtxXMCAg6YcPAbMrXSj3OI6YxqH-MK-aJNpASxEixmQ-KMVXZuA-P1QRjpfJkqqUCMZS8XoOZVPStS1uK7eGFhYU/s1600/Reeses+nutrition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDbzNpDg3HUFW82xc-9SkU44moPfNUdwAox1HGqJxUZq_EO2SYcwdtxXMCAg6YcPAbMrXSj3OI6YxqH-MK-aJNpASxEixmQ-KMVXZuA-P1QRjpfJkqqUCMZS8XoOZVPStS1uK7eGFhYU/s400/Reeses+nutrition.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/">LIVESTRONG</a> to compute nutrition info</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtSK2tL8uM-qtK5wC8E1zmlHgytZ3s_hs7s26ykr7PG0h237Ck9XCwcHlxDKGeTPMQ5438nepDezCoNiDaiEmax7PowxBROkEGTmZ_xChf4TlUL2XwAuR51-m0TGTcZp93TiCtkK5GDeg/s1600/P2060526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtSK2tL8uM-qtK5wC8E1zmlHgytZ3s_hs7s26ykr7PG0h237Ck9XCwcHlxDKGeTPMQ5438nepDezCoNiDaiEmax7PowxBROkEGTmZ_xChf4TlUL2XwAuR51-m0TGTcZp93TiCtkK5GDeg/s320/P2060526.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The surprise inside </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Its'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955184573799932826.post-787216930914322842010-11-13T18:35:00.000-08:002011-08-13T22:48:45.952-07:00Fluffy Whole Wheat BreadSo...after a lot of talking about getting a breadmaker my loving bf bought me one as a surprise. I must say that I love it. I've used it to make both bread and pizza dough (with vegan cinnamon rolls next on the list.) Now generally speaking, a lot of people don't actually BAKE their bread in the bread maker. They use it to make the dough and then bake the bread in the oven...creating a much fluffier texture. Yeah, I didn't know that the first time I made bread and holy crap that shit was DENSE!!<br />
<br />
WELL - I happened upon a bread recipe, which of course I had to tweak based on what I've read over the internet and what I had in my kitchen. The original recipe calls for sugar, molasses, dry milk powder, and a little less wheat gluten. I don't use regular sugar, I didn't have molasses, and well, I don't drink/use regular milk (I also read that wheat gluten makes bread fluffy...so I added a little extra for good measure.) So anyway, I planned on taking out the dough and baking it in the oven. That ended up not happening - hahaha. I guess I didn't hear the beep before it started to bake. All I smelled was fresh baking bread. I thought to myself "shit, that's gonna be a waste." Well, when I took it out I decided I would cut into it anyway to see how it turned out taste wise...and wow. It was actually REALLY light and fluffy...not something you would expect from a breadmaker. I've made it a few times now to make sure it wasn't a fluke...and since it's been great everytime I decided to post the recipe. Enjoy:<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Fluffy Whole Wheat Bread</span></i><br />
<br />
The settings for this bread was a large loaf (1.5 pounds) with a medium crust, on the whole wheat cycle.<br />
<br />
1 1/2 c + 2T water (make sure it's the temp it needs to be for your yeast. Mine is 100º - 110º)<br />
2 T almond milk<br />
3 T honey<br />
2 T canola oil<br />
1 1/2 t salt<br />
3 3/4 c whole wheat flour<br />
2 T wheat gluten<br />
3 t active yeast<br />
<br />
1) Add first 5 ingredients to your breadmaker (water through salt)<br />
<br />
2) Add whole wheat flour evenly to pan, then add wheat gluten. Tap pan to make sure water is covered (push flour around to all corners if you have to, you don't want any water showing). Then make a small well in the center of the flour (make sure it is shallow enough that the yeast won't touch the water.) Add yeast to the well.<br />
<br />
