Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispy Treat

Hands down THE best rice krispy treat I've ever eaten.

ingredients

1 stick butter

1 - 10oz bag marshmallows

1/2 tsp sea salt

6C Rice Krispy cereal

directions

1. Spray 8x8 pan with cooking spray.
2. Melt butter in large pot until it turns brown and smells slightly nutty.
3. Turn off heat and stir in marshmallows until smooth.
4. Stir in salt and cereal.
5. Quickly spread into prepared pan.
6. Let cool, cut into squares.

Watermelon Salsa

Made this last summer after a recipe appeared in Women's Health.

It is delicious and perfect for summer.

ingredients

1C watermelon diced in small cubes

1C mango diced in small cubes

1C cucumber peeled and diced in small cubes

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

4 tbs lime juice

2 tbs finely chopped cilantro

1 tsp finely chopped parsley

directions

1. Combine all ingredients in bowl.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Chill 30 minutes before serving.

3rd Place Chili

This Chili won me 3rd place in the Chili Cookoff at work last summer.

I don't eat chili, I don't like beef and I don't like beans.

I just like to cook and wanted to enter the contest.

It got good reviews from my coworkers, boyf, and roommate.

Being as I didn't know much about chili, I found a bunch of recipes and mashed them together and added more stuff until it smelled good.

Note to the wise, poblano peppers are very hot - don't rub your face after you cut them until you wash your hands.

I cooked this chili in a crockpot because we didn't have a stove for warmup at work. I'm sure that it would be fine for quicker cooking on a stove top!

ingredients

2 lbs ground beef

1 lb bulk Italian sausage

45 oz chili beans, drained

15 oz chili beans in spicy sauce

46 oz diced tomatoes with juice

6 oz tomato paste

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 poblano peppers, chopped

1/4C bacon bits

4 cubes beef bouillon

1 bottle Yuengling

1/4C chili powder

1 tbs Worcestershire sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs dried oregano

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp tabasco sauce

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp sugar

directions

1. Brown meat in pan and drain grease.
2. Combine all ingredients in a crockpot, stirring occasionally.
3. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
4. Enjoy!

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes (with Pink Lemonade frosting!)

I made these for the Scentsy party and for Phill's uncle's birthday.

They were interesting and very well enjoyed!

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen via Food Network (Pink Lemonade Layer Cake).

I would recommend grating the lemon zest VERY finely, I find eating long strings of lemon zest reminds me of having a hair in my food.

ingredients

cake

1C butter, softened

1 box white cake mix (I used Pillsbury, it was on sale)

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbs pink lemonade drink mix powder

frosting

1 lb powdered sugar

5 tbs frozen pink lemonade concentrate

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp lemon zest

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare cake batter using directions (and ingredients) from package.
3. Add lemon zest, vanilla, and pink lemonade powder to batter.
4. Pour batter into prepared cupcake pan w liners (or greased muffin pans).
5. Bake ~32 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Cool completely.
7. While cakes are cooling, prepare frosting.
8. Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy.
9. Add vanilla, lemon zest, and frozen lemonade concentrate to mix.
10. Beat until well combined.
11. Frost those cupcakes.
12. Enjoy!

Guacamole

I made this guac for a Scentsy party I had at my house.

It is DELICIOUS, has a little bite but it is great.

ingredients

3 avocados

1 lime, juiced

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 onion, diced

2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 tsp dried cilantro

1 clove garlic, minced

directions

1. Scoop avocado into a large bowl.
2. Add salt, cumin, cilantro, and cayenne and use a potato masher to smash together.
3. Fold in onions, tomatoes, and garlic.
4. Add lime juice, mix together.
5. Enjoy!

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I topped my peanut butter cupcakes with this delicious chocolate buttercream.

I have never been a fan of buttercream from a bakery, but buttercream has been growing on me as I've been learning and experimenting with my own.

This might possibly be the best frosting I've ever tasted, no lies.

ingredients

6 tbs butter, softened

2 2/3C powdered sugar

1/2C unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3C skim milk

1.5 tsp vanilla

directions

1. Cream butter and sugar in mixing bowl.
2. Add cocoa powder and vanilla.
3. Add sugar a little at a time (otherwise you'll have a powdered sugar explosion all over your kitchen).
4. Add milk a little at a time.
5. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I made these for a coworker after he completed a 30 day fast.

I used a chocolate buttercream frosting (recipe to follow), but they taste just like a soft PB cookie so I imagine they would be delicious with any kind of frosting!

ingredients

3C all-purpose flour

1.5 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

3/4C butter, softened

1 3/4C creamy peanut butter (I use Peter Pan)

1 3/4C sugar

3 eggs

1C plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4C skim milk

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In mixer (or bowl if you don't have a KitchenAid) cream butter, peanut butter, and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add baking soda and baking powder.
4. Add milk.
5. Add eggs & vanilla.
6. Add flour.
7. Add Greek yogurt.
8. Bake ~18 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
9. Cool & frost.
10. Enjoy!