S'more Cups

Another yummy S'more treat. These are my new favorite treat. I thought they were FABULOUS! They had the crunchy yummy crust and then the chewy marshmallow topped with chocolate. I {heart} these very much! (I found them on the Pampered Chef website.)

Start by crushing your graham crackers in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin or a can of food. Mix the crushed crackers with the powdered sugar and melted butter.
Spoon about a tablespoon full of graham cracker mixture into a mini cupcake or tart pan. Using a tart shaper tool press the crumbs into a shallow cup. Bake them in the 350 degree oven for about 4-5 minutes, until the crust is bubbly. (I did 4 minutes and it was a bit too long, try like 3 1/2 minutes and go from there.)

While the crust is baking you need to cut the marshmallows in half. I didn't have to dip my kitchen shears in cold water, the marshmallows cut just fine, but if your marshmallow prevents your shears from opening and closing because they get tooooo sticky, then you will need the cold water.
Pull the bubbly crust cups out of the oven and put either one section of chocolate bar (as stated in the recipe) or 2-3 large Ghiradelli chocolate chips (if using smaller chocolate chips, then use more... my rule is you can never get enough chocolate so go for it!). The warmth from the crust will melt the chocolate and then you can top it with half of a marshmallow. When they are all covered, you put them back into the oven for 1-2 minutes until the marshmallow starts to puff and soften a bit. (I had them in there for about 2 minutes, but you have to watch them because it can go too far quickly.)

Here they are all puffed up! Let them sit in the pan and cool for about 15 minutes. Then carefully pull them out of the pan and onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Melt the rest of your chocolate and dip the top of the S'more cup in the chocolate and set back down to cool completely.
You may need to put them in a refrigerator to help the chocolate completely solidify.
Ta dah! S'more cups are ready to go! Eat 'em up! This recipe ONLY makes 24 cups. While that might sound like a lot... it isn't really. You will want to eat at least 2 of them.
And maybe more...
So you might want to double this recipe! Have fun and Happy National S'more Day!

{{S'more Cups}}

(printer friendly version)

7 whole graham crackers (1 cup finely crushed)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

6 tablespoons butter, melted

4 bars (1.55 oz each) milk chocolate candy, divided

12 large marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place graham crackers into a large resealable plastic bag. Finely crush into crumbs. Combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and butter in a small bowl.

Place 1 tablespoon of crumb mixture in each cup of a mini muffin pan. Press crumbs to form shallow cups. Bake 4-5 minutes or until edges are bubbling. Meanwhile, break two of the candy bars into rectangles. Remove pan from oven; place one rectangle into each cup.

Cut marshmallows in half crosswise using shears dipped in cold water. Place one marshmallow half, cut-side down, into each cup. Return to oven 1-2 minutes or until marshmallows are slightly softened. Remove pans from oven to cooling rack; cool 15 minutes. Carefully remove cups from pan. Cool completely.

Break remaining candy bars and place in small microwavable bowl. Microwave on high 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring every 20 seconds. Dip the top of each marshmallow in melted chocolate. Turn top-side up and let stand 40 to 60 minutes or until set. Makes 24 cups.

Note: Store the cups in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Freezing is not recommended.

S'more pops

These are a fun and easy way to eat a s'more without the fire... S'more Pops!

{{S'more Pops}}

(printer friendly version)

What you need....

Large Marshmallows

Chocolate, melted

Golden Grahams Cereal, crushed

Sucker Sticks

Cookie sheet

Parchment Paper or waxed paper

Kitchen torch

Pick up a marshmallow and roll the bottom half of the marshmallow in the melted chocolate and the roll in the crushed cereal. Push a stick into the bottom of the chocolate covered side of the marshmallow and set down on the parchment covered cookie sheet. Allow the chocolate to harden. Using a kitchen torch (or flame on the stove) to toast the other side of the marshmallow!

Or you can just enjoy them like this... no torching needed.

Happy National S'more day!

Pizza Rolls

Mmmmm... everyone loves pizza and sometimes it is nice to do something traditional in a non-traditional way... ya know what I mean?

Hence the pizza rolls. These work great for dinner or even as an appetizer. I made some with pepperoni and some with just cheese since one of my kids don't like pepperoni. Technically you can fill them up with anything you like on your pizza and they would be delicious. Here's how I made them.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

First you make your pizza dough. {I have included the recipe down below.} Separate the dough into 32 pieces. The dough made enough for two 9-inch pie plates full with 16 in each... 32 pizza rolls total. Once you have your dough separated, let them sit while you prepare the inside stuff.

