Category Archives: Recipes

S’Mores Cucpakes

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Summer has officially ended for this educator! One week ago today I was preparing to meet my new 4th grade class. I had worked out all the preparations and made sure my lesson plans were engaging, but nevertheless I had an enormous knot in my stomach wondering if my students were even going to like me. For the past 8 years I had always taught the younger grades…I knew how to win them over. All I had to do was give them a big hug and a smile and that was all it took. But for the life of me, I had no idea how I was going to win over a group of 25 4th graders. That is the hardest part you know. It’s not the curriculum or how you are going to teach something. That comes easy to me. It is the very beginning that is hard. It is finding the balance of “I think my teacher is cool” and “She is someone to pay attention to”.  Well, I did it! And all I had to be was myself. We are already on our way of forming a classroom family that will carry us through June. I can already say, I love my class!!

Anyway, back to the cupcakes! The kiddos and I made these this summer adapted via the browneyedbaker and they were fabulous! They wanted me to post them right away, but with school and all that comes with the beginning of it, my post has taken me awhile to get to. So here it is! The finale to a wonderful summer filled with gummy wummies, roller coasters, and Mario…thanks E and J! I will miss you this year!! xoxo

S’mores Cupcakes

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Prep Time: 1 hour | Bake Time: 25 minutes

For the Cupcakes:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1-1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
10 ounces (1¼ cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar
¼ cup honey
6 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Ganache Glaze:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy cream

For the Marshmallow Frosting:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (1 tablespoon)
1/3 cup plus ¼ cup cold water
1 cup granulated sugar

1 Hershey bar broken into 8 parts(for decoration)

1. Bake the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter, brown sugar and honey until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium; beat in the eggs and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

3. Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a thin knife inserted in the centers comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored up to 1 day at room temperature, or frozen up to 1 month.

4. Make the Chocolate Ganache Glaze: Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds, or until the chocolate softens and starts to melt. Bring the cream to a full boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; pour over chocolate. Working with a rubber spatula, very gently stir together until the ganache is completely blended and glossy.

5. Make the Marshmallow Frosting: In a mixing bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/3 cup cold water. Allow the gelatin to soften, about 5 minutes.

6. Heat the remaining ¼ cup water and the sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring; clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan. Boil the syrup until the temperature reaches the soft-ball stage (238 degrees F). Remove from heat; add the syrup to the softened gelatin. Whisk the mixture by  hand to cool, about 1 minute, then use an electric mixer to whisk on medium-high speed until soft, glossy (but not dry) peaks form, 8 to 10 minutes. (The frosting must be used immediately because it will harden.)

7. Assemble the Cupcakes: Spoon 2 teaspoon of the chocolate ganache glaze onto each cupcake. Fill a pastry bag with a large plain tip with marshmallow frosting; pipe frosting onto each cupcake, swirling the tip and releasing as you pull up to form a peak. Top with graham cracker crumbs and a Hershey bar. Serve immediately.

(Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes)

Terry’s Red Velvet Layer Cake

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When you think of father-in-laws you typically think of old, grouchy men who like to smoke cigars and tell stories of their youth and how much better the world was back then. Now true, the world was a much safer place “back then” and there is nothing wrong with cigars, but that is just not my father-in-law. I happen to have the best father-in-law a girl could ask for! He is funny, quick witted, and frankly, hard to keep up with…oh, and very well dressed! And today is his 40th (ahem…) birthday!! So about a week ago, I called my most prized bakery to order his favorite red velvet cake only to find out that they don’t do red velvet cake anymore! WHAT?! I was shocked! Not make red velvet cake?! What was I going to do?! I couldn’t trust just anyone to make a good red velvet cake for the best FIL in the world! So I decided to make my own red velvet layer cake. It came out perfect! The cake was moist, the frosting was decadent, and everyone loved it! Happy 40th Birthday Terry! May you have many more 40th birthdays in the years to come! I love you!

