Peanut Buttery Ice Creamy Delight

Nice title, huh?  We didn't know what else to call it, and Jed thought this title sounded good......so there ya go!  Josh and Steph told us about something like this.  We couldn't remember exactly how they explained it so we kinda made up our own version.  We seem to like it pretty good.  It's nothing too special or out of the ordinary, but it is quite tasty.  You'll especially like it if you are a peanut butter fan like us.  Hope you like it!!
(Pardon my non-professional picture taking!!)

Peanut Butter
Vanilla Ice Cream
Chocolate Sauce
Peanuts

Put about 1 Tbs. or a little less of creamy peanut butter into a bowl.  (We usually only use Adam's Natural Peanut Butter, but with our new little budget plan we are on......and I do mean little.....we just used what we had which was Western Family.  Place the bowl in the microwave and melt the peanut butter.  Spread the peanut butter around with a spoon so there is an even layer in the bowl. 

The scoop some ice cream in and drizzle with your favorite chocolate sauce.  Garnish with peanuts if desired. 

See, nothing too fancy.  There is just something about the melty peanut butter and the cold ice cream that is just divine.  I LOVE the texture of the two together.  It's great for a new quick dessert, give it a try!

Strawberry Shortcake

Oh my My MY!!!  This is THE most amazing Strawberry Shortcake I have ever had.  It's much better than the twinkie with strawberries and cool-whip on top.  We had this for dessert tonight and I was in heaven.  Give it a try, I promise you'll love it!!

(Picture and recipe courtesy of......Annie!!)

1 White Cake Mix
Strawberries sliced up
Vanilla Ice Cream
Sugar

Make the cake according to the directions on the box.  Be sure to use egg whites instead of whole eggs.  While the cake bakes, slice up your strawberries.  Once their sliced up, put them in a bowl and pour some sugar over them and shake the bowl around so the all of the strawberries are well covered.  Put a lid on the bowl and put it back in the fridge.  By doing this, the sugar will disolve in the strawberry juice making some delectible sauce to drizzle on the top. 
Once your cake is baked and completely cool, cut a piece of cake and put a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream on top.  Spoon some strawberries on top of the ice cream and then drizzle some of the strawberry sauce on top of that.  Scoop yourself up a bite and enjoy this amazing little dessert.

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies.......EVER!!!

I found this recipe a year or two ago and have been hooked ever since.  I think it's the almond extract that does it for me, or maybe it's the 2 CUPS of BUTTER????  Whatever it is, they are delicious!!  I am no professional photographer or food photographer for that matter, but I did actually take my own pictures this time.  Not too bad, eh?  Try these cookies and let me know what you think.

2 Cups(4 sticks) Butter - not margarine
4 eggs
1 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Cups Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Almond extract
5-5 1/2 Cups Flour
2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 Big box of French Vanilla Instant Pudding
1 Bag Milk-Chocolate Chips (This is just my preference.  You can use any chocolate chips.)

Directions:

Combine butter, eggs, sugars, vanilla and almond extract in a large bowl. Mix until sugars have dissolved into the mixture and it is smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda and vanilla pudding mix. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the large bowl. Once ingredients are combined, slowly mix the chocolate chips. Place on greased cooking sheet.

Bake at 375 degress for 8-10 minutes.  (I like mine a litte under-cooked.  That way they are a little crunchy on the outside and nice and soft on the inside.  I bake mine for 8 minutes.)

It makes between 75 and 100 cookies depending on the size. So it is perfect for when you are really hungry or to share with family and friends.

This does make a huge batch so I like to bake half of it and then freeze the other half. To freeze them, I make them into small cookie dough balls on a pan and then put them in the freezer. After about 15 min. I take them out of the freezer and put them into freezer ziploc baggies with the temperature and time listed on it. It makes for great quick cookies whenever you want them and yummy cookie dough too!

Super Easy Saltine Toffee (aka CRACK)

I'm not much of a toffee person, but I was looking for a quick and easy recipe for dessert.  This one just happened to work for me since I had al of the ingredients on hand.  This recipe REALLY suprised me.....I LOVED IT!!  I think I even messed it up a little too :-)  Jed thinks it tastes just like a score bar...SCORE!! Give it a try and let me know what you think.

