My cupcake experiment: Red Velvet

Okay, so, I've gotten into this Cupcake Wars show and OMG. I didn't realize how FUN and different cupcakes could be. So, tonight, I started small with Red Velvet cupcakes. Now, I haven't gotten into the icing fun just yet. One step at a time. But get this! I took a box of Betty Crocker Red Velvet cupcakes and substituted part of the water it called for for Dr. Pepper. Yep, that's right. Good ol' Dr. Pepper. The cupcakes are SO yummy! I don't know if any of you have tried weird things in your cupcakes but I thought this was so fun and interesting. Next time, I may substitute all of the water for DP, but I am afraid it will make them too moist and fall apart. Perhaps I will try this with chocolate cupcakes. Those do so well with substitutes.

In 2 of them, I put 4-5 small marshmallows. Now, I filled the cupcakes up too much, so, I think I'll have to try those again sometime. They were good, but not what I was searching for. The marshmallows kind of burst out the top and boiled over. :-( They were really yummy, but I want to try to perfect them.

In 6 of them, I sprinkled some chocolate chips on the bottom so it would make a chocolate layer on the bottom of the cupcakes, but it really just made chocolate pieces in the bottom of the cupcake. Melty, chocolate chunks, which were super yummy, but also not really what I was expecting.

I can't wait to try another batch of cupcakes. And also some funky brownies. :-) No, not funny brownies, just interesting. HAHA.

Happy cupcake experimenting!

Lunch... YUM!

I "invented" a new snack for lunch. I hope no one else had this idea before me. I am still hoping to be famous for SOMETHING.

• 12 Ritz Crackers (I used the Hint of Salt Ritz)
• Cream cheese
• 1-2 slices of ham lunchmeat
• salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and basil to taste

Spread the cream cheese across each Ritz cracker. More cream cheese = more tasty. Lay the crackers on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and basil across the crackers. Top with cut up pieces of ham lunchmeat. Make sure the pieces are big enough to almost cover the whole cracker. Bake at 300 degrees for about 6-8 minutes.

I bet these would be amazing with some tomato on top of the cream cheese before the spices. Unfortunately, I didn't have any.

Let me know what you think.

Happy snacking!

What's for dinner: February 28, 2011

Today I made slow-cooker lasagne. On Mondays, I have school in the morning, errands in the afternoon, and school again in the evening. A slow-sooker meal is really the only way to go on such jam-packed days, which makes my day go significantly smoother. Score one for MOM!

Slow-Cooker Lasagne

I have to admit, I totally goofed up and mixed the meat sauce and the cheese mixtures together. BUT it made my job easier and it still tasted great! I cooked it on low for about 4 hours. Any longer would've been too long. For you working mamas out there, I would suggest preparing this the evening before and just heating it up for about an hour once you get home from work. I served this with salad and french bread.

Happy Slow-Cooking!

What's for dinner: February 27, 2011

Tonight I got the itch to make chicken spaghetti after someone else posted they were making it for dinner. I've never been very successful at it, so, I tried again this evening. Here's the way I made mine after taking a few recipes and combining them. It was significantly better than any other time I've made it before. But, I think it still needs to be tweaked.

5 pieces of bacon
1 med. onion, chopped
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1 can rotel tomatoes and green chiles, drained
1 can cream of chicken with herbs
1 can cream of mushroom
3 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 5oz. pkgs Vermicelli pasta
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 c. bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste.

1. In a large pot, boil chicken breasts until cooked through. Remove chicken leaving broth. Shred chicken.
2. Bring remaining broth to boil again. Cook pasta in broth. Drain.
3. In a separate pot, cook 5 pieces of bacon. Remove bacon and set aside.
4. In bacon grease, sauté onion and celery. Once tender, add rotel, cans of soup, cooked pasta, shredded chicken, cheese, and heavy cream. Mix. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix again.
5. Put in large (3q.+) casserole dish. Chop bacon. Sprinkle bacon and bread crumbs on top. Put in oven on 350 degrees for 15 min.

This is how I made it this evening. It was pretty good, but I think I will saute a clove or two of garlic with the onions next time to add a bit more flavor.

Any other suggestions are always welcome!

Happy dinner!

What's for dinner: February 23, 2011

Tonight we had an easy meal. Not the most nutritious - you'll never hear me claim that! But, it was good, hearty, and filled my little families bellies with smiles and delight.

Allrecipes Salisbury Steak Recipe

I didn't make the sauce in the recipe. Instead, I simply used a packet of brown gravy mix (prepared) and the remainder of the can of french onion soup mixed together and poured over the steaks in the skillet.

I made this with mashed potatoes, peas, maccaroni and cheese, and croissants. This comforting meal was a delightful way to end our day.

Keep your family close and have dinner together at the table as many nights as possible. Ask each other about their day, what they're looking forward to, or get creative and talk about what you'd change your names to if you could. With my family of boys, they tend to end up at potty talk, "If I could change my brother's name, I would change it to poo-poo butt-face". Ahhh - the joys of boys! :) Have fun with dinner time!

Happy family talks!