Spooky Brownies

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! After the days of trick-or-treating came to an end, my enthusiasm for Halloween began to quickly dwindle. I wasn't a part of the crowd that made a big to-do and went to Halloween parties as a teen. Hell, I don't even remember a Halloween until maybe 5 years ago. I discovered these adorable little guys maybe 7 years ago, and they are what I look forward to every year. Frankestein is especially cute, don't you think??

Spooky Brownies

Source: Betty Crocker

Ingredients

• 1 box Fudge Brownie mix
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cup rich & creamy white frosting
• Green, red, & blue food colors
• 16 large marshmallows
• Miniature M&M's
• Black decorating gels
• 1 roll red fruit roll-ups
• Sour gummy worms

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of 8-inch or 9-inch square pan with cooking spray or shortening. Make brownies as directed on box. Cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows, making 16 brownies.
2. Divide frosting among 3 small microwavable bowls. Heat frosting as needed: microwave 1 bowl uncovered on High about 10 seconds until frosting can be stirred smooth. If frosting becomes too firm while decorating, microwave on High an additional 5 seconds; stir.
3. Decorate as directed below, using 5 or 6 brownies for each bowl of frosting.
4. Franken-Brownies Add 3 drops green food color to frosting in 1 bowl; mix well. Top each of 6 brownies with 1 large marshmallow. Spoon 1 tablespoon green frosting over each marshmallow to coat. Decorate with green baking bits for eyes and ears. Use black gel for mouths and centers of eyes. Cut fruit snack to use for hair.
   Boo-Brownies Top each of 5 brownies with 1 large marshmallow. Spoon 1 tablespoon white frosting over each marshmallow to coat. Use black gel for eyes and mouths.
   Spider Brownies Add 2 drops pink food color and 1 drop blue food color to frosting in 1 bowl; mix well. Top each of 5 brownies with 1 large marshmallow. Tuck gummy worms candies under each marshmallow for legs. Spoon 1 tablespoon purple frosting over each marshmallow to coat. Use orange baking bits for eyes. Use black gel for mouths, centers of eyes and eyebrows.

Spicy Citrus Shrimp Tacos with Southwest Avocado Cream Sauce

On my cooking board recently I've seen several versions of spicy shrimp tacos circulating, and since I love shrimp and I love spicy food (and the pictures were so fabulous!), I knew I had to try them. The problem I had though, was that the ingredients all looked great and I couldn't decide which to try first. So, instead of choosing, I went ahead and adapted the recipes I'd seen to make a new one!! Other than the marinating time (which isn't very long due to citrus "cooking" the shrimp if it's in it for very long), it only takes a few minutes to prep and cook. Quick, easy weeknight dinner. You all know how I love those!!

The citrus flavors don't come through very strong, but the overall taste of the shrimp was great! Not too spicy and just a hint of citrus, and the southwest avocado sauce - yum!! Overall the tacos are very refreshing - definitely give them a try if you are a shrimp lover!

Aren't they just too pretty??

Spicy Citrus Shrimp Tacos with Southwest Avocado Cream Sauce

Inspired by and Adapted from Pink Parsley and Divine Bite

Ingredients

·         Juice of 1 orange

·         Juice of 1 lemon

·         Juice of 1 lime

·         2 tsp paprika

·         1 ½ tsp salt

·         ½ tsp pepper

·         1 tsp honey

·         1 tsp ground cumin

·         2 tsp garlic powder

·         1 tsp onion powder

·         1 tsp chili powder

·         1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

·         ½ tsp red pepper flakes

·         1 lb tail-off shrimp, peeled and deveined

·         1 avocado, sliced

·         ½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

·         1 cup lettuce, shredded

·         8-10 flour tortillas

·         Lime wedges for garnish

Preparation

1.       In a blender or food processor, mix together all ingredients above the shrimp until smooth.

2.       Place shrimp in a plastic bag or bowl, pour the mixture over the shrimp and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.

3.       Meanwhile, prepare the sauce (directions below) and slice avocado and tomatoes, and set aside.

4.        If you have a grill, skewer the shrimp, and grease the grates, then cook for 1-3 minutes per side until done. If you don’t have a grill you can use a George Foreman grill or cook without the skewers in a skillet for the same amount of time.

5.       Heat tortillas over grill or pan on the stove. Place shrimp in the tortilla and top with sauce, avocado, tomato and lettuce. Enjoy!!

