Peppermint Candy Cane Brownies

Found HERE! 

Brownies:
4 squares unsweetened chocolate (4oz)
1 C butter (2 sticks)
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1t vanilla
1 1/4 C flour
1/2 t baking powder
Frosting:
2 C powdered sugar
4 T butter, softened
1 1/2 t peppermint extract
1 T milk
pink food coloring

Chocolate Glaze:
6 oz (about a cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips ,you could also use dark
6T real butter
Additional:
1/2-1 C crushed candy canes (Use Bob’s NOT Spanglers!)
First, the Brownies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Roughly chop baking squares so they’ll be easier to melt, then place them in a microwave-safe bowl along with the 2 sticks of butter (also chopped).
Melt in 30-45 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Set aside. Don’t accidentally stick your finger in the melted butter and chocolate combo because it will laugh at you for forgetting that it is unsweetened.
In a stand mixer or with electric beaters, beat eggs for about 3 minutes until thick and frothy.  Add sugar and vanilla and beat to combine. Then add in the melted chocolate and butter that you set aside. Combine flour and baking powder and whisk into brownie batter by hand until just combined. Pour into a lightly greased 9×13 pan. If you want to make the job much easier, line your pan with foil first.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness and don’t over bake! When brownies are done, cool on a cooling rack. When completely cool, pop in the fridge to chill. (makes the frosting spreading easier).
Next layer is the frosting:
Combine all frosting ingredients and beat until light and fluffy. Add extra milk by teaspoonful if you need a little more. Spread evenly over cooled/chilled brownies and place back in the fridge to chill again while you do the final step.
Chocolate Glaze:
Place chocolate chips and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and cook in 30 second intervals until smooth.
Set aside for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, so it can cool off just a bit. Remember in the first step when I told you to not accidentally let your finger fall in the chocolate butter mixture? Totally doesn’t apply to this chocolate butter mixture. Quickly spread on top of brownies. I say quickly because the frosting is cool and the chocolate is hot. If you take your sweet time and over do it, you’ll make a big gooey mess. Just spread it on quick.
Sprinkle the crushed candy canes on top and return to the fridge until chocolate is set on top.
Remove from fridge a few minutes before serving. Cut into squares, eat, ooh and ahh, and then eat another one. Or two.

 ***Super yummy! Rich, so make sure you have people to share with. Hubby thinks this is a waste of good brownies (he dislikes peppermint and chocolate together!)***

Mini Spinach Fritattas

Slightly adapted from Food Network

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups baby spinach 
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 Tbs minced, dried onion (or 1/2 fresh onion if you have it)
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 7 large eggs
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated sharp cheddar

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet. Brown the onion flakes and tomato, to remove some of the juice. Remove from the heat and stir in the baby spinach and nutmeg until the spinach is just wilted, but still bright green, 2 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, milk, and salt and pepper until well combined. Stir in the cheese. Divide the egg mixture evenly between the muffin tins, filling them about halfway. Top evenly with the spinach mixture.
5. Bake until the quiches are well risen, golden brown and set, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with greens.

***Yummy, easy, and healthy. We made these for a baby shower and for Christmas morning!***

Baked Ham and Egg Cups

Slightly adapted from Our Best Bites

8 eggs

3/4 C shredded low-fat sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 C shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 t kosher salt

1/8 t black pepper12 slices ham

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

In a bowl, combine all ingredients (except ham slices) and stir well.

Spray muffin tin with non cook spray and place one piece of ham in each well to form a bowl.  

Evenly divide egg mixture between the 12 muffin wells (about 1/4 C each), being careful to keep ingredients well dispersed.  You want them to fill right up to the top.

 

Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. The tops should be puffed and just barely set on top. Eggs will sink after cooling.

Store them in an airtight container in the fridge, or freeze them.

Makes 12.

*** I've made these for a baby shower and for Christmas morning. Excellent flavor, super easy, and fun to look at!***

Green Chili Turkey Burgers

Found these on Elana's Pantry.  I despise cilantro, so I left it out.  You can check out the original recipe if you must have it :-)

 
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles
1 pound ground turkey
½ cup onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon sea salt

1. In a medium sized bowl mix diced chiles with turkey, onion, cumin, chili powder and salt
2. Form into burgers and grill
3. Serve-we topped with cheddar and served on buns with fries on the side!

