Shortcut chocolate bars

Let me start by admitting that I keep several of these bars tightly wrapped in my freezer at all times. These and a few brownies. After a quick pop in the microwave, they're as good as new. Or pretty close anyway.

What I like best is that they're so easy to make and yet they're super delicious. My kind of treat!

Here's what you'll need:

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 17-ounce rolls refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough

Preheat your oven to 350 F. In a saucepan, combine the chocolate chips, condensed milk and butter. Cook and stir over low heat until the chocolate is melted. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the nuts (I don't use them but you may choose to) and the vanilla.

Cover a 15" x 10" (or any pan similar in size) with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. You don't have to use foil, but I always do because it makes clean-up a cinch and anything to make clean-up quicker is a good thing! Then, press 1 1/3 rolls of the cookie dough into the bottom of the pan.


Next, spread the melted chocolate mixture evenly on the cookie dough and resist the urge to dip a finger in it. Some of you have self-control, I'm sure. :)



Dot the remaining cookie dough on top of the chocolate mixture. It doesn't have to be precise, so now is a great time to call in little helpers you may have around.



Bake for 25 minutes or so but be carefeful not to overbake. When the top is lightly browned, it's done.



I find these bars even better the next day because they're extremely moist the first day so it's a great recipe for when you need something you can bake a day or two ahead of time.

Now, let it cool for a while and then cut into bars. The size of the bars will be up to you!



Wishing you God's blessings too numerous to count and may they all be as sweet as chocolate!

{hugs}

A Krispy Kreme hug, anyone?

Yes, this dessert is just like a sweet Krispy Kreme hug! It's the perfect way to end a mothers' day brunch or any other meal for that matter.

I first made it a couple of years ago and it was such a hit that everyone asked me for seconds... and the recipe! But be warned, it's extremely sweet. With the main ingredient being the original glazed Krispy Kreme donut, what else could be expected?!

I saw Paula Deen make this recipe one day and I just had to make it. A viewer of hers sent it to her and boy, am I glad he did!

It's a super-easy bread pudding, oops, I mean donut pudding. From someone who absolutely doesn't like bread pudding, take it from me: this isn't your mama's bread pudding! If you'd like to try it, you can find the recipe by clicking here. Note that the glaze calls for rum and although I substitute regular milk, I'm sure it's delicious either way.

And as we approach mothers' day, I'd like to wish all of you moms, moms-to-be, and hope-to-be moms, a wonderful mothers' day. I just learned that there's a brand new mom right in my own backyard, quite literally! Here, take a look:



Aren't they so sweet? When I see her with her babies, I'm reminded that although not all moms are human, we share some common characteristics. A mom is a mom regardless of whether she has hair, fur, feathers, or fins!

Thank you for stopping by today and many sweet blessings to you and yours! :)

Lemon dreams

I must have had lemon dreams last night as I woke up this morning with lemon on my mind. Of all things... lemon!

Photo courtesy of Country Living Magazine

Yes, I woke up and thought of so many wonderful ways that a lemon can turn any dessert into something light and fabulous. Sure, lemon chicken sounds pretty good. But I have a soft spot for desserts and that's the path I'll be taking you on today. Ready?

It all began with visions of a lemon meringue pie...



But then these cute-as-can-be lemon creme cupcakes came along and reminded me of why cupcakes can turn any ordinary into a party.



Speaking of a party, doesn't this cake look delicious?



But maybe you're one of those strange people who couldn't care less for cake. Do you think a lemon bread pudding topped with whipped cream might be just the right thing for you?



Oooh, aaah, that bread pudding looks like such a great dessert! It's unpretentious and doesn't have to look pretty. But if pretty is what you're looking for, can I tempt you with these lovely tea cookies?



Or these adorable tassies?



And for a yummy partner to a morning glass of orange juice, I think we should seriously consider these lemon poppy seed muffins.



I probably would make them in a regular muffin pan but mini muffins look so cute, dont' they?!

Now if it wasn't for a lack of time, inclination or proper occasion (all right, it's mostly the lack of talent I'll admit!), I might attempt this Martha Stewart lemon experiment...



But I'm seriously scared to! I'm sure it's absolutely delicious but it's so out of my league it's not even funny. And would you believe that all of the other scrumptious desserts I've shared with you today can be found in one simple place? Can you guess where?

Ta-da! They're all on Betty Crocker's website which you can go to by clicking here. Yes, they're all Betty's recipes and you know what that means? It means they're right up my alley!

