Good Grief! BBQ Chicken Pizza

I love making new recipes for my Mountain Man, because when he really loves something he lets me know with memorable exclamations. I tried this recipe on Claire's birthday, and "Good grief!" were the first words out of my Beloved's mouth after taking his first bite. I think that's a perfect name for this yummy pizza.

Good Grief! BBQ Chicken Pizza

1 12 inch pre-baked pizza crust 

3 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed

1 c. barbecue sauce

1 T. honey

1 tsp. molasses

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. fresh chopped cilantro

1 c. shredded smoked Gouda cheese

1 c. thinly sliced red onions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place pizza dough on greased pizza pan and brush dough with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes. (This is pre-baking.)

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine cooked chicken, barbecue sauce, honey, molasses, brown sugar, and cilantro. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat, and spread mixture evenly over pizza crust. Top with shredded Gouda cheese and sliced red onion. Bake 10-15 minutes more, until cheese is melted.

(adapted from Pizza for Every Meal and Occasion)

I made this simple bread machine crust, shared by Hillybilly Housewife. While we usually prefer thin crust, a regular crust worked well with this very saucy pizza. 

I also used fully cooked slices of chicken fajita meat, cutting the strips into smaller pieces. The onions were diced instead of thinly sliced, and they worked just fine.

Enjoy!

With love,

Trisha

Notes From Home

Allie has been with us for over a week, and our time together has been delightful. We're trying to enjoy these last few days to the fullest. I've pinched her at least a hundred times to make sure she's real.

She graciously helped Emma sew a skirt that she's been waiting to make for over two years now. Isn't it lovely?

I've been thinking much about how hard it is for Christians to rejoice with one another. I think the pagans are much better at that than we are. And I think these words from Michael O'Brien, in his book Island of the World, describe well one of the problems with church families not being able to disagree, even fight, and still make up and love one another and forgive.

"Yes! Minds and hearts alive!," Simon continues. "Here, we can struggle and debate and disagree because we are free to speak in an open forum. We are fighting and thinking because we trust one another."

Maybe we don't trust each other very much, and maybe we don't trust God and His wisdom in putting us in the church families we're in. 

I've been using Professor Horner's Bible Reading System since the beginning of the year, and I love it! I timed myself for the month of January, just to get an idea of how long it takes for an average reader to read ten chapters of the Bible. I finished every time in less than 30 minutes, and most often in less than 25. I jot down the verse references I want to return to and do my studying after reading all of the chapters. Even in this short time of using this system, I've obtained a familiarity with my Bible that amazes me.

I finally made a roasted tomato soup that was a hit. It's so simple, and I like that it calls for fresh tomatoes instead of canned ones. BUT, I'd love to know if you have a favorite homemade tomato soup, please, canned tomatoes or not! 

Roasted Tomato Soup

8 medium tomatoes
olive oil
pinch of salt
1 c. chicken broth
3/4 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. thyme

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Core tomatoes, and rub the outsides with a little olive oil. Sprinkle some salt in the center. Place tomatoes on a jelly-roll pan, and roast for approximately 4 hours. The tomatoes won't be burned, but browned. Refrigerate until ready to use. Peel skin off roasted tomatoes. In a blender, add the remaining ingredients, and process until you get the texture you like. Pour soup into a saucepan, and heat till nearly boiling. Enjoy!
 (recipe from Leanne Ely's Saving Dinner the Low-Carb Way)

Have I mentioned my favorite wine before? Here it is. Chariot. I've only found it at Trader Joe's. If you ever decide to visit the Poff Funny Farm, you'll get extra chocolates on your pillow at night if you show up with a bottle of this.

All of Ink's siblings adore Allie. And they're always trying to get in the middle, too. Here Elijah is quite successful. And super-cute, as well.

My morning routine usually starts before the sun rises. I always gasp a bit when I get to see His handiwork of breathtaking colors for that brief moment in time before it all disappears.

This month marks the 5 month anniversary of my brother-in-law's death. My heart rejoices every time I speak to my sister and hear joy in her voice. It has been a hard 5 months, and the days ahead will continue to be hard, but God has sustained her. She has many Ebenezers to remind her of His goodness.

Our family prayer this year is Romans 12:9-13, and my word for the year is TRUST. And this month we're memorizing 1 Corinthians 13 again.

Finally, I like this reminder from Anna Quindlen.