3) Turn on breadmaker to the aforementioned settings, sit back, relax, and enjoy fresh baked whole wheat bread in a few short hours...okay - so maybe four hours if you go by my breadmaker.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NHEs0ROMv_rO8BTHG12wb_IeKqfbIVRi4OuAphooxryhaP-Hm6cb-ixlbIFKe-l7yyIn2cLoMxR9kS0Qz47HzLlTbdX-SIAYme2EHCeNtf1ylSdGGndRQo7a0wIuQuXDnznQlvGTtSk/s320/73509_1721612684515_1364272390_31897617_997410_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="179" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My latest loaf</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaS47pOdd9Vxi5SMV3znyOHotv3algWvnGLCR5tFXzEb4yjSmkMLue2mj26G5SS-whwmG7L7o8ojHjtjlfs9XRpioNDsdAA51nLJ5dJlAWITYx8yAZIVYJGfXH12vn7n504GLXuEoaTWw/s1600/47014_1611013359601_1364272390_31668673_3068873_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaS47pOdd9Vxi5SMV3znyOHotv3algWvnGLCR5tFXzEb4yjSmkMLue2mj26G5SS-whwmG7L7o8ojHjtjlfs9XRpioNDsdAA51nLJ5dJlAWITYx8yAZIVYJGfXH12vn7n504GLXuEoaTWw/s320/47014_1611013359601_1364272390_31668673_3068873_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another loaf that I made - so you could see the middle</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<br />
My sister and I enjoyed this with homemade blueberry jam my mom sent me...and it was TASTY!!Its'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955184573799932826.post-46581352499875798172010-10-06T19:03:00.000-07:002010-11-26T21:48:34.048-08:00Easy Shepard's PieMmmm...Shepard's pie...I haven't had Shepard's pie in a loooong time, so I decided tonight would be a great night to make it since I got home a little early. This is one of those classic recipes that you generally need to call your mother for, as you can only remember kind of what's in it. Well...I did that and in typical mom fashion I got "oh, you use a little of this, a little of that, a splash of this...taste it and see how you like it." My mom, while a fantastic cook, has the habit of not measuring anything...which I can understand to a point. But really, I once needed to know how to make cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving and the advice I received was "add sage until you smell it." Really? I never knew 'smell' was a form of measuring...but apparently it is. Funny thing about that is...it worked! hahaha...and it turned out great. So while I used my mom's 'some of this, some of that' tactic, I also measured it out a little at a time so I could get an accurate recipe. I can ensure that someone would be able to recreate a dish using actual measurements, especially if they aren't as, um...creative (sure, we can use that word) in the kitchen as my mom.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Easy Shepard's Pie</span></i><br />
<br />
10 golden potatoes<br />
Sour cream, butter (or the like), & milk (or milk substitute) - to make your mashed potatoes<br />
1/2 T oil<br />
1 pkg Quorn Beef Style Grounds (I like Quorn because it's soy free and mighty tasty)<br />
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables<br />
1/2 T each basil & oregano<br />
1 15oz can of tomato sauce<br />
1/4 t Whatsthishere sauce (also known as Worcestershire sauce)<br />
1/2 t each garlic & onion powder<br />
Handful of cheddar cheese <br />
<br />
1) Start by boiling water and preheating oven to 350º. Quarter potatoes and throw in boiling water. In the meantime put oil in pan and heat it up. Throw in Quorn and start to heat, add basil & oregano and mix. Then add tomato sauce and mix. Let that mixture heat through then add Worcestershire, garlic & onion powder, and mixed veggies. Let that simmer.<br />
<br />
<br />
2) While 'beef' mix is simmering, check your potatoes as they should be done by now. (If they're easy to pierce with a fork, you're good to go). Drain water from the potatoes and add sour cream, buttery spread, and I used almond milk to make your mashed potatoes. I won't give you exact measurements because it's all to taste (ha, I sound like my mom now huh?) Set aside<br />
<br />
3) Grease a 9x13 pan, add 'beef' mixture and layer potatoes on top. Sprinkle cheese over the top and place in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until cheese is all melty.<br />
<br />
