Classic Italian Lasagna and Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie!

My husband offered to make me dinner for Mother's Day. I told him that it was so sweet to offer, but I had already planned my favorite meal out. I know, I'm crazy. A man offers to cook and you should always accept, but I had my heart set on Lasagna. I love Lasagna! I've never enjoyed making it much, so complex, so many different components to make. But because I love it so very much and I haven't had it in a while, I decided to try Giada's recipe, because the rest of her recipes have been so excellent. This was the BEST lasagna I have ever had. My favorite part is that she uses a marinara and bechemel sauce combined, instead of just a marinara sauce. It gives it such a creamy texture and it has the perfect flavor! The spinach adds a nice touch and of course the best part is the bubbling cheese on top! Yum! It tastes even better the second day because all of the flavors combine and it is just perfect! Give it a try, it is to die for!



Classic Italian Lasagna
adapted from Giada's Everyday Italian

salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
15 dry lasagna noodles (about 12 ounces)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef chuck
1 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 cups Bechamel Sauce (recipe to follow)
1 1/2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce
1 1/2 pounds whole milk ricotta cheese (I used part skim)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons butter
2 (10 ounce) pkgs frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the vegetable oil (prevents sticking). Cook the lasagna until almost al dente, about 6 minutes (the center of the pasta should remain somewhat hard so that it won't overcook and become soggy when baked.) Drain, then rinse the noodles under cold water to stop the cooking and help remove any excess starch. Cover lightly with a damp towel to prevent the pasta from drying out. Set aside.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over a medium-high flame. Add the ground beef and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and saute until the beef is brown, breaking up any large clumps, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain any excess fat. Let cool completely.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
4. In a medium bowl, mix the bechamel and marinara sauces to blend. Season the sauce with more salt an pepper to taste.
5. In another medium bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to blend. Set aside. Spread the butter over a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Spoon 1/3 of the bechamel-marinara sauce over the bottom of the dish. Arrange 5 lasagna noodles atop the sauce, overlapping slightly and covering the bottom of the dish completely. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with the spinach. Arrange 5 more lasagna noodles atop the spinach, then top with the ground beef. Spoon one third of the remaining bechamel-marinara sauce over, then sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Top with the remaining 5 sheets of lasagna noodles. Spoon the remaining bechamel-marinara sauce over the lasagna noodles, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese. (The lasagna can be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Uncover before baking).
6. Line a large, heavy baking sheet with foil. Place the baking dish on the baking sheet. Bake until the lasagna is heated through and the top is bubbling, about 45 minutes.

Bechamel Sauce
makes 4 cups

5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups warm whole milk (I use 2 percent)
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
pinch of white pepper (I use black pepper)
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (I use dried)

In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick, smooth, and ream, about 10 minutes. Do not allow bechamel sauce to boil. Remove from the heat and stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste. (The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate.)

Now onto Dessert!!!!



A friend of mine brought this over to me after I had my last baby. I fell in love with it, it's simplicity and wonderful flavor combinations! I make it all the time now and it is so good, it doesn't take long to finish the whole pie! Trust me, it is worth EVERY last calorie!!!




Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie

1 store bought oreo pie shell (or make one at home)
1/2 gallon mint chocolate chip ice cream
cool whip
caramel
hot fudge sauce
coursely crushed oreo cookies

There are no measurements, because you can put as much of everything as you desire. Make it your own!

On the bottom of the pie shell, drizzle carmel and hot fudge sauce. Soften ice cream, and scoop into the pie shell until 3/4 of the way full. Top with cool whip and top that with the oreo cookies. Drizzle more caramel and hot fudge sauce and put back in the freezer to firm up. Yum!!!!!

Taking A Break...and Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats!

