Turkey Meatballs

We had spaghetti and meatballs for Jack's birthday dinner, and the meatballs were my favorite that I've ever made.  Meatballs are one go-to meat dish that all of my boys will eat.  I like to keep some frozen so we can just pull them out and add a veggie for an instant, quick dinner.  I'm glad I made lots of these yesterday, so we've got a big freezer bag of them ready to go.  (Hopefully when Chris and I travel to Katie's country!)  This recipe is quick and easy, low cost and few ingredients.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1

lb ground turkey

1/2

cup bread crumbs (I like to use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs or panko)

1/4

cup milk

1/2

teaspoon salt

1/2

teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4

teaspoon pepper

1

small onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup) (I omit this and add some onion powder because Christopher hates onions.)

1

egg

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Line baking sheet with aluminum foil - spray foil with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients.  Shape into balls (about the size of a ping pong ball).  Bake for 20 minutes.  

Gingerbread Cookies

This is the recipe I use for gingerbread cookies - it looks complicated, but it's really not.  Make sure you chill your dough well.  And I roll mine out on a piece of food grade vinyl that I used for cakes, which makes clean up SIMPLE.  I put a piece of wax paper on top and roll over that.  Easy peasy, and no messy clean up.

Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

1. 6 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1 tablespoon baking powder
3. 1 tablespoon ground ginger
4. 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
5. 1 teaspoon ground cloves
6. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
7. 1 cup shortening, melted and cooled slightly
8. 1 cup molasses
9. 1 cup packed brown sugar
10. 1/2 cup water
11. 1 egg
12. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, until they are completely absorbed. Divide dough into 3 pieces, pat down to 1 1/2 inch thickness, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When the cookies are done, they will look dry, but still be soft to the touch. Remove from the baking sheet to cool on wire racks. When cool, the cookies can be frosted with the icing of your choice.

Thanksgiving Goodies

I made two new recipes for Thanksgiving.  I'm not quite sure why, but I like to try new recipes when I'm having a group of people over to eat. . . so far so good, although it's admittedly a risky thing to do.  What can I say?  I live on the edge!

The first one I made was Nutter Butter Nutella Pie.  Um, yum!  

I originally found this recipe on Pinterest, which seems to be where I find everything I want to do, make, eat, wear, and decorate with.  This is super easy to make, and you can find the recipe at tastykitchen.com.

The second recipe was a total last minute decision.  Because I tasted some the day before Thanksgiving and knew I had to make it!  It was Paula Deen's white chocolate key lime mousse pie.  A mouthful, I know.  And a weird combination, but it totally works!

This is not difficult, but is more laborious than the Nutella pie.  I would say this is a medium skilled dessert, merely because there are more steps.  It's yummy though, and worth a shot!  The recipe can be found at the Food Network website.

Enjoy!

Homemade Granola Bars

Someone call Martha Stewart - I gave her a run for her money today.  We got pumpkins, decorated for Halloween, made bookmarks with Henry, went to the park, and I made homemade sloppy Joe's, apple crisp, and homemade granola bars.  This fabulous granola bar recipe is courtesy of my sweet friend Briana.

Dry Ingredients
3 cups old fashioned oatmeal
1 cup bran buds
5 cups dried fruit and chopped nuts, unsweetened flaked coconut (I used coconut, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and blueberries, and mini chocolate chips.)
1 cup whole wheat or all purpose flour


Wet Ingredients
14oz can sweetended condensed milk
2 large eggs or 1/4 cup egg beaters
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp honey
1/2 cup apricot sauce (or preserves)
1 tbsp canola oil

Mix wet and dry ingredients together very well, this will be a dry mix. Press into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, cut and separate, then cool completely and wrap individually.


YUM, YUM, YUM!

Lemonade Cake

Tomorrow is my husband's birthday, and we had a brunch with our families yesterday.  I make whatever kind of cake the birthday boy (or girl!) requests, and Chris wanted Lemonade Cake.  It was very good - I would in the future use a different frosting recipe.  This one is a butter base, which in the heat of a southern summer turns into more of a glaze.  And slid right off of the cake.  It is, however, delicious.

