Book Club and Two Recipes

 

I hosted Book Club at my home last night.  When you host Book Club you pick a book and then your friends come over and you end up talking about the book and of course other things.  Book Club is fun and it is enjoyable to get with friends and mingle but having food with all that makes it even better!

This month I picked the book Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy.  It is a very old book and I became interested in the book when I saw the movie trailer for the movie that recently came to theaters.  I thought it would be great to read the book and then go see the movie with my club members.  We missed the movie but I still wanted to host because I enjoyed the book so much.

Below are the two treats I made for Book Club.  It was a warm evening so what is more refreshing than fresh salsa?  Then we must have something sweet and I always think of chocolate so I made a Samoa Bars (Yes, like the Girl Scout Cookie but in bar form, Heaven!)

Peach Salsa

Ingredients

• 2 cans (28 Ounce) Peaches In Syrup, Drained, Juice Reserved
• 1 whole Medium Red Onion, Diced Very Fine
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Diced Very Fine
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Minced (include Some Seeds For Spice)
• 1/2 bunch Cilantro, Chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder (more To Taste)
•  Dash Of Salt
•  Juice Of 1 Lime

Preparation Instructions

Chop the peaches into small pieces and throw them into a bowl with all the other ingredients. Stir and add a splash of the reserved juice. Taste and add a little more salt and chili powder if you prefer.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with tortilla chips!

Samoa Bars

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup butter, softened (but not melted)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1¼ cup white flour
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 2½ cups sweetened flaked coconut
• 2 cups chocolate chips, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 7x11" pan with cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, mix together sugar and flour, and cut the ⅔ cup butter in with a butter knife. Keep cutting it in the mixture until it has formed evenly-sized crumbs.
3. Press the mixture into the bottom of the 7x11" pan, and bake for 18-20 minutes - until the edges start to turn a golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside so it can cool completely, then increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees.
4. Place coconut on a baking sheet, spread thin. Place in the oven and bake for 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven, stir coconut, and then bake for an additional 2-3 minutes until it has started to brown. Watch it closely so it doesn't burn. Remove from oven and set aside.
5. Place 1 cup of chocolate chips in a small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, then remove and stir. Continue microwaving in 15 second intervals until chocolate chips are completely melted. Pour chocolate chips over shortbread mixture in the 7x11" pan, then let it cool completely.
6. In a sauce pan over medium heat, combine the ½ cup butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly (you don't want the mixture to burn, so keep stirring). Continue stirring for 5 more minutes, then remove from heat and stir for an additional 2-3 minutes.
7. Combine coconut mixture and caramel mixture, then spread it evenly in the 8x11" pan over the chocolate chip layer.
8. Melt the 2nd cup of chocolate chips just like the first, and then drizzle it over the top.
9. Let it cool completely, about 1-2 hours, and then serve.

Recipe adapted from Six Sisters Stuff

Happy Peanut Butter Lover's Day

Today is National Peanut Butter Lover's Day and I am truly a lover of Peanut Butter!   I have gone through my blog posts and found a few Peanut Butter Lover Recipes to share with you.  Enjoy!

 No Oven Peanut Butter Squares

No Oven Peanut Butter Squares

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2 cups powdered sugar
1-1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 cup peanut butter
1 12 oz package of semi-sweet chocolate chips


LINE 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Set aside.

MELT butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 45 sec. until melted. Add sugar, graham cracker crumbs and peanut butter; mix well. Spread into prepared pan.

Reese's Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats 

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Corn Syrup

1 1/3 Creamy Peanut Butter

4 1/4 Cup Rice Krispies

1 Pinch of Salt

6 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped (I might have added more, but I can't remember)

1/2 cup Chocolate Chips

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt the sugar, corn syrup, and peanut butter until smooth and evenly combined.Remove from heat.

Quickly add the salt and cereal and stir to combine thoroughly. Add the chocolate chips and stir again. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Add chopped Reese's peanut cups to the top and press slightly.  Wait to cool and cut into squares.

Recipe adapted from Six Sisters Stuff

Flourless Peanut-Chocolate Cookies

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 large egg (lightly beaten), 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until well combined. Stir in 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts.
2. With moistened hands, roll dough, about 1 heaping tablespoon at a time, into balls. Place 2 inches apart on two baking sheets.
3. Bake until cookies are golden and puffed, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Cool 5 minutes on sheets; transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Peanut Butter Cookie Granola

INGREDIENTS:

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated peanut butter cookies
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup Sliced Almonds
1 cup Chopped Pecans (I used dry roasted peanuts)
1 cup flaked coconut
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup mini chips semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

DIRECTIONS:

Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 325°F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with sides with nonstick foil or cooking parchment paper. In large bowl, mix cookie dough and cinnamon. Add oats, almonds, pecans, coconut, raisins and cranberries; knead into dough until well blended. Crumble mixture evenly on cookie sheets.

