Quick Lemon Hummus

Super Bowl Sunday is this weekend - I mean Great Commercials and All You Can Eat Appetizer Sunday is this weekend! ;) Yeah, you know what I' talking about.

Let's talk Hummus, and please forgive the pic with the lack of color. Maybe some colored chips or some red bell pepper would spice things up a bit.

This recipe is from Art Smith's cookbook Kitchen Life, which is an awesome cookbook. It's full of so many helpful tips from grocery shopping to staples you should always have on hand in your pantry. If you need some motivation in the kitchen, you would love it.

This recipe for hummus is so great because it substitutes peanut butter for tahini paste (ground sesame seeds), which is normally in most hummus recipes. So it saves you a trip to the specialty market. Who doesn't have peanut butter on hand?!



Here is the Recipe:

Quick Lemon Hummus

1 - 15oz. Can Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas) - drained with liquid reserved
3 TBL. Creamy Peanut Butter
1 Lemon zested
3 TBL. Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1 clove of Garlic minced
1/4 Cup Olive Oil (EVOO)
Salt & Cayenne Pepper to taste

Combine in a food processor. With the machine running add oil and bean liquid to make it smooth at the end.

So that's it. You should try it.

What are you bringing to your Superbowl party?


PS. I'm happy to add my Bullet List to The Mother Huddle today. If you are interested in 10 fun ways to say I LOVE YOU to your special someone, then come on over!

Eclair Squares...

make for an awesome birthday breakfast.

Can I just say a big honkin' THANK YOU (with lots of these...!) for all the nice comments, facebook wishes, tweets, texts, emails, snail-mail and birthday gifts...and to think my birthday week just started(!).

I had a great day. But c'mon, how could it not be great? When your breakfast looks like that; you get to watch giant blue people mate in 3-D on the big screen (whoa); and have Five Guys for lunch? I'm a lucky girl.

My sweet MIL made one of my favorites, Eclair Squares, for dessert Sunday night and sent us home with some too. I love this recipe because it feeds a big group and it's easier than individual eclairs.

Here's the Recipe:

Eclair Squares

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1 Cup water
1 Cup flour
4 eggs
3oz. cream cheese
2TBL. milk
1 large package Vanilla Pudding
1/2 Cup Milk
8oz. Package Cool Whip
Chocolate Syrup
Fresh Berries


For the Crust:

Boil: 1/2 Cup Butter (one stick) & 1 Cup Water
Add: 1 Cup Flour & 4 Eggs (beat well between each egg)
Spread into a greased pan.
Bake @ 400 for 25 minutes until puffy, and then let cool.

For the Filling:

Beat together: 3oz. Cream Cheese with 2TBL. Milk
In a separate bowl mix together: 1 Large Package Vanilla Pudding with 1 1/2 Cup Milk
Combine both until thick
Fold in 8oz. Package of Cool Whip
Spread over the top of crust. Refrigerate. Serve with chocolate syrup and fresh berries.

Enjoy!

Chile Relleno - Cheap & Easy!

I'm guest posting today over at I Never Grew Up. Vanessa invited me to share one of our families' favorite cheap and easy dinners. All week different bloggers will be sharing their favorites as part of Vanessa's Crazy Cheap and Easy Family Dinners Week.

Chile Relleno is a favorite at our house. It's one of those recipes that I turn to because I know that I almost always have all the ingredients on hand. You can find the complete recipe right here. Enjoy!

German Pancakes with Buttermilk Syrup

Over the weekend I made German Pancakes with the yummiest (I mean THE yummiest) buttermilk syrup. I think I'll make it again for our little family on Christmas morning. The buttermilk syrup lasts in your fridge for a week, so I best be using it up. That is unless I eat it all with a spoon first (someone help me!).

You can find the recipes for both HERE.



I'd love to know what you have for breakfast with your family Christmas Morning. I'd love to find a great recipe for one of those sausage souffles (aka breakfast casserole). Do you have a good one?

Holiday Baking

I was in the kitchen all day yesterday. We (Avery and I) had the Christmas playlist a-shufflin', cookie cutters a-clangin' and flour a-flyin'. Thinking about it now, I wish I had taken a picture of just the mess, it was major.

Here's what we made:

Super Soft Gingerbread Cookies - this recipe came from my SIL Nicole (thank you Nicole!) and it's a good one. So good and soft that I prefer these cookies without the frosting.


The Recipe:

Ginger Bread Cookies

Wet Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups dark molasses
1 cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup cold water
1/3 cup butter

Dry Ingredients:
6 cups flour
1 tsp allspice
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Mix all wet ingredients together then add in all the dry ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or best if overnight. Roll out 1/4" thick and cut into shapes. Place on un-greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for approx. 10 minutes. Let cookies rest in the pan for another 2-3 before transferring to rack for cooling.