Terry’s Red Velvet Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

For the Cakes:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 cup + 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 1/2-5 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoon vanilla extract
Country Ganache – 1 cup white chocolate chips, 2-3 tablespoons buttermilk, microwaved for 1 minute on half power, stir, and then microwave in 30 seconds increments until melted.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9 inch pans.

2. On medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to high and add the eggs. Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.

3. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter and mix on medium speed until completely combined. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets color.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour. Beat on high until smooth.

5. Again, reduce the mixer speed to low and add the salt, baking soda and vinegar. Turn to high and beat for another couple of minutes until completely combined and smooth.

6. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until a thin knife or skewer inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.

7. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove cakes from the pan and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting. I would even make the cakes a day ahead and place them in the fridge so that it is easier to level them.

8. To make the frosting: Using the whisk attachment, whip the butter and cream cheese on high speed for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl down as necessary. Reduce the speed to low and slowly alternate the powdered sugar and country ganache until all is incorporated. You do not have to use all of the ganache in your frosting. Use only as needed making sure your frosting does not get too heavy. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Increase the speed to medium high and whip for a few minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as necessary.

Level off your cakes and save the crumbles. I actually placed my cake crumbles in the food processor to make them finer and a bit prettier. Frost a small layer of icing on top of the bottom cake before placing your second layer cake on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake and use the crumbles to decorate the top of your cake.

(Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker, originally from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook)

Watermelon Gazpacho

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I can hardly believe that tomorrow is the beginning of August. Where has the summer gone? Normally, I would be pretty bummed that my summer was almost over, but I am, in fact, super excited for all the upcoming changes in my work life. In just a few, short weeks, I am starting at a new charter school, teaching a new grade, and am currently a part of 3 book studies to better my career as an educator.  Whoa! Now that is some serious change!

So to celebrate the near end of summer, I have found a watermelon gazpacho recipe from Food Buzz that I would love to share with you! What fruit could be more fitting for summer than watermelon! And I just love the spiciness of the jalapeno and the bite of rice vinegar in this cold, but refreshing soup! This recipe is fairly simple and quick, so whip up a batch and impress your husbands ladies!! This is one recipe I plan to make, freeze, and pull out this winter to remind me of these hot, dog days of summer!!

Ingredients:

1              small seedless watermelon, cut up into chunks

1               jalapeno pepper

3              stalks of green onion, sliced thinly

3              stalks of green onion, sliced thinly

1              lime

¼             cup of mint leaves

1              tablespoon of rice vinegar

sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Put the watermelon chunks into a large bowl (you should use approximately 3 cups worth). Reserve a few chunks for garnish.

Zest the lime over the watermelon and squeeze the lime juice into the bowl.

Cut a few thin slices of the jalapeno pepper and set aside for garnish. Finely dice the rest of the jalapeno (make sure to remove the seeds) and add to the bowl.

Add in the green onions (reserve some for garnish), rice vinegar and mint leaves, stirring to combine.

Transfer the mixture into a blender, whipping until creamy and smooth.

Happy Birthday love!

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Last week, my wonderful husband turned 36 years old! He never asks for much and always tries to give me everything! In years past, we have reunited with our families at Myrtle Beach and celebrated his birthday together, but things just didn’t work out this year. So to try and make him feel special, I made him a 10 inch cake in the shape of a cheeseburger(which is one of his favorite foods)!

The birthday boy with his cheeseburger cake and butterbeer!

I got the recipe out of this month’s Food Network magazine and made sure I prepared the cakes a day ahead. That way all that was left to do was to frost and assemble. Easy as cake…cheeseburger cake!! Enjoy and Happy Birthday B!

Cutting a big slice of cheeseburger cake!

Ingredients:

  • Cooking spray
  • 2 18.25-ounce boxes chocolate cake mix
  • 8 large eggs
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup green decorating sugar or granulated sugar
  • 8 spearmint leaf gummy candies
  • 3 ounces orange rolled fondant (available at craft stores)
  • Cornstarch, for dusting
  • 1 16-ounce tub vanilla frosting
  • 1 16-ounce tub chocolate frosting
  • 3/4 teaspoon yellow food coloring
  • 5 drops red food coloring
  • 2 tablespoons crispy rice cereal

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2 1/2-quart ovenproof bowl and two 8-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray. Beat the cake mix, eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil in a large bowl with a mixer.