Ingredients


Cake:

• butter for coating pan
• 1 (18.25-ounce) white cake mix, plus any additional ingredients the package directions call for
• 3 tablespoon lemonade drink powder
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Frosting:

• 1 lb confectioners sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 3 tablespoon frozen lemonade concentrate
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottom with parchment or waxed paper; set aside.
• For the cake, in a large bowl, stir together the cake mix and lemonade powder.
• Prepare the cake batter according to the package directions, using any additional ingredients called for (eggs, milk, water, oil, etc…).
• Stir the lemon zest into the batter.
• Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the centers of the cakes comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Carefully turn cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting, beat together the confectioners’ sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in the remaining ingredients until combined.

Transfer one cake to a cake stand or large platter. Using an offset spatula spread the top of the cake with a layer of frosting. Place the second cake on top of the first. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of both layers.

My notes:  I woud use either a cream cheese recipe and add the lemonade concentrate and zest or use a buttercream and do the same thing.  This recipe as it is, as I mentioned, is more of a glaze.  Also, I like my cakes to be tall and thick.  I doubled this recipe (both cake and frosting) and cooked in two nine-inch springform pans.  That makes nice big layers that I think look more impressive than two little thin eight-inch layers.  I also had to feed 16 people, and an eight-inch wouldn't have been enough.  You could also make this using pink lemonade powder and concentrate for a little girl's party, etc.  My husband didn't want a pink cake!

Jennifer's Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes With Dulce de Leche Filling

This is my beautiful friend Jennifer.

Yes, this is what she really looks like.

And she's had two children.

Jennifer is smart, funny, gorgeous (duh) and hard working.

Like, hard working as in put yourself through college while working two jobs and raising two children as a single mother, hardworking.

Like, I want more for my children than I had and I'm going to make sure that happens, hardworking.

Like, bought an adorable house on her own before she graduated from college so her children would have a great place to live, hardworking.  And literally wrapped it up with a bow and gave it to them for Christmas.

She's one of the most positive people I have ever met, sensitive, funny, loyal, empathetic, smart.  And clearly photogenic.  Yes, I will again tell you this is what she really looks like.  And, as if that's not unfair enough, she's a freaking twin! 
(And she's single if you know someone who is NOT A LOSER who would be interested!)

 

And this is how she normally is. . .

Jennifer graduated from college in May, and her birthday was last week.

Her cupcake request for each celebration was Mexican Hot Chocolate cupcakes.

At first I thought she was crazy. 

Now?  Brilliant.

They're the perfect combination of spicy and sweet.

With a surprise in the middle!

Image via cheekykitchen.com

For the cake:

• 1 box (18.25 oz.) Devil’s Food cake mix or favorite chocolate cake mix
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon New Mexico red chile powder
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon water
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs (room temperature)

Pour the dry cake mix into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the cinnamon, chile powder, salt, pepper, and flour. Add the water, oil, and eggs and mix with an electric mixer at low speed until moistened. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350 for 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes.


For the Dulce de Leche Filling:

• 1 cup of high quality caramel ice cream topping

Using a spoon, knife, or small scoop, remove a small portion of the top center of each cupcake. Spoon caramel sauce (the thickerthe better) into this center part of the cupcake.


For the Icing:

• 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tablespoon semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes

In a large bowl, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Slowly add the brown sugar (make sure you use fresh, soft brown sugar or else the cream will come out grainy), mixing until the cream is thick enough to pipe on top of cupcakes. Stir in the cayenne. Spoon cream into a large pastry bag (or ziploc bag), then pipe it on top of cupcakes, over the caramel filling. Sprinkle with chopped chocolate and red chili peppers for garnish.


Note:  These are not as spicy as you think they will be.  You control the spice with the level of red chili flakes you use for garnish.  They are not as difficult as you think they will be to make either - really a pretty quick, fancy cupcake.  Enjoy!

