Best Cupcake on Earth

To understand my obsession with cupcakes you can read 'C is for Cupcakes' on my blog.  In honor of my passion for cupcakes, we had a cupcake party in Mommy's Group yesterday.  Out of all the incredible cupcakes we made, this one was the best.  It may truly be the closest thing to heaven I have ever tasted!  Please PLEASE make these and swath your taste buds in divine pleasure.

Key Lime Cupcakes with Coconut Meringue – Emily Bohman

If you are in a hurry, frost them, unfilled, with a little whipped cream, or lighten up the filling mixture with a little whipped cream and use it as a frosting instead. Or just fill the cupcakes and dust them with confectioners' sugar instead of adding the meringue. But if you go all the way, serve them when they are still a little warm, and you will have one stupendous cupcake with a surprise inside.

Cupcakes
1 large lime, scrubbed (for 1 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice)

4 large eggs

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix

1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix

1 1/4 cups water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon coconut flavoring

Filling
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup Key lime juice

Coconut Meringue
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Reserved 3 large egg whites

1/2 teaspoon coconut flavoring

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. With a citrus zester, zest the lime and reserve 1 teaspoon. Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice over a strainer into a small bowl; you should have 2 tablespoons. Set aside. Separate 3 of the eggs, place the whites in a large clean mixing bowl and the yolks in another mixing bowl.

2. Add the remaining egg, cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil, coconut flavoring and lime zest and juice to the yolks. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Spoon or scoop 1/4 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full. Place the pans in the oven. Bake the cupcakes until they are lightly golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18 to 22 minutes. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before filling.

3. Place the sweetened condensed milk and Key lime juice in a small bowl and stir to combine. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a medium tip. Press the tip 1/4 inch into the top center of each cooked cupcake and squeeze the bag to release about 1 tablespoon filling into the cupcake. Scrape off any excess filling with a rubber spatula.

4. For the meringue add the cream of tartar to the reserved egg whites and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until frothy, about 45 seconds. Add the coconut flavoring and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Continue beating on high, adding 1 tablespoon sugar at a time, until the whites form stiff peaks. Spoon 2 tablespoons meringue onto the top of each cupcake and swirl to spread it just to the edges with a spoon. Bake until the meringue is light nutty brown in color, 5 to 6 minutes. Serve warm!

Orca Point Salmon

I really don't like fish all that much, but every couple of months I start craving salmon.  I guess it's my body's way of telling me that I need some omega-whatevers.  So...this is what we had for dinner tonight!

This little guy has been sitting in our freezer for awhile and I finally decided on the perfect recipe to use him in.  In Juneau, Alaska there's a GORGEOUS lodge called Orca Point.  You have to take a boat or a whale watching ship to get out there.  They serve an incredible Salmon lunch and this is the recipe for it.  Seriously guys...if you don't like fish, you will after eating this!  Enjoy!

Orca Point Salmon

1 fresh Alaska salmon filet

1/2 c butter (1 stick)

1/2 c brown sugar

1/4 c soy sauce

1 Tbls lemon juice 

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat.  Add brown sugar, soy sauce, and lemon juice.  Mix together and then set aside to cool.

Rinse the salmon filet with fresh water and pat dry.  Cut the filet into serving size pieces if desired.  Place fish (skin side down) in a shallow glass dish.  Pour the cooled marinade mixture over the filets and make sure they are well coated.  Cover and marinate for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and uncover the pan.  Bake the fish for 30 minutes or until it just begins to flake.  Coat the fish with the marinade every 5 or 10 minutes.  For the last 10 minutes of baking, dump out the majority of the marinade so that it forms a nice crispy glaze over the fish.

Serve with rice pilaf, steamed veggies, or dinner rolls!  

-Starving in Seattle (Emily)

Overnight Pull-Aparts (Beth)

I made these last Sunday for General Conference and Aaron's family went nuts!!! I'm not a huge fan of orange rolls, but I thoughts these were pretty good. And way easy to make!
This recipe is from ABC4 news viewer Laura Powell.

12-16 frozen white roll dough--STILL FROZEN (Rhodes)
1 (3.4 oz) package vanilla instant pudding
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 orange rind, grated
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
Frosting (recipe below)

Sprinkle cranberries in bottom of a greased bundt pan. Arrange rolls evenly in pan. Mix sugar and dry pudding together and sprinkle over rolls. Combine orange rind with melted butter/margarine and spoon over rolls. Cover pan with sprayed plastic wrap. Place pan in cold oven overnight (8-10 hours). Remove rolls from oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic wrap from pan and bake for 25 minutes. Immediately invert pan onto serving platter. Cool slightly and drizzle with frosting.

Frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice (from grated peeled orange!)

FYI: When I make these pull-aparts I have to make sure the sides have not stuck to the pan after I they have cooked. Just run a knife around the edge and inside tube to make sure it will come out all together.

The following recipe is the Caramel Pull-Aparts version:

use 3/4 cups nuts instead of dried cranberries
4 oz. package butterscotch pudding instead of vanilla
1/2 cup packed brown sugar instead of white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon instead of orange rind

Then you don't even need the frosting, but if you really want it use milk instead of the juice.

(I made this for Christmas morning breakfast and it was fabulous!!!!!!)

Million-Dollar Cookies (Beth)

Am I the only one that checks this?!?!?!?!?? Maybe you all just have a life, I should get one sometime! I guess I just get too excited about food and recipes.
Anyway, I got this recipe of off a local morning show. I haven't made it, but it looks really good and very vercitile. It is out of the Lion House Christmas cookbook.

2 cups shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tarter

(You can add chocolate chips, chopped nuts, rasins, chopped dried fruits, other chocolates, coconut, M&Ms, candies, etc. You can add whatever you want---this is why it is called a Million Dollar cookie!!)

Cream shortening, sugars, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract in a large bowl until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and cream of tarter. Add gradually to creamed mixture. Chill dough for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mold dough into 1-inch balls. Place on greased cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie with the bottom of a drinking glass that has been dipped in sugar to prevent sticking. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Store in a covered container. Makes 5 dozen

On the show they made these with pecans, chocolate chips, PLAIN (no mix-ins), pistacios and white chocolate chips, and as sandwich cookies. Apparently the dough freezes well.
So have fun mixin' it up!!!!

I am hosting a cookie swap this week and I'm thinking of making this dough and just putting out a bunch of mix-ins for my guests to use to make their own cookie dough to take home.

Coconut Bread (Jerica)

To me, this should be called coconut cake because it's honestly the sweetest bread you will ever taste. This is my fabulous mother's recipe and it brings back wonderful memories of high school, Christmas, and special occasions that I love so much. So please, enjoy!

Bread:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup crisco
2 tsp. coconut extract
3 cups flower
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup coconut
1 cup nuts

Blend eggs sugar, crisco, and coconut extract. Add flower and dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk. Add nuts and coconut. Bake at 325 for 50 minutes.

Topping:
1 cup sugar
½ cup water
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. coconut flavoring

Boil on low for about 4- 5 min. Pour over bread.

Makes two delightful loaves.

TAG!!!! (Beth)

NOW IT'S MY TURN!!!!!
I tag Jordan, my mom-Val, Aunt Laurie, and Aunt Joan for their favorite pasta recipes! I know you have them and I want them!!!

Love you all!

Chicken Foil Dinners (Beth)

I got this recipe from a former co-worker, Jen Grimm McFarland. (I have to give name recognition!) I was tired of the old hamburger patty/potato foil dinners. And you can make this in the oven! But if you want the best Hamburger patty/potato foil dinner, call my mom-she makes the best!!!!

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 medium sliced zucchini
1 sliced red pepper, or green or orange or yellow (I going for color here!)
1 small chopped onion
1/4 cup BBQ sauce, plus 2 tablespoons
2 minced garlic cloves
Layer in the middle of a square piece of foil. Fold up and place on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.
OR throw it in the fire IF you are camping!!!! And roast a twinkie while you wait!

Creamy Pesto Chicken (Beth)

Thanks for the tag for a chicken recipe Di. I have been wracking my brain to choose just one, I even asked Mom! She said I should post Melanie's Pesto Chicken recipe so I am, in honor of her birthday. Maybe I'll post another one, if I can narrow my favorites down!

Thanks Mel!

(This has a 3 hour cook time, turn oven off after second hour, but leave in for the third hour.)

10 FROZEN boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1 large (I think she means a family size) can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream (not the light or fat free)
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 package alfredo sauce mix
2 tablespoons pesto
1/2 cup flour

Mix all together and then layer around the frozen breasts in a deep roaster/casserole pan.

(Something bigger than a 9x13 pan so it won't boil over.)

Mel says, "Yes, it's really thick and lumpy bit it thins way out with all the chicken juices!"