Divide the batter among the bowl and pans; bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes for the pans and about 45 minutes for the bowl. Cool in the pans 15 minutes, then unmold onto racks.

Make the lettuce: Sprinkle some green or white sugar on a cutting board. Roll out the spearmint candies to 1/8 inch thick with a rolling pin, sprinkling with more sugar to keep the candies from sticking.

Cut each flattened gummy piece into 3 strips. Fold each strip accordion-style to make ruffles; pinch the ends together.

Make the cheese: Roll out the orange fondant on a cornstarch-dusted surface to about 1/8 inch thick. Trim the fondant into a 7-inch square; cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Trim the top of 1 round cake and the flat side of the bowl cake to make them level; crumble the trimmings. Mix the vanilla frosting, 4 tablespoons chocolate frosting and the yellow and red food coloring in a bowl to make a light brown frosting.

Make the bottom bun: Put the trimmed round cake on a serving plate or cake board. Frost with some of the light brown frosting. Arrange the gummy-candy ruffles around the edge of the cake.

Make the patty: Spread the remaining chocolate frosting over the top and sides of the untrimmed round cake. Press the crumbled cake trimmings into the frosting.

Assemble the burger: Put the chocolate patty on the bottom bun, then drape the orange fondant on top. Frost the bowl-shaped cake with the remaining light brown frosting; place on the patty. Press the rice cereal into the frosting.

Hogwarts Hogwarts Hoggy Warty Hogwarts

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First, let me start by saying I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan! I have seen all the films, read or am reading the entire Harry Potter saga, and even have my own wand. In fact, for my birthday my husband sent me down to Universal Studios to check out the Wizarding World of Harry Potter with my brother (of whom which I am still trying to get him on the Harry Potter bandwagon). There was so much to see that I felt like I needed “8 more eyes!”

And so I am coming off of a brilliant high from a week dedicated  to all things Harry Potter. It started a few weeks ago when I found out that a local theatre would be hosting a Harry Potter marathon. It would show 2 movies a night beginning with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and ending with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 at 12:01 midnight on Friday. So each night my husband and I would begin our route to theatre 5 and choose our seats, wands in hand and watch 2 Harry Potter movies in order back to back. Many movie goers dressed up as Hogwarts students or Harry or even Bellatrix. After the showing of HP and the DH Part 1, we got to see an impromptu performance from a bunch of theatre majors from a nearby college who had dressed up like the cast of Harry Potter. On the final night of what felt like our Harry Potter summer camp, several members of our group of theatre #5 brought in many HP related food fare to share. They had Harry’s favorite treacle tarts, butter beer, pumpkin juice, and even Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans! All this brilliant food got me thinking, of course,  which led me to researching and scouring the net for other HP related foods that I could make in my kitchen. I couldn’t believe how many Harry Potter cooks were out there! I was so impressed with what I found! Over the past few days I have had the opportunity of trying a few  recipes out that I want to share with you in hopes that I can drag you into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter with me (if you aren’t there already).

First Pumpkin Juice…

Pumpkin Juice, a favorite for feasts at Hogwarts that you can now take home with you!

Rosmerta’s Recipes – Pumpkin Juice from www.mugglenet.com
Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of pumpkin, chopped up into chunks (I used canned pumpkin pie filling for taste and texture)
  • 2 cups of apple juice
  • ½ cup of pineapple juice
  • 1 teaspoon of honey (more or less to your liking)
  • Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg and/or Allspice (all ground, to taste)

Directions:

  • Step 1: Juice the pumpkin pieces by squeezing through a cheesecloth or using a juicer if you have one.Step 2: Pour the pumpkin juice, apple juice and pineapple juice into a blender.Step 3: Add the honey (we recommend you start with 1 teaspoon, as you can add some later!) to the juices and blend thoroughly.Step 4: Add your spices (to taste). This might take some experimentation to get right.Step 5: Chill your pumpkin juice or serve iced and enjoy!