TA DA! Shepard's Pie...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kWygRrsBNXbowe6J7gD1xbJLCtdRK2Qs5_yEW9VslbWLt2aPrL5fLkw7Wus4IQRUFt7YIToBVj_lv50eyu8LdoRTLa_J4K0vm0yjsEf5LKRuIoUkidDuSSUWpBrF0yifrAwVuhG_Ym0/s400/PA060363.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks good right? And deliciously meat free </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kWygRrsBNXbowe6J7gD1xbJLCtdRK2Qs5_yEW9VslbWLt2aPrL5fLkw7Wus4IQRUFt7YIToBVj_lv50eyu8LdoRTLa_J4K0vm0yjsEf5LKRuIoUkidDuSSUWpBrF0yifrAwVuhG_Ym0/s1600/PA060363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">On a side note: I really like most of <a href="http://www.quorn.us/Home/">Quorn's</a> products. Their 'Naked Chik'n Cutlet', 'Chik'n Tenders', 'Chik'n Nuggets', 'Meatless Meatballs', and 'Beef Style Grounds' are all delicious and taste surprisingly close to the real thing. I actually prefer their taste to Boca or Morningstar. They also have a 'Turk'y Roast' that I want to try but can't find. I think it would be great for Thanksgiving.</span>Its'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955184573799932826.post-51437680500736779072010-09-28T20:38:00.000-07:002010-09-28T20:38:46.908-07:00Caprese salad...pasta? YES PLEASE!!So I don't really need to tell you how to make a Caprese salad. It's pretty simple, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and balsamic glaze. I like those things...I now know that I also like all those things mixed into pasta (who doesn't like pasta??)!! I started by putting the balsamic vinegar in a small pan over medium heat, once it began to boil I reduced to the heat to medium low and let it simmer until it started getting thick and could coat the back of a spoon. I set that aside and boiled my pasta. I used the Garden Delight Penne. While that was boiling I cut yellow and red cherry tomatoes in half, cut fresh mozzarella balls in half (I used the small mozzarella balls), and cut my basil. Once the pasta was done I strained it and rinsed it in cold water - not only to stop the cooking process, but to also make sure the pasta wasn't warm (you don't wanna melt the cheese). I then poured a little bit of olive oil onto the pasta so it wouldn't stick together, then I mixed everything together and drizzled with the balsamic glaze...mmmmmm. It was SO good. Not only was it tasty, but it's healthy AND cheap to make! You should really try it...it was like a "party in my tummy. So yummy, so yummy." <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaamRRB0BHNMkuH95dUd62gqs283cufE9Av0I2ES7FaZn1MhRbMVSqrXVphfuJbCU4Q6VAyWGYFChfhoMRFqGldYapK8cgjmRh7Rpe1_CYvfqBrRGTIJgRd-54DHUl73Q3TCjPRwqtHsU/s1600/P9280348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaamRRB0BHNMkuH95dUd62gqs283cufE9Av0I2ES7FaZn1MhRbMVSqrXVphfuJbCU4Q6VAyWGYFChfhoMRFqGldYapK8cgjmRh7Rpe1_CYvfqBrRGTIJgRd-54DHUl73Q3TCjPRwqtHsU/s400/P9280348.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Its'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955184573799932826.post-2352438269074792162010-09-27T19:07:00.000-07:002011-05-30T22:51:48.318-07:00Quick, healthy, and deliciousSo tonight I needed to throw dinner together fast...and was highly unmotivated to do so. Alas, my children have to eat, so I had no choice right? I ended up making this quinoa dish and it turned out really good so I decided to post it. I served it with a salmon burger patty (yeah, I generally "don't cook fish at home"...I know. I'm seriously a walking contradiction. But I got them at Costco and they looked delicious and easy to make on days like these.) Anyway...here it is:<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Lemony Lime Black Bean Quinoa</i></span><br />
Serves 4<br />
<br />
1 c quinoa<br />
2 c broth of your choice (I used vegetable broth)<br />
1 can black beans, rinsed<br />
1 small avocado, diced<br />
1/2 yellow onion, diced & sauteed in 1/2 T olive oil<br />
1 t buttery spread (I used Earth Balance)<br />
Juice of 1 lemon & 1 lime<br />
Zest of half a lemon (about 1/2 t)<br />
<br />
<br />
1) Bring broth to a boil, add quinoa, return to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and cook until broth is absorbed (about 12-15 minutes)<br />
<br />
<br />
2) Add the rest of the ingredients to the quinoa and combine, taking special care not to smash the avocado.<br />
<br />
<br />
3) Enjoy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy90rm5zFlZmWhr_SoBgsp952e_q3F5y7cPf1UHMw6tso1t3iN4NAavSusbmKbUvnpQD7-fJe2jqUq58kide2HtI4umSnftKqyYHXLTZc0Szw972uTVTKJYYQUjihPzoTcRTVaj0jxTwk/s1600/2010-09-27+18.39.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy90rm5zFlZmWhr_SoBgsp952e_q3F5y7cPf1UHMw6tso1t3iN4NAavSusbmKbUvnpQD7-fJe2jqUq58kide2HtI4umSnftKqyYHXLTZc0Szw972uTVTKJYYQUjihPzoTcRTVaj0jxTwk/s320/2010-09-27+18.39.01.jpg" width="299" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Pretty simple dish, but very tasty and super quick.<br />
