Corndog Muffins

If your kids are anything like mine, they would eat hot dogs for every meal. They're quick and easy, but not exactly the healthiest thing. (yes, I've heard all those stories about what goes into them and I still let my kids eat them). I like to change things up, and this way they eat a little less hot dog and maybe more good stuff (except my son who picks out the hot dogs and leaves the muffin part). This is a nice quick, easy, cheap and kid approved meal.

Corn Dog Muffins

1 pkg. Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 egg
1/2 c. milk
1 tbsp brown sugar
4-5 hot dogs, cut into small pieces


Preheat oven to 400. Spray muffin with non-stick spray. Combine the mix, egg, and sugar. Place approximately 1 tbsp of batter in each cup. Place as many pieces of hot dog as you want in each cup. Bake for 15 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool before trying to remove or they will be really crumbly. Serve =) It makes approximately 12 muffins.

To change things up with it or to make it grown-up friendly, use brats, polish sausages or mini cocktail wieners. To make this a good breakfast food, use breakfast sausage with and mix in a bit of cheese. You can do lots with this. If you don't like hot dogs, leave them out and you've got a sweet corn muffin.

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HOLY COOKIE FROM HEAVEN!!!!!

(Sorry for the oh so wonderful pictures. My camera battery won't hold a charge so I have to use my phone)



I have a blog that I follow Picky Palate and this lady comes up with the most amazing cookies ever!!! I wish I could take credit for coming up with this recipe, but I can't. But I will take credit for whipping these bad boys up and having them turn out so delish! It's a good thing I went for a 3 mile run this morning because of all the cookie dough I ate....someone had to lick the batters, the bowls, the spoons, and the fingers.

Peanut Butter Cookie Centers
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg


Fudge Cookie
2 sticks softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, I used semi-sweet
1 cup cocoa powder



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place peanut butter and sugar into a medium bowl, mix to combine then add egg, mixing until well combined. Set aside.
3. In a stand or electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until well combined.
4. Place flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add to wet ingredients along with cocoa powder, and chocolate chips, slowly mixing until just combined. Scoop out some chocolate, flatten it a bit, put a dollop of peanut butter on top, get some more chocolate dough and put on top and surround the peanut butter. The chocolate doesn't have to perfectly surround the peanut butter. I would highly recommend spraying your hands with some non-stick spray before doing this.

Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until cooked through. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Serve with milk.

These are soooooooooooooooooooo good!!!! Now I have to go run another 3 miles to offset the cookies and dough I ate. =)

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Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

 One of the absolute best cookies out there is the chocolate chip cookie.  There are so many things you can do with it too.  You can add different candies and nuts.  You can stuff it in cupcakes or stuff things inside of it (for those amazing recipe, go to Picky Palate).  It is one of the most versatile cookies, and it's guaranteed to please most everyone.  I like my cookies to be nice and soft, not hard.  Yes, I know, there are some cookie lovers who like the crunchy ones.....I'm just not one of them.  I used to have issues with getting my cookies to stay soft.  They would stay soft fresh out of the oven, but once they cooled, they would be more crunchy.  I tried every trick, under cooking, cold butter, freeze the dough, even several recipes.  Then I found this recipe and I have never used another chocolate chip cookie dough.  It works every time...plus, the dough itself is so good that I'm surprised any of it actually makes it into cookies.   So if you are in need of a very tried and true recipe....give this one a whirl....I promise you won't be disappointed!!!

1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tbsp. vanilla (yes, tablespoon)

3 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp soda

3/4-1 c. mint chocolate chips (I used the Andes)

Cream butter, sugars, and vanilla together.  Add in eggs.  Add chocolate chips.  Stir in salt, soda, and flour.  Dough will be slightly crumbly. 

Scoop out dough by rounded tablespoons and form into balls.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Let them cool for a minute or two on the cookie sheet, then transfer them to a cooling rack or parchment paper.

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Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

What is more satisfying on a hot summer day than a nice cold bowl of ice cream?  I can't think of much.  I got an ice cream maker for Mother's Day and have been loving it! 

 It's so nice to be able to throw some stuff in it and approximately 30-45 minutes later, have some fresh ice cream.  Especially since it's a lot cheaper to make your own than go to the store.  Plus, you don't have to worry about weird things getting added in....unless you add the weird things yourself =)  I had some strawberries that were starting to go mushy and I needed to use them quick so I figured the kids would love a nice treat, and I'm always in the mood for ice cream.

2 cups milk

2 cups heavy cream or whipping cream
1 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tsp strawberry extract (optional)
2 cups mashed fresh strawberries

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients.  Pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to the directions of your ice cream maker.  Easy!!!

This makes it nice and thick.  Love it!  I used 1 % milk and it was just fine, but I'm sure it would be a bit creamier with whole milk.  If you want, you could use all milk and it just wouldn't be as creamy, if you're watching what you're eating.  If you want lots of big pieces of strawberries, leave some chunks, but I recommend most of it being mashed or cut into smaller pieces so you get lots of flavor in it.

