Blueberry Lemon Muffins and Easter Menu Ideas

I vowed that I would not buy any Easter candy until the week before Easter because of my lack of self control. Robin Eggs and Cadbury Eggs are my ultimate weakness. As a kid my mom used to buy crates of Cadbury eggs for our Easter baskets.

A couple of weeks ago our whole family was at Walmart to buy a friend a birthday toy and as we passed the Easter candy I waved John on and told him I would catch up them...I needed a moment. Just me and the Easter candy. I'm glad no one was watching me just stare and caress all the candy. I've got problems...

Now that Easter is finally near, yesterday I bought a bag of Robin Eggs and we had a moment. :)

If you are anything like me you are already planning your Easter Menu. If you have company and need breakfast ideas I love this Gorilla Bread. These blueberry muffins would be great as well.

I have seen them bouncing around the blogs and everyone said they were the best blueberry muffins they ever had so I had to try them. I wasn't disappointed! I was a little wary since the recipe called for frozen blueberries. I just figured I would substitute fresh blueberries but when I went to buy them they were $6.50 for a tiny container. Yeah...not going to happen. So I bought frozen and they turned out beautifully. The lemon brings out the flavors and the muffins aren't overly sweet so the sugary topping is perfect. The recipe is below.

Here are a couple of ideas I was thinking of to go with our ham:

Gooey Potatoes - Cheesy potatoes that are a staple at all of our get togethers.

Cheesecake Factory Carrot Cake Cheesecake - A layer of carrot cake topped with a layer of cheesecake.

"Empty Tomb" Marshmallow Delights - These are fun to make with the kids during the week before Easter. I have heard these called "Empty Tomb" desserts because the disappearing marshmallow can represent Jesus being resurrected.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

slightly adapted from The Sister's Cafe

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

zest of one lemon
1 egg

1 cup milk

1/2 cup softened shortening or butter (I used butter)
1 cup frozen blueberries

Topping
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 T lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar

Mix dry ingredients and set aside. Beat eggs, milk and shortening (or butter). Add dry ingredients and stir to combine. Stir in blueberries gently. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Combine butter and lemon juice for the topping. While the muffins are still warm, dip the tops in the butter and lemon juice, then dip in sugar. Makes 12 muffins.

Steph's White Bean and Sausage Soup

I Spy...

someone in the reflection of this spoon.

Oops.

Spring is almost here. I can feel it in the air. It's in the mid-70's here and it's gorgeous. My mother-in-law texted me from Denver and they are buried in snow! So I guess there are couple more soup days left until spring is officially here. This soup is beyond easy. It definitely qualifies for a "No-cooking" Friday.

This recipe is from my friend Stephanie who has given me many great recipes over the years. I halved this recipe and there was plenty for my family of five. I served this with the cheddar bay biscuits I posted a couple of days ago.

By the way, my husband, John, is on the last part of Kitchen Nightmares tonight on FOX during the pizza making contest. He's the tall, dark, and handsome one...

White Bean and Sausage Soup

by Stephanie Jensen

4 (15 oz) cans of white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 (32 oz) cans or boxes of chicken broth
2 (28 oz) cans Italian style diced tomatoes
2 lbs mild Italian sausage (I used hot sausage. I think it makes the soup)
2 oz fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook sausage in frying pan until cooked through. In large pot, add sausage and then add all other ingredients. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

A couple of months ago I wanted to make the coveted Red Lobster biscuits but I didn't have Bisquick at the time so I made these instead. They tasted great but to simplify things even more (Yes, I'm that lazy) here's an awesome recipe if you have Bisquick on hand that tastes just like Red Lobster's. These are grub. They would be great with an Easter ham.

Austin said he wanted the last biscuit but then got distracted and went outside to play. He came back and the last biscuit was gone (I assumed he was full when he left). Needless to say he was upset so it looks like I will be making these again soon to make up for it...

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

by LettucePray

Biscuits:

2 1/2 cups Bisquick

4 Tbsp cold butter

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

3/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Butter Glaze:

3 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp dried parsley flakes

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease or line one cookie sheet with parchment; set aside.

Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter (I just used 2 forks). Don't worry about mixing too thoroughly; there will be small chunks of butter in the mix about the size of peas. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and garlic powder. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix.

Drop 1/4 cup portions of the dough onto the lightly greased or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes in preheated oven until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.

While the biscuits are baking, melt butter is a small bowl in the microwave. Stir in garlic powder and dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread the garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Sprinkle a little kosher salt on the freshly coated biscuits. Makes one dozen.