<br />
Nutritional Info per Serving: Calories: 374, Fat: 14g (remember, good fats from the avocado), Carbs: 55g, Fiber: 13g, Protein: 13g<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><sub>Published via Blogger-droid v1.5.9</sub></center>Its'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955184573799932826.post-48860471022591350902010-09-14T20:06:00.000-07:002010-09-14T20:06:24.083-07:00Cheese & Spinach Stuffed PortobellosSo I had made this last week and it was BOMB!! But of course I tweaked it and mixed tofu into the cheese mixture. It came out tasty!! The remaining cheese mix that was left over I mixed into pasta with marinara and fed it to my boys (I have twin 2.5 year old boys). They loved it!! (Original recipe <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/cheese_spinach_stuffed_portobellos.html">here</a>)<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Portobellos</span></i><br />
<br />
6 baby portobello mushroom caps (or 4 large caps)<br />
1/2 t salt<br />
1/4 t pepper<br />
1 c ricotta cheese<br />
1/2 block tofu (I used the Silken kind)<br />
1 10 oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed & water drained<br />
1/3 c Parmesan (plus extra for sprinkling on top of stuffed mushrooms)<br />
1/2 t each of rosemary, oregano, & basil<br />
1 T Nutritional Yeast<br />
3/4 c marinara sauce, warmed<br />
<br />
<br />
1) Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Place mushroom caps, gill-side up, on the prepared pan. Roast until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. <br />
<br />
2) While waiting for mushrooms to be done, mash ricotta, tofu, spinach, Parmesan, herbs, nutritional yeast, salt, & pepper in a medium bowl.<br />
<br />
3) When the mushrooms are tender, pour out any liquid accumulated in the caps. Return the caps to the pan gill-side up & season w/ salt & pepper. Spread 1 tablespoon marinara into each cap (2 T if using large caps); cover the remaining sauce to keep warm. Mound a generous 1/4 cup ricotta filling into each cap (1/3 c if using large caps) and sprinkle with Parmesan (or sprinkle mozzarella or use a slice of provolone). Bake until hot, about 10 minutes. Serve with the remaining marinara sauce.<br />
<br />
<br />
The original recipe is bomb too...although I omitted the olives cause I hate them. I just tweaked the original recipe to add some more protein to the dish so it could be a sufficient main course. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioyUTm9Rf8rSBGbIHXbIyvYOmT4HLG3VHIQ6EqjU8WnENRDcduIs-MaKlU-7uhyphenhyphenkoF_i6UkK1dsH8wUBgVjfrC6SSxeLugQkS_7ZOFM-zvLUyAmRLVyfTKwt3FDGSwANHr62paLZlislk/s1600/P9140349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioyUTm9Rf8rSBGbIHXbIyvYOmT4HLG3VHIQ6EqjU8WnENRDcduIs-MaKlU-7uhyphenhyphenkoF_i6UkK1dsH8wUBgVjfrC6SSxeLugQkS_7ZOFM-zvLUyAmRLVyfTKwt3FDGSwANHr62paLZlislk/s400/P9140349.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Its'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955184573799932826.post-47228637954098404522010-09-12T20:25:00.000-07:002010-09-12T20:27:37.867-07:00The Ooiest of the GooiestSo tonight I made the fattiest, tastiest, ooey, gooey goodness ever!! A broccoli & cheddar filling and/or topping that was melty deliciousness. I stuffed crepes with it (yeah, I'm on this crepe thing today. Tonight's crepes turned out to be WAY easier to make!!) I got the crepe recipe from <a href="http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipes">Good Housekeeping</a> and then devised the filling after seeing a recipe for savory crepes. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Crepe</i></span><br />
<br />
3 lg eggs<br />
2/3 c all-purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 c unsweetened almond milk<br />
2 T Earth Balance<br />
1/2 t salt<br />
<br />
