Rolo Brownies

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Chocolate, chocolate, and caramel. Mmmmm…
 
Ingredients:
24 frozen Rolos
Brownie mix (or make batter from scratch) and whatever the brownie mix calls for (eggs, vegetable oil, etc.)
Pam
 
1. (Freeze the Rolos first.) Make the brownie batter.
 
2. Grease muffin pan well and fill each insert 2/3 of the way full with batter.
 
3. Place a frozen Rolo into the center of each brownie.
 
 
4. Spread batter from around the Rolo over the top to cover it completely.
 
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Let cool for a several minutes and carefully remove from pan. Enjoy!!!
 
Source: Rachel B. posted to Pinterest, my friend Porsche repinned it, and Porsche and my sister, Kylie, were kind enough to make them while visiting 🙂

Eco-friendly Multipurpose Cleaner

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Since having a new baby in my home, I’m trying to be more eco-friendly and trying not to use cleaners that are harsh to our skin or the air we breathe. My sister has been using this cleaner for a while, I’m totally on the band wagon now. This is great, has a clean (vinegar) smell and cuts grime and grease really well too.

 Eco-friendly Multipurpose Cleaner

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. Distilled White Vinegar
1 Tsp. Borax
2 Tbsp. Dawn dish soap
1 C. Hot Water

Directions
Pour vinegar, borax and hot water into spray bottle.
Then continue filling spray bottle with cool water.
Add dawn dish soap last. No need to shake.

Turkey Avocado Panini Sandwich

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This time of year always brings out cabin-fever in my house. I get itchy for “summer food.” And since our local grocery store had avocados at reduced prices (nice of them to comply to my mood, don’t you think?), I thought, “What better way to kick winter in the bum?” (That’s right. Bum.)

Ingredients:
2 slices Country White or Sour Dough Bread (or your favorite thick bread)
Turkey Breast, sliced thick*
2 slices Provolone Cheese
1/2 Avocado, mashed
squirt of lime
5 – 8 Cherry Tomatoes, halved

1. Add the squirt of lime to the avocado and stir until thoroughly incorporated.
2. Layer in the following order: 1 slice of bread, 1 slice of cheese, turkey breast, avocado, tomatoes, 1 slice of cheese, and top with the other slice of bread.
3. Smash them onto a Panini Maker until the cheese is melted and gooey. Mmm-MMMM!!

If you don’t have a panini maker, don’t sweat it! Toast your bread for a little added crunch and warmth.

*Left overs are great. We have also used deli slices, and Oscar Meyer Cutting Board turkey breast.

Serves 1

~Kara

Apple Nachos

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Contrary to what you may think, there is no cheese involved in this recipe…but lots of gooey PB and other crunchy toppings to satisfy your snacky cravings. Thanks to Pinterest and Manifest Vegan we now have another healthy (not to mention FUN) morsel to make with the kids. 😉

 
 
Ingredients: 
Apples (we usually have Gala or Pink Lady…but use your fav.)
Lemon Juice/Fruit Fresh/or Lemon Lime Soda (if you don’t want them to brown)
Peanut Butter (about 1/2 C per 2 apples), Warmed
Craisins (Dried Cranberries)
Shredded Sweetened Coconut
Slivered Almonds (or any other type of chopped nut)
 
 
The best part about Apple Nachos is that you can use 
as much or as little of your choice of ingredients as you would like! 
And the kids LOVE to help!
First, just get your apples washed and sliced.  
If you want to prevent them from browning, put the apples in a bowl 
or ZipLock bag and pour either lemon juice, a Fruit Fresh solution 
or some lemon lime soda (like 7Up or Sprite) over them and stir 
or shake to coat them completely.
Warm up the PB in a microwaveable cup or dish. 
I did 1/2 C for about 30-40 seconds.
When you get the apples on the plate, just start piling it on!
We started with the Craisins, then drizzled that melty PB all over.
Mmmmmmm. Melty Goodness.
Some how those little people always make their way into my pics. 😉
 

And…….Voila! Apple Nachos!

Mmm Hmmm…They’re sticky, alright! 
 
 
 

My Best Brownies

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I’ve been in search of a great brownie recipe for years.  A few of them made the cut, but none satisfied my yearning when it came to texture.  I don’t know why, but for some reason nothing beats the texture of a store-bought brownie mix.  Okay, maybe you don’t agree, but I love them there mixes!

