{Kaitlin in the Kitchen}

Garlic Knots

2011-10-20T21:24:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! I can't believe it's been so long since my last post, my little princess sure does keep me busy! I have such a delicious recipe to share with you tonight, I swear I could eat a whole plate of these as a meal..they are ridiculous! Buttery, garlicky, warm..yum! I don't ever serve Italian for dinner without making these to go along with it. They are SO good for dipping in marinara and alfredo sauce. Last time I made these I didn't have bread flour so I used all-purpose and they were just as good, so don't fret if all you have is all-purpose, you can still enjoy these delicious bites of Heaven. You've got to put these on your list to make, I promise you will be so glad that you did!

Ingredients:
3 1/2 Cups Bread Flour, plus more for kneading
1 Teaspoon Granulated Sugar
1 Envelope Instant Dry Yeast
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 1/2 Cups Warm Water (about 110 degrees)
2 Tablespoons plus 2 Teaspoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
5 Tablespoons Butter
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon Flat Leaf Italian Parsley, chopped

Directions:
Combine flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a mixer and attach the dough hook and turn it on to let everything combine, use a spoon if everything needs a little help getting incorporated into each other. While mixing, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and mix until dough forms a ball. Scrape dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Form into a smooth ball. Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil, add dough, turning once to completely coat in oil, cover with plastic wrap, a tea towel, or paper towel, place in a warm area and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour. I usually turn my microwave on to 2 minutes, let it run, and then place my bowl of dough in the microwave. You may need to lightly flour your surface before this next step, I didn't because not much sticks to my granite counter tops, and the dough was a little oily from the bowl. Break off about a 2x2 inch piece of dough (mine may have been a little bigger than that..just guesstimate) and place it on a flat surface and roll it out into a rope that's about 9-10 inches long (again, guesstimate) and then loop it into a knot and place on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat under your dough is gone. Place knots into a pre-heated 450 degree oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the tops just barely start to turn golden brown. Place your butter in a microwave safe bowl along with your minced garlic and microwave until completely melted, and then stir in your parsley. As soon as the knots come out of the oven, brush them with the garlic butter mixture.

Cookie Dough Topped Brownies

2011-09-29T19:59:00.000-05:00

Hi there! I know I said I would be posting a recipe yesterday but life sorta got in the way, what can I say? I'm here now though with a fantastic recipe to share with you! If you're like me then whenever you make cookies you find yourself sticking your fingers in the dough taking little pieces here and there. I don't know what it is about cookie dough, it's just so dang good! Chocolate chip is by far my favorite, and I know it's not completely safe with the raw egg and everything, so these brownies are the perfect compromise - NO egg what so ever! You can make these with homemade brownies, like the ones I used for my Oreo Cookie Brownies, or you can take the easy road and use a box mix, that's what I did this time. Go ahead and get in the kitchen and make these my fellow cookie dough lovers! :o)

(dough recipe courtesy Brown Eyed Baker)

Ingredients:
1 Recipe homemade brownies, or boxed mix
1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
3/4 Cup Butter, softened
3 Tablespoons Whole Milk
1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups Mini Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Make your brownies and let them cool completely. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the butter and both sugars until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and milk and mix. Add the flour and mix until evenly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Using a butter knife, spread the cookie dough evenly over the cooled brownies. Don't leave brownies in a hot environment because remember the cookie dough does have butter in it, room temperature (about 72-74 degrees in my house) should be just fine though.

Three Months Old!

2011-09-27T19:45:00.002-05:00

I can't believe my little one is 3 months old today! Wow..time sure does fly by when you're having a blast! :)

I will be back tomorrow with a new recipe, so be sure to check back..hope everyone has a great night!

Copycat Chili's Salsa

2011-09-21T12:47:00.000-05:00

Hi there! I hope everyone is enjoying their week, though it seems to be flying by! Can you believe that Friday is the first day of Autumn?! WooHoo, I'm so excited! I just hope the weather in here in Texas starts reflecting that soon, the high today is 90..yuck :( Anyway, my husband and I love to go to Chili's and we almost always order their bottomless chips & salsa when we go. Well now if we are craving their salsa we don't even have to leave the house! This recipe is so deliciously addicting and tastes just like Chili's salsa. It's so fresh tasting and only tastes better everyday it sits. We buy nice thin restaurant style tortilla chips and it's like we're right at Chili's! This is so ridiculously easy, try it yourself..you will love it!

Ingredients:
1 10 Ounce Can Tomatoes and Green Chilies (Rotel)
1 14.5 Ounce Can Whole Tomatoes
1/4 Cup Onion, diced
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
1/4 Teaspoon Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Cilantro, chopped (I used Flat Leaf Italian Parsley because I'm not big on Cilantro)

Directions:
In a blender, pulse the chopped onion for just a second so it's really fine. Add both of the cans of tomatoes, juices and all, the garlic salt, sugar, cumin and cilantro (or parsley). Pulse everything for a good 10 seconds until there are no large chunks of tomatoes. Pour into an airtight container and let rest in the fridge for at least 24 hours. The longer it sits, the more the flavors will develop and the better it will be.

No Recipe...Just Pictures!

2011-09-18T21:41:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to share some recent pictures of my cutie! We had a fabulous weekend and I hope you all did too! I've been making lots of delicious things lately and I can't wait to share them all with you..so keep checking back as I will be posting them starting this week! Have a great rest of your weekend! :)

Homemade Lasagna

2011-09-17T10:26:00.000-05:00

Good morning! We're leisurely enjoying our Saturday morning around here :) I can't wait to share this dish with you guys. This is what I served the Bloomin' Garlic Parmesan Bread with, and they went perfect together! I absolutely love making homemade lasagna, I just love layering all of these different ingredients and ending up with one delicious meal. If you've never made a homemade lasagna (I know I know, Stouffer's is pretty good) I urge you to get in the kitchen and have some fun making your own! :o)

Ingredients:
12 Lasagna Noodles, uncooked
Homemade Marinara Sauce, or jarred (I added 1 lb ground beef that I cooked in a skillet to my Homemade Marinara)
24 Ounces Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
15 Ounce Container Ricotta Cheese
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions:
Start out by boiling your lasagna noodles and then once you drain them, lay them out flat on a flat surface so they don't get all bent and stuck together in your colander. In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, eggs, half of the parsley, half of the Parmesan, the salt and the pepper. In your baking dish, spread a thin layer of marinara on the bottom, then a layer of noodles, then spread some of the ricotta over that, then some of the mozzarella and a little of the Parmesan, and keep repeating this process until you have filled your dish and used up all of your noodles, making sure the very last layer is a layer of mozzarella/Parmesan on the top. Cook in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped parsley.

Bloomin' Garlic Parmesan Bread

2011-09-15T16:24:00.000-05:00

Hey there! I hope you're all having a good day. It's a lovely afternoon here in the Dallas area with a cool temperature of *gasp* 67 degrees! Yes, 67 degrees at 3:00 in the afternoon! This is such a welcome break from a few weeks ago when we were at a steady 110 degrees for several days, yuck! I have such an awesome recipe to share today. Most everyone has heard of a bloomin' onion, and this fun twist on it is absolutely delicious! I've seen several of them floating around, mostly they are onion flavored versions using scallions, but I've also seen cheddar bacon ranch versions (add that to the must-try list, yes please!) and even a cinnamon-sugar one drizzled with a glaze..just imagine all of the possibilities! I decided to try a garlic Parmesan one and serve it with Italian. This is SO easy and SO worth trying, I made it along side a homemade lasagna (recipe coming soon!) and we loved it. Please put it on your to-make list, you'll be so glad you did :)

Ingredients:
1 Round Loaf Bread, unsliced
4 Tablespoons Butter, softened
1 Tablespoon Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
Cut the bread into slices lengthwise and then width wise, being careful to not cut completely through the bottom of the bread. The idea is to have little pieces that you can pick out and eat. Next, take your butter in a small bowl and mix it with your garlic and parsley until everything is evenly incorporated. With a spatula, spread the butter mixture over the entire loaf of bread, then sprinkle on all of the Parmesan cheese and using a thin spatula or butter knife, run it along all of the slices "pushing: the butter/cheese mixture in all the slices. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the bread starts to spread and it's turning golden brown.

I just had to share this picture of my little cutie..do we have a future food blogger on our hands?! :o)

Grilled Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

2011-09-13T09:54:00.001-05:00

Good morning! I'm sharing with you one of my most favorite (if not THE most) meals today. It's pretty much a given that this is what I will order any time we go out to eat Italian. I absolutely LOVE to make it at home. I remember way back when I used to try and make this at home all the time, and I just couldn't get it right because I really had no clue what I was doing, but I think in the recent years I've finally got it down. I really don't think this could be improved, it's absolutely delicious! If you're a alfredo lover like myself, please try this soon!

