Luscious Lemon Sugar Cookies

OK folks.  I know.  I know.  Its been a while since I posted a recipe on the blog.  I've been SUPER BUSY the last couple of months doing blog reviews on my other site (www.theproverbs31mama.blogspot.com). But I'm back!  And I've got a KILLER sugar cookie recipe for you guys today!!!!

Neapolitan Cupcakes

I consider myself the "Cupcake Queen." That's a self-imposed title. It doesn't really have anything to do with my cupcake making abilities, its more about my love of making them! I'm always looking for a new way to make my cupcakes more fun, so when Kimber Cakeware sent me a set of Batter Babies to review, I was so excited! I immediately began to think about what I wanted to make. Then it came to me - Neapolitan Cupcakes!!! My husband LOVES Neapolitan ice cream. I mean, what's not to love? - Chocolate - Yum! Vanilla - Yum! Strawberry - Yum!

So, you guys get 2 posts for the price of one today! Yep! That's right! You get a product review AND a recipe! (Well, more of a recipe "idea." I used box mixes and store-bought frosting for this recipe because I wanted to get it done quickly so I could post it.)

For this recipe, I used 1 box of Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix, 1 box of Betty Crocker Super Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix, and 2 cans of Betty Crocker Whipped Strawberry Mist Frosting. (This recipe will make approximately 3 dozen cupcakes.)

First, prepare the cake mixes according to package directions. Then, place paper liners in your cupcake pan(s). Place the Batter Babies into the middle of each cupcake liner like so...



I would strongly suggest buyiny TWO sets of the Batter Babies.

They come in sets of 6, so your baking will go a lot quicker with more than one set.

Fill one side with yellow cake batter and the other side with chocolate fudge batter...



Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Cookies

I HATE waste!  Seriously!  I'm always looking for ways to use up the food that we have - including any snacks.  (That's how I came across my recipes for Peanut Butter Cheerio Treats, Best Ever Banana Nut Muffins, and many other recipes.)  So when I saw this recipe for Pretzel, Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chip Cookies, I thought, "Hey!  I can use up those extra pretzels in the pantry before they go stale!" 

Unfortunately, I didn't have any peanut butter chips.  But that wasn't about to stop me from my food thrift!  (That's right!  I call making cookies "food thrift!"  I mean, should I let those pretzels go to waste?  Of course not!)  ;)  So I thought about it.  What is one of my FAVORITE snacks?  Chocolate-covered pretzels!  They are the PERFECT combination of salty and sweet!  Combine that with a cookie and OH MY GOODNESS!!! Does it get any better than that???  So I hopped up off of the couch - and away from Pinterest - and got to work immediately!  And boy am I glad I did!  These babies are YUM-MY!!!

The original recipe said to bake them for 10 minutes (or 12 for crispier cookies), but after 12 minutes mine were still very chewy on the inside - which I LOVE!  The second pan I baked for 15 minutes and they seemed a bit over-done to me, so I would suggest baking them 12 to 14 minutes.

Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Cookies

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. of baking soda
1/2 cup of butter at room temperature
1/2 cup of tightly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
1 egg (beaten)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup broken up pretzel pieces
Preztel Salt or Sea Salt

1.) In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2.) In a larger bowl, beat butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). On low speed, slowly add the beaten egg and vanilla extract. Beat to combine, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3.) Add flour mixture and beat just to combine. Stir in the chocolate chips and preztels.
4.) Preheat the oven to 350F. Scoop out well rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough and sprinkle with pretzel salt. Leave about 2 inches between each ball. Bake for 12 minutes. If you prefer crispier cookies increase the baking time by 1-2 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing.

Hello, Salty-Sweet Goodness!!!  :)

Peanut Butter Cheerio Treats

Ever have half a box of cheerios left over and you know they are gonna go stale before they get eaten?  Well, that's what happened to me last week.  I don't eat much cereal, and my hubby only its it occasionally.  That only leaves my toddler who, let's face it, can't pound down a full box before it gets old.  I HATE for things to go to waste though, so I set out on pinterest to see if I could find something fun to do with these cheerios.  That's when I found this recipe for Cheerio Treats.  These were SO easy and quick to whip up!  And my little one loves them!  The only warning I'll give you is that the sugar and corn syrup gets very sticky, so as soon as you're done making these you should go ahead and wash your bowl and utensils.  If you rinse them off with hot water, they are pretty easy to clean though.  :)

White Chocolate Pretzels

For Saint Patrick's Day this year, I decided to make this yummy treat  The best part about it - its SOOOOO easy!!!!!!!!!

What you'll need:
1 bag of pretzels
2 bags white chocolate chips
2 Tbs shortening
Sprinkles or colored sugar (optional)

Apple Walnut Cake/Bread

I baked this recipe in a bundt pan thinking that it would turn out more like a cake, but it ended up very dense like a flavored bread.  At least, that's the way I thought.  My husband, on the other hand, said it was more cake-like.  So, I've added this recipe to both the bread and dessert sections.  Bread or cake,  THIS THING IS DELICIOUS!!!