Southwest Avocado Cream Sauce

Ingredients

·      1 cup sour cream

·      1 garlic clove, minced

·      1 tsp chili powder

·      ½ tsp cumin

·      ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

·      ¼ tsp salt

·      Juice of 1 lime

·      1 small avocado

·      ¼ tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

Foodbuzz Tastemaker: Steak & Potato Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

You may have noticed that I have been M.I.A. for the past week, and that is because I have been moving into my new place. I am not a fan of moving, especially into a smaller place and trying to find storage for all of my kitchen gear... But nonetheless, I have finally gotten situated enough that I was able to actually cook a meal last night!! It wasn't anything too fancy as I am still in the process of unpacking (which I loathe), but I made a nice little salad that was tasty and filling.

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I was given 1 bottle of  Marzetti Simly Dressed salad dressing, my choice, of which I selected the Pomegranate dressing. I wasn't sure at first what I would do with it, but I had come across a recipe for a steak & potato salad and thought it would be interesting to modify it and use a fruity dressing. I was unsure how it would turn out, but it sounded good, and thankfully the pomegranate flavor went well with the steak. The dressing was a little creamy which was a nice change from a regular fruit vinaigrette - even though I love a vinaigrette! The salad itself is hearty enough for an entree and probably even acceptable for a man meal!

Steak & Potato Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

Adapted from Pampered Chef: Simply Fresh, Simply Healthy

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless ribeye steak
• 1 Tbsp of olive oil
• 1 lb petite golden or fingerling potatoes
• 3 cups of spring salad mix
• 1 cup cherry or plum tomatoes
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• salt & pepper to taste
• Marzetti Simply Dressed Pomegranate dressing

Preparation

1. Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Cook for 13-15 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, trim the steak of any fat and sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook steak 3-5 minutes per side, to desired doneness. Remove to a cutting board and allow to sit for a few minutes.
3. While the steak is resting, cut the tomatoes into quarters. and place spring mix onto plates.
4. Slice the steak in 1/4 inch pieces against the grain. Divide the potatoes, steak and tomatoes among the plates of spring mix, and drizzle with the pomegranate dressing.

What's Baking - Pumpkin Cookies with Browned Butter Icing

Ah, yes...Fall is here, and thus Pumpkin-flavored everything are emerging in kitchens across America. Mine is no different. Tonight is my last night at T's house, and since Mr. T loves cookies so much, I figured that I better make him one last batch as part of my thanks for them letting me stay at their house for the past few weeks. Tomorrow I will move into my apartment and start the adventure of living alone for the first time in my 31 years. Mr. T has promised to show up at my door at 9:45 every night looking for cookies, and while I doubt he will follow through on that threat promise, I'm sure he will still get cookies, along with my co-workers since I will have to distribute all my holiday baked goodies somewhere!!

This month's What's Baking theme, hosted by Ange of The Tiny Tyrant's Kitchen, was Fall flavors, and as stated above, Pumpkin seems to be a prominent flavor in Fall baked goods. I've made these cookies several times over the past couple of years, and my co-workers absolutely adore them. I knew as soon as I saw the theme that these would be making an early appearance in the oven. As usual they came out moist and sweet! The frosting can be a bit much if you aren't into super-sweet cookies, and fortunately the cookies are great with or without it, so you can do like I do and frost half and leave half frosting-free! Thanks Ange for a great intro to Fall!!

Pumpkin Cookies with Browned Butter Icing

Source: Betty Crocker

Ingredients

Cookies

·         2/3 cup granulated sugar

·         2/3 cup packed brown sugar

·         3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

·         1 teaspoon vanilla

·         1 cup (from 15-oz can) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

·         2 eggs

·         2 1/4 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

·         1 teaspoon baking soda

·         1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

Browned Butter Frosting

·         3 cups powdered sugar

·         1 teaspoon vanilla

·         3 to 4 tablespoons milk

·         1/3 cup butter (do not use margarine or spread; it will burn)

Preparation

1.       Heat oven to 375°F.

2.    In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, 3/4 cup butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until well blended. Beat in pumpkin and eggs until well mixed. On low speed, beat in flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

3.    On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls.

4.    Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched in center. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.

5.    In medium bowl, place powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 3 tablespoons milk. In 1-quart saucepan, heat 1/3 cup butter over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until light brown.

