Lovely on Sundays

I made these as a surprise for Chase on Sunday. He loves blueberry muffins! and he loved these and the crunchy streusel on top!

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

makes 12 muffins

1 & 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 cup fresh blueberries 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin cups with paper liners (using a cupcake pan).

Combine 1 & 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Add to flour mixture. Stir together. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups close to the top and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture. 

Crumb topping

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

1 & 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix together sugar, flour, butter, and 1 & 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with a fork and spoon and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for about 15 minutes.

Ok, ok, ok!

When your pregnant friend says she wants a recipe - - you have to give it to her! Wouldn't want to take away from the cravings being met! Here you go, E....

Mint Brownies

1 c. butter

1/2 c. cocoa powder

2 tablespoons honey

4 eggs

2 c. sugar

1 3/4 c. flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Melt butter and mix in cocoa. Let cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix together. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool.

Mint Icing

5 tablespoons butter

A dash of salt

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

2 1/3 c. powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon mint extract

Soften butter. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

After the brownies have cooled spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a little bit so the icing stiffens. Remove from freezer and add a layer of chocolate icing over the top.

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 c. butter

2/3 c. cocoa powder

3 c. powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Soften butter and combine all ingredients with mixer.

*A fun thing... you can add a junior mint or fresh mint leaf on the top of the brownies!

Mother's Day

Pasta for my mama...

My mom LOVES lemon (she will eat a wedge completely plain!) so I made this for her on Mother's Day.

Shrimp Asparagus Pasta

Serves 4

2 tablespoons veggie oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 pound fresh asparagus, cut in 1" pieces

1 lb. cooked shrimp, cleaned and deveined

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. cornstarch

8 oz. cooked spaghetti

In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and asparagus, saute for 2 minutes. Add shrimp and saute 2 minutes.

In a small bowl combine chicken broth, lemon juice and zest, ginger, and cornstarch. Add to skillet. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Toss with spaghetti.

*Lemon slices to garnish.

Fly me to the moon...

Moon Cake

You'll see why I named this moon cake when you make it. 

(Otherwise known as Whitney's birthday cake! :) )

Cake

1 box vanilla cake mix

1 box vanilla pudding (large)

1 1/4 cup water 

1/3 cup oil

4 eggs

1/3 sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes 

(depends on pan shape).

Frosting

1/3 cup butter

3 cups powered sugar

4-5 tablespoon milk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 drop red food coloring (just for Whit - to make her cake pink)

Cream together sugar and butter. Add in milk one tablespoon at a time, then vanilla. Sugar and milk to taste... depending upon if you like more buttery frosting or sweet (I added an extra splash of sugar) and if you like thick or fluffy frosting (I like fluffy so I did 5 tablespoons of milk).

*This is probably my favorite homemade vanilla cake ever. The cake part has such an amazing flavor and consistency!

Southern Comfort

Chicken Crescent Almondine

4 chicken breasts, cooked & cubed

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 8 oz. can drained water chestnuts

3/4 cup light mayonnaise

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup light sour cream

1 pkg. reduced fat crescent rolls

1/2 cup sliced almonds

3/4 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

Combine first 6 ingredients and cook over stove until hot and bubbly.

Put in 9x13 glass baking dish then place rolls on top.

Sprinkle with almonds & then cheese. Cover with tinfoil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, uncover, bake for about 10 more minutes. Make sure rolls are done.

Make you banana pancakes...

A friend of mine shared this recipe with me and it is sooo yummy! I made half exactly like below and half I added chocolate chips to.

Banana Pancakes
Makes about 12 (4 inch) pancakes

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 tbs sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3/4 c. skim milk
1 c. mashed ripe bananas
2 tbs oil
2 tsp lemon juice
3 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Mix well.

Add remaining ingredients. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.

To form each pancake, pour about 1/3 c into hot skillet.

Top with carmelized walnuts, bananas, berries, peanut butter or chocolate chips. Then maple syrup!

The Averys

We went to our friends house for dinner and I made this to take for dessert. In honor of them I named it... :)

Avery Chocolate Bundt Cake

Cake
1 box devil's food cake mix (I used the Pillsbury Moist Supreme)
1 box instant chocolate pudding mix
1 & 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup canola oil
3 eggs
1/4 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz.)

Combine first 7 ingredients. Mix well.
Add in chocolate chips with spoon.
Prepare bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 42 minutes.
Let cake sit in pan for 20 minutes to cool.
Remove and place on cake plate.

Glaze
2 & 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbl. unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tbl. nonfat milk
1 tbl. butter, softened
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Combine butter, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder with mixer, in a medium microwave safe bowl.
Add vanilla. Add milk gradually until smooth.
Add melted chocolate chips. Mix well.
Microwave until warm (about 20 seconds).
Spoon over cake so it dribbles down the side and puddles.
*Garnish with fresh berries or dust cake with powdered sugar!

Shimmies & Shakes

This is so tasty and delicious it will make you shimmy and shake!

Yum Yum Buns

2 cans biscuits (Grands Flaky Homestyle, 8 count)

3 oz. cream cheese (cut into 16 cubes)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

1/3 cup chopped pecans 

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 & 1/2 tablespoons hot water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar and cinnamon, set aside. Take biscuits one at a time, flatten with palm of hand, place 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon mixture in the middle of biscuit and one cube of cream cheese. Pinch edges of biscuit together, keep pinching until you create a ball.

Pour melted butter in bottom of bundt pan, pour the rest of the cinnamon and sugar mixture on next and top with chopped pecans. Place all biscuits in pan, seam side up.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 until golden brown. Remove cake from pan. Mix powdered sugar, hot water and vanilla to make icing. Drizzle over cake. Enjoy!!

An individual little bun... :)

Tahiti Sweetie

While Chase and I were in Tahiti we had the most amazing French toast. We ate it almost every morning. I don't know if they used fresh Tahitian vanilla beans or what but it was scrumptious. This weekend we experimented with our own version and mmmh it was yummy!

Citrus Infused French Toast

Makes 4 slices

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon 

fourth an orange 

orange zest

2 eggs

"some French" :) 

1. Mix first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Zest orange & then queeze over bowl (don't juice it). 

2. Cut French bread in 1 inch slices on a slant.

3. Soak pieces of bread 1 at a time. Make sure to have cinnamon and zest stay on the top and bottom of the slice. 

4. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, over low heat, until done. 

Smother with black berries or strawberries and dust with powdered sugar. Serve with warm maple syrup.

The Best

I didn't have a banana bread recipe so I found a handful of different ones that looked good and made 3 loafs in 1 week (let's just say the neighbors were happy!) to discover the Best one. With a little tweaking.. this is it!

Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2 bananas)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until well mixed.

2. In a small bowl mash bananas, set aside.

3. In first bowl add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips and pour into prepared pan.

4. Bake until when a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour and 5 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes in pan, then place loaf on cooling rack. Enjoy!

Silly tip… Before peeling the bananas, squeeze them lightly all over and let them sit for a little while (it makes it much easier to mash them later).