Peanut Butter Balls: "Old School Style"

Peanut Butter Balls: "Old School Style "

  
Hi everybody :)

Bring your favorite chocolate dessert to Roxana’s Home Baking #chocolateparty and win amazing prizes from OXO, Calphalon, Keurig, Imperial Sugar, Honey Ridge Farms and Land O’ Lakes® Butter.

Peanut Butter Balls were a favorite of mine since I was in elementary school. I remember them shape differently from the way they are now. The didn't cafeteria workers have time to shape up enough balls for the whole school. They used cookie scoops and left them in the cookie dough-like shape when spooning the topping on them.

I missed those days. So while browsing the net I came across this recipe and the sweet memories came floating back to me. I hurried into the kitchen with the attempt to recreate those memories...

Peanut Butter Balls adapted partially from here & Me

Ingredients
Balls:
2 cups  powdered sugar, sifted
1  cup creamy peanut butter
1  cup extra crunchy peanut butter
1 sleeve (1/3 of the box) graham crackers , crumbs
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt

Topping:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortening

The Mixture before Mixing

For the Balls:
Blend sugar, peanut butters, butter, graham cracker crumbs, salt and vanilla until smooth. 

The Mixture after Mixing

Shape into balls with cookie scoop and place on waxed paper

Dough-like Balls

For the Topping:
Melt chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave.

Melted Chocolate

Spoon chocolate over balls in chocolate spread until 3/4 covered and refrigerate until set. 

Plain

Fancy

 

What I Did and/or Think: 

Because I wanted these to look like the balls I remember in school I use a cookie scoop to shape them instead of rolling them into balls. I used my medium OXO Good Grips Cookie Scoop for the bigger balls and my little scoop for the small balls. I also spooned the topping on instead of dipping with a toothpick. For a more fancier look, drizzle it on.

This recipe can be change many ways. I added 1/2 cup M&M's to some of the ball mixture, but feel free to add coconut, chocolate chips, raisins, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips or chopped nuts to create the flavor you desire. The graham crackers can be interchangeable too, you can also use rice crispy cereal, cornflakes, or vanilla wafers, so go ahead and experiment.

Now for the taste; these balls were GREAT! A word of waring though; they are very, very, rich! EAT AT YOUR OWN RISK! When you make them, share. These balls are definitely worthy of a REPEAT!

 ENJOY! Come again.....

Linked to:
Sweet as Sugar Cookies: Sweets for a Saturday #85 
Six Sisters Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday Link Party Week 61
Be Different Act Normal: Show and Tell Saturday  
Shaken Together Life: {what's shakin' link party} #25 
The Gingerbread Blog: Sweet Saturday Link Party V.55
Katherine Martinelli: Nut Blog Hop
Carole's Chatter Childhood Favorite Foods Friday 
Roxana’s Home Baking #chocolateparty

 

Baked Buffalo Wings: NO FRYING!

 Hi everybody :)

I been browsing the web again looking for a recipe that make buffalo wings that are not fried. I do like fried foods, but not all the time. I mostly cook my meat and fish dishes in the oven, as you know from yesterday post never in the microwave.

While browsing I came across a lots of buffalo wings recipes, but this one stood out. Here we go....

Baked Buffalo Wings adapted partly  Live Better America

Ingredients

Chicken Wings

2 lb chicken wing drummettes (about 24)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons red pepper sauce (I used Frank's Original )
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (I 1/2 teaspoon  used McCormick Worcestershire Ground Black Pepper Blend)
1/2 teaspoon A.1. Dry Rub Bold Original
Frank's Red Hot Wing Sauce
Paprika
Celery sticks, if desired
Served with blue cheese dressing and bleu cheese crumble

Heat oven to 350°F. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil. Remove skin from chicken. (I didn't do this)
Step 2 In resealable food-storage plastic bag, mix honey, ketchup, pepper sauce , Worcestershire sauce,  and  A.1. Dry Rub. Add chicken. Seal bag; refrigerate at least 15 minutes but no longer than 24 hours, turning occasionally. I marinade it for 2 hours.
 

