Category Archives: Easy

Vegetarian Chili

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Simple,Hearty Vegetarian Chili

Simple,Hearty Vegetarian Chili



Yes, you read that correctly. Quit sitting there open mouthed looking like I just kicked a puppy. There is actually *gasps and sits here open mouthed looking like someone just kicked a puppy* a healthy recipe on my blog. A vegetarian one no less! I told you lovely people that as I began posting more, I would begin trying to make some of the recipes  healthy *shudders*, maybe even vegetarian.

My son Zachary was recently trying the “Daniel Fast”. This is a fast many Christians use at the beginning of each year. It’s based on the experiences of Daniel, a prophet from the Old Testament of the Bible. It’s a very strict vegan diet that I myself couldn’t handle for more than say, five minutes. I give props to my boy for attempting it. This fast makes vegen-ism look fun, that’s how strict it is 😛 I did my best to help him during his fast by making some dishes that he could enjoy while the rest of us kept on with our normal eating habits. Which, btw, there is nothing so guilt inducing to a mother as having dessert when ones child is on a strict fast, lol.

One of the things I made for him that he liked was this vegetarian chili. Not a speck of meat in this *sobs quietly*. If one wanted to make a nice hearty veggie chili WITH meat, it wouldn’t take much to brown some up and add it into this. But you didn’t hear me say that and I’ll deny it to the death if asked. *gnaws on a bone as I speak*

Seriously though, this is pretty yummy. It’s a very hearty, filling chili, wonderful with cornbread. This is great for Meatless Monday, if you do that, wonderful for a game day if you have people who prefer to watch the meat intake or just because you love it’s flavor and feel like making it, no reasons needed.

You know the drill…. 🙂

Mrs. Cupcake, who is suddenly craving a steak

Vegetarian Chili

  • 4 zucchini, chopped into bite sized chunks
  • 2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
  • 1 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1 cup chopped red pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, finely minced (or 1 1/2 teaspoons from a jar of  chopped jalapenos)
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1 28 ounce can Italian stewed tomatoes, cut up
  • 1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes, cut up
  • 1 15 ounce can seasoned pinto beans, undrained (obviously no meat flavor in them if you’re trying to keep this vegetarian)
  • 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 ounce can chili beans, undrained (we like the hot style; use what you prefer)
  • 1/4 cup chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • cilantro, cheese (vegetarian non dairy cheese if preferred) and green onions for garnish
  1. In a large pot or dutch oven, stirring often, saute the onions, all the peppers, the celery and the garlic in the oil until soft and limp, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, except of course for the garnish ingredients.
  3. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Taste for seasoning, adjust what’s needed (salt, a touch more sugar, some hot sauce if it’s not spicy enough for your crowd), then turn the heat down to low and let simmer for about 30 minutes (time enough to get some cornbread made!), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. If you want a thicker chili, just let this simmer longer.
  4. Serve with garnishes and a lovely slice of cornbread or some crackers. Whether you add a hamburger on the side is entirely up to you. 😀

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Mini Baked Turkey Bacon Club Sandwiches

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Mini Baked Turkey Bacon Club Sandwiches

Mini Baked Turkey Bacon Club Sandwiches



I have yet another confession to make. I don’t like sports. Well, I DO watch maybe one or two Chicago Cubs games a year, but only home games. It’s a nostalgia thing for me. After one or two, watching them lose gets depressing and even nostalgia isn’t enough to stop the facepalm from happening. But even being from Chicago (if I ever call it “Chi-Town”, please smack me upside the head), they are the only team I like and watch. No Bears, no Sox, no whateverelsetheymayhave. And other teams and sports from far away lands like California or New York? Fuhgeddaboutit!

I DO however like this time of year for the snacks like these upscale potato skins . I tend to be a grazer when it comes to eating so foods like this bruschetta are also perfect for me. Sit me in front of the game with a book or my kindle hidden in my lap with some snacks, rouse me when it’s time for the fun commercials and I’m perfectly content to pretend to cheer for the home team… or whatever team it is we’re supposed to be cheering for.

This type of mini sandwich has been all over the web for the last few years. I have absolutely no idea at this point who started the trend, but I love them. They are usually a ham and cheese version with a simple mustard, butter and poppy seed sauce poured over them. I wanted to pump up the flavor some though. And what is one way to pump up flavor? ADD BACON!!!  Bacon is my reason for living. I know many of you will agree.

I made this into a club version of that sandwich. Turkey, ham, cheese and bacon. BUT…yes, there is a but… then I added a lovely garlic/Parmesan sauce over the top. I am pretty sure that one of these sandwiches meets your daily caloric needs for about 3 weeks. But they are totally worth it. My husband ate about 6 of them. So now I don’t have to feed him for like 4.5 months, right?

