Baked Oatmeal

Hello again! It has been another crazy couple of months. I got a promotion at work (yay!), but worked both jobs for about a month and a half (boo!). I just moved apartments again and I'm finally settled a bit. All I can say is that I am completely looking forward to this weekend. Naps are already planned out.

3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg
4 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fat free milk
1 1/2 cup oats

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and egg together. Add the baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Fold in the milk and oats.

Pour into a baking dish and bake for 35 minutes. Serve while hot. To reheat, add a splash of milk and heat in the microwave for about 1 minute.

Orange Ginger Cupcakes

Tomorrow is my best friends' daughters second birthday. I can't believe she's already turning two! For the big day, I'm bringing some apple muffins (post coming soon) and orange ginger cupcakes. These were adopted from a recipe that called for cloves. Since cloves can be a very strong flavor, I substituted ginger. It's light and refreshing for early spring.

3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup orange juice, no pulp
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake tin with liners (makes 24). In a medium bowl, combine the flour, orange zest, baking powder, and salt.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add half the flour mixture and combine. Then add the orange juice, followed by the dry mixture.

Fill the cupcake tins until 3/4 high. Bake for 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Vanilla Frosting

2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 stick butter, softened
1/8 cup milk
about 3 cups powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Adding more/less sugar as need to achieve desired constancy.

Crock Pot Chicken Curry

In an effort to reduce my spending, I have dug through my freezer and my canned goods stock and discovered that I have what I need for curry! I go through waves with curry. Normally I don't crave curry, but then I have a taste of it and I must have it constantly for weeks. Since I'm doing a huge slow cooker worth, I will have plenty for lots of lunches this week.





4 skinless chicken breasts, cubed in 1 inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons freshly ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 bay leaves

In a large slow cooker, combine the chicken, onion, garlic, and spices. Toss well so that all pieces of chicken and onion are coated with curry. Add in the beans, tomatoes, broth, and cream. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. Serve with saffron rice.

Peanut Butter Cookies

My work is having a March of Dimes fundraiser with many different events. One co-worker and I will be doing a snack cart tomorrow and doing milk and cookies. Remember these?

Yup, we got the small milk cartons to go along with the cookies. :-) Let's all remember waiting in line during elementary school, hoping they don't run out of tater tots before it's our turn.

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter at room temperature
1 egg
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, cream the sugar, peanut butter, shortening, and butter together. Add the egg and beat well. Then add the remaining ingredients until just combined.

Place dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough into small balls, about 1-2 inches. Place on the cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Using a fork, smash the dough until flattened (don't smash too thinly). Bake for 9 minutes.

Strawberry Cake with Cheesecake Filling

This weekend was the celebration for a friend's birthday. Ladies' night! She does not like anything chocolate and I knew she loves strawberry cheesecake, so I thought to combine a traditional birthday cake with a cheesecake. Happy Birthday Kelsey!

Strawberry Cake

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two 9 inch and two 6 inch cake pans with aluminum foil. Spray with non stick spray

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Then add the sour cream, lemon and orange zest, and vanilla. Add the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda and mix until smooth.

Pour batter into each of the pans, about half way up. Bake for about 28 minutes or until a toothpick when inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly and then remove from pans to cool completely.

Even out the tops of the cakes and blow away any loose crumbs.

Cheesecake

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9 inch springform cake pan and a 6 inch cake pan with aluminum foil (makes removing the cheesecake very easy) and spray with non stick spray.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth, about two minutes. Add in the sugar and salt. Then add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.

Pour into the pans, about an inch in each. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, until the cheesecake is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool fully in the pan.

Strawberry Frosting

2 lbs confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 stick butter, softened
16 ounces cream cheese softened
1/2 cup strawberries puree
2 tablespoons whipping cream
In a large bowl, combine the above ingredients. Add more confectioners sugar as needed to establish desired consistency.

Assembly

Place one 9 inch layer of the strawberry on a serving plate. Top with the large cheesecake layer, followed by the remaining 9 inch strawberry layer. Top with a 6 inch strawberry layer, followed by the remaining cheesecake and strawberry layers. Insert three dowels into the cake for stability. Frost generously. Keep refrigerated until serving.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

This is the second time making this. The first, I had four additional people coming to the other day lunch and I didn't have time to spend too long in the kitchen prepping anything. This was super easy to throw together. The longest was getting all the additional fixing put together, like chopping tomatoes, green onions, and pulling cilantro leaves. Serve with rice and beans and you have yourself a complete meal with plenty of leftovers. I liked this recipe so much, I am making it again today, but this time, it's all for me! I actually have the day off today (kind of, still working some from home), so I'm taking advantage and making food for the rest of the week. The leftover chicken can be used for sandwiches too.

4 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless
2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, pureed
1 cup tomato salsa (temperature based on your taste)
1 teaspoon chili pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced

Combine all the ingredients above, starting with the chicken at the bottom, in a slow cooker. Cook on medium for about 4 hours. Remove the chicken and shred using a fork and return to the pot until ready to serve (reduce heat to warm). Serve in tortillas with cheese, tomato, sour cream, cilantro or whatever else you like on your tacos!

Chocolate Valentino

Firstly, sorry I don't have a picture. I gave this away and never cut into it. This is one of my 30 before 30 foods that I want to make. Considering my birthday is getting closer and closer and I haven't even made a handful on that list, I seriously need to get going on it. Oops. It's amazing how a year just flies by.

Ingredients:
16 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus some for prepping the pan
5 large eggs, separated

Butter a cake pan and then line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large microwave proof bowl, combine the butter and chocolate. Microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between each one until melted. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Then using the same beaters, beat the egg yolks separately.

Fold the egg yolks into the chocolate and mix until well incorporated. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate. Then add in the rest in batches.

Pour into prepared pan (until 3/4 of the way full) and bake for about 22 minutes. A toothpick should NOT be clean when inserted into the middle; it should be wet. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about ten minutes. If you allow it to cook until the toothpick is clean, it has already burned the bottom and edges. Remove from pan. Serve with ice cream.