Spring Forward to St Patrick's Day

I go back and forth about whether I like this blogging thing or not. And not just because of my lack of readers. I tend to be a binge blogger. Writing several posts in one sitting, then not blogging for weeks. I love to cook and bake, but I always forget or just don't want to stop to take pictures. So then the quick iPhone pictures I snap at the end are all you get. At the same time, I don't want to completely abandon the blog. While it wasn't part of the NY resolution, I just can't bring myself to quit. I haven't quite decided.

But today I am going to share a couple new dessert recipes with you! I've done a lot, or a ton, of baking in the past few weeks. The first was for the "Spring Forward" party at work. You see, our night shift crew signed up to work the time change shift, 13 hours. So to get us through, we planned a party! And all the babies behaved themselves during that special hour :) It was grand! This was our spread --->



The recipe I'm going to share is for those cupcakes in the corner. I've been wanting to try out mocha frosting for a while after my friend Tori, the icing queen, taught me the secret to perfect mocha icing. In my quest to try the icing, I discovered what I think will be my "go-to" chocolate cupcake recipe. It's delicious. And easy. And homemade. And includes buttermilk. Everything I need.


Best Chocolate Cupcakes

- 1 1/4 C flour
- 1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 C sugar
- 1/3 c vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 C buttermilk
- 1/2 C semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Line muffin pan with paper liners.

2. In a small bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and two of buttermilk, beating until batter is smooth. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 22-27 minutes, or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.

5. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack. Top with frosting.

**The secret to the mocha frosting is to dissolve a 1/2-1 tsp espresso powder in water until paste forms. Then mix into your favorite buttercream recipe. Here is mine.

Over St. Patrick's Day weekend, our student ministry had their Beach Weekend retreat. I volunteered to do a little baking. Which turned into a lot of baking. Desserts for all our meals and our ice cream sundae bar- for 100 students and leaders. Challenge accepted. I won't share every recipe, but I do have some new favorites! There were chocolate chip cookies, butterscotch oatmeal cookie bars, chocolate chip pound cake, peanut butter cookies (1 C peanut butter, 1 C sugar, 1 egg- 350 for 8 minutes- that easy), Andes mint brownies, and snickerdoodles, rolled in green cinnamon sugar of course!

I made a special little something for my girls- Green Velvet Cake Truffles! They were fun, a little messy, but super cute! And once again, I found a new favorite Velvet cake recipe- which starts with a cake mix! As much as I would rather start from scratch- this recipe makes some of the best I've tasted!

Green (Red) Velvet Cake

- 1 box white cake mix


Cupcakes I made from leftover batter

- 3 egg: 2 egg whites, 1 whole egg
- 3 Tbs oil
- 1 1/4 C water
- 2 Tbs cocoa powder
- green or red food coloring

1. Prepare cake with mix, eggs, oil, water, and cocoa powder. Stir the food coloring into the batter until fully combined. Pour batter into greased 9x13 in baking pan and follow package directions on baking cake. Cool completely.

For truffles  - 1 can cream cheese frosting
                    - 1 pkg white Almond Bark

2. Once cake is cooled, crumble into a large bowl. Add the cream cheese frosting and mix well. (With hands works best!)

3. After mixing, form mixture into small balls with hands. Place on a cookie sheet and chill for several hours or freeze to speed up the process.

4. Microwave the bark according to package directions. Dip the cake balls into the melted chocolate bark, covering completely. Place coated cake balls onto a wax-paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with colored sprinkles and let harden.

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of these but they were yummy!

Spicy Blackbean Burgers

Made this recipe a while back- from Pinterest. Meagan came over and we tried this! I actually really liked it!

Spicy Black Bean Burgers


1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 jalepeno, seeded and chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained
1/2 C plus 2 Tbs rolled oats
3/4 C yellow corn kernels
1 green onion, thinly slices
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

burger buns and any additional toppings (sprouts/tomatoes/avocado/cheese/lettuce)

1. Mash together onion, jalepeno, garlic, beans, oats, corn, green onion, cumin, curry powder, and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper. (or you can use a food processor)

2. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

3. Remove chilled mixture from refrigerator. If mixture not firm enough to form patties, add 1/2 C breadcrumbs. (We didn't need them). Pat into 4 equal patties.

4. Cook patties in skillet sprayed with non stick spray over medium heat. 5-7 minutes per side or until a crust develops.

5. Remove patties from heat and place onto buns. Assemble with toppings and condiments of your choice.

Goat Cheese and Herb Stuffed Chicken

Quick post to get caught up. This recipe was inspired by a coworker, Lisa, who loves all things goat cheese. So when I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, a dinner club was born. So we gathered at Lauren's to try this recipe and I made PW's Butternut Squash Risotto. Along with a delicious cheese ball appetizer and salad side, it was a fantastic dinner!

Herb and Goat Cheese- Stuffed Chicken

- 1/4 C breadcrumbs

- 2 Tbs fresh mint
- 2 Tbs fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 (4 oz) pkg goat cheese
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 4 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Cut horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken piece to form a pocket. 

2. Stuff 2 Tbs cheese mixture into each pocket; close opening with wooden pick. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

3. Bake at 375* for 35-40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. 
     - Alternately, you can brown chicken on both sides in saute pan and then broil on high for 8 minutes.