These are delightfully messy and buttery- in other words, perfect guy and kid food as well as perfect game food. But you could probably go down a bit on the butter and still be fine.

You know the drill…. 🙂

Mrs. Cupcake, who is going to smell like garlic butter for a week.

Mini Baked Turkey Bacon Club Sandwiches

  • 16 dinner rolls (I used potato rolls- I’ve found them at Wal-mart, Aldis, Meijer, Kroger… most big chains)
  • 1 lb good quality bacon, cooked until just crisp
  • 1/2 lb thin sliced deli ham
  • 1/2 lb thin sliced deli turkey
  • 1 lb of your favorite sliced cheese (I used 1/2 lb each of Havarti and Muenster)
  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 finely minced garlic cloves (or sub 2 teaspoons garlic powder)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (while I usually use fresh, the powdery jarred version is fine for these)
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13×9 inch pan. Place the bottom half of the rolls in the pan. I squish 6 down each side then place 4 all snuggled up down the middle of the pan in between the two lines.
  2. Layer the rolls with the bacon, turkey, ham and cheese. Place the top half of the rolls on the sandwiches
  3. Add the garlic (or garlic powder) , Parmesan, onion powder and Worcestershire to the melted butter. Stir well to combine. Pour the butter mixture evenly over the tops  of the sandwiches, spreading it around if needed. The Parmesan makes this clump a little, so just spoon it around.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until the sandwiches are lightly browned on top and the cheese is bubbly. let cool for about 3 minutes, then slice in between the sandwiches and serve

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Easy Creamy Banana Pudding

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Easy Creamy Banana Pudding

Easy Creamy Banana Pudding



A little bit ago (which, in the south, can mean anywhere from ten minutes to two weeks ago) I asked my facebook fans which they would prefer- Creamy Banana Pudding or Apple Spice Cake With Creamy Vanilla Sauce. While I didn’t get many comments, the apple cake won by one vote. But I still wanted to do the banana pudding, too. This is one of those desserts that I used to make all the time when my older, now grown kids, were little. It’s easy, it’s tasty and when you have three to five kids running around, you need easy. You also need copious amounts of Xanax, intensive therapy and cheap booze, but that’s a post for another time. But for some reason, it fell by the wayside. I think that sometimes I get so caught up in making new treats, making something different, that I forget that my family loves the old standards too.

This isn’t my recipe. It comes from the Eagle Brand site, although when I started using it back in the day, there WAS no Eagle brand site… there was barely an internet lol. I got it from a magazine. The only thing I do differently is to add some vanilla extract to the mixture. It just adds a little something to it. You can also do this with instant banana, French vanilla, cheesecake or white chocolate puddings. It doesn’t change it enough to make it a sacrilege 😛 but it just makes it a little different.

The difference between this and the old fashioned version is technique. The old ones uses a cooked pudding base. It’s delicious but more time consuming. This one uses instant pudding that is whisked together with some other deliciously creamy ingredients and then layered. You can layer it in a large bowl or individual servings. For the sake of my waistline, I did individual servings this time. Otherwise, my mind says, “Honest Janet, this 8 inch thick layer of pudding that is practically overflowing the bowl is perfectly acceptable!”

You know the drill… get to cooking. Or not cooking in this particular case.

Creamy Banana Pudding

  • 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 1/2 cups cold water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 (4 serving size) package instant vanilla (or banana or cheesecake or snozzberry) pudding mix
  • 2 cups heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
  • 1 box vanilla wafers
  • 3 to 5 bananas, sliced and dipped in a mix of lemon juice and water and drained on paper towels (prevents them from turning brown)
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the water, vanilla extract and sweetened condensed milk. Add in the pudding mix and whisk until well blended.
  2. Chill for five minutes, then fold in the whipped cream.
  3. If using a large bowl, layer about one cup of the pudding in the bowl, then top with the desired amount of vanilla wafers, then about a third of the sliced bananas. Repeat this layering two more times.
  4. If doing individual servings, do the same layering, but in separate glasses. When doing individual ones, I also like to coarsely crush the cookies too because whole cookies just don’t fit well in smaller glasses.
  5. Chill for about an hour or so, then serve.

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Orange Creamsicle Cookies

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Orange Creamsicle Cookies

Orange Creamsicle Cookies



When I was a kid, I lived in inner city Chicago. Not the suburbs (not till I was a bit older), not someone saying “I’m from Chicago” who actually grew up in Des Plaines or Joliet, but actually right in the heart of the city. And while I’ve been in Kentucky since 1988 (oh, crap, I’m old!) and can’t imagine ever living in a big city again, there are some things I miss about it.

