Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

 

My friend brought me a grasshopper cupcake from Crumbs the other day. It was good. It had everything I like in desssert, chocolate, chocolate, and mint. So I decided to try my hand at making them myself. The result was even better than the original! And not hard to do at all!

First, make a batch of chocolate cupcakes. Just follow the directions on the box. Any chocolate mix will work.

Next, make a bowl of instant chocolate pudding. Again, just follow the directions on the box. Let it set for about ten minutes and the put the frosting into a piping bag with a small tip (I use the little star tip)

Then, make some homemade frosting. (this is definately worth the effort)

1 1/2 cups of Crisco vegetable shortening (this is the one thing that I have noticed a taste difference between the brand name -- Crisco and the generic ones, so go ahead and splurge on the Crisco -- it will matter)
2 pounds of powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 - 2/3 cup of milk
1 tsp vanilla

That is the basic recipe -- for this specific cupcake, lower the vanilla to 1/2 tsp and then add 2 tsp of peppermint extract. (I always taste it -- you may decide you like it mintier and add more -- or you may decide that 1 1/2 tsp of peppermint is enough)

Now -- after you have added the vanilla -- but before you add the peppermint, get a quart freezer ziplock bag and put in 2 heaping spoonfuls of the white frosting.

Then add the peppermint and several drops of green food coloring to the big batch.

I then load the green mint frosting into a piping bag with a plain tip -- although for this cupcake you could just put it on with a knife.

Last, gather or prepare the chocolate shavings -- I used hershey's bar that I chopped. You could use mini chocolate chips (that is what crumbs uses) or really any chocolate. How can you go wrong???

Now you are ready for the assembly.

1. Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool.
2. Using the piping bag filled with chocolate pudding, shove the tip into the middle of the cupcake about 3/4 of the way down the metal tip. Then squeeze about 1 1/2 Tbs of pudding into the middle of the cupcake. You will see the cupcake get kind of fuller and when it is "full" the pudding will be at the top of the hole. Do this to all the cupcakes.
3. Now frost them nice and green. Important, go all the way to the sides -- so that when you roll them in chocolate there is something for the chocolate to stick to.
4. Take your freezer ziplock of white frosting and snip the corner and add the little dollap of white in the middle.
5. Roll the edges in the chocolate.

6. This step is not necessary, but I think it makes them better. Refrigerate them for an hour or two. It gives the pudding a chance to set up even firmer and gives the cake a chance to absorb all the moisture from the pudding and be so yummy and moist.

7. Eat and Enjoy.

Broccoli Cheese Potato Soup

I set out to make this soup last night. I looked for a recipe and found 2. One for cheesy broccoli soup and one for cream of broccoli potato soup. I combined them and tweaked them.

It was the best soup. Everyone agreed. All the kids loved it. Trent loved it. I loved it!

So here is the recipe (so I can remember what I did)

1/2 quart of half and half
6 cups skim milk
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (I prefer sharp)
1 1/2 to 2 crowns of broccoli
2 large potatoes (peeled and diced)
1/4 cup minced onion
1 Tbs chicken boullion
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour

salt and pepper to taste.

You will need 3 pans.

I used a 6qt, a 3 qt, and a 2 qt saucepans.

In the 6 qt pan, I melted 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter. I added a slightly heaped 1/2 cup of all purpose flour and whisked the two together. Then I added about 2 inches of skim milk into the pan (probably 3-4 cups) whisking constantly until the flour/butter roux was smooth and the milk was starting to thicken. Then I turned off the heat until the other two pans caught up.

In the 3 qt pan, I steamed the broccoli. The pan was nearly full and I would guess it was 1 1/2 crowns of broccoli. (I used the fresh broccoli that is already trimmed and ready to go from costco -- You could also use frozen, but I think fresh made a big difference.) When the broccoli was done I drained off the water and ran 2 sharp knives through the broccoli a few times to break up any large pieces.