6.    Pour browned butter over powdered sugar mixture. Beat on low speed about 1 minute or until smooth. Gradually add just enough of the remaining 1 tablespoon milk to make frosting creamy and spreadable. Generously frost cooled cookies.

Recipe Swap: Zuppa Toscana

Fall is being especially reluctant to show itself here in Texas, but the fall recipes are flying around the blogosphere as if it were already 60 degrees outside. And, in parts of the country it is, just not in my part ;) Nevertheless, I was excited that the theme for this week's recipe swap was soups/stews. It may not be cold weather yet, but adding a new soup recipe to the index is never a bad thing! I received this recipe from Ashley of Cheese Curd in Paradise. It's a soup that is served at Olive Garden, which means it can't be anything but delicious!

And, in my favor, the night that I decide to make this turns out to be a night that a "cold front" is blowing through my neck of the woods! High of 75, low of 47 - now that's soup weather!! It was easy to prepare, didn't take a lot of time, and was perfectly flavored! I will admit that I was extremely nervous about using Kale. You see, I'd never cooked with or eaten kale before, so I had no idea what it tasted like. I was very close to substituting Spinach in it's place, but decided that I should at least try it the original way. I wasn't disappointed. While the texture of kale was new to me, it didn't have a bad taste, which was my concern. I will definitely be making this soup again come Winter weather, and I highly suggest you try it as well!

Zuppa Toscana

Source: Cheese Curd in Paradise

Ingredients

• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 lb potatoes, peeled and diced about 1/4-1/2 inch thick
• 3 strips of bacon, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pint cream
• 1/4 bunch kale, ripped into bite size pieces
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 tsp olive oil

Preparation

1. Saute bacon and garlic in olive oil and butter.
2. When bacon is fragrant and cooked down some, add broth and water.
3. Bring liquid to a simmer, and add potatoes.
4. While potatoes are cooking, brown sausage in a separate skillet.
5. When potatoes are tender, add sausage, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Reduce heat.
6. Add kale and cream. Stir well, and allow soup to cook for about 5 minutes.

Cake Decorating

As a kid, I remember sitting in my Granny's kitchen while she baked cakes waiting for the beaters or the bowl to lick when she was done making her homemade icing. And when she was feeling especially generous, which she usually was, she'd give me and my brothers (and cousins if they were there) a small bowl of frosting all to ourselves. Of course we could never finish it because even though it was a small bowl, it was practically pure sugar! My Grandma was one of the best old-school cake decorators that I've ever known. My brothers once had a Darth Vader cake, and I remember the Tweety Bird cake she made for my 4th birthday, brought to my daycare to share with my friends. I'm very fortunate to still have Granny around, but age and arthritis have rendered her unable to make her beautiful cakes anymore. I waited just a little too long to develop any real interest in cooking and baking, and I moved a few hours away on top of it, so I didn't get the opportunity to learn cake decorating from the one woman whose cake decorating shoes I could only dream of trying to fill some day.

Nonetheless, my interest in baking and in being able to create beautiful cakes and other desserts has flourished, and my bestie, T, enrolled me in a cake decorating class as a birthday gift. You see why I love her? It was a three hour class dedicated solely to decorating this cake...three hours!! That didn't include baking the cake or making the icing...just decorating. Sheesh. What was I thinking?? I kid, I kid. Though I should have thought to eat breakfast first, and my hands protested at having to hold and squeeze the icing bag for so long, I had a wonderful time and I think my cake turned out pretty cute. Not perfect by any means, but pretty darn good for a first-timer!! Some of my grape bunches and border fell off during travel, but hey...we'll blame that on the bumps and temperature :)

This was the first of many classes I hope to take in the future, and hopefully you will see the improvements as they come along!

Daring Cooks: Moo Shu Pork

The October Daring Cooks' Challenge was hosted by Shelley of C Mom Cook and her sister Ruth of The Crafts of Mommyhood. They challenged us to bring a taste of the East into our home kitchens by making our own Moo Shu, including thin pancakes, stir fry and sauce.

The great thing about the Daring Cooks group, is that it challenges the members (namely, me) to cook things out of our comfort zone. Now, Asian food is not at all out of my comfort zone, but I've never had, or even seen, Moo Shu before. Much less the thin pancakes to roll it in. So yes, I was a little nervous and intimidated by it all, and the pancakes were definitely a bit of a challenge to perfect, but in the end it was a delicious meal that I have already been instructed by Mr. T that I will have to come back over and make for him again.