Mississippi Mud Cake

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, OH MY GOODNESS!!!!  This thing is SOOOO good!!! 
I had found a few different Mississippi Mud Cake recipes online, but really wasn't satisfied with any of them, so I took things from all of them and made my own recipe.  Now, this cake is not the prettiest, but WHO CARES when it tastes this good!!!  Its sort of like a cake, and a brownie, and a smore all rolled into one!
Note:  You can make the chocolate frosting a little thinner by only adding 2 cups (16oz) of powdered sugar and then you could drizzle it on top of the cake all nice and pretty.  I didn't do that.  I like my frosting a little thicker, so I added another 1/2 cup to 1 cup of powdered sugar, but then it doesn't drizzle and look all pretty.  Seriously... WHO CARES.  Its that good!  But I just wanted to add that note for anyone who wants their cake to look prettier - especially if you make this for a party or get-together.

Anyway, on to the recipe...

Best Banana Pudding EVER!

3 cups milk
1 family size instant vanilla pudding
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 can sweetened condensed milk
8 ounces cream cheese softened
8 ounce container frozen whipped topping (Cool Whip) thawed
6 (or as many as you like) bananas
12 ounce package vanilla wafers

Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies

Once again another wonderful Pinterest find.  I am telling you if you aren't on there you should be cause I have made some good stuff thanks to recipes on there.  And I can say I love a box strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting so I knew these cookies would fit right in!!

Before I was a sahm I spent some time being a nanny for these two children who are now basically like my own.  Well Caroline came over to spend the night with me so we had a girls night....baking, movies, and so forth.  I decided to try this recipe out that I found on Pinterest and we loved it.  The recipe called for half the cake mix box but I doubled the recipe because I knew she would want to take some home, and of course I was gonna want to keep some too :)

Here is my picture taken with the iPhone again...sorry doesn't make the prettiest pictures but it's easy!!

You can find the original recipe here since I doubled it here is the recipe with the whole box of mix: (I would say just for kicks head on over to her blog and read the recipe because her pictures are MUCH prettier and she probably gives you more explanation than I did)

Welfare Peanut Butter Cookies

Today is National Peanut Butter Day!  (Did you know that?  I sure didn't.  Just happened to run across that info online this afternoon.)  I love peanut butter, so in honor of today I thought I'd post a recipe for something peanut butter.  Hmmm...  What to choose??? - Cookies!  I actually found this recipe about a week ago on another blog called Lick The Bowl Good.  I've already made them once.  In fact, I had planned to blog this recipe last week.  I got all my ingredients and placed them on the kitchen counter and got to work.  I finished making the dough and started spooning it out onto the cookie sheet.  I noticed it seemed awefully crumbly.  The first batch went in the oven and smelled DELISH.  That's when I noticed the 2 eggs sitting on the counter.  That's right.  The 2 eggs that were supposed to be in the cookie dough.  ARGHHHH!!!!  Oh well!  My bad!  That was last Thursday.  Then today I was kicking around the idea of making these cookies again when I saw that it was National Peanut Butter Day.  I figured that had to be a sign!  Haha!  Maybe God wanted me to make these cookies?  Don't dismiss that thought entirely.  I mean, my hubby does love cookies and surprising him with these is a way I can show him love.  So I got to work!

Glorified Graham Crackers

I got this recipe years ago from a coworker.  The first time I tasted these babies, I was hooked!  Who knew they'd be so easy to make!  :)

1 stick butter
1 stick margarine
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 box honey graham crackers

Nitey Night Cookies

This is a recipe I found a few years ago.  I enjoy making these on Christmas Eve night.  You place them in a preheated oven, turn the oven off, go to sleep, and they are ready in the morning.  These are GREAT to do with kids (although, I did these even before we had our daughter).   These would also be great the night before your child's birthday.  Make the cookies with them right before their bedtime, then tell them when they get up in the morning it will be their birthday and their cookies will be ready!

I got this recipe from AllRecipes.  If you'd like to see the original post, click here.

Nitey Night Cookies

2 egg whites
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup chocolate chips

Blondie Brownies

(I could tell you that I removed a blondie so that you could see how

delicious these lookon the inside, but the truth is I just couldn't wait to

eat one!  Sometimes food comes before photography!  LOL!)

Blondie Brownies

1 cup sifted flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 Tbs vanilla

2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Candy Bar Cake

Candy Bar Cake (Or at least the it-contains-10-candy-bars-icing)!
Ok, peeps.  This is my first-- first, mind you-- venture into the blogging world.  I mean, I don't follow any blogs, I don't write any blogs, zip, nada, nothing.  So, if this ends up in the wrong place or floating around in Cyberspace, perhaps you can forgive a mistake made by a newbie.

Soooo..my first contribution to the world of blogging is quite a tasty little treat called Candy Bar Cake.  I get requests for this at all sorts of functions, and I happily oblige, because why wouldn't I want to bring something with sugar, fat, and chocolatey goodness?  However, I am going to just share the icing recipe, because frankly, it is the best part.  Also, it is quite versatile--I've used it on German chocolate cake, regular chocolate cake, boxed chocolate cake (GASP! Please don't let my mom and granny see that!), everything.  I am sure you have your own favorite chocolate cake recipe, so I leave you with a little bit of OOMPH! to top it off.  Enjoy!