In the 2 qt pan, I added 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced and 1/4 cup dry minced onion. (I am sure real onions would be great too, but I didn't have any) I covered them just barely with water and let them boil until the potatoes were tender (not mushy)

Once the 2 smaller pans are finished I turned the heat back on the white sauce. I added 1/2 quart of half and half and a TBS of chicken boullion. Then I added the broccoli and the potatoes/onions (and all the water from the potatoes and onions -- do not add the broccoli water-- too green!) I stirred it all and then added more milk until I had the desired consistency. Slightly runnier than I wanted the final product to be.

I brought it up to a nice simmer and then turned off the heat. Then I added the grated sharp cheddar cheese and stirred until it was all melter. REMEMBER, if you add the cheese and your soup is too hot or it boils your soup will be grainy and greasy -- Always add the cheese after removing from all heat and make sure it is not still boiling.

Serve with fresh bread!

Breakfast sausage bake

I always make 2 casseroles dishes of this at a time.

What you need
6 cups cubed stuffing
1 pound sausage
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
16 eggs
2 tsp dry mustard
3 cups milk
1 family size cream of mushroom soup (or 2 regular cans)

Get out 2 casserole pans (9 x 13)

Spray with non-stick spray.

Measure 3 cups of cubed seasoned stuffing (I always used the Pepperidge farm) into each pan.

Brown a 1 pound roll of sausage. I get it really browned. Sprinkle 1/2 of the sausage into each pan.

Put 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese into each pan.

In 2 separate bowls mix the following - 8 eggs, 1 tsp dry mustard, 1 1/2 cups milk, 1 can cream of mushroom soup (or 1/2 the family size one)

Mix well and then pour each bowl over each pan.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning bake at 300 for 1 1/2 hours uncovered.

(I take the second pan and move it to the freezer for another day!)

Honey wheat berry Bread

I loved this bread.

Warning : It is a little labor intensive.

First you have to have wheat berries. This means you take whole wheat kernals and boil them for a long time until they are soft and popping open.

Here is exactly how -- take 3/4 cup wheat and 3 cups of water in a medium sauce pan. Let soak for an hour (or overnight) and then cook covered on medium heat until the wheat berries are soft a popping open. (this seemed to me to take almost an hour). Then you need to decide how "chunky" you want your bread to be. I opted for the NOT chunky approach. So I took my wheat berries and blended them in a blender until I had wheat berry soup. (which means that the next time I make this I am starting with cracked wheat, I am not letting it sit in water for an hour and I will cook it for only 15 minutes and then blend it)

Now, the fun begins!

In a mixing bowl (kitchenaid worked ok, bosch would have been better!) combine the following.

your wheat berry blend
3/4 cup milk
1 Tbs yeast
1 cup whole wheat flour

Mix well and set in a warm spot until bubbly! (20-30 minutes)

Then,
Add 1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 cup honey
5 1/2 cups flour (the recipe called for bread flour, but I only had all purpose -- it turned out fine)
Mix until you have a shaggy mass.

Continue to add flour one Tbs at a time until the dough won't take anymore

Cover and rest for 20 minutes

Then add 1 Tbs salt and mix on medium for 5 minutes (add flour if you need to until the dough is smooth)

Turn the dough onto a light floured counter and divide in half. Shape into loaves and place in 2 greased loaf pans. I needed bigger loaf pans, or I needed 3 of this size. Let rise until doubled. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Turn out onto cooling racks for at least an hour (or until you can touch it without burning if you want to eat it right away!)

The Only reason I have a bread machine

• I love my bread machine. I have never made bread in my bread machine. I only use it for roll dough, but I probably use it 2-3 times each week. I always use the same recipe and it never fails me. So go find a bread machine with a dough cycle (i saw several on EBAy for less than 15 bucks including shipping) or get out your own bread machine that you NEVER use. And remember, rolls make the meal. It doesn't matter what else you serve for dinner, if you have homemade rolls that is all anyone will talk about. The cast of characters:
  
• 1 egg plus enough water to make 1 1/3 cups
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cups flour (often I use 3 cups all purpose and 1 cup whole wheat)
• 1 Tbs yeast

Add them to the bread machine in that order

Hint : Crack the egg into the measuring cup and then add the water until you reach 1 1/3 cup. Now, press the dough cycle, hit start and wait til it beeps. Then it will look like this.
Isn't it beautiful. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray and shape your rolls and place them on the baking sheet. (I almost always stick with round balls, but you can get creative.)
It makes somewhere between 18 and 24 rolls depending on the size.

