2/26/10

Cupcake Crazy!!!

We had to make cupcakes for YW New Beginnings program
so we tried some new ones. Our theme was Frogs (fully Rely On God)
so we made some of those also. The tops were white icing with
green sugar and apple gummy rings cut in half with a junior mint in the
middle cut in half for the eyes.

Above ones were spice cake mix with one small can of pumpkin and 2 eggs mix
and cook the same as regularly.
These were the BEST
Lemon Lime Cakes with a Lemon Lime Drizzle
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 TBL. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. lime zest
1 TBL. lemon zest
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 almond extract
1/2 cup plain yogurt
Drizzle:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
lemon and lime juice
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy scraping sides.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between additions. Add lemon
lime juice and zests, (I added more) vanilla and almond extract
and yogurt. Mix just until combined and creamy(scraping). Slowly
add the flour mixture and mix just until combined. put in cupcake
papers 2/3 full. Bake at 350* for 15-17 min. or baked through.
Let cool combine powdered sugar and enough lemon and lime
juice to make a nice consistency for the drizzle. Drizzle over
cupcakes and garnish with lemon and lime zest.
Makes about 12 cakes.

CHOCOLATE LOVERS CUPCAKES
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven 350*. Line 12 cup muffin tin.

Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder
and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar
until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each,
then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in
two batches, alternating low speed, add four mixture in two batches,
alternating with sour cream beginning and ending with flour.

Pour batter into cups, filling each 1/3 full then we drizzled maybe
a 1 TBL. of sweetened condensed milk on top of the batter then
repeat with 1/3 more of batter makes them moist and pudding-y.
Bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean, 20 to 25 min.
Cool in pan 5 min. transfer to wire rack to cool then spread
with icing or we just sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

1 white cake mix
1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 eggs
2-3 drops red food coloring

mix cook in muffin tins for about 15-18 min don't overcook.
Make a frosting of powdered sugar and lemonade concentrate
to the right consistency, frost.

2/14/10

Happy Valentines Day!

Sorry a little late but here's a good recipe for your file

Grandma Doll's Valentine Cookie Recipe


Ingredients

1 Cup shortening
2 Cups sugar
2 eggs
1 Cup sour cream
1 Tsp. vanilla
1/2 Tsp. soda
1/2 Tsp. salt
4 Tsp. baking powder
4 1/2 Cups flour
3/4 Cup nuts (optional)

  1. Cream shortening and sugar,
  2. Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla
  3. Stir in remaining ingredients
  4. Chill and roll out fairly thick
  5. Cut in heart shapes

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes

* Stefani made these with Carly's kids, they were soft and yummy!

2/7/10

Homemade spinach pasta

Homemade pasta isn't as daunting as it sounds! If you've got a few extra minutes this is a good way to throw in some more veggies to your dinner.

Spinach Pasta:
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 beaten eggs
1/4 c water
1/4 c cooked spinach, well drained and finely chopped


1. In a large bowl stir together 2 cups of the flour and the salt. Make a well in the center. In a small bowl combine eggs, water, spinach and oil. Add to flour mixture, and mix well.
2. Sprinkle counter with remaining 3/4 c flour. Knead dough until smooth and elastic. (8-10 min)
Cover and let rest for 10 min.
3. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion out until about 1/16 in thick. (go thinner than you think, they plump up in the water.)
4. Cut with a pizza cutter to desired length and size.
5. Cook in boiling water for about 2-3 min.

We added ours to chicken noodle soup, which made it very tasty!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup:
2 chicken breasts cooked, chopped or shredded (reserve water for the soup)
2-3 carrots, celery stalks, and red potatoes chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 carton or 2-3 cans of chicken broth

Add noodles when vegetables are done!

2/6/10

Yummy Healthy Bran Flax Muffins



Flaxseed Meal Facts.......high in fiber 4 grams per 2TBL serving,
as much fiber as 1 1/2 cups cooked oatmeal. Can help to reduce
LDL the bad cholesterol. You can substitute for shortening or
cooking oil at a ratio of 3 to 1 in baked goods. Example-1-1/2 cups
of flaxseed meal can replace 1/2 cup butter, marg. or oil in a recipe.
Its also full of omega 3s the plant version. But I have heard that
omega levels go down when cooked. You can sprinkle it on oatmeal
after its cooked. Baked foods with flaxseed tend to brown more rapidly.
They were very good and moist, But watch out thats a lot of FIBER.

1-1/2 c wheat flour
3/4 c flaxseed Meal
3/4 c Oat Bran
1c brown sugar (I used 1/2 cup honey and it was fine)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 c Carrots shredded
2 Apples shredded
1/2 raisins or crasins
1 cup chopped nuts
3/4 c milk
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together flour, flaxseed, bran, soda, b. powder, salt and cinnamon.
Stir in carrots, apples, raisins, nuts and honey. Combine milk, eggs,
and vanilla. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until
moistened. DO NOT OVER MIX. Fill sprayed muffin tins 3/4 full
Bake 350* for 15-20 minutes watch them. makes about 20
you can let them cool and wrap and freeze them.