Epic Cupcakes

Have you ever had one of those days where you are in a funk and you can’t pin point why or what is bothering you? Today was just one of those days. I went shopping with Ami banking on the fact that if I bought a fun new dress it would help get me out of my funk. Well I did get a cute new dress but I was still feeling a bit low so I did what I know always cheers me up: I baked!

I made cupcakes, but not just any cupcakes. I paired mine and Ami’s two favorite flavors to make some of the best cupcakes I have ever had. I took my mom’s banana bread recipe and used that as a cupcake batter. So yes, these cupcakes were nice and dense. To top off these lovely cupcakes I made a peanut-butter frosting.

It's official that I need to work on my frosting skills a bit, but found when I closed my eyes and pretended to be blind my taste buds were in heaven!

Banana Cupcake

Ingredients

1 1/3 C Flour

1 1/2 C Sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

2 ripe bananas

1/2 C vegetable oil

1/4 C sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

Add chocolate chips to the filled cups before putting in the oven to make it Elvis style!

Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients

1/2 C butter

1 1/2 C peanut-butter

2 C confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup cream

Girls Night In

What better way to spend a Friday night in then with a good friend making amazing dinner and enjoying a glass (or two) of wine? Paige and I have been friends since we were wee little kids, due to going to different schools and moving to different towns for college we lost contact. Since Paige moved to Boise a few weeks ago we have been catching up while making healthy dinners together. It is nice to have someone who is just as interested in eating healthy to make dinner with. Tonight we opted for something a little different. Most of the time I make chicken dishes with an Asian flair and little dairy. Tonight we chose a recipe with a cream sauce and ate it with my favorite Surprise Mashed Potatoes and white wine spritzers. It was scrumtious!!!

Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Cream Sauce

Ingredients

Skinless chicken breasts

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup onion

1 cup thinly sliced mushroom caps

2 tablespoon dry white wine

1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Steps

1) Season chicken with pepper and salt on both sides

2) Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once or twice and adjusting the heat to prevent burning until brown 12-16 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm.

3) Add onions to the pan and cook for a minute or so. Add mushrooms; cook stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2 minutes. Pour in wine; simmer until almost evaporated, scraping up any browned bits about 1 minute. Pour in broth and cook until reduced by half. Strin in cream and chives; return to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan, turn to coat with sauce and cook until heated.

I sadly did not get any photos of this dinner....But trust me its amazing!!

ENJOY!!!

KareBears Cookie Care Package

When all else fails eat a cookie! After my dear friend Sami got married her mom was dealing with an empty nest and needed some cheering up, so I did what I know would cheer me up…I baked a few dozen cookies and put them in the mail for Karen. I tried two new recipes I had never made before and I must say they were both amazing and have moved to the top of my list of favorites. Karen had said she wanted something with cran-raisins and I had never made cookies with those before so I wracked my brain on what would pair with those to make the perfect cookie. Then it hit me: oatmeal cookies with cranraisins and white chocolate chips. YUMMY! The second kind of cookies I made her are called “SURPRISE” cookies and they are a wonderful SURPRISE to your taste buds. They are peanut butter dough with your choice of chocolate candy rolled in the center (Rolo, Mini Reeses, Hershey's Kiss, or any other kind of chocolate you can think of) and then roll the whole cookie in sugar.

Nothing makes me happier than knowing that people enjoy my baking. So when Karen wrote me to tell me she got the cookies and said they were some of the best cookies she had ever had it reminded me why I love cooking/baking. Because for me great food puts a smile on my face so if I can share that smile then I have achieved everything I wanted and then some.

Oatmeal Yummies

3/4 C Butter
1 3/4 C Flour
1 C Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 C Sugar
1 Egg
1 t Baking Powder
1 t Vanilla
1/4 t Baking Soda
1/2 t Cinnamon (optional)
2 C Rolled Oats

1 C Cranraisins

½-1 C White Chocolate Chips

In mixing bowl beat butter high speed for 30 seconds. Add half of flour, brown sugar, sugar, egg, baking powder, vanilla, and baking soda. Stir in cinnamon. Beat till thorughly combined. Beat in remaining flour. Stir in oats. Add Cranraisins and Chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 in. apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool cookies on wire rack.

Oatmeal cookies have always reminded me of going to my Grandpas house….These were not the same classic oatmeal cookies but I would say they were still amazing just on a different level.

Chewy “SURPRISE” Cookies

1-1/2 Cups butter flavored shortening

1-1/2 Cups peanut butter

2 cups sugar, divided

1-1/2 Cups packed brown sugar

4 eggs

1-3/4 Cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoons salt

A lot of mixed candies for center

Preheat oven to 350

In a large bowl, cream the shortening, peanut butter, 1-1/2 cups sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Shape dough around candies so they are completely covered. Roll balls in remaining sugar. (I needed a lot more than ½ cup of sugar)

Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 or so minutes before moving to a cooking rack.

Please do enjoy these lovely creations. When someone is having a bad day give them with one of these amazing cookies and watch their frown disappear!