1) Blend all ingredients until smooth (I used a hand mixer), scraping down sides of bowl. Cover bowl of batter and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flour to absorb the liquid. You can also let it refrigerate overnight.<br />
<br />
2) Grease a medium size pan. When heated place about 1/4 of batter in the middle of the pan, pick up the pan and tilt/rotate to coat bottom of the pan with the batter. Cook crepe until the top is dry and the bottom is lightly browned. With spatula, flip the crepe and lightly brown the other side (about 30 seconds or so). Grease pan and repeat until all the batter is cooked.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Broccoli & Cheddar Deliciousness</i></span><br />
<br />
1/2 T oil<br />
1 Red Onion, diced<br />
2 (10 oz) pkgs frozen broccoli, thawed (I actually used the Steamables kind and heated them in the microwave)<br />
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup w/ Roasted Garlic<br />
1/4 t salt<br />
1/4 t pepper<br />
1 c water<br />
2 T cornstarch<br />
2 c cheddar<br />
<br />
1) Mix cornstarch into water and set aside.<br />
<br />
2) Heat oil in a nonstick skillet, add onion and cook onion until soft. Add water/cornstarch mix, broccoli, soup, salt, & pepper. Heat to boiling & boil for 1 minute. Turn off heat and add 1.5 c cheese. Mix until gooey.<br />
<br />
3) Use in crepes or as a topping for a baked potato<br />
<br />
<br />
If you're gonna stuff this into crepes, preheat an oven to 400º. Spread about 1/4 of the mix onto one half of the crepe and roll it up, placing it seam side down into a greased baking dish. Spoon any remaining broccoli mix on top on the crepes, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for about 15 minutes. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnw7Ckkbg51bUq-GWv2fEMmov8l5fQSdHKboQzuDGTIBaptGRObzSHiXg-cgjsAUdBpx-whaDedUKBGmpAvIEYVAf52dDWAe9H9sz_RAON8oKd9aIB5h-GXIymN5RT3pZofZc4Z61ixfw/s1600/P9120366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnw7Ckkbg51bUq-GWv2fEMmov8l5fQSdHKboQzuDGTIBaptGRObzSHiXg-cgjsAUdBpx-whaDedUKBGmpAvIEYVAf52dDWAe9H9sz_RAON8oKd9aIB5h-GXIymN5RT3pZofZc4Z61ixfw/s320/P9120366.JPG" /></a></div>Its'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955184573799932826.post-47607774094710928672010-09-12T15:43:00.000-07:002010-09-12T20:36:21.249-07:00I Love Really Thin Pancakes"You know, just to put this in there, I had a whole mess of crepes this morning. They're just like pancakes, maybe even better."<br />
<br />
So I made crepes for the first time this morning...holy shit what an endeavor that was. I had found two different recipes for them, one sweet and one savory. I went with the sweet one for breakfast this morning. A strawberry filled crepes recipe I got from cooks.com. The crepe itself actually turned out pretty good, but the filling - blech. It was kinda foul, not gonna lie. I'm thinking next time I make these I can fill them with chocolate or Nutella and banana. Healthy, I know...but delicious none the less. If you feel like taking on the task of making crepes, I posted my tweaked version of the original recipe below. Once I try the savory one out (which is a lot less complicated than this one - I mean, I've NEVER beat egg whites to stiff peaks before, perhaps that's the amateur baker in me - check 'em out though...) <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazhBmVvWi4BaIMt_QM7Xr5TVDFhHjYn6kBoIG9_Jk2x8p8fvJdFk9VSOXjkufgJG5r9bWeFjD6N2_47Gnp_eJDAmT9gzgcXEM7CBJTKhC6ZGQle3Cj6OVt9JG4IcPIG4YNsvVmYlYG0w/s1600/P9120360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazhBmVvWi4BaIMt_QM7Xr5TVDFhHjYn6kBoIG9_Jk2x8p8fvJdFk9VSOXjkufgJG5r9bWeFjD6N2_47Gnp_eJDAmT9gzgcXEM7CBJTKhC6ZGQle3Cj6OVt9JG4IcPIG4YNsvVmYlYG0w/s200/P9120360.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can treat my egg whites just like a "Blizzard"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
I will admit that this was an accomplishment for me though...c'mon, french pancakes - awesomeness.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>SWEET CREPES</i></b></span><br />
<br />
1 1/4 c flour<br />
1/2 t salt<br />
1/4 c sugar<br />
2 c unsweetened almond milk (or soy milk or regular milk)<br />
3 egg yolks<br />