I miss the culture of a city; the museums, the theater, etc. I miss the shopping that encompasses more than Wal-Mart and Target. I definitely miss that. And I miss the food. The largest city near me is Lexington and while I love it, it isn’t exactly a thriving metropolis when it comes to ethnic foods. But they are slowly working on that.

But know one of the things I miss most due to living in the country? I miss ice cream trucks. Yep… ice cream trucks. Hey; this is me! What were you expecting? Something sophisticated and exciting? Yeah… right. 😛 Nope. Ice cream trucks it is. When I was a kid, we still had Good Humor trucks. Ohhhhh, I miss those.  We also had ice cream trucks where you could get actual soft serve cones. Those were awesome. AND… we had the ubiquitous ice cream trucks that had a huge scary clown face and tinny music that would have worked well in a Stephen King movie.  Thank God I’ve never been the type to get easily traumatized *twitches a little and sucks my thumb* One of the things I used to love to get was a Creamsicle. Or Dreamsicle. I’ve seen it as both, but I prefer Creamsicle. It has the word cream in it, after all. That lovely ice cream bar of vanilla ice cream surrounded by tangy orange sherbet. What could be better? You got sweet mixed with tangy. worked for me.

So I wanted to make a cookie with flavors reminiscent of a Creamsicle. Vanilla and orange, but without dribbling it all over my chin and down my arm. I think I succeeded here. You don’t get as much of the tang is about the only miss. I thought about adding a touch of citric acid to the dough, but I know that not many people keep that in their cabinets and that I’m odd with that one. But this is a wonderful mix of orange flavor, vanilla flavor and a chewy cookie base. If you like the orange/vanilla combo, you’ll enjoy these. They’re great lunch box cookies too.

You know the drill…. 🙂

This makes a boatload of cookies, btw, so if you don’t want enough to give away, either make half a batch or freeze half for later use.

Orange Creamsicle Cookies

  • 4 3/4 cups flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temp
  • 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons orange extract
  • 1 3.4 ounce  box or instant vanilla or cheesecake pudding mix
  • 1 3 ounce box orange jello
  • 3 cups good quality white chocolate chips
  1.  In a medium bowl, mix, then whisk to combine the flour, salt, baking soda and orange zest.
  2. In a large bowl (preferably a stand mixer, though this can be done by hand or with a strong hand mixer), combine the butter and the sugars. Mix on medium speed until thoroughly creamed and slightly fluffy looking.
  3. Add in the eggs, the extracts, the pudding mix and the jello mix. beat on low until thoroughly combined.
  4. Dump the flour mixture into the bowl and beat on low speed until thoroughly combined, stopping mixer once and scraping down sides of the bowl.
  5. When nicely combined,  add in the white chocolate chips and beat on low speed until combined.
  6. Dump the dough out onto a piece of foil, wrap tightly and chill for at least two hours. If you made a full batch and aren’t planning to make them all, wrap half of it in a double layer of foil and freeze.
  7.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape the dough into golf ball sized balls; smaller if you want smaller cookies, obviously. Place on ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. bake at 350 for between 17 to 20 minutes; check at the earlier time if you want a chewier cookie, later time if you want one that is crispier.
  8. Let cool on the cookie sheet for a minute, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.

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Worlds Best Apple Spice Cake With Creamy Vanilla Butter Sauce

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Worlds Best Apple Spice Cake With Creamy Vanilla Butter Sauce

Worlds Best Apple Spice Cake With Creamy Vanilla Butter Sauce



Tomorrow night, when Downton Abbey comes on, I, along with half the United States, will be parked in front of my TV watching it. The difference is, that I will be doing so with a outrageously huge slab small piece of this cake and a cup of tea. Mrs. Patmore would be proud of this one and Lord Crawley, for all of his snobbishness, would love it. Mary would however, turn her nose up at it’s simplicity because…well, because she’s Mary.

Of course, I will have to make another one of these cakes to be able to enjoy that outrageously huge slab, erhmmm, dainty little slice because this one is about gone already.

And, yes, I just used the words “worlds best”. Would I use those words if I didn’t mean it? You all know that I like simple desserts; I’ve made more things like this than I have fancy ones. This is one of those desserts that you look at and think, “ehhh, it looks pretty boring.” Then you give it a taste. And you’re blown away. This cake is wonderful for all its simplicity. I had it fresh from the oven and it was great…room temp and it was great, room temp with the sauce and it was great and then chilled and it was great. Get the feeling I like this one? :-p

I used a mix of tart and sweet apples in this cake. I like to mix it up when I am using apples in a dessert like this. Also, feel free to cut down on the amount of spice a bit if you’d prefer. I like things to be fairly heavily spiced, but I know not everyone shares my quirks. This is beyond easy to throw together. The most time consuming part is chopping the apples. After that, wham bam, thank you apples and it’s mixed.  The sauce doesn’t take but a few minutes too and it’s so worth it. It just puts this cake over the top. Add a bit of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if you’re trying to totally put this into the category of decadent.

