Peanut Butter Shale

Good Friday morning! Have you had a good week? Can you BELIEVE it's the end of August? This year is flying by. I can't say I'll be completely sorry to see it go, but it does mean I'm getting older....:D

Today's review is a recipe from a blog named Cookistry, for peanut butter shale candy.

I'm going to give this a conditional YES, PLEASE; mine didn't spread nearly thin enough to be called shale, or to be munchable for any length of time. But I THINK, if I can figure out how to fix the problems next time, it will be much better.

The flavor isn't in question! It tastes just like peanut butter brittle. Kenn isn't supposed to eat peanuts, but he can eat peanut butter. And he loves peanut brittle and Butterfingers, so I thought he'd like this. Although he swears up and down he doesn't like peanut butter. :D

I think my biggest problem is that my pan wasn't deep enough for the candy thermometer to really be where it should, and that my mixture got hotter than it was supposed to. When I added the remaining ingredients, it tightened up so quickly I couldn't spread it very thinly. So it's in chunks instead of pieces, very difficult to really get a bite of! :D But it's good. And I can see using it for baking, if I pound the dickens out of it to make it small enough. :D

Let me know if you try it, and what you think! Enjoy your weekend; have fun, do something that makes your heart smile. Be BLESSED!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

 Happy Wednesday! :) How's your week going? Can you BELIEVE we're so close to the end of the month already? We're on the downhill roll to Christmas, ladies and gentlemen! :D

Today's recipe is brought to you by Foodie With Family. I really enjoy her blog! This recipe's for Cinnamon Swirl Bread.

Her story of her recipe development is fun. :D Picky eaters are the reason about 75% of new recipes are created, I think. :D

I have to admit: when I made the bread, I was a little dubious about the dough. It was, on hindsight, a sturdier dough than I'm used to using. part of it came from the fact that I didn't have any potato flakes (I HATE starting a recipe and finding out one of my ingredients is GONE! AUGH!!!). And probably, also, because I haven't made bread by HAND in forever. But I continued, even though the dough felt heavy in my hand.

Then there was the filling; I ended up doubling the amount of raisins in it.

But this gets a YES, PLEASE! from my family! It's cinnamony - have you picked up on the fact I love cinnamon? :D - and the filling is baked well into the bread.

Now, because I'm used to making cinnamon ROLLS when I'm rolling dough, I ended up rolling the dough too thin. My loaf isn't as big as it should have been. But I used the extra length to make some cinnamon rolls. They turned out fantastically; they're not as light as the normal dough I make, but they're good.

I'm going to use this filling again, definitely; I'll probably make the dough I normally make in my bread machine. I can't wait to try it out! I'll need to have a special occasion, though - that many raisins on top of bread? Well, shoot me to the moon! :) But it WILL happen.

OK, I'm outta here. Have a WONDERFUL day! Be BLESSED!

"Rotisserie" Chicken Revisited

Good morning! :) I hope you had a great weekend. Did you try anything NEW???? :D

I wanted to fill you in on that chicken that I gave a NO, THANKS to when I did it in the crockpot. We tried it a different way. We cooked it over a bundt pan in a conventional oven, with root veggies in it.

I'm glad to report that it was MUCH better, very juicy and still tender. The dry rub's got a really great flavor, and I think it helps the chicken stay moist. I would recommend it now, with a YES, PLEASE! :)

OK, I'm outta here. I'm making a recipe to review for Wednesday! Stay tuned! And have a BLESSED day!

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Good Friday morning. Have you had a good week? Can you believe there's only one week left of August?!??! Wow, this year is FLYING.

Today's recipe is brought to you by Go Bold With Butter. :D And it's pretty apropos! :D

This is a YES, PLEASE. The batter for the cake is THICK; it reminded Mom of something, and I guessed it as "muffin". It would make a FANTASTIC muffin base; it's sturdy, and moist and would stand up to fruit if you chose to add it.