Wings with Marinate Mixture

 











Step 3 Place chicken in pan; sprinkle with Hot Wing Sauce and paprika. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes. Drain. Sprinkle with more Hot Wing Sauce and cooked 10 minutes longer, or until crisp and juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.

Wings after marinating for 2 hours, Paprika, and  Frank's Red Hot Wing Sauce

Uncooked Wings

What I Did and/or Think:
I know this is not a healthy recipe, being partly adapted from Live Better America but I didn't want a fried recipe, so I used this one. I made a few changes to the recipe: I didn't used Worcestershire sauce, used a  Worcestershire Ground Black Pepper Blend instead, added a Dry Rub seasoning, and Hot Wing Sauce for a little spicier taste. I also didn't skinned the drummettes, didn't have the time or the patience :) 

I served it  with blue cheese dressing with bleu cheese crumble. The wings were GREAT! Not too hot, but hot enough, just the way I like it. You all know what that means .... IT'S....A....REPEAT!  If you're looking for a baked hot wings recipe, because you're tried of fried, give this one a try, it's gooooooood y'all.


















ENJOY! Come again....

I was feature on appetizers on the Gallery of Favorites!
  
I linked this to:
Rattlebridge Farm: Foodie Friday , Tidy Mom I'm Loving It: RadLab , Simply Designing: Simply Link Party , Eat Your Heart Out Foodtastic Friday ,  The 21st Century Housewife: Gallery of Favorites , Simple Living with Diane Balch: Foodie Friday ,  Whipper Berry: Friday Flair Link Party,  Appetizer Round-Up and Your Best Party Recipes Blog Hop and  Comfy in the Kitchen: Friday Favorites!

Microwave Hot Fudge Sauce

Microwave Hot Fudge Sauce

Hi everybody :)

I have a confession to make, I don't use my microwave for cooking. I mostly use it to reheat  food already prepared, to melt something in a hurry, or for popcorn. I know,  it's suppose to make food prep easier, save time, and energy.

Candy recipes are fine for the microwave, but I shy away from any microwave-cooking that deal with meat or fish; especially chicken. I totally avoid that section in my cookbooks.  I just can't get pass the idea of microwaving certain things, maybe one day I will...

Now I would like to share this recipe with you from my collection, this one is just too good to avoid  :)

Microwave Hot Fudge Sauce adapted "Yours, Mine & Ours" Cookbook

1/2 cup sugar 
3 Tablespoons cocoa (I used Hershey's Cocoa Special Dark)
1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch ( I used 2 1/2 Tablespoons)
Dash of salt
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in a 2-cup glass dish.

Dry Mixture

Stir in water and cook 1 -2 minutes; stir every 30 seconds, or until thick.

Mixture with Water

 Add butter and cook 30 seconds more. Stir thoroughly and add vanilla. Makes 1 cup. Serve on ice cream.

What I Did and /or Think:
This was GREAT, what could be bad about hot fudge sauce anyway, NOTHING. I did add an extra tablespoon cornstarch for a little thicker sauce, but if you like it a little thin this recipe is perfect.

For a Macho Taste add 1 tablespoon instant coffee along with the dry ingredients or 1 - 2 Tablespoons of Kahlua after adding the vanilla.

This is another great REPEAT!

ENJOY! Come again.....

Linked to:

Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday  , Something Swanky: Sweet Treats and Swanky Stuff Link Party , Momnivore's Dilemma: Creative Juice # 88 , A Little Nosh:Tastetastic Thrusday  , The Mandatory Mooch: Tasty Thursday #7 , and Just Wing It:: Show Your Stuff # 40 , Sweets for Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies, and  Show Off Your Stuff (Separate Craft/Food Parties) @ Fireflies and Jellybeans

Rosemary, Basil and Citrus Salt

Rosemary, Basil and Citrus Salt

Hi everybody :)

I seen many herbal mixes on Pinterest that sound really interested, so I was inspired to give it a try. I went out to my little herb garden and picked basil and rosemary. I used 1 tablespoon of the lemon zest I talked about here.  I wanted to do a seasoning that would go well with chicken. Here is what I came up with...