"It is so easy to waste our lives: our days, our hours, our minutes. It is so easy to take for granted the pale new growth on an evergreen, the sheen of the limestone on Fifth Avenue, the color of our kids' eyes, the way the melody in a symphony rises and falls and disappears and rises again. It is so easy to exist instead of live."

And as Christians, it's so easy to get caught up in being busy, even busy with very good things, that we forget how blessed we are, how many mercies God is pouring out on us every minute of every day.

Mercies like sunrises, roasted tomato soup, home and family, godly future spouses for our children, church families, wine, fabric and sewing machines, and trusted friends.

With love,
Trisha

Ranch Pretzels

For movie night--here's a twist on the ranch-seasoned oyster cracker recipe. :)

Ranch Pretzels

16 ounce package of small pretzels (or buy big ones and break into pieces)
2 ounces of ranch salad dressing mix
3/4 c. oil
1-1/2 t. garlic powder
1-1/2 t. dill weed

Place pretzels in large mixing bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in a separate mixing bowl and pour over pretzels, tossing to coat. Pour onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 200 degrees for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake

If you love peanut butter, well, you're gonna love this cake. I mean, love, as in, it's going to take every bit of self-control you have to not eat the whole thing.

2 c. all purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 c. butter
1 c. water
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. buttermilk

Peanut Butter Icing
Garnish: chopped peanuts

Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl, set aside. Combine butter, water, and peanut butter in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Add to flour mixture and mix well; set aside. Combine eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk; add to peanut butter mixture.

Spread batter in a greased 15x10 jelly roll pan (I used my Pampered Chef large bar pan, which is 15x10, and I sprayed it with Baker's Joy). Bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes or until cake springs back when gently touched. Spread Peanut Butter Icing over warm cake and garnish, if desired. Serves 15-20.

Peanut Butter Icing

1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
1/3 c. plus 1 T. milk
16 ounce package of powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla extract

Combine first three ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in powdered sugar and vanilla, mixing until spreading consistency.

~from Gooseberry Patch's Quick and Easy cookbook

***The picture in my cookbook shows an icing without any specks of powdered sugar. I'm assuming a mixer was used to get it to look that way because mine didn't when mixing by hand. And I didn't garnish with peanuts because I didn't have any. :)  Enjoy!

With love,
Trisha

Happy Birthday Cookie Stack

This is the yummy birthday dessert Ella chose, and it was a success! The original recipe calls for using Mrs. Fields chocolate chip cookies, but I used our own favorite recipe which you can find here. (Don't overbake!)

You'll need 30 cookies for this beautiful stack of sweetness. Here's the recipe for the whipped filling. It makes a lot! However, I was quite reserved in my application because I didn't want the filling to be overwhelming, so that's why I had so much of it left over.

1-1/2  (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
1-1/4 c. confectioners' sugar
1 (13.6 ounce) can coconut milk
2-1/2 c. chilled heavy whipping cream

In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar and coconut milk; beat just until combined. Add cream; beat at low speed until mixture begins to thicken. Beat at high speed until very thick.

On a large serving plate, arrange 7 cookies in a circle; place 1 cookie in center of circle. Dollop 2 c. of cream mixture over cookies; gently spread over and in between cookies with a spatula. Arrange 6 cookies over cream mixture; place 1 cookie in center of circle. Dollop 2 c. of cream mixture over cookies; gently spread with spatula. Repeat procedure twice, arranging cookies closer together with each layer to form a pyramid-shaped stack. Spread remaining 2 c. of cream mixture on top of cookie stack. Cover, and chill for 1 hour or up to 4 hours. Just before serving, top with berries.
~from Celebrate magazine

Tips:

~Top with strawberries and blueberries for a festive 4th of July dessert.
~Cookies start to soften after 4 hours, so you might need to cut with a serrated knife instead of just pulling from the stack if you chill them that long.
~It's messy, but delicious. Let your children enjoy it, and don't fret over how much whipped cream they get on themselves. :)
~Customize the amount of cream used to your liking--as I said, I had a lot left over, but was pleased with the amount used on the cookies.
~The taste of coconut milk is not overwhelming. We bought the half-gallon size available in the refrigerated section of Trader Joe's.
~I chilled our cookie stack for about 2 hours. The chilling makes a big difference--don't leave that part out.

Enjoy!!