I feel like I've been away forever!  This last week was crazy busy, with a funeral, kids, and whatever else I was busy doing.  It's funny that I can't actually remember what I was so busy with, but I swear I was...oh well.  I'm back and I've got a no-brainer recipe here, but it's sooo yummy and if you haven't tried this version of rice krispy treats, than you have to!  It's delicious and I can eat the entire pan by myself.  I try not to, but I could.  Easily.  A friend of mine made them for a church function and I fell in love.  I don't think I could ever go back to regular rice krispies, okay I could, because they are so yummy as well, but these are a step up!  What could be better than marshmallows, rice krispies, butter, and chocolate, right?  Right!

Ooey Gooey Chocolatey Rice Krispy Treats

1 large bag (10.5 oz.) of marshmallows

1/4 cup butter

6 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

1 bag (10 oz.) milk chocolate chips

Melt marshmallow's and butter in a microwavable safe bowl for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir until smooth.  Add rice krispies and chocolate chips and mix until blended together.  Place in 9 x 13 inch pan and pat down lightly with a buttered spatula.  Easy!

The best part of these goodies are the chunks of chocolate that don't melt all the way, and you bite into the treat and it is perfectly chewy and delicious!

Cinnamon Buns

I have been trying to master cinnamon rolls for years! I have been married for 7 years, and every Sunday my husband has wanted cinnamon rolls. I haven't always been into cooking and baking, so for 7 years I have been buying store bought packaged cinnamon rolls. He loves those things, and I have never understood why. I think they are far from good. So for 7 years, I have also been trying to master the perfect cinnamon roll so that my husband would not want the far from good ones any longer. I can't believe it has taken me this long, but I have finally done it!!! Thanks to Melissa Murphy and her cookbook and one of my favorites, The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. Everything that I have made out of this book has been extraordinary. Her cinnamon buns are no exception. They are so sweet and light and delicious. I especially love the orange zest in the dough, it makes them different than any other cinnamon bun you have ever had, and it will be the last recipe you ever use. Yum!!!


Cinnamon Buns

For the dough:
1 large egg yolk
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange
2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar

For the egg wash:
1 large egg
2 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream

For the cinnamon sugar:
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar

To make the dough (first rise):
1. In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, combine the egg yolk, milk, vanilla, zest, and one-third of the flour. Mix on medium speed until it is a smooth paste. Add the butter in pieces and mix to combine.
2. Change the mixer attachment to the dough hook. Add the remaining flour, the yeast, salt, and sugar and mix on low speed to combine. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the dough forms a ball and is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl. The dough should be nice and elastic. If it is very sticky, slowly add up to 1/ 2 cup more flour.
3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
4. When the dough has doubled in volume, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. roll out the dough into a rectangle that is 12 inches wide by 18 inches long.
5. For the egg wash: In a small bowl, using a fork, whisk together the egg and milk. Using a pastry brush, brush it over the surface of the dough.
6. For the cinnamon sugar: In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle over the dough, leaving unsugared the bottom 1 inch of one long side of the rectangle.
7. Starting at the top edge of the rectangle, roll the dough toward you jelly-roll style and pinch the bottom seam closed. Slice the roll into 12 pieces approximately 1 1/2 inches thick, and place them cut side up about 2 inches apart. Spray the buns lightly with nonstick vegetable cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

To complete the buns:
1. When you are ready for the final rise, remove the buns from the refrigerator. Bring about 3 quarts of water to boil. Place an empty roasting pan large enough to hold the water on the bottom of your cold oven. Pour the boiling water into the pan.
2. Remove the plastic wrap from the buns. Position a rack in the center of your oven. Place the pan on the rack in the oven and shut the door. The steam of the water will help the buns in their final rise. The buns will just about double in size in 30-45 minutes. If they need more time, just boil some more water and refill the roasting pan. When the buns have doubled in volume,, remove them and the roasting pan from the oven.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
4. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. (Mine only took 35 minutes) Remove to a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Spread each bun liberally with cream cheese frosting.

For cream cheese frosting: In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together 3 ounces cream cheese, 1 tablespoon whole milk, and 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar until smooth.

Note: If you want to make them all in one day, just omit the refrigerator, it works just as well!