The Frosting:

1 stick butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix butter, salt and vanilla together. Add powdered sugar and condensed milk to desired consistency. If using a frosting decorator, you will want the frosting to be a bit thicker.

Next Up: Candy-Cane Marshmallows

I've wanted to make these for so long, and I finally did. I followed this recipe, but tweaked it a bit with the candy cane flavor and the pretty, marble-ized effect from this recipe. We cut them out with tiny shapes so that they could float in hot chocolate.


We took all this sweetness with us up to my sister's house for dessert last night.

For dessert, we had a hot chocolate bar with all the good stuff to top it with: reddiwhip, these marshmallows, and crushed up candy canes aka "Handmade Peppermint Snow". We also had a cookie decorating contest. Can you guess who won?



Just one more photo, because ...who doesn't love a good before and after?!

Cowboy Caviar!

YEE-HAW! Howdy Lil' Ladies! Today's fixin's is one of my fave-or-ites. It's as fine as cream gravy. No sense holdin' your horses, let's Giddy Up!

Cowboy Caviar

5 Medium Tomatoes - chopped
2 Green Onions - sliced thin
1 Big Bunch of Cilantro
1 Avocado - chopped
1 Can of Corn - drained & rinsed
1 Can of Blackeyed Peas - drained & rinsed
1 Package Good Seasonings Italian Dressing - Add in Dry as is

Mix all together.


Served with chips, it's the whole kit and caboodle.

P.S. It sure beats chewin' the cud.

Gorgonzola Pear Salad With Candied Pecans

After a title like that one, you know this is going to be a killer salad. This recipe is a family favorite. In fact, my mom just blogged it too! She likes her's with a side of sticker. ;)

Here it is in a nutshell: The ingredients: green leaf lettuce, pears, avocado, gorgonzola cheese crumbles, purple onion and pecan pieces.


slice, dice, rinse, spin and repeat


Carmelized Pecans: This is the tricky part. You place the pecans in a hot pan on high heat and you have to stay with it, constantly turning them around. Once you start to smell the pecans (you are going to love this smell), then you add the 1/4 cup sugar. Constantly stirring once again. Watch the sugar turn to a liquid state and toss the pecans all around in the syrupy goodness, until they are all coated. Then remove them from the hot pan and let them cool. Keep them at room temp and then add them in at the very end, just right before tossing.


Here are the dressing ingredients all lined up, they are all listed below.


You can make this ahead of time (maybe a few hours) I would not refrigerate the dressing.


Toss everything together just right before serving, and ENJOY! It's a good one.


The Recipe:

Gorgonzola Pear Salad
1 head red leaf or green leaf lettuce (preferably red leaf if it's available)
3-4 pears sliced (and peeled - optional)
1 pkg gorgonzola crumbles
1 avocado sliced
1 purple onion sliced thin

Carmelize together:
1 pkg pecan pieces
1/4 cup sugar

The Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tbl. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. mustard
1 clove garlic (or garlic powder)
1/2 tsp salt & pepper

Pizza on the Grill

We had pizza on the grill twice this week. The best part is that there is basically no clean up on the grill when you're done. There is just something about eating food that has been cooked outside (and eating outside) that makes everything taste so much better.

Here is a great recipe that we used for the Pizza Dough. Also, after you roll out your dough, get it onto tinfoil and a cookie sheet (preferably with no sides) before you add your sauce, cheese and toppings making it easy to slide it right onto the grill.

Have a Happy (and safe) Memorial Weekend!

All American Fruit Flag

I love this recipe because it's festive (for this upcoming holiday weekend)and super dee duper easy. I prefer it over making a flag cake. Now c'mon, what's more American than Jet Puffed Marshmallow Cream?! ;)


This recipe uses a 9x13 size pan (a quarter size pan), I got mine here along with these pre-cut parchment pan liners, which I love. You could double the recipe and use a half size pan (18x12) if that is what you have.





The Recipe
- 1 tube pre-made sugar cookie dough
- 1 package (8oz.) cream cheese
- 1 cup marshmallow cream
- 2 cups sliced strawberries
- 1 cup blueberries

Spread cookie dough in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake according to directions or until light brown. Let cool. Mix cream cheese and marshmallow cream until fluffy. Spread mix on cooled cookie and top with strawberries and blueberries in the design of a flag.

Happy Holiday Weekend (Easy-Peasy) Baking!

Pink Lemonade French Macarons

Saturday I made pink lemonade french macarons, which is fancy for lemon macarons with pink food coloring. I have been obsessing about them since our little trip, and I was up for the challenge.

Like they say on Access Hollywood, "What was Britney thinking"...that's what I kept saying to myself. Geez-Louise, talk about a lot of work. I think for a first try they were good enough. I had mixed reviews (thanks a lot Shaun ;). It was between chocolate and lemon, and I decided to go with lemon because I have been wanting to make Lemon Curd (thank you, Stephanie). I followed this recipe for the macarons with the help of this conversion chart and this mascarpone substitute.
If I ever do make them again (key word 'ever'), I will definitely make them a lot smaller...I made these way too big, and I think I will go with chocolate. I am however excited to use all the extra lemon curd, and I was thrilled to find out that you can freeze it too. Yum!


