S'mores Bars

Here is an easy and delicious treat to make this holiday season, s'mores bars!

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of butter melted
• 1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers (about 1 package inside the box)
• 1/2 bags shredded flaked coconut
• 1 12oz bag of chocolate chips
• 1/2 bag of mini marshmallows
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt the butter and mix the crushed graham crackers and press into a 9x13 pan.  Layer the remaining ingredients in order.  Finish by sprinkling a few chocolate chips on top.

Bake until marshmallows toast and puff, about 10 minutes.

Home Chef Jerk Chicken

Wow!  Can I just say that I would never have fixed jerk chicken myself, but Home Chef made it easy and something I had to try.  Start to finish it took me less than an hour and my husband said he would love to have this again.  Slightly spicy chicken cooked with a brown sugar plantain made us both feel like we were dining at a Jamaican restaurant.  It was so tasty and nutritious.  There was coconut rice and sauteed kale to pull it all together.  I'm  not going to do my usual listing of steps and instead, I will be linking to the Home Chef recipe that came with my ingredients.

Click here if you would like to try Home Chef and would like a $30 coupon off your first order.



Recipe:  Home Chef Jerk Chicken

Chopped chives & kale

Sliced plantains (it looks like a giant banana)

Using my cast iron skillet to sear the chicken since this can go right into my oven.

Tossing the sliced plantains with olive oil and brown sugar.

Basting the chicken with the jerk sauce.

Adding the plantains into the skillet and replacing chicken on top.

Beef Stroganoff & Mashed Potatoes

Two posts in two days!  I'm off to a great return.  My husband is also benefiting from all the yummy food we are fixing.  Seriously, who doesn't love warm comfort food on a cold day?  Yesterday, I could not get a childhood favorite out of my head, beef stroganoff.  If you haven't had it, it is a garlicky, mushroom concoction that immediately reminds me of my childhood (yes, I was that weird kid who would eat ANYTHING).  My mom would always fix it with egg noodles but last night called for homemade mashed potatoes.  Folks, if all you ever fix are the instant ones you are missing out.  Throw them away, and get yourself the Yukon Gold potatoes.  You can thank me later.

Ingredients

• 1.5-2 lbs of Sirloin Steak (cut into 1.5 by 2 inch pieces)
• 1.5 cups Beef Bullion
• 1 Onions (chopped)
• 16 oz Mushrooms (sliced)
• Ketchup
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Garlic
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 2-3 TBSP Flour
• 2 TBSP Butter

I'm not really a person who measures this recipe so stick with me and we can make something delicious.  First off, prep all the onions and mushrooms so you won't have to chop them right before they're supposed to go in.  All the prep work in advance makes the whole recipe come together in less than 30 minutes.  Wash all veggies then chop the onion and slice the mushrooms.  You can cheat and buy the presliced mushrooms but they're all dried out and yucky.

Slice the steak and I trim off the extra fat.  Toss the sliced steak in flour.  This is optional but I like to do this to give myself a little thicker sauce in the end.In a large skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil until bubbly then add in the steak.  Sear the steak until no longer pink.

Add in 1.5 cups of beef bullion or beef broth, a couple of turns of ketchup (about 3 TBSP) a splash of Wocestershire Sauce and a 1/2 tsp of minced garlic (a clove or two).  Stir, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add onions & mushrooms.  Cook 5-7 min.

Remove from heat & add sour cream.

Heat on low until bubbly!

Boiled, drained and all the yummy extras added in.  Ready to blend.

Mashed Potatoes Ingredients & Process

• 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes (quartered)
• Butter
• Sour Cream
• Garlic (minced)
• Parsley

Wash potatoes really well.  I do no peel them because I like the extra zing the peel brings to the potatoes.  Bring quartered potatoes to a boil and boil until fork tender.  Drain off all water and return to pot.  Add a couple tablespoons of butter, 2-3 spoons of light sour cream, a 1/2 tsp minced garlic (optional) and minced parsley.  Blend with an immersion stick blender for smooth and whipped potatoes or mash together with a potato masher for the rustic mashed potatoes.

Whipped and ready!  Thank you stick blender.

Overnight Oats & Other Things!

Even had time for family photos this fall!

