Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Muffins

I'm baaack!

Back like Jack!

At least for today. The last 6 weeks have been  complete and utter torture. I literally have survived off of popsicles, saltine crackers and orange juice. But as expected, weeks 12-14 offer relief and a silver lining. This silver lining comes with an abundance of yummy treats, savory dinners and more yummy treats.

 Some of us can wait longer than others. (Swayze's little paws reaching up for her "cookie.")

By the way, how were your holidays?

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Muffins
Yields 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plain or vanilla non fat yogurt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries (more if desired)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
TOPPING:
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Directions:
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Fold in yogurt. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; stir into the creamed mixture just until moistened. Fold in cranberries and chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two thirds full. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove to a wire rack.

Sweet Cranberry Stuffing Pork Chops

This has easily become my favorite fall meal to date.
Well, not "to date", but to-date.
You get my drift.
I love the tang from the cranberries mixed with the bold flavors of the smoky bbq sauce. I also relish the fact that the stuffing is baked on top the pork, because let's face it- pork being the "other white meat" is choice when it comes to health. Because as we all know, I'm very health conscious over here. That's why all meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner should be prepared with a healthy dose of whole milk or butter. (Sometimes both)

Yep, Heart Healthy. That's me! ( Notice the salad in the background! )



Sweet Cranberry Stuffing Pork Chops
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients:
6 Bone-In Pork Chops
1 pkg  Stove Top Stuffing (can use any variety)
1 15 oz can Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
3/4 c BBQ Sauce ( any variety)
2 tbsp  Brown Sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown the chops on a skillet  over medium heat for 5 min per side of until browned.
Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing as directed on package.
Place the chops in a 13x9 baking dish, set aside. Mix cranberry sauce, bbq and sugar. Add to stuffing, and mix lightly. Spoon evenly over pork chops and bake for 25-30 min, or until pork is cooked through.

Sweet Cherry Pie, A Labor of Love.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Obviously.
Let me tell you about it.
It began at the grocery store. Cherries, which are usually about $4-$5/lb we only $2/lb. SCORE! Jeremy really likes cherries. (He eats them like, well... cherries!) Oh, how he would love me it if I were to surprise him with a sweet cherry pie upon returning from work! Slam Dunk for Hollis!
As I began to prepare the pie filling, I realized that I had to pit the cherries. Umm? "Ok, I can do that. It's just a minor setback. I mean I don't have a cherry pitter, but c'mon how bad can it be?" HA! So I began pitting. Dearest baby must have sensed my unrelenting desire for her to awake early from her nap. I stopped pitting, went to grab her from her crib, set her down to play, and resumed pitting cherries. Slice and squeeze. Slice and squeeze. "Heaven, please don't let me accidentally throw a pit in with the cherries!"
By this time, 45 min later, Swayze who had been extremely patient was starting to cry, pulling on my pant legs, pulling out every single piece of tupperware and tossing it onto the floor.I was able to keep her at bay up until the rolling of the pie dough. This is where it gets great. She comes from the back bedroom screaming! "Oh great, how did she hurt herself now?" I wash my hands, pick her up. Giver her the once over... nothing apparently wrong. Hmm... The crying has increased in the last 55 seconds. "What's going on?! Hungry perhaps? Dirty diaper? Yes, That's it! I'm sure of it." So, I lay her down, change her. Still not happy. Crying is still increasing. "Ok, let's eat!" I feed her, she starts to calm down... for a moment. And then, it happens! WAAAHHHH!!!!!! She starts screaming hysterically! Yogurt pouring down her chin. I look down in her chair to see of maybe she hurt herself somehow, I notice that she had peed and or was peeing in her diaper. I take her back to her room to change her diaper, even though it had only been approx. 5 min, I opened it and there was the brightest, reddest rash I had ever seen! "Y-Ouch!" All females may sympathize at this point. The screaming carries on. Side note: By this point I had begun to assemble the pie, and it was ready to be put into the oven,( we are about 30-40 min behind schedule now) but what I should explain is that when I create culinary miracles, I'm actually not de-stressing myself as I would like to think that I am. I become so wound up and frazzled, that when a catalyst such as this situation, makes it quite hard for me to breathe. Anyhow, I could not get this blessed child to calm down, I let her walk around naked, she cried. I placed her in the bath, she cried harder. I decided it was time to call the after hours doctor. They tell me to do exactly what I already knew (as usual). She finally did stop crying. I located her Ouch cream. I plopped the pie in the oven. I waited about an hour. Called my mom, she just laughed at me. I take it out of the oven, only to get a sugar burn. Those babies hurt!
And so, I must concur that Cherry Pie is indeed a Labor of Love. Why else would someone go through such an ordeal for pie. Pie that I might add is not even my favorite pie! Love, my friends. Love.

