Smores in a Jar

Shaun and I LOVE s'mores!
So naturally i made this for out mason jar picnic! 

Pictures and recipe from:

http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/04/smores-cake-in-a-jar/

S’mores Cake in a Jar

makes 4 16-ounce mason jar cakes

for crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 stick butter

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter and mix in graham crumbs and salt. Mix until moistened. Spray 4 mason jars with non-stick spray and press graham crust into jars. I began by adding a tablespoon to each, and repeating until graham crumbs were gone. They don’t need to look perfect. I pressed the crumbs down firmly with the flat bottom of a clean screwdriver.

for cake: (from peanut butter hot fudge cupcakes)

1 1/8 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup dark cocoa powder

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon heavy cream

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 tablespoons sour cream

for topping:

1 bag of large marshmallows

In a bowl, whisk egg and sugar until smooth and no lumps remain. Add milk, cream, butter and vanilla, and mix until combined. Stir in sour cream. Sift dry ingredients together and add to wet mixture. Mix until batter is smooth. Using a 1/4 cup measure, add batter to mason jars one scoop at a time. You only want to fill them up about half way, and the batter should work evenly for 4 jars. Again – don’t worry if it is perfect. Place mason jars in a baking dish and add about 1 1/2 cups of water to the bottom. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cake is set.

Remove cake from the oven and press large marshmallows down on top, being careful not to burn yourself. There is no set number of marshmallows to use, I pressed down as many as I could, about 4-5 each. Heat the broiler on your oven and watching carefully, brown marshmallows for about 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. Do not take your eyes off them! Serve immediately.

Notes

*The recipe looks really long, but it is actually really easy! *When you put the marshmallows on top and broil, they may sink down below the edges of the chocolate cake. This is normal. The cake it still more than halfway to the top. *These are pretty rich and sweet, and make a really great dessert for two people to share with two spoons… but can still be eaten by one. *You can use other sizes of jars, just use your eye to decided how much batter to use, never going over half way. If you have too much batter, just make a few cupcakes.

Perhaps tonight’s dinner should be more… balanced? Nah.

Strawberry Lemonade

Strawberry Lemonade
from PBS food

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 ¼ cups fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
24-28 oz fresh cold water
ice

Directions
Bring the sugar and water to a simmer in a small saucepot. Stir so that sugar melts completely then remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Place the strawberries in a blender and process until smooth. Pour pureed strawberries in the sugar water and stir well. Add the lemon juice. Combine the strawberry lemon syrup and the cold water in a large pitcher. Stir well and add lots of ice. Serve lemonade with thin slices of lemons and strawberries.

Ecuador Brownies

Chocolate Chip Brownie Cake

Ingredients: 1/2 C. butter 3 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 1/2 C. Flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 1/2 C. Sugar 1 Tbs. vanilla 1/4 C. hot water 4 eggs Directions: Melt butter and add 2 cups chocolate chips together. In a small bowl mix flour and baking soda together. Put melted chocolate mixture in a large bowl. Add sugar and beat for about 5 minutes. With mixer on add vanilla, and gradually add water. Add eggs one at a time and beat. With mixer on low add flour mixture until blended. Fold in remaining 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 10 inch round pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes.

Old Fashion Ice Cream

1 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 pint (2 cups) heavy whipping cream
1.5 quarts (6 cups) milk

You just mix everything together and put it in your ice cream maker. Make SURE you whisk the eggs VERY well first or you will get hunks of frozen egg.

Homemade Applesauce

Ingredients

• 6 pounds Apples, Peeled, Cored, And Cut Into 8 Slices
• 1 cup Apple Juice Or Apple Cider
•  Juice Of 1 Lemon
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar, Packed
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, More Or Less To Taste
•  Optional Ingredients: Nutmeg, Maple Syrup, Allspice, Butter

Preparation Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes.

Carefully puree in a food processor or blender (don't fill too full; split into two portions if needed) until smooth.

Store in the fridge and serve by itself, over pork chops, over ice cream, over pancakes...or any place where applesauce is needed!

I found this a few weeks back and LOVE IT!
So easy and oh so good.