It's been a long time people.  How has everyone been doing?  I had been taking a little break from blogging but I'm back!  I am reevaluating my blog to expand it beyond just cooking to include all my crafts, fashion and family.  I hope everyone had a nice weekend and is hitting the ground running on this (cold) Missouri Monday morning.  My husband and I finally found time for a date night Saturday to the movies before his basketball season gets into full swing.  If you have not seen the new James Bond film Spectre, GO!  It is so worth seeing in the theater.  Trust me.

So, without further adieu, here is the first post I've made since March!

I may be the last person to jump on the overnight oat bandwagon, but they are quite possibly the tastiness thing I have every fixed for my breakfast at work.....and they take all of 5 minutes to fix the night before.  I was getting tired of buying the expensive breakfast bars that my husband and I started to grow so fond of and instead looked for a healthy and nutritious alternative.  Since my school starts too early in the morning, traditional breakfast is not an option since I prefer my beauty sleep.

The oats are nutritious and almost like a breakfast pudding in texture.  I started off experimenting with my favorite fall flavor, pumpkin pie, and continued to adjust until it was just right.  It was not without a few failings; the first batch tasted like I was chewing on a raw pumpkin.  I love using Pure Pumpkin by Libby for all of my pumpkin flavored items but I needed to make sure it didn't overpower the other ingredients.  A pinch of maple syrup gave it just the right amount of sweetness.  Pumpkin is such a super food so eat it and enjoy.  I've even included a coupon for you here!  The recipe does not use the full can so I just pop it into a container in my fridge and use what I need throughout the week.

I love using Maple Syrup as a sweetener and there are so many more benefits to it than sugar.  Click here to check out all the nutritional benefits to maple syrup versus traditional sweeteners.

Courtesy of: Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers

A couple of personal preferences, you can warm these in the microwave but I prefer my cold.  You can also used rolled oats but I prefer steel cut because they are chewier and I feel like I'm burning more calories through extra chewing.

Ingredients (makes 1 serving)

• 1/4 cup steel cut oats (dry)
• 1/8 cup Libby 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1/2 cup 1%, skim, or almond milk
• 1 tsp Pure Maple Syrup
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 pint Mason Jar

First off, I love using my mason jars and I just save lids from recipes I've canned in the past that can no longer be used to can and seal processed foods but will work perfect to seal up breakfast overnight.

In the Mason Jar, add all the ingredients and stir to combine.  I usually fix mine after dinner.  Put in the refrigerator overnight and pull it out in the morning to take to eat.

I hope you enjoy and I will update with new variations as I work them out.

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

                    Delicious!  These easy and quick stuffed peppers are quickly on their way to becoming a househol favorite.  They will not end up replacing our tried and true recipe but they are a welcome variety and so tasty.  The biggest difference with this stuffed pepper prep is that the peppers are not parboiled to soften them before hand.  They are cooked at a high temperture which helps soften them up in the oven once they are filled but they will not be as soft as a traditional stuffed pepper recipe.

What You Need:

• 6 Bell Peppers (I used all colors)
• 3 Strip Steaks, cut in very thing slices (my husband excelled at this)
• Provolone Cheese, sliced
• Baby Bella Mushrooms, chopped
• Red Onion, chopped

Slice each pepper in half length wise and lay in a baking dish.  Line each pepper half with a slice of Provolone Cheese.

The cheese breaks but that doesn't matter.

In a large skillet, saute the chopped onions and mushrooms in a little olive oil until they have softened.  

Can you smell the veggies?

Almost ready for the steak.

Add in the thinly sliced steak and cook until the steak is browned and the onions are transluscent.  

Fill each pepper half with the mixture.  Make sure to really mound up the filling.

Almost ready!

Top each pepper wth a slice of Provolone cheese.

Ready for the oven.

Bake in the oven at 400 degrees about 20 minutes or untl the cheese is browned and melted.

Philly cheesesteak goodness.

Greek Chicken Wraps

Don't take my wrap!

My husband and I are trying to eat healthier as spring quickly approaches. This was a delicious recipe I found online and decided to give it a try. It turned out so quick and absolutely delicious. The best part is each wrap turned out to be around 350 calories.   I could've used some leftover chicken if I had any but a bag of frozen chicken breast strips works just as well.  The whole meal comes together in less than 30 minutes.

All fresh ingredients on deck.

What You Will Need:

• 1 bag frozen chicken breast strips
• Wraps - I prefer the Garden Wraps by Mission
• Cucumbers
• Grape Tomatoes
• Kalamata Olives
• Hummus
• Feta Cheese
• Sauce - I used Otria Greek Yogurt Dip in Dill
• Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Cayenne Pepper & Oregano

Chop up all the cucumbers, tomatoes & olives and toss into a bowl with the feta.  Make a light dressing with a few tablespoons of olive oil, a splash of lemon juice and a dash of cayenne pepper and oregano.  Toss it all together and taste.  Adjust the seasoning if you prefer more.  Let this sit aside and marinate while you prepare the chicken.

Freshness in a bowl

Saute the chicken with a little olive oil until browned and no longer pink.

This is the whole bag so use 2 if your are feeding more than 2 people.

The best part is that everyone gets to build their own wrap.  Remember, less is more.  Overfilling will cause your wrap to break.  You can always make two!

Smear a little hummus on the wrap.

Add on the browned chicken strips.

Top with the marinated veggies (my favorite)!.

Add a little of the yogurt sauce to finish.

Hope you enjoy one of these for yourself.  I'll leave you with a quick wrap folding lesson.  Start by fold the bottom up over the ingredients like an envelope then wrap the two sides around.  I leave the top open.

Princess Birthday Cake

My niece turning 3 called for only the best (and sweetest) of cakes.  She was also super excited to be a big sister.  This was a big moment for me because I remember being 3 and learning how to make a cake with my grandmother thus kicking off my love of baking and all things food.

Caidyn & I reaping the joy of making homemade butter cream icing.

My little princess had requested a princess themed cake so I decided to make a cake out of cupcakes that she would help me ice and prepare.  This is one time where I went for quick my using a box cake mix and following the directions on the box for making cupcakes.  Its the decorations and icing technique I'm focusing on for today.

My butter cream recipe is a simple combination of butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk.  Be extreamely careful when adding the milk; you can't take it away if the icing becomes too runny.  This recipe I can't take credit for and has been a tried and true one from an old Betty Crocker cookbook.  

What You Need:

1/2 cup softened butter

3 cups powdered sugar

1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

About 2 teaspoons milk

Arrange cupcakes on a cake board in any arrangement.

The icing was done using an M1 Wilton tip with an icing bag.  Start by holding the icing tip about 2 inches above the cupcake in the center of the cupcake.  Squeeze until a star forms then begin circling in a counterclockwise rotation to create the pretty ruffles.

So helpful.....and covered in sugar and sprinkles!  Just makes her extra sweet!

Caidyn even popped on her apron to do the sprinkles and sugar pearls!  Such a big three year old.  She leaned over and whispered to me "I'm so glad you came to see me."  Sigh, heart melted.

Finished and ready for birthday girl.

Close up of the top of a cupcake.

Fabulous Fudge

I don't have a professional lighting crew or even a high tech camera but this is my super delicious fudge.  This dessert has been made in my family since I was young and is a recipe that was Mamie Eisenhower's family fudge recipe.  I enjoy it greatly and it is a memory that I cherish from making this with both my grandmother and my mother.  Three generations of ladies in my family have had a hand in preparing this for previous family holiday gatherings.  My husband loves fudge and agreed to be the "official taste tester" for this round.

Finished fudge already starting to cool

Prepare in advance a jelly roll pan by either buttering it or line it with parchment paper as I did above.  This allows the fudge to cool but to be easily lifted from the pan.

Mix and boil for 6 minutes: 4.5 cups white sugar, pinch of salt, 2 Tbsp butter and 1 tall can of Pet Evaporated Milk (make sure to shake this can of milk very well before opening).

Use a large enough pot to have room to boil.

Stir the mixture constantly and watch for it to try and boil over.  Turn down the heat if it is getting close.

In a large heat proof combine: 12 ounces of chocolate chips, 12 ounces Baker's German chocolate, 1 pint jar marshmallow cream and 2 cups finely ground nuts.  I prefer and have always used Black Walnuts that were grown and picked on our farm.

Break all chocolate into small pieces to allow it to melt quickly.

As soon as the heated mixture has boiled, pour it into the chocolate mixture and begin to work it quickly. Stir fast with a large silicone spatula to allow the chocolate to melt and then immediately pour into the prepared pan and work quickly to smooth it out.  The faster you can work the mixture before it cools, the glossier and more silkily the fudge will look when it has cooled.  

Stir quickly!!

I place the pan in the fridge to finish cooling and then cut into bite sized pieces of about 1 inch square.  Store in containers in the fridge for maximum freshness.  Enjoy!

Ready for my closeup!