Now, I'd love to have you share with me which of these treats is calling your name. Make yourself comfy and I'll pour us some ice cold lemonade. I just made it! ;)



Would you care for a lemon ball to go with your lemonade?



Or a lemon bar?




I say try them both, life is short!

Well, thank you so much for visiting me today and for letting me share my lemon dreams with you. I hope you won't be surprised if you start craving lemon desserts too!

{Hugs} to each of you and sweet blessings to you and yours!

Apricot oatmeal bars

One of the things I enjoy most about being a mom is cooking favorite meals and baking special treats. The following recipe is for one of my son's favorite snacks, and mine as well. He loves it as an after-school snack, or for a treat in his lunch box. I like it anytime!

The recipe is from Williams Sonoma's "The Kid's Cookbook" which is full of wonderful recipes that are easy to prepare and pleasing to kids and adults.


If you make these oatmeal bars, you just won't believe how fantastic your house will smell when they're in the oven!

Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 cup), melted and cooled to room temperature
2 teaspoons soft butter for greasing foil
1 cup firmly packed dried apricots
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350F. Line the bottom and sides of a 8 or 9-inch square baking pan with foil extending over the edges. Grease the foil with butter (bottom and sides).

Chop apricots into 1/2-inches, approximately.

In a mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Mix until well blended and no lumps of sugar remain.

Add the chopped apricots, melted butter, and vanilla to the bowl. Stir until well blended. The dough will be moist and crumbly. Dump the dough into the buttered pan and press very tightly with your fingers.

Bake until golden brown, approximately 35 minutes. Cool completely, then lift the foil from the pan and peel it from the bottom and sides. Cut into squares or rectangles.




I have a few on hand and I'll be sharing them with my family in just a bit. I hope you get to try them soon and enjoy them with your sweet blessings!

:)

Mini chicken pot pies

One dish that's especially comforting in cold weather is chicken pot pie. I make it year-round but it's even better when the air is bit chilly. The pictures will show when I recently made it using turkey and it's wonderful either way.

Makes one 9-inch pot pie or 3-4 individual pot pies

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 to 3 cups cooked chicken (or turkey) breasts, cubed
1 1/2 to 2 cups carrots, cooked and sliced
1 1/2 to 2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 egg white
Pie crusts

Preheat your oven to 400 F. In a saucepan, melt the butter and mix in the flour. Add the milk a little at a time, while whisking continually. Add the broth, and salt and pepper.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked chicken, carrots and peas.



Fill in 3-4 individual oven-safe bowls with the chicken mixture.



Brush an egg wash (1 egg white mixed with 1 tablespoon of water) on the rim of each bowl. Top with a pie crust, using a knife to cut off any extra.


Below are the pie crusts I use and due to the size of my bowls, I need one crust for each pot pie. If you prefer to do a traditional pot pie, simply use a crust on the bottom of a regular-size pie plate, fill it with the chicken mixture and top it with another crust. Make a couple of slits on the top and bake it the same way.


Brush some egg wash on the pie crust which will make it a beautiful shiny golden brown when cooked. Using a knife, make a couple of slits in the crust. Instead of slits, I usually put each family member's initial on their pot pie but a heart would be nice too.



Put the bowls on a baking sheet and bake at 400 F for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 and bake another 10 minutes. Be careful that you do not burn your crust! Then take them out of the oven and let them cool on a rack for a minute.



Now dig in and enjoy! :)

Share a smile!

A few years ago, I started making a snack for my little boy called "cat smiles". It combines three of his favorite foods: apples, peanut butter and marshmallows.



I found the recipe in this tea party book that I own, which is full of cute tea party ideas and fun themes:



In case you're wondering, the "cat smiles" name has to do with Alice in Wonderland. In the story, the Cheshire cat keeps popping up and then disappearing. When he does disappear, what's the one thing he always leaves behind? His smile, of course!

You can make a cat smile for your little ones today by spreading peanut butter on an apple slice, then lining up mini-marshmallows on it for the cat's teeth, and topping it with another apple slice that was also spread with peanut butter. If you don't care for peanut butter, you could also make it using this:



And what's not to like about Nutella? It's great on everything!

Cat smiles are such a fun after-school snack and they're sure to bring a big smile to your child's face... and yours!



"Take some more tea," the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.
"I've had none yet," Alice replied in an offended tone, "so I can't take more."
"You mean you can't take less," said the Hatter: "it's very easy to take more than nothing".