I tweaked the batter by using half Greek yogurt and half sour cream. It ups the protein and cuts the fat just a bit. And it was GOOD. :D

I tweaked the cream cheese by not adding the pecans. The directions for swirling the layer weren't done well; I'd rather do it my way than the way that's written. If you know how to do a good swirl, pay no attention to that part of the directions. :D

I did the crumb topping exactly as written. Well, if you include adding more cinnamon. :D

I cut this recipe into two, and did two 8" square cakes instead of a 9x13. One is in the freezer; with the pumpkin bundt cake in the house, we didn't need a full cake around! :D This way, when we want something special to serve, it's there. I love the freezer! LOL!

OK, I'm outta here. :) Have a wonderful weekend. Try something new! :) BE BLESSED!!!

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

 Good Wednesday Morning!

What a week it's been. Here's hoping things sail a little smoother for a while!

Have you tried anything new lately?

Here's my newest try; it's from the Just a Pinch Recipe Club, which I've mentioned several times - for Pumpkin Bundt Cake.

I can't quite decide about this cake. It's SUPER-simple, and nicely moist without being too much so. But it's lacking...something. Mom and I talked about it maybe needing a struesel layer, or more spice, or something. I did add extra cinnamon - my pumpkin pie spice didn't smell like much, so I added more cinnamon. I always add more cinnamon. :D

I think I have to give it a NO, THANKS, just because I've got SO many dessert recipes already. But it made a BEAUTIFUL cake, and would be easy to transport. I might come back to it and play with it a little, but I kind of doubt it. It IS good, though. :D You should try it, and tell me what YOU think.

OK, I'm outta here. I think Mom and I are going to go to the county fair for a little this evening; I think we need just some FUN time. Have a wonderful, BLESSED day! Hug someone, too. :)

Chicken Pad Thai

Good Monday Morning! Did you have a good weekend? Did you try anything new?

We didn't have a very good weekend. Please pray for my family as we walk through a devastating loss together. Thank you!

I *love* good pad Thai. It's so yummy - and Thai cooking is based on four things: sweet, savory, spicy, and salty. Of course, they are arranged in varying degrees in various dishes - and I am not over-the-top about ANY spice! :D (Well, if you consider cinnamon a spice, then I'm guilty, but....)

This recipe comes to us from none other than the Betty Crocker website!

Let's see. Did I tweak it much?

Silly me for even asking. LOL! I used noodles that are made from soy, so they're VERY low carb. They're also VERY expensive, so I don't get to eat them a LOT. I don't like scallions or bean sprouts, so I used  some carrot, a little mushroom, and a little celery. The sauce, I think I used too much lime juice - I used bottled, and just poured some in. :D I also used Splenda instead of sugar - I mean, I'm using those expensive noodles, I have to make the carb count actually COUNT! :D

I'm giving this a YES, PLEASE, although I like my sauce a little thicker than this was; next time, I may use a little slurry of arrowroot powder and water to thicken it a bit and make it stick to the noodles better. And I'm going to increase the red pepper flakes just a tiny bit, and perhaps add some Thai sweet chili sauce. :D (That's part of the fun in cooking for yourself! You can make it taste the way YOU want!!!)

OK, I'm outta here. Looks like I need to do some cooking to have something to talk about the rest of the week. :)

Be BLESSED. And tell your loved ones how much you love them. Life is too short.

Twice-baked Potatoes

Good Friday Morning!!! How are you today? Have you had a good week? Got big plans for the weekend? Whatcha gonna do? :D

Today's recipe comes from that wonderful blogger, The Pioneer Woman - and it's Twice-Baked Potatoes. :)

As she said in her post, this is more about the method than it is  about the recipe. :) I took her method, and played with it a bit. :)

Basically, my mom said, "There's a bunch of baked potatoes in the fridge. Please figure out something to do with them!" (She's got the shingles, and is really trying to recuperate from them and my sister's large family visiting for a week. :) )

The first one I did was mostly what you're familiar with, the above one. :D I used some butter, sour cream, parsley flakes, salt, pepper, motgomery jack cheese, and bacon bits on top. I have to tell you, cold (as in refrigerated!) potatoes are hard to scoop out without breaking through the skin. But I did pretty well. :)

The second one was sweet potatoes. I wanted it to be a bit sweeter. I mean, it IS a twice-baked sweet potato. :D I added butter, cinnamon, a bit of freshly-grated nutmeg, and some Splenda/brown sugar mixture.

