Poor Babe

My poor babies do NOT like when I am baking to fill orders and they cannot eat whatever it is I am making.


Proof.

This is from this past weekend, when I was in the middle of a whole buncha' cuppycakes for birthday orders. Poor little man :( And just so we are clear, I DID bake he and his brother a half dozen of their own.


ps. We are moving in 2 weeks, hence the boxes stacked up.
pps. We have to lay all the chairs down in the house or he will dance on the tables.

Home Made Almond Joy Bars

I saw this recipe on Joy The Baker's site last October, and have been patiently waiting for an excuse to make them.
I finally found one.
A Friday.
Good enough right?

Bill and I love these little candies! You can obviously make them like Mounds Bars and leave out the almond if you like. Without it though, how could you claim that these are healthy because there is protein in them!?


Ingredients
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
30 almonds
about 20 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread raw almonds onto a baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Stir in the unsweetened coconut. (The mixture will be thick.) Place mixture in the freezer for 30 minutes, it will make it easier to work with if it’s a little cold.

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the coconut mixture from the freezer and with clean hands, shape one tablespoon of coconut into a little log about 2 inches long and 3/4-inch thick. Press the logs together tightly. Place the log on the lined baking sheet and continue until all of the coconut mixture is gone. Rinsing hands occasionally if they get too sticky. Press an almond on top of each coconut log. (It might not completely stick which is fine.) Place the baking sheet in the fridge to chill while you melt the chocolate.

4. Place a medium pot with two inches of water over a medium flame. Bring the water to a simmer. Place chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl and place the bowl over the simmering water. Stir the chocolate as it melts. Turn off the flame once the chocolate has melted but keep the bowl of melted chocolate over the hot water.

5. Remove the coconut candies from the fridge. Place one coconut almond log on a large serving fork. Use a spoon to scoop chocolate over entire bar. Gently shake to release some of the chocolate, scrape the bottom of the fork along the side of the bowl and place on the lined baking sheet. You might need a toothpick to help get the candy off the fork. Repeat until all candy is coated in chocolate. If chocolate gets thick, just turn on the flame and heat slightly.

6. Let dipped candy harden in the fridge for 45 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. If you need to layer the candy in a container, use waxed paper to separate the layers.

recipe adapted from the amazing Joy The Baker






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We Went To The Park

Meh.

Hi,

I'm in a slump.

The dumps.

Total disinterest in the things that usually make me happy.

Love me anyways?

♥

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Max and Erma's Style)

Here in The Buckeye State, there is a small chain of restaurants called Max & Ermas. One of their appetizers is a Chicken Tortilla soup that so many people I know go crazy over. A couple years ago, I went on the hunt for a copycat recipe for Bill and here is the mish-mash of the ones I found.
Ive made a meat free version for myself (of course) So check the end for substitutions.
And yes, I realize this is crazy unhealthy but it is delicious and that's how this cruel world works!
ps. This makes a whole buncha' soup!

Ingredients
Soup
4 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 can cream of chicken soup
2 condensed cream of celery soup
2 cans cheddar cheese soup
2 (15 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup picante salsa
1 (4 1/2 ounce) can green chilies
1 medium onion, chopped
4 fresh garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chile powder
salt and pepper, to  taste
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Tortilla Strips
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
6 corn or flour tortillas, 6-inch

 
Directions
1. Cook and shred chicken (I do this by adding chicken to boiling water until no longer pink. Once finished, remove and then shred with 2 forks.)

2. Combine and whisk together until smooth all eight cans of soup. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, salsa, green chiles, onion, garlic, chile powder, salt and pepper.

3. Simmer in crock pot on low for about 4 hours, stirring occasionally.  Add cilantro in the last 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

4. In a small mixing bowl, combine salt, cumin, and red pepper. Brush melted margarine over one side of each tortilla, then sprinkle with salt mixture. Brush tortillas lightly to evenly distribute the salt mixture. Make two stacks of tortillas. Cut each stack into 1/2-inch strips.

5. Place tortilla strips in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or till crisp and lightly browned. (Try not to eat them before you bake them. This is always my problem.)

6. Serve with tortilla strips and shredded cheese on top. Sour cream if you're feeling crazy.



*Veggie version:
Use either creamed corn or cream of mushroom soup in place of the cream of chicken, and vegetable broth instead of chicken broth*
easy.



