Corn Dog Muffins

I love corn dogs!  Cornbread + hot dog + wooden stick = deliciousness!  Corn dogs are great to get the State Fair or amusement parks (specifically Disneyland California Adventure… amazing corn dogs there!), but how can you have them at home??  Well, you could buy the frozen or you can make these muffins!

Growing up, I used to request that my parent buy the frozen kind, so that I could have a corn dog every once in a while.  Knowing my love for the meat on a stick, they brought me this recipe that they cut out of a magazine and now I’ve finally made them!  Boy, am I glad I did because they are SO good.  Jeremy even gave them the “two thumbs up” and stamp of approval.

The recipe is so simple and quick.  I cut it in half and got 11 regular sized muffins out of it; plus, I used skim milk and light cheese.  Yum, yum, yum!  I ate my corn dog muffins with ketchup and mustard, which I think is a MUST for corn dogs, while Jerm ate his plain.  They were delicious!  If you’re a hot dog or corn dog lover, go make this recipe.  Seriously, go now.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Corn dog muffins!

Corn Dog Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 (8.5 oz) packages cornbread mix
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
• 9 hot dogs, cut into small pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400.  Lightly grease muffin tins.
2. Stir together the cornbrea mix and the brown sugar in a large bowl.  Whisk the egg and milk in a small bowl until smooth.  Fold the eggs, cheese and hot dogs into the dry mixture until moistened.  Spoon mixture into muffins tins until 2/3 full.
3. Bake for 14-18 minute or until gold brown.
4. Serve with mustard and ketchup, or eat plain!

Ginger Snaps and Chocolate Crackles

Whoa, look out!  I’ve got two cookies in one post.  Brace yourself for delicious sweetness.

About a month ago, I signed up for the “Cookie Bag Ministry” at church.  The ministry consists of members delivering cookies and information to first time guests of the church.  Well last week, I got my first phone call and assignment, and I was SO excited.  They told me that I could either bake cookies or buy cookies from the store.  Me?  Buy cookies from the store?  Perish the thought!!  Obviously, I opted to bake them myself.  And so my quest for new recipes began… 

I came across this first recipe about a week ago, on one of the blogs I read.  Therefore, I won’t re-post the recipe, I’ll just provide the link to it and share my review. 

Ginger Snap Cookies by  The Sister's Cafe

These cookies are AWESOME!  I love gingerbread cookies and ginger snaps; however, they do have a tendency to be a crispy cookie, as opposed to a soft and chewy one.  Well, not these!  These are soft, chewy and quite flavorful.  I definitely added in the “optional” white chocolate chips and I’m so glad I did because they compliment the ginger flavor beautifully.  These will without a doubt become one of my most loved cookies.  By the way, I used whole wheat flour and cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients.

Mmmmm.

My usual, “quality control.”

The next cookie, Chocolate Crackles, comes from my Martha Stewart’s Cookies cookbook.  I’ve never made these kind of cookies before and they looked pretty in the cookbook, so I thought, “What the heck?”  Theses cookies are very tasty and very chocolatey!  I’d recommend rolling them in A LOT of powered sugar to get the full “crackle” effect, otherwise some of it will absorb.  Also, the recipe says to chill the dough for a few hours…well, I wasn’t that patient, so I just put it in the freezer for 30 minutes and voila!  As with the Ginger Snaps, I used whole wheat flour and cut the recipe in half.

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Crackly.

Chocolate Crackle Cookies by Martha Stewart

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups light-brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Chop bittersweet chocolate into small bits, and melt over medium heat in a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
2. In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and light-brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add melted chocolate. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined. Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.
3. Using your hands, roll pieces of dough into a ball shape.  Roll dough in confectioners’ sugar until completely coated. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, 12 to15 minutes.
4. Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week

Turkey Meatballs

I had 1/2 lb. of ground turkey left over from a prior meal and I needed to find something to do with it.  So, off I went to Recipezaar.com to find a recipe that would work.  Wouldn’t you know, I found a recipe?  Oh, I love you Recipezaar.com. 

This recipe had great reviews and I had all the ingredients, so it was perfect.  These meatballs were so easy to make and quite tasty too!  I cut all the ingredients in half, since I only had 1/2lb of turkey, used dried parsley, and baked them in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Since Jeremy says he “doesn’t like” ground turkey (even though he eats it just fine when he doesn’t know I’m feeding him ground turkey), I decided to add some BBQ sauce to the meatballs and throw them on a hot dog bun, in order to make a meatball sandwich.  Plus, I grilled up some onions and melted some cheese on top…deeelicious!  These meatballs would be great with spaghetti, gravy or other type of sauce.  Try them out!  The possibilities are endless.