Cover with foil. Cook 2 hours at 375. TURN OVEN OFF, let it sit in oven for the next hour.

Mel says, "This is perfect for Sunday dinner if you can program your oven to cook 2 hours and then automatically turn off. Let it sit the final hour of church block and it's done right when you get home." She was telling me that when she makes this it's usually as the family is running out the door to church and honking for her to come! I can totally visualize her doing that!

Serve with pasta and veggies.

FYI: sauce thickens as it cools

Just to let you know, my mom has accomplished making this recipe gluten-free if any of you would like that give her a call!

Mel-Thanks for the great Sunday dinner idea! We all love this recipe!

Banana Bread (Beth)

Here is the recipe for the muffins I brought to Sharon's today to celebrate the gorgeous Aunt Melanie's birthday. And props to me for posting this the SAME day!

4 eggs
1/2 lb butter
5 large bananas
2 cups sugar
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon salt

Bake at 300 for 75 minutes.

This recipe was given to me by one of my college roommates, Melissa Kirkham. She would make this and freeze it. I think it tastes better frozen!
But today I made it into muffins because I didn't want to wait for an hour and half for it to cook! I was hungry! I think I let them cook about 30 minutes. I just kept checking them until they were browned on top and the toothpick came out clean. I also added about a 1/2 cup of flax seed and quite a few teaspoons of cinnamon. I was thinking later that I should have used whole wheat flour because I'm running low on white flour. It would probably taste the same, that's a quote from my mom so you can trust it.
I only make banana bread when the black bananas in my freezer start multiplying. Yes, I put my over-ripe bananas in my freezer. I think it helps with the moistness of the bread. Is moistness a word??? If not I just pulled a Rachel Ray and invented my own lingo!!!!

Chinese Chicken Salad

Hi everyone! Here's my favorite chicken dish! I'm seriously crazy over this salad. I know its nothing that fancy and you've all probably had it many times, but here it is anyway! The girls I served with in Kirtland were crazy about this salad too! I gained a lot of friends because of it! :)

Chinese Chicken Salad

3 Chicken breasts
1/2 cabbage
3 green onions, chopped
1 pkg. Chicken flavored Ramen noodles
3/4 c. toasted slivered almonds
1/4 c. toasted sesame seeds (optional)

* as always with me, you can add more or less of any of these ingredients to make it exactly how you want it. I usually add more cabbage than it says.

Dressing:

2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. vinegar
Chicken flavor packet from Ramen noodles

Cook chicken in salted water, cool, and cut in bite-size pieces. Thinly slice and chop like slaw the cabbage. Break Ramen noodles into bite-size pieces. Brown nuts by heating a frying pan coated with Pam spray and stir till lightly browned. Cool and add to salad. Repeat process for seeds. Add all ingredients, except dressing, together. Mix well. Mix together dressing ingredients and add to salad. Mix well. Serve soon after.

enjoy! love maggie

Italian Crockpot Chicken

Well, Di-Nanner tagged me with the chicken recipe, so I guess I'll stop trying to run and hide and just figure out how to post on the blog, finally!

You know those cute moms you see playing outside with their kids until just before dinner time, when you see them casually make their way inside?  I always thought, "I wonder how they do it, play and still have a nice dinner?"  I watch them from my kitchen window, where I am desperately trying to get dinner going with 25 pounds of loud love tugging on my leg and climbing up my torso....until, with my hair caught in a small fist, I decide that Mac & Cheese actually sounds GREAT!  Well....those fun moms?!  I finally figured out their secret!  Crockpot!  They do their work early and then get to have fun....clear up til dinner time!

So that's why this is one of my favorite recipes....and it's delicious!

Italian Crockpot Chicken

4 to 5 chicken breasts (I actually only use 2 with this same recipe)

1/8 cup butter, melted

1 pkg. Italian dressing mix (I use the Western Family that go on sale for 4/$1)

1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 10oz. can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom (You can add 2 cans if you need a little extra sauce or have company over)

Take cream cheese out of fridge to soften.  Put chicken in crockpot.  Drizzle with butter and sprinkle with italian seasoning.  Cook on low 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Take chicken out and cut into cubes or strips.  Mix creamed soup and cream cheese together, then add it to the buttery broth in the crockpot.  Mix well, then add the chicken back in and let it cook for another 1/2 hour to warm up.  Serve with favorite pasta, rice or potatoes.  