Rosemary, Basil and Citrus Salt inspired by  this, this ,and  this

Ingredients
1/2 box sea salt 
1 cup rosemary
1 cup basil
1 tablespoon

I divided the sea salt evenly among the remaining ingredients.

For the Rosemary
Rub your hand down the stem of the rosemary to remove the leaves. 
In a saucepan over medium high heat the rosemary and salt stir occasionally for 10 minutes
Remove from heat and allow to cool. Sift rosemary to remove as much of the leave as possible. Pulse in a mini food processor for a few seconds. Set aside.

Rosemary and Salt Cooking

Rosemary and Salt after Cooking

For the Basil:
Wash and dry basil, (make sure it's dry). Add the salt to the basil and pulse in mini food processor for a few seconds. Remove and spread out on parchment paper. (I didn't, it stuck to the foil, I had to wrack it a little to get it unstuck) Place basil mixture in oven at 275 for 30 minutes.  Cool and pulse in mini food processor for a few seconds. Set aside.

Pulsing Basil Salt

Basil Salt after Pulsing in Processor

For the Citrus:
Mix lemon and salt together. Place mixture in a 225 degrees oven for 70 minutes. Remove, cool, and pulse the mixture in mini food processor for a few seconds.

Lemon Salt and Basil Salt

For the Rosemary, Basil, and Citrus Salt:
 Combine all 3 mixtures pour into a container along with fresh rosemary. Use mixture to season chicken.

ENJOY! Come again.....

UPDATE Picture!!!  9/8   My son cooked some wings using the salt mixture and they were DELICIOUS!!!!

Linked to
Someday Crafts: Whatever Goes Wednesday # 133
Sugar and Dots: What I Whipped Up Wednesday
Lady Behind the Curtain: Cast Party Wednesday Link Party # 57  
Made By Me Wednesdays @ JAQS Studio
Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice @Seven Thirty Three 

Macaroni Coleslaw: Great Idea!

Macaroni Coleslaw: Great Idea!

Hi everybody :)

While browsing the net I came across this recipe. It took two great salads and combined them together, into one. Great Idea! I love macaroni salads and  I love coleslaw. Why didn't I think of that? Oh well...

I shared this idea with my daughter over the phone...

"That don't always work, mom."  my doubtful daughter said as she reminded me of the time when she was about 5 years old and make a Peanut Butter, Jelly and Bologna Sandwich.

Because she love Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich and Bologna Sandwich, she decided to put them both  together and made a Peanut Butter, Jelly and Bologna Sandwich. Well, to say she hated it; was an understatement.

I told her, "I don't think I will have that problem."

So here we go....

Macaroni Coleslaw adapted Taste of Home

Ingredients

For the noodles:

1 package (7 ounces) ring macaroni (I used elbow macaroni)
1 package (14 ounces) coleslaw mix
2 medium onions, finely chopped (I used about 1/4 cup)
2 celery ribs, finely chopped 
1 medium cucumber, finely chopped (I used 1/2 English Cucumber)
1 medium green pepper, finely chopped
1 can (8 ounces) whole water chestnuts, drained and chopped ( I omitted this)

For the Dressing:
1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip Light
1/3 cup sugar
1/4  cup cider vinegar
1/2  teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
I added 1/2 teaspoon Mrs Dash Onion and Herb Seasoning
I added 1/2 teaspoon Salad Supreme Seasoning

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Transfer to a large bowl; add the coleslaw mix, onions, celery, cucumber, green pepper and water chestnuts.

The Noodle Mixture

In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. 

The Dressing Mixture

Pour over salad; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Yield: 16 servings.

Adding the Dressing

 TIP: If you want the cucumbers in your salad to be cool and crunchy, just chill them overnight in ice water.

What I Did and/or Think:
Like all pasta salads and coleslaw, they are best if made the night before or had a chance to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours, so plan ahead. I made a few changes to the original recipe by adding Mrs Dash Seasoning and Salad Supreme to the dressing mixture and omitting the water chestnuts, (I just don't like them) and only using 1/4 cup onion for the noodle mixture. 

