Golden Pillows

Hello Sweets,

I cannot wait until spring is finally here, because my health is just on a roller coaster ride and it is not fun.  I've been having really bad migraines, which then causes dizziness and nausea.  Naturally that means I haven't been in the kitchen much, but I'm changing that tonight!  I'm making my grandfather a special little surprise for his birthday, and I'll share it with y'all tomorrow.

Tonight I am bringing you a sweet and unique treat :)  It's my favorite dessert at El Fenix when I'm in Texas, so much that we'll order extra to bring home for later lol.  Obviously it is a Mexican dessert, and it also very traditional for them.  I'm going to get right in to the recipe tonight, that way I can hopefully beat the migraine before it flares back up.

Sopapillas

Ingredients

1 egg

2/3C milk

1Tbs sugar

1tsp salt

1Tbs baking powder

2C flour

fat for deep frying (I used olive oil)

Directions:
1)  Beat egg with milk.

2)  Add sugar and salt.

3)  Add baking powder to flour.

4)  Add to egg mixture; knead well.  Add additional flour as needed by tablespoonfuls.  Knead until smooth and non sticky; place in bowl.

5)  Cover; let stand for about 10 minutes.

6)  Roll out very thin; cut into 2"-3" strips.

7)  Drop into very hot fat.  Dough puffs quickly into little pillows.

8)  Drain on paper towel. 

9)  Serve hot; plain or with honey or cinnamon sugar.

 

So yummy!!  They turned out exactly as I've had them in restaurants many times before.  Since I made them here, Nathan missed out, but I promised him I would make them when I come home to Texas ;)

Well I was right, the migraine has regrouped and started to intensify :(  Until next time....

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo

Breakfast, Si Vous Plait

Hello Sweets,

As you may or may not have noticed, I was not around yesterday :(  I woke up with a sore throat again, and was just so wiped out that I didn't create anything until late last night.  I didn't even realize it was pancake Tuesday, and I love pancake Tuesday :'(  However, I wasn't really in a pancake mood so it didn't bug me as much.  I also don't need a specific day to have pancakes any other time than breakfast, come on I love breakfast for dinner lol.  So tonight's post is going to be short and sweet, but that's because I'm making something cool and super yummy tonight.

Even though I didn't feel like pancakes, it did make me crave some breakfast food.  I started thinking about things I hadn't had in quite a while.  Then it dawned on me, french toast!!  I haven't had it in a really long time, and I felt like being creative.  French toast is one of those breakfast foods that you can make all your own.  Whether it's what you put in the batter, maybe you want to stuff it, or maybe you want to present it completely different.  This recipe is just plain old fashion french toast, with no bells and whistles.

Canuckette's French Toast

Ingredients

2pcs toast

2 eggs

1/3C milk

1Tbs butter, melted *mines cinnamon and delicious!*

1tsp cinnamon

1/2tsp nutmeg

splash of vanilla

 

Directions:
1)  Place all ingredients, minus the bread, into a small mixing bowl.  Beat until completely mixed.

 

 

2)  Place bread into the bowl one slice at a time.  Gently press down for a few seconds, then flip over and repeat on the other side.

 

3)  Preheat a frying pan, once hot place the soaked bread in to it.  Browning on each side.  Serve with your choice of toppings.

 

 

I choose to top mine with syrup only as the butter had been placed in the batter.  Then I garnished with some fresh strawberries, because they are delicious lol.  You can also top it with fresh fruit, icing sugar, or even something crazy like nutella.  I'm old fashion, so normally I will choose syrup.  What can I say, it makes me reminisce of times when I was little :)

Now I hate to cut things short, but the kitchen is calling my name and I know y'all will really like this one.  Not too sweet, but not savory either.  And yes it is a dessert, just not from this side of the border ;)  Yup, that's the only hint I will give y'all.  Until next time....