Try cooking chicken with italian salad dressing mix (dry) as a seasoning for any meal.....it is SOOOO good!  Hope you love this recipe and that maybe one day this week you can play until dinnertime! 

Sweet n Sour Chicken-- Di

Brown up them tenders!
Pour the sauce over them tenders!
Eat them sticky, sweet n sour tenders!!

By the way, I tag Beth, Cami, and Maggie! Tell us your favorite chicken recipe!!
Here is my favorite chicken recipe to add to the collection. I got this recipe from my friend Karen and sort of made it my own. Enjoy!

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks (I just use a bag of the frozen boneless, skinless chicken tenders--thawed of course.)
one egg
a lot of cornstarch
Enough oil to cover the bottom of a frying pan.

Preheat the oven to 325. Heat the oil in the pan on medium high heat, then what you do is you crack the egg into a shallow bowl and beat it. Add a little salt and pepper to it. Dredge (meaning to gently dump) the chicken in the egg and then coat the chicken with corn starch. Throw the chicken into the frying pan. Brown both sides of the chicken. Put the chicken in a baking dish.

Then mix:
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c vinegar
4 T ketchup or catsup, whatever you prefer.
1 T soy sauce
1/2 t garlic powder
Whisk it together then pour it over the chicken.
Cook it for 45 min. stirring to coat the chicken with the sauce every 15 minutes. I'll be honest, your house will smell like vinegar for the first half hour, but then, like magic, it will turn into a sweet, pleasant aroma that will have the neighbors beating down your door. Don't let them in because you will not want to share!!

Tag, Di's IT!!!

Since Emily tagged me, I have to share my favorite recipe that my mom made. Well, the thing is, my mom rarely uses a recipe for dinner. She's like the Swedish Chef on Sesame Street. "A little of this, a little of that, and ner ner ner ner..." It's a masterpiece!! Therefore, I don't have any dinner recipes from her, but I have a lot of dessert ones. She has given me her recipe for her pumpkin cake, which I think is the most divine thing in all the world. Here goes:
1 1/2 c pumpkin
1 c oil
4 eggs
2 c sugar
2 c flour
1 t soda
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon

Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, and sugar. Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Pour into greased and floured 9x13" pan. Bake 25 min. Cool and then freeze it! You must freeze it in order to maintain moistness. Spread cream cheese frosting on top.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 c margarine (make sure it's 100% pure margarine without water!)
3-4 oz cream cheese softened
1 lb powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
Mix with mixer until fluffy.

French Chicken

Okay...I have a confession.  I could eat a whole carton of cool whip.  I absolutely loved whipped cream (about as much as this guy!).  I think it is one of the most fabulous inventions in all the world.  Cool whip is definitely my condiment of choice.  How excited do you think I was to find out that you could make a delicious chicken dinner with cool whip!?  Oh, SO thrilled!  Our friends had us over for Sunday dinner and this is what she made us.  She served it with Herb Roasted potatoes and a little salad.  It was heavenly.  I made it again the other day and it is seriously so easy and if you get the sugar free cool whip and reduced soup it's pretty healthy (yay for weight watchers and trying to lose stubborn baby weight)!

Happy Cooking!

French Chicken

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 pint cool whip

salt

pepper

paprika

Place chicken in a baking dish.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, and paprika.  Mix soup and cool whip and pour over chicken.  Cover with foil and cook for 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.  Serve over rice or egg noodles or with roasted potatoes.

-Starving in Seattle 

(Emily)

Also...I have just discovered that our delicious blog is not just bringing joy and full stomachs to the few of us who post.  I have heard rantings and ravings about Di's Curry and Beth's Pork from friends in California, Florida, and Washington DC!  People are trying these recipes and loving them people!  Therefore...I am going to tag a few people to get few more posts going.  The rules are this: If you are tagged, you MUST post a new recipe in a timely manner (we'll be watching) and then you must tag someone else to post a new recipe of your choice.  Everyone should still be posting whatever recipes they want as well.

So here we go...I TAG JERICA, DI, and LAURA GOODRICH.  I would like you to post your favorite dish that your mom made when you were growing up!

Beth's Brownies

Okay, I hope you all feel loved because I am now giving to you my ultimate brownie recipe! This is the first recipe I ever came up with and my mom still makes it better than me! She reminded me the other day that the secret to these awesome brownies is that you MUST mix it by hand-NO MIXERS!!! I made these the other night for my Young Women and they wolfed down the whole pan! Apparently I've still got it! Here it is.........are you ready to be the most popular woman on the block?!?!?!?!??