With love,
Trisha

The Fading Fine Art of Fried Food

When our children shared on Mother's Day what they love about me, one of the most popular answers was "her cooking." Though I'm no gourmet chef, I'm grateful our children aren't like the ones who quipped to their mother, when eyeing the dinner set before them, "Didn't we throw up the last time you served this?" (I know! Everyone gasp together!)

I've brought my southern heritage with me to our desert life and have trained our children's taste buds (for better or for worse) to have a deep affection for home-cooked, comfort foods--foods like mashed potatoes swimming in butter, mile-high southern biscuits, sweet tea, Italian meatloaf, AND the soon-to-be-extinct fare of fried food. It's becoming a crime to heat a pan of oil up, whip up a mean batter, and dip and fry, dip and fry.

But I shall hold fast to this fine, if fading, method of cooking, for one day our children might be the last people on earth who are skilled in the proper use of Crisco or canola oil, and many will come from near and far, knocking on their doors and whispering, "We heard you serve fried food here and sweet tea. May we taste some, please?"

Alas! I indulge in a bit of hyperbole just to to tell you this: I made fried onion rings the other night, and they were a hit! For the last few of you who dare to indulge in fried food, may you enjoy these tasty golden rings of savory goodness.

Spicy Fried Onion Rings

1 large yellow onion, cut into 3/4 inch thick rings
1 c. self-rising flour
1/4 c. yellow cornmeal
1 T. hot sauce, or to taste
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. water
6 c. canola oil

Separate onion slices into individual rings. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, hot sauce, and salt. Add water, stir with a whisk until blended. Add onion rings; gently toss.

Fill a large heavy-bottomed skillet halfway with oil. (You may not need all 6 c. of oil.) Heat oil over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. Working in batches, remove onion rings from flour mixture, allowing excess to drip off, and fry until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally. Drain on paper towels.

If you make ahead, preheat oven to 225 degrees, and keep fried onion rings warm on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet for up to 30 minutes.
~recipe from Celebrate magazine

With love,
Trisha

**I never measure out oil. I just fill the pan until halfway full. I did use the timer--remember that later batches might cook a bit more quickly. I used the full amount of hot sauce, and no one thought these were overly spicy. For our family, I doubled the recipe and had a few left over. (But not all of us are onion ring lovers.)

Chocolate Chip Scone Nibbles

Scones, scones, and more scones. Now I know the secret to the glaze that was on my favorite Starbucks scones.

Don't let the detailed instructions scare you away from this recipe. You don't have to do all of the extra cutting, although the the smaller shapes are part of this recipe's appeal. I just cut the first time, and then dipped the scones individually. It really didn't take that long.

photo by PoffClan

Scones

• 2 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut in pats
• 1 cup to 2 cups mini chocolate chips, or finely chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or the flavoring of your choice
• 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup half and half or milk

Glaze

• 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 7 tablespoons water, enough to make a thin glaze
• 1 teaspoon vanilla, optional

 Whisk together your dry ingredients. Work in the butter just until mixture is crumbly (I just use my Kitchenaid paddle). Stir in the chocolate chips.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and half and half. Add additional liquid if the dough seems too dry. (I had to use the full amount of half and half.)

Scrape the dough onto a well-floured surface and pat into a square or circle and cut your shapes. You can cut those again to make a more "nibble" sized scone. Read the original recipe for more detailed instructions.

Transfer scones to parchment lined baking sheet and place in freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and bake scones for about 20 minutes.

Make the glaze, and then dip each scone or paint on with a pastry brush. Transfer to a cooling rack set over parchment paper to catch any drips. Allow glaze to set.

Enjoy!

With love,

Trisha

Maple Oatmeal Raisin Skillet Cookie

Ink's not much of a cake guy. He prefers pies. Or oatmeal raisin cookies.

So,  for his 18th birthday celebration, I found this wonderful skillet cookie recipe to try, and it was a hit. Skillet cookies are amazing.

Because it was late at night, I didn't wait for the cookie to cool. Thus, we enjoyed leaning  and melting candles. And if you have an eye for detail, you'll notice only 17 candles. Late night + hot cookie + melting candles=inability to count correctly. It's ok, though. It was all good.