- Lewis Carroll, "Alice in Wonderland"

Apricot-glazed pork tenderloin

There is such pleasure in bringing a delicious home-cooked meal to the table, and the enjoyment belongs both to the one who prepared it and to those who'll enjoy it. As wives and moms, nurturing is part of the role God gave us, and in an important way, that means feeding the hungry bellies of our family with our love-filled cooking. There's nothing better!

One of the dishes that gets most requested at my house is this one:


I clipped it out of Southern Living Magazine a few years ago, and that's where the above picture is from. They're showing it served over rice, but I always serve it with mashed potatoes and either baby carrots (drizzled with a honey/butter sauce), steamed green beans or sauteed mushrooms. Any veggie will do of course.

It's a beautiful dish to serve but yet it's very simple to make. My favorite kind! :)

The glaze needs just a few ingredients:


There are only 3 of us in our family so if you'd like to make it, simply adapt the recipe according to your needs. I buy a pork tenderloin of a little over a pound, so 2 lbs worth should be good for 5-6 people.

Place the pork tenderloin on a lightly greased rack in a foil-lined pan and sprinkle it evenly with salt. Mix the following ingredients in a bowl:

1/3 cup apricot preserves
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated ginger (I use the puree you see above)
1 tablespoon water

Spread the mixture evenly over the pork.


Bake at 435 for 25-30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 155 F. Remove the pork from the oven and cover with foil. Let stand 5-10 minutes, until the thermometer registers 160 F.

(Every oven varies so start checking for temperature after 25 minutes. If your tenderloin is on the larger side, it may take closer to 35 minutes to be ready.)

Then slice and serve with your favorite veggies or other side dishes. There you have it, dinner that's good enough for a special occasion and one that needed no fuss at all. Enjoy!

White Christmas fudge

Can I let you in on a secret? Sugar and I are pretty close. But as much as I enjoy sweet treats, I actually enjoy sharing them even more. With Christmas fast approaching, I have even more reasons these days to spend time in my kitchen baking and making all kinds of sweets.

One of the things I make every year at Christmas time is white chocolate fudge. It's a rare treat because it's super sweet. Just know that a little bite really goes a long way. If you'd like to make it, here's what you'll need:

2 packages (6 squares each) of Baker's premium white baking chocolate
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds (toasted or not, either way works great)
2/3 cup dried cranberries or craisins (I typically use craisins)



I believe I mentioned that this is super sweet, right? Look no further for the reason why:



This is how this yummy treat gets started. Put the 12 white chocolate squares in a large bowl and pour in the condensed milk. Microwave them on high for 2 to 3 minutes until the chocolate is almost melted and stir with a spatula until the chocolate melts completely. Add the orange peel, almonds and craisins, and stir until all the ingredients are well blended. Pour into an 8x8 pan lined with foil extending over the sides of the pan.

Refrigerate it for at least 2 to 3 hours before serving. Lift the fudge out of the pan using the foil handles, then peel the foil off the fudge. Cut into 5 rows both ways to make 25 squares.

If you behaved and didn't lick the spatula (probably because someone else got to it first!), now is your chance to get a taste. Go ahead and take one while you still can!


Store the fudge in a plastic container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks but frankly, I can't imagine it lasting that long. It'll be gone within a few days, especially if you're in a sharing mood. As a matter of fact, this fudge makes a great gift. Not that you have to give it all away, of course. Just keep a couple of pieces to have along with your cup of coffee or tea, and enjoy a great way to sweeten up your day! :)

Zebra cake

When I was a child, I used to love to make this cake because I could make it all on my own. I think my mom called it a log cake but ever since I started making it with my son, it's been renamed the "zebra cake" and you'll see why once it's sliced.

It's one of the easiest and least expensive desserts anyone can make, and it only requires a couple of ingredients. It's perfect for those times when you're not looking for something pretty and fancy, but still want a little something sweet to bring to the table. The picture below shows all you'll need to get started.


Start by whipping 2 cups of heavy whipping cream. Then, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract. As a child, I used a tub of Cool Whip which was fine, but I prefer the taste of freshly whipped cream sweetened with vanilla or a bit of powdered sugar.

Spoon some of the whipped cream on top of one chocolate wafer, top it with another wafer, top that one also with cream and put them on a plate once you've stacked up a few in your hand.



Then, simply repeat the process until the box of wafers is empty. And, by the way, it's perfectly fine to eat one or two right out of the box. In fact, I would say it's mandatory. :)



Once the cake is assembled, spread the remaining whipped cream all over the top and sides of the cake and refrigerate it for at least 4 to 5 hours. Don't do as I once did in a moment of impatience and assume it will be just fine after only a couple of hours in the fridge. The wafers will still be hard and the cake just won't be a good thing, so give it the 4 or 5 hours it needs.