Oatmeal Chocolate and Cinnamon Chip Chipsters

Ever since I saw Jenny at Picky Palate's post about Cinnamon Chips, I have been on the hunt for these beauties! I finally found them at a local grocery store and went home and created a lovely cookie with Oatmeal, Chocolate Chips and Cinnamon Chips. Oh my, these cookies melt in your mouth. I can usually contain myself around cookies and limit myself to 2, but these cookies are on a whole different playing level. It's so much different than just adding cinnamon. The cinnamon chips melt and combined with the chocolate and they truly are a delicacy! Yum, Yum and Yum, are the only three words that I can use to describe these delights. Make sure you pour yourself a glass of milk with these babies, dunking is perfect for these chewy cookies!



Oatmeal Chocolate and Cinnamon Chip Chipsters
recipe by stephanie
makes 4 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups cinnamon chips (I found Hershey brand)
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat 1 stick (1/2 cup) of the butter in a mixer until smooth. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. In a seperate bowl, add flour, baking soda and salt and whisk until combined. Add the remaining butter (1 stick) to the flour mixture and using your hands break up butter into flour until well combined and the butter is at least pea sized within the flour. Slowly add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture until well combined. Stir in oats, cinnamon chips and chocolate chips. Chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Scoop onto baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.

Tip: I baked 2 dozen and scooped the remaining dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer until frozen and than place in a ziplock freezer bag and bake at your own convenience! Fresh cookies any time you want!

Fettucine A La Carbonara

Yet another one of Giada's recipes, this one was quite tasty. I love pasta, love it, love it, love it. I wish I could get my husband to eat whole wheat pasta, because it is so much better for you, but he refuses anything with the word "whole wheat" in it. Rice, pasta, bread, you name it. I've slowly been trying to convert over, but it is not going to happen, so I've just been making it in moderation. This night, I wanted pasta. I can never go wrong with Giada! Her Everyday Italian cookbook rocks, and I've made at least half of the recipes in that book. I've never found one that didn't taste amazing! This particular dish is a sauce that is basically cream, eggs and Parmesan cheese. It's classic Italian, and one of my favorites! This is very rich, you definitely can't eat it every night for dinner, but once in a while will not hurt you! Giada uses Penne pasta in this recipe, but you can use any type of pasta that you like.  

Fettuccine A La Carbonara

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound pancetta, diced into 1-inch cubes (I used bacon)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound dried fettuccine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over a medium flame. When almost smoking add the pancetta or (bacon) and saute until golden brown and crispy. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon pepper and remove the pan from the heat.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and cream. Stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Do not rinse the pasta with water; you want to retain the pasta's natural starches that help the sauce adhere.
4. while the pasta is still hot, return it to the pot. and quickly toss with the browned bacon, then the cream mixture. It's important to work quickly while the pasta is still hot so that the cream mixture will cook, but not curdle. Toss with the remaining cup of Parmesan cheese and the chopped parsley. Season the pasta with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the pasta to bowls and serve.

Daring Bakers Challenge, Cheesecake Pops

These little Cheesecake Pops had quite the photo shoot, let me tell you!  This month's Daring Bakers Challenge was hosted by Elle from Feeding My Enthusiasms and Deborah from Taste and Tell. When I first heard what the recipe was this month, I was a little apprehensive. I've never been a big cheesecake fan. But then I started to think of what I could do creatively to decorate them, and then I got really excited. My mom helped me make these little beauties. It was so much fun! And the cheesecake is sooooo delicious! That means a lot to a person who doesn't care for cheesecake in the first place. It was so creamy and sweet.



I saw that many people had problems with cooking time and so I planned on cooking mine at least an hour. My Mom said that she always cooks her cheesecakes at least an hour and fifteen minutes. And that is exactly how long mine took, and it was cooked perfectly.