Maple Oatmeal Raisin Skillet Cookie

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp maple extract
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

Toppings (optional)

• Raw Sugar
• Greek Yogurt (or your favorite kind of yogurt)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Melt the butter and stir frequently until the butter browns.  Stir in the brown sugar and maple extract.  Remove from the heat and let cool for about 8 minutes.  (you want the pan to be warm but not hot.)  Crack an egg into the skillet and whisk into the mixture. Add the cinnamon, salt, and baking soda and stir until combined.  Add the flour to the skillet and stir slowly until incorporated.  Add your mix-ins: oatmeal, walnuts, and raisins.  Combine. Pat evenly over the skillet.  Top with raw sugar if desired. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 14-18 minutes, until set.  Serve warm with yogurt if desired.

~Baker Bettie

Enjoy!

With love,

Trisha

Soft Almond Sugar Cookies

If you can eat only one of these, you have amazing self-control. These turned out just as described, although I did have to bake the later batches a bit longer (in spite of the warning not to exceed 8 minutes). No coarse sugar to roll them in? That's ok. I didn't have any, either, so I just used granulated sugar, and they still tasted delicious!

Soft Almond Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 c white sugar

2/3 c cold butter 

2/3 c shortening (room temp)

2 eggs

2 tsp almond extract

2 3/4 c cake flour

1 c all purpose flour

1 T cornstarch

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

sugar in the raw 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare baking sheet.

Cream sugar, butter and shortening.Stir in eggs and almond extract.Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt and add to butter/egg mixture.Use electric mixer to ensure dough is thoroughly combined.

Chill dough in fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll 2 tsp of dough into a ball and roll in raw sugar.  Place on prepared pan.

Bake cookies for 7 minutes.  Remove from oven and gently press rounded tops of cookies flat with the back of a spoon while the cookies are still warm and pliable.The cornstarch will keep the dough from spreading,so this step just makes them look better!

Return remaining dough to fridge in between baking each batch.

Allow to cool on pan for 1 minute.  

Remove to cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.

~DO NOT bake longer than 8 minutes!!  They may seem under-baked, but when they cool they will firm up.

You can find the original recipe with a printable option at Confections From the Cody Kitchen.

Snow Cocoa

This gem of a cocoa was a hit here. I didn't have enough time to use the slow-cooker method, so I just warmed the ingredients up on the stove. About 15-20 minutes later, we were drinking this...

It's VERY sweet, so only small doses are needed. Yes. Needed. :)

Enjoy!

Snow Cocoa

2 c. whipping cream
6 c. milk (whole or 2%)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
12 ounce package of white chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker.
Heat on low for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until mixture is hot and all chips have melted.
Stir well to blend.
Top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate, if you desire.

With love,
Trisha


***a Pinterest success...original recipe found here.

Sausage and Egg Muffins

I've shared our basic frittata recipe that we often include on our breakfast menu. These sausage and egg muffins are similar and quite the favorite in our home. Enjoy!

1 lb ground sausage
1 onion, chopped
12 eggs, beaten
2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Brown sausage and onion in skillet over medium heat; drain. Combine eggs and remaining four ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add sausage mixture and mix well. Spoon into greased muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Makes 22.
~from Gooseberry Patch's Quick and Easy Family Favorites cookbook

With love,
Trisha

Cranberry Maple Sauce

This was a big hit last year. And it's a good thing I wrote next to the recipe, "Christmas 2011-big hit," or I might not have remembered it. I wish I had a picture for you, but since I don't, just imagine something that looks like homemade cranberry sauce. :)

Cranberry Maple Sauce

Makes about 2-1/2 cups

This sauce can be made up to 2 weeks ahead. The maple flavor will be subtle, so if you want to give it a boost, use the maple extract.

One 12 ounce package fresh cranberries
3/4 c. pure maple syrup, preferably Grade B
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. maple extract (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the cranberries have popped and the juices have thickened to a light syrup consistency, about 10 minutes. Cool completely. Serve chilled or at room temperature. If making ahead, simply cover and refrigerate.
~from Christmas 101 by Rick Rodgers

With love,
Trisha

Lemon Bread

My body has finally surrendered to this cold that's been traveling through our family. It is a mercy from the Lord, though, that He's kept me healthy while most everyone else was sick. When Mama is down for the count, it's a comfort to have older ones who can manage life.

I'm not confined to the bed, yet, so I managed to get lemon bread made this afternoon. It seemed like the perfect companion to the hot cups of tea I can't drink enough of. And don't fret if you don't have enough zest or fresh lemon juice. This time around I only added about a teaspoon of zest, and I used Real Lemon juice instead. It still tasted wonderful!