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo

A Little Bananas

Hello Sweets,

So as I promised yesterday I have the full flavor review of the S'more or Less muffins :), and they are even better than I could have imagined!!  What would have been just ordinary vanilla cake is anything but.  It takes on the flavor of the graham cookies all while staying soft and moist.  The chocolate cake is the perfect flavor, not too sweet but not dry either.  The marshmallow gives the muffin a touch of sweetness, but it also has the flavor of a roasted marshmallow too.  All in all these are a great muffin, and have officially made it in to my personal recipe book :)  Many a nights have been spent jotting down recipes to keep or try, and my hand can attest to that lol.

I am definitely paying for doing all the tax returns yesterday, my shoulders and neck are killing me.  The sad part was I didn't even notice how much time had gone by, because I was so engrossed in the task.  But how many people can say they have their taxes complete by March 2nd?  If I had to guess, not very many at all :D  Now I can sit back and relax while everyone else is stressing, lol yea that sounds perfect.

Today I am bringing something completely different and new.  Something that is sweet, but healthy at the same time.  Yup sweet and healthy, consider your mind blown *boom*.  I haven't been feeling well all day :(, so naturally I didn't feel like making anything for y'all today.  However I had some bananas that were starting to become too ripe, so I had to figure out a way to use them.  Normally I would just make my grandmas banana bread, but then I remembered something I love but haven't had in quite some time ;)

Banana Chips

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas (green ones make crisper chips faster, and ripe ones make sweeter ones)

1tsp nutmeg

pinch of salt

honey, to drizzle

 

Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to 250F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (to prevent sticking and easy clean up), set aside.

2)  Slice your bananas into thin slices, not too thin or they become limp.

 

3)  Line bananas in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets.

 

4)  Sprinkle with salt and nutmeg.  Place into preheated oven for 2 hours, flipping (as much as possible) after about 90 minutes.

 

not as pretty as store bought, but I know everything that goes into them ;)

5)  Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.  Store in an airtight container and enjoy! 

What a great and healthy option when you feel like a sweet snack.  Kids and adults alike would love these little chips, and you can even use them as a decorative final touch on a banana cupcake.  I would think that even picky eaters would love these little chips.  It never ceases to amaze me when I haven't tried to make something I actually enjoy eating.  I'm just a silly girl I guess, who is a little spacy at times in the kitchen :p

As I am finishing up this post my stomach is starting to really hurt, which means I need to lay down and relax for a little while.  Don't worry I'll make sure to be back with something yummy tomorrow, unless this doesn't stop.  But I'm not going to think like that, I'm going to try and stay positive :)  Until next time....

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo

Marshmallows, Chocolate, and Graham Oh My!

Hello Sweets,

You know what I hate about this time of year?  Doing taxes!!  Now don't get me wrong, we buy Turbotax to make things easier, because lets face it the paper packages are too confusing.  But they're still annoying as heck, and I don't just do mine but my grandparents too.  So that is what I spent this afternoon doing, and then they surprised me by taking me out to Swiss Chalet for dinner :)  Win!!  Now I am tired and sore >_<  But on the bright side I can now kick my feet up and relax, that is once this post is done ;)

So I clearly didn't get to make my muffins yesterday, but that's because not only did I have a sore throat but I also had no eggs.  Since I was already out and about this morning, I managed to get to my butt to the grocery store and get my eggs!  Once I was ready to actually get into the kitchen (lol lazy), I had to figure out exactly what I was going to make.  As I was sitting on the couch sifting through recipes and eating a marshmallow, it dawned on me, I really want s'mores.  However, I do not have a fireplace or BBQ and didn't want to make them in the oven :(  Then I figured why not s'more muffins?!?  The idea was so delicious I was not going to give up, and that's when the perfect recipe, care of Bakerella, arrived.  Now technically these are classified as a cupcake, but I left out the icing so it's a muffin to me :p

S'more or Less (Bakerella)

Ingredients

(muffin)

1 1/2C flour

1 1/2C sugar

1tsp baking powder

1tsp baking soda

3/4C cocoa

3/4C graham crumbs

1C milk

2 eggs

2tsp vanilla

1/2C olive oil

9 jumbo marshmallows, cut in half

(graham cracker crumb topping)

1/2C brown sugar

1/2C graham crumbs

1/4C butter, melted

 

 

Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to 350F.  In a bowl mix; flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda together with a whisk.  Separate the mixture in half into two bowls. 

