Skinny Funfetti Cake Batter Dip

I don't know why I have been on such a funfetti kick lately....maybe because both of my boys have birthdays quickly approaching.  Or it could be because.....everyone loves funfetti! It is one of those things that you see and it just makes you smile.

I was blog hopping the other day and found this recipe over on sixsistersstuff.com and thought this would make a great after school snack.  Really who am I kidding....this is going to be an anytime snack around my house.  It is thick, creamy and tastes like cake batter....but better for ya.   A 1/4 cup has 105 calories...so if you are in the need for something sweet this is pretty calorie friendly.

 

Skinny Funfetti Cake Batter Dip

 

1 box Funfetti cake mix

2 cups fat free plain Greek yogurt

1 cup lite cool whip

sprinkles for the top

 

Serve with graham crackers, Nilla wafers and apples

 

 

Combine all ingredients well until smooth.  Place in the refrigerator until set.  When serving add extra sprinkles to the top for extra "fun".

 

 

Happy Wednesday...enjoy!

Orange Creamsicle Martini

After the end of a crazy week and a very busy day it is finally time to enjoy 3 of my favorite things.....My family, UFC and my martini glass.  Typically, we would have a house full of people talking, laughing and cheering for our fighter to win.  But tonight it is pretty laid back...just us...relaxing in our jammies....cozy by the fire...but still cheering on our favorites to win.

I first made this martini last year for my bunco group.  They loved them!  And they really do taste a lot like an orange creamsicle.  Don't let the ingredients weird you out....it really does work!

Orange Creamsicle Martini

 

2 oz whipcream vodka

1/4 cup orange juice, pulp free

1/4 cup fat free half and half

1 tsp vanilla pudding mix (just the dry powder)

whip cream, optional

 

1.  Add vodka, juice, half and half and pudding powder to shaker.  Give it a couple extra good shakes to make sure the pudding powder gets fully dissolved.

2.  Strain and pour into glass.  Give a quick little spray of whip cream to garnish.

 

 

Happy Saturday My Friends.....Cheers!



Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ Pork

I have to say I don't know what I would do without my slow cooker on crazy busy days.  From soups to meat I have a list of favorites and this BBQ Pork is definitely on the list.  My family prefers the pulled pork on a sandwich with or without a cabbage slaw but it could just be served along side rice or potatoes.  Add a salad and you are set. 

So tonight in between pick ups and drop offs to basketball practice the boys will have just enough time for a sandwich and I am pretty sure at least one of them will have another when we get back.  And then I will do something fun with the leftovers just in time for Happy Hour tomorrow.

Since there are only a few ingredients it is very simple to adjust if you have a larger piece of pork.  I used a 1 1/2 lb boneless pork roast.  Actually, I think it was in the 4 pack that you can get at Costco.

Place the piece of pork in slow cooker.  My roast was on the smallish side so I used my smaller slow cooker. 

In a bowl combine BBQ sauce, brown sugar, garlic, yellow mustard and red pepper flakes.

Mix together well and then pour over meat.  Cook on low for 6hrs.

After 6 hrs remove and shred.  I really have found no better way to shred meat besides two forks.

Once your meat is completely shredded add back to the slow cooker.   Toss to coat with the sauce and continue cooking on low for up to 2 hrs longer.  This will give the meat a chance to soak in the flavor

 

Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ Pork

 

1 1/2 lb boneless pork roast

1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp yellow mustard

red pepper flakes to taste

 

1.  Place pork roast into slow cooker.

2.  Combine sauce, sugar, garlic, mustard and pepper flakes in bowl.

3.  Pour sauce mixture over meat and cook on low for 6 hrs.

4.  After cooking time, remove meat and shred with forks.

5.  Place meat back into slow cooker and continue cooking for up to 2 more hrs on low.

 

 

Happy Thursday my friends!  Enjoy

.

Crusty Bread

Making bread has never been something I have enjoyed or have ever been good at.  Maybe it is the many steps and time involved that turns me away or the fact that I never have been able to get my dough to rise..but either way I have finally found the answer to all my complaints.  So before I can go any further I have to give credit to www.simplysogood.com for sharing this recipe.  You have saved me so much time and stress.  Not to mention the fact my family thinks that I work some sort of magic to create this wonderful bread.

