Coconut Cupcakes

Are you ready for a big secret?

Are you sure?

I used a box mix to make these. You don't always have to make something from scratch for it to be delicious or impressive. There were a lot of extra steps to upgrade these beauties, but it is so worth it. I start off with a normal, but good quality brand white cake box mix (I used Betty Crocker because that is what I had) then add a bunch of special yummy ingredients. Lots of coconut, a filling, a frosting, some decoration and voila. A coconut cloud of yummy dreams. I made them for a co-worker's birthday and they were hailed as the best she's ever had.

Coconut Cupcakes

1 box White Cake Mix

3 Eggs

 *Coconut Milk
**Butter, melted
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

*Substitute Coconut Milk for the amount of Water the box calls for.
**Substitute Butter for the amount of Oil the box calls for.

Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare cupcake tins. Sift the cake mix--tedious, yes, but well worth the effort. Add the remaining ingredients and beat on medium for two minutes. Scoop batter into tins, 3/4 of the way full. Once all of the batter is scooped out you can add the filling. Bake according to box directions, or around 15-18 minutes. Best practice is to keep an eye on them and use a toothpick, just make sure not to stick your toothpick into the filling.

Coconut Filling

1 bag Shredded Coconut

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Mix together. Scoop a tablespoon of mixture on top of filled cupcake batter, pushing down slightly. 

Coconut Frosting

1 stick Butter, softened

2 Tbsp Coconut Milk

1 tsp Coconut Flavoring

1/2 bag Powdered Sugar

Whip the butter. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until just combined. If the frosting is too dry/stiff/thick and a bit more coconut milk. If the frosting is too runny/soft/wet add more powdered sugar. If not using the frosting immediately cover the bowl with a damp cloth. Frost the cupcakes once they have cooled completely and your toasted coconut is ready. Frost the cupcakes and dip into the coconut right after. If you wait too long the frosting may have hardened and not allow the coconut to stick. 

Toasted Coconut

1 bag Shredded Coconut

There are a few ways to toast your coconut. I stuck half a bag in a frying pan and put it over medium heat. I stirred it around until I was happy with the color, about 5 minutes. Keep a watchful eye on it as it can quickly burn. Once you have it where you want it, let it cool completely or else you might melt your frosting. Once it has cooled completely, put the toasted coconut in a bowl, frost your cupcakes, and dip them into the toasted coconut, or sprinkle the coconut onto the cupcakes. 

Enjoy!

Chocolate Snickers Cake

My wonderful Mother celebrated a birthday on the last of June. I won't tell you which one because I don't want to get in trouble, but no one who didn't know her would guess her age correctly because she looks so terrifically splendid for her age and I have luckily inherited that gene. Along with the young looking genes, my dear Mother also passed down to me a deep love of chocolate. So when I asked her what she wanted for her birthday dessert I was not surprised in the slightest to her that she wanted something really chocolaty--maybe a Snickers cake. Here was my solution. 

Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and carmel and snickers to decorate the top. Perfect.

P.S. Please excuse the mess in the background, and yes, my

serving tray is my pizza stone.  Nothing else was big enough around. 

I got the recipe off of the Hershey's Coaco box. The cake and frosting recipe are on there. I've always wanted a chocolate cake recipe that was just as easy as a box recipe, tasted great, and was a little bit denser than a normal cake--not super light and airy. This recipe is exactly that. The end result is the perfect combination of dense, almost brownie like deliciously chocolate richness. So good. I made it for dessert at my in-laws and they scarfed it down. It always amazes me how much teenage boys can eat but they set a new standard when they each ate a couple pieces and still wanted more.

Chocolate Cake
2 cups Sugar
1 3/4 cup Flour
3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp salt
2 Eggs
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Oil
2 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Water, boiling


Preheat oven to 350 and put a pot of water on to boil. Grease well two 9-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment papers. Stir together ingredients sugar through salt in a large bowl. Add eggs through vanilla and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in the cup of boiling water--mixture will be very thin. Pour evenly into the tins and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool a bit, loosen the edges and turn out the cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.


Chocolate Buttercream 
6 Tbsp Butter, softened
2 2/3 cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup Cocoa
1/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and mix until just combined. If the mixture seems too dry/thick/stiff add a tiny bit more cream. If the mixture is too runny add a bit more powdered sugar.