Enjoy!

Just out of the oven. Plain.

 

BBQ meatball sandwich!

Turkey Meatballs, by Recipezaar

1 lb lean ground turkey

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Mix all the ingredients and shape into 30 meatballs approximately.
2. Spray a nonstick pan lightly with vegetable oil
3. Cook the meatballs for 5-6 minutes or until cooked through and nicely browned on the outside.  You will likely have to repeat the process for a second batch unless you have one big frypan!

Chicken Parmesan

This Chicken Parmesan is a quick and easy recipe, from Robin Miller’s Quick Fix Meals.  A few years ago, Robin did a demonstration at a cooking store in the fabulous city (and my home) of Scottsdale (she and her family live there).  Once my parents and I heard about the event, we knew we were definitely going.  At the demo, she made tasty food, answered questions and of course, signed her cookbook.  This is one of my favorite cookbooks, not only because (so far) it’s my only autographed one, but also because I love Robin’s idea of “morphing” recipes to give you different meals through out the week.

I’ve made this recipe a few times and it’s for sure a keeper.  The sauce is delicious and so easy to make.  Plus, it takes minutes to bread the chicken and throw every thing into the oven.  I only make two chicken breasts, so I cut the breading ingredients in half.  However, I do make all the sauce because I serve this with pasta and Jerm and I are saucy kind of people.  

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Pre-trip into the oven.

Post-trip into the oven and served with pasta.

Chicken Parmesan, by Robin Miller (Quick Fix Meals)

Ingredients

• One 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• One 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 dry seasoned bread crumbs
• 3 – 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 4 tsps grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven 400 degrees.  Coat baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and garlic powder.  Set over medium heat, bring to a simmer and let simmer until ready to use (about 10 minutes).
3. In a shallow dish, combine the flour, salt and pepper.  Place eggs in a separate shallow dish and the bread crumbs in a third. 
4. Dredge the chicken in the flour, evenly coating both sides and tapping off any excess.  Dip both sides of the flour-coated chicken in the egg and then in the bread crumbs.
5. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side.
6. Transfer chicken to the prepared baking dish.
7. Top with tomato sauce, mozzarella an Parmesan.
8. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake 5-10 minute, until the chicken is cooked thoroughly and the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Iced Mocha Coffee

Alright, so this is a lame excuse of a recipe...but it's deliciousness in a glass, so I felt the need to post about it.

 

I love coffee. Ever since Girl Scout camp when I was a kid, I have loved the smell of coffee (the leaders would drink it in the morning and the smell would fill the dining hall). On the rare occasions that my family would go out to breakfast, my parents would get coffee and I'd always ask to smell it or have a sip (which I didn't like at the time). Once I got to college, I realized the caffeine benefits of coffee, but would only drink it mixed with half a packet of hot chocolate. Now, I love coffee. I love it hot with cream and sweetener, I love it in Caramel Macchiatos and Skinny Vanilla Lattes from Starbucks, I still love it mixed with half a packet of hot chocolate, I love coffee beans covered in chocolate, I love it as ice cream, I love it in baked goods and I love it cold.

 

Jerm and I have a really nice coffee maker (yay, for bridal registries and my friends at US Airways!), but I don't use it a lot. You see...Jerm doesn't drink coffee and we always have coffee at work, so every weekday I think, "I'll just have some at work." Well, this past weekend our puppy, Diesel, decided to wake up at 4:45am... so I was feeling the need for coffee and I decided to brew a pot. It was warm outside (hi, I live in AZ) so I thought, "Mmmm, iced coffee would be delicious!" And ta da, this deliciousness in a glass was born. It's cold, it's light and there is just a hint of chocolate in there. Definitely try out this drink or a version of it. What else would be good in iced coffee?

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Sara's Iced Mocha Coffee

Ingredients

• 2/3 glass of coffee
• Skim milk
• Ice
• 1/2 - 1 tsp sugar
• 1 - 2 tsp Hershey's Chocolate Syrup

Directions

1. Brew coffee. Either use it hot and add lots of ice, or let it chill for a bit to cool down.
2. Fill a large glass with ice and add about 2/3 of the way full with coffee.
3. Add as much skim milk as desired.
4. Add sugar and chocolate syrup.
5. Drink up!

Classic Baked Ziti

This a a pretty basic recipe but it's always a delicious one!  Usually when I'm making baked pasta, I just kinda throw together what I think sounds good (spaghetti type ingredients), add some cheese on top and throw it in the oven.  Well, last week Jeremy specifically requested "Baked Ziti," so that set me on a search for the recipe. 