I have a pile of grated parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano), a pile of grated mozzarella cheese, and full size pepperoni cut into quarters (you can buy super cute mini pepperoni at the grocery store that are stinking cute inside these since they are the perfect size and you can keep that familiar circular shape).
Flatten a piece of dough into a circle and add some of both types of cheese (about 1/2 Tablespoon to a full Tablespoon of each depending on how much cheese you like). Then add some pepperoni, about 6-8 small pieces. Pull the edges of the dough together and form a ball, pinching the dough together.Place the stuffed ball of dough, pinched side down, in a greased dish (sprayed with Pam). Place balls next to each other so they are touching. About 11 on the outside edge...
...and about 5 on the inside for a total of 16.
After they are all stuffed and sitting cozily in the pan, you can brush the tops with some extra virgin olive oil.

Next sprinkle them with an italian seasoning mix.
Finally sprinkle the tops with more of the grated parmesan cheese. This is subjective too... if you like cheese, go for it. It will get toasted and crispy and yummy.
Mmmmm... ready to be popped into the 400 degree oven. Bake them for about 20 minutes.

When they are golden brown, pull them out of the oven and let them cool.

Serve with homemade pizza dipping sauce. {recipe below}.
Pull apart and enjoy! They are yummy!

{{Pizza Crust}}

(printer friendly version of just the dough)

1 tablespoon yeast

2 cups flour

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Mix these dry ingredients and then add...

1/3 cup warm water

1 tablespoon oil

Mix these all together and then start to add in about

1/2 cup flour

The flour may vary. Just add enough so that it is a dough that has a smooth consistency, not too sticky. Knead the dough until it is an even consistency (a few minutes). Let stand for 5-10 minutes.

{{Pizza Rolls}}

(printer friendly version of all 3 recipes)

Batch of Pizza Crust (above)

Grated Parmesan Cheese
Grated Mozzarella Cheese

sliced pepperoni, cut into quarters

For toppings:
olive oil
Italian seasoning
grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan with either cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Divide the dough into approximately 32 pieces. Take each piece of dough individually and add some Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and 6-8 small pieces of pepperoni.

Pull the edges of the dough together and pinch them to form a ball. Place the stuffed ball of dough, pinched side down, in a greased dish (sprayed with Pam). Place balls next to each other so they are touching. About 11 on the outside edge, and 5 on the inside circle for a total of 16 in the pan. Continue with the other pan of 16.

After they are all stuffed and in the pan, you can brush the tops with some extra virgin olive oil. Next sprinkle them with an Italian seasoning mix. Finally sprinkle the tops with more of the grated Parmesan cheese. This is subjective too... if you like cheese, go for it. It will get toasted and crispy and yummy.

Bake in the 400 degree oven for 20 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm or even at room temperature with a pizza dipping sauce or ranch.

{{Pizza Sauce}}

(printer friendly version of just the sauce)

1/2 tablespoon of butter

1 clove of garlic, crushed and minced

1 tablespoon of dehydrated minced onions

1 can of tomato sauce

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat and then add garlic and onion. Saute them for about a minute or two. Then add the tomato sauce and all of the seasonings. Heat through til bubbly. Turn down temperature and allow to simmer for a few minutes.

Watermelon Lemonade Slushies

This is a yummy treat that everyone in my house enjoys from the Daddy to the Mommy all the way down to the little babies. It is such a refreshing drink that is super easy to make. It only requires a small amount of preparation.
On a hot summer day, while you are slicing up one of those HUGE watermelons to eat, just set aside some of the watermelon and dice it into cubes and put it into a large ziploc freezer bag. Freeze the watermelon and then at any time you can be ready to make this delicious beverage. The watermelon and lemonade are very complimentary to each other and has a refreshing flavor.

{{Watermelon Lemonade Slushy}}

(printer friendly version)

4 cups frozen cubes of watermelon

2 cups water

1/2 cup Country Time Lemonade (or 1 pkg of Crystal Light Lemonade for 2 quarts)

Place all ingredients into a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Makes about 4 glasses.

