I just entered to win a trip to Disneyland. You can enter at on two different websites. Good Luck!
www.sweetlifeinthevalley.com
www.outandaboutwiththefamily.com
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Frankenstein Brownies
I saw some super cute, festive Frankenstein brownies over at CONTROLLING MY CHAOS. I was so excited to make them that I ran right out to get what I needed!
I just made a box brownie mix & let them cool. I cut the brownies into rectangles & put them on a plate.
I decided to make the frosting minty..so I found a recipe to start with & went from there. I couldn't find creme de menthe liqueur so I used mint extract. I will give you the single recipe..I doubled it, but I'm still not sure that I needed to!
Here is the recipe:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp mint extract
2 Tbsp milk
green food coloring
Mix all of the ingredients together & continue mixing until fluffy. Frost each brownie rectangle & chill until set.
For the decorating you could use chocolate frosting, but instead I used a chocolate ganache. You will need:
6 Tbsp butter
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
You can melt your chocolate & butter in the microwave, but I had better luck with a "double boiler". I used a glass bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat & allow to cool a little.
While your chocolate is cooling...cut some mini marshmallows in half. These will be the whites of your eyes. You will need 1 mini marshmallow per Frankie.
Now that your chocolate has cooled...put it in a piping bag (or ziploc baggie with the corner cut off). I used a small round piping tip that I slid into the corner of a ziploc baggie. Use the chocolate to decorate the hair, mouth, & eye.
I just made a box brownie mix & let them cool. I cut the brownies into rectangles & put them on a plate.
I decided to make the frosting minty..so I found a recipe to start with & went from there. I couldn't find creme de menthe liqueur so I used mint extract. I will give you the single recipe..I doubled it, but I'm still not sure that I needed to!
Here is the recipe:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp mint extract
2 Tbsp milk
green food coloring
Mix all of the ingredients together & continue mixing until fluffy. Frost each brownie rectangle & chill until set.
For the decorating you could use chocolate frosting, but instead I used a chocolate ganache. You will need:
6 Tbsp butter
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
You can melt your chocolate & butter in the microwave, but I had better luck with a "double boiler". I used a glass bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat & allow to cool a little.
While your chocolate is cooling...cut some mini marshmallows in half. These will be the whites of your eyes. You will need 1 mini marshmallow per Frankie.
Now that your chocolate has cooled...put it in a piping bag (or ziploc baggie with the corner cut off). I used a small round piping tip that I slid into the corner of a ziploc baggie. Use the chocolate to decorate the hair, mouth, & eye.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Pot Pie is one of the ULTIMATE comfort foods! I also love to give it to the kiddos because they are getting so many veggies & they either don't know or don't care! Now, it is a little involved & I recommend that you follow the recipes timing, but it is definitely worth it!!! I changed the original recipe to fit my taste..so that is what I am giving you!
5-6 chicken tenders (3 breasts)
32 oz chicken broth
3-4 potatoes
1 yellow onion (I cheat & buy chopped onion in the freezer section!)
3 celery stalks
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 package peas & carrots mixture
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 frozen deep dish pie crust bottom**
1 pie crust top (in the dairy case)**
**This makes enough to make 2 pies...so you could use 2 of each pie crusts
1. Place chicken in a pot of cold water just to cover chicken. Add salt, pepper, & garlic powder. Bring to a boil, turn off heat, & cover. Let cool in the pot.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Peel & cut potatoes into bite size pieces & boil until almost fork tender. Drain & set aside.
4. Wash & cut celery into bite size pieces. Cut onions into bite size pieces (or just use the frozen stuff(: ).
5. In a large heavy skillet, saute onion, celery, & olive oil over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes. Add peas & carrots & cook for about 5 minutes. Add flour to veggie mixture & cook for about 30 seconds.
6. Add chicken broth & bring to a boil. After it has become thick, add the potatoes.
7. Remove chicken from the pot & cut into bite size pieces. Add chicken to veggie mixture. Add salt & pepper to taste.
8. Pour mixture into the pie crust bottom. Cover with the pie crust top. Trim the shell down & crimp the edges so that the juices don't spill into your oven. I also put it on a cookie sheet...just in case.
9. Bake at 350 degrees fro 45 minutes or until pie crust is cooked & golden brown.
5-6 chicken tenders (3 breasts)
32 oz chicken broth
3-4 potatoes
1 yellow onion (I cheat & buy chopped onion in the freezer section!)
3 celery stalks
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 package peas & carrots mixture
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 frozen deep dish pie crust bottom**
1 pie crust top (in the dairy case)**
**This makes enough to make 2 pies...so you could use 2 of each pie crusts
1. Place chicken in a pot of cold water just to cover chicken. Add salt, pepper, & garlic powder. Bring to a boil, turn off heat, & cover. Let cool in the pot.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Peel & cut potatoes into bite size pieces & boil until almost fork tender. Drain & set aside.
4. Wash & cut celery into bite size pieces. Cut onions into bite size pieces (or just use the frozen stuff(: ).
5. In a large heavy skillet, saute onion, celery, & olive oil over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes. Add peas & carrots & cook for about 5 minutes. Add flour to veggie mixture & cook for about 30 seconds.
6. Add chicken broth & bring to a boil. After it has become thick, add the potatoes.
7. Remove chicken from the pot & cut into bite size pieces. Add chicken to veggie mixture. Add salt & pepper to taste.
8. Pour mixture into the pie crust bottom. Cover with the pie crust top. Trim the shell down & crimp the edges so that the juices don't spill into your oven. I also put it on a cookie sheet...just in case.
9. Bake at 350 degrees fro 45 minutes or until pie crust is cooked & golden brown.
Stovetop Peach Cobbler
Mmmmmm...this is so tasty & incredibly easy! It is gooey & crispy all at the same time. This is another one of my favorites from allrecipes.com.
Here is the recipe:
1 29 oz can of sliced peaches
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup white sugar
1 packaged yellow cake mix
4 tsp margarine/butter
1. Pour out half of the juice from the can of peaches. Pour the peaches & remaining juice into a large saucepan. Sprinkle cinnamon & sugar over the top of the peaches. Empty the cake MIX evenly over the top of the peaches. DO NOT MAKE THE CAKE MIX...YOU ARE POURING THE POWDERED MIX ON TOP OF THE PEACHES! Cut up your butter into pats & place in the CENTER.
2. Cover the sauce pan with the lid & bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once steam starts to come from your saucepan, reduce heat to medium low & cook for 10 minutes. DO NOT LIFT THE LID!!! Remove from heat & let sit for 15 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Here is the recipe:
1 29 oz can of sliced peaches
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup white sugar
1 packaged yellow cake mix
4 tsp margarine/butter
1. Pour out half of the juice from the can of peaches. Pour the peaches & remaining juice into a large saucepan. Sprinkle cinnamon & sugar over the top of the peaches. Empty the cake MIX evenly over the top of the peaches. DO NOT MAKE THE CAKE MIX...YOU ARE POURING THE POWDERED MIX ON TOP OF THE PEACHES! Cut up your butter into pats & place in the CENTER.
2. Cover the sauce pan with the lid & bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once steam starts to come from your saucepan, reduce heat to medium low & cook for 10 minutes. DO NOT LIFT THE LID!!! Remove from heat & let sit for 15 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Playdough Cookies
I originally posted this recipe on my other blog, MOMMY GURU. I really love this recipe & thought that I would share it here. I think that I am going to make them this week & use orange & black as the colors. These cookies are really fun & easy to make. My boys love to help make them. You could even put sucker sticks on them & make them a lollipop cookie...hmmm...so many possibilities!
The recipe:
3/4 cup butter (softened)
3 oz cream cheese (room temp)
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla (I added 2 tsp)
2 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1. In large bowl, cream together butter, cream cheese, & sugar until fluffy. Add egg & vanilla & mix until smooth.
2. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, & salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir until soft dough forms.
3. Divide dough into fourths. Tint each with a different color of food coloring. Wrap each color of dough separately & chill for 2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take a small amount of each color & then roll into a snake. Coil the snake starting at one end. Place on cookie sheet & bake for about 8 minutes.
The recipe:
3/4 cup butter (softened)
3 oz cream cheese (room temp)
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla (I added 2 tsp)
2 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1. In large bowl, cream together butter, cream cheese, & sugar until fluffy. Add egg & vanilla & mix until smooth.
2. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, & salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir until soft dough forms.
3. Divide dough into fourths. Tint each with a different color of food coloring. Wrap each color of dough separately & chill for 2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take a small amount of each color & then roll into a snake. Coil the snake starting at one end. Place on cookie sheet & bake for about 8 minutes.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Cupcakes
I haven't made any super fun Halloween treats yet, but I thought I would share some cupcakes that I made last year.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Ghosts
I love Halloween, but don't want to spend a lot on decorations. Here is a cute, CHEAP Halloween decoration that is so easy to make. I got all of the stuff that I needed for a total of $2.00. I made four & could make so many more. I love having the ghost hang from our trees in the front yard. The boys love them too!
I bought garbage bags (without the string in them) & balloons at the dollar store. I already had fishing line & a black sharpie at home. You could use newspaper instead of the balloon, but I like having the tied part of the balloon to hang the ghost from.
Blow up your balloon (not with helium). Take the bottom of your garbage bag..the sealed side & make a small slit in the center. This is where the knot of the balloon will come out. Feed the knot through the hole in the garbage bag. Using your sharpie, draw eyes onto the garbage bag where the balloon is. Tie fishing line to balloon knot. Last year I left it at that, but this year I added extra fishing line to the corners to make arms.
I bought garbage bags (without the string in them) & balloons at the dollar store. I already had fishing line & a black sharpie at home. You could use newspaper instead of the balloon, but I like having the tied part of the balloon to hang the ghost from.
Blow up your balloon (not with helium). Take the bottom of your garbage bag..the sealed side & make a small slit in the center. This is where the knot of the balloon will come out. Feed the knot through the hole in the garbage bag. Using your sharpie, draw eyes onto the garbage bag where the balloon is. Tie fishing line to balloon knot. Last year I left it at that, but this year I added extra fishing line to the corners to make arms.
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