Farmer's Market Fruit Cobbler

Can you say delicious??  We got the fruit for this cobbler at the farmer's market yesterday morning.  It doesn't get much better than this folks.  I used peaches and blueberries, but you could easily substitute pretty much any fresh fruit or berry combo.  And I'm pretty sure this is the first time I used these ramekins since I got them. . . as a wedding gift eight years ago.  At least the first time I've used them for their actual real purpose. (I'm linking to Sweet As Sugar's link for sweet recipes!)

Ingredients

For the fruit:

• 2 pounds firm, ripe peaches (6 to 8 peaches)
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (1/2 pint) [I doubled this, FYI.]

For the crumble:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until their skins peel off easily. Place them immediately in cold water. Peel the peaches, slice them into thick wedges, and place them in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and flour. Toss well. Gently mix in the blueberries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into ramekins or custard cups.

For the topping, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until it's in big crumbles, then sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Place the ramekins on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tops are browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

If you want to make these early, store the unbaked crumbles in the refrigerator and bake before dinner.

Grilled Tilapia Foil Packets

We had the best dinner tonight!  It was so easy, and very good.  I made grilled tilapia, but did it in foil packets because I hate losing half of the fish through the grates of the grill.  I didn't really have a recipe.  I got a pound of tilapia from the fish counter (it was five filets).  I sprayed five pieces of foil with non-stick spray, and piled veggies on the foil.  I seasoned each filet with some lemon herb seasoning, put some minced garlic, salt, and pepper on the veggies, and put the fish on top.  I folded each packet up and grilled on medium temp for fifteen-ish minutes.  We served it over white rice and squeezed lemon on top.  It was D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S.

(Henry and Jack thought it was great. . . David ate a ketchup sandwich.  Baby steps people.  Baby steps.)

Amazing Red Velvet Cake

Seriously y'all, this is the BEST red velvet cake you will ever put in your mouth.  I've told you before how much I love the Cake Mix Doctor.  She is a baking genius.  This is her red velvet recipe.  I made it this time with a basic cream cheese icing, but this would also be fabulous with the white chocolate peppermint cream cheese icing recipe she's got.  They are perfection.

• 24 paper liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2 –inch size)
• 1 package (18.25 ounces) plain German chocolate cake mix
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 cup sour cream (see Note)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 bottle (1 ounce) red food coloring
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Note: Use reduced-fat sour cream, and you’ll sacrifice only fat and calories, not flavor. If you can’t find plain German chocolate cake mix, buy the pudding in the mix version and forgo the added pudding. For more chocolate flavor, use chocolate pudding mix instead of vanilla, but the cake won’t be as red in color.White Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting

• 6 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 4 ounces (half an 8-ounce package) reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

Cupcakes:

1.  Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

2.  Place the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, water, oil, food coloring, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look thick and well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Place the pans in the oven.

3.  Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.

Meanwhile, prepare the White Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting.

4.  Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread with a short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely. Place these cupcakes, uncovered or in a cake server, in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, 20 minutes. The cupcakes are ready to serve.

Store the cupcakes, in a cake saver or under a glass dome, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze them, wrapped in aluminum foil or in a cake saver, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cupcakes overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

White Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting:

I dream about this frosting slathered on any dark chocolate cupcakes, because I love the cool creaminess of it. And, as a bonus, it’s a breeze to make.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

1. Place the white chocolate in a small glass bowl in the microwave oven on high power for 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the oven and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until it is smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool.
2. Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the melted white chocolate and blend on low speed until just combined, 30 seconds. Add the peppermint extract and 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar and blend on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 30 seconds more. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the frosting is fluffy, 1 minute more, adding up to 1/2 cup more sugar if needed to make a spreadable consistency.
3. Use to frost any chocolate cupcakes of your choice.