4 fish filets – any white fish is fine. I use tilapia
1 cup panko
1 cup finely crushed corn tortilla chips
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cumin
2 egg whites
Cooking spray
8 corn tortillas
Shredded lettuce or cabbage
1 avocado, diced into medium chunks
Chipotle sauce (recipe follows)

Chipotle Dressing:
1/3 cup light mayo
1/3 cup light sour cream
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon yellow onion
½ teaspoon fresh oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Heat your oven to 375F and spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.

All found off of 

http://www.evilshenanigans.com/2009/06/baked-fish-tacos-with-chipotle-dressing/

Cookies for Two!

Or one... It doesn't matter really!

If you know me I have the sweet tooth of all sweet teeth. I LOVE chocolate chip cookies.
I love anything sweet but cookies are my favorite.

Since i got married.. Well since I moved away to Ecuador/college I have wanted cookies so bad but hated that my recipe made 80 bazillion. So I have truly been on a quest to find the perfect recipe that will only make about 1 dozen cookies.

For the last 5 years I have cut, halved, forthed and searched for the perfect cookie, and have found not one stinkin one! So Tonight, I decided to make my own. Literally make up my own recipe!

I was so excited that it worked,
 I even took a picture!
















Like I said.. i'm pretty proud of this.

Here is my version of Cookies for Two!

4 T Shortening
4 T Salted Butter (softened...of course)
1/2 C Brown Sugar
 3 T White granulated sugar
1 Egg
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
1 1/4 C flour
1/2 t Baking Powder
1/2 t Baking Soda
1/4 t cornstarch
pinch of salt
1 C chocolate chips

Set oven to 375
Cut butter and either leave our or place in microwave on defrost for 10 seconds
Mix Shortening, butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla together.
Add 1 cup of flour and mix. Add the rest of flour until it gets to the right consistency. ( I don't think I used the full 1/4 cup)
Add BP, BS, Cornstarch and salt.
Then add chocolate chips. ( I say a cup but I have NO IDEA how much I used. If your like my sister you will put more chocolate than cookie, if you're like my mom you will only add 2 chips. Its all preference people!)
The put them in the fridge for a few minutes.

Then you do the whole spoon on sheet and bake type thing.
I baked it for ~10 minutes. I like mine to be ever so slightly brown but still gooey on the inside. The fridge step helps this happen

12 cookies... perfect!

Healthy shrimp alfredo!

Ever Heard on Underdressed Skeleton?

Its a blog all about healthy food! Not anything about the funny diets just about good ol fashioned healthy alternatives. It's great!

We use spaghetti squash as pasta substitute quite a bit. Here is a new recipe that I LOVE...and Shaun HATES.. so eat at your own risk.


Copied straight from her website.

Here is the recipe…

Ingredients:

-Four Cups Cooked Spaghetti Squash (1 Large Squash)
-1/2 Cup Newman’s Own All Natural Alfredo Sauce
-1/2 Cup Plain Non- Fat Greek Yogurt
-1/4 Cup No Salt Added Corn
-1/4 Cup Diced No Salt Added Tomatoes
-1/2 Cup Uncooked Shrimp (Tails Off)

Directions:

1. Bake spaghetti squash for 60 minutes at 350 degrees.
2. In a non-stick sauce pan, heat shrimp until half cooked.
3. Turn heat to low, add: corn, tomato, Greek yogurt and Alfredo sauce. 4. Stir together until creamy.
5. Mix in cooked spaghetti squash! 

Makes Two Servings : 2.5 Cups Per Serving! 

215 Calories, 5.5 g Fat, 24 g Carbs, 5 g Fiber, 18 g Protein, 8 g Sugar 

Texas Brownies

Texas Sheet Cake... Brownies.... Yummies

My family called it cake, Shauns called it brownies... Either way its perfect!!