Neely's Spicy Mac and Cheese

It's once again been a while since I have blogged. My apologies to my faithful reader, Em. But SB '13 seems to be a great time to catch up on some recipes. Yes, SB '13. I know I am a sophomore in life but one should never pass up the opportunity to tag along for a free spring break with the fam. It just wouldn't be right to force Per to spend another week as the center of Mom and Dad's attention.

So this week I am not cooking- just doing lots of eating. We have visited 2 Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives (thank you, family, for indulging this obsession). Blackwater Grill and Southern Soul Barbecue. Both delicious. But Southern Soul is hands down my favorite DDD I have visited. Perfection. Who knew that fried green beans were a southern delicacy? Not I. Thank you, Guy Fieri.

The recipe I am sharing this week is also from the Food Network. A friend from work had told me that this mac and cheese recipe was a must try for anyone who loves mac and cheese. So after I got power back after our snow storm, over a foot, I tried out this recipe for a cold few days stuck inside.

Spicy Macaroni and Cheese with Chorizo Sausage Courtesy of The Neely's

- 1 lb penne pasta
- 3 C cherry tomatoes
- 2 tsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 pkg chorizo, casings removed and finely chopped
- 6 Tbs butter
- 1/2 C flour
- 4 C milk, warm
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 Tbs hot sauce
- 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 2 C shredded Monterrey pepper jack
- 1 C sharp white cheddar

1. Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain in colander.

2. Spread cherry tomatoes on a sheet tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes at 350* until visibly plump and softened.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tsp of olive oil and saute chorizo in pan until crisp. Remove to paper towel covered plate.

4. Melt butter in a large sauce pot over medium heat. Add flour, stirring for 1 minutes. Whisk in the warmed milk and bring to a boil. Continue to whisk constantly. Stir while adding the mustard, hot sauce, and Worcestershire. Stir in the cheese; reserving 1/2 C for topping. The mixture will thicken as the heat increases.

5. Pour drained pasta into the cheese sauce and mix well. Add to 3-qt casserole dish. Add the chorizo and roasted cherry tomatoes. Bake for 35 minutes. Can be made ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before baking, if refrigerated.

Blueberries Galore

Blueberries were on sale the past weeks, so I got on a blueberry kick! And a Pinterest kick apparently- this recipe is supposedly the "Best Ever Blueberry Muffin" recipe from Pinterest. I grew up loving Sunday mornings when we had Martha White Blueberry muffins. From a package and they were delicious. Not too sweet as many premade muffins are, but so delicious.

These taste so much like them! They take a little work, a Saturday morning breakfast :) But so worth the effort!

Best Ever Blueberry Muffins

- 2 C fresh blueberries
- 1 1/8 C + 1 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbs water
- 2 1/2 C flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 4 Tbs (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1/2 C vegetable oil
- 1 C buttermilk
- 2 tsp vanilla

Streusel Topping- 3 Tbs white sugar, 3 Tbs brown sugar, 1/3 C flour, 5 Tbs melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 425*. Spray muffin tins or line with muffin cups.

2. Bring 1 C blueberries, water and 1 tsp sugar to simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing the berries with a fork several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced by about half. Approx 6 minutes. Cool to room temperaturnd

3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk remaining sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until thick and well combined.

4. Slowly mix in butter and oil until combined. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla.

5. Using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture and remaining cup blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with few spots of dry flour; do not over mix)

6. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups. Spoon a teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into center of each muffin. Gently swirl filling into batter. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over muffins

7. Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17-19 minutes. Cool in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

Blueberry Biscuits...ehhh Scones?

I will catch up on my blogging! This biscuit recipe was a Pinterest recipe. I was looking for new biscuit recipes to make for Beach Weekend and blueberries were on sale last week- so this was what happened! And they were delicious- by my own biscuit standards (where Cracker Barrel biscuits reign superior)- and I took them to work and they got good reviews. Well, they all got eaten and not trashed- which I always take as a good review :)

Blueberry Biscuits


- 2 C flour, I used white wheat
- 1 C milk
- 1/3 C sugar
- 5 Tbs butter
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 oz blueberries, recipe says fresh or dried, I used fresh





1. Preheat oven to 450F. Sift salt, sugar, flour, and baking powder in a bowl.

2. Add the super cold milk into dry ingredients and mix.

3. As dough begins to form take each tablespoon of really cold butter and mix into dough with pastry cutter (or fork and knife). 

 

4. Fold dough and knead.

5. Move dough to floured cutting board and roll flat to about ¼ - ½ thick (or to desired thickness) and cut approximately 6 biscuits with a biscuit or cookie cutter. Or top of a cup if you have no circle cookie cutters.

6. Place in oven and bake for about 7-12 minutes.

 

Optional glaze topping: Mix 1 C powdered sugar, 1/8 C water, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/2 tsp lemon juice together and drizzle over biscuits.

 

** Confession: I was making the second batch of these biscuits the night Julie came over for dinner while we were talking after dinner. As I was putting the first tray of biscuits in the oven, I remembered. I hadn't added the butter. You are supposed to leave the butter in the refrigerator until right before you put it into the dough, so it doesn't melt, and I completely forgot. We voted to go ahead and bake them and see what happens.

Well what happened was the tasted great! They were more cake-like and a bit more dense that the previous batch but they tasted good. So the butter in this recipe does not affect the taste but the texture. All that to say, don't leave the butter out!