Goodness, this is a YES, PLEASE. Next time, I want to use warmer potatoes, so when I mash the inside with the ingredients, it will be smoother. Even the sweet potatoes were super-yummy!

I'm off! I'm performing a couple of historical monologs at the Wilson County Fair this Friday and Saturday; come see us! :D And then try something NEW! :D Be BLESSED!

Peachy Keen Bars

 Good Wednesday morning! How are you doing today? Are you having a good week? Tried anything new?

Today's recipe came from Just a Pinch - I've mentioned them before; Kenn and I went to a luncheon where we got to try out some award-winning recipes. :) This one is called "Peachy Keen Bars".

I made these JUST to show you! :D Well, the core family is enjoying them.... :D

This is an extremely easy recipe; it does have four separate layers, but it's still very easy. And if you keep canned peaches in your closet, you've probably got everything in your pantry you need!

I'm on the cusp about what to recommend about this recipe. I didn't tweak anything, just FYI. It's good, but it just doesn't knock me out. So I'm giving it a YES, THANK YOU - a mixture of both! :D I might use the recipe again if I need something quickly, or to take to someone - it's that easy! :) It's not super-sweet, but it is rich; if you like coffee, this definitely would benefit from a cup. :)

OK, I'm outta here! It's a busy day! Have a wonderful day - and be sure and let me know if you try something new, something I've recommended, or find something you want me to try! :D BE BLESSED!

Cream Puff Cake

 

Good Monday Morning! How are you today? Did you have a good weekend? We just got home yesterday; it feels good to be in our own room again, even though the time with my sister, BIL, and all their children was good. (I hope I'll get a chance to share decorating those cupcakes with you, eventually! :D )

Today's recipe comes to you courtesy of Lil' Luna, for Cream Puff Cake.  No way of putting off my rating on this. Oh. My. Goodness. YES, PLEASE!!!!!!!

If you've never done any kind of choux pastry, please know it's very easy - and this couldn't get much easier! The only suggestion I'd make is that you keep a mixer going in it while you add the eggs. (I put the cooked batter into my Kitchen Aid with the whisk attachment.)

For the filling, I used sugar-free white chocolate pudding, with Hood® Calorie Countdown milk - I really love this stuff, because it's only got 3 grams of carbs per 8 ounces! The filling was a LITTLE loose, even though I used less milk. I'm not sure if it's because of the SF pudding or what, but it didn't keep its form as beautifully as the recipe's photos.

This was GONE in less than 24 hours. My husband LOVED it; he doesn't like a lot of sweet stuff - I think I've mentioned that - but he sure helped eat it! :)

OK, I'm off. Have a WONDERFUL day! Be sure to let me know if you try this - or anything else I've reviewed! :) Or if you find something you'd like me to try. But be warned: I may tweak it. :D

Thai Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Good Friday Morning!

Have you had a good week? I really hope so. :) It's been busy as usual around here; I've enjoyed having part of my family here. And it's only a month until my baby sister's firstborn is due! I can't WAIT! :)

Anyway. Today's recipe is brought to you by Food.com.

Let's see. Tweaks. :D I stir-fried some chicken to go in. I used fresh stir fry veggies instead of frozen, and that had broccoli, snow peas, and crinkle-sliced carrots in it. I still added the grated carrot as well. And we added a sprinkle of fresh cilantro on top.

I used Dreamfields pasta for the linguine. It's treated so that one cup has five usable carbs, so that lowers the carb count to something I can eat. :D

These noodles got a YES, PLEASE! from everyone here. They weren't very spicy at all, so don't let the name stop you from eating them. I would actually up the heat index the next time I make them, with a little more Thai chili sauce or even a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes. I like heat with peanut sauce! :)

Do you have plans to try something new this weekend? I hope so - and that you'll share with me what you made! :) Heck, these were easy - you could do this one! :)

Have a wonderful weekend! Be BLESSED!