Now for the taste, this was THE BEST!!! I love the flavors. A very tasty combination, the best way to describe it is, if macaroni salad married coleslaw and had a baby this would be the result. This will now be my new go-to salad. You all know what that mean.... IT'S A REPEAT!

If you want to change it up:  I think for a Seafood Macaroni Slaw,  about 1/2 cup cooked chopped shrimps would be a nice addition. 

And for all you bacon lovers (ME.. ME.. ME...) about 1/2 cup bacon bacon bits can be added to create a Bacon Macaroni Slaw.  Real bacon, not the fake stuff :) 

So this was a great idea after all... I'm going to tell Miss Doubtful that the next time she calls. 

*******UPDATE Picture******* Seafood Macaroni Slaw

ENJOY ! Come again.... 

Linked to:   
Chef In Training: Talent Show # 52 
 33 Shades of Green: Tasty Tuesday ,   
Kid in the Kitchen Link Up Week 30 
Mandy's Recipe Box: Totally Tasty Tuesdays 
Kathe With an E: You're Gonna Love It 
Naptime Creations: Tasteful Tuesday , 
It's A Blog Party!: Delicious Dishes.

Banana Pudding Poke Cake with Vanilla Wafer Crumble

Banana Pudding Poke Cake with Vanilla Wafer Crumble

Hi everybody :)

I'm going to get right to the point. Since the pudding recipe here, I been thinking of ways I can used the crumble mixture and the banana liqueur again; then it came to me... BINGO! Banana. Pudding. Poke. Cake. Sounds delicious, doesn't it? Yeah. I know :) Well here we go...

Banana Pudding Poke Cake  partly adapted from Tablespoon and here

For the Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix ( I used Duncan Hines Butter Golden)
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2)
1/3 cup oi1
1/3 cup water
3 eggs
1 tablespoon banana liqueur, banana flavoring, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350°F for shiny metal or glass pan (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray, dust with flour.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, bananas, water, oil, eggs and banana liqueur with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Pour into pan.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Let cool for a few minutes.

Then, with a wooden spoon handle, large fork or skewer poke holes in the warm cake at 1/2-inch intervals. Be sure to poke right down to the bottom of the cake.  You want holes big enough so that the pudding filling has plenty of room to get to the bottom.

Cake with Holes

The Pudding Filling:

 1 (5.1 ounces) box  or  2 (3.4 ounces) boxes instant pudding mix
3 cups or 4 cups milk (according to the box)
2 tablespoons banana liqueur or banana flavoring (optional)

Mix together puddings according to box directions. Whisking until all the lumps are gone add banana liqueur. Pour pudding over cake. Making sure to get right into the holes as much pudding as possible. Cover and put in the refrigerator to set for about 2 hours.

Cake with Filling

The Topping:

4 ounce  (1/2 of 8-ounces package) cream cheese
2 - 3 banana liqueur
1 (8 ounces container) cool whip  or  3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped   
2 - 4  tablespoons  powdered sugar

Vanilla Wafer Crumble see Banana Pudding with Vanilla Wafer Crumble found here  (garnish)
1 Banana, sliced (garnish)

Vanilla Wafers Crumble

In small bowl beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, banana liqueur,until creamy and fold into whipped whip cream or cool whip. Spread onto cake. 

Cake, Filling & Topping

Sprinkle with Vanilla Wafer Crumble and banana slices before serving. Garnish with banana slices that were dipped in pineapple or lemon juice. Refrigerate leftovers; if you have any :)

Finished Cake

IT WAS DELICIOUS! and the taste gets BETTER  the next day!!... again if it last that long.

 ENJOY! Come again....

Linking to :
Jam Hand's Recipe Sharing Monday # 2 , 
Makin' You Crave Monday Bulletin ,
Melt In Your Mouth Monday Recipe Blog Hop # 81
Flour Me With Love: Mix it up Monday!
Just Something I Whipped Up
Must Try Mondays: My Favorite Finds 
This Week Cravings: Mom's Crazy Cooking