***Yummy! Super easy, excellent flavor, pretty healthy!***

Buttermilk Blueberry Cake

I found this recipe on SkinnyTaste!  Modified just a bit:

• 2 3/4 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup softened unsalted butter
• 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 cups blueberries
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tsp vanilla
• baking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°.  Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with baking spray.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, in a medium bowl, beat sugar and butter for about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Add buttermilk and vanilla until incorporated.


Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir until just blended.  Gently fold in blueberries.

Place the batter into the prepared cake pan; bake cake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30-32 minutes.  Serve room temperature.

***Delicious!  The original recipe was intended to be low-fat. But I wanted this as a dessert, and didn't necessarily need it to be low-fat, so I changed it.  Simple to make!***

Buffalo Chicken in the Crockpot

I found this recipe HERE, originally intended for lettuce wraps. It is pretty versatile, and could be used for wraps, salads, tacos, etc.

Ingredients:

• 24 oz boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic
• 16 oz chicken broth
• 1/2 cup hot cayenne pepper sauce (I used Frank's)

Directions:

In a crock pot, combine chicken, onions, celery stalk, garlic and broth (enough to cover your chicken, use water if the can of broth isn't enough). Cover and cook on high 4 hours.

Remove the chicken from pot, reserve 1/2 cup broth and discard the rest. Shred the chicken with two forks, return to the slow cooker with the 1/2 cup broth and the hot sauce and set to on high for an additional 30 minutes. Makes 3 cups chicken.

***Super delicious! We had this as lettuce wraps one night, tacos another night, and hubby ate some with rice to finish it off.  And a little secret I learned...if you are lucky enough to own a kitchenaid mixer, put those chicken breasts in with the paddle attachment for about 30 seconds and Voila! Shredded for you!!!***

Tangy Ranch Chicken

Recipe by French's:

2/3 cup ranch dressing
1/3 cup prepared mustard
3 Tbs brown sugar
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Mix salad ranch, mustard, brown sugar in a bowl.  Pour 1/2 cup sauce into a serving dish.
Coat chicken with remaining sauce in a greased, oven-safe dish.
Bake at 350f for 25 minutes.

Serve over rice, with remaining sauce.

***Yummy and easy!  Tastes like honey mustard after it has been baking.  The ranch flavor doesn't really come through, except a little bit in the uncooked sauce.***

BBQ Pineapple Chicken

I found this recipe here, and tweaked it just a little.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 can pineapple rings

Marinate chicken in BBQ sauce and pineapple juice overnight.

When you're ready, grill chicken on BBQ until no longer Pink. Grill the pineapple rings too, at the same time. They're delicious this way!

Don't toss the sauce!  Boil it in a saucepan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Serve chicken and pineapple over rice, with a couple spoonfuls of sauce over the top. Or make it into a sandwich with cheese, like the original recipe :-)

***Great flavor, incredibly easy!  This will go into the regular rotation!!!***

Chicken with Creamy Dijon Sauce

1/2 cup Chicken Broth
6 Tbs Dijon Mustard
1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
1 Tbs Italian Seasoning
1 Tbs Oil
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 tsp minced garlic

Mix broth, mustard, cream cheese and herbs until well blended.
Cook chicken in hot oil in a skillet until browned on both sides, about 15 minutes.

Stir in mustard sauce and garlic. Simmer over medium heat 3-5 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.

***Delish!  I cut up the chicken before browning, so it was bite-sized.  We ate it with rice, but it would be great over pasta as well.***

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

These are an adaptation of one of our favorite recipes, Monkey Squares. I decreased the sugar a bit, added chocolate chips, and omitted the browned butter icing. Hey, there are some limits to being able to call something a muffin rather than a cupcake :-)

1 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
½ cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 ¾ cups (4) ripe bananas, mashed
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour (I did use GF)

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 muffin tins with papers, or grease and flour each tin. Beat first four ingredients until creamy. Blend in bananas and vanilla one minute. Add dry ingredients and blend one minute. Stir in chocolate chips.  Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Makes about 24 muffins.

***So good! I actually like the decreased sugar so much, I might change it in the original recipe! I like to have something portable in the mornings, and these turned out to be great!***

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

Recipe found here, and of course I modified it slightly...

Yields 10-12 muffins

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup milk (I used Soy!)

For topping:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a muffin pan or line with baking cups.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon. Stir in the milk and mix until well blended.

Mix 1/4 c sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon together.

Fill baking cup 2/3 full with muffin batter and sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing.

