Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

Happy Monday Morning! How are you doing today? Did you have a good weekend? Did you try anything new?

Here's a recipe from SimplyDelicious for Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake. And I will tell you right now: this is a YES, PLEASE - so much so that I've made it several times since I tried it on the beach in February. So much so that I had to double-check to be sure I hadn't told you to make this already. :D It's WONDERFUL cake!

What I really love is that it's not too sweet. It looks like it might taste that way, but it doesn't. It's yummy, and addictive - my sister-in-law ate about half a sheet cake by herself. :D

I haven't made it into a layer cake; I have no reason for a layer cake, and more for sheet or 13x9 cakes. I made this cake for a pitch-in, and it was a huge hit. :) It even freezes FROSTED, if you have to do that - the photo above is a piece that's not only been frozen, but thawed and squished a little. :D It's a must-have recipe!

OK, I'm out of here. I'm in Missouri right now, so there's lots to do. :) Have a wonderful day, my friend. Be BLESSED!

Carrot Cake Waffles

 Good Friday Morning!

How has your week been? I hope FANTASTIC! :)

Today's review is another recipe. This one is brought to you from Willow Bird Baking, for carrot cake waffles.

First, you'll notice that my plate only has ONE of these waffles on it; the photo on the original blog? THREE. And I'm pretty sure they're the same size as my waffle.

This recipe is another YES, PLEASE! However, I won't be making them very often. My GOODNESS. I could only eat half of the one I'm showing you here! It was SO rich, with the cream cheese topping - and you KNOW I love my cream cheese! :D

First, again I had to thin the batter down. It wouldn't MOVE in the waffle iron, which was a problem. But I added probably another 1/3 cup milk, and it did fine. :)

I also used a new product, which I'll review next week, alongside the raisins.

The carrots made it really pretty, too; the waffle was very tasty. There's not a lot of sugar in here, so it's the maple syrup and the raisins that make it taste like the carrot cake we all know and love. The cream cheese spread doesn't hurt.... :D

Other than that, I didn't change anything - used my lower-carb milk, but that's it. I did do the spice bloom in the butter, because I had lots of time this morning. And this is a time-consuming recipe. Definitely another lazy-day breakfast. :)

Kenn's not a big breakfast person, but he does like it when I make him special things for breakfast. :) As you can see, he ate his whole waffle - and his bacon. Give the man bacon, and he'll give you a smile! :D I thought you'd like to know I'm not actually eating this stuff all by myself. :D

OK, I'm outta here! Have a WONDERFUL weekend! Please say a prayer for my family; we're having my nephew's memorial service Sunday. Kenn can't go, and I know I'll miss his emotional support. Thank you for praying! :)

Lemon Chicken

Good morning! How is your week going? I hope well. I know each day has its own ups and downs - I'm concentrating on the UPS today. :D

So, today's recipe comes from Annie's Eats, for Lemon Chicken.

Now, I have to admit: I love the way some herbs smell, but I haven't discovered a way that I really like eating them very often. For that reason alone, I'm giving this a YES, PLEASE! It allowed me to use some of the beautiful herbs Dad grows, and we all loved the result!

I think the biggest reason is that it doesn't over-do the herbs. And because they're in the marinade, not just on the chicken.

This is a really lemony dish. We love lemon around here; this savory application really was enjoyed by everyone, which is a little unusual. :D

I served this with basmati rice (one of my FAVORITE rices!!), which I cooked with lemon zest. When it was fully cooked, I added more lemon zest and some basil. That right there's worth the price of admission! :D With a tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad, it was a delightful meal.

I hope you'll try this! It didn't take long to put together the marinade at all. The reason my photo looks so different is that we didn't use chicken with skin. We don't do that around here much. ;) But you can see that the legs, which did have skin, did brown beautifully like the original photo. I enjoyed doing the platter presentation! I do love the smell of rosemary. :D

OK, I'm outta here! Have a BLESSED day, my friend! And let me know when you try something new!!!

Part two: Apple Fritters

Good Monday Morning! Did you have a great weekend? Praying you did.

So, you're back for part two, right? :D

The recipe is brought to you from SeeminglyGreek. I didn't know apple fritters were Greek, but whatever! :D

Now. Fritters are meant to be FRIED. I know that. But I also know that I've been cooking a LOT around here, and that I didn't need anything fried! Nor did my family. So I know I did it more of a cake than a fritter, because I cooked them in what? Yeah, my cupcake baker. :D So they're not the crunch little nuggets that you'll get when you fry them.

And these fritters formed into cupcakes more than the cake batters I've used in the baker in the past! So odd. but anyway. :)

They're not overly sweet. I didn't make the glaze for them, and the confectioner's sugar didn't really stick to them. More like in the little cracks that formed on top. :D

But I'll give this a YES, PLEASE! They were moist, and fit the bill for a healthy snack. There's little sugar IN them. Be careful cutting up your apple! I cut BOTH thumbs, and had to get my dad to finish chopping my apple for me. It was one of THOSE days. AUGH!! :D But he didn't mind, since he was getting a treat from it. :D (He also bandaged my thumbs. Thanks, Dad!)

I did have to thin the batter out. It was too thick for me. And I used the medium-sized cookie scoop from Pampered Chef to scoop into the baker - it was the perfect amount!

OK, I'm outta here. :) Have a WONDERFUL, blessed day. And try something NEW!

Part One: Apple Fritters

 Good morning! It's FRIDAY! :) How has your short work week been? I dunno; when I worked in an office, it always seemed the week was just as long, if not longer. :D

So, today I have a two-part review for you.OK, so it's part one of a two-parter. :D Aren't you BLESSED? You'll have to come back Monday to see what I say about the RECIPE, but you'll get a review of the GADGET today! :D

This is the "Original Cupcake Maker"; I purchased it from The Steamy Kitchen. Here's a link right to the one they've got now - it looks the same, but I can't see the top. But this is where I got it. :D

SteamyKitchen is a great blog; you really shout spend some time checking it out. She's a PRO, people!

Now. My review of the cupcake baker!

First, the picture shows them baked in the little papers. SOOO no necessary. As a matter of fact, one of the things I really love about this is that it's completely nonstick. I *do* spray it before I put the first batch of whatever in, but that's it.

Another plus on this machine is that it wipes clean with a damp cloth. LOVE that - I'm so not about the cleaning part of cooking, peeps. :D

The biggest "con" against this little gadget is that it pretty much steams the tops. Even though the top has a heating element in it, it really doesn't brown them or bake them. But it also doesn't FRY them. It's really a healthy way to cook. I think I'm going to try mini quiche soon!

Overall, though, it really is a cute, useful gadget. I've used it for brownie bites, mini cupcakes - that look more like cake balls than cupcakes! - and the recipe I'll review on Monday - these "Apple Fritters". It doesn't heat up the house; it takes very little time to get hot, and cools quickly. If you're planning on using with youngsters, they'll still need to be supervised; the steam, the inside, and the baked good are all very hot!

OK, that's it for today! :) It's our sixteenth anniversary - but I'm STAMPIN' tonight! :D I hope you have a WONDERFUL weekend; spend time with your loved ones. Laugh. Tell people you love them. God bless you!!!!!

NEST OF HOPE by J.L. Rybolt

Nest of Hope: one Woman's Journey Through a Hysterectomy, The Loss of a Dream, and the Quest to Hatch a New One by J.L. Rybolt (hereafter referred to as Jennifer!)

Good morning! Today's review is out of what I normally do, but I'm hoping to do more of all SORTS of reviews. (Especially next year, I may have more trouble posting recipe reviews! :D)

Anyway. This is a very special book; it's written by a dear friend of mine. Jennifer and I met - what, Jen, 11 years ago?!?! - when we were doing a community theater project together. Neither of us is too active in the scene anymore (from CHOICE, believe us! :D), but we've managed to maintain our friendship.

Jennifer is a very private person, so the fact that she put this book out for the world to see is a big step. However, I know why she did it: Jennifer wants to help people. Period. And this book, if you're going through a hysterectomy, will do that - and it will help the people who surround you who want to help, but don't know how.

Here's how Jen sums up the book's contents:
The first part of this book will address the hysterectomy: the surgery, recovery, menopause, being single and childless, a chapter for the men and your loved ones, and the question that came up: Who Am I Now? The second part will take you on a journey of regaining hope, love, wonder, and excitement. We will look at where to start searching for things that may be your dreams, reclaiming your dreams and resources to help you get there, and help with maneuvering through the minefield that can be "the change".

It's a short book, and an easy read - and there are gems throughout the book. It's insightful, honest, and a book I would recommend, hysterectomy or not. I don't know about you, but so many beautiful women in my life have gone through this surgery; having this resource is great for me as their friend, and as a woman about to enter "The Change". :D

The link at the top will take you to Amazon.com, where you can order the book. When I went over there, it was even on sale. I would encourage you to get it, read it, and keep it at-hand for the next friend who goes through something. Use it for yourself, for the "reclaiming your dreams" section. Use the "50 New Things" list Jennifer includes for you. I think you'll find it *all* helpful.

So it gets a YES, PLEASE! :) It will bless you!

Sour Cream Pancakes

Good Monday Morning! Welcome to SEPTEMBER - and Happy Labor Day! Are you planning something special?

Today's review is another recipe, this time from Friday Delights, for sour cream pancakes.

 This recipe had me a little concerned. First, there's an ingredient that's listed but not in the instructions. Then, there was the way the batter came together - it was THICK, not like regular pancake batter. When I put it into the pan, it didn't SPREAD.

But it *did* puff. Oh, MY, did they rise.

Then I took the first one cooked, and tore a piece with my fingers. It felt lighter than I thought it was going to - I mean, it has more fat than flour in it! Then I took a bite.

This is DEFINITELY a YES, PLEASE!!!! Oh, my. Not overly sweet, because there's only a tablespoon of honey to sweeten the batter. But so fluffy and soft. They were almost delicate.

My husband loves pancakes. And he loves when I make him breakfast. :D So this was a win-win; and he even thanked me again the next day for making this breakfast for him. LOL!

They are a little more time-consuming than the mix-in-the-bottle type. I'm definitely keeping this recipe for those lazy mornings when we want a special breakfast. Add a little salt air to the whole picture, and it would be a perfect morning! :D

Please let me know if you try these. I think your whole family would love them. If you have more than three people eating, however, you might want to double the recipe. I got eight pancakes using a 1/4-cup measure.

Have a BLESSED day!