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!

Hummingbird Cupcakes

I watched Cupcake Wars and they made hummingbird cupcakes. They looked delicious and pretty easy to make. Apparently hummingbird cake is pretty popular in the south. Traditionally hummingbird cake has pecans in it, but I'm allergic so I used sliced almonds.

I need to work on my icing skills.

ingredients

1C sliced almonds

4 bananas chopped into pieces

1C chopped pineapple

2 3/4 C all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 3/4 C sugar

3/4 C vegetable oil

2 8oz pkgs of cream cheese, room temp

12 tbs butter, room temp

1 tbs lemon zest

1 tsp vanilla extract

2C confectioner's sugar

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line muffin tins or grease cupcake cups (I have silicone cupcake cups that I use instead of wasting cupcake liners).
3. Combine almonds, bananas, and pineapples in a bowl with 1/2 C of flour. Make sure all pieces are coated.
4. In separate bowl, combine 2 1/4C flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
5. Beat eggs and sugar in mixer until thick and creamy.
6. Add oil to the egg mixture.
7. Gradually add flour mixture to egg/sugar/oil mixture.
8. Fold in banana mixture.
9. Put batter into cupcake cups.
10. Bake cupcakes about 28 minutes, until golden brown.
11. Let cupcakes completely cool.
12. Beat cream cheese and butter in mixer until fluffy
13. Gradually add lemon zest and powdered sugar.
14. Beat until smooth.
15. Refrigerate ~20 minutes.
16. Frost cupcakes.
17. Enjoy!

Cinnabon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Glaze

I made these for work, they were a huge hit! I love me some Cinnabon so I will keep trying to recreate the wonderful cinnamony taste forever.

ingredients

Cake

3C All-Purpose Flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1.5 tsp cinnamon

1C butter, room temperature

2C sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

1C milk, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting

8oz cream cheese

1/4C butter, room temperature

2 tbs caramel sauce

2C powdered sugar

Caramel Chocolate Syrup

4tbs caramel sauce

1tsp cocoa powder

1 tsp cinnamon

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake tray with liners (or grease a muffin tray).
2. In large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
3. In separate bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add sugar and cream with butter until white and fluffy (I used my mixer and took about 7 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg.
4. Turn mixer speed to low and add flour mixture and milk a little bit at a time.
5. Divide batter amongst cupcake liners. Bake about 22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Remove from oven and cool.
7. (This can be done while cupcakes are cooling or while they are baking). Combine cream cheese and butter with paddle attachment until smooth and creamy. Add caramel sauce. Turn speed to low and add powdered sugar a little bit at a time.
8. Beat on high speed until mixture is smooth (~3 minutes).
9. Mix all caramel chocolate sauce ingredients together and stir until well combined and smooth.
10. Frost cupcakes.
11. Drizzle with caramel chocolate syrup.
12. Enjoy!

Chicken Parmigiana

My boyfriend actually made this recipe, off of a "healthier version" recipe from People magazine.

ingredients

4 thin, boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Olive Oil spray

Salt & Pepper

2 C marinara sauce

1 C drained canned whole plum tomatoes, chopped

1 C chopped fresh basil leaves

1 C mozzarella (they suggested reduced-fat cheese but I don't like the way reduced-fat cheese melts)

6 tbs grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

1/2 C bread crumbs (they suggested whole wheat, though I used regular seasoned bread crumbs)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with olive oil spray.
2. Heat pan on medium-high heat, spray chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill chicken ~1.5 min per side until cooked through.
3. Spread half of the marinara sauce over bottom of baking dish. Put chicken on top of marinara sauce. Spread the rest of the sauce over the chicken and top with chopped tomatoes. Sprinkle with half of the basil and all of the cheese and breadcrumbs.
4. Bake chicken for 10-12 minutes until cheese melts. Sprinkle remaining basil on top.
5. Enjoy!

Pardon my absence..

Grad school took over my life for the last few months.

I am taking a summer class, but I will hopefully have more time to keep up with recipe posting :)

Stay with me!