Ingredients:
2-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Pound Fettuccine Pasta, uncooked
1 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 Heaping 1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese (plus extra for garnish, if desired)
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
1/4 Cup Chopped Flat Leaf Italian Parsley
Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a small bowl make your marinade: add the olive oil, vinegar, 1 clove of minced garlic, oregano, 1/2 of your parsley, and a few dashes of salt & pepper; mix well. Rinse and clean your chicken breasts and then slice them all the way in half length-wise (you don't have to do this step, but I prefer my chicken thinner and I find it cooks a lot more evenly this way) and place in the marinade. Cover and set it the fridge to marinate for about 10-15 minutes. Heat your grill up and grill your chicken breasts, set aside and cover with foil while you put the pasta together (or you can do this while someone else mans the grill). Get your pasta water boiling, I usually add about a tablespoon of olive oil to my water to help prevent the pasta from sticking to each other. Once your water comes to a boil, add about a tablespoon of salt to season the pasta itself, if desired. Drop in your pasta and then start on the sauce while the pasta cooks. In a shallow sauce pan, melt your butter along with your other clove of minced garlic on medium-high heat. Once your butter is completely melted, pour in the heavy cream and whisk to incorporate it into the butter. Once the cream comes to a simmer, add in your Parmesan cheese and stir to evenly incorporate it into the cream. Season with salt & pepper to your liking, tasting as you go. Remember that the Parmesan is salty in itself so go easy on the salt. Drain your pasta slice your chicken breasts. Plate your pasta and pour your desired amount of sauce over it and then lay your sliced chicken over it and sprinkle with the remaining chopped parsley and more grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Coffee Cake

2011-09-08T18:27:00.000-05:00

Good evening! I thought this recipe would be appropriate to share because of the much welcomed cooler weather we are experiencing here in Texas..I really don't miss those 110 degree days! I can finally sense that Fall is on it's way, and that makes me excited since it's one of my most favorite times of the year. I can't wait to finally take my baby girl for a walk outside and not have to worry about her poor little self sweating in her stroller. There's nothing like having something cinnamon scented baking when the weather is cool. This coffee cake was delicious, if you're craving some Fall goodies, bake this up ASAP! :)

Ingredients (cake):
3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
1/2 Cup Vegetable Shortening
2 Eggs
1 Cup Milk
4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt

Ingredients (topping):
1 Stick Butter
1 1/8 Cups Flour
1/2 + 1/4 Tablespoons Cinnamon
1/2 + 3 1/8's Cup Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Directions:
Cream thoroughly the sugar, shortening, and egg. Stir in milk. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir into wet mixture. Pour the batter into a greased pan. Combine ingredients for the filling and sprinkle the mixture over the batter. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

Crock Pot Herb Roasted Potatoes

2011-08-31T21:39:00.001-05:00

Hey there :) I've got a great side dish recipe to share with you tonight that requires very little effort! I threw a seasoning blend together and it turned out awesome on these potatoes. These will definitely be making many repeats in our house, especially with the fall season approaching it's nice to have something going in the crock pot :) Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 Large Russet Potatoes

1/3 Cup Water

3 Tablespoons Cold Butter

1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

2 Teaspoons Dried Minced Onions

1/4 Teaspoon Paprika

1/2 Teaspoon Dried Chives

Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

Wash your potatoes and cut them into bite sized wedges then toss them into the crock pot. Pour the water over the potatoes. Mix together your seasonings and sprinkle over the potatoes, adding salt & pepper to your liking. Cut your butter into little pieces and place randomly over all of the potatoes. Cover and set your cooker to high and cook for 2 hours. Mine were perfect at this point. If needed add more salt & pepper after you get a chance to taste them.

Homemade Marinara Sauce

2011-08-23T21:53:00.004-05:00

Hey there! I can't believe I'm actually here and posting a RECIPE! I'm really hoping to start consistently posting recipes on here again, I really miss it..but with a new baby there's not much time to do anything other than take care of her every need, but I wouldn't change a thing. She will be 2 months old on Saturday, I can't believe it! She's already grown so much and is just smiling away lately..I love it! Okay okay, enough baby talk..back to the yummies! Everybody needs a good marinara recipe. I admit I will absolutely buy a jar of sauce when I just don't feel like making it, even though it's really quite easy and nothing compares to it. My husband and I definitely prefer it homemade, and I'm sure if you've never made your own and you try it, you will too! You may want to double the recipe and make it in a bigger pot but since it's just the two of us I just make a smaller batch. This works great on homemade pizza also! The above picture of spaghetti & meatballs is making me hungry! Buon Appetito!

Ingredients:

1 28 oz. Can Crushed Tomatoes

1 Cup Diced Onions

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme

1 Teaspoon Dried Basil

1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley

1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano

1 Teaspoon Granulated Sugar

5 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a pan, add 3 tablespoons of your olive oil and turn on medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add your onions and saute them for about 5-7 minutes or until they start to turn slightly translucent, then add your garlic and saute for another 3 minutes or so, making sure not to burn the garlic. Pour in your crushed tomatoes and mix with the onions and garlic. Add all of your seasonings including salt & pepper, the remaining olive oil, and the Parmesan cheese. Check for seasonings and add more depending on your taste. Lower heat to medium, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes, or even longer at a slightly lower temperature. The longer it sits, the better, but I usually use it within an hour of making it and it's delicious. Enjoy!

Great on just some spaghetti!

Absolutely delicious on homemade Chicken Parmesan!

Awesome on homemade pizza!

I leave you with a picture of my beautiful baby girl!

I've been a little busy...

2011-07-27T19:55:00.000-05:00

Hey there! For those of you who may have thought I dropped of the face of the earth, I assure you that is not the case! My husband and I welcomed our beautiful baby girl on June 27th and have been enjoying every second with her..I can't believe she is a month old TODAY! The last couple of months of my pregnancy I was not feeling the whole blogging thing so I just relaxed and got ready for our little girls arrival and wow let me tell you, no one can prepare you for how much work a newborn is! I would absolutely not change a thing though, not even all the sleepless nights! Without further adieu, I would like to introduce you all to our little princess!

Kayleigh Sue Phillips

Born June 27th @ 10:34 PM

7 lbs 2 oz 19 1/2 inches

My baby girl and I :)

With her Daddy, my hubbie :)

Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats

2011-04-18T21:34:00.001-05:00

Hi there! I wanted to do a quick post to share a delicious treat with you guys. I love Rice Krispie Treats to begin with, I think they're so addicting..and with the addition of cake mix to give them that amazing cake batter flavor just takes them over the top! These would be such a great treat to make for your kids for Easter this year, give them a try!

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons Butter or Margarine (I always use margarine in mine, as I think butter makes them way too rich)
1 10 oz. Package of Regular Marshmallows or 4 Cups Miniature Marshmallows
6 Cup Rice Krispies
1/3 Cup White Cake Mix
1/3 Cup Rainbow Sprinkles

Directions:

Melt butter or margarine in a large sauce pan, add marshmallows and constantly stir until they are melted, then add in your cake mix and stir until it is dissolved in the marshmallows. Add your Rice Krispies and your sprinkles and mix until all of the cereal is evenly coated in marshmallow. Transfer mixture into a greased casserole dish and let cool before cutting.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

2011-04-04T15:42:00.002-05:00

Good afternoon everyone! It's been awhile since I last posted, huh? I guess life just gets a little busier for us when Spring arrives, but I'm back with a delicious and easy recipe to share with you. I've always loved granola bars, of any variety..so to be able to make my own was awesome! These would be so fun to change up the things you put in them each time you make them. I'm thinking mini m&m's next time..yum! I was out of rice krispies when I made these, but I would definitely recommend putting them in there for their great texture. Also, you can use just honey or just maple syrup, but I like the combination of the two, and if you're worried that your granola bars will taste like maple, I found that they don't at all. These are so great and versatile, go bake up a batch today!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 Cup Dry Roasted Peanuts
1/4 Cup Honey
1/3 Cup Maple Syrup
1 Cup Chunky Peanut Butter
1 Cup Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut
1/2 Cup Rice Krispies
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the honey, maple syrup, peanut butter and vanilla. Stir in the oats and make sure they are completely coated, then add in the peanuts, coconut, rice krispies, and chocolate chips and mix. Make sure everything is coated evenly. Pour the mixture into a 8x8 baking dish (feel free to line it with foil or parchment paper, I didn't do this and mine came out fine) and press into the dish tightly and evenly. Bake for 25 minutes in a pre-heated 325 degree oven, and then let completely cool in the pan before inverting and cutting into bars.

Giveaway WINNER!!! {Yoplait Smoothie Prize Pack}

2011-03-07T16:29:00.001-06:00

We have a winner folks! Through random.org commenter number 1 was chosen! Congrats, Jolynn! Please email me your information to: KaitlinintheKitchen@gmail.com so we can get you your prize pack sent out ASAP! A huge thank you to everyone that entered and be on the lookout for another giveaway very soon!

Weekend Giveaway!!! {Yoplait Smoothie Prize Pack}

2011-03-04T14:09:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday!! I have a great weekend giveaway for you guys! One lucky reader will receive a coupon to try Yoplait's NEW Frozen Smoothies for FREE (yum!!) and you will also receive a water bottle, fitness journal AND a drawstring backpack..wow! This giveaway was provided by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark. All you have to do to enter is "Like" Kaitlin in the Kitchen on Facebook and leave on comment on this post with your name..that's it! Deadline to enter is Sunday, March 6th @ 11:59 am CST. Winner will be announced the following Monday. Good luck to all who enter!