Because of my fight with the pancakes, it took me about 2+ hours overall from start to finish to complete the meal and considering I had been sick with a stomach bug the day before and wasn't 100% in the energy department, it was a bit daunting. However, the end result was well worth the time it took me to get it right. Keep in mind, it was not a flaw or fault of the recipe, but rather the cook (uh, that would be me). I blame it on the sickness. Yeah, let's go with that. Anywho...I highly suggest you Asian food-lovers give this a try!! You'll be so proud of yourselves and get a fantastic meal to boot!

Moo Shu Pork (with thin pancakes & hoisin sauce)
Source: The Chinese Kitchen by Deh-Ta Hsiung

Thin Pancakes:

Makes 24-30 pancakes

Ingredients

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• About 1½ cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• Dry flour for dusting

Preparation

1. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Gently pour in the water, stirring as you pour, then stir in the oil. Knead the mixture into a soft but firm dough. If your dough is dry, add more water, one tablespoon at a time, to reach the right consistency. Cover with a damp towel and let stand for about 30 minutes.
2. Lightly dust the surface of a worktop with dry flour. Knead the dough for 6-8 minutes or until smooth, then divide into 3 equal portions. Roll out each portion into a long sausage and cut each sausage into 8-10 pieces. Keep the dough that you are not actively working with covered with a lightly damp dish cloth to keep it from drying out.
3. Roll each piece into a ball, then, using the palm of your hand, press each piece into a flat pancake. Dust the worktop with more dry flour. Flatten each pancake into a 6 to 8 inch (15 cm to 20 cm) circle with a rolling pin, rolling gently on both sides.
4. Place an un-greased frying pan over high heat. Once the pan is hot, lower the heat to low and place the pancakes, one at a time, in the pan. Remove when little light-brown spots appear on the underside. Cover with a damp cloth until ready to serve.

Moo Shu Pork:

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup Dried black fungus ('wood ears')
• ½ lb pork loin or butt
• ¾ cup bamboo shoots, thinly cut
• 3 cups Chinese cabbage (Napa cabbage), thinly cut
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 scallions
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons rice wine
• A few drops sesame oil
• 12 thin pancakes to serve

Preparation

1. Soak the fungus in warm water for 10-15 minutes, rinse and drain. Discard any hard stalks, then thinly shred.
2. Thinly cut the pork, bamboo shoots and Chinese cabbage into matchstick-sized shreds.
3. Lightly beat the eggs with a pinch of salt.
4. Heat about 1 tablespoon oil in a preheated wok and scramble the eggs until set, but not too hard. Remove and keep to one side.
5. Heat the remaining oil. Stir-fry the shredded pork for about 1 minute or until the color changes. Add the fungus, bamboo shoots, Chinese cabbage and scallions. Stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes, then add the remaining salt, soy sauce and wine. Blend well and continue stirring for another 2 minutes. Add the scrambled eggs, stirring to break them into small bits. Add the sesame oil and blend well.
6. To serve: place about 1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce on the warm pancake, top with 2 tablespoons of hot Moo Shu in the center, rolling it into a parcel with the bottom end turned up to prevent the contents from falling out. Eat with your fingers.

Hoisin Sauce:
Source: Epicurian

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter OR black bean paste
• 1 tablespoon honey OR molasses
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 20 drops Chinese style hot sauce (optional, depending on how hot you want your hoisin sauce)
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

Simply mix all of the ingredients together by hand using a sturdy spoon.
At first it does not appear like it will mix, but keep at it just a bit longer and your sauce will come together.

Saffron & Asparagus Risotto

It wasn't very long ago that I made risotto for the first time. And I've been in love ever since. I will admit that I was a bit intimidated by the process at first, and I don't make it often because of the time it takes, but I enjoy it so much when I do make it. I like to consider it a special side dish, and it's a treat wheneven I get to eat it. When I opened up the Pampered Chef Eat Fresh, Eat Healthy cookbook, this was the first recipe and I almost drooled on the page! Risotto with a hint of saffron and asparagus?!?! Yes, please and thank you!! I paired it with the Cracker-Crusted Chicken and it made a refreshing meal.