Sweet Cherry Pie
Serves:8

Ingredients:
For the crust:
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
2/3 cup Shortening
6 to 7 tbsp Ice Cold Water

For the filling:
1 1/2 cups Sugar
2 tbsp Quick Cook Tapioca
4 1/2 cups Pitted Cherries
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
For the Crust:
Stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in shortening until pieces are pea sized. Sprinkle in 1 tbsp of water over a section of the mixture and blend against side of bowl until moistened. Continue with 1 tbsp of water at a time until all mixture is moist. Divide in half, and form each half into a bowl. You can wrap and chill for 15 min at this point. (It's better this way.)
On a lightly floured surface flatten each ball into a disk, and roll out to 12in circle. Transfer bottom circle to the pie pan.
For the Filling:
In a large mixing bowl stir together the sugar and tapioca. Add the cherries and vanilla. Gently toss. Allow to sit for 15 min., or until a syrup forms. Stir and add to pastry lined pie plate.
Cut slits in remaining pie crust and transfer on top of the filling. Trim edges and form as desired.
Bake @ 375 degrees for 50-60 min.

Personal Pan Fruity Pizza

Did you hear about that man that died on the plane the other day? Mid-flight?
How is it that said man was not lucky enough to have some random heart surgeon on board, who just happened to have carried on his medical bag? You always hear about people going into cardiac arrest or shock of some sort and mysteriously enough, a nurse or a doctor just happened to be on that flight! Uh-huh. Well, this man, RIP, was not so lucky! And... I'm thinking that the man/woman seated next to him, not so lucky either. Do you think that if he pressed the flight attendant pager they would allow him to move? Can you even imagine being the one sitting next to a dead man... ON A FULL FLIGHT! Where would  he move to? I am pretty sure that I would pee my pants/ go into a severe panic attack and require my own sort of medical assistance.
Anywhoo...

These dessert/breakfast (what's the difference anyway? I mean, really?) are a-m-a-zing! It's basically a cookie crust slathered with a sweet, creamy "frosting" topped with fresh fruit of your picking! Take one bite, and you may need medical attention, too!

Personal Pan Fruity Pizza
Serves 4
adapted from here

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup Old Fashioned Oats, heaping
1 tsp Baking Powder
3 tbsp Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/3 cup Milk
1 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
1 tbsp Powdered Sugar
1 tbsp Honey
Fruit for Topping like Nectarines, Kiwi, Strawberries, Bluebrries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, mix flour,oats, baking powder, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and stir. Make a well in the middle and add olive oil and milk, mixing with a spoon until a ball forms. Using your hands, combine it until it comes together and shape it into a ball. Separate it into 4 equal section. Flatten into a disc and roll the dough out until about 4 inches in diameter. Sprinkle both sides with cinnamon sugar and place on baking sheet. Bake for about 8-10 min. Let cool completely.

In a mixer bowl, mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and honey. Chop up fruit into bite sized pieces. Spread cream on top of crusts. Don't skimp. And top with fruit!

Try not to faint from my utter-goodness!

Orchard Explosion Chicken Salad

Afternoon, All!

Do you hate when something is not what you think it is?

Do you get flustered and disgruntled when presented with surprise?

Or do you simply take life at what it has to offer?

The good and bad.

The new and the old.

I'm a little of both.

I was 16 the first time I ate chicken salad, and I was caught WAY off guard. My sister asked me if I wanted some lunch, she was going to be making chicken salad. Being the "Chicken Salad" connoisseur that I was, I expected hot and juicy peppered slices nestled into heaps of chopped romaine greens, drizzled with Caesar dressing. My stomach started to rumble as I waited for lunch to be served.
Oh boy, was I surprised when I sat down to a sandwich. I didn't say anything. Not  word. I played it off like I knew all along this is what she meant by chicken salad. I admit, I grumbled and grunted inside myself, totally put out by my disappointment .I felt Grinch like. Call me the Chicken Salad Grinch. But then something happened.... AHHHHH!!!!
I took my first bite. It was not so mad after all. In fact, I think my stomach grew three times that after noon. I loved the grapes and walnuts tossed together with the tanginess of the mayo.

Yes, indeed. My stomach did grow 3 times that day, and my heart had grown too. ( I now love Chicken Salad.)


Orchard Explosion Chicken Salad
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
2 Whole Chicken Breasts, cooked and shredded
1/3-1/2 c Mayo or Miracle Whip
1/3 c Quartered Grapes
1/3 c Chopped Apples, skin on
1 large Celery Stalk, chopped
Walnuts
Pepper, to taste
Relish, if desired
Croissants, Buns, or Sandwich Bread

Directions:
After boiling the chicken until cooked through, allow to cool and then shred.
Place chicken into a med bowl. Add in the mayo, grapes, apples, celery and walnuts and relish if you choose to do so. I used a tiny bit. Toss to coat. Season with pepper, and continue to toss until completely mixed. Serve on desired bread.

