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.

Recipe of the Month - May 2012

SUNNY SPAGHETTI I never thought I would like lemon pasta until I tried it. Now it is my favorite pasta dish. It is a bowl of sunshine. 8 ounces spaghetti 8 ounces frozen broccoli 1 meyer lemon ½ cup meyer lemon olive oil ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt, the pasta and cook according to the package directions, adding the broccoli for the last 2 minutes of the cooking time. While the pasta cooks, make the sauce. In a large bowl, combine the grated zest of the lemon and the juice from half of the lemon, salt, pepper, and the meyer lemon olive oil. Whisk until combined. Drain the pasta and broccoli and add to the lemon sauce. Toss with the cheese and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves 2 – 4.

Recipe of the Month - April 2012

S’MORE COOKIES


S’mores are fun to eat and more fun to make. If you don’t camp as much as you would like, just make these and enjoy. These cookies are ooey, gooey goodness.


1 roll store bought refrigerated cookie dough, 16.5 – 18 ounces, room temperature
¼ cup graham crackers, broken, about 1 full sheet
¼ cup mini-marshmallows
¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Open the cookie dough roll and place in a large bowl. Squeezing the dough with your hands will warm up the dough and it will become easier to work with. Sprinkle the graham cracker pieces, mini-marshmallows and chocolate chips onto the cookie dough. Knead the dough with your hands until everything is combined.
Use your hands to form the dough into 1- inch balls and place onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10 – 12 minutes, until light golden brown around the edges. Leave cookies on the cookie sheet to cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Then place cookies on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Makes 32 cookies.

Recipe of the Month - March 2012

GREEN EGGS AND HAM


Veggies are a great way to start your day
So you can go and play
Now get in the kitchen and cook fun
The battle over veggies is won


½ cup pine nuts
8 slices prosciutto, thinly sliced
2 cups baby spinach, washed and patted dry
1 lemon
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
¼ cup grated fontina cheese
1 teaspoon unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat for a few minutes. You will smell the nuts when they are toasted. Remove from heat and set aside.
Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Place the prosciutto slices on top of the foil and bake for 10 minutes.
To make the pesto, combine the spinach, toasted pine nuts, grated zest of the lemon and juice of the lemon in a food processor and pulse until blended. While the machine is running, add the oil and blend until the mixture is creamy. Stop to scrape the sides as necessary. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and add the parmesan cheese. Mix until combined and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. This makes about ¾ cups of pesto.
Now make the eggs. In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. Add the fontina cheese and mix until combined. In a non-stick skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Using a non-stick skillet will make clean-up so much easier. Add the egg-cheese mixture and cook, stirring often until the mixture begins to set on the bottom and around the edge. Continue to cook a few more minutes until the eggs are cooked through and set. Add about ½ cup of the pesto to the eggs and stir to combine and heat through. Use the leftover pesto on pasta, chicken, or as a dip with crackers.
Serve the green eggs with the ham, the prosciutto.
Serves 2.

Recipe of the Month - February 2012

PANCAKE BAR


Veggies in the morning are a great way to start your day. This recipe makes two types of pancakes, pink pancakes and pumpkin pancakes. This dish is great for a brunch. This recipe does take a little bit of time so if you are serving it for a brunch, start before your guests arrive or have your guests help. If your pancake mix calls for oil, be sure to add it to the batter.


4 cups pancake mix
1 cup beet juice
4 eggs
4 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup milk, extra if needed
1 cup pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling

Heat a griddle pan over medium heat.
First make the pink pancakes. To measure the beet juice, drain the juice from a can of beets into a glass measuring cup. Add milk to get 1 cup of liquid, if needed. In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups of pancake mix, beet juice, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and the ricotta cheese. Mix until combined.
Place about 1 tablespoon of the batter onto a hot griddle. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until pancakes are golden.
Now make the pumpkin pancakes. In another large bowl stir together 2 cups of pancake mix, 1 cup of milk, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla, cinnamon, and the pumpkin puree. Stir until combined.
Place about 1 tablespoon of the batter onto a hot griddle. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until pancakes are golden. Serve with maple syrup and fruit.
Serves about 12 – 14.

Recipe of the Month - January 2012

COCONUT CUPCAKES


These cupcakes remind me of springtime. They taste so good you will want to make
them all year.


for the cake: for the frosting:
1 box yellow cake mix 1 cup heavy cream
juice and zest of half a lemon 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
¼ cup coconut flakes juice and zest of half a lemon
1 cup coconut flakes

Prepare cake batter as directed on package, substituting milk for the water and adding the lemon juice, lemon zest, and coconut flakes. Pour into lined cupcake tins and bake as directed on package. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat until combined. Frost the cupcakes with the whipped cream mixture. Sprinkle coconut on top of the cupcakes.
Makes 24 cupcakes.