 

2)  Stir in cocoa into one bowl, and the graham cracker crumbs into the other.

 

 

3)  Add 1/2C milk, 1 egg, 1tsp vanilla, and 1/4C oil to the graham cracker mixture.  Beat until just combined.

 

 

4)  Repeat adding the same ingredients to the cocoa flour mixture.

 

 

5)  Prepare the graham cracker crumb topping.  Add the brown sugar and crumbs in a small bowl, and pour on the melted butter.  Stir until just combined.

 

 

6)  Pour a little graham cracker cake batter into the bottom of the baking cups, and then sprinkle the topping mixture lightly on the surface.

 

I accidentally used all the topping in the middle lol

  

7)  Place a marshmallow half on top, then cover the marshmallow with the chocolate cake batter until it's about 3/4 full.  Sprinkle with more topping.

     

 

8)  Bake cupcakes for about 15 minutes.  Place a cookie sheet underneath when you bake just in case. 

  

This recipe will make at least 12 cupcakes, I got 18 :)  My apartment smells like a golden marshmallow that's been wrapped in a graham blanket.  Yummy yummy!!  Since I am still full from dinner,  I haven't tried them just yet.  I'll let you know the full flavor spectrum on tomorrows post, I promise :D

Now I'm going to go and do absolutely nothing, and boy does that sound glorious!!!  Until next time....

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo 

The Granola Goddess

Hello Sweets,

I guess all the productiveness from yesterday made for a sore body today :(  Not to mention the migraine I had was a little ridiculous, lol my poor landlord had to stop by and felt horrible.  I told her it was okay that she stopped by as I knew it was going to be quick, and that I was also going back to bed :p  Thankfully I had leftovers from yesterday, so at least I didn't have to strain to make sure I ate.  Although I haven't eaten any of it yet, but I managed to get a banana and some crackers down so far...yayyy!  I'm going to try eating some soup here soon, so let's think positively lol.

Thankfully I did make something last night after I finished my post :D  Unfortunately I forget that I didn't pick up any eggs yet, so I couldn't make any muffins.  So obviously that made figuring out another recipe a bit of a challenge, until I made a snack that is.  Probably one of my favorite snacks right now is yogurt and granola, it makes me happy lol.  So that got me thinking, why haven't I made my own granola yet?  Clearly I had no good reason, so that made my decision to make some that much easier.  I looked at some recipes to determine whether or not I had everything I needed, and although I didn't have some things I had some other interesting substitutions :)

Canuckette's Granola

Ingredients

6C rolled oats

1/4C dark brown sugar

1/2C olive oil

1/3C honey

2tsp vanilla

1/4C coconut flakes

1/2C raisins

1/2C dried cherries

1C pecans, chopped

 

Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix rolled oats and brown sugar together. 

                          

2)  In a separate bowl; whisk together the oil, honey, and vanilla. 

3)  Pour over dry mixture, stirring well to coat thoroughly.

 

4)  Add in chopped nuts (and seeds if you want) at this point.

 

5)  Spread on a sprayed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.  Stir frequently (every 5 mins) to ensure even baking.  It should be golden brown when done.

 

6)  Add dried fruit and coconut once it's done cooking.

7)  Let cool on baking sheet, then break up any large pieces.  Store in an airtight container.  Stores for 3 weeks.

Not only did my house smell amazing, but it tastes great too!

Not only do you know exactly what goes into it, but it tastes a million times better because it's fresh.  You can also personalize it for everyone in your family :)  Don't like coconut, leave it out!  Big fan of flax seed, add it in!  You could even add in chocolate chips to it if you're a chocoholic.  What ever you do make it your own, that way you'll enjoy eating it.

First thing I'm doing tomorrow is getting some eggs, lol let's face it I'm going to need them.  As long as I do that the sky's the limit tomorrow!  Now to make that limitless list, a little shorter ;)  For the rest of tonight I'll be relaxing and talking to the love of my life, and if my migraine will permit it maybe a little painting too!  Until next time....

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo