Chocolate Chip Cookie Stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream icing.

I got bored about a week ago with 2 days off.....so I decided to make cupcakes and these looked yummy. I adapted my recipe from For the Love of Kids and Food. The Icing came from Savory Sweet Life.

Ingredients for Cupcakes:

• 1 Box chocolate Fudge Cake
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/2 cup oil

Ingredients for Cookie Filling:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (softened)
• 3/4 cup sugar (I use Splenda sugar blend - so I use 6 tbsp Splenda sugar blend)
• 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

( I left out an ingredient--oops....but they actually turned out really good, so if you want to make them based on the person I got the recipe from - check out her link at the top of the blog)

Ingredients for Icing:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter - softened
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (I don't recommend using the almond extract that she says you can use, it doesn't turn out well - in my opinion)
• 4 tbsp. heavy cream

Steps for cookie filling:

• Mix together butter and sugar, when soft and fluffy - add in the vanilla and then the eggs

• Mix together until well combined
• In separate bowl, mix together baking soda, flour and salt
• Add in slowly to the "wet" ingredients you mixed together in the first 2 steps, mixing until well mixed
• Add in chocolate chips

• Form together in small balls just like if you were making cookies
• Place on a baking sheet topped with wax paper, place in the freezer (I left mine in the freezer about 45 min)

Steps for Cupcakes:

• Preheat oven to 350, place cupcake liners in to your cupcake/muffin pan
• Mix together cake mix as directed

• Pour in to muffin cups, about 1/2 to 3/4 of the wall full.
• Remove frozen cookie balls from freezer, press into the middle of the cupcakes, most will be covered, but a small portion will stick out the top (don't worry, the cupcake will cook around it)

• Cook for about 20 minutes, then cool.

• Once cooled, follow the icing recipe from the link at the top, and frost as you wish (or you could use whichever frosting recipe you prefer)

• ENjoy - they were delicious, and I am thankful for co-workers to eat them so I don't have them at home to eat constantly!

Buffalo Chicken Bites

I made these for the first football weekend too....just haven't had time to post it. I didn't eat or cook these, Jeremy was in charge of it and ate them while I was gone. They were eaten tho, so I am pretty sure they were good....I will cook them again.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
• about 1/2 cup hot sauce.....I didn't really measure, just added until it looked ok.
• 3 1/2 oz. softened cream cheese
• 1 3/4 cup shredded cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 4 eggs beaten
• about 3 cups crushed corn flakes

Steps:

• If you are making them same time/day - preheat your oven to 350
• In large bowl, mix chicken, cream cheese and hot sauce until well mixed

• Add in onion and cheese, mix.

• Form mixture into 1- 2 inch balls and set out on wax paper

• In 3 small bowls, separate flour, eggs and corn flakes.

• Drop the chicken into the flour, then eggs, then corn flakes one at a time until well coated.

• Place on to baking sheet if cooking now, or a baking sheet w/ wax paper if cooking later.

• If cooking now - put in oven for about 30 minutes to crispy golden brown.
• If cooking later - flash freeze for about 15 minutes, remove from freezer, place in freezer bags and freeze until ready to cook.
• Remove from freezer bags, place on baking sheet, cook for 30 minutes
• Serve with bleu cheese or ranch dressing.
• Enjoy!  (Sorry no pictures were taken after they were cooked....)

Chalkboard Wine Glasses (not food....just wanted to share)

As you know....i'm pretty much obsessed with Pinterest. I found these and had to make them; fun and easy way to make sure you don't accidentally pick up someone elses wine glass, and easily washable!.....the instructions I found on interest used Spray chalkboard paint and I wasn't too keen on that idea, so I did some research and made my own........this is how mine turned out:

You'll Need:

• Wine glasses (CLEAN)
• Chalkboard paint (I got mine at Hobby Lobby - $3.50)
• Light sand paper
• Paint brush
• Chalk (but I would suggest buying a chalk-marker---- I don't have one, but I heard they are much better and easier than regular chalk - plus I found after painting them, that if you push down to hard with the chalk, the paint can chip.

