Slutty Brownies

Yes, that really is the name of these brownies and let me tell you… they are to. die. for. Soooooo yummy and chocolatey! I cannot take any credit for this recipe. Someone told me about these and I just had to make them! I followed this person’s directions http://www.thelondoner.me/2011/06/slutty-brownies.html

You’ll need:

1 Box of cookie mix,

1 Box of brownie mix,

A pack of Oreos (double stuffed ones are even better if you can find them)

*** You’ll need whatever is called for on the boxed mixes. Mine called for 2 eggs, 1 stick of softened butter, and 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, and water.

Pre-heat oven to 350!

Directions:

Follow steps on each boxed mix. Make as directed and set aside. Once you have made the mixes, spray a 9×9 pan and place a thick layer of the cookie dough at the bottom. Layer in the Oreos! Just one layer…. Then pour the prepared brownie mix over it making sure all Oreos are covered. Bake in the oven at 350 for about 40 minutes. Check often to make sure nothing is burning. I’d recommend eating these warm. They are so delicious. Serve with your favorite ice cream.

This would be a perfect dessert to bring to a Holiday gathering, they will certainly be eaten!!!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Looking for a delicious Pumpkin treat that isn’t a pumpkin pie? Look no further. These cupcakes had the perfect amount of spice and sweetness! I would definitely make these again! They were a big hit at our offices the next day 🙂

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cupcakes

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

3/4 cup milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 Directions

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners. Sift together the flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

Beat 1/2 cup of butter, the white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Stir in the milk and pumpkin puree after the last egg. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting by beating the cream cheese and 1/4 butter with an electric mixer in a bowl until smooth. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar a little at a time until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; beat until fluffy. Once the cupcakes are cool, frost with the cream cheese icing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ratatouille Chicken Bake

I love the movie Ratatouille! When I saw the movie it made me want to try and make the dish. This is a delicious and healthy variation of it.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced

minced garlic

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

2 small zucchini, thinly sliced

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 small eggplant, unpeeled and coarsley chopped

1/4 cup fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

3 tablespoons basil

Salt and pepper to taste

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9×13 dish with nonstick spray. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and minced garlic (to taste) and cook stirring frequently, until soft. Add red pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, and chicken broth. Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until veggies begin to soften. Stir in herbs; season with salt and pepper. Place a layer of veggie mix in casserole dish, place chicken breasts on top of the veggies, and add the remaining veggies on top of the chicken. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown.

As you will see from the photo below we had our dinner with green beans and a baked potato. The recipe for the green beans is as follows : 1 lb of fresh green beans, garlic, and parmesan cheese. Boil the green beans until they are tender (5-7 minutes after water begins to boil) be sure not to over cook them. Once they are done, drain the water and place cooked green beans back in pan. Put a little oil in the pan with garlic and parmesan cheese to taste. Turn on to medium heat and let the green beans cook for a minute or 2 in that mix, shake with lid on top and serve warm!

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Blueberry Coffee Cake

Hi Everyone!

This weekend was crazy busy and we did a lot of cooking for the week ahead. I will be sure to post the things we made! My aunt went blueberry picking during the summer and gave me a few pounds of fresh blueberries which I put in the freezer. So I decided to make some blueberry treats to use some of the yummy blueberries we have. Danny requested a blueberry coffee cake so that’s what I made! I have to say that this came out awesome! We made a few changes based on recommendations from other people who have made this recipe before. Make this dessert in a well coated bundt pan!

Ingredients

Streusel Topping

1 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter

Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk ( We used 3/4 cup of buttermilk! you can use regular milk but I would still suggest using 3/4 cup instead of 1/2 cup.)

1 cup fresh blueberries (We used a little more than 1 cup, maybe 1 1/2 cups or so)

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar for dusting (We omitted this –recipe is sweet enough with streusel topping)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees  C).  Coat a Bundt pan well with cooking spray.
2. Make the streusel topping:  Mix 1 brown cup sugar, 2/3 cup flour, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cut in 1/2 cup butter or margarine; topping mixture will be crumbly. Set aside.
3. For the cake:  Beat 1/2 cup butter or margarine in large bowl until creamy; add 1 cup white sugar, and beat until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.  Whisk together 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; add alternately with the milk to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.
4. Spread half the batter in the prepared pan. Cover with berries, and add remaining batter by tablespoons. Cover with streusel topping.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 to 60 minutes, until deep golden brown.  Remove pan to wire rack to cool.  Invert onto a plate after cake has cooled, and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

 

Here is what it looked like after it was finished! I had my piece with cookie dough frozen yogurt! mmmm mmmm good!!  🙂

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We’re backkkkkkkk!

Hi Everyone!

Sorry for the long sabbatical, but we are back again with some recipes to share! This weekend we made some good eats! We made a chicken taco soup (recipe will be up soon), pepperoni, cheese and egg whole wheat calzones, healthy Shepard’s Pie (recipe will also be up soon) and attempted a Turtle Pumpkin Cheesecake. Please note the word “attempted” 😦

I think the Turtle Pumpkin Cheesecake would’ve been awesome, however; it didn’t cook at all!! We followed the instructions to a “T” and still had no luck. I thought it was ok when I pulled it out of the oven and checked it with a toothpick but after letting it cool in the fridge for a few hours I took it out to finish putting pecans and caramel on it to find out that the cheesecake was pretty much uncooked throughout. So disappointing. We had to throw the whole thing out. That recipe called for an Oreo cookie crust which required a whole package of Oreos. I could have found A LOT of better uses for those Oreos instead of in the garbage :(… Ohh well, the trials and tribulations of being a baker! We are thinking that the problem could be the oven. It’s safe to say I am going to stay away from baking cheesecake for a little while!

The recipe for the calzone is pretty easy. A former colleague of mine made this for one of our pot luck office lunches and it was a hit. I knew then that I had to make it for myself!

For this recipe you will need:

1 package of whole wheat dough

1 package of pepperoni (go with Turkey pepperoni if you want it to be healthier)

3 eggs

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Olive Oil

Cornmeal

Italian Seasoning (optional)

Crushed red pepper (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take the dough out of the package and put it in a bowl with a wet paper towel over it so it can rise without drying out. Let the dough rise for about a half an hour. While the dough is rising, hard boil 2 of the eggs you set aside. Let them cool and mash them up in a separate bowl.

Once the dough has risen, flour your cooking space, and roll out the dough. Begin to layer the dough with pepperoni (covering most of the middle and leaving room to fold in the sides, top, and bottom) then layer with cheese. Before you spread the mashed up hard boiled eggs, take the other raw egg and crack it into the bowl where the hard boiled eggs are… mix it up well! When the raw egg and hard boiled eggs are mixed thoroughly spread it evenly over the cheese and pepperoni layers. Fold up the sides, top and bottom of the dough. Sprinkle a little cornmeal on the cookie sheet before you put the calzone on it, and sprinkle some corn meal on the calzone itself. The cornmeal is what will give the calzone that yummy crust! Drizzle a little olive oil on the top of the calzone and season lightly with italian seasoning and crushed red pepper (both are optional, just our preference). Bake in the oven for about 30-45 minutes or until golden brown! Serve warm, cold, or room temp! 🙂

Last Night’s Dinner – Turkey burgers, corn on the cob, grilled veggies, green beans and mushrooms

We are big on grilling and love the fresh healthy way of eating Summertime brings. Last nights dinner was so yummy and healthy. Our Turkey Burgers are the best!

Turkey Burger Recipe

1lb of  Ground Lean Turkey

1 package of onion soup mix

1/2 cup of water

Directions

Mix ingredients thoroughly and form into pattie- grill on medium heat until cooked the way you desire!

The grilled peppers and zucchini were done in Italian dressing then grilled on medium heat until tender. And the corn on the cob was boiled on the stove top until it was done – no tricks on this one 🙂 ( we do grill the corn sometimes ).

The new recipe here is the green beans and mushrooms! Buy a pound of fresh green beans, wash them and cut the ends. Buy one 8oz package of mushrooms, wash them and slice them a little on the thick side. Take the green beans and mushrooms and put them in a big baggie for mixing. Add 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil, and a spoonful of minced garlic. Dash a little salt and pepper in the bag, mix contents well! Spread the green beans and mushrooms onto cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes on 350 degrees. Check them after 15 minutes, all of the liquid should be gone. Once all of the liquid is gone make sure it’s cooked to your liking and take them out of the oven and sprinkle parmesan cheese all over! Delicious!!!

White Sangria Recipe!

Summer time is here and so is my favorite beverage! This is a new recipe I just tried yesterday. There are no real measurements, I just add in the ingredients to taste and amount. Feel free to make adjustments based on your taste and let us know what you’ve changed– we’d love to hear from you!

White wine of your preference, my personal favorite is Barefoot Moscato ❤

Triple Sec

Apricot Brandy

Pineapple Juice

Orange Juice

Fresh Fruit like oranges, lemons, limes, cherries, pineapple chunks, etc… you get the point!

In a big mixing cup I pour the wine first, then add the triple sec and brandy and give it a little taste to see if the amounts are on point. Then I add in the juices and squeeze the fresh fruit! Serve cold in a BIG wine glass 😉

Stuffed Peppers

We have made stuffed peppers so many times before but this is by far the best they have ever come out! These were so delicious and good for you, too.

Ingredients

4 Green Peppers

1lb of ground turkey

1 cup of brown rice

1 egg

diced  1/2 onion, 1/2 zucchini, 1/2 cup of mushrooms, and the tops from the 4 peppers

dash of parsley, italian seasoning, crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

a handful of panko breadcrumbs

1 can of crushed tomatoes

Directions

Take all of the diced veggies and sautee them in a pan with the seasonings until they are soft, but not fully cooked. Prepare the brown rice according to the instruction on the box. Once the rice is cooked, mix together the brown rice and veggies. Add in the ground turkey (uncooked), 1 egg, and the handful of panko breadcrumbs. Combine all ingredients thoroughly and stuff into washed peppers! Place peppers in casserole dish and put the crushed tomatoes around the peppers. Bake them uncovered at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until the meat is cooked and peppers are fork tender. If you wish, sprinkle cheese on top of the pepper and place back in the oven for a minute or until the cheese is melted! Steam some broccoli for a side and enjoy!

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Oatmeal Cupcakes with Cinnamon Sugar Frosting!

These are so delicious! They are a great change of pace from your regular cupcake. One could even argue that they would be a good breakfast item because of the oatmeal in them. I hope you like the photo, Danny got a little creative with the photo taking this time around!

Cupcake Instructions

1 Box golden vanilla cake mix, plus ingredients to make cake according to package

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 cup Old Fashioned Quaker Oats

Mix according to package directions, add in the cinnamon sugar and oats and stir until blended. Bake according to package instructions and then let cool before frosting.

Cinnamon Sugar Frosting Recipe

1 cup butter

3 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons  vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons milk

Beat butter until smooth add powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon along with 3 tablespoons milk. Mix until blended.

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Enjoy!! 🙂

Who Knew? Tip

Every day on our other websites I post a “WHO KNEW?” Tip- Im posting today’s on here because it is perfect for all of the bakers out there!!

Who Knew?? Tip- For the best tasting cakes ever, always allow the eggs, milk, and butter to come to room temperature before you make your batter!

Check our REAL ESTATE Blog for the other Who Knew Tips that I’ve posted! http://danferrara.wordpress.com/