Strawberry Cupcakes

I had been wanting to make these for a year after seeing them on Katie's blog. And finally this Valentines Day, I got around to it. I did make a different frosting to suite what I had on hand. The cupcakes were delicious! I also used my KicthenAid stand mixer for the first time!!!

From Good Thing's Catered

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cup chopped strawberries

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
strawberry puree
red food coloring

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare 2 cupcake pans.

Sift flour, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl.

In bowl of mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time until combined.

Add buttermilk, oil and vanilla until combined.

Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Fold in berries.

Fill cupcake pans 3/4 way.

Bake for 20 minutes.

For the frosting...
Start your strawberry puree buy using 8 (fresh or frozen and thawed) strawberries and push them through a sieve. Discard anything left in the sieve.

In your mixer bowl add in cream cheese and butter and mix until fluffy.

Add in strawberry puree and mix thoroughly.

Add powdered sugar one cup at a time. Once all powdered sugar is combined turn speed up on your mixer until you have reached desire consistency.

Frost cupcakes once they are cooled.

Pink Rice Krispie Treats

These are hardly blog worthy, but they are a cute and simple Valentines Day Treat.

Adapted from Kellogg's

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies®
sprinkles
red food coloring

DIRECTIONS

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Add in some sprinkles and food coloring and stir again. Remove from heat.

Add Rice Krispie cereal. Stir until well coated.

Using wax paper, coated in cooking spray, evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Top treat with more sprinkles and press mixture again.

Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares.

Best if served the same day.

Kielbasa, Cabbage and Rice Soup

INGREDIENTS

¾ quarters of a head of cabbage, cut up
1-1lb kielbasa, cut into small pieces
1 can tomato sauce
1 can petite diced tomatoes
4 cups of chicken broth
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
creole seasoning
salt and pepper
2 cups prepared seasoned rice (I cook my rice in chicken broth w/ desired spices – creole seasoning, garlic, onion, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, cumin)

DIRECTIONS

In a pan over medium heat, heat up kielbasa.

Add in one cup of broth and the cabbage, and cook covered for about 10 minutes.

Add in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and seasonings and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add in cooked rice and 2 cups of chicken broth and simmer for 10 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasonings to suit your taste. If you want it to be thinner add more water or broth.

Crash Hot Potatoes

These were great! I made them because they were really simple and had great reviews. These were honestly WAY better than I thought they would be.

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

INGREDIENTS

several small potatoes
salt
pepper
olive oil
oregano
feta cheese crumbles

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450.

Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender. Remove and cut in half lengthwise.

Generously spread some olive oil on a baking sheet. Place cut potatoes skin side down on sheet and lightly press into them with a potato masher.

Brush more olive oil on the potatoes and sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano and feta cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until crisp and golden.

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw

I was browsing recipes came across this Bon Appetit recipe. Honestly, this is something I would normally NEVER make. I decided to be adventurous and make it even though I didn't think I would even like it. But you know what...I did like it! I'm still shocked about it. I did make a fair amount of changes to recipe to accommodate my tastes and what I had on hand.

Adapted from Epicurious

INGREDIENTS

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (I also added garlic powder and smoked paprika)
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 cups coleslaw mix (I just sliced up some cabbage)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 flour tortillas
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Bottled chipotle hot sauce or other hot sauce

DIRECTIONS

Place beans and cumin (and any other spices you'd like) in a small bowl; partially mash. Microwave bean mixture for 1 minute.

Mix 2 teaspoons olive oil, lemon juice and white wine vinegar in medium bowl; add coleslaw, and parsley and toss to coat. Season slaw to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat 3 teaspoons olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tortillas in single layer. Spoon 1/4 of bean mixture onto half of each tortilla; cook 1 minute. Fold tacos in half. Cook until golden brown, about 1 minute per side.

Fill tacos with feta and slaw. Pass hot sauce alongside.

Here is the best part...its healthy!

Per serving: 232.6 (kcal) calories, 40.0 % calories from fat, 10.3 g fat, 2.7 g saturated fat, 11.1 mg cholesterol, 28.7 g carbohydrates, 5.0 g dietary fiber, 1.5 g total sugars, 23.7 g net carbohydrates, 7.5 protein

Penne with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

I had to use parsley in this recipe because the store was out of basil. It was really good with parsley and I know it would of been even better with basil.

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

INGREDIENTS

12 ounces penne pasta
1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
2 garlic cloves - roasted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves - I used parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

a splash of balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, blend the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, to taste, and parsley in a food processor and blend until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer the tomato mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan.

Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper and serve.

Buffalo Blue Cheese Meatballs

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground beef
1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 large egg
2 tablespoons wing sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon steak grill seasoning mix
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine all the above ingredients.

Roll into balls. (I used a cookie scoop to measure) Place on cookie sheet.

Bake for 25 minutes.

You can serve this with a dipping sauce of 1 part wing sauce to 3 parts ranch dressing.

Sausage Dip

This isn't the prettiest dip, but it is very easy and very good! I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, so I am not sure of the original source.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb plain bulk sausage
1 lb hot bulk sausage
2 8oz blocks cream cheese
2 cans Rotel

DIRECTIONS

Cook sausage and drain.

Mix in cream cheese and Rotel. Heat through.

Serve warm with tortilla chips