tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82363220318466829822024-03-13T00:03:11.888-04:00The Sweeter The Better!Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17340714674200275406noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236322031846682982.post-49731680524332208952011-01-27T21:40:00.001-05:002011-01-27T21:42:04.417-05:00Red Velvet Swirled Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9mVI7DfogX2duR4-9JKAwx0S10OjRnySrOROhLRrHWU_T4gSuflM5s4RVu8PQkfffnLDcI6s31KFQ43Kz_G-RhwCkXU7k3asIBOJYzlYqNvNO2dG2MVmZm4g260JrI3pw8sVXfdHuVKp/s1600/059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9mVI7DfogX2duR4-9JKAwx0S10OjRnySrOROhLRrHWU_T4gSuflM5s4RVu8PQkfffnLDcI6s31KFQ43Kz_G-RhwCkXU7k3asIBOJYzlYqNvNO2dG2MVmZm4g260JrI3pw8sVXfdHuVKp/s400/059.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This little twist on red velvet cupcakes will make a great <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;">Valentine's Day</span> treat. But it's also going to make a great treat today, because I'm not waiting 3 weeks. Crazy?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't have much to say about this recipe other than it's good, it's pretty, and I'm rushing this post to go get one now...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Recipe (<a href="http://bakingbites.com/2011/01/red-velvet-marble-cupcakes/">Baking Bites</a>)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Ingredients:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 tsp baking soda</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 tsp baking powder</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 tsp salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 cup butter, room temp</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 egg</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tsp vanilla extract</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup buttermilk</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3/4 tsp red food coloring</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with baking cups.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In a larger bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until mixed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk, making sure to end with dry ingredients. Remove a cup of the batter to another bowl, and add cocoa and food coloring. Mix well until completely incorporated.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pour a small amount of batter into each cup, then add a small amount of the red batter on top of that. Cups should be 3/4 full! Swirl with a knife or toothpick. Bake 18-20 minutes. Cool completely before icing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Icing:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">8 oz. cream cheese</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">7 oz. jar marshmallow fluff</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 1/2 tsp vanilla</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mix together until smooth. Pipe or spread onto each cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrT6vWHrXwaRdhMrtkNYik7-myQaUJ3RjX2lQ8u6fi9GFumJZ67gFErFTtTUUTVAxCXDXqLOY4dmcWWZS-iH65JkEGDW1VBSB2YhxgS1u4_vMsgyReEziud3rRyxRMS_ucIeHwp4_nSuM/s1600/082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrT6vWHrXwaRdhMrtkNYik7-myQaUJ3RjX2lQ8u6fi9GFumJZ67gFErFTtTUUTVAxCXDXqLOY4dmcWWZS-iH65JkEGDW1VBSB2YhxgS1u4_vMsgyReEziud3rRyxRMS_ucIeHwp4_nSuM/s400/082.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
How in the world can a cupcake not cheer you up?...<br />
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</script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><.post {background: url(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/carolynnreynolds/PostDivider.png);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: bottom left;margin:.5em 0 2em;border-bottom:0px dotted $bordercolor;padding-bottom:6em;</div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17340714674200275406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236322031846682982.post-60741548954050092902011-01-26T20:34:00.004-05:002011-01-27T20:48:18.739-05:00Nutella. Cookies. Enough Said.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkB5SOuqk7vcR_WHxwscHVdj3xPR5AS6X4iIFFAW4m9RmpGECXoFCl06SMPhyphenhyphenzL35mBmatKhrlSqXaWWr5jBe3zvA0ElbeflJpruqtr7JCj-DpDKfBNT0G0BsarLmvXKy0IK5lqGqDaMs/s1600/071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkB5SOuqk7vcR_WHxwscHVdj3xPR5AS6X4iIFFAW4m9RmpGECXoFCl06SMPhyphenhyphenzL35mBmatKhrlSqXaWWr5jBe3zvA0ElbeflJpruqtr7JCj-DpDKfBNT0G0BsarLmvXKy0IK5lqGqDaMs/s400/071.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>I know I can't be the only one that has to fight the temptation of grabbing a spoon and eating Nutella straight from the jar like its ice cream. Seriously, I look at it at least twice each day with that exact thought. Sometimes I give in and just go for a large finger dip. I could solve this problem by just simply <i>not </i>buying Nutella at the grocery store... but is that <i>really</i> possible? No. I've been meaning bake something with Nutella, and today was a perfect day for just that. I woke up this morning to a rainy, grey day and thought of nothing better to do until work other than bake. I checked some blogs online that I follow, and came across Nutella cookies. As indecisive as I am, I can tell you I didn't have to think twice, or once really.<br />