Sizzling Chicken & Cheese

2011-02-20T15:57:00.008-06:00

Hey there! Long time no post! I've just been taking a small break from the blogging world :) While I've been away we found on the gender of our baby, and as I wrote in a previous post I was really hoping for a girl, but really just a healthy baby..well I'am so excited to share with you guys that..IT'S A GIRL!!! She is healthy and right on track! She is due on the 4th of July, how funny is that? We are so beyond excited. We found out just 6 days ago and she already has *gasp* about 30 outfits and 4 pairs of shoes..this little girl is going to be so spoiled! Now let's move on to some FOOD! If you've ever been to T.G.I Friday's then I'm sure you've heard of their Sizzling Chicken & Cheese, and they also have one that includes shrimp too. I was asking my husband for dinner ideas last week and he asked me if I thought I could recreate it. I thought about it, then put all the pieces together, and told him let's go for it! I took the easy way out and used boxed mashed potatoes that I doctored up because I didn't know how involved everything else might be, but next time I will make homemade, you just can't beat 'em. I'm SO glad he suggested this dish though because it was amazing and I'm seriously tempted to make it again this week, and why not when the weather has been SO perfect for grilling. Upper 60's-mid 70's..I wish it would stay like this always! I hope you make this dish and enjoy it as much as we did :)

{Printable}

Ingredients:

4 Pieces Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, cleaned and trimmed

1 Green Bell Pepper, cut into strips

1 Medium Onion, cut into strips

1/3 Cup Scallions, diced

2 Garlic Cloves, 1 minced

8 oz. Colby Jack Cheese, shredded

1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

2 Tablespoons White Vinegar

3/4 Cup Vegetable Oil

Mashed Potatoes (instant or homemade)

Directions:

In a bowl, add your oil, vinegar, cumin, salt, pepper, minced garlic and Worcestershire sauce; whisk. Add your chicken and make sure it all gets nicely coated, then cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes. Remove your chicken from the marinade and place directly on the grill and cook until cooked through. Once your chicken is done, you can keep it warm by covering it with foil and setting aside. At this point my husband was cooking the chicken and I was inside working on the veggies and potatoes. I added about a tablespoon of oil to a skillet and turned it on medium high heat and added my sliced veggies and sprinkled them with salt & pepper and let them cook until just tender. For the instant potatoes, I just sliced a garlic clove a few times without cutting all the way through, and I added it to the milk/butter mixture that was heating up, and as soon as it came to a boil I removed the garlic clove, added the potatoes, and then I seasoned them with salt & pepper and added about 1/4 of the shredded cheese. Once everything was one, I took 2 oven safe dishes and divided the cheese up and sprinkled it as even as possible over the bottom half of each dish, and I put that under the broiler until it was completely melted, I removed them from the oven and sprinkled the veggies over the cheese part, and them scooped 2 scoops of mashed potatoes onto each dish and then layed 2 pieces of chicken on each. I returned the dishes to the broiler until the cheese was starting to bubble. Remove dishes and sprinkle with scallions. Serve.

Lofthouse Sugar Cookies

2011-02-08T21:52:00.005-06:00

Hi there :) I hope every one's week is going good so far. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but we are expecting up to 6 inches of snow tomorrow. This is SO crazy for Texas! I also can't believe I'm looking forward to Summer already..I'm sure that will change the first day it's 100+ outside though, ha! So Valentine's Day is coming up and you know I couldn't let it pass without making some cute goodies. Whenever I have an excuse to make anything pink, I'm so there! I'm sure many of you are familiar with the Lofthouse Cookies you find in the grocery stores. I'm totally guilty of occasionally getting a pack because there is nothing like them. They are soft and have a unique taste, not to mention they always make them so darn cute with all of the seasonal frosting and sprinkles they use..so you know I just had to do mine up the same! I frosted these with my Buttercream Frosting and it was perfect, these were SO addicting! Seriously, if you like Lofthouse's cookies, you will freaking LOVE these and want to make them like..tomorrow! Enjoy! :)

{Printable}

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Sour Cream

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Butter, softened

2 Eggs

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

3 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Buttercream Frosting, to frost

Sprinkles, to decorate

Directions:

In a large bowl combine sour cream, sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla; mix well. In a smaller bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then add to wet mixture and mix until everything is just incorporated. With a cookie scoop, scoop out even size scoops of dough and then roll in a ball in your hand and place on a cookie sheet and slightly flatten with your hand so it's in a circular shape. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven until light golden brown, no more than 10 minutes. They may seem under done but they aren't. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.

Super Bowl Recipe Round-Up

2011-02-06T00:24:00.004-06:00

Hey guys! Sorry I totally slacked on my last recipe, I won't be sharing it before the Super Bowl, but I will definitely still post it at some point. I'm sure you all understand that life just gets in the way sometimes! Here is a round-up of all of my Super Bowl Recipes, and some links to some that you shared with me. I hope everyone enjoys the Super Bowl and eats some great food!!!

Patti over at Olla-Podrida shared the following recipes:
Cheesy Bacon Pecan Spirals
Mexican Pizza
Guinness Meatballs
Scotch Eggs

Katie over at Katie's Korner shared the following recipes:
Club Sammy
Veggie Pizza

Thanks for your contributions ladies!

Egg Roll Wrapped Salami Mozzarella Sticks

2011-02-02T20:03:00.005-06:00

Here we go, another Super Bowl recipe! I saw these on an episode of Guy's Big Bite quite awhile ago and have slightly adapted them. As soon as I saw them I knew I had to try them! My husband and I absolutely LOVE these Mozzarella sticks! They are so delicious and such a fun and interesting spin on your typical Mozzarella stick. Served with some ranch dressing and I'm in Heaven! If you're like me and love Mozzarella Sticks of all kinds, try these ASAP..I promise you will LOVE them!

{Printable}

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs

3/4 Cup Italian Bread Crumbs

1/4 Cup Milk

2 Eggs

12 oz. Package String Cheese (should be 12)

24 Slices Thin Salami

24 Egg Roll Wrappers

Oil, for frying

*Note: I'm not sure exactly how many I got out of the recipe, it was about 24 or just under, I just kept making them until I ran out of one of the ingredients)

Directions:

In a fry pan with high sides, add your oil and set to medium high heat (325 degrees). In a small bowl whisk your eggs and milk until combined. In a medium size bowl mix both of your breadcrumbs until combined. Unwrap your string cheese and cut each one in half. Lay a egg roll wrapper down on a flat surface and brush each side with the egg wash using a pastry brush. Place a piece of salami in the middle of the wrapper, and then 1 piece of the string cheese at the bottom of the piece of salami. Roll the wrapper up from the bottom until piece of cheese is covered, then stop and fold in each side, then continue rolling it and make sure it's sealed well. Repeat until you are done or run out of an ingredient. Place each wrapped cheese stick in the egg wash, and then into the bread crumbs, then carefully place in the fry pan and fry until they turn golden brown. Serve.

Garlic Parmesan French Fries

2011-02-01T18:48:00.005-06:00

Hi there! We have been snowed (more like iced) in all day. I had such a hard time sleeping last night with freezing rain hitting the windows..it was crazy. It's only 12 degrees here right now, that is crazy for Texas! It's not supposed to be above freezing until Friday, so it doesn't look like this ice covered snow is going anywhere! My poor little doggie slides around every time we let her out in the backyard to potty, I can't lie though, it is pretty cute :) I have 3 more Super Bowl recipes to share with you guys that I will be done posting by Thursday. Tonight's recipe is SO freaking delicious! We made these along with some chicken Parmesan sandwiches, but I could have totally just been content with these fries, they are insane! They are somewhat similar to my Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges, but pretty different at the same time. My husband loved these too, which is always a plus! If you didn't want to make homemade fries, you could totally bake up your favorite frozen ones and then do the whole garlic parm thang to those, they would still be out of this world! Hope you enjoy :)

{Printable}

Ingredients:

2 Large Russet Potatoes

1 Large Garlic Clove

1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded

3 Tablespoons Butter

1 Tablespoon Flat Leaf Italian Parsley, chopped

Oil, for frying

Directions:

Wash your potatoes and cut into strips that resemble french fries. Place your fries in a bowl and add a drizzle of oil over them and cover with a microwave safe lid or plastic wrap and steam in the microwave for 3:00 minutes. I have a glass bowl with a steam lid that are made just for steaming, I love them! They are from Pyrex. While your fries are steaming, heat up your oil on medium high, it should fill a large pot about halfway full. Carefully place your steamed fries in your oil and fry until golden brown and then transfer to a paper towel lined cookie sheet or plate to soak up excess grease, and also season with salt immediately. Unpeel your garlic clover and slice it in half and put it into a bowl with your butter and microwave until melted, then remove the garlic clove. Place fries in a large bowl and pout butter over them and then the Parmesan cheese and parsley. Toss fries to make sure everything is coated evenly. Serve.