You know the drill… 🙂

Mrs. Cupcake…who is going to get the last slice of cake before the kids do

Worlds Best Apple Spice Cake With Creamy Vanilla Butter Sauce

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups peeled, chopped apples
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted in a 350 oven until lightly browned
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
  • Creamy Sauce-
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch square pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat until thick, creamy looking and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  3. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and beat just until combined.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and spices. Add to the butter mixture and beat until well blended, scraping bowl once to get all the mixture in there.
  5. Pour in the apples, cranberries or raisins and walnuts and stir well to combine. Make sure the apples are well coated. This will look “apple heavy”, but trust me, it works out.
  6. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake at 350 for about 40 to 45 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a rack for about ten minutes. Serve warm with the sauce. or cool with the sauce…or warm or cool with no sauce 😛
  7. Creamy Vanilla Sauce-
  8. In a small pot, combine the butter, cream and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Simmer for about ten minutes, until it has started to thicken somewhat. Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla.

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Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding With A Cream Cheese Glaze

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Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding With A Cream Cheese Glaze

Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding With A Cream Cheese Glaze



I already mentioned that I am still deep into comfort food, even though the holidays are past. Since I am too damn old to wear a bikini ever again without breaking many state and federal laws prohibiting harassment and causing personal trauma to innocents, I have nothing pulling me towards getting in shape for bikini season. Our pool on our land is secluded enough that I can go out there in a tank top and shorts and not have anyone but the cats laughing at me. So fat and relatively happy I will stay. At fifty I’ve earned the right 😛 or at least that is what I tell myself as I continue to make high calorie, fattening foods.

I love cinnamon rolls. What’s not to love, right? Warm, yeasty pastry, gooey filling and a sweet glaze. Darn… now I want cinnamon rolls. The problem is that 1) I’m lazy and 2) the closest  place to us that sells them is about 35 minutes away, unless I want to get the tubes (ummmm, no) or the bakery section of the store kind, which I will sometimes, but they are always a disappointment. So what do I do at times like this, when I am in the throes of laziness and it’s too cold to venture out of the house? I make some cinnamon roll bread pudding.

Now, you could make these with Kings Hawaiian Bread, which is my usual go to for sweet bread puddings, or you could use cinnamon bread or you could even go so far as to use actual cinnamon rolls with this. But, I can’t do that because even I have to draw the calorie line SOMEWHERE not to mention there’s that whole point above about lazy…

So I used croissants. Yeah, yeah, I know… not much better than the cinnamon rolls themselves, but let me keep deluding myself. It makes me happy and a happy Janet is a baking Janet, right? This a yummy bread pudding and quick to throw together, though it does have to bake for a bit. But with this you have a creamy custard flavored base mixed with flaky croissants, then baked and covered in a sweet creamy cream cheese glaze, a la the frosting on the cinnamon roll. Just make sure to not over bake. It will still taste good, but as it gets cold in the fridge, the texture suffers. I was using two different sizes of ramekins because that’s all I had and the smaller ones were too firm my taste once chilled, not creamy. This makes 6 8 ounce ramekins, so cut it in half if, as I always say, you’re not feeding an army or teenage boys.

You know the drill… 🙂

Mrs. Cupcake- who has lovely cinnamon scented breath now 😛

Cinnamon Roll  Bread Pudding With A Cream Cheese Glaze

  • 4 regular sized croissants,  broken into chunks and set aside
  • 1 8 ounce package of softened cream cheese, divided
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 1/4 cups heavy cream or half and half
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
  • boiling water
  1. In a large bowl, beat together 4 ounces of the softened cream cheese and the sugars until creamy. Add the eggs, cinnamon and nutmeg and beat well.  Whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla extract, then the melted butter
  2. Dump the croissant chunks on top and press them down into the custard to make sure all the pieces get nice and moist. Let the whole mix sit for about 15 minutes.
  3. Preheat the oven to 325 while waiting. Grease 6 8 ounce ramekins (or you could use a greased baking dish, preferably glass as bread pudding tend to take on a metal taste from regular pans) with butter. Place the greased ramekins inside of a large baking dish.
  4. Stir the pudding mixture, then evenly divide it between the waiting ramekins. Place the pan in the oven near the center, then carefully pour boiling water into the pan around the puddings until it is about a third of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Be careful not to splash into the ramekins themselves.
  5. Bake at 325 until the puddings are just barely set. A butter knife inserted in the center and wiggled should show a nice moist center, but not a bunch of liquid coming up around the knife. Do NOT over bake.
  6. Carefully remove the pan from the oven then remove the ramekins from the pan and set on the counter to cool.
  7. Make the glaze- in a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, the remaining cream cheese, the teaspoon of vanilla extract and the lemon zest, if using. Beat at medium speed with a hand mixer until the mixture is creamy. Add in the cream, a little at a time, until you get a glaze the consistency you prefer.  It may take more or less than what I have written.
  8. When the puddings are room temp, you can either chill them from if you like them cold, as I do. or glaze them once they hit room temp. Either way, just drizzle or spoon the glaze on top when ready to serve. Sprinkle with a little extra cinnamon and enjoy.