Toppings:
Caramel Sauce
1 bag fun size Snickers, cut into chunks


When the cakes have completely cooled, level them. Place a dollop of frosting on a cake board to keep the bottom round of cake in place. Drizzle the bottom round of cake with the caramel sauce. Place a layer of Snickers chunks on the caramel then add half the buttercream and spread out to the edges. Place the top round of cake on the buttercream. Add a layer of caramel sauce, the remaining buttercream frosting then the Snickers chunks. A final drizzle of caramel finishes the cake. I like to let that last drizzle go over the edges and run down the sides. Enjoy!

 The recipe itself is pretty easy. My tip is to stick to it. I know, not really a tip, but I usually never stick to recipes exactly. You really do need to grease and flour your tins really well though if you want them to come out. I could have used a bit more grease and flour and would have then saved one of the sides of my cakes. Good thing chocolate frosting is a great glue for cake.

Needless to say, it was a big hit. Now I don't mean to be cocky. My biggest fear is that I make something and people don't like it. My wonderful husband knows just how much an underwhelming reception of my food crushes my confidence so he's always very dramatically positive. The best is when we got to my mom's house with the cake. All the grandkids were jumping up and down and the adults oohed and ahed. My nephew Boyd (age 3) wanted to sing Happy Birthday to Grandma as soon as he saw the cake, so he led every one in a verse of "Happy Birthday to Grandma." As soon as we finished the song he expected cake right then and there. He was very disappointed to find out that just because you sing the song doesn't mean you get the cake. Unfortunately you have to eat dinner first. Those cruel parents.

Pizza

Here it is.

The recipe everyone always asks for.

Pizza

1 cup water, lukewarm*

2 Tbsp Yeast (dry, active)

1 Tbsp Sugar

1/4 cup Oil

3-4 cups Flour

1 tsp Salt

Optional:

1 Tbsp Basil

1 Tbsp Parsley

1 tsp Pepper

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Onion Powder

Toppings:

Cheese, Pesto, Sauce, Oil, Pepperoni, Sausage, Ham, Tomatoes, Olives, Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms, Basil, Jalapenos...

Cornmeal

My Pizza is never a perfect circle, but that just adds to the rustic charm of it. 

Place water, yeast and sugar in a bowl and mix. Let stand 1-2 minutes until mixture is bubbly. Add in oil, 3 cups of flour and salt. If you would like to flavor your crust with the optionals, add those in as well. Mix together to form a sticky dough. If you need to add more flour go ahead, every time is different due to humidity and what not. When you feel you have a dough you can manage, turn it out onto a floured surface. Knead the bread, adding more flour if necessary, until you have a nice, smooth and elastic dough that should no longer be sticky--about 5 minutes kneading. Return the dough back to the bowl, cover with a towel and place in a warm dry place to rise--1-2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400. Once the dough has doubled in size, or come close to it, punch it down and knead it again on the table for a bit till its a nice smooth dough. Divide the dough into your pizza crusts, leaving one out to work with and putting the rest back under a towel. Roll out the dough to your desired thickness and shape. Transfer the crust to whatever you are going to cook it on in the oven; I like to use a sprinkle of cornmeal to keep the dough from sticking after its been baked. Top your dough then toss it in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust has hardened. Different thicknesses of dough will call for differences in cooking times--my thin crusts usually take no more than 10 minutes.

For this pizza I used half whole wheat flour. It was yummy, couldn't really tell. 

Notes:

1. *Lukewarm mean slightly warmer than room temperature, but I would not consider it hot.
2. I pretty much only like thin crust pizza and I can usually get 3 pizzas out of this recipe. I make my pizzas the size of my pizza stone, about 12" diameter.
3. Our favorite topping combinations: {Tomato sauce, mozzarella, jalapenos, pepperoni} {Pesto, mozzarella, sausage, caramelized onions} {Tomato sauce, mozzarella, sausage, pepperoni} {Oil, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil}
4. A pizza stone helps the crust cook evenly and quickly and also helps make it nice and crispy.
5. You can use this basic dough recipe to make lots of other yummy things; rolls, calzones, bread...
6. We make a lot of pizza. The more you try it, the better you'll get at making the dough and finding what toppings you like, and really be able to make it your own and have fun with it. We've made stuffed crust and a mexican inspired pizza and so many topping combinations I don't even remember half.
7. Please, do not put pineapple on my pizza.

I think this is another half whole wheat flour pizza.