1- 1 1/2 sleeves of saltine crackers
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate, whichever you prefer)
3/4 cup sliced almonds or chopped pecans, toasted (optional, I didn't use these)

Line a 15x10" jelly roll pan (I just used a cookie sheet) with foil. Spray with non-stick spray. Arrange saltines in a single layer over the bottom of the pan. You will use one sleeve plus a little more. Combine butter and brown sugar in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequentlyBoil for 3 minutes.
(When you first start cooking the butter and sugar, it will look like a mess. Don't worry. After 3 minutes it will turn out nice and caramely).
Pour over the crackers and spread evenly. Bake at 400° for 6 minutes or till hot and bubbly. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let sit for a few minutes till the chocolate melts, then spread it around. Top with nuts. Cool completely and break into pieces. This process takes a few hours, so I put mine in the fridge to speed things up a bit.

Banana Bars

Banana Bars

Cream:

1/2 cup margarine

1 1/2 cup sugar

Add:

2 eggs

1/2 pt. sour cream

2 ripe bananas

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Add:

2 cups flour

Grease and flour plan

Bake 25 minutes at 350°

Cool and frost with Cream cheese Frosting!

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened

4 cups confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

I LOVE Mexican food!!!  I was is heaven when we went to Mexico.....their guacamole and pico de gallo was so so yummy.  And did I mention their deep fried bananas rolled in cinnamon sugar that I ate every morning for breakfast?!?  Along with these foods their taquitos were to die for.  I want to try these and see if they even compare.  They look really good!! I'll let you know how they turn out :-)

(Picture and recipe courtesy of http://www.thegirlwhoateeverything.blogspot.com/)

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepperjack cheese (I couldn't find grated so I crumbled slices)
about 16 small corn or flour tortillas (we liked flour better)
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

The corn tortillas are harder to roll without cracking. For the corn tortillas: work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Makes around 16 taquitos.

Dip in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or Tomatillo Dressing. They would be great with black beans and this Cilantro Lime Rice.

Perfect One Bowl Brownies

So....I made the BIG mistake of making these brownies last night. Big mistake because

I.can't.stop.eating.them!!!

So, if you can use some serious self-control and want some delicious home-made browines......this recipe is my gift to you.  Enjoy and remember you've been warned :-)

(Picture and recipe courtesy of http://www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com/)

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
4 eggs
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips (although I never measure--I just sprinkle them on top)

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl melt butter in microwave, then stir in oil, sugar and cocoa. With a wooden spoon stir in the remainder of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips. Spread into a 9x13 pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. If your toothpick comes out clean you have cooked them too long! DO NOT OVERCOOK!

Banana Bars

I got a recipe from Morgan a long time ago for banana bread/bars and it was sooo yummy.  Of course I don't have it anymore, so I'm going to try this one.  Morg.....if you still have the recipe, I would love it!!
I have about 20 black bananas in my freezer just waiting to make these yummy banana bars,  I probably won't frost them because I love just plain banana bread/bars.

2/3 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Sour Cream
2 T. Butter, softened
2 egg whites
3/4 C. mashed banana (about 2)
1 C. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 T. Finely chopped walnuts(optional)
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 375. Spray 9x9" pan. Beat sugar, sour cream, butter, and egg whites in large bowl 1 minute on low speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in bananas and vanilla on low speed 30 seconds. Beat in flour, salt, and baking soda 1 min. Spread in pan. Bake 20-25 minutes til light brown. Cool completely.

Frosting
1 1/4 C. powdered sugar
1 T. butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1-2 T. milk

Chocolate Chip Cookies

YUMMO!!!! These cookies look so good!!  I love Love LOVE making cookies and I can't wait to try this new recipe.  I think I will use her tip and use all butter instead of the shortening. 

(Picture and recipe courtesy of http://www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com/)

1 cube (1/2 cup) butter, softened *not melted!*

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Mix butter, shortening and sugars - do not over mix. (The key to this recipe is minimal mixing - try it with a wooden spoon instead of a mixer.) Add vanilla and eggs. Sift together dry ingredients and add them next. Mix until everything is combined. Add one package of milk chocolate chips. (Guittard is my all time favorite. The milk chocolate chips are large and so smooth and creamy... yum!) Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Take them out when they are barely brown. Serve warm out of the oven with a tall glass of cold milk... YUM!