***Yummy! Another great breakfast I can make and freeze...easy to pull out as needed! I also tried another batch with 1 cup diced cherries (frozen ok) added. Yummy as well!***

Crockpot Chili

1lb ground turkey
2 small onions, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5oz) kidney beans, drained
1 can (14.5oz) white beans, drained
1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
3 Tbs chili powder (add more if you like it spicy)
1 1/2 Tbs cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Brown turkey, onion, and garlic together. Drain and add to crockpot with remaining ingredients. Cook on low 5-6 hours.

***Yummy!!! I threw in a few fresh, chopped roma tomatoes...I think it made a difference! But of course it will taste great without! You could also add another can of diced tomatoes, drained. Perfect amount of spice, great flavor!***

Lil' Cheddar Meatloaves

This recipe is a comfort food reminder of my late childhood...something my dad and brother loved to make for dinner. Yum!

Ingredients

1 egg

¾ cup milk

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

½ cup quick-cooking oats

½ cup chopped onions

1 teaspoon salt

1 lb lean ground beef

²⁄₃ cup ketchup

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons prepared mustard

Directions

1. In a bowl, beat the egg and milk.
2. Stir in cheese, oats, onion, salt and rubbed sage.
3. Add beef and mix well.
4. (It will seem runny at first but will thicken up as you mix.) Shape into 8 equal sized loaves (oval/egg shaped) and place in a greased 9X13X2" baking dish.
5. Sauce: Combine ketchup, brown sugar and mustard.
6. Spoon over each loaf so they are all covered in the sauce.
7. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.

***Soooo good! I do not like meatloaf, but I LOVE these! Easy, tasty, and hubs loved them as well! Great with mashed potatoes and corn!***

Cajun Ranch Chicken Pasta

Slightly modified from Plain Chicken:

Grilled Cajun Ranch Chicken Pasta
Chicken
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp sugar
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, cajun seasoning, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the gallon size ziplock bag and pour in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (the longer the better). Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Grill chicken for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

Pasta
16 oz bowtie pasta
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp pepper
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, Cajun seasoning, pepper, and parmesan cheese. Whisk together on low heat for 5-6 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta. Top with Cajun ranch chicken and sprinkle a little bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top.

***Yummy!!! We had green beans on the side, which was perfect! I might adjust the seasonings a little...the chicken was not spicy at all and the pasta had a good kick.***

Chicken Pot Pie

I combined a few recipes to come up with this one. I needed it to be GF, wanted it to be from scratch, and still be fairly easy. I like how it turned out!

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cubed

1 cup sliced/diced carrots

1/2 cup frozen green beans

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1/3 cup all-purpose flour (I used GF of course!)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

For the top crust:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (GF) + 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (or use 1 cup bisquick mix)
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, beans, and corn. Add water to cover and boil for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in garlic, flour, salt, and pepper. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Place the chicken mixture in an 8x8 glass dish. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Stir to combine.
   
5. Mix milk, egg and flour/baking powder. Pour over chicken mixture. Bake 30 minutes or until golden.

   

***So good! I made this for lunch on my day off, because hubby doesn't like Chicken Pot Pie. Pretty sure it is the only thing he really doesn't like. So I'll deal. Besides, that means more for me, right???***

Peanut Butter Cups

I found this recipe at Taste of Home and I'm glad I did!

Ingredients

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
• 4-1/2 teaspoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 milk chocolate candy bars (1.55 ounces each), coarsely chopped
• Colored sprinkles, optional

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup peanut butter, butter, confectioners' sugar and salt until smooth; set aside.
• In a microwave, melt the chocolate chips, candy bars and remaining peanut butter; stir until smooth.
• Drop teaspoonfuls of chocolate mixture into paper-lined miniature muffin cups. Top each with a scant teaspoonful of peanut butter mixture; top with another teaspoonful of chocolate mixture. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Refrigerate until set. Store in an airtight container.
  Yield: 3 dozen.

***Hubby and I made these together on Valentine's Day! Super easy, fun, and definitely delicious!***

Chicken Spiedini (Minus the Spiedini) :-)

So I found this recipe over at What's Gaby Cooking? It was a guest post, and an amazing recipe!

Of course, I tweaked it. Preferences, ingredients available, and of course I can't leave a recipe alone... :-)

Oh, and the spiedini...that means meat on a stick. So basically I just didn't skewer the chicken.