Mac & Cheese

I became a little child today around lunch time. I decided to make Mac & Cheese, switching out the macaroni for shells, adding sausage, 3 yummy cheeses and in general heightening the whole dish to an adult level. My first bite made me feel like an oh so sophisticated 6 year old.

Mac & Cheese

1 box Pasta

3 Tbsp Butter

4 Tbsp Flour
2-3 cups Milk

1/2 Onion, finely diced

1 clove Garlic, minced

1/4 cup Parsley chopped

2 Tbsp Basil, chopped
Salt and Pepper

2 cups Mozzarella, shredded

1 cup Monterey Jack, shredded

4 oz Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 lb Sausage, cooked

1/4 cup Bread Crumbs

Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta and cook according to package instructions while melting the butter in another pot. When the butter has melted, add in the flour and stir until all the lumps are gone. Continue to stir while the flour cooks--if you don't let it bubble a bit, the mixture will taste like flour. After a minute or so, add in milk, a bit at a time and mix until creamy again. The amount of milk you add in will determine how much sauce you end up with--I generally add at least 2 to 2 1/2 cups. Add your onion, garlic, spices and mix. Let simmer away, stirring every so often so as not to let it burn. When the pasta has finished cooking and is drained, add in the cheese to the sauce, withholding 1/2 cup of mozzarella, and mix until it has all melted. Add in the pasta and sausage and mix. Pour the mixture into an oven proof dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese and bread crumbs. Place uncovered in the oven and broil on high for 1-2 minutes. Keep a close eye on the pasta so the bread crumbs don't burn. Serve hot and enjoy.

Orzo Pasta and Sausage

This is by far one of my favorite dinners ever. Orzo pasta and sausage, so simple but soooo good. You can always dress it up and make it more fancy, but I'm usually too impatient for that. I made mini sausage meatballs as a variation on this recipe for a friend's baby shower and they were a big hit. I've always wanted to try freezing leftovers to see how they would do defrosting, but there are never any leftovers. I'm also thinking about attempting a crock pot version, but the original is just so darn easy a crock pot almost defeats the purpose. 

Orzo Pasta with Sausage

1 box Orzo Pasta

 4 qt Chicken Broth

Sausage

2 Tbsp to 1/4 cup Olive Oil

1/4 tsp Onion Powder

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

1 Tbsp dried Basil

2 Tbsp dried Parsley

Salt and Pepper

Romano Cheese

(For optional add ins and upgrades see Notes below)

Cook pasta according to package directions, but use chicken broth instead of water, or add chicken bullion to your cooking water. Cook the sausage, keeping the chunks relatively the same size. Drain the sausage of extra grease. When the pasta has finished cooking, set aside a cup or two of the liquid and drain the pasta. Return pasta to the pot and add the sausage. Mix together while adding a couple Tbsp of olive oil. Add more oil and/or leftover cooking liquid until you feel the pasta has been coated enough and does not look too dry (this is all the 'sauce' your getting so don't skimp). Season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve with freshly grated cheese.

Notes:

1. There are lots of things you could do to make this dish fancier--
2. Swap sautéed onions and garlic for the dried powder
3. Use fresh basil, parsley or rosemary instead of the dried stuff
4. Add chopped sun dried tomatoes or a few red pepper flakes for some heat
5. Try garlic or rosemary olive oil instead of regular oil
6. Make the sausage into meatballs before cooking
7. Use chicken broth or chicken bullion instead of water to cook the pasta. If you use bullion make sure to taste before adding any extra salt.

Asian Chicken and Rice

I have never had real Asian food, but I like the idea of some Asian foods, just not the weird ones. This week I decided I wanted some Asian inspired dinner. I found this amazing bottle of Korean BBQ Sauce by Bibigo a long time ago and I try and use it when I can remember. It doesn't taste like American BBQ sauce which is why I like it (Vinegar does not agree with my taste buds). The major flavors in this dish are ginger, garlic, onion and the yummy spices from the sauce. I cooked up some chicken, tossed in some veggies and it was ready to top a mound of rice.