Need to use up some zucchini? Grate a small zucchini, about 3/4 cup. Strain the grated zucchini in a cheesecloth or some paper towels to get rid of the excess moisture. Add the grated zucchini to the biscuit batter when you add the cheese and milk.

How peanut butter can help you get pregnant...Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

My older sister Susan and her husband had a tough time getting pregnant. That's saying it mildly. They did in vitro fertilization five times! FIVE! Can you just see the dollar signs when I say that? The fifth time it finally worked. They had a beautiful daughter that they named Jewels. They probably should have named her Mercedes after all that money.

In the early stages of her pregnancy the doctors told her that in order to increase her chances of the embryo implanting successfully she needed to consume a lot of calories.

She did exactly that.

Oh how I was secretly jealous of her free hall pass to eat anything and everything. But the secret, in my opinion, was in the peanut butter. She ate a jar of peanut butter a week...just by the spoonfuls.

This recipe comes from Nina Jones, a reader of this blog, who said after reading my blog she immediately thought of this recipe to send me. Thank you!

These are definitely for peanut butter lovers or those trying to conceive (ha-ha). It's surprisingly lighter than I thought (I was expecting a heavy bar for some reason) and not too sweet. Don't laugh...I know my sweet scale is a little higher notched than most but I really enjoyed it. 

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

by Nina Jones

Mix in pan and bring to a boil:
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter

Sift the following and add to the above mixture:
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda

Mix and add to the above mixture:
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Stir well and pour into greased or parchment lined cookie sheet pan (jellyroll pan). Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

Frosting
Mix in pan and bring to a boil:
3/4 cup butter
6 Tbsp buttermilk
1/2 cup peanut butter
Take off stove and add:
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp vanilla. Pour over warm cake.

Pulled Chicken Suiza Sammies

Friday nights I don't cook. We either have date night or we have friends over and order pizza or something. Last Friday we had just flown in from Colorado and the last thing I wanted to do was try to control my little monkeys at a restaurant. John was at Costco so I told him to grab a rotiserrie chicken. When he got home it took me under 10 minutes and dinner was done. So it didn't really count as cooking.

These were so good. So good that John hoarded them, hid them in the back of the fridge, and ate them for the next 4 meals. They mixture of honey, lime, salsa verde, and sour cream make this sandwich anything but ordinary. They are spicy so they may not be ideal for the kiddos.

Pulled Chicken Suiza Sammies

by Taste at Tell

Serves 4

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped (all I had was half an onion)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 cups salsa verde (I used Goya brand)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 rotisserie-style chicken, skin discarded and meat shredded
4 sandwich rolls, split
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Preheat the broiler. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and honey, then stir in the salsa and heat through. Mix in the sour cream. Add sauce a little at a time to your bowl of shredded chicken. YOU MAY NOT NEED ALL THE SAUCE depending on how much shredded chicken you have. Stir in the sauce to coat.
Pile the chicken mixture on the roll bottoms. Top with the cheese and broil to melt. Set the roll tops in place and serve with the chips. *I have lettuce in my picture but I liked it better without!

*Recipe Notes: My meat was a little on the wet side because I didn't get all of the dark meat off the chicken so my meat to sauce ratio was a little off. You may want to make the sauce and then add as much as you like to your meat.

Le Crueset Baker Giveaway Winner!

Wow. I had no idea so many people would respond to my little blog giveaway. I guess I should do giveaways more often! I loved learning so much about everyone. So the lucky winner was chosen by a random number generator at http://www.random.org/ and the winner is....


                                                        #74  Rodney and Erin
"I grew up with my mom always saying how good those byu brownies were and got to enjoy them myself when I went there. Oh man...LOVE THEM!!! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I don't know how I never found the recipe before now. And I'd love those dishes from sur la table. Those would get used a lot. I think I'll go make some brownies now. Thanks again!"



Congratulations! I will be emailing you will the details.

Le Creuset® Kiwi Rectangular Baker 2-Piece Set

St. Patrick's Day Giveaway and BYU Mint Brownies

It's about time for a giveaway. I just wanted to say thank you for all your comments and support. Thanks for sending me your yummy recipes and trying out mine. Since it's St. Patrick's Day I thought I would give away these green stoneware bakers found at Sur La Table.

These dishes would be great for Easter coming up. I want to buy some for myself! Just leave a comment before Thursday night at 10:00 PM (EST) to qualify for the giveaway. Only one entry per person. If you feel comfortable leave your email address or if you don't I will find a way to track you down. Duh...duh...dunnnnn.