They can rise for another hour or 2 before you bake them. If you are in a hurry (which I always am) you can let them rise for 30 minutes and then place them in your oven (which has not been turned on yet) and then turn the oven on. As the ovens temperature rises, they finish rising.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or so.

Option #1 : Make your own "Rhodes rolls" -- Sometimes I make the dough and shape it and put them close together in a 9 x 13 pan and stick them straight in the freezer. After several hours, I transfer them all to a ziplock bag in the freezer. Now they are ready to go whenever you need them. On a Sunday morning place the frozen balls on a baking sheet, go to church and when you come home pop them in the oven! (they need about 4-5 hours to unthaw and rise)

Option #2 : Have them nearly ready. Make them, shape them, let them rise and bake them for 6-7 minutes. Then let them cool and 5 minutes before you want to serve put them in the oven to brown. I also have frozen them at this stage. (like the one time I was in charge of a women's conference luncheon. I think I did 10 batches and had them in the freezer nearly done, then the morning of the conference we browned them at the church and served, fresh homemade rolls -- but all the hard work had been done nearly a month before!)

Option # 3: Use the dough for cinnamon rolls. Make the dough and when it comes out of the machine divide it in half. Roll out each half flat. I then take a butter spread and spread a thin layer of it on the dough using a spatula. (no measurement for how much -- just enough to thinly coat it. Then grab a handful of brown sugar and crumple it on top. Then sprinkle with cinnamon. Using a pizza cutter, cut it into thin strips and roll them up and place them in a 9 x 13 pan. Let them rise. (At this point, you can freeze the whole pan -- and it is ready for a breakfast morning) Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes. In a small bowl take powdered sugar and add a teeny amount of milk. Stir and adjust to the right consistency and drizzle over the top to serve!

My Favorite (and ridiculously easy) Lasagna

First, I did not grow up eating lasagna. My mother does not like cheese, any cheese. So I cannot recall ever having lasagna as a child. As an adult I tried it and liked it and so started asking around for recipes and trying them. Some were easy, some were complicated, some were so-so, some were awful and then my friend, DeAnn gave me her recipe. I loved it and have been making it often ever since.

Here is how I make it. Assembly takes about 10 minutes. When you are done, pop one in the oven for tonight and one in the freezer for another night!

1. Get 2 9 X 13 pans out.
2. 2 boxes of lasagna noodles (I buy the walmart brand -- I use 1 whole box and 3 noodles from the second box)
3. One large Prego Traditional spaghetti sauce -- It is the large plastic container and is 4 lbs 3 oz. (You can obviously use any kind of spaghetti sauce, I am just telling you how I do it)
4. 1 16 oz fat free cottage cheese (Often I use the 24 oz tub -- and I always made it with the regular cottage cheese and then one day tried the fat free kind and never noticed a difference, so now I always use the fat free -- but the regular stuff works great too!)
5. 1 16 oz fat free sour cream (same as above, I did not notice a difference between the regular or fat free -- so I use the fat free)
6. Mozzarella cheese -- preferably sliced (it helps your layers stay layered) but I have used shredded often -- I usually plan on about 2 pounds (but for healthy sake you can skimp if you need to)
7. 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
8. 2 cups of water

My children prefer this without meat -- but if you want to include it, brown 1-2 pounds of ground beef and add it to the red sauce.