Slow Cooker Ribs

My husband and (two) children are some serious meat eaters.  David?  Notsomuch.  Jack is a straight up carnivore.  He sits and the table and, I kid you not, says, "I WANT MEAT!"  A favorite winter recipe at our house is some slow cooker ribs.  There really isn't a "recipe" for this.  I buy a package of beef ribs, and a bottle of barbecue sauce.  Dump them both in the slow cooker, set it to low, and you've got some dinner.  We usually eat them with some rice, whatever frozen veggie we've got, and some cornbread.  It's a big, easy favorite with pretty minimal clean up.  And usually no leftovers!

Orange Cupcakes

I make cupcakes for everyone at work for their birthday.  They get to request whatever kind they would like.  My most recent request was for orange cupcakes.  The same person requested banana last year, with chocolate icing.  I think he feels like he's challenging me.  Uh, no.

Not my actual cupcakes.  Gorgeous though - no?
howaboutorange.blogspot.com

The recipe I used was a recipe from the Cake Mix Doctor.  Have you used her cookbook?  If not, use it.  Just trust me.  I bought her original cookbook from one of my employees at the Gap probably ten years ago, pretty much just to buy something so she would shut up.  I cannot even count how many times I have used that book over the years.  It's probably my favorite cookbook, other than the one my mom made with her recipes.  Try these cupcakes (or as a cake).  It's SO worth it.  And don't be scared that it seems like a lot of work with the fresh oranges, etc.  You could easily substitute the freshly squeezed juice with orange juice from the carton.

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil spray, for misting the pans

Flour, for dusting the pans
1 large orange
About 1 cup orange juice from a carton
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)

Directions:
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly mist three 9-inch round cake pans with vegetable oil spray, then dust them with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pans aside.


2. Rinse the orange and pat it dry with paper towels. Grate enough zest to measure 2 to 3 teaspoons. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice into a small bowl; you will have about ½ cup of juice. Add enough orange juice from a carton to the fresh orange juice to measure 1 1/8 cups.

3. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, oil, vanilla, eggs, and orange juice and orange zest in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are moistened, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter until well combined and smooth, about 1½ minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. Divide the cake batter evenly among the 3 prepared cake pans, about 1¾ cups of batter per pan, smoothing the tops with the rubber spatula. Place the cake pans in the oven. If your oven is not large enough to hold 3 pans on one rack, place 2 pans on that rack and one in the center of the rack above.

4. Bake the cake layers until the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a finger, 18 to 20 minutes. The cake layer on the higher rack may bake faster so test it for doneness first. Transfer the cake pans to wire racks and let the cake layers cool for 5 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of each cake layer and give the pans a good shake to loosen the cakes. Invert each layer onto a wire rack, then invert it again onto another wire rack so that the cakes are right side up. Let the layers cool to room temperature, 15 minutes longer.  (To bake cupcakes, I usually start my timer at 15 minutes and test.)

5. Make the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting.

6. To assemble the cake, transfer one layer, right side up, to a serving platter. Spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer of cake, right side up, on top of the first and frost the top. Repeat this process with the third layer. Use the remaining frosting to frost the side of the cake, working with smooth, clean strokes. Arrange fresh orange slices around the base of the cake, or place candy gum drop orange slices on top of the cake.
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

*Note* I double this recipe.

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 to 3 teaspoons fresh orange juice
3¾ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Directions:
Place the butter and cream cheese in a medium-size bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the orange zest, 2 teaspoons of the orange juice, and the confectioners’ sugar, a bit at a time, beating with the mixer on low speed until the confectioners’ sugar is well incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the frosting until fluffy, 1 minute longer. Add up to 1 teaspoon more orange juice if the frosting seems too stiff. Use the frosting at once.

How do you zest an orange?  Use this:

Don't have one?  Get one.  I'm sure they're available at places other than Williams-Sonoma and probably for less than $14.95.  Buy a good one, because it will last.  You will use it a lot - zesting, freshly grated cheese, grated chocolate, etc.  I use mine pretty much weekly.  But use it with caution so you don't zest your fingers.  It's razor sharp.  Just trust me.