3 egg whites, beaten<br />
1 T Earth Balance (or your choice of buttery spread), melted<br />
1 t lemon juice<br />
<br />
1) Beat the egg whites until stiff and set aside.<br />
<br />
2) Beat rest of ingredients until smooth. Fold in egg whites (this is a pain in the ass too by the way, but maybe that's just me) It's now ready to cook.<br />
<br />
3) Grease a medium size pan. When heated place about 1/4 of batter in the middle of the pan, pick up the pan and tilt/rotate to coat bottom of the pan with the batter. Cook crepe until the top is dry and the bottom is lightly browned. With spatula, flip the crepe and lightly brown the other side (about 30 seconds or so). Grease pan and repeat until all the batter is cooked.<br />
<br />
When filling the crepes, add filling to one side of the crepe and roll from the filled side (does that make sense?) and place seam side down on a warm platter until all crepes have been filled.<br />
<br />
This is what mine looked like after I filled them and poured strawberry sauce over them...pretty, yet not so yummy.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02vQikSefXxeP4NoFhoXh00lPMs0IuIiNQxPMnqx9_NqkXH9PItNsOMU9VAOr9uqIG-yjiGFx3zLrBAFZUiYv-7dJCimMV8r65Wca4oy2o58hw70pEqSsW9u_EACIvxQ-0ImmN-T9YSs/s1600/-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02vQikSefXxeP4NoFhoXh00lPMs0IuIiNQxPMnqx9_NqkXH9PItNsOMU9VAOr9uqIG-yjiGFx3zLrBAFZUiYv-7dJCimMV8r65Wca4oy2o58hw70pEqSsW9u_EACIvxQ-0ImmN-T9YSs/s320/-1.jpg" /></a></div>Its'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955184573799932826.post-61905868316728507592010-09-11T21:16:00.000-07:002011-08-13T22:49:07.689-07:00Who DOESN'T like bananas and chocolate??I have lots of recipes I want to start posting...so I'll start with one I made today.<br />
Total time is about 30-35 minutes.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>BANANA & CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS</i></b></span><br />
<br />
1 3/4 c all purpose flour<br />
3/4 c agave nectar<br />
1 t baking soda<br />
1 t salt<br />
1 egg<br />
3/4 c vanilla yogurt<br />
3 ripe bananas<br />
Chocolate chips (I'm not designating an amount because these are sprinkled on top, so it's up to you as to how many you want)<br />
<br />
<br />
1) Preheat oven to 375º & prepare muffin tin (okay, fancy way of saying spray it with an oil - like coconut or canola)<br />
<br />
2) Combine flour, baking soda, & salt in a bowl and set aside<br />
<br />
3) In another bowl beat the egg, then add the bananas and mash (I used a potato masher and the process went rather quickly). Then stir on yogurt & agave.<br />
<br />
4) Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until moistened. <br />
<br />
5) Fill muffin tins about 3/4 of the way full (you will probably have some batter left over, I used to to fill some mini muffin tins) and then sprinkle some chocolate chips on top. I used semi-sweet chocolate and you can see from the picture that I didn't add an obscene amount on the top of each muffin. I think putting too many will make these REALLY sweet.<br />
<br />
6) Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Test for doneness by pushing your finger on the top of the muffin. If the dent you created puffs back up, they're done! (You can also use the toothpick trick to test for doneness as well)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqBtUBwovHQig7YjPdiMn3nIkl8nb_J0BJVRCsyjT031KJQWLeYWTtJWtyL3TnHnbuYqB-H3O7tbHyW5_nx7PgrqBzm0vL2TTI4iDO53H-QhgngZSNOVolOOATHKd4hx6YXwFGu_QJyI/s1600/60056_1631620114757_1364272390_31716672_43070_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqBtUBwovHQig7YjPdiMn3nIkl8nb_J0BJVRCsyjT031KJQWLeYWTtJWtyL3TnHnbuYqB-H3O7tbHyW5_nx7PgrqBzm0vL2TTI4iDO53H-QhgngZSNOVolOOATHKd4hx6YXwFGu_QJyI/s320/60056_1631620114757_1364272390_31716672_43070_n.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