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These cookies are superstars in my book. Chocolate chips and Nutella isn't a combo that can be beat just any day of the week (actually, <b>anything</b> with Nutella can't be beat). And can you tell how BIG they are?! Yum yum.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuB-1NbGdy21XuHBpjkYHffcdMXcQJzn-4tpcyE4WJf5rAD6UE3K3g-hgEB4MoHTu-vShvCZjMhQNJdC3mn7HauIUUSxj0MF7OBRO3NcysZyqtlnBCp-DjHpJZpQozrBaP8ikkTY0KCZXX/s1600/076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuB-1NbGdy21XuHBpjkYHffcdMXcQJzn-4tpcyE4WJf5rAD6UE3K3g-hgEB4MoHTu-vShvCZjMhQNJdC3mn7HauIUUSxj0MF7OBRO3NcysZyqtlnBCp-DjHpJZpQozrBaP8ikkTY0KCZXX/s400/076.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Recipe:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(found on <a href="http://www.erinsfoodfiles.com/2011/01/nutella-cookies.html">Erins Food Files</a>)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Ingredients:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup packed light brown sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup Nutella</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 egg</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 tsp vanilla</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 1/2 cup flour</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tsp. baking soda</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 tsp salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/3 - 1/2 cup chocolate chips</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cream the butter for about a minute, then add the sugars. Beat on high until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix on low.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Combine until smooth and all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Add chocolate chips.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Use an ice cream scoop to shape balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 7-8 minutes. The cookies will spread a lot, so if you do not want a large, flat cookie place the dough in the fridge for about 10 minutes before forming balls. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cool on a wire rack, but I strongly suggest eating warm from the oven :). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0h9GJdiabB2dJ0kEL02IjV7lmfXZvztkLq4WQ_CK_BLx1vCxBweu37I8BuwEPbZjFWnmIi3gIRMgygC0dV8h6t5drcgtuB0ToqU7frnwnvPvVzoa4Gq1a9x2RmMh-3A4pVpVSuVvAJoJK/s1600/070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0h9GJdiabB2dJ0kEL02IjV7lmfXZvztkLq4WQ_CK_BLx1vCxBweu37I8BuwEPbZjFWnmIi3gIRMgygC0dV8h6t5drcgtuB0ToqU7frnwnvPvVzoa4Gq1a9x2RmMh-3A4pVpVSuVvAJoJK/s400/070.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><.post {background: url(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/carolynnreynolds/PostDivider.png);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: bottom left;margin:.5em 0 2em;border-bottom:0px dotted $bordercolor;padding-bottom:6em;</div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17340714674200275406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236322031846682982.post-35616706566627720062011-01-20T20:34:00.003-05:002011-01-21T22:10:38.439-05:00I Love Ice Cream!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I don't really need to explain myself here, ice cream is my weakness. I don't have to be in the mood for ice cream, I'll eat it whenever, wherever. Particularly during the summertime, ice cream becomes a 4th meal in my day. I'm actually smiling while writing this because that's how much I love ice cream. I think it was meant to be when I moved back home and frozen yogurt bars popped up left and right at every major shopping center. We now have like, 7 in Greensboro. I'll thankfully never have to worry about a shortage there!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Earlier I mentioned the wonderful KitchenAid stand mixer that my wonderful boyfriend got for my birthday. And I believe I also mentioned that my mother got me an ice cream attachment to go along with it...!!! Yes, I can make my own now :). </div><div><br />
</div><div>I was soo ready to make some creamy goodness on my birthday, so I read the manual which said to let the bowl freeze for at least 15 hours before using. I put the thing in the freezer, and checked on it a little later and it was cold! I thought it was frozen enough, but apparently 15 hours means <b>15 hours</b>! I've always needed to work a <i>little</i> on that thing called patience...</div><div><br />
</div><div>Anyways, it all worked out and I got my homemade ice cream on the next try. </div><div><br />
</div><div>My two most recent ice cream adventures were Peppermint (for the Holidays) and Strawberry Cheesecake ('cause its gooood). </div><div><br />
</div><div>Both recipes were inspired by Cooking Light. </div><div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-YBL4J_1qrZl8rfuPBfDTQSbzu6MIc_HiURQF3ucbDPVtFknCBYO6f6VGDRzmoreduzhCDCJLMVrqYfnFN4lUQl6jSq6P07BFAr6HjfVZL8i8Ejv8nJCYPph60sPtQ8tQwFGVEaWXeK8/s1600/329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-YBL4J_1qrZl8rfuPBfDTQSbzu6MIc_HiURQF3ucbDPVtFknCBYO6f6VGDRzmoreduzhCDCJLMVrqYfnFN4lUQl6jSq6P07BFAr6HjfVZL8i8Ejv8nJCYPph60sPtQ8tQwFGVEaWXeK8/s400/329.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000000472400">Peppermint Ice Cream</a></div></div><div><b>Ingredients:</b></div><div><b><br />
</b></div><div>2 1/2 cups 2% milk</div><div>2 large egg yolks</div><div>2 teaspoons vanilla extract</div><div>1 can (14 oz) fat-free sweetened condensed milk</div><div>2/3 cup crushed peppermint candies</div><div><br />
</div><div>Combine 1 1/4 cups milk and egg yolks in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until slightly thick, about 8 minutes, stirring constantly. Cool this mixture slightly.<br />
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Combine egg mixture, 1 1/4 cups milk, vanilla, and sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl. Cover and chill. Stir in the crushed peppermint candies, then pour the mixture into the freezer of an ice cream maker, and freeze according instructions. Move the ice cream from the ice cream freezer to a container and freeze until firm.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6TFauvVUYJQsfPiocfbaXNwiQGIK7tJ3NHlKatw1_BAsfKQo1YWc_2NJnYllmCEtMC27Dq8qrkIXUQqh39afLlVXLBCgslO-Gp1cqAaOZ5DwEylELgu23OY54MRqBhEqC6KMN52vBubdB/s1600/189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6TFauvVUYJQsfPiocfbaXNwiQGIK7tJ3NHlKatw1_BAsfKQo1YWc_2NJnYllmCEtMC27Dq8qrkIXUQqh39afLlVXLBCgslO-Gp1cqAaOZ5DwEylELgu23OY54MRqBhEqC6KMN52vBubdB/s400/189.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001206178&adsqs=">Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream</a></div></div><div><b>Ingredients:</b><br />
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2 cups granulated sugar (1 1/2 if you don't like it too sweet)<br />
3/4 cup (6 oz) reduced fat cream cheese<br />
4 large egg yolks<br />
3 cups 2% milk<br />
1 cup half-and-half (I used fat free)<br />
3 cups strawberries chopped (blueberries in original recipe, I used frozen strawberries)<br />
1/4 cup powdered sugar<br />
1/4 cup water<br />
1/2 -3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs<br />
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Combine sugar, cream cheese, and egg yolks in a bowl and beat well until smooth. In a saucepan, combine milk and half-and-half and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, and pour half of the mixture into the egg mixture. Stir well and pour back into milk mixture and cook on medium-low for about 5 minutes. Cool this mixture completely either in the fridge or in a ice-filled pan.<br />
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In another saucepan, combine berries, water, and powdered sugar and heat until it begins to boil. Reduce the heat then allow the mixture to thicken while stirring constantly, about 8-10 minutes. Let this mixture cool completely, then pour into the milk/cream cheese mixture. Add to the ice cream freezer bowl and freeze according to manufacturers directions. The last 15 minutes is when I added the graham cracker crumbs. Store the ice cream in a container in the freezer. After dinner (and lunch), scoop out a bowl and drizzle with caramel sauce :).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlticBiCpOoPNvVLvGvtDD-KhyphenhyphenLO6f6diQ9XohRKl8pGR8Rc1YP-7D87bBVcpW6vljg6IO9MkbXSU5as1AOzZUvCuJsA6ZC-R52Ig1xSYLlplUqBf-dSnN6pNTLp0BG9wjn7d7P03it4A/s1600/332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlticBiCpOoPNvVLvGvtDD-KhyphenhyphenLO6f6diQ9XohRKl8pGR8Rc1YP-7D87bBVcpW6vljg6IO9MkbXSU5as1AOzZUvCuJsA6ZC-R52Ig1xSYLlplUqBf-dSnN6pNTLp0BG9wjn7d7P03it4A/s400/332.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
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</tbody></table>What a coincidence they both happen to be PINK ice cream, just in time for Valentine's Day coming up ;).<br />
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><.post {background: url(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/carolynnreynolds/PostDivider.png);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: bottom left;margin:.5em 0 2em;border-bottom:0px dotted $bordercolor;padding-bottom:6em;</div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17340714674200275406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236322031846682982.post-62719599733379884752011-01-19T09:17:00.002-05:002011-01-20T09:41:10.014-05:00Banana Oatmeal Muffins with Peanut Butter Glaze<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMN1-1lKXzA4Q3cZ75SqUQTqBJZZ9OXF9qog_l-hB7fykVrlaWzMyqsNaPiu5tCTJ8XSktDxDVlQKbE6uyB0HxF3r4ixFqjz_gVR5Fw0wcHSj-hgSWZvpRs6MksPzGbUo3mj_v1oFRoEe/s1600/164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMN1-1lKXzA4Q3cZ75SqUQTqBJZZ9OXF9qog_l-hB7fykVrlaWzMyqsNaPiu5tCTJ8XSktDxDVlQKbE6uyB0HxF3r4ixFqjz_gVR5Fw0wcHSj-hgSWZvpRs6MksPzGbUo3mj_v1oFRoEe/s400/164.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
I tend to think about the next meal, either before or during the current one, you follow? So that's where I began to make these muffins last night, thinking about how much I would enjoy one for breakfast. I love my breakfast, but believe me, I definitely get caught in the breakfast routine rut. These were a nice change, for a day or two.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLeM-HoF_cFeeAX4O_TzQtURsAfi2d67-vVJIjQ72eCjaxVUKbBWqN7bQs5YTYFui-3ngzMfpn1GMj21yjQBuGAU5r4aF9o12gFgS9CDH0RgIlzrosZC07s5H2JhVZrf-QAEzT6PRHXx2q/s1600/159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLeM-HoF_cFeeAX4O_TzQtURsAfi2d67-vVJIjQ72eCjaxVUKbBWqN7bQs5YTYFui-3ngzMfpn1GMj21yjQBuGAU5r4aF9o12gFgS9CDH0RgIlzrosZC07s5H2JhVZrf-QAEzT6PRHXx2q/s400/159.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div>They are healthy, low fat and low calorie, so I thought it was only necessary to drizzle them with a sweet peanut butter glaze. <br />
<div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
1 cup oats<br />
1 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1/2 cup all-purpose flour<br />
2 tbsp. ground flax<br />
2 tbsp. finely crushed Fiber One Original cereal<br />
2 tsp. baking soda<br />
2 tsp. cinnamon<br />
1/4 tsp. salt<br />
1 cup mashed banana (about 2 bananas)<br />
1/2 cup yogurt (Lowfat Greek)<br />
1/2 cup canola oil<br />
1 egg<br />
<br />
Glaze: (measurements may vary)<br />
About 3/4 cup powdered sugar<br />
2 tbsp. creamy peanut butter<br />
1 tbsp. milk<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with baking cups (either regular or mini).<br />
<br />
Mix together all the dry ingredients (Oats through salt). Whisk together. Mix together Banana, yogurt, oil, and egg. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until moist and well combined. Drop spoonfuls into prepared baking cups and bake for 18-20 minutes (regular size). If making mini muffins, bake 10-12 minutes.<br />
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Let the muffins cool on a rack, and mix together the glaze. Microwave for about 20 seconds, and let cool slightly. Drizzle over muffins.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkNdc-vjfRWbXx3wqjoK1bHq3XZnBnnoHZ2m5jSxs5Gtg1fIlVaF6RQ4rSeHVxV_5tf9IYOg_lkkegT3etFgw1RLMviuabC1cZBD5x14vLXVq4_thp4d3YvdNsTvfYuPENgrrubqhhiEl/s1600/162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkNdc-vjfRWbXx3wqjoK1bHq3XZnBnnoHZ2m5jSxs5Gtg1fIlVaF6RQ4rSeHVxV_5tf9IYOg_lkkegT3etFgw1RLMviuabC1cZBD5x14vLXVq4_thp4d3YvdNsTvfYuPENgrrubqhhiEl/s400/162.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><.post {background: url(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/carolynnreynolds/PostDivider.png);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: bottom left;margin:.5em 0 2em;border-bottom:0px dotted $bordercolor;padding-bottom:6em;</div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17340714674200275406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236322031846682982.post-38629102414341705682011-01-17T09:29:00.035-05:002011-01-19T22:30:17.307-05:00Banana Bars with Cinnamon Chips<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUevHTqxf0_oqsqAdEcODFdd1COIBOJGTQf_0puTpet1jzVlB93l9GGfsranwRxntlHii8dpzlF6Z1LeUhj-qoB7DrGI0Qg-KpzZbF4t-r91irl7AMHlQrZTPjdoeAKevXsPV_sgonc-M/s1600/116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUevHTqxf0_oqsqAdEcODFdd1COIBOJGTQf_0puTpet1jzVlB93l9GGfsranwRxntlHii8dpzlF6Z1LeUhj-qoB7DrGI0Qg-KpzZbF4t-r91irl7AMHlQrZTPjdoeAKevXsPV_sgonc-M/s320/116.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>To be honest, I never knew cinnamon chips existed. For all I do know, they've been around as long as I have but I've just never had the pleasure of trying them! Until now...<br />
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I stopped by the grocery store last week after work, and happened to spot Hershey's cinnamon chips in a clearance cart! I was pumped, cinnamon chips exist AND they're on sale. I grabbed a few bags, headed home, and got my recipe search on. Then I remembered that I've saved a bazillion recipes with the intention of making them at some point, one of them from <a href="http://www.erinsfoodfiles.com/2010/06/banana-cinnamon-chip-blondie-bars.html">Erin's Food Files</a> involving cinnamon chips! That's one off the list... here we go!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi495PDxxkDYWjlae4C8F573K4vrWByS39o4tb8ZFQe08YY9_j2sNAyBLxsbxVa2RXvlklBvBVDJxoTGSguuXhY7MOuqM95sCMwtUL4jQHtKGvN1LWz_CgTYgO63o6M_jUBKpElYsT83j_3/s1600/167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi495PDxxkDYWjlae4C8F573K4vrWByS39o4tb8ZFQe08YY9_j2sNAyBLxsbxVa2RXvlklBvBVDJxoTGSguuXhY7MOuqM95sCMwtUL4jQHtKGvN1LWz_CgTYgO63o6M_jUBKpElYsT83j_3/s200/167.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswgUUfFPm8T-NoCVhyVMiDZwRgAldT83SoTA6EiCPBCZxOrqF0o_UidLBtPMCjkFN9sNRUsgXhYW5ALv7rXJ4LhezqcuEFgV0wGijnMlV_ksneRyOcoTkFvBtRuD_hcx1i-wNoLSXpqGK/s1600/115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswgUUfFPm8T-NoCVhyVMiDZwRgAldT83SoTA6EiCPBCZxOrqF0o_UidLBtPMCjkFN9sNRUsgXhYW5ALv7rXJ4LhezqcuEFgV0wGijnMlV_ksneRyOcoTkFvBtRuD_hcx1i-wNoLSXpqGK/s200/115.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
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<b></b>6 tbsp. butter<br />
2/3 cup brown sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
1 cup mashed bananas<br />
1/2 cup all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1 cup cinnamon chips<br />
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
<br />
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<div>Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 inch pan.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Cream butter, add sugar and egg, beat. Stir in vanilla and banana. In another bowl combine all the dry ingredients. Add dry ingredient mixture to banana mixture, then stir in cinnamon chips. (You could also add walnuts). </div><div><br />
</div><div>Bake for 25 minutes, remove and let cool completely before cutting. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Apparently they pass for a breakfast bar as well. At least for my brother they did. Yep, we are related after all... </div><div><br />
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><.post {background: url(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/carolynnreynolds/PostDivider.png);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: bottom left;margin:.5em 0 2em;border-bottom:0px dotted $bordercolor;padding-bottom:6em;</div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17340714674200275406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236322031846682982.post-37438501890011561342011-01-16T10:25:00.008-05:002011-01-17T10:57:52.433-05:00Chicken Avocado Napoleon Sandwiches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfeBYx-l4aTb3SfqtSQRrWhHO4sWfDc3aDB1pd3hzSm5TmPee45CH-UDEEdMXSQAqZA7UgdQinpXRqMAvEn1ZLzzDCqjheaFfE3X21JiaOtiQOceSVCD9UcGZKMR-QBjRLachryQLC-Bd3/s1600/114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfeBYx-l4aTb3SfqtSQRrWhHO4sWfDc3aDB1pd3hzSm5TmPee45CH-UDEEdMXSQAqZA7UgdQinpXRqMAvEn1ZLzzDCqjheaFfE3X21JiaOtiQOceSVCD9UcGZKMR-QBjRLachryQLC-Bd3/s400/114.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br />
</div>My friend, and former teammate, Cindel and I both share a love for cooking and trying new recipes. We used to get together with some of our other teammates while in school and cook dinners. That was our escapism from the crazy life of a student-athlete. She still lives in Raleigh, but we keep in touch and still share recipes we find with each other. So this recipe post comes from Cindel, who recommended <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/grilled-chicken-and-avocado-napoleons-recipe/index.html">Giada's Chicken and Avocado Napoleon</a>! It's simple but still delicious, and a nice change from a traditional sandwich.<br />
<div><div><br />
</div><div>(Makes 4 servings)</div><div><b>Ingredients:</b></div><div><ul><li>2 (9x10 inch) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed and cut into 12 3x5 inch rectangles</li>
<li>4 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced thin</li>
<li>3 tbsp. reduced fat mayonnaise</li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper</li>
<li>Avocado, sliced into thin pieces</li>
<li>2 cups baby spinach leaves</li>
</ul><div><br />
</div><div>Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, and place a rack on the lower 1/3 of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>Place puff pastry rectangles on the prepared baking sheets and use a fork to prick the tops of the pastry. Cover with parchment paper, and place another baking sheet on top (this is important so the puff pastry stays thin!). Bake for about 25 minutes until they are golden.</div><div><br />
</div><div>While cooling, mix mayonnaise and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Once they have cooled, place 4 of the puff pastry rectangles onto a surface to prepare. Place 3 thin slices of chicken on each, then about 1/4 cup of the spinach on each, followed by a couple thin avocado slices. Spread about a teaspoon of the mayonnaise on the bottom of 4 more puff pastry rectangles and place on top of the prepared ones. Repeat this layer one more time and finish with a pastry on top.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I loved the puff pastry and am imagining the possibilities to create a sandwich using them!</div><div><br />
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</div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><.post {background: url(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/carolynnreynolds/PostDivider.png);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: bottom left;margin:.5em 0 2em;border-bottom:0px dotted $bordercolor;padding-bottom:6em;</div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17340714674200275406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236322031846682982.post-19099443954318712432011-01-15T21:04:00.003-05:002011-01-17T10:19:54.604-05:00PB Chocolate BarsI love goodies that take so little effort and time to whip up. These are <i>dangerously</i> good... They will not last long. Fact.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0R_2KLeqXZMQZdhR9gD6RW2emii8OJ9IXvdZs6HA-dhtGxGKdFDGNJ6Up5enyukPsTqFJ24rcqmCWPwpKG3dmi49H9sxnkD1RPD_cWReLeE_mqt9RMa-nupCriH9vFF-YeK4S6mXshfZo/s1600/155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0R_2KLeqXZMQZdhR9gD6RW2emii8OJ9IXvdZs6HA-dhtGxGKdFDGNJ6Up5enyukPsTqFJ24rcqmCWPwpKG3dmi49H9sxnkD1RPD_cWReLeE_mqt9RMa-nupCriH9vFF-YeK4S6mXshfZo/s320/155.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I intended to make these for Chris, my boyfriend, when he was coming up one night from Raleigh. He loves anything chocolate + peanut butter (but who doesn't...). After I made them, I realized it was a lost cause for him because he had been sick the whole week with some stomach bug. I should have thought of that before I made them, right? These bars proved me wrong, he had no problem eating them, what stomach bug?<br />
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Sick or not, these sweet little bars cannot be passed up...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5qwsetYYJHBVJENnlTDfhapqLedg_dbddfoCXl7Uy_vMbbvSWVEEzKmqmlNipIdXFPprDSAqx1bcETgGzDo8idVPKW02ZFb1VXvOGzmQWZpVYgUmUxzBudAOrc-5bryKuwNxTETcr8Ha/s1600/153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5qwsetYYJHBVJENnlTDfhapqLedg_dbddfoCXl7Uy_vMbbvSWVEEzKmqmlNipIdXFPprDSAqx1bcETgGzDo8idVPKW02ZFb1VXvOGzmQWZpVYgUmUxzBudAOrc-5bryKuwNxTETcr8Ha/s320/153.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You can't even tell there are yummy graham cracker crumbs in the peanut butter layer :).</div><br />
(Recipe from <a href="http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/01/12/peanut-butter-cup-bars-recipe/">Brown Eyed Baker</a>)<br />
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<ul><li>1/2 cup unsalted butter</li>
<li>1 3/4 cup powdered sugar</li>
<li>1 cup peanut butter</li>
<li>3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs</li>
<li>1/4 cup unsalted butter</li>
<li>1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (could use semi-sweet, dark, or white!)</li>
</ul><div><br />
</div><div>Line an 8x8 inch pan with aluminum foil leaving an overhang around the edges. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Peanut Butter Layer:</div><div>Over low heat, melt 1/2 cup butter in medium saucepan. Remove from heat once melted, and add powdered sugar, stirring until smooth. Stir in peanut butter and graham cracker crumbs until it is all combined. Spread this mixture into the pan.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Chocolate Layer:</div><div>Clean out the saucepan, then melt the 1/4 cup butter. Add the chocolate and stir until almost melted, but still a few chocolate pieces. Remove from heat and stir until completely melted and smooth. Pour this mixture over the Peanut butter and smooth out the top. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Refrigerate until set. I would recommend close to an hour before it is completely set. Remove the bars from the pan by using the aluminum foil to lift. Cut the bars into the desired size and remember to store in an airtight container in the refrigerator!</div><div><br />
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><.post {background: url(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/carolynnreynolds/PostDivider.png);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: bottom left;margin:.5em 0 2em;border-bottom:0px dotted $bordercolor;padding-bottom:6em;</div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17340714674200275406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236322031846682982.post-53147613063336961252011-01-10T19:27:00.001-05:002011-01-10T19:29:23.243-05:00Banana Bread, meet Rum Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBfY0jfF2ei26Srh7izTtMSpAChFV_ddIKgK9BISbqxS54vNw5WSkurW2RPBSvjd80Qc66SGzH2fv537wU7a-2-QkrmLms8I4nCMrAngIL_lCG6dbKyV4QeU5k9QsXr1QAyDqWmDIyeUy/s1600/068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBfY0jfF2ei26Srh7izTtMSpAChFV_ddIKgK9BISbqxS54vNw5WSkurW2RPBSvjd80Qc66SGzH2fv537wU7a-2-QkrmLms8I4nCMrAngIL_lCG6dbKyV4QeU5k9QsXr1QAyDqWmDIyeUy/s320/068.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I'm a huge fan of anything with banana. When it comes to banana bread, I'm all in for trying different variations. Last Fall I came across a Cooking Light recipe for Bananas Foster Bread, and my eyes about popped out of my head. That could be the best sounding banana bread, ever. Why had I never heard of this before!!! Well, it is one of the best things ever, trust me. If you like banana bread, AND if you like rum cake, this will blow you awayyy!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The banana bread has a little dark rum in it, but the rum glaze on top of the bread seeps into it to give it such a great flavor. I couldn't help but be reminded of rum cake when I took my first bite.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Here is the recipe</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> (<a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000002012778">Cooking Light</a>):</span><br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
<ul><li>1 1/2 c. mashed ripe banana</li>
<li>1 cup packed brown sugar, divided</li>
<li>6 tbsp. butter, melted and divided</li>
<li>1/4 c dark rum</li>
<li>1/3 c. plain fat free yogurt (I used Fage Greek yogurt)</li>
<li>2 large eggs</li>
<li>1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1/4 c. ground flaxseed</li>
<li>3/4 teaspoon baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon cinnamon</li>
<li>1/8 teaspoon allspice (Didn't have this on hand)</li>
<li>1/3 c. powdered sugar</li>
</ul><div><br />
</div><div>Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Mix together banana, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 5 tbsp. melted butter, and 3 tbsp. rum in a skillet. Cook the mixture over medium until it begins to bubble. Remove from heat and cool. Mix this mixture in a bowl along with remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, and eggs. Beat at medium speed.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Combine all the dry ingredients remaining (except for powdered sugar). Gradually add this mixture to the banana mixture, then pour into a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the bread cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove from the pan and cool on wire rack. While the bread is cooling in the pan, mix together remaining melted butter, rum and the powdered sugar. Pour this delicious mixture over the warm bread and<b> try</b> to resist digging in right away. </div><div><br />
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><.post {background: url(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/carolynnreynolds/PostDivider.png);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: bottom left;margin:.5em 0 2em;border-bottom:0px dotted $bordercolor;padding-bottom:6em;</div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17340714674200275406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236322031846682982.post-83445666430127767602011-01-06T22:12:00.004-05:002011-01-10T19:31:48.559-05:00Happy 21st Birthday, Julia!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7P4bL5vY_dL4fOx7P3EHf1jNEW_s6cWUxHqHAbDUG3FNa3RQTza2yrDngSL5QhnJR4XtUC1Kw61u26wjJ0UTnkGWK1ClXagJAe55ifNYYyXDm9ZuINVVzsWW4xfPaAu4X5ykX-GCVRKU/s1600/250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7P4bL5vY_dL4fOx7P3EHf1jNEW_s6cWUxHqHAbDUG3FNa3RQTza2yrDngSL5QhnJR4XtUC1Kw61u26wjJ0UTnkGWK1ClXagJAe55ifNYYyXDm9ZuINVVzsWW4xfPaAu4X5ykX-GCVRKU/s320/250.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Today, the baby of the family, my younger sister Julia turned the big 2-1! I was excited and more than willing when she told me she wanted me to maker her birthday cake, rather than getting one of her favorite Red Velvet cakes from Maxie B's (local bakery which I will TOO often bring up). She even wanted my help in deciding on a cake to make, so we went with something new to us.<br />
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A 14 layer cake, yes that's 11 more than the traditional 3 layer cake. I had never tried one before or seen many recipes, but luckily I saved one a while back that I found on <a href="http://www.bakerella.com/">Bakerella</a>. The recipe was originally <a href="http://www.oprah.com/food/The-Smith-Familys-12-Layer-Cake">The Smith Family's 12-Layer Cake.</a> One important thing, this cake is just a tad bit time consuming... just a <i>tad</i>. If you feel like hangin' in the kitchen for an entire afternoon, make this.<br />
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This recipe made an insanely large amount of batter, so with just enough leftover I added a good luck layer to make it a solid 15 layer cake.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7aLoPZ3Xh9J1tJnavSzLMGd8ilpERmGbXYPvx1uIeLwtnBwiVCTpY2i3RuzlNjCudSCEFnH87ihWMUredtpCaqu9FISsELPuBuf1wNddajBf51T3izFGuFdc1d3WvF9hkxnZScpsNCgMB/s1600/233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7aLoPZ3Xh9J1tJnavSzLMGd8ilpERmGbXYPvx1uIeLwtnBwiVCTpY2i3RuzlNjCudSCEFnH87ihWMUredtpCaqu9FISsELPuBuf1wNddajBf51T3izFGuFdc1d3WvF9hkxnZScpsNCgMB/s320/233.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One thing that helped make this cake a little less time consuming was to use several 8'' round aluminum pans. They baked 3 at a time for about 12 minutes each, which comes out to an hour of total baking time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1ujulaICe5C6RBLAsc-_GZFhwjdFxAwrKmYL6AYlDbMEt-0QGbYztnK9hUW_j8x8ZnsAgO5-ZI1t6TJfrRy8OBaJOoq3L9jay0QKvAfgKpp5CeurZIC6-vh4Hqp_8sIBxrj3-4cPe2IS/s1600/234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1ujulaICe5C6RBLAsc-_GZFhwjdFxAwrKmYL6AYlDbMEt-0QGbYztnK9hUW_j8x8ZnsAgO5-ZI1t6TJfrRy8OBaJOoq3L9jay0QKvAfgKpp5CeurZIC6-vh4Hqp_8sIBxrj3-4cPe2IS/s320/234.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It would have helped to make the icing a little bit earlier, because the cakes were cooled completely not long after the hour of baking, but the icing sure took it's sweet time thickening to a spreadable consistency. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4D9Hp1nZtZSNfHyMH6IXZ__ftpXxgKb6J4IVif1Z7_BjXjMGT3wQJSqmJN2MurFQ3oJxqjSR9y6wLafo997vV6F_zw1MWpcHf0kZLnGKvyhYICJY_eVSJx2WiknHsLLxiW9d4Xf45Y9ON/s1600/241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4D9Hp1nZtZSNfHyMH6IXZ__ftpXxgKb6J4IVif1Z7_BjXjMGT3wQJSqmJN2MurFQ3oJxqjSR9y6wLafo997vV6F_zw1MWpcHf0kZLnGKvyhYICJY_eVSJx2WiknHsLLxiW9d4Xf45Y9ON/s320/241.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was a good idea to make another icing layer for the cake, as suggested by Bakerella, so I went with the chocolate cream cheese icing which made the cake look a little neater. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1DUS-SQ8T-mUj0CbXJMx8Uju7O7bKjykPXKkC6bxI0I_5DXkoY8LLQb_vMbaYijWHqYegDQLmHF0vRsz2t4Gj7dW0yD5bshGOBRZX3Tpv3_xqOsgaxVvWG79kvcOpDmpHiOKD7QRwwrr/s1600/240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1DUS-SQ8T-mUj0CbXJMx8Uju7O7bKjykPXKkC6bxI0I_5DXkoY8LLQb_vMbaYijWHqYegDQLmHF0vRsz2t4Gj7dW0yD5bshGOBRZX3Tpv3_xqOsgaxVvWG79kvcOpDmpHiOKD7QRwwrr/s320/240.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we finally cut into the cake after dinner, it definitely had a "wow" look to it, and tasted very moist! We were all so full from dinner so it was hard to finish such a massive slice of cake. Personally, I think most cakes taste better the next day after being in the fridge, and this was no exception.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This cake was a lot of work, but it was well worth it!</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EH7ptWpCyvfATVxvxCj9xrPfG4vl46DbeaJe3siXxp5_Azwohkwc0cMSi3emB8N9HlQk4heX4GJHIFeiy_N5HCk85cmbGWkcrvHRgIuBzxRxchEsG1ipG7kq76eOug8FtPJ3I0vNh84I/s1600/257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EH7ptWpCyvfATVxvxCj9xrPfG4vl46DbeaJe3siXxp5_Azwohkwc0cMSi3emB8N9HlQk4heX4GJHIFeiy_N5HCk85cmbGWkcrvHRgIuBzxRxchEsG1ipG7kq76eOug8FtPJ3I0vNh84I/s200/257.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUpre1B_0qvYBlc2kz77fBnd33Y8wOgO72YIGn7dMj9PzqDihpBv7hSAo7GkYOkOg3dQWp-szrDnXBFvRE25_Xe-fDTyQI3bsykuvbC9JD2JLxEayEJmtPfm499JyXFhYJ4xRvgsIBR8fy/s1600/252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUpre1B_0qvYBlc2kz77fBnd33Y8wOgO72YIGn7dMj9PzqDihpBv7hSAo7GkYOkOg3dQWp-szrDnXBFvRE25_Xe-fDTyQI3bsykuvbC9JD2JLxEayEJmtPfm499JyXFhYJ4xRvgsIBR8fy/s200/252.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The recipe I used can be found <a href="http://www.oprah.com/food/The-Smith-Familys-12-Layer-Cake">here</a> (Smith Family's 12-Layer Cake), and instructions that I followed came from<a href="http://www.bakerella.com/fourteen-for-the-fourteenth/"> Bakerella.</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><.post {background: url(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/carolynnreynolds/PostDivider.png);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: bottom left;margin:.5em 0 2em;border-bottom:0px dotted $bordercolor;padding-bottom:6em;</div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17340714674200275406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236322031846682982.post-885732743915536612011-01-03T22:51:00.005-05:002011-01-06T11:27:13.088-05:00Cinnamon BreadSo I did end up making cinnamon bread today -- I couldn't resist after finding the recipe awhile back on <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/08/homemade-cinnamon-bread/">The Pioneer Woman</a>. One of the so many, many, many... great things about living back home(!) is that there are more people around to eat all the randomness that I make. I only get complaints from my mother who says she has gained 10 pounds since I moved back in. She's just fine though -- keep eating, mom :). Now that I've acquired my trusty bread maker, I tested out this recipe using it, rather than following the first steps provided in the recipe.<br />
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Recipe (<a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/">The Pioneer Woman</a>):<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
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<ul><li>1 cup milk</li>
<li>6 tbsp. butter</li>
<li>2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (I used bread machine)</li>
<li>2 whole eggs</li>
<li>1/3 cup sugar</li>
<li>3 1/2 cups All-purpose flour</li>
<li>1 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>1/3 cup sugar</li>
<li>2 tbsp. cinnamon</li>
<li>some egg & milk beaten together for brushing</li>
<li>softened butter for cinnamon sugar layer</li>
</ul><div><br />
</div><div><b>Instructions (with bread maker):</b></div><div><b><br />
</b></div><div>Add the milk, butter, eggs (beaten), sugar, salt, flour, and yeast (must go in last) to the bread maker. Select the dough option, and let the machine get to work. </div><div><br />
</div><div>After 1.5 hours, move dough to a heated metal or glass bowl coated with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and continue to let rise for one more hour in a warm place (Heat the oven to about 250, turn off, place bowl in the oven and this should work). </div><div><br />
</div><div>After the dough has risen, roll out onto a counter or work surface, and shape into a rectangle 18-24 inches long. It's important to make sure the rectangle is no wider than the pan it will be baked in. Use the softened butter to cover the entire rectangle. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle all over the dough. Roll the dough into a tight loaf (This is very important, because once baked you don't want any gaps in the bread where the swirl of cinnamon is!). Make sure the seam is pinched together and then place the dough into a well greased loaf pan. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise for 2 hours. (Yes, this bread requires time!!)</div><div><br />
</div><div>Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and brush the egg/milk mixture over the top of the loaf. Bake in for 40 minutes on a rack just below the middle level. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. </div><div><br />
</div><div>*To follow the recipe without a bread maker: <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/08/homemade-cinnamon-bread/">Find it here!</a></div><div><br />
</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBk36MHfwecuJVFfSta2UXuEMlY9k_Ho8O-Jr1h34gIUIKbK7Iel3ya7XNUm-dZhrOx7p_s0h5VGCnrIvi2i-Ef-tyA6ALb_hfn5wBLJO8Fl7JUJC4pSrC9Ch5UF5wa0wInyXOnSjz-OL3/s400/IMG00321.jpg" width="400" /></div><br />
</div><div>(Poor image -- from my phone)<br />
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</div><div>Toast this bread and spread a little butter or peanut butter, or one of my faves, NUTELLA -- heaven. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><.post {background: url(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/carolynnreynolds/PostDivider.png);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: bottom left;margin:.5em 0 2em;border-bottom:0px dotted $bordercolor;padding-bottom:6em;</div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17340714674200275406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236322031846682982.post-90972100255034140072011-01-02T22:02:00.001-05:002011-01-05T13:13:03.085-05:00I'm going to need more counter space!<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