**FYI--a note from Melanie:
A couple of years ago I quit using shortening in anything. I now use all butter in this recipe. So, I now leave out the shortening and replace it with an equal amount of butter ( 1/2 cup). I found that the cookies still have that perfect texture as shown and don't go flat, if you chill the dough for an hour or so before baking. You may need to bake for a few minutes longer--but DO NOT over bake--take out when barely brown. Then leave on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to the wire rack for cooling**

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

I was drawn to this recipe becuase the little title was "How peanut butter can help you get pregnant."  The girl told a story of how her sister did in-vitro 5, yes 5, times.  Her doctor told her she needed to consume a enormous amount of calories so she ate a jar of peanut butter a week and they finally got prego!!! Well, if it was as easy as eating peanut butter like it's going out of style, I think we would be pregnant by now.  Who knows, maybe it will work for you?!?  Try this recipe!

(Picture and recipe courtesy of http://www.thegirlwhoateeverything.blogspot.com/)

Mix in pan and bring to a boil:

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup water

1/2 cup butter

Sift the following and add to the above mixture:

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp soda

Mix and add to the above mixture:

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Stir well and pour into greased or parchment lined cookie sheet pan (jellyroll pan). Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

Frosting

Mix in pan and bring to a boil:

3/4 cup butter
6 Tbsp buttermilk
1/2 cup peanut butter

Take off stove and add:

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp vanilla. Pour over warm cake.

Honeyed Strawberry Shortcake Yogurt Parfaits

4.5 oz package shortcakes, 4 count, cut into cubes
16 oz reduced fat vanilla yogurt
1 Cup chopped fresh stawberries
8 teaspoons honey
1 package Nature Valley Oats n’ Honey Crunchy Granola Bars (2 in package), crushed
1. Place an even layer of shortcake into 4 little parfait glasses. Top evenly with a couple spoonfuls of yogurt, then about ¼ Cup strawberries. Drizzle each cup with 1 teaspoon honey then top with a Tablespoon of crushed granola bar. Repeat this layering one more time and serve.


Picture courtesy of picky-palate.com

Double Chocolate Brownie Mini Chip Cookies

Jodi is really the one that should be posting these bad boys since she's made them, but I will save her the time.  These look delicious!!! I can't wait to try these!  I seriously think I am getting fatter just by looking at all of these yummy foods :-)

(Picture and recipe courtesy of http://www.picky-palate.com/)

1/2 cup softened butter
1 Cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 Cup sour cream
3/4 Cup prepared brownie batter of choice (I used Pillsbury)
2 Cups Flour
1 Cup cocoa powder, I used Hersheys
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 oz bag mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and well combined. Add egg, sour cream and brownie batter until well combined.

2. Place flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with mini chips until just combined. Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.

About 3 dozen cookies

Rainbow Cupcakes

Don't these just make you smile?!? I think these are the cutest little cupcakes I have ever seen!!  They seem pretty easy to make too.  I'll let you know how they turn out :-)

(Picture and recipe courtesy of http://www.thegirlwhoateeverything.blogspot.com/)

1 white cake mix

2 eggs

1 C sour cream

1/2 C milk

1/3 C vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients until incorporated (about 30 seconds). Scrape sides of bowl and then beat on med-high speed for 3 minutes.

Divide batter according to how many colors you are using.

Use food coloring to color batter to desired intensity. Wilton brand gel colors have the brightest colors and wont thin your batter. They can be found at Walmart or Michaels.

Tip:  Use a measuring spoon and some water to measure out how many teaspoons/tablespoons are going to fit in your cupcake. The water makes it so the batter doesn't stick to your fingers or the other colors. Then divide that by how many colors you have so you know how much of each color to use for each cupcake. For 5 colors, it works out perfectly with 2 t of each color in each cupcake. 

Bake them according to the package directions, until a toothpick comes out dry.

Frost with your favorite frosting. Fancy it up by putting the frosting in a ziplock bag. Cut off the corner of the side of the bag and you have an instant frosting decorating bag.

Sweetie Pie Drinks

I know I've posted a ton today, but I thought these were soooo cute!!! Fun idea for the kids on Valentine's day!

(Pictures and recipes courtesy of gourmetmomonthego.com)

Ingredients:

Milk


Strawberry Quik (or red food coloring if you just want pink milk)

Large Marshmallows

powdered sugar

Small heart-shaped cutter (or sharp paring knife)

Directions:

Mix milk and strawberry quick in mugs. Or, if you just want colored milk, add a drop of red food coloring to milk and mix well. Cut marshmallows in half and dip sticky side in powdered sugar. Using small heart cutter (or paring knife), cut out heart shape and roll any sticky sides in powdered sugar. Drop in strawberry milk and serve. Yummy!