Melt 2 squares butter or margarine with 1/2 cup cocoa and a tablespoon of oil. Let cool

Mix in 2 cups of sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

Is your arm tired yet?

1 1/3 cup flour

Stir until the flour is all incorporated. The batter should be very thick by now!

Pour into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes

My mom only cooks them for 20 minutes and then lets them sit for a day. She then swirls melted white chocolate on top. Like I said, she still makes these better than I do.

Boston Creme Pie

I made this for my mom's birthday because it is her favorite! It's not really a pie, more like a cake. I totally cheated and made it the very, very easy way!

Take a regular yellow cake mix, bake it in 2 rounds, follow the instructions on the box. Let them cool and then cut them both in half. Now you have 4 layers of cake! Mix up a package (the small package) of french vanilla instant pudding and spread that between the layers of cake. Then pour some ganauche over the top! Ganauche is made with equal parts heavy cream and chocolate. I used 8 oz. Hershey's special dark chocolate and 8 oz. heavy cream. You heat the cream until it is very hot, don't let it boil-maybe just until it has little bubbles on the sides. Then pour it over the chopped up chocolate and just stir to melt the chocolate in. I let it sit a little to thicken up and then just pour over the cake!

It would also be so yummy if you used some of the thicken ganauche between one of the layers-I think I might have done that!

Make it your own!

Beth

Rice Sausage Casserole

I got this recipe idea from my mom's sister and have played with it over the years.  This is my favorite version of it to date!  Enjoy!

Rice Sausage Casserole - Emily Bohman

1 medium onion - very finely diced

1 c celery - very finely diced

1 medium green pepper - diced

1 sm jar pimentos

1 package Lipton Onion Soup mix

2 1/2 c minute rice

1 lb Jimmy Dean regular ground pork sausage

(I like regular but HOT is good if you like a little kick in your head)

Bring 4 cups water to a rolling boil and add Lipton soup mix.  Stir in rice, remove from heat, and let sit.  Brown sausage on stove.  Add diced vegetables and pimentos and let simmer until the vegetables reduce down and it starts smelling fabulous!  (I accidentally left the onions and celery in my food chopper thingy a little too long.  They were almost liquified!  I put them in anyway and actually liked the way it all cooked up!  So dice to your own discretion!).  Mix sausage mixture and rice together in a casserole dish.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees until heated through (about 20 minutes).  If you use regular rice, make some extra soup to add while it's baking in the oven so it doesn't dry out.

Happy cooking!

-Starving in Seattle (Emily)

We tried your curry, Di...

And this is what we did afterwards! It was really good!
love mags and adge

Chicken Curry-- Di

This is what you will do after you eat this meal.

Things you will need to buy:

4 pices of chicken, boneless, skinless, dead

2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped in perfect little pieces

4 potatoes, peeled and diced haphazardly because you spent too much time on the carrots

1 onion, cut quickly so you don't cry

Curry powder

one box of Golden Curry mix (found in the Asian foods section of every grocery store)

Cooked Rice

Things you can buy if you have enough money:

2 stalks of celery

some fresh mushrooms

1/2 a red and/or green bell pepper

In a big pot, place potatoes in 2 1/2 cups of water, bring to a boil and simmer. Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a skillet, add the chicken, season with pepper and curry powder, and let it brown on both sides for 2-3 minutes (it won't be done), remove the chicken and cut into chunks. Add a little more oil to the skillet and saute the onions and carrots (and celery, bell peppers, and mushrooms) until soft. Add all the vegetables and the chicken to the pot of simmering potatoes. Bring to a simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Break up the Golden Curry mix into the pot and stir until it has dissolved. Cook another five minutes until it thickens. Let stand for five minutes. Serve over rice. Try not to die from pure pleasure.

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce (Beth)

1 pkg. (8oz.) cream cheese
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt
pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in saucepan on medium low heat and stir until smooth. You will probably have to add more milk. It gets very thick!!!!
You can serve this with chicken, ham, shrimp, mushrooms, broccoli, green onions, tomatoes, bacon, shredded parmesan cheese, red and green peppers, spinich, whatever sounds good.
Jaclyn and I made this yesterday for my mom's birthday and it was awesome! We called it our "Alfredo Bar!" We had all the topping in a lazy susan and everyone just picked what they wanted.
This sauce is also good as a dipping sauce for bread.