Sticky & Savory Chicken Wings

2011-01-29T15:25:00.004-06:00

Happy Saturday! I have another great Super Bowl recipe to share today..sticky wings anyone? Chicken wings and party food go together hand and hand, and they couldn't be more easy to make. For as long as I can remember my Mom has been making these wings and there are only 2 ingredients (not counting the wings themselves) that are so simple, but when cooked on the wings together make such a delicious combo. The soy sauce and Italian Dressing work together and get all sticky and yummy, just like wings should be! Enjoy!

{Printable}

Ingredients:

1 Bag Frozen Chicken Wings (I believe my bag was 2.5lbs)

1 Cup Bottled Italian Dressing

1/2 Cup Soy Sauce

Directions:

Lay your chicken wings evenly in a pan with high sides and bake them in a pre-heated 450 degree oven for 20 minutes without any sauce on them. After the 20 minutes, remove them from the oven, and pour half of each of the sauces on them and return to the oven for another 15 minutes, then remove, flip them with a pair of tongs and pour the rest of the sauces on and return to the oven for 10-15 more minutes or until they are a dark brown and cooked all the way through.

Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake

2011-01-27T19:31:00.008-06:00

It's National Chocolate Cake Day! I have an amazing cake to share with you that I actually made quite awhile ago, as in like, over a year ago..we were still living in our old place, I just never posted it. I can't be the only one that has multiple recipes all lined up in a folder on my computer ready to go but other ones get in the way, right? :) This recipe is Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake, and the cake part has become my go-to chocolate cake, I especially LOVE it when it's topped with my Vanilla Buttercream. If you haven't tried this cake recipe before, I suggest doing so soon! I made a little oopsy with this cake, I didn't let it completely cool in the middle before I frosted it (what can I say, I wanted a piece ASAP!) so my frosting melted a little in the middle as you can see in some of the photos, so make sure you have more willpower than me and let it cool all the way! :) Also a reminder, don't forget to send me your recipes and links to your best Super Bowl/Party foods recipes so I can do 1 big post this weekend and link back to your site. You can comment here, email me at KaitlinintheKitchen@gmail.com, or leave them on my Facebook Page!

{Printable}

Ingredients (cake):

2 Cups Granulated Sugar

3/4 Cup Hershey's Cocoa

1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

1 Cup Boiling Water

1 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Milk

2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Directions (cake):

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl or mixer. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat until combined evenly. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin) Pour into 2 9-inch round greased and floured cake pans. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pans and then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Frost and serve.

Ingredients (frosting):

1 Stick Butter

2/3 Cup Hershey's Cocoa

3 Cups Confectioners Sugar

1/3 Cup Milk

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions (frosting):

Melt butter in the microwave or in a saucepan, and then pour into a large bowl. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to a spreadable consistency. If needed, add a small amount of additional milk. Stir in vanilla.

Salsa Chili Cheese Queso

2011-01-25T21:48:00.006-06:00

Hi there! Does anyone have any plans for the upcoming Super Bowl? It's in Dallas this year! I wish I could say we were going, but no! We will still have a great time and eat some yummy food. I updated my sidebar with a link to all of my recipes that would be great for the Super Bowl, and I will be adding more recipes to it over the next week, so make sure you check back for the updated list, though you will always see the recipe on my main site first. This weekend I want to do a whole list of great Super Bowl/Party food recipes of my own, and yours..so please send me links to your recipes and I will do a post with them all and links back to your blogs because I'm sure there are never enough great party food ideas out there! You can leave a comment with your links, or you can email me at KaitlinintheKitchen@gmail.com, or you can leave them on my Facebook page: Kaitlin in the Kitchen. I can't wait to see every one's yummy recipes! Tonight i'm going to share another Queso recipe, what's a Super Bowl party without it? Check out my other recipe for Sausage Queso!

{Printable}

Ingredients:
32 oz. Package Velveeta, cubed
1/2 Cup Salsa
15 oz. Can Chili (with beans or without, your call..but the beans add a nice texture!)
1/2 Cup Milk
Tortilla Chips, to serve
-
Directions:
Set your slow cooker to high. Add your cheese, salsa, chili and milk; stir to combine everything. Cover and walk away for about 15 minutes, then give it another stir..keep doing this until the cheese has completely melted and everything is incorporated evenly. At this point you may want to turn your slow cooker down to medium or just warm so that it doesn't get too hot and dry out. In the case it gets dry, add a little more milk. Serve with tortilla chips.

Seasoned Oven Potatoes

2011-01-24T20:13:00.004-06:00

Good evening all! I hope everyone's week is off to a good start :) I have one of the BEST side dishes ever to share with you tonight. I actually can't believe I haven't posted these yet, we've been making these and enjoying them for years. In the original recipe you grill them, and we typically always used red potatoes, but ever since I've started making them, I cook them in the oven and use Russet potatoes. Either way you make these, they are so delicious! They are absolutely amazing in the summer with pretty much anything grilled. I love how some pieces stay whole, and some break apart..oh and they are FABULOUS with ketchup drizzled on top, trust me on that one! They are so simple and easy, and I'm sure everyone has the Janes Krazy Mixed Up Salt in their grocery store, or at least something very similar. The seasoning really makes these. Also, feel free to use butter instead of margarine, I just prefer margarine in this particular dish because I think butter and the flavor it brings is too heavy in it. Put these on your "Things to Make" list (am I the only one that has one of those? I know you guys must too!) because you will LOVE them!

{Printable}

Ingredients:
6 Small-Medium Russet Potatoes, washed and cut into thin circles
Half a Medium Onion, diced
4 Tablespoons Margarine, cut into small pieces
1-2 Tablespoons Janes Krazy Mixed Up Salt (or something similar)
-
Directions:
Spray a baking pan with cooking spray and toss in your sliced potatoes, diced onions, and margarine. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of seasoning over everything and then mix it well with a spoon. Cover with foil and poke some slices with a knife to vent. Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven, take the foil off, stir around and check for seasonings, if it needs more, add the other tablespoon, or less/more depending on your taste. Cover back up and return to the oven for another 20 minutes and then remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until they start to slightly brown.

Freezing Cookie Dough

2011-01-18T22:24:00.005-06:00

Do you ever have a serious craving for freshly baked homemade cookies, but totally don't feel like putting together a recipe and standing there at the stove to bake them? I have the perfect solution for you! Freezing cookie dough is so easy, convenient, and they turn out just as delicious as if you'd never frozen them at all. When I make a recipe that yields a lot of cookies, I will bake a few batches, and then freeze the rest of the dough because I know if I baked them all most of them would be thrown away, and I don't think anyone likes being wasteful! I love that you can bake these straight from frozen, and you could make as little as 1 if you wanted a light snack, but who are we kidding, we all totally know we'd never make just 1! I will put a printable to the cookie recipe I used here. Next time you have leftover dough, give these a try..or just make a whole batch to freeze to have handy for a quick treat!

{Printable} Instructions

{Printable} Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 Recipe Cookie Dough, your choice

Foil

Cookie Sheet

Cookie Scoop

Directions:

Once you make your cookie dough, line up scoops of it on a foil lined cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet, uncovered, in your freezer on a slat surface. Freeze for about an hour, or until they are somewhat solid. Everyone's freezers are set different, so just check for them to be solid. Label and date a freezer bag and place your frozen dough balls in the bag and return to the freezer. When you're ready to bake them, simply place them on a cookie sheet and bake according to your recipes original instructions.

Marinated Steak Skewers

2011-01-17T20:27:00.005-06:00

Hi there! How's everyone doing tonight? I'm doing great! I had a wonderful 16 week Doctor visit today and baby's heart beat is nice and healthy. We are SO ecstatic because on our next appointment on Feb. 15th (right after V-Day!), we get to find out if we're having a little boy or girl..ahh! I have not made it a secret that I really want a girl (hello..pink, glitter, hair bows, tutus..aww!) but I will honestly be thrilled either way, all I care about at the end of the day is a healthy baby. I can't wait to share the news with you all once we find out..so stay tuned! In the meantime, check out these yummy steak skewers, yum! I made these awhile back and served them over my Garlic Smashed Potatoes and it was a fabulous dinner!

{Printable}

Ingredients:
1 lb Steak (I don't remember the cut I used)
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
Wooden Skewers
-
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and whisk until everything is incorporated. Slice your steak into strips big enough to skewer, and skewer them in a zig zag pattern on the wooden skewer. Place skewered meat in a pan and pour marinade over them, and let marinade in the fridge for 20 minutes. Place skewers on a cookie sheet and cook in a pre-heated 400 degree for 15-20 minutes, may vary depending on how you like your steak cooked, we happen to like ours well done.

Semi-Homemade Donuts

2011-01-16T13:27:00.005-06:00

Good afternoon! Hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday. I know most EVERYBODY has this "recipe" but for those of you who have never seen it (there has to be some, right?) I thought I'd share a ridiculously easy and delicious breakfast (or anytime really) treat. You can do these tons of ways too, I opted for cinnamon & sugar, but you could do a glaze with confectioner's sugar and milk, or a chocolate glaze, and you can also cut the dough into fours and roll them into balls to make donut holes instead! These are easy and fun, definitely something the kids would have a blast doing..enjoy!

