Homemade White Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these cookies tonight! These cookies are AMAZING....FANTASTIC.....BEST. COOKIES. EVER!!  (in my opinion) But you better have a tall glass of milk ready! :)

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Hershey's Premier White Chips

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees
Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy.

Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in white chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 9 minutes. (Do not overbake; cookies will be soft.) Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. 

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

ENJOY!!

Chicken Parmesan

I made this for dinner tonight and it was SO delicious! Definitely will be doing this one again soon!!

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

Italian seasoned bread crumbs

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

8 slices mozzarella cheese

1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce
Finely shredded mozzarella cheese 

Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Whisk together the egg and milk.

Dip the chicken breasts in milk and egg mixture and then in bread crumbs.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Brown the chicken in the hot oil on both sides until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Set chicken in a baking dish.

Slice 8 pieces of mozzarella cheese and put two on each chicken breast.

Pour 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce over all.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little more mozzarella and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly and chicken is done. Serve with spaghetti.

ENJOY!!

Pumpkin Cupcakes

I LOVE these cupcakes and they are PERFECT for FALL!!

Ingredients:

1 pkg (18.25 ounces) yellow cake mix with no pudding the the mix

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 1/4 cups water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 eggs

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line muffin pan with baking cups.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, cinnamon, and nutmeg

Add water, oil and eggs; beat with electric mixer 2 minutes

Add pumpkin; mix until well blended.

Spoon into baking cups.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Allow cupcakes to cool in pan on cooling rack for 5-8 minutes

Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely.

Top with your favorite icing.  I use cream cheese icing and it goes so well with this pumpkin cupcake.  YUMMY!

ENJOY!!

Homemade Cookies and Cream Cupcakes with Whipped Cookies and Cream Frosting

If you LOVE Oreos then you will have to try these tasty cupcakes!!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 TBSP baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 2/3 cups sugar

1 cup milk

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

2 tsp vanilla

3 egg whites

1 cup crushed Oreos

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees

Line muffin pan with baking cups

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in sugar.  Add milk, butter, and vanilla; beat with electric mixer at low speed approx. 30 seconds.   Beat at medium speed 2 minutes.

Add egg whites; beat 2 minutes.

Stir in 1 cup crushed cookies.

Spoon batter evenly into baking cups, filling them about 2/3 full.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpicks inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Remove cupcakes and let cool completely.

Cookies and Cream Whipped Frosting

Ingredients:
Approximately 12 Oreos

2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 TBSP powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Finely crush the Oreos in a food processor or use a storage bag and whack it with a rolling pin. :)

Using a  hand-held electric mixer, whisk the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until the whipped cream holds stiff peaks.

Gently fold in the crushed Oreos. Frost completely cooled cupcakes and keep refrigerated

ENJOY!!

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

These are probably the BEST cupcakes I have ever had. These are so yummy and make your whole house smell AMAZING while they bake!

Ingredients:                                   

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) spice cake mix 

2 cups chopped peeled tart apples

20-25 caramels

3 tablespoons milk

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Directions:

Prepare cake batter according to package directions; fold in apples.

Fill paper cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

In a saucepan, cook the caramels and milk over low heat until smooth. Spread over cupcakes. Sprinkle with pecans.

ENJOY!!

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken with Tomato and Garlic Pasta

This recipe was simple and delicious even though it is not a great picture of the dish. The chicken was so moist and was very tasty!

**I recommend marinating your chicken in the Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette  for a couple of hours instead of placing the chicken in a bag for 10 minutes before grilling the chicken. This gives the chicken a much better flavor.

Ingredients for chicken:

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast
Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Ingredients for topping:

1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette for topping
1 tomato, finely chopped (I used cherry tomatoes)

1/2 cup  Finely Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (If you don't have fresh basil, use 1 tsp. dried basil leaves instead.)

Directions:

Heat grill to medium heat.

*Skip this step if you marinated your chicken prior to grilling.  Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag. Add dressing; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with dressing. Refrigerate 10 min. Remove chicken from bag; discard bag and dressing.

Place chicken on grill; cover with lid. Grill until almost cooked thoroughly. Meanwhile, combine  dressing, tomatoes, cheese and basil.

Top grilled chicken with tomato mixture. Cover grill and cook 2-5 minutes longer until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

  

Tomato Garlic Pasta

Ingredients:

2 TBSP. (or more) olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. basil
Tomato (again I used cherry tomatoes)
1/4 c. chopped yellow onion
Ground pepper

1/4 cup (or more depending on your taste) Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
Pasta, freshly cooked (linguine, angel hair, etc.)

Heat oil in saucepan, add onion and saute until translucent. Add garlic, basil, tomato. Add more olive oil, if desired. Add pepper. Toss with cooked pasta. Add sun dried tomato dressing.  Salt to taste.

ENJOY!!

Tie-Dye Cupcakes!

These are so fun to make!! 

 There isn't a real true recipe, but this is how I made them.

 Ingredients:

1 White Cake Mix
Food Coloring

Sprinkles {optional}

Directions:
Mix cake batter as directed on the box.

Next, divide the batter evenly into as many bowls as you would like. I did four.
Next, use your food coloring to dye each bowl of batter a different color.

Add a spoonful of one color of batter and put it in the liner, to one side. Add another color of batter and place it next to the last color in the same cupcake liner. Do not stir the batter together, otherwise you won't achieve the tie-dye effect.