Step 1 : In a bowl mix together the cottage cheese and sour cream.
Step 2 : Place about 1 cup of the red sauce in the bottom of each pan
Step 3 : Place 1 layer of noodles on next. (These are not pre-cooked or oven
ready-- just the plain jane ones) In my pans it is 4 noodles per pan
Step 4 : Spread 1/4 of the cottage cheese/sour cream mixture on top of the
noodles per pan.
Step 5 : Place the sliced mozzarella on next.
Step 6 : Then place the red sauce on next (about 1/4 of what is left per pan)
Step 7 : Repeat steps 3, 4, 5, and 6
Step 8 : If you have been using meat, your pans are pretty well full, so sprinkle
the parmesan on top -- If you are not using meat, add 1 more layer of
noodles and top with a small amount of red sauce and the parmesan cheese.
Step 9 : Add 1 cup of water to each pan. I usually pour it around the edges and
use a fork to help it get all the way down.

Now, cover one pan with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour, then uncover and bake for 20-30 more minutes. If you don't want it kind of soupy, then let it stand for 20 minutes before serving. (my family is never patient enough, so our first round is kind of soupy, perfect for dipping garlic bread, but the second round is firm and nicely holds its layers)

Take the other pan and cover it and put it in the freezer. When you want another lasagna dinner, you are already -- bake at 350 for 1 hour covered in foil and 30 minutes uncovered.

2 meals in 10 minutes. And it is outstanding!

Really amazing Milkshakes -- you'll have to try it to believe!

Anytime anyone mentions that they made something out of their "food storage" I become a skeptic. (For any of you non-mormon readers -- let me explain -- our church has counciled its members to establish food storage to prepare against a time of need -- it is not a doomsday thing -- it is a principle of personal responsibility and self reliance if times ever got bad. For practical reasons like cost, storage issues, and the variability to make many things most people purchase and store the very basics, -- wheat, oats, rice, sugar, oil, salt, powdered milk. This has spawned a whole slew of well meaning, but lousy recipes that I suppose I would use if I ever were starving, but am grateful to not use the rest of the time)

Today, I was emailed 2 sites about frugal living and one of them (specifically one recipe on one of them) caught my eye.

First, it is for a milkshake. I LOVE icecream.

Second, it uses all items from your food storage.

Third, it uses some pretty cool science.

So we tried it and IT IS AMAZING. If we are ever starving, I will make these milkshakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner --

Here is the link to the original post http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/magicmilkshakes.htm

And here it is


1-1/2 to 2 cups ice water (I used 1 1/2 cups)
1-1/2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 1-1/2 trays of ice cubes, as much as you can spare (I added a bunch and then added more as it was blending to make it as thick as I wanted it)
2 tablespoons corn oil (I used canola as that was all I had)
plus a 5-second squirt of non-stick spray for emulsification purposes

Place all of the ingredients into the blender, including the oil and the non-stick spray. Use less water for thicker milk shakes and more water for shakes that are easy on your blender motor. The blender should be about 3/4's full. Place the lid on. Process for a full 2 minutes. Pour into cups and serve. This made 5 big milkshakes for my family and EVERYONE loved them!

In short -- the cool science is that this essentially makes icecream in your blender while replacing the the dairy fats with vegetable oil and the non-stick spray provides the stabilizer so that the water and oil don't separate.

You will really have to try it to believe it -- It tastes just like the smoothies from Wendy's. You will want to click on the link and read all the why's and hows and the rant about following the recipe exactly. (like if you don't do the cooking spray -- the water and oil will separate and instead of creamy you will get greasy!)

So call the kids, conduct your own science experiment and enjoy the nice cool milkshake today!

The rest of the cupcakes

Here are the cat ones!
Both the cats and the dogs!
Here they are ready to be "adopted" and taken home by the kids at the party. We served icecream at the party, but the animals were the party favors! Each kid got to choose their's to take home.

Puppy dog cupcakes

I got a new cookbook for Christmas that I love -- "Hello Cupcake." When Catherine saw all the different types of dog and cat cupcakes in the book, she immediately requested them for her birthday. So in case you are wondering what I am doing tonight . . . Now you know.

Hopefully soon, I will have cats to post as well!