Top Secret Crispy, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

OK, I promised a killer chocolate chip cookie recipe today, and I aim to deliver!  :)  I originally found this recipe while surfing around Pinterest.  (Have you been on Pinterest yet?  If not, check it out!  Its an awesome place to find recipes, craft ideas, design ideas, diy ideas, etc.)  Anyway, back to the cookies.  I was searching for the ultimate crispy chocolate chip cookie.  My hubby loves his cookies crispy.  Really crispy.  Thin and crispy.  (Did I mention he likes his cookies crispy?)  Anyway, I'm always on the lookout for a new cookie recipe to try, so when I came across these, I just couldn't resist!  The recipe was originally posted on the GirlWhoBakes blog.  If you'd like to see the original recipe post click here.

So what makes these cookies so incredible?  Well, for one thing, they have a secret ingedient: Cinnamon.  That's right. Two whole teaspoons full.  It just sends the flavor of these cookies THROUGH THE ROOF.  The other thing that makes these cookies killer: a full cup of butter.  That's right.  Say it.  Claim it.  Be proud of it.  Don't be ashamed.  I mean, your makin' cookies for cryin' out loud!  That big pile of butter makes these babies spread thin and crisp.  Yummmmm.....  So don't use shortening on these if you want them to spread and get crispy.  :)

Pumpkin Crisp

This is good, and I don't even care for pumpkin flavor.

• 15 oz can pumpkin
• yellow cake mix
• 12 oz evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 3 eggs beaten
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cinammon
• 1/2 tsp salt

Vanilla Fruit Salad

I got this recipe from Megan Kendall several years ago (and several times, because I never wrote it down on an actual recipe card until just this weekend).  It is great to bring as a side dish to a spring/summer gathering, to a baby shower or really any occasion.  I love this recipe and it's super simple!


2 cans pineapple
2 cans mandarin oranges
1 jar maraschino cherries
1 box cook (not instant) vanilla pudding


Drain the pineapple and oranges and reserve the juice.  In a sauce pan combine pudding mix with 3 cups of juice.  Cook until thick.  Cool and add fruit.


Easy and super good!

Rhubarb Pie

Ok, I'm just going to come out and say it.... I'm a yankee!  Born and raised in Michigan!  I'm a transplant to the south, having only been here about 9 years.  Many people in the South don't know what rhubarb is.... I guess because it's very difficult to grow in the south.  In the North however, it grows like a weed.  I guess you need the harsh freeze / thaw cycles that come with living in the north to get good rhubarb growth.  So, what exactly is rhubarb?  Well, when you see it at the grocery store (with the fresh fruits and veggies) it looks like a large red (with maybe some green thrown in there) celery stalk.  But it's MUCH larger than celery.  The only place I have ever found it here is at Harris Teeter.  Maybe they have it other places, but I have never found it around Florence except at Harris Teeter.  

Rhubarb is like a tiny piece of heaven.  In fact, I'm SURE that it will be somewhere on the buffet table that exists in heaven!  My sister and I used to eat it raw.  It grew back behind our barn in mass quantities in the summer.  It was almost as though if you cut one stalk, three grew back in its place.  Before it's cut, it looks like this huge stalk with a giant leaf on top - mature rhubarb the leaf will be about the size of your head.  It's actually kind of a pretty plant and I find it extremely delicious.  It is very, very tart if you eat it raw (think along the lines of an extremely not-ripe granny smith apple).  To me, the more tart the better!!!  And rhubarb pie with vanilla ice cream - nothing was better in the summer!  Ok, on with the recipe:

Haystacks

I had several people ask me for this recipe this past Christmas season, so I thought I'd share.  This is one of my hubby's FAVORITE treats.  I whipped these up one afternoon and surprised him when he came home from work that night.  He was thrilled!!!  My sister makes these at Halloween and calls them "Creepy Crawlies."  That cracks me up.  ;)  These things are super easy to make & they are a real crowd pleaser.

Just look at the yumminess...

Haystacks (AKA Creepy Crawlies)

1 cup butterscotch chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup peanuts

2 cups chow mein noodles

1.) Melt butterscotch chips and peanut butter together in a pot, double boiler, or the microwave.

2.) Add chow mein noodles and and peanuts and stir until all the noodles are coated.

3.) Drop by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper.

4.) Refrigerate until set.

Again, look at the yumminess...

Chocolate Chip Cookie Sweet

2-Big containers of Cool Whip
2-pkgs Chocolate Chip Cookies
1-small bowl if milk
In large glass bowl or those ones with a stand (like a trifle bowl), put some cool whip on the bottom and smooth all the way around to make a layer.
Dip cookies in Milk one at a time & make a layer on top of cool whip.
Repeat process till you get to top and then add crunched up cookies cookies on top for decoration. Refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight which is better.
Very good and easy. My family gives this one *****5 Stars