On a side note, these muffins are a little dense compared to commercially bought muffins or muffin mixes (more like a banana bread than a muffin)...but they taste amazing and no pesky fillers or additives. ENJOY!<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #ff6600;">UPDATE (19 SEP 10):</span></b> I poured this into a bread pan today. Same ingredients, but I added about a 1/4 c of chocolate chips into the batter, turned down the temp to 350º, and baked for about 60-70 minutes. It turned out great!!!Its'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955184573799932826.post-63280165432680786172010-09-11T20:49:00.000-07:002010-09-12T16:03:50.937-07:00Numero UnoHello Blog O' Sphere -<br />
<br />
This is the oh so official first post of this blog...super exciting stuff here. I really just created this blog for not only my random musings (which there may be a lot of), but also for recipes and reviews. I love to cook and make mostly vegan/vegetarian fare, but I do warn you - I am a pescatarian. Originally a vegan for quite some time, I took a trip that led me to another part of the world (and by this I mean I was "voluntold" that I was deploying to Iraq), which changed the way I eat. I lived off of kidney beans, rice, and salsa for three months. And I do mean LIVED off of it...because really, that's all there was for me to eat. Yes, there were the occasional canned green beans or corn to choose from...wait, no - not that either, as our DFAC (or dining facility for all you non-military people out there) decidedly put some pork product in pretty much everything (cause bacon makes everything taste better right?) I do mean everything...Christmas and Thanksgiving was a NIGHTMARE for me!! There was pork in things that you wouldn't even think to put pork in. (I even think there was bacon in the pork) "How about a nice salad" you may say...but if you tasted that "fresh" produce we had...you wouldn't eat it either - yuck. Eventually that kind of wore on me (naturally)...so I started slowly by maybe adding sour cream to my bean mix occasionally. It was delicious...oh how I had missed sour cream. There are very few things dairy I missed as a vegan, but sour cream...mmmm, sour cream. I'm sorry, but the Tofutti "Better Than Sour Cream" was not so much better...or really even slightly close. The "Better Than Cream Cheese" IS pretty tasty though. Not quite the same as the regular, but good none-the-less. AH, but I digress...so the sour cream was tasty...yes, a nice change to an otherwise boring meal. Then it happened...I changed bases...and went down to Baghdad. Now I maybe can't tell you where I was located, but I can definitely tell you about the food. OH, the food. SO, SO much better than my previous location. The first night I was there they made a spicy stir fried eggplant dish that was HEAVENLY (I mean, maybe...it's been so long without real food anything would have tasted that delicious.) They served hummus regularly (a major plus in my book) and also had REALLY good fresh fruit. BUT, if they have all this tasty vegan food, why the change in diet you wonder...well, this was only the first night. I came to find out that every Friday was seafood night. ONLY seafood...just like every Saturday was steak night (oh, and fried shrimp). Well...after a month I admit, I broke down. I had those tasty little seafood morsels staring at me, wishing for me to eat them. So...it happened. I gave in to temptation and indulged. I admit, I love seafood. Always have. Even as a vegetarian and then vegan and then back to vegetarian...I always craved seafood. There is just something about sushi that calls to me.<br />
I was back and forth about the whole seafood thing for awhile...I finally gave in to my pescatarian calling when I was convinced that seafood lacks the same nervous system as land dwellers and it would be okay to eat it (Thanks Chris!!). Honestly, while I do consider myself a pescatarian, I still abstain from eating a lot of seafood. Don't get me wrong, I do eat it...but not all the time. You'll notice most of the recipes I'll post are vegetarian, some even vegan. I still don't cook seafood of any type. I'll indulge when I eat out, mainly sushi, but I don't make it at home.<br />
All in all...that's my (psuedo) journey of how I got to where I am. Until next time...peace out bitches!Its'a Me...Stacihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993699574229629495noreply@blogger.com0