{Printable}

Ingredients:

1 Can Refrigerated Biscuits

Vegetable or Canola Oil, for frying

Topping of your choice, I chose Cinnamon & Sugar (1 Cup Granulated Sugar mixed with 1/8-1/4 Cup Ground Cinnamon)

Directions:

Pour oil into a frying pan with high sides, fill about 1-2 inches high. Heat oil on medium high heat. Using a small circle shaped item (I used the back of a piping tip) press into the center of the biscuit and remove to make a circle in the middle, and with your fingers spread it out a little to give it a more donut shaped look. To test my oil, I used the little pieces of dough that I popped out. When your oil is ready, carefully place your biscuits in the oil and you should see when they start to brown on the bottom, once you see that, they are ready to be flipped. Let them go 1 step further than golden brown because you don't want to bite into raw dough, yuck! Once done, remove to a baking rack to drain, or a plate lined with paper towels. After a minute of draining, coat with the topping of your choice.

Penne Bacon Alfredo

2011-01-10T23:40:00.014-06:00

Bacon and Alfredo in the same title? Yes! I think I've mentioned before that Fettuccine Alfredo is maybe my favorite meal..ever, but when you add bacon to it? Another one of my most favorite foods ever..purely sinful. My favorite pasta dish with bacon is Pasta Carbonara, if you haven't checked it out yes, please do so! To make myself feel better about this dish I used Half & Half, but really, when you add bacon, butter, and Parmesan cheese to that you might as well have used heavy cream, ha! I kid I kid, it's always better to substitute healthier ingredients when you can, and just between you and I, once you add all of the other goodies you can't even tell you used half & half! I also have to tell you all about this amazing bacon I picked up for this dish, I think it may be new, because I haven't seen it before, but it's Oscar Meyer's Super Thick Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon, it was so thick and delicious tasting! For all my bacon and Alfredo lovers out there, try this dish ASAP! ** Also, from this point forward I will be adding a printable version of each recipe I post, you can find them above the recipe labeled "Printable", just click on that and you will have a easily printable version of the recipe! :)

{Printable}

Ingredients:
5 Slices Thick Cut Bacon, diced into medium size pieces
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 1/2 Cups Half & Half
8 oz. Penne
3/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Large Garlic Clove, minced
Salt & Pepper, to taste
-
Directions:
In a fry pan, cook your bacon until chewy (or longer if you like your bacon crunchy) and then drain on a paper towel lined plate; set aside. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil, then add a touch of olive oil and plenty of salt and then dump in your pasta. While your pasta is cooking, melt the butter and garlic in a deep fry pan until butter is melted all the way. Pour your half & half into the pan and whisk to combine it with the butter. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then sprinkle in your Parmesan cheese and whisk to melt it into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to your liking, and then stir in your bacon. Drain your pasta and add it to your sauce and mix everything until all of the pasta is coated evenly.

Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-01-09T17:52:00.005-06:00

Hi there :) I hope everyone is having a nice Sunday. It's been snowing here in Texas all day, can you believe it?! I love looking outside, it's so pretty! I would say right now we have about 3 1/2 - 4 inches and light flurries are still falling. I'm so glad we went grocery shopping yesterday, because I would not have wanted to trek out in that snow! Instead we relaxed all day, and I baked up these scrumptious cookies. These are a unique and fun twist on your classic chocolate chip cookie..a must try! I also had to show off my massive bag of chocolate chips that I got at Sam's Club..too cool, and a must have for anyone who bakes a lot!

Ingredients:

2 Sticks Butter, softened

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar

2 Eggs

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

3 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

3/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

12 Oreo's, broken up (I used Double Stuf)

Directions:

In a mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla until combined. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to wet mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and oreo pieces. Using a cookie scoop, place scoops of dough onto a ungreased cookie sheet and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 9-11 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool.

Cowboy Style Chicken Fried Steak

2011-01-07T23:46:00.006-06:00

Hey Hey! Is everyone excited for the weekend? I know we are over here! So..what is 'Cowboy Style' Chicken Fried Steak you ask? I didn't know either until a few months ago. I was searching google images for something when I came across a picture of it and was curious so I clicked on it and I guess it's something that a small joint here in Dallas has, now I haven't done any research to see if it's a popular thing anywhere, and it must not even be that popular in Dallas seeing how I, nor my husband who's a native, had ever heard of it. I don't remember the name of the place that serves it, but it was a pretty simple looking dish, a piece of chicken fried steak, smothered in chili and cheese - umm, yes please, sign me up! I knew I had to make this at home, and for some reason, the thing that came to my mind to serve it with was tater tots! You've got to try this delicious spin on a classic..you will not be disappointed!

Ingredients:

2-4 Pieces Cube Steak (all depending on how many servings you need)

1 Can Chili with No Beans (Wolf brand is preferred in this house!)

1 Heaping Cup Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

2 Cups plus 1/2 Cup Buttermilk

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Vegetable Oil, for frying

Directions:

Place steaks in a bowl and pour 2 cups of buttermilk over them and let set for about 20 minutes. Season your flour with your spices and mix well, then drizzle in the 1/2 cup of buttermilk and mix into the flour to form little clumps that will stick to the steak and make it extra crunchy. Once your steak is done sitting in the buttermilk, take it piece by piece and coat it in the flour, then place it in a frying pan that's been heated with about and inch inch 1/2 of oil. Cook on each side about 6 minutes, or until done to your likeness. Drain your steaks and then move to a serving plate and spoon on heated up chili and sprinkle on cheese.

M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-01-06T22:33:00.005-06:00

Happy New Year everyone! I know I'm a bit late, but since this is my first post of the New Year, I just had to tell you all that :) I hope you all had a great Holiday season this past (wow, it sounds weird to say that!) year. Ours was great and very special! I figured these super yummy cookies would be a great first post of the year..seriously, try these soon, they are SO GOOD!!
-
Ingredients:
1 1/3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Stick Butter, slightly melted
1 Egg, room temperature; slightly beaten
1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1/2 Cup Plain M&M's
-
Directions:
Cream together butter, egg, and vanilla until just combined. In a large bowl, mix all of your dry ingredients (yes, even the sugars). Dump all of your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and m&m's. With a cookie scoop, take a scoop of dough then press it out into your hands and hand roll the dough into a ball. Repeat process and bake cookies in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookie start to turn golden brown. Do not overcook them or else they will come out crispy!

GIVEAWAY WINNER!!

2010-12-22T12:50:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to commenter number 3, Nicole! All you need to do is email me at KaitlinintheKitchen@gmail.com with your address so we can get your prize mailed to you! Thank you to all who entered and I wish you all an amazing Holiday season!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bread

2010-12-14T17:10:00.005-06:00

Hi there! I've got a yummy quick bread to share with you this evening. Do you all love quick breads this time of year as much as me? Perfect with morning coffee! Before I share the recipe with y'all I wanted to remind anyone who may have missed the post for the giveaway I'm having. If you would like to enter, check it out by clicking HERE! Now onto the yummies!

Ingredients:

2 Eggs

1 1/4 Cups Applesauce

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/4 Cup Milk

1 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour

3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

3/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup + 1/4 Cup Old-Fashioned Oats

1/2 Cup Miniature Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and 1 cup of the oats. In a small bowl, add the liquid ingredients and whisk until incorporated, then add to the dry ingredients, and mix just until everything is combined evenly. Pour into a prepared loaf pan. Mix together the 1/4 cup oats and the miniature chocolate chips and sprinkle evenly over the batter. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 55-65 minutes, or until the oats start to brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

GIVEAWAY: Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko & A Signed Copy of Chef Michael Chiarello's Cookbook 'Bottega'

2010-12-13T20:31:00.005-06:00

Wow, I can barely believe that it's been over a month since I've done a post. What can I say? I have been so incredibly tired that I just haven't felt up to it. The joys of pregnancy! I do have a totally awesome giveaway to make up for my absence though! General Mills has provided me with this great giveaway through MyBlogSpark, of a package of Progresso's new Lemon Pepper Panko, PLUS a signed copy of Michael Chiarello's cookbook Bottega - how awesome is that?! Panko is fast becoming a staple in many people's households and there's no doubt that these lemon pepper ones are super yummy. Michael's cookbook is a thing of beauty. It's a big, beautiful cookbook with delicious looking dishes, and lot's of personal notes from the chef throughout the entire book that make it a must-have for any fan. All you have to do to enter is "like" me on Facebook and leave a comment on this post with your name. There is a link on my right side bar to my Facebook page. If you have already done that, just let me know by simply commenting on this post and also leaving your name. The deadline for this giveaway is Friday, December 17th, 11:59PM CST. Good luck everyone! If you don't happen to win, or you just can' t wait to find out, here's a $1.00 off coupon for any Progresso Panko flavor!

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash

2010-11-08T22:09:00.005-06:00

Hi everyone! I want to thank everyone for their sweet comments on my last post! Now I have something sweet AND savory to share with you. I'd only ever had butternut squash mashed, but I thought it might be really good cut into cubes and roasted too, and it WAS! I love this stuff. I think the only thing I would do differently next time is cut the cubes bigger, because they shrunk so much by the time they were done. I served these alongside pork chops, which I will share the recipe for those with you another day..so in the meantime, enjoy this beautiful fall dish!

Ingredients:

1 Butternut Squash

2 Teaspoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Directions:

Cut up your squash into cubes, making sure to remove the skin as you go, you can either peel it with a vegetable peeler, or just cut the skin away, which is what I did and that worked perfectly as the squash is a little odd shaped to peel with a peeler. Also, you can easily remove the seeds and pulp by simply scraping it out with a spoon. Place your cubes in a bowl and pour on your olive oil and maple syrup, and sprinkle in your salt & pepper and mix everything well. Pour squash out onto a cookie sheet and bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, all depending on how big you cut your squash.

Cheesy Garlic Bread

2010-11-07T22:16:00.006-06:00

Hi there! It's been longer than I thought since my last post, my apologies! It has been a crazy last week around here, my husband and I found out that we are expecting our first baby in early July..we are thrilled! This will most definitely be the best thing I've ever baked up! :) I look forward to keeping you all up to date on our little cupcake! Now how about a recipe? Who doesn't love cheesy garlic bread? I made this to go along with some chicken Parmesan, one of my favorites! This is so simple, and so easy, give it a try on your next Italian meal night! ;)

Ingredients:

1 Loaf Good Italian Bread (I got a beautiful Tuscan bread from Target's bakery)

1 Stick Butter, softened

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Teaspoon Flat Leaf Italian Parsley, chopped (I would suggest using a bit more, my husband is picky though and doesn't care for too much!)

1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded

Directions:

In a small bowl, add your softened butter, garlic and parsley; mix until well combined. Slice loaf of bread in half length-wise and spread half of the butter mixture on each of the insides of your bread. Place on a cookie sheet and put under the broiler until the bread turns golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, and 1/4 of the Parmesan on each half of bread. Return to the broiler until the cheese turns golden brown. Cut into slices.

Buttermilk Pancakes

2010-10-28T20:25:00.006-05:00

Good evening! I hope all of you have had a great week so far, it's almost Friday!! I got the urge to make my hubbie and I pancakes this morning for breakfast, and these turned out great! If you like your pancakes on the bigger side, I would double the recipe, as I make mine kind of small and I get 10. It's sometimes nice to make a little extra batter anyway, that way you can store it in the fridge and have pancakes again the next morning without all the prep work! Either way you do it, you're sure to enjoy these!

Ingredients:
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 Egg
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil

Directions:
Mix all of your dry ingredients together thoroughly. Add the buttermilk, oil and egg. Whisk all ingredients until thoroughly blended. Heat a griddle or skillet on medium. Very lightly spray or brush with oil. Using a ladle or ice cream scoop, pour a small portion of the pancake batter onto the griddle or skillet to form your pancakes. Once bubbles start popping up, gently flip the pancakes. Finish cooking until nice and golden brown on both sides.

Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits

2010-10-25T19:07:00.006-05:00

Hellllo! I'am pumped to share these biscuits with you guys! If you've been to Red Lobster, then you've most likely had these. They give a basket to every table. Personally, I don't like any sort of seafood, I always get chicken when I go..but these biscuits are worth going for on their own! If you're one of those people that does go for the biscuits alone, then you are about to fall in love with this recipe! They are so scrumptious, and you won't believe how good they smell cooking! Seriously, go make these - immediately!!! Yum :)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 Cups Bisquick

3/4 Cup Cold Whole Milk

4 Tablespoons Cold Butter

1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Salt

1 Heaping Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

To Brush on Top:

2 Tablespoons Butter, melted

1/2 Teaspoon Flat Leaf Italian Parsley, chopped finely

1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Salt

Directions:

In a large bowl, add your Bisquick with your butter and using a pastry cutter or fork, cut the butter into the Bisquick. There should still be small bits of butter throughout the mixture, about the size of peas. Add in cheese, milk and garlic salt. Mix until just combined. Using a cookie or ice cream scoop, drop 1/4-cup portions of mix onto an ungreased cookie sheet. There should be a dozen biscuits when you are done. Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 15-17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits turn a light brown. As soon as the biscuits come out of the oven, melt your butter in the microwave and stir in your parsley and garlic salt, then brush mixture over all of the biscuits.

Maple Bread with Cinnamon Chips

2010-10-23T21:32:00.006-05:00

Good evening! I hope you are all having a good weekend. I have a delicious and comforting Fall recipe to share with you tonight. This is the second time I've used maple syrup in a recipe, the first time was a total fail..I put it in cookies and they spread like crazy and were a greasy mess! Luckily my second experience turned out to be delish! This is a perfect quick bread to whip up and have with your morning coffee..or anytime for that matter. Not to mention the bonus of how amazing your house will smell while it's cooking! I know it's usually quite hard to find the Hershey's Cinnamon Chips, there's only one store I can find them at here and that is Albertson's. So if you have one of those, or one of their sister stores near you, check there..and then make this bread!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 Stick Butter, room temperature

3/4 Cup Maple Syrup

1 Cup Light Sour Cream

1 Egg

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Cup Cinnamon Chips

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth then add the maple syrup and whisk together until incorporated. Whisk in the sour cream, egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in cinnamon chips. Place batter into a greased and floured loaf pan and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Taco Roll-Ups

2010-10-15T19:43:00.006-05:00

Hey everyone! I've got a super easy and yummy meal idea to share with you all tonight. My husband had these at Taco Bueno and liked them so much that we decided that there wasn't much to them, so I tried to re-create them at home, and they turned out way better! These are so simple and quick to make. You can even make them ahead of time, and stick them in the fridge for later and then stick them on the griddle or in a fry pan for a really quick meal. I haven't tried freezing them then cooking them later, but I don't see why that wouldn't work either. Give 'em a try!

Ingredients:

10 Flour Tortillas

1 lb Ground Beef

8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Teaspoon Cumin

1 1/4 Teaspoons Chili Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

Vegetable Oil

Directions:

Brown your ground beef in a skillet and as it cooks, break it up with a masher; you want it to be very fine, once done drain it to remove any excess grease. Place all of your seasonings in a small bowl and whisk them together and add a little of the mixture at a time and taste in between until it is well seasoned. Take a flour tortilla and place it on a flat surface and sprinkle some cheese down the middle, then spoon some of the meat down the middle, then a little bit more cheese, so the meat has something to stick to on both sides so it all doesn't fall out as you're working with them, and then roll them up. Repeat until you have filled all of your tortillas. Warm up a griddle or a fry pan with a small amount of vegetable oil, just enough to barely coat it so the tortillas can crisp up. Place your tortillas, seam side down, on the hot surface and cook until golden brown and crisp on one side, then flip with a spatula and repeat until the other side is crispy and golden brown. Serve with salsa and/or sour cream, if desired.

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

2010-10-08T15:10:00.005-05:00

Happy Friday afternoon! I hope you all had a fabulous week. So, if you're like me, for the longest time I thought "smashed" potatoes was just a fun word to use instead of "mashed" but did you know it actually means something? It generally refers to potatoes mashed with the skins still on. We usually make them that was, as my husband loves them with the skins on. I like them both ways, but sometimes crave just the pure creamy ones with no skins. Either way, who doesn't love warm, buttery, mashed OR smashed potatoes?! So comforting!

Ingredients:

6 Medium Size Russet Potatoes

3/4 Cup Whole Milk

3 Tablespoons Butter

2-3 Garlic Cloves

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Wash your potatoes and cut them into small chunks. Fill a large pot with water and add potatoes and bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender or until a fork can easily go through a piece and come out. While potatoes are cooking and close to being done, cut your garlic cloves in half lengthwise and add them to a small sauce pan along with your milk, butter, and salt & pepper. Heat until the mixture just starts to become frothy. Spoon out your garlic and discard. By this point your potatoes should be done, so drain them and then return them to the pot and pour your milk mixture over them and with a potato masher, mash them until they are the consistency that you prefer. Serve.

Applesauce Oat Streusel Muffins

2010-10-06T19:08:00.007-05:00

Hi there :) If you're like me, you're constantly looking for yummy Fall treat recipes to add to your collection..I just love Fall desserts! Almost even more so, is how it makes the house smell when something pumpkiny or cinnamony is baking. It just totally puts me in a cheerful mood and bring the season alive! I have an amazing delicious muffin recipe to share with you tonight. I made these muffins months ago, I just never got around to posting them until now. These might be my favorite muffin, and to be honest, they're so good on their own that they don't even need the streusel topping, but that topping crisping up in the oven sure does make it smell amazing while baking! I have made them without when I was wanting something a little healthier, and they are truly amazing both ways. So what are you waiting for? Go bake up a batch!

Ingredients (muffin):

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1 Cup Cinnamon Applesauce

1/2 Cup Canola Oil

2 Eggs, beaten

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions (muffin):

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together your eggs, oil, applesauce and vanilla; mix well. Pour applesauce mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. Scoop batter into a prepared muffin tin about 3/4 way full. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Ingredients (streusel):

1/2 Cup Old Fashioned Oats

6 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

4 Tablespoons Butter, semi-soft

Directions (streusel):

In one bowl, combine all ingredients with a fork until combined. Mixture should be crumbly. Sprinkle over muffin batter before baking.

Homemade Croutons

2010-09-28T17:05:00.006-05:00

Good evening! Hope everyone's week is going good. I think it may finally be starting to feel like fall around here. It's been in the 50's during the morning time, and yesterday the high was only 75..it felt wonderful. Even though today has crept up to 82, I'm confident that we will soon be completely out of the 80+ days :) I made Ceaser salad's for lunch today and I was about to open a fresh thing of store bought croutons, then I realized I had some nice Tuscan bread that was on it's last leg so I decided not to waste it and thought it would be great turned into croutons for our salads. I would personally suggest using a good bread, I've used regular old white loaf bread before, and it's just not the same end result. Also, using freshly ground black pepper adds so much more flavor than the powder stuff. You can really season these with whatever you want though, that is the beauty of making them yourself! These were so fresh and delicious! Easy, simple, and full of flavor. If you've never made homemade croutons before, give it a try next time you're about to throw out that day old bread. Use them on salads, soups, whatever you like!

Ingredients:

A few thick slices of good quality day old bread

Extra Virgin Olive oil

Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions: Cube your bread and place it in a saute pan that's set to medium high heat. Drizzle in a few teaspoons of olive oil, then stir bread around to coat all of the pieces evenly. Sprinkle on some salt & pepper, check for seasoning, then continue to cook them until they are golden brown and crisp, stirring them around every so often so they cook evenly on all sides. Transfer to a plate to cool, or use them right away warm.

Breakfast Burritos

2010-09-21T23:20:00.007-05:00

Hello there :) I've got something super yummy to share with you all tonight, breakfast burritos! When I was thinking of things to make earlier, I thought I had a great line up of ingredients that would make some killer breakfast burritos..and I set out to make them! My husband has always thought that he didn't like breakfast burritos, and to be honest, I'm not very familiar with them myself..it's not something I ever choose to get anywhere. We were both excited to see what I could come up with though. The result was delicious, so much better than either of us thought they would be! I thought the egg would ruin it for me since I'm not a huge fan of eggs, but all of the ingredients blended and worked with one another perfectly. These would be a great time saver for busy mornings, just make them, freeze them, then reheat them! I hope you give these a try!! PS ~ You could totally use the frozen blend of pre-diced potatoes, onions & green peppers to save time!

Ingredients:

6 Slices of Bacon

2 Medium Size Russet Potatoes, diced

1/2 Cup Onion, diced

1/2 Cup Green Pepper, diced

4 Eggs

1 Heaping Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

10 Flour Tortillas

2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Dice your bacon and cook in a fry pan over medium high heat until cooked, remove and drain on a paper towel; set aside. You can either cook the vegetables in some of the bacon fat, or remove that from the pan and add your vegetable oil, I cleaned my pan out and used vegetable oil. Add your diced (they should be fairly small dices) potatoes to the pan and season with salt & pepper and let cook on medium high heat for about 10 minutes, then add your onions and green peppers and cool until potatoes are tender and cooked through. Remove your vegetables to a bowl and set aside. Whisk your eggs up and scramble them in the fry pan that you just removed the vegetables from, using the excess oil leftover in the pan to prevent them from sticking. Once your eggs are done, turn off the heat and add the vegetables, bacon and cheese. Stir until everything is evenly combined. *Note if you don't want your cheese to completely melt, then let your mixture in the fry pan cool off slightly before you add your cheese so that way when you add it it's to where the cheese just gets warm. Place mixture down the middle of warmed tortillas (I placed mine in my tortilla warmer in the microwave for about 25 seconds) and then roll up. Serve with salsa, if desired.

Pumpkin Squares

2010-09-18T16:15:00.009-05:00

Hi there! Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. I'm so excited because in a few minutes I'm going to (make my husband) drag out all of my Halloween/Fall decorations so I can decorate! I love love LOVE decorating for this season. I thought since I was decorating today that it would be fitting for me to post these pumpkin squares. These are so amazingly delicious and moist, you must add them to your Fall baking line-up! Have a great day you guys! :)

Ingredients (cake):

4 Eggs

1 2/3 Cups Granulated Sugar

1 Cup Vegetable Oil

1 15-ounce Can Pumpkin

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

Directions (cake):

In the bowl of a mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix until thoroughly combined and smooth. Pour batter into a greased 13x10 baking dish, and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

Ingredients (frosting):

1 8-ounce Package Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 Cup Butter, softened

2 Cups Confectioners' Sugar

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions (frosting):

In the bowl of a mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter and beat with a whisk attachment until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar and mix until combined. Add vanilla extract and beat until thoroughly combined. Frost on completely cooled pumpkin squares.

Baked Macaroni & Cheese Cups

2010-09-14T19:49:00.007-05:00

Good evening :) How's every body's week going so far? Great here! Aren't these Macaroni & Cheese cups the cutest? I'm in love with them, so I can't imagine how much kids would like them. They are definitely a fun way to do mac & cheese! I served these with ribs that we cooked on the grill and it was a perfect combination. Let me know if you try them and how they turn out for you!

Ingredients:
2 Quarts Water
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Cups Elbow Macaroni, uncooked
2 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Evaporated Milk
1/2 Stick Butter, melted
8 Ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
8 Ounces American Cheese, shredded
1/2 Cup Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Cooking Spray

Directions:
Bring water, salt and oil to a boil in a large pot. Add pasta and cook until al dante. Drain pasta and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, evaporated milk, melted butter and salt & pepper, to taste. Stir in 3/4 of the cheddar cheese and all of the American; add the pasta and mix well. Spray a muffin tin liberally (and I mean liberally, you want those babies to pop out nicely when they're done) with cooking spray and add 2 tablespoons of the pasta mixture. Top each muffin cup with remaining cheese and sprinkle with 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of breadcrumbs. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool about 2-5 minutes and they should pop right out. NOTE: I placed my muffin tin on top of my biggest cookie sheet and put it in the oven like that just in case any cheese spills over.

Super Bowl Party Food

2010-09-10T00:30:00.010-05:00

Here are some excellent party food recipes for the big day! We all know the Super Bowl means 2 things: The final football game of the season to determine the season champions, and then my personal favorite..THE FOOD! These are some of my tried and true recipes for any get together!

Thin & Crispy Pizza Crust

2010-09-09T20:45:00.011-05:00

I've been wanting to share this recipe with you all for awhile now. I made this to blog when we still lived in our old place but am just now getting around to posting it. I have made this many times and it is now the only pizza crust recipe I use, and the only one I will ever need. It is perfect! I cannot imagine finding a better one. If you love making homemade pizza at home, please please please try this crust next time you do. One of the best parts about it? It makes 2 crusts! Love that about it. On this particular pizza, I topped it with my homemade pizza sauce (which I will share another time - so good!) mozzarella cheese, sliced green olives, boneless chicken, and pepperoni..which turned out to be such a winning combination, it is our favorite way to have it! Let me know if you give this a try!

Ingredients:
3 1/2 Cups Bread Flour, plus more for kneading
1 Teaspoon Granulated Sugar
1 Envelope Instant Dry Yeast
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 1/2 Cups Warm Water (110 degrees)
2 Tablespoons plus 2 Teaspoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
Combine flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a mixer and attach the dough hook and turn it on to let everything combine, use a spoon if everything needs a little help getting incorporated into each other. While mixing, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and mix until dough forms a ball. Scrape dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Form into a smooth ball. Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil, add dough, turning once to completely coat in oil, cover with plastic wrap, a tea towel, or paper towel, place in a warm area and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 2 equal pieces; cover each with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes. Spread dough onto a lightly oiled pizza pan until you get the shape you want. Top with your desired toppings and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown, in a pre-heated 450 degree oven.

Caramel Pound Cake

2010-09-07T22:14:00.016-05:00

Hey there! Some of you may have noticed my blog going through a lot of changes recently. I'm trying to find a design I really like but I'm having a hard time. You may see it change again, as I keep experimenting. I haven't been blogging much in the recent months because we've been too busy, and then the move, but I have been wanting to get back on a regular basis so much, so I want a fresh start and a new design! I've recently gotten a lot of my time freed up so I cannot wait to get back to what I love doing: cooking and blogging about it with all of you! Let's start off with this perfect-for-autumn caramel pound cake that is absolutely divine! This baked up so beautifully and was so scrumptious..everything you would think a caramel pound cake should be! You're going to want to give this one a try!

Ingredients (cake):
3 Sticks Butter, room temperature
3 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour, plus more for pan
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Light Brown Sugar, packed
1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
6 Eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 Cups Whole Milk, at room temperature

Directions (cake):
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream
butter until fluffy, add brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat until
light and smooth,
stopping to scrape down the bowl with a spatula so that everything
is incorporated evenly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Alternately add the flour and milk, in 3 batches, beginning and ending with flour,
beat until smooth. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan and then scrape the batter into
the prepared pan and bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven until a wooden skewer
inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let cool in pan
on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before removing from the bundt cake pan. Let
cool completely before icing.

Ingredients (icing):
1 Stick Butter
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 Cup Whole Milk
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
4 Cups Confectioners Sugar

Directions (icing):
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and whisk constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbling. Remove from heat and whisk in milk. Let mixture cool completely. Stir in the vanilla, then gradually add the confectioners sugar and stir until well blended and smooth. Transfer cake to a serving plate and ice with the icing. *If you want to be able to pour your icing on, I would add a bit more milk to get it to that consistency, mine was a thick, spreadable consistency.