Asian Chicken and Rice

2 cups Rice

2-3 Chicken breasts, thinly sliced

3 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Onion, finely diced

2 tsp Ginger, minced

1/4 cup Bibigo Korean BBQ Sauce

Vegetables of choice:
Carrots
Peppers
Bean Sprouts
Peas
Spring Onions
Snow Peas
Baby Corn
Radishes
Broccoli

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper



Cook rice according to package. While rice is cooking, mince, dice and cut up all other ingredients. Heat oil over the stove and add onion, garlic and ginger. Cook until softened, then add the strips of chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken all the way though, then add the sauce. Mix thoroughly. Add the veggies starting with the one that take to longest to cook (carrots, peppers...) then adding the ones that take the least time (bean sprouts, peas...). Mix everything together, adding more sauce or more salt and pepper if needed. Serve over the cooked rice.

Notes:

1. You can use whatever veggies you want and leave out the ones you don't prefer
2. You can easily substitute beef for the chicken
3. I buy frozen cubes of pre minced garlic, ginger and onion from the frozen section of Fresh and Easy and it makes my life so much easier. They also have frozen cubes of cilantro and basil that I use quite frequently
4. If you open the front door while cooking, you might make your neighbors jealous

Pancakes

I like breakfast. Matt does not really care for it. Every once in awhile he will humor me and say he will eat pancakes if I make them. I usually jump at the chance. My dad would always put extra things into his pancake batter like shredded apple or tiny bits of ham. The first time I got to put chocolate chips in my pancakes was a dream come true. Today I had a ton of strawberries so I thought I might put them in my pancakes, but after some reflection I decided cutting them into tiny chunks was to much work so I just tossed them in the food processor and made a strawberry compote to top the pancakes with. 

Pancakes:

1 1/4 cups Flour

2 Tbsp Sugar

2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1 Egg, lightly beaten

1 cup Milk

2 Tbsp Butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

Heat griddle or pan. Mix all dry ingredients together. Melt the butter and lie it cool slightly. I like to melt it in a glass 2 cup measuring cup. Add the vanilla, milk and egg to the butter and mix quickly, as the butter will begin to solidify. Add the wet to the dry and mix until just combined. (I like to add any optional ingredients like chocolate chips or nuts in with the dry ingredients because I feel they get incorporated better that way.) Scoop the batter onto your preheated griddle, making sure to give the pancakes enough room to spread out and not run into each other. The pancakes are ready to flip when the bubbles that have formed on the top of the pancake have all begun to pop. Cook for another minute or so on the second side. Your pancakes should lift right up when they're done. Top with your favorites and enjoy. Makes around 10 pancakes.

Optional Options:

1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4-1/2 cup berries

1/4 cup chopped nuts

1/4 cup coconut

1/4 cup crumbled bacon

1 Tbsp lemon/orange zest

Notes:

1. Choose whatever goodies you like for your pancakes. I often through in oats for texture, nuts for crunch, cinnamon for a little depth and chocolate chips for sweetness. 
2. Toppings can be as varied as you like. Add Nutella, peanut butter, coconut, fruit, cinnamon butter, bacon, whipped cream, syrup, nuts, chocolate in any form. ice cream, a fried and and salsa--my dad's favorite. 
3. Pancakes do great in the freezer. Just pop them in the toaster when you want one. 

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is by far, my absolute all time favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Every time I make them I get asked for the recipe. Like just about everything else I make, you can easily change the flavors and mix ins to make it just right for you. My favorite combination is a ton of milk chocolate chips, a couple hand full's of rolled oats, chopped almonds and caramel bits fresh out of the oven--cannot be beat!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup Brown Sugar

1/4 cup White Sugar

1/2 cup Butter, super soft

2 Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla

2 1/2 cups Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Corn Starch

3 cups Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 350. Beat the sugars and butter until fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time and then mix in the vanilla. Gradually add in flour and remaining dry ingredients. Mix in chocolate chips and any other add-ins you like. Bake on cookie sheets for 8-12 minutes. These cookies come out super fluffy and don't spread much so I like to flatten them down a bit with my hand before baking. Cool for a couple minutes on cookie sheets then move to a wire wrack. Depending on the size you make your cookies you can get anywhere from 1 dozen to 3 dozen. The size of your cookie will also determine how long it bakes--I use my biggest ice cream scoop and it takes about 11 minutes on a dark metal pan, but 12 on a light metal pan.