You should definitely add this to your menu for your next Risotto treat :)

Saffron & Asparagus Risotto

Source: Pampered Chef - Make It Fresh, Make It Healthy

Ingredients

• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 tsp saffron threads
• 3 medium shallots
• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 lb fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and into 1-in pieces
• 2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated, divided
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 oz reduced-fat cream cheese

Preparation

1. Bring broth and saffron to a simmer over medium heat in a 1 1/2 quart saucepan. Reduce heat to low.
2. Meanwhile, finely chop shallots. Heat oil in a skillet, add shallots and cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
3. Add rice, cook and stir for 1 minute or until rice is evenly coated with oil.
4. Add the wine and cook 3-4 minutes or until the wine is absorbed, stirring frequently.
5. Using a ladle, pour 1/2 cup of broth into the skillet and cook 2-3 minutes, or until the broth is absorbed, stirring constantly.
6. Repeat this process 4 more times, leaving you with 1/2 cup of the broth left.
7. Add the last 1/2 cup of broth, the asparagus, 1/3 cup of Parmesan, salt & pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes until the asparagus is crisp tender, stirring occasionally.
8. Remove skillet from the heat, add cream cheese and stir until incorporated.
9. Sprinkle Parmesan on top and serve!

Secret Recipe Club: Cheesy Dill Bread

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned The Daily Dish blog that is featured on the Better Recipes website. Kristina has a lot of great recipes featured on this site, and when I ran across a recipe for bread made with cheese and dill - I knew I had to try it! The use of Bisquick makes the prep work super easy, and the end result was a moist, cheesy dill loaf of bread! I took it to work (big surprise, I know) and even though it wasn't a sweet treat, I heard nothing but great things about it. I will say that I attempted to make a grilled cheese sandwich using this bread and it, unfortunately, did not work very well for me, maybe due to baking time, difference in the cheese I used, or a number of other factors since it did seem to work beautifully for Kristina. BUT the bread itself was wonderful! 

Cheesy Dill Bread

Source: The Daily Dish

Ingredients 

• 3 cups Bisquick
• 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar, grated
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp dill weed
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine Bisquick, cheese, and sugar. In another bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and mix well.
3. Stir liquid mixture into dry mixture, blending thoroughly to remove lumps. Turn batter into prepared pan and bake until golden, about 40 minutes. 

Recipe Swap: Apple Butter Pound Cake

The theme for this week's recipe swap was Apple or Pumpkin, and I received this recipe for Apple Butter Pound Cake from Rachel at Fall In Love. It was a little challenging to find the Apple Butter, but once I did this cake was easy to make, turned out very moist and delicious! I love apples, and this was a wonderful new way to use them in a dessert.

Apple Butter Pound Cake

Source: Fall in Love, as seen on Our Share of the Harvest, as adapted from Martha Stewart's Classic Pound Cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2/3 c sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup apple butter
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 apple peeled and chopped

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 330 degrees F.  Grease one 9x 5 loaf pan.  
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt and set aside.  
3. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar for a full 8 minutes. It should be very light in color and fluffy in texture.  
4. Beat in vanilla extract and apple butter until thoroughly combined.  
5. Crack eggs into a small bowl and beat slightly. Add in increments to the butter mixture, beating to combine after each addition.  
6. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in increments, beating only until just combined after each addition.
7. Fold in apple pieces. Spoon batter into prepared pan, tapping to release bubbles and smoothing the top.
8. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Peanut Butter-Banana-Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Mr. T has become quite spoiled the last couple of weeks, and a bit demanding of my cookies it seems. After dinner earlier this week, he asked me what was for dessert. He doesn't want store-bought cookies, he wants "Jaida cookies". Now, how could I turn down a request like that?? T told me that I'm too nice, and Mr. T said that when I move into my apartment in a couple of weeks, he's going to show up at 9:45 every night looking for cookies. I'm glad that I could do something during my time here to help them out and make the Mr's tummy happy, too. We had talked casually about me making some peanut butter-banana cookies some days before this request, so I went in search of a quick recipe I could whip up. I found one that looked simple, and as I saw a bag of chocolate chunks in the pantry, I decided to throw some of those into the mix as well. Mr. T was pleased with the results, and that I had given in to his request at nearly 9 pm.