It was fun rolling the cheesecake into balls and shaping them into squares. Nice and messy. I dipped the pops in white chocolate, some in milk chocolate and some in semi-sweet chocolate. We then covered them in a variety of toppings; nuts, crushed oreos, nuts, crushed heath bars, graham cracker crumbs, and sprinkles. My favorite combinations were the white chocolate and crushed oreos and milk chocolate with the crushed heath bars. In one word, delicious!



I will definitely make these again if I have a special occasion or I'm just wanting a good cheesecake! 

Cheesecake Pops
From Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor

Makes 30 – 40 Pops

Ingredients:

5 8-oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ cup heavy cream
Boiling water as needed
Thirty to forty 8-inch lollipop sticks
1 pound chocolate, finely chopped – you can use all one kind or half and half of dark, milk, or white (Alternately, you can use 1 pound of flavored coatings, also known as summer coating, confectionary coating or wafer chocolate – candy supply stores carry colors, as well as the three kinds of chocolate.)
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
(Note: White chocolate is harder to use this way, but not impossible)
Assorted decorations such as chopped nuts, colored jimmies, crushed peppermints, mini chocolate chips, sanding sugars, dragees) - Optional

Directions:

Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Set some water to boil.

In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth. If using a mixer, mix on low speed. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (but still at low speed) after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cream.

Grease a 10-inch cake pan (not a springform pan), and pour the batter into the cake pan. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with the boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes.

Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

When the cheesecake is cold and very firm, scoop the cheesecake into 2-ounce balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cheesecake ball. Freeze the cheesecake pops, uncovered, until very hard, at least 1 – 2 hours.

When the cheesecake pops are frozen and ready for dipping, prepare the chocolate. In the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, heat half the chocolate and half the shortening, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and chocolate and shortening are combined. Stir until completely smooth. Do not heat the chocolate too much or your chocolate will lose it’s shine after it has dried. Save the rest of the chocolate and shortening for later dipping, or use another type of chocolate for variety.

Alternately, you can microwave the same amount of chocolate coating pieces on high at 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth.

Quickly dip a frozen cheesecake pop in the melted chocolate, swirling quickly to coat it completely. Shake off any excess into the melted chocolate. If you like, you can now roll the pops quickly in optional decorations. You can also drizzle them with a contrasting color of melted chocolate (dark chocolate drizzled over milk chocolate or white chocolate over dark chocolate, etc.) Place the pop on a clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat with remaining pops, melting more chocolate and shortening (or confectionery chocolate pieces) as needed.

Refrigerate the pops for up to 24 hours, until ready to serve.

A Day In The Kitchen!

It started off innocent enough. I had bought some poppy seeds the other day and I just felt like making some muffins. It was snowing today. Cold, dreary, snowy, rainy, sunny for a minute, then snowy again. Days like these I just feel like baking something warm and cozy and delicious. My 3 year old daughter gets really excited to bake with me in the kitchen, so I do it often. My husband says I have an addiction. So what, he reaps the benefits so what does it matter anyway? Anyways, I finally got my own copy of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from my home to yours in the mail the other day, and I've been dying to break it in. I found the recipe for her Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins and decided to give them a try. Mmmmm...so good. They are moist, delicate, light and tasty. Yes, I do make many lemon recipes here on this blog, only because it is one of my favorite flavors. It just makes everything so fresh and vibrant.



I decided to use my mini muffin pan, just because little muffins are so much cuter. Drizzled with a bit of lemon icing and these were the perfect little treat.



Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

For the muffins:
2/3 cup sugar
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick melted butter, cooled
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

For the icing:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter or spray 12 regular-size muffin tins or 24 mini-muffin tins. In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with you fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of lemon strong. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and melted butter together until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients, and with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don't worry about being thorough-a few lumps are better than overmixing the batter. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold. Cool the muffins completely on the rack before icing them. Mix the icing and lemon juice and drizzle over muffins. Enjoy!

Still Cooking...

So, I thought that since it was a stormy blizzard outside that I definitely needed to make soup for dinner. I don't care what they say, I make soup all year round. Not necessarily on a hot day, but days like this require soup. I've been craving soup, salad and breadsticks from Olive Garden lately, but actually making it to the restaurant after a long day with 2 kids is impossible. So I made my favorite soup, Zuppa Tascana. It is basically thinly sliced potatoes, onions, italian sausage and chicken broth with a little cream and some kale added in just before serving. This soup is delicious! I made some breadsticks and added a yummy salad on the side, and that was dinner.



Zuppa Tascana Soup

1 lb Italian Sausage
2 large russet potatoes, sliced in half and than sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2- 32 ounce cartons chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 bunches kale, chopped
freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, if desired

Brown sausage in large soup pot. Remove sausage and set aside. To the pot add chicken broth, potatoes, onion, and garlic and bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add cream and sausage to the pot and warm through. Add kale right before serving. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Nope, still in the kitchen...



Nope, not done yet...I still had more baking to do. I had a birthday in the family and had decided to bake cupcakes for the special day. I knew I wanted to make Carrot Cake Cupcakes, but couldn't decided whether to make Dorie Greenspan's recipe or The Sweet Melissa Baking Book recipe. Everything I have made so far out of Sweet Melissa's has been gourmet. I decided to give her cake a try. Of course this recipe was made for a layer cake, but I thought it would work fine as cupcakes. They were delicious, but definitely would have been better as a cake. They just lacked the firmer texture of a cupcake. They were a little too soft and delicate to. But since they tasted so delicious, I decided to make the frosting and hoped that they would be enjoyed. I found these adorable cupcake holders (picture below) at Target and I loved the finishing touch. Now, I am exhausted so I'm going to curl up on the couch and watch "The Office".



Carrot Cake with Fresh Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

For the Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound carrots, grated medium fine
3/4 cup walnut pieces, coarsely chopped

For the Frosting:
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Zest of 1 orange
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 8x2 inch round cake pans. Line each pan with an 8 inch round of parchment paper.
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs at high speed until light and frothy, about 1 minute. Decrease the speed to medium and add the oil, sugar, and salt, and mix until just combined. Decrease the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
3. Remove the bowl from themixer. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the carrots and walnuts.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Spin the pans to level the batter. bake for 45 mintues, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove to a rack to cool for 20 minutes before turning the layers out onto the rack. Cool completely before filling or frosting.

Frosting:
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and zest. Start on low speed and then increase to medium-high speed and beat until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
2. Add the butter and mix on medium speed until just fluffy and smooth. Add the vanilla and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.

Frost between the layers and around the cake until smooth. The cake keeps in a cake aver in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It tastes great eaten at room temperature or chilled!

A Blogging Award And Peanut Butter Cups

I was stunned when I pulled up one of my favorite blogs, My Kitchen Cafe, and noticed that Melanie had given me a blogging award, Blogging With A Purpose!  It made me feel so good that someone actually likes this silly blog!  I put so much time and energy into this blog and it makes me feel so good to have positive feedback, so thanks Melanie.  I too, love Melanie's blog, it is just my style of cooking and everything always looks and sounds so tasty!  I actually made her Peanut Butter Cups last week and they were exquisite!  So creamy and delicious!  It's my turn to 5 more fabulous blogs that I love for the same award, Blogging With A Purpose:

Kevin at Closet Cooking: It seems as though Kevin lives in his kitchen, almost a new tasty post every day or close to it.  He tries things that I haven't even dreamt of, but it inspires me to expand my horizons and try new things.  His pictures are perfect and every recipe looks beautiful!

Patsyk at Family, Friends, and Food:  I love this blog because it is right up my alley.  I love her recipes and I relate to her food, if that makes sense.  She is always so nice with her comments and I just adore her blog!

Melody at My Sweet & Saucy: I just found Melody's blog not to long ago, but I am now addicted. She is perfectly talented in the art of baking, and she inspires me with her beautiful cakes and treats.  

Patricia at Technicolor Kitchen: Patricia has a very beautiful blog with great pictures and great recipes.  She bakes and cooks things that I wouldn't normally think of, but when I see her photo's, it opens my eyes to new things and makes me want to give all of her recipes a try!

Jenny at Picky Palate: What can I say, Jenny has true talent in the kitchen.  She creates beautiful recipes, all of which I would like to try, and it inspires me to create my own dishes. It's so fun to see what she'll create next!  

Award winners, here's what you can do if you would like to nominate any other blogs:

1. Nominate 5 blogs which haven't had this award before.

2. Each of the blogs must have a purpose

3. The nominated blogs should link back to this page.

4. The logo from the award can be put on their blog and link back to this blog!

Thanks again Melanie, and now onto the Peanut Butter Cups!

I saw this recipe on Melanie's blog I knew immediately that I had to make them and very soon.  So I did.  And they were so delicious!  I liked that the peanut butter was mixed in with the chocolate, it made it so creamy and absolutely divine!  

Solid Peanut Butter Cups

12 oz. melted chocolate (I used 9 ounces semi-sweet squares and 3 ounces white chocolate squares)

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Melt chocolate according to package directions, taking care not to overheat.  To the melted chocolate, add the peanut butter, sugar and vanilla.  Mix well.  Spoon or pipe chocolate mixture into small baking cups.  Refrigerate until set.  Enjoy!

Cowboy Salsa

I'm not really a salsa kind of girl...unfortunately my mouth does now allow spicy things to enter it. I just wasn't born with the tolerance. I wish I was, I really do try, but no matter what I just can't stand the burn! I've never understood how people can stand the pain of spicy food.  It stings my tongue and it is so far from enjoyable, I can't even get past it to see if the rest of the flavor is good.  I assume it is not.  So when they served this salsa at a family party once, I instantly fell in love and had to have the recipe.  It is so tasty and fresh and delicious.  It's not spicy at all, but don't let that turn you off, if you have to have the heat, I'm sure it would be just fine adding in some fresh jalapenos. I fried up some corn tortillas to serve with this salsa and it is so perfect you can literally eat the whole bowl in a day.  Not kidding.  



Cowboy Salsa

1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can white shoe peg corn
1 29 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
3-4 whites of green onions, chopped
1 pkg italian dressing mix

Mix all together and enjoy!

Simple Caesar Salad

I love a nice fresh salad. It's always nice to have a break from heavy meals during the week, and enjoy a light simple salad. I never really enjoyed Caesar Salad's until I had one made right in front of me at a fancy restaraunt many years ago. Luckily I missed the part where the chef added the anchovies, or I probably wouldn't have eaten it. Anchovies freak me out, don't ask me why. My husband decided to wait until I devoured the entire salad before telling me what the secret ingredient was. I was glad, but ever since then, I can tell if it is a good homemade Caesar Dressing instead of a poor one. If I can taste the fishy anchovies instead of a nutty accent, then I'm totally turned off by the taste. But I believe it is essential in a good Caesar Dressing to have anchovies added in the mix. It adds a nutty flavor and if it is made just right, it will make the perfect addition. Here is a great recipe, I use a store bought rotisserie chicken (Costco-$4.99) and chop up enough chicken to top the salad. And homemade croutons are a must!

Chicken Caesar Salad

Dressing:
adapted from Great Food Fast
1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 small garlic clove
2 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped

Croutons:
Italian Bread, cut in 3/4 inch cubes (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Salad:
1 package romaine hearts
either 4 chicken cutlets, cooked the way you like or the breast meat from a rotisserie chicken

1. Make the croutons: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the bread on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and salt and pepper, toss to coat. Bake, tossing occasionally, until golden, 12-15 minutes. Remove the croutons from the oven and let cool.
2. Prepare the lettuce: Cut the romaine hearts crosswise into 1 inch ribbons; wash and dry.
3. Make the dressing in the blender, combine the lemon juice, mayonnaise, parmesan, anchovy fillets and garlic; blend until smooth.
4. Toss lettuce, chicken, dressing and croutons. Enjoy!