Bake cupcakes as directed on cake box. Once they have cooled, frost them with your favorite frosting, then top with sprinkles. Yummy!

 Enjoy!!

S'mores Brownies!!

THESE ARE SO YUMMY AND OH SO ADDICTING!!  :)

Ingredients:
1 box brownie mix
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 sticks butter
16 jumbo marshmallows

Directions:
Melt the butter in a 9x9 in the oven under 350 degree heat. Heat to almost boiling.
Add graham cracker crumbs and press together to form a crust.
Make brownie mix as directed on the box, then pour over crust.
Bake according to the directions.   (They may need an additional 15 minutes or so because of the crust.)
Keep checking the brownies with a toothpick until the toothpick comes out clean. 
Once they're done, add marshmallows. Set under broiler for 1-2 min.
Let cool 2-3 hours before cutting and serving.


ENJOY!!

Sweet and Sour Chicken!!

I LOVED this dish! I LOVE chinese food but my husband HATES it so when he heard what my plans were for dinner this night he was curious as to whether he would like it or not. My husband has NEVER disliked anything that I have cooked so he thought that this might be a first.  Boy was he wrong!! He LOVED this dish too!  He still says that he will not go to a chinese restaurant with me though : (

Anyway...here is how you make this yummy dish!

Ingredients:

Chicken:

4-5 chicken breasts

3-4 eggs, beaten
1 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup oil
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat frying pan with oil on medium heat.


Cut chicken into chunks and season with salt and pepper.
Roll chicken in cornstarch, then egg, then place in pan with warmed oil.
Fry until lightly golden on both sides, but not cooked through.
Place in a single layer in a greased baking dish.

Sauce:

3/4 cup sugar
4 TBSP. ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar
1 TBSP. soy sauce
1 TBSP. garlic powder

Directions:Combine above ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake 325 degreees for 60 minutes, turning every 15-20 minutes. Serve with rice.




**To make extra sauce, combine ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to boil, then let simmer until desired consistancy. Stir frequently.


ENJOY!!



Smoked Sausage Pasta!

I just made this recipe up the other night and I must say it was delicious!

Ingredients:
1 package of skinless smoked sausage
1 box of tri-color rotini
1 jar of your favorite alfredo sauce ( I use Ragu Cheesy Classic Alfredo sauce)
Finely shredded mozzerella cheese

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. 


Cook pasta as directed on the package.  Meanwhile heat skillet and slice the smoked sauage in bite size pieces.  Put the smoked sauage in skillet on medium heat and cook till slightly brown. Set aside. 


In a small sauce pan heat alfredo sauce on low. After pasta is tender, drain pasta and put in large mixing bowl.  Sprinkle shredded mozzerella cheese on hot pasta.  I do not measure I just put in desired amount. 


Mix in smoked sausage and afredo sauce until pasta ans sausage is covered in sauce.  Transfer to a 9x9 baking dish and top with desired amount of shredded cheese.  Place in oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

ENJOY!!

Pan Seared Lemon Tilapia with Parmesan Pasta

This picture does not do this dish justice! It was delicious... that is if you LOVE seafood! My husband said it was probably my best dish that I have ever made!

Here is the recipe! 

Ingredients:

4 ounces elbow macaroni

 

2 tablespoons light olive oil

2 tilapia fillets

lemon juice ( I used lemon pepper instead)

died oregano

dried basil

dried cilantro

salt and ground black pepper

 

For the pasta:

1 tablespoon light olive oil

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon lemon juice ( I used lemon pepper instead)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried cilantro    

salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil over medium heat, stir in the macaroni, and return to a boil. Cook the macaroni uncovered, stirring occasionally, until it is cooked through but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle both sides of the tilapia fillets with lemon juice or lemon pepper, oregano, basil, cilantro, salt, and pepper, and lay the fillets in the heated skillet, making sure they don't touch. Sear the fillets for 2 to 4 minutes on each side, until the fish is golden brown on the outside, and opaque and flaky inside.

Return the hot, cooked macaroni to the saucepan, and stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil to coat the pasta. Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese, stir to mix, and stir in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or lemon pepper, the garlic powder, basil, oregano, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Divide the pasta between two plates, and top each with a tilapia fillet. Delicious!!

ENJOY!!

Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes with garlic, butter, and Parmesan cheese.  YUM!

Ingredients:


4-5 medium potatoes peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tsp salt
4 TBSP butter
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp garlic

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 TBSP (or more) whole milk

Salt and pepper

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, cook the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan.

Add the butter, sour cream, Parmesan cheese and garlic. Beat with mixer until smooth. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the potatoes are the desired consistency. Stir. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed. Sprinkle with parsley.

ENJOY!!

Italian Breaded Pork Chops

This is a terrific recipe. My husband and I both love this dish!

Ingredients:

3 eggs, lightly beaten

3 TBSP milk

1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 TBSP dried parsley

2 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP Garlic Powder

4 pork chops

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. In a separate small bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and parsley.

Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium heat.
Stir in the garlic, and cook until lightly browned. 
Dip each pork chop into the egg mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture, coating evenly. Place coated pork chops in the skillet, and brown abut 5 minutes on each side.

Place the skillet and pork chops in the preheated oven, and cook 25 minutes, or to an internal temperature of 160 degrees

ENJOY!!