Easy Crockpot Chicken.....

I love crockpot recipes. I don't know why I don't use my crockpot more, its so easy. This was tasty, easy and I had all the ingredients on hand....who could ask for anything more!

4-5 chicken breasts (I used thighs and just threw them in frozen)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 package lipton onion soup mix

combine cream of mushroom soup and onion soup mix in crockpot. Add chicken and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 6)

Serve over noodles or rice. Enjoy!!

Peanut Butter Brownies with Peanut Butter Icing

Wow- rich is the word. But, if you live for chocolate/peanut butter combos like I do, you will love them!

Peanut Butter Brownies (from a Brownie Recipe book)

1 cup all-purpose, plus additional for the pan
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
12 TBSP unsalted butter, plus additional for the pan, at room temp.
9 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temp
2 large egg yolks, room temp
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla

1) position rack in lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 deg. Butter and flour a 9X13 inch baking pan; set it aside

2) In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt and baking soda until well combined. Set aside.

3) Place 6 TBSP butter and both kinds of chocolate in the top of a double boiler (or one pan on top of another with water in the bottom pan). Heat and stir until melted and remove from heat. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

4) Place the granulated sugar and the brown sugar in a large bowl. Beat in one egg at a time, using and electric mixer at medium speed. Once the mixture is smooth, beat in both egg yolks at the same time. Continue beating until the mixture is pale brown and light- about 3 minutes. Beat in the remaining butter 1 TBSP at a time.Continue beating until the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes. Then, beat in the peanut butter, vanilla and cooled chocolate mixture until smooth, about 2 minutes scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.

5) Stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Do not beat, though the batter will be very thick. Spoon batter into prepared pan, spreading it gently to the corners.

6) Bake for 15 minutes, than rap three or four times on the oven rack. Bake for an additional 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Set pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes.


Peanut Butter Frosting (from allrecipes.com, I followed a commenters suggestions- this is the recipe with the suggestions.) This would also be good on chocolate or Peanut butter cake.

1/2 cup butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups confectioners sugar
2-3 TBSP cream (or milk)

In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in all of the sugar. Mix in the cream and beat until it is spreading consistency, adding a little more cream only if necessary. Spread on brownies.

Sprinkle with extra chocolate chips if needed.

Buttermilk Cupcakes with Lemon Icing

A yummy spring treat! This was forwarded me by a friend from "Columbus Parent" written by Robin Davis. I made them and they were a hit!



Makes about 18

You can double the batch if you have a big crowd. If you don't have cake flour, use 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour. The cakes won't be as light, however.

Cupcakes:

• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 
  

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup whipped cream cheese
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 18 muffin cups with paper or foil liners.

Sift flour, baking powder, soda and salt into a large bowl.

Beat butter, sugar and lemon peel in another large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk and beating just until combined after each addition.

Divide batter among cups. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cupcakes in cups 5 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack to cool completely.

To make frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar. Beat until well blended. Add lemon juice and beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. (If frosting is too thin, refrigerate until thicker.)

Spread frosting thickly on cakes. Cupcakes can be made up to 2 days ahead. Store in the refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.

PER CUPCAKE: 279 calories; 3 g protein; 38 g carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 13 g fat (8 g saturated); 59 mg cholesterol; 238 mg sodium.

Brownie & Cookie Bites

The good excuse to make them: Mother's Day. In a nutshell, you make brownie batter, cookie batter. Pour brownie batter, plop cookie batter. Bake for 35-40 min at 350. Top with ganache. Crazy enough, I could have actually done with about 1/2 the ganache topping, or regular chocolate frosting. I think I'd appreciate the stuff underneath more without all that topping.


Full instructions here.

photos from Bakerella.blogspot.com

Taco Bell Quesadillas

I REALLY like Taco Bell's quesadillas. On Mother's Day I asked him to replicate them. Thankfully someone in cyberspace had done the dirty work. Here's the recipe we used-even minus a few ingredients they were great. We use the George Foreman for quesadillas (and other sandwich smooshing.)

Ingredients

SAUCE
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons minced jalapenos, slices
2 teaspoons jalapeno juice, from minced jalepenos
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 dash salt

QUESADILLAS
4 flour tortillas
4 chicken tenderloins
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
2 slices process American cheese

Directions
1 Combine sauce ingredients and stir until smooth.
2 Grill chicken in vegetable oil and cut into thin slices.
3 Preheat skillet over medium heat.
4 One at a time, lay tortilla into hot skillet and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of each shredded cheese and 1/2 cheese slice on one side of the tortilla.
5 Arrange about 1/4 cup chicken slices over tortilla on the same half covered with cheese.
6 On the empty side, spread about one tablespoon of sauce.
7 Fold over, and press gently with spatula.
8 Cook until cheese is melted and slice each into 4 pieces.

Frosty Fruit Punch....

Kori, my sister, posted this recipe a while ago. Last Sunday my mother hosted a baby shower and made this punch. It was excellent!! It was really refreshing and had great flavor! I felt it was definitely worthy of making a second appearance on the blog! Enjoy!

3 cups water

2 cups sugar

1 lg can (12 oz) frozen orange juice (undiluted)

24 oz pineapple juice

Juice of 1 lemon

3 bananas

1 small pkg frozen strawberry

2 bottles 7-up

Boil the water and sugar together. Add the frozen orange juice, pineapple juice and lemon juice. Freeze. I separate it into two containers to freeze faster.

When ready to serve, dump frozen juice into huge bowl. Add the 7-up, bananas and strawberries. Let sit for 20 min (or until starting to melt and become slushy) mash all together and serve.

Banana Bread with Streusel-Nut Topping....

Sorry about my lack of posting. My husband and I just bought our first home and the last month has consisted of packing, moving, painting, unpacking....and not so much cooking. But, I am so excited about this recipe that I had to share! I have tried MANY banana bread recipes...and this is by far my favorite. It's moist, thick and I LOVE THE TOPPING on it. So here it is, by far the best banana bread recipe I have yet to come across!

Banana Bread with Streusel-Nut Topping

Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 beaten eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (5 medium)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cooking oil or melted butter

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Grease one 9x5x3-inch or two 7 1/2x3 1/2x 2-inch loaf pans; Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

In a medium bowl combine eggs, bananas, sugar and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared pan (s).

Prepare topping by combining in a small bowl brown sugar and 3 tablespoons flour. Using a pastry blender, cut in 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in chopped walnuts. Sprinkle topping over batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes for a 9x5x3-inch pan, or 40 to 45 minutes for a 7 1/2 x3 1/2x2-inch pan, or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing (I waited about 4 hours).