Le Creuset® Kiwi Rectangular Baker 2-Piece Set

My husband John played football for BYU several years ago. BYU gave the football players around $35 a week on their student cards to buy food on campus or at the local Creamery store. The Creamery had a burger and shake joint on one half of the store and grocery store on the other half.

The deal was they had to spend their money by Saturday night or it was wiped clean off their card. So every Saturday night the Creamery was full of football players trying to use the last of their money. Sometimes John would just buy burgers for everyone that was with us or we would buy $30 worth of these mint brownies sitting in the bakery case to take back to our apartment and eat while we hung out.

These brownies are famous in Utah. I had to post them because they are GREEN. They are rich. One will do ya. I just changed a couple of things in this recipe: I used butter instead of margarine and pecans instead of walnuts. They brought back a lot of memories...

BYU Mint Brownies

by Byu Dining

1 cup butter

1/2 cup cocoa
2 Tbsp. honey
4 eggs
2 cup white sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

12 oz. chocolate icing (Use your own icing recipe or purchase some chocolate frosting.)

MINT ICING
5 Tbsp. butter
dash of salt
3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring

1. Melt butter and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.

2. Prepare mint icing: Soften butter. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

3. Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing (very important step I realized since I was impatient). Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing. We liked ours stored cold in the refrigerator or you can store them at room temperature.

A twist on Green Eggs and Ham

For St. Patrick's Day I usually do a couple of fun things for my kids: 

1) I have a trail of money around the house that the leprechaun has left (I have a son obsessed with pennies).

2) The trail stops by the bathroom where the leprechaun has tinkled green (Green dye. Remember I have a house full of boys that think that kind of stuff is cool).

3) I make green eggs and ham. My kids are horrified by it and won't even take a bite.

So this year I'm skipping the traditional breakfast of green eggs and ham and am sending Austin to school with this snack of green eggs and...um...bacon. The kids had fun making these with me since their favorite book is Green Eggs and Ham.

Or the original...

I saw the original eggs and bacon over at Lick the Bowl Good and thought they were adorable. Monica at Lick the Bowl Good is so creative.

Bacon and Eggs

by Lick The Bowl Good

Pretzel sticks

White Candy melts (can be found at Michael's or other craft store)

Yellow or Green M&Ms

Directions:

Place pairs of pretzels onto a cookie sheet.

I've done these two ways and I think I prefer the 1st way but do whatever is easier for you:

1) Place one white candy melt on top of each pair pretzel sticks and put cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for 2-3 minutes. Once out of the oven press M&Ms onto white chocolate.

2) Put white chocolate melts in a ziploc bag and microwave for 30 second intervals until melted. Cut the corner of the bag with scissors and pipe chocolate onto pretzel sticks in the size of a nickel. Press M&Ms onto white chocolate. Let the white chocolate harden before removing from parchment paper.

Baked Ziti

For the first year of our marriage whenever I cooked I instinctively made enough food for ten people at least without even thinking about it. I was just used to cooking for a ton of people being from such a large family. Back then John could almost kill a whole 9X13 pan of food by himself...but things change. His metabolism has slowed down and he doesn't eat nearly as much as he used to. As for me...I'm still trying to find my metabolism from those days. It must be hiding in a closet somewhere with my pre-birthing hips!

My mom's house is still the gathering place on Sunday. Every Sunday my mom still makes enough food for around 40 people. Sometimes only 10 people come over, sometimes a huge crowd. Although I live thousands of miles away from her now, on Sundays I still tend to cook big meals. 

I am always looking for recipes to feed a crowd since we like to have friends over to our house for dinner often. This meal is great because both the kids and the adults will like it. It's also a great take in meal for someone who is sick or just had a baby. Add a salad and some garlic bread and you're set. This recipe makes a heaping 9X13 so if you are just feeding your little family you should half it. The sour cream and Provolone give it great flavor. It has a similar taste to lasagna without all the hard work!

Baked Ziti

adapted from Allrecipes

1 pound dry ziti pasta

1 onion, chopped
1 pound Italian sausage ( or ground beef...I like sausage better)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce ( I used one Garlic and Onion and one Sausage)
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced ( 9 rounds)
1 1/2 cups sour cream
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
2. In a large skillet, brown onion and sausage (or beef ) over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for a minute or so. Add spaghetti sauce and Italian seasonings, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, 1/2 sauce mixture, Provolone cheese, sour cream, remaining ziti, remaining sauce mixture and then mozzarella cheese. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted. You may want to cover it for the first 20 minutes with foil and then let the cheese melt and brown for the last 10 minutes.

Guest Blogging...

In my next life...

I will be crafty...

I might even learn to quilt...