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Chicken Mozzarella

This is a variation from the Easy Everyday Cooking recipe cards my mother gave me when I was like, 20. The sauce is AMAZING, but be aware you may have to add a little more of the liquids to make it saucy enough. =) You know, a smidge more half-and-half and a couple extra glugs of the white wine.  I swear, every time I make it, it changes.
Serve it with a vegetable or pasta side. I've even dished it up with mashed potatoes and a Marsala gravy.

Ingredients
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 Tablespoons butter, divided
8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 cup water
1 chicken bouillon cube, or 1 teaspoon bouillon granules
3 Tablespoons (or more!) white wine
1 cup half-and-half (or more!)
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken between cling wrap and pound to 1/8 inch thickness with a meat mallet. Coat each side with flour, reserving leftover flour.

2. Heat 2 Tbls butter in a large skillet. Add chicken and cook, turning once, until browned (about 2 minutes each side.) Remove from skillet.

3. Add remaining butter and mushrooms to skillet and cook about 5 minutes. Stir in reserves flour. Add water, bouillon and wine. Cook, stirring constantly until thickened, then stir in half-and-half and cook about 1 minute.

4. Layer half of the chicken in a baking dish. Top with 3/4 of the mozzarella, then layer the rest of the chicken over the cheese. Pour sauce over top, sprinkle the rest of the cheese over dish and bake, uncovered about 10 minutes.


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Parchment Baked Chicken

This is another clean meal I snuck in on Bill. Pretty, isn't it?

Ingredients
4 sections of parchment paper cut into 12” x 16” pieces2 cups arugula leaves, torn (I left these out, Bill won't touch it.)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves2 tsp fresh chopped sage, divided
2 tsp fresh chopped rosemary, divided
1 cup chopped plum tomatoes, divided
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, divided
4 tsp olive oil
4 tsp kalamata olives, sliced and pitted (optional)
Olive oil cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Fold parchment paper in half to create a crease. Unfold the paper and coat it lightly with cooking spray, leaving a two-inch border.

2. Place 1/2 cup arugula on one side of the parchment so it touches the fold but not the ungreased border.  Place one chicken breast over arugula; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon sage and 1/2 teaspoon rosemary. Top with 1/4 cup chopped plum tomato.

4. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper then drizzle with ½ teaspoon of olive oil. Top with 1 teaspoon of olives if desired.

5. Fold parchment paper over the chicken and arugula and seal edges with narrow fold. Repeat with the remaining parchment paper, chicken and other ingredients.

6. Place packets on baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. To serve, open packets and transfer arugula and chicken breast to plates. Pour juices over top.
Recipe Adapted from EatCleanDiet.Com


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Dot Com Dance

Just a quick note to let you know that you can now find me at MrsBettieRocker.com! (All of your links should redirect.)
I know my blog has been a pain in the rear over the past 3 days while I waited for it to go live, but it's up now and ready to rock.
I'm feelin' kind of awesome.

And for absolutely no reason whatsoever, here is a picture from the night Bill proposed to me. That's Jackson, our firstborn, wearing a onesie Bill made him. It says "will you marry my daddy." Out of nowhere on a May evening in 2008, Jack came running down the hall wearing it and holding a ring box.


How could I resist??

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes




I've filled several orders for these in the past week. (I have one more to send out today, and one for this weekend.) Since this is just an adaptation of a Smitten Kitchen recipe, I decided to share it with you all.
You will not be disappointed in these bad boys! These are a Guinness chocolate cake, filled with Whiskey ganache and topped with a Bailey's Irish Buttercream. TO.DIE.FOR. My husband can't seem to stop talking about them =)

Ingredients
Cakes
1 cup stout (Guinness)
16 tbsp. unsalted butter
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
Irish Whiskey (a few tablespoons, or more)

Frosting
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Bailey’s Irish cream (I used a whole mini bottle, 100ml. It was worth it!)


Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend.  Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine.  Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated.

3. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes.  Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. To make the ganache filling, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth.  If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler or give it a very short burst in the microwave (15-20 seconds).  Add the butter and Whiskey and stir until combined. (I added about 6 Tablespoons of the Whiskey, but really, just add what you are comfortable with.) Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be piped.

5. Meanwhile, cut out a portion from the center of the cupcake using the cone method with a small knife. I used a small melon baller for mine, you'll want to go about 2/3 of the way down. Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe it into the cupcakes.

6. To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated.  Mix in the Bailey’s until smooth.  (Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading.)  Frost the cupcakes as desired.

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen






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Texan Casserole

This is an update of one of the first recipes I posted on this here blog. I'm bummed to say, our life is so hectic right now, I've been slacking on new recipes!

I am also taking in lots of new custom sweet treat orders, which has been great but keeping me busy as well. For St. Patrick's Day I've offered an Irish Car Bomb Cake that has been pretty popular. I'm actually shipping one out of state and a nervous WRECK about how that will go! Anyone with tips on shipping a cake, let me know!

Ingredients(Chicken Version)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped (optional)
1 medium green peppers, finely chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (4oz) can chopped green chilies
3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1 can (10-3/4 ounces)  cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1 (14 ounce) can of corn
1 tablespoon chili powder
12 corn tortillas (6 inches), cut into 1-inch strips
(*you can substitute flour tortillas here if you prefer.)
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheese, divided


Directions
1. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute the onion, celery and peppers in oil until crisp-tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the chicken, soups, tomatoes, chili powder and corn.

2. Line the bottom of a 3-qt. baking dish with half of the tortilla strips; top with half of the chicken mixture and 1 cup cheese. Repeat layers, ending with cheese. Sprinkle green onions on top.

3. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.



Ingredients(Veggie Version)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 medium green peppers, finely chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (4oz) can chopped green chilies
1 can (10-3/4 ounces)  cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 can creamed corn
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1 (14 ounce) can of corn
1 tablespoon chili powder
12 corn tortillas (6 inches), cut into 1-inch strips
(*you can substitute flour tortillas here if you prefer.)
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheese, divided

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute the onion, celery and peppers in oil until crisp-tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the beans, soups,  creamed corn, tomatoes, chili powder and whole corn.

2. Line the bottom of a 3-qt. baking dish with half of the tortilla strips; top with half of the bean mixture and 1 cup cheese. Repeat layers. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.







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:Sigh:

Tickle, tickle!

Steamed New Potatoes

I was a bit worried about how this would go when the original recipe stated that you needed a steamer basket to make these. Being the incredibly brilliant and ingenious person that I am (not,) I just boiled a large pot of water and set my colander on top and threw the potatoes in that and covered it with a large lid. Same difference, right?

PS. They came out amazing. So tasty!

Ingredients
1 lb of small red potatoes, halved
2 tsp fresh parsely, chopped
6 chives, chopped
4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/8 ground black pepper

Directions
1. Fill a pot with 1 inch of water and fit with a steamer basket.  Place potatoes in steamer basket and bring water to a boil over high heat. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl. Add parsley, chives, oil, salt and pepper and toss gently. Serve hot.
Recipe via Clean Eating Magazine

Chili Chicken and Veggie Kabobs

Feeling inspired by Jess, I have been sneaking in Clean Eating meals on Bill (and myself.) It's been a huge success so far!

This is one of his favorite clean recipes. I overheard him trying to describe what clean eating is to friends of ours once, and he called it "naked meals, or whatever." Oh husband, you are so cute.

I really enjoyed this recipe too, veggie style of course. In place of chicken, I added squash, peppers and tomatoes. You can really add any veggies you like!

Since it IS still winter, I just pulled out our indoor, counter top grill and cooked them that way.

Ingredients
3 Tbsp best-quality olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Juice of one fresh lime
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp  paprika
1 large onion, chopped into thick pieces
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast*, cut into 1 1/2 inch / 4-cm pieces
Veggies (peppers, mushroom squash, tomatoes, red potatoes, anything you like! I want to try pineapple next time.)

*NOTE: Use pork, beef or bison tenderloin or turkey as alternative kabob meats. A sturdy, meaty fish such as salmon works well here, too.

Directions
1. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and lime juice. Season with chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pressed garlic.
Place the chicken and vegetables in a shallow baking dish with the sauce and stir to coat.

2. Preheat the grill to medium high. Thread the chicken onto the skewers, alternating with chopped onion pieces. Discard the marinade.

3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill the skewers for 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear.
Recipe adapted from Eat Clean Diet



Delicious! I served this over some organic Jasmine rice.



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