Pumpkin Craisin Muffins

I made these muffins for breakfast one morning and since the recipe calls for a cake mix they are super easy and quick to make. Also I made them with craisins, which meant they were pretty healthy too. Paired up with some fruit and yogurt and the kids had a nice balanced breakfast. The kids really liked them too...and that is always nice to hear. I actually split the batter into two bowls and made half of it with craisins for breakfast and the other half with chocolate chips so the kids could have the ones with chocolate chips as a snack after school. Two birds killed with one stone! LOVE IT!

{{Pumpkin Muffins}}
 (Printer Friendly Version .... click here)

1 Box Spice Cake Mix

Small can of pumpkin puree

1/3 cup applesauce

1 egg

1 cup Craisins or Chocolate Chips (or add more or less to your taste and preference)

Mix all ingredients together and spoon batter into a greased or lined cupcake tin and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until done. Make 24 cupcakes.

Berry Fruity Salad

Mmmm..... I love making yummy salads during the summer time. It is sooo hot outside and the last thing you want to do is heat up the house by turning on the oven. So we eat salads! I had a salad like this from Wendy's and I LOVED it so I made a similar one at home and love having the stuff on hand to make it over and over again (especially for myself at lunch time).

This is such an easy but still kinda fancy looking salad to throw together and it's so fresh and fruity too!

{{Berry Fruity Salad}}

Romaine Lettuce, cut up
Fresh Strawberries, quartered
Fresh Pineapple, cut into chunks
Fresh Blueberries
Oven Roasted Almonds (directions below)
Shaved Asiago Cheese
Raspberry Vinaigrette (I used the Trader Joe's Raspberry Vinaigrette, but there is a good simple recipe for one included)

(I prepare the salads on each plate individually.) First lay a bed of lettuce on the plate and then sprinkle the desired amount of fruit on your lettuce, to achieve your preferred proportions, with more or less fruit. Next sprinkle on the oven roasted almonds, and shaved asiago cheese and drizzle your dressing. Sit down and enjoy!

With a little bit more time & prep, you can make the salad a complete meal by adding some yummy Grilled/Roasted Chicken, cut up and placed on top of the salad. It tastes so good to have the warm chicken breast on top of the cool, fresh salad. Prepare your chicken the way you like it best (or you can even pop open a can of chicken and sprinkle that on top... just depends on how you like it and how much time you have).

Here's the Trader Joe's Raspberry Vinaigrette....

Drizzled over the salad.... Mmmm... It's ready to eat!

....and here's the homemade recipe for a dressing.

Red Raspberry Vinaigrette

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 (10 ounce) jar seedless raspberry jam

Combine the olive oil, rice vinegar, and raspberry jam in a blender. Process until smooth. Store in a jar in the refrigerator.

Oven Roasted Almonds

2 cups slivered almonds

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Place the almonds in one layer on a heavy, rimmed baking sheet.

Coat almonds with oil and then sprinkle them with sea salt and toss to coat evenly.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes so the almonds brown evenly. They are done when they are toasted brown and fragrant. Transfer almonds to a paper towel and cool completely before serving.

**Omit oil and salt and roast as directed for plain roasted almonds.

Roasting nuts helps to intensify the flavor of the nut... so it is worth the extra time to toast them.

Store roasted almonds in a air tight container, or sealed baggie with all of the air squeezed out and put them in a cool, dry, dark place (ideally in the refrigerator) and use within three months.

Mango Quinoa Salad

Mango Quinoa Salad.... this is my new favorite dish/side dish. It is so fresh and fabulous. It has a great lime-y flavor and I loved it.

I want to try it over a fresh grilled fish or chicken breast. I think it would be yummy! Plus it was easy to make.

{{Mango Quinoa Salad}}

2 cups cooked Quinoa, at room temperature or chilled**

1 14 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium mango, peeled and diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

6 green onions, sliced thinly

1 handful of chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup)

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice, (about 1/2 lime or up to a full lime, to taste)

kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper

**Quinoa can be cooked in water or broth. Vegetable broth or chicken broth offers extra flavor into the quinoa and is great!

Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add black beans, mango, red pepper, green onions and cilantro. In a separate bowl mix together vinegar, oil and lime juice. Whisk until smooth and then pour on top of the salad. Add salt and pepper to taste. Salad should chill for at least an hour before serving so the flavors can blend together. Enjoy alone as a meal, as a side dish or over chicken or fish.