When I tell you this is the easiest and most forgiving bread recipe ever...you have to believe me.  You could go to your local bakery and buy a loaf of fresh bread but even that takes more effort than this.  I have shared this recipe with my sister, who I adore but sometimes her culinary skills are a bit challenged.  She made this for her family and it turned out perfect!  So...it's January...aren't you ready for a nice pot of soup to cozy up to?  What goes better with soup....fresh crusty bread! 

So, if I still haven't convinced you that it is the easiest thing ever....let me show you.

Place flour in a large bowl.  Add salt and yeast.



Whisk together til incorporated well.

Add water and mix til combined.  The water does not have to be a special temp.  I just wait for the hot water to become barely warm out of the faucet.  Dough will be sticky and look "shaggy"...that's ok! Don't worry!

At this point cover your bowl with plastic wrap and push it aside for 12 to 18 hrs.  Yes....I said 12-18 hrs!  Do not refrigerate....DO NOTHING!

I usually make my dough before bed....say 9ish and bake mine by noon the next day.  But when you are ready to bake this is what you will have.

Now this may be the only challenging part for you.....the only trick to baking this is that you have to have something that can withstand a baking temp of 450 degrees and it has to have a lid.  The original recipe suggests to use a enameled cast iron pot however, I don't have one so I improvised and decided that my Pampered Chef deep dish baker and the large bowl would work just fine.  And it does.  So...be creative....there has to be something that will work for you.

Preheat your oven to 450 and place your baking pan in the oven to heat up also.  While the oven is heating place your dough on a floured surface forming into a ball and allow to stand til the oven is up to temp.

When the oven is ready place dough in pan, cover and bake for 30 minutes.  Please remember that your pans are screaming hot....I say this only because I have burned my hands more times that I like to admit.  At the end of 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue baking for  15 minutes.

Place on a wire rack to cool.

See....easy peasy!  You gotta give it a try...you won't be sorry.

Crusty Bread

 

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

 

1.  Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Whisk together to make sure it is mixed well.

2.  Add water and stir combining well.

3.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit 12 to 18 hrs on counter top.

4.  When ready to bake Preheat oven to 450 and place baking pan in oven to heat as well.

5.  While oven is heating place dough on well floured surface and form into a ball and allow to rest until oven comes to temp.

6.  Bake bread covered for 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 minutes uncovered.

7.  Cool on rack.

 

 

Like I said this is the ONLY bread that I ever make....it turns out perfect every time!  You will not be disappointed. 

 

Happy Tuesday!  Enjoy!

Peach Kiss Martini

Ahhh...finally Friday!  This morning when I was thinking about what cocktail would fit with this week....I decided that I needed something that reminded me of warm and sunny.  It has been below freezing and very foggy all week...really just a lot of gloom so I thought back to last May...Mother's Day when my sister and I surprised our mom with a fun martini.  We actually kind of just morphed two different cocktail together to come up with a Peach Kiss. 

 

So tonight, even if for a minute I forgot about the frost that has been in my back yard all week and remembered the great day I spent with my mom and my sister back on that warm sunny day in May.

 

 



Peach Kiss Martini

 

1 oz vodka

1 oz peach schnapps

1 1/2 oz lemonade

splash of grenadine

 

1.  Add ice to cocktail shaker

2.  Add vodka, schnapps, lemonade and grenadine.

3.  Shake and pour into martini glass

 

I have used peach vodka in the past which gives it a greater peach flavor...either way I think you will love it.

 

Cheers and Happy Friday my Friends!

Cake Batter Buddies

I was beginning to feel guilty (which I do often) when I realized that I hadn't made my kids a fun snack this week.  Between colds, school projects and doctor appointments I didn't really think about it.  Hopefully, this will get me back in the running for "Mom of the Year". 

Since both boys love Mud Buddies and the Cinnamon Churo Buddies I figured I was pretty safe making Cake Batter Buddies.  The fact that I had everything in my pantry already also helped in the decision.....I follow the "use what you got" rule.....well most of the time.

Toss the rice chex with the melted chocolate and mix in the sprinkles.  Now I thought I had a better selection of sprinkles and jimmies but it was pretty limited.  If you want your sprinkles to really stand out use ones that are larger.  But I honestly don't think that my two hoovers will even stop to notice.