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Coconut Hot Chocolate With Almond Fluff Whipped Cream

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Coconut Hot Chocolate With Almond Fluff Cream

Coconut Hot Chocolate With Almond Fluff Cream



I’m one of those weirdos who loves Winter. I love the coziness, the enforced family time (helpful for seeing ones kids when they’re teens. They simply can’t get away in the Winter. Buahahahahaaaa!), the foods (mmm, soups and stews), the clothes. I mean, what woman doesn’t love cozy fluffy sweaters, right?

But one thing I don’t care for is extreme cold. I grew up in Chicago, so it’s not like I didn’t get used to it back in the day. But I’ve been in Kentucky for 26 years now (yes, longer than some of you have been alive, lol) and my body has acclimated to the temps here. I think I would probably just whimper and die in Chicago now. The last few years though, our part of Kentucky has been getting some pretty frigid cold fronts coming through that are very reminiscent of my growing up days. One is expected to hit tonight putting the temp down to about 1 degree with wind chills of about 15 below. Time to get the outdoor cats locked in the garage with the kerosene heater to make sure they stay safe and warm. Time to keep the wood burning fire going. On a side note from that, I have to laugh every time we need to start a fire because it kills my husband that I can get a fire going with a stick and some paper and he can barely get one going with a blow torch, a gas can and 3 full grown trees. I keep teasing him that I’m going to steal his man card.

One thing I love when it’s cold is any excuse to make a hot, soothing drink. Sometimes I like them spiked, but more often than not, I just like drinks that are booze free and creamy. Creamy and I are bff’s from way back.

Now, I’m not usually a fan of The Food Network. I tend to turn a cynical eye towards many of the people who have shows on that channel or recipes online. But I do buy the Winter issues of their magazine since, well, I buy the Winter issues of pretty much every Winter food magazine published. Because soups, stews, cozy food. Enough said.                    So, in the March 2012 issue (yes, it’s taken me this long to get to it), there was the “He Made, She Made” column where two of their cooks make recipes based on a certain food or theme. It was Bobby Flay up against Anne Burrell, making hot chocolate. I’ve had Bobby Flay’s recipe cut out from the magazine since then. I don’t even remember what Anne Burrells was, so it must not have excited me that much. But Bobby’s had a can of coconut milk in it. The words coconut milk are a siren call for me. I have been known to have to open an extra can of coconut milk when making curries because I eat too much of it straight from the can. Yes, yes I do like hardened arteries. Why do you ask?

So, this drink was wonderful. I’m one who can never decide if I want whipped cream or marshmallows on top of hot chocolate. With this, I get both because you combine whipped cream with marshmallow fluff. WooT! I was happy! Plus, you get hot chocolate. With coconut milk. Really; do I need to say more? The only thing I did differently here was to up the amounts of extracts. I like more intense flavors. 🙂
You know the drill… 🙂
Mrs. Cupcake, who wants to be swimming in a vat of coconut milk.

Coconut Hot Chocolate With Almond Fluff Whipped Cream

  • Fluff whipped cream-
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff (store the rest in the fridge for another time… or just eat it straight from the jar. I won’t tell)
  • 2 tablespoons Amaretto or sub with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Hot chocolate-
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 can coconut milk (NOT coconut cream.)
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark or bittersweet chocolate chips (I used more; I admit it.)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt
  • 1/2 cup toasted coconut for garnish (to me, this is definitely optional. I don’t want hot chocolate with texture 😛 )
  1. Make the whipped cream and set aside- Combine the topping ingredients in a medium bowl. You can use either your stand mixer with the whisk or a hand mixer at medium speed, though I suggest starting at low so you don’t wear the splattering cream. Whip until it forms nice soft, fluffy peaks.
  2. Combine the coconut milk and the whole milk in a saucepan. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Add in the cocoa powder, brown sugar (your best bet is to combine the cocoa with the sugar to help avoid the cocoa lumping up), chocolate chips, vanilla extract and salt.
  3. Continue to cook over medium heat, whisking the whole time, until the chocolate is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Pour into cups and top with a dollop of the whipped topping, then some of the toasted coconut if you’re using it.

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Easy Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

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Easy Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

Easy Cheesy Baked Spaghetti



(Sorry; I know that’s not the best photo ever. By the time I realized that, half the dish was already gone and it was too late. But that should say something about the taste at least 😀 )

I’ve never been a person for making New Years resolutions. They seem a perfect way to set oneself up for failure and turn yourself into an emotional punching bag- “Man, I resolved to lose 40 pounds this year and look at me! I gained weight instead! I’m such a loser!” (Not that I haven’t done that to myself; just not because of a resolution) or “I resolve to sock away 15% of my income this year and use it for a family vacation to Disney Land”, and then the car breaks down or you need to call a plumber and all your savings (of which there wasn’t much anyway because..well, life) are gone and you again feel like you failed.

I did however, a few weeks ago (so, before the new year; neener neener) make a decision about something; a decision I truly hope I can stick with and that doesn’t have that pesky little thing called life interfering. I realized that I need to spend more time here with all of you. More than once a week or less. I want to post at the very least two times a week, preferably even more. I want to promote my little blog on social media better as well as just chat on Facebook with all of you, though with facebooks plans later this month to basically hide all small page owners pages, I’m not sure how well that will work. But I want to try. I love my blog; I love those of you who faithfully follow my ramblings, but I don’t show it enough. So call it a resolution if you will…. but I am HOPING to be more of a presence in your lives from now if you’ll have me. It will be me, you, and you, and you, and lots of fat and calories. Ok, ok, at times I’ll be nice and throw something lower fat and lower calories your way, but c’mon, I’m a baking blog primarily. I bake. With butter. LOTS of butter. And sugar. It’s how I keep sane. Fine; semi sane.

I also plan to add a recipe index here. But that will take time, so bear with me during my renovation. ANDDDDD… I want to start doing a bit of non food posts; things like body scrubs, lotions, fun stuff for the ladies. 🙂

Did I mention that today is NOT one of those low fat, low calories sort of days? I’m assuming the photo made that clear, however. 😀 This is cheesy, it’s gooey, it wonderfully messy and it’s also extremely easy. You could make this even quicker if you wanted to by subbing in jarred sauce for the homemade. But really, there’s no need to. This is pretty quick.

Easy Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

  • 12 ounces spaghetti, cooked as directed (just until al dente), drained and set aside in a large bowl
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 3 tablespoons chopped garlic (hey, I like garlic. Use more or less as desired)
  • 2/3 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1 lb ground beef, cooked, crumbled and drained (you could also sub ground turkey or chopped chicken, add some sausage or even use no meat at all; make this your own)
  • 2 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted- use your favorite)
  • 1 14.5 ounce jar of Prego Alfredo sauce
  • 2 tablespoons squeezable Basil paste (found in the produce section of the grocery store)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (cuts the acidity of the tomatoes)
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, tossed with
  • 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  1. Preheat your oven to 350. Lightly grease a 3 quart baking dish.
  2. Pour the olive oil into a medium pot. Over medium heat, stirring frequently,saute the chopped onions, garlic and green pepper until soft and tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.
  3. Add in the ground beef, the 2 cans of diced tomatoes, the Alfredo sauce, the basil, oregano and the salt and sugar. Stir to combine.
  4. Bring to a simmer over just barely medium heat, stirring often to prevent sticking to the bottom.
  5.  Simmer for about ten minutes, just long enough to let the flavors meld. Pour the sauce over the pasta and carefully stir to combine them.  Add in half of the cheese mixture and stir again.
  6. Pour the mixture into the baking dish.
  7. Sprinkle with the rest of the combined cheddar and mozzarella, then sprinkle with the Parmesan. Bake at 350 until bubbly and lightly browned on top, about 25 to 30 minutes.
  8. Serve with garlic bread and lots of napkins 😀

Copyright Notice: From Cupcakes To Caviar images and original content are copyright protected. Please do not publish these materials anywhere without prior permission.

While you’re here, don’t forget to go to this post and enter my giveaway! You could win a Hamilton Beach Stack and Snapâ„¢ 10 Cup Food Processor! Believe me when I say this is a handy dandy appliance to have!

Roasted Garlic Hummus (and the first giveaway of 2015!)

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Roasted Garlic Hummus(ENTRY WIDGET DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST! SCROLL DOWN FOR IT!)