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

½ cups (1 cube) of butter

¼ cup cocoa

½ cup shortening

1 cup water

¼ cup cocoa

½ cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp of baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

Frosting:

¾ cup of butter (1 ½  cube)

2 tsp cocoa

¼-3/4 cup milk

3 ½ cups powder sugar

1 tsp vanilla

•        put dry ingredients together
•        melt butter, shortening and water in sauce pan.
•        Add buttermilk to hot liquids
•        add liquid to  dry ingredients
•         spray cookie sheet with cooking spray
•        pour cake mixture in
•        bake at 350 for 20 minutes
• 
  
•        Make frosting while cake is baking
•        Melt butter
•        Add milk
•        Mix into powder sugar and cocoa mixture.
•        Add vanilla
• 
  
•        You want this to be extremely thin. More like a syrup than a frosting. If its too thick add more milk.
• 
  
•        When cake is still hot poke holes all over with toothpick or fork.
•        Poor frosting on top and spread around so that it can soak into the cake/ brownies
•        This will look like way to much frosting but its not! Just let it  soak in.
•        Pull edges away from baking sheet so that it has more places to go and soak up.
• 
  
•        EAT IT
• 
  

Blender Jello

I'm not really a fan of pinterest recipes  I love it for craft ideas, home decor, and home design ideas. But other than that... its just Meh. 

BUT  I did come across  this gem a few months ago and it has been a hit with this Allred couple.  

Healthy, Low-cal, and Sweet Tooth Satisfaction! 

Blender Jello

• 2/3 c. boiling water
• 1 (3 oz) package Jell-o
• 8-10 ice cubes
• 1  (8 oz) container of Cool-whip

1. Place the boiling water in the blender and add the package of Jell-o.  Place the lid loosely on your blender.  Since you are using boiling water, if you put the lid on tight you could end up with an explosion.  Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until the jello is dissolved.
2. Add the ice cubes to the blender ONE at a time.  Blend after each addition until the ice is well blended.
3. Add half of the container and cool whip.  Blend until combined.  Pour Jell-o into desired dish/dishes.  then chill until set.  the original recipe said 5 minutes but I like it for at least an hour!

This is also good between two graham crackers and then frozen to resemble an ice cream sandwich. 

Sausage topping

 A great neighbor and family friend introduced my family to this gem. Robyn Longhurst... dont know her? Sucks to be you, she's flippin awesome! 

As you know, i'm from idaho which means I love to eat potatoes in any form! However, my least favorite is the baked way. yucky plain suckers.  But, this sausage gravy/dip/topping can make anything taste great! 

While its crock-potting away bake up your potatoes. My favorite way is to slather them in butter and sea salt, then toss them in the oven for an hour or so at 325. 

Best dang spud I ever did have! 

weird-o brownies

I love brownies! But i HATE cake, so if the brownies resembles cake.. Ain't touchin' it!

These are the weirdest brownies ever. But I love them. They are super gooey and are amazing with homemade ice cream!

Here's the complicated er...highly detailed recipe. follow it EXACTLY, or they wont possibly achieve their full potential!

Best-Ever Brownies
from Baking with Julia

1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sift the flour and salt together and set aside.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently and keeping a watchful eye on the pot to make certain the chocolate does not scorch.  Add 1 cup of the sugar to the mixture and stir for half a minute, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.  Pour the mixture into a large bowl.

Put the remaining 1 cup sugar and the eggs into the bowl of a mixer and whisk by hand just to combine.  LIttle by little, pour half the sugar and eggs into the chocolate mixture, stirring gently but constantly with a rubber spatula so that the eggs don't set from the heat.  Fit the whisk attachment to the mixer and whip the remaining sugar and eggs until they are pale, thick, and doubled in volume, about 3 minutes.  Using the rubber spatula, delicately fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture.  When the eggs are almost completely incorporated, gently fold in the dry ingredients.

Pour and scrape the batter into an unbuttered 9-inch square glass or ceramic pan.  Bake the brownies for 25-28 minutes, during which time they will rise a little and the top will turn dark and dry.  Cut into the center at about the 23-minutews mark to see how they are progressing.  They will be perfect if they are just barely set and still gooey.  Cool the brownies in the pan on a rack.  Cut into bars and serve.

The brownies will keep, covered, for 2-3 days at room temperature and can be frozen for up to a month!