Chocolate Chip Irish Cream Cupcakes
Have you ever had a moment in a grocery store where you just stood in awe? That’s what happened when I came across the Bailey’s Irish Cream Baking Chips while I ran into a local grocery store. Is this real? What can I use them to make? Is there a unicorn that’s going to jump out when I grab them off the shelf? (more…)
The BEST Creamed Corn
It seems like everyone says their recipe is the best, and they’re right. Everyone is different and has their own special brand of crazy, so I’m here with my special brand of crazy to tell you that THIS is the best creamed corn. Well, at least our family thinks it is, so that’s what matters to us. But hey, when your kids go out of their way to get second helpings, I’d say that’s a winner in my book. (more…)
Espresso Brownies
I had another one of those brainstorming moments while cruising through the baking aisle at Wal-Mart. They have a large variety of different types of chocolate chips, so while looking through the different options, the Espresso chocolate chips jumped out at me. As I stood there thinking about the combination of chocolate and coffee, I may or may not have started to salivate at the thought of throwing them into a batch of chewy fudge brownies made with coffee and coffee extract, topping them with a coffee liquor-infused chocolate ganache. “YES!!” I cried and grabbed several bags, throwing them into my cart along with boxes of brownie mix. (more…)
Sneaky Mashed Potatoes (with hidden cauliflower)
Do you have any trouble getting your family to eat their vegetables? Have you ever wondered what you can do in order to persuade them to eat more vegetables? It’s easy!
Trick them. (more…)
Gourmet Lobster Mac ‘n Cheese
My hubby isn’t really a big foodie at all, so when he brings up a certain dish he loves it’s a bit of an ordeal. When going out to eat with another couple, we started talking about the freezer meals I made several years ago when starting my business. Hubby piped in and brought up the Lobster Mac ‘n Cheese that I make, and I looked at him with shock as he talked about how incredible it was and how much he liked it. Wait, what’s happening here? Is that the alcohol talking? Then again, he doesn’t bring something up if he doesn’t mean it. And let’s be real here, is it even possible to avoid being honest after having a couple of drinks? Highly unlikely. (more…)
Tomato Bisque
If you’ve ever watched the show Seinfeld, then you’ll understand why a lot of times any kind of soup makes me think of that show. Whether it’s Elaine talking about how she mentioned the Bisque or the Soup Nazi yelling, “NO SOUP FOR YOU!” it’s easy to stick in the brain when it comes to soup. Our first class in culinary school was Stocks, Sauces, and Soups, and it was one of my favorites. The only time I ever thought of tomato soup was that canned stuff I remember as a kid, and wasn’t hooked on it. (more…)
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Layer Cake
If you think the title of this cake is a mouthful, just wait until you sink your teeth into it. Since Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching, I went rummaging through some pictures of desserts I’ve made. Chocolate, Red Velvet, Strawberry…all of them popped into my mind when thinking of a great Valentine’s Day dessert. Then, I remembered this one. (more…)
Chicken Croquettes
When I first saw Chicken Croquettes, I thought What in the world is that?? My interpretation of Chicken Croquettes is the combination of Crab Cakes and Chicken Patties. I’m slightly sensitive to gluten, so I wanted to make a gluten-free version of them not only for myself, but for anyone else looking for this option. I’ve used Pork Panko to make Meatloaf and it turned out fantastic, so I decided to use them in this recipe to see how they would turn out. (more…)
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Blondies
While nosing around in the pantry one afternoon looking at ingredients, I came across some white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. Ohhh, I LOVE that combination, let’s make something with those, I thought. Ever since I made my husband a batch of the Butterscotch Brownies, I wanted to experiment with other flavors melting the chips with butter and incorporating them into the batter. Well, here was the perfect opportunity. (more…)
Marsala Chicken Ravioli
One of the things my family does on occasion is take a trip to Costco. Our kids know it as “The Big Store” and we typically go out to lunch after dragging them out there to peruse. You’d be amazed at how easily we can get sucked into cool things that are on sale, but my two favorite sections are the kitchen appliances and the food…of course. (more…)
S’mores Cake
While browsing through my recipe brainstorm list, I came across this one. I had NO idea how I was going to execute this cake, but knew it had to be done. So, I started researching what other S’mores Cakes looked like on the internet. It had to have the three main ingredients that make s’mores…chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows. (more…)
Butterbeer Mudslide
My sister-in-law is a HUGE Harry Potter fan, so when I talked about making these mudslides, she insisted on being part of the taste-testing crew. Originally when I went to the liquor store in search of what flavor liquors to use in this recipe, I grabbed a caramel flavored vodka to try out. It smelled and tasted delicious, so I used it in the first batch. Well, we ran out of enough mudslides for everyone to taste and I had to make some more, but I was out of that caramel flavored vodka. (more…)