Ingredients:
2 cans diced tomatoes, drained as much as possible

1 Tbs butter

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 Tbs sugar

1 pinch coarse salt (more or less depending on the salt in your tomatoes)

1 pinch pepper

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 clove garlic, minced

3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup bread crumbs (I used ground rice Chex)

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 Tbs EVOO

4 Tbs butter, melted

8-12 oz spaghetti, cooked according to package directions (we like a quinoa-corn mix)

Lemon juice for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Simmer tomatoes, butter, broth, sugar, salt, pepper, Italian seasonings for 20-30 minutes on medium. Stir occasionally.
   
2. In a shallow dish, combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic and a tiny pinch of salt and pepper.
3. In another, combine oil and melted butter.
4. Dredge the chicken pieces through the butter/oil mixture, then through the breadcrumb mixture.
5. Heat 2 Tbs. oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Cook the chicken until golden brown on all sides and cooked through, about 8 minutes total.
6. Add cooked pasta to the tomato sauce. Toss to combine.
7. Serve chicken over a bed of spaghetti. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

***Super yummy! Took me a bit to set it up and make it, but now that I've got the steps down, it is actually pretty simple. Yummy, comforting meal! This will be in the regular rotation!***

Brown Sugar Oatmeal Scones

I found this recipe at Bakingdom! Love her site! Of course I modified it slightly (when don't I???)

FOR THE SCONES
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used GF)
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup (10 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1/2 cup milk (Ok to use Soy)
1 egg

2 tablespoons agave

FOR THE GLAZE
1 tablespoon reserved milk mixture
2 tablespoons agave
1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread oats on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 8-9 minutes. Allow to cool completely before continuing.

Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Line another baking sheet with parchment.

Place all of the dry ingredients, except for the oatmeal, in the bowl of a food processor and pulse six or eight times to combine. Scatter the cold butter evenly over the top of the flour mixture in the food processor. Pulse 12 to 15 times to mix. The mixture should resemble corn meal or wet sand. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the cooled oats.

In a small bowl, combine the milk, egg, and agave syrup. Whisk the ingredients together until combined. Measure out 1 tablespoon of the mixture and set aside for the glaze.

Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to bring the dough together slightly. Once the mixture starts to form a loose dough, knead it about six times to form a mostly cohesive dough. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and gently knead a few more times, until the dough comes together. Shape the dough into a disk about 7-inches in diameter. Cut into 8 wedges and arrange on prepared baking sheet.

Combine the reserved tablespoon of milk with the additional 2 tablespoons of agave. Brush the mixture over the scones with a pastry brush. Sprinkle the sugar over the tops of the scones.

Bake for 12-14 minutes until deep golden brown. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Add in ideas, just before shaping into a disk:

3/4 cup cinnamon chips (and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top before baking)

1 cup dried cranberries (can add 6 Tbs orange juice concentrate to to liquid/milk mixture)

***Super Yummy! These freeze really well also!***

Cinnamon Cookie Crunch Popcorn

I came across this recipe on Our Best Bites. They always have great recipes!

Slightly modified:

12 cups air-popped popcorn
16 oz white chocolate (chips are fine)
1/2 cup red hot candies
10 Oreo cookies (Glutino GF work great)
optional: 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon flavored oil (I left out)
3 tablespoons semisweet or dark chocolate chips
kosher or sea salt (I left out)

Instructions
Pulse red hots in a food processor until they are just roughly chopped.

Break cookies up into rough chunks, by smashign in a baggie. Do not crush into crumbs!

In a medium sized microwave safe bowl, melt white chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth. Gently stir in red hots and chocolate cookies and then add cinnamon oil to taste (if desired).

Pour mixture over popcorn and stir well to coat. Pour popcorn mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and set aside. Melt chocolate chips and drizzle over popcorn mixture. Sprinkle kosher or sea salt lightly over mixture to taste (if desired). Let popcorn mixture harden. When completely dry, break into chunks and store in airtight container.

***Super yummy! Great flavor combination. It is super sweet, so I didn't find it hard to control myself, but really great to pop a few chunks here and there throughout the day! What a fun holiday treat!***

GF Pancakes

I came up with this after reading several recipes and staring at the Bisquick box for a long time! GF Bisquick is way too expensive to use regularly, in my opinion! The good new is, this is just as easy!

1 cup flour (your choice...I use my favorite GF flour blend, which I always have on hand!)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1-1 1/2 cup milk (I used soy milk)
1 egg

Blend dry ingredients together, add egg, add milk until desired consistency.

Pour 1/4 cup onto hot greased griddle. Cook until edges are crisp, flip and cook until golden.

Enjoy!

***I like to put fruit in mine, but these are great plain. Hubby liked them too!***