I took them up to my mom's house that night to join everyone in seeing off my darling cousin Trisha who is headed to Romania for a few months. I was sure glad I did, because we didn't have nearly enough sugar to go around. ;)



Good Luck Trish, we are all excited to see and hear all about your adventures.

At the end of the rainbow...

JELLO, you will find a pot of gold.


I was thinking in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day on Tuesday, some rainbow jello would be a fun way to get into the Irish Leprechaun-y spirit. I blogged this Jello about a year ago, and I still think it's just as cool, and more importantly, your kids will dig it!


Rainbow JELLO!

1 - 6oz. Box of Red Jello
1 - 6oz. Box of Yellow Jello
1 - 60z. Box of Blue Jello
1 - Box of Knox Gelatin

Mix the blue box with one envelope of knox gelatin. Pour in 2 Cups of Boiling Water to dissolve the gelatin. Add 1/2 Cup of Ice. Stir until thick. Remove any remaining ice cubes along with any bubbles that may have formed. Pour into a 9 x13 inch pan. Let it set in the refrigerator.

Repeat with the yellow jello and pour it over the set blue. Repeat with the red jello and pour it over the yellow.

Then Voila! With only three layers you will be surprised to see a whole rainbow of colors...that jiggle!


ps. As far as the gold goes...sorry, you're on your own.☺

All The Secrets For The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

...in my notsohumble opinion. My brother in law Matt makes the best chocolate chip cookies...sorry Beck and Mom, it's true. He shared all his secrets with me and said that I could share them with you! So take notes, this is a good one!

#1 The Recipe. He sticks with America's Favorite Recipe. Because it's the best and he's American. ;)


#2 The Key Ingredient. He uses Butter Flavored Crisco instead of butter. This is the key my friends.


#3 The Shape. He molds them uniformly. I love my small ice cream scoop for this one to get the job done fast.


#4 The Smash...this is crucial for even baking. (Loved this tip!)


#5 The Helper. She needs to be smart, sassy and love to pose for lots of pictures. Oh yeah...and eats lots of cookie dough. :)


#6The Method: Undercook & Cover. About 10-11 minutes then cover them with your notsofavorite okaytogetgreasy designated cookie covering hand towels. Then walk away. Leave them there on the (preferably air bake w/parchment) cookie sheet and let them cool.



#7 Enjoy! ...the perfection in a cookie. Mmmmm.

(Thanks Matt!) While you're at it, you should check out the view from Matt's Office, it's a sight to see.

It was a stuff n munch kind of morning.

We all have it, the under used, under appreciated appliance. Ours just happens to be the Betty Crocker Stuff-n-Munch...until now. I was feeling a bit of guilt for being out of town this weekend over the big ♥ day, so I thought nothing says I love you like a little stuff-n-munch.

So I

• washed
• rinsed
• sliced
  
• slathered
• stacked
• dipped
• pressed
• locked
• and waited
  

Only to powder and present...to my Valentine,


and his new best friend. (mmm...bacon)

So tell me...do you stuff-n-munch?!

B. Y. O. B.

What I really mean to say is B. Y. O. B. B. S. (bring your own biggie blog salad). I wish I could take credit for the ultimate creation of this gem of a salad, but it has been a family favorite for years. With Barbecue Season here, I wanted to share this recipe Pioneer Woman Style (don't you just love her?!)!

Spinach Tortellini Salad
So here is the line up, just remember the lucky number seven for seven ingredients.


First up, #1: A 20 oz. package of Three Cheese Tortellini.


After you cook them as directed, you move them to an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Then you should drain and move them into the fridge to chill.


Next Up, #2: Some broccoli


Now you need to chop the broccoli...choppin' broccoli ("and you chop-eah-un!").


Side note: When you are left with these, what do you do? Chuck or peel?


I use to chuck, but now I peel (Thank you Alton Brown!). Once you get that outer stuff off, it is good. You should give it a try. Avery loves it, so I usually save it for her.


#3 Spinach - don't forget to take those stems off. Nothing worse than a long stem pokin' out of your mouth full of salad (well, I guess there are worse things, like pickle juice in your eye. Now that is the worse thing).


#4 Little Tomatoes - A package of Grape or Cherry, your choice. I like to quarter them.


#5 Olives - 1 can sliced in half cuz they are easier to poke with a fork.


#6 Feta Cheese - 4oz. to be exact. Mmm Feta.


And last but not least #7 Ken's Steak House Creamy Caesar. Wait until right before serving to toss with this delicious dressing (go easy).


Now doesn't that look so good? So pretty, and it tastes good too! Both equally important.


So tell me, what will you be bringing to your next Bar-B-Q?