Once the cereal is coated place them in a large ziplock bag that has powdered sugar and the dry cake mix.  There really is no right way to get them covered....just shake and shake and shake.  Be sure you close the top before you start your shaking though.

Once the cereal is all coated....I like to lay it all out on wax paper til the chocolate is completely set.  The white chips I used set fast so it really wasn't necessary but I have had chocolate chips take a bit longer.

.I probably should have made a double batch because I am pretty sure these will not see the end of the weekend. 

Cake Batter Buddies

 

5 cups of Rice Chex

12 oz bag of white chocolate chips

1 cup of yellow cake mix

2/3 cup powdered sugar

sprinkles or jimmies

 

 

1.  Place cereal in a large bowl.

2.  Melt chips.  I always melt mine in the microwave.  I set them in for 30 seconds at a time stirring after each 30 seconds until completely melted.  It usually only takes 2 minutes total.

3.  Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal stirring to coat all very well.   Pour sprinkles over chocolate and toss before the coating begins to set too much.

4.  Mix the sugar and cake mix in a large Ziplock bag.  Once well combined add in the coated cereal.  Close bag and shake to coat all cereal well.

5.  Spread the coated cereal onto a piece of wax paper.  Once set store in air tight container.

 

 

Happy Thursday!



P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef

I have to admit that I love Pinterest!  Once the boys have left for school and breakfast dishes are done I get a cup of coffee and I begin pinning.  I limit myself to one cup because somehow that makes it easier to justify sitting for 30 minutes at the computer.  I have found the best recipes during that 30 minutes and a few I made great once I made a few changes.  Last week I found a copy cat recipe for P.F. Chang's Mongolian beef  that looked yummy. 

So after watching the Seahawks heartbreaking loss I decided this was just what we needed to lift spirits.  For me the biggest test for a new recipe is making something that everyone likes.  This one got 3 thumbs up and clean plates...so I have to give a big Thank You to ohsodelicioso.com for sharing.

 

 

 

P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef

 

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 cup)

1 lb flank steak

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 large green onions

 

 

1.  Heat 2 tsp oil in a saucepan.  Add ginger and garlic being careful not to burn the garlic.

 

2.  Add soy sauce and water bringing to a boil.

 

3.  Add in brown sugar, stirring to dissolve.  Continue boiling 2-3 minutes as sauce thickens a bit.

 

4.  Remove from heat and set aside.

 

5.  Slice the steak against the grain into 1/4" thick bite sized pieces, tipping the knife at a 45 degree angle so that you will get a wider cut.

 

6.  Dust the steak slices with cornstarch and set aside for 10 minutes so the cornstarch has time to stick to the meat.

 

7.  While meat is resting heat oil in a wok or pan.  Just make sure that the meat is covered with oil.

 

8.  Add steak slices to the hot oil cooking for only a minute.  Don't worry about not cooking long enough the meat will be given a few more minutes in a hot pan later.

 

9.  Remove meat from oil and place on paper towels.  Remove oil from pan.

 

10. Add steak slices back to the hot pan and saute for 2 minutes and then add sauce over meat.  Cook another minute stirring to coat meat completely.

 

11.  Garnish sliced green onions.

 

 

I served it with steamed white rice and broccoli.  Actually, I sauteed my broccoli with the meat and then added the sauce to the pan.  It gave the veggie more of a stir fry flavor.

 

 

Happy Monday and Enjoy!

It is happy hour on a Friday afternoon so of course I am making a cocktail.  Anyone that knows me will tell you that there are two things that remind them of me....martinis and flip flops.  So it is only fitting that my very first post is one of my favorite martini recipes.  Grab your cocktail shaker and your best martini glass...flip flops are optional after-all it is January...and relax you made it to Friday!

 

Pineapple Upside Down Cake Martini

 

splash of grenadine

1.5 oz Cake Vodka

3 oz Pineapple Juice

1 Maraschino Cherry

 

Fill cocktail shaker with ice and add a splash of grenadine.

Add vodka and pineapple juice.

Add cherry to the bottom of martini glass.

Shake and pour into glass.

 

 

Cheers!  Happy Friday my Friends.