Notes:

1. If you under cook the cookies by just a minute or so, they do great in the freezer.
2. The corn starch helps to make the cookies a little more tender.
3. This recipe doubles really really well.
4. I love cookies the size of a saucer, so I use my biggest ice cream scoop and flatten them down with my hand quite a bit. The cooking time is usually closer to 12 minutes and I don't get that many. 
5. I made a batch with coco powder and nuts which was super yummy.
6. Add Ins: Rolled Oats, Nuts, Chocolate Chips, Vanilla Extract, Nutella, Food Coloring, Caramel Bits, Coconut, Peppermint Extract, M&M's, Sprinkles, Lemon Extract, Coco Powder, Heath Bits, Dried Fruit, Crushed Pretzels, Mini Marshmallows, Peanut Butter, Almond Extract, Lemon Zest, Meringue Crumbles, Cinnamon, Puffed Rice...

Biscuits and Gravy

I love making breakfast, and when I get the chance I go all out. I always knew it was a special Saturday when I would wake up to the smell of breakfast. My dad was an awesome cook and I'm so glad he passed on his love of food to me. He loved biscuits and gravy. I love them too. My biscuits are a bit fluffier than dad's traditional 'drop' biscuits, but we make our gravy just the same.

Biscuits

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 Tbs sugar

4 Tbs butter, diced and chilled 

1/2 cup milk

Cut the butter into chunks and place it in the freezer while preparing the rest of the dough. Preheat oven to 450 F. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add cubed butter and mix together with a pastry blender or two knives till dough looks crumbly. Add the milk and mix until just combined. Tip out the dough onto a floured surface and lightly knead the dough, adding more flour if too sticky, until you have a soft, well mixed dough. Roll out to your desired thickness--I like them thick so its usually about half an inch. Cut with your biscuit cutter and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in the oven for about 12-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them and adjust cooking time to your oven. My oven stinks so the time is always different. 

Gravy:

4 Tbs butter

4 Tbs flour (you might need more)

Milk

1/2 cup Sausage, cooked

pinch of Salt

pinch of Pepper

pinch of Onion Powder

pinch of Garlic Powder

If you know how to make a Rue, this is exactly that. Melt the butter in a pan on the stove over low heat. Once completely melted add the flour until it absorbs all the butter, you may need more than 4 Tbs before it's all soaked up. It should now look like a paste, or as my husband affectionately calls it, playdough. Let the paste cook a bit, you should be able to hear it sort of sizzle, but do not let it burn. Begin to add the milk slowly, about 1/4 cup at a time. With each addition of milk, mix until all the milk has been incorporated, or until the mixture is smooth again. Keep adding milk until you feel you have as much gravy as you need. Let the gravy come to a simmer for while to cook out the flour taste. Add the sausage and seasoning to taste. I never want to say how much seasoning to add because everyone has different tastes, but I generally start with 1/4 tsp or a generous sprinkle and go from there, adding more if need be. Also, if my husband gets his way, there's like 2 cups of sausage in our gravy. He usually wins and I don't complain. 

Notes:

1. The little bits of butter are what help make your dough flakey and light when you bake it.
2. You don't want to over knead, you should still see bits of butter throughout the dough.
3. Dip your biscuit cutter in flour before cutting to keep the dough from sticking to it.
4. You can brush a beaten egg white on the top before baking for a pretty finish, just don't let it drip down the side or it wont rise up when it bakes properly. 
5. You can also sprinkle sugar on top after the egg wash for a sweeter biscuit. 
6. You can use whatever you want to cut biscuit; cookie cutter, cup, make them square. Doesn't matter.
7. I never grease my cookie sheets. I hate dishes so I use a silpat mat or cover my trays in aluminum foil and spray that
8. These are absolutely delicious with jam, jelly and honey

Waffles

I'm typing this while listening to Spanish Polka music, by no means of my own choice. I would love to open the doors and windows on this beautiful day but the little Spanish market across the street believes today is the day to blast the polka as loudly as they can. I do have my own soundtrack going own but I can't really hear it over the um-papa um-papa. Anyhow, these are the fastest, yummiest waffles I've made yet. Husband approved too, even though he doesn't like breakfast foods. I made them for a party and someone told me they tasted like churros so I was pretty pleased with myself. 

Waffles

1 3/4 cup Flour
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
2 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
3 Eggs
8 Tbsp Butter, melted (1 stick)
1 1/2 cups Milk
1 tsp Vanilla

Toppings:

Fruit

Maple Syrup

Butter

Powdered Sugar

Nutella

Peanut Butter

Whipped Cream

Chopped Nuts

Jam

Salsa and a fried egg (if your my dad)

Whisk together all dry ingredients. In a separate, microwave bowl melt the butter. Let cool slightly, then add in the vanilla, milk and eggs and whisk together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. Place about 1/3 cup of the mixture on the waffle iron and cook until ready. Top with your favorites and enjoy.