Recently, I decided that even though my brownie search had left me jaded and disillusioned (drama queen?  I don’t know what you’re talking about), I would open up my heart to yet another brownie recipe.

And this time….wait for it….I found LOVE!

This recipe comes the closest by far to duplicating (or at least closely mimicking) that elusive brownie-mix texture I’ve come to know and love.  And, as with so many brownie recipes, they get better with age.  (Yes, I appreciate brownies more as a middle-aged woman but I’m talking about the brownies‘ age, not mine…they are better the next day.)

So, now that I’ve found it, this recipe will now be named (at least in my house) My Best Brownies!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
11 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped*
1 cup butter, cut into 1″ pieces
2 cups sugar
5 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter sides and bottom of a 9×13-inch glass pan.  Line with parchment paper (you will use the ends of the parchment to lift out the brownies later).
2.  In medium bowl whisk together:  flour, salt, cocoa.
3.  Put chocolate and butter in a large bowl set over a saucepan of simmer water.  Stir occasionally until completely melted and smooth.  Turn the heat off, but keep the bowl over the pan and add the sugars.  Whisk until thoroughly combined.  Remove bowl from pan and set aside to cool to room temperature.
4.  Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined.  Add remaining eggs and whisk until combined.  Add vanilla and stir until combined, being careful not to over-mix.**
5.  Sprinkle flour mixture over chocolate mixture.  Use a rubber spatula (not a whisk) to fold in the flour mixture.  There should be just a bit of flour visible when you STOP mixing.
6.  Pour batter into pan and smooth the top.  Bake for 30 minutes, but rotate the pan halfway through the baking time.  Brownies are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs sticking to it.  Let the brownies cool completely.  Lift them out using the parchment paper.  Cut and serve.

Makes 24 brownies; serve with ice cream, warmed up peanut butter (as a sauce), and Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

Notes:
*I didn’t have enough dark chocolate so I mixed what I had:  some German chocolate, plain ol’ baking chocolate, and some dark chocolate.
**Over-mixing will result in cake-y brownies.

Source:  slightly adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Something Little

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“What holds us back from helping another?

I have thought about this and realized that I tend to make grandiose plans, and it is hard for me to settle for “something little”. I don’t want to just send one valentine, I want to send everyone a valentine. I don’t want to just stop by for a 10 minute visit to my widow neighbor, I want to bake bread and take it over to her when I visit and stay an hour. In the process of daily life, and being realistic about what I can manage, I end up losing heart and doing . . . nothing! Sad, huh?

Today I thought about the little things. Don’t they make a huge difference in your life? As I entered church this morning, a leader up in the front smiled and nodded at me. That was little. But I felt so much better, as it had been a discouraging morning. I know that took hardly any effort, and no forethought. But it made a difference to me! A big difference. I think it changed the outcome of my day.

Just think! If everyone just did something, no matter how small, what a enormous wave of good works it would create. If we all followed through on even 1/10th of our good intentions, it would transform our neighborhood, church or community. When I was a young mother, we lived in Holland. The Dutch housewives would come out in the mornings and wash their porches with a mop and a bucket of suds. They had a saying: “If each wife washes her own porch, the whole world will be clean”. How true! Each of us doing something small would have an tremendous effect! Doing something little reminds me of the children’s picture book—Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed—about how one ordinary little girl’s small act of kindness actually multiplied to touch everyone on the planet!

If you are like me, with idealistic plans that end up sabotaging your good intentions to love and serve others, let’s work on this together. Can you manage just a very small act every single day this week? Just one valentine to someone who might be lonely. Just one short visit, minus the homemade bread. A phone call. Even just a smile and a nod really matters! Something little. Loving kindness administered in small enough doses that you don’t overwhelm yourself and wear yourself out.
Are you up to the challenge?
Just something little.”

Source: entire quote taken from Diane Hopkins

I just couldn’t have said it better myself. This morsel really spoke to me. It pretty much IS me. I LOVE to serve and little things have always meant so much to me. I forget though, sometimes, how much a single kind word or gesture can literally saves someone’s day. I have seen it happen and have had it happen to me. Be always on guard to serve someone “a little something”.
Amy

Image from Google. 

Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Alfalfa Sprouts

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Lately my husband and I have been adding sprouts to our diet because of their health benefits.  We love them on our salads and sandwiches.  I’m not sure where the idea for this particular sandwich came from.  I know I’ve had something similar to this in a restaurant.  It may not look pretty but it sure is delicious!