I used a recipe from my old standby, Recipezaar.  Whenever I search for a recipe on that website I always sort by "Rating," and this one was high up on the list.  It's simple, it's cheesy, it's Baked Ziti! :)  I cut the recipe in half since it was just for Jerm and me, and it turned out nicely.  Add some breadsticks and salad and you've got a delicious meal.  Definitely try it out if you're looking for easy and classic dinner. 

Enjoy!

 

Ingredients.

Pre-baked.

Post baked.

Classic Baked Ziti, by Recipezaar

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (32 ounce) jar meatless sauce
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta, cooked and drained
• 2 (8 ounce) cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large skillet, cook ground beef, onions, and garlic over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until beef is browned; stirring frequently.
3. Stir in spaghetti sauce, chicken broth, and oregano.
4. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Stir 1 cup of the sauce into the cooked ziti noodles.
6. Spoon 1/2 of the ziti mixture into a 13x9x2-inch baking dish.
7. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
8. Top with 2 cups sauce, then remaining ziti mixture and remaining sauce.
9. Cover and bake 20 minutes.
10. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
11. Return to oven and bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until heated through.

On a quick side note, I' like to thank finsmom for giving me this lovely award!  I've never gotten a blog award before.  "You like me...you really like me!"  Who knew that people other than my mom, my husband, and my in-laws read my blog! :)  Thank you!!

These are the rules of this award:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.
3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.
I think 15 is A LOT, so I'm not going to have quite that many...7 is a good number...how about 7?  Therefore, I would like to pass this award on to the following great blogs:

Stacy Runs

Baked Perfection

My Baking Addiction

Iowa Girl Eats

My Kitchen Cafe

Loves to Eat

Latest Addictions

Mini Tacos and Cheeseburgers

My friends, Juliann and Alli, came over last week for a "Girl's Night Sleepover."  We decided that we were going to have a theme of "kids night," which meant we were going to watch kid movies and have kid food.  I was in charge of the menu and I decided to make Mini Tacos, Mini Cheeseburgers, veggie sticks and dip, and apples with caramel dip. 

I found the recipe for the Mini Tacos from Recipezaar and once again, that website didn't fail me.  These were super easy and surprisingly very good.  The tacos are won ton wrappers, filled with taco seasoned meat (I used ground turkey), salsa and cheese.  Yum!

Ingredients.

Just out of the oven.

For the Mini Burgers, I saw Ms. Paula Deen make them on one of her shows and they looked great.  They are little beef patties (with mustard and ketchup baked in) topped with cheese and baked inside puff pastry.  Now let's take a moment and talk about puff pastry.  Apparently, it's NOT the same thing as phyllo dough!  Did anyone else know this?  Because I didn't and I bought phyllo dough and though the burgers were still good...they were "interesting" with the phyllo dough bun/crust.  So, we'll just leave it at that...make sure to buy puff pastry and NOT phyllo dough.

Both these recipes were very easy and very taste.  If you have kids or if you're like us and just want some "kid" food, I highly recommend both these recipes. 

Enjoy!

Ingredients.

Ugly burger in phyllo dough...but still tasty!

Mini Tacos, by Recipezaar

Ingredients

• 24 wonton wrappers
• 1 lb hamburger
• 1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup salsa or picante sauce
• 3 tablespoons salsa
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• sour cream (optional)
• olives (optional)
• guacamole (optional)

Directions

1. Cook hamburger until browned. 
2. Drain the fat.  Stir in taco mix ans 1/2 cup salsa/picante sauce.
3. Simmer for 3-5 minutes.
4. Press wonton wrappers into mini muffin cups.
5. Spoon beef mixture in cups and top with the 3 tbs of salsa and cheese, evenly divided.
6. Bake in preheated 425°F oven for 8 minutes, or until the wontons are nicely browned.

7. Serve with extra salsa, sour cream, olives and guacamole if desired.

Mini Burgers, by Paula Deen

Ingredients

• 8 ounces ground beef
• 2 teaspoons ketchup
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• All-purpose flour for dusting
• 1 sheet (from a 17.5-ounce package) puff pastry
• 2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) Cheddar, shredded
• 1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the beef, ketchup, mustard, salt, and pepper. Form the mixture into 8 equal-size patties. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, brown the patties for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the pastry and roll out. Cut the pastry lengthwise into 4 equal strips, then cut strips in 1/2 crosswise. Place 1 patty on each strip and top with cheese. Fold the pastry up around the burgers and pinch the edges together to seal, molding to fit around the patties. Brush the tops of the pastries with the egg mixture.
4. Place the mini burgers on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to15 minutes or until puffed and golden. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.