Notes:

1. With my in-law's fancy Belgian waffle maker I get about 6 waffles out of this recipe.
2. You could easily change up the flavors by taking out the cinnamon, add chocolate chips, shredded apple, rolled oats, coconut oil instead of just butter, mash up a banana and toss it in; the list is never ending.
3. Keep the extras in a ziplock bag in the fridge. The next morning toss them in the toaster and they're as good as new. 
4. They freeze very nicely and you can pop them in the toaster as well.
5. This recipe works well if you need to double, triple or even quadruple-yes, I've done a quadruple batch. 

Leek and Bacon Pasta

I had never cooked with leeks before but I'm always up to trying a new ingredient. I was shocked at how huge they are! They taste good too. I got the recipe idea from The Chiappa Sisters: thechiappas.com 

Leek and Bacon Pasta

1 pagk pasta noodles

1/4 cup Bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 Tbps Butter

2 cloves Garlic, finely diced

1 Leek, diced

1/4 cup Cream Cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook the noodles according to package directions. Cook bacon, leaving fat in the pan once it is finished cooking. Add the butter, garlic and leeks to the bacon fat and crumble or dice up the bacon. When the leeks are tender, add the cream cheese and melt. Toss in the drained pasta noodles and bacon. Add more cheese and/or pasta water if you feel it needs more sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. About 6 servings. 

Notes:

1. You can change up this recipe by adding whatever you like; different noodles, different veggies, different cheese, different meat
2. A little fresh grated parmesan cheese on top is heaven
3. The next combination I want to try is pasta shells, basil, chicken with mozzarella and parmesan. 

Baked Spaghetti Garlic Bread

I finally ticked off one of my Pinterest 'Make' items. I made this yummy looking spaghetti in homemade garlic bread. Yep, you read that right. The spaghetti is inside the bread. It's pretty good and quickly becoming one of Matt's favorites. 

I made my own bread from my pizza dough recipe and added a lot more sauce than it called for. The next time I made them, I decided to make a bunch of smaller loaves and freeze some uncooked for later. I did everything save bake them before I popped them in the freezer on a cookie sheet. After a couple hours I  took them off the trays and put them in ziplock bags.

Baked Spaghetti Garlic Bread

1 pkg spaghetti noodles
1 16oz jar tomato sauce
1 12 oz pkg sausage/ground beef
1 loaf dough
butter, softened
garlic powder
parsley
parmesan cheese


Heat oven to 400. Make your traditional spaghetti and set aside. Roll out bread dough to desired thickness. Place spaghetti mixture down center of dough, leaving at least three inches on each side and two inches on top and bottom. Slice even lines down the sides of the bread. Begin braiding the loaf by pulling the top and bottom pieces of dough to cover up the spaghetti. Continue by alternating laying the sliced strips over one another until you reach the bottom. Next brush the dough with butter, sprinkle with garlic powder, parsley and parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown.

Here are some of the smaller ones I froze, then cooked later

Notes:

1. It is much easier to transfer the dough to the baking sheet if you first roll out the dough on a sheet of parchment paper. 
2. You can freeze the loaf before baking. To cook it after freezing, let it come to room temperature and then cook as normal. 
3. If you feel you need more sauce, you can always serve additional sauce on the side for dunking. 
4. Mini loaves are great for an individual lunch.
5. Use whatever meat you like, or no meat at all. Thats the beauty of this dish; you can make it just as you prefer it. 

Chocolate Chip Scones

I love waking up somewhat early with no place I have to be and nothing pressing on my to-do list. On these rare mornings I really want to make breakfast. One really easy breakfast is scones, but not just any 'ol plane scone--chocolate chip scones. Fresh from the oven and sprinkled with a little sugar on top--you can't get much better than that. 

Chocolate Chip Scones

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 Tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 Tbs butter, cubed and chilled

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

egg wash and sugar to top

Heat oven to 375. Mix together milk, sugar, vanilla and egg then set aside. Combine flour, baking powder and salt, then cut in butter until you have crumbly mixture. Fold in chocolate chips, then the milk mixture until everything just combines. Lightly knead the dough on a floured surface until the mixture comes together to form a round disk, about 1 inch thick. Cut the dough into wedges, place on a silpat lined baking sheet and cover the top of the scones with the egg wash. Sprinkle the top with sugar and bake in the oven for 18 minutes, or until golden on top. Best served warm and eaten immediately. 