Bake both cookie sheets at the same time 17 to 22 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and rotating cookie sheets halfway through baking, until light golden brown. Cool completely on cookie sheets, about 30 minutes.

Break granola into smaller pieces if necessary. In large bowl, mix granola, chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Store in large resealable food-storage plastic bag, or store in 1/2-cup amounts in small food-storage bags for ready-to-go snacks. Store up to 3 days.

Chocolate Yummies

7 Graham Crackers Original
2 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 package (12 oz., 2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
2/3 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter (I don't like crunchy pb so I used creamy and it was great)
3 cups Rice Krispies Cereal


1. Coat 13 x 9 x 2-inch microwave-safe dish with cooking spray. Arrange gragham crackers in single layer in dish, breaking crackers as needed to fit. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over crackers.

2. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute or until marshmallows are puffy. Remove from microwave. Cool completely.

3. In 2-quart microwave-safe mixing bowl combine chocolate morsels, corn syrup and butter. Microwave on HIGH about 1 1/2 minutes or until chocolate is melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in peanut butter. Add RICE KRISPIES cereal, mixing until combined.

4. Spread evenly over marshmallows. Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm. Cut and store in airtight container in refrigerator.

CONVENTIONAL DIRECTIONS:
Follow step 1 above using 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375°F about 7 minutes or until marshmallows are puffy. Cool completely. In medium saucepan combine chocolate morsels, corn syrup and butter. Cook stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal, mixing until combined. Complete as in step 4 above.

Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Additional sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, peanut butter and sugars. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.

Roll into 1 in. balls; roll in additional sugar. Place 2 in apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten if desired. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 4 dozen

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Easy Breakfast Pizza

 Today I am sharing an easy breakfast, brunch or sometimes dinner recipe. My kids love pizza and we get bored with the regular pepperoni and cheese so I thought this would be a fun alternative.  I did make it for dinner and served it with a side of fruit.  It was a huge hit and the leftovers heated up nicely for lunch.  Enjoy!

Easy Breakfast Pizza
Ingredients:
1 (13.8 oz) refrigerated pizza crust dough (I used Pillsbury) – or you could use homemade pizza dough
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 cup cooked ham, diced
1 cup cooked sausage crumbles
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 /2 cup green pepper, diced
1/2 cup red pepper, diced 
1/2 cup onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste
garlic salt to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Using a 15x10x1″ baking sheet (cookie sheet), roll out your pizza dough. With your fingertips, make small indentations in the dough (this helps the eggs settle and cook more evenly).
In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and the milk, then using a pastry brush, brush the egg over the crust. Top with ham, sausage, cheese, and vegetables. I usually sprinkle a little bit of salt and pepper and then some garlic salt to add a little more flavor (but you can use whatever toppings and seasonings you like!).

Place in the oven for 12-15 minutes (mine cooked in about 13 minutes – just make sure that the egg is completely cooked and that your dough is done).
Remove from oven, slice, and serve.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Recipe adapted from Six Sisters Stuff

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Two For One Craft

This time of year is my most favorite!  Also it is my most favorite to make crafts.  It just gets a little cooler outside and the kids are in school.  Plus a lot has been going on in my life and crafting is a stress reliever.  

So I pinned these cute candy corns last year and I have been itching to make them.  I also pinned these jute Christmas trees.  They both require Styrofoam cones.  Make the Christmas trees first using the cones as a mold and then wrap the cones in yarn and voila!, you have a two for one craft!

Candy Corn Link

Christmas Tree Link  (I used a thin ribbon instead of raffia for the green part)

Here is another super easy Fall Craft, I say Fall because I think this one could be left out until Thanksgiving also.  I bought a fence post at Home Depot and a nice young man cut it up for me right there.  I made six of these pumpkins.  I put three on my porch and then three in my house.  Also there was enough left over to give 4 to my friend.  So buy a post and call some friends over and get your craft on!

Pumpkin Link ( I did not use spray paint.  I used craft paint and a stencil sponge that was a circle for the polka dots.  I did layer my paint colors.  Like I put orange under the white so when I sanded them a bit the orange peeked out.)