I sure am racking up the kitchen appliances this year, lucky me though! For my birthday in August, my boyfriend Chris, gave me a KitchenAid mixer. He is the best! He definitely knows how much I love to bake, but I have a slight suspicion he also knew the things he would benefit from in this gift (ahem, obsessed with chocolate chip cookies). That thing has seen a lot of action in the past 4 months, let me tell ya. My mother even gave me an ice cream attachment to go along with it. But my most recent kitchen appliance would be a Cuisinart Bread Maker from my parents this Christmas! Homemade bread? And all you do is just put the ingredients in the machine? Yep, sounds pretty good to me! Oh, and it is… You really can’t beat homemade bread.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZEqfUkZauHCm_0zl3XgMFCXsBtAN3gmxzq5CvONH1_BszByUn1RkxXJhpt4uvqdTY_SlBL3TIp5gbvuCzJipBzgpmBVANwrG_DoecqW6HMfq8UHcjGT5wKycQZhsICJCTb9zwoh1Vxr6/s1600/Cuisinart-CBK-100-Programmable-Breadmaker-300x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZEqfUkZauHCm_0zl3XgMFCXsBtAN3gmxzq5CvONH1_BszByUn1RkxXJhpt4uvqdTY_SlBL3TIp5gbvuCzJipBzgpmBVANwrG_DoecqW6HMfq8UHcjGT5wKycQZhsICJCTb9zwoh1Vxr6/s1600/Cuisinart-CBK-100-Programmable-Breadmaker-300x300.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Now, onto my first recipe posting, which is something<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> not</i> found at the top of the food pyramid, strangely enough!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Foccacia Bread, all thanks to my lovely bread maker. I used the basic recipe that came along with the Cuisinart book, and only slightly tweaked the herbs on top of the bread and crust. The bread turned out absolutely perfect! We had it tonight with my dad’s slow cooker pork shoulder and a squash and spinach casserole. It would pair well with pasta, or any Italian dish obviously, but it went well with tonight’s dinner. Just like any bread recipe, you don’t have to rely on a bread maker. But for me, I don’t want to hurt it’s feelings. It’s not like it’s one of the best things ever… I probably won’t use it to make cinnamon bread tomorrow…<br />
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Although I just had to put the ingredients into the bread maker, select the correct setting, and press start, here's what all went in it:<br />
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Crust:<br />
<i>1 cup plus 2 tbsp. water, room temperature</i><br />
<i>2 tbsp. plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil</i><br />
<i>2 1/4 teaspoons Italian herb blend</i><br />
<i>1 1/2 teaspoons salt</i><br />
<i>3 cups plus 3 tbsp. bread flour</i><br />
<i>1 1/2 teaspoons yeast (I used bread machine yeast)</i><br />
<i>*(I also added a small amount of garlic powder to the crust mixture, about 1 teaspoon)</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
Topping:<br />
<i>3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil</i><br />
<i>3/4 teaspoon salt</i><br />
<i>1/3 cup grated Parmesan</i><br />
<i>Italian herbs, about 1/4 cup of any combination (I used basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme)</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0myi16aE8LscWQjtN-pZett75ijZp0OZk2thwzRn4IdxtaN0gBIvnh_p0bUWjxui8gs8IWrQwGXy2uELTmOqZYx0yyd4-3Z6A8LcVVedE2ikeg9QZsNB17gKG2n65jG2TtHHI3VZk3s2t/s1600/kathleenblog+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0myi16aE8LscWQjtN-pZett75ijZp0OZk2thwzRn4IdxtaN0gBIvnh_p0bUWjxui8gs8IWrQwGXy2uELTmOqZYx0yyd4-3Z6A8LcVVedE2ikeg9QZsNB17gKG2n65jG2TtHHI3VZk3s2t/s400/kathleenblog+004.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGUp3tGySwyailFUdTP8_FcMMG26prcTiq4MhaMoxTC3xZB67-NJxhvevzInCOXDcHVz4eSLfFMLCY6vLNz1ZEnSebiYFILK3-DwnXM-O1AoLkQIEcnbDSpqJxi-POG8UeJgZYp2dugmh/s1600/kathleenblog+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGUp3tGySwyailFUdTP8_FcMMG26prcTiq4MhaMoxTC3xZB67-NJxhvevzInCOXDcHVz4eSLfFMLCY6vLNz1ZEnSebiYFILK3-DwnXM-O1AoLkQIEcnbDSpqJxi-POG8UeJgZYp2dugmh/s400/kathleenblog+006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The dough had to knead and rise for a total of 1 hour 30 minutes in the machine, then I was able to roll it onto a jelly roll pan, put on the toppings, and let her bake. I think that's about as easy as it gets. Oh, the things I can make with this bread maker now...</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><.post {background: url(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/carolynnreynolds/PostDivider.png);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: bottom left;margin:.5em 0 2em;border-bottom:0px dotted $bordercolor;padding-bottom:6em;</div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17340714674200275406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8236322031846682982.post-30146348027777446722011-01-01T23:03:00.000-05:002011-01-04T11:43:28.780-05:00To Start Things Off...<div class="MsoNormal">I’ve decided to join the blogging world, why not? I have a crazy obsession with baking, and cooking, although mostly baking. It’s become a daily habit of mine to check different blogs and websites, so I’m going to give this a go! Although I have an insane sweet tooth, I do love eating and cooking healthy, fresh meals and staying active. I will be posting and sharing thoughts on recipes mostly, but also on all of the loves of my life! </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><.post {background: url(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/carolynnreynolds/PostDivider.png);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: bottom left;margin:.5em 0 2em;border-bottom:0px dotted $bordercolor;padding-bottom:6em;</div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17340714674200275406noreply@blogger.com0