This is my last giveaway for 2014 as a Hamilton Beach Ambassador. I’ve had a blast promoting their products this past year! And obviously, I’ve enjoyed getting to own and use some wonderful kitchen appliances, as well as offering them to all of you to enjoy. Today, I’m reviewing and giving away a Hamilton Beach Stack and Snapâ„¢ 10 Cup Food Processor. So far, I’m loving this food processor. It took me a minute to get used to, because it has some differences from the typical one, including my old Hamilton beach processor, but once I figured it out (tip- don’t be like me. Do this weird thing called read the manual that comes with it 😛 ). With this new model, you have to snap the lid into place and you can’t start it unless you have. It also has a feature where you can’t use it with the chute open. You have to put what you want through the chute, then put the thingamajigger (I know… I use too many technical terms) back on. You also can’t, as with most types, pull the blade out when the container is off of the base. You have to have the base on and then snap out the blade. This comes in handy if you’re like me, with a habit of upending the container to empty it and having the blade come out and catch you in the hand. Yay for less 5 inch deep gashes on the hands! The theme the lovely people from Hamilton beach wanted us to follow with this appliance is making something for the holidays. I racked my brain and had thought of Christmas cookies… then 900 other thoughts, but I like waiting to do my posts as an ambassador until after every one else has done theirs (that way Hamilton Beach has people paying attention to them for more than just a couple of highly condensed weeks.), so Christmas ideas were out. So I decided to make a New Years Eve appetizer. Heaven knows that many people need to have some nibbles around to offset the amounts of booze they drink, lol. And I wanted to do something with a good amount of protein for the same reason. So where did I finally settle….? On a delicious Roasted Garlic Hummus. This stuff is sooooo good and this processor helped me create it so easily! if you are convinced you don’t like hummus, I am willing to bet that you haven’t tried it homemade. The flavor is infinitely better, infinitely fresher and this is one of the easiest appetizers (or dinners, if you’re like me at all) you can make. Make this for a party, set out some nice warm pita wedges of pita chips (I also love it with pretzel chips) and you have an immediate hit. This is one that goes fast because all people have to do is dip and eat. No mess, no fuss. I could eat hummus until it was coming out of my ears. It’s nutritious, but it’s so wonderfully creamy that you’d never know it. And you can vary the flavors in it so easily. Make this tonight for whatever get together you’re hosting or going to and then make more when you need a quick and easy game day snack. So when you run to the store today to pick up some more beer or wine, grab the following items too. You’ll love this hummus. Oh yeah… before you leave, make sure you enter to win one of these Hamilton Beach Stack and Snapâ„¢ 10 Cup Food Processor for yourself. I know you’ll love it and find a gazillion uses for it! The giveaway is at the  bottom of the page!

Roasted Garlic Hummus

  • 2 15 ounce cans chickpeas, well drained (also known as Garbanzo Beans)
  • 1 head roasted garlic, cloves taken out and lightly smashed (plus more for garnish. Whatever you don’t use can be stored in the fridge)
  • 2 tablespoons Tahini (Sesame seed paste)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (more if needed after you give this a taste test)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt (use the lower amount first, taste after processing, then add the extra 1/4 teaspoon if needed)

 

 

 

  1. Dump the chickpeas into the bowl of your food processor. Add all the other ingredients on top. DSCF4664

 

  •  Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and process again. taste for salt and lemon; add more if needed and process for another 10 seconds or so.  Spoon into a serving bowl.DSCF46663. Add some extra roasted garlic on top for garnish.

 

 

            4.Serve with warm pita wedges, celery or carrot sticks, or pretzels.      

Hamilton Beach

Stack & Snapâ„¢ 10 Cup Food Processor-

 

Product Features
Parts & Accessories
Use and Care Guides

 

 

    • Easy stack & snap assembly

 

 

 

 

 

  • Unique, patent-pending design requires no difficult twisting & locking

 

  • Simple function guide shows you which blade to use & which button to press

 

 

  • Big Mouth® feed tube reduces pre-cutting

 

 

  • Sealed bowl prevents leaks

 

 

  • Powerful 450 watt motor

 

 

  • Reversible slice/shred disk

 

 

  • Chopping S-blade locks into bowl and stays put during pouring

 

 

  • Dishwasher safe blades, bowl, and lid

 

 

  • Cord storage

 

 

  • The easiest food processor assembly ever Gone are the days of complicated positioning and twisting the bowl and lid into place. With the Hamilton Beach® Stack & Snapâ„¢ Food Processor, the bowl is specially designed to fit directly on the base (with no twisting required) and the lid snaps securely to the bowl with simple locking clips for safe operation. No more guessing whether it’s put together correctly, just “stack” and “snap” the parts into place! The kitchen helper you’ll use for every meal Mix up a quick pancake batter. Chop onions without the tears. Puree a bowl of nutritious soup. Slice cucumbers evenly for a perfect salad. Chill, then shred or grate your favorite cheese for a variety of dishes. Large feed chute means less prep work Are you still pre-cutting all your ingredients? If you’re doing that, why bother with a food processor at all? The Hamilton Beach® Stack & Snapâ„¢ 10 Cup Food Processor accommodates both large and small ingredients, so you can spend less time pre-cutting your ingredients and more time enjoying them. Unique bowl features Many food processors come with a maximum liquid fill line, so if you are preparing soup you need to process multiple batches. The sealed bowl holds up to 10 cups of liquid, which reduces the need for multiple batches when processing soups or other liquids. Another great feature is the S-blade stays locked in the bowl when pouring, so you don’t need to pick the blade out of the processor or worry that it might fall out when you are pouring. A simple snap secures the lid on to the bowl, with no twisting and locking needed. Includes everything you need This powerful food processor comes with a 10 cup bowl, which is the ideal size for most of your home cooking needs. It also includes a reversible slice/shred disc and S-blade for chopping, mixing and pureeing. Cord storage in the back keeps things tidy when not in use. Easy to use Disc attachments are reversible and labeled, which takes the guesswork out of processing. The label should face up for the desired function. When using disc attachment, do not process foods past the MAX LEVEL indicator on the bowl. Many processing options Between the S-blade and the reversible slicing/shredding disc, you have many choices available. Use the S-blade for chopping nuts, meat, garlic, onions, peppers, celery, herbs, bread (for crumbs), and crackers. Also, use it to mince/puree vegetables and fruits, mix salad dressings, puree soups or sauces, and to grate cheese. Use the slicing disc (slicing side facing UP) to slice cucumbers, apples, mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, pepperoni, peppers, radishes, firm cheeses. Use the shredding disc (shredding side facing UP) to shred cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and cheese.

 

 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hamilton Beach provided me with a  Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap™ 10 Cup Food Processor for review and giveaway, but my opinions are 100% my own.

Dark Chocolate Cranberry Orange Bread

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Dark Chocolate Cranberry Orange Bread

Dark Chocolate Cranberry Orange Bread

 

I can never do anything normally, can I? Nooooo, not me. Other bloggers post lovely recipes for cranberry orange this and cranberry orange that and make us all run to the store to grab 78 more bags of cranberries to add to the 312 we already have in the freezer because what they create looks so enticing. But not me… I just HAVE to change it up some. Why, you ask? You did ask, didn’t you? I heard someone mumbling out there. Why? I don’t know. I just have to be different. I’m a rebel like that. Or something.

Mind you, I love cranberry orange anything and I may post something a wee bit more “normal” before the holidays are over, but not today.

Tidbit- when my 17 year old son Zach got home from church last night, one of the first things he did was snag a slice (like half the loaf…he’s 17, after all) of this bread. He then wandered to where Russ and I were watching TV and said “Now that’s just weird. This TASTES like Christmas. What the … I took a bite and it just tastes like Christmas.” My reaction was a pleased smile and a “that’s what i was aiming for so I’ll call this recipe a success”. Coming from a young man whose usual response to food is “Snarf….gobble…snort, slurp, kjgJfJfg, more…”  I consider this a great reaction.

And he’s right. This really does taste like Christmas. You have a moist bread with a lovely dark chocolate flavor first, then you are hit with the background of orange and cranberry. The bread itself isn’t overly sweet, so the pieces of chocolate are a pleasant surprise when you get them as are the cranberries. Then the glaze just takes this over the top to complete yumminess.

You know the drill… 🙂

I love you guys!

Mrs. Cupcake, who has eaten far more of this than I should have

Dark Chocolate Cranberry Orange Bread

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1 cup full fat sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons orange extract
  • zest from one orange (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 1 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (NOT drink mix)
  • 1/2 teaspoon each of baking powder and baking soda
  • 2/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries
  • 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch loaf pan and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, vanilla extract and orange extract. Beat until combined then add in the sour cream and beat just until combined.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, orange zest, baking powder and baking soda. Dump the chocolate chips and cranberries into the same bowl and give it a quick stir to combine and get all the pieces dusted with the flour. This helps prevent them all from settling down to the bottom of the loaf.
  4. Pour/spoon into the prepared loaf pan (this is a thick batter). Smooth the top. Bake at 350 until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
  5. Let cool in the pan for about ten minutes, then turn it out onto a rack to finish cooling.
  6. When cool, make you glaze. Combine the powdered sugar and orange zest in a small bowl. Add one tablespoon of the orange juice to it and stir. If it’s still too thick to drizzle, add the other tablespoon of o.j. Drizzle over the cooled loaf and sprinkle with some dried cranberries.

Dark Chocolate Cranberry Orange Bread

Copyright Notice: From Cupcakes To Caviar images and original content are copyright protected. Please do not publish these materials anywhere without prior permission.