Mini No-bake Key Lime Pies

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Anything key lime takes me back to the Keys of Florida or to the Caribbean for that matter, back where everybody says, “Everything is ire (i ree) or in other words, “Life is good, no worries”.

Ingredients for Crust:

3/4 c. graham-cracker crumbs
1/4 c. finely chopped pecans
3 T. unsalted butter, melted
Ingredients for Filling:
8 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. bottled Key Lime juice
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
Lime slices, optional
Directions:
1.  Line 12 cupcake cups with foil liners.  In bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, pecans, and melted butter.  Spoon 1 T. mixture into each liner, pressing it down to form crust.
2.  In large bowl with electric mixer on low speed, beat cream cheese about 30 seconds, or until creamy.  Add condensed milk and Key Lime juice, and blend on medium speed 20 to 30 seconds, or until just combined.  Add 1 cup whipped topping and blend on low speed 15 seconds longer.
3.  Spoon mixture evenly into liners.  Cover pan with plastic wrap and freeze at least 3 hours, or until firm.  Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving; peel off liners and dollop 1 T. remaining whipped topping on each pie.  Top with lime slices, if you like.
Source:  Quick and Simple

Hostess with the Mostess

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As a child it was a good lunch day if my mom threw in a Hostess Cupcake into my lunch box. Those things are dangerous. I don’t buy them… because I know I’d eat every last one in about 2.4 seconds. So…if you love Hostess Cupcakes, you’re going to LOVE these! One thing, the icing on these is not very sweet. It balances the sweetness of the filling perfectly though. (If you want it sweeter, use milk chocolate chips).

Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Cream Filling and Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting 

Make your favorite chocolate cupcakes or prepare purchased cake mix. Let cupcakes cool.

Creme Filling 
1 – 7 oz container marshmallow cream
1/2 cup softened butter
1/3 cup powder sugar
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon salt

With electric mixer beat ingredients together until fluffy.  Fill the cupcakes with the filling. You can either use an apple corer and remove the center of the cupcake (that’s how I do it) or use a long filling tip to fill them.

Ganache Frosting 
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream

Place chocolate chips into a bowl and pour cream over the top. Heat in microwave until chips are soft. Allow mixture to sit a minute to continue melting the chips. Stir well. Let mixture come to room temperature. With electric mixer beat until fluffy. Fill pastry bag with large star tip and pipe onto cupcakes. Enough frosting and filling for 12-15 cupcakes depending on your frosting and filling style.

Seriously, how good does that look?!

Cream Cheese Peach Pie

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We are in the throws of peach season here and this is my favorite time of year because of it! 🙂 This pie is so light and fresh. It’s hard to go wrong with Cream Cheese AND Peaches. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! I have to give a big shout-out to our friend, Audrey, for giving us the recipe. It’s quickly becoming a fav!

Ingredients:
2-3 Graham Cracker Crusts (I use 3–and I cheated and used store bought. *gasp!*)
12 – 15 Peaches, Peeled
1.5 Cups Granulated Sugar
1/4 Cup Cornstarch
1/2 Cup Water
1 (3 oz) package Lemon Jello
8 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Cup Whipped Cream (or Cool Whip–I use Whipped Cream)

1. Puree 4 – 5 peaches–enough to make 1.5 Cups. I don’t have a food processor, so I cut them up and sloshed them around in my KitchenAid (be sure to use the splash guard!) until they were good and juicy. It was a little chunky, but I actually like it that way!
2. Dissolve the cornstarch into the water and set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring the puree and granulated sugar to a boil.
4. Add the cornstarch (you may need to shake it up a bit again) and cook until thickened.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the dry jello. Put in the fridge to cool.

6. Cream together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and fold in the whipped cream.
7. Divide evenly between the pie crusts. Smooth along the bottom and sides. Be careful not to pull the sides away from the pan. It will still taste good, but it won’t look it! 🙂
8. Slice the remaining peaches and distribute them evenly among the pie crusts. I use around three peaches per pie.
9. Pour the cooled mixture over the sliced fruit and put each pie in the fridge to set (about 3 hours).