PS. I would not have used a bun if I had had anything other than that in my house! :)

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

Let us discuss a topic that is very near and dear to my heart. Shall we?

Frosting.

I love frosting.

Do you love frosting?

I don't just mean like it...like:

"Oh yea, I like frosting."

I mean, "GIVE ME MORE FROSTING!"

Like, you enjoy sweet slumber dreams about frosting.

No?

Yea, me neither.

This cake is really great too. I love the raspberry infused chocolate thing we got going on here.

I made these for a co-worker's birthday. They were yummy.

They are really pretty, too.

I love the raspberry on top.

I look at the photo and smile.

:) See? This is me, smiling.

I see that smile... don't try to hide it.

OK. Stop smiling and go make these.

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Yields: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/8 tsp Salt
3 tbsp Butter, softened
1 1/2 cups White Sugar
2 Eggs
3/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Raspberries, chopped

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with liners. 
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Set aside. 
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well. Stir in chopped raspberries.
Fill cups 3/4 full. 
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Frost when cool.


Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Butter, softened
4 cups Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Milk

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, cream butter. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Add milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. 

Strawberry Banana Streusel Muffins

This basic muffin mix recipe comes from my 7th grade Teen Living class. (Home-ec, as some would call it.)  I usually make these with blueberries, but after having begun the process, I realized I had no blueberries. Whoops. "Well, I have some bananas about to go bad, and oh yea, like 4/5 strawberries too! Lets bake these babies up!"


Strawberry Banana Streusel Muffins
Yields: 1 dozen muffins

Ingredients:

Muffins:
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced bananas
1/2 cup sliced strawberries

Streusel Topping:
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons cold butter, sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare Streusel topping . Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl with a fork or pastry cutter, until crumbly.
Grease bottoms only of muffin pan. Beat milk, oil, vanilla and egg in large bowl. In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add dry mixture into liquid mixture all at once. Batter will be lumpy. Stir just until flour is moistened.  Fold in berries and bananas. Divide evenly among muffins cups. Sprinkle each with about 2 teaspoons streusel topping. Bake 20-25 min or until golden brown. Serve immediately with a cold glass of milk.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Summer is just around the corner, although you wouldn't know it by today's weather. Yet, I insist on remaining optimistic. Berries. Lots of berries. Fresh produce. Homegrown produce. Ok, now that we have set the scene... This salad is very summery. It is light and refreshing. I was always leery of "berry salads." I could never wrap my head around it. I'm a caesar salad kind of girl, so when I think of salad- berries just don't fit! However, Wendy's, yes Wendy's changed my mind. I tried their Berry Salad this summer. Mmm. So now, I'm hooked. If you are looking for a filling lunch, or light dinner, this is the ticket. I could have eaten 4 bowls. ( I didn't. I really didn't.)

Strawberry Spinach Salad
 Serves:4

Ingredients:
1 head of romaine lettuce, rinsed and dried
1/2 bag of baby spinach leaves
1/2 lb strawberries, sliced
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1 1/2 cups chicken, boiled and cubed ( or whatever prepared chicken you have on hand.)
Raspberry Vinagarette dressing

Directions:
Start with the head of lettuce. Lay on it's side and make slices from root outwards. Then cut crosswise, holding the leaves tightly. This will achieve nice bite sized lettuce leaves.
In large bowl, toss together the lettuce and spinach leaves. Throw in the strawberries, cranberries, and chicken. Give a light toss. Top off with almonds and feta. Dress with Raspberry Vinagarette.

Double Berry Baked French Toast

I heart baked french toast. Do you? My only problem with it is that more often than not, it is always soggy! I hate hate hate soggy bread. I hate soggy anything. That said, this recipe for baked french toast, is not soggy. Just be sure to note that you will need to make this the night before, or get up at 2 or 3 am to eat it by 10am. (Go with the night before.) Have a great morning!

Double Berry Baked French Toast
Serves: 6

Ingredients
1 loaf french bread (store bought is ok)
4 eggs
2 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1 cup blueberries
1 cup strawberries, sliced

Directions
Lightly butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
Slice bread loaf into 2-3 inch thick slices ( uses about 3/4 loaf)
Place the bread slices evenly in one layer on the bottom of the dish.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and 3/4 cups of the brown sugar.
Pour the mixture evenly over the bread, making sure to completely coat the surfaces.
Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Sprinkle the walnuts and blueberries/strawberries evenly over the bread.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining 1/4-cup of brown sugar and 1/2 stick of butter until the butter is melted.
Drizzle the butter/brown sugar mixture over the bread.
Bake the bread mixture for 20 minutes, until liquid is bubbling and the bread is lightly golden.
Dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm.