White Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

For the last few days, I've been...well...blah.  Kinda off, kinda bummin', kinda...blah.  It's just been a few of those kinds of days.  Today I decided to dust myself off and bake something yummy.  A dear friend has been sending me home from the stable with baked goods and I have a rule about not returning containers empty.  I've been wanting to test out this recipe for two reasons.  First, it looked uber easy and second, I couldn't wait to add Reese's pieces to the batter.  It came out phenomenal.  Operation pick me up:  Success!

 

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

1 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
5 tbs butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup reese's pieces

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and 3/4 cup of the white chips on low til just melted.  In a mixing bowl, beat sugar, vanilla and eggs to combine and add the melted chips/butter til blended.  Add flour, salt, and baking powder and mix to just combine.  Add the rest of the chips and reese's pieces and bake in a greased 9 x 9 pan at preheated 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Tweaked from Cookies & Cups

Slow Cooker Ribs With Homemade BBQ Sauce

Landscaping has really been booming this week so hubs and I both have been putting in 12 hour days.  The first half of my day, of course, being spent working at the stable then doting on the new addition to the family, Patron Viho (Fresian Percheron Cross), after I clock out.


Our Horse, Patron Viho

 My slow cooker this week has been a life saver and I've got this homemade bbq sauce thing down.  Ribs are good after 6 hours but will fall off the bone at 8 :)

 

Slow Cooker Ribs With Homemade BBQ Sauce

 

3-4 lbs ribs

1 c ketchup

1/2 c water

3 tbs vinegar

3 tbs worcestershire

1 tsp dijon mustard

3 tbs molasses or agave nectar

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder, divided

1 1/2 tsp onion powder, divided

 

Preheat oven to 350. Sprinkle ribs with 1/2 tsp each garlic and onion powder.  Bake for 30 mins, flipping once halfway through.  Heat rest of ingredients in small saucepan ten minutes until slightly thickened, stirring.  Place ribs in slow cooker, cover with sauce.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

 

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Semi-Homemade Butter Cake With Buttercream Frosting

The man's birthday is here.  I  did a semi-homemade cake using a boxed mix as a starter.  No dealing with cake flours, sifting, powders all over the counter.  Genius right?  It came out fabulous and I just had to cover it with sprinkles.  I got the recipe from a book a dear friend let me borrow titled Cake Mix Doctor  and I'm addicted to it.  Seriously, I can't stop reading it.  You would think it had a plot and dramatic ending.  Well, it will be dramatic when she has to tear it from my clutches because I don't want to return it.  I may just bury it in the yard...after we finish eating the cake of course.

Basic Butter Cake

1 package white cake mix
1 cup whole milk
8 tbs melted butter
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 and grease 2 round cake pans and set aside.  Place cake mix, milk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl.  Blend with electric mixer on low for one minute then medium for two minutes.  Batter should be thick.  Divide between two pans and smooth.  Bake 25-27 minutes til golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed.  Cool for 10 minutes in pans.  Remove from pans and cool on rack completely before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

8 tbs room temp butter
3 3/4 cups confectioner's sugar
3 or 4 tbs milk
2 tsp vanilla

Blend butter with mixer on low until fluffy, about 30 seconds.  Add sugar, 3 tbs of milk, and vanilla.  Blend 1 minute on low then 1 minute on medium.  Blend in more milk if too stiff.

Original Recipe found in The Cake Mix Doctor

No Bake White Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

It's Friday afternoon and suddenly I'm dying for peanut butter squares.  Hubs and I are both white chocolate fanatics so this fab recipe I make at Holiday time pops into my mind.  I found the original recipe here a few years ago and make it when tis not the season with rainbow candy sprinkles.  Here's the debocle.  I open the pantry and low and behold, no grahams.   But I did see this. 

So I did it...and it rocks!  So much easier to make gluten free by using the cereal as opposed to buying gluten free graham crackers.  This will be the first time the man's having these so it will be interesting to see what he thinks.  These are wicked easy and fast...and yummy! I've also made them using dark chocolate and milk chocolate but white is my favorite :)

Peanut Butter Yummies

 

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup crushed crisp rice cereal
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup white chocolate chips
Rainbow candy sprinkles

Mix cereal and sugar together in large bowl.  Melt butter in small saucepan and add peanut butter to melt and combine.  Add to sugar/cereal.  Mix and spread in ungreased 8 x 8 glass dish.
Melt chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly.  Spread evenly over peanut butter base and sprinkle with candy.  Chill to set.

Tweaked from The Goddess's Kitchen

Baked Coconut Shrimp

The man and I try to watch what we eat.  This means we don't deprive ourselves of things we want, we just try to lighten things up a bit.  We've got this new addiction to baking things that we normally eat fried.  This recipe for Coconut Shrimp is heavenly! We eat it at least once a week.  I've tweaked from the original recipe some because hubs doesn't do hot, but I've subbed something else in place that we think works well.  This can be gluten free if you read the labels on the coconut and spices. The dipping sauce is a must!

Shrimpys!!!

Baked Coconut Shrimp

1 lb (or 1 bag 31-40ct) shrimp, deveined and peeled
2 cups coconut
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 tsp cajun seasoning
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 and spray a baking sheet.  Rinse shrimp under cold water and pat dry.  Arrange 3 bowls:  one with cornstarch mixed with cajun seasoning; one with two eggs, beaten; one with coconut.  One shrimpy at a time coat with cornstarch, dip in egg, roll in coconut to coat well.  Bake at 400 for 15-20mins.  Flip once after 10 minutes then watch for doneness.  Shrimp should be pink all the way through.  Serve with orange dipping sauce.



Orange Dijon Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup orange marmalade
1 tbl dijon mustard
Salt to taste

Mix to combine. Serve with coconut shrimp.

Tweaked from All Recipes

Slow Cooker Stuffed Sweet Peppers

I've been plagued with poison ivy this week and unfortunately haven't felt like going too crazy in the kitchen. But I'm a food addict, so I decided the slow cooker is my new bestie. It is tweakable, forgettable, and oh so forgiving. The produce drawer in my fridge is stuffed full this week, so it's Stuffed Peppers darlings. This can be done many different ways using different colored peppers, meats, and fillers. Try quinoa or brown rice in place of my go to Jasmine. I used ground turkey but you could use beef, chicken, or go meatless and load up on veggies such as zucchini or eggplant.  This recipe is low fat and can be as healthy as you want to make
it!

Stuffed Sweeties

Stuffed Sweeties

2 1/2 sweet peppers, seeded and halved (I used red and orange)
2 tbs olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
2 sliced green onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 cup cooked rice
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 tsp soy sauce
1 10 oz can condensed tomato soup
1 10 oz can of water
parmesean or shredded cheddar cheese

Saute garlic, green onions and italian seasoning in oil til soft.  Add ground turkey and cook til no longer pink.  Add tomato with juice then rice, making sure to break up rice with spoon to mix evenly.  Sprinkle with soy sauce and mix until combined.  In slow cooker, place soup and water.  Arrance cut side up peppers on top and fill with meat/rice filling.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hrs.  Sprinkle with cheese before serving, covering with lid to melt.  I had a little extra filling and ate it for lunch the next day with some of the juice from the slow cooker on top. Yum!

Tweaked from Food.Com

Sushi At Home & Sesame Noodles

I've been threatening for some time to try my hand at making sushi at home.  No easy task I know! At least for now.  I have a Korean friend that makes it and informed me that "once I get the hang of it, it's easy"...um, ok.  I've heard that about mostly everything new I try.  She did say that the Sushi kits are a waste of money and to just buy the rolling mat.  So I did.  I found a recipe for Sushi rice here and bought Nori at my fave asian market (same store I purchase 25 lb bags of jasmine rice at a steal).  I know my first try isn't going to be pretty but will taste pretty fab. How can it not? I'm making a few different combos using crab stick, avocado, cucumber, cream cheese, green onion,  and carrots. 

I didn't put the rice in the fridge to cool like some suggest.  I let it sit aside while I got the sesame noodles going. 

 I know my first try isn't going to be pretty but will taste pretty fab. How can it not? I'm making a few different combos using crab stick, avocado, cucumber, cream cheese, green onion, and carrots. 

Not Too Shabby

I put the sushi rolls in the fridge to chill while I waited for hubs to get home then sliced right before serving.  Sliced right through them with no issues.

I'm pairing this with Sesame Noodles.  This is the second time I'm making the noodles and they really couldn't get any easier.  I use rice noodles (also purchased at the asian market) but you could use regular spaghetti noodles.  The whole wheat kind would hold up best.  This can be served warm or as a cold salad. 

Sesame Noodles

Sesame Noodles

1 lb rice noodles or whole wheat thin spaghetti
6 cloves minced garlic
2 tbs olive oil
5 tbs sesame oil
6 tbs soy sauce
3 tbs agave or sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
4 green onions, sliced
2 tsp sesame seeds

Cook noodles according to package directions and set aside.  In large pan, saute garlic in olive oil (careful not to burn) til soft.  Add sesame oil, soy, agave/sugar, and ginger and bring to boil.  If using sugar, make sure sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat.  Add noodles and toss to coat.  Continue until most liquid is absorbed.  Add green onions and sesame seeds.  Serve or chill.

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