Source: Audrey Miller, who says she got it from her aunt

My Best Mac & Cheese

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   How many recipes have you tried for mac & cheese? Seriously, I have tried too many.  Look no further! This is the one!  Totally delicous! My kids totally asked for 2nds and 3rds!   There are 4 differents cheeses in this and seasonings that you already have handy. You are going to make this your go to recipe for homemade mac & cheese. I promise!

This recipe makes a 13″x9″ casserole dish full! 

2 TBSP. butter, melted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
4 cups milk
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1- 1/2 cup cubed velveeta cheese
1/2 cup cubed cream cheese
1-1/2 boxes of Rotini pasta, cooked
onion powder
italian bread crumbs, or your favorite
Pam

Spray your casserole dish with pam, and set it aside. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cook your pasta and drain. Set it aside.

In a good sized pot melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the following: flour, pepper and milk. Slowly add the milk using a whisk until mixture is smooth. Bring this to boil over medium heat; cook for one minute, stirring constantly so your sauce doesn’t stick! Immediatly reduce heat; add cheeses, stirring in until melted. Remove from the heat and add in the pasta. Stir until the pasta is coated well and pour into the casserole dish. 

(If youhave a bigger dish it might be a good idea to use it. My 13x 9 overflowed! But man, was it good!)

Sprinkle over the onion powder over the top, generously, but don’t go crazy! The sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top. You can add as much or as little as you want.

Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Recipe seriously adapted from Gooseberry Patch.

Coconut Whipped Cream

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I’ve been wanting to try this for a while now.  It’s a gluten-free, dairy-free way to enjoy something like whipped cream and can be enjoyed in hot chocolate, on desserts, or on fruit.  It’s easy and fast, too!

Ingredients:
Coconut Milk
Vanilla
Cinnamon

1.  Chill an unopened can of coconut milk in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
2.  Open the can; into a bowl scoop out just what has firmed up on the top.  What’s left underneath is coconut water…don’t use that for your “whipped cream” but do save it to use in smoothies.

the leftover water after scooping

3.  Add some vanilla (I used about a teaspoon for the one can) and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  Mix well with a fork.

That’s it.  You’re done!  Now, obviously this doesn’t taste just like, or have the same consistency as, real whipped cream.  It has a slight coconut flavor.  But it’s kinda fun and may be good for those trying to cut back on dairy.  Give it a try and see if you like it.

Source:  about a million places via Pinterest

DIY All Natural Deodorant–non food

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Is this a recipe? Yes.  Should you serve it with a side veggies? No.  But you could confidently wear it to a special dinner feeling fresh and dry. You can even count on it to eliminate odors.  After my husband became allergic to one deodorant after another, we gave up and decided to search out a more natural alternative.  My friend Cindy introduced us to this recipe.  For us, it literally works–ALL DAY.  And the most important benefit is that you get to miss out on all of the harmful ingredients that you find in store-bought Antiperspirants.  You can find a list of those HERE.  And it’s simple to make:

Ingredients:
1/3 C Coconut Oil (in it’s soft solid stage, room temp. Somewhat resembling Crisco)

1/4 C Baking Soda (You know…the greatest–all-time–odor absorber!??)
1/4 C Arrowroot Powder* (found in the whole food section or baking aisle or a whole foods store)
    *I’ve recently researched that you could substitute Corn Starch for the Arrowroot Powder, but I haven’t personally tried it.

Measure and mix all ingredients in a small or medium size bowl until smooth and looking a bit like this:

For a container, I used a small freezer jam jar. They’re plastic with a nice tight-fitting lid…and just the right size!  I made the mistake of trying to stir it all together in the jar.  What a mess!  Eventually we got it…but please, learn from my mistake.

Now you’re ready to use it!  All you need is a small amount on the end of your finger tip for each application (I was going to say “for each pit” but that didn’t sound very lady-like…lol).  When you’re applying the deodorant in a paste, like this, just rub it in until you feel the coconut oil softening or melting. Then you’re good to go!

I’ve always wondered if I could somehow maneuver this mixture into an empty deodorant container. Hmm….Maybe I’ll try it sometime.