Or maybe learn to make homemade hot pads, shadow boxes, or even recover old chairs.

And since my husband is keeping his "X" chromosomes all to himself, it looks like that it won't be until my next life that I will learn to make those cute little pink headbands for little girls.

But until then...check out my friend Stephanie at Somewhat Simple.

You see she can do all that...and more. Everything from crafts, kid ideas, and organizing. You name it. She even has recipes.

I am guest blogging over at her place today. So if you were blessed with the craft gene, unlike me, you have to check out her site.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

ATTENTION: No eggs were harmed in the making of these cookie dough truffles.

People are really freaked out about eating raw cookie dough because they are afraid they are going to get sick from the raw eggs. I haven't exactly let that fear stop me from shoving cookie dough into my mouth. I have had other cookie dough truffles and although they were good, the texture and taste didn't match that of the real thing. Well these do...

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

by Annie's Eats

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1½ lb. semisweet or milk chocolate, coarsely chopped (Baker's chocolate)
Mini chocolate chips (for garnish)

Directions:

Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up enough to form balls.

Shape the chilled cookie dough mixture into 1-1½ inch balls. Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Cover loosely, transfer the pan to the freezer and chill for 1-2 hours.

When ready to dip the truffles, melt the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Dip each chilled truffle, one at a time using a fork, coating in chocolate and shaking gently or tapping against the bowl to remove the excess. (If at any point during dipping, the cookie dough balls become too soft, return to the freezer to chill for 30 minutes.) Transfer to a wax-paper lined surface. If using mini chocolate chips for garnish, sprinkle on top quickly after dipping each truffle before the chocolate sets. Once all the truffles have been dipped, store them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Because life isn't always rainbows and skittles...

BUT some days it can be.

Dang. I should write Halmark cards.

A year and a half ago I was at a pretty low point in my life. My sister had passed away unexpectedly and my dad and my mother-in-law had both been diagnosed with cancer. Overall I think I'm an optimistic person but I found myself in an unfamiliar place filled with cynicism and doubt that life was nothing more that hurt and trials.

Time heals all things...most things. Today my dad and mother-in-law are both cancer free and realizing that my sister is gone is...well... bearable. I know I will see her again. It's just that it feels like forever before I will. I am in a much better place. I have healthy kids, a husband with a job, and right now I think that's more than anyone could ask for. Life is good.

My son Austin's 5th birthday is this week. I made these for his preschool. They are so cheery to look at. They took a little time but his preschool teacher said the kids were amazed when they took off the wrappers and saw the rainbows.

You could make a white cake mix according to the directions and add the dye but I followed OurBestBites additions of milk and sour cream which made for incredibly moist cupcakes.

Rainbow Cupcakes

by OurBestBites

1 white cake mix

2 eggs
1 C sour cream
1/2 C milk
1/3 C vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients until incorporated (about 30 seconds). Scrape sides of bowl and then beat on med-high speed for 3 minutes.

Divide batter according to how many colors you are using. I used 5 colors and it worked out to a little over 1 cup for each color.

Use food coloring to color batter to desired intensity. Wilton brand gel colors have the brightest colors and wont thin your batter. They can be found at Walmart or Michaels.

To get a layered stripe like I used, you'll want to put a spoonful of each color in the cupcake one at a time. The batter is thick, so it won't spread on it's own. A great tip is to set out a little bowl of water where you're working. Dip your finger in the water and then gently spread the batter out. The water will make it so the batter doesn't stick to your fingers.

Another tip is to use a measuring spoon and some water to measure out how many teaspoons/tablespoons are going to fit in your cupcake. Then divide that by how many colors you have so you know how much of each color to use for each cupcake. For my 5 colors, it worked out perfectly with 2 t of each color in each cupcake. So I put in 2 t of blue in the bottom of each cupcake and spread it out with my finger. Then I put in 2 t of green on top of that, then yellow, etc.

Bake them according to the package directions, until a toothpick comes out dry. Makes around 15 cupcakes.

Frost with your favorite frosting. If you had to use store bought like me, fancy it up by putting the frosting in a ziplock bag. Cut of the corner of the side of the bag and you have an instant frosting decorating bag.

Frosting:
by TheGirlWhoAteEverything

3 sticks butter (1 ½ cups), room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar
5 Tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract (or just use all vanilla extract)
Dash of salt

Directions:
1. Add butter and powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

2. Add the coconut extract, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix until combined.
3. Gradually add milk (you may not need all of it) and beat for 2-3 minutes until fluffy.
4. Frost cooled cupcakes. Add rainbow colored sprinkles if desired.