Halloween Cupcakes

Yay, I didn't go a whole year between posts!!!  Wow, it's been a long time!  Anyway, my kids and I (well Cadey and I) made these fun little treats that were so easy for a Halloween Party we went to.  I got the idea from a Family Fun Halloween cookbook I found at Target for $1!  You just make cupcakes and frost (I was in a bit of a rush so cupcakes were from a mix and base frosting was from a tub!) For the bats you cut corners of Andes mints, and halve bites size peppermint patties.  We used mini M&Ms for eyes and I piped my homemade cream cheese frosting for the fangs.  The skeletons were even easier!  Just put down a mini marshmallow and piped the body.  We used a black gel to paint faces and dot eyes.  Simple, fun and cute, my kind of treat!!!

Pumpkin Bars (More like Pumpkin Cake!)
From Better Homes and Garden Cookbook

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cloves
4 eggs
1 15oz. can pumpkin
1 cup cooking oil

Directions:
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cloves. Stir in eggs, pumpkin and oil. Spread into ungreased cake pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cook completely and frost. I always use my standard cream cheese frosting recipe.

Peanut Butter Blossoms
From Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
Chocolate kisses

Directions:
Beat shortening and peanut butter. Add sugars, baking powder and soda. Beat until mixed. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla. Beat in flour.
Shape into 1 inch balls. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Place chocolate kiss in center immediately after removing from oven. Cool.

Holiday Treats

This year we decided to make cookies for the Air Force Base Cookie Drive. It provides treats for all the military that are in the dorms and away from thier families over the holidays. We had fun all picking our favorite treats and making them for the service men and women. On the menu were:


Santa Surprises
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Pumpkin Bars
Sugar Cookies


All the recipes except the Santa Surprises came from the Better Homes and Gardens Red and White Cookbook that is my standby cookbook. The Santa Surprises were one I found in a magazine a long time ago. I apologize for not giving credit for these delicious little babies!

SO YUMMY!!!

Recipe for Santa Surprises:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 cups flour

package of mini snicker bars

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Beat butter and sugars until combined. Add all other ingredients except snickers and chocolate chips and mix with beater. Shape dough into 1 inch balls (I use a pampered chef scooper that works perfect). Press in and wrap dough around the mini snicker. Bake @ 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes (until golden brown).

Melt chocolate chips in a glass bowl in the microwave. Cool a bit then put in plastic baggie, snip corner of bag with scissors and pipe chocolate onto tops of cookies.

These are so so so yum. I only make them at Christmas just because I could seriously eat a whole batch in one sitting!! Make with caution will ruin any diet you are on!!!

Stay tuned for the other cookie recipes!

Quinoa Garden Salad

I got this recipe off the internet the same time I found the avacado wraps but I can't remember where I found this one. . .sorry to whoever did this one, it's definately yum and a keeper.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup water

1 cup canned garbanzo beans (which I didn't add either but next time I plan to)

chopped peppers (yellow, green, orange, red. . .whatever you have, I used green and red-half of each)

tomatoes diced

chopped green onions

2 Tbs. parsley

2 Tbs. mint (I didn't have any so mine didn't have this in it)

Lemon juice

salt

pepper

3 cheese italian dressing (I added this for some flavor)

Directions:

I made the quinoa as directed, pretty much just like rice. Combine the water and the quinoa, bring to boil, reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. I didn't really measure my mix ins. I just cut and chopped what looked good and tossed it in to my cooled quinoa. I cut a lemon and sqeezed in the juice salt and peppered and then tossed with the salad dressing (of which Dennis added more to his personal serving later, but I think less is sometimes more!) Then chilled it for about 2 hours. You can add whatever veggies you like and whatever you have on hand for this one. It's a great way to add some flare to your veggies and some protien too, especially if you're like me and don't eat a lot of meat protiens it's nice to add it this way! YUM and more YUM!! Light and fresh, perfect for summer.

Creamy Avacado and White Bean Wrap

I got this recipe from eatingwell.com the other day while looking for yummy healthy, easy and cool summer dishes. This one is totally yummy and I will most likely be adding white beans to my guacamole from now on. I loved the texture and substance it added. I used regular coleslaw mix instead of shredded cabbage and carrot and I used regular cheddar cheese. Turned out so yummy I could easily eat this every week.

Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded red cabbage
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 4 8- to 10-inch whole-wheat wraps, or tortillas

Preparation
1. Whisk vinegar, oil, chipotle chile and salt in a medium bowl. Add cabbage, carrot and cilantro; toss to combine.
2. Mash beans and avocado in another medium bowl with a potato masher or fork. Stir in cheese and onion.
3. To assemble the wraps, spread about 1/2 cup of the bean-avocado mixture onto a wrap (or tortilla) and top with about 2/3 cup of the cabbage-carrot slaw. Roll up. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut the wraps in half to serve, if desired.

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

This is a SUPER EASY and really yummy meal for summer. You don't use the oven at all and it's a complete and satisfying dish.

Pulled Chicken

Ingredients:

boneless skinless chicken breasts (as many as your family needs I do 3 to 4 and it provides left overs for the week - I have essentially 3 eaters)

b-b-q sauce any kind (I like the hickory smoked brown sugar kind)

Directions:

Pop ingredients in the slow cooker on high for 4 hours and switch to low for 1 hour.

Shread chicken and top on sandwich roll.

We just use mayo and more bbq sauce but you could get creative with your toppings, some people might add cheese or tomatoes or something that might be tasty too.

I served with fresh sliced fruit and pretzels but you could do potato salad and beans as a side or anything you like.

By the way, if you LOVE diet soda and dry flavors and want to try to drink less like I do, sparkling water is a yummy alternative.