Then Butterbeer…

Butterbeer – by Bakingdom

Ingredients:

FOR THE BUTTERBEER:

  • 6 12-ounce bottles chilled cream soda, substitute diet cream soda for a still yummy sugar-free version
  • 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) imitation butter flavor, or 2 tablespoons clarified butter (instructions linked above **clarified butter does not always blend well with the cold beverage, see info above**)
  • OPTIONAL – 1 ounce light rum, per serving, for adults only

FOR THE FOAM:

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 6 tablespoons sugar, or splenda for sugar free version
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons imitation butter (if using clarified butter, double the amount to 3 teaspoons, or 1 tablespoon)

To make the butterbeer: Set out 6 16-ounce glasses. Place 1/2 teaspoon of imitation butter (or 1 teaspoon clarified butter) in each glass. Pour 12 ounces of butterbeer into each glass, over the butter. Lightly stir, if necessary.
To make the foam: In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, whip the heavy cream on medium high speed for 3-4 minutes until it starts to thicken. Add the sugar and continue whipping until very soft peaks begin to form, another 3-4 minutes (if you need to whip more or less, then be sure to do so, the times can vary quite a bit based on environment). Stir in the vanilla and imitation butter (or clarified butter), then whip for another 30 seconds or so, until soft peaks form.

Spoon a generous portion of foam on top of each glass of butterbeer, mixing gently, if desired (or spoon the foam into the bottom of the glass and pour the butterbeer over the top). Serve immediately.

Finally Butterbeer cupcakes…

Butterbeer cupcakes by AmyBites

This recipe may have many steps, but it is totally worth it. My husband gave it a 10 out of 10! Now that is saying something!

Butterbeer Cupcakes
Makes 18
.
For the cupcakes:

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup cream soda

For the ganache:

1 11-oz. package butterscotch chips
1 cup heavy cream

For the buttercream frosting:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup butterscotch ganache
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 16-oz. package powdered sugar
Splash of milk or cream (as needed)

For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine your flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, cream your butter until light and fluffy. Add your sugars and beat until well-combined. Beat in your eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then beat in your vanilla and butter flavoring.

Alternate adding your buttermilk, cream soda, and dry ingredients in batches until all are well incorporated. Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full, then bake for 15 to 17 minutes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and cake springs back to the touch. Cool completely on wire racks.

For butterscotch filling: In a double boiler (heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water on the stove), combine butterscotch chips and heavy cream and stir until completely combined and smooth. Cool to room temperature. Fill a squeeze bottle with ganache and insert into the center of each cupcake, squeezing until filling begins to overflow.

For buttercream frosting: Cream butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Add in ganache, vanilla, butter flavoring, and salt and mix until well combined. Beat in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until reaching desired consistency. Add milk or cream by the Tablespoon as needed. Frost cupcakes and top with a drizzle of butterscotch ganache.

Additional Harry Potter links you might enjoy…

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was absolutely brilliant,s o  here’s the link to the official Harry Potter website with two trailers. I highly recommend it!!

Here are some other Harry Potter treats to check out as well:

Harry Potter Dessert Menu from Ezra Pound Cake (including quite a few links at the bottom for even more Harry Potter treats)

Butterbeer Cupcakes, Cauldron Cakes, and Frozen Butterbeer all from Cook Like a Champion

Butterbeer Cookies from Bake at 350

Harry Potter cupcakes and more from Beantown Baker. She is one of my favorites!

And finally, a new recent favorite baking blogger I just love! Bakingdom Her new Hogwarts cake is my next endeavor!

“Actually I’m highly logical which allows me to look past extraneous detail and perceive clearly that which others overlook.” – Hermione Granger

 

 

Skillet Eggs with Squash

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I just love the summertime! Forget about the fact that us teachers have summers off. Or that we finally get to catch up on all the recreational reading we have postponed during the school year. Or that we get to sleep in as late as we want on a Monday. My favorite part of summer is all the  fruits and veggies that pop up at all the local farmer’s markets and fruit stands.  Just down the road, I am able to pick fresh blackberries or choose my own corn at the local family farm. How cool is that!?

The other day, I stopped by my friend H’s house and she told me about the recipe below that was made up of mostly summer squash and zucchini. She had pulled it out of this month’s Food Network magazine and made it for her and her husband. Now normally I would steer clear of any kind of squash because I know it is not one of my husband’s favorite foods, but I thought why not…he might even, dare I say, LIKE IT!  This dish is more appropriate for a leisurely Sunday brunch that it is for a weeknight dinner, but I had most of the ingredients on hand and I thought, who hasn’t had breakfast for dinner? I know I have!

The quickest way to get this dish from start to finish is using a food processor. It literally took minutes to shred all the summer squash and zucchini and than the rest was quick and easy. I also used Boar’s Head Sharp White Cheddar to top this dish and I think it paired quite nicely. The eggs cooked perfectly in the oven and had a good runny consistency of that of sunny side up eggs. In short, this dish is the perfect breakfast comfort food giving it a cheesy and summery taste that lingers on into fall. Even my husband loved it! Now that is saying something. :)

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds (6 medium) summer squash and/or zucchini
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup grated pepper jack or sharp white cheddar cheese

Directions:

Grate the squash into a colander using the large holes of a box grater (or use a food processor fitted with the shredding attachment). Toss with 1 tablespoon salt, then let drain in the sink, 30 to 40 minutes. Squeeze the squash to remove as much liquid as possible.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Set aside 3 tablespoons scallion greens. Add the remaining scallions (white and green parts), the jalapeno, and salt to taste and cook until the scallions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the shredded squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in the parsley, nutmeg, and pepper to taste. Cook until the mixture is slightly dry, about 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and let cool, 5 minutes.

Spread the squash evenly in the skillet. Make six 2 1/2-inch-wide indentations in the mixture with the back of a spoon; put 1/2 teaspoon butter in each one. One at a time, crack each egg into a small bowl and pour into an indentation. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the cheese.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the egg whites are set and the yolks are cooked to desired doneness, 10 to 12 minutes. Scatter the reserved scallion greens on top.

Happy Independence Day

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Happy Independence Day! I know it has been over a month since my last post, but I promise you I have a good excuse. Let me start at the very beginning. When I first decided to take on Bake No Prisoners, my idea was to create or take on recipes that had a focus on healthy, natural ingredients, instead of processed, high in fat components. But as I got started, I focused only on how my recipes tasted because I was afraid I would get poor feedback on my own creations or the ones I recreated in my kitchen. This led me down a slippery slope of using loads of butter, sugar, and oil, all of which are great in moderation, but that’s not what I was doing.  In fact, because I tried so many of my tasty creations, I packed on a few pounds these last few months, but I am proud to say I am down 17 of those evil, nasty pounds thanks in part to The Dukan Diet.

I also admit that I had a lot of research to do before I could just “create” my own recipes. I had to hone in on what flavors and foods went well together and develop the basic and very necessary skills of cooking and baking. I am still not there, so I have decided to take you on this journey with me. All week long I have been taking either cooking or baking recipes from various chefs, cookbooks, or magazines and trying them out…seeing what I liked, what worked, or what I did wrong and taking pictures of the final product, good or bad. I have also been writing down my current cooking/baking/life goals that I want to share with you and to help hold me accountable. Since I just turned 32(my husband will tell you I am 29), I have come up with 32 hopefully attainable goals to achieve before I turn 33. Check them out and then check out the delicious and not very healthy 4th of July cake my husband and I made together to celebrate our country! This is the last fattening recipe for awhile, I PROMISE!! (Special occasions excluded, of course)

32 while 32

Food/Blogging:

1. Make 3 types of bread (Sarabeth’s Bakery has a ton of various bread recipes and ideas).

2. Develop a tart crust as good as Paulette’s (The Whirling Whisk…great stuff!).

3. Use 5 ingredients that I have never worked with before—suggestions welcomed.

4. Post a new cooking/baking adventure once a week.

5. Take one recipe from every cookbook I have bought in the last year and recreate it in my kitchen to post on my blog.

6. Become more decorator savvy when it comes to desserts, cakes, and pies.

7. Create a homemade blackberry pie for my favorite FIL.

8. Make a birthday cake for my husband that looks like a cheeseburger. (That I will post on the 15th of July, so be on the lookout).

