Recipe of the Month - December 2012

CANDY CANE BROWNIES I love peppermint and candy canes are one of my favorite things. I just smell these brownies and I feel it is Christmas. Once you make these brownies, you’ll make them all year. 1 box chocolate cake mix 2 eggs 1/3 cup oil ¼ cup peppermint baking chips ¼ cup milk chocolate chips 1 candy cane, crushed Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8 x 8 inch pan. Mix together cake mix, eggs, and oil. I break eggs first into a separate bowl, then add them to the cake batter. Stir in the peppermint baking chips and the chocolate chips. The mixture will be very thick. Press into the pan. Sprinkle crushed candy cane on top of brownies. Bake 14 – 16 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack. When cooled, cut into squares and serve. Makes 20 brownies.

Recipe of the Month - November 2012

BAKED VEGETABLES This is my attempt to eat more vegetables. This recipe makes it fun to eat vegetables. 1 zucchini, sliced about ¼ inch thick 1 yellow squash, sliced about ¼ inch thick ¾ cup flour 3 eggs 1 cup panko bread crumbs 1 cup grated parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons canola oil Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray. Place the flour on a dish, lightly beat the eggs in a pie dish, and mix the bread crumbs and the cheese together in a third dish. Dip the zucchini and yellow squash slices in the flour, then the eggs, then the bread crumb and cheese mixture. Place in a single layer on the cookie sheets. Put the larger yellow squash slices on 1 sheet and the smaller zucchini slices on the other sheet. Drizzle the canola oil over the slices. Bake for 10 minutes. Then take out the zucchini and bake the yellow squash for 2 minutes more. Serves 4 – 6.

Recipe of the Month - October 2012

CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOWS I was out to eat at a very fun restaurant when I first saw these. I asked how they were made and I have been making them ever since. These are so much fun to make that once you make them you’ll want to make them all the time. 1 10-ounce bag marshmallows, not mini size 3/4 cup chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate Place the marshmallows into a bowl with water so that all of the marshmallows are covered. Place the chocolate cookie crumbs onto a plate and place the graham cracker crumbs onto another plate. Work with 1 marshmallow at a time, otherwise the marshmallows will dry and the covering won’t stick. Roll half of the marshmallows in the chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs and the other half into the graham cracker crumbs. Shake off any excess cookie crumbs from the marshmallows. Place on a baking sheet to set in a cool place for about an hour. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Dip one end of the covered marshmallow into the melted chocolate. Start with the graham cracker covered marshmallows because these are a little easier to dip. If any cookie crumbs fall into the melted chocolate, no worries. Place chocolate covered marshmallows on a baking sheet and leave to set in a cool place. Makes 40 marshmallows.

Recipe of the Month - September 2012

CHIPWICH My husband gave me the idea for this sandwich. I added a few of my own touches. Thanks hubby! ¼ cup mayonnaise 1 roasted red pepper strip 2 hamburger buns 2 slices Swiss cheese 2 potato crisps 4 slices smoked turkey 2 slices bacon, cooked ¼ cup baby spinach, washed and patted dry Make the dressing first. Place the mayonnaise and the red pepper in a food processor and pulse until combined. Lightly toast the hamburger buns. Spread the top half of the buns with about 1 teaspoon of the dressing. On the bottom half of the buns place a slice of cheese, a potato crisp, 2 slices of turkey, 1 slice of bacon, and half of the spinach. Place the top half of the bun on top and enjoy. Serves 2.

Recipe of the Month - August 2012

COOKIE SHAKE I had bought frozen cookie dough for a fundraiser and I wanted to make something other than cookies. So this is what I came up with. 3 cups vanilla ice cream 1/3 cup milk ½ cup store bought cookie dough Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into two glasses and enjoy. Serves 2.

Recipe of the Month - July 2012

CUPCAKE SANDWICHES I love how Amaretto liqueur and almond extract smell. Your whole kitchen will smell great, just like a yummy cupcake bakery. for the cupcakes: for the filling: 1 box vanilla cake mix 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature 2 teaspoons almond extract 2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur 1 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, 6 – 8 strawberries, hulled and sliced plus extra for dusting Prepare cupcake batter according to directions on the box, substituting milk for the water and add almond extract to the cake batter. Pour batter into lined cupcake tins and bake according to directions on the box. Cool cupcakes completely before assembling. In a medium bowl, combine the amaretto and the mascarpone. In another medium bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Slowly add the powder sugar to the whipped cream and beat until combined. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Remove cupcakes from the baking liners. Cut the tops of the cupcakes off and reserve. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the whip cream mascarpone mixture onto the top of the cupcake bottom. Place a strawberry slice on top of the whip cream mascarpone mixture. It is important that the strawberry slices are flat. Otherwise the cupcake top will slide off. Place cupcake top on the strawberry. Dust with powdered sugar. Makes 24 cupcake sandwiches.

Recipe of the Month - June 2012

PINK LEMONADE When I was pregnant I drank so much lemonade. This drink is sweet, tart, and refreshing. ½ cup sugar syrup, recipe follows 1½ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 6 – 7 lemons 6 cups water ¼ cup grenadine ice cubes maraschino cherries and lemon slices, for garnish pink sugar lemon wedge Make the sugar syrup first. In a small saucepan heat ½ cup water and ½ cup sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Let cool slightly. In a large pitcher combine the lemon juice, water, sugar syrup, grenadine, and ice. Stir to combine. Place the pink sugar into a bowl. Run a lemon wedge around the rim of each serving glass. Dip the glass into the pink sugar. Garnish the pink lemonade with lemon slices and maraschino cherries. Serves 8.