Hey guys,

Sorry for being gone for a while.  I decided that I wanted to wait to post anything until school was done. I just wanted to put my time in to studying and hanging out with friends and family. Than last week when I tried to post this blogger wasn’t letting me upload my picture. However, I have been baking, so there will be a few posts popping up within the next few weeks. Next week I will have one all about my trip to North Dakota and the week after I will have a camping menu.

I made Chocolate and peanut butter cupcakes for our golf coach's birthday. They were very yummy if I do say so myself:) The cupcakes were layered chocolate batter, peanut butter batter, Chocolate and then more peanut butter batter. It is one of those desserts that you want to eat with a nice cold glase of milk.

Lets get Cookin'

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1/3 cup  Cocoa
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup  Peanut Butter Chips
• 1/4 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• Or ½ cup of swirled chocolate and peanut butter chips

Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 18 regular-size muffin cups.

In large bowl, mix flour, cocoa, brown sugar, baking soda and salt.

Add oil, water, and vanilla to flour mixture, stirring just until smooth (do not overmix).

In another large bowl, beat egg, cream cheese, peanut butter and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.

Add powdered sugar; beat until creamy.

Spoon 1 level tablespoon chocolate batter into each cup.

Evenly spread 1 level tablespoon peanut butter filling on top

Repeat layers.

Sprinkle with peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. 

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack; cool 15 minutes. Serve warm or cool. 18 cupcakes.

êêCritic Reviews êê

Me êêêêê Paul êêêêê Mom êêêê Dadêêêê

S'more Bars

Last Friday I had some friends over for a back yard campout in our tent. But then the forecast predicted rain, so that cancelled a campfire and worse, no s’mores!!! Instead I made s’more bars :-) Good thing to because it did rain. In case you are curious, we did sleep outside, in our pop-up camper. And instead of night games and campfire, we ran around my neighborhood jumping in puddles. All in all it was a great night with an amazing gooey treat.

Ingredients        

·         ½ cup butter, softened

·         ¾ cup of sugar

·         1 egg

·         1 tsp vanilla extract

·         1-1/3 cups all purpose flour

·         ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs

·         1 tsp baking powder

·         1/8 tsp salt

·         5 milk chocolate candy bars (1.55 oz each)

§  I used two 5.5 and one 1.55

·         1 cup marshmallow crème

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in egg and vanilla.

Combine the flour, cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt;

gradually add to creamed mixture Set aside ½ cup for topping.

Press remaining mixture in to greased 9*9 or 8*11 pan.

Place candy bars over crust;

 Spread with marshmallow crème. Crumble remaining gram cracker mixture over top.

Bake at 350° for t5- 30 minutes. Cool. Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.

êêCritic Reviewsêê (in alphabetic order)

Meêêêêê Kate êêêêê Marielêêêêê Rachael êêêêZoeêêêêê
Would I make them again…
 Y.E.S they tasted just like the real deal and I didn’t have to worry about starting my marshmallows on fire or getting really sticky fingers. However, even with how delicious they were, they can’t replace the experiences and memories of making s’mores.

Cornbread

I know not many people like corn bread, but I love it. I could sit and eat the whole loaf at one time. At camp a few years ago when we were out on trail (Camping away from the main camp and cabins) we made corn bread and then put little bits on the ends of sticks and roasted them over the fire. It was so good. When my dad told me he was going to make chilly I decided to make cornbread. My mom, who doesn’t like cornbread really enjoyed it, if that makes you want to make it… probably not, but then you are just missing out.

History

Native Americans were using ground corn (maize) for food thousands of years before European explorers arrived in the Americas. European settlers, especially those who resided in the southern English colonies, learned from natives (such as Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Creek) the original recipes and processes for corn dishes, and soon they created recipes for using cornmeal in breads similar to those made of grains available in Europe. Cornbread has been called a "cornerstone" of Southern United States cuisine. Cornmeal is produced by grinding dry raw corn grains. A coarser meal made from corn is grits. Grits are produced by soaking raw corn grains in hot water containing lime (the alkaline salt), which loosens the grain hulls (bran). These are separated by washing and flotation in water, and the now softened slightly swelled grains are called hominy. Hominy, also is ground into masa harina for tamales and tortillas. This ancient Native American technology has been named nixtamalization. Cornbread was popular during the American Civil War because it was very cheap and could be made in many different forms including: high-rising, fluffy loaves or simply fried and as unleavened pone, corn fritters, and hoecakes

Lets Get Cookin'

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

   Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray or lightly grease a 9 inch round cake pan.

 In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder.

    Stir in egg, milk and vegetable oil until well combined. .

Pour batter into prepared pan

    Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

êêCritics reviewsêê

Meêêêêê Momêêêê Dadêêêê Paulêêêêê 

Would I make it again…

            Yes, I will surely be making it again:-) 

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray or lightly grease a 9 inch round cake pan.

2.      In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, milk and vegetable oil until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3.      Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Happy Mothers Day Cinnamon Waffles

My wonderful Mom and I<3

I hope you all had a wonderful mother’s day! For my mom I woke up at 6:10 to make her breakfast in bed. This year’s choice was cinnamon waffles. It was super easy to make and the taste was well worth waking up so early. I served them with strawberries, apple juice and cinnamon syrup (put plain syrup into a microwavable dish and add desired amount of cinnamon, than zap in the microwave for 10- 15 seconds) . I also went out and cut fresh daffodils and placed my homemade card on the tray. My mom loved it, but not as much as I love her<3

Lets get Cookin’

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour shopping list

1 tablespoon baking powder shopping list

1 teaspoon salt shopping list

3 tablespoons white sugar shopping list

1 1/2  teaspoon cinnamon shopping list

4 eggsshopping list

1 1/4 cups milk shopping list

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract shopping list

1/2 cup vegetable oil shopping list

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, vanilla and oil. Pour into well of flour mixture and stir just until ingredients are moistened.

     Cook batter in waffle iron. Makes 6 waffles on a regular iron or 4 very filling waffles on a Belgium (that’s what I used)

êêCritics Reviewêê

Me: êêêêê  Mom: êêêêê Dad: êêêêê Paul: êêêê

Would I make them again…

            YES I am going to use this recipe almost every time I make waffles from now on:-)