Sauteed Parmesan Garlic Butter Broccolini

2010-08-16T23:50:00.007-05:00

Hey everyone! We are now moved into our new place and we are loving it, it's been a bit overwhelming though. I didn't realize it would be so much different moving from a townhouse into a actual house. We are getting more adjusted by the day though and things slowly seem like they're getting back to normal. Ever since we've been here I've been dying to cook in my new kitchen so I've cooked us a few meals, other than that things have been extremely simple..cold sandwiches, frozen food, etc. I was so sick of it that I just had to cook us a couple good meals, and this broccolini (aka baby broccoli) was part of one! I served it along side pork chops and mashed potatoes - YUM! I see broccolini at Target every time we're shopping, and I always want to pick it up, but I never do..and I decided this time would be the perfect time to get it. It reminded me a lot of asparagus, but with more of a broccoli taste to it. The butter, parmesan and garlic went SO good with it! Then again, what wouldn't those 3 flavors go good with? Yes, I used the powdery parmesan on this, I have the real stuff in the fridge, I just thought the powdery stuff would work good on this and it did! I like what it does in a fry pan..and you will too! Give this a try!
-
Ingredients:
8 0z Package Broccolini (aka baby broccoli)
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Garlic Cloves, minced finely
Salt & Pepper, to taste
-
Directions:
In a fry pan, melt butter and add garlic. Wash broccolini thoroughly, then add to the fry pan and coat in butter mixture and saute for 10 minutes on medium high heat, then lower heat and cover for another 10 minutes.

GIVEAWAY: Gluten-Free Chex Cereal Prize Pack --WINNER--

2010-08-10T02:10:00.001-05:00

Through random.org a winner has been chosen for the exciting Chex prize pack. Congratulations to Carla!!!! Please email me at ScentsFromKaitlin@gmail.com with your information and I will see to it that your prize pack gets on it's way to you ASAP! Thanks to everyone who entered!!!

GIVEAWAY: Gluten-Free Chex Cereal Prize Pack --- EXTENDED!

2010-07-29T20:37:00.008-05:00

Hey everyone, due to how busy I'am packing for our move into our new place on Thursday, I've decided to extend the giveaway until Sunday, August 8th at 11:59PM CST. Again, good luck to everyone!

Good evening all! I have a awesome giveaway for you all! Chex Cereal provided me with a super cool prize pack through MyBlogSpark, which includes a coupon for a FREE box of any Chex cereal, a microwaveable bowl with a lid, gluten-free recipe cards, a measuring cup, and measuring spoons - wow! How awesome does all of that sound? Weather you're on a gluten-free diet or not, you're going to want to enter this giveaway!! As I said, you can use the coupon on any of the many varieties of Chex cereal. The gluten-free one is new, and is great for those with food sensitivities. All you have to do to enter is "like" my blog on Facebook, which you can find the link to on the right sidebar of my blog, and leave a comment in the comment section with your name. Deadline to enter is Sunday, August 1st at 11:59PM CST. 1 winner will be randomly selected and announced on Monday, August 2nd sometime during the day. Good luck everyone!

Oreo Cookie Brownies

2010-07-21T16:20:00.008-05:00

Hey everyone! Long time no post! Things have been hectic around here lately, we are moving in 2 weeks! Same town, we're just moving up from a townhouse into a house..we are really excited. So between looking for a place that suited us, and the start of the packing process, plus our busy everyday lives, there hasn't been much time to blog! Can I just say that I always forgot how much I HATE packing? Don't we all? I wish things could just magically appear in the new house! I always think "oh, it would be that bad" but it is! I guess it's sort of my own fault though..you see I sort of have an obsession with home decor, especially all things wrought iron. I will probably have 3 moving boxes full of wrought iron decorations by the time I'm done packing, and I already have 1 completely stuffed with candles, and that's just the downstairs..minus a few that are out of my reach that my husband will have to get down for me. Anyway, Oreo Brownies anyone? Get a load of these babies! So good, you must try them!
-
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Sticks Butter, melted
1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 Eggs
3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Cocoa
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, divided
13 Oreo Cookies, cut into medium sized pieces, divided
-
Directions:
Combine butter, sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Add eggs, and beat well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Add in 1 cup of the chocolate chips, and all but 1/2 Cup of the Oreo's. Spread batter evenly into a prepared 9x12 dish. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. Set brownies aside to cool, in the meantime, place the rest of your chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until they are completely melted. Sprinkle the rest of the Oreo's over the brownies, then pour your melted chocolate into a sandwich bag, snip off the corner, and drizzle all over brownies. Let cool completely before cutting.

Sauteed Asparagus with Parmesan Lemon Butter Cream Sauce

2010-07-06T22:59:00.006-05:00

Hi there! How's everybody been? Just great here! Okay, let's get right to it: Asparagus. It is not something I would have used to touch with a 10 foot pole. I've never been into many vegetables as side dished other than potatoes, corn and carrots..I think that's it. I didn't like peas, green beans, broccoli, etc. Now I love it all. I can thank green bean casserole for my new found love of green beans, and it's funny..I loved them covered in all that creamy, crunchy oniony goodness, but I was sure I would still hate them on their own, and nope, love 'em! I was someone who never thought my tastes would change as I grow up, I thought if it's gross then, it will always be gross. I have definitely been proven wrong as I love so many things I hated when I was younger. The one thing I still can't seem to stand, is any sort of fish/seafood..whatever! I really just hate it all. It's a bummer too, because it all looks so good, like coconut shrimp, grilled shrimp, salmon or beer battered anything..but no..I can't stand any of it! I've also always disliked donuts. I've tried to like them, I still try to like them to this day, there's just something about them that doesn't taste good to me at all. I can sorta stand to eat them, but I really don't enjoy them what-so-ever. Okay, enough about my taste in food..back to the point of this all...I love asparagus! It is so good and has such a great flavor. I'm trying to incorporate it more and more into our diet, so it's a good thing my husband loves it as much as I do! I forgot to put the Parmesan in with the ingredients in the pic, but just pretend it's there! Ciao everyone!

Ingredients:

1 Bunch Asparagus

3 Tablespoons Butter

Small Lemon or Half of a normal size Lemon

3/4 Cup Half & Half

2/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese, finely grated

Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large fry pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter on medium heat. Was your asparagus and snap near the end until it breaks off itself, or line them up and with a knife, cut about 2-3 inches off to get rid of the tough ends. Lay your asparagus in the fry pan over the melted butter and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Let saute for 10-12 minutes, or until just tender. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a smaller pan and once it's melted, add your cream, then your Parmesan, then squeeze in your lemon, and season to taste with salt & pepper, making sure to whisk to evenly incorporate everything. Drizzle lemon sauce over asparagus.

Mozzarella Sticks

2010-06-28T22:28:00.006-05:00

Hey everyone! Who likes mozzarella sticks here? More like who DOESN'T, right?! If you're anything like me, you can't resist that delicious fried cheese creation! All kinds of mozzarella sticks seem to be delicious..frozen, restaurant, etc..but sometimes there is nothing better than homemade. I've been making them this way at home for awhile now. They are so easy and so yummy. I've often thought of cooking them through, then freezing them so we can just pull them out and put them in the oven, that sounds way too tempting though..I don't know if I'd always want such easy access to them! LOL. If you love mozzy sticks, try making them at home..you'll love them!

Ingredients:

1 Package String Cheese

1 1/2 Cups Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs

1 Cup All-Purpose Flour

2 Eggs, beaten

2 Cups Vegetable Oil

Parmesan Cheese & Fresh chopped Parsley, for garnish

Ranch and/or Marinara, to serve

Directions:

Cut string cheese in half width-wise. Coat 1 at a time in this order: flour, eggs and then breadcrumbs..set them on something you can put in the freezer and once you've coated all of them, place them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes, just to set the coating. Heat up your oil in a shallow skillet and then carefully with a pair of tongs place your sticks into the oil and let them fry, turning to evenly cook them, until they are golden brown and cheese just starts to ooze out. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley and serve.

Coconut Pecan Chocolate Chip Blondies

2010-06-23T21:17:00.007-05:00

Forgive me that the post before last was a bar type dessert as well. Well actually, I hope you'll be thanking me instead..because these blondies are out of this world!!! These are seriously perfect to me. I love the texture that coconut gets when it is baked into something like this, and the hints of chopped pecan, and the chocolate, oh the chocolate! These are heavenly, and if you are a fan of everything in these, then you will go nutso for them..go make them NOW!!!

Ingredients:

1 Egg

3/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar, packed

1 Stick Butter, melted and cooled

1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

3/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/8 Teaspoon Salt

3/4 Cup Pecans, chopped

2/3 Cup Sweetened Flaked Coconut

3/4 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat egg and brown sugar until fluffy. Add butter and vanilla, mix well. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the brown sugar mixture, stir until just combined. Stir in coconut, chocolate chips and pecans. Spread into a greased 8x8 baking dish. Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, there can be a small scrape of dough, just make sure not to overcook them, because they will continue cooking for a bit once you take them out of the oven. Cut into bars and enjoy!