Meatball Cupcakes

Hehehe don't you just love eating food that plays tricks on your mind like cheeseburger cupcakes or a pie that looks just like pizza? well today i have a treat for you! This is so much fun with the kids and grown up's love it too! These cupcakes are one of my favorite to make and the yummy jam really tastes great with the vanilla cupcake and chocolate center!

What you need!

10 Vanilla cup cakes with white wrappers (i used boxed cake mix recommended duncan hines)
1 can of vanilla frosting plus 1/2 tsp cocoa powder & 3-8 drops of yellow food coloring (I added a little more yellow food coloring you want to make it a PASTA color not yellow so just judge carefully)
11 ferro roche chocolates
3/4 cup sugar free strawberry or raspberry preserves (Sugar free has the best color)
2 tbsp grated white chocolate to sprinkle on top (to look like Parmesan cheese)

Directions:

Make cupcakes according to package directions let cool

Mix vanilla frosting with cocoa powder and yellow food coloring, you want the frosting to look pasta colored, a pale yellow. Place frosting in a bag cut a small hole at the tip and make spaghetti strings on the cupcakes. In a separate bowl combine the strawberry preserves with the chocolate balls and coat. Place one chocolate ball on top of each cup cake!

Light Breakfast

I love eating a light healthy breakfast, so one morning i just made breakfast with the things i had left over in my fridge this was a fantastic easy breakfast made to look gourmet......Ill call it breakfast toast!


2 Slices of whole wheat toast (recommended Rudys organic whole wheat toast)
2 slices of fresh tomato
2 basil leaves
2 eggs fried hard
pinch of diced red onion
sprinkle of salt and black pepper
sprinkle of smoked Gouda cheese (you could substitute mozzarella or fresh Parmesan also)

Directions

Spray pan with butter spray add a pinch of diced red onion saute 30 seconds break open egg sprinkle with salt and black pepper and fry hard (luke likes his sunny side up which you can do in this recipe as well )
Place slice of toast in toaster oven and butter
Layer the egg, tomato and basil onto the buttered toast and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat process for the second slice of toast. Serve with BIG cinnamon bun on the side :o)

Serves TWO

Flaky Pie Crust

2 1/4 c Flour
3/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
3/4 c Crisco (butter flavored)
10 tbsp ice water

1. In a food processor mix flour, salt and sugar together pulse to combine.
2. Add crisco and pulse until just combined do not over mix
3. Add one tbsp of water at a time pulsing between each addition until the flour mixture is moistened do not use more than 10 tbsp of water or the dough will be tough.
4. Divide dough in half and place in fridge for 1 hr or freezer for 15 minutes


It is important with this recipe that the oven be very hot i always bake the pie at 450 for the first 15 minutes no matter what the recipe calls for and then reduce the temperature to what ever the recipe calls for. Cooking the pie for an additional 35-45 minutes until the filling is bubbly. The crust should be a nice golden brown after the first 15 minutes so you should cover it with foil to prevent further browning.

Pumpkin Black Bean Bake

I got this recipe from better homes and gardens and i really liked it but i think it needed to be punched up a notch! The recipe as is is also very good as well. If you want to try the original recipe just click here other wise my new and improved recipe is below.



Mmm corn bread with pumpkin puree who would have thought of this such a great idea!




Modified Pumpkin Black Bean Bake
Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
2 cups cut into 1/2-inch pieces peeled pumpkin
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1 4-oz. can diced green chiles
1 Jalapeno chopped and diced seeds removed
1/2 c fresh spicy salsa
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup lower-sodium beef broth (i usually use stock)
1 c sharp cheddar cheese
3 tbsp cilantro

Corn Bread Topping
1 8-1/2-oz. pkg. corn muffing mix (Jiffy)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup Pumpkin Puree, or canned pumpkin


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In large skillet cook ground beef, pumpkin and onion over medium heat until meat is browned and onion tender, breaking up ground beef with spoon; drain fat. Stir in black beans, corn, chiles, jalapeno and salt. Heat through. Stir in broth, cheese and salsa until blended. Transfer mixture to 2-1/2-quart baking dish.

2. In medium bowl stir together corn muffin mix, egg, milk, and Pumpkin Puree until just combined. Spoon over beef mixture.

3. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into topper comes out clean.

*Hot chile peppers contain oils that can burn skin and eyes. When working with them, wear plastic or rubber gloves.

PIZZA MY WAY

I love margarita pizza but i love sauce as well and i can't understand why pizza companies don't just combine the two ideas because to me that would be the perfect pizza. Well yesterday i made my pizza the way i like it and it was amazing!




My Margarita Pizza

One recipe Pizza dough or store bought your choice of course!
1/4 red onion sliced thingly
4 tbsp basil jullianed
1/2 tomato chopped up into bite sized pieces
mozarella cheese grated and sliced
as much pepperoni as you want on your pizza
basic pasta sauce in the jar (recommended Bertoli Vineyard fire roasted tomato with Cabernet sauvignon)
Garlic powder

1. ROll out dough onto parchment paper (this makes transferring pizza dough to oven easier later on) or prepare according to recipe directions. place a thin layer of olive oil over pizza dough, sprinkle garlic powder onto dough
2. Place a thin layer or tomato sauce on the dough leaving a 1" boarder
3. Add tomatoes, onions,basil and pepperoni, slice cheese and place around pizza, shred more cheese and sprinkle lightly on top of entire pizza

Preheat pizza stone in oven at 450F once oven is hot place pizza onto stone and bake 10-15 minutes until dough is brown and cheese is bubbly

Plum Pie

So never in my life have i tasted a plum pie and i have to tell you i think this is one of my favorite pies! This crust was so buttery and flaky and the filling was just so delicious you have to try this recipe it is super easy.






Recipe Adapted from BHG

Plum Pie

Crust
2 1/4 c allpurpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
2/3 c shortening (recommeded crisco butter flavored)
8-10 tbsp ice water

Filling

3/4 c brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
6 ripe plums pitted and cut into bite size pieces
1 cup fresh cranberries
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions

In a food processor combine flour, salt and sugar pulse to combine. Next add butter pulse to combine once again. Add water tbsp by tbsp until mixture comes together. Dump dough out and cut it in half to make two disks, place in freezer to chill whiles you make the filling.

Preheat oven to 450 F Cut plums into bite sized pieces removing the pith, do not peel plums the skin will bake and become yummy and tender. Pour in cup of thawed cranberries, add sugar, cinnamon and flour mix to combine. Cube butter and dot filling. Set aside.

Remove dough from freezer and roll out place first batch of dough in pie dish add fruit filling. Roll out second piece of dough and cut into 1/2" wide strips. Weave over filling in a lattice pattern. Crimp edges together.

Bake for 15 minutes reduce temperature to 375 cover pie with foil and continue to bake another 35-40 minutes or until center is bubbly and pastry is golden.