Several of my neighbors have tasted them and love them as much as I do. They are best fresh from the oven, but still good the next day. The recipe is super simple and it doesn't take much effort to enjoy the results. 

Notes:

1. You can substitute buttermilk for the regular milk, you may need 1/4 cup more of buttermilk
2. You may add whatever you like to this base. Raspberries and very nice, and oats give a little more texture to the scone. I would add the raspberries in at the last possible minute of kneading, or use frozen fruit so the colors/juices do not run too much. If you add oats, I would add no more than 1/4 cup and you may need a bit more milk. 

Here is the raspberry version.  Mine were fresh, and leaked their color a little too much for my preferences. 

Sausage Rolls

Have you ever read the Charlie and Lola books by Lauren Child, or seen the BBC series? It's one of Bromley's all time favorites. I think that because he heard the theme song often while I was pregnant, he was born to love it! Charlie and his silly little sister Lola have some wonderful adventures. After watching the episode, "The Most Wonderfullest Picnic in the Whole Wide World," I really wanted to make some sausage rolls, a favorite of Lola's best friend Lotta. So I gave it a go and they turned out wonderfully.

Sausage Rolls

12 oz sausage meat

1 tsp corse salt

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp onion flakes

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs

2 Tbs bread crumbs

1 pkg puff pastry, thawed

Preheat oven to 400, or package directions. Roll out puff pastry and cut into squares, Combine sausage, seasonings and 1 egg. (I start with a spoon but give up and use my hands) Add bread crumbs if mixture seems too wet. Spoon approximately 2 Tbs of mixture onto one end of a puff pastry square and continue doing so until all the meat mixture is used up. Crack the remaining egg in a small bowl and beat it to make an egg wash. Brush the unoccupied end of the pastry square with the egg wash, then roll up the log and place it seam side down on a baking sheet. Once the sheet is full, brush the tops of all the rolls with egg and sprinkle with a little more corse salt (more grated parmesan too if you like). Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool slightly on a wire rack before enjoying. Makes approximately 24 sausage rolls. 

Now I know these are not authentic at all, but they are amazing! If you run out of meat before pastry like I do, you can use the leftover dough to make chocolate/Nutella croissants. Just put a dollop of Nutella instead of sausage, or you could do softened cream cheese and chocolate chips. If you run out of pastry before meat, turn the extra meat into meatballs and just fry them up in a little olive oil. Delicious! If you skip the egg wash, the tops wont be as golden and the seam probably won't stick, causing the pastry to unroll while cooking. I would have preferred mine to be a bit more brown, but I just couldn't wait any longer. My husband eats his rolls with HP Sauce--the authentic British way he says. (http://www.heinz.co.uk/Products/HP-Sauce) You can mix up the seasonings; thyme, sage or feta cheese would all be good twists. And lastly, leftovers do well in the freezer--if you have any.

Rice and Bean Salad

I found this recipe on Pinterest and thought it looked like a side salad worth trying out, but after changing a few ingredients it is well deserving of the main course. The recipe said to eat it cold but I much prefer it warm. The best part is that is so easy my husband can do everything but season it himself. It makes a ton (hooray leftovers!) and it's also really filling. I love to top with a bit of grated cheese, sour cream and some chips cause I like the crunch. We eat this for lunch or dinner at least three times a month. 

Salad:

1/2 c Sausage, cooked

2 cups Rice, cooked

1 can Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup Corn

4 Green Onions, finely diced

1 Red bell Pepper, seeded and diced finely

1/4 cup Cilantro, minced

1 Avocado, cubed

1 Tomato, finely diced

Dressing:

1/3 cup Olive Oil

1 T Lemon Juice

1 clove Garlic, minced

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp ground Cumin

1 tsp ground Coriander 

1 tsp Chili Powder

1/4 tsp Pepper

Toppings:

Shredded Cheese

Sour Cream

Hot Sauce

While cooking the sausage and rice prep all the remaining ingredients. Mix all ingredients together then toss in the dressing. If it seems too dry add more oil. Serve as is or use for the filling of a super tasty burrito. 

You can add whatever veggies you please. The above mentioned is my favorite combination, but you can also add green/yellow/orange bell peppers, chili peppers, different beans. Sausage in this is amazing, but you can change it up or leave it out.