Enjoy!

Lemon Bread

2/3 c. butter, softened
1-1/2 c. sugar
3 T. lemon juice
2 T. freshly grated lemon zest
4 eggs
1/4 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
2 c. diced, dried cranberries or fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries, blackberries

Glaze:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. lemon juice

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Coat 4 mini loaf pans or 2 regular size ones. Spray with Baker's Joy for a perfect release. :)

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in lemon juice, zest, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.

In separate bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add alternately with the milk to the egg mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Fold in berries, if using.

Divide batter among pans and bake for 30-40 minutes if making mini-loaves. I make the regular size loaves and start checking them around 25 minutes. Remove loaves to wire rack, but leave in the pans.

Make glaze and pour over hot loaves, allowing them to cool completely before removing them from pans. Wrap tightly to store.

~original recipe found at Stick to Your Hips. (Gotta love that blog name...)

With love,
Trisha

There Will Come a Day When You'll Need This--Our Favorite Brownie Recipe

Because there will be at least one day in your life, regardless of your stage of sanctification, when you'll find you need the following:

~2 minutes to yourself
~a spatula
~leftover brownie batter
~a room with a door with a lock

And you'll want getting to that place to be an easy journey...no chopping chocolate or mixing together complicated ingredients or even running to the store for a boxed mix.

And for all of the other days when you just want homemade brownies, no desperation involved, this recipe is perfect. Just take it out when the time is up. No toothpicks or 2 or 4 or 6 more minutes needed. Hot, fudgy brownies. Ice cream optional.

2 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1-1/2 c. flour
10 T. unsweetened baking cocoa
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or nuts,optional, to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9″ x 13″ pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, oil, and eggs. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until incorporated. Stir in the vanilla. Pour into your prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with optional chocolate chips and/or nuts. Bake for 20 minutes. Then turn the heat off, leaving the pan in the oven for another 15 minutes. Remove pan to a rack to cool completely.

***original recipe found here

You're welcome.

With love,

Trisha

Buttermilk Oven-Baked Pancakes

These are so easy that if you never make pancakes for your family, you truly have no excuse now. :) Yum! Yum! Yum!

Buttermilk Oven-Baked Pancakes

1-1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 T. sugar
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 egg, beaten
1-1/2 c. buttermilk
3 T. oil
cinnamon-sugar to taste

Mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl combine egg, buttermilk, and oil; add to dry ingredients. Stir until just mixed, but lightly lumpy. Spread batter evenly in a greased and floured (use Baker's Joy!) 15x10 jelly-roll pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar to taste. Bake at 350 degrees for 16-18 minutes, until top springs back when lightly touched and edges are lightly golden. Cut into squares and serve with butter and maple syrup. 4-6 servings.
~Gooseberry Patch

**I doubled the recipe and baked it in Pampered Chef bar pans, one large and one small. Yes, lightly lumpy, but be sure to break up clumps of baking powder and soda.

With love,
Trisha

Yogurt Streusel Muffins

"The appearance of hot quick breads on the breakfast board 'is a means of breakfast grace not to be underrated by the wise housewife.'"

~Marion Harland, 1903, quoted by Marion Cunningham in The Breakfast Book

• These were a big hit! I doubled the recipe, using regular (not low-fat) yogurt, and the result was 24 muffins, plus an extra-large muffin, plus 6 mini-cakes. (Are Pampered Chef muffin pans unusually small? ) 
• Of course, any muffin aficionado knows you must top the warm muffins with butter before serving. :)

• Streusel topping:
• 2/3 cups pecans, almonds or walnuts, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 
• Muffins:
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled 
• 2/3 cup sugar 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Make streusel topping: In a small bowl, combine streusel ingredients and pinch together into large crumbs. Place bowl in freezer.
2. Make muffins: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line cups of a muffin tin with paper liners. In a large bowl, whisk butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and yogurt. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt with a wooden spoon. Fill each muffin cup with batter. Scatter streusel topping over each muffin and press lightly on crumbs so they adhere to batter. Bake until tops are golden, 17 to 20 minutes. Let muffins cool in pan set on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove muffins to rack to cool completely.