9. Hone in on my egg skills—make eggs Benedict, poached eggs, omelets, sunny side up, etc…

10. Hold Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner (your choice Mom) and finally learn how to make good gravy.

11. Try out 1 new restaurant a month and if it is good and write a review on it and post it on the blog.

12. Soups –not a big soup person, so I would like to make my Mom’s chicken soup, clam chowder, corn chowder, and lobster bisque.

13. Develop 5 new cupcake flavors.

 

Relationships:

14. Start my own Women’s Life Group at church.

15. Develop new friendships at my new school and with my 4th grade team.

16. Remember to send birthday cards to all my friends and family on time.

17. Monthly Girls Bunco/Poker night anyone?

18. Volunteer on a weekly, if not, bi-weekly basis – Sunday school, soup kitchens, etc.

19. Visit my FL home more often.

 

Educational/Random:

20. Reread all Harry Potter books just for fun.

21. Research 4th grade at PLP and work closely with my teaching mentor.

22. Really think about getting my Masters and put things in place for the following year.

23. Become more open minded to the movies/activities that my hubby is interested in.

24. Pay off my car.

Healthy Living:

25. Lose 20 more lbs.

26. Run a 5K and a 10K.

27. Go to the spa for a facial and a massage.

Travel and Entertainment:

28. See the Blue Man Group.

29. Go to another musical – Cats, Wicked, Rent… whatever!

30. Spend a few days at Ocracoke Island.

31. Go white water rafting and zip lining at the U.S. National White Water Center.

Reader’s Choice

32. I’m one goal short of 32, so I thought I’d add a reader’s choice item. Leave a comment here with something you’d like to see me do. Whether it’s a recipe to try or an activity or festival to go to, just let me know in the comments below. I will sit down and choose one from the comments within the next few weeks and I’ll include it in my one month update in August.

And as promised…

Americana Key Lime

courtesy of Secret Life of a Chef’s Wife

The only difference I made to this cake was I added 2- 2 1/2 tablespoons of key lime juice to the frosting to give it some zest, otherwise great job Elissa for this amazing cake idea!!

 

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

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After a long week, Brian and I like to be a bit lazy and lackadaisical on Saturday mornings. Typically, I will get up around 8 or 8:30 and just relax with a cup of coffee checking out the different movies available on Netflix while Brian sleeps in. After a movie or two, I normally get up and make something hot and fresh to get Brian out of bed. Several times I have made muffin mixes that literally take about 5 minutes to prepare. Other times, I make waffles, pancakes, or even beignets with a homemade blackberry sauce.  This Saturday was nothing out of the ordinary, so after watching The Proposal (good movie) I got up, looked in the pantry, but found no easy, ready in 5 minutes, muffin mix.

So I pulled out my new cookbook, Sarabeth’s Bakery, that cakebatterandbowl.com had recommended a few months back . After flipping through the Muffins and More chapter, I decided I would try her pumpkin muffin recipe, but instead of raisins and sunflower seeds, I would add more spice and use chocolate chips! They were the perfect little treat for this particular Saturday morning because it was cold and dreary and felt more like Fall, than Spring!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

adapted from Sarabeth’s Bakery

  • softened unsalted butter for the pan
  • 3 2/3 cups pastry flour, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2 -inch cubes
  • 1 1/3 cup sugar
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
  • One 15-ounce can pumpkin
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the inside of 12 muffin cups with softened butter, then brush the top of the pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt together in a medium bowl. Beat the butter in another bowl until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in the sugar, continue beating scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula, until the mixture is very light in color and texture, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the eggs.  Reduce the mixer to low speed and beat in the pumpkin. In thirds, beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips. Bake for 10 minutes and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Continue to bake until the tops of the muffins are golden brown and a tooth pick inserted into the muffin comes out clean, about 15 more minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Shrimp Etouffee

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I am just in love with all things Cajun and so I was super excited to try Shrimp Etouffee for the very first time to celebrate Fat Tuesday a few weeks back. I went with a Paula Deen recipe I found because of her southern claim to fame. Her recipes always seem to take me back to when I was little and my Mom would cook homemade, southern comfort food using a ton of butter and sugar.