You can certainly add some chocolate curls on top of the cake to give it a more finished look but I like to keep it quite simple. When you're ready to serve the cake, slice it on an angle.



And that's why at our house we call it a zebra cake!



It's important to note that this cake tastes and looks better if it's eaten within 24 to 48 hours. I make it in the early afternoon, serve it to my family for dessert that night and again the next day but longer than that and the cream starts to turn a bit brownish due to the wafers' color. Keep in mind that you can cut the ingredient amounts in half and make a smaller cake or you can freeze part of the cake (according to Nabisco).

Wishing you a wonderful day and as always, many sweet blessings!

Chicken and fruit salad

Whenever I have a tea party, I like to set a pretty table with flowers and a variety of teacups and plates. While I'm at it, I also try to serve the food in ways that play up the "girliness" of it all. Here's an example in the photo below.


A chicken salad with fresh fruit which I served in a pretty teacup. Why put it on a simple plate as if a tea party was any old occasion? It's not! :)

I serve it along with several other items such as a quiche or mini frittatas, two or three kinds of finger sandwiches, sometimes a green salad or fruit platter, and of course, scones are always on the menu. That's all before I bring out desserts, but let's get back to the chicken salad for now...

This is probably one of my favorite chicken salads, and if you'd like to make it, well I'm happy to share the recipe. It's a simple recipe at heart but with a few little additions that make it quite special. Feel free to vary the ingredients a bit if you wish (as I often do).

In a large bowl, place about 2 cups of cooked and cubed chicken breasts, cooled. Add 1 to 2 stalks of celery (chopped), and 1 chopped apple. I use the packaged fresh apple slices from the grocery store for added convenience and chop several slices. However, if you're slicing your own apple, be sure to first mix the chopped slices in a small bowl with at least 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown (that's another reason why I like the pre-sliced ones, they don't turn brown). Then add to the bowl with the cubed chicken.

Add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of mayo. I've never measured the mayo so this is an approximate amount. You should start with less and increase the amount until you're happy :) with how it all looks. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

While it's in the fridge, take out 2 crunchy granola bars. I use Nature Valley roasted almond or simply honey roasted. Use whatever brand you like, as long as it's crunchy. Then, crush them inside a ziplock bag using a rolling pin.

When you're ready to serve the chicken salad, gently mix half of the crushed granola bars in the salad and 1 cup of drained mandarins. Then, serve the salad in either a bowl or individual teacups (it should make about 5 or 6), sprinkle the remaining crushed granola bars on top and serve immediately.

You could add all kinds of fruit such as seedless grapes (green or red), pineapple, kiwis, strawberries, as well as skip the granola bars and throw in some sliced almonds instead. The variations are just about endless.

Bon appetit!

Homemade chocolate truffles

I had a taste for chocolate yesterday afternoon so I decided to get all fancy and make truffles.

Actually, the name is the only thing that's fancy about them. They're very simple to make and require only a few ingredients.

I took the recipe from this children's tea party book that I own:

These would be wonderful served at any tea party but they certainly don't need a special occasion.

If you'd like to make them, all you need to do is mix the following three ingredients in a small (microwave-safe) bowl: 1 cup of milk chocolate chips, 1/2 a stick of butter cut into small pieces, and 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Microwave for one minute on high, stir, and microwave another minute. Stir until the mixture is smooth and refrigerate it for at least one hour.

Then, using a teaspoon, make about 12 little balls. Note that you may need to put the bowl or the truffles in the freezer for a few minutes if you find the chocolate getting too soft.

For the coating, mix 5 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa and 5 tablespoons of powdered sugar on a plate. As you'll see below, I'm sure I used more than the few tablespoons called for but that's because I didn't bother to measure. It's just for the coating after all.


Then, gently roll each truffle one by one on the plate until it's coated all around.

Oh, who has time to do this one by one?! Go ahead and throw in a few at a time and let them roll around to get a good coating...

When you're finished, put the truffles in a plastic container and store them in the refrigerator until you're ready to have them. Or, you can forget the storing part altogether and eat them right out of the Tupperware or,

... or put them on a pretty plate and behave! Start with one and stop at two, or three. Four tops.


Hope you enjoy them, and many sweet blessings! :)

P.S. How do YOU satisfy your chocolate cravings?