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Sun-dried Tomato and Chicken Pasta

Usually on Sundays I just make sandwiches or heat up a pizza for the kids since my husband usually works and I don't want to make a big meal for just the 2 kids (I'm usually not very hungry either).  This Sunday he was actually home so I had to cook up some dinner.  I had a couple ideas of what I wanted to do, all involving potatoes, and then I went to get the potatoes out and I was out!  Being Sunday and all I couldn't go to the store so I started brainstorming what I wanted to do.  I had these sun-dried tomatoes that I made in my dehydrator that I had originally done for a recipe and then forgot what recipe it was (I do that all the time!).  So I figured, what the hey.....let's throw some stuff together and give it a whirl.

1 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes
3/4 c white wine cooking wine
1 1/4 c. half and half
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 lb chicken, cut in strips
2 tbsp fresh basil (or use dried)
1 tsp Italian seasonings
1/2 onion, chopped
3/4 c. flour
2 tsp garlic pepper
8 oz. fettuccine pasta, cooked according to package directions.
2 tbsp. oil

Heat oil in skillet, add garlic cloves.  cook for 15-30 seconds.  Add the cooking wine and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil and cook until tomatoes soft, about 10 minutes.

 Meanwhile, combine the flour, and garlic pepper.  Coat the chicken in the flour.  In a separate skillet, heat 1/2 tbsp. oil.  Cook onions.  Remove onions and add remaining oil.  Add the chicken.  Cook until juices run clear or no longer in the center.

 In skillet with tomatoes, add cream and bring to a boil.  Let it simmer for 10 minutes,  add basil and Italian seasonings, Parmesan, and onions.  Let sauce simmer for another 10 minutes. 

 Dish up noodles on plates, pour sauce over noodles, put chicken on top or to the side.  Enjoy!

I am doing this post for http://www.prestopastanights.com/ that is hosted by Debbie Does Healthy.  Check out her blog, it has some yummy stuff that is friendlyier to the waistline. =)

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Cinnamon Rolls

I love cinnamon rolls, especially fresh out of the oven and dripping with frosting and cinnamon and butter oozing out...the messier, the better.  For the longest time I hesitated to make them because I thought they would be hard to do.  Then, one day, I gave it a whirl.  It was a success!   Now, a few years later, I think I have my recipe just the way I like it.

1 c. warm milk (110 degrees)
1/4 c. sugar
2 1/2 tsp yeast
1 tsp almond extract
2 eggs- room temperature
1/3 c. butter or margarine, melted, cooled
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
5 cups bread flour (may need more, depending on the stickiness of the dough when you mix it)

1 c. brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp pumpkin spice
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 c. white sugar
combine and set aside

1/3-1/2 c. butter, melted

Combine yeast, 1/4 c sugar, and milk and set aside for 5-10 minutes.  In a large bowl combine 1/4 c. sugar, eggs, salt, almond extract, butter, and 1 cup flour.  Add in yeast mix.  Gradually mix in rest of flour, 1/2 cup at a time.  You can either use your hands, or if you are lucky enough to have a kitchen aide mixer, use that.  Knead into a large ball, until dough no longer sticks to your hands, but is still a little sticky.  If dough is too sticky, add more flour, a little at a time.  Spray a large bowl (or same bowl used to mix) with non-stick spray, work dough into a large ball and place in bowl.  Spray top of dough with spray.  Cover with a warm cloth, in a warm place and let rise until doubled.  That is usually about an hour, but it depends on the temperature of where the dough is.  I like to put my oven on warm and put the bowl on top of the stove.

Once dough has risen roll our to about 1/4 in. thick and form into a rectangle.  Spread butter on top of dough and sprinkle cinnamon mixture generously on top.  Don't be afraid to use it all and make a little more.  Roll the dough up, starting on the long side. 

Cut the dough in 12 pieces. 

Place rolls in a greased 9x13 pan, or use more pans if you need to, I usually use one 9x13 and one 8x8 pan. the trick to getting the cut nice and easy, either use dental floss, unflavored of course, or string.

Cover and let rise until doubled, usually about 45 minutes, but that depends on the temperature of the room.  Once risen, cook at 400 degrees form 12-15 minutes.  Spread with frosting and enjoy!

Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese

1 c. butter

1 1/2 - 2 c. powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract

Place cream cheese in mixer and mix until smooth.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix for 10 minutes.  Add more powdered sugar if the frosting is too runny.  This isn't supposed to be a thick frosting since it's going on rolls that are warm, it'll soften down anyway.  To thicken the frosting, place in fridge.

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The Best Lemon Bars

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. almond extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup lemon juice
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour, almond extract, and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an greased 9x13 inch pan.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.
Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool.

I sometimes have to bake mine a little longer. You don't want them too jiggly, you want it to start browning a little. As soon as you take them out, sprinkle with powder sugar and let cool in refrigerator. They are much better the next day or after cooling for a few hours. If you're short on time, you can even freeze them.