Peanut Butter-Banana-Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Adapted from Cooks.com

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c. peanut butter
• 2 c. brown sugar
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. butter, softened
• 2 small bananas
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 c. flour
• 2 cups chocolate chunks

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheet(s) with foil or parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream both sugars and butter. Add peanut butter, and mix until combined.
3. Break up bananas and mix in until there are no lumps.
4. Mix in salt, baking powder, then add flour.
5. Drop by the tablespoonful onto cookie sheets and bake for 12 minutes, or until slightly set and beginning to brown on the edges.
6. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes before removing to cooling racks.

**Use your judgement on cooking time, if cookies seem too soft still, allow them to cook for an additional minute at a time until slightly set. It is important to allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes to allow them to set a bit more, and prevent falling apart when you try to move them to the cooling rack.

Cracker-Crusted Chicken

In the world of busy households, parents are always on the lookout for quick dinner solutions that don't involve fast food drive-thrus. Well, I couldn't provide a better option than this recipe unless I drove it over to your house!! Start to finish this took me about 15 minutes to prepare...how many meals do you know of that can be prepared that quickly that don't come from a box or the freezer?? And the extra bonus? It actually has flavor!! That's right, it's quick, only has a few ingredients, and it tastes good too!! Hallelujah, dinner is saved!! 

Cracker-Crusted Chicken

Source: Pampered Chef - Make It Fresh, Make It Healthy

Ingredients

• 18 low-sodium butter-flavored crackers, crushed
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Tbsp light miracle whip or mayo
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp canola oil

Preparation

1. Place cracker crumbs in a shallow glass dish and microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.
2. Pound chicken to 1/2 inch thickness. Brush with mayo and season with salt & pepper. Dredge chicken in crackers crumbs, pressing to completely coat.
3. Heat oil 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Cook chicken 3-4 minutes per side or until centers are no longer pink.

Salmon & Pasta with Cream Sauce

A couple of weeks ago I did a major clean out of the pantry, fridge and freezer and took inventory of the items that were left, so that I could start using up what was there before I move. I had a good bit of pasta, and a can of salmon, among other things. Other than throwing it on a salad, I've never used canned salmon before, so I went out to search for recipes I could use it in. Surprisingly to me, I found quite a few, but decided that mixing it with pasta and cream sauce was the way to go. It reminded me a little of tuna casserole, but it tasted really good!! Of course this could be made with fresh or frozen salmon too, but I was happy with the result and I got to use a couple of items out of the pantry!

Salmon & Pasta with Cream Sauce
Adapted from cdkitchen

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups farfalle pasta
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 can salmon
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• minced Parsley for garnish

Preparation

1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add cream, reduce heat to low and simmer about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add salmon, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Simmer until cheese is melted and salmon is heated through, about 2 minutes. Do not boil!
4. Drain pasta and place in a bowl. Pour sauce over the pasta, add parsley and toss to mix.

Foodbuzz Tastemaker: Orange Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding (Bauducco Panettone)

As part of the FoodBuzz Tastemaker Program, I received two loaves of Bauducco Panettone specialty breads. Since I am a lover of chocolate, the chocolate chip loaf drew my attention the most, and one of the included recipes was for Bread Pudding, which looked too good to pass up! I tasted the bread itself first, and it was so delicious! There was a hint of orange in the bread, and that brought out the flavor of the chocolate even more. I'd never made bread pudding before, so I was anxious to taste the finished product.

Oh.My.God. It was too good for words. All of the flavors came together so well...the chocolate, the orange zest, and THE RUM :) If you like bread pudding - or hell, even if you don't think you do - you should definitely give this recipe a try!!

Panettone Chocolate Chip Orange Bread Pudding

Source: Bauducco Panettone

Ingredients

• 6 oz Baudcco Panettone Chocolate Chip (about 8 slices)
• 2 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup dark rum
• 1/4 cup Marsala wine
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp grated orange zest (I used zest from a whole, large orange)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a shallow 3-qt baking dish. Layer the panettone slices in the baking dish.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the milk and sugar. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and add cream, rum, and Marsala.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the egg, orange zest, and cinnamon. Slowly stir in the milk mixture. Pour the combined mixture over the panettone and press the pieces down so they are submerged in the liquid. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
4. Place the baking dish into a larger roasting pan, and pour hot water 1-inch deep around the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean, and top is golden.