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Zucchini Chocolate Cake

 Tomorrow is the first day of school for my girls.  My kids have their outfits all laid out already.  I don't think there will be a whole lot of sleeping tonight.  My oldest is excited and my middle is just nervous.  All of that will quickly fade tomorrow evening.  

I like to make my kids a fun treat when they come home on their first day of school.  If you have some zucchini laying around this would be perfect.  This cake, kinda more like a brownie, but whatever it was chocolate, moist and just plain delicious.  Your kids and you will not even know you are eating zucchini.  So since it has something good for you in it you can two pieces for sure!  

FYI....the recipe is correct, there are NO EGGS.  

Zucchini Chocolate cake

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional- I didn't use any)

Chocolate Frosting

• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until cake springs back when gently touched. To make the frosting, melt together the 6 tablespoons of cocoa and margarine; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the confectioners' sugar, milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled cake before cutting.

Recipe adapted from Six Sisters Stuff

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Chocolate Crepes

If you know me or know my blog you have read or heard that I love breakfast and especially breakfast for dinner "brinner".  I also love chocolate, strawberries and cool whip it all just goes so good together!  Before I was married I learned how to make crepes but only the regular kind.  I saw this chocolate version and I was like, awesome!  They were super yummy and I don't think I will ever make the regular version again!

Chocolate Crepes

3/4 cup flour

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup powdered sugar

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and powdered sugar.  Mix together the eggs, milk, water and vanilla.  Make a well in the dry ingredients; pour in the liquid ingredients.  Combine with a few swift strokes until just combined.  Ignore the lumps; they will take care of themselves.  Heat a 5 inch skilled over medium heat.  Coat skillet with nonstick cooking spray or a bit of butter.  Add a small amount of batter (we are talking less than 1/4 cup) and QUICKLY lift the skillet and rotated it to cover the bottom of the pan.  Cook until brown underneath (it cooks quick so watch it close) and flip to cook the other side.  Repeat with remaining batter. Store leftover batter, covered in the fridge.

Fill crepes with whipped cream and sliced strawberries.  You can roll them or fold them in fourths. 

Recipe Adapted from Carmel Potatoes

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The Tale of Two Birthday Cakes

May is a crazy busy month for us!  Audrey and William's Birthdays are a week apart.  There is also the end of school and everything that comes with that.  Then both my girls had recitals.  Now things have calmed down a bit or at least how calm summer can get.  I wanted to share Audrey and William's cakes because they were super fun to make and eat!  

I love getting my Kraft Food & Family Magazines and E-mails and the first cake I made was on the cover of their Spring issue.  I showed it to Audrey and she loved it!  With a rainbow cake you must have a My Little Pony theme, right?  So that is what we did.  

 What is so great about this cake is that each layer is not colored with food coloring.  It is colored and flavored with Jello!  I let her pick the flavors.  The pink layer is watermelon, then orange, lime and then blue raspberry.  It was super yummy!

Rainbow Layer Cake

adapted from Kraft Foods

2

pkg.  (2-layer size each) white cake mixes, divided

3

Tbsp.  (1/2 of 3-oz. pkg.) each JELL-O Raspberry Flavor Gelatin, Orange Flavor Gelatin, Lime Flavor Gelatin and Berry Blue Flavor Gelatin (or whatever flavors you like)

make it

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

GREASE and flour 2 (9-inch) round pans; cover bottoms with parchment. Prepare cake batter from 1 pkg. cake mix as directed on package. Pour half into separate bowl. Add dry raspberry gelatin mix to batter in one bowl; mix well. Stir dry orange gelatin mix into remaining batter. Pour into prepared pans.

BAKE 28 to 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans 15 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

REPEAT with remaining cake mix and dry gelatin mixes, washing cake pans between uses.

 Next was William's Birthday he is obsessed with trains!  He wanted a Thomas cake so this was best as I could do.  But he loved it!

Love the look on his face!  Makes me happy!

 I got the idea for this cake from a Betty Crocker Cake cook book someone gave me.  It was pretty simple to make and I loved adding all the candy and cookies.  

I did make a few changes.  I thought mini loaf pans would be easier to frost then cutting up a big cake loaf.  The pan I have is from Pampered Chef and it is the stone quad pan.  So I made one big cake in a regular loaf pan and then mini loaves. I think my pans are bigger than average so I made two cake mixes instead of one.  With the extra batter I made a few cupcakes.  

Here is the recipe and a video 

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