*Make sure to store in a cool area.
*If your Coconut Oil does liquify after you’ve made the mixture (like…you forgot and left it in the bathroom while you took a steamy shower), just stir it well and return to a cooler area.
*If you don’t over apply, this stuff will last you a long, long time!

–Jamie

Lime Pepper Grilled Chicken

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Today I am going to share with you a quick, easy, healthy, tasty chicken recipe.  Not only that, I am going to give you the whole meal so that you will have a yummy addition to your 30-Minute Meal Arsenal.  And you know why?  ‘Cuz that’s how I roll….

The chicken part of this recipe is original, the other components of the meal are straight out of the can, already seasoned, tried and tested in the Jenkins Family Test Kitchen–two thumbs up!!


Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Olive oil
Lime Pepper seasoning
1 can Margaret Holmes Southern Style Seasoned Mixed Greens
1 can La Costena Frijoles Charros



1.  Place chicken breasts in a gallon-size zippered freezer bag.  Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and about a teaspoon of Lime Pepper seasoning (to taste). Close the bag and kind of “moosh” things around until the chicken is evenly coated with oil and seasoning.

2.  Grill chicken on a counter-top nonstick grill (I used my George Foreman grill) for approximately 8 minutes, checking for done-ness.

3.  Meanwhile, open the cans of beans and greens and heat each over medium heat until ready to serve.

4.  That’s it.  Really.

Sweet and Salty Roasted Chick Peas

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Cheap, easy and addictive!

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon or your spice(s) of choice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

  1. Place chickpeas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  2. Bake at 450 F for 30 minutes. (You didn’t miss anything here.  You don’t oil or season them until after they are done.  In fact, for an extra healthy treat, try them when they get out of the oven before even adding the oil.  They are enjoyable all on their own.)
  3. Transfer chickpeas to a bowl and mix thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients.
  4. Enjoy hot, or bring to room temperature and store in an air-tight container.  Like popped corn, the chickpeas are never as good the next day.  However, they are still quite enjoyable 3-4 days after making them.  

Source:  Cupcake Project

This entry was posted in Snacks.

Wet Pants

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I want to share a story with you that I received in one of those forwarded emails that I don’t always read, but this one was really good.  I don’t know the origin of the story, but all credit goes to whoever they are!!

“Come with me to a third grade classroom….. There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It’s never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they’ll never speak to him again as long as he lives.

 

 
 
The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, ‘Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I’m dead meat.’

He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered. As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy’s lap..

The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, ‘Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!’

Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else – Susie. She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. ‘You’ve done enough, you klutz!’

Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, ‘You did that on purpose, didn’t you?’ Susie whispers back, ‘I wet my pants once, too.’ “

 

This is one of the best illustrations that I have seen to show how so many times in our crazy lives God answers our prayers through someone else.  I hope you will think of this story the next time you are praying desperately for something, but don’t quite know where the answer is going to come from.

Images courtesy of Free Digital Photos –Photographers: David Castillo Dominici, digitalart and Microsoft Office Images.

Sprinkles Cupcake’s Strawberry Cupcakes

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I love cupcakes. I really do. When I saw this recipe for Strawberry Cupcakes from Sprinkles Cupcakes (the original Cupcake bakery!) I had to try it. I’ve never liked Strawberry cupcakes from a box. These…. well, these are divine.

Sprinkle’s Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Icing
Servings: Makes 1 dozen

Strawberry Cupcakes

Ingredients
2/3 cup fresh or frozen whole strawberries (thawed if frozen)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , sifted
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
1/4 cup whole milk , room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter , room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg , room temperature
2 large egg whites , room temperature

Directions
– Preheat oven to 350°.
– Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
– Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree. – Add a few more strawberries if necessary, or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.
– In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
– In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla and strawberry puree; set aside.
– In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.
– With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended.
– Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.
–  Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes.
– Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

Strawberry Icing

Ingredients
1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
Pinch of coarse salt
3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
– Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed.
– In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy.
– Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners’ sugar; beat until well combined.
– Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended.
– Do not overmix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

Source for cupcakes. Source for icing.

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