~original recipe here

With love,

Trisha

Easy Hamburger Curry

"Savor the moments you spend at the table surrounded by 

people you love. Commit them to memory--

store them deep in your archives--so that you can 

relive them at will, because 

these special days are the jewels in life's crown."

~Doris Christopher

I can hear you now..."I needed something for dinner tonight, and this is perfect."

You're welcome. :)

The first time I used curry was for this meal. And that was just several months ago. This dish comes together quickly, and it's a favorite of even some of the pickiest eaters in the house. Serve over white or brown rice, and add Indian Fry Bread for a perfect meal.

Easy Hamburger Curry
Saute in skillet:
3 T. butter
1 c. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced

Brown in same skillet:
1-1/2 lbs. ground beef
Drain off excess grease if needed.

Add in:
1 T. curry powder
1-1/2 tsp salt
dash each of: black or red pepper, cinnamon, ginger, tumeric
2 c. diced tomatoes, fresh or canned
2 c. diced potatoes
2 c. frozen green beans or English peas

Cover and simmer 25 minutes.
(from Martha's Family Cookery Book)


With love,
Trisha

**a dash is equal to 1/8 tsp.

Bits of Sunshine Biscuits

You've been warned. You really won't be able to stop at eating just one these bits of savory goodness. They're great with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The name alone makes one smile, and at just four ingredients, well, this recipe is almost perfect.

Bits of Sunshine Biscuits
~from Gooseberry Patch


1 c. butter, melted
8 ounces of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 c. sour cream
2 c. self-rising flour


Combine butter and cheese; set aside to cool for a couple of minutes. Add sour cream; stir in flour. Fill greased mini muffin tins 2/3 full; bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen.

(Using regular sized muffin tins, I was able to make 19 muffins.)

Enjoy!

With love,
Trisha

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

I'll be your favorite blogger after you try this recipe. (Just don't pin me on Pinterest, 'cause you know what they do with your pictures, right? They're no longer yours.)

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes...a.k.a Oreo Cupcakes. Yum!

Look at the fun surprise at the bottom of the cake.

This recipe was a hit with my Mountain Man. That says a lot because he does not have a sweet tooth. Give him salty over sweet any day. But this is what was heard 'round the dining room table after he finished these tasty gems.

"I believe that's the best cupcake I've ever eaten."

It's every wife's dream to hear those words about anything she makes her Beloved.

BUT, the oreo on the bottom wasn't the only surprise about this recipe. The one son who loves sweets the most didn't like this clever combination of irresistible flavors. We're having his head examined soon.

Don't you believe him. This is a keeper. And I didn't even mind using those cupcake paper liner things.

Bake on, my friends. However, don't expect to eat more than one cupcake at a time, unless you're pregnant or have had a REALLY bad day. These are super sweet. Oh, have the chilled glass of milk ready, too.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
brilliant idea of The Cake Doctor

30 Oreo cookies (not double-stuffed, but may use mint or chocolate-stuffed Oreos)
1 pkg. plain white cake mix (18.25 ounces)
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Buttercream Frosting (see below)

Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners.

Count out 12 Oreos and separate the top and bottom wafers, making sure each wafer has some of the icing on it. (Have an older child do this tedious task and promise to let them eat the ones they break. Remember to have fun!)
Place one wafer, icing side up, in the bottom of each paper liner. Set aside. Place remaining 18 Oreos in zipper-lock bag and crush by rolling over them with a rolling pin. Set crumbs aside.

Place cake mix, sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla in large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl if necessary and then increase mixer speed to medium, beating 1-1/2 minutes more. Measure out 1-1/2 cups of the crushed Oreos and fold into batter until well incorporated. Set aside remaining crushed Oreos for garnish. Spoon or scoop 1/3 c. batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it 3/4 full.

Bake cupcakes until they are lightly golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18-20 minutes. Remove pans from oven and place on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place on wire rack to cool at least 15 minutes before frosting.

Prepare frosting and place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out with a spoon or short metal spatula. Top with leftover cookie crumbs, gently pressing them into the frosting.

Buttercream Frosting
8 T. salted butter, at room temperature
3 c. confectioners' sugar
3-4 T. milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Place butter in mixing bowl and blend until fluffy, about 30 seconds. Add sugar, milk, and vanilla, and blend on low speed until sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase to medium speed and beat until fluffy, 1 minute more. Add up to 1 T. more milk if icing is too stiff.

With love,
Trisha