Ingredients (for 2 sandwiches):
2 grilled chicken breasts (I marinated mine in olive oil, fresh garlic, lemon, parsley, salt, and pepper)
4 slices or bread (we used ciabatta)
1 medium tomato
1 ripe avocado
a lemon or bottled lemon juice
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
mayonnaise (optional)
alfalfa sprouts

1.  Lightly toast your bread.  
2.  While bread is toasting cut 4 slices of tomato.  Scoop out flesh of avocado and put into a bowl.  Mash with back of a fork until desired consistency.  Give it a splash of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
3.  Take slices of bread and spread a thin layer of mayo on them followed by the avocado spread.
4.  Build your sandwich starting with the chicken breast, tomato slices, then finished with a layer of alfalfa sprouts. 

*This sandwich would taste great with a few bacon slices!

Scrambled Egg Cups

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I love eggs. Unfortunately I am the only person in my family who does. But I found this great recipe and couldn’t resist making them. Then I made them again and again and… you get the picture.

The original recipe called for 6 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled but I try to go meatless at breakfast so I’ve substituted either diced peppers and onions or diced mushrooms and onions. Delicious either way, although I can see how bacon or sausage would be awesome.

Scrambled Egg Cups
12 eggs
3 Tbsp milk
1/2 to 1 cup diced veggies or meat
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese + additional for topping
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-count muffin tin with cooking spray. (Be sure to spray it on thick; those eggs like to stick.)
2. Whisk together the eggs and milk.
3. Stir in the cheese and veggies.
4. Pour into the greased muffin tin. (I used a soup ladle.)
5. Sprinkle additional cheese on top of each egg cup.
6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Since I’m the only one eating them I tried to freeze them. Unsuccessful. Don’t even try it. Just trust me. However, they do keep well in the refrigerator, so I make a batch on Saturday or Sunday morning and have a couple every day for the week.

Source: Semi Homemade Mom

Arroz a la Mexicana (Mexican Rice)

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This is an easy recipe for rice.  I know that there are packaged rices that are really good, but for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner I prefer to go with “scratch-made.”  For years I have finagled the process because I didn’t have a Dutch oven.  I would use a cast iron skillet and then transfer the mixture into a stone bowl and flip a round stone baker over that for a lid and bake it.  This year I finally bought a Dutch oven and oh my it is so much easier now!  Love my Dutch oven!  But I digress, this is about the rice…

 

 

 
Ingredients:
2 cups salsa
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups white rice, uncooked
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
 
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a 3-quart, oven-proof saucepan or small Dutch oven (with lid), heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the rice and cook, stirring regularly, until the rice is chalky looking, about 5 minutes.  If some kernels brown, it’s okay.
 
2.  Add the salsa–I use this recipe or just use any roasted tomato and jalapeno salsa–and stir for a minute as the salsa sears and reduces a little.
 
3.  Add the broth and a teaspoon of salt.  Bring to a boil, stir once, scraping down any rice that is on the sides of the pan.  Cover tightly and bake for 25 minutes.  Rice is done if you can bite into a grain and it is nearly cooked through. 
 
4.  If rice is ready, cover and let stand out of the oven for 5-10 minutes longer to finish cooking.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of fresh chopped cilantro over the rice, then use a fork to fluff rice and fold in the cilantro.
 
Okay, here is a picture of my new Dutch oven.  Isn’t it pretty?  Better Homes and Gardens at Walmart….
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Source: Rick Bayless’ Mexican Kitchen.

Gingerbread Cookies

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Gingerbread is not just for Christmas anymore. These soft in the middle and crisp on the edges cookies are scrumptious anytime. If you’re in a hurry, these will work without chilling them just roll, bake, and go.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup Sorghum Molasses – if you don’t have this use 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp regular molasses
2 eggs
4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp powdered ginger
2 tsp cinnamon

4 cups all purpose flour

Extra granulated sugar for rolling balls of dough in

1. Cream butter, shortening, and sugar
2. Add molasses and eggs and beat well
3. Add remaining dry ingredients
4. Chill dough for 30 min or more (if you have time)
5. Roll dough into desired size balls and roll in sugar
6. place on ungreased cookie sheet
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes depending on size of balls don’t over bake
8. Cool on wire rack
9. Store in covered container – makes 6 dozen cookies
Source: Lion House – with a few changes
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