Steps:

• Start with a very clean glass
• Lightly rub the base of the glass with sandpaper
• wipe off the base with a damp cloth
• dry the base with a dry cloth
• if you feel the need to make sure you have a straight line - you can use painters tape - I just guessed and mine turned out ok
• paint one coat of paint onto the glass in a vertical direction 
• let paint dry for 1 hour

• paint another coat on in a horizontal direction
• let dry 

• let glasses set for 24 hours
• use the side of a piece of chalk and rub on the side of the glass to "prime" it.
• wipe the chalk off with a piece of a dry paper towel and then wash it off with a damp paper towel
• Write on it with chalk (LIGHTLY)

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies (For Football....of course)

Also found this on Pinterest and adapted my recipe from Baked Perfection.
I told Jeremy I would make a few things for the first Saturday football game, as we are going to some friends house to watch football (the guys will watch EVERY game on TV.....)

So here is the recipe.....they are delicious (we had to try a couple of them to be sure, before we served them)

(forgot to take pictures until I was almost done....sorry)

Ingredients:

• 1 box of brownie mix (any kind you want)
• 1 egg, oil and water for the brownie mix (but check your box first)
• Peanut Butter chips (about 1/2 cup)
• Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips (about 1/2 cup)
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• mini muffin pan (mini muffin cups if you want....I didn't use them)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Mix brownie mix as directed
• Spray mini muffin pan with cooking spray (it may be easier to use the muffin cups, I had to wait on mine to cool completely in order to get them out of the muffin pan w/o breaking the bottoms off)
• Pour brownie mix in to muffin pan, about 3/4 of the muffin cup.
• Put in oven and cook for about 13 minutes, until the tops are soft
• Remove from oven, take the back of a teaspoon spoon and gently push the centers down so there is a cup to put the peanut butter in.

• Microwave the peanut butter for about 30-45 seconds until runny.
• Fill the empty space of the brownie with peanut butter

• Top with peanut butter chips and chocolate chips (I used about 3 each for each brownie)

• Let cool completely before removing from muffin pan (you will probably need to go around the edge lightly with a knife to make sure it's not sticking to the pan)
• ENJOY!

Mini Pizza Bites

My new obsession with Pinterest led me to this recipe, I adapted mine from For the Love of Cooking.  I make a lot of pizza....probably b/c it's Jeremy's favorite....and the day I came across the recipe I was bored and actually had all the ingredients in my kitchen....so I decided to try it out. It would be a great thing to make for a party or for kids!


(sorry, didn't take pictures when I started cooking)

Ingredients:

• 1 package Grands Biscuits
• Pizza Sauce
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• Pepperoni (and any other toppings you prefer)
• Pizza Seasoning (or Oregano and basil)
• Parmesan Cheese
• Cooking Spray
• Muffin Pan

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375
• Spray muffin pan with cooking oil
• Cut the grands biscuits in half, flatten out slightly and push into the muffin pan onto the bottom and halfway up the sides

• Place about a tbsp. of pizza sauce in each biscuit

• Put any toppings (other than pepperoni you want in the pizza)
• Place about a tbsp. of mozzarella cheese into the pizza

• Place a pepperoni on top, cover with a little more cheese if you like.

• Sprinkle top with parmesan cheese and pizza seasoning

• Place in oven and cook for about 15 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted

• Let sit for a few minutes, the pizza should just slide right out of the pan.

• Enjoy!

Mexican Lasagna

I haven't updated in awhile....oops.
I actually got this recipe on the back of a Kraft Mexican 4 cheese Shredded Cheese bag, very easy and yummy!


Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 pack taco seasoning
• 3 - 8inch soft tortillas
• 1 8 inch baking dish
• 3/4 cup salsa
• 1 can pinto beans - rinsed and drained
• about 1/2 bag of Kraft mexican 4 cheese shredded cheese and about 1/4 of a bag of shredded pepper jack (but you could just use the mexican cheese if you wanted - we just had some pepper jack, so I used it)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400

• Brown meat in skillet, drain off grease, add in salsa and taco seasoning, stir, let simmer for 10 minutes

• In your baking dish, spray with cooking oil, place one 8 inch tortilla in the bottom of the dish.

• Apply half the meat mixture, half the pinto beans, and cover with cheese (use as much as you need)

• Top with another 8 inch tortilla

• Top with the rest of the meat mixture, the rest of the pinto beans and the rest of your cheese (as much as you like)

• Top with last 8 inch tortilla

• I spray a little cooking spray on top of the tortilla so it will crisp a little in the oven
• Cover and put in the oven for 30 minutes, let sit and cool for about 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving!

• ENJOY!