Because I decided to meet a few friends later that night for coffee, I ended up being short on time and didn’t allow the roux to fully brown, but it still tasted rich and delicious. Due to Brian’s allergy to onions, I decided to use onion powder instead of onions, but you can always put them in if you are a fan. The shrimp were cooked beautifully and were very succulent and spicy! Overall, my first trial run with etouffee was a success. Next time I anticipate using crawfish instead of shrimp. Maybe I will even go out on a limb and host a crawfish boil with etouffee, creole, and jambalaya for my upcoming birthday in June!

By the way…if you are looking for a fun Cajun place to dine at, then check out The Cajun Queen in Charlotte or Razoo’s in Concord. Both are very different, but have very tasty cajun options!

Enjoy!

Shrimp Etouffee

  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra flour, optional
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion/onion powder
  • 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more if desired
  • 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
  • 1/2 cup minced green onions, plus extra for garnish
  • 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
  • 2 to 3 dashes hot sauce
  • 1 (8-ounce) can clam juice
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • Salt (Cajun seasoning has salt already)
  • 2 pounds small or medium shrimp peeled and deveined (recommended: (31/35 size count)
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • Rice, optional
  • Diced green onions, for garnish

Directions:

Note: To make roux, use oil instead of butter, because butter burns

Make the roux, mix oil and flour in a large heavy saucepan over low heat. Whisk flour into the oil to form a paste. Continue cooking over low heat and whisk continuously, until the mixture turns a caramel color and gives off a nutty aroma, about 15 to 20 minutes. To the roux, add the onion, green pepper, celery, and garlic and cook over low heat about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are limp. Add the black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, Cajun seasoning, green onions, parsley, and hot sauce to taste. Add 1 can clam juice and the tomatoes with their juice, stir to blend. Add the salt, starting with 1 teaspoon, then add more if needed. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add shrimp and stir. It will take about 3 minutes for shrimp to cook, don’t overcook. Remove from heat. Add the butter and stir; the heat from the dish will melt the butter. Transfer the etouffee to a tureen, serving bowl, or if you prefer, over rice. Garnish with the green onions.

Palmier Cookie Banana Pudding

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I am definitely not a banana person, so if there are bananas in the house, it is typically my husband who wants them there or I have picked them up to try to get some more fresh fruit into my diet. Either way, they tend to sit on the counter for days until they are brown and very ripe. This is exactly what happened to me a few weeks ago, so I decided to turn bananas into banana pudding! Now you can take your favorite banana pudding recipe and change the cookie like I did and it will give it a whole new flavor! I used a package of French Palmier Cookies I picked up at one of my favorite places to shop, World Market. They seemed crispy and wafer-like and the perfect substitute for the ordinary vanilla wafers I normally put in my banana pudding. They were drizzled with honey and were the perfect sweetness to my very ripe bananas. I could have eaten them straight out of the package if I hadn’t used them for my quick and easy banana pudding. I can tell you it didn’t last very long in my house! Now how’s that for your daily intake of fresh fruit!

Enjoy!

Palmier Cookie Banana Pudding

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 (5.1 oz.) package vanilla instant pudding mix or you can make your own
  • 1 package of French Palmier Cookies
  • 6 small to medium ripe bananas
  • 4 egg whites
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl and beat at low speed with an electric mixer until blended. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes or until mixture is smooth and thick. Layer palmier cookies in a 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Slice 2 bananas and layer over cookies. Pour 1/3 of pudding over bananas. Repeat layers twice, ending with pudding. Arrange remaining cookies around edge of baking dish. Beat egg whites at high speed until foamy. Add 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves (2-4 minutes). Fold in vanilla extract. Spread meringue over pudding, sealing to edge of dish. Bake 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden.