Lemon Cream Cupcakes

For the cake:
1 white cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup oil
3 egg whites
For the filling:
8 ounces cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup heavy whipping cream

For the crumb topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cold butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.Preheat oven to 350.  Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2.Make white cake following directions on box.  Fill liners 2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes.

3.Make lemon cream filling by mixing cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix in lemon juice.
4.Whip cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until it forms stiff peaks. Combine cream cheese mixture with  the whipped cream.
5.Make crumb topping by combining flour and powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Add butter and dribble in the vanilla extract. Use your hands to mix cold butter into flour and sugar. Break butter into smaller and smaller pieces as you incorporate it into the dry ingredients. Be sure not to press the mixture together. You want to end up with a very crumbly consistency with pieces no bigger than a pea.
6.When the cakes are cool, using the cone method fill the inside of the cupcakes with a spoon of the filling.  Top with the remaining filling and sprinkle the crumb topping over the top.

* So I made these for a party over the weekend and totally forgot to take process pics along the way oops lol Anyways these were so yummy. I am a huge lemon fan and these were great. I think that the only thing that I would change is maybe add some lemon peel to the filling just to give it a little more lemon flavor other then that yum :)  I think that they tasted best at room temp. I got this recipe from sarahsbritamericankitchen she compares them to Olives Garden Lemon cream cake in cupcake form how can you go wrong with that ??

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Topping:4 slices white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
3 pounds russet potatoes (about 4-5 medium), peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream or milk
6 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded, about 2 cups
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat and sliced thinly
9 ounces deli ham, chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1.For the topping, process the bread and butter in a food processor until coarsely ground. Set aside.
2.For the filling, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, making sure the oven rack is in the middle. Place the potatoes, 6 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are partially cooked, about 2 minutes (don’t overcook because they will continue to cook in the oven!). Carefully drain potatoes, or remove them with a slotted spoon, and transfer them to a bowl. Set aside.

3.Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onions are softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute  Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and the cream or milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking often, until slightly thickened (if using milk instead of cream, you may have to cook longer for it to thicken up a bit). Take off of the heat, whisk in the Swiss cheese, Dijon, and cayenne pepper until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside until ready to use.

4.Toss the potatoes with half of the sauce and spread into the bottom of a lightly greased 9X13-inch baking pan. Layer alternating pieces of the chicken and ham over the potatoes, overlapping as needed. This is not a scientific procedure, just make sure that the chicken is in a single layer (not on top of each other) so that it cooks thoroughly. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the chicken and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping.

5.Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the casserole is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked thru. Sprinkle with parsley and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

* We loved this is was so yummy everyone was quiet at dinner cuz they just kept eating lol. You for sure need to make this its super simple and so good. I will be making it many times. Its even good reheated as leftovers I give it a 5.  I got this recipe from melskitchencafe I love her blog she has so many amazing recipes to try out.

Peach Enchilads

1 (21 ounce) can peach pie filling

10 (6 inch) flour tortillas

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.Spoon fruit evenly onto heated tortilas, roll and place seam side down in a lightly greased baking dish (I used an 8x8)

3.In a small sauce pan combine cinnamon, butter, sugars and water Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes, add vanilla.

4.Pour sauce over tortilas.And let sit in the sauce 40-45 min

5Cover and bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown

.

6Serve warm with ice cream (optional)

* I thought that these were yummy they are super sweet so you can only have one with some ice cream or frozen yogert to cut down the sweetness.I love that you can use any fruit that you have I give them a 4 

Chicken Avocado Enchiladas

3 c. chopped, cooked chicken
2 1/2 c. salsa
2 heaping tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 c. chopped red or green pepper
6 oz cream cheese, cubed and softened
1 c. sliced green onions, with tops or a medium purple onion
2/3 c. sliced ripe olives
2 ripe avocado, peeled, pit removed, and cubed
4 (12 inch in.) flour tortillas
Cheese
1 can of enchilada sauce for dipping
Optional
Sour cream
Extra Olive slices
Diced Tomatoes

1.Throw pepper and onion in with chicken last minute or two of cooking it. Combine chicken mixture, 1 cup of salsa, and cumin in saucepan. Simmer and stir 5 minutes. Add cream cheese and olives. Stir until cream cheese melts.

2.Divide avocado pieces evenly between tortillas. Put avocado pieces in a strip down the center of each tortilla.Top with a strip of a heaping 1/2 cup of chicken mixture.

3.Roll up tightly. Cut in half and place each half seam side down in greased 7 by 11 inch baking dish.
Spoon remaining 3/4 cup salsa over enchiladas. Cover tightly with foil.

4.Bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until hot.

5.Top with a sprinkle of cheese and remain to oven uncovered for a couple minutes just until cheese is melted.
Serve with optional toppings, hot enchilada sauce for dipping, re fried beans, and rice. Serves 6-8.

* I got this recipe from the-girl-who-ate-everything I thought that they were pretty good I think that it makes a big difference on what flavor and type of salsa and seasonings that you use. Some just don't mix together as well as others. Overall they were ok but I don't think that I will be making them again. I give them a 3 1/2

Buttermilk Ranch Cornflake Chicken

2-3 Cups Corn Flakes, crushed
1 stick butter, melted
2 teaspoons Ranch Powder mix
Mix together and set aside.

3½ lbs. Chicken Tenders or
chicken breasts cut into uniform strips

2 cups buttermilk
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Ranch Dressing Mix
Freshly ground Sea Salt and Black Pepper, a few twists of each

1.Place chicken strips into a gallon sized resealable bag. Mix the next 4 ingredients and pour over chicken. Refrigerate for several hours to a day.

2.Drain in a colander and roll in Cornflake crumb mixture. Place onto a cookie sheet (not touching) lined with parchment paper. Spray the paper with nonstick spray.

3.Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes.

* I got this recipe from thekitchencookie we all loved it it was simple to make and I love that it was crunchy and baked. Served it with some garlic mashed potatos and veggies. I used thin cut chicken breasts and just left them whole because they were so thin. Im sure I will make this again I give it a 4 1/2

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

Brownie Base

1 box (1 lb 2.4 oz)  brownie mix
Water, vegetable oil and egg called for on brownie mix box

Filling

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons milk

Topping

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons butter

1.Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only  9-inch square pan with cooking spray or shortening. Make brownies as directed on box. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

2 In medium bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over brownie base.

3 In small microwavable bowl, microwave topping ingredients uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds; stir until smooth. Cool 10 minutes; spread over filling. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set.

Store covered in refrigerator.

* Super easy didnt change anything tasted great I give them a 4 I did use a 9x13 pan

Crazy Cooking Challenge Southwestern Ranch Dressing

Its time again for the Crazy Cooking Challenge. Its back and I was so excited that Tina decided that she was going to keep the challenge going. This month we were set out to find the best ranch dip/dressing and share it with the world :) Who doesn't love ranch. My whole family loves it with everything so I knew that this was going to be an easy one for me to do and so simple to make. I got this recipe from kitchensimplicity When I saw her sauce I knew it was the one. Not only do I love ranch but I love spicy food to and this one did not let me down it was great as a dip and also with taco salad. It a nice kinda sweet flavor at first then you taste the dill and then the spicy kicks in. Its like an explosion of different flavors in your mouth all at once. So here it is my Crazy Cooking Challenge recipe for September Southwestern Ranch Dressing.

1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
2 tsp. canned jalapeno, minced
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper

1.Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until well blended.
2.Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving so that the flavors can blend.

Makes: 1 cup

Salad Dressing Review

Have you seen these new sizzling salad kits by kraft at the store? I have seen them a few times and never thought about getting one but when I found the kits at my local Dollar store I knew that it was time to try it. You cant go wrong with a dollar right? The kit was so easy to use and tasted so yummy. All you need is chicken and salad. I also added some black beans and corn. The dressing was so good I was worried that the bbq flavor would overpower the ranch but it was the perfect mix. So if you have been wanting to try this out but have not I think that you should its so simple and so tasty. I think that I will go and see if they still have them at my dollar store and get one or two more. I give it a 4 1/2

Zucchini Stuffed Shells

 

 

 

20 jumbo shells

Sauce:

12 oz jar roasted red peppers

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup chicken broth

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1 tsp basil

1 tbsp lemon juice

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

Filling:

2 med. zucchini, peeled and shredded

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

2 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup fresh parmesan, grated

1/3 cup mozzarella shredded

1 tbsp finely chopped onion

1 tbsp parsley

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp basil

Pinch of salt and pepper

1.Cook shells until just shy of al dente. Drain and place upside down on a kitchen towel until cool enough to handle.

2.Place all ingredients for sauce into a blender and blend until smooth or desired consistency. Pour into a skillet and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer.

 

3.Mix together all the ingredients for the filling. Stuff shells and place into the sauce. Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes.

 

Serve with additional parmesan and fresh parsley for garnish.

 

* Another great way to use up zucchini we all liked it and was so simple. Great one pot dinner I give it a 4 1/2

Chocolate Strawberry Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup fresh chopped strawberries

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (for drizzle)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in egg and vanilla. Add remaining dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated. Gently fold in strawberries. Refrigerate dough 30 minutes.

2. Heat oven to 350. Scoop dough into small rounds and place on parchment paper lined baking sheets.

3. Bake 14-17 minutes until edges start to brown Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet and transfer to cooling rack.

4. In a small bowl, microwave chocolate chips,stirring every 20 seconds until melted completely. Drizzle over cookies. Serve warm.

* I thought that these cookies we ok nothing great sadly I liked the cold dough better then the cooked cookies lol maybe it was just me but im going to give them a 3 1/2
This recipe make 2 dozen cookies

Homemade Snickers and my 2 year blog birthday

Bottom Chocolate Layer:

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter

Nougat Layer:

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cup salted peanuts chopped, roughly chopped

1 tsp vanilla extract

Caramel Layer:

1 14-ounce bag of caramels

1/4 cup whipping cream

Top Chocolate Layer:

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter

1.Bottom Layer: Thoroughly grease you baking pan. Melt ingredients together in a saucepan or microwave, then pour into the baking dish and spread until even. Let cool and harden completely.

 

2.Nougat Layer: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in sugar and milk, stirring until dissolved and bring to a boil. Let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in fluff, peanut butter and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Turn off heat and fold in peanuts, then pour over bottom chocolate layer. Let cool completely.

3.Combine caramel ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Let melt, stirring occasionally, until smooth – this took about 10 minutes for me. Pour over nougat layer and let cool completely.

4.Top Chocolate Layer: Melt ingredients together in a saucepan or microwave, then pour over caramel and spread until even. Let cool and harden completely.

5.Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving, then cut as desired.

This recipe makes one 9×13 pan of Snickers Bars

* 2 years already I have been doing my blog it has been so much fun and has gone by so fast. Thanks to all my followers and all the many great comments that you give me all the time. Its great motivation to keep making mew things :) I wanted to make something yummy to celebrate and so I decided on these homemade snickers. And they did not disappoint we all loved them and they were so simple to make. I think that they tasted best on day 2 but loved them all the days we had them lol. Keep them in the fridge to prevent melting. I give them a 5