Two reviews in one!

 Good morning! How are you today? Are you having a good week?

Today, I'm reviewing two recipes - because what's a cupcake without the frosting?!?! :D

The cupcake recipe is from Recipe Girl. The frosting? from Wilton, of course. :)

I will tell you right now: this is an incredible YES, PLEASE! recipe. I've never, ever had a white cake that was this moist! And the fact that it starts with a white cake mix is even better. :)

I didn't tweak anything. And I wouldn't. Moist, not too sweet - even with the frosting. I'm not sure when "wedding cake" became a flavor, but if this is it, it's good. :D

The texture's really nice, too - not crumbly at all.

The frosting was easy to use, and very pretty. It set quickly; I should have sprinkled the cupcakes as I went. I tried to sprinkle them all after I had iced 18 of them, and it didn't work - they didn't stick to the first I'd iced. :/

As a side note: the recipe for the cupcakes says it makes 36 cupcakes. I used the large Pampered Chef cookie scoop, and got EXACTLY 36. I frosted 18 - took a dozen to a friend, we ate the others here - and froze 18 for nieces and nephews to decorate with Grandma this week. :)

OK, time to go spend time with others. :D Have a BLESSED day! And try something new!

Pineapple Fried Rice

Good Monday Morning! :) Did you have a good weekend? I'd LOVE to hear if you tried something new this weekend! What was it? Did you like it? Is it online? Can you link me? :D

Today's recipe is half of this one from The Pioneer Woman - the pineapple fried rice. We didn't get a chance to do the pork chops - I served this with chicken.

OH. MY. GOODNESS. Was this ever good! Let's see. Did I tweak much? :D We used mixed vegetables instead of just peas; we used Minute Rice microwaveable brown and wild rices. I used a grill pan on the pineapple instead of doing it outside. I didn't use a lot of onion, because my dad doesn't like chunks of onion. :D

This is definitely a YES, PLEASE. Y'all know I try to be careful with rice; I had to REALLY watch myself with this. Pineapple sends my sugars skyrocketing, too. And this was REALLY, REALLY good. I felt a little better with the rice mixture I used, but I still didn't eat as much as I wanted. Which would have been most of it. :D We'll definitely try this again - and maybe the chops, too. :D

Let me know if you try it! I'm telling you, you'll love it. :D You could spice it a bit, too, if you wanted. But don't ignore this recipe. :D

OK, I'm outta here. Have a wonderful day! Be BLESSED!!!!

Flan

It's Friday! Woooo, hoooooo! Have you had a good week? Tried anything new? :D Planning to this weekend?

Today's recipe is from AllRecipes.com - for a simple flan.

We went to dinner with dear friends from church last week, and she told me we were having a Mexican fiesta. :) So I decided to throw right in with dessert, and make a flan.

A flan is an egg-based custard. This one's kind of cheesecakey, too. And it got a definite YES, PLEASE! from everyone. :D

I actually made two flans from this single recipe; I didn't have a pan big enough for the entire recipe, so I made one to leave home, and one to take with us. It's *very* rich, so having it to be thinner so it looks like a large slice but is half of what it would be with the whole recipe! :)

It's good for dessert or for breakfast, too. :) If you have a need for a flan recipe, or just want to try making one, go for it! I think you'll enjoy this! Let me know if you try it!

Have a wonderful weekend! Be BLESSED!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Welcome to August! :) Can you believe how quickly the year is passing?

Today's recipe is from With a Grateful Prayer and a Thankful Heart, for cream cheese pound cake.

This was a LOT of batter; I made some of these mini bundt cakes, and cooked the rest off in a loaf pan.

I don't know. Maybe it would be better with the glaze. Maybe it would be better with strawberries. But I'm not overjoyed with this recipe. It's just OK. And with all the recipes out there to try, I doubt I'll come back to this one. So I'm going to give it a NO, THANKS - but I love her blog! :)

OK, I'm outta here. Do let me know if you try something new! It's fun to do! :) Be BLESSED!